#i dunno man something about being a product of no love through hundreds of generations isnt really something a child wants to know about

[anqaspond]

i love looking at weirdos who write arranged marriage fanfiction with extreme contempt. fuck you actually :)

[boop-le-snoot]

skin starving

tony stark x f!reader fluff. no warnings, just a few f-bombs. touch starved tony’s third person pov. words: 2,5k. no beta because i just really needed to get this off my chest.

recommended music to go with the story: two feet - 'love is a bitch' & 'quick musical doodles'. Or any lo-fi hip-hop radio really.

It started as an itch. At first, a small but bothersome thing, that kept him up at night, steering the already unreasonable hours of wakefulness into dangerous territory. The cold of his bed was unappealing and more often than not, he’d started passing out on the flat surfaces nearest to him: workshop, lab, common room couch, the lazy boy in Bruce’s apartment.

The team noticed, of course, they weren’t blind. They all had been on edge the first few months after Pepper left him. They expected him to act out, lock himself up in his lab or go back to his old habits of boozing and bringing home a different girl every night. And he had tried that, once or twice, but airheaded twenty-somethings weren’t appealing anymore. Most of the time their ass kissing and blatantly flattery annoyed him further into self-loathing abyss. He simply couldn’t step up to be the kind of man they described him to be - it seemed as if every woman on planet Earth had a whole list of expectations he specifically could not meet.

With Thor off planet, not one remaining person on the team was particularly touchy-feely. And that was the thing with Tony Stark: as an engineer, as a mechanic, he made his way through the world hands-first, every approach he had was hands-on. During late nights and early mornings, he laid in bed, sleepless and dreamless, desperately refusing to admit his own touch starvation.

Whenever Rogers threw an arm around his shoulders during a particularly successful team bonding activity, it took every ounce of willpower Tony had to not lean into it and purr like a cat. He hadn’t truly forgiven Steve for his cold, cruel words of criticism shortly after Pepper’s departing. He wasn’t going to chummy up to a man who thought him selfish, opportunistic and self-absorbed.

Tony became irritable and withdrawn. He simultaneously craved and avoided even the casual, friendlier attention his teammates gave him on a daily basis. His usual snark became that much more biting, having caused several people to storm out of team meetings.

On a cold autumn morning, Tony had found his way at the tower’s Starbucks on the employee floor. He had squeezed a generous five hours of restless sleep and he was sick of the plain black coffee in his kitchen. A spontaneous desire for something sweet and creamy and caffeinated led him to the place in line at the cafeteria, only a few early birds ahead of him.

Tony’s brain was hazy as it had been past few weeks, dull from the lack of rest and the hyperfixation of his own skin feeling alien to him. For once, he wasn’t typing away on his StarkPhone as he usually did to avoid being bothered; Tony stared straight ahead, unseeing, nothing but white noise in his usually racing brain.

Two women stood in front of him and he couldn’t help but overhear a part of their conversation.

“… Are you really horny or just lonely or touch-starved, though? I mean, Tinder? It’s not really your style.”

“Eh, I dunno. Probably the second but it’s not like men go on Tinder to find a cuddle buddy.”

“Well, maybe? I’ve heard about arrangements like that.”

“No offense, babe, but it’s probably kids in their early twenties. Those gen-z’s, babe, are weird. I’m not really up to date on all of that.”

The topic of the conversation was what piqued Tony’s interest; the world liked rubbing salt into his wounds and hysterically laugh at his misfortune. Bleary-eyed, he briefly scanned the two women: both appeared to be interns or junior techs in his company, evident by the purple employee badges hanging from their bags.

“So what are you going to do?” One woman asked the other as their turn to order took Tony one step closer to obtaining his desired caffeine.

“Unless someone normal magically appears with an offer of no-strings-attached, good ole’ snuggle fest, I guess I’m getting dicked down on Saturday,” The other replied with a teasing tone. The lack of excitement in the last part of the sentence was obvious.

“Gross,” The first one shook her head and hurriedly rattled off her order to the barista who looked about as disgruntled as Tony felt.

Hours and three coffees later, Tony’s overactive brain was still stuck on that woman from the cafeteria. Her back, her purse stuffed full of colorful manila folders, her neatly gathered hair - Tony Stark had nearly perfect memory and he remembered every single detail despite his brain fog. Objectively, she was attractive, no more no less than a different dozen of women he’d seen at any point in his life before. So why was he hung up on her?

It didn’t take him a long time to find her file, faster than he’d liked to admit. Manually sorting through hundreds of interns, lab technicians and various second-tier employees wasn’t exactly considered productive but with Pepper and her nagging out of the picture, Tony could afford to slack off a little bit.

So he found her name and her e-mail address, skimmed over her performance report with satisfaction, finding her to be a busy bee in the 90-th percentile. Her superiors considered her trustworthy, hard-working and communicative, all good traits.

Pepper’s absence meant he’d have no one to cover his ass should he get slapped with a harassment suit; however, he was the Tony Stark after all. He had more money that he’d cared to count and an army of lawyers at his disposal 24/7.

Amidst the jumbled mess of wires, circuit boards, tablets, empty coffee cups and the occasional piece of paper, Tony typed up an e-mail to the woman sharing his… Condition.

“I heard you and your friend talking at Starbucks. I could use a cuddle buddy. Wine and Netflix at my place? What’s your takeout preference?”

No. That came off way too creepy, like he was some kind of a dirty eavesdropper.

He contemplated some more, typing up and erasing multiple e-mails with various proposals: his penthouse, her place, a three Michelin star restaurant, a walk in the park. Almost all of it screamed ‘date’, like he’d drag her off to bed the very moment an opportunity wouldn’t present itself. It wasn’t so: Tony Stark, the playboy genius, had his dick firmly tucked into his pants. The thought of fucking her crossed his mind only briefly, quickly being chased away by the thought of her fingers running through his hair. Her warm, soft body in his arms. Just laying on his couch, eyes closed, reveling in each other’s arms.

Tony hit send on the least obnoxious option. He baited his breath, clicking his fingers in anticipation as the message showed itself to having been delivered.

“Mary, is this you trying to be funny? Stark is going to fire you if he finds out you’re impersonating him to stop your friend from going on a questionable date. Grow up.” Came the very prompt reply, ending with a short string of angry emojis. Tony could totally trust a person who used emojis unironically and generously.

“For the record, I wouldn’t be mad if somebody pretended to be me for the sake of saving their cute friend from a creep. The problem would be making it look credible.” Tony typed up the answer without thinking, quickly snapping a picture of himself holding the Starbucks cup with his name written on it, throwing his usual sloppy peace sign. He attached it to the email and hit send.

“WTF” Came the reply not a minute afterwards. He let it sink in, giving the woman some time to gather her wits. She did not disappoint. “Okay, even if we pretend this is real - which I doubt - what’s in it for you? If you heard our conversation, you surely know my stance on the matter.”

“I’m always glad to prove you wrong. I’m a genius - comes with the territory.” Tony simply couldn’t resist adding a generous dose of snark. “You’re welcome to meet me after clocking out. Use the private elevator, my AI will beam you up.”

The reply took a considerably long amount of time, seeing as previously, she typed back rather quickly. “Please don’t be a creepy rapist, Scotty. Fingers crossed.” Tony managed to almost break his stylus twice. His hands shook, and he had to tell himself to breathe - still, he laughed at the clever way she replied.

Several more hours later, during which Tony had nearly paced a hole through various floors on the residential side of the tower, he took a quick shower, dressed in a flattering but comfortable designer sweatpants and polo combo and made himself at home on the obscenely large living room sofa on his own, private penthouse floor.

He was up and running towards the elevator when Friday’s voice notified him of the woman entering the elevator on the employee floor. Tony tousled his hair, adjusted his glasses, fiddled with the drawstring of his pants.

The woman was wearing casual office wear, pants and a loose blouse, a lab coat loosely draped over her arm and her purse hanging off the shoulder on a thin strap. Her hair was loose now, a little frizzy as if she continuously ran her hands through it. Tony quietly rejoiced at not being the only nervous one.

Clever eyes scanned the room with unhurried interest before finally landing on him. “Not too shabby, if I say so myself,” The corners of her mouth tilted in an attempt at a smile, it was obvious she was studying him.

“Thanks, I try my best,” Tony smirked. Humble he was not. “So, how do you want to do this?”

“I see a comfortable couch,” She looked to be grateful for being given the opportunity to lead this interaction. “Let’s park our behinds on it, bicker for ten minutes about a movie choice and settle on one none of us really like. Then we can tell each other our no-no zones and, well, yeah,” She started out confidently. Probably practiced in the elevator. But towards the end, her shyness took over.

For Tony, it was kind of cute. A nice change from suck-ups that flocked him at every social gathering in hopes of getting something out of him. The woman that had tossed her bag carelessly on the far end of the couch and untucked her blouse looked and felt like the exact opposite of those people. She looked willing to give.

Tony sat next to her, keeping a couple of inches of free space between them. “Food preferences? Food allergies?” He asked, tapping the food delivery application.

“Nope, and I will eat just about anything.” He felt more than saw her side-eyeing him. Both of them were jittery. So uncharacteristic for Tony, to be blushing and stammering like a high school boy. Sex was easy, but intimacy? Complex. It was addictive and eventually, painful.

Movie decisions were surprisingly easy and she said so. They settled on a Tarantino classic, an old flick neither of them had watched in a long time. As the discussion progressed, Tony used his wits to find out more about her without making it seem like an interrogation. He had run a background check on the woman and her family but those only went that far, besides, it was a great opportunity to practice the tips Natasha had shared with him at one point or another. Being friends with spies had it’s perks.

They ate their food until their bellies were full. A comfortable, relaxing stupor, being warm from the inside out.

Tony noticed when the woman spoke, she spoke with her hands. She had caught herself grasping his forearm multiple times when they’d got more passionate about their discussion. And what Tony loved the most was that she refused to apologize. He saw a kindred soul in the woman; quiet until something struck her fancy. Then, she became a whirlwind of ideas and opinions.

In no time, it became a natural action to extend his arm and wrap it around her shoulders, reclining backwards. There was little grace in laying belly-up like a dead fish but the woman didn’t seem to mind. Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she laid down sideways, throwing a leg over one of his own.

Her palm traced the outline of his arc reactor when something on the screen caught her in a moment of intense interest. Tony preferred to avoid the cursed thing - scars around it definitely did not do any favour to his aging, marked body - but he found himself exhaling the tension when it was obvious the woman really did not care. An occasional quiet hum of satisfaction was the only noise that came from her: he noticed the sound escaped her lips every time his thumb began fiddling with the sleeve of her blouse and rubbed against her arm.

He was quite content. It was warm, he was surrounded by so much warmth.

The hug was mutual when she left home, both of them comfortable with the gesture for people who had met in a rather unconventional way.

She started coming over a couple of times a week, a quiet evening of the best takeout in NYC and (mostly) interesting movies. A solace, always a single e-mail away.

Tony saw her in the cafeteria once or twice; he appreciated the brief, tiny secretive grin she gave him out of her friend’s eyesight. She never approached him. He was grateful for that. He didn’t want to deal with all the drama and all the fuss surrounding incidents between him and his employees. It was nobody’s business what any of them did after clocking out - and him and his cuddle buddy, they weren’t even fucking, for Thor’s sake.

Maybe they would get there someday. Or maybe they won’t. It was only now for Tony. The rare free Saturday night he had, he truly took a vacation from all the bullshit and lured her in with promises of very expensive wine, her favourite New York style pizza and the willingness to entertain watching a few of those funny YouTube videos she liked.

They did watch them and Tony didn’t mind. He stepped over the irrational fear and the initial discomfort and curled up around her, hiding his face in the soft cotton of her worn hoodie, his own breath tickling his face in warm puffs. The hand running through his hair was tender like it never was with Pepper - his ex was far too preoccupied to baby her grown-up boyfriend. But the woman moulded to his body like an extension of himself was happy to do so. Tony’s hair was longer now and it glided perfectly along the woman’s palms.

His heart was steady, thumping in his ears, overshadowing the noises coming from the TV. He exhaled and felt her other hand begin tracing circles on his back, as if she saw the stress and the bitterness leave his body with every caress, every brush of their bodies. Maybe she did?

He held onto her, held her back like she’d held him. Safekeeping the warmth inside of him. Guarding his peace.

[kensboytoy]

Barbie’s Hair Salon

Title: Barbie’s Hair Salon Fandom: Beetlejuice The Musical Pairings: Beetlejuice/Reader (Gender Neutral) Ratings: General

“And he was like ‘No way you can shove this baby Sandworm up your nose’, so I was like ‘Uh yeah, I totally can!’ And then I-”

“Beetlejuice,” you whined softly as his fingers ran along your scalp to get the hair dye to stick to your roots.

The demon had practically begged you to dye your hair something bold after you had mentioned liking his mood ring colours and how they suited him. While he couldn’t give you the same effect, he was desperate to make you look just as crazy as him. Which wasn’t a big vote of confidence considering how his own colour clung to his dirty, shaggy mound of fluff. It was cute in a trash sort of way but on you? Well, you had some doubts.

“You don’t have to help, you know. I told you I was just gonna go to the salon to get this done-”

He gasped, feigning shock with one hand over where his heart should be.

“A salon? I didn’t know that I was talking to high society!” The demon decided to mock you in that annoying voice he loved to do when belittling your ‘breather’ opinions. “Oh, I’m sorry Your Highness, I didn’t know you wanted to blow three hundred smackaroos when your b-f-f-f could do this for free.”

[Continue Reading or Read on AO3!]

You shrunk in your seat, feeling a little bit guilty. That kind of money to blow on something so frivolous? You felt bad for even suggesting it.

“I just meant that you didn’t have to be the one to do it, y’know. Didn’t wanna bug you with it,” you admitted sheepishly.

“Oh, honey, I used to dye my hair back in the day with fuckin’ Kool-Aid,” he snorted. “Now I just go to Hot Topic and pocket this shit for free. Waaaay better. Doesn’t make me wanna eat my goddamn hair now.”

“Beetlejuice!”

“What?” The man pouted at you, jutting out one hip to give you that level of sass you came to know and love. “Oh, stealing from a big corporation! Such a bad man I am! C’mon, babes, I’m a fucking demon. We’re not exactly kosher with trying to score brownie points, alright?”

You pinched the bridge of your nose in irritation. One day you’d go to that store and ‘accidentally’ leave them a wad of cash in Beetlejuice’s wake so the idiot didn’t get those poor kids fired.

“‘Sides, we’re so close to a whole new you! You’ll get more personality from my craftsmanship than some prissy know-it-all.”

Sighing, you let him continue so he would stop his pouting. You wanted to tease him about just how personal he was taking this but you kind of didn’t want him to fry your hair in revenge for making a stink. He’d do it too, the asshole. You’d be coming out looking like a fried Doc Brown if you weren’t careful. It wasn’t really the look you were going for this season.

Beetlejuice mumbled nonsense to himself as he circled around you while you sat idly. Maybe doing this in a kitchen was a dumb idea but he had insisted on washing your hair out in the sink. But you hadn’t noticed that he had let the dirty dishes stack up, Beej trying to use this as an excuse to get his one chore done while pretending he was being thoughtful. You’d yell at him upon finding out that your bowls were dyed the same colour as your hair.

Whenever you fidgeted, he swatted at you like an irritated mother scolding a kid for getting into the cookie jar. It was your turn to pout up at him but he seemed too preoccupied to care. You huffed and tried not to feel how sore your ass was from sitting in the same spot for what felt like hours now. It had taken ages for that bleach to soak in but at least this was the final step.

You actually didn’t know what colour Beetlejuice had chosen for you - he had insisted it remain a surprise until he blow dried your hair himself.

“No peeeeeking,” he crooned as you tried to sneak a glance in the reflection of your fridge. “It’s almost done, babes! C’mon, you have more patience than me don’tcha?”

“I dunno, Juice. You’re being such a tease about what colour you chose that it almost seems suspicious.”

“Suspicious? Me?” He chuckled and set your hair up under a showercap to allow you to move freely without worrying if dye would get all over the floor. “I told you I’d pick the colour that suits you the most! You don’t have trust in me?”

You rolled your eyes and strolled into the living room. He was right behind you, moving you out of the way so he’d get first dibs on a seat. You didn’t mind because you promptly sat down on your side and stretched out all over him. He gave a groan of protest but soon hooked an arm around you to cuddle as you lazily flipped through the streaming channels you had to watch something.

It didn’t take very long for you to nod off, remote slipping out of your hand and clattering onto the floor. Beetlejuice had watched you, more intrigued by you than whatever trash you had settled to watch. He smiled at how sweet you looked curled up against him. It made him feel so protective of you. You were his little breather.

Once enough time had passed, you were jostled awake by the impatient being.

“Baaaabes. Baaaaaabes! Wake up!”

You jolted upwards, snapping out of it instantly. A groan left your lips as you rubbed the side of your face that had unfortunately been pressed right to his suspenders. The red mark left in its wake made your flesh a funny new pattern that would wear off soon enough. You rubbed at it before blinking wearily up at him.

“C’mon, babes. Enough beauty sleep! We gotta wash that shit out and doll you up nice an’ purdy,” he finished in a southern twang.

You already felt like a doll the moment he picked you up by the shoulders and hauled you back into the kitchen. Trying to rub the sleep from your eyes, you let out a yawn only to be met with the stinging cold of the water shooting out of the faucet attachment. You let out a yelp of protest before Beetlejuice held your head firmly into place.

“Stop squirmin’ or you’re getting waterboarded instead.”

Annoyed, you shut your eyes tight and held your breath in case he wanted to make true on that threat.

His hands massaging your scalp felt like heaven in your dazed state. You leaned into his touch and were quickly rewarded with his nails scratching you gently. Beetlejuice knew what made you tick by now and head scratches were definitely in the cards. A happy sigh as the water grew a bit warmer - lukewarm to make sure the colour wouldn’t wash out so easily the first go around. You were surprised that the demon actually knew how to maintain, well, anything. He didn’t exactly seem the patient type.

The demon watched you curiously as he washed out the dye. He wanted to have a bit of fun to lord over your head. Your hair tangled in his talented digits and he gently tugged the curls. You let out a groan at the feeling, liking all the fussing he was doing. Chuckling, he splashed your face with water before pushing you up so he could drain your hair of extra moisture.

As tenderly as he was able to, he toweled you off. You felt like a cloud was encasing your entire head.

“... did you warm this up?” you asked, a bit surprised at the tender gesture.

“Well, you wanted a salon treatment, babes. Thought I might give you somethin’ you’d miss out on.”

He winked at you and you felt your heart flutter. The bastard knew how to be charming when he wanted to be.

Beetlejuice hauled your chair across the room, ruining the moment by making the most godawful sound as the legs of the chair scraped the floor. You put your hands over your ears before you heard the loud whirring of a blow dryer. Heat graced the back of your neck, sending goosebumps along your arms and a shudder down your spine.

You were lost basking in the warm glow, taking in the breeze as a welcome change from the gross splashes of sink water. Even when he blew it in your eyes to make you flinch, it still felt good enough that you wouldn’t knee him straight in the nards.

Once your hair was properly dried, you felt his fingers running through your hair, coated with some sort of gel. You wanted to oppose the idea of any product before you saw it but your curiosity was definitely piqued. Finally, you were ready. All of it was ready to be unveiled so you sat in your chair, wiggling around like their were ants in your pants - or perhaps a centipede or two that had escaped from Beetlejuice’s pocket.

Pleased with his work, he finally retrieved your hand mirror and showed you the final product.

“Taaaadaaaaa!” he sang out, a third arm slipping from his torso to do jazz hands with the one not holding the mirror.

What you saw left you speechless.

And not in a good way.

“Green?!” you barked, almost falling back in your seat at the sight. “Beetlejuice! That’s your colour! You said you were doing something special for me!”

He looked almost offended and quickly rolled his head around to mimic your whininess.

“I did do somethin’ special! Hey, not everyone can pull off the look.” Beetlejuice smoothed his own hair back and grinned a toothy grin. “And besides, babes, we know that green already looks so good on ya.”

Before you could continue your staunch protest of his choice, he had managed to catch your lips in a surprise kiss. Your complaints were muffled and your cheeks burned a deep red.

“See? The colour brings attention to just how sweet that face of yours gets when you’re all embarrassed.” He laughed loudly and took your face in his hands, planting another kiss right on your lips. “I gotta admit, I thought I was the only one who could pull that look off. But it looks so damn good to see a little bit of me in - uh, on you.”

There was a saucy wink before he moved behind you to cuddle from behind, his stupid face looking at you through the reflection of the mirror. You sighed. There was no way you could stay mad at that face too long. He could get away with murder and you wouldn’t bat an eye. You knew what you were signing up for when you turned him loose.

“Fine,” you replied with a huff. “But I get to style it a different way. I don’t want to do that gross couple thing of matching.”

The demon didn’t refute the request and instead made a row of fine hair care products dance in front of you midair. You chose the right gel and took a pair of scissors, demanding that he hold the goddamn mirror straight for one second - to which he replied: “Babes, me? Straight? I pity the thought! And the fool.”

You shushed him and began your work. He watched on with eager eyes lighting up as he began to get the idea. Without any word, he grabbed the scissors and an electric razor and finished the job for you. When you were done, you admired the well trimmed faux-hawk he left in his wake. You gave a little whistle before he leaned in.

“So, like it now?” he inquired, raising one eyebrow and biting his lower lip like a beaver.

Pulling him down by his tie, you planted a kiss right on his cheek and nuzzled against his scruff. It was his turn to change a different colour, his green tinted more pink now. He let out a girlish giggle and scooped you up into his arms bridal style. As much as he could get on your nerves, you knew you loved the infectious smile and happiness this idiot demon brought along with his wild schemes.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day One Hundred Ninety-One: The Patent Office ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Itachi ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

A few days after arriving back in his hometown, Sasuke decides to finally ask Hinata if she’s ready for him to come work.

After bumping into her completely by accident, and then arranging some volunteer help with her new flower shop business, Sasuke’s finally ready to speak to her again. He’d been so taken aback by just so happening to run into her, he’s admittedly put it off for a bit. After all...it’s not every day you come face to face with your high school crush.

A crush he...really isn’t over, apparently. Seems his time traveling the world and learning photography didn’t fully bury the feelings. Because they popped back up like spring daisies the moment they locked eyes again.

He still feels a little bad...he sort of dropped all forms of communication with his old classmates post high school. True, he hadn’t had many true friends...and he and Hinata weren’t exactly best buddies. And it’s not like she’s the only one he hasn’t spoken to in ages. But the general feeling of being a distant jerk remains. After so long with such poor luck with “dating” (he never did have a girlfriend in high school...she was the only one he ever had a crush on, and her sights were always elsewhere), he thought traveling might help him forget, or at least find something new.

But instead he developed a new passion, and it let him shift his focus for a while. A silly high school crush, after all, isn’t anything to cry over once you graduate. Especially since he hadn’t even worked up the guts to admit anything…

And even now, he’s not sure what to do about it. They haven’t spoken in years, and even in school that was rare. The stupid love square they were in meant everyone was preoccupid by the wrong person. Didn’t help her own object of affection got married almost immediately after high school. Sasuke had gotten roped into being the best man, but she hadn’t been there.

...not that he blamed her.

So now, here they are: two practically strangers thrown together after so long. With Sasuke partnering with his brother for several projects, he’s back in town for about a month. And he, running his big mouth, offered to help her with her newest pride and joy: a little flower shop just a few blocks from his brother’s place.

Funny how that worked out…

Breaking from his thoughts, Sasuke takes out his mobile and sends her a short text.

Need any help today? I’m free.

Before he can slip it back into his pocket, he can’t help a small jolt as it jumps in his hand. Huh...someone’s a quick replier.

Sure! Head down any time u want!

Huh...that was easy. Moving downstairs, he gives his brother a small wave. “Heading out for a bit.”

Itachi blinks. “...will you be back for dinner?”

“Probably - why?”

“I thought you might like to go out to eat, since we’ve not had a chance to do so yet.”

“Oh, uh...sure. Just text me when you wanna go, I’m not going far.”

“...oh?”

“Got a little part time gig down the street.”

That seems to get his brother to brighten. “...I’m glad! I’ll let you know when I’m ready, then.”

“Cool.” Giving a mock solute, Sasuke heads out and takes a quick pace down the sidewalk.

It’s funny, he grew up on the other side of town, so despite being home, not much here is familiar. Itachi insisted on remaining due to the town’s artful focus. As a musician, it’s suited him well. Hence Sasuke being ‘hired’ by the orchestra he plays with to take promotional pictures at their shows this season to sell as prints and use for posters. It’s actually a pretty sweet gig, especially since it almost means one long visit with his brother...and no rent for a month.

Hence why he can afford to volunteer a few hours at Hinata’s. Poor thing’s been running her new little business all by her lonesome. While he can appreciate the drive, he’s worried she’s working too hard. Maybe by the time he leaves, his help will convince her to hire on someone else to help reduce her workload.

At the corner before the store, he perks up. Several people linger outside, admiring the displays and heading inside to see more. She was right: she is getting good business. Makes sense: it’s that plant growing time of year.

Heading in, he finds her behind the counter, helping a small line of customers as others take to perusing her goods. While she’s bright-eyed and clearly enthused, he can see a small lag to her frame that betrays some exhaustion. Hinata doesn’t notice him at first, too involved with her clientele, so he hangs back for a bit until they find a lull.

“Hey.”

“Oh! Hey!” She gives a crooked smile. “Things are hopping!”

“I can see that. What do you need me to do?”

“Well, um…” Teeth nibble her lip in thought. “...I guess for now, you can help with inventory…? I think we’re doing okay, but if anything looks low, there should be more in the back you can grab. I’d have you help juggle customers, but…” A sheepish glance. “You...probably don’t know about the flowers, or...anything, r-right?”

“Not really, no.”

“Okay...that’s fine! Just having another pair of hands will be a b-big help!”

He starts by familiarizing himself with some of the basics, noting what looks to be running low. Thankfully he’s got a good visual memory, and it doesn’t take much to head to the back, find what looks right, and bring up more to fill the emptying shelves. Larger items like heavy pots and cement edgers for flower gardens he helps pack around. Her shop isn’t that big, and there’s a noticeable lack of carts or trolleys for carrying large or heavy loads. He might have to suggest that.

Overall, Sasuke has to admit...he doesn’t feel like he’s all that much help. Hinata, being the only expert, still has to handle all the questions, the till and the prices, and taking custom orders for bouquets to make later. But they get through the day well enough, Hinata turning off the ‘open’ sign with a weary sigh.

“Is it like that every day?”

“Nearly,” she admits, a hand at her neck. “If the w-weather is bad, it keeps people away. But nice days like this get pretty busy.”

“Sorry I couldn’t do more…”

“Oh, no no! You were a great help! I’ll admit, some of that heavier stuff is rough…”

“Any way you can get, like...carts to carry things?”

“I should, yeah…” Another sheepish glance. “I have a very long list of “‘should dos’, to be honest.”

“Like hiring some permanent help?”

“...maybe…”

Before they leave, however, Hinata drags out a pot from behind the counter, carefully tending to the plant inside it.

“...what’s that?”

“This,” Hinata explains slowly, concentration mostly on her task, “is a new breed of flower I’m trying to germinate.”

“...wait, like...a whole new species?”

“Mhm. I’d...well, I’d explain it, but…” She gives a soft giggle. “I’m...guessing you might not find it very interesting.”

“Interesting, yes. Something I can comprehend...probably not,” he easily admits. “Not really a plant person. You’d have better luck with my mother, honestly. But it...looks pretty.” A hand gestures, earning a small snort from his companion.

“Thanks...it’s supposed to be a tribute to my mother. She inspired my love of flowers, so...it’s meant to be a thank-you for that. Something that...reminds me of her. I’m hoping I can get them stable and maybe sell some. Sort of help...spread her love, and mine.”

Sasuke softens at that. “...I take it she’s...gone?”

A somber nod. “She died when I was five, a w-while after my sister was born. She had medical complications, and...only lived a few weeks after that. But before she died, she taught me about plants, and how much she loved them. She always had a big garden that would be so full of flowers, the backyard was like a rainbow...and it always smelled so sweet…”

“...well, you’ve accomplished that,” Sasuke murmurs. “I stopped when I got here because everything smelled so good. And the plants you had outside were beautiful.”

“Thanks…”

“So if you do make a new...specie, can you patent it? Or somehow mark it as your own creation?”

“Maybe! I’m not too concerned about that, though. Mostly it’s a personal project. I’m not looking to make it into something big, or worth a lot of money.”

He gives a nod.

The pair lapse into silence for a time. “So...did you want to try to sell some of your pictures here?”

“Huh?”

“The ones you took of the flowers! I thought maybe people might buy them here!”

“Well...I could try. Maybe make a few prints and have them on the counter. I think most people are here for the real thing, though.”

“Well, not everyone has a green thumb,” Hinata laughs. “And that way, they’d have the pretty blooms all year! I bet they would sell!”

“...I’ll have to give it a try.” Smiling, Sasuke then jumps as his phone buzzes. Seems Itachi’s ready to go have that dinner. “Well...I better run. Meeting my brother.”

“Okay! Next time you’re free, let me know! Maybe during a day off, I could...show you more about the products? So you’re more familiar.”

“Sounds good.” Maybe he’d be a better help that way…

Leaving her to lock up, Sasuke exits the shop only to pause as Itachi pulls up to the curb in his car. A window rolls down to show a knowing smile.

“I had a feeling this was the place,” Itachi muses.

Pouting just a hair, Sasuke hops in. “...it’s something to do.”

The elder brother doesn’t reply, still smiling as he drives them off toward dinner.

                                                       .oOo.

     OKAY, all caught back up as I should be xD      Ngl this prompt was kinda like...what? But I managed to...kinda tie it in to this piece, lol - I dunno how patenting really works, but apparently you CAN do so with new plant species, according to google! Don't worry Sasuke, I wouldn't understand it either xD (Also, this is a sequel to day 135, if you're interested!)      Anywho, it's way past bedtime for this nerd - thanks for reading!

[tigerlover16-uk]

Anime I Need to Watch (March 2017 update)

I was debating whether I should do these list updates at the start or end of each month, and whether it was worth updating it right now since I only made that list a week ago. But, I did want to add some things I forgot, and I’m too impatient to wait until tomorrow or the end of April. So, screw it, I’ll do this now and update these lists at the end of each month.

There’s not a lot of stuff that needs updating, but so far I did manage to watch a few things. I’ll describe what anime I’ve watched this month and how I felt about them briefly down below.

First off, I finished Trigun. And honestly, I really enjoyed it... but I’m not sure if I’d put it in my top 10 anime just yet.

I dunno, I enjoyed the series and it was really good, but something about it just kinda felt like it was really good, but not great. But I think this is a me thing, I’ll admit I’m not really a big fan of westerns and there wasn’t much wrong with Trigun, it’s a really good show with a lot of heart, good action, okay comedy and some good writing. There’s some stuff that made me pretty emotional too, and I really like Vash and Wolfwood’s characters (Meryl and Milly were just kinda okay to me). I really don’t know, maybe I just need to re-watch it again when I’m in just the right mood. I enjoyed Trigun a lot, don’t get me wrong and I’d gladly re-watch it again sometime. I’m just a little confused that I feel I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I should have, but I can’t really describe why I feel that. Maybe it’s just hype backlash or something.

I also got a chance to watch the Fist of the North Star movie from 1986, since Linkara recently got around to reviewing a chapter of the manga through patreon request I thought I might as well watch something from this franchise. Aaaand...

It was alright.

Yeah, the movie was firmly in the realm of okay for me. It’s pretty clearly dated and with the way a lot of it’s written you can definitely tell it was a very condensed version of the manga story, a lot of stuff could have been fleshed out and explained better, and the fights were really nothing to write home about. And that ending felt so forced and out of nowhere.

But that said, the movie does have it’s charms as an 80′s action flick. I liked the heroic characters well enough, and while I don’t usually like ultra violent and gory stuff, this film did make it’s gory action kinda fun in how over the top it got. And while the production values haven’t aged well, there is something charming about the film’s animation, there were plenty of cool moments and some good music.

So, yeah, nothing special and the film has some problems and could be kinda dull, and a tad stupid and confusing at parts, but I enjoyed it. I also decided to watch the first episode of the Toei anime adaption of Fist of The North Star and I enjoyed that a bit more, so I’ll probably watch the whole anime at some point soon after I get through the next two shows I’m watching. However long that takes.

Most notably, I decided to start watching Yu Yu Hakusho, which my buddy @dbzebra considers his second favourite anime after Dragon Ball. Seeing how we share a lot of the same interests and I trust his judgement, I decided to give it a watch. I just finished the whole first season, and so far, I’m LOVING it!

Honestly the show got me hooked by the end of the first episode, and it’s only gotten better since. I’ll probably go more into detail on my thoughts on this one in next months progress report, since it’ll probably take me most of April to finish the show considering it’s over a hundred episodes, but honestly if it keeps being as good as it’s been so far, it’ll easily make my top 5 favourite anime by the time I’m done, maybe top 3. I really love the characters, the story and just the general feel of the show. So yeah, thanks DBZebra, I probably wouldn’t have watched this if I didn’t know you liked it so much.

So, yeah. That’s my anime bingeing progress for the end of March. So far my plan for April is to finish Yu Yu Hakusho and also get back to Shokugeki No Soma (Food Wars!), an anime I was watching on the suggestion of my friend Hayley566 and I was really enjoying, but I got distracted after watching episode 9 and I haven’t got back to it. I hope I’ll finish it by the end of the month. After those shows I’ll probably go with something shorter, like Yuri on Ice or One Punch Man.

I also just got the Ghibli movie Only Yesterday in the post today, so I’m going to watch that right now. I’ve also ordered the dvd’s for Akira, Pokémon Destiny Deoxys and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, so I’ll have watched those movies soon, and hopefully more before the end of the month.

And again, I welcome any recommendations I get from people. Not that anyone’s really interested in hearing me ramble on about my stupid viewing habits, but oh well.

One Punch Man (Seen four episodes a while back, looks good)

Mobile Suit Gundam

Outlaw Star

Cowboy Bebop

Digimon Frontier

Digimon Data Squad

Digimon Fusion

Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s

Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal

Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V

Sailor Moon (Watched the entire first season and was about halfway through season 2. Should really get back to watching the full series)

Sailor Moon Crystal

Yu Yu Hakusho

Ranma 1 ½

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (2012-onwards series)

Hunter x Hunter (2011)

Fullmetal Alchemist

One Piece

Astro Boy (Any series. I just want to be able to say I’ve watched something from this franchise).

Kill La Kill

Gurren Lagann

Fairy Tail (What? Why’re you looking at me like that? I like cheesy stuff like this, alright!)

Little Witch Academia

Tenchi Muyo!

Death Note

Yuri On Ice

Fist of the North Star

Soul Eater

Code Geass

The Devil is a Part Timer

Food Wars: Shokugeki No Soma (I watched about 9 episode, need to catch up)

Your Lie in April

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Mob Psycho 100

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Phoenix Wright anime

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid

Movies:

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Your Name

Garden of Words

Paprika

Tokyo Godfathers

The Boy and the Beast

5 Centimeters per second

Millenium Actress

Only Yesterday

Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro

The Digimon Adventure Tri Movies

Yu-Gi-Oh: Bonds Beyond Time

Yu-Gi-Oh: The Dark Side of Dimensions

Half of the Pokémon movies

Akira

Ghost In The Shell

Memories

Perfect Blue

Naruto: Ninja clash in the Land of Snow

Naruto: Legend of the Stone of Gelel

Naruto: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom

Naruto Shippuden The Movie

Naruto Shuppuden: Bonds

Naruto Shippuden: The Will of Fire

Naruto Shippuden: The Lost Tower

Naruto Shippuden: Blood Prison

Naruto: Road to Ninja

The Last Naruto Movie

Boruto Movie

[thecloudupblog]

Q&A With Music Artist Scooty B Cruzin

1. Where are we talking from today? A. I am currently living and working in Nashville, TN. I have lived in this area for over 6+ years. 2. What would you like to accomplish in 2019? A. I started this year with utter determination to release an EP/album of really any genre, just to dedicate my life music. I have a passion for hip-hop and alternative rock and made a commitment to get at least one of many projects publicly distributed. As of September 2019, I have sent a 6 song hip-hop/rap EP, called “The 3-2-4 Mixtape”, for commercial distribution through Amuse. I would like to finish the year promoting this record heavily and reaching the largest potential audience imaginable. 3. What is your take on politics? A. My take on today’s political climate is based on what I see in the real world. Generally speaking, I think the American people are not being told the full gravity of some situations such as global warming and being oversold on other issues such as gun control. As a former college student hailing from a small town raised in a medium-income family; I can tell you that there’s a large group of young people that are struggling with personal debt. I will flat out tell you that I do not agree with what’s happening at the border, as that’s more of a humanitarian issue. 4. Where did you get your artist name from? A. Back in 2017, I remember telling my girlfriend at the time that I was going to take my hip hop aspirations more seriously and that I needed a name. I thought about where I worked, which was at Bird scooter company. My name is Brandon. So viola! 5. Growing up, how important has music been in your life? Can you recall the moment when you decided that you wanted to be a musician? Was it an easy or difficult choice to make? A. Music took to me as a child as birds take to the sky. I was never really especially talented, but I spent everyday idolizing the gods of performing arts: David Bowie, Prince, Gaga, James Brown, Jackson...people that were music personified. I remember buying the first guitar that I bought with my own money, and life never was the same. I couldn’t even play the thing but would put on “shows” in my bedroom. In high school I started project after project, band after band, trying to get people to work with me on becoming great. Nothing came out of it but the drive to keep going till it happens. All along the way, I learned new skills such as producing and new styles. Music isn’t a choice for me. To quote Jack Nicholson quoting John Lennon in the departed: “Give me a tuba and I’ll get something out of it”. If I never make a dollar from music it’s still my lifeblood and I can’t ignore it. I tried. I have a degree in mechanical engineering, and I still call myself a musician first. I don’t remember any specific moment where I decided to dedicate my life to music, but I do remember being down on my luck and watching one of Tai Lopez’s “motivation videos” and him saying “your purpose is you childlike curiosity for any particular subject”. For me it is music. 6. Was there ever a time when you thought about doing something else? If you weren’t a musician today, what could you see yourself doing? A. I have a degree in mechanical engineering cause I thought for a very long time that engineering was my path. Sometimes I still do, and my resume is still out there. But that’s only because my mom and dad wanted me to have a plan other than my dream as a musician. I mean it’s not like I got through engineering school without having some interest in the subject, but always when I should have been studying I was listening to beats or writing lyrics. I still could see my self as some freelance engineering trying to build the first iron man suit, but it’s not me to be in the office fetching coffee. 7. What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career? What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all? A. I wouldn’t call it a surprise, but it shocked me sort of to learn how bigger labels acquire talent and how the whole commercial album production process goes. You start reading about all the big names that had been in the music industry forever but didn’t make it big till they producing material for themselves. Not everyone starts in the garage handing out demos on the street. A lot of these guys have been writing for other people for years. Sometimes for me, that translates that getting your foot in the door is a matter of luck more than anything and it can be a while before someone worth mentioning hears your song. 8. What was it like putting together your EP? A. After you been writing/playing music for a while, you kind of get this attitude that no matter how it sells, I’m going to have fun and be true to myself. I’ve written at least a hundred songs that’ll never be heard, but happy to play to friends to family if I can remember them. Putting together my current record is no different. If it gets a 1000 commercial plays I’ll be happy, cause it’ll always mean more to me than anyone else. It’s my hard work on display, and I love the piss and vinegar as much the reward. 9. Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you still love to work with in the future? A. My favorite artist at the moment is Chance the Rapper. Going through his catalog I’ve found that he adores the opportunity he’s been given and is determined to get his message out there, which is “life is God”. I believe Hip hop was meant to tell a story and all the greats are good storytellers. My idols are Jay-z, Biggie, Rakim, Ghostface...they taught me how to keep faith, keep my head up, and make money. I would love to work with any of today’s greatest storytellers including Chance the Rapper and J-Cole 10. What has it been like keeping up with your social media accounts and all of the different platforms? Is it hard to stay up to date on it all? What would you say is your favorite way to connect with your fans now? A. For me keeping up with the socials is the hardest part of it all. As a painter all you want to do is paint, and let the auction house be in charge of putting it on display. I understand the importance of reaching out to fans and keeping up with the chatter, and I do my best. However, for me, it’s more like if you leave a message or a comment regarding a song I will send you a heartfelt reply of thanks and keep it moving. I need to work on engaging fans in a manner that makes them look forward to my future work. Right now my best method of communication is Facebook and Instagram. 11. If you were going to be stranded on a deserted island, what musical item would you take with you and why? A. A guitar of some sort would be nice. I could record a catalog's worth of serenades while slowly dying on the beach. 12. If your music was going to be featured on any TV show that is currently on right now, which would you love it to be on? Or if you prefer, what is a movie that you love that you wish your music was featured in? A. Eh, I don’t watch a lot of TV but 50 cent’s Power has a lot of hype. Maybe the huddle song for an NFL team, I dunno. 13. At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music? A. I just want the world to see me for what I am and what that is is a songwriter. Maybe even a pretty prolific one at that. As far as my message: Be yourself, and speak on what you know. If all you know is bad relationships, sing songs about bad relationships. If all you know is God, sing songs about God. 14. When you are not making music what else do you enjoy to do? A. Can’t help to ride a scooter now and then. And I will always enjoy writing and watching other musicians perform. 15. Where you @ online? A. You can find Scooty B Cruzin on Instagram, Facebook, Bandcamp, Reverbnation, And Twitter. I have releases on Apple Music and Spotify.