#i’d also like some actual quality and something that lasts more than one but also more than two seasons

[feijoaaas]

i bet they’ll reboot fr!ends any day now (dear apollo plz don’t find this post)

[evilslushy]

would you be open to doing bf headcanons for hamzah? they could be sfw and nsfw or just sfw. love ur writing :). <3

BF Headcanons _♡

SFW

i’m a very opinionated person, so asking me about my hamzah headcanons is a FIELD DAY for me

I’ve always said this but I feel like hamzah (in the beginning of the relationship) is very shy? Not in the way of “ignore any possible interaction between you and him” but more of a “ignores eye contact after a kiss” or “blushes when you call him a nickname for the first time”

He acts like he hates when you baby him but behind closed doors… BIGGEST BABY EVERRRR

It took him a while to hold your hand in public, not because he's embarrassed but again because he gets too flustered when you run your thumb up and down against the back of his hand,,, or when you play with his hands in general.

I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE IN FIC BUT HAMZAH IS AN EAR BLUSHER AND HE'S SO CUTE WAA

If you get on his lap and play with his hair while talking about random stuff, and you kiss him out of nowhere HE’LL SMILE THIS BIG SMILE AND COVER HIS EARS IM CRYINGGGGG HES SO CUTE

Speaking of kissing lololol

Hamzah’s kisses are SENSUAL, he takes his time and really makes sure you feel his love

Contrary to popular belief i feel like if you’re with hamzah for long enough his love language becomes physical touch

And i dont say that and mean ONLY kisses but hes such a cuddly person. HE NEEDS THAT TLC HES A BIG BOY

BUT. Big but! He is not the type of person to show affection publicly IM SORRYYY

Holding hands and hugging is fine but i think more intimate things he’d rather do in private…

Not because hes embarrassed as i said, he gets shy at other people perceiving that version of him especially since he isn’t ‘acting’ or ‘joking’

Also he feels like only you deserve to see him like this hehehe

His love language is quality time. Like actually.

His head on your chest, playing stardew valley on his ipad. You watching TV or reading while playing with his curls.

Another form of this is that he’ll ask you to be him and martins cameraman just to have you there with him

Or he’ll ask if you want to try a new coffee shop that opened down the street

He’s a man that likes to be around you 24/7

ALSO ALSO ALSO OMG OMG

HE WOULD SO FORCE YOU TO DO BACKGROUND VOCALS FOR SOME OF HIS MUSIC LIKE THE RAPPERS HE LIKES LMFAO

I dont wanna go on too long with this but one thing is for sure

You’re his princess for REAL treats you like ROYALTY lol

If you guys get into an argument. Even if you’re wrong, he ends up apologizing

“I shouldn’t have let it boil over to this anyway.”

10/10 boyfriend. Totally recommend.

NSFW

SISTA. I HAVE NEVER EVER THOUGHT I’D HAVE THE PLATFORM TO SHARE THESE THOUGHTS BUT I HAVE TO MAKE SURE YALL UNDERSTAND ONE THING!!!!

Hamzah is NAWT a boob or ass guy. HE LIKES BOTH EQUALLY. (He is secretly is ass-leaning tho LMFAO)

This is so funny but he totally is the type to smack your ass randomly when he walks by.

Do you get mad? Yes. Do you tell him to stop it? Yes. Does he stop? No. Do you secretly think it's kinda…? WELL YESSS

TWO WORDS. Boob squeezer.

I think from what we can understand so far. is that Hamzah is the handsy man. HIS HANDS ALWAYS SOMEWHERE LOL

sex drive is for sure high. and when i say high… ITS HIGHHH

Contrary to popular belief AGAIN.

Hamzah doesn’t partake in dirty talk much… not that he doesn't like it—he just wouldn’t in my opinion? It's not that he wouldn’t talk at all, but he is more of a heavy breathing, whimpering, moaning guy—pretty much more noises than actual words

Though as i said, he would talk sometimes, especially if he’s feeling really good, or his stamina is lasting him longer than he thought… he starts getting a little cocky

On the topic of dirty talk, if he does talk, 99.9% of it would be praising, i don't see him enjoying degrading unless you ask him to.. but he’ll be a little awkward about it LMFAOOO

Something like: “fuck, baby you’re taking me so good.”

(Unironically starts actually using good girl after a while of making it a joke btw)

Someone sent a request a few days ago and said “i feel like hamzah has a breeding kink�� and why was i gagged?! NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT BUT YES, i feel like hes more into the thought filling u with *** then the thought of impregnating you if that makes any sense

Im talking too much… digital footprint go hard.

(A/N): this isnt proofread, i kinda braindumped but i had fun doing this!! Thank u anon for the request I HOPE U LOVE THIS CUTIE MWAAAAHH

[jamdoughnutmagician]

Boobies!

Steve Harrington x Female Reader

Summary:Your Stevie gets to spend some quality time with you and his girls.

Warnings: 18+, Smut, Steve Harrington is a boobs guy, Titfucking, Mentions of pornography, nothing else that I can think of (unless you think there’s something I missed, in which case; shoot me a message so I can tag it)

Word Count: 1521

Author's Note:I had this idea bouncing around my head for a while, and so I thought I’d get round to actually writing it. 

Simply put, Steve Harrington was a boob kind of guy. In his eyes, all boobs were good boobs. Big, or small, it didn't matter to him. 

You suspected as much to be true, because anytime you'd fallen asleep with him, he would end up spooned so close to you, holding you safe in his arms, his hand finding their places to settle over your boobs. Just feeling the soft weight of your tits in his palms was somewhat relaxing for him.

You also had your suspicions confirmed last summer, where you had decided to wear a tank top, to avoid wearing any unnecessary layers. That was the day that you had to fight for your boyfriend’s attention almost anytime you wanted to talk to him. His brown eyes cast down, towards your chest, eyeing the exposed cleavage, and enjoying the subtle bounce and jiggle of your boobs anytime you talked excitedly about anything.

It was on a lazy Sunday evening, on the rare occasion that you weren’t working at the movie theatre, and Steve had a day off working in Family Video. You were laying closely pressed together on his bed. 

More often than not, the free time you spent alone with Steve was in his house. He’d told you many times that it was very rare for his parents to be home for any length of time. Whilst the thought of Steve’s parents being happy enough to leave that boy in that big house all by himself, made your heart ache, you were glad of the privacy it afforded you. It was so much better than the alternative. That time where Steve had been hanging out with you in your bedroom, and your Stevie couldn’t keep his hands to himself. The sudden knock and opening of the door by your mother startled you both enough to quickly pull away from your impromptu makeout session. It wasn’t that your mother didn’t like or approve of your relationship with Steve, oh no it was quite the opposite actually, she adored how kindly he seemed to treat her daughter. However, she wasn’t quite ready to see her daughter and her boyfriend in such a compromising position. Between seeing your slightly out-of-breath state, and Steve’s ruffled hair and glazed over expression, it didn’t take a genius to piece together what had just been happening. After that awkward encounter, it just seemed better that you spent your time at Steve's place.

You were laying on your back, whilst Steve laid down over you, his arm wrapped protectively over your waist, his head resting gently on top of your chest whilst your fingers ran softly through his mess of shaggy hair. 

“...Mmm your boobs are soft..” he mumbles against your chest “..and so pretty too..” 

That’s when you suddenly feel the tugging of Steve’s hands at the hem of your oversized t-shirt (technically it was his shirt, but after he told you how much he enjoyed seeing you in his shirts, you took it upon yourself to wear his stuff more often.) His eager fingertips try to work the shirt off your body to have access to your naked tits, knowing you didn’t ever wear a bra if you were home.

Taking the hint, you sat up to arch your arms up and take off your t-shirt, flinging it off to the corner of Steve’s room. 

Steve seized this moment to begin to leave kisses over your tits. His pink lips, pecking all over the soft exposed skin. His kisses begin to inch closer to your nipple, before he wraps his lips around it, bringing it into the warm wet heat of his mouth, sucking it gently before releasing it from his mouth with a pop. Then his lips lead a trail of sweet kisses from one breast to the other, making sure to give equal attention to the other nipple.

All the while you let him indulge in his love affair with your tits, your fingertips scratch and tug at the soft brown strands of hair at his scalp.

That's when the idea struck him. Remembering something he saw in one of the x-rated tapes from the adult section at the back of Family Video that he'd taken home with him after a particularly long shift. Footage of a man sliding his dick through the softness of some girls' boobs. That evening Steve came harder than he ever had before. His cum dripped over the knuckles of his closed fist, and the only thoughts on his mind was of how he wanted to try that with you.

“Hey…Uh.. Honey?” Steve spoke up, tilting his head up to look at you.

“Yes, my love?” 

“There’s something I wanna try with you, would you be down for trying something new?” he started, the idea of how to go about asking you formulating in his mind.

“Well what is it, Stevie?” you teased gently.

“I wanna fuck your tits” he blurted out, thinking it  would better if he just came out with it, rather than skirt around the subject.

“Okay, I’m down, how do you want me?”

“H-how do I want you?” the fact you were even entertaining this idea had his head spinning and all the blood rushing straight to his dick.

“Yeah like, would you rather I sit up and you like..thrust between them? Or I can lay on my back and you can straddle my chest and then I can push my boobs together.” You explained brazenly. 

“Can I straddle your chest please?” he asked sheepishly.

“Sure!” you said as you got yourself comfortable, laying back on Steve’s bed.

Steve pulled off his sweatpants, his semi-hard dick bobbing slightly. 

Steve spat into his palm, and dropped his hand down to give his cock a few firm strokes, pumping his fist over the length of himself till he was fully hard.

He reached over to his bedside drawer where he kept a small bottle of lube, exactly where he’d left it from back when he’d watched that damn video.

He uncapped the bottle with a click, warning you how it would probably be cold on your skin, before he squeezed a generous amount between the valley of your breasts. He didn’t miss the way your body shivered as the cold gel hit your skin.  

 He also squeezed out some into his hand, thrusting into his hand a few times to cover his dick too.

Hovering over you with his cock in his hand, he leans forward, placing his cock between the valley of your breasts. He takes each one of your breasts in his large hands and gently squeezes them together. You notice his hesitancy and so you place your hands over his and to reassure him that you’re more than willing to do this, and to push your boobs together tighter around his steadily leaking cock.

Then he starts thrusting his hips forward. It’s different to what he was expecting, not a bad different certainly, the softness of your skin, slick with lube, feels so nice. His thumbs find themselves rubbing over your nipples, teasing them into hardened peaks. 

“F-fuck…” Steve stutters out with a moan, his head swimming with lust as he watched his cock slide between your breasts. 

“I wanna taste you, Stevie” you say as you stick out your tongue, just enough so it catches on the tip of his cock as it pops through the top of your cleavage. Your tongue lapping the beading drop of pre-cum gathering at his sensitive tip.

“God..Honey.. Fuck..that’s feels so good..your’re so good for me” Steve groans out above you, his hips continuing to thrust between your breasts. “Love your tits…they’re so soft..you look so gorgeous like this, honey”

His thrusts start to become sloppier and as he chases his high.

“Babe.. I’m so close… ” his breath coming out in ragged pants.  

“Cum on my tits, Stevie…please..” you whine for him, squishing your boobs tighter around him and using them to help jerk him off.

With a few more thrusts, and the soft weight of your boobs working against his sensitive cock, Steve comes with a deep guttural moan, painting your collarbones with his spend. 

Steve carefully swings his body to come and lie next to you, his own chest heaving with gasps, and his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, his cock softening against his stomach.

You take this opportunity to swipe your finger through the cum Steve spilled on your chest Popping your finger in your mouth, you moan at the taste, sucking your finger clean.

Steve who had been trying to catch his breath, watched you with lust-glazed eyes

“Honey, you can’t just do that..s’not fair, you’ll get me going again” he chuckles dryly.

“What? Too tired, Harrington?” you tease playfully.

“Never. For you I’ve got all the time in the world” he smirks as he makes his way down your body, settling in between your thighs.

“Now... Let me return the favour” He says with a cheeky wink, his pink tongue darting out to wet his lips.

Oh. You were in for it now.

[alxxbee]

Ok, I just saw your redesign of Lucifer for the 2P AU you did and I honestly like it a bit better than in the show, he actually feels prideful here since purple is in fact the biblically accurate color of Pride! :D

Also making him a brunette and adding bright blues (a biblically accurate color of Sloth) as accents was a nice choice :) and the golden eyeshadow! :)

But does he still rule Hell in the AU with Alastor coming from Heaven? And what's the latter's role IN Heaven?

(I’m actually not very familiar with 2P lore if there really even is one but i’ll try))

((i also haven’t rewatched the show since it literally came out i maybe have forgor about like many things LMFAO))

(this also got deleted like twice and i’m pissed for rewriting this again)

(anyways here’s 2P Lucifer in my own interpretation)

2P Luci thrives in being alone, finding comfort and strength in it rather than misery. He doesn’t mind ruling Hell on his own. He doesn’t need anybody and doesn’t want anybody. His relationship with 2P Lilith has broken apart completely, due to their different views on redemption and the treatment of sinners. 2P Lilith is tricky since we know almost nothing of her, but i believe that she harbors a deep disdain for Hell and rejects the idea of controlling sinners for personal gain

BUUUUT something that has been in my mind recently is how he is essentially the embodiment of Pride.. but since 2P is (technically) the opposite of something (an inversion) The opposite of pride would be HUMILITY. Instead of making him a sad, insecure ruler, ..I’d like to think he thrives on human’s insecurities, fear, humiliation and self-doubt instead.. (rather than in the show he puts ON a prideful face when in reality he’s quite timid and socially awkward))

His relationship with 2PAlastor is quite decent (2P radioapple 🙂‍↕️) they still bicker but not in a hateful way like they do in the show, lighthearted jokes and banter, reflecting a mutual respect. (Lucifer knows how sensitive 2P Al is, and despite flourishing in humans despair and emotions, He has a soft spot for 2P Al.) ..Oh and they do not try to win over Charlie’s affection, ((2P Charlie actually does not really gaf about them XD))

Does not care for Heaven.. maybe even hates. but is not emotionally affected by his fall, I don’t know if Lucifer actually misses Heaven in the show, we can see how deeply affected he still is by their rejection of his creativity.

so i guess id like to think instead of him feeling hurt or betrayed(?), he feels somewhat thankful. Thankful that he was able to flourish in HIS ideas at last, finally seeing the evil of the world like he intended to.. destroying the order Heaven worked hard to maintain. Maybe he wanted Eve to bite the apple because he WANTED evil to come and corrupt the world, He knew what came with free will. He was a rebellious angel who went against Heaven in every way, intentionally with malice. Implying that Lucifer does not regret his role in giving sinners free will. He also cares for his sinners but not in a good way, more like he wants as many as possible so he could one day potentially top over heaven in power. A power hungry bastard.

He is serious, and a realist. NOT goofy and silly lmao. (Though he has goofy moments i shall not strip him of his whimsical fun entirely)

2P Lucifer and Original Lucifer share some similar qualities aswell. Something Both 2P Luce and Original Luce have in common is that they love Charlie.. and will protect her at all costs. Luci actually maintains a positive relationship with his daughter, He is close with her and tries to be in her life like a good father should, but 2P Charlie doesn’t usually give him the time of day. although she can be quite mean, and not the bubbly type at all like she is in the show, she still loves her father to a certain extent.

Again, we don’t really know much about the characters and the family’s history in the show.. And until we do, everything i said could be changed completely!! Like i said this is something for fun!! I haven’t really been thinking much about this AU, i designed him as a silly redraw but if i ever in the future add more details to his lore i will 🫶

Oh and as for the relationship with Original Alastor and 2P Luci…

Ok that’s all idk i don’t write for a reason 💀💀💀 💔

[teamfortraven]

Caine flusters you to death idk

^ The exact file name on my computer, by the way.

This is an SFW tickle fic! Don't read if you don't like it. Also shout out to the three different references to the TADC fan song "No Exit" that I put in here :]

2,571 words.

I paced angrily out of the main room in the tent, hands curled into fists at my sides as I left my fellow circus members behind. There were no words that could describe how frustrated I was, how confused, and, though I’d never admit it, how scared. My eye twitched at the familiar sound of a long coat flapping behind me.

“Leave me alone, Caine”, I snapped, continuing towards my room. The floating ring master was not so easily deterred and continued after me, however, keeping up with no effort.

“Come on, (Y/N), it was just one time! I know you don’t like the dark, but-“

“Correction.” I spun on my heels to face him, becoming even more annoyed with the way he loomed above me in superiority. “I hate the dark. There is nothing I hate more than the dark. And what did you do?” I crossed my arms and looked at him expectantly. He blinked as he stared at me, a few seconds passing, as if he had to process that I was actually demanding an answer from him.

“It was an adventure for everyone!” He immediately defended himself, still in that jovial tone he used to announce everything. “Not everyone is going to agree on what type of adventure they want to go on-“

“Anything! Anything else!” I threw my hands up in exasperation as he looked shocked that I had cut him off. “Anything but a power outage! I can’t even begin to tell you how horrifying that entire experience was!” I made drastic hand motions at him as I rambled angrily, his hands falling to his sides limply as if he was at a loss for words. “These adventures are supposed to be fun and distracting, Caine! You failed.” I pointed a finger at him accusingly, hoping to really drive the point home.

He gasped in exaggeration, putting a hand to his chest. “I… failed?” His eyes glanced around rapidly, his thoughts clearly racing. I nodded in affirmation; there wasn’t much I could do to show him how serious I was, but hurting his ego definitely helped me feel better.

“Yep, you failed — you had one job, Caine, and you couldn’t even do that right.” I began turning, throwing him a look over my shoulder as he continued to spiral. “So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to be in my room until I feel better.” I paused, giving him one last angry glare. “Which will probably be a very long time.” He locked eyes with me one more time before I turned and opened my door a few feet down the hall, making sure to slam it.

I sighed and fell backwards onto my bed once I had locked it, eyes squeezing shut. I hardly ever liked Caine’s adventures… some of the others seemed to genuinely enjoy them, but I did not. All they were to me were distractions; they were definitely something I appreciated and subconsciously looked forward to, given their quality of keeping our brains from actively melting into goop, but they were never fun for me, especially this time around. Running around in the dark for god knows how long trying to find a generator sounded like something straight out of a horror game, and he thought that would be fun?

“Stupid dentist model”, I muttered, eyes slowly opening.

“That’s a little rude, don’t you think?” I gasped and sat up in shock as I was met with his multicolored irises; he was floating right above me, and a little too close for comfort, at that.

“Caine, what the hell are you doing in here?” I demanded, slowly calming down from the unwelcome surprise. “I wanted to be alone, if I hadn’t made that clear!”

“Well…” He floated back a few feet, twiddling with his thumbs as he glanced away. He almost looked… nervous? “I felt bad for how I made you feel with the last adventure, so…” He looked back up at me, arms folding behind his back. “I figured I would come and fix the problem!”

“What…?” I paused, eyes narrowing at him. “Fix how?”

“By comforting you, of course!” He floated a little closer, his confidence seeming to return. I watched him nervously; ‘comfort’ could be practically anything in his book.

“You’re avoiding my question”, I said quickly, my eyes never leaving him as I withdrew my arms close to my chest. “What are you planning on doing?”

I merely blinked at him as he halted right where he was and put his arms out invitingly… oh.

“A… hug?” I scoffed without thinking about it, trying to collect my words as he looked taken aback by my reaction. “Look, Caine, I uhh, really appreciate the offer, but I’ll be fine. In fact, umm, I already am fine!” I forced a smile, eyebrows furrowed together regardless. I felt myself begin to sweat as he glanced me over; it was nerve-wracking knowing he was analyzing every single part of my body language.

“It would appear you’re lying, my dear; no need! I can surely have you feeling better in no time!” I sighed in defeat as he put his arms back out completely, nodding at me. It looked like he wasn’t going away until he was sure he had fixed what he had done. In all honesty, I had already forgiven him; he was strangely charming in his own goofy little way. I really couldn’t stay mad at him for long. Plus, I guess I wouldn’t mind a hug…

“Alright”, I finally muttered, putting my arms out in turn.

I squeaked in surprise as he suddenly picked me up, squeezing me and subsequently cradling me in his lap. I hesitantly looked up at him; sometimes I wished he blinked. I slowly wrapped my arms around him, hugging him back. It was… nice. But after only a brief moment, he pulled back, still keeping me in his arms, studying me.

“What are you doing?” I was more confused than anything, but the sentence still began with a stutter, which again appeared to ring alarm bells in his head.

“Hugging does not appear to be enough, so I’m just testing something to see if this method is an option”, he said blatantly. I jumped as he suddenly poked me in the side; I immediately covered the area on reflex, my other hand grasping his wrist. I realized my mistake too late as I looked up and saw him appear to smile.

“Ah! Perfect! Then I should have no trouble cheering you up at all!”

“Wait!” I said in panic as he suddenly positioned his hand in a clawing motion just above my stomach, struggling to get out of his grip as he held me against him.

“You’re confusing me a bit”, he said, cocking his head to the side. “You ask for me to stop, and yet you’re still smiling. Having some mixed emotions?”

I realized I was, in fact, smiling, which was apprehensive to the idea of what he was planning on doing, and also just from nervousness.

“I’m just… I…” I struggled to find words, too flustered to outright say anything.

“You’re just… what?” He paused before he started slowly wiggling his fingers just above me, to my horror. “Maybe this will help you speak your mind?”

“Wait, no, I just-“ I shrieked as he tapped my stomach a few times, hands flying to grasp his wrist once again. “I’m just embarrassed! This is just really embarrassing, okay?” I rushed the words as he showed no signs of stopping, holding back nervous giggles.

“You do appear to be embarrassed, yet also conflicted. Going to push my hand away or just stay posed like that?” He stared at me expectantly, his hand frozen against me. I glanced around, fingers twitching against his arm as I struggled to accept that that was true. It had been a very, very long time since anyone had ever given me affection like this before. What was worse, that didn’t even account for the affection I probably lacked before I joined the circus. Given how easily flustered I was, it was obvious this was all foreign to me. I forced myself to look him in the eyes, only curling in on myself even more as I could tell the bastard was still reading me like a book.

“I…” I swallowed nervously. “I just… I’ve never had…” I found myself unable to look at him, or even continue speaking. There was something buried that felt dangerously close to the surface that I just couldn’t remember – something painful. My smile left my face.

“Oh, sweetheart…” My eyes widened at the sudden nickname, head swiveling to look at him.

“You don’t have to admit it!” I hid my face in my hands as he began slowly dragging a single finger across the front of my body in lazy patterns. “It’s obvious this is a… sensitive subject for you.” I could’ve screamed when he made that stupid pun, only leaning further into him in an attempt to hide.

“If you tell anyone…” I started, muffled by my hands. I shrieked as he suddenly squeezed my side, interrupting me.

“Tell anyone what, my little possession?” The mocking tone of his voice took me by surprise.

“Tell anyone that I… e-enough with the nicknames!” I squeaked, kicking my legs in reflex as he traced across my ribs.

“Tell anyone that you like being tickled?” He said the word with such ease that I gasped, staring at him. He looked down at me for a moment and I could see the gears in his head turning as he read my expression. Then, appearing to smirk (as much as giant teeth can), he snapped his fingers.

“Oh! Embarrassed by the word, hmm?” I rapidly shook my head, to which he only continued to stare, obviously not buying it. “So you are!” He sounded delighted, and I groaned, hiding my face again.

“So don’t say it!” I muttered, my voice sharper than I meant for it to be. I became incredibly suspicious as he went silent, so I looked up at him again. That same blank gaze was returned to me, unmoving.

“Tickle.”

I blinked in surprise before I attempted to sternly tell him off. “H-Hey! What did I just-“

“Tickle, tickle, tickle!” I screeched as he suddenly dug his fingers into my ribs, his other hand that was supporting me scratching under my arm. I struggled to pry his hands from my body, finding that he wouldn’t move at all. I quickly fell into helpless laughter, legs kicking.

“C-Caihaine stahap!”

“Stop what?” He said nonchalantly, feigning ignorance.

“You know exAHACTLY WHAHAT-“ I nearly shrieked as he pinched between my side and hip, squirming in his lap.

“Oh! Is this a bad spot?” I nearly fell into hysterics as he repeated the action as fast as possible.

“Just not- NOT THEHERE-“ I struggled to finish a single sentence, especially when he started rapidly switching places, a loose yet determined grip on me to prevent me from moving very much.

“Where’s this loud voice when you’re performing, my little superstar?” If I could’ve cursed him out for the snide comments he continuously made, I would have.

“Quit it!” I struggled to annunciate through a stream of giggles and my flustered complexion, his hand trailing down to my stomach, drawing more bubbly noises from me.

“Oh, you circus members are always SO delightfully predictable”, he mused, his hand jumping around to a few different spots, gauging my reactions with robotic precision. “Always leaving your weak spots open!”

“Y-You’re so bahackhanded!” I squeaked before finding myself thrashing in his grip and practically snorting.

“Hmmm, I have to disagree there. I’m much more front handed when it comes to playing with my performers! Are you seeing my point of view here?” He suddenly stopped only to wiggle his fingers in front of my face, eliciting nervous giggles as I sank even further into his lap in a subconscious attempt to keep them away.

“No response? Well, at least I know how to make you smile, right?” He moved to squeeze both of my sides at once before spidering; I somehow seemed even more trapped now than I was before, so I opted instead to cover my heated face rather than attempt to escape.

“Careful not to blush too hard… your facial polygons are getting artifacts, dear.”

“Ahand whose fault is thahat?!” I exclaimed, squealing as his hands began traveling up and down, definitely feeling the artifacts forming now if I hadn’t before.

“I’m only cheering you up! You’re the one that chose to be this sensitive…”

“IT WASN’T A CHOICE!” I protested through laughter. It was more than embarrassing to know this AI was managing to tease me into oblivion, able to manipulate my reactions like a puppet on a string. Worst of all, he was cheering me up, and pretty soon I would have to genuinely ask for it to end before he got suspicious-

“So, having second thoughts? Is this method working? Five star review?” He continued reciting practical nonsense, his fingers not missing a beat on wiggling into any hyper-sensitive areas they could find.

I realized it was pointless trying to cover it up; he already knew I was enjoying it. I’d just be prolonging the amount of sarcastic questioning I’d experience, which he’d then accuse me of also liking. I struggled to think of words, any words, while he practically played me like an instrument.

“Okay, OKAYHAY! IT WOHORKED ALRIGHT? NOW STAHAP!” I was surprised when he did finally pause, drawing me just a bit closer, those grotesque eyes within his jaws studying me briefly before he scooped me up, setting me back on the bed and then zooming into the air in front of me.

“I’m just messing with you! Of course it worked! That method has yet to fail me!” I wondered how many other performers he had done this to when he accidentally upset them…

While I was lost in thought, he floated closer, and I came back to attention to find him staring inches from my face. I drew back a bit in surprise before he spoke.

“Still embarrassed by it? Don’t be!” He punctuated his exclamation with a fancy spin. “Just don’t think about the fact that I could hold this above your head forever and there’s nothing you can do about it – it’s that simple!”

I groaned and set my flustered face in my hands… At least the artifacts that formed seemed to have mended themselves. “Right, Caine, that simple…”

I felt a hand gingerly set on my shoulder and looked back up.

“That… was a joke. I won’t tell anyone, ringmaster’s promise!” He nodded to himself and I smiled slightly.

“...Thank you.”

“Anyways, now that you’re a blushy mess rather than a depressed one, I’ll be on my way! You know where to find me!” He glanced about a dozen different ways, which was concerning but not unexpected, before poofing out of my room with a small eruption of cartoonish smoke.

I laughed a bit to myself after he left, contemplating the whole experience. While he struggled to understand things that were inherently human, it was obvious that he was trying… and, at the very least, I wouldn’t complain if he tried cheering me up that way again. Just as long as the last adventure never repeated itself…

[unstablenoodle]

Just graduated, and I’ve been dragging myself by my hair through the last 4 years. here’s advice if you’re new to college:

Basic advice:

Make friends in your lectures. You will know some of those people all four years, and some of them are better at this than you. You’re still capable, but there’s always a bigger fish and you should make that fish into a study buddy

Get a job at a food court/ campus restaurant. You get a free meal, which might be your only one for the day if you don’t have a meal plan. Work can also be a mental break from academics.

Abuse office hours. Annoy your TA. make them scared to see you. TA’s are tired grad students and you won’t have a formal relationship with them: they are students too.

Study advice:

Flash cards are for review and rote learning only. 15-30 minute power review sessions for things you already know. If you’re going over familiar shit, do it in short, repetitive bursts.

Be the bitch with annoying decorative notes. Make it a game, it’ll force you to look at the material more. I will say though, make sure you decorate with purpose.

Those friends you made in lecture? That’s where you get the big studying done. If you’re going for a higher 4 hour long study sesh, bring other people. They know things you don’t and vice versa, so you can fill in the gaps for each other. This type of studying is for unfamiliar or confusing material.

Big study sessions usually only happen a couple weeks out from exams at most. Before exams, your homework is your main means of studying.

Just go to the lecture. I don’t care if it’s at 7:30 am, go. Participation points could be the difference between a B and a C.

TI-84 graphing calculator

Pub chem

If a professor, for some ungodly reason, says you aren’t allowed to work on the homework with other people, fuck that guy.

Your $168.99 textbook is likely a free PDF online.

Date someone who fills in your gaps. I dated an engineer I met in a physics class and it worked beautifully.

Mental health (my advice on this is very specific):

Basic advice: drink water regularly, eat vegetables, exercise. You know all this.

Stay far, far away from any substance called a “study buddy” or something like that

Get a hobby. Actually. Something to do in your free time to keep you from going insane. I personally like knitting and drawing, but it can be anything. I’d say avoid something involving technology because it’s easy to fall into that for hours at a time. Do something that engages your hands and your brain. You might not be creative, but creativity is good for you. Your painting looks like shit? The benefits you have reaped from its creation are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Good job.

If you are having any kind of hallucination (visual, auditory, presence, etc.), seek professional help immediately. I have lived half my life with the feeling of eyes on me and the presence of people who aren’t actually there and never tried to fix it because I could “work around it.” Just go get help. Hallucinations can also be a symptom of neurological issues and physical illness.

OCD and disorders involving psychosis are aggravated by stress. Your classes will stress you out. Disorders like this are scary and debilitating, so you absolutely need to be in therapy, possibly on medication. They also tend to be episodic, so you may have periods of recovery where your life quality improves. Do NOT be fooled: you still need to be in therapy even if you feel good. Preventative measures are the best measures!!

Social:

Get a job. Work friends are funnier and way more entertaining than any other kind of friend

I recommend a group of 2-4 people you chill with regularly. Movie night with them once a week (barring exam weeks and extenuating circumstances)

Talk with your roommates at least occasionally. It’s no fun living with total strangers.

Do not start smoking cigarettes. A lot of people are repulsed by the smell and it clings to you.

Hygiene. Mainly you should smell good. You don’t have to go crazy with an expensive perfume/ cologne, but shower and always have a decent scent. Also try not to wear stained clothes.

Not sure how useful this is, but it’s the first thing I could think of. I’ll come back and edit if I think of more.

[halfthebrain]

Marvey d/s headcanons?

Finally the important questions are asked.

Early seasons dynamic is definitely Dom!Harvey and sub!mike but, generally said, I think in later seasons there’s potential for them to switch. Let Mike build back some calm and confidence after prison.

My favourite hc is that they try so hard to stay professional but can’t. Harvey can’t stop himself from bossing Mike around. Be it work matters or personal ones. And Mike can’t stop himself from trying to live up to Harvey’s demands but also asking without words for his care. In a way that is literally canon writing but the hc starts with interpreting their relationship in a more intimate and sexual relationship. The way they effortlessly fall into their power dynamic is crazy and is easily extended into a Dom/sub relationship that is consensual.

Mike clearly enjoys a leading and caring hand. Gets instantly quiet and overwhelmed when Harvey praises him and that’s saying something for a guy that has a brain which runs a million miles an hour. That is to say, he loves genuine praise from the man he loves.

When they do start their unconventional relationship they really don’t separate work and “life”. There’s no normal work life balance for them anyway so they take little moments to affirm their dynamic and relationship. Things like Harvey squeezing Mike’s shoulder or the nape of his neck briefly but possessively during working hours. Mike making an effort to tease or to banter with Harvey because he’s a brat but at the same time going beyond measure to please Harvey.

I know what comes to mind first for a lot of ppl when they hear “Dom/sub relationship” are whips and chains but that’s a bit shortsighted. While it is part of the BDSM culture a dynamic like that doesn’t always have to involve extreme kinks or fetishes constantly. I don’t think they’d have to time to do only that so in a way they have a 24/7 Dom/sub relationship.

I also think that Harvey doesn’t actually push Mike to fall into subspace a lot (again, they’re busy lawyers). It would be easy for him to do it (case in point when Mike literally goes non-verbal and wide eyed) which is exactly why he doesn’t demand it. Doesn’t need to at all. I like the headcanon that while Harvey is the Dom he reacts more towards Mike’s cues than one would assume. It’s actually Mike that usually initiates a scene or a moment.

For example, when his grandmother passed away I’d like to imagine that instead of sleeping with Tess he’d have chosen to lean onto Harvey. In my mind that was the moment when they could’ve really started their Dom/sub relationship and not just a dynamic at work. Harvey has almost always known instinctively how to rein Mike in but also how to encourage him. Save his ass so many times right up until Mike went to prison to save Harvey and his found family.

When they finally do have a break long enough to act out a longer scene they take their time. Mike canonically likes to put things in his mouth so usually Harvey starts with putting Mike on his knees, ease him into it. He puts his half hard cock into Mike’s wide open mouth, lets him suck and lick until he can tell Mike’s mind has gone cotton quiet, all the boy’s focus on the man standing above him. That’s sort of their routine, from there they can work out the rest of the scene.

And there’s more but I’ll end it with one last head-canon that y’all can try to pry from my cold, dead fingers.

Harvey slowly but surely starts to buy Mike better quality ties and suits. But it’s really the ties that matter, in time Harvey has replaced all of Mike’s old polyester ties with soft silk and one day Mike realises that Harvey has collared him. He doesn’t mind at all.

[novelistrry]

“You know,” he started, his eyes watching hers as her eyes watched the fish through the glass of the tank, “I’m thinking you didn’t come here to spend time with me, but more so to spend time with the fish. Hell, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were possibly a mermaid with how fascinated you are with sea life.”

Y/N wondered if Harry could feel the tension the way she was feeling the tension, although, it really could have been one sided as the inner turmoil started to flood through her once more and reveal itself. As best as she could, she tried to push it away, push it down, down, down so that she didn’t spoil their day together as her whiny attitude nearly spoiled the last time they saw each other. 

In an effort to lighten the tension, to lighten the mood she replied with a big smile across her face, “If I had the ability to be a mermaid, you would absolutely never see me on land.”

Or

Harry is a young professor and Y/N is a little confused.

Disclaimer: This is not proofread, there are mentions of miscommunication, and also smut.

Word Count: 10k+

Part One, Part Two

Y/N peered out the window behind her desk in Harry’s office. It was raining, which is on the list of things that put Y/N in a poor mood. She and Niall were supposed to have an afternoon picnic today, but there was no possible way that could happen now when the grass would be all muddy, the air would be too cold, and the food would get soggy.

She didn’t bother to turn her head and look at Harry as his fingers twisted the knob and he let himself into the office, shutting it softly behind him. Y/N had been sulky all day (all week actually), and he knew something was off but he wasn’t going to pry until she was ready to talk.

“It’s raining,” Y/N’s eyes stayed in the direction of the window, counting the amount of raindrops that were hitting the glass as the wind blew the rainfall in a slanted direction. “It’s not supposed to rain today.”

“I know,” Harry leaned against the door, wishing she would just look at him. All he wanted to see were her pretty eyes and her shy smile, but she wouldn’t turn. If she wouldn’t turn to give him attention, then he would just have to get her attention some other way.

In a few strides, he was standing behind her. The backs of her elbows were pressed into his palms and he pulled her so close to him that she could feel the way his chest rose with each breath. Her back was completely pressed against his chest, her behind grazing his crotch, and she let out a soft, quiet moan when she felt his lips press against the column of her neck.

Y/N was still upset about what that girl said at the party. I mean, she had no right to be that upset over it. It’s not like Harry told her he wanted her exclusively or wanted her for any other reason besides sexual. She felt stupid, so stupid, but Y/N thought that maybe their time together feeding the ducks, or going to the coffee shop down the street, playing miniature golf with her friends were outward expressions of Harry’s keenness toward her. There was no way he didn’t realize the butterflies that swarmed her head and fluttered in her belly when she spoke to him, or the way her gaze explicitly said I’m head over heels for you. But alas, Harry never once explained that he wanted more than making out on the couch or fingering her in the bathroom, and if that’s all she could get from him then… Then she wanted it, because she just wanted to be around him.

____

Harry continued working her neck, trying to tell her how much he loved her by his soft lips pressed against her neck. He hated to see his girl in such a sour mood, a mood that’s been working her over for about a week. Harry’s love language was physical touch and quality time. He thought maybe Y/N’s was words of affirmation, but he wasn’t quite sure, so he tried showering her in equal amounts of words of affirmation, gift giving (every time she said she liked something in a shop, he bought it then and there, no questions asked), he gave her copious amounts of physical touch (brought her to an orgasm at least once a day, if not more), and he spent almost all of his time outside of work with her.

He was rummaging through his brain, trying to figure out what could possibly be going on in that smart, little brain of hers. In fact, Harry wasn’t proud of it, but he sought out Professor Smith to ask about Y/N’s grade because he thought maybe she was slipping again and too embarrassed to tell him. When Smith told him she was hanging on to a solid B, and congratulated Harry for helping her get her grade to skyrocket from an F, Harry was back to square one and he hated it. He hated miscommunication, but he hated pushing her even more.

So, he continued to kiss on her neck, pulling those sweet moans from her throat. How could he work her up, just a little? Just to pull her out of the mood she was in? Glancing over at the clock sitting atop his desk, he realized he had twenty minutes before his next class shuffled in. Twenty minutes was a perfect amount of time for her to come on his tongue at least once, maybe even twice.

Harry’s tongue darted out, licking a long stride from the base of her neck to just below her jaw as if to say I love you, can’t you see that? And he knew she couldn’t help the moan, oozing need, that slipped past her lips and into his ear. Before he knew it, he was at the door, locking it and leading her to the couch where they shared their first kiss. He thinks that he’ll never get rid of that couch; it holds too much sentiment. Harry didn’t ever think he could love anyone the way he loves Y/N, even after a few short months of them getting to know each other, and he thinks that everything she touches turns to gold. She’s just so precious.

There she sat, looking beautiful as ever, on the couch that wasn’t so comfortable but meant the world to him, and her innocent eyes were saying are you gonna fuck me now?

He answered her silent question, “Not today, baby. I’m gonna make you feel really good with my tongue though, how does that sound?”

She only nodded in response, not offering the sweet sound of her voice and Harry decided he was getting a little tired of her lack of responses. He never wanted to be mean to her, no, but he knew she liked it a little when he bossed her around. So when he said, “Answer me with your words,” he could almost see her ears perk up, the cloudy haze that fogged her features shift to the bright sunshine-y features he knew and loved once more making a comeback. Harry thought he was about to work her out of that bad headspace once and for all.

“Yes, please. Wanna feel your tongue,” she replied with complete honesty. The words that would have embarrassed her before didn’t feel as dirty and lewd around him anymore. She was comfortable telling him what she wanted and needed, because she knew he was always willing to give it to her. 

“Fuck,” Harry whispered, “Your mouth is so naughty now, did you know that? Gonna wash it out with soap.”

“I think,” she spoke softly and sure of herself, “I think you like it when I talk like that.”

She sat back on the couch, and he dropped to his knees in front of her. Gently, he hooked his fingers into the belt loop of her pants, and when he pulled them down and realized she wasn’t wearing any underwear, he was positive his cock was going to burst the seam of his crotch. He didn’t even have time to register her words, the ones that just left her lips at the site of her bare beneath her pants. An animalistic grunt tore through his throat, as he spread her thighs just enough to get a good view at her center, dripping at the thought of his tongue, “So naughty,” he spoke clearly, his gaze meeting her frantic eyes, practically begging him for it. 

Without hesitation, or even a warning, his mouth was on her center, licking into her softly. Gentle strokes of his tongue against that sweet spot inside of her had her back arching off the couch, her fingers intertwining in his hair, and moans cascading from her lips. Typically, she felt more self aware in the moment when his fingers were pumping in and out of her, stroking that spongy spot that always sent her over the edge. This time though, she could barely speak. Words were caught in her throat, soft moans and her body squirming beneath his touch were the only signals he had that she was enjoying herself. 

Harry’s tongue felt much different than his fingers, though his fingers felt nice too. The way he licked and lapped at her, bringing his hand to stimulate her clit was almost too much for her. She could barely hold his gaze, sultry and enjoying the sight of her falling apart beneath his fingertips.

Giving her a short break, he popped his mouth off her core, giving one last kick up her slit before checking in, “Are you doing alright, darling?” 

She nodded, tugging at her hair slightly, trying to push his mouth back to where it once was. She didn’t have it in her to beg, she thought he must know what she wants— what she needs.

“I know, baby,” he reassured her, telling her he knew exactly what she needed from him, “I’m gonna get you there, don’t worry.”

Splitting her thighs back open, he moved his mouth just over her slit once more. His tongue darted in, then out, painstakingly slowly. Once more, her fingers intertwined with his hair, pulling at the roots, and she received a moan in pleasure from him. The vibration came from his throat, sending jolts of ecstasy right through her. All he had to do was lick into her once more, stimulate her clit with his forefinger and then she was coming undone.

Honey coated his taste buds, and he had already known deep within him that she was going to taste sweet. How could she not when she was so sweet herself. Soft spoken, kind hearted, and just so lovely, it only made sense that she tasted like the honey that emulated from her personality.

“Refreshing,” he wiped his mouth as he drank in her expression, “Like cantaloupe dipped in honey.”

With exhaustion rooted deep in her bones, her fingers tried to hook in her belt loop and pull her pants back up. She did have a class she needed to get to soon, but she was so fucked out and tired, she thinks she could just curl up on this couch— this couch where they shared their first kiss, this couch where he licked into her with his tongue until she came for him— and doze off into a blissful slumber.

He stood from his knees, the evidence of their prior activities straining against the zipper of her pants, and she didn’t know what it was in her, but she wanted to tell him that she wanted to rut against him again. Like the first time he made her cum, and it was at that very moment that she realized she had never wrapped her lips around his cock or even touched it with her bare fingers. That realization alone was enough to spiral her back into that bad, dark, gloomy mood that was repressing her sunshine-y personality.

“Why don’t you let me touch you?” She asked, the words dripping from her lips with hostility lacing in between the syllables. Lips turned down at the corner, and brows furrowed, she knew she was acting like a right brat but she couldn’t help it.

With a pointed glance from him, she wiped the frown off her lips and the scowl from her brow. As if to say good girl, he shot her a wink and the heat that festered in her cheeks was enough for him to know she understood what he was saying just through his eyes. “I want you to touch me, darling. We just haven’t had the time.”

“Won’t you make time for me?” She hated how it came out, needy and whiny.

After the party Harry had taken her to, she couldn’t help but feel like a small pawn in his huge game of chess. Emma had said not to bother with him. Granted, she didn’t know they had already formed an attachment of sorts, but she just wanted to know how he felt about her.

Her feelings were quite clear, she liked him. She possibly even loved him, but this could have been his modus operandi where he lured a girl with his charming smile, the stars in his eyes, that sweet syrupy voice of his, but even if his eyes were full of love and adoration, he didn’t actually feel that way. 

It was a terrible feeling, it really was.

“Of course I’ll make time for you, love.” His eyebrows furrowed at the words, like he was trying to understand what he could have done recently that made her feel like he wasn’t making enough time for her. Actually, they spent so much time together that if he were his own client in therapy, he would probably suggest they take some time for themselves rather than mulling over their partner. But Harry decided he could dote on her for a little while, show her how special she was to him because it was like the honeymoon phase. In a few weeks, they would still see each other all the time (this was his plan because how could he ever let someone like Y/N out of reach for too long), but they would get their space from each other. Right now, he just wanted to latch on to her.

“I have to go,” she sighed out, glancing at the clock. It was time for Harry to teach her next lesson and she had to go to Professor Smith’s class, even though she really didn’t want to.

His fingers reached out and grazed her hip softly before he pulled her into a hug from behind, the tip of her ear soft against the center of his lips, “Wait for me after class. I’ll take us back to my flat.”

She gave him a small smile, the kind that didn’t quite reach her eyes before they parted ways.

Harry threw his head back in frustration when the door clicked shut.

______

Y/N was finally back at the flat she shared with Niall for the first time in a few days. Niall had gotten accustomed to Y/N running off with Harry for a couple days at a time. She would send him a quick text, let him know that she wouldn’t be home, and he would give her the same reply as always:

Let me know if you need anything. X

As she paced around the kitchen, slowly licking the yogurt off of her spoon, she could feel Niall’s glower burning into the back of her head. At first, she tried to ignore it, she tried to pretend like he wasn’t staring at her with wide eyes, but after a couple minutes, she couldn’t help the irritation that bubbled up.

With a deep breath, and a calmness weaving through her tone (which she was surprised she was able to maintain, given the fact that she was not only irritated with Niall at the moment, but also the world) she asked, “Niall, is there a reason you’re watching me like a hawk?”

He took this as an invitation to step into the kitchen, and sit at one of the bar stools tucked under the island. “Yes, there is.”

“And what could that reason possibly be?” Y/N turned on her heels, her socks slick against the hardwood beneath them.

“You’ve been on edge,” his fingers tapped the countertop of the island, his eyes squinting as if he were reading the look on her face, “And if you won’t offer me the information, then I will just stare at you until a Greek God grants me the ability to read your mind.”

She huffed, her eyes locking with his. She was just so conflicted, “You know, I read a few articles that you should sometimes keep your relationship problems from your friends, because at a certain point they just start hating the guy, and I don’t want that to happen.”

“I don’t know how true that is, Y/N,” Niall’s voice was soft, a tone of concern that Y/N picked up quickly.

Oh god, it was nothing too bad, and she didn’t want Niall going down a rabbit hole and jumping to the worst conclusion he could possibly get to. If she didn’t want him to know anything, she shouldn’t have said anything at all, but maybe subconsciously, she wanted to tell Niall everything. Within a couple of steps, she was sitting at the bar stool next to him, her berry yogurt sat atop the counter of the island.

“I really like him,” Y/N began, “Too much, maybe. And I thought he really liked me, too. I mean, he took me to his close friend’s house for a small get together they were having, and introduced me to everyone. Maybe he doesn’t like me as much as I thought he did, maybe he doesn’t even like me at all. Maybe he just likes me out of convenience. I am conveniently there for him to have fun with?” 

Niall opened his mouth to craft his response, but Y/N took a deep breath then continued, “And then,” she paused, her eyes glued to him,  “This is the worst part by the way, when I was at his friend’s house one of the girls who was sat next to me told me not to waste my time on Harry because he’s not the relationship type. She said he was only the type that fucks, which I guess is fine, but I just wish he would have told me if that were the case, because now I have feelings for him, and I just don’t know what to do. What should I do? This feels so… Childish.”

With careful though, Niall rubbed his hand against his chin, his eyes focused on the view of the sky from their kitchen window. Niall wasn’t one to give unsolicited advice, but when she asked what she should do, he knew he wouldn’t leave her hanging. He didn’t respond too quickly, because he really wanted to think about his own approach. If Y/N was going to ask him for advice, he was going to give it to her with careful consideration before jumping to conclusions, and before he could give her any advice he needed to know one fact, “Have you spoken to him about it yet?”

Her eyes squinted into narrow slits, “No, I haven’t.”

“Well,” Niall clapped his hands together, a grin appearing on his face, “That’s what you should do, you should speak with him.”

“But,” Y/N started, her tone turning into a softness he hadn’t heard in so long, like melted butter, “I am afraid it will feel like rejection.”

Niall’s grin slowly faded, the fear of rejection was only natural. Aren’t they all afraid of that? “Sometimes you just have to take risks, Y/N. When are you seeing him next?”

“He’s taking me to the aquarium tomorrow. I had said something about wanting to see the manatees and he took it very literally and got us tickets.”

“Babe,” Niall said, the grin slowly spreading across his face once more, “I would like to add that I definitely think he likes you if he hears you talk about wanting to see some manatees and then decides he’s going to take you to do that. Also, just because one person says he’s not the relationship type, doesn’t make it true. Maybe he just didn’t want a relationship with them, and that’s okay.”

Y/N puffed out a sigh, the despairing emotions she has been feeling recently clouding her thoughts and fogging her judgment. Niall, her best friend, was a solid voice of reason and always anchored her back into the sand when she began to float away. He was right, she simply needed to talk to Harry, even if he rejected her and it felt like a knife twisting in her chest.

_____

Blue skies should be an omen for the day they were about to have together. The skies were the lightest shade of blue, only a few clouds hanging over the city. Birds were flying around, flapping their wings to the rhythm of the calls from the other animals. Butterflies were migrating for summer, filling the sky with colors of orange, green, and purple to accompany the blue. Light winds accompanied the heat of the sun, cooling the air around them, but it was also warm enough to wear shorts and sandals. 

These were the kind of days Y/N lived for. These were the kind of days full of life and love in contrast to the dark gloominess of the rain, so Y/N took this as an omen that her day with Harry was going to be a great one. She wasn’t going to get into her head too much, she wasn’t going to think about how Harry might not like her as much as she liked him. She was just going to enjoy their day together, the quality time they had. 

“Do you have your overnight bag?” Harry asked, as she walked from her porch over to his car. He was leaning against the passenger side, getting ready to open the door for her when she shook her head to tell him she didn’t pack an overnight bag.

Sometimes, when she saw him, her breathing would catch in her throat. She couldn't help the gawking, the way her eyes followed the curve of his lips down to the curve of his jaw. It was hard to not recognize how beautiful one person could be, truly like he was an angel walking on earth, blessing each person with his presence. It was a little embarrassing when he caught her ogling, so before he could make a comment sending heat through her bones and her cheeks, she blinked a few times and composed herself.

“You didn’t pack one?” He asked, opening the door for her, unsure if she was able to spend the night at his flat tonight.

“I didn’t know I was going to spend the night,” She replied, climbing into his car and whispering out a small thank you as he held the door open for her. 

“I’m sorry, I should have asked. I just assumed,” he hesitated to close the door, waiting for her response. 

“I would love to spend the night,” she offered as a consolation, which was true. She loved spending the night at Harry’s flat. She loved snuggling into him in the middle of the night, and the way he pulled her closer to him, like she could never be too close (even if she was practically on top of him).

“You already have a toothbrush at my house, and I can just give you my t-shirt to wear to bed if you don’t want to go grab a bag. You’ve got a date with the manatees,” Harry was trouble shooting, trying not to inconvenience her too much by making her go all the way back in and pack a bag when he knew she just wanted to get going to go see those manatees, and he didn’t want to outright tell her how much he wanted her to stay the night. How much he longed to feel closer to her.

Y/N noted how domestic it sounded, that her toothbrush had already infiltrated its way into her bathroom. For a moment, she wondered if it bothered him that she had snaked her way into his life, that she bothers him in his office when he’s meant to be eating lunch, that she sits at his kitchen table as he tutors her because she would be helpless without him. Did it bother him?

Blue skies, she reminded herself, and pushed the negative thoughts that were begging to ruin her day to the back of her head. She would deal with them later, give them attention when she was alone, staring at her ceiling and wondering if Harry had half the feelings for her that she did for him.

So, she nodded and told him that would be ideal, he shut the door, and they made their way to the aquarium, because, as Harry said, Y/N had a date with the manatees.

_____

“You know,” he started, his eyes watching hers as her eyes watched the fish through the glass of the tank, “I’m thinking you didn’t come here to spend time with me, but more so to spend time with the fish. Hell, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were possibly a mermaid with how fascinated you are with sea life.”

Y/N wondered if Harry could feel the tension the way she was feeling the tension, although, it really could have been one sided as the inner turmoil started to flood through her once more and reveal itself. As best as she could, she tried to push it away, push it down, down, down so that she didn’t spoil their day together as her whiny attitude nearly spoiled the last time they saw each other. 

In an effort to lighten the tension, to lighten the mood she replied with a big smile across her face, “If I had the ability to be a mermaid, you would absolutely never see me on land.”

And that smile she showed him, the flash of her teeth, the way the sparkle met her eye satiated the anxiety that was weighing on his chest. For the first time ever, he felt like he couldn’t do anything right, until she flashed him that smile and packed his nerves away.

She noted it, the way his eyes were darting around the aquarium, the way he was clearing his throat with each word, the way his hands were fidgeting as he tried to find something for them to do. All she wanted was to grasp his nervous hands in hers and tell him how much he meant to her, to try and fix the tension that was separating them so greatly. They may have been standing only one inch away from each other, if she leaned over just enough, her shoulder could brush against him, she felt like they were fifty feet away from each other. Maybe it was just because of the fact that their heads were in two different places.

“What is with your fascination with manatees?” He questioned, averting his eyes from her back to the clownfish swimming around each other in circles. Actually, it was kind of sad, he noted. They should be in the ocean, swimming alongside their friends with no glass limitations and no borders holding them back.

“I heard they were going extinct,” Y/N explained, “I just wanted to see them before they left us for good if that happens. Do you know how much we destroy the planet?”

Harry, who had one garbage for recycling, one for trash, and one for compost for his plants, did in fact know how much humans were destroying the planet. Harry, who preferred to walk instead of drive to reduce his carbon footprint. Harry, who didn’t eat meat (except for fish, which he was now feeling a little grimey about) because the more you consumed, the higher your carbon footprint actually knew a lot about the destruction of the planet.

“I do,” his voice was soft, his fingers were aching to intertwine with hers. “I didn’t know you were interested in that.”

“It’s a recent development,” she smiled at him, and he took this as an invitation. Maybe he was just nervous and was reading the situation wrong, but he was positive she liked him the way he liked her, so he linked his fingers in hers and when she pulled her hand away from his, he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. 

“I think we should go,” Y/N said.

And that was that.

_____

Silence filled the car, neither one of them saying anything. He thought that he should take her home, given the fact that he had made her uncomfortable, but his pride was too hurt to ask her if she wanted to go home or to be the one to start the conversation up. The tension was so awkward, Harry could barely stand it.

As soon as he threw the car in park, he realized he was going to have to break the silence sooner or later, In hindsight, he should have asked her this before he had gotten all the way back to his flat, but since she was set on not speaking, he decided he would just ask now, “Do you just want me to take you home?”

“No,” she unbuckled her seatbelt, turning her body so that she was facing him in order to give him a better view of his face. “Why would you think that?”

“Honestly,” he began with his eyes squinting, like the words were out there somewhere and he just needed to find them, “I’m feeling confused, and a little embarrassed.”

“Why are you embarrassed?” The confusion was understandable, she was feeling confused too. 

“I just thought I was reading all the signs correctly. I thought you really liked me, but when I tried to talk to you about things, you would just shut down. When I try to hold your hand, you pull away. You are never obligated to hold my hand, or kiss me, or dote on me, but I thought things were going well, you met my friends, and I met yours. I mean, I understand the power imbalance, and I’m doing everything I can to try and make that right, but if you’re not interested in me, that’s perfectly okay, Y/N. I just want to know.”

Tears formed in her eyes, and she was kicking herself for crying in front of him again. The amount of times she had done it was entirely too much, and it was probably the most annoying thing he has to constantly deal with. God, he has to deal with her. Y/N could only imagine how unbearable that was.

“When we were at your friend's house, I met a girl named Emma and she insinuated that she had some sort of thing going on with you, but you’re not the dating type, and you see, I didn’t know that. And maybe I’m just so stupid—”

“Stop calling yourself stupid, Y/N. I hate that.” Harry interrupted her, then encouraged her to go on, wiping at one of the tears running down her cheeks.

“I just thought that maybe there was something more between us, because you were so nice to me, and maybe I just expected too much from you. I just thought that you liked me and would want more with me other than just getting off, but if that’s what this is then it’s fine.”

“My little crybaby,” He reached over and wiped another tear, finding its way down her cheek. The amount that had spilled from her tear ducts was trailing their way down her cheeks and pooling at her chest, “Don’t you ever worry about Emma. Darling, you have no idea the feelings I have for you. Just being next to you makes my heart want to pump through my ribcage and out of my chest. I like you, a lot, Y/N. I like you too much, you might just break my heart. I wish you just told me, baby, you didn’t have to feel like this. I’m so sorry.”

“No!” She interjected, slapping his apologetic words from the air, because it wasn’t his fault at all. “You don’t have to apologize, I have to apologize. I should have just talked to you, I’m so childish.”

“You’re not childish, Sweetheart. Let’s just agree on no more miscommunication. If you have a problem, come to me. I can help you fix it, that’s what I’m here for. That’s what boyfriends do, right?”

“Boyfriend?” She cocked an eyebrow, not able to keep her smile to herself.

“I think it's about time for labels, don’t you?” He asked.

“Absolutely.”

_____

It took little to no time before they were out of Harry’s car, and had found their way to his bedroom. Y/N was lying on his bed as Harry helped her shimmy out of her clothes. Their sexual chemistry was too much, and if too much time passed before either of them got a release, they were both bound to explode. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He didn’t want her to push herself too far, but the thought of what she said to him in his office the other day was enough for him to succumb to her. Harry wanted her to know she was valued, and he would always make time for her. She didn’t have to beg him for his cock when he was so willing to give it to her.

“I’m not sure I’ll be any good,” she replied, self consciousness overpowering her desire.

“I’ll teach you baby, I’m good at that,” he reassured her.

In a few seconds, they were in the perfect position. Y/N was on her knees in front of him, and he was standing upright, his hands lacing through her hair to control the movements. A shudder raked down his spine when he realized in a few short moments, her mouth was going to encompass him and he was going to feel her sweet tongue lick up and down him. She was simply beautiful, peering up at him with a wide, sultry gaze.

“Can I start?” She asked, her fingers delicately touching over him. 

Just enough for his voice to have a slight quiver in his response, but he didn’t have it in him to feel embarrassed by the way he was coming undone beneath her touch even if it was just a simple graze of her fingers over his cock. She deserved to know how she made him feel; he felt so good around her, he felt like this was heaven on earth. As if instinct was taking over, he looped his fingers around himself and rubbed the tip against her lips, and like the good girl she was she parted her mouth for him, letting him inside, “Yes, baby. So good.”

Harry always noted that she worked off of praise. The more praise she got, the better she did. In an effort to not make her feel uncomfortable, he tried not to bring it up, but sometimes he wondered if she lacked the praise most people were fulfilled with at a young age. Did that reflect in their sex life, who knows? But he was always willing to give it to her.

Her mouth was warm as she bobbed her head back and forth, taking the length of him in her mouth. It was sinful, honestly, the way her eyes looked so innocent as she peered up from him while she was on her knees. This is not something he ever expected to happen between them, but the sexual tension was entirely too much the first time he touched her skin. It was like they were feeding off one another, constantly craving each other’s souls.

“Feels so good, baby,” he encouraged, using the hand that was wrapped in her hair to guide her up and down his shaft. When she let out a moan around his cock, he nearly came from the vibration, but he wanted to hold out. He wanted to come inside of her, he wanted to finally go all the way with her.

In a swift motion, she popped off of him. Shyness written all over her face, and he already knew what she was about to say was going to be the death of him. He tugged on his cock, continuing to get himself off as she mustered the courage to speak the words she wanted to say. In an effort to get her more comfortable, he mumbled small encouragements as she tried to tell him what she wanted. What she needed.

“‘Want you to fuck my face, make me gag for it,” She mumbled out, barely able to look him in the eye as she said so. Harry rolled his head back, tugging himself once more as he murmured out a curse word.

“Fuck,” he spoke lowly, the word dripping from his mouth like honey, “So filthy. Dig your fingernails in me if it’s too much, baby, don’t want to overwhelm you.”

How could he not give her what she wanted? He led himself back into her mouth, wrapping his fingers through her hair once more and began doing what she wanted. Tears formed in her eyes as she gagged around him, and he kept asking if she was okay but she would only nod in response. Eventually, he decided that he couldn’t keep making her take him so deep no matter how much she wanted it. He wanted to give her a break, and when he pulled her off of him, she began whining for him to continue, “Please, Dr. Styles. Need it. I need it.”

Once more, a shudder raked through him at her begging for it. She was so perfect for him, so beautiful, “Mmm, good little puppies don’t whine.”

“I just want to keep going please, won’t you let me?” She knew how to work him, god, she was always so polite.

“I’m not good at receiving, baby. It’s my turn to make you feel good.” He explained, and she grumbled something about how they should work on that because she wanted to make him feel good too. His response was agreeable, but he was more focused on making her feel good, safe, and comfortable as he picked her up from her knees and gently laid her across the bed.

“Are you positive this is what you want to do?” He asked, needing to hear the words slip from her mouth in a verbal confirmation.

“Please don’t make me say it,” she replied, looking anywhere but his face, “Yes, I want it.”

Harry could never deny her what she wanted. It felt like a dream, at least, he had dreamt of this on multiple occasions. Waking up, rock hard at the thought of slipping inside her and her walls adjusting around him. He could barely handle the feeling as he slipped inside her with a warning, trying to relax her body against the bed.

The noise that came from her was something she was embarrassed of, as she tried to hide her face in her hands. He peeled her hands away and told her he wanted to see her face, needed to see her face as she adjusted around him. Her walls were constricting around him, the feeling was almost too sensual, too overstimulating.

“You can move,” she told him, letting him know that she was comfortable.

Gently, he rocked in and out of her. The noises she was making was pure carnal desire, her eyes fluttering open and then closed as he moved, hitting that good spot of hers with each stroke. When she brought her fingers in between her teeth to stifle the moans, he pulled them away, deciding he was going to have none of that. 

“Baby, I’m working hard for these moans, don’t keep them from me.” And he had asked her so nicely, she always wanted to please him, to give him what he wanted.

They moved together, Harry kept a smooth rhythm in and out of her, and the noises she was making for him was something he was trying to imprint on his brain so that he could replay them later when he was thinking of her. She squeezed around him once, indicating that she was almost there. The second time she did it, he nearly spasmed then and there, releasing into her. And the third time she did it, he moved his finger to her clit and began stimulating her so that she was feeling it inside and outside.

“Harry,” she whined, tripping over her words, “Almost there.”

“Let go, baby.”

So she did, writhing around him, letting herself go and experiencing one of the best orgasms she had ever had. It didn’t take Harry much longer to follow behind her, pulling himself out and coming onto her exposed stomach. With a few pants, he flopped beside her, promising to clean her up and run her a nice, warm bath.

“I don’t just like you, Y/N,” he pressed a kiss to her forehead, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she expressed, her eyes fluttering shut.

For a while, they just laid there together, telling each other how much they loved one another.

____

Two years had passed since Y/N first laid eyes on Harry, and her heart still fluttered every single time she looked at him. By the way his eyes swept over the contour of her cheeks or the outline of her silhouette, she didn’t doubt his heart fluttered over her as well. 

In fact, Y/N didn’t doubt much about Harry anymore, and when she did… It was always over the simplest of things. Would he like vegan chicken parmesan for dinner or is he in the mood for sushi? She never doubted where his head was at, or that special little place he held for her in his heart. 

“Darling, are you in here?” Harry called from the living room. 

Harry and Y/N moved into their first house together at their one year mark. Harry was still teaching in his old position, but working less as a professor and more in his own practice. The professor job was just a little extra income for them to take the holidays they wanted to go on, and because, well, he loved teaching. Y/N was getting ready to graduate in a few weeks, where she would go on to do… Soul searching as Harry says. One night, while they were getting drunk off of an aged bottle of wine Harry had gotten while at a conference in Italy, Y/N expressed how badly she wished she took a gap year before she started her first year at Uni. Harry, being the smartest person she’s ever met, told her that she could always take a gap year before she began working her “grown up job” as she calls it.

“I’m in the office!” She called out, letting him know which room he could locate her in, as she really could have been anywhere.

Light footsteps pattered up the stairs, and she could have sworn she heard something clunking with each step he took. When he appeared in the doorway, a suitcase with the tags still connected to the handle in tow, she looked at him quizzically, a small smile dancing on the edges of her mouth.

“What’s that?” She asked, her eyes scanning over the way his hand looped between the handle and how his thumb brushed the tag lightly. Harry, with the most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen, the kind of evergreen that was filled with youth and longing, twinkled at her.

She often described his eyes as charming, with a twinkle the stars were jealous of. How could a star, a glowing ball of hot gas with only the purpose of lighting up the night sky, not be jealous of the way his eyes could light up a room? Y/N could probably write a sonnet about his eyes— warm, welcoming, beautiful— a sonnet so beautiful, Shakespeare would have wished he wrote it.

God, he was so beautiful.

“A couple weeks ago we were talking about traveling. I just thought with your graduation tomorrow, we could probably use the luggage since we’ll be traveling this summer,” He shrugged his shoulders, ever the most thoughtful person she’d met.

Well, Niall came in as a close second (who by the way, recently got engaged to Mallory over a candlelit dinner. Y/N and Harry were  in a disguise at the restaurant, recording in the corner to catch their engagement on film per Niall’s request).

“These are lovely, Harry,” Y/N stood from the pink swivel chair at her desk in the office, its shape was one to resemble a shell you would find on a sandy beach.

Suitcases with a map printed over the top, made of what she assumed was vegan leather because there is no way Harry would buy something made of real leather. It had a vintage touch to it, and Y/N noted that Harry’s style was that of vintage. He liked things that looked old, but in good condition. Timeless and classic was his style with a bit of modernity here and there.

“I saw them in the store and couldn’t pass them up. Go on and open it, each suitcase is crammed with a smaller one inside. I want you to see just how tiny these get,” Harry encouraged, dropping the suitcase at her feet and slowly letting go of his grip on the handle.

Brass metal buckles held the suitcase closed, a built in combination lock to refrain people from trying to open what was not theirs. Y/N’s fingers slowly grazed the lock before he muttered something about how the combination wasn’t set up yet, but he would do that before their first tip. With careful precision, like she was touching something fragile (she was if it was a gift from Harry, she always treated the things he got her with the utmost respect because she cherished him so deeply), her fingers hooked around the buckle and unlatched the top from the bottom, pulling the suitcase up.

In the suitcase, was another suitcase a few inches smaller in size. And in that smaller suitcase, was another suitcase a few inches smaller in size. And in that even smaller suitcase, was another suitcase even smaller in size. And finally, when she pulled open the fourth suitcase to reveal a fifth, she was sure that there was no possible way they could get smaller than that. A small giggle formed in her chest, as she peered up at him with glossy eyes, and for a moment, he thought that maybe he had done something wrong.

“Darling,” Harry crouched down on his knees so that he was level with her, his hands encasing her own hands as he kissed her brow gently, “What’s wrong?”

And if the watergates weren’t already open to let the tears flood from her tear ducts, those two words, spoken with so much care, were enough to release the dam.

“Nothing,” she hiccuped, her voice uneven, “This is just so lovely and you are always so good to me.”

He pulled her into his chest tightly, her cheek squished against where his chest slightly peaked out from his shirt as he pressed kisses to her cheeks, then the top of her eyelids, then all over her forehead, and finally her lips. “I’m just so proud of you. Won’t you open the last suitcase, see what is inside?”

Glossy eyes peered up at him, the color of her eyes even more pigmented with the redness encompassing her irises. “Surely there isn’t another suitcase, how could they make another bag so small?”

Harry let out a deep chuckle and shook his head as he released her from his strong grip, “No, sweetheart, but there is something else.”

With much curiosity, her fingers wrapped around the brass latch once more and clicked the lock open. Inside the smallest of suitcases was a piece of paper, folded and tucked into one of the pockets. As her fingers slowly inserted the pocket and pulled the paper out, she looked over at him to gauge his reaction. His face was unreadable, with underlying hints of anticipation, and as she unfolded the paper to reveal two tickets, her jaw dropped just a smidge.

“Tickets to Italy?” Y/N’s voice was just above a quiet whisper. How often did someone get a graduation gift in the form of a vacation to Italy?

“The night you told me you wanted to travel, we were drinking a bottle of wine. Your favorite wine, directly from Italy. What better way to celebrate your graduation than to go have a glass of that wine in Italy?” He asked her, now sitting in a criss-cross applesauce style on the floor, waiting for her response. 

It wasn’t unusual for Harry to get a little nervous around Y/N. She meant the world to him, and he only wanted to make her as happy as she made him. He thought this would be a gift she would love, but every time he got her a gift, he would always get a little nervous after she opened it, just in case she didn’t like it. He never wanted her to feel disappointed, not since the day she had broken down crying, telling him how disappointed she was in herself for getting attached to him. Little did she know, he had been intertwining his soul with hers from the first time she looked at him— like a switch flipped inside his brain and his heart the first time his skin had touched hers, telling him that she was his person.

“Harry,” Y/N stammered out, trying to show her appreciation for him, “I don’t even have the words to thank you.”

“Words aren’t necessary,” Harry reasoned, the light green in his eyes darkening with each word.

So, Y/N didn’t say anything. She swung her leg over his lap, straddling him with a gentle rock of her hips and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, her tongue sliding over his with gratitude.

______

The airport was jam-packed. Pink and purple graduation leis were the only telling sign that there was a nearby university graduation as groups of families and friends circled the airport, trying to find their gate. Many people that Y/N recognized from her classes were here with their friends, standing at gates to tropical destinations. Her hand was linked with Harry’s as they found their way to their own gate, taking them to possibly the most beautiful place in the world. At first, Y/N was slightly self conscious. It’s not like she ever took a class with Harry where she was given a letter grade, but she was wondering if people would look at the two of them, nuzzled together and think her degree was simply because she was chatting up one of the professors. When a few of her classmates gave her discrete smiles with a wave, her anxious feeling about people thinking she didn’t deserve her degree dissipated into thin air, into oblivion.

Oblivion, that was a good word to describe the state she was in. It felt all too dream-like for her to be experiencing this with Harry, like she was unconscious and fabricating their relationship, how happy they were together, and this trip in her own head.

Taxis had been swarming the graduation site, so it wasn’t hard for Harry and Y/N to shove their suitcases in the trunk of one. Y/N’s chatter filled the atmosphere of the car the entire ride to the airport, telling him how excited she was to see the sea, taste the food, drink the wine, eat some pasta. Harry simply listened, nodding in agreement as they navigated the airport, pointing them in the right direction (Y/N was too excited to try to make sense of the layout of the airport herself). In fact, her excitement was that of a child who was just told they were going to Disneyland, but it made sense as Harry had only given her a one day notice.

“Dr. Styles, are you listening?” She asked as they boarded the plane and found their private seats in first class. 

Harry couldn’t help it, maybe he was filthy for it. And even though she wasn’t his TA anymore, or even a student at the college he sometimes worked at, the title she had for him made his cock twitch in his linen pants as he thought of all the times she dropped to her knees under his desk and took care of him before his next class started.

“Yes, love,” The ache in his groin grew stronger by the minute as the plane took off, “I’m listening.”

“Are you sure?” Y/N asked, unbuckling her seatbelt when the light on the sign went off. 

Y/N had never flown first class before, but she was convinced this was a different type of first class. She had never seen, not even in pictures, planes with their own little privacy cubicles where they could spread out and were free of prying eyes staring at them. 

“Dr. Styles?” She asked again, the tone of her voice going up an octave as her eyes lingered over the curve of his jaw.

In a swift motion, his hands were fondling himself through his pants. Y/N hadn’t noticed the bulge that was growing, and when her eyes went wide and her cheeks heated, he couldn’t help but ache even more. She was his shy girl, no matter how filthy she liked it in bed, her cheeks would heat, her eyes would go wide, and she would struggle to tell him when she was feeling needy. As soon as her eyes widened, he brought his fingers to her cheeks to feel the flush raging through.

“S-Sorry, I didn’t know,” she whispered quietly, even though there was no one around to hear the shame in her voice.

“Have you ever been in the mile high club?” His question was casual, rolling off his tongue like it was something you asked anyone. As if it was part of a casual conversation you’d have with the stranger sitting next to you at the bar.

Y/N shook her head, the heat in her cheeks growing hotter with each turn of her head. Saliva coated her mouth when she looked at him, overproducing just a little when she glanced down and took in the shape of him through his cream-colored linen pants. If she licked over his pants, she was sure she’d be able to see the pink flush of the head. “No, I haven’t. Have you?”

“Yes,” he replied, a twinge of jealousy flowing through her gut as the urge to claim him as hers filled her head, “And you’re about to join.”

Quietly and with calculated precision, Harry lifted Y/N out of her seat, so she was straddling him. Her center directly pressed to his, the cotton dress she was wearing for comfortability on the plane was coming in handy as her center, only cloaked by the fabric of her underwear pressed against his groin. 

The first time they ever had sex, Y/N had to get used to the size of him. She had to get accustomed to the stretch and feel of him inside of her before he could make any movements, quick or slow. Sometimes, he would press on her tummy as he slipped inside her saying, “Can feel myself right here, love,” sending her over the edge before they even began.

Harry was a little too cocky for his own good, but at least he had the ability to recognize it. The way she pleaded for him, her body’s response to him nearly made his head explode. And every time they fit together, every time they reach that peak at the same time, he really thinks there is no one else that could work for either of them. They are two parts of the same puzzle, constantly intertwining, interlocking, and moving together as one soul.

Y/N threw her head back as his fingers snaked between where the two of them connected, lifting himself off the chair and pulling his pants down just enough for his cock to spring upward. And the sound of her slow, steady breaths told him that she was ready for him without any warming up. Without hesitation, he slipped his fingers to where the fabric of her underwear covered her, his fingers already slicked with her wet anticipation and pulled her underwear to the side.

Agonizingly slow, he led his cock into his center. Her legs were burning as she propped herself up then sunk down on top of him, small moans collecting in his throat and tumbling off of his lips. The softest noise, the most beautiful noise she’s ever heard him make. Bliss, everything about this was pure and utter bliss. 

“Come on, baby,” Harry said, sinking his face into her neck. Before she had the option to register what he was doing, his teeth were sinking into a sensitive spot on her neck, his tongue lulling around the area as he nipped and pulled. This was something they had never done before, she had never felt his teeth grazing over the soft areas of her neck, and (not to her surprise at all, she liked everything Harry did) she was writhing beneath the mark of his teeth against her skin.

“You like that?” He pulled away with one more nibble, his tongue tracing over the small pinkish bruise he left on her.

It was hard for her to speak as she moved up and down his cock, hitting that special spot which was bound to send her over the edge any minute. Instead of using her voice, using her words to tell him how much she liked it, she nodded in confirmation. Although, that wasn’t good enough for him as he dug his fingers into her sides, stopping her up and down motion as she got off on his cock. A whine ripped through her, pure neediness leaking from her bones and dripping from her lips.

“Wanna hear you say it, love,” Harry’s fingers gripped her tighter as she fought against him, trying with all her might to move against him in that beautiful rhythm once more.

“Yes,” she breathed out, finding her voice to satiate his desire to hear how she has to whine out her words, sweat beading on her forehead as she throws it back in pure desire.

And as the words tumbled from her lips, she could have sworn she felt his cock twitch inside of her, ripping a moan even louder from the deep pits of her stomach. Warm heat shot through her, coiling in her belly, which was always a telling sign to her that she was close, about to go over the edge, “Can’t hold it, Harry.”

“I’m just your plaything, right, Darling?” He whispered into her ear, his fingers still digging into her sides, but this time, he was thrusting up into her. The tip of him exploring places he had never felt inside of her before, and if she didn’t have a voice when she was getting herself off on him before, she sure as hell couldn’t find her voice now as her better judgment clouded her thoughts, and her body which now felt delicate and soft fell against him. Ecstasy coursed through her, sending her into that sweet spot she always reached when she was with Harry. 

If there was one thing about Harry, he knew his girl. He knew how his filthy words send her over the edge, so when he felt the walls of her clench around his cock begging to milk him of everything he had, he sealed her climax with, “Look at you, Darling, getting off on my cock like the good girl you are.”

And that was it. Together, they reached their pinnacle of pleasure. Heavy breaths pulled from both of their chests, sweat streaming between them, and with a lazy smile, she rested her head against his chest and fell asleep with his cock still inside her and leaking from his seed.

_____

Harry and Y/N had been in Italy for two days, with twelve more days to go. In those two days, they had gotten on a boat and sailed down a stream in Venice, which Harry told Y/N was called a gondola ride. They had gone snorkeling in the Venetian Lagoon, spotting fish and sea creatures Y/N only thought existed in fictional movies. Every meal was divine, and Y/N thinks she could live off of bread and pasta for the rest of her life. 

There were no words to describe how she felt; she was in love with Harry, in love with her life, in love with Italy, and in love with the world around her. Sometimes she would look at Harry, and he’d look back at her with pure adoration, she wondered how she ever doubted his feelings for her in the first place. She’d think about sucking him off in his office, or him taking her across his desk during his free time at school, and when she squeaked out the question, “Even though I won’t be on campus all the time, will you still take me on your desk,” he breathed out a ragged breath with a curse word in tow and took her right then and there.

Disbelief was the word she was looking for. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was, how much she had longed for someone like Harry to love. It felt unreal, and when she would get stuck in the headspace that she was undeserving and it wasn’t fair she was showered with so much love and care, he would tell her that she was enough. And Y/N believed him. The two of them together; they were enough.

“Are you almost ready, sweetheart?” Harry said from across the room. He had a pair of black slacks on, a silk top unbuttoned to show his tattooed chest just the way she liked it. Recently, Harry had been on a kick for layering necklaces, so gold chains swung around his neck, pendants resting in between his two swallow tattoos. 

“Yes,” Y/N replied. She was already in her dress and small heels (she opted for a more comfortable lift, considering they had been doing so much walking through the city). All she had to do was slip an earring through her ear, and then she was ready to go to a fancy dinner Harry told her he had booked months in advance due to the high demand of the restaurant. “I’m ready now.”

“Perfect,” in a couple strides, he was standing next to her, linking his arm in hers. As they walked out of the hotel lobby, a couple people smiled at them and waved, and Y/N decided that she loved Italy so much, she wouldn’t mind it if Harry wanted to move her. She would follow him wherever. 

The cobblestone sidewalk was slightly uneven, making Y/N grateful that she wore a smaller block heel to avoid tripping. That was definitely something she would do, trip, fall, and bust her knee open on a sharp rock, and when she looked over at Harry as the image of herself falling played in her head, she knew they were always on the same radio frequency.

“It’s a good thing you wore the smaller heels,” Harry guessed her thoughts as her eyes surveyed the cobblestone once more. “The sidewalk is a little jagged.”

“I was just thinking that,” Y/N said, tightening her grip around his as she peered up at him with warm eyes and a smile that could have made him melt on the spot.

It didn’t take too long before they were standing outside of the restaurant, and a waiter was leading them to their table. As always, being the gentleman that he is, Harry pulled out her chair for her, and she couldn’t help but zone out as the waiter and Harry conversed.

String lights hung over their table and all throughout the restaurant. Art so beautiful, she had never seen before, hung on the walls. A waterfall that she wasn’t even sure how they kept functioning indoors, flowed through the center of the room, creating sounds of streams and splashing to enhance the atmosphere, and before Y/N knew it, a bottle of wine was sitting in between her and Harry, and Harry was filling her glass.

As she looked at the label, she recognized exactly what wine it was. It was the wine. The wine they drank the night she told him of her aspirations, the wine they drank as she told him how badly she wanted to view the world with him alongside her. That same night, he decided he was going to book them a trip to Italy after her graduation so they could share a glass in celebration of her.

Or so she thought.

“I have to be honest,” Harry began, setting the wine bottle back on the table after filling up her glass the appropriate amount. “Your graduation isn’t the only thing I’d like to celebrate.”

Her gaze met his, confusion snaking its way through her as she thought of all the other things he could possibly be celebrating right now. There was no other big life event that happened to either of them in the past six months, it wasn’t their anniversary (which she for a second maybe thought it was, her heart dropping into the pit of her stomach when she thought she forgot, but as she said the date in her head, she realized he was about six months off).

Graduation, dating anniversary, birthday, what could it possibly be? She pondered everything she could think of, but his birthday was a few months ago and they celebrated that accordingly.

“What else do you want to celebrate?” Y/N asked, noting the nervous look on his face. 

Harry typically wasn’t one to get nervous, but when he did, it was easy for Y/N to pick up on. His eyes would dart around the room, taking in all of his surroundings. He would clear his throat a few times, and fidget with his fingers. All three of those things were her checklist to gauge whether or not he was nervous or uncomfortable. So, Y/N began performing her checklist, figuring out how nervous he was depending on how many of the signs he was showing.

His eyes were darting around the room, but this time they had a dark flicker to him, like he was drinking in the moment. The way his eyes caressed her face, and lingered on her features made her think he was trying to film the moment with his eyes, engraving it and etching the moment into his brain.

He was clearing his throat as he spoke. One word, followed by a clearing of his throat.

His hands were shoved in his pockets. Even though this wasn’t a sign, he regularly stuck his thumb in his pocket with his hand poking out, she could see the way his fingers were moving in his pocket. Almost as if he was fondling something.

“I want to celebrate our love for each other,” He cleared his throat, and now instead of looking around the room, his focus remained on her and just her. “I think from the first time I ever met you, I knew you were made for me and I was made for you. I want to celebrate our love for each other, because I want to marry you, Y/N.”

Before she could form any words, he was pulling a box out of his pocket, a ring settled in the cushion of the box and dropping to his knee. She tried to say yes, to yell it out, but she was too clouded with emotion that she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. As she stood, and nodded her head, her hands covering shock on her face, he stood with her and brought her into a hug.

The kiss they shared was intimate, slow, like they were the only two people in the restaurant and as he slipped the ring onto her finger, she murmured, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Harry threw a thumbs up in the direction that led to the corner of the restaurant, and when she followed his gaze, she saw Niall and Mallory sitting in the corner. In a disguise, filming their special engagement. 

It was truly a full circle moment.

Y/N couldn’t have been happier.

And neither could Harry.

TAG LIST: @skysladylazarus @sunshinemoonsposts @shamelessfangirl-3 @lovelyharry @tenaciousperfectionunknown @winterrays @kiwilikesmeow @cherieshine @harryssky1 @allannahdaisy @cthwildflwr @grapejuicebluesrry @ppleasingg @ronanthesimp @awwshucks13 @libbyhermione @matildasatellite @hookedonromance @vamprry @para-peach @daddylorianisastateofmind

(If you wanted to be added or taken off please let me know)

[serial-serializednovelreader]

It's crazy to me that people call Jonathan a himbo, he's so methodical and clever! It makes sense that Mina would be attracted to someone bright too

Yes, anon, you’re so speaking my language!!! I do wish people would stop calling Jonathan a himbo because — nothing against himbos — but Jonathan is not one of them! And yes, it totally makes sense that Mina would attracted to someone as clever as him, and since she’s also so smart, I’m sure the feeling is mutual.

Before y’all come shouting in my inbox “what do you have against himbos??” and “Jonathan is totally a himbo, what are you talking about?” Let me clear things up:

First of all, I love himbos!!! Kronk from Emperor’s New Groove — peak himbo, imo — is one of my favorite characters. Am I attracted to them? Well…no. As you can probably tell from my last Nova’s Notes, I’m more the kind of person who’s attracted to cleverness or when people nerd out. BUT I cherish himbos for all of their wonderful qualities and if I ever get the opportunity to meet one in real life, I would love to be friends with them! <3333

Secondly, for anyone who’s still saying Jonathan is a himbo���

Himbos have to embody all three qualities equally to be considered himbos! If they are not kind? Not a himbo. Not strong? Not a himbo, I’m sorry! I do make the rules of himbo, I simply follow the rules.

Now on to our good friend Jonathan Harker’s case.

He is undeniably kind. From what we’ve seen so far (not to mention later), he is not only loving to his fiancée, he is kind to strangers as well. He takes gifts from the villagers, even if he does not understand them. Just a couple of entries ago, he was willing to risk his life over a child he didn’t even know (and the same night after he had screamed running away from the women, too). Some of the Dracula Daily book club on here suspects (as do I) that some of the reason he’s so eager to spring into action the next day is to put a stop to Dracula’s evilness for other people, not just for himself. Heck, he’s even talked about Dracula’s good qualities after finding out he’s a prisoner!!! So, kindness? Yes! ✅

As for strong, there’s not as much evidence here, but I would call him somewhat strong because not just anyone could successfully scale a castle wall twice in one day like that! That takes a lot of strength in your core, arms, back, etc. Sure, Dracula can do it — but Dracula is also a vampire with super strength. Maybe it’s easier than I think it is, but I’m not exactly going to look for a castle to try it!! So for Jonathan to crack his knuckles and go “yeah, he can do it, why can’t I?” is both hilarious and shows that he must know something of his own strength. However, he’s also a solicitor and I doubt he’s built like a bodybuilder. So, strong? Maybe not as much as a typical himbo, but let’s give him the check mark because Lizard Fashion is nothing to sneeze at. ✅

Now for the ditzy part….I’d have to say no to that. Himbos are meant to not be “the sharpest tool in the shed” (yes, I did have to hit you with a Smash Mouth reference, sorry not sorry) and Jonathan is farrrrr from that.

Everything he has done so far has been methodical and smart. I covered this in my other Nova’s Notes (you can look under the hashtag on my page if you want to see more :D) so I really don’t want to go through too much I’ve already gone through, but the arguments I’ve seen for him being a himbo — based on the entries we’ve already read — are that he’s not smart because he:

Doesn’t heed villager’s warnings

“Let’s” himself become a prisoner

Is nice to Dracula after he knows he’s a prisoner

Talks about his fiancée a lot (???????)

For the first point, we’ve gone over this, but here we go again — he doesn’t heed the villager’s warnings, no. But keep in mind none of them actually say “The Count is a super dangerous man!! Don’t trust him!!!” Here’s the passage:

“When I asked him if he knew Count Dracula, and could tell me anything of his castle, both he and his wife crossed themselves, and, saying that they knew nothing at all, simply refused to speak further. It was so near the time of starting that I had no time to ask any one else, for it was all very mysterious and not by any means comforting.

Just before I was leaving, the old lady came up to my room and said in a very hysterical way:

‘Must you go? Oh! young Herr, must you go?’ She was in such an excited state that she seemed to have lost her grip of what German she knew, and mixed it all up with some other language which I did not know at all. I was just able to follow her by asking many questions. When I told her that I must go at once, and that I was engaged on important business, she asked again:

‘Do you know what day it is?’ I answered that it was the fourth of May. She shook her head as she said again:

‘Oh, yes! I know that! I know that, but do you know what day it is?’ On my saying that I did not understand, she went on:

‘It is the eve of St. George's Day. Do you not know that to-night, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway? Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to?’ She was in such evident distress that I tried to comfort her, but without effect. Finally she went down on her knees and implored me not to go; at least to wait a day or two before starting. It was all very ridiculous but I did not feel comfortable.

So here’s the thing: you can see that the only thing the innkeeper’s wife explicitly warns him against is going to the castle that night because it’s a day in their culture where evil spirits are considered to have full sway.

The innkeeper’s wife does ask him if he knows “where he is going and who is going to” — he says no, but she does not speak further on the matter. When he asked about the Count before this, they just refused to speak! I know that may seem like an implicit warning — and it is — but some people on here act as if Jonathan was supposed to have known why they were crossing themselves and immediately have left? Like, he obviously feels uncomfortable, but as he states before and afterwards: he has a job to do. If you were in his position: a newly-appointed lawyer (or position of your choice), and you went to a place where the locals told you not to visit your client that night because it was a night where evil spirits would come out: would you honestly believe them? And if you asked about what your client was like and they just crossed themselves and refused to speak on the matter, would you simply leave the town and tell your boss “nah, sorry, the villagers warned me against him. I decided this client’s not for me”? I guess that honestly depends on you, but I would think not if you want to keep your job!! I know that’s not ideal, but to be fair, he also is not given a fair warning before going in.

There is also that incident in the carriage where he hears those villagers talking and he picks up bits and pieces (including the words werewolf and vampire) but a) they’re not talking to him and b) he doesn’t pick up enough to even indicate who they’re talking about!! In fact, he thinks they’re badmouthing him!!! (Which is understandable, he can only hear a bit and he’s translating on the fly). Again, how he is supposed to automatically know: “oh, Count Dracula is a vampire and I must flee this place immediately.” We know that because Dracula has been a pop culture icon for 100+ years, but Jonathan doesn’t have that kind of knowledge. I feel it’s kind of ridiculous to call him not smart for not knowing this.

However, and this is important, he does take some of this warning to heart. He does take the crucifix and the other vampire-repellent gifts the villagers bestow upon him, despite his skepticism and ignorance of the culture (thanks, English colonization /s). He feels uncomfortable and anxious before he even goes into the castle, literally saying goodbye to Mina in his diary in case he doesn’t make it back!! He keeps the crucifix in his room and uses it to ward off bad dreams and for safety against Dracula (which is not really how he’s supposed to use it, but he wasn’t really told how, so I don’t really blame him for that).

I don’t think a himbo would’ve picked up that something was amiss at any of these points, not until it was too late at least. I think for this test, just picture Kronk (or your fav himbo) in this situation. Would they even notice something was up? Or would they go cheerfully towards the castle?

As for the second point — this is kind of unrelated to the himbo question but — what kind of victim-blame mentality is this????? I have seen people unironically (at least I’m pretty sure it is?) post that Jonathan deserves the abuse he’s getting because he didn’t heed the villager’s warnings (which I already talked about above) and/or he’s “rude” to Dracula. I’m sorry — WHAT???? So if you’re rude to somebody they’re to allowed to lock you up in their castle???? That’s a fair trade? I beg your pardon?! Just…ok. Believe what you want, but maybe let’s not blame the guy who’s been a prisoner in a random stranger’s castle for a month and is sure he’s about to die? Yes, this is fictional and not that deep, but still — weird take.

Back to the himbo question, I mean, he doesn’t really let himself become a prisoner. He’s at Dracula’s castle for a job. Once he’s done with that job he’s ready to leave, but Dracula makes him stay because he literally locks him in!!! He then explicitly tells him he will stay longer and Jonathan has to accept because he is there in place of his boss, and saying no would be like speaking (negatively) for his boss — and Jonathan is not going to do that. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think a himbo would be able to see all of that subtext within that conversation. I actually don’t know this kind of interaction between a true himbo and Dracula would go, but I imagine not well. Dracula thrives off of interesting conversation and wit, as well as being able to maintain a facade of host and guest. I just don’t see if someone like Kronk could maintain that for long because he would probably be like “but I don’t want to stay longer, let me go” or something, which would end the “game”.

Moving on to the third point, he is nice to Dracula after he knows he’s a prisoner for a reason. When he realizes he’s locked up (which he realizes super fast, by the way), he sits down and has a good, long think about what he can do. More passage evidence!

“I am thinking still, and as yet have come to no definite conclusion. Of one thing only am I certain; that it is no use making my ideas known to the Count. He knows well that I am imprisoned; and as he has done it himself, and has doubtless his own motives for it, he would only deceive me if I trusted him fully with the facts. So far as I can see, my only plan will be to keep my knowledge and my fears to myself, and my eyes open. I am, I know, either being deceived, like a baby, by my own fears, or else I am in desperate straits; and if the latter be so, I need, and shall need, all my brains to get through.”

So he knows Dracula is up to something (or he’s jumped to conclusions) and either way, talking about it is a bad idea. The only way through is to act like nothing’s wrong for now and try to get information out of Dracula. Other than that, he’s going to need to use his brains! Yes, he does talk to Dracula and acts nice — but it’s with a plan and a purpose. Dracula has creeped him out from the start, but he has always been able to maintain good cheer around him. Now, he will put that to use.

So for this himbo test, it’s kind of similar to the second one. Were Kronk in this situation, he would make it by for a while because he probably wouldn’t notice the doors are locked. But once he did…I’m not sure if it would be like the second point where he’d immediately tell Dracula “hey why are all of the doors locked” and the game is up or if his shoulder angel/devil characters would come out to help him. I guess it depends! And to Kronk’s credit, he has figured things out before (e.g. figured out who Pacha was and in relation to Kuzco) *but* it took him like 12 hours after the fact and that’s not how Jonathan operates. Jonathan figures out things pretty quickly. Does he need time to think sometimes? Yes. But he’s pretty much always thinking and trying to figure out more once he’s at Castle Dracula. I just don’t see these two in the same vein here.

For the final point, I haven’t seen much evidence for this, but it needs to be addressed. I think sometimes people tend to equate WifeGuy with “no thoughts, head empty only for wife” and that can be true!!! There are definitely characters like that and I do love them so. Jonathan is undeniably a WifeGuy (and Mina’s not even his wife in name yet), bringing her up anytime he gets a chance. I would argue though that just because he’s in love and brings her up a ton doesn’t mean he’s also not clever and methodical. You can be in love and smart: these can coexist. Mina is a very smart character from what we’ve seen already and she’s in love too!

I don’t really have a Kronk case study for this one, but like anon said — I think Mina is attracted to Jonathan for his smartness and it goes both ways. They love each other for many other reasons (there’s a lot to love!), but I imagine that’s kind of the cherry on top for them.

Why does this matter? I think calling Jonathan a himbo is reducing his character a bit here. Again, I’m not saying being a himbo is bad, but it does discredit his methodical ways and strategy he has in the castle. His methodical nature is part of personality and pretending that doesn’t exist erases his character, in my opinion. Additionally, it raises the question: could a himbo become a lawyer? I…don’t think so…but maybe? Find me a himbo who’s a lawyer and prove me wrong I guess! Wait is Phoenix Wright a himbo…? Question for another time.

In conclusion, Jonathan Harker only passes 1 part of the himbo test (kindness) with flying colors. The strong test he only passes by the tail of his lizard fashion, and as for ditzy? He fails miserably. Recall that for someone to be a true himbo, they have to possess all three traits equally. Even if you could make the case for one, you’d still be missing another. So, no, I don’t think Jonathan Harker is a himbo. You can maybe argue with me that he has himbo moments (if that’s a thing, idk), but overall? No.

[sabertoothwalrus]

Hi!! I hope it's okay to ask, which university are you/were you attending? I want to study animation in university but i have no idea which one to choose, so can you please tell me about yours?👉👈

I go to CSUF! It’s definitely one of the cheapest places to get a degree in animation in California, if not the US.

Only a handful of the California State schools offer animation, and most of the ones that do are 3D only, and I wanted to learn 2D.

SJSU has a good 2D anim program, and they’re the only state school in the bay area that does, BUT last I checked you need something like a 3.9 GPA to get in?????? like HELLO these are animation students. who are you fooling

the other schools I considered were CSULB and CSUN.

CSULB has a strong animation program! They have the guy that literally created the worldwide 24 Hour Animation Challenge. However, they required ONE extra art history class that none of the other CSUs needed, and I didn’t have it, and I wasn’t about to prolong transferring a whole other semester just to take it. (It was prehistoric art history, I think, which I admit sounds cool as fuck)

The reason I chose CSUF, beyond liking their curriculum better than CSUN, was because I heard about the Pencil Mileage Club. It’s the largest student-run animation club in Southern California. I’d argue that networking is almost more important than your actual skill. I’ll admit, the faculty is probably not doing as much for the students as other schools, but PMC more than makes up for it. I’ve made all my friends (and girlfriend teehee) through this club. I was president of my Art Club at my community college, so it was important to me to be part of PMC’s council. I’m now an event coordinator and so I help organize and run events and studio tours and guest speakers! :)) Clubs and extracurriculars look fantastic on resumes, so wherever you go, look into what’s available.

Things I should note: when you start at CSUF, whether as a freshman or through transferring, you will not be an animation major yet. You have to do the portfolio review first, and you can’t have any of the prerequisite classes in-progress when you apply. The portfolio requirement is only a few years old, too, and therefore it’s not nearly as competitive as, say… calarts or sheridan. I often say, students make the program better, not the other way around. the higher the level of students that apply, the higher the overall education quality will need to be to match that. Though this does mean that the higher quality a program is, the more people will be excluded, unfortunately.

CSUF’s aniamtion program itself is…. a little silly. You take storyboarding and character design after doing your short film ? for some reason? The new department head started at the school the same semester I did, and she’s definitely trying to make it better. She held a screening of the production classes’ finished films, and she told me she plans to have the curriculum restructured by 2025 (after I graduate, lol).

I’ll also mention that the art buildings are in the process of getting demolished and rebuilt. The first wave of new buildings won’t be done until the end of this year, and once that’s finished, they’ll tear down the remaining two buildings and start remodeling those. For now, we do a lot of our classes in the modular buildings jdhshfjs 🫡

We also have a mated pair of gay ducks that come every spring. Their names are Pebble and Rock. They are beloved by the art students.

And really, you don’t NEED a degree in animation to get into the industry. There are SO many online resources out there, a lot that are free, that can give you just as good of an education (in fact, several of my professors’ lectures have just been playing youtube videos and pulling up articles). BUT your classmates WILL be your future coworkers. If you’re not establishing relationships with people in some way on your own, you definitely need to make that bigger priority. After all, you won’t be working by yourself when you’re in the industry.

edit: oh I forgot to say that all the california state schools are striking the first week of the semester. so uh. there’s that

[see-arcane]

I figured I should interrupt everyone's dash for some notes on current real life things.

This is a hefty one, so I'm tucking everything below:

A little good news. As of this writing, I’ve sold 74 copies of The Vampyres, in eBook and paperback! That’s 74 more than I thought I would ever sell! Thank you to everyone who picked up a copy or asked your library to grab some. Especially when I know I haven’t been the most stellar self-marketer. I can’t remember the last time I opened the septic tank formerly known as Twitter, so it’s all been down to this little corner here and a skinny appearance in Goodreads. Which means I owe any attention this short and sinister tale has received to you all and plain old word-of-mouth.

That said, thank you x100000 to you and any new readers yet to take a look. (And doubly so for those of you who go out of their way to leave comments and reviews around for me to reread ad infinitum.)

For those not in the know, all the info on The Vampyres can be found here, and all my author odds and ends can be found on my website here.

On a less heartening note…

As I’d already expected, the market for career writers is…rough. Copywriting—and writing in general—is technically a big open field (full of caveat descriptions about having to work with/teach AI programs to eventually swallow your job)! Tons of open positions! Most of which either pay you in pocket change while you’re working full time or expect you to singlehandedly run the entire marketing of a business for slightly more pocket change. Everything else is bloated with contract and/or freelance work*.

*Read: Gig economy schlock trying to pass for an actual job position with payment being a coin toss. I’ve also seen one too many listings on the job boards that are volunteer positions. Plenty of exposure to rake in though, right? Ha. Ha ha.

I’ve still been applying like clockwork, same as the rest of my fellow creators trying to get by in a field that seems to actively punish trying to be a professional in said field, and still no bites further than an interview. I have years of experience and a degree, but everyone’s chasing the same crumbs, so. Yeah. I’ve got to start padding things out.

Reminder that I do have a (barely peddled) Ko-Fi. It’s there for art commissions and chucking a few spare bucks at. Which is an increasingly big ask these days, I know. You can’t scroll two posts down without hitting someone else’s Ko-Fi, Patreon, GoFundMe, Kickstarter, et cetera. We’re drowning in arting starvists here. And although I have been asked before whether I would consider going full Freelance Storywriter on top of selling art, I’m still a little hesitant on it. I do occasionally send out story submissions and have even gotten published a few times, but I get nauseous thinking about:

1) Putting up a paywall on the scribbles that assail me like a baseball bat wielded by an unmerciful Muse. 2) Putting up a ‘Stories for Sale!’ sign only to wind up disappointing prospective buyers because I didn’t do their blorbos justice even after researching X background for the piece. 3) Getting duped into being a nonconsenting ghostwriter and discovering someone else has published my work under their own name.

So, still a bit iffy on that. I’ll chew on it. But what else is left?

Before you click the button!

Stop!

NOT YET!

Before you click, please know that I am being serious about this as something to potentially make 1) something of good quality and 2) earn more money than it loses. Looking around at the merch-making/selling options, there are fees involved with making an account just about anywhere in the online store game, give or take the price tweaking needed for shipping and manufacturing blah blah blah.

With that in mind, please do not automatically hit ‘yes’ because you want to be nice. I appreciate it, but this isn’t the same thing as the Ko-Fi where there’s no real loss in just leaving it up and drawing something once every few months. This will take new designs, another subscription to pay for, more logistics to untangle for quality and pricing and all the rest of the mess. Only hit ‘yes’ if you, personally, genuinely, would like to purchase some nefarious See Arcane wares beyond a book or a digital drawing.

[cq-studios]

This one screenshot has so much I want to talk about in it so I’m gonna babble about it below the cut

(TLDR: CQ geeks out about translating the Scala Language)

Okay, so first off I’d like to say how much I love the newspaper vibe they are going for and achieving with menus. It has me gnawing on the walls. There’s just Scala Script (the Scala language, for clarity’s sake) everywhere and my code breaking brain is eating it up.

Speaking of which here’s what I’ve been able to translate so far (out of what I’ve been able to make out… the writing is pretty scuffed up in places and it’s not the highest quality image lol)

So the first thing I’d like to focus on are the banners. Each one has something written in Scalian underneath. Those things in order of left to right are “Daily”, “Item”, and “Avatar”, which uh, makes sense lol.

I think it’s a little strange that “Item” is the only one that isn’t exactly translated… like did they just forget the “S”?

On a more interesting note though, this one for one translation here means we now have an official Scalian character for “V”. Unfortunately the character used is pretty scrapped away, so I can’t be 100% sure, but I do think I know which character is used.

(Click/tap on the images below… for whatever reason they were just not formatting correctly)

I also considered it being the one below, but because of the location of the flecks I lean more towards the first one.

I also might have translated another new Scalian character but I’m not sure…

See, on the bar at the top of the screen it says “[unknown character]ho[same unknown character]colates”. I spent at least an hour trying to find out all the possible English words what it could be. I just filled in the blanks tried anagrams, the whole shebang (except for trying that with the other languages that are most likely to be used. Those being Japanese, for obvious reasons, and Latin, which has been used in Scala Script before on the manhole covers in KH3 Scala) and came out with one possible word: Chocolate.

And I must be wrong because that makes no sense, but in case I’m right, it’s here.

I tried to cross reference with KH3 signs to no avail so I’m a bit stumped…

Maybe the little blurb on the other side makes it make sense but it’s too blurry for me to read.

Next up I’ll talk about the “Weather”.

The top text is decently clear so I was able to work that out pretty quickly (pros of being fluent in this fictional language I guess lol) and thanks to that clear text I was actually able to make out a bit more of what was below it than I would’ve otherwise. See, the smaller letters are pretty blurry but I’m able to vaguely make them out. The “L” and “W” were what I caught first and I filled in the blank between pretty fast with some pretty simple connections. Once I’d seen that I realized that there was probably a high there too, and there do seem to be “H”s on either side of the word above it… and a “G”… and an “I” (I think, I was trying to double check but my iPad has significantly worse image quality than my computer).

As for the temperature, I tried my best but the numbers are probably inaccurate. They are very blurry.

Last but not least, here are a few of my smaller notes.

I’m a big fan of the Moogle stamp, but I could not tell you what the first word on that thing is. The second is “news”, clear as day but the first word doesn’t have any characters I recognize other than the “S”. I tried coming up with possibilities through context but I’m drawing a blank.

I also love the little Potion and Elixir advertisement in the bottom corner. Like, I’m so charmed by the art for it. That being said though, I also have no clue what the text next to this one says. I’m sure it’s an onomatopoeia of some sort but once again my brain wasn’t working with me.

If you guys have any ideas please let me know. I always love to have discussions and help.

(Also I know I left a whole text box out… I honestly have nothing to say about that. Not enough characters I recognize to decipher anything at this point)

[storiesofleftoverghosts]

dating the batboys... and their Taylor Swift songs | (1.5/2)

pairings: Jason Todd x GN!Reader

warnings: angst, mention of death, arguing

requested?: kind of! @igotanidea asked to be tagged for a part for Jason so here you go!

a/n: THANK YALL SO MUCH FOR THE LOVE ON THE FIRST PART!! it truly means a lot to me! I’m also sorry it took SO long, I’ve been testing. I decided to split this into parts just so I could get something out for y’all. It also is a bit longer than others so I hope y’all like it!

its so hard only choosing two songs but if I didn’t this post would be going on foreverrrrr.

Jason Todd

i'd like to establish this by saying Jason Todd is NOT the angry Robin

but like with all of the boys, he is traumatized

like extremely traumatized

if he was to get with you, he'd have to know you for a long time

even then it's iffy

he has a lot of trust issues

and abandonment issues

issues in general

if he knew you before his death, I feel like you’d have a higher chance of him trusting you

(the angst potential here…)

but don't get me wrong

he’s the type who once he loves someone, he loves them with every ounce of fiber he has in his body

I’d like to think of him as a secret hopeless romantic

just has a hard time showing it

he would be the type of boyfriend to tease you about you wanting something badly and then go behind your back and buy it for you

this man would die (again) for you

you ask him to jump and he’ll say how high

in the beginning he would be anxious about doing mundane things with you (not that he would ever admit)

but once he gets used to it, it’s his favorite thing

do not fold laundry with this man because he’ll definitely make into a war and start throwing clothes at you

favorite pass time would be to cook with you

YES I HEADCANON HES A GOOD COOK SHUT UP

being lazy on the couch together, reading books and enjoying each others presence

as much as Jason loves touch, I feel like he would love spending quality time with you more

especially given his busy life style with being Red Hood

would keep you away from that life

he’s like Bruce in that aspect and will not risk getting you involved

especially because being Red Hood is more dangerous and he has a LOOOT of enemies

encouraging him to open up about his emotions

he’s better than Bruce about talking about his feelings, but he still has issues with it

comforting him through nightmares

also comforting him through panic attacks and whatnot

understanding his complicated relationship with his family and trying not push him about it

still developing some what of a relationship with his brothers

if you knew him before his death, definitely having that fear of losing him again

you never recovered from the loss of him and even to this day, it haunts you

having arguments about it because Jason insists he’s careful and you won’t lose him

having arguments in general because he struggles with trusting people and is paranoid

those arguments do not last long because as much as he is stubborn

he doesn’t want to lose you

longest it will last is a couple of days

staying up late waiting for him to get home

LATE NIGHT CUDDLES

I would also like to argue that Jason lives for playful wrestling

he loves making you smile as it’s his favorite feature on you

late night motorcycle rides

he is such a mother hen when it comes to you

“did you eat today? have you had any water? what time did you go to bed?” “okay mom,”

teaching you how to use specific weapons and self defense because duh, it’s Gotham (part two)

at the end of the day, Jason Todd is a traumatized man trying to love you the best he can.

Me being me, I’m going to have to say Afterglow (from Lover) would be my number one choice for Jason. It actually inspired me to even start this! I think Treacherous (from Red (Taylor’s Version)) would be so Jason too.

Bonus: Sparks Fly (from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)) is also a very Jason Todd song. No I will not elaborate.

“Tell me that you're still mine

Tell me that we'll be just fine

Even when I lose my mind

I need to say

Tell me that it's not my fault

Tell me that I'm all you want

Even when I break your heart”

It didn’t take a genius to realize Jason Todd had messed up. He knew it as soon as the words that had tasted like poison left his mouth. All of the melting hot rage he had felt reached it’s boiling point, and it finally blew up.

“What do you know, you don’t even have a family!”

It seemed to echo throughout your shared apartment. The deafening silence that slowly poured in after made him feel incredibly nauseous. Your face slowly contorted from one of shock to one of a statue. Stoic and cold. The only sound to be heard was the incessant rain pounding against the windows.

You had slowly made your way over to the couch. For fifteen minutes you sat on the soft leather couch. Fifteen fucking agonizing minutes of nothing but Jason trying to somehow make it right. He apologized many times. He tried comforting you. But you just sat there, eyes closed and ignoring everything he had done. His side of the couch seemed to grow heavier and heavier with every attempt.

It made him feel like a child again. When his mother would get upset with him, she would give him the silent treatment. It would go on for days on end, and he would beg and apologize for forgiveness.

He never told you that though.

What you guys were arguing about seemed so small now. Jason was always one to blow things out of proportion. At one point in time, it had been about you going out with Dick and Tim for the third day in a row. He was a bit envious of your relationship with the aforementioned. He just didn’t know if it was Dick and Tim he was jealous of or you.

Instead of trying to talk to you about staying home and spending time with him or hell, even inviting him out with you, he took out his irritation you. It had been a long day, and this had been the cherry on top. He made a snarky comment to try and start a fight. Unfortunately, you were one to try to talk it out. It only added fuel to the fire. It escalated to the current situation. He hadn’t meant for it to end up like this.

Why’d he have to break what he loved so much?

Finally, you made a noise. You took a deep breath in and bore into his eyes. Tears were threatening to spill from them any second. It felt he had been burned, and he had no one to blame but himself.

“Before you say anything, I am incredibly sorry. It was all just me in my head. I should have never said those things, and I don’t want to lose you over this. Please, please, please let me make it up to you.” He has never sounded so desperate before. But then again, he’s never cut you this deep. Your eyes had travelled down away from him. The lump in your throat was hard to swallow.

“Jason. You’re not going to lose me over this. You’re still all I want,” The tears had started to roll down your cheeks by now. Seeing you cry made his heart crush, and he couldn’t stop himself from scooting closer to you.

“But what you said had really hurt my feelings. And if you ever say something like that to me again, I’m going to leave and take some time for myself.” You warned through the tears. Seeing your lip quiver as you spoke was enough for him to engulf you in his arms.

“I promise if I ever say that again, you could smack me as hard as you can. I deserve it.” You let out a tearful laugh and shook your head. However, he was being dead serious. You buried yourself in his embrace.

“I forgive you this time. Just next time communicate with me. We’re partners. It’s me and you against the problem.” Hearing how sincere you were made his heart swell. It made him feel even more guilty for starting the argument with you. But if you could forgive him, then maybe he can forgive himself too.

“You’re right. I’m sorry for everything. I just…” He paused. It was difficult for him to talk about his feelings, but he trusted you. You were his whole world after all. “I just wanted to spend time with you alone. I had a hard today today, and you always manage to make me feel better.” He murmured. His cheeks were a soft pink color. No matter how long you guys had been together for, it was awkward for him to tell you about how he felt.

You pulled away from the embrace to look him in the eyes. A small smile was on your face and your cheeks were tear stained. Your eyes had never had more of a soft look in them as one of your hands cupped the side of his face. Your thumb had slowly grazing his cheek.

“Why didn’t you say so? I don’t mind canceling my plans for you.” The smile on your lips grew, and you leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. The rain had seemed to turn into a soft sprinkle. You got up from the couch and made your way to the kitchen. His eyes followed you, clearly confused on what you were doing.

“Come on, let’s just cook and watch something.” You called. A bright smile spread across his face as he followed your voice. It was simple idea but it meant the world that you had decided to forgive him. He wouldn’t say that arguing with you will never happen again, but he knew that no matter how frustrating the situation was, he’d never utter an insult to you again.

He loved you too much, after all.

[the-blue-eyed-firebender]

Hi!

Have I ever told you this? (Probably! But I'll say it again, ha) It's been an absolute treat reading your Royai fics. Thank you for joining this fandom!

What are your inspirations? 😃 In terms of writing style, but also ideas, etc. Please indulge us all, and please do geek out about your writing process too!

I always love learning about how fan fic writers work and write!

Thank you, and I hope you have a lovely day~

Hey there!

You are so kind. It's hard to put into words how much it means to have had such a lovely reception from the FMA fandom. I used to write a lot when I was a kid, but eventually stopped due to some unfortunate and painful circumstances. Writing for this fandom over the last couple of months has been an incredible journey. It has healed some very intrinsic parts of me that I’d forgotten were wounded, and I have written more in the last few months than I have in 15+ years.

So, first and foremost, thank YOU.

Inspirations: I've always been a lover of fantasy and science fiction. My very first fandom was Star Wars, followed shortly thereafter by Avatar: The Last Airbender. Recently, I've become a huge Sarah J. Maas fan (I read ALL of her books in the year 2023 - minus the new one that came out in January). I've also enjoyed Suzanne Collins and Leigh Bardugo (particularly her Six of Crows duology).

But really, I just love stories. I love adventure, magic, and romance. I look for complex characters, vibrant worlds, strong magic systems, and rich backstories. My favorites always involve women who embody strength (mental, physical, and emotional), capable leadership, and femininity. Characters who are equal parts war-like and compassionate, fearsome yet soft.

But my very best inspiration comes from real-life: my sweet husband. It's going to sound silly, but I feel like I write about true love because I've experienced it. This guy was 100% written by a woman (lol). He's read everything I've written, and provides the most wonderful feedback and encouragement.

As far as style/process, I feel like I am still developing it? Haha! It's only been a minute since I got back into writing. But it usually starts with daydreaming to music (often songs without lyrics; Secession Studies is a favorite), typically while I'm in the car. With my first FMA fic, The Counteroffer, I was listening to "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone on repeat. Something about the way he sings "Please stay / I want you, I need you, oh God" really set the tone for that story. That, combined with inspiration from the infamous Chapter 54 of A Court of Mist and Fury.

There's usually an moment or a line of dialogue that pops into my brain first (for The Counteroffer, it was Hawkeye lifting the discharge paperwork to find Mustang has also given her an unsigned marriage certificate). I write that bit, then the rest of the story sort of fills in around it. I write in disjointed fragments, adding chunks here and there and then connecting them together. Sometimes I shuffle things around, moving chunks to different locations in the story to see how it changes the flow.

Beginnings, endings, and titles are usually the hardest for me to come up with.

And here's a few of my own patterns that I've started to notice:

I love stories that read with a poetic beat to them (I think the best example of this in my own work is Hourglass).

I use line breaks for emphasis a lot.

I am intentional about keeping things concise but impactful. When it comes to word count, my personal rule is quality > quantity, always.

I try not to use "said/says" without other descriptive words.

If a portion of the story is dialogue driven, I'll read it aloud to make sure it actually flows like real conversation.

I often drop "and" from sentences when I feel like it messes with the poetic flow ("She became familiar with the space between heartbeats, the squeeze of the trigger, the wet sound of a bullet finding its mark." - Hourglass).

In the same vein, I use a sort of "rule of threes" quite a bit. I break sentences into three parts, offer three descriptions of a character's observation/sensation/emotion, repeat the same phrase three times, etc. (Oh look, I've done it again.)

I write in third person, present tense, always from the perspective of one character at a time. I feel like this puts myself and the reader right in the middle of the action, as it's happening. I dive deep into the primary character's thoughts and senses, both internal and external.

I re-read/re-watch the original content (i.e. FMAB, the manga) often, even if it's just in small parts. It keeps me grounded to who these characters are, and prevents me from going OOC. It's so easy to lose track of characterization if it's been too long since I watched an episode or read a chapter.

Hoo boy this got long. Thanks so much for the delightful ask! It was a lot of fun to dive into my own writing process and habits.

[we-are-inevitable]

i rly fuckin love that restaurant au… pls speak on the javey of it all !! @jack-kellys

ohhh the javey of it all …. no but this javey slays.

at first, they like each other! they get along well, and davey doesn’t have any problems with jack. jack is efficient and cares about the quality of the food he’s putting out, which in turn makes david’s tips that much better, so their professional relationship is good. they don’t really know each other that well, but they respect each other. they both see each other busting ass to make sure the restaurant runs smoothly, and everything is good in the world.

but then david comes into work pissed off, and he snaps at jack for one of his appetizers taking too long and a table complaining about it, and all hell breaks loose. for the entirety of that shift, their snapping at each other, making snide remarks, and davey always mutters insults as he leaves the kitchen, because who the fuck does jack think he is? gordon fucking ramsay? appetizers don’t take that fucking long and jack should just get his head out of his ass and god, when davey is pissed, davey is pissed.

the animosity between them continues for three days. they’re both too prideful to admit that they were wrong, or apologize, and it all comes to a head when david is taking the trash out after a closing shift and jack just so happens to be outside chatting with some of the line cooks. when david is walking back to the restaurant from the dumpsters, jack sees him, and they make eye contact, and david could easily ignore him, but where’s the fun in that?

“You know, we have an entire restaurant to clean. Maybe you should stop the chitchat and get back in there with the rest of us and actually do something.”

“Oh, so cooking over two hundred meals today- that’s not doin’ somethin’? Cleaning an entire fucking kitchen ain’t doin’ somethin’? Kitchen closed thirty minutes ago, Jacobs. We’ve already done all of our shit. Maybe if you would do your fucking closing tasks early, you wouldn’t—“

“I just got my ass handed to me by a table for sweeping while they were in the dining room, asshat! I can’t fucking clean the bathrooms and keep track of three four tops! Not this late! You want me to start closing the restaurant early? Fucking fine. I’d like to see you buss a goddamn table.”

“What the fuck is your problem, huh? You’ve been nothin’ but a dick the past few days—“

“Oh, so I’m not allowed to be pissed off? Is that what you’re saying? You think you’re so goddamn important that you’re the only one allowed to have a problem with anyone else?! Listen, asshole, you’re not as perfect as you think you are. You think I need to put my ego in check?! That’s rich coming from— Mmph!“

long story short, the entire time they’ve been arguing like this, they’ve been moving closer and closer until they’re essentially chest to chest, and one minute they’re bickering and the next they’re making out with david pressed against the brick wall and jack holding him there.

that’s kind of their normal for a bit. they argue, they fight, they make out behind the restaurant when david takes the trash out and this ends up being the gateway into their relationship. it doesn’t last forever, maybe just a month or so before, surprise! they’re having deep talks in jack’s bed and falling head over ass in love with each other because, wooow, there’s actually a nice person buried under all of the dickish remarks and bitchy comments

from then on, there’s a shift in the arguments that they have in the kitchen. they’re more snarky than mean, and they flash a lot more smiles at each other; it’s clear to the two of them that they’re just messing around now, because that shift also made them communicate normally when something goes wrong. they don’t yell and scream at each other anymore, which kind of tips charlie off that there’s something going on.

they go as long as possible without disclosing their relationship, just because they know there might be some power imbalance allegations around the restaurant- jack is a seasoned chef here, after all, and david is the newest addition to the team (despite having more serving experience than most of the others on the waitstaff). when they finally tell charlie (only because he caught them riding to work together even though they live on opposite sides of town), it’s a little rocky at first but charlie knows that they’re professional enough to do what they need to do and not ruin it for everyone else.

their relationship is solid as a rock after telling charlie, though. sure, they have their differences, and arguments happen, but it’s nothing they can’t work through (and besides, their arguments lead to great makeout sessions, so it’s not that awful). everyone else finds out about the relationship about a month or so after charlie, and the rest is history!

jack and davey go from being the most annoying and bitchy enemies to being a solid team in the restaurant. obviously they don’t give each other special treatment on the job, but they work a lot better as a team, and that only gets better as david is promoted to the lead server position!!!

the restaurant closes on the day of their wedding bc so many people requested for that day off lmfao

[vgperson]

What Did I Do In 2022?

Game Translations That Aren't YTTD: 1. Okay, maybe 1.5.

----

First of all, while I didn't add it until later in the year (not entirely unmotivated by the Stability of Platforms), my site now has an RSS feed for notable updates of any kind! I mention this upfront because I'm mostly just going over the things that are already listed there. It currently retroactively covers everything back to 2020, but I might add more past stuff over time so it can better serve as a general "everything I've ever done" page.

In February, I translated Kenshi Yonezu's POP SONG (and an interview). Noel The Mortal Fate Seasons 1-7 also got a revamped version on consoles (Switch, PS4); the console versions include a new Season 3.5 translated entirely by me, and the rest of the seasons have a revised script which is more thoroughly edited by me than even the redone Steam translation was.

In March, the update adding Kai to Your Time To Shine came out. Yes, he is Kai.

In April, I finally finished up my unofficial Japanese translation patch for Petal Crash. たのしいね、クラッシュ！ It actually just got some extra attention after the Petal Crash run for RTA In Japan about two days ago, which is kind of wild. Is this what it's like to be famous...? (clueless)

In May, I translated Kenshi Yonezu's Shin Ultraman theme song M87 (interview, interview), and the coupling song from the single, ETA. And there was an article about the 10th anniversary of his debut!

Also in May, the Ib remake came out on Steam in English! Told you they'd contact me. It was later announced to be coming to Switch, scheduled for March 2023.

In August, Your Turn To Die was announced to be coming to Steam. It's planned for early 2023, but to be clear, it'll release first in Early Access still with no final part, though with some exclusive mini-episodes and character profile sheets. Apparently once that's out, the actual completion is estimated for 6 to 12 months later... but, you know. Estimates are hard.

In September, I put together a guide for and officially "released" my Custom Translation Engine plugin for RPG Maker MV, the one I made for the Ib remake, and back-implemented into Your Turn To Die shortly after I was contacted about it coming to Steam. It's fancy (in-game language switching!), convenient (minimal direct editing of code!), and you can use it for your own translation projects if you want!

In October... well, I didn't do anything new for it, but I'll take credit for The Witch's House MV coming to consoles. (Switch, PS4, Xbox) I also translated everyone's favorite Chainsaw Man opening KICK BACK, associated interviews, and the single's coupling song Y'all Should Be Ashamed.

Finally, in December, after lots of spending my time elsewhere and indecision about how I should go about returning to doing some dang free game translations, I concluded that what I'd really wanted to do all year was translate Uri's PEDESTAL.

I think some people latched onto specific parts of Uri's original explanation for why it wasn't being translated, such as the cultural aspects (I honestly winced at her blunt remark that the story was "no good at all"), but while Uri indeed had those doubts at the time of release, the only real reason it wasn't translated at the time is that I did a less-than-ideal rushed playthrough that slightly hurt my overall impression of its quality, and I felt too busy at the time to work on something with lots of text that was likely to be divisive. So similarly, me finally feeling up to it was the reason it did get translated. I probably should've come back to it quite a bit sooner (after I was made to give up a certain other translation, say), but as I alluded to in last year's post, I was self-conscious about "my big return to free game translations" being something that might not have wide appeal. Uh, glad to be past that, hopefully.

Oh, and ever since finishing PEDESTAL, I've been working on all sorts of overhauls to my site, but like... not the kind that actually majorly changes any part of the visible design and annoys people (and if something did change in an annoying way, it's probably accidental). Some of it's just better consideration of mobile browsing (stuff like images or tables sticking out of bounds at mobile resolutions), or making things more convenient for myself behind the scenes (did you know I made a program to add "br"s to every line of all lyrics content before considering I could just have the page code do that, and also better?).

Some more major observable changes include general renovations to the lyrics page (bigger font size, buttons that hide individual languages to aid in side-by-side comparison), and more convenient navigation of OSTER's tweets, such that I could actually imagine someone reading through them all the way from the start without it being too much of a hassle.

----

While I'm glad to be over the PEDESTAL hump, I don't... necessarily have any definite plans for upcoming free game translations. I mostly just have some stuff on a list that I may have to make myself check out soon enough. Also, Game Atsumaru (which you may know as The Site That Hosts YTTD's Japanese Version) is ending in June??? So uh, might have to accelerate checking out stuff on there, though I guess it depends on how many creators are able to migrate. (Nankidai does plan to put YTTD's Japanese browser version up somewhere else.)

As I mentioned, Your Turn To Die's Early Access release on Steam should be coming up early next year with those mini-episodes and character profiles, and the game might be completed within the year. No promises. I mean, I don't have anything to promise, it's not my game.

Speaking of my game... also no promises. But I'd really like to release one. We'll see what happens. There's also a different kind of original project I recently returned to trying to make real, which could come early in the year, but who knows. As should be apparent, I'm working on a lot of different fronts here, so I frequently feel bad about neglecting such-and-such type of creative work, which sometimes means nothing actually gets done and released. Ultimately, though, it's probably better to follow what I most feel like doing, rather than force focus on one thing and end up not actually getting much done.

Which is to say: hoping to finish something in the new year!