#that's always been my thought process of how it works
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mortisghost · 2 days ago
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About the OFF Prologue
Thank you very much to everyone who played the Off demo! We're delighted that the response was so numerous and enthusiastic. Your comments and feedback will be invaluable to the team for the final phase of development.
Regarding the feedback that focuses on differences from the original version, which often necessarily involves the new soundtrack, but also a few other small changes : I can easily understand the difficulty some of you have in appreciating elements that replace those you've known and are attached to. But I want to remind you first and foremost that this version doesn’t intend to replace the previous one, which remains and will always remain available for free to everyone. At no point there's any intention of "removing" - one way or the other - the Alias ​​Conrad Coldwood soundtrack, which is a very important part of the atmosphere of the original experience. Constraints forced us to choose to offer you this new soundtrack, which should be seen as another musical dressing for the world of Off, and not as a "final edition," canceling the previous one.
Moreover, the creative process for this new soundtrack was not solely driven by an attempt to recreate the exact same atmospheres as the original. I personally asked the artists to maintain a certain degree of freedom, and thus avoid falling into the somewhat impossible exercise of identically recreating existing atmospheres. As an artist myself, I thought it was more interesting to give the musicians a certain amount of room for expression and interpretation, not only so that the pieces they compose are interesting in themselves, and not just as reproductions, but also because I believe this is one of the aspects that makes the experience of this new version surprising and interesting.
I also know that for several of the excellent artists tasked with creating new music for this version, it was a source of rather intense pressure! Everyone on the team loves the original game, and knows how important its soundtrack is.
All that being said, the Dedan battle theme, which seems to have been a specifically controversial point, will most likely receive some changes between now and the final release.
Finally, I've read a few times about Toby Fox's supposedly dominant role on the team. Please believe that, as involved as he is in the game's development process, not only does he have no final decision-making power (which is more in line with my position), but he also works with us with enormous respect (and fear) for the source material. Of the entire team, I think he's the one who felt the most pressure from the fans, and still does. I ask you, please, to be assured of his sincere involvement and humble devotion to the project and to the batter's messianic quest.
The idea of ​​replacing the dopefish with the dog from Undertale was mine, as the green fish is copyrighted; we were afraid Apogee would annoy us.
Well, that's all for now. I hope you're all well, thank you again for your support and your thousands of encouraging comments. I hope you'll like the final version!!
Have a great day everyone, go play Deltarune; my boss forced me to tell you.
Bye
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tucsonhorse · 3 days ago
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Her art is absolutely gorgeous and she is impressively skilled.
As someone who knows how to do a wide variety of arts/crafts and regularly puts them together I have thoughts on how she may have come up with this, and it definitely wasn't all at once. Building the idea step by step makes it much easier to come up with, and when you think about it that way it becomes much simpler to conceptualize.
Rambles about that below the cut
I'll preface this by saying that these specific techniques are not ones I work in, I am assuming that the thought process behind growing into a combination of these techniques is similar to the process of combining the techniques I use (primarily a variety of fiber construction techniques often combined with small electronics, clay/sculptural work, painting, and leather).
Based on the way the skills are combined, I suspect that she started with painting/drawing or the bas-relief, possibly both separately around the same time, and combined those two first.
The way the techniques are combined looks to me like the bas-relief is brought in as a way to complement the painting, so to speak. To me it looks like the color work is the primary focus and the other things are there to accentuate and complement it.
I feel like I'm not making sense, so here's a "dramatic" retelling of how it may have gone (abridged)
My flower paintings are great but I want more dimension than I can get with paint. Hey cool, this bas-relief stuff gives great texture, I wonder if I could make it work with my paintings to give them the pop I've been wanting. *Time passes with much practicing* I really like how that worked out, I would love to get more shine in some places though and these metallic paints just don't do enough/don't act how I want them to. I wonder if I could paint it on a mirror or glass? *Experimenting happens, realizes it would work better to put the mirror on the painting* cool, guess I'm gonna learn to cut mirror now!
And voila!
I'm not trying to say it's easy or not impressive, just like, it's not superhuman, it's not something another person couldn't do if they developed the same skills and played a bit. Art is like any skill set, with enough practice and devotion, anyone can do impressive things. You just have to want to.
But maybe that's just me cause I was raised doing art since before I can remember and it was always "play around, figure it out to make it look how you want, there's no rules in art".
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veephoenix · 3 days ago
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bubbles & snow — noah sebastian
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Summary: Noah comes home from work right on time to give his babygirl a bath with lots of bubbles 🫧
Words: 1.8k | pairing: noah sebastian x reader + their daughter | my works | 🏷️ tags: girldad!noah, bathtime, tooth-rooting fluff | Author's note: these thoughts wouldn't leave my mind since yesterday so here it goes ✨
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Bubbles & Snow
I had just finished undressing our nearly three-year-old daughter, getting her ready for her evening bath, when the front door downstairs shut, announcing someone’s arrival. The sound was followed by the familiar zipper being undone and shoes being kicked off.
Our little girl snapped her head up toward me as I continued crouched on the floor, gathering her clothes to toss in the laundry hamper. Her big brown eyes went wide with excitement, eyebrows shooting up as if she’d just made a grand discovery.
“Daddy,” she half-whispered half-exclaimed, as though I didn’t already know who had just come home.
Before I could stop her, she was off—bare feet pattering across the floor as she darted out of our bedroom and into the hallway. I called after her, reminding her to be careful, but there was no slowing her down. Noah had been gone all day, and she missed him like crazy.
Our house had two levels. The upstairs, where the bedrooms were located, had a hallway that opened up to a loft-style landing with a wooden railing, overlooking the spacious living room below. From there, you could see the main entrance and most of the ground floor.
My baby skidded to a stop at the railing, grabbing the wooden bars and peering down, eyes bright and full of anticipation.
“Daddy!”
Noah stepped into the living room, smiling brightly as he looked up at her. His hands rested loosely on his hips.
“Who’s this little lady, running around the house with no clothes on?!” he asked, mock-scandalized.
“’S me, daddy!” she declared proudly. “‘S bath time!”
“Bath time?” he echoed, eyes widening in exaggerated surprise. “No way—that’s my favorite time!”
Without missing a beat, he tugged off his white T-shirt dramatically, then he made a theatrical dash for the stairs, trying to peel off his socks mid-run, nearly tripping in the process, sending our daughter into a fit of giggles.
“Faster, Daddy!”
“I’m trying!” he said with urgency, stumbling over his own feet. She squealed with laughter, jumping in place, her long wavy hair tumbling down her back like a waterfall. We hadn’t taken her to a hairstylist for a while and it really was time for a trim.
“Daddy, you’re silly!”
“I think I broke my ankle!” 
“No, you didn’t!” she shot back, unable to contain her laughter.
Grinning, he scooped her up into his arms the second he reached the landing. She melted against his bare chest, squealing and squirming as he greeted her by covering her cheeks in loud kisses. Then, with one arm wrapped tightly around her, he made his way toward our suite.
Seeing Noah holding our daughter like that—her always looking so small in his arms even as the years passed—was a sight that never failed to send a flutter of butterflies through my chest.
As he approached me, looking intently into my eyes, he caught the hem of my loose T-shirt between his fingers, tugging me toward him for a kiss.
“Hi, love.”
“Hi,” I said, smiling. “How was work?”
“Good. But now that I’m home with my girls?” He made our daughter bounce on his arm. “Even better.”
My heart melted a little. Just a little.
“I was just about to give her her evening bath. The tub’s already full and at the right temperature.”
“Bubbles!” Our baby girl squealed, throwing her arms in the air.
“Perfect. I’ll hop in with her,” Noah said, nudging his head toward the bathroom. I could tell by the way he looked at me that he meant: Take a break, you’ve earned it.
I’d been with her all day, and while I loved spending time with her and didn’t want to miss a second of her childhood, I couldn’t deny how much I appreciated a few quiet minutes to myself.
I whispered a “thank you” as I stepped aside with her tiny clothes bundled in my arms and left them to their bubbly, lavender-steamed bath. 
Five minutes later, I was stretched out on the sectional in our living room, trying to lose myself in the book in my hands. I’d cracked it open with every intention of escaping into another world for a while as Noah washed our baby and got her hydrated and ready with her pjs, but focusing was proving to be a challenge. 
From upstairs came the sound of laughter and splashing water (Noah had left the bathroom and bedroom doors open, so their world kept spilling warmly into mine.). I could hear our daughter squealing, filling the house with her sweet sounds. I tried to concentrate, my eyes scanning the same paragraph for the third time, but my attention kept drifting back to the chaos above me.
“Daddy, you’re a snowman!” I heard her say, her voice bubbling with delight.
Immediately, the image of Noah sitting in the tub, legs bent, absolutely covered in white foam, bubbles piling up on his head and shoulders popped into my head. I bit back a smile, the corners of my mouth twitching.
I turned another page I hadn’t actually read, the words blurring as sounds continued to drift down from upstairs as the minutes passed.
There was the gentle splashing of water, Noah’s deep, low voice, and our daughter’s endless giggles and mispronounced words bouncing off the walls. 
“Okay,” Noah said, in his best dad voice, “arms up!”
“Nooo!” she squealed, knowing what came next.
“Come on, arms up! We’ve got to clean those little armpits. Very important business.”
“No, Daddy, that tickles!”
“You know I’m just doing my job. It’s either that or you’re going to be a smelly baby.”
“M’not smelly!” She countered, and I could see her pout and the glare she was probably sending to Noah so clearly in my head.
“You won’t be if you let me wash you properly. Arms up, come on.”
“No tickles, ok, daddy?”
“Okay. No tickles, I promise.”
“Good Daddy.”
I heard Noah laughing to himself as she praised him with that authoritative voice she must have picked up from him, probably from when the rest of the boys were around and he bossed them around about business.
“Arms up now, and close your eyes.”
Before he even touched her, I could tell she was already squealing and trying to clamp her arms to her sides.
“Daddy, no!!”
Noah didn’t reply. He focused on washing her, making sure she didn’t slip under his touch and sink into the water. He told her to be still a couple of times, using his serious dad tone.
“Not again, Daddy,” she whined after a minute. “I want to be smelly.”
Noah’s snort reached the living room.
“Smelly babies can’t sleep with their mom and dad on the weekends. Did you know that?”
“Yes, they can! Don’t tell lies, Daddy!”
Noah shook his head, trying to contain a smile, biting his lower lip as he looked down at the tiny creature submerged in water up to her chest, facing him as she sat caged between his bent legs.
“Jesus,” he muttered, starting to wash himself, “so dramatic for a two-year-old.”
“I’m not dramatic!” she shouted. Splash.
“Yes, you are.”
“No! I’m Elsa!” she declared suddenly. I could tell she tried to stand up too quickly, because I heard Noah say, “Easy there.”
“I have snow powers!” she continued. “Look!”
I was so tempted to get up and go upstairs to peek and watch the scene unfold with my own eyes. But I stayed put, imagining exactly what was happening in the bathroom.
“Oh no…” Noah said, voice slow and warning. “Oh, no! She’s freezing me! Somebody help!” 
“I’m throwing snow at you, Daddy!”
“Aaahh!” he shouted, making the water slosh so much that some of it spilled out of the tub.  “I’m freezing! I’m drowning in snow!”
I snorted, letting the book drop from my hands to the cushions beneath my legs. Noah’s tall frame was probably awkwardly folded into our standard-sized bathtub, and now he was pretending to be defeated dramatically with snow and suds thrown by our daughter in some imaginary battle. 
About twenty minutes later, I heard the creak of the stairs and the soft pad of footsteps.
When I looked up, I saw Noah and our daughter coming down to meet me in the living room.
Noah had a white towel wrapped around his waist, and another twisted into a bulky turban on his head. In his arms, our daughter was bundled up like a burrito, tucked in tight in her towel, arms free, a miniature towel-turban wobbling on her head, slightly off-center. They looked like posh spa models. 
“Mommy, we match,” our baby announced, putting a hand on her towel-turban.
“I can see that,” I chuckled.
“She insisted,” Noah replied, shrugging. “Couldn’t say no.” 
“I am clean now,” she said proudly, her skin shiny and hydrated. “I’m not smelly. Can I sleep with you and Daddy?”
I shared a knowing look with Noah, and all I got back was that warm, love-filled expression. He could try to teach our daughter that she wouldn’t get to spend the night with us unless she was good and followed the rules, but the truth was, Noah was the one having the hardest time letting her transition from our room to her own.
He loved morning snuggles and waking up to little fingers pushing at his side, telling him the sun was up and reminding him that Nick would scold him for being late to the studio if he didn’t get moving.
She stretched her arms toward me as Noah rounded the sofa and stopped in front of me, gently handing her over. I scooped her up, and she toppled into my lap.
“Of course you can, sweetheart,” I said to her, kissing her pink chubby cheek. “Mm, you smell good, that’s true.”
“I smell like a flower, Mommy?”
“Like a lavender burrito, if you ask me,” Noah replied, flopping down next to us, legs spread, sinking into the cushions. He looked at us for a beat before lifting an arm to adjust our baby’s turban. “You should’ve seen her in action,” he said to me. “She froze me with snow powers. I barely survived.”
“No way.” I took her by the arms and lifted her so her toes touched my thighs. “Is that true? You froze Daddy?”
“But it wasn’t real, Mommy. Just suds and bubbles. I didn’t hurt Daddy.”
Noah draped his arm around my shoulders and tilted his head until it touched mine, both of us gazing lovingly at our daughter.
“You didn’t, baby,” Noah reassured her in a low, gentle voice.
“But he tickled me. Here,” she said, pointing to her left armpit.
“No, I didn’t,” Noah shot back quickly, raising an eyebrow and pointing at her. “I cleaned you. That’s different.”
“I don’t like it.”
“But now you’re clean and smelling so nice, aren’t you?” I said, bouncing her gently on my lap. “Tell you what,” I added, pulling her closer and brushing my lips against her ear, sending Noah a mischievous glance, “why don’t we tickle Daddy tonight when we go to bed?”
Immediately, her face lit up, and within seconds, a grin spread across her entire face.
“Yes!” she exclaimed.
“Two against one? That’s not fair!” Noah replied.
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rafeysafterglow · 2 days ago
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silver springs
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pairing: rafe cameron x ex!reader summary: 5 times reader haunting rafe’s narrative (+1 when he finally moves on) warnings: angst, no happy ending, suggestive, mentions of depression, rafe x sofia in the end, paragraphs in italics indicate flashbacks a/n: my first 5+1 fic :p this is my fave work yet so pls don’t let this flop 😓 lowq hate the subtitles but oh well
1. the morning after
rafe opened his eyes, finding himself in the same position as last night, where you left him. his head pounding, body heavy, eyes bloodshot, he looks around his living room. the couch he unknowingly slept on caused his back to ache.
the whole room was a mess, bottles littered the floor, the air stank of weed and piss, and lamps knocked over. last night was another typical night for him, hosting a party while ward and rose was away. his eyes trained on the clock, noting that they would be back home soon. but that’s the least of rafe’s worries.
last night, you broke things off with him, which came as a great surprise to him. he tried the best of his abilities to recall exactly what you said, despite all the alcohol and coke clouding his mind.
“it just isn’t working out, rafe. i think we should break up.”
at first, he didn’t think you were being serious. for him, he had been having a really fun time with you. turns out, the feeling wasn’t mutual at all. for him, he really thought you and him could go somewhere, farther in a relationship than he had ever gone. this realization terrified him, but throughout the months of pure bliss that was the relationship, he learned to accept it. oh, how sideways things would go.
rafe remains lying on the couch, unable to move his body. he felt your absence intensely, mainly because, you used to be the person who helps him get back into shape after a hard night.
he felt your hand graze across his face, your warm and delicate fingers contrasting to his cold cheeks. although his eyes was still closed, he could feel how close you were, your scent invading his space, your breath caressing him.
“rafe. rafe, baby, wake up,” you whispered, gently nudging him. his eyes opened, confusion evident in his expression, before calming down after realizing it was you. “here, drink this water, baby.”
he took the glass of water from your hands before sitting up and drinking it. you took the now vacant spot next to him, your palm roaming around his back, your face pressed against his bicep.
rafe downed the water in seconds, droplets coating his lips. you tilted your head up towards him, catching the beads of ice water with your lips before pecking him. before you could pull away, though, he grabs the back of your head before smashing his lips against yours, making his way down your throat, and nestling his face into the crook of your neck.
he was always like this whenever he was hangover, clingy and needy. you tried to ignore the fact he was ever only like this when he isn’t himself. you two stayed like that until the cleaners arrived.
rafe plays that memory in his head, still in denial that you are no longer part of his life. no one will ever tend to him during a hangover anymore, a reality he needed to accept, fast.
2. the post-breakup
it’s been a few days since you left him. he hasn’t been able to get you off of his head. every minute, every second, he sees you, just a figment of his imagination. he has tried, many times, to reach out, but he held himself back each time, fearing that it’ll make things worse.
he’s been moving as if he does’t exist anymore. days pass, he wakes up, eats, showers, and goes back into deep slumber. his movements doesn’t register in his mind, he works like a wind-up toy, his consciousness far away.
sometimes, if he has a short window of awareness, he would acknowledge his depression-like ways, but then your face flashes across his mind, and the process repeats.
truth be told, this breakup hits him harder than he expected. the thing he hates most is that he had no explanation from you. just a short “we’re done, rafe.” he thought you were happy because, hell, he was. he really was happy with you. happiest he’s ever been. and he knows it’s because of you.
your kindness, gentleness, and tenderness touched him right in his heart. you showed him warmth and affection when no one in his life had.
no one comes to check on him. he has burned too many bridges with the people he cares most.
the day he breaks the pattern is the day you text him. he was lying on his bed, as per usual, when his phone chimes. he didn’t even hear it, before a second one comes in. he grabs his phone without changing position.
hey, rafe.
can i come over? i wanna get my stuff.
he stares at the message, words blurring together. after a minute to digest things, he slowly got up and scoured around his rooms for your things.
your hoodies, which you kept here in case you wanted to stay over. your skincare routine, which is stored in small travel containers. your charger, which you brought here because you two kept arguing over his. your glitter tumbler, which you call your “comfort water bottle” and bring it everywhere you go. and many more.
he gathers them all, ignoring the strain on his heart whenever he finds another item of yours. he shoves them all into a box, not even glancing long enough to register what it was. that is until he comes across the one thing he wanted to forget. your blanket.
the door clicks open, signaling that rafe was home. you were snugged in between a mountain of pillows on the sofa, tv already on and hamilton filling the screen.
rafe’s heart skips a beat at the sight. you, making yourself at home at his house. this is what he’s been yearning for all his life. somebody he could come home to. somebody for him to love and love him back.
“rafe! you’re finally home! i didn’t wanna fall asleep before saying goodnight to you,” you squealed, arms opening to invite him in. he immediately drops everything in his hands and joins you on the couch, your arms embracing him. after a long hard day, this is what he needed.
you and rafe curled up together, underneath a thick patchwork blanket, one he’s sure he’s never seen before. “this new?” he asks you, face buried into your hair.
“oh! i completely forgot! i made this, look! i sewed our old clothes that no longer fit together. see, this is your old varsity jacket,” you say, pointing to the logo, “this is my old onesie i used to wear a lot when i was a baby,” your finger moved upwards towards a soft-pink fuzzy square.
he swears, his heart couldn’t take much anymore, he felt like he was going to explode from your sweetness. what did he do to deserve somebody as caring and attentive as you? whatever god he prayed to, he would be doing a lot of thanking in his lifetime.
you continued to point out and mention every single square of the patchwork, not noticing how rafe was admiring you, barely listening. “i love it, i love it a lot,” he whispers, afraid that if he spoke one more word, his throat would constrict.
you two spent the night coddled up, the tv in the background softly buzzing, with your voice humming along to hamilton.
rafe wishes more than anything to erase that memory. no, what he wishes most is to hate you, to resent you. but, how could he? if only he could only recall the worst parts of you. then, maybe this grieving process could progress even faster.
he shoves the blanket roughly into the box before carrying down the stairs and dropping it on his front porch, not giving it a second thought. he would rather die than see your face again.
3. the accidental encounter
there comes a time after a separation that you, inevitably, run into your ex. rafe has spent the last month sulking around his house, only going out to places he’s sure you would never go to. this day, though, he was forced by topper and kelce to join them at a bonfire.
reluctantly, he agreed. frankly, he was tired of being a miserable loser who mopes over a girl.
he sits on top of a hill, drink in hand, already half empty. staring down at all the people mingling, he wishes he was one of them. even with the deafening music, blinding fire, and pungent smell of sweat and alcohol, he still couldn’t take his mind off of you. what were you doing right this moment? were you thinking of him, like he was with you?
he took a giant swig of his drink before his eyes landing on somebody in the crowd. you. it seems like his body instantly knows where you are.
god, you look amazing, blissfully unaffected by the absence of him in your life — a complete contrast to him. he hated how happy you looked, how only he was suffering from the aftermath and you continued living your life normally.
as if you could sense rafe’s gaze, your head turned towards him, your eyes meeting his straight away. your eyes widen just a little, not wanting to give him the satisfaction that you’re affected by his nearness.
quickly turning your head back, you nod your head along to whatever your friend was babbling on about. you tried your hardest to refrain from facing him again, to see how he was doing, to apologize to him with your eyes.
you could still feel his eyes on you, which makes you wonder what he was thinking about. little did you know, he was reflecting on the night he introduced you to his friends for the first time, on this exact beach.
rafe’s arms thrown over your back, he lead you towards his group of friends. no amount of debating or protesting from you could keep him from making his way across the bonfire, winding through the crowd.
topper, kelce, and a few other people who often mingled with them, sat around on tree stumps, in a circle around a small fire. “yo! rafe! where the hell have ya’ been man?” topper called out, raising his beer bottle in greeting.
you and rafe stopped nearby the group, your side pressed against his. the cool air breeze blew in between your coat, making you shiver. that, and the anxiety coursing through your body. “yo, guys, i wanna introduce you to my girl. we’ve been dating for a while,” rafe declared, definitively.
he nudged you lightly, which causes you to wave and introduce yourself with a slight smile. the whole group all said their hi’s simultaneously, with no sign of disdain, which you — secretly — expected.
rafe sat down at the only available space, in between kelce and a girl you’ve never seen before, pulling you down and placing you on his lap, not caring how others gave you the stink eye. the girl beside you started chatting it up with you, jabbering on about ‘girly things,’ rafe claimed.
as the conversation carried on, rafe couldn’t help but hold on to your waist tighter, feeling unreasonably content with how easily you integrated into his friend group, how comfortably you fit into his life.
by the time the reminiscing ends, rafe’s bottle is empty, telling him it’s time to leave. he bids top and kelc goodbye, ignoring the complaints spilling out of their mouths. he trudges through the sand, leaving everything behind him, you and the memories that haunt him.
but, it seems that fate has it out for him, because as he walks out at the same time as you. “rafe,” you call out, your face regretful.
he stops, mid-step. he debates whether to completely ignore you and walk away, or to hear you out. as much as he wants to do nothing but hurt you the way you hurt him, he chooses the latter.
“you look good,” you comment, your eyes going down his figure. he was sporting his typical asshole rafe facade, which, strangely, made you miss him more.
“yeah, yeah, uh… ya’ look good too,” he slurs his words, feet swaying a little. before you could voice out your worry, he opens his mouth, “look, uh… i gotta go. yeah, see ya’.” he raises his arm in goodbye, and stumbles down the hill.
you stare at him for a little while longer, trying to swallow the feeling that he was itching to get away from you.
4. the first date
after the unfortunate meet-up, rafe decides enough is enough. he’s rafe fucking cameron. he doesn’t get hung up over a girl, he moves on to another one. any girl on the island would be more than willing, at least, that’s what topper told him. but, he decided to finally give the bartender from the club, who has been making heart eyes at him, a chance.
sofia hasn’t been able to stop giggling since they arrived to the restaurant, and it’s getting on rafe’s last nerves. she’s practically jumping on her seat, hair twirling, and subtle leg grazes underneath the table that she thinks is turning him on.
coincidentally, he chose the exact same restaurant you and him went to for your first date. or, maybe, his subconscious chose it. in his defence, the food was good and he enjoyed the overall experience. he didn’t think that it was because of the company he had.
the waiter takes the orders and sofia opts for the salmon. oh hell, what are the chances she would pick the exact same think as you did? rafe stares at sofia, his mind away, before snapping back to reality as the waiter calls on him.
after the waiter leaves, sofia wastes no time before starting a conversation. she drones on about some nonsense that you couldn’t pay to make rafe care, as he’s distracted by the intrusive thoughts of you.
“rafe! you didn’t tell me we were going to somewhere fancy! i would’ve dressed better,” you berated him, following him towards your table.
“stop, ya’ look perfect as is,” he whispered into your ear and kissed your neck before pulling out your chair. you sat down as you wondered about how this is the rafe cameron your friends warned you about.
you both ordered — salmon for you and steak for him — before settling into a comfortable conversation. he asked you some basic questions about yourself, and you answer as truthfully as you can.
by the fifth question, you grew tired of the one-sided questions. “what is this? some sort of interview? why can’t i ask you something?” you teased.
“okay, go on, ask me something then,” he smiled against the glass of his drink, “but i thought ya’ already knew everything about me from the stalking ya’ did with your friends.”
your face burned with embarrassment, having been called out. you recalled the time you and your friends stalked his profile, and your friend, god bless her, accidentally liked his post from two years ago.
“yeah, i don’t know what you’re talking about,” you said, sheepishly. you looked around the room, trying to think of a question that would throw him off. “do you prefer cats or dogs?” you asked, not able to think of a better question.
“that’s your question? do i prefer cats or dogs?” he mocked, “oh, that’s too personal for me, sorry. ya’ stepped over the line.”
“hey! it’s an important thing to ask someone! for me, it’s a deal breaker,” you whispered.
“it’s a deal breaker, huh? well, i better answer this right,” he pretended to think for a moment, “cats. i prefer cats.”
“oh. good job, cameron. you answered correctly,” you tried your hardest not to seem that affected by him, you didn’t want to feed into his already-too-big ego.
the food came, you two ate while continuing taking turns asking each other questions, and after rafe payed and a quick make-out session in his car, he dropped you off in front of your door.
“so, is a second date in the cards for me?” he smirked, thumb caressing your cheek.
“hm. i guess you passed, cameron. today wasn’t half bad,” you tip-toed and pecked him on the lips.
“rafe? you okay?” sofia questions, fingers snapping in front of his face, gaining his attention and pulling him out of his daydream.
“yeah, uh, i’m okay,” he nods. even on a date with another girl, he still cannot get rid of you. he curses you in his mind, willing his best to listen to sofia.
5. the anniversary
sofia and rafe has been dating for over a month, and for sofia, it has been the best month of her life. for rafe, he feels like he failed — having a girl nearby only enlarges the void of you. everything sofia does, he can’t help but compare it to you.
on the count of it being a month of dating, sofia insists on celebrating the milestone. rafe didn’t even know a month was worth commemorating, but sofia was all giddy, he couldn’t help but feel bad.
sofia planned the whole day, starting first with gifts. as always with everything in his life, rafe didn’t give it much thought. he just bought the first thing he saw when browsing through her — your — favourite boutique. after he handed her the sloppily wrapped gift, she quickly ripped apart the paper before squealing with joy, which surprised rafe with how the windows in his house didn’t break.
now it was her turn, and the effort couldn’t be more different than rafe’s. the box is wrapped in a blue and green polka dot pattern, adorned with a white bow. rafe slowly pulls the bowtie undone, while sofia restlessly couldn’t contain her excitement beside him.
he looks inside, and it’s a heart keychain. he picks it up, and that’s when he sees the writing engraved on the surface.
rafe + sofia 4ever
even before rafe could react, sofia shrieks and wraps her arms around his neck, which catches him by surprise. “don’t you love it? you could attach it to your bike keys and be reminded of me forever!” she peppers kisses all over his face.
but rafe can’t seem to reciprocate the gesture because he’s transported back to the time he celebrated his six month anniversary with you.
“okay, okay, my turn now!” you clapped your hands in excitement, having been impatient for the past week. not to toot your own horn, but what you got him is probably the best gift you’ve ever given anybody. and it most definitely tops rafe’s gift.
you hid the gift as best as you could, which was hard, given that it was half the size of you. you forced rafe to put on a blindfold, which he told you he had never had to do his whole life, and to sit patiently.
you dragged the gift, painstakingly, all by yourself and set it in front of him. at first, you wanted to wrap it, but the gift spoke for itself — and it would take a whole village to wrap it.
“okay! open your eyes!” you bounced on your feet, waiting anxiously for rafe’s reaction. “tada!” you jazz-handed, failing miserably to hide your unease.
rafe just sat there, eyes wide and mouth agape. his eyes raked up and down, almost not believing what he was seeing.
in front of him stood a golf bag, complete with clubs.
finally, rafe broke his silence, “what. the. fuck.” he stood up and ran to you, picking you up effortlessly and spinning you around. you giggled as he showered you with kisses.
“i take it you like my gift?” you grinned once he set you down.
“you’re kidding, right? i love it!” he kissed you again, this time harder on the lips. once you two separated, he touched your foreheads together, his hands stabilizing the back of your neck. he whispered something against your lips which made your heart stop, “i love you.”
this was the first time any of you said those three words, but right now feels right. “i love you, too.” how could you not? “wait, wait, before i forget. there’s still more.”
“more?! what did i do to deserve you,” he whispered, mostly to himself.
you picked up a specific golf stick, angling the club head towards him. there, on the metal surface, was your name engraved in cursive.
rafe said nothing, which made you doubt whether this was too far or not. but then, “i think i’m gonna have a heart attack.”
you laugh at his ridiculousness, shoving him lightly. he pulled your arm and tugged you into your chest. “this is so perfect. you’re so perfect,” he kissed into your hair.
+1 the moving on
it’s been slightly over a year since sofia and rafe started dating. slowly but surely, he got over you. he no longer thinks of you whenever sofia does, well, literally anything.
he no longer thinks of you when she brings him a cup of water when he’s hangover. he no longer thinks of you when the two of them cuddle up to watch a movie together. he no longer thinks of you when he passes by that one specific restaurant. in short, he’s fallen deep in love with sofia that it pushes all the memories of you out.
it wasn’t always that simple though. when they hit the three month mark, sofia sensed that rafe wasn’t into her as much as she was into him. so, she broke it off. but, rafe found himself missing her, realizing that she mended his broken heart. he groveled, begged, for her forgiveness. in the end, the only thing that would win her back is opening up to her.
eventually, rafe confided in her, about you, and about how deeply affected he was by how the whole thing went down. sofia saw how hard it was for rafe to share all of this, and it warmed her heart how he trusted her, and she forgave him.
and as toxic as it seems, that was a sign for rafe that it’s time for the next step. any other woman would run at the mention of an ex, but sofia stayed, and listened. all his friends were encouraging him, having seen how sofia makes him happy.
so, that’s why he found himself on the beach, at sunset, down on one knee, proposing. with little to no hesitation, sofia jumped into rafe’s arms, nearly causing him to stumble, and repeated, “yes! yes! a million times yes!”
little did they both know, you were nearby, watching them. your heart ached, seeing how rafe moved on, yet you haven’t. it seems selfish, you acknowledged it, but a part of you wished he never got over you. because you never did.
when sofia is busy showing off her new rock to her friends, you took the time to go to rafe. to congratulate him, you told yourself. “hey rafe, congrats,” you say behind him, causing him to turn around.
if he was shocked by your appearance, he didn’t show it. “hey! uh, yeah, thanks,” he shrugs.
“listen rafe, i know i never told you why i broke it off, and i realize how fucked up that is. so, i wanted to let you know that-”
before you could explain yourself, he cut you off, “honestly, i don’t need to know. i’m gonna admit, yeah, i was pretty hung up over ya’ for a long time but, sofia helped me get over it. she’s been the light in my life despite how shit i acted at first,” he chuckles at the thought, “but, i’m truly happy now. and whatever reason ya’ might have, i don’t care for it.”
at that, he turns and runs over to sofia, surprising her by lifting her from behind. you stare at them, not knowing that a year earlier, rafe was a completely different person — a sad, miserable guy that wanted nothing but to have you back.
truth is, you ended it because, whether he realized it or not, whenever you two were on a date, you saw how his eyes would trail towards another woman. or, whenever you weren’t around, he would subtly flirt with other woman. he may not realize it, but you did, because you paid attention. towards the end, you came to terms with yourself that it was never going to change.
and, rafe will continue living his life with sofia without knowing why you ended things, meanwhile you have to suffer with the knowledge that the man you love changed for another woman, when you desperately wanted it to be for you.
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ghhardysgirl · 1 day ago
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My conversation with HDH:
I may just be a charlatan on Tumblr but I do have a feature in development with Marc Platt's company and a pilot in development with Mayim Bialik. I have won several writing awards, and am represented by one of the top talent agencies in the industry. The same one that represents Jacob Elordi and Ralph Macchio, amongst many others. I get PAID to write. It's my actual JOB. I think very deeply about these things and spend an inordinate amount of time analyzing tv, media, writing (both amateur and professional), and hold everything I read and consume (especially my own writing) to incredibly high standards. Maybe the disconnect I feel with the rest of the fandom on Tumblr is because it's not all sunshine and rainbows in the industry and HDH himself lost teeth to keep his product top-notch. Meanwhile, some fans are making swill, and when it's pointed out, they can't help but take it personally because, well it's human to feel hurt about that.
I have been very frustrated with the Squid Game fandom lately because I had a chance to meet and talk with HDH himself. A good friend of mine who lives in Seoul hopped on the call to translate. I haven't shared this in detail because it's gauche, but I'm sharing some of it now because I want to give people context for a lot of my thoughts.
In our conversation, I asked HDH how he felt about fans misunderstanding his work. Like, with shipping 457 and so on. He said that it was surprising that fans gave them a romantic storyline, but it was common nowadays. It was alright for fans to use TV to turn off their brains and just escape, even if he had intended his show to have these deep discussions on the state of the human condition and current systemic issues. He has always meant to use his art as a way to speak on these things, but he also understands how media serves as a form of entertainment and the reason many problems exist is BECAUSE people want to shut their eyes to those problems.
We discussed my current script, which is about a reformed neo-Nazi, and talked about the ambiguity of good and evil, and what it meant to have free will. He talked about how it felt like Squid Game had taken over his life, and with his other works, the work itself never became bigger than the message he was trying to convey. He felt of two minds about that: grateful and in wonder that something he made could become so HUGE, but also -- cynical. Like, you mean to tell me people are writing stories about Front Man and Gi-hun and making artwork, but not protesting Donald Trump? I said yes.
He laughed.
I laughed too, and said that it was so human, wasn't it? But isn't that why we love to write about people (and kill them off)? And I asked about his upcoming satire, and how I love satire, and mentioned my pilot in development was also a satirical twist on US politics. We spoke about sexism and sex work since that's what my most recent pilot is about.
We spoke briefly on a few other things. SK's political climate, Asian expectations, and Greek mythology.
I came away realizing that people don't think about him and his work enough. They discard so much of what he's put into Squid Game because they are so obsessed with the 457 ship (and other ships). And they don't honor HDH's energy, time, process, and lost teeth by doing that ship JUSTICE via good writing.
But he did say fans were cute, for turning such an antagonistic relationship into a love story. He laughed a lot about it, almost curious at the ways an audience can take something that was in his mind and turn it into something else entirely. I said -- but isn't enemies to lovers a trope in romance? He said: Yes, but Squid Game isn't a romance. It is a Battle Royale. And it represents how life is played like one.
I said: Yes, but maybe people are just desperate for love, you know? Even with their enemies.
I won't say more than this because the conversation went into spoiler territory, but yeah. That's it. Squid Game rambling over.
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hufflezki · 2 days ago
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summary: when your dog introduced you to your new next door neighbor, you hadn't known just how much you'd be adoring him months later.
-> neighbor!sirius black x gn!reader, fluff, boy next door trope, your dog's name is lady (you can't even tell its a reference from a movie, i swear), word count: 1,308
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About two months ago, you came back home from work, and got introduced to your new next door neighbor. It hadn’t been a while since your previous one moved out, but it was still quite exciting to see a fresh new face in your apartment building.
You had turned your key, opening your door, when Lady, your dog, had suddenly bolted out. Now, she’s never done that until then. She does get intense zoomies every morning, and whenever she greets you. But she has never been the one to rush outside when you open the door.
In a panic, you turned, preparing to chase her, when you saw her trying to jump into a stranger’s arms—who, if you may say so, was very pretty. He was tall, had long black curls, a smooth and charming voice as he knelt down to coo at your dog. And you couldn’t help but notice the rings that adorned his hands.
But that’s all you could allow yourself to admire before remembering that a stranger was carrying your dog, And you can’t let that be, no matter how attractive he is.
“Excuse me.” You said, his grey eyes looked up at you immediately, and you swore you felt your knees wobble. “I’m sorry, but that’s my dog.” You glanced at Lady, who seemed to be enjoying the way she’s being coddled by the lovely stranger. The betrayal.
Eventually, he apologized but later on introduced himself as Sirius. You learned that he’s going to be residing in the apartment next to you. And he couldn’t have been more sweet and charming.
From then on, your days have gotten a bit more interesting. Whenever you went out with Lady, to go for a walk or to have her accompany you while you’re grocery shopping, she would always stop by Sirius’ door and whine—her way of letting him know about her presence—before he would open the door and greet her. You would always end up chatting with each other then, as Lady kept you both company.
You learned quite a lot about Sirius. But what surprised you the most, is that he actually used to foster Lady’s mother and her puppies, alongside his friends. Which explains why your dog seems so very keen on him.
It's a small world, you thought. Lily, one of your work friends, had given you Lady as a gift before you moved into your apartment. And, apparently, she’s also one of Sirius’ good friends. Now you’re wondering, if you hadn’t agreed to adopting Lady, would you even be talking to Sirius now?
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Today you woke up to the feeling of Lady pawing at your arm. You open your eyes and you’re immediately greeted by the harsh rays of the sun. You curse yourself for forgetting to set an alarm, as you check your clock by your bedside to see that it's already nine in the morning. It's a good thing today's weekend.
You sit up and Lady immediately jumps on your bed, licking your hand. Which is probably her saying she wants food, but you like to think she’s giving you good morning kisses too.
After a minute of letting your mind process that you have woken up, you stand up and make your way to the kitchen. You feed Lady her breakfast first, then proceed to make yourself one.
Having Lady for almost a year has its perks. She’s a very smart girl and you easily trained her to help you with closing and opening drawers in the kitchen. Although, sometimes, she does use it to her own expense—like opening the bottom drawer where you store her treats.
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A couple of minutes later, you step out of your shower. Lady is patiently waiting for you by the other side of the curtain, when you hear a knock on your door. She perks up by the sound of it, and runs out. You follow her, changing into your clothes quickly. and just as you’re about to take a look at the peephole—You hear Sirius’ voice. “Hey, I hope you don’t mind but I have something for you.” He says, you share a curious look with Lady, before opening the door slightly.
You peek behind your door, head popping out which seems to amuse Sirius. He smiles at you and raises the small paper bag he’s holding. “There you are, love. My band had a late gig last night. And I stopped by a bake shop early this morning when I remembered you were craving this.” He extends it out to you, sure and all, proud of his own efforts. You can’t help but return his smile, grabbing the paper bag. It smells strongly of cinnamon, and the bottom of the bag still feels a little warm, much like your cheeks at the moment. “Thank you, do you want to come in?” You step back, opening the door wider, which Lady seems to take as an opportunity to start demanding Sirius of her own sweet treat.
“Alright, sweet girl, I have something for you as well.” Sirius steps inside and you close the door behind him. As he brings Lady with him to your couch, you take a look inside the bag to see two cinnamon rolls.
You remember walking at the dog park with Sirius the other day. Lady was really eager to have him come—to which he agreed almost immediately—and you ended up on the topic of desserts. You mentioned loving the cinnamon rolls your mother used to bake for you. Then you realized you haven’t had one in a while, and ended with the conclusion that you wanted some. But you didn’t expect for Sirius to take note of that and actually buy you some. Still, it's very sweet of him. If he’s trying to win you, then you might just consider his propaganda worth falling for.
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“Are you doing something later in the evening?” Sirius is halfway out the door when he turns around to ask you. You shake your head at his question, then he leans on your doorway. “I was thinking..” He mumbles, obviously stalling, it's his way of stealing more of your time. You weren't aware of it at first, but when you did notice, it started happening more often. And it never fails to amuse you.
“Can I take you out to dinner later?” He asks.
“Sure, should I dress up?” It's not the first time Sirius has invited you to go out with him. You’re both a frequent customer at the diner nearby, and that says a lot about how much time you spend with each other. “You can wear anything you want. I don't mind.” Sirius steps closer to you. “I do want you to know that it's going to be a date. So if you want to change your mind, that’s totally fine.”
You're taken back, but you’re not at all changing your mind. There’s nothing about Sirius that would make you think so. “I’m not changing my mind, Sirius, I want to go to dinner with you.” You hold his hands, smiling at him reassuringly. Lady sits in between you both, sensing the cheery atmosphere. And perhaps offering her silent support.
“You’re sure? That’s final?” You nod your head, and he seems genuinely happy that it makes your ache, in a good way.
“I’ll be back later, to pick you up.”
“Wait, I really should dress up nice then.”
“I don't think that’ll be necessary, love. You look good in anything.” You roll your eyes at him, fondly, before slowly pushing him out of your doorway. “I'm telling the truth! Wear what you want, I can fight.” He adds.
“You're not helping at all.” You fight back a grin. He's going to be the death of you, truthfully.
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marauders era masterlist ꩜ .ᐟ
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bantersnatch · 3 days ago
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(formerly ds-sparrow-manufacturing-co because i just realised i changed my url since the last time i was active in this fandom 😭)
so. i am still many episodes behind. and experiencing the lore vicariously. that being said, please use this as a prompt to yell about the finale because i know whatever happens you will have the most correct opinions
hello hello !! looking forward to hearing your thoughts once you catch up <3
okay i'll take this opportunity to talk about the host's personal life.
last episode, they came to the decision that they wanted to seek a divorce. this episode we see them not wearing their wedding ring and in the process of arranging new lodging for themself (they're planning on moving into a new apartment, specifically)
this is fascinating to me because it's by far and away the closest indicator we've ever gotten of time concretely passing between episodes. the host has been making major life changes in between when we last saw them (in candice's episode) and in the finale. is this two week's worth of life changes (mapping time between episodes onto real life time gap)? maybe. hard to say. it's extremely interesting regardless to get puzzle pieces of the in-universe filming schedule.
so -- they're moving out, leaving the house to their absent husband in the divorce, and also leaving bianca and denzel behind.
they're seeking to Change themself and their circumstances. finding a new living environment, shedding their step-family, leaving behind the show in favor of the mirage of msnbc. they're trying to find a voice for themself, too -- wanting to improvise more (ironically enough) with their intro; working on a novel.
the narrative is actively hostile to these Changes.
the narrative cannot prevent the power of a season finale for allowing change in the status quo. the host sinks their teeth in and forces the change nevertheless, though it comes in a form that they did not choose (loss of opportunity, a monstrous son-thing, loss and loss and loss)
we as the audience know when we see them again, their circumstances will be much the same as when we first met them (shackled to the hosting job, cameras always watching, bianca waiting in the wings). it's just a question of how they themself will have changed.
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soarelesiluna-ao3 · 2 days ago
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Hi,
I liked the fic about Danya and Valya sharing a partner!
Maybe you could write the beginning of their relationship?
Hello everyone!
I'm trying to accustom myself back to writing. Today has been a nicer day for my anxiety and I've been able to go through my day without feeling like I'm going to die as much as I have felt these past days. Small progress is still progress, right?
As such, I'm picking requests from my askbox and typing them. Probably this will be my only post today, or if I have time I'll drop another, who knows. But I didn't want to leave you high and dry!
I was a bit scared of going into a semi-hiatus because I thought I'd lose followers, but it's been the opposite - we're at 92! Everyone, thank you so much. You're a great audience and I love reading your comments. 💙
Okay, I've yapped enough. Let's get to what's really important!
Content under the cut!
Today was the day. You were going to have that date with Valya and Danya, even when they didn't know it was one. You hadn't yet disclosed details about the nature of this meeting, but you knew this was the day where you made up your mind. Who would your heart choose? The dreamer Daniil, always on the clouds, or the sensitive Valentyn, down to earth but kind?
This was going to be a tough decision. Ever since you met the twins, your heart had started beating in a different frequency, everytime you spent time with them. Danya's hand on yours, Valya's head on your shoulder, the laughter, the trips to go window-shopping, the songwriting sessions, and late night conversations that lasted until dawn... It all felt precious. You treasured it with all you had.
And something told you those feelings were very well returned. Maybe it was something in the way they looked at you, or in a simple slip of the tongue in a phrase, or a hug that lasted a second longer than the acceptable hug for a friend, but you knew that somewhere there was a chance your feelings wouldn't go to waste. Now, to choose who would it be... That would be a hard task.
"Oh, there they are!" Danya's voice snapped you out of your thoughts, as he grabbed your hand. Valya was quick to grab the other.
"Looking great", he smiled. "We prepared a picnic for the evening, we hope you don't mind."
"It was a little bit of a last minute idea but we hope you have a great time."
"Yeah, absolutely. Let's go!"
Just then you see the picnic basket Valya has on his other arm. You enter the park where the date was supposed to happen, and set up your picnic underneath a tree. You notice dandelions growing nearby, as the twins set everything up - drinks, charcuterie, fresh fruit, snacks, all that you like. They even brought fancy glasses to have a drink out of.
The afternoon goes on between laughter, conversation and music. In the meantime, you notice their gestures towards you - how they hold your hand, or put dandelions on your hair, and the way they smile at you. You can't help but wonder if one twin is trying to one-up the other or if they're working in tandem. This is making the decision so difficult...
After a while of silence in a particular conversation about relationships, you realize that this is the moment where you have to make your move. But if you make a move on one of them, you will leave the other. And you don't really want that. This makes you feel so conflicted you stay silent for a moment too long.
"Hey, are you okay?" Danya looks at you, and Valya follows suit.
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
You look at the both of them and end up sighing as words start exiting your mouth - you have to say this, risking to lose them in the process. You talk about your feelings, and how they have done nothing but rise and rise, like a boiling pot of water. And now, you were at this point where you had to make a choice, but... You didn't want to. You wanted them both. You wanted the twins to love you, and love them the same, because they are too special, and you can't let them go. And you know this is all wrong, and greedy, but... The heart wants what it wants.
After a moment, Valya hugs you with an arm, and his twin does the same.
"Hey, no, come on..." The guitarist starts speaking. "Listen, we're not going anywhere. Not without you."
"Yeah, come on, you think we didn't know what was going on?" Danya's half smile looks so charming now. "We were fully aware of this. And this was all our plan."
"Yeah. We wanted you to get a glimpse of what your new life was going to look like..."
"... If you want it to be like that, of course."
You stare at them dumbfounded for a minute. So, they had already made agreements? They had talked about this possibility before? Your heart races as you feel their lips on your hands at the same time, in the same spot on your knuckles.
"Say... Do you think there's enough space for the both of us in your heart?"
"We are twins. We are so used to sharing, it doesn't bother us anymore. So please..."
Valya is the first one to go for a short kiss of your lips, and then Danya does the same, before the two of them say the same phrase in unison.
"Do you want to be ours?"
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writer-shipper-ffreader · 2 days ago
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Maybe not so useless after all?
(Kate Lethbridge-Stewart x f!Reader)
Chapter 7
Previous Chapter |
A/N: This chapter was fun to write, but some of it may be a little cringy. I only have two chapters left that I've planned out but I may expand it. Thank you to everyone being so supportive, it has made writing my first long fic a much easier process. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Warnings/Tags: Slow burn, soulmate AU (sort of), yearning, I just want to bang their heads together, aliens, swearing, angst, flirting, slight self-confidence issues
Words: 3,225
Summary: After a mysterious mishap with a device found in a field, can you find out what the device is and what it means for you and Kate?
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Kate had suspicions, of course she did. She’d noticed her time stamps shift later as you began to work late. She had always felt that click with you, like you were meant to complete each other. Kate knew she liked you more than a friend. Yet she still argued with herself that this wasn’t enough evidence. There was no way to know you definitely fell asleep at that specific time. Unless she checked the CCTV… She shook that thought out of her head, focusing instead on what was best for you.
She moved beside you, resting against your desk. Laying a hand on your shoulder, she whispered your name, hoping to ease you gently from sleep. You mumbled under your breath but didn’t wake. Kate tried calling your name a little louder, still keeping her voice soft and soothing. She ran her hand over the side of your arm.
“Kate…” you whined, now awake but not wanting to be.
Her smile widened as you looked up at her with bleary eyes. “C’mon you, I know you’re tired but let me drive you home.”
“M’kay,” you agreed, knowing sleeping at your desk would just cause your neck to hurt.
You sat up slowly, your body still drowsy and uncoordinated. Kate spun your chair, so you were facing her, and pulled you up by your hand. Her other hand came up to steady you when the momentum threatened to overbalance you.
As soon as you were stable and alert enough, she left you to gather your bag and headed over to the coat rack. She leant against one of the benches, your coat hung over her arm as you finished packing everything you needed. You smiled, thanking her as she passed you the coat.
The pair of you leisurely made your way through the corridors towards the elevator. The labs were still busy due to it being early afternoon. None of the scientists interrupted the pair of you, the only acknowledgement being McGillop offering you a wave as you passed him. The elevator was empty when you reached it, and you were glad you had something to lean against once more.
The cold metal was rather unpleasant against your sleep warmed skin, but you were too tired to care at that point. Kate saw you shiver as you leant against the elevator wall. She had to fight the urge to reach out and pull you against her instead. If there was a guarantee the elevator wouldn’t stop on other floors on the way down to the car park, she would have, but the risk of someone seeing and making the rumours worse stopped her.
Once in the car park, you walked over to her car, plopping yourself in the passenger seat as soon as she unlocked the door. Kate placed her things on the backseat, before situating herself in the driver’s seat. Realistically she knew she shouldn’t be driving, having been awake for over 32 hours by that point. The alternative was leaving her car at the Tower and getting one of the soldiers to drive you both home, as neither of you had the energy to walk right now, but she selfishly wanted to make the most of the alone time with you.
Her plan to make the most of the time crumbled within minutes of driving out of the tower. Kate had asked you how it was going with the sleeper agent tech but was met with silence. She glanced at you, expecting to find you thinking, however you were fast asleep curled up on the seat.
A grin crept onto her face, her first thoughts of how cute you looked preoccupying her mind before realising the potential of the situation. You had fallen asleep within the last few minutes, that was an inarguable fact. If her time stamp had changed in the last few minutes, you must be her soulmate. Kate’s heartbeat raced; her concentration rapidly declining on where she was driving. She had to look now, if she didn’t, she’d be too distracted to drive safely. She took a deep breath and used the steering wheel to push up her sleeve. Kate peeped at the car’s clock – it was 1.32 pm now. She checked the road was clear one more time before lowering her gaze to her wrist quickly.
Thirteen twenty-eight.
Kate blew out the breath she had been holding. Her soulmate had fallen asleep four minutes ago. You had fallen asleep roughly four minutes ago. You were her soulmate.
Thoughts were plaguing her mind as she continued driving to your apartment. She had to tell you. She wanted to tell you. Would you believe her? How would you react? Kate had heard you when Carter had teased about you wanting to date her; you had sounded like you wanted to say yes, but you also said it wasn’t as simple as that.
Pulling up outside your apartment, she rolled her sleeve back down and turned to face you. You were still asleep – Kate taking note of the small rhythmic huffs leaving you. She took a deep breath and made a decision. She would tell you, but sleep was the priority.
Kate stepped out of the car and manoeuvred around the front to reach the passenger door. She quietly opened the door, holding her hand out to catch you in case you were leaning against it. She bent over you to unbuckle your seatbelt, then squeezed you shoulder while whispering your name to wake you.
You blinked up at Kate, brows furrowing. “You just don’t want me to sleep,” you accused, a pout making its way to your lips.
“I want you to sleep in a bed,” she chuckled, helping you slide out of the car. “Have you got your keys?”
“It’s a bit late if I don’t,” you sassed, still slightly grumpy from being woken again. “Sorry, that was uncalled for.”
“You’re fine.” Kate waved you off. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Kate closed the car door behind you.
The corner of your mouth twitched. “I didn’t know you were interested,” you purred, amusement clearing the tiredness from your eyes. Kate’s cheeks quickly reddened, her eyes dropping to the floor. Taking pity on your boss, you nudged her shoulder. “Come in for a bit? I still owe you lunch.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, raising her eyes back up to meet yours.
“Yep. The hunger has taken over – I won’t be able to sleep again without eating.” You gave her a pointed look as your stomach grumbled right after you said that.
You assumed she would be coming in with you and started to walk towards the front of your building. Taking the hint, Kate grabbed her bag from the back seat before hastily following you. Your flirting had caught her off guard, almost as much as proving you were her soulmate. Having lunch with you would give her the opportunity to tell you that you were soulmates, but that would require a level of bravery she wasn’t sure she had.
Kate trailed behind you into the elevator, coming to a stop next to you. You rested your head against her shoulder, unaware of how much you were affecting her. Her mind was a cacophony of thoughts, inner turmoil over telling you. Your actions, the flirting and closeness, were building hope within her that you felt the same. Was that hope enough to overcome the negativity built from the less-than-ideal work implications and her disastrous relationship history?
You had noticed the change in Kate – knew that something was troubling her.  Something was wrong as soon as you woke up in the car, but it seemed to be worsening as you made your way to your apartment. You wondered if something had happened in the car or maybe she was mad you fell asleep?
Stepping inside your apartment, you hung your coat and kicked off your shoes by the door. Kate followed your lead after shutting the door behind her. You led her to the table in the kitchen, gesturing for her to sit while you assessed what food you had available.
“Are you feeling a proper lunch or something lighter?” you asked, moving things around in the fridge.
“Sorry?” Kate looked at you guilty, clearly not having listened.
You closed the fridge and moved to take a seat next to her. “What’s bothering you? Is it because I fell asleep?” you probed, placing your hand over hers.
“No, of course not. It’s not—well, actually you falling asleep was a help,” she muttered.
“Kate?” you encouraged, squeezing her hand.
The way you were looking at her, the way you just knew something was wrong, had the truth spilling from her lips before she could stop it. “You’re my soulmate. My time tattoo changed – twice  – when you fell asleep in the lab, then again in the car.”
“Huh…”
“You don’t look shocked?” Kate’s brows furrowed, taken aback by your response.
“I had a feeling. You didn’t go home after I was blown up, and the time on my wrist didn’t change. Then you were working really late and my times got later. When you walked me home, the time that night was several hours earlier,” you explained, subconsciously rubbing your wrist.
“That’s why you’ve been staying late? To see if the times matched up?” Kate questioned. Seeing you nod, she let some of her tension go. You would only think she was your soulmate if you were interested in her romantically, right?
“I really like you.”
“I think I’m in love with you.”
“Oh, well if we’re being totally honest, I know I’m in love with you,” Kate admitted, huffing in amusement at the pair of you.
Your face lit up, lips pulling up into a smile. You had told yourself Kate would never be interested in you. She would never risk her position in UNIT to fall in love with a colleague even if she was interested in you romantically. But all this time Kate felt the same.
You’d wasted all this time, being negative, then when confronted with the truth you just sat beaming at her.
Kate took hold of your wrist, drawing your attention away from your disbelief and back to reality.  She shifted to the edge of the chair and pulled gently on your wrist, moving the pair of you closer together. Her nose brushed against the side of yours, giving you the option to pull back before anything happened.
Your eyes flickered closed as you pushed your lips against hers. She returned the caress, her soft lips sliding over yours, hand reaching up to cup your neck. It wasn’t awkward, like how you expected a first kiss to be. You both softened against the other, your lips moulding together perfectly. Kate’s hand moved into your hair, pulling you closer against her. You gasped at the sudden change in position, allowing her the opportunity to slide her tongue against yours.
She hummed in contentment before pulling away for air. Leaning your forehead against hers, you couldn’t help but feel grateful a mission kept you awake all night. Without the sleeper agents, you wouldn’t have just kissed the woman you’d been pining over for months.
“I want to kiss you again, because that was amazing, but I’m exhausted,” you grumbled.
Kate chuckled, running her hand through your hair. “You can kiss me all you want after you’ve slept,” she promised.
“Stay?” you pleaded, pouting slightly.
“Of course, darling,” Kate agreed, pecking your lips.
“What do you say to some toast or a sandwich now, then a proper meal after a nap?” you suggested.
“Sounds perfect.”
You lifted yourself from the chair and started preparing some toast for the two of you. Kate had moved to hug you from behind as you leant on the counter waiting for the bread to toast. Your hands moved to cover hers on your abdomen, the pair of you chuckling as your stomach rumbled. The scene turned rather domestic when you plated the toast and Kate began to butter it.
She carried the plates over to the table while you made some chamomile tea. The pair of you ate in relative silence, both at the point where sleep could take over any minute. Kate had her hand on your knee as she ate, your hand rested over it, your thumb rubbing circles on her knuckles.
Once you were finished, you piled the plates in the sink and led Kate towards your bedroom. Thankfully, it was rather tidy, and you had nothing out that could be embarrassing. You went to your wardrobe and took out two night shirts. You passed her one of the shirts and directed her to the en-suite, encouraging her to go first.
You quickly changed into the other night shirt, throwing your clothes into the laundry bag sat in the corner of the room. You were just finishing turning down the covers when Kate exited the bathroom. You froze, hand still clutching the covers, your eyes tracing up the figure in front of you. The night shirt hit her mid-thigh, leaving her long legs bare and utterly distracting. This was infinitely worse than when she wore a skirt to the office given you were about to lay beside her in your bed. Maybe you should have given her proper pyjamas���
Neither of you moved for several minutes, Kate equally distracted by your attire – more so the lack of it. She rarely saw you in anything other than trousers or jeans due to lab safety. On the handful of occasions you did wear a skirt or a dress, you were both somewhere that she couldn’t openly pay attention, either surrounded by colleagues or out on a mission.
“You are so beautiful,” Kate whispered, dropping the pile of her clothes on the dresser and striding forward to reach you.
A blush stained your cheeks, hand reaching out to pull Kate against you. “And you are gorgeous.” You pecked her lips. “Stunning.” You kissed her lips again, lingering to murmur the final word against her lips. “Exquisite.”
“I’m not sure I’d go that far,” Kate chuckled, causing a pleasant vibration against you.
“Well, you clearly need to wear your glasses more,” you teased, knowing she wasn’t the biggest fan of her somewhat necessary eyewear. “I sleep on the right. I’ll join you in a sec.” You squeezed her hip, fingers brushing over her abdomen as you slid past her towards the en-suite.
When you returned, Kate was laying under the covers, swiping through something on her phone. You shook your head at her workaholic antics; having known she’d want to check her emails once more before resting. You drew the blackout curtains, cloaking you both in darkness before slipping into the bed next to her. She set the phone on the bedside table while you pulled the covers over yourself.
Kate settled on her back then moved her arm up, offering for you to lay against her. You automatically moved, snuggling into her side, before processing what you were doing. Your cheek rested on her shoulder, nose nuzzling at her neck as she pressed a kiss to your hair. The pair of you fell asleep almost immediately – exhaustion from the long night and emotional rollercoaster pulling you into a dreamless state.
During the nap, the pair of you had shifted closer together, becoming further intertwined. In her sleep, Kate had turned on her side to face you, but her left arm had remained under your head. Her right hand had pushed your night shirt up and come to rest on your upper thigh.
You woke up slowly, curling closer to the warmth of the body next to you. You froze when you felt the leg between yours and the soft breath hitting your forehead. The fogginess of your tired brain cleared, this afternoon’s events coming back to you permitting your body to relax against Kate’s. You opened your eyes, committing this moment to memory.
You wanted to remember everything. The way it felt – her soft sleep-warmed skin pressed against yours, her hand holding your thigh so possessively, her usually neat blonde hair tickling your shoulder and neck. The way she smelt – her light floral perfume giving way to something uniquely Kate, something you could only smell with this little distance between you. Not just the way she looked in bed with you but everything.
And God did you love it. Love her.
A part of you was still terrified this was a dream or a hallucination and that it would all fall apart when Kate woke up. Maybe she would realise this was just a mistake she made in her tiredness and she would regret telling you that you were her soulmate.
“Stop thinking so loudly,” Kate groaned. She used her hand on your thigh to pull you half on top of her, allowing you to nuzzle into her neck as she kissed your head.
“Sorry,” you whispered.
Kate shifted slightly, leaning to kiss your lips, before settling you back on top of her. “What time is it?”
You checked your watch. “Just gone five thirty,” you murmured happily, having relaxed significantly since Kate kissed you. “Want to head out for dinner soon?”
“Sounds good, but I’m content right here for now,” she affirmed.
Continuing to cuddle, the pair of you discussed where to have dinner. Having settled on the new Italian restaurant that had opened near Kate’s house, she raised that she wanted to stop at hers to get changed first. She didn’t want to wear her office clothes on your first date. A hopeful smile graced your lips, not having thought of it as a date until she mentioned it.
When you did eventually venture out of the bed, Kate sat against the headboard checking her phone again whilst you showered. After quickly showering and blow-drying your hair, you focused on finding something suitable to wear for your date.
Kate had heard the shower turn off and went in search of coffee, giving you space to get ready. She was sat on the sofa with her drink when you came out of the bedroom. The blonde was still in the night shirt you had leant her, that combined with her glasses perched on her nose, made your heart race. Those three words you called her earlier came to the forefront of your mind. Even in this soft domestic setting, after a mid-afternoon nap, she was devastatingly beautiful.
You offered for her to shower here and borrow some of your clothes, so she didn’t have to put the other ones back on. It wasn’t until after that you realised your mistake. Kate, with damp wavy hair and in your clothes, was irresistible. You’d walked over to kiss her as soon as she stepped into the room.
Leaving your apartment to go to dinner took longer than both of you had anticipated, but you were too distracted in your newfound relationship to care. Once you did finally leave, it took no time to stop at Kate’s and then get to the restaurant. Unlike most first dates, dinner was far from awkward, the pair of you used to spending time together. Your friendship had laid a strong foundation to build your relationship from and now it was time to see what you could build.
A/N: They finally realised they should be together, thank goodness! I haven't planned on writing the date scene, but let me know if this is something you would want! There is a NSFW chapter coming up, but this will be optional and not instrumental to the plot. I will ensure it is clearly labelled :)
Tags: @freshmoneyalmondathlete @suckerforcate @eliscannotdance
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interstella-eyes · 8 hours ago
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Alan redesign!!!!!
I still remember creating his old design and posting it way back when I started here… how time flies…
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My thought process under the cut
I’ve always struggled with his design but this time I really cooked!!! He’s been a bit of a nothingburger for a while and getting his concept going was a bit challenging. The last design started some interesting ideas but didn’t really deliver well, but with this one I managed to pull it all together!!!
Since he's supposed to represent the struggles of the working class (poverty, unemployment, etc), I wanted to lean into punk aesthetics to represent his ideals and values. I added patches to his pants cuz he mends clothes to make them last longer and save money (diy culture in punk spaces)
The spiky hair is also not only another aspect of punk, but also a representation of his “spiky“ outward presentation to push people away and keep himself safe. I also shaped the spikes to resemble dog ears because of the dog-like motifs of his character. He kinda looks like a werewolf now which is fitting because of him receiving visions of the future every full moon due to his powers. I adjusted the symbol on his back to represent that better too!
I’m really proud of my art improvement too!! I learned so much about anatomy and portraying objects in 3d space and I think it shows!! His face structure makes more sense and I have a better understanding of his eye shape now (his ass actually looks wasian now)
The last ref for comparison
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thursdaygrl · 1 day ago
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it's kind of ridiculous, the way quinn's stomach somersaults at the thought of waking up next to zander every morning. this'll be their first time sharing a bed and he can't even stay until the morning, but she intends to take advantage of every second with him there. her parents are busy and always assume she's doing the right thing, no matter how secretly rebellious she'd been all through high school, but she doesn't want to push the boundaries too far. she'd rather keep the idea of their little girl in bed with anyone out of their minds. "ew, don't talk about my parents barging in here." she laughs despite her words, a soft, breathy sigh leaving her as he goes between her neck and breasts, both places extremely sensitive to the ministrations of his talented mouth. she can't help but smirk faintly at his reaction to her lips sealing around his fingers before she guides them down. the power goes straight to her head, but the smugness doesn't last long when his fingers are pushing inside her. his lips get back to work as she whines and she tightens her grip on his wrist. "fuck..." she whispers, tilting her head back to give him further access to her neck and breasts. the hand at his wrist encourages him to give her more, sliding those fingers deep into her entrance so she can feel the stretch of them before pulling them back and repeating the process. "feels so good... you're so good." she coos, her free hand cupping his cheek affectionately, a contrast from the usually sarcastic quinn he tends to get.
despite the joking tone, there was a part of him that truly did see a future with her.. some nights, he wonders if she was the only girl he could ever see himself being with. . . that thought did terrify him a bit considering the fact that he wasn't even entirely sure if she liked him like that. "i'm just warning you of your future, baby girl. . . gotta get used to waking up with me right besides you." charming smirk etches across his lips, while laughter fell freely. he sucks in a breath, "damn, a guy can dream -- mean promise to sneak out before your parents come barging in," words were teasing as he lightly nips at her neck ensuring his lips were against her flesh at all times. sweet sounds of her moans only encourages him to devour her breast even more, enjoys the sweet sounds of pet names escaping her plumped lips. captivated by her every move, small gasp escapes his lips watching her wrap two digits 'round that pretty mouth before bringing it down towards her wetness. "holy fuck. . . " he's breathless and amazed that he's able to have this effect on her. "so fucking wet.." couldn't resist pushing in his digits as her warm wet cunt welcomes them in. "so fucking perfect," planting sweet kisses against her breasts before trailing them up towards her neck once more. never imagining her to be so naughty, but he was loving ever second of it -- wanting to explore all of it.
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loverboybrightsideghost · 1 year ago
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i think i understand dating now. you find a person that seems cool and you become their friend but in a romantic way until you. actually love them. yes?
#bluebird.txt#i am schrodinger's understander of romance#90% of the time i'm like why would anyone date a stranger#why would you do that#like you have a friend then you get close to that friend then become romance??#i had a HUGE crush on a girl earlier this year and then one day i made a new friend- NO romantic feelings for her at all-#but suddenly my crush evaporated in an instant? i just stopped thinking abt her or feeling anything when i DID think abt her. completely.#but like. you meet person. become friend. then you love them. then romance. yes?#that's always been my thought process of how it works#so now i’m like oh that's how Dating works! you just pick a person and fuck around and find out if you'll love them????#it's like friendship but with. romance. hey does anyone fucking know what romance is by the way#I Don't Know Anything Ever 👍🏼#also do people really see other people and think wow i want to fuck them#bc like. i've seen hot people i like hot people but i don't think ive ever seen a hot person and thought about sex#i’ve been like wow they are extremely attractive to me but never wow i want to fuck that#is that actually how people feel? they see an attractive person and they get horny? just like that?#like physically in your genitals horny??#i'll shut up now. once again I Don't Know Anything At All 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼#i WANT to date someone to know what it's like but what i really want is to fake date a friend#fuck all this shit i really might be aroace. i fucking might. i am so not sure about anything.#who give a shit i guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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ohitslen · 11 months ago
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*Vampirizes your Vashwood*
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keep reading for more :)
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If there needs to be much closer close-up please let me know!
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fluffydeoxys · 21 days ago
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OC stuff is dangerous wdym you just think about that guy and you feel things. You made that thing and it’s come such a long way like they’ve grown and fleshed out and you’re proud of them. And there’s an indescribable feeling of pride and tenderness and passion and fondness. That ☝️thingie is My Thing and I love them
#_text#put music on that makes you think of them while drawing them and feel one billion emotion and it’s like wow. hits you how much you care#each little brick placed being one more step to making them feel truly and wholly alive. something with hopes and dreams and fears#Rory has really been coming into his own lately and it makes me kinda emotional and I really do not get emotional about much#I really need to elaborate on some of it with art and just substantiate some of my thoughts and feelings cus there’s just so much#I don’t wanna be tooting my own horn cus this post is not just meant for me. it’s for anyone who’s going through their own process#of making a guy or refining an existing guy. be proud of yourself and step back to admire how they’ve grown!! you’d be surprised by#the various ways things form and add up to create something amazing and uniquely you. all the various sources of input and inspiration#that really is the joy of creation to me. and I love seeing how others characters grow and change and evolve. being part of that process#is especially deeply meaningful and important to me. nothing makes me happier than being a small part of someone else’s work#as someone who hates failing and loathes themselves deeply. I can sincerely say with my whole heart that just trying is an amazing step#put down literally anything. see what does and doesn’t work. get the feel for the kind of person they are and then refine that.#mix logic with your gut feeling. emotion with reason. use existing lore or make it up! creation and success is not linear and#it definitely is deeply demoralising at times and as someone pretty cynical about the whole thing. and who hates myself#I can say it really is worth it. your ideas are worth it and even if you don’t believe in yourself yet#the spirit of my post at least is cheering for you!! because seven+ months ago I was in a pit of nothingness and just.#making zero and putting her out there for the first time has changed so much for the better for me#I will always cheer on anyone’s OC stuff. they - and you - are awesome and should exist and be put out there#thank u for reading. this has been on my mind lately a few times so wanted to ramble
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biblically-accurate-dca · 11 months ago
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super disorganized sketch page because i do what i want
#my art#not sure if i wanna tag these... hrm#i wonder if alt text shows up in search results.... shudders#well anyway. i wanna ramble about these!!#for willy mafton: i've been working on designing more of the human cast. mainly all the big name important ones#it's been a slow process + a little challenging but i like getting the chance to practice drawing faces! :]#in regards to His design specifically.. it's very much based off of his movie apperance#but with a reference to that Classic sprite thrown in#bc i thought making him a little cartoony and inhuman would fit him :] but idk im not an expert on his character or anything#about the rabbit lady: i forgot how i had that idea initially but it ended up looking so fucking cool tbh#im always a fan of making her design less of a feminine eye candy type of design and more of a Spooky Murderer type >:3c#it also gave me the idea to try making some similar designs for the glams...#but if i do that im not gonna be giving them that vintage rubber mask look... since they're meant to be super flashy and high tech looking#so i was thinking they could have faces with more of a silicone texture.. and that have a style based more off of their in game art work :]#so they'd be like giant dolls with weird moving faces rather than having a vintage animatronic look#also that van in the bottom middle is 100% a homage to a specific user i wont be mentioning but iykyk HFJZJFJF#ANYWAY the 🌞🌜 stuff: dont be weird about it please HFJZJG#im aware that these tags are very easy to ignore but like. genuinely pls dont be weird about them#dont romanticize it. its not meant to be ''y/ndere'' or anything like that#its actually a bit personal to me so like... interpret it as you like but be aware its not meant to be a happy or positive thing#anyway i think thats all i have to say... i've been trying to branch out a tiny bit regarding the things i draw#it's always nice to challenge yourself even if its tough... especially if its tough!!#i mainly draw just for my own sake but i hope ppl see something they like here#these tags got so fucking long oops... i'll stop now JFKZJFKSJGKSJG
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skeletoninthemelonland · 2 years ago
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😭😭
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