#I’ve seen 3 recently and I get excited every time

[floweryred]

The Haiku bot has been finding more Minecraft posts lately and it slays

[moonpascaltoo]

Fic Recs (steve harrington)

just some of my favorite one-shots or series i’ve read on ao3 and few from tumblr. all works ranging from 1.5k to 30k+ i believe. 18+ readers!

some have a tumblr that i tagged, but others i couldn’t find . i am doing this on mobile which is a bit difficult haha! i read these all (except 2) on ao3 so the links will be ao3. i know some are here on tumblr but i didn’t realize till after reading and making this! <3

steve harrington

come home by @stevie-petey <3💕

-"come home to me, okay?"

"always," steve promises

in between saving will, then hawkins, then somehow the world, you fall in love with steve harrington.

(a stranger things rewrite).

dancing with our hands tied by @andvys

-You and Steve have never seen eye to eye, and it never changed, not even when you were pulled into a world of monsters and risked your life to save him. But tension had always been between you both, something that neither of you ever wanted to admit -- but how much longer can you take it when the pull between you gets stronger and stronger each second you spend by each others side?

paint me red by eddiemunsons ao3

-You're one of Vickie's best friends. Her girlfriend, Robin, is in need of a distraction for her best friend, Steve Harrington, who you vaguely remember from school. Which is where you come in.

i’m your idiot by thebestandworstdayofjune ao3 @thebestandworstdayofjune

-Steve Harrington has a way of worming himself into your heart, and social situations you had done your best to exclude him from.

small hands, big heart by finalgirlharrington ao3 @sexybabystevie

-Steve Harrington has a massive crush on you, but his recent lack of luck in the romantic sense has him stuck on how to make a move. Plus, something about you makes him nervous in a way he's never been – in a way he likes. His simplest solution? Flirting via the old 'comparing hand sizes' method.

promise by Harley_Honey_Quinn ao3

-Reader learns about Steve's feelings thanks to some Russian truth serum.

kiss me by @corrodedseraphine

-Your friend is desperately trying to find a person who will give him something more. Wanting to feel what it's like to be loved again and after many failed dates he gets the idea that it's time to go back to King Steve's famous tactics. Telling him that it's not the best idea gets you involved in a deal where you have to help him get another girl. Will helping the boy you're in love with turn out to be a good idea? Probably not.

every rose has its thorn by @corrodedseraphine

-Christmas is coming to Hawkins. It is a time of joy and forgiveness. It turns out that your sister's best friend is looking for a new place to live, and you happen to have a spare room in the apartment. It wouldn't be a problem if that friend wasn't Steve Harrington. A man whom the more you try to avoid even more often comes back like a boomerang.

hearts on the telephone line by t_lostinworlds ao3 @t-lostinworlds

-You thought Steve was okay dealing with a long-distance relationship after you moved for an exciting internship in New York. But you were proven so wrong when your boyfriend finally poured his feelings over the phone. Because distance wasn't making his heart grow fonder, it was breaking it.

competitively stupid by t_lostinworlds ao3 @t-lostinworlds

-It was stupid, jumping off a cliff just to prove that you were better than Steve fucking Harrington. But you were competitive. You were not losing to him. But you know what was stupider? For it to take a near-death situation for you both to confess what you truly feel for each other.

perfect blend by Your_Writer ao3

-No one likes their summer job. Working at a coffee shop was sticky, exhausting, and overall boring. In fact, the highlight of your day was the charming, gentle eyed sailor scooping USS Butterscotch just across the way.

the things we don’t say by rdrickheffley ao3

-Steve Harrington once was the bane of Y/n's existence. He had always been an arrogant asshole and a terrible kisser. She never understood how others fell for the boy's eye-roll worthy charm. Now it seems like he will do anything to prove her wrong about anything.

next time? by rdrickheffley ao3

-Three instances where Steve and reader find themselves in intimate situations.

candyfloss and confessions by ACourtofSnakesandStars ao3

-You’ve been in love with Steve Harrington for years, like every cliche come to life. You’ve battled monsters, found friends within kids with superpowers, and you even managed to graduate. Yet the one thing you’ve never been able to do, is tell Steve how you feel. But maybe you don’t need to wait any longer.

a night to remember by RaeWrites94 ao3

-Steve has to attend his 10 year high school reunion and somehow manages to convince you to go as his date and his fake girlfriend. You've had feelings for him for a long time, but figure, why not? You could probably survive an evening of pretending he liked you back and come out unscathed. Right?

with bated breath by brianmay ao3

-Rumors fly after you attend Steve Harrington’s party one weekend in September. Thinking they were his doing, you do everything in your power to avoid him, which proves easier said than done.

cross my heart (and hope to die) by @talesofesther

-Every time Steve gets hurt, you're there to help pick up the pieces; you just weren't expecting him to fall for you in the process.

tales of a love between the lines by @talesofesther

-Sometimes the thing we want most is right in front of us, and Steve might be just that for you; all you have to do is see what he’s been showing you for a long time.

love is easy by seidenbros ao3

-The day you wrote I love you on a post-it note before you'd said the words out loud, and it's the best note Steve ever got.

everything means nothing if i can’t have you by iridescentpetrichor ao3

-Steve and Y/N go on a double date to impress the other one, but it's only so long until the tension between the two breaks.

you’re not by frostandflames ao3 @frostandflamesfanfic

-The year is 1985, you're on a school field trip to cheer on Hawkins High at the championship game before spring break. When the game doesn't pan out as expected, you're even more surprised to discover the one and only Steve Harrington in only his underwear at your hotel room after being locked out by his teammates. What happens when the two of you have a little heart to heart?

last christmas by frostandflames ao3 @frostandflamesfanfic

-You and Steve had always been childhood friends-and remained that way. As Steve ping-pongs around in his relationship status, you have a hard time keeping your feelings to himself as Nancy surrounds his entire world. What Steve doesn't know is his relationship to Nancy may end your own with Steve.

the scoundrel and the princess by @mrshipsmcgee

-after an awkward run in with Tommy Hagan, Steve Harrington is invited to an awful party where he meets a beautiful stranger.

cling by aloevera

-For as long as you could remember, you and Steve have been close. What others see as clingy, Steve sees as comforting, right? Or, you fell in love with your best friend and suddenly, everything is too much.

[rookiesbookies]

Please I need more strength kink like you wrote for König but for the text of the COD men. Does Soap show off and lift heavier when he sees you saunter into the gym? Does Ghost try not to pay attention as you stare? I am down bad for these boys

So this is the most recent ask Ive gotten but dont fret my other requesters, yalls are taking more time bc they’re longer form pieces (I dont want to spoil but honeymoon/consummation night with Ghost (doing some research for this one), some Konig wifey bits (there’s two or three), and Ghost’s wife wearing his mask) Im so excited you all are interacting with me I just wanna say. I love you all *MUAH* big kiss.

Also I took Keegan off this one bc I don’t think I have a lot of Keegan fans reading? (ik I love him tho) so if anyone wants it just put a comment and I’ll write one and edit it so its in here.

Edit right here: I put Keegan down at the bottom. Dw Keegan girlies he’s here now.

Another edit: I put Krueger bc a reblog asked for it

Without much more here’s:

Strength Kink with the 141

Masterlist is pinned as always, also let me know if yall want any as full blown fics.

Price

Price is an “old dog” as he calls himself. He knows he’s getting softer, the wrinkles are setting in, he doesn't quite have the body he used to as a LT. Kinda got a dad bod after adopting 3 boys.

First time he sees you drool over him? He is down fucking bad. Will do anything to see his sweet lady all red in the face over him again.

Fucking saunters over to you, hits you with “you can feel if ya like, love. Go on.” just holds his arms away from his chest while he’s in his tank top.

If you take him up on this offer (and I assume yall are dating at this point) and even just grab at a peck, he is tense. His abs are tight, his butt is clenched, he is doing it all to seem like he still has his young and sharp LT body.

He knows you dont care and love his dad bod and all his soft pillowy goodness but sometimes he feels like the pillsbury dough boy.

Absolutely would pick you up and carry you bridal style at any chance.

Tells you he’s “just practicing” however he is very clearly showing off.

If you come find him at the gym to drool all over him, that max he was only supposed to do one of per set, he is not repping.

“John, are you sure- I’ve never seen you lift this much you look red-”

“I'm alright, love, just doing my reps trying to set a new pr.” Little do you know that by repping this, this is his new pr.

Gaz and Soap are sitting there mouth open because Price has never done that and not fallen over and now he just KEEPS. GOING.

And Price’s wife just keeps drooling over him as Simon spots the poor guy.

(This is what i mean btw)

Soap

The worst about it of them all.

I'm telling you right now, if you have an oral fixation on his muscles, he will mate for life like a swan. Because if you mark up his muscles he will do EVERY SINGLE WORK OUT shirtless until Ghost is like “Johnny. You look like a slut and smell like a whore with all that cologne. We’re in the bloody gym.”

He will walk around shirtless in the tightest sweatpants to show off his thighs and abs to you.

Will bench press you.

Put your weight on the hip thrust and will call you over or send videos of him doing it.

If you’re sitting somewhere he will just pick you up and move you for the hell of it under the excuse he wanted to sit there just to see you get red.

If you compliment his body once, I'M TELLING YOU ONE TIME, he will buy the TIGHTEST shirts imaginable around the house to show off his shoulders, back, pecs, biceps, and abs.

If you even mention having a bad day, your face is going between his pecs. He also absolutely can do the thing where he can flex them one at a time and he does it 24/7 for fun.

Catch him planking at the gym?

Feeling bold?Let’s shimmy under the poor bastard to look up at him.

“Do push ups.”

“Bonnie, the fuck you mean-”

“Come down, get a kiss, and go back up?”

“And if I fall? Which I won’t but I gotta ask.”

“Can’t feel any worse than when you dive onto the bed to wake me up in the mornings.”

He’s floored. Goes down, gets his kiss, comes up.

Price has watched Soap do more pushups than he ever has outside of a punishment when he was in basic training. Johnny has half the mind to let himself drop, smoother you in sweaty hugs and kisses. But he doesn’t. Not until he’s shown off. It’s embarrassing how much sweat is dripping from him though. He’ll just say you both need a shower.

Ghost

Totally doesn't flex when he hugs you.

Oh you think he does?

If you ask him, you’re wrong. Simon is the most casual of them all.

He’ll just randomly pick you up.

Like throw you over his shoulder, hold you like a koala, bridal style, you name it. Unlike Price, who is more careful about it, Simon has been doing exercises to work on his balance so he can safely carry you down a flight on stairs.

If he catches you staring, its over for him. He’s blushing under his lil mask, acting like he doesnt see you.

If you walk up and open your mouth to talk to him, he’s not listening to a word of that blabbery. He’s focused on the way you watch his legs while he’s in the leg press. How if he flexes a bit more you have the pause so you don’t choke on your words.

If you’re the bold on and you get down to the level of his head because he can’t easily escape this machine right now to say something. I'm thinking like a “Simon, I’m going to need a thigh riding session at 1800 hours. Put that on your damn schedule.” And just walk out. Don’t elaborate.

He’s struggling to get out of the machine, considering chasing after you, possibly having a stroke over it. He’s so flustered he’s down right gasping for air. If he didn’t have shit to do today he’d scoop you up and show you want all these muscles could do just to get you to feel like how flustered he is.

Konig

(see the fic about his wife seeing him lift, its on my masterlist (its pinned))

Gaz

By the time you’ve started dating, you know Gaz is jacked. Just look at him ffs. Anyone could see it.

So you do the only reasonable thing and insist on being his gym partner.

And in turn he will insist on spotting your squats.

If you get so nervous you fail a set his plan springs into action. Bro has it lifted in one hand. He doesn't care if it's a lot. He WILL be lifting it in one hand just so you can see how strong he is.

“Kiss for your savor?” He asks.

“Sure.” You reply, pecking his lips.

But no no no.

“Love, I meant you’re actual savor.” He’d say, flexing that one arm and pointing to it.

Just roll your eyes and do it. It’s easier.

He is GLOWING for the rest of the day. He will now take any and all opportunities to lift heavy things for you.

That big box? Lifted. Come kiss his muscles. Cuz if you don’t he's picking you up and putting you in air jail for being ungrateful.

I feel like because Gaz is so lean its kinda a sleeper build situation? Could be completely using that term wrong but IDC.

Lowkey loves nothing more than you feeling up his abs under his shirt when yall are going to bed. Like your hands feel so nice on them when he’s flexing extra hard so they’re rock solid for you.

First time yall cuddled he almost passed out because he was trying to keep his muscles flexed for so long.

Edit: here’s Keegan

Keegan

Keegan was always walking around the house in the sluttiest tank tops and the lowest waist line sweatpants you’ve ever seen.

He had been showing off since he first met you, so I’ll tell you how it happened.

What did he wear on your first date? Tight ass t shirt and a leather jacket with black jeans.

He essentially was giving a strip show when he slowly took off that jacket, made sure you were watching when he did it with a smug look.

“What wrong, doll? Distracted?” He was definitely flexing hard. Pecs and biceps on full display and don't get me started on how he was clenching to get his abs to show through.

He made sure to get real close to.

Oh dear is that a dirty puddle, let him just… yk… casually pick you up to carry you over the smallest puddle ever.

And when he’s at the gym? You are getting tons of selfies. Those videos of him curling weights that are slightly too heavy all because he knows you like the sound of the groans he makes as he struggles to lift it. Oh he is hip thrusting your weight and a half, so you know you’ll never be too heavy. There’s a video he sent that was 10+ minutes of just him thrusting your weight. You honestly thought it was looped.

Oh and he carries your weight when he runs on the treadmill so he knows he and run and keep you safe if need be.

Here’s Krueger (i got carried away, enjoy)

Krueger:

Sebstian knows he’s already strong.

Picking you up and benching you is his favorite hobby. The way you can't help but giggle and he has to scold you to stop wiggling.

He’s always throw around his weight with you. He knows he’s a big. He loves to lay on you to stop you from moving.

Loves to have you lay on his torso with the weight at his hips as he works on his hip thrusts. Got kicked out of a gym because it was dangerous so he got weights to do it at home. Will do it shirtless so you can trace his tattoos.

Definitely has never told you he committed murder because he doesn’t want you to stop looking at him like he’s your savior as you rub his sore muscles.

God he loves having you rub his muscles, he just tries not to drool as you rub his calves and biceps with all the force your hands can muster to gently rub the knots away. One time he felt so good he almost cried as you rubbed one out of the back of his neck, he got so bricked he couldnt help it he felt like he was gasping for air the pleasure was so intense.

He’d never tell you that tho, no he’d rather die and speak up and tell you how good it feels when your massage his muscles while planting small kisses after every knot you work out. Definitely going to keep asking you to work his aches away… wonder if he can convince you he has a knot in his dick, no no wouldn’t do that to you not yet.

[achillfrog]

Hey, so...

My rabbit, Sir Galahad, died last Friday. I’m trying to find a way to live with this, so. Here’s ten things about him.

1. His favourite “healthy” food was kale. He wasn’t allowed to have it all the time, coz it’s too high in... something. But every now and then he would get some. His favourite non-healthy food was sultanas; we would share a box every now and then.

2. He looked like a ball of fluff when he was sitting normally, but when he stretched out, he was so flat. I used to call him flat-rabbit when he did that. He could change his shape a lot, depending on how he was sitting.

3. He and I shared a room, and for the first few months, when I went to bed at night, he would jump up next to me and try to groom my hair. This was extremely painful, as he would dig his teeth into my scalp and drag them down. But I appreciated the thought.

4. He went nuts for food. He would get so excited, jumping around me, whenever he thought food was on offer. One time, he figured out how to climb onto my desk and helped himself to a few nibbles on some biscuits I had up there, which were definitely not for him.

5. I haven’t had a rabbit since I was like four, so the first time he flopped, I thought he’d died or passed out or something. I was frantically shaking him, trying to “wake” him up, while also googling madly trying to figure out what had happened. He was unconcerned.

6. He didn’t like to be picked up or held, but he loved pats, and would often snuggle next to me. If I was lucky, he would put his front feet on my leg while I rubbed his face. He liked it when I cupped his head between my hands and rubbed, like I was trying to start a fire or something. That was his favourite.

7. If he felt that he hadn’t gotten enough pats recently, he would charge at my ankles and grunt. As he weighed less than two kilos, this was not particularly intimidating, but it got the point across.

8. He had the softest fur I’ve ever felt. He was very meticulous about keeping it clean, though sometimes I had to help him shed. But it was so soft. A lot of people commented on it, when they met him. That and how sweet and friendly he was. Most people didn’t expect a rabbit to be so friendly.

9. While he did get scared sometimes, he was so brave. We’d be at the vets, and he’d poke his head up and look around. When the kids wanted to pet him, he didn’t shy away, even if they got too excited and made sudden moves. He was 100% willing to throw down with our 30 kilo labrador puppy (who wouldn’t hurt him, but did get a bit over-enthusiastic).

10. He trusted me from the beginning. From the moment I stepped into my front yard and saw him, where he’d likely been dumped by his previous owner, he seemed to know. I’ve seen videos of people trying to catch rabbits, even domestic rabbits, and they’re so hard to catch. But he let me walk right up to him, and pick him up, even though he hates being picked up. It was like he knew I loved him, and from the second I saw him I did. He would follow me around, when I let him free roam the house. Sometimes when I’d come into our room, he’d startle and hide. But then he’d see it was me, and come over for a pat.

I miss you Gali. My sweet boy. It hurts so much. I love you. I’m sorry. Our time together was so short. But know I love you.

Goodbye.

[smoshyourheadin]

Meeting Trevor Evarts when mythical first bought smosh and instantly clicking from being the same age, only to seek eachother out in eachothers offices, and seeing how the relationship evolves as he becomes a cast member of smosh?

as a team

pairing: trevor evarts x f! reader

a/n: can i just say, im living for the trevor requests recently!! he’s so cutie pie eek!! requests open <3

you remember the day clearly. the news had just broken: mythical had acquired smosh, and the internet was buzzing with excitement. as a long-time fan of both companies, you couldn't believe your luck when you landed a job at smosh shortly after the acquisition.

your first day at the smosh offices was a whirlwind of introductions and new faces. everyone was so lovely, and brimming with the energy of the new beginning. amidst the chaos, you were introduced to trevor. you knew him from his time on mythical, and it turned out you were the same age, so ian put your guys’ desks next to eachother, and instantly, you felt a connection.

trevor extended his hand with a warm smile. "hey, i’m trevor. nice to meet you!"

you shook his hand, matching his smile, and introducing yourself. "nice to meet you too! i’ve been a fan of you since your mythical days."

"that’s awesome! it’s cool to meet someone my age here," he said, his eyes lighting up with genuine enthusiasm. "so, what’s your job here?"

you explained your position, something about social media, and the two of you chatted for a while about the changes and what you were looking forward to in this new era of smosh. from that first meeting, you found yourselves naturally gravitating towards each other. you discovered you had similar tastes in movies, music, and a shared sense of humor that made you click instantly.

as the days turned into weeks, you and trevor began hanging out during breaks, often finding yourselves in the offices watching youtube together. it became a routine: grabbing coffee together in the mornings, and talking late into the evening.

one day, as you both sat in the lunch office, trevor looked up from his phone with a thoughtful expression. "you know, it's been really great having someone like you around. i feel like we get each other, you know?"

you nodded, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. "i feel the same way. it's like, we've known each other forever."

as time passed, trevor transitioned from being a sort of behind-the-scenes guy to becoming a cast member on smosh. you watched his journey with pride, supporting him at every turn. the bond between you two only grew stronger as he navigated this new phase of his career.

one evening, after a long day of filming, you found yourselves alone in the office once again. trevor leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile on his face. "today was a good day. thanks for always being there for me."

"of course, trev. i wouldn't want to be anywhere else," you replied sincerely.

he paused, looking at you with an intensity you hadn’t seen before. "you know, i think we make a pretty good team. not just at work, but... everything."

your heart skipped a beat as you met his gaze. "i think so too."

from that moment, your relationship with trevor began to evolve into something more. you began dating shortly after, and it was more than you could’ve ever asked for. what’s started as an office-place acquaintance grew into a deep and loving relationship. you supported each other through the highs and lows of work and life, creating countless memories and jokes along the way.

as trevor continued to shine on smosh, you were right there beside him, proud of the journey you had both embarked on together. your guys’ bond had turned into an unbreakable partnership, built on chemistry that had been there from the very first day.

[thefallennightmare]

Just Pretend-sixteen

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Parings: Noah Sebastian x Musician! Reader

Warnings/Tropes: language, angst, fluff, smut, star-crossed lovers, right person/wrong time, cheating, talks of mental abuse.

Summary: “I can wait for years, heaven knows I’m not getting over you.” A story about two star-crossed lovers, that always find their way back because their souls are entwined. The universe desperately attempts to bring them together, no matter what the cost.

Authors Note: Please listen to Eyelids by PVRIS during this chapter. Thank you very much.

Collaborating With: @thescarlettvvitch(better give her all the love as well)

Tags: @thescarlettvvitch @ozwriterchick @waake-meee-up @notingridslurkaccount @niicoleleigh @sammyjoeee @xxrainstorm @dominuslunae @notmaddihealy @malice-ov-mercy @crimson-calligraphyx @iknownothingpeople @writethrough @thebadchic @blackveilomens Claudia on Tumblr @tobe-written @blacksoul-27 @loeytuan98 @loverofagoodbeard @comfortcharactercraze @lma1986 @plutonikchaos1 @spicywhenspeaking @lyschko666 @somewhere-diamond @hi-fancy-seeing-you-here @koskeepsake @bngurngheart @shilohrosechicken @emzandthevoid

READER

With the notebook in my lap, as I sat cross-legged on my bed with Salem curled up next to me, purring away, I watched intently my laptop screen. My heart pounded so hard in my chest it made it hard to breathe. Noah and Jolly were currently performing a live stream on Veeps and from the moment I clicked on the video, I couldn’t stop staring; with his long hair cascading down his face in perfect waves. His face stone with concentration but yet soft with the features I loved.

“Do you think he’ll mess up like the last stream he did?” I asked Salem while scratching his belly.

Noah’s voice was something extremely distinctive, not just anyone could hold a tune or lit a candle to how he sounded. The way he effortlessly went through every emotion in his body. I looked at Noah as he was pretty still, with thick hair and soft eyes, and he swayed so gracefully that it almost seemed as though he was gliding. I’ve seen beautiful men before; men who caught my eye, but to my mind, they usually lacked the traits I found most desirable. Traits like intelligence, confidence, strength of spirit, passion, traits that inspired others to greatness, traits I aspired to myself, all the traits he had.

I hung off the cliff for Noah for a long time until recently, when I fell to the depths below.

It sparked something in me as I watched Jolly and Noah’s performance. I wanted to do something like this too; to showcase my real voice. I was better without Trey; the band was better. Trey wasn’t the end-all, and I wanted to prove it further. I understood the fans; I knew their positions; I understood their inner turmoil and their panic. Change is actually horrific under some circumstances, not all, but surely a few. This one was big.

Hollow Souls was never supposed to be a 3 piece. Hell, we didn’t even have a guitar player and our tech had to fill in when we recorded My House. Which is why I was learning how to play guitar so I could take Trey’s place. A lot of change within a few months and while it was scary, it was also exciting. But that didn’t stop me from questioning once again if we needed another person. What if I wasn’t strong enough to do this alone? Just the three of us? 

What the hell were you worried about, angel?

I was thinking so heavily about what Noah texted me. He was proud of me. Of me! And my friends. That woke me up, he always could. I wanted to grab my phone to call him, and ask him for more reassurance. Our 2:30 conversations were slim and in between and I was struggling with that. I didn’t want to push my luck; he had Bailey.

Bailey.

Bailey.

I rolled my eyes, at the memories of the party. Ridiculous. I was tiptoeing around Noah; I knew if I called him I’d so desperately try to stay on the line. But what if she showed? It was killing me.

Therefore, I was hesitant to perform Eyelids; I was worried Noah’s reaction would warrant further frustration, considering he was in the arms of someone else. I couldn’t handle it because it fucking hurt seeing him with her. I wanted Noah to myself, as selfish as that sounded. I could only hope that in the discovery of my lyrics, he’ll at least know I meant everything we did and said that whole tour, meeting him changed my life for the better; before I hurt him.

I miss him and I only wished I was in his arms.

As the livestream ended, I smiled warmly as Noah and Jolly waved goodbye at the camera and then tried to focus my attention on the paper in my lap.

Amongst the idea of our own live stream, I couldn’t help but want more out of me. It was small; it was something just dying to purge out. However, the more I looked at the lyrics on paper, the more it didn’t fit; it wasn’t me. It was as if these lyrics were meant for someone else.

Letting out a deep breath, I sang a harmony I thought would fit with the lyrics. “Evened the scores, then I let it all go fall apart. And every step forward put a little more sword in your heart, yeah. Looking sideways when I say I’m okay with the past but I’m afraid of what I might say if you ask.”

The more I read it, over and over. It was good; I’ll say that. But, surely it didn’t belong to me. I could feel that. But I didn’t give up yet. I wrote another verse, hoping this one would speak more of me.

“I did it to myself, tried to be someone else. I let it tear me down, and I'll never be the same. I did it to myself and tried to be someone else. And you didn't notice 'til I finally got, finally got away.”

Fuck, even singing these lyrics didn’t feel right. My heart knew that this didn’t belong to me, it was meant for someone else.

Making a rash decision, I pulled out my phone and clicked on the name I needed help from.

“Hello?”

I perked up at the accent immediately. “Jolly! Hey, it's me. Y/N.”

A light chuckle echoed in my ear. “I know who it is, doll, I have caller ID.”

“Ok don’t be smart,” I teased.

“Sorry,” he laughs, “What do I owe the pleasure?”

I bit my lip, wondering how he would take my idea. It sounded rash in my head but if anyone were to listen to my idea; it was Jolly.

“I have something to run by you. Well, actually a few things.”

NOAH

My knee bounced as I sat in my chair, phone gripped tightly in my hand, as I glanced at the clock on my computer.

2:28.

It has been almost a week now since our last 2:30 call and the last one was short as she was running around Japan with her dad. Things were awkward to say the least at the party the other night and I wanted to make sure that things between us were still good.

Good? What’s considered good anymore? You’re dating someone else, dumbass.

Ignoring the voice in my mind, I let out a deep breath before clicking on Y/N’s name; the ringing echoing loudly in my quiet room. It rang and rang and rang. It went on like this for a few more times until, eventually; I hung up the call with a groan. But I wasn’t ready to give up yet and I typed out a quick message to Malcolm.

ME: Is Y/N around? I tried calling her.

Malcolm: Yeah, she’s been in the shower. Has been in there for a while- too long, maybe shaving or some shit. I’ll have her call you.

An audible, deep groan, fell from my lips as I leaned my head back against the headrest of my chair when the thought of Y/N in the shower.

Naked, water, and soap ran down every inch of her unholy skin.

“Shit,” I cursed when my dick twitched in my sweats.

“Noah.”

Y/N’s voice rang in my ear as my eyes fluttered shut, hands in fists on my thighs. My vision was so vivid as if I was in the shower with her, our wet skin ablaze as I wrapped my arms around her from behind to bury my face into the crook of her neck.

“Angel,” I breathed while my palm pressed against my hard cock in my sweats.

My hips raised from the chair as a moan crawled out of my throat, my hand now all but ripping out my dripping cock from my pants. It was red and thick with the mere thought of Y/N in the shower. Gripping it between my fingers, I slowly pumped up and down, thumb grazing over the pre-cum that leaked out from the slit and circled it around the head of my cock.

“Noah, I need you.”

Her name fell from my lips as a prayer while I leaned farther back into my chair as my hand worked faster, the grip around myself tightened as the orgasm buzzed in my lower stomach. The burn felt so good but it wasn’t enough; I needed something else to help me over the edge.

I pulled the extra skin down tight, cock standing straight up in my hand, as I let out a strangled breath. My orgasm was right there, but I wanted to edge myself longer; I didn’t want this vision to end.

Y/N rubbed the soap over every inch of her skin, her fingers teasing over her nipples as he head fell back, water spraying into her mouth.

But after that vision, another one came to mind which made my hand work in faster strokes. Y/N on top of me with her hands gripping my braids as her mouth fell slack with ecstasy. I consistently became a time traveler of that night, the night she rode me into oblivion. A night I’ll surely never forget. Even in these moments, my mind goes there.

“Fuck. Shit.” I cursed as a shock shot from the base of my spine to the top when my body went stiff, orgasm so close to destroying me.

I jerked when my phone buzzed against the computer desk so I stopped my actions but kept my grip tight on my aching cock to realize Bailey was calling me.

Ignore.

With my phone still in my hand, I quickly went to my photos and clicked on one of my favorite pictures of Y/N; from the day we spent on the beach. She was staring straight out into the water, a small smile playing on her sweet, plump lips.

Fuck, I wished those lips were strangled around my cock.

Once the phone was set up directly in front of me, I leaned back into my chair again and worked my hand in fast short strokes, the orgasm once again burning low in my belly.

“Noah.” Y/N’s voice echoed in my mind again.

“Shit, angel. I’m gonna-fuck,” I groaned low, the noise barely audible as it crawled out of my throat when my release finally washed over me.

Cum shot all over my hand and onto my pants but none of that mattered; my dark eyes were stuck on the picture on the screen. Until a different picture appeared which had me cursing and wiping my cum covered hand on my pants before tucking myself back into my pants. Just a simple phone call from her had my dick aching again.

With a few steady breaths, I ran my clean hand through my hair before answering the FaceTime call; Y/N’s bright smile warming my heart.

“Hi Mochi! I didn’t mean to miss your call. I was in the shower.”

She was sitting on her bed, water still dripping from her wet hair, and internally I groaned when the same thoughts as earlier came creeping back into my mind.

“Oh yeah? You-uh-feeling clean?” I flushed while shifting in my chair.

“Well, yeah,” she chuckled. “That’s what a shower is. Water, soap.”

Naked, I know the drill.

I cleared my throat. “Right. Anyway, can you talk or is this a bad time?”

“Actually, I was going to send this in the group chat but since I have you on the phone, I figured now would be the best time.”

I raised a brow as my heart pounded widely in my chest, wondering what she was going to say.

“Veeps offered Hollow Souls to do a stream as well! So I wanted to make sure you were free to watch it, maybe? Totally fine if you can’t, I know you might be busy with-.”

“I’ll watch it,” I rushed out, not missing a beat. “What time?”

“Oh, in about 2 hours?” She bit her lip, hopeful I’d say yes.

My dick throbbed as memories of moments before her phone call replayed in my mind. “I’ll have the tv on standby downstairs, angel. We wouldn’t miss that shit for anything.”

Y/N smiled brightly as she brought Salem into view of her phone, his green eyes staring directly into my soul. “Salem thanks you for the support.”

“I miss him, we really bonded while you were gone,” I smiled a bit.

“Well, you can come by anytime to hang out with him; or me,” Y/N added the last bit slyly.

“Count me in, angel.”

READER

Once dressed, almost ready for the live stream, I was rummaging through my sock drawer to find a pair of socks when my fingers brushed against something soft. My brow raised as I pulled out two small velvet boxes, my mind immediately going back to my birthday.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I opened the box, and a gasp left my lips as the silver necklace and matching bracelet shined under the light of the room. It wasn't anything over the top and there were no diamonds but that didn't matter to me. I wasn't one for over-the-top jewelry, this simple chain and bracelet were enough.

With wet eyes, I gazed up at Noah, who had a nervous look on his face as he fiddled with his wooden rosary. "Do you like it?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into my embrace, burying my face into his neck. "I love it, Noah. Thank you so much."

With the haste of break up, the end of the tour, the move, and everything that happened between Noah and me, I almost forgot about the jewelry. I've stared at this bracelet and this fucking necklace for a while now. To think I had almost forgotten it, I shook my head at the thought. I couldn’t, things that were meant for us to find their way back. Well; at least that’s what I told myself. I yearned for him, his comfort, his gaze. I didn’t plan on falling in love with him. But once we met, it was clear that neither of us could control what was happening to us. I gasped when I realized what that burning feeling in my heart took over my entire existence each time I thought of him or saw him.

I love Noah.

I nearly stumbled on my feet as a breath fell from my lips again. “It’s too late now.”

With shaky hands, I opened the box, my heart skipping a beat. It still took my breath away as I opened the box, clasping on the necklace first then the bracelet.

“I have to admit, Salem” I turned towards the mirror in my room so I could stare at my reflection while the cat sat on my vanity. “Noah did pretty well.”

There was a knock on my open door, and I gave a small smile towards Jolly. “Hey.”

“Almost ready?” He asked.

“Yep.”

He then taped a finger to his neckline twice. “That’s a nice necklace. Who gave you that?”

“It was a birthday gift,” I shrugged nonchalantly.

The corner of Jolly’s mouth turned up in a grin. “That’s not what I asked.”

Ignoring his comment, I slid into my slippers and led him out of my room down to the dining room where we set up earlier.

Jolly first arrived a few hours ago for our daily lessons before helping me set up the stream. After I watched theirs almost a week ago, I asked Jolly if he could come over to help me with my stream. I couldn’t play guitar but we could practice the two songs I wanted to perform.

Chase and Malcolm asked if I needed them for this but I could tell they already had plans. Even though this was a Hollow Souls set, it was more of an acoustic version so Chase on drums and Malcolm on bass wasn’t needed; hence why I asked Jolly to help. First off, who else was better to teach me how to play guitar than him? I knew the basics, but he was helping me hone in on my skills. Second, I needed to talk to him about something important.

As I finished making things were in order, Jolly sat on his chair to strum the first few notes of If I’m There on his guitar.

“Feel comfortable enough?” He wondered.

I nodded while looking at the laptop to make sure the stream was ready; all I had to do was hit the live button.

“Yep. We’ve been practicing every day. It helps I have a great teacher,” I beamed at him. “Thanks for this, Jolly. I didn’t know who else to ask and I know you’re Noah’s friend first.”

Jolly shrugged. “You’re my friend as well, doll. I help my friends and that’s something Noah knows and understands.”

Silence fell between us for a long moment until he hesitated.

“How did you feel about our new single, honestly?”

My shoulders went rigid for a second before I shrugged. “I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Y/N don’t take this the wrong way, but you can’t be that dense. You know it was about you, right?” Jolly asked.

“I-,” The words died in my throat.

Jolly raised a brow. “Yeah, so tell me. How do you feel about it?”

“Are you my shrink now?” I crossed my arms over my chest, one last ditch effort at shielding myself from admitting the truth.

“No, a friend,” he sighed while setting down the guitar.

Defeated, I fell into the chair with a groan. “I-I feel sad. Noah must fucking hate me.”

“I assure you, he doesn’t,” Jolly said.

“How can you be so sure, Jolly? He went and found someone else. He’s clearly writing how he feels too. I hate feeling like this.” I sat with my hands folded in my lap as I chipped away at the nail polish.

“So talk to him, because I can tell you right now, Noah’s not head over heels for this girl. I think you know deep down what he’s trying to do.”

I refused to meet his gaze as I shook my head. “I don’t know what you mean. I can’t-he seems happy.”

“Y/N,” Jolly sighed. “He’s not happy unless he’s with you.”

“Then he needs to tell me that,” my eyes snapped up towards him. “I was going to express some things I’ve discovered but-.”

Jolly raised his brows. “Discovered what?”

For a split second, I thought about telling him but decided against it. “It doesn’t matter, I can’t mess anything up for him. I need Noah to need me. It works both ways, Jolly.”

“Y/N you’re not understanding you’ve got it all wrong-.”

“Can we move on, please? It hurts enough to think about him with someone else the last fucking thing I want to do is talk about them,” I let out a shaky breath as my bottom lip wobbled.

Jolly gave me a weak smile. “Sure thing, doll. Did you want to go live?”

“Actually,” I bit my lip before reaching over to the table to grab a piece of paper. “There’s something I want to run by you.”

When he nodded, I handed Jolly the paper. “I wrote it about Trey but the thought of recording it scares me. It’s deeper than what I typically write and it's not me. I thought about selling it but that didn’t feel right.”

I watched intently as Jolly read the lyrics, his eyes taking in every inch of the page, the smile on his lips growing with each pass.

“Doll, this is,” he shook his head. “Amazing. Are you sure?”

Our eyes locked as I nodded. “It’s not a Hollow Souls song. But Bad Omens on the other hand, I know you guys can give it the justice it deserves.”

NOAH

“SHUT UP!” I bellowed while tossing a pillow towards Jesse, who was talking extensively to Orie about some shit that didn’t matter. “The live stream is about to start.”

Jesse caught the pillow mid-throw and smirked. “Excited, are we?”

Flipping him off, I sat on the couch with a beer in one hand and my phone in the other, sending another text to Jolly. He’d been M.I. A all day, and we were wondering if he was going to join.

“Has anyone heard from Jolly?” I asked.

Orie shrugged. “I thought he was in his room.”

“We went to lunch earlier,” Michael said while walking into the living room, bowl full of random snacks in his hands before he set them on the coffee table. “But he said he had some things to take care of afterward.”

Just then the stream began and Y/N’s soft voice echoed through the speakers.

“Shit, are we live? Wait, I probably shouldn’t swear on this.”

We all shared a laugh until we saw who was sitting next to her.

“Hi everyone! It’s Y/N from Hollow Souls. You might have noticed that I have a friend here with me today,” Y/N adjusted the headphones before she motioned to Jolly who sat on her left. “Jolly from Bad Omens.”

Jolly waved to the camera. “Hi.”

“I guess that’s what his errand was,” Jesse said while throwing some popcorn in his mouth.

Ignoring him, I wondered why Jolly was with Y/N right now. I wasn’t jealous he was with her. I was jealous that I wasn’t there instead. She looked breathtaking with her long hair pulled back in a tight bun to showcase the sharp features of her face, her plump lips glistening with the lip gloss she must have applied before the stream started. Her bright eyes shined with the excitement of what she was about to perform which in turn made me sit up straighter in my spot on the couch, a proud smile on my face.

“So, the reason Malcolm and Chase aren’t here is because this set is more of an acoustic one. I recently saw some friends of mine do something like this and wanted to try it,” she smiled over to Jolly.

“I’m here for moral support,” Jolly said.

“He’s actually been teaching me guitar the last week because I wanted to do more for this band since we kicked Trey out,” Y/N revealed.

At the mention of his name, I felt my face twitch but kept it as stone as I could, not wanting to give anything away to the rest of the guys. They were the only three of the entire group that didn’t know the truth about Y/N’s relationship with Trey.

“Did you know Jolly was teaching her guitar?” Jesse asked me.

I shook my head while running a hand through my hair. “I had no idea she wanted to learn. I mean, I knew they had to figure out a guitarist moving forward but didn’t know she wanted to play.”

“She didn’t ask you?” Orie wondered.

I shrugged, wondering the same but did my best not to dwell on it as I went back to watching the feed.

“So, I’m going to sing two songs for you guys today. The first one is a cover, and the second is something new. It’s nowhere near ready for release but it’s been weighing heavy on my heart the last few weeks since I wrote it.”

Y/N adjusted her headphones before glancing over to her laptop. “Woah, the chat is going crazy you’re here, Jolly.”

He hummed in amusement while tuning the guitar. “What are they saying?”

“Where’s Noah? When is the collab with Bad Omens coming?”

Y/N snickered before looking back at the camera, giving a wink. “I don’t know. Noah has my number.”

Quickly pulling out my phone, I pulled up the stream to add something to the chat.

“Oh, look who joined the chat. Jolly, Noah is wondering if you could bring pizza home,” Y/N laughed as she read my comment.

I chuckled to myself as we saw Jolly roll his eyes. Then Y/N read my next comment, her cheeks flushing red; something others might not have noticed. But I did. I watched and analyzed everything she did with a careful eye.

The comment I sent in the chat was something simple; something only a few of us would understand.

We can talk about the collab during our next phone call.

She shifted in her chair, a hint of a smile on her face. “Well, my first song might sound familiar to a lot of you. It’s my first time performing it but unlike Noah did last week, I won’t mess up the words.”

Jolly broke out in laughter before playing the opening notes of the song; one I recognized immediately even though I knew which one she meant before Jolly played the first few notes of the song. There was only one song I messed up on a livestream recently. If I’m There.

Her beautiful voice stung deep into my veins as I fell back on the couch.

“Oh. Shit,” Orie spoke. “No offense, man, but Y/N kills your lyrics.”

I nodded, numbly as I agreed with him. It was as if my lyrics were made for her voice, the sultry tone of it sending chills all over my body. She gripped the microphone with a soft touch and my cock twitched as I remembered earlier up in my bedroom.

As she got to the verse I messed up on my own livestream, Y/N’s eyes opened to throw a quick wink and smirk toward the camera when she sang it perfectly; almost annoyingly perfect.

I felt a pair of eyes burning into the side of my head and briefly tearing my gaze away from the television; I shot Jesse a look.

“What?”

He pursed his lips while shaking his head. “You haven’t stopped smiling since she came on the screen. You look like a kid that was given free rein in a candy store.”

Rolling my eyes, I focused back to Y/N just in time as she sang the last two lines of the song.

“And if you're there to catch me when I fall then maybe Hell ain't so bad after all,” she breathed before pushing away the microphone from her a tad.

Shit.

This was different than Hollow Souls. The softness of the song was fucking made for Y/N and something she needed to do more of.

“Fuck yes,” she beamed but then smacked a hand over her face. “Sorry, didn’t mean to swear. I’ll add it to the jar Malcolm has on top of the fridge.”

“He doesn’t?” Michael chucked.

I nodded while taking a long drink of my beer. “He does. I saw it when I was there taking care of Salem. Thing is empty but fuck is in their everyday vocabulary so you know they’re not adding to that shit.”

Noticing she was reading the comments once again, I quickly typed out one.

Great job, Y/N! Feel free to cover any of our songs. I’d always watch it with a proud smile.

Even though she didn’t say she read it, I knew she did with the way the corner of her lip raised and the way her eyes crinkled at the sides.

“Alright, the last song is a new one. We do plan on having it on the next record but it will sound different from what you’ll hear right now. My friends, thank you for watching. This one is called Eyelids.”

This had me sitting on the edge of the couch, elbows on my knees, as excitement filled me.

“I'll face my fear of the evening once I get used to this feeling. I can't sleep. That's when you're torn away from me. While I'm dreaming I feel you leaving.”

My jaw fell slack, hearing the rawness in her voice with the pure emotion being poured out of her soul.

"I'll face my fear of the sunrise when I wake up with your hand inside mine. It's hard to say good morning when it's followed with goodbye. Just wanted to say good night.”

Something glinted on the screen, which immediately took my gaze away from her face down to her neck, my heart and breath catching in my throat. I remained silent as my body leaned closer to the television.

“What are you doing, man? Did you forget your glasses?” Michael joked.

His voice was a white noise as I moved from my spot on the couch to the coffee table, now sitting directly in front of the screen.

What the fuck?

Is that?

I inched closer and closer to that television, I couldn’t hear what was being said to me as I scrunched my face up and began squinting.

No, it can’t be.

“Our eyes fighting the light but I'm not ready to say good night, ooh. I try and hold on tight 'cause it's just not time to say good night. Say good night.”

It hung almost a little well above her cleavage, that beautiful silky neck- my eyes moved quickly to her wrists.

“Let me see,” I muttered under my breath.

I made an inaudible sound from my throat, mouth peering a little open.

She was wearing them; both of them. My heart raced even further, longer, more rapidly.

I was feeling a lot of things at once; I didn’t quite know how to place them. I needed a beer. I needed to talk to my shrink. That’s what I should do, because the panic was setting in, this ache was almost unbearable.

Why, why would she want to wear them after everything? Even now?

I’m hurting her right back, aren’t I?

Everything has become a puddle of mud, a mess of my volition now. I did this. All I could think while seeing the jewelry I gifted her, all I could hear while listening to her voice was “Maybe, just maybe I’ll come back to you.”

She was occupied by her own complicated thoughts - you could tell from the way she was squinting and moving her mouth.

Maybe I was imagining things. Maybe until-.

“I'll face my fear of the cold nights when you leave me behind. I felt your hands in my hair. I felt your breath on my neck. Yeah, I need to feel you again. Just wanted to say good night.”

My body went still, all the air taken from my lungs, as I watched her lips move. Her own personal conflict was clear in the way the muscles in her jaw tightened and her eyes screwed shut.

No, it couldn’t be.

She didn’t.

Did she?

Was this about us?

No, I’m overthinking this.

“Our eyes fighting the light but I'm not ready to say good night, ooh. I try and hold on tight 'cause it's just not time to say good night. Say good night.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Orie smack Jesse on the shoulder and motioned to the stillness of me; still unmoving.

“Our eyes fighting the light. But I'm not ready to say good night, ooh. I try and hold on tight 'cause it's just not time to say good night. Say good night.”

I could see Jolly vibing along to the lyrics next to Y/N but it didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered more than this moment right here as I watched her pour every feeling about that night into this one song. My heart fell deep into the pits of my stomach when I saw her grip the necklace, playing with it between two fingers.

These eyes are closed again for yet another night I wake up and I can feel you by my side. But I can't find you in the dark when you're so far. Yeah, that's the hardest part. Here comes the hardest part.

My eyes dropped slightly in tangent with my shoulders.

Our eyes fight the light. But I'm not ready to say good night oh. I try and hold on tight 'cause it's just not time to say good night. To say good night.

As the last lyric faded into the air, there was a hushed recording playing some words in the background; another small thing I picked up on.

“I mean in what world do I go to sleep after you and wake up before you? I don't even know how it happens. Well, I hope you're having sweet dreams. And you call me when you wake up.”

Fuck.

My bottom lip trembled when I recognized that voice. It was Y/N’s, and it wasn’t just any kind of recording. No, it was a voicemail she left me while she was in Japan. It was right after I missed one of our 2:30 calls. I was asleep but once I noticed she called me less than an hour later; I listened to the voicemail before quickly calling her back.

“Okay, that deserves a curse,” Jolly said. “You fucking killed that, Y/N.”

She was beaming with pride. “Holy shit, guys. You don’t understand how long I’ve had this festering inside of me. It feels so good to get out.”

Y/N clicked on the laptop to read through some of the comments, a small frown pulling at her lips.

“Oh my god. Are you and Trey getting back together?! You were so perfect. No, we’re not getting back together. I grew up since the breakup; I became a savage. But not everything is about fucking Trey. This is just a song about a really awesome guy. That’s it.”

I was still, like a statue, unmoving and unnerving as Joly and Y/N said their goodbyes before the stream ended; a black screen mirror back to me.

Jesse leaned forward in his chair. “Noah-.”

Hearing my name broke me out of the trance and without saying another word, I jumped up from my spot on the coffee table and took the stairs two at a time, my footsteps thundering throughout the house before I slammed myself into my bedroom.

Tears threatened to spill, burning at the corners of my eyes, but I held them in with a choked sob as I ran a shaky hand over my face.

I didn’t know what to make of anything anymore. Maybe just romantics would call this a twisted, toxic beginning to a love story while the cynics would call it a tragedy. In my mind, it’s a little bit of both, and no matter how you choose to view it in the end, it doesn’t change the fact that it involves a great deal of my life and the path I’ve chosen to follow and that I- I love her.

Ripping the drawer of my desk open, I rummaged through the useless crap, already knowing what I was looking for. I tossed the velvet boxes to the side and cradled the jewelry, my large hands encased them. I pressed them on my forehead and let the tears finally spill to the floor as I fell to my knees, resting my back up against my bed.

I cried; actually fucking cried.

The necklace and bracelet shook in my hands as the sobs wrecked through me. I haven’t cried like this in a long time mostly because I hated being this open and vulnerable. It made me sick, knowing that I wasn’t able to protect myself from these feelings right now. I spent my entire life protecting myself from these feelings only for Y/N to sink her claws into me in the best way possible.

“I love her,” I choked out through sobs, realizing what I felt earlier. “I fucking love her.”

NOAH

I wasn’t sure how long I kneeled on the floor, jewelry grasped deep in my palms as it dug into my skin. But it wasn’t until there was a soft knock on the door that pulled me from the despair. Red, puffy, bloodshot eyes glanced up at Jolly, whose shoulders fell as he took in my state; tears dried to my face and hair a mess from running my hands through it.

“Noah,” he muttered.

“Please leave me alone right now.” I whimpered lowly, refusing to meet his gaze again.

“No. Jesse said watching her perform Eyelids fucked you up. What’s going on?” Jolly kneeled in front of me.

“I can’t-,” I choked on a sob. “I don’t want to deal with this.”

Jolly rubbed his jaw. “Was it the song or the jewelry?”

My eyes snapped up to him. “How did you know about the jewelry?”

“You used the band card to charge it, goof. I see everything,” Jolly gave me a small smile.

“Fuck. Sorry,” I sighed.

“It’s okay man, it’s okay,” he reassured me with a strong grip on my shoulder.

“No, no, it’s not. I’m tired of feeling. I want to disappear, just disappear.”

Jolly now gripped both of my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. "No, you don’t. Don’t say that shit.” 

“I just mean I wish it wasn’t this. Y/N’s been giving me mixed signals.” I mumbled.

“Have you thought you’re doing the same? You’re literally hanging out with another woman out of spite,” He raised a questioning brow.

I leaned my head against the side of my mattress. “She won’t tell me how she feels, I’m trying to show her. I’ve always tried to show her.”

“There’s a saying.” Jolly paused, trying to think of the right words to say. “We are defined by what we do, not just nice words. However, I think you’ve shown enough, Noah. It’s time you use your words.” 

“I don’t know how,” I admitted with a shaky breath after a long beat of silence.

“If you’re not comfortable talking about it with us, Noah. Talk to your therapist about it- but this has to stop. It’s draining you.”

I saw the way Jolly’s mouth twitched, his own emotions close to slipping through his own mask, but he held it stronger than me.

“Once you’re in a better place, come to the studio. I have something to show you.”

I nodded. “Sure, yeah. Might be good for me to write something.”

Jolly gave one last squeeze to my shoulder. “Love you, man.”

“You too. Thank you.” I smiled.

NOAH

An hour and a long shower later, I walked down the hallway toward our studio with a new tune in my head. The lyrics were loud in my mind as I played with the new bracelet on my wrist, twisting it between two fingers.

“There’s not another way don’t let me go, don’t dig another grave today,” I sang under my breath as I walked through the door.

Jolly was sitting on the couch in the room, guitar on his lap and notebook on the floor at his feet. He looked up as I walked in and had a nervous smile on his face.

“Hey, you better?”

I gave a small nod. “Yeah. What’s this?”

As I sat on the couch next to him, I went to reach for the notepad before he placed a foot over it, blocking me from retrieving it.

“Y/N gave me something earlier. I really like it but wanted to run it by you, if you were comfortable,” Jolly said hesitantly.

I tensed, not knowing how to feel. I wasn’t comfortable with whatever Jolly needed to show me but knowing it was from Y/N eventually made me agree.

He removed his foot so I could grab the notebook, eyes immediately scanning over the lyrics on the page.

Evened the scores, then I let it all go fall apart. And every step forward put a little more sword in your heart, yeah. Looking sideways when I say I’m okay with the past but I’m afraid of what I might say if you ask. I did it to myself, tried to be someone else. I let it tear me down, and I'll never be the same. I did it to myself, tried to be someone else. And you didn't notice 'til I finally got, finally got away.

My heart stuttered in my chest as I licked my lips. “Wow, that’s impressive. When did you find the time to write this? Usually, that's my wheelhouse.”

“Noah cut the shit. You know this isn’t my work. I just told you, it’s Y/N’s,” Jolly sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I’m just being a dick.” I snorted a laugh while bumping his shoulder with mine.

“Yeah, you are. Now what do you think? We can use this, no? As inspiration, maybe?”

Suddenly the lyrics I sang a moment before walking into the room played in my mind again; I hummed them under my breath, adding it to the lyrics Y/N wrote.

“One second,” I muttered while pulling out my phone.

ME: You sure you want us to have your lyrics?

Y/N’s response was immediate.

Angel 🪽: Nobody could do it better than you guys. You’ll give those lyrics the justice it deserve.

Leaving the message on read, Jolly and I worked tirelessly to rework the lyrics together and when I felt we were in a good position with them, I reached for my phone again. There was still a lingering feeling festering deep inside of me, that I wanted to make sure Y/N was fine with.

ME: I’m taking creative liberty for this, are you good with that?

Angel 🪽: What's mine is yours, Noah. 

Yeah, not everything.

[yxngbxkkie]

street racing series masterlist

hello! so, i’ve seen the idea of min as a street racer on tik tok. and, recently, i had the idea to make mood boards of skz as street racers. which you can find that post here! i’ve now decided to write a mini series for this idea. i’m super excited about the ideas that i have, and i hope that you enjoy it as well <3

~

Secrets - Bang Chan

Lately, over the past month and a half, your best friend has been blowing you off. You know Chan isn’t normally like that, and being in love with him didn’t help the fact either. You tried asking his friends about it, but they wouldn’t tell you anything. The only thing they’d say is, “It’s not my secret to tell.” You decide to distance yourself from him, even though he’s already kind of doing that himself. After a month of not seeing or talking to Chan, he randomly shows up at your apartment one night. You try to get him to go home, telling him that you didn’t want to see him, but he wasn’t having any of it. He dragged you out of your apartment, reassuring you that he’ll explain why he kept blowing you off. And that’s how you end up in the passenger seat of Chan’s car, participating in a street race.

Rivals - Lee Know

Lee Minho, a rival of your boyfriend. The guy you’re dating warned you about him multiple times. From how he puts it, Minho is an asshole. And from what you’ve seen, you can agree. Unfortunately, your boyfriend has lost more races against him than won, and Minho’s not afraid to rub it in both of your faces when everything’s done for the night. The rivalry between your boyfriend and Minho becomes too toxic for you that you end up going to Minho to try and mend it. You slip into his vehicle before the race starts, not your best idea but it was the only idea you had at that moment in time, and it quickly turns into a bad idea when your boyfriend catches you in his car.

Change of Heart - Seo Changbin

You met Seo Changbin in a coffee shop. He’s loud, cocky, and sometimes he’s kind of a dick. You dread it every time he comes into the cozy place. Sometimes you wish you could quit your job there and work somewhere else, just to get away from him. After going out with a man you met through your job, you end up at an illegal street race. You quickly find yourself uncomfortable with this guy and when you ask him to bring you home, he ditches you. One thing you didn’t expect… Seo Changbin coming to your rescue.

Off Limits - Hwang Hyunjin

You’re the daughter of a big corporate boss. Your father despises the street races that go on almost every night near his company building. He’s warned you his whole life to stay away from those kinds of people. Sometimes street racers can be hard to spot. Who would’ve thought that the handsome man you met at an art exhibit would be one of the best street racers in the city?

Childhood Friends - Han Jisung

You moved away from Seoul when you were a teenager. You hated leaving. You didn’t want to leave. Especially after meeting Han Jisung. He and his family lived next door to yours since you were toddlers. After being away for ten years, you finally find yourself living in Seoul again. The first thing you attempt to do is get in contact with Jisung. The two of you kept in contact for a few years after you moved but as time went on, the messages slowly stopped coming. One night, you stumble upon a street race. You heard that they happen a lot but you’ve never seen them. And you never would’ve thought that your childhood friend would be a part of it. 

My Favorite Boy - Lee Felix

You meet Lee Felix through your best friend. She’s dating one of his friends and one night she asked you to go for a drive with her. With how busy you’ve been with work, you accepted her offer. Your whole night did a 180 when the two of you show up at a street race that her boyfriend is participating in. You’ve only seen street races in movies. Before the race starts, you find yourself aimlessly walking around the parked cars. That’s when you meet a beautiful man with cheeks littered with freckles and a personality that shines as bright as the sun.

Anything For You - Kim Seungmin

You knew that Seungmin was a street racer. He kept it a secret from you for half of your relationship. You understood why he did it. He wanted to keep you safe and he didn’t want you to worry about him. Recently, you’ve been hearing about how dangerous street racing has become. A few people have been holding grudges against the people they lost to. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t worried about Seungmin, even though the two of you broke up months beforehand.

Racing Gone Wrong - Yang Jeongin

Your roommate has been sneaking out of the apartment almost every night. You, being a curious person, decide to follow him one night and found out his biggest secret. Street racing. Never in a million years, you would think that your roommate, who’s an absolute angel, would be a street racer. You planned to tell him that you knew but a part of you thought he’d get angry, so you kept it to yourself. It didn’t stop you from going every night he went, disguising yourself with a hoodie he’s never seen you wear before. You did well to keep yourself hidden until one night when Jeongin gets into a big accident.

~

tagging: @thewxntersoldier @reddesert-healourblues @luckieleaf @stayconnecteed @tiaxa @yoonrimin @sunny-future @daysofskz-ateez @spacegirlstuff @foxinnie8 @moon0fthenight

[lovedrruunk]

'Mango Letters ♡⸝⸝💌⊹˖➴

Venture (Overwatch) x GN Reader

[Established Relationship!]

Authors note!!!; DID U MISS MEEE??? also...IM SO SORRYYY!!!! BUT I THINK IM JUST GONNA START WRITING WHAT I WANT :((( i realized im sososo bad with requests like genuinely ughhhh!! Ill def do some every now and then tho! Anyways im just clearing out my drafts cuz I’ve come to the realization that this is literally tumblr and my posts don’t have to be perfect lmao, enjoy!!

75 days 18 hours 46 minutes and 3 seconds. That's how long it had been since you've seen your partner Sloan. Being with them you knew how devoted they were to their work and how much it required them to travel but on pretty days like this one when the weathers just right and the flowers are in full bloom and the sunset is the perfect hue of orange, you couldn't help but wish they were by your side.

And although they were thousands of miles away they always made sure to send you physical manifestations of their love.

Through love letters of course!!!

It had been a tradition ever since they had started going on longer expeditions for them to send you things in the mail. So there in your shared closet in a cute little shoebox on the top shelf, laid all their feelings on coffee stained papers. Little crystals the same color as your eyes, maps with all the places they wanted to take you, polaroids of them doing silly faces, and your favorite part, the sweet scent of mango that came with it all.

And so although they weren't by your side, their feelings were. Their longing, their excitement, their thoughts, all in the palm of your hands covered in all types stickers and doodles.

Sitting outside on the porch of your shared home enjoying the calm breeze you smile holding the most recent letter delivered. Inhaling deeply catching the hints of mango as you carefully open it.

Dear Beloved,

It's been so looong!!! I can feel myself aging without you! Hope this letter finds you well! Notice how I used "beloved"? Fancy huh? Arn't I just the most romantic partner ever? (don't answer that.) This is my fifth time trying to write this and it's annoying the crew so this is my last chance before they jump me... It's just so hard y'know!? It has to be perfect. Perfect for you. Is that cringe? That was cringe sorry! I miss you lots and I think about you all the time... You'd love Petra! A camel ate my shemagh... but It's whatever. I'll buy a new one tomorrow, I'll get one for you too so don't worry! Now that I'm thinking about it the days seem to be going by pretty slow and I'm not sure if I like it much. Like I said I miss you a lot and it stinks being away from you for this long. Can't you just book a flight over here? Can't you do that for me pretty pleaseee? That's ridiculous? Okay just say you hate me and never want me to come back, just say you don't love me at all and want me to get stuck in a cave foreva. Just kidding! or am I?... (I am! >ᴗ<)

I like to imagine you’re missing me really bad counting down the seconds till I get back, which by the way I am too so don’t feel the need to deny it! I can see it now… You all shriveled up like a raisin crawling on the floor going “sloannn… sloannnn…” because of how bad you miss me hehe. Just kidding again! It’s probably the opposite let’s be real… I’m going insane without you seriously, I started talking to the hieroglyphics yesterday and the crew even caught me tasting some rocks earlier (sos!!!!)

But speaking of, they’re rushing me to “turn the lights off already” what a bunch of buzzkills ammarite? Promise to show up in my dreams okay? Who am I kidding, you’re always there regardless. Sweet dreams ᥫ᭡ᥫ᭡

p.s they really wanna meet you!

p.p.s take care okay? I’ll be home before you know it!!!

Yours truly,

(so romantic!!!)

“(๑´>᎑<)~*”

[acrobattack]

bliss redesign based off one I made in my teens

thought process + various other bits and bobs under the cut

I was 15 and annoyed by everything that moved when this character first came out, so in my own head I was very much making a Point with this redesign. Hence, I made very minimal changes. I wanted to work with what was already there and basically just make the existing design more thought-through. Little breakdown ahead (keeping in mind i myself am very much An Amateur who doesn’t know shit and am just ranting about my opinions and i also haven’t seen a single second of the 2016 reboot so i don’t know much about Bliss to begin with)

1. one of my Biggest pet peeves with Bliss is that the powerpuff girls each have bangs that are simple, memorable, and iconic while also being unique from each other and being reminiscent of irl little girls hairstyles. It’s very neat and clever and I like it a lot

and then Bliss has this confusing jumble of shapes that looks like it changes in style halfway across her forehead

i have absolutely no idea what the intent is here. My only guess is maybe it’s meant to look weird on purpose like she was trying to cut it herself or something (I suspect it’s something like that since she seems to have normal looking bangs as a little kid from what I can see) but it doesn’t really come off that way if that’s the case. It just looks like baby’s first PPG OC where you Understand that it’s meant to be hair and that it is made out of shapes but have 0 understanding of hairstyle or character design in general. Heck I might have put this exact hairline on a character in the past at the age of like 8

So in my redesign she’s got 5 even notches across her bangs, not thee most exciting change but it does the job I think. It is pretty reminiscent of Blossom but they look different enough from each other that I wasn’t too worried about it

2. low-hanging fruit time, Bliss’s hair color is horrible on the eyes. I’m bewildered at the decision to do this, especially since there is just so much of it, I struggle to think of how she could exist in any scene without hogging all the viewer’s attention constantly. That said, I understand they wanted her to have an unnatural hair color to really signal that she is a Fresh new Teen character from the late 2010’s, which is. Whatever, that’s fine, so she gets purple hair now. I kept the streak for the same reason, especially since she’s got a lot of hair, so no harm in a little extra interest in there.

I also learned recently that her hair glows sometimes? which i did Not know when first drawing her but well i think the darker color helps anyway. It adds some contrast for when she’s normal vs when she’s glowing and makes the latter appear more,, idk threatening or powerful or whatever the mood generally is when she’s doing that.

I did re-add that toothpaste blue to her eyelids though. I like to think it’s also the color of her lasers. It’s a cute color, just not as like 70% of this character’s palette

3. real talk I was drawing this from memory and didn’t mean to change the way her hair flares out from her head. realistically I think the original is fine, maybe just a little boring but fine, so that part of the redesign was an accident. Only thing is, it’s in the exact same position in every screenshot I’ve seen? It doesn’t seem to whip around when she’s flying or anything which looks weird and probably looks weirder in motion, especially since it takes up so much space onscreen. Idk it’s a strange decision, esp since the original show liked to use the ppg’s hair to emphasize their movement, so I’d just bring more movement into her hair. I mean if nothing else it’d make her look cooler.

very very rough little visual of what I mean

I also ended up making it shorter in my redesign—again, not really intentional, but I think it’s better that it eats up a little less of her silhouette

4. Her headband is largely the same, I didn’t hate the idea of her having an accessory, so I just toned down the colors. I’m not personally a fan of the powder blue and that pink heart is very bright and just doesn’t go with the rest of her (once again the color of her hair is doing it no favors). I also moved the heart over. Not necessarily needed I think, but I feel like it reads quicker as a headband and not a weird crown that way+introduces some asymmetry into her design that I think is nice.

5. my biggest gripe other than her bangs are her hips. I’m not against adding anatomy to this character design to make her read visually as older than the girls, but it’s so awkwardly done and distracting. I feel like it even interferes with her line of action more often than not (which is not helped by her unmoving hair).

Part of the issue is she still has the teeny tiny torso, just… with those square-ish hips slapped on, which makes her legs look all gangly and stretched out. I tried to balance out the proportions more in my redesign, as well as change the hips to a flared skirt. I think it helps differentiate her from the girls and still implies hips underneath, it just also functions as a less clunky transition from her torso to her legs.

Lengthening her torso also allows the stripe to look more like a belt above the skirt, which I think helps to sell her as “similar, but not the same” from the ppg

6. Her leggings(? Idk Im not a fashion person) aren’t a bad idea I think. like a more mature version of the girls’ stockings, but I think the white makes them look really distracting. It would help to make them a darker color I think, but since I wanted to keep them reminiscent of the girls’ socks I kept them white and just shortened them.

7. Not really sure what Bliss is wearing on her feet. I think they’re Mary Janes, but they’re drawn a bit different from the girls’ and I honestly think it’s too babyish a shoe for her to wear. I’m not sure what she’s actually wearing in my redesign either honestly, but the goal was just to make them look like the girls’ Mary Janes while clearly being something different.

8. Uh her signature color is something I’ve contemplated changing a lot but to be real I think it’s fine. I feel it was a very bad idea from a marketing standpoint because people were hype about Bunny and would obviously be mad they didn’t get her once the character actually dropped (and in the long-run she would just end up being overshadowed by the character everyone has already assigned that color to) but I’m personally not bugged by her being purple beyond that. If I were to draw them together though I think Bunny would have a more pinky shade of purple and Bliss leans more blue.

Loosely on the same topic, because of Bliss I’ve had a running headcanon that “only child” types of powerpuffs tend to come out purple. Kind of like how trios tend to have a red, blue, and green. It’s a fun little piece of fake lore to rotate around in my brain

Anyway with all that out of the way, here’s some redesigns I decided to have some fun with. Wasn’t being too precious about recognizability or simplicity or anything like that, but I did run out of steam partway through. There’s also one based off Whoopass Bell bc idk, why not

Finally, here’s some OCs I only ever drew once before out of a desire to give Bliss her own teen girl archetypes to form a team with. This is Bee and Beetle, who I’ll probably definitely forget about again immediately after posting this

[willowbirds]

Imogen for the character asks? :3

Okay! Lets go!

First impression

I was immediately intrigued by her psychic abilities, especially considering that there hasn’t been a character like her before in the CR universe. There have been psychic powers before, but a character who actively has her mind reading active means that she is the first psychic character within the lore and I at first assumed that she was the Exandrian version of a Kalashtar.

Impression now

Oh she is so much more than the Exandrian version of a Kalashtar. She is my blorbo. My silly gal. My skrunkly that I’ve hit with my autism beam! I am always so excited whenever she gets new powers and abilities and I am hyped to see her Form of Havoc in action!

Favorite moment(s)

How do I decide? There’s her dream sequences, when she lightning bolted Laudna’s tree prison, her 33 deception roll! But there’s also her goofier moments. Like that time she fell down a flight of stairs or that moment in the lift down to mines way back in the early episodes. But honestly my favourite moments are her sweet and simple interactions with the other Hells. They range from genuine moments of venerability to chaotic shenanigans that make me laugh every time I think about them. It’s just so hard to pick with Imogen.

Idea for a story

*waves at all of my fics* They are basically all her!

Unpopular opinion (I don’t know if this is unpopular, but I’ve seen some meh takes on her so this might as well be unpopular)

Imogen is probably one of the best characters Laura Bailey has made story wise. Everyone talks about how Jester is Laura’s best, and I do agree she seems very comfortable in that character and that’s always important, but story wise Imogen is so intriguing. Her connection to the moon and her powers that keep growing leads to an uncertain story for her and that makes her so good! She has grown so much from that shy horse girl that struggled to be in crowds, and now she’s off saving the world despite what everyone says. She could have easily turned evil, but she hasn’t, and that is absolutely amazing to me!

Favourite relationship

Imogen and Ashton don’t get nearly enough screen time together and that is frankly a crime. Their dynamic is so good, with them both getting on each other’s nerves while also being there to reassure the other or snap some sense back into them. I also feel like there’s the unspoken connection of both of them having powers that they don’t fully understand. Imogen’s ever growing powers that could burst at the seams at any moment and Ashton’s dunimancy that he didn’t even have a name for until recently. They are probably also the youngest in the group in terms of years. They’re just two Marqet kids that now have to save the world even though they don’t properly understand themselves.

Favorite headcanon

That Imogen’s marks are sensitive to the touch. Often they normally tingle under someone’s touch, but someone’s touch actually burns after she has a nightmare and they sting profusely if she breaks the skin around or on them. The only person whose touch doesn’t do this is Laudna’s because of how cold her skin is and after a nightmare it’s a huge relief to Imogen. I also headcanon that she has a mark along her spine. (Same thing above applies here). I might do a fic fully exploring this headcanon at some point.

[maniacalgenius]

08.26.24

hey y’all! so it was quite a week. i’m gonna try my best to summarize everything that went on!

academic:

🧬 did notes for chapter 1 and part of chapter 2 of micro textbook

🧬 completed homework for chapter 1 and chapter 2 of genetics and did my first attempt for chapter 3. letting myself get caught up in everything else before i go back and do my second attempt!

🧬 went back and wrote out notes for all of genetics last week*

🧬 started writing out notes for biochem last week*

okay i know it seems odd that i was doing notes as homework and not during class but taking notes during class just does not work for me because until i’ve seen all of the material in the section, i can’t tell what’s important or not and i’m just scrambling to write down every single word which never works.

health:

🌺 ate breakfast every morning this week! and lunch and dinner (pretty much)

🌺 got i don’t even know how many steps trekking around campus. biochem building to the music building is going to be the death of me

🌺 maintained a pretty good bedtime every night last week! was asleep every night by probably 11, earlier than that some nights. goal moving forward is start bedtime routine by 9 and get in bed by 10. (except for mondays because Bible study is 8-9!)

personal:

🧚 maintained a top tier morning routine every day last week — got up at 7, made my bed, read my Bible, made breakfast, ate breakfast, got to class early or on time!

🧚 hung out with Bible study group and my best friend and roommate/pseudo big sister and a couple of other friends!

🧚 started a second paid role in a church choir! this one is with the director of the choirs at my university (one of which i’m in) so i’m super excited for that!

🧚 finished season 1 of gravity falls! been watching an episode every night before bed and then here and there as a lil treat

🧚 overall did not rot!! 🤩

1. genetics notes!!

2. new bookshelf 🤩 i have wanted this specific bookshelf for a year because i saw it when i was moving into my old apartment but i didn’t get it and now i finally have one!!

3. desk setup 🫶🏻 i love her she’s so pretty

4. DR SANDWICH BOUGHT ME LEGOS!!!!!! God bless her 🥺

5. my friend picked me up to go buy new sports cards cause we both lost ours and i asked her if she had any little snack she could bring me and she made me a peanut butter sandwich and i was so hungy and was looking forward to this so much! this was a highly anticipated sandwich y’all

6. other lil bookshelf that i brought from my closet at home! with pretty orchids!! this whole wall is so precious and makes me so happy 🥰

🎶 song on loop: most recently “she calls me back” — noah kahan

📖 current book: made some progress this week on i have some questions for you by rebecca makkai

🕰️ time focused: i had 25 hours and 16 minutes of study time for last week which falls pretty much just short of my daily goal of 4 hours! hoping to get that higher but pretty happy with it for the first week!

very low energy. head hurt. signing off now!! 🫶🏻

xx

[abitohoney]

So after a recent Big Move™️, I’ve finally gotten my household goods delivered to my new home. WOOT WOOT.

And as I pulled out some baking/muffin pans, I thought

Damn. I’d like to think I’d be rough and tough and a “don’t look at me wrong or I’ll punt your ass over a high-rise” sort of girl boss in the Arcane world.

But realistically all I want is to bake some treats for Sev and Ran. Make sure they’re eating good. Dust off and adjust their collar before they head out on a mission/task or to a meeting or whatever. Pack them little snacks or lunchboxes. Pretend to not be fussy over them since I also have my own work but actually unintentionally show ✨affection✨. Give them a goodbye kith. Be a lil Susie-homemaker in denial.

Also this moonshine is kind of hitting hard send help

OMG congrats on the big move! I still remember my first big move! Exciting (and exhausting)! Hopefully you're past the exhausting part and slipping into chill mode.

Hard same on thinking I'd be a kick ass girl boss in Arcane but really just wanna be Sev and Ran's little Honey homemaker. 🤓

Some silly, cute, fluffy thoughts inspired by this below the cut. SFW believe it or not.

Fussing over them and packing them lil snacks and lunches sounds like a dream! 🤩 Gosh, just imagine packing them both a little paper sack lunch for the first time. They just give you a look like "Seriously? What am I, 8?" Meanwhile you're just smiling at them adoringly.

Maybe they both sit with the rest of Silco's cronies come lunch time. They're already feeling ridiculous carrying they're matching paper sack lunches, but they're just assuming it's gonna be some lame old bologna sandwiches and stale leftover chips from the last Jericho's dinner.

They simultaneously open their bags to pull out not just any old sandwich, rather it's the freshest looking bread they've ever seen, holding equally fresh greens, meats, and cheeses. And best worst of all, you'd used cookie cutters to cut them into heart shapes. Sevika and Ran exchange glances, brows raised. They both set the sandwiches down, behind their bags, hoping to hide them from the rest of the gang, only to pull out more incriminating lunchables. Several slices of pineapple, cut into disgustingly cute little stars. Then comes the veggies, cause of course you made sure their lunches were a complete balance of nutrition. Chubby little baby carrots arranged on a thick homemade hummus in a flower design. One little cherry tomato decorates the center.

The coup de grâce to their humiliation? Custom, tiny cupcakes decorated in bright pink, red, and purple icing and bedazzled with heart shaped sprinkles of the same colors.

Another exchange of glances, cheeks flushed, then eyes averted downward. Neither dare make eye contact with anyone else at the table. Not that any of them would dare to even so much as snicker at Silco's second in command or top assassin. Not if they valued their life.

So Sevika and Ran consume their entirely too cute lunch in silence. It's an uncomfortable one, but deep down, beneath those hard exteriors, their hearts swell with pride and joy. They have someone like you- who cares so much- to so lovingly select, create, and craft the sweetest of lunches. And just for them. ♥️

Sending help ASAP! (It's just me in a box with holes so I can 'help' you finish off that moonshine)

Also, every time you send me something ISTG I get such a strong itch to write my poly Sev x Reader x Ran fic. I will some day. (Still anxiously patiently waiting for your writing too! <3)

[zepskies]

Hey, Zep! Quick question-

How did you manage to build your Tumblr following?

Ahh, great question, lovely anon!

A few key things I've done to build my following:

1. Posting my stories consistently. ✍🏽

When I started getting active on Tumblr last year, the lovely feedback I was getting spurred me on to keep writing, so I did! I wrote more last year than I probably ever have. But I also try to do so consistently.

I give people a heads up on when things are going to post (Marketing 101: If you want people to get excited, make sure they know when things are coming their way). And I did my best to stick to those deadlines.

Life can sometimes get in the way (shit happens, amirite?), but on the whole, I try to stay consistent. When people know they can rely on you, they're more likely to tune in every time you post.

I also give sneak previews of chapters and upcoming stories for that same reason. (I write chapters ahead of posting partly for this reason.) It can be a powerful hook when I'm writing a series in particular, to keep people invested by giving them a preview of what's coming in the next chapter. 💗

2. I try to make it easy for people to find me. 🧐

Use the right # tags. If it's an OC character in a pairing, don't use the reader tag (and vice versa). But do use the most popular pairing tags relevant to your story, fandom, character tags, genre, etc.

Tumblr currently allows you up to 30 tags that can be optimized/indexed by the site.

Anything after that is just to organize your blog and make things easier to find. I've seen a lot of brilliant writers/content creators miss out on getting eyes on their post because they're not using the more popular search tags.

(Tumblr helps you find some of them when you start typing in the tags section of a post.)

I also reorganized my masterlist so that the characters I write for are as easy as possible to find, what pairings I write for, and how people can keep reading if it contains multiple parts (including a link in the previous part, clearly labelling, including links to my other relevant masterlists within the fandom).

I include links everywhere: for my fic library side blog, for my masterlists, for sequels, other stories within the same storyverse, for my Ao3 account, for my Patreon, etc. I’ve worked in content marketing and editorial, so I've learned that navigation is key for the reader/user experience.

**Special Note on tag lists: Tumblr recently changed the rules (again). It seems that you can have up to 50 tagged users on a post, but they must be broken up into groups of 5 for the site to properly tag those users.

Example:

3. Engaging with people and replying to comments, reblogs, and asks. 💞

#1, this is just good fun. I LOVE engaging with people who read my work, and often I've become friends with people on here just by reaching out to one another to express our mutual love of fandom and/or each other's work.

At the ends of one-shots, drabbles, and series chapters, I try to engage with my readers by asking them specific questions about what they thought about the story. If they feel inclined, that may provoke them to answer in the comments or in the form of a reblog.

And when I reply to reblogs in particular, there's a reason I label them "reader appreciation." Because I genuinely do appreciate them! (And you. 😉)

Writers thrive on feedback, and I'm no exception. But also, it's just awesome to have that connection with my lovely readers. Many of them are now my friends. 🥰

Thank you for this question! I hope this helps.~

[ryuichirou]

Replies

More replies! About Rollo, some previous posts and Ortho being a popular boy.

maximumalmonduniversitysports asked:

About Rollo's plan, it came to me recently that if it succeeded, the whole world would be destabilized, since so many things run on magic. It would be a kind of end of the world situation. Not only that but Briar Valley and who knows where else might want to get revenge on Rollo for endangering their prince. What do you think?

Sounds about right; there is no way Rollo’s plan would just cleanly erase all the magic from the world without any drastic circumstances, considering just how much magic is being used in pretty much every field… The political consequences also would’ve been horrible: not only Rollo endangered Briar Valley’s prince (his main crime), but also the entirety of Briar Valley probably would’ve suffered the most if left magicless, since they don’t even have modern technology, if I remember correctly... And with a bunch of dead bodies, most likely, since they have creatures like fae.

Overall, even if Rollo’s plan succeeded in a very small capacity, it’s so problematic and disastrous on so many levels that the punishment for that would’ve been severe. Imagine Shaftlands authorities handing Rollo over to the Briar Valley as an apology for endangering Malleus on their land lol Doesn’t sound like a very nice fate… A fate that he won’t have to face because NRC boys didn’t snitch on him! Because they didn’t want the party to get cancelled oh my god these guys……..

To be honest, I don’t think Rollo has thought it through that far ahead. I’m sure he rationalised it in his head as if he is doing something very logical and cohesive, like there is a goal he would achieve, but in actuality taking revenge on magic users (and Malleus specifically as the ultimate magic user) and punishing them for existence was pretty much his actual goal. He didn’t care that he would hurt innocent people because he was too focused on fighting against his own feelings and his inner agony. Not unlike Frollo’s actions, now that I think about it lol

Anonymous asked:

I know that you haven’t watched the NBC event, I’ve only seen snippets myself but can I say that Scully REALLY reminds me of Nagito Komaeda and not just because of his white hair. I won’t elaborate more to avoid spoilers, I’ll just leave you with this tidbit.

Ohhh ANON this is a very valuable piece of information!! Nagito Komaeda vibes would be SUCH A NICE ADDITION!

Man I keep getting excited over the event and Scully……………

Anonymous asked:

Oo shota series? Are you gonna draw all the boys at younglings?

You noticed! Hehe well to be honest not really, it’s more or less a coincidence… We really wanted to finish up and post all of those sketches, and they ended up being grouped up like that.

Unfortunately, this little impromptu series ended with yesterday’s sketch :( At least for now. I would love to draw all of them like that at some point though 🤔

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

MALLEUS POOR BABY!

:C yesss. Abandonment issues baby~

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

I love the idea both Rook and Vil were each other's first kiss just based on their eyes like "Holy fucking shit...WHERE DID HE LEARN THAT-"

lol YES

They awakened things in each other that they didn’t even know about themselves…

Anonymous asked:

You made me sad too! 😭😭 But that’s okay, I’m all for ultra traumatic backstories. I’ll gladly scratch their ears all they want. And forfeit all my worldly possessions to them, as well.

(this is still about a Fellow and Gidel comic from ko-fi)

Ahhh, this is so sweet and kind of you :”3 And this is exactly what they deserve!

I support your decision and your feelings.

Anonymous asked:

do you think idia or vil would ever get into a situation where they have to fight over ortho's attention or time?

Oh Ortho would love that lol He would feel like such a protagonist of a harem anime! Such a lucky and popular little guy~

I can’t think of a situation in which it would’ve happened though, but I also wouldn’t say that it’s completely impossible. Vil does like to remind Ortho that he doesn’t need to always stay by Idia’s side, and while Idia doesn’t complain about Ortho talking to other people, I’m pretty sure he gets jealous sometimes. Also, both Vil and Idia could get kind of petty and surprisingly competitive… This is like the only social field in which Idia would compete against Vil-the-supermodel! He has an advantage: Ortho is his little brother!

Imagine Ortho giggling and teasing them for being childish.

[the-travelling-witch]

I’ll be closing anon asks for an indefinite amount of time.

First and foremost, it’s not because I’ve been receiving hate or anything, but because of a personal boundary of mine. There are some things that have been bugging me for a while, I just didn’t know how to bring them up without sounding really mean.

While I’m extremely happy people are excited to be on my blog and I know that that excitement can easily spill over into asks, I don’t have the energy to wake up to a bunch of all caps asks every day. Indoor voices, everyone. /lh

And, also, I hope that it can encourage people to take a minute to reflect on their asks. It has happened quite often recently, where I’ve received asks that could have been answered with a quick glance at my blog or one google search, and I have to say I’m not a person who likes repeating herself or stating something blatantly obvious.

Reading through your ask just once more can also help get your point across better. More than once has it happened where I stumbled over what someone is trying to tell me, be it because of typos or grammar or a rushed way of wording, which is really sad because it could help me communicate more effectively and more precisely with you. To be clear, I don’t expect perfect punctuation or C2 level of expression, just a smidge more consideration or a quick skim over your ask before pressing submit.

I’m well aware that I’ve been answering and therefore probably encouraging this type of communication but I felt I had to speak up about it at this point. So far, I’ve not done so because I did not want to be seen as ungrateful or petty but I’m afraid of potentially letting these feelings affect my answers to the point where they are needlessly court or petty.

There are still some anon asks in my inbox right now, which I might answer. So don’t be confused when you see me answering those after this post.

I hope you can understand where I’m coming from and know that I really do not try to be mean. Going forward, however, I would like to nurture a relationship I feel comfortable engaging in, even if it means fewer but therefore unhurried asks.

Take care and feel free to drop by my inbox, just not on anon this time around <3

[my-castles-crumbling]

HELLOOOO!!!!

Sorry I’m excited.. I think haha

This is Impressive anon, and I think this one might be a bit of a long one.

12 months it has taken me. 12 months!

Last August I was suffering with the worst dysphoria/dymorphia. I hated my body completely and fell into a deep depression that I couldn’t get out of. I hated my chest, I hated my belly, I hated being perceived as a girl, I hated everything about me, physically.

I spent a whole year learning about all the different gender identities, trying to fit myself into a label. I wanted to be seen as anything other than a girl or a boy and anything around that made me feel sick.

Recently, I have learned so so much about how people express their gender identities. Trans men can wear dresses/skirts, non-binary people DO NOT need to look a certain way, etc. I thought that being a girl was being feminine — but I can be non-binary and still feminine. I’ve recently discovered that I am a Demi-girl. That term used to cause me lots of dysphoria bc it has the world girl in it but you know what, I am a girl, well somewhat. I relate to the girl world so much and as much as I hated to admit that a few months ago, it’s true. I am a girl, but also not. I’m also just a person. Now that I am comfortable in my gender identity, I’m going to start dressing feminine again bc I tried to be more masc pressing but it just wasn’t me. I’m gonna wear what I want to wear without thinking of how I will be perceived.

Also, just now, like literally right this minute. I wrote my preferred pronouns for the first time on a sign in sheet for my class (she/they). I’m literally shaking. I am so excited but nervous and ahhh!

I think I’m going to come out to a few of my closest friends. I think I’m ready! Ahhh sorry I’m kind of excited. But scareddd and just every emotion 😭😭

One more thing, I want to thank you so so much for everything! You have helped me get to where I am today and that will never go unnoticed. I think you are the most amazing human ever and hope that the world treats you so kindly.

I’ll probably be back to rant about other things but for now goodbye and thank you again so much 🫶🏼

Hi hon!

I am so happy for you and I'm so proud of how far you've come. These are such huge steps and such big realizations <3 I'm here if you ever need to talk again.