#this is my favourite style of pottery

[easterneuropeancrafts]

Veliko Tarnovo Pottery

(12th - 15th Century)

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

There are three major schools of Bulgarian pottery (that have survived and are practiced in some form to this day) - pottery from Troyan, Veliko Tarnovo and Busintsi. The three styles of pottery are made using different techniques, forms and ornaments.

The pottery from Veliko Tarnovo uses a Sgraffito technique, which involves applying a thin layer of white clay, engraving designs on the dry surface of the clay, firing the design at a lower temperature, applying coloured or transparent glaze on top of the engravings, and re-firing the design at a higher temperature, resulting in a three dimensional design.

This style of pottery was typical of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom in the 12th to 14th century, and was made in Veliko Tarnovo, which was the Bulgarian capital at the time. It was used by the aristocracy of the time both for dining and for decoration.

Commonly used designs include plant, animal and human motifs as well as complex geometric patterns (some of which evoke solar imagery). The colours associated with this style of pottery are brown, yellow and green which all carry different symbolic meanings, with the brown originating from the natural colour of the clay, and the green and yellow coming from different pigments in the glaze.

Tarnovo style pottery is made to this day by artisans in the city. Nina Nesheva and her son, Dimitar Neshev, make designs which recreate the palette and style of the Tarnovo ceramics. Inspired by designs recovered from Tsarevets (the medieval stronghold overlooking Veliko Tarnovo) during archaeological investigations in the 70s, Nina Nesheva set out to create this style of ceramics, and has been creating works of art on the Samovodska Street in the Veliko Tarnovo historical district for more than thirty years. In their atelier "Chupi Kupi", you can see both modern examples of this pottery, as well as original shards of pottery provided by the Veliko Tarnovo Archaeological Museum (see the 4th photo above). It is also made in the city of Elena by local master Valentin Dimitrov.

Images from (1) Veliko Tarnovo Archaeological Museum, (2)-(5) Bulgarian National Radio Article on Nina Nesheva's work.

Nina Nesheva and Dimitar Neshev's atelier (Facebook page)

Valentin Dimitrov's atelier (Webpage)

[smileysuh]

Big Bear & Bee

🌙 staring. Johnny x afab!Reader

🔮 preview. You swallow thickly, leaning back against Johnny while you gain your courage. You know he’s not the type to force anything on you, and something tells you that if you don’t make this first move, you might miss your chance. Turning in his arms, you look up into the bear hybrid's chocolate brown eyes. Then you’re kissing him, putting all the passion that’s been brewing into the meeting of your lips. You thread your fingers through his soft hair, eager to get close to him, closer than you’ve ever been before.

tw/cw. protected sex, multiple positions (girl on top/missionary), pussy eating, praise, dirty talk, bear hybrid x human, fingering, overstim, size kink, big dick!Johnny, pussy stretching, slow burn, mentions of baby/child fever, sex while she wears a dress, etc... I pet names: (hers) bee, princess, gorgeous. (his) John, Big Bear.

👹 rating.18+ explicit I wc. 15.9k

🍭 aus. hybrid, bear/uncle!Johnny, human/honey shop worker!y/n, etc…

☀️ mlist + an. huge thank you to @sehunniepot for helping me through writing this and being my beta reader- Nikki is truly one of my best friends, and if you haven't already checked out her writing, she's got John fics for days - her Olympian Johnny is one of my favorite fics ever 💕

As a bear hybrid, Johnny has been in many honey shops in his life. He’s frequented hole-in-the-wall mama and papa honey selling places. He’s visited corporate brand locations so big and full of different types of honey that they made his head spin. He’s even given a chance to side of the road, farm fresh honey sellers. 

Even with all of this experience, there’s only one place that he’s truly come to love, and that’s Queen B’s Honey Company. 

Nestled between an ice cream parlour and a fifties style salon on an old street on the side of town, near the farming district, Queen B’s has a certain charm that’s always scratched Johnny’s honey itch just right. 

With soft cream coloured walls, and touches of old wood that line the space in shelves and fill the room with various display tables, the store is somewhere between scandi and revitalized farm aesthetic, a style that Johnny adores.

Housing a wide array of honey, in sticks, jars, canisters and tubs, the honey shop has everything a bear like John could ever need, and that’s not even including all the hand made pottery that sits on the top shelves. Plants are speckled here and there, adding a floral scent to the sweetness in the air that’s inherent to the Queen B establishment. 

There’s art too, all somehow relating to honey, and everywhere you look, there’s a recurring theme of bees and bears. 

It’s a tale as old as time - the bears and the bees -  and one that has always immediately brought the hybrid an indescribable sense of peace.

Even with all of this, however, Johnny’s favourite part about the store has to be the kind workers that calmly bustle around, always quick to lend a hand or ask how his day is going. Specifically, you draw Johnny in like no amount of honey ever could, and he’s pleased to arrive at the store once a week to often find you working.

Johnny might be a big shot club owner and entrepreneur by night, but by day - especially in the comfort of Queen B’s - Johnny sees himself as more of a calm dude just trying to support a local business. Despite his attraction to you, he’d hate to put himself out there and make you uncomfortable - at your workplace no less - so in the months he’s been frequenting your establishment, your short interactions have only ever pertained to honey, and he can live with that. 

The front bell chimes softly as Johnny enters Queen B’s, and Johnny meets your smile with a grin of his own. “Good morning!” you call out, a common greeting that still somehow makes his heart beat loudly in his chest.

“Hi,” he nods, breaking your gaze to inspect the front display, where all your store’s new products are laid out like candy in a candy shop for the honey-loving bear hybrid.

He tries to be nonchalant, but as the only person in the store, Johnny knows he’s captured your attention. There are days when he’s one of a handful, and you often take care of those who’ve come before him, only to head his way and ask if there’s anything you can help him find. Today, he has all your attention, and it takes effort for him not to watch you approach.

There’s something about the soft yellow apron that you always wear, or the yellow scrunchies and ribbons in your hair. Your white t-shirt and blue jean ensemble under your work apron is just as much a part of the beautiful colour scheme, and there’s no three colours in the world that Johnny likes together more than cream, honey, and denim blue, especially on you. 

“We’ve got new honey sticks,” you tell him, as you come to join him by the front display. He loves how you know what he normally buys, that you remember him so well. 

“I see that,” he nods, sneaking a glance up at you. “Are they any good?”

You nod. “Very good, at least, I think so.” You begin to tell him where the honey is sourced - from a local apiary - and the way that the honey sticks are naturally flavoured with the seasonal blackberries, raspberries and other such ingredients that grow in the surrounding area, all organic of course. 

Johnny listens, although half of his mind is much more pleasantly occupied watching your lips. The way you speak has always enchanted the bear hybrid, and he’s more than happy to watch you work hard to give him all the information you can.

“Sounds good,” Johnny says when you’re done. “I might just have to get five of each.”

“I can prepare that for you if you’d like to continue looking around,” you smile. “We also restocked the blackberry honey jars from Overgrove Apiary. I know we were out last week and you got something else, so…well, I called our merchandiser over there and got a new batch just yesterday.”

You're a woman after his own heart…and maybe also his money, but Johnny can never tell if your interest in him is beyond that of a professional. 

“Thanks, I really appreciate that,” Johnny tells you honestly, watching you begin to collect five of each honey stick into a simple brown paper bag for him. 

“Don’t mention it,” you say softly. “Anything for a regular.”

He wonders again if that’s all he is to you, a regular, and Johnny finds himself putting his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, fiddling with the golden ring on his thumb. “It’s nice to be taken care of,” he says finally.

Your eyes meet, and you’re quick to look away, but the soft smile on your face is enough to make Johnny’s heart race again. 

“Is there anything else I can help you with today? Or just the honey sticks and blackberry jar?” 

“I think this is good for now,” he tells you, following when you immediately turn to head to the till. 

It’s a nice silence as he watches you check everything through the system, and when you give him the total, he pulls out his soft, brown leather wallet from his back pocket. He always pays in cash, and despite the fact that he never asks for change, opting to give you a tip that goes into the tip jar, you still ask if he’d like the coins back.

It’s one of Johnny’s joys of the week to tell you, “keep the change,” as he reaches for his brown paper bag of goodies.

“Can I-” your voice draws his eyes, and he wonders what you might ask him. This is not part of your normal interactions, and he holds his breath waiting to see what might come of it. “Never mind, it’s probably a stupid question.”

“Good thing I like stupid questions,” he assures you, giving you the space to continue.

“I was just-” you take a deep breath. “I’ve looked into certain hybrids like yourself enjoying honey, and Winnie The Pooh always told me that bears like honey, but you can’t always rely on cartoons, can you?” Johnny chuckles at the idea. “As a regular, I was thinking maybe I could ask you about your personal experience with our products?” 

“That’s a good question,” Johnny says, thinking about it for a moment. “You know my affinity for the blackberry honey - I’ve always had a sweet tooth - but in truth, all the honey sticks are for my niece. She’s the real addict in the family.”

“Really?” Your eyes have widened, and Johnny thinks it’s possible you’ve never been prettier than this moment. “I always- I mean, in the months you’ve been coming in, I just always assumed the honey sticks were for you-”

“Easy mistake,” he smiles.  

“You’ve never come in with your niece,” you point out.

Johnny nods, looking around the perfect store. “Yeah. There’s a lot of expensive stuff in here, the pottery, the displays- I didn’t want to bring her in and be a bother so usually I pick stuff up before going to grab her from her school. It’s my day to babysit,” he explains, “and it’s nice to start it off with a little goodie bag.”

He goes to reach for the brown paper bag in question, but you’re quick to pull it away from him. “A goodie bag?” you repeat. “If I'd known this was a goodie bag, I would have put some tissue paper in here-” you’re already reaching under the till, taking out some cream coloured paper with golden spots and bees on it. 

“It’s okay-”

“No,” you insist, “your niece is going to love this, trust me.” You press the fun tissue paper into the bag, and the soft crinkling sound makes Johnny smile. “Maybe a bow too?”

“She really doesn’t need a bow-” 

“Most little girls like bows, Uncle Big Bear,” you tell him, reaching for the yellow ribbons next to the register. But then your hands freeze. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just called you Uncle Big Bear-”

“That’s okay,” he assures you.

“It’s not,” you shake your head, averting your gaze, and Johnny corrects himself from earlier. He’d thought seeing you shocked made you cute, but seeing you flustered makes you even cuter. “That was really unprofessional-”

“Trust me, It’s okay,” he tells you again. “Look, if you really feel bad about it, you can call me Johnny. You can say ‘most little girls like bows, Johnny’ and that will be fine by me. How’s that sound?”

He loves the way your careful hands wrap a pretty bow around one of the bag handles even as you look up at him with shy eyes. “Most little girls like bows, Johnny,” you say, voice quiet.

“Then I’m thankful you’ve given me tissue paper and a bow,” he grins. “Thanks for all of this,” he picks up the finished bag of goodies. 

“You’re welcome,” you nod, biting on your lip. “And Johnny?”

He loves the way his name sounds coming from you. “Yeah?” 

“Please bring your niece in. We’re a hybrid and child-friendly store. I’m sure she’d love it here.”

Johnny takes a moment before nodding. “Okay,” he concedes, giving you one last once over before heading to the door. 

When he picks up his niece from school, she’s ecstatic to receive a new and improved goodie bag, giggling over the cream and gold, bee and polka dot tissue paper. She immediately tears into one of the honey sticks. 

While you’re often on Johnny’s mind after his Queen B visits, today, he can’t get you out of his brain. 

You’re halfway through completing a transaction with an older customer when your favourite regular walks into your store. The sight of him makes you do a double take, because today, he’s not alone.

He’s brought his niece in, just like you’d asked him to. 

At about waist-high next to the gentle giant bear hybrid, the little girl looks absolutely adorable. She’s in a yellow and white polka dot dress, with two sparkly scrunchies keeping her dark hair up in pigtails just behind her large fluffy ears. Her hand is clasped in Johnny’s, and her eyes are full of wonder as she steps into the space.

“Thank you for shopping with us,” you say to the lady you’re helping, quickly finishing up so your attention can return to Johnny. 

His niece is tugging on his hand now, attempting to run up to the display case that’s stocked with all your new honey stick flavours.

“These ones!” the little girl insists. “These are the ones you got me last week!” 

“I know, Winnie, I know,” Johnny smiles, joining the little cub in front of the table of treats. “Your favourite was the peach one, right?”

“Uh huh!” The little girl, Winnie, nods enthusiastically. “But I also liked raspberry, and strawberry, and apple, and cherry-”

“Slow down there, cub,” Johnny laughs, bending down to lift his niece up so she can see the display better. “We’ve got all the time in the world to make your choices, right?”

“Right,” Winnie confirms, nodding solemnly as she gazes down at all the honey sticks. 

“I think we’ll be needing a basket,” Johnny notes. “Can we go grab a basket?”

“Yeah!” Her enthusiasm makes you smile, and you reach under your till to grab something to carry their honey in, approaching the two with a heart that’s currently melting in your chest.

“Welcome to Queen B’s,” you say, drawing both of the bear hybrid’s eyes. “I heard a basket might be in order?” 

You hold it out for Johnny, and he gives you a grateful smile while accepting it. “Yeah, thank you,” he adjusts his niece on his hip. “Winnie, this is y/n, she showed me all these new honey sticks last week and wrapped your goodie bag up in a bow.”

“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!” The little girl grins, flashing a toothy smile that shows her sharp canines are just starting to grow in. 

“She loved the bow,” Johnny tells you. “Didn’t you, Winnie?”

“I loved it, see!” She thrusts out her hand, and you find the yellow ribbon wrapped around wrist. 

“That’s very pretty, Winnie,” you smile, also noting her cute yellow nails. She’s a girl who has an obvious favourite colour, and it’s cute in comparison to the neutral blacks and browns Johnny often wears. 

“Is it okay if she chooses her own honey sticks?” Johnny asks, holding his niece closer to the display stand.

“Of course!” You’re a little shocked by how polite Johnny is. Even after telling him you’re a kid-friendly store, he still double checks to make sure he’s not crossing any lines. 

“Did you hear that, Winnie?” Johnny looks down at the cub in his arms. “You can choose which ones you want, but I promised your mom to only get twenty today. Do you think you can count to twenty for me while you grab your treats?”

“Of course I can!” Winnie insists, reaching out her little hand to circle a bunch of the peach flavored honey sticks. When she pulls the treats back to her chest, she begins counting, and Johnny joins in. The first five are easy, but she begins to falter a little at six and seven.

Johnny is as patient as ever, helping her through to ten before he stops her. “Is ten enough, cub? That’s half of twenty, you know.”

“Ten is enough,” Winnie sighs, dropping her chosen sticks into the basket before reaching to return those she won’t keep. 

“What else?” Johnny asks, beginning to bob his niece up and down on his hip as she surveys the options.

“Two raspberry,” she concludes, and Johnny holds her closer to the tin of raspberry sticks. She plucks two out.

“What’s ten plus two?” Johnny questions.

“Uh…” Winnie looks up at her uncle and you watch him mouth the word twelve, which Winnie announces a moment later.

“Good job,” Johnny praises her. “Ten plus two is twelve. Okay, what’s next?”

“Two cherry.”

“What’s twelve plus two?”

“Uh…” again, Johnny mouths the answer, and Winnie declares “fourteen!” which earns her a few coos of admiration and another ‘good job’ that has you practically melting.

You suppose standing and watching the two is somewhat intrusive, so with a nod to Johnny, you step back, busying yourself on a nearby display case that needs some fixing. 

You listen to the bear hybrids count all the way to twenty, and you hear Johnny congratulate Winnie again for counting so high. 

You’d always gotten the vibe that Johnny is a softy, but seeing him in action is something else, and you find it harder and harder to stop the smile from appearing on your face at all his sweet actions.

Instead of approaching the till, Johnny asks Winnie if she wants to see some of the pottery on the walls, and the cub lets out an excited “Yes!” 

“But remember,” Johnny says, voice turning serious as he puts his basket down and adjusts the girl in his arms, hands going onto her waist so he can lift her high enough to see the tall shelves, “keep your paws to yourself.” 

“I promise,” Winnie giggles. “Uncle John! Look! This one’s a beehive!”

“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Johnny nods.

“Very pretty,” Winnie confirms. 

“Maybe I should get your mom one of these for her birthday,” Johnny says. “Do you think she’d like a honey jar?”

Winnie nods enthusiastically. “Yes, yes, yes!”

“Which one, cub? This one? Or…” he moves over a few feet, showing her another ceramic honey pot, “how about this?”

“They’re all so pretty,” Winnie admits. 

“Well, how about you think about it, and when we come back next week, you can help me choose one. How’s that sound?” 

He truly is a gentle giant, and you find yourself grabbing a few extra honey sticks from a display near the till in preparation for Johnny’s approach.

“Okay, cub,” he says as he carries his niece over, “I’m gonna have to set you down now so I can pay.”

“Okay,” Winnie nods, allowing herself to be placed back on the ground. She tucks in close to Johnny’s leg, looking around the store while Johnny sets the basket next to your till.

“How’s your day going?” Johnny asks, flashing you a smile as he reaches into his back pocket for his wallet.

“It’s going great,” you admit. “I was wondering if you’d actually come in today.” 

“I told you last time, Monday’s the day I babysit.”

“And I told you to bring in your niece,” your eyes dip to the small bear hybrid still clinging to his leg, “I’m very glad you did.”

“Me too,” Johnny smiles. “How much do I owe you?”

You give him the price of his twenty honey sticks, moving them from the basket to a pretty goodie bag you’d prepared. Johnny hands you two bills, and as always, tells you to keep the change.

“Wait,” he says when he watches you put five extra honey sticks into the bag, “I didn’t buy those-”

“They’re on the house,” you assure him. “I understand that your sister made a twenty honey stick cap, but I figured, maybe Winnie will share some with you, so… here are extra ones. They’re a different brand, Overgrove Apiary, and they’re all blackberry, which I know is your favourite.” 

“Wow,” Johnny accepts the goodie bag, immediately handing it off to Winnie, who reaches in to tear a honey stick out. “Thank you, I uh… I appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it,” you assure him. “And by the way, the ice cream parlour next door has a new flavour out. It’s honeycomb.” 

“Honeycomb!?” Winnie is midway through tearing open the stick in her hands, and she looks up at you with wide eyes.

“You’re trying to get me in trouble with her mother, aren’t you?” Johnny laughs.

“I’d never even think of doing such a thing,” you grin.

“Sure you wouldn’t,” Johnny looks you up and down, and you feel your skin heating under his gaze. “Have a good day, y/n.”

“You too, Johnny.”

You’ve been looking forward to Monday all weekend, and when Johnny walks in at 3:30 with Winnie on his shoulders, all the tension from your long day leaves your body. 

“Hi, you two,” you greet them, coming from around the till to give them your full attention. 

“Hi, y/n!” Winnie exclaims, waving enthusiastically at you.

“How’s your day going, cub?” you ask, looking up at the little girl clinging to Johnny’s head.

“It’s okay,” Winnie sighs. 

“That doesn’t sound okay,” you note, reading her body language. 

Your gaze dips to Johnny and he gives you a look. “Some kids were being mean to her in school today,” he confesses. 

“What?” you look to Winnie again. “That doesn’t sound very nice.”

“It wasn’t,” she confirms with another loud sigh. “They were making fun of my ears.”

“But you have such wonderful ears,” you compliment her, frowning at the fact that the world is still full of people who are very much anti-hybrid. 

“That’s what I told her,” Johnny nods. 

“Uncle John wanted to know their names so he could go and gobble them up,” Winnie tells you, flashing a mischievous smile. “But I told him I could handle it. They might not like my ears, but they don’t know how to dress good either, so-” the cub shrugs, “how am I supposed to listen to girls who don’t know how to dress good?”

You find yourself laughing at her sass, nodding along. “That’s a very good point, Winnie. I have to admit, I liked your dress the first time you entered the shop, and I see you’re in an even prettier one today.”

“This one?!” Winnie looks down at the cream coloured poofy dress adorning her form. “Uncle John got it for me for my birthday.”

“Well, he also has an eye for fashion, doesn’t he?” You smile at Johnny, and he grins back at you. 

“He does,” Winnie agrees. “Even though mommy says he should wear dress pants with a button up, I like his t-shirts.”

“I do too,” you nod. You’ve always liked Johnny’s style, the way he can wear a nice pair of dress pants with a casual shirt and sneakers. 

“You guys are too nice to me,” Johnny insists, and you can see the hint of a blush in his pretty complexion. 

“No such thing as too nice,” Winnie insists, “you taught me that, Uncle John.” 

“I guess I did, didn’t I?” he sighs. “Anyways, you remember our mission today, right cub?”

“A honeypot for mommy,” the little girl on his shoulders nods. 

“That’s right,” Johnny begins to move towards the shelves holding ceramics, and you shadow the pair. 

“Is there anything that stood out to you the last time you were here, princess Winnie?” you ask.

The little girl kicks her feet with joy at the new title you’ve given her, and she nods. “The beehive.”

“The beehive,” Johnny repeats with a sigh, and his gaze shifts to you. “Our little Winnie is nothing if not predictable.”

You enjoy the sentiment, the use of the word ‘our’ as if you’re already a part of their little family. You certainly feel connected to the two bear hybrids, although you’ve only really been getting to know Johnny for a short time.

You hope you can get to know them better.

“Is this the beehive honey pot you want?” you ask, pointing at a lovely handmade ceramic on the top shelf. 

“Uh huh, that’s the one,” Winnie nods, playing with Johnny’s ears as she holds onto his head. “Mommy’s going to love it.”

“I’m sure she will,” you agree. “Let me just get the step ladder so I can reach it-”

“No need,” Johnny assures you, stepping forward and reaching up to grab the honey pot. You marvel at how tall he is- “Here,” he holds it out for you, “would you mind taking that to the till while we grab our twenty honey sticks?”

“I don’t mind at all,” you smile, accepting the ceramic and holding it close to your chest.

Johnny helps Winnie off of his shoulders and the two head to the display case that holds your store’s best goodies. You walk over to the till, scanning the price tag of the honey pot and getting it prepared. 

You wrap it in bubble wrap before placing it in a nice gift bag and adding tissue paper to obscure the pot. This is a present after all, and you take your time making it look nice.

You’re just finishing your task when Winnie and Johnny approach holding twenty honey sticks, and they wait patiently while you scan them too.

“Hey Winnie,” Johnny looks down at his niece, “How about you go take a look at that display case over there,” he suggests, “I’m sure there’s some stuff in it you haven’t seen before.”

Winnie looks confused for a moment, but then she shrugs, skipping off to look at the array of jarred honey in a display case a few meters away.

You cock a brow at Johnny while he pulls out his wallet. 

“Listen,” he says, voice low as he pulls out cash, “I know this might be overstepping, and I’m sorry if that’s the case but… I’d really like to take you out some time.”

“Take me out?”

“On a date,” Johnny clarifies. “Again, shoot me down and there will be no hard feelings-”

“I’d love to,” you tell him.

“Really?” He breaks into a smile, and it makes your heart flutter with excitement.

“Really,” you confirm, reaching for a Queen B’s Honey business card. “Let me give you my number,” you say, grabbing a pen to write your digits on the back of the piece of paper. 

When you hand it to Johnny, your fingers brush, and the contact makes your whole body light up with energy. You can tell from the way Johnny looks down at your number, skin flaring a slight pinkish colour, that he has no clue of the effect he has on you. “Thanks,” he mutters, voice cracking. “I’ll uh, give you a call later.”

“Wow, a call, not just a text,” you smile as you take Johnny’s cash, putting it into the register and counting out change. 

“Let’s just say I’m old fashioned,” the bear grins sheepishly at you. 

“I like it,” you confess. “It’s part of your charm.”

“I have charm?” 

“Tons,” you nod. 

“Good to know.” He licks his lips, looking down at you with those chocolate brown eyes that have always made you feel like melting into a puddle on the floor. 

Winnie returns to grab her bag of honey sticks, and Johnny gently picks up the present for his sister. “Say goodbye to y/n, Winnie.”

“Goodbye, y/n. See you next week!”

“You better,” you grin. “I’ll be eager to find out how your mom likes her new honeypot.”

“She’ll love it,” Winnie says with the confidence that only a toddler truly possesses. 

You adore her already.

“I’ll call you,” Johnny says again, giving you one last smile as you say goodbye and he turns to leave your store. 

You watch him go, holding Winnie’s hand while the little girl skips along. 

You kind of feel like skipping too.

Old fashioned Johnny is sweeter than the honey your store makes, and he calls you on Monday evening to see if you want to go to a fair on Thursday night. “You’re not scared of heights right? I can take you on the ferris wheel? They do fireworks at nine thirty for the kids but uh, I thought you might like watching them.”

He’s a gentleman, and you agree to all his ideas. 

Waiting until Thursday is something like torture, but you somehow make it to the end of your shift and go home to get dolled up for Johnny. It will be the first time he sees you not in a work outfit, and you want to impress him. 

You’d noted how proud he looked of Winnie’s dress when she’d mentioned he’d bought it for her, and you think Johnny might have a thing for cutesy looks, so you find your sweetest dress. It’s still modest, and when you look in the mirror, you realize you sort of look like one of those cute elementary school teachers you’ve seen in movies. 

Finishing the outfit off with red lipstick, you think it’s a happy medium, after all, you will be at a fair with lots of children running around. 

Johnny picks you up from your house, pulling up next to the curb in an old black muscle car convertible that takes your breath away as you approach.

“Wow,” you whisper, looking between him and the vehicle he’s leaning against.

“I should be saying that to you,” Johnny grins, straightening and holding out his hands. “You look amazing. Can you do a little spin for me?”

You allow him to grab your hand, and he helps you do a twirl that makes your dress dance.

“Perfect,” he tells you. “I’ve always liked your work outfit, but this dress is something else.”

“Really?” you beam up at him, allowing the bear hybrid to pull you to his chest.

“Would I lie to you?”  he asks.

You stare into his eyes, and after a moment’s consideration, you shake your head. “No, you wouldn’t.”

You almost think Johnny’s about to kiss you, but then he swallows thickly and turns his head away, looking at the road. “Should we get going?”

“Yes, please.”

He drives a little wilder than the calm persona he exudes when he’s in your shop, and you find yourself giggling as he races down streets. It feels exhilarating to be in a convertible, the warm summer air rushing past.

Johnny grins at you when you laugh, pushing the car even harder to bring you more joy.

You’re already completely dazzled by the bear hybrid by the time you get to the fair, and the night just keeps getting better and better.

He holds your hand as you walk through the crowd, and he even wins you a massive teddy bear at one of the fair games. His baseball skills are no joke, and he easily knocks down all the bottles, triumphantly holding the teddy out to you as his prize.

“For me?” you ask in shock, accepting the toy.

“Of course, everyone needs a Big Bear in their life,” he tells you, and the glint in his smile makes you think you’ve already found yours.

The two of you go on a few rides, with you clinging to Johnny’s side during rough twists and turns. He keeps you and the teddy bear safe, laughing while you scream in delight. It feels like being a kid again. It’s something you’ve never really experienced, being at a fair on a date with a cute guy who seems to want to give you the world.

It’s nine twenty before you even know it, and Johnny leads you to the ferris wheel.

“We should get to the top by the time the fireworks start,” he tells you before pulling out his wallet and stepping close to the teenage boy working the ride. “I’ll pay you twenty bucks to give us an extra five minutes at the top.”

“I can do that,” the teenager nods, quickly pocketing the bill before helping you both onto the ferris wheel. “Here, I’ll take care of the bear for you,” he says, as there’s no way you both will fit on the ride with the massive stuffed animal. The seats are for two adults, and Johnny pulls out another five to give to the attendant before sitting next to you.

The bar is secured in place, locking you in next to the bear hybrid who smoothly puts his arm behind you, laying it across the back of the seats. “It’s a nice night,” he tells you.

“A perfect night,” you agree. “I’m so happy you asked me to do this with you.”

“I’m happy you came,” he smiles. “I wasn’t sure if asking you out while you were at work was a good idea, but, I guess after seeing you interact with Winnie, I just couldn’t pass up on the opportunity.”

“Your niece is wonderful,” you breathe. 

“She’s a good cub,” Johnny nods.

“Seeing as we’re going to be on this ride for a while, do you mind if I ask you some questions about yourself? We’ve spent the whole night doing things, and I don’t actually know that much about you.”

“You can ask me anything.”

“Let's start with what you do for work?” 

Johnny laughs. “Any guesses?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure you’re not a nine to five kind of guy-”

“I’m not,” he confirms.

“You dress so well, part of me wants to say you’re involved in fashion or something.”

“Good idea,” Johnny grins, “but unfortunately no, I’m not involved with any fashion work. I think my job is a hard one to guess, so I’ll just tell you. I run a club with a few close friends.”

“You run a club?” you blink at him.

“Don’t look so shocked, Bee,” Johnny smiles, and your heart does flip flops at the new pet name. “It’s a hybrid bar in midtown.”

“A hybrid bar,” you repeat. 

“Humans are allowed in the front section, but we have a back that’s exclusive for hybrids. It’s a safe space for us, and I’m there a lot, especially during the weekends, keeping an eye on things,” he explains. 

“Tell me about the friends you work with?”

“First, there’s Hyuck. He’s a pretty peculiar guy. Then there’s Renjun, and Yuta, he’s a wolf hybrid. But at this point, I’m friends with a lot of the workers too. We have this raven manager, Doyoung, and I love watching him run around like a stressed chicken with his head cut off-” Johnny smiles to himself. “You’ll have to come by sometime and meet them.”

“That would be nice,” you nod. “I mean, you’ve seen me at work so often, it would be interesting to see you in your own element.”

“Honestly, I’m not so sure the club is my element. It’s a good way to make money, and I don’t have to do much- it’s one of the perks of being a part owner. But if I had to choose between your store and the club, I think I’d rather be at the honey shop.” 

“So you can watch me run around like a stressed chicken with my head cut off?” you tease.

“You always seem so put together,” Johnny tells you. 

“That’s because you often show up when no one else is in the store. You should see what it’s like during a Saturday rush.” 

The bear hybrid laughs. “Maybe I’ll have to pop by, then.”

You’re only halfway up the ferris wheel, and you’re a little surprised when a sudden loud pop marks the beginning of the fireworks. You tear your gaze from Johnny, focusing on the blue and green explosion that’s lighting up the dark sky.

“Wow, this view is amazing!” you exclaim.

“It is,” Johnny agrees, and you can see out of the corner of your eye that the charming man hasn’t stopped staring at you just yet. “I knew you’d like it here.”

He adjusts his arm behind you, finally resting his hand casually over your shoulder, and you immediately tuck yourself closer to the bear hybrid. His large body is so warm and comforting, and you enjoy the peaceful quiet that settles over you both as you watch the fireworks.

The ride moves, bringing you closer to the prime spot at the top of the ferris wheel. You can feel yourself getting giddier- you’ve never been on a date like this. Never experienced something this perfect.

“You’re cute,” Johnny says.

“I am?” You look at the bear hybrid next to you.

“Uh huh,” Johnny nods. “The way your eyes light up when you’re watching the fireworks- I’ve never seen anything prettier.”

“Stop, you’re such a charmer,” you blush, hiding your face against the crook of his neck. 

“Just being honest,” he tells you, stroking your shoulder. 

The ride begins to move again, and you pull away from Johnny to marvel at the view again. 

From the top of the ferris wheel, you can see everything. The whole fairground is laid out below you, twinkling and brilliant. The fireworks are dazzling, filling the sky with colourful explosions.

You turn to Johnny and something comes over you. You want to say thank you, but the words themselves won’t suffice, so instead, you lean close, pressing your lips to his cheek. Johnny practically freezes, and when you pull away, you see a red lipstick stain on his skin.

Johnny turns his head to look at you, gaze darting down to your mouth-

Again, you’re hit with a surge of confidence, and this time, when you lean in, it’s not his cheek you’re aiming for. 

Johnny’s lips are soft, gentle against your own, and then his hand comes up to cup your face. You don’t want to pull away. You can tell he doesn’t want you to either. His mouth parts, tongue gently teasing your bottom lip, and you let him deepen the kiss.

Your body is tingling with energy as you lean closer to him, grabbing at the front of his shirt. When your own tongue darts out to taste him, the bear hybrid lets out a groan, and you mirror it with a pleasured sound of your own. 

A loud bang makes you jump a little in his embrace, and Johnny smiles against your lips, releasing your face so you can turn to admire the large firework that’s just been set off.

“John,” you breathe, “this is perfect.”

“It’s how I wanted our first kiss to be,” he muses. “As much as I wanted to kiss you when I picked you up, I knew waiting would have its rewards.”

So he wanted to kiss you as much as you wanted to kiss him, and the thought has your heart thumping loudly in your chest.

You can’t help but press your lips to his again, smiling into the kiss while Johnny tugs you closer. His free hand slips down to your thigh, and you moan at how good it feels.

It’s shocking how just kissing Johnny is already doing so much to your body- as if some primal instinct is taking over. 

You’re not sure how long you remain lip locked, but when the ride jolts into motion again, you break the kiss, laughing a little as you bury your face against his neck. 

The bear hybrid holds you tighter, and you remain in his embrace for the rest of the ride. 

When you reach the ground again, Johnny holds out a hand and helps you out of your seat. The teenage ride attendant gives Johnny the bear stuffie, and he carries it for you as you walk through the fairgrounds towards his car.

You’re amazed with how comfortable you are with Johnny, and the ride home is filled with as many speed fueled giggles as your drive to the fairground had been.

When you reach your house, Johnny even walks you to the door. 

You kiss him again, loving the way that his size dwarfs your own. You wrap your arms around the back of his neck, not wanting to let go. But all good nights must come to an end, and after a long makeout session, you finally pull away to catch your breath.

“When can I see you again?” Johnny asks.

“Monday?” you suggest. 

“With Winnie?” The bear hybrid laughs. “Are you sure you’re not using me to get to my niece?” 

You grin, enjoying his playful banter. “I was just thinking that you said you work most evenings on the weekend, and I work during the day, so our schedules are conflicting.”

“Right, yeah,” Johnny nods. “What are you doing Tuesday, after work?” 

“You tell me.”

“Movies,” Johnny states. “I want to take you to the movies.”

“Is there anything good showing?”

“Probably,” he shrugs. “I figure anything will be good if you’re there with me.”

He’s such a sweet talker, and you give him a kiss, thanking him for the lovely evening. “I’ll see you Monday, John.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Why are you rushing, Uncle John?” Winnie asks as Johnny speeds down the street after picking her up from school.

“No reason,” he says, although it's partially a lie. 

He’s excited to see you, even if it’s just for a short interaction while Winnie gets her honey fix. However, his niece is right, Johnny is going a little too fast, and it’s almost torture for him to slow down. 

He all but hops out of the car when he parks in front of your shop, opening the back door for Winnie to exit the vehicle as well. They enter Queen B’s Honey with enthusiasm, although the cause of that enthusiasm is very different.

Winnie goes straight for the honey stick display, but Johnny’s much more focused on you. You’re restocking a few honey jars on a top shelf, wobbling a little on your stepping stool, and the bear hybrid is quick to rush to your aid.

“Hey there,” he breathes, steadying a hand on your waist. “Carefull, Bee.”

“Oh, hi, John,” you grin down at him. 

“Hi, yourself,” he smiles, watching you put the last jar in its place.

You turn, resting your hands on his shoulders as you step down to the floor, and Johnny loves the way you’re so much shorter than he is. He could just eat you up-

“Hi, Winnie!” You wave at his niece over his shoulder.

“Hi!” she calls back, and when Johnny turns, he sees his little cub is already reaching to grab a few peach honey sticks from their jar. She’s occupied, and it gives Johnny the chance to talk to you one on one a little, something he’s very grateful for.

“How was your weekend?” he asks.

“Busy,” you laugh. “You?”

“Busy,” he grins. “Was thinking about you a lot.”

“You were, were you?” There’s a twinkle in your eye, and it all but bewitches the bear hybrid who still has a hand on your hip. “Did I really leave that good of an impression?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” he confesses. “Were you thinking about me too?”

“More than I care to say,” you nod. 

“Are we still on for that movie tomorrow?” 

“Of course, unless you’ve changed your mind-”

“Never.” 

“Uncle John!” Winnie’s voice snaps Johnny out of his daze, and he tears his gaze from your lips to look at his niece.

“Yeah, cub?”

“I can’t reach the cherry honey!”

“Oh no,” Johnny says in an animated fashion, letting go of your waist to go help Winnie. “We can’t have that, can we?” He lifts his niece up, helping her grab a handful of honey sticks. “Woah there cub, how many of these have you got already?”

“Just a few,” she insists, adding her new goodies to a hand already holding a large number of peach sticks.

“Just a few,” Johnny chuckles. It’s obvious that Winnie has forgotten her candy cap. “Can you count to twenty for me?” 

“Just twenty?” Winnie whines. 

“You know we’ll both get in trouble with your mom if you have any more than that.”

Winnie sighs with exasperation, putting a few of the cherry sticks back in their jar. 

“There we go,” Johnny grins. “Just peach and cherry today?”

“They’re my favourites,” Winnie insists. 

It’s a shame that his little cub doesn’t take longer choosing honey, as it means there’s less time with you, but Johnny also supposes that he shouldn’t be monopolizing on goodie time. He’ll get to see you tomorrow, even though it pains him to head to the till and say goodbye to you so soon.

“Have a wonderful day, you two,” you grin.

“We will,” Johnny promises. His day is already fantastic now that he’s seen you, and he’ll carry the memory of helping you off that stool for many hours to come. “Don’t work too hard.”

“No promises,” you wink. 

God, you’re perfect.

“Don’t be mad,” Johnny says, which is not a great start to a call thirty minutes before he’s supposed to pick you up for your date, “but when Winnie heard I was going to the theater with you, she insisted on coming because there’s this new Disney movie that’s showing, and her mom jumped at the idea to have her own date night-”

You listen to the bear hybrid ramble with a smile on your face, and when he finishes, he asks you if you’re okay with Winnie tagging along. “I’d love for her to join us,” you tell him. “You know I adore Winnie.”

Johnny lets out a loud sigh on the other end of the line. “Have I ever told you how perfect you are?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, you are. Very perfect. Thanks for understanding.”

Half an hour later Johnny’s at your door, but he’s not in the convertible muscle car. Instead, an SUV is waiting on the curb, and you see Winnie waving at you frantically through the window.

“You look amazing,” Johnny breathes, taking in your dress with a smile.

“You clean up well too, John,” you smile, enjoying the brown checkered pants and white shirt he’s wearing. 

“I’m sorry about this-”

“Don’t be,” you assure him. “As I said on the phone, I’m happy for the little cub to join.”

“Yeah,” Johnny sighs. “This was supposed to be a date-”

“It can still be a date,” you tell him, and you truly mean it.

It’s obvious to you that Winnie is a big part of Johnny’s life, and if you’re going to be part of his world too, it only makes sense for you to embrace his family. 

When you get into the car, Winnie is quick to say hello, and she’s practically bouncing in her seat in the back of the vehicle. “It is you!” she exclaims. “Uncle John told me you’d be coming, but I didn’t really believe him!”

“No?” you smile. “Why’s that, cub?”

“Because you’re a princess, and he’s just Uncle John!”

“Ouch,” Johnny laughs, slipping behind the wheel. “That hurts, Win.” He turns the key in the ignition, casting a glance at you. “Do we all have our seatbelts on?”

“Yes, John,” you smile, and your sentiment is echoed by Winnie in the back, “of course, Uuncle John!”

“Why?” he presses, looking over his shoulder at the child in the back seat.

“Because safety is the most important thing!” she all but yells, and you think this must be something of a ritual for the two of them. It’s sweet, and it makes you fall even harder for the bear hybrid.

“Can we turn on my music?” Winnie asks next.

“Of course, cub,” Johnny nods, reaching for the center console, fingers pausing over the play button. “That is, if Miss Bee doesn’t mind the Lion King soundtrack.”

“Not at all,” you assure him. 

Music fills the car a moment later, as does Winnie’s high pitched singing voice. When it reaches the chorus of the song, even Johnny joins in, and you wonder how many times he’s listened to this sound track with his niece.

It’s a soft experience, and one you savor every second of as Johnny drives you to the theater. 

Winnie insists on walking between you and Johnny when she exits the car, holding both of your hands and doing little jumps that force you and her uncle to lift her off the ground while she giggles. 

Once inside, you wait in the concession line and Winnie tells you all about the movie you’re going to see. She’s a massive Disney fan, and you enjoy listening to her talk. You catch Johnny staring at you a few times, and he always flashes you a smile when you meet his eyes.

Johnny gets a large popcorn with extra butter, and when he hands it to Winnie, she notes, “This is as big as me!” 

In the theater, Johnny’s adorable niece once again insists on sitting in the middle, and Johnny lets out a small sigh but doesn’t argue with his niece. When you take your seats, however, his arm immediately goes along the back of the chairs, and his fingers find the back of your neck, gently stroking your skin.

He smiles at you when you turn to look at him, giving you a small wink before he entertains Winnie with a discussion on what colour his tail would be if he was a mermaid. Winnie decides hers would be yellow, and when Johnny says his would be green, she insists his would be brown because he’s a brown bear hybrid.

“Does that make you a yellow bear?” Johnny questions teasingly.

“A honey bear,” Winnie corrects. “And Miss Bee would be pink.”

“Really?” Johnny’s brows raise. “And why’s that, cub?”

“Because she has a pretty pink soul,” the child smiles, looking up at you. “And also, your dress is pink, and I like it.”

“Thank you, Winnie, I like your dress too.” 

Winnie kicks her feet happily and Johnny rubs his thumb along the back of your neck in small, warm circles. 

The lights dim, the movie starts, and you find that you’re thoroughly enjoying yourself. It’s nice to have Johnny’s gentle touch, a constant reminder that - although you’re here with his niece - he’s still doing his best to be attentive to you.

The film flies by, and before you know it, the three of you are exiting the theater. Winnie is dragging her feet, obviously exhausted from a long day at school and an evening movie, so Johnny picks her up, holding her tight to his chest while she wraps her legs around his waist and all but passes out on his shoulder.

At the car, you help Johnny put Winnie into the back seat, and when he closes the door, he turns to you. “Thank you for all of this.”

“Stop thanking me,” you smile. “I enjoyed myself.”

“Me too.” His hands find your waist, and he tugs you closer- only for his phone to ring. 

“Shit,” Johnny cusses, the first swear word you’ve heard from him. “One sec, it’s my sister.”

He answers the call, assuring Winnie’s mom that the movie went well and they’ll be home soon. When he hangs up, Johnny tugs you to his chest again, pressing a chaste kiss on your lips. 

He seems reluctant to let you go, but he opens your car door for you all the same, shutting it gently behind you once you’re tucked inside.

The drive home is quiet, as Winnie has fully passed out in the back seat. Johnny’s hand is on your thigh, and you place your own on top of his, playing with his fingers. 

When you reach your house, Johnny exits the car to walk you to your door, where he kisses you, cupping your face and taking your breath away. 

“I want to see you again,” he says, still holding you close.

“I’d love that.”

“How about Thursday? The club usually isn’t that busy on Thursdays. You could come meet a few of my friends.”

“Okay,” you nod. “I think I’d like that.”

“Perfect,” Johnny leans in to kiss you again, and as much as you’d love to melt against him, you’re very aware that Winnie’s mom is waiting for her back home.

“Drive safe, please,” you say when you finally pull away.

“I always do.”

You laugh. “That’s debatable.” 

“You just don’t trust my driving skills yet,” Johnny insists.

Before you can stop him, he gives you one final kiss goodbye, and when you watch him turn to walk back to his car, you find yourself wishing he didn’t have to leave.

On Thursday night, you face the dilemma of figuring out what to wear for your date with Johnny. The past two experiences had been fairly classic, with a fair adventure and a trip to the movies, both perfectly suitable locations to wear a cute dress. But tonight, you’re going to a club and you wonder how that should affect your clothing choice.

After much contemplation, and about ten different outfit try-ons, you decide to stick with your usual baby doll style. Johnny seems to like it when you dress cute for him, and you’re banking on the fact that the bear hybrid likes you for you, as opposed to the girls who frequent his club in all forms of scandalous attire. 

You’re feeling a little anxious about visiting a hybrid bar, if you’re being honest with yourself. It’s not that you personally have anything against hybrids, you’re just used to only being around one or two at a time. 

You suppose maybe this is how Johnny feels, being a hybrid in a human dominant world, and the thought makes you a little sad. He always gives off such an air of ease and calmness, as if he doesn’t have a bother in the world. You wonder what adversities he’s had to overcome to get to that mentality, or if he was simply born that way.

Before you know it, Johnny’s picking you up. The convertible muscle car is back, and you take a moment to appreciate him leaning against it on the curb.

He’s dressed up tonight, more so than usual. His dress pants are paired with a button up, and its black silky material is soft to the touch when he pulls you to his chest for a kiss. “You look perfect,” he tells you, pinching at your chin and looking you up and down. “My perfect little honey bee doll.”

“I’m happy you like my dress,” you grin, swaying your hips so the skirt picks up.

Johnny grabs your hand, giving you the space to help you twirl while he lets out a whistle of appreciation. “I always like your dresses,” he admits. “I like your jeans and white t-shirt work outfits, but, I mean…when you walked out on our first date in a dress, I couldn’t take my eyes off of you.”

“Good, I can’t take my eyes off of you either.” 

You wrap your arms around the back of his neck, pulling him into one last kiss before he opens the car door for you and helps you inside. 

The ride is a peaceful one. He asks about your day, tells you about his own, and before you know it, you’re pulling up in front of his club. “You ready to meet my friends, gorgeous?” he asks, reaching over to give your hand a squeeze of reassurance.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” you smile, leaning forward to kiss his cheek before exiting the car. 

When you enter the club, with Johnny’s hand securely on the small of your back, it feels like any other bar you’ve been to. The staff are mostly hybrids, but you notice a few humans dressed  in black too. 

“It’s nice in here,” you tell him, beaming up at the man who makes you so eager to please.

“If you like this, wait till you see the back room,” Johnny grins, leading you past the bar. 

“Oh,” you swallow thickly. “Didn’t you mention that the back is hybrid exclusive? Are you sure we should be going back there?”

“You have a good memory,” the bear nods. “It’s hybrid exclusive, but I'm a part owner, so I figure I can do what I want. Besides, this front section doesn’t have a VIP seating area, and my friends prefer to be in places where people can’t overhear us.”

“Are you planning on giving me some trade secrets, John?” You cock a brow and the bear hybrid laughs.

“Something like that.” 

You reach the back door, where a bunny hybrid looks you up and down, his large, floppy ears twitching before his gaze shifts to Johnny. “Yuta said you’d be coming in tonight.”

You notice a puppy hybrid of sorts standing a few feet to the side, and his beautiful face is unreadable, his eyes fixed on you. 

“Of course he did,” Johnny smiles at the bunny. “There’s not much Yuta can keep from you, is there, Markie?”

The bunny hybrid’s cheeks flare a cute shade of pink and he lets out a cough. “He’s uh… he’s waiting for you in VIP. Hyuck’s there too.”

“Thanks for the heads up,” Johnny says, applying a small amount of pressure onto your lower back which prompts you to step past Mark and through the open doorway. 

Johnny was right about the hybrid exclusive section being nicer than the front, and you hurry to take it all in with your eyes. As you scan the space, it’s hard not to notice a few looks you get from people within the room.

You’re not sure if it’s because you’re with Johnny, or because you’re a human, but when your eyes catch the gaze of a man behind the bar with large, black raven wings, you get the feeling that it might be the latter. 

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to be here?” you ask, tucking closer to Johnny’s side. 

“Definitely,” Johnny nods, leading you toward a set of stairs that leads to the VIP section. “Especially up here.” He takes your hand as you ascend, and you see a booth with two men sitting in it. 

One has white hair to match his ashy wolf ears, and you think this must be the Yuta that Johnny has mentioned to you. The other man has his back to you, and you don’t see any obvious hybrid markings.

Johnny hadn’t mentioned much about this ‘Hyuck’ friend of his, other than him being peculiar, and you begin to wonder if Hyuck might be human like you. It would definitely make you feel more comfortable.

“Hey, guys,” Johnny greets his friends as you come to a stop in front of the table. “How’s it going?”

Both the men turn to look at you, and like the hybrids at the door, their gaze shifts down and then back up. The wolf is the first to stand, pulling out of the booth to shake your hand.

“I’m Yuta, and you must be the honey girl,” he flashes you a smile complete with sharp canines that glint in the light. “We’ve heard a lot about you.” 

“You have?” 

“Johnny has been talking about you for months,” Hyuck breathes, but he doesn’t stand. “It was good to hear he finally grew some balls-”

“Hyuck,” Johnny groans, a warning in his tone. “Be nice.”

“You love bears probably want to sit next to each other,” Yuta says, slipping into the booth next to his friend and giving you the other side of the bench.

“Thanks,” Johnny nods, allowing you to sit first before he moves next to you, his arm immediately taking its place behind your shoulders. “Have you two been here long?”

Hyuck shakes his head, playing with the glass of amber liquid in front of him, but it’s Yuta who speaks. “Not long,” he assures you both, obviously the more talkative of the two. “Hyuck was here before me though, something about fucking his girlfriend in the staff bathroom-”

Hyuck grins mischievously and you wonder if this is a common occurrence for him.

“Does your girlfriend work here?” you ask, hoping to get into Hyuck’s good graces.

“Yeah,” his gaze shifts to the dance floor below. “She’s the sexy little bunny running around in that cute black dress.”

“She’s very pretty,” you smile.

“It runs in her family,” Yuta comments.

You’re confused for a moment before Johnny is leaning in close to your ear, “the bunny at the door, Mark, is her brother.”

“Oh,” you blink as you look at the men in front of you. “So you’re dating siblings?”

“I wouldn’t call what Yuta does with Mark dating-” Hyuck grins, earning an elbow in the ribs from the wolf on his side. 

Johnny lets out a chuckle. “They’re both being very bad club owners, if you ask me.”

To be fair, both Yuta and Hyuck seem like the types to date their workers, but you suppose you shouldn’t hold that against them. These are Johnny’s friends, and you’re not about to start judging them now.

“So, Hyuck,” you look at the man across from you. “I can’t help but notice you don’t have any uh… any hybrid marks? Let me know if I’m being too forward, but are you human, or?”

Hyuck scoffs. “Definitely not.”

“And before you ask,” Yuta buts in, “his hybrid type is classified information.” The wolf flashes you a wink, and you suppose you should drop the topic. However, you can’t help the pang of anxiety that clutches your heart when you realize you truly are the only human in this back room.

“Johnny,” you look at the bear sitting next to you. “Are you really sure I should be here?”

“It’s fine-” Johnny goes to assure you again, but you can tell from the darkening of Hyuck’s gaze that maybe he doesn’t agree. 

Before you can say anything else, Hyuck’s bunny hybrid girlfriend shows up. She smiles at Johnny, asking if he wants the usual, but when her eyes move to you, and you see her nose do a small wiggle, you realize she’s clocking you as a human. 

“And what can I get your friend?” the bunny asks, and you’re thankful that she’s still being polite to you, but you can’t shake the feeling in the pit of your stomach.

“Actually, I think maybe I need some air,” you admit, taking a deep breath. 

You suddenly feel very claustrophobic, and it might have to do with being surrounded by predatory hybrids. You don’t know what Hyuck is, exactly, but you’re sure he’s something big, because he acts like he’s got the biggest cock in the room. 

“Are you okay?” Johnny asks, standing up from the booth to give you the space to escape your seat.

“Yeah, I just need to go outside for a moment,” you shake your head, turning to apologize to his friends before moving past the bunny hybrid and walking back down the stairs.

You can hear Johnny following you, but you’re in something of a rush as you weave through hybrids staring you down on the dance floor. When you get to the door leading to the front section, Mark stops you with a hand on your forearm. “Are you okay?” he asks, looking genuinely concerned.

“I’m fine, thank you-”

Johnny appears behind you, taking control of the situation as he tells Mark, “She just needs some air.”

The bunny hybrid lets you go, and you scurry to the front door, finally making your escape onto the street where you feel like you can finally take a breath.

Johnny stands two feet away from you, watching you with an empathetic expression. He gives you time to take a few deep inhales before reaching for your hand and pulling you to his chest. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asks. 

“I’m sorry, I know I’m probably overreacting-”

“You’re not,” he assures you, cupping your face and giving you a soft smile. 

“I just… I feel like… everyone should have a safe space, you know? And I worry that, as a human, being in that back section was sort of like… invading the sanctity of your hybrid only zone. I’m really sorry, John, but I’m not sure if I can go back in there.”

“That’s okay,” he nods. “Maybe I was being…” he searches for the word, “presumptuous tonight. I wanted you to meet my friends, but I didn’t think too hard about how you might feel in that environment. I’m sorry I put you in this situation.”

“Don’t be sorry,” you shake your head. “I’m sorry-” 

“Well we can’t both be sorry,” Johnny grins. “So maybe neither of us should be. Maybe tonight just didn’t work out, but that’s okay.”

“Really?” Relief floods your system as you look up into Johnny’s soft brown eyes.

“Really,” he leans down to press a soft kiss to your lips. “What do you say about going somewhere else?”

“Somewhere else?”

“How about my place?” he suggests. “I was planning on inviting you after this, but we could go there now if you want. No pressure though.”

You take a deep breath before you find yourself nodding. “I think I’d like that.”

“Good.” His thumb smooths by your cheek. 

“Do you have to go back inside to say goodbye to your friends? I feel bad about making them come down here to meet me only to run away-”

“Trust me, those two would be here watching their bunnies even if we didn’t come out tonight. I’ll just send them a text and explain the situation. We can always meet them another night, at another bar.”

“And you’re sure they won’t hate me?”

“I don’t think anyone could ever hate you, Bee. You’re much too sweet for that kind of reaction.” Johnny smiles. “In fact, I bet Hyuck will be impressed.”

“Really? Why?”

“Because you care so much about the sanctity of the hybrid zone. Much more than I do.” 

“You really think your friends will be alright?”

“Without a doubt.” He leans down to press another sweet kiss to your lips, but this one lingers. When he finally pulls away, you’re left wanting more, but he’s already reaching behind himself to open the door to his car for you. “Let’s go, gorgeous. My house is nicer than this place anyways.”

Johnny’s right about his house, it’s much nicer than the club. You guess you shouldn’t be shocked that he’s got a place just out of town, nestled amongst the trees of the forest. It’s a sleek place to live, and you admire the wood detailing of the upgraded cabin like exterior.

“This is a big house,” you muse, as you follow Johnny up the stone steps. 

“Too big for me, I think,” he admits. “But it was one of the only places I could find with acreage in the forest, and I wanted a space that felt like home, you know? Winnie loves it here, some nights she sleeps over and we have a fire in the back with s’mores, other days I take her on some of the hiking trails- my land connects with the national forest, and we’ve got easy access to one of the better hiking paths in the park.”

Your heart melts a little. You know Johnny is a fabulous uncle, but you hadn’t realized the true extent of it. 

“I love how close you are with Winnie,” you admit. “It can be rare to find a single guy who’s so doting on his younger family members.”

“Then I’m glad we found each other,” Johnny grins. “I’ve had ex’s in the past who would get mad about the time I spend with Winnie, but not you. I really did appreciate how well you took her date crashing that other night.”

“Like I said, it wasn’t a problem. I had a wonderful time.” 

Johnny flashes you a grin as he lets you into his house, and you marvel at the interior being as lovely as the outside had been. 

“Wow…it feels even bigger inside,” you note. “Will you give me a tour?”

“Of course,” Johnny tosses his keys down on an entryway table, grabbing your hand to begin showing you around. 

The lower level has a state of the art kitchen with french doors that open to the outside deck, and Johnny tells you about the barbecues he hosts here. “We even had a family reunion out back two years ago,” he admits. “I’ve got extra rooms, so my grandparents stayed here, and a few of my aunts and uncles- it was a really good time.”

“That sounds like a wonderful reunion,” you smile, enjoying how deep his love for family truly runs.

There’s a large dining room, and a living room with glass windows giving views to the forest. In the corner there’s even a toy chest, and Johnny explains how he bought so many things for Winnie through the years that he just started keeping some at his own house for the time she’d be here with him.

You love that he’s not a man afraid to share his space with a six year old, even if the toy chest does stand out amongst the other furnishings. 

The second level is where the bedrooms are, and Johnny lets you peek into Winnie’s room, where there are even more toys overflowing in baskets. 

Two more guest bedrooms brings the grand total of sleeping locations to a whopping four, and you can’t help but ask the question that’s on your mind. “Do you think you’d ever want to raise a family here? You’ve got more than enough space for it.”

“Oh, definitely,” Johnny nods. “Some days, when I’m here alone, I think about how much nicer it would be to have a few of my own cubs running around…” he licks his lips, pausing to look at you. “I don’t think we’ve ever talked about whether or not you’d want to have kids.”

“But I’m sure you can guess my answer,” you smile.

Johnny nods, grinning. “I bet you’d love to be a mom, and you’d be good at it, too.”

“Thank you,” you feel heat rising in your skin. “I guess my affection for kids is hard to hide, huh?”

“It’s sweet,” he tells you, “just another one of those perfect attributes of yours.”

He pulls you in for a kiss, and you melt against him, enjoying the warmth of his body. 

When Johnny moves away, you’re in something of a daze, and you blink up at him. 

“Saved the best room for last,” he tells you, reaching down to take your hand and lead you down the hallway to the final door. 

His room truly is the most impressive of them all, a master bedroom if you’ve ever seen one. With floor to ceiling windows along an entire wall, and a large space fitting a bed as well as a seating area, tv and fireplace, you think you could be very satisfied spending a lot of time here.

“Wow, John,” you let out a breath. “I can’t believe this is real, I can’t believe you actually live here-”

“So you like it?” he questions, pressing his body against your back and wrapping his arms around you, head on your shoulder. “My bear cave?”

“If this is a cave, I never want to go back to a real house,” you laugh. 

“I might hold you to that,” Johnny says, voice low.

You take a deep breath, closing your eyes to enjoy the feeling of being in his embrace. And that’s when you feel something hard beginning to press against your bum.

You swallow thickly, leaning back against him while you gain your courage. You know Johnny’s not the type to force anything on you, and something tells you that if you don’t make this first move, you might miss your chance. 

Turning in his arms, you look up into Johnny’s chocolate brown eyes. Then you’re kissing him, putting all the passion that’s been brewing into the meeting of your lips. You thread your fingers through his soft hair, eager to get close to him, closer than you’ve ever been before.

You can definitely feel the outline of his cock against your abdomen now, and his hands reach down to find your hips, anchoring you to the front of his body while his tongue glides against your own.

“John,” you moan when his lips move to your neck, “I need you.” 

“Yeah?” His tongue grazes your sweet spot and you shiver in his embrace, closing your eyes and enjoying the feeling of him. 

“More than I’ve ever needed anything,” you tell him, meaning it with all of your heart.

With a groan, Johnny reaches down, grabbing your ass and prompting you to jump so you can wrap your legs around his hips. In just a few steps, he can lower you to his bed, and you expect him to follow, to press you against the mattress with his large body-

But instead, he pulls away, looking down at you with dark eyes filled with lust. “You’re perfect,” he whispers, reaching down to play with the bottom of your dress. “I’ve been dreaming about how you’ll taste on my tongue.”

Your pussy throbs at the idea, and you gaze up at him with a body alight in anticipation. “Then… then you should taste me, John.”

The bear hybrid lets out another groan, and then he’s falling to his knees on the edge of the bed, large hands grabbing at your legs to pull you closer. 

His lips find your calf, and then your knee. When his face is between your thighs, his pretty ears brush your skin and make you shiver.

“Ticklish?” he grins, continuing to pepper your thighs with soft kisses.

“Very,” you confirm, reaching down to pull the skirt of your dress higher, revealing your underwear to the man between your legs.

“Shit, Bee,” Johnny says, voice shaky as he looks at your core. “You’re soaked through your panties,” at first, his words make heat rise through your body, embarrassment- but then Johnny’s taking a deep breath, and he looks up at you when he comments, “It’s so hot.” 

His hands grab at your hips, and in one motion, he’s pulled your pussy to his mouth, tongue pressing against the light pink fabric of your underwear. 

It feels amazing, but it’s also such a tease- you can feel the wetness of his own tongue, but it’s just out of reach. 

“Johnny, please,” you whimper, pushing your hips forward, wanting more-

His nose brushes by your clit and your legs shake on his shoulders, a gasp of pleasure leaving you as you throw your head back and close your eyes. 

His fingers hook in your panties, and it’s a relief when he finally pulls them down your legs, discarding them over his shoulder before diving into your pussy. This time, there’s no fabric in his way, and his tongue licks at you directly, a sensation that drives you completely wild.

“John, it’s so good-” you groan, feeling the need to praise the man who pushes his tongue into your core. 

He moans in response, and the vibration has your body tingling. You could get lost in something like this, and you can already feel your mind going practically blank. All that matters is the here and now, you and Johnny. 

His nose brushes your clit again and a squeal of delight escapes you, your hands flying to grab at his soft hair and fuzzy ears. “John-” 

He pulls his tongue out of your wet hole, licking a full stipe of your pussy before he begins to circle your clit, and you swear you’re in heaven.

You can feel tension building in the pit of your stomach, and you know you’re not going to last long like this. No one’s ever eaten you out before with such vigor, such a need to have you like putty in his hands, and you’re more than happy to comply. In fact, you don’t think you’ll be able to help yourself.

His lips suction around your clit and your legs shake on his shoulders, your grip tightening in his hair, which only makes him groan again. You gasp at the feeling, pushing your hips up, needing more contact-

“I’m close,” you whisper, pussy throbbing as he worships your most sensitive spots.

Suddenly, you feel something else, a finger slipping into your tight hole, and you let out another sound of pleasure. One digit becomes two, and they crook up expertly, reaching a spot that has you crying out.

“That’s it,” Johnny says, pulling just off your pussy, breath teasing your entrance. “I want you to cum, Bee. Want you to cum so bad-”

You let out a strangled gasp from the praise, and when his lips return to your clit, fingers pumping in and out of your pussy, you know you’re going to be a goner. 

You pull on his hair, legs shaking as you teeter on the edge of ecstasy. When Johnny growls, the vibrations are enough to send you over, and your pussy clamps down on his fingers, whole body overcome with pleasure that brings a tear to your eye due to the intensity of it all.

He continues his motions, helping you through your high until you’re wiggling in his gasp. His free hand smooths against your abdomen, keeping you still while his tongue and fingers begin to slow. 

When he pulls his mouth away, you can finally take a full breath, shuddering in the aftershocks of one of the most intense orgasms of your life.

“You’re just like you were in my dreams,” Johnny tells you, pulling his fingers from your core to suck on. He lets out a groan at your taste. “Sweeter than honey.” 

You shouldn’t be in love with Johnny only after three dates, but with lines like this one, you know you most definitely are. In the after haze or your orgasm, you can’t even find it within yourself to care that he has you wrapped around his finger.

“Johnny,” you whisper his name, opening your eyes to look at the man who’s now standing by the edge of the mattress. “Need you now.” 

“Let me just grab condoms,” he tells you, heading for the bedside table while tugging his shirt off. 

Your pussy throbs just at the sight of him. He’s so big and built and bear-like, in the best possible way- 

He undoes his pants, pulling out a condom package that he opens with his sharp teeth. Part of you thinks you should be getting naked too, especially when his briefs come down to join the pants on the floor, but as you watch him roll the rubber onto his large cock, you think maybe he’d enjoy it if the dress stays on… for just a little longer.

When Johnny turns to join you on the bed, you pat the space next to you. He quirks a brow, but follows through, falling flat onto his back. You take the opportunity to mount him, knees digging into the mattress on either side of his hips while you adjust your skirts, letting them fall over you both delicately. 

“You can take this off of me in a minute,” you tell him, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips, “but you’ve always told me how much you like my dresses, so I thought-”

“You look amazing,” Johnny confirms, grabbing at your hips and urging you to grind down against his cock, which is caught between your bodies. “My cute princess.” 

“My big bear,” you smile, lips moving to his neck while you continue to swivel your hips. 

Johnny lets out a groan of appreciation and you kiss him again, tasting yourself on his tongue. You reach under your dress, wrapping your fingers around his cock and squeezing, which earns another moan from the man who makes such perfect sounds.

“How am I going to fit this inside of me?” you ask.

“You can go slow,” he assures you, already panting from your hand alone.

You pull away from his lips, sitting up straight and lifting yourself so you can adjust him beneath you. As you begin to lower yourself on his cock, you find yourself moaning desperately from just the head and the way it stretches you out so well.

You’ve taken some well endowed men before, and the tactic that always worked was small bounces, allowing your pussy to get used to the intrusion as you slowly work your way to fullness. However, Johnny’s bigger than anyone you’ve ever had.

“Relax,” he tells you, rubbing circles on your hips through your dress. “Take your time, princess.”

But you don’t want to take your time, you want him inside of you, completely. You want to feel him everywhere, and soon, you’re fully sinking down on his cock, eagerly bending over to press your lips to his again while you both moan at the feeling.

You begin to ride him, thighs straining with the effort, but the reward is worth the muscle ache, and you get lost in the feeling of his cock splitting you open. Johnny begins to meet your thrusts, abdominal muscles flexing with effort while his tongue invades your mouth and he eats up your sweet sounds.

“As much-” Johnny breaks your kiss, gasping. “As much as I like your dress, I want to see you.”

You straighten again, easily pulling the fabric from your body so all that’s left is your bra. You begin to reach behind yourself to undo the clasp, but Johnny beats you to it, sitting up and easily removing the last piece of clothing keeping you from him.

“Shit,” Johnny groans, cupping one of your breasts with his large hand while his lips find your other nipple. His teeth graze the sensitive bud and you cry out, tangling your fingers in his hair while your pussy clenches around his cock.

Johnny moans beneath you, pulling his mouth from your breasts. He looks up at you with a wildly desperate expression. “Can I take over?” he asks, breathless. “I don’t think I can hold back anymore.”

“Please.” No sooner is the word out of your mouth than his hand is securing around the small of your back and he’s rolling you both, pressing you down against the mattress as his large body dwarfs your own. 

“If it’s too much, let me know,” Johnny tells you, swallowing thickly while gazing down at your form. “I can be rough sometimes, even if I don’t mean to be.”

“I’m sure I’ll be okay,” you smile, cupping his face. “I’ve never actually said this before but… Big Bear, break my back like a glowstick.” 

Johnny laughs. “You got it, Bee.”

His lips find your neck, and you close your eyes, grabbing at his strong shoulders as his hips begin to move. 

Now that he’s on top, he’s somehow fucking you even deeper than before, and each glide of his cock against your inner walls has your toes curling in pleasure. 

He sucks on your sweet spot, making you gasp as his movements get rougher and rougher, the bed beginning to rock from the force of his thrusts. 

“John,” you whimper, body alight from the feeling of him, “Don’t stop-”

He only grins, fucking you harder, one hand lifting your leg higher on his hip so his cock can hit a spot deep inside of you that has you gasping-

“Oh my god-” 

“Close already, Bee?” Johnny chuckles.

“You just feel so good,” you tell him.

You’ve never experienced anything like this, and you’re not sure if it’s due to his big cock, his ability to use it, or the fact that you actually sort of love the guy you’re literally making love to. 

“That makes two of us,” Johnny says, kissing you again and taking your breath away.

You try to focus on his lips, to slow the orgasm building in the pit of your stomach, but it’s hard to distract from the cock that's splitting you open like nothing ever has before. 

“Shit,” your bear hybrid breaks the kiss, resting his forehead against the crook of your neck, “If you keep making sounds like that, I’m not going to last long-”

“Me neither,” you confess, although he already knew that. “John… you’ll cum with me, right?”

“How could I ever say no to you?” he groans, fingers flexing against your hips. “You’re already so tight, if you cum, I don’t think I’ll be able to help myself.”

You moan at his words, stroking your fingers across his strong back. “Please, I’m so close-”

The bear hybrid practically growls, and the sound goes straight to your core, making you throb around his cock. 

“You feel so good, I’m going insane-” you continue your praise, as every time you speak, he somehow fucks you harder. You’re not quite sure where he’s getting his stamina from, but you’ll never be one to complain about it.

Johnny lets go of your hip, and then he’s pushing his hand between your bodies, fingers finding your clit.

A strangled moan escapes you at the contact, your eyes clenching shut as your body is suddenly teetering on the edge-

“Cum for me, Bee,” he pants against your throat, “I can’t hold it any longer.” 

Your entire body tenses as pleasure erupts through you, muscles screaming at how good everything feels. Gasping sounds slip past your lips, and you hold onto Johnny’s shoulders tightly, mind completely blank as the most intense orgasm of your life overtakes you. 

The bear hybrid lets out groans of his own, hips twitching as he fills the condom, fucking you through all the pleasure. When he kisses you, you’re already breathless, and his lips don’t help the situation. You’re completely overwhelmed by Johnny, and you’ve never loved anything more.

As you come down from your highs, his thrusts slow, and he stills on top of you, cock buried deep in your pussy while you both catch your breaths. 

“Wow,” Johnny says, laughing a little to himself as his kisses move to your neck again. “That was even better than my dreams.”

“You’ve been dreaming about me a lot, haven’t you, Big Bear?” you grin, tracing nothings on his shoulders.

“More than I care to admit.” He swallows thickly. “And something tells me the dreams will only continue.”

“They better,” you smile up at him when he pulls away from your throat.

“You’re perfect, you know that?”

“You’re not so bad yourself.”

With one last kiss to your lips, Johnny rolls off of you and stands up. You can’t help but watch him as he heads to the ensuite bathroom. His body is the most perfect thing you’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing and experiencing. 

You take a few breaths while you wait for him to come back, trying to ground yourself. 

After the bathroom, Johnny heads into his walk-in closet, coming out a moment later in a pair of black briefs. “I got you a shirt,” he says, holding it out for you. “As much as I love that dress, I think this might be more comfortable for you.”

“Thanks, Big Bear,” you grin, taking it and putting it on. The fabric swallows you up, and you smile at how good it feels to be wearing his clothes. 

“I was thinking…” he sits on the bed next to you, hand smoothing up your thigh, “I’m pretty hungry after that workout. Can I make us something to eat?”

“I’d love that,” you say, sitting up. 

“Good,” he takes your hand and pulls you to your feet before finding your panties on the floor. “Here, you might want these too.”

You laugh, accepting the underwear and bending over to slip them on.

“So what’s on the menu, chef?” you ask, following him out of the bedroom.

“Well, I know it’s not much, but I was thinking avocado toast.” 

“Sounds perfect,” you grin, padding down the stairs after him to the main floor.

In the kitchen, you take a seat at the large island table, watching him as he heads to the fridge and pulls out a few ingredients. 

You’re once again struck by how wonderful the silences can be with John. There’s no pressure to fill them with words, and you can simply relax while you watch your Big Bear hybrid work.

His muscles are particularly enthralling as he pulls out a knife and opens the avocado, setting half of it down before he begins to peel off the skin.

“Look at you go,” you smile, “opening that bad boy like a pro.”

Johnny flashes you a look and then lets out a laugh. “I used to absolutely brutalize avocados,” he confesses. “Yuta’s dad owns a sushi restaurant in Japan, so he knows how to do all this cooking stuff. The first time he saw me open one of these he nearly had an aneurysm.” 

“Was it that bad?”

“I used to leave the peel on, slice it up, and then try to scoop it out with a spoon,” Johnny grins at the memory. “So yeah, pretty bad.”

You’d never have guessed Johnny would have had such humble beginnings with knife wielding, but you suppose everyone starts somewhere.

You enjoy watching his hands while he works, laying the peeled avocado flat while he slices it in perfect chunks. He’d put bread in the oven at the start, and as he finishes up with the avocado, he pulls the pan of toast out, the colour a nice golden brown.

“Do you make this sort of thing often?” you ask.

“Often enough,” Johnny nods. “Winnie likes her avocados almost as much as her honey.” He places the green slices on the bread, using a fork to press them down before he grabs salt and pepper. 

“Can’t wait to try it,” you grin.

“There’s just one last ingredient though,” Johnny tells you, finding a jar of honey sitting on the counter. You watch as he drizzles the golden liquid on top of the avocado, and you can’t help but find the bear hybrid incredibly charming. “There we go,” he smiles, putting all the pieces onto a plate before coming around the table to join you on the bar stools.

“Cheers,” you say, holding up one slice for Johnny to gently touch with his own.

“To the bears, the bees, and the honey that connects them,” he muses.

“To us,” you agree, picking up on the metaphor.

You know that there’s technically nothing special about avocado toast, but it’s still one of the best things you’ve eaten in ages, and you find yourself groaning after the first bite.

“Is it really that good?” Johnny laughs, watching your expressions with a smile.

“Better than good,” you confirm. “If running a club doesn’t work out, you could always be a chef.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Johnny nods with a smile. “You haven’t even tried my barbecue yet.”

“Something tells me you know how to handle your meat.”

The bear laughs at your comment, and you realize too late the sexual connotation of your words. 

“I didn’t mean-” you go to correct yourself, but you end up face palming instead, letting out a groan.

“You’re too cute,” Johnny assures you, resting a hand on your knee. “Hey, listen, if you want me to drive you home, I can, but… how would you feel about staying the night?”

“Really?” you blink at him.

He nods. “Really.”

“I think I’d love that,” you admit.

“Perfect, then it’s settled. Mi casa es su casa.” 

You smile at the notion of his house being your house. “Since when did you speak Spanish?” 

“There’s still a lot you don’t know about me.” His thumb rubs circles on your thigh.

“Well,” you reach down to cover his hand with your own, “I can’t wait to find out more.”

Johnny had closed the blinds last night, so when you wake up in a literal man cave, you kind of want to see the sun. However, Johnny looks so peaceful lying next to you, his plump lips just slightly parted, his fluffy ears twitching from whatever is happening in his dream land- and you think it would be a shame to wake him so abruptly to the light.

You take the time to appreciate him, wondering how you ever got so lucky to end up where you are now. You’d always had a crush on him, but you’d never expected it to be anything more.

You’re so happy that he’d felt the same way you had. If he’d never made a move and asked you out, well- you don’t want to think about that.

When you shift ever so slightly, Johnny’s eyes open, and he squints at you, letting out a groan. “Are you okay?” he asks, voice gruff from sleep.

“I’m perfect,” you tell him. “Are you waking up now?” 

“It’s too early,” Johnny grunts, pulling you closer and burrowing his face in your neck.

“I guess I’m used to waking up at this time,” you note. 

“Do you have to go? Is there work?” 

“I’m thinking of calling in sick, that is… if you want me to spend the day with you.”

“Fuck, yes please.” His breath is hot against your throat.

“I’m just going to step out to make the call, and when I come back, do you mind if I open these blinds? I know this is your bear cave and all, but if you’re going to sleep a little longer, I’d love some light to read a book or something.”

Johnny only groans, but you take it as an affirmative as you untangle yourself from his grasp.

Five minutes later, the room is lit with sunshine and you’re slipping into bed next to him again. Your family has always been extra close with the owner of Queen B’s Honey, so calling in had been simple, and you’re excited about what your day with Johnny will bring.

You’ve found a book to read, some fiction off Johnny’s bookshelf, and when you get under the covers, Johnny is quick to cuddle up next to you again. “Can I put my head in your lap?” he asks, voice as groggy as ever.

“Of course, Big Bear,” you smile, adjusting to allow him to curl up next to you. He lets out a deep breath once he’s settled, and you smooth your hands through his hair, gently scratching at the base of his ear.

Johnny lets out a deep groan. “Feels good.” 

He falls asleep just seconds later, and you continue stroking him while you read. 

Time flies by, and you’re not sure how long you’ve been reading when Johnny finally wakes up again. He lets out a soft groan, cuddling closer to your side. “Good morning.”

“Hi, sleepy bear.” 

“I had dreams about you,” he says softly.

“You did?” 

“Uh huh,” his hand strokes by your thigh. 

“What happened in your dream?” you press, gently scratching his fluffy ear.

Johnny lets out a laugh. “Maybe I shouldn’t talk about it.”

“Was it something bad?”

“Something good,” he confirms. “It involved a few cubs running around.”

Your heart thumps wildly in your chest. “Wow, John, I didn’t know you were really thinking that far ahead in the future for us.”

“I can’t help it,” he confesses, rolling onto his back to look up at you. “I know we’ve only had a few dates, but… well, I’ve been into you for months. It’s at a point where I don’t even really look at other girls, and I’m fine if you don’t want to be exclusive or anything-”

“Who said I don’t want to be exclusive?” 

A lazy smile covers Johnny’s face, and he sits up, cupping your cheek in his warm hand. “You really want to give this a try?”

“I’d be stupid not to, don’t you think?”

“I mean… I’ve met girls who will only see me as a hybrid, as someone to mess around with for a little while before finding a human partner again. I wouldn’t blame you if you couldn’t see a future for us.” 

“Oh, John,” you shake your head, “I’m not like those other girls.”

“I guess not,” he leans in, pressing his lips to yours. 

You feel so blessed to be able to give this a shot with Johnny, a real shot. It’s all you’ve ever wanted, and as he pulls you into his arms, you have a feeling that everything is going to work out better than either of you could possibly imagine. 

☀️ mlist + an. thank you for reading! If you've made it to the end and want something else to read, check out Hyuck's hybrid fic here, or more of Nikki's work on her masterlist here

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🔮 preview. “Give me a sec and I’ll pull off to a residential street,” he tells you, flicking his turn signal on. “It will take a minute or two longer to get home, but something tells me you won’t mind.” He’s literally the perfect man, and you’re working to get his zipper undone the moment you’re off the main road. Johnny lifts his hips, helping you tug his jeans down just enough to get at your prize.

cw/ tw. Exhibitionism, blowing Johnny while he drives, hand job, sex outside in the forest on a car, car sex, unprotected sex, breeding kink, dirty talk, praise, quickie, etc… I pet names: (hers) Bee, Princess. (his) Big Bear, John.

👹 rating. 18+ explicit I wc. 2k I teaser wc. 350

🌙 staring. Johnny x afab!reader

bonus

Going to a baseball game is one of your favourite family outings. Between you, Johnny, his sister, and his sister’s husband, the four adults can handle the four cubs that run around you like excitable little rascals at all times.

Hotdogs and popcorn are cheap, and Winnie, as the oldest of the group of kids, spends the whole game explaining what’s happening to your sons, who are much too young to care about baseball. 

You and Johnny sit on either side of Winnie, each holding a wiggling three year old twin in your arms. Winnie’s mom and her dad are in the row just in front of you, their own two year old in their grasp.

“So now,” the nearly ten year old Winnie explains to the toddler in your arms, “the bases are fully loaded, and the game is almost over, so the guy with the big bum has to make this hit-”

Johnny murmurs the name of the player up to bat, but Winnie ignores him. She has names for each man on the pitch, and it just so happens that the man swinging has the biggest butt. 

The crack of the ball against the bat alights the stadium in cheers as everyone at their bases begin to run, and Johnny stands, holding his toddler while he watches. His baseball cap is backward, but it’s still clear by the jersey he’s wearing that he’s a home pitch superfan. “Go, go, go!” he screams. “Run, butt guy, run!” 

You love him, and your perfect family. 

You stand too, as this last run of the game is important to your evening plans. If your home team wins, Johnny’s sister will take your twins for the night and give you and Johnny some alone time. However, if her away team wins, you and Johnny are on babysitting duty.

“Go, butt guy! Go!” Winnie cheers, and you find it almost comical how the little girl has no clue that she’s helping cheer on the odds of her sweet Uncle John getting laid.

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general taglist

@gotshinct - @subhyuck - @fraechan - @learnthisfeeling

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@mocha000 - @darthlunaa​ - @just-here-to-read-01​ - @shiningnono

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✘ nct taglist

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@fairieblog - @fairybr3ad - @peachyjaemin - @chemaistry

@sehunniepot

and thanks to those who reblogged the teaser :)

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@saranghaesara - @seuomo - @yushin77

© smileysuh — all rights reserved. reposting/modifying of any fic, reaction, or piece of original writing posted on this blog is not allowed. Translations not allowed.

[lexithwrites]

Fluff wolfstar headcannons?

(Fave thing to do tg, fave book to read, fave music to listen to tg ect) :D

I’ve missed my boys!

- Remus is really bad with alarms, he’ll set so many but still sleep through them whilst Sirius can wake up a minute or so before his (Sirius wakes him up with kisses when they start sharing a bed)

- Sirius, to me at least, loves rock but he also loves classics like 80’s and 70’s stuff too, I feel like he wanted to branch out with his taste when he met his friends and so he took a lot of inspo. I also love Sirius as a drag performer so he listens to a lot of iconic queer artists and songs too

- Remus loves softer indie music, but also David Bowie, the smiths etc, he will listen to ANYTHING Sirius recommends to him tho (he has a 12 hour playlist just of Sirius’ songs)

- they love getting ramen and sushi together, Remus always gets giddy over the food on the conveyer belts

- they sometimes swap clothes but because of their different styles it’s very obvious

- when Sirius has a gig at pride or at a local bar Remus is always helping him with makeup and his outfits, and always sitting front row for him

- Remus isn’t confrontational or loud but if he has a couple drinks his ‘Sirius side’ comes out (his boyfriend inspires him)

- I love picturing them both playing guitar and singing, I feel like they’ll play songs for each other all the time or duet

- Sirius taught Remus how to play piano

- Remus goes quiet a lot so he is always touching Sirius in some way to show him he’s there

- Sirius flirts with Remus constantly just to make him blush and flustered

- they hang out with other people a lot too, they aren’t always together, but being together alone is their favourite thing to do

- I’m a Remus loves pottery painting truther and do they go once a month? Of course

[dovesdreaming]

Eddie x artist!reader 🎨

Hi this is my first writing that wasn’t requested and it is one that I have thought about way before even considering writing fics! (I used to use it as a sleeping scenario 🤫)

Anyway I would I love to do a series of one shots for this sort of reader so if you have any requests send them my way!! <3 this is only headcanons for now tho

Warnings: smut/suggestiveness (not a lot only 1 headcanon)

Eddie with an artist reader is the best thing ever. I can imagine him with any style of artist from the bubbly, always covered in paint artist to the dark clothes, paints about feelings artist.

Eddie would love to look at anything you create and always handle it with the utmost care as if it was the most delicate thing he has ever held. He would admire everything that was created by your hands and would be in awe of you.

Would love watching you paint, draw or make things. He finds it interesting and relaxing at the same time. Would love to have you teach him if you were willing.

If you were a painter he would try and paint with you, easels side by side painting the same view. He would be so happy he could join in with your interests. Would be a drastic difference in paintings by the end result. In a modern world he would definitely want to do the trend where you swap paintings every few minutes -would be amazed how good you could make his bad work look.

If you make pottery he would try it without your help onetime to try and make something nice for you, let’s say like a mug or jewellery holder. He would start off well and then it took one wobble of the wheel and his previously nice piece of work turns out wonky. Would try to fix it and probably end up making it worse. He still gives it you though, very shyly and almost unwillingly. However you adore it and it makes you swoon with how he went to the effort of trying your hobby and making something for you.

My favourite headcanon for Eddie with an artist is that he would ramble to you about his d&d characters and this would ignite your creative spark. You would spend hours creating designs of his characters from mental notes you had taken from his rambles. When you presented them to Eddie he would have heart eyes and would want to marry you then and there. You had captured the smallest details he had told you about his characters and created exactly what he had been imagining this whole time. Would reward you by smothering you in kisses everywhere (which could escalate into more). Eddie would proudly walk into his next d&d meeting and show off your work to everyone there. They would all complement your work and if you didn’t sit in on the meetings or weren’t apart of d&d eddie would remember every complement and tell them you all the next time he saw you. This could lead to a lot of the d&d members making requests that you draw their character next. You would happily draw their character but you loved drawing eddies the most always gifting him a new one when you try out new pens/pencils. Your sketchbook is probably filled with doodles of his character by this point maybe even the margins of your maths book as well.

I can imagine you meeting when you’re both young in an art class and he notices how yours is so good. He won’t stop talking about how good the spaceship you drew is and he asks how you do it and from there you’re hanging out every day with him still asking you the same question. I can also see you meeting in either middle school or high school when you’re walking in the hallways with your Walkman on drowning out the chatter, lost in your day dreaming or looking down at your sketchbook when you crash into a chest that belongs to Eddie. Your book falls on the floor next to where you fell and Eddie scrambles to pick you and the book up. He noticed your drawings and goes on a nervous ramble and just doesn’t shut up so you adopt him as your friend (later boyfriend).

Would definitely still kiss you even if you told him you had wet paint on yourself. Would end up covered in paint himself but he couldn’t care less he was too busy smiling at you.

Smut headcanon: would definitely want to do the thing where you cover a canvas in paint when having sex with each other.

Thank you for reading!!

[immortal-if]

Read the demo for Immortal here

Rue - gender selectable he/him or she/her (cis) RO.

"I can protect you, my dear. Until I can be sure you're able to protect yourself."

An enigmatic professor, Rue is a foremost expert in Rosutan culture ... conveniently working just half an hour from where your murder happened. Coincidence or something more sinister? You'll have to work closely with them if you want to find answers.

Appearance

Rue is 6 foot 4, with bronze skin and black hair and eyes. Both male and female keep their hair to their hips, usually in a braid that's slung over their shoulder while they work - they must consider you very close if you ever see it loose. They prefer to dress all in black, the only colour you'll usually see on them is their nails, which are nearly always brightly painted.

Random facts

They have a green thumb. Rue loves gardening in their free time, and their favourite flowers are sunflowers (hence the abundance of them on this blog!).

Their favourite colour is yellow, which is the colour of their car. No one would suspect which car in the carpark is theirs.

Rue is dyslexic. They hated reading as a child, though they've always loved learning about anything and everything. Their love of books came later in life, and while it takes them a while to get through one they can usually be found with a book on their person.

They make pottery - there are a lot of vases etc in their office at the uni that they use to show Rosutan styles etc, they made all of them themself.

Rue teaches at three different universities. They're a specialist lecturer, teaching only Rosutan history. They live about an hour from Crescent Hill University, so teach there in person for a semester - then the other two semesters remotely at other unis.

[snoopyrpc]

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOR WHEN I FEEL STUCK OR BORED. most people, myself included, are prone to writer's block, and while this can be an extremely frustrating process to get to, i try to use this as an opportunity to approach it in a fun way. i thought i'd share some of my favourite activities that might be of use to other people.

create a movie library. if your muse is someone who likes movies, make a list of their favourites on letterboxd or imdb, or even serializd for those that prefer tv. you can make lists for ones they've seen and enjoyed or haven't seen but would like. i use letterboxd for this quite a bit and sometimes even add some notes within my lists detailing my muse's thoughts and reviews of the movies.

make a sideblog. i know that many people do this already, but aesthetic sideblog for your character can be extremely helpful and fun to maintain. you can build these however you like! i like to use mine to post photos that my muse would like, faceclaim content, playlists and songs, ships/dynamics inspo, headcanons, silly text posts, and a variety of other things. if you're unsure where to look for content you can post on your sideblogs, @museinspo has a variety of things for many types of characters and is a really helpful place to start. they have a great detailed tagging system to make it easier to find content best suited to your muse. some tags that you can also look through could be #character inspo, #ship inspo, and #muse inspo.

play a barbie dress up game. most people who know me can attest to how much i love this — building a closet for my characters' style. every muse is different, so this can be a fun exploration activity. pinterest is a frequently used resource, but what i like to do most often is browse resale websites like depop or poshmark because i like the variety of styles and the fact that you can find some things you might not see in every store! i have many muses who like to wear silly graphic t-shirts, handmade, vintage, and eclectic styles, so this tends to be the best place to search. you can also do this with any website that sells styles you like for your muse. i like to think of this as a dress up barbie game since that helps me maintain the fun aspect of it all.

build and decorate a barbie dreamhouse. on the topic of barbies, you can do the same activity with furniture, homewares, trinkets, toys, art and decor. build your muse their barbie dreamhouse, fill it with things they would collect and feel at home with. browse furniture websites. ikea, crate and barrel, pottery barn, anthropologie, and west elm are all great places to look for ideas. if you really want to get into it, architectural design (i particularly like this article listing recommendations for furniture retailers) and dezeen (has the added bonus of being able to search for things based on location, if you're looking for example of interior design specific to your muse's city of residence) have extensive articles on both exterior and interior design. etsy is also a great place to look for antiques, vintage style, and more eclectic items.

feed them. if your muse is a foodie or likes to cook, come up with a menu for them. read food blogs and restaurant menus, think of what they'd like if they went out for dinner or what they'd cook at home. i will sometimes make up an imaginary dinner party for muses when its applicable and plan out what they'd like to serve or be served in that situation. food can be a great way to get to know your muse because it can tell you so much about their personal tastes, their current lifestyle, and their cultural background. while food is something that is prevalent in everyone's life, different people will have different approaches to it. this can be especially fun if you look at the menus for restaurants and shops local to your muse's area! read about what's popular in their neighborhood, take the specifics of that culture into consideration.

consider history. think about the time and place in which your character was born and raised in. how would things like pop culture, trends, media, neighborhood, and society affect them? this will differ with every character's upbringing and background, so take all that into consideration as you explore resources. for example, say that your muse is inspired by something like punk subcultures in the 1990s. what music, movies, and clothing styles would have been prevalent at the time? try looking into the history of the underground scene, you can even look further back than that particular decade to understand its roots and how the subculture go to that present moment. how would current events of the time affect what's being put out there and how would the changes within the world cause your character to evolve in their mindset or interests?

study movement. often times we study physicality in terms of what the character looks like as a static image (their hair colour, face shape, clothing, etc) and less about what it looks like when they look like when they are in movement. consider things like their gait, posture, facial expressions, or even specific tics. how do they move when they're on the go and in a rush, compared to when they're confined to a room? how do they position themselves in a bed or on a couch? what does their face tell you about them when they speak? what does it not tell you? a lot of behavior and emotion is not limited to dialogue, but rather how a person composes themselves through body language. you can learn so much about someone by being observant of them even without dialogue. it can be helpful to watch videos or movies and study an actor's movements with all this in mind. i often find myself watching videos with the sound off, just to pay closer attention to body language and try to understand what they are saying without verbal communication.

feel free to reblog if any of this is helpful to you. i maintain the belief that roleplay should always be fun and the best way for me to do that is to treat it like a barbie game. remember that not all character development revolves solely around written words, but rather the environment and details you put into them.

[there-must-be-a-lock]

Writer asks -

@bittercape tagged me in this weeks ago and I’m finally doing the thing!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

215 works...

2. What is your AO3 wordcount?

976,222

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly Marvel and DC lately, but I’ve also written a significant amount of Supernatural and Criminal Minds.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Brains Over Beauty (SPN/CM) 

Spitting Venom (SPN/CM) 

The One With The Pottery Barn Couch (DC/Marvel) 

Quitting (SPN/CM) 

Origin Stories (SPN/CM)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! Almost always.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I usually just do angsty endings that are on par with the angst level of the rest of the fic, I guess — I try to end with some amount of resolution or at least hope, and so I rarely think of my endings as angsty. But probably Come Haunt Me.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Sweet Home Was Home. The whole story was about sorta… figuring out what happened after the camera stopped rolling. And figuring out what “happily ever after” would look like for them. So it was the fic that I felt was most important for it to have a happy ending and to have a full resolution to all the emotional threads. I really love the ending — I love the way it mirrors the beginning scene, and I love how well it sums up the ways in which the characters have grown, and I think it gives them exactly the full, meaningful lives that they deserve. It’s not just a love story and the ending reflects that.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not particularly.

9. Do you write smut? If so, which kind?

Yes. So many kinds. But usually the “rough sex as catharsis” and “kink as therapy” kind.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest crossover you’ve ever written?

Ha. Yes. They’re my favorite thing to write!

Weirdest ones were probably This Tall To Ride (Sam Winchester/Frank Iero, because that height difference is fucking hilarious), Daisies (Sam Winchester/Harry Styles on acid at Bonnaroo), and Four Super-Soldiers and Tony Stark Walk Into A Bar… (in which Slade Wilson and Soldier Boy are in the cryo tanks in Siberia).

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of, but I’ve never looked.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I’m aware of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! Marshmallows, with @noxnthea

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

Winterhawk. There is something so fundamentally good and healthy about the way these two fit together, no matter which aspect of their dynamic you bring out, and there are so many - they work as grumpy/sunshine, as murder husbands, as snarky disasters... more importantly, they’re two characters who would be able to both accept each other unconditionally and help each other grow, and that is my favorite thing to read.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I don’t have any right now! My only current WIP is Map of My Heart. The others have been shelved but I either don’t have interest in finishing them or I absolutely think I will finish them, no doubts involved.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Putting the reader in the character’s emotional state, showing character growth/development, and writing relationships that are ultimately healthy.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action scenes and building suspense. Which is why I'm doing this instead of working on my fic! Oops.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I feel meh about it? I am not a fluent speaker in any other language, so I’d have to use some sort of translator, which tends to miss nuance and feel stiff, which is never what I want in dialogue. Instead I tend to use italics to convey that they’re speaking another language but write the lines themselves in English.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Lords of Dogtown. On fucking Quizilla. I am a Fandom Old.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

A Muscle the Size of Your Fist. If anybody wanted to get to know me really well, get to know what I believe and what I value and how I see the world, I’d point them to that. But it’s also just well written; I’m proud of the unique character voices and the way their narrative arcs all fit together. They all make each other better over the course of the story.

Tagging (with apologies if you've already done this) @kangofu-cb @stunudo @i-know-how-my-story-ends @carcrash429 @betrayedbycinnamon

[claypigeonpottery]

How did you get started in ceramics? Your work is gorgeous!

thank you!

I got started in 2017. My mom got me into it and we started pottery classes together.

I was agoraphobic at the time, and getting out of the house was difficult, so pottery classes gave me a reason to leave the house at least once a week, with someone I trusted with me to make it feel safer. At first I didn’t make it to all the classes, but things improved. We took about six wheel throwing classes together, plus a raku class.

somewhere around 2019 I got into sgraffito, but it was mostly patterns and such at first

then we started open studio (going to the pottery studio without a teacher) and this was when I started exploring hand built pottery. I never actually took a hand building class lmao, it was mostly learning through experimentation and vague memories of pottery in high school.

my sgraffito branched out into images. it was very difficult at first, to know where to carve away and I fucked up a lot. I didn’t take pictures of my failures back then so I can’t share them lol

as you can see, my style and subject matter has changed somewhat, but birds have always been a favourite

but before I was a potter, I painted with acrylics and watercolours

I did some linocut and collage too. I’ve been polishing my style for 18 years, it just took a while for me to figure out how to apply it to a new medium

eventually my mom and I became members at our favourite studio and that’s where I glaze and fire all my pieces. she’s still my studio partner, whenever she’s in town, and I really appreciate her supporting my art and encouraging me to keep trying new things

[badpancakelol]

They finally have a true and proper heart to heart. It’s completed with sitting down in Wayne’s new apartment, Eddie bringing over cookies that Steve had made. It kind of makes him feel like they’re the two little old women who used to live in the trailer across from them — bickering and bitching about anything and everything over a cup of tea. But they have the heart to heart, because things have finally settled, and for once, they have time.

He didn’t really know where to start. Eddie doesn’t really know when Wayne had started slipping out of his life, or when Eddie had started pulling away, but he knows that it definitely started way before everything that happened with Vecna. Maybe it started when he fell off his bike, when his mother didn’t show. 

(“How am I even meant to start?” Eddie asks Steve, watches as he shapes the little handfuls of cookie dough on the tray. “There’s just— so much.”

Steve hums, and stops his hands for a second, wipes them down on his apron. “Well, you know I like lists,” He points in the vague direction of where their first sticky note has been framed on the mantle. “They help me look at things from a different point of view. Make things that seem overwhelming and suffocating into something smaller. More manageable.”

He turns back to the cookies after giving Eddie a small smile. Eddie thinks he likes this domestic aspect of their relationship. Where they can now stay at home on days that are too cold or too hot, and not have to worry about the things that they used to. Now, it’s just them, living and breathing within each other’s space.

“Help me?” Eddie asks.

“Always.” Steve answers).

And so, they had made a list. It had rationalised it in Eddie’s mind, had let him make headings and subheadings, how to move from one subject to the other, how to prepare himself and what he wanted to say. 

The Upside Down.

Steve.

Eddie’s mum.

It’s not a long list, but it still feels daunting. They should be easy, quick, enough to talk about, and yet. Steve had said that’s how he felt when he was trying to fix things. Making a list that only held three or four items — items that by themselves would be fine, that combined, made his teeth hurt in a way that spelt trouble.

Eddie knows that he’s probably not supposed to tell Wayne about the Upside Down, what with the letters and legal notes that he had to sign, but when he had admitted it to Steve, had said that it hurt to keep it a secret, Steve had just held his hand, had said if you trust him, as if it were even a question.

“You know that story that went around about the serial killer, and Steve and I—”

“The one that was very obviously a cover story?” Wayne snorts, takes a sip from his mug. This time, it’s one that Steve had made at one of the pottery classes out of town. It’s smooth to the touch, with a green glaze along the edges, ants and frogs and spiders in a cute-simple style littered across it. Wayne will never admit it, not to his face, but it’s his favourite.

“Yeah.” Eddie says. He knew that people didn’t really believe it (as someone who didn’t really buy it, himself), but hearing Wayne say that it was so obviously fake, and to know that he never questioned Eddie about it? Well. It’s definitely something to process.

“So, you’re ready to tell me about,” He waves his hand in a roundabout movement. “Whatever happened to you two?”

He pauses. Tries to think of a way to delicately say, I fought monsters, and monsters killed those teenagers, and my boyfriend can bend time. But there isn’t one. There isn’t a manual that dictates how to approach any of those topics. So Eddie does what he does best, and pulls the bandaid off as fast as he can.

“Monsters.” Eddie spits. “And time travel?”

“Kid, please tell me you’re pulling my leg.”

“Not joking. At all.”

And then, the gates are open. Eddie talks about his point of view — hearing the sounds of the monsters every year but not really understanding the gravity of the situation. He talks about Chrissy coming over to buy, and how she had stood still, and how she had floated. Skips over the details, because, while he’s getting better at not feeling sick about it, not feeling guilty about it, he doesn’t think she should be remembered that way. 

He talks about running. Hiding. How the group had found him, how he had been chased by Jason, how he had seen Patrick die. Wayne keeps his gaze the entire time, but he doesn’t interrupt or say anything, because Eddie is still really only at the start of his story, at the start of it all. So he keeps going. Max, the kids, the gate. Lover’s Lake, Steve’s change in demeanour, Vecna, the battle, the monsters. 

“So that’s why they moved us out? Set us up in this place?” Wayne asks, nods his head to his side, to the apartment walls.

“Because of one of the gates, yeah.” Eddie says, feels his leg bouncing up and down. Wayne holds onto himself like a man lost, and Eddie supposes that he is, right now.

“But you two are — you’re safe, now?”

“Yes.” Eddie replies. Realises that he means it. “We’re still — working through it. There were a few things that we figured out, after everything had happened. You’ve seen some of Steve’s scars, so. I’m sure you know.”

Wayne nods, and his eyes look misty. “You boys are happy, though. I can see it whenever you talk about him, or whenever he talks about you. It’s— I’m happy for you, Ed. Proud of you. I know I never said it when you was young, but. I’ve never been anything but proud of you.”

“Don’t make me cry just yet,” Eddie jokes, brings his sleeves over his hands to wipe at the corners of his eyes. “We, uh, Steve helped me make a list. ‘Cause, you know how I called to have a heart to heart, and then I wouldn’t say what about, because there’s kind of— a lot. Like, a lot, a lot.”

He nods, and he smiles, and there is a fondness in Wayne’s eyes when Eddie mentions Steve. 

“I don’t think I ever officially said it, but, well. You know about us already.”

Wayne nods, but says: “If you want to say it, you can. I won’t take that away from you.” 

Eddie breathes in. He knows that Wayne won’t act any different, won’t look at him weird or say anything that would hurt. Wayne went to their housewarming, and had seen the way they looked at each other, held hands. They had dinners over at Wayne’s place every couple of weeks, and Steve would greet him with a warm hug. There is love between the three of them, and it makes Eddie wonder why he never really, truly, told Wayne about Steve.

“We’re dating. I love him.”

Wayne nods, and he smiles, and he had said it before, Eddie had heard him say it not only a few moment ago, but now he can see it in his uncle’s eyes: the pride. 

“He’s a good kid — Steve. Now, you better treat each other right, because I do care about the both of you, and I don’t want to see anyone getting hurt.” He breathes out and reaches towards the platter of cookies between them, now, almost gone. “And ask him to make more of these, will you?”

Eddie smiles and says yes, sir, because he knows that Wayne hates being called sir. He makes a face at the title, and then Eddie smiles like he’s been caught doing something bad, and Wayne just remarks making me feel ancient, over here. And nothing changes. 

The tea has gone lukewarm, but Eddie still holds the mug between his hands, just so that he can grab onto something. Because those were the easy ones. Because Wayne hadn’t been a part of them.

“Um, and I wanted to talk about my mum.”

Wayne’s smile pauses, and Eddie can see the way that it crumbles from his position on the couch. In his mind, he’s already trying to find a way to backtrack, and smooth the conversation over, try and point it back towards Steve, and how that seemed to make Wayne happy, and how they’re going good, and how much he loves him, instead of—

“What about her?”

“Why did she—” He tilts his head, and moves his hands, and makes a small noise to try and convey everything and nothing that she had given him. That she had done to him.

Wayne simmers down, and he folds in on himself in a way that Eddie has seen before on Steve. Trying to make himself smaller, trying to make himself seem less imposing, or terrifying, looking for comfort and forgiveness. Forgiveness for what? He hadn’t done anything wrong.

“I don’t know.” Wayne says, quiet. “I tried to talk to her about everything, when it happened the first time. But she would never listen. I know I wasn’t the best growing up, and I’m sorry, Eddie. Sorry that I couldn’t just— make her go away. That I just let her keep coming back and raising your hopes up, only for to— to leave.”

None of it is his fault, though. Or, maybe it was, but Eddie doesn’t see it that way. Wayne wasn’t the one to leave, Wayne wasn’t the one to break promises, Wayne wasn’t the one to tell him to be quiet, and pretend to love him, and then never return a call, and then love-bomb him the next time they met. That was on her. Not Wayne.

“That’s not your fault—”

“Eddie—”

“—And even if it was, I’m not going to— to blame you for it! We were in a shit situation, and there was so much stuff going on, even before the monsters, and the night shifts, and I know I wasn’t an easy kid to take care of—”

“You were wonderful, Ed, I couldn’t have asked for a kid so kind—”

“—but there was nothing you could have done to make me feel more loved!” Eddie breathed. The noiselessness of the apartment seemed so loud, now. Wayne sits across from him, leaned forward on the couch, hands by his sides. He wipes at his eyes with the edge of his sleeve, and he looks Wayne in the eye, because he needs him to know.

He needed Wayne to understand that there was no one else that he would have wanted, no one else he would have loved as much. He went above and beyond in every possible way, even when Eddie was making it difficult, even when he was being difficult to love, Wayne had still done it. Wayne had still loved him.

“You were there.” Eddie whispered. “Every day. Even when I was acting like an asshole, and taking out my anger for her on you, or when I kept fucking everything up. You were there.”

Wayne stood from the couch, crossed to where Eddie was sitting. He knew it was coming before the arms had even wrapped around him, and yet when it happened, when he felt how warm Wayne was, how soft and firm and comforting his hold was, he let his tears run. Eddie closed his eyes as tight as he possibly could, and he tried to imbed his hands into the back of Wayne’s shirt. And when Eddie had felt that noise make it’s way up his throat — loud and ugly and so very human, he let it.

-- -- --

one of the sections from my epilogue, and finale of my steddie series!!!

[finkinthisfrew]

Anything (Pt.14)

A Matty Healy Fanfic

Chapter 14 We were sitting on Matty's patio the next morning, drinking our iced coffees that he'd grabbed us from the coffee shop downstairs when Matty's phone began to ring. He answered the phone, placing it between his shoulder and ear while he used his hands to light a cigarette.

The patio we sat on was gorgeous- luscious, green and private. Along one side was the giant wall of windows that looked into the living space, on the other was a tall concrete wall covered in greenery. There were potted plants scattered all over, all happy and thriving considering the gloomy weather London was known for. A large set of dark wood and soft beige linen patio furniture sat in the centre of the patio, along with a giant faded pink and orange Moroccan-style outdoor rug underneath. An old wrought-iron staircase adorned one end of the patio, leading up to likely the roof, peppered with even more small potted plants.

It was an especially sunny and warm day. We'd just finished eating breakfast when we'd decided to go bask in the sunshine with our coffees before Matty's phone rang. I savoured his little frown of concentration while on the phone, the way his cheeks hollowed as he took a drag on his cigarette.

I held out my hand, requesting a drag. He wagged his finger at me, and I gave him my best pout in response. A small smile appeared on his face and he shook his head before reluctantly holding out the cigarette.

"Just one puff!" I mouthed at him, holding up a single finger as I reached to take it cigarette. He snatched my finger before I could retract it and placed a big kiss on the tip of it, before letting it go with a smile. He handed me it, holding up his own single finger, mouthing, "Just one." I inhaled the smoke, then as I exhaled, attempted to blow rings. All but the last attempts failed. Matty applauded silently at the successful ring, giving my knee a light squeeze before taking back the cigarette.

After another few minutes on the phone, he gave me a look of boredom. He looked so handsome in his sunglasses and bedhead, the cigarette now perched between the two fingers that held his coffee, the other lazily tracing circles on my thigh which hung over his lap. In addition to the sunglasses, he wore an oversized black hoodie and a pair of boxer shorts. My outfit matched his, as I had donned a pair of his boxers that morning too, in addition to his favourite blue hoodie.

I watched Matty's face break into a wide grin as he spoke to the mystery person on the other end of the call. He turned to look at me, throwing a fist in the air and shaking it in celebration, then excitedly grabbing my thigh and shaking it, making me laugh.

He said his farewells to the person on the phone before he turned to me, tossing the phone on the seat beside him.

"I've got wonderful news. Our videographer has the flu!" Matty said cheerily.

I raised my eyebrows at Matty.

"I'm sorry... am I missing something? Why are we happy that they're sick?" I asked in confusion.

"That means I have the entire day free! All I had today was this video shoot, but we have to postpone, so now we get to hang out instead!" Matty said enthusiastically.

I laughed at Matty, charmed by his excitement.

"Matty, that sounds like a dream come true, but I have to go to the studio today!" I reminded him.

"Well, can I come with you? How long do you have it booked for today?" he asked eagerly.

"Only five hours today, but it won't be very entertaining. There isn't much else to do at the studio aside from pottery. Plus, I really don't think I'll get much done if you come with me." I reasoned with him.

Matty pulled a grumpy face, and I reached out my hand to squeeze his.

"Five hours is much too long to be apart..." he said, hanging his head off the back of the couch in frustration, "but I understand. I won't pester you. I guess I should be responsible and work on the new album today now that I have some free time," he said rolling his head to one side to look at me with a smile. "Maybe I could come for the last half hour? You could give me a tour and maybe show me some of your work?" he asked hopefully.

My heart melted at his request to see my work and my studio. It felt so nice to have someone so genuinely interested in my craft.

"Of course, babe. I'd love that," I said with a smile.

Matty hummed a sound of pleasure. "I love when you call me that," he said before taking another drag from his cigarette, blowing out several perfect smoke rings.

"Let me try again," I said, reaching my hand out, but he didn't pass me the cigarette this time.

"Look, now I know you are a grown woman who can do as she pleases, and I would buy you a thousand cartons of these if they didn't cause cancer, but I will not let my nasty addiction become your new hobby."

I once again gave him a small playful pout, and he took his sunglasses off to reveal a pair of warm brown pair of saddened eyes.

"Oh please, Anna. I know I'm being unfair, but let me be a hypocrite just this once?"

I rolled my eyes at him, knowing he was right. "Oh, fine." I huffed, dropping my hand. I didn't want my hobby of making shapes with smoke to become an addiction that could ruin my lungs. Besides, I didn't really care that much. I mostly just liked that we were doing something together.

He smiled at me and picked up my hand, kissing the back of it. "How can I make it up to you? I feel bad telling you no. World's your oyster- what would you like?" he asked sincerely, his doe eyes locked onto mine.

"Hmmm," I pondered out loud. "Maybe a back rub?" I offered.

"Not an expensive dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant? Or a trip to Paris? Or a night under the stars in the Sahara?" he said, brow furrowing. "If you could do anything, what would it be?"

I laughed, then once again realized he wasn't joking. "I mean, I'm happy with dinner and a movie at yours tonight?"

"That's it?" he asked bluntly.

"Well... I'd also like the back rub." I said with a smile, nudging him lightly with my knee. He looked confused, so I explained. "I don't really care what we do, I just want to spend time with you. We could go have dinner in the Italian countryside, or go swimming off the coast of Mykonos, or go eat sushi in Tokyo, or we could sit in my living room and stare at each other in silence for four hours and I'd be happy either way..." I shrugged. "-although I'd rather it not be in silence if I get to choose... I like talking to you too much... but my point is, all I care about is spending time with you. The rest doesn't matter to me."

Matty stared at me in silence, then turned his head away, looking at the far end of the patio. I felt his energy change, so I tapped the back of his hand with my finger and asked, "Hey, is everything alright?"

He dropped his head, and I felt a splash on my hand. A tear had fallen, and I could see his lower lip tremble slightly.

"Hey-" I said, sitting up quickly. I shuffled over to him on my knees and sat down in his lap, taking his face in my hands. The way he looked up into my eyes broke my heart, eyes wet, brow creased, another tear streaking down his face. I wiped his cheek gently with my thumb. "What's wrong?" I asked delicately.

He shook his head, then wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in. I hugged him back as he burrowed his face into the crease of my neck. He held me so tightly. I ran my fingers along the back of his neck and through his hair as he stifled quiet sobs. We sat there quietly holding each other as I waited.

"I'm sorry, I'm so fucked up..." he whispered in my ear.

"Shhh, shhh, don't say that," I said soothingly. "You're perfect."

At this he squeezed me even tighter, so I squeezed him back.

After a few minutes, he loosened his grip, and I pulled my head back slightly to look at him. He kept his head hung low, taking a breath to speak.

"I've... I've never dated someone who doesn't want something from me. Whether that's money, fame, music, drama, or the idea of me... Everyone always expects something of me," he said, voice shaking in frustration and emotion. "And I've spent so much of my life playing the part- like my life is one big play... because it's my job to... and it's made all my personal relationships so toxic. People expect something from me, and it melts my brain trying to dance between reality and expectation because my job is my reality... It drives me mad. I'm sorry if none of this is making sense," he shook his head, eyes hiding from mine.

"No, no. You're making perfect sense," I said reassuringly. I nodded my head encouragingly at him as his eyes peeked up at me briefly.

"I try to be myself but I can't set boundaries, because you can't in this industry. So I play into them- exaggerate everything so that no one can really know who I am. Not truly." He took my hand into his and began to fiddle with my fingers anxiously. He took another deep breath, gaining more confidence. "You don't know, but publically I'm a bit of a bad boy. I play into the character a lot- as my own form of protest kind of... I don't let people know what's authentic and what's not because fame and celebrity performance are all so meaningless, yet people attach so much meaning to it all... And I guess it's a bit of a defence mechanism as well... if I'm not myself then I can never truly be to blame for anything..."

He lifted his head, his watery eyes looking deep into mine.

"But now with you, I feel like I don't have to act. Like the play is over... You don't expect anything from me... You just want me." his voice faltered, wobbling with emotion. He sniffed loudly, then carried on determinedly. "You don't just make me feel like myself- you let me see myself for who I truly am, which is something I forgot was even possible. Being with you is amazing, fun, exciting and all these wonderful things. But amongst all that, it's also a giant relief, and in moments is disorientating. I only now realize just how emotionally exhausted I've been. It feels like I've been running on empty for the last five years and I've only just noticed now."

He looked back and forth between my eyes, searching for something. I placed a hand on his cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Matty. I can't imagine how that must feel..." I said sincerely. I took a breath to continue, but he interrupted me.

"But you do, Anna. You do know how it feels. Maybe not in the same way, but you had expectations put on you by the people who claimed to love you most, and played the part you thought you had to too. You and I have wanted the same thing- we just want someone to want us for who we are. Not for what we provide or what is expected of us. We just want to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. We want truly unconditional love. Real love."

Then, I understood. Truly understood. The emotional exhaustion, the confusion, the fear, the relief... it was all the same. My heart broke even further, for him, as well as myself. My eyes welled, but I wanted to stay strong for him at this moment. That felt important to do.

I looked at him straight on, his chocolate eyes desperate for my understanding. I needed him to know that I understood- that he was right. That I felt the same way. He looked so sad, so hopeful, so handsome, so sincere in his emotion. My chest broke wide open, and I couldn't hold its contents back any longer.

"I love you, Matty. I love you for who you are. Not for what you do, for what you have, for how you act, for how you look... Just for you. Nothing more, nothing less. I love you." I fought back the tears that threatened to fall and watched as his face transformed.

His eyes crinkled in that way I loved, his smile wider than I'd ever seen it. His cheeks reddened, shining from the fresh tears that now fell. His eyes glittered with happiness.

"Anna..." he began, pausing from speechlessness. He stared at me in silence, mouth agape. Then he gathered my face in his hands, and slowly leaned in, placing a long and meaningful kiss on my lips. I kissed him back. The room spun, and suddenly we were in a world full of stars, flying through these emotions together. 

As he pulled away, he tried to look serious, but his face was still stained with his smile from my declaration. He kept holding my face tenderly as he said, "I have never loved anyone or anything as much as I love you, Anna. From the moment I met you, I knew... I just knew. You have given me everything I never knew was even possible. You saved me. Thank you, Anna."

He kissed me again, and again we started to fly. I felt our hearts connect, veins intertwining, becoming one. Every emotion possible swirled around us as we kissed, deeply, love dominating them all. 

He pulled away, looking tenderly into my eyes and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too," I whispered back.

We sat there smiling at each other with big wide dumb grins on our faces. We were drunk in that moment, eyes hazy, minds melted. We were gloriously happy. After a few minutes, I laughed to myself before saying, "Well, we made it- what?- 12 hours before finally saying it? I guess that's not so terrible..." I joked.

His eyes crinkled once more. "I'm pretty impressed with us if I'm being honest. That's better than I expected, don't you reckon?" he said sweetly.

I was overcome with adoration at that moment, leaning in once again to kiss him, still not feeling like I'd had enough. This time, he kissed me back fiercely, a strong intention behind his lips.

He pulled away, resting his forehead heavily against mine, his eyes closed in silence for a moment.

"I'll be careful with your heart, Anna. I promise. If you can be careful with mine too." He whispered to me softly.

I nodded into his forehead, and we sat there bundled in each other's arms whispering 'I love you' over and over again, like we'd finally come home.

[pastellmochi]

hellooooooo the yumepilled mutual ever. tell meeeeeeeee something silly / fun abt your favourite f/o or yumeship (no pressure. none. blinks at you slowly like a cat... no pressure though) nevertheless i do hope you had a good day

HELLOOOOO HIIIIIIIEEE THINKERPILLED MUTUAL EVER !!!!!! i hope your week is absolutely wonderful as well aoaoaoa <333 im always really happy2 hear from you !!!! and no pressure 2you but if you wanna trade silly facts ab yumeships i would love2hear about youuurs 🫶🫶🫶‼️‼️‼️

kenta and sal (me/my s/i :33) design a virus together kinda like BonziBuddy or you are an idiot because they miss the old internet <333 !!!

hc kenta brags ab doing shock site speedruns (this does not impress anyone) and proposes they do one together for a first date . also theyre 4chumblr

along w that before they officially met sal had kenta’s verse in one of gokuluck’s songs as their ringtone , which goes off multiple times when they first meet while sal is interviewing him …

kenta i like to hc is multilingual but mainly just uses it to insult people in vc in their native tongue , but sal is just happy to find a tagalog speaker and they learn tagalog together :]

sal and kenta get to know each other by showing each other the worst things they’ve ever created, so kenta reads their fanfiction + sees their old art and music and sal is the first who gets to hear the first tracks kenta made when he was like 13 <333

kenta has tried to hack sal’s phone and succeeded but its almost useless because nothing is organized / labelled properly or works because they have so little storage (thousands of copies of the same files/tabs!!) so the phone just constantly crashes and wont open anything. the only thing that is able to opened is the notes app in which sal logs every single thought that they have but its incomprehensible and disjointed to everyone including them

they both are a bit standoffish / not used to physical affection but what they are comfortable with starting out doing is hair care stuff !!! so like sal rubs coconut oil in kenta’s hair or styles it and kenta cuts sal’s hair when it gets too long and their brothers (who donot like him lol) aren’t around !!!

sal is anemic so they’re very cold all the time while kenta is warm all the time !!! itd be nice for them to cuddle but sal likes sleeping on the floor without a blanket or pillow cause then they get too warm and kenta might kick people in his sleep (or just while awake)

in the afterlife ayato’s hands remain slightly withered yet stronger than average from doing pottery constantly and sal likes to trace his hands absentmindedly !!!

whenever the two have artblock / get overwhelmed the other gets random scraps of paper (or just the walls work too) to draw absentmindedly on !!!

and bonus familial w/ … slender mansion .. ben can technically glitch and give himself whatever outfit he wants , so not only is it fun for nina and i to come up w outfits for him that aren’t just A Tunic but its also helpful for when i (and bloody painter and clockwork) need 3d references!! we just spin him around

[sidsthekid]

15 people 15 questions

thanks for the tag bud @crosbyism!!

1. are you named after anyone?

yeah but i don't like it. the plan is to change it someday, but there's some things i gotta improve about myself before i can...

2. when was the last time you cried?

a few days ago. i got 2am sad about things i thought i'd gotten over.

3. do you have kids?

no but every now and then the baby fever comes a-knockin...so maybe in the future

4. what sports do you play/ have you played?

sports were life for me!! i did soccer, horseback riding, swimming, volleyball, tennis. i also started to snowboard recently! but if life had worked out the way i wished it did, i would've stuck to horseback and joined a college team. i've loved horses since forever and the comfort they bring is something else.

5. do you use sarcasm?

penis

6. what’s the first thing you notice about people?

eyes and the way people talk, i.e. the sound of their voice & accent, maybe habits that they have in terms of how often they use a word (uh, like, etc.). but on the other hand, eyes!! very hard for me to resist the pull of a pretty pair.

7. what’s your eye colour?

brown! i used to feel meh about the color but i like them a lot more, now.

8. scary movies or happy endings?

happy endings. i saw the babadook once and that shit fucked me up real bad for a long time. i still can't really look into the darkness for too long or i start seeing things.

9. any talents?

music! i take to instruments very quickly and have what you might call perfect pitch (ew). same goes for my athleticism. my hand-eye coordination has always been pretty good and it makes it easy for me to jump back into things even if i've been inactive for some time.

except golf. i've always been ass at golf.

10. where were you born?

i was born in a place that i'll probably never see again! some teeny tiny suburb.

11. what are your hobbies?

i like to collect enamel pins! every where i travel i try to up a few. i also love doing pottery on the wheel, making pots and bowls. making lil animals to sit on my shelves.

i also love to ice skate and listen to music. and finally, i obviously very much enjoy reading fic and chit chatting about it with my buddies on here.

12. do you have any pets?

no but i fostered a cat once. he was my lil nutty angel.

13. how tall are you?

5 FOOT THREE.

14. favourite subject in school?

political theory. my favorite professor in the whole wide world completely redefined what it meant to study the topic and when i think about him and the classmates i had and the conversations and experiences we bonded over for too long, i definitely cry about it haha. man. i miss it.

i also really enjoyed studying american politics, specifically the history of conspiracy. i remember having to read 'the paranoid style in american politics' by richard hofstadter for a class and it was both parts fascinating and terrifying.

15. dream job?

i don't really have one anymore because i think i already got it. but obviously, things can change and knowing me, they definitely will.

tagging the below!! no pressure to do at all of course. it's all in good fun! :):)

@yippayappa@puckingembarrassing @capsvsducks @plethoriall @ellen-shame @robindrake13 @tangerwolls @georgievs @blackholesun @kylesdubas @cascara-soda @ceanspam @phdmama @dragooncroft @annieqattheperipheral

[bakersimmer]

Sims get to know me Thanks for tagging me @oasivy @duusheen @citruswhim @zosa95🤗

What’s your favourite sims death? Death by chicken/rabbit. The idea that something so harmless looking could be so deadly 😬

Alpha CC or Maxis Match? Match. Maybe a tiny bit of mix. Alpha is nightmare fuel...

Do you cheat when your sims gain weight? No. But I make my sims heavier because I don't like them looking like bodybuilders after going for a jog 🙄

Do you use move objects? Yes!

Favorite mod? There are so many good mods, but I have to choose MCCC. I won't play without it. There once was a time when MCCC was broken for a longer time, and I couldn't figure out how to change my sims clothes 🙈

First expansion/game/stuff pack you got? Get to Work, Outdoor Retreat, Romantic Garden

Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing? aLIVE

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? Most of my favorite sims have actually born in my game 🤔 I somehow made parents that had very likable kids 😂 Idk, maybe Sam or Laila.

Have you made a simself? Yes.

What sim traits do you give yourself? Loner, Hot-Head, Foodie.

Which is your favorite EA hair color? Dark brown.

Favorite EA hair? The one that came with Eco Lifestyle, space buns with bangs.

Favorite life stage? Infant, YA

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? I have 0 building skills, so my only choice is gameplay 😕

Are you a CC creator? No. But I can make recolors and simple poses.

Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad? I have met some fantastic people here. But the lone wolf in me usually kills all social relations 🤪

What’s your favorite game? (1, 2, 3, or 4) 2 and 4

Do you have any sims merch? I don't have any official merch, but I have 3 knockoff plumbob pins.

Do you have a YouTube for sims? Nope.

How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing? There was a time when I didn't use skin details and rarely used in-game sliders. I just chose a random preset from the ones that EA had provided, and that's it 🙈 I have become much more picky.

What’s your Origin ID? BakerSimmer

Who’s your favorite CC creator? That would be quite a long list 🙈

How long have you had a simblr? Since 2016

How do you edit your pictures? ReShade + Photoshop - Crop -> image size -> personal pst -> topaz

What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next? Hobbies! I want bands, pottery, sewing, homemade cosmetics, skateboarding, windsurfing, snooker, etc.

What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far? Seasons.

A comparison of a sim made in 2019 and a makeover I gave her in 2022 (I gave her a 2023 hair and eyeshadow because I had deleted the others ones 😅)

I tag @bunnithechubs @kazroze @katverse

[historia-vitae-magistras]

Reading your characters profile, I realize you never mentioned their date of birth.  Can you tell me the year or time period that the characters (USA, Australia, Ireland,….)  be born?

So I kind of did that on purpose because its one of those things that people have their own very specific headcanons and versions and I don't feel that strongly about it because there's multiple ways to go about things and I've changed my mind about this couple of times but generally I go with the earliest reference to a culture emerging I can find. The idea of a nation rather than the hard founding dates because there are more to these things than just when a European stepped foot somewhere. And full disclaimer, when I don't have writing to use, I'm using archaeology and artistic expression as what that idea might have been. Also I think if I were to rewrite this now, but I don't want replace a lot of existing writing I would make them born much later but fuck it, here we go. Also I had so many links to put in this but I lost them so eh, there's one lmao fuck my entire life im so tired.

Britannia/Eirian — 1500-1000 BC. I'm kind of bullshitting because geography and history are hard to do when there's like 2 pieces of Roman propaganda that survive. The National Museum of Wales says the Celts arrived about 1000 BCE so that's when she found herself rooted in the British Isles. She might be older than that.

Ireland/Brighid — 600-400 BCE. again we're working with what's in a lot of ways prehistory here so the earliest example I could find of what archaeologists identified as a distinctly Irish take on broader artistic styles. Particularly in ironwork. There's a spearhead that was found in the River Inny that is of a style recognisable in medieval Ireland but carbon dated too before 500 BCE.

Scotland/Alasdair — 600-400 BCE. The archaeology suggests a a population increase and an artistic coalescing as temperatures warmed and some new prosperity allowed new pottery styles, increased use of horses came along and allowed the very earliest brochs or stone towers mostly found on the coastlines of Scotland seem to date to this era.

Wales/Rhys — 400-300 BCE. Literally based this off one of my favourite torcs found in Wales and that's as good as I've got send help.

England/Arthur — 50BCE-100 AD. Roman Britain get jiggy with it just wanted a couple of centuries between the baby bilge rate and his siblings.

America/Alfred — 1580s. The first reference I ever saw to America being associated with new opportunities and money making and protestant havens was 1585.

Canada/Matt - 1610s. The first reference to Canadians being different from European Frenchmen was in the 1610s so Matt popped out around then. The French unlike the British or Spanish were less attentive to the claims they made on Canada but then didn't settle for nearly a century.

Australia/Jack — 1790s. Australians as a concept was the late 1790s with some of the first references made by Gaelic speaking Irish prisoners.

Aotearoa/Zee — 1810s. She's a little harder because there's a lot of escaped prisoners, whalers and other random white people living with Māori before the Brits properly showed up but I'm just rolling with it.

[sisaloofafump]

That's super cool you're reading through through the 1986 Wonder Woman run, I really enjoyed it. Is it your first time going through ? c:

Yeah!! I'm really enjoying it and was surprised by how complex and well written it is. Wonder Woman is the only DC property I engaged with as a kid through various comics and animated films. Despite that, I know comparatively little about her—I was always more on the X-Men & Ultimate Spider-Man side and never crossed to DC until recently. Over the past year of reading DC (I started in Feb), I've been mostly reading Superman and Batman—a lot of modern Batman, a lot of golden/silver Superman. So the 1986 Wonder Woman run is also new to me in terms of era. (I have attempted to read the immediate post-crisis runs of S and B but I didn't enjoy them, which added to my surprise on WW's quality).

I have read some of Diana's current runs, and of course seen her in crossovers and team ups, but it is weird to me how little I know her in comparison to Superman and Batman. I've never been the biggest fan of her base design and like seeing and experimenting with different alternatives. When I was reading through the silver age Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane (which I loved), one of my favourite aspects was the different outfits that Kurt Schaffenberger gave her every issue, so I drew them. They were just little thumbnail sketches that I don't think I ever shared here, but that was the precursor to Daily Diana. I wanted to reintroduce myself to Diana, and use it as a method to draw regularly, learn anatomy, and learn how to draw clothing. I also just love her outfits.

Additional photos below:

In order:

The thumbnail sketches of outfits in the Lois Lane series. I also posted a handful of her other looks here

The base Diana design I had made and been doodling for a while. I really like the idea of her chest plate seeming like greek pottery. A later piece started the inclusion of clay-like marks on her skin, which is the main hold over into Daily Diana. You can also see that it is a different style here than DD. Honestly, I don't have a particularly consistent way of drawing, but with DD I specifically wanted to imitate and learn from the og's inking

Alternate of base design with short hair and glowing marks

Thumbnail of base design and a non-combat alt

This was the panel that I saw in a DC guide book and went "oh my god I need to source and draw that". The ensuing search led me through so much of her early post-crisis run and noticing all the cool outfits. It was essentially the inciting incident of Daily Diana, which i started the next day.

[claypigeonpottery]

Heyyyyy~ I'm just... So in love with all the work you do, they're all so precious and beautiful I'm in tears. Thank you so for what you do, can't wait to buy something you made soon :D

If it's okei, can you please tell the story of how you got into this and how did you progress from being babie artist to now growing artist and how long you've been doing this for? What's your top 3 fav works you've done? Did you eat good food today, if not please dooo. Thenks

thank you! that's very sweet x3 I'm excited to get more stuff fired and up on Etsy, hopefully before the end of June

.

choose three favourites of my work? oh, that is a difficult question.

one thing I really didn't like about my art when I was younger was that it was all very static. it was people sitting or standing, it was still life paintings. one of the things I'm really proud of in my work now is the sense of capturing a moment instead of someone posing, and/or giving a sense of movement

these two are just the opposite of static and I love them for that

and then there's this mug. the design is great, the details are great and I had so much fun carving it. it was honestly just delightful and I wish I'd kept it. I don't say that very often.

all sold

.

I'm putting the rest of this under a cut because I'm going to ramble

I started drawing because I was making silly comics about me and my friends in grade school and through high school (I assigned them all fursonas because I was a really cool 15 year old lol)

I got a little more serious about art in high school, but I never thought it'd be something I'd make money at.

when I was... in my early twenties? maybe 19 still? ah, memory issues, I went through a nine month art program, the 'Urban Canvas' project run by SCYAP (saskatoon community youth arts programming). the program is meant to support young artists, especially those with mental health or addiction issues. and it meant I got paid to draw and paint and create weird shit for 40 hours a week, for nine months. and then some (seven? eight?) years later I got to go through the program again which... honestly I'm so grateful I got to do that. (and SCYAP still supports me, they give me a table at their craft show every year and helped me with my first solo gallery show)

these are some of the pieces I made during my time at SCYAP:

and two very rare pictures of me, posing with two of my master studies. the left from when I was 20ish, and the right when I was... 27ish? (man I'm still proud of that Gentileschi copy)

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it was after SCYAP when I started thinking that I could actually make money as an artist. so I painted more than a dozen murals, drew a 20-some page full colour comic, painted pet portraits, and sold my own paintings. commissions were more reliable than selling my own work for a long time lol

as for how I got into pottery, my mental health uh... haha. it took a nosedive about six years ago and during some of the worst of it, I was severely agoraphobic. my mom, who has always supported my art, offered to take me to pottery classes with her, in an attempt to get me leaving the house at least once a week. it did help (along with a lot of other things) and once I started exploring the surface decoration side of pottery, things really clicked for me

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tangent: one of the things that really drove me to progress as an artist was having something driving my work. whether it was preparing for a gallery show or making a bunch of holiday cards or making piles of fan art because I was obsessed. every time I made something, anything, I improved. so when I had a goal that made me create more, I improved faster.

my unsolicited advice: make that weird fan art. it's good for your art. (I was really into tf2 lol)

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I've tried tons of different mediums and I think it was a great way to help my style evolve.

when you're making art with a new medium, it might take awhile before you're making your own personal work. I, at least, find that I usually have to do some studies of other peoples' art and just try some basic creations before I do anything more personal. but once I'm ready to do MY stuff, I have a new repertoire to pull from. I wouldn't be the potter I am if I didn't have the experiences I got from other mediums

like acrylics (I did a lot of self portraits >.>)

paper flower making

watercolour

collage

cake decorating

(also oil paints, pastels, 3D wire art, crochet, linocut, stone carving, sewing, set painting and quilting. also my spouse and I like to make crafts together, like cutting-construction-paper, gluing-pompoms-and-googly-eyes crafts, because it's just fun to make stuff together)

I'm sure pottery isn't the last medium I'm gonna try. I'll probably get obsessed with carving tiny wooden figurines or making wax sculptures at some point. who knows!

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and now I'm in my mid-thirties, making art pretty much every day. I've been doing this since I was a teenager, so almost twenty years now.

I never imagined I'd be satisfied with my own art, that I could look at most of my pieces and not see how I could have done it better, but hey, here I am.

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wow that was rambly. the ADHD really comes out when I'm writing lol. and I did eat real food today! before having some freezies

thanks so much for your ask, hopefully I satisfied your curiosity