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taffybuns · 1 year ago

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Hi Taffybuns! Thank you for being you and artist that has passion to make. My brother told me that he bought two shirts out of it and he loved it, i was surprised you were the artist drew design! (the pokemon ones!)

Though I am curious and i hope you'll able to respond, do you have advice to make my art for merchandise in the future? I don't mind if you want to simplified explaination, a tumblr posts, or dropping a youtube link video; since you're busy with conventions.

I'm picky when it comes youtube art videos that are always give me the vibes of elitism, clickbait videos or others. You're the first artist I wanted to ask, so i hope it's fine if you can reply or not.

Sending my best regards to you. Take care and love your art as always. (I hope i can buy your pokemon hawaiin shirt!)

hello! thanks so much for the sweet message!!

apologies for the confusion, though! the pokemon shirts arent mine! i share a joint storefront with my friend and tablemate, you can view all his designs here! we have our store bio set to say we are two artists, but it's hard to see on the shopee site format, haha. i'll pass this message along to him, and i hope you can buy his shirts in the future too, they're very well made! i'm glad your brother enjoys them!

(if anyone is reading this, he also has them listed internationally on Etsy! my items aren't here though, sorry!!)

i assume you're PH based aswell if your brother got our shirts, so i'm gonna link some resources and basic advice under the cut-

i'd be glad to help where i can, though my basic advice is to just start.. i began selling merch with dann (friend who made the pokemon shirts) when we were just classmates in college, and we started at small anime events selling small prints with our table falling apart hahajkfghjk.. but even back then everyone was so friendly, so it was very encouraging !! the art community is very sweet and there is a lot of support for you !!

first, you'll want to find your market! this will determine what conventions you want to apply to and what kind of merch you want to make. do you want to make fanart, or original art? are you doing mostly stickers, tote bags, or anime merch? or do you just want to sell online?

second, what is your budget for merch production? starting out is expensive, personally my funds always circulate between profit and spending on restocks again. this will determine what kind of merch you can make, and then you expand later! i started out with only stickers and art prints, then keychains, and then bags and t-shirts later on!

if you're into original art, some events i recommend for beginners are Patrons of the Arts, Buzzart, Komiket. they have regular events throughout the year. if you're into stickers, there's Stickercon and Sticky Expo!

if you're into fan art, you can try ozinefest (sales are slower but table cost is cheaper), or if you have enough money, split for cosplay ph events

of course these aren't the only events, though they're the ones i regularly attend! if you have a more specialized market, there are dedicated cons like philifur, the grand lason, pokecon, etc. for all of these events you'll either have to keep your eyes peeled for table openings on their pages (rare), or email them to be added to their mailing list so you'll be told when they're open

if you don't have any suppliers yet, you can apply to join Artist Alley Group Order on facebook ! people regularly post about suppliers for all kinds of merchandise that you can look up. if you want any recommendations you can message me off-anon!

as for the merchandise itself, this varies person to person. my market is more obscure fanart that other people don't sell, and cutesy original art! i sell big illustrations as prints, though other people report on having a hard time selling prints. it depends on the content and art style. you'll have to experiment and see, or look around other shops to see what sells! visiting art markets yourself is also a huge help, to see the market, make friends in the artph community, and support artists!

i'd recommend starting out with stickers and prints- they're the cheapest to produce, and people often buy stickers because of their low price at cons. when you get more familiar with the market you can try going onto more expensive things to reproduce!

again if you want details, let me know! this is very vague and general advice, if u have any specific questions i'll do my best if i'm not busy! don't be afraid to surf thru some videos too, a lot are very helpful n not too elitist!

gl and take care aswell anon!

#ask #anon

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chaya-mga2022mi6011 · 9 months ago

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Research on similar games

CAT LADY

"Cat Lady" is a game where players collect cats and cat toys to score points.

Game description:

“In Cat Lady, players are cat ladies, part of an elite group of people including Marie Antoinette and Ernest Hemingway. During the game, you and your fellow cat ladies will draft cards three at a time, collecting toys, food, catnip, costumes, and of course lovable cats. But watch out! Make sure you have enough food for all of your feline friends or your hungry cats will subtract points from your score. The player with the highest total victory points wins!”.

Taking inspiration from Cat Lady I decided to also add a note card to my game where players would be able to calculate their points etc. And I also decided to add a card with each cat describing its personality etc.

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cloverfics · 4 years ago

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birthday wishes ; keigo takami

warnings reader’s birthday, club setting, implied drinking, slight swearing, and flirty!hawks

genre modern au, suggestive ( ig )

word count 1.5k

inspiration my ✨ imagination ✨

synopsis with it being your birthday, you’re aware of the gifts you’ll get. but the last thing you expect is for a generous, handsome man to make your night

You blew out your candles as your friends hit the last notes to your happy birthday song. They cheered, a few taking pictures while the others had their flash right in your face for video memory.

“Our girl’s finally 21! How’s it feel, ___?” Your friend closest to you, Jasmine, nudged your shoulder.

You hummed. Taking the candles out of your cake. “I don’t feel any different. Just can say I drink at the legal age, I guess.” You sneered, garnering a slap on the shoulder from Jasmine.

Spending your 21st at a high priced club was certainly not your idea. You would’ve settled for shots and cake at your apartment but your friends shot down that idea before you could even finish. Settling for your local ( and go to ) bar was something you also would’ve been down to do. But, of course, they insisted you all needed to be at the best in your city for your birthday.

You appreciated it. Especially since they all collectively covered the table. But the lights and music were starting to get to you. You had done your fair share of dancing, fair share of drinking, fair share of talking. Now, you just wanted to go home and sleep off that drinking portion of the night.

“Don’t tell me you getting tired,” On the opposite side of the table, your other friend deadpanned. Having the rest follow with a chorus of complaints and whines.

You held your hands up in defense. “My head is spinning and I want to be in my warm bed. Is that too much to ask for?”

Another friend countered. “Yes when I spent my whole paycheck to cover part of the table, hoe.” You snorted at her response.

“Fine. I just need something to get me back into...” You were saying as you brought your glass of water to your lips. But as your gaze drifted acrossing the seating area, your eyes locked with a pair of hazel ones. Hazel eyes that belonged to a very handsome man. And for some reason that handsome man was staring at you.

If your glass had been any closer you’re sure you would’ve choked. But you just placed it down and quickly averted your view to your friend group.

“Are you alright?” Jasmine cocked an eyebrow at your sudden flustered appearance.

“Hot guy at 3 o’clock.” Your whispered through teeth. Jasmine eyes circled into saucers as she tried her best to be discreet.

“Oh blondie. He’s hot. He’s been watching you like a hawk ever since we got our table though.” She admitted nonchalantly before taking a sip from your drink.

Your jaw fell ajar. “And you didn’t care to tell me!” You whisper-shouted.

“I’m just suprised you haven’t noticed.” Jasmine laughed. You shook your head. Your curiousity took over you and you let your eyes flicker back to his table. Your chest fell in relief seeing as he was making conversation with a waiter.

But your anxiety levels rose again when said waiter was beelining for your table right after talking to hazel. The waiter had caught your whole table’s attention.

“Is something wrong?” One of your friends immediately inquired.

“Ah! No, Mister Keigo would like to know if he could take over the bill of this party.” You physically paused, along with your friends.

“Who?” The waiter answered your friend’s question with a point of his pen to where hazel or better yet, Mister Keigo, was seated in mid coversation with one of his tablemates.

You gulped. “He insisted?”

“Yes ma’am.”

Before you could refuse the offer, Jasmine cut in. “Tell him thank you!” Your eyes widened but none of your other friends seemed to argue.

“But—” her hand slapped over your mouth.

“Thank you.” She iterated.

The waiter nodded and made his way back towards Mister Keigo’s table. Your table sat in shock, similar looks on their faces.

“A hot guy paying for your table bill? He wants you.” Your friend opposite from you proclaimed. This time you actually choked. Your hand smacked Jasmine’s hand away from you.

“He does not!”

“He so does.” They all mused.

You scoffed, a slight pout on your face. “I feel bad.”

“Here you go,” Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Just accept the sweet offer, ___.”

“I am, but I feel like I need to thank him.” You glanced over to his table to where he was obviously signing something from the waiter. Most likely your bill.

Jasmine smacked her hand on your shoulder. “Then do that. While you’re at it see if he’ll take you home, I bet he wants some birthday cake if you catch my drift...”

Your friends laughed as you glared at Jasmine. “I will only be saying thank you then taking my leave.” You peeled her hand from your shoulder, shuffling from your seat at the booth.

“Don’t act like you don’t want him!” She called while you were already a couple feet from the table.

You didn’t, right? You tried to convince yourself that. You weren’t the type to do hook ups or sleep with strangers. But with every step you took closer to the V.I.P section, the pit in your stomach dug deeper. You knew his eyes were following you. It sent chills down your spine. But you continued to stride to the velvet rope and buffed security guy who held said rope.

“And you are?” He asked.

You stammered, opening your mouth while no words came from it. Your hope of thanking him started to slip but then a voice cut in.

“She’s with me, Vince.” You both simultaneously looked over to who it came from. And lo and behold, Mister Keigo in all his glory saving your ass from being booted from his section.

“You sure, Mister Keigo?” He strode over, clad in a sleek black suit, his sharp honey eyes fixated on your figure. You looked away, you barely knew him and he already had an effect on you.

“Now why would I ever lie, Vince?” His voice fit him so well. His tone that toed into teasing territory nearly made you shudder.

“Alright, lady.” You pursed your lips as the velvet rope was opened for you. Taking the opportunity to step past it and land in front of Mister Keigo.

Your eyes still fought for whether you should try to hold eye contact with him or just stare at the floor.

“Looking for me?” He asked. You squeezed your eyes shut, starting to heat up in embarrassment when you simply nodded.

His laughter is what had your eyes flicker up to meet his for the third time tonight. He basically towered you, he was intimidating. But something about him also made it clear that he was chill.

Maybe it was the way he spoke. Or just how you got a slither of the way he carries himself.

“Well?” He lifted an eyebrow, a smirk etched on his face.

“I-I just wanted to thank you for paying the bill, Mister-”

“Ah,” he interrupted you. “Call me Keigo, I don’t mind.”

“Really?” You thought back to what the waiter and security guard referred to him as.

He nodded, his blonde locks shifting a bit. “Completely fine with me.”

“Oh, okay. Well, I just wanted to thank you. There was no need, I appreciate it.” You finally got what you wanted to say out. Internally sighing in relief and victory.

Keigo smiled. “No problem. Just consider it a birthday gift from me, yea?”

“Ye-yea, of course.” You nodded. You didn’t know what to say. Here you were, talking to one of the prettiest guys you’ve ever seen, who had pay for your bill like it was nothing.

“No problem...” Keigo titled his head as he trailed off.

“Oh! It’s ___, call me ___.”

“___.” He hummed. “What a pretty name. It fits you perfectly, in my opinion.” The way he lifted his eyebrow nearly made your knees buckle underneath you.

“Ah, thank you. But are you sure there’s no way I can repay you?” It was out of your control how your tone automatically borderlined on lustful. His presence made you feel hot. And his mesmerizing gaze didn’t help.

Keigo smiled devilishly, leaning forward a bit, a few inches from your face. “Is there anything you had in mind, Miss ___?”

Your breath got caught in your throat. You could practically hear your friends squealing from the other side of the room.

“It would be up to you to pick wouldn’t it?” You tried to best to match his energy. But he was so smooth. Keigo laughed, it was deeper this time while there was this particular glint in his eyes.

“Is that so?” Having no rebuttle, you nodded again. Silently letting him win.

Keigo stood upstraight again. “Here,” he took a napkin from a nearby table. Quickly asking to borrow a pen from a passing waiter.

“We can discuss it over the phone, if that’s fine with you?”

Your eyes followed as he wrote his digits down, his name in nice print right above it. “Yea. That’s fine.” You answered like you were in some trance.

“Great. I’ll be looking forward to it.” He handed you the napkin. You took that as your signal to head back to your section.

“I’ll make sure not to lose this then...” You smiled, walking away slowly but surely. With another one of his entrancing smirks, you turned around. Releasing a deep sigh before reaching Vince. But before you could exit through that velvet rope.

Keigo’s voice hit your ears again.

“Oh! And happy birthday.”

#keigo takami #keigo x you #bnha x black reader #bnha x black!reader #bnha #boku no hero academia hawks #hawks #hawks x reader #hawks x you #hawks x black!reader #keigo takami x you #keigo takami x reader #my hero academia x reader #my hero academia x you

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justthehiddleswrites · 4 years ago

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Trivia Night | Stephen Strange x Reader

Pairing: Stephen Strange x Reader

Summary: Stephen can’t pass up music trivia night at a local dive bar. But what should have been a landslide win is a bitter battle. Has Stephen met his match in more ways than one?

Warnings: drinking (not underage)

Stephen stopped in front of the non-descript bar. A colorful banner hung against the faded brick facade. Music Trivia Night Every Thursday!

“Well, don’t mind if I do.” he commented to himself as he ducked in.

Bodies crowded the small bar. The smell of smoke still clung to the walls despite the smoking ban. He noticed the groups gathering around tables with buzzers. He approached the nearest group.

“Mind if I join you guys for trivia night?”

A somewhat rotund man who came up to only Stephen’s shoulder pushed up his wire-rimmed glasses.

“Are you any good?” he questioned.

“Try me.” Stephen smirked.

“What was the flip side of the last number one hit for the Beatles?”

“The last number one of the Beatles was The Long and Winding Road…” The man smirked as he turned. “…For You Blue is the flip side.”

The smirk disappeared and was soon replaced with a huge smile. The man extended his hand.

“Welcome to the team. Name’s Matt.”

Stephen shook his hand. “Stephen.”

The group did quick introductions as Stephen took a seat and one guy handed him a beer. Stephen sipped, grimaced at the bitter, watered down domestic beer. He pushed the glass and flagged down a server to order a more suitable craft ale.

“With you we might stand a chance.” Matt joked.

“Yeah, perhaps you are the one who can take down The Terminator.” another guy called Chris chimed in.

“The Terminator?” Stephen glanced around the bar to see if someone who was a worthy opponent to his own mind. “Can you see him?”

“She sets up by the moderator.” Matt gestured to one side of the tiny room.

Stephen’s eyebrows rose in interest. A woman? He chuckled to himself at his luck. He felt more confident than ever as the event started.

“Okay everyone, let’s get started!” The emcee’s voice reverberated against the brick walls. “Welcome to Music Mania, where the points and the answers matter.”

Stephen zoned out as the emcee read over the rules and prizes of the night. He had half a mind to use his powers to see the outcome, but what was the point, he always won when it came to music.

“Round 1!” the words punched through his thoughts and brought him back to reality.

Everyone playing hunched over their tables, ready at the buzzer.

“Question 1: The band Duran Duran is named after a character in what movie?”

As Stephen moved to slam the buzzer he overheard BZZZZ!

“Terminator?”

A soft voice lilted through the air. “Barbarella.”

Stephen banged the table with his fists. “I knew that one.”

“Sure you did.” Chris muttered off to the side, nursing his Miller Lite bottle.

“I can go to another table.” Stephen hooked his thumb over his shoulder.

“Not necessary, Stephen. Can I call you Steve?” Matt questioned.

“I prefer Stephen.” He took a long draw on his bottle. “What’s the matter with your friend?”

Chris shifted in his seat, glaring at Stephen. “I’d rather not say.”

“The Terminator shot him down. And now he is bitter.” The rest piped up.

Stephen resisted the urge to chuckle. “You’re mad at me because you got rejected? I like this girl more already.”

“Listen—” Chris started in.

“Question 2: What year was Frank Zappa admitted to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame?”

Stephen slammed the buzzer with lightening speed to hit it first.

“At the back?” the emcee asked.

“1995.” Stephen smirked, confident in his answer.

“Correct! Looks like you have some competition out there, Terminator. What’s your name back there?” The emcee shaded his eyes.

“T-3000.”

A smattering of chuckles and gasps came across the room. You popped your head up to see who dare to challenge you. Your eyes met a tall, goateed man sitting at the back. He winked and smiled at you. Scowling, you sat back down.

“This means war.” you whispered to yourself.

The emcee shrugged. “Looks like we have ourselves an actual competition. Onward and upward!”

The two of you steel yourselves for the next question.

“Question 3: Which country singer adopted the alter ego Luke the Drifter?”

You hit the button so hard it jumped on the table.

“Terminator?”

“Hank Williams.”

“Can you be more specific?”

You rolled your eyes. “Hank Williams, Sr.”

“Correct!”

You turned to see Stephen grumbling and grousing to his tablemates. You smiled. It was rare you had competition in trivia; the adrenaline was pumping.

“Question 4: What was the second music video to air on MTV?”

Stephen buzzed in first. “Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles!”

“Oh, that is incorrect!” the emcee hissed.

You buzzed. “I believe that was the first video. The second was Run to You by Pat Benatar.”

“Correct!”

“Shit!” Stephen yelled, and you noticed the sound of beer mugs clattering as he hit the table.

“Next time, listen more!” you taunted.

“Eyes forward.” he retorted.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I believe there is a rivalry. Let’s play on! Question 5: Who was the oldest artist to top the UK charts?”

The two of you hesitated for a moment before Stephen buzzed in. “Louis Armstrong in 1968 for What a Wonderful World.”

“Show off!” you bellowed.

“I believe that answer earns a bonus point.” the emcee responded with a smile.

“You’ve never given me bonus points!” you stood in protest.

“You have never given an answer like that. Looks like you have met your match.”

“More like my next victim.”

“The way you go through men that is probably accurate.”

“Next question, please.”

Stephen couldn’t hear the animated conversation between you and the emcee, but he spied your growing frustration. It pleased him to no end. He found himself more and more enchanted with you.

“Question 6: Which 80s song was re-released in the UK in 1991 and went straight to number 1? Name the artist and the song.”

You got to the buzzer first.

“The Clash. Should I Stay or Should I Go.” You replied.

“Correct!”

The rounds continued to bounce back and forth like an excited ping pong match. The entire bar invested in the match with all the other teams dropping out to spectate. People took sides cheering and jeering. The room buzzed with electricity. By the time the regular round ended, you and Stephen were tied.

“For the first time, we have a tie!” Everyone cheered. “Can I have the two competitors come to the front?”

Stephen rose and made his way to the stage at the front. You settled onto an uncomfortable stool. Stephen meanwhile looked perfectly at home as he folded up his long limbs to take a seat. You ignored the growing tightness in your chest as you gazed upon him.

“Now for the tiebreaker question. Terminator, T-3000, grab your pen and paper. Question: Of the over 600 songs Elvis sang, how many did he write? You have 15 seconds. Closest to the answer wins.”

The entire bar erupted into the Jeopardy theme as the two of you wrote down your answers. You placed your paper in your lap confident. Stephen winked at you from the barstool on the other side of the makeshift stage.

“Okay, time’s up. Terminator your answer.”

You flipped your paper to reveal the number zero.

“And T-3000?”

Stephen revealed an answer of thirteen.

“And the winner is…” The emcee bounced his head between you and Stephen. “… Terminator! She guessed right with zero!”

You pumped your fists in the air and did a little victory dance. Your hips shimmied back and forth. The motion hypnotized Stephen. In that moment, he decided.

“Excuse me.” He tapped you on the shoulder.

You spun to come face to face with your closest competitor. “You’re taller than I expected.” You extended a hand. “No hard feelings?”

He shook your hand with a firm grip. “On the contrary, I am delighted to find someone who meets my own knowledge of music. Tell me how do know so much.”

Your gazed dropped as you shuffled your feet. “My dad was a bit of a savant for music. We would talk about it every Sunday over breakfast. I was a sponge.”

Stephen smiled softly. “That is a charming story. Perhaps I could hear another one sometime. Maybe over dinner this week?”

Your head snapped up to meet his gaze. You stared into his ice-blue eyes.

“That sounds nice, uhh…”

“Stephen Strange. Dr. Stephen Strange.”

You introduced yourself.

“Pleasure. So what do you say Tuesday at 7?”

“I think I can swing that.” you croaked back.

“Until then.”

“I look forward to hearing some stories from you too.”

Stephen chuckled. “Yeah about that…”

#dr. stephen strange #stephen strange #stephen strange fanfiction #stephen strange fanfic #stephen strange fluff #stephen strange x reader

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whitterzthefangirl · 4 years ago

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It’s Not Right But It’s OK

Doesn’t have the ending I want, but I’m sick of looking at it. <3 <3 <3 <3 Boyfriend!Calum w/ a side of Cheater!Calum An arm, attached to the body of the man you loved, weighed on your mid-section as you laid in this king size bed. In an effort to make sure he stayed asleep, you withdrew your body from him slowly, gently placing his arm on the bed once your feet were safe on the ground. After 2 years of resenting him for being a heavy sleeper, you find yourself thankful for the quality in this moment. Not wanting to face him again just yet, you quickly remove yourself from the dark room with windows covered by black-out curtains.

When you stumble into the kitchen, you are met with evidence of a night out. Shot glasses, and liquor bottles decorate the counter-top. It’s easy to spot your shot glass. Not only because it’s got a Princess crown on it, but because it’s the only one with bright pink lipstick on it,

“Your signature color,” Calum had commented, kissing the corner of your mouth when you came to join everyone in the kitchen. He pulled you close with his arms around your waist, whispering into your ear, “There’s only one place I like seeing it more than your lips.”

You had giggled in the moment, playfully nudging him away. You had known exactly what his dirty mind was thinking, and it had made you excited to come home after a night of drinking with his friends. As you stood in the kitchen now, on the morning after, you knew that the dirty sex you had wanted to partake in with your boyfriend hadn’t taken place, instead replaced by an argument.

You found yourself in the ladies room, alone until you were joined by another with similar hair and eyes. Due to the amount of alcohol you had consumed, you complimented her top, a black lace number with red underlay.

When you heard her mumble back, “Your boyfriend loved it on the floor of his hotel room, too,” you asked her to repeat herself, you were taken back when she didn’t back down, instead producing video evidence of your very blonde boyfriend making out with her in what looked like a very public place.

While you knew this video didn’t prove the pair had sex, it did prove that another women had touched the blonde hair you had loved so much. This thought pushed forward the memory of when you first came home to that new hair, giggling and running your hands through it, claiming you had a new boyfriend. ADD DETAIL HERE That had sparked sex in the? In that moment, your memory of sex with Calum didn’t matter. Afterall, this woman was flaunting video evidence of his infidelity in your face as if she wasn’t destroying everything you knew. She instead looked satisfied with herself.

“I just wanted you to know,” she looked at your head tilted to the side, no trace of empathy in her eyes.

Not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing you rattled, you smiled back, pit in your stomach, and stupidly prayed that Calum had a good answer for this. You lied through your teeth, “Just started dating him a few weeks ago, and his hair has always been dark. Good to know we’re eskimo sisters,” you laughed harnessing every portion of sober you had, while taking so much effort considering the amount of shots that had already been consumed, “Feels so great to sleep with a popstar, am I right?”

Unsatisfied with her loss, she left the bathroom as your world shattered. Looking at yourself in the mirror, you began to shake, “This can’t be happening.” You shook your head from side to side, hoping something in your world would change. You found yourself praying that the last few moments hadn’t happened, instead wishing you could go back to living in ignorant bliss. Knowing what that truly meant, you found yourself putting your best face on, shuffling back to the booth where you had left everyone. Approaching the table, Calum smiles in your direction.

“Took you long enough. Want another drink?” Calum asked, pulling you close to him with one arm around your waist. He attempted to kiss your temple, but missed when you dodged the gesture, hoping to avoid any contact with him for the rest of the night.

“No drink, thank you,” you stood in a spot between him and Michael, not making eye contact. Never one for conflict in front of others, an effort you both made to save face, Calum didn’t pry but looked confused as he joined a conversation with Luke, and Ash about ordering more shots.

With the knot in your stomach, it was difficult to remain upbeat, so it only took moments for Michael to lean over, asking if you were “OK”. “I’m good,” you had answered, smiling back at him, more to convince yourself than him, which you knew was the sad reality of your life in the moment. Despite the truth you now knew, you were internalizing the worst kind of pain, in an attempt to salvage a good night. Due to his action, you found yourself taking solace in the fact that eventually he too would be in pain, hurt by what you knew.

With a pat on your thigh, Michael turned away with a smile. Looking at the others in the conversation, you had prayed for a good explanation, but your optimism was cut short when you remembered the 6 months following Calum’s blonde hair.

“The rough patch,” you whispered out loud, drawing attention from Calum.

As you stood there in shock, remembering how difficult the months with blonde Calum had been, you recognized the looks of worry on your tablemates’ faces. Following their eyes, you had realized their attention wasn’t on you, but instead behind you. WIthout turning, you suspected that the girl with similar hair and eyes was standing behind you with her black lace shirt, and red underlay. The look on not only Calum’s face, but Ash, Luke, and Michael’s face spoke volumes, confirming what you had hoped wasn’t true.

Calum had cheated on you.

“What are you guys all looking at?” impressing yourself with how well you were holding it together.

Luke and Ashton began opposite sentences, trying to come up with a good story, but neither were successful, so you moved your eyes to Calum’s. He looked as though he was going to be sick. His face was bright red, and he had begun to sweat. You turned to confirm what you suspected, seeing the girl with similar hair and eyes laughing with her friends. After making eye contact, you were aware that you could no longer hide. Stuck in your worst nightmare, in a very public place, you turned back to the members of the table, you made eye contact with Calum, “Who is she?” you asked, voice shaking, directing the question towards Calum.

You no longer cared about the girl with similar hair, and eyes, all that mattered in that moment were the next words that he created, “I don’t know. I’m not sure who she is,” you were disappointed to hear the lie continue, wishing you hadn’t seen what you had, because you wanted to be blinded with love enough to trust him.

You turned to Ashton. He had been your first friend in LA, and the one to introduce you to Calum. At that moment, you could tell by the look in his eyes, that he was begging you not to ask him a word about the girl. This piled hurt onto your heart, confirming what you had feared in the bathroom. His friends, people you had considered your friends knew about his infidelity all along. How had none of them convinced your boyfriend to tell you about it after it happened?

Redirecting the question to the entire table, you hoped one of them would speak up. When they didn’t, you spoke up more, louder this time, “Who is she?” If Calum was unwilling to admit what he had done, you were going to force someone else into it.

It seemed as though time stood still, as seconds passed by, Luke finally spoke up, “She’s a friend of Sierra’s. I’ll go say hi,” you look on in confusion, unsure if it’s a lie. When Luke hugs the girl, it’s confirmed that he does know her. It forces you to wonder if this is how Calum had met her? Through someone you thought to also be your friend, Sierra.

When it became obvious that Luke was asking her a question she didn’t like, her face turned angry, and you saw her look in your direction. Breaking eye contact with her, you had looked to Calum, who had moved his eyes from his drink up to the scene with Luke unfolding. The girl began shouting towards your table, and you felt forced to speak up, to end this before things got out of hand. While your friends continued their deceit, you couldn’t continue falling victim to it.

“Calum,” you hissed, “I know you slept with her. She told me in the bathroom,” you said it loud enough for only him to hear, but could feel the eyes of everyone on you. In another attempt to save face, you sighed loudly, and closed your eyes, blinking back tears in an attempt to take hold of your emotions, and continued, “Please go save your friend. I’ll be outside. I’m going to call an Uber, and if you aren’t there by the time it gets here, I’m going home without you.”

The look on his face spoke volumes about this moment. Luke appeared to be arguing with the girl with similar hair and eyes as you walked by to exit the bar. He looked surprised to see you leaving, and with Calum hot on your tail, you were sure it wouldn’t be long before he knew what was going on.

When you made it outside, you called an Uber, desperate to get out of here before the others made it to you. You immediately felt frustrated recognizing the cameras outside. With sunglasses on your face, you slipped past. You weren’t the one they were after, instead hoping for a photo of any member of 5SOS. As you took your spot on a nearby corner, you took inventory on how you were feeling. Drunk. Sad. Warm. Angry. Broken-hearted. Spiteful. Wishing Calum never exited that bar. Wishing Calum never existed. Wishing you didn’t exist.

A tear slipped down your cheek, as you heard the camera shutter click.. He’d typically wait inside for a car to come, but you knew you hadn’t given him much of an option with your ultimatum inside.

He politely handled the cameras, then came to join you on the corner. He stood close, but didn’t say a word instead taking your lead. You typically found yourself afraid of silence, instead opting for small talk with anyone, but always him. You loved to randomly ask him about his favorites, checking to see if they had changed, but in this moment, you knew you wouldn’t be able to speak without crying, so silence was what you chose. And it spoke volumes.

The silence continued through your shared Uber Ride. It had marked the single most awkward interaction for anyone in the car, including the driver. Never one to let the person who had hurt your feelings see you cry, you were fearful of speaking. Your inner voice was mocking you, reminding you of every insecurity you had ever held while dating a pop-star. That voice reminded you of the unflattering pap photos that had been taken two weeks ago, and the fact that the headline suggested you had gained weight. Had that been why he cheated? The voice accused Calum of being a liar, while your heart continued to hope he wasn’t. What types of words had he said to not only her, but other girls in the dark? Had he spoken the truth or was he lying the entire time?

As you stood in the kitchen of his home, you realized you had been on auto-pilot getting here.

“Babe,” he started the sentence with a pet name, moving closer to you. He attempted to make physical contact with you by touching your shoulders. You dodged his touch, instead pushing your back against the counter top, and crossing your arms. You were shaking with emotion, but you were unsure if it was sadness or anger. You didn’t make eye contact with him, needing to avoid it for fear of crying. He sighed and moved back to his original space across the island from you. He placed his hands on the counter, and looked you in the eyes. You could tell he wasn’t sober, and as he spoke, you could tell he was upset with himself, “It all happened so fast. Things weren’t - ya know, they weren’t going well with us. You wanted me to commit, and I- I was having a hard time with it,” you had moved your eyes to meet his, which he took as a sign to continue, “It’s not right, I know, but when I woke up the next morning, I immediately wanted to tell you, but - but the guys they didn’t think it was right, and so I didn’t, but that morning I knew I didn’t want to lose you so I came home, and ya know, I asked you to move in here, and things got so much better for us.”

For a moment you were beginning to forgive him, but upon his final words, you furrowed your eyebrows, confused.

He was right. It had been a turning point for the couple, it had also been a favorite memory of yours. Every conversation during that tour had been you wanting Calum to really commit. You didn’t want to get married, you didn’t even want to get engaged, you just wanted to quit paying two separate amounts for living spaces. It only made sense to you, spending more time at his house than at yours, meant that when you did try to spend the night at your place, it no longer felt like home. It also felt like the next step to you after a year of dating.

But for Calum he hadn’t been ready. You were unsure why, but you had felt firm in your beliefs, never failing to bring it up no matter where you were at. A romantic weekend in New York, the last time you had seen Calum before he returned home had ended in you choosing to break-up, but deciding against it at the last minute, citing stress of distance as a reason for your ever present annoyance with one another. Boarding separate flights, you had kissed goodbye at a security checkpoint, and vowed to really work on the relationship, but until he returned home from tour, neither of you truly made time for the other. Instead both of you had used work as an excuse, free times never lining up.

On the day he was returning home, you had been anxious in a negative way the entire week. On the day of, you could barely focus, sure you were going to go home and get broken up with, but instead you were surprised when you had returned home to a homemade dinner, followed by hot and dirty oral sex in the middle of the dining room table. When you had asked him what the occasion was, he hadn’t answered, “I’m trying to make up for the fact that I cheated on you”, instead opting for something sexier along the lines of, “I just couldn’t wait to taste you.”

The following days after his return were a whirl wind of hot sex, multiple orgasms, and so many words of affirmation that had caused you to feel terrible for ever doubting that Calum really cared for you. A week into his return home on your first date night since he had come home, he had pushed you against a wall, grabbed your thigh, and pushed himself into you so that his semi was lined up with your core. Excited by his bold move, you had moved to kiss him, but instead he stopped you, placing 1 finger to your lips with a “shhh”. You took a deep breath, and waited for him to continue, “Move in with me.” The words had knocked you into a state of bliss, having wanted him to speak them for months. You answered him with a hot, passionate kiss, pushing against him even harder.

To know now that it was clouded in his mind with the guilt he had felt for cheating was doing no wonders for silencing your inner voice that was continuing it’s assault on your self-esteem. Choosing for you the next words, “Did you ask me to move in because you fucked another girl?”

#5sos #calumhoodimagine #calumhoodoneshot #calum hood blurb #boyfriend!calum #calumimagine #5sosoneshot #5sosimagine

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imaginingsoftly · 4 years ago

Text

Wedding Date pt. 6 - Tyler Seguin

Type: strangers-enemies-lovers, series

Requested: no

Warnings: swearing, mentions of emotional manipulation and shitty exes, minor assault

A/N: one more part after this one!

Melissa had never been more thankful for facetime than she was on Saturday, listening to Kirsten gossip about work and John while she tried to stop her hands from shaking long enough to apply mascara. “Lissy, breathe.” Like always, her best friend picked up on her moods. “You look hot as hell, and Tyler is gonna lose his shit.” Melissa looked over to where her dress for the evening hung from a door frame. “And your dress is perfect, so stop freaking.” Kirsten glared at Melissa from her side of the video call, and Melissa choked out a laugh.

“I know it’s all irrational, I just,” Melissa sighed. She didn’t know how to put how she was feeling into words.

“He’s not Liam, sweetheart. Tyler isn’t gonna know how to act when he sees you in that dress.” Kirsten’s smile turned sympathetic. “I promise he’s a good guy, Lissy. I wouldn’t have pushed him in your direction otherwise.” Kirsten’s eyes widened as she realized what she’d said.

Melissa laughed out loud, all at once feeling the fist in her chest loosening. “So you admit you were setting us up?” Kirsten shrugged noncommittally, but Melissa could hear John yelling something about his “meddling lover” in the background. “Even John agrees, babe, you can’t deny it anymore.”

The pair hung up with promises to get together for a virtual wine night soon, and then Melissa was alone with her thoughts. Her ten minute warning alarm went off, and she slipped off the ratty t-shirt she’d been wearing to put her dress on. Dress shopping had been an unexpected novelty. In the time that she’d attended events with Liam, he’d bought the dresses for her. Melissa had told herself it was just because he liked spoiling her with dresses she couldn’t really afford, fancy designer labels she could only dream of wearing, but really it was about control. The dresses were usually accompanied by comments about being “flattering for her body” or bought a size too small to go alongside comments that she was gaining weight.

In hindsight it was so obvious what he had been doing, but in the moment it hadn’t seemed like much. She found herself second-guessing all of their conversations, everything he’d ever done. Now she was just doing her best not to transfer that doubt into her other relationships.

Curls brushed the small of Melissa’s back as she slid the dress on. The thick straps settled gently right off her shoulders, and the emerald silk settled snugly around her chest and middle before flowing gently to just below her knees. Melissa smoothed her hands over the fabric as she looked into the mirror. Kirsten was right, it really was the perfect dress for her.

A knock sounded at the front door of Melissa’s townhouse. She found herself smiling as she slid down the stairs, and her smile widened when she saw Tyler on the other side of the door. “Come on in, I’ve just gotta put my shoes on.” Tyler didn’t move. In fact he didn’t react at all; he stood in the doorway staring at Melissa expressionlessly. “Ty?” Melissa smoothed her hands over the dress again. Maybe her and Kirsten had been wrong, maybe it wasn’t good enough. “Are you,” she stopped to swallow. “Do you want me to change?”

Tyler’s eyes jerked to Melissa’s face. “Change?” He scoffed. “Sweetheart I thought perfect was you in that bridesmaid dress but this is blowing that outfit out of the water.“ He took two giant steps forward and settled his hands on Melissa’s hips. She looked straight ahead, memorizing the threads of gold in Tyler’s tie rather than meeting his eyes. “Baby,” Tyler said gently, “look at me.” He moved one hand from Melissa’s hip to her chin, lifting it gently so their eyes met. “You look beautiful.” She bit her lip, not quite believing him, and Tyler frowned. “He made you feel bad about how you looked.” Not a question, but Melissa nodded anyway. Tyler’s jaw tightened. “Show me your room.”

He didn’t leave any room for negotiating, and Melissa turned to walk up the stairs. She was hoping for some space, maybe a chance to catch her breath, but Tyler had other ideas. He gently gripped Melissa’s hand as she led him up the stairs and into her room. “Stand in front of the mirror.” Melissa’s stomach flipped. Tyler crowded her back, leaning his head down to whisper in her ear. “Trust me, baby.” Tyler looked dangerous standing behind her when she finally looked in the mirror, clearly angry if the set of his jaw and shoulders were any indication.

“You. Are. So. Fucking. Beautiful.” Tyler slipped his hands onto Melissa’s hips as he spoke, emphasizing each word with a kiss where Melissa’s neck met her shoulder. “That first time I saw you, in that giant shirt and no pants, I felt like someone had slapped me in the face. You were so fucking hot, with not a care in the world, and you’ve only gotten more and more beautiful the more I get to know you.” Melissa looked down. The heat in Tyler’s gaze was too much. He gently spun her around and lifted her chin again. It was becoming something of a signature move for him at this point. “I will fight anyone who tries to make you feel less incredible than you are. Baby, you deserve the world.”

Tears welled up in Melissa’s eyes, and she leaned forward to rest her head against Tyler’s chest. “I’m trying to remember that. I just can’t help but hear his voice in my head sometimes.” She just kept telling Tyler things that even Kirsten didn’t really know. It was like he had a shortcut to her brain and she couldn’t help but tell him the truth.

Tyler kissed the top of Melissa’s head and she sank even further into his touch. “I’ll remind you every day how beautiful you are if you need me to, sweetheart.” She believed him. Liam’s voice in the back of her mind grew smaller every day, and it was becoming easier to block him out.

A small splotch of foundation showed on Tyler’s dress shirt when Melissa finally lifted her head several minutes later. Tyler didn’t seem to care, even as Melissa dabbed a makeup wipe on the spot to get rid of it. He waved off her muttered apologies and pulled on her hips until their lower halves were pressed together. “Ty, you’re making this very difficult.” He released one hip, gripping both of Melissa’s hands in one of his own.

“Sweetheart, I don’t care about the makeup. Do you still want to go with me?” If she hadn’t already started to fall for the guy, those words alone would have been enough to do her in. He genuinely cared. She nodded slightly, and Tyler ducked his head down to meet her eyes. “I need a verbal yes or no here, Liss. You say the word and we take all this shit off and order a pizza.”

Melissa giggled and reached down for one of Tyler’s hands. “I didn’t spend over an hour on hair and makeup just to take it all off.” She began tugging Tyler in the direction of the door, and he obliged. “This shit is meant to be seen, Ty.” His laugh rang in her ears all the way out the door and gave her the extra boost of confidence to push Liam and his taught insecurities out of her mind for the time being.

_____________________________________________

Being Tyler’s date to events was quickly becoming Melissa’s favorite activity. They made quite a duo, and Tyler’s teammates were doing a fantastic job of boosting her self-confidence. It was all in jest, but she’s heard from no less than half the team that Tyler was lucky to have snagged someone as pretty as her. Every comment by his teammates was met by affirmation from Tyler, along with another whispered compliment in her ear. It almost seemed like he was trying to replace every negative comment from Liam with a positive one of his own.

Everything was going well until it came time to acknowledge the donors. Each donor was invited onto the stage to accept a signed plaque from the team, a bunch of bureaucratic bullshit that had everyone yawning and reaching for another glass of their drink of choice. Melissa was focused on Tyler’s hand slowly creeping up her thigh and the shininess of the bald spot on the top of their tablemate’s head. As a result, she was only halfway paying attention to the names of donors until his name was called.

Tyler noticed immediately the way Melissa’s head jerked up at the sound of Jim Nill calling out the last name “Baldrich”, and his hand tightened on her thigh. “No,” she whispered to herself. Tightening began in her chest as her heart literally skipped a beat. The feel of Tyler’s hand on her thigh disappeared as blonde hair and a slim form stepped onto the stage. Liam. She blindly reached in the direction she knew Tyler’s leg was and gripped his knee as hard as she could. Grounding. She needed to ground herself.

Liam’s eyes met hers through the crowd and she knew he had done this on purpose. He smirked, winked in her direction, and looked back at the front as a cameraman caught his picture. Slowly, or at least slowly in Melissa’s mind, Liam made his way off the stage. She lost him in the crowd. “Lissa.” Tyler’s voice sounded like it was coming at her from a tunnel. “Melissa.” She turned her head in his direction, and warm brown eyes roiling with concern filled her field of view. “Baby, what happened?” She tried to catch her breath, and Tyler finally figured out she was really losing it. He pulled Melissa to her feet and somehow she stood on wobbly legs to head outside with him. They didn’t stop moving until Tyler had pulled her into a family bathroom off the hallway.

“Baby, I know you’re having a panic attack right now, but I can’t help you unless you can tell me what triggered you.” Shit, he knew so much. Half the time she didn’t even realize she was having a panic attack. “Try and mimic my breathing.” Tyler squeezed both of Melissa’s hands until she met his eyes again, and he began taking exaggerated deep breaths. She followed as best she could, and some small part of her brain that wasn’t panicking recognized he knew exactly what to do.

He kept up the breathing until Melissa’s heart rate slowed and she could breath without narrowing her focus down to the rise and fall of Tyler’s chest. She leaned forward until her forehead rested at the base of Tyler’s throat, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly. It should have felt restrictive after the imaginary band that had wrapped around her chest only minutes ago, but Tyler’s arms felt different. Relaxing. “He’s here,” Melissa mumbled into Tyler’s chest. “Baldrich. That was Liam.”

Tyler’s arms tightened slightly before he released Melissa. “He’s here?” His jaw clenched when she nodded. “He followed you here.” Not a question, but she nodded again.

“I can’t think of any other reason he’d be here. They don’t have any corporate or family business down here.” Her stomach clenched at the implication. If that was true, he’d officially crossed over into stalker-ish territory. God, how had she gotten his personality so wrong?

As if he could sense she was about to lose it again, Tyler reached down to grip Melissa’s hands. “We’re gonna handle this together. We’ll go work on getting a restraining order tomorrow, and you’re getting a new phone number.” He gently gripped Melissa’s chin until she looked into his eyes. “I’m with you all the way, baby, but if you need me to step back you just say the word. You’re in charge here, okay?” Her heart swelled at his consideration, and Tyler held her chin until she nodded in response. “Good.” He kissed her forehead and stepped back. “We’re going to go back out there and say goodbye to everybody, and then I’ll take you home.”

Melissa leaned into Tyler’s touch as he guided her out of the bathroom with a hand on the small of her back. His hand was warm and reassuring, and his thumb swept a soothing pattern along her spine. The noise of the gala began to reach them again as they entered the main hallway outside the room, and Melissa stopped short when she almost ran headlong into Liam. “I thought you knew better than that, Melissa.” His voice grated along her spine, and she felt a cold sweat break out along her hairline. Just the sound of his voice was enough to make her freeze. “You can’t wear silk. It highlights the extra fat you have on your stomach.” One sentence, and he shredded through the fragile self-confidence Melissa had begun to build. She worked her throat in an attempt to clear the lump away. “Come on now, Melissa. It’s time to come home. Enough of this nonsense.”

A low noise came from Melissa’s left, and she glanced over to see Tyler nearly shaking with anger. It struck her then how different the two men were. One of them could make her feel beautiful and strong regardless of what she was wearing, and the other never really thought she was good enough. Melissa didn’t move, slowly reaching out a hand to touch Tyler’s. Liam clenched his jaw. “Enough. You’re acting childish.” Liam reached out and grabbed Melissa’s arm in a bruising grip when she didn’t move, and Tyler snapped. She blinked instinctively when Tyler’s arm came in front of her, and when her eyes opened again Liam was on the ground with a bloody nose and Tyler was standing in front of her protectively.

Melissa had a second to appreciate the look of Liam finally being taken down a notch before the Benn brothers and a couple more of Tyler’s teammates swept in from a few feet away. Jordie gently guided Melissa away, soft hands tugging her to the side while Jamie hauled Tyler back. Tyler was muttering under his breath, and Jamie finally pulled him close enough to Melissa that she could hear him muttering “he fucking touched her” over and over again.

Large hands settled on her shoulders, and she looked up to see Jordie’s gentle eyes staring down at her face. “You okay, sweetheart?” She nodded, and he cupped her cheek gently. “He’s lucky all he did was grab you. I don’t think coach would have appreciated having to bail Tyler and half the team out of jail tonight.” Melissa barked out a laugh, and Jordie looked pleased. Clearly he’d been attempting to make her smile, but she still sensed a bit of truth in his words. It was startling to realize she’d stumbled upon friends that would fight for her safety without a second thought. It was like Jordie could read her mind when he tapped her cheek gently. “You’re family now, whether you stay with Tyler or not. Nobody touches family.” The middle Benn stared down at her sternly, and Melissa nodded. She was getting that now.

Tyler and Jamie appeared on either side of Jordie, and he stepped back with a grin. Melissa had barely a second to reconcile everything Jordie had said to her before Tyler was sweeping in, hands on her face. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you?” She shook her head, and then Tyler’s arms were around her again. “You ready to go home?” Melissa mumbled a yes into his neck, more than ready to be away from the crowds and into more comfortable clothing. They said a hasty goodbye to the Benns and the rest of Tyler’s team and then they were gone, silent until Tyler had steered his car back onto the highway.

“I know you want to take all of this slow, but can I stay the night?” Tyler glanced over at her nervously and continued. “I don’t mean for any sexual stuff or anything, unless you want to obviously, I just don’t want to leave you alone tonight.” Melissa smiled at the sight of an expert player looking nervous over the idea of being rejected. He fidgeted, hands not sitting in one place on the wheel or various locations within reach.

One of Tyler’s hands came down to rest on the gearshift as he changed lanes, and Melissa reached over to grip it. Tyler peeked over at her from the corner of his eyes, and she brought his hand to her lips. “I’d really appreciate the company tonight, actually.” He visibly relaxed at her words, and Melissa held in a laugh. “Any chance you’d be down for a few beers and one of the late baseball games?”

It was Tyler’s turn to bring her hand to his lips, and she tried not to melt. “Baby I can’t think of anything better than you, beer, and baseball.”

#wedding date ml #nhl imagines #nhl imagine #tyler seguin imagine

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