#i'm so ready for summer y'all it's not even funny

[10yearsofdnp]

February 10, 2015: Dan and Phil head home from Playlist Live, though it seems Dan is having a hard time HANDLING it! 😉☀️💼

[hawkland]

Art masterpost: Soup Mates Story by @baileys101/Baileys Art by @hawkland/sidewinder

Are y'all sick of me this week yet? I know it's been back to back to back posting of pretty much everything I've been working on all summer the last few days. I'm really happy to be able to share these pieces at last for the @destielsoulmatebang, working with @baileys101 once again for the first time since this year's Pinefest.

It's kind of funny that, two days in a row, I'm posting art for stories involving multiple realities/universe versions of Dean & Cas. But I'm just drawn to that kind of story, I guess, where there's a mixture of canonverse and "what if" to draw upon.

I had some different, elaborate plans originally but what ended up taking shape were three separate Cas pieces of scenes/moments in the story that really stood out to me. The first is more or less direct from canon, the tablet scene from "Goodbye Stranger":

Artistically this was a really fun challenge of reserving the white as much as possible and just painting the negative/dark spaces. There's no added digital effects here, not even any metallic/shimmer watercolors that I sometimes use.

Next I really wanted to do a piece from the Purgatory section of the story, when Dean catches Castiel looking out from the cave entrance where they've taken shelter. I always love painting Cas/Misha's profile and this is one of my favorites that I've done to date:

Lastly a piece I was working on the other weekend at my table at SPN Charlotte and jokingly described to folks as "my sad wet Cas". Isn't he just the poorest little meow meow?

Speaking of the Charlotte convention, I just have to include this photo of when Rob Benedict stopped by my table and was contemplating the portrait of Chuck I did for the story banner (and actually the Purgatory and tablet pieces are on display right above him so you can see the original size of the paintings!)

Thank you to Baileys for being such a lovely partner once again! I hope you all enjoy the story...and now I've got to hunker down and get my November art postings finished and ready to go!

[bug-the-chicken-nug]

on my latest rwby au bullshit, which I think i will officially start to also tag as the "Silver Wolf" AU.

Silver Wolf AU: Premise

A combo of Ruby being a wolf faunus (on top of getting rid of the stupid rule about one trait because fuck that i want her to have the ears, tail, AND sharp teeth and nails) and having silver eyes, but silver eyed warriors now being considered like... this creepy-but-unfortunately-necessary group who barely anybody wants to really associate with, under fear of it "cursing" you. By extension, they are now known as "Witches" rather than "Warriors", regardless of gender. (This also makes it possible to just shorten it to 'Witch' and have it already be pretty obvious what a character is talking about, so it rolls off the tongue better, while also creating this uncomfortable implication that these people are put on the same level as Salem despite directly opposing her.) The "curse" is a more superstitious exaggeration of the unfortunate reality that associating with them really can put you at risk of becoming collateral when they're hunted down, on top of their eyes now being not all-or-nothing Grimm nuking, but instead having a sort of "level up" system, and the potential to unlock certain abilities that can affect people too. (the new common thread being that all of these abilities have to do with sensing and/or eliminating "darkness" and "negativity", not just Grimm) The fear of association, powers that can be directed towards humans, and the societal shunning would also do a lot to help explain exactly why Witches are so scattered and fragmented, and why people know so little about them. Because in canon, it just seems like they should be heroes who everyone should know about and have a vested interest in supporting.

Relationships:

Also, this AU would 100% be a Ladybug thing. Because I can just see Blake standing up for Ruby, and Ruby immediately being head over heels in response, but having no idea how to actually express it and also being paranoid that Blake will just think she's weird like everyone else. (And meanwhile Blake is paranoid about how Ruby will react if she finds out that Blake is technically a terrorist, and also friend/sister-zoning Ruby big time for the first few volumes, less out of a genuine lack of interest and more because of her subconscious fear of commitment)

Although there'd also be other fragments of Ruby ship teases, just because I imagine this version of her to have developed "gets a crush on anyone who's nice to her for five seconds" syndrome. (Yes I'm sorry, I know a ton of y'all hate Jaune but my Ruby's friendless, bullied, avoided, desperate-for-validation ass sees him being nice to her and unafraid of her for like ten seconds and is lowkey already thinking about a spring wedding.) This also includes a one-sided crush on Ozpin, just for how I think that'd be kinda narratively interesting and potentially a little fucked up. (Especially because the full nuance of why it's interesting can change depending on how grey this Ozpin's morals end up being. Is he subtly using it as leverage? Could this version of him be dickish enough to lead her on? Does he do it on purpose? Or does he even notice her feelings at all? Does he notice and subtly try to discourage it? What happens when he gets stuck in Oscar?) And a crush on Marrow, literally just because I think it'd be funny. Marrow: *obliviously friendly* Ruby: *practically ready to become Ruby Amin, just because he's a fellow Faunus, complimented Crescent Rose, and didn't say anything about her eyes* Blake, looking on: hmst,,, don't know why but. this is bad, actually. Weiss: *sighing deeply* you obviously know why. Meanwhile I figure Yang is human, because only Summer was a Faunus, and it kinda puts this weird Thing between her and Ruby where Ruby both greatly admires and envies her, but lowkey resents her, because she feels like Yang will never truly understand what she goes through, and gets to "have it easy". On her own end, Yang has had to sacrifice a lot of social opportunities to prioritize a good standing with Ruby, because even just admitting relation to Ruby makes people treat Yang differently anyway. So Ruby thinks of herself as a burden, and Yang is desperately trying to hide the fact that she *agrees* with Ruby, deep down. She thinks the burden is *worth it*, but she doesn't know a way of properly conveying "It's okay that you're a burden sometimes, I know it's not your fault, and I still love you even if I get frustrated with you sometimes" that doesn't make her feel incredibly guilty and paranoid that she sounds insincere. And finally (at least for now) I think this would be inch-resting for Adam because now Ruby has something that can actually give her something to do with him too, and make her feel more connected to the things that go on around her. She could even have weird mixed feelings on him, stemming from him seeing her silver eyes and not only expressing approval of them, but trying to get her to come around to his side, using the extra discrimination she's faced because of them to try and butter her up and manipulate her.

[n1k1tty]

kiss me ! part 2

“hawaii!” niki yells, throwing as fist in the air as he enters the van “riki, it’s 3am in the morning, please shut up” jay retorts, going back to sleep as he leans on the window

as if it was almost planned, you and jake sat beside each other at the furthest seat. it was complicated, you didn’t know if you were comfortable or not, you felt tense, afraid of jake’s teasing if you touch him even the slightest. yet you also didn’t want to leave your seat.

you let out a huff, trying to find a position where you could comfortably sleep in. you were spooked at the sudden hand that leans your head on their shoulders “you can sleep on my shoulders, it’s alright” jake chuckles, already drifting to sleep the second after he did that “thanks” you mumble, easing into his warmth.

you laugh a little at his aching figure “this is funny to you? after i’ve been so kind to let you sleep on my shoulder?” he pouts “i deserve a long massage during our flight” he jokes, continuing to carry your bags.

dumbfounded by the fact that you stayed with him, giving him a glance filled with guilt “y/n seriously, i’m fine. it’ll go away sooner or later” he reassures you, his heart exploding at the sight of you with glimmering eyes, feeling the guilt you expressed them with.

“what do you wanna eat for breakfast?” you mumble, taking the luggage cart from his grasp. he laughs at your attempt to make him feel better “sorry? didnt quite hear that well” he teases, making you give him a glare, almost forgetting that he was ‘injured’ you raise your hand to almost give him a punch “good thing you’re hurting or i would’ve punched your ass back to australia” you roll your eyes “you heard what i said!” eyebrows frowning as you look away “alright alright, i’m fine with coffee really—” he lets out a breathy chuckle, dragging his feet as he follows you around “—nonsense! breakfast is important. don’t give me that type of bullshit sim” you cut him off, stopping by a little restaurant as you tell the other members to go ahead “im getting you pancakes. better finish it or you’re not living to see another day”

he laughs “this is quite a unique way to care for someone don’t you think” you roll your eyes "eat the damn pancakes sim jaeyun"

"yas ma'am"

--

after everyone had met up, you all started finding your seats. you were bewildered, somehow, because now you found yourself wanting to switch seats with sunghoon for obvious reasons. but of course, you --again, didn't have the guts to do so.

a few hours into the flight and a few glances from jake here and there, you received a message

jake :):

hey pretty girl, do me a favour and go to the washroom behind you

you:

and why exactly?

jake :):

no questions asked. i just miss you ;)

you swore you wanted to jump off the plane. pretty girl?! he misses me?!. you feel the heat creeping up in your face as you asked jungwon "hey, could you get up of a sec. i gotta go to the washroom" you whisper, mumbling a small 'thank you' before you walked to the washroom.

you felt a hand pull you "hey" he giggles, arms wrapped around your waist "you scared me! i thought i was getting abducted" you slap his shoulder. although you would be lying if you said you didn't want to just grab him and kiss him right at this moment.

he looked so good with his button up shirt, showing off his collar bones, neck wearing the beaded necklace you made for him during the summer and your birthstone necklace. his hair was messy, and you couldn't deny how hot he looked with his glasses on.

"you should consider buttoning up" you hesitantly say, looking anywhere but his eyes. of course he catches on to your intentions, but he felt like pissing you off "why? i'm showing off your necklace" he giggles "i even bought your birthstone" he grabs the necklace with his thumb, making you roll your eyes as you cross your arms, making sim jaeyun giggle.

he places his hand under your chin, finally letting you looking at him "switch seats with sunghoon please. i don't think i like the sight of you sleeping on jungwon's shoulders" now it was your time to piss him off.

"why?" you pout, "his shoulders are so comfortable, and we don't want your shoulders aching again now do we?" you give him a slight smile, well it wasn't like you weren't planning to switch with sunghoon way before the flight even started anyway.

jake rolls his eyes "that leaves you no choice--"

"can y'all hurry up? i'll switch with you y/n gosh! just let me pee!" sunghoon bangs on the door, making jake laugh "well that was easy"

--

oh how you regret changing seats.

because now you get to fully witness the flight attendants obviously flirting with him.

"good morning sir" she annoyingly giggles, biting her lip as she leans in way too close. jake leans back, letting out a small laugh out of politeness "hi, yeah i'd like..." he orders his food while you glare at the girl who's been displeasingly close to him "what can i get for you ma'am?"

"oh my girlfriend would like the same thing" jake interrupts, giving you a sly wink after placing his hand on top of yours. you let out a small scoff after seeing the disappointed look on the girl as she hands you the food. your skips a beat. girlfriend? you thought

now he was starting to piss you off. he was doing everything but ask you out. and with every ounce of pride you had in your soul, you hated to admit that you were starting to get really impatient. were you not obvious about your feelings? was the handmade necklace and the concern you have for him not obvious enough?

"ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hawaii" the pilot announces, after you got your hand carry, you didn't even bother waiting for jake. immediately walking out of the plane, causing him to tilt his head out of confusion.

he didn't get a chance to talk to you, i mean, how could he when you would immediately start walking away from him whenever he tried to walk towards you.

as you sat beside jay in the tour bus, he gives you a weird look "why are you here" you give him a lost look "can i not...?" that's when he knew something happened between you and jake "y/n if this is because of jake--" you place your hand on his mouth, leaning way too close. but luck wasn't on your side today, because jake saw.

"shut up please! and yes! it is about him. so please spare me and let me sit here for the meantime" jay chuckles, "jake's going to kill me for this" he mumbles, leaning back to the chair "what?"

"nothing" he gives you a grin

--

after you guys arrived to jay's beach house you immediately grab your bag before jake could help you

"alright riki and sunoo are sharing a room, jungwon and heeseung are sharing, and...." jay looks at you, sunghoon and jake, not knowing what to do "you three figure it out. i'm just letting you know one gets to have their own room" jay starts to head to his own room, shrugging his shoulders as he walks past you with widened eyes.

"we already know what's about to happen. i'm getting my own room-"

"no!" you yell

"yes!" jake yells in unison,

"well......" sunghoon stood there, waiting for the both of you to talk "well, i just think i should get the room since you know-- i'm a girl and-- you and jake are best friends so you should be roommates" you explain, giving sunghoon an awkward smile "yeah sure whatever- ow!" jake hits sunghoon in the arm "you idiot! take the goddamn room!" jake grits through his teeth "you know what y/n! i change my mind. i uh, i think im going to take the room"

"why?!" you whisper with a harsh tone. poor sunghoon "IM GOING TO JERK OFF OR SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW" he yells, although he regrets it after the maids give him a weird look "ayo what?" heeseung peaks through the door "nothing! i didn't mean that. just --ugh! i'm heading out" he grabs his luggage, stomping through the hallways as he walks to the room. leaving you with jake.

--

you were about to have a mental breakdown "jay! you're seriously not helping me at all!" you give him a shove "ow! you need to control your strength sometimes! and i'm sorry okay? i just panicked, and i think you and jake being roommates wouldn't be a mistake. it's better to fix your problems instead of just sweeping it under the rug. you can't avoid him forever y/n" he was right. and you knew that. but you couldn't bring yourself to tell jake what was bothering you. even the thought of it was embarrassing, because what if he wasn't even intending to date you at all?

you walk back to the room, hesitating whether you should open it or not. but after hearing no noise, you open the door "AH OH MY GOD SORRY--" there you saw a shirtless jake, hair wet and his glasses having a few drops of water from his hair. he grabs your hand before you could walk out again "y/n, please talk to me" he places his hands on both sides of your shoulders "did i do something wrong? whatever it is, i'm really sorry" he panics, slightly pouting at the silent treatment you gave him "jake i-"

"dinners ready!" riki barges in, freezing at the sight of you two "oh- hey! riki, let's go!" you grab his arm, walking towards the dining room "please don't mention it" you whisper, sitting in between riki and jay.

jake later follows, now in his grey shirt and the checkered pajamas he wore earlier, he gives you a small smile before sitting next to heeseung.

"so, sunghoon. did you have fun?" heeseung teases

"shut up!"

--

"this wasn't going as planned anymore!" jake groans, he was currently in jay's room, ranting his frustrations out while jay listened. when jake had heard about the trip to hawaii, he originally planned to confess when you guys went to the party, it's not like the party had already happened, but it was already tomorrow "i already apologized, yet she still wouldn't speak"

"do you even know why she's mad?" jay asked, leaning on the bad with his arms as he watched jake pacing around his room "...no?"

"jake sim you idiot"

it was 1 am in the morning and you finally finished playing games with riki and heeseung. you were hesitating to open the door once again. afraid of letting the incident happen once more. you knock lightly, hoping that he was there and you could finally make up

but before you could open the door, jake already opened it. immediately embracing you "please talk to me" he whispers gently in your ear. you couldn't help but burst out crying, causing him to panic, he caresses your hair "let's go for a walk yeah?" he grabs your wrist, his touch so gentle as if you were fragile.

he wipes your tears as you walk along the shore "i missed you. you know?" he holds your hand as you both drag your feet along the sand. you hit him on his shoulder "ow!"

"that's what you get!" you sniffle, looking at the reflection of the moon on the sea "what did i do?" he chuckles, searching for your eyes. he tilts his head when you don't respond "hello?"

"cause! you always flirt with me, calling me your girlfriend and hugging me! i hate it! i hate it because my heart always skips a beat every time and i always expect you to ask me out soon yet you never do!" you yell, your skin was glowing under the moonlight. jake was in awe the moment he saw your glistening eyes that had tears threatening to fall.

he had the sudden urge to kiss you and tell you how he felt.

and he did. because jake was a man who never doubted his feelings when it came to you.

he pulls you by the waist, causing you to let out a yelp. his lips touches yours, and it stayed like that for a while, to make up for the moments he wasted without you this whole vacation. you wrap your hands around his neck, playing with his hair

"can i be your boyfriend?" he cheekily says, his smile making you smile as well "suck my ass. sim jaeyun. yes, i'd love for you to be my boyfriend"

"i'd gladly suck your a--"

"sim jaeyun!"

--

[bonus bcs i haven't posted in a while]

it was the morning of the party, you were in jake's arms "finally you're awake! good morning!" he excitedly says, peppering you with kisses "the guys are in the pool so get changed" he informs you, smacking your ass as soon as you got up "getting too comfortable for our first day aren't we?" you tilt your head, giving him a smirk "can't help it" he send a wink your way.

as soon as you got out in your swimsuit, jake's mouth drops "do a little turn for me" he smirks, twirling you around as he hypes you up "holy shit! i'm so lucky aren't i" he checks you out, earning a smack from you "ow! alright but i'm not letting them check you out like that! wear my shirt"

(he didn't let you go from the jacuzzi after heeseung hyped you up lol)

--

[party]

you told jake to go ahead, wanting to surprise him with the dress you bought.

after arriving to the party jake almost dropped the drink he had in his hand after he saw you. he was smiling so hard when the little girl put a Lei (flower neck lace) on you. he felt so proud when the other men at the party look at you giving him a hug

"that's right, she's mine" he thought

after you walked to wards him he grabs you by the waist "you look so pretty in red" he says, hugging you tightly "is that so?" you ask, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips, making him all giddy

--

part 1

taglist: @zylenes @hwalllllllelujah @theskzvibe

HI GUYS :D. i will be posting the visuals for this fic so pls wait :)

[lepusrufus]

Double edged scalpel ch.5

Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.3 Ch.4

Summary: someone please give Nicole a break for the love of Miranda. And there be smut y'all

---

Seeing Cassandra's softer side made something flutter within Nicole's chest. The brunette was a sadist through and through. Witness to that fact was the array of torture devices that littered the dungeons. Not to mention the prisoners she frequently killed, only to haul them on the autopsy tables in her study to be examined, chopped and sectioned by the both of them.

But there was an uncharacteristic sort of gentleness in the way their lips slid against each other, sharp teeth occasionally biting down on Nicole's lower lip but never enough to draw blood. In the way Cassandra would drag sharp nails against flushed skin, but not go beyond the pleasurable amount of pain. Even the glint in golden eyes when Nicole went over some old notes of hers on more tricky anatomy concepts. Having an exclusive look at this side of Cassandra felt beyond intimate and the thought almost made her miss when the brunette spoke from where she was leaning over a notebook.

"Okay let's just wrap this up, I have plans."

Nicole hummed, dropping the liver she was holding in a freezer bag. Most body parts were already bagged and ready to be picked up by Cynthia and her undercooks, they were just putting into practice some things the brunette was curious about. She dropped the now blood soaked leather gloves in the sink and went to sit by Cassandra, who was scribbling some final notes.

"In that case I'll go enjoy a cup of tea," she sighed. "Tea that I had to skip because someone was eager to start on this early."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow at her, accompanied by her usual smirk. "I meant plans with you."

Oh? That was new. The brunette laughed at Nicole's wide eyed expression and snapped her notebook shut. She took her sweet time putting it on the shelf with the others and checking the time, pretending not to notice the redhead's inquisitive expression. Then, she lifted Nicole’s chin with a thankfully not covered in blood finger.

"Don't get me wrong I love it here but," she grimaced, "it gets stuffy sometimes. Especially in summer."

Well, that much was true. The undergrounds of the castle were oddly warm, although not downright hot, compared to what one would expect from a castle. Pair that with the annoyingly humid atmosphere and having to wear a leather apron and gloves so as to not completely ruin your outfit and you got the perfect recipe for discomfort. She really ought to ask Cassandra about installing some kind of better ventilation down here.

"Meet me in the attic in about… an hour." She leaned down and their mouths were so close that Nicole could feel icy breath on her lips.

The attic? She's never been to the attic, it was not only off limits for most staff but also dangerous if rumors were to be believed. Not that she had the clarity of mind to voice any concerns when Cassandra finally leaned in to kiss her, complete with a nip on her lower lip that made Nicole’s breath hitch.

---

The fact that Nicole had no idea how to get to the attic could be a slight problem. She had asked Anita, but not only did she not know, she also seemed mortified by the idea. Another maid just gave her vague directions to look for a ladder on the top floor. As if that wasn't like trying to find the needle in a haystack. Or the needle in a giant castle.

She was just wandering around the top floor, praying not to stumble upon anyone who would be less than thrilled to see her there. A sigh of relief escaped past her lips when she heard familiar buzzing and steps coming towards her.

"Oh Cas-" she swallowed her words when she noticed red hair spilling from underneath a black hood.

"Nicole! What are you doing here hmm?" Her inquisitive hum was way too exaggerated the same way her fangs seemed too sharp when she grinned.

"I was just looking for Ca- lady Cassandra. She asked me to meet her in the attic."

Daniela's mouth fell open, almost forming an O shape. Then back to her characteristic giggle, almost as if laughing at a joke only she knew.

"What, you don't know how to get there?"

"...Not really," she sheepishly admitted.

And that was a mistake. Nicole would've preferred to wander the hallways until Cassandra eventually got bored enough of waiting and decided to come see where her glorified lab partner was. But her plan was ruined by Daniela wordlessly grabbing her arm and pulling her in the opposite direction she was going in. She even went the extra mile to partially turn into a swarm, which made Nicole's panic skyrocket. She didn't mind bugs. But having hundreds of them fly all around you, accompanied by manic giggling was a whole other thing.

Before she knew it though, Daniela let go of her arm, laughing a little at Nicole's stumbling. She gestured dramatically towards a ladder and said:

"There you go. Say hi to Cassie for me."

"Th- thank you my lady." And with a small bow of the head she grabbed the ladder and started ascending on shaky legs.

"And enjoy your date," she called out, once Nicole was at the top of the stairs.

Blushing, she decided to ignore the comment and start looking for the sister less likely to turn her into fly food.

The attic looked… old. It was obvious that people didn't come here often, although someone probably did clean it regularly as there were no cobwebs nor dirt on any surfaces, aside from some dust. It was full of neatly arranged boxes and crates, their contents as mysterious as the castle's inhabitants. Tentative steps took her across ancient floorboards, navigating old rooms.

"Rah!"

Nicole damn near jumped out of her skin, a string of curses spilling past her lips. "Jesus fucking christ Cassandra!"

The brunette only laughed, hands on her knees and pretending to wipe a tear from her eye.

"That's what you get for making me wait for so long."

"I didn't even know where the attic entrance was! Good thing one of your sisters came to my rescue." Nicole rolled her eyes at the last word.

Cassandra stopped laughing, eyes narrowing slightly. "Which one?"

"Uh- Danie-"

"Did she hurt you?" Cassandra grabbed her arms, golden eyes looking for any visible injuries.

Nicole just laughed softly, taken off guard by the display of concern. "No, no. Just gave me a bit of a fright, that's all."

With an eye roll, Cassandra guided her further into the attic, through more dusty rooms, until they reached a short corridor, light spilling from its other end. The room they entered was relatively small, almost half of it occupied by stacked boxes as if it used to be a storage room like the rest of the attic and nobody bothered to completely clear it out. A few pieces of furniture were also present: a couch with a coffee table in front of it and paintings leaning against a wall to collect dust. This room however had a window, left slightly ajar, that allowed you to see the mountains stretching on the horizon, crowned by the beautiful orange hues of dusk.

Nicole moved to the glass to take in the view, mouth almost hanging open, when an ungodly screech from outside made her backpedal straight into Cassandra.

"What the fuck was that?" She asked, eyes widening at the sight of flying creatures circling the towers.

"Mother's flying guard dogs."

"They sound the same way I'd imagine the souls of the damned do." Nicole didn’t take her eyes off the ghoulish creatures, almost as if keeping eye contact would dissuade them from attacking.

Cassandra just shrugged. "Wouldn't be too far off. Also here." She sat on the couch, gesturing towards a cup.

Nicole went to sit by her side, grabbing the mystery cup. She frowned slightly when the steam reached her nose, bringing with it a pleasant minty and honey aroma.

"Tea?"

"Since you were so disheartened about having to skip it earlier," Cassandra averted her eyes, seemingly finding the curtains very interesting.

After a long sip, she let out a content sigh. The warmth was more than welcomed, despite the weather. She set the cup back on the table and turned her attention on the brunette, now fidgeting with the corner of a pillow.

"Thank you," Nicole said, leaving a small kiss on her cheek.

Cassandra smiled and turned around, locking their lips in a kiss that at first mimicked her gentleness, but soon turned hungry when dainty hands made their way to the brunette's nape, pulling her closer. She shifted them both, pushing Nicole down on the pillows littering the couch, until she was laying on top of her, legs on each side of her waist. Her focus was on leaving a trail of nips and kisses down Nicole's neck when the redhead jumped and barely stifled a yelp at another screech from outside.

"Ugh what the fuck is today, scare me out of my mind day?"

"How are you scared of these but countless dead bodies don't phase you?" Cassandra laughed, sound muffled by her position with her mouth against Nicole's neck.

"I used to work on corpses, not on ugly gargoyles that could chew my face off!" She gestured wildly at the window and the few creatures visible outside.

"You what?"

"You...didn't know?" Nicole couldn't help a giggle at Cassandra's confused expression.

"How was I supposed to know?"

"I thought your mother told you already. Or your sisters," Nicole shrugged.

"They knew?!" And, after something seemed to dawn on her, "Oh I'm gonna kick both their asses."

Nicole couldn’t help letting out a small laugh, placing her hands on Cassandra's cheeks and, with a pout for dramatic effect, "Right now?"

As much as the sight was both funny and endearing, the warmth starting to pool at her core was making her beyond impatient.

The indignation in golden eyes was replaced by an all too familiar glint and black painted lips went back to their work on Nicole's neck. Sharp fangs pierced the skin there, just enough to draw a few drops of blood and a whine. After licking every last bit of it, Cassandra's lips moved to the collarbones and lower, hands slowly starting to undo the buttons of Nicole's pesky uniform that was in the way.

When both the button up and the skirt were discarded on the floor Nicole tangled her fingers through black hair and pulled Cassandra in for a kiss. Her free hand went to the back of the dress, pulling down the zipper and guiding it off of the brunette's shoulders. Once both of them were left only in undergarments, Nicole pulled back to look up at the brunette.

"If I knew I was supposed to dress up I would've asked the chambermaid if there's anything fancy in the uniform stash," she said, taking in the beautifully intricate lace of Cassandra's matching bra and underwear, complete with a giggle at her awful joking.

The brunette only raised an eyebrow. "Mhm I can take care of that. Not like you'll need these for long though." Her hands reached under Nicole's back to unclasp her bra and in mere moments that too was on top of the pile of clothes on the floor.

Then Cassandra bent down to crash their lips together, tongue slipping past Nicole's lips when a wandering hand elicited a gasp from her.

Cassandra was by no means a patient person. Quite the opposite actually. But teasingly dragging her nails across sensitive skin only to feel the girl under her squirm and whine when her hand just won't go where she needed it made waiting all the more sweet. Slender fingers started to toy with the edges of Nicole's underwear. After a groan against her lips and an impatient tug of hair, Cassandra finally gave in, slipping two fingers inside her. She felt Nicole arch into her, a broken moan escaping past her lips when she broke the kiss to let her head fall back into the cushions. Cassandra took that as an opportunity to kiss the length of her neck, occasionally stopping to suck or bite at a spot, enjoying every gasp and moan she drew out of the redhead.

With Cassandra's rough pace it didn't take long before Nicole was clenching her thighs around her hand. Cassandra kissed her, swallowing her moan as she came.

The small room in the attic, Cassandra's drawing room she would later find out, was the perfect secluded spot. They spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other. First evening of many.

[fireheartfaery]

here with open arms

hello angels! so i saw this absolutely genius post by @mistylakeee and i fell deeply in love, it was so freaking cute. my writing demon fully agreed with me because it demanded we write a fic. full and happy credits to mistylakee for the idea and thank you my darling for this genius! i hope y'all enjoy, and umm let's not lie to ourselves this is not edited, because when do i ever edit anything?

title is from the song "Open Arms" by PRETTYMUCH\

this is of course also on my ao3

[all images have alt text]

His eyes are the bluest he has ever seen them. Some mix of cold ocean and summer sky. There’s a glint in them too, one that only appears when he is running high on emotion. But today it is warranted and maybe necessary. He has been preparing for this day, quietly and steadily for months. If it goes well, if it truly works out the way he wants it— needs it to, he may finally after many long years take a rest.

Dorian Havillard looks at himself in the mirror as he shrugs on his royal coat, fastens the wyvern seal that clasps to his breast pocket, right over his heart. He feels the steady beat as his fingers fiddle with the pin. It is comforting in a way now that it never was… before. Before he almost died, before his kingdom nearly got destroyed, before before before he lost so much.

He hears the groan of the hinges and then the familiar squeak of his best friend’s wheelchair.

“You ready?”

“You ready?”

Chaol Westfall looks absolutely dashing. Brown hair slightly longer, wrinkles around his eyes from smiling with abandon, and a small child coddled to his chest. Yrene stands slightly behind him, eyes already roving over the room. A caretaker she has always been, and a caretaker she will always be.

“Did you not sleep last night?” She frowns, looking at his rumpled sheets, the way the curtain billows in the early morning haze.

“I slept enough,” A smile tugs at his lips. “And I'm ready.” He nods at his friend. “I did everything I could.”

“That’s all that matters.” Chaol grabs his hand, squeezes gently.

He squeezes back, and then lifts his niece from her father’s lap. Her eyes are closed but he knows deep brown pools hide there. She looks so much like her mother, but she has her father’s ways. All level-headed, a fighter, determined beyond words. She was learning to run before she could crawl. She has places to be. Even her expressions, the way she can stare at you with narrowed eyes, a small smile, reminds him of Chaol when they were younger.

It delights Yrene to no extent because she feels like she’s getting a glimpse of the child her husband used to be.

“We’ll be standing on the north facing balcony.” His friend is saying, “If you get nervous or don’t know what to say, just look at us.”

Dorian can’t stop the laughter that bubbles out of him. “And how will that help me?”

“I’m hoping if i make enough funny faces at you it’ll shock you into remembering whatever comes next.” The signature blank stare is settled on him and it just makes the king laugh harder. Yrene joins in and they’re loud enough it wakes his niece up. She doesn’t cry, she doesn’t even moan. She just blinks her beautiful eyes open and stares at them in curious wonder. He nuzzles his nose to her cheek before placing her in Yrene’s waiting arms.

“Okay,” He smiles at Chaol, “If I forget I'll find your funny face.”

He gets swatted on the thigh for the comment but there is so much affection swimming between them it feels exactly like warmth. He kisses both of them on the cheek, brushes cool fingers over the baby’s cheek and then he’s out of the room, guards flanking either side of him.

Today, he makes an announcement.

The throne room is empty, quiet enough that his shoes echo as they clack across the marbled floor. He had asked that no-one be present during this speech. They are to project it to the city but he does not want to be bombarded with people who have too many questions and not enough care to think about the answers. He knows, for however much Adarlan has grown, however far they have come, there are still people who wish for the old ways. And it is them who will be the noisiest about this new project. But he does not mind. Because he will prove them wrong. And he knows from the bottom of his heart how good this project is, how much it will help and heal, not just his people but other kingdoms too. He just wishes she was here to share this moment with him. But she has her own kingdom to run, and her own projects to implement. Although they had lettered back and forth for months, sometimes he misses her so much it feels as though his ribs are splintering. His body trying to duplicate itself so he can be in two places at once. Anything, it says, to be near her. He understands the feeling well. It has kept him company these long weeks.

The bell tower strikes the hand. It is time.

He steps up to the podium laid out in front of his throne. Magic covers the projections, and he sees himself on huge screens. He sees Adarlan spread before him in the open balcony that sits front and center. The thrones, his crackling blue and lined with gold, hers fire red and lined with silver do not face the middle of the room but rather the huge balcony, and it’s always open doors. They wanted to look out at the world they protect, and remember what they were fighting for.

“Hello my people,” He smiles. It is genuine, however full of longing he may be. “Today I bring you the announcement of a project I have been working on for the better part of my time as King. It is one I hold near to my heart and one I believe will finally bridge the last of the canyons the devastating war created between our great kingdoms.”

He pauses, takes a half second to breathe in the cool air. The seasons are changing, weather getting colder. He’s already asked the palace to start collecting and ordering blankets for the masses. He makes a note to ask Aelin when her Winter Ball will be. He misses his friends.

“This winter,” He looks at them, directly into the heart of his land, residing among his people. “Adarlan in collaboration with the Western Wastes, will start a massive rehabilitation programme that seeks to aid all those affected by—”

He hears a single wing beat. A strong wind stirs his lapels. He looks up, and there on his balcony in all their beautiful exquisite glory is His Queen and her Wyvern.

Manon Blackbeak looks ethereal. Her white hair blows over one shoulder. Even from here he can see the absolute gold of her eyes. She slides down from Abraxos back and Dorian forgets what living is, how to breathe, what tempo his heart should be beating at. He forgets what words are. In the middle of his speech.

She strolls towards him and he is a gaping fish, tasting oxygen for the first time. It burns at his lungs, between his ribs, in the middle of his chest.

She looks like a star, and he is every planet in the universe gravitating towards her.

He stumbles off the podium-stand towards her. She is gliding towards him. As if nothing around them is allowed to touch her until he does. Dorian sprints the final steps. And slams into Manon so hard they both crash to the ground.

He feels her nails pressing gently against his scalp, he feels their hearts pressing into each other, filling out the shape. He feels, and feels, and feels.

She is soft where he is tense. He is melting where she is rock. They are the boiling points of diamonds. Forging into something new. Glittering through their own existence.

“You’re here.” He says it over and over. A story teller with only one narrative. Tattooing it into the world so that it may never disappear again.

“I’m here.” She whispers softly into his neck. He feels her lip brush his skin. She smells like home. Like the sky. Like freedom.

“Dorian!” Someone is shouting from above them somewhere but he cannot be bothered. He feels Manon laughing into him.

“I think you need to get back to your speech.”

He hugs her harder. She laughs more.

“Dorian, my love.” She tugs at his hair slightly, so they’re staring at each other. He wants to make this moment stone. Immortalise them as statues. Name it “The Return”, the “Never Let Go”, “The Forever”.

She brushes her lips across his cheek. “Finish your speech. We have time.”

“Do it with me,” His eyes are pleading. He can’t bear to let her go. If he does not have her pressed against him he might go insane. And he knows something of that.

“Okay.” She smiles at him. It’s like staring at a full moon. Glowing. “Together.”

And he likes the sound of that so much he echoes it as he ends his speech.

“Together.” He smiles, as they collapse onto their thrones, hands intertwined. “At last.”

[jobesimming]

Legacies - Episode one (Pt.1)

POV: Belle'Anna Darling

UGH! Another day in this horrendous house! Thank God I'm going out with the gang. Before I could even breathe this morning— My mother Posha was in my room yelling at me. I understand this is my first ever "C" on a test...but girl it's most definitely my last dealing with you. Porsha has always been on my ass for the simplest things. I think I'ma apply for a job at Naura's Family Vet because I'm ready to move out. And my father, you ask? I don't know him and have never met him. I only know he looks just like me and his name is Messer Darling. The fuck type of name is Messer?

(LOL, I thought it said brunch and I'm sorry....but I'm not fixing it!)

Man, why did Aspen ask us to be here so early? I love the twins dearly...but they're doing too much. Yes, the boys are famous because of their ridiculously hot father-- but why they gotta fuck with my sleeping schedule? I don't mean to get off topic but.....

Mr. (Andrew) Martinez, Monroe, and Aspen.

But I mean...just look at their dad... How can a sim be this hot? But like I was saying. We're all gathered at "Sarah's" for brunch. Only for the simple reason that Aspen wanted us all to start hanging out again. I haven't seen the twin since the beginning of school. They were on tour with Mr. Martinez all school year. The funny thing is, Aspen is starting to act and Monroe is more of an influencer and a singer. And they're kinda our glue. The girl sitting next to me...I don't even know her. Jer'isha is their cousin and she's extremely pretty. I remember Micheal liked her...

Then you know...Hot girl summer came......BTW WE'RE NOT DATING! Babes... it's hot girl summer...no, ma'am. You can never take the city out of this girl.

"I really missed you guys." spat from Aspen's mouth as he continued to chow down on his "veggie" burger...btw, ew. "I'm sorry we haven't been here to hang. Promise to not hate us too much."

"Yea, yea, yea, whatever. We missed y'all, y'all missed us. I just want to know if Mr. and Mrs. Martinez will let y'all come to my party. Y'all gotta turn up! I'ma get some big booty bit-"

Naura abruptly cuts me off with her hysterical laugh, "Yea no. The Twins can't be caught in a scandal."

Here goes Mama Naura. Which brings me to think—she's still crushing on Monroe; someone she's been looking at all day...well, morning. I told her to ask him out before he had left for London last year. But of course--she let her toxic father control her! Hell, just to let her breathe, she spends the night at my house. It's ok though, Ms. Youtuber will be moving out soon. I stared at her and she giggled, "Whatever." she mouthed and I flicked her off. Aspen gasped, which caused us all to laugh. A few minutes later we ate and caught up with one another. Aspen explored his sexuality, Jer'isha is now going to our school and she's moving in with the twins, Monroe sings now, and that's about it. I mean Micheal said something about an early summer fling....but no one knew who he was talking about and I wasn't paying attention. I had just thought about it when Naura texted me about it. I'm not going to bore you with that conversation though. I don't even like Micheal. I just wanted a nut and I dipped. We slutting these boys out all summer. I don't know though, Aspen looks good. He's definitely the cute twin.

"So how does that work Asp? Like are you gay now?" asked a very confused Naura. Please excuse my very ignorant friend. She comes from a very dull household.

Aspen chuckles, "Honestly, I'm just human and living life at this point." When he said that, it confused Naura even more— so he continued to say, "Meaning I'm not living life with labels. I am Aspen Myles Martinez and I plan to live life to the fullest."

LORD, could Aspen be any hotter... Naura was STILL lost so I had to explain, "Basically... it's none of your—OR anyone's business Naura." She got it now, but she's a little hurt. I mean it's not her business to know unless she wants to get in his pants. AND she bet not, that's my twin.

After that nice and friendly exchange. It was time for us to leave. Naura and I have a nail appointment, the twins have an audition, and Micheal is visiting family. We started to say our goodbyes and Monroe pulled me to the side, "Wow, you somehow managed to look even hotter than the last time I saw you." Which left me completely dumbfounded. Before I could retort, Asp had yelled for him, "See you tonight." left Monroe's lips, then he disappeared into the distance.

Hey guys!! Hope you guys liked the first part of episode one! I think I'm going to do eight episodes for season one. Season one will be, summer, Season two will be when the Kids go back to school. The series won't just be about the kids, but also their parents and families.

[youngamericanchronicles]

Back to Normal :/ ~ July 2021

Though I had been excited to be returning to "normalcy" this past year, I definitely didn't realize how exhausting and low-key dreadful the transition would be once it came.

Going back to normal also feels like going back to a busy lifestyle and a lack of self-care; this summer flew by so quickly from all the reintroduced 12 hour work days, continuously postponed plans with friends, desperate attempts to have a hot girl summer transformation, and most importantly (but least prioritized) trying to prepare for school to start. It's the last week of July already and I haven't studied at all for the GRE and LSAT tests like I planned to, Panda and I never made our annual trip to the local farmer's market, and I didn't have a chance to blame a nervous breakdown (or Ariel) for a new piercing or dumb hairstyle decision. I'm excited to finally have my nose-piercing visible to my classmates after hiding it under a face mask for the past semester, and I'm excited to finally be able to socialize with my peers around campus again - I missed the late night walks, the spontaneous games of cornhole, the late-night study sessions and gang runs to Walmart for caffeine. I'm so excited to experience all of those wonderful things we had all taken for granted again, but I also worry about the bad habits that will creep back into a "normal" routine; now that I haven't really been able to run like a chicken with it's head cut-off for over a year, I don't think I'm ready to manage such a chaotically busy schedule again. With Covid protocols in place, more people prioritized health, well-being, and self-care - not just for themselves but also for their coworkers, students, patients, etc. It seems like those same priorities are dropped down to the bottom of everyone's comically long to-do lists again. I haven't had a day to just do nothing but paint my nails and watch a movie since May, and tbh idk if life will ever allow a day like that again until Winter break. It just feels so hard to pump the breaks on life now that we don't just drive the car to the grocery store out of boredom.

Also, idk if y'all noticed, but majority of tv commercials are emphasizing the fact that we're returning to normal - returning to the office, going back to school, and even just meeting people in restaurants and in-person fitness classes again. I think it's funny and kinda weird; get excited to shop for kids' backpacks now that they actually go to class again, save on fresh produce for family barbeques again, and lease a new car for all those daily commutes you're going to be making again. It's just so funny to me - and kinda creepy.