#stuffie: slushie

[baskets-buddies]

SLUSHIE HAS A SIBLING

Meet Soda :)

[myplushyplace]

Here are my Christmas presents

There names are fudge and slushy

[fandomnerd9602]

Cell Phones & Road Trips

Bambi!Wanda x Reader

You got the location booked. You couldn’t help but smile. For a couple days, it was just gonna be you and your loving doe mate on the open road. Your first couple’s vacation together. Quite the milestone in your mind.

“So where are you taking her?” Natasha giggles as she spots your booking confirmation on your phone.

“I’m not telling you,” you answer with a chuckle.

Your wolf pal gives a fake pouting face, even dropping her ears for emphasis, “aww why not?”

“Cause you’ll tell her.” You smirk. Your phone vibrates with a text from your mate in question.

“Detka, just texting to say I love you ;)”

You smile and text her back, “I luv u 2”

“Whipped” Natasha snickers at your little exchange. “How often does she text you?”

“Every 30 minutes or so” you smile.

“You never should’ve gotten her that cell phone” Natasha slaps you playfully on the back and leaves.

At the end of yours and Wanda’s work day, you walked our arm in arm to the parking lot with your special gal.

“I got a little surprise for you” you chime

“Detka you don’t have to” she blushes.

“Trust me you’re gonna love it” your statement caused her tail to wiggle with anticipation.

You guide her to your rental SUV a Ford Expedition. “Detka,” she gasps, “what’s this for?”

“I’m taking you on a road trip” you explain, “for the next few days, it’s just you, me and a few little locations”

Wanda giggles and blushes, “just us?”

“Yep”

“Sounds like a recipe for disaster” she flirts

“Or great fun” you open the passenger door and hold it open for your lady. Your loving doe bites her lip in playful contemplation as she slides into the passenger seat.

You and Wanda took off on your little trip the next morning. You punched in the coordinates in your phone’s map app and still kept the destination a secret.

The two of you ended up turning the trip itself into a journey. You and Wanda made a few stops up the coast. A quick stop at the gas station to grab a slushie. Listening to music in a little town’s record shop. It was time spent with the love of your life and it felt better than a day at a theme park.

You arrived outside your destination. Wanda gasped as she stepped out of the suv to find…

“A cottage? By the ocean?!” Wanda shouted gleefully, jumping up and down. She turns around jumps into your arms, grabbing your face and kissing you repeatedly. She did her best cover every square inch of your face with little kisses.

“Come on,” you chuckle, just loving the feeling of her lips on your face, “don’t you want a tour?”

You led her inside the small little cozy cottage. It was everything Wanda had dreamed of. A little nook with Harry Potter books and a Hedwig stuffie that you sent ahead for. A little fireplace that just needed to be lit.

You spent the a part of the day settling in. That was followed by a walk on the nearby beach. The wind was cold and the ocean was roaring loud but it was the kind of thing Wanda dreamed of, walking arm in arm with her detka.

You spent the evening making dinner on the kitchen stove and watching the Harry Potter movies as a marathon.

Wanda was curled up in your arms on the couch, just snuggling under a Hogwarts themed blanket, while sipping her favorite tea.

“Thank you detka” she kisses your cheek.

“We got the next three days here” you smile back at her before kissing her forehead. Her tail wiggled with delight.

That night Wanda curled up in your arms and dozed off peacefully. This little vacation was worth it in your mind.

You woke up to find Wanda looking at some photos on her phone.

“What’cha doing?” You asked playfully.

“Looking at my favorite photo” she answered back.

She turned her screen to you. Her favorite photo was one she took of you as you slept. You held her close as she nuzzles your neck.

Your precious doe. What would you do without her?

Tags @lifespectator @olsenmyolsen @supercorpdanbeau @scarletquake-n7 @revanshand @russianredassassin @texaswolf23 @idkwhatever580 @pinklawyerwinnerzonk

[naylawritings]

HIIII!!! I saw the requesting process!

can I order

Matcha cupcake

kinder Bueno pancakes

watermelon slushie

Chai with milk

cherry green tea

Matcha latte

character -> oscar piastri

Thank you for the request! This is pretty mild for enemies to lovers, I hope you don't mind! There's also kind of a lot of background things, not just the smut, as I wanted to do a proper setting! Please feel free to let me know what you think!

cw: communication issues, 18+ content, rough sex (kinda), aftercare

Love, Nayla<3

You've known Oscar for a couple months now. You first met the driver at a casual party of a mutual friend. And for some reason, unlike everyone, you seemed unable to hold a civil conversation with him.

Maybe it was the way he looked completely uninterested, when you came up to him, to ask a simple question. Or how he was always calm, no matter the situation, no matter how you felt. You truly didn't know.

But the fact is, every chat, every even slightly pointed glance, the smallest interaction would ignite flames and fighting. And you didn't understand it. You didn't understand yourself and your feelings.

There you are, sipping a cola on ice, in a slight haze, as your eyes take in the stuffy room of a friend's apartment. The movement of the people dancing around seems slowed and a bit blurry.

You're not drunk at all, but rather detached. You've had a bloody awful day, after you had an argument with a family member. You wish to forget, to take your mind off things, to think about only the pleasant things.

It's honestly a perfect situation to get drunk and forget, yet you hold yourself back, knowing that this isn't the thing you should be doing. Moments like that always end up the same, with you barely able to walk, stumbling to your cold, empty apartment, having to clean your own puke the next morning, with a massive hangover.

The world around you seems to swirl, the seconds tangling together into minutes, as you sit alone, swirling the liquid in your glass. You exhale shakily, placing your heavy head on your hand. You close her eyes tiredly, before opening them and looking up, just in time to see him walking through the door.

You want to scoff seeing Oscar, his unnerving calm expression present on his face as always. His eyes meet yours, as if feeling your stare... Or were you glaring?

He raises an eyebrow at you, his face nonchalant as if in a challenge. You straighten up, pulling out of your haze, not willing to give him the satisfaction of seeing you vulnerable.

Oscar almost rolls his eyes at your gesture, reading it correctly. His eyes soften slightly as he approaches you slowly. You don't take your eyes off him, having to look up more the closer he gets.

"Piastri." you say coldly, though your voice cracks slightly, indicating your slightly shaken state.

He observes you closely, his eyes narrowing knowingly, figuring out that you are not feeling too good.

"What's with the sour expression? You look unhappy, it's definitely not just because I'm here."

"Maybe it is." you mutter, but your eyes relax a little, as you give up on looking tough, knowing that he's got you figured out already. "Why do you suddenly care?"

Oscar pulls out a chair and sits right in front of you without looking away for even a split second. He takes in the way you're dressed, your expression, your hair, every single inch of you that he can see.

"Dunno. Maybe I just feel curious." he shrugs, with absolutely no shame, studying every single movement of the muscles of your face. "So? What happened?"

You exhale, giving up on trying to chase him away, knowing that while he usually looked like he didn't care about anything, once he settled on something, he stubbornly kept to it.

"It's not a good day for me." you say quietly, finally showing slight sensitivity, meeting his eyes, which soften slightly at your words.

"And so you chose to go to a party, instead of taking care of yourself at home?" he asks and although his tone sounds a bit scolding for some reason, for once it doesn't make you want to punch him in the face. His questions came off more as his way of showing concern.

You would like to keep believing he doesn't care. That he is completely insensitive to everything you feel, maybe even enjoys it when you're miserable. But in this moment, he's anything but that. Even though his words are reserved, the way his honey brown orbs follow yours makes your heart flutter a bit for some reason. His lips suddenly look more full than usual and oh, did he always have such a nice nose?

You open her mouth a bit, a little overwhelmed by those sudden thoughts. You quickly shake them off, trying to focus on forming a coherent response.

"I really don't want to be alone right now. The loud music and people are still better than sitting in my empty apartment right now. Even if it's not the best setting." you manage to say, taking a deep breath. "I didn't have any better ideas."

Oscar keeps looking at you, actually taking your words seriously. Seeing how you sit here, trying to handle your heavy heart makes him soften. He gets up and holds his hand out to you.

"Come on. You shouldn't spend an evening like that at a party. You can stay with me tonight."

Your eyes widen at those words. The guy who'd show disinterest in everything you said, who you'd fight with all the time, saying something so sympathetic? It feels unreal.

Your face heats up a bit, soft hints of a blush barely visible on your cheeks. You blink quickly, trying to calm down a bit, not able to look away from the man standing in front of you.

"We won't do anything you don't want to do." he says quickly, noticing your subtle reaction to his words. "I promise."

To hell with it.

You carefully take his warm hand and get up, stumbling a little, even though you are completely sober. Oscar immediately catches you, steadying you, looking down to meet your eyes, that are still wide.

Still in a slight daze, you let him lead you out of the party and walk down the street with you in the chilly evening air. You shiver a little, as you didn't bother to take a jacket with her.

Without hesitation, he takes his large hoodie off, and helps you put it on carefully, not saying a word. His scent immediately envelops you, as the fabric warms you up almost instantly.

He takes your arm gently and walks you through the empty streets. You press your lips together, utterly confused by the whole situation. Why did he start taking care of you like that?

"Thank you." you say quietly, not wanting to be ungrateful. A few hours ago you'd probably say that you hate his guts, but now... His actions leave you confused.

You walk in silence for a while, before finally stopping in front of his apartment door. For some reason you feel nervous, never having been to his home before. The whole evening made you doubt yourself and every single emotion you ever felt. Even though none of the things Oscar did were that big, they made you feel like a whole different person.

He glances at you and opens the door for you, actually acting like a gentleman for once. Or maybe he's always been one and you were just too busy focusing on his faults to notice? You really didn't know anymore.

He helps you to a seat, even though you are perfectly capable of walking by yourself and kneels down, carefully undoing all the little straps of your shoes. You feel her face heat up once more, looking down at the man on his knees before you, helping you with everything, without you even having to ask.

"Why are you doing this?" you whisper softly, looking at Oscar, who just got up and sat down infront of you. Your eyes are shining in the dim light, you is almost fascinated by the man and his doings.

"Because you need to be taken care of." He answers, softly, looking back at you, with something resembling determination in his eyes. "And I'll provide anything you need, so you can feel better."

Your breathing slows down a little, while your heart speeds up at that.

"Anything?" you whisper softly, your body almost aching to touch him, feel the warmth of his hands on your skin again.

Oscar nods his head and before he can say anything else, you lean closer, gently supporting his chin, while your lips touch his. Without hesitating, he puts his hands on both sides of your head, tangling your hair in his fingers as he takes the lead of the kiss.

You lean back after a few seconds, your breathing shaky, making eye contact with the aussie.

"Just tell me what you want me to do." he whispers to you, his eyes full of affection and warmth you didn't think he was capable of showing.

"Just... Make me forget about it. I want to feel you. Just you."

"Do you want me to be gentle?" he asks, assuming that you need only care and affection.

"The opposite." you whisper, making Oscar's breath hitch slightly. He gets up and lifts you up from the couch, twirling you around a bit, before rather quickly making his way to the bedroom with you. He didn't want to have you on the couch for the first time. This had to be more intimate.

He throws you down on the bed a bit roughly, crawling on top of you. You're still wearing his hoodie over your silver party dress, which honestly turns him on quite a bit.

"My beautiful girl." he murmurs, breathing in the sweet scent of your perfume, as he buries his head in your neck "All for me to have."

He places soft kisses on your jaw and quickly moves lower, to your collarbone, progressively getting rougher. He nibbles and leaves hickeys all over you, marking all the sweet spots that make you whimper and moan.

"O-Oscar." you stutter, gripping his muscular back a bit, before immediately releasing it as the sensations continue.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" he asks quietly, a small smirk on his face "Tell me how it feels, honey."

You bite your lower lip softly at the nickname, not expecting him to get this intimate so quickly, but definitely liking it.

"Feels... Amazing." you whisper, which makes him continue. He takes his hoodie off of you, before lifting up your party dress. His lips curl at your underwear. It's a simple lacy set, nothing too fancy. He doesn't need fancy though.

"Light green, interesting choice." he teases slightly, undoing your bra and sliding it off, careful not to scratch you with the clip. He'd rather leave all the marks himself after all.

His hands move to your now exposed breasts, kneading them in a painfully slow way, before taking one of your nipples in his lips, sucking on it and teasing it with his tongue.

It makes you moan, which causes him to smirk against your breasts

"Eager, are we?" he mutters, his head buried in your chest. Without moving his face away, his hand goes lower, sliding under your panties and feeling your already wet core.

His lips curl at the fact that he makes you so wet, but he doesn't comment on it for now, slipping a finger into you, making more beautiful sounds come out of your mouth. He attacks your chest with his tongue and grazes it with his teeth occasionally, all while working on your slit.

It doesn't take long, before you are close. Your mouth opens slightly as you let out another whiny whimper.

"Oscar... I'm..." she stutters out, looking down at the man who's busy pleasuring her body.

"I know, pretty girl." he smirks "But I can't let you yet." he pulls away, leaving your hole empty for a moment.

He takes his shirt off, making your eyes drift to his muscular stomach. He can see you enjoying the view, which makes him smirk again. Soon enough, he is completely naked, just like you. Still on top of you, he positions himself in front of your entrance.

He leans closer, his mouth close to yours. His dick is of regular size, maybe just a bit bigger than most. Still, you observe him a bit carefully, knowing that you asked him to be rough.

"You can take it, I know you can, baby." Oscar whispers and begins pounding into you. His movements are quite quick, cutting your breaths short, as he thrusts away. You both pant and moan, feeling pure bliss. You never would have thought having sex with him could feel so exquisite.

"God, you're taking me so well" he murmurs, going faster, which makes your moans grow louder "That's right, let me hear your filthy whines."

You both finish at the same time, breathing heavily. He collapses on top of you, making eye contact.

"You did so good for me, pretty girl" he whispers into your ear and rolls to the side, laying next to you, as you catch your breath.

You look at him your eyes turning watery. You suddenly feel even more vulnerable, after sharing this intimate moment with Oscar.

"Why wouldn't you ever look at me? Why were you always so cold?" you whisper, not able to stop yourself from asking the question that keeps disturbing your peace of mind.

He looks back at her, his expression soft, but serious, he wraps his strong arms around you, hugging you tightly.

"Because you intimidated me. I don't think I have ever seen a woman more enticing than you. I don't understand it myself, but I cannot keep my thoughts away from you. And it scared me sometimes."

You don't say anything to his words. You didn't need to. You let yourself sink in the warm feeling of being cared for. You look up to meet his gorgeous brown eyes and peck the tip of his nose, making him smile widely. He immediately responds with a soft kiss, only on your lips. You nuzzle up against him, breathing softly.

Neither of you say anything, simply finding comfort in eachother's presence. Soon enough, your eyelids start feeling heavy and you feel yourself dozing off in his arms.

[anomalyaly]

Winter Wonderland

It's snowing in Feldcroft. Sebastian thinks it's romantic. His girlfriend believes otherwise. He believes it's his job to change her mind. OR: Sebastian and Elsie's first Christmas as a couple. OR: Sebastian Sallow doesn't know how to control himself (again).

This ended very differently than I had originally planned.

Tags: Fluff, so much fluff, sickening fluff, sexual references (Sebastian has naughty thoughts) but SFW, a teeny tiny hint of angst. Sebastian POV, Sebastian x F!MC (Elsie Corvin), aged-up characters. Canon to 'Secrets of the Silent Stars' universe but no prior reading necessary.

Word Count: 3.2k

AO3/Wattpad

Winters in the Highlands were nothing short of brutal – on the coldest days, the frost-bitten wind cut through every layer of warm, woolen clothing and chilled the body right to the bone, while the warmer days brought gloomy clouds and slushy rain that even the boldest explorers didn’t want to be caught outside in.

During this particular holiday, however, Sebastian was thankful to be blessed with the most beautiful snowfall, the white tufts softly blanketing the ground around him as he stood in the middle of the hamlet – uncommon so early in the winter season. The gentle flurries were certainly not something he had seen often growing up, as the winter weather he remembered fluctuated between raging blizzards and deadly frosts. He reached down to rub the powder between his fingers and smiled to himself — perfect.

It was a special Christmas for him, considering it was the first time he and his Ravenclaw girlfriend were spending it together alone, and the snow only added to the romantic ambiance he had so badly desired to create in the little hamlet of Feldcroft. It was difficult for both of them to be back, but Sebastian had resolved to do his best to make their time there worthwhile.

Elsie, unfortunately, detested the cold and was determined to spend the day curled up on the couch by the fire with her book.

One night away from the castle, they had agreed, just to get out of the stuffy, dank corridors of Hogwarts. They were seventh years with more freedom, after all, and had been together for a few months. They hardly ever had time alone these days – with his girlfriend’s distaste for public affection, she rarely let him do more than light brushes or hand-holding when their friends were around or when Elsie’s sister Lydia followed them like a lost puppy.

They weren’t completely alone for the entire stay in Feldcroft, but for the short moment that they were, he was going to enjoy it.

Sebastian dusted off his boots as he walked back into the warm house. “It’s snowing outside.”

Still curled up on the couch by the fireplace, Elsie was bundled in several layers of blankets. She peeked up at him from behind her book. “Mhm. I can tell. The draft you brought in when you opened the door was a pretty big hint.”

He frowned at her as he brushed more snow off of his shoulders. “Don’t you want to go outside and see it?”

Instead of gracing him with a response, Elsie curled further into the thick blankets and raised her book to her face once more. Sebastian sighed irritatedly and sauntered over behind the couch, tucking his chin against her shoulder and jutting out his bottom lip in a soft pout. “Please?”

Elsie groaned dramatically. “But it’s cold. And I’m in the middle of a really good chapter!”

He nuzzled his face into her neck and breathed in the intoxicating scent of her vanilla and jasmine perfume. He gently dragged his lips along her pulse, knowing that one way or another, he was going to convince her to do something he wanted. “I promise I’ll keep you warm.”

She let out a soft moan that she quickly tried to cover up by clearing her throat, but he knew the effect he was having on her — the blush that colored her cheeks was indication enough. He smirked as she nudged him away.

“Fine,” she murmured. “For a few minutes, and then we come right back inside, and I get back to reading my book peacefully by the fire.”

“Perfect.” Sebastian held his hand out for her to follow him. “I’ll even throw in some cuddles, free of charge.”

She scoffed. “It’s never just cuddles with you.”

He grinned mischievously. “Is that a problem, love?”

Her blush deepened, which only caused him to laugh teasingly, and she quickly turned away from him to gather her winter garments.

As often as Sebastian had tried to get Elsie fully alone, they hadn’t crossed that line…yet. Her relationship status at home was complicated at best, and, though she dismissed it as something she would handle, she didn't intentionally want to cause a commotion with her parents before she had ever introduced Sebastian to them. Even when they showed a lack of attention toward her, she still seemed to care deeply about their opinions and wanted to give them a good first impression of him.

Not to mention, her distinct lack of experience made her uneasy about almost any physical affection he presented her with. Sebastian wasn’t going to push her to the point of discomfort – he wasn’t completely selfish, and he valued any time he could spend with her. But, he was a man with desires – long-suffering, pent-up desires – and he was certainly willing to work with her and ease her into anything she would allow of him. He was simply waiting for the go-ahead.

It only added to the strain when she outwardly showed that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. But if kissing was all she would let him do for now, then he would kiss her everywhere and as often as possible.

She bent down to pull on her boots, and he couldn’t help but pause to admire her figure as she did. He silently thanked whatever powers that be that she was his, at least in some sense of the word – he very much looked forward to the day she would be his in all senses.

Sebastian steeled his expression as she turned back around, pulled her coat off the rack, and fastened each of the buttons. Elsie wrapped her scarf around her neck and put her gloves on, grumbling to herself and fixing her eyes on him with an irritated expression.

“There. Happy?”

He chuckled. “I will be when you come outside and see the snow.”

She groaned as he opened the door and a cold blast of air blew into the house. He let out a snort as Elsie gave one last longing look at the fireplace before stepping outside into the winter wonderland.

“Isn’t it fantastic?” Sebastian said, leading her up to the overlook post. If they were going to witness the splendor that was the Highlands in the snow, they were going to do it properly.

Elsie didn’t seem to agree with his assessment as she stomped up the stairway. “I’m not particularly keen on seeing the view of Rookwood Castle in the snow if that’s what you’re referring to.”

He stopped once he reached the top and turned around, frowning. “We’re not looking in that direction. We’re looking out here.” Sebastian wrapped his arms around her waist and faced her toward the hamlet. He rested his chin on her shoulder and pulled her in tightly, both in a silent plea to stay close to him and to provide her with warmth. “I’ve never seen so much snow cover Feldcroft this early in the year.”

Elsie was strangely quiet as she gazed out to the horizon – typically a telltale sign that her mind was circling a million thoughts at once. He opened his mouth to ask what she was thinking when she said, “I wonder if Isidora –”

Sebastian interrupted her with a groan. “No. We’re not thinking about any of that.”

“It was just a thought!” She grumbled. “The first of several, actually.”

“Were any of them about how badly you wanted to kiss me?”

He laughed and wrapped his arms tighter around her as she tried to elbow him.

“I just mean,” she began again, “I’m starting to wonder why we came out here in the first place. It’s not easy for either of us to be here, and yet you insisted that we needed to get out of the castle for a bit.”

“And I was right,” Sebastian hummed, nuzzling his face into her scarf. “Clearly being trapped inside isn’t doing your pretty little head any good.”

She sighed, and he felt her shiver against him, but she didn’t offer any retort.

“It’s just — this is where it all began, right?” She gestured to the small hamlet. “The repository, the rebellion, the — the stuff with Isidora. Even us.”

“Technically,” Sebastian countered, “that began in Defense Against the Dark Arts.”

“Technically, I didn’t know you well enough to feel that way about you,” she scoffed.

“Technically,” he smirked, “you still did.”

“Technically, you’re an idiot.”

He let out a loud laugh. His face softened when he spoke. “Not everything that happened here was bad. There were some good things that happened, too.”

Generally, his memories of Feldcroft were fairly bleak — memories of Anne’s curse, Solomon’s overall attitude toward him, and, of course, the more recent events that had occurred there inside the nearby catacomb. But, in the midst of all of it, there were still a few flickers of light that he opted to focus on instead; memories that he held tightly to in his darkest moments.

The look Elsie gave him was full of skepticism and wonder as she turned her head slightly to face him. “Like what?”

Sebastian paused in thought. “Like…when it would snow like this, me and Anne would try to catch snowflakes on our tongues. We would make it a competition to see who could catch the most.” He chuckled at the memory. “Although, there’s not really any way to check if we were being honest. She always ended up winning.”

She furrowed her brow. “Catch snowflakes?”

“What, you’ve never done that before?”

Elsie pursed her lips. “I wasn’t really allowed outside much. Playing in the snow wasn’t exactly considered a ‘ladylike’ activity.”

He pulled away from her slightly, grinning. “No time like the present.”

“What?”

“Go on.” Sebastian cupped the back of her neck encouragingly. “Just tilt your head up, stick your tongue out, and let the snowflakes fall on it.”

The look Elsie gave him was nothing short of bewildered, but she complied, sticking out her tongue and squeezing her eyes closed as she waited for the snowflakes to fall. Sebastian let out a soft laugh at the child-like expression on her face. “How does it taste?”

She pulled her tongue back in and smacked her lips together. “Like…ice?” She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him once more. “I can see how that would be fun for children, but I think I’m a bit beyond enjoying any of it. I suppose I missed out.” She rolled her tongue in her mouth as if trying to get another taste of the snowflakes. “Was it supposed to taste like anything special? It’s snow.”

Sebastian smiled slyly at her as he brushed his nose up against hers, cold and pink from the frost. “Hm. Not sure, it’s been a long time since I’ve tried it. Mind if I have a taste?”

“What?” Her eyes went wide with confusion. “What are you — What do you —?”

He could tell that she quickly understood his hidden meaning as her breath hitched when he cupped her chin and traced his thumb along her lower lip. As always, he knew that was her way of silent agreement, and he smiled broadly as he pressed his lips fully against hers in a fervent kiss.

Sebastian had performed this dance with Elsie dozens of times at this point, yet each time he wrapped his arms around her and felt the warmth of her soft mouth against his, it felt just as exciting as the first time. The soft whimpers she let out as he tangled his fingers in her hair never ceased to excite him, and the feel of the gentle curves of her body against his, even with the layers of winter clothing on, always had him wanting more.

Damn her for wanting to be so proper.

He had been told all his life that he didn’t know when to stop, but how could he when the beautiful temptress in his arms fit so perfectly against him? When every breathy sound that left her awoke something so primal in him?

Within his warring mind, his impulsive side won, as was the usual, and he lightly dragged his tongue along her bottom lip, seeking entrance and begging for the smallest taste. It came as no surprise to him when she yelped and pulled back abruptly.

“Sebastian!”

Elsie blushed furiously and turned her head away from him. Sebastian let out a small whine, but he, albeit reluctantly, accepted her refusal, and loosened his grip on her slightly enough for her to pull away if she desired but kept his hands on her in the hopes that she wouldn’t.

“Got a bit carried away,” he slurred happily, drunk off of the rush that the kiss had given him. “Can you blame me?”

She did pull away then, and Sebastian frowned as disappointment washed over him. Elsie turned her back on him, and his disappointment quickly morphed into panic and concern. She doesn’t want me. I went too far and now she’s upset with me and she’s going to leave —

He was yanked from his thoughts as something cold struck him in the face. He brushed off the snow that Elsie had thrown at him and saw, to his surprise, that she was giggling.

“You need to learn how to control yourself.” She picked up another pile of snow and lobbed it at his head. Her cheeks were still tinged pink, both from their kissing and the cold, her hair slightly mussed from when he had threaded his fingers through it. She burst into peals of laughter as the snow collided with him, and he felt his heart soar.

Sebastian brushed off the bits of ice from his hair and grinned deviously at her. “Careful, darling. You know I never back down from a fight.”

“Unfortunately,” she offered an impish smile as another giggle slipped out, “you’ll have to catch me first!”

Before he could retaliate, she ducked and ran, and his snowball went soaring over the railing behind her. He followed closely behind as Elsie stumbled down the stairs of the overlook, hurling more piles of snow over her shoulder as she went.

“Elsie, the stairs are slippery!” He called out, his joy mixing with concern as she lost her footing a few times. “You’re going to f— ”

Right as she reached the bottom step, her foot gave out from under her, and, in a panic, Sebastian reached out and attempted to scoop her up in his arms to stop her from falling. Instead, his arm snagged around her waist, and they both tumbled into the snow at the base of the overlook. After being met with a face full of ice and dirt, Sebastian opened his eyes.

He was relieved to see that Elsie had fallen safely on her back, his hand cradling her head. Her eyes were still squeezed shut anticipating the impact of her fall, and she let out a soft groan as she slowly blinked them open.

Naturally, Sebastian’s first instinct would have been to check if she was alright and spend several minutes inspecting her for any injuries. But when she shifted underneath him, the only thing he could focus on was the fact that her body was beneath his, her legs wrapped around his waist in a very intimate position.

She was saying something to him, he was certain of it — he could see her mouth moving, but his mind was unable to process any of the words coming out, too focused on the reaction his body was having to her ceaseless squirming causing just the perfect amount of friction in all the right places. He only had to —

“SEBASTIAN, get off of me! It’s cold!” Elsie squealed, snapping him out of his amorous haze. “There is ice going up my back, and I’m not happy about it!”

She was still pressing her full weight against him, trying to shove him off with her arms as she writhed beneath him. Sebastian stood as quickly as possible and discreetly adjusted himself, silently grateful for the thick winter clothing that hid any evidence of his arousal, before holding a hand out to help her up.

“Are you alright?” He finally asked as he aided her in brushing the clumps of ice off of her hair and coat.

Elsie fixed him with a glare. “No. I didn’t want to come out here because it’s freezing, and now I’m covered in snow!” She let out a frustrated groan, looking flustered as she continued to dust off the rest of the powder from her jacket. “I thought I was missing out on something, and I tried to have fun, and now I just look ridiculous, and it’s really embarrassing, and— ”

“Thank you.” Sebastian interrupted her rambling by cupping her face. “For coming outside to see the snow with me.”

She looked at him doubtfully. He chuckled and planted a soft kiss on her scrunched-up nose. “I mean it.”

Elsie opened her mouth to protest again, but a shiver came out instead. “I’m cold.”

“How about,” he brushed a strand of hair out of her face, “we go back inside, and I can draw you a nice warm bath. And then I’ll hold to my promise about just cuddles in front of the fireplace.”

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Counter-offer, I draw myself a bath, considering the last time you tried to transfigure anything in that cottage, you nearly burned the place down.”

Sebastian scoffed. “It was one time.”

“One time of trying to create a romantic dinner scene that nearly went up in flames.” She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “You’re lucky Ominis and I walked in at the right moment.”

“Ominis wasn’t even supposed to be there,” he grumbled.

“Regardless,” Elsie laughed softly.

Sebastian sighed and pressed his forehead against hers, muttering his agreement. It felt almost like a rejection, again, but he wasn’t going to let it bother him. Not if his loving girlfriend still allowed him to have her all to himself, broken edges and all. “And then cuddles?”

She grinned broadly. “And then cuddles.”

He wrapped his arms around her and happily led her back inside, grateful to have someone in his life who provided him with the soft affection that he had never believed he deserved. It was something that, for a long time, he had thought was beyond his reach, and he never once wanted to take any of it for granted.

I love you, he thought to himself. But he didn’t say it out loud.

Not yet.

[the-east-art]

Fantail Pigeons and Mourning Doves Part 1

Mel sat and stared out the window. The car at pump 6 left. That left two cars at pumps. Three cars parked in the lot. One was Mel’s. The other two would indicate that he should have at minimum two customers in the store, but the gas station remained empty. Mel cast a quick glance, just to double check. From here he should be able to see any adults in the building - their heads usually peak out over the shelves. Designed that way, Mel was sure. Just short enough for him to clock how many people there are. Kids could hide in the aisles though. Usually did - some middle schoolers that drove out with their learner permits and reveled in the fact that they had money they could spend on things like sour gummy worms and large sized slushies. 

He didn’t hear any giggling, so no kids. Mel’s eyes flicked back to the lot. 

A red car slid into pump 7 - the favorite pump. Not on the end, but not in the middle. One of the silver cars - pump 3’s - left. He should probably learn cars types. He wasn’t really interested in them, but some part of him felt a kind of obligation. The same way a child is obligated to eat their vegetable or memorize scriptures. 

The person of red car of pump 7 waited for their tank to fill. They twirled back and forth absently, skirt flaring around their knees. The silver car at pump 1 left. 

Mel felt the end grow closer. 

oOo

Mel was short for Melchior. He knows it sounds like a girl name, but he can’t really bring himself to care too much. Mel is what his brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles all called him. And it wasn’t as stuffy as Melchior. Melchior was a name only called out if he was in trouble, if they caught him staring out the window too long, if his sister Auriel needed something. He couldn’t see the name Mel as a concept separate from his own personhood, so Mel didn’t. He was luckier than Astrophel, whose name was only ever shortened to ‘ass’.

Red blue black. Red blue black. Mel patterened the cheap lighters methodically. Two extra blues. Mel frowned. He wondered if it was worth it to toss them - someone would probably notice though, and he’d get in trouble. He adjusted the pattern, made if so that the two extra were each on one end. Went back to the window. 

A little past midday, and no cars were at the pumps. The only car was his, black and dull in it’s usual spot - tucked off to the side to invite guests into the gas station. Or maybe just so that it had a good vintage point to look out over the lot. The passenger side still had a dent in it from the time he tried to peel out of his spot and had instead very slowly hit the back bumper of a truck. 

Seven pigeons roamed the lot in place of the lack of cars. Their heads bobbed forward and back and forward and back. Alone in the station Mel tried it too. Pigeons communicate through their head bobbing. He had seen, once, a rescued show pigeon. It had been abandoned by its’ owner, and bred in such a way that it’s head was permanently back and chest stuck out. The pigeon had been manufactured in such a way that, when the rescuer had put it with the rest of their flock, the other pigeons didn’t know what to do with it. They steered clear of this strange creature that looked like themselves through a funhouse mirror, that could not bob its’ head. 

The roof over the pumps was covered in sharp points that prevented birds from roosting there. Not for the first time, Mel imagined himself finding a tall ladder. He inserted it there, and saw himself climbing up its’ many rungs. When he reached the top - it would have to be a really tall ladder to get that high, and Mel would probably be scared at that height - he would take off or file down the spikes. Invite the birds to stay. 

Mel absently bobbed his head back and forth until someone came in gave him a funny look. 

oOo

The art of projection was one of Mel’s chief skills. Distinctly different than a simple child ‘imagination’. Or at least, Mel thought so. He knew the things he projected into the world weren’t really there, it was like a child who believed their imaginary friends was really there. It was more of a thought exercise. 

He could be sitting at a register, or a bench, or a pew, and look out a window to somewhere else and simple, project that he was there. A simple mind trick, really. Overlapping what he saw with his eyes with a layer of something he could only see in his head. The idea of seeing a picture without your eyes was strange, but it was there all the same. Mel wondered if he took a cleaver down his skull, cracked open his frontal lobe, if he’d see a little threatre in there was a projector. 

Some people, Mel had read, can’t do that. Raguel couldn’t, when he asked. Didn’t think in pictures, didn’t imagine the scenes in books in his head. Mel didn’t understand that. Wouldn’t that leave the letters on the word flat? The stories muttered over bedtime or against the stained glass window like water slidings down your face when you emerge from the lake? 

In another life, sitting in a pew, making sure to absently nod his head to fake that he was listening, Mel stared out a window. The nodding thing was new - he was hoping he could integrate it in well enough. His knuckles still stung and his knees hurt. 

At the gas station, Mel doesn’t need to do the nodding part. He can just look out the window and project. He takes his sock and shoes off, and he climbs the tree. It doesn’t matter that he probably doesn’t have the upper body strength for it, his projection does it with ease, and Mel can imagine the texture of the bark under his hands and feet. Zeph was good at climbing trees, and used to cajole Mel into trying it with their limited free time. The bite of the trunk had hurt his hands. 

Mel sits ontop of the gas pump roof, and his feet dangle off the side. In his mind, he edits out the anti-bird spikes, and his projection is instead surrounded by feathery friends. They bob their heads at him, and inside the station Mel reflexively bobs his own. 

The door chimes, and Mel pulls himself back to his body. 

He’s lost track of the cars. Casts a quick glance back out - two at the pumps, two parked. The man who walks in is alone, and detours immediately to the bathroom. Mel assumes that will be it - statistically if someone comes in and uses the restroom, that’s all they’re here for - especially if they’re alone. The owner of the place keeps telling him to try and get their attention and start friendly conversation, and then push some product ANY product onto them. Mel thinks he’d rather cut his tongue out. 

The man surprises him by emerging from the bathroom and strolling the shelves. Mel watches carefully. Astrophel said that look was offputting, and he should stop, but Mel doesn’t really know how or care enough to curtail it. And at a gas station far enough from town to be separate from it, there are seldom enough repeat customers for him to worry about making a bad impression. Low stakes. And he likes looking. 

People are more complicated that pigeons. There’s a lot more that goes into it than head bobbing. Body language and tone and gestures and winks. All kinds of things. Mel likes watching families and lovers and strangers come in. Watches their interractions. It’s even more interesting to watch someone alone. What a person does with their body when no one is looking. 

The man adjusts the bill of his ballcap. Snorts - the arid desert air probably getting to him. Or maybe he’s sick. Aunt Apollonia used to snort and cough and blow her nose in a way that seemed like she was commanding attention. It would ring out and drag the attention of strangers on the street, when they went out in public. At home it had become background noise to everyone. Mel had hated it, it made his skin crawl. But no one else commented on it, so Mel had kept his mouth shut. 

Eventually the man gets a lemonade, a soda, and a bag of chips. At the counter he adds a black lighter. Mel is going to need to choose a new pattern now. The back of his mind gets to work on that. The stranger doesn’t smell of cigarette smoke, but sometimes if it isn’t enough of a habit it doesn’t stick to a person quite as much, or maybe it’s for someone he knows. Some people get lighters just for the novelty of having fire at their fingertips - usually the aforementioned teens. If Mel turns his head to the side, he thinks he could see this man being some kind of a pyro. 

“If you get two of these, they’re buy one get one.” Mel gestures to the bag of chips. The man before him starts. He knows this part is hard - suddenly having to talk and act like a human being when you aren’t prepared for it. But if the mans’ getting the one anyway, he might as well snag a second. It doesn’t make sense to Mel - wouldn’t that be a profit loss for the chip company? 

“Oh yeah? I’ll, uh, I’ll be right back then.” The man leaves his collection of items at the register and retreats back to the chip aisle. Mel thinks about business strategies of chip companies. 

The loud sound of a bag of doritos breaks his thinking, and Mel rings it up. The man has brown eyes. 

“Weathers’ nice today.” The man says. Mels’ heart sinks a little - by helping the man gain chips, he has broken the spell of the gas station. He doesn’t mind talking to customers, but he knows they don’t really want to talk to him. Mel knows his body is too stiff and made wrong, and his head angled too far up. He’s used to looking out windows and staring at stained glass. He isn’t used to looking someone in their eyes, or at least at their face. He feels guilt that he has shackled this man to trying to converse with him through the act of goodwill. 

“It is.” Mel replies, because that’s what you do when someone says the weather is nice. There is an awkward pause. The man is waiting for something. Mel does not know what the man is waiting for. He moves his body, and his facial muscles. “That’s going to be $9.47.” That’s not what the space in the air was for, but Mel doesn’t know what else to put there. 

The man pulls out a wallet and several bills. Paying in cash. It’s a surprise. Mel’s face heats up. 

“Oh, sorry, one second.” He has to crane over the counter to get to the card reader, and presses the red button. Nobody really pays with cash these days. The instinct to push the purchase to the reader had been automatic. 

“I can pay with card if you want.” The man offers. 

“Don’t.” Mel winces at his own voice. That came out wrong - too sharp. He used the wrong font - the one he said that with had too many points. He tries again. “I already canceled it. Cash is easier now.” Tone tone tone. Don’t forget the tone. Mel attempts to do something with his facial muscles, he’s not sure what. The man nods a few times and hands over the cash. 

“I like the register here.” The man says as Mel punches in the the information and the drawer pops out. He counts and recounts the change. Tilts his head to the side. 

“You like… the register?” Mel says slowly. One of the mans’ hands is already outstretched, waiting for the money. Mel places the bills first, and then the coins, letting them fall together in a short lived windchime. 

“When you put the order in, it makes the Sonic the Hedgehog sound.” He elaborates. Mel feels lost in the conversation. “Ba-ling! Ba-ling!” Mel usually tunes out the register, but he knows what sound the man is imitating. “When you pick up rings.” The man is waiting for recognition to light up in Mels’ gaze. Mel should fake it, to save face.

“Is it a good show?” He says instead. The man’s eyebrows raise, then he smiles and shakes his head. 

“It’s not a show - well, it had a show at one point - but it’s a video game. A classic.” Mel nods in understanding. Another bit of pop culture that Mel had failed to catch up on. He knows the contents of leatherbound journals, ancient scrolls, writing etched only on walls and forbidden from being transcribed onto paper. He did not know much else.

“I’m sorry,” And Mel really was. “...I’ve never heard of it.” The man moves his body, and his facial muscles, and Mel compares it to his internal reference guide. This means ‘no big deal’ or something to that affect. 

 “Eh, it’s kind of overrated to be honest. Just makes me think of me and my sister plahying it as kids. Nostalgic, ya feel?” The man nods to himself.”I know not everyone grew up in a Sega household.” He’s starting to gather his things up in his arms, and slice of embarrassment runs through Mels’ spine as he realizes he never bagged the items. In a flurry of hands he fluffs a plastic bad and starts shoving the items that hasn’t gathered up into it. 

“I’m sorry, I forgot-” 

“Don’t worry about it.” He’s good natured, and places the other items back down for Mel to grab. “I didn’t mind carrying this stuff. It’s not that far to my car anyways.” Mel nods but finished the task anyways. Make’s sure everything is int he back just right, that once it’s picked up the drinks won’t crush the chips. When he’s satisfied, he pushes the bag towards the customer. 

“Thanks for your help…” The man’s eyes rove around Mel until they finall land on the nametag. “Mel-shy-wah?” He doesn’t stutter the word, but his voice increases in pitch at the end. An open question without words. 

“Mel-key-oar.” The correction is automatic. He’s standing too stiffly, he should do something with himself. His face, or his body maybe. Mel goes for a shrug, raising his shoulders up and down. Tries to copy the movement the man did earlier, when they were talking about the hedgehog. “It’s my job.” 

“Sorry that’s weird - I hate it when customers know my name without me giving it to them.” The man is apologetic again. Mel doesn’t get it - that’s why he wears a nametag afterall. The customer seems to think he has fallen into some kind of fauxpas. The hand not holding the bag sticks out. “I’m Wren.” He says. “There, now we’re on equal footing.” The man’s lips tily up, and even Mel can tell that’s pleased with himself, that Wren feels like he had managed to save the situation, despite the fact that the situation was not in any danger to being with. 

“Wren.” Mel repeats, because he doesn’t know what else to say, and shakes the proffered hand. The grip is calloused and firm, Mel knows his is too limp by contrast but doesn’t really know how to remedy it. The handshake lasts the wrong amount of time, but Mel has a hard time determining if that is too long or too short. Their hands break apart. “Have a good day.” 

The man gives one last grin, big and easy, and leaves. The bell above the door chimes at the exit. Wrens’ green car leaves, and there is now one car parked, and one car at a pump.

[asnowfern]

Love Me Before The Bubble Bursts

Summary: It is the last night of her work conference in Adriata and Elain decided that she needed to have a little bit of fun. Who else better to show her than her smooth talking redheaded counterpart from Springton? Rating: T WC: 3.2k Read on AO3 Listen to odoriko by Vaundy for vibes✨✨✨

A/N: Written for Day 1 of @sjmromanceweek : First Date! Don't mind me, just continuing to defy time zones during fandom events as I always do!

A warm orange hue lights up the modern furnishing of the sleek hotel room. Not that Elain is looking at any of that. With a slight smile to herself, she stares at the bold headline on her phone that she has read for the umpteenth time today. 

VELARIS LEADS THE CHARGE WITH REGIONAL GRID PROJECT TO DRIVE RENEWABLE ENERGY ADOPTION TO NEW HEIGHTS!

Giving it one last fond stare, she locks the phone with a click and collapses back into the plush bed. The device slides out of her hand and bounces lightly. She covers her eyes with the back of her forearm as an exhaustion washes over her. 

It’s done. It’s finally done.

After months of slaving over stacks and stacks of documentation and late nights of calls stretching different time zones that stretched into early morning meetings with key political players driving the project, the agreement has finally been signed at the major international energy conference in Adriata. She is elated, relieved, exhausted. 

She is exhausted and empty.

Elain reaches her hand out, feeling blindly for the familiar slim rectangular device. The large numbers of her Lock Screen jump out at her behind the beautiful backdrop of the Illyrian Mountains - a constant reminder of what she is trying to save. 

08:54 PM

Not an entirely unreasonable time to head to bed, she reckons. Afterall, she does have a long flight ahead of her tomorrow. Her eyes glaze over at the tall white ceiling, her brain drifting off with it. 

“It’s all work to you, Lainey. You have made your priorities very clear. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t make this, make me, a priority.” 

Rich brown eyes sharpen and Elain sucks in a breath. She promptly sits up, glancing around the expensive room she would likely never be able to afford by herself. She floats herself to the glassed wall, taking in the panoramic view of how the river sparkles even in the dark night, the city skyscrapers glittering in the distance. 

Making the snap decision, she flips around and stalks to her packed luggage. With one thrust elbow deep into the bag, she pulls out the elegant yet fun jumpsuit Vassa had insisted she brought. 

It doesn’t have to always be all work. She reminds herself firmly. She can have fun and let loose too. 

***

Or maybe not. 

She thinks sulkily as she idly stirs her cylindrical bottomed drink, topped off with a silly umbrella. An Adriata Afternoon, they had called it. A sweet slushy cocktail that is reminiscent of a margarita but more refined. Stronger too, judging by how light her head is getting. 

Her brow creases slightly at the flashing lights lighting up the dance floor, momentarily illuminating the moving bodies smushed together, drawing attention to body parts that would probably be better off in the shadows. Heaving one heavy sigh, she empties her drink in one go, and is about to rise to her feet when a flash of auburn slides into the seat next to her. 

“Leaving so soon?” The velvet baritone voice asks with the same authority that, more often than not, vexes her over the line. 

The edges of her mouth quirks. She should leave, she thinks, still possessing enough awareness to know that. But still, she tilts her head towards him in casual observation and lets her gaze linger and wash over her gilded counterpart from Springton. 

He has shed his stuffy tie and jacket from the conference, choosing to roll his sleeves to his elbows instead and reveal more of the golden brown skin and toned forearms. The sensual curve of his lips flick upwards lazily, intoxicating russet eyes she had never quite seen this up close rakes over her, branding every inch of exposed skin. 

Suddenly, the room is all too hot. 

Elain closes her fingers over the still cool surface of her glass and clears her throat, “Mr Vanserra.” 

He raises a perfectly arched eyebrow, “It’s after five. Call me Lucien.” 

She can’t help but huff lightly at the absurdity of the statement, can’t help the sassiness that creeps into her voice as she retorts, “I recall having many, many conversations long past five pm with you,” and it may be the Adriata Afternoon wrecking its own brand of havoc on her but the next words escape her breathily, dragging out each syllable, “Mister Vanserra.”

“Touché,” he chuckles and offers her a glass identical to the one in his other hand, “but today is pretty momentous and we deserve it, don’t you think, Miss Archeron?” 

She takes the glass, their fingers touching for a brief moment. She tries with little success to ignore how they seem to tingle pleasantly.

“Well then,” she raises her glass, declaring, “To us.” 

The glasses clink harmoniously. 

“To us.” 

***

Elain giggles, her fingers idly swirling the empty glass. “The look on his face though!”

“On his face?!” Lucien sputters in mock outrage, flinging his hands in the air, “do you have any idea how many management meetings I had to sit through afterwards to convince Tamlin of the trade benefits of the project?”

She dissolves into giggles and uses one delicate finger to wipe off a tear from the edge of her eye. At some point over the course of the last two drinks, they had moved to the cozy booth at the corner of the bar, far away enough from the blaring noise of the crowd. The length of her outer thigh is resting against his while his shoulders are close enough to occasionally rub against hers. 

She tries futilely to stifle the laughter still bubbling in her chest to commiserate in a barely straight face, nodding sagely, “Must have been trying.” 

Russet eyes narrow and the beautiful face leans in, full of mischievous intent. “It was,” the low husky bedroom voice leaves a trail of goosebumps down the back of her neck. Elain’s breath hitches, her head instinctively angles to the side, exposing the delicate fair skin of her neck. Thick lips hover a mere centimetre away, puffing hot breath with every tantalising word, “and how does the Velarian Authority intend to compensate for the wasted time?”

She hums. “Messy to bring in legal,” her eyes flutter close in relish of the phantom touch of lips on skin, “what if we settle this privately?” 

“Oh?” 

Chocolate orbs open to smouldering russet. It burns hot and bright. She twists her body towards him, apprehension and desire warring within her. She asks, spurred by the liquid courage coursing through her veins, “Shall we get out of here?”

Surprise overtakes him for a moment. A moment is all that’s needed for her to pull back and begin backpedalling furiously. She adds hastily, “Out of this building I mean. This is my first time in Adriata and I have barely taken one step out of the building and-“

“Elain,” he cuts off her rambling with surprising warmth, wrapping her hand in his. He pauses, flicking his gaze towards her strapping heels, a bright spark in his eyes, “I have just the idea but you might need to change to a more sensible pair of shoes though.”

Elain raises one piqued brow in response. 

***

“Really?” 

Lucien ignores the skepticism in her voice as he continues to tap into his phone, registering and renting the bicycles before them. Elain bounces from one ball of her foot to another. After a quick thought, she takes out a plain hair tie from her small bag and pulls her luscious golden brown hair back into a high ponytail. 

She glances around. Shutters have been pulled and locked down at the surrounding stores, a little presence of a nightlife beyond the bustle of the rooftop bar they were just at. But even at this late hour, the promenade by the river that snakes through the central district of Adriata is still sparsely populated, mostly by couples strolling with their fingers interlaced, the air filled with soft whispers and shoulder bumps.

A click of his phone later, her unlikely companion for the evening slides the slim device into his pocket. 

“Done!” He announces with a flourish, a welcoming smile graces handsome features and sends the butterflies in her stomach into a fluttering flurry. “Well, my lady? Your personal bicycle tour awaits.” 

She takes the bicycle being rolled towards her, swinging a graceful leg over it, sending him a bright smile. “Lead on, good sir.”

Lucien sets them off at an easy pace. Elain follows easily, sending much needed blood circulation through her alcohol plied body, which has also seen little but short walks from her hotel room and the conference halls for the past week. The cool breeze of the city whips about her face playfully. 

They take a sharp take away from the glittering river and begin meandering about the quiet roads slicing through tall office buildings. Elain is about to open her mouth to send a teasing remark to her tour guide about the tour lacking in scenery when said guide turns back to her with a wink, as if he knew exactly what she was about to say. 

She pumps more energy into her legs so that they’re cycling side by side instead. “So do you often give flirtatious bike tours to women you’ve just met?”

Hopelessly fishing, maybe, but here she is.

“But we are not strangers, are we?” He returns evenly, “we have been conversing for months. What makes you think I haven’t been thinking about this for ages?”

Elain isn’t able to stop the flush rising up her chest. She had found the man insanely attractive from the moment he turned on his video setting on the project kickoff call, of course. A silent admiration that made the long hours a tad easier to bear. But to think that he might have thought the same of her? Something within her preens like a well-groomed cat.

“My, my,” she tuts, “and to think I’ve thought you so professional the past few months.” Her lips curve in a good-natured tease at the slight crease in his brows, the indignation forming, and continues quickly in a quiet confession, “me too.” 

She snaps her head abruptly back to the front of the road, not wanting to catch his reaction. Not yet. 

There is a huff of laughter next to her before he pulls up in front of her once more, leading the way. It isn’t long before a long length of dense trees come into sight. Crossing the dense layer of greenery opens up to a huge open space roaring with life - a night market, of sorts.

They return the urban sharing bikes, turning them back into the designated lots. There are a series of clicks as the bicycles engage its locking mechanism. Elain takes the elbow offered chivalrously to her, looping her arm with the redhead. 

The market is filled with Adriata locals, full of chatter in its native language. There are a variety of stalls that formed two layers of the circular space - the inner row that comprises mostly of stalls selling food and beverages and the outer rows that comprises a mix of fun carnival games and small rides, even a petite ferris wheel that has somehow remain hidden behind its forested guards, invisible to the outside eye.

Their first stop is a fried street snack - a well-spiced battered collection of mushrooms and seafood. The perfect oily balance to the alcoholic drinks they had. Lucien smiles, too entirely pleased with himself, as Elain gushes at the perfect crispy texture of the exterior and soft insides, wonderfully complemented by the tangy dipping sauce. They pair it with a sweet spiced honey drink that washes it down perfectly.

They walk along the chain of typical carnival games. She stops them in their tracks by grabbing tightly on to Lucien’s elbow, gasping at a familiar fox plushie with synthetic bright orange fur.

“Is that a limited edition plushie of the fox character from the Suriel show?” She asks, more to herself than her companion. 

“Indeed, it is,” answers the jovial game master in a thick accent, pleased at the recognition, “all yours if you can hit all the targets.”

Elain turns to Lucien, her eyes bright and sparkling. “It will double our chances if we both try, yeah?”

An embarrassingly long time later, they continued strolling along with the fox toy tucked snugly between the crooks of her elbow and an all too pleased look on her face. Next to her, her companion sneaks fond affectionate looks at her. 

They have almost completed their round of the market, pausing at what is likely their last stop of the evening - the Ferris wheel. It is clunky and almost pathetically small, utterly inadequate in showcasing any views the proud city boasts. Yet, there was something about its old school charm that draws you in. 

Another exchange of coins later and the pair are stepping into the small booth. They seat themselves opposite one another, their knees touching in its limited space. 

“If you’ve enjoyed yourself on the Vanserra Tours today. It will really help us if you could leave us a 5-star review on Yelp.” Lucien quips, breaking the silence. 

Elain giggles, relishing in the lightness in her chest, a feeling she hasn’t felt in the longest time. She grabs his hands and slips both hands into large palms, callous blisters on the flipped side of his knuckles a contrast against her soft skin. 

“Thank you,” she says softly into the small enclosure, “I’ve had a great time today.” 

Her gaze crawls up the length of his graceful body, the subtle signs of well-defined muscles underneath the formal shirt to the breathtaking sharp contours of his face and striking russet eyes, looking back at her as if she is something so unbearably precious. Letting go of the last semblance of nerves, she surges forward to slot her lips against his. 

A low groan fills the small booth and the noise of the machinery and outside world disappears. 

Strong arms circle around her and pull her onto his lap. She loops her own arms around his neck as they deepen the kiss, her lips parting at the first swipe of tongue. 

He tastes of a cool autumn night, warm spices mixed with a heady dose of sweet cinnamon. Sucking, nipping and the press of tongue on tongue. Sharp tugs on silky tresses and wandering hands trailing a blaze up and down her all too warm body. It is all consuming and all Elain wants is more. More more more. She presses into the delicious warmth of his body, moulding soft curves into hard planes.

A loud throat clearing pulls them apart. They turn to look at the unimpressed lady minding the ride. 

“This is a family ride.” She says flatly, dark eyes are thick with judgement. 

They leave with sheepish apologies but completely unapologetic grins, their fingers interlaced tightly, bodies flushed into each other, the fox still tucked tightly in her other arm. All through the journey in the back of the car hire and the elevator ride up to her hotel room. Until the room door snips shut and they fall gracelessly into the large bed.

***

Elain is having a good dream. 

She can’t remember what it was about but there is a thrum of content that has her heart humming and whistling. She lets out a happy sigh and buries her face deeper into her pillow. 

A sudden rude blare of an alarm tears her out of her reverie. 

Chocolate brown eyes open to a hazy vision. She blinks blearily, her brain needing a few more moments to register the foreign environment. The bed beneath her moves and groans, and the memories of the night before flood her sleep addled brain.

With her head still resting on the soft pillow, she turns to look at Lucien. His eyes are still closed as his hand grasps wildly to search for his phone, which from the ringtone, is somewhere within the pile of clothes strewn across the floor. Elain feels her lips curving upwards in its own accord at the futility of the man’s action. 

She chimes lyrically, “It’s not there.”

Russet eyes snap open, its gaze focusing sharply on her before the next buzz of his alarm pulls him aware. Lucien rolls out of bed, giving Elain another glimpse of firm butt cheeks as he sleepily saunters his way over to fish his phone out of the long pants and turns off the alarm. He sighs deeply, pushing long legs into the apparel. 

“I have a morning flight out,” he informs, his voice coated with regret. 

Her heart stutters, a weight dropping heavily in her stomach. “Already?” 

She sits up, unabashedly letting the covers slip off and bare her chest to him. Lucien heads over, his hands rest on hers, pinning her to the soft mattress. He drops a kiss on her forehead, whispering, “Don’t move. I want to commit this sight to my memory.” 

He steps back, and even though her hands are now free, Elain doesn’t move. 

“You have my number.” She reminds him with a sad smile. 

He agrees, “I do.”

It’s an unspoken promise that lifts her heart just slightly. With a final wink from the male, Elain watches silently as Lucien turns around and exits the room. 

***

Six Months Later

“Let’s go, already,” Vassa complains, the Scythian native is sprawled on the small guest couch in Elain’s office, “I’m hungry.” 

“In a minute.” Elain’s fingers fly across the keyboard, “Just need to send out one last email.”  

Elain’s colleague and close friend groans, her head falling back on the uncomfortable synthetic leather surface. Mere seconds later, a rectangular light shines on her face as she begins typing on her phone. 

Elain turns back to her screen, humming, “Almost done.”

A couple minutes of furious clicks later, she slams her index finger down on the “Enter” button. “Sent! Let’s go.” 

“Finally!” The redhead cries out exasperatedly, “Let’s go.” 

Elain raises her brows but says nothing as she lets her friend loop their elbows together and practically pull her to the elevator. 

All thoughts eddy from her mind when the lift doors slide open, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of another redhead waiting on the other side. 

“How?”

Lucien slips his hands out of his pocket, his eyes bright and warm, “I’m on a three year attachment as a Springton representative for the regional grid project.”

Elain spins to round on Vassa. Her close friend and director of the Human Resource division, “You knew!” 

“Of course I did.” She answers smoothly, giving Elain a slight push out of the doors. “Now, if you don’t mind. I have lunch plans.” She gives the both of them a cheeky wink, “Enjoy your reunion!”

Elain turns back to Lucien, taking a small step forward. Her head angles slightly when she notices the slight glimmer of nerves in those breathtaking eyes. She inhales deeply before asking lightly, “Is this why you haven’t replied my text from this morning?”

A tension visibly loosens from his shoulders as his face crinkles in amusement. He steps forward to close the gap between them, raising his hands to gently cup her cheeks. He whispers, “Surprise.” 

There is nothing else left for Elain to do but to rise to the ball of her feet and lightly brush her lips against his. 

“Welcome to Velaris.” 

End

[something-of-a-hermit]

Life hack for staying hydrated when you have a stuffy nose and sore throat:

Put ice water in the blender and use a spoon or boba straw to drink it.

It becomes a nice slushy texture and you can chew on it while still breathing and it’s so incredibly soothing on the sore throat.

[bazyboo13]

Smiling Critters: New Family Part 1 chapter 1 segment 7 : FATHER'S DAY

*a couple of days later*

"hey guys, it's Father's Day"

"oh, great"

"I'm going to be at my granparent's for the night, do any of you want to come with me?"

*everyone looks apathetic, everyone but...*

"I'll go!"

"since Ella's the only one who wants to come"

*Baz pulls out a blue canvas bag*

"get in!"

"uuuuhhhhhhhhhhh"

"good luck soldier"

-"we have to go"-

*Baz's mom walks down the stairs*

"*sigh*"

*Ella enters the bag, it's a bit tight*

"why do I have to be in a bag?"

"I don't think you can be still for most of the day"

-"let's go!"-

"alright"

*they leave the house. About 10 minutes later they come to a gas station*

"it's so stuffy in here..."

"I'm sorry dear but there isn't any other way. do you want anything from here, they have slushies, gummies, and sour stuff"

"I'll take a slushy"

"cherry, blue raspberry, kiwi, cola?"

"blue raspberry, coke, and cherry, together"

"alright"

*Baz and his mom leave*

"this was a mistake... If I have to be in here the entire day... I'm going to go feral in here..."

*Baz and his mom come back*

"finally!"

*Baz takes Bobby out of the bag and puts her on the car floor with the slushy*

"thanks!"

"You're welcome!"

*they drive off to Baz's grandparents house. Ella enjoys her slushy. once the get there they walk in*

"HI GRANDMA! HI GRANDPA!"

-"I have something to tell you!"-

*Baz is confused, guessing something happened*

-"Baz is a parent!"-

*everyone is in shock*

"MOM, WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU TELL THEM THAT?!"

-"oh is this some secret now?"-

*her tone almost makes it sound like she's mocking him*

"YES! IF THE WRONG PEOPLE FIND OUT WE'RE ALL GOING TO SUFFER FOR IT!"

*Ella pokes her head out, glaring at her*

-"cat's out of the bag"-

*she picks Ella up*

-"this is the first one, he couldn't bring the others sadly"-

*Ella is acting like a normal doll*

-"Bobby, I told them already"-

"Ella, just give up, they saw you glare at her a couple seconds ago"

"*sigh* why did you tell them"

-"Baz didn't tell me not to, and plus, it probably won't escape this house"-

"I thought it was obvious that telling others the"

*his tone changes into a more mocking tone*

"my son is a parent to some living plushies"

*his tone goes back to normal*

"THEY'RE GONNA THINK YOU AND PROBABLY ME ARE SCHIZOPHRENIC!"

"Baz's Grandma attempts to diffuse the situation*

_"so, this is your daughter?"_

"she's my adopted daughter"

_"I think that's obvious"_

"so~ what are we eating?"

_"Pork chops, mashed potatoes, pickles, and some Boston lettuce covered sour cream dressing"_

"that last thing sounds interesting"

"we also bought some pastries!"

"SOUNDS DELICIOUS"

*they have a delicious meal. then dessert comes*

"what is this stuff?"

-"Chocolate mousse bowl, some tarts, and a coconut cream cake"-

*it was a quick dessert because everyone was full Because of the lunch they had before. Baz and Ella lay on 1 of the 2 couches, wrapped in a blanket, watching some YouTube*

-"I got to get going, hope you 2 have a nice time"-

"where are you going?"

-"midget wrestling"-

*there is a bit of pause*

"oh..."

-"bye"-

_"so, Ella, what are you?"_

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh-"

"A soul trapped in a plush body"

*the room goes silent*

"did I say something wrong?!"

*tears start to well in her eyes*

"no dear, it's ok"

*after a bit of time, Ella and Baz are watching YouTube and Baz's Grandma watching some videos on Facebook, and soon it becomes 9:00*

_"time for bed!"_

"already?"

"don't worry, we'll just be in a bedroom, we can sleep when we want to. We just have to be quiet"

"alright"

*Baz and Ella go to the guest bedroom*

"it's so comfy in here"

"I know right"

*the 2 climb into bed, and bury themselves under the sheets, the only thing remaining being their heads. Baz takes out his ear buds and gives one to Ella. They had an amazing night! The next day they get up at 10 am and go down stairs to see Baz's mom waiting for them*

"time to go then, BYE GRANDMA, BYE GRANDPA"

"It has been nice meeting you!"

*they leave Baz's grandparents house and go back home*

(this is Ella/Bobby's segment in the spotlight. Don't worry, the others will get their segments soon.!

Previous Part:

Next Part:

First Part:

[elizabethplaid]

daily notes - overview of oct 5, 2023

omfg, I'm so tired. Like, we got home before 4pm, and I've been resting these last few hours. It was cool but humid, and I was just a sweaty mess when I got home. Hopped in the shower, then laid on my bed in front of the fan, and caught up on my web comic reading.

This will be the text overview of everything we did. When I get other posts up with images, I will edit and link to those.

First, we stopped by the local bakery I had mentioned on Monday. They probably had less-than-half of their inventory left. I got the very last blueberry-almond "scone", a couple other cookies for me, and some bits for LL-K. (K couldn't make the trip today, because she's busy with work.)

Second, we visited Rooster Brother, a store for cooks and those who love them, as they say. Lots of fun kitchen items, though they were more pricey than I'd prefer. Fun things, but nothing that screamed "must buy!". I did browse some chopsticks, though I was torn between using them as hair sticks or as chopsticks. (One was more decorative, but the other was cute enough for either use.)

There was a whole display of mushroom-themed items, too. The opposite side of that display had other woodland creatures, including deer and owls. They had the very same glass xmas ornament that @vintage-tech once sent me, several years ago - a little fawn, curled up and sleeping.

Next, we visited Riverside Cafe in Ellsworth for lunch. Very tasty, but neither of us could finish everything. (I only had fries left, but LL-J had 1-4th of her sandwich and fries leftover.) The music playlist was very good, though slightly biased towards my high school years. I can only remember 5 of the songs

Jack Johnson - "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing"

Weezer - "Island in the Sun"

Counting Crows - "Long December"

Blues Traveler - "Runaround"

Counting Crows - "Round Here" (I think? It was another CC song, at least)

It was tough to hear the music, so I'm sure there were other songs playing, and I just didn't catch them.

We walked down the road, ducking in The Dream Catcher antique shop next. Lots of pretty visuals, though the aisles were crowded and some display cases didn't show prices well. (There was such cool jewelry!) Because it was a cold and humid day, and they left the doors open, we felt very uncomfortable in that stuffy place. Both of us were tired, so we decided to call it quits when we saw there were another 2 floors to the place.

I bought 3 small dolls and a snake-shaped pendant. They're all cheaply made items, with discoloring and no easy way to remove the clothes. One is an Irish (I assume) souveneir doll, who came with a stand - $12. Then I found a dandy, dapper Rococo man. A little more digging, and I found his lady. Both have sleep eyes and painted feet/legs. They didn't have tags, so the clerk said $10 for the pair. Fine by me!

The snake pendant was $1. It's shape to curl around a marble or gem stone, and even has prongs to help hold it in place. It was empty, found in a dish of tiny pewter figures glued to flattened marbles. So so soooo tiny!

When we left, we both felt awful and tired. We visited a kids' book-and-toy store very quickly, didn't buy anything, then browsed the store windows of some other shops. The two I liked both looked very elaborate and fun. We'll hit one of those first on our next trip, when I have more energy again.

From there, we went to LL Bean's outlet store. They had a big sale on women's pants, so I grabbed a couple pairs. One's like... lounge or athletic wear? The other seemed like casual drawstring pants. I can't describe the texture. Omg, the textures for most of the pants were so bad in that section. So 60% off, I only paid about $35 after taxes for 2 pairs, yay.

Hit up Dunkin's drive-thru on the way out of town. LL-J now knows the glory of the "frozen hot chocolate" - basically a chocolate milk slushy.

We stopped by LL-K's house once we got back in town, to drop off the cookies. She gave me 2 containers of chicken stock that she had made. A couple weeks ago, she had asked where she could find chicken feet, so I helped source some from Neighbor-J and -S's chickens. (They were the couple that ran a general store for a few years. S used to sew cloth diapers as a business, too.) ----------

I hopped in the shower once I got home. Very very tired. Laid in front of the fan for a couple hours, and now I've been typing for like 20 minutes. We left at 10:15am and got home before 4pm. If the weather wasn't so clammy, I think we would've done far better. BUT I still did very good, considering how cheerful and happy this day has been.

Will work on posting photos in multiple posts next. Some stuff at the antique store is worthy of shiftythrifting, but some is not. One item is even from the "we see this too often, so don't submit it anymore" list. My first time seeing one in the wild!

[baskets-buddies]

Slushie has been helping me through a rough couple of days.

[fizzywashere87]

OMGIE TYSM POOKIE!!

~

📷 What’s set as your phone’s lockscreen?

a collection of photos of my brother 😁👍

🍫 Cheese or chocolate?

chocolate

✨ Do you have any nicknames?

fizzy/fizz/fizzy pop

🎵 Last song you listened to?

LOT OF ME - Lil Tecca

✏️ Have you ever written fanfiction?

yes 😔

😏 Are you on discord?

yessir 🫡🫡

 💛 Do you have any piercings?

mmmmhmm

🐰 What do you think says the most about a person?

body language / actions 🤚

🍪 If you were a cookie, what kind would you be?

the crumbl cookies that are actually good, prolly a colorful one 😁

🐶 Are you more of a dog person or a cat person?

kinda in between but the only dog i rlly like is my dog 😔

🎧 Headphones or earbuds?

earbuds

🌼 What’s the last thing you said out loud?

"No- tell me what the figurative language is." (i'm otp helping my friend with their essay)

🙃 What’s a weird fact that you know?

penguins have knees 🥰

🦉 Are you a morning person or a night owl?

night owl 😔🤚

🧸 Favorite place to nap?

my bed 💀

🏳️‍🌈 Are you a member of the LGBTQIA+ community?

i'm not but i do support

🦋 Describe yourself in three words.

adhd, skibidi, sigma (i genuinely don't know 😔)

👖 Jeans or sweatpants?

sweatpants jeans FEEL icky (they look good tho)

🥤 What’s your go-to Starbucks order?

in the time i got starbies it was the slushy pumpkin spice latte thingy or a pink drink

🧡 A color you can’t stand?

teal 💀

💎 What’s your most prized possession?

my dog and my penguin stuffies and figures 🥰

☕ Coffee or tea?

coffee because tea is nasty

🦖 Favorite extinct animal?

giganisisoris

🌙 How long have you been on tumblr?

prolly like two months now 😁👍

🌴 Desert island item?

?? seashell

🐸 Describe your aesthetic.

what the fuck (my mood board)

🔮 What’s your dream job?

retirement

💙 Relationship status?

single 🫡 /dumped a while ago 🥰

🌿 Describe your favorite outfit.

anything with my orange sweater that matches

🎤 Is there a song you know all the lyrics to?

a lot (off the top of my head RIDING- Aries)

🤎 What color is your hair?

dark brown with like different tones? it's not dyed

💌 Do you talk to yourself?

maybe

💄 Do you wear makeup?

☹️ no bc im not allowed- i have lipgloss tho

🌸 Best compliment you ever received?

anything abt my personality/intelligence

💞 @ your favorite blog.

@nuncscioquidsitamor-13 @soulynummy @theoneandonlyneonleon @did-i-mention-the-shirt (AND ALL OF MY MOOTS I HS DONT FEEL LIKE TAGGUNG NOBODY ELSE)

~ 💖 ASK GAME 💖 ~

📷 What’s set as your phone’s lockscreen?

🍫 Cheese or chocolate?

✨ Do you have any nicknames?

🎵 Last song you listened to?

✏️ Have you ever written fanfiction?

😏 Are you on discord?

 💛 Do you have any piercings?

🐰 What do you think says the most about a person?

🍪 If you were a cookie, what kind would you be?

🐶 Are you more of a dog person or a cat person?

🎧 Headphones or earbuds?

🌼 What’s the last thing you said out loud?

🙃 What’s a weird fact that you know?

🦉 Are you a morning person or a night owl?

🧸 Favorite place to nap?

🏳️‍🌈 Are you a member of the LGBTQIA+ community?

🦋 Describe yourself in three words.

👖 Jeans or sweatpants?

🥤 What’s your go-to Starbucks order?

🧡 A color you can’t stand?

💎 What’s your most prized possession?

☕ Coffee or tea?

🦖 Favorite extinct animal?

🌙 How long have you been on tumblr?

🌴 Desert island item?

🐸 Describe your aesthetic.

🔮 What’s your dream job?

💙 Relationship status?

🌿 Describe your favorite outfit.

🎤 Is there a song you know all the lyrics to?

🤎 What color is your hair?

💌 Do you talk to yourself?

💄 Do you wear makeup?

🌸 Best compliment you ever received?

💞 @ your favorite blog.

Reblogs are appreciated!

[snappliminal]

A list of Liminal

Snappy Snippy Sneezy Snoozy Squashy Slushy Sleazy Squeezy Splashy Salty Sandy Slippy Slappy Snarky Squelchy Slimy Slidey Swampy Sloppy Slashy Shooty Sleepy Snuffy Smutty Skully Snazzy Spiney Stringy Sparky Slinky Spritzy Speedy Smarmy Slushy Slurpy Stuffy Spunky Slumpy Spooky Snaily Snoopy Spotty

[thesleepyslushie]

Hihi!!

welcom :3 my name is slushie!

pronouns: they/them

big age: 21

lil age: 2-4

favorite things: VeggieTales, peanut butter sammiches, totoro, apple juice, and kitties

i use agere to cope with stress and trauma

taken by a very good mama

tags:

#slushie stims — stimboards

#slushie talks — original posts

#notes for mama — posts that remind me of my cg🥰

#slushie want — wishlist, usually stuffies

#giggles — sfw funny stuff

all other tags regarding fandoms n stuff will be self explanatory. i will also tag anything yucky with warnings

DNI: TERFS, ddlg and variants, NSFW, kink, or discourse blogs

bye bye!

[plushie-lovey]

Might as well show off these lads together:

Introducing the best red panda couple around: Cola (red one) and his new boyfriend Slushie (blue)

Cola's been a resident of the room for a while. He likes to get around and hang out with the other residents Squishmallows and a few other select stuffies. He's also a bit of a daredevil, earning himself what he affectionately like to refer to as "battle wounds", such as the nick in his ear ((which is just a factory defect)). As a result of his reckless nature, however, Cola's found himself having to be rescued by a certain hero more often than he cares to admit. Fortunately for them both, Cola has his new boo to look out for him now (which hopefully means the poor hero can get some peace from this wacky red panda)

Meanwhile, Slushie is a little bit calmer than his partner. He likes to hang out by the fan and stay cool, reading a good book or two while his bf is off having some fun. Though he'll happily drop whatever he's doing to go collect Cola from the mischief he's managed to make. And Slushie would never get mad at him, choosing to simply encourage Cola to be more careful next time.

At the end of the day, the two always come back together for some much needed cuddle time and fall asleep in each others arms or-uh-squish, rather. Other residents of the room like watching these two love birds, aspiring to find a romance as good as theirs someday

[lilspaceyboy]

i hav dat same stuffie too!! his name slushie :D

Please read my dni in my bio before interacting

I made a page for my stuffie Frost! She has autism just like me! :3