#busted out some new acrylics for these too

[dragonoligy1]

Studies of Bills I like!

And finally my own design on the far right (:

Thanks to @donniipao , @qoolk , @1spooky2me , @queep and @leox-un

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Yandere Brother Pt 3

Tw: suffocating unbearable love, violence, general yandere, female reader shenanigans, infantilization, and of course incest. also christmas

minors and ageless blogs dni please <3

click here for part 1 and part 2

Click here for my new oc Yves (PLEASE READ IT I LOVE YVES)

plotholes and emglish errors everywhere and i could not be bothered :100emoji: please dont point it out thanks xoxo

Caught the Covid fuk now i cant leave my bed im so damn sick and pukey all the time, i dont fuckin know where my roommate is but at least they're not here to get infected, feeling like a busted up rustbucket rn

So this was originally written last year, couldnt find what else to write but this christmas time is perfect, so like dont mind the shoehorning of Christmas somewhere in this fic

You're having your summer break and you plan to pick up on a new hobby. Crocheting, perhaps.

Fuck, your brother picked up your search history from his spyware. Now you're left to deal with $1000 worth of wonderful quality crocheting materials and your big brother being your personal crocheting mentor.

This is where it gets frustrating. Yes, if you have the resources, you would enjoy your hobbies more. But, just like... What if you didn't like crocheting in the end? You're stuck with all these.

It happens to every single potential hobby. Stamp collecting? Your big brother will bid to the death for an extremely rare stamp from the 1900. You're not even fucking collecting the stamps, the stamp book already comes arranged with all the stamps ever produced. A collection that would only give a hardcore stamp collector an instant orgasm upon sniffing it.

Nail art? Where the hell should you keep all the acrylic powders, fake nails, drills and drill bits? Not to mention the dizzying numbers of nail polishes, nail brushes, nail stickers and cuticle sticks. Of course, your big brother is going to hire a professional nail artist to make sure you're practicing your hobby safely while he's learning how to do it himself, so he could replace your mentor too. He would become so skilled that he could qualify to open up a 5 star nail salon. But he's not interested unless you are.

Painting? you absolutely do NOT need all of those tubes of paint. The difference in shades for some of them are so small that you mistook it for the same colour. You would have a headache choosing the right type of paper, right type of primer and right type of fixative to use.

Are you having troubles on painting? Let big brother teach you. You would sit on his lap as he guide your hands across the canvas. Don't you think his warm hand enveloping yours feel nice? Doesn't his free hand feels nice sensually rubbing your thigh? Don't you just feel protected in his hold?

Makeup? Same situation with your nail hobby. You're essentially being babied by him and experienced celebrity makeup artists, you would drown in a mountain of eyeshadow palettes, primers, setting sprays, skin care products, anything and everything related to makeup.

Every instrument ever? Big brother would insist lovingly providing all the music lessons you need. He is a musical prodigy after all. If it's something ridiculously obscure like a Glass Armonica or the Theremin, big brother would master it in a couple of weeks, earn a fucking pHD in it and THEN teach you. No instrument is too expensive or hard for him. Your big brother is crossing his fingers HARD for you to have this hobby.

Chess? Oh, he is also a prodigy in it. He could teach you. Your chess pieces would be custom made to your liking, by the way. It would be the perfect density, perfect size, perfect texture for you. He knows what you like and you hate that.

Sports? Take a look at his "achievement room". It's filled to the brim with golden medals and trophies of every sport competition ever. He's not leaving you alone for this one.

Pottery? Welcome to your very own personal pottery studio, furnished with all types of drying racks, ovens, kilns, turntables and equipments you have never heard of. Big brother is always there to supervise you, making sure there won't be any accidents.

Cooking and baking? You get to have an industrial sized kitchen all for yourself. Everything is decorated such that it looks like you would be on television, starring in a cooking show. You don't need to clean anything, or prep anything, or actually do anything, really. There's a team of professional chefs and assistants to do everything for you. They're paid to cheer and clap and celebrate when you pour cake batter into a pan.

Gardening? Well, there's a massive plot of fertile land for you to garden to your heart's content at the house he bought as your 18th birthday gift. If you want a big project, it will be done overnight. You wouldn't hear the gigantic machineries and vehicles tumbling about due to the soundproof walls he installed. No one would be able to hear you both either, doing god-knows-what inside.

Video games? Your big brother personally do not encourage you to pursue this. But... Nonetheless, he would spoil you rotten with all the latest gaming consoles, limited edition merchandises, pre release copies of your favorite game franchises and whatever your gamer heart desires. All at a hefty price of... Daily cuddles and kisses. And you also have to move in with him. And he gets to decide what game you're playing, if he deems it a "bad influence"? It is not staying in his house.

You rather not.

Nothing is fun because the fun parts are already done for you. You don't get to experience the highs and lows of picking up a hobby, you don't get to explore and experiment. You're literally cursed with luxury.

So imagine your boredom, stress and paranoia during summer break. All your friends are spies for your brother, your hobbies aren't even "yours", leaving your house would inevitably lead you to your brother and all digital footprints are heavily scrutinized by him too. No privacy, no autonomy, all monotony.

You juggled three smartphones at once. Throwing one up in the air, catching the other one with your dominant hand, throwing the last to your other hand. Who gives a damn if one, or all of them breaks? It's riddled with spyware and your big brother would buy you every time a new model is released anyways. Which is... A new phone, a month?

You stopped caring where he gets the money. Obviously he has an assload and can afford to wipe his ass with thousand dollar bills regularly.

It's summer break. One last resort to try and spend your time like a regular ol teenager is taking up a part time summer job. There is a wide variety of jobs to choose from with your qualification. Granted, it's minimum wage and mostly customer service.

If you work as a barista, the cafe or juice bar you'll be working at will LOVE the crap out of you.

Your older brother will visit daily and increase their sales tenfold. Of course, he would pick the drinks that you like doing. It's okay if you fucked up, its only your beloved big brother's order, you can add as much sugar, salt, pepper, cyanide as you want. He will never yell at you, never tell you that you made anything wrong or never even die.

The management will suddenly see a surge in daily customer count. Thanks to big brother's networking. And like him, they also will accept anything you make with no complaint... As per his instructions. You could go full on ridiculous and give them a cup of ice drizzled with strawberry scented dish soap and call it Tutti Frutti, they would still pay for it and take it with them. Though, you're not sure if they ever consumed anything from you.

Without fail, your brother would visit you during every break and hand you your meal along with a kiss on the forehead or the cheek. He would bring you out to eat but you would refuse everytime. You also didn't want his company, which made him pout and whine without fail. But it's nice that he would actually back off after the sixth "no".

However, you know that fucker is watching you from a hidden camera somewhere in the nooks and crannies of whatever breakroom you're resting in.

He would engulf you in a big hug when you get off work, telling you how proud he is of you for getting through another workday like a champ. Praising you for all the hard work and excellent performance, making sure to soothe and comfort you if you happen to come across a rude customer earlier in the day.

You try not to think too much about their fate.

You will be fed, bathed and loved after every shift.

Hell, he would even build up a company from scratch just to hire you. Any position you want, barista, manager, cashier, back office work, janitor- you name it, you get the "job" and get paid a pretty penny. All your other coworkers and customers are probably paid actors and actresses to simulate a "real life working experience" safely. He controls it all, making sure you have just the right amount of drama, the right amount of diplomacy and the right amount of gossiping. You're rarely pushed out of your comfort zone, though. Big brother always has your safety and best interests at heart.

Of course, he will never tell you all of this, to keep the immersion going. You're going to feel sad that you're not exactly experiencing reality. But a bastardization of it. Might as well star in a trashy reality TV show instead, at least, it's much more authentic than whatever your big brother has going on for you.

He doesn't need to even tell you though. You would pick it up easily and quickly especially if you already watched the Truman Show. Don't tell him you did, god help you if he ever gets an inkling that you knew about the existence of the Truman Show. He deemed that movie as demonic propaganda and he needs to lecture some sense into you. If you want out, just say that you're 'bored' and want to do something else. Your big brother will gladly drop everything and do anything in his power to help you "achieve" what you want.

But for the sake of "plot" in this latest installment, you agreed to work in a quaint little bubble tea stall. Where you're the only employee, making drinks for whoever is ordering in front of the shop's decorated window.

Of course, your big brother miraculously happens to work in a nearby skyscraper as one does. It's not that you didn't do your research, you were a hundred percent certain he didn't work in that building, because that fucker never goes to work... At least, physically. Perhaps he does his job, whatever that may be, through online means.

You were planning to use your bicycle to get there that you got yourself with "your" money. He never bought you a car or a bike or anything that would get you around, he saw it as something unnecessary. Why would you need it when big brother is available 24/7 to bring you anywhere?

Actually, you could have gotten yourself a car with the allowance he gives you every day for being cute and adorable, and being patient with his incessant kisses and hugs and cuddles and love and touches and his fucking insanity in general.

But you know that he's going to kick up a massive fuss about driving alone. It was hell to even get your license with him actively trying to sabotage you at every exam- which includes him stooping so low to bribe the examiner to fail you. However, you persevered, and you got that stupid license. All the while, he was lamenting about how you're going to leave him all alone, how you don't need big brother anymore, how society pressured you to grow up too fast and recklessly drive off wherever.

You knew better than to fall for that. Or even entertain it either. Eventually, he gave up trying to guilt trip you into crying, apologizing to him and sobbing in his arms, promising that you won't leave him.

It's not like he DIDN'T kick up a fuss when you said you're using a bicycle either. He began freaking out about your safety, fearing that you might get run over.

Well. You admitted defeat. He's driving you to fucking work and back. It's not worth it to fight this battle.

So you began working in the stall. You had someone train you for your first 2 weeks. Then you were on your own.

The owner, who is also the person who showed you the ropes around there, said business isn't good, but it isn't bad either. So you didn't need to worry about rush hour where hoards of thirsty, sleep deprived office workers trample over each other to get their daily boba fix. It's pretty peaceful working there.

But what you do need to worry about, is your fucking big brother.

He would come and buy a drink, whichever you like to make. It can be the most expensive one, or the cheapest one, the most elaborate one or the simplest one. It's up to you, he will pay for it and happily drink what you made.

You could make him pay for the most expensive drink there is but serve him a cup of lukewarm water, and he would still drink it with glee and fork over his money, telling you to keep the change (which is usually a hundred bucks extra).

Let's say you want to be decent and make him drink that you know he would actually like. Which is anything that tastes generally fruity. And insist that you like making it even though it actually sucks.

He knows. He can tell that you're specially making his favourite drink. And that makes him happy and more obsessed with you if that's even possible at this point.

He would leave a massive tip and a kiss on your forehead.

Although your brother is fucking gross and weird like that, you still love him. Probably a bad idea but you're working so hard, trying your best to earn money honestly just to get him a Christmas gift.

Despite the restraining order between your parents and him, your brother is still invited back home each year to be jolly together. Preparations start a few days before Christmas, where you would see an unusual sight.

All of your immediate family members in the same room, or at least in the same house together without fighting to the death. Your dad's bones are intact, your mom didn't have her insecurities jabbed on for once. They're not exactly on speaking terms, per se.

You woke up one morning to see an... appropriate sized tree for your parent's house, erected in the middle of the living room. Adorned with beautiful ornaments and... are those pictures of you on the ornaments?

Wrapped presents were patiently sitting under the tree. There was a small box with your father's name on its tag, another small one with your mother's name on it. A decent sized box was addressed to your brother, must be a combined present from your parents.

Your shoulders sagged in defeat when you saw your presents took up the perimeter of the tree and even conquered the couch, the back of the couch and under the coffee table. You lost count after gift box #27.

Since everyone is in the kitchen, you quickly place the presents you got for your parents... and your brother.

You panned to the fireplace. Your Christmas stocking is filled so much to the brim that your brother must have added 5 more next to your original one. Your parents' and your brother's stockings are relatively empty. You stuffed them with candies and nuts to make them look less embarrassing.

You straightened your back, that should do it. Your ears perked up when you heard some clamoring in the kitchen. It must be your brother.

You let out a surprised yelp when you're yanked back by a pair of arms that snuck around your waist. "Merry Christmas, my little wittle precious baby!" You squeezed your eyes shut and scrunched your face as he attacked you with a barrage of kisses.

He giggled and squealed as he held you in his arms and twirled you around in glee. You let out a scream of horror as your feet dangle off the ground. He does this every Christmas morning when you were a child to wake you up further and get you excited for the holiday. But you're not a kid anymore, and this is horrifying.

Finally, he stopped and put you down. Your hair is frazzled and the world around you is gyrating. He squeezed you in another hug and gently rocked you side to side.

He immediately unlatched when you said you're hungry. Your big brother gleefully lead you to the dining table, where he fixes up a napkin around your neck like a bib. You asked him why is he tying a ribbon on your hair, he said that you are his Christmas present and he is spoiling himself this year.

Before you could respond, he gave you a brief peck on the head before frolicking away into the kitchen.

Your parents came out of the kitchen, greeting you. They're holding a tray full of steaming hot breakfast foods, no doubt your brother forced them to make it for you. Every Christmas generated a metric ton of leftovers. It's because your brother wanted you to try all of the foods from all over the world. But don't worry though, the leftovers could be so intact that it was given out to neighbors and friends and extended families. Some didn't even need to cook after that, the sheer amount of leftovers was enough to fuel ten more Christmas gatherings.

Croissants, quiches, various types of bread, eggs, ham, bacon even panettone made from scratch. Looking at the spread in front of you is dizzying, your big brother sets down the last plate right between your hands. It's a breakfast plate your brother customized to fit your usual preference, everything is shaped into a heart. He patted your head as he took a seat next to you.

Everyone ate in silence. Everyone was focusing on their own meal except... your brother. Who else would rather stare at you adoringly instead?

He asked if you wanted to go make snowmen outside. Not without proper winter protection, that is. You shrugged, it's not like you could escape your family anyway. Your friends are all busy with their own families, and you don't even have friends. Everything is closed and if you lock yourself in your room, your brother will just pick the fucking lock and force his way in.

Your parents tried making small talk, this earned a feral glare from your brother because it interrupted the connection between the both of you. They paid him no mind and began asking about your life. You tiredly replied to their questions and asked some back yourself, to try to find any sense of normalcy. Your brother would be disengaged with the words coming out of your parents mouth, but highly interested in what you had to say.

The rest of the morning went by uneventfully. You offered to help clear the table and do the dishes. Your brother just 'aww'd at you and gave you an appreciative kiss on your forehead. That wasn't an explicit yes, he appreciated the gesture, but he wouldn't allow you to dirty your hands doing chores.

He told you to wait for him to clean up. In the mean time, he gave you permission to open some of the gifts he got you. Frankly, you don't even want to deal with it at all, it's just too much crap. You decided to go through the stockings instead and grab some snacks for yourself.

As expected, he filled it with the most expensive treats and the freshest oranges. These types of foods are usually served in a formal setting, like eating gold crusted caviar at a 10 star restaurant, all dressed up in fancy clothes. But he just... shoved it in a Christmas stocking as if they're mundane chocolates.

Whatever, you shoved some into your pockets.

You turned around to see your brother smiling lovingly at you. He wrapped a puffer jacket around you, his scarf with his cologne on it, a pair of thick mittens on your hands , a winter hat snuggly fitted to your head, and a pair of thick pants he made you wear in front of him.

He picked one of your numerous christmas presents and handed it to you. He clasped his hands together expectedly as he watches you.

Your brother urged you to open it, go wild. Rip the wrapping to shreds. You felt so bad seeing how well wrapped it is and the quality of the wrapping paper is... indescribably good. It doesn't even feel like paper, it feels like silk.

So your carefully dismantled it, trying not to tear anything. You look up to see that your brother is pointing his camera at you, capturing this very precious moment. He encouraged you to go on.

You managed to remove the packaging and revealed a box of expensive winter boots. These are high quality and you would have been the source of envy even though most of your "friends" are also from wealthy families. Not everyone gets to have these.

You appreciate it but... You already had a pair of winter boots, the ones from last year, and the year before that. And the year before that, and a week ago where your brother is freaking out about you potentially having frostbite on your toes.

"It's the latest model! It was released as a part of a Christmas special, it will keep you warm and protect your feet too. It was selling out fast, I'm so glad I managed to get a pair for you, I can't have my sweetiepie sad on Christmas day!" Gushed your brother. You slipped them on.

You can't tell the difference between the one you had last year and the one on your feet now. Maybe some minor difference in it's stylistic design but... they're equally as comfortable.

You thanked your brother and finally gave him what he actually wanted from all this: a hug. He put away his phone and returned the embrace, sinking so deep into your jacket that neither of you can move without stumbling. You know he expected you to show gratitude for all his gifts through his main love language; touch.

It is exhausting.

After that, he brought you out to his private plot of land which he made into a park, complete with swingsets, monkey bars and slides. But these aren't for the public, it's for you. All the equipment are well maintained and look brand new even though you know it's been there for years.

He's not fond of throwing snowballs because it could hurt you. But he allows you to throw as much as you want at him. Even after the stunt you pulled last year.

You packed snow around a rock and hurled at him with all your might, it went straight to his head and his right eye was busted for months. Your brother didn't see that as something wrong, though. Even if you tried to apologize, he said that it was an accident and it was alright, he still loves you dearly and you did 'nothing wrong'. The first thing he did after recovering from his injuries at the hospital is to take you out for hot chocolate and then give you a backrub back home because winter could make your muscles stiff; and hence you must feel strained and sore.

He was still mildly bleeding from his gauze at the time, it was covering at least 70% of his upper head. Your brother was clueless when you asked if he needs any painkiller for his recent injury. He claimed to not feel the pain, but his wincing tells you otherwise. He rewarded you for your concern nonetheless with hugs and kisses and another massage.

You laid yourself on the snowy ground and started making snow angels. Your brother had his camera out and began capturing every moment he has with you.

You felt uncomfortable. And the cold is nipping at your bones even though you're thoroughly insulated by the sophisticated winter gear your brother made you wear. You're ready to go home now.

It shocked your brother and made him a bit desperate. He stammered and stumbled over his words, asking you if you wanted to play on the swing, build a snow man, play on the slides, the merry go around and... throw snowballs at him. Are you cold? He was in the middle of removing his own jacket to layer it onto you, but you stopped him.

You said you're tired. You don't find this fun and you're too old for this.

Maybe you're thirsty? He packed a flask filed with steaming hot chocolate for you- no? You're not thirsty or hungry? Maybe you wanted to use the bathroom-- no? You don't have to go?

He tried listing out all the possible reasons you wanted to go home and all its' solutions. Desperately wanting you to stop growing up so fast.

You got sick and tired of this, you yelled at him at the top of your lungs that you wanted to go home. You then stormed away towards the car, leaving your brother to stand there in silence, his camera capturing your explosive outburst.

Your brother saw you slamming the door angrily as you got in.

He sighed, gulping and hovering his finger over the delete button. But he ultimately decided against erasing the footage, it's still a video of you after all. Your brother assured that he's coming to the car, he wipes a stray tear away as he heads to his vehicle.

The both of you stayed silent as he drove you home.

Once you arrived, you bolted out of the car and ran back in. Locking yourself in the bedroom and barricading the door with random furniture. Hugging your knees close to your chest as you pray that your brother does not go after you by climbing into your windows.

And... he didn't. He left you alone for once. For a few hours too. It gave you the much needed relief, you felt like you could breathe now.

You're starting to feel a bit hungry. And you're hungry enough to be willing to face your older brother. So you began unbarricading, placing your dressers to it's original place.

You carefully unlocked the door, fully expecting him to be waiting outside for you. To your surprise, no one was in the hallway. You could hear some noises downstairs, in the kitchen.

You cautiously went down, the tree is still intact. Nothing is broken and there doesn't seem to be signs of a fight. You released a breath that you didn't know that you were holding, happy to know that you don't need to spend another Christmas at the hospital visiting your badly battered parents.

You whipped your head to the sound of your brother calling your name softly. He's holding a baking tray and a bowl, you can't tell what is in there because he's too tall. He smiled at you as he set it down on the dining table. The tray contained freshly baked parts of a gingerbread house and the bowl contained vanilla frosting.

You scanned the rest of the table. There are numerous small glass bowls containing different types of candy and snacks; from pretzel sticks to colourful chocolate rocks, to real gold leaves. Piping bags with metal tips are present too next to a box of plastic gloves.

Your brother pulled your chair out and invited you to sit there. You did, and he called you a good girl. His good girl. As you put on a pair of plastic gloves, he kissed you on the temple.

You asked where your parents are. He said that they're preparing the food for dinner, which includes ham and a roast turkey. And 15 other dishes.

You quizzed on, asking if there will be more people coming in. He shook his head: no. It's only the four of you. In the meantime, you should enjoy yourself building this gingerbread house. He puts on his own pair of plastic gloves too and began filling the piping bag with icing.

The two of you worked in peace, you opting to decorate the house while he pipes the details on the gingerbread men.

There is only two, a large one and a smaller one. You can guess which represents who.

You noticed the odd choice of attaching the small one to the large one's torso. With strategic use of the candies and frosting, he made it look like the larger gingerbread man is carrying the smaller one on its hip. He piped your defining features onto the baby gingerbread, and piped his features on the larger one.

He noticed you staring, your brother asked if you had a hard time connecting the pieces with frosting and if you needed his help. You said no, you just need a spatula from the kitchen. He tried to get up from his seat, but you pushed him back down, saying that you can get it yourself. He pouted, telling you to be careful and not touch the knives or stoves. Your brother went back to obsessing over the details on his gingerbread men.

You went inside the kitchen and greeted your parents who are busy cooking. You go through the drawers to find a silicone spatula and decided to help pick up some stray food scraps on the floor, throwing them into the bin. But as soon as you step on the pedal and have the lid swing open, you saw two crushed, but perfectly edible, gingerbread men in the garbage bin.

You returned to the dining table to see that your big brother is proudly presenting his work. He said this represents you and him... as if you already haven't figured it out. He said he dreams of having you live with him in a perfect fantasy house, fantasy world where you never have to grow up. And he will always be there by your side, taking care of you till the end of time. You will be pampered and spoiled rotten, you don't have to do anything, you don't have to lift a finger. Your big brother will do everything for you. He would even breathe for you if he could.

You nodded in acknowledgement, too tired to engage with him. You sat back down, continued with the gingerbread house. You failed to notice the flicker of sadness in his eyes, your brother felt so neglected and unwanted these few years. He wished that you were a kid again so the both of you could play together and be happy. The more he tries to win your favour, the more distant you get from him. He is endlessly chasing and you are running non-stop.

The rest of the afternoon went by uneventfully, other than the fact that your big brother rests his head on your shoulder the whole time.

Now, it's time for dinner. You tried helping them bring out the dishes, your brother praised you for being a darling as usual. He lets you have the first bite of the turkey, tearing a small inconspicuous piece of flesh from the bird and hand feeding it to you. It's still warm, juicy and delicious. Maybe it's the feeling of being special that makes it even tastier.

You chew as you brought out the casserole, setting it down on the table.

You looked at the spread. It looks like a buffet at a high end hotel. So many varieties and extremely nutritious.

Your brother fixed your napkin bib for you again and took food for you. Slumping in your seat, you were thinking of protesting but you knew it's easier to just wait for him to carve the best parts of the turkey for you and let the food pile up neatly on your plate first. He returned it to you, all your favourite dishes are on it within sensible portions. But these are still a lot of food for a person.

He didn't care about praying. Your brother wanted you to eat as soon as possible because you must be hungry. And it is absolute sacrilege to let you go hungry.

You insisted that you join your parents in saying grace and you're not that hungry. Your brother looks uncomfortable, still believing in his sick mind that you're starving to the point of emaciation. But since you are adamant in doing such 'pointless' things In his mind, he agrees, only if he leads it.

Everyone bowed their head down and held each others' hands.

Your brother said the shortest, most insincere, laziest grace ever. Once he fulfilled your requirement, he urged you to eat.

You're upset, you felt really angry and you thought he was mocking you instead. So you opted to eat alone in your room, you made it clear that you didn't want anyone in. Especially not your big brother.

He cried out a desperate plea to get you to stay with him. You ignored him and took a couple more of your favourite finger foods. Predicting a fight between your brother and your parents.

You wrenched your arm away from his powerful grip and fled the scene, hurrying up the flight of stairs. Only slowing down when you're out of sight.

As you thought, sounds of verbal fighting started resonating throughout the house. You heard your brother screaming his head off at your parents for being bad influences and poisoning you to hate him. Your parents defended themselves and this only fuelled the fire. You didn't want to be around when your brother started hurling chairs, so you slammed the door as hard as you could. The sudden loud noise did stop the commotion downstairs briefly. But it continued soon after.

You ate alone, in your barricaded room. Wishing that you're born into a 'normal' family, with 'normal' trauma. To a lot of people, you are complaining about a blessing. But you are always feeling alone, the only person facing a problem which everyone sees as a solution.

You scraped the last bits of food with your spoon. Waiting for the sounds of the ambulance or at least for the fighting to quiet down.

You looked at the clock. It's 1 AM. It's been relatively quiet for a while now, they should be finishing up their fight or cleaning up. Time for you to return your plate.

You grunted as you pushed the furniture away from your door which felt like the umpteenth time. You left your room and head downstairs.

Hearing soft sobs from one person, your brother. He's sitting in front of the tree, hugging the present you left for him earlier. The presents addressed to your parents are both missing, presumably being taken back to their room. A blanket is loosely draped around his shoulders.

You took slow steps, unsure if you should comfort him or not. But before you can even decide to chicken out, he spotted you. However, to your surprise, he didn't approach you or tell you to come forward. He gave you a soft assuring smile, before returning his attention to the tree.

You set your plate aside and went by his side. Your brother watched you with puffy eyes full of love, yet it tells you that he has been irreparably hurt by something... or an accumulation of things.

"Thank you..." He whispered, refering to the gift you gave him. It isn't something particularly valuable to you. It's a picture of the entire family in a photo frame. Your brother is going to cherish it, because it is a gift from the person he loves most in the world. But deep down, he secretly wishes that it was a photo of you and him alone.

He still looks extremely upset and distraught. Almost like he is at the brink of a breakdown. Your brother usually verbalizes what he wanted, but he couldn't this time.

You wonder what your parents got for him. You peeked over his shoulder to see that an unopened box containing a plain T-shirt and a pair of socks is carelessly discarded to the corner of the room.

Then, it clicked. Just like you, he felt alone. Maybe you will never understand why he holds you so dear in his heart. Just like how no one will understand him either, his struggles are unique to him with no one to relate.

He destroyed the relationship between himself and your parents. His friends are all superficial. You're grown up and constantly rejecting his love.

Not a single one of you paid attention to him. Yes, it is hard to think of a present for someone who has everything. But they could have put in a bit more effort, the colour of the shirt and socks aren't even in his favourite colour or in the correct size. You could have removed your parents from the photo, your brother will never remove it himself. Because that would mean defacing your gift for him.

And growing up, your parents never saw him as... a person. As someone with feelings and a personality. They only saw his value as a trophy piece to show off to their friends and family. Same goes to his friends now, if it wasn't for his skills and possessions, he would be nothing to anyone.

He had to beg to be loved. Even that isn't reliable, he could give it his all and everyone around him will expect more. Your brother could never dream of being the receiving end of his own affection. It seems like an impossibility to him.

Perhaps he is doing all of these despite getting nothing but disgust and disdain from you is all to protect your innocence, to not put you through what he had to face. It's just that he went about it the wrong way. Or maybe he is just... wrong in the head. Or maybe he was hoping by loving you so much, you would give him the intense type of love he was yearning for his entire life.

Either way, he is alone.

The both of you are now seated in front of the fireplace. You didn't want to open presents, your brother is okay with that. He did not nag you to do it for once. Snuggling closer, the both of you shared a blanket. He still looks unhappy and crestfallen.

You remember you still had the ribbon bow on your head.

He hovered his arms around you as you squirm in his grip. You managed to crawl into his lap and rest your head on his chest. He lets out a chuckle and some sniffles, clamping his arms back down around you.

You reminded him of one last gift. Your brother is confused until he saw your ribbon.

From that moment on, he burst into tears of joy. He found you so unbearably adorable, so unbearably cute that his heart couldn't take it. An excited squeak escaped his lips as he held you even tighter. Peppering kisses all over your face, neck and head.

He started blabbering in baby talk, calling you every pet name and listing out everything he loved about his 'gift'. Repeating that this is the best gift he ever received and this is all he ever wanted. You are all he ever wanted. Praising that you remembered what he loves.

You hope that he could feel a little less lonely tonight. You can't peer into his head and know exactly what is going on inside. But you knew, he was happy.

Your breathing calmed him down and he closed his eyes, nuzzling against your neck. The collar of your shirt wet from his tears and your arms are secure around him. Your brother mumbled "I love you." as he adjusted you on his lap. Pressing your form against his, enjoying the heat that the both of you shared. Wishing that this moment will never end and you will never part from him.

You realized another thing too as he strokes your hair.

Your older brother is the only person in the world who harbors true, undying, unconditional love for you.

Even though he has his flaws, there will be no one else like him. Ever.

So you closed your eyes and melt into him. Just like before, you felt safe.

The both of you fell alseep in front of the hearth, surrounded by gifts, mostly unopened ones. Snowflakes floating down from the skies and landing delicately at the edge of the roof. Feeling unburdened and content in the living room.

Merry Christmas.

[procrastinatingsoicanreadfanfics]

Vikings + gen z slang

Summary: How Vikings Characters would react to Gen Z slang

Notes: back on working on requests, so i hope i can get some more oneshots out soon. happy lunar new year to everyone who celebrates!!

Tagged: @majesticwren @obsessiveformiyatwins @leithdragon @demon-of-the-ancient-world @alicedopey @ivarlover @levithestripper @batmandallyboy @akayxo09 @vrtualfairy (hmu to be added to any taglist!)

Masterlist | based on this request | requests are OPEN!

Ragnar

With the program

He knows that he’s a slay-queen-girlboss-cunt-serving-camp

He understands gen z slang like no other

Rizz? He’s got it. Mister Worldwide? Been there, done that.

Turns into a ninth century (?) twitter queen

Lagertha

She doesn’t really care all that much about gen z slang

“You’re slaying? Me too, but on the battlefield. Catch up.”

Pretends not to understand

Fully understands and sometimes busts down on her gen z meme culture knowledge

Aslaug

Aslaug is above gen z slang

But she also knows that she’s camp

She just knows

She’s a volva, magic is in her blood. You know what else is? An immaculate sense in fashion

That’s the only thing that might make her willing to try to understand our culture

Perfected the lightskin stare the moment she was born (it’s permanently on her face istg)

Athelstan

PLEASE NO

You know that ancient man video? Athelstan is the ancient man. Would he understand the video? No.

This would be his response: God, that girl looks terribly drunk.

As a linguist, he tries

Approaches it as a foreign language. It works to some degree.

I never want to hear the words “You’re serving girlboss today, Ragnar.�� Out of his mouth

(this happened to me in a dream. Literally traumatizing)

Bjorn

Thinks it’s girlish (it is not)

Would say “You’re one of them queers?”

I mean yeah, but so is your mom.

Gen z talk isn’t cool enough for him (he’s suffering from Rollo’s internalized generational homophobia/gayness, give him some space)

Ubbe

Like a supportive mom

‘That’s wonderful sweetie. Now back to my casserole.’

Absolutely understands gen z slang after you teach him

Prides himself on having the most rizz

Boy you rizzed up a slave girl and your aunt calm down

Protects gen z slang against ivar like it’s cultural heritage

Hvitserk

Worst mistake you could make is teach him slang

He uses it

Just incorrectly

At all times

And does not care to be corrected.

Slang is a product of pop culture? Hvitserk is now making it HIS product

Deal with it (don’t. make him stfu pls.)

Sigurd

He’s one of those abcdefu people

The ones that are like ‘let me sing my new song for you, and if you don’t like it, I’ll pay for your gas’

So annoying

But also in an indie artist generational trauma daddy issues kind of way, so I can forgive him

Not really

Ivar

HATES gen z slang more than anything

He thinks it’s stupid

Dumb

Dull

Incredibly unintellectual

Secretly uses it to express his feelings in a diary he burns every week

Ecbert

ECBERT MY SILLY LITTLE GASLIGHT GATEKEEP GIRLBOSS

Manwhore and proud!

Get this man a gag asap or you’ll live to regret the day you met him

With him and Ragnar, you’re gonna be stuck in a little hellcircle (probably to be joined by Athelstan)

Gets acrylics despite not knowing what they are and clicks with them

STOP HIM! STOP THIS SILLY LITTLE MAN!

Aethelwulf

Literally the opposite of Ecbert

If he has to spend one more second around his father speaking slang

He’ll cut off his ear to match Judith

And then the other to outdo her (he’s such a loser smh)

So done with Ecbert

He’ll literally hate everything Ecbert likes

[starheartworkshops]

Hi, everyone. Unfortunately, I am not here with an exciting new update, although I do have future projects on the horizion.

Today I got evicted from my apartment. I don't know exactly where I'll go, or what I'll do.

But what I do know is that I will need funds if I'm going to make anything happen. I will be running sales until I have to close up the Etsy shop for vacation when I move - I promise it won't be for too terribly long - and not only do I have to find somewhere else to live, but I need to maintain my Star Seller status as well.

An order of ANY size, a 5 star review, and a share would help me out greatly. These sales are 30% off, and if you buy from them, like my Halloween sale, you will recieve 2 randomized bracelets in your order - 4 for international orders.

I'm so scared. But I need to find a place to live and house my bird, I don't know what I would do without him. So this is something I can do to help us. Below are some of my most Etsy works:

My Aristotle the Axolotl Billie Bust Up stim and fidget pal:

My rainbow axolotl charm bracelets:

My Godzilla and Mothra kandi, of which there are many other Godzilla characters featured in the listing:

My Flight Rising Kandi of each Flight, Wind Flight bracelets are coming soon:

My Whale shark school bracelet:

My Resident Evil S.T.A.R.S. bracelet, of which there are many more bracelets for the fandom in its section:

My Gilbert Baker Pride Flag Kandi - in my Pride Flag Kandi section, I currently have 72 active flag patterns - there's something there for everybody:

Some of my Acrylic Star Jelly Pride Flag bracelets: I've finally found the perfect vendor for my star jelly beads, so there will be new and returning designs coming soon:

And I have so, SO much more - 161 active listings, and I promise you, that if you just take a look, you will find that there is something that you are going to want if you don't see it already.

Use code STARHEARTSUPPORT at checkout to recieve 30% off - below are the links to my Etsy, PayPal, and Ko-fi, where I will probably be taking emergency commissions soon after I rework my prices.

Every US order $35 has free shipping, I ship internationally, all international orders get 2 free randomized additional bracelets, my inbox is always open if you have questions, and boosts are appreciated.

💫 PayPal / Ko-fi 💫

Thank you for reading. Love from me and (a slightly soggy) Buddy 💖

[heyimdove]

Room design post! Just putting this here because I’m not great at interior design but I’m really trying. Would love feedback :)!

I have a funny (weird. bad) relationship with my house. Lots of reasons for this, no reason to get into it. Just believe me when I say certain vibes require cleansing and I’m not really a sage-burning guy. Mostly because I think it smells, well, ass. Sorry.

More below!

So. I’m diving into a redesign and shooting for a romantic maximalism situation that relies heavily on chinoiserie/chinoiserie adjacent patterns. My room is currently very non-designed. White walls. A few furniture pieces I like. Very little else. I want to transform it into something that feels totally new to me. A reset button, sort of. I’m not rich and I love craigslist so I’m hoping to build my room up second-hand.

Here’s what I’m thinking. My inspiration- only I will incorporate more modern things, and I don’t have 13 foot ceilings.

The plan:

1. Color matching the rug I got with the walls- I won’t wallpaper, I’ll use paint. The rug is tealish, like the one above! It was 9x13 and only $60!

2. A red vinyl bedframe I also found on Craigslist! $150. A bit rich for my blood, but I want to be bold. I want to commit. Half-assing it will guarantee the mark will be missed. (Pic is not my house).

3. One of these duvets and sheets. I don’t buy fancy bedding so figuring this out is gonna be a whole thing.

4. Then, I have this cool vintage bubble lamp. It’s yellow glass. That’ll go somewhere. I’ll post a pic of that later.

Then, there are these lamps. I think they’re so fun! But would they be practical, with like, dust? And cats?? Probably not. But I love pink and want to incorporate a little bit of it somewhere, somehow.

5. I need some dark things. Some negative space. No idea what. Not including a picture. Maybe some dark pillow cases? Maybe dark furniture? I have dark wood things, like a bookcase and a waterfall dresser. But is that dramatic enough?

6. I have some gold curtains in a different room. I’ll probably swap those out.

7. A lady is selling these. Four of them! So maybe I’ll get them, too.

8. I still need a few modern touches. Like, acrylic shelving or a chair, maybe, and some art prints that are fully modern. And few pure, solid colored bits and bobs. I was thinking a porcelain bust, maybe?

Also, just for fun, here’s another room I love that is serving as inspiration.

Idk. Do you have opinions on this? Ideas? Art you like that I should buy? I love you. thank you for reading.

[good-prog]

Korpokkur army

Project dates: Mid August to late September-ish, 2023

Yarn used: store brand worsted weight acrylic yarn (from an abandoned blanket project)

Another project from last year, motivated by some stash busting and an excuse to send snail mail to friends. (All except for the original "4head" korpokkur (mid-back, first image), for which I used too-large safety eyes, have found new homes.)

Pattern from a fiber artist on r/ffxiv. Took some inspiration from my friends' then-recent Pikmin 4 obsession to personalize the leaves (/flowers), and water orb size.

Note for future self: I might need to pull out my actual digital camera for completed project glamour shots; these phone camera quality photos aren't cutting it.

[justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms]

thank you for agreeing to an exchange! 🗣️💕

fandoms: obey me! ; genshin

name: raven / pronouns: any / sexuality: ??? (no preference for OM!, but male preference for genshin)

personality traits: introverted (distant, little interest in getting close to many people), extremely independent (often refuses to rely on others), confident (arrogant), straightforward (blunt, sometimes tactless), decisive, even-tempered, good sense of humor, playful, teasing, mischievous, realist that leans optimistic, curious (nosey), a bit of a troublemaker/rulebreaker, does not shy away from conflict

hobbies: video games, watching anime, drawing (digital), painting (watercolor, acrylic), baking (but NOT cooking), reading, cosplay, thrill-seeking activities

likes: cats, sweets, good food, cool weather, aromatic candles, lattes, traveling, piercings, tattoos, puns (!), learning foreign languages, cleaning, new experiences, trying new foods, trying new skills, people with a good sense of humor (quite subjective), people who are flexible and open-minded

dislikes: dogs, spiders, bitter foods, hot weather, strong scents, pessimism, rigidity (in personality or environment), feeling restricted, possessiveness, conformity, having to be responsible for other people (i.e. people being dependent on me), boredom, when people don't stand up for themselves (i tend to look down on/clash with people who are overly insecure).

types / categories: intj-a ; 7w8 (yes i know type 7 is super uncommon for intj) ; love languages: physical touch, quality time ; zodiac: virgo sun, sagittarius moon, scorpio rising

misc.: clumsy ; accidentally misuses slang or phrases bc i can never remember how they go (e.g. "let's bust this popsicle stand" instead of "blow this popsicle stand") ; able to pick up new skills relatively quickly ; studied french, korean, and latin in university (as well as psychology and medieval history - i could not pick just 1 area) ; prone to being a bit directionless in life ; prone to bad luck but tries to find the humor in most situations ; tends to be pretty quick/harsh when deciding to cut people out of my life ; life approach: to live a life of varied experiences, to not take life too seriously

appearance / aesthetic: 5'1 / 155cm, round cheeks w/ a dimple on right cheek, button nose, green eyes, wavy ash brown hair (often switch between growing it out really long or cutting it super short, dyeing it; i like to change it up. hair is currently bleached and toned white). no tattoos (i want some!), several piercings (5 in one ear, 4 + an industrial in the other, navel piercing), clothing-wise my style tends to be hipster or comfy/casual goth? idk i love flannels and fishnets and combat boots. my overall color scheme is black/sage green/gray.

Hi Raven! Thanks for the request! Of course, I love doing matchup exchanges! I hope you like your matchups!

In Obey Me, I match you with...

Barbatos enjoys baking with you. He's canonically the best person at both baking and cooking in the game so no matter how good or bad you are, whatever you tow make together will always taste amazing. Luke's so jealous of both you and Barbatos.

This guy will do his very best to make sure you never feel like you have to be responsible for him. He's a butler, if anything he feels like he should be the one looking after you!

Barbatos is also the best person to talk to about all of your language and history interests. He's been around for so long and seen so much that any questions you have are easy for him to answer.

Loves your misused phrases. If it was anyone else, he'd correct them but he never wants to make you feel bad about your slip ups. He finds them endearing.

Barbatos is pretty busy most of the time taking care of Diavolo and the castle but when he does have free time, he wants to spend it with you.

Whether you're baking, learning a new language, or trying out a new skill, he just wants to be able to spend time with you.

In Genshin Impact, I match you with...

Your good sense of humour balances out Cyno's...unique sense of humour.

Cyno's another one who won't make you feel like you have to be responsible for him. He's gotten used to taking care of himself as General Mahamatra. He'll actually have to get used to letting someone else go small things for him.

He'd love your baking! Cyno doesn't really take much notice of what he's eating but if you've made it, he'll savour his food a bit more. He doesn't want your hard work gone too quickly and without proper acknowledgment.

Usually busy with his Mahamatra duties but all of his free time is spent with you. He doesn't mind what you do, as long as you're together.

He would like to go for walks with you finding stray cats and saying hello to them.

I see Cyno as someone who also knows a few languages (if only so he can make jokes in those languages as well). He'd love to sit down with you and spend an afternoon going over all the languages you know, comparing your knowledge of the languages you both know and helping the other learn a bit of the languages the other doesn't know.

A big fan of quality time. He enjoys the comfort your presence provides him with.

[bettermiya]

Hi! If you're still taking matchups, I'd love to have one! I have a lot of info here but I suppose that makes it easier to pick and choose HAHA as for genre/flavor of match i dont really care if it's more fluffy or smutty, i'm in my 20s

personality traits: introverted (distant, little interest in getting close to many people), extremely independent (often refuses to rely on others), confident (arrogant), straightforward (blunt, sometimes tactless), decisive, even-tempered, good sense of humor, playful, teasing, mischievous, realist that leans optimistic, curious (nosey), a bit of a troublemaker/rulebreaker, does not shy away from conflict.

hobbies: video games, watching anime, drawing (digital), painting (watercolor, acrylic), baking (but NOT cooking), reading, cosplay, thrill-seeking activities.

likes: cats, sweets, good food, winter, cool weather, lattes, traveling, piercings (i have 12), tattoos, puns (!), lazy days, learning foreign languages, cleaning, new experiences, trying new foods, trying new skills, people with a good sense of humor (quite subjective), people who are flexible and open-minded.

dislikes: dogs, spiders, bitter foods, hot weather, strong scents, pessimism, rigidity (in personality or environment), feeling restricted, possessiveness, conformity, having to be responsible for other people, boredom, when people don't stand up for themselves (i tend to look down on/clash with people who are overly insecure).

types / categories: intj-a ; 7w8 (yes i know type 7 is super uncommon for intj) ; love languages: physical touch, quality time (least likely to use/appreciate acts of service)

misc.: clumsy ; accidentally misuses slang or phrases bc i can never remember how they go (e.g. "let's bust this popsicle stand" instead of "blow this popsicle stand") ; able to pick up new skills relatively quickly ; studied french, korean, and latin in university ; prone to being a bit directionless in life but is go-with-the-flow enough that it typically isn't an issue ; prone to bad luck but tries to find the humor in most situations ; life approach: to have fun and be happy, to live a life of varied experiences, to not take life too seriously, to not force meaning into life

Your life is about to get a whole lot more interesting… your match is Nishinoya Yuu

Sometimes like calls to like, and your chaotic energy and puns (not to mention the baked goods) brought Nishinoya rolling into your path. Nishinoya finds your bluntness to be hilarious, though he sometimes gets offended when it’s directed towards him. Don’t worry, though, he takes what you say to heart only in the sense that constructive criticism and a new challenge are something he is always up for; and he has no problem issuing such challenges and criticisms to you as well. Though there may be a bit of an argument over who is going to be hitting to who in practice, you both help each other grow in your shared team position. He finally pulls you aside after spending some time together and agrees to teach you his Rolling Thunder move. You’ll share your special moves with him, too, right?

As an adult, Nishinoya spends his time traveling and reveling in new experiences, and he is sure you drag– bring– you along for the ride. Though there are times when travels lead you into hotter climates, he makes sure there are plenty of pools and oceans and lakes and cool places to make up for it. He buys you lots of ice cream. He promises to take you somewhere cooler with lots of snow in between the hotter places. While you are traveling, he points out every stray cat he sees and makes sure that before you leave, you both try some of the local sweets.

“Don’t you worry, I’m very flexible.” Winks.

Both of you get into plenty of mischief together, but he knows when to be serious and responsible. There may be a problem with who of the two of you will kill the spiders in the relationship. (“Really, we should just burn the hotel down, it’s the only responsible thing to do.”) But that’s okay, at least there will never be a dull moment. It might be hard to convince Nishinoya to slow down long enough for a lazy day, but if you bake some goodies, he’ll play video games with you and watch anime. (“I’m definitely going to beat you this time.”)

“Don’t forget, it’s okay to rely on others sometimes. That’s why volleyball is played with a team. It’s about connection and relying on each other to keep it going. We’ll rely on each other, okay?”

[freelanceexorcist]

So the living room painting/furniture refinishing haul is about 99.9% complete. All I need to do is go pick up some painter's caulk because I found some gaps and cracks that absolutely need to be fixed.

Pic 1: my haul of painting consumables. This living room will become a place where I can stand being in even if it kills me. The only other thing I need to get is painter's caulk because I found some holes and gaps that need to be addressed. Not pictured: the basket of acrylic paints that will probably be used at some point. The half-face respirator came with a bonus pair of goggles, so that's good.

Pic 2: my shiny new paint sprayer and clamps. If this project turns out well, I may try my hand and refinishing furniture. I've never done it before, so I'll be dumpster diving and going to Goodwill to find pieces I can practice on. Wish me luck, please.

I won't be using the paint sprayer indoors for now. Until I can get a good enough handle on it to avoid excessive overspray, I don't want to expose my dog to the fumes and vapors. They don't make half-face respirators small enough for her and she'd start WWIII to avoid having to wear one even if they did.

Anyway, right now I need to redo the living room. The kitchen is next and when the time comes, I'll be sanding down all of the cabinets and drawers. I'll repaint the top cabinets white but picking a darker gray/brown color for the bottom ones. The kitchen table is gonna go. It's too old and busted for me to refurbish based on the skills I have now, and I have nowhere to store it until I get those skills. The chairs are going too, but I'm keeping at least one to practice on later. If it turns out OK, I'll give it to one of my neighbors. I'm in no position to ask for money at this point.

I may become a viable furniture flipper one day, but it won't be this one.

[sonic-spirit]

Arts and Stuff and Events

Man, it's so easy to freeze up. Or maybe, it's so hard to keep from freezing. But fuck. It's hard. I've been doing good about making art the past couple weeks, but I've been hesitant to post it, for some reason? IDK. Part of it is definitely me putting pressure on it again. Like, "If this is what I want to do with myself, I gotta make it work," and all that. Then just...not super loving what I'm making. Which could also just be from pressuring myself, because I could not point to what I'm not liking about the things.

I finally started painting again, for the first time since college, and for the first time for myself since probably middle school. It's nice. It's weird, familiar and really strange at once, nerve wracking and relaxing, giving me a really cool experience and feeling like I'm still falling short, but it's good. One of the things I really like about physical media is that it helps push me towards keeping moving...at least as long as I can get through my initial block of anxiety and start. And I've been good about not letting it get in my way, not letting myself tense up over "ruining" my supplies. The fact that I'm making sure to not spend a lot at a time, and that I'm also making sure to only get supplies I want to use is definitely helping. Springing for a small range of a higher reputation set of acrylic paints, instead of the Liquitex Basics I had the last couple times (and HATED) is def paying off. The fact that the set was both a more expansive palette than I wanted, and is missing some colors I consider essential (like a nice, dark purple. You gave me 3 dark blues, two of which that are nearly identical, and no dark purple...though I am getting WAAAY too much use out of that light violet!), is also nice for encouraging me to pick and choose what I replace and what I expand to and don't (ultramarine, my love, you are already nearly gone...!)

And then, like. I want to do events. I know I want to do events. Which events? Obviously furcons. And then I really like the picture in my head of vending at Ren Faires, and the like. And I really want to do the regular, local shows, especially as I get my legs under me for booth setup. All of those seem to have fairly broadly different, if intersecting enough, niches.

My current plan is to expand my Printify and Etsy, utilizing Printify's print on demand services for stickers, wearables, and any other kinds of merch that seems cool (I've been needing a new full zip sweatshirt, why not make a cool design for it myself?). I intend to continue making my Astral Deer series of paintings to keep working with the medium and getting myself comfortable, and to have a good place to experiment, and also branch into pet portraits and the like. I also want to make stall plaques for horses--their names and portraits painted on them, and also a slot to slide in a 3x5 index card for feeding instructions and such. And if that weren't enough I also want to start getting into leatherwork, making some kink items, like wrist and ankle cuffs, ponyplay things like bridles and halters, even harnesses and stuff, as I grow in skill and confidence. I want to make things.

I also still really love my job as horseback riding instructor, and I think my current mad plots synergize really well...well. Except for one thing: I'm down to working only weekends and Mondays...the same days of any events I'd want to plan to play in. So that sucks.

I'm pretty sure things will change with my schedule again soon enough. But also, it doesn't feel like something I have as much control over. It's frustrating.

Anyway. Current stage is to utilize the 4 days a week I'm not going out and busting my ass working with the horses and kids to make arts.

[recordofablerd]

Totally forgot to post pictures of the Sun & Moon blanket because honestly, this was posted a day after an ER visit and I've been prioritizing recovery but... I've got pictures and details about this project!

The yarn I'm using is all Caron brand acrylics, which are quickly becoming my favorite yarn alongside s lot of Lion Brand's catalogue. The bulk of it comes from the now discontinued Caron Big Donut line: I'm using Blue Velvet, Blue Moon, and some of Chocolate Blueberry--basically, I cut out the browns in that one and am just using the blues and purples.

I'm also using two Caron One Pound skeins for the border in Ocean and Sunflower; those are the only two skeins not from my stash. I'm also using a 5.25mm crochet hook, which is fast becoming my favorite size.

One of the nice things about this blanket is that it's continuing to help me saved money but stash busting. I've got a lot of yarn so I'm trying to really focus on chewing through it versus adding more skeins that may not be used for months or even a year. It's hard to resist getting new yarn because pretty, but... Finally tackling projects I've wanted to make for a while feels doubly satisfying too!

Started an actual corner to corner (c2c) rectangular blanket that I’m calling the Sun & Moon Blanket and it’s really coming along great. It’s yet another wip that I’m starting and need to actually work on completing but…I’m having a lot of fun and I think that’s what matters

Pics tomorrow, as well as details!

[ch3rrydoll]

peace / fezco

pairing : fezco X Y/N

summary : a short and sweet drabble about y/n and fezco being each others peace

word count : 427 ( so damn close 😩)

a/n : so this is like my first fic in a whillleee but i’ve been loving fez so much so i wrote a very self indulgent fic about it. I’ve been heavilly inspired about writing by these lovely author’s and their personal works that i can’t reccomend enough ; @heartshapedwords @brooklynwritess @imaginemegood @dollybarnes and that’s just a few but seriously please go visit their works ,, u will not regret it ! Thank y’all so much for sharing yalls work and breaking me out of my writers block,, mwah!!

Fez couldn’t remember when Y/N had become such an essential part of his peace. Growing up he had only ever had himself and his grandma, and then when she had fallen into a coma it was only him and Ash. Maybe, he had just gotten so used to taking care of his little brother, his grandma’s endless medical bills, and the family business his grandma had busted her ass to build that he hadn’t thought of what he needed but when he comes home to her, he knows.

She’s lounging in his bed wearing a pair of his boxers and a hoodie he swears he told her to not touch while reading some book. He couldn’t even find it in him to be annoyed at her messing around in his clothes because she just looked so damn comfortable - and shit did fez need comfort right now.

He knocked on the doorframe, “ nice hoodie, ma “ his amused voice broke her out of the deep trance this chapter had on her. “ Thanks, I’m thinkin it’s my new favorite,” she said slyly. She placed her book to the side and opened her arms gesturing for him, “C’mere baby”.

Fez felt his heart warm at her actions, quickly making his way to lay across her, his head lying in the warmth of her neck. He felt all of the stress of the day hit him while surrounded by her warm vanilla perfume combined with her acrylic nails dancing across his back slowly being lulled to sleep.

“ How did the deal go.” she hummed, leaning onto his head. Keeping his eyes closed he responded ‘‘Bout as good as it could.” he huffed “ Motherfucker talked so much, pissed me off.” Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at the annoyance lacing his voice.

“ Yoo, why you laughing “

“ You’re so grumpy Fez.” she laughed. He nipped at her shoulder in retaliation, causing Y/N to let out a small screech and pinch him in return.

“Not cool,” he only hummed in response as they laid in silence together simply enjoying each other's presence. The silence was cut through by Fez’s slurred sleeping voice. “ I love you Y/N.” another peaceful silence followed “ For real, couldn’t do this without you.”

Y/N felt a wave of peace wash over her with his words, “ I love you too Fez, so fucking much.” she looked down at his sleeping figure and delivered a gentle kiss to his head and covered them both with the comforter, quickly following him into sleep.

[zukump3]

bakugo w/ a black gf

bakugo w/ his brown skinned goddess

some smut at the end

before i even start us off, i just wanna say

bakugo loves black women. periodt

ANYWAYS

if we’re being honest bakugo paid no attention to you when class 1-A was formed

he kinda paid no attention to anyone LMAODD

you know how he was / is with the whole “extra” thing

yeah. you were an extra too he didn’t care

but over time, as the class bonded more and more he began to notice your presence

he liked how you had some attitude on you

you didn’t let anyone of class 1-A talk down on you

like any of them would even dare to anyway

your personality was much different from everyone else’s

different enough to catch his attention

being one of the top students in 1-A, bakugo first talks to you after practice and when you’re struggling with your quirk

“hey big head, your form is wrong.” he says as he approaches you, voice deep mmm

“big head?” you glare at him. “who the hell you talking to?”

he almost doesn’t respond because he definitely wasn’t expecting that response

after that, bakugo 100% always has his attention on you

y’all’s relationship is like his and deku’s but less... violent? HAHDJD

you two are basically frenemies

if either of you notice the other struggling with soemthing, you’re gonna help each other

but you’re constantly bickering

when you’re hanging out with the bakusquad and getting tired of hearing bakugo yell for like five fucking minutes straight you just straight up say

“can you SHUT UP?! all that yelling... your hot ass breath is making me nauseous.”

cue mina trying to hold in her laughter

cue denki, kaminari and kirishima bursting out in laughter though

“say it again bitch!”

“bakugo���please don’t try it.”

he starts to get this little ? obsession ? with the way you respond to him

you always have a slick ass comeback and he loves it

grows more and more comfortable with you the more you two hang out

the type to do a double take if you come into class 1-A with a new hairstyle

slyly compliments it

“...like the hair y/n.”

“is katsuki being... nice?!”

“shut the hELL UP KAMI!!”

he becomes more sociable the more you’re around

texts you a lot, surprisingly

sometimes about random shit

definitely softer in private

can be surprisingly calm

is secretly very curious about you and your culture

bakugo is farthest from dumb and knows how to phrase his questions so they don’t offend you, his parents taught him good

does a lot of research about it in his free time

constantly calls mineta a “weak link”

“he’s deadass the weakest link of this class.”

it’s soooo attractive how he does his best to understand you

your relationship just comes easily and naturally

he’s obviously a little shy and nervous, he’s never dated anyone like you before

but he feels accepted by you—loved, even

cooks with your mom lmao

always busting a move at the cookouts wtf 😭 this mf dances better than you

definitely the type to randomly do the woah when you two are hanging out

ALSO MATCHING BONNETS I DONT MAKE THE RULESSSS

somehow knows how to do acrylics and will do your nails for head for free

nsfw 🤤

whew boy

in shortest terms... he beats the pussy up

you swear he has the highest sex drive you’ve ever experienced

how is he ?? always ?? horny

morning sex

sex after classes

sex before he sleeps

SO MUCH SEX

it’s very well known that bakugo loves ass and trust me

he does

fucking loves when you sit in his lap

he always gets hard underneath you i s2g

even if you sit in his lap in public, he can stay flaccid for a few minutes but as soon as his arms wrap around your waist and his chin presses against your shoulder

you know he’s gone

pretty rough with you

usually after sex you’re covered in bites and bruises

and you’re sore as hell

loves to fuck you doggystyle, with his chest to your back

he likes to be very dominant in the bedroom, and that position gives him good leverage to wrap his hand around your throat and fuck you till you see stars

says “fuck” a LOT

he does dirty talk but it’s mainly stuff he says to himself?

like “fuck... this pussys squeezing me so fucking tight.”

“god, look at the way it creams... so fucking sexy.”

wants you to cum at least three times in the bedroom and doesn’t mind overstimulating you till you get there

when he gives head...

😩

lawd have murthay

can i just say that he definitely eats pussy from the back

and he buries his entire face in your cunt

loves to finger you while he does it cause he wants it to be messy. he wants your juices everywhere

“taste like fucking peaches,” he’ll comment after bringing his head up, his red eyes staring deep into yours as he fingers you with so, so much strength. “this pussy is all mine, yeah?”

you don’t respond, too lost in your pleasure to say anything

that’s when he leans down to suck harshly at your clit and you probably scream.

“answer me.”

“yes! yes—it’s your—your pussy, katsuki...!”

“that’s a good girl~”

he grabs onto your hair when you give him head

he tries not to tug too hard but he can’t help it

his abs clench every time you deep throat him and you swear he twitches in your mouth

overall a wild little boom box boy

creds to artist ^^

[millepara]

waccha! there it is!! one bad picture only bc I was there for about 2 seconds and there was someone on the game behind me the whole time, but you get the idea.

it is ofc complete with recording setup, though the remote was kind of busted which sucked when I was trying to get out of there quick for the person who got in line behind me. but at least it was there, which is more than I can say for when aikatsu gets a new cabinet.

I found the light-up border on the game pretty neat--aikatsu planet has one too (which you can see reflected in the primagi screen), but the primagi one is simply much bigger and thus harder to forget while you’re playing. unlike with planet the color changes match what’s on the screen better, too. like it’ll turn the same color as the coord you’re scanning in, instead of changing to some random different color. I also like how the speakers look like cat ears!! (and the buttons are eyes, maybe?) Myamu!!

also a closeup of the card slots because I had a hard time understanding what’s going on there before seeing it in person. there’s a plexiglass/acrylic border along the bottom of the screen that has little dividers glued to it to make card-sized spaces, and then the cards go between the acrylic and the front frame of the screen, instead of directly touching the screen. this means there’s a several-mm gap between the card and the screen where you’re supposed to tap it at a couple points during the rhythm game, and boy do you really have to punch the screen with your finger to get it to register because of it!! I tried taking the cards out and playing (the game doesn’t require you to keep them there after coording up), but weirdly it read the cards much more easily than it read my finger :( is this the same thing as how automatic sinks never register my presence? is the screen also a little busted, in addition to the recording machine remote? or are they all just like that.....

[kirindensetsu]

The Making of Fubuki

((Reposting from Den of Angels workshop thread because I wanted my friends to be able to see~))

After years of pining after dolls I couldn't afford as a broke teenager, my first BJD was a Bobobie Sprite I purchased for my 18th birthday. Unfortunately, she didn't live up to my expectations and I never really bonded with her. Her face was cute enough, but the Bobobie body lacked the grace and posing ability I imagined for the Unseelie faerie I'd been daydreaming of for years. Sueding and wiring didn't help, blushing and tattooing highlighted her blockiness, it was a mess. I packed her away and tried not to think about my disappointment for 12 years. In the meantime I learned to build and paint resin garage kits, inherited one of my sister's dolls, bought some others, took anatomy & physiology in college, and did a couple extensive restorations and full-body modifications. I was sure I had thrown her away at some point as a failed project, but last weekend I found her tucked away in a doll bag I thought was empty. Having just finished substantial mods on a Dollshe body, and awaiting an unfinished Unoa kit for my birthday in September, I decided that I owed it to her to try again. Doll nudity below the cut, looooong post--

My Sprite was originally going to be a pooka with golden eyes and extensive woad tattoos. The golden eyes are incredible, so those are staying, but she's now going to be a blue oni to fit in with the rest of my collection. My plan is to do extensive additive epoxy work, and then to use Krylon Fusion to give everything a unified finish. The goal of the project is to reduce the... idk, STRAIGHTNESS of the old Bobobie body. I was never going to be happy with it, the lines were all far too rigid.

Head: Modified mouth for a wider, smirking smile. Magnets added to headcap (old Bobobie used an S-hook iirc; I did this part back in 2008). Forehead drilled for 3mm brass rod armature, and epoxy used to sculpt horns over rod. Bust: Substantial subtractive modifications to breasts, which involved removal and readdition of nipples. Addition of epoxy clay to back and shoulders to give a more curved body line in profile. Deepening of shoulder sockets with 18mm eye bevel, followed by sanding to make shoulders narrower. Waist: Reshaping of upper torso joint into sphere for smoother range of motion. Subtraction of resin in back and addition of epoxy in front to enhance lumbar curve. Hips: Substantial reshaping of lower waist seam to more naturally follow the pelvic girdle. It reminded me of granny panties before  Added epoxy to butt, again for lumbar curve. Thighs: Suwariko joint mod (cut the thigh and added a PVC insert to enable swivelling at the hip). Added epoxy to make her thighs look less straight. Calves: Removed 1cm of length at the ankles and rebevelled the socket. Removed resin at the ankles to bring them in, and added epoxy at the calves to make them curvier. Feet: Sculpted little claws, which were cute, and then decided the feet needed to be 5mm longer. Cut across, drilled and pinned with brass rod for structural strength, gap filled with epoxy clay. I also modded her feet to have defined arches and balls back when I first got her. Alas, spitting into the ocean. I added S-hooks, but did so by drilling the ankle and inserting brass rod to form the axle for the hook. Arms: The proportions on her upper arms BOTHERED me! they were so SHORT! and I only just figured out that's what I hated about them last week! I added 5mm to the upper arms by cutting them in the middle and using SteelStik to make a structural repair (plumber's epoxy putty has a shorter open time but far greater structural strength than artist's epoxy clay). Sanded the heck out of the wrists to give them a more delicate taper. Hands: Beyond salvage. The hands were my least-favorite part of this sculpt. I tried to bulk them up to look less spidery but it was just too difficult... I've ordered a different pair of MSD hands which will have claws added, and then when everything is painted it'll all match. Thanks for reading this far! Here's a preview of what her golden eyes look like next to Krylon Fusion in Antique Blue.

((first progress post)) I think I'm mostly done adding epoxy clay (at least where it'll show; presumably the wrist sockets will require tweaks to fit the new hands), so now it's time for finish sanding. I start with 60 grit for shaping, then switch to a 120 grit sanding sponge. To check for scratches, pinholes, and inadequately feathered edges, I apply a wash of diluted acrylic paint. Once the paint has dried, I scrub the piece with a nylon scouring pad. Paint remains in the surface irregularities.

All sanded with 220 grit. I don't think I'll be going higher than 400 because I want there to be some tooth for the paint.

Any pitting in the epoxy clay that can't be sanded out is marked with a Sharpie and will be patched with Tamiya spot putty.

I did a test spray of the Krylon Fusion on the headcap and it's fantastic! Holy cow is it *poisonous* tho, I'm used to working with volatile chemicals but this was something else. Get OUT OF THE AREA between coats and leave it outside until it stops outgassing, not just until it's ready to handle.

This test piece is four light coats sprayed 1 minute apart, allowed to cure for 4 hours, and then wetsanded to remove the spray texture. It's pretty sturdy but I will wait several more days to see how it continues to cure before experimenting with matte sealants. ((progress update 2))

Haven't done much but sand-and-fill-and-sand-and-fill, but my 14mm beveller came in today so I can start deepening her elbow and ankle sockets. Added some epoxy clay to the insides of the eyewells so 14mm eyes will fit with no gap. I need a needle file to clean up the corners of her mouth... Monster feets! Nails on the right came out better than the left, still need to feather-sand everything.

Elbows progress. The early Bobobie elbows are I guess /technically/ double-jointed because the joint is a sphere with two slots, but I thought I could do better than that. You can see epoxy clay spliced in to make the sphere into a peanut: this isn't a structurally sound repair unless you pop it apart and drill/pin/glue-epoxy it back together.

View from the back. By keeping the joint heads spherical with no elbow-shaped detailing, there's some rotation as well as flexion, which I like.

Touching her face with one of her old hands. I hope the new ones come soon!

((progress update 4))

In good news, these parts are all ready for paint! It's really hard to do prepwork with no filler primer, hope I didn't miss any spots...

In less good news, her new hands arrived and they are... very smol ;u; I forgot that the new trend for slim minis means that everyone has TINY LITTLE HANDS.

They are, however, beautifully sculpted and a good 3D reference for what needs fixing and how. Bobobie palm is very short relative to fingers: I made a transverse cut behind the knuckles and added epoxy to lengthen More curved volume across the back of the hand: Not necessarily realistic, but looks a little cuter, plus it makes the transition into the cylinder of the wrist look less stylistically jarring. More defined joint angles: Some of these I did via cut-and-thermoform repositioning, mostly I'm aiming to fake it by building up and carving away at the weird smooth curves. The fingers are just TOO SKINNY: But obviously I'm not going to squish rice-grain-sized blobs of epoxy to the fingers, right? It's too fiddly, it doesn't want to stick. What's the solution? Brace for a truly hideous WIP image--

"AAAAAAGH WHAT IS THAT DARK GRAY MESS" it's JB Weld epoxy! It's like load-bearing, slow-curing modeller's putty! Slathering putty onto an armature and then carving it away to refine the shape is how anime figure artists make hands and detailed hair.  I was thinking about it from a polymer clay technique/perspective so I missed the obvious solution. Hand in the foreground has more layers than the hand in the background, every layer gets the shape a lil closer. ((progress post 5)) Parts set up on sticks so I can handle them without touching...

... and after 4 light coats!

Closeup of the head, lil' glossy because it's still drying. For the deeper areas like the joint slots, mouth, and the crannies of the ears, I'm going to have to decant some of the paint into a jar and apply it with a sacrificial brush.

((progress post 6)) I return from Depression! I finally finished sanding-and-spraying the Krylon Fusion coats, gave her a last polish with microfine to even out the texture, and have started blushing her. I'm using a mixture of Tamiya X-series acrylics applied via airbrush for basic contouring, then I'll go back in with pastel to add warm tones and details.

Fun discovery: in an attempt to cover some accidental overspray, I tried spraying the Fusion directly into the paint cup of the airbrush and using it to "erase" back to the base color. I'm NEVER using this product straight from the can again, it goes on so smooth and gorgeous from the airbrush! No orange peel or bubbles to sand away. I'm seriously tempted to get a can of pink and try blushing with it.

((progress post 7)) Doing a faceup over a spray-painted substrate is HARD I want to CRY. I talked about sanding out the spray texture to get an untextured surface, right? Welp, didn't/couldn't sand well enough in the corners of the mouth and the folds of the eyelids, so it's crusty-looking with pastels over it and now there's nothing I can do about it that doesn't involve stripping down to resin and starting again.

((final post)) Sueded and strung!

I didn't take pictures of the sueding process because I was using Barge Cement and it is messy and time-sensitive. I used masking tape to make templates of her joints, transferred to some thin gray lamb suede I found on eBay, and glued it fuzzy side out. The suede was thicker than real pliver, more like the thickness of silicone KIPS discs, but I think it worked out without too many fit issues. The trim store had 3.5mm elastic in a beautiful slate-blue color that I thought would look nicer in the joint slots, so she's strung throughout with thicker elastic. Some more poses to show off the functional mods~ Suwariko joints let her sit crosslegged, and more mobile wrists let her put her hands into the pose.

A more ball-and-socked shaped contact surface at her waist lets her slouch at a full range of angles instead of being locked into two.

With longer upper arms, she can reach the ground in this pose! You can also see how the modded waist joint lets her cock her hips.

She could always stand with locked knees. I think she needs some wire in her legs to let the suwariko joints hold their rotation against gravity, but I'll see how the elastic tension settles in first.

A parting shot out the snowy window. We've been having a hard time picking between a few names for her, but I think this settles it. Welcome back, Fubuki~

[remmushound]

Damage, part 5; the Hogosha

@errorfreak88 @brightlotusmoon

Splinter did his best. Ever since that night he had first gotten the boys, he tried his to do right by them. To feed them. To teach them. To encourage them. To make them happy. He always made an effort to go out of his way for their wants and needs, because that’s what a father does. He made an effort to make them laugh and ask how they were doing. To touch them and to kiss them and to love them and make them know they were loved. It was times like this that made it so difficult.

He didn't care about his own wounds. The pain was nothing compared to the pride he felt for his sons. Raphael, for tossing himself on top of Donatello and protecting the younger shinobi with everything he had. Leonardo for fighting with all he had to protect Michelangelo. Michelangelo for being so strong and so willing and eager to recover. And Donatello, for dragging each and every one of them from their deathbeds and giving them a second chance at life.

The old mutant slowed as he passed by Michelangelo’s room. Drawn on by the sound of voices, the shinobi father couldn’t help but press his ear to the door to listen.

“... telling you, it’ll work!” Leonardo’s voice was heard above all, “Trust me, Raph will love it!”

“A suggestion if I may?”

Donatello’s voice came as a surprise to Splinter and drew the old rat even further into the conversation. Donatello didn't wait for an answer.

“We’re talking about Raph, right? Our Raph? The Raph that regularly busts through walls and ears glass? That Raph?”

“Yep! That’s the one!” Michelangelo’s voice chirped.

“Then foam and cloth just isn’t gonna cut it.”

“Well what do you suggest, big brain?” Leonardo asked.

“Well there have been significant successes with 3D printing bones for transplant, and even an example of a turtle shell being printed successfully! Maybe we do that? Except with the section of shell Raph is missing.”

“Oh oh oh!” Michelangelo chirped his normal ‘I have a question’ noise.

“Yes Michael?”

“Maybe we do both! You do your printy-thing and then we put some foam over it to make it more comfortable and then we add the cloth!”

Donatello hummed. “Hm. Sounds doable. Though we may have to build a framework out of wire to support the foam so it doesn’t shift too much and cause irritation. And several layers of cloth so we can secure it properly to the framework—“

“Yeah yeah yeah, less talky more doey!”

“Hey! Do you have any idea how long it’s gonna take?! I can’t do it snappy-snappy!”

“Why not?!”

It made Splinter’s heart soar to hear the bickering of his sons carrying on in the other room. They sounded happy, and most importantly they were awake, and together. He wiped his beady eyes as he walked away, tail swishing his euphoria as the newfound hope made this day one of the best in months.

When night came, Splinter didn't need alarms or clocks or the chore chart to tell him what to do. He just did what fathers do, like he always had. He knocked on Raphael’s door before entering.

“Oh! Hey pops!” Raphael’s tail wagged at the sight of his father. He was sat at his vanity looking at himself in the mirror like he often did.

“Hello Raphael.” Splinter’s wrinkled face split in a smile as he walked over to Raphael, tisking his tongue along the way as his tail swept through trash and collected it. “Really, Raphael? Four water bottles? You’re turning your room into a pigsty!”

“Goodnight to you too, pops.” Raphael laughed, closing his eye as Splinter heaved himself up the snapping turtle’s arm to kiss him on the cheek.

“Honestly, I don’t think you need this old thing anymore.” Splinter mused as he helped Raphael untie his shell cover and folded it on the nightstand.

“Donnie’s orders.” Raphael laughed.

“Well I say you’re perfectly healed.” Splinter eyed the scars curiously, “And if anything, the scars make you look badass.”

Raphael’s shoulders shook as he bellowed. “Thanks dad.”

Splinter smiled and nosed playfully against his son's cheek a moment before giving the mutant a gentle tap with his tail.

“Now scoot! It’s bedtime!”

“Dad, I’m almost sixteen.” Raphael said, “I think I can choose my own bedtime now.”

Splinter raised his brow.

Raphael started to sweat almost immediately. “Uh— I mean— yes. Right. Bed time.”

“Good boy.” Splinter pat Raphael’s shoulder as the snapper lurched over to his bed. “Remember: I didn't put the fear of God in you, I put the fear of rat!”

Raphael climbed into bed and churred happily as Splinter came over to tuck him in and give him his teddy bear.

“There we are… Good night, little Red.”

*****

“Oh Baby Blue~” Splinter poked his nose into Leonardo’s room, “I’m respecting your privacy by knocking, but asserting my authority as your father by coming in anyway!”

Splinter blinked as he saw the state of his son. Leonardo was on his bed, having tried to remove his day clothes by himself and failed miserably. Somehow, he had managed to get his head stuck in the arm hole and his arm locked at an odd angle in the head hole, his trousers hanging half-off.

“Help me.”

Splinter couldn’t hide his laughter as he helped his son undress the rest of the way and assisted in helping him put on his pajamas.

“There we are, silly boy.” Splinter rubbed Leonardo’s head before putting the turtles nightcap on. “Now, I know you like magic, but you’re not quite Houdini status yet.”

Leonardo snapped. “Darn! I’ll get there one day!”

Splinter hummed his agreement and used his tail to open Leonardo’s bedside drawer and pull out a soft, blue sleeve. He gently slid it over Leonardo’s wounded arm and secured it before giving the nub a kiss, and then kissing Leonardo on the head.

“Thanks dad.”

“Anything for my little one.”

****

“Orange~ why, would you look at that?”

Michelangelo was already snug in his bed, dressed in his sleeping onesie and clutching a story book with a bright smile on his face.

“Someone was ready for me.” Splinter pulled himself onto the bed and took the book from Michelangelo, clearing his throat as he started to read. “In a warm and sultry forest far far away, there lived a mother fruit bat and her new baby. Oh, how Mother Bat loved her soft, tiny baby. “I’ll name you Stellaluna.” she crooned…”

By the end of the story, Michelangelo was snoring softly. Splinter carefully crept from the bed and slid the book back into its place before giving Michelangelo a kiss on the head.

“Love you, my son. Sweet dreams…”

****

Splinter always left Donatello last. Not out of malice, of course! Donatello just needed the most comfort, the most time! And it wouldn’t be fair to make the other brothers wait so long for their fathers affection. But now the rest of his sons were tucked safely away, Splinter crept into the softshell’s room with a gentle knock.

“Donatello? Purple?”

Donatello was laying in his bed with his back turned to the door. Splinter hummed and quickly approached the bed, laying a hand on his son's shoulder.

“I hope you didn't think I forgot about you.”

“No.” Donatello’s voice was soft and somber.

Splinter cleared his throat and shifted himself onto the bed, pulling the blanket over Donatello’s head and starting to hum softly as he traced his paws across his son’s arm and shell bridge in a comforting manner, like he always did when they were turtle tots.

“Mori mo iyagaru, Bon kara saki-nya. Yuki mo chiratsuki-shi. Ko mo naku-shi…”

Donatello grabbed Splinter’s hand and held it while he started to hum along to the lullaby.

“Bon ga kita-tote, nani ureshi-karo… Katabira wa nashi, obi wa nashi…”

Splinter sang the lullaby to its entirety and, though Donatello was still awake by the end of it, neither father nor son made any attempt to leave or interrupt the comfort of each other's presence. They both fell asleep together.

****

“Keep your eyes closed! Keep 'em closed! Closed closed closed closed closed!”

“They’re closed, Mike!” Raphael bellowed his laughter at the eager young mutant that covered both Raphael’s eyes while sitting on his shoulders. “What’s the surprise!”

“Wait for it! Wait for it!”

“The suspense is killing me!”

“NOW!”

Michelangelo pulled his hands away with a happy squeak and Raphael opened his eyes. Raphael blinked a few times to get used to the light again before he processed what was in front of him. Leonardo and Donatello, both smiling as they held a large something between them.

The prosthetic piece was an impossibly bright red color, the cloth some of the most vibrant Raphael had ever seen! There were several ridges on it and Raphael’s eyes widened when he recognized the shapes from his shell. He looked back at his shell, then to the prosthetic, then back at his shell.

“Tadaaa~” Michelangelo jumped from Raphael’s shell, landing with a loud grunt, and did jazz hands.

“It’s made of reinforced acrylic— it’s not as strong as your actual shell, but strong enough to take a solid hit.” Donatello explained, “I wanted to make it a more natural color, but Nardo here insisted it stay red.”

“What? Red is totally his color!” Leonardo scoffed, “the Kanji was Mikey’s idea— figured Bo-su was most suited to you.”

“And Donnie made sure the measurements were right so it could fit over your shell!” Michelangelo squeaked, “Do you like it?”

Raphael didn't answer. He couldn’t answer, not for an uncomfortably long time. And when he did answer, it wasn’t with words. It was with a loud, whimpering squeal as he scooped all three brothers in for a hug and crushed them against his chest.

“I love it…” Raphael nuzzled each brother in turn, “And I love you all so much…”