#after so long.....i have a new tablet and it works like a DREAM

[memekeymouse]

"mickey's a pushover" "mickey's a capitalist pig" wrong! he's actually THIS close to tearing someone to shreds like a gorilla at any given time <3

[lila-lou]

✨His second exception - Pt. 17/?✨

Summary: The moment Ben found out you were pregnant was probably the happiest moment of his life. However, happiness proved fleeting. Now, he is faced with the aftermath of his shattered dreams. Of what is left of you, and what is left of him.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: 18+ only! Smut, Language, fluff

Word Count: 5791

A/N: This is the sequel to “His only exeption” - and Part 17 of "His second exception".

English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙

Later that evening, after a long day of working on the baby’s room and organizing everything, you decided to take a shower to relax. Your body was tired, and the aches in your back had become a constant companion over the past few weeks. Stripping down, you stepped into the bathroom, letting the warmth of the space soothe your tired muscles.

Just as you were about to step into the shower, you heard the door creak open behind you. Glancing over your shoulder, you saw Ben stepping inside, his expression casual as he began stripping down himself, not bothering to ask or explain. It was so like him—always taking charge, always assuming he was welcome without needing permission. And honestly, he always was.

You chuckled softly to yourself, shaking your head as you turned back toward the shower. “You’re just going to barge in like that?”, you teased, a playful edge in your voice.

Ben smirked, tossing his clothes into a pile on the floor as he stepped closer. “Why ask when I know you’re not gonna say no?”. His tone was light, but there was a familiar heat in his eyes as he looked at you, his gaze sweeping over your body with a mixture of affection and desire.

He stepped into the shower behind you, the warmth of his body pressing against your back as the hot water cascaded over both of you. His arms wrapped around your waist, his hands resting protectively over your growing belly. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to the curve of your shoulder, his breath warm against your skin.

You let out a soft sigh, leaning into him as the water poured over you both. The feel of his strong arms around you, combined with the soothing heat of the shower, was exactly what you needed after the long day.

For a while, you both just stood there, wrapped up in each other, the sound of the water falling the only noise in the room. Ben’s hands slowly began to massage your back, working out some of the tension that had built up over the day. His touch was gentle, deliberate, and you couldn’t help but melt into it.

The next morning, you found yourself seated in the meeting room, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation settling in your chest. You absently rubbed your small bump as you waited for the rest of the team to arrive. Beside you, Ben was engrossed in his tablet, flipping through reports about a few supes causing trouble in Florida. His focus on the work was typical—he was always fully dialed in when it came to handling any threats. But today, something more personal weighed on both of your minds.

Today, Ben was going to tell the team about your pregnancy.

Just then, the door swung open, and the rest of the team filed in. Hughie and A-Train entered first, still mid-argument about the new jet, their voices rising with frustration.

“I’m telling you, it’s not just about speed! We need durability”, Hughie said, exasperated.

A-Train, arms crossed, shook his head. “We’re not flying a tank, Hughie. We need to get in and out fast, especially with the kind of messes we’ve been dealing with lately”.

Frenchie followed close behind, a smirk on his face as he watched the two bicker. He shot you and Ben a glance, clearly amused by the ongoing debate. “I swear, these two have been at it since breakfast. Maybe we need to put them in a ring and let them sort it out like real men, eh?”.

You chuckled softly, feeling a mix of amusement and nerves bubble up as you shifted slightly in your seat. Ben’s hand was still resting on his tablet, but you noticed the subtle tightening of his grip. He was calm, or at least appeared to be, but you could feel the underlying tension.

“Alright, enough with the jet talk”, Ben finally said, his deep voice cutting through the conversation like a knife. Everyone immediately quieted, sensing the seriousness in his tone. “We’ve got something more important to talk about today”.

Hughie and A-Train stopped their bickering and looked toward Ben, curious but also sensing that this wasn’t a typical mission briefing. Frenchie raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with interest.

Ben inhaled deeply, his eyes scanning the room, ensuring he had everyone’s attention.

“We’re heading to Florida”, Ben said, his voice measured and firm. “Things are getting out of hand down there. Super-related incidents have been spiking, and it’s not just some rogue supe on a bender. We’re talking coordinated attacks”.

MM frowned. “Coordinated by who?”.

“Still figuring that out”, Ben continued, glancing down at his tablet for a moment. “But I’ve got intel that points to a new group of Supes who think they can change the game. They’re moving fast, and they’re not just targeting civilians. They’re going after infrastructure—transport hubs, power grids. It’s bigger than anything we’ve seen recently, and if we don’t get down there, it’s going to escalate”.

Ben’s words hung in the air like a storm cloud ready to burst. Your heart sank as you listened, a familiar feeling of dread creeping in as you realized Ben would be heading into yet another dangerous mission. You knew what it meant: long days of worry, especially with the situation sounding more volatile than anything they’d faced recently.

As the meeting dragged on, covering logistics, resources, and potential backup plans, you found yourself zoning out. The voices of MM, Hughie, and Frenchie and the rest of the team became a distant hum as your mind spiraled with anxious thoughts. Ben’s leadership was solid, his plans always precise, but the unpredictability of the missions never ceased to fill you with fear. Especially now.

It wasn’t just about you anymore. It was about the life growing inside you—a life that, until today, had been your secret. The loss of your first child still weighed heavy on your heart, a grief that had taken root and never fully left. And now, here you were again, faced with the fragile hope of new life, balanced precariously against the danger of the world you both lived in.

You glanced at Ben, who was focused on the tablet in his hands, his expression unreadable. You knew he felt the weight of it too, though he would never say it aloud.

As the meeting began to wind down, you felt a knot tighten in your chest. Ben would be leaving again.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of discussion and planning, Ben set his tablet down and looked around the room. The team was still seated, though it was clear they were ready to move on to their next tasks. Hughie had already started gathering his things, MM was deep in thought, and Frenchie was fiddling with something in his pocket.

“There’s one more thing”, Ben said, his voice cutting through the room with a sudden finality. Everyone stopped what they were doing, turning their attention back to him. You could feel the shift in his tone—something more personal was coming.

He glanced at you, his gaze softening for the briefest moment before he turned back to the team. “It’s not related to the mission, but it’s important”.

Hughie and MM exchanged puzzled looks, while Kimiko raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with curiosity. Even Annie, who had been sitting quietly, seemed to sense that something major was about to be revealed.

Ben took a breath, his voice steady but filled with meaning. “She’s pregnant”.

The room went dead silent.

MM’s arms dropped to his sides, his usual calm composure momentarily broken by shock. Hughie’s eyes widened, blinking as if trying to process the information. Frenchie, who had been halfway through his usual smirk, froze, the expression falling away as surprise overtook him.

Annie, who had been the only other person besides Butcher to know about your previous loss, looked at you with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open in shock. Even she hadn’t expected this news so soon.

“What?”, Hughie stammered, his voice cracking. “You’re… pregnant?”.

Frenchie leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, still processing. “But… I thought… I mean, is that even possible?”.

MM, always the steady one, was the first to find his voice again, though his words were slow, as if he were still piecing things together. “Well, damn. That’s… big news”. He glanced between you and Ben, a cautious smile forming. “Congratulations. I guess”.

Hughie nodded quickly, still looking flustered but genuine. “Yeah, congrats. I just—wow. I didn’t think… you know, with everything…”.

The air in the room was already thick with tension, but as Hughie trailed off, trying to process the news, another voice cut through the silence like a knife.

A-Train, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, pushed off and stepped forward, his tone casual but laced with something sharper. “Wait, wait. Hold up. So you’re telling us she’s pregnant?”. He looked directly at Ben, his brow furrowed in disbelief. “And you’re sure it’s yours?”.

The question hung in the air like a bomb. The room went deathly quiet, everyone’s eyes snapping to A-Train, shocked that he’d gone there. Annie´s expression hardened, and even Frenchie looked like he was on the verge of saying something to shut him up. But Ben’s reaction was the most startling.

You could feel the sudden shift in Ben’s energy. His jaw tightened, and his grip on the edge of the table went white-knuckled. The room, which had been tense but controlled, now felt like it was seconds away from exploding. Ben’s eyes locked onto A-Train with a look that could kill, his face a mask of barely contained fury.

“You want to fucking run that by me again?”, Ben said, his voice low and dangerous, the kind that sent a shiver down your spine.

A-Train shrugged, seemingly unfazed by the palpable anger radiating from Ben. He raised his hands in a mock gesture of surrender, but his tone remained cocky. “I’m just saying, man, Supes can’t have kids, right? That’s, like, a known thing. So if she’s pregnant, and you’re the exception, cool. But it’s a fair question to ask, given the circumstances”.

The implication behind A-Train’s words was clear. He wasn’t just questioning the biology of it—he was questioning Ben’s place in it. The fatherhood, the trust. The insinuation made your stomach twist with a sudden wave of anger and hurt, but before you could react, Ben was already moving.

In one swift motion, Ben was out of his seat. He crossed the room in two steps, getting in A-Train’s face, and for a moment, the tension felt like it could crack the air. Ben towered over him, his voice a low, dangerous growl.

“I don’t give a fuck what you think you know about Supes”, Ben spat, his face inches from A-Train’s. “But if you ever, ever question whether that child is mine again, you and I are going to have a fucking problem. You fucking got me?”.

A-Train, to his credit, didn’t back down, but his smirk faded as he saw the intensity in Ben’s eyes. He might’ve been fast, but he wasn’t stupid. He raised his hands again, this time with a little more sincerity. “Alright, alright. Chill, man. No offense meant. I was just asking a question”.

Ben stared him down for a long moment before finally stepping back, though the tension in his body didn’t ease. His hands were still balled into fists, and you could see the muscles in his jaw working as he tried to control himself.

A-Train stayed where he was, hands still raised in a placating gesture, as if testing the waters to see if the situation had truly calmed down. But the air was still thick with the aftermath of his careless words.

Frenchie, sensing the need for some levity, leaned back in his chair and let out a soft chuckle. “Well, I’ll say one thing”, he began, glancing between you and Ben, his voice casual, aiming to break the tension. “If that kid ends up with your temper, mon ami, we are all in trouble”.

The others allowed themselves a small laugh, though the tension still lingered. MM smirked, shaking his head as if to say, “Leave it to Frenchie”. But Frenchie, being Frenchie, wasn’t done yet. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he leaned forward and asked, “So, do you two know the gender yet? Any bets on a mini-Soldier Boy running around, or maybe a little troublemaker like you?”.

You couldn’t help but smile at Frenchie’s attempt to lighten the mood. You placed a hand over your stomach, feeling the warmth and weight of the future resting there. “Not yet”, you replied softly, catching Ben’s eye for a moment. “But we’re excited either way”.

Kimiko, who had been quietly observing the scene unfold, suddenly lifted her hands and began signing. The team’s attention shifted to her as she communicated in her gentle, deliberate way, a small smile on her face. MM translated for her, his voice calm and steady, softening the atmosphere even more. “She says… she hopes it’s a girl. And that the world could use more strong women”.

Kimiko nodded firmly, her eyes warm as she glanced at you, giving you an encouraging look. You felt a surge of emotion at her quiet support. Her words, even without sound, carried a weight that made you feel seen, understood. You smiled at her, grateful for her kindness, and signed back, “Thank you”.

Ben, who had been quiet after his confrontation with A-Train, finally allowed himself to relax a bit.

MM rubbed the back of his neck, as if debating whether or not to ask the question that was clearly on his mind. After a moment, he sighed and spoke up, his tone gentle but curious.

“So… have you guys thought about it?”, he asked, glancing between you and Ben. “About whether the baby might have powers?”.

It was a valid concern, one that none of them would say aloud under normal circumstances, but this wasn’t just any situation. Being a Supe was often more a curse than a gift.

You felt Ben’s grip on your shoulder tighten slightly, and when you looked at him, you saw the conflict in his eyes. He had been thinking about it too, of course. How could he not? The uncertainty of what your child might inherit—the risk, the responsibility—it was a heavy burden to carry.

“We don’t know”, Ben finally said, his voice steady but carrying the weight of that uncertainty. “There’s no way to tell. Not yet, anyway”.

“But it won’t, you know, kill you with some laser eyes from the inside, right?”. Frenchie´s voice was a mix of playful and concerned, and his gaze shifted to you, his expression exaggerated as he widened his eyes further for effect.

The room went still again, a strange blend of discomfort and amusement hovering in the air. Hughie’s eyebrows shot up, as if he couldn’t believe Frenchie had just said that. MM sighed, shaking his head slowly, clearly both irritated and entertained by Frenchie’s inability to filter his thoughts.

But Ben, standing close to you, tensed visibly. His grip on your shoulder tightened, his body language immediately protective. His face hardened as his gaze zeroed in on Frenchie, his eyes dark with barely contained irritation. “Don’t joke about that”, Ben said, his voice low, the edge unmistakable.

Frenchie’s smile faltered slightly, realizing he might have pushed the joke a little too far. “Just wondering, you know—never can tell with these things”. He leaned back, casting a quick wink in your direction as if to soften the impact of his words.

You couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, shaking your head. “I think we’re safe from laser eyes, Frenchie”, you said, trying to ease the tension that had crept back into the room. “At least, I hope so”.

The momentary lightness of your words seemed to help, as a few chuckles echoed softly around the room. Hughie let out a sigh of relief, grateful that the moment hadn’t escalated into another conflict, while MM shot Frenchie a look that said, “Only you, man”.

Kimiko, who had been watching the exchange quietly, gave a small smile and signed something to MM. He translated. “She says, ‘That would be one way to make an entrance into the world’”. The corners of Kimiko’s mouth lifted in amusement, her eyes warm as she looked at you with a mixture of support and quiet humor.

As the conversation began to wind down, the room gradually emptied. Frenchie excused himself first, muttering something about needing a cigarette and blowing you a playful kiss as he left. MM followed, giving you a supportive nod on his way out, his usual steady calm returning after the earlier tension. Hughie was the last of the men to go, still a bit awkward but offering you a warm smile before disappearing through the door.

That left just you, Annie, Kimiko, and Ben. The atmosphere shifted subtly, softer now, more intimate. Ben stood by your side, still protective, though his stance had relaxed since Frenchie’s earlier comment. He glanced at Annie and Kimiko, then at you, and raised an eyebrow.

“This is pussy talk territory, huh?”, Ben said, his deep voice laced with reluctant amusement. He rolled his eyes dramatically, the faintest hint of a smirk playing on his lips. His hand lingered on your shoulder for a moment longer before he gave it a reassuring pat. “You’ll be alright?”.

You smiled up at him, appreciating the tenderness beneath his tough exterior. “Yeah, I’ll be fine”.

Ben’s gaze softened, and for a moment, his hand gently brushed your cheek, the protective wall he’d kept up all meeting dissolving in that small gesture. Then, with a sigh, he straightened up and headed for the door. “Alright, I’ll leave you to it”, he said, casting one last look at the three of you. “Try not to tear each other apart”.

As he left the room, the door clicked softly behind him, leaving just the three of you in the comfortable silence. Annie stretched in her chair, letting out a little laugh. “Well, now that he’s gone…”, she began, her voice light with teasing.

Kimiko, always quiet but deeply expressive, signed something quickly to Annie. She grinned as she read Kimiko’s words, then turned to you. “She says, ‘It’s about time we can talk without the boys hovering’”.

You laughed, feeling the tension melt away completely. “Yeah, it’s a little easier to breathe now”.

Annie leaned forward, her expression shifting to something more serious but still warm. “So… how are you, really? I mean, with everything. The baby, Ben, all of it?”.

You exhaled, the question stirring a mix of emotions inside you. “Honestly, I’m excited and terrified all at once”, you admitted. “I mean, Ben’s already in dad mode, which is sweet, but… this is all happening so fast, you know?”.

Kimiko signed again and Annie translated. “She says it’s okay to be scared. That it’s a big thing, and no one expects you to have it all figured out”.

You smiled at Kimiko. “I guess I’m just trying to focus on the good”, you continued. “But with everything that happened before… it’s hard not to worry about what might go wrong”.

Annie nodded, understanding flashing in her eyes. “You’ve been through a lot. But you’re strong. And Ben’s got your back—we all do”.

Kimiko’s gaze softened as she watched you. After a moment, she signed something to Annie, her movements slow and deliberate, as if she was choosing her words carefully.

“She’s asking if you’ve felt anything yet… you know, from the baby. And if she can touch your belly”.

You felt a wave of warmth and affection wash over you at Kimiko’s request. It was such a sweet, gentle question, and you could see the curiosity and care in her expression. You hadn’t felt much yet, just the early flutters and the subtle shifts that come with early pregnancy.

“I haven’t felt anything strong yet”, you said softly, placing a hand on your belly. “Just little flutters here and there. It’s still early, but…”. You paused, smiling at Kimiko. “Of course, you can”.

Kimiko’s face lit up with a soft smile as she stood up from her chair and moved closer to you. She hesitated for a moment, her hands hovering just above your belly, waiting for your nod of approval. When you gave her a gentle smile and nodded, she carefully placed her hands on your stomach, her touch feather-light and filled with a quiet reverence.

For a few moments, the room was silent, filled with a soft sense of peace. Kimiko’s eyes closed briefly, her expression serene as she felt the warmth beneath her hands.

As Kimiko’s hands gently rested on your belly, her expression became more focused. The room was completely still, with Annie watching quietly, her soft smile encouraging the peaceful moment. You could feel Kimiko’s touch, so delicate and respectful, yet there was something else—an unspoken strength in the way she held her hands. Her Supe abilities, the heightened senses and strength that usually defined her in battle, now allowed her to feel more deeply than most.

Kimiko’s eyes fluttered shut as she concentrated. You could see her body relax, her enhanced awareness honing in on the subtle, almost imperceptible movements deep within you. It was as though she was using her heightened senses to connect with the life growing inside you in a way only she could.

Suddenly, her lips parted slightly, and a soft expression of surprise crossed her face. Her fingers twitched just a little, as if she had felt something. She opened her eyes, and they were wide with awe. She glanced up at you, her gaze filled with a quiet wonderment, and signed something quickly to Annie.

“She says… she felt it”, Annie translated, her voice full of gentle excitement. “Just a tiny movement, but she felt the baby”.

A warm rush of emotion filled you, and your hand instinctively went to cover Kimiko’s. The fluttering sensation inside you had been so subtle, but knowing that Kimiko—using her unique abilities—had been able to sense it made the moment feel magical. It was as if the baby was already reaching out to connect, to say hello to the world that awaited them.

Kimiko’s face was lit up with pure joy as she pulled her hands back, looking at you with a deep, unspoken understanding. She signed something else to Annie, her smile soft but bright.

“She says the baby is strong”, Annie translated, her own eyes shining with warmth. “And that she can already tell it´ll be a fighter”.

Your heart fluttered at Kimiko’s words, the emotion swelling in your chest like a tidal wave. It was one thing to feel the subtle movements inside you, but hearing someone else sense the same tiny life growing within was both surreal and deeply comforting. The connection you had with your child was becoming more tangible, more real.

You blinked, feeling your eyes well up with unshed tears, not from sadness but from the overwhelming love and joy that had blossomed between you and your baby.

“She says you’re going to be an incredible mother. And Ben…”. Annie trailed off for a second, grinning, “…Ben’s going to be insufferable with how protective he’ll be, but she’s sure the baby’s going to be just fine”.

You laughed through the tightness in your chest, wiping away a stray tear. “Yeah, Ben’s already in full-on protector mode”, you said, your voice cracking just a little. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way”.

Kimiko's face lit up with excitement as she signed something else, her hands moving quickly. Annie chuckled, clearly amused by Kimiko’s sudden enthusiasm. “She says she wants to go shopping with you for baby clothes. She’s seen so many cute outfits at the mall".

You smiled, your heart swelling with warmth at Kimiko’s eagerness. The thought of her scouring baby stores, picking out little outfits with the same focus and care she applied in a fight, was both adorable and touching. “I’d love that”, you said, your voice soft but full of emotion. “I could use the help".

Kimiko nodded eagerly, her grin widening as she signed again, this time her movements a bit more exaggerated, as if the excitement was too much to contain. Annie laughed as she translated. “She says there’s this tiny pair of boots and a leather jacket she found that would be perfect for the baby”.

The image of a baby in a tiny leather jacket and boots made you laugh, and you could immediately picture Kimiko holding up outfits with a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Of course, Kimiko would find the coolest baby clothes”, you said, grinning. “I’m all for it. Let’s plan a day”.

Kimiko clapped her hands together, her excitement contagious.

A soft smile spread across your face as you stirred awake a week later, the warmth of Ben’s body wrapped around yours. His presence was always reassuring, but this morning, there was a tenderness in his touch that made you feel especially safe and cherished. You felt the gentle pressure of his hand as it slid over the curve of your bump, his fingers brushing lightly over your skin, sending a pleasant shiver up your spine.

His deep, sleepy voice murmured against your ear, “Morning”. The warmth of his breath tickled your neck, and you could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest against your back, his heartbeat matching the rhythm of yours.

You sighed contentedly, nestling closer into him, your body fitting perfectly into the curve of his. “Morning”, you whispered, your voice still thick with sleep. His hand lingered on your chest, his touch slow and deliberate, as though he was savoring the quiet intimacy of the moment.

As you lay there in the peaceful quiet of the morning, Ben’s touch grew more bold. You could feel the shift in his body as his hand slowly traced down, moving with a slow, familiar rhythm. His fingers brushed your skin, sending soft waves of warmth through you. Without a word, you sensed what he wanted.

His lips grazed the side of your neck, and you heard the soft, wet sound of him licking his fingers before he reached down, his touch becoming more purposeful. He took his time, before brushing the tip of himself against you from behind.

As Ben eased himself inside you, the sensation caught you off guard, and a soft, surprised cry escaped your lips. Your body instinctively arched back into him, the warmth of his touch and the closeness overwhelming. He moved slowly, deliberately, savoring the way you reacted to him, his breath warm against your neck.

“Didn’t expect that, did you?”, he murmured in a teasing, low voice, his lips brushing against your ear as he spoke. His tone was playful, but there was a hushed intensity beneath it, a knowing smile in his voice. “You’re so sensitive this morning… I like it”.

You shivered at his words, feeling his arm tighten around your waist, keeping you firmly pressed against him. His movements remained slow and unhurried, giving you no choice but to feel every inch of him as he moved inside you. He pressed a soft kiss to the side of your neck, his voice dropping even lower.

“I love how you respond to me”, he whispered, his lips grazing your skin. “I can tell you need this”.

The teasing in his tone was clear, but so was the affection—the way he knew you, how connected you were in these intimate moments. Every breath, every subtle movement between you both was shared, your bodies moving in perfect rhythm, completely attuned to one another.

As Ben continued to thrust lazily inside you, his movements were slow and deliberate, clearly in no hurry. The steady rhythm he set kept you grounded in the moment, every sensation heightened by the unhurried pace. His body pressed close to yours, skin against skin, with each slow thrust deepening the connection between you.

He rested his forehead against the back of your neck, his breath warm as it ghosted over your skin. “I could stay like this all day”, he murmured, his voice low and filled with affection. Each word was punctuated by the slow, measured movement of his hips, the teasing edge still present in his tone. “Taking my time… feeling you like this”.

Your body responded to his every movement, a soft whimper escaping your lips as his hand slid back to your bump, holding you even closer to him. His touch was gentle, protective, but the way he moved inside you was a slow burn, keeping you on the edge without rushing to the finish.

“You’re so perfect like this”, Ben whispered, his voice growing huskier as he pressed his lips to your shoulder, his teeth grazing your skin lightly. “So soft, so warm…”.

You could feel the subtle tension building between you, but he was in complete control, keeping the pace relaxed, savoring every moment. His hand moved up from your belly to your chest, his fingers brushing softly over your skin, adding to the sensation. Every touch, every thrust was measured, designed to keep you wanting more without giving you too much, a deliberate tease that left you breathless.

You craved more, the teasing gentleness heightening your need. Without a word, you reached down, taking his hand and guiding it between your legs, placing it where you needed him most.

The instant his fingers made contact, you could feel Ben’s breath catch, a low groan rumbling in his chest. His grip tightened around you, and you felt him smile against your neck, clearly pleased by your boldness.

“Impatient this morning, aren’t we?”, he teased in that low, husky voice, his fingers beginning to move with slow, deliberate intent, matching the lazy thrusts of his hips. His hand moved expertly, brushing against you with just the right pressure, sending sparks of pleasure coursing through you.

You gasped softly, arching your back into him, your body responding instantly to his touch. Ben’s fingers worked in rhythm with his slow, deep thrusts, creating a perfect harmony between the two sensations.

The slow, sensual way he was taking his time with you, combined with the delicious pressure of his fingers, had you melting into him. Every part of you was tuned into the pleasure he was giving, and it was clear Ben was enjoying drawing this out, making you feel every inch of him, every moment of his touch.

Ben continued to move inside you, slow and deep. He felt your body responding, your muscles tightening around him. His breath hitched, and a low, satisfied groan escaped his lips. His hand between your legs didn’t falter, maintaining that perfect rhythm, heightening your pleasure as you clung to him.

“I can feel how much you want this”, he murmured, his voice thick with lust, the teasing edge giving way to something deeper. “You’re so tight around me… You squeezing me so good, baby”.

His words sent a shiver down your spine, the heat in your body intensifying as he spoke. Ben’s fingers moved with more purpose now, matching the way your body clenched around him. Every word, every thrust, was driving you higher, pushing you toward that edge.

“You love it, don’t you?”, he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of your ear, his breath hot and ragged. “The way I’m filling you, the way I’m making you feel. I can feel how close you are…”.

His voice dropped even lower, rougher, as he pressed himself deeper, his movements still measured but with more intensity. “I want you to come for me”.

The combination of his words, the sensation of his fingers and the slow, steady rhythm of his thrusts was too much. You felt yourself teetering on the edge, and Ben’s hand gripped your hip, holding you tightly against him as his voice, soft but commanding, urged you on.

“That’s it… Let go for me, baby”, he whispered, his voice a growl now, his words thick with desire.

As the tension within you reached its peak, your body began to tremble uncontrollably, the waves of pleasure crashing over you. You felt yourself clenching harder around him, the intensity of your climax sending ripples of ecstasy through your entire being. Ben’s grip on you tightened, pulling you closer, his own breath ragged and heavy.

His thrusts became deeper, more insistent, as he pushed into you with a force that made you feel every inch of him. The sensation was overwhelming, a mix of pleasure and the edge of a slight, delicious pain. He seemed to be lost in the moment, his focus entirely on the connection between you two.

With a final, deep thrust, Ben came inside you, the warmth of his release filling you as he groaned against your back. His movements slowed, becoming gentle as he felt the last shudders of your orgasm, his body pressing against you in a way that felt both tender and possessive.

For a few moments, all that existed was the shared breath, the warmth, and the closeness of your bodies. Ben’s hands rested softly on your hips, his breaths calming as he held you close, his movements gradually coming to a stop. The quiet of the morning surrounded you, making the intimacy of the moment even more profound.

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A/N: Please let me know what you think. 🥰

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Part 18

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[strongheartneteyam]

I wet you like water but she stained you like blood.

Chapter 4

Pairing: widowed!dilf!Jake Sully x younger!female!human reader

CW: jealous-in-an-unhealthy-way-Jake, Jake and y/n verbally fight because of complicated feelings, angst!!, heated make out session, possessive Jake, TRIGGER WARNING for Jake being toxic and unreasonable, Jake apologizes afterwards bc he's good after all, Daddy kink (nothing explicit but still the kink is there)

So… after this fic being on an incredibly long hiatus, I'm back with another chapter. I had this in my Google Docs for way too long but I was not sure if I wanted the story to go this way but I guess I do. I'm extremely insecure about this chapter, so, please, leave me your opinion about it. Love you guys <3

Not proofread. I'm sick n sleepy. Sorry :(

Chapter 3 𓆩♡𓆪

You know I'm good at keeping secrets, you know that you're my weakness and I'll always repeat it

If I could hold onto the feeling back before your words lost their meaning

There's no need for apologies 'cause, honestly, fuck your honesty, I'm done

Think you like the insanity

I'm the casualty of your dreams 'cause I'm not the one

casualty of your dreams (Maggie Lindemann)

𓆩♡𓆪

Rumor had it there was a human girl that worked in the lab being all lovey-dovey with an Omatikaya young guy. They had gotten it from the fact that you were just talking to and smiling at an Omatikaya male you had met in one of your walks in the woods to collect samples. You had just found out the na'vi could be as fond of gossiping as humans… Great. As the word runs fast as the wind on the Pandora planet, three days after you finally see Jake again. He had been gone for 3 whole days, not even paying a quick visit to the lab to see you for some minutes, really early in the morning, - like he always used to do - when he was already awake to do some Olo'eyktan tasks and you were up with your face buried in science books about extraterrestrial flowers and herbs, a cup of hot black coffee on the table, right next to your hand for easy access, as you survived only because of the caffeine, having to wake up so early almost every day. Sometimes being a xenobotanist truly sucked... 

"Who's that Omatikaya boy you were seen with? People are saying you were all over each other." Jake spit, rage and jealousy burning his insides, bursting like a bomb inside of the cold, filled with cold air coming from the air conditioner room you were in, sitting down, taking notes with an electronic pen in your tablet about the herb samples you were conducting a research about.

There were microscopes, high tech computers, Pandoran plants samples and xenobiology books all around. 

"What?!" You said, startled by his sudden, noisy appearance.

"Don't pretend you have no clue! You were there, y/n." Jake says, a cold smirk filled with anger adorning his face, the feeling of his heart being crashed and bruised even stronger than when he first heard the news harassing him

"What the hell, Jake?!" You say loudly, mad at him "why are you being so rude to me?!" Your heart was beating fast inside your chest cavity. You couldn't believe Jake was treating you that way. "Why did you burst into the room like that, without even knocking on the door, like you usually do?! You scared the shit out of me!"

"Won't you just answer my question already?!" Jake said, in a cutting tone

That was the last straw. You had enough.

You swiftly stood up from the high chair you were sitting on and came closer to Jake, looking up at his usually yellow bright eyes that were now tainted with a dark atmosphere, like a rainy grey cloud was around him, his 9 feet something frame towering over you, but you were so damn angry that you didn't feel a single bit of fear, even knowing he was incredibly mad and seemed out his damn mind and you knew that he could even kill you so goddamn easily if he wanted to. Not that you thought he did. You could never see Jake doing something so horrible, especially to you. It was just a fact: he was ridiculously stronger than you. His height and his muscles, plus the fact he had military training and so much experience at war, making him a dangerous adversary right now. You thanked any Higher Force that existed in the Universe that you were sure and confident Jake would never hurt you physically.

But he was hurting you in another way, a very detrimental one: he was hurting your feelings. Hurting your feelings good.

"No, Jake Sully. I won't answer you until you stop being such a goddamn jerk." You said, a serious, stern expression in your heated with anger face as you stared at his eyes

He looked you dead in the eyes and breathed heavy though his nose, supporting his back against the wall, his body inclined back, his huge toned but a little fleshy arms crossed in front of his chest. He calmed down a little and was waiting for you to talk.

"Thank you!" You spit, rolling your eyes at him "I was, yes, talking to an Omatikaya boy. But that was all. He was really nice and we were just having a good time. Nothing happened. I even told him that I had someone. Didn't say who it was, though. I don't know if he was interested in me. I'm not that good at noticing these things."

"Hah, so he was flirting with you! I knew it!!" Jake was lost in his jealousy. You didn't recognize the man in front of you

"Jake!! Are we gonna do this all over again?!" You were getting way too mad at his attitude 

Jake tilted his head to the side, furrowed his lips, eyes on yours, scorching your very soul.

"Why can't I be mad? He was messing with what's mine." He stated, fierce.

"Ahaha" You laughed sarcastically

"Unbelievable…" You thought

"So, you don't make our relationship official, you don't let your family or anyone in Pandora know, everybody thinks you just like to talk to me about sciencey stuff, Norm might be the only one that suspects of something, in my opinion , but he minds his own business and respects our friendship - with me and with you - way too much to go around gossiping to people about the fact you always come way too often to the lab and spends a lot of time alone in rooms with me, and you have the audacity of acting like a mad man when an Omatikaya guy, who has no damn clue you're dating me, seems interested in me?! Is that the way you're gonna act, Sully?! Really?!"

Jake still stared at you, angered.

"Yes." He said, in a low, calm tone. But you could feel his cold demeanor coming towards you. He was still angry and still though he was right.

You chuckled faintly, your face tainted with disbelief "Manchild." You said, looking into his eyes.

Jake sighed heavily, spent some seconds with his head down, seeming to be thinking about something and then, he came closer to you, his eyes softer this time, that anger flying away slowly.  

"I'm sorry. You're right. I'm being childish. I'm way older than you are. I should be the mature one here."

You looked at him, eyes still distrustful, but you gave in and calmed your nerves down too.

Jake looked at you with puppy adorable eyes, the way he used to look at Neytiri when they were young. Even after so many years, he still had that cute look in his eyes when he was sorry, or pleading for something or when he just wanted to show his true feelings to someone he had romantic feelings for. He wasn't the romantic type, but he showed his love through actions, through acts of service, quality time, physical touch, and, through looking at the person he loved - in this case, "the person he liked", you thought - that way. His eyes said everything his mouth couldn't say.

"Please, forgive me, baby. I didn't mean to hurt you this much. I was foolish, I was letting my heart guide me. That's not good, sometimes." He sighed, upset with himself "it's just that... you mean so much to me. I don't wanna lose you to someone else. Someone younger, who doesn't have a whole lot of baggage like I do, someone who can make you happier than I can."

You breathed through your nose, your chest felt tight, filled with anxiety and tension

"You will never lose me, Jake. Never. Don't worry about it." You looked at his pleading amber eyes, forgiving him "My heart is yours. You're always there. Everywhere I look, you're there. I listen to love songs from Earth thinking about you. Why are you so insecure?"

"No reason... I just... You're so precious to me. I need you so much. So much."

You gazed into his eyes, started to tip toe, trying to reach his mouth. It was stupid, you knew the height difference wouldn't let that happen, but, you were following your instinct to physically show him how much you loved him. That you were his and never wished to belong to anybody else.

Jake noticed what you wanted to do and took you in his arms, sweeping you off your feet, his arms beneath your thighs and initiated the kiss himself. Jake held onto your thighs tightly and strongly. He kissed you like a starving man finally getting some food. His tongue wildly touching yours, licking it, sucking on it. His lips bruising yours, leaving your mouth reddened afterwards.

His big blue hands moved from your thighs to hold onto your butt, carefully to not let you fall from his arms, as you were up in the air and could get hurt if you fell.

"Nobody can touch you. Or kiss you. Or fuck you. Only I can. Do you understand, sweetheart?" Jake spoke, almost whispering, out of breath because of the heated kiss

"Yes, Daddy." 

"Good girl. My good girl. Only mine." Jake praised you

𓆩♡𓆪

Taglist:

@lik0

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@sweetllamaparadise

@a-blog-name-2003

@cautionworks

@behindthearcane

@yeosxxx

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[raymantogether]

Rayman Together Community Spotlight #3 - Clairiphi

Rayman Together Community Spotlight #3 - Clairiphi

Introduction:

Have you ever made your own Rayman comic book series? Growing up, I spent thousands of hours outside of playing the Rayman series creating comics and drawings, making my own adventures for Rayman and his friends. However, I never could create something as captivating and truly unique as the Rayman Nightmarish Series. Rayman Nightmarish stole my heart and is something that I have followed since 2020. Every few weeks to months, I eagerly anticipate the next chapter. There is something so personal about the art style and original characters, which I fell in love with. Every strip is full of personality and charm. I had the pleasure of meeting Clairiphi, AKA Chiara, during my visit to Ubisoft Milan. In person, Chiara is just as amazing as her series. So when I decided to make this Community Spotlight Series, I just had to make a segment on Chiara and her Rayman Nightmarish series.

1. Please introduce yourself.

"My name is Chiara; I go by Clairiphi on the web, and I'm a storyteller from Sardinia (Italy) who dabbles into drawing to accompany her stories. I hope one day, not too far from now, to become a professional comic writer if the comic industry in Europe gives me the chance. For now, I sadly remain an enthusiastic hobbyist."

2. What are you currently working on in the Rayman Community? 

"I’ve been publishing my fan comic Rayman Nightmarish for a few years with the frequent help of my partner Francesco (@thepinna on Instagram and Cara), who is a professional illustrator and studied as a comic artist as well. Without his teaching, I would be nowhere near where I am with my skill level. He taught me how to storyboard, how to efficiently use a drawing tablet, and helped me train my writing skills. He also offers his direct artistic input from time to time, when work hours permit him (for example, while I did the storyboards and pencil sketches for chapter 11, he did inks and colors)."

3. What is your inspiration behind Rayman Nightmarish?

"One December evening I was particularly bored and haven’t been writing since the beginning of high school, but that evening I was coming from a long period of frustration regarding the school path I chose, and coincidentally, I was also back on my Rayman obsession because I was playing Legends and Origins. I had this fairy character (Waaty) and a horrific, almost lovecraftian villain (The Lighteater) in mind for a while, and all of a sudden I said, “You know what? Let’s stop daydreaming and write an actual story!” I took a huge empty notebook from my desk drawer, and a bunch of years later, here we are!"

4. For any newcomers, what is the story of Rayman Nightmarish about?

"With Rayman Nightmarish, I aimed to narrate a classic Rayman adventure, with the humor, the combats, the voyage across fantastical places... And zombies! Yeah, I love horror, and of course there was going to be a twist. But no worries! This is still a story for all ages, like Rayman always was after all.  An ancient evil called The Lighteater is rising from the depths of the sea and is going to bring a dark plague that will soon turn The Glade of Dreams into The Glade of Nightmares. Of course it is Rayman's job to save the day once again, with the help of Globox and a few unexpected friends, like Waaty, the livid dead fairy with strange clairvoyant abilities...and many others along the way! Will he be able to do it this time? Very likely knowing his records, but this could actually be more challenging than he thought."

5. Is there anything new or unreleased you can share?

"I’ve actually been working on a new original fantasy series for a while. The story is already all planned, I'm in love with the characters and every process I came across during the planning of the plot. I hope with all my heart that I'll be able to bring it to life, not as a webcomic but as a fool-blown series for comic stores’ shelves."

6. What made you fall in love with the Rayman series?

"When I was a little girl, I didn’t have much social skills, and my first ever playmate, before my brother was born, was my dear cousin, who one day came to me with a copy of Rayman 3; his parents got him somewhere during a trip. That game changed my brain chemistry because as soon as I saw the fairy council level, I was hypnotized, and I wasn’t even the one playing! The music, the scenery, the jokes—I don’t know, but every time we played it, I came home wishing I was still in that world. Then a few years later, my cousin got a PS3 and gave me and my brother his PS2, Rayman Raving Rabbids, and Rayman 3. I was so happy! My first ever “comic” was a very cringy Rayman fanfiction I wrote in middle school, kind of an ancestor of Rayman Nightmarish in a way, haha! I thank my cousin every day for showing me that game that evening, and if he were still here today, I bet he would think Rayman Nightmarish looks pretty sick (especially in comparison to his middle school predecessor)."

7. What is your favorite Rayman game?

"I think it’s pretty clear by now that it’s Rayman 3 since it comes with so many dear memories, but I really liked playing both Origins and Legends in co-op with my brother when they came out. They were really fun to play with others! While I’ve always considered Rayman 3 like an intimate journey to take alone in a fantasy world, as silly as it sounds. Haha!"

8. Who is your favorite Rayman character?

"I’m going to be very unoriginal and say it’s Rayman because it’s true."

9. Tell us about your time at Ubisoft Milan.

"It was better than Disneyland! I felt like a kid again being able to hang out with a team of professionals behind a whole videogame. Not only was I happy, I felt seen, like, “Woah! These guys know I exist and even asked me to come here, hello???” Pretty surreal experience!"

10. Other than playing Rayman, what are your favorite things to do?

"I’m going to be completely honest; I haven’t been playing a Rayman game since the dawn of time. Haha! Back when I was a little girl, I wasn't much of a gamer and only played Rayman games because I didn’t care for the others. Now I love my switch, and I found many more games I love to spend time with. Rayman still has a special place in my heart, because it’s thanks to it that I found out I was actually meant for writing stories. Two of my other favorite things to do (besides writing and drawing, which are obvious) are reading books and watching movies, and in both cases, my favorite genre is horror. I also like to play fantasy TTRPG games like D&D or Pathfinder from time to time; they are very stimulating for the imagination."

11. Tell us something interesting or funny about yourself that we might not already know. 

"I’ve actually graduated (both bachelor’s and master’s degree) from a music conservatory in classical piano and never taken a single class in any art school. Sometimes I feel stupid about my past choices, and sometimes I’m glad because learning to play an instrument on a professional level has helped me build discipline and time management skills that helped me greatly in the writing process."

12. Do you have any hidden talents?

"I don’t know much about "talent,” but I do love to sing in my car, and I can memorize the entire script of a movie if I like it a lot. Haha! I remember when I was in elementary school, I used to recite Madagascar to myself when it was past bedtime, but I didn’t want to sleep."

13. What is one thing you can’t live without?

"Besides my air conditioner, I think I would go insane if something happened to any of my writing devices. I keep all my notes scattered between my computer, my iPad, and many physical journals. While clouds are essential, sometimes I just need an actual piece of paper and a pencil to figure out a scene or a plot point."

Want to discover more about the Rayman Nightmarish series? This is my link tree where new readers can find the best social media platforms to either catch up with the story or stay tuned for any exciting news:

[bamboozledbird]

IGNITE: A Teen Wolf S1 AU (Reader's Version) // Prev. / Chapter 3 / Next

Characters: Stiles Stilinski, fem!reader, omc, ofc Pairing: Eventual Stiles x Reader, but man are we talking slow burn Word Count: 6.2k Warnings: Canon typical gore/violence, parental death (rip to your fake mom), depictions of depression (apathy, dissociation, 'numb little bug' vibes) Tags: Canon has been lovingly scrapped for parts, author is a chaotic bi and it shows, prolific overuse of the em dash, the slowest of burns i fear

Summary: You can always smell ash long after the fire is gone. Perhaps, that’s why you still can’t breathe without choking on the past. It’s been four years since your mom died. Four years since she burned alive. Four years since you didn’t. You survived, but they must have buried your heart with her because most days you feel like a shadow, some horrifically sad creature caught halfway between a ghost and a lamb for slaughter. 

You can’t scrub the bitter smell of hospital from your memories, not even with denial. Maybe, that’s why death and disease follows Stiles wherever he goes now. It’s been eight years since his mom died. Eight years since he didn’t. Eight years since he decided that he wouldn’t let anyone he loved die ever again. He survived, but Scott’s new-found abilities and the murky world they’ve been dragged into is making it pretty damn hard to keep his promise. 

Time never stops turning. The grief never dissipates. Children soldier on—but in a town where all the monsters under the bed are real and old family skeletons rattle in every closet, how long can two fragile, breakable humans survive? 

Maybe, the real question is: How long will they want to? Chapter Summary: More information about the animal attack comes to light. You can’t decide if you're more scared of the monster or becoming friends with someone new. 

A/N: You can also check me out on ao3 (dork_knight) for the full lore version!

You were surprised to see your dad’s car in the garage. He wasn’t supposed to be off work for hours, and he certainly never came home early on weekdays. You would be more nervous if there was anyone left in your life to grieve. It was just the two of you now. Your mom hadn’t ever talked about her family; you weren't even sure if she ever had one, and Grandma and Papa Dickinson died before you even had the chance to remember them. You wished, sometimes, that there was someone else in the house. Someone who could fill the cold silence and closed doors. Someone who might chase away the ghosts lingering in the long halls and photographs on the walls. It was a futile dream. You were going to die in this house, and someday a new family would chase your family’s shadows away with laughter.

You felt a bittersweet sense of déjà vu when you walked into the house and saw your dad sitting at the kitchen table. The kitchen was his spot before everything went wrong. He puttered around the island in the mornings with his thermos of coffee and tablet, somehow knowing exactly when to flip the bubbling pancakes on the griddle without glancing up from whatever NPR article he was reading. He only looked up from the screen to kiss your mom on the cheek and give you a side-squeeze until you whined about your inability to breathe. 

That was a long time ago, you reminded yourself as your dad looked up from his iPad. It’d been four years, but he still hadn’t quite figured out how to hug you and the kitchen never smelled like pancakes and cinnamon syrup anymore. “How was school?” your dad finally said after a long moment of uneasy eye-contact. 

Your brow wrinkled, and your head canted slightly, “You really want to talk about my day?”

“Of course,” your dad paused and rubbed his hands over his face, “but there is something important I wanted to talk to you about.” His stubble had grown out enough that you could see where the brown was starting to gray. He looked so old for a moment, and you weren't quite sure how to feel. You never did around him. 

Frowning, you sat down in the chair across from him, “Did someone die?”

“No,” your dad quickly replied, and then he sighed, “well, yes.” He set his iPad to the side and took his thick reading glasses off, “You know about the animal attacks.” It wasn’t a question. You figured that was how this would go; it was easier to pretend you didn’t exist if he monologued to the spot on the wall just over your shoulder. “Sheriff Stilinski and I agree that a curfew is the best course of action, considering the situation we’re in.”

Best course of action. You chewed on what was left of your nails and resisted the sigh budding in your chest. So, this was a council meeting too. You just didn’t get a vote. “Okay.” 

“Okay.” Your dad blinked a few times and rubbed at his jaw, like he’d been expecting you to fight him on it. Most of the fight fizzled out in you a long time ago; it was just easier to pretend. You got that from him, you thought. You inherited your dad’s love for mystery novels and his ability to deny reality straight to its face, and that was where the similarity ended. Your face, your skin, your heart—your exhausting curiosity—that was all your mom. It must be why your dad couldn’t keep his gaze on you for long. He ran his fingers through his short crop of dark hair and said, “Anyone under the age of 18 needs to be home by 9:00 every night.” 

“Fine.” It wasn’t like you had much of a social life anyway, and the curio shop you worked for closed long before dark. “So,” you fiddled with the edge of a decorative bamboo placemat that hadn’t seen a plate in years, “do the police have any idea what kind of animal’s going all Pac-Man on people?”

Your dad stared at you for a moment, a deep divot developing above the crooked bridge of his nose. You looked down at your hands and mumbled, “The vampire Pomeranian, not the wimpyass circle.”

His mouth tugged a little, and you would’ve sworn he was fighting a smile if everything else in the world didn’t directly contradict the theory. “Not exactly.”

“Which means…” you shook your head a little and tugged your fingers through your unruly hair, grimacing a bit as they snagged on a few knots where your hair had frizzed together, “they’ve ruled out tiny bloodsucking dogs, or they’ve narrowed it down to a few probable options?” 

He paused for a long moment, and you pulled your shins to your chest, focusing on the tips of your sneakers hanging off the edge of the wooden seat. You turned your cheek into your kneecaps and waited for your dad to make an excuse and leave. You’d pushed. You always had to push. 

“There were wolf fibers on the girl.”

You whipped your head up from your knees, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted. You were a little embarrassed that you were more stunned by your dad sharing confidential information with you than a wolf migrating to central California for the first time in over a hundred years. “And the bus driver?”

“He’s still…unresponsive. Stilinski is looking into the possibility that he was attacked by the same animal.” 

“Huh,” you said quietly, eyes glazing over as you considered the possibility.

“Regardless, you need to be home before dark until they catch the damn thing,” he leaned back against his chair, tipping his head back with his bottle of Miller High life. The golden liquid sloshed back and forth with the strength of his swallow. It was the first time you’d seen him drink since the funeral, but you knew about the empty bottles he threw away in the trash outside. Over the years, the number varied; you noticed a significant increase around anniversaries, birthdays, and Christmas. You left extra take-out in the fridge during those weeks, always his favorites, and they were gone in the morning. You twisted the pendant on your necklace and made a note to order Little India’s tandoori chicken after your shift.

“I have to work tonight.” You said quietly, nibbling the bed of your thumbnail, “I’m off at 8:00.” 

You both dreaded and longed for your boss’s absurd take on the situation—though boss wasn’t quite the right word for Maggie Sinclair. Despite the fact that she owned Curio Killed the Cat and approved your paychecks, Maggie was the least authoritative person you knew. You’d say Mags was like an older sister, but older sisters generally didn’t require so much supervision around open flames and sangria—and anything else sparkling enough to distract her sporadic focus. Your mom used to look out for her before she died; you supposed Maggie was just another thing you inherited from her. Your favorite thing probably, but that was something you’d most likely take to your grave.

Your dad’s face went blank for a moment, as it always did when he was reminded of anything remotely related to your mom. It was easier for him, you thought, to pretend that she never existed. You couldn’t even be bitter about it; you hadn’t even cried at the funeral. You cried much later, of course, but by then the pity well had run dry. Nobody cared how you coped, so long as you coped quickly. You’d wasted those precious first few months of constant consolations with numbness, with monotonous, 'Thank you,’s and, 'It’s sad, but I’m okay,'s and then, eventually, everyone stopped asking if you were okay. Time passed. You didn’t touch any of the casseroles in the fridge. People moved on. You lived in the wake and pushed people away with an acrid bite that would disappoint the resurrection right out of your mother. Your dad was just coping. You both were. 

“Right,” he cleared his throat, “come straight home after.”

You shouldered your backpack and stood up, “Always do.”

You still didn’t know how Maggie met your mom, given the 15-year age gap and their vastly different…everything, but Maggie had been in your life for as long as you could remember. You spent so much time in Maggie’s store after your mom died that you figured you might as well get paid for shelving spell books and grimoires while you were there—even if you did think that most of Maggie’s customers were totally off their rocker. Of course, in-person customers were a rare oddity in Curio Killed the Cat.

The store was always slow on weekdays, weekends too actually. Most of Maggie’s business was online; she shipped ‘haunted’ and ‘magical’ artifacts all across the globe to e-goths with bad backs and Wicca wannabes. Truthfully, Maggie didn’t really need your help running the storefront, but she claimed she enjoyed the company—even if said company was bitterly sarcastic and hypercritical of the product she was stocking. 

“Hey, Mags,” you called. The bell on the front door tinkled in the background as you shoved it open with your shoulder. You paused to scratch under Maggie’s ancient tabby’s chin until he let out a sawing purr. You weren't exactly sure how old Gizmo was, but he behaved more like the taxidermied animals on the walls than the stray cats that lived in the small alley behind the store. 

“Maggie’s head popped up from the circle of book-stack pillars surrounding her. A few of her black curls frizzed out from her bun like a chaotic springy bow and her sweater swallowed her whole despite the relatively warm evening. “Babe,” Maggie placed her hands on your shoulders and grinned at you with a little too much teeth, “thorn in my side, light of my life.”

You lifted the large pair of acrylic glasses from Maggie’s nest of curls and then slipped them over her rounded nose with a reluctant sigh, “What?”

“Glasses. That was next on the agenda.” Maggie blinked owlishly behind her lenses as her eyes adjusted, and then they lit up with whatever it was she’d miraculously remembered, “I am so delighted to see you.”

“It’s Monday.” Gizmo curled around your leg and meowed pathetically until you bent down and lifted him onto you shoulder, “I work Mondays.”

Maggie rolled her eyes, “I’m aware; I made the schedule. The Concerta isn’t completely defective.”

You grinned a little, and Gizmo kneaded your chest in agreement, “So: You’re delighted to see me.”

Nodding rapidly, Maggie picked up a lavishly bound book from one of the stacks of new inventory. It was so tall that it reached her chin, and there were four more just like it in the back. “I need these stocked for realsies,” Maggie said, blowing off the thin layer of dust that had started to gather on the cover. She dropped the book back on top of the pile with a loud thump and carefully avoided knocking anything over on her way to the front of the store, “And I’m currently in the middle of a bidding war.”

“Haunted or historical?” you grabbed the clunky price gun off of the tarot card display.

“A little of both actually,” Maggie hummed, fiercely focused on the computer screen. Her nose was almost smashed against the monitor.

You set Gizmo down on the floor, patting his head tenderly when he let out a disgruntled whine and clawed at your thin knee socks. Eventually, the effort became too much for his poor paws to bear, and he waddled off towards one of his many nesting spots. “For you or for the store?” you pulled the stepladder away from the wall of stone runes and protection charms and plopped yourself down on the top step.

“For you, actually,” Maggie grinned a little and winked, “don’t say I never gave ya’ nothing.”

“Wonderful,” you dropped your chin into your cupped hands, “a poltergeist bonus.”

Maggie huffed and shoved the sleeves of her hand-knitted cardigan up to her elbows, “It’s not actually haunted. Not really. It’s like…a spirit router, basically. Whatever. It’ll make me feel better about you walking around with a rabid Cujo on the loose.”

“Aw,” you smirked good-naturedly and slapped a price tag on a book entitled ‘Heal the Witch Wound Inside’—$35.99, and for what? You were too amused to point out the redundancy of rabid Cujo. “You got me a guardian angel.”

“Trying to,” Maggie corrected her under her breath, “but MagikMike9917 is a persistent little bitch.”

You laughed and slid ‘Witch Wound’ into the self-help section, “Just get me a mini-taser; they come in some real cute cases now.”

“Mhm.” Maggie briefly glanced over in your direction and then abruptly whirled her head back towards the thick book in your hands, “Not that one.”

You narrowed your gaze as you examined the cover of the book more closely. You had to admit, it was beautiful. The leather was a deep burgundy, and the spine was hand stitched together with gold thread—but it was the carving on the front that really caught your attention. There were two wolves etched into the leather. Their howling snouts pointed towards the full moon above their heads, and their tails entwined around the roots of a large tree sprouting into the sky. Ornate symbols framed the borders of the scene, and a few scattered jewels glinted in the light. It must have taken at least a week to finish. 

You held up the book, your brow curved into a high arch, “This for me too? ‘Cause I’ve already seen The Witcher; pretty sure I got the gist.”

Rolling her eyes, Maggie reached blindly for her soup mug of passionflower and mugwort tea. The smell of it was truly rank, but you had grown accustomed to the musky bitterness over the years. “That one’s already sold. They should be dropping by to pick it up anytime now.” She raised her cup towards you, “I told you bestiaries are essential reading.”

“For dungeon masters, maybe,” you hummed as you studied the cover again. The red and citrine jewels in the wolves’ eyes seemed to be winking at you when the light hit them at the just right angle. 

“Which is an essential contribution to society,” Maggie punctuated her sentence with a loud slurp. 

Your lips gave way to a small grin as you set the book to the side. You’d stocked around half the stacks of books when the front door chimed for the first time since your shift started. You looked towards the door and squinted at the increasingly familiar smattering of freckles and moles, “Are you stalking me now? I will tell your dad; I’m not above snitching or stitches.” 

Stiles blinked a few times and then shook his head, holding up his hands, “I swear on my jeep this time it’s a coincidence. I ordered something here like a week ago.”

You folded your arms over your chest, “And your jeep is sacred, is it?”

Stiles nodded solemnly and rested his hand over his chest, “The sacredest.” 

If the muttered cursing and aggressive sipping was anything to go by, Maggie was too busy with her eBay war to be of any help with inventory. Stocking would have to wait. You stood up and glanced over Stiles’s shoulder, “Where’s your sidekick?”

Stiles squeezed one eye almost completely shut and looked off into the void with the other until realization dawned over his face, “You mean Scott?” He snorted and shot you a grin that was loaded with self-pity, “I’m usually the sidekick reference. Always, actually.” 

You nodded and looked down, searching for the culprit of the little head butting into your shin. Gizmo was probably the most ineffective, geriatric guard dog in the entire animal kingdom, but you appreciated the effort. You scooped him up into your arms so that he could better inspect the strange boy who’d invaded his den and nuzzled your nose against the black stripe on top of his head. “They do tend to never shut up.” 

Stiles looked like he wanted to argue—a frequent expression of you were beginning to realize—and then his shoulders slumped in defeat, “Holy shit, I’ve been type-casted.”

“You could do an arthouse film,” you tilted your head, “show people you’ve got range.”

Stiles nodded, considering the idea, “My charming wit and boyish good looks are really holding me back.” He stooped down to scratch behind Gizmo’s ears. Gizmo bristled for a moment, eyeing his hand suspiciously, but he eventually flopped back in your arms after a few curious sniffs. “No one takes me seriously.”

“Uh huh.” You watched Stiles pet Gizmo and tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear, trying to remember the last man Gizmo hadn’t bit. You couldn’t recall a single one. Warmth enveloped your face when Stiles looked up and met your gaze. He didn’t appear to think much of it, just turned his eyes towards the ground and stroked Gizmo’s little gray toes. 

You set Giz down, despite his pathetic protests, and turned towards the stockpile of inventory, fighting the urge to bite your nails to the quick, “So, what’d you order, boy wonder?” You looked over your shoulder when Stiles didn’t answer. He was smiling a little, mostly to himself, with his hands shoved in his pockets. Your brows quirked, “What?”

“Nothing.” He groaned a little when you kept looking at him, your brows still cocked, and then shrugged with his hands still fisted in his jacket pockets, “It’s just not so bad, the sidekick thing. It’s not so pathetic when you say it like that.”

You swallowed, a little startled by his honesty even though you were the one who’d insisted upon it. “Order?”

“Right,” he nodded a few times and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s a thickass book, wolves on the front, about yea big,” Stiles held his palms almost six inches apart from each other. “Please don’t make me say the name; I’m pretty sure it’s Latin.”

You grabbed the bestiary you’d set aside earlier and looked at the cover again; there was a small inscription just below the tree roots. “It’s Greek, actually.” You brushed your fingers over the indented letters, “φυσιολόγος.”

Stiles shook his head and took his frustration out on the air with a dramatic jerk of his hands, “In English?”

“The Naturalist,” your lips curled into a shrewd smile, “so sorry we don’t carry it in Japanese.”

Stiles pursed his lips and snatched the book out of your hands. “Hilarious. Truly. I don’t just watch anime, y’know. I also like…” he trailed off and scratched at the nape of his neck, “very cool, normal things.”

“Such as?” 

He pulled a face that was distinctly reminiscent of a little kid sticking their tongue out, “Such as shut your face.”

“Wow.” Shaking your head, you returned to your task of shelving books—this one was about the spiritual properties of mushrooms—and made a popping noise with your tongue against the top of your mouth, “You better hope there’s an English translation in there ‘cause consider my mouth officially shut.”

“I’m not an idiot,” Stiles continued quickly, words almost overlapping with the speed of his tongue, before you could take advantage of such low-hanging fruit, “I made sure I could read it before I bought it—being comprehensible is literally the least it can do for 50 bucks plus shipping.” He shook his head and held up the book, “Can you believe the library wouldn’t order it for me?”

“Imagine that,” you chided, “and with all the demand for vintage bestiaries too.”

He dropped his order on top of a rickety writing desk that supposedly belonged to a Beacon Hills’ heretic who died in the 1800s—at least, according to the tag hanging from one of the drawers and Maggie’s generous interpretation of her family history. “D&D is coming back in a big, big way,” Stiles pointed at you and winked with obnoxious flourish, “just you wait.”

You smirked, pointedly ignoring your recurrent childhood obsession with Egyptian and Roman mythology, and smacked the side of the price gun until the sticker tape unjammed, “My instinct is to make fun of you, but I’m afraid the hypocrisy will catch up with me.”

“What?” Stiles glanced around the store and smirked, “Are you one of those new-agey astrology, crystal nerds? How many fingers is my aura holding up right now?”

You gave him a flat look and reached for another book. “We don’t sell crystals, actually. They aren’t that common in ritualistic spell-casting.”

Stiles blinked slowly, “You’re joking.”

“Wish I was.” You still weren't entirely sure if Maggie actually believed in all this spiritualist-mythical bullshit. She contradicted herself constantly, and often said things just to make your face pinch in disbelief, but at the same time she still insisted that you keep a protection charm bundle under your bed. The smell of the divination tea, at the very least, was great at warding off unwanted chitchat. “Animal blood is the main ingredient in most of ‘em.”

“That’s…repulsive,” Stiles cringed, restless fingers meandering towards the shelves of books next to you. He pulled out a small illuminated grimoire and flipped through the yellowing pages, pulling a face every so often at some of the more unsavory hex materials. 

You pried the book from his fingers and slid it back into its correct slot. Maggie didn’t actually ask you to organize them; her exact words were, ‘Slap a sticker on ‘em and stick ‘em on a shelf,’ but the idea of such a chaotic setup haunted you until you finally reshelved them all with a revised, occult-specific Dewey Decimal System. “It’s actually just corn syrup and—”

“100% authentic dove juice,” Maggie interrupted from behind the front counter without removing her face from her monitor.

Stiles jerked his head to the side, evidently just realizing that there was someone else in the room with you, and then swiveled back to you with his face stretched out in a toothy grin, “That dove juice discount must save you, like, so much money.”

You watched Stiles, warily and wearily, reach for a meditation journal from one of the heaps by your legs, “I have to stock that.”

Stiles turned the journal over in his hands, “Lemme help.”

You huffed deeply and gestured to the diligently organized bookshelves, “I have a system.”

He gave a staunch shake of his head and hunched down so that he could read the small stickers on the spines, “I owe you—for covering for me.”

You took the journal from his hands and squatted down to the bottom shelf. You quickly found the guided meditation section and managed to squeeze the bulky notebook between ‘Walking the Pagan Path’ and ‘Warding Your Mind' with some aggressive wiggling. You looked up briefly and met Stiles’s eyeline. He was especially lanky from this angle. Lanky and soft, with his layers of sleeves and rounded features. You tucked a loose curl behind your ear and looked back at the line of jewel-toned spines, “How is he? Scott?”

“Better.” He tapped his fingers against the top of the bookshelf to a rhythmic beat that felt familiar, “Exposure therapy is a real pain in the ass.”

“I thought it was ‘low blood sugar.’”

“That too.” Stiles leaned over your head and grabbed another book, and you shivered the soft cotton hem of his jacket skimmed over your face. “He’s hemophobic and breakfastphobic,” he said as he handed you the book. You hummed softly in appreciation as he continued, “It’s a vicious cycle, actually. Dude would totally fall apart without me.”

“That’s nice.” You tipped your chin up towards him and grinned, “Totally bogus, but still nice.”

“I told you.” His smile was smug, but somehow still dopey enough to be charming, “I’m a nice guy.”

Your thighs started to ache from squatting in the same position for so long, so you dropped onto your knees, shivering as your bare skin pressed against the cold hardwood floor. “I’m still not sharing my sacrificial blood discount with you.”

“Guess I have to get a job here, then,” Stiles shrugged and leaned against the bookcase, jerking back a bit when he turned his head and came face-to-face with a yellow-eyed taxidermied owl. He turned it around until the glass eyes were safely pointed in the opposite direction and said, “That way I can drive you nuts all day long and become a master wizard.”

You clicked your tongue; the cluck rang with saccharinely sweet pity, “Sucks that you’re only qualified for the first part.”

“Yeah? How’d you get the job, then? You clearly don’t respect the craft.” Stiles ran his spindly fingers along a row of spines, and you wondered if he could play the piano. He certainly had the hands for it. 

“Mags knew my mom, so…” you chewed on your lip until the metallic tang of copper burst on the tip of your tongue. You abruptly returned your attention to shelving the Wicca section and fiddled with the spines until they were all perfectly in line with each other, “It’s more nepotism than anything else, but I do take the history books home sometimes.”

Stiles looked at you, and the prickling sensation of being seen started slithering through your nervous system again. It took you a few tries to get Greek and Roman Necromancy to slip into the small gap on the shelf in front of you. Stiles crouched down next to you. His mouth was twisted around a sly smile, but you could see the earnestness in his eyes, “Witch training?”

You grinned a little, grateful for the out, “Hardly. I just like the lore.”

“Yeah,” Stiles’ gaze drifted towards the book he ordered; the wolves’ gleaming eyes were almost hypnotic, “me too.” 

“I’d hope so, for 50 bucks.” you nudged his knee with your elbow, and he swayed precariously on his perched toes and then shot you a glare that lacked any actual malice. “There are cheaper D&D monster manuals, y’know.”

He snickered and elbowed you in the ribs, gently but his bony limbs were sharp and unforgiving, “I knew you were a nerd.”

You were tempted to rebut the accusation, but he already had far too much evidence to the contrary. At least, he didn’t know about your Data/Geordi fanfiction phase—and no one ever would, you thought darkly. You’d have to kill them, probably, or at the very least flee the country.

“At least I’m not a sucker.” You stood up and brushed off your socks, though there was nothing to be done about the red indentations on your kneecaps from kneeling on oak flooring for so long, “Just how easy would it be to convince you to drop another 50 on a replica Byzantine amulet?”

Stiles held out his hand, shaking it in the air incessantly for far too long. You tilted your head and tried not to smirk at his predicament. The longer you watched him struggle, the more pathetic his pleading became. Eventually, Stiles groaned and pushed himself onto his feet with exaggerated effort, “Obviously not very. Evil spirit didn’t even crack the top 20 on my suspect pool.”

“Got it.” You propped your arm on top of an antique guillotine, bent elbow crooked along the wooden pillory. Stiles stared at the rusted blade and then gawked at your arm. He looked like he was a few seconds away from shoving you out of the way, even though the edge was dull with age and safely secured to the iron frame with thick rope. Rolling your eyes, you stepped away from the antique and trailed your fingers over a less forbidding oddity. 

You spun the brass globe a few times and said, “So silver bullets, then? I’m sure there’s some kind of bulk-discount we can work out.”

Stiles’ eyes snapped to your face, “What?”

“You know,” you gestured towards the order he abandoned while buzzing after you like an especially tenacious mosquito, “for all the werewolves running around town. Thought you’d already know that, being a wannabe wizard n’all.” 

“Right.” Stiles’s jaw shut with a click as he ran his hand over his head, “Duh.” He rubbed at his bicep and swallowed a few times before clearing his throat, “Didn’t get to that chapter yet. Clearly, I’ve got a lot of studying to do before I graduate from apprentice to master.” 

You squinted at him, mulling over if you should call him out on his odd behavior or just chalk it up to his usual weirdness. Maggie materialized behind you before you could do either. She placed her hands on your shoulders, squeezing softly, and then shuffled you to the side so that she could join your little circle, “I’m strictly anti-gun violence; the NRA hates me—but we do carry wolfsbane essence.”

“Don’t say essence,” you grimaced.

“We have some wolfsbane goo in the back.” Maggie pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and pivoted back to you, “Happy?”

“Not even remotely.” You turned towards Stiles, finally grateful for his presence. Usually, you were on your own in your never-ending believer versus non-believer disputes, and Maggie was somehow under the impression that she wasn’t massively outnumbered beyond these four spooky walls. Oddly, Stiles looked lost in thought. The one time you needed his dismissive snark, and he just had to actually consider the opposing side.

“Is this like the dove juice thing?” Stiles watched Maggie’s face closely, astute eyes tracking every minute twitch and flicker in her expression. It was easy to make out all the different pieces of Sheriff Stilinski in his face like this. You could see the calculations running behind his eyes, the strings coming together, the chess pieces moving. The effect was startlingly piercing. “Or is this actually the real deal?”

You stared at him, face scrunched in bewilderment, but Maggie was undeterred, “We only sell the real deal in the back, to the honored few.”

Stiles looked towards you, his right brow raised. You sighed, folding your arms over your chest and flicking your hair over your shoulder, “Real useless, but…yeah. The plants are real I guess.”

Maggie winked, “I’ll even give you the friends and family discount.”

You scoffed, “We aren’t friends.”

Stiles frowned, momentarily distracted from his intense investigation of Maggie’s body language, “We aren’t?”

You licked your rapidly drying lips and shook your head slightly, more confused than indignant. Truth be told, you’d expected him to agree with you. You hadn’t known each other for long, and he seemed to be more interested in your connection to Lydia than forming one with you. You hadn’t even considered the possibility that he wanted to talk to you about anything else. It’d been a long time since anyone wanted to, that’s all. The friends who hugged you at the funeral, they stopped coming around a long time ago, and they still avoided you at school—like you were contagious, like you’d leak radiation and your misery would metastasize in their bone marrow. You still woke up crying sometimes, throat claggy with stubborn shadows, choking on the hollow bones of picked-apart memories—too busy shoveling dirt to consider tomorrow. 

You scratched at your arm absently and rolled your eyes, slowly, so that everyone could see how utterly unaffected you were, “It’s a couple hundred bucks for a few millimeters of emulsified weeds. If we were friends, I wouldn’t even let you buy something so stupid.”

Stiles’s frown quickly curved into a crooked grin, boyishly charming and vexingly sure, “Sounds like that’s exactly what you’re trying to do.”

Maggie reappeared through the door to the back room, locking it with one of the many keys dangling from her strawberry lanyard. You didn’t have a clue when she’d disappeared to begin with, but the vial clutched in her hand was far more interesting. It was filled with a thick purple liquid, so dark it was almost black. Maggie held it out to Stiles and laughed at his inquisitive stare, “It’s on the house this time, ‘cause you’re such good friends with my darlingest girl.”

Eventually, Stiles took the vial from her hand. “Yeah, darling,” Stiles smirked and rolled the vial between his long fingers, “‘cause we’re such good friends.” The liquid sloshed slowly, a little like a lava lamp, and you kind of wanted to stuff it down his throat.

“Careful with that,” Maggie blinked at you behind her thick lenses. She wasn’t grinning or winking. It was a little eerie to see her so still, like her body had been snatched by a pod person and it was trying to mimic casual human behavior. “It's potent stuff. Shish-kebab a were with that, and they’ll be dead by sunrise—humans too, obviously, so please don’t stick it in your mouth.”

“If you can even get that close,” Stiles muttered to himself as he held the vial up to his pinched gaze.

“To a werewolf,” you deadpanned, looking between the two of them, searching their faces for any indication of irony. Bat-shit. Your grand total of two friends were both certifiably batty.

Stiles was too busy looking at the back of Maggie’s head to absorb your mockery. Your brow furrowed at the intensity of his stare until your attention was diverted to the dusky orange cast over his skin. You glanced out the window; daylight was rapidly fading. Was it really already almost 8:30? “You should probably head home,” you raised your chin towards the door, “if you don’t want to run into the big bad wolf with a purple goo heavy arsenal.” 

He let out a little laugh, more like a breath really, and muttered, “You have no idea.” Your forehead crinkled as you parsed over whatever the hell that meant, and Stiles shoved the book he ordered into his already overcrowded backpack. “I’ll see you at school.”

Your chin bobbed as you gave him a little nod. You lifted Gizmo from his bed of tasseled meditation cushions, for your own comfort this time, and nosed into his matted fur. Maybe, Stiles was just…really into larping, or maybe he was just…a really dedicated collector of supernatural keepsakes—because there was absolutely no way that you just naturally attracted delusional conspiracy theorists. You’d already met your quota of one the moment you were born. 

“Get home safe.” Stiles’s voice pulled your face from Gizmo’s neck. He lingered against the doorframe, clutching his backpack strap. The corner of his mouth cocked into a tight smile, “No more dead batteries after dark, okay? I’ll kick your ass if you get eaten.”

You took a moment to smile, but once you did, it unfurled over your entire face like sunset coating the store in a golden glow. The corners of your eyes crinkled as you shook your head a little, “I’ll try to restrain myself from killing any more cars.”

“Friends,” Stiles grinned and pointed at you, “we’re totally friends.” He ducked out the door before you had the chance to disagree, but you couldn’t decide if you really wanted to this time. 

You almost dropped Gizmo when Maggie bumped you with your hip. “Who the hell was that?” 

“Stiles. He’s…” you waved your hand in the air and eventually settled on, “a friend.”

Maggie stroked the gray fluff on Gizmo’s cheek, cooed when he rubbed his face against her palm, and then pursed her lips, “Uh huh.”

You shrugged and buried your nose in Gizmo’s neck again, taking solace in the fact that at least half of your face was hidden by silver fur, “So he’s more like a fungus in my life.”

Maggie’s grin was insufferable. Her cheeks dimpled, and her eyes nearly disappeared into happy little crescent moons, “Uh huh.”

You glowered at a stuffed crow perched on top of a water-logged armoire; there was a shine in its beaded eyes that appeared a lot like laughter. “You are the single most irritating person I have ever met.”

It was an admirable trait, never getting upset, never getting offended—but at the moment you wished that Maggie wasn’t so idealistic. She simply gave you a smile that was annoyingly wrought with meaning and took Gizmo from your arms. “Whoever the hell he is, he’s right. Get your ass home before the Wolf Man bites it.”

Maggie wiggled her fingers in the air, and you shoved them away from your face. “I’m going. I’m going.” You paused at the door, gave the store one last look and Gizmo a little good-bye wave, “Seriously, mini-taser, Mags. Prime shipping’s gotta be faster than the spirit realm.” At the very least, a taser might actually have a chance against whatever carnivore was hell-bent on ruining your sophomore year.

[goggles-mcgee]

Hi! I hope you’re doing well! Do you have any head canons about your felinette stories (Moving on, finding home; The haunted Bride, The not-so phantom…) and Marinette, the Rolling Stone? I love all of your stories, specially daminette 😈

Hi! Of course I do! But since you're grouping them for the Felinette, I will focus these headcanons on the felinette aspects a bit! Also I am so sorry for the very late reply. Motivation has been very low 😔

Moving On, Finding Home:

•As Marinette starts to work with Amelie, Amelie decided they should go out for lunch along with Felix, but when they got to the cafe she suddenly had some business to take care of and rushed off. Felix took this as an opportunity to really talk to Marinette and apologize for his behavior last time he was in Paris.

•At first she's skeptical but as he went into detail about why he did it, she feels for him. He told her about the loss of his father and that he knew it wasn't an excuse but he had been hurt and angry. Especially at Adrien and his Uncle. He was surprised when she didn't immediately jump to Adrien’s defense.

•Since he was so willing to be vulnerable and he seemed genuine in wanting to start over with her, Marinette told him everything that had happened at school. At first she had just wanted to explain that her and Adrien weren't friends anymore but once she started talking she couldn't stop.

•After this talk, things work a lot smoother, and Felix actually tags along with his mother when she goes to meet Marinette. Somehow them having lunch became a routine as well, but neither teen complains.

•Amelie adores Marinette and has a hard time not spoiling the girl but she can't help that her love language is gift giving and look...if Marinette is going to be taking on as big a project as she is then of course she needs a new design desk...and tablet since her old one had a chip on the corner...and a new mattress because her little designer needs the best sleep to dream up wonderful designs!

•Felix does try to reign her in, but it's hopeless.

•Tom and Amelie are two peas in a protective-parent-pod. They love talking to each other about their respective child and all they do in the name of that love, like the time Tom threw Marinette’s birthday cake in the trash several times in a panic because he didn't want to spoil the surprise. Tom and Amelie basically become bestie with a fond Sabine watching over.

•Amelie being a Petty Betty and allowing paparazzi to take pictures of her, Felix and Marinette when they are out together (with permission, of course) all so she could show off how cute Felix and Marinette are together but also to rub it in the face of her brother-in-law that she nabbed the very talented designer before him.

•Felix does become the new Chat Noir, but he changes his name to Grimalkin and Adrien, who starts not-so-vague posting on his Chat Noir account on social media that the name sucks and nitpicks about everything of the new Cat Hero.

•The class start to think the reason Marinette has "changed" so much is because of Felix, and they start trying to include her in things again in an attempt to lure her away from the "problem" Lila hates this and tries to intervene but it never works out for her.

•Gabriel is having a rough month, what with Lila Rossi being herself, the Dupain-Cheng girl getting snatched up by his dreadful sister-in-law right before he was going to open an early-experience type of internship so he could keep her close and figure out how to akumatize her but also she did have great talent and it would be a waste if he let her slip through his fingers, then Adrien reveals he and Mlle Dupain-Cheng aren't on speaking terms and to top it all off!!! There is a new cat hero who is actually competent, and that is making being a super villain very hard.

The Haunted Bride:

•Marinette had for as long as she remembers, been obsessed with the Culpa Mansion. Her parents thought it was cute and funny at first, but when she still spoke about it and even spoke about details, she couldn't have possibly known, but when she overheard her parents talking about taking her to a professional or something she stopped talking so in depth about it.

•But she dreamt of it almost every night and keeps a dream journal where she drew a lot of things from her dreams. She has it locked and hidden because she fears if anyone found it, they would think she was crazy, especially her parents.

•Hawkmoth is defeated and in jail, but Adrien did somehow get through it all without being suspected of aiding his father. Nathalie is the one taking care of Adrien since Gabriel took the fall for everything.

•Marinette as Ladybug, decided against Ladybug and Chat Noir revealing their identities to each other. Something just told her not too but she did promise that if Chat found her, she would let him know. Her and Adrien dating kind of happened out of nowhere to her, but then he kept making cat puns here and there, and well Marinette came to the conclusion he was Chat and hat found her. So she made her own subtle references.

•Adrien does not know that she is Ladybug, but she thinks he does. He just started dating her because she reminded him of Ladybug, and while he did start to like her, he was still very much in "love" with Ladybug.

•Marinette starts to realize he actually doesn't know who she is, and it kind of opens her eyes to how he tries to manipulate her. She doesn't think he is doing it maliciously or anything, but she can see how much he values the class and keeping things happy, and she sees that he's doing it kind of subconsciously so he can keep his perceived normal and happiness. It's why he never breaks the peace, even if it's the right thing to do.

•When she wins the trip to the Mansion, Marinette actually exchanges letters with the owner of the Mansion, who happens to be her age, and she thinks that's cool. They become pen-pals and friends, and Marinette is just so happy to get to rant to someone just as obsessed with the mansion as much as her.

•When she and her class go to the mansion, she is already trying to break up with Adrien but that's kind of hard to do when he won't spend any time alone with her like a boyfriend should. She finds out that Lila is the one manipulating him in hopes that he would be charmed by her and fall for her. The girl squad (some of them) are helping her.

•Marinette is almost always somehow left alone, and during those times, she meets with Felix, and they just have a fun time hanging out, and Marinette finds herself falling for him. She only ever meets him at night though but it's when she's with him that she feels the happiest and most clear headed. He keeps her grounded.

•But while staying in the mansion, her dreams come back in such vividity that she starts having trouble determining what reality is and what is a dream.

The Not-So Phantom of the Théâtre du Châtelet:

•Felix is not scarred, nor does he live underneath the theater. The Phantom is a character he plays to manipulate and scare those who seek to hurt the theater and the owner, his mother. He doesn't mind the rumor. He plays into it in the name of protecting his mother and the theater she loves. He also does not care nor mind hurting others to do so.

•He works as a permanent stage hand and sometimes a stage manager since he knows the theater better than anyone. Yes, he did build hidden trap doors and such to help with his time as the Phantom.

•But what started as him protecting his mother and their theater kind of morphed into punishing those he thinks deserves it and if you're thinking his mother would not approve of this or not know what her son is doing, nah. She knows and supports her troubled little man.

•When he first meets Marinette, he immediately realizes what potential she has and is charmed by her almost immediately. They become friends as costume designer and stage hand. But when he sees the treatment of her from her ex-boyfriend and the lead actress, he will do anything to protect her.

•Marinette didn't believe in the Phantom until all these strange events started happening, and she keeps getting roses left in her workshop. She doesn't know how she feels about everything and thinks that makes her an awful person.

•She does have a crush on Felix, and they connect so well, but she also can't help but be drawn to the Phantom when they keep having encounters.

Marinette The Rolling-Stone:

•Marinette meets Felix after her big move to London when she goes to her new private school. Yes, Jagged and Penny enrolled her in a private academy because they feared what people would do if she were in a public school, given all that happened and what was televised.

•It's a school that allows her to work from home sometimes. The excuse that was given was that it was due to her adopted father's work schedule, but in actuality, it was because Marinette told Jagged and Penny about being Ladybug and the Guardian and they agreed she could home-school on days she needed to be in Paris.

•She got adopted into the Quantic Kids group by surprisingly Felix. He just felt like she needed friends, and she reminded him of himself before he became friends with his friends.

•It takes a while for her to trust them, but when she does, she cries over how much happier she is. When she starts getting feelings for Felix she's scared but Jagged and Penny help her through it.

•Felix doesn't know when he fell for Marinette, but contrary to what his friends think, he didn't freak out or get angry or anything like that. To him, it made sense, she made sense...they made sense. So no, he isn't scared of his feelings and is more than determined to prove himself to Marinette.

•Her friends find out she is Ladybug and convince her to let them help. Of course, she doesn't want to, but things are getting worse, and she needs people she can trust. Jagged and Penny are also there to help as well.

•Felix, of course, becomes the new Cat Miraculous Holder and becomes known as Carbonel!

[daceydeath]

A Work Proposal (Part 15)

Pairing: Changbin x reader x Felix

Word Count: 2.5K

Genre: Smut 🔞

Warnings: 18+, Minors DNI, swearing, unprotected sex (don't be idiots), fingering, pet names

You had been working with Stray Kids for a while now and after a long day at work turns into a very unexpected but intriguing proposal. Will this change your world or end your career?

This was the first time you had ever left the country on an actual world tour, sure you had travelled with the kids to Japan on the occasion but this was a non stop for weeks at a time which was all new to you. Sure you knew the schedule back to front and start to finished because you had helped with the entire almost military operation it took to organize it but to actually be going along for the ride was not something you had ever done. The first few shows had been an intense burst of emotions, hopes, dreams and achievements and you could not have been prouder at how hard the kids had worked or how well it had all worked. But now sitting on a plane to head to Japan knowing you were going to be away for the better part of 2 months you were nervous of not only what might go wrong with the schedule but what might happen with your involvement in their lives as well as with their work.

All the stage crew and band had flown ahead so that things could be set up and ready to go and so far they stage crew had said that everything was running to schedule. The make up, costume and hair crew and half on the managers were on the next flight out and you were now sitting beside Chan feeling like there was something that you had missed.

"You are more nervous than the rest of us and it's our tour" Chan chuckled easily pulling his headphone out of his ear.

"I'm worried that its not going to be perfect" you sighed leaning back in the seat watching as some of the others took their plane selfies for Bubble and got themselves comfortable.

"It will be no matter what happens, we all know how hard you worked for us so it will be amazing" he sighed nudging you with his shoulder so that it didn't seem to friendly, you weren't taking chances with the other managers and flight crew around.

"So have you worked out your hotel room schedule?" you asked quietly looking at your tablet to check if there was anything you needed to do before you landed "Han told me you were working on some sort of who shares with who schedule".

"Of course he tells you that" Chan laughed loudly making it look like you two were laughing at something on your tablet "We thought if we just decided where you were all the time that would be a bit shitty of us".

"Because you are going to be exhausted and need rest after each show?" you mused knowing that at least with him that was never going to happen.

"No because you are your own person and you should be able to decide who you are with too not just be passed around like a toy, none of us ever want you to be hurt again because of any of us, you mean too much to us" he whispered seriously his voice soft as though he really needed you to understand how much they all cared.

"I know I'm not Channie" you smiled trying your hardest to not lean in and kiss his soft plump lips as you met his eyes looking at you so affectionately "I know that you all care for me".

"More than just care" he whispered his eyes flicking to your lips before he shook his head a little and moved himself back from you to prevent himself giving in to the exact same need you were feeling. Sighing you went back to your endless checking up on the schedule and making sure that in the few hours until you land the extra security you had arranged would be ready and in position to keep the kids safe. You didn't want to run any chances of anyone falling or getting injured by people who seemed to not be able to tell what was and wasn't appropriate when faced with seeing their favorite idol in the flesh.

When the plane touched down in Tokyo you were relieved staff were already making their way through security and immigration to collect everyone's bags, the head of the security that you had arranged was waiting for you and the fans in the terminal were, for the moment at least, brilliantly behaved. You made your way through the international terminal fairly easily hoping that the same level of respect would be maintained once you got into the general public section of the terminal, but you were faced with more fans than you expected. The kids were kept safe but the three guards you had asked for each member but it was the sheer small area of space that you were given to get through that was making you feel very uneasy especially when it came to the point you needed to form a single file to get through, you had been walking beside Chan most of the time keeping an eye out for all of the members in front of you but when Chan placed his hand on your lower back to move you in front of him to now keep you safe you knew that you were going to be scrutinized by Stay.

Stepping into the car you felt a sense of relief as Chan sat behind you beside Changbin and Felix dropped himself next to you while Seungmin sat in front of you.

"Is it always that...intense?" you asked nervously knowing that you would get a straight answer from them more than the other staff members.

"No sometimes it's worse" Changbin hummed his hand on Felix's shoulder.

"Ok good to know, I'll be more prepared next time" you sighed pressing your cool hands to your warm cheeks.

"Are you alright Jagi?" Felix mumbled taking his hand and placing against your forehead to check you.

"I'm alright Felix, I just don't like large crowds, makes me nervous" you smiled softly as he pouted softly lacing his fingers with yours once you lowered them from your face.

"We will keep you in the middle of us then to keep you safe" Seungmin smiled sweetly turning to look at you as you nodded knowing that you were never going to let that happen.

"We have two hours before your first sound check so that we can ensure everything is working then you have the night off before it all begins tomorrow" you announced knowing that the others in the second van were probably being told the same thing.

"So we have tonight?" Felix repeated

"Yes, you can go out and grab dinner, work out, write, rest or whatever just don't go missing or I will cry" you joked easily as the other two managers in the van chuckled along. Arriving at the hotel you went up to your room to shower and change before you made the solo trip to the venue to go over everything before the soundcheck started. The band had been set up and the stage crew had assure that the stage was safe as well as the confetti guns, streamer cannons and that the risers and stage doors were exactly to specification so all you really needed to do was the sign off before the boys tested it fully. Chan messaged you to say that they were leaving for the venue and would be there soon so you decided to wait for them in the designated rooms that had been set up for them.

"No one got lost" he grinned as he walked in followed by the other kids.

"Thank god, that would have been so much paperwork" you sighed dramatically as Chan sat next to you on the couch to look over your notes on the venue.

"Changbin and Felix want you tonight is that ok?" he whispered lowly to keep from being overheard.

"And they couldn't ask because?" you teased looking around to see if any of the managers were around.

"Because I said I would talk to you about it, and that you are already stressed about this tour you do not have to feel like you are required to stay with us every night you need rest too" he smiled wryly.

"I know that Chan and I will make sure to take care of myself too" you promised smiling at him softly.

"I'll let them know you will swing by their room later" Chan chuckled softly.

Knocking on the hotel room door seemed slightly odd considering that Chan and Lee Know's was across the hall and two doors down was their managers room. But the door swung open before you could give it much more thought and Changbin welcomed you in wearing a tight black tee that had you almost drooling as he allowed you to walk passed him into the room.

"Lixie is going to start us off baby, you want that?" Changbin whispered huskily against the shell of your ear, his broad chest pressed against your back. You couldn't help the shiver that ran down your spine as Felix grinned at you his eyes looking too innocent for what was about to happen.

"Come here Jagi" Felix purred holding his hand out to you which you took instantly letting him guide you to him to kiss you softly as he began undressing you slowly letting each piece of clothing fall to the floor around you messily while he kissed you all over.

"Felix" you gasped as he began nipping at your neck gently enough to not leave any marks on you but enough to make you skin burn for him.

"Lay down for me Jagi, I'm going to make you feel good" he mumbled against your skin as he helped you onto the bed.

"Once you get our baby to cum she's all mine" Changbin groaned as Felix ran his hands softly over your skin making you whimper in pleasure, his mouth moving to catch one of your nipples between his lips. His fingertips continued to tease you as the got closer and closer to your core seemingly happy to leave small marks on your chest as he worked you up gradually. When Felix finally pressed his fingers to your clit you moaned quietly making Felix's breath hitch your half closed eyes looking up at him.

"You're so cute Jagi" he cooed softly pressing his lips to your throat as you arched into him. Your breaths already coming out is soft pants as his talented fingers got you closer to your orgasm almost embarrassingly fast as you continued to moan and whimper at his movements.

"Relax baby, let Lixie make your stress go away" Changbin hummed from the end of the bed where he was sitting watching Felix's fingers circle you clit and your folds get wetter the closer you got.

"Lix, mmm" you mumbled your eyes glazed as you let your mind focus on the feeling of his lips on your skin and the pleasure pulsing through you while you ground your hips into his hand.

"So pretty Jagi, so pretty" he whispered biting gently at your breast and licking and sucking on the skin to sooth it.

"Lixie!" you cried your high crashing over you as you arched off the bed again his fingers slowing but not stopping to help you through your high.

"Such a good girl" Changbin groaned watching your slit glisten in the low light.

"So beautiful Jagi" Felix murmured against your lips as he kissed you softly before moving away and letting Changbin loom over you.

"All ready for me then" he smirked spreading your thighs even wider and hooking your legs over his shoulders before rubbing the tip of his cock along your folds. You gazed up at him your mouth falling open as he pushed into you even after your orgasm the feeling of being full of his cock was enough to almost sting. Changbin set a deep yet steady pace to begin with letting you feel every ridge and vein of his length as your tits bounced for him the coil in your belly starting to form again as he watched every expression you made.

"I'm going to fuck you until all you can think of is my cock baby" he smirked picking up his pace and thrusting faster into you making you gasp and mewl.

"Changbin" you whimpered as he picked up his pace again his fingers starting to massage your clit in time with his hips making you see stars, you know at this rate your going to cum again long before he does but you can't stop yourself from hurtling closer as you turned your head to find Felix slowly tugging his cock watching the spot where Changbin is disappearing inside you.

"Eyes on me baby" Changbin coos gently making you turn your head back to meet his heated gaze "Fuck you are so gorgeous like this" your eyes glazed over as your high washed over you making your walls tighten around his cock as he pulled himself from you but continued to play with your clit to let your pleasure continue washing over you.

"Changbin?" you mumbled dazed by your own pleasure and confused why he had pulled out of you when you were sure he hadn't finished.

"I'm here baby, I'm not done with this perfect pussy yet don't worry" he soothed sheathing himself into your still trembling walls. "How are you still this tight?" he groaned snapping his hips into you again making your eyes roll back in your head. Your mind could only focus on the feeling of Changbin filling you, the sound of skin smacking against skin and the sounds of Changbin and Felix's pants and groans.

"You alright Jagi?" Felix murmured letting go of his dick to crouch down beside you sweeping your hair from your sweat dampened skin. You nodded slowly not able to even form words as his fingers grazed down your cheek to your neck making you arch your back and let a nonsensical noise come from your throat.

"I don't think she can speak anymore Bin" he smirked turning his head to meet Changbin's eyes as he continued to fuck you deeply although a little slower as he moved back to where he was sitting and letting Changbin continue to fuck you into the mattress.

"Such a good girl, getting all cock drunk for me" he groaned sliding his fingers back down your leg to start pinching and rolling your puffy clit between his fingers softly making you keen loudly as another orgasm washed over you tears flowing from your eyes as you blankly started up at him your eyes to blurred with tears to even see him clearly. Another few thrusts and Changbin emptied himself inside you painting your walls white with his seed before gently pulling himself from your completely spent body.

Felix was instantly at your side stroking your skin and praising you while Changbin went into the bathroom to grab a warm wash cloth to clean you up. Together they carefully cleaned your swollen slit and wiped your tears before laying you in the large bed between them holding you closely until you began to slowly come back around.

"Didn't take care of Lix" you eventually half slurred turning your head to look at the angelic blond beside you.

"There is always the morning jagi" Felix smiled dazingly leaning forward to kiss your nose.

"Rest baby we've got you" Changbin chuckled putting your hair softly as your eyes fluttered shut again.

a/n: Thank you for reading and supporting me you are the greatest readers in the world xx

Taglist (open): @christopher-bangnaldoskzz, @symptoms-of-moonlight, @septicrebel, @ayoitschannie, @krishastumblernow, @tangerminie, @elizalabs3, @armystay89, @septemberkisses, @stay-bi, @seolarflare, @damnyouficc, @eastleighsblog, @wohaku, @bakedlilgoonie, @roamingpolar, @tara-skyhold, @spacegirlstuff, @queenmea604, @fawnpeaks, @3rachasninja, @mrsseals16, @leeknowinggg, @hyunlixsbbygirl, @obeythemasters, @tanzen-ist-gold, @freckleboilix, @junebug032 @hellothisisprincesskitty

[stratocumulusperlucidus]

WIP REC

I love love love reading WIPs, the anticipation, the excitement of getting the notification for a new chapter, even sometimes the cliffhangers... So here are some of the lovely fics I'm currently reading!

Oh and if you read these, please consider taking a minute to leave a comment, let the author know you appreciate their work 💖

This Is More of a Comment Than a Question by @caterpills

Rating: Mature | Chapters: 3/10

Three weeks before Henry Fox's tour for his fourth, highly anticipated, awards-bait novel A Brief War in December begins, his publicist Janella breaks her foot on a bunny slope at Windham. Alex can't be mad at her, even though he kind of is. Saying it out loud would be like kicking her when she was down, and she already went down a literal mountain in the worst way possible. Now crammed in Rafael Luna's corner office, Janella is shooting Alex extremely apologetic looks while slumped on her crutches, wearing a bright orange cast. The conversation about who is going to be joining Henry Fox on his multi-city trek across the U.S. is also going downhill. Alex is feeling the same sort of free fall while standing still. Because out of all the publicists available in their tiny underfunded department, the only one left to escort their company's best-selling author is regrettably him. The problem is, well, Alex absolutely hates Henry Fox.

Or: Alex is the publicist for Mountchristen Publishers, and is stuck on a two-week tour with their best-selling, but frustrating, author Henry Fox.

Her Royal Highness by @tailsbeth-writes

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences | Chapters: 5/?

'Shaan, can you please put an appointment in my diary?' 'Certainly sir, what is it for?' 'A reminder to kill Alex for getting me into this mess.' Shaan tried to hold back a smirk as he stepped back, tapping away on his tablet. 'Personally I think the blue glitter really brings out your eyes, sir.' This terrible idea had started like most of Alex’s did, a seedling planted by the most chaotic of the chaos demons; Nora.

or How Prince Henry ended up as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race UK.

the full spectrum of human emotion by @firenati0n

Rating: Mature | Chapters: 3/6

Alex grips his hand tighter. They’re going to need to have a long, hard conversation in the next five minutes, or else Alex is going to combust right here in Pez’s fancy office. Explode for all of Midtown Manhattan to see. Here lies what remains of Alex, for all the world to witness—taken out by a rogue marriage proposal from his evil boss-turned-fiancé.

Or: Working under editor Henry Fox-Mountchristen was only supposed to be Step One in Alex’s plan of achieving his big dreams—but when his boss winds up facing an even bigger problem, potential deportation, Alex finds he isn’t just a beleaguered assistant anymore. He’s the solution.

It’s fine. They only have to fool his friends, his family, the United States Government…and themselves.

Life Is Not A Movie (But We Can Have The Fairytale) by @lfg1986-2

Rating: Explicit | Chapters: 3/?

Three years after the smashing success of the first Red, White and Royal Blue film, Nicholas and Taylor are preparing to return to their roles as Henry and Alex to film the sequel. After a late night of catching up with each other and reestablishing their close bond just before rehearsals begin, they wake up to find themselves in a crazy twist of fate, where fiction blends with reality and the lines between fictional characters and the actors who portray them become irrevocably blurred.

Or

What happens when Taylor is transported into the movie universe and comes face to face with Prince Henry, while Nick wakes up to find Alex Claremont-Diaz in his living room in the place of his friend and costar? Both pairs must work together to figure out how to get themselves back where they belong, and along the way they discover some things about themselves and each other that has the potential to alter their relationships forever.

take me back to San Francisco by headabovethewater / @getmehighonmagic

Rating: Explicit | Chapters: 2/8

“You don’t look like you’re having a very good time,” a soft voice suddenly startles him from his thoughts. Henry’s entire body jerks and he spills some of his drink down the front of his shirt.

“Oh, bloody-” He leans over to put his drink on the table and starts wiping at his shirt. “No, I’m- It’s not that, it’s-” He glances fleetingly at the stranger and then down at his shirt again, before his brain finally registers that oh, glasses, dark curls, white smile, exposed chest. Henry’s head snaps back up and his lips part in astonishment. Handsome doesn’t even begin to cover it. Him.

“Hi,” the man says, then chuckles. He hands Henry a napkin and gestures towards one of the other chairs at the table. “Would you mind?”

or, Henry and Alex meet on vacation in San Francisco and an instant spark between them has both of them unable to let the other go. With only two weeks to spend together and the knowledge that it can't last beyond that, it's just a massive, insurmountable recipe for disaster.

Or is it?

Unattended / Unsent mails by amnesia_on_ice / @amnesiaa-on-ice

Rating: General Audiences | Chapters: 4/?

Alex is a Singer Songwriter, henry is his arch nemesis Actor but also secretively writer. There is a long running feud between Henry and Alex. Now they are meeting for the first time in person in a vanity after party and the stan twitter have lots to digest of the meeting.

The story of Unattended/ unsent mails.

the drag of your lips by rizcriz

Rating: Mature | Chapter 2/3

Alex isn’t sure how he got here.

Here being pressed into the couch, his roommate straddling his lap and warm against every point they’re touching, soft lips moving against his own in the most sensual, leisurely pattern that Alex’s fingers instinctively flex where they’re clinging into his lower back. He’s hard in his pants, straining towards Henry, but there’s no desperate hands grasping, no drive to take this any further.

Or, Alex just really wants to make out with someone. Henry helpfully volunteers.

Foxden Park by myheartalive / @myheartalivewrites

Rating: Explicit | Chapters: 4/9

“Yes, Alex, what a terrible destiny,” Nora says. “To be hosted for a week by all these charming rich people, who have bent over backwards to accommodate us, including sending their own carriage into town to fetch us. How very dare we drag you into their nefarious scheme.”

—

Invited to a week-long house party at the Duke of Windsor’s country residence, Alex Claremont-Diaz does not expect to find anything to enjoy about his time there. What he does find is Lord Henry, the duke’s younger brother—and a boatload of things to learn about himself.

Seven days in the country in a duke's house. What could possibly happen?

[crunchystarz]

"A Distant Memory I Used to Know"

Chapter -1 EyelessJack x GNreader

Chapter index

CW- None

Summary: Back in college an incident left you traumatized with memory loss and constant paranoia. 9 years later after you start to get a better life killings start to show up in your small town. You meet a strange familiar person and it makes you uneasy. Who... is he?

word count: 2142

You let out a groan as the alarm you had put on snooze for the third time rang through your ears. You shifted in bed staring, at the white popcorn ceiling before eventually sitting up. Your hands rummaged through the sheets to find the cause of the unrest. Once you found your phone you rubbed your eyes before making sure to hit 'stop'.

You rolled over covering your face with your hands letting out a sigh. After a bit of debate, you realize it was for the best that you get ready for the day. Reluctantly you dragged yourself out of bed before shuffling your way out of your room and into the bathroom down the hall.

You stood in front of the mirror just staring at yourself. Your eyes looked tired and you had clear eye bags. You should stop staying up for days at a time to finish work. You splashed your face with cold water in an attempt to wake yourself up. It worked but immediately you regretted it as you scrambled to find the towel hung up near the door.

After you dried off your face you filled the cup hidden inside your medicine cabinet with lukewarm tap water. You shook two of the small white tablets out of the orange bottle they were stored in and into your palm. You threw them in your mouth before quickly swallowing them with water. The bland and slightly metallic taste of the water coating your tongue.

You were starting to wonder if the pills your psychologist recommended were starting to not be as efficient. They were meant to suppress your already weak memory to prevent anxiety attacks and additional stress. You haven't experienced any episodes that derived from the traumatic events of the past in well over a year.

However, lately, you've been having weird and unexplainable dreams. Dreams that felt more like memories than anything. They're faint and you could barely wrap your head around what they meant yet they still worry you. You'd be sure to talk to your therapist about it next time you have an appointment.

You were 18 when whatever happened to you occurred, You don't, well you can't remember what happened. It was your sophomore year in college. Everything was a blur, your brain blocked almost everything out. There was a chunk of your memory that was entirely missing like it hadn’t even happened at all. Just…gone. One thing you did know it had to do with some kind of mass murder and a cult.

At least that's what was what the police were saying and what made it to the news. You used to get some faint memories and flashbacks but all that did would give you panic attacks. So you were given pills that helped you forget whatever happened to you completely. It was better that way. To forget your college days.

There's one thing you couldn't forget, a person. You don't know who though. It confuses you because you just remember a person. Not a single detail other than it was a person. A person in a black hoodie. You can't remember their face or personality just that you…wanted to be near them.

It was weird because you held such an odd sense of longing for them. Can you even miss someone you don't even remember? Can you want someone to be around you if you don't even know who they are?

Sometimes you'd sit in bed and wonder what they were like. Are they smart? Were they a close friend, how did you meet them? What was their personality like? Were they kind, or were they snarky, did they care about others, were they selfish? What were they like for them to stick around in your mind after all this time? Why can't your brain just let them go? Why can't you remember? Thoughts like that kept you up at night.

You shook your head at your spiraling thoughts before stretching your stiff body. You finished up the rest of your morning routine and then made your way into the kitchen. You sucked your teeth as you realized your apartment was deprived of any food.

Ever since your old roommate who was the cook of the house moved out it was hard for you to stay on top of eating or keeping the house restocked with food. You were so used to your old roommate being the one who went grocery shopping for the place. So keeping the house stocked up is something that you are still getting used to. You settled on using the last of the milk you had with some cereal.

You weren't a breakfast person if you were being completely honest but you were too tired to eat anything after you came home last night and showered. You pulled your phone out of your short pockets as you poured the sugary cereal into your bowl. You got a notification from your friend Raven. She was one of your very few friends. You weren't much of a social person after your whole incident.

Raven★: Hey, I have a big favor [ name ]

You: Yeah whats up?

Your thumbs mindlessly skimmed across your keyboard. You flicked through the spoons in your drawer looking for one of the smaller spoons. You were debating just to get rid of all the serving spoons at this point you never used them.

Raven★: Are you willing to cover a shift for me? I have something big i need to do but i understand of ur busy

You weren't busy. You'd assume by now Raven would know you enough to know you were never busy. At least not on days when you don’t have your younger brother Hunter. You were happy to cover a shift for her with no complaints. She was a good friend so there would be no reason for you to not help her out. She would also help out with Hunter, periodically whenever your shitty dad got tired of taking care of him and just dropped him on you.

You: Sure u can count on me rea-rea<3

Raven★: THANKS SO MUCH! I'LL BE SURE TO PAY U BACK I PROMISE

You wanted to tell her you didn't need anything in return but knowing her she'd still give you something in return. Arguing with her would be pointless. You let out a sigh and rolled your eyes. You quickly finished up your cereal before it became soggy and inedible. After you finished up you figured you could clean the place up for a bit before getting ready for work.

———

You worked at an office however when you needed some extra cash it came in handy to have a second job. You didn't have work at the office today. However you agreed to take Ravens shift at the convenience store. You were planning on working the night shift anyway so it wouldn't be too much. Usually, you worked at night so afternoon shifts were a bit busier than you were used to but you made it work.

You said fuck it and took the night shift as well because you had nothing better to do and the small extra pay can go into you getting a better car. You soon came to regret the decision as you had only gained a few hours of sleep the night prior. You groaned as you watched the clock and prayed to whatever higher being that time would speed up in your favor and you could go home already.

9:37 PM

You were paying so much attention to the clock that you hadn't even realized that another customer had come in until they were at the counter. You looked up to see a tall male. Your heart skipped a beat at his appearance. You blinked a bit trying to collect your feelings.

Something about him was familiar. Maybe because you were sleep-deprived and running off B12 but you could have sworn you knew him. He wore a black hoodie. A familiar black hoodie. Okay, maybe you were stretching it. Brown hair poked out from under it. What stood out to you was the blue mask covered in some weird black...paint. No can't be, it looked too much like… goop? It was weird on its own but it sent shivers down your spine as it felt all too... familiar.

"Excuse me, I just need this" A slightly deep British voice called out startling you from your thoughts. The man put a pack of those stretchy bandages on the counter. Right, he was probably just another really weird customer that you probably won't see ever again! You're overthinking and complicating things [Name]. You thought to yourself. You let out a forced cough before nodding.

"Yeah um so sorry about that-" You said awkwardly before taking the bandages and scanning the barcode on the plastic covering them. You told him the cost and he gave you the money from a pretty worn-out wallet. You wished the man a good night and he just gave you a nod in return. You slowly lowered your hand from your wave and sighed.

When your shift ended you were quick to pack up and head home. The convenience store was a walking distance from your apartment, however, you wished you took your car. It was night and you already had some weird feeling you were always being watched but with recent numbers of people going missing or showing up dead in your city lately made you on edge more than usual.

Police keep playing it as just one mass serial killer but you had a theory. It had to be more than one person. The killing styles keep changing there's not a pattern it seems unpredictable. One that stood out to you were the killings that resulted in missing organs it was much different than the other murders.

You let that thought die down because if you were to try and explain that to anyone they probably would think you were insane more than you already come off as. As you tiredly searched your pockets for your keys you heard a meow. You looked down at your feet to be met with a brown striped kitten.

It meowed and tumbed its tail up and down. From what you recall thats what cats do when they are curious. You smiled and crouched down to the little feline. You stuck out you finger for it to sniff. It did and moved closer to you. You internally cried when you realized you can't afford to take care of a cat right now.

It bumped its head up against your palm and purred. A cute cat after just a long night is just what you needed. You heard a shuffle come from somewhere and you tensed up. Before you started to freak out and let your sleep deprived brain draw up crazy concussions you tried to think logically. It was probably another cat,or the raccons were back. You thought . Unfortunately the cat scrambled off at the sudden sound leaving you alone. You let out a sigh before standing up.

You couldn't help but feel like you were being watched as you successfully this time got out the keys from your pocket. It wasn't uncommon for you to be paranoid. You were all kinds of fucked up. This time it felt different. Like way different. You couldn't pin what it was. You felt let a pair of eyes were staring into the back of your head. Drilling into your skull. Again that wasn't too uncommon. They felt... familiar. Man what is up with you today? You shook your head and took a deep breath. You just hoped you weren't going crazy or something. You stuck the keys into your door you turned them with a click.

You practically kicked the door fully open. You used your foot to shut the door and you made sure to lock both the top and bottom lock to give your paranoid brain some sense of security. You took off your shoes and tossed your stuff on your couch. You needed sleep lots of it

and preferably something to get your mind off that guy from the convenience store.

———

"Can you be any slower?"A high pitched voice sounded.

"Says you! I'm just trying not to fall okay!' another child's voice called back.

"whatever dork do you wanna see the the Pokemon cards my dad got me?" The brunette boy asked before jumping off the jungle gym.

"mmm only if you promise to trade with me"

"No! You probably have bad cards " The boy said crossing his arms.

"Nahuh!" The slightly younger child responded putting their hands on their hips

"Yahuh!"

"You suck Jack"

"You love me"

"I don't love boys and their greasy hair"

———

What a strange dream.

[admrlthundrbolt]

Emperor's New Clothes (Doc Ock x Chubby Reader)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dr. Otto Octavius had been called a mad man long before he fused himself with the DNA of a Cephalopod. But to think that they would lock him away and attempt to study him. It was an atrocity, although the new scientist could be just the soft escape he could have only hoped for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys, I'm back at it again. I got reminded of how much I like Cephalopods while watching the new Auqamam recently. So who better to turn into a ottoman than Doc Ock himself.

Anyways I hope you enjoy.

---------------------------------------------------------

It had taken a long time to perfect his hypothesis, but in the end it was well worth it. To become one with the majestic Cephalopod. It was truly a dream, that the government soon turned into a nightmare.

The cell they stuffed him in could hardly be considered humane. On top of the limited water they supplied him with. They should be counting their days as closely as he was. As he chipped away at the cold surface, marking more days than he'd like to think of. He seethe at the thought of revenge and how sweet it would be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cringing as you sipped the burnt break room coffee, you sighed. It was one thing to deal with crappy coffee, but it was a whole other ordeal to be assigned to a dangerous criminal. A man who had experimented on himself. Then made a weapon to turn others into the same being. That was someone you honesty wanted to avoid.

But you were black listed to the worst jobs. This was one thing on the list of many horrible things the company had put you through. All because of an early career mistake. Whoever said let bygones be bygones had never worked for OSCORP.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eyes narrowing as he heard the sound of steps coming towards his cell. He slunk into a dark corner and prepared for the next session of prodding.

As you entered the room he was stunned for a moment. You weren't like the usual type lackey they sent to bother him. No, you were much softer. Even with the frown that had settled on your face. He couldn't help finding you enchanting.

This was the rare instance that he didn't question your lack of uniform. He had always found it odd that the people he had dealt with, thus far, didn't have any identifying information. But now as he observed how your clothing fit your body. He preferred the way his eyes could freely roam over you.

The feeling of eyes burning into you was unnerving. You had read the report for your new assignment. A scientist gone mad after splicing himself with the DNA of an Octopus. It was truly a pity, from his earlier research the man was a genius.

His fall from grace was also one of the many nails in the coffin of the former CEO of OSCORP's career. Norman Osborn was a bit to brazen of a figure head for the board to allow him to stay. If only you had known just what kind of company this would turn out to be, before signing the contract that is.

Facing the cell, your heart rate picked up. There was no one in sight. Although as you checked your tablet, you could see there was no sign of an escape. So you decided to try the diplomatic approach. “Hello Dr. Octavius. Would you like to join me for your biometrics this evening?” It did the trick, the man himself slipped out of the shadows. As he did you couldn't help but admire his commanding frame. His barrel chest and feathered hair were quite fetching. Paired with the strength his torso and tentacled bottom displayed, it was no wonder they thought to keep him locked up.

He gave you a smirk at the unusual greeting. Placing his hands against the separation between you. He took in your soft facial features. “Well you're certainly new. What did you have to do to get stuck with me?” He had meant it in jest. Though when a sour look passed over your expression, he realized he had hit a nerve.

“Here to do what I was assigned is all." Your tone had become more terse and professional.

It made him annoyed with himself. He had already made a bad first impression and you hadn't even began. So he stayed silent and followed your instructions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Half stomping as you made your way into your home, you huffed. It wasn't enough to be assigned to a mad scientist. But to have him call you out on your first day with him. It made you want to rip your hair out.

Making your way into the kitchen, you made a soothing mug of warm tea. As you went to leave the room, you doubled back and threw a shot of whiskey in it. You rationalize that it was to calm your mind. Though it was really so you could focus on the burn.

It didn't seem to ward off thoughts of the doctor himself however. His large body, towering over you. Not in an overwhelming way. No, more of a show of strength. It was enough to send an unexpected shiver down your spin.

When his current condition was explained to you, you were under the expression that he would be frightening. But as you think back on his imposing image. You can't help the thought of what he could do with the body he possessed now. It would surely be impressive in battle…and other instances.

Shaking the thought from your mind. You decided a warm shower would be a good way to wash the day from your body. Still it seem the good doctor never quite left your imagination for the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next time you came to his cell, he made an effort to make pleasent conversation. “You look lovely today, Mrs….:

Hiding your face behind a clipboard. It was one thing to fantasize about the criminal you were assigned to. Yet another to hear such things this early in the day from the man himself. “Thank you Doctor. Actually it's Miss (L/N).”

Leaning against the cell, he smirked. It was a wonderful thing to know that you weren't attached, by marriage at least. “Does that mean that I have to guess for a first name then?”

Glancing up at him, it was your turn to smile. “Maybe if your a good boy I'll tell you later.” The satisfaction you got from the surprise on his face was more than you would admit.

Taking a bit to gather his thoughts, while also filing away that moment for later. He chuckled and gripped the seperater a bit tighter. Just another reason to hate this cage he was forced in. But it didn't hurt to have such tempting company.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was growing concerned. You hadn't showed up to his cell today. You usually came just after breakfast. Yet here it was already lunch time and there was no sign of you.

As the attendant brought the tray to a slit in the cell, he said. “Where is Miss (L/N)?” He did know your first name now, after behaving enough as you put it. But letting this lacky know that wouldn't be a good idea.

They shrugged, trying to hide how unnerved he made them. “How should I know.” It only took a glance at the glowering Cecaelia for him to rethink that answer. “Look, last I heard one of the higher-ups called her to his office. That's it, I swear.” Then they scuttled away as quick as their legs would take them.

Leaving Otto with a sour feeling in his stomach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Frustration coursed through your veins. It was one thing to give you the shit jobs. But to accuse you of not even doing them properly. That was just adding insult to injury.

Opening the door to his containment area, you tried to real in your emotions. Until you came to the realization that he was the only person you felt comfortable with talking about this.

Hearing the door open, he became alert. Seeing it was you, his shoulder finally relaxed. Though as you faced him, he was taken aback by your expression. Anger, fatigue, frustration, relief; they were a mixture that made him unsure what to say. Thankfully you started the conversation.

“They are such assholes.” You didn't even pick up the clipboard. Just slumped against the wall separating the two of you. You make one mistake as a new employee and they hold it over your head for the rest of your career.” With a huff, you leaned your head back and gazed up at him. “Then I meet you, the best thing that ever came out of working for this place.” A soft smile slid onto your full face.

The adoration that was in that smile made his heart swell. Placing a hand against the wall, near you, he said. “That is a wonderful thing to hear darling.” He cherished the flush that colored your plush cheeks. But became confused as you frowned.

Looking away, you spoke in a faint whispered. Almost as if the next thing you were going to say was painful. “They say we've grown to close. They're going to reassign me by the end of the week.” You were surprised by the look of rage that took over his expression.

His tentacles lashed out at the wall between them. Though you weren't scared, even as a hairline crack appeared in one corner. You only sat there and allowed him to gather himself. “This is unacceptable, I won't stand for it.”

Shaking your head, a hollow laugh left your throat. “I don't have a choice. The moment I signed a contract with OSCORP, was the day I signed my life over to them.”

Eyes widening, he came to a realization. That was why they had never worn uniforms around him. He had visited OSCORP many times in the past. That was before they pushed his friend Norman Osborn out of his position as CEO. It all made sense now.

Slithering a tentacle through the tray slot, he wrapped it around your warm hand. “I will take care of this.”

Nodding, you hoped against hope. Enjoying what little time you may have left with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pacing in front of the door leading to his cell, your shoulders sagged. This was the last day you would spend with him. That you were allowed to at least. You would risk your job to see him again.

Stepping through the entrance, you tried to put on a brave face. Only to stop in your tracks as the door shut behind you. He was nowhere in sight. Panic set in, making your heart hammer in your chest. Had they taken him somewhere, were they hurting him.

Calling out his name, dread grew in the pit of your stomach. Rushing over to the release button, you slammed your palm against it. There had to be a sign of where he had to be. Scrambling into the cell and you searched frantically.

Only to stop as a chuckle rang out from thin air. An unoccupied corner of the room shimmered and revealed Otto. He had a smug look on his face as you brought your hands to your chest. “I didn't know you cared so much.”

Darting to him you smashed your fist into him. It wasn't enough to hurt him, but it help get your frustration out. It was probably the only thing keeping you from crying. “How could you even think that this would be funny.” Glaring up at him, you felt your anger melt away. This could be your last moments with the man you had grown feelings for. Before you could second guess yourself, you seal your lips against his. He took you into his embrace immediately. It was even better than you imagined.

Heavy breathe mingling, he gazed longingly at your soft flush face. Suddenly he took you into his arms, cradling you. He loved the feeling of your plush body upon him. Finding that you fit against him like a puzzle piece. His smile took on a more sinister quality. “Why don't we take this to a more comfortable location.”

Feeling him pull you closer, you settled fully in his grasp. If they thought you a bad employee, why not prove them right. Kissing him once again, you pulled back with a smirk. “Let's get out of here.”

Slipping away into the shadows, you couldn't help but revel in the chaos that followed in your wake.

[novarhetta]

I had a dream last night that involved Welcome Home, and for some reason, I really would like to share it somewhere, so I figured here is as good a place as any! Without further ado:

Welcome Back Home, Neighbor

I was walking through a forest with someone, I think it was a friend of mine, though they never said their name. We emerged to what looked like a small village area, and I immediately recognized it as the Welcome Home neighborhood, though there were other people walking around it, collecting information and setting things up. It was almost as if it had become a school of some sort, or a festival sort of place.

I walked towards Home first and was given a tablet just before I could get to the patio. On it were instructions: “Which three houses are closest to Wally's Home? Color in the characters so you can see Wally!”

I looked around. “I thought the houses were in a circle? I guess… I'll have to fill this out.”

My friend wasn't as interested in doing that; they just really wanted to go around and see everything. So while I went up and asked each neighbor some questions, they'd find a souvenir here or there, or do one of the activities the other neighbors had.

I got to meet some of the cast: Eddie, then Julie, then Howdy Pillar. The rest seemed too busy to see me, or simply unable to for some reason.

Eddie's Lumber: It was interesting, next to Eddies Post Office there was a stump, lumber, and an ax, as if someone else lived and worked there too. Completing his quest seemed to involve cutting one of the pieces of wood that was in a pile. Eddie handed me the ax and waited for me to do so. However, after doing only one, he took the ax back and handed me a sticker to signify completing the task. I would have asked him more, but he waved me off and walked away, ignoring any question I might have asked.

Julie on her Own: Julie was the only neighbor that was freely wandering around the neighborhood aside from Frank. And unlike Frank, who would pop up from bushes to tale pictures of bugs every now and then, Julie was happily greeting people and chatting with them. I thought that I'd finally have one of them to stop and talk to, but when I approached her, she cheerfully placed a sticker in my hand and greeted me, but was distracted by a small child tugging on her dress seconds later. I didn't want to be rude, so I continued on.

Howdy's Game: When I went to Howdy's bugdega, which for some reason was now behind Home rather than down a path or off to the side, I noticed that there was a wall of shelves that was full of books and paperwork. Some of the papers were tacked up on the shelves, and others were actually all over the floor or spread out, along with quite a few books that weren't in their proper place. It seemed that the activity here was fixing and reshelving the books, as well as completing some of the papers that were incomplete. I started to study some of the papers, but Howdy interrupted me, handing me the sticker that signified that I was done and did well. I tried to ask why, and I could see that he was sweating and nervous. He told me that I was done, and I could go. He tried to sound happy, but he was clearly panicked about something, and kept glancing at Home, even though it was facing away from his bugdega. I acquiesced and said bye to him before leaving.

So, I finished with a new building, which seemed to be a classroom to learn Spanish for some reason. The teacher had long black hair and a simple, old-fashioned light blue dress. I don't know who she was, but her building was slanted and difficult to walk on.

It also seemed to be a little closer to Home, so I colored Eddie, her, and then Howdy Pillar. I do feel like it is worth noting that if I colored an “incorrect” puppet, the screen would appear to shake and erase all of my progress. So I COULD have cheesed it instead of walking around the neighborhood, but I didn't want to.

Once it was completed, it seemed to automatically be sent to Wally, a sort of printout. There was something odd about the neighbors when I was filling it out, too. Every now and then they might look nervous, or the world might seem just a little darker. Once it was submitted, the day seemed to end into night right on cue. Almost everyone else went home; all of the humans pretty much went home except for like, one per building, maybe. I'm not sure where my friend went.

I suddenly found myself in front of Home. The door slowly creaked open, and I saw Wally's hand slip around the door first, and then one of his eyes. The way it looked at me, I felt like he could see and know any and every thought I might have. Home stood still, but its looming presence was not lost on me.

“I choose this one,” Wally speaks in his monotonous tone. The door opens a bit more, and he holds his hand out to me. “Come inside, please.”

As if drawn in, I can feel that something is very off, but I walk up the path to him. The closer I get, the darker everything seems behind me until the only light seems to be coming from Wally and Home. My stomach is doing flips, screaming about this being off, but I ignore it because my mind whispers, “I want this, I should follow him.” And that is enough. I take Wally's hand, and he leads me inside, the door closing behind us.

-----End Dream-----

I've always debated on sharing my dreams because I have SO MANY all the time. If you liked this dream and actually got this far, please do let me know if I should continue to share them in the future! I do enjoy writing them lol

Also, I'm not sure if this is important, but I hadn't checked the update or even looked at the site for months before this dream suddenly cropped up. Today, however, I did look into it, and holy WOW I'm loving all of the new content! Excited to be back and see what more is to come.

[hpe24]

Seems like it has been a while since I've last posted (again) wow

Things happened and I'll spare the details - though maybe I should mention that I'm mostly investing my time into preparing my webtoon these days. Last competition entry didn't go well so I'm aiming to put out a remake for the next competition which is to be held next May (the old entry is here if anyone's interested: https://comic.naver.com/challenge/list?titleId=825241 but it's completely in Korean). I'm thinking about posting the English translated version on LINE webtoon Canvas if the remake fails to win the contest but that's till next year anyways

Oh yeah because of that and other projects I'm working on, commissions are open until the end of October. If anyone was thinking about commissioning me, I'll accept them just for this month :) After that I'm not sure when it will reopen - this also depends whether I win the contest or not so be noted I suppose

Hmmmmm also this might be sort of a letdown for some of you but I'm not so passionate about Riley anymore, I mean I am still fond of him but like, not to the point of being crazily obsessed. It's just that my obsessions always expired after few months or a year at most, that's why Riley was going on for an unusually long period of time but has finally met his end😵‍💫 Maybe my passion for him will reignite some day, but I'm not so confident about raving over Riley like I did in the past once again, considering how my old obsessions are sitting in the corner of my brain... Although for some funny reason, drawing Riley has become sort of a habit and despite my diminishing passion, I find myself doodling him whenever my tablet is on. So I guess Riley art might keep happening.... on a slower pace...? I dunno but I'll try my best

On the other hand, I do have a new obsession which concerns the Korean webtoon 'Garbage Time', a basketball sports webtoon where teenagers compete with everything they've got like their whole career depends on it (because it actually does). Currently there are official Japanese and Chinese translations in service, however English version is yet to be released which is a real letdown because I'd love to ramble about it on here as well. I guess that's all I've got to say for now so I'll sign off with my newest bae, Byeongchan Park, the ultimate GOAT of this series and the man of my dreams UEEEAGGHHH he's such a husband material and I'm allowed to say it because he's 21 years old (yeah he's playing with teenagers but for complicated reasons which you'll know if you read Garbage Time)

Holy shit I love him so much I feel like passing out just by looking at him again

[watercolor-hearts]

tell me about your favorite uni assignment you’ve ever done 🧡

Thank you for this ask. ❤ I've arrived home since then, sorry for the long wait, I needed my laptop for this and it'd have been difficult to use it on the bus.

I think it was time for a positive graphic design-related post because all I do here is to cry about 3D and webdesign because I'm really new to them and don't know anything, and it can look like I don't enjoy what I do but in reality it's my dream to become a graphic designer so I enjoy most of the things, I just don't really talk about the good things that much. I guess. But now I will. 😊

So, there's this chocolate brand called Stühmer which I really love for their packaging design because it's really unusual compared to other chocolate brands. You can check it here but I'm gonna put some examples in the post later from last Christmas.

This semester our first packaging design assigment was Christmas packaging for an existing brand and I instantly knew I wanted to make a Stühmer packaging because I'd already made three other for my portfolio to get into university.

[Please don't steal them.] (The heart was my first ever digital drawing made with a Genius drawing tablet that was... Let's say not a good one.)

These were three of my proudest pieces in my portfolio so I showed them to the packaging design teacher and he told me they were shit because this is not how chocolate packagings should look like. That hurt a bit to be honest and after that point I wasn't sure whether he was going to like this Christmas one. But I kept working on it because I had to.

This is the mockup without background because I couldn't find a good background yet. (The mockup isn't perfect because it's a downloaded one so the sizes are a bit different, that why the weight is too close to the edge.)

[Please don't steal this one either.] (What's not visible on the mockup is that all the text and the icing in the cookies would be silver printed in reality.)

It isn't what my original idea was (gingerbread cookies on a table with some flour under them, so Christmas baking vibes) because the teacher said Christmas packagings are about stars and snowflakes and things like that so he told me to change the background and put on as many snowflakes as I could. I wasn't sure if it'd work but to be honest I've grown to like it, especially after finishing the bottom of the packaging with all the boring text on it and seeing the whole thing come together.

What makes it my proudest/favorite piece is that 1) it's for the brand that's my biggest dream to work with, 2) when my teacher saw it he told all the people in the classroom to gather around me and look at it because this is how a proper Christmas packaging should look like. That was a pretty good moment. 😃

When I was looking for a pic in my gallery today I accidentally found a pic I took last winter in a shop of Christmas edition Stühmer chocolates, and... Well, mine probably doesn't really fit in but I still like it. 😃

If anybody has any graphic design/graphic design uni related questions feel free to send an ask or a private message, I'm happy to help if I can. 😊

[peofun1]

Expensive Anime Plastic part 2: Two years later

now with 80% less cardboard as risers!

so I've had this as my pinned post for two years now, but it's pretty outdated at this point. my collection has grown a lot in the last two years, and I wanted to show it off! this is my blog and I'll make you look at my plastic toys if I want to >:D

this post is a full tour of my anime figure collection as of June 2024, which basically spans across my whole apartment these days. this is my 11th year in the hobby, so everything you see here was accumulated slowly over that time.

buckle up because this is REALLY long and picture-heavy. (also other collectors can find me on myfigurecollection(dot)net as peofun1, if you'd like~)

Alright, first up, the detolfs in the living room:

Some thoughts: the BNHA shelf will likely get rotated out pretty soon. I fell off the manga pretty hard a while ago, but I do still enjoy these figures... but when my Haikyuu Kotobukiya scales get here (all four of them 😩) I'll probably try to turn that into a Haikyuu shelf. Jirou, Shouto and maybe one Dabi can take the place of the Haikyuu Nendos on the left side

the Katamari Dipp figure is a custom by sixsculpts on instagram! (topshelf on MFC) they reached out to me when I mentioned I'll probably never get my hands on the F4F Dipp figure, and made the Dipp of my dreams for me 🥰 definitely check out their work if you like customs!

last thing -- I know the bottom left shelf is kind of a disaster. Ike and Alphen just REFUSE to play nice together, with the way they both have big capes and swords that stick out and bump things -_- if it helps, we're usually viewing these shelves at an angle from our couch, and Claude in the back is much more visible from there

as a little bonus, here's what one of these shelves USED to look like before I rotated out these figures:

I decided to pack away most of my League of Legends figures after they laid off my wife 😐 (and several good friends 😐) I may bring them back out once I have more room, but they currently live in the closet. and that's fine, for now.

Next up, my desk in the office:

I put away all my random stacks of MTG cards to take these pictures.

most of the figures here are blind box/prize figures that I won't be too sad about if they get dusty or attacked by the cats (though I do use some boxes to block them from the cats when I'm not in the room). the exceptions are the goth angel, who doesn't fit anywhere else, the light-up Futaba figure and the Cintiq girlie, who simply have to live with my computer and Cintiq tablet. themeing!

some of the pins/keychains/prints here are official, but a lot of them are fan-made merch! some of them are bonuses that came with zines I preordered (including the infamous showtime akeshu zine)

also, since you can see a few of them in the top pic, here's those plushies. I have way more plush than this, but these are the ones that currently live on my desk:

Moving on to the bedroom: ❗❗ Warning: this section contains figures that are NSFW ❗❗ I've censored one of them (because her bits are just OUT and I don't wanna to get smited) but there are a few that are ~spicy~ proceed with caution

(I promise we have books that aren't manga, they're just all on a different bookshelf in the living room!) this doubles as our manga shelf, obviously. we got back into collecting physical manga after moving to LA, since it's easy to make a trip to Kinokuniya and pick up new stuff! mixed in are some older volumes I recently rescued from my parents' house. I'm slooooowly trying to complete TRC, but it's hard to find it these days...

anyway this shelf is kind of a mess theme-wise, since they're mostly just figures I don't have room for anywhere else. especially that top shelf, yeesh. 10th anniversary Miku trying to bridge the gap between horny 1/4 scales and live-service game hell.

long-time followers might also spot the sonic screwdriver, which is the same one I'm holding in the very first post I ever made on this website. please don't go looking for that.

I'm hoping to pick up a third display case (probably second hand, since ikea discontinued the detolf >.> ) but in the meantime they're here getting in the way of my manga.

aside from the LoL figures, I have three others not currently on display: one is Magical Mirai Miku 2017, which is in her box because she's broken 😬 her neck peg got messed up one of the times I packed her to move, so I need to fix that sometime. the second is the 1/4 Yakuwa Nazumi designed by WOOMA, which I desperately want to display but she's ENORMOUS so she'll probably have to wait until I get another display case. and the last is another Miku prize figure, because I clearly don't have enough of those lmao

so that's my whole figure collection! it's a constant work-in-progress, because they keep making cool new figures and I am never satisfied :)

if you actually took the time to read all this, thanks for indulging me!!

[dajaregambler]

HeliosR - Sing in the darkness - Chapter 3 - Part 5

Translation of Sing in the darkness from ‘Helios Rising Heroes’, a new side arc alongside the current main story arc Like the dawning light.

Bianchi: ----I’m here, sorry for the wait

Bianchi: My mother called me again and we ended up talking for a long time…. Oh, oh dear?

Jude: Welcome back, Bianchi

Bianchi: How rare, were you two having a chat? 

Bianchi: You both mind your own business and do whatever you like whenever it’s just the two of you, no? 

Nico: We got a message

Bianchi: A message?

Jude: It’s a directive from headquarters. Bianchi should’ve also gotten it

Bianchi: Let me see…

Jude: To put it simply, taking the city’s current state in account, heroes have to refrain from any activities for a while. 

Bianchi: What?

Jude: Well, it’s a reasonable judgment based on the current situations with the civilians. There’s still a large crowd of them swarming the Tower outside.

Nico: There also seems to be civilians who hound heroes on patrol and hurl insults at them.  

Bianchi: How could this happen… Might be a matter of time until it develops into riots… 

Jude: It’s obvious for patrols, but the latest LOM also seems to be postponed for the time being

Jude: Until things calm down, each of us have to be on stand-by at home or at the tower for now. Only time to dispatch is when headquarters notifies you to do so. 

Jude: What a pain this turned into. If it was substance or Eclipse, we’d have our work cut for us

Nico: And, don’t act independently when you get sent out.  

Jude: Well, won’t be a problem if the three of us act accordingly. It’s a dream come true if I can work together with Bianchi. 

Bianchi: This city took a turn for the worse, hasn’t it… 

Bianchi: Having our mobility restricted hurts, but we must do our best for Sei-chan. 

Bianchi: What do we start with first? 

Jude: Going off on what Sage said, there was something strange about Robin…  

Jude: It’s going to be bone-breakingly hard if it’s on a level he’s only capable of perceiving.  

Bianchi: Yes… However this is why we have to believe in Sei-chan’s intuition. After all, he’s the one who knew Robin the best. 

Nico: I’m curious about how Sage mentioned Robin’s tablet while telling us everything

Bianchi: Ah, that tablet device handed out by Helios, yes? 

Jude: What happens to the supplied items of those that died in line of duty? 

Nico: Most likely that Helios takes it back

Bianchi: So it’s somewhere inside the Tower? 

Nico: I wanna see what’s on it….

Bianchi: It’s not like they’ll easily show it to us because we want to look into it… 

Bianchi: And if word gets out about everything Sei-chan told us, it’d be trouble… 

Jude: Why not lay it all out and then threaten them into silence? 

Bianchi: Why, just why can you only come up with unbeautiful ideas? 

Jude: Haha, ‘cuz I’ll never be more beautiful than Bianchi

Bianchi: Sigh~….

Nico: I’ll go for a sec

Bianchi: Eh, go where? 

Jude: Gonna threaten ‘em? Then leave that to m----

Nico: You two follow me

Jude: Ah, hey….!

-

Nico: You’re late

Bianchi: Follow me as you disappear into thin air, Nico-chan… What a horrid joke… 

Bianchi: At least tell us where we have to go… 

Jude: Gonna bust this place up now? 

Nico: No busting. 

Bianchi: This place is… a confidential vault, right?

Nico: Yes. If the confiscated tablet is being stored somewhere, then it’s probably here

Bianchi: What do you plan on doing coming this far? Going inside without a single care will get us in trouble

Nico: Yeah. Lockpicking and forcing the door will sound the alarm.

Nico: And making a hole in the ceiling or wall is out of the question due it being an act of destruction.

Nico: So then, best way to go about it is that

Bianchi: Nico-chan, don’t tell me you’re---

[roo-bastmoon]

BTS Tutorial: Stationhead & Renaissance

Stationhead is an app that connects to your Apple Music or Spotify account and allows you to stream music in a community so that every person’s streams count toward your artists’ chart. Supposedly this app can rival radio (it’s early days; we will see).

Apple Music and Spotify both work on Stationhead's web player. 

If a host is playing their songs from Apple Music, and you only subscribe to Spotify, the matching track from Spotify will play through your streaming account. In the same way, a host using Spotify to play music will have songs matched for Apple Music listeners. So it's a great cross-platform tool.

It can be kind of fun to know you’re streaming with hundreds if not thousands of other ARMYs, especially when you are targeting milestones for certain songs and you don't want to think too deeply about how to build a playlist... but it’s not necessary if you want to just stream on your own accounts.

You need to listen to at least 30 seconds of a song on Stationhead for it to count toward charts.

Here’s a short tutorial about how to set up a Stationhead account, but in my case, I will search for BTS and Jimin on Station head instead of Stray Kids (sorry, Stray Kids—I think you’re cool but I’m a loyal hoe.)

After you download the app and set up your profile, I recommend you search for the following communities on Stationhead and join them:

JIMINCHARTSPH

JIMINGLOBAL

JIMINRECORD13

When a live streaming party is about to start, you’ll get a little notification on your phone and you can decide to join. Then you listen to streams. To maximize your time in the first 24 hours of a release, maybe have Apple Music play on one laptop, YouTube play on a tablet, and Stationhead or Renaissance app going on your phone (tethered to your Spotify). It’s free and it doesn’t spam you, it just takes a few moments to set up accounts on these apps.

If you’re still not convinced, here’s a review from a music professional that gets into the details:

Similar to Stationhead, Renaissance is an app that connects to your Spotify account. If you follow streaming accounts on twitter, they will sometimes throw streaming parties on Renaissance and it can be fun to join in and gather collective streams to achieve certain goals.

You download Renaissance from the app store, sign in (I use my gmail account and connect to my premium Spotify). Once logged in, you can search for Jimin, and there you’ll see various streaming parties going on. You click to join, it’ll open your Spotify account, and you can play that playlist along with hundreds and sometimes thousands of others.

It's simply a great way to find playlists and help meet benchmarks with the community, but don't feel pressure. It's just nice if you're engaging in streaming battles on Twitter; gets everyone psyched up.

Some people prefer Renaissance because you can be in control of your playlist (when to stop and start, the ability to count your streams), whereas Stationhead is more like radio, where the host is a DJ and they are in charge. Really it just all comes down to what you prefer and if you're part of communities that enjoy group streaming.

After our artists land on the charts, it's important to keep streaming so their songs have longevity and aren't just flash-in-the-pan, one-hit-wonders. Using streaming apps is a great way to let your accounts count for streams, without having to curate and manage playlists all day long. (But remember, 20 streams of a song, then login to a different Spotify account for it it count.)

Stream on, stream on, stream until your streams come true!

DISCLAIMER:

I am a Dope Old Person and have been ARMY since January 2022. So I still have a lot to learn.

I’m making mini-tutorials for people like me who are comfy with technology but totally new to voting, streaming, and buying Kpop stuff.

If you know of better, more up-to-date information, please comment or DM me so I can make sure I’m not spreading misinfo. Please be polite about it, though—we are on the same team!

Feel free to apply whatever you learn here to other BTS members and other artists; I’m Jimin-biased so I am focused on helping Jimin at this moment in time, but I’m OT7 so rest assured I’ll put my shoulder to the wheel for all our members!