#thank you for your patience w/ my art on your dash :)

[varlaisvea]

2024 Art Retrospective Thing!

I’m only going to talk about one thing.

I’m a writer, but in 2024, many decades into my life, I got to feel what it’s like when your art tools can adjust to compensate for your disabilities.

In September, I finished the best piece of visual art I’ve ever made (warning: spicy). It didn’t get a ton of notes—maybe it’s not awesome to others, but I still can’t believe *I* made it. I’m still in love with it and so proud of it.

The thing is, I write all the time. Writing is the currency of my brain; I’d be doing it whether I had anything to say or not. Writing comes naturally to me. Drawing does not! I’ve always liked drawing, especially figures and faces, but I was never great at it— I have had chronically shaky/numb/painful hands my whole life, so visual art was always frustrating to me.

THEN i discovered the tools Procreate has to stabilize and correct for shaky hands! Suddenly lines went where I meant for them to go and curves and angles took on the form I intended as I drew them. I thought it was my lack of talent that meant I couldn’t draw lines the way I wanted, but the art that emerged once those I turned those settings on was miraculous to me. I discovered I actually COULD control visual art the way I always thought I couldn’t.

I only kinda used a reference for the pose. Otherwise the whole thing came out of my brain. I still can’t believe it.

I’m making you look at it again. Please go look at the whole thing, but here’s a cropped closeup:

(I made a post about the symbolism behind all the jewelry in this crop, too. It’s also a pretty good summary of the story so far.)

But!!! I need to talk about what Procreate allowed me to do here.

Tumblr thinks the pr0n screenshot i used as a reference is explicit (it's not), and I'm pissed bc i wanted to show you how little of it made it into the final. At any rate, I started with a reference image of two people in a similar pose to this, and all that remains of it is the bottom character's shoulder and the top character's leg. Everything else--the folds and drape of the fabric, the light of the fire, the substantial changes to the pose—was math I did in my brain. I quite literally rotated my blorbos in my mind and then drew it. I had absolutely no idea I could do that.

I mean, maybe it looks like something that would be easy for an amateur to make, idk! But to me? It’s amazing! This was a stupidly difficult pose I chose for myself, and I did it. It has a lot of strange shit in it and you can still tell what’s happening!!! The weird twist of her head and braid, the strange way his arm is angled, the way fabric covers every joint on the body you would otherwise use to orient yourself to what you’re seeing… I did all of that math in my mind, and I still pulled it off.

It took me 250 hours in Procreate. I later discovered character posing tools online that might have made this a whole lot easier, and I’ve started using those for subsequent art.

Idk why people didn’t really like this. Maybe it’s bc ESO is not super popular on tumblr, maybe it’s bc of the ostensibly heterosexual/cisgender pairing (both false!!!! btw!), maybe it’s bc of the conventionally attractive bodies? idk! but honestly, I still love it. this is my achievement of 2024 no matter how many notes it has, bc it represents an immense gift I received in 2024: I learned that after all these years, I actually did kinda know how to draw. :) Thank you Procreate!

[nakurumok]

Happy birthday <3 <3 <3 <3 it's always such a joy to see you & your art on my dash <3 🥳🥳🎉🎉

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!! Thank you so much for your patience things are super crazy these recent months, so I got so little time to draw ; w ; Thank you so much for putting up with me I will try my best ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

And wish you a great 2024 ahead!!

[dolcetters]

Listen here you funky little creativity filled 'dogs should vote' human. We've known each other for pROBABLY TEN FULL YEARS and my brain is just going to spontaneously combust about that. it's fine. not only has your writing and art always been fantastic and *chef's kiss*, but you've stuck with my nerdy dumb ass for that long and i want you to know how thankful i am for that. even if we don't talk to each other every day, i look forward to catching up with all the things you're working on -

what drew you to my blog initially,  and what, so far, has made you stay?

———————-•••••———————-

“- creatively or just what makes you happy in your spare time. and if that i also get to see all the antics on the dash? and riza and dol dealing with their many idiots. and winry bringing him blackberry cobblers every time she visits (andkeepingthemawayfromeveryoneelsebutmostlygreed). or whatever the h*ckin else we dive into, I'm happy to call you a friend and follow you around this hellsite i mean hell. dol is a treasure and i love the depth you've put in after all this time. hayate gives tomat (2/2)”

———————-•••••———————-

NO, you listen to ME you BEECH.

i hope you know you’ve been an inspiration to me since our DA days, from character building and art to just being an awesome human person, and i’m so... BEYOND fucking grateful to still be talking to you after all this time and to dab on old jokes and BE TOTAL VIRGOS and fdljgkdhslfhgsd god, i just love you so much, i hope you know that?!

we may not talk ALL the time as you said, but it always brings me great comfort knowing that you are just a message away and that we can talk about serious things just as easily as we goof off. you make me laugh and your take on both riza and her little eldritch god on a leash is just 💋👌✨ and i love the concept of dol and riza just being Eternally Done with their families (in the most loving of ways, of course), and WINRY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM IS HONESTLY JUST... so good. i want to wrap your muses in blankets and make them coffee for their generosity and patience and the same goes for you. 

virgo season is almost upon us and we will soon be at our most powerful.

get your leisuring suit on, you beech... heyll yeauh.

[crackimagines]

The Black Eagles meets persona users. What happens?

Hooo boy, this has been on the backburner for a while, huh? 

Sorry to keep ya waiting! Thanks for your patience,  dtgvxg! I hope you enjoy!

—-

For those Unaware of Persona 4, or the series in general 

A Persona is a physical manifestation of a Persona User’s personality, referred to as a “mask” for an individual to use to face hardship. They use them to fight Shadows, which are born from humans, and carry with them human emotions, which are mostly negative.

The Investigation Team:  A team of Persona Users who are tracking down a serial killer in their hometown, Inaba, who is also a Persona User.

RIGHT TO LEFT, TOP:

Yu Narukami - The leader of the Investigation Team. He is known for being quite but polite, but for also for doing some really weird and whacky shit

Yosuke Hanamura - Best friend of Yu, can be a wiseass and is at the butt of most of the jokes in the team, but he cares deeply for his teammates and would never betray their loyalty.

RIGHT TO LEFT, BOTTOM:

Yukiko Amagi - At first very introverted, but once the team got to know her, she is a very strange person, from enjoying horror in actual horror environments, and laughing at the weirdest things. 

Chie Satonaka -  She has a bright and upbeat personality, often trying to cheer up the group by joking about the case. She can be somewhat short tempered, especially with Yosuke, and is slow to back down from a challenge.

Alright, we dicked about for long enough about info, LETS BEGIN!

Black Eagles meet the Investigation Team the main 4 anyway (Persona 4)

—-

THUD!

(Yosuke) “Ugh, I think I cracked my ass…!”

(Chie) “Shut up, no one wants to hear about that!”

(Yukiko) “Um…where are we?”

Everyone took a look around, not recognizing their environment.

(Yu) "One second we were in the midnight channel and…Wait, where’s Teddie?”

(Chie) “Huh? Oh crap, he isn’t here! How are we going to get out?!”

(Yosuke) “I…I think we’re in the real world? This wind feels too real to be the midnight channel. And I don’t think I can sense any shadows nearby.”

Yukiko crushed a tarot card, and summoned her Persona, and everyone else checked to do the same.

(Yu) “We can still summon our personas but…”

Yu took off the glasses he used for the Midnight channel. Ordinarily, the Midnight Channel was extremely foggy, and the glasses helped ward off the fog so they could see clearly. But in this strange world, they didn’t need it.

(Yosuke) “Huh, our glasses don’t seem to be doing anything. What the hell’s going on?”

(Chie) “Oh hey, I think I see something!”

They all turned around and saw a massive monster approaching.

(Yukiko) “I-Is it wishful thinking to say it’s friendly…?!”

GRAAAAAAAAAH!

(Yosuke) “VERY!”

(Yu) “Tch, looks like we don’t have a choice! Get ready for battle!

Yu pulled out a katana, Yosuke drew his dual kunais, Yukiko unsheathed her fan, and Chie got into a martial art stance.

(Edelgard) “Professor! The demonic beasts have suddenly changed course away from us!”

(Byleth) “What? But why would they…?”

(Ferdinand) “H-Hey! There’s a group of kids they’re going after, I think they’re students!”

(Byleth) “CLASS, PREPARE TO INTERCEPT, WE NEED TO RESCUE THEM!”

(Hubert) “Hold it, those students appear to-”

“PERSONA!”

Summoned from seemingly out of nowhere, four spirits suddenly appeared the students, shocking the Black Eagles class and the monsters.

(Yu) “IZANAGI!”

The spirit behind Yu flew out ahead of him, and sliced at the monster’s head with its giant blade, making it stagger back in pain.

(Caspar) “WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!”

(Yukiko) “Come, KONOHANA SAKUYA!”

The petals on the spirit’s arm spread out, unleashing a blazing hell onto the demonic beast, melting it and instantly killing the beast.

Two more took its place, charging straight at them.

(Chie) “TOMOE!”

Her spirit kicked one of the beasts away, and used the pole-blade to fight it off, dodging the bites from the beast.

The other one made a mad dash for the students, everyone jumping out the way as it hopped into the air and chomped the air, attempting to eat them.

(Yosuke) “JIRAIYA!”

The spirit spun around in the air, summoning a mini-tornado and completely enveloping and shredding the demonic beast, after a few moments, it fell dead onto the floor.

Tomoe finally hit the beast it was fighting down, making it stunned.

(Yu) “Alright, TIME FOR AN ALL OUT ATTACK!”

(Yosuke) “GOT IT! LET’S GO!”

They all charged alongside their spirits, attacking from 8 different directions on the beast while it was on the floor, hopping back at the same time, it exploded into black matter, making it vanish.

Black Eagles Reactions:

(Edelgard) “W-What was that?! I’ve never seen such power used before!”

(Hubert) “Stay back, Lady Edelgard! They could be hostile to us!”

(Bernadetta) “A-Are they using ghosts or something to fight people?!”

(Linhardt) “How…How fascinating! I must study them as soon as possible!”

(Dorothea) “Wow, that was a spectacular performance, but terrifying!”

(Caspar) “What even was that?! CAN I DO THAT?!”

(Ferdinand) “Calm yourself, Caspar! That could be some dark form of black magic!”

(Petra) “Words in your language could not describe the amazing happening!”

(Byleth) “Come on, we’re not out of the woods yet, we need to get them out of here and into safety!”

Byleth and the Black Eagles class moved towards them, and they seemed to be at ease.

(Yu) “Oh, actual people!”

(Byleth) “We came to save you since you were in trouble but…It seems you got the situation handled.”

(Yosuke) “Oh thank god!…Wait, they’re not Japanese?”

(Yukiko) “Are we in Europe?”

(Edelgard) “Your…rup? I’ve never heard of that country before. You’re in Fodland, in the territories of the Adrestian Empire.”

The four looked at each other. None of them had a single clue of what any of that meant.

(Yukiko) “Why is everyone dressed so weirdly?”

(Chie) “Y-Yukiko! Don’t say that, that’s rude!”

(Caspar) “Speak for yourself, your clothes are unlike anything I’ve ever seen!”

(Ferdinand) “And now, YOU’RE being rude…”

(Byleth) “Well, your powers are unlike we’ve ever seen. Are you mages?”

(Yu) “Um no. It’s not magic. Those were Personas…Wait, were those shadows?”

(Hubert) “I can see where this conversation is going, so I will cut it briefly. It seems that you are not from our world, am I correct?”

(Dorothea) “Not from our world?”

(Bernadetta) “W-What other explanations could there be?! Their weapons and the way they fight, their…Personas…?”

(Linhardt) “Personas, yes…What are they?”

(Yukiko) “Well they’re…uh…It’s actually kinda hard to explain…”

(Byleth) “I see. Well, we should talk somewhere safer that ISN’T crawling with monsters. We need to head back to the Monastery before nightfall.”

Yu looked at his team, waiting for a response.

(Yosuke) “Unless we got any ideas, I think we better.”

(Chie) “Man, this is so weird? What’s going on?!”

(Yukiko) “Let’s get going, shall we?”

(Yu) “It’s decided then. We’ll follow you, mister…?”

(Byleth) “Byleth. And you are?”

(Yu) “Yu. That’s Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko.”

Everyone nodded, and began conversing with the four as they headed back.

The team had no idea what they were in store for.

[jitterzart]

Bit of an Update

Hiya all, sorry for becoming quiet and then dropping off for a day or two.

A bit of life news below, but the TL;DR is that I’m okay, family is okay, just need some rest from over exhausting myself and getting a small cold. Sketch requests, interactions and owed art to be done as soon as I’m recharged. <’3

On Tuesday I ended up biking a really long way to the ER to check in on my brother who suddenly went there straight from work. The wonderful news is that he is okay and he was released the same day. PHEW!

Unfortunately that means I am paying for my sudden mad bike dash to the hospital... and so am doing a lot of bed rest and soup. (Cause I went into a hospital, you always get 1 free cold per visit! and soup is low pain to make.) I’m also on a new medicine from my doctor that has been really stressing my body, so the recovery time for things has been longer than usual. OTL So I guess we’ll see how this goes??? I also ended up not hurting myself too much on the bike ride but instead by sitting at my desk and leaning slightly over to place a notebook to the side?! Somehow?!

My brother, who is not quiet 100% yet but would like stuff to do to take his mind off the scary ER visit, is taking the chance of me being mostly a pain-pancake to work on my computer since he was doing computer work for a friend already but has mostly finished that. (I also had his graphics card from when we were testing things to get Photoshop working again and he wants to test other things.)

So... once all that is settled I will get back to the sketch requests and owed drawings. ;w; Thank you for your patience and understanding. <3

[hookedonapirate]

Wild at Heart (Chapter 6/?)

Read: Prologue Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5

Graphic Art credit to the lovely and wonderful @jell-obeans Thank you so much!

Summary: Born and raised by rich parents, Emma Nolan has always done what’s expected of her, from what clothes to wear to what school to attend, what career to pursue and even who to marry. After graduating from Harvard and going back home to Storybrooke, South Carolina, she agrees to marry Oz Walsh by the wishes of her parents. With a year of engagement behind her, she goes to Boston for business and has to fly back home to get to her wedding. What happens when she has a run-in at the airport with a dashing, blue-eyed thief who is apparently bound and determined to throw a wrench in all of her plans? Will she make it back to Storybrooke on time for her wedding or will she find her home along the way?

Rating: M

AO3 FFN

A/N: I apologize for the slow updates and short chapters, and I thank you all for your patience! This one is a bit longer and includes some Neverland goodness. Hope you enjoy!

Emma woke up the next morning, surrounded by impossible warmth and blissful comfort. She found it very difficult to move, other than to tighten her hold and bring the warmth closer to her.

 It wasn't long before she realized that her right arm and leg were wrapped around something - or rather someone - and her face was buried in the crook of his neck. Her eyes flew open and she peered up, seeing Killian sleeping peacefully, seeing his chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm and seeing that her hand was clutching so tightly onto his necklace charms that it made her palm numb. She also realized that she had stolen all of the blankets; they were draped over her so that the only thing keeping him warm was her body molding into his in the most delightful way possible. She enjoyed the feeling, and easily concluded that it was something she could certainly get used to.

 She quickly shook those thoughts from her mind. She couldn't think like that. She was to be married in approximately thirty hours.

 Emma needed to remove herself from the bed. Slowly and ever so carefully, she started maneuvering herself out of his hold, lifting his hand from around her hip and quietly resting it on his chest. It was certainly a difficult process separating herself from Killian's embrace, but somehow she managed to sit up and stand from the bed.

 Seeing that it was seven o’clock, she went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, deciding that she really needed to stretch her muscles.

 Her morning routine normally consisted of waking up at six a.m. and practicing her yoga, and since Killian was still sleeping, she decided that now was the best time. She pulled her hair into a bun and changed into a pair of dark grey yoga shorts with adjustable ties on each side, a black sports bra and red tank top.

 Emma was several feet from the end of the bed, the sensation of her muscles straining in unusual but familiar ways as she contorted her body, attaining a perfect form with ease. Yoga was something that thoroughly took her mind off of work and other stresses of a typical day for her. And it was indeed what she needed right now, the stress of her situation melting away as she alternated between different positions, her body easily flexing, and forming perfectly poised shapes.

 Transitioning her body, she laid on her stomach, using her forearms to hold her weight up before walking her feet into a Dolphin Pose with her elbows. Her palms were placed shoulder distance apart, her gaze focused between her hands and her butt raised up in the air. She was feeling very relaxed at this point, unaware of anything or anyone else in the room.

 Keeping her core engaged, she drew her shoulder blades into her back and extended her right leg up into the air, pressing down firmly into her elbows before bringing up her left leg as well. Bending her knees and sending her feet toward her head for a Scorpion Pose, she took a few slow breaths while holding her position.

 “That's certainly a sight to wake up to.”

 Even as balanced and focused as she was, Killian's seductively silky voice almost sent her crashing to the floor.

 “Talk about good form, love.”

 His words sent a shiver down her spine.

 “As much as I prefer a woman on her back, that is a very striking pose.”

 She suddenly felt self-conscious under his scrutiny, even though he seemed to enjoy the view she was offering him. Knowing that she was drawing his gaze, created a new tension in her muscles and she brought her feet back down, planting them on the floor before rising.

 “Don't stop on my account.”

 “I'm not. I'm almost finished anyways.” Avoiding any sort of eye contact with him, she laid flat on her back and closed her eyes, trying to relax her mind again, but it was very difficult under Killian’s piercing stare from where he sat on the edge of the bed. “Don't you know you're not supposed to interrupt someone while they’re engaged in their yoga workout. You're disturbing my zen. That is bad form, Jones. Very bad form.”

 “Apologies, love,” he said in a more quiet voice. She couldn’t see what he was doing, but she heard him milling about for a few moments before she heard the jingle of his keys. “I will go and get us some breakfast. What would you prefer?”

 “A blueberry muffin, please.” Emma replied quickly, her stomach growling from hearing the word ‘breakfast’ . “And a skinny Mocha Cappuccino with cinnamon and nutmeg, extra whipped cream.”

 “Sorry love, I don’t believe there’s a Starbucks around here,” he said with a chuckle. “And I’m pretty sure the hotel only has regular coffee.”

 Emma sighed. “Fine. I’ll take my coffee black then.”

 “Your wish, Princess.”

 She heard the footsteps from his boots against the floor before the door was being opened and then shut with a soft click, leaving a peaceful silence in the room.

 When she was finished with her yoga routine, she grabbed her outfit for the day and went into the bathroom, taking a long shower. She couldn't wait to purchase a phone and call her parents to let them know that she was alright. She couldn't wait to hear their voices.

 After a thoroughly long shower, Emma stepped out of the tub and wrapped herself in a towel. She started rummaging through her bag, trying to find her curling iron, but then she remembered she’d left it in her suitcase. Without even thinking, she stepped out of the bathroom, finding Killian packing his clothes into his duffle bag. A warm sensation filled her cheeks as she stepped over to her suitcase, lifting it up onto the bed. She unzipped it and started searching for her curling iron, feeling the brunt of Killian's stare.

 “Love, I’m not complaining or anything, but you best be careful how you go strutting around. We both know what happens when one of us is in nothing but a towel.”

 Emma looked up from her suitcase to see a big smirk on Killian’s face, his cheeks rosy red as he steered his eyes away from her, raising a playful brow.

 She could feel the redness of her cheeks only growing as a small smirk curved her lips, amusement laced in every word. “Yeah, except, with the tables turned, you don’t have the balls to do what I did, and I’m not as gullible as you are, so any tricks you have up your sleeve won't work on me.” Her eyes reverted back to the luggage, and she pulled out her curling iron, feeling Killian’s eye on her again. He made his way around the bed and approached her, his grin never fading. “Love, what did I tell you about challenging me? You know I never back down on a challenge, so unless you want that towel ripped from that gorgeous body of yours, choose your words very carefully,” he threatened in a playful tone.

 Emma turned around to face him, and he took her off guard when she found him so close to her that she could feel his breath brushing over her skin as her eyes connected with his. Her gaze briefly fell to his mouth before she realized what a mistake that was. His tongue was darting out and sweeping over his bottom lip in a very obscene manner, causing her breath to catch in her throat.

 “I would gladly finish what we started; all you have to do is say the word,” he informed her, his accented voice deep and plagued with mischief, the sound tugging at her belly.

 A shiver shot down her spine, and she recalled the previous day, when she boldly yanked off his towel and stroked him in her hand. Arousal started pooling in her core as she remembered how incredible he felt in just her palm. She couldn’t imagine how incredible he would feel between her legs. Emma’s eyes dropped to his lips again and she thought about how amazing it would be to kiss him, the memories of his eager tongue on hers, flooding through her mind. Emma clutched onto the lapel of his jacket, unable to draw in air as she was seriously contemplating just letting herself have him. She could easily see that Killian wanted her just as badly; he was ready to pounce.

 She shuddered, her lips closing the distance, but just before they touched his, she summoned every ounce of control within her and pulled away, releasing her grasp. “I can’t… I’m… I’m getting married tomorrow.” It pained her to utter those words, and Emma could see the disappointment flashing in his eyes, but he managed a small smile.

 “Of course, love. I understand.”

 “You do?” She asked, arching an eyebrow.

 “Aye. I understand you want to do the honorable thing. I may be a thief, but make no mistake… I also believe in good form…” he was stepping even closer, her breath rushing past her lips and her heart racing erratically in her chest as his crystal blue eyes bore into hers, “so when I win your heart, Emma…” he said, his eyes scanning the features of her face, “and I will win it… it won’t be because of any trickery. It will be because you want me.”

 Emma swallowed thickly, seeing the promise in his eyes. “I have to... I have to get ready... so we can get the car to the shop,” she stammered.

 “The car is already at the shop. I called a tow truck from the front desk while you were in the shower. I also called a cab. It's picking us up in half an hour.”

 Emma had to collect her bearings as she gave him a nod. “Thank you.”

 “It's not a problem, Emma,” he assured with a smile.

 “Oh and I have your letters. I didn't want to just leave them in the car.” Emma left him to retrieve the papers from her bag, handing them over to him.

 “Thank you.” Killian took them graciously, tucking them securely in his own bag.

 “No problem,” Emma murmured as she started walking towards the bathroom with her curling iron. “I’ll be done soon.”

 Emma's stomach was coiled in knots the whole morning. After she got ready and ate the blueberry muffin Killian he'd retrieved for her, they took a cab to the repair shop, where they were told it wouldn't be done until the next day because it was literally the only repair shop in town and they were pretty backed up.

 “This is ridiculous! We don’t have time for this!” Emma huffed, frustrated and impatient as they walked out of the garage. “I’m supposed to be getting married tomorrow, Killian. What the hell are we going to do now?!”

 Killian gently placed his hand on her arm, tugging her to a halt and urging her to look at him. “Emma… we’re only seven hours away. We’ll pick up the car early in the morning and we’ll drive non-stop until we get there.”

 “But Killian, I have to get my hair done and get into my wedding gown. And what if we get stuck in a traffic jam or your car breaks down again?”

 “Well, Emma, can’t your parents postpone the wedding for a few hours, or a day?”

 Emma sighed in frustration, sinking her face into her hands. “I suppose,” she mumbled. She didn’t know if this was a blessing or a curse. And what made it worse was Killian putting his arms around her, holding her to his chest and gently rubbing her back to soothe her. She allowed her body to mold into his.

 “I’m sorry, love.”

 She knew they could have found another mode of transportation, but she couldn’t ask Killian to give up his prized yellow bug. She knew that it was more than just an object to him. It held a lot of sentimental value and she couldn't ask him to leave it behind. Emma sighed into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in the crook of his neck.

 Killian dropped a gentle kiss to the top of her head, squeezing her more tightly. “Hey, perhaps they’ll have it finished before they close today. We’ll check back at 4:30, how about that?”

 Emma nodded against his shoulder. “Okay.”

 “Alright, why don’t we call your parents and get some lunch?”

 “Okay,” Emma agreed, however, she didn't want to leave his arms. Somehow, she did.

 ~*~

 “Hi Mom, it’s me.”

 “Emma?! Oh Emma, we were so worried about you!” Mary Margaret shrilled out, her words strangled and muffled through her tears.

 Emma's heart broke, knowing her mother was hurting from not knowing if her daughter was okay. “I know,” she breathed, doing her best to hold back a tear of her own. “I’m fine, I promise.”

 Her mother sighed out in relief. “Thank goodness.”

 Emma asked how everything at home was going, and how Dortha was doing. They chatted for a few minutes before she summoned the courage to ask her the dreaded question she’d been reluctant to ask. “Hey… so, would it be possible to postpone the wedding? I’m going to be a few hours later than planned. We just had some car trouble. But we’re leaving early in the morning.”

 “Oh… actually, Emma, we already had it postponed.”

 Emma's eyes grew wide with shock. “You did?”

 “Of course we did. We wouldn't expect you to get married immediately after such a horrible, traumatic experience.”

 On one hand, Emma was wracked with guilt. On the other hand, she was utterly relieved.

 “Are you sure about this? I don’t want to upset the guests or everyone that you hired for the wedding.”

 “Honey, I don’t care if they’re upset or not. This is your wedding, and your father and I want you to be able to enjoy your special day. You are our daughter, and you are the only thing that matters to us, got it?”

 “Okay.” Emma managed a smile. There was something different in her mother's words. She thought, maybe her mother had done a lot of thinking and contemplating since she found out that her daughter wasbeing held for ransom . Maybe Emma could tell her mother the truth about her desires to not marry Walsh. “Mom…”

 “Yes, sweetie?”

 “There’s something I need to tell you.”

 “What is it, Emma?”

 Emma drew in a deep breath. “I... I…” the words stumbled out of her mouth, and somehow, she couldn't do it. She was too afraid; too afraid to let everyone down. “I love you. I love you and Dad... so much.”

 “We know, sweetheart. We love you very much too. But don’t worry, you are going to come home to us, okay? Just please get here safely.”

 “I will. Can I talk to Daddy?”

 “Of course, sweetheart.”

 Emma waited for a brief moment until she heard her father’s gentle voice on the other line.

 “Hey, Princess. Are you okay?”

 “Yeah, I’m fine. Our car just broke down and we have to get the engine replaced.”

 She heard him sigh into the phone. “How long will that take?”

 “They told us it wouldn't be done until morning.”

 “Okay… where will you be staying?”

 “In a hotel. We have a room for the night, no worries.”

 “That’s good. Is he treating you…?”

 “He’s treating me fine. I promise, you don't have to worry about that.”

 Her father exhaled a deep breath. “I’m your father. It’s my job to worry about you.”

 “I know,” she said with a soft smile. “Father, can I ask you for a favor?”

 “Of course. Anything for my daughter.”

 “Please... don’t get the police involved.”

 “Emma-”

 “Please, I mean it. This guy… he’s not as bad as you think. I can’t tell you why, but he really needs the money. Just please don’t turn him in.”

 “But Emma, I’m a former police officer. Do you really think I could just let this go?”

 “No, but… please… do it for me, do it for your daughter,” she pleaded, “and trust me… you will not regret it.”

 “Okay… I’m putting my faith in you, Emma. I won't, I promise.”

 Emma could tell by the sound of his voice that he already contacted the police, but he couldn't say that over the phone, for fear that the phone was being bugged, or that her captor was forcing her to trick David into admitting that he already did. “There will be no police involved when I drop off the money. You have my word, Emma.”

 “Thank you.”

 “Of course, sweetie. But you do understand that if he doesn’t bring you back to us exactly as you left, I will take matters into my own hands?”

 She smiled again, a tear rolling down her cheek. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. I love you, Daddy.”

 “I love you too, Princess. Get home to us.”

 “I will. Promise.”

 “Oh, Walsh is here. He just came through the door. He wants to talk to you.”

 “Okay.” Emma cursed under her breath, wiping her tear as she heard her father passing the phone over.

 “Emma. Are you okay?”

 “Yeah, I’m fine,” she assured, wearing a fake smile.

 “He didn’t lay a hand you, did he? Because I will kill that assho-”

 “No, he would not hurt me.”

 “You don’t know that, Emma. Don’t trust him. He's nothing but a lowlife piece of scum!”

 Emma gritted her teeth, trying to refrain from defending Killian, but she didn't want Walsh to grow suspicious as to why she would be defending him.

 “Let me talk to that fucking bastard!” Walsh demanded harshly. His words, however, were not completely sincere, like he was only putting on a show for her parents. Walsh would never get this emotional; that just wasn't him. He wasn't passionate and he wasn't assertive. He was a boring furniture shop owner. His business was his life. The only thing he would ever get upset about is if his shipment didn't arrive on time.

 “I’m sorry, he can’t talk right now.”

 Walsh got angry and his voice grew louder as he went on, making several explicit death threats for her to pass along to Killian. Emma held the phone away from her ear, not even listening to a word he was saying. Finally, she spoke into the phone again, interrupting him. “I’m sorry, Walsh. My time is up. I have to go.” She didn’t even wait for a response before she ended the call.

 Thank God.

 She immediately threw the phone on the pavement, watching it shatter to pieces. She picked up the debris and threw it in the trash.

 “All set, love?” Killian asked, gracing her with a smile as he approached from inside Granny's Diner, bringing food; grilled cheese sandwiches and onion rings for her, and fish and chips for himself. She nodded and sat down as he placed the trays on the picnic table and took a seat across from her. “How are your parents? Are they doing okay?”

 “Yeah, They’re fine. The wedding has been delayed for now.”

 “Ah, that’s good, right love?”

 “Yeah, it is. We don’t have to rush to get there.” Emma picked up her sandwich, taking a small bite. She was glad that he talked her into this little diner a couple miles from town. Her grilled cheese sandwich was delicious. She hadn’t had one since she was very little.

 “You sure? I mean, if you really want to get back to your parents, we can find another way.

 Emma arched a brow in surprise as she gulped her food down. “You’d leave behind your bug for me?”

 Killian nodded. “Aye. But just so we’re clear, I would only do it to get you home so that you can be with your parents, not so you can marry Walsh quicker,” he said with a small smirk.

 Emma shook her head, his words sending goosebumps over her skin. “I can't ask you to give up your car.”

 “It's only an object, love. I can survive without it.”

 “But it's worth more than that. Even if we replaced all of the items that were destroyed in the Sheldon’s house fire, or built the exact same house brick by brick, those things still wouldn't hold the exact same memories. A cherished possession is not just an object. It holds value that money just can't replace,” Emma said earnestly.

 Killian studied her features carefully. “What have you lost that was valuable to you, love?”

 “Nothing.” Emma shook her head, trying to wave off the question.

 “Tell me, Emma.”

 She slowly sighed in defeat. “Fine, if you really want to know, it was my Walkman and my cassette tapes. My father bought them for me, and I listened to my music whenever I had the chance,” she explained with a small smile, her eyes lighting up with nostalgia. “It was my escape.” Her smile faded as her eyes fell to the food on her tray. “But then, one night, my mother found them in my dresser drawer while she was doing laundry… and she got rid of them. She said they were not worth my time.”

 Killian's features fell as he put a gentle hand on her arm from across the table, causing Emma to lift her head, her eyes instantly locking with his. “I'm sorry, love. You are right, those that hold memories cannot be replaced, but some things we can't hold onto forever. That's just part of life.” He spoke the words as though he knew all too well what it was like to have something taken away.

 “What about you? What did you lose that was valuable to you?”

 “I would say my family, and my Milah, but you can't lose something that never wanted you in the first place.”

 “What happened to them?”

 “My parents gave my brother and I up for adoption when I was a baby and he was only four. He took care of me when he turned eighteen, but then disowned me when he found out that I became a thief.”

 Emma swallowed thickly, lifting her hand to the table and placing it over his. “I'm sorry. How did you become a thief, anyways?”

 “It's sort of a long story,” Killian sighed, threading his fingers into hers. “It all started with Milah. I met her while she was stealing from a convenient store. I told her I wouldn't turn her in if she gave me a kiss,” he said with a chuckle. “We were only fifteen at the time.”

 Emma’s lips curled into a soft smirk. “And let me guess, she accepted your offer?”

 “Aye. Then we started dating and I found out she and her brother, Neal, were living on the streets, and they both stole in order to survive. I convinced my brother to take them into our tiny apartment that he paid the rent for, but then he found out Neal had stolen some money from him and when he found out that I knew about their thieving ways, he kicked all of us out. The only thing we had were the clothes on our backs and the yellow beetle that Neal had stolen. The three of us were inseparable, and we became an unstoppable trio, always thinking about our next move, and how to get food or shelter.”

 Emma’s heart ached for him, hearing about his struggles growing up as she soothed her thumb over his. “So then, what happened to them?”

 “Milah eventually left us. She grew tired of our lifestyle, so she fled in the middle of the night.” Killian’s eyes grew very solemn as he tightened his hand around hers. “The police found her body in the river.”

 Emma’s breath hitched, goosebumps crawling over her skin. “Oh my God. Do they know what happened?”

 “They found evidence of a struggle. She was killed, but they never found out who murdered her. After that, Neal gave me his car and had me take him to New York. I haven’t her heard from him ever since.”

 “That's awful. I'm so sorry.”

 Killian flashed her a small smile. “Thanks, love.”

 Emma's heart constricted in her chest. She couldn't believe all of the people he'd lost. “Thanks for telling me that. It know it must've been hard.”

 “It's okay. I figured it was the least I could do for everything I've put you through.” They released their hands and continued eating their lunch. “I have an idea. Why don't we do something fun after we eat?” he suggested, dipping his fry in ketchup. Emma cringed as she watched; she hated ketchup.

 She averted her gaze away from the display and raised a brow in curiosity. “What did you have in mind?”

 Killian lifted his head, a mischievous smile falling upon his lips as he inserted a fry into his mouth, his eyes never leaving hers.

 Oh Lord , she had a feeling that whatever he had in mind could not be good.

 ~*~

 “Oh no, I am not doing that.” Emma shook her head as she stood in front of a salon she would never dare step into.

 “Oh, come on, Nolan. Live a little bit. I promise, you won't regret it.”

 “Yeah, until my parents decide to kill me when they see it!”

 Killian gave a soft shrug, a crooked smirk curving his lips. “So get it where you're parents won't see.”

 Emma scoffed. “Yeah, I'll just get one on my ass, I'm sure my future husband would love that,” she spat sarcastically.

 “I don't think Walsh would know what to think.”

 “Who said I was talking about Walsh? My parents would see my bare ass before he would ever see it again.”

 Killian laughed. “I take it, you have another lucky lad lined up to be your future husband then?”

 “I'm just saying when Walsh and I get divorced and I manage to find a guy who I actually like.”

 Killian opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped himself.

 “You know what? You're right, I need to live a little. I'm gonna do it.”

 He smiled widely as she approached the door, reaching for the handle. “That a lass.”

 Emma hesitantly stepped into the tattoo parlor, Killian following behind her. Luckily they accepted walk-ins, and she was given a binder with tattoo designs.

 She looked through the different designs as she sat on a lounge chair with Killian, and decided on a simple design with music notes. He smiled and offered to go back with her to hold her hand. He said it would be painful, but Emma was more concerned with how sterile the needles actually were. She made it very clear to the artist who would be working on her tattoo that she was a lawyer. The man only chuckled and took her back through a black curtain that led her into a room with a massage table.

 The artist left the room, and Emma's stomach was in knots when she saw the various needles on the tray. Regrettably she had chosen to have the tattoo on her ass - just above her left ass cheek, to be exact. Killian, of course was very amused by this idea, but Emma chose to ignore him. She let him stay in the room though, and told him to avert his eyes as she unbuttoned her pants, pulling them halfway down her butt. She took a deep breath and laid on her stomach before the tattoo artist entered the room again.

 “Are you sure you don't want your fiance holding your hand? This is going to be painful.”

 “No, that's okay. My fiance's an ass,” she replied sarcastically, not even bothering to correct him as she flashed Killian a smirk. The man obviously noticed the ring on her finger and just assumed.

 “Oi!” Killian frowned and stuck out his bottom lip into a pout, making her giggle.

 She heard the snap of a plastic glove before the artist began. She quickly realized just how correct they both were. Emma gritted her teeth, keeping a tear from escaping her eyes as she let out a small whimper.

 “Doing alright there, love?”

 When she didn't answer, because she was too busy squeezing her eyes shut and biting her tongue, he came to her side.

 “Here, take my hand.”

 Emma didn't hesitate to take it, squeezing it tightly. She entwined her fingers into his, keeping her mind focused on other things, like how good it felt to hold Killian's hand, or the way her heart stammered whenever he was near her. She thought about their morning together, and how she woke up wrapped in his arms. She thought about how she’d never felt this way about anyone before in her entire life. And she liked the feeling. However, she hated the feeling of being tattooed. It hurt like hell.

 “Would you like to see your fiance’s tattoo before I bandage her up?” the man asked after he was finished.

 Killian smirked and looked down at Emma. “You don't mind do you, sweetheart?”

 Emma's heart skipped a beat and she shook her head. “No, I don't mind, babe,” she replied with small smile.

 Killian released her hand and walked over to the exposed area. Her face felt very flushed, especially when she heard Killian whistle. “Mm, it’s a beaut.” He then stepped over to her again, leaning down to speak quietly in her ear. “The tattoo looks good too.” Emma felt the blush deepen in her cheeks, and her smile grew even wider.

 The artist took a picture, showing it to her before cleaning the area and applying ointment and a bandage. Emma let out a breath of relief, seeing that it wasn't a bad job. In fact, she kind of liked it.

 The man left the room as she started to get up, and Killian turned around as she pulled up her pants. “Oh, now you're going to get all shy on me? You just got a peek of my ass,” Emma laughed as she zipped and buttoned up her pants.

 Killian turned around, offering a smug grin. “Believe me, I am not shy, just being a gentleman.”

 Emma rolled her eyes as she started walking towards the curtain. “We should probably leave before he thinks we’re in here making out and enjoying my new tattoo a little too much.”

 “I'm not opposed to making that a reality, love.”

 Emma snorted as she left the room, Killian hot on her heels. She shuddered pleasantly at the thought.

 When they emerged from the parlor, her tattoo was sore as she walked, and she was immediately regretting her decision. Emma couldn't believe that she just got a tattoo on her ass.

 “What now, love?”

 A slow, broad grin crawled across Emma's lips. “Now, it’s time to do what I want to do.”

 “And what would that be, love?”

 Emma pursed her lips in contemplation. “Hm... we’re going shopping.”

 “Love, believe me, I'm not opposed to that... but that's your brilliant idea?”

 She smirked, mischief dancing in her eyes. “No, it's not. We’re going shopping because you, Killian Jones,” she said, poking him in the chest, “are going to dress up and take me dancing.” Emma didn’t wait for him to respond before she turned around and started walking away.

 He quickly caught up with her, a hopeful grin on his face. “So we’re going on a date?”

 She gave him an eye roll as they continued walking down the sidewalk. “We can pretend it's a date. How about that? People seem to think we're together anyways.”

 His smile only grew as he tilted his head to look at her. “You’ve got yourself a deal, love… and a date.”

 “Not a date,” she corrected, holding back a smirk.

@rouhn @iejimi @kmomof4 @katie-dub @ijenny16 @lovepurplepumpkins@jennjenn615 @piratesbooty63fan @galadriel26 @ladyciaramiggles @andiirivera @queen-of-dancing-stars @galadriel26 @juliakaze @nfbagelperson @hey-it-is-jess @mcakers @kobe116 @phoenixsxul @winterbaby89 @allie-jimenez123-blog @lindseythompsonxoxo @ultraluckycatnd @its-about-bloody-time-cs @acaptainswaneternity @fleurreads @love-with-you-i-have-everything​

[woodys]

 art credit: ★ cnwgraphis ★ ( pls check out her work she’s one of my fave artists ;0; ♥ )

UPDATES ( 3.1.2017 )

I just wanted to make a quick ( as I can ) post of stuff going on since it’s been nearly a week since my official move into this blog. ♥

First of all I wanna say a huge THANK YOU to all of y’all who decided to follow me over to this blog. Some of you know how much I ( used to ) jump blogs and I never ever expect you to follow me back, but you did anyways and I just thank you for putting up with me. ;u; Also a thank you to some mutuals from my old account for the refollow. I was following you still after all those years i’ll probably follow you till the end of time. BUT I’M SO GRATEFUL THANK YOU. ♥ Ya’ll have all made my dash always feel like home and with a smaller dash now, i’m so happy to see all of you more often!  \ ; u ; /

Secondly, while i’ve been having fun with my revamped little tagging system, I just want to make mention of my frequent tags list. Just in case you want to blacklist some particular posts or interests of mine, that page is the list of tags i’ll ALWAYS use for those particular posts. (if I don’t spell it wrong askjfnaslf) Also i’m really trying to stay a N-S-F-W free blog. SO IF YOU SEE SOMETHING ON MY BLOG THATS IN THAT CATEGORY I PROBABLY DIDN’T NOTICE THAT IT WAS THAT KIND OF CONTENT AND YOU’RE WELCOME TO LAUGH AT ME.

Thirdly, I think i’m also ready to take maybe one or two more plots to my handful! Just know that i’ll still be a little selective, and if I decide not to plot please don’t be upset. ;u; ♥

Now as far as general stuff, I think that’s it. Under cut is geared more to my RP partners and other pals I chat with. ♥ Thanks for reading!

@ my RP Partners

FUN NEW THING FOR YOU!

If you haven’t found it already, my character & opposites tag page is here! Some of the names aren’t lit up with a pretty little link yet....that’s because I haven’t thought of a fun little tag yet...and that’s also where YOU can now come in! 

As much as I love coming up with little tag descriptions for characters, my mind can only think of so many. SOOOOO if you’d like to suggest a tag name for your character ( my opposite ) OR any of my characters ( that you know and play against ) It can be anything really: lyric, song title, quote they’ve said, ANYTHING that you feel best describes them i’ll probably be game for it. The quicker I can get tags for them the more I can start dropping things in their tags. Just make sure that it’s something appropriate and easy for me to remember. ;u;”

You don’t HAVE to do this, but if you think of something before I do and want to pitch it my way, i’d love it honestly. Then i’d have an even more touch of you on my blog. ♥

ANYWAYS...

I’m working toward getting back on track with all my replies and threads again. I’m nearly there, but not quite. So keep on hanging tight for me! I really appreciate all of your patience! ;u; ♥

I’m ALSO working to finally ironing out details for newer plots and getting those started. I have a small handful AND an attention span of a goldfish BUT i’m going to try to finally talk final details out and get those up and running.