#and i'll finally be able to follow people properly

[lovemebutleavemewild]

Wasn't actually going to do a part 2 to this mafia!Price x pregnant reader drabble but a few people requested it so ...

I don't think this will be a long fic or a series or anything but if anyone has by particular requests for scenes, let me know!

You take the table's orders quickly and almost trip getting away from them.

John follows you immediately, of course, but if you can just get to the kitchen, he won't be able to follow you.

Or so you think.

The doors don't have time to swing shut behind you before they burst open again and you feel a hand on your waist, spinning you around to face him.

"You're taking your break," he tells you.

"I can't yet, I have tables. And-"

You see your manager approaching and brace yourself for the tirade.

"Sir, you can't be in h-"

He stops when he gets a proper look at John.

"Oh. Um, is there a problem, sir? Or some way I can-"

"She's taking her break," John tells him, jerking his thumb at you. Your manager just nods mutely and John takes your hand, leading you out the back entrance.

"Beat it," he tells the line cook, smoking by the bins. The man slinks back inside without a word.

As soon as you're alone, John shepherds you against the wall, arm on either side of you so you're walled in.

"It's mine?" he asks and you try not to be offended. It's a fair question, you suppose. You just nod, looking at your shoes. He tilts your chin up so you're looking at him. You can't read the look on his face.

"Finish your shift. I'll wait."

+++++++

He takes you home, makes the others take a cab wherever they're going, and just gives you a look when you suggest you can take the bus.

He also insists on walking you inside. Your face warms at the way he's analysing your apartment building. When you hold the door to your place open for him, he rubs his hand along the doorframe, studying the lock, heads straight for the windows to do the same once he's inside.

"We'll need to get you moved out of here," he says when he finally turns around. You raise  your eyebrows.

"Is that right?" you ask. If he notices the sarcasm, he doesn't comment.

"Mmmhmm. Could get the lads to pack up your stuff for you, handle the movin'. We could have it done tonight"

"And where do you suggest I go?"

John smiles and sidles towards you.

"I could think of a few places," he says, raising his eyebrows. You huff a laugh.

"Hmm. But there's nothing wrong with my apartment."

John just hums.

"Not a good area," he tells you.

You start to feel your temper rise a little.

"Think whatever you want of the area; You don't get to walk in here and tell me-"

"Well I am telling you darlin'. I know these parts and 'round here isn't a good place for a girl like you."

"A girl like me?" you ask flatly, crossing your arms. You force yourself not to move away from him as he gets in your space. You can smell him from here, the scent of his cologne, and doesn't that bring back memories.

He leans down so he's looking into your eyes properly.

"A good girl," he says.

You snort and turn away.

"Does that line usually work for you?"

In a second, you feel his hands on your waist, pulling you back against a hard chest.

"Worked before, didn't it?" His voice is raspy in your ear.

"You didn't mind being my good girl the last time we spoke, did ya, sweetheart? Or can you only be good when you're stuffed full?"

He presses harder against your back and you can feel the length of him now.

"'Cause I can help you with that, love, just you say the word."

You pull away, turn to look at him, with your chest heaving.

"Place like this could be dangerous for a girl like you," John says and it sounds like a warning.

"Aren't men like you what makes places like this dangerous?" you whisper.

He steps towards you again, slower this time, puts a hand on your hip. You don't pull away.

"Sometimes," he admits. "Not always. Need to make sure you're taken care of, from all the bad things out there. Goes for both of you."

"I don't need taken care of," you tell him. It would sound more convincing to your own ears if you could find it in yourself to pull your hand off his chest.

"No?" His hand suddenly dips between your legs and you jolt forwards into him.

"You been taking care of yourself here, hmm?" He starts to rub, over your work leggings, leans down so his head is nearly on your shoulder.

"Been taking care of this pretty pussy like it needs?" he asks, voice rough. "It was so needy that night we met, I was sure we'd go a few rounds. Why'd you run instead, sweetheart? I didn't even get a chance to taste it."

You can't answer, can't think, especially not when he shoves his same hand under your pants, sliding your underwear to one side for better access. Your head falls back when he touches your clit.

"Need me to take of you here, darlin'?"

You can't help your moan.

"Not good enough," he grunts. "Need you to say it, love. Say you need me to take care of this pussy."

And you've been so stressed for so long and, really, at this point, what harm could it possibly do?

"Please, please, John, I need you. I need-need-"

He quietens you with a kiss, leaning down to lift you by your thighs. The bump makes it a bit awkward but he doesn't falter as he makes his way to your room.

"All you needed to say, mama."

[boiohboii]

What's a soft launch? (Lando Norris x Leclerc! Reader)

YN Leclerc is dating Lando Norris in secret, and they had been keeping it really quite for the past 9 months, but unfortunately she is dating an idiot who forgot to close his stream.

or

in which YN Leclerc and Lando Norris make everyone watching his stream need to bleach their eyes.

N.B: this is something for fun and has no relation to real life people. Also, I'll be doing a sm fic based on this cause a meme picture is what started this for me.

WARNING: suggestive, no actual smut. Making out. PDA cause lando forgot to close his stream. Mentions of breast, nipple and bra. French not used properly?... if i missed anything else let me know!

Sighing, Lando stretched his back while calling for his girlfriend- letting her know that it's okay to come in.

"Hey handsome."

username: is that who I think it is!

username: ARIANA WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE

username: someone call 911 lando no rizz pulled YN Leclerc

username: I want yn to call me handsome too

Unaware of the fast chat the couple smiled at each other as YN sat on Lando's lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, wrists staying still at the nape of his neck while her fingers play with the soft curls of his hair.

"Hello ma chérie."

And that's all the older boy got to say as the young girl latched her lips onto his, tightening her grip around his neck while his arms rest at her hips, squeezing them as he lifts her up a bit trying to reach as much of her as possible.

username: AY YOOOOOO someone tell my man he is live and we can see that

username: THE GRIP HE HAS ON MY GIRL

username: ooofffff, Lando's funeral is gonna be tomorrow my dudes

username: F in the chat for lando

username: F in the chat for charles, he having a heart attack rn

username: my girl gonna wake up with bruises

Breaking away to catch their breath Lando's hand caressed her hips, moving until they rested on her ass

"Ohhhh, okay, are we going there."

"I don't know gorgeous, are we?"

Shifting around in the chair, Lano placed his back to the arm of the chair moving YN in front of him- unknowingly, making the viewers have a perfect view of their interlocking lips which were quickly followed by a gasp from YN as Lando pressed his hips into hers- thus allowing a perfect entrance of his tongue into her mouth.

username: OKAY THIS IS A FULL MAKE OUT SESSION.

username: LANDO IS DYING AT 25 MY DUDES

username: FFS SOMEONE CALL THEM OR SEND A SUB OR SOMETHING, WE DON'T WANT LANDO TO DIE

username: Holy shit, YN have mercy on your brothers

username: how to be Lando rn

username: THIS FEELS SO WRONG, THEY LITERALY HAVE THEIR TONGUES DOWN EACH OTHER'S THROATS

username: please lord, let Lando still be able to have kids after seeing the Leclerc brothers

Being interrupted by her ringtone did not deter the couple from their steamy activity, in fact it was like they didn't even hear it as Lando's right hand slipped into the girl's shirt roaming around her stomach as it rested in her breast.

Another ringtone...... Lando's left hand made its way to her bra's clasp, opening it with swiftness that made it evident it had not been the first time he had done that.

The way their tongues moved and their arms explored places they were already familiar with only comes with expirence. A lot of experience.

As the ringtone got repeated for the third time, Lando decided to slow down, removing his lips from hers while his right hand pushed her bra downward a bit, making him feel her hard nipple under his fingertips.

Moving her left arm from around his neck while balancing herself with her right arm, YN reached into her back pocket getting her phone out.

"Oh, it's Danny"

The cheerful voice of the girl filles the room

username: of thank god!

username: FINALLY

username: Lando, you will be missed

username: this has been the hottest thing I have ever seen in my life

username: I wasn't even doing anything and I'm out of breath

Answering the phone YN couldn't even get a word out before Daniel is screaming into her ear

"IT'S LIVE! YOU'RE FUCKING LIVE."

Snapping her head towards her boyfriend's set up, she quickly balanced the phone in between her ear and her shoulder while removing his hand from under her shirt, tipping as she attempted to close the live while holding her bra in place as much as possible.

"What? What's wrong?" Upon seeing his girlfriend's frantic behaviour Lando became alert, worried something might be wrong.

"YOU DIDN'T CLOSE THE LIVE!"

"WHAT!!"

In a hurry to get up from his position and close the stream he tripped over his own feet just as his hands reached the desk, and as an attempt to save himself from the fall he gripped the first thing within his reach- his keyboard and his mic- making them fall right on his head.

The sudden scream of Lando's and the quite comical fall (in YN's opinion) made her forget about the older man on her phone and about the entire issue. The only thing she did was double over in laughter that within seconds turned into a sound similar to that of a car's windshield wiper.

"Oh, I'm glad my pain is amusing you."

username: this is the best stream of my entire fucking life man

username: I have no idea what is going on, but I love it

username: this is hilarious.

SOCIAL MEDIA REACTIONS

THE BROTHERS' REACTIONS

THE FAMILY DINNER

[professorcalculusstanaccount]

tintin is incredible at timing

(possibly) the final snippet I'll post from my story The Gypsum Maw, the previous part which follows directly before is here - I've been seeing comments asking about where to read the full thing, I'm afraid what I post is basically it - I have more pages in my sketchbook but I suspect they are only legible to me!

this post is already long so more notes and credits under the cut!

I asked for some help for coming up with friends for Chang! The gentle giant Masek was created by InkyTrink on Twitter and the super excitable Libby was created by dreamyopal, a discord mutual:

They came up with some great character notes and were super helpful providing feedback on my designs!

Writing this felt pretty odd in ways. I graduated in 2020 during the Plague Year so my class didnt get a public art showcase. I attended one last year and it was a bittersweet experience.

Reunions feel a bit like time travel, you see people after a few years and things change quite a lot. I wanted to explore this in my post canon series, Chang has grown up, found himself and has been able to live a fairly normal life with family and friends. Tintin in a way reflects that young adult insecurity about being stagnant, like you haven't been able to fully reach adulthood properly. His fame and status as a Young Boy Reporter is holding him captive, he longs for connection but is held back by expectations from both himself and the outside world.

I've also been inspired by the concept of 'queer time,' the concept that the lives of queer people progress differently to the lives of non queer people. It takes time to come to terms with yourself and to come out. Queer people are often excluded from milestones like marriage or having children. Tintin being confronted with his peers at a university highlights his insecurity about being left behind, but he's slowly making the journey to self acceptance by talking to others, and recognising common ground he has with others.

Chang's university isn't a one to one reference to a specific institution but in Belgium there was a secular movement in reaction to the dominance of the Catholic church, in which universities played a key role. There's references to art movements that were deemed "degenerate" by the Nazis here, such as Fauvism and Surrealism.

[luveline]

could i please request a blurb w hotch like the scaring off a creep one u did with james 🥹🫶

Thank you for your request! fem!reader, tw unwanted advance

When a creep at the bar won't leave you alone, you look for the most intimidating man in the room. You know it might make things worse for you, but his suit jacket screams businessman, maybe lawyer, and while lots of lawyers are scumbags, he's standing with another man and two women, neither of which are under his arm, so you take your chances. 

"Hey, I'm talking to you." A cruel hand tightens around your wrist.

"I already told you I have a boyfriend," you say, pulling your hand away from the creeper's reach. 

"I already told you I don't believe it," he says. 

You rag your hand out of his touch and weave through people, until you're close enough to almost throw the businessman off his feet as you slot yourself under his arm. He stiffens, and his friends all react defensively, but luckily he puts up his hand and nobody tries to tackle you. 

The creeper is a couple steps behind you, and he doesn't see the strange reaction your 'boyfriend' has to your hiding in his side, thankfully.

"If you don't leave me alone," you say as bravely as you're able, hand curling with real nervousness into the businessman's shirt, "my boyfriend's gonna ask you outside." 

Creeper looks at you, shocked, and then at the businessman with raised eyebrows, as if to say, Is she fucking for real? 

The businessman's arm settles properly around your shoulder, his hand braceleting your naked upper arm. 

"Did you hear her or not?" he asks, and his voice is so steady, so commanding, he startles not only the creeper but you, too. 

"I can repeat it for you, if you'd like," says his dark-haired friend. She's almost as fierce as he is. 

Finally, finally, your creeper admits defeat and turns away. You watch him walk all the way to the door, and then you turn around and hang your head. 

"Sir," you say, "I am so, so sorry to just barge into you like that." 

"Are you hurt?" he asks. 

You look up, blinking. "Oh, no, not really. He grabbed me pretty hard, but that's when I came up to you." You smile at him and his friends. "You're the most intimidating person here. No offence." 

He rolls his eyes at the wave of his friends' raucous laughter.

"He absolutely is," says a shorter blonde woman, grinning. 

You nod your apologies at all of them and turn back to the maybe-not-businessman, who's really quite handsome both smiling and glaring. You decide you like the smiling more. 

"Could I buy you a drink?" you ask. "As an apology? Or a thank you." 

"No." He holds his arm out like he might steer you away and your heart drops, but he adds, "I'll buy you one. If that's alright." 

There's nothing forceful in his offer. The pit fills. Excitement blooms.

"That's alright," you confirm, words coloured by a tell-tale happiness. 

He guides you to the bar with a big hand behind your shoulder. Good-natured laughter follows from his table of friends, as well as a short but enthusiastic cheer of, "Go Hotch." 

"What's a hotch?" you ask, perplexed.

He laughs, a light, airy thing, at odds with his stern looks. "No idea. My name's Aaron, by the way." 

[rollinouttahere-writes]

What if little Lucky got lost and ran into either Buggy or Smoker. Little Lucky is scared because they lost the strawhats.

Little Lucky thought they were following one of the Strawhats but was unknowingly following someone else, which happened to be either Smoker or Buggy.

(Ever had those moments as a little kid when you thought you were following your mother, but you were just following some random adult?)

And Buggy or Smoker is like, "Who's baby/kid is this?" Little Lucky looks like they're about to cry, then Buggy or Smoker panics says something like, "Wait! I'll help you find your parents!".

Either Buggy or Smoker take it upon themselves to find who is responsible for this child (little Lucky). Buggy or Smoker go up to random people saying, "Is this your kid?". By the time they find who is responsible for little Lucky (Strawhats) , they end up bonding with little Lucky and become attached.

Oh I did that once. Ran up to and hugged a woman that looked identical to my mom from behind. I was so mortified that I still remember this clearly like 20 years later.

Anyways

Usually I skip non-canon anime only stuff to avoid confusion, but I have included an anime only character in this one because it was too funny to leave him out.

Not What It Looks Like

Yandere Smoker x Child Reader

2.9k words

Once again, Smoker found himself staring down a pirate, though the pirate in question hadn’t noticed him yet. He didn’t even need to double check with a poster to confirm who this one was. Buggy the Clown was a very distinct looking individual.

Smoker took advantage of the fact that he was distracted to get closer and overhear the conversation he was having. Buggy was crouched down and talking to a small child. A little girl that couldn’t be more than five, if that. You looked distraught and confused.

“W-What do you mean? My mom isn’t here,” you sniffled loudly and scrubbed at your face.

“She’s gotta be, come on just think. She’s about this tall, looks just like you but with some bandages on her head,” Buggy pleaded with you, grasping onto your arms and looking desperate.

You flinched away, and Smoker decided it was his time to intervene. Using his devil fruit, he surrounded the clown with plumes of smoke to trap him. Buggy let out a screech upon finally noticing him and promptly disassembled his body to slip away. Which he was able to do successfully, much to Smoker’s chagrin.

Giving chase should be his number one priority, but his attention was drawn to the teary eyed girl in front of him. There were visible tear tracks going down your face, and your mouth was agape. Made sense, he supposes. This was probably your first time witnessing a devil fruit power. 

Crouching down to be closer to your height, he attempts to comfort you, “You alright kid? Did that pirate hurt you?”

The question snapped you out of your daze. You rubbed at your face and shook your head, “I’m okay. He didn’t hurt me, he was just asking a bunch of weird questions.”

“Like what?” He had to admit that he couldn’t even imagine what a pirate could possibly hope to learn from someone as young as you.

“He kept asking about my mom, but the questions didn’t make any sense. I think he was lying about knowing her,” you mumbled.

“Where is your mom, is she nearby?”

You became shifty at the question and nervously fidgeted your hands. It took a few seconds of anxiously looking around for you to come up with an answer, “Um… She isn’t here. She’s… gone?”

That was a strange way to answer the question, you didn’t seem to know how to answer it. Smoker really didn’t like that, and some alarm bells started going off in his head. He sighed when he saw you attempt to wipe off your face again. Digging around in one of his pockets, he pulled out a handkerchief and used it to properly clean you off. Fortunately, you let him do so without a fight and seemed to have calmed down slightly.

Given how long he’s been living here, he was able to guess that you weren’t local. Probably with some people passing through, but who? Might as well ask, “Who are you here with, kid?”

“My friends,” you answered simply.

He quirked a brow at that, “Are these friends your age?” 

You shook your head, “No, they’re all grown ups.”

Your story was getting weird, so he pressed further, “Are any of them your family?”

“No.” Your face pinched, and again you looked unsure of your answer, “Well, Nami told me to call her “big sis”, so I guess she is?”

So you’re traveling with friends that are all much older than you, your mom is “gone?”, and one of these friends is telling you to call her “big sis”. Something is definitely going on here, and he doesn’t like it at all. Could this get any weirder? He asks you how long you’ve known these friends of yours.

“Since yesterday.”

Oh. It could get weirder. This was starting to sound like a human trafficking case to him, and he couldn’t let that go under his watch. Looks like he would have to put his pirate hunting on hold for the time being.

He held out his hand to you, “I’m Captain Smoker, what’s your name?”

You hesitated for a moment before gently taking his gloved hand in both of yours, “My name’s Lucky. I’m not a captain or anything, though.”

“How about I help you find your friends again?” He needed to meet them for himself, just to make sure you aren’t in the middle of being trafficked. 

You anxiously squeezed his hand and looked nervous, “I dunno… I’m not supposed to go with strangers. Nami is already gonna be mad at me for walking away and getting lost.” Your lip trembled and you looked like you were about to start crying again.

“Do you want ice cream? I’ll buy you some if you let me help you,” he internally cringed at this. He shouldn’t be encouraging you to take bribes from strangers, but he needs you to cooperate with him for your safety.

Instantly, your eyes lit up at the prospect of getting a treat, “Really?!”

Looks like he’s got you on his side now. That was easy. He smiled at you and ruffled your hair before returning to his full height, “Yes, really. Come on, kid. We’ll get ice cream and then find your friends.” And possibly arrest them, but that’s neither here nor there.

You still had a hold on his hand, but now with only one of yours as you walked alongside him, visibly excited about ice cream. At least he was able to defuse the situation and avoid having you cry again.

There was an ice cream shop not far from here, so it didn’t take long to get there. You were bouncing up and down in place and chanting about ice cream while waiting for your turn. Some older ladies seated at a table nearby were cooing at the sight. Smoker overheard one of them calling this a ‘daddy-daughter date’. He shot them a sideways glance, but didn’t deem it worth it to correct them.

As soon as you’d gotten your ice cream, you thanked Smoker and happily started eating it, seemingly forgetting all about being separated from your friends. He supposes he’ll have to remind you about it.

“Where was the last place you saw Nami, kid?”

You perked up, then went into thought for a moment while licking your treat. You hummed, “I think we were at a clothes store? I don’t remember which one, I wasn’t paying attention.”

That really didn’t narrow it down at all. There were tons of clothing stores in Loguetown. “Do you remember where the store was?” He asked, desperate to get any other details.

“I dunno, I think it was close to the docks,” you shrugged. 

Alright, that still didn’t help much, but it looks like that’s all he’s going to be getting out of you in regards to that. Asking about Nami would probably get him farther, “What does Nami look like?”

While you rambled out a description of her, he was scanning the crowd. No one in his line of sight matched what you were telling him, but that wasn’t particularly shocking. This is a big town, he was unlikely to track a single person down that quickly. At least her orange hair would stick out to him if they did cross paths.

“Hey mister, how come there’s a big stain on your pants?” You asked from slightly behind him. You’d relinquished holding hands with him in favor of your ice cream, leading to you falling a little behind.

Stain? Oh, wait. That’s right, a kid ran into him with her own cone earlier, he’d already forgotten about it. He waved off your inquiry, “My pants ate someone’s ice cream, don’t worry about it.”

You took a decisive step away from him, protectively holding your cone, “Your pants aren’t going to eat mine, too, are they?” You were staring at his pants suspiciously, as if they were about to come after you if you didn’t keep an eye on them.

A brief, quiet chuckle escaped him, “They might if you aren’t paying attention and run into me.” This made you take another step back. Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say if he didn’t want you getting separated from him.

“How about you sit on my shoulders? That way you can look for your friends and my pants won’t be able to reach your ice cream.”

After a moment of weighing your options, you agree and allow him to place you on his shoulders. He’s pretty sure that you’re far too focused on your treat to really help him look for your friends, but now they will be able to see you. Admittedly, this came with the risk of them noticing him too and turning tail to run. While he would prefer to arrest them, at least you would be spared from whatever fate they had in mind for you.

Strolling around the docks would likely be the best course of action. At least one of them could be on the ship, and you ought to be able to point out which one is theirs. Smoker took a less traveled side road to get there. It was the fastest way, plus it would be nice to get a break from how crowded the other streets were. Currently, you two are the only ones here.

“I. Cannot. Believe you.”

Smoker came to an abrupt halt. He knew that voice well, though he could fathom why he would be saying such a thing to him.

“We’ve known each other for years, how have you never told me?” His naturally gruff voice, thick with a southern drawl, plainly revealed how betrayed he felt. It was still unclear as to why.

“What are you going on about, Masterson?” Smoker turned to the side, eyes landing on the local bounty hunter, Daddy the Father. Though Smoker much preferred his actual name to such a ridiculous moniker. Masterson had just exited a candy store. Several shopping bags were on one arm, while the opposing hand was holding his daughter’s. Her blonde curls bounced as she looked back and forth between them, seemingly also confused by the interaction.

“How have you never told me about your daughter?! She looks like she’s about Carol’s age, they could’ve been friends this whole time!” 

Smoker stiffened, this was the worst possible misunderstanding that could have happened today. “No. No, no, no. This isn’t-”

“We’re friends aren’t we? How could you do this to me?” Masterson put a hand on his hip, the shopping bags loudly crinkling against each other, and glowered at Smoker accusingly.

His gloved hand pinched the bridge of his nose, “We are colleagues, Masterson. I haven’t d-”

“Quit bein’ so formal, you can just call me Daddy,” Masterson, dead set on not letting Smoker get a word in, waved his hand dismissively. 

“Absolutely not.” Smoker keeps talking even when Masterson tries to cut him off again, “This is not my daughter, she’s just a lost child that I’m helping. That’s it.”

Masterson huffed, “You don’t need to lie to me, the jig is up. You’re gonna try tellin’ me that you buy ice cream for and carry around every lost kid you find? Is that your story?”

Carol gasped, “Oh! Can we get some ice cream too, daddy?”

The once rough voice completely transformed and took on a much lighter and gentler tone, “Of course, pumpkin! Just as soon as we’re done talking.” His voice went right back to normal when he faced Smoker again, “I mean, really? You’ve kept this from me for- How old are you, sweetie?” The voice changed again. It was bizarre hearing it switch up so rapidly.

“I’m four,” you answered plainly, apparently not caring at all about all the previous talk of Smoker being accused of being your father. 

“You’ve kept this from me for four years?!”

“I just met her today! She isn’t my kid!” He felt you get jostled a bit from his outburst. It probably wouldn’t be great for him if you dropped an ice cream cone on his head because he startled you. Smoker took a deep breath before gently grabbing you off his shoulders and setting you on the ground. You looked up at him briefly, but your attention was stolen away by Masterson.

The man had crouched down to be more on your level, “Is that your daddy?” You hadn’t even answered yet, but he was already smirking, no doubt thinking he was about to win this argument.

“No,” just like that, you wiped the smug look off his face. You hummed in thought while licking at your treat, “I don’t think I have one anymore.” You sounded disconcertingly nonchalant about this revelation. Now you’ve confirmed that neither of your parents are in the picture.

Masterson’s eyes softened and a frown tugged at the corners of his lips. Then, like a light went off, he looked up at Smoker with his eyebrows raised while gesturing towards you.

“What are you- No. I know what you’re getting at, and no,” he was not about to entertain this insane idea for even a second.

“But the poor thing doesn’t have a daddy, have a heart!”

“I can’t just adopt every kid without a family that I come across,” he can’t believe he’s even having this conversation right now, all because Masterson got such an absurd idea into his head. He has far more important matters to attend to, namely figuring out what is going on with your whole family situation and your “friends”.

“Well maybe not all of them, but why not this one? She’s already grown on you at least a little bit if you’re buying her ice cream,” the man was borderline pleading with him at this point. It was unfathomable as to why he was so hung up on this idea, but Smoker frankly could not be bothered to care enough to get to the bottom of it.

“You’re talking about this like she’s a stray dog I found on the street.” Smoker ran a hand down his face and sighed before sparing you a sideways glance. Mercifully, you didn’t appear all that bothered by the odd exchange going on between them. He spoke in a lower tone in hopes of keeping it that way, “Besides, there’s… more going on here.”

A colder, hardened edge flashed in Masterson’s eyes, he definitely got the hint. He patted Carol on the back and nudged her towards you, “Why don’t you get to know your new friend, daddy has to talk business for a minute.”

The little girl didn’t need to be told twice, and quickly scurried over to you and started introducing herself. 

Smoker and Masterson put some distance between themselves and the children. Still close enough to keep an eye on you two, but far enough to have a chance to talk without being overheard.

Masterson pulled out a pack of cigarettes, shaking one out onto his hand, “What’s going on?”

“Trafficking from the looks of it. Her parents are absent, but her answers have been unusual regarding them.” Smoker decided to swap out his cigars for a couple of new ones now that he had his hands free again. “What really bothers me is that she’s here with “friends” that are all adults that she met yesterday.”

Masterson exhaled a puff of smoke, and shook his head, “Sounds about right. Saw a lot of that sort of thing back when I was still a traveling bounty hunter. They tell kids these fantastical stories to get them to come with them willingly so it’s easier to smuggle them. That girl probably thinks she’s going to a new family, or something of the like.” He glanced over to where you and Carol were with pity in his eyes, “You know who you're looking for yet?”

“I’ve got a description for one of them. A redheaded woman with a tattoo on her shoulder named Nami, but I haven’t encountered her yet. I was going to take her to the docks so she could point out their ship to me.”

The bounty hunter nodded, “Good idea, there could be more kids on board. You want help?”

“If you’re not too busy. An extra pair of eyes-”

“Oh! That’s one of my friends!” Your voice cut through the air in an excited squeal.

Both of them went on high alert instantly. Masterson’s hand hovered over his holstered gun and plumes of smoke began curling off of Smoker’s body as they both frantically surveyed their surroundings. No one else was here. Rather than running towards someone, you bounded over to a wall.

A wall with bounty posters plastered all over it. 

Oh, no.

Your empty hand excitedly slapped one poster in particular and you looked over your shoulder at Smoker with a smile on your face, “He’s one of my friends! It’s cool you got a picture of him!”

A bitter, vicious sensation seeped into Smoker’s heart as he glared at the poster. A young boy smiled back at him, not a care in the world to having his picture taken for a bounty poster. Monkey D. Luffy. Wanted dead or alive for a startling sum of 30,000,000 berry. 

Of course pirates were behind this. Everything was starting to come together and make more sense. Not that it changed much. He was still going to be arresting these friends of yours, just now he didn’t need to investigate them for a solid reason to do so. 

“Is he now? That’s good to know,” Smoker ground out while continuing to stare at the mocking grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll find him for you.”

And make sure the bastard rots in prison, but you didn’t need to know about that part.

[luckykiwiii101]

Hi Wii!! 💖

It's finally my turn. My own void success story💕💕. ahhh i'm so happy! This is kind of long so sorry for that.

So, just for a back story, I have been terminally ill for a while now. I was always in pain and even after discovering subliminals 5 years ago i was never fully 'able' to get rid of my illness. But then I came across the void state one day on tiktok while looking through shifting methods and instantly knew that it was for me. The thought of it genuinely made me so happy and not in like a 'i'll get all my desires' way but in like a 'ofc i can give myself whatever I want.' way. But i kinda fell down a rabit hole on tumblr and really put the void on a pedestal that i had to 'pass' in order to get anything😔.

But then, a few weeks ago, it really clicked. I did one of those 3-day challenges (i didn't follow anyone elses, just made up my own routine and stuck to it.) and it helped tremendously both with my self concept and void concept. i know these aren't really important but they sure help lol.

Anyway i didn't get in the void in those 3 days but i realised that instead of hating not waking up in the void, my thought process was just ''well, i'm getting closer aren't I?" and i honestly caught myself off guard with that🎀🎀.

But then last night, i got ready for bed and went to sleep. But I kept waking up in the middle of the night because it was kinda hot. Anyway, i had a holiday from school so I was gonna sleep in.

My sister had to go to school tho and we share a room so when she wakes up, i usually do as well just because of all the rustling. She opened the light to our room and i felt a faint light infront of my eyes. I couldn't hear her then for a while but I just assumed that was because she left the room. Then my hearing came back and she was asking me about smth so i opened my eyes but noticed that the 'source' of the light i felt while my eyes were closed was different to which light was open in the room(I really hope that made sense). I then realised that it took awhile for me to properly feel my body again and thats when i realized i was in the void- aware- for once!! 💗💗

I honestly wasn't surprised that I woke up in the void without doing anything because I have full faith in myself but it has really helped me make my belief in the void even stronger. I have a whole list of things i want to get so when i get in the void again tonight, I'm gonna affirm for all my desires!! Wait for my full success story please 💖💖

Also, to all the people out there, i know it's hard but all you genuinely need to do is trust yourself and your power, remember you are The Creator.

Thanks again Wii, you've been great help.

(btw, so sorry for any typos, english is not my first language😔)

Success Story ✨✨✨✨💗💗💗

This is truly amazing!!

IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!! AND EVEN MORE PROUD THAT YOU ACTUALLY TOOK YOUR LIFE INTO YOUR OWN HANDS!!! MORE PEOPLE SHOULD BE LIKE YOU!!!

[mellybabbles]

If KOSA pases and tumblr explodes, I'll leave this here.

Thank you all. Seriously, I've managed to pick myself up, and finally become the person I want to be, because of you all. Mutuals, followers, or maybe just some random that popped by and thought "cool, have a like/reblog" You have all helped me recover and actually take that step into becoming a better person. I'm happy, and I can say that with full confidence. You've all given me an unfathomable amount of joy, and let me meet the love of my life, and people I thought I'd never be able to interact with. For my mutuals:

Thank you @italic-doing-random-shit for inadverately helping me take that first step into trying out tumblr properly again, instead of running away. Thank for you being an amazing friend and always being there for me. Thank you @largefound for giving me the pushes I need to get confident on my art, and branch out and try new things. Thank you for being one of the best friends I could've asked for. Thank you @tundra116 for being a mood booster every time I see soem crack fuckin post or ask in my inbox. You motivated me to keep going and give others the same joy you give me, even if for a split moment. Thank you @still-got-no-idea for fulling up my notifs and giving me a big smile every time you begin to like my posts. We don't talk much, but I'm glad we're mutuals. Thank you @panda-of-the-trash for motivating me to actually be creative with my ideas, and inspiring me to properly write. Thank you @godofautism for accidentally teaching me to be more aware of what those around me are feeling, and allowing me to take a step into treatment for my alexithymia. Thank you @systematic-err0r for being the mutual I always really wanted to get to know. You're always giving comments, reblogs and likes to the point the support can be mindbogling at times. Thank you @c00kietin for motivating me to give new people a chance, and to finally work on the relationships I have now. Thank you @phymarsh for giving me that first boost of excitement of an inspiration of mine following me and interacting with me. For giving me a smile every time I see you on my dash. Thank you @switchthedragon for always remaining strong, inspiring me to do so despite all the hate and threats I was receiving. Thank you @liliallowed for inspiring me to try new artstyles and finally figuring out the one I love the most. Thank you @inka-boi for being one of the biggest beams of light, helping me to learn how to sympathize again and love myself and others. For helping me to go back to my roots and mend what was broken. Thank you @juno-punk for inspiring me to make my own OC's and AU's, instead of locking myself up with shame in fear of what others would think if I made them. Thank you @mikerooksi @lust-sans-vios-rpaccount @wonkus-bonkus @doodlenovaa @killersansofficial @dustsansm1 for showing me back to the joys of interacting with new people and finding joy in it, instead of forcing myself into uncomfortable situations. Thank you @safwunnz for making me feel noticed and big in the grand scheme of everything. Allowing me, even if this might all be gone, to feel like I've made enough of an impact to reach out to artists that inspired of me in the first place. Thank you @elizakai for the first step in art. You're the reason I draw and enjoy it, allowing me to actually have something to do when I'm in a pit or rut of depression. Thank you @/swiftmitsu @/artpepkin for making my month by a simple button click. For all the smiles and laughs your art and animations have given me. The joy I once never got to experience. (Too nervous to ping) Thank you @ant1quarian for allowing me to read stories that actually make me feel like I'm there, and escape how horrible reality can be sometimes.

Thank you all for giving me the love and life I'd lost from being beat down. For those who weren't pinged, I was too nervous. Thank you all so much. For all my friends outside of tumblr that are mutuals on here, you all know how much I care for you and I'm happy to have you all in my life. Thank you for everything.

[thedepthsoffandomminds]

Episode two - Blessings of St Coccyx

Master list

Jack Dawkins x fem reader. Belles older sister.

You walk into the hospital finding your sister pulling a bed pan from below a patient's bed.

"You take human excrement from sick people and dump it outside the door?" You hear Belle asking.

" Well, you may fashion a quilt from it, should you desire." Dawkins laughs

" This place is horrendous." You say drawing their attention.

"You noticed?" He quipped, hands on his hips.

"Has no one here heard of cleanliness?" You ask. Belle meets your eyes and her smile stretches wide. "You'll need mops." You say.

"and a change of clothes. I need to address the nursing and laundry staff." Your sister giggles. The two of you march out of the ward followed by the staff.

As your sister worked to clean the wards and have the sheets changed on every bed you were busying yourself with dusting the main entrance and hallways. Dawkins walks up behind you.

"Are we to have the pleasure of your presence here as well?" He asked resting himself against a wall. You jump and look back at him.

"On the contrary, I simply came to see how Belle was getting on. I'm glad I arrived when I did."

Jack smiles, "that's a shame, I'd rather see you around here."

You laugh but catch yourself with a tightness in your chest. Jack instantly stood to your side.

"are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I should not have used so much of the wood polish." You try to lie.

"I should examine you properly." Jack said placing a hand on the small of your back.

"No, no I'm fine. I'll just get some air. You should continue with your work. Thank you Dr Dawkins." You say stepping away from him.

"Lady y/n, would you call me Jack?" He asked before you got too far away.

"Perhaps." You grin and turn away. He watches you leave, then returns to the ward to check on Charlie.

You rested outside the back door taking in the fresh air. You had to admit the heat of this country was much better for your chest than England had been. In truth it had been part of the reason your father had taken the job as governor. Your health had been a worry for him for many years. Not one Doctor had ever told him a true reason for it. It took some time for you to focus on the argument happening between Belle and Jack.

"I'm sorry I was not born into a life of wealth. I don't have the luxury of being able to cause trouble and get away with it." He held his face still to control his emotions.

" So, really much better to be a common thief with your uncle." Belle bit back.

"Do you know how much they pay the surgeons here? Well, no, of course, you wouldn't. Why would you? Nothing. I get free food and accommodation." That caught your attention "Then, how do you..." She asked.

"By gambling. I play cards. That's how I make my money. And I'm pretty good at it. Except, last time, I got cheated, and now, if I don't come up with a year's worth of income, then I get my hand cut off."

"So, that's why Fagin stole the gems?" You step up to them. Jack looks back to you his eyes showing the hurt he felt inside. He turns back to Belle, "You want to be a surgeon? Then expect nothing in return." He walked away from you both re-entering the hospital.

"Get back to work, Belle." You told your younger sister before rushing inside.

"Doctor Dawkins? Doctor, Jack wait!" You called after him. He finally stopped at the sound of you calling his name and turned to you.

"Jack, I can help you. If you need money I can get it for you." You say pulling him to the side.

"what?" He blinked at you.

"I have money, if you need it." You say again.

"No, y/n no I couldn't take money from you. I have no way of paying it back. I do not need your charity." He's a little agitated as he talks.

"that isn't...Jack you're a good surgeon I simply do not want you to-"

"What, become a thief? A criminal?" He said the words as if they tasted bad in his mouth.

"I'm sorry if I've offended you Doctor. Good day." You turn and rush from the hospital, a tightness in your chest that was not medical plagued you all the way home.

Later that day Belle returned home and told you about the hernia operation. The prof had almost killed the poor man before Belle and Jack had taken over.

"oh, you look pale, sister." Fanny said walking into your room.

"oh I'm quite well, just tired. I spent too much time in the sun I fear."

"Are you well enough to come down to my soiree?" Fanny asked. You and Belle both stood.

"yes of course." You follow her down to the parlour where Smales is resiting yet another of his poems to your parents and the other guests. Belle was ready to leave almost immediately. Though you tried to stop her.

"You will make your sister sad. Stay." You whispered to her.

"What happened today, before you left? Jack was in a foul mood all afternoon." She half whispered back to you.

"I'm sure I have no idea." You say, turning back to your youngest sister's art show.

*_*_*_*_*

It was a few days before you chose to return to town. Belle had been spending her days in the hospital whilst you stayed in your family gardens. Fanny was still determined to marry off her sisters so she too could marry. You had decided today was good enough to walk around the town, take in as much of it as you could.

Standing outside the hospital you waited for Belle to finish her day when you heard his voice. He was laughing along with Fagin.

"Oh, lady y/n, how lovely to see you again." The older man bowed his head to you.

"Thank you Fagin, a pleasure I'm sure." You replied with a danity smile. He nodded and stepped away leaving you and Jack alone.

"I am just waiting for my sister." You said, unsure of what else to say.

"Yes, of course. Lady y/n I...well I wanted to apologise. I shouldn't have been so brash with you." He began.

"No, you should not have been. I accept your apology." You say abruptly and turn away from him.

"Well, I thought you...I, well the debt is gone. We have dealt with it." He informed you, seemingly finding it hard to say the words.

"Oh, good. The rubies?" You ask.

"No, um we, well Darius and I played for it." He appeared nervous.

"And you won, I assume?" You turn back to him, meeting his eyes at last. His hair looked brighter in the afternoon sunlight. "How, how is Charlie?" You ask, not wanting the conversation to end.

"He is doing well, he likes your sister visiting. He may enjoy one from you as well." He took in a long breath.

"Yes, perhaps I shall." You reply. For a moment the two of you are silent, looking into each other's eyes.

"Sister?" Belle stood at your side.

Part three

@fandomfan-102

[ronkeyroo]

Noticing a lot of bad, self sabotaging patterns resurfacing lately...Things I'm angry still exist within me, and it steers such a hurtful, bitter feeling inside...

I'm recovering from a very dark period in my life, folks that know me have seen how vastly it fluctuated; I cannot emphasize just how incredible it is that things have finally been on the improving end. Like,,there's so much newfound goodness all around me, especially lately, and i finally start allowing myself to feel welcome and safe within it all - But, I've spent so much time in my mess that It still feels like I'm walking through wires...Followed by this same, deeply rooted response that makes me feel like all of it, and all of me, is some sort of an anomaly.

And then, I just- either get overwhelmed beyond what i'm capable of expressing or is considered normal, or, the other side of this damn pendulum - I shut down. Straight into nothingness, with everything i encompass or hold dear, and it fucking scares me. I keep willingfully concluding the same miserable narrative that demands I disappear, ultimately seeking my isolation like I've been doing my entire life.

I recognize and reject it all so much but its like having a death grip on a slippery eel. I don't want to keep perpetuating this damn cycle. I miss out on people and connections that mean a lot to me, i miss out on things I care for, i miss out on myself and everything i want to stand up for and experience. And just when I start easing into a happier life, those feelings rise like some sort of intentional jab in my direction and i start heaving under like some wounded animal all over again instead of taking a moment to realize this isn't all there is of/to me.

Things hurt, a lot, and Im still learning to properly digest and deal with those feelings. But I want to keep trying to insist against it. To keep learning how to take a healthy step back instead of immediately isolating to oblivion. To be able to welcome this turmoil without completely losing myself in it, and to know that all of this goodness that i still very much experience is real and...Part of me.

I wanted to say "- And that I deserve it too-" But its not about being deserving or not, its about finding the right balance and peace of experiencing it without letting stuff overwhelm me so badly, without just shutting down like a corrupt program that cannot compute it even exists.

It always starts small, so I'll start small too...

[maple-the-awesome]

Color Blinded ||

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Reader

Words: 4,733

Overview: People are born seeing in black and white with the promise that they'll finally see color the moment they first look into their soulmate's eyes. For reasons that should be obvious, Matt has lost all hope in ever finding his own soulmate. I've been working on this dang prompt since the beginning of my blog and now finally, after suffering endless months of writers block and several rewrites, it's finally done in time for my 500 followers milestone🥳 ~ Maple

Marvel Masterlist 🖤 Fandom Masterlist 🖤 Requests

"Oh, those are beautiful!"

You hum at Karen's greeting comment which sticks in your head more than you'd care to admit. Leaning in to inhale the pleasant aroma, you decide that the bouquet certainly does smell beautiful if that's what she means, although you doubt it is.

Peeking at the bundle of roses through half-lidded eyes, you can't say you're particularly impressed by those dark veins carved into each delicate petal, only succeeding in making them appear both old and wrinkled. That being said, they're dreadfully boring in your own judgment, but even so, you don't doubt that they must look wonderful to everyone else.

"I'll take your word for it."

"Are they a gift from someone special?" Her hint is innocent enough, given through a giggle and teasing sway of her body yet it causes a sudden arrow to pierce your heart.

Ever so carefully, you select the best looking rose (still based on your own poor judgment) and hand it to the surprised secretary, "The corner store near my apartment just got a fresh shipment so I thought, since people usually like flowers, maybe I could bring some for the firm - as a sign of appreciation for all your help...I know. It isn't much, but I-"

"-That's very thoughtful of you."

You pray no one notices the way you turn a little too quickly to the voice, your heart lurching before filling with a familiar warmth that would be considered a welcomed comfort if not for how inappropriate it is in the given situation. Of course, because there's nothing appropriate about the way you view Matthew Murdock; your lawyer in whom you share a strictly professional relationship, thus respect and gratitude should be the extent of your feelings towards the man.

Alas, as Matt leans against his office door with a radiant smile that makes your heart flutter like a hummingbird's wings, you allow yourself to foolishly imagine - even if just for a blink - that said smile is built custom for you and you alone. How outlandish.

It's honestly quite pathetic how you're able to hand Foggy a rose without falter yet the same steady hand trembles like a leaf by the mere action of extending one towards Matt. There, you hover the blossomed flower in the air awkwardly before rather shamefully realizing your terrible error and the reason as to why he doesn't accept it despite your wordless prompt; he can't take what he doesn't see.

"H-Here. For you, Mr. Murdock."

"Thank you," His voice is whispered and deep - sinfully so - as his reach fumbles about until finally brushing against your hand which he uses to then guide his own to the rose's stem. The feeling of his calloused fingertips running all too slowly over your skin made you dizzy which is perhaps what ultimately led you to miss the miraculous way Matt avoids every thorn once officially claiming the rose as his own despite the complete clumsiness of his previous touch seconds ago.

You never stood a chance at functioning properly after that, far too focused on him as he lifts the rose to his nose for a sniff, letting it brush just under his nostrils with a tickle that makes the corners of his plump lips twitch upwards into his cheeks to form a gentler smile than before. Huh. He hasn't shaved recently it seems. His facial hair is more noticeable than it had been when you first came to the firm a few weeks ago -

"They're pink!" You blurt out, warmth immediately rising to your cheeks, "I, um...The shop had a list of all the rose color meanings and pink supposedly means gratitude, so I wanted to get pink ones. They are pink...aren't they?"

"Well, I'd sure say so! This has got to be the deepest shape of pink I've ever seen on a flower! Hey, think it'll look nice on my suit? Maybe I should start wearing one everyday?" Foggy's kind enough to reassure, holding the rose to his pocket and striking a few dramatic poses which gains a chuckle from Karen.

"Are roses even court appropriate attire?"

"Who cares? It's Wednesday! On Wednesday we wear pink, Karen!"

You stand in silence, watching as the two bicker playfully in a conversation that feels too distant to join yourself despite only being mere feet away. Filled with dismay once again, you find it difficult not to peer down at the remaining roses in longing, wishing to see even a blink of their bright hue.

You've heard pink's a beautiful color found in flowers and the sunset. According to your sister, a blanket in your house is an ugly shade of pink, and Foggy says the color suits Karen as she tucks her rose behind her ear carefully, yet you wouldn't be able to confirm any of those points. Your world is still locked in the curse that is monochrome...

"Are you wanting to get started discussing the case for tomorrow?" Your wandering thoughts are interrupted by Matt who sets a tender hand on your shoulder, showing a noticeable look of concern despite it being mostly hidden behind his black glasses.

"Oh yes, sorry! The case, yeah, of course..." Fortunately, the lawyer merely chuckles at your disorderly state before stepping aside and gesturing to his office with his cane. Gratefully you enter, taking your usual seat in front of his desk where you fidget while he takes his time sitting opposite and retrieving his case notes.

A bouquet of simple roses, regardless of their color, truly doesn't hold a candle to how appreciative you are to the members of Nelson and Murdock. Thus far they've provided quality work for a price you can actually afford on your tight budget, making them forever your saviors. Matt himself has been particularly helpful, treating your case as if it's been some sort of order given to him directly from God. He never wastes a second leaping into business and goes the extra mile by repeating himself as often as necessary to ensure you understand everything properly which is always nice, after all, you could listen to his voice for hours.

Seeing that there's still plenty to tend to involving your case, you expect Matt to begin promptly discussing any updates and what to be prepared for in regards to the lawsuit, however his hand instead hesitates over his notes before he moves it to his mouth to hide his cough, "I take it you haven't found your soulmate yet?"

"...H-Huh?"

Many would deem that a wildly inappropriate question especially for a lawyer to ask his client. Soulmates are sacred and intimate, not often discussed with strangers or in professional settings, however you'd like to at least call Matt somewhat of a friend - he's definitely treated you with the kindness of one - therefore you don't show any offense towards his innocent curiosity. After all, why should he be blamed? Apparently, you're the one stupid enough to make it so obvious that a blind man can take notice.

Ah, soulmates; a pair designed only for each other, holding such a special bond that meeting for the first time quite literally changes their entire perspectives on life in an instant. How so? Because everyone's born seeing the world in monochrome, color only being granted them once looking directly into the eyes of their soulmate for the first time. This is why you can't make out the color of your roses or the sky above or even the supposedly bright 'yellow' taxi you take here each day; you've never met your other half...

This realization and the knowledge that Matt's been able to piece it together strikes an insecurity of yours which you attempt to cover by redirecting his question quickly, "Have you?"

He laughs, although you'd say it sounds a bit bitter if you didn't know any better, "Wouldn't know if I did, I'm afraid."

Your face burns with embarrassment once more, shame sinking into your stomach, "Oh God, right. I'm so sorry, Mr. Murdock. I wasn't thinking - of course, you're blind, but...I mean unless your soulmate's blind as well, I would think - I would just think that they'd say something when you meet, so wouldn't you know that way?"

"I suppose so..." Matt gives a thoughtful hum, but it's soon followed by a frown, "Unfortunately, people aren't always truthful."

"You think someone would lie about being your soulmate?"

He pauses, his frown only deepening after being tainted by a sour memory, "...Someone did..."

You frown, too, at this confession, but it only takes a split second for this sympathy towards Matt to turn into fury, "Why would someone lie about that?! That's so cruel! I mean, I guess I could see why someone would lie with you because they'd have the opportunity and you're, like, the jackpot, so of course it would be tempting to keep you and all, but soulmates are supposed to be special! You can't force that type of bond and lying about it would only end up hurting both parties in the end!"

"'The Jackpot', hmm?" Matt echoes smugly at the end of your rant.

You blink, reviewing your own words in search of the mistake. After locating it, your face burns so warm that you should be worried about overheating, however you're a little too busy being embarrassed for that to cross your mind.

"Well yeah...You...You're a nice guy - from what I've seen, anyways. You're well mannered and you work hard to do what's right even if it's not financially rewarding in the end which are traits any girl would - should, at least, swoon over. You're also, um...You're not bad looking in any way..." You mumble the last part pathetically, pulling on the fabric of your shirt as a nervous habit.

You swear he leans closer over the table, his voice low and husky on purpose as if he can hear how fast it makes your heartbeat; as if he understands it's a dangerous temptation for you, "So, you find me attractive?"

"Yes, well, I'd, uh...I'd say you are, but..." you glance up at him for a second, hating how flustered even your reflection looks in his tinted glasses," - But I've actually heard Foggy say the same thing, hasn't he? Yeah, in fact, when I first came in he made that joke about how you get all the ladies because of your looks so apparently it's common knowledge through Hell's Kitchen that Matt Murdock is one good looking lawyer."

Much to your relief, he finally leans back with a chuckle towards your words, "Is that so?"

You nod too quickly, folding your hands over your lap and sitting straighter as a poor attempt to get your body and nerves to calm down, "Yeah...A-Anyways, about the case...?""Right, right. The case," he nods, fixing his glasses before returning his hand to the paperwork in front of himself. Little do you know, he hears the way you exhale and fidget in your chair, remaining flustered from the previous conversation well into the next, which is a thought that keeps that devilish smirk tugging on his lips.

It's gotten late - possibly the latest you've ever stayed at the firm. There's no longer a faint white glow of light peeking through the blinds, but there is a dim echo off the small desk lamp. While it protects the room from complete darkness, it's not enough to save you from having to squint at your paperwork to see it properly. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so difficult if you could just make out different color gradients…

Putting you to shame, Matt doesn't seem to be struggling at all. He effortlessly moves his hands over each textured line of his papers, reading faster than you ever could even in perfect lighting. You've stopped to watch him for a bit, noting the slightly darker strips of scars cutting across his knuckles and the vague change in shade against his palms - callouses, you'd guess.

If brave enough (which you unfortunately are), you'd sneak a glance at his face, hoping to make it secret and quick enough to temporarily satisfy that yearning in your heart. You stupidly convince yourself that this task will be easy considering a blind man can't possibly catch you staring, can he? 

You managed to do it exactly three times, losing count of the seconds in between each. The first two attempts were as promised: quick and like a shadow. You had looked up, eyes locking on his face while you tried to imagine the buzz against your fingertips which you assumed would be the effect provided if you set them run over his stubble. You had looked up again, focusing on the scent of his colloque. You can smell it from here and wonder if it smells stronger around his neck. 

You had looked up one last time, taking instant notice of the smirk Matt tries to lick away before ducking his head when that isn't successful. Absolutely mortified, you looked down at your lap with a stammering heart, promising never to sneak another glance at him again...It turns out a blind man can catch you staring…

Since then, you've remained like a statue, reading your files like a good girl because isn't that why you're here? Matt Murdock's your lawyer, not your eye candy! You should be treating him with respect, not gawking at him like a teenager does the boy band posters in her room!

Breaking this suffocating silence, Matt taps his own set off papers against the desk to file them into a neat stack, "Well, what do you think?"

"What do I think...?" You echo, crashing into the ground of reality so hard it knocks everything you've just read right out of your head.

"About the proposed settlement?" He leans forward a bit, his arms crossed over the desk and his eyebrow perked upwards. He's relaxed (as always), but carries a hint of concern in his voice that digs into your heart further than you'd care to let him in on. 

How pathetic is it that you swoon at even the slightest bit of care shown to you by a guy? Of course, you truthfully don't behave this way around just any guy, only Matt, however you'd feel better admitting you're starved of affection rather than say you’re entirely parched by the thought of the man in front of you.

"This is only an estimated amount that they've proposed. We'll go over official negotiations with the council, however I wouldn't recommend taking anything less than this offer," possibly sensing the way you play with your hands and chew on your lip, Matt adds softly, "As your lawyer and representative, I'll be there with you at every moment to ensure you aren't cheated in anyway. All you have to worry about yourself is listening along and signing the papers if you decide the agreed upon amount is fair. If you have any concerns, you can voice them directly to me and I'll deal with the council...I just want to make sure you understand that taking this settlement doesn't mean the company is admitting fault -"

"- They'll just be giving me money to keep my mouth shut."

"Pretty much," Matt nods with a frown, "You'll be signing a contract agreeing to never speak about the matter again - not the settlement itself or what happened. That means you won't be able to sue them at a later date nor does anyone within the company have to be held responsible for what happened either - unless the corporation decides to take corrective action itself."

You sigh, gazing over the paperwork while considering the offer. Going with the settlement, you'll leave with a pretty decent chunk of money (more than you make in a year's salary) which will be somewhat worth all the bullshit you had experienced at your former place of employment, however you're hesitant towards the idea of letting your asshole bosses get away with all the discrimination and favoritism they let poison your life for the last few years. Still...You really don't want to take this to an actual court where the outcome isn't guaranteed to be any better.

"...I understand," you sigh again, tangling a hand in your hair, "I just want to get this over with..."

"I'm sure you do. Nearly five years of being cheated out of raises and higher positions - anyone would be tired of it, but -" You nearly flinch when Matt's hand finds itself over yours on the desk, his thumb gently running over the skin. To top it off, he has that concerned expression again that makes him look so soft and loving…yet he’s only your lawyer, "- I don't want you to make a choice on that alone. If you truly want to go through with the lawsuit, I'll do whatever I can to make it less stressful for you -"

"- It's fine, Matt," you give your best smile, sandwiching his hand between both of yours, "I think the settlement is my best option. With it, I can start moving on with my life. That company took five years of my time, they're not getting a second more.”

He returns your smile. For some reason, he makes no attempt at moving his hand away. Instead, he lets you forget about it, not speaking a word of protest as you find yourself getting lost in the moment. 

How is it that you can feel more chemistry with someone in such a simple place - a broken down little law firm surrounded by paperwork - than you've felt on any date in your life? If you're this infatuated with a random guy like Matt, how are you possibly going to survive the heart tremors that your soulmate will give you?

"You guys are still working in here?" A part of you wants to celebrate Foggy's interruption as he peeks his head through the office door, but behind him you can see Karen slipping on her coat, letting you know that your time with Matt has officially come to end. 

"We've just finished actually," Matt admits, at last giving a tug to his hand that makes you instantly retract your hold over him in embarrassment, not that he seems fazed himself.

"Great, because it's whiskey Wednesday at Josie's. You know what that means?!" Foggy cheers, earning a chuckle from his friend who's already standing.

"That I'm gonna have to drag you home tonight?"

Shyly, you shuffle off to the side, wiggling on your own jacket while wondering how difficult it will be to get a taxi at such a late hour. You're prepared to wish everyone goodnight and be on your way, but then Foggy turns to you, "You're coming too, right (Y/n)?"

"Me?"

"Of course, the more the merrier!" He says.

"O-Oh, um..."

"It'll be fun," Karen insists.

You're still hesitant, not being one for bars not to mention you have so much on your plate this week. You should really get home and consider this settlement more - reread the proposal, recite your testimony in case you're quizzed about it later, mentally prepare yourself for the stress...

The final nail to your coffin is Matt - it's always Matt. Foggy and Karen are sweet and they make you feel welcomed, but Matt is the one with an inhuman ability to make you feel like a cloud simply by setting his hand on your shoulder and smiling so sweetly, "It might be a nice way to get your mind off of things."

How can you honestly say no to more time with him? Oh yeah, you can't…

You've never been to Josie's before, although you aren't surprised by that fact considering it seems to be an easily missed hole-in-the-wall bar with room temperature beer and sticky seats. Despite this, the others seem to be having lots of fun, officially having gone numb to all the health code violations around you guys.

Foggy and Karen are currently on their third round of playing pool where the loser must take a shot. You had played the first round with them and lost. After that, you decided it’s far more amusing to sit back and watch the show than to partake in it.

"I'm assuming you guys come here often?" You ask distantly, letting your voice drift off with the sound of loud voices and clicking glasses that makes the bar feel much busier than it actually is, yet somehow Matt still hears you.

He brings his beer bottle to his lips, poorly hiding his smirk, "What gave that away?"

"Well to start, the owner rolled her eyes the second we walked through that door and neither of those two have crashed yet showing they've had practiced -"

"- They could've had 'practiced' at any bar."

"We're not in a courtroom, you know, so don't have to poke holes in my argument like that…" You tease lamely, shifting in your chair to face him fully instead of Foggy and Karen at the pool tables. 

You've always cursed yourself for not being professional around Matt, but tonight you’ve officially met a new awful low. This table is small - small enough that when you moved in your chair, your knees ended up brushing with his. On top of that, he has long removed his jacket, his white sleeves sinfully rolled up past his elbows showing just a hint of the impressive muscle to his biceps. It's insane how much one little jacket can hide. You wonder how much muscle he had built elsewhere. His shirt is definitely too tight, not leaving much for your imagination -

"- What are you thinking about?" 

Your breath hitches, your eyes darting from his chest to his eyes. There's the damn smirk again - the same that makes you doubt whether he's truly blind considering he has such a good record when it comes to calling out your stare.

"N-Nothing..."

"'Nothing' makes you that nervous?" He's honestly having fun with this, isn't he?

"I...I was thinking about the settlement," you excuse, propping your elbow on the table while hoping to distract yourself by drawing invisible designs against the surface.

Matt crosses his arms, leaning back. You swear he purposefully bumps your foot with his, "As I've said, there's nothing to worry about. Believe me, they wouldn't have even offered you a cent unless they were scared of the dirt you have on them. We have this thing in the bag."

"You seem confident," you comment quietly, earning a devilish smile from him.

"Would you rather me be nervous?"

"Maybe not with a case, but now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever seen you be nervous before. It seems like I'm always the one stumbling over my own words."

"I suppose it comes with the profession. It wouldn't send the best message to my clients if they see me fumbling around. Believe it or not, but I've got an important reputation to keep as a 'jackpot' lawyer," Matt jokes, drawing a laugh from you, although you still feel a prick of embarrassment over the callback.

"Are you ever going to let me live that down?" You groan, hanging your head low dramatically, however the smile remains on your face and Matt knows it. 

"Not for a while, no."

"Be careful, Murdock. Keep teasing me so much and I might leave a bad review," you quickly snatch your glass, downing a gulp of bitter alcohol which gives you enough confidence to add, "Don't wanna ruin your status as 'jackpot lawyer', do you?"

He laughs heartily and shakes his head. The action causes his glasses to slip on his nose slightly. Anyone else wouldn't be so bothered by this, however he is, finding the new position itchy against his skin. Without thinking too much of it, he decides to remove the problem completely, taking his glasses off and setting them in front of himself, "You know what? Why don't we just call it a truce? If Foggy hears, I'll be the one who never lives it down."

"Aw, you seemed like you liked the nickname, though? Why the change of heart, Murdock?" You tease, your giggles echoing through your glass before you finally set it down and look at him. It's amazing how much alcohol and a bit of laughter can make you feel this at ease, but it doesn't last long.

"...What's wrong?" Matt notices your silence rather quickly, although it was the skip in your heart beat that truly set off the alarm in his head. Your whole body goes tense and he can once again feel your eyes staring at him which he normally doesn't mind nor would he mind if not for your sudden change in overall behavior.

When he repeats the question again in a whisper, you merely hum, barely catching his concern even then. Instead, you become lost in the moment, forced to trust your rapidly beating heart to guide your muddled brain as you speak without much forethought, "...You're eyes - they're beautiful...They're the most beautiful color I've ever seen..."

It takes Matt a second to catch onto your exact words, pairing them with your body's reaction that shares your sudden amazement. Even so, he's reluctant to ask, fearing one of the possible answers to his own question, "Am I...Do you see color right now?"

"I do...I can see color," you confirm breathlessly, your surprise soon transforming into a giddy grin that almost reaches your ears. Leaning forward, you try to get a better look at the man before you through your new vision. Your hand moves as if prepared to reach towards him, however you keep it hovering in the air, "...I can finally see color..."

When you let your hand slowly drift back down to the table, it doesn't take long before Matt's brushes over it, remaining there as his face twists into a series of emotions. First, there's hesitance and fear, then a flash of sorrow before finally a gentle smile. 

Staring into his unfocused eyes, you almost lose yourself, forgetting that you're in fact sitting in the middle of a busy bar with your lawyer who is apparently that one special person you're meant to spend your life with...but it's then that you come to another realization that almost jolts you away from him, your words in a panic, "I-I promise I'm not lying either! I'd never lie about this to you, Matt! I really do see color, so I think you're my -"

You don't get to finish your drawn off sentence before his lips are pressing softly against yours, his hand moving yours to his cheek where it had desired to be to begin with. You had no sense of time to tell you how long you remain like that before he pulls away, forehead set against yours as his breath cools your lips, "...I'm your soulmate."

"You believe me?"

He chuckles, pecking your lips in a kiss that doesn't last nearly long enough. Matt has never admitted it to anyone, however a part of him has always feared the idea of ‘soulmates’. If they’re found through color, how would he ever find his perfect match without sight and would they even want him? 

Those insecurities only got worse after he was lied to. He knew it was a lie, too - of course he knew, he can sense the signs the human body gives off while fibbing - yet he played dumb and pretended to believe it. Why? Maybe he was too poisoned by young love, desperately wanting to believe the woman before him was his soulmate. Perhaps he was just scared he’d never find his real soulmate anyways, so why not take what he was being handed since beggars can’t be choosers? 

Then you came into the picture. Matt may not be able to confirm your connection through any form of color, but he can definitely say he felt something special from the second you first came into Nelson & Murdock searching for help. 

Some part of him realized it by the way your laughter lights a fire in his heart or how the thought of you sticks in his mind like glue throughout each day and night. Still…He was too afraid to act upon this feeling - too afraid to let himself live the chance that you could even possibly be his soulmate, although he can feel safe admitting it now: he’s been silently hoping this entire time that it would be you and it seems his instincts have been correct.

"You're my soulmate," Matt whispers, returning his lips to yours for a third time that mirrors the first: a long and loving kiss that makes you both echo out the rest of the world as you hold dearly onto the fact that neither of you will ever have to be alone again.

[pinkyjulien]

🟨 WIP Whenever ⏲

I got tagged by a couple of people... more than A MONTH ago ghfh so I won't tag them but thank you!! 🥺 finally have some stuff to show uwu

Been taking a wee break from modding for some days, started playing Overland and it's SUCH a cool lil game 🤏

It was also the occasion for me to properly boot up my 3D printer, tested the installation with a lil horsy I shared already (more importantly to check if it was on a straight enough surface and to adjust its bed temperature to my room)

I've been following h3LLcreator on Instagram for years and waited for a good opportunity to get some of their models 👀 They have a lot of cool stuff, planning on getting some mass effect babes later But first 🔥🐎

SHE CAME OUT SO GOOOD 😩👌 Made a honky with the rotation during the preparation so I'll have to tweak it cause I'm planning on printing another one >:3c for someone >:3c

Didn't cleaned the stand yet but needed to test if everything was fitting correctly~ aaaaah OwO

I thankfully dodged a burnout right at the edge so I was able to bounce back into modding pretty quick (my honks don't usually last long, just need to take a breather every now and then)

So I been cooookiiiiing

Can expect this pair of Kinda Fucked Up Pants next week :3c

As well as these pair of platform boooooots (there's more colors for both the pants and boots but I'm keeping a bit of surprise there cmon)

Feeling inspired so might pop out more shtuff in the meantime who knows 👁👄👁

▶ Gonna tag a few peeps, haven't been keeping up with what everyone's doing - as always, no pressure at all to do anything about it! 💛 @itzsassha - @theviridianbunny - @therealnightcity - @aldecaldhos - @kdval - @afterdark-vp - @dreamskug - @sammysilverdyne - @wraithsoutlaws - @arcandoria - @lokiina

[comfort-questing]

"just let yourself be sick so you can get better"

for @whumperless-whump-event day 14, the continued adventures of Kaveh and Alhaitham following their recent scare...

-

Alhaitham wasn't sure whether to be reassured or unsettled by the urgent, quiet efficiency of the Bimarstan nurses - but in under a quarter of an hour Kaveh was tucked into a cot in a small, curtained side room, a needle and tube set in the crook of his elbow for fluids and an Anemo-infused mask for him to breathe into, pillows propping him up to ease his coughing. the blue-gray tinge of his lips was starting to brighten up again to something more natural, and the desperate look in his eyes fading.

this was not a familiar place for him, waiting at a sickbed. he wished he'd brought something to read, or something to do, so as not to be watching so intently the shuddery rise and fall of Kaveh's breathing. but at the same time he knew he wouldn't have been able to look away.

anyway, Kaveh needed him. Kaveh couldn't get words out between his coughs when the doctor arrived, but only nodded to Alhaitham, and that was enough. no known exposures - no recent travel - five days of gradually worsening symptoms - putting it into simple straightforward words seemed to make it all more distant, less frightening. still, the doctor's face was grave when he finished examining Kaveh, and he gently replaced the Anemo mask before turning back to Alhaitham.

"I want to keep him overnight here at least, and probably until tomorrow night. I'm fairly sure this is from this year's influenza variant. it shouldn't be serious for someone his age and condition, but he's obviously not been taking good care of himself."

if Kaveh heard that, he gave no sign of it, eyelids closed in shadowed hollows as he struggled for breath through parted lips. Alhaitham nodded.

"he usually doesn't."

the doctor's mouth quirked at one side, ever so slightly. "fluids, getting some air properly into his lungs, and rest above all, and he should be improving soon. I'll check back in the morning, and the nurses will be in easy call if anything changes with him before then."

they were alone after that, the two of them - Alhaitham rubbing his sleep-heavy eyes, listening to Kaveh's ragged breaths and the footsteps of nurses passing back and forth in the hallway, and the brush of window-curtains in the draft. he had sharpened the controls on his earphones, not wanting to miss anything, even if the thousand small sounds itched at him. he watched his roommate's flushed face relax into half-drowse and then finally real sleep at last, bright head slipping sideways at a slight angle onto the pillows.

he fell asleep himself at some point in the night, though he'd not wanted to. but he knew there was no sense in exhausting himself further and catching whatever Kaveh had no doubt been spreading to him for days now. one of the nurses had brought him a dense-woven linen mask to wear, and its weight over his face was an obscurely comforting touch.

daylight woke them both, and brought a nurse to Kaveh's bedclothes and help him sit up on the edge of the cot. Kaveh was awake enough to protest further indignities and, with the nurse's help, make his unsteady way to the washroom and back, though the effort set him coughing again.

"ah - blast - how much longer - " Kaveh got out, between wheezes, glaring at the Anemo mask that the nurse held waiting next to him.

"the doctor said probably until tonight," Alhaitham said, stretching his stiff shoulders out. the chair hadn't been kind to his muscles and bones. "you didn't rest early on, and just like I said, that's made everything worse."

"I can't. I have - so much - to do - " Kaveh swiped a hand across his mouth, blood and phlegm trailing it. "there are people depending - on me."

"well, they're going to have to wait, just like they'd have to wait if anyone else got flu pneumonia in the middle of a project." Alhaitham took the Anemo mask from the nurse, its surface chilly and pale green-tinted beneath his fingers, and directed it towards Kaveh's open mouth; his roommate blinked, but didn't flinch as it settled onto his face again. "breathe, you impossible numbskull. let yourself be sick so you can get better."

the nurse side-eyed Alhaitham a little, but nodded appreciatively as she made her way towards the door.

"I - I can't," said Kaveh, muffled beneath the mask, "I need - to tell - " then fell silent, chest heaving, tears starting to gather in the corners of his eyes.

"we'll tell everyone who needs to know," Alhaitham said, as patiently as he could. he took a seat on the edge of the cot - anything was an improvement over the chair by that point - and helped Kaveh sit up further against the pillows. the bones of his shoulders were starkly present beneath the skin. (all the more reason to believe his suspicion, that Mehrak did most of the claymore lifting on a daily basis.) "now rest, or I'm going to ask the doctor for sedatives for your own safety."

"you're - incorrigible," sighed Kaveh, and leaned his head onto Alhaitham's arm, next to him. "fine. but - get Mehrak from - the house, so I can - "

"only if I receive permission from the doctor when he comes in. perhaps you should ask him about it."

Kaveh glared at him, till another fit of coughing interrupted; his skin was fever-hot even through Alhaitham's sleeve.

"oh - all right," he said, hoarsely, and leaned back on the pillows, closing his eyes again at last.

and Alhaitham stayed next to him, though his arm was starting to go pins-and-needles at that angle in the pillows - partly to give his back a rest from the chair, and partly because it seemed best not to interfere with a situation of truce, however temporary.

[soul-controller]

Hey everyone, I hate to disappoint but I just wanted to share that there’s no way that the Halloween event can happen anymore this year.

My manager at my job initially promised me that I would be able to have a set schedule where I could have 4 days off a week so I could properly devote time to getting my writing done. Unfortunately, two people quit and my schedule for the next few weeks just came out and now I’m being forced to help cover their shifts until they hire new people (which will probably take a while since my job has a terrible reputation in town). Although I would have probably been able to find a way to make the event still happen given how excited I was about it, I’m still in the process of doing four relatively large story commissions so there’s no way that I can juggle both those and the Halloween event. Something had to give and obviously the event had to go as the commissions take priority.

To provide some context and be a bit vulnerable, things in my personal life have been a bit rough and hectic the past month or two, so I’m hoping things can eventually settle down soon enough. As previously mentioned my job is being a nuisance, but there’s other stuff going on like money issues on top of being in the process of getting a new doctor because my current one was refusing to take any of my concerns seriously. Beyond just him downplaying my anxiety and depression diagnoses when it comes to providing me effective medication, he also refused to try and help with the debilitating migraines I suffer through practically every other day.

Just to add a cherry on top of the shitty month that this has been, I just recently discovered that queuing on Tumblr has finally failed me. The story that was meant to come out this month never got posted and the concept of having to go through re-formatting everything and getting photos again was just too much of a depressing nuisance for me to deal with. Hell, I've been in such a stink recently that I didn't even do a celebration to celebrate the fact that my account had passed 4,000 followers! I guess doing it nearly three hundred followers later is a bit too late, but I suppose it's never too late to celebrate. I seriously appreciate all of the support I've received regardless of it was a like, a reblog, a follow, or a subscription to my Patreon. All of it means a lot to me... genuinely.

I suppose I just wanted to say that things feel a bit grim for me currently, but I remain hopeful that good days shall eventually come (especially since Halloween is my favorite time of year). To put a more positive spin on the increased hours at work, at least it means that I'll hopefully fix my money issues. Plus, I finally have a meeting with a new doctor this Thursday so I'm hoping I can get some results and find someone who actually cares and wants to help me.

In closing, I sincerely wanted to apologize again in case I disappointed anyone by canceling the Halloween event. Hopefully I can make it up to y’all though by releasing two stories here for October that I really enjoyed writing.

On top of that, I’m thinking I may give the concept of releasing long stories for purchase via Ko-Fi / itch.io a shot by having a trial run with a nearly 10k word Halloween-ish story involving misguided spells, twinkification, and age progression / weight gain between two best friends.

Thanks for reading, I appreciate all of your support and hopefully your understanding during this extremely trying time. 💙

[kissofthemis]

Berry and Marius bonding moment. C'mon.

"I told you, Marius, I'm sorry!"

Rosa looked genuinely apologetic as she clasped her hands together and bowed her head.

But nobody could outdo Marius von Hagen at the artbof being pathetic, and the pout on his lips almost convinced Rosa to abandon her plans for today. "But Miss... it's supposed to be your day off! It's the weekend!" he whined.

"I know that," Rosa replied in a whine of her own. "But I promised Kiki that I would help her study today!"

"Why can't she come over here?" Marius pleaded, grasping at some way to prevent his darling from leaving for hours. "The manor is huge! We have the space."

"That..." Rosa hesitated. Marius felt a blush rush to his cheeks as Rosa gently bit her lip while she contemplated his offer. He hated when she did that-- it was almost too hot to resist. "That's a bad idea," she stated bluntly at last. "Kiki wouldn't be able to focus."

He hated to resort to this argument, but desperate times called for desperate measures. In a last-ditch effort, Marius pointed at Berry. "But what about the baby?"

"I'll be back tonight! Consider it time for you to bond with him!"

Berry's immediate side-eye at Marius suggested he wasn't too keen on that idea.

And now, here Marius was, with a fresh dribble of blood on his forearm and a grouchy cat flicking his tail aggressively from atop the couch.

Or perhaps it was a gesture of triumph?

"Bonding time, she says," Marius huffed as Payton dabbed at the scratches with a soapy washcloth. "I don't even know what that means."

"If I may, young master," Payton interjected calmly, "I believe the young miss wishes for you to get along with Berry even when she is not here."

Marius furrowed his brow. "Doesn't she know I didn't exactly have friends growing up?" he grumbled under his breath. "I can't get along with people my own age, let alone a little guy like Berry.... What do kids even like these days...?" His eyes suddenly lit up as though he'd come up with a brilliant idea. "Should I download some games on my phone?"

Payton, ever the master at keeping his composure, did not even pause in his continued treatment of Marius' arm. However, his tone slightly betrayed his exasperation. "I do believe the young miss intends for you to engage in a more... interactive activity with him in order to properly bond."

Marius sighed and nodded begrudgingly. "Yeah, you're right," he conceded. "How do I do that? Hmm... Payton, what would you recommend for father-son bonding?"

Now even Payton found himself somewhat at a loss for words. Father-son? "Catch, perhaps?" he proposed as he finally applied a bandage to the cleaned-up wound.

Marius turned his arm over, inspecting it, then gave it an approving nod. "Catch?" he echoed, followed by a quick chuckle. "Payton, you can't play catch with a cat." He puffed his chest, as if that were the most obvious statement in the world. "Oh, you know what he might like? Cats enjoy fish, so perhaps a trip to the bait & tackle store?"

Marius rose to his feet and turned towards Berry with a pensive look. "The collars we have will all be too big for you, since they're sized for our Pharoah Hound... unless..." With a smirk, he began to squat down to Berry's level with his fingers twitching at his sides. "C'mere, Berry!"

"Mrrow!!!"

~~~

Marius tutted under his breath as he watched Payton toss the tube of antibiotic ointment into the trash. "Do we have more?"

"Fret not, young master," Payton told him with a gentle, polite smile as he pulled a fresh tube out of the first aid kit. "We will need to order more, however. I did not anticipate..."

"Yeah, me either," Marius huffed, sparing Payton the awkwardness of saying it and himself the embarrassment of hearing it: "I did not anticipate you would get this injured in one day by one cat."

"It's not my fault!" he added quickly. "Nobody ever told me I can't grab a cat like that!"

As if on cue, a sharp hiss came from underneath the couch.

"You told me after I did it, not before!" Marius retorted. "That's useless!" With a dejected sigh, Marius turned his gaze towards the window. "Bonding," he murmured. "And I can't take him out anywhere...."

"Ideally, you are present when the young miss returns," Payton pointed out. "Brace yourself. The soap may sting."

"Then I shouldn't take him to the studio, either," Marius mused. "Plus I can't say I trust him around all my supplies. I don't want to explain to Rosa how Berry turned into Strawberry if he knocks over red paint." As if he had come up with another brilliant idea, Marius' amethyst eyes twinkled like the rarest, most dazzling jewels. "But watercolors are safe! Payton, could you bring some paper and watercolors? And I-- ouch! Damn, that does sting!"

"Apologies."

"And I will turn on cartoons!"

~~~

"Maaaarius!" A sing-song voice echoed throughout the spacious building as Rosa returned from her outing. "Marius, I'm baaack!"

No response?

"Marius?" Rosa had expected Marius to be waiting eagerly for her to return. Was he entangled in combat with Berry? She wanted to hope for the best, but with the two of them...

Keeping her expectations low was safest. Sometimes she couldn't tell who was the human and who was the pet, with the way they were always going back and forth and trying to get the upper hand (paw?) on each other.

"Marius? Berry?"

Not in the living room.

Not in the kitchen.

Not in the backyard.

Finally she came to Marius' bedroom. She hadn't expected the two of them to be in here, mainly because both of them could be bizarrely territorial, but with no other place left to check...

"Misssssss!"

A low whimper greeted her as soon as she opened the door. Marius was lying on the ground, with Berry curled up atop his stomach.

Scattered papers decorated the ground, some of which were covered in brushstrokes and pawprints of paint, others of which were still blank. The room had transformed into a child's makeshift studio, with colors and brushes and patterns and "canvases" everywhere. To top it off, the faint sound of children's television hummed in the background as it played from Marius' huge personal screen.

"Missssssss," another pitiful whine rose from the floor. Tears covered Marius' eyelashes, glistening like dewdrops. "Is it really okay to ask others for help? To rely on others? Is it okay if the world is a bit too much for me to handle alone?"

"Marius..." Rosa's chest squeezed tightly. What had prompted this sudden emotional inquiry? Had he reached a breakthrough in bonding with Berry? Had something happened while she was out?

As she thought of an answer, Rosa's eyes anxiously flickered to the TV. A blue Australian shepherd immediately caught her attention.

"Not Bluey!"

[pineapplefulfillseveryneed]

Sparks tour 2023 part 4: TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht (june 14, 2023)

Show number 4 out of 5! I'll be putting more photos in this one than I've done for previous writeups as we were in a much better spot :D (I might post some of them in separate posts later on.)

@dinkydiamond and me arrived at the venue super early for this one as it was the only show with general admission, which meant... queuing time! <3 Despite the added stress and additional logistics to think about with queuing, it also added such a sense of normalcy and it was so nice to just hang out with fellow fans for a couple of hours before the show ^_^ (Looking at you, @parts-of-me-unravelling!)

When the doors opened some people made a run for it after their ticket was scanned which cracked me up - okay, running it is then! XD The hall doesn't have the best design as there were steps going down leading to the floor, and the last step was very easy to miss which led to multiple people falling... (The sound of it still haunts me to this very day.) The person in front of me had a fall which was probably the only reason I myself didn't end up on the floor. But, me and Sarah had both made it in one piece and reached exactly where we'd aimed to be: front row at the bannister, in front of Ron's keyboard! :D HELL YEAH! I'd been so nervous about it because this was the ONE standing show! (An absolutely massive consolation was that we'd always have Brussels if we wouldn't have made it. But we did it!) It almost felt scary to be so close. But also extremely exciting, it kind of felt like I'd never been up close before! Hello, Ron's keyboard - so nice to see you :D What we also spotted was that there was a small plastic figurine sitting on Stevie's drums:

(Very zoomed in photo, but look at that little dude.)

We were having some nice conversations with our show-neighbours and then it was time for...

Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer

I was super excited, now we could sing along and vibe from the front row :D Get a load of big Sparks fan enthusiasm in your face, sir! Part of the things he said on stage at every show was how divided the response to him was, that some considered him the best opening act since Queen whereas others wished he would get off the stage and that he hoped we'd fall into the former category, and this audience was largely really having an amazing time, which I was very happy about! Mr.B remarked "much better than Paris!", which cracked me up. It also honestly was in a way reassuring that he said that as the legend of that Paris show from the previous night had spread far and wide, nothing will ever be Paris but Utrecht also had a lot of love to give :) It was so much fun to sing along to Mr.B's set and to cheer him on from the front! :D

Sparks

Lost my shit when they came on! I mean, when does a person not (it's Sparks!), but woo this is up close! There they are! :D I'll say it again, I love their outfits so much! And ahh finally able to admire Ron's shoes properly! (I've also mentioned that before, but seeing Ron wearing Jordans was a dream of mine for sure. And now I could actually see the shoes :D) Ron was grinning so much throughout So May We Start which was amazing! Russell's jump was excellent which he followed up by skipping around Ron right in front of us. The show was ON <3 (There didn't seem to be an awful lot of space on the stage for Russell to safely skip around/stand in front of Ron's keyboard as the stage wasn't very deep, so this was really nice!) When Russell sang "the authors are here and they're a little vain, a little vain" he stood behind Ron as he did every night, but it was so sweet to see it from the spot we were standing in. (I've shared a photo of it in this post, but I'll put it below as well because I love them.)

We were just bouncing and singing and dancing the entire time - everything was so beautiful and fun to see up close while having a proper outlet for our energy as well :) I'll not mention every single song as I've done that before. Plus anyone who's seen a show knows how special this tour is, and everyone who knows me will know I really am dancing and jumping and singing to everything with the biggest smile, so I'll stick to the things that stood out the most.

Have a shot of Ron's shoes before I continue typing the rest, because let's just admire the shoes:

Beaver O'Lindy was an obvious highlight because the more I think about it, the more it's clear that this song really has it all, but shouting B-E-A V-E-R right back at them where they could see it was just THE BEST!

I was going to capture It Doesn't Have To Be That Way because it's so special and seeing it up close was truly everything - it doesn't matter how many times you hear that song live, it just hits so hard! So I was standing there with my big eyes, camera out, looking at Russell, and Ron, singing along, being totally in awe and very moved by it, Sarah no doubt doing the same thing, and.. Russell noticed this and we got some "I'll pay for it, I'll pay for it" in our direction! THANK YOU T^T! <3 They for sure know how special this song is. Another very important note on the performance of this song: instead of singing "it doesn't have to be that way", Russell mostly sang "it doesn't have to be this way" throughout the song! So we got a rendition that was a little different! (Footage.)

I just about exploded when Balls started and hoped my response would make it really clear how epic I think Balls is and how much I love it, and how much I loved that they decided to play it on this tour :) We must have stood out as Russell came to stand relatively close to us (as much as the size of the stage allowed it) and sang it in our direction for a bit!! (THIS WAS THE BEST) After the song I said to Sarah I felt very tempted to shout "I LOVE BALLS!!" but that I had decided against it XD which we then giggled about and our giggling might actually have been audible to Ron sdjgjhsdfjh

During Shopping Mall Of Love it seemed like Russell was occasionally looking at us vibing and we also got a "YEAH" from Ron which was amazing! The Toughest Girl In Town got dedicated to Sandy and I have never seen them dedicate a song to anyone before. (I don't know who she is, but I really hope she's well.) One of the best things about seeing this song up close was that we now could actually hear the tambourine for the first time, which definitely added to the experience :)

Escalator and Russell's dance had been one of my ultimate favourite things at all of the shows, and we did a little synced up Escalator dance back at Russell. He noticed and smiled! <3 10/10 moment. I love that song so much and Russell's dancing is everything to me. Our enthusiasm during We Go Dancing didn't go unnoticed either as we were jumping and pumping our arms into the air at the appropriate moments :>

When Music That You Can Dance To started I let out some ungodly scream as I am still incapable of being normal about it (it doesn't matter how many times I hear it live - it is one of the live songs of all time). I had been beaming the entire show already anyway but if it's possible to smile even harder, that's when it would've happened. Being up close we now noticed Ron sang along to the lines "perhaps a little jazz", and Sarah said he also sang along to "a souvenir tonight"!

After When Do I Get To Sing “My Way” there was so much applause that Russell shielded his face for a bit <3 (Audience knew how to party :D)

^ Photos from during Gee, That Was Fun :) We got a little wave from Russell when they left the stage before the encore :D

Before the band intro Russell said how they always have fun playing in the Netherlands and he ended up wondering out loud if they'd played any other cities than Amsterdam and Utrecht. My mind completely blanked (despite having BEEN at a show in a different city myself!) and no one else in the audience seemed to have an answer either XD Russell then said “No. I think it's only the two cities that we've done. Or…maybe some other. I don't know.” (I really appreciated the way he said that.) He later on came back to this and said they were informed they had also played in Hilversum way way back in the dark ages, "that's the Netherlands right? We bet you never heard of it before”. (I was cracking up as I've lived close to it most of my life and it's also where all TV and radio gets recorded so actually a lot of people *will* have heard of it XD)

Ron was applauding everyone with a big smile during the band introductions which was awesome :D Russell used the words “over yonder” in his introduction of Ron! (!!!!! OVER YONDER - can't believe I got to hear him say that in in person with my own ears! Yeah, more things I am normal about. Russell says words, brain go brrr) One of our friends in the front row joined the band in bowing to Ron, so we joined in as well. Ron smiled but gestured that it was a little bit much so I quickly went back to clapping.

During All That when Russell sang “hey help me out I can't find my left shoe” he actually lifted up his left foot to illustrate the lyrics! (I love him)

@parts-of-me-unravelling has also written about this in her write up but I am going to write about it as well because it was great :) Before the audience photo Eli sat down on the stage and Stevie then sat down with him and they sat there smiling for a bit - I've been enjoying their friendship so much throughout the tour! When the audience photo was about to be taken Eli dove down onto the stage, and honestly this is one of my favourite audience photos from the tour (and maybe ever), and we're in it!

Someone in the audience had made a poster which was passed on to the front and Ron was the one to reach out and take it! (First time I witnessed Ron taking a gift :D) He had to lean over quite far to grab it though which looked a bit risky and Russell half-grabbed Ron's jacket just to be sure. I don't think I saw what was on the poster but Ron showed it to Russell (see @part-of-me-unravelling's post) and then signed if that person wanted their poster back, but they signed he should keep it. It was a sweet moment and they were smiling so much ^^ Me and Sarah had also brought letters and Russell came over to collect them :) Mine was small so I jumped onto the banister, poking out my tongue and going “hng”, while looking Russell straight in the face (... I am so graceful) to avoid him having to lean over too far. (Here's a video someone took of All That, the band intro and the audience photo.) Things had been so very nice :)

~

I'd missed A Love Story on the setlist as we hadn't realised yet some songs had no longer been on the setlist since the UK and I had really looked forward to hearing it at the front. Eaten By The Monster Of Love had also gone but for the rest the setlist had remained the same utterly incredible setlist.

We hung out with @parts-of-me-unravelling for a bit after the show which was great. Also I could finally buy merch now! (My bag had been too full when in the UK and it haunts me to this very day that I wasn't able to get the poster that was exclusively sold at the RAH.) I got a Latte shirt and the socks ^^ I also bought one of Mr.B's CD's, had a little chat and told him that we'd see him again in Brussels. He was cool with taking a photo. I was a total dork. Luckily he is a very nice man and fellow Sparks fan, he gets these things :)

(A playlist of the footage I made during this show can be found here.)

[heeracha]

ep 45. / ep 46. — the one during y/n's sad hours. / ep 47.

end of the line. — p. jongseong

synopsis: thinking it was a hotline for people who just need someone to talk to, jay calls. but why did a clueless student answer? with jay’s phone call has a time limit, you, the clueless student, insists on staying with him until the end of the line.

pairing: jay x f!reader

content/genre: college au (wow shocking), slowburn, fluff, angst and crack, smau.

warning(s): friends teasing friends, yk affectionate teasing, swearing, tell me if i missed something !! being stood up oh nauur

note: here's the playlist <3 i'll see u later for the next two updates <3

four months, it has been. jay sent that letter for one reason, and one reason only: to make you stop crying about him. let you know that he’s completely fine with you two not being in a relationship as long as you’re happy. it hurt that he was already one step closer all along, but what can he do? he already fucked things up when he didn’t mean to.

he’s fine now. is he really? of course not. 

he was back on his lonely thoughts, not opening up and all the unhealthy habits he did before he talked to you. he was doing his tasks, wanting to be done already, but of course, his professor wanted to make his life miserable by giving five tasks to work on in two nights.

but still, on top of his mind is you. he never stopped thinking about you.

it was already 2:53 in the morning when his phone rang. it was so late who would still call at this ungodly hour? with a scowl on his lips, his hand with a pen reaches his phone and looks at his screen. his scowl falls.

bubs.

jay softly sighs, swiping his thumb across the screen and pressing his phone against his ear. he hears a sigh, he feels his heart clench. have you not stopped thinking about him? were you sick, did you catch a cold? were you crying? all he heard about you since you two stopped talking was you never stopped crying and it made him want to beat himself up.

“i don’t know why i called.” you mumble after minutes of silence.

“i didn’t ask.” jay softly says.

because he didn’t care. you could call him when he’s asleep and he would wake up and talk to you until you fall asleep.

“how have you been?” you ask.

jay hums. “not okay,” he admits and you hum, gulping as it was followed by a sniffle. “how about you?”

“far from okay.” you confess, chuckling.

he wasn’t surprised. of course, you’d tell sunoo you’re okay. you always tell him you’re okay.

“are you busy?” you ask.

jay chews on his lower lip, looking at his desk that was full of opened books and his laptop in the middle. his free hand reaches his laptop’s lid, closing it.

“no.” he lies.

“you’re lying again.” you softly say.

jay chuckles. “you know i’d do anything for you.” he says. “you want to talk?”

“no,” you say.

jay’s heart falls. 

“i want to see you.”

his heart starts to beat fast.

“okay,” jay agrees. “where?”

you smile widely. you were going to see him after months. you truly missed your cute boy. your jongseong.

“first street?” you say.

“okay.” jay says. “see you, y/n. be careful, okay?”

“see you, jongseong.” you say. i love you. “take care.”

you hang up and jay immediately stands up, putting his phone and pen on the desk as he changes his clothes. he grabs his wallet, putting it in his pocket and grabs his phone and keys, going out of his dorm, locking it.

he’s going to see his girl again.

jay took five minutes to get there, but why did it feel like he walked for an hour? he was too excited to see you, yes. after months, finally. he couldn’t help, but feel like it’s a bittersweet feeling to be able to see you again. would you cry? hopefully, not anymore. would you hug him? hopefully. will the two of you finally properly talk? he wants to.

he sits on the bench, waiting for you. he looks around, hoping you’re finally there, but no. 

time passes by, no sign of you.

he checks his phone, none.

3:30 am, none.

he waits a little more.

4:00 am, still none.

did you change your mind?

were you still mad?

probably.

because the sun have finally risen, yet no sign of you still.

jay stands up from the bench, deciding to go back to his dorm. it was silly of him to think that you weren’t mad at him anymore. of course you still do. he goes inside his dorm, feeling humiliated. was this how you felt when he rejected you? did you do this to get revenge?

jay closes the door, locking it as he throws his key on the desk, removing his jacket and hanging it as he changes to more comfortable clothes. he plops down on his bed, closing his eyes.

almost everyday, you cried.

this time, tears decided to come out of jay’s eyes.