#short run printed packaging

[jeysmullet]

Hi there!! Could I please request a Jey fic, about him having baby fever and having to convince reader to stop contraceptives.

The way you make me feel | Jey Uso

jey uso x female!wife!reader

warnings: swearing, talks of creampies, mentions of birth control, anxiety, jey is pure nasty. no actual smut tho because i don’t know if that’s something you didn’t want!

short !! sorry:(

y/n fatu

The house was quiet as I sat alone at the kitchen island studying the unopened pack of birth control that had just been delivered. I had been taking them ever since my career in WWE had taken off, simply due to the fact that i didn’t want to mess up my job just because I ended up pregnant. I snap out of my daze as I hear the garage door open and shut. I hear footsteps get closer to the kitchen before i feel a pair of arms wrap around me, i slightly turn my head to look at my husband, who had already been looking at me, smiling.

“what’s up mama,” Josh looked away from me and looked at the packaging in my hand, making his face drop, before looking back at me , “you still taking those?”

I roll my eyes laughing at his mood change, “yes I am, Josh, you know it’s too risky for me to stop taking them, especially cause someone likes to nut in me every time we fuck, acting like you can’t wait to get me pregnant.”

I heard Josh suck his teeth before bringing his hands down to my hips, guiding me off of the island stool i was sitting on. He turns me to face him before he runs his ring cluttered fingers over the fabric of my grey sundress, before his hands land on my backside. ���I mean can you blame me, baby? I mean fuck, you know how many people would die to be in my position. How many people would die to be the one fucking you every night and filling your pretty pussy up till nut is spilling out. Of course, I want a baby with yo little sexy ass.” Josh spanks my ass making me gasp.

“I mean Josh, are we even ready for a kid? We’re on the road all the time.” I spoke softly as Josh pulls me close enough to him so I can feel his dick print, through the sweatpants he was wearing, on my thigh.

“Mama, we can always take time off. I wanna start a family with you. I’ve wanted to ever since i saw yo ass in them lil ass shorts at the performance center. I automatically thought damn she fine as hell, she definitely gon have my kids.” I laugh before slapping him on the chest.

“I’m for real, Josh. A kid is a lot of work. I want you to be serious with me if you want to go through with this with me.” Josh brought his hands back to my ass, cupping it. “I am serious. I’ve always wanted you to be the mother of my kids. Shit the process of making them a plus too.” I laugh as I roll my eyes.

“Fine, I’ll stop taking the birth control.” Josh’s face lights up at my words before he looks behind me on the island table, reaching over and grabbing the box of pills before making his way over to the trash can, throwing them away. He turned back to me with a big ass grin on his face. “You know they say practice makes perfect!” Josh runs over to me, grabbing me and lifting me up, making me wrap legs around him, giggling. In the process of my legs wrapping around him, my dress comes up exposing the fact that i wasn’t wearing any underwear.

Josh looks down before looking back up at me. “Oh yeah, we finna practice all night.” He says smirking before carrying me to the bedroom, where he kept his word. We did infact practice alllllll night.

THE END

[lxndonorris]

new heights - Jude Bellingham

Y/N x Jude Bellingham Theme: Smutish, Teasing, Touching (Not explicit) Jude's new kit arrives in the mail, you ask him to put it on for you x word count: 1680+

When your boyfriend Jude was approached by Real Madrid for a possible transfer, both of you were excited right away. He's been talking a lot about his dream to play for one of the most iconic football clubs of all time. Having multiple Madrid jerseys himself, he immediately agreed to switch teams. Jude loves to play for BVB, but when he got the chance to expand his qualities and experience, he couldn't say no. Now, after a month of negotiations, the deal is finally done, and once the league is over, he'd transfer to Madrid this summer. Without you knowing, he prepared a little surprise for the two of you.

Now, the sun is slowly setting on a beautiful Friday evening, when you find yourself sitting on the sofa, inside of the arms of your boyfriend, with his arm around your shoulder, and the tips of his fingers run up and down your arm. Your head is resting against his chest, while he's wearing a navy blue shirt, black shorts, and socks. On the other hand, you're wearing a loose shirt, one of his favorites, and another pair of his shorts. Immediately once you got together, you'd claim his clothes as your own, of course, he wouldn't mind at all. Even though, at times, Jude tends to be more possessive about pieces of clothing, especially his kits. This would always make you smile, because, fair enough.

You're scrolling through your Instagram feed, liking a few pictures of your friends, and checking out a few fan edits. Even though it's not public yet, a few people are speculating that Jude would play for another team this season. Just then, the doorbell rings, and he jumps off the sofa, much to your surprise, catching your attention right away. This must be something important when he acts like that. Tilting your head curiously, you hear him talking to another man, most likely a mailman. They exchange a quick chat before the door closes with a soft thud. Softly, you hear his footsteps echo through the hallway as he's approaching the living room again.

Before he even enters the room, you narrow your eyes in suspicion. 'What is he up to?' You think to yourself when he finally enters through the doorframe. Jude is carrying a big package, and while he walks, he looks at it with a coy smile spread across his whole face. "What is that?" You say rather loudly, visibly snapping him out of his daydream. Jude flinches, stops right away, and lifts his head to look into your eyes right away. "Oh, uh, whaaat?" He says, blushing immediately. "That package." You nod towards that huge thing inside his grasp. "Oh, that. uh. Nothing." He stutters and tries to play it cool, making his way toward the bedroom.

Before Jude can close the door behind him, you follow him inside the room, startling him again. "Y/N. you scared me." He says once you stand right behind him, your eyes fixated on that package. "Do you have something to confess to me, Jude?" You say, slowly lifting your head to face him once more. He blinks a few times, trying his best to regain his composure, before he takes a deep breath. "Fine." Jude sighs, defeated before he puts it down on the bed, and waves for you to come closer. Grinning happily, you join his side and look closely as he starts to open it. "Is it something for me?" You say excitedly, watching his beautiful hands struggle a little. "Not quite, yet." He chuckles softly, and you pout. "Mean bean." You say softly, and finally, he manages to defeat that package.

"Fuck, that looks good," Jude says, and both of you look in awe at his new Real Madrid jersey, white, gold, and black. Most important, however, is the name printed on its back. "Bellingham 5." The two of you whisper in unison, and you can feel him getting more and more excited. "Jude! Why didn't you tell me!" You pout again, turning toward him. He turns his head, smiling brightly, and you spot a fiery spark igniting in his beautiful eyes. "It was meant as a surprise," Jude growls happily, the sound of his voice sending shivers down your spine.

"And what a surprise this is." You say, and lean in for a sweet kiss. Since he is a little taller than you, he bends down, placing a tender kiss right on your lips. Embracing him on yours, you kiss him again, once, then twice, before he separates himself from you, turning his attention back to the jersey. Proudly, you intertwine your arm with his, while placing your other hand on his firm chest, stroking him lovingly through his shirt. "It looks so good, with your name on it." You say, both of you admiring his new gear. "It does, doesn't it." Jude smiles even harder, as he takes the shirt out of the box. Lifting it right in front of the two of you, you get a better look at it. Unable to resist, you reach for it, feeling the fabric between two fingers. "It feels nice, too."

You giggle, and he nods in agreement. "It better be feeling good." He snickers, turning it around, back to the front, smiling like a child on Christmas Eve. Removing your eyes from the jersey for a second, you spot a pair of white shorts left inside the box. "Ohh." You say, drawing Jude's attention. "Yup, asked for the whole thing to show you." He licks his lower lip and watches you get the shorts out of the package. "It's so beautiful." You smile and notice him admiring his new jersey some more. "It is." He says, his voice is so soft, it's barely hearable. For a second, you're unable to stop staring at your gorgeous boyfriend, who's seemingly shining brighter than the sun outside.

"You should put it on." You smirk, and at the sound of these words, Jude turns his upper body toward you. "You want me to, babé?" He mirrors your smirk perfectly, giving you goosebumps. "Don't make me beg, please." You pout, wearing your best puppy dog eyes. Jude, instead of giving in right away, tilts his head. "But I like that." He smiles coyly, and you nudge him playfully. "Okay, okay." Both of you giggle. "You're very persuasive," Jude growls again, acting all shy and innocent. "You know me, babé." You say, imitating him flawlessly. Jude shrugs with one eyebrow, while you make your way to sit right on the edge of the bed, facing him.

He hands you the jersey, and without further ado, he starts undressing. His shirt is the first to drop to the floor, exposing his well-formed body, his strong arms, pecs, and abs. Admiring his strong physique, you watch him putting his hands behind his head, causing his muscles to tense and bulge. "Gorgeous boy." You smirk, causing him to blush slightly again. Jude then reaches for the jersey, and you hand it to him, your hands brushing over one another. Your eyes meet shortly, and you see that fire still burning behind his eyes. Jude bites his lip, trying his best to hide a mischievous smirk. Effortlessly, he slides into the white jersey, and it fits perfectly. It's flattering his physique in all the right ways, and you enjoy how smooth it seems to be, running along his big arms, his muscles, and his waist.

Still admiring his chest, you nearly missed him sliding outside of his shorts, and you hold back a deep breath when he is standing there just in his underwear. Jude is fully aware of how much you adore his thighs, and he approaches you now, placing a hand on your chin, to lift your head gently. "Enjoying the show?" He smirks, kissing you lovingly. "Uhuh." You nod, raising your eyebrows once you separate from each other. Without you knowing, he stole those white shorts right out of your hands, and with a wink, he puts them on. Blushing, you place your hands on your thighs, trying to regain your composure, but when he's looking like that, it's very hard for you to not want him more.

"Fuuuck." You watch him strike that typical footballer pose, hand on his hips, his chest firm inside his jersey, and his thighs exposed. "You look damn hot." You say, when he reaches for your hand, pulling you off the bed and right into his arms. "That good, huh?" He smirks again, and you just nod. Jude is looking so phenomenally good in this kit. It's flattering his body effortlessly. Not only the tight jersey but those shorts as well. It seems like it's been handmade just for him. Steadying yourself against his chest, you use this opportunity to stroke him, his chest, pecs, and further down to his tensing abs. "How does it feel?" You say, your eyes watching every move of your fingers before you manage to look at his face again. He, on the other hand, is looking at you the whole time, smirking.

"It feels amazing." He purrs contently, and slowly turns his body to one side. "How does it look?" Jude smiles, motioning for you to watch his strong back. "Very good. Especially with your name." You say, following every letter of his name with one of your fingers, and he shudders as shivers run down his spine. While your eyes wander down his back to his butt, your hands follow his spine, until you stroke the small of his back, sometimes his ass as well. Carefully, he turns back to face you, with you now hugging him tightly. "Do you like it?" Jude smirks again, his hands now stroking your back, and your waist too. "It looks amazing, thank you for this." You say, leaning in for another, this time, more passionate kiss.

Feeling his body against yours, engulfing you in a comforting warmth, you rest your head against his firm chest again. "I love you, Y/N." Jude growls, placing another kiss on your forehead. "I love you, too."

[whalesforhands]

for what i have overlooked

fleeting memories and unsaid words, there’s a beauty in all of them.

HBD GOJO SATORU

“So? So? Wanna spend time with your lovely teacher and tell him all about your training?” A wink that cannot be seen from under his blindfold as he throws out a peace sign, holding it up to his eyes, awaiting the replies of his precious students.

His antics are ignored.

“Panda, that punch needs some work. Loosen your fist a little next time.” She takes a bite of the ice pop, the crunch of the cold treat loud.

“Oh yeah? Inumaki said that I got a mean kick though. Should I try that next time?” The crinkling of plastic as he unwraps the ice cream sandwich, licking his lips.

“Salmon!”

Maki wipes the sweat from her brow, confident grin upon her face. “Yeah, bring it.”

Oh well. Guess he’ll just eat by himself, then. Rummaging through the remains of the plastic bag and digging around, he hums. He was sure he had bought enough— Scooping up all the remaining ice creams they had and dumping it at the counter as he took a phone call.

Oh! There it is! His hand pulls out still chilled plastic, excited grin on his face as he flips it over to inspect the flavour. Like a roulette for ice cream flavours, would he like it? Love it? Hate—

His brows furrow as he looks at the packaging, his eyes squinting at he looks at the tiny prints and lackluster colours. Man, he got one of those old timey flavours…

“And there!” A hand catches the ice cream bar midair. “Red bean flavour for the masses!”

“And my cigarettes?”

“Heh.” He runs a hand through his hair dramatically, swiping hair away from his eyes as he poses with the mentioned item. “The great Gojo Satoru never forgets!”

A plastic packaging is thrown at the girl who seamlessly catches it in one hand, lax smile on her face as she nods in thanks. “The great Gojo Satoru should remember to tie his shoelaces.”

“Wha—?!” That nasty trickster of a woman! His complaint dies on the tip of his tongue when he watches her settle down beside you on that familiar bench, the sun already beginning to set as the blue of the sky starts to fade into a colourway of pink and orange.

Was the day over already? These summer days always seemed like they were far too short.

Watching as you chomp down on the ice cream held to your lips, the cold taking over your teeth as you feel a tingle up your spine. “Mmm… Suguru, I think they changed the flavour on this one.”

“Really?” He leans towards you. “I’ll have a try then—“

“I want a biteeeeeee!~” Satoru has an arm around your shoulders as he drags you in closer towards him, “Pleaseeeeee?” Puppy dog eyes and a whimpered plead, he bought it all, so please?

This… Was meant to be a shared treat between yourself and Geto to compare the red bean ice cream brands. Though, you suppose a variance in your experiment wouldn’t hurt. A peek over at Suguru only catches him rolling his eyes with a smile. That’s a yes, then.

“I’m not quite sure if you’ll like this though, Satoru. It’s a bit different to the ones we usually eat.” You’re slightly worried as you turn to hand him the stick, only for his hand to wrap around yours and aid in personally bringing it to his mouth.

“Don’t you worry about it~” Perhaps you don’t understand yet; but he would take anything as long as it’s from you.

“One bite, Satoru.” Geto is unwittingly firm despite his lax expression, his copper-amethyst eyes watch intently as Gojo starts opening his mouth. “One.”

And one bite he did take, engulfing the entire treat in his mouth.

“Ahh, this greedy—!” Suguru’s arm flies across Shoko to grab onto the ice cream that was about to be swallowed whole, hand immediately around Satoru’s and yours, attempting to pull it away only to end up with empty wooden remains.

You’re too shocked to even react.

“And that’s why I hide my ice cream.” Shoko only nods in, her head against your shoulder as the straw of her iced tea is held in between her lips.

“That was one bite!” He’s speaking through chews as he feels the icy chill seep into his teeth, feeling Suguru smack his shoulder lightly in revenge. “Bleg— Sour!”

Maybe he’s glad that this brand has lasted the test of time, despite the unappealing flavour profile. Maybe— He’ll enjoy it this time?

Gojo Satoru’s grin doesn’t falter as he tears the plastic away with ease, blindfolded eyes staring at the cold treat only momentarily, before he takes a bite.

Oh. It’s still a little too sour for his tastes.

——

“Gojo-sensei! Ya sure you’ll be fine without an umbrella?” Yuuji waves at him from under the umbrella the first-year trio stood, calling out to him from the heavy rain. Does he not want to share with them?

“Aha, don’t worry about a thing, Itadori! Look!” His hand is held out for the three to observe, outstretched and showing off just how perfectly dry it remained despite the pouring rain. Infinity truly was quite the gift.

“Ehhhh?! Gojo-sensei, you’re amazing!”

“Don’t flatter his ego.”

“Ahhh, lucky! He doesn’t have to worry about the rain messing up his hair…”

“Heh, I’m the strongest, after all!” There’s a ringing in his chest, a thump in his heart. “See ya later!” A salute before he departs.

The crowd shifting about him, the patter of the rain against umbrellas and concrete as he walks, easily navigating through as he treks the way back to campus.

He used to love rainy days, you know?

He notices you holding a palm out, letting the rain droplets fall onto your hand as you sigh, staring up at the darkened skies.

“Well, well, well! Look what we got here!” An arm around your shoulders as you hear him laugh from behind you. “Looks like it’ll be raining for quite a bit!”

You only let out a sigh, leaning back into his arm as you pout at the dreary weather. “I didn’t think it would rain this heavily today…” You really should’ve listened when Nanami started squinting at the clear sky and reminded you to take an umbrella.

A hum from the white-haired sorcerer as mischievous blue glint from underneath black frames, the impish grin alluding to something more. “Sayyyyyy, you were only gonna go back to the dorms, right?” He’s starting to unbutton his uniform jacket.

You nod. What… Is he planning?

“Then, let’s go! Brace yourself!” You feel fabric fall softly over your head, your eyesight shrouded in darkness as you feel your hand being grabbed, larger fingers intertwining with your own as you’re dragged forward and out into the unforgiving rain.

It doesn’t take long before you’re both at the entrance of your dorm home, sweating, wet, muddy and messy from the trip. “See?” He holds a thumbs up. “That wasn’t so bad, right?”

Your hand still hasn’t loosened its grip on his as you suddenly feel him shiver, a sneeze being let out. It wasn’t bad at all, but you think you’re both about to be sick. You sigh, but thumb grazing over the skin of his hand. “We’re both gonna be sick because of this, you know?” He feels extremely cold.

“And you shouldn’t have given your jacket to me, you don’t look well at all.” His white buttonup had been completely soaked through, water dripping from his head as you stare up at him, removing the wet jacket from your shoulders. A shift in your hands results in you letting go, a whine dying on his lips when he feels your dryer palms go up to his face. “Don’t do that again, okay?”

He could retort, tell you at least he made it back with you in one piece. Though, the way you look at him causes a stutter in his heart, pleading worry and concern in your eyes has him feeling… Guilty. He’s Gojo Satoru- He doesn’t get sick, nobody was ever concerned about his wellbeing till this point. Why would they? He’s one of the greatest. He didn’t have people like you or Suguru, hells, even Shoko—

Maybe he gets it. Maybe this is what the word of ‘love’ means. He should do this again sometime—

“Are you both insane?” Shoko is absolutely unimpressed as she stops in front of the both of you, towels already in hand.

Maybe he is, if he gets to evoke such reactions from you all.

He stares up at those grey skies, his palm having an itching, almost phantom warmth as he feels a subconscious twitch of his lips.

He hopes the rain stops soon.

——

“Ah- He’s waking up.” There’s a hand upon his cheek as he starts to crack open his eyes, smooth skin stroking his own and the usual weight of his sunglasses off his face.

Gentle voices, gentle touches. His nose picks up on the scent of grass, the feel of the summer breeze upon his cheeks, his head against something soft, something comforting.

“Satoru, you finally awake?” He hears a deep chuckle, a gentle voice stroking his ears, another graze of fingers upon his soft face. “You’ve been asleep for almost an hour.”

“Hrmm…” He doesn’t feel like waking up, doesn’t wanna leave this overwhelming warmth.

“Suguru, we should let him sleep a little more.” You were always the soft-hearted one. “I think he deserves it.”

Gojo Satoru thinks he’s deserving of a lot of things, such as his position upon your lap where he naps with comfort. He flips onto his side, enjoying the way you continued to stroke his head, fingers running through snow-white locks.

“Fine, just a little longer. Then it’s my turn.”

He opens his eyes to realize it was another dream. A frequent occurrence that leaves his eyes feeling dry when he lifts his blindfold up, fingers grazing across a wetness to the soft fabric.

Oh.

It hurts to breathe till the point of bruising on the days his lingering regrets stir within him, the swirling uneasiness causing him strife that he long thought he had gotten over.

It’s with those days that he thinks he’s pathetic; made to give up on things he never wanted to let go of, but with those feelings come a forgotten reminder of warmth. The blank lines that had been filled with nothing but those days.

Memories, dreams, hopes and all that was alike. He holds onto them, clawing at the remainder of their existence. A blue of youth that was unlike no other, a spring of sun-filled bloom that he wants to keep.

Because, only then will he be fine alone, wouldn’t he? It serves as a way to keep him together, keep him whole. He has to be.

He’s the strongest, after all.

next

Notes:

Gojo could’ve used Infinity when running through the rain with you. But you wouldn’t have been able to touch him.

He thinks he’s found a newfound taste for red bean ice cream.

[vintagerpg]

My first encounter with the zine/chapbook/booklet format was with these cool booklets you could get at Revolutionary War sites in New Jersey, which would have short stories or historical essays in them, perhaps accompanied with some art or a map (gee, if that doesn’t sound like an RPG zine, dang). My second encounter was a near simultaneous one-two punch — Pagan Publishing’s Unspeakable Oath, and Necronomicon Press’ gorgeous line of weird fiction chapbooks. Looking at the latter today (and you’ll see all of the former on weekends later this year).

History of the Necronomicon (originally 1980, this is the sixth printing from 1992) is, appropriately, a pretty typical example of the products. This is a facsimile of a short run of booklets produced as a memorial for Lovecraft in 1938, reproducing his bibliographic essay on his most notorious grimoire. S. T. Joshi has a brief historical afterword. The whole thing is printed on heavy stock, with a bright yellow cover adorned with black and white art by Jason Eckhardt (very into the scorpion scarf). A handsome package containing an entertaining piece of writing by a weird fiction author that was otherwise difficult to gain access to (I don’t know of any other places the essay was collected before Arkham House’s Miscellaneous Writings in 1995).

The essay itself is interesting, a great example of how Lovecraft imbued the Necronomicon with a beguiling authenticity through faux-academic writing and reference (it also is a curiously presentation of Lovecraft’s default xenophobia mixed with an abiding love for the Thousand and One Nights, both of which clearly inform the text). The book’s Arabic title is Al Azif supposedly takes its name from the buzzing sound of locusts that was associated with Djinn and whispered revelation (and hence the locusts in Eckhardt’s art). The book of the buzzing. Love that.

[wannaeatramyeon]

Young!Samuel Seo with Young!Reader: Leave him be

G/N. Dinner Guest. Sorta expansion on Food.

Your mom and dad have forbidden you from wandering on your own.

It's too dangerous, you might get run over, you might get snatched. You're too young. When you're older. Blah blah blah.

Everything needs to wait until you're older. Ugh.

So how come he (and you stare accusingly at the oblivious kid) gets to wander around on his own? Entering your family's store without an adult. He even looks younger than you!

You scrunch up your face at the unfairness of it all.

.

.

Shaking, nervous fingers swipe a candy bar from a shelf before being hastily shoved into a pocket.

He glances around, peering left and right. Shifty and obvious as hell.

You open your mouth, about to yell, when you feel your father's firm grip on your arm. His lips, usually smiling and joyful, are pulled into a thin line. He shakes his head no.

"Leave him be," he murmurs.

The boy scurries out and you think life is more unfair than ever.

.

.

"Leave him be," is repeated at you each time as the adults hold you back.

What is it about the strange boy, with the unkempt hair and dirty shoes that lets him get away with so much?

The unkempt hair and dirty shoes-

And grubby oversized clothes. Same shorts and t-shirt everyday.

And coat worn thin at the elbows. Too thin for this weather, and you think about your own that your mom fusses over and wraps you in everyday.

And hands fisted by his stomach. Trying to mute his own hunger pang and rumbles.

And, today, a bruise and swelling on his right cheek. Finger prints marked into his wrist when he reaches out for the candy bar and his coat sleeve rides up.

Even as a child yourself, you finally get it - what the adults mean when they tell you to 'leave him be'.

.

.

He lingers.

Used to scurry away like an unwanted pest, not meeting your eyes on the way in or out.

Now the minutes stretch on. Elongates into double digits. Is it because the weather has turned bitter and harsh? Has your family convenience store, with tight aisles full of colourful snacks, food packaged in plastic and cartoon characters, now become a safe space?

You're playing by the back shelves, full of household odd items that never seem to shift and feel a pair of eyes watching you.

You turn and he's there. Staring.

"What are you doing?" The boy asks. It's the first time you've heard him speak.

"Playing," You shrug, and his eyebrows knit at the concept. "Wanna play? I can be the customer and you can be the owner."

He shuffles, shifts his weight from one foot to the other and back again, and you think he might bolt and that's the end of that. You'll never see him again.

But-

He looks at you with his big brown eyes, more calculating and shrewd than bears thinking about for a child his age, the bruise on his cheek now mottled green and purple and says-

"Ok."

.

.

It's a small and quiet 'ok' but he doesn't bolt. Your dad brings back drinks and snacks. All your favourites and more, and you think it's something to do with the presence of this boy-

"Samuel," he tells you, then eyes widening as if he let a secret slip.

"Y/N," you respond, not registering his reaction and only focusing on the game at hand.

"Y/N," he says quietly to himself. Trying out the sounds and syllables in his mouth.

You both play until the street lights flicker, turning on and covering the world in a warm orange hue.

"What time is it?" his head whips around nervously, reality crashing down on both your make-believe world.

"Six," your dad calls out, taking a break from stocking the ramen, "Did you want to stay for dinner?"

“Six!” Samuel exclaims, and you wonder if that is his curfew or something. Your eyes are drawn to his bruise again. "I have to go," 

He rushes towards the exit, nearly tripping over clumsy feet in his haste to leave. Trying to tug on his coat and button it, a small resistance against the unforgiving and cutting wind chill.

"Come play next time!" you shout at his retreating back.

Samuel's hand stills on the door. He turns, smiling, yearning and wistful before the cold, dark street claims him.

"Next time." 

[ddejavvu]

hiiii for mvm can we get lifeguard reader and surfer hotch? reader is ogling him, but had to look away for a sec, and when they turned back he was suddenly gone and they get all >:( until they hear someone clear their throat and aaron is all smug. “looking for me? >:))”

today is multiverse monday, send me any au you can think of! :)

--

Being a lifeguard is not so much hard work as it is stressful. No, you're not lugging boxes around a storeroom, or hauling materials to construction sites, but every minute you sit atop the tower is one that you're worried someone will drown, and it's exhausting.

You're happy to have distractions, especially when they come in the form of soaking wet surfers. Typically, the men run into the water with their shirts back on the sand, but the one you're watching now has a rash guard on over his chest. You're not as disappointed as you thought you'd be, because the fabric slicks tight to the slight chub of his stomach, and you've discovered something new about yourself in the way your eyes are trained on the curve of his skin.

His dark hair is short and wet with ocean spray. He's steady on his board, and he's only plunged once into the waves, strong thighs keeping him stable over rolling waves. He's not the best surfer you've ever seen, but he very well might be the best looking surfer you've ever seen.

Unfortunately, your job is not to ogle people in the water. Your job is to help people, and when a small voice calls up from the bottom of your tower, you have to break your gaze away from the handsome surfer to look down.

It's a young boy, no more than 7, with an ice cream in his hands. It's from a cooler, you presume, because you know the boardwalk doesn't sell that kind of ice cream. It's your favorite; you'd know if they did.

"What's up?" You call down to the kid, who squints through the sun at you.

"Do you have scissors? I can't get this open, and my dad is in the water."

"Uh, yeah," You fumble through the first-aid kit you have, retrieving the small scissors there. You're not technically supposed to use them for ice cream packaging, but you're not cruel; the kid wants his treat.

"Hang on," You descend the ladder, scissors held carefully in your hand until your feet land in the sand.

The kid, chubby-faced and blonde, stands just below your chest, sand dusted over his rash guard and swim trunks. They're a cute pattern, and you chat with him while you slit open his ice cream.

"Do you like sharks?"

"Yeah," He nods, looking down at his shark-print swimsuit, "I think they're cool, but I hope they're not at the beach today, 'cause my dad's out there."

"Yeah, you said," You hum, glancing over the water for a split second as if you'd be able to tell which one the kid is related to, "Alright, well, enjoy your ice cream," You hand off the wooden stick to the boy, jealous that he gets to dig in while you starve on the stand, "You're lucky, y'know, those are my favorite."

"Me, too!" The boy gushes as you turn towards the ladder, ice cream already smeared down his cheek, "Thank you!"

Before you can reply you hear feet in the sand, and a deeper voice pants, "Yes, thank you."

You turn to see a hand clap itself over the boy's shoulder, and when you follow the arm it's connected to, you see the surfer you'd been admiring earlier. Your breath hitches and your mouth falls just slightly agape. It's not enough to be obvious, but if he's looking, he'll notice.

He's not looking at your mouth, though. Probably.

"Uh, this is my son," He continues, a lazy grin on his face, "Thanks for helping him."

"Oh!" You nod, setting your foot back in the sand where it had been one rung up on the ladder, "Happy to help. You're smart, bringing ice cream. They charge, like, $8 a cone on the boardwalk."

"Yeah," He laughs, still dripping from the ocean. The sound sends butterflies through your stomach, and you admire the way he tips his head back ever so slightly, "We found that out last week. Would you like one?"

"Hm?" Is your dazed reply, "A- An ice cream?"

"Yeah," He nods, "You said they're your favorite. We've got a whole box, you're welcome to take one."

"Oh, no," You shake your head, tensing slightly at the overly kind gesture, "I couldn't. Thank you, though."

"It's alright," The man puts his hands up, placating you, "Really, they're probably gonna be melted by the time we leave, anyways. Take it as a thank-you."

You want to tell him you're just doing your job, but he glances down at his son who's already halfway through his treat, "Jack, buddy, go get another one for the lifeguard?"

"Okay," He complies with a cheery grin, "Be right back!"

He races off through the sand, kicking the stuff up behind him. The man looks like he wants to scold his son, but he's running too fast to hear you anymore, and you brush it off with a shared, sheepish laugh.

"So," The man huffs, still slightly out of breath from surfing, but composed all the same, "How was I?'

"What?" Another round of confused staring, and he gives you a knowing grin that nearly knocks you down.

"I saw you watching me," He hums, and your face heats up like a stoked grill, "Was I good?"

"Oh! Uh, yes," You nod vigorously, embarrassment clogging your brain, "You're- those were really big waves, you're pretty- uh, pretty good at that."

"Thanks," He chuckles bashfully, smile only growing wider, "I don't get to surf as much as I used to. I was better back then. But it's still fun to come out here. I'm Aaron, by the way, and my son is Jack."

You nod along, introducing yourself as Jack comes barreling back through the sand. He offering you a wrapped ice cream that's, thankfully, clean.

"Thank you," You gush, taking the package gratefully from the boy, "I really appreciate it, it's hot up there and I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"Enjoy it," The man nods, ruffling Jack's hair with a wet hand that clumps the blonde strands together. He looks up at Aaron, and the man speaks to him.

"Alright, bud, I'm heading back out. Stay on our towel, and don't talk to strangers, okay?"

"Okay," Jack nods, and you pipe in.

"Except for me, if you need more help," You chime, and Aaron chuckles again, a sweet sound that makes your knees feel a little faint.

"That's true. But don't bother her for nothing, buddy." He warns Jack, already heading for where his surfboard is waiting a few feet away, "She needs to focus, she's gotta watch me surf."

At first, you think it's a tease, and you want to be just about anywhere else. But he glances back at you with a smile nothing short of kind, and you realize it's an offer, "Be my judge?"

"Okay," You brighten with a laugh, and as far as you're concerned, sitting up in the breezy tower while munching on ice cream and watching Aaron surf is a perfect ten.

[tokischaaaaa]

bom espírito esportivo ⚽️

!hamzah x !🇧🇷 reader

notes!!: this was from a request but i accidentally deleted it :(, so to anonymous this for u bbg . hope i did service to you 🫡🫡

warnings: fluff, some spicy scene

word count: 1.8k

flashback to FIFA 2023

today was the day that y/n and hamzah would finally watch the world cup together! y/n was hosting a watch party at her apartment, and she had invited mandy, martin, and, of course, her boyfriend hamzah. it was perfect because she knew there would be competition between the four of them, especially since the match was canada vs. brazil.

mandy and martin were rooting for canada, and y/n, naturally, was rooting even harder for brazil. she had made it her mission to make everyone feel sorry for canada and boast about how much better brazil’s team was.

buzz buzz

y/n's phone vibrated with new texts from hamzah:

oye you're gonna lose

canada for the winn

neymar? more like neymar ruin

…

y/n, is that how you say bad?

did i say something worse??

she giggled as she read hamzah's messages and sent him a 😤 emoji in return. she realized it was her cue to start decorating and getting ready for the watch party. sliding on her neymar brazil jersey and levi jean shorts, she clipped on some gold hoops and a gold jesus necklace.

"perfeito," she said to herself, smiling at her reflection.

before she could start ordering food and decorating her apartment, she noticed her cat, belinda, lounging on the floor.

"oh, belinda, eu tenho um presente especial para você, meu amor," y/n cooed, scooping her up and grabbing a small package her mom had sent her a few months ago. inside was a tiny cat sweater with "brazil" printed in dark green, surrounded by yellow accents.

she went to the kitchen, grabbed some catnip, and let belinda enjoy herself while y/n tried to slip the sweater on.

"eh, isso vai ter que funcionar. temos que fazer com que todos sintam que estão do lado errado,"

—> eh, this will have to work. we have to make everyone feel like they're on the wrong side,"

final product 😮‍💨 ^^^

y/n grabbed the beers and chips from her pantry and placed them on the living room table, hanging some brazilian flags around the couch. she called a nearby restaurant and ordered some food since she didn’t have time to cook.

as she turned on the tv, a knock echoed through the apartment. belinda freaked out and started scratching the door.

"probably the delivery man," y/n mumbled, opening the door to find hamzah wearing a canada jersey, chain, black sweatpants, and, of course, a hat.

"wow, even for the world cup you manage to look homeless," y/n snickered, taking hamzah's hat off to let his curls breathe.

"okay, but at least i don't look like a fool," he said, pecking y/n’s forehead.

"oh, shut up," y/n said, shoving him inside.

"hey, they left something outside your door, by the way," a familiar voice chimed in.

"mandy!" y/n screamed, running to hug her friend.

"y/n!" mandy squealed as they giggled together until martin coughed.

"greetings, martin," y/n said, taking the food from his hands.

"greetings, y/n," martin nodded back.

meanwhile, hamzah had made himself comfortable on the couch, and belinda crawled up to him. "y/n, what did you do to your poor cat?" hamzah asked, wide-eyed.

"what?" y/n said, suddenly worried belinda might be hurt. she looked at her cat and then at hamzah’s expression, and she burst out laughing. "i thought belinda was hurt! you scared me," she said, trying to catch her breath.

"she is! she's being humiliated," hamzah teased, sticking his tongue out at her.

thirty minutes later, y/n had set up all the food, and they spent the time making fun of each other's teams. with only fifteen minutes left before the game, they turned on the tv, and hamzah decided to strike up a conversation.

"so, let's say canada wins," he began.

"which they won’t," y/n cut in.

"lies. if canada wins, i take you to a party/karaoke, and you pay."

"ha! okay, fine. if brazil wins, i take you to a brazilian party/karaoke, and you pay—with your slushy money."

"it's serious stuff!"

"mhm."

soon, the game was about to start. hamzah grabbed belinda and held on to her.

"filho de puta," y/n hissed under her breath as the players sang the anthems. neymar jr. was the first to grab the ball, getting dangerously close to the goal.

"amor! entre por favor!" y/n cried, standing up.

"why are you calling him husband?" hamzah asked.

"don't worry about it, burro," y/n smiled.

neymar shot for the goal, but a canadian player blocked it. "let's go!" hamzah yelled, jumping up, startling belinda, who meowed at him.

"that’s right, belinda. canada’s the best—they’re going to get us the win."

"what do you mean, 'us'? she’s a brazilian cat."

"not today, she’s canadian."

"no, she isn’t." as y/n and hamzah bickered, the game intensified by the minute.

"you two are way more competitive than we are," mandy laughed.

"yeah, feels like i’m watching two fox commentators argue," martin added.

through the tv, y/n could tell neymar was getting tired after about thirteen missed shots, all blocked by canada.

"your boo thang is getting tired. they might have to sub him out," hamzah snickered.

"you’re so stupid. you have no idea how this works," y/n said, flicking him.

"hey! wait, hey!" hamzah suddenly shouted, his voice rising as neymar scored.

"te amo neymar! você é tão sexy!" y/n screamed, grabbing belinda and kissing her all over.

belinda purred, licking her back as y/n taunted hamzah, who was now pouting.

"oh, don’t be a baby. there are still forty more minutes," mandy said.

hamzah grumbled, clearly upset. y/n ran into her room and pulled out something from under her bed. she returned to the living room and tossed it to hamzah. it was a framed photo of the two of them from when they first started dating. both were holding guaranás, hands intertwined, from when they first met in brazil, where they shared their first kiss—all because of one soda.

hamzah looked up at y/n, who had her arms crossed, and then stood up to hug her. "you really forget i’m canadian too," she said, squeezing his shoulder.

hamzah smiled, and the couple decided to end their fiery debate. they turned off the tv, much to the relief of mandy and martin, who were happy to see the tension between the couple dissipate. martin and mandy politely declined an invitation to continue watching the game at a bar, so hamzah and y/n bid them farewell and drove off to the bar.

after arriving at the bar, they were greeted with the lively atmosphere of soccer fans chanting and cheering. y/n and hamzah found a spot in the corner to watch the game on the big screen. as they sat down, y/n's competitive spirit returned. she looked over at hamzah, who was still wearing his canada jersey, and decided to tease him a little more.

"you know, i’m still not over that canadian block. i need something to wash down the bitterness," she joked.

hamzah chuckled, "oh really? what do you have in mind?"

y/n smirked and leaned in closer, "i need a drink—something with a twist."

without explaining further, she grabbed the waiters attention and said "i need two coronas and five limes,"

the waiter nodded in response and quickly brought them to her.

hamzah watched her curiously as she ordered.

"what are you going to do with the limes?" hamzah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"you'll find out," y/n smirked as the drinks arrived.

once the drinks were on the table, y/n picked them

up in her hands and used her free hand to lead hamzah to the car, she made hamzah hold the drinks and limes as she took control of the wheel and started a speedy commute back to her apartment.

once they arrived at y/n’s apartment, she led him to her bedroom and shoved him on the bed.

y/n started unbuttoning hamzah's shirt. as it came off, revealing his chiseled abs, y/n was in awe. she resumed her lustful actions, removing her shirt, revealing her black lace bra. she ripped her pants off and climbed on top of him, grabbing a lime and squeezing it over his abs, sucking up the juice as it trickled down.

a moan escaped hamzah's mouth as y/n sucked harder and faster. she was too distracted to notice hamzah trying to say something. he picked her up, changing their positions, and unclipped her bra. he squeezed the lime over her already hard nipples and started sucking like there was no tomorrow. y/n grabbed his hair, pushing him lower to her breasts. after letting him suck a little more, she grabbed his chin and started kissing him all over.

y/n lay on hamzah's chest, breathing heavily.

"para tudo bailao!" he sung with a raspy voice.

y/n slapped his chest playfully. "you always ruin the moment!"

"yeah, but it's just to get closer to you," he said, grinning.

"in brazil, we’d call you monte de merda," y/n said, snickering.

"what’s that?"

"don’t worry about it. if i were you, i’d worry about canada losing—"

y/n was cut off by hamzah kissing her.

“shush babe, don’t forget your paying.” hamzah mumbled into y/n’s hair.

“paying how? we’re home now.” y/n smiled looking up, making eye contact with hamzahs bambi eyes.

“com beijos.” hamzah grinned. proud of the small amount of words he picked up on by y/n.

hamzah then covered y/n’s face with kisses all over.

“ah hamzah stop, your acting like belinda.” y/n smirked.

“my kisses are clean!” hamzah scoffed dramatically.

“oh god not this sassyness now,” y/n sighed.

“listen, at least i’m not as dramatic as your ‘husband’ neymar.” hamzah shrugged giving y/n one more kiss on her nose.

y/n’s face turned a light pink, “touché,”

y/n cuddled up closer to hamzah, her head resting on his chest. she could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, a comforting reminder of the love they shared. with her arm draped over him and his hand gently rubbing her back, y/n sighed contentedly.

"i guess we're both winners tonight," she whispered, feeling his warmth enveloping her.

hamzah smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "yeah, but i think i won the jackpot," he teased softly.

y/n chuckled, closing her eyes as the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with her. "we’ll call it a tie," she murmured, nuzzling into him.

with hamzah’s arm wrapped securely around her, she felt safe and cherished, ready to drift off into a peaceful sleep, knowing that no matter what team won or lost, they had each other.

that’s what i call ‘bom espírito esportivo’ aka good sportsmanship ⚽️

toksichaaa speaks: i rlly hope yall liked this , lowkey gave me nostalgia with all the neymar edits lol , ALSO TO THE PERSON WHO REUQESTD THIS ILYSM , im def off my break now 😈😈😈

[lou-struck]

A Not-So-Scary Movie Night

 Barbatos x reader

Flufftober Day 2: ‘Scary’ Movie Night

WC:1.4k

~  You are about to have a quiet movie night to yourself until you are joined by Barbatos, who isn't the biggest fan of the Movie you chose.

The Devildom moon glows a soft orange through the kitchen window as you pull your tray of cookies from the oven. The sweet smell of sugary nostalgia wrapping you in the warm embrace of home. 

For weeks now, your little package of cookie dough has been tucked away in the freezer, successfully hidden from the sweet-yet-always-hungry Beel. Just waiting for the right moment to be baked. But waiting can make one feel a bit peckish, so your once-full package of slightly misshapen dough balls has been whittled down to half its size over the course of its short stay. 

With the brothers all out running errands, partying, or out doing Diavolo knows what. You knew that the time had come to bake your cookies, put on the fuzziest of socks, and watch some of the Comfort DVDs you brought from the human world. You had just finished ‘The Princess Bride’, and now Ratatouille is next on the chopping block. With the opening credits playing in the next room over, you know you have to hurry so you do not miss any more of the movie.

You carry your still steaming plate of Pillsbury pumpkin-printed cookies over to the couch, where your little cocoon of blankets awaits you. And although your sweets are nowhere near cool enough to start munching on, you can’t wait.

 As soon as you bite into the warm dough, the still slightly center hits your tongue with a sizzle. “A-ah, that’s hot.” you gasp, flinching violently at the sensation of your taste buds getting burnt off; the piece of cookie you, unfortunately, swallowed burns from the inside of your chest as you stick your tongue out and pant like a dog to cool yourself down. All the while uttering a string of unintelligible curse words that would make even Satan blush. 

“Oh my, Mc. Are you alright?” a light voice says from the doorway. Your shoulders jolt, and head snaps around in an instant to see Barbatos standing in the doorway, a stack of manga in his gloved hands as he regards you with concern. 

“Barbatos! What are you doing here?” you try to say, but with your tongue still out, it came across far less dignified than you would’ve liked. 

Butler’s eyes crinkle in amusement as a genuine laugh slips past his pale lips. “My apologies mc, I was just dropping off the manga Leviathan lent the young master and heard your little yelp,” he replies, setting down the bundle on the armoire and giving you his full attention. “Are you in pain?”

“Not anymore; my cookies were too hot.” You giggle, holding out the plate of sweets towards him. “Since you’re here, would you like to join me for a movie night?” He takes one of the cookies and takes a clean bite, somehow not spilling any crumbs over the carpet.

His lips turn upward in a grateful smile as he removes his jacket, folding it up perfectly and placing it on the edge of the coffee table. “I’d be delighted; I can’t remember the last time I was free to just sit back and watch a film. Especially if It means getting some alone time with you.” 

His words send butterflies into your stomach as you grip the edge of your blanket cocoon and flip it open to let him in. The festive scent of Asmodeus’s fabric spray wafts pleasantly under your nose as you do so.

“That looks cozy,” he chuckles, sliding in next to you. You waste no time leaning up against his sturdy frame and breathing in his naturally clean scent. 

“Feels cozy.” you sigh in contentment.

“So what movie are we watching,” he hums, resting his head against your own.

You are so comfortable with him you forgot that there is a movie playing on the screen. “Oh, it’s Ratatouille,” you answer absentmindedly, reaching for another cookie. 

“Oh, like the dish?” he hums. “How intriguing; I have been wanting to attempt to make more dishes from the human world; perhaps I shall make an attempt at cooking it next time you come to the palace.”

“Kinda,” it’s more about this Ra…” your voice trails off as you realize this movie may not be the best choice for a cozy night in with Barbatos. The Butler’s dislike of rats surely will taint his movie-watching experience. “Maybe we should watch something else.”

“Nonsense, you must like this movie if you chose to bring it back with you from the Human realm,” he murmurs, kissing the top of your head. “I promise, no matter what appears on the screen, I will endure it.”

“Are you sure?” you ask. 

“Anything for you, my dear.” He has a comforting expression on his face as he turns his whole attention to the screen. Between the Baking of the cookies, the burning of your tongue, and Barbatos’ welcome intrusion, you realize that quite a bit of the movie has passed you by. 

As Remy the Rat scampers about Gusteau’s kitchen, you notice out of the corner of your eye that Barbatos’ natural smile is slowly disappearing.

” Is this too much for you, Barbatos?” you ask, noticing the rigidness in the Butler’s poster as he looks on at the scene in front of him in what can only be described as disgusted horror.

“N-no,” he stutters, clearly lying. “But this must be one of those Horror movies the Young Master was talking about the other day. This filmmaker certainly is gifted at making such a bone-chilling plot.”

You try to stifle your laugh by popping a sugar cookie into your mouth. A mistake that leads to you coughing ungracefully as tears prick in the corners of your eyes. “Sorry,” you wheeze, “I forgot to chew.”

He laughs and gently rubs circles into your back. His sharp nails your skin through the fabric of your sweater. “Careful now; you are far too important to lose to a cookie. No matter how tasty they are.”

“Aren’t they amazing?” you giggle, “I’ve been saving them for a special occasion.”

He nods and starts to reach for another cookie but stops himself as he looks at the screen once more. Remy the Rat is making soup. His face loses all color, and he grimaces, the sensation sending shivers through his body. “I believe I have lost my appetite. Why in the three realms is that rodent preparing food?”

“Because anyone can cook.” you tease playfully elbowing him. 

“Yes, anyone, not anything. That creature should stay underground.”

“You’re missing the whole point of this movie.” you tease, grabbing his hand. “If it makes you feel better, he will wash his paws before cooking.”

“So much that can do,” he gives your hand another squeeze. “He is still a rat.”

“That wants to be a human,” you add, hoping to make him feel a bit more comfortable with this whole ordeal. He is far too polite to ask for you to turn off a movie you are clearly enjoying, and If you were to try and turn it off yourself, he would insist that you finish it.

 “You humans really know how to make a scary movie.” he compliments, his green eyes more focused on finding comfort in your features than the screen. 

“Right, a scary movie,” you repeat, playing along with the Butler. You don’t have the heart to tell him that this is a beloved children’s movie back in the human world, complete with a successful theme park ride and an off-Broadway musical.  

“I heard that it is common for Humans to watch these kinds of movies with the person they are interested in in order to get them to cling to them for comfort. If you wanted my attention so badly, Mc, you could’ve just asked.” 

“It seems you have figured out my whole plan,” you tease, leaning up and planting a rather distracting kiss on his lips. He’ll need it for later on in the movie. 

Barbatos’ embrace is thankful as he returns the gesture, His lips hungrily tasting your own as he fills his senses with you and not the Rat-filled atrocity playing on the screen behind him. 

Because according to him, nothing is scarier than one Rat in the kitchen…

Diavolo help him…

Tagging: @eussstasss @enchantedforest-network

[dreaming-of-mossballs]

A Care Package for a Bashful Captain - (Gepard x florist!reader)

Summary: It’s been a month and a half since Gepard left for his mission to retake part of the city. You decide to send him a gift to warm his heart!

▸ Genre(s): Fluff

▸ Word Count: 4.5k

▸ Tags: Gepard x reader

▸ Warnings: Reader is short, food mention, established (platonic) relationship,

A/N: GAH IM SORRY IT’S LATE. Will reader ever sort out their feelings for Gepard? Who knows? Also reblogs are greatly appreciated. Don’t want people following the series to miss out!

MASTERLIST (MORE GEPARD HERE)

Your marker was beginning to run out of ink.

Specifically the one you had been using to cross off days on your calendar. It had been half a month since Gepard had left for his mission on the front lines— and although you weren’t exactly sobbing into your pillow every night, you did miss him.

A lot.

Probably more than the acceptable level.

Those red lines stared at you every day mockingly, reminding you that your friend was fighting tooth and nail for the safety of the city. Thinking about his job as a soldier made your stomach churn.

Was he sleeping enough? Eating enough? What would he do if he got injured?

What if he didn’t come back one day?

His track record of victories should’ve discouraged you from worrying about him, but in fact, it did the exact opposite. You feared he might be crushed by the weight of the expectations placed on him and end up disregarding his own safety for the sake of others.

Although Serval didn’t seem half as worried as you were. In fact, she seemed as cheery as ever when you met her and Molly for lunch on the weekend. She did have experience in running military campaigns, and she was Gepard’s own sister for Qlipoth’s sake! She’d dealt with his absences probably more times than she could count.

And so you came to the conclusion that this level of anxiety about Gepard must be irrational. But attempting to steel yourself and block out thoughts of him didn’t stop your hands from shaking when you handed people their change across the counter of the flower shop.

This kind of feeling was different than the ones you had experienced in the Underworld. Yes, you experienced danger often in the mines, but at least it was just you that was in danger. Not a loved one. This time you were forced to watch someone else fighting tooth and nail.

It felt so viscerally uncomfortable.

With all these thoughts constantly running through your head, it was time you found something to do instead of ruminating over his absence—

—before your head exploded, that is.

While checking out the latest gardening magazines at the library, you spotted a sleeve of periodicals you weren’t familiar with, titled Crocheter’s Weekly.

Huh. This looks fun, you thought, reaching your hand out to grab it. It had last month’s date on it, but it’s not like it mattered.

Anyone can do it! The subtitle exclaimed in garish red font. Fun for both friends and family!

You flipped open the issue curiously. The first few pages were filled with a few photographs of blankets, and a full-page advertisement for a phonograph. On the subsequent ones, you were happily surprised by the variety of works showcased by the magazine. They looked relatively simple, such as a plushie of a cat, a handbag, and a cup holder. Turning the page, you inhaled sharply when your eyes landed on a picture of a woman, who had an intricately patterned blanked sitting draped across her lap. She looked like the founding father of arts and crafts.

She sat upon on a rocking chair with her hands folded wisely, and had narrow eyes with droopy lids. What seemed to be an entire quiver of crochet needles rested at her side.

Large print at the top of the page read “Ask Bertha”. Your eyes scanned the questions asked by, presumably, the readers.

—“Dear Bertha, what is your favorite yarn to use?”

Dear reader,

My favorite yarn is mohair, size three, of course. It’s rather expensive, but has high luster and sheen. It’s quite warm too! I first came across it when my husband visited the market during one particularly cold winter. I crocheted him a pair of mittens which he wore for years! You’ll be sure to earn compliments on your pieces wherever you go!

—“Dear Bertha, will you be at the ‘Knitter’s Convention’ this year?”

Dear reader,

I wouldn’t miss it even if Belobog froze over! I look forward to seeing the creations this year. The theme is “sky”, so make sure to snap up as much blue yarn as you can!

P.S, Margaret from the Fourth District doesn’t stand a chance for first prize, although I’m sure everyone already knew that.

—“Dear Bertha, what brand of Geomarrow heater do you use?”

Huh. That didn’t seem to be a question about crocheting. Next question.

—“Dear Bertha, what should I do if I suspect my husband is cheating on me with an Underworld woman?”

Your eyebrows shot through the roof.

Dear reader,

You have my deepest condolences. The very idea is preposterous. Underworlders are the most brash and uncouth people I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. I met one the other day and he told me straight to my face that he didn’t enjoy tea! Could you believe he said that even after I asked so kindly? Something about how “it’s just leaf water”. That doctor is strange too, the one they call Natasha. I heard she used to live on the surface but chose the dirt and grime of the Underworld over the Administrative District!

Anyways, about your husband. Get him to sign a prenup and gut him for all he’s worth. Sending my thoughts your way!

Your eyes sprung open as you registered the sewage this woman was spewing.

Oh that’s fucking IT, Bertha. I’ll show you. I thought you were wise but you betrayed my trust!

You tossed the magazine aside with a snort. Yes, cheating was most definitely bad, but being from the Underworld had nothing to do with it. You decided to find a guide on crocheting that was less of a waste of ink.

You soon found a hardcover book labeled “Crocheting 101 for Beginners”.

Much better, you thought to yourself.

You shuffled to the library counter with your chosen material and left in a huff. As you were exiting the library, a thought popped into your brain.

Gepard likes growing flowers, right? Maybe he’d like crocheting too,

You felt a pang of disappointment in your chest as you remembered you couldn’t call him to ask. He was unreachable, out there in that snowy hellscape.

Your days were a little bit emptier when one of your friends was gone, but you knew that to the Silvermane Captain, work came first and foremost. You could deal with him being gone in the meantime.

When you stepped through the door of the Florists, a harsh wind snuck past you and blew some petals off the flowers. You wilted a little.

Even with the Geomarrow heaters keeping the city warm, the wind still managed to make you shiver.

You froze as if struck by lightning.

That was it! You could make Gepard something to keep him warm while he was working. It was probably a hundred times as windy in the Outlying Snow Plains where he fought, right? Plus, it would be nice to show him your appreciation for the work he did.

Your brain was positively overflowing with ideas, and you scribbled them down on a spare order form you found in the filing cabinet.

Hmm, You tapped your chin with your pen. Earmuffs might get in the way of his hearing, so I think a scarf would do, You pumped your fists to yourself in self-satisfaction. It was decided! You would stop by the knitting store first thing tomorrow morning!

❆—❆—❆

Huh. That’s strange,

You slung your shopping bag over your shoulder and tilted your head, peering at the racks of yarn in the aisle. They were sorted by colors in the order of the rainbow— and the entire section containing anything remotely close to blue was missing.

That WITCH. She definitely planned this somehow!

You reflected on the sentence you had read about the crocheting competition with a grumpy expression.

You now had a personal vendetta against her for enacting a monopoly on blue yarn. This woman had the entirety of Jarilo-VI in the palm of her hand.

It wasn’t a good idea to turn the store upside down, or else you’d be proving Bertha right about Underworlders being “uncouth”, so you acquiesced and decided to search for another color.

It was a shame though— blue really would’ve suited him. It would have especially brought out his eyes, which were the color of deep sapphire pools, more clear and resolute than anything you’d ever seen.

You had told him they were pretty a few weeks ago, you recalled, but his face went pink and he changed the subject to his work at the museum.

Half-rolling your eyes in defeat, you froze when you spotted a pile of discounted yellow yarn in the corner.

Yellow… Yellow! That’ll do! You gasped. The medals on his uniform were decently close to yellow. (Although bright purple would have been cute.)

You scooped a bunch of it into your arms, along with a single bundle of white, and sprinted to the front of the store. A shopkeeper with chestnut hair and a brown apron stood organizing a few racks of fabric.

“I’ll take these, please!” You declared triumphantly, dumping your yarn across the counter. You fished your hands into your pockets for the money.

“Oh? How unusual! We haven’t sold anything but blue yarn for the past week,” the worker at the front counter commented. “What are you making?”

Placing the coins on the counter, you replied casually, “Just a scarf for a friend. He’s been on my mind lately,”

You picked up a pair of needles with the size recommended for your yarn and slid them across the counter. “Ah, and these too, please,”

“It’s a nice color. It’ll look good on them,” they smiled at you warmly, wrinkles forming at the corners of their green eyes. Your brain flitted from image to image of Gepard wrapped up to the nose in a yellow scarf, which almost caused you to giggle out loud.

The employee bagged up your items and bade you farewell. The ring of the shopkeeper’s bell announced your departure.

While you were exiting the store, to your surprise, you spotted two very familiar faces.

“Serval! Pela! What are you guys doing down here? Isn’t it a weekday?”

“Right on the money, (Y/N)! We were actually picking up reports from the civil service department,” Serval exclaimed. “The weather’s been awfully cold, hasn’t it?”

You hummed, traipsing over to them with your bag of yarn. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about crocheting a scarf to mail to Gepard. He could use something warm while he’s fighting on the front lines, right?”

Pela paused for a moment thoughtfully before speaking. “That’s a nice gesture. I wasn’t aware you knew how to crochet,”

You smiled sheepishly. “Actually, I’ve never tried. I checked out a book on it recently and decided I should use it for something useful,”

Serval chuckled affectionately. “He’d be so happy if he knew you had him on your mind, right Pela?”

The navy-haired girl narrowed her eyes at her. She sighed.

“I’ve actually been meaning to send a letter to the Captain myself. How about we send him a care package?” Pela suggested.

The Rockstar of Belobog gasped. “That’s a great idea! I’m sure he would love to get a package from you— ahem… us!”

“We can all write letters, and I’ll send him a few more pairs of socks,” Serval twirled a pair of keys on her finger. “They go through them like crazy out there,”

Pela nodded. “Would you allow us to drop them off at your place later?”

“Without a doubt!” You rested your hand on your hip. “Whatever works best for you guys. I know work has been tough recently,”

“It’s hard, but we’ll continue doing our best!” Pela said decisively. Serval nudged her teasingly.

“Want to come with us for lunch?” Serval inquired.

You shook your head sadly. “I appreciate the offer, but I can’t— I’ve got to get started on his scarf,”

“Ah, that’s alright,” Serval nodded with a lopsided grin. “We’ll see you later!”

❆—❆—❆

When you got home, you immediately opened up your book and got to work on the floor of your bedroom.

You first practiced a few stitches with the bundle of white yarn, which turned out to be way easier than you expected. The string formed an orderly pattern which was pleasing to the eye. It was easy to get a grasp on how methodical crocheting was.

When you were about halfway through the scarf with yarn was scattered everywhere, you heard someone rapping softly at your door.

“Come in!” You raised your voice slightly.

Vaska’s familiar brown hair peeped through the crack in the doorframe.

“(Y/N), Eleanor made vegetable soup if you’re hungry,” she chirped. “It has some interesting looking radish in it this time— ooh! What’s that?”

“A scarf,” you responded neatly, turning back to your project. “Want to try? It’s a good way to unwind,”

“Sure. Sounds fun!”

Your co-worker opened the creaky door up the rest of the way and stepped into the room. She sat down next to you with her legs skewed to the side, and you handed her a needle and began enthusiastically instructing her how to get started.

“Here. Let me show you how to do a beginner’s stitch. For the most part, crocheting is pretty repetitive and easy to pin down,” you grinned at her.

You gave her half of the yarn you had bought (you had bought way too much since it was on sale), and let her make whatever her heart desired. It was like when you had started working at the flower shop, just with the roles reversed this time.

The two of you sat in silence until it started to get late, and then you got up to close the blinds. When you got back, Vaska pointed excitedly at the fabric you had started, specifically the ends of your scarf where the yellow yarn had been interwoven with white triangles to form a geometric pattern.

“Your scarf is looking great so far. I like the colors you chose,” Vaska exclaimed.

You shot her a bright smile as you sat down. “Thanks! It’s a gift for someone,”

“Oh? That’s sweet of you. And who’s this ‘someone’ you’re making it for?”

“It’s for Gepard,” you said offhandedly, hoping she didn’t notice you almost dropped your needle. “I figured he could use something to keep him warm while he’s serving,”

“Cool,” she puckered her lips distractedly and raised a blob with numerous appendages. “Check out what I made!”

You stared at it for a few seconds before you chuckled.

“That’s a wonderful olm, Vaska,” you said, amused. It looked exactly like one.

“I think I’ll put it downstairs. I’ll him Daisy,”

“Okay, just make sure to let Meg know what it is so she doesn’t throw it out by accident,”

She gave you an exaggerated gasp. “Why on Jarilo-VI would she do that?? He’ll boost morale. I’m sure of it,”

“Our boss has never exactly been one for liking creatures…” You stopped. “Oh! Would you mind if I borrowed your wax seal set?”

“Go ahead. Just don’t eat them,” she snorted. You shot her a pouty expression.

❆—❆—❆

A few hours later, you had tucked the scarf securely into a cardboard box and placed a layer of packing paper over it. Long after you were sure most of your roommates had gone to sleep, a knocking could be heard at the front door.

You gave a quick call in response before taking a batch of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven.

You rushed over to the door and opened it, with oven mitts still on your hands.

“Hey you guys! Welcome!”

“Something smells good in here,” Serval remarked loudly. Pela shushed her with a worried look on her face.

“Ah, yep. That’s the cookies,” you explained.

Pela abandoned all subtlety and bounded over to the cooling rack. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at you wordlessly.

“I highly doubt I’ll be able to eat all of those myself,” you quipped good-naturedly. She snapped one up immediately, letting out a noise of satisfaction as she bit into the crunchy edge of the cookie and the perfectly goey inside. “Just don’t get chocolate on your letter,”

“So, this is what you’ve rounded up, huh?” Serval peered into the box on the table. “Here. I’ve got a letter from me, and one from Lynx. She set off for a research trip earlier today,”

“Sounds exciting. I hope it goes without a hitch!” You chimed in.

“I’m sure it will— ah, thanks Pela,” she turned as the smaller female tapped her on the forearm and handed her a cookie. Serval showed you the things she had brought, which were the letters, socks, and a few photographs from Lynx.

There was one of Serval, Gepard, and Lynx together, one of their entire family, one with you and Pela giggling at a cafe where you had whipped cream from a shortcake smeared across your lip.

“Wait, we aren’t seriously planning on sending this one, right??” You looked at Serval, horrified.

“We are indeed!” She took a bite of a cookie. “Mmmmm, (Y/N) these are so good! Are you planning on sending some to Gepard?”

You hesitated briefly. “Uh… no. I didn’t think that was allowed. Plus, the other soldiers might start begging him to have some or something,”

“He’s the Captain. Do you think he’d let people walk all over him?” She retorted, exasperated.

“I doubt he would want to put that much effort into protecting a container of cookies,” you said skeptically.

“YOUR cookies, maybe,” she snorted off to the side.

“What was that?” You challenged.

“Nothing. I was just mentioning he has a bit of a sweet tooth. Thinking out loud,” she closed her eyes smugly.

Pela raised her eyebrows at her friend. “Sending food via mail isn’t allowed. It’s to prevent things from spoiling,”

“Oh— fine,” Serval sighed. “Anyways, mind if I borrow a pen? I need to add something to my letter,”

You gestured to the cabinet that held the writing materials.

“…so, what’s that yellow blob on the windowsill?”Serval motioned a gloved hand over towards the olm Vaska had made.

“Oh, that? That’s Daisy,”

“Uh. Good to know,”

Pela trotted over to where the knitted creature was and picked it up by the scruff cautiously. The crocheted limbs hung limply at its sides.

“Kinda cute, right? I thought it was a bit weird at first, but it’s kind of growing on me,” you interjected.

“Urk! Y-yeah, you could say that,” The intelligence officer pressed a finger to the bridge of her glasses. “Serval and I should probably get going. We have a lot of analysis to get to tomorrow,”

“Whaaat?” Serval complained, a brand new cookie in her hand.“Come on, just a few more minutes. Say… would you happen to have any milk?”

Pela sighed.

“Ugh. Fine…. Just a few more,”

❆—❆—❆

The next day after work, you went to Manya, an administrative official, to ask when their next shipment of mail to the Outlying Snow Plains was. She was uptight as usual.

“The next mail delivery is set for today,” The mint-haired lady said stiffly. “Who do you want to address this to?”

You blinked in surprise. “Ah, I’m sorry, I’d like to address it to uhh.. Gepard Landau please?”

“The Silvermane Captain? I see. We’ll try to get this to him as soon as possible, capiche?”

Manya took the package from you and you bowed to her graciously.

I really hope he likes it…

❆—❆—❆

Meanwhile, in the freezing wastes of the Snow Plains, the young captain was working hard. He was standing in a makeshift meeting tent, pondering over a map placed over a few stray barrels.

It wasn’t often they had the luxury of furniture other than weapon racks and barbed fences, in fact, just last week Franz had gotten caught in one, and it had taken the work of three guards to get him untangled.

With a sigh, Gepard traced his armored hand over a section on the top of the map, running through plans in his mind all the while. His gaze was laser-focused on the weathered paper, anyone passing by might suspect he was trying to burn a hole in it.

“Tory, do you have a moment?” He turned his head towards an officer cleaning off their musket. They lowered it and marched toward him.

“How is progress going on the northern rampart?”

“As predicted, sir,” they answered.

“Hm. Good. We’re setting out as planned tomorrow morning if you could let everyone know it’s been finalized,”

A different Silvermane gunner turned a corner into the meeting tent and waved to get Gepard’s attention. “Cap’n! We’ve got a package for you!”

A package? What on earth is Serval sending me this time? Gepard let out a short sigh. Last time it was a glitter bomb that hit Pela by accident.

She’d spent the better part of a month shaking out the glitter from her uniform.

The Captain took the package from the officer, which wasn’t very heavy, so that was a relief. He checked it from corner to corner to make sure it hadn’t been sent to the wrong person. Yep, sure enough, it was his.

“Sir, I’ll take the night watch for tonight. Why don’t you attend to your mail?” Offered the one who had made the delivery, gesturing with her hands.

“You have my thanks, Dasha,”

The soldier gave a quick salute and picked up a rifle to take with them to the watchtower.

Gepard laid the cardboard container (which was dented on one corner) onto the slipshod table. He used his fingers to carefully pry open the flaps of the box— ready at a moments notice to cover his face in case his sister had found a new way to make lightweight bombs.

Much to his surprise, it wasn’t an explosive.

Inside the parasol was four letters, a few pairs of socks, and some photographs resting on a layer of packing paper. Normally his family waited more than half a month before mailing him something because they all had their own matters to attend to.

He raised a curious eyebrow, wondering if you had something to do with this. His suspicion was confirmed when he went through the letters and spotted your handwriting on one of them.

One from (Y/N)… One from Serval… Lynx… Pela,

Gepard pulled each of the letters out one by one, holding them up to the light he got from the dying lanterns, and set them on the supply crate table in a neat pile like the meticulous soldier he was. He rummaged around in his pockets for the Landau family letter opener he kept on him and used it to slice your envelope open first. It was held shut by a red wax seal with a gilded emblem pressed into it.

Dear Gepard,

Hope this letter finds you well. We miss you a lot! Business has been better than ever at the florists, in fact, Meg is considering me for a promotion!

I made something for you to help keep you warm while you’re on duty. They were out of blue yarn, but I hope you like it!

We’re thinking of you every day you’re gone. Stay safe and warm out there.

Sincerely, (Y/N)

He smiled gently. So it was you who had made the socks. That was very considerate of you.

Next, Gepard read through the letters the others had sent. Lynx’s was silly and made his heart feel much lighter. She was the one who had sent the photographs consisting of the Landau family, her. Pela, and you, laughing with a smudge of cream on your face. He made sure to tuck the pictures in his pocket.

Pela’s letter was professional but loaded with thinly veiled worry. Reaching for Serval’s letter next, he did his best to quell his suspicions about it, and tried to be grateful she even decided to send him something.

Hiya Geppie! It read in bold purple ink.

Is everything all right out there? I know it gets cold as all hell, so I bought a few extra pairs of socks for you. Lynx has been missing you a lot, but don’t tell her I told you that. Hope to see you again soon. Lots of love!

P.S, (Y/N) made us some awesome chocolate chip cookies. Sucks you weren’t there to try them.

Signed, Your oh so doting and loving Big Sis

Gepard snorted, followed by a smile, and tucked the letter back into the envelope. That was followed by a second of hesitation.

It wasn’t quite clicking in his brain. If Serval had sent the socks, what had you sent?

He picked up a pair of the socks just to check. Surely enough, they had the logo of a familiar Belobog department store on them, which checked out with what Serval had said. He pushed aside the layer of packing paper, and his breath died in his throat before it could become a cloud in the freezing night air.

Staring him in the face was a handmade scarf. Bright yellow, like pieces of the sun had been woven into it. White triangles accentuated the ends, and was ridiculously long, long enough to reach his knees. There was pocket on both ends of the scarf for his hands or any tchotchkes he might have.

Gepard held the scarf up to the light of the lantern. The stitchwork looked complicated and VERY time consuming. He could tell a lot of love had been poured into this gift. His face felt aglow with happiness as he imagined you all cheerfully getting together to make this for him.

He was glad everyone seemed safe and happy back at home. It made his work just a little more bearable.

Placing the box in the mail corner for safekeeping, he fastened the scarf around his neck. It was long enough to wrap around his head three times, it was warm and smelled of flowers. Truth be told, it smelled like home.

The Captain propped himself up against one of the walls, along with his guitar case, and drifted off to sleep.

❆—❆—❆

Wait… did the captain always have that yellow scarf??

Dasha snuck another glance at the sleeping Silvermane Guard Captain from her spot on the watchtower.

Gepard opted to sleep in the same spot as all the other soldiers instead of vying for his own tent— that was one of the reasons his underclassman respected him so much. He was constantly reliable, selfless, and strong. A shining beacon of hope always looking out for others.

But tonight, Dasha got to see a different side of a him.

Gepard’s nose was buried in the yellow garment as he slumbered, his chest rising and falling steadily with every breath. His brow was without a furrow, and his face was relaxed, which was definitely a sight to see.

He looked… cozy.

Dasha smiled to herself.

Well, I guess even the Captain has someone looking out for him.

2023 - Dreaming-of-Mossballs - Do not repost/translate without my permission - NO AI

Reblogs greatly appreciated! I love seeing your comments!

[satoshi-mochida]

Tomba! Special Edition launches August 1 for PS5, Switch, and PC, later for PS4

From Gematsu

*There's a few short videos on the site I can't copy/paste on here

Tomba! Special Edition will launch for PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC via Steam on August 1, followed by PlayStation 4 at a later date, developer Limited Run Games announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via Limited Run Games:

About

Tomba! returns in Tomba! Special Edition, the ultimate version of the legendary platforming masterpiece. As the titular Tomba, you leap, bite, and throw your way across stunning 2.5D landscapes on a quest to overcome a deplorable cadre of nefarious pigs. Along the way, you’ll explore ancient relics, discover fascinating characters, unlock thrilling quests, and unearth hidden treasures. It’s a platforming adventure that perfectly fuses linear and nonlinear gameplay styles. Tomba! was first published in 1997, and is back today in a vastly-expanded special edition packed with quality of life improvements.

Key Features

Save Anywhere! No more worrying about heading back to a checkpoint.

Rewind! Stuck on a difficult challenge? Try again!

Toggle for analog control

A museum crammed with classic print advertisements, original packaging and manuals, never- before-seen dev documents, and high-res original artwork.

A new remastered soundtrack.

Interview with the creator, Tokuro Fujiwara.

And here is a new interview with Tomba! creator Tokuro Fujiwara published on PlayStation Blog:

In 1997, when you made Tomba!, most developers focused on making 3D games like Tomb Raider or Crash Bandicoot. You instead decided to mix 2D sprites with perspective-shifting 3D environments. Why? Tokuro Fujiwara: “Tomba! runs on 3D technology, with gameplay designed around 2D principles. This is why it’s described as a 2.5D game. I think 2D games have a certain kind of charm that 3D doesn’t. I also wanted to push the limits of what could be done. To bring my vision to life, I needed to use 2D principles along with 3D CG visuals. This allowed me to create something that felt new on the PlayStation. “There were times when I wondered if I should go 3D instead, 3D games have a very clear sense of space. In 2D, all the action takes place on a flat plane, and multiple layers provide a sense of depth. This means you have to design the game in creative ways so that the different layers don’t conflict. This results in something interesting that can only be achieved with 2D.” What do you hope new players will take away from Tomba! Special Edition? Fujiwara: “Tomba! has many side quests. These come in different varieties and are hidden throughout the game. I encourage players to seek them out. Various items allow players to learn new moves, expanding how levels can be beaten. I hope players search and seal away the Evil Pigs scattered throughout the world, which will unlock even more to see! There are many discoveries to be made. I hope players can relax and enjoy the world of Tomba!” Speaking of genre-bending gameplay. Tomba! feels like an open world despite being described as a side-scrolling platformer. This was largely due to how nonlinearly the levels could be played. Was this done intentionally, or was it something that just happened through development? Fujiwara: “I had envisioned this open-feel game from the very beginning. It was all a blur when things started, but as development progressed, it began taking shape. “You could consider Tomba! an open-world title, a term that was rarely used back then. There’s a wide area with a lot of different content in it. You encounter, discover, and collect various things as you move around. For example, you have to complete certain tasks in Tomba!, but you can wander around freely and complete them however you like. Some tasks and main objectives can even be skipped entirely. Many of the ideas I envisioned for Tomba! back in the day were ideas we see in open-world game design today. “I initially wanted to include 100 quests, but the final game exceeded that. It was hard work for the team to fit it all together on a timeline. What started out as vague ideas in my head ballooned into an amount of content so large it blew my mind!” The original PlayStation was a massive leap in gaming technology. What was it like to experience it back then? Fujiwara: “Game development is an ongoing battle against technology growth. This was the case back then and is still true today. I felt that the PlayStation was such a remarkable improvement in terms of hardware, allowing for greater possibilities. Games went from being rendered in pixels to CG. Game developers had to learn many new skills. Expectations ballooned along with the scope of game ideas. Development environments evolved, which made things challenging but exciting for developers. The introduction of the PlayStation and the advancements from that era still impact games today.” Finally, why do you think it’s important to bring Tomba! back now? Fujiwara: “Tomba! has been around for a long time, but continues to be loved by many. I’ve long wished that the game could be accessible to more people on modern systems. Now that the opportunity is here, I think PlayStation fans today will get a ton of enjoyment out of Tomba!“

[localgirlbecomesobsessed]

Confessions from a workaholic

Haru couldn’t hold himself back around Olivia anymore, he decides to take action and finally try to confess to her.

Key word try.

Haru looked proudly at his display, a picnic blanket laid under the tree with floating candles all around it, he’s attached a swing set up on an outreached branch.

He still needed to pick up the food he ordered from that new food truck, it was a beef lasagne and a six layer chocolate and strawberry cake for their dessert.

The picnic blanket had an array of pillows on it, he brought spare blankets in case she got cold but he has convinced Towa to hopefully keep the temperature decent whilst he went on his quest. As well as getting him to babysit Peekaboo, hopefully Taiga won’t try to pick a fight with him otherwise it really would be chaos.

Rui had been kind enough to enlist Lyca to help them for the evening, even Ren (with the promise of not having to work there for the next three days.) was picking up the slack for the evening; Ren insisting he doesn’t want to see that pining lovesick face anymore , though depending on how this will go it might get worse.

He had already got changed into a leopard print button up and black trousers with a light purple belt and black boots. He had changed sixteen times already before Ren yelled at him and threw his approved clothing items at him. He had an orange Bomber jacket on as well, hiding a small package up his sleeve, his gift for Olivia-something he’d been stressing about for the past couple of days.

He took a deep breath as it was 20 minutes until sunset and 15 minutes till Olivia comes.

“Bahnti”

Activating his stigma he zooms to the truck to pick up his order.

———————————————————

Olivia had got there early as Haru caught sight of her about to go into the reserve.

“OLI!”

He cheered running over to her, food in hand as his eyes bulged out of his head.

She was wearing a lilac short puffed sleeved dress that reached halfway up her thigh, a purple lacy choker around her neck and black boots as she shyly waved at Haru.

She had bright pink eye makeup on and lip gloss as she smiled at him, automatically taking a box off of his as he stood frozen, blushing as he smiled like a fool.

“You look beautiful Oli…cute-stunning-breathtaking hmmm~”

Olivia went a bright red giggling as she rolled her eyes at him as he pressed a hand to her back guiding her into the reserve, riskily holding the lasagne in one hand.

“You look amazing too Haru, you look so handsome!!!!”

She cheerily sang as she looked at him in pure adoration.

He was so distracted by her blinding smile and excited for their date that he didn’t notice the fox anomalous until it was too late, narrowly avoiding his arm getting bitten off again but in doing so he let his hold loosen on the lasagne causing it to topple out of his hand and fall all over him.

The fox immediately walking away after causing such chaos as Haru stared depleted at his soiled leopard shirt.

“Are you okay?!?”

Olivia gasped putting down the cake as she hunted through her bag, finding a handkerchief as she tried to help Haru clean the mess off, the later just stood trying to stop his oncoming break down.

“Do you mind if I quickly go change…I’ll be two minutes Oli-I’m”

He took a deep breath as Olivia took his hand gently smiling at him as she caressed it.

“It’s okay Ru, do what you have too~is there anything I can do to help?”

She continued to caress his hand as he just wanted to cry, she was so nice.

“I’m gonna get changed~do you mind having cake for dinner! I know strawberries are your fave Oli so hopefully, ahah!”

He took both her hands in his as he spun her around, her euphoric laughter cheering his soul as he left a sweet kiss onto the back of her hand and sped off to get changed quickly.

Olivia’s face was on fire as she tried to scoop the fallen mess of lasagne back into the box, the fox came back sniffing tentatively as she left a little out for it, it started devouring the bits that was left over.

He walked off after looking at her his nose in the air as Haru come zooming over, surprising Olivia as she shot up in the air.

“Ahahah Oli didn’t mean to scare you.”

He scrunched and unscrunched his gloved hands to calm his nerves, he was wearing a purple striped button up, his bomber jacket was luckily safe from the lasagne attack.

“Looking good Ru-you trying to match me?”

She nudged him as he grinned sheepishly caught red handed in his plan, both now wildly blushing as Olivia grabbed the cake. Haru guided her to the hill but both froze in horror as wild winds surrounded the area as Towa glared at Ren, Lyca was on the side holding peekaboo protectively as he spotted Haru and Olivia who just stared wide eyed at the scene before them.

The winds spun the floating candles around causing them to set alight to the tree and thus ruining Haru’s whole set up as a small hurricane of fire devoured everything.

Ren spotted them second, he was wide eyed as he shouted something at Towa , pointing at them as Haru stood mortified and embarrassed.

Towa turned around annoyed before his eyes locked with Haru’s. The inevitable rain pour came as Towa become upset, putting out the fire but lighting one in Haru as he was about to have a freak out, he was trying to scrounge up something positive but everything was destroyed now, the only thing left was the cake.

Before he could calm Towa down Olivia grabbed at Haru’s sleeve, smiling awkwardly as she could see the breakdown incoming.

The two getting completely soaked as the torrential rain felt like it wanted to drown them or maybe just the one Towa calls wolfsbane. There was something romantic about it though as they gazed at eachother…he couldn’t help but think he’s a bit lucky to have Oli here right now just so he could see how pretty she looked in the rain-a crack of thunder suddenly reminded them of their predicament.

Haru was about to take off his jacket and put it on top Olivia to protect her when she stood in front of him glaring at the two in front of her. Haru raised his jacket over his head to cover the both of them as he leaned over her, becoming a makeshift umbrella for Olivia.

“OI YOU TWO CUT IT OUT RIGHT NOW.”

She screeched at them Towa freezing in place as the rain suddenly stopped, Towa lowered his head in shame, Lyca ran up to them panicked, Ren turned back to his task pissed off as he stormed away.

Haru stood impressed as Olivia glare turned soft as she looked at Lyca.

“He’s okay livia’ me and seaweed hair were going to put him to bed but then that guy came and it all went…”

He turned towards the burnt tree and destroyed picnic area as he glanced at the upset man behind Olivia.

“It’s okay…could you still put peekaboo to bed, we’ll deal with Towa.”

She smiled without smiling, checking with Haru that it was okay, he numbly nodded as he sighed, hair dripping with water as he pulled his jacket back down no longer needing to protect them from the disastrous rain, Olivia tried not to look as Haru looked undeniably attractive dripping wet as she stood forward facing, fighting off the blush that threatened to spread.

Olivia looked freezing but was trying to pretend she was fine as Towa hesitantly came over, like a child about to be scolded as he awaited for them to speak.

“Towa.”

Her hold tightened on the cake box and her voice cold as ice as Towa flinched at her tone, she felt incredibly bad about scolding him. Haru didn’t know whether to step in or not but felt more and more defeated as he kept looking back at the scene he spent hours planning. The sun was starting to set and he genuinely thought he might start crying, sometimes thing don’t go well in life but he kinda hoped this would have…

“Dandelion…”

Guilt dripping off of Towa as he hung his head in shame, Olivia sighing as she leaned back to look up at Haru.

“Are you okay?”

She asked gently eyes full of concern as Haru brushed some of the wet strands away from her face, feigning a cheerful smile as he nodded at her, she frowned up at him as she immediately clocked it.

“Towa clean up the mess please , me and Ru are going back to the dorms and we’re gonna devour this whole cake and have a good time!”

Olivia announced as she balanced the cake in one hand as she grabbed onto Haru’s hand behind her, marching towards the dorm as she dragged Haru with her causing him to giggle.

She was angry but not with anyone really…okay maybe a little at Towa-but Haru put so much effort into tonight though she doesn’t know why he set up tonight…but it seemed to mean a lot to him, something that’s made her heart flutter ever since he originally asked her as she had an inkling but didn’t know what to do with it.

“Oli, you don’t have to worry about tonight we can just leave it…it’s obviously not meant to be.”

Haru was unusually defeated, his usual positivity gone as he latched onto her hand, clasping them together.

Olivia ignored him briskly walking as he struggled to keep up, for a short girl she sure can walk fast.

She suddenly stopped sighing as she turned to him.

“If it all stopped because of a disaster…or a couple of disasters, everything would’ve already ended-if that makes sense…”

She fiddled with the box as he stared at her smiling as he walked over to take it off of her.

“Would you be okay waiting around…?”

He asked hopefully already knowing the answer but still nervous because of that 1% chance, she chuckled as she nodded before she continued making her way to the dorms.

“I’m gonna burrow some of your clothes tho-I’m freezing.”

Haru’s smile spread so far on his face he thought it was gonna split as he hurriedly followed after her, excitedly chattering away to her as she happily soaked in his words.

———————————————————

They sat crossed legged on Haru’s bed, eating the cake as they shared a bottle of wine that Haru was given as a gift from Rui.

Olivia had dried both of their hairs, taking the oppourtunity to brush a hand through Haru’s soft hair. She stole a purple sweatshirt and a pair of blue shorts as she left her dress to dry in the common room radiator. Haru changed into a mustard sweatshirt and purple sweats, he took both his gloves off and took off his prosthetic, side glancing at Olivia to see how she’ll react but she just continued eating cake smiling gently at him as she felt herself go dizzy at the sign of trust he just gave her, he’s done it a couple of times before but it felt more intimate this time around…

He had her gift hidden behind his back, it fell out as they were getting changed and he almost cheered out loud as at least one other thing went well.

He had texted Towa to set up something in the caves as he stalled Olivia.

Telling her an abundances of funny stories and Olivia doing the same in return.

He finally got a text from Towa.

Towa:🙇🏼🙆🏼🌻🌸🌼⭐️🪸🔥🍷🍪

Haru: 😘😊❤️‍🔥

Haru finished up his story as he grabbed Olivia’s hand.

“Oli…today hasn’t gone very well…but I’ve planned something else quickly- if you’d come with me.”

Olivia eyed him curiously, grinning as she spooned one last bite of cake before nodding enthusiastically.

Haru breathed a sigh of relief as he covertly tucked the gift into his sweats. He shot up grabbing one of his favourite hoodies as he handed it to Olivia before grabbing one for himself.

She was extremely happy as she slipped into the hoodie, sneakily inhaling Haru’s scent as she huddled herself into it, trying not to blush too much as he slid his own one on. She clasped her hand with his as he grinned down as her, hurriedly pulling her along as he took her to the caves.

———————————————————

“Holy Shit.”

Olivia gasped as she looked at the scene before her. They were deeper in the cave that what she’s been in before, an open sky ceiling as the stars sparkled down at them, a blanket and pillows set up for the two to star gaze alone with, a couple of rock pools surrounding them deep with beautiful shells decorated around them. A chilled bottle of wine sat next to the set up as Olivia gazed around.

Haru laughed at her surprise as he guided her to sit down, learning from his lesson before as he had Towa hang fairy lights all around them instead of the candles…it would make a good spot for the tour oh! Or even a date spot for the couples of Darkwick.

Which brings him to the next bit.

He let go of her hand and fumbled to grab the box that was safely tucked away.

“Oli…”

She turned to him smiling happily making Haru’s heart stutter as he gently placed the box onto her lap. She looked at him questionably as she unraveled the box.

Gasping as she tentatively pulled out the necklace, it was silver chain with a small garnet gem attached to it, Haru nervously waited as she just stared at it, before her face blew up into a deep red as she fumbled to put it on.

“Haru I-thank you so much I-“

Haru rubbed a thumb across her cheek dragging her attention to him as her hand held onto the garnet lovingly, her heart pounding a thousand miles a minute as she flushed even deeper when she met Haru’s gaze.

“I really like you.”

Olivia was the first to blurt it out, her eyes widening as she realised what she said as Haru chuckled. He leaned into her fiddling with the necklace as he grinned at the sight of her wearing it.

“I really like you too Oli…”

He leaned in closer pressing their foreheads together as she shyly looked up at him, he brought his hand back up tilting her head upwards as he pressed his lips to her, sharing a short but sweet kiss, Parting before kissing her once again, she giggled nervously in between kisses as Haru felt himself start to get addicted to her, something he knew would easily happen.

Haru wrapped his arm around her and pulled her onto his lap as he kissed her again and again and again- sighing happily before finally pulling away.

“Oli…”

She wrapped her arms around his neck as she nuzzled into his neck.

“Will you go out with me?”

She smiled into his neck, pressing a kiss to his neck as his breath hitched.

“I’d love to go out with you.”

She leaned up cupping his face as her face turned serious, Haru leaning into her touch bringing their faces closer.

“But…I might not be around for long…I-“

She hid her face into his chest as he froze for a moment before pulling himself together.

“Oli, I’m happy every second I get to be around you, if you disappear it will destroy me but I’ll get to have the memories of you with me forever and you of me…I have hope they’ll find a cure but if they don’t we’d regret never being together, at least allowing us some happiness-“

She sighed as she avoided his eyes.

“It’ll be painful.”

Haru hummed as he wiped a stray tear.

“I’ll be in pain for you.”

She frowned at his words as he pressed a kiss just underneath her eye-right where her mole was.

“And I’ll be happy for you-sad for you-in love with you…”

He pressed more kisses to her face as she gasped loudly at his confession.

“Would you do the same for me Oli?”

He asked point blank, his breath mingling with hers as she looked up at him in amazement. She hesitated for a moment and Haru waited with held breath as he thought she was going to walk off, but instead she pressed a kiss to his lips, pulling away and gazing with pure adoration into his eyes, she was so nervous for what’s the come-terrified of what the consequences would be for this decision as she pressed another kiss to his lips.

“Of course I will.”

Her voice thick with emotion as she wiped her tears away, Haru clutching onto her as he rocked her back and forth.

“I love you too.”

Her voice came out muffled as she hid her head into his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a while, the two being calmed by the trickling water and quiet as Olivia finally looked up at him.

Haru smiled down at her maniacally littering her face in a plethora of kisses as she started giggling Haru let out a sigh of relief as some of the tenseness slipped away. Haru leaned back going to lie onto his back as Olivia went with him. She snuggled into him as the two looked up at the night sky, Haru brushing a hand through her hair as she laid on his chest.

“We’re defiantly going to catch a cold…”

The two burst into tired giggles as the day caught up to them, exhausted but happy…for now.

[brokehorrorfan]

Blue Sunshine is available on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + CD for $50 exclusively from Synapse Films and Diabolik DVD. Wes Benscoter designed the new artwork for the 1977 horror film.

Jeff Lieberman (Just Before Dawn, Satan’s Little Helper) writes and directs. Zalman King, Deborah Winters, Mark Goddard, Robert Walden, and Charles Siebert star.

Limited to 4,000, the three-disc set includes a soundtrack CD composed by Charles Gross (Turner & Hooch, Air America). It's housed alongside a fold-out poster in chipboard packaging and a slipcover.

Blue Sunshine has been restored in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative mastered in Dolby Vision. Special features are listed below, where you can also see more artwork.

Special features:

Two audio commentaries by writer-director Jeff Lieberman

Introduction by Jeff Lieberman (new)

2003 interview with Jeff Lieberman

Lieberman on Lieberman interview

1980 Channel Z interview with Jeff Lieberman by Mick Garris

2022 Fantasia Film Festival Q&A with Jeff Lieberman

The Ringer - 2 versions of Jeff Lieberman's 1972 short film: uncut (from a projection print source) and final release version (remastered in 4K from the original camera negative) with optional uncut commentary by Lieberman

Anti-drug shorts LSD-25 (1967) and LSD: Insight or Insanity? (1968)

Theatrical trailers

Still gallery

Also included:

Booklet featuring featuring a chapter on the making of Blue Sunshine from Jeff Lieberman's 2020 autobiography Day of the Living Me: Adventures of a Subversive Cult Filmmaker from the Golden Age

Fold-out poster

It starts off as a great party—just eight people in a secluded lodge. One of the guests suddenly goes on a shockingly violent, murderous rampage. There is something wrong with his hair, and pure evil in his eyes. What he does to three of the girls there is too hideous to describe. Falsely accused of the brutal killings, Jerry Zipkin (Zalman King) goes on the run. More bizarre murders occur, and while trying to clear his name, Jerry discovers the shocking truth: The people losing their hair and turning into violent psychopaths may be connected to a drug each killer took a decade before. A drug known as Blue Sunshine.

[printingservicesaustralia]

From Digital to Offset: Understanding Various Types of Printing Techniques

1. Digital Printing: Faster, more efficient and more convenient

Digital printing is one of the most popular and viable printing options available today. This involves transferring images directly to paper or other media using PDFs and other digital files. This approach has gained traction due to speed and low setup costs, making it ideal for short runs or scheduled projects.

Applications: Digital printing is widely used to print marketing materials such as brochures, flyers, business cards and banners. It is also commonly used in printing custom products such as photo books, invitations and garments.

Advantages:

· Speed: Digital printing is faster than printing methods, making it suitable for fast turnaround jobs.

· Cost-effective in smaller quantities: There are no setup fees, making it more affordable for smaller publishing businesses.

· Customization: Digital printing allows for easy personalization, perfect for targeted marketing.

However, digital printing doesn’t always produce the same depth of color or texture as other methods, especially on larger pieces.

2. Offset printing: Better quality, greater volume production

Offset printing or offset lithography is one of the most common and reliable methods of printing large volumes. This process involves transferring an image from a metal plate to a rubber cushion, then pressing the image onto paper. It is known for its image quality and is particularly suitable for more demanding stability applications.

Applications: Offset printing is ideal for many productions, such as magazines, magazines, catalogs, and larger merchandise.

Advantages:

· Higher Image: Offset printing produces sharper, cleaner images with more accurate colors, making it ideal for jobs that require higher quality print work.

· Cost effective for large volumes: Although the initial process is more expensive than digital printing, offset is more expensive when printing in large quantities.

· Consistency: Offset printing provides consistent results throughout printing, ensuring that each print is perfect.

3. Screen Printing: Robust and versatile

Screen printing, also known as silk screening, uses grid stencils to ink various surfaces. The process is particularly popular for printing products such as t-shirts, mugs and promotional materials, as it produces vibrant and long-lasting colors.

Application: This process is widely used for creating custom clothes, clothing, signs and even posters.

Advantages:

· Durability: Screen printing is extremely durable, making it ideal for products that require durability.

· Versatility: Works with a variety of materials including fabrics, plastics and metals.

· Bold colors: Screen printing is known for producing vivid and opaque colors, making it popular for more visual images.

However, like offset printing, screen printing can be cost-effective in small volumes due to its setup costs.

4. Flexographic printing: Perfect for packaging

Flexographic printing, commonly referred to as flexo, uses flexible rubber or photopolymer plates to transfer images onto a variety of materials such as plastic, foil, paper, etc. It is most often used in packaging, labels and packaging.

Application: Flexo printing is commonly used to print labels, flexible packaging, boxes, and other packaging.

Advantages:

· Faster and more efficient: Flexographic printing offers faster production speeds, making it ideal for larger orders.

· Extensive alignment: This technique can print on virtually any substrate, including porous materials such as plastic and metal objects.

· Production efficiency: Flexographic printing can produce high-quality, consistent results, especially with larger print sizes.

5. Gravure Printing: High-volume gravure printing

In gravure printing, or rotogravure, the image is engraved onto a cylinder, which is then applied to the print. High-resolution images and continuous tone images are often printed with this technique.

Application: Gravure printing is widely used for printing packaging, magazines, catalogs and wallpaper.

Advantages:

· High Quality: Graver produces beautiful images with beautiful details and rich colors.

· Ideal for long-term printing: Although setup costs are high, gravure is cost-effective for very large runs, making it perfect for mass-market printing.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Printing Method

The type of printing method you choose depends largely on the needs of your project, including volume, budget, and desired output. If you’re looking for quick, smooth printing with a fast turnaround time, digital printing could be the right fit. Offset printing or gravure printing can provide consistent results for high quality, intense production. For special applications such as custom garments or packaging, screen printing and flexographic printing stand out as excellent options.

If you want to get high-quality printing services, it is important to choose someone who is skilled in the specific technique that best suits your project. Whether you print a few brochures or thousands of labels, the right printing techniques ensure that your content looks professional and effectively communicates your message.

[lil-doodle-bug]

Gabi took a deep breath as she opened the door. The adoption agency was supposed to drop off her child today and she was waiting for them to knock on her door.

Of course, it wasn’t the agency who had knocked on her door, but it was Julie.

“Gabiiiiiii!!! I was wondering, would you like to play with the rest of us today? You’ve been avoiding us so-“

“Sorry, Jul, but I can’t right now. I’m waiting on someone,” Gabi said, looking past Julie.

“OOOH! Is it Sally?! Are you going on a date?!”

Gabi slowly turned red. “N-no… you see, I was approved for adoption…”

“Oooooh! Well, I’ll leave you alone then! FRANK, FRANK, FRANK, GABI’S GETTING A KIDDDDDDDD!!!!!” Julie screamed as she ran off.

A few hours later, the agency finally came.

“Hello, Mr. Winters-“

“Ms. Winters, please…” Gabi said quietly.

“Ms. Winters. This is Anthony White. Please treat him like you would treat someone you would love. He hasn’t been in many good homes. We will check in next month. Goodbye.”

Anthony stood in the doorway, wearing a striped shirt and ripped shorts. He had blue hair, bright skin, and he was missing one of his teeth. He looked nervous. “Are you my new mom?”

“Yes, I am. Let’s get you some new clothes, ‘kay?” Gabi said, taking his hand and leading him inside.

She quickly fashioned a new shirt and some periwinkle overalls with green accents. She also made him some cloud-print socks.

Anthony stared at his new clothes with a shocked expression. “These are mine?”

“Of cour-“ Gabi heard her doorbell ring. “F-“ she remembered there was a child present. “-rench fries!”

She opened the door to find the entire neighborhood at her doorstep. She stood there agape.

Howdy had some toys from his bodega in his arms. “Here, Gabs! Free of charge!”

“Here’s some cookies for the little fella!!!” Poppy said, holding a tray full of chocolate chip cookies.

Frank, looking a bit nicer than usual, handed her some parenting books. “You’ll need these… or that kid will never be independent.”

Julie threw her some arts and crafts supplies. “Now, I hope you’ll play a lottttt of games together!!!” she said happily.

“Here, have the little tyke read over these lines! I do hope he has his single mother’s talent in acting!” Sally exclaimed, handing over a script. Gabi blushed when she emphasized the words “single mother.”

Eddie handed her a package. “It’s a Welcome Package! Hope the boy likes it!!”

Wally put down some paints and paintbrushes. “He needs these, I think. They’re the most!”

Barnaby handed over some balls. “I’m going to teach the little buddy to juggle as soon as I get the chance!!”

“And these are scented candles!” Izabel said. “Everyone else took the good gifts…”

Gabi stared at everyone, tearing up. She couldn’t believe her neighbors would do something like this for her. She stood there, tears running down her cheeks, as she hugged everyone.

“Mom? Who are these people?” Anthony said, coming down the stairs.

“Well, Anthony… these… are your new friends…”

Izabel is owned by @fanoffandoms23

[alexesguerra]

Queer Tarot: An Inclusive Deck and Guidebook [With Book(s)] The Queer Tarot: An Inclusive Deck and Guidebook Other – April 19, 2022 by Ashley Molesso (Author), Chess Needham (Author) ---Brand New-- A vibrant, deluxe illustrated tarot deck and guidebook set, centering and celebrating LGBTQ+ identity, created by queer and trans artist team Ash + Chess. AN INCLUSIVE, AFFIRMING DECK: Queer Tarot is a bright, bold interpretation of the tarot that offers inspiration, affirmation, and LGBTQ+ representation. Created by queer and trans artists Ashley Molesso and Chess Needham of Ash + Chess, this reimagining of the classic figures in the Major and Minor Arcana showcases a wide range of gender expressions and sexual orientations, and incorporates queer history and iconography throughout. DELUXE SET: This set includes 78 full-color illustrated tarot cards (3 X 5 inches), shrink wrapped in an interior travel case; a 168-page, full-color illustrated flexibind book (4 3/4 X 6 inches); and a keepsake magnetic closure box with metallic foil accents. Cards and travel case are embedded in an interior flocked tray. FULLY ILLUSTRATED TAROT GUIDEBOOK: The flexibind guidebook provides an illustrated introduction to the tarot, with LGBTQ+ descriptions and suggested interpretations for each card, as well as instructions for sample readings and a brief history of tarot. VIBRANT FULL-COLOR ART FROM ASH + CHESS: Queer Tarot features Ash + Chess's signature colorful, risograph-style illustrations, including retro color palettes and bold, detailed figures. ALL CARDS BASED ON REAL, DIVERSE MODELS: Each card in Queer Tarot is based on real LGBTQ+ folx commissioned for this project by Ash + Chess. The deck celebrates a full range of races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, sizes, and abilities. A PERFECT GIFT: This joyful, inclusive, and beautiful tarot deck set is an ideal gift for tarot novices, seasoned readers, queer folx of all ages, and their allies. A note on packaging: In order to help honor our planet and reduce waste, we have only shrink wrapped the interior tarot cards, rather than the keepsake box. Please feel confident that your product is not defective or used, but rather represents a step we are taking to protect our collective home. When you open your deck, you will find that the actual cards inside the box are shrink wrapped for protection and to ensure first use by the buyer. About the Author Ash + Chess is a cute stationery company run by queer and trans couple Ashley Molesso (she/her) and Chess Needham (he/him), based out of Richmond, VA. They create greeting cards and art prints that are bold, retro color palettes and they often use their artwork to make a political statement and to uplift the queer community. Their company made its debut at the National Stationery Show in May 2017, and since then over 600+ retailers throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia sell their art and stationery. In the short time they've been in business, Ash + Chess have worked on many collaborations including artwork for Nooworks, a clothing company based out of San Francisco, CA; Belletrist, a book club run by actress Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss; exclusive designs and patterns for Plaza Style, a Japanese retail brand; packaging design for Brooklyn Roasting Co.; Transfigure Print Co., book illustrations for HarperCollins and Workman Publishing; and t-shirt designs for The Style Club x Forever 21. They are the authors of their own illustrated book about LGBTQIA+ history, The Gay Agenda: A Modern Queer History & Handbook, and Queer Tarot: An Inclusive Deck and Guidebook. Publisher ‏ : ‎ RP Studio (April 19, 2022) Language ‏ : ‎ English Misc. Supplies ‏ : ‎ 176 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0762474882 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 9780762474882 Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.63 pounds Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.4 x 2.5 x 6.65 inches

[penniesblogs]

Feathered Folk Update #4

You can now find my store at FeatheredFolkCo on Etsy, and my TikTok and Instagram pages @/featheredfolkco.

As you know, I've been working on setting up a small etsy shop where I can sell cards featuring my own illustrations of Australian native birds. As per my last post, I've actually finished setting up the shop, and have begun to work on some social media marketing. Though I'll be taking a break, this project has been quite the personal learning experience. This project has shown me just how much work is actually involved in setting up even a very small online store like this.

Before making my last update, I had been experimenting with prototypes for the cards. by getting samples printed at Officeworks.

Above is an image of my two samples. Both are printed on 200 gsm paper, with the left being on off-white with a glossy coat, and the right on uncoated plain white paper. I ultimately wasn't happy with either print. I liked the look of the illustration on the left print, with the gloss coat and off-white tone, but the coating also made it so that the inside was difficult to write in. Ink didn't dry properly, and it was difficult to use pencil. I felt that this really just defeated the purpose of a greeting card. The right hand card didn't have this problem, but it was also too flimsy.

I decided eventually to print at 300 gsm, with uncoated white paper, even though the cost of printing was slightly higher. I also reformatted the information on the back, as I felt there was something off about the design.

In the end, this is what I ended up with:

Below is my initial etsy store listing, with the description, which I made at the end of last week after I received my final prints. There were some additional, unexpected costs, such as a $20 store fee and a 30 cent listing fee that I had to pay, on top of the cost of printing the cards. It also took a little while to find the time to process the identity checks when updating the shop.

I had only uploaded images of the digital designs, and eventually felt that this was an inadequate representation of the product, especially for a public-facing post. I later took the product photos that can be seen previously, and added them to the listing, including an image of the cards in their packaging.

I also went on to create some social media marketing for the listing.

Though I had plans to create and upload a number of TikToks and instagram reels, the prospects of creating multiple short-form videos, in addition to the work of designing and prototyping the cards, became a little strenuous. I had a lot of time constraints between juggling work and three other uni assignments - two of which were due on the same date as this one will be. I was also limited in what I could do, by the wait times for all of the print orders. Though I will consider this short-form video content, and will hold onto the TikTok account, I decided to try to work with what I had just for this assignment. I created two slideshow posts for instagram using the product photos I had taken. One announced the release of the cards on etsy, and the other listed the designs featured in the pack. I also added the posts to my instagram story.

Additionally, I made an announcement on this tumblr account here, making use of more widely-seen hashtags that would allow me to not only organise my post in my blog archive, but also let the post be seen more widely. I tried to do that on this post as well. I also uploaded a notice on the BCM discord to reach a more local audience.

Though I didn't make any sales in this time span, I did manage to get some engagement with my store in the form of shop visits and views. I believe most of these came from word of mouth. I also gained two 'admirers' in the short time I had the shop up and running, who are people on etsy that follow my shop for updates.