#working on vday stuff too

[deadhands69]

What I'm posting this week:

◐ a weird/dark Shigaraki fluff oneshot (reader is rescued by the LOV and thinks they're heroes) ◑ Tattoo HCs pt 2

Probably no Hitching a Ride this week, maybe early next week :)

[britneyshakespeare]

My bestie and I went shopping last night, de facto Galentine's because none of our other friends were available, but plenty of fun nonetheless of course. I have been friends w her for years and I love spending one-on-one time w her; we don't do it enough. Anyway we went shopping first before we got dinner, and we both really like Friendly's so that's where we went. The Friendly's we went to, we go to all the time. It's NEVER busy even on Friday nights. I love it for that. So I completely didn't think of putting off going dinner till like 7:30. But when we walked in, we had to stand in line for AWHILE and the whole place was CROWDED. I was like, WHAT? The fuck is happening here. Are people going on DATES?

[project-sekai-facts]

do you think either akito or tsukasa could get the next valentines focus and both be 4*s?

i’d assume tsukasa has a higher chance of being the focus between the two since the last val focus was vbs (kohane) so i don’t think they’ll do akito.. though they did do toya and an back to back for wedding focuses (not too sure how strict they are about this kind of stuff) and vbs already has two mixed focuses for this round iirc

also unsure if there’s any restrictions about how many times two characters can be together in mixed events, but akito has been in the lineup of every tsukasa mixed focus so far, so if it’s tsukasa focus, is it impossible for them two to be together? bec off the top of my head i cant really think of any character that’s been in all of another character’s mixed events other than akito and tsukasa. though i do understand it might be a little early to think of valentines specs since akito has some chance of showing up in ny5 maybe (which wd prevent him from having a valentines lim i assume) i’ll be interested to hear your insights though thanks!!

I think it's pretty likely to be a Tsukasa focus. He hasn't had a mixed event in coming up two years, and aside from Len is the character most in need of a lim. WxS also hasn't had a vday event yet but I'm not sure if that's something clpl cares about.

As for Akito and Tsukasa together. I dunno. Whenever there's a boy on a mixed event, there's usually a second one to go with him (exceptions being unit rep anniversary events and all the mixed events with Toya this year). The main spec I've seen for vday 2025 is Tsukasa/Akito/Mafuyu, mainly because that's the lineup that works best distribution wise. It's a bit of a random lineup but it wouldn't be the first lineup asspull.

The other main spec I've seen is a bookend to last year's lineup, ie: An/Minori/Mizuki + Akito 3*. Which does actually work provided that Akito is bfes instead of An. I'm kinda hesitant on it though since I think An is a more likely bfes than Akito and I don't think Mizuki needs another lim until summer. Minori I think could easily go here though since I cannot think of anywhere else to put her next lim. Unless she's NY of course.

[manchestereyes]

I had kinda dipped out of the phandom during the was era (sorry) so I would to hear how that era led to them being so connected in this one

oh that is so valid, friend! 🧡 i kinda did too since it was announced right when i got my first full time job and suddenly i didn't have time to engage with phandom stuff anymore 😭 but things are a lot chiller now, so let's dive in! (under the cut because this is gonna be loooong--dnp please do not read if you happen to stumble across this!)

i think to get a full perspective on this journey, we really need to look at the full history of dan and phil. how they forged such a deep connection in 2009 and did whatever they could to be together. how they were blowing up more and more in the early 2010s and seeing more opportunities come from this youtube business. and how one youtube glitch could've ruined those opportunities forever.

i'm sure we all know by now how big of a deal the vday video was but if you don't... it was a huge deal. suddenly this very private piece of their lives was out in the open, long before either of them were ready to publicly address it. and it changed everything. yes, their love story was basically documented already, but they never expected those posts would be seen by millions of people one day, potentially even by people who could give them jobs. so they shut down. they insisted they were separate people and made completely different videos while also showing us the family sized box of shreddies they'd bought for the two of them.

and this is where wad comes in. yes i know i'm jumping really far into the future here, but hear me out--in a way, i believe wad is directly connected to everything that went down in 2012. see, phil's told us that he's always been happy doing amazingphil and dan and phil things. but dan's different.

SPECULATION TIME -- IF YOU ARE DAN AND PHIL, PLEASE CLICK AWAY NOW. THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING.

dan grew up desperate for validation from parents who never had time for him and from peers who constantly bullied him. he's always had a voice in the back of his head telling him he's not good enough, and even when phil tells him his videos are great, he still wants them to appeal to all the people who dismissed him growing up. he wants to be his full self, yet he's also terrified of acknowledging that he could be the very thing he was tormented for. meanwhile, phil (as far as i can tell) had that validation growing up. his parents were older and had more money and therefore, more energy to devote to phil and martyn. phil's always been super close with his whole family, whereas dan (from what we know) has only ever been close with his nana and popsie, and now with his mum too. phil had a whole group of friends growing up, whereas dan flitted from group to group, never quite fitting in, and even had no friends for a while. this is why he developed the cynical, sarcastic persona he's worn for so long. it was his battle armor. every time he'd shown his real self growing up, he'd been rejected. but once he saw how lovely we all are, that battle armor was quickly becoming restricting. but he'd spent so long wearing it that now dan didn't know who he was now.

so we got the hiatus, while dan worked out who he was and how he wanted to present himself and threw himself into different projects that did and didn't see the light (rip dinok our strongest soldier 💔)--one of those projects being wad. suddenly dan, theatre kid extraordinaire, who'd spent two tours working with his favorite person onstage, was now facing the prospect of carrying an entire stage show on his own. on one hand, that was terrifying as fuck, but on the other, it was a culmination of all the work dan had done on himself. and he did it. he spent months physically apart from phil only to find that we loved him for who he is. and that was deeply healing for him.

however, being apart for several months was SO hard on him and phil. phil said he was having a lot of trouble with his migraines around that time and i have to wonder if that could have partly been from the stress of not having dan around for long periods of time. and we know dan had plenty of crises on the road that he frantically texted phil about--enough to have him credited as "remote crisis manager" in the wad recording. and that's the thing, isn't it? i think dan especially needed that time apart to realize that he and phil are truly magical together. and with all the pressure he puts on himself for solo content, he knew it would take a herculean effort to put anything out on his main channel. but phil's been working with a really cool editor for his main channel. and the gaming channel has never had that content threshold.

so they finally both dropped the masks (for the most part) and dove into this new version of dan and phil that emphasizes their connection. because it's okay for them to be this close now. they've already worked with some hugely powerful people (and been accepted by their families) and now all they need is us. and we've not only accepted them for it, we've celebrated it--all the way to the finals of the rpf tourney. and i think that acceptance means more to dnp than we will ever know.

tl;dr: dan and phil had to be apart for a while to see just how much they needed each other. and now that they've experienced that, they know they can never let each other go--and that their connection is just as special to us as it is to them, so there's no harm in showing it off every chance they get.

[hayatoseyepatch]

I feel like all I do is apologize for being mia (ಡ‸ಡ) life has been kicking my ass as of recently. So little Sam update. My mom just had a pretty serious surgery so I’ve been spending a lot of time helping with her recovery. And my mental has been all over the place with recent events so we love that.

But rest assured! I promise to be more active! I have some wips in the works and I’m planning some stuff with vday around the corner (•̀ᴗ•́)و I also will be going through my inbox too so if you sent me an ask I pinky promise I haven’t missed it!

Thanks for listening to me ramble I love you all so much! I hope you have the best day. That you’ve eaten, and drank, and remembered just how loved and appreciated you are. Hugging you all extra tight! ♡︎

[starlyris]

I’ve been quiet for a while, brain hasn’t been too great and depression was acting up again too.

I’m still playing Warframe and working on new stuff for it, just at a vey slow pace. I even missed Vday, didn’t make anything silly for Amir….that made me sad :( (bby i still luv u).

I’ll hopefully feel better and come back soon. I’m still lurking in the amirbeckett tag tho.

[dav1s]

i have a lot of stuff to catch up on and i apologize for not being here. work and life has been stressing me out lately. but i'm here now, we are expected a big ass snow storm today too. my lexie blog is also on its way very soon too!!! anyway, like this if you would like to receive a vday something from brooke davis!!!

[illarian-rambling]

So, it's Valentine's day. Yipee! I personally am gonna spend today playing dnd with my friends, but let's see what my main couples are doing <3

Astra probably forgot it was Vday, ngl. She's terrible about remembering stuff like that. Mashal most certainly didn't forget though, so he wakes her up with a nice breakfast and a vase of her favorite flowers. This tips Astra off as to the occasion and she quickly enters manic panic mode because holy shit she forgot to get Mashal anything. She does a very poor job of keeping her anxiety on the down low, which makes Mashal worry that he's coming on too strong (they've been dating for months now and have faced multiple life-or-death situations together before). For evening plans, Mashal got them tickets to a jazz venue he knows Astra likes, however, Astra runs off at like midday to get stuff for "a project" and Mashal should stay home because it's gonna be really boring. So Mashal spends his afternoon a little dejected and works on paintings. Meanwhile Astra is frantically dashing through Yewbury to find a suitable gift, cursing herself to high heaven for forgetting. Time for the opening band draws near and Mashal figures Astra will just meet him at the venue, so he heads over. He's there for one long, lonely hour and right as he's about to go home wondering what he did wrong, Astra runs in, absolutely covered in alchemical goo and holding a set of priceless oil paints. She profusely apologizes and explains that she wanted to get him a nice gift, but she didn't have the money, so she had to whip up some potions real fast for trade, which did include hunting runoff-mutated rats in the city's underbelly. Mashal is both touched and worried because, aw shit, he didn't get her a gift really, just tickets, should he have gotten her a gift? Astra laughs it off and tells him the tickets are perfect, and he reassures her that it's okay she forgot, he knows she loves him anyways. They spend the rest of the night dancing, drinking, making out, and go home in love all over again.

Nyda and Kaulakri spend their Valentine's Day aboard the R.S. Starbreaker, as they don't have any other options really. Kaulakri has talked this over with Nyda days in advance and is fine not making a big deal of it, but Nyda is a romantic, so she wants to do something, but their options are limited. They agree to go stargazing together once their workday is done. However, Anarac listens in on everyone's conversations and he remembers how special a couple's first Vday can be, so obviously he's gonna do his best to make it an occasion for the two scientists. He enlists Pash and Faalgun (Pash is excited for anything remotely close to a party, while Faalgun sees this as important for morale) to help plan something. And so when the workday is done and Nyda and Kaulakri meet at the stern of the ship, telescope in hand, they find it far nicer than they would've anticipated. Little paper flowers litter the floor, while a nice fur rug has been set out like a picnic blanket, along with two glasses of the wine Anarac bought on Daramakt. From somewhere in the distance, Pash plays his shamisen in a soft serenade. It's a beautiful scene, out among the stars. Both Nyda and Kaulakri know exactly who to credit for this all. They decide to enjoy themselves and their crewmates' hard work by stargazing long into the night and getting their sexy on even longer 😏

[pinkmoondoll9shihtzu]

my vday confession... there is this girl i have been seeing for a bit over half a year now and i think she might really be the one. we used to vaguely know each other and hang out in the same online spaces almost a decade ago but then fell out of touch forever and then randomly by pure chance ran into each other irl and we just clicked together so perfectly, it is amazing. it feels like it was meant to be the way we just get along so well and feel so comfortable together... most other relationships in my life ive kind of just gone along with people liking me and trying my best to be good to them and stuff but with her it feels like this is what i really want and i have a future together with her... its amazing to know that love is real and it finally came for me :) i cant be with her today sadly but tomorrow we are gonna cook a yummy meal together and i am so excited hehehe... i hope you are full of warm and happy feelings this day as well n_n

this is so wonderfull!!!!!! really reminds me of how it felt to meet slimbo irl too.. i just felt so profoundly comfortable around them, like the second we met up we never stopped talking n i quickly realized i could be my total unfiltered self in their presence. we were in vancouver & spent a whole day together literally skipping and dancing around the city while i was playing bladee from my phone speakers, we were singing so loudly all day long. it rly felt like our souls finally reunited from a past life connection and we were celebrating <3

before that i also felt the same way like i was constantly trying to go along with what others want, accept their projections, try to please them.. but slimbo never made me feel projected onto or like i have to work hard to become their 'dream girl', it's like my true natural self is already perfect for them, and vice versa. im so glad u have this special type of love too anon..i pray it lasts many lifetimes <333

to those who wish for this kind of love, never give up.. i wasnt ready to receive it until i was 30.. and it just came out of the blue so suddenly. U never know whats just around the corner. tysm for this lovely confession anon hope u have a nice time with your love tomorrow xx -PMD9

[freyito]

i know i keep saying stuff like this but... once i've cleared out my inbox (which should start after vday-- i'm working on two pretty big posts rn and a couple more in my drafts) i'm gonna drop something as a little gift from me 2 you... or sumn... for gaining 500 followers!!!

i'll say it rn, (altho i'll have much more to say later, trust) i really wasn't expecting this kind of attention. i've said it a bunch but i started this blog for self indulgence (mainly cause i was bummed with the lack of male reader) but to see so many people enjoy my writing is!!!! insane!!!!!!! not to mention my frequent anons-- despite being. anons. it builds a sense of community here!!! it's rlly rlly nice. and all of those who request stuff as well, gahahahhhh it makes me so happy. when i started this blog i was surprised to get a request the MINUTE my rules/masterlist dropped-- and tbh i was surprised i kept getting requests. i never thought i would have to close requests cause i was getting too much (but hey here we are). i appreciate everyone sticking around while i push thru my mad writers block, as well as me just slowing down with writing. despite having an open schedule, i find it harder to write consistently... but rlly all the support is GAHHAH it makes me so happy!!!!

thank you all once again and i promise!!! i pinky promise!!!! i will deliver! <333

[wulfums]

Do you, scuds, and Mr.B have any valentines day plans :0? Does Wesley have any relationship(s) or valentines day plans? What was valentines day like for Wesley growing up, did yalls family have any family valentines day traditions?

Sorry for so much valentines day stuff February hits and I go crazy lmao

TEEHEE

Of course Scuds, me and Mr B have plans- this day is a Very Big deal for them!!! Cosnidering before meeting all of them accepted they would Probably Die Alone- the fact that they haven't and haven't though abt that in a long time in have a happy family and a wonderful daughter...they have a lot to celebrate!!!!!

They always have a special Vday dinner and breakfast!!! Wulfie waking everyone up w fun shaped pancakes first of all!!!! tbh all 3 of them wish they could just take the day off from work that day just to be with each other but alas...they cannot. So they're just delivering small gifts + notes to each other all day (mostly scuds + mr b having glen bring them over to wulfie since hes in a diff office) + theyre so excited for their special cool dinner. The weekend after v-day they take a lil vacation too since they want some alone time Romantically

Wesley usually invites her friends over that weekend! her old friend group shes been having huge issues w (they have not been talking to her at all since they all got focused on weirdass relationship shit and shes felt really left out. they keep forgetting to invite her to things too </3) but she got in w the bleacher creature group so shes inviting them over. (her and topher still want each other dead but they have a truce so its fine.) so she'll be hanging out w them for the weekend.

none of them really care abt relationship shit (totally not bcuz none of them can even get a date...totally. tho lizzie and jackee are dating but everyones happy for them). not to say she Doesnt have a crush on one of them but dw abt that. They rack up soooo much debt on the credit card wesley was left for Emergancys Only buying pizza and vbucks i just know it. they all have a lot of fun together- they absolutely have board game nights.

wesley doesnt hate valentines day but she is Resentful that all her friends are in them just. all the time. its hard to be in a friend group where literally everoyne is dating Except You. but she grew up in a very loving home so shes happy that her dads are happy.

[toestalucia]

Catura: Once we're done eating I'm going to hurt my foot, so I want you to bridal carry me! Choice: You're going to what? Catura: It's one of my other favorite scenes… The heroine hurts her foot during bread training and the boy has to carry her home…

HHADHADHADHJADAVJDJADAD............captain proceeds to just pick her up ofc. man i definitely wanted something else out of caturas 5* (<-guy who read her intro+skill fate eps w a friend & us going wait huh....upon finding out how the ox temple works), havent read the lvl100 eps tho, but im very.........this couldve been a vday unit me thinks.........i also implode whenever i have to imagine djgr Not aging despite meeting the zodiacs Yearly but thats for me myself n i who therefore cannot view caturas(&cidala) feelings toward captain as more than like....babys first crush (or captain treating it as such). yknow. romejuli aging 2 times i miss u so bad come back to me, age up one more time....romejuli3 was such a strong event too....... HOWEVER taking it at the lvl where they want me to take it, i think its a cute uncap LOL the pov change & captain r rly rly cute LOL

Catura: A bouquet of roses… They show up all the time in illustrated stories, but I've never seen one in real life before… Choice: Today is a special day, so… I intended to finish the sentence with, "I wanted to give them to you," but my heart was racing so fast that I'm not confident that I did.

like this is sooooooooooooo cute LOL...it shouldve been a vday unit man....grimnirs vday unit is alrdy a fanfic........having this in the grand uncap when it starts with "in one o the many possible futures"....man.....u couldve put this in any other unit............the 5* uncaps is where u put the COOL stuff.....or discussing the ox zodiac cuz i have THOUGHTS. its a shame but oh well.............

[miyuhpapayuh]

twenty-four

“I'm so excited to be here!”

“We're so excited to have you, dear! Have a seat!”

Having been on edge all day about making a good first impression, once she'd gotten to the facility and saw five women that looked like her, their warm energy calmed her instantly.

“We got you a latte, didn't want you to feel left out.”

“Oh, I really appreciate it! I hope everyone's morning has been good!”

The ladies nod in agreement before the leader begins her ice breaker.

“This may seem a bit school-ish, but I like to go around the group and get a fun fact from each of you, and it wouldn't be fair if I didn't kick it off! So, I’m Roni and I started this group a few years ago so black women could have a creative space of our own.”

“And we love you for it! I'm Leia and I'm one of thirteen kids!”

“Oh my gosh, really? What's that like??” Zora asks, which makes everyone laugh.

“Girl, hectic! We're all two years apart, too.”

“My word. Well, I'm Zora and I actually had given up on wanting my own art career, but I'm getting back out there!”

“We're all so proud of you for doing that, it takes courage!”

“Thank you!”

“Of course, doll. I'm Fran and I'm fifty-five, sitting on a pretty pension from my dead husband.” She says, before cracking up, making the girls do the same.

“A hoot, that one is! I'm Trina and I collect rocks and turn them into little scenes.”

“They're really cool, she's gotta show y'all her latest one before we leave! But I'm Dina, and I'm a photography finatic! I'll take a picture of anything!”

She pulls out her phone and swipes through her gallery to emphasize her point. Nothing but trees, cocktails, food spots, selfies, her cat Toby, the sky and moon and clouds in between.

“You're just like me, for real.” Zora laughs. “Also I've never seen a black cat named Toby, how adorable.”

“She's a girl, too!”

“Really?? That's so adorable, too!”

“I know!” She giggles.

Roni and the others laugh at their interaction, knowing Dina and her infectious personality would pull her right in.

The activity of the day was to take your feelings and turn them into a scene. Any theme. People or no people.

Zora painted a vibrant sunset on her new balcony. Two glowy orbs side by side, overlooking the breathtaking view.

“Can I just say wow!?” Fran gasps as she looks over from her own masterpiece, a never ending garden of bright tulips and wildflowers.

“Oh,” Zora covers her face, “thank you!”

“I've never seen anything like this before. How'd you do that, with the shading around the orbs and stuff??” Trina asks, as the group moves in to see her work.

Still flustered by their sweet reception, she blows out a breath. “I actually tried something out while painting. Took the shades around it and made a color and outlined them, it adds some depth to it.”

“Hell yeah, it does!” Roni agrees, making the ladies laugh.

“Thanks, you guys! Now let me see what everyone else is working on!”

“Ooh, come look at mine!” Dina says, pulling them over to her portrait of Toby, his big green eyes making them gasp.

“Wow, those are her eyes, alright!” Trina says, giving her a high five.

“They took me like twenty minutes, they better be her eyes!” Dina laughs.

“She's so cute! Her and vday gotta do a playdate!”

“Absolutely!”

“Uh oh, miss Fran! Let's talk about these flowers!”

“Oh, my pride and joy! I've been gardening for about twenty years, and this is what my garden looked like until a couple years ago. The last time I was able to get out and tend to it all, I took a picture of it and now it's memorialized in this painting.”

“Who knew flowers could make you cry,” Zora frowns.

“That's beautiful, Fran.” Roni says. “Wildflowers are your favorite, huh?”

This makes everyone laugh.

“How'd you guess, you smart cookie??”

“Come look at my pretty rock!”

Trina painted a giant black obsidian rock that was cracked in half, indigo and violet on the inside, pale yellow twinkling in certain spots.

“Wow! I like this one better than my own!” Dina says, punching her arm.

“Y'all are the most talented women ever, I'm convinced.” Roni compliments.

“Wait, let's see yours!”

An up close view of a rib cage, pink and green butterflies litter the inside and linger at the garden planted in the center of her chest.

“Rooted in love?”

“Absolutely!” She smiles. “It's how I've been feeling since getting engaged. Just a love plant.”

“Awww, that's so sweet!”

“Yeah! Are we invited to the wedding??”

“Absolutely! It'll be in the fall, sometime. It's our favorite season.”

“Leia, what did you paint?”

A silhouette of a woman behind a rose colored sheet.

“What's the story behind this?”

“Hollowness, really. I feel hidden most times.”

“Oh, babe,” Trina frowns, hugging her.

Welcoming the gesture, she softly laughs.

“Thanks, but I'm okay, I'm just a middle child.”

✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿

“Honey, I'm home!” Leon yells from the front door, chuckling as Zora damn near crashes into him, hopping into his arms.

“Hey, baby!” She squeals, inhaling his woodsy scent.

“Hey, my love. I see you missed me!”

Carrying her over to the couch, he plops down with her still attached to him.

“I did! I couldn't wait til you got here so I could tell you how my day went!”

“Oh yeah, I'm all ears! How'd everything go??”

She fills him in on all her sweet new friends, shares their paintings, and gives him a rundown of how their next few meetings are gonna go.

“Look at you,” he cheeses, “my artiste!”

Her nose crinkled as she covered her face.

“I'm good, I guess!”

“Zora Jean, please. You're the best.”

“The best, huh??” She uncovers her face as they both laugh.

“And you know this, lady bug!”

“Thank you, best chef and photographer ever!”

He humbly dusts off his shoulder, making her giggle.

“Speaking of! I can share this with you now,” he says, placing his hands on hers, “today was my last day of work at the warehouse.”

Her mouth drops open in surprise. He smiles widely at her reaction, proud that it was worth keeping to himself.

“You quit?!! Finally??”

“That, I did!”

“I'm so happy for you!” She beams, squeezing his hands now.

“Thank you, my sweet lady.” He smiles, leaning in to kiss her face.

“Aw, you're so happy about this, I love it! What's your plan??”

“Well, I think I can kick off my vlogging now. Not sure if it'll be more than just cuts of me cooking, but it's a start! Also, my boys said they'd support me with whatever I needed while I'm getting started.”

“That's really sweet of them! I can't wait to see your first video! I've got a thing for cameras now ‘cause of you, so if you need any help.. I'm here too!” She cheeses, earning three kisses on the lips.

“Thank you, baby. I may need you to be my camerawoman from time to time, when you're not busy with your own artiste dreams, that is.”

“I'm proud of us. We quit our regular-degular jobs to focus on our passions! How many people, our age especially, get to say that!!”

“We must be god's favorite, huh?”

“Oh, yeah!” She nods, meeting him halfway for a high-five.

✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿

“Alright ladies, today we are meeting with a few investors and they are very fond of each of your portfolios, so if all goes well, your names will be on front street before the weekend!” Roni squeals as the ladies do the same.

“I'm a little nervous, wow!” Zora huffs, placing her hand over her heart.

“Don't worry honey, your art is divine! If these suits don't like it, they don't know talent. Okay?” Fran says, rubbing her back.

“O-okay. I'm gonna head to the bathroom.”

Excusing herself, she heads down the hall and into the biggest stall of the bathroom, immediately calling Nique.

“Hello?” Her best friend sings into the phone.

“Girl, investors are coming to chat with us today! They've seen our work and are apparently impressed, which is great! This is what I've always wanted… but what if they get here and see our latest pieces and their opinions change? W-what if they don't wanna—”

“Zora! Hey! Calm down, sweetie!” She coos, snapping her out of her spiral.

Inhaling deeply and exhaling roughly a few times, she places her hand back over her heart. It wasn't beating nearly as fast, but she was still frazzled.

“I– it's been such a long time coming, ya know? I'm just… I don't know!”

“It's okay to be nervous, Jean. This has been like ten years in the making! Those investors already like your work, right?? So, you're in there! Don't worry about anything else. It would be remiss if you didn't celebrate your wins. You put yourself out there. You found an art group and they welcomed you with open arms! Investors know who you are!! They know what you're capable of and they're coming to see you and your work. Hell, let's call up that ex whore of yours and rub it in his face, cause you're killing this shit and you haven't even really started yet!”

By this time, Zora’s face was covered in salty tears at her friend's sweet and true words.

“And stop that crying before them girls think sumn wrong with you!” She jokes, making Zora laugh.

“Shut up, man.” She sniffles, wiping her face.

“I appreciate you for saying all of that. You're right. I've waited so long for things to fall into place. It's my time to show what I'm capable of!”

“Hell yeah, it is!” She agrees. “And I know it's rough, but you have to know– believe that you've already done the hard part. Get yourself together and walk out there with your head up high, mmkay?”

“Thank you, Nique Nique!” She coos, making kissy noises.

“Ah, what would you do without me! You're always welcome, Jeanie! I'll be sitting at home, waiting for you to tell me how it went!”

“Expect my knock, later!”

They squeal and talk a bit more to calm her nerves, before bidding each other farewell.

Thankful for her deep brown complexion, she wasn't as flushed as she feared. She wets a napkin and wipes her eyes and cheeks, before washing hands again.

Rejoining the group and assuring them that she's okay, they fall into conversation to ease the leftover pressure even further.

“I've been curious about this for a minute, but I didn't wanna be that crazy old lady that asks too many questions,” Fran laughs, before looking over at Zora.

“You've got a boyfriend, don't ya?”

The instant smile that covers her entire face makes the ladies coo and giggle at her.

“I knew it!” Dina adds. “Caught her smiling at her phone the other day, but I let her live.”

“Y'all,” Zora laughs, shaking her head, “y'all remind me of my sisters so much! Only, they wouldn't let me live anything down, so thank y'all for that.”

“We had to ease you in, first!” Roni pats her shoulder.

“But now that we know you're in loooove,” Trina sings, making them crack up.

“Yes, tell us allll about it!” Leia chimes in.

“He's so sweet, y'all,” she gushes, unable to help the bright smile on her lips as she goes on about her man.

How smart he is. How generous. Rugged. Driven. Hardworking. Dedicated. Inspiring.

“Does he have any brothers??”

“I had to hook my sisters up! But I'll see if he's got any cousins or uncles up for grabs! A young uncle for you, Frannie.”

“That's my girl!” Fran claps.

Soon the investors arrived and Zora was ready to let her work do the talking, her nerves steady.

There were only two people, a white man and woman, which helped a lot. Not too many people to interact with. Zora wasn't the only one who internally felt that way, either.

“Ladies, this is Roberts and Williams, senior investors from Canvas & Company. They came by to talk to us about their experience with buying and selling art, how the market works and how to invest in it.” Roni introduces.

“We are very excited to meet you ladies! In fact, on the way over, we pulled up each of your files one more time, just blown away with the talent we've seen!” Roberts exclaims, clasping her hands together.

“Indeed! Haven't seen much talent like this in a while. Definitely refreshing.” Williams adds, before they get into their spiel.

“Now the art industry has definitely changed in the last thirty years, pushing boundaries on how we capture an image and paint it for others to see. It's very interesting what one can do with a paintbrush or pencil. Speaking of, what's everyone's favorite medium and why?” Williams asks, looking around the room, his finger pointed at Dina.

“Pencil. There's an eraser always close by.” She laughs, and he fondly shakes his head.

“Gotta love the mistakes, too.” He says, pointing to her twin sister.

“Charcoal. I love the mess of it!”

“See? My kinda girl!” He claps, pointing to Fran.

“Watercolor! I love how lightweight it is.”

“I agree, it's probably the lightest type of paint.” Next was Zora.

“Acrylic paint. It's so vibrant and rich, experimental even! Perfect for my pieces.”

“Acrylic is best for that type of thing. Building color, texture.. it's a hassle to preserve, though.”

“Oh, tell me about it! My poor palette has never been the same.” She laughs and so does he, before pointing to Leia.

“Oil pastel, I love the way it glides!”

“As do I!”

Moving on to a slideshow of how investing in art works, the ladies quickly realized they were on the fun side of things, seeing how much people empty their banks for it.

“Seven grand on one painting?? That would take care of so many things.” Fran mumbles, shaking her head.

“Imagine!” Roni whispers back.

“You'd be surprised how much one would spin! One impression is all it takes, a lot of the time.” Roberts says, looking over to her colleague who agrees.

“They try to scare you with the emerging and well known artists as top sellers, but we don't all curate art the same way, which is why we're here. We see potential in every one of you, even your lead! Phenomenal work, ladies, really.” She adds, to which they all graciously thank her.

After the meeting is over, Zora feels a ton lighter than she did when her day began. She was proud of herself.

Making it home, she showers, changes into her sweats and heads across the hall, not even getting to knock before Nique opens the door.

“Hey, girl!”

“How did you–”

“I was sitting on my patio and saw you pull up! Knew the knock was coming!” She answers, pulling her inside and closing the door behind them.

Plopping down on her oversized sofa, Zora lets out a sigh of relief and grabs a handful of popcorn, stuffing her mouth.

“Tired?”

“Mmhm! It's been a long day,” she says with a mouthful, tucking her feet underneath her.

“Well, how'd everything go??”

“Great! There were only two people, a man and a woman, both white and like our mamas’ age. Cool people, though! Super friendly. They asked us about our favorite mediums and told us about how they can help and hinder, how the investment market works and girl, these people spend money!”

How much we talkin’?”

“Anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple hundred thousand!”

“Really??” Nique asks with wide eyes. “Let me go paint sumn real quick.”

Zora laughs, stuffing another handful of popcorn in her mouth.

“No, but seriously I'm glad it went great! No stress, no mess, just you and your unbelievable talent showcasing itself!”

“Me too, it's nice having people with loaded pockets take more than a glance at your work! Hell, I might have met potential buyers!”

“Fingers crossed! Your artwork is gonna be in everybody's living room! Just you wait!”

“You better be in the first ten people to buy sumn!!”

“Like I haven't been buying your artwork since we've known each other! Ima be the first! Next piece you cook up, it's mine!” She declares before grabbing her remote.

“I know that's right! What we watchin’?”

“Beauty shop!!”

“Oh, my movie!!”

@ghostfacekill-monger @thegifstories @blackerthings @planetblaque @blowmymbackout @henneseyhoe @honestpreference @blackpinup22 @abeautifulmindexposed @nayaxwrites @twistedcharismaaa @kindofaintrovert @sageispunk @madamzola @soufcakmistress @starcrossedxwriter @slippinninque

[icharchivist]

Yeah, I can see Aglovale taking a lot after his own dad in the parenting department, so he'd need someone to balance him out, like Herzeloyde did with Gamureth

We're counting on you, Tor

Yeah i agree on that!

Like ironically he's "kinder" to people around him than Percival can be when he's in full Tsun mode, but especially when it comes to raising and stuff he can be a little more... blunt?

Idk i still think especially about Percival's 5*, where Aglovale wanted to teach Percival a lesson as a elder brother, and he still kinda came out as a dickhead lmao. It's only because Percival is Percival that it went through imo.

I feel like Aglovale would end up naturally going more with his father's type of parenting than his mother's. Especially since his children will be Heir to the Throne, so he'd double down in also making sure they're good royals, the type of royal with a tough edge who would be ready to take difficult decisions.

So, yeah, he'd definitely need someone to balance him out, because even though he can be rough, i feel like just like his Father he can be easily soothed by someone who would tell him he's going too far or that there's another way.

and his dynamic with Tor has pretty much been that, too. I'm thinking especially in Savior of Dalmore where Aglovale would be rougher in the way to deal with issues and Tor would be the one to investigate and eventually tell him how to ease it up.

And Tor is, comparatively, always kind and calm and understanding. I feel like Tor would be a really good dad considering everything we know about him.

And considering whatever the fuck is going on between those two (i still can't believe giving them chocolate for vday is basically acting like a third wheel), if Aglovale gets kids in some way (regardless of with whom) i'm sure he'll trust his most precious vassal with holding him back and raising his children with him too.

so yeah! Shortcomings, not the best dad, but easily balanced out with someone like Tor by his side, and since he does happen to have Tor by his side, well. Might as well work out!

[vulnerasti-cor-meum]

psychically so upset. Work is where I go to be away from her. I keep really personal stuff (admittedly just laying around, others in drawers; that's on me) in my office (like HIV test result cards; a gift from a lover; an ostentatious Vday card on full display (from myself to myself), diaries) because I know by keeping them at home, she's liable to rummage through my stuff. and now she pops in bc she was in the neighborhood, and Im on high alert as we wait for her uber because Idk if she's going to rifle through all the junk on my desk or her hawklike eye is going to alight on something she doesnt like or what. and ofc she tells me she doesnt feel like I welcomed her, because I wear my emotions on my face and I was clearly anxious to see her gone. so I probably hurt that evil witch's feelings too and just now had to suffer my colleagues telling me how beautiful my mother is and how sweet that she brought panera cookies and pastries for all of them. Im going to lose it

my fucking mother showed up again unannounced to my office today. what the hell. kmn

[inkstriked]

"Oh yeah, Valentines day..." Slowly replaces all of the stickers in stock with pink coloured ones and heart shaped ones. SMFH Barry, can't even be bothered to update your own stock for the holidays. God.