#let's try to get this past tumblr's filters

[ur-friendly-nbhd-cardassian]

Hey folks who go "This character wouldn't go for this gender"...

We get it. You're a certain way and so you tend to see the world through your own personalised filter. So do I and everyone else, though. Are we not valid?

And sure, no one is forcing you to consume content that makes you uncomfortable. You can avert your eyes any time, as long as you try to be tactful about it and not hurt anyone.

But just for once I'd like to see a "I'm [a certain way] and I don't hate on people who have it different" post instead. Just like I'm figting my own decades long programming by exposing myself to pretty pictures and stories whenever the two people/characters make sense to me, you might wanna do that with whatever makes you uncomfortable for whatever reason.

You know why? Because you're kinda being just like the people who say these things about your deal. The very people you might've been hurt by your whole life. And I don't feel like you mean to send this sort of signal (I hope you don't).

It doesn't feel nice having to read these comments. It doesn't feel nice having your choice devaluated, for any reason. Maybe consider that the next time you feel like dropping a post.

[bobtheacorn]

If anon is throwing rocks at your window in the middle of the night, I am bringing you baked goods of your choice at a decent hour. Actually it rules that you're proship. Keep up the good work (minding your own business, not being a bully, not falling for reactionary nonsense, thinking for yourself, having common sense, and so on and so forth)

Genuinely, THANK U I appreciate that!! I'm doing my best!! I'm just tryin'a write my silly lil fanfics and vibe and everybody else should be allowed to do the same.

[genericpuff]

no stop this article is too funny

this is from 2020 and while it talks about webtoons in general as a platform and medium, there's an excerpt from Rachel that's ironically and hilariously telling on herself when it comes to her priorities as a creator and how her work has aged incredibly poorly in the past 4 years:

She may as well just be saying, "I like Webtoon because they don't have any quality control" and "the trad publishing market had standards that I couldn't live up to, so instead of actually trying to live up to them, I went with a platform that has zero standards and was willing to make me into the standard regardless of my own qualifications and lack thereof."

Like y'all, take this as advice from someone who's had their fair share of rejection letters... the print industry dumping your unsolicited portfolio in the bin isn't gatekeeping, it's the nature of the business. The way Rachel describes it here - albeit I'm sure it's simplified for the sake of being an interview answer, but still - makes it sound like she was just expecting to walk right into the trad publishing market without an agent, without a completed manuscript or pitch, without any professional representation, and just slam her portfolio of mid-2000's art on the desk expecting them to hire her on the spot.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of barriers that prevent people from getting into the trad market, hurdles that can often be outright unfair (lacking the funds, lacking the connections, etc.) but... there's also a reason many of those barriers are there in practice.

First of all, fun fact: the reason why many publishers don't take unsolicited manuscripts isn't just to help them filter out the spam and low-effort submissions and prevent an overload of submissions (because if they took submissions from anyone and everyone, the overviewing system would break entirely), but it's also for legal purposes so that they don't get sued. Because if Joe Chucklefuck sends in an unsolicited manuscript that just so happens to include a plot point about the multiverse, and then a new book series or movie comes out that is about the multiverse, Joe Chucklefuck might get the sense they're being stolen from and attempt to sue them for plagiarism. This is why it's stressed so much by publishers that any unsolicited manuscripts will not just go unread, but will be thrown straight into the bin.

But second, many publishers simply don't want to take the financial risks on random start-up creators whose only experience is running their own personal projects on Tumblr, much less personal projects like Rachel's, half of which are fetish-content and all of which are unfinished. Of course they weren't gonna take Rachel seriously back then, she hadn't done anything to build up her presence in the industry.

In that sense, yes, self-publishing or pursuing a platform gig like Webtoons probably was Rachel's next best option which would be perfectly acceptable on its own, but it's just so, so telling that she thinks it's a "perk" for Webtoons to lack so much in the way of quality control, and we would ironically see the glaring evidence of that "perk" 3-4 years later in LO's final season when every single element of it as a "professional" piece of work turned to shit. It's no wonder she liked Webtoons in 2020 for letting her do anything she wanted, because what she wanted absolutely would not fly with an actual editor and publishing agency that cared about putting out a polished piece of work. The only way she was able to get "in" with a professional publisher was through Del Rey after Webtoons brokered a deal for her to have LO put into print, and even that level of prestige can't hide the fact that LO sucks ass in print. It's almost like under normal circumstances and without Webtoons carrying her on their shoulders above every other creator on the platform - many of whom actually do have experience in both tradpub and self-publishing - Del Rey wouldn't have paid her any attention. Without Webtoons, no one would take her seriously because she doesn't take what she does seriously, and it shows in her priorities as a creator who simply wants to just do whatever she wants without any sort of reasonable oversight like research or editing which are, again, necessary expectations within the tradpub industry, because it's not just about being a free-thinking self-expressive artist anymore in that industry - it's a business.

Of course, Rachel is probably now laughing from her soapbox over the fact that she now technically helps run an imprint, so haha "poo on the meanie trad market", but considering that imprint has still not launched and has been put on the same "coming soon" track that the LO television show has been on for the past 4+ years on a loop, I'm not holding my breath that it's actually going to amount to anything substantial.

(gotta love how they asked if Rachel was gonna create any more stories and her answer was RSP, which will help other creators bring their stories to life. so at best she didn't answer the question which is nothing new for her, at worst she gave away the fact that she's gonna be acting as some kind of producer who will be given all the credit and praise for other creator's works and efforts lmao no thankssss)

And god knows what the quality control of this imprint is gonna be like if Rachel's attitude toward the trad market overall is, "Nooo they won't let me do what I wantttt :((((" when she admittedly never even broke into the trad market to begin with and had zero experience working within that industry prior to LO.

And even then, Webtoons still doesn't give her as much freedom of choice as she claims to have. I mean ffs, this is the same person whose moderators stated that the Swarovski crystal dress from the finale was done as a "fuck you" to Webtoons for not letting her draw Persephone nude all the time.

She's obviously still being prevented from doing what she wants to do, when a lot of what she wants to do is better off not passing the vibe check and making it into the comic.

Quality control exists for a reason, Rachel. And "letting you do what you want" isn't necessarily a "flex" that Webtoons can claim over trad publishing when that "flex" is forgoing the traditional barriers that would usually prevent someone like you from failing upwards into manufactured fame the way that you have.

And that's my big bag of cents on that.

[dira333]

Behind the scenes of a Tumblr Writer - Tag Game

Hey there, I love behind the scenes and since this is something that's rarely talked about, let me start the chain... if you feel uncomfortable with a question, just skip it. You can add some if you want as well.

Started writing: I wrote my first Harry Potter fanfic at age 10. Started posting around 15,16 years old. I'm now 31, so...

Started blogging: I started on a German fanfiction site around 2010/11 I think. Might have been earlier too, but back then I was mostly reading, no posting. I really started when I got into One Direction (very late, tbh)

Followers: Currently at 961, which is wild to me. I don't even know that many people IRL. I convince myself that half of them are bots tbh, so I don't freak out all the time.

Communication: The people I talk to regularly are: a few writers who answered after I constantly reblogged and commented on their works and a few people who commented and reblogged my work. Writing and blogging on here can be pretty lonely, depending on your personality and the time you're active (I'm from Europe and a lot of my followers seem to be living in Northern America, so there's the Timezone thing) ... And I found that the best way to strike a conversation is to reblog, comment, and to not be shy. I do wish I got more asks, though....

Likes: I actually filter them out. I have 793 original posts up at the moment. It doesn't give me anything to know how many likes a fic has other than to tell me which characters are liked more than others or maybe that one fic does especially well. My activity only shows me comments, asks, reblogs with tags, and answers to my own asks. I live for the tags and the comments.

Requests: I love talking to people about ideas. That's how I started the plotbunny game because I have so many ideas and so little time. And sometimes an idea just doesn't want to be written out fully. Requests are fun because YAY, I get some mail... but then I freak out because I don't really know how to write this NOW and then I freak out because it's been a week already, two weeks, wait, two months? I'd rather have suggestions where people tell me vague things like "I'd love to read something about this side character" or "Have you ever considered this character with a soulmate trope"? because then I don't have the feeling of failing the request when I write it a little bit differently.

Writing: I am a fast writer. I know that's one of my talents. I can churn out a oneshot of 1k words in less than an hour. People read slower than I write. That can suck sometimes because you've just posted this and you want to know what people are thinking but they're not as fast as you are. I do have a lot of ideas. I want to write constantly but my brain doesn't always want to. I am trying to respect that.

There are also certain things that I just feel wrong writing. I cannot write anything suggestive (I also don't like reading it) and everything past that gives me panic attacks. I can hardly write mean characters and jealousy feels so wrong to me that I cannot write it. I've also overdone it with the soulmark trope and now I feel like everything I write about it feels lifeless.

I write best in the mornings before going to work, but I don't have much time there. I don't need special music (but it helps), but I need to have at least some energy left and at best, no distractions. But I have been writing for over 20 years, so I will say experience helps a lot.

Tagging: @revasserium @shoulmate @lemurzsquad @screamin-abt-haikyuu @toomanygoldfish @satorisoup @emmyrosee @reverie-starlight @alienaiver and @writingsofanomnivore and everyone else who wants to join

[cal-kestis]

HOW TO: Do a Motion Blur Transition Using Timeline or Frame Animation

Hi! Someone asked me for a tutorial on the transition effect in the second gif of this set (also featured in this set and the text on this set). So, here it is! This is one of the easiest and least tedious of the gif transition effects in my opinion — and I’m going to go over how to do it both in Timeline and Frame Animation (using the screencap method). Disclaimer: This tutorial assumes you have a basic understanding of gif-making in Photoshop.

PHASE 1: PREP

This phase applies to both the Timeline and Frames method!

1.1 – Prepare your caps. (New to gif-making? Check out my basic tutorial here!) 

The key to this kind of gif is making sure your final gif, with all the transitions, won’t be too long or too big of a file to post (Tumblr’s limit is 10 MB). 

If your gif is going to be big like mine (540x500px), you might want to keep your total frames between 50-60. I decided to try getting away with a whopping 70 frames total... because I like to test fate (spoiler: my final gif ended up being 9.6 MB 🙈). Since my gif is transitioning between two scenes, that means each scene was 35 frames. 

If you aren’t doing screencaps like me, just make sure your clips are equal in length. And if you’re transitioning between more than 2 scenes (like the Mando example I linked at the beginning), you’ll have to use shorter clips/fewer frames per scene. In my Mando gif, each scene was 16 frames and my final gif was 64 frames. 

1.2 – Crop, sharpen, color, etc. as you would. For this, since you’ll probably have 2 more more sets of coloring, just make sure your coloring is only being applied to the appropriate gifs. The way I do that is by aligning my adjustment layers with my gif as you can see in the screenshot in 1.3 below.

1.3 – Arrange your frames or clips. If you’re working in Timeline, drag the clips/layers of your second gif so they’re immediately after the ones of your first gif. I like to keep things separated in Groups: 

Note: I’m keeping my text layers separate because I don’t want the motion blur to affect them. But if you wanted to make your text transition from one word to another, you can either follow the same steps I’m about to show you and apply them to your text layers, or simply merge your text layers with your gif and adjustment layers, so they can all get the motion blur filter applied to them!

If you’re working in Frames, simply paste the frames of your second gif after the frames of your first gif. Again, you can either keep your text separated or part of the motion blur.

METHOD: TIMELINE

T.1 – Divide the Timeline. Using the Scissors Tool, you’ll want to divide each gif so there are 3 small segments at the beginning and end. (3 is my go-to, however, for my Mando gif, I actually only did 2 segments because each section was already so short.)

Now there are two options for this:

OPTION 1: Simplest, 00:01 Seconds Each, Makes Duplicate Frames

You might be wondering, why on earth would I want duplicate frames? You wouldn’t, usually. But this method only causes the duplicates to happen on the blurred frames, so it’s not noticeable at all! However, if you’re like me (read: Type A) — just knowing there are duplicate frames may bother you. If that’s you, go to Option 2.

Each of these segments are the absolute smallest Photoshop will allow, a duration of 00:01. 

Sometimes Timeline won’t let you cut things that short (for me, this typically only happens at the end of a clip). So my work around is to cut the segment so it’s 00:02 seconds long, then drag the clip until it’s as small as it can be. Here’s a gif showing that process:

You can see that after I dragged the clip so it would be 00:01, I also dragged the big clip over so it would still continue as normal. Timeline is neat because, even if you divide a clip, each segment can be dragged back to its full length. 

OPTION 2: 00:02 / 00:01 / 00:02, No Duplicate Frames

Timeline works in a weird way... when you move forward one frame by clicking the right arrow, you don’t always see movement in your gif. And if you don’t line up the clips properly with the movement, it can create duplicate frames. The easy way to fix this is by making the 3 segments 00:02, 00:01, and 00:02 seconds respectively. This goes for the segments at the beginning and end. 

You can see the duration of each segment and an example of how the gif doesn’t move on certain frames in this gif of my workspace:

T.2 – Apply the Motion Blur filter in varying distances or strengths. Now that we have all of our segments, it’s time to apply the blur. Motion Blur is under Filter > Blur > Motion Blur! 

This is the window you’ll see when you click it:

Note the fields where you can change the angle and distance. 

The angle is basically the direction in which you want the blurred effect to stretch. I always do 0 because I want my gifs to blur together horizontally — I just think it looks smooth. You can play around with it if you want to get a different effect!

The distance is what I like to refer to as the strength of the blur. But really, it’s distance because it’s how long the blurred effect is being stretched.

The rule of thumb here is to apply the filter in a gradation. The part at the beginning of one gif should go from strongest (greatest distance) to weakest (least distance). The part at the end of one gif should go from weakest to strongest. 

I keep things easy to remember and do 20, 15, 10 for the beginning and 5, 10, 15 for the end. The reason the numbers aren’t the same is because I don’t want the end of Gif 1 (which is blurred 15px distance) to be the same as the beginning of Gif 2 (which is blurred 20px distance). If they’re the same amount of blur, I don’t think the transition looks as smooth.

Here’s my entire timeline and the strength of blur I used for each of the transitional clips:

T.3 – Export That’s it! Convert from Timeline to Frames, export your gif, and there you go! 

Reminder, if you decided to do Option 1, you’ll have duplicate frames, and therefore more frames than you started out with when you initially imported caps.

METHOD: FRAMES

F.1 – Apply the Motion Blur filter in varying distances or strengths. In Timeline, we created segments. But in Frames, each frame acts as one of those segments — so we don’t need to divide anything. We can just get straight to the filter!

Now, disclaimer: the way I’m working with Frames right now is with the adjustment layers merged with the frames. I typically work in Timeline, so I colored in Timeline and then converted into Frames for this. However you work, just make sure the coloring from one part of your gif doesn’t affect the other part.

Anyway, here’s where to find Motion Blur again:

And here’s what the window will look like:

Now just apply the filter in increasing and decreasing degrees. In case you didn’t read the Timeline section, I’ll paste exactly what I said there:

Note the fields where you can change the angle and distance.

The angle is basically the direction in which you want the blurred effect to stretch. I always do 0 because I want my gifs to blur together horizontally — I just think it looks smooth. You can play around with it if you want to get a different effect!

The distance is what I like to refer to as the strength of the blur. But really, it’s distance because it’s how long the blurred effect is being stretched.

The rule of thumb here is to apply the filter in a gradation. The part at the beginning of one gif should go from strongest (greatest distance) to weakest (least distance). The part at the end of one gif should go from weakest to strongest.

I keep things easy to remember and do 20, 15, 10 for the beginning and 5, 10, 15 for the end. The reason the numbers aren’t the same is because I don’t want the end of Gif 1 (which is blurred 15px distance) to be the same as the beginning of Gif 2 (which is blurred 20px distance). If they’re the same amount of blur, I don’t think the transition looks as smooth.

Here are all my frames and the strength of the blur I used for each of the transitional frames:

Note: I wanted to mention again that I kept my text layers in a separate group and didn’t apply the transition to them:

F.2 – Export Finished! Easy peasy! 

EXPORTING TIP

If you’ve read my other tutorials, you already know this tip — but since I’m part of Discord servers where members are encouraged to share embed links to their creations, I often rearrange the order of my frames before saving them. (This tip is also handy for making sure the best frame of your gif is visible for Tumblr users who turn off auto-playing gifs.) In this case, I made frame 27 my new frame 1 because I didn’t want my embed preview to look like a blurry gif. Everything will still be in the same order, but anywhere your gif is paused, the best frame will be displayed!

Anyway, that’s it! If you have specific questions about this tutorial, my ask box is open. Hope this helps! <3

[moonlight-hwa]

Sunset With You ~ J. WY

Synopsis: A day in a life with your boyfriend Wooyoung.

Pairing: bf!wooyoung x fem!reader

Genre: established relationship, fluff like so much fluff

Warnings: none

Word count: 2,668

A/N: hehe first fic on tumblr is of course going to be about the one and only, Jung Wooyoung…because the brain rot continues and I want him so bad.

The warm glow of the morning sun seeps through the curtains and basks the room in hues of orange and yellow. You and your boyfriend lay asleep in your bed, breathing in steady synchronization and hearts beating in slow paces; your head rests atop his chest and your right arm laid across his abdomen, while his left went around the back of your head and that hand lightly grazed the exposed skin of your waist. In conclusion it was peaceful and perfectly silent, the only sound being the occasional wooshing from the air vents…that was until the blaring sound of your boyfriend’s alarm cut through the peace and quiet.

   You flinch slightly at the sudden sound, all the while Wooyoung remained completely unmoving and undisturbed by the sound. You bury your face in his side as your hand softly patted his stomach “Wooyoung…baby, your alarm is going off.” You spoke, sleep very evident in your voice. Wooyoung hummed in response, still barely awake as he didn’t quite catch your words “Your alarm is going off.” You said a bit louder, which finally seemed to register in his tired head as his other hand fumbled across the nightstand, before he eventually put a stop to the horrible sound.

        And once the sound had ceased, silence had enveloped the room once more as Wooyoung moved to lay on his side, his other arm going around your waist so he could pull your body closer to his. His eyes then open ever so slightly gaze locking with yours, a small smile forms on his lips “Mmmm…good morning, beautiful.” He spoke, voice also thick with sleep as his eyes closed again. You smile as well “Good morning, Woo.” You replied, nose slightly bumping his as you pressed a light peck to his lips.

    A brief silence falls between the both of you, before you begin speaking again “What time is it?” You asked him and not a moment later Wooyoung answers with a simple “Nine thirty.” You hum in response “We should probably get up.” You say, feeling the effects of sleep wash over you again and he simply hums also feeling the same effects. A peaceful silence fills the air once more and the both of you find yourselves asleep again.

     An hour passes before your eyes open again and Wooyoung was still out cold beside you. You laugh softly “This man…could sleep forever if he wanted to.” You muttered to yourself, gently moving strands of his hair from his eyes. A smile then forms on your lips as you lean closer to him and gently press your lips to the mole under his eye. At that Wooyoung moves to lay on his back, muttering something incoherently as he did. The smile remains painted on your features as you stretch your limbs and rub the residual sleep from your eyes.

   You then move to sit on the edge of the bed, before you grab your phone from atop the nightstand; the screen lights up, revealing a picture of Wooyoung you had set as your lockscreen and the time that read ‘10:33’. You breathe out a soft sigh, looking over your shoulder to see Wooyoung still peacefully asleep; he’s worked hard this past week, he needs the extra sleep, so you decide to not wake him up.

    Once you’re out of the bedroom, your legs naturally take you to the kitchen, where coffee was waiting to be made. You let out a yawn, hands trying to tame your messy bed head, before you eventually tied it back with the hair tie that was around your wrist and soon enough you were standing in front of the coffee machine.

   You open the cabinet above the machine and take out two mugs, along with a bag of coffee grounds and a filter. And once you start the pot of coffee you step over to the fridge, to see what you could make for breakfast; you open the fridge door and you’re met with not a lot sitting atop the shelves. “We definitely need to go grocery shopping.” You muttered to yourself, your gaze bouncing between a carton of eggs, side dishes Wooyoung’s mom gave to you and things that probably needed to be thrown out. “Guess we’ll just have to make do with what we have for right now.” You concluded, grabbing the eggs and the containers that held the side dishes.

     While you were stood in front of the stove, with a couple of eggs in the pan, a light from behind flashes and that causes you to whip your head around toward the source; standing there is Wooyoung, with his new camera up to his right eye. Your eyes widen as your hands go up to cover your face “Wooyoung! I’m not even dressed.” You complain, as another flash of light happens. You hear him laugh lightly “Oh come on baby…you look beautiful every day.” He says and you roll your eyes, before peeking through your fingers, making sure that he wasn’t holding up the camera anymore; he wasn’t, so you remove your hands from in front of your face and turn back to the stove, removing the two fried eggs from the pan.

    And not even a moment later, you feel Wooyoung arms wrap around your waist and his head dip to the crook of your neck “I’m not lying when I say you’re beautiful every day.” He spoke softly against the skin of your neck, as his arms tightened around you slightly.

   You breathe out a soft sigh, a smile grazing your lips as you lean into him “I know you weren’t, Woo…I just wasn’t expecting the camera.” You say, both hands moving to rest atop his. He hums halfheartedly and you could feel the pout that had taken form on his lips “But I love taking candid photos of you…you always look so pretty in them.” He confessed truthfully. You chuckle softly “Okay…just don’t show them to anyone.”  You reason and you feel him nod his head “I promise, I won’t…maybe.” He said, quickly pulling away from you. You whip around while exclaiming “Jung Wooyoung you better not!”

  Soon enough, the two of you had found yourselves sat at the dining table, eating breakfast and enjoying your cups of coffee as a comfortable silence surrounded the both of you, but sometimes silence was better than talking…especially when it was someone you loved dearly, because that’s how comfortable you were with Wooyoung; you didn’t feel the need to make conversation with one another…why would you when being in each other’s presence was more than enough.

     And after you both finished eating and washed the dishes, you found yourself on the couch, pen in hand as you wrote down what you needed to get at the grocery store. “What do you want to do today, love? Your choice.” Wooyoung spoke from the hallway, which caused you to turn to your left at the sound of his voice and your gaze eventually locks with his.

   His hair was wet (telling you that he had just taken a shower) and he had changed into some real clothes. “Well…we really need to go grocery shopping, so we can make it into a little date if you want. I know it’s not the most ideal date…but I think it could be fun.” You trial off, gnawing on your bottom lip as your gaze lowers, almost feeling kind of guilty for not doing anything more special for a date. A slight frown tugs downward at Wooyoung’s lips as he stepped closer to you, before eventually crouching in front of you. He takes your hands in his “Baby…look at me.” He said softly, thumbs moving across your knuckles.

   Of course, you listen to him and lift your head, gaze locking with his once more “I don’t care what we do for our dates…you could take me along to your doctor appointments and I’d still love it.” You couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle “Wooyoung, I’m serious.” You say a small forming on your lips and Wooyoung also found himself beginning to smile “And I’m serious as well. As long as I’m with you…nothing else matters.” He concluded, love and adoration filling his eyes as he looked at you…as if you had hung the stars in the sky.

    You felt your face become warm at his words and intense gaze…even after three years of being together, Wooyoung still somehow made you feel so flustered at times. You let out a breathy chuckle “You’re such a charmer, aren’t you?” You question playfully, trying to cover up the fact that you were flustered in that moment.

   A playful grin takes the place of the smile on his lips “Well…I would say that it is my greatest trait.” He answered, stealing a glance down toward your lips. You roll your eyes slightly “God…you’re insufferable.” You say through light laughter as you begin to take notice Wooyoung leaning closer to you.  “And yet you can’t help but love me anyway.”  And before you had the chance to respond, Wooyoung’s lips were on yours.

    His lips move in a slow and delicate pace as his left hand traveled up to cradle your jaw, angling your head slightly so he had better access to your lips and not even a moment had passed when you responded with the same pace…as if it was second nature to do so. Your hands stayed on your lap, along with Wooyoung’s other hand that had naturally intertwined with one of yours. Your heart pounded erratically against your ribcage and your face was warm…Wooyoung never failed to make you feel like a flustered schoolgirl, kissing your crush for the first time.

    “I love you, y/n.” He spoke pulling away slightly, before pressing his lips back on yours. You can’t help but breathe out soft sigh at the confession, lips responding to his once more “I love you too, Wooyoung.” You said between the kiss and at that you felt a smile tug upward at his lips, causing a fluttery feeling to fill the pit of your stomach.

   The kiss only lasts a minute or two longer, before Wooyoung finally pulls away from your lips…even though he’d rather not and just kiss you for the rest of time. The smile remains painted on his features as he says, “I love you so much, sweetheart…like you have no idea how much I love you.” His forehead resting against yours and nose slightly bumping into yours. You chuckle softly, eyes fluttering shut as you basked in the feeling of having Wooyoung so close to you “I could say same thing about you.”  You said in response, causing him to also chuckle softly and with one final peck to your lips, Wooyoung fully pulls away and you instantly miss having him so close to you.

    “Anyway…I might also have something we could do today.” He said, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear, before that hand went back down yours. At that your curiosity is piqued “And what is that?” You asked him. He gives you a small smile, before replying with “Well, I was thinking we could go to the nearby park…and I test out my new camera, by taking photos of my favorite model.” You smile, almost bashfully, because you knew his favorite model was you “Okay…can we watch the sunset while we’re there?” He hums, while nodding, smile still etched on his features. “Of course we can, baby…anything for you.”

   But what Wooyoung didn’t tell you, is that he’d take his camera to the grocery store as well. You’d push the cart and Wooyoung would be standing a bit behind you, occasionally snapping photos of you…and not once did you tell him to stop, because you knew how happy it made him taking photos of you and you couldn’t bear to ruin his happiness. But after all you were his muse and you had zero problems with that.

      After heading back to the apartment and putting the groceries in their respective spots, you and Wooyoung eventually find yourselves parked in an empty spot at the nearby park…but instead of immediately getting out as you normally would, Wooyoung had insisted he take photo of you, because you looked so beautiful and such beauty was meant to be photographed…his words not yours. “Okay…can I get out now?” You asked the moment you heard the shutter sound and saw the flash. Wooyoung laughs softly, lowering the camera from his face “Yes, you can get out now baby.”  He answered, at that you swing the door open and finally get out his car as you shut the door behind you.

     Wooyoung stays behind in the car, a fond smile forming on his lips as his gaze stayed on your moving figure and not very long passes before you turn around (realizing Wooyoung was not beside you), your gaze immediately finding his. You smile, before mouthing the words “You coming?” Wooyoung nods in response as one single thought crossed his mind, one of how much he loved you.

     You stay in the same spot on the walkway, waiting for Wooyoung to catch up to you as you enjoyed the cool fall breeze blowing past you, along with pretty hues of yellow and orange painting the sky. You’re so entranced by the beautiful scenery that you barely register a hand slipping into yours, only a soft voice saying your name was able to snap you out of your entranced state.

    Your head turns to your left and your gaze locks with your boyfriends, slight worry paints his features “Are you okay, baby?” He asked softly “Yeah, I’m good…just enjoying the peacefulness and the beautiful scenery.” You reply and he nods “Okay, just making sure.” He says as the two of you began walking on the walkway.

     “What are going to do with all of photos of me anyway?” You asked after a few moments of silence, while you turn to look at Wooyoung. A wide smile begins to take over his features “I’m going to make a photo album.” He says nonchalantly and that causes your eyes to widen slightly as warmth rushed to your face “Of just me?” You question, not quite believing him. Wooyoung hums in response “Just of you.” He confirmed and you still find it hard to believe.

    “But…why?” You asked further and he thinks for a moment before answering “Well…for one, because I love you.” You feel your heart rate pick up “Two, because you are the most beautiful women, I’ve ever laid my eyes on.” A fluttery sensation invades your stomach, face becoming even warmer “And three, because when I’m old and wrinkly…and my memory isn’t as it used to be, I want to at least be able to remember who the love of life was.” You stop abruptly as tears begin to well up in your eyes and that causes Wooyoung to also come to a stop. A frown tugs downward at his lips, as both of his hand go up to cup either side of your face “Why are you crying, sweetheart?” He asked, gently wiping away your fallen tears with his thumbs.

    You breathe in sharply “God…I love you so much, Wooyoung” His heart skips a few beats as a soft smile formed on lips “I love you too, baby.” He replied, before placing a gentle peck to your forehead and pulling you into his embrace; soft sobs leave from your lips as your arms wrap tightly around his waist. You both stand there until your sobs are nothing but soft sniffles, Wooyoung pulls back to look at you and another soft smile paints his features as he wipes away the residual tears from your skin.

     “I’m so happy to have you my life, Woo.” You say before connecting your lips with his as the sun begins to sink below the horizon and the kiss shared between you promised future sunsets with Wooyoung.

A/N: Finally after five days of writing, it’s finally here…my first fic on Tumblr. I do really hope you enjoyed reading Sunset with you, just as much as I enjoyed writing it💗

[tourettesdog]

I had a major autism moment tonight and decided to scroll the Danny Phantom tag (sorted by most recent) to count the various forms of content inside the tag. It was honestly really interesting! I've never really tried to like get actual numbers on a tag, just eyeballed them before.

One thing I found across the board was that people are honestly very good at tagging DPxDC crossover content! The vast majority of the crossover posts had at least "dpxdc" or "dp x dc" in the tags! And many of them went above and beyond to overtag, to make sure the post could be blocked. I'm talking as many as 10 tags just to be extra safe.

And of the 23 posts I found that were not tagged with "dpxdc" or "dp x dc", the majority of those were at least tagged with "batman", "batpham", "dp x dc crossover", or the tag reversed to be "dc x dp".

I personally only saw one DPxDC post untagged, and it was one that just had a DC character-specific tag on it.

I've heard some mixed answers on whether or not the spaces in the tags break the tagging system on Tumblr, but by and far I've seen people doing their utmost to tag appropriately, and it's fantastic to see. Yall are doing great <3

I've seen some weird vibes going around lately, but it's actually seeing the raw numbers of people doing their best to tag and let people filter content that has me knowing people are trying to be respectful with the fun they are having. And a lot of the people that aren't properly tagging? The odds of them being new and not knowing these "rules" is very high!

We're all just here to have fun in this fandom space. Block what you don't want to be see, and don't interact with stuff that makes you unhappy. Sometimes you just gotta scroll past. <3

[kissingghouls]

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PRINCE

A LITTLE PREVIEW AND TAG LIST UPDATE.

💜 Hello beloveds, how are you? It's been a very long time since you've heard from our crop-top wearing himbo vampire, but I am happy to say you won't be waiting much longer.

💜 If you would like to join the new tag list for part five please leave a comment below.

💜 Catch up with The Prince on ao3 or on tumblr - One // Two // Three // Four (18+, MDNI)

💜Or if you wanna start from the beginning check out The Count (vampire!Copia) and The King (vampire!Secondo) (18+, MDNI)

💜 Thank you all so SO much for all your support and encouragement over the last year. I love you all ✨🦇

Below is a little taste of The Prince - Part Five. Beware of spoilers!

“Did you sleep well, piccolina?”

Primo’s deep voice carried from the far side of the kitchen barely audible over the rumble of thunder outside. It was somewhere between morning and afternoon, though the storm made it difficult to tell one from the other. Heavy rain pelted the outside of the cottage in a steady thrum in time with the howling winds. You used to find this type of scene so comforting but watching water bead and trail down the windows just seemed to make you anxious now. Sitting across the room and trying to make small talk with Primo Emeritus didn’t seem to help either. As kind and inviting as he was, he was still a complete stranger. An immortal stranger with superhuman strength you were supposed to stay far away from. Instead, he’d insisted on baking cookies for you.

Shaking your head, you jolted a little as the kettle began to scream from its spot of the stovetop. Sleep had been the furthest thing from your mind after Terzo’s spell. A full night’s rest would have been a dream, but there was no getting comfortable in this situation. How long could you be safe here in the middle of nowhere? How long would they wait this time?

“Primo, can I ask you something?” You wondered aloud, hoping the impending conversation would drown out the sound of the storm and your own thoughts.

He inclined his head, silently urging you to continue. A loose piece of his long, white-blond hair fell over the painted lines of his face as he moved; the rest was carefully tied back with a thin black ribbon. His focus remained on the pale green kettle in his hand as he transferred water into a dainty teapot at the edge of the counter. He moved with such precision, yet still maintained some impossibly delicate grace—the opposite of the way Terzo carried himself. There were other differences—far more than you could count—but where Terzo’s softness was an edge blunted by time, Primo’s seemed to be gently blurred into everything he did.

A flash of lightning filled the kitchen with bright light, the bank of windows on the eastern wall providing the perfect vantage point. You shuddered as thunder followed, too close and too loud for your own comfort. The storm blew a gentle breeze through the cracked windows and the ceiling fan above dragged it further in as it spun in lazy, lopsided circles. The kitchen smelled of florals and tea and rain, feeling like a Sunday afternoon you shouldn’t have access to. Everything was a little too dreamy, made fuzzy by a filter tinged with warm yellow-green like a flashback to someone else’s nostalgic past.

Someone else’s life. 

“Why settle in this place?” you asked, vividly recalling the cracked asphalt and sun-bleached everything you’d passed on your way through town. “Why…here? The secluded cottage makes sense, but why live at the edge of some abandoned nowhere town?”

He turned to look at you for a beat before reaching for two teacups. “Well,” he started as he dropped a teabag into the pot. “It wasn’t always abandoned, piccolina.”

He set a cup in front of you before joining you at the table, a sigh leaving his lips as the wooden chair creaked beneath him. “This town…it used to full of a unique vibrance that drew me in. I suppose on some level I grew comfortable here, much like the other remaining residents. But mostly I stayed for the work. That’s what I told myself anyway. I have no doubt that Terzo would have you believe otherwise, but immortality can be incredibly mundane. When I found myself in this little town, I watched it grow from nothing just like I had done with a thousand other little towns in my lifetime. But this one—it was easier to fight that feeling of boredom here, to find a purpose. I chose to put my energy toward something, to have a common goal with the people here while I could. There’s a darling botanical garden on the edge of town, built something like seventy years ago, give or take. I helped fund the project.”

“Really? So, it had nothing to do with the cute girl that delivers your groceries?” 

Black and white paint may have covered his entire face, but you could see Primo’s ears turn bright red. “That—she—hmph. She wasn’t even born yet. Neither were you for that matter.”

“Doesn’t mean she’s not the reason you stay.”

“The garden—“

“Sure, sure,” you teased. “Work, work, work.”

“Don’t start picking up bad habits from your beau, piccolina,” he warned. “Youth is wasted on the young indeed.”

“Not if you have an eternity to do something about it.”

He laughed quietly as he poured the most delicious smelling pink tea into each cup. “I forgot how much I enjoy such a human point of view. What of you and your eternal boytoy, hmm? What will you do when this is all over?”

You shrugged, pausing to consider his words. “Haven’t really thought that far. I think…I think I’d like to do all the things I never could before. No matter what happens I can’t go back to my old life—I wouldn’t want to go back, knowing what I know now. If I have to build a new life, it might as well be a better one than before. And if that sounds good to Terzo, then I’m happy to try building it together.”

“Hmm,” he replied with a thoughtful nod and faint smile playing on his lips.

“Belleza, I am happy to build you anything you want. But boytoy? Is that really what you’ve settled on, fratello?” Terzo grumbled as he appeared in the doorway, half-asleep with pillow marks on his face. He dropped into the seat next to you with a heavy sigh and rested his head on your shoulder. “Is that really all I am to you?”

“No. Sometimes you’re more of manbaby,” you replied and kissed the top of his head. “It’s ok though.”

“Ugh, I am so glad you two are getting along,” he teased sarcastically. “You are a bad influence on her, Primo.”

“Me? What did I do?” Primo mused as he took a sip of tea.

“You encourage her—”

“Ah.”

“—to be mean to me,” he whined. “What happened to that wide-eyed naïve girl from before, hmm?”

“I have no idea who you are talking about,” you responded flatly.

“Ah, yes. What happened to the fierce and terrifying woman who pretended not to be watching me sleep every night?”

“She met an unbelievably arrogant vampire.”

He sat up and shot you a big, toothy grin. “Oh, bellezza, was I your first?”

Primo groaned loudly and pushed away from the table. “Whatever you’re trying to do fratellino, do not do it in my kitchen.”

“Ah, calm down old man. I’m only teasing.”

“You were the one I liked enough to save. Even with your baking skills.”

Primo nearly spat out his tea. “Oh, Terzo, tell me you didn’t.” “I was trying to do something nice for you, bellezza. But fine, fine. Let’s all pick on Terzo!” he grumbled as he stood. For a split-second the life left his eyes, the light within him dimming like a flickering lightbulb in a haunted basement. He was completely blank—jaw slack and body limp. Primo crossed the room before you could even think to react, rushing over to keep his brother’s body from collapsing to the floor.

more stuff by me // my ko-fi tip jar

[siriusleee]

ii. sage green

Zombie Apocalypse AU | SIMON RILEY x f!READER

↳ SUMMARY: The world is trying to knit itself back together after fracturing apart. You're trying to put yourself back together with it; Simon Riley is just trying to stay alive. ↳ WORD COUNT: 2.5K ↳ TAGS: mentions of cannibalism, mentions of shooting things, mentions of dying. smut to come. canon typical violence to come. additional tags to come as the story progresses. female reader. no mentions of "your name". reader is given a nickname later on. nc-17. ↳ AUTHOR'S NOTE: I want to desperately thank @gazs-blue-hat, @lethargicluv, and @victoria-writes-sometimes for proofreading this for me when I was in an exhaustion field brain melt. If you'd like to help wake me up, my Ko-Fi is always open for commissions and donations. ↳ TAG LIST: There will not be a tag list for this story, as Tumblr has issues with letting me tag people. To get notifications of updates, please subscribe on AO3 or turn on notifications for my blog.

additional chapters | ao3

At first, you think it’s the sun warming the attic enough to be stifling, to wake you up from the heat pulling the air from the room. 

But your nose catches up with the rest of your brain when the acrid smell of fire catches your senses. You’re awake in an instant, shooting up from your spot. Blind panic overtakes you first; your hands scrambling in the darkness for something . Instinct has you reaching out for a fire extinguisher, for a way out of the room, fingers scrambling against the splintery wood before the rest of you catches up with the situation. It takes almost a second too long before your brain finally processes that there is no fire extinguisher, nothing to do but try to escape.

You scramble to tug your boots on, shoving your thermal blanket into your pack at the same time. Slinging it across your back, you fumble for your bow and arrow pouch; your fingers pull against the rope you’d tied to keep the attic door shut, and in the darkness, you can’t undo it. 

The blind panic starts to rage inside of you. Smoke is filtering faster through the cracks in the flooring, obscuring what little you could already see in the moonlight filtering in through the little attic window. 

“Fuck,” you whisper to yourself, repeating it louder as your fingers slip against the rope. “Fuck.”

When the hint of flames shows themself at the edges of the attic door, you abandon the attempts to pull the rope off. You pick your way across the attic, lungs screaming as the oxygen is pulled into the fire. The little window overlooking the back garden shatters easily under the weight of your bow slamming into it. But as you watch the glass shards tumble onto the roof, you know that even if you could slice yourself to bits and not attract the Biters, you would never fit through the window. Gulping down the fresh air, you try to hold it in your lungs as long as possible before you’re forced to turn back to the rest of the smoke-filled attic.

Your feet stumble against what you can’t see - you have to pull the rope away from the door. The only other option is to -

The floor falls from beneath your feet. Rotted drywall and insulation rain down with you; your back slams into something solid, a sharp pain shooting through your spine and rib cage. The blaze from the hallway illuminates the sage walls; as you try to catch your breath around the lack of oxygen and the pain spitting through you, you realize that you’ve crashed into the empty nursery.

From the first floor, just loud enough to be heard over the fire, the groans of the Biters come to you around the ringing in your ear. Struggling to breathe around the smoke and moldy insulation that fill your mouth, you scramble to your feet. The taste of iron coats your mouth; through the dirty window, you see a group of Biters congregating on the front porch of the little house.

Whatever human instinct has forced you to survive these past 5 years takes over; you push through the half broken bedroom door and stumble directly into a Biter. 

There was a saying - it slams into your brain as you watch the burning mass roll towards you - that whenever soldiers go to war and their adrenaline starts to pump, explosions turn into little “poofs” and gunshots no more than a “pop.” You wonder if it was the adrenaline that turned the Biter’s unearthly wailing into a soft whisper as it flails on the landing, hand reaching for your ankle. 

Without thinking, you kick out; the flames bite at your boots, at the skin that shows above the leather. The bottom landing is ablaze, the floor beneath you buckles; the house groans with the weight of the fire and the Biters groan and wail in hunger. Any minute the entire place is going to crumble down into a pile of burning bodies and dust and take you with it.

You stumble past the burning Biter, shoving it away with the end of your bow so that it falls down the steps. Feet heavy and lungs screaming from the lack of oxygen, you punch your way into the other bedroom. Without thinking, you throw yourself through the half open window.

The ground races up to meet you; you try to catch your feet beneath you, but you collapse into darkness instead.

The ringing in your ears is thunderous; the hands that pull at you try to rip you apart. In the darkness, you feel yourself slam into something hard and cold, feel hands slap at the fabric covering your legs. You try to lift yourself, to swing at the force but your body won’t do what your brain is telling you and you wonder if you’ve already been bitten and this eternal blackness is just the beginning of the end.

The ground pulls from underneath you and vaguely you realize that you’re moving. The growling of an ATV cuts through the darkness you’re hovering in along with the feeling of cold metal biting into your back. Your sight is the last sense to come - the sun trying to break through the horizon just barely illuminates the hulking figure driving the ATV - fuzzy at first and then coming into sharp focus. 

You thrash out, becoming keenly aware of ropes wrapped around your ankles and feet. You teeter dangerously on the back of the ATV as you roll. In the corner of your eye, you can see the entire village ablaze, the howls of the Biters nearly drowned out by the crackling of the flames. One large hand reaches back to grip the front of your shirt and pulls you back before you can fall off. Too scared to fall off of the back, you lay still.

Like a deer, dressed and ready for slaughter, you ride on the back of the ATV until the flames of the village are gone, and the forest swallows the two of you up. Heart in your throat, you wonder if finally, the body snatchers had gotten to you.

You struggle against the rope binding your hands together. If you can get your hands free, you can fight against him - you’d rather be subject to the Biters, to starvation, than end up the dinner of a savage from the woods. 

But the struggle is for nothing: there’s a blinding pain crawling up your legs, and you’re distinctively aware of a pain in your side that you think might be a broken rib. The inside of your mouth and throat are covered in the thick taste of ash and burning Biter and iron. Your soot lined lungs can barely pull in a breath - there’s just not enough strength for you to break free. 

The sound of the ATV changes to a lower purr and the vehicle jerks as the driver downshifts. You nearly tumble off the back, but your kidnapper’s hand reaches back around and grips your shirt again.

He doesn’t let you go until the ATV cruises to a stop beside a felled tree, propped up against a second fallen tree, ivy and moss trailing down from where the two meet. When he shifts in his seat to turn the ATV off, you see your bow and pack on the front of the ATV behind a dusty red gas canister and a rifle. 

You can’t tell if it’s the angle you’re laying at or if the guy is just huge; there’s not a chance in hell you can fight him off - especially not with the pain that’s radiating through you as the adrenaline wears off. 

But it kickstarts again when he turns to you - his eyes are dark in the shadows cast by his mask. A graying skull stares down at you, and you know he’s going to take you to a body farm, that you are fodder beneath his gaze. 

He reaches towards you; you jerk back, heart in your throat. The little animalistic part of your brain that’s kept you alive for so many years takes over; you thrash away from him, rolling off of the ATV and slamming into the ground. Your teeth clack, pinching your tongue in between, and fresh blood blooms in your mouth. 

“Stop it,” he growls out, peering at you over the edge of the ATV, annoyance written into the wrinkles around his eyes. 

You wiggle away from him in the dirt, but this time you don’t escape his hands as he grips the front of your filthy shirt and hauls you upright. 

You don’t know what to do, so you spit on him. Saliva and blood spray across his faded black jacket; he doesn’t let you go, and doesn’t even seem phased by your actions. Instead, he drops you down onto your feet; you teeter, struggling to stand with the rope wrapped around your ankles; he keeps one steady hand on your elbow to keep you from falling.

“That make you feel better?” He asks, voice rough and low. You keep your mouth shut; if he’s going to take you to a body farm, he’s not going to get you to talk or beg. 

“What were you doing there?”

The silence stretches through the forest; the man breathes heavy through his nose, the sound muffled by the black fabric and skull. This close you can’t tell if it’s real or fake, but you don’t want to find out. 

“Are you one of them?”

“One of who?” The question escapes you before you can stop it. But once it’s gone, you realize the ball is in his court - the only bit of power you had was your silence, and you gave it away.

“Answer my question, and I’ll answer yours.” 

You chew on the possibilities, but you have to admit that if you don’t answer he may just leave you tied up here for the Biters to find. 

“I’m moving north, to where it’s too cold for them during the winter.”

It’s not a good enough answer; he squeezes your elbow. Beneath his fingers, the joints rub together, and you can’t help the yelp you let out.

“I was staying the night there! My group has stayed there for years on our way through.”

“Where’s the rest of your group?”

It’s iron and pennies to say it.

“They’re all gone; I’ve been on my own for the past year.”

He must believe something written on your face because his grip on your elbow loosens. Slowly, he reaches down to tug on the ropes binding your ankles and then your wrists until they fall loose. He keeps one hand on you as he drags you over to the ATV. 

“You’re not going to let me go?” Your voice rises in pitch with each word.

“Dunno who you might run back to.” 

He shoves your pack in your arms. Beneath it is another pack, this one dark black and dusty. He slings it onto himself, along with your bow and arrow carrier. The rifle also comes off of the ATV and over his other shoulder. He never lets go of the grip on your arm, pulling you around painfully as he moves.

“Go move the ivy out of the way,” he says, shoving you towards the two fallen trees. You eye the rifle on his back - it would drop you before you could get ten feet. So you follow his directions, pulling back the ivy. Behind it is a cut out in the hill, a dark pit, and for a moment you think he’s going to push you in. But then, without a sign of a struggle, he pushes the ATV into the hole and you realize it’s a hiding spot. 

He pushes you out of the way, rearranging the plant life until it again looks like just two trees toppled onto each other. With a smooth, practiced motion, the rifle slides into his hands, and he gestures toward the open forest with it.

“Start walking.”

You don’t know how far the two of you walk; the cold starts to seep through the thinning material of your boots, and with each step the burns and bruises you acquired during the house fire grow more painful - the sharp pinch in your rib makes it hard to breath, but you don’t want to show a sign of weakness. If he thinks you’re not eatable, he might just shoot you where you stand. 

But you know that if your feet are beneath you, you have a chance of running free.

The horizon grows gray with the threat of snow; some flurries that must have fallen in the nighttime cling to the highest branches of the tree. It isn’t until your feet are numb, and you can’t feel your pinky toes that you finally ask the question that’s been nagging at you for hours. 

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“You can just slaughter me now if you think I’m going to let you take me to that farm.”

His footsteps don’t falter behind you, but when he speaks you can hear the amusement in his voice.

“I’m not going to eat you.”

“I don’t believe you.”

The trees start to grow thicker around the two of you, the snow growing heavier on the limbs until finally, it starts to dust the ground. Your whole body is numb at this point, and whatever has been keeping you together is starting to fall apart. Your tongue is dry and fuzzy, stomach empty. You think for a second that he might be trying to walk you to death, that he might find some sort of pleasure in watching you break down as you walk.

The rough edges of a cabin peek out at you from the trees and snow. The barrel of his rifle digs into your back, pushing you towards the cabin. You stumble over your boots, nearly tripping from the weight of your pack and empty stomach. Your kidnapper herds you towards the door, pushing you out of the way to unlock it with a key tucked beneath his jacket until he can shove you inside.

Inside it’s dark and dusty; your eyes struggle to adjust to the darkness when the door finally shuts behind you, trapping you in the place with your kidnapper. A thread of fear tries to go through you at the thought of what he might be doing to you in the dark, but you’re too exhausted for your heart to beat faster. 

He leaves you standing there to fumble with something in front of you. A moment later his face is illuminated by an oil lamp blazing to life. It illuminates just enough of the room that you can see a small fireplace and little couch on the opposite sides and a little kitchenette you’re standing in. 

You stand awkwardly as he shuffles around the room, shrugging his pack off, lighting another oil lamp, but never dropping his rifle.

He turns towards you, gun held loosely in his hand and studies you over the top of his mask.

“What’s your name?”

[whumpbby]

Idk if there's a right way to say this but Jiang Cheng's biggest crime in and out canon is being not that pleasant to be around and i rlly wish people would acknowledge that instead of trying to paint him as The Worst in order to justify their weirdly intense hatred towards him

I'm going to ramble,sorry, that how I put thoughts in order:)

I think that's the perfect way to say it actually. And 100% fact imho. His biggest flaw is that he has no patience with other people's shit and no filter on how little patience he has. He lets people know he's unhappy with them. All his care and dedication is in his actions.

The way he cares about Wei Wuxian and then Jin Ling - even his scolding is an expression of care, always concerned about the way their behaviour can bring harm to them or to their sects. The way he sacrificed his life for Wei Wuxian without a moment's doubt and neve mentioned it. The way he was fighting a war and rebuilding the sect at the same time. The way his sect became absolutely notfuckwithable. The way he kept throwing himself in the way of danger for his loved ones in the Temple.

This is not some villain who only cares about himself - the way he's being painted by the antis.

There was this post somewhere saying that the biggest flaw in a fictional character is being boring - they can be a war criminal, as long as they're not boring.

I think for some people who are looking for pure escapism and feel-good simplicity (and nothing wrong with that, everyone does that) the "boring" gets replaced with "ugly". The depiction of trauma survivors that didn't "go through all that and ended up kinder". That didn't get over the tragedy in their lives to an appropriate standard. That are functional, but not happy. That bring back the bad stuff that happened because it still influences their lives and behaviours and reactions.

They want all the tragic trauma of the past, but without long-lasting consequences that aren't leading directly to cock-healing or fawning.

Like, if you think about it, no one went through the war in that book and came out "better". Absolutely no one. Lan Zhan drowned himself in guilt and directed all his anger towards Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian didn't stop running for even a moment and he became an intensely careless, emotionally dishonest person. Lan Xichen settled into not really doing much, coasting on his sects' position and JGY's help. Nie Mingjue became a bona-fide warlord who basically said "fuck these people, hunt them for sport for all I care". Meng Yao learned that you can stab your problems away. Everyone around them became incredibly trigger-happy for a long while.

And yet JC is the only one singled out as the Evil Walking The Land, because his trauma response isn't pretty and stoic and is specifically, understandably, targeting the Innocent Cinnamon Roll Protagonist and isn't fixed by the end of the book. He could have saved the world, but as long as he's not polite while he's at it then fuck him.

This is, like, primary school level morality were facing here xD

I cannot tell you how surprised I was when entering the world of The Untamed - prepared by Tumblr to see jC as this demon of a man and instead found this guy who, by all accounts, is in the right 99% of the time. Then I read the book and was staggered by the final reveal. And the absolute bullshit I was fed by people that wanted to sour me on the character before I could make my own mind.

Not even gonna get into how these people treat Wen Ning - whose whole existence is a horrific chain of horrific events ending in his absolutely awful existence of an actual slave... But he's such a cute puppy, eh?

Tldr: people who keep making excuses for hating JC do it to somehow justify the fact they can only accept Trauma Light in their fiction.

[call-me-copycat]

I'm so sorry @pink-lemonadae-san ! Tumblr has a nasty problem for me where random drafts of mine go missing for no reason. Luckily I take a screenshot of every ask before saving the draft (since this has happened in the past).

➤ Welcome

Request rules, info about me, and links to all my masterlists

♡ ••┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈•• ♡♡ ••┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈•• ♡

▶ Pairing: Tamaki Amajiki x GN Reader

▶ Genre: Fluff (tiny bit of a slowburn), Romance

▶ Word Count: 11,800 (Exactly!)

▶ Story Notes:

- "Shokupan" is just Japanese for Milk Bread

- I began writing this during Golden Week, but it's over now (Apr 29 - May 5)

- Golden Week is a series of festivals and holidays in Japan, but I didn't go into much detail with it in the story

▶ Warnings: None (Although I might want you warn you that this isn't exactly the best I've written since I'm not very good with romance >///<)

The bell chimed by the door, the light ringing making its way throughout the little bakery. Golden ribbons of sunlight were just barely beginning to peak through the windows, coating the entire shop in its sleepy yet cozy filter.

It was early in the morning, much earlier than when most people got up for the day, but as a baker you saw it as your duty to fulfill the daily tasks for your job - no matter how tedious or dull. It was what got you your job, after all.

Just as any other day customers filed in and out in wide, nearly empty groups, the early morning crowd mainly consisting of office workers, students and teachers, tired night-shift workers ready to rest, and sometimes a hero or two if you got lucky enough.

The syrupy aroma of various pastries, breads, and sweets filled the shop in a warm and inviting atmosphere. The sweet fragrance was something you had enjoyed when you first started working there, but you realized to your disdain you had eventually grown numb to it's smell.

The bell chimed in rhythm with the creaking of the door, accompanied with the sound of the cash register letting out its little clicks and beeps as you paced yourself around the small group of customers. And so the steady rhythm of your everyday life was beginning once again, just as it had done so many times in the past.

Finally, after waving goodbye to a little boy and his older sister you looked up at the clock to realize the early morning rush had finished. It wasn't too bad that day, and since it was the smallest rush of the day it normally helped to wake you up and let you prepare for the bigger crowds that come later on.

Just as you were pulling out a new tray of sweet pastries from where they were sitting in the warm oven, a small commotion gained your attention. The bell on the door rang, and it was quickly followed by three students that came crashing in, clearly in a rush.

Upon closer inspection, you realized that they were most likely around your age. The tallest one had a bright and cheerful smile on his face despite the concern of what time they had on hand, with bright yellow hair to go with his blue eyes.

The girl next to him was also all smiles, with a warm and rather cute expression as she forgot about her surroundings and smushed her face up against the display case that showed what pastries and sweets you sold.

Finally, you didn't even notice the boy standing behind them at first, but after he stepped out to say something to the blond-haired boy you saw that he was much more timid, a shy and nervous expression on his face - some if it being hidden by the indigo colored locks that fell in front of it.

The blonde haired boy was the first that went up to you, the timid boy trying to pry the girl from the case as she went up and down the long glass rows.

"Hey! Is it alright if I get one honey croissant, and- just a sec" he smiled kindly and turned to the other two, a gentle urgency in his voice as he asked them what they wanted.

"Ooh! The mochi! No, wait, the coffee jelly! Wait, wait, wait! I changed my mind, I'm going with the mochi, it looks yummy!" The blue haired girl was ecstatic, jumping around with the energy you felt could compare to an excited 5-year old who wandered in with their mother.

Suddenly, all eyes were on the shy boy, and even as you packaged the orders that were already asked, you could see him visibly shrink under the attention. A small part of you felt a little bad for the boy, so you decided that you'd do something kind to make up for the nervousness he had, especially since you had some extra goodies left over from the night before that you didn't want to go to waste.

"So Tamaki, what's it gonna be?" The blonde asked the shy boy - Tamaki, you learned.

Upon this request, he visibly hunched inwards, stuffing his hands in his pockets and directing his attention to the ground, muttering a simple "I'm fine".

"Nonsense! C'mon buddy, pick something out and then we can head to school - it's on me!" The blonde enthusiastically patted the boy, Tamaki on the shoulder. He seriously didn't seem to want the attention, but nevertheless he still sheepishly pointed at the Milk Bread in the display, a plain yet sweet bread for the less adventurous. You realized he might've just picked something to get the boy's attention off of him for the time being.

Quickly handing the girl her mochi and and placing the honey croissant on the counter, you went to packaging the single piece of Shokupan in its box. Only, before you closed the lid, you got an idea.

The three rushed out of the bakery after paying, and in a way you felt a little accomplished, enjoying the tiny break in routine. It certainly wasn't everyday you met such characters like them, with such contrasting personalities. You could only hope they'd come back for another visit sometime.

As Mirio, Nejire, and Tamaki hurriedly made their way back to UA in order to beat the bell for first hour they snacked on their little pastries, all except Tamaki, who shoved the box into his bag for lunch without even opening it.

It was a typical day at UA, with studying, training, quizzes, and so on. A day that Tamaki felt he could easily handle since the familiar routine with comforting and predictable.

It went this way up until lunch, where he sat confused with a blank look on his face as he started into the box that held his Shokupan he had ordered earlier out of panic. Blinking his eyes, he registered that there wasn't just a single piece of the sweet bread in the box all by its self, but rather it had company.

A cute little cookie sat next to the bread, decorated to look like a little kitty. He normally would've found it charming, but at the moment he felt like a thief.

There was another pastry in the box! What if you put it there by accident?! What was he supposed to do, eat it? Give it back? It had been sitting in his backpack all day, so Tamaki doubted it would still be able to be sold if he gave it back. But he didn't pay for this, was he considered a criminal if the offense was on accident?!

Paranoid thoughts ran throughout his mind, and he struggled to come up with a solution. Mirio looked over, and upon seeing his friend starting intensely at the box with his bread in it, leaned over to check out what was going on.

"Oh, sweet! They gave you an extra!"

Tamaki's eyes flew open at his friends dismissal.

"No! No, they must've put it in here by accident! Mirio what do I do? I can keep this, it's not mine!"

Mirio chuckled reassuringly, patting his nervous friend on the shoulder.

"Well even if it was an accident, I don't think you can give it back-"

Tamaki's panicked expression worsened, but Mirio quickly finished his sentence to avoid being taken out of context.

"- Buut what else can you really do but enjoy it? Besides, there's always the chance they were just being nice!"

Tamaki grimaced as he looked at the little cookie in the box, Mirio's words not reassuring him the slightest. He mentally slapped himself, it was just a cookie! It was probably just 50 yen anyways, why did he always have to overthink everything? Why did he make things so hard for himself?

Before he could decide on what to do, Nejire caught up on the situation and smiled while cheerfully reaching over the lunch table - towards his cookie.

"Hey, it you don't want it I can always eat it for y-"

However, before she could get another word in, Tamaki snapped the little container shut, causing the two pairs of eyes to settle on him due to the unexpected and sudden reaction.

"It's... Fine. It'll be fine"

The two others looked at each other in confusion at Tamaki's sudden change in demeanor, but before either could get a word in, the bell rang and signaled for them to get to class.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Later at the end of the day, you were just coming home after your own day of work, tired yet fulfilled. It was a fun aspect of your life, getting to bake for people and all. Seeing people eat your own creations and enjoy them was what made it all worth it

As you got ready for the night, you couldn't help but wonder what happened to that shy boy and his friends that visited earlier that morning. They were so entertaining to see, and in a way you felt the most similar to the nervous boy - Tamaki.

It was silly to realize about, but everytime you thought about the boy, you felt a small tug on your heart. For now, you just decided to chalk it up as pity since the poor guy was a shaking mess when you saw him. Maybe he'd visit again with his friends...

The day after was the exact same, making pastries and sweets, serving people, cleaning some, and so on. Only, a small part of you was hoping to see the unlikely trio again, and everytime the door opened your eyes would involuntarily flicker over with a spark of hope.

The day dragged on, and the further it got the smaller your hope would shrink. At the end of the day with no sign of them, you could only sigh and scold yourself for thinking so foolishly, after all they were only customers that visited once.

Just as you were stacking the used trays so they could be put in the dishwasher, a small knocking on the front door caught your attention. Turning, you saw none other than the trio you were hoping to see - well two of the three, that is.

It was only the blond and Tamaki that were standing there, the girl being nowhere in sight. Admittedly, you chuckled to yourself before gesturing for them to turn the handle, only to have to yell in response to further confusion "It's open!"

The blond chuckled and rubbed the nape of his neck, while Tamaki groaned in either embarrassment or annoyance. Perhaps it was a mixture of both.

The door swung open, the bell chimed, and then they were in the shop. Seeing the place near empty (except the one regular who was eating by his lonesome near the back), both their expressions turned a little apologetic.

"Ah! Sorry if you're closing, we-"

The blond got caught off mid-sentence by Tamaki, and this was the first time you saw the boy speak on his own without being pressured.

"We.. We can go. You look busy- don't th-they look busy, Mirio? L-let's not bother them." He tried turning around to leave, tugging his unmoving friend's arm in the direction of the door. Finally he stilled and his shoulders slumped as he looked at his friend who refused to budge, a pathetic and pleading expression on his face. And that's when you felt it again, that thumping of your heart.

"Actually... It may seem empty, but I don't close for another hour." You gave off the warmest smile you could in hopes of reassuring the both that they weren't intruding. The blonde - Mirio, you learned- smiled in response while Tamaki's expression stayed one of pitiful nervousness.

"That's great! We just wanted to visit again to say how much we liked your sweets! They're great, really. Tamaki especially agrees, don't you buddy?" Tamaki groaned his friend's name as his face blossomed into a shade of red at his friends comment, and once again you tried to defuse his anxiety.

"Oh! That's so sweet of the both of you, I have some extras if you'd like one?"

Tamaki waved his hands in front of him, not wanting to deal with the guilt of more free food, while Mirio was about to ask something.

You cut the both off with a genuine smile, "No, really it's okay! It's technically regulation to get rid of the day's batch since we can't use or sell it the next day, so you'd be helping to not let some of that go to waste. Y'know, only if you want of course"

They both looked at you, watching them eagerly with your hands clasped together and a bright smile stretched across your lips. Tamaki felt his face grow hot and his heart speed up, and in a panic he gasped out and clutched his shirt, confused on this newfound feeling and not knowing what to make of it.

Mirio didn't hear any objections from his friend, so he looked over and assumed Tamaki was just panicking over the social settings again. Taking matters into his own hands once more, Mirio smiled and accepted for the both of them.

And so, that's how they walked out each with a small box of slightly stale (yet yummy) treats, courtesy of you being the kindest baker they've met so far.

They walked across the little town, the rays of the sun slowly lowering, it's golden streaks begrudgingly being torn from the surfaces it once covered. Since it was cool, people were out and about as they pleased, cleaning their shops, playing in the park, going shopping, walking pets, and so on.

The evening was nice and calm, allowing Tamaki's chaotic thoughts to settle down once again. Mirio was already eating his way through the box he was given, while Tamaki could only clutch his tightly in his grip.

He thought back to you in the bakery, with your kind smile and genuine atmosphere. Of course he noticed how everytime he became panicked your eyes would flicker over to him. Only, instead of the typical curiosity or pity, he saw something else in your expression. Relation. Familiarity. You understood how he felt, what his position was like.

The fluttering in his chest grew at the thought, and he could barely restrain this feeling of desire and longing that surrounded him everytime he thought of... You.

It was stressful and chaotic.. but it was pleasant. A feeling that wasn't like any other he's experienced before. After so many years of so much anxiety, finally getting someone who knew what it was like and finally feeling some emotion that was a joy to experience... It a freeing in a way.

The sun glittered where it sat, the golden beams of light stretching over Tamaki's face as he conclusively came to terms with what he was feeling by finally taking a bite of the cookie you gave him. And a newfound satisfaction filled his head, his emotions swirling around in a sweet mixture of chaos and joy.

After that interaction with them, you began to see the trio everyday, and they let you know that they had dubbed your bakery as their new hangout spot since they were there so often. It was never set in stone though, because sometimes you'd see all three, other times you'd just see two or one of them. Either way, it flattered you to have a new set of regulars visiting on the daily.

A new rhythm was put in place as they squeezed their way into your life, and as the weeks passed you slowly saw them less as customers, but more at friends.

You had already talked to most of them individually a few times, but you noticed that Tamaki rarely came by himself, mainly with one of the two. He talked everytime he was spoken to, but you could never get him to speak freely on his own.

Truth be told, each time Tamaki tried to approach you, his emotions would get in the way and he'd second-guess himself enough to bail out at the last moment. He couldn't even look your way without you immediately meeting his gaze and smiling, causing his brain to malfunction and his face to erupt in a shade of red. He hated how hard his heart beat in his chest whenever he entered the bakery, the mere thought of seeing you causing his mind to go into overdrive.

You on the other hand began to think his distancing was probably due to lingering anxiety, and so you wanted to do everything you could to get him to trust you more. Both his friends were naturally trusting and friendly people, so they were easy to befriend. Tamaki however, was much harder for you. He'd never reach past the initial point of politeness that you had already passed with the other two. It was shallow, and you wanted something deeper.

Each time Tamaki visited since then, he'd always be greeted first and he noticed you spoke to him much more than you did before. He couldn't shake you off, your kindness was sticky in a way, and it was hard to avoid. It only served to cause his emotions to rush about his head more aggressively, and as much as he was flattered to have your attention on him, there was only one problem. He wasn't good with attention, whether it good or bad.

Every night he laid on his bed, pondering how he would go about this. He couldn't just tell you about his feelings, what if you were just being kind because of your job? No, that wasn't an option for him, it was unprofessional.

He so desperately wanted to look you in the eyes and pour out everything that he was holding in his heart. To have your eyes set on him while he let his thoughts and feelings loose made him clutch his heart over his shirt, the mere idea thrilling but terrifying.

Every smile given his way caused his heart to thrum with elation, and every pastry you gave him made his head buzz with thoughts, always so loud and overthinking on the inside. It was a contrast only he knew of.

To be so excruciatingly chaotic and loud beneath the quiet and somber surface was nothing but a secret held past closed lips. He wanted to open up everything he held inside and let you in, you being the key to his lock. Truth be told, Tamaki was tired of holding it all in. Your welcoming nature and caring behaviors made him feel safe around you, as if he could just hug you and melt away as all his stress was lifted from him.

His thumping heart and doubtful thoughts made themselves known, and that's when he remembered what was keeping him from you. A chain of his own mind was the strongest leash that held him down. As much as he didn't want to be a prisoner of his own creation, he found that no matter how much he struggled he just couldn't loosen the reigns that his mind held over his heart.

And so, all he could do was to continue visiting the bakery, simply being glad to see your face wherever he could. Your sweet remarks were what made his day, being music to his ears. Tamaki had never met such a kind soul before, and he was absolutely captivated by your charms.

Soon enough, he began visiting more frequently on his own, and you were thrilled with the thought that he was getting more comfortable around you. Each time he visited you'd always send him with a little goodie bag with a pastry or two, something that you normally wouldn't do for just anyone.

There were only a few key encounters that you remembered with him. One was when you were closing up, with Tamaki sitting at one of the tables and keeping you company since you were by yourself that night. You had to walk home since the train was down that day, and Tamaki had offered to walk you there - for safety, of course.

"Are you sure?"

You hadn't wanted to push him so far out of his comfort zone.

"...It's dark. It wouldn't be safe you to walk on your own. Sorry."

And so you accepted, the two of you walking side by side until you got to where you lived. It was the fact that it was something out of the ordinary that made the memory so important to you. Along with the realization that he had come to you on his own advances, surely that could be a sign of acceptance or comfort?

Either way, you cherished the thought, and you held onto it with a rigorous hope blooming in your heart, growing only with each interaction.

As time moved on, the three continued visiting as much as they could, and you even spent some time with them outside of the bakery. Small festivities were being held since the one and only Golden Week was coming up, and they each invited you to come with them to the festivals and parades in the coming week.

The air buzzed with excitement, and the bakery was swamped with cheerful orders as people planned out their celebrations. You even had to go as far as pushing back your closing time just to accommodate all the orders, but you didn't mind too much since it was all in great spirit.

The end of the day approached much faster than you had realized, and you only came to know this due to the trio arriving at their usual time at the end of the day.

"Wow! It's crowded in here! Looks like you're gonna be busy for awhile, huh?" Just the same, Mirio was the first to greet you, with Nejire piping up behind him.

"O-oh, so does that mean you can't hang out?" She asked with slight dejection in her tone, yet it wasn't as prominent as her air of glee that nearly shadowed the small negative moment.

You looked at them with an apologetic smile, promising to take a day off to spend time with them at the festival. They both smiled in response, and Mirio went to Tamaki to hear his thoughts on the idea.

"That sounds fine with us! You can't control work after all, what do you think- ...Tamaki?" Your attention was directed to where the taller boy was looking behind him, and you three were all met with nothing. He wasn't there.

"Hm, I swear he was with us when we arrived!" Mirio's expression was now one of confusion, his brows furrowing.

"Yeah, I wonder- Oh! There he is!" Nejire began, then turned to point outside the door to see the missing boy still standing at the entrance - hands in pockets and trembling slightly.

The three of you turned to see what she was pointing at, and you huffed out a small laugh, realizing that so many people in one area would naturally be Tamaki repellent. So in a way you had no idea what you were expecting, but you weren't upset with the thought - just a little amused.

"Well, I guess that's where he is. I'll be sure to tell him, and we'll come back when it dies down, thanks for having us!" Mirio waved his hand as he held open the entrance door, Nejire skipping out and then waving from behind the glass window (shouting a muffled "bye bye!" that you couldn't fully hear due to the surrounding chatter).

You watched them go for a second, then realized something as Tamaki's eyes sorrowfully met yours, clearly upset with his timidness that caused him to not be able to see you properly due to his apprehensive feelings of being around large crowds.

It was the same look he had in the beginning when you first met him, one of utter powerlessness and regret. You weren't about to undo all the hard work you had built up to befriending him, so you rushed out with a small bag of goodies to help remind him of all your chats and walks.

"Tamaki-kun! Please wait!" The trio all turned almost immediately upon hearing your voice, Tamaki being the quickest to come to a halt and whip around. You were calling out for him, for him. Looking closer, he saw the typical goodie bag and understood your intentions.

"Here." You grabbed his hands and placed the bag gently in them, giving them a squeeze before waving bye to them and rushing back inside to assist your coworkers with the rush.

Tamaki was frozen in place. You held his hands. He couldn't believe it, wouldn't believe it if it didn't just happen in front of him. Mirio and Nejire both looked over, curious at the new information. Mirio then grinned as he realized what was going on, nudging his friend in the side with good hearted intentions.

"So-o~" Tamaki frowned at his friend's teasing voice, directing the gift away from his sight only for Nejire to approach him on his other side and attempt to grab the bag from him with gleeful curiosity.

"It's nothing, seriously" Mirio didn't seem to believe him as he looked at him with a smug grin and waved his eyebrows. Tamaki furrowed his own, and Mirio silently responded with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. Before anything else could be said, Nejire turned at Mirio and they both shared a look of understanding before Mirio patted Tamaki and the shoulder.

"Alright, alright, if you say so~"

"I'm serious, Mirio-" He cut Tamaki off with a wave of the hand.

"Yeah, like I said, I get it. We'll just all hang out some other time, 'kay?"

And with that they all walked off, yet Tamaki couldn't forget the expression the two of his friends held, knowing they were always up to something. He'd just have to hope it wasn't anything bad.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

The next morning things began to slow down because your bakery was taking a day off to restock and prepare for the upcoming influx of orders, one of the biggest times of year - only coming second to Christmas and New Years.

It was your favorite kind of day, a day filled with no orders or customers, just baking and decorations and preparing. It was all hands on deck, the bakery set up to be swarmed with workers in the upcoming hours. You had come early to set things up, seeing as you had nothing else planned that day.

As you reached the entrance, you fumbled around your pocket for the key, the feeling of some unknown paper catching your attention. You huffed to yourself, hoping you didn't forget some wrappers in there again, only to be met with a neatly folded note upon pulling it out.

Catching you off guard, you nearly forgot to open up the bakery if it weren't for the sudden clank of your keys hitting the cement as they fell out of your pocket. Opening the doors and setting your things down, you finally unfolded the note to read its contents.

"Dear [Name],

When I first met you, you were the sweetest person I had ever met. You saw something in me others didn't. Your baking skills are unmatched, and your desserts are like little pieces of heaven. I always look forward to coming to the bakery just to see you.

If you want to find me, follow the upcoming clues. Find the next clue where you usually get your special ingredients.

- Your Secret Admirer"

Red began to coat your cheeks as your face warmed upon reading the note. Rereading it over another two times to make sure you didn't miss anything, you simply stood in shock, not knowing what to make it the sudden event.

It couldn't have been a person playing a prank, right? But then, why would they go through the efforts to write such a sweet note? It didn't make any sense to you... and all of a sudden it hit you. What if Tamaki-...?

Shaking your head, you pushed the thought away. He could've... He wouldn't... Right? But it did make sense with how shy he was... But he's not the type to do that! Right?

For a split second you considered dumping the note somewhere and starting work, when a flicker of curiosity got sparked on by a sliver of hope.

Maybe...

You'd give it a shot, after all what harm could a little game cause? Hopefully it'd be quick.

You read over the note once more, and immediately pinpointed the spot, as the "special ingredients" of yours were simply things that were prepared for the festivals.

You went out to the kitchen, and as you opened the pantry you saw white in the corner of your eye.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Meanwhile, Tamaki was getting ready to walk back to his home after training at UA - a daily occurrence on weekend mornings. Packing his things in his duffle bag, he jumped a bit upon hearing a crinkling after shoving a piece of his equipment in the bag. Hoping he didn't forget or damage something important, he took out a few things one at a time until he found the source.

A cute little note was sitting in his bag, surrounded by his clothes and training gear. A shiny red heart sticker decorated the front flap, and it was milk white. Not being able to do anything but stare at it in shock, Tamaki swallowed thickly, the note seemingly weighing heavily upon him.

He gently brought it out, hands shaking as he looked at it. His mind once again went into overdrive, thoughts pushing in and flying out all around his head.

On one hand, he didn't want to raise his hopes up only to be crushed. He was given enough joke letters in middle school to know better, and the memories of it caused him to break into a cold sweat as he stared the note in indecisive agony.

Then again... There was the (ever so small) chance that it could've been real. He didn't want to think about the logic, Tamaki only wanted this to end without anything bad happening. There was no shame in opening it, after all.

He delicately unfolded the note, taking a deep breath before reading its contents.

"My dear Tamaki,

You're always one of my favorite faces to see each day. You light up my day and you have the true heart of a hero!

If you want to find me, follow these clues: To find the next note, go to the spot that's filled with life in the air fluttering around you.

I look forward to seeing you!

~ Your Secret Admirer "

Nope. He couldn't do it. A simple note was one thing, but a whole search was another. What if he was led on? What if it was nothing but a prank? No, he couldn't handle the embarrassment.

He folded it and put it in his pocket, hiking his bag over his shoulder as he left UA high. As he made his way throughout the streets, he couldn't help but continually think about that note.

What if it really was someone that made it for him out of love? What if they were waiting somewhere for him? And how disappointed would they be if he didn't show up?! They'd think he was a jerk!

Tamaki stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and gripped his bag tighter under his hands. Looking down at the ground with an agonized expression, he didn't know what to do. He didn't like drama, and he certainly didn't want to in middle of something like this, completely the dark.

Well.. 'fluttering'...

He had a small idea of where the other note might've been. Maybe taking a small detour wouldn't hurt...

Tamaki breathed in to ease his nerves. If it got to be too much he wouldn't push himself, he'd just quit.

He turned and made his way to the park, heading straight for his favorite area where the butterflies liked to group since there were clusters of flowers over there. He looked around, in no hurry and simply enjoying scenery. That's when he saw a note taped to the large oak tree- right where he liked to sit and do his work sometimes.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

You turned to see the note that was sitting ever so delicately over the ingredients. You plucked it off from the wall it was taped to, and quickly opened it to read it.

"Dear [Name],

Your bright personality fills my day with joy. The way you treat your customers shows me you have a big heart of gold. You're much too sweet for this world!

The next note is placed where a statue of gold stands with its fist in the air.

See you there! ♡

~ Your ever so loving Admirer "

Gold? Gold... You thought about it for a second before immediately remembering the All Might statue that stood on the center of taken, decked completely in gold paint.

Town square... You knew it'd be quite busy with preparations and festivals, but you still went seeing as it was close by. Your coworkers were doing just fine, and everything was ahead of schedule, so why not?

A quick trip on your bike and you were there. The area was buzzing with activity, and you had to swerve around groups of people just to get to the statue.

Upon arrival, you looked up at the statue standing mighty and towering over everyone. Some people had placed Boy's Day carp streamers on the sides and some necklaces on the neck of the golden All Might. You laughed a little, enjoying how he was always decorated, before circling around to search for the note.

Panic began to seep through you as you circled twice and came across no sign of a note. They said golden, right? You knew of no other golden statue in the area, the only other one being a golden flame all the way in Tokyo.

Your eyebrows creased, and worry gnawed at you as you frantically searched all over the statue. Only to come up with nothing. Was this it?

Sighing, you turned to leave, disappointment weighing heavily upon your heart. Before you could take more than 3 steps, a sudden tap on your shoulder caught you off guard, and you turned to see a friendly looking lady smiling at you while offering you something. Initially thinking it was a free sample, you tried to decline, only for your eyes to widen in realization. Looking closer, you saw that she was holding a white letter with a shiny red heart sticker holding it closed.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

As Tamaki went over to the tree to pull off the note, he began to hope that all this wasn't some elaborate trick. From all the little notes you put in the bags you gave him that held the pastries, he began to suspect this wasn't even the same handwriting.

He opened the note to read it, hoping this game wasn't going to last too long. It was beginning to get tiring living in a state that was a mixture of hope and worry.

"Dear Tamaki,

I'm so proud of you combating your anxious thoughts everyday, I know it's hard. Your courageousness certainly benefits! You help so many people each day, you're a true hero, through and through!

Go find next note where you took down your first villain. See you there!

~ Someone who admires you with all their heart"

These notes were getting to be too much for him. Why did this have to happen? He finally catches the eye of someone, and he can't even know who they are unless he plays this game.

It was a little enjoyable though, the unfamiliar events causing him to rethink so many aspects he once held about himself and his life. It was eye opening, too bad it had to be shoved in his face for him to see it.

Gently folding the note and placing it with the others in his pocket, he sat back and thought. Now.. where did he take down his first villain? What could be considered his first win?

The more he thought about it, the more shocked he grew at the number of things he's accomplished over the years. He didn't think it all added up to much, but just trying to remember a certain event that happened his first year of secondary school all seemed like so much alone.

Racking his brain, he came up with a small list of villains he took down around the same time.

There were three instances he remembered, but he just couldn't pinpoint the first if asked. Panic ensued, and he started hyperventilating until he calmed himself down.

'Let's think logically now...'

The first one was more of a con-man than a hero, tricking innocent civilians into believing his lies about heroes and trying to get people to buy his quirk supplements. Tamaki scratched that one off the list, the man put up no fight.

The second one was a cult member who believed quirks were the downfall of society. She had set up an elaborate trap in the center of town, where numerous stands, shops, and people were. It was busy, with vendors selling food, ingredients, and supplies.

She had tried building several barricades around the area and blowing it up, but ultimately failed after Tamaki got to her first. Now that he thought about it, he remembered that in a last ditch attempt she had grabbed a hostage and threatened to use her quirk on them. He was sure he had taken the lady down himself.

Then the third was simply a person who could alter photos on any piece of media. They had tried violently assaulting a hero to frame them and pretend that heroes hurt innocent civilians unprovoked. Tamaki was quick to take them down, even with as sneaky and sly as they were with escaping.

Picking through his options, he decided to go with the second one. The one in town square. The place that was currently crowded full of people celebrating Golden Week...

He gulped at the thought.

The white paper crinkled and deformed in his shaking grip as he clutched it tighter unconsciously at the thought. He'd only have this one chance find out if it was worth it...

Truth be told, Tamaki knew he had to train himself on getting better on dealing with crowded spaces, seeing as he going to be a full fledged hero one day. He just didn't think it'd be so soon.

It was now or never...

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

You looked at the note the mysterious lady had given you with a blank expression. It held no letters of affirmation like the others except for an "Almost there!".

On it was a map. A map you weren't familiar with. You recognized the very place you were standing, and decided to break it down into chunks. You saw the statue... And took a few steps in the direction of the arrows until you saw a crooked sign that matched the one on the map. One step at a time, you followed the steps on the map to the best of your ability.

It was entertaining in a way, as it reminded you of the pirates you always on the TV when you were little. In a way, you were also hunting for a treasure - it was just a little different than gold coins and shiny jewels.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Tamaki stood frozen. All around him people bustled about, swerving around him, running past him, carrying heavy, hot, or delicate containers. Talking in loud voices, singing songs, placing decorations on things, running around... It was overwhelming.

For a split second Tamaki wondered if he was in too deep and debated on whether or not he should leave.

'No... It'd be silly to give up this far...'

Steeling himself the best he could, he breathed in and tried to ignore the crowd that caused his body to shake with nerves.

He stuck close to the walls, looking around for a clue, any clue. This letter was so vague, he would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about finding it out not. Even if he were to ask for help, the number of people that would actually be able to direct him or do anything helpful would be too tiny to risk sounding foolish.

Sighing out tiredly, he looked at the sky to see sun lowering. Not to the point to where it was dark, but just enough so it surprised him with how long he had been playing this game. No, he definitely couldn't quit now.

A tap on his shoulder caught him off guard, and he almost jumped into the air if he hadn't been on guard all day. Turning around, he saw no one. Now this was confusing. He simply scratched his head and supposed it was someone playing that tap shoulder game.

Well, he did at first. Until he looked down and saw a note left sitting on the edge of the golden statue, almost as if it was waiting for him. He groaned, knowing what he had to do.

Tamaki clenched his jaw, and hesitantly pushed his way through the crowd of people. Slowly... Slowly... A sharp contrast to the hurried, constantly flowing around him.

People pushed and pulled, the crowd moving in an almost hypnotic manner. It was as if it was alive, like a river winding down the roads of the city. A sea of people that threatened to swallow Tamaki in its deep, dark waters. It swelled, it shrunk. It swerved and straightened. It was like he was looking the beast of his fear directly in its glowing eyes.

And it looked back.

What was supposed to be a short walk normally was stretched out beyond, due to the fact Tamaki had to shuffle around so many bodies that brushed against his.

Closing his eyes, he reminded himself.

'I can do this...'

Opening them, he almost didn't believe it as he looked at statue that sat directly in front of him. He had so many worries and anxious thoughts about whether he could, he didn't stop think about what would happen if he did.

And yet, he was there. The white paper in between his fingertips bearing the weight of his struggles.

He opened it, only to be greeted with a congratulations and a map...

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

You had struggled a bit and had to restart after mistaking a certain shop for the one on the map. This time, you decided you'd give it your all.

The sun was setting lower and lower in the sky, the purple color taking place of the bright orange, and the darker blue (that was almost black) taking place of the purple.

Slowly, more and more lights began flickering to life, and you panicked once again, hoping you weren't slowing things down.

Step by step, slowly but surely you eventually followed the landmarks in a chain, one by one. You let the guide lead you up to a grassy hill in the park next to town, right at a point where you could see both the town festivities and what went on in the grassy field on the other side.

It was a beautiful sight. The sun lowering with the creamy beige and pink clouds surrounding it, the flickering lights as they began to be turned on, streamers and kites rising above the city... It was magical.

You stood, simply enjoying view. You had already saw the note sitting on the tree that stated you had reached the final destination. But you weren't too bothered with that anymore.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Tamaki grunted, frowning at the map as he nervously sped around the landmarks it read. He didn't know what was expecting him, but he was tired and the anxiety of not knowing what it was drained him further. He clung onto the hope that whatever it was, it was worth the effort. He didn't know what he'd do if it was all a joke. The pain would be monumental.

He passed the statue. He curved around the bent sign. He walked past the shop. Following all these steps diligently, Tamaki was determined to make the most of his time and effort. It had to be worth it. He really hoped so.

As he was walking, Tamaki began thinking. That villain he took down... Memories began surfacing, vague and fuzzy. It was difficult, trying to bring something into sight when you can't even remember what it was you wanted to see. The more he thought, the more a distant shape began to take place, unstable and quick to fall apart if looked at too long, too delicate to handle.

Now that he thought about it, your face looked so favorite familiar...

However, Tamaki didn't have much time to think about it as he looked up to see a grassy hill - the end point of this whole thing.

He stalled, now suddenly feeling shy and timid. He remembered the initial fears he had when he first started this game, and now he didn't know what he should do.

Only, he looked up at the hill, and those fears went away. Because standing at the top, in all your glory... Was you.

You were looking off to the side, looking at the beautiful scene that played out in front of you, the golden and orange colors of the setting sun swathing you in its sheet of light, only serving to further cement the look of grace and elegance that surrounded you. You hadn't noticed him standing at the bottom of the hill, too occupied with the gentle landscape ahead of you, a look of bliss adorning your face.

And at that moment, for the first time Tamaki felt... Calm.

Calm when normally his heart would be breathing out of his chest.

Calm when normally he would've broken out into a cold sweat.

Calm when normally his head would be barraging him with terrible, fearful thoughts.

All he felt was at ease. And it was amazing, astounding even. He normally only felt comfortable whenever he was at his own house, alone.

Yet, looking at you gave him a sense of comfort, a feeling that he couldn't explain, only feel and experience.

And that's when he remembered.

All those years ago during his first year of UA, he had started interning with Fatgum. His anxiety back then was eternally much, much, worse. So much farther behind his peers, Tamaki had wondered if he'd even make it out as a hero. When all his classmates were already being seen as future heroes, when they had already taken down too many criminals and villains to count... He was still hiding his face in the wall.

He wasn't even on the clock that day, he had just been strolling around and enjoying a calm, cool day. It began to get crowded, and naturally he went to leave to somewhere less populated.

And that's when he ran into a shady figure with the same idea. There was a lady who had been walking around, hands in pockets and head down. He knew something was wrong, but he doubted his judgement.

The actual fight was blurry, he didn't remember much of that. Just the fact that he saw her placing what he knew was explosives, and a chase ensued where he also saw her locking in gates, doors, and walls to keep people from escaping.

He had looked around for a hero, nervous about whether or not he could actually do this alone. All his classmates at least had the wisdom of their mentors at their side... He was alone.

He had to steel himself that day for the first time. He had to scream at himself in his head that if he didn't do something because of his anxiety, people would die.

And he fought. And he was ahead. He was winning. The lady wasn't the best with combat, but she still put up quite a fight. Yet, Tamaki was winning, he had the upper hand. It was thrilling, yet terrifying. But still, he'd do it again to prevent the deaths of innocent people.

However at that moment, the lady split off and ran into the crowd, and Tamaki followed her without thought. He only knew something was up when a ring of shouting and worried people started to form, and he had followed the crowd. Only to see the lady holding a random person she had grabbed from the crowd, holding her hand against their head. And that person..

Was you.

It was you.. Tamaki couldn't believe he forgot. He knew your face looked familiar.

He had defeated the lady, and you had thanked him in abundance, a sweet smile decorating your relieved face.

After that, you had walked off. Only, right before that he remembered you had reached into your bag to hand him something.

What was it again?

Tamaki toiled adamantly, trying to piece together the random floating fragments of memories that flew around the vastness of his head. He thought about the past and the present, trying to come to a logical result.

Was it a trinket? No, he would've kept it.

How about a small drawing or something? No, he wouldn't put it in his pocket, and he remembered there was nothing in there.

What was it? You were a baker, so he began to believe it was a treat of some sort...

He gasped lightly to himself. That's why it all looked so familiar.

It a cookie... Decorated to look like a cat.

Too many things clashed together at once, and all Tamaki could do was look up at you in awe and nostalgia. The sounds around the park had subsided as it was getting darker, people all going inside to prepare before going to come out again in some time.

The empty air whistled around, rustling the trees and giving a slight chill to the both of you as the sun lowered even further into the darkness - not quite gone, yet not quite there.

He looked up at you solemnly once more, taking in a heavy breath as he shook at the implications that awaited him. He looked back to the time you rushed out of the bakery just for him. You had run out to still include him, even if he shied away due to his anxious thoughts.

Now it was his turn.

He walked up the hill, step by step. Bit by bit.

The entire way there he didn't take his eyes off you, not even once. His thoughts were screaming at him in his head, and his face was practically lit aflame. Yet he walked up to you with the practiced stride of that of a hero who had a deep focus he intended to complete.

You watched the sun slowly lowering, the light quivering and distorting the lower it got to the bottom of the horizon. The largest stars began to litter the sky, a balance of grey in a black and white world. Where it's not yet day, nor night.

A slight crunching off to the side caught your attention, and it suddenly hit you. You remembered the game you had played, and you stilled for a second in confusion before turning to see the source of the noise.

Eyes widening in surprise, your breath hitched as you came eye-to-eye with the person you had been wanting to see all day.

Tamaki came to a slow halt once he stood directly across from you. Neither had expected to get this far, yet it was equally desired.

Tamaki's hands broke out into a cold sweat as he trembled in place, scared yet still determined. Your heart hammered in your chest, a look of wonder taking hold of your expression.

"I-"

"You-"

Looking at each other with a bewildered appearance, a grin suddenly formed across your face as you broke out into a fit of snickers, Tamaki joining in with that crooked smile of his. He was eternally grateful you knew how to defuse his nervousness, even without particularly trying.

"I suppose... You got the notes too?"

You chuckled a bit, rubbing the back of your neck. "Yeah, I don't suppose you were the one responsible for them?"

He shook his head, a knowing smile growing on the both of your faces as you recalled two particularly mischievous friends of yours.

"No, it wasn't me, sorry."

He swallowed thickly, quickly deciding to get this over with.

"But..."

He choked on his words a bit, the idea and fear of rejection taking hold once again. He loved having you as a friend, and while the idea of being something more was certainly appealing, he couldn't risk losing what he already had. It was terrifying. Even with that small part that constantly screamed for him to get over it.

You smiled softly, a silent understanding. "But..." You parroted, stepping forward and gently taking his hand in yours.

He felt the connection, and you both went silent, only looking at your intertwined hands. He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to force the words out. All that came out was his hand enclosing yours.

Yet it spoke so much more than words could've.

The sun had completely gone down at this point, leaving the two of you to depend on the few surrounding street lights that were placed farther below. The darkness was comforting in a way, and Tamaki felt a little more at ease without his sight constantly worrying him.

If he looked closely enough however, he could trace the outlines of your face, the soft light of the curved moon lighting up the edges of your jaw and nose, along with adding a slight shimmer to your eyes. The darkness took away most of his sight, but it strengthened his other senses. Such as the feeling of your warm, soft hand in his.

The cool breeze blew by once more. A setting that Tamaki knew he was comfortable with.

You were about to say something, when you felt a gentle tug on your hand. Looking back up, you saw the silhouette of Tamaki looking back at you, gesturing gently downwards towards an empty field of grass at the bottom of the hill.

You silently followed, a giddy grin on your face and fuzzy feelings in your stomach. You both stumbled down, softly laughing at the clumsiness caused because of the lack of light. Your laughter rang out like sweet chimes and bells to Tamaki, and he wanted to hear more. He wanted to see you smile more. For you to be more content. All around him, with him, because of him.

You both came to a stop in the middle of the flourishing grassy area, filled with moist plants trying to cling to your legs and the calming aroma that was caused from the rain that fell the night before. You giggled and grabbed Tamaki's other hand, unknowingly giving him a slight confidence boost that was so badly needed for him.

He smiled at your cheerful state, thrilled that this wasn't going bad as he feared. He looked at you directly, silently diverting your attention to him. Tamaki smiled kindly before turning to look at the expanse of grass that grew tall and short all around you.

You turned to try to see what he was looking at, and Tamaki looked at you from the corner of his eye with a tender smile before softly brushing his arm over some of the taller grasses that grew, causing them to gently sway. You were about to ask him the reasoning behind his odd behavior, but your question died out before you could get it out of your throat.

What had caught your attention was little yellow and golden glowing specks that flickered to life before hazily floating around in the air, some almost as if they were half asleep, others shooting around as if they were a coiled spring waiting to jump to life.

They were fireflies. Tons of them.

You looked up around you in awe, and for a split second Tamaki was grateful for his secluded lifestyle, only knowing of this trick after years of visiting this grassy plain since he was a child. It was a secret only few knew of, and he was more than willing to share it with you. The look on your face caused him no regrets - a first in his life.

You continued looking around at the fluttering orbs of light, their soft glows weakly illuminating the area. It was surreal in a way, and the constant feeling that you were floating around in outer space never left you.

Letting out a soft chuckle, Tamaki gingerly squeezed your hand a little, seeing no way in which he'd allow this moment to be ruined by his nervous thoughts.

Laughing in response, you grabbed his hand tighter in yours, and with you leading the way you both walked around the field together, igniting many more of the fireflies to begin flying around at the disturbance in the grass. All around you now they fluttered, their glow flickering and buzzing. It was as if little stars were surrounding you, always in constant motion.

The sounds of the people beginning to come out started trickling in, fading in from small laughs and chatting and growing into an inferno of singing, clanking, yells and screeches of joy from little children and the barking of a random dog every now and then. The festivals were starting, but luckily they were held on the other side of the park, it being split in two by a thick layer of trees heavy with leaves.

Your attention was brought back to Tamaki again as he feebly tugged your hand once more, avoiding eye contact with you when you turned by directing his attention to ground, timidly rubbing the nape of his neck.

Reaching out a hand, you softly brought his head up to look you in the eyes, offering him a kind smile when he followed suit. He felt inside of his mouth grow dry and his heart skipped a beat. You looked too lovely for him to handle, the light caused by the flames of the lamps being set out illuminating you in a dreamlike manner.

"So... About those notes" you started.

His eyes flickered up to yours for a second before just as quickly flittering back away. "I'm sorry if they caused any trouble... "

He looked down further at the ground, the swaying grass helping to comfort him a bit. He liked being outdoors, being one with nature.

"But... Whatever they held... Ne-never compared to how I really feel about you"

Darn, the stuttering was kicking in. He needed to get his words out or it'll get worse. He didn't think he'd be able to bear the embarrassment.

"Tamaki-"

He grabbed your other hand in shaking grip. All inside, his body and mind was going into overdrive, he was melting from the inside out. His brain screamed and his body trembled. Things were falling apart, deteriorating. But he wasn't going to leave without you at least knowing how he felt. He was terrified. But bravery isn't the absence of fear. It's being courageous in the company of fear. Fatgum taught him that.

Time to be brave.

"I can't keep this from you anymore, and-and I'll understand if you don't feel the same. I-I'll get it..."

He took a deep breath before looking you in the eyes.

"I really don't want to lose you... So ple-please, if this is stupid, please tell me now. I want you in my life anyway I can-"

Before he finished you squeezed his hands, cutting him off. "I can never leave you. I never want you to worry about that, okay?" Your voice was soft and serene.

Tamaki gulped and nodded. "I have this weird feeling when i'm with you, I can't explain it, but I know it's a good feeling..."

"...So please... [Name]"

He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying to get it out quickly enough before his mind could retort.

"Iloveyousorry.." (I love you, sorry)

He froze in place, not even bothering trying to take his hands back from you to his side. He simply stilled, every inch of him frozen in terror, worry, and anticipation. He's never even felt this anxious over any of the villains he fought.

A thick silence weighed down upon the two of you as you tried to take it all in. It was heavy, the sheer power of three simple words.

You could see Tamaki beginning to shake more and more, and through his shut eyes you saw small tears forming. Quickly jumping into action, you attempted to calm him down.

"Hey... calm down, it's okay." You rubbed his hands in yours with your thumb, trying to urge him to look up at you. He didn't speak, only shaking his head to the side a bit.

"Tamaki..."

You looked down at the ground too, your own stomach fluttering and heart thumping in your chest. Now it's your turn.

"I... I love you too."

Clearly not expecting that response, Tamaki blinked opened his eyes, slowly pulling his head back up to look at you once again. He looked at you in silence for a second, caught off guard by the response.

"You.." he then pointed to himself, dazed. "M-me...?"

You shook your head, chuckling a little.

"Yes, you. Yes, I love you. It's always been you, just you and only you..."

"You're everything I've always wanted and more..." He whispered lightly, stunned and barely holding it all together. He felt lightheaded, and drunk on joy. His heart no longer beat in aching desperation, but rather now for you. His mind no longer screamed at him but rather sat silently, you being the only one that was able to make the painful words disappear.

The wind bristled the leaves of the trees and caused the tall blades of grass surrounding you to flutter and quiver. Someone was cooking something nearby, because the smell of warm cooked foods wafted through the air. Laughter rung about and filled the area with a sense of comfort.

Time seemed to freeze around the both of you, the feeling of being the only ones to exist engulfing you both entirely as you looked each other eye in loving eye.

You both seemed to be drawn in by each other's presence, as if a magnet was pulling you towards each other. Soon enough, you both were barely inches from each other. You looked up at him, simply enjoying each other's company in comfortable silence.

"Can I... Can I hug you?" You broke the barrier with your question, and for the first time Tamaki saw you nervous. You, the one who was just as boisterous as Mirio and Nejire. You, who was friendly with everyone you ran into. You, who was now standing in front of him, fiddling with your fingers in his hands and switching your weight on each foot as you fidgeted from side to side.

He shook his head, a small tender smile growing on face. "I'd like that..."

You leaned in, a little surprised to see Tamaki leaning in as well to meet you halfway. Both your arms wrapped around each other in a loving, silent embrace. He rested his head on your shoulder, and you noticed his grip was light, too afraid of squeezing you too tight.

Staying that way for a couple minutes, you both visibly relaxed at the relief that came with the realization that it was all over. No more games. No more desperate pinning. No more lonely heartaches. You had him and he had you.

Feeling Tamaki begin to pull away slightly, both your faces warmed when you realized just how close you both were. He stuttered a bit, quietly to himself, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Can I... - no sorry, forget I said anything"

He tried diverting his attention to the ground again, although you noticed he never removed his arms from around you, both not wanting to leave the warmth and comfort of the other. You gently brought him to face you again.

"No, no... You can ask me anything. Please don't worry about any judgment from me, I'm not going to get upset with you."

He slightly brought in some air through his teeth, creating a light hissing sound as he debated over it, ultimately deciding to go for it.

"May I... I-is it if I kiss you?" His voice grew quieter as he spoke, until it was almost unintelligible at the end - which it possibly would've been if you weren't so close to him.

Your face warmed as your heart hammered away once again, a shy smile forming on your lips.

"I'd... Like that. Please"

He nodded, and without any further words leaned in, connecting to you in a quick, sweet peck. He pulled away for a second, but you leaned in and crashed your lips against his once more. He froze for a second, face burning hot, before finally melting into your embrace. His hand moved from around your back to settling on your waist, content and comfortable.

The moment was tender and soft, and the two of you were too wrapped up in each other to pay any attention to the fireworks that blazed across the sky in their colorful glory, marking the peak of the festival.

Pulling away, you both looked at each other for a split second, before Tamaki burst into red, pulling you a little closer and nuzzling his head in the crook of your neck, the red reaching all the way up to his ears.

You simply held him close just as he did to you as well, both reveling in the loving solace you brought one another. The fireworks continued to go off. The fireflies were still flickering. People were laughing, and music was still being played.

You smiled as you turned to Tamaki, the smile growing at how content he was while holding you in his arms.

"Tamaki...?"

He opened his eyes, pulling away to look at you clearly. "Yes?"

"Do you want to go look at to festival with me?"

At that moment Tamaki realized just how drained he was. That game had taken most of the day to complete, and being constantly surrounded by people along with the anxiety that was brought on by his worrying about confessing only served to drain him further.

"I'm a little tired..."

"It's alright, we can get something to eat and then head home."

He smiled softly and held you tenderly, completely enamored by how you were so loving and kind.

"I'd like that..."

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"So-o ~"

Mirio teased Tamaki as they walked through the hallways to the cafeteria.

"I-it's nothing, Mirio" Tamaki groaned in response, regretting having let his friends in on what had went down only a few nights before.

You had both agreed to start seeing each other officially, and soon enough Tamaki became a regular at the bakery you worked at, much to Mirio's and Nejire's delight.

"Seems like it's something to me!"

Nejire piped, am equally teasing look on her face as well.

Tamaki could only groan and hide his face in his hands as Mirio and Nejire congratulated him, with Mirio patting him in the back with his good hearted nature.

Tamaki was eternally grateful he had you in his life. You helped him see things about himself he never knew before, helping to boost his confidence a smidge along with easing his anxiety levels. In a way, you were his new emotional comfort, no longer needing to hide his face in the walls as much (he'd just go to you for a hug instead).

And it was all because of a little cat cookie.

∴∵∴ ୨୧ ∴∵∴ ୨୧ ∴∵∴ ୨୧ ∴∴∵∴ ୨୧ ∴∵∴ ୨୧ ∴∵∴

BONUS:

"I knew she looked familiar!" The blue haired girl exclaimed.

"Yeah, but he's never going to admit he has feelings for her anytime soon, you have any ideas?" The blond boy questioned, his finger on his chin.

"Ooh! I know! What if we write them confession letters, and sign them from each other!" The girl came up with.

"Hmm, I was going to say Scavenger Hunt, but I like that idea too"

The girl hummed in thought, when a mischievous smile broke out across her face.

"Why don't we combine them?"

The blond chuckled, an equally wily smile growing on his own face as well, his blue eyes sparkling playfully.

"I like the sound of that. They'll be sure to have lots of fun!"

Fun for them, maybe.

A/N:

I'm sorry if that wasn't the best! It's not exactly what I normally write, but it was still such fun writing anyways! ୧꒰*´꒳`*꒱૭✧

Also for some reason a lot of my friends were particularly interested in seeing how this one turned out [probably because it's the first romance I've written wwww ( ´⁠ε⁠｀⁠ ⁠) ]

I hope you liked this at least a little, I tried rather hard with this one because I wanted it to be realistic but not boring, and fluffy but not embarrassing to read ヾ（´▽｀）

Requests are open! Tags are open! Feel free to ask anything or let me know of any feedback/comments you have! I appreciate it a lot! (ृ´͈ ᵕ `͈ ृ )

Thank you all again! I hope you have a lovely day! ⁠♡

年2023/月05/日10

[randy-jester]

My Imaginary Ride The Cyclone Hybrid Live-Action and Animation Feature Film that only exists in my head: Part 2

Here's the link to Part 1!

Apologies for splitting it into 2 parts. Tumblr literally wouldn't let me post it as one big chunk. 😭

Continuing on:

To refresh: This would be a hybrid film that combines both live action and animated segments. The majority of the movie would be shot in live-action under a sepia filter, but all of the choir member's songs would be animated with different art styles. "What The World Needs" is in CGI Disney style, "Noel's Lament" is black-and-white 2D animation, "This Song is Awesome" is stylized graffiti, and "Talia" is in watercolor.

Of course, "Space Age Bachelor Man" will use an art style resembling Silver Age comics (which, fun fact, is around the time Silver Surfer was introduced). The song sequence will actually show most of the events Ricky details in his fantasies (ie., him getting abducted to Planet Zolar, laying with the sexy cat women, stopping the war between K-9 and Zolar, etc.).

Side Note: We don't actually see Ricky get freaky on screen. But we do see him and the kitties in snippets of suggestive action accompanied by on-screen sound bubbles every time Ricky says "Meow!". (This movie is already getting an R-rating for every time Noel says "Fucked Up Girl".)

Another side note: I know that in the 2018 version of RTC, Constance plays the "Zolarian Queen". But because this is MY movie concept, I get to do what I want. And I say Jane Doe is the Zolarian Queen instead (SpaceDolls 4 Ever! <3).

"Ballad of Jane Doe" will be in stop motion (either using paper or puppets). In the first half, we see her recount the accident. She looks like how she does now (with the doll head). She hits the ground right before "And from the ground beneath my feet", and her head falls off. We see her laying headless on the ground for a some time while other carnival patrons are screaming and getting away from her. On "Just John and Me" she stumbles back to her feet. And on "Forever Eternally Jane Doe" she screws her head back on.

In the next verse, we see Jane try to reach out to the other carnival goers, essentially trying to identify her family and friends. When she finds none, Jane boards the rollercoaster again on "Time eats all his children in the end"

Essentially, the idea is that because it's her only memory, Jane is forced re-live the accident over and over again through her song sequence. She desperately wants to find out who she is and what her past was. But the only memory she has to dig through is that of the accident.

She falls to the ground again on "Forever Eternally Jane Doe". Then gets dragged onto the ride a third time by carnies. She looks tired like she doesn't even want to do this anymore. On "Like John I'll be eternally a forgotten name, some lost refrain" we see her fly and float through the air (like how the other choir kids did during Uranium suite). But this time she never hits the ground. Instead, at the end of the song, she just reappears in the warehouse.

Constance's song, "Sugar Cloud", is the only individual segment that isn't animated. Instead, it's shot in live-action, but in full technicolor! Think like how vibrant Barbieland looked in the Barbie movie. Like that. The reason why "Sugar Cloud" is in live-action is because Constance is romanticizing her life as it was, rather than what it could have been.

Constance begins her first verses, still in sepia, at the warehouse. But when she goes "Let me take you away", she struts forward and the scenery changes behind her to that bright technicolor look. And instead of being at the warehouse, they're back at the carnival. But everything is bright and sunny and idealistic.

During Constance's recorder solo, the choir gets new outfits that reflect each of their personalities. The outfits magically poof on out of thin air. The choir members keep these new outfits for the duration of the song, then go back to their school uniforms after the sequence is over.

When Jane Doe is chosen to live again, her body fades away, leaving behind a roll of film. Ricky slides this film into a projector, and the choir watches the reel of Penny Lamb’s life together.

After Karnak’s death, we see the sepia filter lift off from the film. Along with it, we finally get to see how much decay and disrepair has taken over the warehouse. The choir members have a spiritual glow around their bodies.

The choir members perform the last song, “It’s Not A Game/It’s Just a Ride” inside the warehouse. As the sun rises, their bodies fade away.

Title card rolls at the sound of crashing metal.

[sirfrogsworth]

Sometimes when my mental health goes to shit there is a delay before I realize it. For days all of my mental defenses have been down. The filter I use when talking to people has been malfunctioning. I've been feeling everything 100% full force and just saying whatever pops into my head.

Both can get me into trouble.

I don't think that incident with my friend was my fault, nor was that exchange with that visually impaired person who said I was shitty for not having any extra energy to accommodate him. But I let those things get to me and I lost sleep and made myself even sicker.

I should have unplugged days ago and taken a mental health break from the internet. I just did not have the self awareness to see I was having this issue. Last month was just incredibly stressful and it caught up to me. Aside from the car battery drama, I'm in the process of clearing out everything my mom collected over her entire life.

It's... alot.

I am running on fumes and when my brain doesn't have the energy to protect itself, social media can just be filled with landmines for my mental health.

Perhaps I didn't want to see it. My writing output had increased quite a bit. After my dad died I wasn't even sure if I could write anymore. And though I'm not creating the mega-researched comedy essays of the past, I started feeling like I was close to getting back to there. Part of me didn't want to unplug.

But I think I'm going to start with the weekend. I'll probably still hang around my Tumblr and work on all of those drafts that have been sitting there unfinished. Just because I don't have much else to do. But I'm going into deep lurk mode and staying the hell away from Twitter.

Err... X.

Nope, still can't call it that.

But mostly I'll try to just watch movies and relax and avoid the world for a bit.

[sotvtaughtmehowtofeel]

let's talk tags

There are lots of posts out there about why reblogging is so important to tumblr and it is. Reblogging without tags still helps more people see the post, so I'm certainly not saying add tags or stop reblogging. Sometimes you don't have the spoons, sometimes you don't have anything to add, sometimes you're in a rush. It happens! Tagless reblogs are still reblogs and every reblog is a win for tumblr. But I know empty reblogs are super common now and I'm wondering if people (esp people coming from other platforms) don't quite understand the tagging system/culture?? so let's talk about it

1. When you post something, the tags are how other people find it. Your followers will see something you post even without tags on their dash, but other people only find them when they're looking in a tag (like a fandom or character tag). Tags are also important for people who want to filter a certain tag (to avoid spoilers or because they just don't like the content). Importantly (and I semi-recently learned this myself), tags on reblogs don't help anyone else find the posts. Reblogging helps other people see it, but tags on a reblog don't add anything beyond that. Adding fandom or character tags on a post is for your own organization.

2. Tags can help you find things on your own blog. Do you like things to find them later? Do you get frustrated trying to find things again in your likes? If you reblog something and tag it, you can search the tag on your own blog to find it later. tumblr is a little bit of a garbage site (but it's OUR garbage site), so tags don't always work lol but you have a much better chance of finding it again this way than you do scrolling through hundreds of liked posts.

3. Tags are for reactions! This is what I refer to as "tag culture". A decade ago, everyone on the fandom side of tumblr was screaming in the tags. It's fun. It's fun for creators to see your reactions to things we make, it's fun for your followers to read your thoughts on things, it's fun for mutuals to talk back and forth in tags. Tags are how you get to know the personalities of other people on tumblr. Tags are why it's not boring to scroll past the same gifset 6 times because you get to see 6 different takes on it. Tags are how you can react to what other people are saying about a post while keeping the post in circulation so more people can see it and react to it.

Scream in tags. Be a little unhinged. Join the fun.

[artemistorm]

Why Podfics are Important

A big part of why I like podfics so much is because to me it is an accessibility feature. There are times when I cannot look at a screen due to light sensitivity or I don't have spoons/brainpower to interact on Tumblr or or I'm too unfocused to read a fic but I still wanna be distracted and think about blorbos and podfics are perfect for that.

The problem is that there aren't very many of them.

When I first discovered them, I filtered for LU fics with no smut or MCD and there were only like 27 podfics. I listened to all of them in about 2 days. I was disappointed there weren't more, but the ones that were there were all excellent. So I asked myself why not try my hand at making them?

It took me about a week to figure out how to record audio, edit, where and how to host it, and how to link to AO3; and now that I know how to do it, I can record and post a fic in a couple of hours. You don't get alot of attention or fanfare for doing it--podfics are nowhere near as popular as ordinary fics, but it's a public service and its just plain fun. Actually its addicting. Every time I finish recording and posting a podfic my brain is like a sled dog pulling on a rope begging "More! Do more podfics!"

In an ideal world, I think every fic should have a podfic version. It would benefit everyone, not just disabled people. Not only are they good for low spoons time, they're also great for ordinary times when you're doing chores or riding the bus or something and you want something to listen to, just like you would listen to any other podcast. Not to mention the fact that by making podfics, you get to learn the valuable modern skill of recording audio and posting it.

I have a motto: "Try anything once," meaning, I'm game to try out learning any new thing and there's no commitment to do it long term or even do it more than that one time. Its just fun to learn and experiment. I've been trying a new thing every year for the past several years and have had fun gaining a bunch of oddball jack-of-all-trades skills like slacklining, longboarding, watercolor, digital art, and podfics.

I'd like to encourage everyone to try making a podfic and seeing how they like it (it does take a couple of podfics to really get your feet under you though). If you like it, or if you're willing and able to, making more podfics would be an invaluable service to provide for the fandom. And if you can't make podfics for whatever reason, why not just listen to a podfic and drop a kudos or comment or something to let the person doing them know that you appreciate it?

If anyone wants to know how to podfic, please feel free to reach out to me and I'll do what I can to help. Also, I'll be putting together a "how to make a podfic" post in the near future so keep an eye out for that.

[writingforfishes]

This is all Worm's Fault

@worm-writes-hicfics, congratulations. This is completely your fault.

This is a hicfic fanfic from Ha.zbin H.otel.

The character's names are broken up by periods to hopefully be more difficult in searching for by the non-hiccups kink tumblr community.

This particular fandom is pretty big and passionate. I'm good with this fiction not gaining much attention past other hiccup kinksters.

If someone happens to find it that isn't into hiccups that's actually not a big deal because this fic is literally the tamest hic fic I have ever written.

It is saccharine sweet. It is teeth rotting. No one has any arousal whatsoever. It is completely unfiltered because there is no reason to filter it.

I will still do CW's because for people not familiar with the fandom it might be needed.

CW's

Lots of language. F-words, s-words. If that's not your jam, do a scroll.

Also mentions of porn and a porn star character.

Alcohol mentions.

This takes place is Hel, btw.

The characters are demons.

One character is an arachnid inspired demon and thus has many limbs.

The other is a winged cat.

Mentions of an abusive boss.

Painful hiccups that have gone on for a while (but they do end).

I do ask if you reblog this you please do not put the fandom or characters in the tags unfiltered.

“Hmlk!-uh...hrmlk!-fuck!”

An.gel had been hiccuping for almost an hour in front of Hu.sk’s bar. He’d been leaning on the bar top as they’d been having a 'casual' chat about their 'bosses'. (AKA, bitching and complaining.) At first the hiccups didn’t seem to bother him. They’d tried some tried and true bartender cures, but An.gel admitted that when he got the hiccups it was impossible to cure them. That seemed to be holding true.

“Why don’t you just let them out? It can’t help keeping them in like that,” Hu.sk noted, lazily cleaning the glasses they’d used.

It was late and everyone else in the hotel had retired to...whatever they did. Hu.sk really couldn’t find himself caring about the others outside of when they were bothering them with participation or drinking from his bar. At least that’s what he told himself.

“Cause they’re hrmlk!-loud as fuck!” An.gel spat. The spider-demon curled in on himself a little and Hu.sk hid a fond smile as he looked down to put away the glass he’d wiped clean.

The bartender didn’t mention that there was literally no one in the lobby to hear the hiccups, but perhaps An.gel perceived that his hiccups could be possibly heard from inside the rooms. If he didn’t, Hu.sk assumed An.gel was embarrassed for Hu.sk, himself, to hear them. It was an endearing concept. He tried not to let it linger.

“So? You’re loud all the time,” Hu.sk scoffed, regaining his gruff manner. No need to show An.gel his soft side too much, yet. Or ever.

“Yeah sm—smart guy hrrrmlk!-fuck!” the porn star rubbed into the fur on his chest, on his sternum, and squinted his eyes in mild pain. “But I can control that. Hrmlk’kl!-fucking shit! Ow!”

They hadn’t seemed to cause An.gel this much discomfort when they’d started, but they’d been going on for a while and seemed to be getting worse.

“They sound painful,” Hu.sk noted. “So, you okay just being in pain over a little embarrassment?”

“Hey n—nothing wrong with hmmp’k!-with a little bit-mmmpk!-bit of pain. MMK’K! Owwwww.”

An.gel’s head collapsed on the bar. He pulled one set of arms up to cover it while the other wrapped around his lithe body. When the next hiccup hit his entire abdomen jolted and he whined again.

“Yeah...I can see that…” Hu.sk noted, dryly.

“Shut nnnk!-up!” An.gel replied, muffled with the bar against his mouth.

After a few seconds of watching and listening to the pitiful creature continuing to hiccup and whimper as he continued to press his head against the surface of the bar (no doubt leaving a facial smear that Hu.sk would have to polish away) the owl cat sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Sorry if I’m an-hnnk!-annoying ya. I’ll leave hlmk!-leave if ya want. Try to hngk!-to sleep these b—bastards off mmk! Ugh…” An.gel said to Hu.sk’s sigh. He’d lifted his head from the bar finally, eyes narrowed in exhaustion tinged with pain and annoyance.

And sure, Hu.sk thought, that might have been a tactic to get attention. But the facial expression seemed more genuine than An.gel’s usual put-ons for attention. Too subtle. And Hu.sk may have been cynical, but he’d like to think he’d stopped being outright cruel. Unless it was deserved.

“No-no. That’s not what I was sighin’ about,” he grumbled. “It’s just-I know something that might help but I’m trying to decide how to do it without you thinking I’m coming on to you.”

An.gel’s eyes widened a little at the admission, eyes full of curiosity and suspicion.

“Why wouldn’t y-nngk!-you wanna come on NNK’L!-ow!-onto me?” he said, with a fair amount of teasing.

It’s not like An.gel hadn’t literally thrown himself at him multiple times in the past. Admittedly, it was before he’d started to develop...he didn’t want to call it ‘feelings’. Having ‘feelings’ for someone felt dirtier than any other thing he’d ever done on tape or stage. It was before he developed something for Hu.sk.

“Ugh, dude, I just don’t wanna be like all your other...whatevers. Listen, if you don’t want me to help that’s fine,” Hu.sk said grumpily.

“Okay o-HNGK!-kay! Ow…” An.gel said and paused to wince at the intensity of that hiccup. “I’ll take an—any help I can gEH!et at this point!”

Hu.sk eyeballed him before tightening his lips over his teeth and then seeming to come to a decision. He casually removed his hat. He could tell An.gel take interest in the motion but a glare from him prevented the performer from commenting.

“Go lay down on the couch and try to relax. I’ll meet you over there,” he said shortly.

“O...k-hlnk!-kay…” An.gel said, with some suspicion.

“Oh, relax. I’m not gonna scare you or anything. ‘Sides, doubt you’d scare easily anyway. I just gotta clean your face smear off the bar and I’ll be over there,” Hu.sk said. “Try to get relaxed, okay?”

He didn’t maintain eye contact with An.gel so, confused, An.gel did what he said. He reclined on the sofa but had a hard time relaxing. Some of it was because the way his body jostled with each hiccup that he continued to stubbornly suppress was painful. Some of it was the anticipation of not knowing what Hu.sk had planned. And, he admitted, some of that anticipation was excitement.

Hu.sk grabbed a rag and rubbed at the imprint of An.gel’s face as he watched that face winced with pain as An.gel settled onto the couch. For a moment he seemed to relax as he reclined. How long had Val had him on his feet today? How long on his back? Hu.sk didn’t want to think about it.

But the second An.gel hiccuped again his back arched and a flash of pain came over those flamboyant features. The expression was much more subtle than Hu.sk was used to An.gel making. It let him know it was real and not a put-on. One of An.gel’s hands was back on his chest, and another seemed to massage his ribs while a third ran up and down his abdomen.

Hu.sk sighed again. He really hoped he could offer some help. And oh how his old self would have laughed at that.

Hu.sk came over finally. He wiped his hands awkwardly on his pants, unexpectedly nervous.

“Long time no s-hlmk!-see!” An.gel said, flirtation being a natural state of being. But it wasn’t lavish or exaggerated so Hu.sk didn’t feel affronted by it.

“You okay with me-um-layin’ on top of you?” Hu.sk asked.

“S-HLNK!-sure?” An.gel agreed with confusion. He rubbed his chest again.

“Not, like, sexual or anything. And keep your hands to fuckin’ self. If I feel one of them copping a feel, I’m out. And don’t think I’m not aware of those two little ones you keep hidden away. I mean it. I think this’ll help but this ain’t about sex or fuckin’ or some shit, okay?” Hu.sk said gruffly.

An.gel’s eyes got wide. He honestly didn’t even know how to respond to that. He spread his hands away from his torso and nodded in compliance.

“Got it. No hlmk!-no funny business. Hlmp!” The last hiccup came out in a squeak that An.gel tried to hide the embarrassment of.

“Okay. And if you tell anybody about this…” Hu.sk warned. His eyes intensified in such a way that the power Alastor had helped him retain was more than visible.

“I-hngk!-I promise! Jeez!” An.gel exclaimed, eyes wide.

Hu.sk’s facial features calmed down. He folded his wings tighter onto his back, feeling the feather’s lay against his shoulders softly. He, very delicately, lay atop An.gel until he was right over him, face hovering over his. Giving a glance to the pink eyes he closed his own and softly put his head right below An.gel’s on the soft chest.

“This is HNK!-uh kinda weird…” An.gel admitted.

Hu.sk growled a little, which An.gel could feel through his body, but it stopped, and he could feel Hu.sk’s body go a little heavier.

“I know,” Hu.sk muttered, “just gimme a second.”

“You know h-hmpk!-how much I charge f—for a second for this much hmlpk!-much closeness?” An.gel snapped. He felt Hu.sk’s body tense again and saw his eyes crack open in annoyance. “Sorry, force of h-HMPLK!-ugh, habit!”

Hu.sk felt An.gel’s body jerk into his with each hiccup. He could feel his chest jump and the thump in his stomach. Not wonder he’d been in pain. These things were violent, moreso than An.gel had let on.

When he’d asked An.gel how long he’d had them An.gel had said he’d had them on and off all day. This case had lasted an hour before he came to the bar. Val had actually made him go back to the hotel because of them. Apparently, Val hated hiccups. It annoyed the moth demon to the point of anger. Though Hu.sk hadn’t asked, he wondered if Val had gotten violent at An.gel for having them. He’d seen no mars or black eyes on him, but he’d watched him more carefully after Val’s hatred for something as innocuous and uncontrollable as hiccups was revealed.

“Um...mmpk!” An.gel uttered jerking again as he hiccuped with a grunt. He wasn’t sure what was supposed to be happening or if he was supposed to be doing anything.

“Lemme focus, okay?” Hu.sk said. He knew An.gel was getting impatient. But he couldn’t just turn it on.

“Can I-hmpk!-lay my hands on you? In a-hnk!-a totally hnk!-totally non-sex-hlmp!-sexual way!” An.gel said, the last bit said quickly. His hiccups sped up in kind.

“Yeah, that’s fine,��� Hu.sk decided.

Hu.sk felt the weight of all four of An.gel’s hands, then. Three settled on his wings. One found its way on his head.

“This ok-hmk’l!-okay?” An.gel asked.

“Yeah. Fine.”

Hu.sk’s dry retort covered up the genuine niceness it felt to be touched in such a delicate way. It was a way he hadn’t expected An.gel to be. He felt soft caresses to his wings and fingers rubbing his head. It wasn’t intrusive. It was...nice. Really fucking nice.

An.gel was smiling down at the bartender as he relaxed more onto his body. It was awkward being so physically close to someone without expectation. An.gel never really considered himself into cuddling but having Hu.sk consenting to lay on him platonically was starting to convert him.

He usually felt too overwhelmed with what someone wanted him to do or be with physical closeness and no actual fucking. In addition to feeling oddly calm with Hu.sk’s closeness, the boy was soft all over. His feathers, his fur, for all of Hu.sk’s sharp personality edges his body was incredibly comfortable. Was it An.gel’s fault that petting him was too tempting to pass up? If Hu.sk wanted, he would stop, but Hu.sk certainly seemed like he was okay with the situation.

If not for the damn hiccups that spiked pain every time they happened, An.gel would be completely content. But then he started to feel vibrations, not the sexy toy-related kind, either. These were vibrations deep within Hu.sk’s body. And, in a second, An.gel understood what Hu.sk’s intention had been. He was purring on purpose. He was purring for An.gel. And boy did that unlock feelings in the porn star he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to fully acknowledge.

“HNGNK!” An.gel emitted with another painful jerk. He squeezed his eyes tight and tried to focus on the vibrations and the sound of Hu.sk’s purrs. It was one of the hardest hiccups yet.

“Fuck, man. Just let them out, An.gel,” Hu.sk said, his voice’s timbre joining with the deep purring he focused on the demon below him. “It’s just you and me, here. I can feel how much they’re jerkin’ you. I ain’t gonna judge.”

An.gel looked down to Hu.sk’s eyes glinting up at him. He could see Hu.sk’s fur vibrating lightly on his throat as he purred.

“Ugh! Fine! ...HU’ILK!” The hiccup shrieked out of him, and he could feel Hu.sk flinch and saw his ears flatten briefly.

“Holy shit!” Hu.sk exclaimed.

“Sorry! HI’ILP! I tried to w-HU’ILP!-warn ya!” An.gel apologized. “It does HU’ILK!-does feel better when I let them out though. HI’EEK!”

“It’s okay. Just gotta...acclimate. Damn, kid. You did say you had powerful lungs, huh?” Hu.sk said, still purring despite the shock.

“Aw you re-HEE’EEP!-remembered! Yeah, great for a-HILK’M!-a lot of things. Hiccups ain’t one of them,” An.gel said with a chuckle that ended in another loud and powerful hiccup. “I can go back to HEELP’M!-to keeping them in if you want?”

“Naw. You keep doing what makes you feel better. I’ll deal. Is it-uh-helping? At all?” Hu.sk asked.

An.gel nodded.

“Yeah. It HU’ILP!-uh, it feels nice, actually. HU’ULP!” An.gel sighed at the deeper hiccup before continuing a little breathlessly, “thanks for doin’ this, Hu.sk.”

“Yeah, sure,” Hu.sk muttered. “Like I said, just don’t tell anyone, k? I can let my reputation gettin’ fucked up cause you blabbed that I purred on you.”

“I pro-HERP!-mise!” An.gel said.

“You what?” Hu.sk said, chuckling.

“Fuck you,” An.gel said, with a good-natured laugh.

“Nah, I’m good.”

“Mmm hu’ERK!-one day,” An.gel said, giving Hu.sk’s head another massage as his purrs intensified sending deep and comforting vibrations through his torso and chest in a way that felt way more intimate than anything else he’d ever done with another person.

It should have scared him to feel such intimacy, he should feel the need to run away. But instead An.gel stayed, feeling the healing purrs that covered him and the soft warm weight that blanketed him. He felt...safe? Yes. What a foreign concept. What a scary thing to feel. It felt so delicate and uncertain to feel safe. It felt so temporary. But he allowed himself to feel it for the moment and reminded himself it wasn’t forever and that made him feel less antsy about accepting it.

“Maybe…” Hu.sk finally muttered.

An.gel didn’t dare to respond to that. He just stroked Hu.sk’s head again and gripped his wings a little tighter with his bottom pair of arms. The porn star honestly couldn’t care less about ever having sex with Hu.sk; if he could have him like this whenever he wanted, it would be more than enough.

He was so in his own thoughts that it took a few minutes to realize that his hiccups had finally stopped. Hu.sk hadn’t moved. Purrs still rolled louder and softer with his breaths. His hand lightly touched An.gel’s shoulder. His other sidled along An.gel’s lower shoulder on the opposite side. His legs intertwined with An.gel’s in the most innocent of ways. His wings had loosened from their hold against his back, and one had started to flop over the sofa’s front and down to the floor, too heavy for An.gel’s grip to hold them together.

An.gel took a deep, cleansing breath that was finally uninterrupted by spasms of his diaphragm and watched Hu.sk’s head rise and fall on his chest. The owl cat demon’s purrs grew louder for a moment and then settled into their regular pattern. An.gel smiled softly at him as his eyes gave a slow blink at the bartender’s doze.

Several minutes later An.gel himself dozed off. And when Cha.rlie ambled down in the middle of the night to see about a glass of water she was barely able to contain a squeal as she spotted the two in such a truly adorable position. They were both so uncharacteristically relaxed and so cuuuute omg!

But for all of Cha.rlie’s joy and excitement she never did reveal her findings to anyone in the hotel, even Va.ggie. Somehow, she thought that neither one of her friends would appreciate anyone else knowing of their precious cuddle puddle nap she’d walked in on. But the next day every time she saw them, she let out a small squeak and grinned like a loon.