#Well at least I still have all month too so...

[monzterpup]

SUGAR, SPICE, AND EVERYTHING

NICE! . . . E.W

summary; baking lessons with ellie get messy!

pairing; baker!ellie x fem!reader

cw; very slight usage of y/n! (i'm sorry). food play. dom!ellie. top!ellie. oral!r (receiving). fingering!r (receiving). mdni.

w/c; 1.4k

a/n; hi cuties! this is kinda uhh horrible! i made this in literally one day bc i wanted to post something for u guys so bad. writers block has been a bitch lately! sorry this isn't dark content and kind of boring :( i promise some is coming soon! this is also a little short so sorry about that too. lowkey expecting this to flop buttt i hope u enjoy it anyways lovelies <3 (not proofread, i apologize if there are any mistakes. eventually, i will go back and edit it but rn i can’t be bothered lol.)

you didn't have a clue about baking. and, this was a real disadvantage to you since one of your friends was having a small get together where all of you were going to bake cupcakes, brownies, cookies, whatever sweets you could think of.

your friends did these every month and you were tired of missing out; miserably tapping through each one of their instagram stories while you sat at home in bed, rotting.

so, you did what any other reasonable person would've done, and you scheduled yourself a baking lesson. just a one on one with you and... and ellie.

ellie was a baker that you found through instagram, who just so happened to live merely 15 minutes away from you.

y/n_l/n: hey! just saw one of your vids, you do lessons right? i was wondering, if we live somewhat close, you could give me one? my friends are having a small bake day this saturday, so it would have to be before then. no pressure, thank you!

after a while of scrolling through your page and, well, maybe getting a little turned on by some of your very-obvious, attention seeking bikini posts-- at least, to her-- she decided that she was going to give you a lesson for free.

ellie.w.bakes: sorry for getting back to you so late. i would love to! thursday, 12:30 sound alright to you? here's my address if you're still interested. [1 attachment: ellie.w.bakes location]

y/n_l/n: yup! i'll be there. also, looks like we only live about 15 minutes away from each other. haha, that worked out. thank you so much!

and you were there; there sitting in your car, 15 minutes early, parked in front of ellie's house, trying to calm yourself down before the lesson. god, why was this making you so nervous all of a sudden? maybe it was the thought of her in an apron, with her hair pulled back, hands kneading the soft, floury dough-- okay, this was getting out of hand.

as you— finally— made your way up to ellie's front door, the spring air delved around your not-so-calm body, but the delicate breeze did help your sweating a little bit.

you knocked on the door, which was painted a nice, light cream color, complimenting the rest of her home.

when ellie opened the door, you froze. she looked exactly how you pictured her. in an apron, hair pulled back... just hot.

you don't know why you froze. it was like you weren't expecting her to actually answer or something. even though you booked this class three days ahead of time.

"y'alright there, angel face? looks like y've seen a ghost. come on in, i promise i don't bite." ellie's words were laced with a crooked grin and a smug tone. they snapped you out of your embarrassingly obvious staring and back into reality.

"right, yes. thank you."

as you made your way through ellie's home, you took note of the the strong vanilla scent, probably coming from the kitchen, which attacked your nostrils immediately. not in a bad way, it wasn't a bad smell. it was just a lot.

ellie's eyes drank your form in as you walked in front of her. one thing she noticed, you definitely didn't edit those instagram posts she was stalking. every single part of your body, head to toe, looked like it was sculpted by the gods themselves.

once the two of you made it to the kitchen, ellie sweetly took your purse and coat, hanging them up on a nearby shelf. what a gentlewoman.

your smile was almost as sweet as the cupcakes you were about to make, and ellie couldn't get enough of it. every time you flashed your pearly whites at her, she swore she almost fainted.

and every time ellie's skilled, slim fiingers sunk into the buttery dough to knead it deftly had you biting your lip. this lesson wasn't going well at all. how were you supposed to learn a thing when you were so pathetically distracted by her hands?

maybe it was just you. maybe you were the perverted one for thinking all of this. no, no. she was definitely trying to shove it in your face.

after you finished the lesson and grabbed your purse, you walked over to ellie to thank her and ask how much it was going to cost.

"so, how much will this be? i could venmo, or i have cash--"

ellie cut you off, "don't you worry ‘bout that, sweetie pie. beginner lessons are always free." psh, no they're not.

you gave her a confused tilt of your head. surely that wasn't true. "a-are you sure? it's really no problem, i could just pay you and get it over with."

"i'm serious. plus, i was thinking you could repay me in a different way. i was a pretty swell teacher, wasn't i?"

and this was exactly how you ended up naked, panties down to your ankles, heels kicked off to somewhere else in the kitchen, and whipped cream covering both of your nipples.

ellie’s hungry mouth latched onto one of your cream covered nipples and slurped up every drop of whipped cream like her life depended on it.

your manicured nails dug into the back of her head, forcing her mouth down onto your boob as she sucked and licked all over it.

“ellie, please,” your needy bitching and whining finally reached ellie’s lust filled ears.

“mm?” she hummed in curiosity while lifting her head up. “what is it, doll?”

you huffed in frustration. “y-your fingers. please. fingers, mouth… anything.”

“good girl, telling me what she wants.” ellie reached over on the counter to grab some strawberries that you had just used to bake, then placed them in a neat line leading down to your dripping pussy, which was currently clenching around nothing. cute.

the final cold strawberry was placed on your cunt and you let out a little gasp. it had been ages since someone treated you this good, with so much patience and delicacy.

ellie made intense eye contact with you as she ate her way down to your pussy, her green eyes glaring up into yours with so much hunger, she almost didn’t look like a human, just a starved beast.

when ellie’s tongue reached the final strawberry that was so perfectly placed on top of your aching clit, she took a tiny bite out of it first, then pressed it down with her teeth, the pressure making your clit twitch and throb even more than it already was.

“prettiest pussy i ever seen in m’life. looks so delicious,” and ellie took that seriously. because when she started eating you out, it was like your brain short circuited. she wasn’t afraid to get messy at all. she really treated your cunt like it was the best meal she had ever tasted in her life.

you arched your back up and lifted your hips off of the counter only to buck them towards ellie’s mouth, needing more. “f-fuck, ellie!” strangled moans strung from your throat and echoed throughout the whole kitchen.

ellie kept one thumb rubbing at your clit while she detached her juice covered mouth from your pussy to instead shove two fingers inside of your sopping hole.

“sucking me in so, so good, baby. you got it…” she praised and whispered sweetly as if she didn’t just force two long fingers into your guts.

“ah!” you hissed sharply. the bone and skin of ellie’s fingers stuffed you up just the right amount, not too much, not too little. and she was right, your pussy swallowed up her fingers up fast.

ellie started erratically pumping her digits in and out of your tight, little hole, leaving you rolling your eyes into the back of your head and trying to hump her hand.

“shit, shit, shit! els, g-g’nna cum!”

she gently grabbed your spazzing hips and relaxed them a little. “yeah, that’s good, that’s good. let me see that sweet pussy cum. give it to me, baby.”

and you did. your cum came gushing out of your pussy in hot floods, completely coating and drenching ellie’s wrist in your liquid.

“shit, there you go. look at that.” ellie slowed her fingers down, letting you ride out your orgasm and making sure to milk you dry before finally pulling out.

ellie brought her fingers up to her (already) dripping mouth and licked her fingers clean of your sweet, sweet cum, followed up by a:

“tastes just like vanilla frosting. can y’give me another one before you gotta go, babe?”

[hissweetdarling]

Here me out...here me out (first of all if what I'm going to write here is hurting you in any way please, don't hesitate to tell me and I'll make a separate post and tag your art instead, sorry in advance I normally don't do this but I got hit by the inspiration from your art so suddenly)

Warnings : angst, comfort ,they eventually cuddle naked and there are small gentle touches between him and the female!reader,there will be a few pet names

Word count: I'm not even counting, it's not very long though

This puppy Tony...this sad puppy Tony...who came back home absolutely destroyed why? He doesn't know how to put in words either...maybe it is stress but no he's quite used to stress isn't he?Maybe it is the team? But no because the last mission went pretty well. Maybe it was the last party he attended? Not sure about that either, you looked absolutely stunning and he couldn't take his eyes off you.

So what is it? Does he even have a true reason to be sad? He just stares at you partially lost and sad , attempting to lift the corner of his lips for a smile but fails miserably when you gently ask "Tony are you alright?"

He doesn't even move from his spot when you ask , he struggles to try to come up with a sassy happy reply but nothing comes to his head and it's worse because he doesn't want to show you this absolutely broken side of him. Not when you've made him so happy in the past few months since you officially became a couple and he can call you his anytime.

"Tony?" The way he hears his voice so close and like an echo, lightly trembling when you gently take his hand in yours.

"I'm...I'm..." He wants to say at least that he's fine , that you don't have to worry about him but it's not like as if any part of him could listen but why is that? And why he didn't notice you were in a similar state the same day but handling way better.

He wanted to apologise when you gently dragged him in your shared bedroom after explaining to his AI that Tony is not going anywhere for the rest of the night.

"Some skin on skin warmth will do us good..." Your voice a soft murmur while he allows you to undress him and then undress yourself.

You're such a gorgeous goddess in from of him and he can't even do more than stare at you , the overwhelming feelings still don't allow him to compliment you at least.

"Yeah..." He murmurs at least when you both lay in bed together and pull the covers. His hands tenderly yet partially absent traces your spine.(Like in the gif)

"Honey..." He whispered after a while , his dove eyes staring at you and the way you silently kept him company in a moment he thought you'd leave.

Your warmth combined with his , his touch which became more careful, more gentle and his breathing getting more even were the first signs the 'therapy of being there' worked.

"Hmm?" He heard your little enquiry, your eyes fluttered open when he called you by one of these pet names he came up with.

"Thank you... I don't know, what happened...I just suddenly got hit by this wave of sadness..." He explained, his gentle fingers laying lightly on your shoulder then traced your arm too.

"Yeah... I have one of these days too... it's useless to question it. It will send you in a spiral of 'I shouldn't feel sad for this or this or this'...so just let it be and enjoy the company"

He chuckled lightly "You have a point... thank you , darlin'...thank you for staying by my side even in moments like this." His fingers gently began tracing your cheek and jawline.

"You'd do the same for me..." The way you turned around and kissed his palm softly made his heart skip a beat.

"Oh honey..." He murmured appreciatively and gently kept tracing your body in silence for a while, beginning to think how lucky he is to have someone like you in his life.

As he slowly came back to his usual self, he smirked and pulled you closer in his warm embrace and whispered "Yeah I do the same for you when you're sad princess and spoil you even more. " His hand began gently tracing your spine again.

Eventually he closed his eyes and began drifting off to sleep with his precious girlfriend in his arms which he loved completely and with this little unwanted sad event he began loving and appreciating her even more.

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh T_T

[wondoras]

hii, could you write the hyung line giving riki and his girlfriend THE talk?? 🤍 it doesn't have to be explicit, it can also be a funny situation

THE TALK

SYNOPSIS: after getting caught in an embarrassing position, you and niki receive “the talk” from the older members. or, well, at least they tried.

PAIRING: nishimura niki x fem!reader

GENRE: suggestive, crack (??)

WC: 1k (1068)

TW: make out session, a few moans and groans, suggestive, bad English, not proofread, bad ending (because idk how to end things), my extremely bad attempt at something funny (i tried my best) (i don’t know what to put here #help)

author's note: this is my first ever fanfic in English, so i'm apologizing in advance for the mistakes that may be scattered throughout the story, but i also want to thank you for giving me this chance! i'm open to constructive criticism on what i can improve in my writing or what i should tone down a bit. thank you again for this opportunity and sorry for the delay in delivering the request <3

Kissing Niki was always one of the best parts of your day, especially when he looked so pretty with his hair undone, breathless, plump lips all red and swollen and eyes hooded with desire, looking at you like you’re the only goddess he would ever worship in all of his future lives.

You and Niki were dating for a few months and up until now you didn't do much besides kissing and making out, but every time his hands would start roaming your body, you really wished he could take the initiative and take the relationship to another stage.

"So pretty..." he whispered softly against your lips, slowly caressing his fingers on your neck, almost reverently. "I'm so lucky to be your boyfriend."

Placing your face in his neck to hide your shyness, you began to leave soft kisses on his skin, making shivers run through his body. With a groan, he squeezed your waist, pulling you closer in his lap, making you feel the bulge starting to form in his pants. Lifting your head from where it was nested in his neck, your eyes found his, questioning if he wanted to take the next step. You two were alone in the dorm, the others were at the studio and probably would take a long time to come back, so you had time.

Without thinking twice, he claimed your lips with his, kissing you like his life depended on it, sliding his hands from your waist to your hips, squeezing hard and moving your hips gently against his, and the friction created drew soft moans from your mouth, that he gladly took for himself. Bringing your hands to the hem of his shirt, you broke the kiss momentarily so he could take the shirt off, throwing it somewhere in the room. Breathing heavily, you looked at his body, admiring his beauty while slowly caressing his naked torso, enjoying his reactions to the feeling of your fingers on his skin.

You were so engrossed in the moment, that you didn't hear the front door open or the other members' voices ringing through the dorm until it was too late.

“Hey! We brought ramyeon…” Heeseung’s voice rang through the room, startling you and Niki, who quickly covered his body with the sheet while you tried not to die out of embarrassment for not having heard when the boys arrived.

“Hyung!” Niki exclaimed, widening his eyes towards the hallway, signaling him to leave.

Heeseung left the room still in shock, trying to understand what he had seen. He knew Niki wasn’t the same kid from I-Land anymore, but he still saw him like that kid, and seeing him and his girlfriend doing whatever that was, it was the wake up call he needed. Walking blindly to the living room, his distraught face alerted everyone that something had happened, and Sunghoon’s arched eyebrows indicated everyone’s clear curiosity to know what happened.

“What? What happened? Where are they?” Sunoo asked after helping Jay and Jungwon organize the table.

“I think it’s time we have that talk with Niki.” It was the only thing Heeseung said, looking from Jay to Jake and then Jungwon, who slowly widened his eyes when he realized what Heeseung was talking about.

“Oh shit…” Jay whispered surprisedly, while Jake and Sunghoon tried not to laugh.

In Niki’s room, you two were trying not to die of embarrassment while holding back the laughter that wanted to come out. Looking at him through your fingers, you saw how red he was and you had to count to 10 to not burst out laughing.

“You know that they won’t let us live it down, right?” He asked softly, putting on his shirt and avoiding looking at you.

“I know” you whined, feeling even more embarrassed.

After a few minutes of silence, a knock was heard at the door and soon a voice was heard against it.

“Hmm... can you guys come to the living room real quick?” The voice, which you suspected to be Sunoo, asked hesitantly.

Looking at each other, you and Niki went pale, wondering what they wanted to talk about that was so important at that moment.

“... Sure…” You answered, listening to Sunoo’s feet moving away from the door.

Getting out of bed, you left the room slowly, wanting to drag out this moment as long as possible. In the living room, the six boys were spread out across the couch and the floor, busy staring into space. When they heard the sound of your footsteps, they raised their heads, and having their attention on you made you want to hide from everyone forever even more.

“Hey…” you whispered shyly, sitting next to Niki on the remaining sofa.

“We called you here because we think it's time to have the talk.” Jungwon started, signaling to Jay to continue.

“So, you're at the age where you start doing... this, but we want to make sure you know how to use protection.”

You've never wanted the ground to open up and swallow you as much as you do now, and you're sure the same goes for Niki. Looking from Jay's uncomfortable face to Jungwon and Sunoo looking blankly at the table and Heeseung, Sunghoon and Jake trying not to laugh, you decided to stay a few days without setting foot in the dorm.

“Hyung...” Niki whined, asking Jungwon with his eyes to make the older one stop, receiving only a shrug in response.

“It's important that we talk about this, Niki.” Jay argued. “We don't want any surprises nine months from now.”

That was enough for the trio to stop holding back and burst out laughing, hitting each other as they laughed, while you just wanted to disappear. Niki gave a side eye to his hyungs, planning how he would get revenge on them for this.

Slowly stopping laughing, the trio looked at Niki and Sunghoon gave the youngest a mischievous smile, pointing to something in the corner of his mouth.

“New lip gloss, Niki?”

Without hesitation, Niki threw a pillow at the boys, which soon turned into a pillow fight, with you and Sunoo trying to defend yourselves from the pillows that were heading your way.

“You better sleep with one eye open today, Sunghoon hyung!” Niki roared from behind the couch, winking at you seductively, making clear to you his plan to distract the other six boys from the conversation.

⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀© wondoras

[hannahssimblr]

Back home, the cats emerge from their shadowed pockets as I haul my bicycle into the building. My new friends, two stray cats I’ve named Main Street and Ten Feet Behind—on account of the fact that one is always wandering the main street, and the other is always like ten feet behind her, just kind of watching. I give them food, usually, just bits from my breakfast, or the leftovers of some half-eaten ham sandwich inside my pocket, but today I'm empty handed. Bringing nothing home from the café today but a scald. 

My hand’s red now, like a boiled lobster, feeling every tiny crease and movement of my skin in a way that makes me oddly nostalgic for summer. For a sunburn across a nose, stinging when you wrinkle it. Leave the bike by the stairs and head up. A new apartment. Still getting used to it. Different tile on the stairs and a new echo in the foyer. 

We left Kreuzberg last month on account of the expense and hauled ourselves all the way to Neukolln. Almost an hour to cycle to college from here, and not much faster on the train. I cycle everywhere anyway. It’s free, and the fresh air does me good. At least that’s what I tell myself, so I feel better about it. 

“I am happy to move,” Jonas said as we packed up our things. “I never liked living among all the landlady’s items. Now we can have our own space.” And we do, and it’s smaller with lower ceilings and thinner walls, and we have very little to fill it. For weeks we’ve been using pillows in place of a couch. Both of us, sitting there with sore backs on the floor of a near empty room to watch the ultra HD TV I bought last year for six hundred quid. It seems to encapsulate my month perfectly. 

Today, Dalia is here. Those are her boots outside the door. We now live closer to her than any of our other friends, much to her delight. “Nobody ever visited me out here,” she said, bringing over a home cooked meal for us before we had set our kitchen up. “I’m genuinely so glad to have someone to visit in the area.”

And visit she does, every couple of days now, hanging around, eating Chinese food on the floor with us, bare feet stretched out on the floorboards. Ranting about politics. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan and whatever, filling the empty apartment with her loud, American voice. A racket that brings specific comfort. A safety about it. My cousins in Albuquerque chatting in the kitchen, voices ricocheting off the Spanish tiles. 

“...equal pay for equal work,” she’s saying now. Audible from the door. In the living area, Jonas is on the floor with her, back against the kitchen counter, nodding intently so she knows he's feminist, too. 

“Jesus Christ, your hand.” Dalia stares in alarm. “What happened to you?”

I hold it up like a dead fish. “Boiled it.”

“And they let you come home like that?”

“Kind of.”

She’s up then, and I’m trailing her into the bathroom. She’s rifling through a cabinet. “They’re fucking assholes,” she bites out. “This is the second time you’ve been burned, huh?”

“Yep.”

She mutters expletives under her breath, and moments later, produces gauze and bandages.

“All that?” I say. 

“Does it hurt as bad as it looks?”

“Well, it hurts.”

“Then sit down out there and I’ll help you out.”

Back in the kitchen, I get onto the floor with Jonas while she works on me. Taking my hand. A shock of cold as she applies a burn gel to tender skin. Gauze. So gentle. I feel like a baby. 

“Fuck that shithole job,” she says. “You could sue them for this.”

“It’s alright, I quit.”

“Good. You gave your notice?”

“Nah. I just left.”

Jonas, then. “You left? You mean you walked away?”

“Yeah. I threw my apron off and headed out.”

“Hm,” he says, a frown appearing. 

“What?”

“Well, it is not exactly best practice. You are supposed to give notice. Give them time to find a replacement.”

I scoff, turning my bandaged wrist in my hand. “Or what?”

My question appears to confuse him. “Well, this is the rule.”

Let my eyes slide back to Dalia. The queen of emotive outrage. Anti-establishment this, communism that, and whatever, but she’s nodding along solemnly. “Yeah, honestly, it looks pretty bad. You shouldn’t have done that.”

I scoff and remind them both I am a grown man with free will, but their faces remain grim.

“Eventually you’re gonna need a reference,” Dalia points out. “Your resume will have all these places you worked at, but nobody to vouch for you. It looks sketchy.”

“Right, well, doing it once is okay.”

Nobody says anything, so I pretend I’m correct. Hate being wrong, but hate too, that uncomfortable sense everyone is afraid to oppose me. They’re confusing. Agreeing it was a shithole job a minute ago, now saying that leaving without giving notice was unfair. They’re ganging up on me, really. That’s what they’re doing now. And when I have a burned hand and all. Dalia sees my face and changes the subject. 

“I heard you’re taking Astrid to the cinema this week.”

Ah, yes, the cinema. The peak of our week lately. It takes me almost two hours to earn the twelve euro our tickets cost, so I make her buy her own snacks. It pisses her off enough that she doesn’t share the popcorn with me, even though I ask. A couple weeks ago, I ate a kernel that fell into the crease between the armrest and my seat, and didn’t even regret it. 

“Yeah. The film with Brad Pitt in it.”

“So fun.”

I shift restlessly. A sudden resentment for all of it. Irritation comes like this these days, in bursts, spurred by exhaustion, all the micro moments of the day culminating into my ultimate swirling fury at the state of my life. When I bite my tongue with a rude customer, the noise a metal chair makes when I bump into it, wet jeans after cycling in the rain. Pissed off now about the cinema, that infernal croissant woman at the café, and the way I have to sit on the floor in my own apartment because we haven’t bought a fucking couch yet. Rage quick and hot. Yeah. So fun. The cinema. Cycling there for like an hour, then sitting for two in complete silence. Going back to hers, then, always hers, where she makes me take off my trousers before sitting on her bed because they’re touched public seating, or whatever, and there’s never anything to eat for breakfast. 

“Does she ever visit you out here?” I say, hearing the edge in my voice. “Astrid, like.”

Dalia laughs dryly. “She doesn’t come to Neukolln. Every single time I’ve seen her in the last two years, it’s been in the city, or at her place. She won’t come the whole way out here.”

“Wow. Yeah. That’s what I thought. That’s really nice.”

A thin smile. “Yeah, well, you know how it is.”

I shrug my shoulders. Thinking of her the other week after college when I asked her back with me. “Are you ever going to see my new apartment?” I said, and she just laughed. “Maybe when I have time.” Knowing on a deep level she wouldn’t actually make it. This is just admitting it aloud. Confirmation of a quiet fear. “Thought she might come for me, is all.”

“She might.” I can tell she's trying her best to sound hopeful. “Stranger things have happened.”

“Right.” I’ve had enough. I get up and trudge towards my room, Jonas calling out to me as I go. “We are thinking we will go to the bar later with Elias if you’d like to come.”

I look around at them, huddled there on the kitchen floor with those uncomfortable looks upon their faces, grimaces, almost. Hoping I’ll turn them down. Nobody wants this energy at the bar. “No. I’m going to lie on my bed.” I mutter, and kick the door behind me. 

Beginning // Prev // Next

[wellamarke]

11 across: Give one’s word, pledge (7)

for @cabinpressurechallenge Carolyn Month of May 2022 because time is fake and nothing is real except my feelings about these characters ok <3

Also on AO3

“Do you promise?”

Carolyn looks up from her accounts book, having already assumed Arthur had left the car. “I’m sorry?”

“You said… that whatever happened…”

She rewinds the conversation in her head. Oh, goodness. “Whatever happens, Arthur, I will be proud of you. For trying.” He’s still waiting, so she adds, trying not to sigh with it, “I promise.”

He nods. “Okay. Thanks, Mum.”

He still isn’t moving. Carolyn gives a significant nod in the direction of the building they’ve parked outside. “Well, go on then.”

She is not usually the type to offer reassurance and he isn’t usually the type to need it so openly, so sorely. On special occasions, though:

“You’ll be fine, Arthur. It’s only an interview. You’ve prepared really well — you can do this.”

He leans over to give her as much of a hug as is possible, sideways, in the front of a car, with Carolyn not particularly turning to receive it. She just about manages to join in before he’s pulling back and saying, “Thanks, Mum,” again, and this time, mercifully, he does actually get out of the car.

Despite herself, and despite the paperwork on her lap, Carolyn watches him all the way to the door, and even stays looking when it closes.

She had gone back and forth on this birthday present. Gordon had told her it was a ridiculous idea and that had played more of a part in her decision than she would like to admit. She couldn’t bear to hear him sneer — not about Arthur. She was first to admit that their son’s strengths were not the usual ones prized in the aviation industry — or in any ‘industry’ she was aware of, to be fair — but Gordon’s refusal to even think that he could succeed in anything infuriated her. So, she had phoned up Oxford Aviation Academy and booked the interview, ready to tell Arthur the date of it on his seventeenth birthday. And Gordon would see.

What, precisely, Gordon will see, she isn’t quite sure. There’s every chance she’s just created a worse situation — in the (sadly, rather likely) event that the Academy don’t take Arthur on, Gordon will gloat about it forever, or at least until Carolyn finally strangles him with a pillow.

But ultimately it’s not about Gordon, of course. It’s about Arthur actually trying for something, letting it play out, not just assuming that he’s incapable of even the first steps just because he’s, as Gordon puts it on a good day, a flaming galah.

Arthur quite likes the name, to be fair. He’s got a book on Australian birds and he was delighted to find that the galah is so pleasantly coloured and “fun-looking”. There’s even a little fact box that says, “Despite its name being used as an insult, the galah is a very intelligent bird!”, for which Carolyn could kiss writer Steve Parish, whose name she only remembers for this reason.

In any case. What happens inside the interview room is out of her hands now. They’ve done loads of practice runs, and one or two times — including this morning’s — she actually thinks he distinguished himself. A handful more were acceptable; some would have depended on a very kindly interview panel filling in the gaps, but would probably have been alright if they were having a dry year for intake, and the rest were… not hopeless, exactly, just… a little too ‘Arthur’ for the world outside their house.

Still. It’s not a foregone conclusion, by any means. She may yet have a pilot for a son.

Which she would value because it’s valuable to Arthur, not because it’s an easier thing to say to acquaintances than “Arthur… is still thinking about what he wants to do.”

Hmmm.

In any case. Back to the accounts book. Gordon’s expenses are curious this month. A three-digit sum she can’t seem to account for. He must have forgotten to give her a receipt or two. Well, the argument they’ll have about that sounds like it will be a lovely distraction from discussing Arthur’s interview this evening.

Arthur’s interview — how long has he been in there? She checks her watch. Barely five minutes. Goodness, she’s as bad as him.

By force of will, she keeps her mind on the accounts until they’re as balanced as they can be, without Gordon there to explain himself. Then she brings out her calendar and cross-checks the next fortnight’s worth of bookings. Nothing particularly interesting. If Arthur does end up taking his CPL, they might have a bit more leeway with longer flights, and not always rely on Gordon’s pal Tommo, who’s exactly as irritating as his name advertises. That’s a long way off, of course, but interesting to think about. She dares to imagine her husband and son actually bonding in the flight deck, Gordon finally seeing Arthur as an asset, a protogé, anything other than an accident of fate that happened to carry half his genes.

She congratulates herself on having taken almost twenty minutes to return to the subject of Arthur’s interview. He mightn’t be long now. She takes out her crossword puzzle book from her bag and flips to one she’s nearly finished.

11 across. Give one’s word, pledge. 7 letters.

Promise, she writes in the boxes, and rolls her eyes upon realising she’s now going to think about the last time she heard that word. Arthur, twenty-five minutes ago. Making her promise to be proud whatever happened.

It’s funny, because a lot of the time he can be quite perceptive, for all his bumbling, but he’s never really understood this simple fact about his mother: she is proud every time he breathes. Not because he lives up to all expectations but because he doesn’t.

Living with Gordon Shappey is trial enough. The idea of living with Gordon Shappey and a Gordon Shappey in training is unthinkable.

She returns to the crossword. By the time she turns the page to finish another almost-completed puzzle, it’s been thirty-one minutes and there is a figure standing in the open doorway of the Aviation Academy. All dressed up in his blazer and tie and… for some reason, not walking to the car.

She waves. He waves back. Then all of a sudden he’s hurtling towards her. She feels the vehicle shake a little as he all but leaps inside.

“Well then? How did it go?” she asks, unsure what the hesitance followed by the speed is supposed to be leading her to.

“It was — alright,” says Arthur, uncharacteristically careful with his words. “Although I don’t think I realised there would be loads of other people there.”

“Well, they took you into a room for your own interview, didn’t they?”

“That’s — yes, that’s what they were doing. We were all sitting in the hall and then the lady would come out and call someone’s name.”

“I see. And so what happened when she called your name?”

A silence. Carolyn feels a twinge of dread. Arthur is a terrible liar, always has been — and she’s not ungrateful for it. It does, however, mean she needs to put him out of his misery.

“Arthur,” she says. “You remember our conversation before? Whatever happens, I’m just proud that you went to the interview.”

To her horror, he buries his face in his hands.

“Arthur—oh, Arthur, don’t. Look, it doesn’t matter. Whatever they said in there — or didn’t say — there are plenty of other things you can do, other than being a pilot. Plenty. You could… you could help me with the passengers. Properly, not just on school holidays. We’ll train you up as a steward. You can have a uniform. A hat, even.”

She sighs.

“Arthur. Light of my life. I did mean it, you know. I am proud, still.”

His voice is small and quiet and full of shame.

“I didn’t go in to do the interview.”

“What?”

“So you can’t be proud. I didn’t go in.”

“But I— I saw you go inside.”

“Yes.” Finally he takes his hands away from his face, becomes easier to understand, if more difficult to look at, eyes rimmed red. “I went into the hall. But I… all the other people there… they looked like pilots already, Mum. Or… going-to-be-pilots. They looked like… like they knew what they were doing. And I realised that I just didn’t know at all what I was doing there. I can’t be a pilot. I can’t do it.”

“Oh, Arthur.”

“I’m sorry, Mum. I wasted your money. And my birthday present. Next year I don’t need anything.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Arthur. For one thing, your next birthday is eighteen, which is the important one. But never mind about that. You can’t really think I mind about the money? Not with you… being like this.”

“Money’s important, though.”

Not nearly as important as you, Carolyn thinks. Then, though it isn’t easy, says it out loud.

He drops his head onto her shoulder in response. Then:

“I should have just… gone in. Had a go. Now I’ll never know how it would have gone.”

“There’s no upper age limit, dear heart. I can book another.”

“No, don’t, Mum. I don’t think… I don’t think I can. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Do you know, Arthur, in a way this makes me prouder than ever.”

“You don’t have to fib to make me stop crying. I’ve stopped. It’s fine.”

“I’m not fibbing, so kindly don’t accuse me of such a thing. I am proud. Sometimes just walking out of a situation is the bravest thing of all.”

She deliberately does not look at her wedding ring. For good measure, she hides the hand that bears it on the other side of Arthur, so it’s truly out of sight. As a happy side effect, her arm is now around him. What a paragon of motherhood she is.

“Do we have to tell Dad?”

“No. I shouldn’t think he’s even remembered it’s today.” This morning, she’d been furious that he left without so much as a word of encouragement. Now, she’s rather pleased that Gordon’s self-absorption plays into their hands. “And if he does, we can honestly say the interview didn’t take place today.”

“What if he asks — when it is?”

“I’ll handle your father, Arthur. Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay.”

“Now — home, or… I couldn’t help but notice that we passed a crazy golf course on our way here…”

“Oh! Can we go to it?”

“I think that might be acceptable.”

“Brilliant!”

There he is. She can finally breathe properly again.

[rendiamberspirit]

Arranged marriage / omega verse AU

Butsuma is dead, leaving Hashirama as the clan head and Tajima has stepped down after a serious injury he sustained the that last battle with Butsuma.

Now that Hashirama and Madara are clan heads they decide to pursue peace.

When peace is agreed upon the Uchiha demand a marriage to prove the Senju 's commitment.

As an omega of the main line Tobirama is the obvious candidate.

The Uchiha decide that is acceptable and a marriage happens between Tobirama and Madara (an alpha).

Things are going well they have been married for 6 months and Tobirama is already expecting.

It's Izuna's 19th birthday and there is a big party to celebrate with extended family, friends, and the elders.

Tobirama ends up admits his is only 9 days later.

Madara asks him if he is turning 19 or 20? He wasn't sure how old Tobirama actually was.

Tobirama gives him a weird look and says no, I'm turning 17.

Absolute silence descends. No one is speaking and everyone is staring at Tobirama in horror.

But none more so than Madara who looks like he might throw up.

Izuna says he must surely be joking. They joined the battlefield at the same time! They have to be closer in age.

Tobirama's just tilts his head and says his father had him joining the battlefield when he was 7. He was actually more surprised to hear Izuna was that much older than him. He too assumed they were the same ago.

Tajima, his face red with rage, asks how could his brother sell him if in a marriage when he is still a minor. That's beyond fucked up.

Tobirama defends his brother saying that Hashirama was the only thing that had stopped him from being married off when he was 15, he was grateful for the extra year of being a shinobi.

Everyone looks even more shocked and outraged. 15?!? That's beyond messed up.

Tobirama says it's a common practice. His mother had been married to his father on her 15th birthday.

Tajima swears and also how old his father was, to which Tobirama respond with her was 21. He like all the clan alphas had to prove they could survive long enough to be gifted an omega wife.

Tajima spits and says if he had known he would have tried harder to kill his father.

Tobirama is completely confused as to why everyone is looking so shocked and angry. How old are the Uchiha when they marry?

One of the elders inform him that they do not let anyone, alpha, beta or omega Mary before they are 18.

Tobirama is confused. How do they keep their numbers up waiting so long for children?

Then he is even more shocked to hear some couples even wait a couple of years before having children. Tobirama tells them that in his clan omegas are expected to have a minimum of 3 children in the first 5 years.

Izuna gags and asks what if one of the omegas doesn't want to have 3 kids or doesn't feel ready for them when they marry.

Tobirama simply says it's not for them to decide. That decision rests with their alpha.

He hears someone in the back actually puke.

Madara, pale as a ghost, asks him if he had actually wanted to have a baby right away or if he had wanted to wait?

And his response breaks the Uchiha's hearts.

Did I have a choice? Tobirama asks.

Making it clear to all of them that no, he hadn't wanted a baby. Or at least not yet

Madara looks close to tears.

Tajima is livid.

Izuna looks horrified.

Tajima declares that they will never have a joint village. He will not risk his clan being subjected to such barbaric practices.

Tobirama is now horrified. He never should have mentioned his birthday. He was shocked the Uchiha clan was so different. Both he and Hashirama had assumed they were the same.

Tobirama asks why? He tells Tajima that if it's such a big deal his brother will change tradition in the interest of peace and a joint village. The safety of children in all the clans of fire was his priority.

Tajima, the elders and Madara agree they will discuss it at another time and that they will request more information from Hashirama as well.

The party is pretty much ruined at this point, thankfully Tobirama's comment came toward the end of it.

The head family all head to their joint home silently. Madara is having trouble even looking at Tobirama.

He asks Madara if he is angry with him.

Madara explains that no, he is angry on his behalf. And that from now on he will do the right thing and remain away until Tobirama is 18 and has had time to decide what he wants.

Tobirama is horrified, he has come to really like his husband, and he doesn't want to go to an empty nest alone. Why was Madara abandoning him? He was sorry he said anything.

Madara tries to explain it's not right, but all Tobirama is hearing is rejection.

Tajima intervenes and tells Madara they are already mates. He needs to continue to be a good and attentive mate. Just because they had different cultural beliefs and that it felt wrong didn't mean he could pick his beliefs over Tobirama and their baby's health.

Madara is conflicted, but he sees the hurt written across his mate's face and apologizes for saying he would leave.

Madara spends the next months conflicted by what he knows is wrong and his mates health and mental well-being. In the end he decides he was being selfish and his mate and their baby has to be his priority.

They have a happy healthy baby, but Madara puts his foot down on having more. They will not until Tobirama is a minimum of 18 and actually wants to. If he wants to. Madara is perfectly content to only have their little girl. She will grow into a wonderful clan head.

Hashirama doesn't fight Tajima on his demands. After his engagement with Mito, who was 20 and gets to choose when she married and have children he started to think that it was a much better practice. And less risky for the mothers health.

Tobirama ends up being the last omega ever used as an exchange in a marriage and the last one under 18.

Despite what Madara worried about, Tobirama actually did want a big family. He wanted at least 4 children, but if Madara allows it, he would like to still be a shinobi. Madara has no issues with that. He won't go on many missions as the clan head and he can absolutely be a stay at home dad.

[goldenjj]

You’re Beautiful, The Mirror Is Lying

Pairing: JJ Maybank & female!reader

Genre: comfort, fluff

Synopsis: JJ comforting his girlfriend who is unhappy with how she looks after staring in a mirror too long.

CW: body image struggles

One of those days where you just felt the sadness taking over—you didn’t know why but there you were, standing in front of the mirror. Tears running down your face at the sight of yourself. You didn’t like it. This didn’t happen often but you just suddenly found yourself staring at the reflection too long.

Analyzing your own body, every part you found imperfect from your head to your toes. The mirror liked play tricks on you though, distorting, the more you focused on it.

You were dressed in your pajama set, shorts and a tank top due it being summer. The heat had been scorching lately so you had no choice. You usually preferred covering up more because, while you didn’t always do this—stare and tear up, you still weren’t the most confident of people.

But there was someone who constantly tried to ease those worries. A sweet and charming blond haired boy with pretty blue eyes named JJ Maybank—he was your boyfriend for the past six months and when he realized you were somewhat shy and self-conscious, he always tried to shower you with affection.

You sometimes couldn’t help but wonder why JJ picked you because he was hot, to say the least. He could have anyone he wanted but he picked you.

It was heartbreaking how you didn’t see your own beauty and let your mind mess with you.

Taken out of your teary trance, the bedroom door opened wide; as if sensing something off, there he was.

He thought you were taking too long, longer than usual, to get ready and come down.

“Baby, what’s—” He paused at the sight of your tears. At first, it didn’t click until you quickly turned from the mirror (and from him, your back facing his view) and started wiping them away, trying to act fine because you felt so silly for it.

“S—sorry, I just…” You trailed off, quickly trying to search your brain for an excuse but he knew now.

In an instant after you let out those shaky words, you felt strong arms wrap around your waist from behind—his chin resting on your shoulder, “you’re beautiful.”

You froze a little, feeling your heartbeat go a little crazy at that—but you also gulped, letting out a soft sigh after. Wondering if maybe he was just saying that because you felt like a baby now.

Again, JJ might not always have been the best at these things or the most witty with words per se but he already knew you pretty well. He just wants to comfort his pretty girlfriend who’s too blind to see it and is letting everything confuse her. She needed reassurance and he was fine in doing that with her. She was different from the type of girls he was used to, the ones more confident and loud—for that reason, he found himself quickly protective over her.

Even if he had to fight her own brain.

“The mirror is lyin’ to ya, darlin’. You better listen to your boyfriend, who knows better.”

She listened to him and he lifted his head off, slowing letting go slightly but only to turn her around to face him. He took a hand to brush away any remaining tears or wetness in general, drying her up—making sure his calloused and roughened hand treated her as if she were glass. He could be rugged but he made sure to be gentle with her.

“It’s always lyin’, damn bastard. Should punch that dang mirror, huh? Making my pretty ass girlfriend sad, tch.”

That cracked a small smile on your face which made his blue eyes light up in glee. He was funny and had a cute side to him, despite being one of the hottest looking guys around who got into fights, being a loose cannon. He had a golden heart reserved just for you and you were glad you got to see it.

“Yeah, there’s my pretty smile.” A grin forming as he leaned in, giving light pecks to your face; making you let out giggles. All your previous feelings about your body vanishing like the wind.

“Pretty soundin’ laugh too,” He mumbled, lips pressed against your cheek.

“JJ… thank you.”

“Nah, don’ thank me for tellin’ the truth… you’re fuckin’ stunnin’ and I dunno how I landed you but shit, am I lucky…” Murmuring with that Southern accent, while still putting kisses all over your face—he was attacking you with affection. You were still a little giggly but his words hit you hard.

“I’m lucky… for having you in my life, JJ.”

Everything he thought about you, you thought about him. He had flaws but such beauty to him, more depth than anyone ever bothered to realize. Someone who didn’t always know how to handle his own feelings but tried, for you. Seeing as you were his safe space and someone he wanted to cherish—he was able to open up his heart, surprising himself at how he gave it to you. No regrets however.

A secret just for the two of you—he couldn’t have his street rep ruined, of course.

“I dunno about that,” His low tone still mumbling out words as he decided to press a light kiss to your lips.

“Just happy you’re mine. Gonna keep remindin’ you how beautiful you are until one day, you see exactly what my eyes are seeing.”

His hands moved, trailing down your body as if they were worshipping every single inch which made you blush so much. He started trailing down kisses from your neck, collarbone to the arms then going down, tender love boy kisses on your thighs.

“Beautiful… everywhere… and all mine.”

If you weren’t blushing like a tomato, having your heart pump out of its chest and feeling all giddy—you might have teared up again but happily.

“And don’ think you’re a burden, aight? We’re gon’ build that confidence together, sweetheart.”

He really knew how to make these days better. Those hands and lips, still worshipping you like you were a Goddess. Moving back up, cupping your face in his hands now as the kisses ceased. Staring at you like all his prayers were heard, even though he never prayed in his life.

You pressed your lips against his, a bit shyly but sweetly. A wide smile tugging at his lips when he felt it; your way of showing him you appreciate him. But when you gave an inch? He took a mile and you loved that about him too because soon, his lips were hungrily chasing after yours. Arms wrapping around you as he tapped your thigh, indicating you to jump so he can lift you. You hesitated so he tapped again, firmer.

You listened to him and he lifted you up—your legs wrapping around his waist as he continued passionately kissing you like you were the air he needed to breathe.

All the love was bursting through, no insecurities in that moment there. Just you and JJ, loving each other.

[emsdevs]

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Oh Darling AU ♥️

a/n: this was inspired by a lil vid that kirby sent me the other day so thank her for this! i have soooo many ideas for this au but i still wanna hear from you guys! this IS an interactive au so feel free to send in any thoughts or ideas you all have 🫶 hope you all enjoy reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it!!

masterlist | NHL Masterlists | Oh Darling AU Masterlist

“Can I be honest? I’m a little concerned for Jack,” you look at the two men across from you. The three of you had been swapping juicy stories for at least an hour now, and not a single one of you had run out of material.

“Because of his injury? We talked about this, Ängeli. He’s okay,” Nico touches your arm with a gentleness that matches his tone.

“Not that, Nico,” you roll your eyes. “I mean as far as his history with women.”

“What? It’s not like he mistreats women. He’s a gentleman,” Timo is quick to defend his teammate.

“Will you two just let me talk? He went on four first dates in less than two weeks.”

“That’s not that bad? Maybe he just wants to have fun,” Timo suggests.

“He told me last month he wants to settle down soon,” you argue.

“Yeah, T, the kid just has no game,” Nico agrees with you.

“Says you,” Timo laughs at Nico’s statement.

“Hey, I bagged all of this,” he gestures to you, “when I was 18, and she liked me so much we were married two years later. I have plenty of game.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Timo waves Nico off, knowing he can’t really argue. After all, he was going to ask you out before Nico did.

“Okay, but, for real, like, when is he gonna get married and give the kids some friends?” You’re quick to interrupt the two best friends.

“Do you really want Jack to procreate?” Timo steps in.

“Okay, fair,” you concur.

The three of them continue to express their concerns regarding Jack’s love life. Unbeknownst to them, there were two pairs of little ears paying quite a bit of attention just a few feet away. The twins didn’t think much of it. They just continued to play with their now 18-month-old baby sister. It’s a few days later that your gossiping habit comes back to bite you all.

You and Nico had invited a few of the guys over for dinner. The Hughes boys had arrived early, so while you and Nico prepared dinner, Jack entertained the kids while Luke entertained you and Nico. Jack was having too much fun with the kids. They were truly his favorite people. He had baby Lena in his lap while he listened to Noah and Teo’s stories while they played with their building blocks. 

“Hey, Jacky?” Teo pauses his own story to get Jack’s attention.

“Yeah?’

“My Papa says you have no game. What does that mean?”

“Umm, well, it could mean a lot of things, bud,” that definitely raises some questions for Jack. No game? What?

“Yeah! Mama said you’re not good with girls too, but baby Lena likes you okay, so it’s okay!” Noah smiles brightly at his honorary uncle, leaving Jack kind of gobsmacked. You don’t think he’s good with the ladies?

The boys go back to their normal stories after that, telling him nonsense about their last playdate and what they had for breakfast this morning. Jack’s mind, however, stays on their words about his love life, or, apparently, their parents’ words. It sticks with him so much that by the time everyone else has arrived and dinner is ready, he can’t help but voice his concerns. Sitting at the table surrounded by some of his closest friends and his baby brother, he asks a question that stops the conversation.

“Do you guys think my love life is bad?” he blurts out.

“What?” Luke lets out a loud laugh from beside him.

“What makes you say that, Jack?” Dawson asks, and Jack can tell from the way your face has paled that you know exactly where this is going.

“Noah and Mateo said that Nico and Ängeli think my love life is bad and that I don’t have game.”

“Kids say the darndest things, don’t they?” Nico lets out a nervous laugh. He hears Timo laughing from the other side of the table. “Hey, now! You were a part of that conversation, too!”

“I, uh,” Timo stammers.

“Does everyone think that?” Jack’s voice raises, and the pitch is higher now. The rest of the table goes silent and begins to share looks with one another.

“I don’t think that, Jacky!” Mateo is quick to chime in, hoping to cheer up his favorite person.

“Thanks, bud,” Jack sighs.

“Look, Jack, it’s nothing bad per se. We just want you to find the right person,” you smile at him.

“Is that why you guys let me hang out with the kids? So you can discuss my love life?”

“No! The boys love you, and you just naturally go to them and now Elena. We wouldn’t force you to hang out with them instead of us. We just figured you prefer it,” Nico shrugs.

“Well, yeah, that’s cuz I do prefer it, but it doesn’t mean you can talk about me,” a pout makes its way onto Jack’s face.

“You’re right, J. We’re sorry. We shouldn’t be sticking our noses in places they don’t belong,” you agree with Jack.

“Especially when our kids will go snitch on us,” Nico mumbles under his breath. Dinner continues on after that, and soon, everyone is joking like nothing had happened. Once everyone was finished eating, they began to trickle out, each giving you and the kids a hug and bidding Nico goodbye. Jack and Luke stayed behind a bit longer to help clean up.

“So, do you guys talk about Lukey’s love life, too?” Jack wonders aloud.

“Nah. His isn’t as juicy,” you explain over your shoulder.

“He does give us the details about yours, though,” Nico interjects.

“Woah, woah, woah. Why am I catching strays here? You guys are the ones who got caught gossiping,” Luke is quick to get defensive.

“I’m never telling you how my dates go again.”

“You don’t have to. I can just tell.”

The evening stretches on, and after cleaning up the kitchen and dining area, Jack and Luke stick around to get some extra time with the kiddos. After a couple of hours have passed, the Hughes brothers head back to their own place, and you and Nico begin getting the kids ready for bed. Lena had been out for a while now, so Nico went to lay her in her crib while you give the boys a bath. Once they’re all cleaned up, you usher them to bed. When you make it to their room, Nico is already in there, tucking both of the boys in.

“Mama?” Noah asks in that small voice that melts your heart every time.

“Yes, baby?” 

“Why was Uncle Jacky upset about his love life?”

“Yeah, Mama! I don’t want Uncle Jacky to be upset!” Mateo is quick to chime in.

“Well, it’s not nice knowing that other people talk about your business. He just didn’t want us to think badly of him.”

“So we shouldn’t talk about people?” Teo questions.

“Not exactly,” Nico steps in, “You can. It just isn’t always nice to hear, so you should be sure to only say nice things about people.”

“What if it’s a bad person?

“As long as you only tell the truth and you’re talking to someone you trust, that’s okay,” you try your best to explain without adding too many details. You’ve learned you have to get straight to the point with these two.

“Oh, okay, Mama,” Noah relents, his sleepy eyes beginning to get heavy.

“Okay, now get some rest, okay? Both of you,” you kiss Noah’s forehead, seeing Nico doing the same with Mateo in the corner of your eye.

“Sweet dreams, meini söhne. We love you both,” you and Nico make your way out of the boys’ room, turning the light off and softly shutting the door. You both finish tidying up, then go do your nightly routines. Before you know it, you’re laying in bed, cuddled up with your husband.

“So we’re just gonna wait to gossip until the kids aren’t within hearing range, right?” Nico questions.

“Duh.”

taglist: @heartsforjh @devilinpradaheels @puckmedude @dancerbailey3 @books-hlmc @nic0-hischier @huggyyy43 @azure-dawn81

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[moldy-flowers]

whaaaat oh no then I guess you're just gonna have to draw some more Sasuke for me for my birthday... oh what a shame...

JOKING BTW LMAO,,, THANK YOU!!!

Banner wip!! :D

This is the banner for the new blog I'm making:3

From left to right is Charasuke, Swap (Kyuubi host), Classic Sasuke, Tiger (Tiger shark), Modern, and Cowboy :D

[minty-bubblegum]

Brb y'all I'm about to be grinding like crazy

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

so im listening to the potd audio commentary and jodie's talking about covid restrictions and filming flux and how the restrictions were more intense at the start of filming (was that end of 2020/start of 2021?) and she says "by the time we finished, we could hug" and damn they took that opportunity didnt they

[coollyinterferes]

The unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching begins to fill the air. Whoever is coming seems to have brought some company along…

They are getting closer… and closer… and closer…

…and closer…

……until..................

"Goooooood evenin'!!" Comes the loud greeting from a certain blond man. A big smile on his face and all.

"We beg your pardon for our prolonged absence. It was completely beyond our control..." Then adds the gentleman standing by his side, apologizing on behalf of both, offering a genuine smile along with the apology.

"...BUT! We're back!" And hopefully for good this time…

[inhurtandincomfort]

Initially Eldwin grew up - quite poor, but not in poverty. They struggled and didn't have many luxuries, all their clothes were hand-me-downs, but there was, at least, always food on the table and a roof over their heads. They were okay, up until his father fell ill. Not only could he no longer work, but unfortunately there is no NHS so they spent a LOT of money on bringing various doctors, medicines, potions made by a strange witch in the woods, even went into debt to bring a magical healer from a temple just to be told the same thing every time - they didn't know what it was and there was nothing they could do. Eldwin's eldest brother joined the military to send back his pay, Eldwin walked several miles to town each morning to do whatever work he could, some of it legitimate, some of it not so much.

Enter Vor'gol, make the demon pact, forced to leave home blah blah. He lived on the streets for several months, trying (and often failing) to find and keep shitty factory jobs, wasn't very fun. And then he kind of... let's himself get captured honestly. Like. He did actually hope he might be able to steal things from her (she was very wealthy) and run, but at the end of the day he was aware that it was early winter, it was already freezing, food was hard to come by and it was only gonna get worse, so like although he had a bad feeling about going with her he was like fuck it, I'm gonna die out here anyway may as well take the chance.

(whether that was the right decision seeing as how things turned out... well hindsight is a wonderful thing.)

Enter, NOW, with the Black Syndicate... yeah he doesn't get paid. Why would he? They provide everything he needs. He doesn't want anything, that's not even a consideration. He sometimes steals money from the people he kills (is it stealing if they don't need it anymore) which. he just uses to buy alcohol and cigarettes although he will steal that too when he can, not having money wouldn't stop him. I feel like when he joins the agency and actually gets paid a decent wage he wouldn't know what to do with it. Bc they provide housing. He doesn't eat enough, he probably just buys some non-perishables once a month so he doesn't have to worry about forgetting it. Lbr he'd mostly only spend it on the cat, not [just] because he wants to spoil her but because he doesn't know what he wants. What do you mean people just buy things. for fun. ??? Sounds fake but okay

Kieran was actually doing quite well for himself. He was nowhere near as wealthy as Lukas growing up, but he didn't really struggle financially either, got into a good school, and though he dropped out between he and Abi they were doing okay. A big bill coming in would have posed a problem, but they were doing fine, Kieran worked in tech support I think (don't ask me for specifics, I don't know) (though he was just starting to get back into the modelling scene when. well. iykyk) and Abi while still a student was also good with computers and did fairly well twitch streaming, so. Yeah they were doing alright

What is your oc's financial/economical status? Well off? Scraping by? Wealthy?

[sualne]

(WIP) i decided to redraw this old favorite of mine from 2021 and damn

[invinciblerodent]

Y'know, puttering around with my recordings, I think I really am going to give Davrin's romance with Ver a pretty serious twisting around. Rewrite some things a bit, change things around, keep most of the "slow burn" of it intact- but also add in the "friends with benefits" elements that I feel match what he says in the check-in scene after the point of no return better.

I think I have a post from like, months before release, when all we knew about the character was "charming Warden (who may or may not have been the Storm Coast team's commander in '41)", about how I sort of expected his to be the romance that starts off more casual (with the expiration date all Wardens have, it's not surprising that someone who's been one for at least ten years would be hesitant to enter any genuine emotional entanglements, platonic or romantic), and then for him to find himself falling for Rook unexpectedly (and kind of against his will) anyway.

And from some of that late dialogue, I still think that that may have been the exact intention, initially, but maybe they didn't want to create too big a disparity between the different romance paths, or like they didn't want for it to come off like they weren't taking him as seriously as the rest, so the path sort of ended up getting a bit... I don't wanna say "subdued", but I can't think of a better word lol. Brought to match the pacing of the others and the overall story more, that's more like what I mean.

.... Anyway, I kinda think I wanna have them sleep together for the first time either after his personal quest (no more distractions, clearly established romantic interest in- and some commitment to one another, but with still an opportunity to angst about everything else) or preferably, that night after drinking with Lucanis.

I'm leaning towards the latter thought, specifically because it'd be clearly a very, very bad idea.

It'd be far too fast, far too early, I got that scene like right after the Cauldron, so deep in the thick of his personal quest- plus, the mutual interest was barely expressed like one day prior to it, and there was alcohol involved. Which all kind of makes it perfect, because it's an awful time to toss that complication in there.

But, it gives me an opportunity to have the both of them keep thinking that it being just a casual, physical thing is what the other wants (despite the "well, I could see us heading somewhere, someday" of it), and to have their feelings developing sort of in the background of it-- and then!!!!! that forest kiss can also take a role more like another complicating factor, with the "heart of a halla" line being a bit more ambiguous.

Like, casually kissing your booty call/situationship/FWB you've been secretly falling for, it's a bit more touchy-feely than the previously established [they were not established] guidelines [there are no guidelines] suggest is appropriate [none of this is appropriate], but it feels right, and that alone makes it feel weird and confusing, ykwim?

But, then the whole "Most of my life, I've gone it alone. With you... I never want to go back." thing makes more sense being where it is, after his personal quest, to me at least. Because that sounds like a confession, and with being free from worries and the griffons safe (with Eldrin, in that game), there's a great time to have a long-ish, actually serious conversation about what this is and where it's going.

.... That would also mean that some of the bed scene dialogue doesn't make as much sense ("Is this all just for show"? "Just like I imagined"? Girl you know exactly if it's for show and what his hands feel like, you've been getting dicked down semi-regularly for weeks), but I can work with some tweaks to that lol. The final parts of it, about planning the future and getting soppy still make perfect sense, it's just those lines in the leadup that need some minor tweaking.

Idk, I really liked the in-game experience I had, and I love me a good slow burn, but I can't deny that it's more my style when "slow burn" doesn't also mean ".... so sex is a thing that happens only at the very end, when all feelings are resolved". I like it adding more uncertainty and confusion into the mix, and giving a sort of "oh, this is different now" feel to that first time once the feelings are also resolved.

(The date though, I wanna keep where and how it is exactly, because he mentions he got the tip for the picnic from Evka and Antoine, and I find it really cute to imagine him just sort of looking at them after speaking with Valya like.... "... they probably have the right idea of it, don't they. While we're here, let... let me just go ask. How to, uh. Do this whole. Romance thing, I guess. Make it sound, idk, casual. And chill. We're... chill." Never mind that Evka and Antoine are literally one of the most romantic couples any of them know, but yknow, nbd.)

(And then it goes all the way sideways? Love it. Love the "hey so this tea I thought would be a fun, cute thing for us to try made her trip absolute balls for a while, so maybe this outing is not a great opportunity to like, talk. Seriously. About how I may or may not be falling a little bit in love with her. And by 'little bit', I mean 'up to the very tips of my ears'. Nbd, just gonna... postpone, spilling my guts out for her perusal, I guess." of it all. A+, no notes.)

[dawnsies]

drew my version of Alice and Ares :V