#you'll get the painting later this weekend

[shirecorn]

We already know what a female anglerfish looks like.

A distinguished sponsor has asked to see a male anglerfish, of one of those species that attaches to the female and then atrophies into nothingness in the name of love.

Even before that fateful embrace, the male anglerfish is a funky little creature.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Tattoos IV

Mapi León x Ingrid Engen x Child!Reader

Summary: You design Mami a tattoo

You sit crosslegged in front of Mr Pina's enclosure, drawing furiously on your notepad. It's a new piece for your best friend Pequeñita and you want to make it perfect.

Mr Pina helps with your inspiration sometimes so you sit with him as you draw.

"Hola, teeny."

Mami comes up behind you and pulls you into her lap. She looks over your shoulder to see what you're drawing and she smiles.

"That looks great!"

"Mumma says when I'm done we can frame it before giving it to Pequeñita!" You say," So I'm working very hard!"

"I'm sure Pequeñita is going to love it," Mami says," But, hey, can I have some help with something?"

You look away from your paper to look at Mami, humming your confirmation.

"I was thinking about getting another tattoo," She says," And I want it to be extra special."

You nod along. "Mumma says tattoos are permanent and you must be very careful what you put on your body."

"Your Mumma is very smart," Mami says," That's exactly right."

"What are you getting?"

"Well," Mami says, moving you so you're facing her," I was thinking my favourite little artist could design me one."

"Really?!"

"Really!"

You think for a moment. "After Pequeñita's drawing is done. We have a playdate next week and it has to be finished by then."

"Alright, teeny. I can wait."

Mapi finds that she doesn't have to wait long because you come running into the bedroom very early a few days later with your sketchpad and pen covering your hands.

"Oh, teeny," Ingrid laughs as she pulls you up onto the bed," You've gotten very messy."

"I made Mami's tattoo!" You say, crawling over Ingrid to settle between them," It's Bagheera!"

It's a black blob, in truth but it's got a tail and little cat ears and it's outlined with a dash of gold because Bagheera is one of the queens of the house and she makes you extra happy-happy.

She makes Mami happy too.

You explain it all to her and Mami smiles.

"Thank you, teeny," She says, giving lots of kisses all over your face," This is perfect."

"Did you hear, Mumma? Mami called my drawing perfect!"

"Of course she did!" Ingrid pulls you into a big hug," Our favourite artist never produces anything that isn't perfect."

You giggle as Mumma layers kisses on your cheek.

"We'll take a trip to the tattoo parlour later," Mumma says," And you can see Mami get her new tattoo."

"Of course! I can't have it done without my favourite artist being there to see!"

Mapi can't stop smiling at her new tattoo as she goes into training the day after it's finished. It looks absolutely perfect on her arm and the smile never falls.

You run off pretty quickly to go and see Alexia's Pequeñita with your little backpack of art supplies and Mapi watches you from afar.

"That one's new," Alexia says, pointing at the Bagheera blob.

"Teeny designed it," Mapi boasts," I got it done a few days ago."

You've gotten out your skin pens again, drawing over your arms as Pequeñita attempts a portrait of you.

"Is it meant to be Bagheera?"

"It is! She's so talented!"

Alexia laughs. "She's coming back to mine tonight, right?"

Mapi nods. "She's got a picture for Pequeñita in the car. She worked on it all weekend."

"Pequeñita's got one at home for her as well."

"Mami!" You call, running over to her," Look! I'm you!"

You show off your pen covered arms, pointing out which ones are crude depictions of Mapi's own tattoos. You point at you shoulder and beam, showing off your own Bagheera blob.

"Tia Ale! Do you see? Me and Mami match!"

"Very nice, teeny," Alexia laughs," I was just saying how cool Mapi's new tattoo is. You'll have to design me one soon."

You nod seriously. "Soon," You promise," But not now because me and Pequeñita are drawing each other now."

"Okay, teeny," She says," Are you excited to come over tonight?"

You nod. "Pequeñita says she got new paints and we can paint together!"

"You can only paint with Pequeñita," Ingrid says as she approaches," If you have clean hands and arms. It's nice that you want to match with your Mami but you also need to be clean, teeny. Come on, let's go and wash it off so you can draw some more."

You sigh. "But Mumma-"

"You can be like Mami later," Mumma promises you," But right now, I need clean arms or I can't put these on."

She waves a packet of temporary tattoos in your face and you gasp.

"I'll wash my arms!"

You take off for the toilets.

"Take someone with you!"

You grab Pequeñita's hand.

"An adult, teeny!"

You grab Pina's hand too, dragging her and Pequeñita with you.

"Where did you get those?" Mapi laughs.

"Corner store," Ingrid replies," I used to love these things. She can't get ink poisoning from these. It's the safe solution if she wants to be like you."

"But she won't be like me if we don't match!" Mapi complains and Alexia grins.

"I think there's a site where you can design your own."

Ingrid groans as Mapi's eyes light up.

[polarisjisung]

KISSES WITH NCT DREAM

pairings: nct dream × fem! reader

genre: fluff

warnings: mentions of giving hickeys (for jeno) + reader is implied to have long(ish) hair + use of pet names

notes: a little different to usual but i want to post more often and I love reading these little headcanons! although I do need to switch it up from all the fluff 🫠

MARK-cozy morning kisses:

mark loves lazy mornings, holding you by the waist to make sure you don't have a chance to escape the warmth of the duvet you're all wrapped up in. sure your hair's a little messy but mark loves the domesticity of waking up next to you. you'll make every attempt to make your way out of the confines of your shared double bed but mark ultimately wins, shutting you up with a kiss when he feels like you're talking too much

"mark baby, please I have work" mark could not care less— really, they should've made it illegal to work weekends

"you have a boyfriend too" he'd tuck the hair falling from your ponytail behind your ear and you're a sucker for the way he'd let his palm rest over your cheek as he pulls you into his chest underneath the covers

"markie, I'll get fired" you know you'd lost the battle the second mark let his eyes land on your lips, the ones that were still shining from the left over lip mask you'd applied the night before, but you still try to bolt out of the covers as fast as you can, undoubtedly you'll get pulled back in by mark just a few seconds later

"don't run from me baby" he's all pouty, you know its all just a facade to get a couple extra minutes in bed with you but saying no to mark just wasn't one of your capabilities

when you finally sigh in defeat,

"just 5 minutes" with a roll of your eyes, he's peppering sweet kisses all over your face, placing a couple pecks on your lips too

"I'll take 5 minutes"

best believe he'll take a lot more than just 5

RENJUN-stupid adorable smiley kisses:

kisses with renjun start out ever so gentle, a quick touch of your lips before he's checking to see your reaction. doesn't matter how long you've been dating, renjun still gives you butterflies every damn time, and he's the same with you, all giddy and kicking his feet, so you both start out so smiley against each other's lips, soft and sweet. on occasion renjun likes to go for deep, more meaningful passionate kisses, and the second you see his starry eyes staring up at you, grin formed into a soft smile, you know his hand is going to reach for your jaw and his lips are going to move rushed against yours

there's a sparkle in his eyes, a glint that tells you renjun won't stop at a few pecks— naturally you don't mind at all

"my love?" he coos, looking up at you, taking in your features as though he's trying to commit every detail of your pretty face to memory, your moles, the shape of your lips and your sparkling eyes, he would memorise it all in that very moment

you swear he looks at you as though you've painted the sky and hung the stars, and every time you catch yourself wondering what you've done to be lucky enough to deserve him

"I love you" as those words slip so effortlessly out of his lips, he'll guide you with a hand against the back of your head to meet his lips again, with more urgency this time

"I love you too" you'd breathe out, an oppurtunity you'd never miss

JENO-neck kisses

jeno loves your lips, kisses, pecks, full on make out sessions— he doesn't mind. but every time he finds your hair tied back and your neck on display he sees it as the perfect chance to show that you're absolutely not single, very much taken in fact. jeno finds joy in carving his initials into your neck or leaving small, unintentional patterns behind sucking and gently biting at the warm skin on your neck. the kisses eventually trail their way up across the bone of your jaw, his hands tugging at the ends of your hair as he twirls it between his fingers. jeno wants it all, quick kisses will do if you're out and about but the second you're home, kissing is at least a 20 minute task.

when you're out, be it hanging out with friends or running errands together, especially in the summer, when you like to tie your hair back a lot more frequently, jeno finds himself going absolutely feral, he's like a child begging his mother to go home

your back is against the wall the second you step through the door, jeno's lips impatiently capturing yours. he's a literal animal, he'll devour any lipstick you're wearing like it was never even there, before his kisses land on your collarbone.

"knew what you were doing when you tied your hair up baby hmm?" jeno likes to think you do it on purpose, to mess with him just a little, admittedly you do, but if you could be honest it had been solely unintentional this time

"come on jeno" your hands land on his chest, almost avoiding the hungry search of his lips for the skin of your neck "didn't know you were so needy"

you like to tease him, his cute agitated kisses becoming a little more intense at your words

equally jeno finds no shame in just how crazy he is for you

"needy for you baby, only you"

something about his urgency mixed with his loyalty forces you to forget about the hickeys you'll spend hours covering up over the next few weeks

HAECHAN- tip of your nose kisses:

haechan loves a makeout session as much as the next person, and despite his forward and bold attitude, sometimes the hard-core kisses just aren't what he's looking for. his favourite solution? kissing the tip of your nose, he likes booping your nose here and there as it is, but in his softest moments, where you find his eyes staring your way in pure awe, haechan's eyes travel to the tip of your nose immediately. it doesn't take long for his lips to follow— a tentative kiss to make sure you're in the mood to be absolutely bombarded with his love

forehead kisses are a close second, and eventually haechan gives in to delicate tender kisses on your lips, his fingers interlaced with yours

"have I ever told you I love you?" kisses with haechan are playful, so you can always tell he's in the mood when that adorable toothy grin shines it's way at you

"multiple times hyuck, every day actually" you'd respond, so giggly that he swears he's falling in love with you all over again, he's not sure if it's possible quite frankly, considering he thinks the same thought everyday

"that's what you deserve baby, I love you" he'd waddle his way over to you on the sofa, that smirk on his face that tells you everything you need to know— the kiss lands perfectly in the centre of your nose, your face soon hidden away in your hands

"don't get shy on me now baby, you know what I wanna hear" he's already trying to get another look at your pretty eyes and when he successfully gets your hands to slide down your face, places a chaste kiss to your forehead

"I love you too hyuck"

"can't hear you buttercup, you're gonna have to show me that pretty face so I can lip read" he's a little too proud of his words, and when you do let your hands down, his lips are all over yours

JAEMIN-lip gloss kisses:

jaemin is a sucker for those shiny, perfect glossy lips of yours, he's a sucker for you full stop, but your lips are practically a superpower.

now jaemin hates strawberries but that pretty pink lip gloss of yours with a little shimmer and that strawberry scent is his absolute favourite, he swears it makes your eyes pop 10x more it's perfect— you're perfect

he loves showering you with affection, be it hugs or kisses, holding your hand or whispering sweet nothings into your ear, jaemin treats you like an absolute princess and when his princess is all dressed up and so absolutely gorgeous, he can't help but ask for one thing for himself. not that jaemin doesn't love seeing you lounging around casually, he thinks you look gorgeous all the time, but seeing the confidence that oozes from your being when you're ready for a big event has his stomach doing backflips

his arms wrap around your waist quicker than you can twist the tube of your lip gloss shut— really there was no point going through your extensive lip combo routine because you should've known jaemin would eat it all up

"my sweet sweet girl, do you think I could have a kiss?" jaemin likes to get extra affectionate in these moments, clinging to you with a smile that reaches his eyes, just to make sure there's no way you can say no

"but nana my lip gloss" you're always trying to make excuses, really it was just because lip products were starting to get expensive, but you don't mind blowing more money on them if it meant you'd have a love like jaemin

"hmm, I'll buy more for you, just give me a kiss pretty please?"

you only make one more attempt at stalling, you know better that you're not winning this battle

"but nana it'll get all over you"

he shrugs, so unbothered you swear you hear your heartbeat ring in your ears

"I like it like that"

jaemin loves the way you tenderly hold his face before you seal his lips in a kiss, when you pull away his lips are glittery and pink just like yours, but his smile seems to have grown ten fold

"you look so pretty nana, my princess" he nods

"your princess, all yours" before locking your lips against his once again

CHENLE-spiderman kisses:

chenle loves the movie, chenle loves you, to him it just made sense and the spiderman kiss has easily become his favourite way to greet you as he walked through the door.

most days chenle would find you seated on the couch, finishing up a project for work when he'd get home, his hand would wrap under your chin and slightly over your neck with ease, lips locking with yours momentarily

"I missed you" he'd whisper, every time as he pulled away from you, placing his things down to a side and slipping into the empty space beside you. his arm would find its rightful place resting over your shoulder before his lips would brush over yours again

"I missed you too"

the both of you would bask in the warm intimacy of the moment, something between you, only for you, that the both of you would secretly look forward to day in and day out

to chenle that was enough, that daily welcome home kiss was practically routine and it was a routine he'd grown used to, practically to the point where when he'd walk in and you weren't working away at a desk or on the sofa, anywhere he could easily guide your head backwards and press his lips to yours, the rest of his day would be ruined

dramatic, would be the best way to describe a kiss deprived chenle

JISUNG-hand kisses:

to jisung kisses are one of the truest levels of intimacy, they come with philosophical and ethical discussions and debates, prophesies of where the universe might be heading in ten years or why you shouldn't take things in life for granted

jisung liked to think, and he appreciated being able to share and discuss his thoughts with you, to him that seemed like one of the purest forms of love, being unashamed to share even the most wild and crazy theories with each other

he admired your passion, the way you'd get lost between your own thoughts, in your own world as you explained a concept to him, one of the many reasons jisung loved you, and in those moments a press of his lips to the knuckles of your hand, already intertwined with his, seemed perfect, like the cherry on top

"I think it's crazy how we don't realise so much of what goes on around us" you're sharing one of those moments of yours again, when you feel like you'd noticed something that made a big impact on your point of view in life and jisung can't help but let that gummy smile flash over his lips, his thumb rubbing up and down the outer surface of your hand

it's beautiful to him, how your legs are laying over his and how you rest your head against his chest and his fingers rake through your hair while you find yourselves in this moment, for a second jisung stops listening, or at least attentively so, trying to take in this fleeting moment of what he thought was the most important part of loving someone

"sung, you seem out of it?" you'd ask the question so concerned, despite a little guilt that he hadn't been able to listen to you, jisung would smile softly and shake his head

"just thinking about how lucky I am to have you"

and his hand would lift yours, quickly pressing a feathery kiss to your knuckles

"I love you" he'd say, a phrase he didn't say often, scared it would lose its meaning, but one he'd say just enough that you'd known how much you meant to him

[leafjoon]

Between the Lines - pt. I

tbhc!alex x reader this chapter is bascially a slow burn, fluffy vibe charged w some sexual tension between the reader who is in college n our beloved alix who becomes her editor. warnings: age gap, alex is 33, reader is in her 20's, cursing, alcohol.

In the heart of the university campus, a quaint café served as a haven for students. Seated at a cozy corner table Y/N and her best friend, Sophie, found comfort in the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the hum of hushed conversations.

The soft glow of pendant lights cast a warm ambiance over mismatched wooden furniture, creating a warm atmosphere. Amidst the rustling of students immersed in textbooks and the distant murmur of espresso machines, Y/N and Sophie navigated the labyrinth of academia.

"Ugh, I suck," you groaned, holding your English lit paper in your hands.

"You don't," said Sophia.

"I got a C, Soph."

"Didn’t you do this on three hours of sleep?" she looked at you.

"Yeah," you grumbled.

"You'll do better next time."

"Ugh. I know. It's just such a blow to my confidence," you said, sipping on your ginger tea.

"I know. But this grade doesn't determine your skills. You're great at writing," she said, swirling her spoon in her iced coffee.

"Well. That's debatable," you replied.

She glared at you.

"Fine, fine. I'll stop talking shit about myself," you rolled your eyes.

"Good." She said pleased with your answer. 

You scanned the coffee shop and saw students going about their normal routines. Some of them were hurrying to get to their lectures on time. Others were lazing around in their seats, talking to their friends. Chatter filled the room as you let out a stressed out sigh. You sulked, not knowing how you were gonna recover from this grade.

"Anyway, as I was telling you. I asked my dad about Mr. Turner. He said you can give him a call and ask him to check out your novel."

"Oh god,” you groaned. “I mean-thank you so much. I don't wanna seem ungrateful, I just-I don't know. It feels awkward showing someone my short novel. If you can even call it that,” you rambled.

"I get it. I get embarrassed when I show my tutor my paintings. And he always has something to say," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Soph, your paintings are incredible. And your guy is good."

"That's true," she said, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

You smiled at her. You loved your best friend. You met in high school and became close friends senior year. You used to spend hours at each other's places, watching shows and mulling over the characters. She was one of the few people who was there for you through thick and thin and you weren't afraid to show your vulnerable side to her, insecurities and all.

"I'll send you his phone number and you can contact him whenever."

"Okay. Will do." You said, scrunching your face.

"If you don't do it, I will.”

"Ugh, I'll do it, I promise."

"I'll hold you to it."

"I can't wait to go out on Friday. I need to get drunk and forget," you groaned.

"Same. We've been too stressed out lately. We need to let loose," Sophie added.

You and Sophie had a tradition. No matter the circumstances you always went out on the weekend. You often drank alcohol at your favorite bar or club and danced until your feet were numb and your hearts were pounding. Then you stumbled to one of your dorms and ate junk food or watched a shitty movie.

Sophie looked down at her phone, her clock reading 1:47 PM.

"Well, I have to run. I have Literary Criticism soon,” she remarked.

"With Mr. spits when he talks?" you replied.

"That's the one," she said, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

You chuckled. "Good luck."

"I’ll see you later," she leaned down, giving you a quick kiss on the cheek.

You, on the other hand, finished your lectures for the day. Your Mondays weren't as rough, consisting of only two lectures in the morning and god, were you thankful for that.

Your eyes darted to your phone screen, after you received a notification from Sophie.

Alexander Turner

+378 09 998 890

Anxiety gnawed at you. You took a deep breath and told yourself It’s fine. He gets paid for this kind of job. He’s probably seen worse writing.

You decided to be brave and text him as there's no way you were calling him.

Hello Mr. Turner. Peter Herring recommended you as an editor. I am currently working on a short novel and I am interested in hiring you. Would you be interested in that? Thank you in advance.

You typed it out, reading it again. You erased the words ‘short novel’ leaving it blank. 

"Ugh." You said out loud. You decided to retype it and send it without thinking too much, letting out a sigh of relief.

As you were scrolling on your phone, it suddenly started vibrating and a number appeared. It read Mr. Turner.

Oh god. Why the hell is he calling me? Doesn’t this guy know how to text?

You answered your phone hesitantly, bringing it to your ear.

"Hello?" you said.

"Hi." a low voice spoke.

"Um. Is this Mr. Turner?"

"Yeah. What's your name, love? You didn't introduce yourself," he said in a thick British accent.

"Oh-um, I'm (Y/N)."

"Alright, (Y/N). You're interested in hiring an editor, is that correct?"

"Yes." 

"Great. How's Wednesday evening work for you? 7pm, my office? We can discuss the details then."

"Um, Wednesday evening? Yeah I'm good with that," you said.

"Alright. I'll send you my address then. Don't forget your novel," he added.

"Yes. Thank you," you sputtered.

And with that he hung up the phone. You stood there bewildered at this phone call. You just agreed to go to this random man's office on a Wednesday. You had no idea he was british. Why didn't Soph tell you he was british?

Well I guess you have an editor now.

*

In the sanctuary of your dormitory, you and Sophie nestled on your sofa as you found comfort beneath your favorite blanket.

"I had no idea he was british! His accent was so thick Soph. Like, I had never heard it before."

Sophie was laughing at you. "I thought I mentioned it."

"Well you didn't. Nothing could have prepared me for that. He was so swift and straight to the point. Skipped all the usual bullshit."

"Yep, that's Turner for you," she replied.

"How did your dad meet him again?" you inquired.

"Oh, he was his student in college. Mr. Turner lived in London for a few years and then moved here after my dad recommended him for this sort of writing position," she shrugged.

"Huh. That's interesting," you said. "Hey, what does this guy look like?" you asked, your curiosity peaking.

"Hmm. Let me show you his Facebook," she said. 

"His Facebook?" you asked, furrowing your brows in confusion.

"What? He doesn't have Instagram. He's in his 30s." she added.

"Right," you nodded. You got up and sat next to her, both of you staring at her phone. She found his Facebook page and clicked on his photos.

"He's kinda cute," you said, breaking the silence. Sophie chuckled at your reaction. "He’s good looking," she shrugged.

He had big brown eyes and medium length hair that went past his ears, down to the nape of his neck. His beard seemed neat and trimmed.

"Don't get any ideas now," she looked at you, teasing. "I'm not. I want to see how he looks like so I'm not completely blind sided when I get there."

"Anyway," you continued. "Do you wanna sleep over tonight? My roomie's not here."

"Oh my gosh, yes. I'll go grab my stuff," she exclaimed. "Okay," you said in a singsong and slumped down on your sofa, stretching out your legs.

You couldn't help but feel jittery for Wednesday. You let your thoughts wander for a little, wondering what he was like.

*

The week was passing quickly, and it was finally Wednesday. You were preparing to leave and go to Mr. Turner's place. To say you were a little nervous would be an understatement. Your palms were sweaty, and you weren't sure what you were wearing was appropriate.

You questioned if you looked like you were trying too hard as you opted for baggy brown suit pants and a red shirt with long sleeves.

Ugh. I'm sure he doesn't give a rat's ass about what I'm wearing.

As you put on your big leather jacket and wrapped a black scarf around your neck, the words he spoke echoed in your mind. "Don't forget your novel." As you went back to your room, you made sure to grab your novel and quickly stuffed it into your tote bag as well as your dorm keys. You couldn't help but wonder if any of his clients had ever forgotten theirs.

You decided to take the bus to his office and followed the instructions he texted you.

102 Ave Street. Nr. 32. If you have difficulties finding it, call me.

As you strolled around the neighborhood, you spotted a house with the number 32. You walked past his charming little garden and couldn't help but admire how nicely maintained it was. 

Now, standing in front of his door, a mix of excitement and nerves crept over you. Unsure of whether to give a knock or press the doorbell, anticipation filled the air. You decided to knock.

As you took a moment to take in your surroundings, the sound of the door being opened reached your ears. Stepping into the view was a figure of a pale man.

"Uh, hello," you said, extending your hand for him to shake. "Good evening," he said, a slight awkward smile on his face. He glanced down at your hand for a few seconds before finally reaching out to shake it.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Turner," you said, maintaining the handshake. "Likewise. Please, come inside and feel at home," he invited you.

"Thank you," you quietly replied as you stepped into his house, though a slight feeling of uncertainty lingered. It almost felt like intruding. "This way to my office," he directed, gesturing towards the left.

"Would you like a drink? Coffee or tea?" he asked. "Uh, tea would be fine. Thanks."

As you walked into his office, you settled into one of the inviting chairs positioned near his desk. Your gaze wandered to the oak wood bookcase that adorned the room, its shelves overflowing with a collection of books. Your eyes were drawn to the carefully placed plants that created a warm and inviting atmosphere. You wondered if anyone else lived in this house, although it seemed empty by the looks of it.

"Here you go," he interrupted your thoughts, setting down a mug with hot tea. "I brought you ginger. I don't know if you like it or not," he said with a serious tone. "Oh, that's my favorite actually," you said, smiling awkwardly.

"Great. Careful, it's hot," he looked at you and gave you a half smile. You blushed a little and brought the mug to your mouth, taking a sip. "So, did you bring your novel?" he said, staring at you.

You tried to speak and swallow at the same time and ended up choking on your drink. You coughed for a few minutes as Alex stared at you, his face laced with concern.

"Erm.." he shifted so he could tap your back. "Try to look up. It should help," he said.

You followed his instructions and looked up at the ceiling, coughing. Your throat seemed to calm down.

"S-sorry," you barely managed to say. "No worries. You alright?" 

"Yes," you exhaled and took out the novel, handing it to him, trying to move past the awkward situation. "Thank you," he muttered.

He took your novel and opened it, setting it down on the desk. Your legs were only a few centimeters away from each other. You shifted slightly, not wanting to invade his personal space.

You realized he hadn't asked you to send him your novel and wondered if you had made a mistake. Perhaps you should have asked him about it.

"Um... should I have sent a digital copy of it to you?" you questioned. "No, it's quite alright. I prefer reading it in front of my clients," he said, his gaze not leaving the book.

You felt awkward, to say the least. It wasn’t pleasant having someone read your work right in front of you. Especially when you thought editors usually familiarize themselves with your work beforehand.

You fumbled with your fingers, unsure what to do with yourself. Bringing the hot mug to your lips, you took a few sips. Your eyes wandered around the room and settled on Alex. He looked like he was studying your work, wearing a serious expression on his face, his eyebrows furrowed.

He looked handsome. When a few strands of hair fell on his face, he tucked them behind his ear. You felt your cheeks heat up and looked away before he could catch you staring. 

As you anxiously awaited his response, doubts clouded your mind about whether any of the sentences you wrote were coherent. You nervously retrieved your phone from your bag, feeling the clamminess on your palms. However, before you could reach out to a friend, he abruptly spoke up.

“S’good,” he looked up at you nodding. “Really? But you didn’t read that much.." you weren't sure what to say.

“I don’t need to. I can see that it’s straightforward and has a clear direction. It’s a bit wordy though and needs some work.” He added.

“Oh, okay,” you nodded. He noticed you slumped a little and found it endearing. He had to remind himself of your age and sensitivity.

“But don’t fret. It’s nothing we can’t fix,” he said, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Right,” you smiled politely. You looked at him for a split-second and then glanced down at your hands.

“Well. I need to read the rest of your novel now. I only wanted to give you a clear picture of what we were gonna do in the upcoming weeks and how this works,” you nodded.

“For now we can meet once every two weeks and then see how your work progresses. Does Wednesday work for you, around this time?” “Uh-yes. I can do that.”

“Perfect. I want to recommend two books for you to read that could help you with your writing. Could you grab “On Writing”, by Stephen King from the bookshelf there?” he pointed to a book with a brown hardcover.

You stood up and spotted the book he was talking about. “This one?” you asked. “Yes. And also the “Bird by Bird” on your left.” You looked around but didn’t see the book he was talking about.

He stood up, approaching you, his chest pressing lightly against your back. His hand reached out just above your head, and a tantalizing scent reached your nose. The subtle blend of cigarette smoke and lavender emerged from his clothing.

“That’s your right,” he said behind you, amused. “Oh, right,” you chuckled awkwardly.

He got back to his desk and handed you the book, your fingers grazing his.

“You don’t need to read these in over a week. This isn’t school,” he chuckled. “But they should help you improve and explore different methods of writing.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Turner,” you mumbled. “Oh, feel free to call me Alex,” he said. “Okay. Alex,” you replied.

You felt strange saying his name in such a casual manner. It felt like you were talking to a friend your age, not a 30 something year old accomplished editor and god knows what else.

“Oh uh, how do I pay for this?” “My secretary will contact you for that. The first session was meant for us to get acquainted and make sure that we are a good fit."

“Great,” you said.  “Alright.” He looked at you. “Right. Then I’ll be going. Thank you, again. It was nice meeting you,” you mumbled. 

“It was nice meeting you too,” he smiled and guided you to the door. You waved goodbye, and exited his house, the cold autumn air surrounding you. Well, now you really have an editor.

*

Alex didn't expect, well, you. He knew you were younger but god, were you a pretty little thing. His usual clients were a lot older and well, half of them were men.

He tried not to get carried away as his mind swirled with different thoughts about you. He didn't want to be creepy and he never wanted to give you that impression. So he tried his best to be professional.

But you were making it so hard. With your pouty lips and your fumbling hands every time you waited for a response from him. You wore these perfectly fitting tops that hugged your body. Occasionally when you moved around, the fabric would subtly reveal a glimpse of your midriff, making it impossible not to gawk at you. He thought you were simply adorable.

"So, how are your classes going? Anyone giving you trouble?" He asked, genuinely interested. "They're going well," you trailed off, sighing. 

"It's one of my professors. I don't think he likes me," you murmured. "Who?" he asked. 

"Professor Miller," you slumped a little. "Oh. Well I don't think he likes anyone if that makes you feel any better," you laughed. "No but seriously, what’s the problem?" he asked.

"I have the lowest grade in his class," you said, rolling your eyes, a little embarrassed to admit. "Grades aren't everything (Y/N). I've had my fair share of shitty grades too."

"What if I just suck though?" you asked, finding it unbelievable how comfortable you felt talking to him after knowing him only for a few weeks. "Nah. I would have dropped you by now," he teased you.

You gasped. “I’m only joking. You have a lot of potential,” he said, softly gazing into your eyes.

You smiled, feeling at ease.

"If you want I can help you with your assignments. Give you tips and such. Free of charge," he joked.

Both of you couldn't help but notice that your knees were touching but you felt comfortable staying close.

"Are you sure?" you asked. "Yeah. What else am I gonna do with my time?" he said. "Thanks," you said, feeling like this is beginning to border on inappropriate. But you didn't care.

"How about tomorrow, after your classes, you come by and we can see what we can do."

You nodded. "Okay. Sounds great." 

*

You had entranced him. He knew it was inappropriate. He was your editor, after all. And much older than you. But he couldn't help it. He couldn't stand the idea of any of these college guys having you. You were too good. Too sweet.

He wanted to be the one who owned you. He often imagined what it would be like to graze your delicate skin with his fingers. Make you shiver under his touch. Or how you mouth would feel around his coc-

"I hate writing!" you exclaimed, getting up from his couch and pacing around. You guys had moved from his office to his living room. He wanted you to feel comfortable.

He listened to you intently as you explained what you meant to convey in your latest pages. He could have easily done this over an email, but no, he had to see you. Your low voice, sweet like honey, reached his ears.

You sighed. "I don't know. I feel like I'm losing sight of my story. I have no idea what to do next." You said, biting your lip.

"Maybe you should leave it be," Alex replied.

"Huh?" you questioned.

"Well you've been working really hard at it lately. When was the last time you did something else you were passionate about?"

"I-," you paused, "I don't know," you mumbled, sitting down next to him again.

"See? You need to forget about it for a while. Create some distance."

You mulled over his words. "Is that what you do?"

"Course. Every artist does."

You looked at him like the world hung on his lips.

"Yeah. I can try that," you said, a worried expression on your face.

"No," he laughed. "Don't take this as another assignment. I mean really forget about it. Do something that doesn't make you think about writing."

You thought about it for a while and asked "Like what?"

He hesitated. "Well." Fuck it, he thought. "I have two tickets to the theater tonight," he raised his eyebrows slightly. "One of my friends canceled on me and you can join me if you want.”

His gaze met yours as you registered what he asked you. He looked at you, biting his lip, worrying if he had been too forward.

"What's the play about?" you asked, caving in. He tried to contain his smile and continued "It's ballet. The last swan lake."

"Oh, I've always wanted to see that," you said. "Great. We can meet in front of the theater at 7:30. That alright?" he asked. 

"Yeah. Sounds good," you replied, trying to contain your enthusiasm. "I'll see you later then."

*

As you were getting ready in your small bathroom, you couldn't help but feel nervous about tonight, butterflies swirling in your stomach. We can meet for a drink beforehand, if you want. My treat. He told you a few hours ago, wearing a shy smile.

You had reluctantly agreed. You wanted to spend time with him so badly but you felt like you were doing something wrong. You hadn’t even told Sophie yet.

You got dressed, slipping on your silky tights past your legs. You decided to wear a delicate black dress with long sleeves that exposed your plush thighs. Pairing it with your leather jacket and your red scarf, you slung your small handbag over your shoulder, getting ready to leave.

You decided to take your earphones with you and listen to music to calm your nerves.

When you arrived at the charming bar he had picked, you flung the door open and entered. lThe cozy ambience enveloped you as you stepped inside, a welcoming contrast to the crisp evening air outside.

Alex, already seated at a secluded corner table, looked up from his menu, a genuine smile spreading across his face as he caught sight of you entering.

As you made your way towards him, the gentle flicker of candlelight played on the edges of his features. "You made it," he said, rising from his seat and pulling your chair out for you.

“Thanks,” you mumbled, your cheeks rosy from the cold. You sat down, not knowing what to do with your hands or where to look. This felt strangely intimate.

“What do you want to drink?” he asked you.

“Uh. What are you getting?” you replied.

“Probably a beer.” He said.

“I guess I’ll get a glass of white wine then,” you replied, feeling somewhat awkward. You didn’t expect in a million years to have drinks with your editor.

“You sure? You can get anything you want. Like I said, it’s my treat.” He smiled.

“Thank you. Yeah I’m good,” you replied bashfully.

After the waiter brought your drinks you started delving into conversation.

"So, um, tell me more about yourself," Alex prompted, his gaze lingering on you.

You giggled, sipping your drink. "Well, there's not much to tell. Just a struggling student trying to make it out alive."

He chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. "From what I've seen, there's more than meets the eye."

You met his gaze, and the air shifted, charged with an unspoken tension. "You know, I never expected my editor to be someone who could make me forget about writer's block."

He raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes. "Maybe I'm just that good at my job."

The conversation flowed effortlessly, weaving between discussions of literature, shared interests, and personal anecdotes. As the night progressed, the topics ventured into more intimate territories, the subtle dance of words revealing layers beneath the surface.

"You have this way of making the mundane sound interesting," you remarked, now both on your second drink. You could feel your face heat up from the alcohol.

Alex leaned in, his gaze intense yet inviting. "Maybe it's the company that makes it interesting."

The words lingered in the air, a palpable tension settling between you. Unspoken desires sparked beneath the surface.

"Well, I find the company interesting too," you replied.

A hint of a smirk crossed Alex's face as he took a sip of his drink. "Careful now," he said. "Interesting company can be quite... distracting."

A subtle blush crept onto your cheeks. "Distracting can be a good thing." you replied.

"What are you distracting yourself from?" he asked, his gaze lingering on yours.

“I’m not sure. Everyone has problems, I guess,” you looked down at your hands.

“Anything you want to share?” he asked. 

“Wouldn’t want to bore you,” you chuckled. 

“You could never,” he replied, his tender eyes meeting yours. You stared at each other for a few seconds before you cleared your throat and looked at the time. “Oh, I think we should get going,” you said.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Alex said and he gestured to the waiter for the bill. You thanked him for the drinks and promised you would return the favor next time you saw him. He agreed but knew he wouldn’t let you pay for anything, especially since you were just a student.

You had an amazing time seeing "Black Swan" at the theater. The ballet was captivating, and the music was incredible. You also noticed Alex glancing at you a few times throughout the show. 

After the show, Alex walked you to your cab. Under the streetlights, there was a quiet moment filled with something more than words. You exchanged a look that said it all, a shared understanding between you. As you got into the cab, Alex stood on the sidewalk with a thoughtful smile and waved goodbye.

When you arrived at your dorm, your phone vibrated. 

Did you get home safely? - Mr Turner. 

Your heart fluttered.

Yes.

Great. Good night. 

Night.

After washing your face and brushing your teeth, you huddled into your bed and drifted off to sleep, embracing your pillow. The night ushered you into a world of dreams.

[taylorsv3rsion13]

we never go out of style || c.f.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

words : 3.0k

synopsis : things were always rocky for conrad and you. after the whole break up, will everything be the same the year later? or will it all turn to shit.

(belly and cam cameron are a thing in this series btw)

The Fourth of July for me was one of my favorite holidays. It's a tradition in Cousins. Susannah decorates the whole house, the dad's come up for the weekend, the boys shoot off fireworks, and most importantly, I get to see my mom.

Usually I was just here, following after the boys with Belly. But this year, I feel like I'm apart of the plans. I have friends.

I finished eating the rest of my cereal.

"Can I have your milk?" Jeremiah said from beside me.

"Yeah. You and your weird obsession with milk." I laughed a little.

I watched as he chugged down the rest of the milk in my bowl/

Conrad walked into the kitchen, "Yo, I'm gonna go wash off the clams. Did you get the lighter fluid?"

"Mm! Yeahh, it's already on the beach." Jeremiah said, a milk mustache on his face.

Conrad whistled in response.

Steven and Susannah came in, Steven wearing a nice dress shirt and Susannah wearing her overalls and t-shirts.

"Are we done with the portrait?" Steven asked.

"Yeah, for today." Susannah smiled.

This year she was painting portraits of all of us. She used to paint them when we were younger, but then we all stopped.

"But you do look good in a dress shirt, Steven." Susannah complimented. "Oh! Which makes me think. If Belly doesn't hurry up and ask Cam to the ball, you should take her."

"Ew. No way." Belly exclaimed from beside me.

"No, no, no, yeah, yeah, I'm already going with Shayla." Steven added.

"To the debutante ball?" Laurel asked as she walked in, holding a batch of towels.

"Yes." Steven said laughing a little.

"As an escort?" Laurel asked.

"Yes mom. Shayla's coming today with Nicole and Gigi, so you'll meet her." Steven said.

"That's wonderful." Susannah smiled. "Oh and girls, don't forget that Ms. Covington's first rehearsal is tomorrow, so uh, tick-tock. I'm not as worried for Belly, but Y/N, you haven't found anyone."

"I know, I know, I'll get to it." I said to Susannah, smiling.

"Yes, and I'm asking Cam today." Belly said.

"Suddenly, I don't know any of these kids anymore." Laurel exclaimed.

I looked at Laurel, squinting my eyes a little, "Wait are you wearing makeup?"

"Yeah, she's wearing makeup." Steven said.

"Oh, my god. She definitely is!" Susannah squealed.

"So What? We're having a party." Laurel said.

"Mhm." I nodded, winking at her. "Anywho, I'm going to go finish getting ready."

From the window of my room, I could see Conrad, shirtless as he was cleaning the clams.

I put on a semi sheer mesh crop top that was red, and a pair of blue jean shorts. I had also added in a white bow in my hair.

I walked downstairs, Laurel making eye contact with me.

Susannah pushed past her though, "Oh my god, look at how gorgeous she looks!"

"Oh Belly, I need you to make up the guest bed." Laurel said to Belly.

"It's okay, I'll make the bed this year. I know Belly's getting ready for Cam." I winked

"Wait, Dad and Victoria are staying here?" Belly asked.

Laurel just gave her a stern look.

"In the room next to mine?" Belly whined.

"Yeah." Laurel smiled, as Belly groaned making us laugh.

Susannah jumped up, "Oh, speaking of dads, yours called. He's closing a deal, so... he can't come."

Jeremiah looked at Susannah blankly, "What?"

The back door closed and Conrad came in, "Did you say Dad's not coming?"

"Mhm." Susannah said.

"But I got some serious fireworks for the show this year." Conrad said.

Susannah shrugged, "We'll take a video."

"It's not the same." Jeremiah mumbled.

Conrad leaned against the kitchen sink, smiling and staring into nothing.

"What are you so smiley about?" I asked, smirking at him.

"No reason." He smiled back.

I took out a flat white sheet, throwing it up into the air and watching as it fell down onto the mattress.

I heard a laugh from the door and Conrad stood there, watching as I put the sheet on the bed, "You have to fold the bottom sheet at a 45 degree angle if you want the tight corners."

I sighed, attempting to fold the corners in a 45 degree angle.

"Yeah not like that." Conrad laughed.

"Okay then, help me." I said, putting the sheet down and laughing a little.

I moved out of the way as Conrad moved to the bed.

"You have to pull this down." He said, as he fluffed the sheet a little. "Like this. Come here."

I shuffled over to his side of the bed as I watched him fold the sheets.

"See?" He asked as he stared straight at me.

"Thank you" I chuckled.

This was the first time I've seen Conrad normal. Like last year. We were actually getting along.

"Do you think it's weird how my mom isn't staying in the house this year?" I asked.

"No, what if she's seeing someone." Conrad asked.

"Ew no." I said to him.

Conrad threw a pillow at me, making me laugh.

"It's gonna be fine, don't worry about it." Conrad smiled.

God his smile. It always made me melt like this.

"Sorry your dad isn't coming this year." I said, looking up to him.

"Don't be. I'm not."

"Y/N?" I heard Laurel's voice shout from downstairs.

"She's here!" I exclaimed, grabbing ahold of Conrad's arm and running down the stairs with him.

My mom stood, her arms held out wide open, but a man was behind her...

"Mom!" I screamed as I let go of Conrad's arm and ran up to hug her.

"Y/N!" My mom said, hugging me back.

I smiled as I looked at her, "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you as well! Oh and this is Daniel, he's my..."

"Boyfriend?" I asked.

She smiled, "Yeah, I think I told you about him."

"Yeah, you did, just not his name." I said.

I walked up to him, "Hi Daniel."

"Hi Y/N, it's so nice to meet you. Your mom has said so much about you." He said.

I went inside as my mom and Daniel stayed outside talking to Laurel and Susannah.

Another car pulled up, and we easily recognized it as Belly's dad.

All of us peered out from the window in the door.

"Woah, she's hot." Conrad exclaimed from beside me.

"Conrad." I scolded, hitting him in the arm.

"I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking."

"I wasn't thinking that." Belly said defensively.

In a minute, Conrad and Steven began play righting because of Conrad's remark about Victoria being their potential step-mom.

For once this whole summer, it made us feel like all the summers before. As if nothing had ever changed.

"Guys! They're coming!" I said, hitting Conrad in the arm again.

Jeremiah, Conrad, and I ran into the house, leaving Steven and Belly to greet the parents.

The party was amazing. Gigi was talking to Susannah, Jeremiah was hanging out with Victoria, and Conrad was hanging out with Nicole...

I mostly hung out with Belly as she waited for Cam to show up.

Jeremiah, Belly and were mixing up concoctions in the kitchen after Victoria had showed us how to make her pomegranate margaritas.

"What are you three making?" Conrad asked as he came into the house.

"Pomegranate margaritas!" I exclaimed.

"But with a twist." Belly added.

"Well you have to use the good blender." Conrad said as he showed off a blender.

Jeremiah just stared at the blender. "Oh no. I haven't used that blender since the great Kool-Aid debacle of 2011."

Conrad laughed a little, "I remember, the counters were sticky for- two summers?"

"Ew. I remember that." I said.

Suddenly, it was four of us making margaritas for everyone. We added in protein powder for fun.

"No! Keep your hands on it!" Jeremiah yelled over the blender as we let go of the lid.

"Dude, you know what I miss?" Conrad asked Jeremiah.

"Huh?" Jeremiah asked.

"Watching Laurel and Amanda put Dad in his place. They'd walk in and they'd be like, "Adam." " Conrad said, accenting the name Adam.

"Adam." Laurel and my mom said as they entered the kitchen "You came."

All of us turned our heads to behind us to see Jeremiah and Conrad's dad walking through the door frame.

"Happy Fourth!" Adam said.

I looked over to Conrad, who didn't look as happy as he was a few seconds before.

"Dad!" Jeremiah said, "You came." He ran up and hugged his dad.

"Hey guys, hey Connie." Adam said. "I'll have a little of what you're mixing up there."

"Oh yeah sure." I smiled, handing him a glass.

"Y/N! How have you been?" Adam asked.

"Good, I've taken a lot of time to work on myself."

"Where'd everyone go?" Susannah's voice came out through the kitchen.

Adam looked over to the door, "Hey."

"Adam. You managed to get off work." Susannah said, yet I could sense the tension between the two of them.

"Yeah, how could I miss the Fourth with my family?" Adam said, smiling.

The tension was thick in the kitchen. None of us making a sound as we all stared at each other awkwardly.

"All right, well, let's get back to the party." Susannah said, clapping her hands.

I followed out after Belly and tried to get away from the kitchen as fast as we could.

All of us made it to the beach, hanging out and talking.

"May I present! The Belly special!" Belly exclaimed as she came down with a pitcher of the pomegranate margarita.

Nicole and Conrad were sitting next to each other on two different sun chairs, Cam Cameron had come and he was sitting on the inflatable unicorn with Belly, Steven and Shayla were sharing a floatie, and Jeremiah and I were sharing one as well.

Somehow, we had turned this into a drinking game, with all of us drinking much more than we probably should have.

I don't get Conrad." Nicole said as all of the girls sat on the dock. "It's like one minute, he's all over me, and he stays over, but we don't even fuck, right?"

Shayla, Belly, and I nodded.

"And then this morning, he's like, super into me, he was all over me, and now he's like all about football." Nicole continued. "And I know you've dated him before, Y/N, so like, what's up with him?"

"Oh yeah, he's really hard to read. Especially this year."

"Do you really think he actually likes me?" Nicole asked.

"Of course he does, Nicole. He talks about you to everyone a lot." I said.

"Really?" Nicole asked.

I nodded yes.

"Hi!" Cam said as he came down.

There was a water bottle in hand, "You may want to hydrate." He smiled as he offered it to Belly.

Belly smiled cheerfully as she grabbed his cheeks, "Cam Cameron, you are so sweet! Isn't he sweet?" She asked us clearly under the influence.

Shayla smiled, "Mhm."

"Do you want to go for a walk on the beach?" Cameron asked.

"Belly, by the way, I love that dress." Shayla complimented.

"Really?" Belly asked. "Thanks, Taylor got it for me actually."

"Mm, Taylor has great taste." Shayla smiled.

Belly laughed a little, "Yeah, I know, right? She totally does. Oh, my god. You know what? You and Taylor are like twins." Belly laughed yet again as she rambled. "Because you're both super into fashion and you're both like baddies. And you both like the same summer boys, which is.."

Shayla laughed awkwardly, "We do?"

I made eye contact with Cameron as he nodded subtly.

"Come on. Let's go for that walk." Cameron said as he tried to get Belly to sit up.

"No, no, no, Cam!" Belly said. "I'm talking. One sec. Look Shayla, like don't worry, because my brother is an absolute idiot. And it didn't mean anything."

"Let's go for a walk." Cameron said again more urgently.

"Wait, what? What didn't mean anything?" Shayla asked.

Belly stammered, "Uh, them-them kissing."

"Hey..." I said as I pushed Belly closer to the land.

"It was like... He like, loves you. He loves you and, wait, does anyone want another drink?" Belly asked.

I could see the look on Shayla's face. It dropped straight to sadness.

"Everyone's leaving. Tell them not to go." Belly said as she motioned to the group of girls packing up.

"Stay, you guys." I said, though they knew I was slightly urging them to leave.

"Oh, Shayla doesn't feel to well. I think we had a little too much." Nicole said.

"Oh, okay, but I mean. I still feel. I still feel gr-great." Belly said.

"I'm gonna head out as well." Cam said as he took the glass from Belly.

"Why?" Belly asked.

"I just think that we can catch up when you know, you're a little less..."

"A little less?"

"Um, just drink a lot of water."

"Okay. But I'm not, I'm not drunk." Belly explained.

I knew shit was going bad, so I walked off, away from the drama that had basically already unfolded.

"Conrad!" I said as I saw him walking past in the bushes as Belly and Cam were still talking.

"Yeah?" Conrad asked as we both began walking with each other. His body was covered in dirt.

"Belly's messing a little stuff up..." I said.

"Oh she's hammered." He laughed a little.

I watched as Conrad began to wipe off the dirt from his body with the cold water in the shower.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Did you buy me this for my birthday?" I asked, holding onto the sun charm. "And did you buy yourself a matching one? The moon to the sun?"

He just stared at me in shock, his mouth slightly hung open.

"Are you drunk as well?"

"No, I've had little to none to drink." I laughed.

"Wait, so you did give it to me?"

"Can you give me some privacy, please?"

Susannah came walking out, holding onto the cake.

"Where'd all the kids go?" Susannah asked.

"Uh, more for us." My mom laughed.

"I agree, Amanda." Susannah smiled.

Belly came out of the kitchen after Susannah, "Ooh! I want the piece with the strawberries!"

Her foot twisted and I watched as she fell to the floor, bringing Susannah and the cake down as well, shattering the cake stand.

"Belly, are you okay?" I asked, running to her.

"Honey, are you okay?" Adam said as he ran to Susannah "Here let me help you."

"Adam I'm fine." Susannah said as Adam attempted to help her up."I got it. I got it. I got it."

"Come on, please." Adam said.

"Stop it." Susannah hissed through gritted teeth. "Now, just go away." Susannah said.

"I-I'm sorry." Belly said as she stared at Susannah on the floor.

"Come on, let's go." Belly's dad said as she helped get Belly up from the floor.

I helped the boys as we cleaned up the backyard. The adults were inside, discussing what ever, while also checking in on Belly.

Conrad swept up the pieces of cake in the water with a net and Jeremiah and Steven threw away plastic cups and other things.

Jeremiah and Steven were bickering about who was worse at throwing cups or keeping a garbage bag open.

"Hey, dumb and dumber, can you guys get the fireworks ready and Y/N and I will clean up." Conrad said.

"Yeah, sure." Jeremiah responded.

I looked over to the left and Adam came out from inside. Conrad seemed a bit tense, but he continued to pick up the pieces of trash left behind.

"You go talk to him, I'll clean up." I said, taking the bag away from Conrad.

"Hey, Dad." Conrad said.

"Oh. Hey." Adam responded as he took out his cigarette.

"Yeah, and Belly's upstairs with her dad."

"Why'd you let her get so drunk?" Adam asked, "You're lucky her and your mom didn't get hurt."

"I didn't know she had a lot to drink." Conrad said.

"You're the oldest, you're supposed to look out for the younger kids. And you haven't been doing that. This year or last year."

"I don't know why, but I just thought I could talk to you." Conrad scoffed before walking back into the house.

"Con." I called out, but he didn't respond.

His dad had also attempted to make some conversation but that didn't work.

"Just leave, Dad." Conrad said.

I walked in after Conrad, but he was nowhere in the bottom level. I ran up to his room, not even caring to knock.

"Hey, Connie." i said, as I sat down beside him. He had his head in his hands.

"You know you can knock." Conrad said cooly.

I sighed, "Conrad, I know your dad is being a dick right now. But please. It's the Fourth."

He stared straight at me. Just staring and nothing else.

I could feel myself melt under his gaze. And it sucked. Did I like him again? It feels like I did after all the encounters we've had.

"What, is something on my face?" I asked as I began to wipe around my mouth.

He laughed a little, "No, no, just thinking."

I grabbed a towel and ran out to the pool. It was nights like these that the pool felt even more alive. When it was the Fourth and people would light up fireworks in the sky.

What caught my eye was Conrad standing at the docks.

Do I run to him?

Yes...

"Do you hate me?" I sighed as I stood beside him.

Conrad turned to look at me with a smile, "Who could ever hate you."

"Y/N" Conrad said, breaking the moment of silence.

"Yeah?"

"About the necklace..."

"Oh, no please, I'm sorry I even brought it up, I was just messing around. I know it's probably for Nicole or something." I laughed a little.

"No, no... I um... I actually did get it for you and for us."

I stared up at him, "Then why didn't you give it to me? Why did your mom give it to me?"

"I don't know." He whispered. "I got embarrassed I guess."

"Why?" I asked.

"Y/N, you don't know the effect that you can have on people." Conrad said in all seriousness.

I laughed awkwardly, "Effect on people? Conrad, I don't, I just don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah..." He said quietly, "You do."

I felt us get closer, closer than we have ever been in a year. He stared down at my lips and I stared up at his. We were inches away. Inches before I could have fucked everything up for us.

A firework came from behind us as it sparked green in the sky, bringing my attention away from him.

I stared back up at Conrad, hoping he would come and look back at me. But he didn't, so I only looked back down.

Yet, I could still feel his gaze straight on me as I looked away. He wanted me to look back to him as well, but I didn't. I just couldn't meet his eyes.

I breathed heavily as we both stared across the water, watching the fireworks light up in the sky.

I knew we both felt the same. And I knew we just couldn't get back together.

[thebisexualdogdad]

Hmm, hi, I would like to make a request and what if the black cat/Felicia Hardy had a boyfriend who was like, El Diablo from Suicide Squad. (Of course, if you want)

Felicia Hardy x Male!reader

*Tati Gabrielle used as fancast*

● you met Felicia when you attempted to steal her Lamborghini

● “nice try handsome but no one steals my ride” she says strutting up to you in her black cat suit after robbing a jewelry store nearby

● “you're the black cat” you say instantly recognizing her

● “and judging by your tattoos you're the one they call El Diablo and I could actually use your help on a job”

● that job included stealing a dozen imported cars from their shipping containers at the port which you then set on fire with your powers and she promised you a third of what she would be paid from her buyer

● and even better than the money you ended up hooking up after a successful heist

● a couple days later she gets a call from you

● “can't get enough of me huh?”

● “I know you stole my watch Felicia”

● “Guess you'll just have to come get it back from me hot stuff, that is if you can catch me”

● “if you wanted to see me again all you had to do was ask”

● “What would be the fun in that?”

● Felicia's nickname for you is lover boy

● she will tease you by calling you that in front of your crew who have become very accustomed to her being around

● they make fun of you for being so whipped for her

● “you don't even know what that woman can do with a whip, they may call me the devil in the streets but Felicia Hardy is a devil in the sheets”

● she loves tracing your tattoos with her fingers while you lay in bed together

● and telling each other stories of the best crimes you've committed

● you work a lot of jobs together

● and Felicia enjoys making you watch her get hit on by guys at bars you're about to rob blind

● and sometimes the plan includes you making a scene and trying to fight the guy “hitting on your girl” while Felicia gets whatever it is you guys were there for

● she finds it so hot knowing the jealousy is low key real and results in you fooling around in an alley behind the bar/club/wherever the heist is taking place

● there was one incident where a guy got way too handsy with her and you actually beat the shit out of him and set his car on fire

● another time spiderman was able to actually have you arrested

● but Felicia sauntered into the police station with a bag full of money for your bail

● “Y/N such a bad boy you know I'm the only one allowed to put you in handcuffs”

● you smirk at the cops on your way out knowing the charges they have on you won't stick “better luck next time boys and give spiderman my regards”

● you know about Felicia and Spidermans dating history

● you still can't believe she dated a superhero

● sometimes you set fires around the city just to put him to work

● “Felicia can you please tell your pyromaniac boyfriend to stop setting fires for no reason?”

● “sorry spidey but no can do, you're lucky I talked him down from setting you on fire”

● you and Felicia go on plenty of lavish vacations

● and of course committing crimes while abroad

● in your apartment you guys proudly display some of your favorite scores including a priceless painting you stole while in France

● for a little change of pace Felicia was somehow able to convince you to go on a snowy weekend getaway in the mountains

● you're not a fan of the cold

● but you were definitely able to keep each other warm that weekend

[starryseafo4m]

Another painting based of my F/os {Isolde and Black swan}

Heya! a bit of time since I've posted here^^ main reason being school and shit amount of work I receive so yeah. But on the sidelines during the weekends I would work on this painting based of 2 of my f/os {Isolde from reverse 1999 and Black swan from hsr}. Took me about 2/3 weeks but it was so worth it in the end because I got to put some intentional symbolism in the painting<3

Firstly her's the progress of the painting

Now for the references of my f/os in this painting

Now for the background I referenced the curtains in her splash art, later I added roses, pearls and a butterfly to reference her jewellery and accessories.

And as for the mirror I included it to represent black swan where she's seen in her splash art and in her 3rd eidolon "As above, so below"

Now for my favourite part! The symbolism

The candle: Candles, with their gentle glow, symbolize the search for truth, clarity, and inner illumination

The roses: Examples of common meanings of different coloured roses are: true love (red)

The pearls: People believed that pearls symbolize purity, wisdom, and spiritual transformation

The pomegranate: The pomegranate was revered for the beauty of its shrub, flowers, and fruit—symbolising sanctity, fertility, and abundance

The butterfly: Many get a butterfly to symbolize transformation, beauty, rebirth, hope, freedom, endurance, and love.

That's it! I hope you enjoyed my ramble and I hope you'll have a wonderful day/night!!

[desertdollranch]

Welcome to La Grande Pâtisserie

Grace Thomas is excited to announce that today is the grand opening of La Grande Pâtisserie! Everyone in Grace's hometown of Bentwick, Massachusetts, has been eagerly awaiting the debut of this authentic French pastry shop. There's nothing else like it anywhere in town! Bentwick prides itself on being a quaint little village with a high standard of living for its residents, so this is the perfect place for Grace to see her dream come to life.

In her third book, Grace Makes it Great, it's been a few months since Grace returned from her summer trip to Paris. In that time she has been working hard to make her bicycle-delivery-based baking business successful, but she realizes it may need to start growing much faster! Her grandparents' bakery may have to close down forever if it doesn't stop losing money and business to the local grocery store bakery. So, using what she learned while working at the patisserie in Paris, Grace teams up with her grandparents to turn their bakery into a beautiful, unique French pastry shop.

As for my part in all of this...... like Grace, this opening day is a dream come true. For inspiration, I based this on the bakery playset that was sold as part of her collection when she was the Girl of the Year in 2015. Her bakery was notable at the time for being the most expensive doll item ever released by American Girl, at $500.

(Later surpassed in 2020 by Joss Kendrick's surf bus, at $650).

Now, of course, nine years later, it's still very expensive when bought secondhand, even when it's sold without all the small accessories. I certainly couldn't ever justify spending that much on one single doll item. And why should I, when I can build something like this with my own two hands, for a lot cheaper? I've already built Caroline's parlor, three arcade video games, a skee ball lane, Kanani's shave ice stand, Grace's pastry cart and bistro set, bedrooms for Josefina and Kirsten, a greenhouse, Rebecca's phonograph, a few small pet habitats, and lots more for my dolls. I like having creative control that lets me expand on the things that interest me the most. I like making or collecting small accessories to supplement my projects. And I like that my renditions can be built at a more realistic scale. The bakery in Grace's collection is scaled so small that it looked more like a child's playhouse than a legit bakery, and so I was shooting for something scaled larger.

I've had Grace in my doll family for four years now, but it's only recently that I've felt like I have enough small accessories accumulated to make the whole thing look top-notch and full of detail. I also can't get out of my head the idea of making a little breakfast joint for my dolls and me to share breakfast and coffee with them on weekend mornings. I'm thinking maybe that will be accompanied by occasional videos showing Grace making breakfast for me and another doll. So keep an eye out for that!

If you haven't seen it already, you can browse Grace's hashtag to check out all the other things I've made and collected for her.

And here we are...... it's opening day!

So let's take a closer look at La Grande Pâtisserie. Grace is so eager to show off what's inside, and while she does that I'll explain how I made everything (not to take the magic away, but I always hope to inspire other crafty readers who may want to make their own doll stuff). This you see here is only a small part of the pâtisserie! I'll show you the front of the shop, the kitchen, and then the outdoor seating area.

When you walk in, the first thing you'll notice is the pastry case.

On the top row are the fancy cakes and macarons. The middle shelf has croissants, cupcakes, eclairs, and beignets. The bottom shelf has jelly donuts and petit fours (back row), plus a square of frosted gingerbread, cherry cheesecake, chocolate tart, raspberry tart, and madeleines.

These were all made by me, mostly with clay and puffy paint. A lot of them were based on the little pastries that were part of Grace's collection, some I made for other dolls and other occasions, and a few were based on real bakery treats.

The "glass" pastry case is clear plastic that comes from packaging material, including a few 18 inch-sized doll boxes. Whenever I buy something with this sort of strong but flexible clear plastic, I hoard it for future projects.

These three cakes were made from layers of foam board. This is a great material to work with because it's easier to cut than wood, very lightweight, can be shaped with sandpaper, and takes paint very well.

The jelly donut, eclair, and cupcake, all made from clay. The heart sprinkles were not made by me.

The cherry cheesecake. Those are wooden beads on top of the slice. I used a mixture of glue and food coloring to make the cherry sauce.

And the little berry macarons. The berries are made from seat cushion foam that I cut up and soaked in red paint.

The to-go bags (the small one has a croissant poking out) are printables that came from AmericanGirlIdeas.com. I made the croquembouche on the right, originally for Marie-Grace and Cécile. It's pretty big and doesn't fit in the pastry case.

I promise I will show off more contents of the pastry case when the dolls and I start having breakfast together!

Looking past the pastry case, here's the behind-the-counter setup.

The walls here are a large cardboard tri-fold that I spray painted aqua blue. Everything hanging on the walls is held there by Velcro that I superglued onto the tri-fold, so I can take them down and switch them around. You'll see why very soon.

The art on the walls all came from Pinterest, except for the painting of Provence on the upper left. That was made by an AI image generator. The red display shelves are foam board I painted. I made the menu in the middle (if I haven't said so already, I really love making my own printables/labels/packaging etc. It's the thing I look forward to the most when making doll stuff).

The three under-counter refrigerators are product pictures I found through a web search. They're glued onto a panel of foam board, which is glued onto a cardboard box to give it strength to hold the accessories on top. If you look closely, you can see little squares of Velcro in the upper left and right corners. That's there to attach another panel, which you will also see very soon.

The coffee maker was a thrift store find, but it originally came in a set of three toy appliances. This is so fun to play with. It really "brews" coffee; if you fill that little reservoir (covered with a sticker) with liquid and hit the button, it will dispense the liquid into the cup below while making coffee brewing noises. I made the coffee pot using this tutorial. Directly above the coffee maker is a shelf of white mugs, which I bought from Amazon.

On the left is the toaster. It makes real "toasting" noise and pops the toast up when the timer is done. The sticker on it and the coffee maker came from Farm and Feast: Gather Together with Friends and Food, an activity book & kit published by American Girl.

In between the toaster and the coffee maker is the waffle iron. I made that from a makeup compact.

I made the waffle from painted clay. And I only realized now that maybe the waffle should be lined up with the hinge and not at an angle....

Grace is demonstrating here how her machine can brew both pots of coffee AND shots of espresso!

Over here is the blender. The toy appliance set did originally have a a blender in some versions, but I've not found it at any thrift store and so I just made my own. This is made from two clear plastic cups, one for the base and one for the blending part. The lid, which by a beautiful coincidence was the perfect size, came from a fancy container of gelato, and there's a smaller metal lid on top of that. The little blade inside is just a metal wingnut glued to a metal washer. The base is painted pink and it's glued to a mason jar lid ring. I designed the button panel, and the buttons are pony beads painted black.

The little box of chocolates on the red shelf were made by me as well from clay and puffy paint.

Grace can make blended coffee and smoothies in the blender. The milk and orange juice containers are printables I found somewhere on Pinterest and can't remember where. I made the little yogurt from a Keurig coffee pod filled with clay and topped with some white puffy paint. The little plastic containers of blueberries and cherries came from a Make it Mini set. The bowl of fruit contains berries, peaches, and bananas, which I made. I did not make the grapes, but found them at a thrift store attached to a set of plastic napkin rings.

On the top shelf on the wall, Grace has displayed three baguettes and a bag of biscotti, which are twice-baked long cookies that pair nicely with coffee. These are all made by me. I designed the paper bags holding the baguettes, while the biscotti bag was a printable from American Girl Ideas.

I also made Grace's dress, based on the Opening-Night Outfit from her collection. (And if you notice that my Grace looks slightly different from other dolls, it's because I enhanced her freckles a bit).

Above her right shoulder, on the bottom red shelf, you can see the little pineapple cake that I made from a Make it Mini set. The little pineapple rings and cherries came in those tiny plastic containers next to the blender.

Now that you've seen the front of the shop, let's check out the kitchen!

As much as she loves working in all parts of the shop, Grace's favorite place to be is in the kitchen, using her hands, making the magic happen.

It was in the process of creating that Grace found her passion. She considers baking a form of artistic expression. Here she is trying out a new recipe for pain au chocolat, which is like a chocolate-filled croissant. I think this is what she might be serving me the next time I stop in for breakfast.

Some common ingredients she uses are flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, baking powder, nuts, and jam.

I made pretty much everything here, except the text on the labels, which also came from Farm and Feast. I also didn't make the label for the butter box. The little containers of baking powder and vanilla are my favorites. The vanilla extract bottle came with a Miniverse Make it Mini surprise package. I made the label for it as well. And the baking powder is just a tiny glass jar from Dollar Tree, with a label attached, which I did not design.

Here's a wide shot of the kitchen counter. She's got two ovens, a proofer/holding cabinet, and a few shelves for stainless steel dishes.

The counter here is actually the same one seen in the previous pictures, behind the pastry case. This panel with the ovens and dishes attaches with Velcro to the refrigerator panels. I just printed out the three pictures and glued them to the panel. The left side and middle panels were generated by an AI image maker based on my prompts, since I couldn't find a real picture of exactly what I was envisioning. The right side panel is a product photo of industrial double ovens.

On top of the counter, I've put a few mini kitchen tools: a stock pot, a colander, a box grater, and a stand mixer. Hanging on the wall are mixing spoons, spatulas, and an oven mitt.

All of these dishes and tools were thrift store finds, with the exception of the oven mitt, which came with Farm and Feast.

On the left is a stove top (another printed image) that attaches with Velcro onto the pink marble countertops, and that's her crepe pan in the picture on the left. It's a real cast iron pan that I was gifted this past Christmas, and as I thanked the giver all I could think of was how cute this would look in my doll-sized kitchen.

Grace's adorable cupcake shirt and black apron were not made by me, but are from her original collection.

Let's go look at the outdoor seating area.

This is the other side of the cardboard tri-fold. I spray painted this red and then printed out the windows and door image.

I also made Grace's shirt and skirt. It's based on Grace's Sightseeing Outfit from her collection.

The shop has an outdoor seating area where customers can bring their pastries, breakfast, or coffee and enjoy them in the open air.

This table is a revised version I made a few years ago for Grace, based on the bistro set from her collection. It is seriously such an easy craft, anyone can do it. I used an inexpensive marble-print cardboard cake board from Michael's, glued it onto a cardboard tube taken from a roll of paper towels, and glued that to the base which is made from a black plastic takeout container. I gave the tube some extra stability by gluing it inside of a prescription drug bottle. Then I painted the tube and bottle black; the base is black plastic.

The chair was a lot trickier. I made this a few years ago with flexible plastic-covered wire, and the seat is cardboard with a cushion glued to it. I really had to force that wire into shape, and used floral wire to hold it together. Then I spray painted it red.

Putting the red chair in front of the red storefront kind of makes it disappear, so I'll bring back some pictures of the first version of her bistro set that I made in 2020 (one of my earliest pandemic projects).

These pictures are from Grace's trip to Paris! She got lots of inspiration there for how she wants her own shop to look. Here she is eating at her aunt and uncle's La Pâtisserie.

The turquoise menu board is just foam board that I painted, with a dowel as the pole. At the time I made it, I didn't have a printer, and I usually just did all my printing at the library. But the library closed during lockdown, and so I had to freehand paint and draw everything! The tabletop here is painted as well, but I like the cake board version better.

The croissant, brie cheese, and berries are made from clay. The little Eiffel Tower is a foam board base and some of that rigid clear plastic for the menu holder. The cup came from Dollar Tree, and the green straw is actually a small leftover piece of that flexible wire the bistro chair is made from.

So that's everything! I spent very little money on all the supplies, and used upcycled materials as often as I could. This won't be the last you'll see of the shop. This was definitely a huge time investment, and so I'll be using it often from now on.

[saitama-division]

It was evening time in Saitama as the day of a certain model's birthday was slowly coming to an end. Still, there were a few hours left in the day, so it wasn't over just yet. That meant that the time of gift-giving was still on. After all, what was a birthday without gifts? It was for that reason, as she walked down the hallway with a nice buzz after enjoying some drinks and fun at her favorite nightclub, Afterlife, the famous supermodel, Lola, looked as there were a number of gifts outside of the entrance to her penthouse apartment.

Sobering up instantly (a talent she had perfected with ease), she dragged each of the gifts inside her apartment. Laying them all out on the counter in her kitchen, the model picked up the smallest one first. Opening it up, she pulled out what was inside.

It was a small music box with a figurine inside. Upon opening it, a nice, little tune began playing out that lasted for about 30 seconds before it finished. Upon doing so, a hidden compartment opened up in the box, making the model open her eyes wide as she reached inside, pulling out a rolled-up letter, which read:

"Dear Lola,

Surprise! I hope you've enjoyed the melody and the craftsmanship of your new treasure. Now that you've uncovered the hidden compartment, you've found my little note.

Isn't it amusing how even the most unexpected places can hold the most intriguing secrets? Just like this music box, life is full of surprises, and I must say, I quite enjoy being part of yours.

So, as you celebrate another year of fabulousness, remember that the game is always afoot. And who knows what other mysteries you'll unravel in the year to come?

Here's to a future filled with luxury, charm, and maybe a dash of the unexpected—just to keep things interesting.

Sincerely,

Hoàng Diêu"

Frowning upon discovering just who sent this music box to her, the gift became a lot less appealing to Lola, who pushed the music box away from her, nearly making it fall off the counter. Crumpling up the note that the Triad woman sent to her, the model frowned as she took a gander at her new penthouse, which had to be repaired after the fiasco from several weeks ago.

Refusing to give that woman a second that, she turned to her second gift, hoping it would put her in a better mood. This one was far bigger than the last one and was shaped in a rectangular shape, almost like a painting. Peeling the wrapping paper off, Lola's eyes grew wide at was inside.

It... it was a painting of two figures that resembled Greek figures who looked strangely familiar. Looking at the back of the picture frame, a note was attached, which read:

"Dear Lola,

Hey babe! Time's just flying by, isn't it? Feels like just yesterday we were throwing weights around and now, boom, another birthday! I gotta say, I'm pretty stoked we crossed paths. Life's been a wild ride since then, and I wouldn't change a thing.

I was struggling to come up with a good gift for you, but I recalled you really liked the Heracles movie we watched last year, so I decided to hire a painter to make this. It's of Heracles and Hebe, the Goddess of Youth! But it's meant to resemble us cause we've got strength and beauty in spades, babe.

Hope you love it, and see you next weekend when we can get together again. I'm looking forward to it!

Sincerely,

Karada"

Lola smirked as she thought about her former boyfriend. Though the two of them weren't together in the romantic sense, they still were good friends who got together and partook of each other's bodies when they weren't busy. Truthfully, it was better this way. They still had fun without all the ickiness and seriousness of being in a relationship. Promising to treat him extra well for this, the model put the painting off to the side, promising to hang it up later.

She then turned to her last present, the one she had been waiting for, as she knew exactly what was inside. Ripping the paper off and opening the box, she peered inside and her eyes grew wide at what was inside:

"Yes!"

As she stared at the birthday cake that she hastily pulled out and looked at, the model felt a slight bit of regret that she was going to ruin such a beautiful masterpiece. But she quickly got over it. Looking inside, she saw that there was a letter written by the one and the only, Luis, which read:

"Happy Birthday, Lola.

May your day be filled with the simple pleasures that make life sweet.

Sincerely,

Luis Kōkyū"

Lola looked at the assortment of gifts that were given to her, she narrowed her eyes at the one Dieu had given her, sweet as it may be, the simple fact that it was from someone she could never forgive for what she had done filled the Model with disgust and anger. She had half a mind to throw it out, it wouldn't be that cruel considering it was Dieu who sent it, nothing was ever simple with that woman and she'd rather not take the risk of waking up to see her penthouse destroyed yet again.

Moving on from that, Lola sighed and shook her head with a small smile, leave to Karada for going above and beyond for her despite them no longer being a couple. The painting was definitely...something and very much like the Bodybuilder to incorporate Greek Mythology into his gifts.

Finally, moving on to the real star of the showcase, Lola licked her lips and grinned at the sight of the delicious cake Luis gifted to her, just sitting there all pretty and waiting to be devoured. However, Lola held herself back from taking a chunk out of it, the cake was big enough to feed more than one person and the blonde knew a couple of hungry ladies that she would love to share this with.

As if on cue, the sound of her doorbell rang throughout her penthouse and Lola smirked to herself, it was time for the party to really begin.

Thank you for the gift!

[luanoalaalatoa]

Welcome to Aurora Bay, Luano Alaalatoa! I couldn't help but notice you look an awful lot like Jason Momoa. You must be the forty-five year old landscaper. Word is you're spritely but can also be a bit abrupt and your favorite song is Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin. I also heard you'll be staying in Seabrook Quarter. I'm sure you'll love it! @aurorabayaesthetic

content warnings - parental death.

Basics -

Full name: Luano Judas Alaalatoa

Nickname/s: Lu

Preferred name/s: Lu, Luano

Gender: Man

Pronouns: He/him

Age: Forty-five

Birthday: June 16th

Zodiac: Gemini

Sexuality: Homosexual

Relationship status: Married to Pablo Alaalatoa

Occupation: Independent landscaper

Backstory -

Luano was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, though shortly after his birth, his family moved to San Diego to chase a business opportunity for his mother; while that didn't pan out as planned, their move quickly led to the opening of his father's business.

Luano's childhood was filled with many wonders, but his father and his art store was by far his favourite; as a child Luano spent countless hours in his father’s art store, learning the craft, and filling the walls with artworks of his own.

Once he reached his tweens, he began spending less time with his family. Instead of helping around the store or playing with all of the new stock, Luano was interested in seeing shows with friends, or spending all day in the surf or somewhere else out in the sun where he thrived most.

The family had always been close yet happy to be independent; there was no issue found in Luano going off on his own, particularly not after his hobbies became expensive, leading him to come back to the store to officially start working there.

Luano, the oldest son of two sons and two daughters, was his father's best friend, and he quickly became his most trusted employee, also. It only made sense that Luano took over the store when his father met an untimely death.

Despite art having never been Luano's greatest passion, his family was always his strongest value, and he put his everything into the store in honour of his father.

The store remained Luano's greatest wonder as it was later the reason that he met his future husband Pablo, who opened a store of his own right next to Luano's.

The death of Pablo's mother marked a new chapter in their lives as it encouraged them to move onto new things, after a gruelling period of Pablo caring for his mother while Luano worked more than ever, both of them burning their candles at both ends.

He passed the store down to his nephew - a true artist who had been working alongside him just as he had done with his own father once - and Luano and Pablo moved to Aurora Bay, where Luano was excited to find himself and his own thing.

After around a year of taking odd jobs and helping his husband establish his new store in the town, Luano opened his own private landscaping and gardening business, finding it to be a much better fit, and a job that he was made to do much more than his jobs of previous.

Personality & more -

Luano has always been an outdoors person, someone who feels his best when in the sun or the water or the grass. It only makes sense that he decided on a career that exclusively deals with the outdoors.

Despite art not being his greatest passion, and that being one of the primary reasons why he changed careers, Luano does draw and paint quite a lot. Most of his pieces are landscapes, or nature related, or work related!

He's an avid surfer, and he likes to live a healthy and active lifestyle - something he did a lot less in his youth when he was known to frequent parties most weekends.

He's a pretty friendly person, someone who finds it super easy to interact with others even if they've not met before, but the older he gets the less he pushes himself to make new friends.

[kazoosandfannypacks]

"Open to Interpretation" by kazoosandfannypacks

Chapter 3/16: Small Pairing: CaptainSwan Rating: General Word Count: (1K/24K) Summary: Emma Swan is appalled at works by modern artist Killian Jones- until a handsome stranger convinces her otherwise- and after introducing himself as the artist in question, he invites her out on a date. As their relationship develops, they find that they might not be as different from each other as originally thought. Chapter Summary: a little glimpse into the life of Emma Swan Tags: au, fluff, captain swan, modern au Author's notes: As you may notice this while reading this chapter, I haven't given Emma's cringefail ex boyfriend a name yet. as you continue with this story, you'll find that I never refer to him by name at all. This is intentional so that you, the reader, have freedom to make him whatever cringefail ex boyfriend you like. You could make him Bagel or the flying monkey, or even your own cringefail ex boyfriend, or that guy who cut you off in traffic yesterday, or anyone else you despise. That is my gift to you 💞 Taglist: @zahara @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @booksteaandtoomuchtv @jrob64 @tiganasummertree @anmylica @teamhook @undercaffinatednightmare @gingerchangeling @lonelyspectator @caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @cs-rylie @pirateprincessofpizza @lfh1226-linda [if you'd like to be added to or removed from this list, hmu in my dms or askbox!]

Also on Ao3!

 An hour later, Emma sat down on the couch in her apartment with her phone in one hand and a mug of ramen noodles in the other.

 She scrolled absentmindedly through Facebook, playing the mental game of "will I see more engagement posts or birth announcements today?" and regretting friending so many people back in college, all of whom she never spoke to anymore. Once the life update posts ended, she switched to Instagram, and was only a few posts in before she realized social media was a mistake today.

 It was only a week after her ex had decided they should take a break- but after all they'd gone through together, Emma shouldn't've been surprised to see him already posting a picture with another girl. Careful not to accidentally like the photo, she read the description, words about being excited to see where this goes getting blurred by the anger and annoyance clouding Emma's mind- not just sorrow over his betrayal, but frustration that she was stupid enough to let him get away with it. She should've seen this coming from a long way off, but she'd given him the benefit of the doubt all this time, only to find herself trampled on.

 She unfollowed him on Instagram, then on Facebook, and was well on her way to deleting and blocking his contact in her phone- when she noticed she hadn't opened the text that Killian had sent her before she left the museum. It was just the picture they'd taken together, which she immediately saved to her phone, then figured she should probably say something in response.

 "Thanks for the picture. Had a great time!"

 She was half tempted to post their picture on her Instagram story, just to rub it in her ex's face that she had a date this weekend too, coupled with some caption about how it wasn't every day she met such a talented guy, but she felt it might be petty and shallow, and generally uncool to get Killian caught in the crosshairs like that out of the blue.

 She turned off her phone screen and set it down on the couch, then flopped her head back.

 There had to be something healthier than social media to handle this annoyance and betrayal- wasn't that why she went to the museum today anyways?

 She looked back at her newspaper covered coffee table with a canvas and paint supplies all set up. It had been a while since she'd painted something with feeling, so she'd been hoping to find a little inspiration at the museum.

 She picked up the canvas and a pencil and tried to sketch something out. How could she describe how she was feeling after the fallout of this week? Broken? Betrayed? Small?

 Small. Believing you're someone's everything for months, then finding out you're more replaceable than a double A battery- the only thing she could call herself was small.

 She sketched out a figure, a young girl, just an outline, with her head hung down. She didn't take up too much of the canvas. She then drew an outline around her, one not unlike a shadow across the corner of the page, like it was coming from someone off the canvas- and like his shadow was part of why he felt so small.

 "That's got a message." she thought. She then thought about the message that Killian had included in the three paintings she'd seen with him. Maybe if things worked out well on Friday, he'd walk her through his whole exhibit sometime, explaining the story behind every painting.

 She wondered how much social media presence he had for his art- his Instagram had been mentioned in one of the brochures.

 "Maybe I should take a fresh look at some of his paintings for a touch of inspiration."

 She opened her phone to get distracted from her painting, but found herself distracted from that as well- Killian had replied to her text.

 "You're welcome. Did you make it home safely?"

 She smiled, endeared at the concern for her in those words.

 "Yup. Thanks for asking." she texted back.

 He replied almost immediately.

 "Pleasure's all mine. See you Friday at 5:30!"

 "Can't wait."

 Then she opened instagram, and tracked down his art account. She tapped on the profile and viewed his story- a link to a newsletter about the benefit dinner, a snapshot of a view of the city out the window of what was apparently the apartment the museum had him set up in, a screenshot and a link of a news article about his display, the picture he'd taken with Emma….

 She held down the screen so it wouldn't disappear before she read the caption.

 "Always a pleasure to meet a new fan! @nolan.blanchard.art.museum"

 Emma's gut reaction was a hint of annoyance at her photo being used as a publicity stunt- but it made her feel special as well. As she realized she was charmed by this and not appalled, she also realized that she would now seem a lot less petty to do the same thing. In fact, since she'd seen the story, it would almost be impolite if she didn't respond.

  So, she screenshot his story, then uploaded it to her story, adding a caption of her own.

 "The pleasure was all mine! It's cool meeting such a talented artist @artists.life.for.me @nolan.blanchard.art.museum."

 If he was gonna get clout from their picture together, she felt no shame in doing the same.

 She then went back to his profile and followed it, then liked some of his recent works.

 "The 'don't like after three days' rule doesn't apply to influencers," she reasoned, so she felt it alright to like every picture of his paintings that spoke to her.

 Which, though she wouldn't've expected it of herself even two hours ago, happened to be most of them.

[to-my-luna]

a playlist with what scene i thought of in each song.

wherever u r - umi, v

slow mornings. hiding under sheets. walking in our garden. basking in sunlight. sharing coffee. see-you-later kisses before work. i-missed-you kisses after work. cooking dinner together. holding each other before falling asleep.

it's you - max, keshi

good morning kisses. sleeping in. going out to visit our favorite cafe. buying each other flowers. a picnic. cool breeze. eating sweets in the afternoon. golden hour. painting the sky and the clouds at sunset.

love. - wave to earth

long cold days apart. video calls every free time. wearing each other's hoodies. watching anime and movies together through gmeet. sleepy i love yous. hugging stuff toys to sleep. looking forward to being together again.

ligaya - mrld

stay at home dates. baking cookies. whipped cream at each other's faces. kissing on the kitchen countertop. building a fort in the living room. cuddling while watching tv.

you'll be safe here - adie

waking up after a nightmare. one waking up to the other sniffling. tight hugs. forehead kisses. gentle caresses. talking under the moonlight. quiet i love yous. humming a lullaby. falling asleep in each other's arms.

off my face - justin bieber

reading books together. stealing glances at each other. discarding them anyways to kiss and kiss and kiss. listening to music while napping on the couch. one waking up first and staring at the other, admiring.

urs - john-robert

coming home to find petals scattered on the floor. dim lighting. a table with candles lit and our favorite meals. early evening with indigo skies and city lights. cold wind. warm lips.

bloom - the paper kites

weekends and early mornings. birds chirping. sun peeking through curtains. pancakes for breakfast. watering plants. soaking in the warmth of sun and coolness of the air. sketching. painting. writing.

everlasting summer - seycara orchestral, hikaru station

a hot morning. popsicles. colorful wind chimes. taking a bite from the other's ice cream. sharing a milkshake. watering plants turns to water fights. sprinklers. hose. water balloons. laying down on the grass in the afternoon.

my love mine all mine - mitski

winding down in the evening. white bath robes and wine. facials. masks. bubble baths together. slow dancing under dim lights. midnight snacks. matching silk pajamas. cuddling in bed.

you'll be in my heart - niki

a week before parting. staying in all day. cooking. taking polaroid pictures. playing guitar and singing together. making bracelets. late night talks. breakdowns. promises. "i'll be back before you know it."

v - razz t, thomas rydell

seeing each other again. tight and long hugs. out all day eating everywhere and talking about anything under the sun. feeding each other. updating each other about everything they missed. holding hands and reassuring squeezes.

afterglow - leila milki

slow and intimate moments. undressing each other, taking our time. feather kisses. soft touches. quiet moans. silk sheets. pink cheeks. rose-colored marks. making love.

love wins all - IU

a bouquet. walking down the aisle. two long white wedding dresses. veils. exchanging vows. two rings.

easily - bruno major

honeymoon. drinking wine. house by the beach. night swimming. coconut trees. cocktails. drinking together and getting drunk. laughing, dancing, singing at the top of our lungs. messy makeouts.

naturally - sydney maxine

cold, strong winds blowing our hair everywhere. the beach at night. a bonfire. walking by the shore, hand in hand. hanging out watching the waves. sharing a tent. stargazing.

tingin - cup of joe, janine

spring in japan. strolls in the park. long coats and foggy air from our mouths. hot chocolate and coffee. taking the train. sharing earphones. eating local snacks from stalls. vintage cameras. cherry blossoms.

it could only be us - beyond the sun

roadtrips. singing with the speakers blasting. sun in our veins. shades, shorts, summer outfits. floaties. mango shakes. playing in swimming pools and splashing water at each other. funny inflatables.

nahuhulog na sa'yo - noah alejandre

getting ready for date nights. doing each other's makeup. going out later than planned because we looked too good, iykyk. arcades. window shopping. just walking, letting our feet take us wherever. ramen for dinner.

every summertime - niki

getting our own place. moving in. working. grinding. saving up to open a bakery, cafe, bookstore, flowershop, or whatever we want. vacations and trips. pets. our dream life

?

[v-tired-queer]

Pride Fest in my city is one of the biggest events of the year for my friends and I, so there's a lot that we do the day before and the morning before. I finally have a bag I can use for my essentials, so if anyone else has a Pride event coming up this weekend, here's some things you might wanna bring!

❤️ Money--change and cards for food and vendors

🧡 Legal ID if you're 21+ and plan on drinking

💛 Sunscreen--you still need it even on cloudy days! Your skin will think you

💚 It's nice to bring a snack just incase you get hungry

💙 Water is very important to have! Even if it's cold where you are now, you still need to stay hydrated

💜 I, personally, always bring basic necessities: Chapstick, lotion, my mascara and lipstick, mini first aid kit (basically bandaid, alcohol wipes, neosporn, triple antibiotic), pain medication for headaches or what have you, pad/tampon, hand sanitizer

🩵 Sometimes Pride events can be a little overstimulating, so I bring some stress and stim toys with me. I recommend, it's nice to have them on hand

🩷 Pride gear! Bring whatever you feel represents you and/or your community! I bring my flag and wear some pins, my friend does her makeup in her flags colors, my other friend paints her face, her friend does their nails--there's a lot of ways you can do it!

🤍 If you're closeted and going to a pride event, make sure that you have a bag with you. You can safely store anything in there without it being wide open when you get home. I used to do this when I was a teen and just used my school backpack. That being said, make sure someone you trust knows either where you'll be or what general area you'll be in. Safety first!

🩷 If you fall under the trans umbrella please remember to brings things to make you more comfortable later on! Set timers for binding and tucking

🩵 A hand fan or hand warmers, depending on what side of the hemisphere you're on

If y'all can think of anything else, feel free to add more! This is just a basic list of things that might be helpful. Have fun and stay safe, everyone!!

🏳️‍🌈✨️🏳️‍⚧️ Happy Pride! 🏳️‍⚧️✨️🏳️‍🌈

[sulfurousdreamscapes]

Story // Collapse

~600 words // 3 min read (preview)

~1500 words // 8 min read (full)

Husband always said that I yawn like a cat. My eyes close, my mouth expands, and I rub my temples or fix my hair, just like a cat would rub its head with its paw.

That’s why I don’t see him leave the apartment when he leaves for work. He always leaves when I’m yawning. I don’t think he does it on purpose, but he’ll be sitting in the plastic chair with his hands on his knees, watching blurry news programs on the television, and then I yawn, and then there’s nothing except for a grey-blue sky kissing the crisp horizon line of the sea.

We both loved the sea, even before we moved in here. When Husband courted me, we agreed that you can never go wrong with taking in the sea breeze. It was quite natural, then, that Husband jumped at the opportunity to buy a sea-facing flat. I couldn’t complain.

If you looked at the original photographs of the apartment complex plan, you’d find that all the buildings originally had a white exterior, which has turned grey now. The building we lived in stood as a central block with its wings spread out, reaching out to caress the wings of two other buildings, which then repeated the pattern with two more buildings, and so on.

We are grateful to have the building at the very edge of the complex. Our living room door, which we always keep open except at night, lets in the sea breeze, and allows an immense view of the sea. On the other side of the flat, however, the bedroom window is much less picturesque.

Look through that window, and all there is to see is the debris of three collapsed apartment buildings. The buildings that do still stand appear to have kept their distance from us. They’re empty, like grey, hole-pocked boxes soaking up moss and rain.

The last collapse happened three days ago.

Husband came home from work and set his hat down, took his coat off, and searched for me as you would search for a painting on the wall. A familiar painting that reminds you inextricably of home.

I brought him a glass of water, which he emptied in one go. I interpreted that as his way of thanking me - to make the most of whatever I did for him.

“Did you look?” I asked.

Husband shook his head a little and kept his gaze on the aerobics show on TV. “Look for what?”

“Oh, I thought you may have gone looking for a new flat.”

“Give me a break,” he groaned.

That was fair. After all, he had just climbed seven stories’ worth of staircases to get home. The lift had been broken for so long that we didn’t really remember what it felt like to ride it when it worked.

He peeled his gaze from the TV and turned to me, and it felt like the gaze was still sticky - stick on me now. “Do you think I get paid to look for flats?” he grumbled, before conceding “I’ll go see on the weekend.”

I nodded. He won’t apologise, ever, but he did look away from me. That should be apology enough.

We watched TV together, and as he leaned back into the chair, I cut carrots and spring onions on the chopping board. A while later, he snapped at me and told me to do the cutting sometime earlier in the day, not when he needs his peace and quiet.

The television roared with laughter.

“I had other things to do in the day,” I said.

“Of course,” he groaned. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from the coat and left to watch the sea from outside the door.

I went on cutting the vegetables.

Thank you for reading so far! The rest of the story is on the Sulfur Dreams substack. Please subscribe to read the rest of it? You'll also get a new story in your email inbox every month! It's only $1 a month. ❤️

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[faerie-starv]

Deviantart Anniversary/Story

I forgot to post this two days ago so here it is. Warning, it's a long story so I hope you have a free time to read.

I created my very first social media account was Deviantart on October 6, 2007. I was living in Orlando for attending college and it was my first time being away from home, renting an apartment, and creating my own account. I started college in July 2007 and was majoring for Multimedia Design(which changed into Digital Media). A week after I started my second quarter, I decided to create my DA account. Quick note, here's the link of what Deviantart looks like back in 2007 by using Wayback Machine so you can get the idea.

Before I made my account, I first discovered the site back in early 2006 when I was browsing through Kingdom Hearts fan site and went to the gallery page section. It was showing fan art from other fans with links of their social media sites(MySpace, Deviantart, etc.). One pic I found was none other than the artist is called Keysha-chan as she was a huge Kingdom Hearts fan and drew them as cute chibis by using Copic markers. I checked out her DA page and I was amazed of her talent as she's the same age as I am. She not only drew KH but she also drew Final Fantasy, Fullmetal Alchemist, Jax and Daxter. She even made her own manga by creating her original characters, Elemental Goddess. She's no longer on Deviantart as she's now active on Instagram(which I follow her) and changed the username to KeyshaKitty.

After I created my DA account, she was the first person I watched. I saved the tutorials such as the markers and plushies. I learned some of it as I'm still learning how to use markers(you'll probably see some of them on my Tumblr page). She was the reason why I created my DA account. Back then, there was a lot of great art; fan art, original art, photography, CSS layouts, etc. There was no AI, people don't mind the 'cringe' art, no one accused you of being 'racist/homophobic/etc.', no SJW's, no walking on eggshells, and so forth. Sure, there was art theft and some trolls but nothing too major like what's happening on Twitter/X or on Facebook today.

I posted my first journal entry and introduced myself then went on following/faving spree.

I couldn't post my artwork till two days after I made the account because I didn't have printer/scanner back then and can only rely at college. It was Sunday when I first logged in and the school was closed. I couldn't upload my pics on Monday as I was starting my class and stay behind to use their Photoshop programs(back then, I didn't have Photoshop). I posted this pic on Tuesday as it was my OC's(which it needs some serious update and I'm making changes) while using some Photoshop. Please excuse my crappy pic as I didn't know what Mary Sue was or that the anatomy was way off. I am planning to remake the pic in the future.

As the date says, I was using the school's computers to put together my pic and it was before I made the account.

I later posted few more pics; two of them were my oil paintings I made when I was sixteen and one photo of Lake Placid, FL that my family used to go on weekends.

Later on, I watched another user who goes by Lily Pily and she was a big Nightmare Before Christmas/Corpse Bride/Kingdom Hearts fan. I read her crossover fan comics and loved her OC's which she became the first deviant to do an art trade with. I asked her if she can draw Emily from Corpse Bride while she asked me to draw her OC also named Emily. This is not my best pic of her as I'm still learning how to draw humans.

I'm also planning to redraw her as well. I'm hoping to follow Lily Pily's other social sites but I don't think she has any besides Deviantart. I still want to keep following her for her art.

I finally got around to post my first DA ID but I kinda traced the figure from the books so you can see how different it is(not proud of it hence why I later took it down).

My god, that pic looks awful! Tracing doesn't help either so it certainly does not make my pic better. The dress is so much cringe as it was based on my old Halloween fairy costume but the colors are just, ugh!!! The wings aren't very good and the pastel colors doesn't mix very well with the dress. This is why I took the pic down a year and a half later. This is what my fursona looked like back then before seeing the current version you see today. There's a reason why I don't like tracing nor using bases(like what I did on my ponysona for Neocities) because it just limits me from doing things. I want to be in control of things.

During 2007 and 2008, I didn't really gain any watchers except two who I know in real life. I also didn't get faves nor comments either until 2009. It was because of two things; one is that I didn't socialize with others nor joined clubs(before it turned into groups) hence why I lack of gaining watchers. Second is that my art was mostly non fan art and I just focused on creating my OC's but sadly, no one was interested in them. :( It wasn't until in 2009 is that I bought myself a digital camera from Walmart and started taking photos. Once I posted them on Deviantart, that's when I gained more watchers, comments, and faves. I still owned this camera to this very day.

Yeah, I used Adobe Illustrator to draw my camera. Loved that camera!

I took a bunch of photos mostly from theme parks and city downtown as well as flowers and birds. So photography is one of the reasons why my page is getting attention but another thing I've done is creating crystal orbs for fun.

Those gained a lot of popularity. Then I started to create my Fakemon, Faerie Mews based on the elements.

The first one was a Fire Faerie Mew(the other is the Chinese Fire Faerie Mew) then I created four more. I ended up making a final pic of four main elements. I really loved making them and I am planning to remake them in the future. I do want to finish the Chinese Elemental Faerie Mews as I only did one but didn't get around to finish.

I would love to post more of my old DA artwork here but I'll have to save it for other time as I can only limit on how many I can put in this post. I just wanted to post the story of my DA anniversary to share it with everyone.

If your asking me about my DA account, don't bother because I closed it back in January due to the site being overrun by AI and the admins stopped caring about the artists. I already removed my pics a year before they allowed AI(thank god I did that) to make it easier for me to clean up and deactivating the account. I've been on DA for fourteen years(fifteen if I choose to stay) before calling it quits.

So now I'm moving on here, Inkblot, Square, and Neocities to post my art. Hopefully you guys enjoyed my long ass story.

[residentdormouse]

Dealing with Sickness Headcanons

Ok - with @asirensrage’s post prompting, I was thinking about how my favorites would handle sickness. I know my favorites are not really many other’s favorites, but it’s what lives in my brain and they're who I know the best. So that said here's how I think the main cast of Diving would handle somebody they love being sick, done in a quiz answer format, cause why not.

(Sorry it's a bit late - weekends are not the best for finding writing time.)

Hayden - She'll be attentive, and if you ask for anything, you got it. But you'll have to instruct. She’s bad at making sure she’s taking care of herself sometimes, so aside from blatantly obvious sick care items, stuff may go unnoticed until there’s a cue to suggest otherwise. That said, cues can be read very well, and you won’t have to worry about needing too much after enough observation time. If all things you would need are taken care of, she'd just be at your side, trying her best to make you smile. Expect extra cuddling, and snuggly warm things. Music is a must. Games are most likely coming out.

Glen - You would not need to get up for anything. He'll have already observed your favorite type of everything prior, and once basics are taken care of, you'll get as many stories to fill the space as you could ask for. Paintings if you're up for it. Reading books outloud if you would prefer not doing much. He'll try to lighten the mood with jokes and humor, but you can tell there's care behind it all. Comfort food, comfort items. He’ll make sure it’s all there. The house may be a mess to clean after though, his priority is going to be getting you better and being there for you, not cleaning up. He'll help with that later.

Nick - This is your best attendant of the lot by leagues. He is caring. Compassionate. Will be there with soothing gestures and comfort items. You do not need to do anything. Peaceful caresses and nurturing to the extreme. He's got you. While you're sleeping, he will do everything you'd need done, and you'll have a fresh start once you get up. Clean house, no to-do lists, just pick up where you left off and take it easy. 11/10 this is probably who you’d want to take care of you.

Steph - You will be lavished with all the typical care items, but in a very awkward manner. 'Oh soup! Soup is good. Hold on. But broth soup right? Is there chicken? Do you like chicken? Or just plain broth? Or maybe you don't like soup! Shit. Would you want soup?' … Give her a direction, and you'll be good. Even still, you'll probably end up reassuring her just as much as she does for you. Her heart is in the right place, though, and she will be set on trying to improve your mood. If you play videos games, she'll have a distraction setup ready to go.

Harold - Harold is observant, and devoted when it's somebody he cares for. Just hard to get into that inner circle. But he would make getting you everything you need his priority. Anything. Anything you ask for, you got it. And if people are bothering you, or could potentially bother you, he is chasing them away. You need to rest and to get better; they can deal with whatever they need themselves. He would also read to you bedside, something he wrote most like, until you drifted off. Before you’re asleep, he’s already planning out what all needs done before you wake up, and much like Nick, you would not have to worry about taking care of anything. It is still Harold though, so watch for prickly spots; regardless of sick levels, you hit a nerve and he will react.

Max - On the outside, she is going to be calm and aloof. 'Oh, yeah, water. Check. Can do. Yeah, we got some extra blankets. Hold up, I'll be right back.' But on the inside, she is freaking out. 'What if you get worse? What if this is the start of something they can't fix? Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.' She will be notably absent at times lost in her worry unless you specifically tell her to stay there. Once you're asleep though, she is taking care of everything, staying busy, incapable of staying still. Fuses are short, and while she would not be snippy with you, anybody else had best hope they don’t need shit from her right now.

Lloyd - You will get anything you ask for, but much like Steph, it's going to be kinda weird and you're going to end up reassuring him. 'Oh fuck, you would probably like extra pillows, and how about a movie? Wait, that movie? Fuck yeah, I love that shit! When they're all like *animated reenactments*— Oh, shit I'm yelling. That ain't helping is it, fuck, okay.... Sorry. Oh, I think there’s some— wait, do you want water or something too? You should be drinking. Well, that makes it sound like drinking drink. Not that type of… Drink. Water. On it.' For as much as his help is scattered or delayed, he would be able to read you really well, though. And he would be an excellent cuddler and fun company. Stay in bed next to you? Fuck yeah! Lazy day.

Flagg - Presumptuous of you to think you're a loved one. But for what it's worth, he'd make sure you get what you need to survive. Somewhat comfortably. Depending on how devoted you are to him, he might actually bring items to you himself instead of just having somebody else do this or leaving them where you could find them. Hell, he might even sit with you and tell anecdotes that he retained in his vague memories. Possibly in a nice manner. Maybe. Or maybe he'll be a fuckhead about it all. Toss a coin. Hey, do you like iced milk? It's fresh. Also, he may handle your to-do list while you're out, but don't ask how; you may not want to know details.

Gwen - She's not the best caretaker as she doesn't know what to typically do, or what tastes the best. Much like Harold, she will be playing gatekeeper, and keeping you in a safe quiet place to recoup. Things can wait, or they can be handled by her directly. Handling things is what she does best. Unlike Harold, she would allow others in if they would help, most likely better than her. But she's going to stand back watching to make sure it's helpful to you, and taking notes if it is. You need food, she'll put in an order. Tea? Do you do things to tea, or is it just a packet and water? Oh I guess you do feel cold, that's not normal is it? Let's fix that. She cares, it's just not her specialty. She's trying.

Teddy - Combination of Nick and Steph and Lloyd. You got a high level of care and attentiveness like Nick. He's going to be task focused as long as it's tasks he's familiar with or aware of. Gotta be clear about this though, he is not the most perseptive of the bunch. Like Steph, there's an awkward nerd wrapped up inside all of this. He'll second guess and fumble sometimes, but in an adorably endearing way. Along with Lloyd, his brain also goes faster than his body sometimes, and he'll lose himself in thoughts only to realize you might not have made that mental journey with him. He will also be insanely stoked about lazy day, feel better movie time. He is here for that.