#this is kind of a day one prompt filler too

[kingflups]

Turns out there is an unexpected upside to the world ending: you can almost forget the sting of your date standing you up. Almost.

Day two of Serrenedy Pride Week - Racoon City

[whiskeyswifty]

What’s your favorite thing about folklore?

oh my god what a question. I'm just gonna riff off the dome here because if i try to go at this in any kind of organized way, i'll write a deranged thesis paper. (this is about the album proper, sorry to the lakes. too bad she never released it and we'll never know what it sounded like)

Gut reaction to this question is just how complete it is. It's an idea and concept, a writing prompt if you will, compiled neatly and cohesively in a way that's the perfect digestible length for it's form (music/an album) and also all killer, no filler. All the vignettes are not a "story" (save for the love triangle which i largely ignore because it's shoehorned) but come off like an anthology; that is to say that they're a series of emotional vignettes across a range of life experiences, but explored through the motifs and styles of one writer. I cannot jump around with folklore, i must press play on the 1, which has never happened before with a taylor album. It has no skips, every single one flowing smoothly but efficiently with the ebb and flow pacing of a babbling brook. (i do skip mad woman occasionally cuz its not what i wanna hear at the moment or epiphany cuz it's too heavy and too soon to go back to that mental place, but they're both excellent and fit perfectly within the album when i'm casually listening)

The sound is also just so perfectly aligned with my tastes. I contain multitudes, but unfortunately one of those is being a sad indie white girl lol. I love soft rubber bridge guitars, and whining violins and piano and minimal but expertly layered textures. atmospheric ones that carry the mood and the fill the space like fog but let you feel close to the artist, as i've said once before, as if she were sitting next to you and talking directly to you. There's a lushness to live instruments played softly and as pieces of a whole, and it makes any additions from a moog softened and supplementary. It just, for me anyway, really helps to hear the tactile nature of the instruments and mistakes and the breaths and the pedals on the piano and all the rest. it's the perfect mix of what i love musically from that genre, akin to Sujfan or Lucy/Phoebe or imogen heap or the xx or lana at times. even as way back and like dashboard, which shows my age a bit. you know the vibes. And i love how jack leaned into his more orchestral side, which he doesn't often do with taylor, still to this day. august in particular is just outstanding and he's great at stuff like that and i wish they would do more like that together!

I think its the PERFECT use of her voice. it's not blasphemous to say of all her artistic talents, she does not have a voice that can stack up against her peers vocally. But, as i've also said a million times before so sorry to bring it up again, she has a very emotive voice when it comes to the tiniest and most nuanced of emotions. maybe because she's less focused on vocal runs or hitting notes, but this album has her voice really shine. it's textured and rough and soft and smooth at the same time, fully bringing you whatever raw emotion is on the page. its the voice of a scribbled journal entry if that makes sense, off the cuff, unpracticed (even though i'm sure it is), and so intimate. you can hear her smile and hear when her throat is thick, it's just a showcase of her voice like nothing else. the pared down sound really lets all those tiny moments rise to the surface.

visually, i mean what can i say. her second best album cover ever. Fully removing herself from the center of it, diminishing herself with the trees for scale. Trees that have existed before her and will outlive her, as if to say this, the act of making art and ultimately the art itself, is so much bigger than me. my life and my problems. but everything is bigger than me, and it's important to not lose sight of that. which, if you were an adult at that time, particularly of a similar age to her at least, you commiserate with that sentiment. the black and white isn't actually black, but more of a warm gray, which i also love. i also know it was mainly out of necessity, but embracing how dressed down and simple her styling was. wrinkled dresses and limp, unruly hair. really suited the look of someone who's going to spin you a tale. NO TEXT TOO LIKE YEAHHHHHHHH god it's perfect and so well designed.

rapid fire now, lets see. i love that peace was done in one take, and you can tell, in a good way! and it's her HEARTBEAT???? i'm a sucker for that, no matter how played out that trick is, and imo it's justified because they disguise it with a dissonant tone of sorts. i love the PERFECT knee jerk answer opening of "i'm doing good" and then proceeding to delve into some of her darkest emotions she'd explored thus far (and in some ways since). i love that illicit affairs is missing it's final chorus, a song that is structurally unfinished and just peters out, the way doomed affairs always do. the way she never mentions the location or even the event, but the soundscape and the lyrics of my tears ricochet paint a perfectly clear church and funeral in your mind!! i love the word ricochet and i love how easy it is to spew it with vitriol. as corny as it is in the context of the rest of this more subtle album lyrically, i love the swiftian turn in the bridge of tlgad like.... damnit it's always so delicious. that harmonica in betty is just like a glass of sweet tea on a muggy summer night, it's SO bright and fun and puts a smile on my face every time!

But all that to say I think my favorite thing is seven. seven is a perfect song. her best song. the best version of a taylor swift song. a song so emotionally poignant and transcendent it wins over, however begrudgingly, even the biggest haters of her and indie music as it pokes at that one spot that will always be soft, and it's blank space's spiritual successor and therefore foil in that way. incredible feat to use the motif of your childhood self and not come off trite, like most other attempts by other artists can be. the most opaque she's ever been lyrically, which is a huge risk to take. small in scale but massive in it's implications and intentions. a song where the meaning and gravity exist in your reaction to it and not the song itself. perfect art. an opus of a song on an opus of an album.

[chocoblep]

#16: Tempering Expectations

Prompt: Third-rate

Lydjana had been toiling over these new sleeping capsules for days, and she couldn’t understand why they weren’t working. The ballistics force that was being applied to them was the same as it had been before, as she’d been using her hand cannon both then and now to test. They weren’t as aerodynamic, which was to be expected considering they were half-filled with liquid, but the worst part was that half of them were breaking open when they came out of the barrel. That was a far cry from breaking on impact, which was the intended result.

At first, she thought the compound might have been too heavy, so she launched a dummy capsule with a lesser amount of water in it. This, too, broke when she shot it, so she recalibrated the hand cannon for a lighter shot and tried again. When she still met with no success and a very wet mud puddle, she decided to use the last of her previous batch of mix to make a few more capsules. There wasn’t enough for more than a couple, so she only molded two, and went to grab something to eat as she waited for them to set.

When she came back, she tried the same experiment, and the capsule soared through the air and hit her target with a loud thunk, breaking open and splashing it with the water she’d filled it with. Initially, excitement filled her and she whooped–she was getting somewhere! It was short-lived, though, because almost as soon as she’d cheered her success she realized why she’d been struggling so much. So she gathered up three capsules–the last old one, and two of the new ones she’d made–and tucked them gently into her satchel, leaving her testing grounds behind.

The Sapphire Avenue Exchange was packed this time of day, and as Lydi approached the alchemist’s market stall she usually brought her mix from, she was so tired, hot, and frustrated that she barely had a filter left. She dropped all three capsules onto the counter and then slammed her palms on either side of them, causing the Lalafell behind it to jump in surprise and the capsules to hop an ilm in the air before settling again on the wooden surface.

“Ah, Lydjana! Wh-what can I do for you?”

“Do you want to explain to me why, Hihimori, when using the exact same process, add-ins, equipment, environment, and gun  to make and fire these capsules, two of these will break apart on the shot and only one will break apart when it hits its target?” she asked, leaning forward. To crowd over the counter. A nearby merchant glanced at them, but quickly looked away.

“Probably a molding issue,” the lalafell replied, though he sounded less sure of that than he likely intended. “That kind of stuff is finicky–”

“How many batches of this mix have I bought from you?” she asked, cutting him off.

“A-A dozen, at least!” he replied.

“And I pay you well?”

“You do, lass!” he replied.

“And you’ve been putting filler in it recently?” She asked quickly, in the same tone as her last question.

“Yes–I mean, no! Shite…”  The man brought a small hand to drag down his face, sighing. “Yes, but it’s not what you think. The powder I put in this batch I had to substitute because my regular shipment never arrived, and it’s just as strong as the other–”

“No!” Lydjana slammed one hand against the counter, silencing him, and then picked up two of the capsules. She opened them both, showing him their construction. “Exact same shape, exact same thickness,” she growled, and then pulled a heavy book from her satchel and settled it on top of both of them. They held it perfectly straight, without bending. “Looks great, right? They’re both pretty strong. But watch this shit. Give it thirty seconds.”

Pulling the book away, she opened both capsules again and then pulled out her water skin, pouring a small amount of liquid into each one. Then she closed them and settled the book on them again. After about ten seconds, the new mixture’s capsule began to lose its integrity, the book listing atop it. After twenty, the book had moved enough that the other capsule came loose and rolled the length of the counter until Lydi stopped it with her hand, and as the book settled again, the capsule broke entirely beneath it, water splattering the counter and dripping down between the wood planks.

“Bugger me!” the alchemist said, quickly moving to pull whatever was under the counter from the dripping.

“I told you when I first ordered this that there would be liquid in these capsules. Did you think to test the mixture’s viability with liquid in them? It looks like your new powder is dissolving into it, and not only does that destroy the integrity of the capsule, but also ruins the potency of whatever’s inside it! You are either going to replace this batch with a legitimate one, or return my payment and I will do business elsewhere.”

The Lalafell raised his chin, fixing her with a glare. “I’ll replace half of the batch, if you bring back the faulty mixture,” he countered.

Lydi leaned forward just a touch more, her green eyes full of fire. “The entire batch, and here is the rest of your faulty mixture.” She shoved the only capsule remaining on the counter at him.

“Already used! I have no use for this!”

“Yes, well neither do I!” Lydi snapped, and then her voice rose. “And if I hadn’t been testing with this, I could have been killed because of it! Do you want that on your hands? Killing your customers because you didn’t test your damned substitute!?”

The lalafellan man widened his eyes, and at that moment a  hyuran man approached the counter with his hand resting on the pommel of the short sword at his hip and bearing the insignia of the Brass Blades on his coat, and Lydi straightened when she saw him.

“What’s the ruckus? You’re attractin’ attention.”

“This man sold me a mixture meant to form capsules for projectile-based delivery of substances, and substituted with inferior, ineffective ingredients without informing me of that change. He also charged me the same price he would have if he’d used the actual mixture we agreed upon. I was very specific with my request. You don’t mess around like this when it comes to guns and safety!”

The merchant looked between Lydi and the Brass Blade, and then sighed. “Here,” he said, moving to one of his ledgers and drawing a finger down the list. Then he counted out the exact amount that she’d paid him, and handed it over. 

“For the trouble. And I’ll replace the full batch, but I’m still waiting on the main ingredient. Apparently the original caravan they sent got attacked by a pack of jackals and lost it, but some mercenary took out the pack leader and they dispersed. Heard it was a bunch of shenanigans involved with that. They’re sending a replacement, but it won’t be here for a few more days.” He hesitated when she shook her head, his hand dropping with the gold still in his fingers. “Well then, do you want the recipe so you can take it somewhere else?”

“No! No,” Lydi said, taking a deep breath. “I paid for it, so keep the money if you’re replacing it. It’s the product I want. And trust me when I say you’re the only one I’ve found so far who’s managed to get it right and is able to produce it regularly, so I’d like to continue buying it from you. But hear me when I say this: When I order this in the future, no substitutes unless you discuss it with me first. I will find out eventually, and I don’t want to find out by getting injured or worse.”

“Yeah. You’ve always been level-headed, you just… surprised me roaring up like a Behemoth and I got defensive.”

The hyur looked between the two of them and raised his brows. “Everything’s good, then? No need to intervene?”

“No, sir,” both of them said in unison, and then Lydi leaned against the counter again, this time a touch more relaxed. The man nodded and returned to his post.

“Look, Mori, I like you, but I thought you were trying to pull a fast one on me, and when it comes to my guns, I can’t afford to mess around like that.” She gave him an apologetic look. “So I’m sorry I started in on you like that jackal that delayed your shipment, I just spent the whole day trying to figure out why these things were breaking left and right and I was really angry.”

The man took another deep breath and then let out a little laugh. “I like you too, Lydi, you’re a generous gal, and you’re right, I should have told you. Time’s money, and truth be told, I was busy and forgot about the liquids thing. My solemn promise that I’ll talk to you about it in the future.” 

“Well, you know what they say, mother is the necessity of invention. Maybe we can put our heads together when this happens and come up with something even better, yeah?”

“Aye.” He paused, and then looked up to her. “What were you gonna put in those capsules, anyway?”

“A sleeping draught that vaporizes when it comes into contact with outside air, and acts quickly on inhale.”

“Shite, you weren’t lying when you said that could be dangerous!” he exclaimed, just as another customer walked up to the counter. 

“Yeah. Someone shoots it, it explodes in their face, they fall asleep. Whatever they’re shooting at would either run off or shoot back.” Lydi collected the book and wiped it off, sticking it back in her satchel along with her last good capsule.

“Let me keep this faulty capsule. Maybe we can find a use for this mixture, eh? I’ve got a couple ideas. I’ll let you know when the original stuff comes back in and we can get you a good batch. And remind me not to make you mad!” He turned to acknowledge his new customer. “Hey, May! I’ve got your potions here, give me just a second to grab ‘em!” Then he looked to Lydi once more as he began fishing through the crate he’d pulled out from beneath the counter. “Do you need anything else before you go? I’ve got a few energy additives I’ve been working on if you want a sample or two on the house for the trouble.”

“Energy additives?” Lydi asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion.

“Aye! Add it to your water skin and it’ll keep ya goin’ like coffee. It’s derived from a nopalitender blossom extract from Tural, and I’ve been working on flavoring it. It’s been working pretty good! I’ve managed to almost replicate La Noscean Orange, and the grape one’s pretty much settled.” He spoke fast as he packaged up the potions, and then made the exchange with his customer and put the gold in his till.

“Oh… Sure! I’ll try it!”

As he bagged up a couple little powder packets and handed them over, he gave instructions on how much to use for a full skin of water, and Lydi had to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, finally.

“Well here I am, trying to put monsters to sleep, and you’re trying to wake me up!”

[faela404]

☆ The Library ☆

kazuha x gn! reader

prompt: - you and kazuha attend the same university, him being a english lit major and you being a person in stem😎 your paths never crossed until that day in the library…

*this is an smau so please do expect a lot of twitter posts and messages to read, there will be proper writing too but, it will mostly be that!!*

warning! suggestive?? but nothing happens dw, kissing, mentions of dating?

masterlist - prev | next

☆ your eyes ☆

“i would like to show you, just how close we are, my dear” his eyes flickered down to my lips, “if you will let me?”

my heart was beating a mile a minute, in fact it was moving so fast, i was convinced that at any moment it would grow wings and fly far away from me

though knowing my luck, it would fall into the same trap as icarus and fly far too close to the sun

kazuha is a kind man, i have liked him for far too long now to pass up this opportunity. though i know, i must speak now or else he will think he has gotten the wrong impression

and believe me

he hasn’t

though my voice has begun to fail me, i wish i could say more to him but, this predicament is making it harder and harder to speak, though i suppose we can talk about all of this later.

for now, i don’t want to think about anything, i just want to be here, with him.

“mhm” it’s all i can trust my voice to let out

a small smile graces his delicate face, as he carefully rests his hand against my cheek

it all happened so fast

one moment he’s holding my face, looking at me with those eyes

those eyes

they’re magnificent

then the next, his lips are against mine.

my eyes widen for only a mere second before closing, my lashes hitting his soft cheeks.

our lips slot together, moving against eachother in perfect tandem

i can feel my face getting hot, my need for air quickly being overtaken by a need i’ve never felt so strongly before

a need for him

i reach my arms up to rest against his waist

he pours so much love, so much passion into our kiss, it only feels fair to give back what he is giving

he pulls my face closer to his, as if we weren’t already close enough for his liking. i don’t object, i want to be closer to him as well

however, a want can quickly be overtaken by a need

specifically, a need for air.

oh how i wish we didn’t need air, so i could feel his soft lips for even longer

slowly we pull apart from one another, our foreheads resting gently against eachothers

he leans fowards a few times, pecking my lips again and again, before he stops in order to speak

“y/n, i think it’s quite clear how i feel for you”

he starts, his voice breathier than usual

“and there is no doubt in my mind, i want to spend every waking minute with you, though before i can ask such a question, i would like to take you out? on a date?”

he sounds almost unsure of himself.

he can’t seriously think i’ll say no after what we just did, can he?

i decide to finally trust my voice again

“i would love to go on a date with you, kazuha”

my voice also coming out breathy

“though before we talk about that” i reached my hands to hold the back of his head, entertwining my hands into his hair “i would also like to show you how close we are”

i lean in close again, capturing his lips in another kiss.

i don’t think we’re going to get very far from this spot for a while.

a/n - it’s here! the long awaited kiss woo

ngl i had to close this so many times cause it was just v embarrassing to write- so im v sorry it’s short but, i hope you enjoyed!

i also do have to tell you that the last chapter is more of a filler, not their date, that will be in the summer part! woo

taglist - open! (only 5 spots left!!) @kazuhaprnt @ryhie @scaraapologist @thissoulisnotok @kazuhalvrr @rifran @sleepyhamster1001 @mccnstruck @micahmxi @whipped-for-fictionals @sashiette @kozumieee @lazy-sanns @mangobee @lez-zuha @kaoyamamegami @hedonesstuff @oliver-s-worlds @phoenix-eclipses @lisaslittle-helper @serafinaspost @richxelle @ansaturn @neigesprincess @atlaincorrect @ilovekazuha271 @obeythehemmings @4leyn3 @giggles8899 @samyayaya @zomzomb1e @duckyyyx @luminescent-light @scarletttcroww @jasxiao2317 @kanaqwqbear @floating-inthevoid @forget-artemis @fishformaira @hangecanweholdhands @eurekatanya @tamikahoshiko @jan-penakulu @anon-who-cried @qtdenks

bold = blog not found

[mysticsparklewings]

Obscutober 2024 Day 10: Rampike 🥀

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Rampike (n.)

a broken or dead tree, especially the bleached skeleton or splintered trunk of a tree killed by fire.

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Maybe the most October-appropriate word on the list so far! 🎃

This one came out more simple kind of by accident, but it works because I’m still pleased with it & have some IRL things to work around today.

Click the "Keep Reading" and we'll talk more about my thoughts/process for this piece—Simple or not, I still have plenty to say! ✨

⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

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After a brief break from the nouns yesterday, we're back with what I would say is one of the more "useful" words that made the prompt list. In nothing else, this is almost certainly the most "October-appropriate" word so far.

Also, Fun Fact: There actually two trees in my yard that if they're not "rampikes" already, they probably will be in the future. It was a dark and stormy night (literally!) back in July, and around 3 or 4 in the morning, there was a massive CRACK of thunder—easily the loudest I've heard in my life—and I legitimately thought at the time that it felt like the lightning had struck our property specifically. Sure enough, the next day when we went outside, there were very visible scars scorched into the upper halves of two dizzyingly tall pine trees that stand together, like twins, in the backyard.

And believe it or not, that didn't really cross my mind when I picked this word out for the list. I did have the passing thought, "Oh hey I guess we kinda have one of those," and that was it! My main motivation for putting it on the list when I was going back through the word candidates I'd picked and making cuts was actually the spooky/October connections.

But hey, it made for a fun story! 🤗

As for the art: I kept things simple for today, but that was actually mostly unintentional for a change. But it does work out because (as I believe I mentioned yesterday) I have some other IRL things I'm having to balance today's Obscutober around. And I do kind of prefer having more simple results but feeling like I covered everything I wanted to vs. having a super detailed mandala where I'm still not sure I accomplished everything I wanted to.

I started with, of course, the split trees, because it was kind of essential they be included and be very prominent (at least in my book). The rest of the mandala was built around them; squiggles to represent the roots, a bit of grass-like representation near the base of the trees, then the larger triangles can either be more vegetation or maybe distant mountains—you decide!

I did pause for a moment after that, unsure of what to do with the empty space that was left and definitely did need something for filler.

Fortunately, the definition helped me out—I opted to do some swirls that are meant to be either wind or a representation of the storm clouds wind strong enough to break big, old trees would come with.

After that, the color scheme was easy. I went for mostly stormy blues, but also I tried to get kind of a lightning effect—but intentionally still abstract/loose—to highlight the splits in the trees, and I did let the tree trunks and the "grass" have touches of color just to help sell the imagery a bit better. It was at this stage that I decided I'd previously added too much hatching to the trees and the dotted triangle borders. Since I have a lot of thinner (white) lines here and was going for a stormy look, the extra white was just competing too hard for visual attention and made the whole thing look way more crowded than it actually is. You can see I left a little hatching on the trees for texture, but that's alk the hatching that survived.

...And that was it! And I don't feel like I really left anything out or missed anything! Unfortunately this is one of the words that I think maybe would have benefitted more from my usual mini-magnet shenanigans more than this mandala one. That's not to say I'm unhappy with how this art turned out—I like it a lot, actually! I just think the concept of broken trees brings out more of the poet in me than the artist, so I'm left wondering what I could've come up with in that other format that might have been deeper/had more substance to it.

Maybe that's something that could be properly explored at another time, but you Sparklers know how I am with hypothetical future projects like that. 😅 I'm going to focus on finishing what I've already started here first!

And I do think that finishes up what I wanted to tell you Sparklers about this piece today. Simple and more to-the point, which is kind of a nice change. They don't all need to be super complex!

So you Sparklers enjoy, and now I get to see how much trouble I have trying to do the cross-posting between those IRL things I mentioned working around. Somehow, I doubt that process will be as simple as the mandala itself was...🙃

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See the Prompt List

Artwork  © me, MysticSparklewings

Obscutober Concept Inspired by nikolas_tower

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⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

[arshifiesta]

So now that you all have gotten a grasp on the theme, let me give you a gist of this fiesta! We'll be conducting this for the rest of the month i.e. June 2024. There will two main types of prompts:

1. Moodboards

These will be released every 4-5 days or so for you guys to ponder and come up with anything based on or inspired from the prompt (even if sometimes it ends up looking nothing like the prompt itself 🤭) and we'll be happy to reblog your creations, even if it's a three paragraph story or any kind of edit or if you want to try your hand at fan-art but have never been able to sit down and create something— take this opportunity to start creating!

2. Word Prompts

These will be filler prompts for days in between moodboard prompts so that people can keep creating! You can also combine word prompts with any of the moodboards according to your liking, there's absolutely no restrictions. Also, even if there are new prompts, you can still create based on the old ones (again, no hard and fast rules here!)

There's no particular guidelines to this Fiesta so create whatever feels right to YOU! There's no wrong or right! And if you have any questions, please feel free to ask us in the comments, through asks, or you could even dm them if you're feeling particularly shy!

If you're too worried about putting out your content then you can of course send it to us privately and we will post it for you while maintaining all privacy that we can!

In regards to how you want to post, there are several options like:

1. You want to post an edit on YouTube/Instagram/Tik tok or you want to post some writing on Wattpad/Ao3/WordPress or something that doesn't directly get posted to Tumblr— that's completely alright! Just make sure to tag this blog @arshifiesta, make sure you use the hashtag #IPK 13th Anniversary Fiesta and a link to whatever moodboard/word prompt you're using!

2. You want to post something on other websites as mentioned above but also want to post them here or add introduction and links that direct you to other websites— Sure you can! Again, make sure to tag us and use the proper hashtag so that we can reblog all submissions/creations!

3. You want to post on Tumblr itself but aren't sure how to go about it? Okay, so if this is the case then we suggest that you refer to this post by jalebi which will give you a flexible format to use. Mention the prompt (hyperlink it if possible!), share your work and then tag our blog and use the proper hashtag!

Note: Although, there aren't any age restrictions for submissions, we request you to add community label (mature) wherever necessary!

If anyone wants to collaborate with someone, then they're welcome to tag them in the comments to see if they're interested.

And most importantly, let's be kind to one another! 🤗 Hate of any kind will not be tolerated here. And please remember to lift up new members of the fandom by supporting their work even if you've never seen them before on this website. That's all folks!

Moodboard no.1 coming right up! Keep your eyes out for us! 👀 And don't forget to tag @arshifiesta and #IPK 13th Anniversary Fiesta. Remember that we cannot reblog posts that people haven't tagged us in! Also, people who post without giving credits will be warned and reported.

In case you missed the Theme Introduction Post!

Prompt Index:

Moodboard 1

Moodboard 2

Moodboard 3

Moodboard 4

Moodboard 5

[anisaanisa]

Limerence: The Masterpost ☆

I couldn't miss the opportunity for another canon-flavoured masterpost, so here I go again with Limerence. This collection is a prequel to Homecoming, so if you're not ready to say goodbye, by all means, carry on! The structure remains: above the cut lies links, and below lurks a prompt breakdown where I attempt to justify everything that just happened. Onward!

Tumblr: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Read it on AO3 ▶ Previous Masterposts: Homecoming〡Evermore

This is your rest stop. Beyond the Keep Reading banner are many words and manga caps for those with a vested interest in Inuyasha headcanons/meta/anecdotes. Snacks applicable!

The Personal Bit ☆

ALRIGHT, masks off besties. Are they your OTP? Cause they’re my OTP too, and we should consider bursting into flames about it together (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥

I didn't think I’d participate with writing this year, until about a week before the event, when I was frying-panned with some notions. As a fellow bearer of the curse, it started with a seedling of Kagome looking out for Inuyasha in the modern era, whether she realised it or not and even if, logically, she knew better, and snowballed from there. So, I blasted through each prompt with the intention of keeping them short, and after a survey back, each chapter grew deceptively longer, and I thought: why not add a stair [100 words] to Kagome's case for each day?

This particular canon universe is approached thusly: the prompt is the starting point, and the characters do the rest. I don't control the narrative, the narrative controls me, type thing. Hence, chapters are plot-negative, and times skips are abundant. Anyway. Enough waxing!

Note: I am working with the Viz English translation of the Inuyasha manga with some anime filler for seasoning, and the timeframe for the 3-year separation falls loosely between 1998-2001.

Final Note: Limerence spoilers start here.

Prompt Breakdown ☆

Day 1: Love Language(s)

Summary: Kagome's been distracted. Or, I hc that Kagome spent a good amount of time away with the fairies (and trying to catch up with school) when she first got back. Thoughts and Feels:

Love Language(s) were coined in 1992; the likelihood of them being such a commonly adopted phrase/ideology was as slim as Kagome knowing what her friends were going on about. They're a relatively new conception of navigating romance, but that doesn't mean buzzwords didn't make it into those teen mags we remember so well, though! Point for fuck it we ball!

For better or worse, friends are gonna be a tad nosy, and Kagome’s definitely were. Consistently and without fail:

Chapter 23, Volume 3, Mask of Flesh ☆

—and how else to feel her ���snapping back into the room” in 100 words, if not when confronted with mathematics?

Chapter 411, Volume 42, The Kind One ☆

Fun Fact: There is a small high chance I spent the most time on this one overall because trying to spin a tale in 100 words is wild.

Day 2: Possession

Summary: Kagome acts on impulse. Or, I hc that uncanny resemblances might ruin a girl's day out. Thoughts and Feels:

Okay, yeah, okay, technically the baseball cap didn't happen in the manga. But this is why filler episodes are good for the ecosystem, or something.

Shock can have a lot of side effects. Confusion, agitation, complete and utter lack of personal or road safety (to name a few), and in Kagome's case here, shoving Inuyasha-shaped familiarity under her nose when she least expected it had her acting up, because not only has the well been sealed off for X time, she was used to him acting up whenever he stepped foot in the modern era:

Chapter 392, Volume 40, A Peaceful Meal ☆

Her friends still care, though! Cause that's what friends are for! As wild of a creature as Kagome can be, they're aware of her ��struggles” with her health, and are oddly used to her odd ways:

Chapter 35, Volume 4, A Little Imp ☆

Fun Fact: I rewrote that last line, like, 7 times. The free writing tag is actually fake news.

Day 3: Safe

Summary: Kagome's has a nightmare. Or, I hc that a brave face doesn't do much when she's at her most vulnerable. Thoughts and Feels:

If you've ever had nightmares/night terrors/sleep paralysis, you'll know how, well, terrifying they can be. Lucid states between sleep and wakefulness has a nasty way of warping perceptions, and with everything Kagome witnessed, her dreamscapes had to be vivid, especially after her stint in the jewel, where reality and fantasy blurred real bad, and what's worse, it taunted her about it:

Chapter 554, Volume 56, High School Life ☆

To further that point, Inuyasha gets brutal - beheadings, graphic slaughterings (sometimes at the hands of an MC eheh), you know, justgirlythings - and therefore toned down for television, as anime adaptations often are. Kagome was 15, and while she did that, it would leave a mark. Trauma, guys. We're talking about trauma now.

If the reference was caught during her tiny tale: the scene with Mama H being shook to fuck over her baby glowing is anime-only, but I really dig the idea that she knew something was up with Kagome from Day 0, really aided in reasoning why she was so okay with her daughter doing all that, thank you for understanding. Another point for filler!

Fun Fact: I…barely remember writing this one, actually, truly, read it back a week later like: don't know her. I love her like any proud mother, though!

Day 4: Modern

Summary: Kagome asks a question she doesn’t like the answer to. Or, I hc that curiosity killed the cat. Thoughts and Feels:

The trickiest one, in terms of setting. I spent too much time looking into the availability and flavours of historical records in Tokyo (particularly 2000ish, bc digital archives weren't that hot then) and came to the conclusion that while yes, it was possible for her to gain access to [something], no, it wasn't very likely she'd come across any death records, (specifically Koseki) for her friends, with the added bonus that family names are notably lacking until 1868. But take Kagome's resourcefulness + Japan's love for paperwork, and it led me here – to some kinda fake archive with fake books and fake names that could potentially be somebody that she used to know. And while I try my best to be respectful of the people and the setting I'm writing within, I asked myself bluntly, if I really gave a fuck about being accurate in this regard/fictional setting, and the answer was also: no. There isn't a Sunset Shrine either, so a fictional National Archives with The Right Documents there shall be.

Of all the Fuedal-Inuyasha characters, I feel like Sango is the one that would have Done Something to leave a mark, somewhere written on paper. You know...Badass Women For Agriculture Union [codeword for demon slaying], something. Yeah, Miroku was a holy man, but we're not talking about history right now, we're talking about Herstory.

And finally, that moment. The one where Kagome almost cracked and unleashed self-inflicted rage on some guy, cause time didn't cease to exist for them. The thing about Kagome, apart from her being an all round great character, is that she isn't tame, nor timid, and certainly no shrinking violet. But where she's brash and loud and (sometimes) quick to anger, she's also kind. And reasonable, and at the core, a wonderful person, and that duality is what makes her so lovable, relatable, and fun to write. Lookit her:

Chapter 175, Volume 185, Where They First Met ☆

Fun Fact: I really wanted to point out that Kagome was supposed to be in her high school uniform, but writing restriction said naur. Irrelevant. Also, this is my favourite chapter. Weird, right? Haha?

Day 5: Heat

Summary: Kagome hears a bump in the night. Or, I hc that stranger things have occurred than a random bout of sleepwalking while living with PTID (Post Traumatic Isekai Disorder). Thoughts and Feels:

There was a small blip in time where this chapter skewed Mature. Explicit, even. Something about imagining a certain someone in a compromising position, but then the wind changed direction, and I went for literal heat. Japanese summers are stifling, and heat...is hot. Ace card, go!

Lunar charts and such: they don't add up when you compare two points in time, 500 years apart. But there could still be some peculiar celestial moon stuff that led a sleep-deprived Kagome to have a gander at the moon, especially when it's new.

Chapter 140, Volume 15, The Other Side of the Well ☆

Inuyasha had a brilliant way of turning up when she least expected him, or staying away when she wanted to see him the most. There are little things that happen, like an open window or remnants of a dream that might stay with her upon waking, to lead her to think-maybe it was him?

Chapter 287, Volume 29, Mimisenri ☆

BEHIND THE SCENES REVEAL: Kagome was the one who opened her door and tried to feed the cat, but it didn't work, because sleepwalkers are silly. Easter Eggy Subtext: Buyo is the catalyst, but Kagome is the key. Think about it.

Chapter 494, Volume 50, Two Worlds ☆

Day 6: Courting

Summary: Kagome tries her best. Or, I hc that Kagome gives it the old college effort, a la jewel illusion. Thoughts and Feels:

Kagome's family want the best for her. Kagome's friends are boy-crazy hen-peckers. Hojo is cute, and has always shown an interest in Kagome. Therefore: it would be wild to assume she didn't at least say yes, once, to going out with him, even if she knew it really wasn't going to go anywhere:

Chapter 140, Volume 15, The Other Side of the Well ☆

Sometimes you have to do things to understand how much you don't want to do that thing. At this point in time, Kagome's coming up for graduation, she's spent almost 3 years dealing with everything that happened to her, and she's not a complete tool. However, the mind wanders, especially when you'd rather someone else's company:

Chapter 69, Volume 8, Sensing Presences ☆

She's going to give the modern era one last shot – because while romance isn't everything, it can be part of something – before throwing in the towel and saying fuck it, I tried. And as Kagome's will Kagome, she'd want to make an effort for the sake of others:

Chapter 35, Volume 4, A Little Imp ☆

Fun Fact: This chapter (and the next) ended up floating around 1.5K at first draft. I'd like to formally apologise to the words lost in transit, you will be missed.

Day 7: Smile

Summary: Kagome comes home. Or, I hc that Kagome finally puts her wants, needs and feelings first, and those might suspiciously man-shaped. Thoughts and Feels:

Yeahyeah, the “I never thought I'd write this”, we've all seen it. But it's true! Never thought I'd write a chapter retelling, and this one is that fact's poster child. They aren't my bag (to read or to write) but the ending was there all along, obviously:

Chapter 494, Volume 50, Two Worlds ☆

The right wish, the wrong wish, a selfish wish, a selfless wish – as many Isekai's go, wish fulfilment is a huge part of the narrative (not just for Kagome, but so many of the characters) but she, unlike others, had a huge weight on her shoulders about making the right one that I wanted to tease out that moment where she gets it:

Awfully familiar cap is familiar, Chapter 558, Volume 56, Tomorrow ☆

Are you sure you're supposed to be there, Miss Thing? Life doesn't end just because you finished a job, or have to feel beholden to a sense of home. Home can be anywhere! Home can be a person! You can do it, bestie. Do it for her! Her is you! Go Kagome!

Chapter 79, The Fruits of Evil ☆

She made her dreams – from acing school, to making her family proud, to seeing Inuyasha again – a reality. There's really nothing more I can say about that, it's all there. She chose herself! And that included him! Ain't that neat!

Fun Fact: In Japanese, Inuyasha calls her a baka. In the scanlation, he calls her an idiot. In the English sub/dub, he calls her an idiot. In the Viz translation (the one I refer to most) he calls her a fool. Imho, in English, he says idiot, cause Inuyasha has zero respect and carries that no-finesse kind of rizz. Bless him.

Bonus Fun Fact: Chapters like this are why I'm such a flaming monster about writing advice being a tool, not a rule. Those last two lines, without the use of But and And at the beginning, would not carry the same weight and timing I wanted to achieve, therefore, you can pry them as sentence starters out of my cold, dead hands.

The End.

Weehee! This could have been way longer (you're thinking how, I'm thinking I'm proud of how restrained I was) but alas, we've reached the end. Thanks again to @inukag-week for hosting the event of all time! I love them sooo much. Sososo much, they're the best little guys 🎉

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, click here to send me an ask! I love not shutting up about them 🛸

ttyl bbs 🤸

[sparatus]

Aephis meets Sephira pls 🥺💕

wip game

hi sorry work happened ANYWAY so i lied, because i was recalling file names off the top of my head at work when i made the post, the file is actually named aephis WINS sephira which is much more fun imo

anyhorse!! this one's a challenge fill, prompt was in the beginning and this is going back to a backstory fun fact that im stupid fond of. we're visiting axilus's parents when they were young, back when aephis was a whore carefree young NCO and sephira was working towards her master's degree. aephis's friends make a bet with him about whether or not he can get the ice queen in engineering to sleep with him, and he loves a challenge, but oops instructions unclear caught feelings and forgot the bet entirely, and oops she might be falling for him too

special for u here is extra long snip (cause the context is needed)

--

Aephis Madelivio, by all accounts and purposes, was the ideal turian, the kind put in every romance schlock vid to be admired and panted after, turian and xeno alike. He was tall, muscular, and sported the classic turian romance hero frame of broad shoulders, trim waist, rugged claws, and sturdy legs and feet. His plates were a ruddy maroon, his crest was attractively long, and the clan tattoos striping his face in white were elegant and complimentary without hiding too much of his handsome visage. He was top of his class in every flavor of combat available, and was doing quite well in the tactical testing, too, thank you very much. He was loud and boisterous to the point it might almost be irritating, but so friendly and charming and genuine about it the annoyance never lasted. His parents were both from well-known clans, the Madelivios of Shaal and the Sparatuses of Tiirtias, and even more famous names before them, giving him the kind of pedigree that didn't sound real until you noticed the sand-scattering length of his toes and the xepöa'vach on his back and keel. He was, checklist-perfect, a model young drake any turian worth their teeth would kill to be seen on the arm of.

And, most insufferably of all, he damn well knew it, and walked around with the swagger in his step to prove it.

Not that he let it go to his head. No, of course not, he was modest, too. Being humble on top of everything else was even more swoon-worthy, after all, and he had pretty girls to woo and handsome boys to flatter. No time for being unappealing. Especially when they were between ground missions. There was only so much time in the day cycle their superiors could make filler for, special officer’s training or no, and, well, what else was he supposed to do?

“No way,” Salvirian blustered, flaring out his mandibles. “You can’t get anybody on board, nobody’s that good.”

Okay, maybe he was a little immodest. Nobody was perfect, so sue him. Besides, bragging about it with his gaggle of friends was different from going around telling anybody who would listen.

Aephis purred, tapping his chin with one talon. Salvirian wasn’t that bad-looking himself, silver plates with a striking darker patch in the middle of his face, but the yellow-green tattoos didn’t do him any favors. He also just sucked in bed, Aephis knew from experience, and judging by the scuttlebutt around the ship, he wasn’t just the unlucky one. “I didn’t say anybody,” he argued. “I said anybody who’s into drakes. I’m an equal-opportunity bisexual, but not everyone here is. I’m not a dick, I’m not gonna try to go after a lesbian.”

Agnianus snorted into her reconstituted meat product in sauce. “Thanks for your consideration.” She poked at a somewhat suspicious lump that immediately fell apart into mix dust and heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Iunno, Sal, I think he could do it. He already pulled Dardaion, and she bit the last dude who hit on her.”

“Dardaion doesn’t count, that was after they sparred to a draw and wrestled a bit,” Salvirian huffed. “That wasn’t his charm, that was his fighting skill.”

“No, no, that counts,” Tanidonis argued, already holding out his rations to Agnianus in trade. “We're just talking about ability to pull anybody who might be interested, not specifically how it happens. Just because Dardaion doesn't wanna fuck you doesn't make her magically unavailable, Sal."

Salvirian’s throat flushed, and he pulled his head down in his cowl. Agnianus swapped trays quickly, then huffed. “I have an idea," she said. “I heard some of the engineers talking about one of theirs who's, like, total ice queen. Threw a wrench at somebody for disturbing her work with flirting and just went right back to her math. If you can tap that, you can tap anybody.”

Aephis raised a brow plate, but Tanidonis just scoffed. “Yeah, I heard them, too. Flaucius is just pissy she turned him down. He sounded like a prick, all, ‘ohhh, I was sooo nice to her, I was her only friiieeend, but she was still so meeeaaan to meee.’ Fucking pathetic. Like, I learned I’m not entitled to a hot girl’s attention just ‘cause I’m nice to her when I was ten. Y’know, when I realized girls were pretty and not made of cooties and violence, and my dad had a talk with me about dating like a normal parent.”

Aephis snorted and clicked his mandibles. "Nah, girls are definitely still made of violence,” he countered. "That's the hot part. Remember the Dardaion part of this conversation?”

"That's also why you're all straight or bi drakes who follow around a lesbian,” Agnianus added sagely, taking a drink from her canteen. “Turians are matriarchal by nature, and our gender-equal society is proof we're civilized and more than our base natures. It's, like, science. Anyway, I still think that Actinus hen is a solid test of Aephis's appeal as a drake. She did still definitely throw a wrench at a guy, that's irrelevant to Flaucius being an entitled bag of dicks.”

[ciaossu-imagines]

Hello, hello, my lovely constant readers! Just popping in to check requests and messages, hoping to reply to the latter soon this week. I've finished the commission I had, and have been working on some writing that I've been putting off and am having a ball with it. By the end of February, you'll see the start of The Ever Young and will have new chapters of the delinquent! Shouhei story on here, and I'll be posting my first self-indulgent little stories on AO3, which I'll probably also share on here. I've also been giving myself reading and watching time, which was sorely needed. For anyone interested, I've finally completed my full KHR reread, which for me includes the manga, all the Secret Bullet translations I could find (and summaries of what happened in the ones I couldn't find translated) and watching the filler arcs of the anime! I've started a K rewatch and am searching for the spin-off manga because my manga app took them off, along with light novels I know were done for that! I'm also doing a Servamp reread/catchup on so by the time I come back, I'll have all those done, yay!

Just wanted to leave a message saying that I absolutely love all the requests that have come in. I have noticed a couple trends in them though that I want to comment on before I kind of go back to my readings and writings while on my break. I've noticed quite a few people worried about sending in more than one request or asking if that was okay.

PLEASE DO! I will never, ever be upset by people sending in multiple requests during a day, even if they're for the same character. The more requests I get, the more I have to write up and put out for you guys! This is a request blog, which largely means that if you want to see something written, be it for a character or a fandom, you need to request for that! (Though I admit I might use some of the prompts to write things I have in my head for some fandoms that don't get requested!)

On top of that, I've had people worry they're being too self-indulgent in their asks. Please go all out! Requests are, by their nature, very self-indulgent and I encourage that full-heartedly! You're not offending me or making me upset, I do not hate any requests that come in (I love seeing them honestly), and some of the requests really make me very excited to write them!

[what-a-weird-rose]

Marylene: The Things I Want for Us (Distract Me, Baby)

Pairing: Mary MacDonald / Marlene McKinnon

Rating: E

Prompt: Face-sitting

Word Count: 1.2k

Mary pats her shirt down from where it had ridden up, feeling the soft cotton under her fingertips. Today had been one of those days in which everything felt more intense; every feeling, every sense, everything felt greater than it actually was.

She rolls her shoulders back, throwing her blue faux-leather purse over her shoulder and strolling out of the boutique and waving off to Emmeline. The cool breeze that passes by her makes the day seem a bit better, especially as it weaves through her hair and swirls around her like some kind of magic.

Her car, beat up as it is, takes her home safely, experiencing only one hiccup on the way as it fought bravely against a pothole. And, as she seemed destined to do at the end of every long day, Mary flopped down on her too-expensive sofa and fell asleep, hoping to stay that way for the rest of forever.

Marlene wakes her not long after she drifted off to dreamland. Mary considers scheming some wretched attack until she smells the lingering scent of something equal parts spicy and good -likely whipped up by James. Eventually, after lamenting the depravity of leaving a warm, comfy couch, Mary lifts herself and strolls begrudgingly into the kitchen, where Marlene sits at the island.

“Evening, Mac,” she says, blowing slowly on a spoonful of hot, yellow curry.

“What’d you get?” Mary asks, pulling boxes from the delivery bag to investigate. She already knows what Marlene got for herself, and she knows what Marlene got for her, but Mary supposes its more polite to ask than assume.

“The usual, love,” Marlene continues blowing on hot food, though she seems far less absorbed by it, instead, her eyes follow Mary as she scurries around the kitchen in search of utensils. “To the left.” She supplies unhelpfully.

They eat together in peaceful silence, enjoying the company each others’ company.

When they finish eating hot, good food, the two clean up, standing side-by-side in front of the too-small sink washing and drying dishes.

Then, when the dishes are cleaned and the counter is clear, the two move up the stairs of their townhouse, chatting about everything and nothing and all the little things in between.

Finally, when the chatter dies down and the city is quiet with restful sleep, Mary moves away from the close cocoon they’d made and turned to her door, wishing good dreams to her company. Marlene nods, wishing her the same.

Mary closes the door behind her and finally pulls her phone out of her pocket, where she had been avoiding it most of the day. She opens it, turns of her Do Not Disturb, and watches as her notifications are flooded by messages and emails and nonsense filler.

She clears what she doesn’t need to deal with immediately, sitting on her bed and staring down in the darkness at the screen. She replies half-heartedly to emails and eventually sets to dealing with the messages.

Some of them are easy enough, short, quick replies to acquaintances. Longer, more distant ones to family. And heartfelt, detailed letters to close friends. All in that order. And in the end, she is left with only one thread left unopened.

Sirius had dumped her not long ago- something about living his truth and wanting to set her free and blah, blah, blah. What Mary is sure actually happened is Sirius realized -horribly late- that his dear friend Remus is hot, wanted to avoid having to deal with the consequences of that, and decided to date her as a distraction. She doesn’t exactly blame him- not too much anymore, at least, but she does certainly feel bad for him, as she reads through the messages in which he pours his hearts out and- surprise, surprise- confesses to having loved Remus, and using her. Mary sighs, she really doesn’t want to deal with this right now, but if she leaves it to the morning, she’ll have stewed too long to be honest with either of them.

She responds, saying she’s fine and that she doesn’t exactly forgive him, but doesn’t hate him either. Mary tells him that she wishes him the best with Remus, and will always remember him as her first love- even if it was one-sided. She informs him that he doesn’t have to walk on eggshells with her because they are adults and she isn’t some crazy, psycho ex, and that she’s moved on.

Sirius doesn’t respond immediately; she doesn’t expect him too.

Marlene opens her door after the third knock, Mary doesn’t think too deeply into that.

Marlene is fidgeting as Mary strips off her shirt and socks, her pants and bra.

Marlene is soft against her as they stand in the middle of the room, lips locked, holding one another. Mary doesn’t think much of anything as she focuses on the feeling of Marlene’s hands against her skin- her eyes dragging down against her body.

There is something so invigorating about the experience of being fucked by her closest friend; something so deeply disruptive about the act, yet doing it anyway.

Marlene grips her thighs, pulling Mary down just enough to lock their lips again, and Marlene pours herself into it; Mary tries not to think about it.

Instead, Mary focuses on the intense lust that coils like a spring in her gut; she focuses on the way her skin prickles with goosebumps anywhere Marlene pulls her fingers; she focuses on Marlene positioning her above her face and pulling her down, down, down- close enough to lick.

Mary focuses on every little sensation given by Marlene’s tongue on her cunt- she tries so hard that she ends up focusing on focusing, rather than on Marlene. She grinds her hips down against Marlene’s fast-moving tongue, but it leaves much to be desired in terms of distractions.

She turns herself around and sits back on Marlene’s face, listening to the hoarse sounds that escape her throat as Marlene does her best work. Mary leans down, pulling Marlene’s legs up and allowing herself access to Marlene’s cunt.

She doesn’t do it much, but when she does, she tries her best.

Marlene seems to appreciate the effort as she groans and plants her feet hard into the mattress beneath them.

Mary licks and sucks and kisses and tries her best to replicate everything Marlene is doing to her own cunt until that little coiled spring in her gut becomes too tight to ignore. As the coil tightens and tightens and tightens, she sinks her hips lower, and buries her face further, and focuses more intently on Marlene’s small clit and her desire to see her friend cum.

Mary grinds her hips down sharply as the wave folds over her, crashing into her with unwelcomed intensity. She gets three good licks of Marlene’s cunt before she joins Mary on the road of orgasm.

Mary pulls herself up and off of her friend, petting down her blond hair and staring at her sweat-covered skin.

“You know I want you, right?”

“I know.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

[proxylynn]

How about a prompt of Lynn and Stu being an anime nerds :3

https://youtu.be/hc3aIeQ4oUk

his voice is soothing

[@asuraraver is very talented. They do amazing work.]

The day was like any other...if you count their being an anime convention as a normal thing. Stu was especially delighted. The chance to buy merch and expand his collection filled him with a joy that threatened to make his heart explode. There was just one problem. He keeps his otaku nature under wraps and he heard his crush was able to score tickets. Lynn didn't seem to mind him nerding out and sometimes engaged in watching animes with him, though their tastes varied wildly. And he dared not show her certain things...things that will remain hidden under his mattress and never see the light of day so help God.

Yet, he had an ace up his sleeve. CosPlay. He dressed as a character she'd never recognize him as. Hatsune Miku. No way she'd know it was him dressed as a woman. And spotting Lynn in a crowd of other cosplayers would be easy too, she's so basic and easy to point out, avoiding her would be as simple as watching paint dry.

As the hours passed, he soon grew to think she might have been unable to attend the convention. He hadn't seen a glimpse of her at all. Yet there were points where he swore he caught a whiff of her shampoo but he chalked it up to anyone having the same kind. Still, aside from such thoughts, everything was going great. It came to the point his attention was drawn to the custom-made figures and there, he spies a Neko-Miku that he had to have. Oh how his mind wanders to all sorts of thoughts. Such a distraction is enough for him to miss how said figure is bought right in front of his face, the realization hitting him seconds later.

Stu: H-Hey!

He runs up to and skids in front of this dude dressed as Dante from Devil May Cry.

Stu: That figure...How much do you want for it?

????: No dice, little lady. This is for a buddy of mine.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Stu: I'll give you double what you paid for it.

????: I said no.

Stu: Come on, I need that figure! I'll do anything. Don't make me beg, man!

????: Just forget it. I ain't giving you squat.

Stu: Please!!

This was crossing the line and he knew. He grabbed the dude by his coat then groveled like he was on death row and that figure was his last shot of freedom. The Dante player got fed up with this and grabbed Stu to shove him back. What happened next was as cliche as any beach episode or hotspring filler used in shows. Not wanting to be pushed away, he grabs at the Dante's chest to clutch their shirt...what Stu ends up doing is pulling the shirt and the binder underneath, dislodging the rather large bust the Dante cosplayer has. This doesn't go well.

????: You jackass!

The responding slap was strong enough to knock Stu's wig off. The resulting pause that settled is met with horrified recognition.

Lynn: Stu?

Sut: Lynn?

Lynn: Oh fuck! I am so sorry! I didn't...I...Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!

Stu would probably be trying to comfort her right now and explain how things aren't as bad as they seem. That all was fine and their friendship was still good. But his brain was elsewhere, for in that split moment, he realized his hand had grabbed deep into her mountains majesty and he was never going to forget that for as long as he lived.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Hi, I just wanted to say you are easily one of my favorite blogs here! You're so systematic about the way you answer people's questions. How long do you spend crafting your answers?

Cheers, and have a great day!

Thanks for writing in,

Honestly I'd say it depends very much on the case, as there are requests that have been sitting unanswered in my inbox for months, while other's I'll see and immediately be struck by inspiration, finishing within an hour.

A lot of the process can depend on having art that fits with what I want to write, since my whole "brand" involves matching cool images with my own good ideas.

As for how systematic I can be, I often talk about how I have a "fixer" brain: put something in front of me and give me time to play with it and I'll figure out how to make it better, which is one of the reasons I like it when someone can present me with enough of a skeleton of my idea to riff on it without having to make it up whole cloth. 

Writing a prompt generally takes less than an hour depending on how much brainfog I happen to be experiencing that day, but the largest factor is how much digging I have to do to find the “right” pieces in order to make the concept feel right. Often I like to talk about how my ideas are built out of brain-lego, catalogued over many, many years of journaling, dissecting media, and thinking too much about d&d.  Sometimes these pieces  emerge naturally, or I’ll get to use a concept I’ve been sitting on for a few years, and the whole thing will snap together quicker than you can say “Aha” ( I’m low key addicted to this feeling, that’s why I’m doing all this).  Other times I’ll be stuck for hours or days, wracking my brain, searching my art archive, trying to find something that makes the concept “click”, trying to chase the high of solving the problem and just exacerbating myself in the process. I’m trying to learn to not get stuck in these kind of patterns, because it’s healthier for my brain to work through solvable problems than grind to a complete halt trying to find a solution to something that has no answer. It’s an ongoing struggle, but as a creative we all have our foibles.  

When it comes to the more mechanical questions, like my drafting an adventure series, I generally string working on those out for a couple days, mainly because they need to go through multiple drafts to ensure I’m communicating my point effectively, and also because I like to use them as a beta-test for future podcast topics. Plenty of d&d content creators put out “filler” content rehashing old points, but I like to make sure I’m saying something with each of my larger posts. 

[devildomimagines]

Request: How the Demon Brothers React to a Very Competent Caretaker MC

The prompt: MC has to take care of lots of siblings back in the human world. Not, like, 6 or 7 siblings, but TWENTY-FOUR!! MC can multitask like no one’s business and can easily take care of any problem that might arise with their siblings. MC is great at taking care of others and enjoys it. The hang-up is that when they come to Devildom, they suddenly find themselves with a lot of free time and aren’t really sure how to fill in those gaps since they were always dedicating themselves to others.

Anon! Your message was so sweet but I was having technical difficulties writing the post as an answer so I decided to just make a separate text post. Btw, your great-grandmother sounds like a total badass, what an inspiration! I hope you don’t mind my work around for the technical issues and I hope this lives up to what you were looking for!

Edit: I wrote this for the formerly Undateables as well, check it out here.

Belphegor

As the youngest he doesn’t completely understand but he does love his family (even if he doesn’t always show it).

He is kind of amazed with how competent MC is and how easily adaptable to the needs of him and his brothers.

He’s kind of selfish so oftentimes he abuses your nurturing nature.

After the events in the attic, Belphie does worry you’ll hold it against him, even subconsciously. You cut the tension one night by saying, "You can't kill me, I've survived my little sibling trying to play violin with a chainsaw!" The mental image makes him laugh.

Belphie would be the best brother to consult with if you want to learn to be a little selfish yourself. It doesn’t have to be a complete personality overhaul but there is value in knowing what you want and making those wants known to others.

While taking care of so many siblings, you never had the opportunity to take naps and he is offended! But secretly loves that he gets to show you the joys of a nap.

Beelzebub

Beel loves taking care of others, just a very loving boy. The two of you get along like peas in a pod. 

It’s very easy to fall into old habits around him because he has a personality that makes you want to care for him.

Since he’s so strong, he does fear hurting you by accident. You let him know, “I don't fear pain, I do my school homework upside-down while on a ladder changing the lamp." While it doesn’t totally extinguish his fears, the thought of that total body workout intrigues him enough to distract him.

If you want to fill some time, he would love to have you join him at the gym or come see his games.

Physical fitness and nutrition are fundamental to taking care of yourself and Beel would be the demon to go to to learn more if you’re interested. 

Also, I’m sure you would agree but cooking is a form of love so if you enjoy spending your free time baking and cooking, Beel will follow you around (for the treats lol). He’s said it before, if you know how to cook then he wants you to stay by his side.

Asmodeus

“Treat yo self” is his guiding principle. He is your demon to teach self-care.

If you’re looking for something to do, part of your time can be filled with his routines for skin care, hair care and mental health checks.

Casually you mentioned one day, “"Me, go to sleep? I'm the oldest sibling, I don't sleep, I worry with my eyes closed!"

“MC! You need to get your beauty rest!” He countered. I can imagine that he basically drags you to Belphie to figure out how to sleep better.

Although he has a lot of knowledge to offer, you are quick to pick it up and help him in braiding his hair out of his face or gently applying a face mask.

The fun part of learning from Asmo is that there’s always some new beauty product to try and he loves having a buddy to try it with. 

Satan

He’s amazed with everything you can do. He asks you to teach him how to do things he watches you do flawlessly.

He’s definitely curious to hear about what it’s like living with so many siblings, 6 seems like too many sometimes so 4 times that is completely unknown to him.

Satan was helping with some homework and suggested tackling an easier assignment first, you challenged him with, "Don't underestimate me, I managed to make a toddler spell pneumoultramicroscopicssilicovulcanoconiosis!"

He laughs as he confirms he wasn’t underestimating you, just trying to offer some guidance for efficiency.

You need something to pass time? Satan has enough books in his room to literally last your lifetime.

He can help you find any kind of book, simply let him know what you would be interested in and he probably has a suggestion.

Leviathan

He’s drawn to you and at first he doesn’t know why. Later he realizes it’s because you’re so good at listening where his brothers usually just ignore him.

Games and anime are a great time filler if you’re interested, he’s got all the best recommendations.

It might be tough to get into first if you’re not used to binge watching a series or gaming for hours on end.

When he apologizes for possibly annoying you with his rants you assure, "You can't annoy me, I've endured eight rebellious teenagers!"

I could imagine that you’d resonate with slice of life animes as an introduction to the genre and possibly adventure games with a good story would catch your attention.

Even if you’re not totally invested, he enjoys your presence since you’re not dismissing his interest.

Mammon

Listen, he’s a good older brother! Some of his personal decisions are questionable but he’s dependable when needed.

Definitely king of random interests so your well-rounded abilities are actually well suited to keeping up with whatever past time has piqued his interest this week.

Mammon would probably be confused when you see something during one of his shopping trips that you clearly want but refuse to buy. Eventually he builds it up enough (like the demon on your shoulder whispering in your ear lol) that you do end up getting it.

What you had first dismissed as Mammon being materialistic, you slowly come to realize because of him that you can surround yourself with things that bring you joy and so your days are filled with happiness.

He can get reckless so he appreciates your protection from Lucifer’s punishments and hides behind you like some of your siblings did at home.

He protects you too though! He stands up for you and points out things that are unfair to make you aware. 

Lucifer

Oldest sibling comradery from the get-go.

You’re both very responsible individuals and when you join forces, it’s like nothing is impossible.

He’s the one you go to the first couple weeks when you find yourself with free time. He’s sure to have something to be done to help fill the newfound free time.

Over time he comes to rely on you but he’s worried he’s overworking you with the tougher assignments. You made sure to remind him, "I have no difficulty with this task, I'm the oldest of twenty-four siblings!"

Lucifer recognizes your competence and he excels at boosting confidence and pride so don’t think you are not immune to that.

The more time you spend with him, the more you develop a stronger sense of self-worth and self-determination. He practically gushes pride at the sight of you defending yourself and claiming the value of your time near the end of the exchange program.

[whisperlullaby]

Concentrated Sunlight

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Warnings: Fluff, some angst (?) maybe a curse or two

Word Count:  1362

Summary: Steve Rogers owns a flower shop and is smitten with a regular customer. What happens when he finds out she has a boyfriend?

A/N:  This was done for @syntheticavenger​‘s challenge! It was a lyric prompt  “ If I told you that I loved you, tell me what would you say?” (The Neighbourhood ‘The Beach’) And I made up a little flower shop AU to go along with it! I want to thank @syntheticavenger​ for reading my story and @river-soul​ for hyping me up to post this! This is my first EVER fanfic for any fandom and the first time I am publishing my work anywhere. If I forgot any warnings let me know!

Friday, 4:00,  like clockwork you walked into Steve Rogers flower shop. The sunflowers always seemed to lean into you when you passed their cooler. You had been coming every Friday to pick up what you called “weekend flowers” for 6 months now and simply knowing you were coming seemed to make the weeks go by a lot faster. 

“Hey Steve! Got anything fresh this week?” you teased. You knew he went to the wholesale market daily to make sure each arrangement held the freshest flowers. You had asked about it the third time you came into the shop and he made it a point to tell you about his daily trips to the wholesale market. What he didn’t tell you was that he made a point of going 6 months ago when you started coming in, just in case you needed flowers any other day of the week.

“Hey doll, got some orange dahlia’s that look pretty good. Wanna take a look?” He moved towards the cooler that held the special find. Orange was your favorite. He noticed how you always seemed to pick out orange day lilies, poppy’s, marigolds, and orange Gerber daisies. There weren’t many impressive orange flowers so when Steve found eye catching ones at the market he would always buy them out of stock.

“No, actually, I’m not picking up flowers for me today.” You paused and looked at Steve who seemed to stiffen. “I’m meeting my boyfriend's family for the first time tonight and I think they prefer white flowers with lots of green filler, maybe roses? I don’t know though, do you have anything a bit more traditional?” You shifted around to where Steve stood at the cooler a bit nervously. You loved his flower shop and didn’t want to go anywhere else, but admitting to needing something to bring to another man's family seemed unsettling. 

Steve’s face visibly dropped and his hand white knuckled on the cooler door. You had a boyfriend. Of course you did. You were concentrated sunlight, even the flowers noticed. Each bloom always opened up a bit more when you were around. He knows he sure as hell did. “You have a boyfriend? How long have you guys been together?” His voice threatened to break, and his grip on the coolers handle somehow tightened. 

“Not long really, about a month? My co-worker kind of set it up, thought we would be a good fit. I’m not sure though it seems to be going a bit fast. Isn’t it a bit soon to meet the family? We’ve only been on a handful of dates. I'm not even sure why I agreed to it.” You mumbled while chewing your lip raw. Your eyes were looking all around the shop until they finally landed on Steve. “Are you okay Steve? You seem a bit flushed. Maybe you should sit down.” You moved to grab Steve's hand off the handle. He immediately relaxed at your gentle touch. You led him to the back office where he could sit while the color came back to his face. “Can I get you some water? Or do you have anything to snack on back here?”

“Don’t go. Tonight. To meet his family.” Steve spat out breathlessly. He couldn’t let you go. You said so yourself that it was only a handful of dates and you thought it was moving too fast. Surely there was a reason you hesitated, right? He had to say something, anything to get you to get your orange dahlia’s and stay for a few hours. He loved your Friday afternoon conversations and the thought of those coming to an end made him nauseous. He didn’t enjoy anyone’s company more than yours, you had to know that by now.

“Steve what are you talking about? I already agreed to go, what will they think of me if I cancel at the last minute without a reason?” You were fidgeting with your hands unsure why you cared what they thought of you. You knew very little about the guy as it was, he wasn’t much of a talker. He wasn’t much of anything really, but he was polite and punctual. When he asked you to go to dinner with him at his parents house you felt your brain start to cloud over. You had just taken a sip of the bitter coffee he had ordered for you when he dropped that bomb. What were you going to do, say no? You were caught off guard! He was a perfectly lovely person. Just not the one you had your eye on.  

Steve could see your hesitation, he knew you were uncomfortable. He saw the way your eyebrows knit together and how you were fidgeting with your fingers. You only did that when you were unsure about something. You did the same thing when you were trying to decide between the peonies and the anemone’s after you had a hell of a week at work. He knew that you thought buying flowers for the weekend gave you more time to enjoy the colors. He knew that you moved here after cutting off ties with your family, looking for a fresh start you said. He knew you preferred tea to coffee but he knew you wouldn’t pass up a peppermint latte during the holiday season. He had to tell you how he felt, he couldn’t let you start this relationship with this guy without having you know how he felt about you. 

“If I told you that I loved you, tell me what would you say?”

You stared at Steve in shock. Your mouth hung open with a gasp. You had a huge crush on the town's florist but thought he was way out of your league. After that revelation you finally caved and said yes to your coworker’s attempt to set you up. You always did have a problem saying no to people and now it was biting you in the ass. Steve made your Friday flower shop visits the highlight of your week. He taught you so much about each flower and the day he told you that you reminded him of a peony in bloom you could have kissed him right there. You knew he preferred coffee to tea after the hour long debate one afternoon ending in you storming out only to bring back a chai tea for him. He said it smelled like bells of Ireland and you had to agree. You knew he was taking care of his mom after her stroke and he had a best friend named Bucky who used to get him both in and out of trouble. You stared into his crystal blue eyes full of hope and adoration. You brought your hand to his face and he sighed leaning into your warm touch.

“I would ask you what took so long.” You teased as he smiled. He grabbed the hand that was resting on his cheek and pulled you into him. You felt his soft lips kiss the top of your head and you let out a breath you didn’t realize you had been holding. 

“So, how about I wrap up some orange dahlias and bring them by your place tonight.” You looked at Steve confused. “What? I don’t think you’re still planning on going to meet that guys family tonight and I want to take you to dinner. Call it a date”

You laughed incredulously shaking your head, “Ha I guess you’re right. Should have known it wouldn’t work out when he got picky with the flowers.” You spot a pen and paper on the desk and scribbled your address on the page. “Pick me up at 7:30 and don’t forget my weekend flowers.” You pulled away from Steve and headed towards the door.

Steve stared as you left his office with a cheshire cat grin. He walked back into the main store and grabbed every  available orange dahlia he had and closed up shop. He had a date to get ready for. 

[babyjamiebarnes]

Build-A-Bear

Part Four

Featuring: Bucky x Stark!reader, dad!Tony, Peter Parker, Steve Rogers, various characters in other chapters

Warnings: language, making out

Chapter Summary: You go on a short trip to Massachusetts to see Peter, Bucky takes you on a second date, someone gets caught doing something they shouldn’t.

Author’s Note: This was going to be a filler but it has a decent amount of necessary plot and progression. The next part will have a time jump so I don’t have to include a bunch of filler chapters, blehk. Let me know if you see my Avatar: The Last Airbender reference in here! And as always, you’re welcome to send me a coffee!

(Part One) (Part Two) (Part Three)

Tags: @kennedywxlsh @ursmolbunny @devilswaldorf

By the time Monday rolled around, you were thankful Bucky had training in the morning or you would’ve never gone to sleep. Most of the deeper subjects had been touched on when you were together on Saturday, so Sunday was just texting more playful banter and fun facts you hadn’t learned during your lab hangouts, but you two still talked until your phone was propped up on your pillow waiting for another message while you drifted in and out of sleep.

Bucky had sent you a sweet “good morning, doll” text for you to wake up to, but you didn’t talk much before you had to head to work and he had to work out with Steve. That’s the downside to waking up with just enough time to get ready. Not much wiggle room for distractions, no matter how delicious.

You had barely settled in to your workspace, specs for Sam’s wings pulled up in front of you, when you had a request for a FaceTime call from Peter, of all people. You hadn’t seen him in a few weeks since he went back to campus, but he was set to come back soon for a weekend.

“Hey Peter, what’s up?” you answered.

“Hey [Y/N]! I, uh, I kind of have a big favor to ask,” he said with a forced chuckle.

“Oh… okay? What’s going on?”

“Well, you remember that project you wanted my help on?” You nodded. “Well I talked to my professor about it and he said I can use it as my final project for this semester as long as you come to the proposal and document what you did on it so I don’t take credit for any of your work. If you don’t want to, that’s totally fine! I can probably work on another project, I just don’t want to put your project off and make you wait for me to finish my part —“

“Peter!” you shouted, cutting off his rambling with a laugh. “I think that sounds great. It’ll be nice for you to kill two birds with one stone. When would I need to be there?”

“Uhh,” he started with another forced laugh. “My proposal is Wednesday.”

You stared at the screen, motionless at his response. “Wednesday. Like, two days from now, Wednesday?” Peter nodded. You could practically see him sweating through the phone, worrying about whether or not he should’ve asked his professor sooner or just completely avoided the subject entirely. But you knew he probably didn’t have much heads-up and considered using your project a little late in the game. “It’s a good thing I like you, kid. Let me double check with the boss but I’m sure that’ll be fine.”

“Yes! You’re the best!” Peter cheered.

“I’ll text you when my flight leaves because there’s no way I’m driving ten hours.”

You and Peter briefly went over how things would work, from what you should wear to whether you’d be getting a hotel room or bunking on his futon. While you were talking, you emailed your dad about the trip and got a quick approval. Tony liked Peter, and you understood why. He reminded you of your father if your dad had a stutter instead of an ego.

Mid-afternoon, when you took your second 20-minute break of the day just to let your brain relax, there was a soft tap on the door of your lab before Bucky poked his head in. He stepped in and looked around the whole room frantically before he noticed you curled up under a blanket on the giant bean bag chair you shoved into the corner once Peter left. You liked being able to take your breaks in the quiet of the lab so your brain could actually shut down for a few minutes.

“Oh, hey,” Bucky said with a smile.

“Hey Buck,” you replied, mirroring his smile. “How’s your day?”

“Pretty good,” he said with a sigh. “Just bored so I thought I’d see what you were up to.”

“Just taking a break,” you shrugged. “But you’re more than welcome to sit with me while I work. I won’t interact much because I lose focus easily but you can hang out.”

“As appealing as that is,” he started as he walked closer to you in your bean bag chair, “I know I’d start asking questions and I don’t want to distract you.”

You stood from your spot as he got closer and smirked up at him. “You are pretty distracting.” He stopped when he was toe-to-toe with you. “It’s a good thing my breaks are made for distraction.”

He smiled down at you as his warm hand curled around the back of your neck and pulled you into him for a kiss, your own hands looping through his belt and pulling his body closer to yours.

You practically melted into him, feeling as if you couldn’t get closer no matter how hard you tried. Even him slipping his thigh between your legs didn’t feel close enough. Then the weight of his metal hand fell to your waist as his tongue entered your mouth. It was all reminiscent of your first kiss just a couple days before.

Except outside your apartment, you didn’t have to worry about getting caught.

“Hey [Y/N], have you—“ You and Bucky quickly pulled apart at the sound of a new voice coming from the doorway and you immediately started to panic.

“—seen Bucky,” Steve ended with a sigh. The door quietly clicked shut behind him as he stepped in. “So you two…?”

“Have been on a date,” you said, walking toward Steve with your hands held out. “Steve, please don’t tell anyone, especially Tony.”

“You kind of owe me one, punk,” Bucky said as he walked closer, his hands shoved in his pockets. “I never ratted you out for lying on, what, five different enlistment papers?”

Steve huffed at this, clearly stuck between following the rules or letting others break rules that were much more harmless than his past rule breaking.

“You know this is gonna come out eventually, right? You won’t be able to hide this — and whatever this becomes — forever,” Steve warned.

“We know,” you said solemnly, “but it’s nice to just have this for now, you know?” You looked over at Bucky, who was leaning against the lab table looking back at you, his lips quirked in a small smile.

“Just… be careful,” Steve said as he started to leave. “If you don’t lock the door, at least ask Friday to alert you if someone is coming this way.”

“You know, I don’t care what people say about you, Steve. You’re pretty smart.” Steve initially smiled but then let out a short ‘hey!’ as you pushed him the rest of the way out.

“That was close,” you said, turning back to Bucky.

“But at least we have a pretty influential Avenger on our side, if we ever get outed,” Bucky said. Too bad he didn’t know the approval of everyone on earth would mean nothing to your dad — and both of your boss.

“Well, that little debacle kind of wasted the rest of my break,” you pouted, stepping up to Bucky.

“Can I take you out again?”

“I’d like that a lot,” you smiled. “Oh! I’m leaving for Massachusetts tomorrow and coming back on Thursday and have my family thing on Friday so will Saturday work?”

“Massachusetts?” Bucky asked, clearly missing the rest of your statement.

“Yeah, I’m helping Peter with a project so his prof wants me to be there to answer questions while he proposes his project. It’ll just be Wednesday, but Tony let me have tomorrow and Thursday off for travel so I’m taking my time.”

“That sounds…” Bucky started. “Uhh… I gotta be honest, that sounds unbearably boring,” he laughed, making you giggle with him. “But good luck to you and Peter. I’ll see you Saturday?”

•

The trip to Massachusetts was short but boring, and you were relieved to see Peter’s car when you stepped outside. Your hotel was right down the road from his dorm, so you dropped your stuff off before heading to his room to go over the proposal.

Even though you had only spent a few weeks working with Peter, he had grown to be like a brother to you. Spending so much time every day with no one else to talk to can really help people bond. Your dad’s adoration for the kid definitely helped, too. You wouldn’t be surprised if your dad eventually brought Peter along to family dinner.

“So I have to do most of the work, but you’ll need to explain why we’re doing this and what you’ll be doing,” Peter said after reviewing his speech.

“Okay, I can manage that.”

Peter was quiet for a second before saying, “Do you… maybe wanna go over what you’ll say…?”

“Oh, sure! Sorry, public speaking is a big thing in my family so I just figured I’d wing it.”

“Please don’t,” Peter said quietly, his eyes going wide right as the words left his mouth. “I don’t mean that in a bad way! I just mean, this proposal is important to me so I want it to go as smoothly and well-planned as possible.”

“Okay, you be your professor.”

Peter cleared his throat and said, “Miss [Y/L/N], what prompted you to start this project with Mr. Parker? And what role will you play in its growth?”

“Well, Dr. Kramer, I recently received a promotion within Stark Industries to work with the Avengers on their weaponry. This work included the vibranium arm on the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes. One thing I noticed early on was the lack of sensory receptors within the arm. That observation, along with a similar request from Mr, Barnes, prompted me to look into ways to change this. Mr. Parker has an internship with Mr. Stark so, considering our different areas of study, I sought out his help. With my knowledge and expertise on the mechanical side of things, Mr. Parker will primarily be working on the more biological side of things. Once he finds a way to connect new receptors to the spinal column through the current nerve channels, I’ll be able to create millions of micro-receptors that will need to essentially be surgically embedded in the vibranium. I already have the blueprints for this process; I’m more than willing to share those documents with you, though it is confidential and I would need you to sign an NDA for safety reasons.”

Peter stood in the middle of his room, speechless.

“I told you it runs in my family,” you laughed. “Now pick your jaw up off the floor. I’m hungry.”

The next day, Peter and you breezed through the proposal. Peter didn’t even stutter during his speech! But his classmates did bombard you with questions that the professor quickly shut down. You and Peter spent the rest of the day catching up. He introduced you to his girlfriend Michelle and his friends Ned and Flash. By the time you got back to your hotel that night, you were exhausted — and thankful for an afternoon flight.

The next morning, you got breakfast with Peter before his class and finished packing to fly back to New York. You were once again grateful for an afternoon flight because by the time you got back, you didn’t have time to get back to work. So you took the evening off and treated yourself to a bath, some wine, and your favorite Netflix series — and texting Bucky, of course.

Family dinner that week was much easier than the previous week. Your dad mainly asked about your project with Peter, only briefly touching on Bucky’s involvement. At least until your phone buzzed on the table. It was a rule that phones stay face-up on the table at dinner and any messages get read aloud. So when you saw “James 🐻” pop up, heat rushed to your face. You managed to snatch your phone before your dad could, but you still had to read it out loud to the table.

“Uh,” you nervously cleared your throat. “So, James said ‘I have an idea for our date tomorrow, but I would need full reign over your kitchen for a while.’” You sent the table a tight-lipped smile as you locked your phone and set it down again, waiting for someone to say something.

“You’re going out with this James again?” your dad asked.

“Yes,” you said plainly. “I like him, dad. A lot.”

“And you’re already inviting him over?”

“Dad, stop. I’m a grown woman; I can make my own decisions.”

“I’m not saying you can’t, I’m just saying… well, don’t you want to get to know him better first? Make sure he doesn’t want to wear your skin?”

“Ew, shut up,” you laughed. “I’ve done plenty of research into him; he’s a good guy.” Your dad still looked skeptical, so you pulled out your puppy dog eyes. “Please trust me on this.”

Tony huffed and shook his head. “Okay, fine. He’s a good guy. Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. And don’t do anything I would do either.” You rolled your eyes at him but managed to divert the conversation by asking Happy and Pepper what Tony’s limit really meant.

•

The next day at 3:30 on the dot, you got a call to your house phone by the front door. It was unusual, especially since you hadn’t ordered any food. The doorman usually brought food up, but called if they were working alone. And you knew they weren’t working alone, considering how early it was. Still in your sweats and a t-shirt since Bucky wasn’t coming over until 4, you answered the phone with a simple “hey.”

“Hello Miss [Y/L/N],” you recognized the doorman Matt’s voice, “there’s a James at the front door for you?”

“Oh, okay, shit,” you said, whispering the last word to yourself. “Go ahead and send him up.”

“Would you like to grant him regular access to your residence?” Matt was always so formal, probably because you pushed for your dad to hire him and he knew he had to keep this gig. His background check showed he came from a low-income family and really wanted to turn that around. He knew he owed you and because of that, he was always grateful and sweet.

“Yes please. Thanks, Matt!”

With that, you hung up and sprinted to your room, knowing Bucky only had a 20 second elevator ride before he got to the sixth floor. Unfortunately for you, you didn’t have time to scramble for new clothes before there was a knock at your door. You grumbled as you ran back to the front door and greeted Bucky.

“Hi,” you said, half out of breath from your scurrying.

“Hey,” he smiled back. “I’m glad we chose the same style today.”

You gave him an admittedly generous once-over and realized his gray sweats and black tee matched yours, though your shirt did have an NYU logo on it.

“Oh thank god,” you nearly cackled. “I was panicking because I thought I should dress nice but you were early so I didn’t have time but I didn’t want to get ready too early so I wasn’t —“

“Hey [Y/N]?” Bucky interrupted. “Can I come in?”

“Oh, shit, yeah.” You stepped aside and let him kick his shoes off in the entryway. That’s when you noticed all the grocery bags in his hands. “Uhh, whatcha got there?”

“I said I’d need your kitchen, right?” he smiled, sending a wink your way as he started setting up. “I’m gonna cook you some authentic Romanian dishes ma used to make back in the ‘30s.”

“Ohh, sounds yummy. Can I help?”

“If you want to eat any of it, you better help,” Bucky joked.

“Let me grab a couple aprons so our fancy attire doesn’t get dirty.” In the hallway closet, you had about a dozen aprons Happy got for you. You said you needed some aprons once and suddenly you were getting new aprons for every gift-giving holiday. You appreciated it, though. Every time Happy saw an apron he thought you’d like, he bought it. And you, in return, bought him every oven mitt you thought he would like after he accidentally burned his hand making green bean casserole one year for Thanksgiving.

You grabbed the “Queen of the Cat-chen” apron covered in cats for yourself and for Bucky, the “I’ll feed all you fuckers” apron your dad thought was hilarious on your last birthday.

“Sorry I don’t have any matching chef hats,” you joked as you handed Bucky his apron.

For the next three hours, you followed all Bucky’s instructions and watched as he did his part of the work, chatting while things cooked and finally relaxing once everything was plated. You each had a decent amount of food debris on your aprons, making you thankful you both wore them. You led Bucky into the living room where you sat on the floor between your couch and the coffee table.

“You know the couch is made for sitting, right?” Bucky asked as he slowly sat behind you, one leg on either side of your body.

“Yeah, but it’s more fun to sit on the floor, especially when I’m eating.” You turned your head to face him as you continued, “I get too sleepy if I’m on the couch too long.”

He chuckled at your confession but didn’t argue. You both ate in comfortable silence, the only sound coming from the hum of traffic six floors down and the TV quietly playing a crackling fire YouTube video.

“Can you finish this for me?” you asked as Bucky set his empty plate on the coffee table.

“I’m full, doll.”

“Bucky, please? I can’t finish it,” you whines, pouting up at him.

“Then just put it away with the leftovers and eat it later,” he shrugged.

“But I’m so bad at eating leftovers,” you groaned.

“Then I’ll put it away and eat the leftovers,” he conceded. He snatched the plate from you and headed to your kitchen to pack it all away.

By the time he made it back, you were snuggled under a blanket on the couch with “What’s Your Number?” pulled up on the TV.

“I hope you’re okay with watching my favorite movie,” you smiled, making sure to flutter your eyelashes extra hard so he couldn’t say no.

“I haven’t seen this one yet so sure,” he said with a shrug.

He yanked the blanket off your body and unfolded it so he could bring you under his right arm and cover both of you with the thick fabric. Ever since Monday in the lab, he’s been more affectionate. He stopped by on Friday and kissed you at least half a dozen times before he left, then earlier while you were cooking, it was like he had to hold your hips every time he watched over your shoulder, and he chose to end the night holding you into his side and… oh, you were a goner once his fingers started lightly tracing shapes on your bare arm.

And he had to have known you were weak, if the way he angled his body toward you was any indication. You loved the movie you had picked out and really did want to watch it… but when you looked up at Bucky and saw his gaze meet yours, you knew the movie was going to be long forgotten.

His lips pressed to yours firmly, like he wanted to make sure you remembered what he felt like. You quickly let things escalate by gripping his hair and pulling him with you and you laid back on the couch. Your legs fell open as he slid right between them, his left arm propped on the cushion to keep himself from crushing you and his right slipping under your shirt to hold your waist. When his tongue passed your lips, you couldn’t help but whimper at the feeling of him taking control. His hand never moved past your waist, just occasionally squeezing as he pressed his body against yours.

The rest of the night was spent alternating between making out, talking while you were chest to chest on the couch, and making out some more until you fell asleep against his chest.

•

The next morning, you woke up to the blaring sound of a ringtone... that wasn’t your ringtone. And you were on your couch? The sleepy haze quickly wore off when you felt Bucky’s body shift behind you to reach over and grab his phone.

“What?” he answered grumpily, though your body’s initial reaction was to how deep and gravelly his voice was in the morning. Fuck.

With how close you two were and how quiet it was with the TV off, you managed to barely make out what was being said on the other end of the line.

“Where are you?” It was Steve. “You were supposed to be at the group breakfast this morning but you weren’t in your room so I told Tony you weren’t feeling well.”

“Oh, fuck,” Bucky groaned. Now that sound sent all your senses into overdrive. “I fell asleep at [Y/N]’s last night.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured,” Steve replied, clearly exasperated. “Look, just stop by a convenience store and grab some medicine so when you get back, no one questions it. You snuck out when no one saw, that’s the story.”

“Thanks, man. I’ll head out soon.” Once they hung up, you rolled over on the couch to face Bucky.

“Good morning,” you said with a sleepy grin.

“Good morning,” he replied, pressing a slow, gentle kiss to your lips. “I’m sure you heard but I’ve gotta head out before Tony gets suspicious.”

“Okay. Text me when you get back?”

Bucky stood from the couch, and you followed suit behind him as he put his sneakers and jacket on.

“I’ll text you on my whole trip back,” he smiled. “Looks like you might have to bring those leftovers with you tomorrow. I don’t know that I can sneak them back today.”

You practically skipped to join him at the door, your hands going to rest on his chest before he could leave.

“Should we just designate Saturdays as our date nights?” you asked.

“Who said you get another date?” Bucky joked back.

“Excuse me?” you gasped in mock offense. “Next time I get to choose what we do and I’m not letting you take that away from me.”

Bucky chuckled at your little outburst but pressed another kiss to your lips as a peace offering.

“Next Saturday, your pick,” he smirked.

“It’s a date.”

[mysticsparklewings]

Obscutober 2024 Day 28: Gorget 🪶

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Gorget (n.)

a piece of armor protecting the throat

an ornamental collar

a specially colored patch on the throat, especially a bright patch of feathers on the throat of a bird

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Did I have much better ideas for the art today compared to yesterday? Nope! But we are closing in on the final countdown and after a very busy last week, I opted for the path of least resistance. 🫠

Click the "Keep Reading" and we'll talk a bit more about my general thoughts/process. ✨

⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

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This description is going to be short and sweet tonight Sparklers; Yes partially due to time constraints (what else is new?), but also because I'm reasonably sure I don't have that much to say about this one. 😅

Because I really had just the two main ideas which are probably obvious:

What seems to be a fairly common shape (or maybe a slight amalgamation of the shapes I was seeing) when I searched the word "Gorget" to see specific examples

A bird with a brightly colored throat. It's kind of crane-inspired, but isn't based on any one particular kind of bird. Partly because i just could not be bothered to look up a bunch of different birds to pick one, but also because I did have a kind of pose/impression in mind and I thought it would be easier to just squish typical bird elements together to fit what I had in mind.

And considering I don't draw birds in general very often, I think I did reasonably well! 🙂

Everything else really was just whatever I could think of that felt like reasonable filler. If I think about it too hard, I can see how the whole design here might come off as a little boring compared to some of the others, but at the very least I am happier with it than Day 17, the other one involving a bird.

As I said at the time, I do like the inidivudal elements for Day 17, it's the whole package that doesn't do it for me. This time around, it may not be as exciting as some of the others, but at least I do think the total package still looks pretty good, even if it is a bit plain.

The colors were also very simple; I stuck mostly to metal colors—and silver in particular, naturally—for the "armor" part of the definition, but fire truck red felt necessary for the bird's throat...Especially since the bird and its neck did come out considerably smaller than I anticipated. 😅

But even if it is a bit small, I am quite pleased with the decision to put the bird on the "gorgets." There weren't a ton, but I did see a few examples pop up of gorgets that had designs etched kind of in the center like this.

In fact, I very nearly did white lines for this one, but I ended up sticking with black because I was worried it might come out a little too much like Day 16 with the white.

And in some ways maybe this one did still come out a little more like Day 16 than I necessarily intended, but I do think they're still different enough that it doesn't really bother me, either.

So. Is it my best? Probably not. However, I think it's safe to say I'm at least satisfied with it. I do appreciate that this one has a little more to do with the prompt than yesterday's did, which is nice. And I do like how the bird came out more than I thought I would.

...See? I thought this one would be pretty short! I could keep going, but I'd really just be repeating myself, and I think I do that enough as is. 🙃

Hopefully, cross-posting will be just as short and sweet. As always, I doubt it, but I will hope for the best anyway! 🤞

See you Sparklers tomorrow...preferably a little earlier in the evening, but ya'll know I can't make any promises about that... 😅 👋

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See the Prompt List

Artwork © me, MysticSparklewings

Obscutober Concept Inspired by nikolas_tower

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⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️