#I want to he able to find art and gifs haha

[maximoff-pan]

the ultimate deception | benedict bridgerton (part one)

summary: you are a well known artist who paints under a pseudonym. What happens when Lady Whistledown comes to know of your identity? How will your relationship with Benedict evolve?

pairing: benedict bridgerton x fem!(artist)reader

word count: 4k

warning(s): poor writing and dialogue (sue me, I'm rusty lol), very unedited so if there are mistakes, I apologize, misogyny, penelope aka Lady Whistledown's biggest defender

a/n: this is definitely going to be more than one part, but I wanted to post something after so many months. Let me know how you like it (or don't like it haha)...comments and feedback are much appreciated <3

• • • • • •

“I wish I possessed merely an ounce of your talent.” 

Benedict’s gaze seems to be wholly absorbing your latest painting, a depiction of the botanical wonders of London’s Royal Kew Gardens. 

You puff out a breath, blowing on the feathery end of one of your writing quills. In your haste, it had gotten loose, tickling your face irritatingly. Tucking it back behind your ear, you wave him off. “You have much more talent than you give yourself credit for.” You admit through squinted eyes, scanning your work. “You simply lack conviction. And you worry far too much about what others think of you.”

Benedict smiles, receiving your words as the highest of praise. He reaches out to take a better look at the piece of art before him. “You flatter me.” He mumbles in awe. “But I suppose there’s a chance you could be right.”

Chuckling at his words, you grin knowingly. You’re right. It’s more than a chance…you just are. He knows it too. 

You both continue to steadily eye the painting, you out of critical evaluation of your work, and him in sheer admiration of it. 

Benedict’s favourite part remains the beautifully bloomed magnolias that are scattered across the canvas. He’d been sure to tell you numerous times of their elegance while you’d been working on it, eagerly awaiting the finished product. As you’ve come to realize, Benedict loves watching you work. It’s one of the prices you’ve had to pay for his allowance of your workstation being at Bridgerton House, if you could even call it that.  

You are grateful, truly. You wouldn’t be able to make your own living without his kindness. And you certainly wouldn’t be able to keep to yourself in the way you prefer to. 

“When will Augustus Leighton be displaying his latest work of perfection?” Benedict’s question reminds you of your fate as an artist. 

Augustus Leighton is the pseudonym you paint under. Using his name, you have become a well known artist among the ton, even going so far as to have a painting hung at Buckingham Palace. It’s difficult, you must admit, pretending to be someone else. But it’s a necessary evil.

Painting as a woman would get you nowhere. Especially as a woman with no money (particularly at the time you began), no status, and no husband. 

Your mother is a seamstress with little to her name and your father was a servant to Violet and Edmund Bridgerton, before his heart became too weak. He passed away when you were thirteen, only a few years after the Bridgerton children had lost their own father. You’d grown up with little money, but Violet had been kind to both you and your mother, seeing how close you’d become with her children. 

You were raised alongside them, Benedict and Eloise becoming your closest of friends. At three and twenty, there are five years between you and the two siblings in either direction, with Eloise being freshly eighteen, and Benedict having turned twenty eight. To this day, they remain two of only three people who know of your true identity, outside of Penelope Featherington. 

You hadn’t exactly meant for Eloise or Penelope to find out about it, but once they had, it became comforting to have more than just Benedict to speak to about your predicament. Especially considering, although Benedict has been wonderfully supportive, he could never understand the struggle a woman must endure in a male dominated world.  

“Likely never. This one is a gift for Lady Danbury.” You answer Benedict’s inquiry after a bout of silence. “She’s spoken about her love of these gardens quite regularly, so I thought, why not have Mr. Leighton recreate it for her?” 

“How will you get it to her?” He questions. 

A smile pulls at the corners of your lips. “I have my ways, lest you worry about it.”

• ж • ж • ж • ж •

The next few days are interesting to say the least. You’d somehow managed to get the painting delivered to Lady Danbury, and as far as Violet had been willing to speak of her latest visit with the formidable aforementioned woman, you have been made aware that she adores it. 

You’d also heard more about it from Benedict, who’d mentioned something about her being at a loss for words, an ultimate shock to both him and his mother. They’d never seen her look so bewildered. 

According to Eloise, Lady Danbury had been surprised to receive such a gift, especially of something so near and dear to her heart. She’d said it reminded her of her time with the Queen, telling the young Bridgerton woman about the months just after her husband had passed, when a new independent lifestyle began to bloom for her. 

The painting itself reminded her that women like her could be free, and one day, they would be. That sort of metaphorical mindset had definitely appealed to Eloise’s sense of social justice. She’d been more than excited to tell you about the older woman’s reaction to your art, claiming it to be a wonderful revelation. 

Today though, as you sit in the Bridgerton’s common living room, the opposite representation of said female autonomy rests in your hands. The paper feels rough against your skin as you pass it to Eloise who’s propped excitedly to the left of you. You’ve never been a fan of Lady Whistledown’s gossip column, although you can admire her unabashed confidence. But despite her strong will as an author, which could be seen as an inherently empowering trait, you are of the impression that she goes about it in an entirely backward way. 

Women don’t need to put each other down to build themselves up. It accomplishes nothing, consequently acting as a source of nourishment for the patriarchy you find yourself trapped in. 

“You’re not going to read it?” Eloise asks as she takes the pamphlet from you. 

“I never do.” Is your instant reply. 

Penelope perks up at the mention of the column, eyes trained curiously on you. If you had known better, you’d say she was a little too interested. 

But at this moment you shrug it off, listening with no suspicion as she asks a simple, “Why?”

You don’t have the hindsight to understand why your stomach turns at her question, but you respond anyway. “I tend to think of Lady Whistledown as a poison.” It’s the first time you’ve voiced such an opinion. 

Penelope and Eloise turn to you in surprise. “Come again?” Penelope’s soft voice cuts through. 

“She is a poison.” You repeat before explaining yourself. “Do not get me wrong, I hold admiration for her bravado, but her words, the things she writes, they cause nothing but pain and conflict for those she chooses to sink her teeth into.”

“But she’s an independent woman.” Eloise interjects. “One who is doing more than any of us could dream of. She is making a name for herself!”

You try to think about your next words carefully, but your mouth makes quick work of a reply. “A name which she hides behind, casting stones through the guise and safety of anonymity.” 

Penelope lets out a scoff from beside you. She’s always been one to defend the infamous gossip columnist. “At least she does not hide herself behind the mask of a man.” That feels like a shot. “The people know full well of her gender, despite her true identity remaining a secret.”

You hear the implication on her tongue. The same cannot be said for you. 

And she’s not wrong. You do hide yourself behind the mask of a man. You’d never once denied that.

You sigh. “I know you must think of me as a hypocrite.” 

Eloise agrees hesitantly. “Only a little.” She admits. “It’s just that you do the same as Mr. Leighton.”

You soften at her honesty. Truthfully, you understand where she’s coming from, but you can’t help the urge you feel to defend yourself.

“I disguise myself as Augutus because I know that no artist or art critic alike will take me seriously as I am. I want to share my work with the world, that is simply all I want. It’s all I have ever wanted.”

“Does that not make you a coward?” Penelope inquires, although it feels less like a question and more like an opinion. This is what she believes. And she's entitled to that. 

“Perhaps.” You nod in acknowledgment. “But it has also made me uniquely successful. And I take great pride knowing that my work is highly regarded, in spite of the fact that I have to be someone else to succeed.” 

“Does that ever bother you?” Eloise persists. “Knowing that no one will know you for the work you have done?”

Before you can respond, Penelope chimes in with a query of her own. “Does it ever make you feel guilty, lying as you do?” This feels like a challenge. 

You turn to Eloise, answering her first. “No, I feel quite unbothered. I like the privacy it provides me.” Your gaze flicks between the two girls, a fire in your eyes as you speak. 

You answer Penelope’s question next. “Guilt is one of the last feelings to cross my mind.” You feel content with it. “Because of Augustus, I have my own money, my own independence. I do not need a man to survive or to be happy. I have choices. And that's a facet of my life I never dreamed could have existed. If there is anything more empowering for a woman than that, I cannot think of it.”

Eloise listens to your words carefully, absorbing them, reveling in them. She hadn’t thought of it like that, but you’re right. Independence is a sign of true equality. And you have that. Not because of the name you hide behind, but because you’d used the insecurities of men to your advantage. You’d played the game and won. 

“I suppose I have been quite short sighted.” There’s much less arrogance in her tone. Eloise sounds humbled. “You’ve given me a new perspective to think about.”

Penelope does not enjoy the direction this conversation has headed. “Surely you cannot think yourself above someone such as Lady Whistledown.”

Your face scrunches in thought. “Above?” You stipulate. “I do not think myself above anyone, gender aside. But I do think I have a much higher sense of self respect than she does.”

“And how could that possibly be?” Penelope has to bite her tongue. She wants to say more, defend herself more. But she cannot. 

Eloise cuts in. “Lady Whistledown has the utmost confidence in herself. I dare say more than all the women in London combined. As much as I have come to see your side, I cannot agree with that.”

“One’s high level of confidence is of little concern here.” You deliver. “Often, in matters regarding the human condition, such as these, it can act as a detriment.” Your eyes narrow as you speak. “Self respect and self confidence can coincide, but they are not the same.”

Eloise laughs out of confusion. She’s not used to being this clueless. “I don’t understand.” She says.

“Ah,” you decide to stop tiptoeing around the subject. “I merely think that no self-respecting woman would use the pain and suffering of other women, or any other person for that matter, for their own profit and entertainment.” 

Eloise’s smile drops. “Oh.” Again, she hadn’t thought of it that way. But what resonates with her most is that you’re not wrong. 

“Is that what you truly think of Lady Whistledown?” Penelope’s voice is calm and collected for the first time this afternoon. It almost scares you. 

“Yes.” You say, before voicing, “However, I mean no offense to either of you. I know how much you girls adore her column. I just want more for you than what she does. A life of gossip is dangerous, and you deserve so much more.”

If you had known you’d been talking to Lady Whistledown herself, maybe you would have kept those opinions to yourself. But little did you know how much your life was about to change, how dangerously you’d walked the line, and how much vengeance rests in Penelope Featherington’s soul.

Future note to self, do not play with fire if one does not wish to get burnt.  

• ж • ж • ж • ж •

“(Y/n), I think you need to see this.” Benedict holds up the newest edition of London’s famous gossip column. 

Your heart sinks at the look in his eyes. I’m sorry they seem to say. 

You haven’t even read it and you already know it’s bad. Handing it to you, Benedict looks hesitant, almost in preparation of what's to come. As you take it from him, you glance down at the ink on the paper, her handwriting etched in your brain. 

You swallow the lump in your throat as you begin to read:

Dearest Gentle Reader,

It has come to this author’s attention that a certain individual is playing an unforgivable game of deception within the world of classical art that this ton so highly regards. This artisan has gone to great lengths to keep their true identity from you, painting under a well recognized pseudonym. 

By now you may have guessed, this artist is a woman. One who has tricked you and lied to you by passing her work off as that of a man’s. What a horrid crime it is to keep such a secret from you, and a desperate one, I must admit. A woman so foul as to seek such attention for her art, far too greedy to be content with the life so many of the wonderful women of the ton lead. Instead, she parades around disguising herself so she can live a life she feels entitled to. 

This author asks you to consider the arrogance of it all. But the question remains, as I am sure you are desperate to uncover: who is the serpent who remains among us?

And so it is with great sorrow that I announce the once beloved Augustus Leighton is a fraud. A man never seen in the public setting, has given us a reason why. He is a woman.

And her name, ladies and gentleman of London, is (Y/n) (L/n). 

As I am sure you, gentle reader, are shocked at this revelation, I will take a moment to address the woman this particular entry concerns.

May I remind you Miss (L/n), I have ears and eyes everywhere. Or did you forget? It would do you a world of good to remember that the next time you think about besmirching me. And, as I write this, I must say, this warning goes for all. Heed it, live by it, breathe by it. I am not a woman you want to cross. 

Yours truly,

Lady Whistledown

Panic crawls through your body. You want to cry, scream, maybe even simply die from the anxiety you’re feeling. 

“What am I going to do?” 

Your voice cracks, it sounds like glass breaking. Shattered, ragged, and tired, and Benedict can do nothing but hold you. 

Again, as your body shakes and caves into the pressure you think, what am I going to do?

• ж • ж • ж • ж •

The moment Eloise enters the room with Anthony at her side, your mind is sent ablaze. Only three people had known about Augustus. Only three people could have possibly let it slip, and you know for a fact it wasn’t Benedict.

As much as you want to believe Eloise would never do something like that to you, you can’t help but feel like she might have offhandedly mentioned it to someone. Her mouth had always worked much faster than her brain.  

Benedict’s gaze meets yours in understanding. He hopes his sister hasn’t done this; he’ll be furious if she has. 

You’re about to say something when a certain eldest Bridgerton catches you off guard. Anthony smiles when he sees you, eyes twinkling uncharacteristically so. 

“I had no idea you could paint like that.” He says. “I must admit, I’m quite proud of you.”

You blink rapidly in confusion. Proud? In all the years you’ve known Anthony, he’s never told you he’s proud of you. 

“So you’ve read the column then?” Your head hangs in shame. Everyone in London has probably read it by now. 

“Everyone has.” Eloise pipes in timidly, confirming your suspicions. 

She’s nervous, understandably so, fingers fiddling with the hem of her dress. You assume when you finally catch her gaze that she’ll avert it quickly, but instead, she holds it well. 

We need to talk. 

Benedict, reading the room perfectly, coughs in apprehension. “Brother, how about we let these ladies be for a moment? I’m certain they have some things to discuss.”

“Of course.” Anthony nods with a smile, not before reminding you how proud he is of you.

If anything good can come of this, it might just be that. 

Once alone, Eloise is eager to assure you of her innocence. “I spoke to no one.” She promises. “Blood be forgotten, you’re my sister (Y/n). I would never betray you like that.”

The look on her face is one of pure panic; she needs you to believe her. And despite everything, you do. It almost makes you feel guilty that you questioned her. 

“It’s alright.” You assure her. “I know you wouldn’t.”

But that only leaves one person…

“I think Penelope is Lady Whistledown.” You're taken aback by Eloise’s words, like a stab to the chest. Twisting the knife in further, she corrects, “I know she is.”

Moments of silence pass before you can collect your thoughts. “How long have you known?”

This is where Eloise loses her composure. Pure shame is etched upon her features. “I caught her a few weeks ago.”

A few weeks. A few weeks… A FEW WEEKS?

“Oh.” Your murmur is dejected and weak.

Eloise had known you’d been slandering Lady Whistledown in front of Lady Whistledown, and she’d done nothing to stop you, except defend her best friend’s honour. No wonder she’d been so reluctant to agree with you. 

“I wanted to say something.” Eloise stammers. “But I couldn’t. Penelope doesn’t know that I know.”

You inhale a staggered breath of air, face falling to your palms. “I’ve been such a fool. How could I have been so stupid?”

“You have not.” The girl beside you opposes before continuing, “Trust me, I am furious with Penelope. The things she’s done and said about me, about the people I care about, I’m not sure I can forgive her for it.”

You scoff lightly. Trust her? How are you supposed to do that?

Sure, Eloise has certainly been burned by Lady Whistledown before, but she’s always had her name to fall back on. “You have no idea what it’s like, Eloise.”

“I’m sorry.” She slumps in apology, shrinking in on herself. Eloise likes to think she can understand where you’re coming from. She’s a woman, same as you, one who has the same struggles against the patriarchy, and yet, hers are much different.  

“Don’t.” You dismiss her apology in frustration. It feels harsh but necessary. “You always speak about feminism and the difficulties of being a woman. How it is impossible for you to hold title and rank, or to be recognized for your accomplishments. But you are a Bridgerton Eloise, and that comes with more privilege, more title, more rank, and more acknowledgment in society than you seem to understand.”

Eloise’s brow furrows. “More often than not, that name is a burden, something you could not possibly grasp.”

“And I should not have to.” Your lips pull into a thin line. This isn’t a competition, but you feel it necessary to defend your point wholly. “I am the daughter of a servant and a seamstress. I have no money, no control, and no future if I am not to marry. Since the day I was born, I belonged to someone else. You talk of struggle, but you have no idea what it truly means.”

Eloise doesn’t like what you’re implying. “You think I live a life of luxury? That I am a stranger to the adversities life has to offer? I can assure you, I know much more about the struggles of which you speak. My mother has prepared me for the purpose of my future; finding a husband is imperative.”

“You plan to remain unmarried, correct?” You ask her seriously.

“With every fiber in my being.” Is her scathing reply. And it only serves to prove your point. But you can see her side of things too. 

“El, you defy your mother with your distaste for society. And while I applaud your determination to fight for equality, your fault remains in your failure to recognize the entitlement that has been bestowed upon you simply by having that choice. Unlike so many women, you can choose to live your life as a spinster. For you, those options exist. For me, I have not one choice besides finding a well suited, at best, middle class husband, because that is all I am suited for.”

In this moment, her heart shatters for you. Is that really what you think of yourself? “You cannot possibly mean that.” 

“It’s how it has to be.” You affirm. 

“It’s not.” She disagrees. “There’s so much more for you than a husband.”

Both your defenses are down, walls have collapsed, and you’re starting to get through to each other. She’s starting to grasp the gravity of what this means for you. Your career is more than likely over, as is the steady source of income you’d managed to build. Except where before you’d had less than no money to your name, you now had a healthy dowry (that you’d earned no less) to find a more comfortable suitor. 

Eloise sees it now. What Penelope has done is monumentally life changing. 

However, as emotional as this circumstance is, you still feel the need to reach out. She’s your sister after all. 

“Eloise,” your eyes search hers. They tread in a sea of empathy. “I never meant to imply you have lived a life without misfortunes. I’m not trying to diminish your hurt. But I thought if you heard my side, you might come to understand mine.”

She softens at your admission, having gotten carried away in defending herself. Nodding, she smiles gently. “I do.” She says. “And while you may not bear the Bridgerton surname, you do have us. Every Bridgerton will stand behind you, always.”

Against every fibre in your being, you believe her. Somehow you’ll always have this little family of yours, somehow you hope you’ll be okay…

[zan0tix]

JAKE AND TRANSFEMININITY: PART 1

IVE ALWAYS WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS im gona make a series of posts about jake because. Im crazy and i like writing (will also help me with writing my scripts bc im bad at doing that but im good at yapping on social media lol)

This first post will be about Grandpa Harley because yknow he was the foundation for Jakes text later.

(Take these with a grain of salt bc this is skaianet archive stuff) but Its stated over and over that HIC in both universes Despised Jake because he was a boy and saw him as an annoyance. (The reason he is even named Jake is because HIC just swapped a letter from Jane to make a male name) and this started a pattern of jake being waved off and disregarded.

Already day fucking one as a baby Jake isnt doing gender right😭 his name is a reminder that he isnt what people want him to be.

So he left home and sought off to find adventure at age 13. His shitty home-life already left him with a fraught relationship to his autonomy and control over his life (Again skaianet archives grab that Salt) But he gets groomed and taken advantage of by an older man. I believe this only further Jakes feelings of helplessness and desire to exert power over something.

Grandpa harley would then proceed to try so hard to embody the Old most admirable western masculine archetype to a T. The wealthy globe trotting adventurer/entrepreneur/inventor with female lovers galore and nothing tying him down! A mans man who isnt afraid to get his hands dirty, wrestle a few animals. Wield violence to exert power and control (hunting animals) I see this as his outlet to exert autonomy and establish an Identity for himself but its at the expense of innocent lives. But its how you are seen as successful and powerful living under patriarchy and imperial capitalism.

Though while being this stereotype of old timey masculinity, he has this fascination with a specific brand of femininity. A delicately composed vision, a photoshoot, a performance. Something unachievable.

Its something he brings everywhere he goes. The blue ladies photos and imagery litter both his Hauntswitch house and Jades island house juxtaposing all of his Trophies (taxidermied animals that he obtained through overtly violent masculine means) With his self titled “Beauties/Daughters of Eclectica” (IF THAT ISNT THE MOST OLD GAY MAN THING YOUVE EVER READ. BUT ANYWAY)

Hussie always describes it as “Haha old man jake is horny for blue ladies” but i think the fact he views them as aspirational figures, and holds them in such high regard, Telling Jade that She should aspire to be like them and maybe one day she could take a place amongst them in their elegance and beauty I believe was him projecting; where he believes he isnt able to emulate them because he is a man so he tells jade to instead. (then we see teen jake who is living in more progressive times with his blue lady equivalents and he Directly attempts to Emulate them)

I think theres something more happening here guys nerm..

A. Claire was a Ballerina, A performer of a very traditionally feminine art that is calculated, asking for pin point accuracy with your body as the instrument. The fact he was her “Biggest fan” I assume he went to see alot of her performances and greatly admired her for her beauty and performance skills.

Ive said it before but I dont think he was attracted to her sexually, I think he wished he could be what she was. Embody a finely tuned image of femininity he was barred from ever exploring, so he was drawn to women who could do what he couldnt. And i believe he conflated his gender envy with attraction (teen jake does this too really hard but well get there later) because they didnt have the terms for gender envy or anything back then. Jake grew up in the 1920s. I assume he believed his feelings were average hetero attraction and not something deeper.

I feel like its an elaborate gag that Jake made himself into a straight up Caricature of the burly gruff Adventurer Man. His houses are overflowing with hunting trophies and weaponry like hes over compensating Its insanely comical when you know Really on the inside hes a gay man with a great affection and identification with the effeminate and is actually really loud about it but everyone brushes it off as “Haha what a kooky old geezer!” OBVIOUSLY ALL OF THIS FUNNY. Homestuck is a tragicomedy, everything is simultaneously one huge elaborate gag but also offering commentary on what its pointing and laughing at, in this case its cisheteronormativity (thats the same for an ungodly amount of cases with this work)

I find it tragic, poetic, and endlessly hilarious that his final moments were spent Roleplaying Heterosexuality with a doll He dressed up and put makeup on; made with his image of femininity, and he dies by his own gun, the same kind of weapons that he used to exert violence upon innocent animals in attempt to posture his masculine persona. The ones he arrived to earth with, he was pushed and destined to embody this image of masculinity because of the world he was sent to and the connotations of violence instilled into those weapons by society and reality by Lord English; a being his alt universe self played a great part in shaping. Who too wields a Gun as one of his signature weapons.

Blows smoke off the red hot irony pistols! 😉

PART 2 WILL COME SOON (will add link when it does)

[brailsthesmolgurl]

WHERE'S MUMMY? PT.2

My first part has received an amazing amount of response, hence I decided that I would come out with a part two, and who knows? Maybe this could be another mini series for the boys? :)))) Regardless, enjoy the read!

Warnings: Comfort and Fluff, Slight Angst for some parts. Mentions of smexy times for one, suggestive for another. ANONS ARE POOPY SOMETIMES BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN I WILL STOP WRITING SUGGESTIVE HAHA :(

RAFAYEL & MARIELA

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" Mariela's voice could be heard from the other room at the end of the hallway as she called out to her father. Rafayel, who was busy working on one of his art pieces, dashed towards her room at full speed, panicking at how she was calling out to him. He slammed the door open, claymore ready to be withdrawn only to find his daughter on the floor, with paint all over her face and the canvas that he had provided to her.

One may ask why did Rafayel left his daughter all alone in her room while he was working on his art piece. Rafayel, being a good father, had coaxed his daughter for 30 minutes, with candies and also anything she could possibly want, only to be rejected by her. Her adamant 'NO's made Rafayel confused as to why she would want to paint alone in her room. 'I can do this myself daddy' was the last sentence she told him before she closed the door. And he wondered where she got the attitude from, and he had a good guess probably inherited from her independent mother.

So Rafayel sat at the living room, in his usual thinking corner, painting his artwork, but also carefully listening to anything that might go on in the room. He did tried and checked up on her a couple of minutes ago, knocking on her door and asking if she would like any biscuits with milk but the young child only replied 'NO' as if that is the only word she knew for the morning.

"I thought something happened to you, my little fishie." Rafayel sighed in relief, walking over to her to look at what she had drawn. He took a seat next to her and looked at her face. "How did you managed to get paint on both the canvas and your face?" He pulled the little girl into his lap and he chuckled, using his thumb to try and rub the paint off of her face and luckily it came off pretty easily. He silently thanked your effort in purchasing non-toxic paints for Mariela.

"I wanted to do it like how daddy do it." Her smile was angelic, one of Rafayel's trademark. She reenacted how she did it, by drawing air circles on her palm and on her face. "I drew here, and here and..." She flattened her palms and plopped her face onto the surface of her palms. Rafayel was in shock at her creativity.

"So you used your hands and your face as tools to draw?" He tilted his head and when the toddler nodded giddily, Rafayel pinched her cherubic cheeks. "You are an artist just like me. No wonder you're my daughter." He kissed her cheeks and carried her up in his arms. "Now, let's get you washed up and then we will show this piece to mummy when she is back from work okay?"

"OKAY!" She cheered, both arms flying up into the air and Rafayel laughed, bringing her into the bathroom to wash her off from the mess she had brought upon herself.

The roars of your motorbike could be heard and that led Mariela to jump off of the couch, with Rafayel catching up behind her quickly. "Mummy's home!" Mariela was elated, trying to turn the door knob the best she could but with her size and strength, she is not able to. Rafayel came to the rescue on time and he opened the door, smiling when he spotted you getting off of your motorbike and unclasping the buckle of your helmet, swiftly removing the headgear and placing it on your motorbike's seat. "Mummy!"

"Hey there sweetie!" You called out and shuffled over, arms wide opened and your daughter embraced you within your arms. "How was your day today hmm?"

The latter question of yours was directed towards your husband, who was standing against the door frame, arms crossed in front of his torso while watching both of his favourite women walking towards him. "It was good because there is a surprise." He winked at you and you both shared a peck, before heading in. "Mariela, do you want to show mummy what you drawn today?"

"Yeah! Yeah!" The little girl wriggled out of your arms smoothly and she waddled off to her room. You took a seat on the marble floor and awaited for your daughter's return. Rafayel taking a seat right next to you and he encircled his arms around your waist, giving your side a soft knead. The soft sound of thuds closing in when your daughter came out from her room, with something behind her back. "Mummy close your eyes."

Your husband then got behind you and he used his palms to cover your eyes, nodding towards your daughter to proceed further. Mariela pulled the canvas out from behind her and she placed it in your lap, before taking your hand cautiously and put it on her canvas. Rafayel released his hold on your face and you looked down, gasping in surprise at what your daughter had managed to colour on her canvas. But, you can't make out any shapes or sizes, other than two hand prints of hers and what seems to be an imprint of your daughter's face.

"This is so nice of you sweetie." You pulled her in for a hug and kissed her head. "Did you do this with your hands and face?" You asked just to be sure and her reaction made you stared at Rafayel. The actual artist staring back at you, shrugging his shoulders and muttering something along the lines of 'she did not want me to see what she was doing, so I left her to her own creativity'.

"Abstract art is great!" Rafayel smiled, ruffling his daughter's brunette curls which had grown a bit longer. "Daddy can put this in the next exhibition and you can go with me to see it." Rafayel looked at his daughter and she cheered, hugging you tightly and you beckoned your husband in for a hug as well.

On the day of the exhibition, Rafayel was busy attending to the guests, completing his interviews and taking pictures with his fans. You are spending time with Mariela, hand holding hers as the both of you walked through the exhibition halls. Pink and blue and purple, all colours within the same spectrum covered the walls in forms of splatters, lace ribbons were tapered to the ceilings, to add on a touch of elegance. No doubt your husband has 'extravagance' as his middle name.

Almost every corner is littered with his artworks, ranging from abstract to rough sketches, to impressionism paintings to sculptures. Rafayel is a master to all types of artworks, which gained him the fame and respect he has gotten till now. The wooden flooring resonated the sound of your footsteps, heels clacked against it in sync. You looked down at your daughter to notice the little girl has her mouth agaped, staring at all of her father's artworks in awe. Same, Mariela, same.

"Is that the daughter he had mentioned about?" A distant voice could be heard echoing from the end of the hallway and you turned around, seeing a woman clad in a formal outfit, hair neatly tied back and a microphone in her hand. A camera man right behind of her with one of his huge video cameras situated on his shoulder. "Hi, can we do an interview?"

Out of politeness, you agreed, smiling and nodding your head and the reporter crew started to approach you and your daughter. You lowered yourself down to carry Mariela up into your arms so that she could be within the shot as well, assuming the reporter would like a word or two with the renowned artist's daughter.

"How would you describe living with Rafayel, a famous artist?" The reporter held out the mic to you, awaiting for your response.

"Uhm...living with Rafayel has always been a pleasant one, as he does take care of me and my daughter's needs." You replied, a smile coming forth. "He is a good husband and a good father."

"That is good to note. Rafayel sure do cares about you guys a lot. But, would you care to say that you fell in love with him because he is rich and famous?" The daring assumption made by the reporter made you scowled in 4k on the Linkon's National Television Network.

Your eyebrows are now knitted together, your facade of being nice slowly fading behind your rising annoyance. "No. I certainly do not and will never love him just because of his wealth and fame. I love him for the way he is."

"Fans had also mentioned that you do not seem to be a good example of a mother given you are a deepspace hunter yourself. Moreover, given the recent decrease in recruits, you had to take up double shifts to cover for the incident. What do you have to say regarding this?" The woman smirked, knowing she had struck a nerve in you. Her tone coated in layers of disdain and you can see it right through. This is a personal attack towards you and your family.

Before you could retort the question, you felt a hand on the small on your back and you turned around, your husband standing upright beside you. A look you knew all too well shown on his face. "Get out of my exhibition." The crew feigned innocence, looking at one another to mentally convince themselves that they had done nothing wrong other than doing their jobs. "Nobody disrespects my wife and my family like that. Be it fans or reporters or anyone else. SO you can kindly see yourself out before I call on my security guards." The edge of his lips curled into a cunning smirk. "Which I think might not look good on your company's reputation if they were to escort you guys out."

The bunch of strangers started dispersing out of the family's sight and you looked at Rafayel, who is quick to take Mariela off of your arms and into his. "Are you okay?" He ran the back of his hand across your cheek. "I am sorry, I should have been by your side the whole time." He apologised, putting the blame onto himself but you held his hand in yours, thumb rubbing comforting circles.

"Don't say that Rafayel. You were just doing what Thomas has asked of you. I can fend for myself if those remarks were thrown to me." You gave him a peck on your cheek. "Even if the day you end up being homeless and broke, I will still love you." You looked over to your daughter, who had cosied up to her father's neck, fast asleep.

"The same thing applies from me to you too, cutie." The use of the old nickname rolling off of the tip of his tongue made you bit your lip and you could not help but to smile, looking down at your heels. His finger lifted your chin up, and he pressed a kiss onto your lips lovingly in the middle of the exhibition hallway, ensuring that reporters who may be passing by would be able to catch a glimpse of his actual exhibition of love.

ZAYNE & LUMI & IVER

"Good morning." You could make out Zayne's husky voice and his weight was pressed up slightly against your back, a kiss then planted on your cheek. "Today is Lumi and Iver's presentation day. The one where they have to bring a parent along and to introduce them."

"Oh it's today?" You asked, yawning and stirring yourself to wake. You turned over to face your husband and you opened one eye. "I totally forgotten about it." Zayne smiled, pressing a kiss to your lips this time. You felt particularly tired because today is one of those rare off days you could get whenever Wanderer sightings are not reported as often, and perhaps, with the amount of lovemaking you had gone through with Zayne last night, it was a little hard for you to just jump out of bed and get ready for now.

"I can go on behalf on us as I do not need to be in the hospital today." He smoothed his hand over your hair, staring at you lovingly with those alluring hazel-green eyes of his. "So, take your time to rest, my love. You deserve it." Another kiss is pressed to your lips for a few seconds and he got out of bed, walking over to you to pull his side of blanket over your half naked body. "I don't want you to get a cold, so you may take my side of the blanket too."

You smiled warmly at him in return and managed to catch a glimpse of his toned physique when he walked towards the bathroom to wash himself up. Once he was done, he went over to the kids' room to wake them up. "Lumi, Iver. It's time to wake up." He said gently, pushing the curtains open to draw in the sunlight. The twins slowly stirred awake and they both sat up in their beds, in a half awake state.

"Morning daddy." Lumi spoke, with Iver saying the same exact greeting a few seconds behind. As if by routine, they both extended their arms out and Zayne picked both of them up in one-go, bringing them to the bathroom so they could get washed up and get dressed for school.

Pulling up at the twin's kindergarten, Zayne parked at the allocated parking lots for the parents and he got out of the car, immediately getting stares and comments from the bystanders in hushed whispers. Not only does he own a fancy car that most parents could not afford, but he is also extremely good looking. He popped the backseat's door open and escorted both of his kids into the kindergarten's premises.

Zayne sat on the floor, just like the other parents but it felt a little out of place for him as he was the only father who attended this event. The usual stigma regarding kids shall always be tied to a mother's responsibility but Zayne has never believed in that. He strongly believes that childrens are a result of both sides of parents, hence they should be a shared responsibility for both parents.

Lumi and Iver sat in front of their father, and they noticed the way their classmates were looking over to them. "Is that your daddy?" One of the classmates asked Lumi, the toddler about her size, with big brown eyes and short brown bob. Lumi nodded in return. "My mummy say he looks very nice." The comment made Zayne looked over at the parent who is in charge of the talking child and the mother looked away in embarassment.

As usual, Zayne is used to this kind of scenarios, even in hospitals he would always be stared at by patients, some even going as far as to state that they are cured because of how handsome he is. Zayne however, never bought into any of those bullshit. It is not because he is egoistic, but he does not want to be downplayed because of his looks. The saying goes, if you are handsome, you get a certain privilege amongst the normies. Zayne wanted to prove that idea to be a total scam as looks does not necessarily equate to one's actual capabilities in getting things done. Zayne being a prime example.

The homeroom teacher came in after the bell had finished ringing and she welcomed all of the parents' attendance. Goes on about the agenda for the day and that this event is held to encourage stronger bonds between parents and children and amongst their peers as well. "Lumi and Iver's father, would you like to be the first one to start?" She asked Zayne, palms out and pointed towards him.

"Sure." The man replied, clearing his throat and standing up, his towering height a stark difference from his children. He walked to the front of the classroom. Kids of their age would have thought of him being the giant in the beanstalk fairytale if only he had green skin and a big nose. Zayne pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose and greeted everyone. "Good morning everybody, my name is Zayne and I am the father to Lumi and Iver." He sent a smile towards his kids. "I am the chief surgeon and leading cardiologist for Akso Hospital."

Zayne talked about his job, keeping it brief and non-technical as he does not want to bore anyone within the room and he does not find the need to reveal too much of his personal information. Now comes the questioning phase, in which the parents would ask questions towards the speaker to get to know them better. "Dr. Zayne, since you are a doctor, would your work take up a lot of time?" One of the ladies asked, readjusting her position on the mat.

"Yes it does." Simple and clear-cut.

"Then do you have a wife to take care of the kids for you?" Her question turned into a flirtatious attempt and a couple of other mums started to tune in, some biting their lip and some fixing their hair. Does not take one to know what was already running through their minds.

Zayne sighed, feeling indifferent to her question. He purposely held his left hand in front of his chest and he twisted the wedding band that is evident on his ring finger, the diamond cut on the simple band refracting the sunlight almost immediately. The lady who asked her question seemingly tried to choke back on her own words, face darkening to a shade akin to a tomato. "Of course I do. A doctor would not be in his or her right mind to have kids and to work full time when our job requires us to be on call for 24/7."

He continued. "My wife is a full time deepspace hunter and we are both equally as involved in our children's lives, just on intervals for the weekdays, but on weekends, we take more time to nurture them." The way he phrased his answer made the whole room went silent, the only sound present being the chirps of the birds coming from outside of the window.

"We are home mummy!" Both of the twins shouted together, placing their shoes onto the shoe rack and dashing into the house to look for their mother. Zayne followed in suit, keeping an eye on them two so they do not end up falling.

"Hey there my babies!" You called out from your bedroom, already dressed up and wide awake. Lumi and Iver both in their tiny white uniforms with stripes of blue, the uniform colour of the kindergarten they both attended. Lumi's dark hair was tied into a neat braid, an effort from Zayne's Youtube history having a streak watch for braid tutorials. Iver's hair however is soft and fluffy, the same as his father’s and it sat on top of his head like a cloud.

"How was the parent meeting?" You asked them two, and they both enveloped you into a big hug, each on one side. Both of your kids looked very happy so you assumed that it went well.

"All of our friends brought mummies." Iver stated. "Nobody bring their daddies to school today." Lumi nudged Iver and whispered something into his ear in her low voice and the boy reiterated what her sister said. "Oh and Cathy's mummy said daddy looks very good."

"She said he is handsome." Lumi corrected Iver and they both turned in sync to watch your reaction. What could you possibly say? Your husband is good looking, it is a bound-to-happen situation but you somehow wished you were the one that attended the event instead. A small slither of jealousy bubbled in your stomach. Just a tiny one.

You were wondering if Zayne took the lady's compliment until you saw your husband walking into the room, with a stoic look. He has always been stoic, yes, but this time, something is different about this look of his. His white formal collared shirt hugged his muscled figure well, his simple black tie hanging loosely below the third button, extending one's sight on his wide sets of shoulders and his v-line figure. His sleeves were folded to his forearm, veins lining against the exposed part of his arms. He placed the car keys and his glasses onto the makeup table and sent you a short look, the side of his lips pulled up into a greeting and loving smile. "Good morning, y/n."

"Good morning, my love." You wanted to believe that Zayne did not entertain the lady's compliment, but you just wanted to hear him say it. So, y/n decided to go with an indirect approach. "Kids, can you wait for mummy outside? Daddy and mummy have to talk a little." Once both of the kids had left, you turned to your 'sulking' husband who was busy changing into a more comfortable outfit. "Come on, what happened?"

"Apparently, I was the only male figure there." He spoke informatively. "And particularly, I do not find it likeable when the other parents think that I am a single parent." His sentence got you figuring when did he ever cared about what people think about him? Has the cold Dr. Zayne finally loosened up? "I find it disrespectful towards you despite them meeting me for the first time." He sounds offended and yet providing the benefit of the doubt to the other parents.

You stared at him, perplexed at the situation. "So, conclusively, you do not enjoy going to the parent's meeting?" You crossed your arms in front of your torso. "Because you do not like the way I got low-key disrespected by the other mums?" A part of you is tasting victory at the tip of your tongue for how protective he is, another part of you---, okay there's no other part. It is the least Zayne could do to show you and the others that he is in a happy marriage and you are fully content with the way he had handled it.

There is not a need to address your concerns of the woman calling him handsome anymore because you know well enough if Zayne had wanted to cheat on you, he could have done it many times given his popularity amongst the opposite sex. But he stayed loyal through thick and thin and had never made you doubt his loyalty and love to you, this being one of his prime examples of being a fine husband.

Zayne chuckled under his breath and came closer to you, both of his hands held your arms and he leaned down to press a kiss to your forehead. "Low-key is too minimal of a word to describe their assumptions. It is disrespectful for them to assume I am a single parent, when I have a model wife right here with me." He ran his hands repeatedly up and down your arms to comfort you.

"Furthermore, I do enjoy going to Lumi and Iver's events at the kindergarten but perhaps next time, I would much prefer it if you went with me." He pulled you into his arms and you surrendered within his hug. "So that we can spend time with the kids and I get to indirectly dismiss any ladies who may be interested in taking your place." Your laugh further made him look forward to the upcoming event for his kids' kindergarten.

XAVIER & LUCIAN

"Daddy, what are you doing?" Lucian appeared from behind his bedroom door, one eye opened while the other half-lidded. Xavier took a peek at the clock hung on the wall. 10.30am. Lucian, however, is looking at the desk filled with all sorts of sewing needles and a bunch of fabric lapped over one another. "Are you making something daddy?" His eyebrows hinged upwards and he tried to get onto his tip toes to see what was placed on the table. Seeing his son struggling, he carried the little boy up into his arms and placed him on his lap. "I am trying to sew mum a toy, you know, like the ones that you can get from the souvenir shops and all?" Lucian looked between his father and the mess on the table, figuring out how does one make a bunch of cloths into a toy. The limitation of imagination a normal happening for a toddler his age. "What should we make for mummy?"

"A big teddy bear!" The son exclaimed, arms wide and laughing happily. Xavier chuckled along, his son not lacking any bit of his wife's enthusiasm. "Rabbit? Mummy likes rabbits." The son pressed his small index finger to his own lips, thinking to himself. The suggestion of his made Xavier's cheeks flushed red, remembering that one time when you brought him to an event and made him dressed up as a rabbit themed butler, and that is how he met Lucian's mum. Ironic, I know.

"Yeah, I guess a rabbit would do." A sigh escaped his lips when he noticed none of the cloths on the table are white. Unless his wife would be able to appreciate a multi-coloured rabbit toy, he did not want to risk it. "We need to go shopping for some stuffs. Can you go and change your clothes Lucian?" Xavier instructed and the little boy headed off to his bedroom as he was previously trained. As much as independence goes, you and Xavier had decided that some good habits have to be instilled from young. Dressing himself up being one of the disciplines you guys had agreed on.

Xavier got himself changed into a simple white t-shirt and a pair of wide jeans. Surprisingly and yet not surprisingly, Lucian came out of his room, holding a same blue jeans in his hand. "Daddy, can you help me? It is hard to pull it up-up." He pouted, handing Xavier the jeans. Steadying himself, Xavier pulled the jeans up his legs and helped him to button it. "Thank you daddy." The son grinned from ear to ear and held onto Xavier's hand, going over to put on his shoes.

Initially, they were going to ride the motorbike to get to where they are headed, but given the sun is high up the skies today, it calls for a chance for the both of them to enjoy a walk under the clear and warm weather. Xavier did brought along an umbrella as well, in case Lucian gets a little hot. Just because he enjoys the sun, he does not immediately assume his son would enjoy it as much. A lesson he had learned from his wife when you got a fever after walking with him under the sun despite you not being able to stand the heat.

The streets today are not as busy as the normal weekends, with minimal traffic and pedestrians. "Are you tired already?" Xavier observed his son, his footsteps slowing down and slightly wonky. Lucian looked up at his towering father and shake his head, hand coming up to rub his eyes and he yawned. Tears lined his eyes and Xavier bent down to carry his son up into his arms. "It's okay, you can take a nap in my arms, kiddo."

He walked down the street, passing by a coffee shop that looked newly opened. As he was looking through the menu that was on a stand outside, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Fishing it out of his pocket, he noticed that his wife is contacting him. "Hello? Baby?" He immediately pressed the phone to his ear. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I woke up to an empty house. Where are you and Lucian?" You asked and he gulped, luckily he had kept the threads and sewing kits and fabrics or else the surprise factor would be ruined.

"Lucian told me that he wanted to have a walk at the park. Since you are still sound asleep, I decided to bring him out for a small walk." Xavier explained, head tilting slightly to look at his son. Still sound asleep within his arms. "We will be back around 15 minutes. Is there anything you would like me to get for you?"

"Some coffee would be great, Xavier." You smiled on the other side of the line, same as him. "Be safe when you are at the park with Lucian alright? I will just rest a bit more at home." You informed him and the call ended with 'Bye' and 'I love you'.

Arriving at a craft store, he lightly woke his son up by kissing his cheek. "We are here Lucian, would you like to accompany me to decide on what colour to get for mummy?" Lucian blinked open his eyes, those light blue irises of his slowly darkened to make up for the lack of lighting within the store. The trinkets neatly placed in various baskets and boxes amazed the child, there are so many things he would like to get his hands on.

"Hi there, how may I help you?" A senior appeared from behind the counter. A lovely lady with a hunched figure, her own kitting works worn on her. Xavier leaned closer to the counter, noticing the vast amount of fabrics, of all sizes and textures mapped out behind the counter. There are also several pictures, in monogramic style, featuring the old lady in her younger days and what seems to be her children, standing side by side, smiling with her. Her light brown eyes lit up when she caught sight of Xavier and Lucian. "Oh, what a precious child."

"Thank you." Xavier thanked her. The old lady laid her knitting items down onto the table she had beside her and she reached her wrinkly hand up to wave it in front of Lucian. The young kid was quick to react, using his tiny hand to wrap around the lady's index finger and Xavier swear he could have seen the old woman regained her youth at that moment. Perhaps reminiscing about the times when she had her kids alongside her. "I am here to get some fabric so I can make a stuffed toy for my wife."

Now it is Xavier's time to have a hunched back. He never thought the process of sewing a stuffed toy would be so complicated. Can't blame him, given his royalty background in Philos and him being an esteemed deepspace hunter in this dimension, why would he even go near anything related to sewing and knitting? It is however, a part-time hobby of yours, as you mentioned that you find it to be peaceful and helps you to focus better. It is also a good past time on the days when you are not busy out on the field.

"Daddy, daddy look at that!" Lucian called out and his head turned towards the direction his son pointed at. Claw Machine Store. Why has he never thought of just taking things the easy route? Because he did not want to. Catching a stuffed toy from a claw machine will always surpass the level of easiness as compared to making a stuffed toy from scratch. Furthermore, the thought of you finding out he actually put in the effort to make the stuffed toy for you would leave your heart melting. He wanted that from you, or more like he just wants you to be happy.

Across the street stood the claw machine store, with stuffed toys filled to the brim for each of the machines, begging to be caught. Your son's eyes are fully attached to the store now, already making mental marks on which toys he would want in his room. Your husband lack that enthusiasm, staring down at the huge bag of craft items he had just purchased from the store. He is debating against himself. Whether to catch a toy or to make one. Either one could predict for different endings, but he knows that you would be happy for both endings. Perhaps he was slightly irritated for the measuring of the level for your happiness.

"Let's go Lucian." He grabbed his son and heaved him upwards, holding the child in his arms like how one carries a log and he crossed the empty street. His feet light and quick in his steps, a habit obtained from his long-time combat instincts. The borders of the tar road ended when he stepped onto the padded pavement, putting his son down and watched as the kid hopped into the store. Xavier was quick on his tail, worried that something might happen to his son.

Luckily, the little boy with the light hair is easy to spot amongst the assemblage of neon lights and bright colours emitting from the machines. Lucian stood in front of a machine, hands pressed against the glass panel, hair stained pink from the light strobe of the machine. "Can we get this one for mummy?" His grin was angelic, but Xavier stood there, slightly stunned. Did his son perhaps doubted his sewing abilities as well like how he doubted his cooking abilities? Well, there is a possibility.

"But I bought these already kiddo. I thought we were going to make a toy for mummy." Xavier tried to test the waters and his son only responded with gestures, tine finger tapped at the glass panel again, pointing directly at the bunny plushie. "Lucian..." Xavier tried to coax him again.

Lucian then faced his father, lips pursed together. "The granny told me that you might get hurt from sewweng." The last word that has not been registered in his vocabulary. "I don't want daddy to get hurt. I don't think mummy will be happy too." For a 3-year old, his sensibility is admirable. His son's words changed his mind, and he gave the little boy a card, the one where he usually reloads a bit too much tokens in it for any sorts of arcades. "Let's get one for mummy together okay?"

"You," You closed the bedroom door behind you, a pastel pink stuffed rabbit in your grasp. Lucian had already being put to sleep shortly after his dinner because the poor boy was dozing off on the dining table. Today could have been a long day for your son. You watched your husband shifted his gaze from the mukbang show on the television to you. "Are a bad liar."

"What do you mean?" His voice feigning innocence when he sat up in a better posture, leaning against the bedframe now. "What have I done this time?"

"Lucian told me that you stitched this yourself." Your teasing smile is apparent to him now, you wiggling the bunny in your hands to show him the evident of his works.

"Do you not believe me?" Xavier's eyes widened, here comes the puppy look. He got out of the bed and slowly approached you. His aura taking a turn from being accused to being the accuser. "Or, do you not want to believe that I stitched it?"

You took a step back, your lower back pressed against the makeup table and he caged you, arms extended on both sides of your figure and he leaned in, smirking and chuckling lowly under his breath. "I...I...didn't know you could stitch toys." Your breath hitched in your throat as you could feel his warm breath fanned across your cheeks.

"I feel a little bit upset now." He expressed, pressing a soft and longing kiss onto your cheek and you jolted in shock. "Your son and I had tried to get a toy for you at the arcade today but we kind of finished the credits because the machine was problematic." You would safely put a finger on the fact that he is just bad at claw machine games as per usual. "So, Lucian and I decided to go back to the store where we bought the craft products from and got the old lady behind the counter to give us a crafting lesson. Then this bunny is the outcome of the lesson."

You can feel your heart bloomed at his explanation. You felt bad for doubting his skills, and you even thought that the bad stitching of the toy is a trend nowadays hence you assume your poor husband went off fishing at the claw machine arcades. You should not have doubted his determination. "I'm sorry Xavier, I didn't mean to. I just never thought you would go so out of your way to make me a stuffed bunny. I just---" His index finger slid past your bottom lip at a painfully slow pace.

"Sometimes, you can choose other methods to let me know that you're sorry." He whispered quietly and leaned down to kiss you, the doll you were holding taken out of your hands and tossed behind him, landing on the floor with a thud and your vision blended out into both of your igniting passion.

Here you go lovelies, this is part two for the LNDS boys with their kids and you <3

Leave me your thoughts and love <3 Have a nice day to all me lovelies!!!!

[foxglovegames]

Trouble Comes Twice - the Postmortem

We celebrated Trouble Comes Twice's anniversary around a month ago! We'd hoped to post this postmortem back then as well, but it's taken us a moment to find the right words haha.

Anyway, we hope that this postmortem can give our players and other visual novel devs some insight into what the development process looked like for us. It's also a great way for us to look back at what went well and what went less well.

We'll be taking about the ideation phase, our (lack of) marketing for the Kickstarter, and also sharing (what we can) on our earnings from the game!

Coming up with Trouble Comes Twice

The original tone of Trouble Comes Twice was a lot more comedic and packed to the brim with anime tropes we enjoy. Most didn't make it into the final game, but some stayed and evolved e.g. all of the love interests are based on popular visual novel archetypes - the childhood friend, the tomboy, the shy girl, and the bad boy. 

Some, like Cameron and Zoe, changed a lot from their concept while Adrian and Stephanie stayed quite loyal to our original ideas of them. Cameron's character actually underwent the most changes after the initial reception to the demo, where a lot of people felt like he was too much of an ass haha. (Fortunately, he became a fan favorite when we dropped the new demo!)

The premise with the bet was something we invented to create some drama and establish a common plot thread throughout each route. Honestly, looking back, we would probably have approached the bet differently if we wrote it today and a lot of our pre-planning was... clumsy, at best. Still, it was a labor of love and I'll never forget the fun and excitement we had everyday balling ideas for the characters and coming up with their designs.

As Melli and I are just writers with limited coding experience, we worked with a past game jam friend to code the GUI and set up the base for the game (though the actual scripting was done by us and Melli put everything together in the end). Our biggest expenses pre- and post-demo was the character art and CGs, meanwhile we relied on free music and BG packs to save money.

Why a bisexual romcom?

So, this was sort of a no-brainer to us. We had decided right from the start that both twins could date both the male and female love interests, and (at the time) we feel that a lot of similar games had playersexual MCs rather than established bisexual/pansexual MCs. While playersexual charas are also awesome, we wanted to write a romcom where the main cast are always queer regardless of who you end up romancing. 

At the same time, bi/pan people don't all approach romantic relationships the same way e.g. Cameron is confident and has experience dating people of all genders, while Adrian's demi and Jace still struggles a bit with his attraction towards men. We know that some of our players felt like that made certain routes less romantic than others and we hear you on that feedback and have 100% taken it into consideration for our future romance games. But anyway, that was our thought process behind Trouble Comes Twice's romance dynamics!

Preparing for Kickstarter & the actual Campaign

Our Kickstarter launched at the start of August and let me tell you, we were nowhere near as prepared as we should have been. 😭 We hadn't set up a Steam page yet, we were trailer-less, and we only had a couple of hundred followers across our socials at best. I feel that there's a lot more successful Kickstarter projects to refer to and even a lot of marketing guides and advice now, but mostly it's on us for not researching more. 

The Kickstarter campaign did surprisingly well despite the lack of promotion and only having a rough alpha demo - we were even able to double our goal! - but we  wouldn't recommend what we did for other devs.

You should invest time into making a good demo, spend time building an interested audience before launching your campaign, and research so you've got some kind of marketing plan. We were lucky with word-of-mouth and that other visual novel devs with larger followings helped share our game, but we should have made more effort reaching out to bloggers, streamers, and game sites. Some crowdfunding successes may seem like they came out of nowhere and were just pure luck, but there's usually a lot of grinding behind-the-scenes that you don't notice.

The post-Kickstarter era, at least for us, was the harder bit. We now had 353 loyal backers who had expectations based on promises we had made and we had to make sure we met those expectations while also staying true to our wants as the devs. It was a learning process for sure, but we're fairly proud that we always did our best to keep our backers in the loop. It's frustrating to write an update explaining that the game has been delayed again, but backers are more open to being understanding than you think as long as you communicate!

A tip we'd give to new devs considering Kickstarter: Don't overestimate what you can do, but overestimate what you need. There's always hidden costs, unexpected taxes/fees, and other unknown obstacles that might eat up your budget. In our case, we made enough to make the game as planned, but had to change CG artists around halfway through development which meant our original budget didn't cut it anymore. Fortunately, we had earned a decent amount from our Patreon and pre-orders that we were able to use to complete the CGs, but that isn't always going to be an option for everyone and that also meant we were unable to use that money ourselves. (We didn't take any money from the original Kickstarter campaign, so whatever was earned through patreon and pre-sales was our only "salary" at the time.) 

Writing the game

Writing is, for obvious reasons, one of the most important parts of a visual novel. Melli wrote Jace's routes and I wrote Hazel's routes, which removed some pressure off our shoulders compared to trying to write over 300,000 words all on our own. 

It's fun working with another writer, but there are also some unique issues and considerations that come up when you're writing a game with two protagonists split between two writers. Especially because at the time, there weren't many visual novels with a similar set up to refer to.

The main things we learned, were:

Consistency. We wanted each couple to have their own dynamic, but the characterization needs to remain consistent between routes. You don't want Adrian in Jace's route to feel like a totally different character in Hazel's route. Additionally, we had to be careful that the tone and writing style of the protagonists' POVs still felt like you were playing the same game. Some routes can be more comedic than others, but we've got a problem if Hazel's routes are all (unintentionally) more serious/angsty in tone than Jace's or vice versa.

Watch out for your word count! Longer does not always equal better and writing eight routes, we had to put some restrictions in place. Even when writing on your own, it can be tough to guess how long your story should be, and it was important to us that the routes were roughly the same length so that none felt more "canon" than the other. However, with two writers who have different writing styles and ways of planning, it was tricky to compare our outlines and we struggled at times when it came to matching each other's word counts. Moving forward, we're probably going to be more lenient when it comes to word counts - some routes have to be longer than others, it doesn't mean that route is automatically more "important". We're also doing more regular meetings and frequent check-ins to make sure we're on the same page. In the future, we hope that should save us a lot of trouble when it comes to pacing! 🙈

Balancing your own wants with the wants of your players. In theory, these overlap most of the time. But making a commercial game (that people had already "bought" through the Kickstarter), there is some pressure when it comes to meeting certain expectations. We can't always just write what we want and assume everyone else is going to love it, but we also don't want to neglect what we personally like. We had a survey for the beta where we were able to get regular feedback and a lot of helpful advice. We definitely want to continue with surveys in the future - they are a great way to gather opinions from different players and figure out what works versus what doesn't! 

We took on too many tasks outside writing that distracted us. This bit is sort of inevitable for indie devs like us. 😅 Working with a limited budget and limited resources, you just end up having to wear a lot of hats! We think we did quite well sharing these duties though, and moving forward (thanks to you guys) we can afford more hands on deck to help us out. 

Marketing

The bane of every indie game dev's existence... although secretly, I kind of enjoy marketing but don't tell anyone that!

Having learned a thing or two from promoting the Kickstarter, we spent more time researching games marketing but in the end, trial and error was the best teacher.

As we got closer to the release date, we were posting almost daily on social media and grew our Twitter to over eight thousand followers. We didn't have any viral posts, but we saw a consistent growing interest in our game and it was such a motivation boost to see comments from potential players being excited for the game. We know a lot of devs have said that Twitter didn't help their game much but according to our stats, a decent number of our players found us through the platform. 

We saw less success here on Tumblr. Perhaps we haven't cracked the code here yet or maybe we're just comparing our numbers from Twitter unfairly! We're not hung up about it though, we love it here because it feels easier to connect with our followers and other devs there, and it's nice because we're able to write longer posts like this one! 💓

Aside from posting on social media, we reached out to several streamers and some bloggers prior to release to send them free game keys. 

We also commissioned some art from other artists to share, as we obviously couldn't reveal ALL our CGs before the release lol and visual posts tend to do a lot better in our experience. It was so much fun to see the characters in other art styles and we hope we can afford to commission guest art pieces a lot more frequently in the future!

In hindsight, we definitely regret not releasing a trailer sooner! We underestimated how much interest a good trailer could garner and delayed setting up our Steam page because of it. Steam was the platform where we sold the most copies and most of our buyers found the game through Steam itself.

Also, posting your trailer on youtube adds another site where you're promoting your game so there's really no reason not to get that trailer done as soon as you can. 

Final Notes

After the initial stress, we were pretty happy with our release! Although there were some things we would go back and change if we could,  that's just the nature of these kind of things. For the most part, we're proud of what we achieved and happy that we have learnt so much from Trouble Comes Twice that we can take into consideration for future projects.

We can't share exact numbers, but we wanted to open up a bit about our earnings for the game to help other aspiring devs: As of writing this, Trouble Comes Twice has earned close to 85,000 euros. This counts our profits from 2020 to now (the Kickstarter, Patreon, pre-sales, and actual sales). Removing fees, taxes, the salaries of our talented artists and other freelancers, as well as the money invested into our next game, our personal pockets did not see anything close to those numbers. But we're super proud of how much our little game has made and so grateful that it's allowed us more creative freedom with our next title! 

So, what's next?

You might have heard but for the past year, we've slowly been working on the demo and upcoming announcement for our next visual novel:

A 17+ supernatural neon-noir romance game about monsters, love, and other horrors. 

Play as vampire detective Circe (female protagonist) or hellhound cop Dante (male protagonist) and delve into the mysteries of North Haven, where demons, vampires, and supernaturals hide in plain sight among humans.

The game features six routes, with three romance options available to each protagonist. Dante only has male romances and Circe has both male and female romances. 

The game tackles a darker, more angsty tone compared to Trouble Comes Twice. Still, we hope that those who decide to check it out will enjoy it! We plan to announce the game this coming Autumn. Follow our Twitter (we're still not calling it X sorry) or Tumblr to stay up to date.

[darqx]

Some BP/HH/General asks

That mood when you want to share all the things but also want to keep it under wraps for the actual thing haha! Thanks very much anon!

As for your questions, I can't actually be specific cos there's no definitive number I have in mind for either. Basically there are a number of sectors (you can consider them their equivalent of countries - they have less than what we do though), and a number of species of demon of which I've designed about seven of. The ones I've shown before are these guys (and do you think I could find this pic again? No, I had to recreate it cos for the life of me I couldn't remember what ask I'd previously stuck it in lol):

One day when i have enough species and stuff out there I want to make a proper field guide \o/

Thank you very much for the interest! ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿ I would actually love to for BP, but before I jump the gun there I have to get the comic out first lol. That being said I have made mini-games before featuring the HH versions and some other characs alas they are all lost at the moment to the sands of Flash becoming obsolete 😩

Me and Gato do still collab sometimes (and send each other Xmas presents)! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

I have been working on one off and on for a while actually! Hopefully I'll have some pages to post next year or so*, I've been doing a bit of thumbnailing recently :D

*that is the plan but i also don't know where people find the time to do anything with a full time job lol.

Hullo! Glad you are enjoying the snippets of BP I've got here and there :D Here is an older ref on Izm back when i first got the idea (at that time i didn't really plan to do anything with it, it was just an AU. Now it's my main project haha. Anyway the ref is a little bit out of date in that regard.)

I used to have a "field guide" which was also made quite a while ago, unfortunately the death of Flash kinda killed it. Here's a screenshot of some relevant info from it though.

That's an interesting one as it's questionable how sentient souls are after removal 🤔 In my mind its only form is the smoke light, it can "see" to some degree and MIGHT be able to talk (but in a very no one can hear them sort of way, a la i have no mouth and i must scream. So i guess it can think "aloud"). The more time passes the less sentience it has.

It could try, though it wouldn't really get anywhere if it's in Rire's collection. He might just eat it lol.

.D: Good with kids, will be fine in all aspects.

Izm: The fun dad however needs a partner that knows what they're doing to ensure the child safety during shenanigans.

Marcus and Zeke: Also would be good parents though might be more helicopter out of protectiveness/worry when first starting out.

Ren: Geek parent very good for homework help. Some Asian parent tendencies eg "ah see, i told you not to do that right? Now you see what happened."

They are similar to our known society for this! So basically, there are some good families out there (eg Zeke - who is a demon - is from a pretty average loving family), and there are some bad families out there who only care about power or having an heir or whatever.

HH Rire is a human. I differentiate between him and Demon Rire because they are two different characters...even though they are also technically the same character lol. You can consider them as alternate universe iterations of a base "Rire" concept.

I actually half jested this in an old comic lol

I am sorry to inform you that a HH webcomic doesn't actually exist 😅 I did a lot of art, animations and one shots (such as the HHJ comics) with them, but nothing actually planned or serialised or anything. Whatever's currently on my DA or here is basically what exists.

Bringing this image back cos it's relevant lol.

You spelled it correct there though! XD

[ravenstargames]

✦ Lost in Limbo Devlog #9 | 02.29.24

What is this?! Two devlogs in one month?! More likely than you think! This February has been very productive for me and the team, so let's dive right into it!

Ooooh boy, Raquel keeps knocking it out of the park! She managed to get done every expression for every LI, and I coded them all! Now we have our wonderful characters ready for their debut. We have been using the wonderful Image Tools for Ren'py made by the talented and hard-working Feniks, whose tutorials and resources save a lot of dev's lives every day! This tool has made everything a bit easier for newbies like me, hehe.

Here's a taste of our edgelord's expressions! 💜 They're kind of a cutie when they put some effort into it!

We also had our second valentine's day celebration art piece thanks to Kayden! Sadly with the reworked version of the demo, you won't meet Vycar yet, so we thought we could ask for his forgiveness by giving him a beautiful bouquet and reminding him how much of a sweetheart he is! 💜

Also, Raeya got a hair update!

So, we weren't completely satisfied with the way we portrayed Raeya's hair, so this has been a rework we were sure we wanted to make. At first we were just going to render it again, but we ended up working on it from scratch to better represent what we envisioned for her. We hope you like it as much as we do! ; v ;💜

As always, we are open to any critique or advice; we are white people who have the luck to be able to ask POC friends for their advice as we work, but the more the merrier! Don't hesitate to send us your opinion to our ask box or even our email, gamesravenstar@gmail.com!

When it comes to the background department, we have been making great progress thanks to Airyn, who is honestly leaving us with our mouths hanging open every time! Thanks to her, another background has been finished and another one is in the making, leaving only two backgrounds to be revised and approved!

I personally can't stop looking at this WIP! She understood perfectly what we wanted to portray just by looking at an old WIP we had, and this is what we have so far—and it's already amazing!

Allie has been OBLITERATING the script. As of today, I think we have almost gone through everything that needed to be corrected and discussing, and lord if the script doesn't look a 100% better after we put it in Allie's hands. The way she writes, the way she understands everything I want to say even when sometimes I don't even know myself—what a talented, inspiring and amazing writer they are. I know I may sound annoying at this point singing her praises endlessly, but if the script is in the state where it is now, it's thanks to her!

My programming adventure of the month has been a success, if I say so myself! I've coded the characters with aaaaall their layers, their expressions, the blinking animations, made some videos, and started coding the script. Step by step as they say; I've coded 18 pages, and there's, uh...142 more to go. Haha! *sobs*

BUT WE ARE GETTING THERE! We can see the light at the end of the tunnel! I can finally click 'new game' and read the script and see the stuff going on! YAY!

Some extras of the month—we are preparing a Casting Call to choose the voice acting talent that will hopefully give voice to our characters. The demo won't be fully voiced (it's impossible with the funds we have, which are...zero), but if we are lucky we'll use some of our personal savings to pay for at least a few lines for each character so you can get an idea of how they'll sound if we get funded! Raquel is preparing an art piece for the announcement, and I'm getting the document ready and asking fellow VA friends for advice :3.

Also, we have a new member here at Ravenstar Games! Some weeks ago Astro and I formally adopted our first kitty, 8 month old Riki, fulfilling one of our dreams. We got him from a feline association that works with volunteers and fosters cats who have been abandoned, cats they find on the street, and so on. Riki has been living with me since January, and he's a happy, long big boy who loves playing, cuddles, and sitting on my desk while I try to work!

Say hi to the Ravenstar family, Riki! 💜

A productive month full of accomplished milestones, excitement and new challenges! The team has worked so hard, and I've done my part too! We still don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but we have done a lot of stuff we were sure we wouldn't finish yet, and look at that! We are doing so well!

As you can probably tell, my batteries are starting to run low, so I'm going to leave this devlog here. Thank you all like always for cheering us on, for being here in this journey with us, and for all the love you send our way. Let's hope March is as amazing as February has been, for us and for all of you! 💜

[trash-gobby]

Hello!! I was wondering if you still do Hellboy character requests? If so, could you maybe do a Prince Nuada head canon with a agent reader?

Prince Nuada X Agent Reader Headcanons

A/N: Might turn this into a fic tbh. seems like more of a summary of a story then HCs haha. Hopefully these are enough for ya'll to enjoy

Pairing(s): Prince Nuada X Agent!Reader

Characters: Prince Nuada, Reader, Hellboy, Nuala

⚠️ Warnings!: minor bits of non-descript violence, not canon compliant, kidnapping

______________________________________________________________

✨Being on the opposing side of the main conflict in HB2, it took a long time for Nuada to even consider you an ally, let alone later, a lover.

✨He first met you at the Troll Market, when you stumbled upon him. You were investigating a lead which ended up with the two of you fighting in one of the less populated parts of the market. Down a side-street.

✨He was impressed with your ability to wield a crossbow, along with quick-thinking hand-to-hand combat. Having been trained in several different martial art styles, you were able to hold you own. However, you had a hard time keeping up with Nuada's inhuman agility. In the end you were spared by taking your fight to a slightly more populated area and disappearing into a crowd due to him hesitating to kill you.

✨This is where the seed was planted for him to take notice of you. His feelings are still largely negative, with your next confrontation being at the library when Nuada comes for his sisters half of the crown.

✨He and Hellboy fight, but you end up cutting in after Hellboy is injured and end up having another fight with Nuada yourself. Instead of killing you, he ends up almost fatally injuring you. You end up spending the final confrontation in critical condition recovering in a medical wing of the BRPD

✨The crown is destroyed and Nuada + Nuala both survive the events of HB2. Nuada is taken in as a prisoner of war by the BRPD.

✨While Nuala picks up the pieces of her shattered people, creating a treaty with humanity to find above-ground land her people can live on, Nuada is planning his escape.

✨You've been assigned to helping with relations between Nuala and members of BRPD who are seeking to create beneficial relations between their bureau and the Bethmoran people

✨You end up confronting him while in captivity about him nearly killing you, and expressing that if he ever escaped you would hunt him down.

✨Seeing your scars visible from how he injured you, while he's still filled with hatred, there is a tinge of regret for hurting you.

✨His sister wants to give Nuada a second chance to do something for his people by contributing valuable information from his travels in order to determine what land would be beneficial to move the new Bethmora to.

✨He see's her attempts at relations with humanity as a futile attempt and continues to refuse to help. However, when you threaten to leave him to rot as you are one of the only people who he will get to see, Nuada says he will offer some help if you come back the next day.

✨Thus begins the tentative relationship between the two of you, as he offers a little info each visit, his spite lessening slowly.

✨As you begin to create some weird comfortable rhythm to your visits, Nuada starts to open up a little about his past and debate you on your people (humanity).

✨Though you do argue, and have many differing opinions on the topics, Nuada is feeling conflicted about what are starting to become feelings of familiarity and affection towards you.

✨He hates himself for starting to have feelings towards an Agent in the BRPD let alone a human. However, this won't stop him in his pursuit to escape his prison and get revenge.

✨Eventually he will have all he needs in order to finally break out of the BRPD. While doing so, he ends up confronting you again.

✨Your fight goes a little better with you nearly defeating Nuada. However, he does get the upper hand and manages to disarm you. However, instead of killing you, he takes you hostage as a bargaining chip to use against the BRPD

✨During this kidnapping you end up having even more heated arguments about how what he's doing is wrong, and his feelings towards you gives him even more inner conflict about what he is doing.

✨He takes you to one of his hideouts in the tunnels of the subway system beneath the city. There you end up noticing for the first time his reluctance to hurt you badly, unlike before.

✨You confront him about this and he admits on some level that he has started to like you, and it is something he wants to quash.

✨This realization starts to make you think more about your own conflicted feelings, and how there might be something there within you which could be affection.

✨In the end, although you are on differing sides of a conflict, tension builds to a breaking point and you end up sharing a kiss.

✨This creates even more conflicting emotions within you both. Nuada tries to distance himself, and you try to figure out what you are going to do.

✨Finally you make the decision that whatever this is between you, it isn't as important as what Nuala is doing for her people. You can't let Nuada use you or whatever he's planning to destroy the relations between humanity and the Bethmoran people.

✨Planning your own escape, you find the right opportunity to get away, taking advantage of Nuada's affection for you and your training as an agent to disappear.

______________________________________________________________

These are a lot of HCs so I'm gonna leave it there. I think any more and this would be the plot to a novel lmao

[manias-wordcount]

GRGRGLEGLEF i hope ur taking requests at this time because I cannot find a “reqs closed” sign anywhere

can i request Yosuke Hanamura or Yusuke Kitagawa w a male S/O who likes photography??? And maybe one day they ask them to model in one of his photos?? thank u!!! (Headcanons :P)

again very sorry if your reqs were closed D:

S/o who likes Photography HCs (Yosuke Hanamura, Yusuke Kitagawa)

𝗔/𝗡: 𝗼𝗼𝗼𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻! 𝗶 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁!

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

𝙗𝙪𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚?

Yosuke Hanamura

When you said you were into photography, Yosuke thought it was going to be one of two things

“Boring” nature shots of Inaba OR cool, epic action shots (*cough* of him *cough*)

So imagine his surprise when you ask him to model for your photos

And imagine his surprise becoming even bigger and MORE dramatic when you tell him you don’t want action shots of him splashing in the take or riding a scooter- you want to take portraits of him

Begrudgingly, he’ll accept (because he loves you too much hehe) but he’s going to be awkward about it the whole time

You’ll probably take him around beautiful sights around Inaba like the shrine or the Flood Plains around sunset and have to coach him through all these different positions and poses

You’ll probably have to tell him a thousand times to “smile normally” and “stop looking miserable” because he’s starting to get bored just “standing around and looking pretty for you”

But once you show him the final product, don’t worry- he’ll be amazed at your skill and just amazed at how good you made him look

Sure, he may grumble a bit about how you took hours dragging him around only to end up with less than 10 photos that you’re satisfied with but he does thank you profoundly 

You made him feel beautiful and loved when you showed him just how good your favorites looked (in the most, manly way he swears)

Yusuke Kitagawa

Yusuke is a guy who GETS it (kinda)

Since the man is (primarily? completely?) a painter and you’re medium of choice is photography, there are definitely some rules and ways of going about finding and showcasing a subject that differs between the two of you

But an artist can absolutely appreciate another artist’s work, even if you both engage in different forms of art so expect this guy to 100% be your biggest hype man

Y’all probably go back and forth with trying to spark inspiration for each other when one of you is stuck in a slump

Either way, Yusuke is not only honored- he’s thrilled to pieces when you ask him to be your model one day

Though he’s a bit difficult to work with at first

He has his own eye for aesthetics and naturally prefers to do his own poses and expressions (while maybe even directing how you should frame him in the photograph)

But once he cools his jets and lets you do your thing, everything works out

He’s more than happy with seeing your final product and he’s really able to understand your vision once he sees it come alive in the printed photographs

Might even make him so happy that he’ll make a completely abstract painting of his emotions in that moment and even name it after you haha <3

[the-s1lly-corner]

Anon who asked about the mpost/the one who had sent the tadc x wolf reader request here... Here's my new and improved version of the request!! And not on anon so I get the notification for it being completed :3

Okay so, tadc characters of your choosing (if you need specific characters then Jax, Ragatha, Caine, and Gangle) x a wolf!reader who is really shy, tends to be self deprecating, is a people pleaser, and underestimates their skills. Preferably platonic but romantic is fine!!

Caine, Ragatha, Jax and Gangle x wolf!reader who is shy w/ low confidence !

writing this then imma go work on my silly art eheheheheh unironically listening to hit my spot by ur pretty (do NOT listen to it without headphones if youre not alone it is literally gay sex song) on loop it has no reason to be so catchy gawd DAMN admins yapping aside i hope you enjoy this !! written more leaning towards platonic !!

CAINE:

i think he would try to hype you up and make you more confident in yourself! i think he would be a little confused on why you arent too.. self assured, i mean he thinks youre cool and talented and skilled and-

he could go on for hours.. i think sometimes you might cave into him and what he wants due to you being a people pleaser and it might take caine a while to catch on to that and try to pay attention to those smaller things, especially if theres something making you uncomfortable... the good thing about being a wolf is that you have ears and a tail, which do a lot in conveying how youre feeling in the moment! usually he pays attention to those things if youre the type to not like.. vocalizing your discomfort. hypes you up to everyone who will listen, stops just short of picking you up and showing you off to everyone/hj

RAGATHA:

similar to caine she uses your ears and tail as a means to gauge your internal feelings about things. ragatha is a lot more low energy and calmer compared to some of the other characters on this list... has the least issues of reading you. pulls you away if youre getting uncomfortable in any situation, and oftentimes stands up for you if someone is trying to push you something you dont actually want to do... a lot of the times those people tend to be jax.. but we'll talk about that in his part. I like to think she would try to give you little pep talks when she notices you're a little down.. makes frequent compliments to you and the things you do (skills, hobbies, ect). her room is always open to you whenever you need an escape!

JAX:

really a lot of his "coercing" is just him teasing you and, in a somewhat mean way, trying to subtly push you to get a backbone and find your limit. he wont say it or really express it, but you guys are friends and he does want to see you be able to speak for yourself... its just how he goes about it can be a little... erlrkgkh.... you know? since HES the one trying to test your boundaries and get you to snap at him. i dont think he would go as far as make fun of your hobbies and interests to make you stand up for yourself.. thats just. a smidge to mean, since youre his friend. definitely calls you wolf/dog-based nicknames, most of them dont fall into the "im trying to make you stand up for yourself" thing and more so "haha i think its funny and genuinely lighthearted"

its a little odd but there are good intentions in there

GANGLE:

she gets it, she really does... you two probably talk to one another about your problems to one another... you both find comfort in it and in a way it makes you both feel better. seeing you uncomfortable or anxious kind of empowers gangle to come and help you out, regardless of which mask shes wearing. i like to think it would to the same for you if the roles were reversed... its kind of like how you stop being anxious momentarily when you see your friend struggling and being anxious themselves and you back them up or speak for them, you know? or maybe thats just a me thing... shrugs. probably gives you bows and ribbons to put on your tail to accessorize it

[luminouslywriting]

As a recent convert to the ladies who Brady crew, I love the idea of Brady wanting to learn more about his girl's interests. She loves Pilates? He's trying a class. She has a favorite author? He's checking out one of their books. She likes plants? Brady's always wanted a cactus! He would just be so cute and eager to share. 😊

Ahh this is darling so I just had to go on a slight rabbit hole for you Nonny! Because you're so right and he's such a supportive guy! Cut for length :) And keep sending me stuff, this is so much fun! Some light spice mentions below the cut!

-John Brady is above all things, a supportive man—and when it comes to you, he just adores you. Worships the ground that you walk on, thinks that you're prettier than starlight and more important to him than the sun is to the life of earth.

-That being said, if you have a hobby or an interest, he is running with it at full-force and attempting to make it a bonding experience.

-You want to get into art? Babe, he is finding some local art classes and trying his hand at it. Now I don't think he's all that great at drawing....but painting? He absolutely is great at it! I imagine he's really into painting landscapes and finds a lot of comfort and peace in it!

-This maybe leads to some more precarious moments between the two of you....paint fights that turn into messy sex is absolutely on the table haha

-You want to get into hiking or rock climbing? GREAT! He loves being outside and in nature and fitness is pretty important to him! So he's gonna be your hiking buddy for sure! -He absolutely would carry your water for you and make sure that HE has the backpack because he wants you to just have a good time and be able to enjoy nature.

-Rock climbing might be a little more worrisome to him but he loves getting to spend time with you and he really enjoys watching the way that you concentrate so fully on something. It's definitely a turn on for him.

-Oh you like photography? He might be a little bashful, but he's absolutely your muse and he's going to get in on the action

-This definitely means there are a few risqué photos of you that only his eyes have ever seen haha

-Yoga? HOT YOGA

-You want to get into sports? Fantastic! He definitely did a few things in high school and he's a decent enough athlete that he can pull off an average performance in some of the sports he's not as well-acquainted with

-Definitely takes advantage of trying to show you how to golf, or how to hold a tennis racket or baseball bat though haha

-Archery? I'M THINKING OF THE SCENE WHERE MIA AND NICHOLAS FROM PRINCESS DIARIES 2 PRACTICE ARCHERY

-I had to include the gif haha

-You want to get into baking or cooking? He's going to have the time of his life making food with you and it's the most wholesome domestic thing

-Definitely gets a little heated in the kitchen if you know what I mean

-You're into gardening? Great! He loves gardens and wants to make sure you have your favorite flowers or your favorite plants!! And he always surprises you with new plants!

-You're into reading or writing? He's going to read whatever books you like after you read them, or he's going to suggest to you some of his favorites.

-And if you're a writer then he's going to read everything you write and hypes you up! He's also going to be honest about his opinions and tell you what he thinks could be better (in the best and most constructive way)

-You like dancing? BABY, he will take you dancing every weekend and has the time of his life when he does!

-Board games is a hobby? He gets so competitive when it comes to Scrabble, it's not even funny

-You play a different instrument than him or you like to sing? AMAZING!! He's going to ask you to teach him about your instrument and that might get a little heated haha.

-Would absolutely harmonize your favorite songs with you because I think he has a great voice!

-You're into collecting things? Be it baseball cards, butterflies, coins, stamps, whatever it is—he's going to get in on it and try to find you the ones you're missing!

-An academic?? He adores that about you and will try to read up and learn about your favorite field of study, be it history, science, or whatever it is!

-Anywho....I could go on forever and ever, but these are just a few general things that I think he'd be like when it comes to your interest and hobbies

[orions-tears]

Lost and Found

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x Fem!Reader

Summary: You’ve been missing Sebastian since he left at the end of your Fifth year and you finally decide to find him.

Themes: Bit of angst, bit of fluff and a bit of romance if you will

A/N: This is my first fic so be gentle please haha. Shout out to my friend for being my beta reader. If somehow this blows up and is actually good I’m open to requests!

The Dark Arts seem harmless until it’s too late. What Ominis had said to you and Sebastian repeated in your head over and over again. You haven’t seen Sebastian since meeting him in the Undercroft at the end of the year. Ominis has been quiet since he left and it hurts to see him so distraught. It hurts to not see Sebastian everywhere you go. As much as you wanted to help Sebastian, this isn’t how you thought it’d end up, despite Ominis’ warnings. Sitting in the Transfigurations Courtyard staring at the statue of heartbreak, you finally understand the true meaning of it. The pain of losing the one person that meant the most to you. Ominis is a great friend but Sebastian...Oh Sebastian. You’d grown completely attached to the wizard over the year and only realized how you felt in the catacombs. The pain on his face when Anne attacked him was something you never wanted to see again.

 Maybe he’s in Feldcroft. Maybe he’s still around. You finally get up the courage to hop on your broom and fly to Feldcroft, hoping to Merlin he’s there. When you arrive, the town is quiet. The few residents mill about but no sign of Sebastian. Slowly, you walk to his cottage, praying he’s inside. Praying he’s safe. When you open the door it’s dark except for a small candle in the far corner. You hear someone stand up quickly and you look over to see Sebastian, tired and distraught. “Oh (Y/N) it’s you...I thought maybe...” he says softly, looking down at a letter he had sent to Anne about Professor Sharp. You walk over and stand next to the bed he’s sitting on, looking down at him sadly. “Sebastian...thank Merlin you’re alright I’ve been hoping to find you again.” He shakes his head and stands up, walking to the main room. “Sebastian please. Talk to me. I want to help,” you say, following him. “I have to find her. She needs me.” he says, repeating what he had told you in the Undercroft. You walk up to him and grab him by the arm. When he looks up at you, you can see the pain in his eyes. “Please, Sebastian. She needs time, you know this. Let’s do something, just you and me.” He looks at you for a few seconds and sighs, nodding in agreement. You gently take the letter from him and set it down on the table, guiding him outside. “Let’s go to Hogsmede. We can go to Honeydukes and Zonko’s. Just think, we might even see some hippogriffs on the way,” you say lightly, holding onto his arm. He laughs lightly and looks at you softly. “Maybe we will...certainly don’t see that everyday.”

 When you finally arrive in Hogsmede you look at Sebastian and see he’s perked up at bit. “Where to first?” you ask, walking backwards to look at him. “I’m a bit peckish so how about Honeydukes?” You nod, smiling wide and continue to walk backwards so you can watch him. “If you keep doing that you’ll fall and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to catch you,” he says playfully. “Then you’ll just have to take me home and nurse me back to health when I’m inevitably injured.” You laugh as you continue on and suddenly catch an uneven stone in the street. You let out a small yelp as you fall backwards, trying, and failing to regain your balance. Before you feel the harsh impact of the stones beneath you, Sebastian grabs you, but it’s not enough and you both fall to the ground.

 You look up at him as he kneels over you looking worried. “Are you alright, (Y/N)?” he almost yells as he feels you for any injury. You begin to laugh as you say, “I thought you couldn’t catch me!” He stares at you for a few seconds, surprised at your response, but laughs when he finally accepts that you aren’t hurt. “Well, I told you the truth. I didn’t catch you.” He stands and pulls you up, wiping dust off your robe. “We should keep going but maybe I need to hold onto you to keep you safe,” he jokes as he grabs your hand. You stare at him for a second and look down at your conjoined hands. You look back at him and he turns red, letting go. “Sorry,” he says quickly, “I’m not sure what I was thinking with that.” He turns from you and continues up the street to Honeydukes. You catch up to him and grab his hand again. “I missed you, Sebastian.” you say quietly, looking at your hands. “I didn’t realize...how much I needed you...until you were gone.” He stares at you sadly and takes your face in his free hand, bringing your head up to look at him. “(Y/N), I never forgot you and it hurt to leave you like that. Do you remember the last thing I told you?” You think back to that day. He had said no matter what happens, I’m glad we met. That line stuck with you, even now. “I do, Sebastian.” He turned away and looked down at his feet, kicking at small pebbles in the cobblestone. “I wasn’t sure how to tell you after everything that happened...” You look up at him, puzzled. What on earth was he talking about? He looks back at you, worried, and takes in a deep breath. “I’m still not sure if it’s the right time but we’re here and I can’t hide secrets from you anymore.” You tilt your head a bit, furrowing your brow. “Sebastian, you know you can tell me anything.” He nods and looks around. “You’ve been by my side ever since you arrived at Hogwarts. And you’ve stuck by me through everything. Having you with me meant the world to me. You mean the world to me.” He looks down at his hands, a bit nervous. “Sebastian-” “I love you” he declares, interrupting your sentence. You stare at him for what feels like ages and smile. “Sebastian...” You jump towards him and kiss him. It takes him a second, but he wraps his arms around you, finally kissing back.

 After a moment, the two of you part, slightly out of breath. You smile up at him as he grabs your hands. “Time for Honeydukes, I think. We’ll get you some Fizzing Wizzbees.” You nod and start towards the candy shop. “Maybe we can get some caramel cobwebs for Ominis.” Sebastian smiles softly at you, trailing slightly behind as you walk towards Honeydukes, watching you the whole way.

[noemilivv]

Hello! I was wondering if I could request a romantic Hazbin Match up!

Just call me Olivia.

Pronouns: She/her Sexuality: Straight

Style: My style ranges depending on my mood but it consistantly falls into three categories of dresses (Usually knee length with a fit and flare waist), comfy (Sweaters and comforters), and sexy (Think corsets and bustiers.). I like wearing make-up and styling my hair into cute styles (Sadly I suck at braiding.) Shoes… honestly I think I like all shoes except crocks. I love Nail art too!

Hobbies/Interest: Drawing, singing, gaming, reading and shopping. I like trying out new things from activities and foods. Favorite subjects are history, mythology, and computer science, and I like building furniture when I have a guide.

Book genres: Romance, Fantasy, Historical, and Mystery

Personality:

I'm called a social butterfly by everyone I know. I've also been told I have a tendency to adopt introverts into my circle and care for them. No joke, I've been invited to place because I'm willing to talk to strangers and not shy away from conversation. I've been told that I'm very entertaining to be around because I'm very bubbly and animated in my interactions because I like making people happy.

Jokes on everyone because internally I'm very shy and a nervous wreck, I just know how to hide it well. I definitely can suffer from feeling inadequet and have imposter syndrome XD Honestly to quote my favorite character: I'm an insecure, neurotic control freak… on crack. I can also be materialistic and pouty.

I'm very protective over my loved ones, think "Hurt them, I hurt you and no one will find the body." I tend to hover over loved ones if they are sick or sad and help take care of them.

I also can definitely be a bitch but usually the other person deserves my ire. I also will hold grudges if people backstab me or my loved ones. They can say they are sorry but I will not trust them again nor will I let them near my circle of people.

Fav Foods: I love spicy foods, baked goods, and love trying to make new dishes or eating them.

Love Languages: Physical Touch: I love to cuddle, hug and everything else under the sun. If I'm kissed on the forehead, I will swoon.

Emotional: This is a must because if there's no emotional connection why is there a relationship to begin with. I want to be able to talk to my partner and them to me no matter the situation. Both the good and the bad.

Gift giving: I don't care what kind of gift, for me it's the thought that counts that I was on his mind.

My type: I'm very specific in my type so I'mma choose two good and one bad: I want someone loving and caring, and not a jackass. Otherwise I will be the one punching them.

Lord… I sound like a mess XD I feel bad for this but I'm really curious so good luck!

hello olivia!! this was one i wasn’t so sure on who i was gonna do, but i decided on…

Sir Pentious !!

Pentious definitely fits your type imo because he’s actually so genuine and sweet like I would not understand anyone who thinks he’s a jackass lmao

He’s very big on physical touch, but he’s scared shitless to initiate like anything ever, so the fact that he doesn’t have to worry too much calms him down a lot haha

Pen is a bit shy and a tad bit of a wreck haha so the fact that you’re social enough to draw him out of his shell a little AND aren’t too crazy for him is something that matches well with the row of you <3

He also feels very flattered if you ever get protective over him, it kinda makes him all warm inside, like you care about him so much to be protective? Like bro, he’s swooning

[pikachicachan]

Pika's Introduction Post!

Howdy Tumblr!

My name is Pika and I'm from the Lone Star State of Texas!

This blog will be centered around the Welcome to the Table (WTTT) series by Ben Brainard on TikTok/Youtube! It is my latest hyperfixation and I adore the characters soooo much! I used to be really into Hetalia, so falling into this fandom makes a lot of sense haha I've always wanted to get into drawing fanart, learning how to draw digitally, practice creating character designs, and make super cute couple drawings (as of rn, I really want to draw TexaCali), so I figured I can post my stuff here for y'all to enjoy as well!

My WTTT Ships & Friendships

Ships

TexaCali - My OTP! Enemies to Lovers is my favorite trope, and they fit the bill very well! Plus the traditional cowboy vs the city hipster is very cute to me and I think they balance each other out very well too!

TexaCaliYork - I think this is a cute poly. I liked the idea of CaliYork, but I hate the thought of Tex not being with Cali so... por que no los dos? and then this poly was born in my head lol

TexaCaliGov - Same as above, but I like thinking of Gov of someone who doesn't think about himself at all, so Cali is the softie who reminds him to take breaks and eat and Tex makes him meals and him and Cali give him bear hugs when he's overwhelmed with his duties.

Friendships

Florida & Louisiana - Chaotic Besties forever! I can't really picture them as a couple, but I'll read fics that have them as a couple.

Alaska, Hawaii, Cali & Texas - Okay, I know this one may seem strange, but I like thinking that Alaska introduced Texas to Hawaii because I like to think of Alaska and Texas as very close brothers who like to pick on each other, and she has a "if your friends with Alaska, you're good with me!" mentality. Cali is already chill with Alaska and Hawaii so yeah... I just think it's cute lol

New York & Cali - Like I said earlier, I can't really ship em without Texas, so on their own, I see them as very close friends. They both have to deal with being extremely popular states and I can see them bonding over art, movies/films, and musicals. I think they'd be so close that even though York is closed off, Cali would be able to tell if York is overworking himself or if he's upset and help cheer him up and York would stand up for Cali when the red states try to pick on Cali.

Florida, California, & Louisiana - I see Flo and Louis more as cozy friends (if that makes sense?) for Cali. They would build forts in each other's room with lots of blankets and watch Disney or Marvel movies which would lead to Cali and Flo bickering about who has the better Disney and cause Loui to grin and enjoy the chaos. I could also see Louis bringing out his trumpet and playing some Jazzy tunes for them while they hang out on Flo or Cali's beaches while Flo tries to find something dangerous to do and Cali berating him. Louis def has the cool uncle vibe, so when either of them are sad (or any state really), they go to him for comfort.

Gov, Texas, Cali, New York, Florida, & Louisiana - I love imagining them all getting along. It's nice to imagine them taking care of each other and checking in to see if everyone is alright.

My asks are open so feel free to ask me anything or if you want me to go into any of my headcanons!

My linktree: PikaChica_

[danydarkly]

Hi! I just wanted to say, thank you so much for making the Red & Wolf comic. I just found it by accident and read through the whole thing in one night, I am seriously loving it so far. I'm autistic and I've always had a strong interest in wolves, specifically Little Red Riding Hood versions of wolves, and always wanted to read a story about the wolf having a sort of redemption or it being more than just "big bad wolf is evil and wants to eat the girl". There's hardly any content for me to dive into in regards of even just the fairytale itself, most stories are very gruesome, the short films online are incredibly dark and uncomfortable since those are the adaptations of the original grimm telling, or all of the red riding hood movies are horror films instead of fairytale adaptations. Or some sort of like... idk love triangle thing where it's all modernized or something for televesion where Red is wearing jeans and the Wolf isn't even a real wolf? But yours... this is like finding gold. I was hooked immediately and I couldn't stop reading.

Your story of Scarlett and Leikos... it's just so gorgeous, your art work has such clean lines and the way you draw eyes and hands especially is so beautiful. The design for Leikos' hair is my favorite!! And the panel you made where Scarlett is lying down on the grass/tree stump and she's blushing while Leikos is talking with her, oh my gosh, that's my favorite panel out of every chapter so far. Just... the vulnerability of these two growing closer, like... augh clutching my heart when Leikos is like "no don't cross the path you're gonna get hurt :(" and she's like "but I want to dance with you :)" like!!! she trusts him and he refuses to hurt her even when instincts kick in!! HIS BACKSTORY? BRO? I'M IN SHAMBLES?? Ugh your art is so GOOD and this STORY is so GOOD and I am just so thankful to be able to dive into a Wolf/Red story that has action, romance, suspense, all the good stuff. It's so perfect.

Thank you for working so so hard to make this comic. I'm an artist as well and I could never have the patience to upload one comic page, let alone several. Laying out panels is difficult and time consuming and not to mention you're shading and coloring the entire thing. Your poses are always fluid, never stiff, you have good perspective and composition, most ppl who make comics can easily just draw one single pose and one facial expression for 20 panels, but you've always had the expressions and body language shift and change and the camera view as well... and you gotta draw all those damn trees omfg. The flower meadow in the first chapter must have taken forever to draw too! Your hard work really shows in your art and I am so happy to have stumbled upon your comic. If you make any more merch for Red & Wolf on your Etsy, whether it's prints or charms or stickers or really anything, I would be more than willing to throw some money your way. Or if you open commissions as well someday, ahh, I love your stuff so much I would totally pay you to doodle Leikos hehe. Please have a wonderful day and take care! <3

AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaa

What a lovely message! Thank you so much, Anon! I really needed to read this today <3 I'm truly at a loss for words, like you basically complimented me on everything I'm mad-insecure about?? It's really nice, like maybe I really am too hard on myself?? Whenever I look back on my old panels (which I've been doing a lot lately since reformatting Red & Wolf for print), I always feel like I put way too much effort and kind of only see what I did wrong, but if you and others recognize the effort and like what I did - then maybe it wasn't a waste of time after all. That makes me feel way better about it, thank you :' ) Also, your favorite panel is one of my favorite panels too, where I felt "dang, I kind of nailed it here" - which is SUPER rare for me, haha. I should read this lovely message whenever the impostor syndrome kicks in, it really lifted my spirits <3

[chuuyahoo]

Zhongli x Childe

Café au fluff one-shot (1970 words)

♥------------------------------------------------♥

♥------------------------------------------------♥

" Hey there Zhongli !! how are you doing today ? i hope im not too early for class" greeted Ganyu

"Im doing doing just fine and no you are right on time" Zhongli replied with a kind smile.

Ganyu, a busy med college student, very sleepy but extremely hardworking.

"Come driving rain or winds that churn, I shall return, by blade alone, armed, if barefoot, to my home.. good evening Mr. Zhongli" Kazuha said with a polite smile as he took his seat on the counter of the empty cafe.

"Good evening Kazuha , you are as poetic as always"

Kazuha, a middle school student with a way with words.

"Arataki "Numero Uno" Itto, here in the flesh! Hahaha... *cough*"

"Good evening itto .. er are you alright ?" Zhongli asked with a concerned smile

"Yeah im chill gramps"

"well thats good to hear" Itto took his seat besides Kazuha and started chatting away about beetles because "They're so cool little dude you have no idea"

Arataki Itto , an animal enthusiast and Earth science major, hes very excited most of the time.

"Good evening Zhongli !! Ei is finally free from mid terms so she's able to join us today!" Miko, freshly graduated, works in a publishing house.

"Hello." Ei or Raiden , she's in her last year of college doing business studies.

"Greetings Miko , Ei , im glad you could join us today !

We'll be making Bento cakes. They are the size of a bento(lunch box) but the rest is exactly the same as a normal cake."

All the "students" were standing at their own stations, which were just the cafe tables put together. They had a small notebook and pen in their hands ready to write down what notes Mr. Zhongli aka their teacher gave. A few actually wrote notes while some doodled "Beetle shaped icing supremacy"

Zhongli is a college graduate from Liyue College of Teyvat. He graduated in Business studies and culinary arts . Wanting to become a chef from an early age he had a clear dream in mind and was currently living it by owning a small yet popular cafe called Cafe Rax (named after his pet cat morax). He owned a few other places aswell but spent most his time here. He often gave lectures at LCT , being an alumni there.

baking lessons after the cafe closed was an impulsive decision but a good one since he found many friends. All the people came for different reasons.

Ganyu : "I feel like im too involved in work and i wanted a new hobby!"

Kazuha : he works at the cafe as a part timer "so why not, i wish to see where this path leads me"

Itto : "im gonna bake delicious stuff for granny, she's done so much for me !"

Miko : "itll be good seeing you everyday my friend , plus me and Ei can bake together"

Raiden : "for Miko"

The strength on the so called baking class was small but they were a happy lot.

"Firstly i want you all to tie your aprons and wash your hands"

Everyone in class had an apron of their choice , all of them had specific designs sewed onto them , Zhongli's had a small whale , Ittos had a little brown dog , Kazuha's had a purple and white electro sign , Ei's had a pink fox and Miko's had dango.

"Okay people now take out the following ingredients

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

Dark muscovado sugar 60g

Maple syrup 15g (1.5 tbsp)

1/2 tsp salt

All-purpose flour 50g

Dark cocoa powder 10g (1.5 tbsp)

("Thats sugar itto not salt"

"Pffftttt ofc i knew that haha-")

__________________________________________________________________________

He ran with a smile on his face and cheeky but slightly vacant eyes as water splashed around his feet and all of his clothing became drenched. If he didn't quickly find shelter, all of his books would be a tangled mess of soggy pages. In the distance, he could make out Cafe Rax. He debated whether or not to enter the coffee shop because there was a particular person there who gave him feelings he had never experienced before. He was motivated to genuinely live, to get up, and to improve by the person inside. If only the person was aware of him, things might progress if they did.

. . . . . . Okay maybe that was a little dramatic, they were best of friends but Mr. Ginger went ahead and fell in love .

Tartaglia had known Zhongli for at least four years, first as a senior in college, then as an alumnus delivering speeches, and last as a friend and his own personal barista who provided him biased discounts that no one had the courage to point out.

The bell jingled loudly, signalling the entry of a person into the cafe. Tartaglia came here every day at the same hour, so no one needed to turn their heads to see who it was. Zhongli looked up from where he was removing his mittens to see his best friend, whom he secretly adored staring at. Wet, vivid orange hair clung to his forehead, blue eyes flashing brightly, and a broad smile with all teeth and heated cheeks. Seeing his best friend in this state made Zhongli's heart race. He grabbed a towel and ran over to the ginger, grumbling about how he'll get sick if he continues forgetting his umbrella . "You should be more careful Childe , how many times have i advised you to carry a raincoat or an umbrella-"

He stopped abruptly when a hand came up to his face and a dainty finger grazed his cheek. His cheeks flushed at the contact, he barely managed to keep his composure .

"You had flour on your cheek" said Childe

Childe brushed his thumb again on the brunettes cheek , his touch was feather light .

It was flawless. Zhongli had a whale apron on, while Childe had a towel over his head and messy hair, all raw and domestic. Zhongli's eyes followed the tiny water droplets trickling down the ginger's face as they exchanged glances.

Zhongli extended his hand to touch Childes. He then closed his eyes and relaxed, savouring the sensation of his best friend's palm brushing across his cheek. Childe admired and loved him with all of his heart, hoping Zhongli could see how his eyes shone at the thought of the other man. The rest of the room was silent until Itto's cough shattered the tension

(his face was red from holding in the cough "dude." "sorry little guy i tried my best" "drink some water")

When the trance was broken, Zhongli returned to work with a flushed face, and Childe started doing his assignments as usual on Zhongli's desk. Both of them were focused elsewhere.

How could they focus on work when that just happened. Childe was getting tired of this 'routine'. He really wished for Zhongli to see him in a different light. Not as a friend but something more. He wanted to mean to Zhongli what Zhongli meant to him. He wanted to watch the sunset with him , hold hands , kiss him and be his forever and ever .

He distracted himself with algebra and soon enough his thoughts were lost in numbers and variables . He was so laser focused on his work that he didn't hear several ovens and the rustling of people walking out the door with the jingle of the bell.

("Cya little dude , now imma let granny taste this !!" "farewell for now my friend , i wonder how scara will like this" "Lets have a movie date ei" "of course")

Zhongli cleaned up the counter thoroughly. He collected all the bowls and other utensils used and kept them under the sink , then putting away all the extra ingredient back to their places.

He took out the freshly baked bento cake and started icing it. He had a variety of colours from which he chose blue , orange and little bit of red. He somehow managed to draw a chibi childe. He was happy with his creation. But he was also nervous because today was the day he was going to do it . Risk it all . Confess.

Zhongli had thought of the most extravagant ways to confess to childe but then he settled for the most familiar and meaningful way to do it. By baking. the cake had both his love for baking and for his dearest childe. He gazed at the ginger sitting at a desk , scratching his pencil on paper , eyes narrowed in concentration as her did his work. He couldnt be more proud , remembering the struggle the other had went through to reach this level of calm. The leg shaking had lessned and the focus had increased , his eyes were just a smidge brighter . Knowing he played a small role in the happening of that was just elating .

He grabbed the bento and softly kept it on the gingers desk which made him look up. He noticed?the cafe to be empty and all cleaned up.

"Sorry for intruding !! i should get going Zhongli"

"Its alright , i have to talk to you. Have this first , its- uh i made it for you"

(aww man he even looks professional while stuttering thought childe dreamily)

"For me?? im flattered , truly. If i may , what is the reason for such a mmmm delicious present?"(from a delicious man like yourself )

Zhongli took a deep breath as he took Childes hands in his, he could feel the roughness of his fingers , the warmth of them. He was feeling a different sense of calm. He was relaxed as he looked into his best friends eyes and dared to say the words harboured in his heart.

"Tartaglia, my darling I'm grateful for every minute you've spent with me. I'm always afraid that I won't be able to repay you. I adore you more with each passing year that we remain friends. I've never felt such intense feelings for someone before you. You came into my life and lighted it up. Your ocean blue eyes and beautiful hair never cease to amaze and entice me. I love you. With my entire heart. I would like to court you if you allow me to , beautiful. "

Zhongli looked up from where he had his eyes fixed on their conjoined hands. Blue eyes shone with unshed tears. He panicked for a second before relaxing at the sight of a smile making its way up to Childes face. There was a lot of crying as the younger shoved his face into Zhonglis chest and held onto him like he would never let go. Childe was just so happy to have his feelings returned.

After crying and blabbing out response to the confession, Zhongli looked at Childe and he looked ethereal even with red rimmed eyes and a puffy red nose . He cupped his face softly as he stroked his cheek with the pad of his thumb. They looked into each others eyes "Yes. You can court me Zhongli" said childe with a smile. They dont know who closed the distance but with the feeling of soft lips on each other , their minds went blank. They shared a single innocent kiss , till it became 2 then 3 and then countless. The love was visible in their every movement . The way Zhongli held the youngers face , the was Childe wrapped his arms around zhongli and into his hair and finally the way their lips moved against each others , something fresh and new that could never get old ....

Miko walked back to her house with a smile on her face as the sun shone down on her giving her an ethereal glow..."guess i'll get my notebook tomorrow , at least they got their shit together"she laughed and went her way...

END

♥------------------------------------------------♥

an : Thank you so much for reading!!! I hope you enjoyed :D it was really fun writing this, it's my first time posting here so this is new . Don't hesitate to point out mistakes!! Love y'all <3

Drink water!!

[v-anrouge]

Hi pookie 👋🏻

You know why I’m here don’t you ? 👀 (for the match me with someone-)

So, I think my love language are quality time and physical touch. If I have a partner I really want someone I can hug and kiss and all, as for quality time I don’t care what we do, we could be doing two different things as long as we’re in the same room I don’t care.

For the love language I search in someone I think physical touch and words of affirmation. I’m very insecure and I need someone that will assure me they love me and that they will never leave, as for physical touch it’s just because I do that too and don’t want to bother so having someone with that too is ++

Hobbies for them I really don’t care, maybe something not dangerous or else I’ll be freaking out every time they do their things but other than that I don’t care at all. For my hobbies I really like writing, reading and being on my phone doing anything (+ I can play the guitar lol).

For personality I don’t want someone cold, I will not be able to stay with them. Maybe not someone too overly excited too because my social battery runs out quickly even with people I love a lot lot lot. So yeah someone calm maybe and with some energy but not too much is mwah, perfect for me.

That’s all I think ? (I really sent you everything lol sorry for the long rant-)

i think u should date me haha just kidding or am i (/j)

long ass post under the cut also sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes lol

STARTING OFF STRONG WITH

ROOK i think it's very clear that rooks love language is physical touch and words of affirmation (those r just the main ones tbh he has all of them he just wants to express his love for u as much as possible) he will GLADLY reassure you of his undying love and affection towards you, he hates being away from you and when he is forced to do so you're always on his mind and he'll make sure you know that with the multiple calls and messages he leaves u and even letters 💀. since you love physical affection i hope you're ready because this man WILL hug you kiss you hold your hand at any time he's allowed to, he really doesn't care about what anyone says he's just a guy showing pure adoration towards the one he is an absolute fool over can you blame him???

rook's hobbies are quite dangerous and he knows how much you worry about him so he always make sure to let you know that he's safe, you trust his knowledge and skills but still you cant predict the future so you can't exactly just stop worrying, to make up for the anxiety he gave you he'll always return home with gifts, any treats you like and one day he even both you a giantic ass plushie and he'll sit with you and hold you telling you how much he absolutely adore you, not all of rook's hobbies are dangerous tho, he loves art, all types of art, rook also enjoys writing especially poems so he'll love to read all of your works if you let him (he'll find a way to read them either way unless it's something very very personal you don't feel comfortable sharing with anyone) he's literally your biggest fan, he could talk for hours about how much he loves your writing and if you let him he'll love to sit close to you and watch you writing he's unusually quiet because he's so focused and doesn't want to interrupt him, but in case you'd prefer to hear him talking then he'll gladly chat with you the entire time even give you tips if you ask him to do so. rook would love to read with you he loves to hold you and read to both of you he'll also appreciate it if you'd like to talk about the book after, also be ready for rook to sneak up on you and suddenly start reading a poem he wrote just for you he really enjoys doing that especially if u get spooked easily because he loves seeing you calm down when you realize it's him it warms his heart that you feel safe by his side. rook knows he can be too much sometimes so when you ask for a break to recharge your batteries he won't be sad at all!! he'll just kiss your hand or your cheek and ask you to tell him when you feel comfortable again, as extra as rook can be the only truly overwhelmed you like 4 or 5 times and it was in the start of your relationship (as friends or as lovers) because as you two got closer he understood your boundaries better so he can always notice when you're starting to get overwhelmed and immediately will stop the situation in a way that you will only notice after you're feeling better because he doesn't want you to feel guilty in any way

IN CONCLUSION: rook loves you so so so much and he WILL let you know, this man is every insecurity's nightmare because he will have no mercy as he absolutely destroys it he won't be satisfied until you start seeing what an amazing person you truly are he'll always do his best to make you happy and WILL be mad if anyone ever disrespects or make u sad

another person i think would be good for you is

AZUL i know u might think THAT CAPITALIST?!?!?!?? but hear me out azul is also quite insecure and having someone that understands what he goes through will help him so so much, he loves affection he feels so safe around you he just wants to make you happy and that he WILL do!!! it may not look like it but azul loves physical affection, surely he's very shy and will ask you to not do anything too extreme in public but in private??? oh boy he will hug u so so tight and while he's doing so his face is BURNING hot this man looks like he's about to faint his hands are shaking a bit too but u can feel his little smile that he's trying to hide by burying his face on your shoulder, azul tries to hide his excitement to take you on dates and spend time with you by luring u into contracts which is literally just him giving u gifts and getting to stay by your side as a "payment" yes the tweels bully him for it

im pretty sure it was said azul's hobbie is collecting coins or something and like he's so silly cuz he'll one day take your hand and proudly show you his collection he has such a adorable proud smile too please praise him tell him how cool it is and how you're amazed at how many different coins he has, azul would be very very interested in reading the things you write he tries to hide but everyone knows that if u post your works he's the first one reading them in a fake account that's definitely not suspicious at all, he always leaves u such cute reviews and u can always tell it's him but if u ask him he'll die of embarrassment so please don't

he'd also love to hear you playing guitar and he'll ask if you'd like to make a duet w him he'll stop at some point because he's absolutely flabbergasted by your skill make sure to tease him because he's cute when he blushes he's such a pathetic wet dog

azul is a calm man and whenever you feel overwhelmed he'll always immediately take you to his office which is a very calming and quiet atmosphere, if you'd like to be alone he trusts you enough to leave you there but if you'd like his company then he'll stay there quietly by your side as he does his thing, he's very happy you trust him enough to allow him to see such vulnerable sides of yourself and he wants to make sure he'll protect you, azul can also get overwhelmed due to work and in these moments he'll just quietly ask if you can hug him or let him lay his head in your lap, if you can read to him that'd be great too, soon he'll fall asleep with a smile on his lips and all his stress gone

IN CONCLUSION: azul would be an amazing lover for you, you two are a very cute couple it doesn't even look like you're both so silly for eachother for ppl that don't know u both well

another possibilities could be: silver, riddle, trey, jade & idia