#the snippet-posting continues

[theonceandfuturequeenoftarts]

They’re relaxing on the tour bus, an hour out from that night’s venue, when their normally meek photographer and merch guy squawks and shoots to his feet.

“HOLY SHIT,” Colin shouts. “Harry, Harry, you have to see this.”

“Colin, you know I don’t like reading what people say about me–”

“No, you really want to see this,” he insists, pressing his phone into Harry’s hands.

Harry watches a few seconds of the video – he hadn’t even known Colin recorded that – before Colin reaches over and scrolls down a bit.

And then he sees it.

He flings the phone away from him with a yelp.

“Shit, sorry Colin,” he says, scrambling to pick the phone up and check it for cracks. It’s fine, and the screen is still lit up, showing that Tom Riddle, who tends to go by his stage name of Lord Voldemort these days, has apparently watched and commented on Harry’s half-arsed cover of one of his songs.

Harry makes a strangled noise and hands the phone back to Colin before he actually breaks it.

This is fine.

Colin’s flailing and Harry’s totally-not-hyperventilating draw the attention of the rest of the band, and Colin shows them the post, keeping hold of his phone this time. Ginny’s eyes grow wide and she whoops loudly, smiling and coming over to shake him gently.

“Harry, senpai noticed you!” she teases, laughing at him.

“Ginnyyyyyyy,” he groans. “Why did he have to see that video…”

“Oi, it’s not that bad,” she cajoles. “He wouldn’t’ve commented if he thought it was terrible.”

“You are the worst at cheering people up,” he deadpans.

“Hmm~ I wonder if he watched the interview, too,” Luna says mellifluously.

That stops both Ginny and Harry flat. “What.”

“You both said such lovely things about his music bringing you together,” she adds.

It takes a second to figure out which interview Luna’s talking about, and then the horror dawns.

“NOOO,” Ginny wails.

“Why did we talk about that??”

“Uh, guys, it’s not that big of a deal,” Neville says hesitantly.

“We need to destroy the internet, it’s the only way,” Ginny says.

“I’m running away to the woods to become a hermit,” Harry moans, flopping into a nearby chair.

“It’s not like you two are subtle about being Riddle’s fans,” Neville adds. “Like, three of our songs have references to him or his music.”

Ginny stares into space. “Oh my god, you're right.”

“We’re such nerds,” Harry says, head in his hands. “Really blatant fan-nerds.”

“The first step is admitting you have a problem,” Luna says absently.

(the rest of this thing)

[laddertek]

etho said actually you _don't_ understand the intricacies of how tango is my boyfriend and bdubs is my ex

(and how tango and bdubs kiss too)

Scar: We went on that little adventure, you know! Etho: Yeah, yeah, we had our adventure, that's true, that's true. Scar: You disparaged your teammates. That's it, all right, no more spoilers. Etho: (laughs) Our team has -- our team has some weird dynamics this -- this season. Cleo: (overlapping) Really, Etho? Is there trouble in paradise? (pause) Who's third-wheeling with you, again? I can't remember. Etho: (laughs) Uhh. The -- Cleo: Genuinely can't remember. I know it's you and Bdubs. And...Tango? Tango. Tango. Etho: (loudly) Why -- Why is Tango the third wheel? Why -- why isn't Bdubs the third wheel? Cleo: Because it's you and Bdubs. I'm sorry. I understand how that relationship goes. Etho: (dissatisfied) Hmm.

[howlonomy]

Might I pester you for another monster clover?

clover: just happy to be here :)

[screebyy]

They take him in with a full strike team, and one of the snipers, joining Uldren and his jailers at the extraction point, looks him full in the eyes, like he's asking a question. A tall man with a long rifle. Narrow intelligent eyes. Handsome. Is he… did Uldren want something from him, once? Something important? Uldren absently rubs his eyes as he stares at him. He frowns. But he can't figure it out.

[verbenaa]

snippet sunday 😈

thank you to @elinorbard for tagging meeeee you're the best 💖

hello and happy kinktober. I'm behind on my fics for this month but worry not, for I am 100% COOKING. here's a snippet from one of them 🥵

tagginggggg @khywren @xxnashiraxx @inkymoonbunny @roguishcat @ladyduellist @justabiteofspite @preciouslittlebhaalbae @eraserspiral and anyone else to post something if you want to ✨💖!!!

[laundrybiscuits]

(soulmates AU continued from Part 1)

Eddie has a blotchy, uneven blob on his wrist. 

His jacket sleeve had been covering it up every time Steve had seen him in that long, terrible week, so when they’re finally let into his hospital room, Steve can’t help the way his face twists in surprise. He’s never heard of anyone with that kind of soulmark before. 

Luckily, Eddie doesn’t seem to notice Steve gawking. He’s cuffed to the bed and he looks so breakable in his thin hospital gown, blinking blearily at them before his gaze slides away again. 

“Hi, Eddie,” says Nancy.

Eddie’s mouth twitches up into what could be a smile before he winces. Half of his face is wrapped in big white bandages. 

It’s strange to see everything around him in whites and greys and pale blues. He looks more out of place here than he had in the Upside Down. 

“Hey,” he rasps. “Y’here for Red?” 

“Yes, we are,” Nancy says, crossing to his side. “And we’re here for you too. How are you feeling?”

“Like…what’s his name. Prometheus.”

Nancy laughs, and Steve folds his arms defensively. He hates when people talk about all that fantasy shit like it’s a normal thing to know. 

“The hell does that mean?” he snaps, before he remembers he should probably be a little nicer to Eddie. Nancy’s already glaring at him. 

“Greek guy,” says Eddie. He doesn’t sound mad or anything. “Dared to steal fire from the gods. Got his liver eaten every day.”

“Wait, every day? How does that even work?”

Eddie grins with half his mouth. “That’s the bitch of it, Harrington. He regrows it every time, just to get it eaten again. Poor fucker never gets to die, just—just keeps hurting.”

“Well, we’re very glad you didn’t die either,” says Nancy, patting his cuffed arm. It’s the one with the weird blobby mark, but she doesn’t seem like she even notices. “It’s so ridiculous that they’ve got you in handcuffs like this. I’ll talk to someone, maybe—”

Eddie waves his free arm languidly. “Ah, don’t worry about it, Wheeler. Prometheus, right? He always…always grows it back again.” He’s starting to slur his words a little, drifting. 

“Hey, man,” says Steve. “We’ll let you get some rest, okay? But we’ll—we’ll be back.”

“Ten-four, good buddy,” says Eddie, and closes his eyes. 

———

Steve wants to bring up Eddie’s weird mark with Nancy, but he doesn’t know how to not make it seem like he’s trying to get her back. 

So the next time he gets a chance, he asks Dustin as casually as he can: “Hey, you ever see Eddie’s soulmark?”

“Hah!” says Dustin. “No way. He covered it up years ago, before we ever even met him.”

“Wait, covered it up? Like…”

“Like, he decided to reject the uncaring hand of fate in a super permanent way.” Dustin pauses, squinting at Steve’s confused face. “He got a cover-up tattoo. Obviously.”

“Oh, sure, obviously. Totally normal thing to do,” says Steve, rolling his eyes. “Jesus, I’ve never even heard of that before.” 

Later, the unwelcome thought that’s been prowling around the edges of his mind finally takes shape: what if Nancy wants to get a cover-up? 

She wouldn’t, would she? 

He doesn’t want to remember the way she always preferred long sleeves, even when they were dating; how she’d slide her fingers tight over her wrist compulsively, clutching, sometimes for no reason at all that he could see. 

———

Soulmarks aren’t even that common, so he’s always seen his mark as kind of like a prize. It had felt like winning the lottery, when he’d watched the tidy script appear on his skin a few weeks after his thirteenth birthday. 

He’d been a little surprised when he met Nancy Wheeler for the first time, a whole year and a half later; he’d never thought he’d go for someone like her. But then she turned out to be smart and passionate and surprisingly pretty after all, and the knowledge of a future together had sounded better and better all the time. 

And now…Robin said, once, that maybe there was another Nancy Wheeler out there just waiting to meet him. The thought fills him with syrupy dread. He’s pretty sure Robin was trying to be nice and comforting, he just really hates the idea that he’s been getting it wrong all this time; that he tried so hard and felt all those things for nothing. But it’s Nancy’s handwriting for sure, just like it’s his on her wrist, and it seems pretty impossible that there’s also another Steve Harrington out there for her too. 

So it has to work out, it all has to fit together in the end. It’s going to. He holds onto that for a very long time.

———

Steve doesn’t really get another chance to look at Eddie’s shitty cover-up for a while. At first, he thinks visiting Max and Eddie can be something he and Nancy could maybe do together, but she’s pretty busy handling the legal side of things. From what Jonathan says, it sounds like she’s actually managing to get a pretty good deal for both of them, like maybe there’ll be a duplex in a not-too-bad part of town with the Mayfield-Munson name on it. She’s good at that kind of thing, according to Jonathan. Steve wouldn’t really know.

It’s really obvious that Jonathan doesn’t know how to be around Steve. Like, how do you hang out with the guy who’s got your soulmate’s name etched on his skin by destiny? But somehow they make it work. 

In fact, Steve’s started to take some strange kind of comfort from it. Jonathan’s probably the only other guy who knows what it’s like, this off-kilter funhouse vertigo of Nancy’s choice. It connects the two of them even more than it connects either of them with Nancy, probably. 

Steve doesn’t blame Jonathan anymore, is the point. If—when Nancy comes back to him, they’ll both be better off because Jonathan’s been in their lives. He gets that now.

Anyway, Nancy’s busy with paperwork or yelling at men in suits or whatever it is she’s actually doing, but Steve still wants to see Max and Eddie. Mostly Max, to be honest, but it’s not like he doesn’t want to see Eddie too. He barely knows the guy, but he thinks it’s pretty normal that he feels some kind of connection or bond or whatever. It’s normal, after going through some shit with another guy his own age, to want to get to know him a little more. 

Of course, Eddie ‘the Freak’ Munson isn’t exactly normal, so Steve tries not to feel hurt when he opens the door and Eddie’s whole body flinches back, arms coming up protectively, eyes big and scared. 

“Sorry,” says Steve, suddenly feeling like he should’ve knocked. “Didn’t mean to startle you, dude.”

Eddie bows from the waist, which looks fucking ridiculous when he’s sitting up on the bed hooked up to a bunch of monitors and stuff. He looks way better than the last time they’d been in the same room. 

“Not at all, good sir,” he drawls. “Welcome to my humble abode. Sorry I can’t offer you any refreshments; we’re shockingly low on pudding cups.”

“Right,” says Steve. He’d forgotten the way Eddie talks and how it makes him feel two steps behind sometimes. Like Dustin, kind of, but not as annoying for some reason. Maybe Eddie’s a little nicer about it, he guesses, though nice isn’t exactly a word he’s ever associated with Eddie Munson before. 

Without really meaning to, he glances at Eddie’s wrist. It’s tucked casually away against his stomach, half-hidden by the hospital sheets. 

“Yeah, uh,” says Eddie. “Henderson…said you asked about. You know.”

Steve feels betrayed, even though he knows he shouldn’t. He hadn’t told Dustin not to say anything, because it wasn’t—it wasn’t fucking relevant to anything, so why would Dustin even mention it? Goddamn asshole kid. 

Eddie holds out his arm, wrist up, fingers loosely curled. 

“Doesn’t bite,” he says, so Steve takes the invitation and comes closer. He almost reaches out to grab Eddie’s hand, but that would be a weird thing to do, so he doesn’t. 

After a moment, Steve says, “I just don’t get why you’d do that.”

Eddie cocks his head. “No? You don’t get why someone might not want to do exactly as they’re told, Ozzy?”

Steve doesn’t know what he expected. Just the typical Munson rebel bullshit after all. But he’s here, and Max is sleeping, so he might as well throw himself into the shiny plastic chair and say, “Whatever, man. How’re you doing?”

As Eddie launches into a convoluted story about some nurse feud he’s been eavesdropping on, Steve makes sure not to let his gaze drift to the obscene blob blotting out the fine tendons and blue veins on his wrist; doesn’t wonder at all about what else that ink might be covering up, and definitely doesn’t wonder why Eddie would want to throw away his one and only universe-approved shot at true love. 

What would be the point?

[varpusvaras]

It was quiet in the house, after.

It was the sort of quietness that Obi-Wan knew was the last thing holding up the fragile peace between them. It was the sort of quietness he knew needed not to be forced to end, otherwise more things would be broken.

So he let it be. Let it hold onto them for the rest of the day, the evening, past the setting of the suns and into the night.

The first sign of the quietness coming to an end was Cody coming to lay down next to him. If he would've gone to sleep somewhere else, it would've meant that he needed even more time. Obi-Wan still didn't say anything, didn't push for anything, just let him lay there. Cody's back was not quite touching Obi-Wan's, but he was still close enough for Obi-Wan to feel the warmth radiating from him.

Obi-Wan waited. He had gotten good at waiting.

Then, after the desert had fallen asleep around them, Cody spoke.

"I do understand", he said. His voice was level, in a way Obi-Wan recognised that almost deceptive. Not because he was lying, no, but because he needed to make it so in order to speak the truth.

"Understand what, exactly?" Obi-Wan asked. He both heard and felt Cody shift.

"Understand why you can't let go", Cody said. "How you are probably never able."

There was another moment of the quietness between them. Obi-Wan listened to Cody breathe through all the thoughts and feelings that were undoubtedly storming inside of him.

"I never would've been able, no matter what", Cody said then, his voice now more quiet, but also more harsh around the words, as he was trying to get them out in time. "I know Fox wasn't perfect, none of us were, but he was mine."

"I'm not sure it's the same thing", Obi-Wan said. "Fox and Anakin were two very, very different people."

"They were", Cody said, almost spitting the words out, like he was insulted by even the thought of his brother being compared to Anakin. "But he was still mine and he was still yours."

Obi-Wan stared at the darkness of the house for a long, long moment in the quietness.

"Yes", he whispered, finally. "He was."

[amethystpath-writes]

To Traitors

NOT A PR0MPT

******

"The general wants to send me to your homeland."

"For war?"

Villain hummed. "We knew it was coming."

"Of course." Hero shook her head and pushed a shirt further into the bucket of water. She bent it and twisted it and shoved it again. "How did she react when you told her 'no'?"

That was the thing; Villain didn't deny the general. No one denied the general.

Hero picked up on the silence. She always did. “Where does that leave us?”

A choice.

War?

Or her?

“You know this decision is not mine.”

"Sure, it is. I always wanted to travel- try camping."

Camping. Hero knew rejecting orders would be considered traitorous. She would rather be homeless and shunned than to standby while her homeland was being attacked.

"Hero..."

"Is that something you are not willing to do?" Her movements became rushed, like she was trying to maintain a calm, but the only way to do so was to move along with the emotions. She grabbed a shirt, dunked it, rung it, tossed it. Grab, dunk, ring. Grab, dunk, ring. They weren't even becoming clean, and the water needed changed. "My family is there. Where are they meant to go?"

"Even if I did tell the general no, I cannot stop an entire army from marching. The war will happen with or without me."

A sigh veiled the tension in the room. Villain's weight creaked beneath him as he stepped towards his lover. He took a linen shirt, wet and soaked, from her hands, and dropped it in the brown water. He found her hands next, then tugged her up slightly. She took the cue and stood, let herself be held.

"I love you," Villain said.

Hero didn't like crying. This is why Villain began rubbing her back as he pulled her into an embrace. She buried her face into his chest and sniffed once, twice...wiped a face full of tears, sniffed again...stopped, then began sobbing. No amount of squeezing could console the thought of her family being innocently slaughtered.

"You would hide them, wouldn't you? If you found them, you would save them?"

His grip loosened. He whispered, “Of course I would.” Did Hero know it might have been a lie? Even Villain wasn't sure what he would do when the time came that he marched onto her homeland.

"When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow."

"Then I'm leaving now." She attempted to pull away from Villain's chest, but he held her firmly. Her muscles tensed beneath him, but Villain knew she knew better than to try again.

"Hero, be level-headed.

"I want to warn them," she whispered, so quietly that Villain only knew what she said because of how well he knew her. He knew her every thought before she even had it herself. It wasn't magic; just love.

"And you think you will outrun an entire army overnight?"

"I know I won't!" her tone had changed, and this time when she pulled away, she didn't stop until Villain let her go. "But who am I to not try at all? Who would I be, Villain?" Her face was red and swollen, glistening with sad, then angry tears.

For a moment, she stopped. She took a breath. then swallowed as if she needed to stop herself from asking what obviously came to her mind. Alas, she said it. "How long have you known?" Her voice cracked, and Villain could see she already knew the answer: longer than he should have known before telling her.

"I'm sorry."

"I didn't ask for an apology." Her eyes refused to meet his. Villain was almost glad for it. He couldn't bear her anger, not when it was directed at him. "I asked how long you have known."

"Hero..."

"Clean your own damn clothes. I'll pay the Baker family back when I return."

"Pay them back? For w-" No. "You're not taking their horse." Hero was already scrounging around, first grabbing a raggedy sack, then stuffing one random item after another in. "Hero, stop. Hero-" She was going to take the neighbor's horse just to get caught up in the war herself. "Stop!"

She fell to her knees in the next moment. Broke down as if his voice took out the last support beam keeping the house together. hero cried, screamed, and wailed. "No. No. No. No. No," she repeated, and her voice broke time and time again as she screamed.

Tears sprung into Villain's eyes. What did he do?

"I'll send a bird. It will arrive before our army does, and when they receive it, they will know to leave."

Hero's head lifted, and her puffy eyes finally met Villain's glistening ones. "I will prepare beds. We have pelts; I can throw something together, and my brother can take-"

One blow after another, each and every passing moment. Just when Villain thought all might be well, the both of them realized there was no saving anyone. The war was an ambush, and Hero's brother would be expected to take a stand, to protect his own homeland.

"I won't-" Villain swallowed. "I won't harm your family. I will send the bird, and I will pray with every moment of travel that they receive it and leave. I will not draw my sword until I find their home empty, until I am sure they have left."

"You would be a traitor to your own kingdom."

"Better it this kingdom than you."

[dapper-lil-arts]

i for one fucking adore the pony posting. keep doing your thing 👍

i got you. enjoy the finest cuisine ~

[an-abyss-of-stars]

❁Burnt Over And Over Again❁

(I updated the aesthetics!)

(Rhaemond Modern AU)

Chapter 5 (Snippet!)

(I'm almost thereeeeeee, the chapter is so close yet so far from being done. But I've written up to the foreplay portion of the scene, so the actual sex is cominggggg!

In the meanwhile, here's a small snippet of that drama/tension/a bit of foreplay-ish...

Like I actually live for this ship and their slutty nonsense. Like, they're really about to be fucking in the club, and I just love that )

-

-

“Aemond…” she sighed against him, “we shouldn't be doing this.”

“Then tell me to ‘stop’...” he rasped, keeping her pinned against him, “and I'll stop.”

She didn’t, though…she couldn’t say the word now. 

Rhaena only ended up groaning, pulling him closer as her own frustrations brewed within her. And maybe Aemond should have been considerate enough to stop and allow her the time to think clearly…but more likely than that, he was far too happy to exploit the moment. Allowing her to seize his lips of her own accord as his hands slid up beneath her dress, indulging in the incredibly supple feel of her bare heated thighs. His cool rings were causing goosebumps to form along her skin, inducing a series of hot little shivers to spill from Rhaena’s lips as she revelled in the feeling. 

See, Aemond was leading them both towards an outcome he'd already envisioned in his mind…and just the thought of it sparked a sharp pleasurable jolt within him. Anticipation working its way thoroughly throughout his body. As her eager kisses grew more intense. With her teeth grazing and nibbling at his lips as her legs began to wrap around his waist, Gods, she was so feral for him. Yet somehow, she was always in a constant state of denial whenever he verbally brought it to her attention. 

His hands were causing hot streaks along her thighs, something that awakened Rhaena to him, her eyes instantly widening at his touch. Fingers gripping onto his upper back, fisting his shirt even tighter as she sucked in more air. Aemond could feel her heart racing against his chest. He knew damn well that she didn't feel like this with her little distraction on the dancefloor earlier. Her body always burned at his touch, it was a repeat occurrence yet she was still so desperate to ignore it. 

She was desperate to deny it. 

Even as her hips sporadically bucked against him, the tension building in her body as she physically begged for more. He’d been so distracted by her conflicting mixed messages that it was only then that he realized something…he’d felt something hard, physical and protruding as his tongue worked against hers. It was rounded and circular…something hot yet metallic. When her tongue skillfully flipped and dragged against his own, he was sure. Although the thought came and went as Aemond felt the bounds of reality and fantasy mix and melt away from him. 

Everything else around him felt so numb and nonexistent. 

Through it all, though…he knew he still just wanted to keep her here with him. 

To reinduce the euphoria they’d once felt together. 

Succumbing to the electric feeling that only her kisses gave him, Aemond could feel himself sink away into this surreal sense of…well, he couldn’t say exactly. It felt all-consuming, as if the black space matter of this club, of this bathroom, everything that surrounded them at this very moment…simply didn't matter as much. 

Nothing mattered but them…

“If I don’t stop you…” Rhaena breathed…such a silky sound. Though the way she’d pulled herself from his felt as if she’d torn the flesh away from his lips. It stung, the sudden absence of her burning lips…such a painful swelling engulfing him almost immediately. Even as her hands slid back over his shoulders to hold his face, to caress his cheeks. Her soft warm palms holding his gaze as if the action was meant to soothe the loss of her…though it did not fully suffice. Then her pale eyes fluttered daintily up at him, licking her cherried kiss swollen lips before she spoke, “how far are you willing to take this?” 

Such a loaded question…

Surely she saw the very answer in the dark look of his eye. 

Or perhaps she needed physical proof to persuade her further. With his own pelvis practically pressed her own, he dared to push the proof against her. Maybe she could feel just how hard she so clearly made him.

-

-

(This little snippet is pretty tame considering...but this chapter shaping up to be about 20k in length at the very least. And y'all should know the majority of this chapter is just going to be these two arguing and then fucking for the rest of it)

Coming soon!!

[electromignion]

Bridgewater’s characters social media shenanigans part n°3 ✨

If you missed part 2

As a little beforehand note, my biggest thanks to Lauren Shippen for being so supportive and I’m so glad you love it, it means the world to me, truly 🥹

Introducing another character this time… Shelley Hoskins!!

And then it’s slightly different than the snippets of last time which were one (1) or two (2) screenshots long, here’s a whole thread conversation!! (It’s their peak nerdism with a hidden side to Shelley because I like to think that if Olivia is the way she is, it’s obviously thanks to her family too) so that’s why I’m putting them 1 by 1 because otherwise the cropping gets weird 😭 (and also I really think Shelley really likes to have Vip as a son in law 🥹)

[yujeong]

Fic snippet #8: VegasPete

Pete looked calm as he leaned on Vegas’ shoulder. Peaceful. It made Vegas realize that serenity was a foreign sight on Pete too. A suit that didn't quite fit. Pete had been sleeping differently at the safehouse, in a way that seemed uncomfortable and strained to Vegas now. As if he had been drugged, as if being unconscious had been against his will. As if closing his eyes would equal his defeat.  Vegas had found him beautiful nonetheless. 

[whitepeachrum]

Kiss

Fandom: Hetalia (personified) Pairing: Arthur x Kat (EngUkr/UkrEng) Content Length: Chapter (~1500 words)

“You ready yet, my love?” Arthur looked at Kat through the hallway mirror as he fidgeted with his tie. He’d been wearing his ties to work all week and absolutely hated how suffocating he’d felt in them. He would’ve loved to rip the stupid fabric off his neck but decided to hold out for the night. He just knew that Kat would get a big kick out of taking it off his neck later tonight and, honestly, so would he. For that, he was willing to endure his suffering a bit longer. 

“Almost.” Her earrings dangled as her head swiveled to look at him. "Need some help with your tie there?"

“No, it’s fine. I can do it myself. Just keep working on your makeup.” He waved his hand and worked on evening out his askew tie. It was always something that had to be imperfect.

“Alright, I'll do just that,” Kat spoke softly. She returned to gingerly apply her makeup in front of the mirror. Kat looked to confirm that her eyeliner was more or less even on both eyes and carried on to layer her lip products as Arthur continued to play with his tie. He must’ve been nervous about their upcoming date. She smirked to herself, finding it charming that he still got nervous before their dates.

Arthur’s eyes darted to her mirrored image, admiring the way she looked so effortless when she applied her lip balm. It looked so much easier than tying a tie. Just one or two swipes and she was done. He loved the simplicity of it all. He especially loved it when she dispersed the product over her lips and gently smacked them together. It was mesmerizing to watch her lips squish and plump out to their natural elasticity. As she started removing some stray product with the tip of her nails, Arthur snapped out of his sudden trance and looked back at himself.

“Ah, goddamn it,” he muttered. He had been mindlessly undoing his tedious work. Kat glanced at his reflection and turned around to help him with the tie. He sighed and let her take care of the mess he's made for himself. Screw this tie.

“Are your fingers tying themselves into a knot?” Kat chuckled.

“Yeah, seems like it.” Arthur nodded, asserting that his flustered state was wreaking havoc on his digits. Something about the idea of getting dressed and slicking your hair back once in a blue moon made him anxious.

“You smell nice, honey. Did you get a new cologne?”

“I did. I thought I’d switch things up a bit for tonight.” 

She brought her nose to his neck and took a whiff of his cologne. It seemed to smell like bergamot and... lemon? No. Kat checked again. Orange? Grapefruit? Well, whatever it was, she just couldn't get enough of it.

“Oh, it’s so good. Wow..” 

Arthur looked into her sparkly eyes as she leaned back, noticing how big her pupils had become when she looked back at him. He adjusted her bangs so that they weren’t in her eyes when she did. It was like looking into an ocean that beautifully glistened from the setting sun: peaceful and stunning.

“Good. I’ll be sure to wear it more often.” Kat hummed contently in response. She gently pulled him close by the ends of his tie, kissed his lips, and smiled. She was so excited to spend date night with him. Arthur, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to get back home to get more of her kisses.

“You look so handsome tonight,” Kat commented on his attire, patting down his lapels after finishing with his tie. He slid his hands around her waist and kissed her neck. It's a good thing she didn't put any of her makeup there. He just didn't have the heart to ruin her diligent work.

“And you, my dear, look absolutely ravishing.” She gently pushed off of his chest. Kat hoped to get away from his warm hug quickly before either one of them decided to cancel date night altogether, but her actions only made him bring her closer to him. He gave her a firm squeeze and kissed her neck again.

“Arthur,” Kat chuckled at his reaction, “We’re going to be late for dinner!”

“I think they could wait for a few more minutes.”

“Mm. Tempting,” she pecked him back on the lips, “but no. If we want to make it to dinner, I have to finish getting ready.” He looked at his watch to see how much time they had left.

“You’re lucky I love you enough to let you go…” Arthur sighed and gave her butt a gentle, loving pat. She slipped out of his embrace and returned to the mirror to finish up her makeup. After taking a moment to gawk over his wife, he looked at himself in the mirror one last time and groaned.

“Great.” Off-center again. You know what? If Kat couldn’t fix it, chances are this tie was doomed from the start. He moved the tie side to side, gently loosening it. He was fed up with the damn thing.

Kat noted his irritation and decided to distract him from his festering thoughts by including him in her makeup process. She quickly swatched two colors on the back of her hand and turned to face him.

“Which should I go with? Glossy or matte?” Kat showed him two red-colored options. Arthur inspected the swatches and was intrigued that she was going with such a bold color for the evening. The two didn’t vary much in color, but the sheen for one was the polar opposite of the other. He debated which one of these he’d want to be branded with later. Gloss was sticky, but matte was harder to remove… Mm. 

“This is a tough decision, Kat.”

“Well, yeah. That’s why I asked you.”

“Hmm.” He brought her hand up to her lips so he could compare the colors better. The gloss would glide on smoothly, but the matte lipstick would look sharper… “I’m thinking the gloss will be good for tonight. Easier to fix if anything.” 

“Gloss it is.” She applied the product generously without looking in the mirror to save some time. 

“Maybe I should’ve said matte,” Arthur said to himself, second-guessing things.

“How is it? Is it even?” Arthur glanced at the application and nodded.

“Almost perfect.” He picked up a clean tissue and carefully cleaned up anything that stood out. The more he stared at the color, the more he noticed all the different little specks of gold and silver glitter that made her lips look even juicer than before. If they weren’t late, he would’ve loved to take a bite or two.

Arthur subconsciously smacked his lips together in thought and Kat grinned at the little mannerism he picked up from her. It was refreshing to see him put this much care and effort into her new rouge.

“Does it look better now?” She rubbed her lips together to tease him some more.

“Ah. Yeah, it looks great,” he pulled away from her, wiping the lip balm she left on his lips earlier with the napkin, and tossing the used tissue into the bin by the mirror. Arthur put his hands on his waist and re-assessed the makeup combination with her strappy black dress and shiny jewelry. “You look great. Really great, actually.” The matte lipstick probably would’ve looked even better. Damn it.

“I wonder how it would look on you.”

"On me? I don't wear lip gloss like you do."

Kat swiftly planted a kiss on his cheek and took a step back to admire her artwork. Her smile grew wider as she watched Arthur’s face flush from the accessory he sported on his cheek.

“You’re right, darling. It does look great. Reaaally great.” Kat beamed, extremely proud of ruffling some of his feathers. His eyes darted to the mirror behind her and he caught a glimpse of his pink face. He had completely forgotten about the tie by now. He was much more focused on stopping himself from blushing further.

Arthur wanted to hate it for how cheesy it was of her to brand him like that, but he loved that she made him feel like his teenage self. Specifically, the teenage self that showed up to their first date looking like a trainwreck. His flush deepened as he realized how ridiculous he would look in the public eye. But hell, he loved the affectionate stamp. He never thought his date would proudly leave kiss marks on his face like that. It felt like something out of a movie or a dream.

“Should we head out now?” Kat asked, grabbing her little purse and checking for the car keys. Arthur didn’t know what to say or do. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings by ruining her masterpiece, but he didn’t want to leave the ruby residue on his face for the world to see.

“Uh..”

“..What?” she asked innocently, looking over her shoulder. He shyly pointed to his cheek, then returned his hand to his waist, and mumbled something. She raised an eyebrow and smirked. Did he call it a beauty mark? He cleared his throat and looked back at her, waiting for her to do something about it.

“Oh? Did I leave a mark?”

“…Yeah.. Mark..”

“Oh, sorry about that. Let me fix it for you.” She gave his other cheek a matching stain. Arthur’s hand flew over his nose and mouth as he tried to contain his flustered self. He felt his heart working hard to quickly pump the blood to his face as she toyed with his emotions. It didn’t help that she looked so adorable when she played him like that, cocky smile and all. Why did it have to be a bright crimson?! He would've been fine with a peachy gloss!

“I’ll drive tonight, so you can look at the menu in the meantime. We don’t want to waste any more time, do we?” Kat cutely lifted her shoulders and walked out to go to the car. Arthur’s gaze lingered on her, his heart swelling with affection as he watched her leave.

When Kat noticed he wasn’t following, she turned with a huff and made her way back to him. Grabbing him by his tie, she playfully tugged him along.

“Come on. Don't make me help you with this tie again. I only know how to untie it.”

Arthur’s teenage self would’ve combusted if he knew how his love life was going to turn out.

[hiraganasakura]

I'm ill over the extended RWBY V9 epilogue.. I'M ILL [POSITIVE]

[houndfaker]

i think we should kill them with hammers idk

[missmungoe]

just wondering if you're going to update "Put it on my tab"? its one of my favorites and I just hoe everyone flocks to makinos!!!! this is not me trying to pressure an update btw!! take all the time you want but im just wondering where on the update list it is if that makes sense? Have a lovely day and I love your work so much!!!❤❤❤❤

Hearing that it's one of your favourites made me so happy, I went and finished the draft for the next chapter, so it's actually next on my schedule! Hoping to update it this week if energy allows, but in the meantime, have a little snippet while I edit!

From chapter 2 of Put It on My Tab, aka the fic where a lot of people show up in Makino's bar. First up:

The bar was like he’d described it.

It’s not your usual watering hole, he’d said, his gaze drawn inwards, as though picturing it. They'd been drinking in the galley on Moby Dick, all of them gathered together; the noise level had almost drowned out his voice as he'd continued, It’s really tidy, and she keeps flowers in her windows. I used to think bars were supposed to be seedy, or at the very least a little dingy. All the ones I’d seen in Goa were, so I figured it was part of the gig, but hers was different.

He’d grinned; the one he reserved for the good things from his childhood, like his brothers, and the bandits who’d raised him, as Ace had told them, simply, She’s different.

I take it you’ve never dined and dashed from your tab there, Marco remembered saying.

He’d laughed at that. He could still recall the sound, and the way he’d throw his head back. Oyaji had once remarked that he’d never looked more like his father than when he laughed, but Marco had never told Ace that.

I’d like to meet the person who could, Ace had said.

Their whole crew had been listening now, Oyaji included, a focus that betrayed a curious amount of intrigue, given the topic of conversation, but it was Izo who'd asked, She's that scary?

Ace's grin had softened, something almost bashful in it, as though he was suddenly a much younger boy, even if Marco had often teased him that he was young. And he’d given them a clear picture of the island where he'd grown up, and its inhabitants, Dadan and her family, and the villagers, but here he’d shaken his head, as though this couldn’t be described. Instead, all he’d said was,

If you ever meet her, you’ll see what I mean.