#toots my own horn per usual.

[tgcg]

an open fly walking

i didnt like this one but i thought id finally air it out since its been sat in my folders for months now

TG: hey karkat

CG: YEAH?

===

TG: you ever noticed you like

TG: walk weird

CG: WOW, OKAY.

CG: HAVE *YOU* EVER NOTICED THAT I DON'T GIVE A SHIT?

TG: pff

===

TG: no listen because i got my ears scoping that shit im like a scouter for dude activity

TG: ok maybe me mentioning it to you is gonna fuck up your ecosystem or something but

TG: you have the heaviest feet of the century man

CG: I DO???

TG: just thrust them straight down into the ground like youre trying to homebrew a san andreas fault

TG: viciously tamping on tectonic plates hoping for top score on the richter scale

TG: waging war against solid particles and the basic flow of gravity

TG: i could ID those footfalls out of a million i mean it

CG: SERIOUSLY?

===

TG: i mean theres nothing wrong with it but

TG: yeah

CG: I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU'RE FUCKING WITH ME RIGHT NOW.

TG: im not fucking with you striders honor

TG: when have i ever lied to anybody about anything

CG: NOT UNPACKING THAT QUESTION WITH YOU TODAY.

CG: BUT SHIT, HOLD ON. LET ME SEE.

TG: yeah take the umbrella go over there and just walk to me

CG: ON IT.

===

===

TG: see you just kinda slam em straight down dude

CG: THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY RIOTOUS FUCKING JOKE OF A LIFE.

TG: dont your feet ache

===

CG: MOOT POINT. THIS MIGHT SOUND INSANE BUT I'VE ACTUALLY HAD MY STRUT PODS FOR A WHILE. ANY KIND OF PAIN THIS WOULD'VE BEEN CAUSING WOULD BE TOTALLY FILTERED OUT OF MY SPONGE BY NOW AS BACKGROUND NOISE.

TG: damn i didnt think that through

TG: my shades

CG: ALRIGHT, GET BACK UNDER THE SHITTING UMBRELLA AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME.

TG: look ive fucked myself over here too i dont have shit to clean these with

TG: ugh

===

TG: guess its karma

CG: HOLY FUCK. HOW DID I NEVER NOTICE THIS BEFORE?

TG: i dunno but im gonna assume having a dad thats a literal crab monster is probably a contributing factor

TG: im guessing thats not a great role model for this kinda thing

TG: just conjecture i mean

CG: YOUR ENVY IS OVERWHELMINGLY OBVIOUS DAVE. AS A DISCLAIMER, HE WOULD'VE ABSOLUTELY KICKED YOUR ASS.

TG: yeah probably

CG: THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL THERE IS TO SAY ON THE MATTER.

===

TG: but see bro had me stringent on feather feets

TG: i bet i could slip across a bike horn warehouse with nary a fucking toot

CG: HAHA. ASSUMING YOU DON'T MAKE A TOTAL ASS OF YOURSELF, AS PER USUAL.

CG: IF YOU WEREN'T CONSTANTLY RUNNING YOUR GASH ABOUT EVERYTHING AND BEING AN INIMITABLE CLOWN I SERIOUSLY THINK YOU COULD BE ON PAR WITH YOUR CUSTODIAN.

CG: THAT IS A MONUMENTAL "IF".

TG: well look at it this way

TG: im basically doing you all a favor by being a dumbass

TG: never gonna get caught off guard by the bozo patrol

CG: WOW. GOOD POINT.

===

TG: also screw this can i use your shirt

TG: this stupid hoodie is just smudging my lenses up

TG: i cant see dick

CG: UH

CG: SURE, I GUESS.

TG: cool

===

TG: so yeah i could be prowling around like a goddamn verbal assassin sniping convos left and right

TG: but no ive got the decency to go bunp in the night

CG: YEAH.

CG: IT'S DEFINITELY COMPOUNDED BY THE CONSTANT INANE RAMBLINGS.

CG: BUT

CG: IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY RELAXING, Y'KNOW? IT HAS ITS OWN RHYTHM.

TG: see yeah i sound it off and

===

TG: wait really?

CG: YEAH

CG: I DON'T KNOW

CG: FUCK. HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS WITHOUT WANTING TO CRAM MY FROND DOWN MY PROTEIN CHUTE.

===

CG: IT'S LIKE

CG: A SALVE FOR MY AGGRAVATION SPONGE.

CG: YOUR VOICE IS THE HUMAN EQUIVALENT OF ASPIRIN.

TG: uh damn karkat hold your hoofbeasts i was talking about the rhythm thing

CG: ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT. I'M TAKING US BOTH THE FUCK OUT RIGHT NOW. YOU HAVE REACHED THE BAD END OF THIS CONVERSATION.

TG: you think thatd be heroic or just

CG: IF I WAS STILL GHOSTING AROUND THE RUINS OF SGRUB'S ARCANE FRIGGIN GAME SYSTEMS, THE COMPLETE LACK OF SHIT AFOOT NOWADAYS WOULD BORE ME TO DEATH.

CG: LIKE. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME OUR THERMAL HULL LEVELLED UP, DAVE?

TG: hah

===

TG: but uh

TG: i mean we had aspirin on earth

CG: NO, NUMBNUBS.

CG: I'M SAYING YOU ARE MY ASPIRIN.

TG: oh

CG: YEAH, TAKE THAT TO THE BANK AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR 20-KARAT ASS.

===

TG: heh

TG: well get this

TG: i will literally talk at you forever for free

TG: you got lifetime priority seating for the davealogues

TG: never gotta go to the drugstore again you can just get doped up on my dulcet tones for the rest of time

TG: take that and some of this

TG: im packin punches

CG: OW, FUCK! NO! MY MIGRAINES!

CG: SWEEPS OF VEINCLOTTING AND NERVEFRAYING DOWN THE FUCKING GAPER. BECAUSE OF YOU.

CG: YOU ASSHOLE, THIS IS THE WORST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME.

CG: AND YOU'RE LAUGHING.

TG: chuckle up it only gets worse from here

===

CG: BE HONEST WITH ME. DID FONDLING MY SHIRT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET EVEN DO ANYTHING?

TG: barely but yknow sometimes you just gotta deal the cards youre given

TG: ill just be astigmatic for a while its cool

CG: PFF… OKAY MAN.

[mythrilthread]

My magnum opus, the jewel of my Binderary round-up, the result of four months of hard work (that is to say, a lot of force applied over distance), the project affectionately known as The Motherfuckers (because it was rather unclear if I was going to finish these books or if they were going to be the end of me).

Force over Distance by cleanwhiteroom. It is currently also on AO3.

I was first introduced to this incredible story by a dear friend, who first sold me on actually watching SGU, and then said that they remember this fic since like 2011, which is always a promising sign. I went digging and found out I was in luck - the story was being rewritten and reuploaded on the author's blog. The next two weeks are described by the same friend as "one of the scariest moments in our cohabitation" as I'd spent literally every waking moment injecting the story directly into my eyeballs, and let me tell you, I'd not been doing a lot of sleeping at that time.

Then I gathered up my courage and reached out to CWR re: my burning desire to bind this story. And the rest, well. Let's dig into it, shall we?

This was my first time typesetting 540k words. Considering I tend to prefer larger font sizes for increased legibility, it was immediately obvious that this was going to be a multivolume project. I settled on three, as it's the relationship between three individuals that forms the core of the story.

I also knew I wanted to keep the typeset in black and white, but play around with light and dark a lot. So I did. One of the first design idea I actually had was the way I wanted to handle projected speech. Mental link between Young, Rush and Destiny is THE most vital part of the story, and I wanted to make it immediatly obvious. I also wanted to be able to take one glance at the page and tell how much of the action is actually just two guys staring each other down :) Hence the blackout effect of thoughts being represented as light over darkness.

I also wanted to preserve as much of my reading experience as possible. So I saved all the chapter quotes/summaries in the TOC, and hid the chapter content warnings in the frame of the gate that marks the beginning of each chapter. For most of the chapter the warnings stay the same, so after a while you stop really noticing them, but then you open a new chapter and see that the familiar shape of the words has changed, and get this UH-OH feeling. Which, I think is very much how it works in my design, because when the warnings change there's usually another line of text added.

For flashbacks and dream sequences I switched from italics to a lighter shade of gray. I woudn't say it's more legible per say, but it's in keeping with the overall light/dark theme.

There are instances of people using handwritten notes in the story. I collected more than a dozen of assorted handwriting fonts, with each character having their own "handwriting". So when, for example, someone begins writing in someone else's hand, you immediately know it.

The most insane, labor-intensive part of the typeset, however, was the way I decided to handle the Ancient translations. CWR's gone through the trouble of setting up hover-to-discover for it, which gives you a very different reading experience than, say, having the translations in the endnotes. So, naturally, I said to myself that I want to replicate that, and footnotes just won't do the trick. So. Every instance of Ancient in the text has an underlay of light gray Ancient script. And an OVERLAY of paper vellum with the translation printed in blue. Now, not to toot my own horn too much, but if looks SICK AS FUCK. You also MAYBE SHOULD NOT LIVE LIKE THIS. For the two copies of this work I had to cut up 10 sheets of vellum into strips, and then spent from 20 minutes to an hour per volume tipping the strips in their proper places. I then had to wear kinetic tape on both my hands to help with the joint pain. (It was worth it.)

Now for the title spread. It is also paper vellum that you see as soon as you turn the first page (the half-title), and see it covering the title of the book and author's name. And then you turn it. And the shields sing the matter wave of Destiny through the black. And yeah, I think that's very, very clever of me, actually.

Then, of course, were the endpapers. All 12 of them are unique abstract paintings done on black cardstock by hand with brush pens and correction tape, I scanned a sample of each set for posterity. All of them are my interpretations of characters' midscapes. For volume 1 I went with the fire wind of Rush's thoughts. Volume 2 was for Young, and I went for the reverse blackout poetry effect (because for all the mental talking they do, the unprojected thoughts are opaque to their counterparts) and all the loops, hairpins and blocks he does. Volume 3 is for the combination - Rush's fire wind, changing its color to match the circuitry pattern of Destiny's AI.

The rest, in comparison, is easy. All volumes are stitched with 3 strands of embroidery floss, a combination of black, blue and silvery-gray. The French double-core endbands are sewn in the same color scheme (though with a different shade of blue and gray switched for white for added contrast). The edges are painted and splattered to look like space.

The covers feature my (signature at this point, I guess) half-cloth river pattern, with the base being dark blue linen and the printed parts being Spitzer telescope images of the W51 star forge, Jack-O'-Lantern Nebula and the Eagle Nebula (courtesy of NASA), waxed by hand for added sheen. The spines are foiled in silver with a foil quill.

Each set is 5 pound of solid hand-crafted book, with one set being my personal copy, and the other sent as a gift to the author.

And that's it, folks! This has been an incredible project to work on, and I'm very proud of what I achieved with it.

[queenofbaws]

we're here again! in wednesday land!

i'm really and truly trying to make a concerted effort to cross some wips off my list in the coming months - something that, as it turns out, is ABSOLUTELY fighting me tooth and nail - but in that vein, here's a sneaky little snippet of a CREEPS project that's been gathering dust.

(i will, in case anyone was wondering, will be accepting gentle ghost-hunting-au-based bullying until such a time as i actually start poSTING AGAIN WAAAAAAAAH.)

“Well hey now, friends and fans!” The drawl was low and thick, blood clotting beneath a scab, and as he heard it playing back in his own ears, it was all he could do to keep from grinning outright. A far cry from the usual podcasting cadence, Josh liked to think of what he brought to the show as antifreeze—a voice that lured you in with just enough sweetness that you couldn’t help but get a second taste, only to knock you down and out when you least expected it, leaving you curled up on the floor with your hands clutching your guts and the tang of blood at the back of your throat. He doubted his co-hosts thought of it like that, but hey, you could only expect so much from the rabble; after all, in today’s day and age? Everyone was a critic. At least he didn’t end every last one of his sentences on an upward inflection in some sort of stilted attempt to sound mysterious…unlike some paranormal-slash-true-crime podcasters he could name. “Longtime listeners will know that this is usually the point in the show where we stop oohing and ahhing over the marvels of the paranormal and true crime worlds long enough to really just—” he bared his teeth in a pantomime of tearing into flesh made no less gruesome by its brevity or the fact their audience wouldn’t be able to see it, accompanying the sight with a sound caught somewhere between a growl and a cough, “—sink our teeth into Hollywood’s latest horror abortion…” It wasn’t necessary, but Chris leaned into his mic all the same, clarifying in his most helpful teacher’s pet voice, “A horrorbortion, if you will!” “Chris,” Sam groaned. “—buuut, as it turns out,” Josh continued, “We’ve got ourselves a bit of a development over here.” He cleared his throat with as much ostentatiousness as he could muster (which was, not to toot his own horn, quite a bit), dragging the moment out longer and longer to build up that delicious tension while…okay, giving Chris time to add a drumroll in post-production. It was mostly to give him room for the drumroll. “And by ‘development,’ I do in fact mean we’ve been served a cease and desist by Washington Pictures, Inc. If I had to guess…probably for our scathing review of Blood Monastery 3D: Lambs to Slaughter.” Sam lifted her head from the disappointed droop Cochise’s awful jokes had caused long enough to tease, “Womp womp.”

as ever, i hope everyone out there is doing well, and that you're being as nice to yourselves as you can be <3 just a few more days to the weekend!!!

(and, per the usual, if you were looking for an excuse to post one of your OWN wips...let this be it! ;P)

[bosquedemel]

tagged by @paty-ofarrell. thank you so much!! <33

What book are you currently reading?

ahsoka by ek johnston and i think i’m gonna start viagem ao paraíso verde by eva ibbotson. that’s journey to the river sea in the original english

What’s your favorite movie you saw in theatres this year?

i only saw like 4 movies in theaters but everything everywhere all at once.

What do you usually wear?

jeans, always jeans. i think my most worn outfit type is jeans + tshirt + jacket combo. just switch the tshirt for a long sleeved shirt or sweater in the colder months and that’s it.

How tall are you?

1,75 m

What’s your Star Sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event?

taurus. the only celebrity i know that has the same birthday as me is Cher 😊

Do you go by your name or a nick-name?

my name but not the same one. at some places i’m known by my first name, at others by my second.

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child?

no 😂 like MC said in her answer i also wanted to be everything like an award winning actress, a band member, a fashion designer, a diplomat and a hidden princess to a small european principality. it’s actually not too late for me to become a diplomat one day but i’m not sure i want that life actually

What’s something you’re good at vs. something you’re bad at?

not to toot my own horn but i’m good at most of the things i dedicate myself to. i learn very quickly. not that i do many things, but for example i’m really good at adapting to different tasks at the different jobs i’ve had. so i guess my ability to learn and to adapt is a thing i do well. something i’m bad at...... social things

Dogs or cats?

CATS. i’m sorry but i’m not a dog person at all. they’re fine but i personally would never have a dog as a pet. its not for me

What’s something you would like to create stuff for?

nothing. i’m not a creator atm

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favourite picture/favourite line/favourite etc. from something you created this year?

n/a

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with?

star wars. it’s not new

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year?

nothing in particular. i don’t watch/read many things when they come out. or that i was already anticipating. i’m a relatively harsh critic, especially for the things that i like and am already familiar with, so i guess the Kenobi show, as well as Hotd, were a bit disappointing but i wouldn’t say i had high expectations for either to start with

What’s a hidden talent of yours?

it’s not a hidden talent per se but since i don’t have a reason to use it everyday, i’d say the fact that i speak a bit of german could be a hidden talent because people are always surprised when it comes up

Are you religious?

no

What’s something you wish to have at this moment?

a million euros. not covid.

--

tagging: @annie-knowby, @herdingsnails, @katherinederoets, @benjicotblackwood, @frankboeijen, @spacesweepers, @chairhandle, if you want to!

[haunthouse]

For your consideration, re haunted architecture notion list

Just Like Home - Sarah Gailey thematic CWs for serial killing, some true crime, torture. I do have a full CW list if anyone needs them, but the plot summary may hint at whether one is interested in the plot. I love a good coming home story, especially when Home is a fucked up place for so many reasons.

The Death of Jane Lawrence - Caitlin Starling It's no house of leaves but the house is creepily fucked up in its own right.

Smithy by Amanda Desiree I also have a list of CWs but fwiw the 'animal experimentation' plot does not involve, like, Wire Mother levels of animal abuse. But there is a scene of animal injury but it's animal on animal due to improper animal interactions. [I'm trying not to spoiler too much here.] This is a paranormal haunting but unfortunately does not feature as heavily as I wish it did. But all the same, I love the concept of animals picking up on the supernatural, very creepy!!! Also fair warning, the various rep is a bit shallow re lesbian character, Jewish character. Think passing single sentence references. I don't think it's esp offensive beyond the fact that the author clearly did not put very much thought into what it means to being lesbian or Jewish. You know, the usual superficiality.

The Invited - Jennifer McMahon Also tentative because it's more a mystery than a paranormal horror. The MC is, quite literally, building a haunted house out of materials that come from locations where major tragedy and / or death has occurred. I can appreciate the variation from the usual 'married couple moves into haunted house' plot.

Tentative, honorary suggestion? House of Small Shadows - Adam Nevill

It's… deep sighs. The 'tentative' bit comes in because. Well. Horror has a long terrible ableist history with regards to using disabilities and disfigurements as shock and horror. The book does heavily feature disabled people as an 'Other' but more like this community has banded together around this house because of society rejecting them for being disabled. I'm not sure if the author meant it to be That Deep or not. [he's been described as 'the british 'stephen king' '. Take that as you will....] I don't know if I can explain it well without spoiling, and I'm certainly not able to discuss it from a heavily disabled person's perspective. Go in eyes open, imo. I do remember the house being heavily toxic and vile until [spoiler]. While it's not a traditional paranormal haunting, I think it counts towards a 'house that isn't haunted by something but haunts the current residents'. A la Haunting of Hill House. This house is not meant for the able bodied living, per se. Or maybe it's more like 'the haunting isn't a ghost, it's trauma'? There's a lot going on.

Anyways, maybe these books are fitting for your list, maybe someone else can endorse or recommend against. It's all good. I hope your coming week goes very smoothly and chill! And thank you for making that list, I got quite a few recs out of it!

hi! thank you so much for the books! i'm actually in the middle of reading just like home right now (and absolutely loving it); once i finish it'll absolutely be going on the list. and i can't believe i forgot to put the death of jane lawrence on there — it's definitely one of my favorite books i've read this year! (tooting my own horn a bit: i actually got commissioned by the author to draw the house from that book!) i've added that one now!

the rest i haven't read, though they sound interesting and will definitely be on my 'research further before adding' list.

thanks again! hope you have a good day & happy almost halloween! <3

[horce-divorce]

Top Surgery June 2023 Recovery Fund & Countdown!!!!

⭐ ☀️ 🌻 ✨

🗡️ 33 DAYS REMAIN 🗡️

. email | ko-fi | photos | insta .

*im going to try to keep this post updated; see below for a shorter one you can reblog!*

insurance will cover my procedure, but I have to travel for surgery as well as for my follow up/postop appts, I have existing health conditions that require extra care/supplies, and I need button up shirts etc, and all that along with my usual living expenses in the meantime!!

my disability application is 90% processed and I am anticipating a denial any day now. i may choose not to appeal it, but until that happens, I cant look for a job anyway; basically what I have available to me is art sales, a bit of freelancing, and begging for donations. this post is about that :)

.・。.・゜✭・. Ways You Can Help!!!! .・✫・゜・。.

Buy something from my Ko-Fi Shop! I currently have 5 pairs of needle minders available as well as slots for customs! I may also list some stitch markers and earrings soon! I also occasionally sell the beloved Fuck Off keychains via Glitter & Gleam Co. I'm working on a Pride flag series for June, so stay tuned & do feel free to drop a flag request you'd like to see!!! :) I may also be open to making customs of the FO keychains just bc they are fun.

Buy me a coffee or leave a tip just bc you like me! Ko-Fi also gives me this option, so if you're sympathetic to my cause but you don't need OOAK trinkets and craft supplies, feel free to donate! (Venmo and Paypal are also idleseas!)

Hire me for transcription/captioning! I've got 8 years of experience doing every subject from medical to legal to corporate to podcasts to video captions & subs, and I type verbatim at 130wpm. $1.50 per audio min, usually 24hr or less turnaround. Shoot me an email if interested!

Hire me as a photographer! This one's a long shot, but if you're in Michigan and you need an LGBT-friendly photographer for any reason, I'm your huckleberry! I'm on the west coast, but Im willing to travel a bit within reason, since, it's Michigan. (Seriously, you name it, I'm down: events, drag shows, live music/album art, pets/animals, senior pics, engagement/wedding, products, boudoir, real estate- I've even done remembrance/stillborn photos and retouching.)

Buy photo prints or other junk from Redbubble! Working on this one! Note to self!

Buy me something off my Amazon WL! I am considering sharing this but seeing as I live in a very small, remote, rural town and have a very distinct deadname so maybe pm me about this if we're mutuals? feedback welcome if you have another idea or reassurance abt this lol

Follow my photo blog or Insta accounts! If you can't send any money, hey, I get it. in this economy? yikes. the good news is, I also benefit vastly from moral support! I post a lot of my landscape photos right here on tumblr at @idleseas (not to toot my own horn or anything but. im good) rattiebastard @ IG is my personal insta where I post my art & creations, sales, life updates, and goofy stuff like memes. idle_seas @ IG is my photo account, mostly nature photography and info about the Great Lakes.

Boost my current donation or sales post! Currently it's this one! Reblogs are free and always greatly appreciated :) I LOOK like an account with a lot of followers but trust me, in reality, my blog is just super old.

Good old fashioned kind messages of support also do wonders! anon is currently (ON), so remember Thumper's golden rule: if you can't say something nice, then shut the hell up and don't make me regret this! :)

[luminousnotmatter]

Hi Clara!

cactus ⇢ something you’re currently learning (about)?

bamboo ⇢ do you change into a different outfit when you get home?

abelia ⇢ do you have a particular piece of jewelry you always wear or can’t part with?

Hi-ya, Becca! ☺️✨💖

Aww, yay! Thank you for playing along with the ask game! You’re a real pal. 🥹🩵

cactus -> something you’re currently learning about? So, there’s no particular subject(s) I’m dedicating regular “study time” to, per se (I.e. the way you’re learning German, which I think is so cool!) but one skill that’s new to me that I’m learning and practicing is how to knit in the round. For those that aren’t 87-year-old-grandmas-who-knit at heart like me 😅😂 “in the round” means using circular knitting needles (awkward to describe: here’s what they look like!) and knitting your project continuously around and around, rather than reaching the end of a row and flipping it around to start the next row. My current project is an infinity scarf which my knitting instructor-aka my Mom 🤭- thought would be the perfect means by which to learn in the round knitting. Not to toot my own horn, but I think I’m doing pretty well with it so far. 😉😆

bamboo -> do you change into a different outfit when you get home? Right now I typically don’t, because I’m living with my parents til I find my own place, and by the time I get home from work dinner is typically just about ready, so I don’t have time until after that is over and cleaned up. But if that wasn’t the case I absolutely would change into sweats/pj’s pretty much instantly, and my goal is always to switch out my day’s outfit for them as rapidly as possible once the day is through. 👍🏻😬

abelia -> do you have a particular piece of jewelry you always wear or can’t part with? Oh definitely. I’m a big creature of habit when it comes to the jewelry I wear, and if I do switch things up, I usually then wear that new thing every day/very regularly for a good long (read: l o o o o o o n g 😂) while. I wear the same four rings on my hands (two on the left, two on the right) and earrings in my ears every day, and three of my bracelets are the same always, though I do wear whichever of my watches I feel matches my look for the day better haha. 😂 I used to be like that with necklaces too, just wearing whichever one was my current favorite, everywhere and always till it wore out or I got something different or whatever, but lately I’ve been more apt to wear a different one (from a select four or five favorites, mind you 😆) every day, or, rarely, not wear one at all. That was officially way more information than you needed on that, huh?? 😂🤣

Thanks again, Lovely! 🥰♥️

random, get-to-know-me list of asks game ✨

[judemabon]

Freelancing: The Road to Success?

What Exactly is a Freelancer?

A freelancer is someone who works for themselves, hiring themselves to different big companies for a specific task, usually paid per-task or per-job rather than being paid hourly like most workers. This gives a Freelancer the freedom to work on different jobs, not getting tied down to a single genre, or company. it also allows them to grow a vast and impressive portfolio.

(Art i made for a group project in 1st year, not the best, not the worst)

Does Freelancing Appeal to me?

As a Game Developer, i want to be working on the games that i come up with, the part i enjoy most in the process so far is coming up with concepts (and, not to toot my own horn, I'm not too bad at it either) so Ideally id be an indie dev, working with my own team to make a game that i came up with, or helped come up with. As for freelancing, it certainly appeals to me, as sort of a starting stage, before setting up my own team, starting my own dream games, to work on other peoples passion projects, maybe designing characters, coming up with stories, or programming, modelling or animating, I would genuinely just love to be part of the industry and making games. Working as part of a big team, on a AAA game, as cool as it would be to work on the next COD game, or the next GTA game (who knows i could graduate Uni and still have a chance to work on it before it releases at this pace) I feel like i wouldn't get the chance to insert my own ideas, make the game how I want it to be.

(The second level, very gory, very spooky, VERY red)

[jungshookz]

cee cee i have an idea!!! what about Cool and Cultured bookshop owner! tae and dorky y/n walking past the store everyday and one day goes in and strikes a conversation about a fancy book like catcher in the rye and talks about the symbolism of rye in the book and tae's like :0 das wildly inaccurate but you're kinda cute so here's my number so we can talk more about rye and y/ns like :0

➺ pairing; kim taehyung x reader

➺ genre; wowowow handsome & well-read bookkeeper!taehyung, fluff!!!! the kind of fluff that makes you feel like you’re wrapped up in a warm blanket sipping on a mug of hot chocolate on a nice autumn’s day when the leaves are just starting to turn red and orange, y/n’s kind of a dummy but in a very loveable kind of way, featuring namjoon the (sort of) wingman

➺ wordcount; 6.2k

➺ summary; the catcher in the rye? oh, sure - of course you know that book! it’s about catching loaves of bread, right?

➺ what to expect; “i called it catch her in the eye, joon.”

➺ note; our (first??) drabble of the month as voted by you guys! i finished writing this the day after it was decided that bookkeeper!tae was the winner because that’s how excited i was about him >:-) enjoy! 

                                        »»————-　➴　————-««

“and… open your eyes!” you exclaim, throwing your arms up into the air excitedly as namjoon takes his hands away from his eyes

he blinks owlishly before looking up and-

“you brought me to a bookstore!” he gasps, a smile immediately spreading over his features as he claps his hands together, “oh, this is great! usually, you bring me to those awful rock-climbing places, or that horribly violent paintball gun place, and even when you brought me to the movie theatre the tickets were for that gory r-rated horror movie-”

“okay, let’s not get carried away-” you hold a finger out to shut namjoon up before he can list out moRe reasons as to why you seem more like you hate him instead of love him, “the point is: this time, i brought you to a bookstore!” you smile proudly before crossing your arms

not to toot your own horn or anything but you did a pretty good job with this surprise

you even did tons of research to find the best bookstores in the city!!

which was difficult because namjoon’s been to like.,,. EVERY bookstore in the city

but not this one!

to be fair, it was a long forty-five minute car ride to get here so you understand why he’s never come out here himself

“…this isn’t like… a weird bookstore or anything, right?” namjoon narrows his eyes in suspicion before taking a step back and looking up at the name of the store again

the secret garden

oh!!!!

like the book!!!!

how clever :D

“what do you mean?” you frown, placing your hands on your hips before glancing back up at the name as well

the secret garden

hm

kind of a lame name for a bookstore

“like a…” namjoon trails off before clearing his throat, “you know, like a bookstore that’s actually a sex dungeon or something like that-”

“ew!” you immediately make a face before shaking your head quickly, “wha- why would you even say that?!”

“well, i don’t know!” namjoon holds his hands up in defence, “i’ve never been to this bookstore before-!”

“this is a regular ol’ bookstore, joon. i promise!” you clap your hands on his shoulders before giving him a squeeze, “just the way you like it! old, dusty, and full of nothing but boring books.”

namjoon beams

that’s exactly what he likes to hear

see, today is your seven year friendaversary with namjoon

you guys have known each other since middle school and noW the two of you are in your final year of university which is crazy

and so, for the past seven years, you’ve gone out on this day to celebrate your beautiful friendship because honestly you’ll take whatever excuse to go to a restaurant to try to get free dessert (“yeah, we’re celebrating our anniversary! so, i’ll take three orders of your chocolate lava cake-”)

you guys usually take turns where one year one of you will plan an entire day of fun activities for the other, and then the next year, the other person will do it because that seems like a relatively fair system

last year, namjoon took you to this cute pottery place and you ended up making these adorable matching friendship mugs

they’re both a little lopsided but that’s just part of their charm!!

namjoon painted his a beige-brown and you painted yours a BRIGHT purple and then you traded mugs (so that when he comes over to your apartment, he has his mug, and when you go over to his apartment, you have your mug!)

he also insisted that you guys carve your guys’ initials on the bottom of yours and draw a heart around it which you thought was a little much but you are… very fond of namjoon so you’d jump off a cliff if he asked you to

admittedly, most of the things that you’ve planned during your years have been catered to your own personal desires so you’ve been a little unfair but namjoon’s always been too much of a sweetheart to say anything about it

and for the most part, he’s a pretty good sport even though it’s blatantly obvious that he’d rather chop a toe off than spend the afternoon doing your chosen activity

the last time it was your turn two years ago, you took him to a go-cart track and spent the entire two hours practically driving circles around him because he was driving like ten kilometres an hour

the only reason why he wasn’t driving like one is supposed to drive on a go-cart track (i.e. like a maniac) is because he was worried that if he went too fast he’d get a ticket or something

and kim namjoon does not get speeding tickets

not on the real road and most certainly not on a man-made road either!

for the record, he definitely didn’t appreciate you calling him a slowpoke and telling him to eat my dust, bitch! and he still brings it up from time to time whenever he wants to guilt you into doing something with him (“i’m not switching muffins with you. it’s not my fault you don’t like yours!” “…hey, remember that time you called me a slowpoke and told me to-”  “take the muffin.”)

anyways

he’s glad that this is just a normal bookstore and that he doesn’t have to worry about whether or not one of your activities is going to end in him losing a limb for the first time

what a wonderful way to end the day!!

actually, you guys still have to grab dinner after this where you’ll try to squeeze as many free desserts out of the restaurant as possible as per usual so this is a wonderful way to almost end the day

the little bell hanging above the door chimes as the two of you step in and almost immediately you’re greeted with the warm smell of what you’re pretty sure is hot chocolate??

“i love this place already.” namjoon breathes out, his jaw dropping in awe, “i wanna live here!”

“okay, keep it in your pants-” the door starts to shut and you nudge namjoon forward to keep from getting your butt nipped by the door

you don’t even get a chance to say anything else before namjoon suddenly darts off

so much for keeping it in his pants

you pause when you get a good look at the place

huh

for some reason you feel like a lot of instagram pictures have been taken here

it’s obviously an antique place but it’s like one of those trendy antique places

a brass chandelier hangs from the ceiling, the (fake) candles casting a golden glow over the entire store

there’s a spiral staircase that curls up to the second floor

the walls are covered with floor to ceiling shelves stacked with, duh, books, but even for what you thought would just be a dusty old bookstore… it’s pretty nice in here!

there’s even an archway in the centre of the place that leads to what looks like a pretty cozy reading space for customers which is a nice touch

and there are people sipping on mugs of hot chocolate too!!!

you can’t help but wonder if you need to be reading a book in order to get a mug of cocoa

you like the hot chocolate part but you’re not as excited about the reading part

“y/n, come on!” you look over to see namjoon - who already has three books cradled in his arms - waving you over enthusiastically, “check it out! it’s a vintage boxed set of the chronicle of narnia series! and they’re leatherbound-“ he practically moans before nudging you towards it, “help me take it out?”

“narnia?” you snort, tilting your head so you can look at the titles pressed into the spine of the book, “isn’t narnia, like… for kids?”

the last time you read the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe was when you had to read it for a book report in like the fourth grade

you glance over your shoulder to look at namjoon who now has an unimpressed frown on his face

“what??”

“…you insult me.” he sniffles, “just help!”

you roll your eyes playfully before turning back to pull the thick set out of the shelf and-

“hello!”

“-!”

the sudden sound of a stranger’s voice nearly makes you drop the set but you manage to prop the edge of the box back up onto the shelf before it falls and breaks all the bones in your foot

you turn to look at whoever-

oh my

hello indeed

“welcome to the secret garden.” he smiles kindly, tilting his head at you, “did you need any help with that, miss?”

oh good god

his voice makes you feel like you’re wading through a river of warm caramel

and you’d happily let yourself drown in that river

two seconds go by where you don’t respond at all and instead you continue staring at mr. caramel with very obvious hubba-hubba eyes

“i think we’re good, thank you!” namjoon clears his throat, elbowing your back gently before offering a smile of his own

“oh, alright! well, my name’s taehyung,” taehyung reaches up to adjust his glasses, “please let me know if you need assistance of any kind - i’ll just be up at the front. if you’re just here to relax and read, i’d be happy to whip up two mugs of hot chocolate for the two of you!”

“awesome! thank you.” namjoon nods all while you continue smiling at taehyung dazedly

he waits until taehyung disappears before turning back and looking at you

“…what’s wrong with you?”

“i’m good, thank you…” you whisper your very delayed response and namjoon moves his head so that he’s blocking your view when you lean back a little to try to look at taehyung sitting behind the front counter, “holy moly. i’d let him explore my secret garden-”

“oh, now look who can’t keep it in their pants-“

“hey, you should look at this as a good thing!” you grunt as you adjust the hefty box in your arms, “now i’ll willingly drive you back here… whenever you want.”

namjoon’s eyes immediately light up

                                         »»————-　➴　————-««

you and namjoon end up returning to the bookstore about two weeks later

last time, namjoon wanted to stay longer (and so did you, honestly) buT you were pretty close to losing your dinner reservations and you weren’t about to give up your free chocolate lava cake just to stare at the cute bookkeeper from afar like a creep

so you had to leave!

namjoon ended up leaving with the boxed set and a couple other books so suffice to say, he was pretty happy

and when you suggested visiting the bookstore again this week… well, namjoon had to jump on that opportunity, didn’t he??

you?? offering to take him to a bookstore?? again??

you’re obviously only using him as an excuse to go into the bookstore so you can spend hours watching taehyung like a weirdo but he’ll take it

namjoon hums happily as he takes a sip of his hot chocolate before licking a little bit of whipped cream off his top lip

he wonders if taehyung would be willing to share the recipe to it because this is honestly the best hot chocolate he’s ever had

namjoon looks up from his book when he hears you let out a sigh for the tenth time in the last two minutes

oh god

look at you!

“oh… and he’s good with kids, too?” you sigh blissfully as you prop your elbow up on the arm of the sofa chair before leaning your cheek against your fist

you watch fondly as taehyung gets down on one knee, holding two fists out for a little girl

she taps his right hand shyly before quickly wrapping her arms back around her mom’s leg, peeking at him from behind it shyly 

taehyung flips his wrist around and uncurls his fingers to reveal a single caramel, his face lighting up briefly as she takes it from his open palm into her little hand 

“i don’t know why you can’t just go up and talk to him-” namjoon snorts at how lovestruck you look before peering around the corner of the archway to look at taehyung too, “it’s not a big deal. he’s really nice!”

“i can’t just go up and talk to him. are you kidding me?” you frown, shaking your head, “what am i supposed to say??”

“tell him you need help finding a book!” namjoon states as if it’s the most obvious thing in the entire world (because it is) before slapping the book on his lap shut, “just out of curiosity - what book would you ask him to help you find?”

you lean back against the sofa chair before twisting your lips in thought

hm

book?

what book…

what was the last book you read…?

ooh!

“esio trot!” you perk up, namjoon’s eyebrows knitting together in confusion because he has no idea what just came out of your mouth-

“esio- oh my god, esio trot as in the roald dahl children’s novel??” namjoon frowns, “no! you can’t go up to taehyung and ask him to help you find esio friggin’ trot-”

“okay, you don’t see me making fun of you for buying what you bought last week, mr. chronicles of narnia-”

“you did make fun of me!” namjoon gawks, “in fact, you’re still making fun of me for it-” he waves his hand to cease the conversation, “listen to me. from the very few times that i’ve spoken to taehyung, it’s clear that he’s… cultured, you know?”

“cultured… like yogurt.” you joke, slapping your own knee gently, “get it?? because yogurt is cultured? cultured yogurt??”

namjoon resists the urge to roll his eyes

see?

this is exactly what he’s talking about

“…yes, y/n. i get it. anyways, as i was saying- taehyung is just very…” namjoon kisses his teeth as he tries to think of how to phrase his words, “…well-read… intelligent… scholarly… refined…”

you tilt your head in curiosity as namjoon continues listing out a bunch of snooty sounding adjectives

wait a minute

“are you-” you scoff, straightening up in your seat, “are you calling me dumb??”

hey!!

you’re not dumb!!!

it’s not like books are super complicated to figure out or anything

all you have to do is read what’s inside of it and you certainly know how to read!!!

and sure, sometimes you still don’t know if receive is spelt receive or recieve or if business is spelt buisness or biusness, but that doesn’t mean that you’re dumb!!

“no, no, i’m not calling you dumb!” namjoon shakes his head quickly, “i’m just saying that if you had a choice, you would choose a movie over a book-”

“well, yeah - obviously i would choose a movie over a book.” you snort, “why would i waste eight hours reading tiny little words on stiff white pages when i could be watching a movie that compresses the entire story in a convenient one hour and a half??”

“i’m your friend, and i don’t want to watch you make a fool of yourself!” namjoon argues, “because if you do, then you’ll be too embarrassed to ever come back here again, which means that i’ll never be able to come back here again-”

“what’s stopping you from coming here by yourself?”

“because every time i tell you that i’m going to the bookstore, you’re going to ask me a bunch of taehyung related questions when i get back-”

okay

that’s a fair point

that sounds like something you would do for sure

“alright, fine!” you huff before crossing your arms, “what book do you suggest i go up there and ask him to help me find?”

namjoon twists his lips in thought

hm…

“catch her in the eye!” you chirp, folding your hands behind you book as you smile brightly at taehyung

namjoon feels his own face flush at how confidently you just said that and he immediately slaps a hand over his mouth to keep himself from screaMING

he told you to ask taehyung to help you find the catcher in the rye

NOT CATCH HER IN THE EYE

“the catcher in the rye?” taehyung nods, “sure! of course i can help you find the catcher in the rye.” he returns a smile as he steps out from behind the counter, “follow me, please!”

you shoot namjoon a big thumbs up and a faT grin as you pass by the entrance of the archway and he gives you a weak one in return before turning back and slumping against the couch

oh boy

…he’s never going to come back to this beautiful bookstore, is he?

“you were here about two weeks ago, weren’t you?” taehyung asks as he looks over his shoulder, the two of you trotting up the spiral staircase, “with your… boyfriend, right? you guys bought the boxed narnia set.”

“hm? oh!” you let out a little laugh, “yes, that was us, but joon- namjoon’s just my friend. um, that day was actually our seven-year friendaversary and he’s a real dork for books so i thought it’d be nice to bring him here-”

it’s in that moment that you suddenly hear namjoon’s voice in your head reminding you that you’re supposed to act like yoU like reading too

“i mean-” you clear your throat, “i, too, really like books, so i- you know, it was a mutually pleasant experience for the both of us t-to be here-” you chuckle nervously

hopefully you were able to save your own ass there

that was a close call!!

you trail behind taehyung as the two of you weave in and out of the bookshelves

you didn’t get a chance to come up to the second floor last week

but it’s surprisingly nice up here!!  

there’s a lone sofa chair in the corner with a little coffee table sitting next to it

very nice for customers who prefer to read alone

“ah, well, that’s very thoughtful of you!” taehyung nods before suddenly pausing, “i’m so sorry-” he spins around and you nearly bump into his chest but you manage to stop yourself just in time, “i just realised i never got your name.”

“y/n. i’m- i’m y/n.” you stick your hand out quickly for him to shake

you feel a little zap! travel from your fingertips to the rest of your body as soon as taehyung takes your hand in his

he gives you a gentle shake before squeezing your hand lightly and then letting go, “well, it’s very nice to meet you, y/n. now, give me a second to find the catcher in the rye for you…”

taehyung turns to thumb through the books on the shelf and you feel your heart flutter in your chest as how pretty he looks from the side

wowie

you can’t help but take your bottom lip in between your teeth as you continue to admire taehyung’s features from the soft swoosh of his hair to the rosy pink of his lips

how can one man be so pretty?

“ah- here we are!” taehyung pulls a book out of the shelf and you quickly snap yourself out of your daze, “the catcher in the rye… a novel by j.d. salinger.” he hands it to you and you take it before blinking down at the cover

…the catcher in the rye?

what happened to catch her in the eye???

“it’s a great book.” taehyung hums, “have you read it before?”

“oh, i… i have!” you scoff, making a face, “duh, of course i have. i mean, it’s… you know, it’s such a… um, a powerful novel…” you clear your throat before reaching up to scratch the back of your neck, “i mean, the last time i read it was actually in… high school… so… you know, i’ve forgotten most of the details but i figured it’d be nice to get a refresher, you know?”

(you never read this in high school.)

((you just made namjoon summarise the entire book to you in the form of a poorly drawn stickman comic and even then you still didn’t fully understand the story.))

“absolutely! there’s nothing wrong with revisiting old friend from the past,” taehyung chuckles lightly, “in fact, i was reading animal farm the other day- what kind of literature do you typically read?”

you press your lips together tightly

oh god

namjoon didn’t prepare you for additional questions  

literature??

quick!

what kind of literature do you typically read??

…

tell him you read all kinds of literature!

that sounds like a legitimate answer, right?

“i... read… all-”

you’re cut off by the sound of a bell chiming from below and you let out a breath of relief when taehyung scurries past you to peer over the balcony

“i’ll be right there!” he holds a finger up at the customer waiting by the front counter before spinning around to face you again, “was there anything else you needed, y/n?”

“wha- i-” you stammer, unable to come up with a non-creepy reason to keep him up here with you, “no! no, this was-” you give the front cover a hearty slap, “this was all i needed-”

“perfect!” taehyung claps his hands together, “well, let me know. you know where i am!”  

he disappears down the staircase before you even get a chance to thank him

the smell of his cologne lingers in the air as you make your way down the staircase and you can’t help but beat yourself up over how your interaction with taehyung went

it wasn’t a bad interaction or anything

in fact, you think you did a pretty good job at acting like a bookworm!!

it’s just that…

you don’t think it was a particularly memorable interaction for taehyung

that was just a typical customer interaction for him

you were supposed to charm him!!!

impress him!!

sweep him off his feet!!!

tickle his brain!!

“hey, buddy…” namjoon coos as you plop back down on the sofa chair, “how… did it go?”

he’s afraid to hear your answer because it certainly looks like it didn’t go super well

damnit

he knows this moment is about you but now he’s thinking about how he’ll probably never be able to taste this delicious hot chocolate ever again

“got the book.” you grumble, tossing it onto the coffee table before shaking your head, “i called it catch her in the eye, joon.”

“yeah, i… uh, i heard you.” namjoon nods understandingly, crossing one leg over the other before leaning back against the couch, “i don’t think he heard you say that, though! i mean, he knew what you were looking for right away.”

namjoon knows you well enough to see that you’re currently spiralling down a self-pity hole right now

oh boy

“hey, you know what’ll make you feel better?” he leans forward to give your knee a comforting squeeze

“what?”

“how about i buy this for you so you can read it and fully impress taehyung next time with your newfound knowledge-“ namjoon points to the book you’ve abandoned on the table, “and then we can go for chocolate lava cake!”

your eyes widen slightly

“free chocolate lava cake?”

“no, not free-“ namjoon snorts, getting up from the couch before reaching back to pick up his bag, “i mean, i’ll pay for it. my treat! so, yeah. i guess it’s kinda free for you.”

“that sounds nice!” your frown is almost instantaneously replaced by a grin, “if i get more free things from you just for being sad, i’m going to be sad more often-”

“what?? no! do not pretend to be sad just to get me to pay for things-”

taehyung glances over from the front counter when he hears a twinkly laugh and he can’t help but smile lightly at the sight of you giggling away in the sofa chair

your nose scrunches slightly as you let out a little snort and he presses his lips together to keep himself from beaming too wide

y/n, huh? cute.

                                          »»————-　➴　————-««

(taehyung can’t stop thinking about you and your absurdly cute face.)

                                         »»————-　➴　————-««

it’s another two weeks later that you come back to the secret garden - but this time, you come alone.

and to be honest, you… don’t know if this was a good idea or not

because joon was with you for the last two times and you were definitely using him as a security blanket so now you feel like you’re about to dive into the deep end of the pool without any floaties

you were going to ask if he wanted to come with you but you felt like this was something that you had to do alone

you swallow thickly as you tuck your car keys into your pocket

namjoon can’t be your bookworm wingman forever, right?

the store is almost suspiciously quiet as you step in, the little bell ringing above your head as per usual

your classes ended a little later today which is why you weren’t able to come in the afternoon

pluS you had to find a way to get namjoon to go home without you without raising any eyebrows so that sucked up a little more of your time

you were going to tell him that you were going to stay on campus to study at the library but even you couldn’t believe that

so you told him that you had a group project to work on which was why you couldn’t have dinner with him tonight!

you jump in surprise when the door suddenly slams shut behind you from the breeze

it’s a little chillier now that it’s november but it’s nice that you get to wear cozy cardigans and snuggly sweaters now

“i’ll be right there!”

you hear taehyung’s voice ring out from the second floor and you swallow your nerves as you stand up a little straighter

fake it till you make it, right?

i love books

i love books so much

i love books so much that i would fuck a book if i could!

...okay, maybe not that one.

you glance around the store - there doesn’t seem to be anyone else here

which makes sense because the sign says that the store closes at 7pm on weekdays and it’s…

6:50

wow

so you’RE the asshole who comes into the place ten minutes before closing time

good one!

“so sorry for the wait, i was just-” taehyung pauses on the steps, his face immediately lighting up when he sees you, “oh, y/n!”

“hi!” you chirp before reaching up to scratch the back of your neck, “sorry i came ten minutes before you’re supposed to close… i wanted to come earlier, but i had a thing…”

“oh, don’t even worry about it!” taehyung snorts, tossing the dirty rag over his shoulder, “i was just doing some dusting…”

you feel your mouth go drY as soon as you notice what he’s wearing

he’s wearing a henley tee (except all the buttons are undone and aLso he has his sleeves pushed up to his elbows), dark wash jeans, and a pair of tattered black converse sneakers

it’s just the casualness of it all that makes it so sexy

“so, what can i help you with tonight?” taehyung tosses the rag onto the counter before pushing his glasses back down from the top of his head

he adjusts them slightly before blinking at you and you find it awfully cute that his doe eyes now look a little bigger through the thick lenses

what can he help you with tonight?

…yeah, what can he help you with tonight?

the downside of not telling namjoon about your solo mission is the fact that namjoon’s usually the one who plans every little detail out for you

and you just came here on a whim

you don’t have a plan

you don’t have a plan at all!

your plan was to just come to the bookstore to see taehyung because you wanted to see taehyung

“i…”

“oh, by the way-” taehyung perks up suddenly, “how was your little trip down memory lane with the catcher in the rye?”

the catcher in the rye?

the catcher in the rye!!!

ah! yes!!

that’s definitely something to talk about!

…wait a second

you-

you didn’t read the book

oh god

you had two weeks to read the book and you didn’t read the book

almost immediately you feel your anxiety sPike back up and you can’t help but scold yourself for not bringing namjoon along with you

if namjoon was here, you’d just get him to say all the main points and you’d stand right next to him throwing in the occasional ‘yes, very good point!’ and ‘of course, i completely agree’ every now and then!

“the catcher in the rye!” you blurt out, suddenly aware that you haven’t spoken in like ten seconds, “i- yes! the book was- it was great. i thoroughly enjoyed it. i would definitely read it again!”

“hey, that’s great!” taehyung laughs lightly, “you know- i mean, i have to ask because i always ask this question to people who’ve read it- what do you think the main theme of it is?” taehyung hums, “because i’ve always thought it focused a lot on alienation, you know? i mean, a loss of innocence is obviously another theme, what, with holden wanting to be sheltered from the harshness of adult life- i really think it can actually be seen as some kind of social commentary… like a critique of the superficiality in society-”

“of course, i completely agree!” you nod furiously, “those are very good points-”

“i’m sorry, i’m probably sucking up all the oxygen in the room-” taehyung smiles sheepishly before shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans, “so what do you think?”

if there was ever a moment for a black hole to appear in the floor and swallow you whole… you’d want for it to happen right now.

actually, you’d want it for it to happen whilst you were driving to the bookstore so that you wouldn’t have even gotten the chance to say hi to taehyung

“i think… well, i… first of all, i agree completely with everything that you just said about aliens and… you know, a loss of innocence and how hard adult life is…” you stumble over your words, your face beginning to flush from how idiotic you probably sound, “i just… i have to talk about my favourite part in the book! you know, the part where holden- holden, that’s the name that you just mentioned- he… he does such a great job at catching those loaves of bread. i thought that part was hilarious.”

you clear your throat at the end of your mini-review

taehyung’s eyes flicker slightly and for a second you think you’re in danger of being called out for obviously noT having read the book but…

he nods slowly and brings his hand up to stroke his chin thoughtfully, “i mean… yeah. i completely agree! that part always gets me! why don’t you go on? i’m interested in hearing more of your thoughts.”  

oh

oh!

hey, would you look at that??

phEW

maybe you’re better at improvising than you thought you were

now knowing that you’re on the right track gives you a booST of confidence and you give yourself a mental pat on the back

you can’t wait to tell namjoon about this

he’s going to be so proud of you!!

you grin before nodding enthusiastically, “of course! i have a lot of thoughts to share on the book. i mean, i personally think it was an interesting choice on the author’s part to choose rye as the main ingredient, because he had… so many other options that he could’ve gone with! and also - did he go with light rye or dark rye?? because throughout the entire novel, he never actually specifies what kind of rye bread he’s referring to-”

taehyung leans back against the counter and crosses his arms, smiling politely as he continues to listen to your rye bread rant

it’s obvious that you definitely didn’t read the book but he was genuinely curious as to what you would be able to pull out of your ass which was why he asked you to go on

he doesn’t think anyone’s ever gone into a full-blown ramble about how the catcher in the rye is actually a narrative on the benefits on rye bread for lil ol’ him before

but, for the record… 

it’s really cute how much effort you’re putting into your analysis to try to impress him

“i’m sorry, i need to- i need to interrupt you-” taehyung giggles, cutting you off right as you’re about to dive into a discussion about the number of loaves holden caught in the novel, “as much as i would love to hear more… everything that’s coming out of your mouth is wildly inaccurate, y/n.”

what

...

oh my god.

“wh-” your throat goes dry and you choke a little, “what?”

“be honest- did you read the book?” taehyung asks flat-out and you feel your cheeks burning up again

uh-oh

“i…”

okay

forget it

you can’t do this anymore!

it’s too stressful!!!!

“…no.” you press your lips together before shooting taehyung a sheepish grin, “there’s no catching loaves of bread in the novel, is there?”

“not even one loaf.”

“oh, god-” you groan quietly, reaching up to cover your hot face with your hands at the realisation that you just very confidently ranted about the importance of rye bread in this novel for the past five minutes, “not even one?!”

mortifying!

absolutely mortifying!!!!

well

it’s time to tell namjoon to find a new favourite bookstore because you are nevER bringing him back here agai-

“hey, it’s totally fine!” taehyung laughs lightly, stepping closer to you so that he can pry your hands away from your flushed face, “i actually think it’s really impressive how long you can go talking about bread-”

“you let me- you knew that i hadn’t read the book yet you let me continue talking about bread-?!” you gawk, taehyung now bursting into a full-blown chortle as he throws his head back, “how could you??”

“i couldn’t help it!!” taehyung wheezes, reaching up to flick a stray tear away, “i’m sorry! i’m sorry, really, i am-”

even when he’s laughing at you, your stomach can’t help but feel fluttery

“you’re lucky you’re pretty-” you snort, shaking your head gently, “otherwise i would be way more mad at you…”

taehyung’s laughs dwindle down into light chuckles and you swallow thickly when he takes a small step closer

“you’re lucky you’re pretty.” he retorts playfully, reaching over to move a strand of hair away from your eyes with his pinky finger, “otherwise i wouldn’t have let you talk my ear off about bread for five whole minutes…”

...he thinks you’re pretty?

“oh yeah?” you challenge, reaching over to jab your finger into his chest

taehyung reaches up to wrap his fingers around your wrist before offering you a particularly boyish smirk, “mm, yeah.”

you don’t miss the way his eyes flicker down to your lips for a split second and you know it’s way too soon but you really want him to just lean down and kiss you…

“hey, do you like dessert?” taehyung pulls away suddenly before turning to make his way behind the counter

“de- dessert?” you ask dumbly, still a little dazed from... that

what was that?!

“mhm!” tae leans down slightly and flips a couple of switches underneath the counter, the chandelier light shutting off first before the other little lights begin to switch off as well, “there’s a little diner about a block away that makes really good strawberry cheesecakes.”

“i love dessert!” you nod, “and strawberry cheesecake sounds really yummy.”

“good! in that case, would you be interested in sharing a slice of cheesecake with me and perhaps delving deeper into your rye-based analysis?” taehyung teases as he grabs his coat off the back of his chair, his keys jingling in his hands

you snort lightly

“i would love to share a slice of cheesecake with you but i refuse to embarrass myself further, so we’re going to have to find something else to talk about-”

taehyung holds the door open for you and you immediately shiver as you step out, the chilly air a stark contrast from the warmth of tae’s cozy store

you jolt in surprise when taehyung reaches down and slips his fingers in between yours (which he later explains he only did because his hand was cold and definitely noT because he just really really wanted to hold your hand) before beginning to tug you along next to him

“well, we can talk about the fact that you thought the name of the book was catch her in the eye-”

“i knew you heard me! i knew it!!”

help me help you make your wishes come tru (aka send me a request)

why don’t you explore the rest of the library while you’re here? 

or perhaps you want something shorter to read?

[titleknown]

“YOU TALKING [GREASY] ANT? ANT IS DOING HOW. ANT MAKE BIG HILL. ANT COME TO MAKE HILL NEW. ANT SEE SMALL HILLS. GOOD FOR MAKE HILLS. ANT SEE [GREASY] ANT. ANT MAKE FRIEND WITH GREASE ANT?”

-Initial communication between Essant and Tara Nemo

------

Who is this full-up friend? Their name is Essant, and more on them, past the break!

Essant is yet another member of the hive of King Disco and the Hillions, but with a difference. Specifically, their tendency towards consideration of other organisms.

While other ants seem terrifyingly indifferent to humans in terms of constructing and protecting the hive, Essant seems to be... not that, in a weird way. All constructions by the micro-ants that follow her around integrate themselves into the structures around them, strange hybrids of human steel-and-glass skyscrapers and strange sands.

Some might attribute that to the great chemical factory the creature carries allowing for this greater efficiency, producing pheromones and chemicals with a great degree of differing effects on the micro-ants both in terms of physical alterations of their abilities and fine-tuned direction of their behaviors, akin to Korangu’s “spells,” but designed for disassembling or reassembling structures. Or other thing.

But then, that would not explain the creature’s efforts to avoid the humans beneath them. Or the fact she will try to calm the Hillions when working with them if they seem to be getting “too aggressive.”

Or the fact that the emergency gasses they expel on humans are nonlethal and soporiffic when the tanks come, rather than the caustic range of chemicals or torrent of biting ants that they could command and who they have used on more aggressive kaiju (usually when they deliberately damage a building she’s been directing her ants to work on).

Psionic contact has been made with the creature, finding it quite curious and empathetic, but also more than a little clueless of the nature of humans. Give them time though, and she may become a powerful ally...

If you wanna catch up on the previous history of this setting, here’s Year 1 and Year 2 archived on the Wik for the newbiesi!

And, as per usual with Kaijune, this beautious builder is free to use as you see fit under a CC-BY 4.0 license so long as I; Thomas F. Johnson, am credited as their creator!

And, if you wanna support me, maybe check out my Patreon, or even just send a Ko-Fi my way! Every penny is appreciated, and I am eternally grateful for those who donate!

Or, if you wanna commission me for a pic like this, my commission info is thisaway!

Not much more to this one than “I thought a fancy honeypot ant would make for a good design” and “They dovetail well with a potentially important plot point later" So yeah!!

...Tho, to toot my own horn, I am at least slightly proud of the idea of Essant thinking of humans as “greasy ants,” given it fits with what I know about how our various skin oils are perceived by arthropods!

[woogyu]

Fluffy Drabble Game

Drabble Prompts; fluff | angst | funny (when requesting PLEASE add which prompt list it is from)

Can have up to 3 prompts per request + can send multiple requests.

They will all be written for fem reader. I’m very sorry about this, it is just because of what I know/have experience in writing.

Please format requests as follows; fluff member prompt # or #s.

ex. fluff member #12 + #15

ex. fluff florist!member x student!reader #14

Send your requests/asks: here

crossed out = don’t request, usually for when I’ve gotten tired of a specific prompt coming up too often

~ prompts under the cut ~

Drabble Prompts [credit; https://justforshitsandcackles.tumblr.com ] + [https://at.tumblr.com/jaylaxies/%E1%A5%AB-little-romantic-gestures-holding-their/164t61nh2r2u] + some of my own ideas

“You know we’re meant to be.”

“The thought of losing you scares me.”

“Would you just shut up and kiss me already?”

“You’re staring again.”

“Wow. you look stunning.”

“What are you doing here? It’s late.”

“I missed you so much.”

“Don’t smile at me like that. You know it drives me crazy.”

“Mine.”

“I’m going to marry you one day.”

“You cant banish me! This is my bed/bedroom too!”

“You’re seriously like a man-child.”

“Stop being so cute.”

“I feel like i cant breathe when i’m around you.”

“It was a joke, baby. I swear.”

“Are you seriously giving me the silent treatment?”

“Will you just hold me?”

“What do you have behind your back?”

“Not to toot my own horn or anything, but the dog loves me more.”

“You look really good in my sweater.”

“No, i’m not letting you go. It’s too early to get out of bed.”

“I’m not going to stop poking you until you give me some attention.”

“You’re so cute when you’re half asleep like this.”

“Lets just stay in bed.”

“Is that my shirt?”

“No, like..its just, i cant believe you’re actually wearing my clothes.”

“Can you stop playing connect the dots with my freckles?”

“Are you planning to stay glued to my side the whole day?”

“Wow- you look…amazing.”

“I’m not jealous! Its just..you’re mine!”

“You snuck into my room, at 4am…to cuddle?”

“This is gonna sound cheesy but….I love when you’re half asleep and talking nonsense.”

“What? No! I wasn’t staring…I-I was looking at something behind you!”

“Stop being so cute.”

“Tell me again.”

“Can’t you stay a little longer?”

“Because i love you god damnit!”

“Wait a minute.. are you jealous?”

“I really want to kiss you right now.” | “Then do it.”

“I love you. You enormously stubborn pain in the ass.”

“I heard that!” | “You were supposed to!”

“I turned out liking you a lot more than i originally planned.”

“Even when we were kids, i always kicked your ass!”

“Why should we date?” | “Because we’re attracted to each other.” | “I’m attracted to pie, but i do not feel the need to date pie.”

“Where have you been all my life?” | “Hiding from you.”

“Somehow, i always seem to end up here. With you.” | “Soulmate shit, it’s hardcore as hell.”

“I love you.” | “Thats nice.”

“How do i look?”

“If i didn’t know you better, i’d say you were trying to flirt by giving me books.”

“No! It’s your turn!”

“Enjoying the view, beautiful?”

“Be careful, he’s so sweet you might get diabetes.”

“I cant sleep without you. I need my personal body heater and cuddles.”

“How am i supposed to spoil you when you wont accept my gifts?”

“While i do enjoy the silent treatment, i wasn’t aware i had done anything to you.”

“What, you’ve never thought about us?”

“Why is your hand sweating so much?”

“So, we’re just going to ignore the fact that you drunk-dialed me to tell me you love me?”

“Im pretty sure your mom hates me.”

“Can you stay until I fall asleep?”

“Want me to read to you?”

“We should bake a cake!”

“There is something so comforting about being in your room”

“Wow! Look at all the stars”

“I’ll always be here to pick up the pieces”

“You make me feel safe”

“You’re my best friend”

❛ i just wanted to make sure you’re okay. 

❛ there it is, there’s that smile! ❜

❛ you got me flowers? ❜

❛ i’m not afraid of you. ❜

❛ aw, did you miss me? ❜

❛ you’re lucky that you’re cute. ❜

❛ wait, you think i’m cute? ❜

❛ you’re not alone. you never were. ❜

❛ i don’t think i’ve ever seen you smile. ❜

❛ good morning, sleeping beauty. ❜

❛ it’s better with you here. ❜

❛ don’t worry, i’m staying right here. ❜

❛ you’re welcome to stay, if you want. ❜

❛ don’t be a stranger, okay? ❜

❛ i haven’t laughed like this in a long time. ❜

❛ hold still. this might sting a little. ❜

❛ you can hold my hand, if you want. ❜

❛ i knew you would be here. ❜

❛ i just wanted to say thank you for protecting me. ❜

❛ before you do anything, try this and tell me what you think. ❜

❛ wow i really can’t speak, huh? must be because of how pretty you look. ❜

❛ we can order pizza, watch a movie, whatever you want. ❜

❛ what, am i not allowed to look at you? ❜

❛ i’m not giving up on you. ❜

❛ is that my shirt? ❜

❛ this is a good look for you. ❜

❛ pinky promise? ❜

❛ c’mere, you. ❜

❛ honey, i’m home! ❜

❛ you remembered? ❜

❛ you’re my family too. ❜

❛ let’s go somewhere, just you and me. ❜

❛ i’m here for you. don’t forget that. ❜

❛ you’re the only thing that matters. ❜

❛ was that your first kiss? ❜

❛ i was worried something happened to you. ❜

❛ your heart is beating so fast right now. ❜

❛ relationships are built on trust, and i trust you. ❜

❛ you always see the good in people. even me. ❜

❛ do you think the moon is jealous of how pretty you are? ❜

❛ nope, puppy dog eyes aren’t going to work this time! ❜

❛ thanks to you, i know what it means to love again. ❜

❛ how about a kiss before i go? ❜

❛ i’m just glad you’re okay. ❜

❛ here we are, home sweet home. ❜

❛ thanks for being here with me. ❜

❛ seeing you happy is all that matters. ❜

❛ keep it. it looks better on you. ❜

❛ i couldn’t stop missing you if i tried. ❜

❛ you feel like home to me. ❜

[prorevenge]

Talk to me anyway you please? Nah... have fun loosing the entire staff along with the juiciest of juicy contracts.

This is a super throw back but it still brings a smile to my face. Also, my writing sucks so please excuse the grammatical errors.

I was a rink rat growing up. The only day I wasn’t in the skating rink were the adult and gay nights (calm down, it was the 90’s and that’s literally what it was called). Friday night, Saturday morning and night along with Sunday morning and night I was there. Hell, I didn’t even leave between the morning and night sessions. I even went Tuesday nights as well! I was serious too. I dove deep into speed skating and not trying to toot my own horn but I was pretty good and well known.

Anyway, I’d been going to this specific skating rink for years and knew EVERYONE. One day, It was right before I started 7th grade, the owner came up too me and asked me to go out onto the rink floor and tell some kids to slow down. I did and came back and he asked me how would I like to make $7.50 and hour to which I responded “do I also get in for free?” He laughed and said of course. BOOM! First job and I wanted to be there anyway so it was the biggest win-win of all time for me. To say I loved it was an understatement and I did everything besides work the snack bar. DJ, skate counters, floor guard, janitor, hype man... you name it and I did it. It was some of the greatest times of my life. So much fun and the owner was super awesome. Also, we were paid under the table so getting an envelope full of cash every week just felt like a bonus for having fun. To me it wasn’t a job, it was pure fun. It also helped that all my friends were regulars as well.

A few years go by and the owner sold to another guy who we will call Tim. Tim could be an absolute nightmare to work for. He changed the entire dynamic of the place and everyone felt it. Now, this skating rink was POPULAR and extremely old. Lots or people all over the city knew of it. My mom and aunt skated there when they were kids if that tells you anything.

Someway or another the new owner set up and juicy deal that had the rink started making a shitload of money! On Saturday night from 7-11 it was skating per usual but from 11-2ish/3ish is was a club. A local hip hop station came in there with local label Swishahouse and turnt the place upside down for those few hours. Every week and the place was POPPIN. There must have been over 2k people in there on average and at $20 per person it adds up quick plus the snack bar would NEVER stop turning out food and drink. We were making stupid money. Bonus! We also found some good stuff when cleaning up as well. Money, knives, weed, jewelry... It was awesome.

So Tim has it made but sometimes he would fly off the handle for little things. All of us weren’t sure what his deal was but he would explode out of nowhere and start talking all kinds of nonsense. I’d started to have enough because we all had worked there for many years WITHOUT ISSUE. One night he went too far..

I don’t like being called outside of my name. It’s a respect thing. My own mother didn’t do it and he for sure wasn’t. For context I was in 10th grade now. One night he was in some kinda mood and for whatever reason was taking it out on everyone. I don’t remember the exact situation but he started freaking out on me at about 11:30PM. Now, Slim Thug and Paul Wall were in the building that night so the place was extra packed. Waaaay more that usual (I’m sure we were braking all kinds of fire marshal rules lol). He went ballistic and called me every name in the book while I just stood there with rage building up in me. I’d had enough. For years this place ran flawlessly and everyone loved us so he really didn’t have a good reason to treat us in the manner he did. My plan was formed. I immediately gather everyone else that was working and we all decided that enough was enough. It was time for a lesson.

I assembled the entire crew and well all quit on the spot. ALL OF US. That meant nobody to serve food, clean, help the swishahouse people, or just carry out general things that needed to be done when 2-3k people were in the building. He was stunned, his tone changed and he became very sweet. We weren’t having it. As an additional fuck you I called the other two people that were off and they showed up to quit as well. Tim had already reached out so he assumed they were showing up to work. Nope. We left him with zero workers on the absolute busiest of busy nights and boy did it implode. He couldn’t find anyone to work so the place went to absolute shit that night. The on duty officer told him he needed to figure something out or he was going to close it down without workers. Well... he didn’t. It closed down that night and apparently without staff it got nasty. People started having sex, smoking, trashing the place and all kinds of stuff. Shortly after the radio station and label took their business elsewhere and not long afterward the place closed down. He lost his entire investment. This was very bitter sweet for me because I loved the place but he ran it into the ground. The building is still standing and I would LOVE to bring it back to its former glory but my pockets are deep enough yet. Maybe one day.

TLDR: New skating rink owners treated employees horrible so we all quit at the same exact time to leave him stranded. He lost a big contract with a local radio station and popular record label which cost him big money. Rink closed down shortly after.

(source) story by (/u/JawShoeWaah)

[sweet-curried-powder]

Happy Birthday, Edward!

Technically, Edward’s birthday isn’t until tomorrow, but I was too damn excited!!

I really wanted to do something special for Edward’s birthday, so I thought I’d write him a little something to celebrate!

There’s also some self-indulgent Chredwis in here, because there isn’t enough of that out there.

Characters: Edward Quinton, Chris Jackson, Drew and Nevin Jovel, Isaac Beamer, Ell Fisher

Word count: 2,164

Warnings: Swearing

The boys belong to @onebizarrekai​, Ell belongs to me, and the picture was drawn by my good friend @oakskull​!

Fic is under the cut!

Happy birthday, Edward!

***

Chris was ten seconds away from a fucking panic attack. He was pacing back and forth, muttering to himself, finishing off his fourth chocolate bar in the span of ten minutes.

“Okay, so Ell’s baking the cake, Nevin’s cooking other stuff, Drew’s finishing up the playlist for the party…wait, what about the decorations? OH GOD, ARE THE DECORATIONS DONE?! THIS PARTY’S GONNA SUCK ASS IF THERE ISN’T ANY DECORA-”

“Calm your tits, man!” Isaac sighed, walking in the room with a box of handmade decorations. He put them down and held up a banner that said, ‘Happy Birthday, King Edward Quinton!’ There were crowns drawn on it with shiny markers, and it was covered in rhinestones and glitter. “Also gonna toot my own horn and say it’s some of my best work.”

“Oh, thank Kai,” Chris sighed, relaxing. “...Why is it so shiny, though?”

“It’s Edward’s birthday. Everyone knows that your birthday is the one day per year that you get to feel important!” Isaac grinned. “Plus I wanted to use a ton of glitter and rhinestones.”

“Isaac, honey, I love you, but how much did you even USE?” Drew cried, squinting at the banner and shielding his eyes.

“You remember when I went to the arts and crafts store with the five hundred dollars Ell gave me?”

“Yeah?”

“Two hundred and fifty dollars were spent on anything that sparkled.”

Drew facepalmed.

“Well, the aesthetic does look pretty nice,” Chris nodded. “Ell, do me a favor and use your telekinesis to help hang all of these up.”

“Gotcha, Chris-cross!” Ell grinned, lifting her hand. The banner lifted in the air all on its own. She lifted the box up with her hands and wandered off to decorate the rest of Chris’s house.

“I can’t believe that your dad’s okay with holding Ed’s party here,” Isaac said. “I figured that he’d say no to this.”

“Oh, Dad doesn’t know,” Chris replied. “He’s been on a business trip since Monday. He won’t be back until late next week. As long as we clean everything up afterwards, he won’t suspect a thing.”

“Damn, you’re being a rebel, aren’t you?” Drew raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, because this is important! Tomorrow is Ed’s big day!” Chris cried. “Tomorrow has to be absolutely perfect! Just like he is…”

“What was that last part?” Nevin asked, leaning closer to the monochromatic teenager.

“NOTHING!” Chris shouted, face going red, turning to Ell. “Ell, you’re gonna pick Ed up later so he can spend the night at your house, right? You know, to keep him busy so we can set up the finishing touches the next morning?”

“Uh-huh!” Ell gave Chris a thumbs up. “I’m gonna get up early and sneak over here to bake and decorate the cake. If all goes well, I should be back before Edward even wakes up.”

“Remind me why Edward’s gonna stay the night at Ell’s house, again?” Isaac asked. “He could’ve stayed at my place. We’re on pretty good terms.”

“Ell lives the furthest away from all of us,” Chris reminded him. “I’d have him stay at my house, but obviously we can’t, since we’re having the party here.”

“And we all know what Chris would do to Ed if they spent the night alone with each other,” Ell added.

“Jesus fucking Christ, guys! It’s not like that!” Chris cried. “We’d just play birthday games.”

“Birthday games?” Drew repeated.

“Yeah! Like Spin the Bottle, 7 Minutes in Heaven…”

“Chris, those aren’t birthday games,” Isaac facepalmed. “Those are the types of games that horny teenagers play at parties.”

“Hey, who can blame him? That’s how I would want to ring in MY birthday.” Ell’s face started to turn red. “But with somebody else, if you catch my drift…”

“Ell, stop it. You’re gonna bleed on the carpet.” Drew sighed, pulling out a tissue and handing it to Ell.

“Alright, everyone regroup here tomorrow morning at 8 am to put on the finishing touches! Ed’s… er, cronies will arrive a few hours before, and Ell and Ed should be here at noon! Don’t be late!”

Everyone said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, Isaac getting into his car, Drew and Nevin heading home, and Ell walking towards Ed’s house.

Chris shut the door behind him, sliding to the floor. He was nervous. So, so nervous. This party was one of the many surprises that he had for Edward, when tomorrow came.

“Tomorrow is going to be perfect,” Chris said aloud to the empty house. “It has to be. For Edward.”

********************************************

Edward’s cake looked amazing. It was several layers tall, and was frosted in different colors, and even had a tiny little Edward made of modeling chocolate and fondant.

“It’s not really one of my best creations, but Ed’ll like it,” Ell shrugged, wiping some frosting off of her cheek.

“Not one of your best?!” Chris cried. “This is the best birthday cake I’ve ever seen in my life! How did you even manage to make this in two hours?”

“I’ve been in a ton of baking competitions before. No biggie.” Ell blew some hair out of her face. “You gotta learn to work quickly in those sort of things.”

“Did you win a few of them?” Chris asked, intrigued.

“Nope. I won them all.” Ell grinned. “What did you think all those trophies in my living room came from?”

“Martial arts competitions,” Chris replied without hesitation.

“You’re not wrong, actually. I just keep those trophies in my room.” Ell checked the time. “I better go. Ed’s gonna wake up any minute now, and I need to keep the B-day boy distracted.”

“Alright,” Chris sighed. “I’ll call you if I need you to distract him for even longer.”

“That won’t happen.” Ell smiled at Chris, confident.

“How do you know?”

“Let me ask you a question.” Ell leaned in close to Chris. “Do you love Edward?”

Chris’s face went completely and totally red.

“Well, the same generic and platonic love I share with all of my friends and family-”

“No, you dumbass! I mean romantically! Sexually! That kind of love! Do you love Edward in that way?”

Chris balled his hands up into fists. He could lie in this situation, say that he didn’t, but Ell could read minds, and on top of that, she could instantly tell whether someone was lying or telling the truth, so denying that he loved Edward in this situation proved moot.

“Yes. I romantically and sexually love Edward,” Chris admitted, his cheeks warming.

“In that case, I believe that you’ve got this in the bag,” Ell smiled. “You won’t let anything go wrong for him. It’s his birthday, and you want to make it really special for him. You want to give him a birthday that he’ll never forget, in the best way possible. And you’ll succeed.”

“You really think so?”

“I don’t think so. I know so. Telekinetic’s intuition.” Ell tapped her head, looking like the guy from the “you can’t do” meme.

Chris chuckled. “Thanks, Ell. You’re the best.”

“You’re welcome. That’ll be thirty bucks.”

“WHAT?!”

“I’m kidding! God…”

******************************

Edward felt something sit down on his chest, followed by a heavenly smell. He opened his eyes, and Ell was sitting on him, a party horn in her mouth, holding a tray.

Ell blew on the horn, and she took it out of her mouth using her telekinesis. “Bon anniversaire! Feliz cumpleanos! Happy birthday!”

“You made me breakfast in bed? That’s awfully nice of you!” Edward grinned, taking the tray. “Ooh! French toast!”

“Not just any French toast!” Ell grinned. “It’s my grandmother’s special Nutella French toast! The recipe’s been in my family since the day Nutella was first sold in 1964!”

Edward took a bite of it, and his eyes lit up. “Holy shit, this tastes amazing! Nevin would probably kill for this recipe!”

“Yeah, I figured, which is why I haven’t told him about this,” Ell chuckled. “Do me a solid and keep this under wraps, will you?”

“It’s the least I can do,” Edward nodded, taking another bite. “Damn, I gotta say, you’re a really good cook.”

“Oh, thanks. I’m mostly self-taught.” Ell crossed her legs. “So, do you have any plans for today?”

“I usually go out for dinner on my birthday with my family, but I’m pretty much free until then,” Edward said. “I think I might go see Chris. My cronies probably got me something. Well, at least Cody, probably.”

“Oh, I bet you’ll see them soon,” Ell smiled. “Trust me.”

“Okay…” Edward took another bite. While he was distracted, Ell checked the time. She needed to keep Edward distracted for four hours. While some people would think that was impossible, she knew how to do it.

“You know, there’s this new store that opened up nearby that’s full of weird stuff,” Ell said, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together. “And I heard this rumor from one of the librarians that the place had some haunted items…”

“Haunted? As in, ghosts?” Edward leaned forward.

Ell nodded.

“Well, what are we waiting for?! LET’S GO!” Edward shoved the rest of the toast in his mouth and started taking his shirt off.

“HEY! Girl in the room!!” ********************************

“You want… that book?” Ell asked, raising an eyebrow as Edward held up a dusty, old book with some kind of symbol on the cover.

“Yep!” Edward grinned.

Ell breathed in deeply. “Dude, I know it’s your birthday, and I don’t mean to shoot you down on your special day, but I haven’t seen you pick up a book that wasn’t assigned to you for class.”

“Well, unlike you, I do all my recreational reading in the comfort of my own home, and only there,” Edward said, holding the book to his chest. “Besides, this book is just oozing with supernatural stuff. I can feel it in my bones.”

“Alright, if you say so,” Ell shrugged, giving the cashier several hundred dollar bills. “Keep the change, m’theydy.”

The cashier looked confused, but put the money in the register without complaint.

It was almost noon. Time for Ed to get so fucking surprised.

“Hey, Chris just texted me,” Ell said, looking at Edward with a gleam in her eyes. “He asked me to bring you over to his house. He has something for you.”

Edward’s cheeks dusted pink.

“Edward? You alright, buddy?” Ell asked.

“I-I’m fine!” Edward said rather quickly. “L-let’s hurry up.” Ell grinned, grabbed Edward’s hand, and fucking ran. For someone who was the shortest person in Foxfield High School, she was fast.

“Ell, slow down! Christ alive!” Edward cried, stumbling to catch up to his younger friend.

Ell finally screeched to a stop in front of Chris’s house.

“Chris said to just go on in,” Ell said, panting slightly. “I’m gonna go use the bathroom.” She dashed inside the house, opening and shutting the door quickly.

“Okay, everyone! He’s here!” Ell whispered.

“Okay everyone, go and hide!” Chris hissed. “When Ed comes in, count to three, and then jump out and yell, ‘Surprise’! Got that?”

Everyone nodded, scrambling to find a hiding spot. Ell used her powers to turn the lights off as she hid behind the couch next to the twins.

Edward opened the door, entering the dark house. “Hello? Chris?” He squinted, looking around the pitch-black house. “Are you home?”

Ell turned the lights back on, and everyone jumped out from their hiding spots.

“SURPRISE!” Everyone yelled. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

“W-what? A… a party?” Edward looked around the room in disbelief. “You guys set this all up?”

“Actually, it was Chris,” Isaac admitted, elbowing Chris in the side. “He got the idea in the first place. The rest of us helped in our own little ways. I made the decorations, if you can guess.”

Edward held back laughter as he looked at the extremely glittery banner that was hanging on a wall. He turned to Chris. “You planned all of this by yourself?”

Chris nodded, his face turning slightly pink. “It’s your birthday. I wanted to make it really special for you. I hope you like it.”

“Well, I don’t like it.”

Chris felt his heart sink. “O-oh. I’m-”

“I love it!”

Chris blinked. “Y-you do?”

“Yeah!” Edward grinned. “I can’t believe you went through the trouble of planning a huge surprise party just for me. It’s such a great birthday gift.”

Chris looked at Ell from the corner of his eye. She gave him a knowing look, and nodded, as if she was telling her to go for it. Chris took a deep breath.

“Well, can I give you another gift?” Chris asked.

“Sure! What is-”

Chris grabbed Edward, dipped him down, and gave him a long, deep, passionate kiss. Isaac and Nevin fucking sceamed, while everyone else stared in awe.

After thirty thrilling seconds, Chris separated from a blushing Edward.

“Happy birthday,” Chris grinned.

Edward stood there, frozen for a good while, before he smiled back, tears of joy streaming down his face.

“Thank you.”

[avintagekiss24]

Which of your fics...

I was tagged by @siancore and @nacho-bucky (and a few other people that I can’t remember! Sorry!!) Thank you!

... did you think would get a bigger reaction/audience than it got?

Probably The Fallen. It was my first fic back after taking about a month off from tumblr and I was really kinda excited about it because it was different from my usual fair and this was Demon!Bucky.

... got a better reaction than you expected?

Paper! This was my first Ransom Drysdale fic and my first fic to reach 1,000 notes! I wrote it in like an hour while I was watching Family guy, lol. I never expected it to do that well!

... is your funniest?

Mmm, I don’t know if I have any intentionally funny fics, lol. Unintentionally funny could be sprinkled into a lot of them lmaooo

... is your darkest or angstiest?

Darkest - Night Shift - Andy Barber

Angstiest - Listen Before I Go - Bucky Barnes

... is you absolute favorite?

This is hard, and this changes day by day lol, but I think The First Night Of The Rest of Your Life is my absolute favorite. 70s Bucky just gets me (and, not to toot my own horn, but the soundtrack I infused is tops)

... was the easiest to write?

Paper - Ransom Drysdale

Sprung off in the Spring Time - Steve Rogers

Home - Steve Rogers

These all just spilled out of my brain and fingers.

... was the hardest to write

Umm, I can’t really say any of them were hard to write, per say. Some just take longer than others cuz of my attention span sometimes lmaoooo

... has your favorite lines/exchange/paragraph? (Share it!)

This is from California King, featuring Chubby!Sheriff!Bucky Barnes.

“I’ma get you that little house over there on Pleasant drive, you know it?” he asks, daydreaming again, “We’ll get married -” You scoff, “What?”

“Married?” You ask skeptically, rolling your head on his shoulder as you keep your eyes closed.

“Yes. Married.”

“How are you going to be the law in this town if you’re steady breaking it?”

He chuckles, “You don’t listen to the news?”

“No,” You say softly, squeezing him tighter as you let out a breath, “Too depressin’.”

“Well,” He starts, dropping kisses to the top of your head, “Richard and Mildred Loving are fighting hard for people like you and me.” You open your eyes and blink slowly, watching as the wind plays the branches of the trees across the street as he continues, “They’ll overturn those bullshit laws - just you watch. I’ll marry you the very next day, right here in the middle of town.”

“You think?”

“I think, what?”

“They’ll overturn ‘em?”

“They have to. The world’s too big for that small minded, backwoods bullshit now.”

“And then you’ll buy me that house over there on Pleasant Drive?”

“Mmhmm.”

“And then get me one of those big old beds, what you call it?”

“A California King.”

“Yeah, that.”

“Sure will.”

“And then?”

He takes a breath before he sweeps his nose along yours again, brushing the tips together, “And then we’ll be together until we grow old and grey. I’ll probably be four hundred pounds by then, but.”

He chuckles as you pinch him, making him squirm from the sharp pain, “Stop it.” You warn.

“Look at me now! I’m well on my way.”

“I like you just how you are.” You say simply.

“I suppose you do.”

“I do.”

... have you reread the most.

All Rise - Andy Barber... I love filth.

... would you recommend to someone reading your work for the first time?

The Forest

... are you most proud of?

Again, The Forest

[daily-dose-of-imagines]

𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕌𝕡♡

Hello! I hope the both of you are doing well and not overworking yourselves!!! When you have a chance, could I please request a matchup? Either from Haikyuu!! or JJBA (pt. 3-5) or both, whatever is going to be easiest for the both of you. If you’re able to add in some NSFW that would be great (with aged up characters, of course).

I’m a 22 year old female, 5’4, I have hip length wavy brown hair, brown eyes and I wear contacts/glasses. I have 5-6 ear piercings per ear, 3 nose piercings (I flip up my septum piercing for work/school), a tongue piercing, and I’m working on finishing up a tattoo sleeve that starts on my left arm, crosses my back and ends on my right hip. I’d consider myself to have a soft grunge aesthetic/fashion style? I enjoy gaming, reading, writing, listening to music, exercising and cooking. I really enjoy chill date nights, like, ordering take out & watching a movie at home with my cats. If we wanted to go out then spending time at the aquarium/museum or maybe going on a hike would be an amazing date as well. I grew up performing (dancing, singing, acting), it’s something I wish I had more time to do nowadays.

I work at an small animal veterinary clinic & am going to school for business administration with a minor in psychology, I already have a degree in anthropology. I’m an introvert and my personality type is INFJ-T; I’m a Virgo sun and moon, Leo rising. I come off as super quiet, serious, kind of intimidating to people who don’t know me but I’m quick and sarcastic and I really love laughing when I’m around people who I’m completely comfortable with - it’s like I can’t stop talking when I’m with my best friends. I truly care about the people I allow into my life. I’m pretty intelligent (not to toot my own horn) but I do stupid shit?? I’m just as confused as my friends are - I’m positive my last words are going to be “oopsie” or “oh shit.”

Thank you so much in advance - please take your time, there’s really no rush for this request to get done anytime soon!! ☺️☺️

»»————-　♡　————-««

Hello sweet pea~! We’re both doing great~! We’re trying not to overwork ourselves too much-- but we just can’t help but feel a bit bad when we’ve slowed down on posting content for you amazing babies ;; <3 Though I promise that we’re taking care of our health~! Other then that, you most definitely may request a match-up~! I’ll be doing both Haikyuu and JJBA for you hun~! I hope you enjoy who I’ve paired you up with, and thank you so much for your patience in receiving your match-up~! ;; We really appreciate your support~!

» » Admin Ko

𝕀 𝕊𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕘...

ꜱᴇᴍɪ ᴇɪᴛᴀ

Stoic and hot-headed at times, Semi Eita is the man for you~! Despite being hot-headed, he’s able to acknowledge what the situation is and why certain situations come to pass, thus somehow leading into your relationship. It’s in the spur of the moment when he runs into you on campus. His career choice of a singer being vastly different from what you’re doing but you both really have a connection the moment you both meet during Biology the first year out of high school. From there, he not only is utterly enraptured by your appearance, but has founded a rather large crush on you. 

Eventually you both end up dating and coming to terms with a stable relationship. Despite being rather blunt and cold at times, he’s quite the lax person who easily blends in easily with your day to day and actively plans dates with you. Be it for performances or simple intimate moments as a ‘normal’ couple. 

He absolutely adores the work you do and finds it inspiring in it’s own right. It’s without a doubt that ends up writing songs about you in his free time. (He will literally become a blushing mess if you find his lyrics). Semi is absolutely smitten for the snark and bite you have. The wicked glint of your piercings only add to the heat that usually ends up boiling in his stomach when you deliver a relatively sharp witted comment to some asshole.

It’s without a doubt that Semi gets most definitely distracted by your piercings. The look of it all is just so alluring to him that he can’t help but become even more enraptured by you. Not only that, but if you happen to french kiss him? He’s going to most definitely be rock hard and practically lifting you in his arms to get to the bedroom because the way you handle your tongue with the piercing is just too sinful for him to handle.

ᴋᴜᴊᴏ ᴊᴏᴛᴀʀᴏ

Definitely someone who most wouldn’t think would actually commit to a relationship. With the trail of fangirls and women who fawn over him, many had assumed that he could be quite experienced. Though that proved not to be the case when he met you. Someone who was not only interesting as a person, but actually calm and knew how to properly use her head? He’s intrigued and most definitely growing a crush. 

It’s when you both are partnered up during a science lab that he gets a proper first hand experience with you, and in short he fell utterly in love. He loves your quick wit and sarcastic remarks. It always tugs his lips into a half smirk, especially when the offending party can’t think of anything else to say. Not only that, but the casual dates that are just as lax, if not soothing? He’s ready to marry you by the time you suggest a date to the aquarium. 

He won’t admit it outright, but he loves your tattoos and piercings, though he mostly loves your tattoos. The art and intricacy of the designs has him tracing patterns every night he spends with you. His aquamarine eyes memorizing every little detail before succumbing to sleep. Don’t even get him started on your piercings. The tongue piercing itself is enough to bring him swirling into a new world of kinks and play that he never thought could really be possible for him.

Other then that, he’s immensely proud of your work and takes great pride in going to you for advice in aspects of business whilst he works with the marine life. It’s without a doubt that he enjoys bringing the role of Dr. Kujo to the bedroom as well.

[enigmatic-elegance]

Oh you of multi-muses, what is something that you feel you do really well when keeping consistency between your multitudes of alts? What is something that you personally do to get into character? What is one or two things that are difficult for you from a writing perspective (and not time) that you are working to improve through whichever character?

What is something that you feel you do really well when keeping consistency between your multitudes of alts?

So I’ll toot my own horn just a bit here. One thing I know I am really good at is keeping all my characters as their own person. It’s always been fairly easy for me to switch between characters and immediately adopt their mannerisms and methods. Characters have their own lives to me, and it’s never been much a struggle to shift from one to the other. It happens so naturally, that even if I have dozens of muses and have not played one in a while, I can jump back into them just as easily as I could day one.

/brag

What is something that you personally do to get into character?

As I said above I usually just let the characters happen on their own. They all are distinct and each holds their own personality. However, music can help a lot in getting me in a character’s mood. When I am working on TRP profiles or writings I have playlists for each char I like to listen to which helps to get me in the right frame of mind.

What is one or two things that are difficult for you from a writing perspective (and not time) that you are working to improve through whichever character?

I focus on the hands and eyes too much. I always have my characters looking around or moving their fingers or hands that in some instances I realize my past five emotes have, aside from dialogue, just a bunch of looking around and hand motions. I have to often remember the rest of the body.

I don’t know if this is a ‘struggle’ per se, but I do ship.. a lot. I really adore romance plots. I think they are cute and I love them from slow burns over months to weeks and even just sudden ‘Oh, hey..’ moments of realization. I really enjoy them. Which often leads me to, in the middle of an RP, start thinking ‘these two are really good together. They seem to be developing a friendship. What if they just started going at it?’ Gotta sometimes pull back on that so I don’t unintentionally influence my character into making moves they otherwise might not make.

Thanks for the asks, @risrielthron!