#and the colours aren’t as weird as I usually go for

[crowiin]

[archiveikemen]

"Chaotic Night" Collection Event: Bonus Story

Ring Schwartz

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection; expect mistakes, grammatical errors, and some creative liberties. All original content and media used belongs to Cybird. Please support the game by buying their stories and playing their games.

Read this before interacting

creds. to nagi for sending me the story ♡

Due to the effects of an extract derived from Queen of The Night flowers, the Cursed Ones had a change in appearance.

Amidst all that, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me into an empty room.

…

The moment I entered the room, I frantically looked around to see the identity of that person. He was none other than—

Kate: Ring…? 

The uncertainty in my voice was because he looked different from usual. 

Ring had a pair of animal ears on his head, and a beautiful tail on his bottom. 

On top of that, those eyes that were usually calm and the colour of a water’s surface were dyed red. 

Ring: Um… sorry for dragging you along without explanation. 

Despite the change in eye colour, the intensity of his gaze remained the same. 

Under that gaze, even though I wasn’t guilty of anything, I felt flustered. 

Ring: But in order to protect, there was no other way. 

Kate: To protect…? 

Ring: To protect Nica and Dari, I had to take you away.

(... Ah, it's those two from Vogel.) 

It was embarrassing that for a moment, I thought he meant that he was trying to protect me. 

Ring: It’ll be trouble if something were to happen to you from going near Nica and Dari who are acting weird now. 

Kate: “Something”...? 

Ring: Y-you want me to say it…!? It’s, you know, that sort of erotic thing…! 

(Erotic thing…) 

Kate: Uhh… even if you weren't concerned about that, I would never do such a thing to those two, you know?

Kate: Besides, I’m worried about everyone who had their appearances changed, so I want to head back… 

Ring: S-stuff like being worried… y-you’re always so casually saying such adorable things… 

Ring: It’s just as I thought… even if you don’t have that sort of intention, just being near you is dangerous. 

Ring: Doesn't matter how you think. I can't allow you near them. 

Kate: But if you do this… won’t you be in danger yourself for being closed in the same room as me? 

Ring: That’s not a problem at all. 

Kate: … Why so? 

Ring: Even if I get seduced by you, I don’t know how to—... 

Ring: A-anyway! It just won’t be a problem! 

Kate: W-wha…

Ring: Whatever it is, I won’t allow you to appear before Nica and Dari until this whole situation resolves. 

Ring: You MUST remain where my eyes can see you. Got it? 

While saying that, Ring went to sit in front of the door like he was going to physically block me from leaving the room. 

(Looks like it’ll be hard to talk him out of this.) 

(But I don't want to sit here idling while Ring keeps an eye on me…) 

(What can I do in this situation… oh, right!) 

Kate: Ring. If you don't mind, can I examine you?

Ring: Examine me…? 

Kate: Roger said that there are still many things unknown about the Queen of The Night flower. 

Kate: So I’m thinking that if I examine someone who went through the change, it’ll be helpful for the other Cursed Ones… 

Ring: Helpful for Cursed Ones… in that case, being cooperative temporarily shouldn't be a problem… I think. 

Ring: … Got it. I don’t mind if it’s myself you’re examining. 

Kate: Thank you so much! Can I start with touching the places that changed? 

Ring: These ears and tail? Well, those aren’t any weird parts so it should be fine… 

Kate: Okay then. Pardon me.

I touched the pair of animal ears on Ring’s head. 

Kate: The fur is thin and soft… very much like Ale’s ears. These are dog ears. 

Ring: I- I see… 

Kate: Can you sense it when I touch them? 

Ring: … Yes. 

(So they have sensory functions and aren’t purely ornamental. In that case…) 

I moved closer to Ring’s dog ears and whispered.

Kate: Can you hear me…? 

Ring: Uwagh! D-don’t whisper in my ear all of a sudden…! 

Kate: I-I’m sorry! I thought I’d examine if you could hear through them… 

Ring: N-no, it'd be fine i-if you told me beforehand… I was just a little surprised… 

Ring: Uhh… I could hear your voice through the ears. … You can continue examining. 

Seeing how frightened Ring was, I figured that continuing with the examination would cause him distress. 

In the corner of my eye, I noticed something shaking. 

(... Hm?) 

I took a better look at it and saw that Ring’s tail was wagging vigorously.

(Tail wagging is what a dog does when it’s happy, right?) 

(Could it be… whispering in Ring’s ear made him happy…?) 

Ring: … Robin? 

Ring tilted his head and stared at me as I stood there deep in thought. At the same time, his tail kept on wagging non-stop. 

(Maybe Ring didn’t notice it himself… I’ll give it another try.) 

My initial plan was to do a proper examination, but my curiosity and mischief got the better of me. 

Kate: I whispered into your right ear earlier, so I’ll try it on the left ear this time.

Ring: Y-yeah… sure.

I moved to his other side from behind and gently put my lips close to Ring’s left dog ear. 

Kate: … Ring.

Ring: UWAH…! 

The instant I whispered into it, Ring jumped back in surprise. 

Kate: A-are you okay? 

Ring: My ears aren’t okay… my dog ears… did they melt? 

Kate: Melt…? No, they look the same as before. 

(... Only that his tail is now wagging even harder.)

Ring still didn’t notice his tail wagging faster than one’s eyes could catch. 

It looked exactly like Ale getting a tasty snack. 

Ring: Hearing your voice and feeling your slight breath against my ear… felt like my ear was going to melt off… 

Ring’s face was bright red as he covered the dog ears with his palms. 

(As I thought, the ears are sensitive… although it's for the purpose of examining this strange phenomenon, I ended up doing something naughty.) 

Ring: …

Ring: sigh… you’re sly indeed.

Kate: Huh…? 

Ring: It’s unfair that I’m the only one feeling embarrassed here. 

Ring: … Can I touch your ears too? 

Kate: My ears…? 

I was surprised by the unexpected question, and he gently touched my ears with his fingertips. 

Kate: …! 

Ring: Even your ears… are small and soft… cute… 

Kate: I-I don’t think my ears are cute or anything like that…

Ring: That’s what I’d been thinking until now. … But everything about you is cute. 

He only touched my ears, but Ring was staring so fervently at me… 

I felt loved all over, not just my ears. 

(T-this is embarrassing…) 

It got too awkward and I tried to avert my gaze, but… 

Ring: … What are you looking at apart from me? 

Ring: I’m the sole other person here, so you’ll look only at me. 

Kate: … 

Hearing his plea in that heartrending voice, I could no longer take my eyes off him. 

(Besides… his tail was now wagging really hard.) 

Kate: U-umm… did you really enjoy it that much? 

Ring: … E-e-en-enjoy!? 

Kate: You were wagging your tail so much while touching my ears… I’m not sure if you have a thing for ears or… 

Ring: I-I don’t especially like ears… 

Ring: Or should I say, what was that about my tail—...!? 

Ring finally noticed just how hard his tail was wagging. 

Ring: Ahh, t-that’s not…! It… it’s just shaking on its own…! 

He tightly grabbed the base of the tail in an effort to stop it, but it was fruitless. 

Ring: Ggh…! You ARE dangerous after all! This is my own body, and yet it’s not listening to me…! 

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Darius’ Voice: Ring, I heard a voice… are you in there? I’m coming in. 

Darius: Here you are, Ring. Miss Fairytale Keeper is here too. 

Ring: Dari, no! Her eyes are dangerous! 

Darius: … What do you mean? 

Ring: If you look into them, you’ll get sucked in and your tail will start wagging— whatever, it’s just dangerous! 

Darius: I don’t feel anything at all. Aren't you the only one getting spellbound by her, Ring? 

Ring: W-what do you mean spellbound…! 

Darius: Either way, you shouldn't be alone with her if she makes you feel uneasy…

Darius: Wouldn’t it be better to stay somewhere everyone can keep an eye on her? 

Ring: T-that’s… 

Darius: … You see, Ring. I’m concerned about you the same way you are about me. 

Darius: That’s because we’re family, isn’t it? 

Ring: … Yeah. 

Darius: Come on, let's go. Nica’s waiting for us. 

Ring, who was led out of the room by Darius, looked at me as though he had something to say… but he left without a word in the end. 

His tail, which had been wagging energetically just a moment ago, was now hanging limply. 

(Like a dog feeling lonely after being separated from its owner…) 

(... No, no, no. If I have to put it that way, wouldn't Ring’s owner be Darius?) 

(Stuff about feeling lonely after being separated from me… it must be a misunderstanding.) 

= Flashback Start =

Darius: Under the effects of the flower, just like on the night of the Queen of The Night flower, our sins are heightened.

Darius: … Ring’s sin is “jealousy”. 

Darius: So even if Ring’s words and actions come off as suggestive today… it’s because unlike ordinary people such as yourself, we’re Cursed Ones. 

Darius: Don’t get the wrong idea, Miss Fairytale Keeper. 

Kate: U-understood…

= Flashback End =

(It was indeed as Darius said. Ring only touched me because of his curse’s sin…) 

(But…) 

On this night when everything was turned into chaos due to the Queen of The Night flower, my feelings aren't influenced by anything because I’m not cursed.

So that means… my heart racing because of Ring’s honest gaze and his hot fingertips touching my ears— were undeniably real, even on this chaotic night. 

[kaisaerinlover]

michael kaiser ^__^

tw: not much just previous abuse

he’s so gentle today, you know he’s probably having a tough day, practice might have been difficult; and his head in general. kaiser has a hundred years worth of trauma, and you do too. maybe it’s why you’re together. you want to fix his and he only makes more for you, but it’s okay, you’re both fine with this arrangement, “if you weren’t you would leave” he always told you. it’s okay if he cracks your fragile porcelain skin sometimes, because it makes the sparse instances where he is tender so much more sweet. but it makes the next day bittersweet too. the next punch. next insult. next round of manipulative whispers in your ears. all of them end up being bittersweet after the softness he displayed just the day before. but it’s okay.

you’re laid together on his bed, he probably had a long day at practice. “tell me, schatz;” he starts. you perk up to listen, your eyes boring into his. his eyes look so different right now, but you can’t pinpoint what it is. “why are you with me, hm?” he asks, his voice wavered a little, but he still sounded confident as ever. you’re still looking into his eyes, how come they aren’t the same as normal? “because i love you a lot” you retort back. his eyes, it’s not the colour that’s different, they’re the deep shade of blue they always are.

his hand on your cheek, kneading it and pinching it softly is enough to snap you out from those thoughts about the sudden difference in his eyes. “why?” it’s a vulnerable moment for kaiser, he usually doesn’t ponder things like this. “how do you love someone like me?” he adds. how DO you love someone like him? it’s a good question, even though you’ll only admit that in the furthest corner of your pure soul. you love him because he’s perfect. he’s so perfect for you, and you think you’re perfect for him. you like his eyes. what is it about them that’s different? the shape is the same?

“i like you as a whole” you answer back to him. it’s not a lie, you like everything he has to give you. you like the way he calls you from another room. “prinzesschen come here” and you like those mean words and punches he hurls at you at times. you like the star striker of bastard münchen and you like the remnants of the broken child inside of him. he holds your hand and squeezes it a bit “i love you my baby, love you so much” he’s looking deeply into your eyes, can he tell you’re wondering what’s different? “i love you the most”

“would you ever leave me?” it’s a hard question to answer, but yet again, you wouldn’t ever admit that to yourself. why would you ever admit there’s a possibility you might leave him? he’s pretty mean at times, most of the time, almost all of the time, but even then, it’s not enough to make you leave. nothing is. is he scared you’re going to leave? you aren’t sure. you bring your hand to his hair and play with it in your fingers, turning his golden locks in circles that amount to nothing, just harmless fun for you. “never in a million years” what is wrong with his eyes anyway? you can see your reflection better in them now, why is that?

moments like these are rare. laid in bed with your boyfriend holding hands, playing with his hair as he cups your face in a manner that suggests he’s scared of shattering you, his doll, this is so so rare. it’s almost like you’re a normal couple, both of you enjoy this normalcy, even though only one is to blame for the poor dynamic of your relationship. “wenn du mich verlässt was soll ich dann tun, meine klein prinzessin?” he asks you. “sie sollten nicht einmal darüber nachdenken denn es wird nie passieren das verspreche ich” you retort back. you smile at him and he smiles back for a second.

his smile fades and you almost flinch for what’s to come. maybe a black eye. but all you get is his face buried in your neck and a weird wetness there. your boyfriend is sniffling into your neck, michael kaiser is crying into your neck. you pat the back of his head and shh him soothingly. ah, that’s what was different about his eyes, they were glossy and wet from the tears threatening to spill over and ruin this moment. but it’s okay, it’s not ruined. you squeeze him tightly, in a loving way of course, you squeeze him enough that he doesn’t feel scared about you leaving anymore, not for now anyway. he quietly cries into your neck and you let him, because what else would you do. kaiser is just as broken as you. you like this rare moment of vulnerability, as bad as it sounds. kaiser is really human, isn’t he? the same as you.

right now, you are not adults. you are the same two broken children you always have been, you were before. you’re kaiser’s sweet angel hugging him after he scraped his knee playing soccer at the park. you kiss his head sweetly. it’s hard to not feel bad for him, how can you not. all he is right now is that crying little kid. and he sees you the exact same way. maybe that’s why he was so gentle today, because all he saw is the girl from his kindergarten class, the shy little thing from his class, the one he vaguely remembers, yet didn’t notice her until he dug deep in his memories again.

he’s asleep eventually, still in your arms, and you’re almost there, and you feel the most comfortable you have in years. your insides are soft and you’re content. tomorrow isn’t promised, who knows how he’ll act tomorrow. but who actually cares? you’ll take this small victory for tonight, maybe he’ll be nicer tomorrow if you’re lucky. but even if not, the tear stained shirt and the faint sounds of his sniffles are enough to get you through anything after this.

he’s just human after all, yet you are his little angel

german translations

“what will i do when you leave me my little princess”

“nothing because it won’t ever happen i promise”

sorry for using actual german:< i just prefer those phrases in german since it’s my first language and i like these sentimental valued phrases better in german anyway hehe hope u enjoyed if u read it ♡

[nfr-girly]

Little Hope - Bradley Bradshaw x reader (Part 3)

a/n: this one’s a little longer, not sure wether to make part 4 the last part or part 5, but hope you like it! x

part 1 part 2

Hope had settled in nicely to pre-school. She had made a good amount of friends and Bradley’s nerves were completely gone upon seeing how happy she was.

Every now and then Bradley and Y/N would talk, usually either about Hope, or the Navy. Bradley cherished the few minutes they spent talking, as he knew he would never be able to go any further with them.

Y/N knew it was unprofessional to have a crush on a parent, she had tried to get over her little crush on him, but every time he walked in she could feel herself fall even more.

Your POV

As im sorting out my classroom, a few of my students, including Hope, colour as they wait for their parents. Today Hopes uncle, technically family friend, is picking her up today. So I didn’t glam up as much as I usually did..

“Mavvy!! Hope runs up to the man, who I assume is Maverick, and hugs him.

“Hey kiddo!! Listen you and me have got a fun day planned, me and Penny are gonna get you some ice cream, then we’ll take you to the beach. That sound good?”

“uhuh” she nodded

I walk over to maverick and shake his hand

“Hi I’m Hopes teacher, you must be Maverick?”

“Yeah well my real names Pete but thats my call sign, everyone calls me it. Nice to meet you” he says shaking my hand back.

“I’ll just go grab Hopes things for you!” I walk over to Hopes peg, before I hear some whispering

“Hey kid, is she the one your dad’s always talking about?”

I pause in my steps. The one your dads always talking about? He wasn’t talking about me? Right?

“Yep, daddy was right Miss L/N is very pretty. I think he has a crush on her.” Hope whispers that last part a lot quieter, but I still hear it.

“Well I think you need to start playing Cupid”

Hope gasps in excitement. Redness fills my cheeks as I try to comprehend the conversation I unintentionally eavesdropped in.

I realise I’ve been stood at the peg for way too long, and quickly grab her things and walk over.

“Here’s hopes things, are you doing anything nice this weekend?” I bend down to hopes height so she doesn’t have to look up.

“Yep, my dad and uncle mavvy are taking me to the beach, they’re going to play football.”

“Well that sounds like a lot of fun!”

“You know Y/N if you’d like you can come to watch! It’s mostly boys but there is a woman named natasha. I’m sure you guys would get along.”

“Yes please miss L/N please come!!” Hope jumps up and down in excitement

I pick myself back up and think. Would it be weird to go? I am Hopes teacher after all. But I suppose I couldn’t miss out on such a generous invitation.

“Okay sure! Which area of the beach is it? I’ll get an uber there” I ask

“Oh no we can pick you up. What’s your address?”

I gave him my address and we specified I meet them outside my apartment at 9.

“Thanks so much again for the invitation. I’ll see you then. Bye hope!” I wave at them as they walk towards their car. Did I make a mistake? Probably. Did I care? No.

The next day: Saturday

I’m deciding what to wear to the beach. I can’t put on much revealing. Hopes gonna be there, so will Bradley. I decide to go with shorts, and a short sleeve top.

I get a text from maverick that they’re outside. I can only assume Bradley’s there in the car with them. God what is he doesn’t know I’m coming? He’ll be so weirded out by me. What am I doing??

Bradley’s POV

Maverick comes to a stop next to an apartment building, I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

“Hey why are we stopping?”

“To pick up miss L/N” Hope yells out before Pete can get a word in. But my heart stops.

What did she mean we’re here to pick up Y/N?

“Wait what? Pete what’s she talking about?” I started to get annoyed, but also worried. Pete knew about my stupid crush on Y/N. I didn’t think he’d do something about it though.

“Listen, you and me both know you aren’t gonna do shit about your feelings for that girl. So me and Hope decided to invite her to the game. She’s only watching and on the plus side she could watch Hope.”

“What and you didn’t even ask me first?” I ask, starting to get frustrated

“You can act mad, but are you gonna pretend that you aren’t thrilled about actually being able to talk to her for more than 5 seconds?”

Despite my frustration. That shut me up quick.

“She’s here!!” I hear Hope squeal out. I turn my head to the right and see her. Oh my god..

“I’ll go help her with her bags” Pete says before getting out.

I would protest to do it myself, but I’m caught in a trance and I can’t get out. Was it possible for any woman to be that beautiful?

She had decided to wear shorts with a top. Did she know how cute she looked? I snap out of my trance when I realise she has just gotten into the car.

I turn my head to look at her and she looked at me. No words were spoke yet we said so much. She smiled at me before smiling at hope

“Hello Hope how are you doing?” She asked

“I’m okay, you look really pretty miss L/N”

“Aw thank you very much, you look pretty too, I love your bow”

Hope giggled and y/n smiled and then turned to me

“Hey Bradley, how are you?” She asked

I take a moment to conjure up my thoughts, not processing what she had just asked me, being too fixated on her

“Oh uh- yeah sorry I’m great thanks, y-you look great by the way” I immediately regret asking that and internally slapped myself

Her cheeks go red for a moment before responding

“Oh- thank you um, you don’t look too bad yourself” she smiles, suddenly becoming shy

“Okay we ready to hit the road?” Pete asks putting his seatbelt on

We all nod and he starts driving. God. What am I going to do?

————————————————————————

taglist 👇

@leahnicole1219

@itsdesiree86

[kennysboxergf]

hey babe !! this is a nsfw req if you’re alright with it xx

dyou mind doing like a submissive niko/aj getting caught jerking off to the reader??

thanks loads even if you can’t do it

anon 💋

Soundproof Doors ~ Niko Omilana

A small gasp left Niko’s mouth as he bit down on his lips with more force to keep his noises in check. His hand was between his thighs, working at his cock at a slow pace, essentially teasing himself. 

His eyes were squeezed shut and his head was tilted back. He imagined you. Your hands on his body, your hands on his cock. He imagined you sitting on his lap, riding his cock. It only made him go faster. 

You were walking to your room as you heard weird noises coming from Niko’s room. Him jerking off was not something you wanted to walk into so you made a face and tried to hurry to your room. 

You stopped dead in your tracks as you heard something that shocked you to the core. 

“Y/n” came the quiet moan from beyond Niko’s room.

This was something you definitely had to investigate. You opened the door with gusto, making sure he heard you enter. And sure enough, there he was, his hand was on his cock and his head snapped up to look at you as you entered. 

His eyes were wide open, his pupils blown wide enough to colour his entire iris black. You hadn’t expected him to be entirely naked when you walked in but it was a nice sight. His body was slender and he was kinda fit as well.

And that dick was a solid 7-8 inches. 

“Fuck, y/n, this isn’t what you think”

“Uh-huh” you nod. He’s moved his hand to cover his dick (like you hadn’t already seen it by now), and he’s awkwardly shuffling up the bed with one hand.

He sits up with his back leaning against the headboard, “I was just.. ya know” he says with a half shrug.

“Wanking off to me?”

“No! No, no” he says shaking his head frantically, he’s still in some sort of headspace that’s causing him to not be his usual self.

He’s more.. open. More innocent, even though his actions aren’t. You quite like it, it’s a stark contrast to his usual loud, abrasive self.

“That’s what it looked and sounded like.” You take a step towards the bed, he backs away, “y/n!” You moan in an imitation of him.

A faint blush crawls up his chest.  “You heard me wrong.” He says, trying to avoid your gaze.

“What the fuck were you trying to moan then?” You say with another step closer to the bed. 

“I was..” he trailed off when you climbed onto the bed, starting off my sitting at the edge. You had been interested in Niko for some time and it had been no secret that he liked you too but this? This was something you never expected from him.

When he can’t think of an answer he drops his head, “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again” he says instead.

“What are you sorry for?” You ask, crawling closer to his body.

He pulls into himself, confusion written on his eyebrows. 

“Come on, let me help you out” you say, gently grabbing his wrist to move it out of the way. He struggled against your pull.

“You don’t mean that.” He said his face set in irritation. He thought you were trying to make fun of him. So what? What if he liked you? He hadn’t meant for you to hear him but you didn’t have to humour him. He knew you didn’t mean it.

But when you looked at him like that, like you liked him back, like you wanted to help him out, he couldn’t resist that could he?

He moved his hand off his dick. 

You smiled at him, a sort of prize for complying, and grabbed his dick. You started with slow movements with once finger up and down the underneath of his cock.

He looked at you through his eyelashes and gripped the bedsheets under him. The only made you go better.

He gasped when you circled a finger around his head. You look up at him to find his mouth open and eyes pleading.

How can you resist a man like this? You wrapped all your fingers around the base of his cock and started pumping up and down. 

He let out a long high pitched moan before trying to block it off by biting his lips. You shook your head at him. He lets go of his bottom lip with a small nod.

He looks like a dream. His legs are spread for you, his cock hard in your hands. His mouth his open, his lips are red and swollen from him biting down on them. They shine in the light of the room and you can see his dick turning slightly red as well as you continue pumping up and down.

He gasps and moans as he gets closer to the edge. You continue you motions before leaning down to lick a stripe up his cock, he moans out your name at the sensations.

You think it’s the hottest moan you’ve ever heard.

You wrap your lips around the head of his cock before looking up at him to find him already looking. The eye contact causes him to moan again. You suck once harshly and hear him whimper.

Scratch the earlier statement, that��was the hottest thing you’ve heard.

You straighten up again to increase the pace your hand was working at his cock. He opens his mouth to speak and it comes out in broken moans, “please, im so close, y/n, may i come please?”

You hum at his pleading but internally that went straight to your core. This may just be the hottest thing you’ve ever been a part of and you’ve just started. 

“So so close” he whined again, his head was tilted back as he squeezed the bed sheets hard to hold himself together.

“Since you asked so nicely, yes, Niko, come for me” you whispered. 

He moans immediately and comes all over your hand. You pumped him through his orgasm as he panted and came off the high.

You pulled away and he whined, he opened his eyes to look down at you and you had never seen someone look that fucked out when they haven’t even been fucked yet. He looked absolutely stunning.

“Next time just ask me, yeah?” You said before standing up.

He nodded at your statement. “You can ask me too?” He said, phrasing the statement like a question as to not over step any boundaries.

“I would love to see what else that dick can do.” You tease with a small point and a sly smile.

He smiled back with the same energy. “Oh it can do a lot more than this” 

“Better prove it to me, Omilana.” You say as you walk out of his room.

You can hear his competitive, “i will!” Through the door and think about how you really need some soundproof doors but then again you wouldn’t have experienced what you just did with them. 

—

Bah I don’t like how I ended this but here 🫶

as always requests are open and please come by and say hi <3

[ryuichirou]

what kinda underwear do you think the male cast would wear?? i like to think Jade would go without some days, so improper!! OTL Floyd with the colorful patterns, whether he actually wears them tho is a 60/40. i can see him in those cliche heart boxers very, very easily. Do you think any of the cast would keep their lovers' underwear, like a souvenir? I could see Lilia doing it. 1/3 (the rest is just horny posting for a fish)

2/3 (this is *not* an art request just me being down bad for a semi-crazy assfish) I would die to see jade leech in lingerie OTL i cant think of any scenarios where he'd wear it, but god is it a beautiful mental image. Considering his take on clothing (being a mer+weird asf) I don't think he'd have any actual hangups about it, but he still wouldn't do it under normal circumstances. i think part of the appeal for me, is that you wouldnt expect a guy like him (big, top, JADE) to wear sumn like it

3/3 in conclusion  they took away my license because of how  fast i was undressing him

Hi Anon!

This is such a great theme for hcs, and I am very sorry that it took so long, but please understand: this is a very complicated subject, I just had to do research before writing it. Well, in actuality I was just googling all kinds of underwear over and over again until the picture in my head for every single boy looked right lol We’ll get to hcs shortly, but first I’ll reply to the other things you’ve said!

Btw, this ask is from MARCH, that’s how far behind I am in replying to those.

Totally agree about Lilia stealing his lover’s undies as a souvenir. This is his trophy, and he is very proud of them. He should have a display in his room…

Floyd also has his stealing undies moments. Some of the boys he sleeps with could be smitten with him enough to try to gift him their underwear, and Floyd would go “??? Why the fuck do I need these”. But sometimes? He just steals them lol He totally stole a couple of Riddle’s undies. He doesn’t really store them well though, so they’re just lying around his and Jade’s room…

Rook. Rook would also take trophies. And he would take such good care of them it’s insane. Now this is someone who would have a display somewhere… somewhere where no one would be able to see it unless he wants them to…

I also think Ortho would do it one time just because he wanted to play out the trope of having someone else’s panties in his room, oops! He’s a weird boy.

Can’t say much about Jade in lingerie, but it really would look good, not gonna lie….

Riddle – god I want him to have cute ones with a strawberry print, but realistically he is probably wearing just some plain tighty whities…. unless they have a pretty embroidered “R” on it, which is somehow even worse. I love him so much. Wait, would he be the one to wear undies with the weekdays written on them?

Ace – just some boxer briefs, nothing crazy; he used to have very colourful ones when he was younger, with fun prints and all, but nowadays he tries to be a bit more stylish and mature about it, so a lot of times he goes for dark-red/red/black ones.

Deuce – pretty neutral, but he does have a “lucky” pair of trunks that he always wears when he has something important going on that day… He also has a pair of very good seamless running underwear (deep blue with some light blue patterns), and he kind of cherishes them because it’s an expensive gift. Just wear them and run, Deuce…

Trey – he prefers boxers, the ones that are basically just shorts and aren’t tight. They also look pretty plain, but he has some with the tartan print. Usually green or red… He would look like a Men’s Health model if he wore something less loose and more stylish, but he loves his stupid tartan boxers!

Cater – boxer briefs, but the “leg” part is somewhat shorter; he has a variety of different ones, but it’s almost always some variation of grey and orange. He buys the ones that seem cool to him, even the sillier ones are on the cooler side; he is very happy that his sisters don’t have power over what kind of underwear he wears… he thinks about it every time he looks in the mirror after taking a shower.

Leona – probably something high-end and luxury, but he also doesn’t wear them all the time. He wears something short, slick and sporty when he does anything sport-related and needs support for his balls, but other than that – nah, putting on underwear is just another annoying unnecessary extra thing to do.

Ruggie – he bought the cheapest ones available in bulk when he was like 13, and he still wears them (they were a little big for him when he first got them). His grandma said that it has to be cotton, but other than that – it doesn’t matter, and Ruggie believes it wholeheartedly. So I guess some neutral grey briefs? Nothing too fancy.

Jack – oh this boy. He doesn’t like underwear that doesn’t give him good support, so all of his options fit pretty close to his body. I guess his signature ones would be briefs in which one leg is just plain black, and the other leg has a print of half of the wolf face… what, you think it’s cringe? At least it’s not the ones where the wolf’s face is in the crotch area… Jack actually thinks those are cringe too – he got a pair of those from Ace, Deuce and Epel for his birthday (google wolf underwear)

Azul – Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss are his best friends. Very… gentlemanly. He always picks the ones that would make him feel like a successful young man. They’re not too short, but a little shorter than regular boxer briefs, and always very tight. To some maybe even uncomfortably tight, but Azul doesn’t mind it at all for some reason. He has exactly 10 pairs of grey and purple ones, exactly 10 pairs of black and purple ones and a couple of white ones.

Floyd – a big collection, kind of like with his shoes and socks. He hates plain ones, but some of his undies aren’t obnoxious – he has a couple of pretty stylish and bright ones that aren’t too crazy. But yeah, a lot of them are pretty obnoxious and bright lol He loves loose boxers, but also has some tighter ones too.

Jade – yeah he’d go commando lol But not all the time. His choice of underwear is… eclectic. Of course, he has some plain ones (a couple of those are similar to Azul’s but in a different colour and size), but also? He has some surprisingly silly ones. Of course with mushrooms and stuff, or something that too cursed even for Floyd to wear. It just tickles Jade when he has a secret…

Kalim – luxury underwear! Mostly white + yellow/golden/orange ones, but he has some black ones as well. Super high quality, super special design, super cool-looking actually. And Kalim doesn’t even know that his underwear is different from the rest of the guys, but if he ever was to try on some other type of underwear, he would immediately feel discomfort and say that it doesn’t feel right against his skin. Too rough…

Jamil – his is also pretty high quality; even though his family serves the Asims, I feel like this is exactly why Jamil can afford a good pair of underwear. It’s not even remotely near the price tag of Kalim’s though, god forbid, no one should allow to wear underwear this expensive..! Anyways, since Jamil likes to go sleeveless, he probably prefers underwear that doesn’t cover his thighs at all, so just some regular tight briefs. It’s mostly black+deep red, his favourite colour combo.

Vil – there he is, the underwear guru. He has all kinds of underwear and sometimes changes it multiple times per day depending on his activity: he wears seamless short briefs for yoga so it’s not visible through his leggings, but still gives him support, he wears longer boxer briefs for jogging so his thighs don’t rub against each other too much, he wears some other type for flying… his collection is expensive, high quality and very well organised… What was that? A thong? Of course he wears a thong sometimes, it looks hot. And lingerie too, when it’s appropriate. Come on now.

Rook – there he is, the man who used to wear underwear with holes in it and didn’t even care. Point at him, laugh at him, and then say thank you to Vil Schoenheit who took one look at this creature and said “I can fix him”. Anyways, nowadays Rook wears a pair of seamless boxer briefs that hug his body tightly but don't feel suffocating; he owns a bunch of these in different colours. He also owns a jockstrap, and finds it kind of functional, but it makes his butt too prominent, so he doesn't wear it. It’s for special occasions only...

Epel – he fought his mum for the right to buy himself some new cool underwear before coming to NRC (having colourful undies your mom bought you when you were 12 SUCKS!), but he didn’t even get to wear them much because Vil saw them and gave him a lecture about how this is the worst type of underwear he could wear (pure polyester, are you serious??), and that Epel doesn’t care about the well-being of his down-there at all. Long story short, Vil got him some red+purple boxer briefs for the regular wear (not too tight, very comfy!) + a couple of  black pairs for magift (longer ones?? Epel didn’t even know it existed). Epel was actually worried that he would get some stupid girly underwear, but wow these are… kind of nice. But he would never admit that the ones Vil got are much better!!

Idia – he usually wears the grey ones with triangles that STYX issues for its personnel. They are pretty comfy, and you can just grab a box and boom – you don’t have to think about your underwear ever again, EASY. But also Idia has some kind of childish loose boxers… with his favourite characters, of course. This isn’t just underwear, it’s also merch. Perfect for rewatching 300 episodes of your favourite anime.

Ortho – how much he wishes he could wear underwear…! But if we’re talking about real!Ortho, I think he would also like good ol’ regular loose boxers. But overall his underwear collection is less childish than Idia’s, at least because he has some Calvin Kleines.  And yes, of course it’s black and neon blue. He doesn’t really like the STYX ones because they make him sad, but he wears those from time to time because he wants to match with Idia.

Lilia – the moment he discovered funky underwear he was never the same. It’s the same thing he does with socks: he buys everything that seems fun, even if it ends up not being his size: he just gifts it away to younglings, so it’s all good! I think every Diasomnia boy has at least one pair of underwear that doesn’t match his style at all, because it was Lilia’s gift… anyways, Lilia either wears black ones with bright patterns (black + neon green+pink!), or something completely obnoxious. Nowadays he’s also thinking whether he could pull off something cute+sexy…

Silver – he wears whatever and doesn’t think about it twice, as long as it’s clean and has no holes in it. The majority of his underwear are pretty boring regular boxer briefs + just regular boxers that aren’t as tight. He also has one silly pair with blue and pink birdies… a gift from father, of course. He always smiles when he wears them.

Sebek – his default is black+green briefs; his thighs are getting too powerful, so he doesn’t like shorts-type underwear these days. But he does wear one lengthier pair – and it’s special equestrian underwear that has padding on the crotch. Sometimes the boy just wants some extra protection against rubbing okay… it’s not as much of a problem for the rest of the equestrian club boys for some reason.

Malleus – it’s clearly custom-made just for him: it’s black, made of high quality special type of silk + has beautiful lacing. Honestly, Malleus panties are a piece of art. I guess it’s like traditional Briar Valley type of design, but super extra fancy; he is the future King, after all. It’s hard to say if it’s comfy or not, but it looks quite dramatic. Malleus also has some underwear that is lengthier, almost like leggings. 

Bonus round!:

Crowley – doesn’t wear anything. Don’t tell anyone.

Crewel – a big variety, a lot of bold patterns, but his favourite pair is a part of black trunks with a white zebra print. Shocking, I know. He has some pretty sexy ones though, maybe even a thong.

Trein – granpa undies… grandpa undies.

Vargas – unfortunately, probably a jockstrap.

Sam – well wouldn’t you want to know? :)

Che’nya – he almost never wears underwear. And he flashes people. He is a very, very bad cat. He only wears underwear when he knows his pants are going to slide down because he doesn’t know how to use a belt properly, and people are going to see that he is wearing boxers with cartoon hedgehogs tickling each other in a weirdly sexual manner. Bad, bad cat.

Neige – pretty plain ones! Almost all of his underwear is either white or light blue. Some of them have silly prints, almost too cute for a guy… He gets tons of very cool expensive underwear for free as promo, but he donates the majority of them without even unpacking it. Thank you for your kindness, but people need undies more than Neige <3

Rollo – he is similar to Riddle, but I also think he would be that one kid who wears some priestly old-timey looking cotton shorts, because these are more traditional, and traditions are to be cherished. One could think that this is a part of his school’s uniform, but nah, Rollo is just a little weirdo… looks good on him though.

Fellow – I’m sorry, it’s probably kind of bad :( it used to be a decent pair of boxer briefs that he got when they suddenly got lucky enough with money, but now it’s well-worn and has some holes in it. It also used to be bright orange, but now it has a pale sort of peachy hue… he wants to get something new to wear, but whenever they get the money, clothes aren’t really a priority.

Gidel – his aren’t as bad because Fellow always wants Gidel to have something at least a little bit better than what he has, but Gidel’s pair of boxers is clearly too big for him. It’s pinned around his waist just so he doesn’t lose them… it has some guy’s name written on the butt part, and while Fellow finds it kind of depressing (maybe he remembers the guy he stole those from), Gidel thinks it’s pretty funny.

[cameronspecial]

Thorn In My Side, Rose In My Hand (Part 15)

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings:  Sexual jokes and Ward being a meany.

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 2.9K

Summary: The end of the school year brings about a lot of different activities when you are graduating and spending the with Rafe is absolutely perfect. But this also means the start of a new chapter in their lives.

A/N: Can't believe this is the last part! I absolutely loved writing this story and I hope you guys enjoyed it. Thank you to the anonymous person who sent me that ask for inspiring this series. I don't know if this is the Rafe you were talking about but still got me inspired.

Masterlist

Y/N never understood the big hubbub people throw when it comes to Prom. And she definitely does not understand how any girl could want such a public display of being asked to Prom. She watches as Bane Rogers rides into the cafe on a horse in a knight costume toward Grace Harper. He held a promposal sign in his hand and the look on Grace’s face indicates she is going to say yes. Y/N watches the whole scene with clear disinterest, which contrasts the look of most of the other girls in the room. “You seem to be the only girl not captivated by the Bane’s scene right now,” Mason comments, sliding beside his sister into the booth. Rafe is not far behind, his eyes not leaving the scene. He is so glad he knows Y/N would not want a big spectacle when he asks her because he doesn’t know if he’d be able to handle the embarrassing feeling of doing something like Bane.

Y/N watches Rafe as she replies, “Yeah, well I just don’t get the point. Big and fancy proposals, prom related or not, have always weirded me out. With such a public display, it almost feels like you are trapped to say yes and I don’t like that. I definitely don’t want anything special for a promposal anyways. I mean poor Rafe is already going to have to think of a marriage proposal, I don’t want to give him a harder time by having to top a promposal.” Rafe nods at her words in  understanding and feels a blush creep up on his neck at her mention of marriage. “Well, in that case. My rose, will you go to prom with me?” 

She looks at him with an incredulous look. “Ugh, no. Rafe, you were supposed to disregard my words and give me a promposal that tops Bane’s.” Rafe panics quickly as he tries to backpedal disappointing his girlfriend. She sees his struggle and giggles, “I’m joking, Cameron. I would love to go with you. Could we match? I’m thinking light purple.” Rafe not one to say no to his rose, of course, agrees. 

——

Y/N looks around at all the other girls showing off their prom dresses and her eyes almost pop out of their sockets at the amount of money some of them spent. Rafe looks amused at the look on her face. “What’s wrong?” Y/N tilts her head so she can look him in the eye. She brings her lips close to his ear, “All their dresses are so expensive. I mean twenty thousand dollars for a dress. Going to Paris to get the dress made. I don’t want to make fun of people but these girls are acting like they are getting married. I wouldn’t pay that much for a wedding dress, let alone a prom dress.” Rafe laughs at her candour and just shakes his head. “Well, you aren’t like most girls. Wow, that was cheesy. But those girls were cheated, honestly. You probably paid one percent of what they did and you are the most beautiful person here.” She smiles up at him and rewards his adorableness with a kiss. “Come on, let’s go dance.”

Her lilac a-line scoop floor-length chiffon dress trails along the floor just perfectly thanks to the cream-coloured heels she is wearing. She absolutely loves it, but her favourite part is the pockets. It was the very first thing she showed Rafe when he came to pick her up. Rafe follows Y/N towards the dance floor and places his hands on her hips when she started dancing. He is wearing a lilac suit jacket and pants that are an identical shade to Y/N’s dress. It is a bold colour he would not usually wear, but he loves the idea of matching her. He wears a white dress shirt with no tie to give it a little bit more of a causal look that matches the same aesthetic of Y/N’s dress. They both looked formal in their attire but with a hint of leisure. 

The beat of the music moves the crowd of teens in various directions. At a certain point, Lacey joins the couple and starts dancing with Y/N. Rafe being made the third wheel, not that he minded, makes his way to the food table. He wants to get something for Y/N to eat when she eventually gets peckish after dancing. He fills one plate with a few fruits and vegetables before filling another plate with just about every cocktail food at the table. He makes sure to add double of anything that has cheese in it. He gets himself some chicken wings and then balances all the plates over to the table Y/N wanted to sit at. 

Mason comes over to see the stockpile Rafe created. “You plan on hibernating this summer?” Rafe shakes his head, “Haha, I’m just getting all the good stuff for Y/N before they are gone. She is dancing over there with Lace.” Mason looks over to where Rafe points. “I see. Preparing for when she gets cranky. I see you got two of all the cheese things. Good, cheese calms Y/N/N,” Mace teases. He doesn’t see that his sister has made her way behind him, so he doesn’t expect the hit on the arm she throws at him. “Hey, I don’t get cranky,” she objects. “And thank you, Cameron. I am pretty hungry, right now. These all look so good. What do you guys choose for dinner? I got the portobello ravioli and I’m excited.” “Mace and I chose the steak. You can have some of mine if you want,” Rafe answers. Lacey sits at the table with them, “I ordered the vegan meal. I wanted to see how they made an upscale vegan dish.” It doesn’t surprise the group that Lacey’s dinner choice was based on her curiosity about how the meal is made instead of what she actually wants to eat. 

Dinner is served a few minutes after the group sits down. Dancing quickly resumes once the meal is finished and it is soon time for Prom Queen and King to be announced. Y/N isn’t too thrilled about being on the Prom court. The idea of being crowned is not high on her list of things she wants to accomplish, but she knows Rafe secretly loves the idea of being Prom royalty. So she is going to suck up her lack of enthusiasm and put on a smiling face for him. “And this year's Prom Queen and King are Y/N Y/L/N and Rafe Cameron,” Principal Grant announces. The sound of applause fills the banquet hall as crowns are placed on both of their heads. 

Rafe looks down at her as they slow dance as the King and Queen of the night. He can’t hide the love held in his eyes from her and even though she doesn’t understand the big deal about prom, she can understand that this moment is perfect. Pretending it is only her and Rafe in their own little bubble under the beautiful fake stars on the ceiling.

——

Graduation. An important milestone that people like to celebrate with extravagance. The students at Kildare Academy aren’t immune to these wishes. Y/N and Rafe had decorated their caps with matching roses the week before. It’s easy to spot each other through the crowd of other graduates looking for their own friends and loved ones. She runs into his arms with her diploma in hand, making sure to hold her cap so it doesn’t fall off her head. “We did it,” Rafe cheers, twirling her around a little quickly. She laughs at his action, “We did. I’m so proud of us!” “Come on, let’s go find everyone else so we can go to the graduation party.”

Surprisingly, Ward Cameron helped Cassie and Marvin a little bit with planning the joint graduation party. Rafe had refused to have his graduation party without the presence of Y/N and Mason, so he left Ward no choice but to allow the party to be combined with the Y/L/N’s. All of the three graduates' family and friends, who didn’t have their own parties, came to celebrate them. “Yes, Great-Aunt Ida. I am dating Rafe. Yes, Rafe as in Mason’s best friend,” Y/N clarifies to her mother’s aunt. Ida gives her a funny look, “Really, my dear? You don’t seem like you would have the same personality. From what I remember, he is much more social than you are.” Y/N meekly nods at the statement and excuses herself with some fake excuse of helping Bella with something. 

Y/N had had multiple conversations like that one throughout the party and she was beginning to get tired of having to reiterate the same points to her family member’s still unaware of her relationship with Rafe because it had been a while since she’s seen them. Luckily, Rafe is there to whisk her away somewhere private. “Now, why do we have to be in private? It would be really weird to do anything during the party with literally just about all of our family downstairs,” she teases, turning towards Rafe. 

“Of course, that’s not what I want. When did you get such a dirty mind? I just have a gift to give you. Now, close your eyes.”

“But Cameron, we promised no graduation gifts.” 

“I know, but this isn’t really a gift just for you. It’s a gift for both of us. I promise.”

“Okay, fine. But the next big event we celebrate, I’m buying the gift for ‘us’.”

Rafe waits for Y/N to close her eyes before placing an envelope on top of her palms facing up. She peeks her eyes open and quickly shuts them before he can see her; she knows he would want to be the one to advise her to open her eyes. “Okay, you can open them, now.” She does just that and opens the envelope without hesitation. Inside, she finds various receipt screenshots for plane tickets from North Carolina to Oxford. The dates on the tickets are for all throughout her school year and the last one is even the seat beside hers for when she goes home for next summer. 

ˇOMG, Rafe. These are too much. What if something happens?” 

“Nothing will happen. And I just wanted to get us them to show you how sure I am about our relationship.”

“Thank you so much! I love them. I can’t wait for you to visit already and I’m not even in Oxford. I’m going to spend all my free time looking for places for us to go.”

Rafe laughs at her excitement and lets himself be pulled into the big hug she throws at him. 

——

A week before Rafe is supposed to go off college, Ward asks Y/N if he could talk to her. After graduation, Rafe had gone back to living at Tannyhill because he only had a few more days with his sisters, so the couple was spending more time at his house. Rafe is currently dropping Wheezie off at a friend’s house. “So my son is off to college next week,” Ward states, rounding his desk to sit in front of it. Y/N inches a little bit from the door, “Yes, I know that. I’m supposed to help him move into his dorm. Mason is already in Toronto and I start at the beginning of October, so I have time to help out.”

“I see. And am I to understand that my son already bought tickets to come to visit you at Oxford.” 

“He did. I didn’t ask him to, but it was a sweet graduation gift.”

“It is. It is. And what have you sacrificed for my son?”

“Excuse me?”

“Well, from a parent's perspective, I see Rafe always making an attempt to sacrifice things in his life to keep your relationship going. He didn’t throw a big birthday party for his 18th because you don’t love big parties. He was going to break the family tradition of going to UNC, just to follow you across the pond. Now, he is sacrificing his reading weeks to go to Oxford. Instead of going to Miami or California for spring break, he is going to Oxford to watch you study.”

“I never asked him to buy those tickets.”

“Yet, you didn’t think of buying them yourself. Is it because deep down, you already know what you have to do?”

“No, it’s just… it’s just that UK universities have a different timing for school breaks so it’s better to buy my tickets closer to the actual day.”

“Sure, you keep telling yourself that. I have nothing more to say to you. You may go.”

Y/N leaves the room without another word. Truth is that Ward had been correct. At the time, she was super excited about Rafe’s gift. It felt so romantic. However, the more she started to plan her future with Rafe, she realizes he is indeed the one doing all the sacrifices. Ward pounding that into her head doesn’t help. Rafe is now returning from dropping Wheezie off and he sees her. “Hey, everything okay?” She smiles up at him, “Yeah. I just thought I saw a spider.” 

——

A week has passed meaning Rafe’s move-in day is today. He is packing up his stuff into his jeep and waiting for Y/N to get here with Mason’s car, so she can bring the stuff that doesn’t fit into the car. He hears the gravel succumbing to the weight of the tires and turns towards the opening of the gate. He watches her get out of the car, jogging over to give her a kiss. She doesn’t have her brilliant smile on his face which concerns him, but he doesn’t say anything. He notices as she leans away from his kiss instead of leaning into it like she normally does. He shyly moves away from her and watches as she starts putting his stuff into Mason’s car without saying anything. Once they have everything packed up, Rafe says a heartfelt goodbye to his family and they drive off. 

Rafe and Y/N planned to stay on call throughout the drive when they were separated between the two cars to make sure she doesn’t get lost. Rafe expected the conversation to flow and to be bountiful, but instead, he is left with a one-sided conversation with her just humming in response. Rafe knew the silent battle going on in her head. The argument she is having with herself about what she is going to do when they get to their final destination. However, Rafe isn’t going to let her just give up on them without a fight. 

——

They arrive at Rafe’s dorm and they swiftly get all of his stuff out of their cars and into his room. Rafe’s roommate isn’t supposed to come for another two days, so they have the room to themselves. He doesn’t feel like doing anything else after they get all the boxes inside. “Should we get some dumplings? Or maybe a pizza? Or how about some ramen?” he recommends, wanting to delay the unwanted conversation as much as he can. “Cameron, we need to talk.”

“No, we really don’t. We need food. Food is what we need.”

“Cameron, please. Don’t make this any harder for me than it already is.” 

“Then don’t do it. You don’t have to. We can work out the long distances. This doesn’t need to be the end.”

His tears begin to shed like a waterfall. He feels helpless in this situation like he is drowning. He tries to cover his eyes; however, she takes his hands into hers. “You know it has to be. Cameron, there is just so much against us. I mean the distance, our personalities, our futures. We aren’t meant to be.”

“Don’t say that. Don’t say it as if you believe it. Please, my rose.” 

“But I do. I wouldn’t be saying this if I didn’t believe it. I love you, but I need to let you go.” 

“No, my rose. Please. Just give this a shot before you end the possibility completely.”

“I’m sorry, Cameron. I can’t. I’m breaking up with you.” 

Rafe’s sadness shifts to anger as he realizes how easily she is willing to let him go. He knows it’s futile to put up any more of a fight, so his brain switches to the next best thing, which is defending his heart from any more heartbreak. “Fine, you want to be that way, then go! I don’t need you anymore, Y/L/N. You were always such a ball and chain to me anyways. I’ll be better off without you!” he shouts, gesturing his hands around like a wild man. Y/N looks at him with sad eyes. She can see the hurt in his eyes and understands what he is doing. It still doesn’t stop the sting of his words in her hurt. She gets up slowly from the bed they sat upon, “Okay. If that’s what you want, then I’ll go. This past year with you has been amazing. And I will never stop loving you. But I’m doing this for us, Rafe. You’ll see.”

With that, she gets her purse off the floor and walks out of his dorm. Rafe has no choice but to watch his rose slip out of his hands without a clue of if she is ever going to be back within his grasp. 

Taglist: @itsalexwin @sublimepenguinpeach-blog @gillybear17 @terraeluce @f4ll-for-you @ineedtosusoutmyreadinglist @rafegirly

[journey-to-the-attic]

3rd anni req 11: [NIGHTBRINGER] belphie, lucifer / deep sleep

ao3 link

note: i've mostly been doing these in the order i remember getting them so far, but i might start skipping around, since they're quite lucifer-frontloaded (not that i'm complaining). anyway - this is based on nb lesson 12, where mc's in that curse-coma, but! the twist is that ik can somehow still speak through it. since, y'know, special reaper curse

∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎

“...oh, you’re here.”

Lucifer doesn’t look up as Belphie slips into the room. He stays there, sitting in a chair he’s dragged from the dining room, half-hunched over, with his forearms on his knees. Belphie gets the distinct feeling that his oldest brother hasn’t slept in the last forty-eight hours.

He glances over at the wan face of the room’s only other occupant. “...still not up?”

“Solomon said not to expect it to happen soon,” Lucifer says blankly. “We don’t know the exact nature of the curse. By all means, it should have been fatal.”

They both look at IK’s blank face. The light flickers in a way that, for a moment, makes her look as if she’s blinking awake - though Belphie doesn’t dare hope.

“Weird kid,” He mumbles, more to her than Lucifer. “You can’t do magic, but you can survive reaper curses? If you can do that, why didn’t you…”

'Why didn’t you stop us from trying to hurt you?' is what he means, but he can’t finish the question. Lucifer looks as if he knows what he was going to say, anyway.

“So where’s Solomon gone, then?” He asks after a beat, frowning. “All that talk, and he’s not even staying to look after her?”

“He said he’d look for solutions in the tomes at the cave. And that he was leaving IK in charge.”

Yeah, that’s right.

“As if h— huh?”

They both whip around. IK hasn’t moved.

Belphie glances quickly at Lucifer. “Did you hear—?”

“Yes.” His response is short and harried. “What was that?”

They both fall silent for a moment, listening hard. Nothing.

“Maybe we’re just hearing things,” Belphie says reluctantly, though he’d swear it to anyone that he just heard IK speaking, loud and clear.

“Do you think that’s likely?” Lucifer stands up, staring around the room like a sentinel, a dangerous shadow falling over his face. “It could be any manner of mimicry. If something’s gotten in—”

Wait, did you hear me?

Lucifer goes dead silent. There's no mistaking that voice - but there’s also no mistaking the fact that the speaker has not moved an inch.

After a moment, Belphie tries, “IK?”

You did! She sounds downright joyful - the words don’t quite ring like speech does in a room, but the voice in their heads is clear as day. I was so BORED.

“You can talk?” He asks, bewildered. “Wait, you’re— can’t you open your eyes?”

No. Do you think I haven’t tried? Now she sounds aggravated. I’ve been awake this whole time. I just can’t bloody move.

“Watch your language,” He says automatically.

Don’t start. I’m losing my mind here. But you can actually hear me now!

“Yes, you’ve said that already.” Lucifer sits down again, leaning forward, practically on the edge of his seat. “How much do you remember?”

Hmm. I remember you both trying to kill me.

A pause. Then Lucifer asks, voice suddenly about half as loud, “What is your situation, then?”

There’s a sort of buzz, as if IK is laughing. Not much going on. It’s like sitting in a dark room. I can hear things coming from outside, but I can’t see anything. It sucks.

Say, if you were a shark, what kind would you be?

“What?”

I think you’d be a nurse shark, Belphie, because they’re usually chill, except when they aren’t. And Lucifer would be… a blue shark, because that’s his favourite colour.

They exchange mildly bemused looks. After a moment, Lucifer says slowly, “How do you know that? I’ve never told you.”

…uh… Belphie gets the distinct feeling that IK is panicking. ...context clues. You know, clothes and stuff.

“You’ve only seen him wearing red,” He says a little suspiciously.

And what’s the opposite of red? Blue. Next question.

It’s no use trying to pry. Every time this happens - every time Belphie gets the unnerving feeling that their attendant knows them better than they even know themselves - he tries to figure out why, and IK deflects. The dedication would be impressive if it wasn’t annoying.

Who is this kid? She shows up, completely out cold, and hasn’t even been awake for an hour by the time she’s been put in charge of the Devildom’s newly-minted residents. Then Solomon, of all people, that sorcerer whose reputation long precedes him, shows up calling her his ward, even though she’s got no magic to speak of.

Though Belphie doesn’t know what else to call her knack for making them… talk. She takes to the Devildom like a duck to water - practically skips through it all while they’re still mired in their own rotten souls. They should’ve been insulted that Diavolo would think this ridiculous little thing capable of handling the seven of them, but IK does it like it’s second nature.

That’s the frustrating part. They’ll tell her near-everything, and IK tells them absolutely nothing. And it isn’t that they’re stupid, or blind, or so self-absorbed that they don’t notice when she goes quiet - when she stares off at something that isn’t there, eyes filled with some inexplicable loneliness that should be far beyond her years.

Is Satan around? IK asks. He was in here, reading, before. He couldn’t hear me then, but maybe he will now.

“Um… he went out.” Belphie sits down on the foot of the bed. “Hey. I’m… not angry with you anymore.”

Wow. Do you want an award?

“No, I—” He swallows. His tail flicks up behind him, and he seizes it for comfort before he can stop himself. “—I’m sorry. That’s what I meant.”

Oh.

Okay.

He waits for a moment. There’s no other response. He looks at Lucifer.

His brother’s face is twisted into something that might resemble remorse. The ironic part is that Ik would probably know better than he does, if only she could open her eyes to see.

“We’re doing what we can,” is all Lucifer says after a while. “You will be alright. I can promise you that.”

That’s a relief, she says, a touch ironically. So am I just stuck like this until Solomon figures something out?

Lucifer’s jaw tightens. “...I don’t know. All we can do is wait.”

Great. I’ll get right on that.

Belphie scoffs. “I don’t know how you’re making jokes right now. You could’ve died. You still might now.”

Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that, says IK dryly. I know what being dead feels like. This isn't anything like it.

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”

No answer. Belphie shoots an apprehensive look at Lucifer, then leans forward. “Hey. I’m talking to you.”

Silence. He doesn’t know if IK’s refusing to speak, or if the connection has broken already. He makes as if to stand up, to go find Barbatos, or Diavolo, or anyone who might know how to repair it. He can't lose it now.

He’s poured his heart out to her once before, then hadn’t even waited a day to turn on her. He doesn’t know what, but he has to do something about it, right?

But, before he can, Lucifer takes a deep breath, then abruptly stands up.

“...I have to go,” He mutters.

That, at least, gets IK to speak up again - Belphie feels a rather distracted spark of relief. Where are you going?

“Out,” He replies sharply, then pauses, and sighs. “...I need to clear my head. You’re… incomprehensible.”

That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.

…hey. You’ll come back and talk to me, right? It’s really boring in here.

“Is that what you want?” He asks, softer.

It’d be nice.

Lucifer looks at IK for a moment, then leans down. Belphie doesn’t quite see what he does, but when he straightens up again, the blankest are tucked in more snugly, and IK’s hair looks a little neater than it did before.

“Then I will,” Lucifer tells her, and steps back. With one last, lingering glance, he turns on his heel, and walks out.

…

…Belphie, are you still there?

“Yeah,” He says quietly, and decides to take Lucifer’s seat. “Are you okay?”

Not the best I’ve been. Not the best week I’ve had, either.

He wishes he had some water. “That’s our fault, isn’t it?”

Sorry.

“Don’t— what are you saying sorry for? You always—” He stops himself before he can finish. “—you’re so weird.”

A pause. Then, That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.

“Stop it. Just…” He drags a hand through his hair and catches a finger on his left horn. “...just let me feel bad, will you?”

…fine.

He takes a breath. “...Beel’s okay, by the way. I don’t know if you’ve heard him.”

I did. I’m really glad.

“He’s worried. We all are. Look, I—”

Don’t bother, IK interrupts. …I get it, I mean. You don’t have to explain it to me.

“I really don’t get you,” He mumbles.

Another laughing sound. I get that a lot.

“Aren’t you scared? Aren’t you angry?”

Not angry. Scared… maybe.

Doesn’t matter, though. It’ll be fine. It has to be. I have to get…

Silence for a while. He doesn't quite dare to ask - have to get... what? What is it that she's so determined to hold on for?

…hey. If you wanted to, say, make it up to me… could you hold my hand?

He blinks. “Will you be able to feel it?”

I don’t know. But it’d be a nice thought.

“...okay. Sure, I can do that.”

Belphie drags the chair closer, untucks a corner of the blanket, and closes his fingers around a cold little hand. IK's voice murmurs a quiet thank you.

If he really squints, he can fool himself into seeing a tiny smile on her face.

"You'd better wake up soon."

[talenlee]

Naming Rights in Transformers

There are a lot of Transformers. There are so many Transformers that to make this list I limited myself in three major ways for this article and even then it still took me twenty minutes to just read through a list of the actual Transformers by name. When you have a demand to make a lot of Transformers, you have a lot of lot of demand for the things that make up those Transformers. That means colour schemes (you can generate these in bulk, these days), moulds (that get reused), background lore (which is bordering on the nearest thing to pre-LLM generative text), and names.

Names are hard.

Names are really hard when you have to generate hundreds of them, within the same genre, and without overlapping directly with one another. If you have a character called Sunstrike you probably don’t get the name Sunstreak and then Sunstreaker without a good reason, or unless you know you’re going deep in the well.

What’s more, with the long history of Transformers, see, italicising that one because it’s talking about the franchise not any individual toy, what a weird thing, anyway, there are some names that have been used and reused because (in my opinion) they’re pretty good, and there are also a lot of names that are uhm, bad.

Wanna see some?

Now, to make this list of good names and bad names, I set some rules. First of all, just to give myself a manageable number of characters to consider, I limited myself to the category we call Gen 1. That has some oddballs — like, Rung is a G1 character whose first appearance was in 2010 — but it’s still a first net to catch things in. Second, I avoided all the names that never appeared in English. Uncle Robo is a funny name, but it’s a name from Japanese series, and complaining about people who aren’t primarily speaking English using English in ways that are funny to us feels like both low hanging fruit and also kinda assholey. Third, I limited myself to actual Transformers, not aliens or humans or other, and fourth, to get on the list here they had to have a toy.

Good with that? Okay here we go, presented in a random order because who could rank these.

Heave

A name has to carry with it some element of what the character is and how the character behaves. You want the name to be an association and resonance with the character’s behaviour and mindset, which means it should be a word that, say, that character might use. In this case, Heave is a name that’s great for say, a heavy lifting hard brawling straightforward plain thinking kinda brute who perhaps you could imply drinks until he vomits, even if that’s not possible for Transformers.

Heave is an astronomer, he’s shy, and he’s easily bullied by other people because he’s never prepared for battles. Also, his name sounds like throwing up.

Nosecone

A nosecone is a specific thing, in the real world. It’s the tip of an aerodynamic design, usually a rocket. Planes also have nosecones, and so do bullets. Nosecone as a character is a mega nerd, a member of the Technobots, who deliberately takes his time thinking through every possibility, every little detail he can in the context of a plan or design. Despite being named after the fastest point on the fastest objects, Nosecone is notably deliberate in his actions.

Nosecone turns into a drill.

Hubs

This is one of those corner cases because Hubs isn’t an inherently bad name per se. Hub isn’t either — like I can see a character called Hub whose whole thing is being a communication network. But no, Hubs is a muscle car and he turns into a muscle car that’s meant to make sure he comes across as both young and energetic. To represent that, he’s named after maybe hubcaps, abbreviated?

It’s a rough name choice because it feels incomplete, especially when there’s another Transformer called Hubcap.

Flattop

This one sucks because Flattop is an incredibly cool toy. Flattop turns into a little jet, and he comes with a little aircraft carrier he can land on. That’s rad as hell. Then when you transform Flattop into a little dude, Flattop’s transport turns into a bigger plane that he can sit in and fly around, and that’s cool.

Thing is, a flattop is a haircut. It’s a haircut that sucks and makes you look like, at best, TV-series era Drew Carey and at worst, a Dick Tracey villain. And further irritating this name, Flattop is the name that should clearly belong to the transport not the actual jet!

Detectas

Alright, this is a bit of a niche pick, because Detectas’ name is originally a Japanese name. It’s completely reasonable that a Japanese speaker might pick this name without knowing it sounds silly to just take ‘word’-us and make that into a character’s identity. Especially because in the context of English, ‘detectas’ makes it sound like you detect, not that you avoid being detected.

But this is the name the character has in English as well, thanks to Ask Vector Prime and supplementary material, which I think makes this a valid name under my protocols.

Six-Gun

Six gun has Six Guns. He is made up of six guns, stuck together, that come from another Transformer. To get a Six-Gun you had to buy the 1986 Metroplex toy, which, complete to guarantee you have all of Six-Gun’s parts, will set you back a cool $750ish not counting shipping.

Six Guns is a subordinate mind for Metroplex – he’s basically a kind of micro-version of Metroplex, except as someone who imagines a way to approach the world as a thing you point guns at. Six-Gun is a marginal name here in that I think the name is too obvious to be good, but also the character it paints is much more of a cowboy kinda dude, and not… well, a guy made up of six guns.

Wide Load

There are a few names that are two-parters like this, with a space between them and a bunch of them are fun examples of names that while not good are definitely funny. For example, Grand Slam (can I buy pancakes off you), Sky High (can I buy weed off you), and Big Daddy (can you buy me weed and pancakes)?

But Wide Load is a dump truck who — yeah that kinda machinery has to wear signs saying ‘Wide Load.’ But Wide Load is also a term that’s used, overwhelmingly, to just insult fat people.

Maybe when society has moved on, we can have our fat king Wide Load. I just… wouldn’t do it. And the toy has a real ‘first idea’ design.

Powerglide

I’ve spoken about Powerglide in the past, and yep, that’s a name. It sounds like a lubricant. Oh well moving on. It’s not like these names are going to typically be wet sounding.

Gusher

Oh come on. Alright, dude’s name is Gusher. He transforms into a backhoe truck. No, not a tanker, that’s his friend Pipeline, the Tanker. They combine together as a Tanker-Backhoe, you know that kind of vehicle that definitely exists and people have seen all over the place.

Gusher feels like a character created five minutes before knock-off time. None of what’s here makes sense, the name was probably picked out of a list of ‘related’ words and then the personality of a debate bro were pasted together from those parts.

Mixmaster

Mixmaster is one of the Constructicons, and I’ve written about them in the past. A self-styled genius, Mixmaster’s name is notable for being both out of type for most of the Constructicons, but also makes it sound like the main thing about this character is that he works bar.

There are niche names too, where okay, this is kinda silly but in the greater context it has something that makes it work, names like Squeezeplay, Pincher, Sledge, Erector, Brunt, Missile Master, or Ground Hog. None of these are in my opinion good names, but the thing about them that makes them funny is something that also makes sense from a different perspective, like how an erector is a well-used term for a type of crane elsewhere, and a squeeze play is a thing talked about in American football. These are names that have some odd applications.

Originally when I started this article I had the plan to present a list of ten really great, iconic names that hold up over time and then contrast that with ten of the worst. This quickly became cumbersome, not just because it was a list of twenty things, but also, the ‘good’ names that have endured are sometimes pretty deeply obvious. Megatron, Optimus Prime, Jazz, Grimlock, Swindle, Starscream, Soundwave, Bumblebee, and that’s eight to start with. There are a bunch of great names already in play and some of them aren’t even being reused — nobody’s going to wear names like Vortex or Cosmos or Brawl better than the originals just because those names carry their vibes really well. I’m always going to love Beachcomber and Blades, too, those names that stand out to me as carrying their character perfectly.

The alternative, the well of wow, that’s embarrrassing? It’s kinda bottomless.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Two: Caihong vs Falcatakely

Caihong juji

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Rainbow with big crest

Time: 161 million years old (Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic)

Location: Tiaojishan Formation, China

It’s always a special treat to hear the announcement of a dinosaur with known colours, because it gives the most direct impression of how truly stunning these animals would have been to witness in real life. And Caihong might just be the most spectacular of them all so far, described in 2018 from an immaculate full-body fossil that preserves detailed feathers! Caihong’s feathers are longer than some other floofy dinosaurs, and would have had the appearance of a luxurious mane along its neck. Not only that, the fossil preserves feather microstructures that in life would have made this dinosaur gloriously iridescent!

Now iridescent dinosaurs aren’t new, Microraptor has been decked out in fabulous starling-esque plumage for a while now, but Caihong absolutely takes it to the next level. Its whole body was covered in iridescent black, including the enormous tail, but the real star of the show are the platelet-like melanosomes found on the head, neck, and the base of the tail. Different from the usual iridescent melanosomes, the structure of these tiny organelles reflects brilliantly iridescent colours, like those on the heads of hummingbirds and particularly the bright purple feathers on the necks of the trumpeter family. Caihong would have put on an absolutely dazzling jewel-toned display in the treetops or on the forest floor of prehistoric China!

Falcatakely forsterae

Artwork by @otussketching, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Forster’s Small Scythe Beak 

Time: 70 to 66 million years ago (Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous) 

Location: Maevarano Formation, Mahajanga Province, Madagascar 

We like to joke that the different types of protobirds in the Mesozoic were just like modern birds with teeth, and that’s obviously an oversimplification, but sometimes it’s just true. This is one of those times. Falcatakely was an Enantironithine - an Opposite bird - very distinct from living birds, and yet, it convergently evolved a toucan beak, essentially rendering it a toothed toucan! Don’t get your hopes up, though - the teeth were few in number, concentrated in the front of the beak. But, still, that’s not going to stop me from calling this an Opposite Toucan. Unfortunately, only the skull is known, so it is uncertain how large the rest of the body was - the beak itself was 9 centimeters in length. Falcatakely lived in the seasonally arid Maevarano Formation, which transitioned between a swampy floodplain and a semidesert depending on the season. Here there were a LOT of weird animals, not just Falcatakely - this is the home of the herbivorous croc Simosuchus, the toothy dinosaur Masiakasaurus, giant stem-mammals like Adalatherium, the giant frog Beelzebufo, the weird protobird Rahonavis, and more normal things like Majungasaurus and Rapetosaurus. Honestly, we should stop being surprised at the strange things islands manage to produce, but I’m not quite ready to give up that shocked feeling yet. 

[astranite]

Protective is an Emotion

John and Virgil, with younger Tracies. This started off with me wanting to write John being the protective big brother and went from there. Might be a 2nd and 3rd chapter as there be ideas for them. Rather angsty so far but there shall be some hurt/comforting. John and Virgil are both autistic as I am always writing them that way tis just more obvious here.

Warnings for bullying.

---

John walked through the crowded school yard, head down, one hand tightly wrapped around the shoulder strap of his backpack. The cacophony of bodies and noise pressed in on him, the typical state of students at break time, rowdy, clamoring and far too numerous. 

He wouldn't have stopped usually, have kept pressing through until he got to the doors of the library and inside, where it was finally, thankfully quiet and he could breathe. But something caught his eye, an aberration in the pattern of swirling students and harried staff members. 

At the base of the concrete stairs leading to the art block building was a knot of students. It wasn't out of the ordinary for teenagers to gather there, half blocking the walkway for people who wanted to get past until a teacher inevitably told them off and then they inevitably returned to position as soon as said teacher was out of sight. But it still pinged in John’s brain as an important detail even before he quite realised. 

The teenagers looked to be a couple of grades below him. They formed a wall of bodies against the art building, intention all focused inward. John caught a glimpse of dark hair and flash of colourful canvas between them.

The final piece of the puzzle: Virgil had started attending the same highschool as Scott and John, beginning this week.

It could be fine, maybe it was fine, maybe the kids in Virgil’s grade would treat Virgil better than John’s supposed peers had ever done to him.

But John preferred hard evidence and he didn't put much stock in the good of humanity when it came to teenagers forced into close proximity by the mass education institution known as a school. 

Best case scenario, John could say hi and check in on Virgil, then leave him to hang out with his new friends without his weird ginger brother butting in on the conversation, and ask Virgil to tell him about them and how his day was on the bus home from school.

Worst case scenario? Well, that was why John was striding towards the group, chin up and shoulders back, doing his best to use his lanky height to get through the crowd and mimic Scott when he had something to prove. Because he was the big brother here and if there was the slightest chance Virgil needed him, that meant John was all the way in a heartbeat.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” John smiled, showing his teeth. 

Start nice, start friendly, better not to let them see a potential threat coming. If there needed to be a threat, which John sorely hoped there wouldn’t.

Several of the students jumped, whipped their heads around.

“Who’re you?” One challenged.

John made full eye contact with the teen. “I’m John Tracy.” 

The other boy looked away first. 

“We’re just talking. What’s your problem?” Another teen, closest to Virgil and pressing in on his personal space as Virgil leaned away added.

“Yeah, we’re talking,” A different student, John couldn't keep track of the faces. Then directed at Virgil: “Aren’t you going to tell us what you drew?”

They all looked to Virgil, like this was some kind of gotcha instead of an innocent question as John’s instincts screamed this was a trap.

He’d been here before. John swallowed hard.  They weren’t— It wasn’t— Appearances could be deceiving and some people didn't know when to stop because they liked the feeling of having power over others.

“Come on, give us an answer. Or is it music again, which is a sound that you hear?” A voice twisted to mocking.

Virgil was clutching his sketchbook and a canvas covered in vividly painted patterns to his chest. The concrete stairwell wall was up against his back, blocking off the exits as pleading brown eyes found John, lips mouthing his name. 

Virgil was scared, these teens were taunting him, even though there was nothing he would have done to deserve it, no one deserved it, especially not his kindest brother who wore his heart on his sleeve and wanted to help everyone. He wasn’t as strange or sharp-edged as John…

“Stop. Just stop,” John said. Blurted out, because he wished Scott was here, Scott would know what to do to fix this. John needed his big brother right now too.

One of the teens nudged Virgil in the ribs quicker than John could cross the circle to get to him. Virgil flinched and shrunk further inwards on himself, humming under his breath, the pitch rising. 

John saw red. He forced his way through the gathered teens to put himself between them and Virgil, protectiveness surging enough to take his breath away. He’d tear them apart with his teeth if that would make them leave Virgil alone. 

But it wouldn’t. And he wasn’t Scott, he was just John. He could calculate the forces involved better than he could throw a punch because he was too clumsy to be on the sports teams and didn't really want to be anyway, and he was tall like a plant that grew too fast without enough sun instead of tall and athletic, and he was only a year older than these kids no matter that he was in Scott’s grade, and he’d never won a fight when it was him because it had never ended.

Analysing variables was his language: a) he and Virgil would never win now if it came to fighting because bullies liked to outnumber you, b) getting himself suspended trying would only mean he wasn't there to protect Virgil and it would be another thing Scott would have to deal with dumped on his shoulders, and c) the smart option was to get out now.

The teens were between laughter at them and indignation, a volatile combination. Spilt rocket fuel in the school yard. 

John dropped any semblance left of the polite expression he’d been wearing. Gave the blank, emotionless, nothing look, because he knew it unnerved people even though it was just his normal face. Stared unblinkingly into the eyes of the teen directly in front of him, because apparently it was uncanny even when he didn’t mean it as a threat, the same intimidation of a barn yard cat eyeing up its prey. Somewhere that hurt but it was buried amongst John’s roiling emotions. He could use it though.

“We are going,” he stated flatly. He couldn’t think of anything else to say, the protagonists in John’s books always had a snappy line at this point except he didn’t.

He tried to give Virgil as much warning as he could, saying his name before seizing his hand.  

John broke the path, somewhat dragging Virgil with him even as he did his best to be gentle because he really didn't want to hurt his brother and he knew how scary it was, but getting away was more important right now. 

He pushed past the other students, shuddering when a grab was made at his arm and shaking it off. The boy in question loudly played what they’d done to Virgil like it was a big, friendly joke, like it wasn’t one hundred percent purposeful, couldn’t any Tracy just take a joke.

“Can’t even say anything about his own stupid drawing,” The same teen muttered to their retreating backs. 

By how Virgil’s grip went suddenly crushingly tight on his hand, John knew he had heard every word.

[universe-on-her-shoulders]

Prompt: torchwood's money ran out cuz everyone keeps buying weird shit

“Owen,” Jack began, looking across the conference table at his colleague and adopting his sternest expression. At least he hoped it was stern; it was certainly cross, if nothing else. “Why does this month’s credit card statement say that someone spent…” he looked down at the document, which was highlighted in several different colours, and picked out a line of green-hued text. “Three hundred pounds in Howells?”

“Why are you asking me?” Owen demanded to know, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest defensively, his entire manner screaming ‘guilty’. “Why aren’t you asking Gwen or Tosh or-”

“I don’t shop in Howells,” Ianto pointed out pre-emptively, a smirk playing across his features, along with a vague look of indignation. “All of my suits are tailor-made.”

“That is officially the poshest and therefore most idiotic denial I have ever heard in my life,” Owen said flatly. “Bloody hell.”

“Not hearing any explanations here, Owen,” Jack told him. “Just a lot of denial.”

“Why are you assuming it’s me?!” Owen blustered. “Why aren’t you asking Gwen or Tosh?”

“I don’t think they let people like me into Howells,” Gwen pointed out, eyebrows raised. “I’m not exactly their target market, am I? Far too young and far too… I don’t know, lowbrow. Boring. Poor.”

“And I don’t have any desire to shop in department stores,” Tosh told him with her usual upfront honesty. “Therefore, process of deduction, unless the pterodactyl got hold of the credit card and decided to go shopping, which seems unlikely…”

“Note to self, check the structural integrity of the roof,” Ianto muttered under his breath.

“…then it must’ve been you,” Jack finished for her. “So, I’m going to ask you again. Three hundred quid. Howells. Explain. Now.”

“I had an encounter with a Weevil and it ruined my outfit,” Owen began reluctantly. “I was on foot, and it was a Saturday, and I couldn’t exactly walk around the city centre covered in blood, because it’d cause a panic. So I made up some stupid story about being a student and doing some filming for a media course and went to Howells. They seemed very impressed by the credit card, thank god.”

“Every part of that story was more improbable than the last,” Ianto noted, and Owen shot him a sour look. “Including the part where anyone would think you were a student.”

“At least I don’t dress like a middle-aged man,” Owen retorted. “Anyway, I got myself some new jeans and a new shirt, got changed in an alleyway around the back, chucked the ruin stuff in a bin, and carried on with my day.”

“Why couldn’t you have gone to BHS? Or Topman? Or GAP? Or indeed, anywhere slightly cheaper?” Jack asked, reasoning that it was a fair question, given Cardiff’s abundance of shopping opportunities, and Owen shrugged.

“Howells was nearest, and I figured that they’re probably used to people being kind of weird, because… you know. Rich people. They do weird dodgy shit all the time. So I thought, as long as I flashed the credit card and then bought something, they’d probably ignore any weirdness about me…”

“And that’s a lot,” Gwen chipped in, and he flipped her off.

“…and sell me the clothes, which they did. And then I went back and Retconned them and fixed the security footage the next day. You’re welcome, Ianto.”

Jack let out a long breath, trying to tell himself that Owen’s course of action had been sensible and practical, albeit rather expensive. “Are they good jeans? And is it a good shirt?”

“I dunno, you tell me,” Owen gesticulated to himself, and Jack’s eyebrows rose in horror as he realised what Owen was indicating.

“Those are the jeans?”

“What’s wrong with them?” Owen demanded to know, looked down at the dark denim. “I like them!”

“Christ, they saw you coming a mile off,” Gwen snickered. “Because those were not worth the money. Could’ve got some nice ones from… well, anywhere else. And Jack wouldn’t be nagging you about the credit card statement.”

“Oh, don’t think you’re off the hook,” Jack told her, and she frowned. “Forty-eight pounds in Bella Italia. Fancy explaining?”

[jseobsky]

I'm not weird.

paring ! bf!Niki x gn!Reader genre ! angst-comfort synposis ! people aren't nice with their words towards things they don't understand. after starting to feel ashamed about your interest towards kpop, niki comes to comfort you. warnings ! crying, feeling ashamed, idk bro, swearing haven't proofread w/c ! 0.8k

a/c ! totally not writing this because lately people have been making me feel ashamed of my liking towards kpop- totally not... too lazy to add a picture, might add one later

master list ! enha's master list

Lately my colourful world has faded into a black and white madness. Truly showed me what people’s words could do to my happiness. I wonder if I’ll be strong enough to hide a part of me that is so important, a part of me that has saved my life. I can’t hide what makes me me. But I’ll have to try. People made me ashamed of me, people made me ashamed of what makes me happy. Maybe this means I’ll never be happy again, or at least that I won’t show it.

I talk to my plushy about it. It listens to my rants and to my cries for help. I don’t have a person to talk about it tho, everyone seems to deem what I love as odd. Maybe only unalived things will be my saviour. I also talk to myself, to my imagination, they comfort me. “Am I weird?” I say to the nothingness. A person appears in front of me, it holds my shoulder. “No. No you aren’t. You can’t be, no.” 

“Hey, are you okay?” The soft voice talks to me again, I open my eyes, they immediately start to water. “How did you know?” My voice trembles. He sits on my bed and caresses my hair, trying to stay calm. “Just had a feeling when you didn’t reply to any of my messages. You usually spam me 24/7 about any new kpop news,” Niki says with a frowned expression. I shrink down my bed. I’ve been avoiding talking about anything related to my special interests. It was hard, more when I didn’t know what to talk about outside them. My life revolved around my interests so, did my life just end? “Nothing interesting came out, sorry” I try to come up with an excuse. Niki raises an eyebrow at me. “I know damn well that’s not true, someone just confirmed that aespa is having a comeback soon. Also, today is vi’enx pre-debut album. I know how excited you were about it” I look down. “So confess, who the fuck said something that made you be this down that you haven’t even opened up Spotify to listen to Tricky house like you’ve been for the past weeks?” 

Maybe I couldn’t escape this one. The more I tried to come up with an excuse, the more Niki looked at me waiting for an answer knowing what will be a lie and what will be not. “Some people commented about how weird my liking towards kpop is” I look into his eyes. His eyes are widened and he looks shocked at my answer. “Did they know you?” “Why does that matter?” He scoffed. “Well it’obvious. Anyone who knows you and knows about how happy kpop makes you shouldn’t talk shit about it” I look to the side. Oh. Niki lets out a breath trying to calm himself down. “Look. I’m not saying that if you don’t tell me their names right now I won’t go find them and make them regret their words. But that’s exactly what I’m saying.” He tries to joke. I smile a bit, for the first time in a while. “But meanwhile,” he continues, “let’s talk about why what they said is completely wrong. You shouldn’t feel bad, ashamed, or even disgusted by something that makes you feel happy. Did they say it was weird? Heck, I’m sure their interests are weird as well. Was it a football fan? Lord, I hate those people, they be criticizing people for being fans of things, and then they shout whenever their bias- I mean favourite player scores a goal. Also, it’s not weird. Why would it be weird to enjoy music, to enjoy something?” “They say it’s weird because of the idols, they don’t mind the music, just not my love for the people behind the music.” “Have they never loved an artist? Or a singer? Matter of a fact, have they ever had a friend? Because it doesn’t seem so. It seems they don’t understand the connection you can have with someone because of their craft.” I stand up from my laying position, sitting now in front of Niki. “It’s because of the fanfics, and the jokes about me loving them as if they were my partner” Niki gasped dramatically. “As if they were your partner for fuck's sake. Look at me, I’m the one dating you, right?” I nod. “And I don’t find it weird when you fangirl about how hot does Kang Taemoo or Namjoon look like, right?” “Well I don’t know about that, maybe you do-” “I don’t.” Niki cuts me. “I find it cute, because I know you love me in a completely different way you love them. It makes you happy, why wouldn’t I want you to be happy?” 

We stay quiet for a few seconds. “You’re right” Niki’s eyes soften again at my broken voice. “It makes me happy, I shouldn’t let people make me feel ashamed of it.” He hugs me. “You’re right, you shouldn’t. And seriously, if someone makes you feel like that ever again, tell me. I’ll come and cuddle you while watching a show or a movie and we’ll talk trash about how locals don’t understand us.”

[rachelchinouriri]

Hello Internet!

I like tumblr because it feels safe and more nice. It’s a weird day because I thought I got cancelled because I liked the colours Blue and Green 🤣🤣 … never thought I’d ever say that…

Weird right? I also keep seeing words like “antis” “solos” and I really don’t know/want to know what it means but now I feel bad because lots of people think I’m not ok. I’m fine! I’m actually laughing now 😂. I just had a FT with my friend Mae and then remembered the internet is not real life (lol)

This all started because I wanted a blue and Green penguin toy instead of a bush baby toy called Linus (we like Linus now)

I guess I just initially panicked because even when people are interacting (but aren’t mentioning me directly) I was still tagged… so I was flooded with….”you’re a freak” “ew” “no” “delete this” and someone actually said “k*ll yourself” and it just felt like it was all directed straight at me and i literally had no clue what went on. I usually post them close things because comments make me feel anxious but recently I’ve been trying to be more interactive. It’s 7am and I just spent the last few mins just reading through (I can’t sleep lol) and realised it was a lot of peoples other conversations, not necessarily directed at me but to do with some sort of fictional story? (I’m not going to look into it, I just want ppl to like my music and make friends)

Yes, I feel better that it wasn’t directly at me however I think human beings should try and speak to each other nicely especially if they’re strangers on the internet. Luckily (minus the horrible ones) , a lot of the tweets made me giggle but I’ll refrain from mentioning colours and mammals. I was also warned to not bring up homes and pregnancy which I do not wish to try and understand but I won’t be mentioning that either. I’ll stick to posting hot pictures of myself and music promo and maybe just try and keep interactions to my hand written letters hehe. I love my darlings but me and the darlings were … VERY confused…

Btw this isn’t some sort of official statement (it’s not that deep lol), I just like using tumblr like an online journal and I do vlogs here which I like and sometimes do long posts like this! I just need to get back to bed so started writing this and I’m now sleepy again.

I love you all

Ps: get off the internet please haha 😂 ❤️

[turrondeluxe]

I have come to the decision that me simply saying ‘you’re my fav artist’ is not detailed enough, so get ready! And be warned, I get good results in my English classes.

When I first saw across the spider-verse and fully joined the fandom, I of course began to read the comics. Specially the Miguel ones. I was met with Gabriel O’Hara and I adored him, so I went online to find fanart of him. To which I was met with a near desolate search, except for you.

And I was struck with your art. Your style is pleasing to see, one you just wanna keep looking at. You have an incredible sense of colour, making vibrant colours that would usually clash work together incredibly well. And your design of Gabriel stunned me! He looked perfect! I can’t describe it, I just saw and immediately thought ‘Yeah, that’s how Gabriel should look’. And over time your depiction of Gabriel has become how I view him in my head, not the canon design.

That really proves how incredible you are. Your design single-handedly made me adore Gabriel even more, your design has become how I view Gabriel constantly!

So I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again and again, you are my favourite artist. And you’re work continues to stun me.

(And also the TMNT works. I admittedly aren’t that in the fandom but I still admire all you’re artwork of it :])

Sorry for the mini essay, but honesty this is a summary, I could write a novel going over how incredible you and your art are but I’ll stop here. I hope this doesn’t come off as weird, cause it’s just meant to be me giving praise because I am very adamant on giving large amounts of praise to creators that you appreciate. Have a good day! 🫶

this literally made me cry.

thank You!!!! for liking my silly art

i hope you continue to stick around! :']💖

[bisluthq]

Re Marjorie/ dead grandparent discussion, as someone who has a lot of dead family and recently lost the most important grandparent figure in my life… here are the things I’d ask (my recently deceased figure started going dotty and I talked on the phone with her less cause I couldn’t handle it cause I already live with my dad who has early dementia and it was too much to deal with at the time). While they still have cognitive capacity, or even if they aren’t all there but can be redirected:

- what’s their favourite place? If it’s close enough, go there with them and make memories there. It’s much nicer to go to a park or a museum to feel close to someone than it is to visit a cemetery imo

- what’s their favourite flower? When you see pink roses or red tulips, you’ll always think of them.

- if they have a signature dish or favourite recipe, ask them to write it down for you in their handwriting. Then cook it with them or for them depending on their ability.

- ask to have a movie day and watch their favourite movie together. I was able to buy an old western on dvd for someone and he was so excited and watched it multiple times. Then we watched it together and he kept talking over the tv to tell me how he had a friend who looked like this actor, or ‘it really was like that you know! They just shot people!’ And random shit like that, far more interesting than the movie.

- same for books if they can still read. Or ask if they like/d poetry and what were their favourites when they were your age and what they like now. Anything like that.

- ask how they met their husband/ wife, what life was like when they had their children, how they felt when they became a grandparent and if it was still as exciting the 10th time as the 1st (some will say yes, some will say no. But it usually generates a new funny story if they say no 😂)

- ask if they used to dance and what sort of dance they did. Apparently one of my grandmothers was quite the dancer and had a lot of attention and competition on who could jive with her 😂😂 I wish we had pics!

- if they wear a perfume or cologne, take a photo of the bottle. I wish I knew the perfume one of my aunts wore. It was her signature scent that smelled like her but none of my cousins know what it was either. I’d love to smell it again and spray it on a blanket and hug it (idc how weird that sounds)

- when they’re annoying and telling the same story or same rant for the thousandth time, zone out but really look at them - their eyes, their hands, mannerisms. Just study them. I only really noticed their eye colours just before they passed tbh.

That’s my advice / Wishlist if I had a Time Machine anyway. Some of the questions can open a can of worms, like ‘how did you two meet’ and finding out he had a wife beforehand that was just never mentioned even to his children and no one knows if it’s true or if he said it cause he was losing his marbles lmao.

awww. I am gonna ask my grannies some of that. They annoy me but I actually should suck it up.