#no really she can get SO long like bunnies are very stretchy | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

closedafterdark · 4 years ago

Note

THANKYOU!! for writing the hyunjin scenario it was amazing!! Your writing is really good. If it okay can you write about kimlip? Where she tries to prove that she's a better fuck than heejin? Thankyou again!!!

Thanks to @nsfwtwicecatcher for helping me with this.

“Ahh, it feels so good to be home.”

Jeon Heejin kicks off her shoes and runs inside the apartment, not bothering to unpack anything from your week-long vacation. You watch her cutely jump onto your bed, landing on her tummy and sprawling her entire body. Heejin was still a kid at heart, just one of the many things you loved about her.

“Babe, we have to do laundry and clean the house. We haven’t been home in awhile.” you said, sitting down next to her.

“Oppa, you’re no fun!” she pouted, puffing her cheeks at you.

“Come on, my little bunny. We’ll feel so much better after doing these chores. We can even lounge around everywhere and order in.” you said, pinching her soft stretchy cheeks.

“Hmph.” she said, fixing your hair. “But we’re going to do more than just lounge tonight.”

“Was spending almost the entire vacation in bed not enough for you?” you asked.

“No! You forgot our bubble tea and on top of that, you fucked that bitch Hyunjin in the rental car.” Heejin replied.

You leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips.

“I told you I was sorry, baby. Plus I’m pretty sure whatever anger you had, you used in the bedroom.”

Heejin smirked as she climbed on top of you, kissing you slowly and passionately as you two fell back onto the bed.

“Bunny loves when daddy compliments her.” she replied.

“You do? Well, daddy loves when his little bunny screams for him.” you said, kissing her harder.

Heejin laughed as she kissed you, holding onto your face.

“Why don’t I give daddy a preview of what’s to come tonight?” Heejin said, giving you a quick peck on the lips before slowly getting down on her knees on the side of the bed.

Heejin gave you the most seductive gaze as she unzipped your jeans and slipped them off you. Her hands were soft and warm, pulling your boxers down right after.

“Daddy’s already so hard for Heejin.” she said, smirking. She started slowly rubbing her face against your cock, you felt the edges of her nose and the softness of her lips press against you.

“Heejin…” you moaned as she slid her tongue from your balls all the way to the tip, covering you in saliva.

“Oh fuck…”

She teased your head, drawing circles around it with her tongue as she ran her puckered lips up and down your shaft. She made sure to draw out as much precum as she could. Doing her best to lick every surface possible, Heejin began leaving trails of saliva behind.

“Does daddy want Heejin’s mouth on his cock now?”

“P-Please.”

You instantly felt Heejin’s soft, wet lips wrap themselves around the tip of your cock.

“Ahh…” you moaned out as she sucked on your tip lightly and steadily.

Heejin tied her hair into a ponytail as she sucked your cock, knowing you were going to facefuck her. The moment she finished, you held onto it with one hand and her jaw with the other as you began thrusting your cock into her mouth, feeling it touch the back of her throat as her saliva slowly dripped down onto your balls. Unlike with Hyejoo or Yerim, Heejin has given you so many blowjobs that she no longer had a gag reflex.

You wanted to do the laundry and unpack your suitcases, but Heejin sucking your cock was well worth the wait.

You woke up the next morning alone. Still sore from Heejin’s insatiable libido, you groggily rubbed your eyes and checked your phone. How Heejin had the energy to get up and leave before you was something you will never understand.

“Hi, Baby! I’m still sore from how hard you fucked me. Anyways, I’m sorry we couldn’t spend the morning together. Had to pick up a shift at the restaurant since Jiwoo unnie called out. Hope you enjoy your day off! I love you.”

As you smiled rereading Heejin’s text, another one popped up on your screen.

“Hey, oppa! It’s been awhile. Hope you and Heejin are doing good! Anyways if you’re not too busy, do you think you can swing by my art studio? I wanted to show you some of the photos I’ve taken before anyone else sees. Call me back whenever you can!”

Letting her know you’d be able to make it, you do morning stretches and get out of bed.

Twenty minutes later, you were outside an intimate looking building sandwiched in between apartment complexes. It looked out of place: the shiny, modern buildings contrasted the antique, slightly worn down look of the studio. You stood outside, checking your watch every few seconds.

“Oppa!”

Turning around, you were met with a beautiful smile. Her milky skin and sharp features complemented her natural beauty. She instantly brought you in for a hug.

“Hi, Jungeun.”

“Let me show you around.” she said after leaving your embrace.

The walls were lined with photos that she took during her various travels. She was rarely around, having her in the country for a month was already considered a miracle. But she made sure to keep the group chat updated with photos and videos of her wherever she went.

“So, oppa.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you know why I called you here?”

“Wasn’t it to show me this art studio? Because it looks really nice.”

You scanned the photos, smiling at a photo of you and the rest of the group. One of the very first times you all got together, you missed moments like those since everyone seemed to be doing their own thing now. You observe the walls until your hand brushes against a white, logoless remote.

“Jungeun, what is this?” you asked, holding it in your hand to show her.

“Oppa, wai-” Her eyes widened as she suddenly jumped in surprise after you pressed a button.

“Jungeun, are you okay?”

“Y-Yes, oppaaa…” she managed to gasp out of her throat as she felt a sudden vibration flow through her body.

You look at her suddenly weak expression - beads of perspiration on her forehead begin to form as you realize what you are holding in your hand.

“Jungeun…”

“Shh, oppa. I wore it, just for you.” she said, placing a finger on your lips before smiling at you naughtily and biting her lower lip.

You pressed another button on the remote, watching her eyes slowly roll to the back of her head as her facial expression transitioned once more. She let out a moan, clenching her teeth before holding onto your arm for support. Pushing the button once more, Jungeun moaned loudly.

“Oppa, stop! Please… I’m still sensitive.” she cried.

“The girls told me how good in bed you are. I figured it would be my turn to show you I’m a better fuck than all of them. Especially that bratty girlfriend of yours Heejin.”

You raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised by Jungeun’s straightforwardness. Her seductive smile deepens as you slowly approach her, running your hand under her dress. Her thighs were smooth, creamy and began forming goosebumps once your cold hand inspected every inch of them.

“And what makes you think I would want to sleep with you, miss Jungeun?”

“Look at me, I’m hot. Although I admit, Yerim is much prettier than I am sometimes. Just sometimes. Plus, you need a woman to satisfy you. Not that child Jeon Heejin.”

“Jungeun, you’re only about a year older than her…”

“Oppa! It’s a year and 8 months, thank you very much!” She whined, pulling your body closer to hers. You pressed the button on the remote control again as your hand cupped between her thighs, unsurprised that she was not wearing any underwear. You felt the heat radiating from her, hearing Jungeun moan as the tingling sensation of the vibrator inside her pulsed on your hand. She was already so wet from less than a few minutes of you activating it.

“Such an elegant looking beauty being so naughty…” you said to her.

“Jungeun wants daddy to know she’s a bad girl…” she said, smiling as she began planting soft kisses on your lips.

“It’s a good thing daddy’s ready to go then…” you said, pressing the button once more causing Jungeun’s mouth to open as she moans.

Disconnecting your lips from each other, Jungeun presses her forehead against yours. Both of you struggle to catch your breaths before she takes your hand and leads you into a hidden room. Jungeun’s studio was spacious, a well-designed modern space that was filled with various photos and memories from her travels. The large windows provided plenty of natural lighting, but would also give anyone who viewed inside a good view of what was going on.

“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Jungeun asked as she held her hand up and showed you her displays.

“It really is.” you said, although your attention was fully focused on Jungeun’s soft features being reflected on the window.

She smiled, slightly blushing as she knew you were talking about her.

The soft, pink cherry blossom designed dress hugged her body perfectly as she turned around. Jungeun’s face was one of the things you found most beautiful about her, almost akin to the various photos and artworks she has that decorate the walls.

Jungeun reverses backwards, still holding your hand until she feels her back softly hit the window. You bring your hand up and gently rub her cheeks, causing her to nuzzle her face against your palm. Both of you smiled as you inhaled the intoxicating aroma of her perfume.

She looks up at you and you become enamored by her hauntingly beautiful gaze. Leaning down, Jungeun raises her head until your noses touch, causing both of you to giggle. Lingering for a few seconds, you noticed her bright red lips, seeing her lick them in anticipation before you two begin kissing, your lips coming together as her straightforwardness and the sexual tension that quickly developed between you two is finally being released.

You feel her long, thin arms wrap themselves around your neck as you press your body forwards towards her. Wrapping your arms around her waist, you are happy to discover she is not wearing any form of upper undergarment when your hands roam her back. Her tongue forces its way into your mouth, causing you to be surprised slightly. Heejin and Sooyoung told you Jungeun had become more daring ever since her time overseas, but this was not what you were expecting.

As you continue to explore each other’s mouths, Jungeun’s fingers find their way to your belt, loosening them quickly.

“I bet you haven’t experienced something like this before, daddy.” she said, her eyes filled with lust once she breaks the kiss and looks at you.

Jungeun quickly lowers herself onto her knees, grabbing the belt loops of your slacks and dragging them down along with her. Tugging your pants that were on your ankles, she grabs them and tosses them into a random corner of the room.

“Jungeun, you’re not the first girl to give me a blowjob.” you said, slightly laughing.

You felt your boxers be removed seconds later, your cock fully exposed in front of her. She licks her lips, wetting them in preparation for her next act.

“While that’s true, I meant you haven’t experienced getting one when anyone passing by can see us.” she said.

Before you could reply, you let out a soft moan as she uses her soft, delicate fingers and wraps them around your almost fully erect cock. Her tongue gives you small, wet licks from the base of your shaft until your tip. She giggles when she feels you are truly hard for her. She pumps your shaft several times in a painfully slow manner. She gathers spit from deep inside her throat, releasing it onto the tip of your cock. Making sure you were fully lubricated, Jungeun takes you inside her mouth.

You looked down and admired the beautiful young woman on her knees with your cock inside her warm, wet mouth. She giggled as she sucked on your tip.

“Daddy likes when his little Jungeun sucks his cock, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, fuck…” you moaned as she strokes you while continuing to take your cock into her mouth.

While Jungeun bobs her head up and down, you do your best to look outside. Knowing you would cum right away if you continued to look down at her, you noticed that the outside street was relatively empty. You were thankful. Although it slightly turned you on knowing someone could see Jungeun giving you head, it was still relatively early in the morning. But here you were, getting a blowjob from one of the many beautiful women you know. You always admired her beauty and gave her small compliments here and there, but there was something equally alluring about Kim Jungeun being on her knees in front of you: her rich, chestnut hair bobbing up and down.

You ran your fingers through her beautiful, slightly damp hair.

“Good girl.” you encouraged her, causing her to smile at you with her eyes as she continued sucking your cock. Gently guiding her head into a comfortable rhythm, you watched the various cars pass by. There’s no way they weren’t aware of what was going on inside Jungeun’s studio.

“Baby, stop.” you said, slowly withdrawing Jungeun’s head from your cock. She releases you with a loud pop, her beautifully shiny eyes looking up at you as she gives you a cute pout that can be comparable to Heejin’s.

“Daddy wants to fuck you now.” you continued, as you lowered yourself onto the floor and joined her. She smiles at you sweetly before straddling your lap and sitting on your thighs. Holding onto her waist to steady her, you grab onto the ends of her dress and raise it upwards. Jungeun closes her eyes in satisfaction as she raises her long limbs and allows you to remove the confining piece of clothing from her beautiful body. She was petite like Heejin, but was top two in naked bodies - along with Yerim. You wouldn’t dare say that out loud, knowing Heejin would smile at you and put your cock in a chastity belt if she found out.

Kissing you once more, you feel every ounce of her desire and lust with each connection. You savor her sweet lips, her lipstick having the faintest taste of strawberries. She tears her lips away from yours, giving you quick pecks before creating a trail on your neck. Regretfully removing herself once more, she goes to your right ear, blowing hot air that sends shivers down your spine.

“I want daddy to fuck me.” she says in a sensual whisper.

Jungeun returns to planting soft kisses on your neck and jaw as you admire the beautiful woman on your lap in front of a large window in broad daylight. She was extremely wet, her pussy juices staining your thighs as you guided her while she rubbed her crotch up and down yours.

You bring your hands upwards as her small, perky breasts are in front of you. Heejin was slightly bigger, but Jungeun’s felt a lot softer. You cupped them both, your thumbs playing with her rapidly hardening nipples. A soft moan escaped her lips as you moved your head up and took her left nipple inside your mouth. Your tongue moved up and down rapidly as you savored her sensitive buds. Most of the women you’ve slept with had pink nipples, so it was refreshing to find out Jungeun’s were darker. While you continue sucking on her left breast, your hand does not leave her other one unattended as you take her right nipple into your fingertips. As you stimulate Jungeun, you feel her wet crotch and thighs continue to dampen yours as she grinds herself on your cock.

“Come ride daddy, Jungeun.” you said to her once you tear your mouth away from her chest. Her hair is now damp, her eyes filled with the look of a woman who needed to be satisfied. She reaches behind her and finds your cock, stroking it several times and applying her pussy juices as a lubricant. Once she ensured you were thoroughly covered, she squats her body slightly above yours. Taking your cock in between her gentle fingers, she lines up your crotches together. You feel only the head of your cock penetrating her tight walls, as she spreads her legs open and allows you inside. Soft sensations of pleasure can be felt before Jungeun suddenly lowers her hips and takes all of you inside her body.

You both moaned in satisfaction, the frivolous foreplay a good build up but could never compare to the feeling of the first penetration of a new partner. Jungeun was ridiculously tight, probably the tightest woman you’ve ever been inside. The muscles of her pussy squeezing your cock in a mix of pain and pleasure the moment you enter her.

“Oh fuck, daddy…” Jungeun moans out when you are fully inside her. You assume she is giving herself time to adjust to your size before she begins raising her hips and withdrawing your cock from her body until only your tip is left before slamming her body back downwards again.

There was nothing better than your cock being inside a woman’s pussy. Heejin was a fierce competitor when it came to being tight, hot and wet - but Jungeun was in a class all her own. Perhaps it was because you’ve never actually slept with her. It could also be because you only had Heejin on your mind constantly that her friends throwing themselves at you made them feel even better. Or, it could just be your inner desires to savor the feeling of being intimate with someone that wasn’t your own girlfriend. Whatever the case may be, Jungeun was tight, her pussy having a tight vice grip on your cock as it entered and exited her body. You believe she could very well be the tightest woman you’ve fucked so far.

“Fuck! Yes, daddy…” Jungeun cried as she bounced up and down your cock, grinding herself on you while circling her hips left to right simultaneously. “You feel so fucking big, daddy. Ahh!”

The wet sounds coming from your bodies being connected is something you will never get tired of. Jungeun bounces up and down your lap, her long thin limbs firmly pushing her weight onto your chest as she rides you. Heejin was a gym rat, always wanting to keep her body toned for herself, but equally for you. You noticed Jungeun was the same, usually eating vegetables or foods that conformed to her strict dietary regimen from the few interactions you had with her whenever she was in town. You admired her cute thighs as they slammed repeatedly against yours.

You were on your back against the window, unable to see if anyone was watching you fuck the beautiful woman who owned the art studio. Jungeun didn’t care about her surroundings, throwing her head back as you hear long drawn out moans become incoherent syllables as she surrenders herself to pleasure and her desires. Repeatedly fucking herself on your cock, you feel every muscle in her pussy tighten as it builds up pleasure between the two of you.

You never really imagined Kim Jungeun had this side of her - a woman who has a lot of respect for herself and would not be intimate unless she was sure about them. But here she was, happily bouncing up and down your cock as you gave her what she wanted.

“Daddy’s cock feels so good inside me… Do you like fucking my tight pussy?”

“Fuck yes, Jungeun…” you said, a tightness forming in your chest as her hands continue to be firmly planted.

You have never been with a woman whose pussy is this tight. It helps you discover a new craving, you want Jungeun to ride you until you cum inside her, holding onto her hips before slamming them down as you fill her. But you had to teach her a lesson. No one got away with badmouthing your girlfriend Jeon Heejin without a lust filled pounding.

“Jungeun, stop.” you said, causing her to instantly stop bouncing on your cock. As she catches her breath, you notice her flushed expression. Her body is now covered in sweat, her facial expression showing you she is slightly surprised at your request.

Jungeun whines as you slowly withdraw her body from your cock, wanting you to still be inside her. As you bring yourself upwards, you bring her along with you until you are both standing. As her chest heaves while she catches her breath, you turn her around until her body is pressed against the glass window. With your cock that is now coated in her juices, you enter her tight body once more.

“Fuck, daddy!” Jungeun shouted as you were in control while fucking her. You secretly hoped someone would pass by and watching you fuck your girlfriend’s friend. Not that either of you would stop if they did, the thought of being watched would turn you on even more than you already were.

“You’re so beautiful, Jungeun… and tight.” you said as you thrusted inside her pussy. You wanted to get revenge, show her that you wouldn’t be satisfied with her thinking she was better than your girlfriend.

Lustful sounds escape her lips as you continued pressing her body against the glass while roughly fucking her.

“Shut up daddy and fuck me!” she screamed.

You smacked her ass, hard. In this new position, Jungeun was even tighter than before. Her soft, small round ass reverberated against your torso as each thrust of your cock caused her to moan. You held onto her one of her hips while continuing to slap her ass.

“You don’t tell daddy what to do! Especially when you said not nice things about my girlfriend.”

Another loud slap can be heard as Jungeun cries from pleasure.

“Are you seriously getting wet from me slapping you? You’re behaving like such a slut right now!”

“I’m not a slut, daddy! I just want you to realize I’m tighter than that slut bunny Heejin!”

You slap her ass once more as you continued fucking Kim Jungeun. Throwing her head back once more, her drenched hair flies everywhere as you held her thin waist and pushed it back towards you. You wanted to be deeper inside her, make her feel all of you. Her wet body and natural aroma during sex turned you on even more. The friction between your bodies further accentuated the sinful act.

Jungeun’s tight pussy was making you dangerously close to your orgasm. While you continued fucking her, she tried unsuccessfully to try and grip onto something from the pleasure you were giving her.

“Jungeun, daddy’s about to cum. I can’-”

“I’m cumming too! Don’t you dare pull out, daddy.” she said, the soft stream of moans and tones of pleasure escaping her lust filled mouth. “Daddy… I’m cumming!”

Jungeun’s body shakes violently as the pleasure completely consumes her and she erupts in an orgasm. Her pussy contracted and pulses around your cock as you continued to thrust. The pain from how tight she is is beginning to be slightly unbearable, but you managed to fuck her through it as her pussy allows you to enter her even easier.

“Daddy’s close, Jungeun.”

“Cum inside me, daddy. Fill your naughty slut up.” she said, her voice gradually weakening in tone and volume.

You thrusted deeper and deeper inside her pussy, her body being pushed against the window. Your repeated thrusts inside Jungeun trigger another orgasm for her as yours finally arrives. Both of you enter a euphoric high as you climax at the same time.

Gripping onto Jungeun’s hips, you thrust inside her one last time as deep as you could. Hot, thick semen releases from your cock as it enters her pussy. You fuck her with several short, quick thrusts as you prolong the pleasure you two are currently feeling.

You unconsciously wanted to stay inside her for as long as you could. The two of you could not overcome natural biology however, as your energy is depleted and you guide her onto the cold wooden floor. You managed to be still inside her, perhaps her pussy refused to let you go. Whatever the case may be, you were thankful that your bodies didn’t disconnect.

Heavy breathing and your chest pressing against her sweaty back are all you can feel as you both slowly begin the recovery from the intense sexual activity that just occurred. Jungeun tilts her head slightly so that she is facing you, causing you to tuck the damp strands of hair clinging to her face behind her cute ears.

She gives you a fatigue filled giggle as you both smile at each other. You lean forward and give her a kiss. While not as passionate as when you began, it was filled with emotion. You gave Jungeun a kiss filled with love. Being the one to break the kiss, you opened your eyes and saw her smiling softly at you once more.

“Daddy… that was… so intense…” Jungeun breathed out.

You smiled, capturing her lips once more as you were finally able to withdraw your cock from her. Jungeun moans as she feels you exit her, a stream of liquid beginning to flow out of her flushed thighs and freshly fucked pussy. You stretched your right arm out so that she could be facing you, Jungeun instantly cuddling you. Your hands roamed her lower body, gently massaging her butt. There was nothing more beautiful than the afterglow of a woman after sex. Jungeun’s natural beauty felt almost angelic, the large window that provided plenty of natural lighting allowing you to see her positively radiating.

A satisfied breath escaped her lips, letting you know just how good you made her feel.

“Oppa, I haven’t been fucked like that in… Fuck, I don’t know how long. You were amazing.” Jungeun said. “No wonder Heejin wants to keep you all for herself.”

“You were pretty good yourself, Jungeun. I haven’t fucked a pussy that tight in so long.” you said, laughing.

“I’m yours whenever you want me.” she said, giving you a tender kiss on the lips.

“Whenever that slut Heejin’s pussy can’t satisfy you, call me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” you said.

“I guess we should clean up, right? You came so much inside me.” she said, slowly struggling to stand up.

She extends her hand out, offering to help you up. As you pull her back towards you, she begins giggling as you shower her with kisses.

“Oppa, stop! We have to clean up.” she whines, laughing as she unsuccessfully tries to escape your hold.

“You’re going to let oppa leave right away?” you said, pretending to be hurt.

“No silly, I really did want to show you my artwork and the fun stuff I’ve been working on. But…” she said.

“Daddy’s getting hard again... and luckily my studio does have a shower and kitchen.” Jungeun continued, slowly stroking your cock to full erection.

“Why don’t we clean ourselves up in the shower and you make us something to eat?” she said, kissing you once more.

“Sounds like a plan.”

“And this time… you can fuck me in my ass. I’m sure Heejin’s never let you do that before.”

She continues having a firm grip on your cock before leading you into the studio’s bathroom.

#asks #loona smut #loona #kim lip #kimberly lippington

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harryandmolly · 6 years ago

Text

The Emancipation of Ginny ~ 10

summary: shawn and ginny could’ve ruined everything six months ago, and sticking together despite their past could make or break them now as ginny stays on as his personal assistant. but what happens on tour doesn’t stay on tour.

warnings: Language, Gertler Karaoke (TM), Niall

WC: 7k (yowza)

“Could I just… would you mind terribly if I just…”

“Hmm?” Shawn murmurs, eyes closed, leaning into her as her lips explore his jaw.

“Would you mind much if I just chewed on your chin for a while?”

His eyes open. A bubble of surprised laughter bursts out of his chest. He quiets himself quickly, remembering he’s in her bed and he’s not supposed to be. He looks down at her curled up in his lap. He tightens the arm supporting her around her back.

“What?”

Ginny looks undeterred. She brushes the tip of her little nose against his cheek and leans back again to look at him.

“Your chin is beautiful. I’d like to make a snack of it.”

He closes his eyes again, chuckling, leaning back with her against the headboard. His smile is quiet and lazy. “Go right ahead. It’s all yours.”

The unspoken caveat sits between them uncomfortably, reminding her not to leave a mark if she doesn’t want her ass sent home to Heathrow on the next plane.

Ginny hums and teasingly nips at his chin. Her fingers skim up his chest to tangle in the chain that holds the medals around his neck. She kisses strategically, softly. She’ll be damned if this thing between them stops on someone’s account besides theirs.

Ginny feels his breathing even out. She’s about to climb off his lap and let him sleep when he holds her a little tighter.

“Where ya goin’?” he mumbles, blinking his bleary eyes open.

“Gonna let you nap, love,” she says, sweeping a hand through his curls.

He shakes his head. “Stay and watch a movie?”

She doesn’t need much persuading. She smiles and settles back into him. He flips through the hotel’s options until a big smile splits his face. He perks up a bit.

Ten minutes later, “A STAR IS BORN” comes across the screen in big red letters.

Ginny’s eyes nearly cross from staring at the multicolored pattern of the train’s seat fabric. And she almost misses her stop.

She scrambles around politely disgruntled London Underground riders with murmured “scuze me, pardon me”s and sneaks between the shutting doors before they snap around the Chanel backpack Shawn bought her for Christmas. She leaps out onto the platform at London Bridge station and curses herself for not sleeping through the flight back to London for her week off so she could get adjusted to the time difference. She trudges up the stairs and ascends close enough to the famous Borough Market to smell that perfect melange of paella, tikka masala, coffee and pastries that means she’s almost home.

Her dad’s flat was the “fun” home when she was growing up. Her parents split early, the result of a driven, career-oriented mum and a flighty musician dad. She lived with her mum pretty much full time but her dad would swing in and out of her life. The one steady thing about him was this flat on Maiden Lane with the yellow door and a series of Fiats parked out front.

Ginny’s dad, Bobby Dresden, has the name of a 50s swing singer, and the voice of one, too. He’s not a deadbeat, broke, ramen-noodles-for-every-meal kind of dad. He was always the calling-from-Boston-on-tour, sending-you-an-American-girl-doll kind of dad that just was never around. He tours with a band that plays American classics and they do pretty well. They spend a lot of time in Vegas and, oddly, Manila but he’s home this week too and she hasn’t seen him in almost a year.

She waits on the front step of the flat he’s lived in since she was two. He bought it with the signing bonus he got from his record company and hasn’t touched a single thing since. The consistency is comforting to Ginny, who feels like she has to reintroduce herself to her dad every time she sees him.

He arrives beside her with that sparkling, crooked grin and slings his arms around her. He always did give the best hugs.

“Hiya, Ginny Bunny.”

She smiles into his shoulder and has the strongest urge to sob into his familiarly unfamiliar scent of some random hotel soap and a new cologne.

It’s been a long year.

“Hi, daddy.”

With one final squeeze, he releases her, only as far as arm’s length so he can look her over. She takes the opportunity to do the same.

He has sandy blonde-brown hair that’s pasted stylishly, way more stylishly than a 55-year-old man driving a Fiat should have. But same goes for the rest of him. He’s incredibly tall and lanky, clad in a light Topman sweater pushed up chicly to the mid forearm. His jeans are brand name and inky dark, tailored to end at his ankle above his Ralph Lauren loafers. He looks wonderful, like he always does. She almost cries again.

He curls an arm around her shoulders and she feels dainty the way she does around almost no one on earth. He begins guiding her toward the market to walk and eat, their father-daughterly tradition.

“So, pumpkin,” he begins, his voice raspy from lack of sleep, “How’s the rockstar life?”

Ginny sniffs a laugh. It could be reasonably assumed that Bobby is asking about Shawn, but she knows him and she knows he’s actually just asking about her. He figures rockstar’s PA is basically rockstar, so that’s how he thinks of her. It’s sweet, actually.

“Completely exhausting and every minute of it perfect,” she answers breezily, gazing around the market. Though over a thousand years old, Borough Market’s transience is one of Ginny’s favorite things about it. It has always surprised her every time she comes in. Maybe it reminds her of her dad a little.

“And how’s our Hannah Banana?”

Ginny rolls her eyes. “She’s well, she got herself knocked up again. She barely had time to drink a margarita between kids. Think she’s getting a bit restless now, though. She never has known how to stop working.”

Bobby grins, squinting with a hand up over his face as he looks over the coffee options. The stall they’ve stopped at has a hanging chalkboard sign with the menu options scrawled in flirty, curly cursive.

“I’ve always liked that about Hannah. She and I are the same that way.”

Ginny blinks and finds herself staring at a canister of roasted beans with a furrow in her brow. She’s never really thought about it, but he has a point. All the people she’s loved the most are extraordinarily driven and can’t sit still for shit. It makes her quietly smile to herself. Her dad orders something outrageous sounding with two shots of whatever and a swirl of this or that. Ginny gets a flat white. He pays.

They walk around, catching up on their travels. He’s dating someone from his label, which is of no surprise or consequence to Ginny. She’s always known about his girlfriends but has never met one. It used to upset her more when she was a child but she understands now he would never dream of introducing her to someone he didn’t actively intend to marry. Another of his strange comforts to her. He asks about whether she gets to sing or play much, like he always does. Bobby thinks of her musical talent as a win for him in his parenting book. He’d tell anyone that would listen that it really is god-given, but that he helped foster it. She assures him she sings and plays often. She blinks quickly and studies a gargantuan pot of paella that smells incredible, willing herself not to think about her karaoke performance from last week.

“And how about your fella?”

Ginny looks up at him. Bobby is smiling, fine lines showing on his youthful face, and just for a second, he feels really and truly fatherly.

Ginny’s face warms. “Not my fella anymore, as you know.”

“He’s still holding out, huh? Poor sod.”

Bobby looks pensive, narrowing his eyes out over the layers of canopied food stalls. He’s trying very hard to be mysterious. Ginny sees through it but decides not to poke holes.

“He’s dating someone, actually. A New Yorker.”

Bobby looks down, still seemingly unruffled. “It won’t last, babygirl. Not when he’s got a girl like you.”

Ginny’s breath catches in her chest. It’s an innocent enough statement. Maybe it’s not very fair to Sara, but when are fathers ever fair when it comes to their daughters? That’s not what bothers her. That’s not what has her curling her fingers into her fists and half-listening for the rest of the afternoon. It’s not what has her rolling over sleepless in her bed at her mum’s house.

Her dad’s never offered her many nuggets of wisdom. He never really had to, he was fun dad. But a man of many half-hearted relationships, he does it now, unwittingly. Ginny feels like they stumbled upon treasure but her dad swept it away, claiming it as fool’s gold.

Not when he’s got a girl like you.

Maybe she loves him still. Maybe she always will. Hell, maybe a part of him even still loves her. But Ginny’s beginning to think none of it will matter, not them, not Sara, if they don’t get out of their own way.

Ginny knew something was up as soon as Hannah opened the door to her flat the next morning. Call it best friend intuition, or maybe Hannah’s just super obvious when she has something on her mind by the way her voice raises an octave and she’s even more scattered and flighty than usual.

She doesn’t open her mouth about it though until they’re camped under a tree in Regent’s Park. Ginny is holding Kingsley, snuggling her nose into the baby’s warm neck as he gazes curiously over her shoulder. Hannah watches them both, leaning back on sore wrists as her belly protrudes between them under her stretchy maxi dress.

“I want you back, Gin.”

Ginny looks up, startled, her hand pausing its rubbing motion on her godson’s back. She blinks, blankfaced.

Hannah pulls the corner of her lip into her mouth to chew on. She pushes off her hands and leans forward, eyes focused on Ginny.

“I’ve decided to go back on tour, Gin. Not soon, obviously,” she laughs, running her hand over her belly, “But I need it. I need to know it’s in the plan. It’s what I want most, to take my babies on the road. But if I’m going to tour, I need an album.”

Ginny swallows, waiting for the next shoe to drop.

“I want you to write it with me.”

Ginny’s lips part. She stares at Hannah, waiting for some kind of indication that she didn’t actually just say that.

“I know you’ve never tried writing before, but who better than with me, the one who knows you best? God, it’ll be fantastic. We’ll write it, we’ll record it, we’ll produce it, all together, Gin, just like we always wanted. It’s your shot. Your shot to get out of the situation you’re in. He’s between albums right now anyway, you wouldn’t be leaving him in the lurch or anything. It’s perfect. You and me, back on the road. What do you think? No, wait, don’t tell me now. Want you to really think about it. It’s a lot, I know. But I think it would be good! And--”

Hannah goes on rambling for a while like she does when she’s excited and just a little nervous. Ginny watches her talk without listening, restarting her circular massaging motion on Kingsley’s back, more to soothe herself than him.

She stares off into the distance, feeling the breeze blow her hair around. Logically, she knows it’s the summer wind, but it feels like a draft from a door being flung open. It’s the exit strategy, the one she’s been too stubborn to ask for.

Ginny hands the baby back when Marcus arrives to bring his family to Hannah’s doctor’s appointment. She watches them walk off, pulling her feet out of her Keds and sinking her white-painted toes into the patchy grass.

The thing about exit strategies, Ginny finds, is sometimes even when they’re presented to you like a gift falling into your lap, you don’t actually want it. It feels good when you’re thinking, planning, strategizing. You can pat yourself on the back -- good job, you’re working on it.

Now she’s faced with real opportunity, the move is hers to make. She’s faced with something else, too. She really doesn’t want to leave.

An unhelpful montage of every great moment with her team in the last year and change flits through her head, soft and vignetted, glossy and warm. It’s not all Shawn, either. The team is her family, her chosen family. She stays up for late nights talking strategy with Andrew -- she’s learned more from him as a manager than anyone in her professional life. She talks football with Cez and Mike. When she was so homesick that any mention of the word “London” brought Ginny to the brink of quiet tears, Josiah always noticed and kindly and gently distracted her.

Leaving the team is the right thing. As she lies in the dirt with tears sliding sideways into her temples and her toes pulling at the grass to ground herself, she doesn’t question this decision.

But she does need to mourn it.

Sara sits on her knees on the end of her bed, wrapped in a gauzy white sheet with soft morning light coming in the window. She swears she’s never felt more like a movie star.

He always makes her feel like a star.

She’s mashing her chapped lips together, watching him button and zip his jeans as he faces away from her. She has his shirt, that purple t-shirt she really likes, sitting beside her round thighs. His shoes are beside his bag, the one he brought to stay with her this weekend.

This weekend represented a shift she thinks neither of them really planned, or even thought about at all. He’s spent the night before, a few hours stolen between one engagement or another. He’s never spent a whole weekend. With her.

It was a blur of takeout, movies and great sex. She’ll be living off the high of the orgasms for as long as it takes him to come back to her. And as he packs up to head back to his real life, she’ll be going back to hers feeling just a little bit heavier.

When something shifts, it comes off balance and you have to find a way to recover. Sara knows how this works, she’s done it before, but never with someone who isn’t here.

“Do you… uhm, do you know when you’ll be back?” She fights meekness in her voice. She doesn’t want him thinking she’ll be only half here when he’s away. She doesn’t want herself thinking that either.

Shawn looks up from his belt. His eyes are a little wide. She’s never asked before. He feels the teeter-totter of the shift like it’s physically tangible.

He cracks a half-smile like he’s Mr. Casual. It feels wrong as soon as he does it. “Not too long, I think. I’m heading back to LA to meet up with the rest of the team. We have more recording to do. But if this movie moves forward, I’ll come back to New York for meetings. Probably a few weeks.”

There she goes with her lip mashing again. She nods thoughtfully and looks toward the window to look distracted, but the curtains kind of kill her effect.

She looks back when he lifts a knee up beside her on the bed. He cups her round face in both of his enormous hands and gently tilts it up to look at him.

“Gonna be thinking about you, though.”

She smiles. He tucks a strand of red behind her ear and lowers his lips to hers, one more for the road.

When he leaves, though, she feels the shift even more dramatically than before. There’s traces of him everywhere -- leftovers in her fridge, an empty travel can of shaving cream in her garbage, his scent in her sheets.

This shift is making her fucking dizzy.

Shawn’s flight to LAX is delayed an hour. He sits in the first class lounge, leg bouncing, trying not to think about the weird feeling he has, like he forgot something, or lost something in New York.

His phone is serving as an only barely passable distraction. He’s kind of afraid to go too deep into Twitter or Instagram right now -- he doesn’t want to find anything about him and Sara because then he’d feel the obligation to tell her about it. And he honestly doesn’t know what she’d do.

YouTube it is.

He scrolls through videos, still drumming anxious fingers, and before long he realizes something’s off. His suggested videos are not familiar -- clips of Arsenal games, Adele covers, British comedians he’s never heard of. It takes him only a few seconds to recognize Ginny logged into her account on his phone at some point, probably months ago when they were stuck somewhere in Europe bored in another airport lounge. In another life.

He goes to log out and thumbs through options, looking for the button. He doesn’t mean to find the videos. He doesn’t realize they’re her at first. They’re badly lit and don’t have her name on them anywhere, not even in the description. But the songs catch his eye. Just like her video suggestions, the content of her page is so… her.

Someone Like You by Adele

I Wanna Know by Whitney Houston

My Old Piano by Diana Ross

He doesn’t think for a second about not clicking. When he hears the first soft strokes of her voice, he lifts a hand to scrub at his cheek and wonders if anyone else can see the tears in his eyes. He looks up. No one’s watching him.

Her voice is a fix he didn’t know he was craving. The last time he heard her sing hurt so bad he actually physically ran away from it. Thinking about it now kicks up the shame that’s been lingering in his gut for days.

He’s never seen her sing like that. He’s seen her sing every kind of song in every kind of mood. He’s never seen her sing like that, like she was screaming secrets to anyone who would listen. When he got up to leave, he was feeling too many things to make sense of. Selfish -- he didn’t want to face her. Thoughtful -- he didn’t want her to have to face him. Instinctive -- he felt his anxiety pulling him toward the door. He could feel the eyes trying so hard not to watch him while she sang about him. He knew they could only keep away from him for so long. He knew they’d feel like battery acid on his skin when they gave in and looked. So he ran.

He regretted it from the moment he got out the door and knocked into a toxic wave of southern California summer heat, even in the dead of night.

He sits in the lounge ignoring the announcements of his flight boarding, deciding he can limp onto the plane once he’s drowned himself in all her videos. He watches them each back to back, bobbing his head with the beat, studying her, the choices she makes musically, the way he can see she feels every song like it’s radiating out of her bones.

He notes the time stamps. The first video was posted weeks ago. She’s been steadily building up a catalog of them -- different hotel rooms, different times of day, different instruments. He recognizes his acoustic in her arms in her guitar cover of “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles. He takes a scroll through the comments to see if any of his fans happened to catch it. He tamps down an edge of disappointment in his chest when he finds no one has noticed. He pushes it over next to his tinge of jealousy that his guitar has been held by her more recently than he has.

Final boarding call.

Shawn drops his phone beside him and lurches forward to hang his head in his hands. He closes his eyes and fights to breathe, but his chest feels swollen, like everything inside him is blocking up his lungs, starving him of oxygen. Everything he’s been fighting, all the feelings he’s been trying to reason away, even sell away to someone else -- someone wonderful, someone deserving of a whole heart made just for her.

They’re choking him.

He swallows once more, rough and papery. He shoves his phone in his pocket and meanders to the gate just before they’re closing the doors. On the plane, he listens to the original versions of the songs she’s covered. They don’t sound the same anymore. Everything Ginny has touched holds something more in it for him now.

The songs sound better when they’re hers.

Ginny is fresh off a redeye from Heathrow. Being back in LA amongst palm trees and cold-pressed juiceries is jarring after a week and change back home in blighty Britain. She enjoys being caught between the two worlds, her two homes. Appropriately, she buys herself a fancy juice, the strawberry-heavy one, and the pineapple one Shawn likes. She also pulls out the McVities Digestives she bought at duty free, an ode to London.

She’s perched on a ledge beside Shawn’s baggage claim carousel, waiting for him to deplane. She sees him first, tall and broad and in a red hoodie like he’s never thought about keeping a low profile in his life. When he spots her, she watches in confusion as his throat bobs and his steps grow longer and quicker so he can reach her.

Her pulse increases a little frantically as he power walks over. She lifts herself off the ledge to meet him. He drops his backpack at their feet and scoops her into a tight hug, turning his face so his nose is in her gently scented hair. Ginny gasps a ragged breath of surprise and wraps her arms around him, instinctively bringing her fingers up to smooth the little curls at the base of his neck.

“Love? Y’ok?” she nearly pants, her voice high and on the edge of panic.

He deflates against her chest, letting out a long stream of air from his nose. He closes his eyes for a moment to collect himself.

“I know about the videos.”

Ginny manages to get him out to the hired car where Jake is waiting with a driver. Shawn is stiff and awkward around Jake, who eyes Ginny curiously, but lets them tuck themselves into the backseat and tunes out their private conversation. He’s had practice at this, but not recently.

Ginny turns to Shawn as soon as they’re buckled in and pulling away from the curb. Her brows are pulled together slightly, her lips twitch as she decides where to begin. Shawn ducks his head, guilty.

“I… didn’t mean to, I swear. I know you probably would’ve told me if you wanted me to know.”

Shawn pauses in a way that tells Ginny that thought stung him as much as it did her. He shakes it off and tries to continue.

“You were logged into YouTube on my phone. I saw your uploads.”

Ginny tugs the corner of her full lips between her teeth, nodding. “Oh.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t… I should’ve just left them alone when I found them. I don’t know why I didn’t.”

Ginny doesn’t know either. She’s still confused. His reaction to seeing her at the airport was so visceral, so emotional. She’s missing a piece somewhere, like a jigsaw corner lost in a carpet. It leaves her still tense.

“You watched them all?” she asks unsteadily.

He nods. “I watched them all. They’re… fuckin’ beautiful, Gin. I mean, I know you know that. You have to. You’re so… god, fuck, Ginny, you’re so talented. You’re… you’re incredible. I should tell you more often. I don’t tell you that enough.”

Ginny lifts her hands and tents them over her nose and mouth. Steadying her breath feels like a battle she wasn’t prepared for.

“I’m so sorry.”

She looks up at his words. They sound raw from his throat. His face is anguished.

“For what?”

“For making you feel like you couldn’t tell me. Or didn’t want to. I know… I know things are different now. We don’t know how to do… this.”

This. Translation: we don’t know how to be friends when I’m with someone else. It’s a scary fucking thought.

“I just wanted it for me for a while,” she whispers honestly, shrugging and looking past him out the window at the waves of cars on the freeway as they head for Beverly Hills, “I wanted to see how it felt to do something like this for myself, not involve anyone, not you, not Hannah, not Niall, not Teddy. I wanted to see what it was like when it was just for me.”

Shawn wets his lips. “And?”

Ginny’s quiet for a minute, considering. “And it’s lonely. I thought it would fuel me, to do something independent like this. But creating something and keeping it in a vacuum, not telling the people I love that I’ve done something I’m proud of, it… kind of fucking sucks.”

Shawn’s attention is led back to a memory of the first handful of videos he posted on YouTube, way, way back when, before he mentioned it to his friends and family. He remembers that feeling, too. Even though you’re sharing it with countless strangers, it doesn’t feel like it counts until you share it with the people that love you.

“I don’t…” Shawn pauses, scrunches his face and chuckles awkwardly. Ginny nods at him to continue.

“I don’t know… if I have any right to be. But I’m so fucking proud of you.”

Ginny’s gaze is leveling and heavy. Shawn’s eyes fall to her hands lying in her lap.

“I don’t know if you have any right either. But it’s nice to hear.”

“Wha’s the magic word?”

Ginny groans, shaking her head so her curls bounce. “Go Rams.”

The tall wrought iron gate buzzes. Ginny pushes it in and continues smirking on her walk up the driveway to the front door. Niall’s standing there waiting for her in gym shorts, a t-shirt and ankle socks. His hair is flat over his forehead. He’s holding two beers. He hands her one with a twinkle in his eye.

“Can’t believe you make me say that every time I come to your house,” she chides, swiping one of the brews from his hand and striding past him.

“You can take the boy out of Derby County, you can’t take Derby out of the boy.”

Ginny blinks. “You’re not from Derby County.”

He shrugs, like it’s never occurred to him to care about that. He locks the door and scampers behind her in his socked feet, letting her guide him back to his living room. The Leicester-Leeds game is muted and there’s a guitar on the couch. She collapses next to it with a groan.

“Welcome back, then,” he laughs, settling on the other side of the guitar, eyes on the game.

“How’ve you been?” she murmurs, smiling over at him sleepily.

He nods. “Good, love. Writing a lot. Bit of hiking. Staying far away from women and their wiles.”

“Good boy,” she chuckles.

“How was home?”

Ginny bobs her head. “Saw my dad. Always an experience.”

Niall knows the saga. He doesn’t much trust or like Ginny’s dad. He doesn’t understand why someone who Ginny loves so much could feel even the slightest disinterest in her. He decides not to press that.

Ginny looks over. Niall sees something in her eyes.

“What?” he hums.

She bites the inside of her lip and winces. “Hannah offered me a job.”

Niall’s eyebrows lift. He sips his beer, nodding for her to continue.

“She wants to plan a tour. Wants to start working on an album now, finish it after she takes a bit of time after the birth. She wants me to help her write it.”

Niall looks intrigued, but remains quiet. He cocks his head. “I think that sounds great, Gin.”

Ginny closes her eyes. “It does. It does sound great. So why am I being a priss about it?”

He snorts. “What d’you mean?”

She sighs, exasperated, “Like, why am I not bouncing off the walls to get out of where I am? Why don’t I want to get back on Hannah’s team for an obvious step up? Why is it not so easy for me to say yes?”

She looks up at Niall from her swollen cuticles, irritated from near-constant recent picking. He doesn’t look terribly surprised, but thoughtful.

“I think there’s no one easy answer to that, Gin. I think even if you won’t say it out, you’re still in love with him. And I don’t know how you get away from that other than time and space.”

Ginny remains curiously unemotional. “I think I’m worried time and space won’t work either. Just make it hurt more.”

Niall rolls a thumb around the rim of his bottle. “Would it hurt more than seeing him happy with someone else?”

“Can’t imagine anything hurting more than being away from my best friend.”

It’s strikingly honest, so much so it makes even Niall’s breath catch. “But can he stay your best friend if you work for him indefinitely?”

She groans and drops her head into her hands. “Probably not.”

Niall sighs. “Nothing you haven’t heard before, babe, from me and Hannah. And probably your mum. Something’s going to be the thing that pushes you, and it won’t be any of us. It’ll be you. It has to be.”

Ginny is quiet. She lifts Niall’s guitar and snuggles close to it like a lover. It makes him chuckle, watching her graze her fingertips over the strings. It stirs up another notion.

“And maybe…” he begins, trailing off. She looks up. He shrugs again like he always does before he says something deeply intuitive and intelligent, “Maybe it’s not enough, the opportunity you’d be leaving for.”

Ginny looks startled, maybe a little frightened. “What else is there?”

Niall looks up at the TV. “You tell me, Gin.”

“Andrew Gertler, you need a new hobby!” Ginny cries.

Andrew turns from his seat to grin at her wickedly. Ever the team’s karaoke enthusiast, he shakes Tom’s cap, making the slips of folded paper inside shake and crinkle temptingly.

“Your turn, Gin. Team bonding. Non-negotiable.”

Ginny grunts. She swallows a snarky comment along the lines of “yeah, because the last karaoke outing was such a ‘kumbaya’ experience” and takes her folded slip. Shawn a few seats down has been eerily quiet all night and trying not to connect eyes with her.

It makes her roll her own. He’s acting like he’s afraid she’ll get up and sing another heartbreaking power ballad in his honor. Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” starts playing in her head, making her smirk.

She’s on last. A few months ago, she’d have been delighted. The final word on karaoke night is a high she’d live on for days. She’d pick from her choice of her beltiest songs, bringing down the house every time. Tonight she’s just not sure she has the energy.

Niall’s words have been swirling around her head all afternoon. She drank a few beers and napped beside him on the couch while Shawn and Andrew were in another meeting about the movie. She was awakened by Niall’s head tipped back, releasing snarling snores that shook the whole house. She left him with a kiss on the cheek and a head full of questions, wandering back to their hotel where she had calls and emails to return to keep her best friend’s life running smoothly.

She’s distracted and reinvigorated by her friends and their performances, if it’s fair to call them that. Andrew’s up to bat first. He chooses “The Reason” by Hoobastank, a truly bizarre opening number. Mike and Zubin team up for “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher. Ziggy attempts “The Power of Love” by Celine Dion and gets lambasted by the rest of the team for butchering it. Ginny knows logically that her friends didn’t set out to make her feel better, that this wasn’t a well-designed intricate plot to distract her from her own crazed brain, but it makes her feel so much calmer, steadier, led away from the ledge she’s been teetering on for… weeks.

And then it’s Shawn’s turn.

The evening’s festivities haven’t had the same effect on him that they did on her. He remained mostly quiet, clapping politely and speaking only when spoken to. He was mostly left alone, the team figuring he was either tired from jetlag or moody from being away from Sara.

Ginny gets an odd twisting in her stomach when he takes the stage. Up to this point, he hasn’t been conspicuously recognized. But now that he’s up there, there’s no hiding him. He doesn’t look like he wants to hide. The anticipation feels like it’s rising water around Ginny’s waist, more threatening by the second.

His shoulders are slightly hunched. He cups the mic with one hand, staring off above the heads of his rapt audience. Ginny’s jaw feels sewn shut as she waits. The first chords of something come up over the speakers. Shawn’s reaction is immediate. He darts to the DJ and murmurs something urgently. The DJ, a twenty-something fuckboy who just looks amped to have Shawn Mendes on his stage, nods and cuts the track.

Shawn walks off the stage. Anyone who wasn’t paying attention definitely is now. He heads back toward their cluster of tables and drags his guitar case out from under it, having come straight from his movie meeting where he played them a few songs.

Ginny watches him retreat back to the stage, this time to some applause that he doesn’t acknowledge or even seem to hear. As he passes, she locks eyes with Andrew, who looks grave. Her eyes dart away, eagerly watching Shawn.

Shawn plugs his new Taylor acoustic into the speaker and starts plucking. In seconds, she recognizes it. Her face falls, and she didn’t even realize she was wearing any kind of expression until it snaps into an oddly blank knowingness.

He repeats the opening chords a few times. Ginny vaguely notices the crowd begin to catch on and recognize the tune, but she doesn’t think that’s why he’s doing it. She thinks it’s for him. He looks more nervous than she’s seen him on stage in ages -- shaky, sweaty, a little pale. Almost sickly. She rocks forward in her seat, fingers gripping her knees.

“I’m not fucking going up there.” She says it to herself, loud enough for anyone around her to hear. They’re not listening.

Tell me somethin’, girl

Are you happy in this modern world?

When his voice comes in, she half-expects it to sound as broken as he looks. She should’ve known better. It’s smooth and rich and well-practiced, like he’s been getting ready for this. The thought has her teeth on edge with the rest of her taut body.

Or do you need more?

Is there somethin’ else you’re searchin’ for?

He’s looking down straight at her. She thinks of Jack’s words, whispered in Ally’s ear as she quivers sidestage, terrified of her own fate.

“All you gotta do is trust me. That’s all you gotta do.”

Ginny hangs her head in his hands. She can’t watch him sing to her. Her knee bounces, shaking the hands that hold her up. Her body vibrates with the opposing forces of her choices.

I’m falling

In all the good times I find myself longin’

For change

And in the bad times I fear myself

He plucks at the chords again, waiting for her. He doesn’t take his eyes off her, not once. He doesn’t care about all the people staring curiously at her, following his gaze. He doesn’t care about the iPhones popping up, flashes going off, recording the scene. He will stand here playing these chords until his fingers bleed if it’s what it takes to get her on this stage.

She doesn’t wait that long.

Ginny lurches to stand. Instead of going around to take the stairs to the stage, she lifts her leg and steps up onto it, popping up to thunderous, curious applause. Andrew folds his hands over his nose and mouth, tensing from the shoulders down. The entire team watches in shocked silence as Ginny steps forward. As soon as she’s up there, their eyes don’t leave each other. Zubin swears under his breath. Jake sits forward eagerly.

Ginny takes the mic.

Tell me something, boy

Aren’t you tired tryin’ to fill that void?

The audience reacts even more strongly to Ginny’s voice. It’s nothing like Lady Gaga’s -- it’s softer somehow, warmer, more delicate.

Or do you need more?

Ain’t it hard keeping it so hardcore?

As they build to the chorus, Shawn continues watching her shine. He knows they have the audience. He can feel them, even if he can’t really hear them. He’s focused on the way her eyes are trained on him more steadily than they have been since Ibiza, maybe even before. He doesn’t want to blink. His Ally doesn’t need his coaching, doesn’t need him mouthing the words or nodding encouragingly. She’s got this.

I’m falling

In all the good times I find myself longing

For change

And in the bad times I fear myself

He watches her eyes slide shut and smiles for what feels like the first time all night.

I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in

I’ll never meet the ground

Her voice is bold and huge, unapologetic. She lifts her hands, rising to the occasion as her voice soars.

Crash through the surface, where they can’t hurt us

We’re far from the shallow now

Shawn leans in, only inches from her face, to sing into the mic with her. Their eyes remain locked, their breath mingles, closer than they’ve ever been even with a guitar, a mic and a million miles between them.

In the shallow, shallow

We’re far from the shallow now

The DJ has movie timing. He starts playing the backtrack from the film just as Shawn backs away from the mic, wetting his lips. His Ally doesn’t need his prompting, she isn’t going to hold her hands over her mouth and cower from the mic. She’s going to fucking sing.

Ginny lets her eyes shut, disconnecting from him. This moment isn’t about them, it’s about her. She’s making it hers.

She invents her own lilting, crooning, bellowing vocal run, different from Lady Gaga’s but still so fitting that it’s breathtaking. She doesn’t ignore the eyes this time. She feels them, all of them, and lets herself believe she’s worthy of the attention. When their cheers rise, she grins through her final note and opens her eyes once more. He’s beside her, smiling just as wide and goofy.

In that moment, something settles in the pit of her stomach that’s been riled for too long, niggling at her, wrecking her calm, disturbing her sleep. As she takes the last chorus, she finally feels absolutely certain about the one thing that has been holding her back.

No matter what, she and Shawn are going to be ok.

She doesn’t know how much longer she’ll be on his team. She doesn’t know if they’ll ever get to be in love again. She doesn’t know what the next step is, but she knows he will always be there.

He steps into the mic with her, repeating the final refrain. Ginny feels a chill down her spine at the depth of the words hanging between them.

We’re far from the shallow now

The fading notes are lost in the barreling shouts of their audience and the polite, bewildered applause of their teammates (all except for Jake, who’s clapping and whistling louder than anyone in the room).

Shawn swings the guitar behind his back and opens his arms as Ginny steps into them. She fights the urge to bury her face in his neck and sob with relief. She knows the phones didn’t stop recording after the song ended. They’ll be watched like hawks for the rest of the night.

They separate. Shawn’s smile is warm and welcome, back in its place after a little too long away from home. She matches it, tucking some curls behind her ear as he starts to lead her back to their table. They’re greeted by hugs and high fives all around from their team who are still exhibiting signs of whiplash but are rolling with the punches.

Ginny meets Andrew’s eyes. His expression is difficult to read -- a mix of concern, fondness, anxiety. It’s how he’s always looked when Shawn and Ginny do anything that passes beyond the barrier of very basic working friendship.

She smiles back and sinks into her chair, unwilling to apologize, explain or backtrack. Shawn takes the chair beside her, slinging his heavy arm behind the back of it as he talks to Zubin around her head. She steals a sip of his beer, he pretends not to notice.

Absolutely nothing is what normal once was. Their old normal is unrecognizable. Whatever this is now, no matter how weird and loaded with history and inconvenient, it’s their new normal.

And it’s not gonna be easy.

Please support my longstanding love of super emo karaoke scenes and buy me a Ko-fi (link on main page)!

Taglist: @smallerinfinities @the-claire-bitch-project @achinglyshawn @infiniteshawn @mendesoft @singanddreamanyway @alone-in-madness @abigfatmess @shawnitsmutual @awkwardfangirl2014 @september-lace @thotfulalena @sinplisticshawn @rollingxstone @yslsaint @randi-eve @sauveteen @fallmoreinlove @voguemnds

#shawn mendes fanfic #shawn mendes fan fic #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes fan fiction #shawn peter raul mendes #shawn #shawn mendes #shawn mendes fic #shawn mendes angst #shawn mendes series #friends to lovers

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chain-unchained · 5 years ago

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June 27

After a nearly three mile walk from the nearest functioning bus stop, an exhausted Shane finally returned to Pelican town; it was Friday, the day he and his therapist in Zuzu City had set for their weekly sessions. The trip wouldn’t be quite so bad if the bus that old Pam used to drive still worked, but it had broken down some years ago and the town didn’t have the resources to get it fixed, so that unfortunately meant quite a walk to get to a bus that did work.

It still felt awkward and kind of shameful for him to walk into that office, even though the staff there were all very friendly and understanding—not to mention the therapist, who was quiet, unassuming, gentle but firm in his suggestions to Shane to help his recovery, both from the alcoholism and the depression, along.

Shane had always known that it was going to be hell, giving up alcohol cold turkey like he was; at first, the therapist had suggested weaning, but Shane knew himself well enough that he wouldn’t be able to help himself if he had even a drop of drink and insisted on cutting it off completely. Even then, he couldn’t have fathomed the toll it would take on his body, mind and mood—the first few days were the most hellish. He had the shakes, a piercing migraine that wouldn’t go away no matter how many aspirin he took, he was physically ill several times, and sleep was a far-fetched concept.

He felt really bad for Jas and Marnie, who had to deal with all of that and the piss-poor attitude that it brought with it, though he played it all off as just a severe flu bug. Maybe it was stupid, maybe he could have really used the support during the beginning, but he wanted to get through the worst of it of his own willpower.

Today was the first day that he hadn’t woken up feeling like absolute shit. In fact, he almost dared to say that it was manageable; his head didn’t feel like it was splitting open, and it didn’t take him an hour to muster up the strength to get up out of bed. He had managed to make an actual breakfast with the extra eggs that Charlie and the girls laid for them that morning. And hell, the walk to the bus station that morning actually left him feeling pretty damn good, even though the trip from it back to town that evening felt a bit less so. Having had one of the better days he’d had in a long time, Shane decided that today was a good day to tell Marnie and Jas what was going on.

Adjusting the shopping bag that he held in his hand, he tucked the other hand into his shorts pocket and strolled leisurely through town; the sun was beginning its descent from the sky, staining the crystal clear sky a fiery orange and red hue. On the way there, he stopped outside Pierre’s and checked the bulletin board on a whim. Sometimes someone would post a note about a free piece of furniture, or Pierre would leave a notice about an upcoming sale. His sales never reached the 50% off that Joja regularly offered, but at least Pierre’s stock was quality and worth the higher price.

“... Oh, that’s right.” Shane murmured to himself as he checked the calendar that hung next to the bulletin board. “The Luau’s coming up soon… Need to dig out those stretchy shorts and get them washed soon.” Next to the Egg Festival, the Luau was probably his favorite festival—it was a festival literally just centered on eating food, what wasn’t there to love about that? ‘Maybe I should give Ashe a heads-up.’ He pondered, turning on his heel and heading south towards the road leading home. Every household was expected to contribute both an ingredient towards the Luau’s main centerpiece, the potluck stew, and a cooked dish, and he didn’t want Ashe to be left in the dark if no one else thought to tell him about that since it was his first year in town.

He owed a lot to the kid, that much was for sure. If Ashe hadn’t been so stubborn and bullheaded about befriending him, there was a real likelihood that Shane wouldn’t be there that day. A real likelihood that he would have rolled right off that cliff like he’d fantasized about. For some reason, Ashe never gave up on him, and he never let Shane give up on himself.

Without realizing it, he was already standing outside the door to the ranch; he’d been so lost in his thoughts that his legs had just carried him to where he needed to go on their own. Pausing to bend down and rub at his knee which had started to ache from the walking, Shane opened the door and stepped inside. “I’m back.” He called as he pushed it closed behind him; as expected, the shop was empty, and he presumed that Marnie and Jas were in the kitchen given the smell of steak that filled the air.

“Oh, welcome home Shane.” Marnie greeted, looking over her shoulder as her nephew came into the kitchen; Jas looked up from her coloring book and waved a little to Shane before going back to her very serious business of perfectly coloring in her favorite princess from the Welwick Court. “Goodness, don’t you look happy?”

“Do I?” Shane moved over to the table and ruffled Jas’ hair lightly, unaware that he’d had a big, goofy grin on his face since he’d walked in; it felt good to be home and not be drunk or hungover. “I guess you’re right. I haven’t felt this light in… Yoba, I don’t even know how long.”

Marnie pulled the last searing steak from the frying pan and stuck it on the baking tray with the rest to go into the oven to finish cooking. “Let me guess…” She pondered, turning to look at Shane fully as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Gus had a clearance sale on canned beer?”

The comment stung a little, Shane couldn’t deny that; he didn’t blame her for thinking that, though. He’d kept her and Jas in the dark up til now, and as far as they knew he’d just gone off to work like he did every Friday. “Hah, good one.” He managed a half laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck, his grin becoming quite sheepish. “No, actually. I’ve been drinking sparkling water instead of beer… and I feel great.”

His words made Marnie freeze, her eyes widening in surprise; even Jas stopped coloring and looked back at Shane with eyes wide. To be honest, their reaction was bittersweet. It felt good to be able to say that to them, but at the same time, he had to realize how badly his behavior had affected them in order to elicit such a reaction. “Really?” His aunt managed to ask after a moment.

“Yeah.” Shane confirmed with a nod of his head. “… Y’know, sometimes I forget that I really do have friends.” He murmured, his face softening as he spoke. “People that care about me. And it’s okay for me to rely on them. It doesn’t make me weak.”

After a moment of silence, Marnie smiled and nodded her head in agreement. “That’s exactly right. I’m proud of you for realizing that.”

“Took me long enough, huh?” Shane turned his attention to Jas as he set the shopping bag on the table for her. “I’ve got something for you, kiddo.”

“Huh?” Jas blinked, looking up to her godfather for affirmation; when Shane nodded encouragingly, she pulled the bag closer and reached inside, pulling out an unassuming, plain looking box. Her little brows knitted together as she lifted the lid, and the contents practically made them fly off of her face as her eyes went wide again. “Th…. These are real bunny-jewel slippers!!!” She squealed. As if to confirm that it wasn’t fake, she ever so carefully lifted the shoes from the box and turned them over in her hands; sure enough, they were the real deal, and they were even her favorite color—purple. “B…. but these are so expensive!” She looked to her godfather in disbelief, feeling somewhat guilty that Shane had dropped so much money on a present just for her. “How did you afford them?”

Shane smiled and patted her head. “I’ve cut back on an expensive habit, so I’ve got a lot more spending money now.” He explained, glad that he was able to finally give her a proper gift—even if it was nearly a month past her birthday.

“…. Okay….” Jas looked back to the shoes, running her fingers over the sparkly tops.

Seeing the change in her demeanor, Shane knelt down to her level so he could speak to her as an equal. “Jas… I’m sorry about what happened before.” He murmured. As difficult as apologizing was, she deserved at least that much. “I said some stuff that really hurt you, and I should never have let you hear that from me.”

Jas froze a little as Shane spoke, going completely silent as she just stared at those twinkly shoes in her hands. “When I said those things… it’s not because I wanted to leave you or hurt you.” He continued, struggling a little with how to explain it in a way she could understand without sugar coating it. “It’s not your fault. I wasn’t feeling well because, uh… my head is sick, and it makes me feel sad and tired a lot… and…” His brain fizzled out, and after a few moments of silence, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I barely understand it myself. It’s hard to explain… but I’ll tell you about it when you want me to, okay? Right now, I just need you to know that I’m working hard to get better. And it’s okay if you’re sad or scared or mad at me. Take as long as you need to feel how you feel.” He smiled, even though he knew she wasn’t looking. “I’m not going anywhere, squirt. I’m gonna work extra hard to be here for you.”

“….” His words were greeted with just more silence, as Jas’s little frame began to quiver slightly in her chair.

Concerned now by her continued quiet, Shane’s smile faded. “Jas? You okay--?”

Almost before he could finish speaking, Jas suddenly flung herself at him, knocking over her chair as she wrapped her arms around him and let out a heartbreaking wail of relief. She didn’t care if Shane drank, she didn’t care if he didn’t buy her the toys that she wanted—all she ever wanted was to hear him say that he wasn’t going to leave her too.

“Whoa—” Shane was nearly knocked over himself, managing to grab onto the table to steady himself before he folded the sobbing child into his arms. “It’s okay, just let it out.” He murmured with a smile, holding her close as she buried her face into his chest. Of course, he didn’t like to see her cry like that, but at least he knew that they were tears of happiness this time.

As she watched the scene unfold, Marnie couldn’t help but wipe a few tears from her own eyes, smiling as she saw the person that she knew Shane had always been deep down. It meant the world to her that Shane finally saw enough of his own worth to start getting better.

“Do you want to put on your new slippers?” Shane gently asked Jas, once her sobs had quieted; with a sniffle, she nodded, lifting her face from his now soaked shirt as she did so. He set her on her feet and picked up her chair, waiting for her to sit back down in it before he helped her to put the slippers on. “So, what do you think?”

Jas extended her legs out in front of herself so she could judge them on her feet. “… I love them.” She said with a slight hiccup, unable to stop the happy smile that came onto her face. “And I love you, Shane~ Thank you for getting these for me…”

Dinner that night was one of the most peaceful they’d had in a long time; Shane actually sat at the table and ate with them, rather than taking his plate into his room like he always did. He reminded Marnie about the Luau, and they talked about an upcoming seminar on livestock regulations that would be held in Zuzu City a few days before the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies.

“I’m not quite sure what to do about that, to be honest.” Marnie admitted as she cleared away their finished plates. “I was going to ask Jodi if she’d be willing to watch Jas while we’re away, but during aerobics on Tuesday she mentioned that she and the boys were going on a family trip to the carnival. And Penny has that class that she’s been looking forward to taking for months now…”

“I don’t need a babysitter, auntie.” Jas pointed out as she finished the coloring job she’d been working tirelessly on all evening. “I’m eight years old now, I can take care of myself.”

“Oh, we don’t doubt that for a minute kiddo.” Shane leaned back in his chair with a smile. “But someone has to keep an eye on you to make sure no one tries to steal you away.” He thought for a moment, rocking back and forth slowly on the back legs of the chair. “… Hey, why don’t we ask Ashe to watch her?” He suggested, looking to his aunt as the idea struck him.

Marnie turned the faucet in the sink on and began to fill the left half to soak the dishes. “You know, the idea did cross my mind.” She admitted, turning around to look at Shane pointedly—she hated when people did that, it was so bad for the chair. “Do you think he would mind?”

“Well we won’t know unless we ask.” Catching the look she was giving, Shane promptly set all four legs back on the floor. “I was going to talk to him about the Luau tomorrow, I’ll run the idea by him then too.”

“Alright. I’ll leave it to you, then.” Marnie glanced at the clock on the wall. “Alright, little lady. It’s bedtime. Let’s go get a book picked out—”

“I want Shane to read to me tonight.” Jas insisted emphatically, much to their surprise. “Please?” She pleaded, looking to her godfather with the biggest puppy-dog eyes she could muster.

Momentarily stunned by her request, Shane managed to smile. “Sure, squirt. It’s been a hot minute since I read a book, though, so you might have to help me out.” He got up from his chair, looking to Marnie as Jas took hold of his hand; with a smile, Marnie nodded her head, and Shane led Jas out of the kitchen towards her room.

Neither of them could remember the last time Jas had asked for Shane to put her to bed. It did Marnie’s heart a lot of good to see the two of them bonding again, and she found herself unable to wipe the smile from her face as she washed, dried and put away the dishes. By the time she was done and pouring herself a cup of coffee, Shane returned to the kitchen, reaching around her—“’Scuse me, I’m just going to be rude real quick,” he said with a grin—to get a cup for himself.

“So, how did it go?” She asked, sitting down at the table with a novel of her own to read a little before bed.

“It went fine.” Shane poured what was left into his cup and rinsed the pot under the faucet. “She kept trying to put off going to sleep, though. ‘That story was too short, you gotta read me one more’ and all that jazz.” He took a drink of the bitter brew.

Marnie smiled and took a sip of her own. “… I want you to know I’m real proud of you, Shane.” She said after several moments.

It was something Shane hadn’t expected her to say. “I haven’t done anything worth being proud of yet.” He insisted, setting his cup on the counter. “I’ve still got a lot of work to do before that happens. I didn’t want to say anything until today, but the last few Fridays I’ve been going to see a therapist in Zuzu. I just… wanted to prove to myself that this is something I could do before I got anyone’s hopes up, y’know?”

“So that ‘flu’ you had a few weeks ago wasn’t really the flu, I take it?” Marnie guessed shrewdly, to which Shane held up his hands in surrender. “Normally I don’t appreciate being lied to, but I’ll let it slide this time.” She set her own cup down and opened the book before her. “Does Ashe know?”

“Yeah… to be honest, he’s the main reason I was able to get help in the first place.” Shane admitted with an awkward laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. “For some reason, he just never gave up on me. I owe him a hell of a lot.”

“It’s real sweet how close the two of you have gotten.” Marnie gave him a warm smile. “I’ve never seen someone melt that heart of yours like he has. You should let him know how you feel at the Moonlight Jellies~”

Her suggestion puzzled Shane, her intent flying right over his head. “The… Moonlight Jellies? Wwwwhy that festival specifically?”

“Because it’d be all the more romantic, of course.” Marnie looked back to her book and turned the page slowly. “Of course, I can understand not wanting to wait that long to get together. I still remember my first romance and how impatient I was… ah, to be young and in love again.”

“Roman—lo—” Shane sputtered, his face turning red as it clicked in his head what she was getting at. “Marnie, come on, you’re reaching here. I appreciate what the kid’s done for me, and… well, maybe there is something there, but I’m way too old for him don’t you think? And that’s not to say that I have no idea if he even thinks of me like that, or if he even swings that way to begin with—”

“Shane, when you live as long as I have and work in a business like this,” Marnie interrupted his protests casually, “you learn to be a real good judge of people. Trust me, you’ve got more of a chance than you think. I just see how well the two of you get on and the side of you that he brings out. Give it some thought.”

Unable to think of what to say to that, Shane quickly finished off his coffee and set the cup in the sink. “I’m going to bed.” He announced as he cleared his throat. “Good night, Marnie.”

“Night, dear.” Marnie waved her fingers at him over her shoulder, hiding a laugh at his quick exit. Even if nothing came of it in the end, she at least wanted to make him aware of his feelings.

#sdv #sdv shane #sdv farmer #stardew valley #stardew #stardew valley shane #stardew valley fanfic #stardew valley fanfiction #sdv fanfic #sdv fanfiction

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cutiecrates · 5 years ago

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Cutie Reviews: Kawaii Box April 19

I probably would have done this yesterday, but I ended up going to the county fair; it was horribly hot (despite how cloudy it was) and it actually made me feel sick being out there. By the time we got home I was very sore and worn out.

So here I am today, refreshed and ready!

Word of the month: Usagi - Rabbit

Amuse Chinmari Munchkin Plushie

Our first item is an adorable plushie neko from Amuse. It is palm-sized and includes a ball chain so that you can bring it around with you wherever you go. It’s squishy and slightly stretchy, and there are 10 unique, colorful, adorable kitties in all~

On Blippo, these are $6.90. But keep in mind only a handful of them are an option, not the entire series.

(btw, am I the only one who thinks the one I got could also be a mouse? I know its a cat but from the front I keep thinking mouse. Still adorable either way.)

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

It’s very cute and soft! It’s like a fluffy squishy, but without the rise action. I feel like I’m squishing on a marshmallow while holding it, and it’s kind of soothing in a way... Although, it’s not nearly as stretchy as my other similar plush I’ve gotten. It has a very sweet little face~

Also, there’s no problems quality wise.

Kawaii Ribbon Hair Clips

Next up we have these sweet little Blippo exclusive clips, each featuring a dot pattern and a cute bow charm. They come in a set of 2 in a variety of colors.

On Blippo, these cost $1.90.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

The quality of the clip is great, it has a tight snap due to being a whole metal piece with a “coat” over it, and nothing is flimsy or loose. It’s a really cute concept too, but... I actually really hate this color combination. It’s not that bad but... I just don’t like it <3< the bow coloring could have been better, but what mainly bugs me is those vibrant orange-red spots against the yellow background. I would have rather gotten any other of the clips, but that’s just me. On Blippo, this is one of the sold out sets so it must have been well-liked by everyone else...

Also, I noticed the quality of the clip, and I’m kind of worried this is the metal prone to rusting due to how it feels. I could be wrong, but...

Neko Bookmarks & Disney Notebook

Next we have two, really cute stationery items; first is this set of kitty bookmarks, each featuring a big paper clip with a soft rubber kitty on the top half. On Blippo these are $3.50, and you can get them in a few different colored sets.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I think these are pretty cute and fun, I’m not sure how I feel about the kind of oddly colorful color scheme of the set I got, but in a way I kind of like it too. They’re as fun to play with as they are to use, but because of the soft rubber and the fact it is a paper clip, you can’t man-handle these.

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To go with our usual stationery hall, we also get an adorable Disney themed notebook. There is a big variety of cutesy, pastel designs and characters (from tsum tsum to mickey and friends to Winnie the Pooh to Disney Princesses!), and each notebook costs $6.90.

The notebooks are simple, featuring a magnetic clip to keep it shut and 2 types of pages per-book.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

While on one hand, I think I would have liked to get one of the other ones more, I’ve always had a soft spot for Chip and Dale so I’m not disappointed. They’re so cute aren’t they?

Meanwhile in terms of the notebook I think it has some nice quality. I like the magnetic clip feature, its very decorative and sweet looking, and it’s just plain fun to use. It’s small size makes it very handy for carrying in a variety of places.

Ice Cream Cup Charm

These sweet Harajuku-inspired charms are as cute as they are delicious looking~ Each features several cutesy deco bits, like fake fruits and sweets, pearls or gems, and a gem star. They have a small cellphone charm-like strap so that you can connect it and take it with you on the go too!

Everything is plastic, with the exception of the deco cream, which feels a bit squishy-soft. There are a few different variants, and each one costs $3.50.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

As cute as it is, I wanted to mention that the Blippo website describes these as being scented- I smell a weird plastic rubber scent, nothing delicious or appealing (and I did keep it sealed in its package this entire time). Also, as you can see on mine there is a chance there is a small amount of smearing of the cream.

However, it is handmade and I like the little differences in a way to make it more unique. I’ll probably end up using this as a cute display item.

Nail Decoration Set

These DIY kits and items always seem to be Dollar Store quality don’t they? I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, but as long as they work out it’s not that bad right?

This a korean nail decoration kit, and you get all sorts of cute and fun deco bits for your nails, all you need to do is supply the clear polish, or whatever color you’re using, but you should have a clear coat to go on top once you finish to help seal everything in. As you can see we get some shiny dot pieces, glittery, star and heart flakes, and various fruits, smiley faces, and kitty head pieces made from clay cane.

Each one costs $4.50 on blippo, and there are 4 sets available. But the only things besides the packaging difference is the glitter and dot piece colors.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

As I’m not really an experienced nail person, I decided to just do my thumbs. I wanted something summery, so I just added a watermelon slice and two of the shiny hot pink flakes to match. But as a pro-tip I do know a few things; such as using a pair of tweezers when adding the pieces, it makes like way easier. As I said before you want clear polish to seal them onto the nail, I did probably 4-5 coats per-nail.

Anyway, for someone inexperienced (or just someone who likes doing deco nails or making slime) I think kits like this are pretty nice. Like it obviously works, and I think everything is really cute, you can really get creative or go for something simple if you wanted.

Morinaga Disney Chocolate Cookies

For this month we get a box of chocolate cookies/biscuits from Morinaga, featuring Mickey Mouse on the packaging. As for the cookies, it’s probably the usual variety, because as you can see I got a handful of Winnie the Pooh in the pic. Not that I mind or anything, they all taste the same. You can get a wide variety of 300 different Disney characters in total! Lucky people will also find a heart-shaped biscuit~♥

Each box features one of Mickey’s well-known depictions; for example mine is based on Steamboat Willie. Each box is also 234 calories and costs $2.73.

I’m not going to bother rating these because I had them before. They always taste good and you get a nice blend of cookie/biscuit and chocolate. And no, I didn’t get any heart-shaped ones, and ironically enough I didn’t get any Mickey either. I did get Minnie though, which was kind of nice since she is my favorite.

Bunny Ears Icecream Pen & Lipstick Wax Pen

Back to stationery now, we get two very cute and fun looking writing utensils. First is this icecream pen with a pair of bunny ears for that extra hint of sweetness~

The cream on top and bunny ears are slightly soft and squishy, and there are 2 available; one with yellow inner-ear like i got, or one with pink. Isn’t that ironic...? Each one costs $4.90.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Despite my not being a fan of yellow, the difference is so tiny that it doesn’t bother me very much. The pen is easy and comfortable to grip, it writes very smoothly and I haven’t noticed any issues with the ink besides the typical smear with fine tips, but if you give it a few minutes to dry you should be good to go.

Overall it’s a very fun, Easter perfect pen; although you can’t put the cap on it while using it, which always bugs me a little...

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Next is an adorable wax pen inspired by a lipstick ♥ These come in a variety of colors in both the warm and cold color-scheme, and each costs $2.50. Essentially they are wax highlighters and underlining pieces, and they can be twisted to extend, just like a real lipstick!

I think it might even be scented. I smell something from mine that could pass as being Green Apple, but nothing mentions there being any sort of scent. It’s pleasant and light though.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

So besides just looking really cute, I think it would be a really nice alternate for things like pens or highlighting markers. The wax is soft to apply and is visible, while not having an obnoxious scent or drying period.

I’m not sure I’ll have too much use for this, but I am very tempted to buy a couple, or even all of them to do a review and see how they all look, check for scent, etc. I find them aesthetically pleasing and would love just having them for a display item- and in times of need they could be used as a crayon :D

Jewelry Seal Stickers

This is our last item, an adorable set of Jewelry heart and flower seals/stickers. These are available for $2.50 on Blippo and come in a few various colors. As you can see, besides the various hearts and flowers, we also get some spherical pieces and some diamond, leaf-like pieces. They are plastic pieces, giving them a sort of 3Dish look.

I wanted to use them on something. Since I already have gem hearts and Sanrio on my phone, I decided to put them on something else I rely on- perhaps more than my phone:

This is my hand mirror... which is actually several times bigger than most hand mirrors. That’s because this is a vibrant, lighting up mirror that folds back on itself when sitting. It also zooms in, making it useful for hair removal and makeup application.

I’m not any kind of expert or someone with a need to have everything in perfect measurement, so I just went for it. What do you think?

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I really like these! But I did notice a little issue while using them. Some of their sticky pieces wanted to stay on the packaging, or it rolled up while trying to get them off. They were still usable of course, but it did make the process a little tiny bit less fun. It only happened on a couple though, the rest were fine.

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ I have no complaints, I really like everything. It’s all practical and very kawaii~

Price - ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Everything comes to $39.83- which greatly shocked me; I think that might be the most money spent on these boxes yet or us, and remmeber we only pay about 20 dollars. On one hand, if you were to buy everything you would get free shipping and a free gift on Blippo, but I felt like a couple of the items could be cheaper, too...

Theme - ♥ I’m sorry but they completely failed this time. We got ONE Easter item- and what makes it worse is that they did WAY better last year with an Easter box, and I know they could have done better this time too. I was kind of disappointed.

Total Rank: 9 out of 10 Cuties. So once again the theme was a huge bust and I feel like they wasted a good opportunity- especially since nobody else really did anything Easter related in comparison to last year. However, despite getting a lot of the typical, same old same old stuff, I really found myself drawn to the ones specifically in this box. The quality is there, they’re ultra-cute and fun to use, so I thought this box did way better than last months, but in saying that, I’m not sure which box I would go to first if I could only choose one, I found items I loved in both of them a lot.

♥ Cutie Scale ♥

1. Wax Lipstick Pen - I admit, this specific color might not have been my first choice- but I think not only is it really pretty and cute to look at, but it’s just plain fun to use :D It’s like a really soft, possibly scented crayon.

2. Nail Decoration Set - Very fun, just like the stickers. I’m excited to try to come up with some other ideas using it and the previous nail set I got from this box. I like the wide variety of pieces we get too!

3. Bunny Icecream Pen - It’s simple but really cute, you get the idea right away looking at it. I just wish I had a place to put the cap... I did consider resting it on the bunny ear, but I don’t want it to get dirty. It’s actually a lot more comfortable to hold than it looks.

4. Jewelry Seal Stickers - Super pretty, it was a lot of fun decoing with them. But like I said, you need to be careful using them since some of their sticky pieces like to cause problems...

5. Neko Plushie - I love its sweet little face~ It’s so soft x3

6. Icecream Cup Charm - It’s almost delicious looking enough to eat~ I am a little bothered by the issue I saw on mine, bu I could probably fix it with some paint or something.

7. Morinaga Chocolate Cookies/Biscuis - very tasty with a mild-sweetness. I love how creative and fun they are when looking at the characters, but I will fault it on the fact that I never tossed this around or anything and I had a bit of a mess and a handful of broken cookies/biscuits waiting for me when I opened it.

8. Disney Chip and Dale Notebook - I think it’s really cute, and I love how decorative it is. But in terms of color-scheme, I’ve never been a big brown fan. That has nothing to do with its use though, the quality is great and if I needed to get more notebooks I’d probably order a few others in the set.

9. Cat Clips - The cartoony design and colors is really fun to look at, but I am worried they will be kind of fragile...

10. Ribbon Hair Clips - I really, really wanted to like these! I love ribbons and bows, and dot patterns, and hair clips. But I cannot stand the color combinations in this specific set and unless I had something to match or compliment them, I probably won’t be using them.

#kawaiibox #disney snacks #disney notebooks #morinaga chocolate #amuse plush

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gimmesumsuga · 7 years ago

Text

Nine Months (2)

Pairing: Namjoon x reader (fluff)

Warnings: Pregnancy, Birth, and all the icky bodily fluids that come along with it.

Summary: Your due date has come and gone. Namjoon’s excited and you’re uncomfortable, but you’re both equally as impatient to meet your little girl.

Word count: 2.5k

This will be a series of drabbles I intend to post over the next few days, detailing the labour, birth, and early postnatal period. Expect a lot of fluff ♡♡

Part One / Part Two / Part Three

“Ok, so.” Namjoon’s head pops around the bathroom door, long fingers curled around the door frame as he watches you change your sanitary pad, disgust written all over your face. As soon as you hear his voice your head snaps up, hands stilling.

“JOON! Get out!” He rolls his eyes but at your continued glare he dutifully covers them with a hand, hiding you from his sight so you can carry on cleaning yourself up.

“You do realise I’m gonna be seeing much grosser stuff than this over the next 24 hours, right?”

“Yeah well, let’s try not to peak too soon,” you mutter, throwing the sopping wet pad into the bin, “Anyway, what did they say?” Another twinge of pain gnaws at your lower abdominals as you move around, putting on a new pair of underwear and some soft, stretchy sweats. Is it supposed to just keep coming out like this? It’s never-ending.

“They said to make sure she keeps moving, make sure the water stays clear, and call them back when your contractions start,” Namjoon recites verbatim, and you can see him peeping at your through his fingers before he lowers his hand back down to his side once you’re decent. “Or else in 24 hours, whichever comes first.”

“Great, ok.” You give a short sharp nod as he approaches you across the tile, arms already stretched out wide. You’re starting to feel slightly nauseous, and something tells you it’s more to do with nerves than general pregnancy-induced queasiness this time around.

Namjoon wraps his arms around you from the side, placing a kiss against your temple as he rubs reassuringly at your stomach. He’s always been able to read you like a book; easily identifying your anxiety from the way you’re chewing at the inside of your cheek, frowning hard.

“They also said to avoid anything that’d risk introducing infection,” he says into your hair, rocking the two of you gently side to side.

“Like what?” you query, placing your hands onto the arm that’s wrapped around you and tilting your head to look up at him.

“Like… using those funky strawberry scented bath bombs you like.” You ‘hmm’ in agreement, rubbing your thumbs over his arm as you look at your reflections in the bathroom mirror. Namjoon looks gorgeous, as always, his white t-shirt setting off his tan skin just so, cheeks dimpling as he catches you look and gazes back, leaning his head on yours. “Sex is off the table too, apparently,” he adds, smile turning cheeky whilst yours completely disappears.

“Seriously?” you choke, horrified at the mere prospect, “Are you really telling me that there’s people out there that’d think sex was a good idea right now?” Namjoon just laughs, leaning in to kiss your cheek and then releasing you from his grasp as you try to forget it was ever mentioned.

“C’mon.” He walks out of the bathroom, beckoning you after him, and when you finally get back into the living - you’d had to stop along the way because of that damn cramping in your stomach - you find that Namjoon had apparently been very productive during the time he’d spent on the phone.

He’s switched off the television and turned all the lights down soft and low, your favourite chill out tunes playing quietly from the mp3 player stand. The whole room is swathed in the glow of lamplight, a little bottle of massage oil waiting on the coffee table. If you didn’t know any better, you’d say Namjoon was trying to seduce you.

“I thought you said sex was off the table?” you ask with a smirk, one eyebrow raised. He chuckles softly, grabbing your luminous purple birthing ball from where it’d been gathering dust in the corner and placing it in front of the sofa. He sits himself behind it, a leg either side, and then pats it in invitation.

“It’s all oxytocin, baby,” Namjoon tells you as he helps you ease yourself onto the ball and get your balance, “Making a baby, having a baby... it’s all the same hormones that are involved, and they all work better with the lights down low.”

“I knew it was a mistake for you to read all those birthing books,” you say right before letting a groan inadvertently slip as Namjoon starts to massage your lower back right where it aches the most, the scent of mandarin filling the air.

From the moment you’d discovered you were pregnant Namjoon had started digesting every single titbit of knowledge he could find about pregnancy, labour, birth and babies. There’s not a single question you’ve asked along the way that he couldn’t answer, and whilst it can sometimes be mildly irritating - anyone would think it was him having to give birth - it’s also been very reassuring to have your own pocket encyclopedia on hand. Especially when that encyclopedia happens to be very skilled with his hands.

Another bout of cramping comes and goes, but bouncing gently on your ball while Namjoon rubs your back really seems to help. If this is what labour’s like, then this will be a breeze!

“Hmm,” you sigh happily, letting your head tilt to the side and your eyes closed, “I could get used to this.”

Oh.

Oh you were so tragically mistaken.

What had started out as a bit of general discomfort - a mild tightening of your stomach every ten minutes or so that was pretty manageable with Namjoon’s encouragement - has all too quickly ramped up into something infinitely more intense. It’s coming every three minutes now, taking away your ability to speak for almost a full minute as your bump turns rock hard. Every contraction is like a wave, rising to a peak and then receding again just as quickly as it came, leaving you slightly breathless in their wake.

You wish you could go back in time and smack past-you in the face for being so blasé about this whole thing. In fact, if time travel were an option you might just go back and never get pregnant in the first place.

Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

“Do you want to get back in the bath?” Namjoon offers, trailing around after you as you pace the living room restlessly. You know he’s starting to feel out of his depth - you can tell by the way he’s wringing his hands when he thinks you’re not looking - and honestly you can’t blame him. Neither of you anticipated just how intense this might be, and all the book knowledge in the world hasn’t helped him prepare for raw reality of it.

“No, Namjoon, I don’t want to get back in the fucking bath,” you snap, stopping at the back of the sofa and bracing yourself on it as you feel another contraction brewing. You shouldn’t snap at him really - Namjoon’s trying his best and you know you’re being a bitch. A nice warm bath might have helped a couple of hours ago but you’re a bit beyond that now.

Despite having had his head bitten off Namjoon is right there with you through it, rubbing your back firmly as you try your best to breathe steadily, eyes closed, fingertips digging into the sofa cushions. Once it’s faded you’re suddenly aware of tears leaking down your cheeks, and as soon as you can straighten yourself again you’re turning around to face your husband and wrapping your arms around his neck, burying your face in his chest.

“Can you call the hospital again, please Joonie?” you ask quietly, rubbing your tears on his t-shirt and then peeking up at him, anger and upset fading almost as rapidly as your contractions. God, you really are all over the place right now, aren’t you? “I don’t think I can manage anymore.” It’s been a good few hours since your last phone call, so you feel as though you’ve given it your best shot. If it’s too early the midwives can always send you home, anyway; though you think you might cry again if they do.

Namjoon nods almost instantly, looking a little relieved as you slip out of his arms to begin pacing once more. It feels better to keep moving; sitting is unbearable - lying down a fate worse than death. You listen to Namjoon explaining everything over the phone, calmly and thoroughly answering each question the person on the other end might have, and though you’re in pain you still feel a little swell of pride right in the centre of your chest as he speaks.

You couldn’t have hoped to ever have a better husband than him. Sure, he might burn the dinner and break almost everything he touches - he’s also late a lot of the time, and his fashion sense is questionable at the best - but no one could ever be more supportive, more loving than Namjoon. You’re fairly certain he’d tear off his own arm and give it to you if he thought it would make you happy.

“Ok,” he says as he disconnects the call, stuffing his phone in his back pocket and then running his hand briefly through his hair, “I’ll grab the bags and then we’ll head out.”

Oh god, does he really intend to be the one who drives?

“Call Yoongi.” He stops halfway across the room, turning back to you with his mouth slightly agape.

“Baby, it’s 4am-”

“I don’t really give a shit, Joon,” you interrupt through gritted teeth, another contraction brewing, “He volunteered his services, day or night, he knew the risks.”

“But I can-”

“Namjoon you’ve had your license for two months. You bunny hop at the best of times, especially when you’re nervous, and me yelling at you from the passenger seat isn’t going to help anything. And I will yell, we both know it.” You say this in one big rush, leaning over the back of the sofa with one hand on your stomach, trying to get all the words out before you’re rendered speechless again. “Call. Yoongi.”

You see Namjoon hesitate for just a second, eyes fleeting back and forth between your own before he succumbs and reaches back into his pocket for his phone with a sigh, relenting. He might not be on the receiving end of any harsh words from you, but you’ve no doubt he’ll be getting some from Yoongi once he realises what time it is, and Namjoon doesn’t look too enthusiastic about it.

Still, poor timing on your behalf or not, Yoongi manages to turn up outside your apartment not twenty minutes later. He honks the horn to alert you to his arrival and leaves the engine running - unconcerned with what the neighbours might say - and once Namjoon has helped you hobble down to the car with bags in hand, Yoongi is waiting in the driver’s seat with a smirk on his face and bags under his eyes.

“You’re not gonna go leaking all over the seats are you?” he asks, voice croaking as he turns to look at you over his shoulder, one hand still on the steering wheel, “I just had this cleaned.” You give him a withering glare whilst Namjoon helps you in, one that Yoongi just grins at in reply. With much grumbling you allow your husband to put on your seatbelt, already horrifically uncomfortable from just having to sit down and grimacing as Namjoon takes his place next to you, slamming the car door behind him with a thud.

Yoongi pulls away from the curb almost immediately, making you groan in pain as the car lurches.

“Can you go a bit faster, hyung?” Namjoon asks his friend, mistaking your general groaning for another contraction.

“No, don’t!” you disagree quickly, Namjoon’s head snapping round to face you with a frown, “Just… smoothly, please.” Yoongi gives you a little nod in the rearview mirror and you smile back at him weakly, leaning into Namjoon when he puts his arm around your waist and kisses the top of your head.

“Are you ok?” he asks, peering down at your tenderly. He places one hand on top of yours atop of your bump and rubs circles with his thumb as you slowly nod, giving him the same feeble smile you did Yoongi.

“Just about.”

“And what about our little passenger?” Namjoon glances at your bump and again you nod, touched by his concern.

“Still kicking away,” you assure quietly, leaning your head on his chest. It’s as that moment that Yoongi’s tyres meet a speed-bump, jolting you up and down with a shout of pain, despite him having taken it slowly.

“Sorry, sorry,” Yoongi sheepishly mutters from the front seat, hands flexing around the wheel, and Namjoon tells him not to worry because you’re too busy trying to collect yourself and not unintentionally lose your shit for something purely accidently.

Everything feels so low, like her head is sitting right in your ass, and it’s so uncomfortable, especially when you’re jostled around. You try to focus on your husband’s comforting presence and the gentle way his fingers are trailing up and down your side, watching the streetlights speeding past the windows in the blink of an eye, but then another contraction starts and all those good intentions are abruptly cast aside.

“Ow, ow, fuck this one hurts,” you huff, grabbing onto Namjoon’s hand and squeezing it tightly, screwing your eyes closed and tensing your jaw to try and bare it as best you can. How can they still be getting stronger? This one feels even more intense, even longer lasting than they did just ten minutes ago, and to make it all the more unpleasant you seem to be draining more water each and every time. Yoongi really might need his car cleaning again after this…

“Try to keep breathing baby, it’s gonna hurt more if you tense up,” Namjoon whispers into your ear, earning him a sharp smack on the leg.

“Easy for you to say!” you grit out, but you try your best to take his suggestion anyway, knowing that he’s probably right.

“They really hurt that bad, huh?” Yoongi asks, turning to look at you whilst you’re sat at a red light. You give him the finger mid-pant and with that he turns back around, turning on the radio to drown out your groans. Charming.

You have at least another five contractions that you practically hyperventilate through before you arrive at the hospital’s maternity department, and with each one that’s gone by you’ve noticed Yoongi’s becoming more and more worried. Well… simultaneously worried and amused by Namjoon’s seeming inability to get anything right. And it’s not concern for your welfare that has Yoongi frowning; you know that. He’s probably just freaking out that you’re going to have the baby right there in his precious back seat, placenta and all.

He calls ‘good luck’ as Namjoon hauls you out of the car, earning another scalding for pulling on you too hard, and you can’t help but wonder to which of you it’s directed as he takes off, hurrying home, back to his bed.

Either way, you have a feeling that both of you will need it.

I hope you like this guys. I know it might not be everyone’s cup of tea and it might actually be little boring for some - but this is my passion so I enjoy writing about it, so bare with me ^^ <3 <3

#bts #bts fanfiction #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts drabbles #bts fluff #namjoon x reader #namjoon/reader #namjoon fluff #rm fluff #rm x reader #rapmonster x reader #rapmonster/reader #rapmon fluff #kim namjoon #rm #my king

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cruzrogue · 7 years ago

Text

Impaired Judgment

a summer fic for the Olicity Hiatus Fic-A-Thon

wrote this in the summer can read at A03

Summary:

John Diggle is out of it by an aphrodisiac truth drug and its awkward field mission. He tells Felicity how he appreciated her and then it leads to how he thinks she is very beautiful and sexy and how he tried to control himself in the beginning before Oliver got a clue and they were just friends. When Oliver shows up Diggle needs his help too. John has no clue what was said. Oliver and Felicity promise to never tell him.

Notes:I just love John Diggle and I don't find enough Dig centric fics.

prompt: Impaired Judgment

“Overwatch, I’m going to need you to help me with Spartan.” Green Arrow calls out as he leaves the exit door with his partner half on him stagger walking. She places the really uncomfortable mask on her face and runs towards where Oliver is holding Dig up and takes over draping her arm around the man on the other side and helps Oliver get him to safety in the van.

“Need to finish checking the perimeter; will you be okay with John here?”

“Sure. Do you know what chemical he walked into?”

“No.”

“I’ll draw blood and start analyzing.”

“Okay. Keep an eye out, if you see anything. Get out of here.”

She nods. Oliver gives a quick look to John before he hurries back in to finish his sweep.

--->

Other than a few moans and John having a moment of opening and shutting his visor over and over while giving Felicity odd smiles that somewhat look even more bizarre coming from him.

“I like my new helmet; I should have listened to you from the beginning when you said it needed loads of improvement.”

She made a noise of agreement as she helps take one sleeve off his jacket to roll his shirt up his arm. Placing a stretchy band around his bicep so she could draw blood he is observing at her every move.

“I don’t wanna act like Oliver and not be a good listener.”

“I don’t think anyone can beat Oliver.” She hears a snicker on the communicator and pays no mind to it as she draws blood.

“Good, he’s really thick headed, took him like ever to suck it up and go after one of the best girls I’ve ever known.”

“Awe thanks, I think you’re awesome too.”

“And sexy.”

“Um sure, I think you’re very handsome.”

“Sexy, super smart like really out of this world smartest genius and a loud voice that does wonders.”

“You aren’t talking about yourself at all.”

“No I’m talking about you silly. You are a diamond, did you know that?”

“A mineral?”

“A unique mineral, did you know diamonds exhibits great fire and brilliance just like you.”

“Oh really?”

“Yep, Oliver told me that. Well he went on and on. Diamond is like a 10 on the moth no, no, moors um no …”

“The Mohs scale.”

“Sure whatever, see how you just corrected me like that it so…”

“Educational?” She heard Oliver make a ‘psst’ sound.

“Sexy. Smart ladies are stimulating.”

She just moved to look at the video feed to make sure Oliver wasn’t in any danger while keeping a very vocal John Diggle company.

“Do you know something?”

She looks at John waiting for a reply.

When he just had his head cocked to the side she finally asked, “Do I know what?”

“I threw you way over the friend zone long, long, long, long…” He stops like he’s thinking a bit. “Long time ago threw you to the sibling sector.”

“Oh.”

“Yep. You became a little smarty-pants sister.”

“Okay.”

<---

They get interrupted a by the Green Arrow as he asks a mission question, “Overwatch is there any movement on the second level?”

“No. There nothing going on under you but movement on the stairwell 800 feet to your left. Plenty of movement happening on the third and fourth floors.”

“Got it. I’m sending in those little gizmos to check for chemical comprehensions to load later at the lair.”

“Be careful.”

“Always.”

--->

John Diggle was snickering throughout their whole exchange.

“You two are wild bunnies.”

“What?”

“Yep, like catching you two butt naked last week.”

“Oh my God.” Felicity squeals out.

“Oh shit.” She hears Oliver say.

“I so saw you naked once.” He snickered out with a laugh. “Before it became a recurring theme.”

“What do you mean you saw her naked?”

“Oliver, he can’t hear you.”

“You talking to Oliver?” she nods. He continues after shrugging. “I wasn’t supposing too but I did. I was paralyzed with fear you’d see me. But I was there. I was supposed to keep an eye on you.” He laughs. “I sure got a nice eyeful too.”

“I really don’t want to hear this.” Oliver mumbles.

“Oliver was just being a dick. Ha! A dick, I’ve seen his dick too.” He retorts looking amusingly at Felicity’s wide eyes. “His I may have seen a tad more than your blush rosy behind and perky breasts with button nipples that I bet he enjoys palming now. I know I would if I was him.” He looked like he was sobering up but asked, “Do you know I love you guys and both of you love me right?”

“Of course, I love you.”

“Does Oliver?”

“Of course. You two are brothers.”

“Yea. Love that bone head.” He has a faraway look as he shocks her yet again, “I knew you’d been a queen since the day you put him in his place that boy was going to be a goner.”

Felicity took a cloth from the first aid kid and wiped sweat from John’s forehead. He was also slightly heating up so she shoved a thermometer into his mouth.

<---

“Oh really.” She continued as when she took the stick from John’s mouth after the allotted time and saw he had a slight elevation. “Oliver John temperature rose just a tad.”

“At least we know he is breathing fine. Be careful Felicity with his impaired judgment he could become a threat. But keep him talking if he starts to sound off I’ll head back sooner he’ll need medical attention.”

“Alright, you’re doing great being stealthy in there. Did you find any TI points?”

“I’ve found three so far. Whatever they are mixing here it’s big.”

“Well once we have knowledge you can come back with the team.”

--->

Diggle had his eyes on her lap as she was talking to Oliver and when her attention was back on John. He chirped out, “So nothing in the oven yet?”

“What?”

“No baby Queen? I’m ready for a baby Queen, ask your hubby when he’s going to hurry up and knock you up.”

“Wow, maybe I’m not ready there so much on our hands…”

“Excuses, excuses. You two are so full of it.”

“Wow John, I didn’t think you felt this way.”

“Felicity if you really knew how I felt you’d wouldn’t talk to me again.”

“How do…”

“Felicity don’t you dare.” Oliver said quickly.

“Ah, happy you asked.”

A groan on the communicator told Felicity that Oliver so was not pleased.

<---

After listening for fifteen minutes on how to have intercourse and all the body parts needed and why John was content that he spoke his sexual piece. Felicity moaned in displeasure. Between hearing Oliver fighting some men and Diggle recipes on baby making Felicity was horrified enough for a lifetime.

“Now I’ve been strident with Oliver in this matter but I’m so glad we talked about this.”

Oliver spoke up, “Heading back now. ETA three minutes.”

“Got it. John lets buckle you in.”

“My pants are too tight.” He started to unbutton his pants.

“John please stop, oh god your unzippering.”

“What the hell is going on?” she hears Oliver huffing as he is heading their way.

“John is…”

“I need to be free.” He says as he moves his hand into his boxers.

“Oh God I can’t watch.” Felicity turns away but she can hear a satisfied moan from John as he finally is freed from his tormenting confinement.

--->

The back door of the van opens and Oliver groans.

“Felicity drive us a few miles up then I need to help Diggle get some relief.”

“What do you mean help John with relief.” She says as she pulls away and drives until Oliver tells her to stop. Both men get out and she can’t see them nor hear them. Not until the communicator is back online.

“We are heading back just drive us to the lair.”

“Fine.”

Once at the lair Diggle falls asleep. He vitals all stable so Felicity is running the chemical composition as Oliver stands near John.

“John is going to be so mortified.” Felicity quips looking at the sleeping form.

“That is if he remembers.”

Oliver and Felicity quite don’t know what to say and promise to never tell him like ever. They come to find that John Diggle has no idea what happened after the gas hit him. They wait for Lyla to come pick him up.

#john diggle #Felicity Smoak #oliver queen #olicity hiatus fic-a-thon #original team arrow

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montydollcrew · 7 years ago

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I-Doll Fukuoka 8

This is kinda late but a few people said they did want to see a report, so here is a small one! I-Doll was on October 9th on a Monday - it was a public holiday, but unfortunately because not everyone got that day off and Doll Show in Tokyo being on the same day, there were less vendors than usual. However, Dearmine attended as a vendor for the first time which I think more than made up for that. I hurried right over there as soon as I got in because I knew they’d get swamped with people quickly and it would be hard to get photos, and there was already a line. They had the samples of their newest dolls on display and available for preorder - these ones aren’t out yet.

Those blond ash-skinned DearPets - Oz and Storm - sure are cute in person, I do kinda wanna get a DearPet one day.

They also had a whole load of other dolls - mostly from their DearBeans range - including previously released limited colours and some that were limited to this event. I had been lining up just to get close enough to take photos, but when I saw all the Beans there.... well, I was worried that when I got closer I didn’t want to be the person who left the line without buying anything, but then when I got even closer and actually saw all the Beans up close I realized that I probably wouldn’t be able to leave without buying one even if I wanted to ._. Looking at them on the website is one thing, but seeing them right in front of you...

I actually took a really long time to decide, though, and I ended up letting 3 of the people behind me go first. I was waffling between one of the grey ones, the event-limited yellowy one or a black one, but as you may already know, I got this dude. He was displayed in a pink nightgown (you can see him in the photo) but was slightly cheaper without it so I got him naked, as I wanted to buy him clothes at the event itself anyway.

Rachel and Angelica were stunning in person, too...

Dearmine had real cute bags, too! Anyway One of my twitter/insta mutuals choco.tan was also there selling a bunch of cute 1/12 miniatures she’d made, so I got some pancakes.

She’d also brought along her adorable Rudy, who I am a huge fan of and always make sure to take a pic of when I see her! Rudy is a honey delf Corni, another doll I really want. (I want both Kid and Honey delf Cornis, but I have different plans for each)

(I got a pic of Apollo with Rudy back at Doll Friend earlier this year!)

The teeny little dealer shop Fukuoka has called Doll Shop Eden also had a booth there with some of the newest dolls they’d gotten in. I really like that special grey-skinned Dollzone Miss Kitty.

A bunch more sellers - many had Halloween-themed items.

^^^I really like the spooky faces on those ones!

The custom Houzuki is pretty cool too.

A whole load of cute little custom heads!

That little coffin case for 1/12 dolls is cute.

Some cute furniture here.

I really liked these cute little cats this person was selling! I didnt look too closely though cos I spent all that money at Dearmine already 8′)

I’ve seen this person at a few different events, they sell feather-wigs.

That’s the booth of another mutual, I always get a cute hair accessory when I see her. I got a bunny-shaped one this time.

Not all the ‘big’ dealers went to Doll Show! I got that sailor dress from them at May Dolpa.. I really like their clothes but thanks to Dearmine I was just looking now.

It’s always fun seeing how dealers decorate their booths. This one has a YoSD Kanon sitting up there next to the pink star...I was really tempted to enter the lottery for her back in May along with Renee to be honest, she’s pretty cute with different eyes (I’m not really a fan of the dull-looking eyes Volks gave her).

The heads/eyes of those two girls were for sale...tempting.

So many tiny clothes! I got Jasper’s (my new Dearmine) from here. You can actually see the set in this photo if you look closely... There was another set I wanted but I didnt have enough for it, although its probably for the best that I got the one I did because the pants are stretchy - they’re made for obitsu11 but dearbeans have bigger thighs and non-stretchy pants might not have even gone on.

Nekomasshigura was also there selling some eyes,

and some custom heads,

and also showing off ‘Vivimol’, a Nekomasshigura original head-sculpt.

These chairs are cute!

I was also surprised that Sen came here, considering they’re an actual store in Tokyo so it seemed weird they’d come all the way down here when Doll Show was much closer. They had some nice stuff and it looks like they brought a sizeable load of their inventory but as before, I didnt want to look too closely as I’d already spent enough money today.

There was some obitsuroid shenanigans next to Dearmine’s booth - I’m not 100% sure if Dearmine were running this too or not.

On to the collection area! It’s very, very small compared to other doll events - especially Dolpa, where the collection area is almost as big as the dealer area, but there was still a lot of dolls set up - most of them MDDs.

Many like these are familiar faces at most doll events in Fukuoka.

Some fancy gents chiling out over here...

(ilikethechapwiththeglasses)

aaaah a Prisma Illya...she’s got such a cute head, I want her head so bad.

But not as much as I want Arle’s head...and this repainted one was so adorable ;_;

A Musunde Hiraite Rasetsu to Mukuro Miku! Very very cool.

A Cirno and a Kudo too? What is this, MDDs Torino wants and can probably never have day?

There’s this one guy who goes to every doll event with a giant suitcase full of Azone50s, I’m pretty sure these are all his.

A nice little Dearmine collection!

The little blue kitty is one of my fave Dearmine dolls...

Two very cute DearPets!

I-Doll is organized by the same people that organize a ‘hand-made’ fair called Hand Art Marche, and its typically on the same day close by. During I-Doll in Tokyo, Hand Art Marche is usually also at Big Sight but in a different hall with a separate entry fee. Since Fukuoka’s one is smaller, they put both I-Doll and Hand Art Marche in the same hall, and a ticket for one gets you free entry to the other. I didn’t take any other photos except for this one but they always have a lot of interesting crafts and stuff there - and there’s usually a bit of overlap between the doll and craft people. Anyway, that was I-Doll Fukuoka 8! It was a little smaller than previously, which worked out well because I spent so much at Dearmine. I’d like to see I-Doll Fukuoka get more companies to visit in future!

#i-doll #dearmine #bjd #abjd #doll event

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thenovelist101 · 5 years ago

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Wandered

Chapter Five

If Vincent was told to recall his memories of education, it would be a mush of vivid memories out of context. Him getting a 100 on a test he thought he would fail, scribbling down his homework before class started, people using his paper to scribble down their homework before class started, trying not to fart too loudly in a quiet class, dozing off, laughing at a stupid remark a classmate made, making paper cubes when class went slow. All the little stuff.

Of course it always stuck out to him that he was the only one knowing of Magic. He never told, because he would feel very much better if the class had been taught the lesson first. There had to be a lesson, right?

School was one big building with two floors. The first floor was for all the younger classes and the top was for the older classes. Next to the building was the preschool which Mirai would have went to.

That was something which saddened him. It was always "If Mirai could have-" or " Mirai would have-" She was magic, and for him that was fine. Now if only everyone felt the same way...

Vincent avoided home for one very specific reason: home was hollow. He felt a feeling of tension that was so unbearable that he would stay out as long as possible until he could come home, have a curt conversation with his parents, and talk to his sister. Then he would go to bed and do it again.

What he would do with his outside time was make things.

A part of Vincent's craftsmanship skill was that he could continue getting dirty and work on his little business of handing out free toys. To him the slingshots were the easiest.

He would take four strong branches that were broken. One would be longer than the other three. He used tree sap to stick it all together. One small stick would be laid on top of long stick horizontally (the handle) and the last two sticks sat vertically on the two ends (poles) of the horizontal stick. Then he would get a stretchy fabric and cut off a strip and glue it to the two sticks that acted as poles. One dried, Vincent would do a quick test: put a small pebble into the fabric and pulled it back. Then he aimed. If it worked he tossed it with the rest and never played with it again.

The children were all impressed by this. The Vincent Rowan Merger had a special talent. It was something people starved to have. People always knew where to find Vincent for a repair or an amendment. After age 11 he was tired of making rock slingers (more so the teacher slapped every one who was in on the atrocious behavior with these toys).

"Who's in charge of this foolish black market?" The teacher called, holding up a broken puppet made of tree bark and strings. Everyone was more than happy to point at Vincent.

Vince felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he slid down into his seat, trying to be invisible. "Well then, Rowan Merger, what do you have to say for yourself?" "Please don't tell my parents." He mumbled. The class laughed.. Vincent felt ashamed at himself. The teacher told them to settle down while she took a seat down on her chair.

Vincent watched her as everyone was reading the poems from the red book, but could feel hopeless. He wasn't upset that the class ratted him out, but that puppet was now gone.

He made it for Mirai. Since she was only six, he knew she wouldn't care about how disgusting and appealing it looked.

Now it was confiscated with every other thing he made that were found in children's knapsacks. Probably going in the trash. He thought, and after class went to dig it up to not find it in any trash bin.

When he walked outside, he sat on the bench wondering what to do. His legs were swinging back and forth and watched the younger children play hop-scotch and rockfalls. He could see the kids setting the rocks up, all different shapes and sizes.

He saw a group of girls from his class dissembling out of the building. He could easily overhear their conversation. "I've got to throw this doll away, it's driving me mad." Vince could immediately head the distinct voice of Lana.

"Yes, you should." said her henchwoman of a friend. "But, it's really cute, you could give it to your sister." A girl with pigtails and growing chest added thoughtfully. "Not a chance," Lana said. "I'm a woman now, bleeding and everything."

Vincent grimaced at that. Bleeding? What was that about, he did not know.

"Whatever, I'll just leave it on the floor and hope for the best." Lana propped it next to the pole of the school gates, and her group left.

Vincent audibly laughed at the situation and went over and picked it up. It was a light pink bunny with a loosened eye button and slightly torn ear. "It's perfect." He mumbled under his breath. "What is?" He turned around to see a girl with freckles, light skin, and sea-green eyes.

"Nadia, hi." He said awkwardly. Nadia was a very quiet girl, she hardly ever spoke and usually read a book during lunch. Her family was from Seasen, which the teacher thought was lovely when she moved in two years ago.

"Um, this doll." He found this slightly embarrassing— his parents taught him how to talk and act rich, yet here he was scouring the streets for an old doll.

Nadia clenched here books and scanned the doll for a quick second. "It looks nice." She said. Vincent shrugged. He didn't know how to talk to girls. "Where are you going?" She asked. "Um, home. Want to walk?" She shrugged.

The two walked him together, and talked about cookies.

In school, the teacher came back inside the classroom to grade papers. She put the puppet she showed the other teachers inside a drawer with all the other items. She had not thrown them away. They would be quite handy for later.

—————————————

Like a modern nerd, Vincent looked for a safer way to play. Turns out it was easier than he expected and it took a few years to see it. On the year he turned 14 the teacher had them go on a trip to play around in the wood workshop nearby. This was the year where students would be looking at different fields of work, to see what they would want to do.

The experience was charming for the men but the women simply just stayed to the side whispering about fine bodies and how concentrated the boys were. Vincent was most likely not on this list, he wasn't born with good looks, he'd earn them when puberty came.

Vince he cut his finger and a small drop of blood leaked. He wiped it on his trousers and turned to the women talking with the teacher. He looked around him and saw four saws and plenty of tools and wood to be used.

He shrugged to himself and walked over to them. He wasn't the type to 'talk', but he knew how to be social when the time need it. "Hello." Vince said. The girls looked at him confused and awkward. "Ooh, what's this? My buddy Vincey talking with the ladies."

That was Lowry, a bright red headed boy that was not as sexist as everyone else. He was awfully friendly and weird so it was hard not to like him.

He softly punched Vince's arm as he walked by. Vincent rolled his eyes.

"There's plenty of tools and stuff to play with. Give it a try. You can't have all the males do all the work can you?" "...but we can." said Lana.

As the leader of the pact, not the richest, the girls followed her statement and started laughing.

Vincent felt the embarrassment crawling into his skin. So in agitation, Vince gave them a couple of words. "That's not funny. There's plenty of women complaining about sexism and I know very well it bothers all of you. It bothers me too, but how are you going to change anything if you're going to be so stereotypical right now?" He felt there would also be people reserved and had no interest, and internally scolded himself for. "Well, it's always open. No ones judging... except for Orion."

Orion was the fattest jerk on the block. Even he knew, but he didn't stop to change anything about it.

When Vincent went back to his station he tinkered with the few blocks he had on his desk. Something simple... he thought. He had Mirai specifically in mind. Something that was easy to play with and pick up, but also can be used for creativeness. He snapped his fingers and wrote the diagram down. Then he heard the an extra pair of saws swishing back and forth. He turned around to see Lana and her crew trying to saw a big piece of wood on a visor. They were all laughing about how absurd this was and confused on what on earth to do. Even the teacher looked apprehensive while laughing. Vince smiled to himself.

Vincent found his new toy—to put in technical standpoints— a series of levers that were made by small polished rectangular prisms.

He brought them to class one day and the whole class simple stared. "Are they building blocks? Because that's not very innovative." Lana said. "Well I don't think it would be, considering Vince made it. He makes a lot of simple things interesting." said Nadia. Vince tried to hide the small smile from that comment. "Watch your tongue." The teacher said softly. "Sorry." She said.

Here's a concept: It's considered rude to call a man or woman that isn't in any special relation to you, their first name. No one understood this rule, but it was how they were taught nonetheless. Vince never understood this. Sometime's he'd always slip up and say their first name, then get a dunce cap.

He remembered when he accidentally called out Lowry's real name. Why he called attention to him was that he dropped a piece of paper on the floor. The class was quietly working, and he called out to him walking back to his seat. "Hey Sebastian!" He blurted. The red head turned around and stared at him, along with the everyone else in the class. "Erm, you dropped you paper..." "Thanks." He said quietly.

He got the dunce cap— as expected— and thought long and hard about why everyone was so paranoid when formalities were broken

"I'm sorry." Vince said after school. "It's alright. I don't really mind. I don't like my name. It's, eh." Vincent smiled."Whatever ever you say Lowry."

Resuming back to the copyright dominoes, Vincent cleared his throat. "Watch." He stood them up vertically next to each other in a straight line, then tipped one over. The class gasped and awed in astonishment, as if they were five year olds again. "Can I take these for myself?" Orion asked. "No, you mashiman. There for Vincent." "Sam, don't say that." Lowry urged. Vincent's smile turned into a faded frown.

A few weeks ago, they had a lesson on magic. It's origins and how it was unethical and people with it were sent to destroy humanity. For a split second through it, he felt embarrassed. Then he quickly discarded and was washed over with regret.

"But like, what if you're born with it and like, you don't want to be bad. Can't you be good?" The class muttered in agreements with the boy's sentiments.

"Well put it this way. Who's scared of a rat king?" Everyone's hands shot up. "Well then, the rats may be doing it for a good cause, but you're still going to hate it, because it's a rat king." "Ooooh." The class went to immediate side conversations for a few seconds until the teacher pulled them back into class.

Vincent was quiet and slouched in his seat, drawing different shapes to pass the time. That answer didn't fulfill his inquiries. Why? Mirai's not bad. You didn't even meet her. She's just a normal girl that likes chocolate chip cookies. Who also just so happens to have abnormal abilities.

The next day, the term was made into a use of slang. It was first with Orion —it was always Orion— who blamed it on a child in class that supposedly made Orion's books topple over. "It was like he had magic!" Orion sputtered. The kid's face reddened in embarrassment.

Orion got the dunce cap and wore it in the corner during class.

Soon everyone was using the word like a normal swear, and continued getting the dunce cap. The teacher swore she drove them crazy. "I'm going to turn you all to the Mayor!" She snapped. "Unless any of you are hiding magical people in your basements, there is no reason for you to be saying such devilish things!"

"Well, Vincent never had said anything this past month. I doubt he has ANYTHING to do with the mayor." A girl named Tina said. "Yeah, but that's probably because him and his mayor are pretty tight, y'know what I mean? Goin' to those rich dinner parties. Must be nice to be friends with the government." Another boy said. The class roared with laughter while Vincent stared out the window.

Vince made a swift smirk as if he were bored but amused.

"Vincent is probably the whitest, richest, and least magic person to ever exist." Lana stated, closing her textbook. "If you didn't get that right." a girl answered.

Vincent said nothing, and only starting to look out the window again. If only they knew, he thought If only they knew.

So after their teacher's warning, they mushed the words together into an unruly term. "Mashiman."

Vincent had guiltily used this word as well, to go along with the crowd. He would never tell this to Mirai. It was an unfathomable secret he could never tell. It was like telling someone else that your best friend was an inconsiderate slut behind their back.

——————-

At age 16 he got his first apprentice letter. It was the beginning of class that day and Vincent was a little late. While everyone was doing their own thing, he sat down on his wooden desk. He peered over to see the white letter sitting on his desktop. He could see the thin strokes of black ink on it. It was meticulous and articulated. It was from a blacksmith. He started to scrape off the wax cover.

The intense scraping attracted everyone's attention, all eyes to the boy who had something they didn't.

"Look what Merger has!" A black youth cried. "It looks like a letter." Lowry said. Lana rolled her eyes. "Obviously." Everyone started huddling around Vince as he carefully opened the envelope.

"Why is it here?" Asked a girl. "Applications?" Lowry suggested. "That's impossible! No one's supposed to get those until next year!" "Shut up Orion." said a boy with tan skin. "Everyone please sit in your seats and leave Vince alone." The teacher scolded.

No one paid attention. Vince unfolded the paper to see messy and sloppy penmanship on it. Definitely from a blacksmith, Vincent thought. The letter was assigned to him by a blacksmith in Collins. He asked if he could come to Collins to work with him. Vincent's hairs shot up on his arms.

It took him a second to think this over.

Collins.

What?

The Blacksmith whose name was Monroe, liked the machines he rebuilt and modeled. There were several gasps and cheers of congratulations in the back. Vincent's heart was pounding.

"Holy crap!" He blurted. It was like getting accepted into an ivy college at the age of starting high school. He looked up at the teacher and she winked. His jaw dropped.

She actually sent his models to people. "Yeah Vincent!" Lowry said shaking his shoulders. Everyone was chanting his name— except Orion. Then the teacher cursed at all of them to sit in their seats and the class quickly quieted down.

Well, not everyone. Some stayed to the side and gave him mean glances. They probably thought he got the letter because he had money, or maybe his parents did bribery.

Vincent would love to prove to them that he got the letter fair and square, but he wouldn't. It wasn't his problem, or more so he didn't like speaking.

Vincent slumped in his seat rereading the words over and over again. He was sweating and fidgety. His pinched himself several times to make sure it was real. For a moment he felt more than happy to show the note to his parents, get the praise, and have them throw another annoying party filled with aristocrats.

His eyes were stinging, and he rubbed them. No tears came out. He hadn't cried in a while, the last time he did was when Grandfather died.

While class was going, he didn't really pay attention. His mind was too focused on the possibilities of today happening.

Grandfather, oh my god. Did you do this? Did you change the teacher's threats of throwing my stuff away? Oh my god. I miss you.

Vincent's inaudible conversations with his always ended like that. With an I miss you.

He clenched the note tightly and went up to his teacher when school was done for the day. "Ma'am, thank you." His voice was shaky, and a little awkward. "Thank you Vincent. For being, well, a good kid with... weird quirks. Make sure to behave at Collins." "I will!" He said nodding his head rapidly. The levity of the situation made him feel light in his toes.

After school he flew out of the classroom, the apprentice letter rolled and encased inside his closed fist. The sun was shining and the street was wet for yesterday's rain. He felt a little uneasy, but he was sure everything would be alright.

In the meantime that day, a girl with abnormal powers was on the purge of stealing.

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12izzy3 · 7 years ago

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Webcomic Recommendations No One Asked For:

I......... Spent 2 hours putting together a list of my webcomic recommendations, with summaries and reviews, because I was reworking my blog... And really I don’t think anyone ever goes directly on to my blog proper, so it feels kind of foolish to have that there where no one will see it, so I’m actually going to post it as well:

Webcomics are honestly just so tight, and there’s such a vast variety of them that there’s something for everyone, if not a few somethings for everyone! I’m personally all about indie games, but if there’s another indie market that I feel like the internet has created a space for it’s comics. After I started writing this I realized I have a uh… Lot of recommendations. Also, I may be an idiot for not using the author’s own summaries???

Regularly updating:

KILL SIX BILLION DEMONS - A comic about a college girl, Allison, given mystical powers beyond her understanding, and thrust into a celestial world filled with angels and demons, where the lines of good and evil are blurry at best. With the help of friends she meets along the way, she must navigate her new powers, and save her boyfriend from forces that would destroy existence. Kinda dark thematically (with very rare and minor gore), but a great comic if you love action, fantasy, and fantastic art. One of my favorites.

AWFUL HOSPITAL - Another one of my favorites. After her child becomes terribly sick, and doctors tell her that there’s nothing that they can do, a mother wakes up in a mysterious, otherworldly hospital. She must navigate this confusing and sometimes horrifying hospital to save her child and get home, and on the way, she makes many odd friends and unknowable enemies, and learns that her child’s sickness may be part of something larger. This comic is funny, has cool action, a unique format, and lots of great, though ghastly, character designs.

GUNNERKRIGG COURT - A coming of age story about two girls, Antimony and Kat, as they try to find their place in each other’s lives, and the two clashing worlds that surround them, the massive technological complex that is their school and home, Gunnerkrigg Court, and the forest across the river, where magic and fantastic creatures thrive, under the watchful eye of the trickster god Coyote. Another great one for if you like fantasy, but is usually a lot lighter, with a peak of intensity about equal to… Like, Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, I think. I’ve only gotten into this one pretty recently, but it’s good.

PARANATURAL - After his family moves to his dad’s old home town, Max discovers that he has magical powers, and becomes part of the Paranatural Activities club at his school, a group of students and their adviser who all have magical powers, and use them to protect the populace from ghosts, as well as investigate the many magical mysteries of the town. This comic is great, and mostly focuses on action and comedy. The art is a very colorful cartoony style, and the characters are drawn very… fluid, rubbery. The best way to put it is that the artist has really put a lot of effort into making characters consistently as expressive as possible, and that good old Disney/Looney Toons/Tom & Jerry stretchiness makes for very good visual comedy.

HOUSEPETS! - Another one of the earliest webcomics I ever read! Housepets is… largely a comedy comic, following the lives of anthropomorphized pets in a small neighborhood. They go on adventures, and live the fun yet complicated lives of an open society of people with unbelievable amounts of free time. However, sometimes there are bigger drama/adventure arcs, which are really good! A lot of the times amazing art or cool action are what draw me into adventure stories, but I just think the plot of this comic can be really good and surprisingly deep for a humor comic. And it’s still loose enough, and in the newspaper comic style that you can usually jump in very often (not every strip, mind you but in pretty small arcs) without feeling like you’ve missed a ton. Long too, lots to read, recommend.

STAND STILL STAY SILENT - SSSS is a comic that takes place 90 years after the end of the world. A zombie-like virus with strong mystical qualities has wiped out not just human, but much of the world’s mammalian life. In Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Denmark), in spite of the virus, society continues to exist, and most people live normal, happy lives. Our comic follows a research team, formed on a hairstring budget to travel into the infected zone, collect information on the virus and state of the fauna there, and, secretly, to collect books to sell back home. A great fantasy adventure drama that updates very often, and has really good art.

CUCUMBER QUEST - In spite of order this is actually the last one I’m writing, and I’m tired, so I’m going to copy the book one summary from Amazon:

What happens when an evil queen gets her hands on an ancient force of destruction? World domination, obviously. The seven kingdoms of Dreamside need a legendary hero. Instead, they’ll have to settle for Cucumber, a nerdy magician who just wants to go to school. As destiny would have it, he and his way more heroic sister, Almond, must now seek the Dream Sword, the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Queen Cordelia’s Nightmare Knight. Can these bunny siblings really save the world in its darkest hour? Sure, why not?

Cucumber Quest is good, the art is colorful and bright, all of the characters are relatable and real, including the villains, there’s cool adventures sequences and plot, and it’s a very fun comic. There’s humor and love and struggle in the comic, and it’s very well done.

GIRL GENIUS - Girl Genius follows Agatha Heterodyne, up and coming mad scientist, on her many adventures to save herself, her friends and the world if it’s along the way. It’s hard, however, competing with an entire world of mad scientists, as well as the Heterodyne legacy, one filled with chaos and bloodshed up until recently. I like Girl Genius a lot. It doesn’t move through the story very fast, but there’s a lot of solid world building, and more importantly, very intriguing sci-fi action and adventure happening inside of that world! I’m also pretty sure they do a radio show or podcast or something with additional Agatha adventures on top of the comic.

SUPERNORMAL STEP - After leading a life as a drifter after the death of her father, Fae is pulled into an alternate world where magic is real. There, she tries to find her place in life, master the magic that the world around her runs on, and get home to plain old earth in one piece. Lots of cool action, every character has really got their own style of magic. I can honestly tell you that it’s good, but I read it over such a long period of time that it’s got a pretty vague impression in my head.

ATOMIC ROBO - Robo is a skilled an dedicated scientist. He’s also an atomic robot built and raised by Nikola Tesla. Atomic Robo follows the titular character on the many adventures of his life, from WWII to the present. As the head of Tesladyne Industries, Robo is dedicated to researching the outlandish, the weird, the impossible! And when the world calls on him, he and his Action Scientists defend it from giant monsters, cosmic anomalies, and mad science. Atomic Robo is great if you love action, robots, monsters, humor, and velociraptors duel-wielding uzis. Highly recommended.

DUMBING OF AGE - As the title would imply, Dumbing Of Age is a pretty standard coming of age comedy! Starring a wide cast of likable and complex character, DoA follows a group of college freshmen as they learn more about themselves, and grow beyond the bubbles that they were raised in. I think the underpinnings of the comic are pretty strongly on humor, but there’s a lot of drama, and conversations about meaningful things too. There are lots of varying depictions of drama, depression, anxiety, and the ways people deal with pressure, and fear. But there’s also a lot of love and friendliness. It’s a good comic, and probably the only solid slice-of-life on my list.

MANLY GUYS DOING MANLY THINGS - This comic follows The Commander, a bio-engineered super soldier sent back in time to run a temp agency. This particular temp agency specializes in reintroducing particularly brutish video game, comic, and movie protagonists back into normal polite society. Duke Nukem isn’t much of a man for customer service, however. Later on the comic drifts more toward Commander’s personal life. (So slice of life, but with a buff, and actually surprisingly sensitive and forward thinking, super commando from the future.) Has been in a bit of a slump in terms of updates recently, but they still happen.

GRRL POWER - Sidney, a slightly hyper nerd who works at a comic shop, stumbles upon an artifact that gives her a variety of superpowers. After being exposed, she becomes a member of the government’s brand new super hero organization. This comic is a lot of fun, with some cool superpowers and super fights. Lots of humor, very consistently, in any given scene. Sadly, it is a bit fan service-y, though in the grand scale of things it’s not the worst offender (though definitely the worst you’ll see on this list).

SWORD INTERVAL - This is a pretty new one for me, but it’s great. At some indeterminate point in the past (potentially as far back as the civil war, if not farther), the earth became exposed to monsters and magic in ways that it wasn’t before. Humanity still exists and survives, but plagued by supernatural forces. Our main character is Fall, a very new monster hunter, who after years in witness protection, has decided to track down and kill the Hierophant, the powerful monster that killed her parents. Sword interval does a lot of really cool fantasy stuff, with new takes on classic monsters, and magic and monsters in settings that we don’t often see them in, out in the open in present day. It’s something I wish we could see more. Good action and art, particularly character design.

BACK - Abigail is back. From the dead? From a very long sleep in a box underground? She doesn’t know either. She doesn’t know a lot of things. What she does know is that she’s got two guns, is nearly indestructible, and is prophesied to go north to the capital and end the world. With the help of the young cleric Michael, who supplements her absolute lack of all knowledge and common sense, Abigail fights her way through the kingdom, and past the kings many superpowered deputies. Back is cool, back is funny, and sometimes has some good action. I wouldn’t consider it one of my favorites, but it’s a comic I started and I’ve kept up with, so that’s saying something.

MARE INTERNUM - Not very long yet, and I only recently read it, but Mare Internum is really good. I don’t want to spoil it too much, honestly, especially because it’s so short, but it’s a sci-fi adventure comic about being trapped, underground, on Mars, and finding life there. The art is great, the story so far is well written, and the dialogue is good. I really don’t want to spoil it, but there are some great concepts in it and you should read it.

OPHIUCHUS - A very new comic about an ancient stone guardian who is whisked away to another, far off world. Here, he is employed to help two of this world’s denizens defeat the blight that has corrupted and destroyed their once almost utopian world. The art for this is really good. The comic is not currently long enough to comment on much else, but it seems interesting, sci-fi with a touch of fantasy.

Slowly Updating:

AVA’S DEMON - Ava’s Demon is about a girl, Ava who has spent her entire young life haunted by a ghost that torments her, before finally making a deal. The ghost, Wrathia, will help her become a normal girl, with friends and a normal life, but first, Ava must track down the ghosts of Wrathia’s most powerful allies, and help her dissolve the massive interplanetary empire that is TITAN. Ava’s Demon is amazing. The story is good, but I think the comic’s greatest strength is absolutely stunning and polished art. Strong recommendation.

THE PROPERTY OF HATE - RGB is a self-described monster, a sharp dressed man with a TV for a head. However, he’s looking for a hero to guide on a quest. RGB whisks our young protagonist, the Hero, to a world that exists beside our own a world completely fueled and inhabited by our creativity, our stories. RGB protects the Hero from these dangers, guiding her on a mission unknown, through a world that, although mystical, seems to have lost its hope.

HE IS A GOOD BOY - Slow but large updates. This comic follows the life a sentient acorn, Crange, after the death of his parent (a tree) to a lumberjack. Crange is kind of a bit of a loser, and stumbles around his world of sentient rocks and bugs getting into all sorts of trouble and hijinks. These hijinks almost always result in someone’s death, which Crange is impressively unphased by. HIAGB is fantastic, in my opinion. The art is great, the humor is great, especially the visual comedy, and the story is good. However, it gets real dark, and gory. But if you’re fine with that, it IS a (dark) comedy comic, and a good one.

THE LAST HALLOWEEN - One Halloween, the darkness opens up, and monsters pour out from the seams between our world and theirs. Approximately 7 billion monsters, in fact. Mona, a young girl and horror fanatic finds herself thrown into a world of chaos and horror, on the run from her own monster, and forced to look for a way to save the world, with the help of ghosts, zombies, vampires, and even monsters themselves. In spite of the fact that this comic can be VERY dark, I think one of its big hooks is humor and likable characters, on top of great art and plot. I really like it. This comic maybeshouldn’t be on the slow update list, but the artist is just picking up speed after a long hiatus, so…

ROMANTICALLY APOCALYPTIC - The apocalypse happened, and Charles Snippy missed it. Humanity was wiped out in a war against it’s own, ever-present AI, and Charles Snippy, a scientist/tour guide without the implants made it out alive, only to wander alone this is until he meets Zee Captain, an ever positive, gender question mark, maniac who wanders the wasteland with their insane assistant Pilot. Snippy, Captain and Pilot wander the wasteland, facing off against monsters, raiders, and the laws of physics in a mind warping and illogical adventure.

On Hiatus:

DERELICT - Like a surprisingly large number of comics on this list, in Derelict, the world has ended. A strange Miasma travels the world, killing billions, and bringing with it gargoyle-like monsters who fear the daylight. However, the world goes on, in a small, broken way, and our story follows a scavenger in this new world.

HELVETICA - So, you die, and then what? Well, life goes on. This is what Helvetica learns, after he dies and reemerges into an afterlife that seems shockingly similar to the world of the living, with work, pressure, responsibility, danger, and just plain old boring life. Except everyone is a skeleton. Helvetica is very resistant to accept this new life in death. This one is pretty short so far, and hasn’t updated in a while, but it’s good.

VIBE - Hasn’t update in a year and a half, but what’s there is good (Honestly, it’s super sad it hasn’t update, I like it a lot). Vibe follows Baron, a young shaman, a spiritual master who is able to expel negative emotions (bad vibes) from the human body. Only those emotions then become monsters, who a shaman must fight to complete the process! With the help of his Loa (they’re like familiars), he navigates life as a teenager, and his increasingly complex and dangerous life as a shaman. I really like this comic. There’s a lot of very cool and dynamic action, and the artist makes great use of a ton of bright colors.

THE ABOMINABLE CHARLES CHRISTOPHER - This one hasn’t updated in about a year, but what’s there right now is good. Charles Christopher is a Sasquatch, living in the woods on the edge of society. Though he himself is fairly soft, and simple, the wilderness around him is full of anthropomorphized animals who go about shockingly human social and professional lives. The comic follows Charles Christopher as he interacts with the world of these animals, and becomes tangled in a vast spiritual quest.

POWER NAP - Hard to know exactly where to put this one. It’s currently VERY slow updating. Power Nap takes place in a world where the majority of mankind is reliant on a drug that allows them to live 24/7 without sleep. However, there are those who are allergic to the medicine, who live their lives out of sync with their peers, protected by the government, but effectively second class citizens. However, in a sleepless world, over-saturated by virtual reality, the human subconscious has found ways to seep into reality.

THE FANCY ADVENTURES OF JACK CANNON - I want to start this out by saying this comic is probably dead, without a 100% resolution. However, it’s currently 492 pages, and a LOT of the storyline covered in that span was resolved. Such that, if they’d wanted to, I could’ve seen the author wrapping it up. I digress. Jack Cannon is about a kid moving to a new school, where he finds the bullies are able to hack reality. Somehow immune to hacks, Jack fights the bullies, and in doing so, puts himself on the stage of a worldwide battle against hackers. Lots of really cool action in this, one of the first few webcomics I read.

Complete:

HOMESTUCK - If you’re here, you are probably at least aware of Homestuck. It’s about a bunch of goofy awkward teen friends who get sucked into a cosmic (video) game, with the fate of the universe at stake, but you know, they’ve still got that teen angst. Time travel is involved. It’s a very long, fun, and dramatic comic which is heavily influenced by RPGs and point and click adventures.

THE ADVENTURES OF DR. MCNINJA - The pressures of being a doctor AND ninja are immense, but on either front, you can trust that Dr. McNinja is the man for the job. Born into an Irish ninja family, Dr. McNinja longs for a life where he can do medicine in peace, but finds himself constantly pulled into a string of action packed adventures, fighting giant monsters, bandits riding velociraptors, and dueling radical interdimensional kings. This one if fairly long, a bit over 1800 pages, but it’s really good and well done. Again, there is a lot of both action and humor (I’m big on that), with some surprisingly meaningful and well-done story arcs in spite of how silly the premise is.

REMIND - This one is about a girl who lives in a lighthouse on the edge of a town whose main draw is the “Lizard Man” legend that her own father made up. However, after her cat one day starts walking on two legs and talking, claiming to be one of many said lizard men, they both go on a journey to discover the truth. This one was OK. The story and sci-fi elements are both alright bot not great. But it’s not super long, so if you have the time, maybe read it.

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nakateleeli · 8 years ago

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Elves of Welgaea

Technically elves have been a part of Welgaea since the beginning as I’ve always said that Miss Naka’s title “the Honeywhite” she got because she once beat up the elven princess without even turning around, which is a reference to my gearless, dashbootless, wall-jumpbootless run of Bunny Must Die. I never really took it too seriously until much more recently when I designed Raina, the elf princess, and later Tofu. As for the actual image, I’m reasonably happy with it. The colors could be better. It’s mostly just a frankenstein of previous images though so I imagine I’d be happy with it, even if it lacks some uniqueness.

Physical At quick glance the most defining traits of elves are the dark skin and pointed ears. Skin tones range from “a good tan” to very dark. Above is about as light and dark as they get. Ears are very long and pointed. There can be some variety in ear length, but not a lot. Elves also tend to be just a few inches shorter than humans on average, but still with a degree of variance, much like humans. They are naturally very thin, lacking much muscle. You’ll never really see an elf that looks like a bodybuilder, and even seeing one that’s fairly defined is rare. Women’s breasts tend to stay in the A-B range. Hair colors can be various shades, but tend to stick in the red-purple-blue range. Eyes can be most any color.

Where they lack physical strength they make up for it by being much more dexterous and agile, due to their thinner bodies, as well as the most naturally intelligent and magically-inclined of the races. Most mages, though certainly not all, are elves. Elves also grow and age at half the speed of humans, living twice as long. An elf that’s 30 years old would have the physical and mental development of a 15-year old, though that 15-year-old would have had 30 years of experience. In this situation they would still act and think much like a 15-year-old, though perhaps one that’s fairly mature for their age. Due to how much time must be spent studying and practicing magic the fact that elves have twice as long to do it also contributes to why most mages are elves.

Culture Much like the bestia, elves also participate in Common culture and it’s quite normal to see them walking about. Also much like the bestia a good number also live in secluded elf towns apart from Common society. These towns easily have the most effort put into their architecture and building structures out of any of the races. An elf village can usually be found deep in forests, often difficult to find. Though they have an appreciation for nature, unlike the bestia it’s more for the elemental energy given off. Elven villages are usually a single, large, towering, spiraling structure with many outdoor and indoor areas. Very rarely is a part of this structure close enough to the ground for the natural ground to play a part of it. The structures are usually made with a wood core coated in the cermit-bone material I spoke of in the “Miss Naka’s Bag” post. You’ll usually find a large number of magical items in an elf village, like the elemental crystals, functioning as a part of the architecture. Perhaps due to their longer lifespans they feel the need to spend more time on architecture and creating structures that will last a long time.

Being the most naturally intelligent and magically-inclined race they tend to house a lot of knowledge and keep large libraries. Though each elf in a village will likely keep a few tomes of their own they’re often pooled and kept in a common village library. Elves are also a fairly arrogant race, and a part of their reclusiveness is because they just think they’re better than the other races and shouldn’t have to pander or share their resources with races that couldn’t appreciate them. There is also an overarching monarchy among the elves, with a single individual or couple having precedence over all elves on the planet. However, due to the difficulty communicating with even neighboring villages and exercising authority over such a large range the monarchy is more just a figurehead than anything else, but may control some very broad policy, and even then it’s entirely up to each village as to if they even want to bother following it as there’s no real way to enforce it.

Elven clothing also tends to stick to the red-purple-blue side of the color wheel, alongside black and white, though it will use the other colors as accents. It tends to focus on skin-tight outfits made from a stretchy thread acquired from large caterpillar-like monsters often found in forests near elven villages. Light, airy pants and sleeves as well as large strips of fabric are also common. Long hair for both males and females is very common as well. Simple rings are somewhat common, as well as larger earrings with elemental crystals in them.

#Welgaea #Elves

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cutiecrates · 5 years ago

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Cutie Reviews: YumeTwins May 19

It’s technically a day later, but I had intended on writing this all of Sunday but I was in such a poor mood that every time I tried I kept walking away after being unable to focus. But I've calmed down and I’m ready to get this started!

“It is starting to warm up the closer we get to summer and we are so excited to feel the sunshine! It is important to go outside and get active but it is just as important to set aside some time for self care. Who doesn’t love to pamper themselves? That is why for this month we have curated a box filled with items that will make your relaxation time more magical and kawaii! Go ahead and draw yourself a bath, and soak in this self love goodness! We hope you enjoy these kawaii goodies as much as we enjoyed putting the Bubbly Fantasy box together for you!“

Contest & Photo Prize

This month, the winners could receive an adorable Hello Kitty plush, while runner-ups could win an adorable little hello kitty strawberry plush; it’s cute enough to eat~!

Meanwhile, the Yume Prize box includes an adorable variety of goods based on Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura.

Furry Friends Floor Mat

I chose this item first because some of you you might recognize it; I’ve already gotten one from some boxes ago. I won’t be reviewing it, but I will mention that this item was a variety one; so it’s only coincidental I got it again- out of 15 possible carpets. They’re 45 x 45cm and made out of 100% cotton.

The carpet is very cute and a bit fluffy, it feels really nice to step on, and in a way it’s nice I have two, because I could put them by multiple doors if I wanted. Or if one gets ruined by some freak incident, I have a back up.

Gudetama Facial Sponge & Kirby Bath Bomb

Next up is another item I won’t be full reviewing, because again, I get konjac sponges pretty often in these boxes (usually from NMNL or KiraKira). They’re all the same, but what makes this one cunique is that it’s shaped like an egg for Gudetama~

For anyone unfamiliar, Konjac is an “asian potato“ essentially, it’s frequently used as a sponge that helps remove dirt and dead skin cells and comes in various forms. All you need to do is wet it once to use it, then you scrub away the icks from a long day.

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Our first real review-able item is this adorable Kirby Bath Bomb, which came in 2 variants, series 1 featuring a flowery-scented yellow bath bomb, or series 2, which featured a pretty pink bath bomb. Each series has their own set of prizes, including a mystery one.

This was also a small part of why I took so long to do this; I don’t like wasting bath bombs so I thought “well what can I do with it so that it still gets used? I already took a shower.“ Then it hit me! I decided that because my feet have been sore recently, I’d try to soak them with it. So I did that, and honestly it felt really good- I think I’ll be doing it more often :P

Anyway, this is the Kirby I got. Cute little guy isn’t he ♥

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The bath bomb smells really good, initially I thought it might have been a citrus scent but the more I smelled it, the more it seemed to transform to floral. I really like it though and my skin that made contact with it is very smooth and soft. There’s also no staining at all, but because I got the yellow one I’m not sure if the same applies to the pink.

The next time you’re not sure what to do with a bath bomb I’d recommend using it the way I did :3 it feels really nice~

Chibi Animal Plushie

This is our next item, an ultra-kawaii animal plushie! There was 12 different animals we could cute, including panda’s in this style, some sleepy hamsters and other critters, bunnies, kitties, and more!

I think I definitely got one of the “winners“, it was love at first sight for us~ ♥

Peach really liked it too. But I think she just wanted the bag :x

The plush is very squishy soft, one of those mochi-marshmallow types. It’s a little stretchy and very smooshy. It also has an adorable pink button (which you can barely make out in the above picture).

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Putting aside my overwhelming love for it, the plush is also made very well. I didn’t notice any signs of problem with the material or stitching, it’s very sweet.

Sanrio Toothbrush

To go with our theme of self-pampering and relaxation, we also got an adorable Sanrio-themed toothbrush to look forward to. It was available in 5 different designs, each featuring Sanrio’s popular mascots and pink bristles at the center of the brush; a very cute touch I thought ♥

As you can see, I got Little Twin Stars, or Kiki and Lala, however you want to refer to them.

Review: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I don’t really have too much to say about it. It’s a brush. I had been wanting to get a new one and it’s length is really nice. I didn’t make too much of a mess using it, and the bristles aren’t rock hard and rough in the mouth, they feel pretty good. There is also a circle of dots to place your thumb while using it.

Kawaii Glue Stick

Our last item takes the form of creative self-care; for those of us who like to make crafts or need to seal something. But before I get into this, I have a little story for you all...

It took me FOREVER to figure out how to open this! When I got the box I kept yanking and tugging on it, thinking it opened like a normal glue stick, then I tried twisting. I had no idea what to do. I gave up, and so when I took the pictures I decided to pull off the tape/design wrapped around the tube to find nothing. I had tried twisting the bottom a few times, the piece that lengthens the glue stick but nothing happened- until I realize you need to pull and twist!

So yeah, that was not fun at all, and there was no instructions to point this out. Anyway it came in 4 different designs, from unicorns to cutesy drinks to random animals.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

As much of a struggle as it gave me, it does its job. It works well and because of its unique scare shape, it seems to do really well with precision, but I feel like it’s still the same as using a normal glue stick.

♡ Cutie Ranking ♡

Content - 4.5 out of 5. I knocked down a point over the glue stick because that thing really honked me off. They should have said how to open it or put something on it, now mine looks completely trashed. But it’s still usable. Everything otherwise had great quality and I liked the items a lot. I also loved how nearly everything had variety and is practical!

Theme: ??? out of 5. Once again I was kinda conflicted over this, only because I do see the theme a bit, because yeah, a few of the items can get bubbly/foamy and bring comfort, and all the items do have a sort of fantasy design or feature to them. The Yume Prize also fit it I thought. I wasn’t really sure how to rate this one...

Total Rank: 10 out of 10. I love it when the box brings in a fun, unique mix with each box. But sometimes they’re either really good or sometimes they’re not my favorite. I really liked this one because the mix was different, especially since we normally don’t get things like health and beauty related items in this one- if we do it’s pretty rare. I feel pretty comforted with the box and its practically a good choice in my opinion. I’d recommend this one.

♡ Cutie Scale ♡

1. Chibi Animal Plushie - All of them were adorable but besides the pink panda, I think this would have been the one I wanted the most! I’m very happy I got it, I think I’ll name it Cotton Candy x3

2. Kirby Bath Bomb - The packaging is so colorful and cute, and my little kirby is adorable. It’s a very hard, barely squishable rubber material but I love it~

3. Sanrio Toothbrush - I like it’s white and pastel color scheme, and the pink bristles just make it fun. Like I said, I was planning on getting a new brush so this saved me some money.

4. Glue Stick - It will come in handy since I don’t really have any other glue right away. It’s cuteness factor was kind of ruined by my curiosity in trying to open it, but you win some lose some right?

5. Gudetama Sponge - It’s just like any other konjac sponge, and I already have one open so I didn’t need to use it yet. But the egg shape is kinda cute...

6. Floor Mat - It’s cute but was a little disappointed I got the exact same one as before from a prior box. But it was a Doki Doki box rather than YumeTwins so that lessens that a little bit. It will come in handy though so I don’t dislike the item.

#gudetama #kirby bath bomb #cutie reviews #yumetwins

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