#i still have to color and shade what i got for prompt 1...

[queenofwands89]

The Storm Within (Part Two)  Tyler Owens x fem!reader

Part 1

Summary: Following the events of the first part, a severely injured Y/N lies in a coma while a heartbroken Tyler waits by her side, wondering if she will ever wake up.

Warnings: Hospital, Reader is in a coma, Fluff, Sad Tyler, Slightly angsty.                                              

Notes: I didn't expect so many people to read the first part, let alone want a second, so thank you—it means a lot. I rushed to write this to avoid making you wait any longer, lol. I'm currently accepting writing prompts for Jake Seresin, Tyler Owens, and Glen Powell.

Enjoy byeeee!

Two weeks have slipped by in a blur of sterile hospital corridors and the endless hum of medical machines. Each passing day is a battle against time, unrelenting in its indifference, and Tyler's world has shrunk to the confines of your hospital room.

Tyler sits by your side, his eyes heavy with exhaustion but refusing to close. He's lost count of the hours he's spent watching the rise and fall of your chest, willing you to wake up. The constant beeping of the heart monitor and the rhythmic hiss of the ventilator are his only companions.

The rest of the storm-chasing team visits regularly, each holding onto hope in their own way. Boone leaves a fresh bouquet of wildflowers on the bedside table every other day, their vibrant colors a stark contrast to the clinical white of the room. Dani brings her laptop, working quietly in the corner, refusing to leave until Tyler is forced to rest. Dexter makes sure Tyler eats, even if it means feeding him himself. And Lilly, with her unwavering optimism, often slips into the chair opposite Tyler, regaling him with stories and laughs to keep the darkness at bay.

One evening, as the crimson hues of the setting sun penetrate the blinds, Tyler is gently persuaded by Lilly to step outside the room, if only for a few minutes. The fresh air at the hospital's small garden is a reprieve he didn’t know he needed. He takes deep breaths, trying to shake off the weight that's settled on his shoulders.

As he walks back towards your room, he overhears a hushed conversation between two nurses. "It's been two weeks, and she's still fighting. It's remarkable," he hears one of them say. A glimmer of hope ignites in his chest. You're a fighter; you always have been.

Pushing open the door to your room, Tyler's heart skips a beat. One of the doctors, Dr. Emerson, is standing by your bed, reviewing the latest results. Tyler rushes in, anxiety and hope warring on his face.

"Any changes, Doc?" Tyler asks, his voice barely a whisper.

Dr. Emerson turns to him, a small, comforting smile on her face. "Her vitals are steadily improving. The brain activity shows promising signs. She's still in a coma, but these are good indicators. It’s just a matter of time."

With those reassuring words, Dr. Emerson gives Tyler a gentle nod before turning to leave the room, the other doctor following closely behind. The soft click of the closing door lingers in the air, marking the transition from clinical observation to personal vigil.

Tyler takes his seat beside you, gently holding your hand. "Hey, beautiful," he begins, his voice soft but steady. "I know you can hear me. I thought I'd share some stories, like old times."

He pauses for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Remember the first storm we chased together? God, we were terrified but so exhilarated," he chuckles. "The sky was this angry shade of gray, and the wind was howling like it was possessed. We had no idea what we were doing, but we felt invincible."

Tyler's eyes glisten with unshed tears as he continues. "You kept yelling at me to keep the camera steady while you took notes. I think I was too busy being amazed by how fearless you were. The tornado touched down so close, and we got caught in the downdraft. But you... you never lost your cool. You guided us out of there like it was just another day at the office."

He squeezes your hand gently, hoping for any sign of acknowledgment. "Then there was that time in Kansas. Do you remember? We were staying at that run-down motel, and the power went out during the middle of the night. We ended up sitting in the car, wrapped in blankets, watching the lightning storm. You said it was the most beautiful thing you'd ever seen. I couldn't take my eyes off you."

The corners of Tyler's lips lift into a sad smile as he recounts more memories. "You were always the brave one, Y/N. Like that time we drove into the eye of the storm. Literally. Everyone told us it was too dangerous, but you convinced us, and we did it. And I'll never forget the look on your face when we made it out in one piece."

A silence hangs in the air for a moment, the only sounds coming from the steady beeps and hums of the medical equipment.

"I'm not gonna lie, Y/N. These past two weeks have been the hardest of my life. Seeing you like this... it's killing me. But I know you're fighting. You always do," Tyler says, voice cracking with emotion.

Tyler leans closer, his head resting on the side of your bed. He speaks softly, almost to himself. "You know, Dani was telling me about how you kept her sane during her first storm chase. She said she wouldn't have made it if it weren't for you. And Boone, he's a mess without you bossing him around. Dexter too. None of us are the same without you."

He looks at your serene face, a fresh wave of determination washing over him. "But we all believe in you. We know you're coming back to us. And when you do, we'll be ready with stories and laughs and everything that's been missing."

As the sun sets outside, casting a warm glow over the room, Tyler continues to talk. He recounts every little detail of your adventures together, from the funniest moments to the most heart-stopping ones, painting a vivid picture with his words.

The world is a foggy blur as consciousness slowly begins to seep back into your mind. The silence in the room is broken only by the rhythmic beeping of the medical machines. Your eyelids feel heavy as you struggle to open them, a sense of disorientation clouding your thoughts.

As your eyes finally flutter open, the dim light of the room gradually sharpens into focus. The first thing you see is Tyler, slumped in the chair beside your hospital bed. His hand grips yours tightly, as if even in sleep, he cannot let go. His face is etched with lines of stress and fatigue, evidence of the nights he has spent by your side.

For a few moments, you simply watch him. Even in his exhausted state, there’s an undeniable tenderness in the way he holds your hand. You notice the dark circles under his eyes, the stubble that has grown from days of neglecting himself. Deep down, an overwhelming sense of gratitude and love wells up within you. You realize now more than ever just how much he means to you.

Gradually, you muster the strength to give his hand a weak squeeze, something to pull him from the depths of his weariness. His eyes flutter open slowly, confusion briefly crossing his features before they lock onto yours. Instantly, his face transforms—a mix of shock, awe, and profound relief.

"Y/N..." he breathes, his voice shaky and filled with emotion. Tears pool in his eyes, and you can see him fighting to hold them back, but it’s a losing battle. As the realization washes over him, that you’re finally awake, his tears begin to fall freely. "You’re... you’re awake. Thank God, you’re awake."

A lump forms in your throat, making it hard to speak, but you manage a small smile. "Tyler," you rasp, the single word carrying all the emotions you can't yet express.

He lifts your hand to his lips, pressing fervent kisses to your knuckles. "I love you, Y/N. I love you so much," he chokes out, his voice breaking with raw emotion. "I thought... I thought I’d lost you. I’m so sorry, Y/N. For everything. For the things I said. I was scared and I handled it all wrong."

You can feel the wetness of his tears on your hand, and it breaks your heart to see him in such pain. Gathering what strength you can, you shake your head slightly. "No, Tyler. We both did things we regret. I pushed you away when I should have let you in. But we can’t change the past. We can only move forward."

He nods, his teary eyes never leaving yours. "We’ll fix this. Together," he vows, his voice filled with a newfound determination.

Your smile grows a bit stronger, as you grip his hand with a bit more strength. "Together," you echo, the word binding the two of you in a promise of unity and hope.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," Tyler repeats fervently, his tears now mingling with a relieved laugh.

You can't help but let out a light giggle, the sound so sweet to Tyler’s ears. "I love you, I love you, I love you," you reply, your heart feeling lighter for the first time in a long while.

Tyler chuckles softly, his expression softening as he looks at you. "I think the doctors are going to start charging me rent for how long I've been here."

You laugh weakly, the sound like music to his ears. "Well, as long as you don't start claiming squatter's rights. We might have to evict you."

His laughter mingles with yours, the room now filled with a warmth and happiness that seemed impossible just moments ago. "Deal. I'll leave when you do," he declares, his voice brimming with love and commitment.

The path to recovery will undoubtedly be long and arduous, but for now, the hardest part is over. The heavy cloud of uncertainty has lifted, replaced by a glimmering beacon of hope. The room, once cold and sterile, now feels warm, filled with the palpable power of your mutual love and commitment.

As the rhythmic beeping of the machines continues to fill the background, you and Tyler share a moment of silent understanding, knowing that whatever challenges lie ahead, you’ll face them hand in hand. "I love you," he whispers once more, the promise of these words a soothing balm to your soul.

"I love you," you whisper back, sealing the bond that will carry you through the days to come.

[writeforfandoms]

A Lonely Place - 1

Find my Soap masterlist

My first entry for the SoapItUp challenge by @glitterypirateduck - I used the prompt "Don't move" for this chapter.

This is set in the same universe as my Gaz zombie fic "Little Talks", but you don't have to read that to understand this. This starts six months later.

Reader is female and described as American, no other descriptors used.

Warnings: Zombie apocalypse, swearing, canon typical violence, alcohol mention.

Word count: 1.6k

You shifted your pack on your back, resisting the urge to groan. You'd been walking most of the day, you were tired and sore, and you wanted nothing more than to find a safe place to collapse for the night. 

Fortunately, you could see a building up ahead. 

It didn't take long to clear the area - no infected around, no bodies either. Which wasn't all that surprising. You weren't sure where exactly you were, but this was the first building you'd seen in a while. 

The door creaked as you pushed it open, and you winced at the noise. But when you looked, you still didn't see any movement around. 

Good enough. 

Your pack thumped against the floor, and you took a few moments to stretch out your neck and shoulders, hoping to alleviate some of the constant ache. Next was some food - you were running low, hopefully you'd find more soon. You chewed while you cleared the rest of the house, checking for anything useful as you did. 

No weapons. Of course. But some of the clothes would work, including a thick jacket. That would be helpful - the weather was already turning cold, and you couldn't exactly jog down to the nearest store to buy more. Socks were always handy, too. 

You brought your new loot down to your pack, humming a little as you carefully re-packed things. 

One more perimeter check, because you didn't want to leave anything to chance, found you outside just before sundown. You shaded your eyes against the light, admiring the splashes of color across the sky, even as you checked the ground for movement. 

You had just turned to go back inside when you heard the engine. 

It took a moment to register what you were hearing. It had been a long time since you'd heard a car. Since before the end, really. Your head swiveled towards the sound, eyes wide. 

A car! Someone had a car! They could–

Well. They could do all kinds of things, possibly. Not all of those things were good. 

So you went back inside, hunkering down near a window to watch outside. The car, a big SUV, rolled down the road outside, slow enough to you guessed the inhabitants were looking for infected. Or survivors. 

You were suddenly very glad you had come back inside, and had no lights. 

The car rolled on out of sight and you breathed out in relief. Good enough for you. 

You used the last of the light to knit, working on the sweater again. Sure, you'd found the big jacket, but it never hurt to have layers available. You weren't sure what to expect from winter in this part of the world. 

The night passed quietly, and you were on your way again the next day, knitting once again securely tucked away. This spot wasn't bad - maybe you'd come back, after you found some supplies. 

Like food. 

With a soft groan, you shouldered your pack and followed the road. That was your best bet to find more food. 

Walking by yourself was, quite honestly, boring. You'd seen so much of this damned country by now that the sights no longer inspired awe, and the way your feet ached from constantly being on the move didn't exactly make you want to stop and sight see. You'd learned the hard way that knitting while walking was a terrible idea. 

Which left you with time to think, and lots of it. 

You still weren't quite sure what you were doing, not really. You just knew that you were stranded on a different continent, unable to go home, unwilling to trust anyone enough to get close. 

Not after last time. 

You got lucky - there was a town less than a full day's walk from the house. Everything looked silent and deserted, signs long gone dark. A liquor store door was smashed in, glass precariously littering the ground. 

You avoided the glass as best you could, all too aware of the potential noise, and crept inside. This place had probably been looted, but you could hope… 

You didn't find much. Some chips that had been overlooked and a half-empty bottle of scotch.

You took it with you. 

The rest of the town was just as quiet, and you went through all the stores. Most of them were empty, looted. 

But you struck metaphorical gold. One store had a stash of yarn tucked away in the back, in the office. You nearly did a little happy dance. That would come in handy. 

You were stuffing the third skein in your bag when you heard the shuffling. You froze. 

Silence for long moments. Long enough that you wondered if you'd imagined it. Then the shuffle came again, the scrape of a shoe across the floor.

You swallowed hard, hands shaking a little as you closed your bag. The zipper made almost no noise as you pulled it closed so, so slowly. 

There was a back door, you'd seen it past the office. You could get out that way. 

You took one step out of the office, hands clenched so tightly around your bag that they ached. 

The wet thunk of something, or someone, being hit hard nearly made you startle. The soft swear that followed it was no better. 

“Nice kill,” a soft, masculine voice murmured. 

You shuddered at the wet squelch, like a knife being removed from a piece of meat. Okay. Probably two of them, at least. Maybe more. 

Time to hit the road.

You moved down the hall as silently as you could, pausing in front of the back door. One deep breath in helped steady you, at least long enough for you to shove the door open. 

A shout behind you made you move, booking it out of the building. You spared a wild moment to look, searching for the nearest good hiding place, and then ran for the trees. 

Maybe you could lose them in the trees, or they'd decide you weren't worth the trouble. 

That notion didn't last long. Only as long as it took to be tackled to the ground. You fell with a yelp, hitting the ground hard. 

“Got a runner,” came the voice from the person perched on your back. A man, you guessed from the voice. Local, from the accent. 

“Get off!” You tried to twist out from under him, heart beating hard, nearly panicking. 

“Don't move.” Something firm pressed against the back of your shoulder. Kind of rectangular. Hard. 

Your blood went cold at the implication. A weapon of some kind. Possibly a gun. You stilled, though you were still breathing fast, gaze darting around for any possible escape route. 

“Let her up, Soap.” A pair of boots planted firmly in your vision. The weight lifted from your back suddenly, unexpectedly. It took you a moment to push back up to your feet, a little wobbly, pack clutched to your chest.

Two men stood in front of you, both armed. One wore a kind of bucket hat, while the other had a mohawk, gone a little shaggy. They were both imposing, and your shoulders curled in. 

“What are you doing skulking around here?” The hatted one asked, eyes a little narrowed as he visibly sized you up. 

You thought about being snarky, you really did. But fear won out. “Looking for food.” 

He blinked, just once. “Sounds like you're on the wrong side of the pond.” 

You grimaced. He wasn't the first to point out your obviously American accent, but it still didn't feel friendly. “I was on vacation,” you answered shortly, looking down, fingers tightening on your pack. “When it all started.” 

They were both silent for a few long moments before the mohawked one stepped forward. “Mind if Ah look in yer pack?”

You eyed him. If you said no, he'd probably take it by force. “Just… be careful, please.” You held out your pack, trying to hold back your nerves. 

He nodded, taking the bag and taking a look through it. “Hate to tell ye, bonnie, but ye cannae kill infected with yarn.” He shot you a grin, clearly amused. 

You huffed, warming with some mixture of embarrassment and indignation. “Of course not,” you grumbled. “But you know what I can do with yarn? Make a sweater.” 

He looked at you again, assessing, before he handed your bag back. “How long ye been on yer own?” 

You shifted your weight from foot to foot. “I mean… It's… been a while.” 

He looked back to the hatted man, and the two seemed to have a silent conversation. Two more men came out the back door you'd used, walking over to join the little meeting. Your gaze flicked between all of them, nerves rising the longer their little conference lasted. 

“Right,” the hatted one said with a sigh, looking at you. “Come with us.”

“Why?” You pulled back a little, clutching your pack to your chest. 

“We've got supplies,” the Scottish one volunteered. “Safe place to stay.” 

You eyed them warily. Sure, they could be telling the truth… but there was a good reason you didn't trust people anymore. 

“Here.” One of the newcomers stepped forward, pulling out a bigass knife. He flipped it easily, hilt towards you. “Any of us try to hurt you, you defend yourself, yeah?” 

You took the knife slowly, fingers curling around the hilt. It wasn't a lot, but it did make you feel better. You breathed in deep, looking between them all. The Scottish one looked kind of hopeful. 

“Okay,” you finally agreed, cautiously hopeful. “I'll go with you.”

[itisme-rosie]

-- displays of affection; james potter, sirius black, remus lupin x reader (separately) wherein they are affectionate in the most irritating (lovingly said) ways possible.

cw: fluff!! cursing (the colorful language kind)

[ review for the math exam? no, fluff >>. ]

masterlist | rules

[ james potter ]

"you, sir, are staring" i muse, not bothering to lift my head to meet james' stare that burned holes into the side of my head, "any reason in particular as to why?"

"i don't know what you're talking about," he murmurs back, and from the corner of my eye, i see that he didn't shift away from me in his seat. james remained leaning on his folded arms against the table, not turning his eyes away from me, leaning even closer if that was possible.

i reach out one hand, the other flipping through the tome in search of the chapter we had to read for our history class to pat the top of his head, even lightly pinching his cheek, much to his chagrin.

"there, there, you big baby," i laugh quietly, thumbing over his cheek in an attempt to soothe him but he only pouts frowns even more.

"remus was right," i hum and he perks up a little at that, only for his face to scrunch up a little.

"our moony's always right," he huffs, "it's just a matter of what he's right about,"

"i don't know, you might not like what he's right about this time, and i am not about to be in the middle of a debate between you two,"

"it can't be that bad,"

"- is exactly what you said when he warned you about the bertie bott's every flavor bean, you know, the spinach flavored one, and you were so insistent that it was mint just because it was green, and he said spinach and mint were 2 different shades of green and you still ate it and you wouldn't talk to him until -"

"alright! alright!" james waves his hands around, hurriedly rushing to my side to clamp a hand over my mouth, "i got your point," he drops his hand with a sigh - albeit a very dramatic one, "perhaps it is better if i never know,"

and down back on the table his head goes, and my hand shoots out to run my fingers through his hair, smoothing it out a little.

"there, there, jamesie," i laugh as quietly as i could in the middle of the library, "all remus was right about is how pouty and clingy you get when you're tired,"

[ sirius black ]

"i despise you,"

"really? can't tell from that - ow - gorilla grip you have on my arm,"

"this is the last date i am ever letting you take me on - you know i despise mazes almost as much as i despise you - you, i despise most of all, top 1 on the list of things i despise,"

"don't worry darling," he muses, the circulation in his arm slowly getting cut off from how tightly you were clinging to him, "i won't let anyone get ya,"

"and also," he moves his head so he could whisper in your ear, "kinda nice that i'm number 1 at something in your life,"

"you're hopeless,"

"hopelessly in love -"

"now you just sound like james, cut it out, black,"

"that's my best mate you're insulting," sirius gasps with false offense, his hand on his chest, "besides, where do you think he learned it from?"

"birds of a feather indeed," i manange to half joke before one of the maze actors pop out, prompting a scream that dies out quickly upon realizing that sirius had begun laughing.

"i hate, hate, hate you," you grumble once more, detaching from his arm so you could swat at him. multiple times. multiple enough times that the actor that had been standing awkwardly beside you both after scaring you had coughed and retreated back behind a particularly tall haystack.

"you scared the poor man away, love," sirius barely mananges to speak through his wheezing laughter.

"it's only right, he scared the shit out of me,"

"oh i'm sorry my love," your boyfriend notices how you tremble a little, a small smile cracking his lips when he notices your ever so nonthreatening and adorable demeanor with the matching clenched fists at your sides and he embraces you tightly, rocking you both back and forth, "let's look for the guide and get you out of here, yeah?"

"you are never planning our dates again," you sniffle, from the cold or otherwise, it didn't quite matter so much anymore.

sirius tilts his head so you two were face to face, lightly bumping his nose with yours as a silent apology, "you're in charge, boss," he quips, kissing the tip of your nose and grinning when you start to smile.

[ remus lupin ]

remus never understood the appeal of beanbag chairs.

he sits on them, of course, and he finds them rather comfortable, but the problem lies upon when you're sitting on them.

you sit on them religiously, on one in particular - it had been a gift from your family over the holidays and it's been permanently attached to your behind. remus finds the attachment endearing, of couse. moreso the strange positions he finds you in when he stumbles across you sprawled on it and asleep, but he'd never admit to that.

if there was one thing he enjoyed more than that was cuddling close to you while he read and contemplated life and right now, all he got was patting your head while he laid on a couch in the empty common room, staring up at the ceiling and the details painted onto it while you stayed seated on the beanbag chair on the floor, head bowed while you went over your essay for the hundredth time.

your neck cramps a little, so you adjust how you sat, moving your neck a little and remus - dear, sweet, perceptive remus - gently runs his thumb over the back of your neck, right where the cramp was, and you groan.

"oh, that's the stuff,"

moony chuckles, concern veiled behind his casual tone, "you're awfully tense darling,"

"nonsense," you murmur, head and neck going limp as you ease into his gentle movements, "i'm quite alright, just...need a break,"

"well, if you didn't slouch -" he begins playfully.

"you, remus john lupin, are the last person that should be lecturing me on my posture," you huff, eyes fluttering open to glare at him with no heat in my eyes.

he raises his hands in surrender and you frown at the loss of contact on the achy spot on your nape, turning to face him but remus simply sits up, gesturing for you to turn around before he starts to massage the knots and cramps up your neck and down your shoulders.

"merlin darling, is your neck not aching?"

"feels numb mostly,"

"and you didn't think it was concerning?"

"well, it doesn't really bother me because i can't exactly feel it,"

"well, that's the problem sweetheart," remus says placatingly, and he chuckles, "you're supposed to be able to feel the back of your neck,"

"i've been using the beanbag chairs too much," you admit, "the back of them aren't really sturdy, so i don't lean and i end up slouching,"

bingo, remus lets a mischievous smirk you thankfully can't see grace his lips, "so it was your slouching? and i was right?"

"never said that," you answer abruptly, stretching when his hands leave the area it was massaging, "but if there is one thing i will be doing, it's sitting with you on the couch, scoot over,"

and he does, tugging you into his open arms and hugging you tightly, pressing kisses on your cheek while his hands rub your back comfortingly, "tell me where it aches darling, i'll help you feel better,"

[pengweng-quack]

Bloodbound

Carlisle Cullen x Human!OC

Summary: Place Carlisle in the Edward situation of falling in love with a human, and see what happens

Chapter 11/?

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11

Notes:

This is on Ao3 under the same title and username if you'd like to read it there (https://archiveofourown.org/works/54527830)

Leave your thoughts (or don't, your choice) in the comments, I enjoy reading through your thoughts :)

Word Count: 2433 words

General warning: I used some religious references in this story so read with caution if you're not so keen into reading that

TW for this chapter: None

PM or Comment to be added on the taglist for this one!

Masterlist

“Nurse Celine, are you busy this weekend?” Daniel asked her, deciding that Carlisle wasn’t worthy of any attention and that he was more interested in Celine

“For you? I’m busy. For anyone else? I’m not.” She straight up answered before walking back to her office

“Fiery little thing she is.” Daniel just said, looking at her “I do like me a bit of a challenge when it comes to my women though.”

“She prefers blonde men.” Carlisle simply said before walking away and into where Celine was

He walked into their office, seeing Celine type something away in her device. The familiar surroundings remained unchanged, evoking a sense of continuity as if he were merely returning after a day off.

“Is this Doctor Daniel’s office?” Carlisle asked, making Celine look up at him

“No.” She answered softly, a polite smile on her face “Never told him that the chief doctor and chief nurse shared an office.”

“Why so?” He asked again, making his way to sit down on the chair in front of Celine’s table

“He’ll always bring up New York.” Celine simply answered, before averting her eyes back on the screen

“What’s in New York?” Carlisle asked again. Now that they’re alone again, Carlisle got to acknowledge the small changes that she did to herself

She changed the cut of her hair, now having shoulder length over the mid back hair length that she had before. The darker shade of lip color she now wore intrigued Carlisle, as she used to favor a paler pink tint, prompting a silent wonder about whether her lips still retained the same taste as before. Noticing the additional piercing adorning her ear, he couldn't help but ponder the significance of this subtle transformation, finding himself captivated by her again.

“Why did you come back?” Celine asked through gritted teeth, refraining herself from yelling at him

“I miss–

“Don’t do that bullshit on me.” Celine hissed, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes glaring with the heat of the burning sun

“I do miss you.” Carlisle confessed quietly

“You shouldn’t have left then if you did miss me.” She hissed at him again, her eyes still glaring at the vampire

“They miss you. Not once did they not miss you.” Carlisle confessed, remembering the somberness on their faces when they were in Alaska that even Jasper had days where he didn’t want to go out his room, feeling everyone’s sadness

“Point still stands, you left.” She said in a stern tone “So, if you’re gonna use your kids and your sister as a futile attempt to make me feel bad, then you’re one fucked up motherfucker.”

“Nurse Celine!” Daniel greeted in her office doorway “Busy for lunch?”

“Busy enough to not entertain your shenanigans.” Celine coldly said, before looking at her computer screen, tuning out whatever Daniel and Carlisle was gonna say to her

As the shift progressed, Celine continued her work quietly, while other nurses eagerly guided Carlisle around, showing him the new equipment that they had received and expressing their gratitude for it. Despite the quiet demeanor, the atmosphere buzzed with efficiency and compassion as everyone worked together to ensure the smooth operation of the hospital.

Celine’s masterpiece

From the gossips, Carlisle learned that the new equipment had been sourced from New York, specifically from the hospital that had expressed interest in hiring Celine. One nurse even mentioned that Doctor Daniel had been dispatched from New York in an attempt to persuade Celine to join their hospital, but his efforts seemed to be failing miserably. That made Carlisle chuckle.

It was the end of his shift when Carlisle passed by Celine’s office again, seeing Eunice and Sean there with her. He decided to just stay outside and wait until his shift was officially over.

“With how you’re acting, you’re making it easier for everyone to figure out that you and Doc Cullen are a thing.” Eunice lightly scolded her

“She’s right. It’s so easy for you to warm up to Doc Cullen when he was made chief doctor, but until now, you haven’t warmed up to Doc Daniel.” Sean added

“Because Doc Cullen is actually good at his job.” Celine complimented to him “Doc Daniel’s only purpose is to get me to New York.”

“Right, not giving up on the retiring at 30 and traveling the world setup.” Sean said, getting Carlisle to listen more intently

A text from his phone distracted Carlisle from hearing what the reason was of Celine leaving

You should tell her why we actually left; she’ll understand - Edward with the help of Alice

He typed out a reply, listening as Celine continued talking about anything. Allowing himself to be enveloped by the soothing sound of Celine's voice as she continued to speak about various topics, her words creating a sense of peace within him.

She’s rightfully mad at me, she won’t listen whatever I will say

Carlisle sent that as reply before checking his watch and seeing that his shift was over. He stood up and said a quiet goodbye to Celine before rushing home

We’ll get her to come over, then you can explain.

Celine's phone rang, displaying Rosalie's name on the screen. She hesitated briefly before answering the call, reminding herself that her anger was directed solely at Carlisle.

“Celine!” Rosalie’s voice boomed on the other side of the call “We missed you.”

“I missed you too, Rosie–

“So, you don’t miss us?” She heard Emmett ask

“Oh my god.” Celine said, rolling her eyes at Emmett’s antics “Of course, I missed you all.”

“Does that ‘all’ consist of Carlisle as well?” Jasper asked, teasing laced in his tone

“Whatever you say, Jasper.” She replied, rolling her eyes at them

“Come over?” Rosalie invited her.

‘Are they playing matchmaker on us?’ Celine pondered before giving them an answer

“Sure, but on the day that Carlisle has a morning shift.” Celine agreed with them, there were murmurs on their end of the call before it was silenced.

“Of course.” Rosalie answered, Celine smiled at the thought that their plans on playing matchmaker didn’t work for her

“We owe you so much stories!” Alice cheered on the other end of the line

“Can we see you?” Edward quietly asked

“Carlisle just went home.” Celine replied back, not having the guts to see him face to face yet

“We’ll come over to your place, all of us without Carlisle.” He persisted. Celine had a small smile before answering a soft yes to them

“You’re lucky I like you all.” Celine playfully told them, before ending the call and closing her desktop, calling it a day

A month had passed since the Cullens returned to Forks, and Celine had seamlessly settled into a routine of visiting them whenever Carlisle had a shift, and leaving just as he was getting home. She was thankful that everyone sided with her, not doing some things behind her back to make her “coincidentally” be in the same place as him.

Celine didn’t think that she had the strength to see him yet.

Walking out of the hospital one afternoon, Celine was taken aback when she noticed a note placed on her windshield. As she picked it up, her curiosity mingled with apprehension upon seeing the symbol of the Volturi emblazoned on the front. Her heart quickened with a mixture of fear and uncertainty.

What did they want from her now?

Celine felt shivers run down her spine. How could they have possibly forgotten about her? She had made a solemn promise to them that she would be changed by the night of her 30th birthday, a twisted assurance on their part to ensure her silence regarding the existence of vampires.

Carlisle may have fooled me, but I see the strain that it placed on your relationship as mates.

I will be patiently waiting until the night of your 30th birthday.

The Volturi does not give second chances.

“Fuck.” She heard Carlisle say from his side of the parking lot, having used his vampiric senses to read what the note was. She rushed to him immediately, note on her hand

“I–

“What now?” She hissed to him

“I thought they would drop that, given what I had done.” Carlisle whispered, softly pulling the note on her hand and reading it for himself

“Why would they?” She angrily asked him “They couldn’t even drop the meeting your mate promise, mine is much more recent.”

“Come home with me, let’s talk about it with the others.” Carlisle quietly invited, looking at her with hopeful eyes

“I’m taking my car.” She simply responded, rushing back to her car and entering it.

Celine was panicking internally; she was about to actually leave the hospital when a knock was on her window. Peering out, she saw Carlisle standing outside, gesturing for her to roll down the window. Reluctantly, she complied, opening the window to see what he wanted.

“I’ll ride with you.” He decided at once, opening her car door and making himself comfortable on her passenger seat

“Why?” Celine asked, her eyebrows burrowed at him “What about your car?”

“Your heartbeat is faster, your breathing is getting a tiny bit shallower. You’re showing signs of having a panic attack and I want to be there for you if it happens.” Carlisle listed down like he does when repeating symptoms to the patient “And don’t worry about my car, Jacob has a spare key for it. He’ll drop it off later.”

“You were gone for a year, don’t act like a saint now.” Celine hissed at him before driving off to the Cullen household in silence

As Celine drove, she could sense Carlisle's apologetic gaze on her, but she chose to ignore it, keeping her focus on the road and attempting to keep her emotions in check. She wasn’t one for anger, but Carlisle leaving for a year and coming back like he did nothing was just pushing her on the edge.

Soon, the Cullen household was coming into view, getting Celine to remember that the last time she was there was when Caius was killed and burned off. While a part of her was relieved that Caius was no longer a threat, she couldn't shake the sense of impending danger with Aro now coming back for her.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this.” Carlisle whispered as she parks in front of their house

“You have a lot more to be sorry for than dragging me in this, trust me.” Celine hissed, getting out of the car and rushing in the house

“Celine!” Esme greeted, the same motherly aura surrounding her as she runs to hug her “I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too.” Celine said, hugging her back with the same tightness as her hug had

“Celine’s here!” Rosalie called to everyone, getting Celine to hear continuous footsteps down the stairs

“Hey!” Emmett said, pulling Celine for a hug that lifted her up before twirling her around.

Everyone greeted her with such happiness that Carlisle could only chastise himself for making the decision of deciding without hearing any of their suggestions.

“You owe me an explanation.” Celine said smugly to Carlisle once everyone was done with greeting her, immediately wanting to know the truth. The vampire only nodded and pulled her up to his office and locked themselves in

“I know it may sound crazy, and much more aggravating—

“I’m giving you one chance to explain yourself.” Celine dangerously said to him, crossing her arms together and sitting down on his table “I don’t need to hear any more introductory statements, I need the truth.”

“I made a deal with the Volturi.” Carlisle said, his head hung low “I made a deal with your life to the Volturi.”

“Are you fucking out of your mind?!” Celine angrily yelled at him

“Everyone there got a whiff of your blood. Whatever hiding we’ll try to do, they’ll find us.” Carlisle tried to explain

“Are you hearing yourself? How can you say that you love me and go and gamble my life to those things?!” Celine angrily continued

“My love—

“Do not fucking call me that.” She hissed angrily “You lost every right to call me that the moment you gambled my life to those creatures.”

“I offered them a year of us being away to protect you. One year, and then they’ll stop trying to have you.” He started to tell the whole story, looking at her with hopeful eyes that she’ll listen to him, no matter how crazy it sounded

“But before that, I made a deal with the shapeshifters here, I think you would know them, Jacob is one of them. I asked them a year of their protection on you, killing whatever vampire steps here. I know you will come here after I have left, hoping that I just went home. I also know that Caius would be the one waiting on you, being the one ordered by Aro to kill you.” He continued softly, moving to be in front of her

“The shapeshifter killed him.” Celine continued the story for him

“Aro then realized what I had done. He sent me a letter, angry for tricking him like that.” Carlisle continued the story, moving closer to her to rest his hand on her cheek “That’s why there were no Volturi attacks since then.”

“Did you expect that he’ll use the changing me when I turn 30 promise that I made?” Celine asked with such gentleness that Carlisle was taken back

“I didn’t, because I had asked in exchange of a year of us being away from you was that they get off your back.” He answered earnestly “But apparently, the promise that I have made has been fulfilled. But your promise that you made isn’t.”

“Well, that kind of makes sense, thinking of it now.” Celine quietly said with a small giggle, welcoming Carlisle’s cold hand on her cheek.

“I wished I had approached it differently, told you about the plan, prepared you for it. But I needed to be careful.” Carlisle whispered, using his thumb to stroke her cheeks

“Did you think of me during the year that you left?” Celine asked quietly, looking at him with her eyes coated with tears that were threatening to fall

“Not once did you leave my mind, my love.” Carlisle whispered, pulling Celine for a kiss on her forehead then hugging her. He missed her, everything that made up her.

He thought that she was the temptation designed for him, but she never was.

She was his solace.

[lovebugs-and-snakecharmers]

LBSC Sprint Challenge June 2023

The LBSC Sprint Challenge is now open for writers and artists!

The prompts are:

1. Luka takes Marinette out for a fancy dinner. While there, the waiter brings her a dessert/wine glass/etc. with an engagement ring inside. Marinette says yes. The problem: Luka wasn't planning on proposing that night & that's not his ring. 2. Lifeguard meet cute 3. Juleka: "That shade of lipstick looks better on Marinette. Luka, rose isn't your color. A deep plum or berry would suit you better." Luka: "You're right. Rose really isn't my color. She's yours." 4. Luka sees a girl on the subway carrying a giant bag of craft supplies and wearing a button that says "I craft for chaos" and just knows he has to meet her 5. "That was the worst proposal I've ever heard." "I know. Just answer the question please." 6. Wildcard - pick any of the prompts available from our sister blog, @mlweeklyprompts, or any previous challenge prompt.

You have until Wednesday, June 28 to complete your 3 15-minute sprints/45 minute art sprint and post the results. Once you’ve completed the sprints, you have 24 hours to edit (which can include some new writing to smooth transitions and make it feel complete, and whatever work you feel appropriate to get your art to a state you consider ‘finished’).

Please note you may sprint in the language of your choice, and you can either translate the final fic before posting, post it in the original language, or both as you choose. You can join us on the LBSC discord or sprint on your own! Just be sure to tag @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers in your final post so we will see it and reblog it. The rest of the rules can be found here under the cut.

Rules!

We’ll post a beginning and end date to the challenge, and a prompt.

Writers, If you choose to participate in the event, write for that prompt in up to three 15 minute sprints. No writing outside the sprints until you have completed all three! After the 3 sprints are complete, you have 24 hours to edit (which can include some new writing to smooth transitions, etc). You can also choose to break that 45 minutes up differently if you find a different split works better for you.  After those 24 hours, post what you’ve got. Tag your posts with @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers so we can reblog it to the LBSC blog. If you post your work on AO3 or somewhere other than Tumblr, you can leave a link in our ask box or in the appropriate discord channel so we can be sure to promote it. After the designated challenge end date, we’ll compile a listing of the submissions and post it to the LBSC blog.

Feel free to sprint in whatever language is most comfortable to you! You can post it in your own language or translate it before posting, or both!

Artists, you have 45 minutes to sketch and 24 hours to do any cleanup or coloring you’d like to complete. You can split your 45 minutes up however you like, or not at all. There’s no requirements on your finished piece, just aim for whatever goal seems challenging but achievable to you.  Tag your posts with @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers so we can reblog it to the LBSC blog. If you post your work on Instagram or somewhere other than Tumblr, you can leave a link in our ask box or in the appropriate discord channel so we can be sure to promote it. After the designated challenge end date, we’ll compile a listing of the submissions and post it to the LBSC blog.

If you’re wavering as to whether or not you think you can accomplish anything in 45 minutes, we really encourage you to give the challenge a try. You may be surprised what you can do! Feel free to join us in the discord linked above so we can encourage and cheer you on.

Obviously, this has to run a bit on the honor system and we won’t be tracking your times, but please do your best to honor the spirit of the challenge! If your sprint fic becomes an Entire Thing (these things happen sometimes) and you want to continue it, feel free! However, please still post whatever you’ve got after your 3 sprints with the tag. No fair busting out a fully polished fic or art without showing us what it looked like at the challenge stage!

We want to keep this a positive space and event! This does NOT mean that you can’t write or draw anything critical of a character or episode, but it isn’t the space for character bashing or hate either. Please keep the characters in character and save the more speculative work for another time. NSFW sprint works are permitted but must be tagged appropriately (please use “NSFW LBSC sprint challenge” for easy filtering on the blog) and with appropriate warnings.  (More FAQ about the process here)

This is a Lukanette blog and a Lukanette event, so while Lukanette does not need to be the main ship, it needs to at least be included or referenced and considered endgame (in other words, they don’t have to be together by the end of your work, but the intent is that they’re headed in that direction). The decision about what qualifies for reblog rests solely with the LBSC moderators. If a piece hasn’t been reblogged within a couple of days, either the mods felt the piece didn’t meet the criteria or it was simply missed; you are welcome to reach out in the asks to inquire which. There are plenty of other spaces out there for other ships and OT3s, and people are welcome to use the challenge rules and prompts to write for their own ships! They just won’t be reblogged to the LBSC blog, and we ask that you please not use the event tag (a modified form is fine - “InsertAlternateShipName sprint challenge” instead of “LBSC sprint challenge,” for example).

Happy sprinting!

[lu-lox]

Prompt 1 (SFW) weird! faerghus! rituals!!!!! there’s probably 347589345 wild pagan pre-church traditions and I think dimitri and felix might need to do one of them together, possibly to make sure the sun rises again in the spring. blood stuff? something needs to be burned? wearing a flower crown? wearing a freshly skinned boar??? survival naked and afraid medieval fodlan gameshow?????? can be silly or horror or everything in between.

tags: boar hunting. a little blood. dimitri gets got but is fine.

Felix had tasked himself with overwatching the overwatchers that would prepare the rites chamber. It was a thankless task that involved much staring, much paying attention, much doing what he knew others would be incapable of. Everything had to be meticulously arranged and he would not let things happen otherwise.

Dimitri, of course, simply put a hand on Felix’s shoulder and guided him out of the room. They, too, had to prepare.

“The least we can do is make sure it works.” Felix didn’t want to partake in the rite at first. It was ancient tradition that benefited no one, much less the meek rebuilding of the Church. He sighed and slumped on the chair; Dimitri pulled him close, Felix’s back to his chest, and nuzzled at the crook of his neck.

“It will be alright, just a pinprick compared to everything we’ve already been through.” Physically, yes. But Felix still hadn’t shaken off the feeling of seeing Dimitri armorless in the war. The permanent bruises, the dried blood, the sickness of it. “And you will know when it is done.”

Felix took Dimitri’s hands, which rested above his stomach, into his own. There was still much to prepare. The clothes, the foods, the weapons. And the wait was the worst; nothing he had read about the rite, nothing that he had heard, would be half as difficult to live through as the wait was proving itself to be.

Dimitri was wrapped in thin, colorful cloths. They parted and shifted, a mosaic of color as he moved, revealing his body ethereal and fuzzy underneath them. He stood on a makeshift staging, holding a ceremonial sword in a hand and carrying a dagger at the hip. Unlike true ceremonial swords, this one had been sharpened. Felix had made sure of it himself, spending two nights working the blade though stone and paper.

Felix’s cloths weren’t as colorful, wearing just the muted Fraldarius teal and one piece of Blayddid blue. He stood vigil by the hunting grounds entrance, waiting for Dimitri to finish his farewells.

The forest, sparse on evergreens, was orange and brown. Wet and moldy leaves in many shades of rotting orange stuck to the ground, incorporating themselves onto the very earth they stepped on. Felix resisted the urge to sneeze and he noticed Dimitri doing the same while inspecting the sword.

“It seems we are alone now,” Dimitri looked at Felix, coy. Dimitri was in stark contrast with everything around him. He took Felix’s hand on his free one, and they began to walk. “I would like to be back before sundown; we haven’t been allotted any tochlights.”

Dimitri whistled as they ventured. They also didn’t have any lures. Despite Dimitri’s placid appearance, Felix could read that he was just as nervous; he had never put himself in harm’s way while lucid. Felix squeezed Dimitri’s hand in what he thought would be a reassuring gesture. Dimitri squeezed back.

The boar seemed to be sleeping. Felix had studied, he knew the temperature hadn’t risen enough for it to be sleeping deeply. It snored. Dimitri gave a light chuckle before letting go of Felix’s hand. The sun was still above the horizon as he shifted into a defensive stance and advanced toward the boar. Felix drew his bow and watched as Dimitri stepped carefully close and raised the sword; he didn’t use any flourish as he drove the blade into the shoulder of the boar, waking it.

Felix had never accompanied his father and the late king on the royal boar hunts, he had been too young. Now, he had to resist the urge to puke at the shriek of the boar.

Dimitri, too, seemed to struggle. Felix kept position but Dimitri slipped backwards, catching himself not a moment too late and stumbling into the boar. Felix’s hands shook as he prepared an arrow, and he could see, clearly, Dimitri struggling to grapple with the boar.

He had managed to impale himself on one of the boar’s tusks.

Dimitri used a hand to hold onto the boar’s other tusk and, having thrown his sword to the ground, another to hold it by the neck. Felix released the arrow. It missed his intended target, hitting the boar’s open mouth; he quickly drew another, more focused, and managed to pierce the throat of the boar. Blood bubbled over, and the boar fell too. Dimitri went down with it, taking care so that the tusk wouldn’t rip more of him than it already had. Felix let his bow drop and ran.

He ended up needing to help Dimitri free himself from the tusk and he averted his eyes as he repaired the worst damage with small healing spells; the rest would be best left for the royal healers, the ones that knew how to make skin look unharmed, not just fixed.

“It’s done now, let’s go back, Felix.” Dimitri could barely speak, overtired and sprawled on bloody grass. His robe was less majestic now, maculated and deep red. They would have to carry the boar back with them.

Days later Felix still marvels at how Dimitri and him had managed to come back with the boar. Dimitri had been limping from pain and the corpse of the animal half carried by each of them in an uncomfortable sharing due to their bodies differences. He stood with Dimitri before the door to the ritual room. The blood tracks from the boar had been cleaned, but the smell, coppery and bitter, sting hung.

Felix pushed the door open. He heard Dimitri shudder as they saw the head of the boar hanging on the wall. Everything but the tusk that had pierced Dimitri had been clean. The blood had oxidized into a deep rotten brown. Dimitri shyly grasped Felix’s hand in his own.

It was already done, there was no need for them to do anything else but for Dimitri to don the boar's skin as a cape and gloves. And to watch, routinely, the room that now housed the tusk. Him and the boar were now one and the same, each a part of the other.

[lillyontheborder]

Weekly Prompt #1 - Game Start

The first hours after crossing the border between life and death — what were they like? the sudden lack of noise in a place that never rests, the abrupt transition from an once iridescent megapolis to a ghost town dipped in shades of anthracite that get interrupted only for the sole purpose of directing the lambs to the slaughterhouse . . . show us your muse's first experiences in the borderlands. what did they do? how did they feel? What was their first game and how did they manage?

// I did not write the first game, I might add that later. For now I just wanted to write how she got there.

The smell of sweat and cigarettes filled the air. The cool breeze caressed her face as she walked. The only sound she could hear was people talking and cars driving by. She felt giddy and filled with endorphins as she passed by each shop. Today was a good day. The weather was beautiful and she felt confident in her color coordinated, bubblegum pink outfit. She needed a vacation, and she had already visited Japan twice in the past. She had contemplated moving there, but she didn’t want to be too far away from family while she was still young. She got a few looks here and there but she didn’t think much about it. This was her vacation. She needed to enjoy it. Enjoy it. “Oop!” She cried out as she tripped over someone’s foot. “Oh gosh- I’m so sorry.” She said in Japanese. She wasn’t fluent but she wasn’t too shabby. 

“Tch. Whatever.” The guy said, waving her off. Lilly eyed him for a minute. Slicked back black hair, piercings, and a tiger striped shirt. One thing that made her happy is that people took care of their appearance more here. Different types of fashion were much more common here, so she could feel much more comfortable. Less out of place. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. “What?” He snapped, looking at her.

She shook her head. “I- uh- nothing. Sorry. Have a nice day!” She said quickly before leaving. She entered the crosswalk and quickly began to leave. That was embarrassing. Well. Whatever. She thought to herself. “Excuse me. Pardon Me. Love your hair!” She said to a girl with dreads. “Sorry.” She stopped to watch a group of guys goofing off. She smiled with her mouth agape. 

“Excuse me.” A male voice spoke.

Lilly looked over and made eye contact with a blonde guy in a white sweater. “Sorry.” She whispered. He nodded his head slightly. She watched him leave before quickly crossing the road when she heard a car crash. “Oh shit!” She gasped and covered her mouth. Fireworks blasted in the background. “Fireworks? What the…?” She watched in shock as the police ran out. So much was going on at once. “Huh…? Wha?” She panted. People were moving everywhere. There was a lot of noise. Talking. Cars. Honking. The sun was too bright. It was too hot. She began to lose her breath. Lilly covered her ears and shut her eyes, taking deep breaths when someone bumped into her, causing her to fall to the ground. She bumped her head. She hissed in pain. Her eyes scrunched closed shut and she heard a high pitched ringing that slowly stopped. 

Silence.

Dead silence. Opening her eyes, she let them adjust to the light before realizing she was alone. Her panting slowed down to calm breathing once again. She sat up and hissed in pain. She looked down at her bloody palms and back up. Was she unconscious? Did she hit her head too hard? 

Why was she… 

alone?

[the-whumpening]

Meet the Character Monday #1

Eddie Glenn - Son of Bat

[Image ID: A sketch of my OC, Eddie Glenn. He sits hunched over, with his elbows on his knees, looking to the left of the screen. One hand is by his mouth, and he appears to be biting his thumbnail. Eddie has fair, curly hair and wears a hoodie and shorts. He's missing his ring finger on his right hand. The drawing is all in shades of blue. /End ID]

Basic Info:

Name: Edward (Eddie) Glenn

Age: 24

Birthday: Feb 14 (Aquarius)

Height: 5' 4" (162.5 cm)

Hair: Blond

Eyes: Blue

Favorite Color: Blue

Gender ID and Orientation: Pansexual; not overly pressed about gender. If he really sat down to think about it, he may identify as agender, but for now cis male is fine.

Pronouns: He/him mostly, but he doesn't mind others.

Other: Is autistic and ADHD

What's Eddie's role in the band? Eddie co-founded Son of Bat with James shortly after high school. He is the primary drummer, and he also designs the band's album art and merch.

Fun Facts about Eddie:

He thinks horses are kinda gross. Why are they like that?

Tarzan is his favorite Disney movie, and inspired his love of Phil Collins.

He believed in Santa until he was around 13-14. (Despite growing up Jewish herself, Eddie's mom wanted to give him as much of a "standard American" childhood as she could, including a secular Christmas.)

His sleep cycle is hyucked, so he usually ends up sleeping on the couch rather than his bed. Technically, he and Vince shared a room until Vince moved in with Cassandra.

He had to have his right ring finger amputated due to an infected injury at 12 years old. Luckily, he's left-handed.

Because of his AuDHD, he tends to forget to eat/misses hunger cues and struggles with low blood sugar, so he always keeps snacks/candy in his pockets for emergencies. Plus, gum is a great subtle stim and sour candy helps calm anxiety attacks.

Biggest Secret: Maybe not the biggest, but he's never told anyone that when he and James first met, he had a bit of a crush on him. As they got to know each other better, it quickly shifted into a more brotherly/platonic love, but he would still die of embarrassment if anyone found out.

Inspired by this post by @amaralionelli. I might not do all of those specific prompts, but I'm working on ideas for how I can rework it for my preferences. Also, this was just a lazy sketch so there's a ton of mistakes, pls don't judge lol

[mel-0n-earth]

BG3 February Writing Challenge: Day 1

Day 1 (SFW, except one or two sentences are NSFW): What was Tav doing when they were abducted?

Link to the original prompt list

[Using this as an opportunity to plot out some backstory for a nonbinary Tav for the Kar'niss fic I'm brainstorming. Enjoy :) ]

Sunshine gleamed blinding over the pristine blocks of limestone lining the Upper City’s manicured streets like so many rows of straight, white teeth. The sun hung white hot from the cloudless blue sky, pouring radiant rays of heat onto the city below. The only shade to be found consisted of bleak shadows clinging to over-trimmed trees, all frighteningly identical to one another. The very air smelled sharply of soap and freshly juiced lemons.

Kai couldn’t stand it. The brightness, the sterile perfection of it all. It was difficult to believe that anyone actually lived here amidst the immaculate aisles of townhouses and fountains spouting pearly blue water. They’d seen at least two picturesque flocks of white doves since they crossed the bridge, yet the whole district was utterly spotless. It seemed even the birds saved their shit for the Lower City.  

Besides, all the sunshine hurt Kai’s eyes. That was one of the shit parts of having a deadbeat drow for a mother. At least dear old dad had the good sense to be humor, or Kai would be burnt to a crisp in this sun. They could practically feel their sclera cooking like eggs inside their skull. How much longer were they going to stand around out here?

“Getting impatient, Rahim,” Kai drawled, fingers tapping their bicep.

Their partner didn’t move an inch, or so much as spare them a glance. He’d been sitting like a statue on that bench for what must have been over an hour now, solid as a gargoyle, and perhaps just as frightening, with that craggy scar of his raking a diagonal across his tanned face, black hair pulled back into a bun and beard trimmed short. Even his dark eyes hadn’t moved from whatever distant spot they’d been studying since they got here. Kai might have thought him under a holding spell, if it weren’t for the glaring sparkle of sunlight catching his earring every time he moved even the slightest bit.

“Rahim?”

“We just got here, Kai,” he said in his usual cool tone. “What’s got you all twitchy?”  

Kai rolled their shoulders—a nervous habit. “Nothing. Just don’t like it here. Too damn clean.”

“There’s a nice thorny rosebush ‘round the corner if you want to squat for a piss. Hells, I’ll take a whole shit in it if you’ll hold still for five damned minutes. You’re drawing attention to yourself.”

Kai frowned at a saccharine house across the street, its latticed windows framed by painted window boxes stuffed with yellow tulips. “Your guy should’ve been here by now.”

“We’ve got time. Last thing we want is a rushed job.”

“Maybe, but why I haven’t seen a single Fist since we hit this street.”

“This is Upper City, Kai. Most Fists are posted in our neck of the woods.”

Kai nudged Rahims calf with their boot. Finally, he turned to face them, his brown eyes melted to amber honey in the sunshine. The color was made all the more striking by the kohl lining his lids. It gave Kai pause. No one should look that beautiful, especially smarmy rakes like him.

“Don’t you think it’s a little odd?” Kai asked, fingers digging into their arm.

Rahim’s lips quirked up, softening the hard edges of his sea-worn face. Kai steeled themself against the devilish look he only wore when he was busy reading them like a book. “What, you nervous? Looking for some reassurance?”

A breeze drifted by, and Kai caught a hint of the familiar saltwater scent that clung to his skin. Fuck, he even smelled good. Damned pirate bastard.

They looked quickly away. “I don’t trust this new guy, is all. Never worked with him before.”

Rahim turned his attention back to the distance. “Plan’s all his. If we want our cut, we better play along.”

“Yeah? Would love to hear about this plan of his.”

A muscle twitched in Rahim’s jaw, then he smiled. “All in due time. Just trust me on this one, love. Have I done you wrong before?”

Kai tilted their head back. The white hair over their neck was damp with sweat, and the shaved side of their head felt ready to blister under the sun. “No,” they conceded. “Just…got a weird feeling. Can’t quite shake it. Like something isn’t right.”

Rahim rested one rugged hand at the small of Kai’s back, fingers slipping beneath their shirt to brush the sensitive skin there. “Easy there. Should be a quick one, in and out. When it’s done, we can have some time to ourselves, eh?”

Kai shifted, but said nothing.

Rahim breathed a laugh. “See, nothing but cheek, until I talk sex, then you melt like butter.”  

“I might actually melt if we have to stand here any longer. It’s hot as the Hells out here.”

Rahim’s eyes darted to the other side of the street. Something flickered in his eyes that Kai couldn’t recognize, jaw tensing. “Hells indeed, speak of the devil…”

Kai followed his gaze across the street, only for their eyes to be immediately assaulted by yet more gleaming light. It was a dragonborn. A fucking copper one, light dancing off his scales in a a blinding dazzle. A headache started to prick at Kai’s skull.

“You’re kidding me,” they muttered to Rahim. But the damned handsome pirate didn’t say a word. He simply followed the dragonborn’s approach from beneath darkened brows, heel tapping against the foot of the bench.

The dragonborn regarded them both with acid-green eyes and a flick of their scaly tail before approaching the bench, hand outstretched. “Rahim,” he hissed in a voice that was unmistakably lizard-like.

Rahim clasped the proffered hand. “Cadmus. You’re late.”

The lizard—Cadmus, apparently, flashed him a toothy grin. “Apologies. Our decoy required a few finishing touches.”

Kai lifted a brow. “Decoy?”

Cadmus’s passed his gaze over them, eyes narrowing. “A drow?”

“Only half.”

His reptilian mouth approximated a frown. “Male or female?”

“If you’re wondering whether to call me a bitch or a bastard, either is fine with me.”

“I need to know for your uniform,” he intoned.

Kai gave them a bewildered look. “What uniform?”

Cadmus cast a glance at Rahim. “You didn’t brief them?”

Rahim gave a noncommittal tilt of his head. “Thought I’d let you do the honors.”

The dragonborn swiveled his head to check that no one was listening, even though the street was nearly empty, then gestured for them to follow. Rahim rose from his bench without question. Kai frowned, but made no argument as Cadmus led them to a nearby alleyway. At least they were in the shade now.

“The two of you will be retrieving an heirloom from the Jannath manor,” Cadmus explained. “My sources tell me the family just fired and replaced half their staff after the Lady’s lover disappeared. A perfect opportunity to pose as new hires.” He angled his chin at Rahim. “The Hells hath no fury like a lover scorned, no?”

Rahim’s lips thinned. “You think either of us will pass as servants?” His dark eyes slid to Kai’s—pale purple, like most surface drow. The color of lavender, he’d told them one night, sharing a pillow while his cock softened inside them. Like the sea at sunset.  

“So long as you’re dressed the part, no one will notice a thing.” Cadmus insisted. “But the uniforms…” he looked back to Kai. “Males wear pants, and females wear skirts. Which would you prefer.”

Kai rolled their eyes. “Pants, obviously. You think I want to do a heist in a skirt?”

Cadmus inclined his head, then reached clawed hands into the pack slung over his shoulder and produced a set of clothing—nothing exquisite, but far finer than anything Kai had ever worn. They resisted the urge to reach out and touch the supple material.

“Who’s this decoy you were mentioning then?” Kai asked.

“Not who,” Cadmus corrected. “What. See, we’ll be stealing this.” He spared another quick glance around, then opened his bag so Kai could see.

Kai frowned. “A necklace?”

“Not just any necklace. This one is gnome-made.” He pointed a single talon to each detail as he named it. “Rubies set in gold and silver, with a dewdrop diamond at the apex. See the flowering detail? It was popular a few hundred years ago, and just came back into fashion. Should fetch a handsome price.”

Kai leaned in, squinting at the sparkling stones where they lay limp in his pack. “So this is a fake? Could’ve fooled me.”

The dragonborn’s maw split into a toothy smile. “That’s the idea.”

“So, how are we going to do this? Rahim?”

Rahim blinked, as if waking from a dream, then rubbed a hand over his thigh. “Ah, right. It’s just going to be you and me. You’ll watch the door while I run in. Once I grab the necklace, we make a break for it.”

Kai gave him a skeptical look. “What’s the catch?”

Rahim’s mouth pressed into a flat line.

“The catch,” Cadmus cut in, “is that the Jannaths have the jewelry box alarmed. The moment Rahim opens it, they’ll notify the guards. Hence the false necklace. Once Rahim has the real one in hand, he’ll lay low while you draw the guards away with the fake.”

“And what happens when I get caught with the fake?”

“The gems are made of glass,” Cadmus said. “They should break quite easily, and there’s no law preventing you from carrying a false reproduction.”

Kai chewed their lip. They were a good liar, but it would be a hard sell. Still, Cadmus was right—even the fake necklace looked like it would be worth a fortune. If they pulled this off, Kai might never have to sleep on a street again. Hells, they might be able to afford to sleep in a room with a door that locked. They could finally spend the night with Rahim without having to worry about someone walking in on them, or watching through a crack in the wall.

Kai turned to Rahim, who had remained uncharacteristically silent. “Well, what do you think?”

His eyes flickered to theirs before falling to the limestone brick beneath their feet—those damned pretty eyes. “I don’t know, Cadmus,” he said slowly. “Hearing you say it just now, there are a lot of cracks…”

The dragonborn gave him a sharp look. “Fastidious words for a man of so many debts.”

Kai pursed their lips. Rahim had never mentioned debts. They liked to gamble over cards every now and then, but he never had much to put down.

Still, if he owed someone a large sum, it would only spell trouble further down the road. Better to nip it in the bud now, for both their sakes. After all, he’d gotten Kai out of plenty of rough patches. It was their turn to return the favor.

“So,” Cadmus said, “Are you ready to begin?

Kadmus heaved a sigh, then met his acid-green eyes unflinching. “Yep. Let’s make it happen.”

***

The servant’s uniform turned out to be more comfortable than Kai expected. The undershirt was made of linen dyed a dark shade of indigo, the vest and pants fitted but breathable. Cadmus had guessed their measurements rather well. Rahim’s, on the other hand, seemed to fit too tightly. He wouldn’t stop pulling at his sleeves and collar, even well after Cadmus left them to make their way to the manor. When they were about a block out, Kai finally gave in to the urge to slap his hand away.

“Stop that, will you? People will think you have lice or something.”

His expression went taut, eyes fixed straight ahead to the busy street before them, chock full of well-dressed nobles and carefully maintained walkways. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Just not used to wearing this sort of thing.”

“Well, get used to it. You’re good at blending in. Just…try to look like you’re really good at pretending you love to wipe someone else’s ass for a living.”

Normally, that would have at least cracked a smile, but Rahim merely clenched his jaw a little tighter.

“What’s up with you?”

Finally, he turned to look at them, and something in his expression caught Kai off guard. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Why didn’t you tell me you had gambling debts?”

His expression turned to stone. “What, were you going to offer to pay them off for me? With what coin?”

Kai bristled at that. “Fine then, don’t tell me.”

Rahim regarded them for a moment, then sighed. “Look, just got a bit reckless with my money is all. Nothing for you to worry about.”

“So long as we get paid, right?”

His throat bobbed. “You don’t have to do this on my behalf, you know. Could still bow out if you wanted.”

Kai thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “Could. Don’t see why I would. If things go south, just drop the damned jewelry and run. We’ll ditch Camdus and find someone to fence the fake. Or we’ll find work elsewhere. Either way, I’ll make sure your debt is paid.”  

Rahim turned his attention back to the path forward, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as they walked the final stretch to the Jannath’s manor. He didn’t say another word until they’d rounded their way to the back of the building where the servant’s entrance was located.

“You’ve got the decoy?” he asked in a hushed whisper.

In lieu of an answer, Kai pulled open their pants pocket so he could see the false rubies glint in the sunlight.

He heaved a sigh and nodded. “Alright then. Listen, I don’t care what Cadmus said: They don’t have to catch you for this to work, alright? Just lead them away. I’ll clear out fast as I can, promise.”

Kai’s mouth ticked up in a smile, and they leaned in to press a quick kiss on his lips. “You worry too much.”

Rahim regarded them with a burning stare, then tilted his head down to capture their mouth in another kiss, this one longer and more sensual, his tongue pressed warm against the seam of their lips. When he pulled back, Kai followed, almost tempted by the notion of abandoning this entire scheme and finding a shed to rut in instead. Almost.

“Bye then, love,” he hummed against their ear. “See you on the other side.”

He turned to slip inside the manor, never once looking back.

***

Kai’s boots collided hard with the pavement, like sparks rattling the grill of a stove. Sweat poured down their brow, and they could feel themselves sweating through the thin fabric of their shirt. The uniform’s vest had long been abandoned, dropped in the middle of the street as a bread crumb for the Fists to follow as they pursued them through the city. They’d taken the bait, and managed to track Kai all the way to the harbor before finally meeting them at a dead end.  

Really, Kai had let them catch up. Despite Rahim’s assurance that they didn’t need to get caught for the plan to work, they just couldn’t resist a chance to rub it in the Fists’ face that the goons had no grounds for an arrest. While Kai sprinted through the streets of the Gate, they’d pictured themselves smashing those glass rubies, proving that for once, they were the picture of innocence.  

But of course, something had to go wrong.

See, Kai had the whole thing planned out. They would run to the end of the dead end street, look up with pretend horror at the unsurpassable wall blocking their way, then slowly turn to the guards in pursuit, hands thrust in the air as if they’d just played their last card, only to pull one more from their sleeve when they least expected it.

“I didn’t steal anything, I swear!” Kai said, voice trembling with mock fear.

“Tyr’s bleeding arse you did,” one burly guard spat back. “Empty your pockets and we’ll see.”

It was only then that Kai let a sly smile spread across their face as they pulled the necklace from their pocket and dangled it in the air between them, giving it a quick jingle for good measure. “Is this what you were looking for? Well, too bad. It’s just a fake. See?” The necklace fell with a clatter to the stones. Kai lifted their leg, and delivered a decisive strike to one of the overly large rubies with the hard heel of their boot, the force of it enough to shatter glass.

Except it didn’t shatter.

When they lifted their heel, the necklace remained intact.

Confused, Kai lifted their leg again, ready to strike another blow at the trinket, but then they felt the Weave slither like a serpent around them, and their body came to a standstill.

“That’s enough of that,” came a familiar, lizard-like voice.

Kai couldn’t move a single limb. They didn’t even have the wherewithal to grimace past the spell’s hold as Cadmus appeared from amidst the throng of guards. They could only watch as the dragonborn fixed them with a smile that bore disgusting resemblance to the cat who got the canary, toothy and predatory. With a delicate hand, he reached down to retrieve the necklace from beneath their foot, taking a moment to study it in the sunlight before turning back to the guards.

“Well, I must commend the Flaming Fists for a job well done,” he crooned, the words dripping like poison from his scaly lips. “It seems you’ve caught the thief after all. I’m sure Lady Jannath will be pleased to see such a fine heirloom returned to her after being parted for so long.”

Kai felt their heart seize in their chest. What did that mean, “for so long?” They’d only just stolen it today.

Cadmus passed the necklace to one of the guards, who regarded it with a skeptical look.

“Everything should be in order,” Cadmus insisted. “Note the initials near the clasp? They belong to that of Lady Jannath’s great grandmother, the original owner.”

A few of the guards exchanged glances. “It certainly does appear to match her description.”

“I imagine the family will have no trouble confirming the provenance,” he continued. “After all, it is a rather unique item. The thief must have been quite the fool, to think they’d be able to sell such a recognizable piece. Even the most reckless fence wouldn’t dare take it on.”

Kai felt anger boil over in their chest. The pieces were falling into place. Of course something like that wouldn’t be easy to unload. And if the necklace was stolen “so long” ago…This wasn’t a heist—it was a setup.

It all made sense now—why Cadmus had approached a couple of lowlife thieves for an Upper City job, the need for a decoy, why Rahim had been ready to jump out of his own skin all day while claiming it was an “easy” job.

Rahim.

Kai could see him then—that edged look in his eye when he looked at them, the way he’d frozen up at the mention of a debt, how he’d offered them a way out at the last minute, the way he’d kissed them goodbye. He knew. All this time, he’d been planning to sell them out, and Kai was so busy staring at those pretty eyes, they hadn’t even seen it…

 All those nights, they’d spent together, all that sweet talk about lavender eyes, all the times he’d called them “love,” as if that word ever meant a fucking thing to him. It was all a baldfaced lie.

Kai wanted to scream, to tear their way through the circle of guards with their bare hands and come out bloody on the other side, to stalk Rahim to whatever dark hole he’d crawled into and demand an explanation, then rip his tongue out through his ass when it inevitably fell flat.

And to think, Kai had almost convinced themselves that bastard actually cared about them, fuck, loved them even. Shows what they knew.

Kai felt something hot fall over their cheek. At first, they thought it was the start of another spell. Then their vision started to blur, and they realized they were in fact crying. Having no control over their muscles, the tears simply came until they were streaming down their face. Gods, they must have looked pathetic.

Then, as if the day couldn’t have gotten any worse, a scream resounded from the next street over. Kai only just managed to slide their eyes up to witness the strange, hulking almagamation of flesh and sinew screaming through the sky before it brushed one of its slimy tentacles across their tear-streamed face.

They couldn’t even suck in a frightened breath before the ground fell away, and the world went black.  

[myhappyexobubble]

EXO Fandom - Part 2 - FanArt

This post follows part 1 - available here.

After working on stories and loving the imaginative fiction created by the fandom, I came across stories that highlighted visual work by fanartists to help provide visual reference. Initially I found most artwork to be digital, but it was happening upon a pencil artist that struck a chord and made me think, “I could probably do that.”

At the time, I was close to graduating with my Bachelors Degree in Studio Arts with an emphasis in painting and mural. I was known for hating portrait work and chose to mostly work in abstracts and landscapes, or still life. The pressure to make a person look recognizable was daunting. I had just finished my senior project early and had very little to do in studio reserved time, but had an ample supply of medium and papers. So, without much thought, I started to draw EXO.

My early work is pretty rough, but as I mentioned, I did not like drawing people. I spent most of an entire semester working on some random drawings and eventually completed my first ‘series’ which was really just portraits of all members using the same medium and paper. I posted those drawings on my personal Instagram because I didn’t see it being a big deal. It became a big deal.

With enough positive comments, I decided that I wanted to keep working on portraits of EXO and sometimes other K-pop artists when inspired. I wanted to improve and to see if I could get better at drawing faces. As I continued working on shading and texture - especially hair, I began to wonder what other mediums could be used to achieve different effects. I also began networking. I started to follow and talk to other digital and traditional fan artists who used all sorts of effects. I wanted to emulate digital effects traditionally, working with physical media in layers. I went to the art store often and purchased more variety of tools. I got recommendations for brands and techniques from a network of artists that was beginning to span the globe. I had never felt so rich in community as I did around my 2nd year of working on fanart.

Of course, it wasn’t just the community that prompted artistic growth. Not to be biased, but Kai has always been just a little more artistically portrayed in photoshoots. What I consider to be odd fashion preferences became amazing to recreate in charcoal and colored pencil. Still frame movement and emotions were so motivating that at times I couldn’t keep up with the amount of visual content that was coming out and how fast I could draw.

It was a constant race to keep up. I remember that the Die Jungs photobooks were the first that I felt so incredibly motivated by and yet could never draw everything I wanted to from those books before new content was available. When Exodus and Love Me Right came out, I was cranking out 1-4 portraits a day or at least in a week. I wanted to do more series. As EXO members moved on (Kris, Luhan, Tao) I wanted to keep making series that included the 12 regardless. I wanted to merge charcoal with paint and do blends of medium that seemed impractical. It was intensely motivating because I had not just Kai but 12 total muses that belonged on canvas.

At the time of writing this I have produced 692 pieces of traditional fan art. That’s 692 pieces of paper or canvas where the medium was applied by hand via pencil or paint brush. Never in my youth did I think I would ever complete that much body of work in an entire lifetime. 

EXO gave me the inspiration to get over a fear of portraits, dabble in more medium than I’d imagined, network globally and make friends, and for the first time made me feel like a legitimate artist. Now, we could spend another entire post talking about the copyright issues and art practices and their validity, but for now - my creative growth is still one of the many reasons EXO is my favorite K-Pop group. 

More to follow, thank you for reading.

[hiccanna-tidbits]

Jackunzel February Special Week 1 - Spring Serendipity

Jack has been trying for years to be seen.

He’s ended up a loner--although certainly not by choice. A failed class clown, his antics are often either ignored or met with open annoyance by his rather humorless classmates. Even dyeing his hair white--a desperate attempt to not fade into the background anymore--is met with eyerolls and snide comments about him being an “attention-seeking punk.”

Then a new girl transfers in the middle of the school year (toward the end, more accurately), dressed in yellows and pinks and greens so bright they hurt your eyes and never without wildflowers scattered throughout her short brown hair. She’s a little off-kilter, singing to herself in the hallway and using old paintbrushes and dandelion stalks as bookmarks. Nonetheless, there’s one thing Jack’s certain of:

This girl doesn’t know he’s a loser yet.

Maybe, miracle of miracles, she doesn’t care. Some of the more easygoing art club girls and choir kids try to befriend her, and Jack overhears them warning her about the “white-haired freak.” She seems puzzled by the assertions, saying she actually thought the “snow hair” looked cool.

It’s enough to get plenty of would-be friends to change their mind about her. Within only a month at her new school, she’s already on a track toward lonerdom.

Then one day, Jack is about to walk home when he sees Rapunzel-the-new-girl lying in the school courtyard, rolling around in a patch of freshly-sprouted spring flowers.

“What are you doing?” he asks, chuckling.

“I’m smelling the earth!” she chirps. “It’s so fresh and nice. You should join me!”

And to hell with it. He does exactly that.

And so begins an unlikely friendship filled with impromptu backroads exploration, trying to fit more people onto a pink bike than really belong there, and paint-stained borrowed books that old flower petals keep falling out of.

On one of their many roams through the more out-of-the-way, run-down parts of town, they find a hole-in-the-wall bakery with delicious pastel-themed pastries. It becomes their biggest secret, surprisingly unknown among their judgmental and gossipy classmates. They grow to love sneaking off to Springtime Sweets, always feeling like they’re on their way to a forbidden tryst. Rapunzel always orders an elegant, lavender-iced cupcake, while Jack always orders the ever-exciting Everything Donut.

Rapunzel laughs at his jokes (the only one to in a long time) and picks him wildflowers. Jack lets her paint on his arm and lies in the grass with her while she cloud-watches. It’s a beautiful few weeks, the novelty of it all still catching Jack by surprise nearly every day. He can’t remember the last time he had something--someone--to look forward to at school.

By the time summer comes, there’s one thing Jack knows for sure: This is the best case of serendipity he’s ever had the luck to stumble into. All the area schools Rapunzel Corona could have transferred to, and she transferred to his.

He isn’t alone anymore. Someone saw him.

Maybe things will be all right after all.

***

YOOOO HAPPY JACKUNZEL FEBRUARY SPECIAL!!! I kinda went apeshit with the moodboards so I hope I get them all posted in time ^^; I’ve got 2 for summer and fall and 3 for spring and winter, since those are the kids’ signature seasons!

I’ve been looking for an excuse to use that brown-haired Rapunzel pic with flowers in her hair forever, so bless these seasonal prompts for giving me the perfect excuse :O

I looooove these two in pastels, like!!! Rapunzel’s color palette is so delightfully pastel, and I’d bet money Jack enjoys them too. Especially because if she ever painted over his frost, it would come out kind of a pretty light pastel shade <3 <3 <3 So he probably associates pastel colors with Punz!!! Bless!!!

Also yes, Rapunzel canonically likes cupcakes, and Jack? Well, I know a Jack-coded gal irl and she’s obsessed with donuts. Therefore it only follows Jack is too XD

Obsessed with the idea of Rapunzel using weird, random objects as bookmarks, often/especially objects that do not make good bookmarks. A chaotic Rapunzel headcanon I feel @gigilberry would approve of. Also obsessed with Rapunzel trying to ride her bike around with Jack in her lap. Or in her bike basket (he’s definitely light enough). Either option is equally romantic and also hilarious.

Moodboard pic credits available upon request!

[plaguelily-art]

I posted 16 times in 2022

16 posts created (100%)

0 posts reblogged (0%)

I tagged 16 of my posts in 2022

#plaguelily's art - 11 posts

#environment drawing challenge - 5 posts

#plaguelily chatters - 4 posts

#dude the login for this website was changed and it threw me off so much - 1 post

#triangle strategy - 1 post

#serenoa wolffort - 1 post

#frederica aesfrost - 1 post

#plaguelily's wips - 1 post

#i will be finished before the end of the year probably but i was not expecting this little project to take so long - 1 post

#anyhow there is a nice little art that will post later at the usual time - 1 post

Longest Tag: 119 characters

#if someone asks me to draw something sexy i end up too embarrassed to put my vast knowledge of silly outfits to any use

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I needed a break from my other WIPs, and I had recently (finally) come up with a design for Malon as she appears in my Sky Pirates story, so I figured a nice little concept art would offer me a good break. This is also how Link will appear in Sky Pirates, although I've had his design for quite a while now. Still not sure about some of the color palettes, so those might change as I continue to refine things, but overall I'm really happy with how my project is coming along, even if the progress is a bit all over the place. I also tried out something new for the hair shading, although I'm not...sure how keen I am about it yet, although it is easier than what I have been doing. I'm also not sure if I'll stick with adding stylistic halftones to the shadows yet or not, but they are fun to add in. My weird semi-hiatus will continue, as this continues to be the busiest part of the year for me.

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2022, Summer-Fall Digital (Adobe Photoshop) Redesigns, AU iterations, and the Sky Pirates story belong to me. Link and Malon are characters from the Legend of Zelda series, and belong to Nintendo. Artwork belongs to me.

This image (published by the artist to deviantart.com/plaguelily, plaguelily-art.tumblr.com) may not be reproduced, copied, edited, republished, or reuploaded in any way. Thank you.

13 notes - Posted October 5, 2022

#4

I completely forgot to post this yesterday because I was still recovering from a medical test and literally just, spaced posting art. Anyhow, my Christmas gift for @therebedraws of her DnD OC Aldrynn, who is a spectacular bastard (affectionate) in both the campaign of her's I'm playing in and in her other campaigns. He ended up being a mix of fun to draw and somewhat challenging due to character design and "wearing a sexy outfit" as a prompt. I rarely use oranges as main colors in art, so this ended up being a really challenging and interesting piece all in all, and I had a lot of fun!

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2021, Winter (End of Year) Digital (Adobe Photoshop) Aldrynn belongs to @therebedraws. Artwork belongs to me.

This image (published by the artist to deviantart.com/plaguelily, plaguelily-art.tumblr.com) may not be reproduced, copied, edited, republished, or reuploaded in any way. Thank you.

14 notes - Posted January 13, 2022

#3

I will be posting on the correct day next week, I just got my days all mixed up again. The final Christmas art, this one for my friend Midori of Annmarie from her webcomic The Search for Henry Jekyll . The Search for Henry Jekyll is coming to an end soon, so when I was given free reign to draw whatever I liked, I wanted to draw one of my favorite characters. The story's really fun, and while I'm sad to see it come to an end I'm also excited to see how the final arc will play out, I would highly recommend reading for those who enjoy suspense and drama mixed with homage to a beloved classic.

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2021, Winter (End of Year) Digital (Adobe Photoshop) Annmarie Sing belongs to @midorilied Artwork belongs to me.

This image (published by the artist to deviantart.com/plaguelily, plaguelily-art.tumblr.com) may not be reproduced, copied, edited, republished, or reuploaded in any way. Thank you.

24 notes - Posted January 20, 2022

#2

This was originally an old sketch from 2019, but I felt like trying to ink and color it digitally to see how that would come along. I remember sketching without a reference, hence the outfits being just whatever I could remember to draw instead of the in-game armor. I have a lot of ideas for other artworks and haven't had a chance to draw these two recently, so it was nice to complete an artwork of them again!

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2022, Winter (Beginning of Year) Digital (Adobe Photoshop) Dedue and Ashe are characters from the Fire Emblem series, and belongs to Intelligent Systems. Artwork belongs to me.

This image (published by the artist to deviantart.com/plaguelily, plaguelily-art.tumblr.com) may not be reproduced, copied, edited, republished, or reuploaded in any way. Thank you.

49 notes - Posted January 26, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I have been working on this for...over a month. Which isn't actually that long for this type of illustration, but I do not want to try and emulate the "Skyward Sword official art textured shading" again, not for another year at least (it crashed Photoshop like, five times). I'm not even sure the shading is good, I've been looking at this for too long. I drew the knotted border by hand, but that was somehow easier than dealing with the shadows and highlights. Anyhow! I loved Triangle Strategy, and I loved these two especially. The writers did a good job convincing me Serenoa and Frederica fell deeply in love over the course of the story, and it was just, such a soft and sweet romance. I love the way they love each other. Originally wasn't planning to make this a dancing pose, but that's how the sketch eventually worked out, and I'm happy regardless. At this point I think the "intimate forehead touch" is just my go-to for soft romantic art, not that I'm complaining.

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2022, Spring Digital (Adobe Photoshop) Serenoa and Frederica are characters from Triangle Strategy, and belong to Square Enix. Artwork belongs to me.

This image (published by the artist to deviantart.com/plaguelily, plaguelily-art.tumblr.com) may not be reproduced, copied, edited, republished, or reuploaded in any way. Thank you.

52 notes - Posted June 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[helsaguy]

Holy hell...

I was convinced Helsa Summer Event started on the 17th😶 And it turns out I got the date all wrong and that's actually the last day😳

Oh well, looks like I'll just miss the event entirely (dang it!) and I'll post what I got whenever I can :/

My best wishes to those participating though!! Happy Helsa event👋👋👋👋

[raibebe]

D-2 Sugarbaby

Genre: fluff & smut Words: 3.204 Prompt: sugarbaby Jeno x older female reader Warnings: mild exhibitionism, handjob, oral (m receiving), slight subspace, dom/sub relationship, sub Jeno

A/N: Day five of Jeno’s birthday celebration and I am regretting doing this 😂 I'm kidding but I finished this barely 1 hour before posting time because this got way too long and out of hand and I wish I had more time to edit but here we are! I hope you didn't miss him too much! Also, bonus points if you know what his presents were inspired by!

previous< | Jeno birth celebration | >next

“You look good tonight,” you smiled as soon as Jeno opened the door for you, admiring him in his blush colored suit, his hair styled away from his forehead and the top two buttons of his shirt undone. “It’s because you chose my clothes,” he tried to wave it off, pink dusting his cheeks. “No, it’s because you’re so handsome,” you giggled, pressing a kiss to his heated cheek, “Happy birthday, baby.” “Thank you,” he smiled sheepishly, playing with the cuffs of the suit jacket. “You ready to go?” “I don’t know since you’re not telling me where we’re going,” Jeno pouted but pulled his apartment door shut behind him anyways, quickly turning the keys in the lock. “Don’t be sulky.” “It’s my birthday, I can be sulky all I want.” “Sure, birthday boy,” still smiling brightly, you interlaced your fingers as you walked out of the complex and to your car. 

“At least give me a hint,” Jeno asked after he had changed your usual radio station to one that suited his taste better.  “You will really like the food.” “I like all food though.” “Yes, you have a very healthy appetite for a young man,” you laughed when Jeno only pouted harder. “Did you have a fun time with your friends yesterday?” You tried to steer the conversation away from possible dinner locations. “Donghyuck got so drunk, he stood on top of my kitchen counter and tried to serenade Renjun by putting on a musical performance which caused him to almost crack his skull open when he inevitably fell off,” Jeno giggled, “We filmed it and all.” “But no one got hurt?” “No bones were broken, just his ego.” “And you’re not hungover?” “Nothing some ibuprofen couldn’t fix. I... I really wanted to have a good time with you tonight,” Jeno admitted almost shyly. “Me too, baby,” you reassured him, taking a hand off the steering wheel to gently squeeze his thigh, “Your first present is in the glove compartment by the way.” 

“I told you not to get me so much stuff,” Jeno whined but it only made you smile wider. “But I love spoiling you.” “You spoil me enough already by taking me out to a probably way too fancy place,” he argued but opened the glove compartment anyways to get out the small box from a jewelry store he was already familiar with. “No.” “Yes, Jeno. Open it.” “You shouldn’t have…” “I saw it and it made me think of you.” “You say this every time,” Jeno scolded you but loosened the silky ribbon around the box the next moment to reveal the beautiful silver necklace you had picked up last minute the other day. “You like it?” You asked timidly when he didn’t say anything for a moment. “It’s- It’s beautiful,” he breathed out eventually, reaching out to pull the delicate chain from the cushion to inspect the key pendant, turning it around to see the sparkle. 

“Let me put it on for you,” you said as you pulled up in the parking lot of the restaurant and killed the engine of your car. With a small smile on his face, Jeno carefully handed you the necklace before he turned around so you could close the clasp, pressing a kiss behind his ear for good measure. “Thank you,” he whispered, slowly turning around so as to not break the delicate moment, his gaze immediately getting drawn to your lips that you had painted in one of his favorite shades. “Yeah, you can,” you answered his question before he could even voice it, leaning further over the middle console so he could catch your lips in a sweet kiss. But of course, it didn’t stop after one kiss or two. It didn’t even stop when you gently coaxed Jeno’s lips open with your tongue and he let you lick into his mouth until a moan stumbled past his lips. “You drive me insane, baby,” you sighed when you managed to finally separate from him, carefully flattening his hair back down from where you had gripped onto the strands. “I mean we don’t have to go have dinner at this fancy place,” Jeno smiled sheepishly, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. “But it’s your birthday, baby.” “Which is why I should get to decide the way I want to celebrate,” he interrupted you. “You’re so feisty today,” you chuckled, gently biting into his lower lip, “Don’t you want me to spoil you?” “You can spoil me in your bedroom just as good as with a fancy meal,” he stumbled over his words, clearly eager to get what he actually wanted. 

“Yeah? And what should I do to you, hm?” You all but purred, trailing your lips along the shell of his ear. “Fuck,” he cursed under his breath, a shiver running down his spine, “I want... I want you to play with me.” “And how would I do that?” You asked next, slowly mapping out his strong chest. “You... Want you to make me cum…” “Yeah? And how do you want me to make you cum?” “Your mouth. I want your mouth.” “Of course you do, baby. You always want my mouth around your cock,” you snickered, pressing a lingering kiss to his sharp jawline, “Will you be a good boy for me?” “I’m always a good boy for you,” he sighed, baring his neck for you to press more kisses to his unmarked skin. “Mmmmh, yeah you are. But you’re also so impatient and I really don’t want to teach you manners on your birthday.” “Please,” he begged and oh the word was music to your ears when his usually deep voice already took on a whiney edge. “And let this reservation go to waste? You know how hard I tried to find the place with the best sashimi in town? Just to be able to treat you to a nice meal.” “But don’t you want it as well?” He tried to persuade you, fluttering his lashes for good measure. “Oh baby, I always want you,” you chuckled, letting your fingers dip down lower to play with the buckle of his belt, “But unlike you, I have something called restraint.” With that, you bypassed where Jeno wanted you to touch him the most, squeezing his thigh instead before you leaned back to quickly fix your hair to step out of your car. “Come on,” you grinned, opening his door as well. “You’re mean,” he pouted. “But you’re so fun to rile up, baby.” “I can’t believe you’re making me sit through dinner,” he grumbled as he got out of the car, immediately grabbing onto your hand. “I promise, I’ll make it worthwhile,” you smiled, squeezing his hand.

The staff at the restaurant had really outdone themselves with the setup on the table, beautiful pink flowers in a vase and candles, the whole nine yards. “You’re so extra,” Jeno chuckled as he slipped into the little booth, a confused sound leaving his lips when you took the seat next to him instead of across. “All for my baby,” you smiled, kissing his cheek. “Good evening,” the server interrupted you politely, putting down a glass of ice-cold cola for Jeno and a glass of wine for yourself as well as another small box. “Your food will be out shortly,” he informed you before disappearing as quickly as he had appeared. 

“How many more of these?” Jeno asked with a pout on his lips, carefully unwrapping the present. “A couple,” you giggled, playfully squeezing his thigh, leaving your palm to rest there. “You didn’t,” he gasped when he opened the lid of the box. “Yeah, I did,” you laughed, looking at the custom gamepad in the box with intricate blue designs on the white controller with Jeno’s name engraved in golden letters. “It’s really pretty,” he smiled. “I’m glad you like it. I really wasn’t sure about this one,” you admitted, slowly letting your fingers run up the inside seam of his pants. “You know me better than you give yourself credit for,” he smiled sweetly before carefully putting the lid back on the box. “Maybe,” you smiled back, gently holding onto his jaw so you could press a sweet kiss to his lips. It was nothing more than a chaste peck but Jeno still chased after your lips for another one, slowly moving his lips against yours in a languid kiss. “Contain yourself, pup,” you giggled, pressing your pointer finger against his lips to gently push him away, “We’re still in public.” “I have to thank you for all of this somehow,” he whispered, teasingly nipping on your finger. “It’s your special day, baby,” you sighed, “There’s no need to thank me.” “But I want to. Wanna be good for you,” he spoke lowly, his eyes darkened with a hunger you knew very well by now. You had been a fool to believe he’d forgotten how you had riled him up in the car only to leave him blue-balled. 

“Yeah? You wanna be good for me?” You teased, sliding the hand you had on his thigh up and up and up until you could cup him over his slacks, gently kneading the heel of your palm into where his cock was already starting to chub. “Wanna be my good little pup?” “I’m always your good pup,” Jeno sighed, his eyes fluttering shut. “What if I want my pup to have a nice meal with me, hm?” You asked next, slowly dragging your palm up and down the length of Jeno’s cock. Biting his lip to stifle a moan, he looked at you with his best impression of puppy eyes. “But you said it’s my special day.” “I know, baby,” you cooed, making quick work of unbuckling his belt and popping open the button on his pants so you could dip your hand into his briefs to feel the heated skin of his cock. “You’re so hard already,” you giggled, teasing the sensitive head, “I didn’t even do anything yet.” “Don’t be mean,” he whined, bucking his hips up into your touch. “But I know how much you like it when I’m mean,” you rasped right into his ear, gently biting the lobe as you wrapped your fingers around his cock, slowly jerking your hand up and down his length.

“Don’t cum,” you whispered when you heard the waiter approach, “Not until I allow you to.” “I know,” Jeno heaved, a full-bodied shudder going through him. “Good boy,” you purred, shifting your attention towards the unsuspecting waiter who placed two beautifully arranged plates of sashimi in front of you. “Thank you,” you smiled at the young man who only bowed politely before retreating back towards the kitchen. “Enjoy your meal,” you snickered, pulling your hand from his briefs to grab your chopsticks instead.

“Thank- Thank you,” Jeno stuttered, quickly stuffing a slice of fish into his mouth, moaning obscenely at the taste, “It’s so good.” “Glad you like it, it took me ages to find the perfect place,” you smiled, slowly eating your own arrangement of food while Jeno was all but shoveling the fish into his mouth, chewing with his cheeks stuffed full. “Slow down, pup,” you giggled, squeezing his still hard cock over his briefs in warning, “Savor your food.” “I am,” he whined, showing you what was probably the cutest angry pout you had ever seen him do. “I said slow down,” you repeated, reinforcing your words with another squeeze that had him whimper and trying to close his legs. “Yes, miss.” “That’s what I like to hear,” you purred, releasing your grip to instead tease your thumb over the head of his cock. 

Taking in a shaky breath, Jeno nodded one more time before picking up a new piece of fish, this time actually chewing it and savoring the flavor before swallowing it down. Then, he looked up at you from below his lashes, his dark eyes sparkling in the light of the candles. “You want me to praise you now?” “Didn’t I do good?” “Very good, pup,” you smiled, rewarding him with a languid tug on his cock and a soft kiss on his cheek before you turned your attention back to your own meal. 

But of course, in the state you had Jeno in, he wasn’t satisfied with not being your center of attention so as soon as he had finished his plate, he grabbed your free hand, playing with your fingers and the bracelet you had around your wrist. “Jeno?” “Hmm?” He simply hummed, pulling your hand onto his lap, a silent request for you to touch him again. “Use your words if you want something,” you reminded him, not taking your eyes off of your plate as you tried to finish your food. “Is there… Is there more food?” He asked timidly, a stark contrast to how unashamedly he pushed your hand to his still hard cock. “Are you still hungry?” You asked back, not acknowledging how he was grinding his hips up into your touch. “Hungry for something else,” he sighed, dropping his head onto your shoulder. “I can tell, pup.” “Please?” “Please what?” “Make me cum?” He asked almost shyly, nuzzling into your neck. “Right here, pup? My little exhibitionist,” you giggled, setting down your chopsticks so you could turn all your attention towards him, noticing the light haze in his eyes and the flush on his cheeks. “Don’t care,” he mumbled, “Want miss to make me feel good.” “Hey,” you tried to soothe him, gently prying his head away from your neck, “Baby, you gotta stay here with me.” “But I wanna cum,” he pouted, rutting up against your hand. “I’ll make you cum,” you promised, barely containing a chuckle when you saw how his whole face lit up, “But I can’t have you drop here, baby. Stay with me okay? Can you do that for me?” “Mmkay,” Jeno slurred, taking a couple of deep breaths to ground himself. “That’s it,” you encouraged him, slowly taking your hand away from his crotch to instead button his pants back up. 

“You okay, baby?” You checked in on him again when you had buckled his belt back up. “Mhmm,” he simply hummed. “You ready to go home?” “Ready for you to fuck me,” he laughed hoarsely, stealing a quick kiss. “That I know,” you grinned, kissing him a second time, “You wanna wait in the car while I pay?” “Will you let me drive?” Jeno pouted, fluttering his lashes for extra measure. “Only because it’s your birthday,” you smiled, grabbing your keys to press them into his palm, “Be gentle with my baby.” “I am your baby,” he argued. “That, you are,” you agreed, pressing one last kiss to his lips before getting out of the small booth to pay for your meal. 

You’d be lying if you said that Jeno didn’t look like he belonged in the driver’s seat of your car with his hands curled around the steering wheel and his legs just slightly spread. “You look like you’re right at home here,” you giggled as you slid into the passenger’s seat. “Yeah?” He asked almost timidly. “Very sexy,” you purred, leaning over the middle console to reach between his legs, pulling the leaver that made the seat adjust backward so you had easier access to his crotch. Jeno simply let out a confused sound before a moan left his lips when you freed his still not completely softened cock from his pants again, this time pulling down his briefs to expose him to the cold air. “I gotta reward you for being so good for me,” you grinned, languidly working him back up to hardness. “Right here?” Jeno panted. “We can also wait until you’ve driven us home,” you offered but the whine that left his lips when you let go of his cock was answer enough for you. “Thought so,” you giggled, fully leaning over the middle console to lap at the glistening head of his cock, welcoming the salty taste of his precum on your tongue. “Mmmh, fuck,” he cursed, his fingers clenching around the steering wheel. “Language,” you scolded him weakly before you sucked him between your lips, hollowing your cheeks around the head while you stroked the rest of his length. “Feels so good,” Jeno sighed. In lieu of an answer, you simply hummed around his cock and started to slowly take him deeper and deeper. The angle wasn’t ideal by any means with having you bent over like this, so you couldn’t take him as deep as you wanted to, meaning you had to stimulate the rest of his length with your hands, doing your best to spread your saliva to ease the friction. 

“Gonna cum,” Jeno warned you when you came up to catch your breath, instead mouthing at one of the prominent veins along his cock. “Already?” You giggled, slapping the pink head of his cock against your outstretched tongue. “I’ve been hard for so long,” he simply whined, bucking his hips up. “Play nice,” you warned him, squeezing around the base of his cock. “Please let me cum,” he begged, groaning from deep in his chest when you sucked him back between your lips, letting him hit the back of your throat repetitively, the obscene sounds filling the space of your car until you had to pull off to cough. “In my mouth, I don’t want a mess in my car,” you allowed him. “Yes, yes, yes,” Jeno chanted, biting into his lower lip to keep his sounds of pleasure at bay when you inched down his cock as far as the position and your gag reflex allowed you, keeping your cheeks hollowed as you pulled back up to tease the head with your tongue, the taste of precum getting stronger and stronger. 

“Coming, shit, fuck, I’m coming,” Jeno cursed, and not a second later, the first spurt of cum took you by surprise before you moaned around him, suckling on the head and jerking the length to help him ride out his orgasm. “Mmmh, such a good boy for me,” you purred, pressing a kiss to the pink tip of his cock, making him twitch in your hold, “But with such a dirty mouth.” “‘m sorry,” Jeno panted, a lazy smile on his lips. “You’re so pretty,” you couldn’t help but blurt out, making him giggle shyly. “You’re the beautiful one,” he replied shyly, raking a hand through your hair, “Kiss?” “Only because you asked so nicely,” you smiled, pressing a last kiss to his softening cock before straightening up, only barely holding in a wince when your spine cracked somewhere in the process. “Did you hurt your back?” Jeno of course had noticed it, gently smoothing his hand over the small of your back. “Not that old,” you grumbled, molding your lips together before he could give you a snarky reply. “Not old at all,” he spoke against your lips when you parted. “Exactly,” you frowned, playfully biting into his plush lower lip. “Should I drive you home now, lady?” “If you can feel your legs again,” you teased, dragging a finger up his by now soft cock to feel the flesh twitch.

[lumelii]

JUST A NEIGHBOR (PT. 1) ~|~ NANAMI X FEM!READER

summary: pretending everything is fine is getting harder and harder 

content warnings: lots and lots of longing/angst, fluff (if I forgot one, please let me know)

note: This is Part 1 of 2, the chapter got incredibly long and I didn’t want the post to go on forever. The next part should be out soon!

word count: 3.9k

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Sometimes you decided it was best not to ask yourself how you got yourself into things. Like how you had decided to go over to Nanami’s apartment seeking advice on a new recipe, but somehow ended up helping him try to fruitlessly rinse hair dye out of his son’s hair. 

 Nanami had put you in charge of holding the shampoo bottle while he had Yuuji bent over, head in their small kitchen sink as he washed Yuuji’s hair. The father apparently thought if he just washed it hard enough, the color would come out. You had been periodically squirting shampoo in Yuuji’s hair at Nanami’s prompting, but also trying to find the perfect moment to ask him the question that was your real reason for coming over tonight. With your original plan derailed, now was as good a time as any. 

 “Do you want to go see a movie this Friday?”

Nanami looked up for a moment with a confused expression as his focus broke. “What?”

 You shrugged, adding more shampoo on the boy’s hair since some of the bubbles had gone down. If you got the words out fast enough, maybe you could get through this before the knot in your stomach turned into something worse. “There’s a new crime movie coming out this weekend. Yuuji’s having his sleepover, I figured we could go together.”

 “Can I go?” Yuuji’s voice echoed on the stainless steel, trying to straighten to look at you. Nanami responded with a frown and pushed his head back down. 

 “The only reason you’re still allowed to go to this sleepover is because Megumi’s father is going to be there.” Nanami continued scrubbing at his head. “But if you come home with a new hair color, ears pierced, or anything about your person changed, you’re grounded until high school. Got it?”

 Yuuji grumbled his confirmation while the duo kept working.

 “Why did you dye your hair in the first place?” You asked.

 “We were bored, and Tsumiki had some dye in their bathroom.”

 “Play video games or go outside then, don’t dye your hair.” Nanami frowned.

 They kept washing in silence for a few minutes, long enough that you wondered if Nanami had forgotten your question, until Yuuji started complaining of a neck cramp.

 “Alright, let me look.” Nanami stepped back to allow Yuuji to straighten, his hair now sopping wet, but still a light shade of pink.

 “Jesus.” He groaned, pressing his fingers into his eyes.

 “I think it looks kind of good.” You offered.

 “Don’t encourage him. I'm going to get a call from his principal."

 “It’ll wash out in a few weeks. It’s not permanent.” Yuuji argued.

 “That doesn’t make this any better.” Nanami frowned at him. “Go do homework, I’m going to look at getting it re-dyed.”

 “If it’s that color-depositing conditioner, I think they have a brown one. You could have him use that.” You looked at Yuuji. “Grab my hairdryer from my apartment, you’ll catch a cold if you leave your hair wet.”

 “I don’t think that’s true.” Nanami told you as Yuuji ran out.

 “You just had his head under water for ten minutes trying to scrub dye out. Do you want to risk it?”

 You knew his worrying side would win out, so he grumbled something unintelligible and started cleaning up the water around the sink, trying to nudge Koro away as the dog stuck his head under Nanami’s arms. “Do you want to stay for dinner? We’re ordering out.”

 You nodded and sat at the counter while he cleaned, pulling out the notebook you had brought to go over recipes with Yuuji, your chief taste tester. That was until Yuuji got home with his new pink hair, and Nanami had almost gone ballistic.

 “What time is the movie?”

 You looked up in shock, assuming he hadn't answered and changed the subject as his polite way of saying no. His back was turned to you, so you couldn't get any clues on what he thought from his expression. You played it cool though, or as best you could while writing notes on a recipe. "5:30. I think there's a later showing, if you're not off work by then."

 “No, I can leave a bit early and meet you there.” He looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Perks of owning my own firm now.”

 If you weren’t sitting down, you’re sure your knees would have given out. He rarely smiled around others, but here, comfortable in his home, it was easy, and it made you weak every time. Why did you keep doing this to yourself?

 The words ‘it's a date’ died on your tongue before they dared escape your mouth. This was just a casual outing between two friends, in no way, shape, or form would you allow yourself to think this was a date. You'd orbited around each other for so long, you were sure he didn't think of you that way, no matter how badly you wanted him. He surely would have made a move by now if he had. But he hadn't. And you remained painfully single.

 You wish you were braver. If you were, you might have been sitting in the same place, sharing the apartment with Nanami and Yuuji and maybe even more children, discussing a date night at the end of a long work week before going to your bed and falling asleep in Nanami’s strong arms. 

 Dear lord, please just let me get through Friday.

Friday had come more quickly than you were expecting. You had been wrapped up in one of the busiest weeks at the bakery in your life, courtesy of a favor Toji’s business partner had called in to an advertising company. She had asked for forgiveness rather than permission, sending someone in to take pictures without your knowledge and posting them which caused an inundation of new customers. You couldn’t exactly be angry with her; you had needed traffic to pick up, and the service was provided for free. You’d decide if you were mad later. 

 With all the craziness of the past week you had decided to walk to the movie theater so you could have a moment of peace with your own thoughts, rather than taking the subway or a taxi. However, that had gone down the toilet when your mother had called and found out you were going on a completely platonic outing with your hotter than sin neighbor.

 “It’s not a date, Mom.”

 “You two are going out to a movie without Yuuji on a Friday night.”

 “We’re just friends.” The words left a bitter taste in your mouth. 

 “Did you do your hair and makeup?”

 “I almost always do my hair and makeup, Mom.”

 “Liar. Did you put on a dress?”

 You looked down at the sundress you were wearing, knowing that the last time you wore it Nanami couldn’t stop looking at you the entire night. “...no.”

 “Why do you lie to your mother?”

 “Because it’s not a date!” You yelled, shrinking slightly when several people on the sidewalk turned to give you funny looks before continuing in a quieter voice. “It’s not a date, Mom. We’re just going to see a movie. We’ve done it plenty of times before.”

 “Not since you two almost kissed.”

 You were sure your blush could be seen from across the city at her words. “Please don’t bring that up again. And that wasn’t a kiss.”

 “Looked like a kiss to me.”

 “I had an eyelash in my eye, he was trying to find it for me.”

 “Uh huh. Sure.”

 “Well, wonderful conversation, Mother. Tell Dad I said hi.”

 “Call us later to tell us about your date! I want his son as my grandkid!”

 “GOODBYE, MOM.” You hung up the phone and looked up and down the street once you arrived at the theater, already expecting to see Nanami walking towards you. He was always early, almost painfully so. You were surprised he wasn’t already here before you. You checked your watch. Five minutes until the show started. 

 Your fingers twitched towards the contacts on your phone, wanting to call him. You breathed a deep sigh and put your phone away entirely. If he was running late, you didn’t want to put more pressure on him. He still had some time. You went ahead to the ticket counter and purchased two tickets before sitting on a bench outside to wait and calm the thoughts racing through your mind. He would be here. 

 This was humiliating.

 You walked back to your apartment, trying to think of how you agreed to a date after a friend of a friend had seen you at a party and wanted to go on a date, but still got stood up. You had waited at that restaurant for over an hour with servers sending you pity appetizers until you finally called it a night and headed home. 

You shouldn’t have gone through with this. Seeing Nanami with that woman friend of his outside his apartment had set something off inside of you, something to prove. You knew they had some sort of arrangement in the past but you hadn’t seen her in years it felt. Were they resuming it again? Was he interested in her romantically?

 Why couldn’t it be you?

 “What happened?”

 You jumped at the sudden noise, not noticing your feet had automatically taken you to your apartment door. You looked over and saw Nanami standing outside his apartment, frowning at you. Your hopes at a quick entry without anyone noticing were dashed. 

 “What do you mean?” You played it off. 

 “I figured you would still be on your date.” You must have imagined the way he almost sneered when he said date. Nanami wasn’t the type to show his true feelings so openly. Was he upset? And what right did he have to be upset? It’s not like you two were dating. 

 You shrugged, trying to play off how hurt you were with a smile. “He didn’t show. Something must have come up. It’s actually good, I had some recipes I wanted to test anyway. Now I have the whole night to do it.”

 Nanami’s frown deepened, but relaxed just slightly as he looked you over. “You look nice.”

 “Thanks.” You tried not to feel too overcome by his compliment. It was a simple sundress that lived in the back of your closet since the day your mother sent it to you, paired with sandals that had definitely seen better days. “But I’m going to change, it’s been a long day already.”

 “Wait.” You watched curiously as he disappeared into his apartment, coming back out a second later with his jacket in hand. “Let’s go get ramen.”

 “But Yuuji?”

 “He’s asleep, he’ll be fine. And we won’t be too long. You shouldn’t let your work go to waste.” Nanami shrugged his jacket on then offered his arm. “Shall we?”

 A grin slowly spread across your face at his simple kindness. You really didn’t deserve having a friend like him. You wanted him to be more, more than you could ever express, but you could settle for this. Maybe, in a different life, but not yours.

 You took his arm as you started walking back towards the stairs together. “I never thought I’d be thankful to be stood up.”

 His smile was wide enough to stretch into his profile as you watched him. “I might say the same. He ruined our weekly plans.”

 “Yes, because sitting in either of our apartments, watching movies and eating junk food is something to look forward to.” You teased. 

 He stopped abruptly, causing you to stumble next to him. You would have fallen if it hadn’t been for his hand gently resting over yours, threaded through his arm. You turned to ask him what the deal was, but his intense gaze on you when you locked eyes made the words catch in your mouth. 

 “Of course it is.” He said firmly. He held your stare for a few seconds more, getting his point across through his unwavering brown eyes. 

 You couldn’t remember the rest of the walk to your local ramen shop, too focused on staring at the side of Nanami’s head in shock at his words. He didn’t mention it again, not until he brought over two steaming bowls after shooing you to go find a table. 

 “The cook added extra pork belly to yours. I got extra green onions too.” He sat the food in front of you and took the seat across, pushing his hands together briefly before starting in on his meal. You sat quietly and stared down into your bowl. Extra noodles and bean sprouts, no mushrooms, with a smaller bowl of green onions beside you to add as much as you wanted. It was perfect. 

 Nanami stopped mid-slurp when he noticed you hadn’t even touched your food. Biting off the rest and wiping his mouth, he frowned slightly at you. “What’s wrong? Is that not what you wanted?” He asked. 

 “No, it’s perfect.” You answered, echoing your thoughts. 

 He studied you for another minute. “You shouldn’t dwell on that boy who stood you up. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

 “That’s not it.” You mumbled, sprinkling green onions on top of your ramen. Your comment didn’t go unnoticed as his frown remained while he set his chopsticks down and leaned back in his chair. 

 “Then what’s eating at you?” He questioned. “I’d think you’d be happy not to spend a night with someone like that.”

 “You don’t even know who it is.” You frowned back at him. 

 “I don’t need to know who it is, if he’s dumb enough to stand you up, then he’s not worth your time.”

 “But I’m worth yours?” 

 The words were out of your mouth before you could reel them back in. 

 “Is it so hard to believe I want to spend time with you?” He asked. “I think I would have convinced you by now.”

 “It doesn’t matter how much you convince me. I know whenever you spend time with me, no matter if you want to or not, I’m taking you away from something better you could be doing. Like now.” You pushed the noodles around in your bowl to avoid his eyes. “You could be home right now, getting much-needed sleep for work tomorrow instead of trying to cheer me up. I shouldn’t factor into your life. I’m just a neighbor.”

 You wished he would say something, but you knew he wouldn’t. That was Nanami. After something of such gravity said, he would take time to process. You wanted nothing more than for him to just speak. 

 The space between you was silent until both bowls were empty. As Nanami went to pay the cook, you debated running out the door just to avoid the awkward conversation, or lack thereof, on the way home. It wouldn’t make a difference. You were neighbors, you would still have to see him again eventually. 

 He didn’t offer his arm as you walked this time, keeping his hands in his pockets. The air had gotten uncharacteristically chilly, blowing in short gusts and cutting right through the thin material of your dress. You hugged yourself to try to protect your bare skin until you were enveloped by a familiar scent while a heavy weight was draped across your shoulders. 

 “You don’t have to give me your jacket.” 

 He shook his head. “Yes I do.”

 Arguing was useless, so you fell back into the uncomfortable silence. It was only when you were outside the door to your building that he finally spoke. 

 “Just a neighbor wouldn’t have dinner with us almost every night.” You turned to look at him but he kept his gaze forward, eyes trained on entering the security code. 

 “Just a neighbor wouldn’t let me use her bakery as impromptu after school care when I’m running late.”

 You looked back down at your shoes, becoming sheepish at his words that were heavy with truth. “He would probably hang out down there anyway.” You whispered. 

 “Just a neighbor wouldn’t comfort my son when he was scared of the goats at the zoo.” He continued as you walked up the stairs side by side. “Or watch him when he’s sick. Or allegedly get a dog when I told him no.”

 “You can’t prove anything.” Your smile was small, but his face was still an unreadable mask as you stopped outside your apartment door. He turned to face you, but his expression caused you to keep focus on your shoes. “He’s a good kid, anyone would want to spend time with him.”

 “A neighbor wouldn’t check up on me when I was sick.” He only spoke when you looked up at him and finally met his eyes. “And let me talk to her well past midnight when I had something on my mind when she has to get up early.”

 “I don’t need much sleep.” You whispered. 

 “Or lose her mind trying to make a lagekage for my birthday because I mentioned my mother used to make them for me when I was younger.”

 “Why are you saying all this?” You tried to make it come out as a demand, but it just came out as a plea. 

 He stepped closer, almost until you were chest to chest. You attempted to step back to give yourself some room as his proximity made it hard to breathe. Your quickening breath turned into a gasp as his hand came up to hold your lower back, preventing you from leaving the shared space. Your hands came up as a reflex to push him away but stopped to rest on his chest as you finally registered the way he looked at you. 

 Has he always looked like this? His gaze was soft, almost as if he had a plea of his own within the brown pools. The hand on your back moved up until he was embracing you with one arm, and this time you didn’t pull away. His other hand rested on your upper arm smoothing over the bare skin soothingly. You’d only seen him look with so much care when he looked at Yuuji, someone he—

 “Because I want you to finally realize how much you mean to me.” His voice distracted you as he confirmed your suspicions. You watched with wide eyes as he leaned down, and you found yourself stretching up on your toes to get closer, closer, until you were only a centimeter away from—

 The door to your apartment suddenly opened. You and Nanami both jumped and separated, though he still stood close as your mother was revealed, looking at the two of you curiously. 

 You could have committed matricide in that very moment. Nanami stepped out of your shared space with a sheepish cough, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. 

 “Mom?” You turned to her with your best ‘Close the door’ eyes. “What are you doing here?”

 “I came over to cheer you up.” Your mother looked at Nanami then back to you. “But I see your date didn’t go as badly as you said?”

 “Oh, we’re—Nanami took me out to ramen so I could actually get something to eat. We weren’t—

 “I wanted to make sure her night wasn’t completely ruined.” Nanami spoke up, interrupting your stammering. “I should be getting back, though. To check on Yuuji.”

 “Right.” You nodded. “Thank you. For tonight.”

 “Of course.” He looked like he wanted to say something else but turned and walked to his apartment, disappearing inside. 

 Silence filled the hallway for a few minutes while you stared at the spot he had just occupied. What would have happened if you hadn’t been interrupted? Would he have kissed you? Or would he have pulled away at the last second? Would you have pulled away at the last second? You didn’t want to risk losing him as a friend, but you couldn’t keep going on pining after him without knowing how he felt. 

 “That’s a hot piece of ass. Why didn’t you kiss him?”

 “MOM!”

 Thirty minutes passed. Then an hour. You kept checking your phone, expecting for your phone to ring with a call from him, or at least to see a text explaining why he wasn’t there. But nothing came. You waited almost until the end of the movie before you gave up, shouldering your bag and beginning your slow trudge home. 

 You tried to tell yourself that it was no big deal, that something must have come up. But it was. He had made that speech about how much you meant, and now you were walking home alone after being stood up without so much as a text explaining what had happened. You had thought the last time you were stood up was humiliating. This. This was worse. 

 You couldn’t see a light underneath the door to their apartment when you finally arrived home. You thought to go as far as to knock on the door, but if you hadn’t heard anything and the lights were off, they both were probably not home. 

 Koro lightened your mood considerably as you came through the door as he normally did, running around you and pushing into your legs with happy chuffs until you gave him attention. 

 “Hi, baby.” You cooed, crouching down to give Koro some proper ear scratches and belly rubs. “How about we have a night in instead?”

 You followed him to the couch, slipping out of your uncomfortable heels before collapsing. You pressed the heels of your hands into your eyes to try to rid yourself of the prickling behind them you had felt the entire way home. Against your better judgement, you still picked up your phone hoping for any word from Nanami. When you found none, you decided to take matters into your own hands. There was no reason to assume the worst. There had to be a reason. 

 You managed to keep your courage up as the phone rang, sending you to voicemail almost instantly. You don’t know why you were expecting anything different, but it was still salt in your wound. 

 “Hi, this is Dad’s phone.” A smile spread across your face at the recording of Yuuji’s young voice. “Um….”

 “Leave a message after the beep.” Nanami whispered. 

 “What he said! Bye!” The following beep helped you refocus on why you called. 

 “Hey, it’s (Y/N). I was just checking to make sure you and Yuuji are okay.” You took a deep breath. “If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll be around.”

 No sooner than you hung up the phone, it began ringing again. You couldn’t hide your surprise when you saw Nanami’s name and face pop up, an old picture of him and Yuuji when you had gone to the zoo together. You scrambled to pick it up before it went to voicemail. 

 “Y/N, I’m so sorry. I forgot about the movie tonight.” He was speaking before you even said hello, sounding stressed which put you on high alert. Something was wrong.

 “It’s fine.” You bit your tongue at his admission. He was the one that had confirmed the date earlier that day, not you. How could he say he forgot? “I’m sure you were busy at work.”

 “Yuuji’s in the hospital.”

 You paused, trying to process. “What?”

 “He’s in the hospital, we had to take him to the emergency room. He and Megumi were riding bikes near Megumi’s apartment and he hit a rock and fell over his handlebars. His collarbone and arm are broken, they think he needs surgery to set it.”

 “Which hospital?” You were already pulling your sneakers on, frantically looking for wherever you threw your keys. 

 “You don’t have to-

 “Which hospital?” You emphasized. 

 There was a long pause on the other end. “Downtown.” He finally answered. 

 “I’ll be right there.” You were out the door before the line went dead.

taglist: @oikawaandkuroostan @gummy-dummy (if you’d like to be added, just let me know!)

[cloudlessly-light]

#1 & 107 together with hotchniss

Dom Hotch sub Emily

but like extra kinky if that’s even possible

❤️‍🔥

I’m happy to tell you all that I have a reserved spot in hell after this. This is definitely longer than the rest of these but since it’s two prompts in one we’re all just going to agree that it’s okay, cool? Cool.

1 “Don’t make me take you home and punish you.” + 107 “Your ass is going to be seven different shades of red after that little stunt.”

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: BDSM, dom Hotch, sub Emily, brat Emily, spanking, impact play (paddle), orgasm denial, restraints

Emily knew she had rules that she had to follow at home and at the office. She could tell from the warning look he sent her that she was close to breaking another one of those rules. Two of his fingers tapped against his cheek, their non-verbal sign that she just hit strike two. The problem was that Emily liked to rile him up, liked to push his buttons in public where she knew she was safe from punishments. What she kept forgetting was that he remembered every single thing she did, and when they inevitably got home, she’d be punished for all of it.

Not that she’d have it any other way, she loved their relationship, loved the life they had created together with love, trust and communication.

It was a Friday afternoon, the team flying home in a couple of hours and all of them were tired except for Emily, she felt restless. Which was probably why she bent over the counter at their hotel as they were checking out as Aaron walked by. His eyes fastened on her backside clad in a tight skirt as she leaned toward the clerk. That’s when she saw it, his two fingers tapping against his cheek discreetly and she felt herself flush.

She didn’t straighten right away though, not until JJ was calling for her and she walked over to the blonde, but she could feel her boyfriends’ eyes on her the entire time.

He comes up to her as they’re heading out to the SUV, pulls her aside into a corner away from people and she gulps at the dark look in his eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His hand is big enough to circle her wrist and he knows that he presses against old bruises hidden under her suit jacket.

“Uhm, getting to the airport?” She plays dumb and winces when he squeezes her wrist tighter.

“Don’t make me take you home and punish you.” He whispers in her ear, sees her shiver when he pulls back with a dark smirk “You’re going to behave or do you want the paddle?” His smirk only increased when her eyes widened, they usually didn’t use the paddle, only when she had really acted out.

“I’ll behave.” She conceded, her eyes hooded as he kissed her cheek softly, it was a stark contrast to his grip on her wrist.

“You’ll behave, what?”

“I’ll behave, sir.” She released a hiss when he let go of her and leaned down to kiss her gently.

She lasts until they’re up in the air before she feels that restless feeling again. She’s sitting by herself in the corner of the plane, a book in her lap while Aaron’s sitting with the others by the table. He keeps glancing at her, can tell that she’s up to something and when she shifts in her seat he knows what. She spreads her legs for him, shows him that she’s not wearing underwear and Aaron feels himself almost snap.

They had rules, one of those rules was that he picked out her underwear, he liked knowing that underneath her suits and slacks were colorful panties picked out by him, she enjoyed the feeling of knowing that even if she had to be SSA Emily Prentiss, that she was still his underneath it all.

She smirks when his entire demeanor shifts, three of his fingers tapping against his cheek. Strike three, she knew she was fucked and yet, she spread her legs a little wider, a grin on her face.

They’re barely inside of their home before he’s pulling her against him, forces her to look up at him with a hold on her chin. His eyes are almost black in the dimmed lights, his tone even as he speaks close to her face.

“Your ass is going to be seven different shades of red after that little stunt.” He keeps his hand on her chin and she whimpers, can already feel her center clench in anticipation. “You’re going to the playroom, you will undress and be in position when I come in there, or so help me Emily,” His hold tightens a little “you won’t be able to sit for a week and I will not let you come for a month.” That got her attention, her eyes widening and a gasp leaving her lips before she nods the best she could in his hold.

She hurries to the room they used for scenes and undresses. She folds her clothes neatly, knew that he hated when she didn’t and when she was finally completely naked she got on the foot of the bed on her knees. She leaned forward with her arms along her sides as she rested her upper body against the bed and getting her ass high up in the air.

It felt like an eternity before she heard him coming up the stairs, then heard as he walked right by and toward their bedroom. He knew how much she hated waiting, so he took his time as he sipped the bottle of water in his hand. Aaron took of his suit jacket and shirt, hated to be restricted when they played. He walked downstairs again, took longer than he normally would as he unpacked the dishwasher and smirked as he pictured Emily squirming on the bed.

When he finally joined her in the playroom she was already a mess, her own wetness glimmering on her exposed center and thighs.

“Color?” He asked evenly, stopping behind her but not touching her.

“Green, sir.” She was panting against the bed.

“Safe word?”

“Yellow means check-in or slow down, red means stop.” She answered without a moment of hesitation.

“Good girl.” He stroked one of her as cheeks and she sucked in a breath at his warm hand against her skin. She was so aroused that a simple touch caused a spark to shoot through her.

“Now pretty girl, you know that you misbehaved, you know that you’re getting the paddle.” He stopped to gauge her reaction and she whimpered before continuing. “But not yet.” He stroked her lower back before walking to the drawer and pulling out the paddle. He put it in front of her and Emily’s eyes fastened on the brown wood.

“Count.” Aaron told her evenly before slapping one of her cheeks hard. The sound echoed in the quiet room.

“One.” She whimpered; it didn’t really hurt but she knew that this was just the beginning. The second slap landed on her other cheek and she counted it out.

Aaron felt the tingle against the palm of his hand as he repeatedly slapped her pale skin. He growled at the sight of her ass turning redder, the skin hot under his touch.

“Twenty!” She wheezed through clenched teeth, the stinging from his palm by now hurting as he slapped the same spot three times in a row.

“Such a good girl for me.” He said softly, the hand that only moments ago had slapped was now stroking softly along her skin, fingertips dipping between her legs. When he pulled his hand away his finger came back wet. “Such a needy little thing.” He walked around her and reached for the paddle but Emily gripped it before he did.

“I’ll be good, please.” She held the paddle away from him.

“Let. It. Go.” His voice was dark, almost a growl and she felt the goosebumps on her skin but she didn’t hand it to him. “Fine, if that’s how you want it.” He quickly moved toward their drawer again and grabbed the rope. He was faster and stronger than her and without too much of a fight he was able to tie her hands together and then to the headboard, trapping her but giving enough slack for her to be able to turn on the bed.

Once he had her secure he grabbed the paddle again, stroked it along her back as she moaned quietly.

“Now I was going to go easy on you and only do five, but after that I think I’ll settle on fifteen this time.” He waited for any backtalk, made sure that she wasn’t too uncomfortable or wanted to stop before he brought the paddle down hard.

“Fuck!” She jumped at the pain “One!” She clenched her teeth as she prepared for the second hit. By the sixth she was keening, her entire body feeling like it was on fire, by the twelfth there were tears in her eyes and her cunt was dripping onto the bed. When she finally screamed out the number fifteen her entire body was shaking as she laid down on the bed, a mess of arousal and pain.

“Such a good girl.” He was immediately right there, stroked a comforting hand up her back and pulled her body close to his. “So good baby girl.” He raised her chin to look at her “Limit check.”

“Green.” She immediately answered, not a doubt in her mind that she wanted to continue, the pain subsiding and making her more aware of her aching clit. “Please, sir, please fuck me.” She begged, she needed to feel his touch, to feel him stretching her, for Aaron to get rid of the hunger inside of her.

“You think you deserve it?” He stroked his hand over her cheek, then rolled her onto her back, her wrists crossing above her head. She nodded through a hiss as her backside touched the rough fabric of the comforter.

He was already removing his pants, his erection swollen and angry red and it made Emily’s mouth water.

“I suppose you did well with your punishment.” He mused as he got between her legs. Aaron pressed two fingers inside of her and her entire body buckled. “So, so needy.” He chastised with a gentle smile. “You do not come unless I tell you that you can.” He thrusted into her with a rough push of his hips and Emily felt the air get trapped in her lungs.

He moved with hard, deep thrusts, watched as her entire body moved against him. She was writhing and moaning, arching into him. He loved when she was like this, when she was delirious with arousal, the arousal that always came when they did a scene. He started to rub her clit and Emily’s moans got louder, her center clenching.

“Do not come.” He warned and he could see the frustration on her face, her pleasure clearly escalating. Aaron grinned when her hands wrapped around the rope, her knuckles white.

“Please, sir let me come.” She lasted less than a minute before she begged, the pressure inside of her building.

“Not yet.” He picked up his pace, his balls tightening as they slapped against her. He groaned as she clenched harder around him, her center squeezing him harder and increasing his pleasure.

Emily bit her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood as she forced herself not to let go, her muscles were twitching with effort, the heat inside of her bordering on painful. The animalistic moan that erupted from her throat when he leaned over her would have embarrassed her if she wasn’t maddening close.

Aaron leaned over her, kissed her neck softly and waited until her eyes were locked on his.

“Emily,” he panted as he felt himself close to letting go “come.”

She came with a scream, the tension in her body finally being released as her body thrashed underneath him. She forgot to breathe as her orgasm crashed through her, the pleasure too intense and she could feel her vision blackening out.

“Breathe, baby breathe.” He reminded her when he saw her almost drifting off from the power of her orgasm. The second she drew a breath he let himself go and came with a harsh thrust as deep inside of her as he possibly could.

Aaron waited until her breathing had slowed before he moved up to untie her hands, the skin of her wrists was red but wouldn’t leave marks. He hugged her close, knew that she needed the closeness when she came down. Emily’s hand immediately moved to stroke through his hair, it was what he needed as they calmed.

“I’m going to burn that fucking paddle.” She said after a few minutes, her words tickling his neck.

“Don’t you dare you little brat.”