#we're very proud of this and had so much fun working on it together!

[emilianadarling]

Fic: COMPLETE - Heart Beats Slow (Din/Luke Neo-Noir/Urban Fantasy AU)

fic: Heart Beats Slow authors: cam_elot | emilianadarling artist: lovey-dovey (full art on tumblr and ao3) chapter: Spin Velocity (3/3) series: The Neon Lights of Coruscant rating: E ship: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker contains: Alternate Universe - Neo(n) Noir/Urban Fantasy, Werewolf!Din, Incubus!Luke, Coruscant, Sex Magic and Magical Sexual Urges, Rituals, Pining, Desperate Masturbation, Porn & Plot.

summary: Among the towers and gleaming neon lights of Coruscant, a grieving Mandalorian finds a half-starved incubus in the snow.

In a galaxy far, far away - where magical beings live alongside droids and sentients - their lives, once separated by class and species, are drawn together inextricably.

And all the while, something darker lurks in city shadows.

[slut4megantheestallion]

Arcane characters - with a childish but genius reader

Characters: Vi , Jinx, Caitlyn, Mel, jayce, Viktor, vander.

Genre:fluff

Summary: Arcane characters in a relationship with a childish yet secretly intelligent reader.

-Vi

●At first, Vi thinks you're just an airhead. You get distracted by little things, chase pigeons in the street, and constantly come up with the most ridiculous ideas ever

●"Babe, why are you trying to balance a spoon on your nose? We're in the middle of a serious conversation."

●She's overprotective of you, worried that someone might take advantage of how playful and carefree you seem.

●But then, one day, she watches you casually solve a complex mechanical issue that even Ekko had been struggling with, and she's just stunned.

●"Wait, wait, hold on. You did what now?"

●Now she's fiercely proud of you and will brag to everyone about how you're actually a genius.

●If someone underestimates you, she'll smirk and say, "Go ahead, challenge them. I dare you." And when you inevitably outsmart them, she just leans back, arms crossed, grinning.

●Loves that you bring out her more playful side - she's always up for a stupid game or a race through the streets with you.

●If you start rambling about some complicated theory, she won't always understand half of what the fuck your saying, but she listens anyway because she loves hearing your voice.

-Jinx

●Oh, she adores your childish energy. Finally, someone who gets her brand of chaos!

●"You wanna build a potato cannon?"

●"Babe, you're speaking my language."

●You two are an absolute menace together - pulling harmless (and sometimes not-so-harmless) pranks, running around Zaun causing trouble, laughing your heads off.

●At first, she thinks you're just her playful partner-in-crime. Then, one day, she catches you casually, working through some insane calculations for a weapon design.

●"Wait, wait, you figured that out? I thought you were just doodling little cats on the blueprint!"

●Now she's obsessed with your mind works. She'll beg you to explain things, even if she doesn't always follow.

●"So, if I put this here... it won't explode in my face? Ohh, see, that why I keep you around."

●She loves how unpredictable you are- One second, you're blowing bubbles in your drink; the next, you're explaining quantum physica like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

●If someone underestimates you, she finds it hilarious. She'll just sit back and watch them embarrass themselves when you outsmart them.

-Caitlyn Kirraman

●Caitlyn was very skeptical at first. You're constantly getting distracted, making silly faces, and skipping around like a child. She thought you lacked focus.

●But then she catches you dismantling and improving one of Piltover's security devices in under five minutes, and then she nearly drops her tea.

●"You- how did you do that?"

●Now, she absolutely adores your mind. She loves discussing problems with you, even if you randomly interrupt to say something like, "Do you think ducks have existential crises?"

●She's so patient with your antics. If you get distracted mid-conversation, she just sighs, waits for you to finish your tangent, and then guides you back on track.

●she loves how you challenge her and how you make her world so much more fun.

●"Darling, while I do appreciate your enthusiasm, maybe don't poke the criminal while I'm interrogating him?"

●If someone doubts your intelligence, she’ll give them a knowing smirk and let them make a fool of themselves before stepping in and destroying them with logic.

-Mel

●She immediately finds you endearing. You're playful, unpredictable, and full of life.

●At first, she assumes you're just a whimsical, carefree spirit - someone who brings joy into her serious world.

●Then, one night, she finds you effortlessly strategizing a flawless political move that even seasoned council members hadn't thought of.

●"Oh, love... you are dangerous. I like that."

●She adores the contrast between your childish antics and your sharp mind. It fascinates her.

●If someone insults your intelligence, she'll simply smile and say, "You should challenge them. See how that works out for you.

●Loves how unpredictable you are - one minute, you're doodling all over her important documents; the next, you're making a move that changes the entire political landscape.

●"Darling, I can't decide if you're my biggest headache or my greatest asset." (It's both, and she loves it.)

-Jayce

●Jayce is confused at first. You seem so carefree, like you don't take anything seriously.

●But then you casually correct his calculations on Hextech energy output, and his jaw drops.

●"Wait. Say that again."

●Now, he's obsessed with your brain. He asks for your opinions all the time, even when it's something he should probably figure out himself.

●He loves how you bring joy into his life. You make him laugh when he's stressed, and you remind him not to take himself too seriously.

●Protective. If someone underestimates you, he's quick to say, "You have no idea who you're talking to."

●Sometimes, he has to drag you back on track when you go off on a tangent, but he secretly loves your randomness.

-Viktor

●Viktor was not fooled by your childish nature. He noticed your intelligence immediately.

●"You play the fool well, but I see the way your mind works."

●He absolutely adores how unpredictable you are. Your ideas, no matter how outlandish they sound at first, always seem to work.

●"A rocket-powered toaster? That is... ridiculous. But actually, it's not a bad concept."

●He lives for your strange, out-of-the box thinking. You help him see things in ways he never would have considered.

●If someone doubts your intelligence, he just chuckles and waits for you to absolutely destroy them with logic.

●He finds your childish tendencies endearing - he secretly loves watching you chase butterflies or balance a spoon on your nose.

-Vander

●He treats you like you're his favorite kid. You make him laugh, and he loves that about you.

●He assumes you're just the fun-loving type until you start outsmarting people left and right.

●"Huh. You're sharper than you let on, ain't ya?"

●He's so proud of you. He brags about you to everyone, even if you're just goofing around.

●He adores your playful nature but makes sure you're safe - no reckless stunts on his watch.

●if someone talks down to you, he gives then a warning look: "Best watch what you say. They ain't clueless as you think."

[cosmicporos]

What Arcane characters would gift you for Christmas!

Jinx, Vi, Ekko, Viktor, Jayce

(Semi crack Drabble… sorry for going super long with Viktor’s and Jayce’s HCs. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH)

(Jayce is Hispanic in my hc :3)

ENJOY AND HAVE FUN LOVE YALL<3

Not proofread

JINX

Hear me out… the first thing she would plan to gift you are decorated safety googles.

As a matter of fact everything she gifts you is handmade!

She knows you love to spend time with her when she’s in her workshop and the extra spare of googles she had were pretty crappy…

“Ugh, these old things? Pfft, they look like they’ve been through a freakin’ explosion… oh wait, they probably have! We gotta get you a new pair soon toots!”

They’d be totally decked out! Lots of character as she calls it.

“Okay toots check it out! Maximum protection but most importantly! They got style!”

The googles themselves would be in her classic style, very colorful paint, cute little heart scribbles all around! And of course lots of glitter….

“"I mean, you've got to stay safe while causing mayhem, right? And hey, if we're blowing stuff up together, you'll definitely need these. Plus, I made them perfectly for you. No one else will have goggles like these... trust me!"

I totally see her adding little handmade jewelry from her gears and spare parts, would totally make you a belt or choker out of spare bullets.

Vi

She would totally panic on what to get you for Christmas. Like what if you suddenly hate the thing you’ve loved since the very beginning she’s known you???

Would end up both buying and making you something!

She’s make you something small but meaningful

“Okay Okay fine! You can open mine now. Just don’t laugh too hard Cupcake…”

You’d open the poorly wrapped gift to uncover a bright pink scarf she knitted you! The stitching is a mess.. there a hole’s through the project (no doubt a missed stitch) but in all honesty it so cute you feel like your heart might explode.

"Yeah, I know I'm not, uh, the best at this kind of thing," she mutters, scratching the back of her neck, "but I figured you could use something to keep warm... and, you know, 'cause it's winter. And... you're important to me."

Guys please tell her she did an amazing job PLEASE.

She would also totally buy you a pair of combat boots! Totally saved up for months in advance.

She loves the idea of being able to match and have a bit of her style on you!

Ekko

Just like Jinx (sobs) he’d also make something for you!

The first thing he’d give you would be a little sketch book full of drawings of you from random moments throughout your relationship he remembers oh so clearly.

"I've been working on it for a while... It's... it's just a bunch of drawings. I mean, not just anything. Stuff that made me think of you. Stuff we've done, or things I hope we do. I don't know, it just felt like the best way to show how I feel about... well, us."

Okay he would also totally make you matching jewelry (matching clock hand necklaces?)

You’d force him to take the hour hand since it’s shorter (heheheh little man)

Once you explain your reasoning as to why he should take the smaller one he sighs disappointedly…

"Okay, okay, I get it," he finally says, a little less playful now, his voice softening. "I guess if you want me to wear it, I can..."

Then, a grin creeps back onto his face as he adds, "But don't think I'm letting you off the hook with the minute hand. You're wearing that one for sure." He places the hour hand necklace around his neck, the smaller pendant resting there, and looks up at you with that mischievous gleam in his eye.

He pauses, holding up his necklace, "I'm still the one with the bigger job. You'll just have to keep up." A proud smug smirk now rests on his face.

Viktor

FUCK WHERE DO I BEGIN I LOVE THIS MAN

o k a y. He would just like Vi panic… not because he doesn’t know what to get you but because he totally is going Christmas shopping late… very very late.

As much as I would love to say he’d make some little invention to make your day easier and give it to you for Christmas I don’t see it happening.

Not because he wouldn’t do it but because he already does it all the time! A little example, you’re late for work often? A little robot that hits you with a plastic squishy hammer every morning at 7 am waking you up when he can’t!

He’d definitely want to make Christmas special, I see him buying you something and then doing something special for you too!

Christmas morning would be greeted with warm hugs and kisses along with an even warmer bowl of potato soup!

He wanted to make sure he perfected his mother’s Bramboračka recipe. It was a once a year meal him and his mother shared every Christmas day.

He’s not a good cook by any means… but this is the one dish he can make and oh boy can he make it.

"Don't expect perfection," he says with a small, self-conscious smile, as you catch him sneaking a taste of the soup. Viktor looks up, his gaze softening. "I hope you like it," he says, and despite his usual perfectionism, there's a quiet pride in his voice. You take a sip, and the rich flavors of mushrooms, potatoes, and herbs immediately comfort you, just like his mother's love must've comforted him all those years ago.

OKAY for the making gift he planned I see him commissioning something due to the fact a lot of his inventions lack aesthetics.

Specifically I see him commissioning a music box that functions as a a jewelry box as well! He would have loved to make it himself but he was worried he wouldn’t have gotten the look right.

"Do you like it?" he asks, his voice softer than usual, as if he's worried about the reception. "I had it made... I thought... it might remind you of us."

The detail was breathtaking-floral patterns etched into the surface, with tiny gears and delicate metalwork accenting the edges. The craftsmanship was stunning, and you couldn't help but run your fingers over the smooth finish.

you lifted the lid, and a gentle, lilting melody began to play. It was slow and sweet, a tune that felt timeless, and as you stared at the tiny figurines inside, your breath caught.

His fingers fidgeted with the edge of his cane, his gaze flicking between you and the music box. "I commissioned it," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "I had the craftsman use a sketch I made. It's how I see us... in my mind. How I feel when I hold you." He paused, his expression softening. "I thought... I thought you deserved something that would remind you of that. Of... how much you mean to me."

Jayce

Oh hon… Jayce would spoil you rotten.

I’m talking presents are overflowing underneath the tree.

You thought you lost your favorite piece of clothing? WRONG! He commissioned for more to be made in different colors and textures for you.

All the fragrances in the world he knew you would enjoy.

Cozy adorable pajamas we would give you Christmas morning so you could cuddle up drinking hot chocolate.

Spends Christmas Eve spoiling you and cuddling and being so tooth rottenly sweet.

It’s Christmas Eve, the scene was almost overwhelming. The living room looked like a perfectly curated holiday catalog-twinkling lights, a roaring fireplace, and, of course, an absurd number of gifts. Jayce sat cross-legged beside the tree, an excited grin lighting up his face as he handed you the first box. He had merely grinned, sheepish yet unrepentant. "What can I say? I got carried away?.”

"Open this one first," he urged, nearly vibrating with excitement. Inside was a bottle of an exquisite fragrance, the glass etched with delicate, swirling designs. It smelled divine-rich, warm, and entirely you.

"I figured you'd like that," he said eyes carefully watching everyone expression you make. You swear if he had a tail it would be swishing uncontrollably right now.

Christmas Day would be you spending Christmas day at his mother’s house!

(Listen I’m hc them as hispanic because for one HIS MOMS NAME HIS XIMENA… and two because why not :3 )

You have a great relationship with his Mother, she absolutely adores you and sees you as her daughter.

There’s lots of yummy food she’s prepared… perhaps too much for just 3 people?

Nonetheless, a pot of pozole, tamales de puerco and de dulce! And of course she made jayce’s favorite choco flan!

God she urges to to eat until you nearly pop! You have to undo your belt by the end of the night…

"Come, sit!" his mom insisted, pulling out a chair for you. "Jayce told me you've never had my tamales. That's a crime! Here, start with this." She placed one on your plate, her eyes twinkling.

Jayce sat beside you, his grin widening as you took your first bite. "Good, right?" he asked, nudging you playfully.

You could only nod, savoring the perfectly seasoned masa and tender filling.

Later in the evening, when everyone was too full to move, Jayce leaned over and slipped his hand into yours. His eyes were soft, his voice low as he said, "I'm glad you're here. This—" he gestured to the lively scene around you, "—feels perfect with you."

[jjeongkii]

Spring love — Jungkook one shot

finally posted something we cheered 🙏🏻

bf!jk × reader

summary — You surprised Jungkook with a spring picnic, where you both shared laughs, kisses, and paint, creating a sweet memory together.

warning — none! just jungkook being that sweet but annoying boyfriend who loves you so much 💕💝💘💓

word count — 1,157

song recommendation — Still With You - Jungkook | Lover - Taylor Swift

It was a perfect early spring day, the weather finally warming up, leaving behind the ugly chill of winter. Sunshine filled the sky, and happiness seemed to radiate from every corner. Honestly, who even likes winter?

It was March—spring's start—and you had decided to surprise Jungkook with a surprise picnic. Both of you loved the outdoors, walking around, and discussing absolutely everything. you worked so hard to prepare your picnic spot, laying out the soft blanket on the grass.

You'd brought a little raspberry chocolate cake, snacks, fresh fruits, and juice. You even brought a little canvas and paint so that you could paint after lunch. When all was ready, she got out your phone and sent him a text.

"Hey Kookie, can you come to the park? I want to show you something."

Your phone vibrated almost instantly.

"Coming right now."

Damn, that was fast. Guess he was eager to see you. You played with your dress as you waited. It was a nice blue one, perfect for the springtime.

Meanwhile, Jungkook was getting ready too, fixing his hair. He wore a simple white shirt and some ripped blue jeans—a common combo, but somehow he made it look effortlessly hot.

As you waited, a wave of nervousness built up inside you. But you knew Jungkook loved moments like this. He always loved it when you went out of your way to do something special for him. It made his heart flip every time.

Jungkook headed towards the park, his eyes scanning for you. And when he finally spotted you, standing there with the sun softly caressing your skin, he was rendered speechless. The blue dress, your hair gently swaying with the wind—it was something he could never get used to.

He approached from the back and kneeled, a teasing smile spreading across his face. "So, all dressed up for me, huh?" he joked, nudging your shoulder gently.

You hit his arm lightly, a blush working its way up your neck. "Shut up," you muttered, trying to hide your embarrassed face.

"Aww, my baby's already blushing? Adorable," he chuckled, sitting down next to you.

Jungkook's grin swept over the picnic setting, his eyes landing on the canvas and paints. "You're going to let our inner Picassos out?" he inquired, an eyebrow arching upwards. "Since, you know, I'm terrible at painting."

You dismissively waved your hand. "Jungkook, you don't have to be Picasso. I just figured it'd be something fun to do after we ate.

You spent the next bit of time enjoying yourselves together—eating, chatting, stealing little kisses between bites of food. Everything seemed like it should be. The sun was out, the air was fresh, and everything just felt right. You even fed each other, laughing at the mess you made.

Jungkook had given you a chocolate-covered strawberry, but the melted chocolate had dropped onto your lips. He gently laughed, leaning in closer to wipe it away. "You're always such a mess, aren't you?"

"Hey, not my fault you feed me like I'm some cow," you joked, making him laugh even harder.

After your little food fight, you grabbed the canvas and the paintbrush, your eyes sparkling with excitement. "Well, ready to bring out the Picasso within you?"

Jungkook laughed, grabbing his own canvas. "Oh, I'm ready. Let's make the art world proud," he replied, squeezing paint onto the palette.

You had always been very skilled with a paintbrush. You'd gone to art school when you we're younger, so it came second nature to you. But even though Jungkook had seen your talent before, he couldn't help but be amazed by your work every time.

As time passed, you both were deeply focused on your paintings. Jungkook was doing his best, and you couldn't resist trying to sneak a peek at his canvas. "Whatcha got there?" you joked, trying to get a peek.

"Nope, no looking," Jungkook said, covering his work. "Patience, baby."

You crossed your arms and looked at your own painting. You added a few more details, your brush strokes becoming more confident.

Finally, after what had seemed like forever, you both finished your paintings. You counted to three, eager to reveal your works.

"On three. One… two… three!"

You flipped your canvases around. Your painting was a beautiful, detailed depiction of a flower field, every petal and leaf showing your attention to detail. You’d clearly put a lot of effort into it.

Jungkook's artwork, however, was of you—sitting as you were now, painting concentratedly. It was pretty good for someone who claimed to be awful at art. It wasn't flawless, but it was created with so much love, you could tell he'd put his heart into it.

"Oh my god, baby… this is so beautiful." You looked at the painting, holding it up, noticing the little hearts surrounding your figure. Your heart skipped a beat. He really loved you, and this painting was proof of that.

"Thank you, my love," Jungkook smiled, leaning in and kissing you on the cheek. "I'm glad you like it."

You felt a wave of warmth run through you as you looked at him. His eyes sparkled with genuine affection, and you could tell that everything he did—every little thing—was filled with love. You leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, lingering for a moment as if time itself had paused. The still, quiet moment between the two of you was ideal.

"I'm so lucky to have you," you whispered onto his lips, your heart overflowing with emotion.

Jungkook grinned and enveloped you in his arms, pulling you near. "Nah, I'm the lucky one," he replied, his voice gentle. He rested his chin on the top of your head as you burrowed into his chest, the two of you warm in the peaceful moment.

The sun still shone overhead, and the gentle breeze played with your hair, but nothing could be more ideal than this. Just the two of you, surrounded by love, laughter, and art. The picnic could have been simple, but the memories you were making were priceless.

You both just sat there for a while, talking, laughing, and just basking in the simplicity of each other's company. The world around you just melted away, and it was like nothing else mattered. You didn't need fancy plans or material things to be happy—just each other, and these moments that felt like they could last a lifetime.

And when the day began winding down, Jungkook stood up, pulling you along with him. "Come on, let's take this masterpiece home," he said with a playful wink, jerking his head in the direction of your paintings.

You laughed and took his hand, feeling like the luckiest person in the world. "Yeah, let's go. But you're gonna carry your 'Picasso,' not me.".

"Deal," he chuckled, pulling you into his side as you walked hand-in-hand back to the car, your hearts full of joy, and your smiles never fading.

[kiyo-cant-write]

Picture the couple dynamic of Riddle dating a male Yuu and Floyd. Just the fact a date night could be dancing the waltz with Riddle then Club dancing with Floyd.

dating floyd/riddle (florid x yuu) ✧･ﾟ

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Hello anon! I hope I interpreted this right! If I made a mistake please request it again and I will try to fix it >.< ;;

Regardless though, I am proud of how this turned out, I think it's cute, and I hope that you like it :D I read this as poly so wrote it as such. Which is easily done for me as a queer poly writer ww

Thank you for requesting!!! SORRY I ACCIDENTALLY USED THEY AND CANT CHANGE IT 😭🩵

Note for everyone that I have a few requests left from earlier to get done before the close of the year and then everything else sent from here on will not be posted until 2025 January. Please keep this in mind, thank you for supporting me!

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Summary: Date nights can be interesting when Floyd is in a mood and Riddle, after some prodding, feels competitive. [Name] is in for a ride tonight, huh? The homework will have to wait.

TW/CW: polyamory

Notes: established relationship, the reader is Ramshackle Prefect/Yuu, they/them, pronouns for the reader, FloRid, explicitly post Book 3

Guest Stars: Jade Leech (mentioned), Trey Clover (mentioned)

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✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

FloRid x Yuu (Polycule)

Floyd was the one who approached you first but Riddle was the one who proposed an actual relationship. They've competed since.

For whatever reason [Name] is the reason they compete and the force that can make them work together all the same.

Dates with Floyd are spontaneous and fun.

He likes to go dancing or visit sights. He always buys weird things.

Depending on the outing, there may be a souvenir for Jade.

Riddle prefers quieter things mostly but bigger events are always classy as if from a storybook. Floyd makes fun of this.

Riddle has not had much relationship experience up until now.

Trey once told [Name] that it is "very like Riddle" to make the decision to "over-achieve" and have two partners instead of one.

Trey also notes that this might be a rebellion against his mother.

As much as they compete with each other to take [Name] on the best dates, they also work together for bigger events like [Name]'s birthday or an anniversary for the three of them.

Even if they seem at odds, Floyd and Riddle do care for each other in their own way. Their love for each other is expressed through their bickering, it seems. Please bear with them.

And, hey. [Name] gets discounts and Mostro Lounge now and has two "scary dogs" should anything go wrong.

"What did you say to Shrimpy? Wanna get squeezed?"

"I'll have you know that's against school rules. Off with y-"

"We should go," Floyd commented, lying on the couch in a way that made [Name] wonder if he had bones. This is boring."

They sighed at Floyd's impatience. They had agreed, the three of them, to only go down to the city (with the permission of the faculty) after they had finished their work. Floyd didn't care much for homework, but Riddle had become so furious about the possibility of getting a zero on an assignment that both [Name] and Floyd ceded.

"I know it's boring but we promised Riddle," [Name] chose to say.

"I knowwwww," Floyd whined, "But you didn't say it would take this long. We're never going to make it down there at this rateeee."

Riddle turned to Floyd, glaring.

"Well maybe if someone helped build this model we'd be done by now. But a certain eel I know decided he wasn't in the mood for homework."

It was said through gritted teeth, Riddle was holding back his anger.

"Aww, Riddle is mad at me~" Floyd cooed at him.

The eelmer had only recently started calling Riddle and [Name] by their actual names and not some ocean creature nickname. Cute as the nicknames were (well [Name] liked theirs, Riddle hated his), it was nice to be seen as... people. And not fish. That might not make sense if it weren't about Floyd the chaos demon.

"I am mad at you. We need to finish this model or Professor Trein will... I don't know but I don't want to find out!" Riddle told them.

"Riddle... Maybe we should take a little break," [Name] suggested, reaching out to rest a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Riddle tensed slightly at the contact before relaxing against their hand. He was slowly becoming more used to things like this.

"See? [Name] gets me."

Floyd gave a big toothy grin their way.

"Floyd, I don't approve of you not helping, you know."

They shot him a glare.

"Sorrryyyy~" Floyd apologized though [Name] was unsure if he meant it genuinely, "Just bored out of my damn mind, here."

"I know you two want to go, but if we fail this..." Riddle trailed off for a second, looking toward the floor.

[Name] sighed again, looking between their boyfriends.

"I know, Riddle... Grades matter. But so does going out once in a while so we don't all get cabin fever."

Riddle nodded slowly.

"You're right...." he told [Name], though he seemed a bit unsure.

"And we have plans for later tonight," [Name] added, smiling.

They did have plans. Riddle and Floyd had worked out something so both of their ideas were able to come to fruition (though Floyd summarized in a much more crude way to [Name], saying "this date night being like if our ideas fucked!"). Floyd had said this in front of Trey Clover who pretended not to hear it. It had been... a day.

"We made a deal," Floyd added, now upsidedown on the couch for some reason, "Deals are serious in the mind of us merfolk, ya know. Azul'd tell you. Me first, then you, date night!"

"That's one way to summarize it, yes..." Riddle paused once more, "You're both right. Let's just... set it aside for now, and, um, go."

"Yay!" [Name] cheered.

"FUCK YEAH!"

Floyd tackled Riddle in a hug that knocked the Heartslabyul housewarden to the ground. Still, the redhead did not complain (this time anyway). Floyd would do as Floyd does.

"We need to get ready to go unless you want to wear uniforms?" [Name] said, looking between Floyd and Riddle dressed in their dorm attire, "Though I'm not sure that's appropriate dress..."

"I'll change into something."

"I have a whole thing planned, Shrimpy~"

[45 MINUTES LATER]

As it would seem. they still had plenty of time. While [Name] needed some time to get dressed and ready, it would seem the second years were both capable of clothes-changing magic. Riddle's the seamless and instant whereas Floyd took a few tries as his magic can be fickle.

"Ready!" [Name] called, running down the stairs towards the two boys they loved the most.

Riddle wearing a suit that [Name] thought looked expensive and Floyd dressed like he was some model (they were always impressed with his sense of style). It was a sight to see, for them only they liked to think. These two were something special.

Floyd took their hand in his.

"My turn first, Riddle said so."

"Just don't get arrested," Riddle quipped.

Heading into town, Floyd had managed to find a club that allowed high schoolers in some areas, a place where they could dance their cares away. [Name] was excited, they knew Floyd could dance well when he was in the mood for it. Jade had told them so.

Floyd pulled Riddle and [Name] onto the floor and guided them to the sound of the music, telling them about his day and making fun of Riddle's inability to dance to the club's choice of music.

"It's not the kind I'm used to!" Riddle protested.

"You look like a fish out of water," Floyd teased, "[Name] can do it, you try harder and maybe you'll catch up to us, Fishie~"

"You shut up, Floyd!"

Riddle's face was as bright red as his hair and [Name] almost wanted to laugh. They were sure it took a lot of planning and compromise to get Riddle to agree to come to a place like this with the two of them.

They couldn't help but wonder what Riddle's "turn" for date night would entail. Floyd took them somewhere Riddle didn't like... Would Riddle be messing with Floyd too? All in good fun, of course, part of being in a relationship is trying new things with and for each other.

As the minutes ticked by, the time came for Riddle to take over.

"This better not be something boring like studying," Floyd told him.

"I wouldn't take you out to the town to study," Riddle said, "A study date would happen at [Name]'s dorm or somewhere else."

"Blehh, study dates are so boring. You made us read advanced textbooks!" Floyd groaned.

"It will help your grades."

Riddle thought it would, anyway.

"My grades are fine!" Floyd told them.

Riddle was sure that was a lie. Floyd shifted drastically between getting high grades and low ones that scared the professors.

"Are they?" Riddle asked him.

[Name] raised a brow.

"Yeah... Are they, Floyd?"

Floyd ignored the question and Riddle led them towards an older-looking building, something similar to their school. Was it a dance hall? He held a hand in each of his as he guided them into what might as well be called "Riddle's version of a dance club." It was some kind of social club, everyone dressed in formal wear similar to Riddle's suit.

[Name] felt a bit out of place but remained comfortable with their hand in Riddle's and surrounded by the tall eelmer whose clothing was also mismatched to the event. They knew if something truly went wrong, Floyd would end everyone here... Even if that was a bit scary to imagine. They hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"Shall we?" Riddle asked [Name], guiding them towards the dancefloor.

Floyd let go of Riddle's hand at the same moment.

"This kinda thing is too stuffy for me, you guys have fun~ I'm gonna go see what food they have."

Floyd grinned and [Name] (and Riddle] felt bad for those at the food table. It would be okay... maybe.

[Name] turned to Riddle.

"Let's do this," they said, following him and allowing Riddle to guide them in a simple waltz to the beautiful music.

"I hope this is fun for you," Riddle whispered to his lover.

"I feel underdressed but this is nice," [Name] told him, "And there's even a fountain of shrimp for Floyd to gnaw on."

The two continued to dance in circles, every once in a while catching a glimpse of Floyd eating food and scaring guests with his teeth.

.

.

Imagine the rest yourself~

.

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

Thank you for reading! Likes and reblogs are appreciated! Do NOT repost my writing/headcanons as your own >:c Check the top of my blog for the inbox status and read the rules before requesting. This is not a twst-only blog! ^^

[waitlexist]

Magikey AU!!! By lovely @quartztwst

Here’s Luna! The Starry Maiden!!!

I'm not too proud of this art, but, I tried. I had to rush because I know damn well if I don't finish it in one day I'll NEVER TOUCH IT AGAIN. This is me going WAY out of my comfort zone, so please be gentle with any critcisms!!!

Click the cut below to get an IN PERSON REVIEW!!! LIMITED TIME ONLY!!!

CW: swear words!!!! please cover your eyes....

"Attacks"

"Starlit Monarch's Grace": The Starry Maiden releases a butterfly/a swarm of butterflies, which may either sprinkle stardust on an ally to heal them, or flick firey stardust sparks onto enemies, burning them.

"Stardust Bloom": The Starry Maiden summons a budding flower, which after a delay blooms into a cosmic flower, which pulses either waves of cooling blessings to allies, buffing them, or shockwaves of ice, dealing damage and chilling enemies.

"Twilight Waltz": After gaining enough "lunar energy", the Starry Maiden can transform into a celestial avatar, a powerful form which allows her to greatly heal allies, even back from the brink of death! She can only do this once per day. Unless it's a full moon. Don't mess with her on full moons. You will get hit by a comet.

If you want to get an idea of how she fights, look at the GW2 druid staff/celestial avatar animations! It is VERY similar and almost exactly how I imagine she fights.

--

Question 1: "Why do you shout out the names of your abilties?"

"Eh? Oh! It's for my little bro-- AHEM, a friend of mine came up with the names of them for me. I think they're positively adorable, so I want him to be able to hear them if he gets to hear me fight. Which I hope doesn't happen. Haha..."

Question 2: "How do you plan on ridding Twisted Wonderland of it's villains?"

"Oh! Well, I'm hoping it can be resolved peacefully. Would be a shame to put such pretty faces in prison, no?" She winks playfully and gives the camera finger guns. "I don't want to sentence anyone to prison. I'm sure things can come to a calm conclusion." Innocent smile. SHE DOESN'T KNOW.

Question 3: "What do you think of your fellow magical girls*?"

"Ehh? Oh, well, {REDACTED}-- er- um, I mean, Qix is funny! And pretty... though sometimes she hurts my eyes."

"Prefect-- er, um, Fragria is a sweetheart. I like her very much. And her strawberries are yummy! Although her can't won't let me pet him... sigh..." Crowley couldn't be bothered to censor prefect. Anways.

"Puppet is cool!! She's a bit rough, but I like her a lot!! Though she does confuse me... but she makes it so I'm not the only vulgar one here!"

"Nova is sparkly! And we're both kind of space themed. And I like his music very much. Always leaves me humming!"

"Risa!! This orange? It's ginamonous. Er. Giganmonours. Um. Ginamorfus. Fuck me. I like Sh-- Risa! Fun! She's great."

"Nurse Ni!! She's shy, but she's a lovely gal! When we work together, no one gets hurt.

[skzimagines]

"A love story."

It was no secret that Hwang Hyunjin was in love. He hadn't meant to tell anyone, but he writes it in his poetry, paints it in his pictures, talks about it when his mind drifts off about her and doesn't ever realize he's even doing it.

He pictured their lives together, how perfect they would be. How perfect he would make sure to make it. He'd give her the moon if he could. Buy her a beautiful house, with a perfect garden, give her beautiful children, even a huge, family-oriented wedding. Anything for her. She'd name it and he'd get it for her. There was just one thing though....

She didn't feel the same.

It's not that she didn't "like" Hyunjin. He is sweet, caring, artistic and of course beautiful. She just knew she was way out of his league. He was a straight A student, a perfect dancer... hell, the guy knew how to paint like Van Gough.... just for fun! And she was struggling to get good grades, barely made it through the year without calling it quits.

Even if she thought she had a chance with him, it was quickly swept under the rug by the thought of him being able to find so much better.

The two shared friend groups, so they were often times around each other. Which Hyunjin loved and to which she hated... not because he was around, but because she fell for him more and more every time, she was within two feet of him.

The group decided to have a picnic at the nearby park, since everyone had the day off. Getting together was next to impossible these days.

"You're going to fall on your face, idiot!" "I am proud to let you know... Iam very good with my hands!" Changbin and Han bicker back and forth as Changbin hangs from the monkey bars upside down. His face turns red from being in the position for longer than he should have been. "Just get down, cause we're not going to the hospital if you get hurt. I want to go home." Han laughs.

Further down the lawn, where they've laid out a blanket in the grass, setting all of their things together. Sits Hyunjin and y/n. Everyone has ran along and started their own things, leaving the two behind.

"Do you ever think they'll stop bickering?" She chuckles, asking Hyunjin. "Probably, maybe when pigs learn to fly." His face contorts into a disgusted look, embarrassed by his dumb reply. She makes him nervous. Being around her caused his heart to race, palms to sweat and his brain to become a straight fog.

He looks down at the paper that's sitting in his lap, taking in the beautiful drawing that he's made of her, for the past 30 minutes. He takes in every detail of her features and pastes them into the drawing. But somehow, it's never as good as the real her. It's almost as if her beauty is unattainable by any means.

"Whatcha working on?" She asks him, moving closer to try and get a look at his book. Hyunjin quickly pulls his book away with a quick "Don't look!" She slowly backs away from him with her hands in the air in defeat. He shuts his drawing book and sets it beside him. "It... It's just not done yet. It's not even that good." He scrambles to say, giving her a small smile.

"Hyunjin, come look at this!" Felix yells from the other side of the park. He looks at her to which she gives him a small smile. He stands from his spot on the blanket and makes his way to Felix.

She notices the small black book on the blanket. Left right where Hyunjin has left it. She looks over to Hyunjin, seeing his distracted with whatever Felix has found fascinating. She knows it's wrong, that she shouldn't look inside of it. But she grabs the small black book anyway.... sifting through the pages. She comes across many photos of flowers, thinking to herself that it must be his favorite thing to draw, considering the number of drawings of them.

That's until she comes across another set of very interesting photos... Her. A drawing of her from a few weeks ago, when they were all hanging out at the beach together. She flips the page to see another, this time it's from a few days ago, sitting in the library where she thought she was the only one there. She flips the page one more time, revealing the picture Hyunjin had been so quick to hide from her. It was her, sitting on the blanket, hair being tussled in the small breeze. Her finger slowly slides against the lines of the drawing, taking it all in.

A sudden scream from Changbin scares her from her thoughts and she quickly shuts the book and sets it back down. "Everything okay?" She asks him. "Yup! I fell..." He says in defeat, laying on the ground under the monkey bars. "I told you to get down bro, you never listen." Han says, walking away from him.

She looks over at Felix and Hyunjin and sees he's making his way back to the blanket. She gives him a small smile when he arrives back and watches as he picks up his black book and pencil, before he looks up at her and sees her starring. "Everything okay?" He asks. She smiles at him before giving a small nod. "Everything is perfect.." She replies quietly, before sitting back into the position he was drawing her in.

[cellophaine]

Chapter IV: ALL

Masterlist

Pairing: Art Donaldson x F!Reader

Warnings: None.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry for uploading late! Editing this chapter took wayyyy longer than I thought.

Anything in italic is text messages (except for the very last line at the end of this chapter). Reader's messages start with –

GIF Source: Pinterest

The big window by the sink let the rectangle of sunlight into the kitchen, warming the tiled floor as you made your way to the dining area. You sat down with a bowl of cereal and the reading material for next week's lecture. Halfway through the bowl, the door to Ashley's room opened. Her footsteps sounded, bringing her into the kitchen. She whispered a soft hello as she walked by you and poured a cup of coffee that you had brewed earlier for her and Grace. Ashley raised her mug.

"Thank you for this."

You gave her a quick glance from behind your book. 

"You're welcome. When did you get home last night?"

"Hm, like 4 ish?"

She shrugged.

"Did anyone walk with you?"

"Yes, don't worry. Marissa's brother walked me home."

You put the book down.

"Speaking of Marissa, how did it go with her?"

Ashley's mouth widened into a smile, and she quickly dropped onto the chair beside yours. 

"It was amazing! She was amazing! We talked so much and she was everything I could've ever wanted in a girlfriend. We're going to a concert together in November."

Her happiness was so infectious that you found yourself smiling with her. She leaned into your chair and grabbed you by your shoulders.

"Thank you. Thank you for coming with me. If you didn't come with me and give me a confidence boost, I wouldn't have had the courage to even introduce myself."

You squeezed her hand. 

"You're very welcome. I'm glad it worked out for you."

She let you go but still maintained the closeness.

"What about you? Did you have fun?"

"It was … fine."

The memories of last night poured into your head and drew a soft smile on your lips. You tried to hide it, but Ashley's inquisitive eyes didn't let you off the hook that easily.

"Just fine? Didn't you leave with someone?"

"I–"

"Yes, you did. I remember him. Tall, blond guy. Real cute."

"Uh, yeah. He is blond. And tall, I guess."

And, of course, he was cute, but you didn't agree out loud. 

"Did you guys hook up last night?"

"Ashley!"

"Come on, it's a valid question."

"Doesn't make it appropriate."

She squinted at you. You relented.

"Okay, okay. We didn't… hook up. He just walked me home."

"And ... ?"

"I kissed him good night. Just his cheek, not on his lips."

Your face burned at the confession. Ashley seemed thrilled as she grabbed your shoulder.

"That's great! You're putting yourself out there. I'm so proud of you!"

"I wouldn't say that I'm putting myself out there."

"Baby steps. Besides, I just want you to enjoy yourself, you know? I basically ditched you last night after talking to Marissa, and also, you're always either cooped up in here or at the library."

You opened your mouth to deny it, but Ashley didn't let you.

"Yes, you are. I live with you. You don't go out with anyone, even with me or Grace. I know that we have our fun here, at home, but it's not the same. You should get out there and enjoy your youth while you can. Grace and I are here for you."

"I know, and I appreciate you two." 

Ashely gave you another squeeze on your shoulder, and you gave her a reassuring mind. You stood up and took the empty bowl with you.

"By the way, I didn't expect a lecture on a Saturday."

Ashley shrugged.

"Well, you needed it."

You waved her off as you made your way to your room. You checked your phone on the dresser and opened the new message that came in about eight minutes ago.

Hey, I know there's a rule of not texting a girl the 3 days after getting her number, but I can't wait that long.

So, good afternoon. I hope you slept well.

You smiled, thinking of a response when another message came through.

This is Art btw.

You chuckled to yourself, typing out a reply.

– Interesting. I didn't know that was a rule. That must mean you're a very impatient man :)

When it comes to you, I can be ;)

You shook your head at another relentless flirt. 

– I did sleep well. I hope you did as well.

It was one of the best sleep I've had this semester.

– Oh yeah? Did you dream about me?

You bit your lip, feeling your boldness surge and wane in a few seconds as you waited for his text. You were afraid that you were being too forward and regretted the text when your phone vibrated.

How did you know?

– Just a feeling :P

Weird question, but are you working today?

– Yes, my shift starts at 5. Why?

I'll see you then :)

Art showed up at the coffee shop, as promised. You made him a drink with a heart drawn on his cup. He kept you company throughout the idle night, and the four hours went by much quicker than it would have been if he wasn't there. You talked between customers, your conversation flowed easily. He helped you close the shop at the end of the night. You cleaned up behind the counter and kitchen while Art wiped down tables and set the chairs on top of them. After you were done inside, you headed out to bring the few patio seatings in. Art playfully pushed you aside as you reached for a table, shaking his head at you. He picked it up so effortlessly, making his biceps bulge in the form-fitting shirt. You held the door for him as he walked by.

"You don't have to do that."

"I want to."

"Why? You're not getting paid for this."

"I don't care about that. I just want to hang out with you."

"You're relentless."

After locking up the cafe, the two of you headed downtown and grabbed dinner from a food truck. You walked to the park nearby, found a bench and table, and sat down across from each other. The cool evening air caressed your heated skin like a soft kiss. Afterward, Art walked you home, and you departed with a peck on his cheek. You couldn't have asked for a more perfect day to follow the night before. And the idyll mood unfurled its reach into the following days. From time to time, you would walk to classes, to Art's practices, to the library. You'd trail the miles on campus ground, spending it in comfortable silence or indulgent conversations. You looked forward to his texts throughout the day, a call here and there from time to time. It felt like a dream; an unreal sequence kept unfolding into more of its splendour. 

One day, Art called you during your movie night with Grace and Ashley. You went to your room and closed the door.

"Hey, Art. What's up?"

"Hey. Remember the match I told you? They announced it this afternoon, and it's next Thursday at 2. Would you like to come?"

"Hold on, let me check my schedule."

Your heart dropped when you saw the schedule in your notebook. 

"I'd love to, but ... I have my modern poetry class at 2."

There was a brief silence on his end, but it came to an abrupt end. 

"That's okay. I understand."

"I'll make it up to you."

"Promise?"

"Promise. I'll buy you an ice cream."

The day of the match finally came. Besides a good luck text, which Art responded with a smiley face and not much else, you felt apprehensive. Even though you couldn't see his face, you could tell by the tone of his voice that he was disappointed. You remembered Art telling you that his parents rarely saw him play, and your heart wavered. Standing in front of the lecture hall, you stared at the time on your phone. Only seven minutes until two. 

You put your phone in your bag and ran. Your mind mapped out the quickest route to get to the court, your feet followed closely. You weaved through people, apologizing as they dodged you. Your bag bumped against your side, and at a particularly hard turn, it flew to the ground. You kneeled and hastily shoved the few things that fell out inside when you noticed that the strap was ripped from the spot where it was sewn onto the bag. You cursed, knowing that the patch-up job you did last time wasn't enough. But it'd have to wait. With one hand holding your broken bag to the side of your body, you picked up the pace. Your lungs burned in your chest, and the muscles in your legs begged you to slow down, but you pushed through. You ran for the gate to the audience seatings, and when you finally arrived, the pounding of your steps disturbed the silence of the court.

It looked like the match was about to start. The umpire looked at you from his seat, as did some others in the audience. One of them even shushed you. You said sorry in their direction and felt the embarrassment quickly seep in, but it quickly faded into the background when you saw Art with his gaze fixed on you. You were too far away to tell, but the smile on his lips told you that your presence here was welcomed. 

You nodded at him before breaking eye contact. You scurried to the first empty row, even though it was a little further back. 

The game began.

The way Art played was something. People's heads turned as the neon green ball bounced back and forth, but your focus was mainly on Art and the way he moved. There was a quiet confidence about him. His strokes were composed but never lacked precision and force, as if he anticipated the shots with great accuracy and calculation. The arch of his wingspan was beautiful as he followed through with the racquet, gracefully caught the ball, and bounced it back to the other side. His movement was fluid; his run to meet the ball was agile. Whenever he hit the ball, he let out a sound that was a cross between a grunt and a moan, and you wondered if he would verbalize the same noises if you kissed him. Art was graceful on the court, his demeanour calm, while his opponent seemed to run short on patience as he struggled to secure the lead.

The second set ended with Art temporarily holding the advantage. He went to his seat after the break was announced. As he took a sip of water, his gaze roamed around in the audience. You waved at him from your seat. His eyes found you, the corners softened as he looked at you. He winked before returning his attention to his coach. Your inside warmed, more so than the sun on your skin. 

Art won the match to the cheers from the audience. You stood up and joined them, pride blooming in your chest as he beamed. He found you in the audience, holding eye contact for a long moment. You hoped he could see just how happy you were for him. Eventually, he was the first to break. 

You met up near the recreation center a while after the match. Art had changed into a blue-green blouse with white stripes and blue jeans. He sauntered to you.

"Congratulations. I knew you would win."

He scratched the back of his neck.

"Maybe I only won because you're my lucky charm."

"Oh, please. It was all you."

"I'm serious. Did you skip class?"

"Yes, I did. It's fine, though. I liked seeing you play. You were great."

Art fell into silence. His eyes could barely contain the beginning of a deluge of emotion, and before you could dissect it, he drew you in for a hug. You went still for a moment before wrapping your arms around his torso. An artificial scent of apple invaded your senses, and you couldn't help but bring your nose closer to his neck. He eased his lips towards the shell of your ear and whispered.

"Thank you for being here."

The timbre of his voice was low, travelled through your ear and resonated deep in your stomach. You wanted to shiver so the effect that he had on you would have an outlet to express itself. Instead, you took a shaky breath, allowing more of his smell to occupy your mind.

"You're welcome."

After a long moment, Art pulled back. You found the absence of his warmth inflicted an unpleasant feeling.  

"Hey, uh, so … I was wondering if you would like to– you can say no, obviously, it's up to you ..."

He trailed off, leaving you with a question.

"What is it?"

"Do you want to stay and check out a match with me?"

You shrugged.

"Sure. I already skipped my class; I have nothing else to do anyway."

"Great. Let's go. We can get good seats if we go now."

/

Tashi Duncan walked onto the court after the announcement. There were more people here compared to Art's match, and most, if not all of them, were excited to see Tashi if the deafening cheer was any indication. Her confidence exuded from the way she walked to her chair to the way she did her stretch routine. You recognized her as the girl Art talked to at the party. The white dress she had on complimented her slim form, and she looked just as beautiful as you remembered. You turned to Art. 

"People seem to really like Tashi."

Art tore his gaze away from Tashi, giving you a split of attention.

"She's an excellent player. There's no one quite like her on court."

You nodded, taking in the high praise. 

"You'll see what I mean when you see her play."

"Great. I'm excited."

You debated with yourself for a brief second, but then, you decided to go for it.

"Do you guys know each other?"

Art looked at you through his lashes. There was hesitation in the way he came up with a response.

"Yeah, I'd say so. She's… seeing Patrick."

"Oh, right. Your friend from boarding school."

It took you a moment, but you recalled Patrick. He nodded. The match commenced shortly after that. 

You understood what Art meant. Tashi was mesmerizing to watch. She was relentless, making her opponent work for it. Her passion was palpable, and the tenacious grip she had over the game was impressive. 

"She's amazing."

You whispered to Art after the other player failed to return the ball. Without turning to look at you, he replied. 

"I know."

You observed Art as his eyes stuck on Tashi. Neither of them was the wiser to being perceived, but you witnessed it all. There was a look in his eyes like he was so far away; he had gone to a place you couldn't reach. An inkling of an idea slowly trickled into your mind, but you prevented yourself from exploring. You steered your thoughts away. You were well aware of your tendency to think of the worst possible thing in every situation. You ruined the good thing before it even had the chance to run its course or destroy itself.

As much as you had tried, the thought still bothered you as you fixed your bag later that night. Twin Peaks played on the TV as you absentmindedly listened to what was happening. Grace sat on the other end of the couch, knitting a sweater. After a while, she held it up and called your name.

"I'm almost done with my mom's gift. What do you think?"

You looked up from your own project. On the green sweater, there was a pixelated picture of a Golden Retriever with the name 'Cheese' at the bottom.

"Holy shit. It's amazing!"

"Thank you! I hope she'll like it."

"Is her birthday coming soon?"

"No, this is her Christmas gift."

"Halloween was only five days ago."

"I know. I just want to get it done so I won't be stressed out during finals."

"That's fair."

It was the beginning of November, and even though Christmas was over. a month away, Grace had already started on her family's gifts since September. You thought about your own list, wondering if you should get more despite knowing what your parents really wanted. You just need one more paycheck to complete it. 

An idea struck, and you turned to Grace.

"Can you teach me how to knit?"

/

Winter came along with finals. Between study sessions with your roommates, you couldn't hang out with Art much. He had his own grades to worry about. You would hang out whenever the two of you could find the time, and even then, it was far and few between. During a walk to the library, Art asked.

"Are you going home this Christmas?"

The question made dread crawl down your spine. Despite being together often, you avoided talking about your family.

"Yes, I am. What about you?"

"Me too. My family's going to Vermont to ski on the 27th."

"Have fun. Show me pictures when you get back."

Art told you that he wouldn't be back at Stanford until the 4th, and you solemnly nodded. That meant less time spent with him before the semester started, but he promised that the two of you would make up for it.

On the 18th, the day he left Stanford, Art asked to meet up at a bookstore near campus. The doorbell rang out in the quiet store, with Christmas music playing softly in the background. You sent Art a message. 

– I'm here. Where are you?

Come find me.

It took you about two minutes to find him standing in a random fiction aisle with a hand behind his back. The aisle was empty except for him, making you feel like you were the only people in this bookstore. You took your time as you ambled to him and only stopped when there was a small distance in between.

"Hi."

"Hi."

You looked around and asked.

"Why this aisle?"

"Because …"

Art pointed to the spot next to his shoulder.

"… one day, your name will be here."

You read the names beside the small empty spot and realized what he meant. Your last name would go there between these authors. You frowned, feeling your emotions surge in a way that you weren't sure you could control. Art took the hand out from behind, revealing a gift bag.

"For you."

You looked at him. 

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"I wanted to. Open it, please."

You pushed the tissue paper aside and gasped. Inside was a leather bag; its rich brown colour shone under the overhead light. There was a golden tennis racquet charm attached to the end of the strap. You held it in your hand, marvelling at its golden sheen.

"Now you'll have a piece of me anywhere you go."

"Not anywhere. Just classes."

He chuckled at your quick-witted joke. Overwhelmed, you managed to mutter.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

You dug into your old bag with one hand, pulling out a brown bag decorated with Christmas trees. 

"This is for you. Open it."

Art's eyes sparked an intrigue. You could barely contain the pounding of your heart as he reached into the bag and pulled out your gift. He pulled the entirety of it out, caressing the soft material with his hand. The Oxford blue scarf was theresult of your hard work and after many mistakes. Art ran his finger over the small heart you added at the end of the scarf. His lack of reaction worried you.

"I know it's not a fancy gift, and the stitching is off in some parts, and after I had already done half of it, I realized that this is California, so you probably won't get much use out of it anyway, so maybe I should get you a different gift ..."

Art stopped your rambling by taking hold of your trembling hand.

"I love it. It's perfect. Thank you."

A spark of happiness gleamed in his eyes. For a long moment, you basked in the silence together, the air weighed down with the things you didn't speak out loud. You didn't want to leave this place. That meant leaving this moment behind, even though all you wanted to do was bottle it up and bring it with you to the outside world, because the essence of the memory could never compare to this feeling. 

"I miss you already."

Art whispered, and an overwhelming urge took over. You stepped into his space, pressing your bodies together. You raised on your tiptoes and tilted your head up. His lips met yours halfway. You were careful with one another, and the touch was gentle. His lips were soft on yours, moving at a slow pace, discovering your shared rhythm. You needed more, so your hand winded around to rest at the nape of his neck, urging him closer. Your tongue darted out, tasting him. The way he eagerly responded to your call made your head spin. Your tongues found each other, licking and tasting at a fervent pace. His hand on your jaw drew you in, and the other rested on the small on your back, pulling you flush with his body. You gasped, allowing his tongue to dive deeper. You kissed until you were too breathless and had to pull back. You rested your forehead on his as you breathed hard, taking in each other's air into your lungs. His eyes were glossy and dazed, and there was so much want in them that you felt like you were the prized possession. You gravitated towards each other once more as if pulled by opposing magnetic forces, as if you couldn't help yourselves.

/

Back in your room, you admired the gift Art got you. You opened the bag, and in one of the compartments, there was a notebook. The cover was a mossy green colour, and you wondered if Art left it in there by accident. You opened the first page to find Art's neat handwriting. 

For you and your brilliant ideas. I can't wait to read your first book.

Likes, reblogs, and comments are greatly appreciated! I'd love to read your thoughts on the story!

For updates, please follow @cellophaine-archives

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for asking my SO to do something that they have trauma around?

I don't know when this will be posted but as of writing we are about 2 weeks post valentines day. Ages and genders irrelevant, we're in our 20s and queer.

So I have not been with Jordan long, but we knew each out for a few months as friends before we got together, and have been close pretty much all of the time we've known each other. This is to say, I know them pretty well despite us not actually having been dating that long.

Because we were already friends I knew going into the relationship, without Jordan specifically saying anything, that they had plans on Valentines day. They got tickets to a concert I wasn't interested in a decent amount of time before we got together.

Obviously, not an issue in the slightest, and neither of us brought up anything regarding Valentines day. It was a week day, so I was working all day, and then the time of the concert meant there was no possibility of meeting up after, just not meant to be this year. I thought we were in the same boat just silently agreeing that the timing wasn't right but that it wasn't a big enough deal to even be worth bringing up, especially in such a new relationship.

Some backstory on me: I'm a hopeless romantic and have a kind of cute aesthetic? I like dressing in bright colours, and some of my favourite outfits have prints of hearts, flowers, and cherries. Needless to say I really enjoy the aesthetic of Valentines day, and I've always kind of fantasised about being able to spend it with someone I have romantic feelings for. I've only had two romantic relationships before this and the first one only lasted 6 months and didn't make it to Valentines day, and in the second we both contracted the same bug and were horribly sick throughout February.

Obviously I don't think you should only do things for your SO on Valentines day, but I think it would be fun to have the chance to really get into it! In the past I've organised Valentines day events with my other single friends where we dress in pink and have heart shaped foods etc and those have been great, but haven't quite satisfied my desire to have a Romantic Valentines.

So, despite the fact that my SO was busy, I wanted to do a little something. I do digital art, so when I got home from work I drew a pun Valentines card featuring Jordan's favourite character. It took a few hours and I was pretty proud of how it came out. I knew they were at the concert still, but I texted it to them, so they could see it after.

They responded that night and their first message was just "oh." I've known Jordan long enough that i read the tone to be "oh, now I to have a conversation I didn't want to have." They went on to explain that they associate Valentines day with some past trauma. I won't give any details here, but the tone of the conversation was that they don't celebrate Valentines day because of their trauma, and this seemed like a very final stance.

Now. I don't think I'm TA for drawing the art and sending it, this had never been brought up before, so I didn't know I was crossing a boundary.

I do think Jordan is slightly TA for not saying anything about my art that I worked hard on, but only slightly bc I assume the trauma response just kind of took over.

But my question is, WIBTA if I asked my SO to celebrate Valentines day with me in future even though it's something they have trauma around?

I'm not planning to force them or anything and it doesn't even have to be in the next few years, but thinking long term it feels really gloomy to me to have to miss out on Valentines forever when my SO could be making new memories with me so that mentions of the holiday are less painful.

I don't expect them to just "get over" it magically or anything but I want to ask if it's something they'd possibly want to work up to? I swear I'm not trying to be dismissive their response is fully valid and I don't want to imply my silly fantasies are more important than their traumatic reality I just want to know if this would be an asshole move or not.

What are these acronyms?

[angelmichelangelo]

If you had to split the four animated show turtles into equally portioned groups of four for a crossover fic/if you were writing a special, how would you go about it?

Rules: Every group must have 1 of each turtle (one Leo, one Raph, one Donnie, and one Mikey), and they must be from different shows (one 1987, one 2003, one 2012 and one Rise).

oh! this is such a fun question! :D

ok so it terms of which turtles i'm picking, that is really tough. if we're going off of the plot i just made up in my head then i guess the following makes SOME sense so strap in because im kinda making this up as i go haha:

so for leo, i think i'm gonna have to pick rise: he's new to the whole leader thing, still finding his feet even after the krang invasion -- plus if im writing this thing, i'd like to imagine it's one of leo's portals that end them up in this situation in the first place.

for raph i'm thinking 2007: he's rough around the edges slightly older but yet very bemused by these other versions of his brothers. plus i just think 2007 raph is very cool. 2007 turts don't get enough rep so he's there!

for donnie it'd have to be 2003: he's one of my favourite donnie's and as someone who's already experienced a trans-dimensional turtle universe crossover he brings some knowledge to the table. i also would just think it would funny to see rise leo and 2003 donnie interact based on how vastly different each version of that character is.

and mikey i'm going last ronin. i have a reason for this so just sit tight lol

more under the cut because this gets REALLY long oops

in terms of plot:

so it's set after the events of the rise movie. things on earth are slowly yet surely moving forward; the city is being rebuilt, the turtles have yet another new home to make theirs. casey jr is settling in pretty well into his new family. things are looking up!

leo is still their leader and raph is more than overly proud of how far he's come since the beginning of the movie's events: he's taking things more seriously, he's working hard! to leo's brothers, things are coming back together again. it's all good!

but to leo, not so much. see leo puts on a good face and can act like he's doing better, but deeper down than just that surface level, he's not doing so hot. he's really struggling. he's going through The Works of all of his ptsd and trauma but behind closed doors, mostly because he thinks he's the only one still struggling with the effects of the previous events. casey jr like mentioned, is doing well after everything, and with everyone seemingly moving on, leo feels kind of stupid for how he feels, feeling like he's falling behind and he doesn't know why.

so that's why he's pushing himself pretty hard. trying to throw himself into training and such to 'toughen himself up'. he's maybe a little harder on his brothers as a result which brings up some tensions. im gonna focus on the leo mikey dynamic here because i love me some baja blast but also because this'll be plot relevant later. so maybe they're kicking street gang butt. and mikey is goofing around a little as he does it, mikey-ing it up like he does, and in the midst of the fight, maybe leo has a bit of a flashback, bringing on a panic attack that goes a little unnoticed, and as a result, he lashes out.

he comes down hard on mikey, shouting the odds about maybe being more careful or paying better attention all that jazz, before raph and donnie step in and are like. hey woah. theres no need for that.

leo is still having his ptsd panic attack; it's clouding his judgement and obscuring his thoughts. donnie gets defensive (because hey! they're just teens and they're not perfect at recognising their own and others emotions!) and maybe yells back and leo in his brothers defence.

leo feels like they dont get it! they dont understand what he's going through but feels too ashamed or afraid to ever voice it, so it kind of all bottles up inside and makes him angry and hurt, hence why he's kind of lashing out right now. he's just scared, above all, that he's not like his brothers and they're better at handling their issues than he is, and whether or not that makes him a worthy leader.

this all causes a big fight between him and his brothers (after their beef with the street gang is over btw) and leo goes to storm off, still subtly fighting off the panic attack and goes to portal himself home except... his swords don't take him home.

leo somehow ends up in an entirely different universe. one that feels strangely similar to the prison dimension, panic now dialled up to like a million, he's REALLY not having a good time right now, and as a result, his mystic energy kind of just, waters out and he's struggling to make a portal back home. this just makes him flail even more, and because of it, he fails to see the synjas (because we are in the last ronin verse now baby!) but is saved last second by someone pushing him out of the way.

they take cover, maybe there's a bit of a scuffle between this unknown turtle and the synjas (think SAINW moment where mikey came outta the shadows) because it is in fact 2003 donnie!

leo is completely confused because.. how?! is this donnie?? there's some brief introductions before they go to take shelter and leo is asking like a million questions because he has NO idea whats happening until donnie breaks it down to him after they find a safe place to hide it out.

see, 2003 donnie knows about alternative universes and such (SAINW + turtles through time) so i guess im kind of serving him as a bit of expositional dump here for leo, but also because i think this donnie would be a good match against leo’s panic and fear. he’s really helpful at fielding leo through his attack and gently explains that his leo back at home goes through the same stuff to which rise leo is like. oh great, we’re all pathetic. cue donnie looking sad making that :< face i love lmao. 

so after it’s established that they’re in a different universe, donnie explains that he kind of just woke up here. leo gets a feel that perhaps his mystic energy might have been at play here, so he tells a white lie and is like. oh yeah me too lol how crazy! and feels again, ashamed of himself that he might have done this to poor donnie. 

it’s shown that shredder is now ruling over the city and this is kind of… a bad timeline. donnie doesn’t give too much away but leo can tell he has… ahem. certain experiences with a similar situation but donnie assures him that as long as they stick together they’ll be fine, and if they ended up here somehow, theres probably a way back home too. 

it doesnt take long for the synjas to find them again, a hoard of them this time overpowering leo and donnie and they’re getting their asses kicked something crazy until there’s the sound of a motorbike revving and boom. in comes 2007 raph. 

he doesn’t necessarily save them but him being so badass inspires the others to push a little harder and eventually the three of them escape together. raph has the same questions as leo had, similar situation where he explains he kind of just woke up here.

donnie cant be certain what the reason is as to why they’re here, but is set on figuring it out after they deduct that donnie is, as always, their brains of the team. so whilst they find a place to hide for the night, they get talking. they come to find that with some varying differences, their lives are kind of the same in a sense. 

raph and donnie are breezing through all the shit they’ve been through, listing off The Horrors and again leo is there listening like.. well THEY seem fine! wtf is wrong with me!! and kinda closes himself off because he feels even more stupid now. UGH LEO !!

raph sees this and tries ribbing him a little like. oh classic leo move you think you’re so tough and you’re better than us yada yada just because he wants him to open up (and maybe this raph was raised on a little more tough love than the others) but it doesnt work and leo snaps at him and tensions are now rising. donnie ever the pacifist and peacemaker reminds them that if they wanna get out of this hell hole its gotta be together as a team.

that’s when it’s mentioned that technically, they don't really have a full team.

cutaway to a turtle (who could it possibly be!) standing before the city on like a hill with lightening cracking because. dramatics and whatnot.

the next day, things are still rough and leo hasn’t slept much and maybe donnie is fussing over him, but leo shrugs him off and is like. IM FINE >:( and so donnie gives him some space as the 3 of them head out to go find some info about this universe they’ve found themselves in. 

they end up finding out kind of like the base level info about the last ronin verse, wondering if maybe the turtles exist at all here since they haven’t seen any. 

leo is still brooding and stuff and still festering a bit of guilt when maybe raph is like. man i need to get home to my brothers this place sucks (he has seperation anxiety remember). and maybe donnie is having his own ptsd and leo feels even WORSE because OH. they… they are suffering just as much as he is. oops. 

and then boom they’re attacked again by synjas whom of which overpower them this time and take them to oroku hiroto (grandson of the shredder) who is like. bro what. all these turtles??

so whilst shredder jr jr tries to figure out whats happening here and whats going on, the turtles are put in captivity where leo now kind of just, has a full blown meltdown. he regretfully admits that this was all HIS fault and that he brought them here by mistake and hes just a screw up and and hes nothing like THIER leader leo and he isnt cut out for this!! 

and donnie and raph are like. WOAH!! pause. take a breath. its alright.

leo thinks theyre just being nice out of well. niceness but raph is like, you think my leo is perfect? he left us for months without a word because he was so caught up in his own head because of all the shit he went through, he aint perfect. 

and donnie is like. yeah lol same with my leo tbh.

and then does leo finally start to recognise that he’s not supposed to be perfect. he still however feels like hes miles behind from his brothers in terms with coping with his trauma and donnie is like. UM HELLO? and explains that this whole situation has been messing with his head because of HIS own trauma. raph too, with his separation anxiety, and they both explain that its not a race, and chances were, his brothers back home were probably hiding aspects of it too, like leo is because they’re all just as stupid as each other, through universes. 

leo is like. HUH. okay that makes sense lowkey so thanks but um.. aren’t we about to die :/

shredder comes and is like. yep real BUT THEN!!

enter last ronin mikey. he rocks everyones shit and donnie leo raph are just :O in awe because oh. THERES their little brother lmao

mikey manages to free the others as hiroto escapes when leo is like. where tf were YOU the entire time lmao.

mikey is like. in the shadows, duh, you guys are terrible ninjas. lmao. and now that it’s established that it was leo that brought them here, they believe its up to leo to get them home. 

so since being captured their weapons have been taken away so together they devise a plan to get them back as they run around the shredders lair. chaos and action ensue, imagine them all being very badass and helping one another as they kind of.. like face their fears and stuff that show leo that recovery isn’t perfect and linear and all that:))

there’s also a moment where mikey maybe is with leo and as they catch their breath hes like. oh yeah i overhead what you were worrying about and dude just know that you can only heal when you heal together like dont do it alone. leo then notes that if this is last ronin’s universe then why is he alone and then the penny drops and hes like… oh:(( right

last ronin mikey gives him some real wisdom about how trying to move past your traumas alone sucks, and that he personally doesnt have much of a choice, but rise leo does, much like how 2003 donnie and 2007 raph and all the other versions of the turtles DO. 

he tells him that it started with just them four and in every other universe, it ends with them too. 

cue the emotional swell of music idk lol

they get leos swords as mikey holds back the shredder and now with the power of friendship lmao leo gets his mystic energy working and with some heartfelt goodbyes, sends both donnie and raph back to their homes. leo cant hold the portal open forever and as mikey remains struggling to keep shredder away leo begs him to maybe come with him, where he can find him a better home with a better outcome. 

mikey says something like. ‘nah, kid, this is my destiny. go get your own,’ and then leo either leaves or mikey pushes him through. 

leo ends up back in the lair, stumbling through the portal to his unbothered brothers. to them, he’s maybe only been gone a couple hours. maybe they say something tongue in cheek like. “man, you took your time. what you took a detour to south america/japan to get here?” and then leo just bursts into tears.

all previous tension is GONE and they’re rushing to him like. omg what:(( whats wrong?

he breaks it down to them now that a LOT is wrong and that he was sorry but he’s not coping all that well after the invasion still and thought he could handle it on his own. 

maybe them mikey comes forward and is like. hey. we handle it together or we dont handle it at all. kind of a callback to what ronin mikey told him. cue lots of hugs and warm fuzzy feelings. and thats the end.

SO YEAH. i made this up as i went along. i dunno!! im not big into writing multiverse turtle fics but this was fun to imagine as an episode or like a mini tv movie or something:)) lmk what you thought because i just have a lot of feelings about traumatised turtles going through their shit lmao

THANKS FOR THE ASK sorry this turned into the longest thing ever lmao

[queenofbaws]

! Pride Month Challenge 2024 !

Well hi there, everyone! With May winding down to a close and June just around the corner, it's about that time again...the time where @jadedsunshine, @unicornaffair, and I host our yearly create-a-thon! 🥳

What's the Pride Month Challenge, you might find yourself asking? Well, this year it's a little bingo game we've put together, featuring some classic tropes. The aim of this particular game? Make something!!! Anything! Just get those creative juices a-flowin' and see if you can snag a B-I-N-G-O along the way!

This challenge is open to everyone and anyone who wants to take part, whether you know the three of us or not! We're going to be using the tag #pridemonthchallenge2024 for the stuff we create, so if you decide to join in on the fun and games, feel free to stick that tag on whatever you make, too! If you're interested in more details, you can check below the cut or reach out and ask ;)c

Either way, happy almost-pride, and happy creating!!!

I don't write fic - can I still participate?

Ab. So. Lutely!!! We've done this challenge for a few years now (we've missed a year or two for weddings and other life stuff, whoops!), but in the past we've had people doodle, sketch, draw, make edits, create props or other physical art, and even curate playlists! The three of us are writers, so you're very likely to see fic or ficlets from us...but you? Oh. Oh, you can do whatever your heart desires!!!

Are there word limits/expectations for a finished product?

NO!!! :D Zero. Literally zero expectations. We aren't putting together an exchange, we aren't holding a competition, we're just trying to get the spirit of creation in the air. That's it! So whether you're writing 50 words or 5,000, whether you've made a rough sketch on a notebook page or fully lined/colored a scene, you're good! You're so good. As long as you've made something, you've earned a stamp on that bingo card, baby!!!

What if I don't want to do something fandom-y? Can it be OCs/original work?

OF COURSE!!! 100%. You don't even have to ask!!! Show the world your OCs! Tell the world about your story's worldbuilding! It's all fair game :)

What if I don't want to post what I made?

Don't sweat it! Again, this is...the farthest thing from official. This is for fun, and this is for the sake of making something. Sharing your work can be nerve-wracking - don't feel like you have to! We'd love to see you playing along with us, of course, but as long as you've made something that you're proud of, you've earned that stamp! No ifs, ands, or buts!

Is it cool if my creations aren't necessarily pride-themed?

Totally! We host this challenge during pride month because (1) it traditionally works better for the three of us than NaNoWriMo because of our schedules, and (2) we're queer creators ourselves! But if you're feeling a prompt and can't find a way to make it relevant to pride, PLEASE don't sweat it! As I've been known to say (and then get laughed at for saying), this challenge is no rules, just right, Outback Steakhouse :P

Let's say I get a bingo...what do I win?

:) Nothing. <3

Wait, really?

:) Really <3 Hehehe, in all seriousness, this challenge has been a fun way for us to sit down, take our minds off of life and our bigger projects and just...make some fun stuff! In our humble opinion(s), being able to point at a finished piece and say "I did that! I made that!" is its own kind of reward. The bingo board itself is really more for bragging rights ;)c Which, of course, we encourage wholeheartedly. Nothing wrong with a little bragging!!!

We hope to have you along for our month-long adventure! Again, we're going to be using the tag #pridemonthchallenge2024 for our own stuff, so if you'd like to use that tag - or tag any of us!!! - in whatever you end up creating, feel free!!! We love seeing what everyone comes up with, and this challenge is always so much more fun, knowing other people are taking part! <3 Hope to see you along for the ride!

*The bingo board was made by the lovely @jadedsunshine 🥰

[idontactuallywherepjs]

pt.3 BOOK 2!!!!

Halt is a Dad. He is such a Dad. I loved him in this book. Sending Will away on a "safe" mission (honey, you've got a big storm coming) so he can relax even in a time of war and regain trust in himself is so sweet.

He was so like, idk loving? when talking to Gilan about this mission. The vibe to me was just "I'm proud of you and trust you, you have nothing to worry about. I've seen what you've become and know you can do this"

All three of them ribbing on each other when Gilan first arrives, they're so comfy with each other!

Also recommending Horace in part because he's Will's friend and he wants to let these kids just, be kids together? I have cavities.

And THEN. They've gone on the mission. His two boys are out of the house, off on a journey and he's stuck in Araluen. And he's coping. He's coping in a very healthy and normal manner.

He's coping by throwing people into moats. Hilarious.

Arald, Rhodney and Lady Pauline put their heads together, figure out that it's empty nest syndrome, and decide to shove a happy child who needs a little bit of reassurance in his general direction: Alyss.

They think this will solve him chucking people into moats.

She tells him to do it again. Beautiful, this is so fun. Half the time they're on this mini journey Halt's thinking about Will. It's great.

I have a lot of feelings for this family can you tell?

The romance is clunky. That's like my big negative for this book. Alyss declaring when she was young that she was going to marry Will? Very cute. Her telling his dad that? Why? that's my only complaint with it why would she tell him that?

Also everyone being hung up on Pauline and Halt maybe being a thing in the past? It wasn't really confirmed, heavily implied maybe, and I think that two people who are dedicated to their jobs drifting apart and ending a relationship, then years later getting back together as they've both grown and missed the other person in that way and coming out of it stronger is a super sweet story. It'd be adorable. But it's like, thrown in there by other characters? and it's out of place almost? especially since their country just entered war?

I had a similar problem with the kiss in book one. Objectively? very sweet, i didn't mind it. But their was a lack of build up that made it a bit shoehorned in? It was a lot more obvious in this book though.

Thankfully, we don't spend all that much time on the romance subplots because those were not working at this moment.

I was very surprised when the war kicked off immediately. I was expecting it to build for at least a few books, and it to take like six to get sorted or something, but no. We're just in it now.

It didn't feel too sudden though. It felt very much like this was something Morgarath had set up over that past fifteen years, and the events of the story only started because He was finally ready, not because our heroes were ready to confront him.

I like that. He wasn't dragged out as the ultimate evil of the world, nobody can stop him except these young upstarts. He's a warlord, and he's acting like it. He didn't have much of a character, just a menacing presence for our protagonists to shiver at, but he did serve the story well.

pt 4 incoming super fast, that one will focus on the goings on in Celtica, and then pt 5 should be focusing more on the end of the book. I had a lot more to gush about in book 2 then i thought.

[michanvalentine]

So, I played Baldur's Gate 3, and I played it later than many others. All thanks (or perhaps it would be better to say fault?) of a friend who told me "you absolutely have to play it"! And so I did, completely losing myself in the world of Faerûn. It was really difficult to reconcile my duties as a wife and mother with the desire to play and discover everything about the plot and the characters. In fact, it took me forever to finish! Also because I am the classic player who has to go and sift through every single jar, corner or place forgotten by the gods to make sure I don't leave anything out. I'll start by saying that I played it completely blind and that it was a heroic playthrough. So here I am with my thoughts after finishing my first run.

Morween: Hi! I am a Seldarine drow. I am a cleric of Selûne. I'm a heroine! I spit in my father Bhaal's face and I'm proud of it! Oops! I accidentally killed an innocent bard...

I don't want to talk about the game and how well made it is in its entirety. We all know this, I think. I only need to talk about my very personal relational experience with the character who won me over despite my resistance.

In a roundabout way, while I was trying to conquer the beautiful Shadowheart, I found myself in a relationship with Astarion. I had fun with him at the tiefling party more out of curiosity than anything else, plus I didn't even think he liked me and that it was just fun for him too. Up until that moment we had done nothing but argue and clash over our respective visions of the world. And the “disapprove” message was constantly over my head (along with that of Lae'zel)! Nonetheless, having him around was a delight for this reason too (in addition to the fact that I found his jokes funny). The contrast and our discussions made the interactions seem particularly real to me...

I wanted to talk with him. First of all because I found our hypothetical conversations about getting killed or which of our companions to drink extremely funny. But I wanted to understand. And I wanted him to understand too. And every time I saw "the glimmer" I felt even more motivated to bring out everything he had inside. A lot of stuff, I later discovered...

Obviously at the beginning, as a player, I was trying to understand how the game worked and my female Durge was trying to understand who the people around her were and where their misadventure would lead her. So I only understood many things later!

Morween: Wait, ehm… Whaaat?!?! Am I the weird one or... no, never mind.

In any case, when Astarion thanked me for not giving him up to the blood merchant, I wanted to make this clear to him, so I selected the "I care about you" dialogue option. But I honestly didn't realize that this would mark the beginning of my relationship with him. Afterwards I didn't feel like reloading. Even if I had to abandon the beautiful Shadoweart (with whom I had only shared a bottle of wine and a passionate kiss until then). I thought that things had happened that way for a reason and my game, my choices, had naturally led me that way. Honestly, I had to stop with Gale too, because even my favorite wizard didn't disdain the company of Bhaal's offspring too much. And it broke my heart, because every single one of them deserves to be loved, dammit!

Morween: We got problems, you and I. Big. Deadly. Serious problems. But we're also so dangerously cute together!

What followed was an intense journey full of very strong emotions, as I think it was for everyone who played Baldur's Gate 3. I became attached to my traveling companions as if they were friends in the flesh. And of course I ended up falling madly in love with my pixelated vampire boyfriend.

He's truly a well-rounded character. The thing that literally drives me crazy is that he's a fucking vampire, a real one. A vampire who acts like a vampire and has all the instincts of a vampire. He likes killing, the smell of blood intoxicates him, he has a hunger that devours him from the inside, and he can very well lose control. Finally! An accurate and truthful depiction of what it means to be a vampire. And not just a spicy detail to add to a story for horny teenagers. So the character of Astarion earned admiration points from me. Why? Because despite everything he is able to travel with different "blood bags" without necessarily attacking them and sucking them to the core. It takes great willpower to keep such appetites at bay. And yes, I know, there's that first night when the pale elf tries to attack you while you are sleeping... but hey, surprise of surprises, everyone makes mistakes. Few are those who learn from mistakes. And Astarion is more than willing to learn, another of his qualities, and he is willing to do so throughout the entire journey!

Morween: Yeah, sure, I could judge him... If I hadn't also tried to kill him while he slept...

Side note, when the urge calls and Astarion finds himself in the same situation, he is ready to forgive Durge's mistake in the blink of an eye. Because he knows, dammit. What's more, he is willing to stay there, next to them, to help them control themself. And there I thought: fuck, I want to be there for him too.

Of course Astarion has his own personality, his own flaws; and I love him for it. He's a chronic liar, yes, and he's quite selfish with a nice propensity for lust for power. All perfectly explainable and understandable, considering his past. I was shocked at the amount of abuse he had to endure. I didn't expect it, not so deep, not so real and so detailed, especially for the psychological aspects and the reaction to trauma, considering we're talking about a character from a video game. And my heart broke. 200 fucking years under Cazador. It's no wonder he's a broken man, but not finished. And it's wonderful to see his survival instinct gradually transform into a real desire to live. He is a dangerous man (elf?) but the moment you realize that he can change, he can be rehabilitated, he can heal and be better (up to a certain point, he is still a vampire, a predator with the instinct of kill and with a passion for blood), you know it was worth it. No matter if as a friend or a lover, you are the hero he has been waiting for 200 years. And, for heaven's sake, when he trusts you completely he is capable of unprecedented sweetness and sensitivity. Of course he's still the scoundrel with the sharp tongue and easy sarcasm, but after all that's why he's adorable!

Morween: I confess, Mother Superior, saving the innocent is right, but it is too obvious and easy. Redeeming the bad guys is sooooo much better, that's a real challenge! What heroine would I be otherwise? How do you say... you are not interested? Yes, right... let's talk about Shadowheart.

So when at the end of his quest he thanked me for saving him from himself (even though I only gave him a nudge), with that honest smile on his lips, my satisfaction was immense. He knows, he appreciates, he has grown. He knows exactly what loving him means and is grateful for it. It took patience and a lot of trust, even when it was an objectively stupid thing to do. It took the ability and the will to go further, to see something in him, that he could be better, and to believe in him. Believing that he was enough just the way he is. This is loving someone and making them feel loved. And it was a beautiful conclusion to his story arc.

It also took a lot of delicacy, I would add. I played the entire game and experienced my relationship with the character of Astarion with the concrete feeling that losing him would have been very easy. After all, running away, hiding, even attacking, are perfectly natural responses to fear. And as we know he is legitimately terrified of everyone.

About this: when I met Sebastian it was another shock for me. I wasn't prepared. The whole sequence is heartbreaking, but what blew my brain was the response I got from Astariom when I asked him if Sebastian had hurt him.

God. In my mind the picture suddenly became untenable. No god answered his prayers, no hero deigned to save him and the only worthy salvation for him would still have been a stake in the heart because he was considered a monster. Cazador forced him into prostitution and when he was lucky enough he only had to live with the horrible knowledge that he had delivered another innocent victim into the hands of his master. Otherwise even his own targets would do violence to him, as most were not good people. And maybe in case of a failed delivery, Cazador would also punish him later. It is no surprise that he has learned to completely dissociate himself from everything, to become numb to the events and people around him.

For him everything and everyone was suffering.

And another thing that I really appreciated was the possibility that the game gives you to allow Astarion to rediscover himself and his relationship with others, to experiment with his own limits within a finally safe space (the camp, the companions, Tav/Durge).

In any case, for me it was a truly satisfying experience. I regret nothing, not even releasing 7,000 vampiric spawn into the underdark. Perhaps this is also why I was surprised when by browsing through various social media I come across so many cruel comments and harsh opinions regarding the character of Astarion. Everyone has their own sensibilities and tastes, obviously. But damn... how much repressed anger and aggression...

Anyway, I could go on for hours writing, but a treatise on the phenomenology of the Astarion was not my project! I just wanted to vent my fangirl soul a little and share my experience with you.

I'm currently starting my second run as Astarion. My plan is to conquer the beautiful Shadowheart without a certain someone getting in the way. Maybe, if my daughter and husband don't abandon me on the highway first, I might even consider a third adventure to sink into Gale's arms (and library)! I still feel sooooo guilty for dumping him, he seemed really hurt.

But for now... and they all lived happily ever after...

[thenorthling]

Looking for various RP's.

☆ Hello, I'm back looking for another writing partner or two ☆

+ Some quick rules first to make sure we're on the same page;

♡ I'm looking to rp with people who are 21+, I'm an adult myself and prefer to write with others who are adults.

♡ 3rd person POV, past or present tense is preferred.

♡ For now, doubling only so please show interest in both stories.

♡ Prefer CC x OC most of the time, but in some cases CC x CC. And in two cases for non-fandom rp's I want OC x OC.

♡ All characters must be 18+, while I'm open to writing smut it overall has to do with darker themes in the story.

♡ Romance is fun, you can choose whatever you want for your story whether it be M x M, F x F, NB x either gender, I'm comfortable with it all. But for my story, I stick with M x F.

♡ I usually write what I feel like without thinking too much about post length, though it's worth mentioning that I don't do rapid-fire or posts every 3+ weeks.

♡ I really love OOC talk, so I'm hoping to reach out to someone social. I don't mind the posts for our rp being spaced out at all, but OOC talk is very important to me to keep things interesting.

♡ Should the rp not be for you anymore let me know instead of just not posting, it happens to us all, muse doesn't last forever. I would really like to be given the chance to thank you for your time and the rp we had together.

♡ Also, I love being invested in my writing partner's plot and OC and I will most likely try to add some input to your story just to feel ever more invested. But please show some interest back, there are far too many who are only interested in their own story and I'm really not the person for you if you don't give a bit in return.

♡ Be willing to exchange writing samples.

♡ Password; tell me your favourite colour.

+ The games;

♡ Hogwarts Legacy; fully completed as a proud Hufflepuff, it was the plants in the common room that did it.

♡ Arkham Knight; for this I'm looking to write as Jason Todd, I'm open to my writing partner either using a CC or a OC (if you're using a OC please have a doc or some kind with one that fits into this fandom).

+ The anime/manga;

♡ Jujutsu Kaisen; fully caught up with the manga recently, I'm not too sure what I think about it right now. <.<

♡ Demon Slayer; up to date with the anime and I have read the manga.

♡ Attack on Titan; completed the manga/anime.

♡ Hell's Paradise: I wish more people loved this. ;-; Read the manga so fully updated on it.

♡ Haikyuu: Everyone needs a feel-good series.

♡ Tsurune: Like Haikyuu but with a bow.

+ Non-fandoms;

♡ Mafia; I got a male OC that needs some dusting off.

♡ WWII; I got another male OC here in need of some love.

I RP over Discord, which is also where you can reach me, the messenger here on Tumblr is not working well for me at all so feel free to add me @ thenorthling. Also, when reaching out, please add a light intro of yourself, some details about what you want and the password I have in my post, don't write "wanna rp?".?".

[orchideous-nox]

Talk more about Peter please!!!!

Okay I've let this sit here for a hot minute while I think.

I think Peter is not only underutilised by the fandom, but also a victim of his own future. So many headcanons about Peter come from what he does years down the lines as if his past is a consequence of his later betrayal. I hate this because it means he's never truly made his own character.

I'm going to try my best to yap about him in my own way and not just whatever I ingest from conversations with @futurequibblerjournalist about him.

Yes, Peter is fat. I don't want to talk about that though, but we're getting it out of the way because I won't stand for an Dane DeHaan fancasts when I feel like we're better than making fat characters skinny.

I love that idea that Peter and Marlene were friends before Hogwarts, his limited muggle knowledge comes from her family. They know each other through their parents and Marlene is just glad to have someone her age to play with and Peter is used to being around girls because of his older sisters.

When they got to Hogwarts and found other friends, they weren't necessarily as close anymore. Peter shared a dorm with the boys and they all became friends. With Sirius and James being so loud and energetic, Peter felt drawn to the quieter Remus and they became friends, and he ultimately was the reason Peter became part of the Marauders.

Peter is an observer, he notices so much because people either ignore him or don't think much of him. He sits in corners and listens and this is his contributing factor to the pranks. While they're planning them, he'll notice weak spots like "well this won't work because X said that they were going to the library at that time so won't be in the dorm". When they realise how good he is at spying for them, they start sending him off to scout information in the lead up to pranks.

I think there's so much emphasis on the other Marauders and music, but I like to think Pete was really into music too. He would have loved Madness, Ralph McTell and he gained a love of Fairport Convention from his dad who had discovered muggle music, they were hiting up Cropredy Festival every year. I think he would deny his love of folk music to his friends though, that was something he kept to himself.

Okay and now for the fun part that's been brewing for a little bit. Peter and Sybill were an unexpected couple, I think the Marauders noticed that he was sneaking off sometimes and would go missing in Hogsmeade and started placing bets on who it was but none of them had said Sybill Trelawney. They hadn't crossed paths very much, she's a Ravenclaw and he's a Gryffindor, but she'd noticed him in the library struggling to find a charms book. Sybill was known to have been able to produce a non-corporeal Patronus at some point so was gifted in charms and helped Peter to become more confident in his own capability.

I think there was a gentle quietness to their relationship, they weren't loud like Rosekiller or as affectionate as Wolfstar or as tragic as Jegulus. They would sit together at meals or in the library, they'd talk walks by the lake. Peter would love sitting with Sybill while she yaps enthusiastically about divination and prophecies because he loved seeing her light up. He shows a lot of interest when she talks about Cassandra Trelawney who she is proud to be a descended of, which is new for her.

We know that Sybill ends up (briefly) married to another man after Hogwarts but I don't see these two having a big eventful break up, they have different priorities for their futures and decide that after school ends they will go their seperate ways fairly amicably. I think Sybill doesn't particularly like the Marauders and thinks they make Peter reckless, and Peter doesn't like her cat (for obvious reasons) but she won't part with it. There's no drama, they still love each other but they don't want to sacrifice a part of themself for their relationship to work. We know Sybill ends up divorced in canon because she won't change her surname, she knows what she wants, she's stubborn and I love that for her.

After Hogwarts, Peter dates but never really settles down and does feel a bit of regret about Sybill, especially all those years later returning to the school and seeing her there.

[karlachismylife]

OK 🆗 this isn't a ask I just wanted to say

We all love you and we are amazed and proud of you every day for doing what you do I love your work and believe you are as a person too and I know I probably won't ever meet you in irl but I want you to know that we are here for you as much as you are here for us <3 Love you pumpkin🎃 stay bright! Were her if you fall.

That's such a sweet thing to receive, love, thank you! I'm holding this message right to my heart and feel it calming down. I'm really not proud of myself in general, but as long as I can make people smile and want them to tell other people kind words, I think that's my mission successful.

Since you gave me this pretty pumpkin and we're approaching Halloween, here are some headcanons about task force 141 carving pumpkins.

CW: gn!reader, mild injury mentioned in Gaz's part.

Used the cutest dividers by @saradika-graphics

Soap is the Halloween kid. This might be his favourite holiday of the year (maybe second after Christmas), and the older he got, the more elaborate his celebration became. So you shouldn't have been surprised when one day he grabbed you and dragged along to a proper farmer's market. You just followed him, as he circled around stalls filled with rich harvest, wagging his metaphorical tail, and loaded a little trolley with pumpkins - you surely weren't naive enough to expect him to just choose one, but when he struggled to balance five on top of each other, you had to pat him on his shoulder and caefully suggest that maybe five was more than enough.

You can't really tell how he managed to convince you to help him carry two more, while all thee gaps too small for pumpkins in the trolley got filled with turnips.

At home, you took one look at his sparkling blue eyes, bright asa deep loch on a cool autumn morning, and started covering the whole kitchen in newspapers and oilcloths. And judjing by the whole arsenal of tools Soap whipped out, you made the right call - you only solidified in your decision to cover the floor and windowsills when he grabbed a powerdrill. "Tae scoop all the shite from th' inside," he explained, checking the circular blade and whatever that constructional whisk was.

"Johny, love, are you sure we can't empty them the normal way-"

"Aye we can, tha's nae fun tho, right, bonnie? C'mere, Ah'll show ye."

Yeah, you certainly didn't overprepare with the covers. Everything got covered in pumpkin guts, Johnny's palms were two shades oranger and you had to tug him down to get a few strings stuck in his mohawk,

"Mm, sweet. We can make soup from the scraps," you licked the juice from your thumb, smiling a little to broadly to pretend that going ham on pumpkins with powertools wasn't fun. Johnny, wiping sweat off his forehead and panting after he took on the biggest one - a real monster - solo, grinned like an idiot in return and kissed the sweet taste off your lips.

"Aye. Or cookies. Ah'll clean up, bonnie, and ye collect the seeds, aye? Gonnae fry them too."

After you cleaned the kitchen together from the main carniage, Soap pulled a chair out for you and finally reached for some more traditional tools for the job - although you had to cower a few times when he drilled starter holes to get some work space for the blade.

Johnny was extremely protective over his designs, hiding his work from you and turning his pumpkins away, only showing you the end results with the proudest chest puff ever. They were quite detailed and drastically different from one another, but all scowly, sharp pumpkin fangs and triangle eyes - very, very spooky. When you showed him yours, with round silly eyes, he looked at it for a few moments, tilting his head to one shoulder and then the other, and finally gave his verdict.

"Very cute. Wanntae drill 'im a mouth?"

You spent the whole evening carving all the pumpkins - and the turnips had to wait for a whole another weekend before you managed to go through the giant veggie pile together. There were enough cut scraps for soup and cookies both. Your drill had an orange hue that couldn't be washed off easily.

But the look on Johnny's face, when you lit up all the candles inside them and fixed some fake cobweb he pulled out along all the other decorations, was so worth it all.

As soon as you told Gaz that you wanted to carve pumpkins together, he planted a kiss on your knuckles and grabbed his cap off the shelf to go to the store. Sure, you would've loved to choose them together, but you trusted he would bring back some nice ones - which is why you were surprised to see him with two completely different pumpkins, a small pale one and a much bigger, bright orange.

"Don't look at them like that, angel, I have an idea," you must've looked really upset with the unfair pumpkin difference, because Kyle laughed softly and pulled you into a hug, kissing your forehead and temples. "How about we make a pumpkinburster? You know, the little one clawing its way out from the big one, like in Alien? Pretty creepy, innit?"

That was damn clever, you couldn't lie. Together, you sat down with your respective pumpkins next to you, and sketched for a bit, coming to an agreement over one of the designs - Kyle promised he'll make sure the combined construction would hold together, and you chose the vibe and the way your little pumpkinburster would creep out of the deseased bigger gourd.

Kyle made sure to stock up on snacks and drinks, and put yet another movie from your horror marathon - every day since October 1st, several rounds on days off - on, preparing for your carving session. He took the big boy on himself, leaving you to work on the little guy with all the time for details you could ask for. You sat there, the tip of your tongue stuck between your teeth, going with a tiny scalpeel blade on the little scary teeth of your pumpkinburster, when suddenly the knife slipped on the juice slick covering the place you were diging into, and with a surprised gasp you cut the pad of your thumb.

"Ouch, love, wait, let me see, shush, stay still-" Kyle dropped his knife faster than you even fully realized what happened. Carefully, he grabbed your hand, wiping off pumpkin waste and quickly gathering blood, and inspected the cut with a concentrated look on his face. "Hm. I'm no medic, but I suppose your survival rates are quite high."

Earning a chuckle, he kissed your hurting thumb and then you, before getting up to fetch some better, sterile wipes and a bandaid - after some rummaging, he returned and presented you Halloween-themed bandaids.

"Saw them at the store the other day, couldn't resist, lovie. Wanna have a pumpkin one to remember what battle gave you that scar?" - "No, thank you, I'll take the one with skeletons."

Needless to say, Kyle hovered over you for the rest of the evening, making sure to watch you with all the sharp blades. Somehow, he managed to finish his "chestbursted" pumpkin too, and under your supervision he carefully combined the two, creating your gore galore.

"Do you think we can put a candle in there too?" You asked, leaning your head on his shoulder to admire your work. Chuckling in response, Gaz kissed the crown of your head and sighed dreamily.

"Of course, angel. Whatever you want."

Price took your suggestion to decorate your shared home with a carved pumpkin very seriously. You saw him going through the next few days, stopping at random times and staring into the void - and each time he responded to your concerned questions that he just got another idea for a nice pumpkin design.

Once he had enough of brainsstroming, he took you to go pumpkin shopping; grumbling all the way about how there aren't any "proper" pumpkins left, he, however, trusted your choice completely, agreeing with each and every one you pointed one to him. "Yes, love, that one would be perfect. Oh, you're right, this is even better, look at 'er, so bright... ya wanted another shape? Sure, darling, whatever ya say."

When you brought your prize home, though, everything completely changed: without as much as allowing you to cut the gourd open and take the insides out, John stole it and dragged to his woodwoking table, muttering something under his nose. You were baffled: never would you take him for a greedy pumpkin hoarder, but the truth was right there, all the creative control concentrated in his capable hands.

You waited for hours for him to come out so that you could give him a piece of your mind for cutting you off from the fun, but eventually all the outrage subsided, leaving you to worry about John - he didn't even show his nose when you called for lunch, and all you heard from his workshop area was constant tool buzzing and muffled curses.

Finally, you decided no pumpkin was worth starving himself, so you took a plate with his lunch and carefully entered the working area, immediately inhaling rich pumpkin smell.

"Love, I brought you something to eat... maybe take a little break?" Not wanting to startle him while he was working with a woodcarver, you stopped a few feet shy from his table and reached your neck to sneak a peek at his work.

The rough shape of the face his pumpkin had was terrifying. The ugliest mug you could imagine, something between a scowling smile and... and a Monster INC monster. Even half-done, it looked incredibly detailed, and judging by the amount of tools covered in orangy waste laid out, John used almost everything from his arsenal to carve it.

"Sorry, love, you said something?" Finally noticing you, he put the tool down and turned to you, blinking in confusion when you burst into laughter - how could you not, though, with his beard having te perfect orange shade, thoroughly moisturized with pumpkin juice too.

"I see you've had your lunch break already, but maybe eat something a bit more filling? The pumpkin's not gonna run away. Although it looks capable of anything. Did you have to make it that creepy?"

You leaned down to kiss John, his cheeks clearly blushing from your praise of his ablities to create the ugliest pumpkin critter possible - or from realization how he must look, since you took a napkin and tried wiping his beard clean.

"'Course, darling. How else are we going to scare all the kids away from eating our sweets?"

You were cozying up with Ghost with The Nightmare Before Christmas on - part of your attempts to convince him to wear a Jack Skellington costume - when you hummed at some of the movie background beauty and muttered: "Gotta make sure to go shopping before they buy all the nice pumpkins... wanna come with me? Choose yourself which one you want to do?"

The silence that followed was deafening enough for you to shake the mild sleepiness off and toss in Simon's lap, turning over like a sausage on a stick, tangling in the oversized hoodie (also Simon's, obviously) until you finally managed to push the hood that was obstricting your view off your face and stare at the man himself. Did you even ask out loud or did you even think the question?

"Which one I want to what?" Finally asked Simon, looking at you a little too seriously - his blond eyebrows furrowed as if you asked him a rather complicated mathematical equation, not if he wants to choose his own Halloween entertainment.

"Which one you want to carve? Like, make a Jack-o'-lantern? I thought we could just have each our own pumpkin, make them matching or something. You don't want to?" It was your turn to look confused, but you let your head fall back into his lap and looked at him with a smile. "Don't worry, I won't force you. I can just do a little one for myself."

"No." Simon finally managed a word out and found your thigh to squeeze - for moral support. He looked like he was processing the whole concept of sitting down as a family and carving Halloween decorations together, and you scanned his face, trying to guess what exactly he was thinking. "Let's do each one. But you choose 'em, lovie, I don't know shit 'bout 'em pumpkins."

You wondered if that would be his first time doing this at all or just in a really long time - so you picked up a nice, beginner-friendly, almost cartoon-perfect pumpkin for him and a slighly more lumpy for yourself. "It's got character!" defended you it when Simon looked at your yellowish monster and said it looked "more interbred than the royal family tree".

All that smugness vanished, though, once you sat him down at the kitchen table with a Halloween playlist in the background and dove head first into carving, your enthusiasm making up for the lack of technique.

Simon barely moved, constantly peeking at you and your stabbed interbred gourd. He just managed to start cutting out the circle cap in its head by the time you had already been scraping the inner walls with a spoon - you've never seen him less confident with a knife. Usually it was you who had to be extra attentive with all kinds of blades, while Simon cut anything and everything with a few efficient swipes.

Right now he looked no more capable than a toddler with a plastic knife.

"Need some help, baby?" You asked carefully, and after thirty seconds of inner turmoil, Simon responded with a defeated grunt. Chuckling, you got up, kissed the corner of his scarred lips and snuck behind him, intending to guide his hands Ghost style. Pottery might be more suited, but it still felt heartwarming to show him how to finish that top hole, leaving more or less curvy lines instead of the sharp corners he made with his cuts. "Ooh, look how bright the pulp is! Must be yummy."

You cut yourself a little piece of that bright orange sweetness - as a tax for helping him - and laughed, kissing Simon right after to share it. Then you gave him a sharpie and advised to draw his design on first. It might've been the sightly dimmed lighting in the kitchen, where you already put a few candles for the vibes, or the light reflecting off your bright pumpkins, but his ears definitely seemed quite glowy.

"Hey, no peeking! You have to make up your own face!" You covered your pumpkin from him, but Simon leaned to grumble into your ear, kissing and nibbling on it ticklishly, and seized the moment to grab your creation and turn it around.

There was a pause.

"The fock is tha', lovie." Looking at his dumbfounded face, you snorted and reached to peck him on his nose bump. You knew he'd looove seeing his skull mask recreated in a pumpkin with your less than finesse artistic additions.

"That's my Ghostunkin. You like him? You should, he's your twin!"

"Oi, c'mere ya little shit!"