#when ur so burnt out it feels like something that will always be a part of you

[conteststarribbon]

that feeling when you realise that you're a protagonist (doomed to be in a Situation at all times)

anyway hi this is clemont uriel my son (they/he/spark). i gave him all my stress about mundane things and made it Worse.

often wears a blindfold because permanently glowing red eyes from human experimentation are a pretty identifiable trait. this gets more visible further into the story (eventually just entirely red eyes with no whites with rhombus/diamond shaped pupils faintly visible) so blindfold becomes a basically permanent feature. eyes get at least mildly fucked up because of this.

has freckles basically everywhere, not just the face. some of them changed shape after they got light magic from awakening. (shape in question is light magic's icon) light part of hair is naturally like that, hair there is thinner and overall less of it grows in the same amount of head area compared to the darker hair. (fact: repeated hair pulling can cause hair loss)

most inaccurate outfit ever btw. overall a weird combination of multiple half formed design ideas. imagine a significantly more wizard looking outfit. and those fuckass metal claws only on one hand, dagger in the other. (more damage vs precise attacks. also vague parallel w Peacekeeper wearing one of Theos' armour gauntlets after AA). undecided on what long range weapon i should give him. hair is shorter,, like top of to mid ear length and not shoulder length. however this is the most accurate hair i could find.

u think ur fighting a mage? nah get hit the luminous beast instinct.

long sleeve grey turtleneck + matching gloves (right hand with shiny grey claws) + very specific jacket i am still making into roblox clothes + shiny grey pauldrons that cover shoulders, armpits and slight part of upper arms and connected cape with some kind of space design on the inside + matching the cape, big fucking wizard hat + shiny grey dagger in left hand. lots of dangling and/or draping parts in the outfit compared to solstice's outfit being lots of somewhat tight layers. (both get alternate outfits for warmer/colder weather but one version is always their main design). most of the armor stuff is hidden under the clothes or just part of the clothes via hand waving explanation of enchanted fabric bc armour is HEAVY!! (solstice is the one who gets a fuckton of visible armour) unsure on the shoes but i might make them steel-toed for more grey details.

colour placement is something i always get weirdly focused on when it comes to ocs. abnormally so.. esp w characters who come in a set like thse two. i am a sucker for parallels.

solstice gets a lot more grey in her design but clemont gets a lot more of the space motif in his. (also might change the accessory gradient in solstice's design to be dark purple -> magenta -> light pink instead of green -> blue -> purple -> pink, silly cauldron/potion bag gets ominous orange glow emanating from the inside. clemont will probably have mostly green with some teal and yellow. might make orange their 'shared colour' as is tradition for me to give all my ocs who form into a duo whether by design or by forcing me)

spell names are all music themed!!! unsure on what instrument to make him play tho...

[vxsellie]

AFLAME - E.W

pairing : firefighter!ellie x rescued!reader synopsis : your apartment goes up in flames and you're unlucky enough to have been on the top floor, your front door blocked by fire. thankfully, a certain firefighter finds you before it's too late a/n : ok this literally took so long to write i cannot ,, but im so excited to finally be posting it bc i feel like u guys will like it ! also i gave in to ur guys pleading and made a sequel here , it's not a part 2 but i hope it's enough to satisfy your thirst for more wc : 7.7k

your back is pressed against the wall of your kitchen as you clutch your cat in your arms. she mews in your hold, growing more restless by the second. you can hear the frantic shouting of firemen running up and down the halls of your apartment, rescuing your neighbors one by one. but your door is engulfed in flames, making it impossible for you to show them any sign of you being trapped in here.

oxygen is slowly depleting as your breaths become less like breaths and more like sharp gasps of air. your throat burns and your skin stings with the heat.

your cat, amber, shifts in your arms, wanting to move and breathe without struggle. you hush her, fighting tears as you begin to lose hope in ever being rescued. amber continues to meow loudly, her voice becoming more raw by the second. you shush her, not wanting her to waste her breath on trying to get your attention.

you run a gentle hand down her back, coughing as you try to comfort her. tears run down your cheeks as her mewing doesn't cease. your hand begins to shake as you caress her fur.

sirens can be heard from the street, muffled by your closed window and thin walls. your initial thought had been to open your window for air, but you knew better than to feed the flames with oxygen, so you settled in your kitchen as far away from the fire as possible and fell to your knees with amber against you.

firefighters continue to walk down the hall, calling out things you cannot hear. you recognize the croaky voice of your neighbor. silently, you're glad she managed to get out safe. she'd always been a very kind old woman to you, offering you burnt cookies and warm stories of her grandchildren.

amber continues to scratch and paw at you. you blink away tears and give her a weak smile, feeling the lack of oxygen begin to get to your head. you're delirious and in pain. you'd hurt your arm when you pulled amber out of the debris that'd become of the bathroom. you cut it open on the splintering door, the wood digging right into your forearm without mercy. you can feel the warm blood running down your arm and between your fingers where you hold amber firm against your chest. you try not to focus on the pain, though, rather directing your attention to managing your low source of air.

you hear footsteps begin to descend down the staircase and you can't help the tears that begin to pool down your face at the thought of being left up here. your shoulders tremble as you sob into amber's fur.

you can't go anywhere near the door without being burnt alive. you can't open any windows without your entire apartment exploding with you inside. you can't scream for help because you know nobody would hear you anyway.

the sudden sound of someone pounding on your door brings your mind away from its decent into despair. you instantly sit up straight, amber still restless and eager for play. you watch with blurred vision and a throbbing head as someone bangs on your door. after a moment, it flies off its hinges as a red boot comes barreling through the wood.

"in here!" you shout, staggering to your feet as the firefighter enters your apartment. your body sways on your feet due to exhaustion as the person follows the sound of your voice into the kitchen.

they enter, a gas mask covering their face. they say something to you, but your ears are ringing with the disbelief that they were able to find you. their hands reach forward, offering to hold amber.

see, you know it's unfair and you know you shouldn't, but you refuse. you shake your head, holding amber closer to your chest. she'd always been your dearest possession, and is now your only possession as the rest have been burnt to char. the firefighter nods, not thinking it wise to put up a fight with you.

"ah, shit, your arm." the firefighter mutters. their feminine voice points out that they are, apparently, a woman. "okay, okay. listen, you hold your cat and i'll carry you."

you blink, "what? i don't⎯"

"don't be difficult, now." she orders, crouching down before you can deny her the chance. she puts one arm under your knees, the other across your back. then, bridal style, she hauls you into her arms.

the room swims around you, your head throbbing and your throat raw. not to mention the indescribable pain in your arm. everything swirls and blurs under your delirious gaze. you lean back into her chest, amber meowing loudly at the stranger holding you.

the woman walks toward the front door, making sure to cover your face with her gloved hand as she passes through the flamed doorway. you cough when you're in the hallway, your chest constricting with the amount of smoke in your lungs.

"shh, you're fine. you're okay, i got you." the woman mutters as she begins to descend the concrete stairway. and, for some reason, you believe her.

you turn your focus toward her, staring at what you can make out of her face through her blackened gas mask. you can see her pale green eyes narrowed as her lashes blink repeatedly as she rushes down the steps whilst simultaneously trying not to jostle you too much. her lips are pursed in concentration, the bridge of her nose catching the light as she turns a corner at a landing.

"how'd you know i was in there?" you ask, your words slurred and your voice groggy.

"ma'am, please. just rest." she instructs, her gaze flicking down to your face for a split second before looking back forward. "we don't need to make conversation when you're clearly disturbed and in pain. just relax."

"i can't rest. my head hurts too bad." you say, shaking your head. "just⎯ answer my questions and i promise to leave you alone."

"okay fine." she sighs. "i knew you were in there because your elderly neighbor was a rather feisty woman. she threatened us with her butcher knife, saying she'd stab us and sue our company if we didn't make sure to save you and your cat."

a small smile tugs at your lips. you shut your eyes, tipping her head back. "mm, sounds like her."

"she's quite terrifying." the firefighter comments.

"she's a good person, most the time. she has a huge family and cares for them deeply, she just⎯ she knows i don't have anyone so she treats me like a part of her family." you murmur.

if you weren't so high in delirium, there's no way you'd be saying all this to a random stranger. frankly, you're a rather private person. you only open up to those you're close with and feel comfortable confiding in. take your neighbor for example. you've lived beside her for the past three years.

when you open your eyes, the woman is gazing down at you. her footsteps have become less frantic as she watches you with parted lips.

the two of you have now reached the foyer. a few other firefighters are seen with hoses and blankets for the rescued residents. the woman carries you across the linoleum flooring, the heels of her boots thudding loudly as she crosses the space to get to the large glass door.

once you're outside, you can feel amber relish in the fresh air. her incessant mewing ceases and she begins to purr. your heart clenches as the sound, pitying the fact that she's so happy about something so little such as fresh air.

"williams!" a voice calls out as the woman ⎯ who is apparently named williams, though you're fairly certain that's her last name ⎯ carries you over to a nearby ambulance. "what the hell took you so long!? we were worried sick!"

"oh calm down." williams replies, easing you down onto the edge of the ambulance where the back doors are open.

a paramedics rushes up to you with a roll of gauze. with you now tended to, williams turns away from you to focus on the man in front of her. still, despite the attention you're getting from the paramedic, she refuses to stray too far from where you sit.

after a moment of you swaying back and forth gently as someone wrapping bandages painfully tight around your arm, you hear your neighbors shrill voice call out for you from across the parking lot.

"oh, dear!" she shouts as she rushes toward you, her floral shirt tattered and covered in debris, her grey hair laced with ash. overall, she appears unharmed and you relax a bit at the sight. "oh, i haven't been able to rest until i knew you were okay, but⎯" her eyes trail down to where blood is seeping through the gauze around your forearm. "turns out you're not unharmed."

"it's just a cut, agnes." you insist, still holding amber in your lap as your arm throbs with even more pain than before now that the paramedic has wrapped the bandage far too tightly around your skin. "i'm fine⎯"

"oh, you always say that." she waves a hand at you dismissively.

she then turns to williams, recognizing her to have been the woman that she'd forced into rescuing you earlier. anges tugs on her arm to get her attention, causing williams to turn to face her. she removes her gas mask to be more respectful when speaking to a resident. at the sight of williams' uncovered face, you nearly faint. she looks as though she'd been chiseled from stone and created by a sculptor who was desperately in love with their muse.

"yes, ma'am?" she inquires, turning to agnes with a raised brow.

"i told you guys to get her out of there unharmed!" she reprimands, seething with rage as she gestures toward where you're being tended to. the paramedic is now offering you pills and water for your headache.

williams blinks, taken aback by the blame suddenly pointed toward her. "i don't⎯"

"it wasn't her fault," you interrupt, "i hurt myself trying to save amber."

"still. had the firefighters been there sooner, you wouldn't have had to save your poor cat all on your own." agnes points out, insistent on blaming the woman in front of her.

"i sincerely apologize, ma'am, but you must know that⎯"

"i don't want to hear it!" she interrupts her, holding a hand out to stop her from speaking any further. "to make it up to her, you're now responsible for finding her a place to stay."

"but⎯"

"no buts!"

williams snaps her mouth shut, likely remembering the image of when agnes held her at knifepoint and threatened her entire career. you smile to yourself at the idea of such a sweet old lady scaring the shit out of some buff firefighter.

agnes turns to face you with a soft expression. "you don't worry about a thing, dear. she will figure it all out for you. she'll make sure you have food on your plate and a roof over your head. if not, i'll make her regret it."

she places a gentle hand on your shoulder as she speaks, the last sentence laced with passive aggressiveness to williams, who stands off to the side with furrowed brows. after her assurance, agnes trots off with her infamous prideful stride. the other residents of your apartment scowl at her as she walks by, nobody being a fan of her fiery personality aside from you.

williams sighs, turning to you with a raised brow. "a good person, huh?"

"i said most the time." you point out with a playful smile.

no longer losing a significant amount of blood or with a throbbing headache, you're far less feverish, now able to speak without slurring or letting random facts about yourself slip.

williams sits down beside you, allowing her head to tip back. you stare shamelessly, enraptured by the way her chest rises and falls with heavy breaths or the bits of ash and dirt smudged across her skin. after a moment, she turns to you, removing her gloves and pulling her phone from her pocket. "suppose i should start looking for nearby hotels for you, right?"

you scoff, "you don't need to do that. she was just being protective."

"no, no." she insists. "she was right about one thing. and thats the fact that you wouldn't have been hurt if i got there sooner."

"don't blame yourself, williams, i'm fine."

"ellie." she corrects you with a brow raised in amusement.

you narrow your eyes at her. "what?"

"my name." she tells you with a light chuckle shaking her chest. "call me ellie. only my coworkers call me williams. it's for formality's sake. and, quite frankly, i hate it."

"oh, i'm sorry. i just heard someone call you that and i⎯"

"its fine." she tells you with a small smile. she shakes her head and turns back to her phone, typing for a place to stay in the search bar.

she scrolls through the options for a few minutes. while she does so, you busy yourself with checking amber for any possible wounds or marks. you hold her in the air, making sure to put most of her weight on your uninjured arm as your other still aches with residual pain.

the paramedic didn't give you any ointment or stitches, though you likely needed them. he'd simply wrapped your arm, albeit painfully tight, handed you some pills, then sauntered off to the next wounded resident.

"damn it," you hear ellie mutter under her breath. you turn your attention back to her. she feels your eyes on her and she explains. "none of the hotels accept cats and all the motels are closed."

"i told you i'll be fine." you tell her, a pang of guilt shooting through you. "anges is just⎯"

"protective, i know." she finishes for you. she turns off her phone and stuffs it back into her pocket and turns to face you with brows furrowed in thought. "and don't you dare tell me not to worry after you just told me that you have no family. i know you have nowhere else to go."

you tense at the mention of your family, instantly feeling embarrassed and a bit ashamed even. you shakes your head, "still. it's not your issue to concern yourself with."

"it's literally my job." she points out.

you sigh, knowing you won't win this argument against her. she turns to face forward, staring at the starry sky in thought. meanwhile, you turn toward the opposite direction, seeing that the aflamed building has now been put out. despite that, it pains you to see the apartment you lived in for the past few years in shambles. not all the neighbors were as kind as agnes, but you still called that place home. and now it's gone.

you hold amber tightly against you, her warm fur serving as comfort against the chill of pain that traces up your spine. she purrs against you, nestling deeper into your chest for more pets.

"i have an idea." ellie suddenly blurts out. you turn to look at her, seeing her expression now overcome by newfound determination. "stay with me."

you're instantly taken aback by the proclamation, your brows shooting up as your lips part in shock. "what?"

"my house isn't far from here. come back with me to the fire station so i can change and pick up my car, then we can head over there and you can stay with me for as long as you need until you find yourself a place." she says, her tone making it sound as though it were obvious all along.

"you mean it?" you ask, voice small.

"of course." she confirms. "plus, how could i say no to such a cute cat?"

she reaches out and pets amber gentle behind her ear. she leans into the touch, shutting her eyes and purring loudly. you smile, allowing the two of them a moment to connect. especially considering that you have no idea how long you'll be staying with ellie for.

"this means a lot to me." you say, causing ellie to lift her head and peer up at you, still gently caressing amber. your entire body is overcome with a sense of gratitude for ellie williams and the unintentional safety her presence provides you with. "i mean it."

***

twenty minutes later, you find yourself amid chaos. you rode with ellie back to the fire station and now you're standing awkwardly as everyone files out of their respective trucks. some of them are covered head to toe in soot and grime. others appear unscathed. ellie herself is somewhere between the two ⎯ in need of a shower, but not repulsing in her uncleanliness. you, on the other hand, are extremely dirty and bloody and gross.

amber sleeps in your arms are you press your back against a nearby brick wall and watch the firefighters all bound around the space. some of them are changing right there in the locker room ⎯ which doesn't have a door, by the way, though it's around a corner. others are rushing to the parking lot, desperate to get home.

"sorry," ellie apologizes as she rushes up to you. she no longer wears her hat, short brown hair askew atop her head. she runs her hands through it, giving you a sincere look. "i forgot how hectic it can be to someone who's not used to this."

you have a hand, "ah, it's fine."

secretly, you're dying inside. not only because your headache is beginning to reform at the sudden mayhem, but because ellie looks so fucking good right now. she saved your life and you know it's likely disrespectful to be so attracted to her, but you can't help it. you know what it feels like to be held in her arms and looked at with delicacy and you can't stop yourself from yearning for more.

"you sure?" she ask. "because if you're fine with it, i might just⎯"

"woah there, williams!" one of her coworkers calls out, walking up and draping his arm over her shoulders playfully. "you kidnapped one of the residents?"

she rolls her eyes, though a small smile can be seen on tugging at her lips. "haha, very funny. no, asshole, i didn't kidnap her. she needs somewhere to stay so i offered my place."

the man raises a brow at this, intrigued. he removes his arm from her shoulders and peers down at you curiously. though, once his eyes land on the sleeping cat in your hands, he breaks out into a wide grin. he holds out his hands. "oh my god! please, please, please can i hold him?"

you shoot the man a scowl, turning amber away from his sight. "not a chance. and she's a girl."

his eyebrows shoot up at your protectiveness. he turns to ellie, waiting for her to defend him. she crosses her arms, shaking her head with a chuckle. "she loves her damn cat, man, can't do anything about that."

he sighs, but says nothing to win your favor. he simply grumbles under his breath about being filthy and scurries off to the showers, already stripping his shirt off on his way there.

with him gone, ellie turns to you with a smirk. "glad to see that i'm not the only one who's denied touching your cat at first."

"of course not." you say. "nobody gets to touch her after the tough day she's had."

"that's fair." ellie agrees with a light laugh. after a moment, she says, "anyway. i was going to ask if you're okay with me showering and changing here instead of waiting until we're back home. that way, once we get back, you can have the shower all to yourself while i prepare you a place to sleep."

you nod, "yeah, of course. do whatever works best for you, ellie, i'm not picky."

"okay." she replies, seeming grateful for your flexibility. she glances over her shoulder toward where the locker rooms are. "okay, yeah. you wait on the bench over here, i'll come out and get you when i'm done."

she gestures toward a wooden bench. it's rather ragged and positioned in the very center of the chaos, but you nod regardless. ellie is offering you a place to stay for an undecided amount of time. refusing her orders would be incredibly rude at this point. so, instead, you nod and walk over to the bench whilst she walks over to the women's locker room.

you cross your legs, allowing amber to sleep in your lap as you wait. you can hear the low hum of people talking from deeper within the building ⎯ likely where the offices and more professional rooms are located ⎯ along with the gentle flow of water from the showers down the hall. people are laughing loudly within the locker rooms, the sound of boots and hats and clothes hitting the floor easy to pinpoint.

you allow your eyes to examine the space around you. the floor is concrete, stained with random spills and dirt. hoses and ladders line the brick walls, hung up as high as they can go. then, on the ceiling, large industrial lights sway gently back and forth. the showers are down the hallway, the men and women's locker rooms on either side of the hall.

suddenly, a loud rumble is heard as the huge garage door is lifted up via pulley. your head snaps toward the sound, watching as a bright red truck pulls into the space.

another wave of firemen bustle into the building once a truck shows up and they're able to pile out of it. they rush in different directions, splitting up in groups of those wishing to change and clean and those who wish to go home as soon as possible.

you avert your eyes down to look at amber as the people walk around you, trying not to draw attention to yourself. though, that's rather inevitable as you stick out like a sore thumb. everyone else is in their uniforms while you're in normal clothes, ash and dirt on your skin with a bloodied bandage wrapped around your forearm that you're trying your hardest to ignore.

and, unfortunately, amber draws quite a bit of attention as you hear a few people murmur and coo in awe of the sleeping cat. you tell yourself to ignore it, uncomfortable with the attention.

"hey," someone says. you look up to see a man standing in front of you with two of his friends on either side of him. he's covered in dirt, the stench of fire filling your nose as he nears you. "cute cat."

"thanks." you say shortly, narrowing your eyes at him defensively.

"oh c'mon, i'm not gonna bite." he says with a laugh. you only deepen your glare at this, already able to know what type of guy you're dealing with here. "what's your name, little lady? come here alone? y'know, i could take ya home if ya need a warm bed for the night. we could share."

he takes a step closer, his knees knocking with your crossed ones. he hunches a bit to reach his hand toward amber. you instantly slap it away, not thinking before using your injured arm. you wince a bit, but fight not to show the pain it causes you. he yanks his hand back as though he'd been burned.

"fuck off." you snap. "at least have the decency to ask before touching her."

"watch it." he sneers. "i've been out saving people all day. i don't need some ungrateful bitch to tell me what i can and can't do."

you roll your eyes. "clearly you do, seeing as you can't tell for yourself what's acceptable."

"how dare you!" he gapes.

his friends both step closer, the three of them crowding you. your arm aches at your side from having used it so carelessly to slap him away. you don't falter, though, knowing that's exactly what they want you to do. instead, you hold your ground and scowl up at him, holding the man's gaze without blinking.

"it's common fucking etiquette to not touch someone without asking." you tell him.

"i didn't touch you, dumbass." he says, his voice growing louder with each word. a few people are beginning to turn toward the commotion, nosily wondering what's going on. "i touched your cat. big fucking difference, there."

"the principle still stands." you point out, keeping your expression neutral and your voice perfectly level ⎯ which only serves to make him more irritated. "you're supposed to ask before reaching your grimy ass hands toward me."

"fuck you!" he shouts, now gaining the attention of everyone around you. "i already fucking told you⎯"

"what the hell is going on here?"

all four of you turn to see ellie standing with her arms crossed. her jacket is off, a thin black tank top covering her top half while her baggy uniform pants cover her lower half. her hair is wet, chin dripping water droplets to the cement floor.

at the sight of her, the two friends seem to no longer be interested in the conversation as they suddenly disappear from the scene. the man in front of you frowns, taking a step away from you though his chest continues to rise and fall with angered breaths.

"answer me, smith." she demands, voice laced with venom. "i asked what the hell is going on here and i don't like being ignored by lower ranks."

"i asked to pet her cat and she⎯"

"no he didn't." you interrupt, the entire left side of your body engulfed in pain after having hit the guy's hand. and you didn't even hit him that hard, damn. "he reached out to touch her without asking. not to mention his horrible flirting."

ellie listens to you intently before casting her gaze over to the man, smith. "so you lied to me?"

"what? n-no! i just⎯" he stammers, eyes flicking between you and ellie, frantic for his coworker to understand. "why are you taking her side over mine, williams? we've worked together for⎯ what? two years?"

"yeah, and you're renown for being a complete asshole." she scoffs.

"but she⎯"

"she is a civilian. and it's our job to protect and respect them, is it not?" she points out, raising her brows as he nods, ashamed. "that includes not cursing at them, calling them bitches, or touching them without permission."

"it wasn't her!" he exclaims. "it was just the damned cat!"

"don't touch her fucking cat, man." calls out the guy who ellie had talked to earlier. the one she seemed to actually enjoy being around. he appears to have just gotten out of the shower, naught but a towel around his waist to substitute as clothing.

"gee, i had no idea." smith grounds out through clenched teeth, his fists balled at his sides. "i can fucking see that now. thanks."

"anytime, buddy." the other man says with a wink before disappearing back into the locker room.

ellie continues to stand behind smith her her arms crossed, her thin tank top showing off every muscle in her torso. you have to force yourself not to stare, distracting yourself by petting amber's back delicately.

"apologize." ellie demands.

"what? me?" he asks, confused. "but⎯"

"i'm not fucking asking, smith." she threatens. "apologize to the pretty lady or i tell miller about this whole thing and you lose your damn job."

apparently, the mention of miller seems to snap smith into obedience as he quickly nods his head and turns to you with a scowl. his fists continue to shake at his sides, his anger balled between his fingers there.

"i'm. sorry." he grunts.

you should accept it, you know you should. but you were never good at doing what you're supposed to. so, instead, you tilt your head innocently and ask, "sorry for what exactly?"

he appears on the edge of insanity as he clenches his jaw and rushes out a quick explanation. "i'm sorry for trying to touch your cat."

"without..." you trail off, allowing him to follow.

"without asking." he finishes.

you smile victoriously, nodding to ellie as to allow her to dismiss him. she obliges, turning to him and giving him one last lecture on respect and obedience before allowing him to make the walk of shame back to the locker room full of men who just heard that entire encounter.

when he turns the corner, ellie walks up to you with a playful grin. "damn, you surely stood your ground there."

"of course i did." you agree. "not just anyone can touch my cat."

she huffs out a laugh, shaking her head at you fondly. "c'mon, lets get out of here. the shower was freezing anyway. all these assholes stole the hot water before i even had a chance."

"okay." you smile, shifting amber in your arms before standing from the bench.

the two of you walk out of the fire station and into the parking lot. the moon hangs high in the sky, casting a silver glow over the parked cars. you watch ellie as she pulls her keys from her pocket and unlocks her vehicle. the moonlight illuminates her skin with a soft hue, her wet hair clinging to the back of her neck.

you reach the car and enter the passenger's seat, holding amber in your lap as ellie puts the key into the ignition the car rumbles into motion. she backs out of the parking space and heads down the road, one hand on the wheel as the other is lazily draped over the center console between the two of you.

you watch through the window as the city passes you by in a blur, cars and shops reflect the moon's glow, everything cast under its resplendent coloring. you turn to ellie, deciding to fill the air with conversation.

"so you're a high rank firefighter?" you ask. "sure looked like those guys respected the fuck out of you."

she chuckles, "i'm ranked high, yes. but they only listen to me because the boss will always take my side over any of theirs and they knows that."

"miller?" you question, recalling the name she'd spoken.

"yeah. joel miller." she confirms. "he's an intimidating man and you'd have to be a fool not to be scared of him."

"are you? scared of him, i mean."

"i was." she says. "but after a few years of working under him and getting to know him as a person rather than just his position of authority, i feel i know him too well to be scared of him."

you hum, "that sounds nice, though. you have power over everyone else."

"yeah. sometimes i wish they'd just respect me without joel's reputation looming over my every move." she confesses with a sigh, her fingers drumming against the steering wheel lightly. "most of my coworkers would rather die than respect a woman, though, so i'm a bit out of luck there."

"well, fuck them." you say. "if they can't see your worth outside of your relationship with miller, their opinions don't mean shit."

her eyebrows shoot up at this, shocked by your sudden ferocity. once the initial shock dwindled, though, she laughs. a full-chested laugh that fills the car. your heart clenches at the sound, musical and luminary in its significance.

"yeah." she says between laughter. "yeah, fuck them."

you laugh along with her, the conversation falling into an easy rhythm. you get to know ellie better and she gets to know you, the both of you simultaneously coming to the decision that it'd be best to get the small talk out of the way before you live together for an undetermined amount of time.

amber remains curled up in your lap, her fur still covered in ash. not like you're much better yourself, though, as your hair is coated in soot and your skin has a thick layer of filth atop it.

when ellie pulls into her driveway, you're shocked to see the house. it's a small cottage-styled building, made of cobblestone and white shudders. the sidewalk is framed with bushes and flowers that have clearly been tended to by their owner. if you were completely honest, you'd expected ellie to live in some sort of industrial building, hardened and dark like her personality.

she shuts off the car and you both exit through your respective sides of the vehicle, amber jostling awake in your hold. ellie unlocks the front door before allowing you entry, the lock clicking as she turns the handle.

you walk inside, the space small but cozy. one bedroom, one bathroom, an open layout for the kitchen and living room. the flooring is wood, antique carpets laid out over the larger spaces. plaid blankets are draped over chairs and couches, available to the user.

"this is cute," you say, looking around, "didn't take you for a homey decor type."

she chuckles, shutting and locking the front door behind herself. "well i've gotta keep you on your toes somehow."

you laugh, placing amber on the floor to allow her time to roam and stretch her legs. in an instant, she's disappeared and won't be found for the next few hours. ellie leads you to the bathroom, allowing you time to clean off.

the bathroom is small as well, a tiny sink surrounded by a messy counter beside the toilet and tiny shower. if you're being completely honest, you love the house. it's so small and yet so comfy and warm. the disheveled nature to the house makes it feel more like a home, lived in and used. you love it. ellie, on the other hand, has been subtly tidying up as you guys walk through the space. while you examine the shower, she stacks up the messily placed contents of the countertop. when you turn back around to face her, she instantly stops, quick to cover up what she'd been doing. you find it oddly endearing.

"well," she murmurs, "i'll leave you to it."

with that and nothing more, she exits the bathroom. she'd already showed you how to use the shower and where to find towels so you're well prepared to wash off. but, as you strip your clothes off, a fiery pain shoots down your arm and up your side. you wince, looking down at the bandaged wound. it's bleeding through the material, your fingers beginning to feel numb from how tight it's wrapped.

you ignore it and step into the shower, trying to wash off without any thought for the searing pain in your limb. you wash your hair and scrub your body with your uninjured arm, the scent of ellie filling the air. her shampoo and body wash now coats you, a certain intimacy to the domestic act of sharing bathroom supplies. for some reason, the flutter in your heart is harder to ignore than the physical agony in your forearm.

you finish showering and wrap yourself in the towel ellie had set out for you. water drips onto the tile flooring, creating a puddle around you. you hug the towel closer to your body, not wanting to make a mess in ellie's home. but your arm suddenly aches at the way you tighten your grip.

with a groan, you decide to unwrap the wound and check on how it's doing. seeing as ellie is a firefighter, you're sure she's got some bandages under the sink. you undo it, instantly grimacing at the sight of the gore. you wince as cold air touches the open wound.

"fuck," you mutter, taking in the lack of care the paramedic put into helping you. there's no way you should have walked off without stitches or some kind of cleaning.

you crouch down to the cabinet under the sink and begin rummaging through its contents. you feel horrible for going through ellie's belongings in such a way, but you assure yourself it's for a good reason. you eventually find a first-aid kit and you crack it open.

unfortunately, you have no experience with medical care. half the things in the kit are foreign to you, random rolls of gauze and unlabeled ointments. you frown, the pain in your arm only growing as more time passes. eventually, you decide to just bite the bullet and ask ellie for assistance. you stand from the floor and close her cabinet before calling out to her.

"ellie! can you come in here for a sec?" you shout, sitting down on the closed toilet seat with the first aid kit in your lap. within seconds, she's opening the door, now changed into a pair of shorts and a random band tee.

"hey, what's—" her words instantly cut off when her gaze lands on your bloody arm, the wound no longer wrapped and now reopened. "holy shit, what are you doing?"

she rushes over to you, her voice laced with concern and desperation to help you. your eyes sting at the sound, never having heard someone so worried about you. you blink it away, looking down as you struggle to explain yourself. "the paramedic didn't wrap it well and— it, uh, hurt really fucking bad, and—"

"shh, shh," she walks over to you with soothing tones and gentle hands, "you're okay, let me see."

you hold your arm out to her, allowing her to examine it. she holds your wrist delicately in her hand, turning your arm over to look at the wound. she sucks in a breath at the sight. you frown, "is it that bad?"

"no, just," she sighs, "don't worry about it, okay? i'll fix it as best i can."

she crouches in front of you, taking a few things from the first aid kit. you watch as she picks out a specific ointment, her knowing exactly what to grab despite them not having labels. she then grabs a roll of gauze and a bottle of something, but the label is faced away from you. she sets the ointment and gauze aside, uncapping the bottle.

"this is gonna hurt." she warns you as she grabs a rag from the disarrayed countertop and pours a bit of the liquid onto the fabric. when she places the bottle aside you manage to read the name of it. hydrogen peroxide. she notices your wary gaze and gives you a reassuring smile. "it's a disinfectant, it'll clean the wound to prevent any infections."

you nod, sighing through your nose as you hold your forearm out to her. she watches you with furrowed brows as she places the rag over the open wound. you instantly stiffen, wincing through the pain. your jaw clenches as the liquid seeps into open flesh. you squeeze your eyes shut, "fuck that hurts." you pant.

"i know, i know," she whispers, gentility laced between the threads of her tone. "it's okay, you'll feel better soon, just— just breathe,"

you try to do was she instructs, but your breath comes out choppy and uneven. you open your eyes to see her staring up at you with pursed lips and a knitted brow. the sheer worry in her gaze adds weight to the air that suffocates you. it presses down on your chest and further constricts your lungs, which only serves to deepen her worry.

you force yourself to look away, focusing instead on the wall behind ellie's head. you stare at it intently, though you remain unable to shake the queasy feeling that comes with knowing ellie's eyes are on your face, tracing every feature that adorns it.

finally, she removes the rag from your arm and you're flooded with the relief of no longer being burned from the inside out. she sets the cloth aside and grabs the ointment, squeezing a small dot of it onto her forefingers.

"will this hurt too?" you ask tentatively.

she shakes her head, "no, this will soothe the pain."

"okay." you nod. "i'm far more excited for this part then."

"i don't blame you," she says with a light laugh.

she then leans forward holding you arm with an indescribably delicacy. you find yourself yearning to lean into her touch, wanting to collapse in her arms. but, somehow, you find the strength to hold back and remain sitting upright on the toilet seat. she runs her fingers down the soft part of your forearm, coating you torn skin in an off-white salve. the cool temperature instantly soothes the pain and you let out a soft sigh at the feel of it.

"oh yeah, this is so much better," you murmur, a small smile tugging at your mouth.

she looks up at you through her lashes, head remaining downcast as she carefully adds more ointment. "how'd this happen anyway? you just took the wrap off?"

"the paramedic wrapped it too tight." you explain. "my fingers were going numb and i could feel my heartbeat in my forearm. he didn't add any of this fancy shit you're adding either."

she chuckles, "ointment and disinfectant, you mean? it's hardly fancy. i'd have thought a paramedic would be smart enough to know that." her teeth grit slightly as she clenches her jaw around the mention of the incompetent medic who handled you earlier. she shakes her head, "i should've stayed with you and made sure he'd done his job right."

"that's not you obligation, ellie." you remind her. "and look. you're helping me now far better than any medic would have. i almost prefer it this way."

"oh really?" she asks, unconvinced. "you prefer to have some strange woman attempt to fix you up in her messy bathroom than a licensed and highly qualified paramedic in an ambulance?"

you shrug, "well he apparently wasn't that highly qualified."

"true," she agrees with a laugh.

she finishes coating on the ointment and twists the cap back onto it before setting it on the countertop beside the discarded rag and peroxide. she grabs the roll of gauze and begins to unravel it.

you watch her with lidded eyes, the events of today beginning to catch up to you. it's hard to believe you'd woken up this morning thinking it'd be a normal day. you'd just gotten back from work when you smelt smoke from one of your neighbor's apartments. the though didn't click in your head until you saw flames beginning to crawl into your home. one thing lead to another, and now you're here. in the house of someone who you hadn't known five hours ago.

"still," you murmur as she starts to wrap the gauze, "i prefer you helping me because you actually care about my wellbeing and not just making as much money as possible. you're kind, ellie. i'd be a fool to prefer a medic over you."

she lifts her head to meet your eyes, her movements coming to a sudden halt. her pale green eyes bore into your own, something sensual and momentous passing between the space that separates you. the bathroom is enveloped into a long wave of silence, nothing done nor spoken.

the weight of your situation presses down on you both. ellie, in her baggy shorts and stained band tee, having invited a wounded stranger into her home ; you, in naught but a towel, feeling more at home in ellie's vicinity than you ever did anywhere else.

a tether is tied between you as you feel the weight of the world pull you toward ellie. you lean in, just barely, ready for something you can hardly even process at the time being. she does the same, completely disregarding the gauze and pinning every ounce of her attention to you and the closing gap between you.

your noses brush and a spark ignites deep within you, something in your soul screaming that this is correct. a celestial puzzle clicks into place when your lips meet hers, the stars in the sky and the soil under mother nature screaming with victory as the two of you connect.

she tastes of fire and desperation, you of toothpaste and exhaustion. your wounded arm means nothing to you when you shift forward to wrap them both around ellie's neck and tug her closer. she does, rising to her knees as she places her hands on each of your hips, only a thin white towel separating her hands from your bare skin. she leans into you, allowing her hands to feel and memorize the curves of your poorly covered body.

"wait," she mutters against your mouth, "wait wait wait."

you pull back, staring at her with curiosity. her pupils are blown, cheeks flushed, lips wet. everything in you begs to lean back in, but you force that feeling down and oblige by her wishes to part. "what is it?" you ask.

"just—" she cuts herself off with a sigh, staring into your eyes with naught but adoration behind her irises. "i really like you and, uh," she looks down, blinking harshly as she tries to voice her thoughts without fucking it all up. your heart melts at the sight, remaining patient as she sorts through her jumbled mind. "i want to take my time with you. i don't want this to just be some fling. i respect you more than that."

you continue to stare at her, your eyes doing all the talking when your mouth is out of words to say. after a long moment, you finally say, "that's fine, ellie. we can do whatever you're comfortable with."

her shoulders relax at the sound of her name on your tongue, spoken with such careful delicacy that it sounds like music, like it should be praised and studied for hundreds of years to come. not only that, but she softens at your words as well, eternally grateful for your understanding.

"we can still kiss though," she's quick to add.

you laugh, shaking your head fondly at her rush to make sure that's out of the way. you lean in, still smiling as your lips touch. everything falls into place around you, nothing aside from ellie mattering to you.

⊹ ࣪ ˖𐙚 taglist : @luvsturniolo @zombieegirl @elliestunna

[huellitaa]

girl's guide to academic success: ep 1! ⊹˚. ♡

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 this post focuses on: actively rooting for success! ♡ part 2 -> ♡

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 1. organisation

first off, have something to organise ur academic life with! i personally use notion (which i'll add later) but u can use anything as long as it's cute, convenient, unique and accessible to you, your life and your schedule specifically. especially as a visual learner, i like to have somewhere i can dump literally everything regarding a singular area in my life, so i do this for almost everything along with school and i highly recommend this <3

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 2. recognition of talents & improvements

analyse your strengths and weaknesses. think back on tests, exams, marks, and analyse which ones you got highest and lowest on. dont beat urself up for it, obviously; it's just to check which subjects you're doing good in and which ones have room for improvement. for example i love science but im not the best at it sometimes and we had an assessment recently and i didn't get as high as i'd like so i wrote down a little list on a piece of paper in my pencilcase for the topics i got the least in for me to study on my own to practise later.

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 3. laying out goals

set down specific goals; i like to do this week by week accustomed to my schedule that week in my school notion page along with images and vision boards based on the term/semester, but you can do it for the week, the month, the year, anything as long as its helpful to you

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 4. productive planning

plan accordingly based on ur time energy. when creating any to do list or productivity plan dont pile a ridiculous amount onto it that just leaves you stressed and overwhelmed because that defeats the entire point; this works the same for academic plans and goals and lists etc.

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 5. extra credit

put extra work in to the subjects you know will help you in the future. for example, for my personal aspirations i need to excel in english, history and textiles so i always try my absolute hardest and put my all into those lessons and do extra studying for them in my free time where i can. school is to prepare you for the future so take advantage of that

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 6. asking questions

please don't be shy to ask questions! that's what teachers are there for and you won't have them forever so take advantage of it while you can! you can even do it in that little window of time just after class if ur too nervous to ask in class. for example, on my last english exam i went to my teacher after class and asked about what i needed to improve on to get the marks i missed next time, and he told me i added too much detail and some other things so i wrote it down and am keeping a note of it to remind me to improve on that next time! (i got top of my class though so i didnt mind. still kind of pissed i added too much detail though)

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 7. participation

participate! ok im saying this as someone who still struggles with social anxiety a fair amount but if u wanna get higher marks and get on good terms w ur teacher i 100% recommend this. i don't do this in every class but i do it where i can and when i'm confident in my answer, and it's really intimidating at first but what i did is i did it first in the classes i felt most comfortable on and continued from there. it gets easier every time i swear, and nobody's judging you; they'll forget about it after five minutes. plus, what would they be judging you for? being smarter than them?

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 8. prioritising ur health

this is mentioned a lot in these types of posts but if you're tired or burnt out or overworked or just feel like you need to take a break then do. do the best you can and compromise like i said earlier if you need to, just make sure u are prioritising yourself over anything. <3

──★ ˙ ̟🎀inspo

──★ ˙ ̟🎀my notion

i also really recommend this layout by @honeytonedhottie ♡

all my love 🩷✨💬🎀💗

[cherriteaa]

MITSUYA X HIS RUNWAY QUEEN

Mitsuya x Black fem reader

A/n: This was requested!! It was part of a 2 person request so I'll reply to the actual request when I do Smiley's

SPOILED. YOU WILL BE TOTALLY SPOILEDDD BY HIM GOOD GOD.

I'm talking handwritten love notes, handmade plushies and outfits, jewelry, making sure at LEAST ur nails are always done, flowers, everythinggg.

He seems to me definitely the gift giver romantic kind of guy. Esp if you're just as stylish as him. Even when yall are younger, and he hasn't gotten his big designer paycheck yet, he's still finding ways to spoil you. Including learning how to do nails. And he can do ANYTHINGGG you want. French tips, painted designs, charms, different shapes, dip, acrylic, rhinestones, ANYTHING. That man is a master at nail art. And he's starting to get really good with doing your hair. He makes a big thing of it, going to the store the day prior to hair day to get the cut fruit for you and everything. He's SO cute. He's already getting used to doing Mana and Luna's hair, so he's got the patience for it.

Always sends goodmorning/goodnight/checkin texts. He's the easiest communicator ever. I feel like if you guys ever do have arguments, they're shortlived. He's great at getting to the heart of the issue calmly and without using damaging/hurtful words.

He's another cuddly guy. Loves inviting you over afterschool to cuddle and just spend quiet time with eachother before he has to get up again to make sure his sisters are taken care of ect. If you stay over, he's more than grateful if you help him out. Be it with dinner, or with the girls. It takes a huge load off his shoulders. During these times, he likes to come up behind you and wrap his arms around your waist, resting his cheek against you. Something about you just helping out with / being around his family brings a domestic feel that he adores

He love love LOVES to have you wear his stuff. His clothes, things he's designed, his jewelry, anything. He thinks you look sooo cute

Romantic dates as much as he can manage. He's one of those 'if he wanted to, he would' guys. Not every romantic date has to be expensive. He finds all kinds of new and cute ideas for dates. He likes to keep the relationship interesting, and more importantly, keep you feeling like his princess.

He's never afraid to let people know you're dating. He'll invite you to toman meetings, and he isn't afraid to hold your hand or kiss in public. As far as it isnt anything too steamy, he's totally fine with it

HE'S A COOOOK. That man can definitely cook, and he has a bunch of recipes in his arsenal to keep Mana and Luna from getting bored of foods. He likes to show off and pretend to be some celebrity chef in the kitchen after inviting you over for a meal or something.

He likes to tease a little. All in good nature. He isnt the type of guy to poke at insecurities though. More like screenshotting typos you made, and making fun of long gone slightly embarrassing events like you tripping or something. He never means to make you feel bad, just to get a giggle or two. He's the type of boyfriend who will need his girlfriend to keep him in check sometimes. Not that he's out there starting random arguments, but in the sense that he'll start to overwork himself, and he'll get burnt out if you don't say something. And he'll be really grateful if you do.

Mitsuya is the type of guy to do promise rings, and then melt down the material your ring was made out of to infuse into your wedding band. He'll talk about you with his last name, and he's very open to talking about the future with you. He's one of the best types of guys to have around. He'll never leave you behind, and he'll gently push you just enough when you start slacking on your goals. Not only that, but he's the kind of guy who'll notice you're overworking you're stressed before you notice yourself. He's 10000% husband material, and the best thing about being in a relationship with him is that you both encourage eachother to grow and better yourselves together.

A/n: Requested Mitsuya Hc's! I hope they're to your liking <33

Reblogs, Requests and Comments are appreciated!!

My requests are : Open!

[bunji-enthusiast]

hello!! can i request a lancelot x reader in which its around 3am and reader randomly wakes up hungry and asks lance to cook something up, and when they go to the kitchen they’re both still really sleepy and the food ends up either burnt or just got messed up really bad😭 lots of fluff at the end pleasee!!! thank you so much in advance i love ur writings 🫶🏼

☽ 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

Sypnosis [Nightly shenanigans ensue... oh boy.] Character [Lancelot] Note || oh this is absolutely silly, thank you for this one!

The soft moonlight filtered through the window, casting a pale glow over the room as you stirred in your sleep. The quiet had settled in around you like a warm blanket, the world outside still and hushed. But, for reasons you couldn't quite place, your stomach grumbled loudly, a hunger that seemed to creep from the depths of your dreams and pull you into wakefulness.

You shifted beneath the covers, glancing over at the clock on your nightstand.

3:05 AM.

Perfect.

At this hour, it felt like your body had decided to betray you, demanding food when the rest of the world was deep in slumber. You sat up, a little groggy, your mind still foggy with the remnants of sleep.

You turned to the figure beside you. Lancelot was sprawled out next to you, his form barely visible in the dim light. His hair, messy and tousled from sleep, was a mix of his usual golden hue and the faint scent of something warm. You smiled softly at the sight of him—there was something oddly comforting about his presence, even if he was half-asleep.

"Lance," you whispered, reaching out and gently shaking his arm. He made a soft sound, a grunt of protest. It was too early for him to be fully awake, but you didn't mind. He always made everything feel like an adventure, even in the dead of night.

He groaned, blinking lazily at you as his magenta eyes fluttered open. “Hmm… what is it?"

“I’m hungry,” you confessed, already feeling the tug of embarrassment. Who wakes someone up at three in the morning just for food?

Lancelot blinked at you, his expression slightly confused at first. But then his eyes seemed to register what you'd said. A sleepy smile tugged at his lips. “Well, I guess that’s a good reason to get up.” He yawned widely, his voice rough from sleep, but it held a playful note. “What do you want me to make you? A midnight feast?”

You laughed, the sound soft and warm in the stillness. “Anything, really. Whatever you can whip up… just nothing too complicated.”

Lancelot rubbed his eyes, still half in a dreamlike state, but the thought of making something for you seemed to ignite a spark of energy in him. “Alright, alright… I’ll make you something delicious. You just wait.”

You watched as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, looking like a half-awake mess, his clothes wrinkled from sleep. You couldn't help but giggle at the sight—he might have been a prince and a knight, but he certainly didn't look the part at that moment. He gave you an exaggerated bow, swaying slightly, before he shuffled towards the kitchen.

The sound of his footsteps echoed faintly through the hall as you followed after him. All was quiet, the only noise being your soft breathing and the occasional rustling of Lancelot’s movements. When you reached the kitchen, you found him standing there, already staring at the shelves, clearly unsure of what to do. He let out a dramatic sigh, as if the weight of the world had just fallen onto his shoulders.

“I have no idea what to cook,” he muttered, scratching his head, his blonde hair sticking out in odd directions. “Do you want eggs? Or maybe… noodles? Or just toast?”

You leaned against the doorframe, crossing your arms and trying to stifle your laughter. “Anything works, Lance. Honestly, I’m not picky.”

He glanced back at you, his eyes still clouded with sleep but filled with determination. “Okay, eggs it is. I’m a master at eggs.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You’re a master of eggs?”

He nodded seriously, though the drowsiness in his voice made it sound more like a joke. “I can make them any way you want. Scrambled, fried, boiled… I even know how to make an omelet.”

“Well, an omelet sounds great,” you said, grinning now. “If you’re really up for it.”

He flashed you a smile, still not quite fully awake, but the gesture was warm and sincere. “Leave it to me.”

What followed was an utterly chaotic attempt at breakfast in the middle of the night.

Lancelot pulled out a frying pan, his movements sluggish but oddly graceful for someone so sleep-deprived. He cracked the first egg with a flourish—only for the shell to break into several pieces and tumble into the pan along with the egg. He blinked at it in confusion, staring at the mess as if trying to figure out what went wrong.

“Oops,” he said, sheepishly glancing at you. “That’s… not how I imagined it would go.”

You bit your lip to keep from laughing. “Well, that’s okay. Just… maybe a bit less dramatic next time?”

He grinned and gave you a thumbs up, clearly more amused than frustrated. “Got it, got it. No big deal.”

He cracked another egg, this time more carefully, and you thought things might finally be going smoothly. But then, in his exhaustion, he managed to knock over a bottle of olive oil, sending a generous amount pouring onto the stovetop and sizzling violently.

“Lance!” you exclaimed, scrambling forward.

“I swear this didn’t happen last time…” He sounded more bewildered than anything as he grabbed a cloth to wipe up the mess.

The smell of burning oil soon filled the room, and you exchanged a glance. “Are you sure you know how to cook eggs?”

Lancelot froze for a moment, staring at the pan where the egg, now more of a burnt mess than an omelet, was beginning to curl up at the edges. He sighed dramatically. “I swear I’ve cooked for myself before… I can’t explain what’s happening tonight.”

You bit your lip to stop from laughing again, your heart swelling at how adorable and endearing he was, even in the midst of his sleepy culinary disaster. “Maybe I can help,” you suggested.

“No,” he said quickly, a mock-serious tone in his voice. “I’ve got this. I’m the one who woke up for this.”

With a deep breath, Lancelot picked up the spatula, attempting to salvage the omelet, only to have it fall apart in the pan. What he ended up with was more of a scrambled mess, not quite what either of you had envisioned.

“Here.” He placed the plate in front of you with an exaggerated flourish, though you could tell he was trying not to laugh at his own failure.

You looked at the food in front of you: slightly burnt, disheveled, but still warm. The attempt was all that mattered. You picked up your fork and tasted a bite, a mix of egg and charred edges. It wasn’t perfect, not by any means, but there was something heartwarming about it.

“It’s good,” you said, smiling up at him. “Really. Thank you.”

Lancelot blinked at you in surprise, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. “You really think so?”

Even despite the attempt at making something he put a lot of effort into, even being half-asleep, which you admit was your fault; still, it was the quiet thoughtfulness that made your heart swell.

You nodded. “It’s perfect because you made it.”

He let out a soft laugh, his face flushing slightly at your compliment. “I don’t know about perfect, but… I’m glad you liked it.”

You reached out, gently taking his hand in yours. The warmth from his skin, his exhaustion, and the simple act of being together at this odd hour made everything feel right. “Even when everything goes wrong, it’s still good if we’re together.”

Lancelot sighs, nodding his head as walked from where he stood. He didn't necessarily have to energy to refute what you said.

With a sleepy smile, he sat down beside you, pulling you into his side as you both shared the warm, imperfect meal.

[lottiesnotebook]

hello, happy friday!! what are ur thoughts on:

"can i kiss you again? i promise i won't get carried away."

from the pillow talk list for neve and bellara?

Oh this is such a cute prompt for these two, and I hope this fic matches up to what you were hoping for (though it's not quite as smutty as I first anticipated!)

Neve Gallus/Bellara Lutare, friends-with-benefits to lovers, making out for Science

@kirblord | @dadrunkwriting

eureka

It begins innocently enough, or as innocently as anything can be at what passes for midnight in the Lighthouse. The other rooms are quiet, but the room Neve has claimed for her office is always alive with wisps, and tonight, it is also alive with Bellara - her fidgety hummingbird energy lulled to something like quiescence, or more accurately, focus, by Neve's cool, quiet companionship. It's easier to concentrate, somehow, around Neve, at least until she starts pacing, which makes Bellara want to pace too, and the office really isn't big enough for them both to-

"Ugh, it's useless. I'm useless," Neve complains, aloud. Her fingers press into her temples as her eyes scan the web of notes, pictures, and maps spread out across her wall, a case laid out in perfect order compared to the maelstrom of paper that has devoured Bellara's workshop. "The answer's here somewhere, I know it, I just can't put the pieces together."

"Maybe you just don't have all the clues?" Bellara offers. Usually that's the answer, at least in her serials - there's always one clue that the dashing detective is missing to wrap the case up neatly and tie the answers up in a bow.

But Neve shakes her head: "It's the opposite - everything looks like a clue, but it'll turn out half of these aren't really relevant, and I've looked at them so long that I can barely focus any more."

"Ah. Sounds familiar." Bellara slides to her feet, moves closer, a little hesitant. "I don't know if it would help, but- Irelin had this trick, when I couldn't see the halla for the herd. When there was too much going on in my head, and I couldn't narrow it down to the one thing that would fix it, we'd-" She feels her cheeks heat, and can't believe she's suggesting this at all, let alone to Neve Gallus, of all people. Neve who's always cool and collected, Neve who's never had a problem focussing in her life. Neve who's currently waiting for her to finish her sentence, a slight smile playing about her lips.

"You'd?" she prompts, and Bellara feels her cheeks get even hotter.

"Well-" She steps a little closer, because there's no point talking around it now, "we'd kiss, for a little bit, until my brain emptied out and my thoughts stopped whirring, and most of the time, once everything got quiet, things would just- click."

"Click?" Neve echoes, blinking at her as if she's said something ridiculous, which she probably has.

"You know, slide into place. Like a squeaky mechanism, or a ward that's out of alignment, or- you know. A click."

Neve raises an eyebrow, which only serves to make her more embarrassed. She moves to back off, but Neve catches her wrist. "Your Irelin's craftier than I gave her credit for."

"Not my Irelin," Bellara corrects, hastily. "Not anymore, at least. I'd never suggest this if- Not that I'm suggesting this is anything like a relationship, just- you know. A kiss. Or three. Till it clicks."

Neve shakes her head, still smiling, but tugs lightly on Bellara's wrist, pulling her closer until they're almost touching. "Well, if it's in the pursuit of knowledge," she purrs, and that's all the permission Bellara needs, because if she waits any longer, she'll lose her nerve. Their mouths collide, messy and unpracticed at first, Bellara's lip catching on Neve's teeth, but she's had more recent practice than the detective, and it's not difficult to ease into following her lead, parting her lips for Neve's tongue as she reaches up to unpin her dark hair from its elegant roll, to let it tumble around them in waves that smell of burnt coffee and new-fallen snow.

In turn, she feels Neve's fingers tighten on her hips, pulling her flush against her so that her back arches, so her breath catches in her throat with something like a whine, so that-

Neve draws back, lips swollen, eyes bright.

"Click?" Bellara says, a little huskily.

"Click," Neve agrees, and wheels back to her notes.

Bellara leans back against the desk, and tries to tell her foolish hummingbird-heart to stop racing. It was only a kiss, after all.

The second time, it's Bellara coming to Neve. It's late again, but the wisps still burn blue, and the sound of a pen scratching on parchment creeps from under the door.

"I can't focus," she complains, when Neve answers, in her loose, half-buttoned shirt but no leggings this time. "I know there's a right question to ask the Nadas Dirthalen, but I can't figure out what- oh, sorry, did I wake you? I thought-"

"Not at all, Bel," Neve is smiling at her. "You know my door's open to you, most of the time."

"Is now most of the time?" She's bouncing on her toes, feeling the edges of her mind fraying at the seams from the toxic cocktail of too much focus and not enough direction. She needs someone to point her at a problem, and let her unravel it.

"Now's good." She steps aside to let Bellara through, and then, with the effortless grace Bellara so envies (so desires), pulls the door shut with one and presses her back against it. "I think I know what you need."

She tilts her head back, and the world narrows to Neve's mouth on hers, Neve's breasts pressing against her through the thin cotton of her shirt, the warm brown skin of her bare leg almost pressed between Bellara's. The hitch of her breath and the press of her body and the door at her back, bottling her restless, relentless mind until-

Neve's lips move from her mouth to her jaw to the pulse-point in the side of her neck, and the thrill of pleasure that sends through her is matched only by the brilliant spark of inspiration:

"Thank you!" she gasps. "I have it, I think! Can I borrow some paper, I need to write this down…"

She doesn't see, in the blinding light of revelation, how Neve sways as she ducks past her, how she presses her fingers beneath her jaw and bids her pulse to slow.

It becomes a pattern, after that, when the Lighthouse is too quiet, when there's nobody else to bounce ideas off of and they're the only two who aren't sleeping. It never goes further than stolen kisses, than hands on hands, on hips, in hair. It's almost innocent, Bellara tells herself, purely for the pursuit of knowledge, for the dream of that perfect, delicious click. She isn't making up reasons to stay up as long as she can see Neve's silhouette at her desk in case she needs any help with a case. She isn't finding her focus clouded by thoughts of Neve's lips, her careful, elegant hands, the phantom scent of burnt coffee and fresh snow. She isn't making the same mistakes she made with Irelin all over again, making an academic partnership into something it doesn't need to be. She isn't- She just wants to see if Neve's awake, is all.

She doesn't expect to open the door and find Neve with her hand raised outside it. She doesn't expect for Neve to give her a crooked, almost bashful smile. She doesn't expect Neve to say:

"Can I kiss you again? I promise I won't get distracted this time."

She giggles. She can't help it. "You know, that's usually my line-"

Neve, thankfully, deduces that this means yes.

[pumpkinsy0]

i feel like everytime i talk about angela its something upsetting so to show that i DO love her ill show her heres some happy/domestic angela

•her and curly have matching chicken scars a well, wayyyy before curly had his w pony. it was back in haiti in the country side visiting family, it was to test who could stand on this sharp rock the longest, and they both fell off, messing up their foot. they couldnt walk on that foot for a week and got around by hopping around and leaning on each other. they also have matching LITERAL chicken scars from chickens

•angela does find her happily ever after and gets married in her late 20s early 30s to someone she met at a bar!! dont ask more than that thats all i got

•when sylvias over, she spends all her time in angelas room w the door locked, dressing up and putting on make up while screaming songs on the radio, angela will always keep in contact w sylvia idc idc

•when tim does angelas hair, she rllllyyyyy likes having her hair played w and falls asleep till he finishes, he carries her to bed and tucks her in, how sweeeet awwww

•angela u would do WONDERSSSS in the 70s w ur afro when u finally get over ur self hatred completely (noirisme in haiti before she left and the civil rights movement in the us, god damn it she WILL get over it)shout out to tim for never letting angela get that perm that would fuck up her hair for YEARS on end

•angela rlly loves hot chocolate, like REAALLLLYYYYY loves it. especially now in tulsa bc back in haiti she hated drinking a hot drink on (regularly) hot days but in tulsa sometimes it gets chilly so she can rlly enjoy the hot chocolate, first time she did it on a chilly day she felt the safest she has in a long time

•out of the shepards, angelas french is the best, she doesnt have anyone to speak french to, HOWEVER, she practices talking to herself so she doesnt get all rusty, curly and tim can hear her doin it cause the walls r thin, PAPER thin. shes not allowed to take the french class in school bc the staff knows she already knows it so shes stuck in spanish😭😭

•she has rlly good grades, her best subjects are math (duh) and science, doesnt care much for literature bc she finds it takes her so long to read and get to an answer. her report card r just barely mostly A’s

•she has her moments of stupidity, shes taken a lighter to a can of hair spray before just for the fun of it, part of the grass in their front lawn was burnt but whoooo cares, that lawn wasnt winning any beauty contest soon

•tim draws pictures for both curly and angela while hes locked up and sends it to them in letters (or gives it to them through dallas), angela has always kept hers and has her favorite ones taped to her walls

[itzgruvia]

Gruvia Week 2024

Day 4: Punishment.

type: hurt/comfort, sad.

Character: Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser, ft a character i made for the plot and misery.

Warning: Mention of Suicide attempt and blood.

This fanfic is also available in A03.

It was pitch black, everything that circled him was like ink, no light was spotted , Gray doesn’t even know where he is, the darkness is missing with his senses, he feels dizzy about this place, everything seems to be shrinking by the minute.

Gray was gasping for breath, his eyes looking around him for an escape, a silver lining of hope from this dark place, but he couldn’t find anything, his confusion was turning into frustration. His body was aching with wounds, specifically the left side of his wound, the one where he had to stab himself to save Juvia.

Juvia.

Where is she now? Didn’t he see her before he fainted? Or was that just an illusion? 

Maybe it was an illusion, after all he knew how still she was when he saw her, there was no life in her, not anymore, her heart stopped, and she was cold, motionless on the ground.

Nothing mattered to him anymore that Juvia was gone, the one person that kept him on going, but he realised that too late, like always.

“You are right” a haunting yet melodic voice rang out into the abyss, he flinched, Gray did not expect to hear someone -or something- in this place.

“You were too late for every person you loved, Gray Fullbuster”, The ice mage grew wary of the person behind the voice, how come they knew his name and his past?

“ I am an angel of death and life” suddenly a face, made of a carved stone appeared in front of him, it scared Gray where it led him to fall on his back, he couldn’t take his eyes away from the Angel in front of him, it looked like a part of an ancient temple, but if Gray had one word to describe them, they were stone.

Everything about them was immobile, their eyes didn’t move, their mouth didn’t move, they were not humanly formed to put it simply.

“Who-” Gray stuttered to get the first word out “who are you?” and managed to ask, fear was gripping his heart.

“Like I mentioned before, I am an angel of life and death” they replied, floating around him, too closely for his liking. “And you are here to reflect upon your actions” their voice held a sense of authority yet Gray wasn’t able to comment about it.

“This is what you brought to your life and everyone else” they raised their hands, and slowly next to the angel, people began to emerge from the dark platform, people he knew too well.

First it was his father Silver, his shape made Gray feel nauseous, his limbs were in different angles, as if he was crushed by rubbles of a house, then it was Ur, she looked exactly like he left her when he ran away from Deliora.

Then it was Ultear, her body all burnt up.

Gray realised that those were memories of his past, the memories that made insomnia his friend; the memories that were haunted.

He couldn’t keep on looking at them, at the people that he long lost, the people he failed throughout his life.

“Yes, those are the people that you’ve failed all your life, the people that did everything” they pointed their long stone finger at them “for you”.

He knows what this angel was doing, he knows that they weren’t even one, they were his demons, the voices that kept on muttering words just to drive him to end his life, they were here just so he could do it again.

And yet he couldn’t turn away from them, he couldn’t block their hurtful voices, their haunting whispers that tormented him for ages.

“Why is it you who always brings an end to their life?” the angel was circling around him like a predator, “you needed to be reminded Gray, that you can’t have a good life, you can’t enjoy it” they whispered harshly next to his ear.

Gray held back a sob, his lips were wobbling and eyes were closed tightly. He brought his hands to his ears to block their voices, like he always did as a kid.

“So we took her away from you, as a punishment” the angel took his place again in front of him, and this time Juvia was there, her eyes were lifeless, not human.

His stomach dropped as he sensed what was coming, “no..” he breathed out, fear crawling his body.

“ no no, don’t do this to her!” he yelled.

“ Us?” the Angel said with fake innocence. Juvia’s wound began to appear slowly, her body was trembling, blood started to pour from her side.

Gray was terrified, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t do anything, he just looked as the tears fell down from his cheeks.

“We did nothing” Gray started to black out, he felt his body lose its power over his limbs, and slowly he began to lose his senses as well.

“You did” and that was the last thing he heard.

He abruptly sat up from the ground, trying to take his breath in and out like Juvia trained him to do before.

When she was alive.

As he looked around him, and took in his surroundings, he saw her next to him, facing him, Juvia.

She was here, she was next to him, injured and completely worn out but she was breathing, her chest was going up and down, a beautiful rhythm that he felt immensely grateful for.

He was baffled, and slightly impressed if it weren’t of the tears that were falling, he brought his hand to his mouth to keep himself from sobbing like a baby, thankfully no one was around them to hear his sniffling.

It wasn’t a dream, it was real.

He brought his hand over her hair and caressed its blue waves. She looked so peaceful, her face was pale but not like how he found her at first, he stroked her cheek subtly not to wake her up.

“ you are okay” he muttered softly “that’s good”

The punishment could come later, if it means that she’ll be safe forever, and if he could just savour this moment with her.

[1eoness]

hi! could i request something fluffy? maybe leon spoiling reader with some meal, or cuddles? thanks! ❤️

mentioning meals I AM THE REMINDER TO GO GET A SNACK AND REJUVENATE

and yes ofc i love writing fluffy fluffy hehehehe (im kind of uncreative rn so sorry). btw i'm writing this in the same format as the other one but if you want it to be more structured and narrative just uh tell me LOL

content : fluffy leon kennedy x gender neutral!reader (it's written in second person though). pet names lol

synopsis : leon wants to spoil you so he's feeding you and providing you with an army's ware of cuddles >:)

-food is fuel and leon is a fucking engine

-tbh i hc that leon has a big appetite for sweet stuff,,,, i'm sure a big collective of ppl agree bc he's so squishy squishy [what the fuck am i saying idk]

-anyway enough about me gushing on leon.

-YOU. when will you ever take the time to let him spoil you? are you trying to avoid him?:((

-leon is part kidding. he's not mad ofc but sometimes he can't help but get a tiny bit worried about you sometimes.

-see, leon is a firm believer that a person cannot come to their best senses unless their basic/psychological needs are fulfilled. that includes things like eating, or affection—because when your body senses that you're lacking in something, it will use your brain power to signal you that you need to eat or be smothered with affection! hence you can end up feeling burnt out if u dont pay attention to ur love vitals!! >:(

-leon's mindset will always be applied on you because you're his second heart, you're his tough rock and you need to be taken care of!!

-HE KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE THINKING "affection? that's absurd people can still learn attentively and work efficiently without having to be coddled >:(" while yes in a sense its true—but sometimes you just don't realize that what you need is some time to be vulnerable and intimate, which can explain why your emotions feel a lot more heightened recently than usual (which he notices by the way). you've been tense for a while, and leon reasons that you can't just 'move on' from being overwhelmed with work stress and whatnot—you have to relieve it! but enough about theory.

-your hunger for food or affection is like a 7th sense to leon to be honest. while it's not an accurate intuition everytime, he's bound to think of you once every like two minutes.

-leon actually has very clear and high critical thinking skills. this means he is able to remember a lot of things about you even if he only notices them or you mention it once: this includes your comfort drink, where you like to be touched, hell maybe even the MBTI of your favorite character. and he ESPECIALLY knows what food you like. pad thai, sushi, oxtail, jerk chicken, cake, boba, YOU NAME IT HE KNOWS IF YOU LOVE IT OR NOT

-so when it actually came to asking you what you wanted, he'd send a text saying he's downtown and asking you 'what would you like, baby?'. he's careful with his words and doesn't say "do you want me to get you something on the way?" because it means he's giving you a choice >:( when the whole point is to spoil you because you deserve it.

-and if you answer with something vague like 'anything' HE DOESN'T MAKE YOU SPEAK FURTHER he'll just buy what he knows u like and keep the rest in the fridge if you dont wanna eat it :3 well that's what they're for, right?

"oh, my sweet.." his voice was quaint at the sight of you. leon tried his best to be silent when he entered the room, not wanting to sound like he was pitying you, but seeing you half-covered with comforters, mildly upset and your mind in a frazzle has his heart dropping a bit. you were probably thinking about so many things: meeting some deadlines, picking up this and that from the store, computing this... but you just couldn't organize your thoughts. but that's why leon was here.

your head moved to swivel his direction. "leon.." you smile at him weakly.

it was cold in the city tonight. leon places a hefty white plastic bag of your favorite on the nearby surface before he sits down in front of you from the edge of your bed. he takes the brief second of studying his lover's face before he pulls you into a comforting and warm hug. he can't help but pat the back of his sweet baby's head down, and you feel his lips barely nuzzle onto your ear as he mutters. "y're so good to me, baby. you know that?" leon reminds you before kissing the side of your head shortly. you tried to reciprocate it by giving him a nimble kiss on his cheek, which he gratefully accepts with an eager beam on his lips.

his hands slide down your arms in a soft stroke as he lets go of you gently. the rustling of the bed's layers being heard as leon moves a bit to reach for the hefty boxes of food, which he opens for you once he gives you take your utensil/s. leon's happy seeing you eat. it's a form of reassurance to him personally witnessing you getting the fill you deserve after a whole few days of being so busy and rushing everywhere. it's a calming sense to him as you both soak in comfortable silence while he watches you eat. he was caring less that it's 2 in the morning and caring more about the way the color on your face slowly vibrates back onto your features. you seem less tired, just by a tad percentage. it makes him smile to himself knowing he was able to take care of you. " 'm finished." you mumbled with a hum, feeling a little full and having to lie down. fullness makes you sleepy (and leon knows that!) so he has a subtle, cheeky little grin as he leans over and collects your legs with one arm, pulling you to make you lie on your back. he crawls over to lie down next to you, once again pulling you close to him while he wraps his arms around you— one patting and planted gently on your back while the other cradles your head close to his heart. just where you belong... "you tired, baby?" leon asked shortly and your little nod sufficed. his cheek gently rests against the side of the crown of your head. his touch is soft, it's sweet as he rubs and scratches down your back gently. he gently scruffles at your scalp with his other hand's fingertips, and the motions will send you to a hopefully revitalizing sleep ♡. he places a kiss on the top of your head, like a ribbon keeping its gift from falling apart :( he knows at this moment maybe you're thinking you don't deserve him. but that's so far from the truth.

[ruiimellowww]

Okay HI hello 👋👋

I saw ur art about Sun & Moon through a reblog and I am such a simp for those two omg so here's a rant :33

(Also if you're not comfy with this pls ignore this rant then, and I am so sry if that is the case!! Will stop immediately if you tell me to /srs)

-------------------------------------------------

CAN I JUST SAY I am sosososososo in love with your desgin for the dca cuz holy shit I have never seen anything hotter. O.O LIKEEE THE HUMANOID VERSION??!?!!?? UGH soooo goooodd 🥵🥵 I love the designs and the- the little EARRINGS as well?!??! Omg sooooo cutee aaaaaa 💞💞

and-and omigosh UR ART IS SO GOOD AS WELL!?!? I straight up just wanna munch it. I am eating ur art fr. In LOVE with ur artstyle it's so yummy 😍

Anywhoooo I also scrolled through your dca tag aND *GASP* ECLIPSE?????? 😍😍AND I?? WANNA??? BE ENVELOPED????? BY HIMM??? (I feel like mans would give THE BEST cuddles on the planet!!!)

HOLLLYYYY SHITTTT thE SIZEEEEEEE

Big tall omigoshhhhhhHHH M- my brain- my heart my- mY EVERYThIng is mELTING! ! ! ! ! Literally his size just does something to me I cannot comprehend why omigosh

(*lays in a puddle on the floor*)

I can imagine sosososo many different scenarios where that height could be used aaaaa >~< <333 ;P

-------------------------------------------------

Omg if you have any HCs (and *wanna* share, ofc.) about him (Or about Sun & Moon) I'd love to listen to you ramble about them??? <333

So curious about ur HCs & would absolutely love any crumbs about the dca ksskksskkdkdjdks ❤️😂

Uhm uhm first off, thank you so much I can't rlly put into words how sweet this is and I totally don't mind the rambles because me too. And also because its been YEARS since I last used Tumblr or did anything answering Ask is a bit tough for me.. MmMM

Although I don't have many HC at the moment.. I can however give you a little insight I have regarding my Human DCA :]

Moondrop (Moon) and Sundrop

- when I first designed Moon (after the game came out) he had a much wilder look to him, especially the face because I was really into the idea of him being simply insane hence the red.

- later when i got back to his design and adding colours I thought that it would be fun to make it Blue and white themed, which I actually didn't see a lot back then

- he wasn't supposed to look human even as a Humanoid, I liked to think that Sun & Moon simply had a renovated body. They are just as much Animatronics as they had always been, robotic parts and everything but with a bit of twist

- So then onto Sun.. the thing is its sad to say but I never explored much with Sun's design back then as much as I did with Moon, so I can't provide a good reference

- although I had a rough idea of how sun would look like I never quite liked the way I drew him, so he's always somewhat been stuck in this unfinished stage

- Then there was eclipse, who was my absolute FAVORITE at that time, I don't think I loved a character MORE THAN ECLIPSE EVER when I was drawing him out

- yes!! It was very much inspired by the 3D render shown here as the ref, though I did make some changes of my own to the design as well

- I had a lot in my head when I was drawing him, but the one thing that I loved most about this design still to thisq day is rhe face. The way I him to look back then was sort of a mix between my Sun and Moon designs, only leaning more towards Sun in colours and Moon in appearance with the crazed look in his eyes

The height was just a funny little thing I thought of, cuz imagine this giant fkn ahh robot just comes in here and picks you up 💀 god I would piss myself

Cough..

So in regards to the new design, I did kind of get rid of the animatronic feel to him that I had done with the DCA and his old design, all of them now look a whole lot more Human which is what I intended for

Eclipse has a few scars around his body; right forearm, left side of his torso that leads all the way up to his chest. Plus a bit of his face that is burnt which you can't exactly see because of the Black spots

Overall I like my newer designs quite a lot and has also changed a lot, this is probably the most insight you'll get out of me abt my art 😭😭 cuz I don't usually ramble this much otherwise

I might come up with some head canons at a later date, but they'll be fun thats for sure ;)

[cupidstarz]

I know you do digital art. Do you have any tips for ppl trying to get into it???? Luv ur stuff :3

(Sorry I wrote most of this at like 3am a week ago so I misunderstood the question as general art tips however I still think this works) Kinda, idk if they’ll be the most helpful but they worked for me.

The first thing I always like to remember when creating is one, you enjoying the process of what you’re drawing is way more important than the outcome, if you hate doing something in your process it might be time to find new ways to do it or stop doing that part of the process all together because no matter how much you like the end product this can lead to burn out. (I.E. Digital line art can be a lot more annoying that traditionally line art)

Take breaks, if your burnt out it might be time to take a break and do something to help you gain motivation and inspiration back. go back to traditional every so often, it helps.

This one is something I find super important but being cringe is okay! Making bad art is okay! Especially in the beginning, you should make art that makes you happy, not everything has to go online if you’re insecure about it, hell I’d suggest you make art that never see’s the light of day that you make for yourself.

Don’t feel chained down to an art style; for me I kinda just see an art style as a tool to get a point across some art pieces will call for a more realistic style, some a more cartoony one and other’s a more chibi one, etc, playing with your art style isn’t a bad thing trust me. (treat digital they way you'd treat traditional and experiment, I wouldn't let myself do that digitally for the longest time)

If you’re looking for actual tips about how I draw one is probably fine brushes you like and feel comfortable with; no clue what art program you use but most programs give you the ability to edit brushes so I’d suggest playing with brush settings to find what you like, personally I prefer to use brushes with lots of pressure variation and have a harder look to them , however you may enjoy a brush with very little to know pressure variation that has a soft look to it, it really depends on what you want from your art. try using a bunch of different brushes and see which one you like the best.

The rest of my advice is the basics of try to get out of your comfort zone; experiment with things you struggle with. Do studies, doodle, sketching a lot, referencing artist you like, hell I have an art board on Pinterest (if you have a PC you can also just make files to put art in in the same way) where I save pieces and why I like them to help me get a grip on my style.

Also references of real life things help quite a bit

You don’t have to copy these, remember make boards with things that’ll help you improve.

Hope this helps. Edit: finding an art program you like. I think that helps quite a bit.

[seluneclerics]

I know most of your inbox is about your fic (amazing btw) BUT I wanted to ask you when you started writing, the way you developed your skills and your process now because your writing is just… chefs kiss :D

thank for you the fic compliment!

gosh, this is so nice of you to say :’) where do i begin?

i’ve been jotting down ideas or writing dialogue branches for stories since i was a kid! it’s always something that i’ve enjoyed doing, i was kinda a lonely kid so daydreaming about my favorite characters going on adventures was a common past time! i definitely think that it helps to understand this:

you need to write for you, more than anyone else.

it’s definitely nice to get feedback (like this! of course, we love it!) but also it helps to create something that makes you happy, with characters you enjoy.

now with extreme specifics in my own process: i almost always start a fic or book i’m working on, whether it be a longfic or one shot, with an outline. i have a notebook just for jotting out ideas to work out story beats. it’s a great way to iron out ideas and get a concise path for where you want your project to go. plus, it isn’t set in stone! hardly anything ever is! you can feel out an idea as a story goes on and know where you want that plot line to end up, but then you take a different path than you initially thought to get there. don’t limit yourself, but also try not to go in super blind either because that’s how a lot of people end up burnt out!

when it comes to feeling out dialogue or characterizing, i tend to imagine if i can see the character i’m writing for say something like that. With Miranda for example, I read all her dialogue to myself to make sure it sounds like it’s her. That also comes in part from having a deep understanding of the characters you’re writing for of course, because often times we can stumble across things that are extremely ooc for say, a canon villain, or in Shadowheart’s case, a canon babygirl. even with my own characters like Fraser or Valeris, you must know their base character traits and how they will interact with the pairing! (if ur writing ship stuff, that is) like: Fraser’s base traits are how fierce she is, how curious she can be, and how she has a set goal in mind: finding her father. Valeris has a strong sense of justice, is stubborn, and seeks to right the wrongs of her past. knowing a character’s motives propels your narrative forward.

lastly, when you’re writing a scene, it’s good to be descriptive, but also don’t get too wordy or obsessive of the idea of using the same words over and over again. i like to call this “trusting your readers.” basically, trust that your audience is smart enough (they are! we all are! yay!) to piece together what is happening in a scene, or where the plot of the story is going without directly spoon feeding it to them. let there be intrigue! let them imagine! let there be light, as it may! don’t push yourself too hard, or you’ll run out of fuel! remember to be patient and kind to yourself, writing can be so hard and a lot of times we are our own worst critic!

i know i just yapped so much LMFAOOO, but i really hope this was helpful! thanks so much for the ask!

[crescencestudio]

Hey crescence? I don't know if asks are open or what but you can answer this whenever you feel able to

So

How would Lis react to an mc usually always is burnt out/exhausted but doesn't sleep/rest when they need to because guilt and stuff like that

hi gummie! yes asks are open! thank you for the question 💖 this is a scenario i relate to too much LMAO

Kayn: they will try to pull you away from your work “just for 15 minutes, love” and talk about how you deserve a break. will spend a lot of the time praising you and telling you how you’ve done so much to try and appease the guilt and convince you to take a longer break/get some rest

Druk: surprises you with a picnic or some kind of date to pull you away from work for an hour or so. spends the time talking about other things to get your mind off work. if ur super stressed, he’ll give you a little shoulder massage too ✨

Fenir: brings you an assortment of treats while you’re working. he’ll nudge you every so often to take a break and might hover a bit like an awkward puppy. if you’re working into the dead of the night he’ll be a bit firmer and might turn a bit scoldy

Etza: won’t be as firm as some of the other LIs in terms of pushing you to stop working but will try and lighten your load by making sure dinner is ready when you’re done with work, bath is drawn, working area is as calming as possible, etc. ready to give you attention/what you need as soon as you draw yourself away from work

Kuna’a: he’ll honestly leave you to your own devices for the most part but if you seem really stressed/not yourself then he’ll be annoying and distract you/disrupt your work until you simply Can Not anymore and are forced to take a break

Aisa: honestly like fenir but even More Awkward (if that’s even possible). finds random excuses to come near you so they can check in on you like, “omg look at this speck on the wall. so dirty. i clean it.” and will leave presents but random ones, like a flower they found outside or something

[pinkmoondoll9shihtzu]

pmd9 i'm having a lot of dreams recently where i crash and burn either physically (car crash, etc) or mentally (breakdown) and it sucks and feels exhausting and horrible, and it doesn't really make up for it but it does feel kinda nice that usually someone will be around caring for me, playing with my hair while i cry in their lap or convincing me to leave my room for the first time in months. i feel like the recurring dream probably means something but i don't know what it is... what are your thoughts

ahh, the classic car crash dream ... i have that one so much! Well i used to anyways its a little less frequent now. Or im just like, driving a car that i dont know how to use (cant drive irl), and people are chasing me, usually ends w crashing. For that one i've heard it means u feel u have no control over your life. i imagine its probably the same sort of thing for any dream where ur burning or breaking down. Do u feel exhausted and burnt out irl?

the most common function of dreams is to help us process & release stress + emotional burdens, as well as trying to work thru our problems & offer solutions. Also i've read that many of the characters who appear in your dreams are parts of U. Say u see a cop/judge in ur dream, thats the part of u that polices & judges. Or a caring nurturing friend, usually thats ur brain trying to bring out the caring nurturing side of yourself. So on & so forth. these "characters" are put into scenarios which mirror your inner workings so you can wake up & consciously follow the trail to figuring yourself out in "reality".

thats a very brief explanatation but what i'm getting at is maybe the people comforting you in your dreams are actually you comforting yourself & nudging towards being more loving & forgiving of yourself when u feel out of control + broken irl. Some thing that can be really hard to internalize (for me anyways) is treating yourself the same way you would treat a beloved friend. if your friend was having a breakdown you would comfort them and still love them through it right? I feel that could be a message here

Also i believe angels / guides/ ancestors can come to you in dreams so it could be that too , but i think those dreams are more rare because it takes a lot of energy for them. And when it happens you just Know like you really know. But i wouldnt entirely rule out the possibility of that occurrence alongside some of these dreams too ^_^

Thanks for the question, you know me, always dreaming always thinking bout dreams always happy to try & help decode them! i have many insights but at the end of the day, when it comes to dreams only you can really know your own. Hav a good night Anon <3

[scarameownya]

oooh i see!! do you hv any tips on improving ?? i like drawing but i always get discouraged cuz i don't draw as well as i want to be then the cycle repeats and i never get better 😓😓😓

and i think ur art is amazing so i js wanted to ask

hmmm usually the tip would be to practice but I'd say it's to know where to start first, do you like drawing a specific part ? do you struggle in any area ? it's a good place to start !

remember tho: you dont have to do perfect pieces every time, i figured that it's more fun yo just do doodles cause it's not perfect and pressuring, sometimes a doodle can be so good that you just take it and continue it (this is kinda like thumbnailing but unlike thumbnail u kinda just accidentally created something from nothing rather than having a goal in mind)

if you like drawing a particular part, draw it over and over either as a warm up or to pull yourself out of art block, art is fun when you're good at something so there's nothing more satisfying and uplifting than being reminded what your strengths are

if you struggle on a particular spot (anatomy, hands, composition, ect...) its great to look up tutorial or watch speedpaint !! it depends on the person but when you watch speedpaint or see tutorial, it kinda motivate you to draw and improve, plus you can always figure out which technique works for you ! the trick is to draw the same thing over and over until your muscle memories improve and by that time you've already figured out what you're doing qnd move on to the next part !

i also suggest tracing your favourite artists, don't post or claim it as yours, just trace it to study their strokes, how they do each part and what kind of shapes they do so you know what to do !

definitely take breaks when you need to, im taking breaks rn due to artblock and burnt out to do something else and it rlly improve ur efficiency cause youre not stressed

have fun ! when you're learning how to draw enjoy the process and if you dont, take a break. putting pressure onto yourself and constantly feeling discouraging can affect your art too so make sure to take your time on it cc:

[ofmdee]

foof. typing this out on tumblr because it feels easier to collect my thoughts here rather than twitter, lmfao, but MAN my creative well is bone dry rn, i feel like i have zero energy and motivation to work on projects and i just. it's driving me crazy lmfao, and in the back of my mind i know i'm burnt out and need a break, but it's so hard to take a break, because like, i don't have much else going on in my life rn, or ever, like fandom has always been a huge, important part of my life and i don't rly know what to do or who i am if im not obsessed over SOMETHING lmfao. my gf said last night something like, i guess it's hard to take a break when it's related to a hyperfixation/special interest and like!! yeah!! it's rly hard to untangle all of that!

but. idk. i don't feel happy rn with a lot of things irl and online, and i know i need to rest and do nothing and let the well fill up again but that also scares me? so i am just going to try to ease up on myself a little bit, try to go more than a day without feeling compelled to post something new just because i'm afraid ppl will leave or forget me or something if i don't constantly pump out Content. and i know i did this to myself, lmfao, i rly don't know how to do things in moderation and this is a constant cycle of going too hard and then abruptly losing all interest

my gf sent me this last night and even the first paragraph got me!!! like, that's ME!!!

i am in the reluctant admission stage rn lmfao.

i am not going to say i am completely going to stop creating during this time, because that would be a lie, but i am rly going to try and chill tf out, stop worrying about getting fics done in time for mermay, and just kinda try to recharge. and i don't wanna say this is a firm break or whatever because when i inevitably fail at taking a break, i will end up beating up on myself, so im just gonna say i am gonna try to be like...... idk, creative Lite or something for a little bit.

im still gonna be around every day lmfao, but probably for less time than usual. i'm still gonna reblog/retweet things, and i'll probably have some original stuff as well, but i am not gonna keep holding myself to the impossible standard of having something new every day. and i know no one else expects that of me!!! but i have somehow put that expectation on myself. i can use this time to share some old favorites again instead!!

i just started a new game+ in coral island, so ive got that going for me, lmfao, and it's getting nicer outside finally and i rly truly need to touch grass more often!! idk why i always feel like i need a huge explanation for what i do, and it probably wont even be super noticeable to most ppl lol, but!! idk. sometimes i just need to work things out this way.

so, i am releasing myself of the burden of having some fics done for mermay, and posting daily, and feeling like i have to make tangible progress on creative projects on the regular. or, that is my goal, at any rate. i think i'll just focus on gifs/still shots for mermay, my fics will be ready when they are ready 😤 but even if i don't do that much, it's okay!!! mermaids are good any time of the year imho.

i just need to get to a point where i actually Enjoy the process of creating again, because it feels like a chore rn and i hate that :((((

idk, anyway if u read all this thank u, thank u for following me and liking what i do, here is an old gif for ur troubles