#this is very stiff and stuff but it was more of a study of sort?? i guess. love these girls so much

[gynandromorph]

another NofNA style emulation comic, flashback style. this comic takes place 1 or 2 seasons after this comic. this one was to show Legend's first experience fighting and why she eventually came to start taking classes. she is a very stubborn character and i imagine without anyone telling her to do something else, she would have continued pursuing markscraftsmanship indefinitely. it was supposed to show a little bit of how she thinks in fights, but i think i could have done that part better.

you can see that she's walking home with a classmate who isn't a rodent. based on her dialogue, it seems like she was carrying supplies home herself instead of walking home with a rodent classmate until she befriended BY.

BY is a chacma baboon. he has a few unpleasant qualities, like cowardice and a lack of sensitivity toward Legend's insecurities, but from his perspective, he's just encouraging a friend who isn't confident in her talents and believes she's stuck trying to be a markscraft. there is a reason that he is studying to be a markscraft instead of going into fighting or a more important occupation like law or medicine; he wants a peaceful occupation where he supports other people who have to deal with the stressful stuff. they are sort of just past acquaintanceship -- they don't know each other very well. BY lives within escarpment south, like MK.

Legend lives in the same burrow, but the paperbark thorn is currently a smaller sapling, and there's less grass. the tree the leopard jumps from is a mountain hard pear (olinia emarginata). the shrub that BY hides under is a cancer bush (lessertia frutescens).

it bothered me as a kid (annoyed is maybe a better word) when predators who would chase the protagonists in shows and movies were sort of mindless killing machines, once i learned that they are somewhat selective and often risk-averse, because injury can be a death sentence for them, moreso than herbivores. a herbivore may be able to hide from predators until it heals; a predator can't hide from its need for food. i tried to give the leopard a richer... inner life than that. as Legend mentioned, she is deep past the wild-society border that's patrolled to keep wild predators like her at bay. she is aware of this. the expansion that BY mentioned is an expansion made primarily for an additional educational facility. i mentioned in the linked comic that i think markscraft classes are probably VERY populated, overflowing with students that faculty can't keep up with. the newer facility aimed to help ease the burden of educating a necessary labor force en masse. consequently, the area that the leopard is camping in is a footpath that connects the new writing college campus to a residential traffic junction which is used almost entirely by people who have no training in martial arts -- markscrafts. because the border is newer, there is probably more focus on patrolling the literal border around the campus than the paths connected to it. she is also aware of these things. in my head, she has observed many areas of their society for long periods of time (some more than others; no need to hang around an embassy to be noticed by the juiced guys with kill magic going in and out). she's absolutely picked people off here or there without the path, but she is rather desperate to be predating on largely rodents under half a pound when the consequences could be dire. when she sees two larger citizens on the path without the scent of rationale she has no hesitation. she jumped on the ratel instead of the baboon because the baboon had things stacked on his neck, and she wasn't sure how stiff they were or if she could bite through them right away. i don't know if she's ever hunted a ratel before, or if she simply knows their reputation secondhand, and thought it probably wouldn't be a problem with one coddled by society. i think she's under the belief that, unlike a smaller predator like a ratel, she is not diminutive enough to be welcome in society. it makes sense up front -- who wants to embrace the guy who ate grandma's face or dragged their baby off into the night? there is some powerful insecurity about feeling weaker than a collective group against her, and about the suggestion that there is something wrong with her way of living. i think she probably avoided them until food outside of the border became more scarce. i think wilds are shown as... "not knowing better"; in the addendum of secretary, it's put as "not thinking about the options they might have" -- but we are shown many wilds who know about society. they all seem to at least KNOW about it. they know that there is technically a way to enter it. so they DO know it's an option. it's just an option that's less palatable than killing people. and i wanted to write this leopard like that. i didn't really want her to be a hapless ignorant animal looking for food. food is absolutely part of it, but leopards in particular are very adaptable. she could just as well hunt other predators or pets and livestock near human society, but she has beef (not pun intended). i mentioned that Legend's parents raised her to be sympathetic to wilds, so here she is under the belief that this leopard would not eat people if she simply had Enough Information. who's to say? but she certainly doesn't lack ALL information about it. wilds seem to have a belief that being eaten by an opponent stronger than oneself allows you to become part of the stronger force. NOT eating someone is a grave insult (to predators, anyway, idk how prey species feel about that), and i think sparing her altogether is probably just rubbing salt in the wound about her insecurities wrt society being "better than her."

[tinywitchgoblin]

Flowers

Tech x afab!reader everybody lives AU, spoilers season 2???

Word count: 2770

Warnings: NSFW minors begone, oral (f! receiving), p in v sex, mentions of f! masturbation, Tech being the king of consent

Summary: Tech gets you a bouquet of flowers with an… interesting meaning.

a/n: I’m back babyyyy also, I got these flower meanings from various websites, if these aren’t exactly right, oh well

You had been living on Pabu for over a year now, and you couldn’t help but look back on how your time on the island had been thus far. You had met Phee at one point when she was on Ord Mantell, and you and she had gotten along pretty well. Once you’d known her for a while and became more comfortable with her, you opened up about your living situation and your past, which… wasn’t great. She decided then and there that she would take you to Pabu, not giving you any advanced notice- only telling you to pack your stuff and get ready for a surprise. You had been a bit overwhelmed by the island atmosphere at first; it was like nothing you’d ever experienced before. Initially, you were suspicious of how perfect everything was, expecting something to go wrong eventually. However, as time passed, you became more relaxed, even making a couple of friends. Then they arrived. 

They were unlike anyone you’d ever met before. They moved into the home next to yours, and you were very curious as to the nature of your new neighbors. After they’d settled in, Phee knocked on your door and asked if you would like to meet them. Before waiting for your response, she grabbed you and pulled you out the door over towards where two of them were talking to Shep. 

You took a good look at them, a bit confused. They looked like soldiers, but didn’t look like they were here in any sort of official capacity. The one closer to Shep had shoulder length curly black hair with a red bandana and a skull tattooed on the left side of his face. The other one was a bit taller and had a scomp link where his right hand would be. Phee pulled you over and introduced you. The tattooed one introduced himself as Hunter and his companion as Echo. They seemed friendly enough, if a bit reserved. Not that you could complain; you were the same way, especially when you yourself had first arrived on Pabu. 

After standing and talking for a bit, two others joined the conversation- a giant of a man with a scar on the left side of his face, and a girl who looked to be in her teens. Hunter introduced them as Wrecker and Omega. They both smiled and waved at you, Omega coming over to you and asking you about your experiences on Pabu thus far. You found that she was light, bubbly, and easy to talk to. 

After you’d been talking to Omega for a while, you were about to go back to your home and do some work around the house, when one more person appeared. He was tall, lean, and wore goggles. He seemed engrossed in whatever he was looking at on his datapad before Phee went over and introduced the two of you. His name was Tech. You weren’t entirely sure why, but you immediately found yourself drawn to him. He seemed a bit stiff at first, but when you mentioned that you worked as an environmental scientist, the two of you began conversing about what that entailed- from analyzing the levels of various compounds in the water to studying marine life to tracking seismic activity. Normally, when you discussed work stuff, no one else understood most of what you were talking about, and you eventually learned how to dumb it down to the level of whoever was listening. That wasn’t the case with him. 

He asked you all sorts of questions, some of which were even above your level, and you loved every bit of it. Finally, someone who you could connect with intellectually. The two of you stood there talking for a long time, before Hunter called Tech away to help with the moving in process. From that point on, the two of you became fast friends. 

Soon after the group came to Pabu, Tech began joining you in your work. Having his knowledge and expertise in the field was invaluable, and you could tell he really enjoyed the work- as did you. Sometimes Omega would join as well, but that was usually when you were working with cute baby sea animals. The two of you became a very effective team. 

After a couple of months, the two of you started to spend time together outside of working as well. Whether it was grabbing a bite to eat, going for a walk by the water, or strolling through one of the markets, you’d grown comfortable in each other’s company. 

One day, you were resting at home on one of your days off when you heard a knock at your door. You opened it, and you saw Tech standing there with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. 

“I saw these flowers as I was walking through the market earlier, and I, umm… well, they made me think of you,” he said shyly, handing them out to you. It was truly beautiful, with red roses, red camellias, red lilies, red tulips, and sweetpeas scattered throughout. 

“Aww, Tech, these are beautiful! I really appreciate it,” you gushed. “Would you like to stay for a while? I’m almost done with dinner.”

“I would very much appreciate that, cyare,” he responded before stepping through the door frame and taking off his boots. You paused for a second, not recognizing the word, before brushing it off as Tech being Tech and moving towards the kitchen area. You grabbed the vase off of the small table in the kitchen, and removed the old flowers (Omega had picked them and given them to you!) before adding the new ones Tech had just given you. He went around to the stove to see what you were making, taking a whiff and humming in approval. He was quiet, which was unlike him, and he seemed to be fidgeting more than usual. You sat down at the table next to him, wanting to make sure he was okay. “Is everything okay? You seem nervous,” you queried. 

“Oh, yes, I am doing well. Just a bit preoccupied, I suppose,” he responded, a bit rushed. 

“Tech… You seem off. Is there something on your mind?” 

“Of course there is something on my mind, cyare, there is always something on my mind. In fact, there are very few instances in which there is nothing occupying my thoughts,” he clarified, though there still seemed to be something off. There that word was again- cyare. It sounded like a nickname of sorts, but you couldn’t tell. 

“That word you just said- what does it mean?” you questioned.

“What word?”

“The one you just said- I think it started with a ‘c’?” you clarified. 

“Oh, um… well…” he hesitated, almost seeming to psych himself up. “Cyare. That is what I called you. In Mando’a, it means ‘beloved’, though it can be used in several different contexts. It can be used as a term of endearment for a loved one, though it can also be used for someone who is well-known, although-”

“Tech. Did you just… did you just call me your beloved?” you whispered.

“I… yes, I did,” he confirmed. “I have had feelings for you ever since we arrived on Pabu, but I was never able to muster the courage to be this forward about the situation. If I have made you uncomfortable, or if you do not share my feelings, I fully understand if you would want to keep your distance in the future-”

You paused him by putting your hands over his, which were now almost shaking. You could tell how nervous he was. “Tech, I have feelings for you as well, and I was hesitant about bringing it up as well. I didn’t want to stress you out.” You laughed to yourself a bit before continuing, “I guess I didn’t have anything to worry about.” 

He seemed to relax a bit before adjusting his goggles and asking you, “Given that we have established our mutual feelings of attraction, would it be too forward if I asked your interest in the two of us starting a romantic relationship?”

“Of course it wouldn’t be too forward, how else would you ask me?” you ask, intentionally leaving room for him to fully state his intentions. 

“In that case… would you like to be romantically involved? With me?” he professed, looking into your eyes. You gazed back at him and said, “Absolutely. I would love it, just as I love you.” 

You took his face into your hands and rubbed your thumbs against his cheeks; he melted into your touch. 

“Cyare, may I kiss you?” he added. 

“Yes, Tech, you may,” you giggled before closing the gap between the two of you and pressing your lips to his. This first kiss was light and a bit hesitant, but soon you both relaxed into it, exploring each other but still keeping things relatively tame. After a little while, you remembered that you were still in the middle of making dinner, so you pulled away, gave him one last peck on the cheek, and moved back over to the stove to check on the soup you had simmering away. You decided that it was done to your satisfaction, ladling some into two bowls and placing them on the table. You grabbed the loaf of bread you had sitting on the counter and brought that over as well. Dinner was uneventful, save for the glances you both stole at each other and the occasional shy smile. Glancing back at the flowers, you asked, “What made you choose those flowers specifically?”

“Well, some cultures assign specific meanings to various flowers, so I wanted to make sure what I chose reflected my intentions. These flowers represent passion, love, romance, desire, and pleasure, and those are things I desire to give to you,” he asserted. 

“So, if I’m understanding this correctly, you gave me a bouquet of flowers that means you want to have sex with me?” you clarified.

“That is certainly one way of putting it, yes. I do find you sexually attractive and desire to be intimate with you. Only if you consent, of course,” he added. You blushed profusely before responding, “I would love to. I’ve wanted that for a long time. Did you have a timeline in mind?”

“Well, not exactly, but… I have no objections to doing so tonight,” he proposed, a blush creeping across his cheeks as well. You clenched your thighs at the thought of being intimate with him. Little did he know, there were nights where you would get yourself off solely to the thoughts of his fingers (or certain other parts of him) between your legs, and the notion that such dreams could become reality brought heat to your body.

“Let’s finish dinner first, but then I’m all yours,” you affirmed. The rest of dinner went by quickly in anticipation of what was to come. When everything was cleaned up, you led him to your bedroom and closed the door. Before you could turn around, he grabbed you and brought his lips to yours in a passionate kiss. You kissed him back with equal intensity, allowing your hands to roam around his body. He curled one hand around your lower back, and carded the other into your hair. He backed you up until your thighs hit the back of the bed. 

“Y/n, please let me know if you are feeling discomfort at any time. I want to ensure that you are feeling nothing but pleasure,” he murmured into your mouth. 

“Tech, dear, please, I need you so badly,” you begged, desperate to feel his hands against your skin. He pulled your top and breast band off before kissing down to your chest and laving at the skin there, leaving marks only he would see. It was your turn to run your fingers through his hair, marveling at how soft his curls were. You briefly thought to ask him later what products he uses, but he brought your attention back to the present by picking you up and lowering you down to the bed, laying you so that your head was resting on the pillows. He kissed down your torso before running his fingers under the seams of your pants, a silent request for you to lift your hips so that he could remove the offending clothing separating him from his prize. As he removed your pants and panties, he kissed up your legs, taking his sweet time with you. He wanted to memorize every inch of your beautiful body. 

Eventually, he reached the apex of your thighs, pushing them apart to reveal your wetness to him. He looked up at you and asked, “Cyare, may I-”

“Tech, please, I need this,” you begged. “I need you.” He wasted no time, licking a stripe up your folds, drawing a moan. You covered your mouth with your hand, but he grabbed it and held it, resting it against your stomach. “Let me hear those beautiful noises; there is no need to cover such a melodious sound.” He turned his attention back to your wetness, moving his tongue in such a way as to have your thighs quaking around his head and you grinding against his face. Once he felt that you were sufficiently lubricated, he slipped a finger inside you, moving it in the “come hither” motion that you had so often dreamed of him doing. Soon he added a second, and used a scissoring motion to open you up for him. The last thing he wanted was to cause you any undue discomfort later on. 

Before too long, you started to feel your orgasm building, and your moans increased in volume. “Tech, I’m gonna…” 

“That’s it, cyare, come for me,” he mouthed against your sex. Everything felt so good, so right, and soon you came- hard. Your body thrashed around, unable to contain the pleasure that he was providing. He worked you through your orgasm, only stopping when you pulled his head away from you. He kissed his way up your body before reuniting his lips with yours. You pulled at his collar, and he backed away to disrobe. Once he had removed all barriers between his skin and yours, he climbed back onto the bed and settled on top of you, pushing your thighs apart once more. When he was undressed, he grabbed a biosheath, and he proceeded to apply it before looking at you and asking once more, “Do you want this? We can stop now if you need to.”

“No, I want this. I need this. I need you,” you declared, reaching down to stroke his length a few times, him thrusting into your hand. Tech lined himself up with your sex and rubbed himself up and down your slit a few times before slowly entering you, not wanting to cause any pain or discomfort, but your face showed nothing but pleasure. You gasped, not realizing how big he was until he was inside you. Once he was fully seated inside you, he rested there for a moment and you brought his head down into a searing kiss. After a moment or so, he pulled out a bit and thrusted back in, causing your head to roll back. He picked up the pace a bit, and you grabbed onto his shoulders for support. In that moment, everything felt so good, so right, and there was nothing else in the galaxy but the two of you and the love you were making. This was not the time for roughness, but for gentleness and sweet, slow sex. 

Tech felt your heat drawing him in and he reached between you to rub on your bundle of nerves, making you clench around him. You lifted your hips, timing the movements of your body with his, and soon, you were coming again, pleasure rushing over you like a tidal wave. You clung onto him for dear life as he worked you through your orgasm. You could tell he was close, too, his thrusts becoming rougher and more erratic, before he came as well. Exhausted, he lowered his body next to yours, pulling out slowly due to your oversensitivity. The two of you lay in silence for a moment before Tech whispered, “I love you, cyare. I love this, and I want so much more of it.”

You pulled back to look at him before responding, “I couldn’t agree more.” After some time, he got up to get you some water and a cloth to clean you up with, and when he opened the bedroom door, you saw the flowers that started it all, still sitting in the kitchen.

[turbo-tsundere]

i'm glad to see the positive asks coming up at great timing ;w; i hope you're doing okay! please take breaks whenever you need, and take your time. it's a strange question, but i was wondering if drawing gonta and kokichi has ever given you any practice at drawing a certain aspect of their character (anatomy, clothes, nature...?) i'm really curious!

Thank you, I'm trying my best (• 7 • ) Thought current issue is that I want to draw SO badly but caaaan't, because I'm too busy grrrrrrrrr wr I missedGonta'sbirthdayAGAIN. Oh well, maybe next time but ghhhh *frustrated cat noises*...

Regarding your question, it's not weird at all. I do hope though I understood it correctly, because the way I see it, drawing anything is always simultaneously practicing it, whether it's a warm-up sketch, or finished drawing... But perhaps "Did you have to practice/learn stuff to properly draw these characters or things symbolic to them" is more in line of what you wanted to know?

Then yes, absolutely, there was quite a bit of that!... So this is going to be a very long one.

When it comes to Gonta... oh boy. I'm not underestimating by saying pretty much every single aspect of his design is something I struggle with. Long and slightly wavy hair is the most difficult kind for me to draw, and I keep forgetting the exact shape of his quadruple ahoge. I've difficulty with narrow faces (and his wide neck doesn't make things easier in that regard xD), and I didn't draw that many muscular characters like him in the past (I did draw a lot of over-exaggerated, blockier fantasy characters, but somehow this wasn't helpful for my brain because ????? ...Well, they often have disproportionately massive joints and way different skeletal structure that doesn't exactly make sense tbh).

Drawing suits is my bane, especially lapels; if it looks good, it's because due to my stubbornness I redrew it 5-15 times. I generally struggle with kimonos, suits and certain types of uniforms - anything that's formal wear made of relatively stiff fabric that creates little to no folds and has to fit well and relatively snug, but still obscures anatomy...

Gonta's glasses gave me trouble, too: I didn't know I was drawing their perspective wrong until I studied photos, videos, or 3D models of people who happened to wear similar models...

(How I instinctively drew glasses vs how they're apparently supposed to look at specific angles. It feels so unintuitive and surprising for me to see the farther lens stick out so much... kinda funny, considering I wear glasses myself, albeit rectangular ones.)

Even his eyebrows turned out to be a challenge, because they start thin in inner corners, then get thicker as they spread outwards - this made me realize that I tend to draw my own characters with an exact opposite shape xD... It took a while to get a hang of how they'd look while expressing different emotions (but I think they are cool the way they split at the end!)

I pretty much had to actively practice all of the above. It was difficult but rewarding, and especially at the beginning of my brainrot I really dove into the research, studying details, collecting all sorts of references both realistic and stylized, and working on how to translate Gonta into "my style" (which imo ended up more like a hybrid between my own style and DR one) to represent him and his vibe as accurately as possible (it's generally my philosophy with fanart).

On a side note, imo Gonta has a great design. He combines simple elements and colour palette - wild long hair, brown suit, glasses, barefoot - and not too many small ornaments (bug box, lapel pin), but they result in something unique and distinct. I find that school of character design really clever, and oddly more difficult than designing overly elaborate ones.

Going back to the topic of the practice, it was beneficial even for subjects besides Gonta himself. For example, getting a hang of how to draw beefier, more pronounced anatomy helped me understand it better in general, and be able to draw more lean characters as well. (I do have trouble with subtle things like how a ribcage connects to the waist, then hips, or how shoulders look at specific angles etc.)

Or when I had to research bugs for some of the fanarts, it made me realize how much more complex their anatomy is, and how despite the infinite variety of species there is always a certain consistency to it. I started appreciating them so much more... my previous default was rather neutral leaning on slightly positive, but I was scared stiff of mantises when I was a kid. Now I find them genuinely beautiful, endearingly dramatic with their patterns and behaviour... And see bugs as so cute overall. I guess Gonta would be happy to know that?

Thanks to him I managed to return to more painterly and sketchy techniques, too (For a few years before playing V3, I used to draw a lot more lineart heavy works with anime-like shading, and I was worried if I'll be able to stray away from that).

In the end, every fanart is always an exercise in something, like "oh let's try those golden/metallic digital paints, let's try dark colours/hair underwater study, or high contrast, etc., etc..

Gonta was tough to draw, still is, and I'm definitely not done learning and making mistakes, but I don't mind... and I think it's a good thing to feel about something, when you want to keep doing it even if it isn't always a walk in the park. He's definitely a FUN variety of challenging. I only hope I will be able to keep finding time and energy to keep on going.

---

Kokichi on the other hand isn't particularly difficult to draw, even if it wasn't the case at first, though for mostly emotional reasons. On a technical level, he's nicely effortless, though there are some tricky aspects to his design, like how his hair works in a 3D space.

I even made myself a little "guide" in the beginning, to help me understand just that. I'd draw his "base" hair and add these signature strands.

Funny how... casual he looks without them? Fandom usually depicts all of his hair curled outwards, even I do that quite a bit, while in canon, oddly enough, it's just a few strands that seem longer than the rest of his hair. His hair is also simply black with purple tips, not all purple like he's often depicted.

(Behold, a wet cat Kokichi doodle from the depths of my fanart folder. YES, those are hair rollers.)

It's interesting how characters are often drawn the way they "feel", rather than by strictly adhering to their design, and how it leads to accentuating some design elements...

Oh right, I also had no clue how to draw Kokichi's face at first, how to interpret it into something more realistic; this character named Doa from Blade of the Immortal by Samura has served me as an accidental inspiration in translating his features into something closer to my own style. The checkered hat and big guy companion may or may not have contributed to grabbing my attention.

(panels from Hiroaki Samura's manga)

The way I draw Kokichi has changed since, getting closer to his original style, but it's thanks to her that things clicked into place, and I managed to finally draw the fanart that I was actually satisfied with, this one specifically. (Also it may or may not have inspired me to muse about BotI ougoku AU for like 54 seconds.)

But all in all, Kokichi is really pleasant to illustrate, and what I enjoy practicing the most is his baggy shirt and, again, his hair.

Also the scarf. I really enjoy drawing drapery and baggy clothes, but I specifically like to draw this checkerboard pattern by hand and merge it directly with the lineart and shadows - so it's more like a bunch of abstract shapes creating an object, rather than clearly separated lines, shadows and colours. It helps with accentuating the dimensionality of his scarf (which I always felt like is some sort of infinity scarf, since there aren't any ties visible on his concept design...). I know using a pattern would be much faster and easier work, but I just like drawing it, so I don't mind putting in that little extra work in there.

(I really love hatching, too. I actually don't like linearting all that much lol, unless I merge and structurally "support" it with hand-drawn textures or thicker brushtrokes - it's nice to test out different brushes just for that purpose.)

To sum it up: yep, I was given an opportunity to practice a ton of things thanks to those two lovely messes. I still am, and certainly still will - even if some of those might be simply re-learning stuff I got rusty at, bc no art skill is ever a static one, for better or for worse.

[universaln0b0dy]

Always the side characters (Twist au)

Note: Lol, I finally decided to post the au in which all of my silly little twist ocs are canon and the rest will be in its blog, but here! Have the very pretty intro. Also, i am not planning on sticking to canon. It's my au, i get to do what ever i want, so be prepared. (Also all of this is just for fun and not fleshed out yet. I wrote this as if I was describing a movie trailer.

Intro one: Always the side characters

"As far as I can remember, I was always left behind." Image cutting to multiple pictures, with blurry people talking to each other. Yuna stands far behind them. "Maybe i wouldn't have minded that much if the reason hadn't been my twin." It starts colouring the pictures with Yuu in the middle and people around them. Yuna starts getting blacked out.

"For years and years I was the second fiddle, it didn't matter what I did... Yuu did it better." It cuts to Yuna having an A, but Yuu having an A+ and getting more praise from the parents. Yuna plays the Trombone beautifully, but you can't hear her cause Yuu is the main theme and she just the brass. It continues on and on.

"After a while I had enough of being the side character in someone else's life." Scene cuts to Yuu and Yuna fighting.

"You have to tell me what's wrong! I can't help you if you aren't going to tell me what the problem is." Yuu tries to pull Yuna back, but she slaps their hand away. "I don't need your help okay? I want to do things on my own. WHY CAN'T I PERSUE ART ON MY OWN?"

Yuu is taken aback by this outburst. "W-what? But I thought you would like it if we did the courses together. We are twins-"

Yuna turns around and stares at them angrily. "I never asked you to join! I wanted to do this on my own, you-you just burst into my hobbies like their your own. And what do you mean with TWINS?" Yunas shoulders stiff and she clenched her fists. "Us being twins doesn't mean we have to do everything together."

Yuu is shocked and takes two steps back, letting Yuna leave. "After that day, everything changed." Yuna sees a carriage on the road and is forced to enter it, the scene fades to black.

"Hello~" There is a voice calling her awake and Yuna blinks and opens her eyes. It cuts to a girl with red eyes and curly red hair leaning over her, smiling.

"HUH?"

"Good evening! I hope you feel alright." The girl turns her head to the side, her hair has a few rainbow streaks. "Mrs. YZME? The students awake."

Cut to the vice headmistress showing Yuna around school. "Suddenly I was in a completely different world, in a school for people with magic.... without magic."

( insert dorm sorting ceremony and cut to a dirty dorm being revealed)

"Ew" Yuna looks around in disgust. Camera swings to a platypus shrugging. "Oh I forgot to mention, I also have a roommate. The great Phil, he is lazy but very nice."

The two are seen fighting over a blanket till a knock stops them. "I have to study for a whole new world, but luckily Madelyne and the dees are there for me."

Madelyne proudly showing off her second year mark, before it cuts to a pair of twins one very hyper and one almost emotionless.

"I have adapted to my new life quickly." It cuts to a few silly scenes and school stuff until the atmosphere gets eerie.

"But it doesn't stop the fact that this school has a terrible secrets." It cuts to Overblots, a hall of masks, ghosts, a secret library door opening and closing.

"And I am dead set on saving my friends and protecting what's mine."

There is a long line with all characters (shadowed) exept for Yuna in the front and the twins to each of her sides.

-----

Intro: NCR meets FTA

It cuts to Yuu looking at a picture. "I thought at first it wasn't possible." Dramatic music and a zoom in on Yuna in a Feetale academy uniform, the people she is with get blurred away. "She shouldn't be here, my precious little twin."

Cut to Yuu slamming their fist on the table. "What do you know about this school!?" Cut to some of the housewardens. Most look confused except for Riddle, Kalim, Azul and Leona.

First interview with Riddle. "I don't know much about this school only that a former..... friend... of mine attends this academy."

Cut to Azul. "Well a classmate who I know is very close to Rielle is attending this school, but there isn't more to know."

Cut to Leona: "Huh? Why are you asking me about those sleazebags?" Ruggie chimes in: "Oh isn't this the school rumoured to be filled with RSA's lap dogs?"

Cut to Kalim, who seems genuinely uncomfortable/sad: "A friend of mine attends this school, along with a friend of Jamil's. As far as I know they were forced to cut off contact after Geena and Peggy were forced to....."

Next skip to Ramshackle being covered in red yarn, with yuu connecting storys and pictures but sighing frustrated. "THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THIS SCHOOL!"

It cuts to Yuu searching through the internet but there being nothing, not even interviews of former students. "I have to see if my twin is there, no matter what it takes. But how do I get to the school when there is this little info on them?"

Dramatic framing of a tournament that takes part between all schools at the end if the year. "Yes, I have to make this school win this, forcing them into the spotlight!"

That is what I have so far for the cinema like intro, I hope you all like it^^

[pekoeboo]

Hello! I was wondering if you have any advice for drawing facial expressions? Your characters always look so expressive, and I love looking at their faces. My faces tend to look pretty stiff. I would like to try and fix this but I’m not sure how.

hey there! good to see you again~! 👋

oh gosh thank you ;o;; tbh I've never felt like I'm very good at giving art advice, since I still feel like I'm also trying to figure stuff out myself... but I could try to just kinda share how I go about things and maybe it'll help? :0 gonna put it under a cut here since I tend to ramble lol

when it comes to expressions, I normally tend to pull from and mimic styles or faces I see in other media - right now my style is very heavily anime/manga inspired, so I'm focusing on how various artists within that style draw expressions, and try to either replicate it outright or figure out how I could apply the pieces I like the most to my own work. if there's a certain look you're going for, it's always good to find works that have the expressions or fluidity you want and study it! examine the shapes used for the facial features (eg: how the artists bend and alter the face to achieve a certain feeling or emotion), then experiment with how it feels to draw those shapes yourself to get an idea of how it works on a fundamental level.

I actually started out with really exaggerated expressions, like what you'd see in american cartoons or comics. forced me to figure out how expressions work in general, and I was able to tone it down into something more subtle over time. so idk if maybe something like that could help (starting with exaggeration and working towards nuance)? studying posture irl and also in other art/media can kinda help you figure out how people move and behave when experiencing an emotion, and I usually use what I've learned from that as a starting point when I approach an expression I want to draw.

tbh one of the best things really is just observing and looking up how other ppl do it ;o;; there are a lot of tutorials that explain some basics of what parts of the face to squash and stretch depending on the expression you're going for, so it's always good to try looking those up too! (I'd offer some links but honestly I've seen so many over the years that I've just kinda internalized into my own process and I have no idea who made them or where I even saw them, so unfortunately you'll probably have to do your own research there ><;;)

anyway!! TL;DR: find sources of inspiration for what you like artistically/visually and play around with it in your own way... eventually you'll kinda pick up on ways to make your expressions feel more fluid and believable within your own style, it just kinda (unfortunately) takes some time, dedication, and repetition ;o;; idk if any of that helps, since my thought process tends to be pretty abstract when it comes to this sort of thing, but I did my best ^^;

[ghostofasecretary]

feelings sorting

how am i feeling? stressed. numb. overwhelmed. bad.

how does my body feel? floaty, cold, stiff. the floating started *after* i took my emergency anxiety meds, which is. annoying.

ok. put on socks and a jacket; that might start to help.

i haven't watered my plants in three weeks. been longer since i vacuumed, also.

haven't sent an email i need to send or a texted someone back.

i am so, so--i feel like i've just failed and failed and failed, and not just in a general "not getting what i wanted at the times i wanted it" way but in a daily "i haven't been eating food or giving myself tea or keeping my promises to myself that i would *do things to make my life better*" way.

ok. watered the plants.

i keep thinking "i want to give up" and i don't know what i mean by that. what do you mean, you want to give up? i mean i'm tired of picking myself up off the ground over and over again at both literal and metaphorical expense to fling myself at things that don't love me back. i mean i want to go to grad school but i DON'T want to tell my recommenders "haha yeah i got into [extremely prestigious institution] but didn't go because i'm too poor to afford it and too unimpressive to win the lottery that still calls itself merit-based." i mean i don't understand why i'm so tired all the time, and why doing the things i love scares me, and why studying is so hard, and why applying myself is so hard, and i keep sitting still for hours and hours and days and days and my whole WEEK went by and i hardly NOTICED because each day was the same. more or less. somehow.

Thursday feels like it didn't happen.

i don't want to skip poetry this week but i didn't prepare a single thing i was meant to and there's no point to it if i haven't prepared because i don't have the vocab i need to do this shit casually and anyways i'm past the point of doing stuff casually, i'm better at this than i used to be, i'm meant to be better

i'm so tired of myself.

backing out is easy, right? it's meant to be easy? "Hey, So sorry but I didn't make time for this thing that makes my life feel worthwhile this week, this passion project I've spent years on, the thing I feel like actually makes me interesting and knowledgeable enough to justify being a dumbass in other areas"--wow, it's nice to speak freely

i can tell i'm being crazy. i don't care. not saying it will only make me more crazy and less productive/capable of getting what i want/trapped in a cycle of Avoidance for things that Feel Bad.

my jaw's tense, my mouth's burnt, my throat is dry. drink some water. write an email.

i have, in fact, been pretty damn diligent about pursuing my goals for years. let's just--fucking--a bad month does not ruin you. a bad day does not ruin you. it's embarassing not to be prepared! it feels bad! i don't like it! nevertheless if i had the resources to be prepared i would be, and as i am not it is fair to assume i lack the resources, and my priority should be *getting* said resources so i don't *explode and die.* as it were.

placing this much weight upon my academics, on *not looking stupid,* is also very embarassing, but to be cringe is to be human and i'm stuck with myself.

listen. babe. do you think you can do poetry today? no. okay. that's fine. go communicate that like an adult.

(if i'd been that diligent wouldn't it have worked? if i'd been that diligent wouldn't i fucking have my goddamn life in order right now? ...does everyone you know who's worked hard have their just desserts for it, babe? does ANYONE? ask any of your mentors who are winning and they'll tell you it's at least half luck. privilege matters, your work matters, your character matters, and also sometimes people luck out and sometimes they don't.)

god this is excruciating.

EMAIL SENT.

i'm gonna resume this in a bit, i think, but i don't want to lost this so i'm gonna post it

ok. back at it. person texted.

i think the anxiety meds were a good call. talking to myself in public was also a good call. i wish i'd done this earlier but there's many things i might wish different and so instead i'll just be glad to be alive and moving.

i need to eat. and i need to start my grad school apps and email my recommenders politely, with respect and decency, without tearing myself down. firstly because tearing yourself down in front of others puts them in an uncomfortable position, and secondly because if you don't speak of yourself with respect you are doing an unkindness unto yourself.

oh, and i got an email about Job Onboarding. yay. (i have a job now btw, Go Me. that's not nothing. that was a significant source of stress for months and tackling it took a week, two on the outside, and soon i'll be making money and socializing more which is good for the monkey brain and improving my baseline levels of stress.)

plan:

- go to the bathroom oh my god

- eat + do dishes

- ~~account set-up~~

- schedule other job stuff

- vacuum the second half of the room

- grad school list; make/re-activate accounts; make spreadsheet of required docs and list of people to email

- make + eat dinner

- i would LIKE to a) catch up on my cards, b) Knit, and c) listen to my audiobook. and i'd like to do these things on purpose for fun. go me. let's try. if you don't get through all of Grad School List that's okay but PLEASE start in on it

(previously in q: what's up with mystery package from hell (figure out commute during lunch, change list if needed) (actually i do not care) (sent email, no response))

head hurty. back and body aches. how about i make some tea before i finish vacuuming.

update: i did not finish tea before vacuuming. i did not even start tea. things are Off The Floor which is good, but On My Bed which is less good. need to put the vacuum up also. blargh.

mystery mail situation is resolved thanks to the power of emails! huzzah.

3 hours 40 minutes after taking my anxiety meds i feel, uh, A Big Headache. tired in a drained way. i have a few things on my list left (*start* grad school shenanigizing, put up vacuum, make tea, make food (is banana bread + yogurt + fruit + seeds an adequate dinner, who knows not me. probably not given what else i've eaten lately. hush), eat food, Do Relaxation). i feel i have been more effective than i have been at improving my circumstances. i've been meaning to vacuum for actual weeks, and i managed to reorganize my bookshelf and put up some new books that have been languishing on the floor for two weeks in the process. i went through some very annoying job stuff that furthers my goal of making, like, Any Money At All this month! cancelling poetry today was fine actually. all my conversations with people were positive. i am kind of pleased with myself.

i think i may try some grad school bullshit now and THEN do upstairs taskz and then have a chill evening. maybe i will even vidya game, who knows. okay? okay!

evening update: i love approaching baking like it's cooking. instead of using a real recipe i used my two old bananas + 2 remaining carrots + bread like ingredients in quantities approximately similar in ratio and measure both to about three other recipes. it'll be a bit before i know how it tastes as it needs to cool but i'm quite pleased by the appearance, at least!

[narrators-journal]

Makoto Nijima headcanons

Boy oh boy, Kinktober’s right around the corner! You know what that means!

Pre-emptive prep is on it’s way~ And with it, some headcanons to nail down some of my takes for some girlies I get asks for, but haven’t actually sat down and THOUGHT about. Like, Makoto! Which, I hope you enjoy the takes on, these are very rough still, but I had a shocking amount of fun writing for her. Hope you enjoy too!

CW: General nsfw takes included! Nothing too explicit, but it’s still spicy.

SFW

Makoto is a stick in the mud, that’s a bit of her issue.

No body likes her because she’s such a buzzkill, stiff, or a try-hard teacher’s pet.

Beneath that, though, she’s more than just a nerdy teacher’s pet.

Makoto and Sae get into pheonix wright type of debates in place of simple arguments sometimes.

Granted, they still do get into fights, Sae’s a tired, overworked woman who, much like Katsuya Suou, is in a role she did not want. So, her and Makoto do butt heads viciously, especially when Makoto starts vying for independence.

That’s what hones Makoto’s skill for not only debating, but lashing the fuck out and ripping someone apart with technecalities and loopholes. It’s a perk of being the baby sister of a lawyer.

However, she’s not just good at poking holes in claims. She’s a bookworm, she’s an expert at research and learning. So, if you really piss her off, Makoto can dig up some of your darkest skeletons.

Which, ironically would make her insanely dangerous if she chose to abuse her ability to find blackmail.

NSFW

On the nsfw angle, Makoto is pretty heavily virgin-energy’d to me.

Between her studies, school work, and her classmates sort of resenting her for her bossy, cold behavior, she just didn’t get many opportunities to try anything.

That’s why I imagine she’d have a big ass crush on, like, almost every other phantom thief.

Akira, Ann, Haru, even Yusuke and Ryuji. She’s so starved and eager for romance, intimacy, and to be desired, that she will crush on anyone basically. Whether or not that’s some sort of comphet vibe, only future her knows. It doesn’t matter in the moment.

She’s eager to experience sex, so she’s got a shameful list of things she wants.

But, that being said, Makoto is. Makoto. She’s definitely researched intercourse, the rules of it, how to be good at it, all that awkward over-compensation type of stuff.

She may know a lot about kinks, but you’ve gotta work through the clinging to how to do it ‘right’ era lol.

Once you’re past that, Makoto is the type who’d want to try something new each time you sleep together.

[herbofthyme]

tips on drawing hands? u do it so good!

omg ty!

It definitely took me a while to become more confident with them, and it was pretty sudden when i realized “wait. this isn’t so unpleasant anymore”

I think the most important thing for me was learning not to focus too much on the specific shapes of the fingers, and think more about the vague shape of the hand as a whole. If you zoom in on my more recent stuff you’ll probably notice that often rather than actually drawing fingers, I sort of draw a suggestion of where the fingers are. If the hands do look more detailed and precise, I’ve just drawn on top of the suggestion where it Feels Right. It’s all about vibes! (And half the time the clean lines feel wayyy worse than the loose sketch i had before lol)

I threw together a little thing here:

Basically, I rely pretty heavily on this funky little 3d trapezoid shape, because it helps me keep the 3d shape of the hand in mind. Then the fingers just kind of… happen. Usually with a fair bit of trial and error. This shape is super helpful to get the vibe of the hand across, but it’s important to remember that it’s a guide, not a rule. I often used to make my hands Way too stiff, because I was keeping the lines on the trapezoid very straight. Bend it! Warp it! Let your trapezoids be weird because hands can be pretty weird.

I’ve seen a lot of tips that say you should separate the pinky and/or index finger from the others, and I often do that. It helps keep the shape just a bit more dynamic, while still letting it be more natural.

An important thing to keep in mind is remembering that the fingers are 3d objects, even if what you’re drawing is still just a suggestion of a finger. I defffinitely used to struggle with this. I’ve placed some red arrows to show what I mean: the base finger should be connecting to the whole face of the trapezoid thing. They have a round base, they aren’t flat. (I know this sounds obvious but it’s SO easy to accidentally flatten them).

Depending on the angle I also will use circles to vaguely represent the joints in the finger, which helps a lot with foreshortening . I tried to show this in the bottom right.

Trial and error is also sooo essential for me. I’m going for the vibe of a hand, not a detailed hand. Lots of erasing and redoing until it feels like a hand. Most of my art is very sketchy in general, so this might not work well for people with more detailed styles or precise line art, but it helps me to keep in mind.

Anyway, don’t be afraid to look at your own hands for reference! Think about how your fingers intersect with the main part of your hand. I hate studying photos (it’s so much effort lol) but it can be VERY helpful. The more comfortable you get, the less you need to look at reference, but I still lift my hand up and contort it into silly shapes all the time! Hopefully I explained this coherently :)

[goldentigerfestival]

Yuri's dialogue (JP) is so fascinating to study, like... the repetitive use of certain words/phrases that others use sparingly but he uses constantly. the way it feels like his vocabulary is more expansive than what he uses, but he defaults to a "comfort" level of speech. the way it mixes in with his sort of "street talk" words and the sheer level of informality. the way his "street talk" phrasing is contrasted by the tone of his voice (on that note, people I know who also know JP are also very endeared by these aspects of him so I KNOW IT'S NOT JUST ME!!!).

'cause the thing is, he uses phrases that yeah, other people do use, but he uses a handful over and over and over (contrast to other characters' sparing use of repetition). it's actually... really refreshing? it sounds more relatable and less "video game/anime/JRPG/RPG" writing or something, idk. like closer to how a real person would speak.

I do my best in my translations not to make things sound too stiff across the board, but Yuri makes it so easy. it's why I'm so interested in translating all his lines in Vesperia, like... the actual, original tone for him with his original wording because it's smth Eng only players don't get to experience ('cause even if you listen with JP audio, if you don't know the language, ofc you're gonna miss out on context. it's nobody's fault for not knowing, just... they unfortunately miss out). the thing is, there are a lot of times when the lines in and of themselves are not contextually incorrect in the English ver (usually the situation for smaller scenes, because they altered the text outright for more important stuff which was the stuff that originally set me off, but there were also plenty of cases of just vocal tone shifting with the correct context that still gave off the wrong impression), but Yuri's tone is shifted away from the original in Eng even though it's completely and perfectly translatable.

I am by no means about to translate the entire game because let's face it, I really don't care that much for Vesperia on the whole. I'm kinda stuck with it because Yuri's there lo and behold I actually am WAY more engaged in his stories in Rays, Link and Asteria because it's an amazing character put into circumstances where he actually gets to shine and feels more alive, which Vesperia did not provide nearly as well with its very disjointed story. also, Tales gachas have banger stories that are arguably better than the mainline games, and they regularly make Yuri a very central character to the gachas. Crestoria was also about to do it until they pulled the plug on that game and I'm pretty confident something interesting has been lost to the world. also I just generally don't have the energy or motivation to do that, so... I'll only be focusing on Yuri's lines, especially because his stuff is where the bulk of the messing around was. he's just insanely fun to translate for and I love burying myself head first into his speech.

will I actually finish this project? dunno. will I get around to posting it? whatever I get done (so all of it if I complete it), and if I decide to call it quits then I'll post what I have at the time I decide that. will it take a long time? probably, but I can always mention stuff along the way...

[automatonknight]

id: a digital drawing of a sentry from ultrakill, showing it in full view. it’s slightly turned to the left, standing up right with its left paw lifted slightly off the ground. the background is black with a blue rectangle behind the sentry and there’s also a blue outline around the machine. end id

[honey-milk-depresso]

Ujhhh Thomas and friends s/o with scarabia🏃‍♀️💥🚗

AYEE BESTIEEEE-

You're a "helper" - ensuring the needs of your peers to be fulfilled and that issues would be resolved quickly and peacefully.

You adapt quickly to your surroundings, getting used to its quirks and overcoming them with ease, gaining people's trust easily and round up a large network of connections with people.

You're an efficient worker, and you resolve things in timely and orderly fashion with ease.

Added in Trey and Ruggie bestie U3U

The friendly and efficient helper, s/o (Thoma)

Kalim al Asim

Kalim adores you! You might not be as hype as him, but he can tell you're a very happy person and you enjoy a good time (sfw- don't think otherwise you honkee-)! You make everyone around you happy!

And you always help Jamil out! Even Jamil now feels happy that you help him, and he's super grateful. You help Kalim in studies together with Jamil, you taught him how to cook when he needed help..

You helped him out in so many things that he lost count.

He feels a little embarrassed, having you help him so often and expect nothing in return.

Kalim spoils you with gifts in return, hoping that it shows how grateful he is that you helped him, Jamil, Scarabia, everyone!

You tell him with a bright smile on your face that it's just your thing; you love helping people and you love being with him!

He grins wide, eyes sparkling like the stars at night.

"I'm so happy!" <3

Jamil Viper

Jamil was a little bit sceptical of your kindness and helpfulness.

He thinks you're trying to gain something from him and/or Kalim. Jamil can't help it, it's by instinct that he feels this way since that's sort of his job to look after Kalim and trust no one- .

Jamil would later warm up to you, upon realizing you're genuine about the help offer, and that you just love helping others in need.

He can't tell you the number of times you eased his work, like watching over Kalim and making sure he doesn't do anything stupid, helping him cook food, doing the laundry, helping Scarabia with their homework so they don't fail-

Stuff like that really helps him to release tension from his stiff muscles and actually relax.

"Are you feeling more relaxed, Jamil?" you said with a warm smile.

He blushed, diverting his eyes away from you but smiled regardless.

"Yeah... I am." <3

Trey Clover

Trey is quite surprised by the friendly aura you radiate.

That type of genuine kindness he feels can only exist in RSA. But he wasn't going to deny not being happy with the help received.

Trey has always been restless due to the amount of work thrown at him, and he's usually the one giving the help to others. Your tireless zeal to help him and Heartslabyul made him feel like YOU'RE the vice dorm leader of Heartslabyul.

Everyone seems to like your company, even Riddle for the countless of times he has invited you to Unbirthday parties.

Trey is really grateful that you helped him in many areas; cooking, baking, preparing for the unbirthday parties, making sure no one gets their heads off, everything runs smoothly.

And you even organized his room for him, he... he's quite overwhelmed by your generosity.

He bakes you sweet goods to show you how thankful he is.

"This is really good, I love the sweetness of it!" you said, mouth half stuffed with the sweet pastry filled with gooey jam.

"Not as sweet as you~" <3

Ruggie Bucchi

A little sceptical of your help like Jamil. Youre not trying to take his lunch, right..?

Why tf do we wanna do that, that's stupid-

But regardless, soon warmed up to you and embraced the help given by you.

As vice dorm leader, work is hectic. Not to mention when your dorm leader is lazy and pushes all the work to you.

It's frustrating and tiring and he hates it.

When you help him, he feels like the sevens has blessed him as there are now half of the many problems he has on his plate.

You make him lunch, help him cook food for Leona, help him to get Leona out of bed, do the chores, folding all the sheets and laundry...

He needs dire help in managing all of it, and you have answered his pleads. Finally, he doesn't have to do everything alone.

He doesn't know how to return the favor though, Ruggie just helps you back when you need the help.

"It's okay, Ruggie! I got this!" you would flash a reassuring smile.

Caught off guard by your sweet smile, he blushed bashfully. "I... just wanna help you like you do with me.." <3

Reblogs help! ^^

[diacetyldemon]

The Routine of a Pitiful Fool

Ren Hana/Reader (reader is gender-neutral)

words: 1570

rating: M

It was simple, really. Your days got regimented into nice, neat little blocks that stacked atop each other, perfectly in-line, no tipping or loss of balance; all was secured. It was unity, unquestionable, impenetrable.

note: this isn’t too long, kind of a character study anyway... i might actually write more BTD stuff soon

(AO3 link)

It was simple, really. Your days got regimented into nice, neat little blocks that stacked atop each other, perfectly in-line, no tipping or loss of balance; all was secured. It was unity, unquestionable, impenetrable. It made you wonder late in the night, moonlight filtering through the windows and stretching across your flesh, if it was all meticulously planned by him. Perhaps he had a calendar of some sorts lying around, manic scribblings and twisted ideals, designating what he was going to do and when - or more precisely what you were going to do.

It begins as such:

You wake up in the morning. (“The morning” is intentionally vague; he doesn’t let you know how much time has passed. You’ve tried your best to keep track of the days, but somewhere along the way you got lost and the concept escaped you like sand escaping between one’s fingers.) From the thin crack in the door that was mandated by your, uh, owner, you could hear the faint clicking of his footsteps across the cold floor, the one that always shocked you awake as if you were sleepwalking this entire time and only now have come among the living. Maybe you were.

He, by this point, has already started breakfast. (You always were relieved that he was a good cook). You ignore the silent stinging pain of your shoddily-stitched side as you approach and make sure to put on a sweet, saccharine tone. “Good morning, Ren,” you say, smiling forcibly, feeling something terrible rising, prodding at the back of your throat. You push it down.

“Hi!” he chirps in response, so joyously it’d make you nauseous regardless of who said it. You push down the sickness in your throat again and keep smiling (keepsmilingkeepsmilingkeepsmiling you don’t know if you’re in the clear yet keepsmilingkeepsmilingkeepsmiling) as your hands reach across the table, lazily, trying to stretch. The material is harsh against your hands, which were artificially softened by Ren’s strange fixation with body care products, the feeling of his hands rubbing against yours with a thick salve covering them and occasionally scratching you, followed by meek apologies and little kisses. Keepsmilingkeepsmiling-

“I made your favorite”, he beams, stretching out the word “favorite” a little too long. He sets it down on the table, beside his own meal, and even pulls out your chair for you like a true gentleman. “I hope it’s good.”

“I’m sure it will be,” you say, still smiling as well as you could, an invisible defense. He shifts ever so slightly - shoulders and ears relaxed, tail moving fluidly, and you take in a silent breath of relief. You’re out of the woods now. The smile drops, and you eat, not too fast nor too slow - appearances matter, after all, and if there is anything you’ve learned about Ren, it’s that he is very sensitive to appearance, illusion, the presentation of the self. You think you’ve got it down solidly; not perfectly, but could you ever get it perfectly with this man?

-

Once that is done, it’s time to bond. This is the main attraction - the shining pinnacle of your day, what defines it as good or bad, what makes or breaks. Bond how? Well, there could be four scenarios:

Ren is in a very, very good mood. This is a lucky day. There will be no chaos or cold steel or fire or rage. While his clinginess repels you in every way and it makes you wish you could climb out of your skin, it doesn’t bother you nearly as much as it used to, where he would put on some crappy movie and tangle you in his limbs while you remained stiff as a board. And then he’d get upset. And then he’d start yelling at you for your ungraciousness, to which you confessed, apologizing and trying to get some mercy repair your transgressions. Whether it would succeed or not what as a toss-up. Yet, as time has gone on, it has gotten easier. Much easier. Now, you sit, limbs soft, feeling him move his hands about, repositioning you, nuzzling your neck, encouraging you to feel the softness of his fur. You never wanted to feel it. You never asked to feel it. And yet you do, hands shaking imperceptibly, touching the strands that were silky soft and irrevocably tainted.

Things are less romantic and more based upon the flesh. Sadistic, perhaps, but never cruel. The feeling of contact with your skin - silk, talons, the steel permanently suffocating you slowly - has atrophied, morphed into something greater. It is no longer a shock, a desperate dissociation as an attempt to escape - vanity among vanities! - but rather a melting, as if you could feel bits and pieces of you pouring out, slowly dripping down your exposed chest, spattering out when you cough. These pieces of you are lost forever, swept into a cold and uncaring tide.

The point where you can tell things have begun to deteriorate. There’s an endless succession of somebodies, so vague and destroyed that you don’t remember names. You don’t remember faces, either; you only remember the warmth of the blood, the cries of the damned, the sick feeling in your stomach that never seemed to go away. You would cry, plead, beg; “I can’t do this, don’t make me do this,” every time, incessantly. Every time it seemed to work - Ren would give a condescending titter (“Aw, it’s okay, let me handle it”) before he would take his tools and get down to his depraved business. You would shut your eyes, trying your best to forget; it never worked. It’s hard for it to work, really, when you leave and walk around for a little while and hear a strange squish and realize a chunk of someone’s brain had gotten stuck to your foot.

The bleakest, blackest days. The days you deserved it. The days where you did Something (he would never specify what; gotta keep you frosty, after all) and he’d drag you into the basement that reeked of rot. You knew what lied inside, the history of hell, the terrible truths and trials that the basement held. It made you cry. You always wondered if the tears ever got to him, if he saw your tear-streaked face and the soft, desperate tone in your voice and changed his original plan, deciding to be a little nicer. But you could never know, of course, the only thing you knew was the pain, so prolonged and intense it felt like you were dying - and you really were, or at least on the brink of it. Perhaps that was his goal - to get you so close to the edge, to make you taste death on the very tip of your tongue, feel the icy grasp of it graze your arm, before pulling you back and saving you; a grandiose act of heroism and love. Or maybe his goal was to punish you for the hell of it.

-

And then, the grand finale: the end of your discomfort or the prolonging of your agony, depending on how things were going. If Ren had been able to keep his cool for the day and not get angry at you for some reason or another, it would end with him carefully leading you to bed, tucking you in, and wishing you a good night before you stumble into sleep buried beneath the insane amount of junk he’d buy in an attempt to appease you. If he hadn’t, well, it could range from him coldly dismissing you, sending you off without a word or even a look of acknowledgement, which always set the pit of dread in your stomach - he could be plotting Something. What is this Something? You don’t know. 

Some nights, though, when you were real bad and made him real angry, he’d mash the button linked to your shock collar, again and again, leaving you heaving and convulsing on the floor before picking you up, shoving you in the closet, and slamming the door shut, while you felt as if your eyes were melting out of your skull as you sunk to the foul-smelling floor.

The only advantage you had in this situation was Ren’s predictable erraticism. It soon became clear to you, the process he went through: he would build momentum, emotion, hysteria, climbing higher and higher and getting more and more unhinged, accelerating as he went. He was riding a high and beautiful wave, where he was right and you were in love; there was nothing that could stop him, his love for you, his power over the poor souls of his victims. And then, he would stop - he’d hit the ceiling with a devastating thud, rapidly crash down, smashing through the floorboards, directly into rock bottom, where you were a terrible, traitorous, despicable wretch; where he had no power, where all was wrong and nothing, nothing, not your love or the memories of Him or anything, would be able to save him.

This predictability gave you little but a sad knowledge of how things were going to go. Watching him fly ever so high, the verge of greatness, a true being amongst shadows, to the desperate, depraved, beastly creature you both knew he truly was. You wondered if the cycle was more agonizing and degrading for him than it was you, but you would never get an answer.

You never get answers in this house.

[queerpurpledragon]

Danny had pretty lousy grades by the end of senior year. Well, he had picked it up a little the tail end of junior year, around when he figured out about half of his rogues were fighting him for bonding and not to kill (someone, not naming names, still wanted his pelt on the wall, and so on), but it was stupid hard to catch up with all the stuff he missed before that. And school stuff takes time, so even with all that improving a bit, the interruptions that were still there, like Clockwork giving him little quests or Fruit Loop and stuff, he was always behind still.

Anyway, bad grades. His parents had already sort of accepted he was “the dumb one” of the family. Not maliciously, but it still kind of…stung. And he couldn’t be an astronaut anymore, even ignoring his grades. In his human form, he had lichtenburg scarring that was stiff and achey sometimes, and tremors, and his heart was slow and skipped beats sometimes. And he was cold, compared to a normal human, although he was typically actually uncomfortably warm, experience wise.

So, he had to choose a new career path.

And not be the dumb one.

Danny decided to be an engineer. Maybe with a space tech focus, who knows? He had learned the basics at his parents’ knees, in between cleaning up ecto spills and organizing parts and stuff, and practiced it plenty taking apart all kinds of ectoweapons recently. He could write something sappy for his essays around that first stuff, even.

But with his grades, no good engineering college would really take him. He gave it a shot, of course, and got a series of very polite rejection letters.

Except from Gotham U.

This was fantastic, actually-Gotham was seeping in emotion and death. Perfect for sustaining a growing halfa core!

His parents even helped him pack! It was the most he’d seen of them for months-they were hoping to get an official contract with some big ghost hunting show, and were working on piles of new inventions.

And driving away from his first haunt was a little like dying again, but he had already kind of not felt at-home for a while there, and it helped his fraid, Tucker, Sam, Jazz, and Dani were all gone from Amity, either to their own colleges or globe trotting. He didn’t crash the U-Haul, anyway, so it was fine.

Gotham was great. He had a little basement apartment he sprung for with funds from Sam’s weekly allowance, deciding him in a dorm was doomed to fail, which was cheap even for being in Park Row. He was able to be in the cold, and tinker on stuff, it was fantastic.

Gotham U itself was cool as well. Sam loved the pics of the architecture he sent her. His professors all seemed very attentive and knowledgeable. The dining hall food was leagues better than the ecto-contaminated stuff, let alone takeout. Between his parents wiring money every month (Jazz reminded them to set it up) and Sam sending him and Tucker funds to use her allowance, he was living like a king by college student terms. He didn’t even have to spend anything on Gotham essentials like gas masks because he could just stop breathing!

And he was doing really well in classes! Having a place to sleep and study that wasn’t going to attack him or portal in people to attack him did wonders for his stress levels, turns out. And Danny had even been taking courses with Dora and some more with assorted ghosts across the realms, so he had a bunch of background knowledge. He even decided to take some fun little extra courses, on top of the rotation they gave the engineering kids to help them determine their focus, which was stuff like chemical and electrical engineering. He took a Psych course in honor of Jazz, a fashion design one for Sam, and a coding one for Tucker. He was even doing well in those, too!

He hadn’t made a lot of friends, though. He thinks he’s a bit hard to relate to for a lot of his peers. Which is fine! He had a weird childhood, he was a bit of a weird guy. It’s just that everyone was also paying him a strange amount of attention.

Maybe he was just paranoid.

DP x DC prompt #162

Every Gotham U professor remembers their students and how every student who excelled in their chosen field of study became some of the most notorious Gotham Rogues. They become terrified for the future of Gotham when the newest student, Daniel Fenton, not only excels but is unparalleled in every field of study he participates in.

[asmo-ds]

Oh! Oh! The Brothers + Dateables reacting to MC who just pets their head before walking off and doing whatever. Lucifer’s threatening them? Head pat. Diavolo showing up to check on them? Head pat. Luke ranting about how much he hates demons? Head pat. They flat out give headpats to everyone, no matter the situation but they’ll stop if they’re asked to.

a/n: if anybody gives me headpats I would die on the spot, nobody ever given me a head pat but I feel like it’d be nice

w/ MC Who Gives Lots of Head Pats

PLEASE READ

Warnings: None

MC: Gender Neutral

Summary: How the characters of Obey Me! would react to an MC who has a habit of petting heads before walking off

- He was scolding Mammon for stealing his stuff again when he felt a small hand against his head and felt it lift and set itself back a few times

- He whipped around and saw MC, who gave a sweet smile and walked away

- Tells Mammon that if he breathes a word of what he just saw he’d kill him

- He will be working in his office and sometimes MC just comes in to pat his head and then leave

- his pride won’t let him admit it- but it is reassuring and encourages him to do his paperwork faster 

- The first time it happens is during the TSL marathon they had when they were  studying to beat Levi in the TSL quiz

- MC excused themselves to go get something to drink and Mammon didn’t respond

- But his face went bright red when he felt their hand on his head giving soft pats

- When they leave he just sits there staring at the tv and not paying attention to anything happening on it 

- Every time he does something he is proud of he will run up to MC and tell them and not-so-subtly lower his head to receive pats as his reward

- Whenever his brothers are being extra mean to him he will straight up grab MC’s hand and place it on top of his head, a silent plea for their comforting pats

- When him and MC were playing video games he got a very good score on a boss level

- He excitedly turned to MC only to catch their arm as their fingers attempted to touch his hair

- When they said they just wanted to give him head pats he turned red and gave a stiff nod

- He melts into the touch and will even lower his head for them

- Whenever he beats a game and MC doesn’t give him some pats he pouts and is convinced they hate him / are angry with him for something

- He was just reading a book when suddenly he felt the hand on his head

- He whipped around thinking it was Asmo trying to annoy him but was shocked to see the human standing there, hand slightly retracted after his sharp turn

- His scowl faded and his cheeks turned red, as with the tips of his ears and his neck

- He silently leaned his head up to their hand to get more headpats

- he may not realize it in the moment because he is very happy but he is purring

- He is not used to people wanting to touch him because of his sin that often wards off everyone and every thing, so the soft pats on his head are comforting and exciting to him 

-He’s used to people touching him in all sorts of ways so he doesn’t think much of it

- But when he realizes MC does headpats so often he will walk up to them and lift their hand to his head and smile sweetly as he waits for his pats

- “This is my reward since I was such a good boy, right?~~~”

- Honestly the soft and genuine affection that reflects through the simple gesture is enough to make him cry 

- He is so used to the s3x and passionate make out sessions that sometimes it is just nice to get a nice pat on the head

- MC literally had to stand on the counter to reach his head so he finds it extremely funny

- Once he realizes that because of his height he is getting less headpats than the others he is sad

- But he will make sure to lower his head whenever he is next to MC so he can receive his pats

- A soft smiley blushy boy whenever it happens

- Doesn’t mind that they do it to everyone so long as he gets some too

- He was napping with MC and surprisingly the soft touches to his head woke him up

- He smiles and nuzzles into it 

- Will demand head pats on a regular basis

- He just marches up to MC and lowers his head and they know what to do

- Sleep headpats for Belphie are making me soft oh my lord n e wayz moving on..

- He isn’t used to being touched so don’t be surprised if he is stiff or jumpy at first

- Once he gets used to it though he will gladly allow MC to pet his head

- Makes sure to keep his hair soft so that MC will want to touch it even more

- A very happy prince :)

- He hadn’t truly realized how touch starved he was until the touch sent a warmth through his body and he couldn’t help but crave MC’s pats even more

- Does not mind at all and finds it reassuring

- He has good balance so he could be doing two chores AND leaning down for headpats all at the same time

- If Diavolo is stressing him out he often goes to MC and lays his head in their lap and asks if they can pet him

- Embarrassing, maybe, but worth it? yes.

- He blushes slightly but not too much as he is very good at hiding emotional response

- Another touch starved man 

- He will demand headpats most days 

- Gives headpats back, but less gently

- Teases MC about their habit because he doesn’t know how to express his appreciation

- But if they suddenly stop he will apologize and ask them to keep doing it with a slight blush on his face

- Simeon is also rarely touched by acquaintances

- Sure sometimes when he saves humans or comes to their aid he will be hugged and hug right back

- But he never had any touchy friends, so when MC pats his head he feels like he is higher than the heavens and could die happy

- Smiles sweetly and asks MC if they would like a head pat as well

- Grrr bark woof snarl snarl grrr snarl woof woof

- he doesn’t like being touched randomly so MC is sure to ask every time they wish to pat his head

- He smiles like a little dork and will happily skip off afterwards

- head pats for religious trauma gang!!!!!!!!!!!

[mysterioushogwartsrequests]

Hello! Can I request an imagine with Draco and a Slytherin! Reader where they both are totally in love with each other and maybe one day in class Draco is being particularly needy/frustrated one day and she’s his partner and sees he’s super hard and she teases him but when class is over he asks the reader to give him a blowjob because he loves her mouth and he’s just so whiny and he later spoils the hell out of his girl at Hogsmeade!

This is literally SOOOO LONG!! I don’t know why I wrote so much, but I just really wanted to include all that stuff, lol. My excuse for the length is that I hit a 1,000 followers about two days ago so this is the celebratory piece! 

This goes without saying, but this piece contains a lot of sexual content so please do not read if you are underage or uncomfortable with said topics. I also wrote this in a different perspective because I wanted to try it out so I hope you enjoy!

Warning: SMUT, Oral (Male Receiving)

Title: Princess

                                                 ϟ ϟ ϟ

It was a warm summer’s day, close to the start of the new term. These past few weeks at Malfoy Manor had been tense and Draco often found himself rather stressed . A large part of him felt guilty for leaving his mother at home in the presence of Lord Voldemort, but another part of him felt grateful to be out of his sight. Finally, he could escape the Dark Lord’s watchful eyes, but he could not escape the plan set for him to complete.

Draco’s eyebrows knitted together as he squinted towards the merchandise wall inside Twilfitt and Tattings. Even when he was not around, Draco could still sense the Dark Lord’s influence and the constant reminder of the outcome if he were to fail. However, as he thought of better ways to mend the vanishing cabinet, something caught his attention.  

“Draco darling,” You called to him, stepping out of the changing room with a small smile on your face. Draco’s eyes widened in an instant, a lump forming in his throat as he examined the champagne dress clinging to your body. It was a delicate number with thin, spaghetti strap sleeves attached to the cowl-neck gown, the silk fabric shimmering softly as you stepped onto the podium.  

With a content hum, Draco pushed himself off the wall, his grey eyes locked with yours in the shop mirror as he walked towards you. He rested his hand against your waist, his fingers tenderly sliding down to feel the smooth silk against them, “You look ravishing,” he whispered against your ear, pressing a kiss against the shell of it before stepping back to get a better view of you.  

You smiled satisfyingly, taking a moment to admire the all-black ensemble he wore and how it slimmed him down in all the right places. He stood in a black turtleneck and a fitted suit jacket, his left hand in the pocket of his slacks while the thumb of the other swiped over his bottom lip. A string of questions crossed through Draco’s mind, “When would you wear this?” he thought, tapping his finger against his chin.  

Surely, there was no surprise ball this year, he would’ve heard by now. “Would you wear it on a date?” he questioned, imagining a scenario where the two of you ate dinner at a fancy restaurant, illuminated by just candlelight. “Even better,” Draco trailed off, his eyes lingering over your arse as you admired yourself in the mirror, looking over your shoulder to see the diamond detail that connected the open back, “What would such an expensive piece of clothing look like on his dormitory floor?”  

Draco recalled the conversation he shared with his mother a week prior, where she had counseled him after a particularly difficult day. Narcissa Malfoy had an interesting way of comforting her son. Of course, she sat and listened to him, holding him as he cried, a mixture of guilt and failure coursing through her veins as she fought against the Dark Lord’s plans for her beloved son. The next day, however, she entered Draco’s room with a smile and presented a brand-new wardrobe for him as a start of term gift.  

Pulling himself away from his thoughts, Draco gave a gentle smile and looked up at you, instantly meeting your hopeful eyes.  

“Oh, those eyes” 

“I’m not sure if I should get it,” You admitted, your bottom lip jutting out in a pout as you hopped off the podium and halted in front of the platinum-haired boy. Closing his eyes, Draco took a deep breath, captivated by the intoxicating smell of vanilla radiating off your body. An exquisite aroma, packaged in a —hand-blown— glass perfume bottle with delicate golden leaves painted onto it, finished off with your initials carved at the bottom of it.  

Another one of Draco’s thoughtful gifts.  

“And why is that?” asked Draco, his hand resting against the side of your neck, his thumb rubbing small circles against your jaw. The dress was cut just right, the tight, draped bodice granted him a wonderful view of your breasts, but he looked away to halt the tightening of his pants.  

“I’ve got no occasion for a dress like this,” declared a slightly defeated (Y/N), taking another glance in the mirror, “Well, we’ve still got the goodbye dinner with your parents” You recalled, running your hands down your hips, unintentionally catching Draco’s attention as he remembered the family dinner he had forgotten about. 

“That settles it then,” announced Draco in a chipper tone, “I’ll buy the dress,” he grinned, stepping towards his girlfriend, but halting by the display of diamond accessories. With a glance over the merchandise, he pointed at a necklace set with a pair of earrings, receiving praises from the shopkeeper. Taking the necklace from the older wizard, Draco walked over to (Y/N), “turn around,” he uttered and you happily obliged, watching him as he placed the delicate piece around your neck.  

“Draco-” you began to protest, but he only pressed a kiss against your cheek, clasping the necklace and letting his fingers linger at the back of your neck. The necklace was a breathtaking, diamond necklace with seven glittering emeralds spread evenly across the center.  

“The bracelet and earrings will do nicely as well,” Draco said, nodding his head in approval and signaling for the shopkeeper to begin ringing them up. You opened your mouth to protest again, but Draco placed his finger against your lips, “I believe you recall what I’ve told you, hm?” he teased, raising a questioning eyebrow as (Y/N) nodded, fighting back a smile, “Then, let Daddy spoil you, Princess.”  

There was no denying the power Draco’s tone held over you. His words shot straight between your legs, the feeling of his lips pressed against the side of your neck making you fall against him, finally becoming aware of his erection now pressed against your thigh. 

“Let's finish up so we can go back to the Manor,” you proposed, shifting your thigh ever so slightly to provide him with some much-needed friction. Draco bit his lip and gave a stiff nod, stepping away from you before you could tease him further.  

“Go change,” he ordered, the cocky smirk returning to his lips, “You’ve got five minutes.” Running back towards the dressing room, you peeled off the dress and stepped into your usual clothes, practically sprinting out of it once finished. After a hasty checkout, the two of you exited the shop hand-in-hand, the bag containing your gifts swinging in Draco’s other hand.

                                                             ϟ ϟ ϟ

This school year proved to be the most difficult one yet. N.E.W.T.s we’re now less than a year away and it was never too soon to begin revising. You, however, found it quite difficult to focus on school these last few days. Despite his constant reassurances that he was all right, (Y/N) found some of Draco’s recent behavior quite odd. This strange feeling first arose the week you stayed at Malfoy Manor, where the four of them sat cautiously at a table with Draco’s aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange. You had always had a good relationship with Draco’s relatives, but it was clear to you something was occurring under wraps, something Draco did not want you to know about. Noting his hesitation whenever you brought up the subject, you decided against prying any more information out of him and returned to your studies. Your dedication to academic achievement, much to your surprise, did not go unnoticed by the new Potions Master at Hogwarts, who had heard all about you and Miss Hermione Granger, the two top students of the sixth year.  

Horace Slughorn was a portly, older man, but very gifted with potions and an excellent Professor. Upon arrival, he sought out some of the school’s most promising students and invited them to his office for an elegant dinner. One morning, during breakfast, your owl dropped the intricately decorated envelope right in front of your plate. You had no chance to conceal the envelope from your curious boyfriend, the same one that had tried, without succeeding, to get invited to said dinner.  

However, to your surprise, Draco was not upset. Instead, he pressed a gentle kiss against your temple and muttered the words, “You deserve it, baby girl.” The pet name sends chills down your spine, a smile playing at your lip as his hand rests upon your knee, the cold metal of his rings easing any sort of tension in your body. His left hand rested against your jawline, his slender fingers twiddling with the pearl earring, admiring the small ruby motif encrusted right above the hanging pearl.  

(Y/N) leaned her cheek against his palm, setting the invitation down on the dining hall table, “Are you sure, Darling?” you questioned, taking the time to rest your hand over his, “I might not be able to fit it into my schedule...” you admitted, thoughts of Draco’s mysterious disappearances crossing your mind. Bringing your hand up to his mouth, Draco pressed a soft kiss against the back of it before leaning to press one against your lips.  

“I think,” he started, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes, “You should go show them what the brightest, most caring, and, without a doubt, sexiest girl in Slytherin House has to offer” Draco praised, giving your thigh a small squeeze before dipping to steal another kiss from you, “How does that sound?” He asked sweetly, showering you with yet another kiss, this one against your forehead.  

It was no secret that Draco Malfoy and (Y/N) (L/N) were truly and undeniably in love. Often, the corridors were filled with the incessant whispers of jealous girls who longed for Draco’s attention, but he paid no attention to them. The Slytherin Prince only had eyes for you, the only constant ray of sunshine in his life. Whenever he looked at you, he reminded himself of his vow to keep you completely satisfied, and the only reward he wanted was seeing that gorgeous smile on your face. You were everything to him. You were the only one who knew about his previous family troubles, the one who would hold him when he cried during the late hours of the evening. The one who would fix his tie the second it seemed out of place, the one who would rub his shoulders whenever you noticed him bent over his assignments.  

He would do everything and anything to ensure you felt like the luckiest girl in the world because he knew you, out of all people, deserved it the most.  

”You make an excellent point, Mr. Malfoy,” You grinned, nodding your head in agreement, and flinging your arms around his shoulders. A soft smile crept up Draco’s lips as his arms wrapped around your waist, holding you tightly against his chest and placing a kiss at the top of your head.  

“Don’t I always?” teased Draco, running his fingers through your hair as the other students exited the Great Hall and made their way towards the classes. Rolling your eyes at his response, you placed your hand against his cheek, stealing a kiss from him this time and rising from your seat.  

“We should go,” you announced, stretching your hand out for him to grab, which he happily obliged, rising from the bench and escorting you to your classroom.  

                                          ϟ ϟ ϟ

 A week had passed since Slughorn’s dinner party, the memory of the evening still fresh in Draco’s mind as he tapped his fingers against the wooden desk. Needless to say, he was not particularly pleased with the events of last Saturday. One of Slughorn’s guests had taken quite the liking to you, practically undressing you with his eyes during breakfast hours, something Draco found incredibly disrespectful. He recalled the way Cormac McLaggen eyed you this morning when you bent over to kiss your boyfriend goodbye, skipping out of the Great Hall without a care in the world.  

Draco clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as his eyebrows knitted together, sparks of frustration igniting within him. Not only was McLaggen ogling you like you were his last meal, but he was also casually brushing up beside you in the corridors, shooting Draco arrogant smirks when they locked eyes.  

Oh, how he would love to jinx that insufferable look off his face. Yeah, that’ll show him.  

He should have been paying attention to Professor Flitwick discussing the proper hand movement for the Gouging Spell, but the thoughts of McLaggen badgering you when he was not around boiled his blood. In hindsight, it was a good thing he was neglecting this lesson because the prospect of gouging a large hole through Cormac seemed very appealing. 

You were particularly busy this week and did not have a lot of time to spend with Draco. Sure, the two of you bid your usual goodnights in the Slytherin common room, but your studying had kept you away from Draco. Due to this, Draco Malfoy was left very touch starved and found himself daydreaming of your earlier rendezvous around the castle.  

Draco turned his head towards you, his face relaxing at once as he watched you diligently taking notes, as usual. You had your bottom lip between your teeth, gnawing it softly as your quill scratched against the parchment. With a content sigh, he admired your concentration and wondered how a person could be that gorgeous. He was, truly, the luckiest man in the world when it came to you.  

He supposed that one could not blame McLaggen for falling for you- I mean, who wouldn’t? Any person would be swept off their feet if you entered the room wearing those silk dresses you were oh so fond of. Draco glanced down at those pretty, pink lips of yours, his eyes practically rolling to the back of his head as you parted them, tongue swiping over your upper lip as you added the final details to your diagram.  

Biting his lip, Draco forced his attention towards Professor Flitwick, but it was already too late. The thoughts of you, sprawled across his bed at Malfoy Manor were enough to replace his earlier frustrations with feelings of lust.  

“Stop,” thought Draco, closing his eyes to contain his feelings, but it was no use. Your lips made an “O” shape when you finally grasped the Charms concepts, making goosebumps appear on Draco’s skin as he shuddered.  

What he would do to have you begging for him right now.  

His pants grew considerably tighter and he couldn’t help but feel grateful towards the school uniforms. The robe he was wearing did a decent job at hiding his current problem, but he knew it would be noticeable when he stood. However, that did not stop him from hearing the way you called his name in the back of his head.  

“Please, Draco...”

“Fuck,” cursed Draco under his breath, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, a slight touch of pink dusting his cheeks. Unable to keep his eyes away, Draco looked back towards you, scanning the soft skin of your neck, and noting how awfully bare it looked. With his self-restraint wavering, he subtly slid down the bench you shared and rested his hand on your knee, something he did quite often. However, you did not question him until you felt his lips against your neck and a hand wrapped tightly around your thigh. Turning your head to face him, you were surprised to see him with his hand over his mouth, his eyes averted from yours as his fingers danced against the smooth skin of your inner thigh.  

“Draco,” you cooed, but the only response you received was a rather harsh nip at your neck, “Draco, someone will see…”  

“I don’t care,” Draco snarled against your ear, “I need this bloody class to be over…” He murmured in a much softer tone, his hand rubbing circles against your thigh and inching closer to your clothed heat. But once you turned to scold him, you noticed the dark, red blush that painted his cheeks and felt his hot breath fanning against your face.  

“Are you alright?” you asked cautiously, innocently rubbing your thumb against his thigh, but that only made Draco twitch in his seat, and his reaction suddenly lit the bulb over your head. Your lips curled into a smirk as your hand moved closer to the bulge on Draco’s pants, turning your attention towards the front of the class as you continued your movements.  

Luckily, the two of you sat at the farthest end of the Charms classroom, away from any overly inquisitive eyes. You were certain nobody would notice, if Draco kept his cool, the two of you would be in the clear.  

“Couldn’t even wait till class was over?” You tutted, delicately tracing your fingers over his crotch, and smirking as he shifted in his seat, “Be careful, I don’t want us to get caught.” You added, firmly cupping his erection through his slacks, a wide grin spreading across your face as he doubled down and hid his face behind a book he propped up. It was honestly quite surprising to see Draco this way. Usually, he would be the one teasing you to no end, but you were currently in control and that was enough to light the fire of your arousal.  

“D-Don’t stop,” Draco pleaded under his breath, biting down on his thumb to hold back a moan as your palm worked to release the built-up tension. Encouraged by his dick twitching underneath your hand, you quickened your pace and watched as he parted his lips, struggling to keep any sound from coming out. As his breathing grew more ragged, you felt his abdominal muscles tense up against your touch, indicating that his release would wash over him soon.  

Fighting to keep the small sense of composure he had left, Draco gripped (Y/N)’s wrist and halted her movements. It took him a minute to catch his breath, but when he did, he spoke in a low whisper, “Wait...” His eyes never met yours because if he looked into those beautiful eyes of yours, he would not be able to control himself. And although the prospect of taking you over the desk seemed quite promising, he did not fancy the idea of letting the rest of the student body see you bent over in such a vulnerable state.  

That was only for him, of course.  

“What’s wrong, Darling?” You teased letting your fingers trace over his crotch again, but he only clicked his tongue at you. Draco knew you too well, he knew you were only trying to rile him up again, but he could not let that happen, not right now. With adrenaline coursing through your body, you leaned towards Draco and let your breath fan against his neck before licking a stripe behind his ear, “Didn’t want to come all over those expensive slacks of yours, hm?” You murmured, gently nipping his earlobe, and taking his momentary lapse of strength to palm his erection once more.  

Draco gritted his teeth once again, pulling your hand away from his pants, “I said wait,” he growled, his lust-clouded eyes finally meeting yours, “You do know how to follow instructions, don’t you?” He asked in a much harsher, more desperate tone.  

“Depends on who’s giving them.” You replied sarcastically, placing your free hand on his knee with a smirk.  

However, Draco did not get a chance to shoot his response back at you. Once the bell signaling the end of class rang, he shot up off his seat and gathered both your belongings before taking your hand and hastily pulling you out of the classroom. A few students stared as the two of you rushed down the hall, blushing in embarrassment as you stumbled after Draco.

His hand gripped yours tightly, leading you towards the Prefects’ bathroom, and stuttering out the password once the two of you arrived. Flinging your book bags across the floor, Draco turned and stalked towards you making you step back until your back hit something solid.

“Think you’re funny, are you?” sneered Draco, pinning you against one of the cubicles, his thigh pressed firmly between your legs and his right forearm braced beside your head. Replicating your earlier movements, Draco dragged his tongue underneath your ear before taking the lobe between his teeth, making you gasp. “Why don’t we put that filthy mouth of yours to better use?” He cooed, blowing a puff of air against your ear, and admiring it as it turned red.  

With a sudden burst of confidence, you gripped his robes and pulled his face towards yours, breaths mingling together, “I think,” You muttered, leaning your lips close to his, “That’s the best idea you’ve had all day…” Looking up at his half-lidded eyes, you crashed your lips against Draco’s, fingers immediately tangling themselves in his hair. Draco returned your kiss eagerly, his hands cupping your arse underneath your skirt and pulling your body flush against his.  

You could feel Draco growing more impatient by the minute. His hands were grabbing desperately at your skin, squeezing every inch of bare flesh he could feel. Longing to have you closer to him, Draco slipped his hand underneath your thigh and hooked it over his hip, fingers gripping hard enough to bruise. Your back arched off the wall, hips grinding against Draco’s as your tongues laced together in a heated kiss. Tugging at your tie, Draco reached to unbutton your blouse and pulled it open, exposing your bra-clad breasts.  

He pressed his lips against the base of your neck, biting and sucking encouraged by your moans beside his ear. One of his hands held your thigh firmly while the other kneaded your left breast, pulling the fabric of your bra down and taking your nipple between his thumb and forefinger. You gasped harshly, bucking into him, and digging your fingers into his hair, messing up the parts that remained previously neat. Draco rolled his erection against your soaked panties, smiling down at your face as his hands kneaded your clothed breasts, “So pretty,” he murmured, captivated by your flushed face and the shameful sounds passing through your lips.  

Your hands reached up to grab his face, pulling him down for another kiss. This time, using the momentum to switch your positions so Draco’s back hit the stall door, earning a small moan of surprise from him. Grinning up at him, you pressed your lips against his neck and slid your hand down the front of his body, cupping him firmly as you sucked the sensitive skin. 

Draco let out gasping breaths as you moved your hand, his fingers digging into your waist, “On your knees,” commanded Draco, trying to regain some sort of control over the situation. You obliged happily, dropping down to your knees and lazily running your fingers over his thighs before reaching up for his belt. After fiddling with the buckle, you took your time sliding Draco’s slacks down, purposely neglecting his throbbing dick hidden in his underwear.  

“Don’t be a tease,” snapped Draco, gripping your chin harshly, “Suck,” He commanded firmly, releasing you as you pulled down his boxer briefs. Draco’s thick length snapped up towards his lower abs, almost slapping you in the face when it sprung out of its constraints. Almost drooling at the glorious sight of his cock, you took it in your hand, running your thumb over the pre-cum leaking out of the reddened tip. Draco bucked his hips forwards, hissing at the light touch, and looking down at your concentrated expression as you slowly pumped your hand.  

Lolling your tongue out dramatically, you leaned forwards and gave the tip a kitten lick, earning a frustrated groan from Draco. Satisfied with his discomfort, you gave the swollen tip another kiss before taking his length fully into your mouth. He let out a strangled gasp in response, his eyes squeezed shut as you enthusiastically licked up his length. Sealing off your lips, much like a vacuum seal, you bobbed your head up and down his shaft, tongue swirling around it as Draco trembled underneath you, his hand over his mouth attempting to stifle the sounds coming out of it.  

Draco looked down at you, unable to control the string of low moans and grunts spewing from his lips. The sight of your plump lips stretching around his cock made him lose the few ounces of coherent thoughts he had left in his mind. Draco let out another strangled moan, throwing his head back against the stall door as you swirl your tongue around his shaft and use your hand to pump the base of his cock. His hand flew to the back of your head when you moved to take all of him in your mouth, your nose brushing the trimmed tufts of hair as you choked around him, the contraction of your throat making him groan out your name.  

With another husky moan, Draco balled your hair up into a ponytail and used it as leverage to thrust into your mouth. “Yes, yes,” whimpered Draco, his face flushed red and his breath caught in his throat, “Just like that, (Y/N)” he hissed, his grey eyes flickering down and meeting yours, making his roll back again as he pulled his lip between his teeth. Your fingernails dug into the back of his thighs, squeezing them tighter as he quickened his pace. You moaned around his dick, the vibrations sending a violent quake through his body as he face-fucked you, his climax only moments away.  

“Ah, you take my cock so well, Princess” groaned Draco, his pace stuttering, “You’re so bloody gorgeous” He sighed, his fingers delving tightly into your hair as you continued to swirl your tongue around the shaft, relaxing your jaw to let the tip of his penis hit the back of your throat.  

The sounds coming from Draco’s mouth had you soaking wet and yearning to feel his load shoot down your throat. Determined to finish him off, you moved your hand to fondle his balls, moaning with satisfaction as his cock pulsated in your mouth. His breaths grew ragged and the only sounds coming from him were small whimpers and grunts. You looked up at him through your eyelashes, his platinum blonde hair fell messily over his eyes, which were currently screwed shut as his face twisted with pleasure.   

Draco’s eyes fluttered open, meeting your eager ones for a second time, but it was too much. Cursing loudly, Draco’s pace grew sloppier and rougher, his body trembling as you fondled his balls once again.  

“(Y/N)!” He cried out as you gagged around him, thick ropes of cum coating the inside of your mouth as he came, hard. You struggled to swallow his heavy load, but you were adamant on taking every last drop, just how he liked it. Draco gasped as he caught his breath, his hand still in your hair as he gave your mouth two final shallow thrusts, pulling out as you licked him clean.  

With his chest heaving, Draco delicately placed his hand against your cheek and slid his thumb over your swollen lips. You press a chaste kiss against the pad of his thumb, the corners of your mouth curling up into a loving smile. He brought you back up to your feet, capturing your lips in a kiss that was all tongue before pulling away with a satisfied smile on his face.  

“You’re quite chipper now, aren’t you?” You teased, hitting him playfully on the shoulder as he pulled his slacks up, tucking his shirt back into his pants and shooting you a wink.  

“Yes, actually,” He retorted, his usual smirk appearing on his lips, “And why is that?” You asked, taking the time to button your own shirt, blushing as Draco stalked towards you. He placed his hand on the side of your neck, pulling down your collar to admire the angry, red marks that decorated it.  

With a small huff, he dipped down and sucked on the spot below your jaw, your knees buckling and hands gripping his shoulders as he bit down. Once he was satisfied with his handiwork, Draco pulled away, smirking at the mark that would surely be visible for days.  

“Because I’m the only one who gets to have you like this,” admitted Draco, pulling you into a hug and resting his chin atop your head, “Can’t wait until I catch McLoser drooling over you, I’ll make sure to remind him who he’s dealing with.”  

You laughed at Draco’s declaration, your arms tightening around him as you embraced, “Are you ready for lunch then? He could already be there” You teased, pressing a kiss against his nose, and pulling away to pick up your bag from the bathroom floor. Draco chuckled as you skipped back towards him, giving your behind a playful smack as you walked past him, “Don’t run off thinking I won’t return the favor,” stated Draco salaciously, catching your hand and pulling you back before you could exit the bathroom.  

You looked up at him with a curious expression, “Is that so?” You questioned with a grin, walking towards him, and placing your hand on his chest, “Is it something I should look forward to?” You asked, tilting your head to the side innocently.  

Draco laughed, raising his hand to cup your cheek, “Come to my room tonight at eleven, wearing that pretty little dress from Twilfitt and Tattings,” muttered Draco, his lips close to yours once again, “I’ll make it worth your while,” he winked, his fingers dipping underneath your skirt to swipe over your clothed core.  

Shivering under his touch, you blushed embarrassingly as he examined the slick now coating his finger, “All for me, Princess?” He teased, contently licking his finger clean and grabbing his own book bag, “Actually, I was thinking about McLaggen” you quipped, stepping out of the Prefect’s bathroom with a bounce in your step which Draco followed after, his eyebrows furrowed as he flanked you. 

“Careful, Love” warned Draco with a hum, his hand sliding into yours as you walked, “or I’ll have to teach that naughty mouth of yours another lesson.”

                                               ϟ ϟ ϟ

 Your four-year anniversary drew nearer, and you found yourself worried about Draco’s behavior yet again. He grew increasingly distant as the term progressed and you could not help but worry, despite his constant reassurances, stating there was nothing to worry about. This, again, left you feeling frustrated. You and Draco started dating during your third year and it had taken a while to break down his walls to understand him, but now it seemed like some of that progress was overturned. 

However, when he was around, he always made the effort to shower you with affection and ensure you were being taken care of. Draco knew your habits better than anything, he knew you would be questioning his behavior and launching your own investigations to find the underlying cause of it, but he could not let you interfere. He was already under fire for having ‘distractions’ and had promised the Dark Lord nothing would come in the way of his success.  

To keep you safe, you had to be left in the dark. It wounded Draco to see that distraught expression on your face when he came into the common room past midnight, sometimes even asleep, curled up on the couch waiting for him to return. He felt guilty for putting you through all this, but it was necessary for your safety and nothing was more important than protecting you.  

His nights were constantly haunted by horrifying images of you injured or worse, dead in his arms after some terrible mistake he made. These thoughts were constantly wearing him down, but he could not tell you, it was just too risky to involve you in this situation. This stressful internal struggle encouraged Draco to show you how much you meant to him.  

He wanted you to know that you were, truly, the most important person in his life.  

“Draco,” You whined with your hands over your eyes as Draco led you through the empty streets of Hogsmeade, “Can’t I just open my eyes? I’ve been to Hogsmeade plenty of times” you reminded him, but he only chuckled beside you, holding you by the waist as you walked.  

“I’m trying to surprise you,” Draco stated, rolling his eyes, “So why don’t you stop complaining and follow me.” He declared, pressing a kiss against your cheek, and leading you towards the clothing shops in the village. Draco halted in front of a large store window, looking up at the dress and envisioning you in them with a proud grin.  

“Alright,” he started, grabbing the hands that covered your face, “Ready?” He murmured, pressing a kiss against her fingertips as you nodded. Counting to three, Draco pulled your hands away from your face and stepped out of your view, letting you take in the sight before you.  

In front of you stood a tall mannequin wearing a floor-length shimmering, emerald green gown with small silver detailing the bust, “Wow” you muttered breathlessly, leaning closer to the window to get a better look of the design. The mannequin turned 180 degrees, giving her a better view of the open back and long train that followed the dress.  

“Do you like it?” Draco asked, looking down at his ring with a content smile on his face. 

Your eyes scanned over the glittering, diamond pendant necklace complete with matching water drop earrings, “It’s gorgeous,” you replied, looking over at your boyfriend with a puzzled expression, “Why do I get the feeling you’re up to something?” You asked, quirking your eyebrow at him as he laughed.  

“You know me well, Darling” Draco admitted sheepishly, leading you towards the door of the stop and holding it open, “I just thought, since you’ve been attending Slughorn’s dinner parties, that you would need some more evening outfits to show off,” He stated proudly, his hand against the small of your back as he gestured you towards the changing rooms.  

“Draco, I couldn’t possibly! You bought me one at the start of term!” You protested, grabbing his hands but part of you knew his mind was already made up. 

“You’re right,” He agreed with a nod, placing his hand against your cheek, “And I’m going to buy you four more today,” He stated nonchalantly, looking back at the four sets of the dresses brought over by the shopkeeper, “You better get started,” he urged, taking a seat on the ottoman in front of the dressing room.  

With a loving smile, you captured Draco’s lips in a kiss, “I love you” You said, squeezing his hand as he returned your smile.  

“And I love you most,” He replied, pressing a kiss against your forehead, and urging towards the dressing room, “Come on, I want to see how stunning you look in those.” Giggling, you ran into the changing room, winking back at Draco before sliding the curtain close and getting into the first dress.  

Several hours later, you and Draco exited the shop with four bags containing various dresses, jewelry pieces, and, even, a brand-new suit. After one final stop at Honeydukes, the two of you made your way towards the castle, treasuring the time you spent together and the memories you created while doing so.

[tc-doherty]

Dialogue is my absolute most favorite things to write! I'm a talkative person so I just sort of follow my gut. Whenever I think it's been too long and no one has said anything (at a point in time where I personally would say something) I will include dialogue if I didn't already have some planned. I also do a lot of character thoughts, which I guess you could say is dialogue's cousin.

In order to write dialogue I think it's important to know what's wrong with your characters. What kind of things will they not say, even if the situation calls for it? What kinds of things will they say, even (or especially) if the situation does not call for it? How much do they try to control any given interaction that they're in? Or do they only do that in certain situations? How helpful are they, or how petty are they? How much do they try to avoid conflict? How likely are they to lie? That kind of thing.

I think it's human nature – or at the very least, it's my nature – to say a lot of things without actually saying much at all. Call it small talk if you will, but I think people are too sparing with dialogue a lot of the time. Writing advice will probably tell you to not include pointless dialogue but I think all dialogue has a point! And it doesn't seem very realistic for me for characters to only talk when they're actually exchanging useful information or solving problems. Talking about pointless stuff can be a great way to build chemistry between your characters because it's very human, and humans are social animals, and talking to one another is one of the ways that we reinforce group belonging. Everyone has to pick their own place on the tight rope for that, I will generally lean more towards dialogue than efficiency because I just enjoy writing it.

As for actual advice, I highly recommend reading your dialogue out loud. If you read it out loud you'll be able to find places where it might be stiff or unnatural. Of course, that's my advice for writing in general!

As for character voices, admittedly it's something that I'm always working on, but I think it's a good thing to keep in mind your character's "education level" if you will. I choose my wording and sentence structure based on the relative formality that my characters would be used to given whatever society they are part of. I think changing sentence structure is a very underutilized way of differentiating your characters, most people think about it for narration but not necessarily for dialogue. Also when and where you use things like idioms and slang, and even contractions, can say a lot. If you've ever studied another language, think about other sentence structures or quirks that you can use too!

If you're writing characters speaking a different language than their own, there are very easy things that you can do. Do they use articles? Do they use them too often or not often enough, do they use them in the right places? Maybe they have problems with past tense, or plurals, there are any number of small things! One of my Italian teachers in college could never say just "this" or "that" (as in, "I'll do that tonight"), she always said "this thing" or "that thing" and I thought it was cute, so I ended up giving it to a character of mine.

Even if you haven't studied any other languages and can't fall back on something like that, you can always pay attention to the people around you! Listen to what people say when you're at the supermarket or the park or whatever. Find interviews or documentaries to listen to, anything that will give you a wider variety of dialogue styles to reference. And of course, practice, practice, practice.

Today let’s talk about…

Dialogue!

How do you go about writing speech between characters?  Do you like writing dialogue?  What do you consider important in a conversation between characters?  How do you work on making character voices distinct?  Any advice on writing dialogue to share?

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