#yay those tags tip this post into being able to use the tag that started this whole side blog:

[theunconcernedembalmer]

Toko! I was thinking of creating an ask the character blog for IDV or Genshin Impact and wanted a few tips on how to start off. Anything you can share?

ey yo my dude!! thank you so much for this question, now im lowkey tempted (again) to make a genshin ask blog sjadhlkshgkahshglsaj anyway my 1.5 cents is under the cut, yall know how much i talk here HAHAHAHAH

uhhhhhh so i guess we start with picking a character u really Vibe with tm? I KNOW THIS SOUNDS LIKE COMMON SENSE BUT LIKE ive been considering making a genshin ask blog for a while now but i never really got to it cos i couldnt really decide on a character (plus the fact that their outfits are. so intricate. is also a hmm since i try to follow details to a t) (at first i wanted to do zhongli, but i feel like to be able to muse him well u need to know the lore super super well, which i dont n im too lazy to research on that aha. n u know how much i respect characterizations, especially for such a complex character like him. i also considered xiangling for a period of time mostly for guoba but also like i have 2+1 blogs here n having one more might not be a very good idea aha) (as for aesop he was my Hyperfixation Character tm also cos i looked at his kit n went Yep i could work with this. probably)

so assuming ur not a dumbass like me n u kinda know who u wanna pick, id actually say to snoop around here for other ask blogs n kinda get a feel of the... scene? is that the word? or like u know, other blogs that u can potentially vibe with. ive run a couple of ask blogs before this current one (both that have died for different reasons) n from my experience interacting with other blogs (if theyre okay with it, i think most should be) is pretty fun. it also kinda helps get ur blog around to other ppl on other blogs so they can go Oh whats this cool shit n check u out, n its also a reason why we kinda reblog promo posts for other blogs (also cos we’re always excited when someone new comes on, its really the more the merrier. we see all :eyes:). interacting with other blogs is also an option when ur inbox is looking real roomy too

another reason why i havent exactly done a genshin blog is that idk i cant actually seem to find genshin ask blogs around (i have seen rp blogs, or those that answer asks with mostly text instead of art, but thats. not my thing since i hate my own writing aha) (i did find one aether blog some time ago, but for some reason i hardly see them around anymore??? idk man i might be wrong). its not like im trying super hard to find them ask blogs, so im sure they exist out there (hopefully?? im not sure but im being optimistic). i mean theres nothing wrong with just starting an ask blog without others around, but for me i do find a difference when i interact with other ask blogs n when i dont, n i prefer when theres others to have fun with (unfortunately i couldnt find any ask blogs to interact with in my previous fandom. i tried, but the blogs i approached seemed to go inactive shortly afterwards...) plus u get to meet friends that way too :D (i made a lot of friends via idv askblogs n its really been a joy vibing with others)

as for the idv scene. gestures around me. unfortunately there are a lot of ask blogs that arent that active anymore, but theres still some of us who are alive n kicking empty inboxes, n im sure everyone would love to see a new face around. winks at u. also there seems to be a lot more blogs popping up lately, which is really heartening to see.

then u kinda just. make ur blog? n a starting introduction post so ppl can reblog it n spread the word XD n yay u have a blog i guess??? XD

i gotta say tho. dont expect ur blog to take off immediately (especially for smaller fandoms like idv, tvbh i didnt think my blog would even get half this far when i started cos of how non existent idv tumblr seemed to be) n ur inbox will probably be looking pretty empty a lot of the time (or at least filled with some that u havent quite thought of how to reply to yet aha) (but also like empty inboxes happen pretty often, im sure most of us here have experienced this problem)

in the case of the first ask blog i ever started, it never really took off at all. ngl it was kind of demoralizing n depressing but to be fair i had picked one of the more obscure characters in the series, so obscure that many ppl in the fandom would have never heard of this character before. if u wanted to know, i took a character that only appeared in the 2nd musical of the series, who also made a very brief cameo in the manga to acknowledge his existence within that universe. thats how obscure my character was, but i went with him purely because he was my favourite character. i will say though i did enjoy it while it lasted n i learnt a lot from the experience, n i think thats whats important really.

i guess this kinda leads on (not really but let me digress) to the whole uhhhh thing where if u choose a more popular character, u get more attention. which is fine i guess? if u really vibe with the character, i mean theyre popular for a reason. n choosing a more popular fandom (like genshin) would objectively also get u more viewers n numbers. but like honestly i believe that ask blogs are meant for u to have fun with, n like trying to get popular gets tiring pretty fast (this shouldnt be like a main goal, but u know sometimes u subconsciously also want that gucci follower count n bomb ass notes or something. i used to be guilty of this until i realized it isnt worth it) especially if ur not enjoying yourself in the process. (case in point: my previous fandom was considerably larger n my blog got about 700 followers within a year or so, but it got very tiring n stressful to maintain after my interest in it died, n no one was really interacting with the blog even though i tried which kinda made it even more depressing despite the so called success n popularity of the blog)

anyway on a less serious note, theres a lot of fun stuff u can do with the ask blog, like some ask blogs have really fancy tags that i really like n try to do but also like not really HAHAHAHA. i kinda just channel what i want to see in an ask blog into my own ask blogs (good art is one, i try very hard for it to be good :,DD another is characterization, n others is just extra miscellaneous arts n stuffs like au ideas or memes. these are also somethings u could work on during ask box downtimes perhaps)

uhhh another side thing is like a posting schedule i guess? like ppl would be more likely to interact (i think) if ur blog is relatively active, n this is usually determined by the last post u made (i think XD). but like generally for blog maintenence id say try to kinda find a frequency that ur comfortable with?? cos i know my once a day posting is kinda insane if i wasnt so hyperfixated on all of this n fight the urge to dump all ur replies when u finish them XD (though ive seen some blogs do that n they do it pretty frequently so its pretty nice to know once u see their post u can spend some time going through the latest batch of posts XD) the queue function is pretty useful here even though i truthfully have never really used it, i kinda just post from my drafts really but it also helps to space out ur content to seem somewhat active especially when u dont have the time to be working on replies sometimes. i hope u know what im trying to say here aha

ANYWAY that was like my 1.5 cents cos i dont even think its worth 2 cents HAHAHAHAH these are just my thoughts from running all my blogs up till now, some that are still running n the others that have just died a natural death. i wouldnt actually delete them (theyre still around actually XD) cos theyre kinda like archives n i can look back at what i did last time. cos ngl i made some high quality stuff back then, n i dont even know how i managed to do that aldhflhdsgk. also ppl do look at archive blogs every now n then for the content thats there yknow

BUT YES anyway if u do decide to join the idv ask blogs hmu, ill be sure to give u a lil shoutout here. winks

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: The Rebellion of Adrien Agreste, ch. 6

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Luka Couffaine, Lila Rossi/karma, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/aneurism, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, Plagg & Tikki

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Lila Rossi, Jagged Stone, Plagg, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine, Penny Rolling, Anarka Couffaine, Rose Lavillant, Juleka Couffaine, Kagami Tsurugi, Alya Césaire, Chloé Bourgeois, Wayhem, Nadja Chamack, Nathalie Sancoeur, Sabine Cheng, Tom Dupain, Tikki, Fang, Principal Damocles, Caline Bustier, Ms. Mendeleiev, original minor character, Alec Cataldi, Lila Rossi’s Mother, Sabrina Raincomprix, Roger Raincomprix, Mylène Haprèle, Le Gorille | Adrien Agreste’s Bodyguard, Nino Lahiffe, Nooroo

Tags: Lila Rossi salt, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Teenage Rebellion, Swearing, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Crack Treated Seriously, Lila Rossi’s Lies Are Exposed, Cuddling & Snuggling, Luka Couffaine Needs a Hug, Paparazzi, Parentification, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Gabriel Agreste Needs an Aneurism, Uncle Jagged Stone, we’re all queer here, the spirit of punk is sometimes just being allowed to be yourself, Kagami Finds Her Groove, punk rock fashion, Savage Kagami, Marinette protection squad, Good Parent Sabine Cheng, Good Parent Tom Dupain, Protective Kagami Tsurugi, Protective Luka Couffaine, Bisexual Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Pansexual Luka Couffaine, Sharing a Bed, Pet Names, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Instagram, Bullying, Social Media, Anxiety, Makeover, Hugs, will cure your acne, Face Punching, Bad Ass Juleka Couffaine, Rumors, Protective Juleka Couffaine, Protective Adrien Agreste, Lawyers, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Holding Hands, accountability, mental health, Jagged Stone’s well-paid pet shark, How to Make the Evening News, Sexy eyeliner for days, one fish two fish Lila is a screwed fish, How to have fun and piss Gabriel off, Fuckery, sweet litigious karma, Alya sugar, lawyer shark doo doo doo doo doo doo, Schadenfreude, Bad Ass Alya Césaire, Gaslighting, abuse denormalization, Jagged likes his lawyers like he likes his pets: toothy af, Blood in the Water, Everything you didn’t know you wanted and some things you did, Gabriel Agreste is shark bait, Denial, Consequences, Principal Damocles salt, caline bustier salt, the impotence of Gabriel Agreste, snarky Nooroo, lies and the lying liars who tell them, Lila’s brain is a narcissistic hellscape, Lila’s mind is built like an Escher piece, Alec Cataldi salt, Adrien Sugar, wholesome salt, Fu Salt, Kwami Shenanigans, Nooroo is a little shit

Summary: The Social Media Coup

Notes: Meant to put this on Tumblr days ago but yay depression.

AO3 link

Chapters 1-2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

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Adrien was waiting for the dye to set when the girls returned, his hair securely under a shower cap. Apparently the stylist had decided to start by dying his entire head green, and the black would be applied to his roots afterward, with the logic of start with the light color, then apply the dark.

He’d never had his hair dyed, so he had just nodded. Luka hadn’t known if that was typical—apparently his normal hair color was black, and he just bleached and dyed the tips. It was amazing how much he was learning about his friends in just one evening.

The girls were carrying three large parcels, which they unpacked for them to take a look at. Several different styles of jeans—“We can return anything that doesn’t work,” Marinette said—a studded leather jacket, a hoodie that he just loved, and some jewelry.

“Chat Noir studs?” he asked incredulously. “They had those?”

Marinette nodded. “Kagami found them, and you mentioned Chat colors. We kind of changed that a little, but it seemed in keeping.”

Adrien grinned. “Thanks, girls. I really appreciate it.”

Kagami pulled out a large box. “There are also these boots. Marinette asked for my input on the choice, so I hope you find them to your liking.”

He stared after opening it, amazed to find what were basically stomping boots with huge buckles, reaching probably mid-calf.

“My father is going to have a heart attack,” he said after a moment, sounding not at all bothered by this. It was, after all, the point to freak the elder Agreste out. “You really went all-out! How much do I owe Jagged, Penny?”

Jagged was the one who responded. “Just some pics, I think. Hanging out like we’re jamming, yeah?”

That brought a bigger grin to Adrien’s face. If he had pictures, dressed in some of this and with his hair completely dyed, with Jagged Stone, it would be even more amazing. Not only for the sake of having those pictures, but for the reaction.

Luka brought it a bit further. “What about a video of the three of us jamming? Released to social media?”

Jagged and Penny exchanged a look, and she sighed. “Should I get a videographer?”

Marinette shook her head, a grin playing at her lips. “I think phones—we don’t want it to look set up. Just random. But we will need a keyboard for Adrien, and a guitar for Luka. And I know the perfect person to send it to first.”

All eyes turned to her.

“I babysit Nadja Chamack’s daughter, so I have her cell phone number.” Marinette’s voice was filled with glee.

Jagged grinned. “Bring out the big guns on this one.”

Penny nodded. “She may not be able to interview you without parental permission, but the video and news could make the rounds.”

“We’ll ruin my father’s announcement,” Adrien said with a laugh. “Serves him right.”

Kagami glanced at her phone. “We do not have a significant amount of time. Perhaps posting teasers on social media would be an apt way to start?”

“His hair isn’t finished yet,” Luka responded. “That will take perhaps another hour or so…”

Marinette nodded. “We can do other things. Adrien, you need to pick out a pair of jeans, and get dressed. We can get a shot of you and Luka cuddling, but without your heads in the shot. Start with a teaser to rile up social media.”

“We will want to drape the sofa with a sheet in order to hide the location. These sofas have a… distinctive color,” Penny added. “I have no doubt M. Agreste would recognize them, and then we would have difficulty.”

They got to work. Adrien chose a pair of the jeans that had silver decorative zippers randomly placed on the legs, moving to the bathroom to change out of his normal jeans.

As he did, something occurred to him. “Uh, Plagg?”

His kwami was nibbling on a bit of Camembert that had been in his jeans pocket. “Hm?”

“The hair… It’s not going to reveal my identity, right?”

Plagg laughed. “No way. I can change that without breaking a sweat. It’s worth it to see your dad’s face.”

Adrien relaxed—he’d been afraid he’d really screwed up. That was the last thing he wanted; Ladybug would kill him if he revealed his identity so stupidly.

“Anyway, I wouldn’t let you do anything that exposed your identity. But you’ll have to take off the studs before transforming—not sure if I could do much with those.”

When he left the bathroom, one section of the sofa was covered. Marinette eyed him critically before she nodded, muttering about fitting.

“You might need help with these boots,” Luka commented, holding one up.

“Definitely welcome. Do those lace, too?”

Kagami answered. “Yes. The buckles appear to be primarily decorative. Marinette was torn between these and a pair with three buckles and chains above and below. However, that seemed unnecessarily complicated.”

Adrien blanched at the idea. “Yeah, definitely.”

Luka helped him get the boots on, while Marinette snapped a leather bracelet on his right wrist. Kagami slid the green beaded one after that. Once the boots were securely buckled, he started to grab the box with the studs before realizing they wouldn’t show in the picture and could get ruined with the dye.

“Do you want to wear the leather jacket, or the hoodie?” Marinette asked.

While the leather jacket was tempting, Adrien didn’t think it was right for this. “I think the hoodie is more casual, and it’ll look better.”

“I agree,” Kagami said. “It will match with Luka, and add the appearance of being a couple further through the parallel dress.”

Marinette handed it to him, and then she and Luka fiddled with the sleeves so his bracelets would show.

Finally, they were ready, and Adrien and Luka sat on the couch. Not that Adrien knew what to do beyond that.

At Marinette’s urging, they slid closer together. After a few minutes of rearranging, Luka’s leg wound up bent behind Adrien, with him snuggled against the older boy’s opposite shoulder—he was careful that the shower cap didn’t slide up and cover them both with dye. Kagami rearranged one of his legs to be a shadow of Luka’s. It was a bit of an intimate position, but not too much; just enough to imply.

Then they played with arm positions, trying several options before deciding on one of Luka’s arms around him, and the other propped on Adrien’s bent knee.

“Adrien, lace your fingers with Luka’s hand, the one at your waist,” Penny interjected.

Adrien followed her instructions, hoping this looked natural. He was used to modeling, but had never done a shoot like this before—and Luka wasn’t a model, so hopefully it wasn’t making him uncomfortable.

Finally Marinette nodded and smiled. “Now just relax your muscles. Enjoy cuddling with your boyfriend. Both of you.”

“I feel like a mannequin,” Luka muttered, and Adrien couldn’t stop himself from laughing, easing against him helplessly. Luka’s fingers squeezed his slightly before easing, and the older boy pulled him a bit closer.

He barely registered the flashes from the girls’ cell phone cameras as they moved to different angles, catching multiple possibilities, even standing on different parts of the couch or the table.

A knock on the door interrupted them, and they hurried to hide in the kitchenette area. It was the hairdresser and some hotel staff carrying a specialty sink for washing the dye out, the time already come. He took off the hoodie so it wouldn’t stain.

While the stylist washed the dye out and applied the black, the others crowded around the two cell phones to decide the best picture, murmuring amongst themselves. Eventually they had a photo cropped and filtered.

When they showed it to Adrien, he was amazed they were able to get it to look so good with just a quick set-up. It showed his smile and Luka’s, but nothing above that, and the position looked natural. They looked happy, close. Just like it was a candid shot. He loved the way Luka’s painted nails offset his unpainted ones, their rings resting together in their interlaced hands. He wanted to get his nails done, too. Why not go all the way?

Marinette was born to do fashion, clearly, if she could put together a shoot like this in minutes.

One the stylist finished, Adrien used the computer to upload it to Instagram. It took a while to consider what message to include with it, but he settled on, “Someone very special in my life. Been keeping it quiet, but decided to go public finally. ♥”

He quickly shared it to all his official social media.

“Anyone want to bet on how long it takes my father to call?” he joked.

As it turned out, it took barely ten minutes, and Adrien’s phone was blowing up with social media notifications within the first minute. He rejected the call, and all the subsequent ones, and ignored the text messages. Especially the ones from Lila.

“You may want to turn off your phone so he is unable to track you,” Kagami commented.

The cacophony stopped once he followed her advice.

Luka smiled when his own phone pinged. “Juleka figured it out. She wants to know how long we’ve been dating.”

Marinette laughed, pulling out her sketchbook again. “Okay, on to the next phase. Details. How long, how many dates—and probably when you were supposed to be doing other stuff, Adrien, but Kagami and I can cover some of that. Maybe we can say we knew and helped you two spend time together?”

Then she got a wicked grin. “And you need to figure out pet names for each other, maybe?”

Adrien and Luka exchanged a look.

“I’m guessing Magic Fingers is inappropriate?” Luka drawled.

It took a while for them to stop laughing.

[argylemnwrites]

Change of Plans - Part 3

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Riley Liu)

Book: The Royal Romance (An It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment universe AU, set nearly 3 years after that epilogue)

Word Count: ~4700

Rating: NC-17 (language, 30 diamond scene)

Summary: Living in NYC in March 2020 is redefining normal for Drake and Riley. Life doesn’t always go according to plan during a pandemic, after all.

Author’s Note: Finally finished up the third and final installment of my AU inside my AU. Sorry the word count got away from me a bit here, but hopefully you all like this conclusion to the journey even further into the real world for these two. (I might have fallen in love with this version more than my planned version... oops)

Just like parts 1 and 2, this does hint at or reference some events from the prologue and the first couple of chapters of Why Are We Still Waiting?, but it does not spoil the core content of the story. And again, Trigger warning for coronavirus discussions. Also, explicit adult content in this part.

Part of Drake couldn’t quite believe that today was actually real. It felt sort of surreal still, even though he had the marriage certificate in his hand and was wearing a ring on his finger. Even though the officiant’s words still ran through his mind, pronouncing them married. It felt too much like a dream. But they were married. She was his wife.

They were in their cab, back to their apartment. Obviously, no reception. No bars or restaurants were even open, except for takeout. But that was alright. Being married to her, that was what mattered. Who really cared if it didn’t happen as they planned?

“So, for our honeymoon, what do you think about Brooklyn?” Riley asked, settling in under the arm he’d thrown across her shoulders after giving the driver their address.

Drake chuckled, “Sounds great. You have a place in mind?”

“Yup! I found this little one bedroom apartment with absolutely no amenities, but it does come with a corgi.”

“Perfect. Hopefully it comes with the opportunity for digital filing of cases, because that’s what I really want to do.”

“But you finished your work for today, right?”

Drake nodded. It had been a pain in the ass, but he’d been able to take care of enough between last night and this morning that he would probably not draw attention to the fact that he’d taken this afternoon off. It had seemed stupid to tell his supervisor his plan when he’d been able to get the work done. The firm might be letting people work from home, but that didn’t change the fact that the leadership on his team was a bunch of frat bro assholes that would have absolutely made him use a half day of vacation.

“Good,” she said, turning her head and leaning over slightly so that her lips were practically on his ear, “I’ve got plans for you.”

Drake swallowed roughly, sparing a quick glance towards the cab driver before turning his head and kissing her. The only thing hotter than the promise her words held was the fact that she was now saying them as his wife.

After a few moments, Drake pulled back, not wanting to make the driver too uncomfortable, but Riley tugged him down again, deepening the kiss slightly. However, after several seconds, a loud buzzing sound interrupted them. Riley leaned back slightly, pulling her phone out of her purse.

“What the hell?” she said as she unlocked her phone. “I have six texts from Maxwell. Wait - seven.”

Drake watched her open up her messaging app, and she let out a big sigh almost instantly. She quickly titled her phone so he could read the screen.

😲😃😭🤗😤🥳

That’s all my feelings

Because

OMG 

YOU GUYS GOT MARRIED 

YAY!!! 👰🤵🥂

WITHOUT ME

BOO!!!! 😡👎👿

Drake glanced up from her phone, “How does he know?” They had decided it was better to tell Liam and Iris, Hana and Catherine, and Maxwell, Savannah, Bertrand, and the kids at the same time, and since they had plans for a Zoom call this weekend, that had seemed like the perfect opportunity. No hurt feelings at being the last to know, no guilt trips from Maxwell, and no judgement from his sister for eloping. However, Maxwell had apparently found out within 15 minutes of the ceremony.

“I have no idea how he-” Riley started, but stopped abruptly, “Shit. Give me your phone.”

“Why?”

“I want to check if Daniel posted our photos to Pictagram.”

“Liu, I don’t have Pictagram.”

“Yes, you do. Maxwell and I set that up for you like a year ago.”

“Yeah… I deleted it as soon as he left town.”

Riley rolled her eyes at him, but closed out her message thread with Maxwell and opened up her Pictagram account. Sure enough @liuthebagelbitch and @dw519 were tagged in numerous photos in Daniel’s account and story. Them signing the paperwork. Sitting on the couch waiting. Holding hands and saying vows. Putting on their rings. Kissing at the end of the ceremony.

“Maxwell must follow Daniel,” Riley said, scrolling through the feed, “Yup, squidwiththemoves has liked every single photo.” She sighed, exiting the app. “And he’s texted me ten more times. We have to call him.”

Drake nodded, but before Riley could even open her contacts list, a Facetime request popped up from Maxwell Beaumont. Letting out one last sigh, Riley swiped to accept the call.

“Hey Maxwell!”

“What the hell? I’ve been working on my speech for your ceremony for years, Riley!”

“Wanna try that again?” Riley asked, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

Maxwell sighed, “I mean, congratulations! I’m so happy you decided to get married without telling me or inviting me.”

“Oh, I’m sorry we didn’t consider you in our wedding,” Drake called out, leaning into the view of the camera and rolling his eyes.

“Drake! How could you do this to me, buddy?”

“Do you really want me to answer that question, buddy?”

Riley elbowed him slightly, probably wanting him to not escalate the situation. Truth be told, Drake was only mildly annoyed at Maxwell making their wedding all about him. The bigger issue was going to be getting Maxwell to keep quiet about it until Sunday. That was basically four full days from now, and Maxwell had barely been able to contain himself back when he found out that he and Riley were involved for half that time. 

“Sorry, Maxwell. But we didn’t want to wait again. Plus, I lost my health insurance, so now I’m able to go on Drake’s.”

“Why didn’t you guys tell me, though?”

“Because we wanted to keep this quiet and not make it everyone else’s business,” Drake grumbled.

“And,” Riley added, shooting him a look before she continued, “we were planning to tell all you guys together on Sunday.”

“I just can’t believe I wasn’t there,” Maxwell said, shaking his head sadly.

“We wish you could have been. We really do. But you understand why that wasn’t an option, right?”

Maxwell nodded. “Yeah, I get it.”

“And do you think you could not mention it to anyone before we see everyone on Sunday?”

There was a long pause following Riley’s question before Maxwell responded, “I promise not to tell anyone else.”

“Maxwell… who have you told already?” Drake asked, the word ‘else’ jumping out in his mind.

“Not that many, people I swear!”

“Well, I just got a ‘congratulations’ text with several question marks from Hana,” said Riley, glancing at the notification that had flashed across the top of her screen.

“I had to find out if you had told her and not me!” Maxwell said, gesturing towards the screen emphatically with his free hand.

“And Iris just asked me if what she’s seeing is real,” Riley continued as another notification popped up.

“I wanted to make sure she wasn’t more looped in that I was!”

“And now Savannah’s asking if I really married her brother today.”

“Wait, why is my sister texting you and not me?” Drake asked as Maxwell continued his defense, saying “I mean, we live under the same roof, so of course I asked her what she knew.”

“Maxwell, is there anyone you didn’t tell?” Riley asked, shaking her head.

“Well, Liam didn’t answer my calls, so he probably doesn’t know.”

“You told Iris!”

“Yeah, okay… fair,” Maxwell trailed off, clearly trying to find someone he hadn’t told. “This really isn’t my fault, though! You posted those pictures!”

“Daniel was our witness and photographer. He’s the one who posted them.”

“Well, then blame him. I just acted the way any normal person in my position would have acted.”

“Wanna try that again?” asked Drake, prompting a chuckle from Riley.

“Fine, I just acted in a way that you guys should have totally predicted. In fact, part of me wonders if you wanted me to find out so that I would tell everyone, and you wouldn’t have to deal with the drama of telling them that you got married without them.”

“Maxwell!”

“Fine, I’ll let you go be nauseating newlyweds. Congrats, you two!” With a little wave, Maxwell ended the call.

“Well, I guess people know,” said Riley after a moment. 

Drake let out a sigh, tipping his head back against the top of the seat.

“You aren’t really upset, are you? I mean, I know we decided to tell everyone at once, but it’s not such a big deal that they know, is it?”

“Nah, it’s just annoying that instead of this just being our thing for now, we’re gonna spend our entire wedding night on the phone with people.”

Riley let out a little burst of laughter at that, so Drake twisted his neck to glance at her. “What?” he asked.

“I think you are severely overestimating how many close friends we have. I bet we can finish this up before we even get back to our place.”

“Really.”

“You take Liam and Iris; I’ll take Hana and Catherine. All our New York friends can wait, don’t you think?”

“What about Savannah?”

Riley paused for just a moment, “We can set up a video call with her and your mother tomorrow.”

“But she lives with Maxwell. She knows that-”

“She owes us our wedding day, Drake.”

Drake nodded. As much as he wished that Riley and his sister got along perfectly, he knew that Riley had a good point there. 

“So, I’m gonna call Hana. If you give Liam a call now, it can just be our time when we get home.”

She didn’t have to tell him twice, so as she tapped Hana in her contact list, he unlocked his phone and scrolled to Liam in his recent contacts. The phone only rang twice before Liam answered.

“Yes, Iris. I see. Please let me actually talk to him, love?” Liam asked, his voice muffled and quiet initially before growing much louder. “Drake, I’m glad you called. You are apparently the source of great excitement here tonight.”

“Yeah… I didn’t mean to be-”

“Well, you are, my friend. Between my three missed calls from Maxwell about, and I quote ‘something that I probably wouldn’t consider an emergency, but he sure did’ and Iris bursting into my office with pictures of Riley and you pulled up on her phone, I’ve not been able to get very far in reviewing my nightly briefings.”

“Sorry about that. But, I… er, do have some news.”

“So I am gathering. It appears congratulations are in order,” Liam said. In the background, Drake heard a quieter “Congrats, you two,” that presumably came from Iris.

“Uhh, yeah. We decided to get married.”

“I’m guessing this was Riley’s idea?”

“What makes you say that?”

“She’s just a touch more prone to impulsive action than you.”

“Well, you’re wrong this time.”

“This was you?” The shock was evident in Liam’s voice, and it did bring a smile to Drake’s face. It wasn’t often that Drake was able to surprise him.

“It was.”

“Congratulations, Drake,” Liam replied after a moment, “I’m truly very happy for both of you.”

“Sorry we didn’t-”

“No. I’m happy for you. I’m not accepting any apologies as there is nothing that happened today for which you should feel even remotely sorry.”

“Thanks, Liam.”

“Can I talk to Riley?”

Drake glanced over at Riley, “She’s on the phone with Hana,” but she held up one finger and then held her free hand open, “but I think she’s about to wrap up and wants to talk to you, too.” Riley nodded in agreement.

“Excellent. And I mean it Drake, I know how much this means to both of you. So, truly, I wish you congratulations and nothing but happiness.”

Feeling a lump in his throat, Drake swallowed roughly. But before he could process the words of his oldest and dearest friend, Riley was snatching his phone out of his hand and passing her phone to him.

Hana and Catherine wished him brief, but heartfelt congratulations, but Riley was still on the phone with Liam after he said goodbye to them. He could only really hear her half of the conversation, and she wasn’t saying much, mainly listening to him apparently. Every so often, she would throw in an “of course” or “you know I will,” but other than a few chuckles, she was largely silent. Every so often, he would catch a word or two from Liam, but their conversation was basically a mystery to him.

It was a little strange, to think about how a couple of years ago, having to sit as an outsider while Liam and Riley shared something private would have filled him with a mix of jealousy and guilt and anger. Now, it was certainly a bit odd that his best friend seemed to have more to say to his… his wife than he did to him, but it wasn’t a bad feeling, necessarily. If anything, he was mostly curious, with just a bit of fear about what tales from their youth and adolescence he could be telling her. Those stories would require more explanations than he wanted to give tonight.

Eventually, the cab stopped in front of their building. As Drake paid their fare, Riley wrapped up the call with Liam.

“Thanks, Liam. We’re actually home now… Yeah, I know… You too. Stay safe, and we’ll talk to you guys in a few days.”

“What was that about?” Drake asked as Riley ducked under his arm as he opened the door to their building.

“Oh, he just had a lot of really mushy things to say about you.”

“I’m serious, Liu.”

“I wasn’t kidding. I think he basically gave me his best man speech just now,” she said with a shrug as she unlocked the door from the mailroom and started up the stairs to the second floor, “He just wanted to make sure I knew how lucky I was, I think.”

“Well, that’s fucking dumb. I’m the lucky one here.”

“This has all the markings of going on for a while. Why don’t we just agree that we’re both mad lucky and call it even?” Riley called over her shoulder as she walked down the hallway and pulled her keys out of her purse.

“Wait! I’m supposed to carry you through, right?” Drake remembered as Riley moved to push open the door.

She let out a little chuckle and rolled her eyes, but stood there expectantly, so Drake stepped up and scooped her into his arms, sliding one hand forward to turn the knob and open their door. Anderson came trotting over, eager to see his two humans, while Drake placed Riley down close to the door, not wanting to track their shoes and jackets too far into the apartment.

“He could probably use a walk,” Drake said, “and we should probably shower after spending hours out in public. How about I take him while you get started since washing your hair is always a… process.”

Riley swatted his chest lightly, but nodded in agreement. “You’ll join me when you get back?”

“Absolutely.”

Anderson took care of his business quickly, so it wasn’t too long before Drake was back in their apartment, hanging his sport coat up next to Riley’s jacket and kicking off his shoes. After washing his hands, he made his way into their bathroom, where the shower was running. The steam was already starting to get thick in the room, and eager to get out of his clothes and to join her, Drake quickly moved to drop his shirt on top of the pile of clothing she’d left next to the sink, but a scrap of tan lace caught his eye.

“I knew you were bluffing!” he called out as he fully removed his shirt and started undoing his belt and jeans.

“Huh?” asked Riley, peeking her head out from behind the shower curtain.

“About not wearing underwear. I knew you were full of shit,” Drake said as he stepped out of his pants and boxers, kicking them on top of the pile before climbing into the tub and under the water, sliding his hands into her long, black hair, somehow even darker now that it was wet, as she placed her chin against his chest and her hands on his hips, turning her face up towards his with a playful little smile.

He dropped his head to hers, pulling her into a passionate kiss, trailing his hands through her hair and down to her back. After a few moments, she tilted her head back. “As much as I like where this is headed, we should actually probably shower and not get too distracted,” she teased, trailing her hands around and squeezing his ass with a wink before she ducked past him and started rinsing out her hair. “Besides,” she added, “our track record for shower sex is not great.”

Drake couldn’t help but laugh as he opened up his bottle of shampoo and started lathering up his hair. Something about the floor of this tub was extra slippery, as they had learned the hard way not long after they moved in and then foolishly required repeat lessons about at numerous times. The worst was the time that he’d needed three stitches behind his ear after colliding with the tap as he fell backward, but the time Riley nearly dislocated her shoulder was a close second. “Yeah, a trip to urgent care would be pretty far from ideal at this point,” he said as he dropped a kiss to her forehead.

And so they both showered, trying to keep any touches light and loving, not wanting things to escalate just yet, but the sight of Riley with water trailing all over her naked curves was obviously turning Drake on. Based on the way she dragged her hand across him as she reached for her body wash, she was feeling the same way. By the time she was rinsing off and stepping out of the shower, Drake was scrambling to finish up, wanting to join her as soon as possible.

When he finally turned off the water and stepped out, there she was, wrapped up in her lime green towel, working a comb through her hair. She smiled at him through the mirror, her skin still looking like it was almost glowing from the warmth and water. As he drew up behind her, he slid his hands around her waist and dropped his lips to her shoulder, prompting Riley to shake her head.

“Drake, at least let me finish working out the tangles,” she said before letting out a little sigh as he worked his way over to the side of her neck, biting down ever so lightly when he reached that spot that always drove her wild.

“Who cares?” Drake mumbled into her skin, working his fingers to gather up the towel and moving one hand to her now-exposed thigh, “You aren’t gonna be seeing anyone anyway.”

Riley shuddered, dropping her comb to the counter before snaking her hand behind his neck as he slid his fingers to her center, his touch still light and teasing. “Maybe I want to look good for my husband,” she sighed out, moving her other hand to the knotted portion of the towel across her chest.

Drake groaned. Was her statement supposed to slow him down? Because hearing the word ‘husband’ coming from her lips? Talking about him? Well, fuck. It turned him on even more. Riley had to know what that sentence would do to him, right? So, he increased the pressure of his fingers, stroking her in the way he knew she loved before sliding a finger inside her. The angle wasn’t perfect, but he could feel her arousal and the fact that she practically growled “Fuck” as she clawed her fingernails into his neck seemed to indicate that she was just as ready to keep going as he was.

After a few moments, Drake stilled his motion when Riley grabbed his wrist. She spun, letting the towel fall to the ground and hopped up onto the small counter. She tugged him between her legs, but Drake shook his head.

“Our bed is just a few feet away,” he protested as Riley wrapped her hand around him, causing him to question why he was trying to change anything going on here.

“But it’s nice and warm in here,” she responded, dropping kisses along his jaw, “and I’ve never been good at waiting, Drake. We can be all tender and gentle later. For now, I just want you to fuck your wife.” She punctuated the last words by biting down lightly on his earlobe. Letting out a groan, he brushed her hand away and lined himself up, sinking into her. He hadn’t wanted their first time as a married couple to feel like some frantic quickie, but it had always been nearly impossible for him to deny her anything. So he started rocking his hips into her, reveling in the feel of her around him. The scrape of her nails along his shoulders. Her breath across his cheek.

As he shifted his stance slightly to fill her an angle he knew would be better for her, he caught a glimpse of their reflection in the mirror. There it was, a gold band on his ring finger, resting along her spine. It was almost hard to look away, so he just kept staring at it, soaking in the sight that proved they were married. It mixed with the feel of her hands digging into his skin and her legs hooked around his back, the sound of her breathy sighs and whispered “fucks,” the taste of her skin of her neck, and the smell of her peach body wash, spurring him on and increasing his pleasure.

Sensing that he was heading towards his peak a little quicker than she was, he tore his left hand off her back, sliding it between their bodies. He glanced down to where they were joined, his thumb circling roughly right above that, his ring pressed against the skin of the thigh he clutched. He slammed his eyes shut and dropped his face into the crook of her neck, not needing any additional stimulation. But soon, he felt Riley’s leg clench around him a little more.

“Are you close?” he murmured into her ear.

“Yes,” she moaned out, arching her back slightly. He wasn’t sure if she was specifically answering his question or not, but her response was enough of an answer regardless. Picking up his pace, Drake stroked his thumb harder. He knew he was seconds away from release when he felt her clench around him. He barely was able to recognize her climax before he shattered, spilling into her as he groaned into her skin.

After a few breathless moments, Drake felt his awareness returning. He slid out of her and shifted up, reaching behind her for a washcloth off the rack, dropping a kiss along her cheek as he stood up fully and helped her off the counter.

He wanted to tell how much he loved her. How much he would always love her. How he would always try to prevent her from ever regretting today. But any words he could think of didn’t feel like they were enough to actually describe his feelings, so he settled for gentle caresses and light kisses as they got cleaned up. Before they moved to go to their bedroom to get dressed, Drake grabbed her wrist and tugged her back to him, kissing her deeply.

“I’ll make us something nice for dinner, Liu. Okay?” he said as he pulled back, running his hand through her wet hair.

She nodded and gave him a bright smile before responding, “And I have an idea for dessert.”

He raised an eyebrow at that, “You have an idea in the kitchen?”

Riley just shook her head. “Yes, you ass. And not only will I not mess it up, but I know you’ll like it.”

Dinner was a quiet affair, Riley having thrown on some acoustic cover songs in the background and lighting a couple of candles they had leftover from their Valentine’s dinner while Drake cooked up a couple of steaks, some roasted potatoes, and some sauteed frozen squash. It wasn’t a perfect meal, but he thought he’d done a decent job finding something special for them out of their stock. He’d been surprised when Riley had set their glasses of whiskey on the coffee table instead of their dining table, but he got it once she’d tucked her legs under herself and curled up against his side on the couch. It was cozy and warm and intimate and felt right for the way they’d gotten married.

After they finished eating, Drake started loading the dishwasher and soaking the pans while Riley dug around in the tall cupboard they used as their pantry and then pulled something out of the fridge.

“You better not be baking something,” Drake told her over his shoulder, “Eggs are too hard to find these days to use them in a kitchen adventure of yours,” chuckling lightly as he felt a towel whip between his shoulder blades.

“If you’re done being a smart ass, I’m ready for you.”

Drake shut off the faucet and turned to face her, a smile slipping onto his face as he took in the graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars on the counter.

“I know it’s not exactly a wedding cake, but I figured we could do s’mores over the stove,” she said, settling in next to him.

“It’s perfect, Riley,” he said, slipping his hand into hers as he noticed an apple sitting off to the side, “but why the apple?”

“Oh, well I thought we could still do the apple-cutting,” she said with a little shrug, placing her chin against his shoulder, “I mean, I wasn’t sure if someone else needed to be there for this tradition or not, but I just thought it might be nice.”

Drake squeezed her hand, grabbing a knife out of the block and handing it to her. That she had remembered the one Cordonian wedding tradition he’d mentioned incorporating into their reception and thought to do it today was so perfectly her. Not snarky her, when she was annoyed at others or the world or at him. Not playful her, who would tease and laugh and lighten the room. But thoughtful her, who saw forgotten and neglected and broken people and made sure that at least for a moment, they felt seen and heard.

“So, just carve your initials,” Drake instructed, reluctantly dropping her hand so she could pick up the apple.

“Old or new?”

“What?”

“My old initials or my new initials?”

The weight of the day hit him again. Maybe this wasn’t the wedding they’d planned, but it was still their day. Their commitment. Their promise. And that meant more than having Maxwell as the officiant or getting married where his parents did or hearing toasts from Liam or Hana ever could. Watching the woman he’d loved for years, who he knew he’d love for all the years ahead, carve “RW” into that apple was plenty special.

He knew Riley could read him and his mood. She had always been good at that even before they lived together, so it didn’t surprise him that she kept quiet as he carved his own initials into the apple, then cut out a slice for them to share. She had to know he was dangerously close to being overwhelmed, so she didn’t push, just ate her portion of the apple before taking a step to the side and lighting one of the burners. After spearing a couple of marshmallows onto two forks, she grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the stove with her. They toasted their marshmallows without saying anything and without letting go. They were ready to face the good and the bad, together and united. The world was changing, but their world felt steady and sure.

Permatag: @ravenpuff02 @octobereighth @drakewalker04 @kimmiedoo5 @speedyoperarascalparty @mfackenthal @lilyofchoices @thequeenofcronuts @jamesashtonisbae

The Royal Romance/The Royal Heir: @kingliam2019 @sirbeepsalot @texaskitten30 @princessleac1 @ladyangel70 @dcbbw @yaushie

Drake x MC only: @jovialyouthmusic @iplaydrake @gibbles82 @drakewalkerisreal @riley--walker @notoriouscs @butindeed @axwalker @drakesensworld  

It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment: @wickedgypsymoon @thesumofmychoices @cosigottahavefaith @thequeenchoices @katedrakeohd @feartheendlesssummer @ao719 @ooo-barff-ooo @sunnyxdazed  

Change of Plans: @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria @burnsoslow​

[azizi-kellerfamilyadventure]

Reflection of the last 6 weeks of travelling on the road....

Yay! I'm finally getting around to starting my blog all about our travelling adventures around the US.! This is a my first time blogging so my kids would definitely call me a "noob" (thank you Minecraft!). I personally prefer the name "newbie" instead...lol

So here it goes......after a lot of persuasion on my part (close to 2 years of trying to convince my husband to tap out of this rat race with me and the kids to slow things down and enjoy our life together while travelling the US) and a lot of planning on both our parts (another year once he agreed to my crazy plan), we began on our Epic Travelling Adventure on March 15th!

6 weeks into it we have really truly only explored Arizona but we are not complaining because oh my goodness......Arizona is absolutely beautiful! It's so nice to know that since we live in CA we can come back and explore again and again! Plus we did get to spend some wonderful quality time with family from both sides 2 of those 6 weeks!

Next we are heading to Utah. We made a pit stop near 4 corners hoping we could have the kids take pictures while being in all 4 states at once. But unfortunately, it was still closed due to Covid. While that was a bummer, the kids still thought it was cool that they could go from Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado all within 5 minutes of each other! We haven't explored Utah before so Michael and I are super excited about the next couple of weeks!

This trip has already been so wonderful for our kids. Not only have they been able to spend time with some quality time with their cousins on both sides of the family but they have also really enjoyed getting to meet and play with other kids from all over the country. Surprisingly, our idea is not as novel as I originally thought....lol. We have met SO many families who are doing what we are doing. A lot of them do have one parent who is still working remotely while the other parent focuses on home schooling their children. There are not many families where both parents are not working so we know we are truly fortunately! Really the only people we meet who are not working are those who have retired and their kids are grown up.

Another thing that I have enjoyed seeing is that my kids can stay connected to most of the kids they meet virtually through games like Roblox or Minecraft! And while I'm not a huge proponent of games and many aspects of our new "tech world" (for example my kids wanting to get on youtube to watch other people live their lives!), I'm happy to report that this is one aspect of the virtual video game world that I'm ok with....lol

So I was never really worried about my kids not having opportunities to socialize with other kids since I know that my kids are super social and make friends easily both with kids and adults, the real surprise for me was how wonderful the camping community has been! Everyone is just so kind, friendly and helpful. We have learned so much and received so many great tips from so many amazing people at almost each campsite we have been too. I would say that we have felt the community vibe at almost all of the Thousand Trails campgrounds and would highly recommend anyway interested in camping to sign up for a membership! (Btw....if you are interested in learning more about a membership just reach out and I can give you some information on it)

After avoiding people for so long due to Covid, it's been so wonderful for all of us to connect with people again! While we started off strong wearing masks every where we went, we have loosened up quit a bit each day. Since Michael and I have been vaccinated and we don't see my parents often while travelling, we seemed to be less worried about it. Plus, many people that we meet have been vaccinated so that's always a good thing too!

To be fair, honest and realistic about our experiences, I'm going to include my top 5 "not so fabulous" things about our travelling adventures.

5) Not having enough space for cooking! OMG! Even the simplest dinners are challenging to make because there's just not enough counter space on our kitchen. And did I mention that I have to constantly take out or put back our air fryer, blender, toaster oven....and the list continues! And I still haven't used the instapot! It's so big I don't know where to put it...lol

4) Making my bed! So I love making my bed in the morning. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and I just like to look at a clean bed. While our bed is SUPER comfortable so no complaints there, it's a King Size bed but there's not a King Size space for the bed. I literally have to get on my bed to make my bed. I know that doesn't even make any sense but believe me when I say it sucks and I'm not how sure how long the "daily making of my bed" is going to last...lol

3) So...one of the main reasons of this trip was to spend more quality time with the kids. Umm...I'm now thinking it would have been smarter if we could have traveled throughout the US in our actual house. I mean literally take our house on the road. My kids seem to think it's an actual home. They still want to play hide and seek, tag, and the boys constantly want to wrestle. I keep reminding them that our RV is at max 240 sq. ft of living space so we can't treat it like our house back in Temecula. But I'm confident it's going in one ear out the other.

And I'm not quite sure how I forgot but I did... the arguing! It's kind of driving me a little crazy. And of course it mostly happens on our travelling days or when it's raining outside but oh my goodness! I think I used to just walk away and let them figure it out on their own but now I don't really have a place to hide. Did I mention that we lack space?!? LOL

On a positive note, almost every adult with kids whom my children have played with have literally made a point to come and tell us how well behaved, kind and wonderful our kids are. I smile and thank them for their kind words. But I can't lie....every once in a while really I just want to show them the video of them arguing about 30 minutes earlier....lol

2) Laundry! Ugh! I wish we would have purchased an RV with a washer and dryer. We are considering purchasing at least a washer but we need to find room for it first! Did I mention that we struggle with a lack of space...lol. In the meantime, I've literally been having the kids wear there clothes two days in a row (easier for Milah to do than the boys...ugh!) But don't worry, they are still changing their underwear and socks everyday...lol

1) Wifi! Where is this 5G network I've been hearing about because I can't seem to find it! When I was thinking of a name for my blog I was highly considering "wifi hunter extraordinaire". This has been my #1 thorn in my side. We decided to let the kids finish off their school year at their traditional public school since online was an option. Our thought was that it would make for an easier transition for them and it was only 8 weeks after spring break. Can we say "hindsight is 20/20"! I plan on homeschooling them next school year and should have just made the switch when we left. Don't get me wrong, the kids teachers are awesome! Super supportive and really try to be flexible but we still feel tied to being online at certain times for the zoom classes. I'm definitely counting down the days until they are done with school this year (29 days!)

But the most difficult thing about being on the road has been being away from my parents, brothers, sister-in-law, nieces and cousins in southern CA. Family has always been so very important to me and have always been a part of my "happy place". I wish I could take them all of with me on this epic journey. But for now, I'm once again thankful for technological advances like face time! (if only I could get reliable connection while on the road or at our campsites I would be much more thankful...ugh!)

Okey Dokey Artichokey....that's it for today! The good, the bad and the ugly for our first 6 weeks on the road. This took me longer than I expected to reflect upon our travelling experiences on the road so I will definitely be posting more often and not as lengthy....I think...lol

The rain has let up and the kid's movie is almost done so it's time to get the kids outside to burn off some energy then shower up and make some dinner...

Signing off for now....

~Durana

[dc41896]

Merry Christmas

Hey guys🤓! So firstly, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays🎄❤️!! Hope everyone had tons of fun and got some much needed rest and relaxation 😊. Next, sorry for the late upload, I wanted to post this on Christmas Day, but I was busy with family so it didn’t really work out lol. Okay that’s pretty much it and hope y’all like it!

Pairing: Jake Gyllenhaal x Black Reader

Warnings: None (y’all already know 🥰 lol)

“Ok guys, we have to be quiet when going in the room,” Jake whispered to your four and three year old. Nodding their heads, they tip toe their way to the enormous bed in front of them. Mila, your four year old, knew how to climb in your bed, but her brother, Liam, on the other hand needed some help as he tried to jump up and grab the comforter only to stay in the same place.

Before he could try to call out to his dad for help, Jake was there to lift the toddler onto the bed with his sister. “Ok guys ready? 1, 2, 3!”

“MERRY CHRISTMAS MOMMY!,” they all shouted at once, causing you to slightly jump. “Presents Mama!,” Liam adds moving closer to your face to make sure you were indeed awake.

“Why good morning my loves,” you sleepily smile hugging your kids and planting kisses on both of their heads. “Thank you for the wake up call.”

“It was daddy’s idea,” Mila smiles bouncing with excitement. “It was huh? Why am I not surprised?,” you smirk as you sit up to see your husband smiling innocently at the foot of the bed.

“Alright I know you guys are ready to open presents, so let me get up and we can get started,” you announce as the kids, and Jake, all “yay!” making you giggle.

———

Sitting on the floor, you and Jake watched as your children, still clad in their pajamas, excitedly opened their gifts. Being the big kid that he is, Jake joined the kids in playing with their new toys, while you moved around the room taking pictures and videos. “Beep Boop Beep! Hello Liam! My name is Oobie the robot,” he greeted pretending to talk like the robot figurine in his hand and making your son laugh.

Moments like this were why Christmas was your favorite holiday, and had been since you were a child. Of course back then the gifts made it your favorite, but as you got older, you began to appreciate being surrounded by your family and friends as well as the overall joy the holidays seemed to bring.

Yea at times it could be stressful, but to you, all that was overshadowed by the love and happiness of being with your family.

“Ok guys time to give daddy his presents!,” you announce moving to get the stack of three neatly wrapped presents from under the tree while your kids lifted the last box together to give to him.

“For me?! Thank you, you shouldn’t have!,” he smiles hugging both toddlers and making them giggle from the tickle of his beard. “And thank you wifey!”

“You’re welcome love,” you smile leaning down to kiss him. Just as he was done unwrapping his new sneakers, the familiar chime of your phone signalled your parents were calling; more than likely wanting to see their grandkids.

“Morning guys Merry Christmas!,” you greet waving to the screen.

“Morning and Merry Christmas baby girl!,” your mom smiled sitting next to your dad who gave a cheerful wave. “How are my babies?”

“They’re good and running wild as we speak,” you laugh turning the camera so they could see them. “Guys say Merry Christmas to grandma and grandpa.”

“Merry Christmas!,” they speak at the same time flashing toothy smiles. “And remember to say thank you for the gifts they sent,” Jake adds from beside them on the ground.

“Thank you!”

“Aww you’re welcome sweeties and I’m glad you like them! I see you like them too Jake.”

“You guys know I’m a kid at heart so I can’t help myself when I see toys,” he laughs. “Also Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas son, and we’re both the same way so we understand,” answers your dad.

“So have you guys heard from Anthony?,” you asked sitting on the floor next to Mila as she played with her new dollhouse. “No, we haven’t heard from him yet today, but he still has some time to call if he can.”

You knew it was a long shot, but you had to ask. With your twin brother being in the military, most holidays he was overseas and was only able to call when he got the chance. For the past couple years though, that chance never came and it’d be well into the New Year when you guys finally heard anything.

That was the main thing you disliked about the holidays, that your brother wasn’t able to spend time with you guys like when you were younger. You both had an inseparable bond and not being able to see or talk to him every day like you used to was definitely something you felt you’d never get used to. Especially now that you had kids of your own who reminded you daily of those memories.

After talking for a bit more with your parents, you all said your goodbyes so you and Jake could start cleaning up the torn wrapping paper and boxes that were scattered across the floor. “All these toys you guys have and you choose to play in this box,” you laugh squatting down to their level.

“Fubhice mama!,” Liam shouts holding his arms up above his head. “Ohh this is your clubhouse! Well it looks really nice,” you smile brushing stray curls out of his face.

“I’m making tea, do you want some mama?”

“I would love some thank you Mila.” Finishing picking up the last pieces of paper, you hear the doorbell ring followed by Jake saying “I got it,” while walking towards the front door. You weren’t really expecting any visitors, but figured it might be his family coming by to spend some time together.

“Babe look whose here,” Jake announces as he and another pair of footsteps round the corner. The sight of your brother standing in front of you made tears form in your eyes as you immediately run to hug him.

“What are you doing here?! And how?! I thought you said you wouldn’t be able to make it this year,” you ask letting him go to take a moment to look at him. You both had similar facial features, which is how people knew you were siblings, but the fact that he towered over you made most think that he was older rather than you guys being twins.

“Well that was a lie to keep up the surprise sis,” he laughs giving you a tissue to wipe your eyes. “Jake had everything planned since the beginning of the year though and helped with the flights.”

“You did this?!”

“Merry Christmas love,” Jake smiles wiping away your remaining tears. “No sad mama,” Liam says as he hugs your leg, followed by Mila holding her hands up for her father to pick her up so she could get a closer look at what was happening.

“It’s ok mama’s not sad honey,” you smile lifting your son to rest on your hip. “I want you and your sister to meet someone very special. Mila and Liam, this is your uncle Anthony.”

“Hi guys! Merry Christmas,” Anthony greets handing both toddlers their presents.

As could be expected, both children were a bit apprehensive with interacting with him, but after being reassured by you and Jake, you could see them warm up to their new uncle. Eventually throughout the day, they even got him to play along with their games and run around with them in their playroom.

———

“So you’ve had this planned out for pretty much the whole year?,” you smirk, arms crossed in front of your chest peering up at your husband.

“Yes I have and I know you probably feel some type of way because I had this huge secret, but also it was your surprise so you shouldn’t be that mad,” he answers mocking your body language with a smirk of his own.

“I know and I’m not,” you softly laugh wrapping your arms around his waist and resting your head on his chest. “Thank you again for my gift, I’ll never forget it.”

“Aww you’re welcome,” Jake smiles kissing down from your forehead to your lips, making you giggle.

Taglist: @crushed-pink-petals @fumbling-fanfics @honeychicana @lady-olive-oil @themyscxiras @melinda-january @felicity-x0 @lovelymari4 @ellixthea @jojolu @jnk-812 @brwn-sgr @captainsamwlsn @nina-sj @itshinothey @wildfirecracker

If anybody else wants to be tagged, has asked to be tagged but doesn’t see their name, or only wants to be tagged for certain people I write for just let me know😊!

[constantlyunlightening]

Look At Me

Pairing: Ferdinand Von Aegir x F!Reader

Genre: Smut, Fluff

Rated Explicit for: Wandering eyes, teasing, smut and dialogue that’s like dirty talk except not at all, really, because it’s just fluffy and cute

 I already posted this on AO3 but I’m going to post it here because I’m finally showing up in the tags!!! Yay! Comment/Reblog if you like it! And remember, save a horse, ride a paladin.

18 years of age or older! If you're under, do not read or interact.

Ferdinand Von Aegir was a whole lot of things. He was honest, optimistic and hard working. He was ideal-driven and thoughtful. However, there was one thing he absolutely was not; slick.

He could try to be prim and proper all he wanted, but it didn't take intensive observation skills to catch the noble in the act of eyeing you up. Or more specifically, eyeing up your chest.

It had been an occurrence that you had caught on more than one occasion. Sunrise eyes would lock onto your form; an innocent notion at first. But soon enough, his attention would slip down to the swells of your breasts as you went about your usual activities. It wasn't until he finally peeked his eyes back upwards, only to lock gazes with the person of his affections. It was in that split second he would tear himself away, turning not only his gaze, but his entire body away from you in the process. He liked to point out that the long mane he had grown out was due to being busy more so than for fashion or practical purposes, but he sure seemed to be getting a use out of it now as it managed to curtain away the pink starting to creep onto his cheeks as he made his escape from you.

You supposed he was embarrassed and trying to protect his dignity. He most likely thought it was unsightly for a noble such as himself to gaze to frivolously at a woman like he was, even if he was in a relationship with said woman. And while it may not be the best solution, it would explain why he instantly would dart out of the room or busy himself with something else once he was caught staring. Admittedly, the first few times you had noticed, it was amusing to watch the flourish of red rise to his cheeks as he scrambled away, by now you were craving attention more so than watching him escape yet again.

If you were to confront him, you were positive he would meet you with a surplus of apologizes if you called for it, but that wasn't what you were looking for. You didn't want him to say he was sorry. You didn't mind that he was looking. In fact, you enjoyed that sort of attention when it was from him. If you could spare some time alone together, you wanted to actually act upon the desire he had that caused him to look. But that was hard to do with him getting himself worked up in such a fluster and then running away as if he were a child about to get scolded.

But that plan of action was not going to work any longer for him. You weren't going to let it. This wasn't a battle field by any means, but you knew how to be strategic and with a just a little planning, you were going to get what you wanted. Or at the very least, you were going to get Ferdinand to be a bit more comfortable with his lustful whimsy. And today was the day to put your strategy into action.

Dorothea had a hand in planning your outfit for the day. Your usual outfits may display your assets well enough for Ferdinand's taste already, but you wanted to push him a tad further this time. Maybe he'd be less bashful in his lust if you indulged him. Or at the very least, catching him off guard in the little number you were wearing was sure to get an interesting reaction. You were borrowing a black dress from the opera singer - silky fabric corseted at your waist and forcing the dress to detail over your curves. It wasn't anything too extreme compared to other outfits you've warn, but there was a key to the neckline of the outfit. It was the reason you asked Dorothea for this specific dress. It absolutely plunged, revealing a strip of skin that went all the way down to the embrace of your corset. Ferdinand would really have something to look at today. To keep yourself concealed until you were ready to show off, you had the foresight to keep an oversized jacket around yourself during the day. It would keep unwanted gazes away from other men, but more so than that, you wanted to catch your target completely off guard.

The jacket worked well to hide the surprise. When Ferdinand came to greet you, he almost seemed relieved. Poor boy must be so pent up. You could remedy that.

"Well, hello, my love!" He greeted you with that warm smile you had grown so very accustomed to - the very smile you had fallen absolutely in love with. It further steeled your resolve as he came to your side, proceeding to walk with you down the hall. With your more conservative jacket, he must have been put more into focus for the time being, seeing as he dove right into work mode. "I am sorry to start your day off with work related thoughts, however I would like to inquire if you will be joining me tomorrow evening to go speak with the head of House Villon? It is a simple meeting to go over supply routes, so I can handle it on my own. But I must admit, I do prefer having you by my side. I find comfort in it." His voice brought a sense of calm over you, his cheery energy drawing your full attention to him as a smile came to your lips.

You'd follow him to the depths of hell if he asked you too. "Of course, I'll go," you confirmed, as you paused walking, turning to face him. "Since that's not until tomorrow, do you have some free time now? I was wondering if you'd be interested in having some tea with me."

There was no hesitation in his response as he nodded. Always one to please, specifically when it came to you. "If it is tea you are after, I would be happy to oblige." He offered his arm out for you to take, using the chance to get closer. "To the dining hall!"

You wrapped your arm with his, enjoying the contact while your heart fluttered with excitement. Time to put your little scheme into action. "Actually, I was hoping to spend our time in my room." You met his inquisitive look with a calm smile of your own as you answered the silent question he posed. "I like the quiet sometimes. It's nice to spend time alone with you."

He didn't seem to even consider the fact that your room had no equipment or space to properly brew tea, too delighted by your answer evidently. "I am worried I will become too excited if your attention is all directed towards me," he mused, his eyes crinkling with his smile as he casually changed directions, guiding you back to your room with no further questioning.

It was when both of you finally entered your room that he realized you were lacking the necessary tools to fulfill your request. You had guided him to enter the room first as you shut the door behind you, his back to you as he appraised the room. "We have seemed to have forgotten we will actually need a teapot. No need to worry! I shall go fetch us one at once-" he had turned to head back out the door, only to end up freezing once he was facing you. During the time he had been looking around the room, you had silently removed the jacket, discarding it onto a hook and revealing the actual dress you had on beneath it.

A simple change, really, but it did the trick. Removing the jacket initially appeared to be a small deviation but those amber hues of his had quickly settled on tracking the line of the dress as it displayed the valley of your breasts. The sight alone was enough to steal the words - and his very breath - straight from his throat and he could do nothing but simply stare for the moment. "Were you-" he began, but there was a slight break in his voice as he stammered, having to redeem his words before continuing "-were you not wearing a jacket?" He was aware he should look away but he was clearly struggling to. Even as he spoke up, he couldn't seem to divert his attention elsewhere as a rose coloring started to dust his cheeks before blooming into a deep crimson that spread all the way to the tips of his ears.

Maybe it was that flood of warmth that drew him to his senses because he physically shook his head to force himself to look anywhere but at you. In his haste, he began to pace forward, as if he'd be able to side step you to get to the door, despite the fact you were directly in front of it. "I- Um- Teapot! I shall fetch the teapot at once-"

"Stay." A clear and precise direction rose from your lips as you adjusted your weight, leaning back against the door to temporarily block his escape. The only other choice he'd have now is sticking around or diving through the glass of your window. You could only hope he still had enough of his senses not to bust out the glass, but you were slightly concerned now with the way he seemed to stagger himself back at your command. But, you did quite enjoy seeing him squirm so much since he couldn't leave yet. It made up for all the times he had ran off from you without a single word. He floundered for words in front of you at your request. You beat him to it, gesturing to the bed with a nod of your head and the sweetest smile you could form. "Sit."

He didn't. Instead, he remained rooted to his spot as his gaze flitted around the room, every so often landing back on you, down to your ample cleavage, and then darting away in his panic. Eventually, he gave up in attempting to control his stare, instead opting to physically shield his eyes as he used a hand to cover his face, his other hand coming to rest on his opposing elbow as that arm crossed over himself. He resigned himself, once again using those gorgeous locks of his to shield himself further, his hand apparently not sufficient for his needs. "I very much want to spend time with you, do not misunderstand, please. But would you please be willing to put your jacket back on?"

He spoke! Coherently, this time. You were going to take that to mean he had calmed down just enough to hopefully not burst through the door once you moved away from it. You took a chance, stepping towards him- once, twice, again. He stayed in place even as he felt your presence right in front of him, but he dared not uncover his eyes. "Why?" You feigned innocence, as if you weren't aware of what this dress was doing to him - as if you didn't know your actions were fuel to the flame of his inner turmoil.

Ferdinand hadn't caught onto your teasing as he seemed to choke on air with your question. Clearing his throat loudly, he instinctively took a step back as you tried to get in even closer. "Because!"

Because wasn't an answer. "Because why?" You persisted, continuing to step forward, step after step, moving him backwards until the back of his legs hit the edge of your bed.

Perhaps because he could no longer create distance, the flustered Paladin flopped to a sit on the mattress, in a last ditch attempt to regain some space to breathe. It was to no avail however, and he finally answered your question in a volume that was a smidge too loud to even pretend he wasn't flustered like a school boy with his first crush. "Because I am afraid I will not be able to control myself when I see you in such a state!"

Control himself, huh? It was your turn to remain silent a moment as you found a spot between his legs and you casually let you hand come to his chest, gently tracing a circle against the fabric of his outfit. "Hey, Ferdinand?" Your voice was so soft. Soft enough to have his heart jump in his chest - you could feel it beneath your palm as he swallowed, waiting with baited breath for your next words. "Do you love me?"

It was suddenly as if this entire scenario hadn't played out. They were not the words he had been expecting. But, no matter how random the question may be, if there was any single inkling of a doubt that you may have about his feelings, he was going to make sure to clear the air immediately. It was that specific motivation to reassure you that his hand finally left his face and he looked you dead on, both his hands coming to cup your cheeks. Dress and lustful thoughts, be damned. He was not going to allow you to be unsure. He was Ferdinand Von Aegir and he was not about to let the love of his life have any doubt about his passion for her. "Of course! I love you more than the sun in the sky and the breath in my lungs." His voice was as clear as a bell. And now that he was finally looking at you unobstructed and head on, you matched his honesty with your own, beaming brightly at him.

"Then I don't need you to control yourself. I love you. And I want you to look at me."

And he did, albeit hesitantly. Your words had his attention drawn back to what had him to sheepish in the first place. Wide eyes scanned your face before darting back downwards to your chest now directly before him and he had to resist the urge to cover his visage again. You had said it was okay, but it was still sinking in as he released your face from his grasp.

"Look at you, you say! Is that not rather unbecoming of me?" His heart was still thundering under you hand as he tossed out his question. But now that you had said such a desire out loud, he couldn't pull his focus from you in the slightest. You were a vision - the goddess herself could not ever hope to create something so beautiful ever again! How could she? And here you were, saying it was okay to indulge himself in such a sight?

You giggled and it was a sound that absolutely entranced him as you shook your head. "Not if you love me and not if I want you too," you assured him. And, by the goddess, did you want him too.

"Are you sure? I do not wish to upset you or do anything that would make you think less of me," he began, his voice beginning to speed through his words. He was usually a lot more assured with himself. It just reminded you how much he cared about you, if this was the one thing that got him worked up in such a way. "I can withhold myself if I must! I do not wish to force you-"

You loved his way with words. You really did. But sometimes, what you needed was action. So you made that choice for him, leaning in and stealing a kiss from his lips as well as effectively ending his line of questions. He melted under your tender kiss - his body loosened up and his eyes finally fluttered close.

The kiss seemed to unlock a flood gate within him. His emotions and longing all burst forth at once as he took you by the hips. He gained control of the kiss, letting his tongue sweep against your bottom lip before pushing past to explore. You had convinced him. If you wanted him to look at you, he would. And if you wanted him to give up his self control, he would do that too. No more reservations. He would happily be at your beck and call, so long as you wanted him to be.

All the shyness and hesitation and panic he had before was gone. In it's place was grace and confidence as his hands deftly worked to undress your body. It was actually fairly outstanding how quick of work he made of your clothes, dropping your dress and your small clothes to the ground, then followed by his own. In a blissful flurry, soon the two of you were stripped bare with your back against the bed as Ferdinand was over you, dropping a series of kisses down you soft skin.

You were in a peaceful ecstasy as he kissed down you body, his hair kept out of his face with the way your fingers coiled in the silky strands. "I love you. I love you so much," his voice was a melodic chant as he said it again and again. The vibrations of his hums in tandem with the kisses fluttering over your chest had you bursting out in soft giggles that he absolutely reveled in. After all the gawking he had done, he finally was taking his chance to enjoy the plush mounds in his hands and how utterly sweet you tasted. Your reactions to his ministrations were even better than he could ever imagine.

"I love you too," you cooed out, your back arching into the teasing kisses he provided. However, your sound was soon shifting to quiet moans as his lips found a place on the peek of your breast, tentatively sucking on the pert tip as his hand toyed with the other one. His eyes peered up at you, watching the gorgeous expressions flashing across your face with each gentle nip and playful tug. Absolutely captivating. He could stare at you forever. It was your turn to get flustered now, a sheen of pink starting to darken over your cheeks and it made him smirk against your skin.

You got back at him when you wrapped your legs around his waist and tried to rut your hips against him, causing him to pull back from you with a slight stagger. He composed himself a little, before propping himself up on his hands to look down at you. He chuckled at the whine you released from the loss of affection, but he helped distract you as one hand wrapped around your waist, dragging your hips up closer to him so your body was pressed against his girth. He was hard against you as his length pushed against your folds but he remained still as he opted to burn the sight of you into your memory. He was starting unabashedly now as he memorized your curves. Your own hands went to grip at his forearms, tugging at him gently now that you could no longer toy with his hair.

"I want you," you whined out, rubbing your hands up a little while you took the initiative to wiggle your hips against him. His length was by no means precise enough to hit the bundle of nerves that was begging for attention the way you needed to, but oh, did it make your body shiver underneath him anyway. "You ran away so much already. Don't make me wait any longer."

You were trying to coax him, and the way his cock twitched against you was a clear indicator it was working. However, he had suddenly developed the patience of a saint as he gave a breathy chuckle and shook his head. "Forgive me, my love," he murmured softly, eyes returning to meet your face, soaking in that needy expression of yours. "Give me but a moment. My heart is beating so fast I am afraid I may faint. Actually, I am so happy I may just die," he corrected himself as he took your hand in his and brought it over his heart once more. You could feel his pulse. It was skittering underneath your hand and it soothed you, despite how fast it was. He claimed he could die, but that heart beat was real and Ferdinand was all yours. You turned it on him, instead dragging his hand to your chest, letting him feel the way your own heart was racing. He may have a better way of articulating that, but all in all you felt the same.

He understood that as his warm hand lingered on your skin. "You…." He opened his mouth to speak, but he had trouble finding the corrected words. His hand drifted downwards and he quickly positioned you so you were straddling on top of his thighs with his length position against your dripping entrance. He hunched his back, only so he could bury his face against your chest, getting a better listen of your driving pulse. It was that sound that coaxed out the rest of his words in such a hushed voice you barely caught it. He spoke in a whisper, as if anything louder would break the precious treasure he held in his hands. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

A sweet ecstasy shot through you as he finally pushed inside, prompting a sultry moan from your lips while your body squeezed around him. He clung onto your hips to hold you still as he deliberately thrust inside of you, diving in as deep as he could go. He wanted you close - as close as you could possibly be. Your name became a quiet mantra that he purred against you, his warm breath fanning over you skin. He wanted to get lost in your body, cave into the sensation of your warmth clamping down on him, sopping wet.

Your own body bounced and writhed on top of him as he picked up speed, his own feverish lust dictating the need for a faster pace. It caused the bed to creak underneath you, the sound accompanied by the slap of skin against skin. His hand snuck up your waist, instead tracing up your back until his fingers sprawled out on the back your shoulder. He used his arm to anchor you against him as he took over, wanting to let you pause work and instead bask in the feeling of every inch penetrating deep into your core. And as an aide, his other hand snaked between you bodies, sprawling out on your lower stomach for stability before his thumb grazed over that neglected clit of yours. The instant he began to play with it sent jolts of electricity bounding through you.

He wanted to burst, but being the proper gentleman he was, he held out. Besides, he held your pleasure far above his own. He wasn't going to leave this bedroom if you were unsatisfied. But judging by the coos and moans bubbling out of you, he was doing a splendid job of stretching out your gorgeous body. He fed off your reactions, letting your sounds and the way your thighs trembled around him guide his movement. His pleasure was climbing high with yours. "You feel so so good," he panted against you, his words of encouragement sending your heart fluttering as your head lobbed back. "Not even in my best dreams-" his words separated by pants and grunts, feeling the quiver around his cock as he pushed you closer to that edge "-could my thoughts begin to rival you and how…. Utterly outstanding you are."

There it was. The next deep thrust was punctuated with the pressure his thumb put onto your clit and it had you spiraling. You cried out for him, just as his own orgasm hit as well, sending a hot gush spreading through your body through your spasms. Euphoria danced through each of you as you clung to each other as if for dear life. He dropped your hips fully down over his, remaining buried inside of you while your both your highs ran their course through your system.

Your head dropped, resting onto his shoulder as you caught your breath, feeling his hand slowly start to soothe over you back. He remained silent save for his own labored pants as he cradled your body close. Your name eventually got your attention, as his hand came to rest in your hair and you looked up at him with a glassy gaze he would remember for eternity. "I love you."

"And I love you, Ferdinand Von Aegir."

[fizzyren]

jumped

i’m back with more detroit porn, yay!

anyway, no warnings for this fic, tags for Hank/Connor, makeouts/kissing, frottage and grinding, thigh fucking/intercrural sex, some light petting, and Connor’s whole Ken Doll situation.

this is also cross posted on my AO3, give it a read here or leave a kudos if you liked the fic ;)

The house is dark when they come back, save for a lamp set on a timer to come on at 7 pm for Sumo. But even that light is weak, the light bulb needed to be changed weeks ago.

Sumo comes to greet them at the door, trotting over with a slow stretch after getting up from his spot at the far foot of the couch. His tail wags slowly and Hank gives him a pat on the head before working on taking his jacket off.

Connor takes the time to shut the door and then crouch down to ruffle up his fur behind his ears, squeeze Sumo’s floppy jowls between his hands while dodging an excited tongue.

Hank is used to the late night ritual and gravitates towards the kitchen, ready to have one (just one, thanks to Connor’s annoying insistence to quit drinking) glass of whisky. But he only makes it to the couch before hands are grabbing at him, stopping him at his wrist, turning him by his hips, shoulders, pushing him until his ass bumps into the back of the couch and Connor’s mouth is on his.

By habit, Hank’s hands find Connor’s hips and squeezes. He makes a panicked noise and then finds himself pushing a hand on Connor’s chest. He’s careful to not press up against the thirium pump, memories of Connor scrambling on the floor to reach the biocomponent that had been ripped free make Hank overly cautious.

“Woah, hey, what’s this all about?” he asks, looking over Connor.

The android looks as impeccable as always, save for the uniform jacket being removed, but the LED on his temple is rolling yellow, bright in the otherwise dark room.

Connor’s eyes flick down to his lips just as he bites his own bottom lip and lets it go quickly. Hanks stomach flips hotly as he wonders where the fuck Connor learned that from.

“Do I need any reason other than that I want to, Lieutenant?” Connor’s head tips to the side, an eyebrow ticking up subtly as he talks. It’s one of those curious motions that’s so uniquely Connor, attractive because it’s Connor.

Fingers are sneaking up his hips, tugging his shirt-tail out from under his belt and Hank snatches Connor’s wrists, frowning at him. That makes Connor stop, he blinks and Hank can just about watch the thoughts rattling around in his head.

Sumo’s paws on the hardwood passing them by to go lay down again cuts the silence between them until Hank speaks.

“Staring over dead bodies, gory evidence, and mind puzzles at the precinct all day got you hot and bothered?”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Connor still has that frown, the one where he’s trying to figure out something Hank is teasing him with or trying to understand a human concept he’s not knowledgeable in. He had the same face when Hank explained to him what sarcasm was.

“Don’t think too hard about it,” Hank mutters, pulling Connor back in to kiss him before starting to move them around the side of the couch to actually sit on it, “you don’t have to have a reason. I get it.”

Any other time and Hank would have endlessly teased Connor about instincts and timing and feelings, but it’s pretty obvious Connor would shut him out and change his mind. He’ll mention it later, tomorrow probably. It proves Hank’s unsaid point that Connor is more human than he thinks. Connor gets desires and urges just like any other person.

And speaking of desires and urges, Connor’s hands are on him again, tugging Hank close so that their lips press together gently, soft and sweet, and then Connor’s cupping Hank’s jaw so that he can run the smooth, fingerprintless pad of his thumb at the corner of his mouth and follow it with his tongue.

For all the times he gets onto Connor for licking things, he sure isn’t protesting now. Connor doesn’t really taste like anything, which is a little strange but his mouth is wet enough to not make it uncomfortable. And he sighs gently when Hank’s teeth find his lips or tease his tongue for getting too bold.

Eventually, they find a good position on the couch; Connor’s slouched in the crook of the arm and back of the couch, hair sticking up where the back of his head rests on the upholstery, from the slow way Hank’s kisses push him further down on the couch until he’s almost laying down. 

Hank has a knee between Connor’s spread legs and an arm braced on the back of the couch as he looms over Connor to kiss without crushing. Not that his weight even matters to Connor. Android strength and all.

They meet again, hurried and heated and this time Hank’s shirt gets rucked up to his chest so Connor’s hands can smooth over his back and sides unhindered. Connor’s hands don’t give off any body heat but his touch is warm. It’s a joy to feel those fingers and well kept nails dig into his back when Hank gets his head at a nice angle and his tongue slips just a little deeper.

Hank pushes closer so that Connor can feel the bulge in his pants press against him. Were he paying more attention he’d be able to watch Connor’s LED fade from blue to yellow in thought, eyes still closed and more focused on making out with Hank on the couch like they’re rowdy teenagers trying to get it in before parents come home.

There are no looming threats of parents. There are no more younger, youthful years, at least on Hank’s part. Yet, the man can still get hard with just a bit of kissing. The thought brings a little smile to Connor’s lips and Hank pulls back.

They finally look at eachother, taking the time to catch their breath between one deep inhale and the next. Hank looks a little embarrassed, flustered in a way that the man only hides with irritation and a bothered facade.

“What’s so funny?” he asks, sounding accusatory and mean, but Connor knows he’s nervous, worried he might be doing something wrong. Connor doesn’t know any other human as well as he knows Hank.

“One might claim you to be too old to be doing stuff like this.” Hank’s scowl deepens at that and he sits up further but doesn’t take his hands off Connor, doesn’t retreat from keeping their lower halves pressed firmly together.

“By all means, if you want to stop I’ve got the depressing news to catch up on and an early bed time to catch up on.” It’s a thinly veiled threat. Teasing.

Connor hooks a leg around the one keeping Hank standing and then slides a hand up the man’s thigh, around to his ass so that he can pull, a firm squeeze and makes Hank narrow his eyes.

“I never said anything about stopping, Lieutenant.”

“For fuck’s sakes, stop calling me that,” Hank rolls his eyes, leans down again to kiss Connor a few times, bathing the room in silence again apart from the soft noises of their mouths connecting and pulling apart, “told you to call me Hank in private.”

“Of course, Lieutenant.” Connor replies cheekily, mumbles softly against Hank’s lips with a smile that’s kissed away with force and a grumble.

There’s not much in the way of coherent conversation after that. Hank makes sure to kiss him harder every time Connor opens his mouth, either to speak or do something else. In the back of his head he keeps track of the time, they can’t stay here like this all night, regardless of how much Connor wants to.

Hank’s tongue feels good against his own, his lips are just a bit chapped but not rough, and his hands are firm and solid on Connor’s thighs and hips and sides. Even though Connor doesn’t need to breathe, he feels breathless. It’s not an unwelcome sensation.

After five minutes and twelve seconds, Hank pulls away again. This time Connor’s a little disappointed. Hank chuckles and brushes his thumb over the android’s bottom lip, pushing.

“Didn’t know you could pout.” he says pointedly and Connor runs through that sentence. He relaxes his face almost in embarrassment, fixes the furrow between his brows and the stuck out lip.

“You sure are something,” Hank comments.

They end up rearranging after that. Hank gets up from the couch, or rather from his place leaning over Connor so that he can take off the shirt that Connor’s messed up.

The man is just overweight, both from decreased metabolism due to age, his diet, his drinking habits, his lack of exercise. But he’s nice to look at nonetheless. Even if Connor can’t make out defined muscle, Hank is handsome in his own burly way. Light hair dusts his chest, starting to cover up the tattoo that takes up the skin on his chest. It grows thick the lower Connor looks, a grey happy trail disappearing into his pants. Hank’s hands come into view, fingers working on the buckle of his belt, the button and fly of his pants. Connor’s eyes follow the skin and hair up the man’s arms, taking in the few tattoos swirled on his arms.

He’s never gotten the story behind them. Not yet anyway. It’s not high on Connor’s list of important tasks right at the moment, however.

Their eyes meet again and Hank’s watching him expectantly. Not like he’s about to ask anything of him but more so like he’s just waiting for Connor to be done analyzing him.

Connor rolls his eyes, something he’s discovered irritates Hank and raises his blood pressure incrementally. Connor works on his own pants, not getting distracted by Hank pushing his boxers off to his ankles and stepping out of them. His socks roll down when he kicks his pants free in a smooth motion.

Connor doesn’t have to worry about boxers or underwear, being a detective model android, CyberLife didn’t equip him with any genitalia, functional or otherwise. Most androids whose function was labor, menial or otherwise, didn’t need it. Tracis and a few housekeeper models came with the option.

As it is, Connor’s completely smooth between his legs. The first time he’d been completely naked in front of Hank, there wasn’t much shock or surprise. Then again, maybe the hurried need to get all the mud and saltwater off his body took priority.

Hank brings him back to the now with a firm hand slipping between his legs. It’s a simple motion, pressure and heat moving back to front then back again, but it lights sparks in the wires just under the skin. Connor purses his lips and spreads his legs to let Hank have less obstruction to touch.

Connor finds himself closing his eyes again, just feeling. Feeling .

It’s a complicated series of events how it got to this, how he and Hank started having sex, how Connor found out about being able to feel pleasure. (A little piece of code suddenly flipped on and activated upon deviancy).

Connor focuses more on Hank’s touch rather than his memories, knowing that he’s being watched, knowing that Hank is making sure he’s alright even though he knows Connor would stop him if he wasn’t.

Hank’s lips find his again when he pushes down with his palm to touch a little harder. Connor gasps into Hank’s mouth and bucks his hips up, his own hands and touch skipping to Hank’s hips to hold on.

Connor doesn’t get worried, but he might have been a little concerned about what Hank would think about his smooth crotch. The most they’d get in would be blowjobs and handjobs. In a way Connor had been a little disappointed that he couldn’t give Hank everything that came with the territory of exploring a relationship and the consequent sex life. But Hank was a good problem solver and that issue became water under a bridge.

Connor finds himself flipped around onto his stomach, legs pressed together as he keeps his feet on the floor, shuffling then to his knees to find a better angle. He’s used to this position on a bed or the rare instance of the kitchen table. Something with height that doesn’t obstruct his legs and how he lays. The couch is a new one.

It’s low, meant only to be sat on, not to have sex against, at least not like this. Not with Hank pressing his hard cock between his smooth thighs. Thinking about the logistics and complications of the height of the couch becomes too much of an effort as Hank starts moving.

Hank starts slow, testing thrusts that don’t jostle them too much so he can start to pull Connor’s button down free and tossed over the arm of the couch to be dealt with later. Connor’s sparse freckles are spattered down his back, more clustered up near his shoulders and becoming non existent near his hips.

CyberLife seemed to think of everything creating Connor. The unique spatter of freckles, the muscled build and toned waist, the perfect fucking ass.

Hank gets a kick out of watching Connor’s sides expand on a hard breath when Hank’s hands grope at his full cheeks, spreading to reveal more smooth, hairless skin, growing slick and glistening when he drags his cock against his cleft and then pushes back between his legs.

Connor has a bad habit of hiding himself in his arms when he feels good. As if he’s embarrassed to let himself lose control of himself and enjoy himself. It’s almost charming that Connor can feel flustered.

Connor’s made a good place in the corner of the couch, head tucked under his bent arm, fingers just barely able to reach the hair at the back of his neck and hold on before moving to clutch at the back of the couch. His breath picks up, panting and gasping and hiding little moans where he thinks Hank can’t hear him whine his name.

The hiding makes Hank pick up pace, fuck between his thighs rougher to make Connor louder. The synthetic skin is clean and slick and soft, and maybe he shouldn’t make the comparison, but it’s pretty close to a fleshjack. His cock curves just enough to rub the sensitive place between Connor’s legs where his dick would be every time he pushes in hard. The angle is a little weird thanks to the couch being awkwardly low, Hank having to bend his knees a little more to get his thrusts right, but it works all the same.

Sweat gathers between his shoulder blades and at his temples. His stamina isn’t what it used to be, and the time it takes him to cum is much shorter. Cynically, he reminds himself that he doesn’t need Viagra to get it up. Yet.

Connor’s moaning his name again, shoulders shaking a little harder than before, synthetic muscles under the skin tensing and flexing the longer Hank fucks him like this. Connor’s orgasms are different than Hank’s but he knows how to get the android there and over that edge. He knows all the little signs now of when Connor’s close.

The android is trying to quiet himself more and push his hips back to be closer to Hank. But the easiest sign is his LED, flickering from yellow to red. Hank’s also picked up on Connor’s little habit of turning his head to hide the LED from view, something he only began to do recently after becoming deviant.

He’s doing it now, head turned just enough that Hank can’t see the little circle. He has no doubt it’s yellow now, but he likes to be able to see anyway. His hand moves from it’s spot braced on Connor’s shoulder up to his neck, fingers gentle as he turns his head the other way. Hank leans down enough to kiss the LED, now circling red, over and over under his lips as he holds Connor down through his trembling.

Connor’s voice trips out as he cries out Hank’s name again, legs pressing together tighter like it might help him get through his climax easier. Hank doesn’t stop, keeps fucking him through it until Connor’s eyes flutter shut and his shoulders relax.

Hank doesn’t last much longer after that, grunting as he catches his bottom lip between his teeth. He’ll probably regret cumming between Connor and the couch later, but right now he rides out the pleasure until it fades into a pleasant buzzing under his muscles.

Coming back to himself from the afterglow he finds Connor watching him. It’s not a cold piercing gaze he has when he’s seriously analyzing someone or something. It’s a rare, soft look where his eyes are dark and wide and he doesn’t have such a serious strain on his face. Something about it makes Hank feel gross and sappy like he’s overflowing with thick molasses or honey and it’s oozing out between his fingers.

He grumbles at Connor, an accusatory, “what are you looking at me like that for?” as he kisses the side of his face and the back of his neck. Connor doesn’t reply, happy to lay there and bask in the moment until Sumo comes around the couch and starts sniffing at the clothes on the ground.

Connor doesn’t mind the dog’s presence there but for some reason it makes Hank move. He shoos Sumo away and grabs at his shirt, quickly cleaning Connor’s thighs as he rolls over and sits up properly on the couch.

Hank sort of wishes he could take a picture. It doesn’t look real. Connor ass naked sitting on the couch like it’s just another day and Hank might soon join him and turn the tv on.

“I need a shower.” he says, and Connor gives him a smug look when he starts to walk around the couch with shaky legs. The muscles in his legs are going to be bitching at him in the morning for the strain the position put them in.

Hank gets his laugh in as well when he comes back from his shower and finds that Connor hasn’t moved from the couch. When he tells Connor to go clean up, the android is silent for a while before getting up on his own bambi legs and wobbling over to the bathroom while trying to look as serious as he can, cum still clinging to the front of his thighs.

Hank ends up thinking about the sight even after he’s calmed down and settled in for the night.

[caribbeanmomma]

So... yeah, Iris West...

EDITED TO SAY SOME TRULY NICE FOLKS (NOT BEING SARCASTIC) HAVE POINTED OUT THAT I’VE MISTAGGED THIS POST AND SHOULD HAVE PUT ANTI IN FRONT OF THE TAGS I USED. I NOW KNOW AND WILL BE MINDFUL GOING FORWARD.

TO THE OTHER VULGAR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE SO DISCONNECTED FROM REALITY THAT THEY COULD NOT HAVE CIVIL BANTER OVER A FICTIONAL CHARACTER ON A TELEVISION SHOW, I SUGGEST THERAPY MAYBE? OR SOME DECAF. THANKS FOR THE REMINDER THAT IT DOENS’T TAKE MUCH TO TIP PEOPLE INTO THE DARK SIDE OF THEIR PERSONALITIES. I’LL LEAVE THE TAGS AS IS JUST FOR THOSE WHO IT DEEPLY OFFENDED TO THE POINT YOU’VE DEBASED YOURSELVES JUST AS A REMINDER OF HOW LOW YOU ARE AS A PERSON.

Potential spoilers inside...

I’m not sure how many people out there will agree with me but Iris West is one of the most annoying characters on tv everrrrrr. She is my least favorite person on tv right now for so many reasons. Yes yes, she’s who supposed to end up with Barry but man does she rub me the wrong way! 

Where do I start? 

1. Iris is manipulative (ultimatums thrown at Eddie, flirting with Barry after she finds out he’s interested in Linda etc)

2. Iris is a control freak

3. Iris has a deep seated need to belong and so inserts herself where she does not belong (much like Laurel from Arrow)

4. Really, what is her role in the group??

From the beginning, I never liked how Iris didn’t seem to know that Barry liked her or was in love with her. It’s a ridiculous idea that she was so clueless to the way he looked at her at the very least! And this is after years and years of them knowing each other. This is one of her smaller sins and I guess for the sake of the show, we’ll have to suspend our belief here.

She was particularly nasty when Eddie couldn’t share with her what was going on at work with The Flash (thanks to Joe) and really, why should he share sensitive work stuff when she herself would have died before revealing a source to anyone? Double standard much? She then only starts flirting with Barry once Linda came on the scene. Yuck. I feel as though, if he and Felicity were to be given a chance around that time (not now tho - OLICITY ALL THE WAY! LOL!) Iris would not have stood a chance because Felicity would have been his rock and his intellectual equal. She’s sexy as hell and would be able to talk sense in to him when needed. Iris would not have been able to realistically squeeze in there between them.

As the show has gone on and she’s now in the know, she spends her days at the lab (seriously, does she work anymore?) getting in the way, literally running from one team member to the next asking questions and really just being useless. Over time, she’s just grown to be the one who opposes everything or the one who causes trouble whenever she decides to work for a living and be a “reporter”. How many times has Iris put herself in the way for the team (read Barry) to come rescue her? It’s like she knows she’s utterly useless and when she’s particularly down and out about it, she runs off to do something dumb to have them come save her and reassure her that she’s valid. Last season I was cheering when I saw that Savitar had “killed” her. That probably makes me not so nice BUT remember it’s just a character not a real person LOL! They killed off another character who had a chance at love so that she could survive and so that she and Barry could continue their dance.

Let’s talk about when Wally got his powers. Oh man, the green eyed monster reared its ugly head once again. She was so upset that she began throwing tantrums and outright forbidding her grown brother from using his powers all under the guise of her fearing for his safety. Come on! It was so obvious that she was jealous that everyone around her (except for her dad who really didn’t care for all that) had powers and she didn’t. She tried to scare Wally in to sitting out missions and when that didn’t work, she tried to guilt him. When that too failed, she went sulking to Barry who molly coddled her as usual. He then proclaimed that he couldn’t do what he did without her. Like seriously, Barry, nearly everyone on the team, past and present, even those from other shows namely Oliver and Felicity have been able to reassure and point Barry in the right direction. Iris really is not needed.

Fast forward to when the Samurai came to town demanding that The Flash come out and play and while Barry was in in his stupor (side bar - see what I’m talking about when I say that Iris is one contrary cow? The team wants to bring back Barry and she’s all NO! and she’s scared and then gets angry that Sisco - being an independent person and a friend of Barry’s - goes ahead and works on bringing him back. Like Sisco needed her darned permission! I think that she just liked being in charge and pushing everyone around in Barry’s absence. SMH!) she goes up to the Samurai and gets it to take her so that Barry would be so shook he’d come out of his stupor and go save her. Sigh. It worked and that annoyed me. It would have been great to see that absolutely fail and she have an “OH CRAP” moment. But nah, the show went all cliche and he snapped out of it in time to save her. 

Yay.

Last week’s episode made me grind my teeth when she got all mad that Barry was doing his thing (the writers wanted to show that she had some worth by making him make extra stupid decisions that made her look like she was right) and not consulting her. Like really, he has to ask her to blow off “training”? He’s the darned Flash that came back better than when he went in and she wants him to consult with her on training? Yep, not controlling at all. And that speech she gave him about he’s not The Flash, We are The Flash - GRRRRRR - she’s almost as needy as Laurel was in The Arrow... hiding behind bushes watching Sarah and Oliver go save the day. I’ve never rejoiced more so than when Laurel kept getting beaten up in the beginning LOLOL! Man, when can we see Iris getting some humble pie served to her? Poor Barry, that crap can only work on him because he’s so smitten with her. Might not work with another guy but Barry’s an easy fish. 

And now to yesterday’s episode when they were in forced therapy (we see Iris forcing therapy and a wedding on this poor sap and so as not to upset her, he goes along with it even though he has misgivings about it) she blurts out how angry she is with him because he just left her there (and went in to the speed force) - I was so mad when she said that. Like, wasn’t the world around them LITERALLY tearing apart because of the void in the speed force? Did he have a choice? Was there an easy and immediate option for them other than him going in to the speed force and correcting his mistake? How was it now all about her? Barry did not have a choice and this is just another but BIG example of how this character twists things to make everything all about her. 

She’s manipulated her father, her brother, been nasty to her dying mother, played with both Barry’s and Eddie’s emotions and forced herself on a team that has been doing fine without her interference. She knows she won’t be missed if she ACTUALLY went to work - so she continues to be there in the lab being one of the most annoying characters on tv right now.

GRRRRR.

[smoketexture]

Hello everyone! These are some tips I wish I had known when I first got into the community. Warning: this got longer than intended, sorry! I tried to divide it into well separated sections, so it’d be easier for you to read only the parts that interest you!

Original content:

I think the best way to get your studyblr known is by posting original content, this can be either pictures of your journal, your notes, your stationery, etc. If you don’t feel like pictures are your thing, you could make advice masterposts or share little tricks and hacks that have helped you through your studies or your life in general.

Take nice pictures: 1) The trick here is to take your pictures near a window where the sun isn’t hitting directly on what you want to photograph (you can try direct sunlight as well, but I think if the sun’s too bright then you won’t be able to see what’s written on white paper). 2) A nice background makes all the difference. I personally prefer white backgrounds, so I just use my desk. BUT if you don’t have any white surfaces, you can create one by just laying down a few sheets of paper (that’s what I did for this post). Lots of people also use their bed sheets or duvets as background and it looks amazing as well! 3) Flatlays seem to be quite popular and they make the picture look very neat, aand you don’t need many photographic skills to pull it off, so I’d say it’s the best choice for taking pictures.

Edit pictures: If you’ve already taken your picture next to a window or in a well lighten environment, then you probably don’t need to edit it all that much (not that you ever have to edit your pictures, but it does make them look a bit more aesthetically pleasing and professional I’d say?). So if you still want to edit them (which I do), then I’d recommend the Snapseed app (available for Apple and Android), that’s the one I use, It’s free and it has a LOT of editing options. I also have the VSCO app (x x), which I downloaded because a lot of people here have recommended it, but I don’t really use it. You can play around with both apps and decide which one works best for you! (Oh and yes, like most of use here, I use my phone to take pictures).

Tag other blogs: Some people track a specific tag (usually their blog url, but not always, in which case they tend to clarify it somewhere in their blog). This is a great way for people to check out your content and then they might share it if they like it. There are some blogs who reblog everything they are tagged in, but I’d say this is the minority. If you’re not sure whether someone tracks their tag, then you can always ask them!

Trends: In the studyblr community there tend to be certain trends, such as a specific type of calligraphy, specific brands, etc. So there’s basically two paths here: You can choose to follow these trends and make your bujo spreads look like most journals look at that moment. This probably will make people reblog your stuff because that’s what everyone’s into. Another option is to go on the exact opposite direction and make your content completely different than everyone else’s in order to make it stand out more. Honestly, I don’t think one way’s better than the other, you’ll slowly figure out what makes you feel happier about your journal/notes. However, DO NOT copy someone else’s work and claim it as your own. You can get inspired by certain styles, yes, but if you replicate something somebody else made, then that’s stealing. That being said, lots of people recreate a bujo spread (for example) and then properly credit the person who originally made it, in which case I think it’s okay, but it’s always safer to ask for permission first.

Masterposts: There’s mainly two ways to make a masterpost: 1) You can make an original one with recommendations or tips you come up with yourself. My advice here would be to think of actually useful tips, do not just write whatever seems like the right thing to say, but instead use your own experience to think of tips that have indeed helped you in the past. 2) If coming up with advice is not your thing, you can gather around other people’s advice and provide links to their posts (they don’t even need to be from Tumblr blogs) in an organized structure that makes it easy for people to skim through and find what they’re looking for! Btw, even if you’re a studyblr, your posts don’t have to be all exclusively study related. There are some really good masterposts about mental health, moving out on your own, meal recipes, etc.

Stay visible:

One of the good things about the studyblr community is that most people won’t unfollow you just because you weren’t active for a certain period of time, we all understand that sometimes life (study related or not) just gets busy and it’s okay to take some time for yourself. BUT at the same time it’s true that in order to get your content around, you need to stay active to a certain extent.

Queue your posts: You can even do some research to find out when it’s the best time of the day to post something and on which days of the week and set your queue to those hours.

Interact with others: This helps to get your blog known AND it’s a great way to meet people in the community! There are loads of ways in which to do this: 1) Simply send someone a message and start a conversation with them, ask them about their day or tell them about yours. 2) Join a network. I’ve never been in one myself (bc shyness hey) but they do sound fun! 3) Try doing other people’s “challenges”, for which they usually provide a tag for you to use so they can check out your posts for the challenge. 4) Tag people in these little games that go around, like this bold tag thingy (I think that’s the only example I have).

Blog aesthetics:

In order to make your blog more appealing, make sure you spend some time on your theme and icon. If they go well together, it will create an organized layout, which tends to catch people’s eyes and make it more likely for them to check out your content.

Theme: The possibilities are endless. Whichever style you prefer, there’s definitely a theme that goes with it. Personally speaking, I love neat, soft-colored themes. I believe organization is key, if your links and information are easily accesible, then that adds up to your blog for sure! Here are a few theme makers whose content I’ve been using lately: @acuite, @cyantists, @felinum, @odeysseus, @pohroro​, @roxiestheme​. In addition, you can find a lot of great themes here: @theme-hunter​ (they even classify the themes by style, post size, etc.).

Icon: This is the door to your blog, people see it on their dash and use it to identify you. Some people make free icons for you to use, but I personally prefer making my own. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be super skilled or even use Photoshop for this. 1) I usually use Canva to make my icons or banners. They have lots of templates for you to use as a guide, or you can start your design from scratch. They do require you to register with an email, but it’s free yay (unless you want to pay for some special designs, but, honestly, their free stuff is more than enough to create whatever you need). 2) Flaticon is another website which provides a TON of icons and pictures that you can use (you do not have to pay to download the images, but you DO have to properly credit whoever made them).

Be consistent: Choose whichever content you’d like to post and stick to it. Not everyone is this picky, but some people only follow blogs whose posts belong to a certain category (studyblr, fandoms, fitness, clothes, etc.). This doesn’t mean you can’t post an occasional random post, though. Don’t restrict yourself, but do try to keep you content consistent.

Balance:

Life’s all about balance. Regarding your studyblr, I think there are mainly two aspects in which you need to apply this.

Studying vs. keeping a blog: Yes, studyblrs can be helpful when it comes to your studies (there is a lot of advice going around and, personally, it helps me to stay motivated and makes me want to do better). However, at the end of the day it’s still a Tumblr blog, which means you can spend hours and hours here without even realizing it, so be careful not to lose yourself in the wonderful journals and unbelievably neat notes that the community has to offer, because then you won’t end up doing any of your work.

Aesthetics vs. functionality: You’ve probably seen those posts which reassure you that your notes & journal are made to increase your productivity so there’s no need for you to make them pretty if that’s not your thing. I’m not going to preach you on that, we all know it’s true. However, It frustrates me a little bit that on that kind of posts, they never seem to acknowledge the fact that some of us spend time making our notes and journals pretty because it’s actually helpful for us. I’m less likely to want to study from my notes if they’re all messy and lifeless, so I spend time on them. Regarding my journal, whether I keep it extremely simple or make it super fancy and decorated, it would serve its purpose either way. BUT, spending time decorating my journal is what helps me unwind at the end of the week. So, no, I don’t spend time on my journal because that’s going to help me achieve my goals, I spend time on it because it helps me to relax and get away from the world for a little while. Not everything we do needs to have an academic purpose.

Hope you can take some advice from this and that you all have a lovely day! 🌿

[txnystarkimagines]

All Work and No Play

Pairings:Tony Stark X Reader

Requested By: @cajunlizard

Words:2043

Permanent Tag List:@sybil-howlett @palaiasaurus64 @sherlockholmesisbae @redroomproperty@alwaysoutoftheordinary @withouthannah @metaphysicalmisha@andybubblebath @secretninjachild @whatshernamemaria               @ pou-noikiazeis-to-oneiro @alwaysenjoythelifeyoulive@niallandsebastianaremylife @raindancer2004  @v-esperteen  @purpledolphin-f  @sour-kangaroo1998 @princeffreeshgoddessofgreatbooty

Author’s Note: I am not really happy with how this turned out to be. And I think I kinda dragged it a lot. So meh,I decided to post it anyway.

MASTERLIST  | REQUEST HERE | TAG LIST IS OPEN

"Now you hold the brush,put on some paint and stroke."You instructed to the 5 year old boy sitting beside you.

"Yay!"You exclaimed,raising up your hand for a high five."You did it."

Sam's palm slapped against yours,diverting his friend's attention towards him. As they got involved in useless babble,you felt someone tugging at the hem of your shirt. "Melissa sweetie,what is it? How man times have I told you,you always wait for the person to turn to you,you never pull at them.Okay?"You explained to her softly.

"Sorry Ms. Y/N,but there is a man at the door."

You immediately turn towards the play rooms entrance, only to meet Tony Stark,leaning against the door frame. Your eyes widened in shock. What was he doing here? In a pre school?

"Hello, Mr. Stark." You walked over to him.

"Ms. L/N."He nodded at you.

"What brings you here?" You asked him quietly,not wanting the kids to know.

"I am here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative."

"Does the administration know,that you are here to talk to me when I'm on duty?" You asked.

"Obviously."

"I don't believe you."You snapped. He was Tony Stark,why would he ever take someone's permission to do something. "Wait here while I go and have a talk with them?"

"Kids,"You acknowledged the whole class."I have to speak to Mr. Brown,please behave and carry on with your work."

"Yes Ms. Y/N."All of them chorused.

Your shoulder brushed against his leather jacket,as you moved past him. "Make way!" You snapped.

Technically you knew why he was here. Years of hiding and this new job had put on the radar after only a few months. You were angry. How dare he come to the school where there are kids to talk you about something? The kids were the most important for you and if anything ever happened to them you won't be able to forgive them. He should have waited for your off. You rolled your eyes. There was no way you were going to join his super secret boy band.

After getting to know that the admin had given you the whole day off,and arranged a sub for your class at the persistence of Tony Stark,you were annoyed. As you reached the vicinity of your classroom you hear shouts and laughter from the room. Your heals created loud clicks against the floor as you fastened the pace. Entering the classroom,your jaw dropped in shock. There he was Tony Stark sitting in the middle with the kids all around him. Two sat on his lap, shuffling around with his glasses while he was talking to the other two,probably telling them a funny story due to all the laughter.

"What the hell?"You mumbled under your breath.  "Kids! Stark!"You called for their attention.

"I told you to stay put didn't I?"

"Sorry miss."They exclaimed,moving back to their seats as Tony too sat up.

"Now I won't be here for the day so Miss Sophia from Room B will be taking over. Behave. I don't want to hear any complaints."

Immediately questions filled the room. The children's curiosity and tendencies to want to know everything and anything.

"Are you sick?" "Is he your boyfriend?" "Are you going on a date?" "Are you a secret hero like Iron Man?" "Is he really Iron Man?" You chuckled at the last one,grabbing your coat and purse from the desk.

"Come on kiddos,don't pester your teacher. If you behave I might as well come and visit again."

"No, you won't." Both of you exited the room and cries of cheer echoed around the room. You greeted the sub with on your way out.

Walking down the hall,you were trying to put on the coat when he stopped all of a sudden. He took it from you holding it out for you and you quickly slipped into your arms. "Really? I could that."

"What a time,"He stated dramatically."Being a gentleman gets you nowhere."

"You are no gentleman Stark."You sneered.

"True.Now where to?"

"Oh no,no! Nowhere. We talk right here."

"In the cold,no way woman."He cried out."Your place or mine?"he smirked.

"Mine."You snapped,using your telekinesis to move the car keys out of his palm and into yours. "I drive."

He looked at you with wide eyes."What?" You asked him. "Never seen a woman drive?"You asked him,walking over to the red Audi R8 Spyder that was obviously his.

"Never seen a woman do that."He replied.

"I thought the witch had similar powers. Whats her name Wilma? No Wendy it was,I think."

"Wanda. And no. Her powers are not natural. Yours are." He stated,getting into the passenger side without any protest.

"So what brings you here?" You asked him again,pulling out of the car park and onto the main road.

" I told you. I am here to ask you to join the Avengers."

"And I am telling you there is no way I am going to join that super secret boy band of yours."

"Funny,how years ago I said the same thing to the Director of SHIELD.God it's too early!"He huffed."I can't do this without a drink."

"Well wait then. We are nearly there."You answered,speeding up.

"Make yourself right at home."You told him,hanging your coat and purse on the hanger in the foyer.

"I am making some coffee. You want that or scotch?"

"Coffee.Black."

"Coming right up."

Tony looked around the living room,void of any pictures. It was a small apartment,probably one bedroom,one bath,a living room and a kitchen he guessed.A black leather couch was pushed far up against the wall,with a shelve above it. Opposite to it was an led TV and a fire place below,currently turned on.A white fur rug rested there with a bench on top to sit next to the fire. In the end a floor lamp stood in the corner next to window,covered in sheer white curtain. The floor was black and the walls a light grey. He had to admit though you got a taste.

"Nice place you have here."He complimented as you entered the room with two mugs in hand,with the Avengers on them.

"You have got nicer."You stated handing him the mug.

"Really?"He raised his eyebrows up at you.

"What?! They were on sale."you shrugged.

"So.."You took a seat adjacent to him.

"We need you to join Y/N."

"Who's we?"

"Well me,War Machine, and uh Vision."

"What about the others?"

"We are kind of not together anymore. They are war criminals now."

"I see."

"Look Y/N. I am Tony Stark and I can have whatever I want. But I came down here personally right now to ask you to join because I need you. The world needs you. And I hope you do."

"What does it entail?  Whats in it for me?"

"You get to live in the Avengers Facility,Upstate New York 24/7. Food and clothes,furniture included. You have 320 working days in a year. The rest are off. However global catastrophes don't count. And a hefty sum of money paid to you by yours truly.State and you will get it."He gestured.

"I still don't see whats in it for me."

"You will be paid whatever you want."

"I don't care,not everything is about money. I want to know why you need me. What made Iron Man come to my door step personally?"

"Something big is coming. "He started." Something cruel,all I know its gonna destroy everything we know and love. There is word about a Mad Titan,the most powerful being in the universe. Far more than us. And his eyes are down here on earth. We need all the help we can get it. For the sake of those whom you love,Y/N please."

You considered his offer for a bit. Was it really worth it? You could redeem everything. Clear the red from your ledger.

"I have a deal."You say.

"Ask and it's done."He looked at you.

"I need protection."

"From?"He asks.

"Not from,for.Whatever it is that you speak of,I need protection for Dean."

"Boyfriend?"He smirks at you.

"Son."You stated. His eyes widen in shock.

"You have a son? Wow, you don't look like a mother."

"And what does a mother look like? Anyways I am sure you have read my file."

"Obviously."

"So you also know that there was a time when I was running from HYDRA. I was seven months pregnant at that time. I didn't really see the point of bringing a child into this world. So I went for an abortion."

He sucked in a breath.

"The doctor, a woman surprisingly was gynecologist but didn't have any children with her husband. She was barren. So we made a deal. I told her everything,and she adopted my son. In return, she would tell him who his real mother was when he turned 15. He is 6 now. Joining you would mean that I don't get to see him regularly. And if something happens to me,or this Titan of yours comes,I need to be assured that Dean and his parents will not be harmed. Not a scratch."

"Wow." Tony really didn't see that."You've got yourself a deal." He got up.

"I'll see you on Monday. "

"Nope,you will see me next month. Someone has to wrap up everything here." You answered.

"Ok."He extended his hand towards you for a shake. Instead, you just pulled him in for a hug,rising on your tip toes to reach his neck as you weren't wearing the heels anymore. You pressed a soft kiss against his stubbly cheek.

"It gets better you know."You tell him as you walk him out.

"What?"

"That look in your eyes. I know it well. While it might not seem like it right now but it does get better."

He just smiled at you in return. Soon you could hear the sound of rockets blazing and the Iron Man suit land beside him,opening up to reveal the insides.

"What about your car?"You ask,staring at the way the suit wraps around him. Damn that's sexy,you think.

"Keep it,at least I know you will return."The mask slams shut before his face.

"Ms. L/N." He nods at you.

"Mr. Stark."You nod back,and then he shoots up into the air.

[pensurfing]

Caitlin’s Three Things List

Okay, so moments (probably hours by the time I finish this) ago I wrote a goals list that I think is good for self-evaluation. (Keyword: This is what I think. results may vary depending on what you’re looking for.)

I’m going to hop to it and answer some of these that I laid out in hopes of having a better idea of what I want to accomplish. 

The Three Things Lists!

1) Three things that went well this year.

* Audience growth

So once upon a time, I grew a pretty decent following due to creating an Inktober Prompt list. My expectations: Maybe two of my friends would do this, maybe. And then one stranger that has followed me for a while. (There are a few followers I recognize their username because if I post something they always like it and for some reason that keeps me going.)

But because of this prompt, I was exposed to MANY new creators and illustrators that I now enjoy chatting with and following! Instagram had the biggest maintained growth. I’m excited to create for an audience that actually expects me to create and not just for friends who see my things “whenever they aren’t busy”. (Not to bash them or anything, just there are a lot where unless I tell them, they don’t see the posts I make.)

Another surge of growth in my audience was due to tabling at conventions this year. I was terrified to show my work let alone attempt to sell it to someone. Tabling at cons not only boosted my confidence but also quieted one of my ever going demons. “YoU sUcK aT dRaWiNg CaItLiN.” “How do you have a degree? oh right, you just barely passed.” I can’t say this is the case, there is an audience that genuinely enjoys my scribbles. So I am forever thankful to Atlanta Comic Con for giving me that chance. It honestly opened a few doors for me.

**Process

I’ve gotten more comfortable with showing my process. It can be messy, crisp, and illogical. But turns out the people who enjoy my content enjoy my scrambled thoughts. It’s something about not being alone in this sort of sense that calms the nerves.

So I can say with chest poked out that sharing process has gotten MUCH better. I can thank a self-help book I bought this year that was a FANTASTIC BUY. Austin Kleon has [two] (currently? If he has more then I’m buying it like people buy a name brand.) books that helped me see that it is GREAT to share not only the process but advice. “Show Your Work” is the book I’m talking about for now. Great tips, the outline is on the back of the book. So if you’re like me, I need to clearly see what I might be getting into, you might have a ball.

And finally, (not calling myself out on this but other) If you’re going to respond to people when they ask you “how do you___?” do not answer “Google it��. That is the rudest thing I’ve seen some of even my FAVORITE illustrators do; that response can burn in hell. PERIODT. (my one typo allowed.)

*** Art Style Exploration

For those who think college will help you establish an art style that you’ll enjoy or help nourish the one you currently have.... Let me save you over 80K.... No, the fuck it won’t.

That was the biggest thought I had going into art school. If anything, it confused me more and utterly destroyed what little confidence I had in my drawing style. After graduating, I had a huge swing from how I used to draw to how my art currently looks. I stopped trying to please the one professor who stood between me and my degree and started drawing to please my tastes. And guess what? That did something. And that something WORKED. I love what I draw now; I see why I chose this as my career path. I’m genuinely happy with how my pieces turn out versus in college just wanting to turn the damn thing in and hoping it isn’t an F.

2) Three things you could have handled better.

* The loss of a good paying client.

Now hear me out when I say this: A good paying client DOES NOT EQUAL a good client. Say that three times and then exhale.

Back earlier this year, I had the opportunity to work with a writer who gave me hell and back. And even that is an understatement. I dealt with her because in school you were taught “if they pay on time, finish the work and get the exposure.” 

I’m here to tell you my lesson learned: A good paying client DOES NOT EQUAL good exposure, good pay, a good client. 

I was doing the work of three for the price of one and a half. (And was always told I charged too much.) She tried abusing this power with friends of mine, with other illustrators. When things turned out bad, she tried saying it was my fault. She read my contract and then tried telling me I changed the wording, I purposely did this thing, another thing was my fault. I could go on with this story.

The part that I wish I handled better?

How I treated myself afterward. I’m so used to people telling me, “Cait, this is what you do wrong. This is how you fix it.” that I don’t consider my own feelings, and when I bring my feelings into the scenario they no longer matter. Because they tell me they don’t matter. In this case, I wish I had treated me better, because my feelings, my mental health, DOES matter.

**My Patience Getting Into Conventions.

Pretty self-explanatory. I got into one, finished one, and wanted to do eight more in a week. But this sort of thing just takes time and I need to accept that.

***My losses

I had to listen to a Little Mix song to actually learn this one. The context of the song is nowhere near the topic at hand. But a verse from Power feat Stomzy really packs a punch after this year: 

“ You look him in the eye and say, "I know I'm not a guy But see there's power in my losses and there's power in my wins" “

I had to look one of my demons in the face, and state something similar. My loses mean I’m trying. My loses piling shows I’m not willing to give up easily, and that is something that took a while to be content with.

3) Three things artistically you want to improve on.

*Composition

It’s not awful, but it can be better.

**Color

I told this BOLDLY if I might add while critiquing someone else’s portfolio; “Your color palette is boring. All your [things] look as if they are from the same universe, during the same time of day, with the same kind of mood. After three photos it’s bland, boring, and understood you have a preference.” 

Can you say damn Cait? The statement was, in fact, true, but I certainly could not talk. My color palette is mainly bright, pop, and happy. In order to tell a story, I KNOW it is best told with color. And I failed myself this year. But I sure won’t next year.

***My Damn Tag

Okay, alright. Why is it well-established artists have their tag figured out? Even some who’s art style is so recognizable (I’m looking HEAVILY at you Gabriel Piccolo.) we know it’s theirs, seem to have a tag that suits them and works for them. But more importantly, they put it in A VERY DECENT SPOT. SOMEONE SHARE THIS SCIENCE WITH ME? CAUSE APPARENTLY I DON’T GET IT.

4) Three things you want to focus on trying.

*More backgrounds.

As much as it pains me, I need to improve on backgrounds and perspective. When I do make backgrounds, I’m told I make great pieces. That I should look into becoming a background artist. And don’t get me wrong, I like them. But I don’t like them.

I feel as though I need to improve in that region so that way I don’t feel as though it’s a weakness of mine. My backgrounds are nice, but they aren’t nice to my standards.

**More designs

I love character designs, but let’s be real. If you were to scroll down my site or my Instagram page, or even this Tumblr archive, could you tell? 

I draw characters a lot sure, but none are designs. No process, no sheets, no turnarounds, none of that. So that’s a huge goal of mine for 2019.

***Scheduling posting

At one point I was pretty good at this. Live stream in Instagram and Twitter, cool. Videos on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Cool. Everywhere gets a photo, everywhere gets a silly one-liner. Yay. I’m not leaving anything out.

Well by the end of this year that totally crumbled. 

SO I want to try getting better at that thing there. Because having attempted this at the end of the year was cool, but it still wasn’t enough apparently.

5) Three positive things to tell yourself.

* You are an inspiration. That’s all you wanted to be in life, you did it. I’m proud of you.

**You didn’t kill yourself like you tried to; you opened up about it for once and used that pint up anger creatively. That is very hard to do, trust. I’m proud of you.

***You moved on, matured, and let it go. Even when the goddess inside you told you these peasants didn’t deserve your light, your friendship, your greatness. I’m proud of you.

I’m just proud of me for not snapping when I had every right to; not everything deserves a reaction.

6) Three negative things you want to leave for 2018.

*Comparisons 

Oh boy. I am extremely guilty for this: I’ll compare myself to a well-known illustrator my age. I’ll compare myself to friends who are in the field having a blast and getting work; I’ll compare myself to friends who aren’t in the field and they struggle at getting work. I’ll compare myself to the kid I graduated high school with who is traveling the world, is able to eat, come home to his dog and relax because he doesn’t have tuition to pay. I’ll compare myself to these goddamn baby boomers who keep repeating “We didn’t have it hard, you’re just being stupid. Millennials aka our children deserve to starve. We’ll just put our faith in our grandchildren because screw the kids we raised and refuse to pay accordingly. $7 an hour worked in my day, they need to make it work now.” I’ll compare myself to fake people I created in my head and purposely made scenarios and wonder why I’m not like them, said creations I made because I was pretty low for ten minutes...

I just compare myself too much. To any damn body. It’s draining, obnoxious and most of all pointless. My new motto for next year is: “Unless it is helping you grow yourself, your brand, your spirituality, don’t do it.”

I’m not comparing my chapter two to someone’s chapter thirty-five. I’m not even comparing my chapter two to someone else’s chapter two. I need to stop doing that PERIOD! My journey is different, unique, and worth seeing through.

**Listening to negative others.

A couple of years ago, I lost a close friend around the time my aunt passed away. During this time I was hypersensitive to any and everything done or said; I also kept many walls up to hide my mourning. He caught the crossfire of all of that. I kept secrets from him I was too prideful of admitting and lashed out because of the emotional turmoil I kept suppressed. While in the midst of packing his things and leaving my life, he mentioned that I was a failure because I was unemployed and artistically speaking I hadn’t accomplished anything; that I would remain that way because that’s just the person I deserved to be. Now mind you, I graduated college that year; he was a flunk out. I changed my art style dramatically compared to when I started school to pass; he thought just posting crappy pictures of lukewarm sketches were equivalent. I started attempting trends and all he could do was copy. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t to bash my old friend. If he were to come back into my life and move on like nothing had happened I’d do the same. (With some limitations.)

It’s just while typing out this scenario, of our four-year friendship I can’t think of one nice thing/compliment/gesture he has said to me. That’s my problem.

I can be praised, admired, and look highly upon for years straight. But my problem is I let others negative thinking and comments marinate with me for a long while. Too long of a while.

Another example is my mother’s friend. (My mom has many friends that do this shit, but this one stung more.) 

This friend always roots for me; treats me like a person, and encourages my artistic journey. I consider her family before my actual relatives. 

We went over for some barbeque the family was having and I was ready. Black Hallmark Cookouts, laughing, good food, good music, shit talking others teams. She asked me a harmless question of when was I going to quit my day job. Seemed like nothing at first, until the added gest of what she continued with. “All I’m saying is you can’t do [your day job] forever. That will get old. If the art thing doesn’t work out next year what’s plan b?”

I’m not a calm person (usually). Normal Caitlin would have cursed her out and mentioned how just because she chose a job to settle and be miserable at for most of her life doesn’t mean I have to follow suit. But again, of all the nice encouraging things she has done, said, and showed, for a while, I couldn’t think of it. 

So I pray I let go of this nasty behavior in 2018; it’s going to be hard but it is dire.

***Saying I’m Not Enough

Alright, now put the combination of the two above in a bowl and what do you get? A Caitlin who struggles in interviews and applying for jobs because I let comparisons and negative comments rule my thoughts. This stopped me from applying to jobs I would have been perfect for; internships that could have helped me; posting art online.

We (including me) have to stop thinking that in order to be an illustrator means we have to pass a certain threshold of struggle, success, and a huge number of followers. That isn’t the job description. NO JOB DESCRIPTION has ”must have at least 10K followers on Instagram or Twitter.” nOnE. 

So we (including me) need to stop treating ourselves this way. Period.

7) Three things you’re looking forward to in 2019.

*Going to move conventions.

**Adding pieces to my portfolio to try again at job hunting.

***Becoming content with the fact that my current situation isn’t my permanent situation. Unless I laze around and make it so.

Alright, so this was basically me calling myself out on my noise. Lashing out my demons and putting it in writing what I want to accomplish. I hope this inspires you to write yours, even if you keep it private. I hope it guides you and maintains your vision.

I’ll see you in 2019

A new wave

Caitlin xx

[daniellethorn-blog]

2016: Not My Miserable Cesspool

By this point, we’ve all decided that 2016 was a miserable cesspool that needs to be forgotten. While I agree it was horrible for many reasons (ie: international unrest, terrorist attacks, political events, and celebrity deaths as the mouldy cherry on top), for me personally and professionally, it was a period of growth and wonderful firsts. At the beginning of the year I had the privilege of filming interviews with Holocaust Survivors and Righteous Among the Nations for the March of the Living. It was single handedly the most fulfilling project I got to work on last year. To sit in a room with these incredible people and hear their stories of struggle and selflessness was humbling. It was a great reminder to be thankful for all that I have.

Two of those things I am constantly grateful for are my family and my friends, most of whom are basically like a second family to me. I’m extremely lucky to get to work with a lot of these folks on a series called Out with Dad. Production on seasons four and five continued throughout the year, and on those shoots we laughed, cried, and laughed until we cried. There were a few stressful days, but, for the most part, things went pretty smoothly. Working with the cast and crew of this series is always a blast, and leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done this year, and I’m excited to see what the future has in store for us.

While the majority of my work last year was corporate and commercial in nature, I did get to shoot a few short films (“Tough as Nails,” “Frame,” “Once Upon a Time In The West End”) and web series (“Happy Her,” “INDIEpendent") in addition to Out with Dad. I laughed hysterically at the talented Sophia Fabiilli and Michelle Alexander on “Overachieving Underdogs,” met some amazing new people on a short film called “Women Not Permitted,” worked with some wonderful old friends on another short called “Liaison,” and caught up with some familiar faces on a feature called “Art of Obsession.” Later in the year I also started doing some EPK work which took me to a few Hollywood film sets. It’s been interesting to see how the big budget films function versus the independents.

2016 was also the year I focussed more on personal projects. The first episode of my series “The Creative Type” went live. As with anything creative, I was extremely nervous to put it out there in the world; it took me nine months from shooting to uploading because I was obsessively fixing edits and wanting it to be perfect, until I finally decided to suck it up and post it. To my pleasant surprise, it was very well received, and I’m quite proud of how it turned out. Early this year I’ll be releasing episode two, and I’m hoping to have a total of six completed by the end of 2017. *fingers crossed*

In addition to 2016 being a very fulfilling year professionally, it was also home to me scratching three items off of my bucket list: 1. attend Just for Laughs in Montreal 2. go on an airplane 3. get a passport

I grew up watching The Comedy Network, and Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, and Whoopi Goldberg were my favourite actors, so naturally I always wanted to go to Just for Laughs. This year my friends Jason Leaver, Kate Conway, and Russell Winkelaar submitted a web series called “But How Do You Have Sex?” to the pitch circuit and got accepted. They managed to score a couple extra passes, so I was able to tag along. Not only did I get to attend JFL in Montreal as I had always dreamed, but I was able to go into the industry only events. At one of these events I got to meet Cameron Esposito, someone whose comedy I’ve enjoyed for years. The always lovely Tonya pulled a “have you met Ted,” and abandoned me to stand there stammering in front of the comedy goddess. I have never sweated that profusely in my life. *hat tip* Thanks Tonya :P Later in the week Esposito performed live, which I got into for free (yay Industry Pass!), and I congratulated her on a job well done a bit later at the Funny or Die party (what is my life?!). Did I mention that was my first time in Montreal? Another check for the bucket list.

In my day, I’ve done quite a bit of travelling within North America. My family and I went to New York, and Ohio (prior to needing a passport to cross the border), as well as Northern-ish Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, but these were all road trips; I had never been on a plane. At the end of September I had a gig out West, and the company flew the cast/crew to Edmonton. Because of this gig, I entered my first airport ever, was closer to a plane than I had ever been, and was the furthest from the ground in my life. Take off was spectacular!… until the plane started banking left. Though I had resolved to trust the faceless stranger at the controls in the cockpit and leave my life in their hands, my stomach flopped when I saw sky to my right, and ground to my left. Once we got settled and were headed in the right direction, my discomfort subsided, and I realized it felt like a train, only slightly louder with the engines to either side. We experienced minimal turbulence, and landed in a clear skied and sunny Alberta. That being said, landing was not my favourite. Especially the return landing, which was night and rainy.

When I flew to Edmonton for the gig, I technically didn’t need a passport since I was travelling within Canada. All I had to show was my driver’s licence (thank you Charter of Rights and Freedoms for making that possible!). Upon getting back, I decided I should get my passport just so… you know, I could travel outside of my own country and stuff. I had been dragging my heels for years because I thought it would be a difficult process. Turns out it was the easiest thing ever. Now that I have it, I often find myself randomly browsing plane tickets on Google, just because I can. It’s comforting to know that if right now in this moment I decided I wanted to go to Iceland, I could. (If money was no object, that is.)

It’s easy to get caught up in the “2016 was awful!” hooplah, I’m definitely guilty as charged there, but when I stepped back and really took a look at my year, it wasn’t so bad after all.

Here’s to making 2017 an even better year, with more adventures, more success, fulfilled goals, and continued personal growth!

[howellrichard]

Eco-Friendly Vegan Leather: Everything You Need to Know

Hiya Gorgeous,

I was blown away by the response to one of my recent blog posts, What the Fast Fashion Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know. I know how passionate this community is about the environment, animals and other humans. But your overwhelming positivity, support and enthusiasm for this topic really knocked my socks off!

Your excitement also left me more determined than ever to band together to save our precious planet. When our individual contributions start to add up, we have the power to change the world.

Something else stood out to me about the fast fashion blog post: I got a lot of questions about my favorite ethical, sustainable and cruelty-free brands. Many of you wanted more specific eco-friendly shopping how-tos and tips. I’m thrilled to say that today’s post is the first in a series all about that—and we’re kicking it off with the ultimate guide to vegan leather!

What’s the problem with leather?

If you read my post about the fast fashion industry, then you’re already aware of some of the issues that come along with exploiting animals for their fur, skins, etc. Animal agriculture requires massive amounts of land, water, fuel and feed. This industry is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all of the world’s transportation systems combined, and percent of the Amazon rainforest has been cleared to make way for pastures or for growing feed crops (source).

When it comes to leather specifically, the picture doesn’t get any better. The leather tanning process is often incredibly toxic. People who work in tanneries or live near them are exposed to harmful chemicals used to process, treat and dye animal skins. This often takes place in developing countries where child labor isn’t regulated, proper waste management systems aren’t in place, and workers aren’t well-protected or paid (source).

And our innocent animal friends endure horrific conditions. They’re often confined to overcrowded indoor spaces without access to sufficient food, water or fresh air. They suffer through painful procedures without anesthesia (like castration and branding) and face countless other forms of unimaginably cruel treatment (source).

We can do better. Animals, other people and the environment do NOT need to suffer for our wardrobes. That’s where eco-friendly vegan leather alternatives come in!

What is vegan leather?

Two vegan leather alternatives you may have heard of are PVC and PU. PVC is a petrochemical product that is heavily processed from start to finish. Many companies have moved away from using it because it requires fossil fuels to produce, contains toxic chemicals like Phalates (not safe for the environment or people!) and creates an enormous amount of waste (source). If you see PVC or its derivatives on a tag, you can bet it’s not a sustainable vegan leather alternative.

What is PU leather?

PU (polyurethane) is a popular vegan leather alternative. Many brands say it’s more eco-friendly than PVC, but do a little research and you’ll find a lot of mixed opinions. Some say that PU production results in just as many toxic emissions and waste as PVC, and that calling it sustainable is simply not true (source).

PU proponents, on the other hand, say that it’s a better option than animal exploitation and overall its environmental footprint is smaller than that of leather. My team and I did a lot of research on this since we know PU is widely used by the brands we’re sharing later in this article. There’s no easy or straightforward answer, but for the most part we agree that PU does less harm than leather.

A note on conscious consumption.

That brings me to an important reminder: Products of all kinds (purses, shoes, sheets, kitchen tools, you name it!) are only as sustainable, ethical and kind as the company they come from… no matter what they’re made of. Know the brands you buy from. Learn about the materials they use, their factory standards, how they treat their workers and how they manage waste. A purse made with PU from a brand with strong environmental and social practices is very different from a similar bag from a less conscious brand.

And here’s a hint: If a brand doesn’t provide clear, specific info about how they’re protecting people, animals and the environment, proceed with caution. Companies who prioritize this stuff speak up about it. Let’s demand more transparency!

Love the environment as much as I do? Get more sustainability tips and my free Starter Kit:

A peek into the future: more sustainable vegan leather alternatives!

Some brands are creating truly innovative vegan leather options out of organic and recycled materials. They’re more eco-friendly than the standard alternatives we discussed above, but are often more expensive, harder to find and not as broadly appealing (either because they don’t mimic the leather look and feel people want, or aren’t as high-end looking). But as the demand for sustainable vegan leather grows, I suspect we’ll see these options continue to improve and become more widely available.

Here are some of the coolest, most innovative materials that stood out to me:

Piñatex: Fruit is even more awesome and versatile than I thought—this incredible vegan leather is made from pineapples! It’s beautiful, watertight and durable. Plus, the company that manufactures it has some fantastic sustainability and social practices (learn more about them here). My fave cruelty-free watch brand, Votch, has an entire  collection of piñtatex watches.

MuSkin: This vegan leather is made from another one of my favorite plants—mushrooms! More specifically, it’s made out of the cap of a parasitic, inedible variety called Phellinus ellipsoideus (source). I don’t see a whole lot of MuSkin products available yet, but I bet that’ll change soon.

Apple peel leather: You read that right! An apple a day does more than just keep the doctor away. Companies like Veggani are using industrial apple peel waste to create environmentally friendly pieces like this gorgeous crossbody bag.

Recycled materials: Recycled rubber, recycled car tires, recycled plastic… oh my! Lots of companies are repurposing materials that would otherwise sit in landfills (or the ocean, rivers, forests, etc.) by creating shoes, bags, belts, etc. out of them. Rothy’s, for example, uses plastic water bottles to make their super cute (and machine washable!) shoes.

Get the ultimate guide to eco-friendly vegan leather alternatives—the best materials, top brands and more!

18 Eco-Friendly Vegan Leather Alternatives

There are so many wonderful companies out there dedicated to making fashion a kinder, more eco-conscious business, and I’m thrilled to highlight some of them today! This list is purely for your info and to support you on your eco-friendly journey—I’m not sponsored or getting paid to promote any of these brands. 

Note: These brands use a variety of materials. There are plenty of options if you want to avoid PU!

GUNAS (maker of high-end purses, wallets and shoes) believes that just being vegan isn’t enough—they’re looking out for other humans and the environment, too. And here’s something that really sets them apart: They encourage conscious consumerism. So rather than pushing you to buy fast and often like so many of the brands we’re familiar with, they want you to take your time and make careful decisions. I love this more purposeful, minimalist approach!

Whatever the season or occasion, you’ll be able to find the perfect pair of vegan leather shoes from Bhava. I’m eyeing these strappy sandals—what color is your fave? Bhava also does a great job explaining some of the problems with leather and fast fashion, along with what they’re doing to change the face of footwear.

Svala helps protect animals in more ways than one. Not only is their line of purses and wallets cruelty-free, they also donate a portion of the profits to charities like WildAid, whose mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade. Svala also buys carbon offsets to reduce their environmental footprint and uses recycled plastic bottles to line their bags—yay!

Rafa makes beautiful, hand-crafted vegan shoes in Los Angeles, California. While they keep a few things in stock, most items are made to order. This allows the Rafa team to dedicate time and quality craftsmanship to each unique pair. Check out this short and sweet video about how (and why!) they do what they do.

This is a trend I didn’t think I’d see again—fanny packs! HFS Collective’s belt bags are designed to “free you from your baggage.” That means more hands to pet every pup you meet, carry green drinks and do other stuff you love.

I mentioned Rothy’s in last year’s eco-friendly holiday gift guide, and this is still one of my fave brands for comfy shoes that can be dressed up or down. Their pointed toe flats are the perfect versatile basic. The uppers are made of 100 percent post-consumer water bottles, and the other parts of the shoe are made of a mix of recycled, non-toxic, vegan materials. Even their shoe boxes are biodegradable!

A pair of easy-to-wear slides is a must-have for the warmer months of the year, and Indosole has totally nailed an eco-friendly option. Not only do they come in some great colors, they also give a second life to a pervasive waste product—car tires!

Noani (meaning No Animal—yes!) has vegan leather belts for everyone in your life. They use innovative eco-friendly materials like eucalyptus and apple fibers. Plus, they’re committed to maintaining safe, fair working conditions for everyone involved in creating their products.

I love how transparent VEERAH is about the materials they use to make their luxury, sustainable, vegan shoes (check out a detailed list here!). Plus, can we talk about these gorg bright blue pumps made from apple leather? Anyone who thinks eco-friendly and fashionable don’t belong in the same sentence should get a load of those!

MooShoes is a vegan leather lover’s dream. Unlike the other brands on this list, this store is a hub where you can get goodies from a variety of cruelty-free brands. Their NYC location was the first cruelty-free retail store of its kind when it opened back in 2001 and they’ve since expanded to LA. But no worries if you’re not close to either of those locations—the website is easy to use and jam-packed with shoes, bags and more that’ll satisfy all style sensibilities.

I think that Angela Roi makes some of the most beautiful cruelty-free purses out there. That said, I’d love to see them expand the info available on their site about their sustainability practices and working conditions. Transparency is where it’s at, folks!

Looking for some comfy kicks for walking the dog, running to the store and everything in between? You’ll love Native Shoes, which are cruelty-free AND easy on the planet. In fact, Native has committed to making all of their products 100 percent lifecycle managed by 2023 (learn more about what that means here).

This circular purse from Hozen is so cute! And there’s a lot more than meets the eye here—Hozen donates 10 percent of their profits to Mercy for Animals (one of my favorite orgs!) and makes their products in small batches to avoid wasteful excess stock.

Nae (stands for No Animal Exploitation—so good!) has something for everyone. These desert boots are a great wardrobe staple. And who doesn’t need a simple, everyday black belt?

One of the wardrobe essentials I’ve had trouble finding in cruelty-free form is a vegan leather moto jacket! Then I came across this piñatex stunner from Altiir. It’s certainly not cheap, but could be a worthwhile investment if you wear it a lot and keep for years to come.

Labante London makes gorgeous purses, wallets and other accessories out of recycled materials. According to their website, they’ve already saved 10 million plastic bottles from languishing in landfills! I’m a big fan of this functional, timeless wallet.

Beyond Skin has a wide range of sandals, boots, heels, flats and more available in a variety of fun prints and fabrics. They’re also really upfront about their business and sustainability practices, which means you can buy with confidence. And how about these must-have mustard sandals? Love!

Have a favorite sustainable, cruelty-free brand I didn’t mention? Shout them out in the comments below!

I want to hear from you!

What other topics would you like me to cover in this eco-friendly series (home goods, skincare/makeup, etc.)?

Peace & cruelty-free fashion,

The post Eco-Friendly Vegan Leather: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on KrisCarr.com.

[jifsy]

23 Children’s Day Gifts Teachers Can Give To Their Students Without Breaking The Bank

With Children’s Day — which falls on Friday, 6th October 2017 this year — being hot on the heels of the recently-concluded Teacher’s Day, we believe it’s only appropriate for us to come up with this thoughtful list of gift ideas to benefit all primary school and preschool teachers out there. It’s now your turn to return the favour and gift your students their Children’s Day presents! Children, you know who to thank if you were to receive any of the gifts below. 

  1. Pencils, $1.25 per box of 12

Let’s start off with the very basic item all students ought to have in their possession… the humble non-mechanical pencil! Younger children, such as those in lower Primary levels, should not be using mechanical pencils just yet. Leave that for when they progress to Primary 3 or 4 and above.

  2. Zebra 0.4mm Colour Gel Pen, $1.29 per pen 

Yay! Colour gel pens! Tell us, really, have you ever encountered a child who doesn’t fancy colour pens? Perhaps you don’t have to get them every colour of the range, just choose to get your students a proper green pen so that they’ll be spurred to do their corrections!

  3. Pilot Colour Gel Pen, $1.31 per pen

Another brand of colour gel pens you can consider getting! ✍

  4. Double Tip Fluorescent Highlighter, $1.29 per highlighter

If you’re thinking of another option, why not choose the highlighter? This highlighter comes with two tips and one tip allows you to clearly identify the text you’re highlighting. Fancy~ ‎️‍

  5. Clear Pencil Box Case, $1.35

This Muji-inspired clear pencil box case will surely make a good, durable gift especially for students whose pencil cases are already ruined from all the wear-and-tear!

  6. Assorted Cartoon Characters Pencil Case, $1.27

Another option of a pencil case, this time with assorted cartoon characters featured proudly on it!

  7. Frozen Stationery Set inclusive of Wallet, $1.46

This is for all the young girls who still aren’t quite over with all things Queen Elsa, Anna and just Frozen in general. ❄❄❄

  8. Minions Stationery Set with Pencil Box, $1.54

Oh, these lovable minions! We doubt there’s any kid of school-going ages who doesn’t like the minions! This will bring them so much delight.

Note: Do check out this Minions Special collection on ezbuy, specially curated for Minion fans! Baaaa-na-na~

9. My Little Pony School Supplies Stationery Set, $1.37

  And this is for all the Bronies out there… no, we’re kidding! This will make an excellent stationery set for kids who adore My Little Pony! 🦄

  10. Doraemon 8-in-1 Stationery Set, $2.19

A more gender-neutral option will be this cutesy Doraemon 8-in-1 stationery set~ Nothing wrong with introducing to the kids your favourite cartoon from your era, hehe! 

  11. Korean Cartoon Stationery Set, $1.34

With these cartoons being unspecified and wordings being printed in Korean, it’s quite difficult to put a name to the faces. However, they look too cute to pass! Snap them up fast! What makes it value-for-money is the fact that it comes with a child-friendly pair of scissors. ✂

  12. Mickey/Minnie Mouse Stationery Set, $1.27

This famous Mouse will surely put a smile on any child’s face upon receiving this useful stationery set!

  13. Miffy Compass Set, $1.27

Not only does this look super adorable with Miffy  fronting the cover, it is also a highly useful tool for primary school students learning to use the compass to draw a circle!

  14. Geometry Rulers Set, $1.27

Perhaps this colourful ruler set will entice your students to draw proper straight lines when underlining key words during lesson time.

  Deli Students’ Ruler Set, $1.29

Or would you prefer giving your students a more formal looking set of rulers? 

  15. Science Magnets Set, $1.29

This will come in handy during science lessons! Make your students apply concepts taught in the topic of magnets so that they can remember better. 

  16. IQ Metal Puzzle Piece, $1.74 per box of 8

Planning to give your class some brain breaks (also known as brain exercises) periodically in between back-to-back lessons? Then these IQ metal puzzle pieces will be so ideal! 🤔

  17. Assorted Pokemon Plush Toy, $1.90

If you’re planning to reward your obedient students with something which they will be absolutely enthralled to receive, consider getting these oh-so-cute Pokemon soft toy plushies! Seeing how Pokemon Go captivated the hearts of many young kids, this option ought to be a sound (and safer) one.

  18. Mini Gudetama Battery-Operated Night Light, $1.88

With Gudetama Cafe opening in Singapore, it’s not hard to imagine kids these days knowing this Sanrio lazy-egg character. Getting them this mini night light seems like a good option, we reckon! 

For more Gudetama and other popular character merchandise click on image below to view our collections!

  19. Non-toxic Finger Painting Set, $1.29

What about getting your students some DIY gifts such as this finger printing set? Its non toxic paints will let parents be reassured when they allow their kids to use their fingers to complete their artworks. 

  20. Watercolour Painting Set, $1.29

Otherwise, you can choose this watercolour painting set which comes equipped with a paint brush instead! This will ensure at least your child’s fingers stay (slightly) clean even after doing some watercolour painting.

  21. Assorted Cartoon Children’s Digital Watch, $1.61

Realised that your students can’t seem to be able to keep track of time well? Then perhaps a gift in the form of a simple children’s digital watch ought to make it right! ⌚

  22. Tsum Tsum Luggage Tag, $1.32

With almost 40 kids in a classroom and each one of them having a backpack, it’s easy to get confused if two kids were to own the same Smiggle backpack! Clear out the confusion by gifting them this luggage tag so that they can learn to write their names on it and attach it to their bags accordingly for easy identification.

  23. Lotte Green Grape Candy, $2.50

So much for stationery and merchandise, now how about some snacks from our Local Marketplace? Seeing how it will be an occasional rare treat especially when the kids receive it only during this once-in-a-year event of Children’s Day!

  Other good gift ideas include giving them a reusable collapsible water bottles , useful cute notebooks or even board games for some in class fun!

  Need more ideas? Head onto ezbuy.sg now to start shopping for Children’s Day gifts so that you’ll receive these goodies in time to come!

  ezbuy is Singapore’s first and largest global shopping platform offering you unbeatable savings for the widest variety of products!

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