#this one I did with a grey brush pen too

[this-too-shall-bleed]

ceiling

inktober 5/31

[onsunnyside]

🍓° 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 | Mafia!Ari Levinson x lovesick!reader

𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 | fluff, sweet soft!reader, she’s a little oblivious. size difference: 6’8!Ari, he’s a total beefy hunk. neighbours au, a little tumble, stripper!reader, brief mentions of mafia business, undeniable daddy energy.

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 | It was a little ridiculous how in love you were… With a single glance, he could make you melt until you’re a pile strawberry ice cream, tied with a pretty ribbon, and sitting on his doorstep.

𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐎𝟑

𝗪/𝗖 | 2.45K

𝗔/𝗡 | just a little something I wrote inspired by Melting by Kali Uchis (also where the title is from). this is my first mafia fic but there isn’t much detail since this is a real itty bitty au. as always, all mistakes are my own. [all posts/asks]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 & 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲: @𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲

˗ˏˋ𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭ˎˊ˗ ⋰˚ 𝐂.𝐄. & 𝐂𝐨. 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

Time seems to slow when he jogs by, clad in shorts and a loose tank top with sweat seeping through the grey. His tan skin is covered in a light sheen, making the dozens of tattoos appear darker. From your seat on the porch, they still look like black blobs and lines stretching from his broad shoulders to his hands. 

You’ve never seen them up close, but you have a few ideas of what they might be—a whole page in your diary to be exact. 

Your eyes fall to his muscled legs, firm and thick thighs strain his shorts and just the beginnings of dark ink poke from underneath the fabric. You barely notice the ice cream melting down the cone to your hands, too deep in a daze when tingles blossom from your chest to your toes. A dreamy sigh flows from your lips as the wind flutters through his long brown hair, brushing along his bearded cheeks. 

He turns to you and flashes a bright smile before turning the corner and disappearing down the street. That single glance makes your heart pound ten times faster, and all of your thoughts tangle into one ball of ribbons, varying in colours, prints and lace, but so evidently you. 

If you could, you’d gift him that mess just so he could know how much he affected you without even trying. 

"Oh no!" You quickly wipe your hands from the melting strawberry ice cream but it's useless, the pink stains your white dress and drips down to the ribbon around your ankle. 

It’s almost too symbolic—the pretty pink bleeds all over your ivory clothes, ruining your life just like the fluttering trapped in your rib cage. 

Honestly, it would’ve been easier to hate him, but he was so damn big that you didn’t have any space left in your heart to hate him. 

To say you're in love would be an understatement. In every fantasy and daydream, he's the main focus, your co-star, your lover, your saviour draped in silk button-ups and silver rings. Oh, he's everything you've ever wanted! As if you manifested him when you were a young child and wrote about the perfect boy to sweep you off your feet and make your life a living fairytale—everything you scribbled in glittery pen has come true before your very eyes.

You don’t even mind that he and his biker friends rev their engines at three in the morning, but your roommate doesn’t agree, she’s never agreed. 

The front door slams shut and you stiffen, hurriedly flipping through a random page in a magazine and desperately trying to act like you were not staring at his house next door. 

"Did you do it?"

"Do what?" You ask, voice already on edge. Vibrant red hair comes into your peripherals, as well as a pair of angry green eyes. 

Natasha groans, setting down her bag on the kitchen counter. "You chickened out again? I need my sleep before I lose my mind. I can’t get any if he and his dumbass friends treat this street like a fucking race track!”

“They aren’t even that loud—and I bought you earplugs.” 

“I am not touching those things until those assholes learn how to be decent human beings!” She rolls up her sleeves and grabs your arm, yanking you from the barstool. 

"Wait! What are you doing!" 

Her heels stomp on the hardwood floor, nearly shaking the picture frames on the walls, “I messed up five drinks today, do you know how bad that looks when they’re my recipes?” She huffs, "he's out there right now mowing his lawn and you're gonna talk to him."

You grab onto the nearest thing which happened to be the couch and clutched it for dear life. “No—you do it!”

"He doesn’t listen to me!" She digs her fingers into your sides making you yelp and feebly swat her away, but you just screwed up big time. “Just try, baby, please! For me!”

That’s the last thing you hear as you stumble out the front door, tripping over the damn welcome mat and tumbling down the stairs. It’s only a few steps, but it stings when your back thumps onto the stone walkway, your poor elbows cushioning your fall.  

You barely catch the engine cutting and rushed footsteps before he appears. 

He stands over you with sweat brimming at his hairline, a deeply concerned expression etched onto his face, "awh shit, are you okay?" 

As always, the air goes thin and you’re under that dumb lovesick spell again. The sun glows around his head like a halo, melting you to the bone, and leaving a mess on the stone in the same shades as your love—strawberry ice-cream pink. 

It’s terrible that you don’t know how deluded your tender heart is.

"You're bleeding," he crouches low, gently examining your elbow, "did your roommate push you down the stairs?” 

"No! No, I-I fell.” Obviously! “But I'm okay." You utter, avoiding the peeping redhead through the curtains. Your gaze lands on his long fingers wrapped around your arm. He’s warm, warmer than you thought. Heat radiates off his body and envelops you like an old friend, familiar and calm. 

"Are you?" He inquires unconvinced, "here, let me clean you up." He leaves no room for protests as he helps you up and leads you to his porch. 

After you sit on the couch, he disappears inside the house before emerging with a large white case. He sits next to you and opens the kit on the table.

"That's a lot of stuff." You note, staring at the packed first aid kit. There are various rolls of gauze, different ointments, and bandages, far more things than your tiny plastic box under the sink. 

Judging by his shiny sports car, and his collection of perfectly tailored suits and watches, Ari lived a very different life than you and you’d do anything to know about it. Your naive heart aches for him so badly it almost hurts. 

“It’s better to be safe than sorry. Can I touch you, sweetheart?” 

You watch him tend to your injury with slow and careful movements, his dark brows knitted in concentration. You’ve never been this close to him, the sudden rush of blood almost makes you lightheaded, but his scent brings you back down. The woody cologne floods your nose, followed by a dash of vanilla with underlinings of musky spice.

“What happened to your other dress?” He glances up, eyes shaded under his thick lashes. 

“Oh… It got dirty.” 

He hums, “what a shame.” He delicately presses down the edges of the bandage. “That’s one of my favourites. It always makes my day to see you wearing it.” 

You swallow down a whimper and clench your thighs, seconds away from dropping to your weak knees. Embarrassment fills your chest, tinged with guilt, “I’m sorry, sir.” The words slip out before you could think.

He cracks a small smile, shaking his head, “it’s okay, just be more careful next time, yeah? Can’t have you ruining the little purple one too, that’s my second favourite.”

Dull thumps hammer inside your head, muffling his raspy voice. You nod silently, digging your sock-clad feet into the concrete. 

You take the chance to memorize his tattoos, from the intricate rose by his wrist following the thorn stems up his arm where they entwined with a heavily shaded skull. Thin script is scattered along his skin, you can’t make out the exact words but they’re in swooping cursive, clinging to his flesh like wet chiffon. 

His arms tighten as he cleans up, the muscles shifting under his paper-thin t-shirt that left nothing to the imagination. Every unconscious flex clouds your head, tunnelling your vision until he’s all you can see.  A small whine sounds from your throat and his eyes flicker to yours, blue as can be. 

“I don’t see you leave very often.” You were either inside or sitting on the front porch with a treat and a magazine, or in the backyard tending to that small garden. “Do you work?”

“I… I did, then I got fired.” The wound was still a little fresh. “But it wasn’t my fault, I swear!”

Ari perks up in interest, although he knows plenty about you, this was strikingly new. Aside from your basic profile, he knew about your past as well, including where you grew up, where your parents lived, and how long you’ve been in this city. 

It was only right to know about the two girls living next to his late grandmother’s house. Curtis insisted since Ari wouldn’t let him stay in the old two-storey home, but instead the house down the street.

He came here to be alone and mourn, but that was hard to do with a cute neighbour always staring at him. Yet he stopped caring after you left a small bouquet of hand-picked flowers on his doorstep and an adorable ‘welcome to the neighbourhood!’ note. 

He forgot how good it felt to be sought after, rather than feared and honoured like a living legend. You gave him that sliver of normalcy with your longing loved-up looks and quick dashes inside when he pulled into the driveway. To you, sweet-spirited you, he was an ordinary guy, not someone with a history coloured in hues of red and dripping all over his shoes, smearing the black ink of his future; an eternity tied to his family’s glory that’s now his. 

“This customer was being so mean and I know I should’ve stayed professional but I was havin’ such a bad day already.” Your bottom lip trembles, flashes of that terrible day flickering through your head, “first I slept through my alarm, then I missed the bus, and my make-up broke in my bag a-and everything was all ruined.”

He reaches out, rubbing your knee soothingly. Poor girl, if it was up to him, you’d never be mistreated. “Where did you work?”

“Venom Vixens.” You sniffle, hoping he isn’t the judgemental type, you’ve known too many people who would humiliate you for your chosen career. “I, uh, I wasn’t one of the girls on stage since I was still new but I liked it there. My coworkers were nice, I got free drinks, and…”

“And?”

“I felt,” you look down at your hands, they were so much smaller than his, “I felt pretty. People go there to look and flirt, and I didn’t mind being on the receiving end of it.” 

Ari wouldn’t mind giving you all of that instead. 

He licks his lips, imagining you in a tiny lace set, the sheer fabric clinging to your figure while you swayed around the dimly lit club. A piece of art in the sea of ogling and drooling patrons, blooming beautifully under the flattery. 

“You liked the attention.” 

You giggle, “Yeah, a lot. Sure, some customers were gross and would say nasty things, but others were nice, real nice—they’d tip a lot and compliment me. Most of them were just lonely, they wanted someone to talk to or someone to spoil.” 

You don’t regret accepting their fawning or expensive gifts, hell, most of your jewelry was from your loyal clients. Sparkly things paired with sweet words were a one-way ticket to your good books. 

“How about your boss?” Ari asks, “how did he treat you?”

Venom Vixens wasn’t only a haven for the lonely or where perverts got their fill, but of course, you wouldn’t know that. You’d have a heart attack if you knew of the shady people who walked in and out of those doors, you’ve probably served a few of them, flashed that bright smile and earned yourself a big tip—unknowingly pocketing the filthy, blood-stained money. 

“Mr. Hansen was very friendly, but everything went through him. If we wanted to change a routine, we had to perform it for him first and get his approval. He said it was protocol.” Ari snorts but you don’t catch it, all too distracted with twisting the ring on his middle finger. “He was nice when you were nice to him.”

“So he must’ve always been kind to you. You’re the loveliest girl I’ve ever met.”

You preen under his praise and nod happily, questioning why you were so nervous around him in the first place.

Ari was a flirt—and you loved being flirted with. 

“Mr. Hansen called me his favourite before he fired me. That was over two weeks ago, and Nat said I could take my time but,” you sigh, “I feel like a bother.” 

He wonders if your best friend would still hate him if she knew he was the reason that her cafe was still standing. Without his ruling over the South district, there would be chaos, and that little joint would’ve been ransacked long ago. 

Did he also call for extra protection because you frequented the establishment? Proudly so. 

“Are you still looking for a job?” He takes your distant hum as a yes, “Do you want to work for me?”

Your head snaps up, your sparkling eyes wide in surprise. 

“I’m opening a new club in a few days and I’ve got a spot left for a performer.” He didn’t, but he had no problem giving someone the boot to make room for you. 

Your mouth opens and closes several times, and the thought of Ari owning a club flies straight over your head. You’ve watched him more than your favourite movie but you still didn’t know a damn thing about him, except that he smokes, liked to work out and alternated between a white mustang and a sleek black motorcycle. 

Oh, and sometimes he changes in front of his bedroom window. 

“You’ll be my boss?”

Say the word, and he’ll be much more than that.

He smirks, gripping your jaw and turning you from side to side, blue eyes flickering over your features, “Sure will. I have a feeling this pretty face will be the main attraction every night.”

Your heart swells when his fingers dig into your cheeks. “I-I would, but Nat won’t like that. She kind of hates you… and your friends.” He adds pressure and your lips pucker, “you’re all s-ho loud wit ya’  bikes ‘n engines.”

Ari bites his tongue, it was either the motorcycles or the blood-curdling screams of the poor soul in the basement. He made a mental note to speed up the process of that soundproof room, he couldn’t have you losing sleep over his business. 

“She doesn’t have to know.” He replies, releasing your face in favour of loosely grasping your throat. Your pulse thumps under his fingers, hard and fast, speeding up as he leans closer, “c’mon, don’t you want to be a star? Get all that attention again and make me proud?”

𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: i just love sweet!readers, they're my faves 🥹 and pairing them with big hunky (secretly soft) men is heaven !! i can't get enough !!!!

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞! I love you all very much 😚🫶

As always, I hope you all enjoyed this and I’d love to hear your thoughts/feedback !! <3 — ☼ 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭�� 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐊𝐨-𝐟𝐢 ☼

I don’t do taglists anymore. ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 & 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲: @𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲

[agarthanguide]

How the heck do you get Ashton to actually look like a rock? Signed, a fanartist who has tried every brush under the sun but still cannot nail it the way you brilliantly have.

ahhh thank you so much for the kind words!

Answer (sort of)- Ash's palette was hugely up in the air for a really long time. I kept pitching random bits of color at Taliesin, but his write up did not have any specific coloring in it from the get-go. And because I knew they were made of rock, I trended towards something to the left or right of grey (his working/code name had the word grey in it, as well, which def influenced me).

This went on for a while, until one day Tal did his Tal thing and just sent me plans for the finished Ashton. He painted over one of my sketches with the colors he wanted, included refs of some textures. The textures for the skin included nephrite and serpentine (nephrite is one form of jade, serpentine is a whole other thing.)

The serpentine reference had these really bold lines running through it, and I was worried I wouldn't be able to replicate them, so i just... dropped the texture into the sketch. I think I was just checking to see if it was gonna make them unreadable, but it actually looked pretty great. I painted over it a bit to work out where the lines should fall and how to get them to bend around the figure. And then when I was doing the final render, I made a brush that made the fucky line effect. There's one key element to the brush that I will show you-

The shape of the brush is just a random splatter shape, but the angle, size, and roundness change in response to pen pressure, so that as you draw, you can increase the size with added pressure, and some lovely, 3-D helix shapes will start appearing as you go.

From there it's easy- Make an extreme dark and an extreme light in your little texture space, then paint over in variations of green to push things deeper into Ash's "skin" while maintaining a slight transparency.

Here's some other little tips- - Before you add intense, lined texture, start with a textured base. This can be anything. Once I used a picture of the amazon rainforest with heavy color correction. Sometimes I use sponge brushes. Have fun with it. - Try to make the larger textures support the underlying figure. My go-to is large, lazy spirals that shimmy up and down their limbs. - Don't fight the lighting too much. To increase readability, try to use elements of higher or rougher texture to frame the features, while keeping the immediate area of their eyes, for example, less busy.

Good luck, and thanks for the ask!

[anlian-aishang]

Hello, could I please request a Captain Levi X reader fic where he comforts a sick and injured reader please? Canonverse of course. I love your writing btw :)

Tags: levi x reader, fluff, canonverse, mutual pining, caretaking, broken bones + blood mention, reader is physically supported, platonic undressing/nudity, fem!reader Word count: 5800 A/N: Thank you for the request! I hope you enjoy, dear anon <3

Levi could not shake the feeling: had he been there, you never would have wound up like this. With that train of thought came a crash of regret, his one vow being to live without it. He could not turn back time and prevent the accident from happening, but there was one thing he could do to alleviate its aftermath.

Fresh off the return from the expedition, he had not even changed out of his uniform yet, Levi made straight for Hange’s office. “Put me in the infirmary tonight.”

Hange rolled their eyes and teased, “How about a hello or a please first, huh?”

“Hi, and please.”

Hange grinned, internally laughing for having expected anything more. “You got any good reason? Hurt or something?”

They already knew the answer to that. His grey shirt was just as ironed as it was before setting off beyond the walls. Not one wrinkle in his canvas coat. No rips in his cape. Certainly not injured.

“Or did you just want an easy shift?”

They both knew: only one person had ended up in the infirmary. They both knew: that one person was you. In a wordless, imbalanced eye contact, Hange communicated their knowledge of the nature behind his rare request. Levi communicated that if they uttered one word about it, they too would end up on the list of casualties.

“Yeah,” Levi spoke flatly, “that’s it.”

The section commander dipped their quill pen fresh, crossed out Nanaba’s name and replaced the assignment with his. “Consider it done, but you owe me!”

Levi merely scowled and promptly turned on his heel. Stewing in irritation yet also simmering in thought of how to repay them. Maybe some assistance with a titan capture, maybe just saving their ass again as he had countless times before. 

With the captain’s back turned, Hange hollered after him, “You would save yourself a lot of time and trouble if you just asked them out, you know, like a normal person!”

But Levi had already shut the door and started down your way. Gritting his teeth, by subduing a smacking, he considered the two of them even again.

// // //

Though he had sped down the hallway, Levi dampened his pace as he approached the infirmary. At your door, a deep breath as his fingers delicately inched along the handle, just enough leverage to let himself in as quietly as possible.

Golden hour seared the white walls and placed a spotlight on the lone patient bundled in bed. Your lips were trembling. Your breaths were uneven. Your body was tired, bogged down by stiff casts and bandages. Levi felt his throat instinctively tighten. Fists clenched at his sides, aching to do something - anything - for you. To brush the strand of hair from your face, to straighten you from the entanglement of your sheets, but he was woefully aware that any movement carried the potential to wake you, and with the look on your face - he determined that unconsciousness was not a bad place for you to be.

Levi shuffled his boots across the wooden floor, cautious of how creaky the panels could be. Slowly, he lowered himself to a seat on the bed across from yours, nothing but a nightstand and temptation between. With a sigh, he tilted his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, searching for ironic escape from the scene he had begged to be placed in, but instead - all he could picture was what must have happened to you out there. How had you ended up injured but no one else? Where were your comrades? Your squad leader? Where was he?

“Alone out there,” Levi pitied. The one who was always thinking of others - in their time of need - no one showed up for them. Again, Levi released an exasperated sigh. He was well familiar with how cruel the world could be. Every now and then, it still managed to surprise him. In your case, he supposed. 

Come to think of it, the infirmary itself seemed in remarkably poor condition. Levi swiped his finger along the bedframe and scoffed at the dust that flew from his touch. At the allergen, he sniffed slightly, and through that noticed the musk in the air. Levi glared out the window and into the empty courtyard. A lovely spring evening you were both missing: budding trees, bloomed flowers… Flowers.

Levi surveyed your state, bargaining within himself for a handful of seconds. With no sign of your stir, he clutched the side of the mattress and hoisted himself to his feet. Despite the audible crunch of the comforter, you remained sound in sleep, silently granting your attendant permission to depart from your side - however temporarily. 

At the door, he turned back once again: on one hand - anticipating that you would remain at rest so he could sneak out, on the other - hoping that you would call out to him, Levi, please don’t go. His knuckles turned white around the handle before swiftly departing, cutting himself off from overthinking any longer, at least for a little while. 

// // //

It had only been ten minutes, but he swore he was going too slow. Picking all of the wildflowers he could find, he tucked them beneath his arm until he had assembled a makeshift bouquet. Just enough to flush out the hospital aura, but as his arm began to cramp, he realized there may never be enough when it came to you. Grateful to be outside, Levi waited out his blush before heading back inside. 

This time, more hurried than when he first approached - the guilt of leaving you alone in there propelled his pace. Hastily, he flung the door open, causing your eyes to do the same. 

“Shit…” Levi cursed himself as he watched your figure shift. Tiny groans echoed throughout the barren room as you came to. With a few harsh blinks, your vision adjusted to the scene. A stark but beautiful transition, dreamlessness to the stuff of dreams: Levi in the door frame, flowers in hand, overcast in the gradient of sunset. 

“Am I … dreaming?” Your words made his heart halt, Levi clutched the stems a little tighter. Your angelic voice fresh out of sleep was suddenly seized by a sharp inhale, speech weakened, “My… my head…”

He may have said something, but you could not tell. Merciless ringing in your ears combined with the pounding at the back of your head, leaving you oblivious to everything external. You cupped your palm around your forehead and winced through clenched teeth. Atop your hand came his, fingers wedged in the spaces between yours. His contact was your answer: this was not a dream for not even in your most self-indulgent desires would you have come up with this. 

His hand did not massage you, did not apply pressure, but reminded you of his diligent presence. Don’t worry. I’m here. I’ve got you. It was what he longed to say, what you longed to hear. As your inhales and exhales diluted, you both regained the composure to settle for less forthcoming words. Slowly, your eyes fluttered open and were met with those of solid steel, “Levi?”

Cracks in your voice, he swallowed for you, “You’re burning up.”

Your lips parted in confusion, hardly believing the scenario you were in. I thought… Nanaba… Why is he…? Levi read your questions and chose to ignore them. 

He was conscious of it, but conscious not to mention it - the sweat that came off your skin and stuck his hand to yours. Instead, he paraphrased, “Don’t you feel hot?”

An autonomous response, you shivered, whether due to the temperature or a certain other factor. “N’No, I think I -” your speech was interrupted by a pair of violent sneezes - saying all he needed to hear. 

Levi closed his eyes and frowned, silencing the germaphobe within him, “I see.” 

Hiding behind your wrist, “Sorry.”

He reached into his chest pocket and lent you a handkerchief, “Don’t be.”

His gaze descended from your eye contact, granting an ounce of privacy. Now that you had sat up, he could see precisely the spot you had laid. A stiff indent on the pillow outlined your shoulders, nape, and head. Folds in the sheets likewise defined your stagnant sleeping pose. You hadn’t moved for hours. It prompted him to scan for more hints: your nightstand displayed no tissues, no tea. Levi stifled a disapproving sneer, substituting action for anger. 

Levi’s fingertips grazed your comforter, “Your bandages…” 

“Yeah…” a tinge of stuffiness in your voice, your movements staggered as you brought your limbs out from underneath your bedding. 

Upon revelation, his eyes widened. Your right calf had been swallowed by a cast startlingly thick. Your right arm had been painted red by blood-soaked bandages. The sight made you lightheaded, nauseous, Levi caught it, “Hey, don’t look at it. Look at me.”

Your throat bobbed in nerves, anxious whimpers emitted. Over your frightened sobs, Levi ordered over them, “Look at me. Look at me.” 

Past blurry eyes, you strained to follow his guidance. His steel gaze was dead set on your wounds. Lips remained their characteristic flat. Hands were gentle and stable in lifting your arm closer to him. Even as your blood soaked through to his skin, even as you cried in panic and pain, he showed no signs of rile. Observing his calm brought you closer to your own: infectious medicine. 

“It hurts?”

“Y’Yeah.”

Slowly, Levi lowered his hold until your arm rested on the bed again. He stood and made his way to the cupboards. In your gaze, past the twitch of your eyelids, you caught the focus in his. Jaw set, near-silent rolls of pills as he picked up bottles and read them, knuckles white around the acetaminophen. A coughing fit snuck up on you, and by the time it was over, he was once again at your bedside. Effortlessly, he twisted the cap off, and poured two pills into his palm. With his left hand, Levi placed his thumb on the bulb of your chin and pushed down, tugging your lips apart. In his right hand, pointer finger and thumb pinched the capsule and perched it between your top and bottom teeth. 

In his contact, you shuddered against him, yet his voice remained monotone, “Swallow.”

You raised your brows sharply, and at your sight, Levi realized how self-indulgent he was being. On the other hand, you were ignorant, too blinded by perplexion: the command of your captain and the tenderness of a husband. You sure this isn’t a dream? 

Levi reached into his coat and pulled out his canteen, untouched from this morning’s expedition. Again, his eyes honed in on your lips as his reach began to approach you again. God, chills once again seized you, you weren’t sure you could take much more intimacy without - well, you weren’t sure what you would do. Squeal? Giggle? You didn’t want to find out, so instead, you stopped him. Hand cupped his container, fingertips grazing, you tried to ignore it and affirmed, “I’ll manage.”

Levi’s eyes briefly widened, the rest of him froze. “Right,” you idiot! He scowled and cursed himself. He thought your feelings had been mutual, but your refusal reminded him that he wasn’t so good at this sort of thing. With a heavy sigh, Levi left your side and strode to the other side of the room. A harsh, unpleasant drag of wood on wood echoed throughout the room - Levi pulled the chair out from under the desk and slumped on it. Arms crossed, gaze sank to his toes.

Now it was your turn to chastise yourself. Nice work, now he thinks you hate him. The opposite was true, but how were you supposed to convey that now? He could not have been further away, nerves in your shin reaffirmed: there was no chance your leg would walk you there. 

Wordlessly, you both shared a simultaneous thought: Maybe Nanaba should’ve been here after all. 

For some time, the two of you sat in silence. Levi thought about retreating to his room, but something kept him planted in that seat. Hange had already humiliated him enough today, they would have even more if he came back and asked to be relieved of the assignment he pled for. Then, there was the question of who would replace him. Some half-ass recruit? Even if he called on a fellow veteran, he was sure that the last-minute shift would impact their morale, and therefore, their performance. Even if his feelings were unrequited, it did not affect the fact that he cared about you - though it would have been easier if it did. Leaving you with someone other than him was unacceptable - in this context or others - Levi jut his heel against the ground.

Just a few meters apart from him, but you were in your own world. Your body ached, your muscles tired, but nothing was more painful than this silence. You thought about trying to sleep, but that attempt would be futile, for this quiet was too loud. Your heart longed to run to him, to throw your arms around him, to dip your lips to his ear and tell him you were sorry. Legs and fear damned that option. Powerless, you leaned back, crossed your hands at the wrists, and threw the X over your forehead. Resigned. 

Inside and outside, “I feel gross.”

First, a side eye. Then, he turned his neck and shoulders. Even after you had shoved him away, Levi found it impossible to ignore you. Still, there was a lingering paralysis, a fear of letting himself go again. Invisible ropes reigned him in and kept him tied to humility.

You peeked out from under your hands, flickering eye contact made from across the way. Despite the distance, he could see the glaze of brimming tears, blurring your gaze. Lips quivering, both overwhelmed and let down, his name cracked in your throat. Levi could not hear it, but saw it in the weak motions of your mouth. His hands clutched the edge of the desk, fingers clenched, your call of his name released the last of his anchors. Swiftly, he crossed the room to stand at your side.

Blood caked to your skin. Sweat glossed over it. Gross was not what came to mind when he looked at you, but he could see why you felt that way. As for him, a shower was a necessity the second filth found him, but his lips stayed sealed. Something about recommending it to you made him feel even dirtier. 

Levi kept his gaze averted, scanning the room. A metal bucket would keep the water hot. A stack of washcloths adjacent might feel nice. A thick roll of gauze, he glanced to the clock, it was probably about time to change your bandages anyways. He began to start towards them.

No, don’t leave me again.

Before you could think, your hand snapped to his wrist, drawing a startle and brow raise from your captain. A cough scratched its way up your throat, you snapped to the other side and leaned into the crook of your elbow, sparing him. With each cough, your hand twitched around his arm. Painfully pathetic. After the fit, your voice was left broken, throat sore, craving steam and humidity.

There was one way you could get that, sweetheart. One place.

“Wait, Levi…” your arm shook as it rose to point. Bathroom door on the other wall, “will you help me in there? I kinda,” you tried to speak past the impending tickle, “I think I want a - ah…” three rapid sneezes, you groaned in their wake, “ngh…” 

Was it that each of your words was so obviously pained? Or was it his eagerness boiling over again? The interruption arrived before he could answer: “A bath?”

You sniffled away whatever irritant that was, and smiled sheepishly, “Sounds nice.”

Heart pounded in his chest, Levi swallowed his feelings down and replaced them with his reliable intuition. Grey gaze assessed your state. The injuries in your arm - you wouldn’t be able to hold onto him. The cast around your leg - he wouldn’t be able to hold you. Carrying you was not an option - not tonight at least - but otherwise, the venture should be possible. He just needed a little bit from you, he would shoulder your rest.

“Here,” Levi kneeled. Over the edge of the mattress, you looked down to see him awaiting. Inexplicable shivers were due to no cold. The solidity of his voice incinerated your wandering thoughts, “- alright if I?” 

His arm gingered towards your back, and with it came a run back of that last interaction - the one you screwed up. You knew, you were lucky to get a retry. This time, you would make the choice you would regret the least, just like he’d want you to. 

And he did.

Rather than cutting him off from you, you sewed yourselves together, leaning into his reach and leaning on him. Through bangs, Levi glanced up to you. Had you really just done that? Or was he again misreading things? You met his stare with a weak yet assured smile, cupping his shoulder. Understood, his hand curved to match your waist. Delectable.

“With me,” Levi ordered. As he began to rise, you did, too. Your left side put in overtime as your right side dragged without much use. His hand on your hip did most of the lifting - not only effortless for humanity’s strongest, but a hand he was happy to lend. Each time your balance threatened, you found that his grip cinched tighter. Buckling knees and selfish imagination longed to topple - the former for relief, the latter just to see. 

You needed to get there. You needed to get there! You could have sworn that light was glowing from the outline of the door - a bath with Levi Ackerman - but it seemed the world had some stake in preventing your arrival. Pain shot through your side, you could not help but wince. Your high-pitched mewl fell upon his ear, making your shudders shared.

“C’mon,” Levi beckoned, the strength to your struggle, “you’re almost there.”

The edges of your vision turned blurry. The floor and the ceiling seemed to switch, or something? A painful ringing in your ears, his voice was the ice to soothe it, the sturdiness to silence it, “I’m here. I’ve got you.” 

You blinked for long spells, it seemed to help the threatening headache. Cold ceramic on the backs of your thighs lured you out of that strategy. When your eyes blurred open, the harsh white of the infirmary’s bath had been softened by a handful of candlelit lanterns, a four-wall twilight. The sound of water flowing from faucet to tub, an indoor waterfall. Maybe it was the medicine speaking, but you could not have pictured a more romantic scene. 

Levi shouldered off his tan coat, loosened his cravat, and rolled his sleeves to his elbows - you bit the inside of your lip, punishing the indulgence of your mind. Not romantic, you reminded yourself. Platonic, Levi settled.

The bath was filling. Water hot to the point of steaming: the mirror fogged, Levi’s cheeks tinged to red. You told yourself it was because of the room’s humidity. As he perched himself between your knees, Levi knew better. 

Clothes off. “Alright if I -?”

One hand would be hard. “Will you help me?”

The two of you interrupted one another with shared sentiment. A slight twitch of his lip - a smile - and a nervous giggle from you communicated mutual consent. He started with the hem of your tee. Fingers curled beneath the bottom, and god, how he was going oh so slowly. So delicate, there were times you had to rely on your sight to tell if he was really moving. Eventually, the brisk air wafted upon your skin, providing goosebumps as evidence. Within your collar, Levi spread his fingers wide, allowing the elastic to slide over your head and face without too much friction. When it came to your wounded arm, he was especially focused. Surgical precision, the fabric did not even graze your skin. 

However, now was the time. From the side of his hip, he unsheathed his pocketknife. A sharp shing! The blade razor thin, yet you were not the least bit scared. Even as he reached toward your fresh wound and slid the dagger between your bandage and forearm, somehow you knew he would not slip. After this long in the Regiment, he had learned some things about the psychology of first aid. Before you could think to panic, he had already sliced the wrap in two. Your gauze fell to the floor. Now, all that was left of your upper garments was your bra. Levi deliberately met your eye contact - this okay? You smiled and leaned forward, shortening the distance - I trust you. 

There was something about the way he unhooked you, and there was something about the way you interpreted it. Not suspiciously swift - he must not’ve been with many girls before. Neither clumsy nor awkward - had he anticipated this moment for a while? The tension of your brassiere as well as the tension in the room diluted when he finally stripped you free. Your bare chest before him, you anticipated his stare, but it never came. Levi did not look, but at the same time, it did not seem that he was trying not to. The aversion of his gaze once again humbled your ego, maybe he just wasn’t into you like that. The truth was, sex just wasn’t on his mind. Life had thrown him enough cold stones, had sculpted him into a realist. Let down had tethered his reins, preventing him from lunging too far towards satisfaction. 

Faced with your fragile state, your blood and bruises had his whole attention - more than the lips that longed to be kissed and the curves that yearned to be held again. Was it because he was a soldier that he could not care less about this opportunity? No, it was because his desires for you were far less shallow. 

Levi wanted to see you smile, actually smile. He wanted to show you the world beyond the walls, but only once the titans had been eliminated. Eyes on you on every expedition, he resented the perpetual fear that snared you. So terrified of the near threats - even the potential of threats - that you could not see the beauty in distance. The horizon. Mirages. Mountains in haze and trees to the forests. They were out there, and he had brought you there, but as long as the world was a dangerous place, you would fail to enjoy them. An expression without worry, that was his desire, more than anything -

“Levi?”

Snapped from his daydream, your puppy-dog gaze brought him back down to earth. A bob in his throat, a silent swallow, “Right, sorry.”

Gently, he took your bra and flowered it on the bathroom countertop. Your starch white pants, now stained with blood and dirt. Fingertips sandwiched your button and its opposite flap, looping the metal circle out from within, his knuckles grazed your tummy on the way. Drag of your zipper, you twitched beneath his touch. Once again, he checked on you. To confirm your consent, you used your left leg to shift your lower half off the edge of the tub, granting him the space to remove your bottoms. Levi glanced up to you and gave a half-nod. Then, he gradually curled his grip beside your hips, beneath the fabric of both your canvas pants and cotton underwear. Unexpected, scratchy lace on its edges drew a shiver he nearly subdued. Likewise, his neatly trimmed nails slightly scraped your sides. With the two of you flinching at once, both of you were ignorant to the startle of the other. 

Fabric bunched on his way down, he slid the loops off your ankles and over your feet. After dealing with the left side, he realized the problem of the right. Your cast so thick, there was no way it would fit through the sleeve of your pants. His thought process seemed to glimmer on the reflection of his blade. Its glare took hold of your peripheral vision.

“It’s okay. It’s fine.”

Levi held the blade in his trademark backwards way, “I’ll get you -” not we’ll get you - “a new pair.”

With one hand, he held the bundle of canvas. With the other, he gave a quick nick at its top, just an inch past the thickness of where your belt would go. A jut of his wrist snapped the switch back under its protective case, Levi shoved the knife back into his leg strap. Two free hands grabbed each side of the cut and tore apart. A satisfying tear! Not as satisfying as the way his forearms flexed. Somehow, the movement of his muscles contracted with the still in his face and the lack of audible exertion. Purposed and effortless. 

Your pants had been destroyed, yet still, he folded them neatly over his forearms - a perfectly symmetrical square. Levi draped your panties over your bra. While he fixated on the potential for wrinkles, your teeth began to chatter, nose began to tickle. Though you were glad to be out of those filthy clothes, the loss of warmth was beginning to affect you. Bundling into yourself, you ducked your head down and sneezed again - immediately garnering his attention. 

Levi chastised himself for moving too slow, but did not loom. In this context and others, he preferred to rely on action. After a quick cuff of his sleeves at the elbows, Levi gestured his arms out to you, you lifted your reach toward him. By an arm at your back and one beneath your knee, he helped maneuver you into the bath, all without getting your cast or cuts into the water. Although, Levi bit the inside of his cheek, those scratches would have to be cleaned eventually. But for now, he could not bring himself to sever your bliss, let alone replace it with pain. 

Hot, but not too hot. Scented, but not overwhelming. You tipped your head back and sighed. Singsonged breaths, your toes curled around the porcelain rim. The sight and sound of your satisfaction made his heart stop, his middle blaze, “Ah, that feels good…” 

Levi balled his fists in his clothes, good god help me. He could practically see Hange laughing and teasing: Look what you got yourself into, Levi! Lips pressed together, a grounding throat clear. Maybe, selfishly, he should get your arm under the water after all. 

He did not have to say anything, for you could feel his gaze searing onto your arm. You were impressed with his composure. In your eyes, just thinking about your wound was enough to make your stomach flip. Levi, on the other hand, seemed relatively unbothered. Looking back on this moment would bring you immense sympathy: what had he seen already that made this okay? Indeed, he had witnessed enough injury to accurately survey: the scratch was actually not as bad as the amount of dried blood suggested. Until he cleaned it, you would continue to shriek at your own sight. 

You knew what had to be done, so don’t make me beg. 

Your voice was quiet, sagged by reluctance. Your lip started to quiver, your throat seemed to close. No one enjoyed this sort of thing - shots, the dentist - but some things just had to be done. As long as he was here, it wouldn’t be so bad. It was how you tried to convince yourself, but despite his presence, your eyes began to burn, sobs began to simmer. Stuttering turned to blubbering, “C’Can you… C’an you…” Tears brimmed, you tried to speak past them, “H’Help m’me…?” You could not even manage the thought of voluntarily sinking your arm into the water, let alone the speech.

Thankfully, he read between the lines. Levi knew what he had to do. Fingers intertwined, you squeezed his hand hard. “You’re okay,” Levi assured, “I’ve got you.”

He lead the way, you went along with it. On your descent, despite his solid contact, you could not stop trembling. Levi used his other hand to graze the bottom of your chin, beckoning your gaze to meet his. “Don’t look at it, just look at me.”

Brows flat, eyes plain, Levi’s calm was contagious. You didn’t believe in yourself, but he did: “I know you can do it.” Who were you to object to your captain? 

You can do this. You can do this. You -

Steaming, soapy water finally consumed your arm. The spot of contact managed to demand each of your nerves and diminish any ounce of composure. One leg pushed against the end of the tub, the other squirmed and snapped. You threw your head back over the rim with a scream that hurt your own ears. Levi did not shush you, only fierced his grip. His grounding technique brought you back a bit, just enough to substitute your high-pitched mewls for between-teeth hisses.

Pathetic, it was a word he used towards plenty of people, but when it came to you, it meant something different. Helpless - not weakness - in a way that pled for his assistance. When others acted like this, it irked him. And it wasn’t that he enjoyed seeing you like this, but the hold you had on him was confusing: how did this bother him so intensely yet make his heart do somersaults? 

Levi chose to distract himself from his emotions and instead fixated on the twitches of your body. Some here, some there, but now starting to die down. Deep breaths, your chest rattled on exhale. As soon as you regained coherence and speech, you apologized, embarrassed, “Sorry.”

Levi knit his brows, you had nothing to be sorry for. If anything, he did. Sorry that he wasn’t there when you needed him to be. With each tear you shed and each strain of overstimulated muscles, he was painfully reminded that this could have - should have - never happened. Maintaining his hold of your hand, Levi took a washcloth from his back pocket, dipped it in the lather, and began to scrub your skin clean. Sorry that - “I wasn’t there,” at that moment, he swabbed a little harder, “what happened?”

It was as if he was trying to wipe away your layers and get to the bottom of today. Gentle at times, deliberate at others, he worked to massage an answer out of you. Reaching all the spots on your back, over the shoulders, the sides of your neck, the divot at your middle. Fingers woven, he leveraged his grip to lift your hand from the water and clean your arm. Levi pressed the cotton against your skin from the insides of your thighs to the tips of your toes. His arm aligned with your spine, reclining you backwards so that your hair could soak. Not too deep, as he tipped you back, Levi whispered, “Trust me.”

Throughout the bath, you remained quiet, though Levi could tell that you were not dosing him the silent treatment. Rather, you were still searching for understanding yourself. You sunk your gaze to the water below, hands kneaded beneath the surface, “It was my fault.”

There was no change in his movements, but his gaze snapped to you through sullen bangs, inviting you to ramble on. Ramble. “I was looking at another wing. A six… no… seven-meter abnormal.”

His brows arced, eyes to yours, That was my encounter. 

Caught red-handed, your own admission, I know.

“And… in the distance, I could see - could see someone was fighting it.”

Me.

Yes, you. 

“I got nervous. Startled, panicked… cinched the reins too hard.” It had happened in a second and was still so raw. Memory foggy, you tried to fill in your own blanks. “She must’ve thrown me or something. Stepped on my leg, I think?” With your blood washed away, you could finally bear to glance at your cut. “I remember being dragged, this must’ve been from the ground.” 

Levi’s lips parted, struck by your story and a thousand ensuing thoughts. It was his fault after all. It wasn’t that he was too far away from you, it was that he was too close. In your sights, but wait. Why were you looking? 

It was the last time that your eye contact began with uncertainty, but the first time that the two of you overcame your doubts. Through your story, you had all but confessed. Through his actions, Levi had, too. 

“Thanks for looking out for me.”

“You, too.”

When you were ready, you held out your hands. This time, far fewer check-ins were needed in the progression of your contact. Levi scooped your fingers in his palms, caressed and supported, he helped you out of the bathtub - your hands in his as he stood. Faced with his front, you noticed how his shirt had been soaked in the process, made more and more see-through as he bathed you. While he still refused to indulge himself in your appearance, you could not help but admire the symmetry of his abdomen and the new tightness of his top. Suddenly, your pain was flushed out and replaced with some other honey-like hormone. Was this the best medicine?

Levi kept one hand on you, there for balance, as he reached to the rack and unfurled your towel. Wrapped tight, he tucked the corner beneath your upper arm, allowing you to keep warm while he used a spare rag to dry the rest of your limbs - gentle and thorough. 

You rolled your neck and shoulders, “I don’t have clothes here…”

Levi flicked his head to the side, “...and that bed’s filthy.”

“Hey,” you glued your pointer and middle finger together and pushed the middle of his chest, sighing, “I couldn’t help that.”

But he could now. 

The next couple hours were another blur. In one arm, your dirty laundry. With the other, Levi supported your weight as you sneaked yet stumbled through new moonlit halls. You could not retrace the path to his room, but there were a few parts along the way that you could write novels about, could paint portraits of. The way his index finger crossed with the line of his lips, shushing your nervous laughs as you passed recruits’ barracks. The hush and haste in his voice. Bringing you to his bed and pulling the covers to your nose, why did he insist on taking the sofa? The answer to that question, you could not understand. The oceans in his eyes, you could not quite draw. The words that dwindled on the tip of his tongue, you could not quite pen. 

But there were many more nights to get there. 

// masterlist //

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Blanche (Yandere Oc)

tw: depiction of abuse, stalking, heavy gore, violence, captivity, torture, human excrement, like really gross stuff, lots of words 4.5k

"Oh, why, hello my darling dove." You approached the man with the kindest, deep blue eyes you have ever seen. He sets his notebook and pen down on the table nearby. He stood up from his garden chair and opened his arms wide as he smiled, his sweet, downturned eyes closing into crescents. The corner of his eyes and mouth wrinkled in genuine happiness upon seeing you.

You hugged him, allowing his gorgeous, tight curls to brush against your arms. You wonder how he could maintain such Rapunzel-esque hair that reaches the back of his knees, especially when it's deceptively short. You remember unraveling one of his curls, to find out that it's twice as long than it originally presented itself as. If it was straightened, it would be pooling around his feet like a massive flood.

"How are you, my sweet? Did you have a wonderful day?" He asked, his voice honeyed and at a higher pitch than how he usually talks to others. His long, natural nails gently raked through your hair, while you played with his pitch-black but streaked with the lightest of grey strands.

You told him that you were thirsty, and you asked if he had anything for you to drink.

"Of course, my beloved flower. Come, let me lead you to my kitchen." You removed yourself from him as he wrapped his fingers around your hand. The man picked his cane up that was resting on the side of his chair. He then hummed a happy tune to himself as he leisurely walked away from his resting spot in the garden, bringing you along with him.

You peered up at the tall, loving man. You always thought that he had a peculiar sense of fashion, especially in this modern day. He looks like someone straight out of the romantic era, around the 1800s. The man, who you know as Blanche, would never be seen without his dark brown waistcoat, a tailcoat of a similar color, white frilly cravat, and long beige trousers. Likewise, he brings his antique, wooden cane wherever he goes.

You don't think you have ever seen him wear anything else other than his polished leather shoes and black garden boots. You certainly never seen slippers around his cottage home.

"Here you go, my darling." He handed you a cup of fresh juice. "I just squeezed them this morning. I can only hope to have my oranges as sweet as you, but I believe it should at least taste decent." Blanche caressed the side of your face as you drank, kissing the top of your head.

Once you're done, you grin and thank him earnestly. He simply nuzzled his charming Greek nose against yours. "You're very welcome, my dear dove."

You like how calm he is, it's evident in the way he speaks; he speaks slowly and softly as if there wasn't a single rush in the world, perhaps sometimes it's frustrating that it takes him an eternity to finish a sentence, but living in a reality where the fast and the furious is greatly rewarded, Blanche is a nice escape for you. Especially when you're exhausted and anxious.

His movements too, remind you of a carefree snail. He takes his time doing anything ever. You watched him pour himself some juice for himself in the same cup, you would have done it in half the time he took to do so.

"My light, are you hungry?" He asked before taking a sip of juice. You said yes, you're a bit famished after making that long trek into the forest to find his home, you just came right after your classes too. "That's wonderful. I just made a blueberry pie today." He walked to the kitchen window, where you saw a delicious, golden brown pie slowly cooling. Blanche picked it up and set it down on the chipped, dining table.

"How was school, my dear?" Asked Blanche as he opened his drawers and cupboards agonizingly slowly to find the appropriate cutlery for you and him.

You reminded him that you're studying in university, He seemed to ignore that. So you continued, telling him that it was exhausting and boring, you wished that your lecturers would be a bit more entertaining in teaching the materials.

"That's quite a shame." He cut a slice and placed it on a ceramic saucer with painted floral patterns on it. Blanche gently sets it in front of you, putting a small dessert fork on the same plate.

You then went on to tell him the good news: the creep who has been trying to get into your pants for the past few days must have given up because you didn't see him around anymore.

"That's nice, dear." He smiled, gathering a couple of serviettes from a drawer nearby and setting it on the table.

You dug in as always, the man smiled at you, feeling his heart swell in glee as you enjoyed his baking.

He gave himself a slice too and sat in front of you. Then, you asked him about his day.

"Oh, the usual. Deary and dull before you come along and fill it with such vibrant colors. I'm so happy that you're visiting me today, I was lonely." He replied, cutting the slice into small pieces first.

The way you met Blanche was somewhat bizarre, but you're glad that you met him. he's the comfort that you need in this world. You would always go to him when things get tough, he will tell you that everything is going to be okay; and you would only believe him, no one else.

You met him online, there was this website where people from all walks of life visit to make friends. You initially used it to date or do one-night stands to try and fill the void in your life, but you end up finding sweet, old Blanche. You find it humorous and sad that his own profile described him as a very lonely and eccentric middle-aged man, who is looking for someone to love. He didn't specify what type of love he is seeking, but he expressed his displeasure and sadness towards previous online 'friends' of his taking advantage of his kindness and desperation to have a companion- stealing his money, robbing his house and even beating him up numerous times because he was perceived as this weak, old man.

You felt your heartstrings being tugged at as you read the words, he was really begging whoever was making those numerous fake accounts to stop harassing him. Apparently, some younger folks thought it was funny to cyber bully him, reveal private information online, send him death threats, and send him disgusting, gut-wrenching hate messages just because he wasn't as well versed in the internet as the others.

Luckily, one day, they just stopped. Ceasing all torment towards the kind man. No one knew what happened, but from that day on, no one tried to talk to him anymore. It's all radio silence.

Until you came along and decided to give it a try. It takes him a good amount of time to type a string of text, but it's always meaningful, poetic, and beautiful. He sends paragraphs as if he's writing a letter to be sent through a carrier pigeon.

The first time you met Blanche, you were filled to the brim with anxiety. Shaking and gnawing on your fingers as you take the bus to the cafe you and him were supposed to meet. This isn't someone who's the same age as you, he is much older and you feel... Weird. There isn't anything wrong with seeking friendships with him because you're an adult, you know what you're doing.

But it's so... Different. You don't know what to expect.

You definitely didn't expect the instant warmth that brought your panic and anxiousness to an all time low. Something about his vibes, his looks and the way he carried himself was so soothing. He didn't have to say anything, all he did was look your way and gave you such a genial wave along with a toothy smile.

The afternoon went swimmingly, it wasn't awkward at all; it was as if you were talking with a close, guardian-like family member. You were comfortable, maybe a bit too comfortable because you realized you overshared after you went back home. You really didn't have to tell him about your stomach problems you're suffering at the moment in such detail.

The next time you met up with Blanche, he gave you a wooden box filled with teabags of his homegrown herbs. He claimed it will help cure your condition as long as you drink it.

You didn't really believe him, thinking he's just some old fart who practices pseudoscience and most likely doesn't agree with the use of vaccines. But you decided to brew some of his tea anyways, since he seems so excited to share you a part of his world.

To your surprise and embarrassment, it got rid of the symptoms. You're no longer bloated on most days and you feel great.

Now, you would just describe to him whatever is plaguing you; it could be insomnia, a common cold, or even your crippling mental health crises. Blanche would always have something growing on his land that would cure it.

That is where you learned that he lives in a cottage, in the middle of a forest. His garden is extensive, planting all sorts of trees, shrubs, shoots and flowers. He has the greenest thumb you have ever seen. You once gave him a pot of succulents which you thought were dead, due to your failure to water it at all. Blanche looked positively horrified at the condition of the poor plant in the beginning, but he assured you that it's okay, he can help it.

You were confused, you gave it to him because you thought he would use the clay pot. But instead, he returned it to you with its planty resident healthy and plump. You knew it was the same one because it looked exactly like how you first bought it.

Blanche gave you a handwritten card of instructions on how to take care of your new, leafy friend. You tried your best to follow it, but ultimately, you gave it back to him. It now rests on the windowsill beside his bed.

Your friendship with him grew as months went by. He would have you in his cottage, you would have him in your shared dorm. To which, he prefers not to step foot into the biohazardous student kitchen. That's why, you're usually visiting him, instead the other way round.

Blanche is lovely to have in your life. Whenever you visit him, you will always leave with a week's worth of groceries; mostly vegetables and fruits that happily grew on his plot of soil. But also, there would be containers upon containers of ready-to-eat meals he cooked prior to your visit.

You became healthier and your grades went up, thanks to the convenience of his delicious cooking. Although they're mostly vegetarian since he's almost solely using produce from his back yard, it's still so tasty even the average carnivore would scarf it down without hesitance.

You're also convinced whatever he adds into his meals are making you smarter. You get to focus on your classes better and you could retain much more information than before. He would excitedly tell you all about the strange and whimsical spices he added into your dish, describing what chemical compounds might be the culprit in helping you form more brain cells.

Aside from planting, he would crochet, knit or sew. And he would churn out items fast. It was so jarring to see his hands move like the insides of a racecar motor when you could fit five eye blinks in one of his own. He was the person who crocheted your laptop bag, your favourite winter and summer top, knitted your beanie, your comfiest pair of socks and your snow gloves.

Whenever there is a rip or tear in your clothes, even if the shoulder straps of your bag fell off, you could simply bring it over to his cottage and he would return it good as new. Being friends with Blanche allowed you to save up a substantial amount of money, you would then use it to buy him a new smartphone. It may not be the most luxurious, but it's definitely worlds away from the yellowed brick phone with a numerical pad he owns.

You think it is time for him to transition into the modern world, and you care for him enough to bust a hole in your already very empty university student wallet to help him. The next thing on your agenda was to buy him a new computer or laptop because he is using one that is ridiculously thick and cuboid; with a terrible screen resolution. It took him half an hour just to access the internet.

He was over the moon upon gifting it to him. To the point of tears, he was indescribably happy. You were worried as to why he was on his knees, hugging you close to him as he sobbed loudly on your shoulder. Initially, you thought you triggered something traumatic or did something to offend him, but Blanche assured you that wasn't the case.

Only after he calmed himself down, prepared a teapot of his homemade tea blend for the two of you, did he explain:

You are his one true friend, who consistently showed up for Blanche, cared for him, showed interest in his character, never hit him, and did not try to swindle money off him. It was surprising and melancholic, to say the least, that this was the only gift he ever received out of love and kindness; without the other party wanting anything in return. It was so nice for once to have someone around who isn't only after his wealth or free labor.

You didn't get how the world could be so cruel to such a kind spirit. It made you angry how he was badly mistreated in the past, but he simply smiled and told you that everyone must move on. Blanche has you, and that is all that matters to him.

You still weren't satisfied. You asked if he had gone to the police, told their parents, told their workplace- anything! They can't just get away without any repercussions, it makes your blood boil and heartache for your friend.

Blanche merely smiled, albeit ominously. He told you not to fret over them, as they eventually "Got what they deserved." He didn't elaborate on that further, you simply assumed that he said what he said due to his overly forgiving nature and not wanting you to worry about his torment.

It wasn't easy teaching him how to use the smartphone, though. Every little thing, he would call you using his rotary phone on how to use it; "Hello, darling. This is Blanche speaking, Could you please come over sometime this afternoon to guide me through the steps on how to surf the interweb on this lovely gadget you gifted me? I seem to have forgotten how to do so."

You think he's just using that as an excuse to hang out with you. Because there is no way he would forget how to tap on a couple of things after the 16th time.

You did ask him about his family. Blanche would tilt his head to the side and give you a saddened smile. Before telling you about how his parents weren't good people, he ran away from home and didn't know the fate of his other siblings. Because of his background and peculiar personality, he found it hard to create lasting bonds as they would always wound up abandoning him or abusing him. He said that he must be excreting some sort of pheromone that attracts people like these.

But he held no ill will towards them, as they "got what they deserved". You brushed that off again as Blanche being too nice to the cruel world.

You're concerned, though. It really seems like you're his only ally. He is definitely clingier now that the friendship has deepened. You're worried that you're going to have to say "no" to some of his requests to have your presence here as he grows more and more unbearable, it's definitely going to break his heart.

"My rose?"

You were snapped out of your thoughts upon feeling Blanche's fingers gently pushing your hair back. You're now back to the present, where you and he are comfortable with light skin-ship, you also liked how he would call you all these pet names. It made you feel so fluttery inside.

"Are you alright, dear? You seem to be distracted with something." He cupped your cheeks and inspected your face further. His eyebrows were knitted in concern.

You said that you were fine, just thinking about your daily obligations and how you should get going soon.

He frowned. "Must you go?" He whispered. "I'm so lonely out here. Please stay for a while longer."

You can't because you have a work shift starting soon. Plus, you have to complete that assignment that you're putting off because you were too busy accompanying Blanche in his isolated Cottage with the world's worst internet connection.

He sighed, looking miserable. "Please wait for a few minutes, I have something for you." Blanche stood up and made his way upstairs.

You watch him ascend the stairs with one hand on the handrails, and the other on his cane. You think that this might be an extremely dangerous lifestyle for a man like him to live, what if he trips and falls? He wouldn't be able to call for help, especially when phone reception out here is atrocious.

You continued eating your slice of blueberry pie, even taking another slice from the dish for yourself. You knew Blanche wouldn't mind, and you knew that he was going to make you bring the entire thing home anyway.

He came back down a few minutes later, holding a brown envelope. Immediately, you went on to reject it. You already knew what was in there and you didn't feel comfortable accepting it.

"Please, I insist, my love." He tried slipping it into your bag, but you wrestled it away from your belongings. You said that you have no use for it, you can make your own money.

For the past few weeks, he has been giving you regular allowances. It isn't anything to scoff at either, it's always one grand per envelope. Now you can see why there were so many people who tried to siphon as much funds out of Blanche as possible.

"I have no doubt in my heart that you are capable, but I... I'd like to buy your time, please." He clasped his hands around yours, bringing your fingers to his soft lips. "I want to spend more time with you, I want you to stay longer. Will you do that for me, my love?"

You paused, it was hard to say no to those big, pleading eyes of his. But you have to, even if you don't necessarily have to work with Blanche's financial help, you still need to put in effort in your studies to not fail.

So with a heavy chest, you said no. You promised that you would visit him again very soon, you just need to get your assignments out of the way and you will be golden.

His shoulders sagged in defeat as he softly whimpered under his breath.

"Alright." He muttered, before reviving the loving smile on his lips.

He opened his arms, to which you gladly threw yourself in. He laughed, picking you up and pressing kisses against your cheek. Blanche tenderly twirled you around, letting your legs dangle in the air as you too giggled. You rubbed your face against his frilly cravat, also enjoying the feeling of his lips on the crown of your head.

__

Blanche is now alone in his garden. His lips were pressed in a thin straight line. You left a few minutes ago with his personal cart filled with his fresh produce for the week. And also the remaining blueberry pie that is stashed away in a container for convenience. He hopes that the eggs he gave you are enough to last until your next visit, his chickens are producing a bit less than usual.

He picked up his pen and notebook he left on the garden table earlier. Blanche then tucked the cane under his arm before marching away without wasting any time. Without you witnessing, Blanche actually moves scarily quick, his graceful agility allows him to traverse the span of his garden speedily without damaging any of his crops.

Blanche walked deeper and deeper into the foilage until the sunlight could barely be seen through the dense vegetation.

Eventually, he reached a dilapidated wooden shed. Blanche stood right in front of the door with a heavy lock and took out his golden stopwatch from his breast pocket. The male noted the time before writing it down in his notebook.

He kept them away, Blanche then fished out a key, along with a hairband from another pocket in his trousers. His lower eyelid twitched as he tied his voluptuous hair into a large, very messy bun. But at least it's not going to interfere too much with what he's about to do.

He unlocked the door and pushed it open using his shoulder, it was hard to move it as the hinges had rusted to a considerable degree. Blanche dusted his sleeve off before taking out his notebook again, noting that he had to replace its parts soon.

Finally, he kept everything back in his pockets. Blanche tightened his fists in anger as pathetic muffled screaming and wailing reached his ears.

"Oh, be quiet, will you?" He snarked, a complete 180° from the Blanche that you're used to. Luckily, you're not here to see it.

He turned around to see your harasser. Completely naked and covered in bloody, infected lacerations. His face and body were blue from bruises and other injuries. He was gagged using his own clothes that were cut up by Blanche. His victim couldn't escape if he wanted to, as he was tightly bound by metal chains that were cutting circulation around his wrists and ankles.

There was rot, maggots, blood, and excretory products all around him as the bodies of Blanche's ex-friends decomposed around the creep. He was squirming in his own puddle of urine and vomit, as Blanche has kept him there since yesterday, right after you went home from your last class.

He is used to the smell of death. He worked with natural fertilizers, after all.

Blanche took long strides towards his trembling form, which only shook even more the closer he got.

He lets out a shout when Blanche strikes him using the end of his cane, the force is so strong that it instantly breaks the skin on his head, making him bleed profusely.

Blanche's eyelids twitched even more, he suddenly discarded his cane before pulling out two brass knuckles from his left pant pocket. He hastily puts them on before throwing powerful punches against his current, human punching bag.

Cracks, screams, and crunches resonated throughout the small space as Blanche let out all his frustrations on him. All his hatred towards the world, his anguish, and misery of not being around you, all of it- your harasser has to bear. Just because he chose the wrong person to mess with.

Blood, spit, and other fluids splattered on his once pristine clothing, dying his cravat red.

"Fucking disgrace." He mumbled as he managed to beat the man to a pulp, striking him hard and long enough to expose the broken bones to the stagnant air. Blanche continued scraping the flesh off his bone using the brass, there is an easier way to extract his bones, but he would very much rather use this method to relieve him of his rage. And, this delivers the maximum amount of pain and fear into your offender, a justified punishment for him, for disturbing Blanche's precious flower's peace.

Sweat beads down Blanche's forehead as he went on whaling on the unconscious, deformed mass that was starting to lose heat. Ichor pooled around his shoes, mixing with the other foul fluids around him.

Once he has managed to liquefy his flesh from his repeated, rapid pummeling, Blanche dug his bare fingers into the gory heap to extract the bones, gathering them in his arms and not caring that he has dirtied himself greatly.

He grunted as he ripped the bones from its weakened ligaments, spraying scarlet all over the already viscera-covered walls.

Blanche panted as he stood up straight, one arm holding his yield, the other hand taking out his once clean pocketwatch, now he's soiling it with bloodied fingerprints.

Five hours. Five whole hours of brutalization to pacify Blanche from his sorrow of watching you cut your visit short, due to some silly little assignments. He shook his head, he could have used all that time doing something else, but he needed to take care of this bastard anyway.

Now that he's not as upset, he took his time documenting whatever he did in his notebook which is equally covered in biohazardous grime.

He then turned around, and picked up his cane, not bothering to face the mutilated, unrecognizable mass of meat behind him one last time. Blanche was already thinking about what to do next as he locked the shed up, the previous bloodied fingerprints on the pad were washed away by the rain a few days prior.

He lets his mind wander to you, thinking about what you're doing right now. Blanche knows there is zero chance of you calling or contacting him through the phone because he knows that you're now at this stupid house party instead of working on your assignment like you told him.

Blanche isn't as tech-illiterate as you think. He is also not that gullible, he knows more than you believe or could ever imagine.

He wishes that you would be a bit more truthful towards him. But as of now, he's content with the amount and quality of bones he managed to harvest.

He made the long walk back to his cottage in the dark, his eyes already adapted to the darkness from decades of 'gardening' at night.

Blanche was mentally calculating the amount of time and heat needed to dehydrate the bones, to make them into bonemeal for his chickens. He suspected that they weren't producing as many eggs as usual because their calcium count was low, so the shell wouldn't be developing properly.

But thoughts of you kept interrupting his head. Blanche would smile, looking forward to your next visit. He would definitely have enough eggs for you by then.

[moachaa]

Off stage

TW/ sex in public place, noonakink, unprotected sex

Extras❕: freeze era (silver tyun 🙏), btw the age gap isn’t too much > 4 years, I don’t know a single thing about how txt works, their schedules, what do they do so let just do it !

Synopsis: Its been over than 2 years that you work with txt, they know you well and you got along with everyone! But there was that one member with who the feeling went, a little different..

MDNI❗️

As usual, you were at Hybe’s building spending a quite ordinary day, sometimes seeing members around in the corridors, either alone or together. Txt were very busy these days with their last comeback since it was a huge success, they had to practice very hard and the recording sessions of their songs became even longer than before.

And you, like all the staff, of course you have to follow the rhythm, as busy as them, there was even more work now for you all. Your schedule has been changed and your work days are also longer than before.

Currently you’re working among txt’s stylists, for their new concept photos, the outfits were very various and you had to find the perfect clothes for each members. Everything has to be per-fect.

You were searching in one of the many closets in the room for a grey blazer for Taehyun.

“The combo blazer + white shirt would be amazing for this photo concept.. I have to find it!”

You mumble to yourself, your hands scrolling fast through each hangers in the closet, looking for that grey blazer you spotted few days ago as you were taking a break here.

You heard the sound of the door opening and as you turn around you see Taehyun entering inside with his phone in his hand, he was wearing that grey blazer you were looking for. A little surprised to see him already wearing it, because you were supposed to give it to him in first place. You simply ask him.

“Oh hi Taehyun, how are you today ?” taking a casual tone, greeting him as you both always did through years since you’ve been working here.

Even if it was very basic and yet informal, since staff aren’t really supposed to be close to members except if you’re not new here, among all the members in the group, Taehyun was the one with who you were the least close, though you can’t help but feel something which makes you the closest despite this distance.

“Good.” He answers as usually.

This conversation is very dry..

“I thought you’d stay in the makeup room, you seem to be already wearing your outfit.” You continue, discreetly sneaking the fact that you noticed he was already wearing the blazer you had to prepare him.

“Mmh, yeah Ana helped me and gave me that new blazer.” He explains.

“Ohh I see..” You nod, not really care about the fact that it was “Ana” who gave this blazer to him. “So, why did you come back here ?” You ask.

“Oh I was looking for a pen.”

You immediately look around for a pen, and you spot one on a table next to a bunch of papers. “Here.” You hand it to him.

“Thank you.” He takes it in his hand, slightly brushing his fingers against your palm when he takes the pen. Did he do it on purpose !?

“And.. may I ask why do you need a pen?” You quickly start talking again before any other awkward silence.

“Ana wanted to see one of my magic tricks.”

Her again?

You didn’t know much about her except that she was new here since last week, but she seems to have taken her marks quickly here, especially with others..

“Oh okay..!” You answer kinda surprised that the conversation keeps going with her name inside. “Well, I’m sure she’ll enjoy it, you’re pretty good a magic tricks and you never miss impressing others each time.” You answer with a little smile even if your tone was a little dry when you talked since you knew this magic trick wasn’t for ��others” but for “Ana”.

But after all, she was just a staff member like everybody who’s working here..

Photoshoot for the concept photos of the comeback

All the group was ready, they started by taking pictures of members individually. It was Beomgyu’s turn, he was clearly comfortable with this theme and seems to like the vibe of the set they chose. “In another life he could’ve been mannequin..” you think to yourself.

But suddenly something snapped you back to reality and caught your attention instantly : Taehyun has entered the set, with that grey blazer, a cap and underneath some strands of his silver hair. Definitely not the same level. He has a the whole attitude and immediately finds the perfect poses for the cameras.

You decide to move forward towards the cameras to take a look at the pictures. When your eyes shift to the screens, you see that Taehyun also shifted his eyes, he wasn’t looking at the cameras anymore but toward the staff team. You look up and sees his gaze piercing into yours, he was looking at you with the same look he gave to the cameras when he was posing, you felt more than observed, and the fact that you weren’t sure that he does it for the picture or just on purpose bothers you. You decide to move aside to check your theory and as you go to the left, you also see his eyes moving to the left, so you move to the right, and his eyes do the same.

Okay now what..?

“Are you okay?” Beomgyu asks you when he sees you moving in all directions while looking at Taehyun.

“Oh! Yeah, I was just checking something !” You answer taking a relaxed tone to not look suspicious sneaking another look toward Taehyun to see if he was still looking.

But strangely, Taehyun stayed focused on the shooting, it almost bothered you that he didn’t look at you anymore. But you couldn’t say anything since he probably didn’t do it on purpose, but your mind keeps replaying this moment wondering “what if..?”. But after all, you both never really had something.. unfortunately. While you were asking yourself a hundred questions, an unfamiliar voice echoes through the whole room, eventually catching your attention, or maybe because you hear his name in the sentence..

“Taehyun look toward me!” a feminine voice said. While keeping his attitude Taehyun turns his gaze toward the woman, so as you. You want to see who it is so you get a little closer walking behind cameramans discreetly.

You can finally see her, a new face you’ve never seen before.. You naturally look at her badge with her name written on it and instantly, this unfamiliar and curious feeling you got about this random woman gets replaced by a strange feeling of jealousy.

“Ana ?” You think while she takes notes on random stuff about Taehyun’s poses.

You were about to talk to her when another voice interrupts you. “Y/N! Come please!” the manager is calling you. “Yeah!” You answer stepping back, your gaze switching between Ana and Taehyun, all your questions multiplying by hundred. You quickly make your way back toward the spot you were previously at where Soobin was waiting behind the set with some makeup artists around him fixing little details on his makeup.

The manager scolds you “Where were you!? You were supposed to help us with the outfit while Taehyun was shooting!” You couldn’t admit the truth, but talking back was worse so you just apologized, looking down embarrassed. Getting yelled at in public is one of your worst nightmares that you could barely hold back your tears.

“I am sorry..”

“You better be, we struggled to find Soobin’s blazer, it was in the closet in the makeup room and you were the only one who got the keys!” He kept going on and you and felt even more humiliated.

“I am sorry…” you repeat.

“Cut! Change! Soobin’s turn!” A staff member yells as everyone start moving in the room, the makeup artists putting away their stuff, the stylist following behind and Soobin entering on the set ready to pose as Taehyun leaves.

You walk to the back of the room to avoid the crowd or anybody’s gaze after this public humiliation, and sit on a chair staring at yourself. While looking at yourself in the mirrors, you remember something.

Your hands slide in your pockets, looking for those keys the manager talked about, you couldn’t find them.

“Shit..” you curse, panicking, looking around.

“I think you’re looking for this?” A deep voice with a nonchalant tone says behind you followed by clicking sounds. You look up and sees in the mirror reflection, Taehyun holding the keys you were looking for.

“Oh! Yeah, I was looking for them!” You said surprised by his sudden apparition behind you, as you turn around to take the keys of his hands, putting them back inside your pockets.

“Thank you, you’re saving me..!” You sigh relieved. “Where were they ?”

“In my blazer, I think you put them inside before giving it to me but Ana took it and probably not noticed.” You nod understanding before looking at Ana who was taking notes on her paper while Soobin was posing on the set.

“It’s fine, at least I didn’t lose them!” You shrug.

An awkward silence which doesn’t seem to bother Taehyun who keeps showing this unfazed expression wherever he is, on the other hand disturbs you.

“Soo.. What did you think about this shooting ?” You say in a dynamic tone trying to lift up the mood. Your question manages to catch his attention back to you as he turns his head toward you

“Well, I like the role I have in this set, and the ‘romantic’ side of each member is well shown-off with different personality and mine fit really well with the kind of person I would be.”

One thing about Taehyun that always makes you fold and keeps surprising you even if you know him since a while now, is that whenever he talks he looks like everything has a deeper meaning and he wants to add small details in each thing he does. He sounds so smart it makes you listen to him whenever he talks.

“And you?” He replies back.

It catches you off guard because you weren’t used to him asking you questions. You took at least 3 seconds to react, quickly shaking your thoughts off your head to focus back on the conversation.

“Oh? Yeah! Yeah I loved the concept, the set was very pretty and I really like working on the design of this comeback” You nod fast hoping your answer doesn’t sound ‘stupid’ or whatever makes you look nervous since you’re trying to play it cool since the beginning of this conversation.

But, Taehyun’s reaction catches you off guard even more than the previous question.

He chuckles, and.. the way his lips curve in a smirk when he does it drives your attention away from the main topic.

You don’t know how to react so you simply laugh along with him,while your mind is racing with too many thoughts. Your laugh got cut off by Taehyun taking one step closer asking in a quieter voice.

“No I was talking about me…” before adding “What did you think about me?” giving you the same gaze as when he was on set. The same eyes, cold with a hint of lust behind.

So it wasn’t a random move ?! Your cheeks go red while strangely, the temperature becomes hotter in the room despite the cold weather today. “Hot..” was the only word which escapes your lips at this right moment. You couldn’t even realize what you just said when..

“Okay cut! That’s all for today! Good job everyone!” You didn’t know if this stop was a relief or a disappointment, but you couldn’t keep going on this conversation after what happened. Did he really ask your opinion about him during the shooting ? What were you really thinking ? Of course he nailed it ! But on further level..

You sigh “Come on..” you mumble to yourself. Meanwhile everyone starts moving in the room, some staff members leave, some arrive, some people are removing all the stuff on the set, turning off the lights, cleaning everything, people are talking about the shooting as you notice something else.

Where did Taehyun go ? In one second and a wave of people, you lost sight of him. You start looking around in the room and you spot a manager heading toward the exit with the members, Taehyun standing behind them, leaving the room. You only saw his figure moving toward the exit.

You check your phone and realize it’s the break time, so you decide to rest a bit. You also leave the room, heading back toward the makeup room where is a couch at the back. The perfect spot to take a small nap since everyone will probably go to the dining room to eat. You lay down, a heavy breath of relief as you can finally relax before closing your eyes. You don’t even have any idea about when the break ends, you just want to rest.

An hour later

You got woken up by a conversation happening in the room where you were sleeping. It takes you a few seconds to opens your eyes before your realize there is something on you, a blanket. As your eyes are slowly opening themselves, the current conversation in the room takes another tone, that’s when you hear the name “Ana” that your eyes immediately open fully.

The couch you were sleeping on is slightly hidden behind a wall so we can’t see you. You quickly pretend to still be asleep to not get caught as you try to listen to the conversation. You recognize a man’s voice.

You know well this voice, it talked to you barely a few hours ago : Taehyun.

The other voice is a woman’s voice, you didn’t hear it pretty much before but it is still not unknown to you.

“Ana stop this.” Taehyun says in a stern tone.

“Stop what ? You were the one who gave me that look during the shooting !” Ana answers in a sarcastic tone.

What the-? You couldn’t understand what was happening it was too blurry for you to understand, and you just woke up. Your mind was still in between sleep and reality.

“I never looked at you.” Taehyun responds.

“Then what were you looking at ‘cause something definitely caught your attention, you weren’t even looking at the cameras anymore!” Ana continues.

Then, a silence in the conversation fills the whole room.

Suddenly someone enters inside the room. “Ana why are you here, no staff member is allowed to go in the makeup rooms during breaks!” A manager scolds her, opening the door fully gesturing her to leave the room.

No answers, but the close door and there was only one person left in the room now, you weren’t sure whether it was Taehyun or Ana but there was no way you show up since you’re not supposed to be here as well. You discreetly peek behind you trying to see the person in the room with you.

You were about to take a closer look but you hear footsteps coming toward your direction, you immediately hide under the blanket until the person arrives next to you. You feel them touching the blanket slowly removing it.

“Oh no..” you mutter panicked. As the light enlightens your face.

“You are very bad acting.”

There was only one person who could say that kind of stuff in a such voice tone.

You keep your eyes closed wondering if you should open them or not as you feel the the blanket slowly sliding over your body.

“This girl is a whole show in herself.” Taehyun says before continuing. “You should thank me for covering you with my cloth while you were sleeping.”

A cloth ?? You sit up a bit seeing him sitting on a chair in front of you, holding on his laps that grey blazer.

It wasn’t the blanket..? Your mind rushes once again with numerous thoughts.

“Why?” You simply ask very surprised of his move.

“You were trembling like a scared cat, mumbling random stuff in your sleep.” How embarrassing this situation is ?

You scratch your head trying to find an answer.

“Ah I did..?” You laugh nervously “My friends often tell me I have a restless sleep! I always say nonsense haha..”

Taehyun‘s reaction isn’t the one you expected at all, instead of simply showing a unfazed expression or giving a simple answer, he leans in his face closer to yours and says.

“Are you sure you were saying nonsense in your sleep ? Because if you want me to be honest with you..”

He pauses and fixes your hair softly with his hand, tangling his finger between the messy strands.

“.. I think you knew pretty well the topic you were talking about in your sleep. And it had pretty much sense.”

At this right moment, your heart never beat that fast, you are wondering what you could’ve said, there are too many possibilities, you’re thinking about the different scenarios that can happen because he heard you talk. You also wonder if he’s not lying to make fun of you.

Your panicked expression is obvious and he notices it, bringing his hand over your shoulder, rubbing it gently as he talks in a soothing voice to you.

“Don’t worry, I’m not embarrassed or something by you.”

“What did I say..” you ask preparing yourself to the worst.

Taehyun pretends to think as if like he almost forgot. “I don’t remember very well, but you said my name many times..” his voice dropping to a whisper.

That’s right, this is the worst scenario you imagined. Among all the things you could have said in your sleep, his name came out of your mouth. You look away embarrassed before he adds .

“Don’t worry you said nothing weird.” In a more relaxed and cooler tone. You sigh relieved.

You quickly stand up and pick up your phone which fell of your pocket while you were sleeping, and check the time, it was

5:45pm

You kind of overslept but nobody called you ? Before leaving the room you turn around one last time.

“Thanks for the ‘blanket’. “

“No problem.”

Back home, you got a message from the staff team

➜ Tomorrow’s practice session. Everyone on time! 7AM!!

“Ain’t got no choice..” you sigh.

Tomorrow’s morning 7:24

You are waiting in the big practice room with some staff members, it was very silent and nobody has the energy, after a few more minutes the members arrive. Today they practice 0X1=LOVESONG’S choreography, the chorus part.

After a quick warm up, everyone is ready, on their spot. You were standing behind the cameraman to take note of everyone’s position to fix the little mistakes.

“It’s all good!” You give the signal, before the music starts.

Huening-Kai’s movements were very detailed and the dance fits really well with the song, you are glad everything worked out until now.

Suddenly your concentration got disturbed again, by the members switching positions. You didn’t know about the choreography, so everything was new to you, like this moment when Taehyun changed to the center’s position. He brings a new passion to the dance and looked desperate. The way he was playing every words of his lines in his movements.

Suddenly the music stops and the choreographer walks toward the member stopping in front Taehyun giving him an advice about his hands, the way he moves them along with the music.

“You have to make it look you’re really desperate for someone, your line says ‘please use me like a drug’ you have to imagine someone who’s as important as something you can’t get enough of, even more if you can !” the choreographer mimics the movements of the dance and tries to show him how to do.

You look at Taehyun who seems to be thinking about how to do this part of the song.

“Please.. use me like a drug” he repeats doing the movements in a stronger way accenting the desperate behavior in his arms.

You notice how sincere the lyrics are, you never realized before. The music starts again on the part where they stopped and Taehyun does again the line where he did a mistake. And once again, he looks at you, the same eyes, with a serious expression despite the lyrics of the song he’s saying right now.

“Please..” his eyes shifting to look at you.

“…Use me like a drug.”

The music stops and the choreographer applauses him. “That was perfect, just like a pro!”

And immediately Taehyun looks away from you and goes back to a normal attitude.

“Thank you.” he says glad. “Imagining someone I can’t get enough of was easier than I thought.” he changes tone.

You look at again at him surprised, when your gaze meets his a second time.

What is he playing..?!

You keep your cool and head back toward the staff team telling them. “Taehyun’s part is done, there’s nothing else to add.” there was a bit of hurry in your voice, because you want to finish as fast as possible this practice session..

5 months later everything is done! They finished recording the song, the mv, the choreography. It was very tough and dynamic and the hours spent at the studio, the makeup rooms, the meeting rooms… became numerous! But you made it, everyone worked so hard, and it was finally their first performance on stage.

You are a part of the stylists team responsible for everyone’s outfit for this stage. You have to find a white cloth for each member with ripped parts and some accessories. You get a black and white sweater for Taehyun, with ripped jeans.

“The emo style kind of suits him for this song.” You say to yourself.

Someone arrives behind you. “I’ll give it to him !”

You turn around and see Ana.

“Oh? Hum..”

“Don’t worry I’ve got you !” she interrupts you before you could say anything and takes the cloth away from you before leaving the room.

You’re confused but after all she’s a part of the stylists too. You shrug it off and start looking for the other accessories Taehyun will wear on stage. You are about to leave the room to go help Taehyun with them when Ana stops you in tracks, entering in the room almost bumping into you.

“Oh! Hey! Be careful!” she laughs. “Oh these are Taehyun’s accessories, don’t worry I’ll give them to him too!” She takes the belts away from you leaving the room not letting you say a word.

What is she doing ?? This was starting to annoy you.

You decide to keep looking for some clothes to take with you, when you feel a hand wrapping around your waist pulling you backwards. You are in a darker place away from the noise.

“Hey—!” A mouth covers yours, cutting your words off with a forceful kiss. The space is so small you are almost pressed against the person’s chest.

Someone walks in the hallways right next to the corner you are hidden at.

“Where’s Taehyun?” Ana says. You barely realize who is with you, pressing their lips on yours without any explanation when..

“Let me..” The person removes their lips from yours and whispers in your ear, followed by a warm breath next to your neck.

“Taehyun !” A staff member shouts in the hallways.

You need to confirm your doubts so you finally break your silence.

“Taehyun?” You say, hoping it’s nobody else than him.

A small silence in between two heavy breaths..

“Y/n. You know me..” he whispers, bringing his hand to your cheek rubbing his thumb over your lower lip.

“You’re supposed to be on stage right now-!” You tell him worried.

He cuts you off again with another kiss, pressing his lips harder against yours, backing your head on the wall behind you. “I love how worried and protective you are with me..”

“It’s my job!”

“Don’t talk about job or any of your stupid responsibilities..”

“Taehyun I’m gonna be in troubles if you don’t go on stage right now!” You say worried of the consequences.

He sighs. “That’s why we don’t have much time.”

“Time for what ??” You ask confused.

“A fucking quickie..” he groans in your ear.

“Taehyun are you serious right now ? I’m older than you..!”

“So? I have always been interested by you. And it doesn’t matter if you’re older Y/n..” he pauses and wraps his right hand around your waist and the other on your shoulder slowly removing your buttons.

“It’s even better…”

With this, he drops your shirt on the floor, leaving you in tank top.

“Ana is going to worry..” You mumble

“Ana?” He says in a mocking tone.

He brushes his fingers over your bare shoulder before continuing.

“What’s with Ana?”

“She’ll be jealous..”

“Come one Y/n..” he chuckles

“You’re the one who’s being jealous right now..” he teases

“But don’t worry about Ana you will see that she is nothing to me soon.” bringing his hips closer to yours

Despite the fact that you know well that if someone sees you, you’ll be fired right away, you can’t help but thinking about giving this a try. You’ve always wanted to be with him.

Your desires take the best of you and you whisper stuttering your words. “Do you have a condom..”

Taehyun hands stop moving and get replaced by his mouth on your bare shoulders kissing circles patterns on your skin.

“No.. there’s only my microphone in my pockets. Why? You wanna scream on speakers my name ?” He teases biting the strap of your tank top, pulling it down with his teeth revealing more of your skin.

There are too much thoughts in your head to think straightly about an answer, he isn’t helping at all and he knows it.

His hands go lower and rest right above your jeans, undoing them dropping them over your ankles the cold air reaching your legs, making you shiver. He turns your body around your chest stuck against the wall his hips pressed against your butt from behind, a hand on your chest, the other on your shoulder slightly pulling you backwards, making your back arch.

“This position is perfect don’t you think?”

You feel his hand putting more pressure of your chest squeezing your breasts making you react instantly.

“Yes..” you nod.

“Thought so.” A smug on his face as he pulls down his zipper taking out his cock already hard, stroking it slowly while feeling your body in his arms.

“Taehyun we don’t have much time.” You say in a hurry.

“You’re very impatient y/n. You’re one who’s taking it the only thing you should be doing is waiting for me..” he buries his face in your hair, inhaling your scent letting out a content sigh. “The real show is right in front of me, almost naked…

…And the best in this show, is that it’s private.

All for me.”

“Taehyun..” you repeat with a bit of neediness.

He doesn’t listen to your pleas and keeps teasing you, making you wait, knowing that you’ll get even more needy.

Suddenly you hear the speakers turning on and the music starting. They are going to start in just a few minutes.

“You’ve never answered me by the way.” He says in a more casual tone.

“About what..?” You ask confused.

“What did you think about me during the shooting.” He suddenly pushing himself inside you.

You almost yelp out loud but quickly cover your mouth with your hand.

“You did well..!” You whimper, your breath hitching on the rhythm of his thrusts. His grip on your breast tightens as he pulls you backwards making your back arch even more.

“I’m glad y/n. You didn’t lie, because I saw your eyes that day.”

“What.. are you talking… about Taehyun ?”

“Come on.. you remember that day.” He acts hurt and thrust himself harder in you.

You moan out loud, your hands trying to keep their hold on the wall. His hips go slower as he pulls out his microphone of his pockets and puts it in front of your mouth.

“If you wanna say something, tell it to all our fans.” he mocks before picking up speed immediately thrusting even deeper inside you.

He knows exactly what he is doing to you right now and this doesn’t help you to keep your calm.

The only thing you did was to clench even more around him. Your body is taking so much pleasure at the same time that your words can’t barely follow.

Your reaction manages to affect Taehyun’s body too, he drops the microphone on the floor a loud cracking noise coming out of the speakers. He grips your body tighter and brings his chest against your back leaning his chin over your shoulder breathing heavily next to your ear.

“Noona…” he breathes out.

“You’re so tight..” he groans out. The way he sounds so turned on gets you more and more hot. He pumps his hips faster.

“Let me cum inside you..”

He never called you noona before, so the way he said it for the first time, at this right moment makes it even more.. soft yet hot.

His cock warms up your insides, a wave of pleasure at each thrusts. You move your hand over the one which was squeezing your breast . “You can cum inside.. me” a soft moan escapes your mouth.

There’s nothing more to say, with a low groan and one last thrust, he pushes himself deep inside you filling you up. The feeling is so overwhelming yet so good. You rest your forehead against the cold wall panting as he pulls out, his grip on you loosening.

You both don’t exchange a single word for a few seconds before you hear the manager walking by the hallways again, calling Taehyun.

“Taehyun!”

Taehyun doesn’t sound worried at all, he is too caught by the moment you two just had.

He pants again.

“Noona..”

[lavellenchanted]

for the fic prompt/ask.

'You're so beautiful' for Penelope/Colin

"Hmmm."

Penelope leaned forward, peering into the mirror, and after a moment's deliberation reached up to carefully loosen a few curls from her coiffure and reposition them so they draped artfully around her face.

When she was satisified she turned her head from side to side, trying to see her alterations from every angle and decide if they had worked, if they had concealed --

"Oh, you are beautiful."

Her husband's voice interrupted her thoughts and a blush of pleasure spread across her face. Well, perhaps she was worrying for nothing after all.

Smiling, she turned to thank him - only to find that Colin was nowhere in sight. Pleasure dimming a little she came along the corridor and poked her head through the drawing room door, the direction his voice had come from. Perhaps he had seen her little display from vanity from inside the room?

But no; although he was in there, he was sat with his back to the door, so there was no way he could have been talking to her.

"Colin?"

"Mm?" He turned, and Penelope could see that he was holding a half-eaten sandwich in his hands and that his mouth was full. Admittedly that was nothing unsual, and she had at least trained him enough that he swallowed before continuing, "Everything alright?"

"Colin." Penelope frowned. "Were you just calling your sandwich beautiful?"

He shrugged, completely unembarrassed. Colin's ability to breeze through situations that would leave her tomato-red with morification never ceased to impressed her. "Well. Yes. Because it is - one of the best I've had. Who did you think I was talking to?"

Shaking her head in exasperation, she came fully into the room. "I thought you were talking to me. And it was rather gratifying."

"Pen, you know I think you're lovely. But I can say it again, if you'd like?"

"Oh, don't bother." She waved him off, slumping down into a seat next to him. "If I tell you to say it rather takes the fun out of it. Besides, I'm just being silly."

Colin looked at her questioningly, setting his sandwich down on a side-table so he could give his wife his full attention. "Silly how?"

She flushed, unable to even pretend to be as brazen as him. "Oh, it's just ... well. I noticed this morning that I have a few grey hairs."

"Really? Where?"

"Colin!"

"What? I've never noticed - I was just curious," he amended hastily, but when Penelope continued to glare at him, he moved forward in his seat so that he could lean over and take both of her hands in his. Bringing them to his lips, he brushed a kiss over her knuckles and then met her gaze as he said, "Penelope. Love of my life. My darling. You are beautiful. You're so beautiful, and you will continue to be beautiful even when your hair - which for the record, still looks entirely red to me - is completely silver. Or white."

Penelope's lips twitched with amusement. "What if it falls out altogether?"

Colin considered this. "Well, then I might have to downgrade you to merely pretty."

"You are a very wicked man," she laughed. "But I do love you. Thank you."

She leaned forward to press her lips to his in a brief but tender kiss, then got to her feet and headed back out the door.

"I love you, too," Colin replied, then called over his shoulder, "And you'd still think me handsome if I lost my hair, wouldn't you?"

"Hmm. I might have to think about it."

"Penelope!"

[aroacedm]

here’s 12 pictures of my art! context after each and my references at the end

tgcf spoilers!

12th

redrawing of the official art from tgcf volume 4! shi qingxuan is my favourite character and he xuan is a close second

this took me a while until i liked it but i wanted to recreate how the original created the ominous feeling and had so much detail and contrast while being in greyscale

11th

from the tgcf manhua, fengqing! i think their my favourite ship, and i hadn’t drawn them before so i tried to give it a go. not a big fan of the proportions but i think it turned out ok.

10th

@oceantherat (this is their favourite character from rain code) showed me the reference picture and i decided to try drawing it as perspective practice. it ended up a little bigger than i though so i couldn’t fit the whole reference, and the mask doesn’t feel rounded, but overall i like it

9th

same guy again! i wanted to try drawing him again but i think the shadows got a bit messed up. my cheap pens smudged a bit but overall i like it

8th

also from the tgcf manhua, this was from a meme that’s become an bit with me and ocean, just felt like drawing something and saw this in my photos

7th

after a dnd session with ocean and some other friends, i drew a scene from ocean’s character’s (also called ocean because that’s not their irl name) flashback! this guy killed her family! he’s one of her relatives! but i really wanted to focus on how dark the scene was, with almost everything being pitch black. i wanted to recreate the scene that left my players going D:

6th

here’s a younger ocean and her cousin that’s more like a brother! i hope nothing bad happens to him… i wanted to draw a picture that helped me as a reference for the backstory, to help build the character relationships and motivations

5th

it’s another character from that dnd campaign when they were younger with their brother figure! except this one is an NPC helping them out! i wanted to try and make the effect of torn paper but didn’t want to risk anything, so i left a bit of uncoloured paper to imitate a layer of partially torn paper. this was also to help when i was writing backstories

4th

this is the npc from the last picture in present time, i wanted to make canon designs for all the characters to help me visualise everything. i hid a few lore elements in this but because ocean is going to see this i can’t explain

3rd

i tried to redraw a picture of me and a friend on a ride together but in a more simple style (no eyes and mouth, ect) i haven’t shown the friend yet but i will soon. i’m the person looking at the camera. i really loved the photo and wanted to try drawing it

2nd

i drew this a while ago, but i still really like it. i used my own hand as reference (for some reason i used the hand i was drawing with) i’ve always been fairly good at drawing hands and when i sent this on an art group chat i’m in, i was quickly accused of being a witch. i can only draw to a level i like when i have a reference, and i always have my hands so it’s the thing i’ve drawn the most. i didn’t have the colour for my hands, but i think it turned out good

and finally,

i’m really proud of this one, i was sick and really bored when i drew it. this is from tgcf vol 6, but i’ve always been really impressed by the tgcf official art and how they look hand drawn but also digital. (you can see brush strokes but they look too perfect). i didn’t have all the different shades of grey, but i think i did well.

thanks for looking at all my art, here are the references i used and where they’re from

i don’t have the reference for number 9 but i’ll reblog with it when i find it

also i plan on showing more of my art but i need to find the original authors of the references

[sanhatipal]

"Noble d'Apchier"

A little watercolor painting of Chloe,with the Zorn palette! I found out about this palette a while ago and I really wanted to try it out! (More on that below )

Chloe's hair is something I adore, it's gotta be one of my absolute favourite character designs ever,I love how swirly and fluffy it is,very fun to draw. I've drawn her normally before,I wanted to do one with her vampire eyes and fangs too. I decided to try to draw a white fuzzy rim around the foreground against the plain background,for a change,like in some of the VnC panels.

The Zorn palette,or Apelles Palette was a colour scheme used by Anders Zorn in the late Victorian/Early Edwardian era. It ,or something similar,might have been used by artists of old civilizations too, because it avoids the use of blue and green entirely: which would eliminate the need for rare pigments . It's essentially a colour mixing challenge,to draw the entire paintings with 4 pigments,2 basic colours: Ochre yellow, Vermillion,and Black and white,which can be mixed into different shades. It can be an excellent exercise and means for portrait painting

Modern artists use red instead of vermillion,but the essence is the same. So that's what I did too. I considered using vermillion,but I realised that it would introduce a lot of yellow tint, making the picture very warm. Which is usually something I prefer honestly,but not what I was going for here. Also,I need to consider the fact that I'm a watercolour artist,which is very different from the original intended palette. Zorn used oil paints,but other artists use it fine for gouache and acrylic too, however,that too is different from watercolor, because instead of mixing with white, I'll be diluting with water,which changes the composition of the palette considerably. So I went with these supplies: ochre yellow and red watercolor pencils (for me, basically watercolor pigments,I don't use them to draw,I grind and dissolve them in water),white and black watercolor tubes,and white ink. In addition: lineart with sepia,grey and black brush pens,which are well within the bounds of the palette

To be honest,I ended up not using the white paint tube at all,water makes more sense to me. I didn't use anything else though,and stuck with the original materials.And the results:

Does it work? Hell yeah. It's not perfect,but I'm happy with how she turned out

Was it restricting? That's kind of the point,to paint with some limitations

Was it hard? Honestly? No. Not at all. It's definitely very different from what I'm used to,I use a lot of colours both as is and mixed,but this was surprisingly easy. Perhaps because of my subject,which didn't have much colour to begin with

Do I recommend it? If you want a small challenge,or to experiment or practice colour mixing,definitely

Will I do it again ? Absolutely. I feel like I haven't utilised much of the potential of this palette. I ended up using mainly red and black, hardly any yellow at all. So I'd like to do something more colourful with this palette, perhaps a sunny painting of a gingerhead girl with flowers,and for this I'll probably use vermillion,not red

Anyways, that's all! If you read all this,thank you for your time!!

[bl4z33467]

(Cracks knuckles) Alright folks I remember how to draw

Fat fuck Vulpes by yours truly, Blaze Lander. Inspired by the lovely drawing by @yourmateyoya ,egged on by @legions-top-dog , and because i force you to deal with all my shitty drawings, @noomycatz

Yes, once again, i have put too much effort into a shitpost. Roughly 2 hours as I reused a canvas on ibis paint for a 5th drawing lmao

Yall can burn me at the stake later lol

Process below hehe i like to ramble

And just because i like to talk about my drawing process for characters with complex outfits, this is how my lobotomy brain does it:

First i do silly fun colored sketch. I use different colors to differentiate the "skeleton" from the, euh, fleshy bits, and the clothing. You can see lots of lines that would not be shown in the final product so it makes it confusing to look at.

Next i do a clean sketch.

This is where i clean up everything before doing the final lines. I use one color and a thin brush to make it easier to line over. Here i add any extra bits (like the top football armour) and "render the physics" as i call it, so properly drape cloth and the uhhh squish of stupid fat fuck vulpes' boobs and stomach. I also will balance the drawing here by flipping it and redrawing or using the drag tool.

Next is lining.

For this drawing, i used a 9.0 digital pen with a taper. Its my standard :þ. I kept my pen at the same size for this piece. Sometimes i line the outside darker to make the drawing stand out more. I decided not to as i wanted to give the drawing a more "serious" tone. (How serious can this be though lol-)You may notice on the arms little bits of the lines are missing, thats because i gave him some arm hair. I like make little details like that show over the lines. But since the one shading technique i used works with clipping masks, i had to but the arm hairs on a layer lower than the line art. Next is colour:

I colour in the drawing with midtones. Simple as. I tried to stick with warm colours besides his eyes, which are grey blue. Idc if they arent, im too lazy to google it. I mostly use flat colors but i did make his shirt a gradient. Next is do simple cell shading:

Depending on how i feel i shade with or without the colours in the back. I went with a sorta "non decrepit" light source here. Didnt want too much intensity. I used a deep marronish orange on a multiply layer on 45% opacity. Soft shading/lighting next:

I get intense with the soft shading. I use the airbrush with a deep maroon to add dark gradient and airbrush with a light pink to add a bit more depth. I usually use less light and more dark because im evil i like the intensity. I keep the layer the same amount of opacity and multiply it with the darks and soft light for the lights. Next are the shine highlights:

I use the dip pen hard with a taper to add light highlights of white on shiny bits like metal and eyes. I uses pure white, set the layer to 25% opacity, and use normal blending.

I also shade the lines because it makes the lines softer. I use a clipping layer on the line art, set the whole thing to a dark grey, and airbrush in darker and lighter parts. (I felt like a picture wasnt needed cuz its hard to notice.

For the background, i used a dark red i stole from the cell shaded layer, drew a vine pattern with the kaleidoscope ruler, and added a vignette. Vignettes are my cheat code for background hehe~ it makes the subject stand out while keeping suave, seriousness and formality. To make a subject pop out more, put the vignette behind the character but in front of the background. For more intensity but it on top of both.

Also- I usually draw with a level 10 stabilizer (i got shaky hands) but i drew with a 2 stabilizer so im surprised it came out so smoothly-

Also i gave him goggle tan lines because if i have to have them from playing tennis with sunnies, so does he.

[miss-celestia13]

Begin Again

Jake x MC Fluffy One Shot

Words: 2.8k

It’s Jake’s first day at his new job. His nerves are getting the best of him, but MC knows just what to say and do to get him out of his head. A new beginning, the promise of peace and safety.

The ending of my story made me want to return to these two. While I prepare for my sequel, it was fun and peaceful to write something fluffy again! It’s more tooth rotting fluff and romance! I hope you enjoy it 🥰❤️

Jake

His inner critic was very loud that morning. It was desperately trying to save him from making mistakes, but all it gave him was anxiety, doubt, and misplaced shame. The man looking back at him in the mirror was not the one he was accustomed to. Gaunt, grey and terrified was how he used to look. A specter in human skin who lived in the shadows. Now, a glaze to his eyes spoke of a kinder life and peace, but the harsh line of his tensed jaw and the frown between his brows gave away his fear. He could hear her padding around the kitchen as he finished brushing his teeth and rinsed his mouth, ensuring his hair wasn’t too unkempt before he left the sanctuary of the bathroom to gather his things. Today was no ordinary day. He was starting his new job, the first in five years and one he was semi-confident he would excel at, but his social battery worried him. Would it hold enough charge for an eight-hour workday? He wasn’t entirely sure.

She insisted he spend the night so she could see him off on his first day, and she woke him with his preferred black coffee and two slices of buttered toast. His stomach was a nest of snakes, and she seemed to know he couldn’t stomach anything else. It had settled him somewhat, and her tender, loving touches and smiles helped more. Still, there was a definite tremble in his hands as he packed the forms he had filled in with his shiny new bank details and hunted for his favorite pen, which he found tucked behind her ear as she entered the bedroom to see how he was getting on. She gave it to him with a sheepish smile, and he chuckled at the pink flush on her cheeks.

“You look like a professional.” She teased, eyeing his freshly pressed shirt and black trousers.

“I don’t think they’d appreciate me turning up in a hoodie and jeans,” He said.

“Hmm, they don’t know what they’re missing.” She laughed but quickly stopped as she sensed the tension in him.

“Hey, are you okay? You look like you’re about to be sick.”

Jake swallowed hard, head shaking as he drew in a tight breath, “I’m... terrified. What if I fuck it up? What if they find out what I did? What if-”

“Jake. Breathe,” Her hands were on his shoulders as she looked him in the eye, “Let’s try something different. What if none of that happens, and you love it? What if this is what you need to finally feel safe? You won’t know for sure until you’re there. Don’t ruin it before you get started.”

He knew she was right, but there was an iron band around his chest and a dead weight in his feet that kept him rooted to the floor. He didn’t want to let her down. Wanted to build a life with her, and to do it, he needed a job, and he was very aware of all the ways it could go wrong. Taking a steadying breath, he shook out his tingling hands and nodded, hoping he looked braver than he felt.

“I just hate being scared of everything. It makes me feel useless, weak,” He admitted in a whisper, watching as her brows furrowed. That spark ignited in her eyes, the one that always appeared when he was being too hard on himself.

“I’d be more concerned if you weren’t anxious or nervous. It’s normal to be afraid of something new, especially after what you went through. But Jake, the only time you can ever be brave is when you’re afraid. It doesn’t make you useless. It makes you strong and courageous because you’ll do it in spite of your fear.”

There was nothing but stolid belief and conviction in her tone as she stared up at him, a soft smile on her plush mouth, and he knew she was right and he would adapt like he always did.

“How do you always know the right thing to say?” He wondered aloud and she winked, pushing up on her toes to kiss his cheek before turning to leave the bedroom. Her response was tossed over her shoulder before she walked out the door.

“I just say what I wish people told me whenever I was afraid or anxious. And I know you better than anyone. You just needed someone to remind you who you are.”

Shaking his head, Jake didn’t question it or the calmness she left behind as he zipped his work bag shut and carried it through to the living room. She was waiting for him, a coy smile on her lips as she handed him a lunch bag and ducked her head. His heart swelled and warmed, touched that someone wanted to take care of him. Her quiet care for those she loved was the most beautiful thing about her. He tried to open it, but she stopped him, a note of alarm in her voice that made him arch a brow.

“Wait until lunchtime to open it. I could barely close it; it’ll explode all over the place, and you’ll be late if you don’t hurry.” She rambled, not meeting his eye, and though he wanted to question her, she was right. He had to leave.

“Thank you. I’ll let you know how it goes when I get home. I love you.” He murmured and kissed her softly, smiling into it as she sighed happily.

Parting with the promise of spending another night together, Jake grabbed his car keys and belongings and headed out the door. She stood in the doorway waving and grinning as he backed out of her driveway and onto the main road, beeping the horn before he steeled his spine and followed the GPS to his new workplace. The drive seemed to pass almost instantly. Like he blinked and he was there, he hoped the day went by just as quickly. The parking lot was already filling up, and he had to circle it a few times, his heart rate climbing higher with every turn. Once he found a parking space, he double-checked he had all he needed and got out of the car, feeling his phone buzz in his pocket as he walked toward the building. Pulling it out, he saw her name and smiled as he opened it.

MC: Good luck, love. You’ll smash it. I’ll help you forget all about it tonight ;-)

Jake: Thank you. Enjoy your day, and I’ll hold you to that. :-)

He turned it off as he entered the building, schooling his features into what he hoped was a welcoming smile as he approached the front desk and gave the receptionist his name. The kindly older woman grinned at him and directed him to his floor, handing him a passkey with his photo, name, and title already on it. Security analyst. It sounded very official, and he couldn’t help his wry chuckle as he took the elevator to meet with his boss. If Jake from two years ago could see him now… He’d barely left the elevator when his name was called. He recognized the man’s baritone voice and whirled to face his new employer. His name was Harvey. He was a sauve and perfectly put-together man in his mid-forties. His suit must’ve cost at least a couple month's wages. Jake felt like a boy around him but knew it was in his head as the man gestured for him to follow him inside his office.

Once he was seated, Harvey gave him a lengthy rundown of all that was expected of him and how desperately they needed his help and expertise. It was overwhelming, but he managed to stay on track and digest the urgency of the situation. Jake nodded and asked a few questions, mainly listening as Harvey explained the flaws in their systems and the temporary patches they had in place. It would not hold forever, and Jake’s job was to close all holes and ensure everything ran smoothly. He was being paid handsomely for it and knew he could do it. It was the human aspect of the job he worried over, but he’d cross that bridge when he came to it. There was no point in borrowing problems from the future when the present held more than enough to keep him occupied. His boss seemed to deflate with relief when Jake told him the ideas he’d already had. Still, he wanted to get familiar with the systems before implementing anything. Harvey was amenable to that, and soon, they were on their way to Jake’s new office. An office. His time spent in dingy motels while searching for Hannah felt like another life as he surveyed the room. 

“I’ll let you set yourself up and get a feel for it. If you have any problems or questions, call my office. We’re glad to have you here.” Harvey said with a smile.

Jake thanked him again and returned his goodbye as Harvey closed the door and left him to it. He slumped into his new chair and blew out a breath as he turned his computer on and signed into his work account. He soon forgot to be nervous as the familiar feel of the keys under his fingers and their comforting clacking filled the quiet room, reminding him of being at home. Working on his laptop while she flitted around the house or kept him company. The morning passed in a blur of very little in the way of progress, but he learned a lot more than he thought he would take in on his first day. The size of the company was an issue. As was the fact employees took work laptops home. That wasn’t his problem yet, and he soon began compiling a list of the most glaring, dangerous issues. He sent an email containing his findings to his boss, checked the time, and was surprised to see it was already lunchtime. He didn’t want to leave the safety of his office and decided to eat there for the day at least. Socializing could wait until he got his feet under him.

Signing off for the hour, he reached under his desk for his lunch bag. He set it on his desk, carefully opening it as he remembered her strange demeanor earlier that day. He was smiling as he saw the effort she went to. Along with his well-filled sandwiches were a bag of chips, three energy drinks, and a bunch of his favorite snacks. His chest felt tight and pleasantly warm as he sent her a quick text to let her know how much he appreciated her. He was happily eating a sandwich when he pulled the bag of chips out to add some to it and saw the note at the bottom of the bag. His heart kicked up as he picked it up and read it.

No matter what your silly brain tells you,

you are excellent at everything you do and can do this.

I am so proud of you I could cry.

You have strengthened me in my weakest moments.

I plan to always do the same for you.

Don’t forget how happy you make me.

Enjoy your lunch.

I love you.

His vision swam as he read it again and again. She was always surprising him. He never knew what was next with her, and he liked it, no, he loved it. She shook him out of his rigid numbness and convinced him he could have and be more. She was a balm to his every wound, and he knew she felt the same about him. He saw it in the way she went soft around him, all smiles and gentle kisses. Even when they disagreed, she was never cruel or harsh. She stood her ground, made her argument, and always listened to his side. They were a team, and he was doing this job to make sure that the life they dreamed of came true and she never had to worry about him again. He barely tasted his lunch after that, time passing swiftly as he thought of everything he would say when he got home.

The rest of the work day went as quickly as the morning had, and Jake felt lighter and more sure of himself as he closed everything down and left his office. Harvey wished him a pleasant evening as Jake poked his head into his office to say goodbye and thanked him for the opportunity. He was in his car and on the road home within minutes, music blaring, and the window rolled down as the sun made the tarmac shimmer. Fresh air filled his lungs, and he breathed much easier now the day was behind him. She would already be finished work, and he knew where she would be as he neared her house and slowed to turn into the driveway. Seeing the side gate was unlocked, he knew his hunch was correct and hurried out of the car to find her. Her garden was half-wild and half-tamed. Long grass and tidy borders filled with carefully selected plants and flowers. Birds chittered in the trees lining the back of it, and she was on her knees before a flower bed, hair tied back in a messy bun as she pruned the rose bushes. Their sweet scent hung heavy in the summer air as he approached and admired her in her element. 

Bees buzzed around the flowers as he announced his presence so he didn’t frighten her; their fuzzy jackets were weighed down with pollen as they jumped from bloom to bloom. As she turned to him and saw him smiling, her shoulders relaxed, and her eyes softened as she got to her feet and took off her gloves, tossing them on the ground as she came to him. No hesitation, no second guessing, she invaded his personal space and gave a satisfied little sigh. Her arms wound around his waist. She smelled like earth, grass, and roses, a fragrant perfume he wished he could bottle. 

“Well, how was it? Was anyone mean to you?” She laughed as he wrapped his arms around her and shook his head.

“It was... good. I think I’ll like it there. And no, cheeky, they were nice.” 

“See, I knew you would do great.” She said, watching his face for any sign of discontent and finding none.

“I especially enjoyed the food you packed for me,” He hedged, delighted to see a blush creeping up her neck as she avoided his eye.

“Did you now?” 

“I did. Someone left me a really encouraging note. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” 

She shrugged, eyes twinkling as she said, “I haven’t the slightest inkling. What did it say?” 

“That you are proud of me and love me. Some other things too, but I don’t want you to get any redder than you already are,” he teased, kissing her forehead as she hummed and cleared her throat.

“I suppose it’s all true... Tell me, did it help?” She asked, and he nodded.

“It did. Thank you, you’re far too good to me.”

She shook her head vehemently, “Nope. None of that. You’re more than enough for me. If I have to tell you -”

He laughed as he cut her off with a kiss that made her melt into him and clutch his shirt in two tight fists. He would never tire of kissing her. That he was able to whenever he wanted felt like a gift, and he would not waste it, not for a second. He’d already spent years of his life as a ghost, he refused to do so again. The feel and scent of her were all he knew as he possessed her mouth and knew this was where he was meant to be. They were only at the beginning. There were so many years and opportunities ahead of them, and he could choose the things that made him happy, not what kept him free of his pursuers. That was the most exciting thing of all, and he couldn’t wait to make mistakes that wouldn’t end his life or put him in jail. Just wanted to make those normal mess-ups that one could learn from. He hadn’t been able to do that in so long. It felt silly to look forward to such a thing, but he knew what life was like without it, and it wasn’t worth it. The world was theirs for the taking, and he knew they would make it to whatever end they wanted. Together, always together. And whether the weather be frost, rain, or sunshine, they would be each other’s shelter. It was a vow he was only too happy to keep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thank you for reading! And if you reblog or comment, thank you so much for that, too! I am so grateful to you. I hope you enjoyed it 🥰❤️

[bahs-lovely-bakery]

is it okay that we have an lvl 2 Icing Those Hurts Tommy?

YES UES UES A MILLION YESSS JDUDHAHAHSHBW I LOVE YOU FOR THIS SJJWJAJSJS!1!1!1!1!!1

You get an extra detailed one (adding front triggers, lore (because this also has my headcanons for it hehe), and just whatever I can think of!) and yours is also priority above all else. This is my second hyper fixation after the DSMP. I hope you get the best in life / srs. (I also may or may have formed ice myself, sorry heushah)

⋆₊ ♱ Name / s — Tommy, Tammyn, Tamsyn, Snow, Alaska, Xander ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Nickname / s — Tom, Toms, Tam, Tammy, Snowy, Al, X, Xan, Skater-boy (somewhat neg), Ice Princess (neg) ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Age / s — Sixteen <—> Seventeen ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Gender / s — Demi- Boy, Ice- Gender, Cold- Gender, Star- Gender, Static- Gender ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Sexuality / s — Asexual, Grey- Aromantic ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Pronoun / s — Ice / Ice, Skate / Skates, It / Its, Shy / Shys, She / Her, Snow / Snows, Snowflake / Snowflakes, ❄️ / ❄️s, ⛸️ / ⛸️s, 🧊 / 🧊s ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Role / s — Anxiety Holder, Dehumanization Holder, Sadness Holder, Negativity Absorber, Selectively Mute, Observer, Deals with eating disorders ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Species / s — Human ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ personality — Tommy is a quiet kid, opting to stay silent during ices time in front and only talking if she 100 % trusts whoever whats to talk to shy. In her source, she often dealt with both verbal abuse and physical abuse + neglect. Even though ice doesn’t like to talk to people outside the system, ice will force iceself to try and comfort people if she thinks they seem distressed or in need of help. Funny how that works, Tommy helping people even if it would hurt her. She’s just a caring, thoughtful person in general. Ice will never force herself to front unless needed, or unless one of her positive triggers are there, and even so skate will always apologize if skate kicked someone out of front. She is still trying to deal with her source trauma and will always get uncomfortable around adults and people who are overly bossy. Shy is also a very curious little person, and loves to watch what’s going on in front. Due to struggling with anorexia in ice’s source, ice really doesn’t want other people to go through the same thing as she did. If she figures out that the body hasn’t eaten, she’ll either co- front with whoever is front to make them eat or if she can’t front due to external or internal reasons skate will tell whoever is fronting to eat. ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Face-Claim

꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Quirks — Ice is always seen fidget and fiddling with the things around her. Cracking her knuckles, biting her lips, clicking pens, dragging its fingers across things, and more! She never laughs too loudly and always tried to seem professional, polite, and ‘perfect’ around people. Despite this, shy always avoids eye contact when talking to people, even in system. ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Habits — Snow always makes notes about things, even for the smallest things like taking walks or brushing hair. She is also VERY neat since mess makes her nervous. (Sorry, didn’t have a lot of ideas for this part!! ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Aesthetic / s

꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Favorite / s — Its favorite thing of all is snow! She would be more likely to front during winter compared to any other time of the year! Ice skating, snow cones, and winter activities are all things shy LOVESS to do! Other than that, cleaning, listening to calming music, and napping are all things Tommy enjoys! ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Least favorite / s — Snow absolutely HATES loud noises with the exception of loud music. Being babied and treated like a child is also something she hates. Also being treated like it is better than other people, as she just wants to be seen as a normal person. ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Kin / s — Arctic Fox ꒷꒦︶︶

⋆₊ ♱ Front Trigger / s ( + / = / - ) + SNOW SNOW SNOW!! + Music! Stuff like Mitski, TV Girl, And The Crane Wives! + Old 2000s Christmas movies! + Positive source talk and material! + Source friends! + Ice! Wilbur and Ice! George specifically!!! + The SMP Hockey Team!! = Eating. = Help with stuff! = Boredom hehe! = Musicals. = Physical affection! = The Winter Olympics - Too much eye contact. - Rude words. - A negativity. - The Summer. - Heat. - Negative Source memories. - Coaches of any kind. - Complements, no matter the intent ꒷꒦︶︶

[briwates]

little things I noticed in ep 1 & 2 while rewatching tdj

gaon has a large carton with "cucumber" written on it on his balcony. at first i thought it was where he was growing them (gaon growing vegetables himself ?) but then i realised it's just a box he probably re-used for storage

gaon also has the same stress medication on his desk that yohan had in the mansion's kitchen. was it gaon who bought more and put it there ? would be amusing if he did it as in "girl fuck you im getting grey hairs thanks to your nonsense". or maybe he thought yohan needed the pills :')

edit: no actually yohan also had them on his desk in his office in ep 2...he had TWO bottles 😭 also two hourglasses, one big and one small, they both get blown up with the desk etc when the bomb explodes

we see lee youngmin in ep 1 going down the stairs of what i assume is the venue for yohan's first speech. ig his parents dragged him there

jinjoo has a hair brush on her desk, some pink/blue/red pens, an hourglass too ? as well as a hairband with pearls, and a bunch of other objects i could not see clearly, while gaon, aside from classic desk stuff, has a large thermos, the stress meds and also an hourglass. is it common in korean offices or just a symbolic detail for the characters ?

btw that cardboard cutout of yohan jinjoo has on her desk means that it's canon that at some point in tdj universe, kang yohan had barcode bangs 👍🏼scan him at the self checkout

it's interesting that during the ep 2 restaurant dinner, gaon assumes yohan was /born/ in a rich family (at least that's what the subtitles say, idk about the actual word used in korean). the wording is important when you know the circumstances of yohan's birth

yohan says his father was a second generation moneylender. kang grandpa lore ? then i wonder if isaac and yohan's grandparents were still alive when they were kids

Also about Yohan saying he cant taste things, in my first watch I thought he had ageusia due to trauma. No he's just a liar + fed by ms ji

the basketball scene in ep 2.....foreshadowing of ep 15. gaon asks min jungho "how could you, the judge min jungho, cheat ?" after his feint to catch the ball, and mjh says "it was a feint, not cheating". sounds familliar doesnt it 😅

gaon wears blue sneakers with his suit in ep 2. im almost sure he has dress shoes later on

the guy who posted on the online forum abt yohan being a demon is a bit crazy because what do you mean "i know him well" and then when gaon goes to him he says "i was in his class when we were 12"

The actor for child yohan has little fangs it's cute

In the back section of Yohan's office, behind the glass door, there are a couple photographs of a monument with a dome roof ?

The fact that the bug Gaon planted under yohan's desk glows red and bright....not very smart

[cheapsweets]

The Lulling Nisegwag

My response to this week’s BestiaryPosting challenge, from @maniculum

Pencil sketch, then lines in Pentel brush pen (had to refill the cartridge half-way through!).

Thought process under the cut…

“The Nisegwag is a seabird which produces its young on the shore, depositing its eggs in the sand, around midwinter."

So, a seabird, that nests on the shore. Means I don't need to worry too much about colour (since most seabirds are variations on greys, whites and blacks). Specifically, it nests in the sand, so I did a bit of digging and based the nest loosely off that of terns and plovers (the terns also had a bit of influence with the bird's markings on the face and beak, along with gannets (mostly because they are really pretty looking birds!).

"It chooses as the time to hatch its young, the period when the sea is at its highest and the waves break more fiercely than usual on the shore; with the result that the grace with which this bird is endowed shines forth the more, with the dignity of an unexpected calm. For it is a fact that when the sea has been raging, once the Nisegwag’s eggs have been laid, it suddenly becomes gentle, all the stormy winds subside, the strong breezes lighten, and as the wind drops, the sea lies calm, until the Nisegwag hatches its eggs."

I compressed the different time periods here a little for effect - as such, we have the suns rays breaking through the heavy cloud above, and the sea being calm, just as the chicks are hatching. We can also see some bladder wrack and other natural ocean materials thrown up onto the beach by the previous stormy weather, inclduding shells and a cuttlebone. We also know that this bird is graceful (I'm going to assume in flight, rather than on the ground!) so we have a few of the flight feathers clearly visible at the ends of the wings. It's also generally a quite smooth bird, with thick, water resistant feathers, though it has fluffed up its chest feathers to incubate the eggs.

"The eggs take seven days to hatch, at the end of which the Nisegwag brings forth its young and the hatching is at an end. The Nisegwag takes a further seven days to feed its chicks until they begin to grow into young birds. Such a short feeding-time is nothing to marvel at, since the completion when the hatching process takes so few days. This little bird is endowed by God with such grace that sailors know with confidence that these fourteen days will be days of fine weather and call them ‘[redacted]’, in which there will be no period of stormy weather.”

A very quick growing bird - at first I wanted to draw cute, fluffy chicks, but then I realised the birds would be new born; hence the slightly skrungly, goosebumpy appearance.

Some parts of this one were a bit more experimental. I'm really happy with how the actual creature came out, but learning to draw sea and sunbeams was hard, and I'd probably do the clouds differently if I was doing this over again. All good learning, and all good fun :)

[holycorrupt]

if you have the time/energy to elaborate, what's your process like for coloring stuff you ink traditionally? i've figured out a few different methods over the years, but i generally stick to fully digital or traditional for a piece, so i'm curious to see how you do it! :0

This is such a fun question for me because I get to both ramble about my art process and have an excuse to throw some colors on this Breloom I drew ages ago.

I use Clip Studio Paint and an Ipad for my digital stuff so I'll be referring to the processes on that but I'm sure there is a work around for other programs as well :^)

I scan my traditional art at 400dpi because it's always easier to work bigger with digital stuff and resize it smaller then the other way around :^)

So here's our raw scan, which already looks very decent but when I want to color something I like for everything to be much cleaner/sharper/more contrast-y and to get rid of the noise from the paper texture lmao. A well lit photo will also do the job because that's what I did for many years before getting my scanner but tbh if you're a traditional -> digital artist like myself a scanner is like a best friend you can buy HAHA

First things first, I apply a Gradient Map Layer > New Correction Layer > Gradient Map

Clip has a really nice black and white map preinstalled but I made myself a custom map just by pushing the black and white a little closer, it completely clears up all the noise and makes everything really crisp! Make sure you check on your lines when adjusting things because super fine feather lines can sometimes be lost if you make the contrast too high. Extra tip! If you want to make Graphite Pencil or Ball Point Pen really nice looking as well, just add a dark grey point in the gradient map closer to the black then middle...works perfectly :^)!!

This is the point I look for stray pixels, cat hairs, ect and make sure to erase any surrounding doodles or sketches I don't want included.

GOD DAMN Those lines are CRISP-Y!!!

Next up we're going to want to go Edit > Convert brightness to opacity

Tbh If I didn't have this method idk what I would do with myself.... I've tried the whole "Lineart on top layer set to multiply" Method and ...ehh....

Now that I have a nice transparent line art I'll stick a new white layer down below it because the checker pattern hurts my eyes LOL

I'm going to add a read more here since this post is getting lengthy haha

I'm going to quickly go over the style I use for MTE! It has been refined to be quicker and easier to do since you know...I have a week time limit per page ... 😭 I have a completely different way I do colors for other things I want to spend more time on but I might explain that one in the future...I'm running out of steam tonight LOL

I use this really awesome brush pack that has a pencil like texture and I love it to bits...here's a link to it if your interested!

At this point I might add some overlay layers or play around with an airbrush but I think this guys done for now :^) I tend to stay away from highlights with my shading for MTE..My biggest goal is to make sure everything is clear and readable! That being said I break my own rules all the time for special panels that need the extra 'oomf!'

Slap a lazy square background and yay!! He's done!

Hope this was interesting aaaa Thank you again for the ask!!

[foileadeux]

im obsessed with your art and animatics... do you have any tutorials or process posts about some techniques you use? like how you move characters separate of the backgrounds (is it just some clever tweening in vegas??) ty in advance... ;; v ;;

sure! umm this is gonna be messy sorry if anythings incoherent. ill walk u thru this segment of the pkradi hollow fight bc theres a lotta layers. heres the shot for reference

aaand heres a breakdown of the layers (called tracks in sony vegas but im just gonna keep calling them layers) from top to bottom

heres the foreground! where i wanna place shit that goes in front of the characters and background

heres where the characters will be placed! sandwiched between the foreground and background, they get more frames (as shown by the smaller segmented images on the timeline) opposed to set pieces which is usually just 1 image, which means we gotta approach tweening w the characters differently since there are a lot more images! ill explain that after this initial breakdown

and heeeres all the background shenanigans. not much to add here. those sure are background frames

RIGHT now to the tweening. when tweening 1 image/frame whateva you're gonna wanna use pan/crop (located on the image, that lil box with a crop around it icon), use this for stuff that only really needs 1 image, like a background. because its easier. like you could use track motion for everything i guess but pan/crops nice and easy and doesnt give me a headache she treats me nice and good

but uh yea so youll start with a little keyframe at the beginning, drag the pan/crop timeline to the end and click the little + sign to create a keyframe! then from there move the pan/crop box (the one with an F on it lmao) around and kablammo. Movement. usually with backgrounds its just a simple panning to the left or right, like how i did it for this shot! but you can do lots more like zoom and angle it etc

aand when you wanna tween across multiple images in a layer/track you're gonna head on over to your layer/track and hit that funny little track motion button aand youll be greeted with a pan/crop lookin thing except its like. for the whole layer/track instead. so the timeline is waaay bigger since it covers the whole thing. but umm yes same principle as pan/crop basically, except youll now need to insert "hold" keyframes right after your final keyframe, copy and paste a keyframe with all the positions defaulted (im gonna assume youre using 1920 x 1080 since its the standard)

like so and then right click a grey keyframe and choose "hold". this stops everything from fucking up and flying between each keyframe basically LMAOO the Hold is it waiting for your next keyframe that is Not a hold. if that makes sense. anyways yea only worry about that for track motion JUST because it works with the entire track/layer, with pan/crop you can ignore this

BUT YEAH thats my silly little sony vegas tweening guide i hope that helps!! umm i have another tutorial also so u can check that out too if youd like :D