#i know toddlers are 3 but i don;t care

[martincrushcameback]

Toddler AU where a CPS malfunction makes Chris a toddler instead of turning him into a baby animal.

[pumpkinheadspacestation]

I'm a diabetic little nd I been takin care of it on my own since I was little and I have type one nd, recently I been thinkin bout a cg doin it fer me

(If you have medical trauma or are sensitive to medical related things or diabetes related things please scroll now)

Site: a spot for a insulin pump

Pod: Omnipod, an insulin pump

Bloods/bg: blood glucose

Dexcom/cgm: continuous glucose monitor

Insulin: a hormone created by your pancreas to control glucose in your body

Little baby is low and very smol:

"Aww, hi, babyyy~ how old are you right now?" I hold up just one finger and curl up in bed, sucking on my paci then bub comes over and scoops me up, cuddling me "aww, sweet pea, do you feel okay? You're shivering an awful lot" I huff at him and pout before he kisses my forehead and checks his phone, looking at my blood sugar "hm yup, it looks like your blood sugar is a bit low, lovie, what do you want for a snack?" I whine and shake my cuppy "do you want some juice, little one?" I nod and he lays me back down on da bed while he goes and gets me some juice. "Here we go, tiny baby, I put it in a bottle too because you're much too small to drink from a sippy cup" I rub my eyes then take the bottle as dada scoops my up and cuddles me again, making sure I drink all the juice to bring my bloods up before I fall asleep

Toddler is upset by site change and high blood sugar:

I stomp and pout "Nooo! I don wan t change my sitteee!" "Baby, you've had your pod off for a while, you'll feel icky and sick if you don't change it, dada can help you too, little one" I huff and tear up then dit on the bed next to me dada "I don't wannaaa, dada!" I whine "I know, sweet prince but we need to change it okay?" I huff and nod "can we check your blood sugar while we have all the things out, baby?" I nod again, still pouting as bub takes my finger and wipes it before pricking it and holding it to the meter, once it looks it reads 487(md/lg) "oh my goodness, sweet boy, your sugars are really high, let's get a new site on you and check for keytones too okay?" I don't wanna do it but I nod. He helps me change my site, wiping my leg and filling the syringe and filling my pod, priming it them putting it on and holding my hand before the 1... 2.. 3... Pop! And it's in. I tear up again and he hugs me "it's okay, sweet boy". He helps me do a correction and soon after the insulin kicks in, I start feeling better "dank wu, buba"

Or even as simple as having to have a shot because I have keytones and my blood sugar is too high like him giving me my shot then letting me pick out a cute kiddy bandaid then kissing it better because I was so tough and brave and it hurt.

Or going out in public over the summer time for the few weeks I take a pod break and having him help me wiv m shots when I tiny

It seem like liddol m wouwd be very happy becauses I always had t do it by mine self when I was a liddol kid nd havin a dada hewp make me feel really smaw an loved an safes

Okay bye bye lov u aww, tanks fer readin

[adamarinayu]

Since I can’t draw right now (it’s like 1 AM) I decided I’d just write things down about Domestic DUno AU (I still don’t have a proper name for it!!) so here we go~

Info below the cut to spare the mobile users my ramblings~~

BACKSTORY STUFF 

-Donald first became PK as a teenager (14 or 15), pulling petty pranks and avenging perceived wrongdoings. He ended up accidentally becoming a hero after stopping a thief and unknowingly saving a young girl’s life, and he realized he could direct his temper, anger and frustration not at making other people miserable, but at protecting others. Gyro, who went to school with Donald (Donald and Della attended a private school that would accommodate their adventure schedule; Gyro, being the absolute genius he is, attended on a scholarship) was there and ended up helping, being the one to inadvertently provide PK with the weapon he fended off the criminals with. PK talked to Gyro and the two became partners in crime-fighting that way.

-After deciding to become a hero, it was small-town villains mostly that he dealt with. Thieves, and the like. He didn’t start fighting mutants and those kinds of things until he was 17 or so, and the Evronians didn’t show up until he was 18. This is when Scrooge gave him a summer job at his newly acquired tower, figuring since Donald didn’t want to go with him and Della on a three-month adventure (as Donald was needed in Duckburg, he couldn’t be gone for three months!!) then he may as well work and earn a little money. As Duckworth was still alive, Duckworth was in charge of the manor, so Donald didn’t need to worry about upkeeping the mansion.

-Donald met Uno after a failed attempt to fight the Evronians, and they partnered up, with Uno providing Donald with otherworldly advanced tech that Gyro... would probably understand if given the time and chance (come on, he built a time machine out of a bathtub, he could totally understand future tech). After the first battle with the Evronians that Donald eventually wins, he realized that the game had just just 10x more dangerous. Between working on his doctorate and interning for Scrooge’s science department (something the scientists working for Scrooge were salty about), Gyro didn’t have much time to work on new and improved inventions for PK so when Uno contacted Gyro about him stepping down from helping PK, Gyro agreed, acknowledging that the mysterious Uno Ducklair would probably be a better benefactor for the hero. He didn’t know PK’s identity, though, so he didn’t take the memory erasing candy. Instead he focused on his work.

-Years passed this way, with Donald and Uno working together. Of course Donald had his other adventures, such as with Jose and Panchito and Mickey and all them lovely folks, but Uno was his closest confidante and biggest supporter. He was the one he vented his frustrations with Della and Scrooge to, and the one to give him advice on how to deal with it and talk to them about it all.

-At some point during this time, Gladstone finds out Donald is PK. Of course it happens in the typical Lucky way- him finding out saved Donald’s life. Gladstone is shaken up by the knowledge that his cousin/brother is in danger every day and has almost died multiple times. Gladstone becomes a sort of third member of the whole Crime Fighting thing, yep, you heard it right, Cloverleaf is real here. He figures if he’s out in the field with Donald, then Donald will never die because of Gladstone’s supernaturally good luck. Uno, while frustrated with Gladstone’s unpredictable and illogical luck, accepts this. Donald is less keen because he doesn’t want Gladstone in danger’s path but when the gander makes up his mind it’s made up, yo.

-PK and Cloverleaf (CL from here on out) and Uno work together for 3 years before the Spear of Selene incident, where Donald is suddenly left with three eggs. Donald’s priorities now shifted, he quits being a hero and buys the houseboat so he can raise the triplets without Scrooge’s influence. Gladstone does what he can to help while trying to continue to protect Duckburg, and while watching CL on the news Donald has the sudden realization that Duckburg still needs him- new parent or not. So he (metaphorically!!) throws the eggs into their pram, rushes to Ducklair Tower, begs Lyla to watch the eggs for him and rushes off to CL’s aid. 

-After the danger is over, Donald collects the eggs, thanks Lyla for her help, then meets up with CL and Uno on the 151st floor where they have a serious conversation. Donald acknowledges that Duckburg still needs PK, but Della’s children also need him. The three eventually come to the conclusion that the kids would be raised by PK and Uno there in the Tower, where they would be safe- and they would be trained so they’re ready for anything thrown at them. (Gladstone is actually the one who is like “nah cuz you be their dad I’m not cut out for that, I’ll be the cool uncle, I don’t wanna live in the tower! No offense Uno” so it isn’t like Donald just decided to leave him out of the parenting)

-The eggs hatch and Donald names them sensible (AKA not Della’s list) names (and pronounces Llewellyn correctly dammit) and Donald and Uno have a time learning hands-on how to be parents. (“I’ve read twenty different parenting guides in the last five seconds and they’re all saying different things, Donald, WHAT DO WE DO-”) The whole “raising kids together” thing brings them even closer than before and forces them to have a chat about their feelings, too. 

-When the triplets are small and starting to run around, Uno baby proofs everything. He has a hard time keeping them from escaping their playpen (which is essentially a huge room with an amazing view of the city, he doesn’t know why they’re so intent on escaping). Then eventually the inevitable happens- both Don and Glad end up stuck on the other side of the world for nearly a whole month, and Uno realizes taking care of three toddlers is much easier when you have a body. So while they’re gone, he balances his time between advising them on their mission, taking care of the triplets and building an android body that can handle an AI as advanced as him (throw out that “an AI who is only good could never make a full person” shit cuz Uno can be petty as hell, he’s a whole ass person even without Due yo). By the time Don and Glad get back he’s testing his prototype. Donald is thrilled, of course- his boyfriend has a body now!

-The triplets gain a sister! Everett brings a child to them one day, a little Coronan girl who was for reasons I haven’t decided yet cast out of her family and Everett, with his weird Enlightened Powers shit, went and found her and brought her back to the people he knew would take care of her well (considering his own past failures...). And so the triplets have a little sister who is an alien! Yee! Yes it’s Asveya (Ve). She came to them when she was ~2 and the triplets were 3 or 4, and as she didn’t have a name Donald named her after a friend he met as a child, when he regularly adventured with Scrooge and Della, and whom he ended up meeting again as a young adult.

-Uno perfects the body over time as he learns more things about being a person (he very purposefully leaves out pain receptors, though he includes the best parts of being a physical person ofc- he wants his cake and he wants to eat it too!). Everett decides now that Uno has a body, it was time to introduce him as his son officially and hand the business over to him (stating that it’ll be good for the kids if at least one of their parents had a proper job and income, since savings don’t last forever), and as the kids get older Donald begins training them so they’ll be able to take care of/protect themselves if need be. Uno creates a training field/obstacle course that is fun and age-appropriate, and by the time they’re ten they’re like little superheroes in training. They can give Webby a run for her money. Ve is less interested in being like PK and more interested in being like Uno- AKA the techie behind the gadgets.

-The triplets are already playing with some rudimentary pieces of tech Ve made, playing like they’re superheroes (or villains, gotta have someone to fight!). Uno finds out when he reviews the Tower footage and immediately confiscates anything that can be dangerous, but lets them keep the more innocent stuff.

MODERN DAY STUFF (AKA the time the show takes place)

-As the kids got older Donald and Uno allowed them more freedom, even letting them go out on their own (with the promise of being back before dark, not telling anyone what their parents did for a living, they all stuck together and they didn’t speak to strangers beyond what was necessary). When the triplets were 10 and Ve was 8 or 9, Uno learned that a powerful artifact (not the gem) was in Atlantis and that if a villain got their hands on it, it would be... very bad. So Donald decides it’s time to put on his metaphorical adventure shoes again and go get it. By this time Gladstone got trapped in the casino (Uno has been looking for him, after not hearing from him for over a week) and Uno had a Big Business thing to attend, real important too, so they talk about getting a babysitter for the weekend they’ll be gone. The kids manage to convince them they don’t need one, as they’ll be safe in the 151st floor (“We’ll be safer there than anywhere else, right, Uncle Uno?”). Donald tried to call Lyla but she was unfortunately in the field, so he agreed to let them stay home on their own until Uno got back (Uno did the math and figured he could stay for a few hours to just make a good faith appearance, talk business with some stooges and then come home the same day).

-Of course, the kids get caught. Uno had already left out for his business thing at like 5 AM, and Donald was about to head out to Atlantis in one of the Duckmobiles. He happened to check on a whim the back of the mobile, where he found his surprised ducklings staring wide-eyed up at him. He knew then that he needed to cash in on a favour- he called Beakley and then drove the protesting children to the mansion. (“Come on, Unca’ Donald!” “It’s a mansion! We wanna go to the lost city, too!” “Come on, we’ve been doing real good in training!” “Please, dad? We promise we’ll listen!”) The excitement over meeting THE Scrooge McDuck is overshadowed by the disappointment that they can’t go on this mission.

-Besides, who cares about a mansion and a rich adventuring duck when your parents and uncle are not only rich adventurers, but they’re also superheroes???

-Donald gives them a forehead kiss goodbye and heads off, and Scrooge has Beakley put the kids in that old room. “It’ll only be a few hours” they said. “Until Uno gets back.” Unfortunately, Uno calls Louie and tells the duckling there’s been a problem and he won’t be back until later- Donald already informed him of the changed arrangements and he’s already contacted Beakley.

-The kids decide to escape the old room, putting their hero training into action, but are ultimately swept up into Webby’s trap. Webby is super excited to meet them when she realizes who they are (though she has no idea who Ve is), and she cuts them down from the net without them having to escape themselves. The kids know they’re not supposed to let anyone know about the “hero family” thing so try to act like normal kids, though it becomes apparent Webby doesn’t know how to be a normal kid either.

-Through shenanigans, the children inspire Scrooge to adventure again, and Dewey lets slip about lost cities and Scrooge has a moment of realization. Thus, he drags the kids to Atlantis with him. While there, the kids each get a chance to show off their moves (which they’re SUPPOSED TO HIDE but you know, when arrows are flying at you ain’t got no time to hide). Donald is pissed when he notices them in Atlantis, and Uno is pissed when he calls Donald and learns the kids are in Atlantis, right where they are NOT supposed to be.

-Things pretty much follow the episode, though with the triplets able to hold their own and Donald gunning for a completely different artifact. When they escape and get back to the surface with their respective artifacts, they’re met by a livid android who absolutely chews Scrooge out for dragging four ten year olds and an eight year old to a dangerous place like that.

-Donald decides that it might be okay for the kids to visit with Scrooge sometimes, to get a little real-world experience, and at precisely that moment something crashes into the 151st floor of Ducklair Tower. Uno is absolutely furious (“MY TOWER???”) cuz that’s gonna take a bit to fix- at the very least it’ll appear to take a while- and when the kids question “what now?” Scrooge offers up some rooms in the mansion. The kids are excited cuz they’ll get to live with Webby and explore a new place. Donald and Uno say “just until the tower is fixed” (Gladstone had Donald’s boat at the time he went missing so Donald doesn’t have it) which is good enough for the kids.

-Scrooge being sus of Uno for like a whole arc cuz he’d never heard of Uno Ducklair before recently and also his nephew?? got married??? 

-Gladstone finally gets a message out to Don and Uno for help, and they go immediately- but not before Scrooge makes it a family adventure. Scrooge is disparaging of Gladstone, but Donald is just worried about his cousin. They manage to save Gladstone without pseudo-sacrificing anyone. Scrooge gets a little sus when they get back to Duckburg, and days later the missing Cloverleaf has shown up again. 

-HDLV ended up spilling the truth to Webby as she got closer with them, but they swore her to secrecy. Of course Beakley found out because Webby is a terrible liar.

**So basically Donald + Uno parents, a kid that calls them her dads, good Uncle Gladstone, Brotherly Gladstone + Donald, Competent Cloverleaf, PK + Cloverleaf teamup, little-hero triplets. Gyro will end up teaming up with Gizmoduck when Fenton takes up heroing, too, just like Launchpad teams up with DW (DW’s story for this AU will be different, also, just a heads up) and basically all their combined kids become a badass team of children (Huey, Dewey, Louie, Webby, Ve, Boyd, Gos, and of course Lena and Violet join in later...) Gyro teams up with Gizmoduck because every hero needs a tech guy (even heroes who are also scientists....) and he’s not only very capable, he’s worked with a hero before so he knows the ins and outs :D

However it is now 2 AM and I need to sleep so I’m gonna end my musings here but I am thinking of them so much right now I’m

[feminaexlux]

Stronger

Hey hey hey welcome to Part 3 of Miraculous Leap (Part 1). Part 2 is 5 Minutes

Ending this year with Lukanette again! Hoping it brings good tidings for 2021 (better than 2020 that's for sure)! Happy New Year!

FYI: Dewey = Dominic :)

AO3 link!

⁂

Ladybug brushed away her tears and smiled back up at Viperion. "Okay," she said shakily, nodding to indicate that she understood. "Okay."

They were in the past, or at least they were currently occupying their past selves. Hmm, how long ago was this? Ladybug looked back down at her suit and it was that ridiculous basic-ass red and black polka dot version. She didn't even have her wings. Okay, that narrowed it down to… younger than 16?

Ugh, that sucked. No one in their right mind would ever want to repeat their awkward teenage years over again, but… as much as she loved Dewey and wanted him with her at least right now she wasn't feeling like she'd swallowed a basketball. And she currently didn't have any back pain, which was a bonus.

Tikki, I need my wings, Ladybug thought at Tikki.

Tikki sounded a little startled to be pinged directly like she just was. Oh… um… Okay, Marinette!

She suddenly felt herself being wrenched away from Luka by another person before her wings fully manifested. "H-Hey!" She yelled out.

Chat had pulled her behind him and was aiming his baton at Viperion. "Don't touch her, you jerk! What did you do?! Why'd you make her cry?!"

"Chat… wh-what?" Ladybug sputtered. She heard Viperion growling under his breath.

"Are you okay, Milady?" Chat called out over his shoulder. Oh God, not this phase. She saw Luka clench his jaw and fold his arms but otherwise he was remaining still. Luka was pissed at the way she was being handled but he knew better than to step in and make things worse… Though Marinette knew he had a limit.

Ladybug sighed. "Chat, I'm fine!" Of course Chat wasn't standing down.

"Here's what's going on," Viperion said, sounding clipped. "This akuma controls time. Its power is to swap someone from a different time period in their life to here. Long story short the Ladybug and Viperion here now are from the future. I'm from the future. She's from the future. We're from the same future, since your LB and Viperion got hit with the same blast. We'd both been… taking care of someone, and it was terrifying that he wasn't here with us."

Chat was taken aback and reacted like he'd just been slapped. "Who… Both of…? No, nevermind. You guys… don't look like you're from the future," he said suspiciously.

Viperion took a deep inhale and long exhale in annoyance. "It was a mental swap. Sorry. Should have clarified." Thank God her husband had the patience he did. But oh shit--

"V! 7 o'clock!" Ladybug yelled out, pushing Chat out of her way. Ladybug wasn't 100% certain Viperion had access to all of his abilities so she had started to get her yoyo shield ready. Viperion turned in the direction she specified and caught the blast before it landed, reversing time itself and pushing the blast back to its origin. Okay, that question answered. Viperion had what he needed.

"Wow! What was that?!" Chat cried out in astonishment. "Oh holy crud, Ladybug, you--you can fly?!"

"Chat! Focus! We need to take care of this akuma!" Ladybug called out. The sooner they finish, the sooner she and Luka can get back to… She snorted to herself. What an awkward time for her past self to end up in.

⁂

(Back in the future…)

"I can't believe we have 5 kids," Marinette started laughing. It… oddly didn't bother her all that much. After all, with a certain someone she had imagined having up to 3. 5… was… well, definitely way less believable, but it didn't bother her.

Luka looked a little embarrassed and took a drink of his water. He just shrugged and sat down on the floor next to Marinette, pressing his back up against the edge of the bed. "I didn't have a plan for anything," he said sheepishly. "Just me and my guitar for… ever, I guess."

Marinette blinked in surprise. "You never planned to ask me out?"

"Didn't seem like you'd be interested," he said, raising an eyebrow at her question. "I don't mean for this to sound bad but… I don't know how we got…" He gestured at the room. "Here."

It's 'cause he thinks you're in love with Adrien, duh, Marinette chided herself. But… but was she… really?

"Wait… where are… the kids?" Luka asked.

"With my parents," Marinette answered. "Seems like they all go over pretty regularly," she said, showing Luka her calendar. Every 2 weekends she had an event called "Kids @ T/S," with the alternate weekends being labeled "Kids w/Granarka." Well, that was extremely nice of their parents to take on… "We must like these kids if we wanted 5 of them," Marinette mumbled to herself. She opened up her phone's photos and looked through the albums.

She noticed that Luka had leaned in a little to look over her shoulder. "Sorry," he said, pulling back.

"No, they're… yours too," she laughed. She angled the phone so the both of them could see.

"Harmony" was the oldest at 9, the most recent video had her playing a yellow electric guitar and singing on stage by herself at what looked like a small café. There were so many pictures and videos of her at these showings, and in a number of them it looked like future Luka was just offstage cheering her on.

"Melody" was second oldest at 6, and it seemed like she was a little copy of Marinette herself. Marinette couldn't help but smile down at the photos of her future second daughter dressing up and posing in various costumes and placing scrap fabric pieces together on the floor in make-believe designs. Apparently Marinette would have a protégé to call her own.

"Hugo & Louis" were the twin boys, still toddlers at 3. They always had silly faces on in all the pictures Marinette and Luka scanned. She had a video of future Luka tossing both boys into a ball pit and them giggling like maniacs, enjoying the airtime and landing in an explosion of brightly colored plastic balls.

And finally, "Dominic" was an album full of sonograms. Marinette patted her stomach. "Well, hello Dominic," she said. "I wish we met under better circumstances. I hope you're alright."

There had been another album labeled "Us" that Marinette scrolled through. Stills of future Marinette and future Luka together at award shows or at fashion events. Selfie videos of them sending jokes to one another. Pictures of future Luka working in his studio or playing his guitar or hanging out with friends.

Future Marinette adored him. Every picture had him smiling back or pleasantly surprised.

One selfie from several months ago had him with his arms wrapped around her from behind, leaning down to kiss her shoulder as she held up 3 different positive pregnancy test results in front of the bathroom mirror. Future them looked so happy.

Suddenly an awful, sinking feeling hit Marinette.

"We're not going to remember this," she said to Luka, and it was something like anguish that made her voice sound so raw. "Probably? Sometimes no one remembers what happened when the Miraculous Ladybugs reset everything…" She saw his eyes widen. "I don't… This… I-I… I want to remember this!"

His eyes widened further in surprise as both eyebrows went up. "You do?"

"Yeah! I mean, look at us! We're so… so… Wait… do you want… all this?"

Luka looked somewhat incredulous. "You remember I had zero plans, right? I didn't think about dating or marriage or kids." Marinette felt like a balloon (pregnancy aside) that just got punctured. For some reason her heart ached. "I mean… I never figured I'd get anywhere with you past being your friend. I didn't think you liked me that way at all. This? All this," he pointed at the pictures, "wasn't even a possibility." He closed his eyes.

Marinette wasn't sure what to say.

"Wasn't before," he said quietly, after a few moments. He started staring off into the distance. "Now? Do I want this?" He dropped his gaze to his left ring finger, then back up at her. "Yeah. Yes. But I don't want you to start liking me because of this. Futures aren't ever set in stone." He stared back off into space. "Honestly I want us to forget this. It's nice. Really nice. And maybe it won't happen. It'd hurt a lot to know what I missed out on."

Oh. Oh no. She'd been doing the Chat thing where she was barreling toward a specific outcome without thinking about the process or journey. Luka was right. Maybe it wouldn't happen. Not without her taking honest stock of her feelings first.

Did she want… him?

"It's supposed to lift you up and make you feel stronger." Chat had done that for her once. Then recently it'd been more like "Don't focus on the bad stuff." That didn't stop the bad stuff from existing.

Adrien had done that for her when he said she was the "Everyday Ladybug." And then it felt that no matter what she did he kept getting further and further away. And Adrien hadn't reached back out for her to help close the distance.

"Sorry," Luka said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Guess I'm just… worried."

Marinette looked at him. "No, you're right. It would be unfair if all I wanted was the result." She paused for a few seconds to think her words through.

"I'm not going to start liking you because we got to experience this future," Marinette began again. "I don't even know when it really started. I just know I already do. You've never made me feel like I was wrong. You've never made me doubt myself. You've never made me think for one second I'd have to watch the things I say and the things I do or pretend to be friends with the people who've hurt me. You've always let me be who I am."

He had turned to look at her, worry and concern etched in the furrows of his brows. But the edges had softened as she talked.

Marinette smiled shyly. "I know it's not going to be easy… and it's something we'll have to keep working on… but I'd like to find out how far we can go together." She held out her hand to him, palm up. "I want… us. An us… whatever it looks like in the end."

Luka searched her face for a few heartbeats and took a breath, seemingly content with whatever he found. He gave her a lopsided smile. "I want that too." He reached out and took her hand.

⁂

(The "past")

"Miracu--!" Ladybug was getting ready to launch her Lucky Charm up in the air when Chat stopped her.

"Wait! Wait wait wait. Please. Can… can I talk with you… in private? For a little bit, Milady?" Chat looked down at her pleading with his most pathetic looking kitten eyes and Ladybug sighed. She glanced back at Viperion, who cocked his head a tiny bit to the side and smiled.

Like Luka was shrugging a What can you do?

Marinette winked back a Won't take long, handed Viperion the Lucky Charm, and turned back to Chat. "Alright. The rules are I'm not going to tell you any details but we can talk."

Chat jumped over to another rooftop and down into the alley below, putting a few buildings between him and Viperion. Ladybug followed behind him, floating down with her wings. Chat leaned his back against the brick wall and folded his arms. "Did… I ever have a chance with you?"

Huh. Okay. Chat was more observant than she remembered him being at 15. "Hmm, yes," Ladybug answered. She knew who he was, after all.

"Then… I guess I screwed up," Chat said miserably. "I always thought we were made for each other, you know?"

"We might have been once," Ladybug said gently. "But we both grew up, Chat. Neither of us screwed up at all."

Chat furrowed his brows at that. "Is there anything I can do now to change?"

"You wouldn't be you, Chat." She walked over to him and pulled him into a hug, leaving a hand on his shoulder after stepping back. "I know it's not what you thought you wanted, but your future will still be amazing."

"Are… you happy?"

Ladybug had a serene smile, glancing back in Viperion's general direction with her hands now over her heart. "I am."

Chat stared at her for a bit. Something about the quiet conviction she had was more… meaningful than if she'd been animated about saying it.

There was nothing to prove to anyone. It was just the truth.

Chat sighed audibly. "Okay, Ladybug. Thanks," he gave her a small smile. "Sorry. You need to get back home, right?" Ladybug nodded. "Then let's get going!"

Moments later Ladybug and Chat Noir landed together in front of Viperion, who handed the Lucky Charm back to her. She threw it high into the sky and said "Miraculous Ladybugs!"

Ladybug reached out her hand and Viperion took it in his. They smiled at each other when the waves of ladybugs passed over them.

⁂

Ladybug blinked a few times, her brain a little foggy after being hit with that blast. She'd been trying to save Viperion from the akuma's attack… She must have been a little too slow. Wait, where were they? And Viperion was in front of her now, and he looked… okay?

He was staring down at something. When she looked in the same direction she saw that they were holding hands. A small part of her panicked and wanted to pull away, but… an overwhelmingly larger part of her… liked it? Viperion hadn't pulled away either. So she… didn't pull away.

"Welcome back, Viperbug," Chat laughed, his baton across his shoulders with his hands on either end.

"What… happened?" Ladybug asked, her cheeks slightly pinking as she kept a hold of Viperion. It just felt… kinda nice.

"There was something about the future," Viperion said, still staring down at their linked hands. "I feel like there was something important, but… I can't seem to remember."

"Yeah, you guys got hit by the akuma but we still managed to take care of it. Paris is safe again," Chat smiled. "I'm heading out. See you guys later!" he yelled out, leaping away after saluting.

Huh. It felt like Chat wanted to leave faster than usual. He didn't even stop for their typical "Bien Joué!"

"… I guess we're done here? Alright, I'll drop you back off at home," Ladybug said to Viperion.

⁂

(One day later)

"Hey Marinette," Luka said from behind her. Marinette yelped and windmilled forward, nearly falling over but quickly got back to her feet and spun on her heels to face him. "… Are you looking for Juleka?" He had a smile on his face… one part amusement by her antics and another part joy in seeing her.

She'd come onboard the Liberty and stood on the deck… there wasn't any real reason why, she just kinda… showed up. "Ah haha, um, no, no I a-actually… I was just um! Looking around! Yeah! The-The stage!" Oh God why did she say that.

Luka rolled with it, even though Marinette was certain he knew she just made that up. "Sure, feel free. It's good to see you."

"Too! It's you! I mean it's good to you! See you. Too," she laughed nervously. He moved around her and set his backpack down against the atrium couch. She slapped both hands to her face and cringed when she thought he wasn't looking at her. Auuugh.

"I'm gonna get a snack. Do you want anything?"

She jumped again, hiding her hands behind her back. "Oh! S-sure, thanks, that's great."

"Cool, do you want to follow me down and let me know what you'd like?" She nodded and went to the main cabin with him. She sat down at the kitchen counter bar and asked for juice, sipping it nervously when he sat in the seat next to her.

"I… I actually just wanted to talk with you," she said. "You… said I can just be myself around you." It had been hard to look at him so she just stared at her glass, feeling self conscious.

"Yeah, always," he said easily. He'd gotten some yogurt for himself, but he hadn't opened it up yet. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I… There was… You know…" she started, sighing when she couldn't get the words she wanted out. "I'm not sure how to say it but… have you ever gotten the sense that you… missed something really important? Like you got caught up in something… silly and there was this really cool person you passed by 'cause you were distracted." She finally looked up at him.

"If they're still around you still have a chance to say hi," he smiled at her. "People are pretty chill, and I'm sure they'd love to talk with you." He opened up his yogurt and took a spoonful.

Marinette was pretty sure she was blushing. "Y-Yeah, he's pretty chill. Soooo. Hah, um. Hi."

With the spoon in his mouth he got out a "Hmm?"

"Wanna… see a movie?" She should clarify. "J-Just us! No group!" She should further clarify. "A date! It's a date! I'm asking!"

He swallowed too fast and started coughing. At least he hadn't swallowed the spoon. "Ah," he laughed after recovering. "That sounds great, but…" Marinette's heart jumped into her throat. "I wanna make sure you're… sure," he said awkwardly. "Sure you're not… missing out on what you really want," he added, blushing a bit himself.

"Th-That's why… I'm asking," she said shyly. "I-I think… What I really want is… something new. Someone that helps make me better, you know? Makes me happy too. And… I've been thinking about you."

"Me," he said, sounding a little surprised.

Marinette nodded. "Are… are you… interested?"

He took her hand in his. "Yeah. Definitely."

[albino-whumpee]

Mareland 5

Back on my bullshit with the self indulgent series.

CW// Stockholm syndrome, manipulation, creepy whumper, slightly implied dubcon, dub con touch, captivity, non human whumpee, slavery, magic whump, death mention, grief. Ask to tag.

Salarien opened the theater with the ease of mechanical work. Learnt to the point there were no thoughts needed to grab the key, pull down the lever, check the doors, go to the front and unlock the glass door.

Usual mornings outside were crisp and gray, and today was no different. With some people already roaming the streets at the slightest light leaking through the thick roof of clouds. Everything was supposed to be the same when he found that in the other side of the street, maybe fifteen long steps wide, there were people finishing up mounting a box with red paint and golden lettering that said “Adviser for the unfortunate” in swirly, mockingly elegant strokes.

Salarien stayed still watching the box for a while.

As the actual sunlight finally bathed the narrow space to let him see clearly the person sitting inside the box. Salarien backed in a flinch. “It´s a doll” his brain provided spotting the cracks between it´s mouth and the glassy eyes below the thick curly black hair.

Salarien was still staring at it when his Master´s voice ringed on his head.

“There´s a client coming”

The white haired boy´s black ribbon jumped as he turned his hazel eyes from the doll to greet the customer, guiding them inside.

During the day, he found himself staring at the doll everytime he went to the entrance to receive customers. Sometimes waiting for the couples or groups that had asked for a reservation ahead of time.

That was the best moment to see the doll on action.

It moved slightly, elegantly to the people passing by. Trying to invite them to put a coin on the narrow entrance below. Some of them simply ignoring it and some even jumping at the sudden movement and kicking the machine before storming away in curses. The doll seemed unbothered. It was a doll inside a box after all. The box protected it from all the pain.

Sitting still, with a smile forever plastered on its face when nobody used it.

It took until past 3 o´clock to catch it on action.

Beautiful purple light forming as smoke inside the glass box. Wood hands moving around the glass sphere with enticing delicacy and mystery. The third eye on the doll´s face flickering slightly before it puffed it´s chest, inflating non existing lungs before it began explaining something to the person before the box.

Most of them seemed pensive, reflecting and even grateful for whatever words the doll told them before walking away putting the doll back into its unresponsive state of stillness. Others simply began shaking the machine in fury, before the owner ran back to the front to stop them.

Salarien saw the curly brown hair jump as the man who had done that to the doll screamed curses at him, running away from the broom on the man´s hands. Brown eyes nailed on them before he turned to the box and fixed the slight scratches on the sides with a flick of their hand, before looking at him.

Salarien had always been there.

He didn´t remember a time he didn´t wear his tuxedo with a ribbon on his hair. Or a time he hadn´t been his Master´s property. Everyday doing the exact same had allowed him to see the young couple move across the street. Have their children and grow old together as he welcomed customers. The cozy house quickly walled up with buildings and other kind of businesses. By the time the couple´s kid brought home her husband and their “The miscellaneous Artom´s magic shop” had gained enough popularity, it was the founder´s great-great-grandchildren who managed the shop.

Or more easily explained, the man´s parents.

Salarien had seen them all grow and wither, and he certainly didn´t expect that to change anytime soon, but it certainly brought him some joy to see them grow and sometimes even have the children wave at him with a smile. Salarien always waved back below his waist. Terrified his Master would pick up on him doing things that weren´t his duties. But after a little incident in which he had gotten distracted and waved at the black haired owner that time, and saw nothing happened, he knew his Master didn´t care.

In all those generations, the man with the white apron and curly brown hair was the only one who had trotted to talk with him.

Some of them were terrified. Hearing stories of the white haired in tuxedo who never aged and their grandparents talked about too. Immortality was rarely achieved between mages, and the receiver of a theater didn´t make it seem like he was a high exponent of magic. Or so Salarien thought.

“It´s your face” the young man had said once, biting on a peach Salarien couldn´t eat, but kept on his pocket to give his Master later. It kind of pained him as Arlo had been excited to bring two for him to eat. Proud he had grown them himself with magic. “Grannie never stopped saying your face was similar to a ancient magician. He never made anything important anyways, but he wrote a lot of books we run out of stock every week. Probably just her being senile tho´. Don´t mind it”

“What is that magician´s name, Arlo?” he had insisted. Arlo eyeing him from the wall he was leaning on before looking back at the shop.

“Merlin Atkins” The young man whispered. “Rings a bell?”

Salarien shook his head, touching the tender peach´s skin. Feeling it under his fingerprints and looking at it with something close with hunger, but he knew better than that. He heard Arlo groan.

“Man it would´ve been so great if you knew him! So spooky! I would have an great story to scare my kids with! Just would have to start at night and then walk them here with you on full costume so on my signal you would just “BAH!” them you know?” He ranted, making the white haired smile. Genuinely a smile his Master didn´t force to get clients. Talking of which…

“Be welcomed to Mare Land, shall we get started on your adventure?” Salarien said in that refined bow Arlo wondered all the time how he wouldn´t crack his back after he did it that much. He pulled away from the brick wall and walked back to his store.

“See you around, Salarien!” he howled before a woman emerged from the window, his mother, and began shouting he didn´t get close to the theatre before he entered the store with a sigh.

Salarien on his part smiled to himself as he saw the delight on his Master´s face as he ate the peach. Even earned him a night sleeping next to him on the bed for bringing a present.

Back to the present, Salarien had then greeted Arlo the way a friend would. Not further thoughts as Arlo´s attention had shifted to pulling up his one year old toddler who ran out of the store. A mess of cherry blond curls and brown eyes babbling on her blue little dress for her father to hold her. The mother had been a precious client before sickness took her and Salarien had had to hold himself of doing something stupid like trying to walk out of the store when he didn´t see Arlo coming out in months.

He seemed to be recovering as he waved at him and pointed at the box with the doll with a frown. Waiting for him to shrug before pulling his lips up. Tired eyes with bags underneath, showing wrinkles on the sides. Slowly walking inside with the toddler on his arms facing Salarien before disappearing behind the chime of a bell.

It would be another generation he would see grow in front of him.

He stared at the doll for a moment. Longer than he had done in the whole day. Seeing the sunset tainting it on pretty colors as the lights inside flickered slightly when they were switched on.

The way it was only responsive until someone came, the way it went still and silent when there was nobody to please…it vaguely reminded him of himself.

The doll his Master had kept on a much larger box.

Forever a smile on his face whether he was being used or not. Only able to rest when he slept dreamless nights. To wake up and continue doing the routine he was made to perform.

That night, he closed the front doors to a bag of peaches and a note. From Arlo and Sally, his daughter. He couldn´t cry so he had limited himself to say thank you like a broken record, when the mother told him what her name would be.

He kept the note inside the bag and when he was carefully giving it to his Master Rogue allowed him to keep it. He had bowed and given a kiss on their fingertips as a thank you for such kindness before he slipped off the bed and folded the note to put it below his mat on the floor. Next to other little letters Arlo had sent him, right next to the little real presents his Master gave him sometimes. Like the pretty seashell and the tiger rocks he kept on a wood carved chest.

When his Master pulled him next to them and Salarien found his way to lay his head over their chest, he didn´t expect them to pull a coat over his shoulders.

“For you” Salarien heard them purr on their ear, their breath carrying the sweet smell of peach as they felt the soft fabric against his skin. He hadn´t been allowed to smile, so he simply snuggled closer. Putting their leg between his Master´s like they liked so much. A hand over their waist as he felt them rub little circles over his shoulder.

He might be a doll inside a box that pleases its Master, but the difference was the doll in the box outside of Arlo´s store didn´t feel joy for pleasing him. It couldn´t feel the warmth of his Master´s present when it slept on the mat on the floor, chained to the wall again. Or how good it felt to be touched and praised for never daring stepping out of its cage.

Doing what its owner dutifully had trusted him with, no questions asked, was Salarien´s one and only goal.

[dachi25writes]

Chapter One: Up North

AEGON I

It felt surreal.

Blond hair and violet eyes– just like his own– stared vacantly into the ceiling. Pale skin, translucent in the fluorecent lights.

Just a nightmare, any minute now he would wake up in the station, have some of that tasteless but nutricious space food, don his spacesuit and go out to the surface of the moon to collect data he would later send to his father…

His dead father who seemed to be staring right through him, body stiff as the metalic table he laid on, his lashes still frosted, lips blue.

What was he thinking? Going up to the North like that without proper equipment or a guide of any kind, it was not like him at all, but maybe things hadn’t gone as he planned, maybe he had been forced to–

Aegon turned around just as his sister apologized for his distracted behavior and signed for the body to be discharged so it could be sent back home. Gods, it had been almost 6 years since he had last seen Dragonstone, he remembered the salty air and ashen grey sand so cool to the touch you could lie there even on the hottest summer day.

[[MORE]]

The memory was enough to make him smile, wan and melancholy for he did not– could not - forget the circumstances in which he was going back.

Rhaenys touched his arm, gently almost tentative “C'mon Egg, we have to go”

He nodded and walked along, she was very diferent from the sister he remembered, not taller though he coludn’t be sure with the heels she was wearing but the way she carried herself was diferent. She used to slouch, father always tried to correct her posture. Rain never cared to try though, she still slouched a little, it was only noticeable in a slight bend of her shoulders, but that didn’t take away from her overall air of confidence, she didn’t have much of that back then; most shocking of all, her hair was long, she really hated long hair would chop it off herself if mom refused to take her to the hair saloon “It’s been a long time”

She sighed “ I know”

"Where’s mom?”

“She’s back at the hotel I did not think it would be right to bring her here”

He nodded, of course she couldn’t bring mom to the body deposit, Rhaenys would never risk to upset her “How- how did she take it?, about Dad I mean, did you tell her yet?”

As soon as they were out of the building Rhaenys opened her purse and got out a cigarette and a lighter, she offered him one but he refused waiting for her answer as she put the cigarette between lips, gave it a long drag and exhaled the smoke slowly.

“Of course I told her” she answerered at last “C'mon Egg, I’ll give you a ride I parked just around the block”

He nodded and followed “And how did she take it?”

Rhaenys shrugged “She took it well all things considered, said we should have visited Dad some time and other stuff, you know how she is, but I think she is looking forward to seeing us all again”

He grabbed her arm “You called them?” he couldn’t belive Rhaenys! she was family but them… if they came at all it would only be to gloat.

She raised her eyebrow at him and shook his grip with ease “Didn’t need to, it’s all over the news, also from what I know Mr. Connington called us, well he sent this really long e-mails but you get the idea, didn’t you get one?”

He shook his head , dumbfounded “I don’t know, I really haven’t got the chance to catch up. Mr. Connington commed me at the station and I just had to get here” actually he never even expected to see Rhaenys here. He hoped she would at least go to the funeral, Mr. Connington was arranging at Dragonstone, but this… He felt anger claw at his belly, like oil on a sizzling pan the heat thretened to jump in every direction, he held it in, gods he was so out of shape.

Breath in, 1, 2, 3… Exhale. Keep focus.

And it passed.

Rhaenys studied his face, really seeing him for the frist time since they had started talking

"Fuck Egg you look like shit!”

He shrugged but felt self conscious nonetheless, Father had always insisted to always keep a good image for the Academy’s sake. He ran a hand through his short buzzcut, and dragged it all the way down to his face, he was so, so tired.

The car was a small old looking thing of a vibrant orange color, Rhaenys opened the passanger’s door for him as if he hadn’t enough strenght to do it himself.

“Where you staying at?”

"Well as I said I haven’t really–”

“ 'Kay so that means you are coming with me, we rented a room with two beds but I guess mom and I can share,it’s just a night anyway.”

He had half a mind to protest but he was just too tired to go around town looking for some place to stay so he just stayed silent.

Rhaneys started the car and soon enough they were at some cheap-looking but cozy motel called “Winterfell” which wasn’t surprising at all , he had seen at least 10 different stores with the same name since they left the morgue, according to his sister everyone had the Stark fever around here and wanted to be part of the ancestral noble house.

“For real” she said between giggles “I pulled over for some gas on the way here and the guy at the station told me he was a distant relative of the Stark, but not only him the hotel clerk, the barista at Manderly’s and they all say it in this really secret conspiratorial way. It’s kinda sweet really, now I get why Robb insisted we should do a roadtrip here, I can practically see his smug face when he mentioned he was an actual Stark”

Her laugh stopped, and became a bitter sigh.

Aegon wished he could say something but he knew he would most likely say the wrong thing and he just wasn’t up for a fight.His sister parked and proceeded to rest her forhead on the steering wheel, brown curls obscuring her face.

“Sorry Egg, I just can’t help thinking about Robb when we are here. He was always talking about Winterfell and I just-”

“It’s fine” he tried to be nonchalant about it but he felt uncomfortable, he had never been particularly close to Robb, he did like him though. Robb was one of those people you inevitably admire, but after he died everything went to shit at the Academy, everyone blamed Dad for it even Rhaenys, Aegon had been the only one that stayed after that. He knew it was pretty shitty to blame Robb for dying but if he hadn’t maybe…

“God I am such a jerk” Rhaenys lifted her face enough to look at him “I haven’t even asked if you have talked to Sansa or–?”

“I haven’t” he pressed his mouth into a thin line, he didn’t want to talk about this with Rhaenys now or ever really. “You know what? The space travel is really catching up on me so I better go rest like you said”

He opened the door and practically slammed it shut when it dawned on him he had no idea of the room number and he had to wait for Rhaenys. Fuck! just after he had stormed out of the car like a broody asshole(Jon’s asshole face flashed briefly in his mind), the day couldn’ t get worse really.

Fortunately Rhaenys let him save some dignity and got out of the car calmly as if nothing had happened but in her eyes so alike mom’s he could see worry.

"Sorry Egg, you know I am an idiot sometimes, we should go rest”

He wanted to tell her that she wasn’t, not really, not even after she left did he ever thought that, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

She led the way to a simple room decorated in pastels with two identical beds, matching night tables and a very stiff looking couch where his mother sat reading one of the romance novels she loved so well.

As soon as she saw him she got up and enveloped him in an embrace he immediately returned, they parted after a while but she stayed close enough so he could smell her characterístic orange scent, she caressed his face.

"You look so much like your daddy”

Aegon searched for a trace of emotion in his mother’s eyes to know at least someone was grieving as much as him, but her eyes were dry and he remembered that even if his mom felt any pain for her husband’s death she couldn’t be able to express it. Maybe the only thing he resented his is dad for.

“You must tell me all you have done in this years, your sister and little Nym have kept me so busy I haven’t got the chance to visit you and dad.” she made him sit beside her in one of the beds, her soft hands patting his face and squeezing his arm, it made him feel comforted in a way he hadn’t in years “I hope you made him get out of the lab once in a while, Rhaegar needed someone to force him to rest or he would simply drop exausted which of course was never safe–”

"Mom” Rhaenys interrupted putting a hand on mom’s shoulder “Aegon has just arrived and has barely slept I think we better let him rest”

"But look at him dear, your brother looks like he hasn’t eaten a proper meal in years.”

That made him genuinely smile, gods, he really had missed mom “I’ve been eating just fine, I just need some sleep”

“Aegon you can’t sleep like that, you should at least change into your pajamas”

“Well I didnt bring any change of clothes” he confessed rather ashamed. It wasn’t like him to be so unprepared.

"Such a careless boy! Rain we cannot let him like this, we should go out to buy your brother some clothes and food”

Great, now mom was treating him as a 6 year old child.

“Ok, mom just give me a minute I need to call Daeron and Nym to let them know we are at the motel”

His mother nodded, and Rhaenys got out of the room with her cell in hand.He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that Rain was a mom now, much less that he was an uncle. He had seen photos of ‘Nym’ when she was a baby and another one of a toddler dressed like Princess Jonquil from that animated movie, but he had never met her.

“Nym has been dying to meet you” As always mom guessed his thoughts.

"She has? I wasn’t sure that Rhaenys talked about me or the Academy”

Mom smiled sadly “Oh, Rain doesn’t talk about the Academy, but about you of course. You are a superhero to Nym, protecting the world from the alíens and meteorites, that girl is obssessed with space, she is always saying that when she grows up her uncle will take her to live with him in space”

He felt a warm feeling wash over him, more than ever he wanted to return to Dragonstone and meet his little niece. That would be nice, he figured, a quiet normal life where he could play with little Nym, of course first he had to investigate what dad was doing in the Wolf’s Wood on his own, he was the head of the Academy now, well he would be if there was an Academy anymore.

Rhaenerys entered again, she had a smile on her face. “Daeron said he and Nym will meet us tomorrow in Dragonstone, I was worried about not being there for her frist flight but her dad says she is very excited”

“I am looking forward to meet them” said Aegon at last, he wished so desperately to have his family back especially now.

"They do too” she replied with a soft smile “Mom, we should get going. Egg you should try to take nap until we come back”

He said he would, and he did try. As soon as they left he took off his shoes and laid down on the bed to the left. It was stiff and smelled way to much of air freshener, but he had been living in a space station for 2 years now so this was more comfortable than he expected. Still he couldn’t fall asleep, as soon as his eyes closed he thought about dad and his mysterious death.

Frustrated, he decided to watch TV to drown out his thoughts. He regreted the decision almost immediately, on the screen appeared a flash of red hair. He almost laughed at his own hopelessnes, there must be a thousand woman in Westeros with that same hair color, and even if he knew them all he would still wish it was Sansa.

The woman turned around and it was her. Sansa. She had grown taller and impossibly beautiful, statuesque and regal were the words that came to mind to describe her.She became an actress, he knew that much. It seemed she was at some red carpet event. His finger thumbed the button to change the channel, he didn’t want to see her, but suddenly a reporter came down on her like a falcon on his prey, and asked her about father’s death. Her brow furrowed, she looked around as if trying to gather if this was some kind of twisted joke, her eyes filled with tears, still she politely excused herself and went back to her limo.

She cared.

His heart skipped a bit, and this time he did laugh. Gods! He felt a fool. Sansa had made her feelings for him very clear on that last note she left him…

When the hosts of the show started talking he finally turned off the TV. He grabbed one of the pillows underneath him and covered his face with it no matter what he did his mind made up diferent scenarios for their reunion each more farfetched and unsatisfactory than the last and like that he fell asleep.

[yowlthinks]

So now that we've been in lockdown (like, no nurseries open lockdown, not just your old restaurants-are-takeaway-only-wear-your -damn-mask lockdown), when I tell people that we've split the day to work in shifts with my husband (me 5am to 1pm, him 1pm to 8pm), I often get this "oh, so you don''t really see each other!" amused comment.

And god, am I sick of it!

It's the perfect arrangement in the circumstances.

It works well for us both.

And we still live in the same house, my husband insists on working from the living room, so we see each other A LOT. It is a lot better since we moved and now have same space, but 2 floors, not just one-level flat. It is easier to get away to work, and to also get my toddler away from the other one working. But honestly? I need me-time. Space. And I am ok with just me and my child, but being all 3 of us all the fucking time is really getting on my nerves. At least, now I can go to another floor and relax a bit more, before I could only relax of I went out of the house or (rare occasion) they went outside.

So please, don't give me 'you hardly see each other!'. We hardly spend time together, but that is ok, cause this was not too different before, and now I don't have time, energy or mental resource for anything apart from the basics. My resource is directed towards mu child and towards maintaining myself in a relatively stable emotional state. I try to be supportive to my husband, but really I don't have time or energy for him. I wake up, work, take over childcare (that time of walking to audiobooks is the highlight of my day), cook, clean, read books with my child (another highlight and happy point) and go to sleep. I chat to friends, when I get the chance and sacrifice some sleep for it.

Maybe I need to work on our relationship. But honestly? I just need sleep and a bit of me time right now, and I also don't know how to. I am just giving him space and time to pursue his hobbies, and sleep as much as possible in the morning. I care, even though it is in a very distant way...

[sabine-leo]

Bloody Valentine

Author: @sabine-leo

Genre: Humor, Sracasm with a hint of fluff ;) 

ONESHOT

Note: I know I´m a but early to ring in Valentines Day posts, but I wrote this yesterday and thought somebody out there might appreciate it! 

Bloody Valentine

This was probably the worst Valentines Day ever. I mean WHO DOES THAT?

 Blind Dates on Valentine’s Day? Speed-dating? Did your friends really think you were that desperate?

It must have been one of your weakest moments to agree to do this.

Come on (Y/N) this will be fun, 

Don´t think to much about it (Y/N), 

Just roll with it (Y/N)

Something along those lines you had heard the last 3 days. Even worse, your friend who talked you into it said she was ill 30 minutes prior.

Now you were sitting in a restaurant full of desperate people which wasn´t only dimly lit but plastered with hearts and fake cupids hanging from the ceiling. You looked around into hopeful faces, faces that had a staring contest with the empty chair in front of them and faces that were so nervous their eyes twitched. You were about to get up and just leave as the first man sat down at your table and this whole nightmare started. He probably was 20 years older than you and smelled of old smoke. Not that you were an ungrateful or biased person, but you rang the little bell on your table before he could speak. Signalling that you´d be free to talk to again.

 Maybe if you´d do that 5 or 6 times you would get disqualified or even better... thrown out.

The next man that came to your table looked fairly normal but opened his monologue with.

“Can you touch my hand? I want to tell my friends I’ve been touched by an angel.”

“You do know Lucifer was an angel too?” You just answered and rang the bell.

This would so give you a headache in under 5 minutes…

 Guy number 3 declared that he´d rather watch the movie then reading the book.

“Seriously?” DING DING DING…

 For a moment you just rested your head on the table and grunted.                      “I´ll kill my friends! ” Which made the next guy so uneasy that he didn´t sit down at all. Great, that was going as well as you´d thought.

You didn´t even lift your head, just hit the bell as you heard the chair scratch over the floor as the next one wanted to sit down.

 At the bar Tom was waiting for his takeout to be ready and watched in amusement what happened in front of him. A ballcap hid his longer curly hair and the hoodie made him nearly invisible to people who would normally recognise him. This day always seem to hit a lot of people in the feels even those who normally wouldn’t care to be alone on any other day.  Not that Tom didn´t love romance and sweet gestures. No, the woman he´d love would know and feel cherished on any given day, not only on Valentines Day...but cupid was a blind and spiteful bastard in recent years. His gaze wandered around before fixing on a particular funny sight. This woman appeared to have not as much fun or desperateness oozing out of her to be here at all. Tom had to hide a coughing laugh behind his hand as her head hit the table and she just rang the bell without looking.

 For about 1 minute nobody wanted to sit at your table anymore. A sigh escaped you. Hopefully the torture was over now, but before you could lift your head a smooth voice began to talk.

“Cupid is a blind, spiteful toddler who has an aim that needs to be enhanced by miles!” Ok, that wasn´t the worst opening line you heard tonight, or ever. However you have had enough for tonight. You lifted your hand without looking up as you heard that Mr. smooth-voice wanted to sit down. “Nah-ah!” he warned and took the bell from the table.  

 You lifted your head to take a look at him and tell him to leave, but he just smiled and said.

“Hello, my name is Tom and I thought I would spare you the agony to hit this bell another time.”

That made you stop for a second and grin a little, but that night had left an imprint on you.

“Either you are full of yourself to think I wouldn´t hit that bell another time or you are as exhausted from this crappy, spiteful toddlers behaviour as I am!” Tom laughed a little and looked into your eyes.

“Maybe a little bit of both, but why are you here when you don´t want to be here at all?”

He really seemed interested…and he still held on to that bell.

“Long story short, my friends think I´m desperate and in need of a shag. Or I will likely end up as one of those sad little ladies with a ton of pets.”

Tom began to laugh out loud and grinned afterwards.

“Some friends you have.”

“Yes, I think I need to find new ones…or retaliate in the most vicious way possible!”

 A woman came to your table.

“Excuse me Sir. You are not registered to be sitting on any of those tables.”

Tom looked up and said. “No I´m not and I think its cruel of you to take money from people that are lonely and in need of company…” He stood up. “Oh and by the way, this..” He gestured around to the decorations “…is a bit on the nauseating side.” You just grinned and looked up at him…he was funny!

 In that moment his takeout was ready and he held out a hand to you. “Care to join me in my anti Valentine´s Day celebration and laugh at cupids bad aim?” You took his hand and stood up.

“Sounds good to me!” you bundled up and went outside. Gladly it wasn´t raining or to cold to be outside for long. The both of you walked down the road of restaurants and bars a little and took a seat on a bench. You had the best view into the windows of 2 restaurants and the people inside.

 Tom took out his food and propped it up between you.

“Dinner with a view is served and ready my lady!”  You shook your head laughing quietly and took a little something out of the container. “I didn´t catch your name earlier.” Tom said in between.

“Because I didn´t give it to you, but nice try Mr. Hiddleston!”

For a moment Tom  just looked at you and then started to grin.

“So you recognised me?! Couldn´t tell because you seemed to behave so normal.”

“Oh, please…you are really full of yourself aren´t you?” You teased him.

“Why should I behave otherwise? You are a human being like I am…and a decent one it seems.

“You really are something else!” He laughed and leaned back.

 From that point on the both of you ate, talked a lot and tried to analyse the people having dinner.

It was an easy-going and interesting conversation with lots of laughs and fascinating insights you gave each other.  

 “Oh.. look there! She´s fidgeting with her phone under the table. She´s texting her friend to give an SOS call to get her out!” Tom snorted softly.

“And this guy over there just dropped the engagement ring. Poor fella is going down on his knees for other reasons then proposing.” You had fun watching the social life of other people, even if it was a bit unfair to them. But this day just had its own rules…so one night of sarcasm wouldn´t hurt your karma too bad.

 After discarding of the long empty food container Tom looked at you. “Let´s walk a bit further.”

He took your hand as if he´d done it a million times before and tugged you up. Lovers, Dates and Couples strolled the streets. Some happy, some in love and some just saying their good byes without further looking at each other. Somewhere at Leicester Square was a musician playing on the streets.

Tom grinned and twirled you around 2 times before dancing with you on the pebbled streets. He was cute, you had to give him that and he was a good dancer. Laughing at each other you stopped and gave the musician a tip. Tom leaned in and kissed your cheek softly.

 “Thanks for the best anti Valentine’s Day ever! (YN)”

You looked a little surprised that he knew your name but then he whispered in your ear.

“I read your name tag back at the table.”

You laughed and nudged him a little. Sneaky!

“Indeed, thanks for the best anti Valentine´s day ever Tom!”

“We need to do this together again next year!”  

Tom smiled a little wicked smile before his hand went through your hair to your neck and his other hand pulled you close whispering. “We have a whole year to plan it!”

His lips crashed onto yours and you held on for dear life.

[artisticestheticreads]

Easter Bunny

This in an early one shot of Erik Killmonger and Reader of Color as parents to a beautiful 3 year old princess. The are getting ready for Easter and the reader buys something adorable that’ll get everyone’s attention. This contains a little profanity and a whole lotta cute fluff.

   It was the weekend before Easter and you grabbing last minute things at Target for the family gathering that was taking place. You were in the food section looking for white chocolate melts for your famous cake pops when you got a call from your loving husband. “Hello, Erik” you smiled even before you heard his voice. “Aye, baby. Serenity just woke up from her nap and now I’m running a bath for her. We miss you, my Queen.” 

“Awe, I miss y’all too, baby. I just gotta make sure everything is perfect since everyone and they moms gonna be at there next Sunday. Ah, here they are. I know Serenity and her classmates are gonna love these cake pops.”

“Those shits are fire. Fuck you mean”, he said making you laugh. “Baby, we still gotta find an outfit for our baby girl. Serenity, come on baby”. You can hear him grunt on the other end as he picked up y’all child. “Damn, See. You getting big on me, princess. What momma feeding you?” You kissed your teeth and said “that’s yo ass feeding her steak, grits and cheese eggs like a fucking football player.” He said “hey, if my baby girl wanna be a football player she can be one. Huh. baby.” You can tell she was nodding super hard and said “see, my baby now what’s up”. 

You rolled your eyes with a smile as you turned into the toddler section and your eyes fell on a cute white tutu with a peach top and matching jacket. “Eeeeeeek, this is ssoooooooo cute. Ugh my baby needs this in her life” you said as he chuckled. You can hear serenity as she called out your name. “Mamamamamamamama”. “Hi, mommy’s baby. I’m on my way home to shower you with all the kisses in the world.”   “You talking to me or SeSe” he asked and you can hear a smile in his tone. “Oh yeah, you too”. He kissed his teeth and chuckled. “Be careful, baby. I love you.” You grinned and replied “I love you more” before hanging up. You made your way to the Easter section to grab some cute eggs for candy, money and other goodies when you looked looked to your left with big wide doll eyes and couldn’t help but to throw the items in the cart excited on your way to ring out

AN HOUR LATER

   You pulled into the driveway with a simple two honks. That’s when you saw your baby girl bouncing in Erik’s arms. You got out to the get stuff out the backseat but Erik appeared behind you, handing Serenity and taking the bags from you. “Hi, my baby” you looked at your babies dark brown eyes that you blessed her with and her super thick Afro. She had Erik’s smooth brown skin and his nose as well; the perfect combination of you two. She puckered her lips at you and you started to shower her sweet face with kisses.    Erik looked at you both and said “what about BaBa? Don’t I get any love?” Serenity looked at her dad and then raises her bottle up. “BaBa” she said with a sweet smile. You laughed with a snort and he looked at her with a smirk. “You knew what I meant wittle girl” he said leaning his face into hers. He attacked her with kisses of his own and she giggled with a “dada”. You all walked into the house and he placed the bags in the kitchen, unpacking everything grocery. You kicked your shoes off and sat on the couch still kissing your baby’s face.

   “Here you go, baby” he said as he handed the bag to you and kisses your lips. He sat beside you two and took Serenity in his arms with her bottle still in hand. You dug in the bag and said “baaaaaby, look what mommy got you” as out pulled out her Easter fit with bunny ears and a matching basket. Her face lit up when she dropped her baba, reaching for the ears. When you passed them to her, she said “tankoooooo” with puckered lips and you gave her a small kiss while she placed them on her hear, eventually slipping to cover her eyes. Erik fixed them and she exclaimed “tankoooo, dada” with those lips again and she returned a tiny kiss. He looked over into the bag and said “oh, babyyyy? What is that?” You followed his eyes then looked back with a smile and a little dance as he mocked you. You grabbed the bag staring at him and just smiled. “I thought this would be super adowable and everyone would wuv it.” 

   When you turned the packaging over, his eyes grew big and he looked back you. “Y/N Stevens-Udaku, ell naaaaah” he said as he rose from the couch with Serenity still in his arms and placing her in her high chair. “But whyyyyyyy” you asked with a pout once you followed the pair in the kitchen and sitting on the counter. He chuckled, grabbing a glassed apple juice and said “babe, I am a preschool teacher AND part owner of a huge organization called The Wakandan Outreach Program and YOU want ME to dress like a damn bunny?”

   Serenity looked up to Erik and said “dada, no bad” referring to him using profanity. You pouted and said “yes, I do. The kids would love it and we need pics with SeSe and the Easter Bunny. If she knows it’s you then we can have some amazing pictures and all.” Erik took another sip and said “aight, I’ll do it.”

“Really?” He pulled out his cross fingers and said “Sike” with his tongue out. “Erik!!! Pweaaaaaase, if you won’t don it for me then do it for SeSe.” He looked at his beautiful dimpled baby girl who was pulling the ears of her eyes in her own little world, making him smile. “Tell you what. If you do it, then I will bare you a son” you said with your hands behind your back. He raised his brow and looked at you with smirk. “For real?” You nodded with  lip bite and he walked up to you tilting your head up. “I’ll think about it, okay”, he kissed your lips, walked away to the bedroom with his juice and that was that. You looked to your baby girl and she looked up at you with a huge smile making you do the same.

THE DAY OF

    You sat on the plush king sized bed watching TV as Erik was doing your baby’s hair in two afro puffs. “Alright one puff down, another to go”, he said as he did your girl’s hair right and perfect; he loved doing her hair and sometimes your as well. She bounced and shimmied to the music on the screen and all. Erik wore no shirt and just some Nike sweats and you were in jean shorts and a peach crop top. Your hair was in two neat braids he did for the night before. He looked over at you and asked “you mad at me, baby?” You shook your head and said “just disappointed. That’s all.” He looked at the screen still doing Serenity’s hair and sighed. “Y/N, baby. I’m sorry but you know dressing up ain’t my thing. I promise I will wear it for alone. Maybe I can be a haunted bunny.” He finished up her hair and you said “fine. I just wished you did for her at least. I gotta go check the food and let folks in.” With that , you made your way to the kitchen. Erik looked down at Serenity who was looking up at him with her big doll eyes like yours. He took a deep breath and said “damn it.”

“No, dada. Bad.”

-

     Everyone finally arrived and the party was up and going. All the kids ran around on a sugar high while your side of the family was playing spades with Stevie Wonder in the background. Shuri, T’Challa and Ramanda all came along with M’Baku, Okoye and Nakia as well. Shuri said “hello, sister Y/N. Thank you for inviting us.”

“Yes, we highly appreciate it,” T’Challa said kissing your head. You hugged him and said “thank you all for coming. The food and drinks are all the table so go ahead and dig in.” M’Baku said “don’t have to tell me twice” as he was already making his way. You laughed and Okoye asked “so where is the Prince and our youngest princess” with a smile. You looked around and said “they are probably still inside. They’ll be out in a minute.” All of a sudden, you heard a whole bunch of awes and ‘how cute’ when you saw Serenity walking out with her bunny ears and basket to the backyard. She ran to you and you kissed her face but realized their was no Erik anywhere. You picked her up and asked “baby girl, where is dada?”

    Before you know it, you heard Shuri dying laughing then Serenity said “dada” with her little coos and giggles, pointing to ahead. You looked at the direction and you were surprised to see Erik is the bunny costume with face paint on and all. He walked out with pride and a big smile. He shook your dad’s hand, hugged your mom and his aunt. T’Challa made his way over and said “ahhh, is this your new uniform for work.” Erik chuckled and said “hush, T” as Challa patted his back. Nakia gave him a hug and so did Okoye while Shuri still laughed. M’Baku came over with a veggie burger in hand, saying “it’s nice look, my pal” with a big gapped smile. Serenity reached out to Erik the Bunny and he gladly took her. “Hey, baby girl.” Serenity poked his nose with hers, giggled as he laughed and you couldn’t help but smile and take a few photos.

-

   The day was incredible and everyone enjoyed their time but it was time to go home. When they all left with money eggs, goody bags and all, Serenity was in the bath and after she was dressed was out like a light in her peach crib. You looked down at her as held her bunny ears still. You were all showered before and made your way to the shared bedroom of you and Erik. He was i the bathroom wrapped in towel around his waist fresh out, in the mirror checking for leftover make up. He turned the light off and saw you on the bed watching with your hands behind your back. “That was very sweet, my king”, you said as he made his way to you bending at the torso. “I had to do it for my princess and queen”, he kissed your lips and said “but now we can work on our baby boy.” He hovered over you and you said “ohhh, Erik.”You raised your crossed fingers in between him to see and said “SIKE!” with your tongue out. You were about to run away but he grabbed you by your arm as he sat up on the bed and said “girl, you had me dress like that bunny and now Ima be the energizer because I’m keep going and going” as he kept saying it until his towel was gone and you were on top of him passionately kissing.

@muse-of-mbaku @im5ftbutmythroat66 @chaneajoyyy @melanin-samii @theunsweetenedtruth @doux-ciel @unicornluvin8765 @vikkidc@wakandantings @thadelightfulone@mzamethystp @simbiann @tropicalsun10@babydoll756 @notoriouslynay @vminax @quinsly @pinkdemolition@quietstorm-73 @chaoticcashfancroissant @bugngiz@chocolatedippedinhoney @yafavcocoa @lostgalaxies

[hazbinextgeneration]

(Special thanks to @palettepainter for the picture idea.) "He's speaking with an important client at the moment. You have to wait." "I have time." The large cat stared at the smiling lunatic in front of him before slowly backing back behind the door with a click. She simply giggled and tilted backwards until she resembled someone laying on their back in mid air. She wasn't lying when she saidshe had all the time in the world, but to be honest, she'd rather see what the old snake wanted her to do THIS time. Hunt down someone that owed him money? Kill one of his many enemies? Or maybe a spell or two? She would admit this deal was one of her better ones. It never got boring with the Don. Who knows what'll happen next? And what did she get in return? Simple. 24/7 protection, 3 meals a day, personal tutoring, and any other luxery desired. …..Oh. Not for her. For her little brother. She had no want or need for these things, and she hated staying in one place for so long. It usually got dull. But caring for a child while traveling wasn't a very good idea. Too many dangers, not enough good outcomes. Especially with her. Which is why Safe Haven's underground was the best choice for the child....And speaking of him- Her eyes snapped open and her ears twitched at the familiar sound of small feet scampering on a wood floor.She chuckled to herself. Looks like a little someone found out she was here. "Mmhmhmhm. Pitter patter. I wonder who could be making all that clatter.~" It seemed that the footsteps sped up at her voice, they came to a stop in front of the doorway, and she giggled more. "I was wondering when you would show up.~ How's my little bugger?~" A small pause. "...….Q-Queeny." As if on instint, she snapped around at the unease in that voice. The smaller child didn't even flinch at her next actions. "Hannibal, sweetie." Her advancing form stretched down to stare at his face. "Is that a bruise on your face?" "I fall down." He hiccuped and made a failed attempt to wipe at the black tears on his face, which only smeared black on his face more. "It hurt." She mentally relaxed and did what she usually did when her little brother was upset. She smiled and held out her arms expecting him to run into them. She knew how he could trip over those large wings of his. She waited but he didn't come. Instead, Hannibal stood there. Looking up at her. Shaking. "...….Sweetheart." Her smile strained a little. "Are you sure there's nothing you might want to say?" Hannibal continued to stare at her, his little body shaking. The large wings coming around to cover most of his body from her view. "Please.....no mad." She flinched. "Now why would I be angry at you?" She floated down until her stomach almost touched the floor. "Is there something I should know about?" "I-I....M-Mr. Ribbon said....M-My.....my.." His eyes started flowing black tears again and a whine escaped his throat before began to ball. "I want my mama!" Her smile faded until it was barely visible, but she managed to give a dry chuckle and ask, "E-Excuse me?" "Mr. R-Ribbon said Daddy doesn't love me!" He raised his small hand to wipe at his face only to smear it further. Queeny stared at the balling toddler before her as Hannibal was reduced to a crying, shaking mess...….Well, sh*t. She was used to Hanny asking her questions, but hadn't really been expecting these kinds of questions for at least a couple more years. Her surprise was short lived however when he suddenly thrusted his arms out to her. Automatically, she picked him up and held him against her while summoning her barely used legs to set him in her lap. He buried himself into her stomach, staining her white suit with black tears and snot, but she didn't care. She cooed and gave a few comforting pats. "Now that's a silly thing to say. Especially since you don't hav-" "But....Daddy l-loves you." She froze. He pushed away from her stomach to look at her. "Why don't he love me?" ……….She blinked. And blinked again......And did something she wasn't used to doing.....She actually frowned. "You....think that my father...is your daddy?" He didn't seem to understand as he stared at her with shaking breath and a black smeared face. "S-Sweetheart. You may be my brother, but Alastor is not your father. Like Mimzy is not my real mother....No matter how much I would've liked it. Do you understand?" "No." She didn't expect him to. How are you supposed to explain to a four year old that he was an accident created by a power hungry scientist? "Well....Do you remember that human movie Pinochio we watched?" He nodded. "And you remember how the toymaker made Pinochio and the nice fairy brought him to life?" He nodded again. "Well, that's kinda how you were born. By a man who toyed around and a kind lady who volunteered her life support." He tilted his head. "So....I puppet." "Hehehe. No silly." Her smile returned. "You're here the same way he was. By chance. So trust me when I say you are very much loved." .....He slowly smiled. "There's that handsome smile!~" He giggled but both were interrupted by the sound of the door reopening behind them and the same cat stuck his head out again. "He will see you now." "......Tell him I'll be a moment. Hanny needs to be cleaned up...….And tell him I want a word with his brother."

[thegiftofcolors]

21 Questions

I was tagged by @returnedhorror.  I rarely tagged in these things and they’re fun. 

Rules: Answer 21 questions about yourself and then tag people you want to get to know better. (Make a new post, don’t reblog)

1- Nicknames: Leah, Princess Leia, Aleee-YUHHhhhhhhhh, biiiittchhh (lovingly said by my bff)

2- Zodiac: Capricorn 

3- Last Movie I saw: Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. The animation was AMAZING.  

4- Last Thing I Googled: “UPS Hours”- Cause I’m sending a care package to a friend in chicago. Apparently UPS isn’t open on sundays. #lame 

5- Favorite Musicians: Metric, Taco Cat, Screaming Females, Vundabar, Best Coast, Wavves, Tame Impala, The Presidents of the United States of America, Sleater-Kinney, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Darin, and Metallica. 

6- Song Stuck In My Head: Help I’m Alive, Metric

7- Other Blogs: 

 http://365sketches-givehugs4all.tumblr.com/

http://dude-el-doodles.tumblr.com/

[Honestly forgot these both exist.... its my old art..... Website Plug hereeeee >>>>>>>>>> www.nightowlart.net<<<<<<<<<<]

8- Do I Get Asks: L O L .... good joke

9- Followers: 500 somethin??? Most of them are probably porn bots that weren’t sifted out by the tumblr purge.

10- Following: 50? 60? Who knows how many. Definitely not me. 

11- Amount Of Sleep: Some. Currently sleeping in my childhood bed, which is uncomfortable as all hell. So.... some. (I dream of my queen size bed as I sleep on the 20 yr old twin mattress) 

12- Lucky Number: 37

13- Dream Job: Working with both artists and scientists. There is a LOT of overlap with terms/vocabulary that have vastly different meanings depending on if you’re talking to stem or art peeps. I wanna be that communication bridge between the two groups. Plus when you work with/in the STEM field you have way more interesting problems. (This is why I’m getting my second degree in Mechanical Engineering) 

14- Dream Trip: I wanna go EVERYWHERE. 1st on the list is travel across the US. and go to every state. Then Europe, then africa, asia, and so on. 

15- Favorite Food: Anything with noodles; Ramen, Pad Thai, Spaghetti. 

16- Play Any Instruments?: I can do some weird things with my voice? Does that count? ...Eh screw it, I’m counting that. 

17- Favorite Song: I can do it by band. I can’t name just one song, so here are my fave 5. 

Metric- Black Sheep

The Internet - Tacocat

American Pie - Don McLean

Feeling Ok - Best Coast

Hello Dolly - Bobby Darin 

18- Random Fact: My dad wanted to say “Al” and have both my brother (Alex) and I respond. Which is why my name is Alea. WELP that didn’t pan out because I called my brother Aggie as a toddler and my bro calls me Leah. Only my bro responds to Al. 

19- Describe Yourself in Aesthetic: 

Mix of: Lazy college student in sweatpants/yogapants, to punk, to “she clearly works in an artisanal coffee shop making Lattes”, to alternative kid who loves vans. Basically I wear a ton of jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies (both pullover and zip up. Gotta have some variety.) 

If you’re talking about living space, it’s more like band posters, pamphlets, flyers, business cards, and tools hanging up on my walls. Modern geometric grey quilts, and pillows chillin on the bed. Then add a comfy chair filled with clothes I don’t want to put away, and art supplies scattered across my desk. 

Also this is only has 19 questions??? Lol Idk why it says 21. So here are 2 more. The people I tag don’t have to do these. 

20- What work do you do now?: Coffee shop and freelance graphic designer. I’m also in school for my second bachelor's. 

21- Hobby?: Collecting weird ass plants. I have so many I have a plant tower now...

#plantqueen

(Also the tub that the trash cans are in is just one of those under the bed storage containers with a layer of diatomaceous earth. I kept getting ants no matter how often I took out the trash and honestly ants are the worst. So I created this setup.  I lovingly refer to it as the DEATH MOAT. Come at me bugs. I dare you.) (In case you were wondering, or whatever....)

If you want to know more about me, send me some asks!

I’m tagging @100yrsold cause you my bff, and idk I wanna see if you’re gonna put down what I think you gonna put down.

@koltonswong, you reblog a ton of of the things I post. (Also I hope you’re having fun in the scientific illustration field.) 

 @traveling0lady you also reblog a ton of the things I do. (I’m also like 90% sure we went to art school together, and I hope you’re doing well!) 

@returnedhorror thanks for the tag. This was fun to fill out

[martinahlijanian]

In Search of the Lost...CLM

It’s Springtime in Boston – new beginnings, growth, shaking off the doldrums of winter (especially this recent one!!)  In that spirit, I’ll throw off my dusty 2020 sanitized cloak and admit to you all something unprofessional, yet based in beauty and a deep love – some might call it a devotion. My beloved??  The Moody Blues.  Yup, I’m a devoted fan – have been for decades. Make your elevator music joke – I don’t care.  I know – nowhere nearly as cool as Post Malone, T-Swift, Dua, Doja, Don’tya, whomever. But majestic, original, thoughtful, and DEEP.  Long ago in a New England portion of the galaxy far, far away, a suburban ethnic kid picked up a handful of vinyl albums at a yard sale, and the incredible double album “This Is The Moody Blues” was in the pile. I was immediately hooked. Have seen the boys several times in concert, and they never disappoint (though to steal a line from Don Henley about his own band, they don’t exactly dance around the stage – they mostly loiter.)

 By now you’re probably thinking “the connection between THIS and Contract Lifecycle Management systems (“CLMs”) will be the most tortured bootstrap in history”, but if you followed the Moodies, it would be so very clear and obvious.  Back in the medieval era (certainly not the dark ages) the boys released an album called “In Search of the Lost Chord”, an appropriately pretentious title implying not only that the Moodies knew of a unique, world-changing musical chord (typically 3-5 notes played together simultaneously), but that they, and no one else, found it!  If your experience evaluating CLMs has been anything like mine over the past few years, you’ve been on a similar quest, but with less than satisfying results.  Here are some of my impressions from my search for a perfect CLM.

 Keeping with the musical theme for just another minute, my other non-work passion is synthesizers. I’m the proud owner of 6, ranging in age from 29 years old to 4, with the toddler being an absolute musical powerhouse of seemingly infinite possibilities called the Yamaha Montage.  The synthesizer market exemplifies Moore’s Law, that old chestnut that says the number of transistors per silicon chip doubles every year, with corresponding performance increases and speed gains resulting from denser integrated circuits. That’s certainly the case with my synths. My boat anchor of a keyboard in 1981, an Italian-built instrument called the Crumar Orchestrator (no longer with us), was very heavy, cost $1,050 (Armenians never forget prices), and produced a whopping 5 sounds, though two sounds could be layered together.  Needless to say, the new Yamaha plays rings around it, for only a few bucks more, but requires extensive training and synth engine tweaking. No one could seriously consider the two as peers – the Yamaha is a high-end laptop embedded into an 88-key digital synth with touchscreen programming that would make Dr. Moog himself drool.  And yet there was something wonderful about the simplicity, intuitiveness, and real-time access of the Crumar’s sounds. In CLM terms, the Crumar didn’t have many bells or whistles, but did the job, and did so quite well and dependably.

 Back in 2016, I had the pleasure of serving the team at SmashFly Technologies. We realized we needed a high-functioning CLM, and after a thorough RFP process, we selected SpringCM as our first system, enjoying a fantastic relationship with both the SpringCM team in Chicago and the platform itself. The integration of our prospects’ contract forms into the platform for redlining, version control, and eventual e-signing was a key element of our use case, shortening the sales lifecycle substantially.  And internal workflows created with the system were embraced by both our Sales and Customer Success teams for both new and upsell/renewal business, respectively. Did the platform have every possible mind-numbing feature?  No, but it was always there when we needed it and fit our business needs perfectly, with secure, real-time support and document processing. Definitely a Crumar relationship!  

 Author and theologian Richard Foster has written often on the virtues of simplicity, counseling one to “strip away all excess baggage and nonessential trappings”, and even the Moodies themselves, despite being known for complex orchestral production and cosmic lyrics, have echoed this concept (yes, with another keyboard reference), singing:

There's one thing I can do Play my Mellotron™ for you Try to blow away your city blues Your dreams are not unfound Get your feet back on the ground

So, in the spirit of the Moodies’ grandeur (pomposity?), I’ll attempt to blow away your CLM blues and get your feet back on the ground with an overview of my CLM experiences and suggestions for core requirements, particularly with respect to recent CLM market developments. As you may’ve guessed, I tend to lean toward simplicity, but as someone who has embraced technology since my garage band days, I get as excited about bleeding edge product developments as much as anyone, so I’ll try to keep the scales balanced.

 In my startup-oriented world (ranging back 9 years), speed is everything.  Correctness is assumed, whether it be contract version control, updated pricing/BAFOs, or proposal submissions – those are as fundamental as breathing.  But speed varies greatly between organizations and markets.  A twenty-four month (or longer) RFP pursuit under a federal government procurement, being run by a large publicly-traded company, doesn’t have the same day-to-day time pressures as the end of a quarter at an IT startup, particularly one that is chasing B or C-round funding or later investment/sale avenues.  So like my beloved Crumar, a selected CLM must be fast, intuitive, and dependable. I can’t write code, and never want to be deep into programming instructions of my CLM; if we’re at that point, we’ve failed. As I’ve told my engineering colleagues for years, “this company is in DEEP trouble if you want me to write code”.  (The corollary to that, of course, is “and we’re in equally deep trouble if engineers are interpreting contract terms”, but I digress, and you know I love you guys. )

 Any system that has a steep learning curve, plods along in terms of system performance, and/or has numerous updates (so-called “upgrades”), patches, and maintenance downtime beyond market standards must be avoided.

 Uptime availability should be as close to 99.9% as possible, if not higher.  If you’re reading this, you’re probably a contracts, legal, or compliance pro, so you know any firm that won’t state that uptime availability percentage specifically in the contract’s SoW or SLA is telling you they’ll never hit it; run for the hills! Similarly, data center operations should be with a well-established, secure North American supplier (you know who they are – they certainly don’t need free advertising from me) to the CLM company, and the history of that relationship should be explored.  A firm that bounces between all of the major cloud providers may try to argue that they’re always trying to get the best deal for their clients, but for my money, stability, security, and dependability are best served by a long-standing CLM-cloud provider marriage.  

 In addition, CLM implementation times should be clean and short.  If you hear too many horror stories in the market, or references to “Well, Sue, it all depends on the amount of legacy data you’ll be transferring into our Platinum Platform, and what condition your data is in”, keep looking. You haven’t played the lost chord – just some sour notes.  We all understand that dysfunctional customer data is not the responsibility of a new supplier, but my experience has been that a supplier who tries to foist performance concerns on the prospect early in discussions is typically the one who has the most problems during the contract term, and as a result is either terminated or churned at renewal time.

 Speaking of pet peeves and more bootstraps, you may not believe there’s any connection at all between CLM demos (or the lack thereof) and a long-term positive relationship, but I maintain there is, and have experienced it.  A company that plays hide-the-ball with its product may not be as confident in its features as its collateral or website proclaim.  I certainly appreciate the arguments against a “demo right out of the gate” view – limited SE resources, non-serious buyers just trolling, numerous demos placing company IP at risk, SDRs need more due diligence discussions to properly tailor the demo, need to avoid multiple demos for the same prospect (so wait a bit and get all stakeholders on the same call), etc. But any experienced SDR or Account Exec/Regional Sales Manager should be able to tell from the first discussion with a prospect whether she/he is serious, has an immediate need and budget, and has authority to move forward or needs to have a senior exec (or two) participate in any demo.  Hiding the ball from a serious prospect is counter-productive to the aims of the relationship and quite frustrating.

Wow – now I’m fired up. Given that I’m writing this late on a Tuesday, perhaps I should play the Moodies’ classic hit “Tuesday Afternoon” and mellow out!

 My friends know that I LOATHE the use of jargon, but I have to use the phrase “table stakes” just once here – it’s in the context of a CLM’s e-signature capabilities.  Any CLM with kludgy e-signature placement, or non-intuitive use (or worse, multiple drop-downs/windows before insertion in a document) should be avoided.  Simplicity really should reign here.  In most companies the contracts or legal reviewer is not likely to be the signatory, so any digital doc in a CLM should be easy to prepare and forward for senior management’s execution.

 Your company’s templates and forms, and especially your Fallback 1 and Fallback 2 clause libraries, will require a bit more heavy lifting from the CLM partner, but given the evolution of CLM systems across the board, this process should be fast and clear. And the redlining of a prospect’s Word doc should never send the CLM into a spin.  

Your selected CLM should have easy-to-create workflows that integrate with your company’s CRM, and appear as a widget or new page within the Account or Opportunity section thereof. If workflow creation requires multiple calls to the CLM provider’s tech support team, or worse, a purchase order for fee-based tech services, you’ve selected the wrong company.  Which leads me to report generation…

 In the synthesizer world, drum and percussion effects generated from the keyboard sound cool on the sales floor of Guitar Center or Sam Ash, but in terms of live performance, I can unequivocally state I’ve never used them, and never given them a second thought. And my studio friends tell me they’d rather use software-based drum sounds & loops than 90’s-style percussion from their synths. Basically, a “bell” of limited value. Report generation hardly falls to that level, and my CFO and CMO depended upon recurring reports generated automatically from the CLM, as did my SDR Manager.  But ad hoc ROI report generation gets too much press, in my humble opinion, and may be touted at great length by your intrepid CLM sales rep.  As far as I’ve seen, every CLM in 2021 has report generation; I wouldn’t be too swayed by a firm that crows about this as a product discriminator, unless your senior management is asking for numerous non-standard reports other company systems can’t provide.

 I hope my earlier levity about engineers doesn’t generate too much hate mail – I have the utmost respect for them, as they know; that same sentiment applies to my beloved Sales colleagues. But having said that, for the safety of all, I only provide my Sales pros with access to NDA templates.  That’s it.  Your CLM will certainly have a rules-based structure where you can provide, or remove, access to forms or project documents based on department, unit/function, individual name, or transaction.  Again, simplicity should be the rule, not the exception here.  Ask for sandbox or live “dummy” system access and have the provider walk you through the gory details of this process. You should be able to do it alone, on a real-time basis; time-sensitive special projects (often M&A related) sometimes arise with little notice, and with strict guidelines about disclosures to other team members.  If you can’t readily change access rules yourself, you’ll have problems, and will spin your wheels – while the clock is ticking and the C-suite is waiting for a reply – all because this process is too difficult.

 Every app on the planet needs to have mobile functionality, and CLMs are certainly no different.  As we emerge from COVID travel restrictions, the need for airport/Acela/in-meeting access to your CLM will return to 2019 levels. Any hiccup or frustration with the mobile use experienced during demo should receive substantial negative demerits in your evaluation phase.  I’ve seen everything from a unique mobile app for a vendor’s platform to the identical (though hard to read) platform access using a browser on your iPhone or Android device. This comes down to personal preference, and what an otherwise high-scoring provider is selling. So long as core functionality is present in a mobile platform, I wouldn’t make a final decision based solely on this.

 Lastly, a CLM platform’s ability to host a private document that could be shared via public URL, such as your company’s Supplier Code of Conduct or SLA, should be easy to find today and require nothing but the most basic training steps to create.  

I suppose no essay on technology would be complete today without a reference to AI or ML. And pitch deck references to AI/ML are just as ubiquitous; there isn’t a major CLM player who isn’t emphasizing AI.  However, make sure a vendor’s AI solution isn’t substantially dependent on a third party’s tool; I know of at least three heavyweights in this sector whose AI is subject to the vagaries of their supplier relationship with subs.  

 The distinction between strategic roadmap and current offering is an important one as well.  No one wants to repeat the selection and implementation process any time soon, so a company’s track record of creative product development, as well as its record of actually delivering those future-proof features, should be an important part of your investment strategy.  Today’s flavor of the month that either doesn’t have the R&D resources, including funding and personnel) or technical acumen (or both) to evolve the product over time will not be a solid choice, particularly if your company is in high-growth mode.

 Another core requirement in 2021 is digital transformation. Where e-contracting automated processes within the Contracts, Legal and/or Sourcing department, digital transformation takes the data in our world and shares it with finance, ops, HR, and other company systems, beyond your CRM.  If your vendor doesn’t at least address this, keep looking.

 Which brings us back to synthesizers.  Do I miss my Crumar? Absolutely.  Was one of COVID’s silver linings less time sitting in traffic and more time embracing my Yamaha….oh, and of course my family? Heck yes!  But my favorite synth of all-time is actually a wonderful instrument called the Korg N364. It’s modern-ish, but with many live performance capabilities and instant access to over 500 sounds.  It’s absolutely bulletproof in terms of construction and reliability, and is playable right out of the box.  While the Moody Blues never did find The Lost Chord, I’m convinced one could come VERY close with uninterrupted time, extreme creativity, and the Korg machine.  It’s the perfect balance between features, reliability, and intuitiveness.

I hope some of these thoughts help you find the best CLM for your team!

[colemanaarohan1996]

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