#but i sketched this a while ago and came back to it today like wait i was cooking and then finished it. boom

[spiritoast]

these guys again

[cottonlemonade]

Being MSBY’s Single Dad

word count: 1055 || avg. reading time: 4 mins.

pairing: Meian x chubby!Reader (feat. Sakusa)

genre: fluff

warnings: spoilers

Sakusa had been in a foul mood for some time now but today it reached its pinnacle.

Two weeks ago he twisted his ankle during training and since he had quite the history of downplaying any injuries and then suffering their consequences, Meian decided to accompany him on his latest checkup, very much ignoring Sakusa’s protests. The captain leaned against a filing cabinet, arms crossed and a small smile on his face as he watched you bend and knead Sakusa‘s foot with gentle proficiency. The younger man grimaced barely noticeably when you pressed your palm flat against his sole, but upon his wince let up the pressure immediately.

“You‘ll sit this next one out.“, you said firmly, writing something in his chart.

“It‘s not that bad. I can play no problem. I just have to warm up.“

“Ah, you heard what she said. Doctor‘s orders.“

“She isn‘t even a doctor.“, Sakusa mumbled under his breath.

“Rude!“, Meian scolded.

“True though.“, both you and Sakusa replied in unison and the captain grinned when you added pointedly, “However, as your lowly physiotherapist I will give you some more stretches to do. It‘s better than last time but give yourself another week and you‘ll be as good as new.“

You took a seat at your desk, writing down a short list of daily exercises, adding quick sketches for demonstration. As you did, Meian detached himself from the cabinet and walked over to Sakusa to help him back into his shoe, which he reluctantly allowed.

“And while you‘re at it, be nicer to the others.“

“You still haven‘t made up?“, you turned around and looked at Sakusa incredulously.

“If it wasn‘t for these idiots this never would have happened.“, he noted sharply.

“True, but they did apologize.“, Meian reminded him, “Multiple times.“ You hid your chuckle at his tone, very reminiscent of a dad trying to explain to his son the concept of forgiveness.

“They deserve to stew.“

“Wait, you had such a colorful way to describe them when you came in last time.“, you tapped your chin with your pen in thought, trying to remember, “I believe you called them “a bunch of orange cats whose brains are powered by a singular, already dim lightbulb“, am I right?“

Meian covered his snort with the palm of his hand, then rolled his shoulders and tied the shoelace as he cleared his throat.

“Please don‘t say that in front of Bokuto. His hair hasn‘t been the same since the accident.“

Sakusa clicked his tongue in annoyance and let Meian help him off the exam table.

“Here.“, you stood up and handed him two notes, “This is for some new painkillers, take them when needed but no more than three a day and these are the new exercises. Do them every morning and every night before bed and if it‘s not better in 3 to 5 days come see me again. Aaaand-“ You opened a desk drawer and took out a bright yellow lollipop.

“What‘s that?“

“All the good kids get one.“, you shrugged and smiled.

Sakusa rolled his eyes, snatched the lollipop nonetheless, and limped over to the door.

“You coming?“, he asked, hand on the handle.

“Wait in the car. I wanna get my shoulder checked out.“

“I‘m not some kid. I‘ll get a taxi.“

“If you wait for me, we can get ice cream on the way back!“, Meian called after him.

“Whatever.“, Sakusa pulled the door closed behind him, leaving you and the captain alone to burst into laughter.

“How do you manage them?“, you sighed and shook your head, then looked at him expectantly, “So, what‘s up with your shoulder?“

“Dunno, can‘t quite get my movement radius like usual.“, he swung his arm back and forth until it wrapped around your waist and pulled you close, “Huh. Seems like I‘m healed.“

He held your chin between index finger and thumb and leaned down to meet your lips. You giggled into the kiss, placing one hand on his cheek while running your fingertips along the back of his neck with the other. He hummed happily and deepened the kiss, playfully tugging at your bottom lip with his teeth.

“When can I tell them?“, he asked softly once you broke from each other, linking your fingers with his.

You nuzzled into his broad chest instead of an answer and he wrapped both arms around your soft round figure, slowly swaying on the spot. Back when you started working with the Jackals it had only taken a few months of stolen glances, not-so-accidental touches, and careful courting until Meian asked you to be his girlfriend right before an important match. You agreed immediately under one condition. And while he was never a fan of keeping your relationship secret, he understood that you were worried about what it could mean for either of you if it didn‘t last or if you were being accused of abusing your power. But at this point, it was well over a year and he would appreciate it immensely if Atsumu stopped trying to set him up on blind dates all the time.

“Nothing bad will happen, I promise. I read my contract over and over. I know that thing by heart. Nowhere does it say that we can‘t be together. Just…“, he pulled away a little to rest his forehead against yours, “let me show you off, hm? You know how Bokuto always sprints to his wife after a match to hug and kiss her?“

You nodded

“Well… I wanna do that, too.“

“Wife, huh?“, you teased.

“Princess, let us be public and I‘ll get you a ring so fast you won‘t know what hit ya. Cause I draw the line at secret wife.“

“Alright alright… next match. You can come and kiss me.“

“Yeah?“ His eyes practically glowed at your reply.

“Yes. But you better be faster than Bokuto.“

“Deal.“

Please imagine Meian overtaking Bokuto on the way to kiss his wife in the next match.

Imagine if these races became a thing after matches.

Imagine, when he does it for the first time, Sakusa is caught in the background of a picture of Meian kissing you with the most wtf face.

There would be fancams of their races after every match. People would keep score.

a/n: thank you to @haikyu-mp4 for the headcanon that Sakusa is photobombing the first fancam xD

[bettyfrommars]

nightmare!eddie x reader

a Nightmare Factory blurb

I had several smut blurb requests to do with Eddie working his magic to give us a wet dream, including one from the lovely @jo-harrington that I will probably do something with separately, and it's literally all I could think about today, so I spit this out.

18+ONLY, somnophilia, smut, unprotected sex, squirting, reader receiving oral, pet names. Okay so, this is somnophilia because reader is actually asleep, but it's also...a dream. This is a consensual relationship, and they've been together for a while at this point (for those following the story, this is a time jump). It's a wet dream, but there is also evidence that they really had intercourse. wc: 1.3k

masterlist

authors note: I've decided we are going to jump around a bit in theis series because the non-linear way is more fun, I think. I still have a Headless Horseman Eddie coming soon, but this one felt very important xoxoxox

-------

Eddie got to work early that day and threw a sheepish grin down the hall at Kevin before plopping down in his chair for the group safety meeting to do with falling from extreme heights in dreams.  

He hadn’t been able to see you in weeks and—my god—he missed you so much it made his heart hurt.  

You’d been keeping your nightmare boyfriend a secret from your family and friends, but it was hard not to mention Eddie when you’d made sure his face was a fixture in your life.  It started out as a few sketches when you first woke up, trying to keep his image fresh, but then it progressed to paintings and even a few sculptures.  You had a whole journal full of notes and different ways Eddie had appeared to you, dating back to before you ever knew who or what he was.  

“Last night, he came to me as ghostly whispers that swam in my head, and sang to me a haunting melody.”

You weren’t afraid of anything anymore, especially not your nightmares.  Being chased by a masked killer? It was just Eddie, strolling by to say hello.  A glimpse of a shadow monster behind you when you stood at the bathroom mirror? It’s just Eddie, coming around on his way to another job.  A clawed hand grabs your ankle from under the bed? Of course, it’s Eddie—-he wants to tell you a story about something that happened at work before he forgets.

Two months ago, things had become more intimate between the two of you.  There had been some yearning kisses before that, a bit of hand holding, but it was always a gamble because he said he didn’t want to mess up and get “taken off your route” completely, as if he were delivering newspapers or soliciting magazine subscriptions.

That afternoon, you took a nap, and woke up in the throws of a wet dream so fierce, you were barely able to touch yourself before you were cumming so hard it made you shake.  When the wave subsided, you rolled over and looked at the ceiling with a smile spreading across your face: “Eddieee, was that you?”

You took that as a sign that he would return that night, and so you slept naked, ready to tempt him.  The anticipation made it hard for you to drift off to sleep at first, but it wasn’t long before you felt his calloused hands moving up your thighs.

“Fuck, I’ve missed you so much, sweetheart,” Eddie whispered, waiting for you to acknowledge him.  “Did you miss me?”

You moaned, still half asleep, but cognizant of his presence in your dream.  

Your lower back bucked off the bed when his tongue sank between your legs, making your cunt throb.

“Damn, I love how wet you get for me,” he kissed your inner thigh and ran his nose along your slit, darting his tongue into your aching hole. His tongue was…longer than you remembered, and you could feel it fill you up and twist inside of you like a big snake on the run.

You whimpered and twitched, making him smile against your engorged pussy as it dripped for him and only him.

“You came so hard for me earlier today,” his whispers were far away but also right at your ear.  One mouth sucked at your nipples and licked them while the other latched onto your core—as if there were two of him.  “I need to taste it this time.”

Under your closed lids, your eyes moved from side to side and your jaw went slack as a long groan escaped.

You were close, and Eddie knew it.

He could feel your arousal bloom in his mouth, and he rutted it in the air of the celestial sphere the two of you were existing in.  

Your whole body stiffened as you came, gasping, hips bucking up to meet his mouth, to let him suck every last drop from you.

“God, I’m so crazy about you,” he mumbled against your slit as he lapped you up, licking all the way back and teasing there a little bit. 

You could feel your eyes fluttering open and you worried that you were waking up, “no no no no…” you repeated, becoming aware of the infinite blackness around you.

You saw Eddie’s head pop up from between your legs. “Do you want me to stop?”

“Eddie,” you breathed, relieved. You wanted to put your arms around him, to spread your legs wider so that he could be inside of you, but your limbs had minimal strength. “Where are we this time?”

It looked like you were floating in a dark night sky surrounded by a sea of bright, blinking stars. It felt like you were on your bed back in your room, but there was not a trace of anything familiar.  

With a grin still wet from your gift, he crawled up on top of you to plant a few sweet kisses on your face.  “We’re in the same astral plane with the rest of the soul suckers and the sex demons.  I’m doing my best to lay low, so the head Incubus doesn’t know I’m here.”  

Talking to your boyfriend and kissing him was great but you were suddenly hit with another blast of horniness so strong it made you clench.

“I need you, Eddie,” you whined against his mouth, finally able to move your hands up to undo his belt.  “Inside of me this time.”

His clothes were off in a split second, as if he’d never been wearing any to begin with. Your hole gripped at nothing when the tip of his hard length rubbed against it.  

“That’s it —fuck—just like that,” he held your hips up and sank in deep as your eyes fell closed again.  You drifted in and out of the astral plane as he made you his with long, slow strokes first, hitting that perfect spot inside each time.

You chanted his name as he worked his fingers in the right spot, just like you'd taught him to the last time you were together.  "You're doing so good, baby," you hushed. At one point, you felt like you were being lifted off the bed—becoming weightless—while he kept a steady pace.  

He hesitated abruptly, pausing there, and you managed to open your heavy eyelids to look at him. 

His expression was a serious one. “I’m about to cum, baby, but I wanted to tell you that I think I…I think I…”

But he couldn’t finish the sentence and your head rolled back as he continued, cursing at how good it felt.  

Your second orgasm hit with a sense of release you’d never felt before, and you cried out, trembling, as sunburst exploded at your core and a velvet whip cracked.

“You’re cumming…all over me…oh my god,” and the sight of your release spraying onto his cock made Eddie pour himself into you on the spot, stuttering as your walls milked him, each of you babbling incoherent words of worship to the other.

In the aftermath, he took you in his arms from behind to spoon you close.  He could feel your breathing change, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before you left dreamland through the magical door.  

“I think…” he started again, brushing his lips on the shell of your ear.  “I think I’m in love with you.”

—---

You took your time waking up, guiding yourself through another orgasm as the remnants of the dream lingered.  As always, you tried to hold onto the feeling of him for as long as possible, gasping his name as you came again, and your head lolled from side to side on the pillow.  

Once you were fully awake, the all too familiar sadness set in; the realization that he wasn’t really there, with you, like you wanted him to be.  

Your spirits soon lifted when you felt his seed drip down your leg on your way to the bathroom, elated at the realization that you had successfully kept a piece of him with you. 

One day, you’d figure out a way to keep all of him.

[igot-sarang-ggg]

Meeting Heaven's door (Rohan Kishibe x Reader)

Masterlist

Small Summary: So this was a small idea I came up with a few days ago. What if Rohan used Heaven's door to let you (a non-stand user) be able to see his stand?

Small mentions: gn!reader, there are none

Rohan called me over to model for some posing references for his manga. I knocked gently on the door waiting for a response, "Come in," a faint voice could be heard from somewhere in the house, I slowly opened the door and walked in. "I'm upstairs y/n, just trying to finish some of my work here."

I walked upstairs and into his office, I stood by the doorway so as to not disturb him while he was working. "Rohan sensei you're pretty fast at drawing. I never asked, how are you so fast?" He stopped drawing; standing up, taking the papers in his hand, and putting them away, on a nearby bookshelf. "It's all thanks to my Heaven's door... Oh right, you can't see stands can you?"

"No, I can't. Josuke and the others have tried showing them to me but I can't see them, unfortunately." I'm not a stand user, most of the time I see random items floating sometimes or feel something touching me when I'm with my friends. He looked in my direction, "Why don't you try with my stand?" I walked towards him, "I'm sorry, I don't think I quite understood you, Rohan?"

"I could try with my stand. If you've tried with the others then maybe mine will work." I didn't know what to say, he rolled his eyes at me, "I'll try and show you my stand." He said as took out one of his sketchbooks, and sat back down at his table, "Heaven's Door!" Rohan shouted causing me to jump slightly, "Rohan sensei this isn't going to... work...?"

Before me stood a figure It was wearing a long overcoat, closed to the end of its torso, a bow tie, and a flat-topped hat. It has lines emanating from the bottom and the bottom outsides of its eyes, "Woah this is your stand?" So, this is what it looks like, "What did you do?" I looked at him and then at his stand. I have to admit Koichi was right about some stand users not matching their stands, Heaven's door is adorable.

"I made it so that you can see and interact with my stand Heaven's Door. You can now do the same with everyone's stand as well." I smiled at Rohan, "Thank you, Rohan." I bent down to get a closer look at Heaven's door. "You look adorable." He handed me a paper, I looked at Rohan who was busy sketching something as he watched us both. "Hm? What's this?" I took the paper in my hands smiling to myself. He gave me a drawing of a rose one of my favorite flowers. "Thank you." I hugged him, and Heaven's Door smiled at me.

I stood up looked at Rohan and walked over to him, "So a stand is a manifestation of one's soul, am I correct?"

"Yes, it is. why do you ask?" Rohan stopped sketching and looked at me I showed him the drawing Heaven's Door gave me. He covered his face and looked the other way, I giggled at his action, "That doesn't mean anything y/n. Heaven's door was simply giving you a drawing we've been working on, that's all."

"Sure it doesn't," I rolled my eyes jokingly, "So you called me here to model for reference, are we starting soon?" Rohan showed me the drawings he was working on. "It's already done. While you were having your small interaction with Heaven's Door I took the liberty to draw you. I wanted to get that raw expression from you when you first meet my stand... Seeing that genuine smile of yours is as raw as it gets." He smiled to myself while looking at the drawing and then looked at me our eyes met and a light blush spread across his face.

"A-Anyways thank you for coming today, I'll call you again when I need." He stood up and walked me down the stairs towards the door, "I'll see you around Rohan." I waved him goodbye and made my way home. On my way home I bought a picture frame for the drawing he gave me.

[emoprincey]

Dukexiety week - tattoo/florist

Author’s note: Here’s my submission for @dukexietyweek, I used the day one prompt tattoo/florist. 

Writing taglist: @iclaimedtobethebetterbard

Word count: 798 

“Are you sure about this?” Virgil asked, for the fifth time that day. He was wringing his hands as the two of them walked down the street to the tattoo parlour. “It’s just something I sketched, I’m nowhere near as good as a professional artist.”

 Remus caught one of his hands, starting to swing it between them as they walked. “V, babe, you’re an amazing artist, you know I love your work. And I love you, there’s nobody I’d rather have design a tattoo for me.”

“Sap,” Virgil scoffed, hiding his face behind his hoodie sleeve, but Remus could see him blushing. “Hey, is this the place?”

 Remus looked up at the shop they were passing. It was indeed Remy’s tattoo parlour, the windows filled with designs that his friend had drawn. “It is, come on! Remy will be excited to meet you!”

 “I’ll be with you in a minute, babes,” Remy’s voice called when the two of them entered the shop, and Remus glimpsed his friend through the doorway to the back room, their head titled back to down the last of their coffee.

 While they waited, Remus caught Virgil looking wistfully around at the tattoo designs Remy had tacked up on the walls. “Fancy one of your own? We could get some matching ones!”

 Virgil snorted. “Yeah, right. Like I’m letting a massive needle anywhere near me,” he said, then he paused. “I’m sure this’ll work out great for you, though.”

 Remus chuckled. “You don’t have to comfort me, baby, I’ve been here enough times before.”

 “That’s true, Remus has been one of my best customers through the years,” Remy said when they finally emerged from the back room.

 “Oh, you’re too kind,” Remus laughed.

 “You want this on your forearm, right? As much as I appreciate your attempts to bring back some of the worst parts of ‘80s fashion, I’m gonna need you to take those off,” Remy said, gesturing to Remus’ neon green arm-warmers.

 Remus let out his best offended gasp as he peeled off the arm-warmer on his left forearm to reveal the tattoo he’d been keeping covered since Virgil came out as trans a few weeks ago. He’d gotten the original tattoo pretty early on in their courtship – his twin brother Roman, who’d been through his fair share of heartbreaks and gotten a few tattoos of his own removed, had warned Remus that he might regret it, but Remus was happy to discover he’d been right when he decided Virgil was the one for him after only two months of dating. The tattoo was a pretty simple design, of Virgil’s birth name in a nice stylised font, surrounded by purple flowers.

 “And the design for the cover-up?” Remy prompted.

 Remus nodded, and took the paper Virgil had sketched the new design onto out of his pocket. Somehow, he’d managed not to get it too badly creased, leaving Virgil’s drawing intact and perfectly legible.

 Remus had discussed the tattoo with Remy beforehand, and sent them a picture of Virgil’s sketch, but Remy still let out a low whistle when Remus handed it to them. “Damn, Virge, this is good! I should get you to sketch up some designs for the shop sometime.”

 Virgil ducked his head the way he always did when he received compliments, but Remus could tell he was pleased with the attention. He’d worked hard on the redesign for Remus’ tattoo. He’d made sure to keep most of the basic shapes the same to make it easier on Remy, incorporating his chosen name with a few embellishments into the flower design.

 “Yeah, I can work with this,” Remy said, holding the paper against Remus’ arm. “Sit down, you know what to do. We can get through this today, easy.”

 Remus sat down in the chair next to Remy’s tattoo machine, and Remy sketched the new design on areas he’d need to change. Virgil sat in a chair nearby. Despite his aversion to getting a tattoo himself, he seemed curious about what was going on, and asked Remy a couple of questions about the process.

 The tattoo took a couple of hours, along with a few breaks – shorter than most tattoos Remus had gotten.

 When it was finally done, Remy wiped Remus’ arm clean. “What do you think?”

 Remus looked down at the fresh tattoo of Virgil’s name, surrounded by purple flowers with added vines that looped around the letters.

 “Yeah, it’s perfect,” Remus said, hoping how choked his voice was wouldn’t show, and tilted his arm to let Virgil see.

 Virgil peered at the tattoo, a grin forming on his face. “That’s... that’s amazing. God, I’m still not used to seeing my name written down.”

 “Well, you’re gonna see this a lot more often now,” Remus said with a smile.

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2023-12-04

ah fuck the mondaypost

Listening: I have been going back through some of @kelp-of-discontent's recs that I've saved and not gone back to. Great taste! Here's Pool Kids's Pool Kids

I always love the unmoored feeling good math rock gives you and this really lands that.

Watching: Double Features, 1) Bara no Soretsu/Funeral Parade of Roses because @thosearentcrimes has been trying to get us to watch that forever and we finally just sat down and watched it on yes the extremely funny ultrawide monitor that was being used as my TV.

Bara no Soretsu is very good in that arthouse way where it's very unpolished and has some very out there ideas about what makes a good movie but executes on it earnestly and with a goal. It's a combination of a movie about transgender women in the underground gay men's scene in 60's japan loosely based on the myth of Oedipus and also a documentary following the actors as they make this movie, in a way that makes it kind of hard to tell when something is meant to be the movie and when it's meant to be the documentary.

It's very uh. Challenging? It's honestly less tragic than I was expecting and it's mostly just a fascinating look into this very specific time and place. The interviews are priceless, a trans woman very straight facedly looking into the camera when asked "are you having a good time" and going "no, but I'm going to keep doing it". 10/10

Also Tomb Raider but the 2001 Angelina Jolie one. An impromptu pick for Bad Movie Night because we had an empty house and didn't want to burn a good bad movie. Tomb Raider is most interesting in how it approaches shooting action which is to say that it's mostly not good at it but has brief moments of inspiration. A very generic action adventure story otherwise, featuring young Daniel Craig as a prettyboy graverobber counterpart to Lara Croft. They made Angelina Jolie do an English accent and she just could not do it.

Reading: The other short stories that came along with Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang. Tower of Babylon is a fun atmospheric story of the Ancient Sumerians building a tower to breach the vault of heaven. Division by Zero is a very compelling depiction of a mathematician going insane because she has proven arithmetic to be inconsistent, which is notably not accompanied by any material changes in the world around her, which I liked.

Making: Mostly preparatory. I have a few project I've been sketching out, including hacking my own controller onto a WS2812 LED string and automating my radiators. The stepper motors and the string arrived today. Looking into exprTK, an expression evaluation library that should be suitable for my needs, and the ESP32 RMT subsystem which is a cute little mini-DSP and modulator built into the ESP32 ostensibly for IR Remote Control but frequently used now to quickly and efficiently implement all manner of protocols.

Playing: More Dark Souls, although less this week because I've been doing other things. still working around Darkroot Basin but I really haven't been there long. The ents are a real pain in the ass when paired with the knights, not because they're very hard but because you just have to wait for them to jump you.

Tools and Equipment: a new AMD GPU tuning utility for Linux was released a little while ago, LACT, which has a much simpler interface than some of the older tuning utilities. I like it, especially since I was doing some fan noise tuning after I installed the new network card and being able to just hit the fan speed with a slider was convenient.

[flyingwargle]

albedo steps off the elevator onto the balcony, lifting his head toward dihua marsh. children run around him, excited cheers infecting the air as their parents hurry to board the elevator after him, returning downwards on its path. he heads for the reception desk, identified as soon as he crosses the doorway.

verr goldet waves at him, surrounded by ledgers and papers. her feline companion is curled in a patch of sunlight by the corner of the floor, who purrs beneath albedo’s gentle strokes. he nods at her. “it’s been a while, miss goldet. have you been well?”

“yes, thank you! the daily life of an innkeeper has been relatively the same.” she gestures at her clutter with a roll of her eyes. “if you’re here to visit your sweetheart, i’m sorry to say that he hasn’t stopped by for a while. he’s investigating an unusual presence in the chasm.”

still? xiao told albedo about it over a week ago, which is why he scheduled his meeting with xingqiu today, hopeful that their paths would cross. the situation must be dire, if his prolonged absence means anything. “i see. if you don’t mind, i’d still like to take a look around upstairs.” he keeps his tone neutral, so not to betray his concern.

she nods. “of course, who am i to deny his sweetheart? the top floor is open to you, any time. oh, you might as well visit the kitchen for a plate of almond tofu, just in case xiao comes back. you’ll never know when that’ll be.”

he obliges, heading down to the basement and then to the top floor with a plate of almond tofu. there’s a stool in the corner of the balcony, hidden beneath the eaves, for the offering to wait through the night. albedo places it down and leans against the railing, body turned toward the chasm beyond the mountains.

archons, please protect him and bring him back safely. he conjures the image of a weathered gentleman with amber eyes, along with a bard clad in emerald and wind. the breeze stirs his hair, feels power surge through the earth that the inn was built upon. drawing in a breath, he turns his back, about to depart, until his eyes land on the closed door to xiao’s room. he steps toward it and opens the door.

the bed is pristine. the closet doors are closed. the desk has papers and a pen with ink dried on its tip, surely left from their last letter exchanged. a clothesline hangs above the window, where xiao has pinned albedo’s sketches, snapshots of dates, half-finished portraits, small doodles that encapsulate his daily life in mondstadt. the papers nearly obstruct the object on the windowsill, and it’s only upon closer inspection that he realizes what it is.

a potted cecilia basks in the afternoon light. the pristine petals are delicate between his fingers, soil damp. to his surprise, tiny sprouts are hidden in the flower’s shadow, signs of new life. he cannot believe that such a flower could survive in these conditions, especially with its owner absence.

unless…?

the yaksha commands anemo. he rests nightly at the inn. and it isn’t like he doesn’t know how to care for fauna, after spending so much time tending to albedo’s backyard garden. no, this has to be–

“surprised?”

albedo jumps. he whirls around, coming face to face with golden eyes that gleam with adoration. xiao steps closer to him, raises his hand to encapsulate his. albedo meets him halfway, fingers intertwining together. “hello,” xiao murmurs.

“hello. i thought you were still at the chasm?”

“i was, but when i came back, the cecilia was dying. i was trying to keep it alive.” he darts a nervous gaze at the flower. “is it doing okay?”

“yes. i can safely say that your care is exceptional.” albedo leans closer. “your care for me, on the other hand, is lacking. why didn’t you tell me that you came back early?”

“i didn’t want you to see the flower dying. i thought it’d…be a bad omen,” xiao mumbles.

“on the other hand, this simply shows your tenacity. these are far from ideal conditions for raising cecilias, yet you’ve cultivated it to the point where new life has grown. you’ve acquired quite a green thumb.”

the yaksha gives him a blank stare. “what does that…”

albedo chuckles, closing the gap between them for an embrace. xiao wraps his arms around him a moment later, head leaned against his. “welcome back, my love. i’m glad you’re safe.”

“thank you. will you tell me what that means?”

“i will, but let’s take it to the balcony. there’s a plate of almond tofu for you.”

they depart, and the cecilia dances in their wake, stirred by the wind.

[xryosakeyx]

Anyways, here's some random sketches related to the fic I finally can get around to posting 'cause it's a bunch! (These span from about three months, so yeah...) They don't really lean into heavy spoiler territory, so I thought it'd be safe to post them!

^Blawsth's champ (name's Lucille, if anyone cares...). First sketch is from earlier today and it's supposed to be of him in his youth. If you've read chapter one already, a specific detail that was made was that the Pokémon Ash is looking for pops up every thirty years or so, and let me tell you, a whole bunch of stuff happened within that time lol. The rest of the sketches were made in June, so I haven't drawn him in a good while. His whole thing was that I based him on shock-rockers and his backstory does take influence from that subset of performers. That comic in the last pic kind of gives ypu the idea of it, and that is if you can even read my stupidly tiny handwrit–

Okay, y'know what? Let me decipher it:

JAKE: You don't get it Ash, Lucille was banned from performing 'cause he went overboard!

ASH: Oh, really?

JAKE: That and he's the champ!

PIKACHU, as a tiny blob thing on Ash's shoulder, turning his back away from the camera as he sees a weird goth-thing from the distance: Pi.

JAKE: Ah! There he is, great eyes Pikachu! Lu-cille! Sign my autograph, please!!!

Alright, satisfied?

^Some gym leader stuff. First sketch is supposed to be of a double-battle gym where one specializes in water and the other with fire. Their main motif is that they're supposed to be treasure hunters, so their Pokémon are very agile in combat as they bounce back from one another. I'm still trying to work on their outfits a little, but their masks are supposed to be based on their aces which are (of course) more fakmons! Their names (right to left) are Lenny and Hans.

Second was two sketches I did of the grass specialist, Vendanna, who is an actor known for her stunts. The main challenge in her gym is the various status effects her Pokémon can create (mostly poison), so trainers should watch out!

Third is Lizzie who is supposed to be a ghost specialist. She tends to be very introverted, only popping up whenever the supernatural bells ring, but her Pokémon are the complete opposite and love getting other's nerves. I based her off trad-goth stereotypes because I feel like they're very underespresented in media, but yeah, she's basically Blawsth's personal "witch" and has more knowledge about the card game than most people (still unsatisfied with her boots though...). Also, her ears are pointed 'cause I felt like making them pointy :P

Also, BTW, these won't be the exact order of gym leaders Ash and co. have to deal with, I just felt like sharing them for now!

^Rivals. I unfortunately can't really share much of their story with you guys as their role leans into spoiler territory, so I'll keep it as brief as possible. First is named Cianna and seriously wants to be the The Very Best Like No One Ever Was™. Out of Blawsth of course. Alright, in all seriousness, as a childhood friend who had to move upstate years ago, she hoped to reunite with Miley, who is oddly very evasive towards her, which is quite sad because she never got around to say goodbye to her...And that is as much info I can actually share on the both of them as characters! Alright, onto the next one...

The second is named Urie and oh boy I seriously can not wait to finally introduce him to the story. If you can recognize who I nabbed his color pallete from, congratulations, you're still not really going any relevent story info until I actually write about it. Anyways, all you gotta know about this guy is that he has this smirk you just want to punch and he's annoyling very friendly, surprsingly enough. To an extent (I could only post this single sketch of him though as (A.) I was only going for the color pallet when it came to this set so I couldn't care less about the face... and (B.) I do have an entire page just dedicated to him because he's so absurd of a character to me, but unfortunately it's behind another page filled with sharpie sketches and if you guess anything from the third pic, it likes to bleed through a lot).

Third is Luka and not only is she a coordinator hailing from Unova but she also participates in gym matches as well! She also oddly wants Ash to step away from his companions, for some reason...Yeah, gotta keep things hush-hush, lol. Other than that, she's a very snarky individual, some might even compare her to an Ekans. Others...a more sinister Pokémon...(anyways, say hi to Lizzie again at the bottom corner! She's selling her a doll that doesn't even work, LOL!) (Also, I imagine this one with a Joisey accent!)

Anyways, that's as much as Tumblr will let me post without going over the image limit, so I'll go follow up with this post tomorrow! Your SOTD has been brought to you by, once again, Specimen! I keep thinking of this song in paticular when it comes to contest ideas, especially considering Blawsth's whole culture going a little bit overboard with it ever since Lucille was banned from performing.

[albertbutyoucancallmebert]

@stuckinuniformdevelopment

(prev) Teddy had been sneaking nervous glances at Bert ever since he noticed his anger. He flinched at the harsh but well-deserved insult. Then he sheepishly sunk in his seat as he rubbed his bowtie between his fingers and tapped his foot. “I’m glad it got cleared.” He sighed. “Because I wasn’t sure if I could get away with reporting them…” After a moment of silence he turned his attention back to his notebook while avoiding Bert’s eye. “Autumn’s… well, they seemed friendly. I figured that she was just trying to get me to run my mouth.” He rolled his eye. “And that I was seeing her true colors after I stopped helping with laundry because they took advantage of it.” Teddy put his hand on his cheek in lieu of his chin while he continued. “That’s why their behavior today confused me. They came running when I screamed. She helped me with first aid. She didn’t care about the damn scientist gossip they always hounded me about. And she didn’t lose interest when I refused to say what happened.” Then he let out an exasperated huff. “Too bad their idea of helping was carrying me to Gloria. Even if I didn’t want that annoying quack near my arm. But, erm…” Teddy awkwardly chuckled as he rubbed his head. “…the doctor said she did it right. So it’s fine? I guess?” Then he shook his head as he pointed at the deacon with a poppy on her hood and wearily said, “I don’t even know how to categorize Gloria… If anyone saw our interactions out of context they’d think she’s sweet and I’m an ungrateful dick yet..,” He squeezed his fist while glowering at the little sketch. “…I am so fucking sick of her treating me like a kid for kicks.”

Bert listened along to Teddy’s Autumn explanation. There were a few things that alarmed him, but he wasn’t sure whether to cut in or wait until he was finished. Such things included, goodness gracious, Teddy let out an entire scream? And what’s this about scientist gossip? Wait a minute… Bert knows her!

He uneasily fidgeted as Teddy moved on to Gloria. However, Bert couldn’t help but smirk slightly as he remembered the wonderful nickname that one had called him online. Teddy Bear…

When Teddy was done talking, Bert pointed at the sketch of Autumn. “I have seen the one with the circular glass before. I knew her as Amanda Becker. At least, I think this is the same person? It was years ago. They had a labcoat, ID and everything! They would mingle with folks during breaks. Embarrassingly, I thought she was an actual scientist for a little bit until I realized I never saw her during actual work hours. Once I figured out she was a Glornist, she disappeared after I reported her."

He sighed and swirled his milkshake around with his spoon. “They have tried to… Well, they have stolen stuff from me before, and have tried to tamper with my food and drink. And they have tried to spread egregious career-ending malpractice rumors about me. But those never stuck because people either didn’t know who she was talking about or thought she was talking about someone else.” Bert sighed. “I wonder what ever became of Albert Schneider from microbiology…”

[thecollectionsof]

a bed built for two

leave the light on part 2 because i've been having trouble sleeping lately and don't we all need some comfy nighttime vibes?

Crystal loves the nighttime, she always has. The calmness and quiet of the darkened world, the feeling of being the only person awake and having free reign to do what she wanted without judgement, the look of muted string lights being the only source of light in her bedroom. The warm blankets, late night snacks, and now, Gigi.

Gigi came over some nights, and Crystal went to the apartment Gigi shared with Jackie other nights, but conflicting schedules means they reserve their nights for each other, whether it be going out or staying in. 

She’s at Gigi’s tonight, and Gigi has apparently decided to listen to recordings of calming songs on the piano while she works today rather than working in silence like she normally does. This doesn’t bother Crystal, not at all, but with the gentle sound of Gigi’s pencil moving along the page as she sketches and the rain pattering on the roof, she feels like she could drift off to sleep at any moment.

“Getting tired, Crys?” Gigi doesn’t lift her head from her sketchbook, her hair coming down around her face like a curtain from the way she hunches over the paper. Crystal knows that it’s only a matter of time before she gathers it in a hair clip, or maybe a slicked-back ponytail—she isn’t sure which. 

“Yeah,” she yawns out, standing from where she was sprawled across the couch and stretching her hands above her head, cracking her back. Gigi looks over this time, and Crystal catches the fond look she’s giving her, the small smile on her lips that remains even when she returns her attention to the design in front of her. “You coming?”

Gigi hums. “Nah, I wanna get this done before tomorrow. You go ahead, I’ll join you in a bit.” She reaches out her hand, so Crystal takes it and tangles their fingers together, giving it a gentle squeeze, stepping closer to drop a kiss on the crown of Gigi’s head.

“Don’t work too long, Geege, your bed’s too lonely without you.”

Gigi’s gaze lifts again, the smile on her face growing softer. “Get out of here, you dork,” she waves her off, but even in the low light Crystal can see a blush dusting her cheeks, her face getting red. 

So she does. She pads down the hallway with socked feet, stopping momentarily at Jakcie’s open door. Jackie is on Facetime with her girlfriend, a nightly occurrence, but she still smiles and waves when she sees Crystal. Crystal waves back.

“Tell Jan hi for me!” she calls over her shoulder as she continues to the bathroom, slipping inside and suddenly being thankful that they had already changed into their pajamas. It doesn’t take her long to get ready for bed, brushing her teeth and quickly washing her face before heading to Gigi’s room, switching on the string lights that she had helped Gigi hang up a few months ago when she realized that Gigi only had overhead lighting in her room. 

She slips into Gigi’s bed just as she starts to hear movement from the other room. It takes her almost no time at all to start waiting for her to come join her, feeling dwarfed by being the only thing other than pillows and blankets on the queen sized bed. At least she had stuffed animals to cuddle when she felt lonely in bed, but Gigi’s childhood stuffed animal was sitting on a shelf in a place of honor next to a scrap of fabric from her first sewing project as a child and a participation trophy for bowling that she had gotten when she was nine.

Gigi had told her the story of the trophy so many times, Crystal thought that she must have it memorized by now. The elated feeling she got when the people running it handed her a “girl trophy” because they had run out of the “boy trophies” had helped her discover that she was trans in the first place, so there the trophy sat, in a place of honor.

Speaking of Gigi, she should be here by now. Crystal was tired, but she didn’t want to fall asleep, not when it meant that she fell asleep without cuddling anything. Without cuddling Gigi.

It’s not all too much longer until the door opens, letting Gigi into the room. She tucks herself under the covers easily, letting Crystal scooch closer and tangle their legs together. Her phone is still playing the music as she goes to plug it in, but Crystal doesn’t mind—the songs are soothing, the perfect ones to listen to at night. She recognizes some from a playlist she had made many, many nights ago in the comfort of her bed on a night that was particularly full of yearning, a playlist called songs that sound like love. 

A playlist that reminded her of Gigi.

“Finally,” Crystal hears herself mutter, but she doesn’t stop herself. It was true, she had missed Gigi’s presence even in the few minutes they were apart. “Missed you.”

Gigi’s giggle makes her feel lighter, and she lets her eyes fall shut, trying to memorize the sound. “Didn’t want to sprawl out and take my whole bed for yourself?” she asks, and the grin is audible in her voice. Crystal shakes her head.

“No. The bed is too big for just me. I need you here or it doesn’t feel right.” The sleepy confession is out of her before she can think about the words, but yet again she finds that she doesn’t want to take them back. They’re true, after all, even if they’re very forward.

“Oh.” It’s quiet, taken aback in a way that makes Crystal crack her eyes open again. Gigi has her mouth open, just a little, lost for words. She closes it, thinks for a second, then responds. “I want you here all the time.”

A bolt of affection rushes through her, butterflies in her stomach announcing their presence by fluttering as if their lives depended on it. 

I want you here all the time. 

Crystal doesn’t know how to reply, doesn’t know if she can. She settles on inching forward again, her eyes falling shut once more and a hum leaving her lips involuntarily. Gigi reaches out and brushes a curl behind her ear, and she sighs, content. 

“G’night, Geege,” she says, after a few minutes of letting the rain and gentle piano and sound of Gigi’s breathing lull her to sleep. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Crys. Sweet dreams.”

Crystal loves the nighttime, and falling asleep while cuddling with Gigi only makes her love it even more.

[smokeys-house]

Puukko’s Travel Log 1 & South, for What Ails

(See this post first!)

A leather bordered journal with a wrap closure. It's clearly quite old but not yet well used, and the cover is embossed with a sailing ship. The front page has an anchor sketched on it with an ornate border, beneath it reads "Property of Puukko"

Passage from Puukko's Travel Log

Used to be I'd just wind up on an excursion like this. Fell into trouble like one falls overboard, soaring through the air and into the drink with a splash. A rare treat to start one voluntarily, if poorly planned. I'm headed down through the valley toward the old Moominhouse. Kind folk down there, gon' stop by for a cup o' something warm and t' exchange words of the same if they'll have 'em. 

I intend to stay with the moomins a while and charter a ship to head southward. Not rightly sure on the where, but I do know the when. Wond'rin' if they'll remember me down there. Moominmama and her husband were always some that I'd considered friends. At least since I came to the valley anyway. Feels like they've always been here. 

Day 1

Signed Puukko

(Full story under the cut!)

The leaves scattered along worn footpaths, carried haphazard and carelessly by a crisp autumn wind. Moominvalley was as peaceful an idyll as it ever was as Puukko made her way to the home of the Moomins. There waiting on the veranda was none other than Moominpapa, enjoying his coffee and a well-deserved break from his memoirs. 

"Ahoy there!" The old moomin woman cleared her throat. It had been some weeks since she'd spoken to someone other than herself, and some years since she'd met with anyone in the valley.

"Well would you look at that, I was just thinking of you! Mama had mentioned paying you a visit just the other day, but I was convinced you'd taken to the seas long ago." He stood and smiled brightly. "Won't you come in for a visit?"

He took her bag and set it by the coat rack, ushering her into the kitchen area. It was warm and inviting, though the chairs were a little small for the likes of Puukko. Still, she made herself comfortable as Moominpapa mused about the comings and goings of the valley inhabitants. 

"I'd been meaning to pay you a visit myself as well, my son's old pocket knife has seen better days. After all, he's not got pockets!" He chuckled aloud. "Mama! Might we have some more coffee please? An old friend has come to visit!"

Moominmama rounded the corner. She hadn't changed much over the years, still with her classic handbag and apron. "Oh, Miss Puukko! I thought I had smelled smoke, but Papa's pipe is still on his desk." She ribbed gently. It wasn't normally like her to poke fun, but she was well accustomed to her guest's sense of humor.  

The Moomins had a way of making it feel as though no time had passed, their welcoming attitude and general hospitality created a comforting atmosphere. Moominmama prepared a fresh pot of coffee as her husband delighted in his endless story telling. The three swapped tales of recent times, remarks on the weather, and other pleasantries for a time before getting to the reason for such an uncommon visit. 

"I've plans to venture back onto the high seas. Been sittin' too long. I reckon I'm fit to burst should I not feel some wind in me sails again." The old pirate stared into her mug, paws wrapped around its sides. 

"I do hope you're not thinking of going back to your old job, dear. I very much doubt you'll find today's ships to your liking, anyhow." Moominmama's eyes betrayed her words, she made it clear with a look that she'd rather have a friend in the mountains than one on the run. 

"Nothing quite like that, worry ye none!" She gave a hearty chuckle. "I'm just lookin' t' see her again. The sea, I mean. A taste of salt, nothin' more." 

Moominpapa passed the table salt over without a word, pleased with his joke regardless of whether the other two took note. "Not to dissuade you, I am partial to a journey, especially one by sea, but you haven't got a ship, have you?" He was very clearly suggesting something, and eagerly so. 

"Cunning as ever, Moominpapa. I'd hoped to 'ave you and yer l'il craft ferry me to a port where I could charter a ship." 

"Ah, an excursion at sea with a real pirate, how exciting!" He stood on his chair and struck a gallant pose. 

"She's not a pirate anymore, dear." Moominmama was quick to correct. "Where is it you're heading, Miss Puukko? I'm afraid it's a little late in the season for a long journey."

"Italy, I think. Ne'er been, always wanted to. Knew someone what were tossin' that idea about, lifetimes ago." 

Moominpapa put aside his excitement and scratched at his snout. It was always obvious when he was thinking, he carried a familiar look of determination. "You could borrow The Adventure, if you could promise a safe return." He didn't seem thrilled at the prospect of losing his own vessel. 

"I'd be leaving her at port, and I fear I do not trust to leave her by her lonesome so far from home. Perhaps it's best I wait fer Spring afore I head out." Puukko tried to hide her disappointment. She couldn't fault the Moomins for hibernating, after all, she too was at the mercy of the seasons. She had only just awoke from her own hibernation at the arrival of Autumn. 

"Do you know the Snork?" Moominmama offered reassuringly. 

"Clever feller with those glasses tied 'round his ears? Aye, made him a lovely l'il folding knife couple'a years back. Redwood and gold. He got a ship?" 

"He's quite the inventor. He's just finished work on his flying ship." 

"Flying as in it goes real fast?" Puukko shot a perplexed look at both of the Moomin parents. 

"Flying as in it sails the sea of the skies!" Moominpapa delivered poetically, and with much gusto. Moominmama reflexively rolled her eyes with affection at her husband's playful nature. She laid her paw gently across the old pirate's wrist, assuring her that they weren't just playing a prank on her. 

"It flies? In the air?! I've heard tell all kinds of tall tales but ne'er once a ship with wings!" 

"Well this version doesn't have wings, but she is seaworthy– er, sky worthy? Perhaps it's best to let the Snork show you himself. I'm sure he'd be eager for another voyage." Moominpapa's excitement returned to him as his taste for adventure grew. Moominmama wordlessly packed a few things in a basket for the Snork, and the three headed out to his workshop. 

Along the way, Moominpapa told the story of Snork and the many trials he faced in building a flying ship. He told of all the help the people of the valley gave in building the workshop, then rebuilding it after it exploded in an incident with the Muffle, and the first flight tests. He left out mention of the witch so as not to diminish Snork's accomplishment. 

"Ah, here we are. We're in luck, it would seem the Snork is already here, and working rather hard." Moominpapa opened the door without knocking, much to Snork's bemusement. The Snork's workshop was quaint and open, with no shortage of tools and equipment covering the walls in an organized fashion. Its rustic appeal did much to abate the otherwise proper order of its owner. 

"Moominpapa!" The Snork scrambled to hide the pages he had been working on at the drafting table, pencils and tools clattering to the floor. "This is the workshop of an inventor, you know! Many people might like to steal any secret designs within."

"Perhaps you ought to consider locking the door, dear." Moominmama teased. 

"And who's this you've brought with you? And into my private workshop no less!" 

"Check yer pockets, sonny. My name's on the inside of the grip o' yer knife. To my mem'ry, yer exact instructions were 'simple and efficient, but not without class'. Redwood and gold, convex edge, and no thumb stud." Puukko set her bag down by the door and took a lean against the wall, took out her pipe and chewed on the stem. 

"Ah, Miss Puukko! How nice it is to see you. I had meant to contact you about servicing said knife, but I've been so busy with my flying ship, you see."

"Seems a trend in the valley. The meanin' t' come see me, I mean. Perhaps I ought to start makin' regular maintenance trips down here..?" She scratched at her snout in thought for a moment. "Anyhow. So it's true that you've got a ship what can fly? And I'm supposin' this mightn't be it. She motioned to the airship, which was taking up most of the room in the work space. 

"Indeed! I invented it myself and now I'm both an inventor and the first ever skyship captain. Or, pilot, I suppose." He puffed out his chest slightly with his paws on his hips. Puukko walked around the ship, running her paw along its hull. She inspected the planks and admired the craftsmanship. 

"She's a fine vessel. Permission to board her, captain?" She chuckled. She was still dubious towards the idea of a flying ship, but her excitement at the prospect won out over her doubts. 

"Permission granted, but please do be careful around the levers!"

Puukko boarded the ship and began looking around as Moominpapa explained the situation, and what brought them to his workshop in the first place. 

"-and you see, going to Italy is quite a long trip. Mama says it's too late in the season to be out at sea even just to take Miss Puukko to the nearest major port. And my thinking was, it might be a bit faster as the Snork flies er- I mean as the crow flies." 

"Quite right Moominpapa, but I'm afraid you and your wife would have to stay here. My flying ship can only hold one passenger at a time." Snork patiently reminded him. "I'm working on a new version large enough to take many more but it's going to take some time and rather a… lot of.. supplies…" Snork's cadence slowed as an idea hatched in his mind. "Miss Puukko?"

"Yes Mr. Snor– ack!" Puukko hit her head on the doorframe of the ship's control room as she stood to face the Snork. She swore under her breath, collected herself and sighed. "What is it, my dear short inventor friend?" 

Snork did not follow the "short" comment and chose to ignore it. 

"I imagine you intended to pay for the trip in your usual odd fashion, what would you say to waiving your payment and return trip in lieu of me picking up some supplies when we make our landing?" 

"I believe I'd be amenable to that Mr. Snork. Need an excuse t' be at sea anyhow. Talkin' o' ships, how's about you tell me how this tub gets up in the sky with no wings?" She shot him an incredulous look. 

"One of the keys to the success of my flying ship is in its round flight balloon. My first flying ship was a flop, wings simply aren't as efficient when dealing with a ship of this size. A round balloon was the solution, the idea was all thanks to a dream Moomin had." 

"Why are you saying 'round' like that?" 

That evening, Puukko stayed with the Moomins. It was a pleasant change of pace for her, having company. The house was mostly quiet, save for the boisterous and hearty laughs of an old pirate and the jovial expressions of young Moomintroll. She told him tales of the sea, omitting of course many of the harsher realities of piracy. He'd begged her to drop by and visit again soon to teach him the proper way to use a sword. She of course agreed, provided he asked his mother's permission. Despite the time that had passed, Moomintroll still seemed to be a cheery and eager youth with a taste for the dramatic. The fact that not much ever changes for long in the valley filled Puukko with a complex feeling. She couldn't quite parse it at the time, but it was both a comfort and a curse. After Moomin headed to bed, Puukko delighted in the simple presence of Moominpapa and Moominmama. It was both the longest and the shortest night at once, with laughter and stories, and the aching melancholy knowing it would soon end. For Puukko, being lonely wasn't the same as being alone. She'd always liked to spend her time by herself, but that made the company of others all the sweeter. 

Morning brought with it the cool breeze of autumn, and for Puukko, a tangible excitement she hadn't felt in decades. She felt the thrill of a new adventure climbing her back and the anxiety of something new altogether in her stomach as she made her way to the launching ground near Snork's workshop.

"Ahoy there!" Moominmama smiled with her eyes and gently waved her paw. "We thought we'd come early to help Snork get things set up. Did you see the pancakes I left for you on the table?"

"That I did! And the lovely note. Yer hospitality leaves none to be desired Moominmama. A fairer maiden there's ne'er been." Puukko put aside the thought of one other woman. 

"Ahem." Moominpapa coughed.

"And her fine husband, o'course." Puukko placated him with a playful eye roll. 

"Have you got all the things you need for the trip, Miss Puukko?" The Snork exited the cabin of the flying ship, wiping oil from his paws with a rag. 

"This'un here's me an' mine, and all I'm bringing along." She gave the bag at her side a hearty slap. "Seems a might bit heavier today, though I'm sure that's just nerves." She winked at Moominmama, who in turn looked away coyly. 

"Well if you're all set, climb aboard!" Snork re-entered the control room. He returned shortly with a rope ladder, and tossed it overboard. The balloon atop the ship was full, and the hoses used to fill it cast aside. Though it was still for the moment, the lift provided by the balloon made it seem lighter than air, as if it would be blown away by the wind any moment. Puukko trusted the Snork's capabilities and the word of the Moomins, but she couldn't help but feel a little timid now that it was time to take off. She boarded and set her bag down in the control room. 

"Wait just a moment." Snork's expression narrowed. He adjusted some levers and knobs, much beyond the ken of the old pirate standing just away from him. "You know, my first design was intended primarily as a proof of concept, which meant cutting out additional weight such as quarters and storage. Which means…" He spoke as if not to his passenger, but aloud for the room. He stretched his arm above him, reaching into a space replete with various complex parts of the ship. 

"Hey, watch it!" 

Someone was hiding in the small chamber. Snork lowered his arm, revealing he had found a small girl dressed in red. 

"Well if it isn't Little My. I would've thought by now you'd have grown tired of stowing away. You've made multiple trips aboard my flying ship by now! I knew you'd be in here, you may be small, but there aren't many places to hide in he– yeowch!"

"Don't go interrupting other people's naps!" The uninvited guest shouted with a voice much larger than herself. Little My had bitten Snork's finger, loosening his grip on her. She bolted through the open door and over the side with a pitter-patter of little shoes all along the way. Puukko, bewildered by the sudden appearance of a strange and violent child, still laughed aloud at Snork's misfortune. 

"'ave ye a problem with stowaways often?" She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, catching her breath from her laughter. Little My's cackling continued to trail off into the distance as she made her escape. 

"It's usually just the same stowaway every time." He nursed his paw. "Would you mind pulling up the ladder?" 

"Aye aye, captain." She continued to chuckle. She rolled up the ladder and tossed it onto the deck, waving her goodbyes to Moominmama and Moominpapa. The two smiled and waved in return. 

The ship began to lurch, and the propellers to each side spun up. The whirring was loud and unsettling to Puukko, who had little to no experience with machines.

"Strike me pink!" She shouted over the wind as she dug her claws into the railing, ducking down somewhat. She watched as Moominvalley began to pass by her faster and faster, at first just the empty patch surrounding Snork's workshop, and then the whole valley itself. The speed and intensity of the wind coupled with the climbing height was both thrilling and terrifying.

"Well I'll be scuppered! We're actually flying!" She continued to muse and laugh in disbelief as the world below grew further and further away. "Snork! Can ye pass by me homestead? I should like to see it from above!" Once the ship had reached a steady altitude, Snork stepped out of the control room to meet with his passenger. 

"It's a long way to Italy. I imagine we won't be seeing each other for some time. This isn't goodbye, is it?" Snork grew concerned, wondering if he'd set off too eagerly before anyone had the chance to say a proper farewell. 

"I should think not, cap'n. Though I fear I might be gone awhile. My yearnin's keep me wanderin', but me heart belongs in Moominvalley." Puukko never once looked over to him, staring off at the great expanse below. "Bless me tail! I still can't believe we're flying…" She thought on how this would make for another good tale to tell, if only the beginnings of one, and at last, she thought of one person she'd like to tell it to more than anyone else.

[keefwho]

May 21 - 2024 Tuesday

10:24pm

5.5/10

Today I deliberately tried not to think about things too much since I overthink, as discussed with my therapist. Journaling at the end of the day is my designated period to do my thinking and noticing. Also in the shower.

This morning I put away my clean laundry and tore up the boxes I had laying around so I could use them to start fires in the fire pit. I also dumped the last 2 cheerwine's I got my mom for her birthday about 2 years ago. I don't think they go "bad" but they are way past their shelf life. All because mom couldn't remember I had them safely stored over here for her. Over time I've noticed her becoming more forgetful so thats a thing that could be serious, but inevitable. I took a hot and steamy shower and made oatmeal, eggs, and spam for breakfast. I had to speedrun it since I took too long in the shower but that meant I didn't overcook my eggs like usual. They came out perfectly.

For warmups today I sketched cats because I want to make art of an alien cat in anguish due to this song we've heard on stream multiple times. It sounds like a wailing cat in space so we made up a whole scene for it. Then I worked on that comic commission for just about 2 hours on the dot and finished it, putting me ahead a couple of days. Now I can focus on SZ's commission and do it justice. Same with the monthly Venus idea from my special patron.

After stream I did my dishes and planned to workout since I just got my kneebrace in. So I did my situps and got my treadmill out. I was confident at first but after my first attempt at jogging, the pain was already kicking in strong. I had to stop. One side of the handlebar on my treadmill popped out at the base too, this thing is REALLY bad and it has inflated reviews on Amazon due to a special discount you can get if you rate it highly. I wish I had returned it awhile back. I looked up what my knee problem is like and it might be runner's knee which may or may not suck. It might just need more rest, it does feel like an injury but one that needs a long time to heal properly. Doesn't help that I already pushed through the pain so much. I took another hot steamy shower. I turned the lights off and let myself enjoyed physical sensations for awhile. At some point I was hunched over with my hands on the wall with extra hot water running down my arms and down my sides. I enjoyed that.

I made tuna spaghetti for lunch. I tried a slightly different method where I cook the spaghetti normally and then add the tuna and stuff afterwards. I might be onto something but I overcooked the spaghetti this time. I watched a trackmania stream while I cooked and ate which I was really into. I also splurged with a little chocolate pudding cup and snacked on cheetos while I worked.

I had to look up bound pregnant women for reference today. I historically am not a fan of pregnancy visually but today I felt a bit different. I found it appealing that I could knock up the love of my life and tie her up in bondage, consensually of course. It got me a little flustered. Anyways the art request came out okay and then I worked on a pic of DS's horse sona for an hour. I was on and off with how diligently I was working, I started to feel sluggish and unengaged. But I got it done. I only worked about 30 minutes on my pony avatar today, trying to experiment with a different kind of eyes. I sent it to DS for her opinion and she thought it looked too silly which it did. I'm gonna have to keep reaching out because I'm definitely losing my ability to judge it properly given how much Im working on it.

When work was over, I was at a loss for what to do. I spent some time watching more of that trackmania stream and then Elden Ring to wind my brain down. I curled up in my hoodie and just watched for awhile. I got stressed this evening because I wasn't engaged with anything and I also didn't want to default to mental problem solving. Part of me was also waiting for some social engagement despite not communicating my expectations or desires so I knew I couldn't be upset about it but I still sorta wasted my energy just waiting. I did a little bit of private journaling and eventually sort chilled out. DS called me in bed and we did our puzzles. I asked the usual questions I like to know like how her day was and how she's feeling but I didn't have much else to contribute at first. I hate being mentally stuck or burnt out because of how hard it makes it to just talk. The important thing I kept in mind was not to talk about anything too serious or heavy since I'm deliberately trying not to do that. While she passed out I played Minecraft for an hour and made furniture for my first snowman house. I also started the much needed mine.

The first part of today went pretty well but the evening deteriorated as my mental capacity diminished. I did a good job during lunch to actually relax though. I think it's going to take some practice reducing the amount I think about things but I think it'll pay off. I kept in mind what my therapist suggested, making sure I notice when I start to overthink so I can be aware of it. I also took a couple minutes at my worst to practice one of the self exercises. Today's topic was Self and my Costar app said "Be gentle" and and didn't really know what to do about that.

[starlostseungmin]

— sweet things they do, skz.

pairing: boyfriend!skz (idol!skz) x gn!reader

genre: domestic fluff, just loads of fluff okay?

warnings: mentions of food, kissing, not proofread.

word count: 1.5k +

notes: i literally missed writing something like this so please reblog, leave your feedbacks and put tags alright? thank you very much love ♡

𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡 — notice your new hairstyle

you were waiting for chan to get off from work just inside the jyp café, one that he would always recommend for you to wait for him every time when it gets late. it was almost past nine in the evening as you were just scrolling on your phone when he just arrived and saw your familiar figure from the entrance. a smile of comfort and relief surfaced on his lips as he took his way towards the table when he realized you’ve done something with your hair today. he stopped for a minute and examined how different they were from the moment he left your shared apartment this morning—he just fell in love with you even more. 

“hey gorgeous!” he beamed as you turned to face him. 

“you’re here!” you said as his lips met your forehead for a kiss. 

“did you style your hair?” he asked, taking the seat across from you. 

“yeah, i did,” you said, nervous about his reaction. “do you like it?” 

“of course love, you look so beautiful with it,” he smiled, which left you to be a blushing mess. 

𝗟𝗘𝗘 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 — let you sleep on his lap 

minho was just scrolling through his phone while taking a rest from his dance practice—that’s the time you came inside the room after he texted you to come. he greeted you without taking his attention from the device lying on his hand, not until he felt a weight on the couch taking the space beside him. your boyfriend watched you execute some moves until your head fell on his lap to take a nap. he smirked at the sight of you, but given the response, he received from his texts, he knew you were tired too. 

“sleepyhead,” he murmured, shaking his head. 

“thank you,” you answered before kissing his thigh and proceeding to take a nap—leaving him smiling as he went back to his phone while trying to ease your tension with his fingers on your hair. 

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗕𝗜𝗡 — sending sweet messages before you sleep

due to the boys’ hectic schedule and their ongoing tour, you knew changbin wouldn’t be available as much as when he was still in seoul with you. but despite his messy and abrupt sessions, he always takes his time to do something for you. timezones suck but changbin always has a clock that determines the time when he is in another country, which he knows you miss him so badly. one time when you were just reading a book on your bed, a beep sound escalated from your phone on the nightstand. being distracted as you are, you were already expecting his messages. 

“hey baby, i won’t be able to call you right now because we’re having a tight schedule today. but i will come back later, okay?” 

“make sure to drink water and take care of yourself while i’m gone,” 

“it’s already morning in here, i hope you’ll have a good night sleep,” 

“take care baby, i love you,” 

“good night,” 

“i love you too,” you said, rereading his messages all over again—you’d indeed tackle him with cuddles when he comes back. 

𝗛𝗬𝗨𝗡𝗝𝗜𝗡 — make you his lock screen & home screen

hyunjin is the type to make his paintings or sketches to be his phone display, but that changed until he met his muse, you. ever since the relationship started, you like accompanying him whenever he visited his studio where he paints and does all his masterpieces. you love his artworks as much as you love him and couldn’t help but take pictures of you whenever you are in awe of one of his works. other candid and formal shots were taken from your dates, others were made as his inspirations for his sketches. one time, he was trying to sketch something out of his imagination when you asked him if you could borrow his phone since yours went dead a few minutes ago. only a hum was given as a response so you made your way towards the couch to fetch it. that’s when you saw your picture being his lock screen—one that he captured when you were mesmerized by a painting in an art museum. a smile was formed on your face as you typed his password and only to be welcomed with a similar photo from before (the difference was only the angles) 

“these are pretty,” you said when he already knew what you were talking about. 

“can’t help it, you are just pretty as they are,” he smiled, not taking his attention from his sketch. 

𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗝𝗜𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗚 — kisses your neck at random times

your boyfriend is a sucker for kisses, especially when it is time for cuddles. it became a habit of his when he sees you standing with your back against his front. a pair of strong arms would wrap around your waist as he buries his face in the crook of your neck and leaves kisses on them, as well as on your nape. it goes around at random times, or whenever he feels like it. just like how he woke up after sleeping for an hour on the couch you shared a while ago—you were trying to cook food for dinner. 

“baby, what are you doing?” he said, lazily making his way down towards the small kitchen. 

“cooking,” you hummed in response. “you’re awake already?” 

“yeah, you were gone by my side,” he responded with his arms hugging your waist as he rested his chin on your shoulder. “that smells good,” he added, kissing your neck for the compliment. 

“y-yeah,” you said, trying to hide the blush on your cheeks by chuckling. 

𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗫 — makes candlelight dinner for you

you know felix is always true to his word, he can’t even lie to save his life and after countless times of postponing dates due to his busy schedule—the tour is already fast approaching—he promised himself to make it up to you. being the most understanding partner you are, he didn’t have to push himself into it and you have also a job to take care of. yet your boyfriend takes it as a no. it was that one night when you just got off from work and arrived home before 9 in the evening—the lights were off the moment you entered the apartment you’ve shared with him, one that made you curious and anxious at the same time. by the time you had your phone’s flashlight on, you saw him lighting up a candle on the table with your favorite foods on it. 

“it was supposed to be a surprise,” he chuckled, blowing a matchstick. 

“i am surprised,” you said, amused at the sight of them. “this is so wonderful lix,” 

“y/n, i keep my promise okay?” he said, taking you for a hug. “let’s just keep it this way for privacy and, since we can’t take a reservation because we’re both busy,” 

“it doesn’t matter, okay?” you smiled, giving him a soft kiss on the lips. “thank you,” 

“anything for you,” felix smiled. 

𝗦𝗘𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗠𝗜𝗡 — holds your hand and kisses them 

you know seungmin isn’t the type to be clingy unless he needed to. but there are times that he is overly affectionate with you, especially behind closed doors. yet one thing that makes your heart flutter is when he holds your hand out of the blue or whenever you are in public places—one that he wanted to secure you by his side or maybe he just wanted to interlock his fingers with yours to tell the world you are his. when he gets bold, he’d lift your hands to kiss your knuckles and smile at you. sometimes he’d take your hands inside his hoodie’s pockets to keep them warm under a cold weather and play with your fingers. 

“someone seems bored,” you smirked as he chuckled lightly. 

“i just love holding them you know?” he said, kissing your knuckles. 

“and i love the one who holds them,” you winked which only made him laugh in response after being flattered. 

𝗝𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡 — share his ice cream with you 

after acknowledging that you were having a bad day, your boyfriend immediately took you out on a date. being thankful as you are, you didn’t waste your time talking about how your classes went and that’s how he would just listen while eating his ice cream—letting you all rant about it. harsh sighs and disbelief, words came out like knives and rocks. you were stressed enough to do something related to school. whining at the fact that you have homework, jeongin pointed his ice cream at your face, it was already half-eaten but the melting cream was enough for you to devour. you didn’t hesitate to take some. 

“thanks,” you said. “now the—” 

“y/n, let’s just stop this okay? you need to rest and let me buy you ice cream,” he said, trying to calm you down. “you took a big bite, it’s the cone that is left now,” 

“i hate you,” you retorted. 

“i love you too,” he snickered. “but seriously, you want ice cream or not?” 

“yes,” you smiled as placed a soft kiss on your lips before dragging you towards the ice cream parlor nearby. 

[ 🌷 ] taglist : @wolfchanchan @inseonqt @soobin-chois @1-800-lixie @luvhyun3 @hanjiesgf @koovvie @lix-ables @starzzns @zoe8stay @gwynsapphire @cherryhanji @hwangsify @lixesque @seungly @sleepyleeji @h0neydewmoon @kim-seung-mo @ppiri-bahng @myjisung — lmk if you wanna be added or removed from my permanent taglist via ask ♡

[zhongrin]

i'm here, where you at?

◇ characters ◇ xiao, albedo, zhongli, kazuha, heizou

◇ tags ◇ modern!au, fluff

◇ a/n ◇ i would like to clarify that i do not simp for heizou but everyone around me has been smooching him and although i do not share the same sentiment i wanted to provide some food so enjoy you heizou simps~

waits silently at the gate, arms crossed, earphones in. no one dares to approach him because of his 'resting bitch face', thank god.

y'all probably expect me to say he's wearing either a leather jacket or a hoodie. well, i say he's wearing a black dress shirt with sleeves rolled up, the first button unbuttoned, and dark-colored slacks. choker and necklace adorning his pretty neck, piercings adorning his ears, golden eyes regularly flitting down his analog watch with each moment spent without you on his sight. i will die on this hill and none of you can change my mind.

he leads you to his motorcycle and hands you your helm with a silent question in his eyes. it's the same question every time and you already know what your answer is - because every single time you would choose to spend the rest of your day with him rather than having him deliver you home.

"you're late today. did something happen?"

another one who waits silently at the gate. big chance that he's sketching something when you spot him. but if klee is tagging along, then he's probably busy trying to make sure she doesn't wander too far.

soft knitted sweater or simple collared shirt with a warm, neutral-colored tone. the perfect embodiment of casual-soft-light-academia style. smiles softly when you tap his shoulder to gain his attention or when klee spots you and runs into your arms.

leads you to his car parked just on the parking lot nearby (klee has shotgun if she is there though). if you're alone, he holds the steering wheel with one hand and your hand in the other as he makes some small talk.

"how was your day, starlight? mine was... eventful. would you like to hear all about it?"

pulls up with his fancy-ass bmw right in front of you. probably dressed formally since he came by after a client meeting. a total head turner. if you have friends or coworkers waiting with you they would probably gawk in awe.

smiles as soon as his eyes meet yours and kisses your cheek as a greeting. you're swooning. your friends are swooning. the elderly couples across the street are swooning. hell, even the birds are probably swooning (cue 'close to you' playing in the background).

greets your friends with a polite smile. opens and closes the car door for you. whoever says chivalry is dead clearly hasn't met this man before.

launches into his full storyteller mode as he drives. has no need for a gps. will not hold your hand while he drives because safety first, but will kiss your fingers gently if you try to reach out for his hand.

you caught him wearing glasses one time and hoo whew no wonder he stars in the commercials of his company himself. his marketing people know what they're doing, alright.

"hm? glasses? oh. apologies, i seem to have forgotten to take it off. i just came from a meeting with a client, and had to read through a rather extensive contract document- .... i should wear it often, you say? hmm. i suppose if it makes you blush so endearingly, then i should."

some days he has his bicycle with him, but more often than not, he walks to your workplace/campus. you probably have an outdoor spot where you always promise to meet at, either at a nearby park or some cute coffee shop.

he always spots you before you do, smiling quietly as he watches you look around for him. if he's feeling mischievous you might get a text saying cute things like "wrong direction, dove." or "i spy with my humble eye, a sparrow looking for its sky <;3"

when you do spot him in his oversized sweater, silver strands pulled back in a low side ponytail with the hair tie you lost a week ago, it feels like you're finally home. "i've been looking for that for the whole week!!" "what do you mean, love? it's mine?? c:"

"there you are, maple. the day has been painfully slow for me today. i missed you."

sneaks up behind you every. single. time. and he's always so playful about it too: he'll cover your eyes, poke your sides, blow into your ears, anything to make you jump and scold him with that cute angry pout. always apologizes half-heartedly afterward and gives you a little something on the side - your favorite snack or drink, an odd thing he picked up along the way, or random small trinkets you don't know what to use for ("'zou, the hell am i going to use a smoking pipe for??" "you pose with it and look cool, duh!")

this boy is a fashion icon, with his dyed hair and #ootd. he's always keeping up with trends, unafraid of trying out a new style, and would even take requests from you. though his favorite is always when you ask him to match your outfits together!

he'll gladly walk with you to the nearest park, mall, cafe, or even either one of your houses, all the while recounting the latest development in the cases he's working on, your hands linked tightly around each other and swinging to the rhythm of your synchronized steps.

"guess who~ mm, ding ding ding! as expected of my partner! you're right on time, too! let me guess, some extra work came in and you had to run a few errands, hence you ran late today.... was i spot on? heh, what can i say, my deductive logic is unparalleled!"

© zhongrin | 2022 ◆ no repost. reblogs much appreciated. feel free to reach out to submit suggestions, feedback, comments, or if you just want to talk!

◇ taglist ◇ @paintingsofdragonspine | @genshinparty | @abyssmal-skies | @hamdehlesmis | @depressivecomforts | @sophiethewitch1 | @why-am-i-here-someone-save-me

ps. if you want to be removed/added from the taglist, just send an ask!

[its-deputy-caleb]

VDL Gang & their three year anniversary with their S/O

i saw on twitter that today is officially when rdr2 came out three years ago and to celebrate that i decided to write something for how the boys would celebrate. <333 also sorry i didn’t do bill i lost inspo :(

Dutch Van Der Linde

For your three years together Dutch decides to take you out of camp for the night and get away from the stress of the gang.

He takes you to Saint Denis where you can easily blend in and go undetected as outlaws but the two of you can still have a pleasant night out.

Dutch takes you to see an Opera or movie depending on your preferences and then out of one of the fancier restaurants in town. Its all very romantic and over the top but its certainly Dutch’s style and he spends each moment he can complimenting you or telling you how much he loves you.

By the end of the night while you’re waiting for the train, you slow dance together on the side of the platform to the sound of a gramophone coming from one of the windows.

Hosea Matthews

Hosea takes you up past O'Creagh's Run to a small cabin where you spend a few nights together.

No, neither of you attempt to go after legendary bears but you do go fishing and get some hunting done so you can come back to the cabin and cuddle with a nice warm bowl of stew.

Some nights when its not too cold, the two of you take your bedrolls out and watch the stars under the sky where its just so peaceful and quiet.

While you’re there all huddled together Hosea will tell you just how much he loves you and how happy he is to have you in his life.

Arthur Morgan

Arthur takes you away from camp for a week to go on a mini trip around to some of his favourite places that he’s visited.

You end up all over whether its climbing Mount Shann and nearly falling off the cliff or if its sitting under the waterfall near Willard’s rest. The two of you set up your tent for the night after a day of hunting and exploring.

At each place Arthur tells you another reason as to why he loves you and why he’s so happy to have you in his life.

By the end of your trip on your last night Arthur gifts you a sketch of the two of you together that he’s kept safe in his journal.

Charles Smith

Charles takes you out to the Heartlands for the day where he teaches you how to tame a horse. The whole way there he can’t stop smiling because you get to share his Taima and its just one big excuse to hug him for hours.

After a lot of work and you nearly landing face first into a pile of mud, Charles takes you into Valentine where he buys you a new saddle and all the other accessories as a sort of anniversary gift.

You end up having a meal and a drink together at the saloon before crashing at the Hotel after a long day.

Its rather quiet in terms of a celebration but getting a day just to spend with each other is more than either of you could ask for.

John Marston

John panics for a week because he’s not overly romantic and doesn’t want to mess anything up.

He ends up taking you to see a show in the local town. You can tell he’s nervous even in the dark room and so you reach across the chair and hold his hand to which you can practically hear him smile.

You end up popping by the general store and grabbing some drinks for the two of you before you wander down to a nearby river.

John pours a drink for the two of you while you rest your head on his shoulder and watch the moonlight bounce off the water. Later (after a few too many drinks) John will get all sappy and tell you just how much you mean to him.

Micah Bell

Micah originally planned just to take you to the saloon for a drink, not wanting to appear like these sorts of things got to him but in the end he caved for you.

He took you up near Strawberry to one of your old hides out from when you’d first gotten together. Micah had been there the day before stressing over making his little camp tidy and getting up the tent.

There’s a small basket of gifts including a new knife (common its Micah), a bottle of whiskey and some snacks like cheese and salted meats.

Its a quiet celebration for the two of you and the whole night he doesn’t let go of your hand. After Micah drinks most of the bottle of whiskey he becomes a total sap and can’t stop repeating that he loves you.

Javier Escuella

Javier takes you out of camp in the late afternoon to walk down by the water. Your arm is locked in his and you’re just enjoying each others company but you note Javier has a bag over his shoulder.

You eventually come to a spot just as the sun is setting and start fishing together. You’ve never been one for fishing so Javier comes to stand behind you and he helps you cast the line (and he gets to hug you)

After the sun has gone down you make a little camp with some supplies from his bag and you eat the fish you caught for dinner.

It’s warm enough that you don’t need a tent, just a bedroll but you do get to cuddle together. Javier will sing to you while you drift off to sleep and gently whisper just how much he loves you.

Lenny Summers

Lenny gets so excited for your anniversary and can’t wait to show you what he has planned.

First its a nice but casual dinner up at the saloon and a couple of drinks just to spend some time together. Then he brings you back to camp where he has a boat waiting for the two of you.

He helps you in the boat and rows you out into the middle of the lake, far out of sight of the other members. The two of you laugh and have fun together, exploring one of the nearby islands before hopping back in after seeing a snapping turtle.

Lenny brings out a gift that he had hidden under his jacket. Its a brand new pair of riding boots and he promises that he’ll be here long enough to see you wear them down to the point of needing a new pair because he’s promised to grow old with you.

Sean Macguire

For your three year anniversary Sean has to hold the biggest party for the gang.

There’s going to be whiskey everywhere and a table for people to bring you gifts, cards and letters but they won’t be opened that night because you’re too busy celebrating.

Sean stands on top of the table after his fifth? No sixth whiskey and tells everyone just how much he loves ya

Of course in the late hours of the night when everyone starts to crash and its just the two of you together Sean is a puddle of tears and a total softie as cuddles you and tells you that he’s so in love with you that it should be criminal.

[nicksbestie]

Enemy to lover with Ash please

<3

I’m back!! sorry for the long wait on this one!! hope you enjoy!!

I Hate You

pairing: ashton irwin x reader

warnings: none

word count: 1219

<3

Your phone rang. Glancing down, you saw that it was Calum, and upon this realization, you quickly answered it.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Hi! Some friends and I are having a cookout tonight to celebrate Luke’s birthday. I was wondering if you’d want to come? He hasn’t seen you in a while.”

Silence hung over the line while you thought over the offer. Calum was right, you hadn’t seen Luke in ages, and you did miss him. However, social gatherings weren’t really your thing. But it’s his birthday, so you agreed.

“Sure. I’d love to. What time?”

Glancing at your watch, it was about 1pm now, so hopefully it wouldn’t be for at least another two hours, because you were not looking presentable right now. Calum was clearly deciding on the other end.

“Dunno. To be completely honest we hadn’t gotten that far. Probably around five, that sound good?”

You nodded, even though he couldn’t see.

“Works for me.“

“Alright. I’m texting Luke right now and telling him you’ll be there. I’m sure he’ll be over the moon. See you at five!”

“Wait Cal! Who else is coming?”

He hummed.

“Ryan, Luke, Michael, Ashton, Crystal-“

“Ashton?! No way Calum. Hell no.”

He sighed and you could basically feel him roll his eyes.

“Look, he’s one of Luke’s best friends, please can you just tolerate each other and make Luke happy tonight?”

“I fucking hate him Cal. And he fucking hates me.”

He mumbled something that you couldn’t make it, but knowing him it was most likely a crude joke about your choice of words. It was your turn to roll your eyes.

“I’ll try. But don’t get mad at me if we’re at each other throats by the end of the night.”

“Let’s hope if you are it’s because you two finally got past your differences and realized you’re being idiots and not because you want to kill each other.”

“Calum Hood. I’ll murder you. I’ll be there at five. And stop making jokes about me hooking up with Ashton. You couldn’t pay me a million dollars.”

“Mhm. Sure. Bye!”

You put the phone back in your pocket and ran a hand down your face. What the fuck. It was just like Calum to know Ashton was coming and not mention it until after you agreed. He’s such a bitch and he’s lucky you love him.

Ashton Fletcher Irwin. That absolute motherfucker. It was small, petty, stupid shit, really. He made rude jokes, you made them back, he got pissed, you got angry, Calum had to pull you two apart. He talked shit behind your back, you lost your shit on him, Michael lost his shit on both of you. You’d hated each other as long as you could remember, each thinking the other was stealing friends from you. He consistently got on your last nerve. An entire evening with him? Torture. But you loved Luke so you’d deal with it. Sighing, you sat down, debating whether or not to go shower and get ready early so you wouldn’t be rushing, or to just do nothing for the next two hours.

Deciding on the latter, you turned on a random show for background noise and worked on some drawing, sketching a few tattoos for the shop. You hadn’t thrown in new pieces lately, and decided you’d fill up the Get-What-You-Get machine when you got back. A soft smile came over your face as you remembered when Luke came in for his first tattoo not long ago. It had been quite the experience to work on someone who was a tattoo virgin, or so to speak. Always a story for the books.

After finishing up three new ones, you glanced up. Realizing you had about two and a half hours, you figured it was safer than sorry to go ahead and get ready now.

Showering, and deciding on shorts and a cute top, you quickly got changed. Messing with your hair to give it that “messy but looks good” appearance, you debated makeup for today. Leaning towards yes, you didn’t do that much, eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow. A little bit of graphic lines in the corners just to make the colours pop, and done. You had let Luke talk you into using makeup six months ago, and you got sorta addicted.

After that, you had about a solid 45 minutes before you had to leave if you wanted yo be there on time, so you packed up the sketches and put them in a plastic sleeve to avoid damages by god knows what. Things always seemed to get messed up in your house, no matter how hard you tried to keep them intact. Mentally preparing for the night to come, you checked your phone to see a text from Michael from ten minutes ago.

“Party’s been moved up by 30. can u still make it?”

“be there in 15.”

“don’t break any laws. luke will kill you.”

“no promises.”

read - 4:15

Good thing you’d gotten ready early.

“Luke! Cal! Mike! Irwin.”

You turned back to face Luke.

He grinned.

“I’m glad you could make it! Haven’t seen you in a hot minute.”

You smiled back.

“Yea it’s been a bit. Happy birthday!”

“Thanks!”

Brushing past Ashton, a bit more roughly than you’d like to admit, you went to chat with Michael for a bit while Cal was helping Luke fix the final touches to food. He gave you a look. You gave the same one back. He rolled his eyes. You rolled yours too. He sighed. You returned in kind.

“I know Cal already had a conversation with you about this but try to be nice to Ash please?”

You scoffed.

“Oh, so you’re on nickname terms now?”

He looked exasperated.

“Look. He doesn’t hate you as much as you think he does. Just try to be civil. If not for yourself, for Luke.”

“Fine.”

“Thank you.”

Parting ways, you talked with Calum for a while before Ashton walked over to grab a drink. Glaring at him, you moved out of the way of the cooler. He didn’t even have it in him to glare back, just shot a weak smile. You didn’t want to admit you were slightly concerned. So you didn’t. Rolling your eyes for the millionth time that night, you turned back to Cal. He shot you a look. You chose to ignore it again.

Later, you happened to bump into Ashton on the way to a bathroom, creepily sulking in a hallway for no apparent reason.

“Watch it!” you snapped.

“Sure.”

That threw you. Ashton always snapped back.

“The hell are you doing sulking in a hallway anyways?”

“None of your business.”

“Oh fuck you.”

“You wish.”

“I try not to hate you but you make it hard.”

“How kind. Spare me the small talk.”

Next thing you knew, Ashton’s hands were around your waist, lips attached to yours.

You swore then and there you’d never tell anyone how much you enjoyed it.

You pulled back after to breathe.

“I still fucking hate you.”

“Glad we’re on the same page. Kiss me again.”

Back against the wall, you managed to detangle a hand from Ashton’s hair to send Luke the middle finger when he called down the hallway.

“Invite me to the wedding lovebirds!”