#excited for the 22nd lol

[madzogonemad]

looks like there's gonna be an update for project eden's garden soon so I might as well re-upload some of my old art from the prologue. ٩(｡•́‿•̀｡)۶

[leaffiii]

Birthday present from my boyf came early 🥺 ❤️💕💕 featuring my son for scale

[dorotheamidnights]

I don't know about you, but I'm feelin' 22 🎂🎈

[flemingology]

christmas request! a day out with alessia at winter wonderland. super fluffy. you go ice skating, go on the ferris wheel, get hot chocolates, even win her a bear at a fairground booth!

winter wonderland ─ alessia russo x reader

in which: you and alessia have a christmas-themed date night

warnings: none

wc: 1.6k

a/n: changed the request up a little bit (basically just who receives the bear lol.), hope you still like it!

You'd been looking forward to this night for the whole week. Your hectic schedule had meant you and Alessia hadn't gone out for a proper date in weeks, but the second you realized that you'd have the 22nd of December off, you circled it with red on the calendar in your home office. Date night. And nothing would come between it.

As a heart surgeon, your working hours were very irregular. Your girlfriend and you had managed to work around your respectively busy schedules, always making sure that you made time for one another wherever you could, but some periods were worse than others. You'd been working non-stop for the past three weeks, up before dawn and not home before sunset. It was starting to take its toll on you, and Alessia didn't fail to notice either.

She was usually quite busy herself, but with the winter break in full flow, she had more time to think about things. More time to notice things. She saw how your shoulders slagged when you came home from work past 9pm again, how getting out of bed became more and more of a struggle with each passing day, how you started needing two coffees instead of one to wake yourself up. She noticed how tired you were.

The two of you sat down on the couch one night, and she brought it up. She tentatively brushed the topic, unsure whether this was something you wanted to talk about, but soon enough you let your emotions flow and Alessia held you until you had calmed down enough to have a conversation about. You felt drained, really, and you wanted nothing more than to recharge in the arms of your lover. That night, Alessia promised you that she'd set up a date night for the two of you in the near future. And when the opportunity came around to do it on Sunday the 22nd, neither of you were even thinking about anything else but a night out.

You got ready in the bedroom, humming along to a song Alessia was playing on her speaker in the bathroom. Your girlfriend emerged a couple minutes later, and crossed the bedroom in a quick few strides. "You ready?" Alessia's eyes lit up and you felt a warm feeling of gratitude well up for the woman in front of you. No matter how busy it got, how rocky life would be, she was always there. Like a rock. Alessia always knew exactly what you needed, and you were so excited for your night out together. "Yeah, let's go." You grabbed her hand in yours and you made your way downstairs, locking up your apartment behind you and getting in the car.

Alessia expertly navigated the streets of London towards the Christmas fair. You parked the car up a couple blocks away, not wanting to deal with the struggle of trying to find parking closer by. You hooked your arm through your girlfriends, talking about everything and nothing as you strolled through the streets of London, making your way over to the fair.

The streets were busy, bustling with people wanting to soak up the Christmas atmosphere in the British capitol. It made you feel warm inside, a stark contrast to the icy temperatures outside. "God, it's cold." Alessia seemed to read your mind. "Yeah, I'm grateful for my hat and gloves." You chuckled, before an idea came to mind as you saw a hot drinks stall. "You wanna get a hot chocolate?" Alessia's eyes lit up as she met yours. "You know just how to make a girl happy."

Alessia and you walked around the fair for what felt like ages. You could feel the stress of the past couple weeks falling from your shoulders with each passing minute. This had been exactly what you needed, and you were so grateful to your girlfriend for organizing this for the both of you.

"Oh my God, babe," Alessia's voice pulled you out of your thoughts, her finger pointing to a small rifle range. "Look at their prizes." You looked up and saw a couple big teddy bears hanging from the roof of the stall. "You wanna go play?" You asked your girlfriend, giving her hand a little squeeze as she nodded eagerly.

Of course she won you the bear. In typical Alessia fashion, stealing the show as she hit every single one of the 40 bullets she had bought. "Here, for you." Alessia beamed as she took the bear from the man behind the counter and stretched it out towards you. "Thank you, my love." You took the bear from her and pressed a sweet kiss against her lips, placing your unoccupied hand on the back of her neck as she tried to pull away. You pulled her back into you and kissed her again, trying to pour all the love you had for her into the kiss. "Thank you for this. For tonight. I needed this," you whispered as you pressed your forehead against hers. "Anything for you." The teddy was almost as tall as you, and you were slightly struggling to carry it with you. Alessia picked up on it and took it from you, putting it on her shoulders, holding the bear up with one hand and holding yours with the other.

The next thing you found yourself wanting to try was the ferris wheel, although you had a slight feeling that your girlfriend would be wary of getting on. "Less," you started, drawing out her name a little as she cocked an eyebrow at you. "You wanna go on the ferris wheel?" You tried, a slight smile tugging at your lips, one you knew she'd find hard to resist. You didn't miss the groan that escaped her lips upon your question. She cocked an eyebrow at you. "Do we have to?" You chuckled and squeezed her hand that was holding yours.

"Please? For me?" "Ugh. Fine." "You're too easy, Russo." "Shut it or I'm throwing you off when we reach the top." "Empty threats, love. We all know that."

Alessia clung to your side the entire ride, clutching your hand in hers as your carriage started to reach the top. "I genuinely don't understand why people willingly go on things like this. What if something goes wrong and you just... fall?" You didn't want to ridicule your girlfriend, but you couldn't hold back the scoff that escaped your lips, to which you received a glare in response. "The odds for that happening are ridiculously low, love. It's not an irrational fear, but it's not gonna happen. Look, we're almost back down." Alessia felt a little guilty that her apprehension stopped you from enjoying the ride, but a quick few pecks and reassuring whispers meant for her and her only got her back feeling okay.

You strolled a little further, and as much as you were bundled up, the cold icy night was finding its way through your layers of clothes and started crawling across your body. Alessia noticed you were shivering and pulled you closer into her, wrapping her arm around your shoulders and clutching you tight against her body. You wrapped your arm around her midsection and were grateful for the warmth that still seemed to come from her body, the striker never having a cold bone in her body meaning you could always warm yourself up on her.

"You wanna get a hot chocolate? Maybe it'll help with the cold." You and Alessia had arrived at a hot drinks stall and she couldn't resist the smell of the fresh hot chocolate. You agreed, and soon you were both walking hand in hand, the two of you holding a hot chocolate in your unoccupied hand. It was glorious, really, a nice big steaming cup of hot chocolate with little marhsmallows on top. It warmed you up a little, easing the nagging feeling of the cold wind that still nipped at every sliver of skin it came across.

Your fingers and nose were red from the cold and your teeth were slightly chattering, but you wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else right now. Your girlfriend's hand clutched tight in yours, talking about everything and nothing as you strolled to London's Christmas fair. The Christmas joy cheered you up and helped ease away the last of your worries of how busy work had been the past couple weeks. You needed this, and just as always, Alessia knew.

You didn't stay much longer after having drank your hot chocolates, the cold starting to get a little too much for the two of you. So you drove home and settled on the couch together, a fuzzy blanket draped over your entangled bodies and a show on the tv that was more background noise than anything else. Alessia ran a comforting hand through your hair and rested her other one comfortably on the small of your back, pressing soft kisses against your crown as you slowly but surely eased off into a peaceful slumber on your girlfriend's chest.

Just before you fell asleep, though, you could hear a faint whisper coming from the woman underneath you. "I love you, darling." Alessia thought you were asleep, so was surprised to hear you reply. "Right back at you, love. Thank you for tonight." You accentuated your words with a firm kiss against her chest, right where your head was resting.

No matter how busy work would get, as long as you had your blonde lover to come home to and wrap your arms around, you felt like you could take on the whole world.

[jadedxhearts]

𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐲

Law isn’t liking all of the attention on you during a party with the Straw Hats.

Warnings: smut, fem reader, the very first Law smut I wrote so I can't promise that it's very good lol

Originally posted on July 22nd, 2022

repost from my main @jadedrrose as a part of my most popular fics event.

It’s not like you were intentionally doing this, but you simply loved the way Law was reacting to all the attention on you.

—

Because of the alliance, Luffy had demanded that Law and the Heart Pirates come on to the Thousand Sunny for a party. While Law was reluctant to do so, the rest of the crew was thrilled and jumped ahead, leaving their captain with no choice. You’d picked out a nice sundress to wear, and began heading up to where the ship was docked with Law.

Once arriving, you tried to convince Law to socialize, but he refused, sitting on a crate away from everyone. Chopper had noticed the fellow doctor and brought him some onigiri, which Sanji had prepared just for Law.

“Oh, (Name)! I think Robin and Nami wanted to see you,” the reindeer told you.

“Really? Where are they at?” You asked.

Chopper turned around to look at the party, not quite noticing them for a moment… until…

“I see them! At the far end of the table!”

You followed Chopper’s words and looked in said direction, seeing the two women laughing and being served some drinks by Sanji.

“You won’t get too lonely without me, will you?” You teasingly asked Law.

He promptly rolled his eyes and gestured for you to go. With a grin, you gave him a sneaky kiss on the cheek and ran off.

Once you’d sat down with the girls, Sanji had thrown his arms up in delight at your arrival.

“(Name)-swan! I’m so glad you joined us!”

As fast as he had turned excited, he then became …serious?

“Tell me, what do you want to eat? I’ll make anything for you.”

“Oi, back off Sanji! You know she’s with somebody.” Nami interjected.

“Somebody who doesn’t look too pleased right now,” Robin chuckled.

You giggled, waving them off. “Don’t worry, it’s fine. Hmm… how about (favorite food)?”

“Of course! I’ll go start it now!” Sanji yelled, dashing off to the kitchen.

—

That was the first line crossed for Law. While he didn’t necessarily hate Sanji, the guy sure was pissing him off right now. The way he bent over backwards for you, doing anything to please you despite knowing you belonged to Law. Taking a rather aggressive bite out of his food, Law huffed.

“Captain… are you alright?”

Law turned to see Bepo standing beside him, looking concerned.

“Don’t worry about it, Bepo. Go have fun.”

“B-but captain! You seem… upset!”

“I said don’t worry about it!” Law sternly told him off.

This was no good. That meant that people were going to notice him… his jealousy.

Law didn’t want to admit it, but he was jealous, wasn’t he? But it was silly. It’s not like Sanji was doing anything too odd.

But then Law looked up, seeing Zoro now sitting next to you, throwing an arm over your shoulders and offering you some of whatever expensive drink the pirate had.

“Mmm no thanks, I’m alright,” you told the green haired man.

Then Sanji came out with your food. “Hey! Mosshead! Back off, I’m the one who’s gonna impress her!”

“Oh quit it you two!” Nami yelled, “she isn’t impressed by anyone. She’s with Law for crying out loud!”

Sanji then put the plate of your favorite food down in front of you, grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh, this looks really good!” You exclaimed. “Thank you, Sanji.”

“Of course! You’re welcome, (Name)-swan!”

—

Law couldn’t take it any more. Seeing red now, he got up from his spot and stomped straight over to where you were sitting with the girls, surrounded by the two annoying men. You smirked a little, knowing what he was up to.

“Look! Now he’s actually pissed,” Nami complained.

“Oi, (Name),” Law called out to you.

Sanji launched himself back, screaming in terror. Zoro simply sighed, walking away altogether.

“I have something… to talk to you about,” Law informed you, “come with me.”

Rolling your eyes, you told the girls you were sorry and got up to follow Law. He lead you all the way to the edge of the Thousand Sunny, pretty much out of sight before saying;

“Room.”

You watched the blue dome surround you, and suddenly…

“Shambles.”

You were then in Law’s office. He must’ve swapped the two of you out for a pencil or something small and unobvious.

You turned to Law, who was huffing and glaring at the floor, clenching his fists.

“Law? What did you need to talk to me about?”

“What’s wrong with you?” He asked, “letting those idiots be all over you? Really?”

You frowned, “I was just… trying to be nice. I didn’t want to upset Sanji by turning down his food and… Zoro just kinda put himself there-“

“So you should’ve shoved them off!”

Now you were getting mad. “Really, Law? Shove away the people who let us onto their ship, eat their food and enjoy their party? That’s just rude.”

Law sighed, turning away from you.

“Don’t tell me… you’re jealous!” You accused him.

He scoffed, “oh please… that’s… ridiculous.”

But you didn’t miss the way his face turned red when you said those words, even if he had been turned away. You could see him very clearly through the reflection of the circular window.

“Aw, Law… if you were just jealous, you could’ve said so and I would’ve come sit with you. Maybe even on your lap to show ‘em who I belong to,” you purred.

You heard his breath hitch, and without any warning, he grabbed you and pushed you against the desk, sliding a hand up your dress, all the way up to your breasts. He pinched your right nipple harshly, biting into your neck, marking you.

“Don’t fucking say that, (Name)-ya. You’re gonna drive me insane.”

You giggled, letting out a quiet moan when he pinched you again. “Maybe I shouldn’t have worn panties to that party. Or maybe I should’ve flashed you, hm?”

Then there was a harsh slap on your ass, causing you to cry out.

“Quit saying shit like that. You’re such a perverted little slut, aren’t you?”

He then slid his hand down to your panties, moving them aside and feeling how wet you were.

“You’re turned on by all that, aren’t you? If I had joined you at that table and fingered you underneath it, you would’ve gladly come on my fingers and even thanked me after, wouldn’t you?

“Y-yes, Law. I’m such a dirty whore,” you moaned.

Another smack. “What’s that? Couldn’t hear you,” he teased.

“I’m such a dirty whore, Law! Your dirty little slut.”

A finger slid into your cunt. “You’re so filthy minded that you would’ve loved it if I had thrown you onto that table and fucked you there in front of everyone. Maybe I should have, to teach you a lesson.”

Another finger was inserted, and he began moving them at a quick pace, his thumb moving to rub your clit. You threw your head back, moaning and crying. Law’s other hand found a place on your jaw, squishing your face between his finger and tilting your head so that he could look into your eyes.

“Do you get it now, (Name)-ya? Don’t pull shit like that again.”

“Mmm- but then I’d get to be fucked by you- ah! Law, I’m so close…”

Suddenly, he pulled his hand away from your dripping cunt, and you groaned out of frustration.

“A dirty whore like you doesn't get to cum just yet. I’m not done punishing you.”

Then, you heard the sound of Law unbuckling his jeans and you braced yourself, waiting for him to pound into you.

You felt his tip against your folds, rubbing along them up to your clit and back down. With one hand now on your hip, Law slid into you with ease. His other hand then was placed on the other side.

“Fuck, Law… mmmmh, so good-“

He gripped at your soft skin, and began a fast pace against your cunt. Your cunt was already throbbing around his cock, so close and ready to cum on him.

“That’s right, take it, and don’t even think about cumming just yet.”

His hand then moved away from your hip, grabbing one of your own and guiding it down to your clit.

“Rub yourself,” he instructed you.

His hand still on yours, you began rubbing circles onto your clit, causing you to nearly scream. It was all too much. You needed to cum right now.

“Law, I can’t… too much, please,” you whimpered.

“Beg for it,” his hand pressed down, causing you to push down on your clit.

“Ah, Law… please, please let me cum… I’ll be good for you, your little slut.”

“Tell me who you belong to,” his voice was now weaker, and you could tell he was running out of breath, about to cum as well.

“You, Law! I belong to nobody but you!”

“Fuck!” He collapsed onto your back, squishing you into the desk as he came inside of you, followed by you screaming his name and cumming on his cock.

After a few moments of both of you trying to catch your breath, you reached up to push him away, but he held you firm.

“Law… I can’t breathe…”

He finally let you go, only to pull you into his lap as he sat down on his desk chair.

“Did you learn your lesson?” He asked, smirking.

“Yes, Law… can we go back now? I actually wanted to talk to the girls…”

He sighed, “fine. But you need to clean up first.”

[aetlasx]

prologue

pair: eddie munson x witch!reader

summary: Ah, memories. You journal your first day of high school, but things quickly take a turn just a few weeks later.

tw: menstruation, pad/tampons, bullying, name calling (pls lmk if there’s anything I missed)

a/n: just stick with me lol. he’ll be in the first part. Also, this is an AU!! For spooky season!! thank you so much for reading!!

*the chat font is the diary entry and it goes back to normal at the end*

August 22nd, 1983 It's been a few months since i've written in this thing. I thought it'd be a good time to start now since I finally made it to high school!

You know what that means? Four more years till I leave this shithole!! Better than five. June was actually waiting by the door when I got home, she really wanted to hear every detail of how it went. I told her about my classes, I have Jonathan in two and Nancy in several. I told her how the school and people were so different from anything I was used to. But, it doesn't take her long to find something wrong with the way I think. She started with her usual warnings and advice, all the things I need to avoid, all the mistakes I shouldn't make. I know she's just trying to protect me, but it feels like she can never have trust in her little sister.

On the other hand, at least Teddy asked if I had fun. He's always been the one who knows how to lighten the mood, especially knowing how his wife is. He asked about my teachers and any clubs that looked cool enough to join. He even asked about Jonathan and Nancy.

Jonathan was definitely not as excited as me. He's quite, but he's always been that way.I know that his mom was excited for his first day of high school, she even convinced him to bring his camera. Right now, I'm trying to convince him to join the newspaper but he just shrugs me off. And Nancy, well, although it's been one–girl is practically glow. Within just 8 hours of the school day, she was able to meet a boy. She kept gushing about him and is pretty excited for the rest of the school year here. I'm genuinely happy for her.

Before June could add her two cents, I interrupted her with how I stopped by Aunt Claudia's after school to see how Dustin's day went. He was already sprawled out on the couch, 'exhausted' from fighting with his new math teacher. It had been a bit since I had seen them, I slaved away my summer at my job so stopping by, I felt grateful that they weren't even mad. I'll have to start hanging out with him again.

Anyways, I’m determined to make the most of freshman year with my friends. I’m ready to prove that I’m more than just a product of this stupid town.

Wish me luck!!

September 16th, 1983

I think I lied. I don’t know where to start…but a four year wait is too long. I don’t know where it all went wrong but it started over the weekend.

Sometimes I’d like to think that if my mom was still around, this wouldn’t have happened. Hell, June is like my mom, why did it happen. I’m talking about mother nature’s gift. It seemed as though no on thought to inform me that a girls first period would be this chaotic.

Nance and I had a movie night planned. I hadn’t really talked to her much, only in class, because her new boy toy or whatever—Steve Harrington, was taking up most of her time. I thought this would be a good time to just catch up and gossip, I was wrong. That Friday was horrible. I ended up throwing up, getting the chills, my body ached to no end. But I was still determined to make movie night happen, especially since June and Teddy were gone for the weekend.

As I was dying on the couch, Nancy finally showed up. But to my disappointment, it was only to cancel. Her and Steve were going out on their first date. I don’t know if it was how hot I was feeling or my intestines twisting, but black spots started clouding my vision. I just remember her screaming for Steve and once I knew it, I woke up in the hospital.

What I’m about to write, I’ll say with confidentiality…probably because I’m the only one reading this. Whatever.

A period is probably normal for all females. What’s not normal is having to go to the hospital and having your best friend’s boyfriend make fun of you because the doctor called you a late bloomer. I mean, she apologized but, if I could’ve just died on that bed, I wouldn’t be here.

Even June lectured me when I interrupted her weekend getaway. The whole ride home she kept complaining and saying ‘how could I not know’ and ‘you just gave us another unnecessary bill’. Like, sorry my baby’s natural response has ruined something for you.

Fuck. That’s not even the worst part. When Monday came back around, everyone was looking at me when I walked in. I know how cliche it sounds after what had just happened but knowing how popular Harrington was and who his friends were, he had already told the whole school by now. During gym, Carol and a few other girls threw pads and tampons at me. I got called ‘Bloody Mary’ and ‘Leak Freak’ in the hallways, at lunch, and anytime anyone had the chance. I tried to stay strong, I even hoped Nancy would say something to me during class or at least when she saw me but she just looked at me with sympathetic eyes. It’s just hard to believe that a few weeks ago, everything was fine. We were making fun of our teacher, gossiping with Barb, and even went shopping but I guess things change. Now when I look at her I’m just consumed with rage.

Jonathan has been supportive, though. The evening I got out of the hospital, he had actually brought over some of my favorite snacks and listened to me cry all night. Even when the mocking was bad, he’s stuck by my side. He’s told some kids to fuck off, walks me to class, and I’m grateful, don’t get me wrong but knowing that I have to wake up and go through it again doesn’t really ease my pain.

I feel like my chances of making friends and actually joining some clubs are ruined. When I try talking to some new, they give me dirty looks. When I go to ask about different clubs, they turn me away. I’ve lost hope. Thought this was suppose to be a fresh start but I guess not.

And just to add more salt to the wound, I haven’t been able to sleep. Every time I close my eyes and drift to away, I’m met with such an unsettling environment. The atmosphere is thick, groggy, red. It’s coated in fog, but a man I’ve never seen before always walks through it. He says his name is Henry, he starts talking about my worries and pain. It’s always the same—he says he’s ‘there to help me’, he’s there to ‘take away the pain because he knows what it’s like’. I truly don’t know what has caused my subconscious to create things like this but I guess I’m just tired of feeling like shit.

I don’t even know why I bother keeping a journal around. Sometimes I feel like I won’t even be here in the future to reminisce on the shitty days like this. Why would I even? I guess it’s just easier to write these things down than having to say them out loud. I thought I’d be able to make my sister, aunt, cousin, and friends proud, but I’m starting to think I’m just not cut out for this.

Closing the diary, the blonde places it back in the shoebox you hid it in. Pushing it back under your bed, standing from the place he sat. A satisfied smirk on his face.

He’d been following your turmoil closely, knowing that this was just the turning point. Your struggles were feeding into his plans. This entry was straw that broke the camels back—your vulnerabilities, your fears, and your desperations. It was almost too easy.

“Your suffering is almost poetic,” Henry said to himself, walking out of your room, your house, determined to take action now. He planned to finally confront you, to force you to acknowledge the full extent of what your destiny could be with his help—with what he had to offer.

[aevari]

Hiya! My comms are open again and this time...

I'm looking for Dragon Age OCs to draw!

I'm really excited about the game (I need to buy VG still lol) so I really want to dedicate this batch to some DA ocs! Your beautiful Wardens, Champions, Inquisitors, Rooks.. maybe even with their romance companions... I want them all! 🥺🤲 Form is only open for a short time as this will ideally be a small batch. I'd like to have these done before the release of Veilguard but we'll see how much interest this gets!

Interested?: >> COMMISSION FORM << 🚩 Form closes Sunday, September 22nd @ 3PM EST 🚩 More examples on my socials + website.

Feel free to reach out via DM/ask if you have any questions or might be seeking something not shown here.

Reblogs would be super appreciated to spread word! Thank you so much!! 🫶

[lixiektty]

lixiektty's kinktober masterlist 2023

after taking a long break i'm happy to announce my ACTUAL first kinktober. last year didn't work out, it was hard to keep up with and i had NOTHING written lol. very excited to share these works with you, i love writing horror fiction and creating my own concepts so i hope you all enjoy reading these as much as i did writing them.

warning: 18+, gore and some mxm

posting schedule:

day one: the range • lee heeseung — squirting

coming october 4th...

day two: pure innocence • yang jeongin — corruption

coming october 7th...

day three: odd eye, level 0 • shin quanrui — edging

coming october 8th...

day four: ghost • hyunlix — pain kink (mxm)

coming october 11th...

day five: the white room • jeon jungkook — breeding

coming october 14th...

day six: care • bang chan and lee minho — body worship

coming october 15th...

day seven: craving you • park sunghoon — biting

coming october 18th...

day eight: dinner plate • yeonbin — marking (mxm)

coming october 21st...

day nine: haunted • jung wookjin — bdsm

coming october 22nd...

day ten: carved • park jongseung — dry humping

coming october 25th...

day eleven: freak show • mark lee — exhibitionism

coming october 28th...

day twelve: man in the mirror • minsung — mirror sex (mxm)

coming october 31st...

day thirteen: scream • jake sim — role play

[that-gay-guy-from-hell]

No One Else Can Have You: Nero x Male Reader

MINORS DNI; THIS IS FOR ADULTS ONLY

SERIOUSLY, GO AWAY!

SUMMARY:      Jealousy is rather familiar to Nero. The burning glare he gives to anyone whom Nero deems is being “much too friendly with you” is that of a seething devil. However, upon seeing you with someone that he cannot treat with such malice, the white-haired man takes a much different approach to proving how far he’ll go for you.

BEGINNING NOTES: Power Bottom Jealous Pre-4 Nero x Submissive Top Male Reader The reader is in (The) Order’s choir alongside Kyrie Nero has his devil bringer Close to just mindless smut Nipple play; Nero receiving Semi-aggressive foreplay--skipped oral aspect of foreplay (sorry lmao) ⚡❄️⚡ ➟Not sure if it’s talked about (or seen) in DMC 4 but I imagine (The) Order to have a living space akin to a boarding school mixed with a monastery--but with swords! (Haven’t played 4 yet and I’ve only skimmed the cutscenes because for some reason it’s like hard for me to get through idk why) ➟Kyrie is a bit handsy with the reader; she knows about the two of you and is doing it to tease Nero (Kyrie seems innocent and oblivious but she’s very aware; opposite Nero who seems like he isn’t and is). ➟I do tone down how “edgy” Nero is compared to how he is in 4. Hopefully, he’s not too OOC. ➟For anyone who has a hard time remembering: Nero’s devil bringer is his RIGHT arm (I kept having to re-look at him to remember which side lol). ➟This is very VERY shortly before DMC 4; like I’m talking a month or two. Yes, before someone decides to throw a fit, I h/c Nero to be around the age of 19 when DMC 4 takes place--born 22nd September 1999. He is NOT underage.

===

     Winter had just hit Fortuna and there was a light layer of snow on the ground, steadily growing from the continuous flurries. Amidst the sea of white, two people could be seen walking side-by-side. Kyrie and you were returning after chamber choir rehearsal, mindlessly chatting about the newest material you’d been given. 

     The ginger smiled, grabbing your forearm gently, “Come on, please?”

     You rolled your eyes, “No way,” a small laugh left your frozen lips, “I’m not duet partner material.”

     Her smile widened and she rolled her eyes slightly, hand sliding down to yours, “Oh please, I wouldn’t have anyone else.”

     “I’m flattered, really,” your gaze flicked down to your intertwined hands, a small confused furrow adorning your brow, “but there’s a lot of other members who would go better with you.”

     “Maybe, but I don’t want to work with them; I want to be with you.”

     The two of you stopped outside of a hall’s entrance, still holding hands, “I…” you gave a flat smile and shook your head, sighing in defeat, “I’ll look at the piece, alright?” Her eyes held an excited glint as she grabbed your other hand, pulling the pair up with an enthused stranglehold, “Don’t take this as me agreeing; I just want to see what it is first.”

     Before she could respond, the door swung open, revealing two familiar faces; Credo and Nero. She addressed them both, talking with her brother, while her hold on your hands only tightened. As the conversation drew on, you weren’t listening, being too busy debating if your fingers were dislocated or not. 

     “Is he alright?” Credo raised a brow, staring at you.

     Kyrie’s attention returned to you and, upon seeing how your fingers were losing circulation, she let go of your hands.

     Immediately you shook your fingers and pursed your lips, holding back some painful exclamations--knowing that Credo would string you up by your earlobes and beat you like a piñata. Once more, you didn’t really pay much attention to the conversation but, when you looked back at everyone, Kyrie had entered the hall and was walking alongside her older brother, waving goodbye. 

     Leaving you and Nero alone.

     The young man moved his jaw in thought before using his human hand to grab one of yours, quickly re-cutting the feeling to your appendages. Although you weren’t sure what was going on, you could tell Nero was mad--no, he was pissed. He was practically dragging you behind him, not saying a word. You tried to keep up with his pace but were unable to and kept falling behind. 

     “Nero, what-!” While attempting to catch up, you slipped on some of the newly formed ice and fell.

     The white-haired man’s shoulder and arm were jerked downwards with you, which helped break your fall. However, you still hit the ground while Nero remained on his feet, just off balance. Wincing quietly, you stood up and he grabbed you around the waist, still not talking. He hoisted you into his arms and you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, confused as to what was going on. 

     Given, you did have a slight clue from past experiences. 

     The moment Nero stepped into his room, he threw you onto the bed, locked the door, and began to strip. You mimicked his actions, tossing your clothes into a pile on the other side of the room, until you were in your underwear--matching Nero’s look. 

     Admittedly, you still got an overwhelming nervousness when you saw his exposed skin. It was as beautiful as it was arousing. To see how flushed his pale skin became from the cold outdoors, the tasteful amounts of silvery body hair that led down to-

     Abruptly, Nero shoved you backward onto the mattress and straddled your middle. Typically, he tends to have a fun amount of force to his actions but today was different. Each one of Nero’s actions so far had been nearly contentious, giving you cause for concern. Perhaps he had a rough day with Credo and the others? Before you could question things too much, a desperate set of chapped lips met yours. 

     The white-haired young man pushed himself against you, his calves compressing your sides tight enough to leave bruises. His hands gripped the sides of your neck, forefinger, and thumb lining the hinge of your jaw on each side. Your hands grasped his thighs harshly, groping the muscles with fingertips just underneath the ends of his boxer briefs. 

     He slipped his tongue into your mouth. Slowly, his thumbs rubbed your cheeks and Nero took his time exploring. It was his first time doing something more than pecks and soft-biting lips, and it excited him. A small moan left your mouth at the feeling, in turn, Nero’s legs constricted further around you. 

     While exchanging wet French kisses, the white-haired man slid his hips back, his ass straddling your growing erection. Your hands slid to his back, running your hands along his shoulder blades. His hands drifted as well, one going up to the top of your head and the other to your side. Breaking off the heated exchange left both of you breathing heavily and with a hot overwhelming lust.

     Using the hand upon your head, he tilted you so he could have access to the crook of your shoulder and, without warning, bit down. 

     Hard.

     You arched against him, nails cutting into his skin, and let out a loud exclamation of a moan. 

     Against the new loving mark, he grumbled through gritted teeth, “Shut it.”

     Even though it sounded rude, you knew he was right. If the two of you got caught, who knows what would happen? Not only is it against the rules to have any sort of intercourse before marriage, but it is also taboo for men to share such delights. Plus, it was a sort of game between you two; who would break first and allow themselves to get loud--nine times out of ten it was Nero.

     Attempting to silence yourself, you bit your lip as Nero went back to working an even darker mark into your soft flesh. You worked your hands down his middle then back up, feeling him up slowly and meticulously. Despite seeing him nude many times, in both sexual and non-sexual ways, you still got an intense nervous sexual joy out of groping his body. Whether it was the heat, idea, or the actual texture, you weren’t sure; all you knew was that you wanted to touch him more. 

     Once your hands were on his chest, you squeezed his pecs before pinching at his nipples.

     “Fuck,” a grunt left his lips as he released his bite.

     Nero leaned up, allowing you more access to his chest, which you happily took advantage of. After a minute of debate--while you continued to futz with his tits--you leaned forwards, joining him in a seated position. Cautiously, you placed several kisses on his shoulders and collarbones. Your hands rested at the small of his back and you titled him away from you. Then, with the same vigor and force as he had against you, you bit down on his chest. 

     A stifled loud whine came from Nero’s nose as he used his devil bringer to cover his mouth, holding onto your back with his other hand. Encouraged by his noises, you bit down on a nipple and tugged slightly. Through his fingers, you heard him let out a muffled--but still loud, “Goddamnit,” he stared at the ceiling as he arched himself into you.

     It felt good-- really good. Nero hadn’t ever touched his chest while getting off before and he was starting to regret it. Feeling you let go, he adjusted himself so you had the other side in front of you. You raised a brow at him looking at him from the tops of your eyes.

     “Again--harder,” Nero’s face was bright red as he did his best to play confident, despite feeling weird for asking. 

     However, a sly smile from you and your compliance quickly washed those thoughts away. Nero placed his devil bringer against your back as well, holding you close to him. Against your gut, you could feel his cock twitching at your motions. With each tug and bite, each time you switched sides or bit down on his muscle instead; you felt him grind against you. 

     Nero wanted you. 

     You wanted Nero.

     It was as simple as that.

     Letting go for the final time, you coaxed him down into a kiss. It was intense, purposeful; Nero wanted to get across exactly what he intended to do with you. You bit at his lips lightly sucking and pulling on his bottom lip, making him let out a shaky breathy moan. 

     Nero leaned forward and whispered in your ear, “I need you,” he ran his tongue along the shell of your ear, “Right now,” with a loving forcefulness, he grabbed the lobe of your ear with a canine and pulled--puncturing your flesh slightly.

     “You sure-” 

     He cut you off with a kiss, hands grasping and kneading your sides. 

     Quietly, you mumbled against his lips, hand wandering all over his lower back, “Lube?”

     “Yeah,” Nero got up and walked over to a corner of his room, pulling up the floorboard that covered his hidden stash of “contraband” items.

     When he went to turn around, however, he was pinned against you; his back to your front. Placing kisses against the nape of his neck, you ran your hands down his stomach and his happy trail. Teasingly, you ran your fingers around everywhere beside his cock. You found his squirming to be amusing while it only frustrated the pent-up man. 

     The way your dick was placed against his ass, the light ghosting of your touch, hot exhales against the small love bites you were making; it all combined into a mixed drink that was making his head all fuzzy. 

     And Nero hates feeling fuzzy.

     Being the way that he is, he was easily able to overpower your grasp and pivoted to face you. Using his devil bringer, he slowly prompted you to back up to the bed and he picked you up, tossing you again. Then he grabbed your underwear, yanking them off--removing his right after.

     Once again, you found yourself pinned underneath Nero. Although he was staring down at you with piercing sea-green eyes, you couldn’t help but look at his dick which was proudly on display. Pre-cum was dribbling down his shaft and was dripping onto yours, which wasn’t fairing much better. With a slight raise to his brows, he smirked and opened the bottle, lubing two fingers. 

     “Two right away?” Your hands wandered to his thighs, thumbing over them softly.

     “Yeah, jackass,” Nero grunted, hunching forward with a slight shiver, “I said what I meant.”

     After squirting some lube into your hand, you leisurely moved to his dick, “And what would that be, sugar?” A smirk tugged at your lips at his reaction to the feeling of you frotting your cocks together, “What? Cat got your tongue?”

     Through breathy heavy exhales, he growled lightly, “Fuck- you-!”

     Smile widening, you ran a thumb between his tip and yours, “If that’s what you want-”

     “Shut-- up.”

     Staring him in the eyes, you brought your thumb to your lips and stuck it in your mouth cleaning it before humming in thought, “Mmn,” you reached up and tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear, “I love when you get all feisty,” with a hand on his neck, you met halfway to share a heated sloppy kiss.

     Grabbing the lube again, Nero slicked his finger again, adding a third, then, he tossed the bottle in a random direction, leaving it to deal with later. 

     His original plan was to have you stretch him as he sucked you off, however, he decided against it at the last minute. Although he would never admit it, he was beyond nervous. This wasn’t his first time playing with his ass, sure; but, it was his first time going this far with you. As he fingered himself, he found his mind wandering in a panic. 

     What if he messes things up? 

     What if you don’t like how he feels? 

     What if--

     “Nero?” You put a hand under his chin, a concerned furrow on your brow, “You sure you want to do this? If you aren’t ready-”

     “No!” He snapped, quickly adding, “I can do this,” then, for the first time since entering his room, he spoke in a softer tone, “I want to try with you,” he removed his fingers and looked down for a moment, embarrassed, “please.”

     Giving him a nod, you kissed the corner of his mouth, “I’ll take your lead.”

     “Damn right, you will.”

     You laughed at his return to a cocky attitude. 

     Watching intently, you watched him sit up on his knees, attempting to position himself correctly. Helping him by positioning yourself manually, you nodded at him, telling him he could sit back down. 

     A loud noise somewhere between a gasp, moan, shout, and grunt left his lips. His hands balled up into fists, nails picturing his palms. Tip inside and his mind much too worried, he tensed up at the foreign object.

     “Nero,” you hissed, “You need to relax, otherwise this won’t--” you grimaced slightly, “won’t work.”

     After a moment, you vetoed him and picked Nero up off of your hips. 

     “No-” He frowned and glared, “I can do this.”

     “Nero-”

     “No, don’t “Nero” me,” he was angry at, what he thought was, you calling him weak. Being the cocky assertive man he is, Nero spread his ass and re-penetrated his hole. 

     A small groan left your lips, however, that quickly turned louder as you watched Nero sink rapidly onto your cock. 

     Thunderous whiny moans left Nero’s lips as he stared upwards, feeling how your dick was stretching him. It was much different than the small toys he had hidden away. The heat of your body was enough in and of itself to make Nero’s body quiver. 

     Bit by bit, he fully relaxed. Admittedly, he could’ve cum just from this act alone but he wanted to do some actual fucking first before releasing. His eyes met with yours and, in response, you thrust your hips upward slightly. 

     “Ngh- What,” he leaned forwards, bracing himself with his hands on your chest, “Fuck...”

     Taking that as an okay, you repeated the action, gripping each side of his hips. A moan left your lips as you felt his body giving way to you, allowing you to see a little bit of his submissive side for the first time. Low groans left his lips between uneven breaths at each one of your upward movements. Wanting to up the ante, you picked his hips up and pulled them down to meet your upward motions. 

     “What are you-- try-- trying to--”

     His thoughts were a mess. He wanted to act tough, to resist how good you were making him feel, and to act as if he weren’t impressed but he couldn’t. With each thrust and slight increase of force, it only made him melt further. 

     The white-haired man leaned back, arching his upper body outwards, and slammed his hips down into yours, “Fuck.”

     “Nero, that--” You groaned and matched his fervor, “keep doing that.”

     “Tch, sure,” he meant to sound rude but just came off as compliant.

     With each slap of your skin against his, Nero felt an odd fiery feeling bubble inside him. It wasn’t the same feeling as when he was close--this was something new entirely. He felt like he wanted to crawl out of his skin with how good he felt.

     As his speed surpassed yours, he looked down at you and stopped which caused you to meet his gaze, “Sit up.”

     Doing as he asked, you found yourself face to face with his chest again. Although he didn’t ask, you bit down on his nipple as you returned to slamming against him. He wrapped himself around you, arms cradling your head into him. As he bounced against you, he felt his cock rub against your gut which caused him to speed up even further. 

     However, you weren’t one to be outdone. Without warning, you released your bite and stood up. 

     “Shit, what are you-! Ah~!” Nero wrapped his legs around your hips.

     You moved to the nearest wall--which happened to be right by the door to his room--and slammed his back against it. 

     “I…” With a breathy huff, you nuzzled your face into his neck, staying there, “I am…”

     “Fuckin’,” Nero wasn’t fairing any better, “Cum inside me.”

     “Huh-! Ner-”

     “Did- I- stutter?” He leaned forward and bit down on the shoulder before him.

     Not wanting to waste any time, you sped up and hit your top speed. With a few more uneven jabs, you spilled yourself inside him. 

     “Nero~!” You hissed at the feeling of his ass tightening and the warm feeling of his cum spraying against your stomach. 

     “Shit yeah,” he leaned back and let out a bellowing moan, “Fuck that’s good.”

     Carefully, you made your way back to the bed and laid him down, removing yourself. A shiver ran up Nero’s spine at the feeling, his body unsure of how to react. You grabbed a nearby towel from the floor--hopefully, it wasn’t too dirty--and wiped Nero off, then yourself. 

     “Hey,” Nero propped himself up on his elbows, “I…” he stopped, biting his tongue, “Nevermind.”

     Sweetly, you leaned over to his forehead and placed a kiss, “I love you, Nero,” you smiled, pulling back to see his semi-flustered wide-eyed stare, “Is that what this was all about? Wanting to hear me say that?”

     “I…” he pursed his lips and nodded shamefully, “Seeing you and…” he shook his head, “Just bothered me.”

     You swept his hair out of his eyes, cupping his face between your hands, staring him dead on, “I love you, so very much. My sweet cranky edge lord.”

     “Pfft,” he turned to one of your hands, closing his eyes for a moment, then spoke softly, “I love you, too; dickhead.”

     “Mn, ‘dickhead’, huh?” 

     “I’m sorry,” his tone returned to normal, “do you prefer ‘asshole’?”

     With a click of your tongue, you shook your head, leaning back with hands on your hips, “Well if you’re gonna be like that then I am not going to invite you to take a bath together.”

     A small light lit up in his head at your words, “Oh? As if I’d let you do that without me.”

     “What?” You raised your brows in a mixture of disbelief and sarcasm, “You’re already hankering for another round?”

     His eyes slowly went down and back up your body, “Yeah, but,” he stood up and yanked you close, whispering in your ear, “Why don’t you let me show you what I can do,” he nipped at your neck, “I want to fuckin’ tear you apart.”

===

ENDING NOTES: The Nero brain rot has been super SUPER bad and I'm not sure why lmao Couldn’t call him a “hunter” in this since he’s not a part of the DMC crew and couldn’t call him “(the) teal devil” because he hasn’t triggered before, so sorry if things get a bit repetitive. Yes, the paragraph that ends with “He felt like he wanted to crawl out of his skin with how good he felt.” has to do with him having the urge to trigger--even though he doesn’t know he can do that yet. ❄️⚡❄️ First time writing a top reader and bottom character; hopefully it’s not too bad. Ngl power bottom Nero has been eating at my mind for a while now and I’m not sure why. It might be TMI but I am not a top (or a switch) myself so writing the reader as a top is weird lmao (which is also why the reader is submissive, can’t change everything in one fic; can I? lmfao) The point is: that this isn't going to be something that becomes like commonplace (unless a request asks for it--which are still closed as of posting this chapter) and is just something I did for fun lol

==

If you like this please consider checking this on my AO3. There are extra chapters and my H/Cs over there, so please consider checking them out! Comments, Likes/Kudos, and shares are always appreciated! Thanks so much for reading!! :)))

MASTER LIST FOR TUMBLR

[superfruitland]

🎂 happy one year to live life! 🎉

there's gonna be a dtiys tomorrow on the 22nd at 10pm EEST as a little celebration for my baby au's one year anniversary! even if today is the actual date lol

asks will also start rolling again for the duration of the dtiys while i work on recovering the next update~ thank you everyone for your love and support on all my work, especially live life!

rambly thoughts about live life under the cut, but otherwise patch and i will see you tomorrow~

-

i cannot believe it's already been a full year of this au. i could've sworn i was drawing the first updates to an audience of one only yesterday.

a lot of stuff has happened over the year, and july has become a very happy marker for a list of things - while i wouldn't say live life is the number one on that list, it's certainly up there nonetheless

i have never considered myself a good writer or storyteller, but working on live life has certainly improved both, and through the challenges that making a comic has brought, it's also improved my art by a lot, and it shows clear as day just going through the entire au from the start. i've learned so much and i ove a good chunk of that to live life.

i've gotten so much support both here on tumblr as well as behind the scenes when i've felt like there was no point in trying to continue this mess of an au, and it's all of you who keep me wanting to make more every single update. while i think i could've done a lot of things different on live life, my view on it is nowhere near as harsh anymore.

i'm glad my au has found an audience with what i feel like is an arguably confusing plot and presentation so far, but in the lots i've planned there'll be answers... we're only getting started!

i'm incredibly excited what live life has come to, and what all there's in store for the future - and i hope all of you are as excited as i am.

happy one year to live life, here's to so much more.

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

Next theme is “All the Homies Hate Helena!” Because they all do! Lol Helena Hatred might not be central to the events happening at this exact moment in these stories but let’s be real it’s always relevant.

⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️ (Baby is almost here! I’m so excited to meet her! I obviously love all your OC Buddie kids but I feel like I remember you saying sometime that this is the first one you thought of? I’m already adoring the journey to adding her to the Buckley-Diaz family and I can’t wait to see the rest of it!)

🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲 (ooh Eddie knows he’s a huldra! He and Buck are figuring out how it all works together! And they’re at the start of figuring out their relationship! Love that! Can’t wait for them to figure out that Chris is under magical influence and bring him home!)

- PCA <3

LMAO I love this theme.

60 for ⚡️(Thank you! And yeah, she is! I've changed HOW they have her, but not who she is. And what she means to more than just Buck and Eddie):

---

Bobby chuckles in response, but his eyes are glued to the baby.

“Now where are the sisters?” Athena asks. “I thought for sure they’d beat us here.”

“Uh,” Buck says a bit nervously. “We, uh, we haven’t asked them to come yet. Just you.”

Bobby looks at him, surprised. “Really?”

“Really,” Buck nods. “Yeah, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Bobby furrows his brows. “Okay, what is it?”

Buck looks at Eddie, nervous. 

“Go on,” Eddie whispers. Bobby looks between the two of them, confused.

Shit. This is hard. They can’t introduce their baby girl to anyone else without having a name for her. They’ll get a hell of a lot of grief and suggestions otherwise. And while the plan had been to wait to meet her and then choose from their list, it didn’t end up going that way. The moment the clock struck midnight on October 22nd, Buck had known what he wanted. And when he explained it to Eddie, he agreed. But of course, he’s not going to do it without Bobby’s blessing.

“Okay, uh,” Buck takes a deep breath. “Okay, you obviously know what day it is.”

Bobby goes a little rigid. He clears his throat.

“Yes. I do.”

His daughter’s birthday. Twenty years later. 

“And uh, okay… Something you don’t know… When we weren’t going to adopt, we had a boy’s name picked out already, and we were going to name him after you.”

Bobby looks at Eddie. As if to confirm Eddie would go for that, too. Eddie just nods. 

“So it just… It just seems right…” Buck feels like he’s going to cry. Again, exhausted and delirious. “It would be really… But we want your blessing… To name her Brooke.”

Bobby goes very, very still. His eyes get a sort of far-off look. Athena squeezes his shoulder. Buck is almost certain he’s done the wrong thing. That he’s overstepped. That Bobby is going to say, please, no, and it will be uncomfortable. Oh, shit. He should not make decisions like this on no sleep. What the hell has he-

“You’d do that?” Bobby asks shakily, tears in his eyes. But he’s not looking at Buck or even Eddie. He’s looking at her. 

“Yeah,” Buck answers. “She waited until today, right? It, uh… It seems like fate to me.”

Bobby exhales shakily. He lifts the baby a bit closer to his face and smiles. A few tears spill out, down his cheeks.

“Hi, Brooke,” he says, very softly. 

Buck nearly heaves a sigh of relief, but holds it in. He’s really glad Bobby agreed. Buck’s been calling her Brooke for hours. It would have been disappointing to switch. 

---

96 for 🌲(They have a big important task before they can get Chris home hehe ):

---

He seems somewhat content for the first time since all this happened. And that in itself is refreshing enough for Buck to pretty much follow his lead. 

Unfortunately, there’s a pretty big hiccup in the evening. 

They’re both hungry and lacking the necessary focus or desire to make themselves dinner. So Buck orders in. Sushi. Eddie is secretly obsessed with yam rolls - the simplest of rolls beyond, like, plain cucumber. But whatever. They make Eddie happy. Buck just wants to keep making Eddie happy. 

They’re waiting for the delivery when Eddie’s phone starts to ring. He checks the caller ID and sees it’s Christopher calling. Eddie goes rigid for a split second, then moves to answer it, but before he can, the call drops, giving Eddie the missed call notification.

Eddie stares at his phone blankly for half a minute.

“Maybe try calling him back?” Buck suggests gently. 

Eddie doesn’t say anything. He tries. The call goes right to voicemail.

“He’s not… Why…” Eddie starts to sound a little frantic. 

“Maybe it was a butt dial?” Buck suggests. “And now he’s embarrassed?”

Eddie considers this, but Buck can see the panic continuing to rise in him. Buck is sure there must be a perfectly normal, albeit disappointing, reason for the call. But he can’t say so, because the doorbell rings. 

“That’s the sushi,” Buck assumes. “I’ll be right back.”

Eddie nods mutely, still staring at the phone.

Buck hops up to go answer the door. The delivery guy is just supposed to leave the bag at the door and leave, but Buck finds him sort of lingering at Eddie’s stoop. He’s a younger guy, early to mid twenties? He looks sort of spacy, looking around. When Buck opens the door, he turns to face him, wide-eyed. 

“Hey,” Buck says, reaching for the bag. “You good, man?”

“I…” He starts, releasing the bag of food to Buck without complaint. “I… Can you hear that?”

Oh, fuck. This again. 

Buck steps outside the house and closes the door behind him. 

“Hear what?” He asks cautiously.

“The song,” the man says. “It’s like… It’s like a song.”

“A song?” Buck plays dumb. “Could just be the TV. We’ve got it pretty loud.”

Not true. They’d actually had to keep turning it down, for Buck. Everything feels obnoxiously loud today. 

“No,” the guy shakes his head. “No, it’s… It’s something else.”

Shit. Oh, shit.

“Okay, well you can go now,” Buck says. Harsher than he’d usually be, but he cannot have a repeat of Tommy. 

“But-” 

“I’m serious,” Buck interjects. “Time to go.”

The man blinks, looks at the door, and deliberates. Buck steps in front of the door handle and crosses his arms. This seems to be enough for the guy. He shakes his head, like trying to shake it free of water, and then turns around to leave. Buck waits until he’s left the street to turn around and go back inside. 

“Eddie!” Buck calls. “We have a problem. The driver heard you from outside the house. I don’t know if it’s because you’re closer to the door than when Tommy was here or-”

“The song thing?” Eddie asks back. “Because I didn’t speak.”

Buck staggers a little as Eddie’s words reach him. The same liquid wax heat spreads across his body. Oh, fuck. Uh oh. 

“Oh, shit,” Eddie says. “How did…”

“I don’t know,” Buck replies. 

“But it’s happening?” Eddie asks.

Buck nods. 

“Uh, no offense, but I kind of just want to eat right now,” Eddie mumbles. “Not that today hasn’t been really great, I just-”

Buck doesn’t even wait for him to finish before he walks the bag of food over to Eddie and begins arranging it on the coffee table in front of him.

“Uh…” Eddie says. “Okay…”

“If you want to just eat that’s what I want to do, too,” Buck answers sort of automatically. It feels true. 

“Buck, wait a second,” Eddie pleads. Buck freezes. He feels very still for exactly a second, and then relaxes a little. 

“Sorry,” he mumbles after a second.

“Don’t you be sorry,” Eddie replies, exasperated. “I hate that I’m doing this to you. Why am I doing this to you?”

“I-I don’t know,” Buck admits, as his brain desperately scrambles for an answer. He needs to figure it out if Eddie wants it figured out.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

reading roundup: April 2024

oh my god you guys I've read SO MUCH this month!!! I got BIG into reread N.K. Jemisin's tremendous Broken Earth trilogy and it's been jaw-dropping, and I have been reading a HEAP of comics and manga a

on the extremely off chance there's anyone following me who doesn't think comics, manga, graphic novels, etc don't count as "real reading" lmao lol get out of here??? you're on the Reading 1000s of Pages of Old Batman Comics blog. go feel the whimsy of reading a whole graphic novel in one afternoon and maybe you'll calm down.

ANYWAY!!! what have we been reading?

Earthdivers Vol. 1: Kill Columbus (Stephen Graham Jones, Davide Gianfelice, Joana Lafuente, 2023) - Stephen Graham Jones is one of my all-time favorite authors, and I was super excited to check out his first comic series. Earthdivers takes place in the wasteland of the 22nd century, where four Native survivors have hatched a plan to try to stop the disasters that are killing the world: use a time-travelling cave to send one of their number back in time to kill Columbus before he can launch the colonization of North America. it's a one-way trip, and the time traveler will have to be ruthless to achieve their goal. beyond the attention-grabbing hook of killing Columbus, this story dives (you see what I did there) deep into an exploration of what it means to sacrifice everything for a cause and find the will to be ruthless in pursuit of the greater good. I'm not 100% sure I tracked all of the twisting threads of time travel in this first volume, but the hook is compelling and Gianfelice's art is beautiful, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the series progress!

Spoiler Alert (Olivia Dade, 2020) - at this point I've written 8000+ words about this book on my patreon and it's becoming difficult to figure out what else to say or how to say it briefly. this book ties itself up in knots with its contrivances and makes both of its protagonists look dumb in the process. I don't like either of these people but - spoiler alert! - I still think April can and should do better. Olivia Dade please call me I just want to talk.

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 1-3 (Ryoko Kui, trans. Yen Press, 2017) - I don't need to explain Dungeon Meshi. surely you've seen the gifs of Dungeon Meshi. all that matters is that I fucking love Dungeon Meshi, this shit rules and it's going to be so hard to hold off on reading Volume 4 while I try to prioritize some other books first. this world is great, the characters are a delight and a joy, and the way that Kui is so fascinated by the food and biology and exploration of adventurer fantasy tropes in her world makes my brain go wheeeeeeeeee!!! I'm having so much fun.

The Fifth Season (N.K. Jemisin, 2015) - historically I've very seldom reread books, but I'm starting to think that I need to change my stance on that. revisiting the Fifth Season years after I first read it, with the time to really enjoy it and also the maturity and perspective to actually appreciate what Jemisin is cooking, has enhanced the experience immeasurably. a thing that really struck me this time was how artfully Jemisin depicts the way orogenes are conditioned and groomed from the jump to be subservient and scared and willing to settle for life at the margins of society; it's not something that I could totally understand the nuances of when I read this book fresh out of my first year of college. this novel and its sequels are so brilliantly devastating, I cannot say enough great things about them.

My Pancreas Broke, But My Life Got Better (Nagata Kabi, trans. Jocelyne Allen 2022) - I did it, I'm officially caught up on all of Nagata's works that have been translated into English! and man, I'm still worried about her. the experience of reading My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness hasn't quite been replicated for me; I think that was a once in a lifetime event, although I've certainly found a lot that I relate to in Nagata's subsequent struggles to sort of out anxiety, independence, art, and figuring out what kind of relationships she event wants to have in her life. at this point I feel like I'm just reading the illustrated life updates from a friend I haven't seen in a long time who stresses me out because her life is a mess. which is still interesting! but god I hope something good happens to this woman soon.

The Obelisk Gate (N.K. Jemisin, 2016) - The Fifth Season is a book about the end of the world and of one woman's personal apocalypses that happened prior to that. its sequel, the Obelisk Gate, is a book that's extremely preoccupied with the tedium of figuring out how to run a halfway-functioning society in the midst of the apocalypse, which is genuinely fascinating stuff. and it's also a book about the fear and desperation and sheer levels of exhaustion that might drive someone to decide that, fuck it, maybe the world should end and we should be done with all of this, actually. it's also a book about devotion and dependence and destruction and devouring people you love in a VERY literal way, which it must be said is pretty sexy. the stuff that pops off between Essun and Hoa in this book makes me think of Octavia Butler in the best way; I think she would have adored them. I'm so excited to get to the final book and see how this all pays off, because the first time I read it I barely understood a single goddamn thing that was happening.

I Hate This Place Vol. 1-2 (Kyle Starks, Artyom Toplin, Lee Loughridge, 2022-2023) - a short and spooky comic series that wraps up in two tight little volumes. I have some gripes with the pacing, but it makes for a fun afternoon read. a mid-tier streaming service is going to adapt this into a live action series within a couple of years, mark my worms. personally I'm fancasting Mackenzie Davis as Gabby and Samira Wiley as Trudy.

[chu-diaries]

100 days of ghibli life: day 1/100

here I am again with a new challenge lol. dealing with depression and anxiety has been tough, so I thought of an easy summer challenge that will help me romanticize my days enough to make me feel a little happier.

main goals of this ghibli life challenge:

to start having little joys in my daily life again

to create a routine that I can be proud of (yes, chu, you NEED to start taking care of your garden again before all you have are weeds and two very persistent boldo plants)

to prepare myself to have a happy 30th birthday (the plan is for this challenge to end on April 23rd, one day before my birthday)

things that will happen during this challenge and for which I should be excited or prepare myself in some way (hey, dopamine and serotonin, I'm talking to you):

January 11th: my cousin’s birthday

January 14th: neurologyst appointment

January 15th: philosophy semester planning meeting

Early February: my annual check-up

around February 22nd: my brother-in-law’s birthday + my first niece will probably be born on that day!

February 26th: psychiatrist appointment

still no date: new semester of philosophy! (probably in February too, though) + my mother's surgery

questions I want to answer at the end of this challenge:

Did I make any new friends irl or do I still feel alone?

Did I discover anything new that filled my days with joy? (artist, anime, series, book, hobby… anything)

Did I change something in my routine that made me proud?

Is there anything I failed to accomplish that I would like to include in the next challenges?

let’s move on to what will be tracked in this challenge:

🧹: did I do household chores or clean my house today? (inspired by our #1 cleaning lady Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle)

🌳: did I have any mindful moments? (inspired by Kusakabe family admiring that giant tree at the forest on My Neighbor Totoro)

🍜: did I cook something with love today? (inspired by Lisa’s ramen on Ponyo)

✍🏻: did I do any handmade work today? (inspired by Mahito’s bow and arrow on The Boy and the Heron)

🫖: did I make myself a tea break? (inspired by Zeniba’s tea party on Spirited Away)

🐈‍⬛: did I work like I would make jiji proud? (obviously inspired by our #1 employee Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service)

🏔️: did I have any adventures today? (inspired by Ashitaka’s journey on Princess Mononoke)

📚: did I study today? (inspired by our official lo-fi girl Shizuku from Whisper of the Heart)

🏃🏻‍♀️: did I work out or run or did yoga? (inspired by Taeko’s work out at her school on Only Yesterday)

🎈: did I play or have fun with reading books, listening to music or watching something at the tv? (inspired by Kaguya playing with her cat on The Tale of Princess Kaguya)

i am also keeping these very useful personal records:

🩸/🌹/🔥/💥/🥀: in which day of my menstrual cycle am I today?

💧: how much water did I drink today?

🛑: did I resist the urge to pick at my face?

If anyone wants to join me in this challenge, I'd love to see your posts tagged #100 days of ghibli life. You can also tag me, no pressure :)

[darkbluekies]

Suuuper excited for the Christmas one Shot blue!!! Can't imagine what horrors await darling with Edmund at Christmas time :|

Currently thinking of this dea of a stubborn reader who really dislikes that they've got feelings developing for Edmund, but still craves his attention. So they make sure mistletoe is hung in every doorway in the castle so they have the excuse of it being a tradition to rationalise wanting to kiss him :)))

Also if the oneshot isn't done by Christmas it's all good! I'd take it in Easter if needs be lol

i'm planning to have it done by 20th so it can be published ... the 22nd? maybe?

That's a little how this darling is this time! Darling is civil with Edmund, kind of, and he is a happy guy (but there will be JEALOUSY in the oneshot GASP) so they're getting along. Darling even dares to joke on his expense!!!!! And maybe some mistletoing .... maybe....hehehe

[cosmicstarlatte]

𝕆𝕓𝕖𝕪 𝕄𝕖 𝔽𝕝𝕦𝕗𝕗𝕥𝕠𝕓𝕖𝕣 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟛 🎃

-Hands you a warm drink & treat- A few silly things coming this October! ^^

◇— PUMPKIN CARVING.︱Bulleted Fic, Demon Bros+Dia, Humor

OCTOBER 1ST. The guys want to join the human tradition of carving pumpkins! How does it go?

◇— COSTUME SHOPPING.︱Demon Bros+Dateables, Humor

OCTOBER 8TH. You go costume shopping with the guys. Should be easy, right? :)

◇— BOBBING FOR APPLES.︱Ranking, Demon Bros+Dateables, Humor

OCTOBER 15TH. You explain the fun in bobbing for apples. Some look excited while some look unamused. ― Most to least likely to bob for apples!

◇— FAVE SEASONAL TREATS.︱Headcanons, Demon Bros+Dateables

OCTOBER 22ND. Just short headcanons on seasonal treats. ^^

◇— OCTOBER INCORRECT QUOTES.

◇- Asmo's Halloween Costume (rated T? Lol) ◇- Beel's Candy Dilemma ◇- Dia's Dilemma

⬅Back to Masterlist (mega) ◇ Pinned Post ➡

[swampstew]

Snapshot of what's to come this month!

Memes on memes on memes - got some fresh lols for ya on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 16th, 18th, 20th, and 30th (and October 2nd and 4th).

GIF Requests and SwampStew Bedtime stories - posting some requests I've had in my queue on the 10th and 12th. Other drafts I've been working on will post on the 24th and 26th. I may add more depending on how much I can get done in the meantime, but I want to make sure my October plans will allow for it :)

KillerCook baking challenges - gonna try some easy recipes to hopefully drum up excitement over at @killercooksblog - we hope you participate for the tasty treats! Chellenges will be posted on the 8th and 22nd, with submissions of challenges due the 14th and 29th.

What's the Magic Word? - y'all! This is it. Chapter 33 will post on the 23rd, and then last two chapters of the book will post on the 30th. Pinch me, I can't believe it's here. 2 years in the making. I'm gonna pass out. Believe in your dreams.

Thank you for being on this journey with me and I hope you enjoy my delusional drabbles!