#ACK! and those GLASSES! <3

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @themetalhiro

Hi, I’m Metal! I’m a freelance artist from good ol’ New Jersey. My favorite things to work with are a lot of bright colors, exaggerated poses, and candid scenarios. I try to farm sensible chuckles whenever I can, so I’m also big into comics. I love making them about my life, and the media I’m into, and one day I’d like to publish my own series!  Thank you to everyone who has gotten me this far!!

Check out Metal's interview below!

Did you originally have a background in art? If not, how did you start?

I guess so! It’s funny, I don’t remember a single time in my life that I wasn’t drawing as a hobby… somewhere in middle school (a little late, I know.) I put the pieces together that animated movies were made by artists, and that it wasn’t just for fun, they were paid to do it. The moment I discovered people could be paid to make art, I decided I would do that, too. Now I’m here!

How has your style developed over the years?

I think the best way to answer this would be with an example! Over the last few years, I have made more of an effort to draw more intentionally, which sounds silly. Now, I put more thought into my poses and step out of my comfort zone with shape language and composition. I had a phase where I drew everyone with a huge, perfectly circular head and no nose. That definitely did not lend much variety...

Which 3 famous artists (dead or alive) would you invite to your dinner party?

Ack! I’m so terrible at history! I’d love to give a well-thought-out answer about fine artists of old, but I don't think we’d have much in common… Most artists I admire and who have driven me forward creatively are the people behind comics I’ve read. Andrew Hussie, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Eiichiro Oda... these guys have inspired me greatly and had a heavy influence in developing my art style and sense of humor. I’d love to ask them questions about their processes and upcoming projects. I think it would make for an entertaining night!

Over the years as an artist, what were your biggest inspirations behind your creativity?

Outside of pure aesthetics like searing bright colors, layered clothing, and loud noises…. the best and most inspiring moments in my life were those surrounded by friends and loved ones! I cherish the hell out of memories of hanging around in fun locations, trying weird food together, and impromptu midnight walks... so I try my best to capture that atmosphere and my own memories in my work when I can, even if I’m imposing fictional characters on top of them. That’s always the core of it.

What is a medium that you have always been intrigued by but would never use yourself?

I would never permanently refuse a medium, but every time I pick up clay, I’m like a baby using its hands for the first time. Absolutely dreadful. If one day I could make and paint a figurine like the ones I admire in videos, that would be awesome... But for now, I’m not counting on it.

How do you want to evolve as a creator?

I’ve had an absolute blast drawing fanart over the years, and it’s certainly played a massive role in my growth as an artist. But my dream has always been to publish my own stories for y'all to enjoy! I have lots of worlds I want to introduce to you before I’m old and gray. I want to get faster, work harder, and get better at drawing interesting settings so I can get the wheels turning as soon as possible. I also want to stop avoiding the color blue like a coward.

What do you wish you knew when you first started out creating art that you know now?

Pay your taxes quarterly. Tablets will break at the exact moment you need them most, so have a spare. Wear your blue light glasses. You’re going to need to wear a brace on every joint on the right side of your body. It can be lonely sitting at your desk all day. The car on the side of the road that costs $1000 cash….. don’t trust it!!!

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

@cranity—They use absolutely beautiful colors and weighty line work. Everything looks so sharp and clean! I wanna put it all up on my wall!

@vewn—Their ability to crank out quality short films and illustrations packed with detail is incredible. The off-kilter perspective they use really sells disorientation and catches your attention like nothing else.

@nelnal—They have absolutely banger character designs again and again, I can’t believe one person’s mind can come up with so many creative ideas!

@jinx88kc—They have a beautiful and recognizable style, and the way they incorporate animation into their illustrations sometimes is SO cool!

Thanks for stopping by, Metal! For more of Metal’s work, follow their Tumblr, @themetalhiro! If you haven't seen their Meet the Artist piece, be sure to check it out here!

[star-sim]

espresso ☆ sunoo kim

☆ super mega down bad!sunoo x fem! reader ☆ summary: that one time sunoo had a not-so innocent dream about you, and suddenly you're the only thing that consumed all of his senses. the problem? you're the most popular girl at the academy, and he's just a nerd. driven mad by his feelings for you, it felt like his chances with you were next to zero. it's actually much higher than he thought! ☆ genre: dark academia! au, classic popular girl x nerd, a looooot of romantic and sexual frustration LOL, a bit of nerdy lingo , loser and desperate sunoo!! ☆ warning(s)? slightly suggestive, but mostly just pure silliness and fluff :3 ☆ word count: 9.5k ☆ happy belated birthday to sunoo! the sunoo fic disparity is criminal. this is for you @ashtxrie. inspired "espresso" by sabrina carpenter. i hope i did mintchoco king justice. enjoy!

Ugh.

Popular kids.

Sunoo narrowed his eyes, clutching his textbooks even closer to his chest as he walked past the hoard of snobby rich kids. Their expensive pearl necklaces and diamond rings gleamed under the warm hallway lights, but no golden jewelry would take away how downright obnoxious they were.

"How could anyone be so loud right now?" Sunoo grumbled under his breath, pushing up his thin golden-framed glasses. Seriously though, he had a point. There was no reason for anyone at all to be screaming at the top of their lungs at 10 in the morning. But alas, here he was, rolling his eyes at the stuck-up rich kids.

The Academy had a pretty simple admissions system. Either you pay to get in, or you apply and get evaluated based on your application. Most of the students at the Academy were from wealthy families, so they obviously paid to be admitted. Sunoo, on the other hand, had more humbler origins. 

To say that he worked his utmost ass off to even be able to apply was an understatement. It was almost patronizing to see all of these kids born with a silver spoon in their mouth act so carelessly.

They all acted so condescendingly, as if they didn't get admitted because of their father's paycheck.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" A new voice interrupted Sunoo's thoughts. It was his younger friend Riki, who threw an arm around his shoulder. 

"Nothing," Sunoo murmured, tearing his eyes away from the group of popular kids. 

All of them were the same. All arrogant, all pompous, all vain, all—

"Are you sure?" his other friend, Jungwon, joined. "You look a little bit—err— disturbed."

"I'm not."

Riki and Jungwon shared a look.

Okay, maybe not all rich kids were the same. 

Because there were a few exceptions, such as—

"Are you still mad about that one time that snobby little Sanghyeok threw a ball at you?" Riki asked, blinking owlishly.

"No, what are you—"

"He's a rugby player, isn't he?" Jungwon thought aloud. "Geez, all the rugby players love tossing that goddamn football around, don't they?"

"Erm, actually, it's called a rugby ball," Riki corrected in a nasally voice.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter. Why would anyone throw those around? It's like a ball of concrete!"

Sunoo tuned his younger friends' bickering out. He'll admit it, he's just a little bit of a hater. 

Among the snobby rich kids, there's definitely a few exceptions. Jay Park was a pretty cool guy, and so was Jake Sim. Sunoo could've sworn that there's one more person that he didn't mind too much... He just couldn't remember who....

"Watch out!"

It happened so quickly, because one moment Sunoo was lost in thought. And the next, a rugby ball was hurling at him, pummeling him square in the head.

Not again, was the last thing he thought of before he fell to the ground, blacking out.

"Aw man, you hit the nerd again?!"

"Hey, I didn't mean to— Ack!"

Sunoo stirred. It was weird. He could feel himself gain consciousness, but his head and body were pounding. Excruciatingly.

He could hear a little bit of arguing and a few masculine voices, all muffled yet somehow also painful to his ears.

"Quiet down," a new voice entered. It was a voice that Sunoo recognized, a voice that was much kinder and softer on his ears, almost healing. "If you keep yelling, you'll overwhelm him."

Whose voice was this? Sunoo knows that he knows this voice, but he couldn't quite put his finger on who.

Then, Sunoo felt a few gentle fingers run through his hair, and then a cold, ice compress pressed on his forehead.

"Just leave," the voice told the others. "Get to class. I'll take care of him."

There's some murmuring, and then some shuffling, and finally, the door slammed shut.

And the moment that it did, Sunoo's eyes shot open.

The first thing that he's met with as full consciousness pervades his body is a sharp pain everywhere, much more amplified and extreme this time.

The second thing that Sunoo sees is... you.

Of course, that makes sense now. You were the voice, and you were the person he was thinking about earlier. You were one of the exceptions to his "all rich kids are annoying" gag.

Of course you were.

Everyone knew you, and everyone loved you. Who wouldn't?

You were incredibly sweet, had a knack for calling everyone with affectionate nicknames, and every reason why Sunoo couldn't bring himself to hate everyone in the popular crowd. He's had a few classes with you in the past few years. You weren't the top student or academically driven by any means, but he could sense your effort. 

Not to mention, you were really pretty. It was no secret that every single guy in school wanted a chance with you. Sunoo wasn't like that, but he wasn't going to sit there and deny that your face was nice to look at. Truthfully, it was difficult to not like you, one way or another.

In total, Sunoo's spoken to you a total of probably four times. Nevertheless, you were a lot more than just tolerable, compared to the rest of your peers.

Now Sunoo was in the infirmary, after that rugby ball smacked him right in the head and knocked him out. He was lying down on the gurney, a cold compress to his head. And you were taking care of him.

"You're up, sweetheart," you said softly, jumping to your feet once you realized that Sunoo was awake. You handed him his glasses that were folded neatly on the table, and then you went to the shelves. Sunoo attempted to raise himself up to sit, but almost immediately he was met with that horrible, aching pain again.

"Aghh!" he groaned, dropping himself instantly and clutching onto the ice pack on his head. 

You hissed, scurrying over to his side. 

"Don't move," you instructed him. Sunoo got a good look at your face now. Pretty, as always, but you had a pinched expression. You looked frustrated, and as you unfurled the bundle of bandages that you fetched from the shelf, your eyes traveled to him and almost looked apologetic. "Let's get you fixed up, sweetie."

Very gently, almost as if you were dealing with glass, you lifted Sunoo's head just enough so that you could wrap bandages around his forehead.

"Is that okay?" you asked him quietly, your nimble fingers brushing against his skin gently. 

"Mmm—" Sunoo was cut off by a guttural sound in his throat— "Mhm."

You pushed his dark locks out of the way, humming.

While you worked on him, Sunoo couldn't help but notice how.... concerned you looked. As a matter of fact, where were the rest of your friends? Where was that bastard Sanghyeok that threw the damn rugby ball at him in the first place? 

It wasn't like you were a student nurse or anything. Aside from just being a nice person, what reason did you have to go out of your way to fix Sunoo up? It wasn't like you were the one that threw the ball.

You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth, your brows furrowing together. Something was on your mind. 

"I'm sorry," you finally blurted, your eyes wide and nearly glassy.

???

"Wha—"

"I'm sorry that Sanghyeok threw that ball at you," you continued, words spilling from your glossy lips like a waterfall, your eyes trained onto the floor and your head hung low. As words tumbled out, you stopped your ministrations on him, your hands taking solace on the hem of your uniform skirt. "I-It was very wrong of him, and it's even worse that you're now injured, and—"

"Why are you apologizing?" Sunoo interrupted you, though with labored breaths between his words, as he didn't want to hurt himself.

You frowned even harder, your fingers wringing each other. "B-But—"

Sunoo's face scrunched. "You didn't throw the ball at me. Sanghyeok did, so there's no reason for you to say sorry to me."

You shook your head. 

"Still!" you huffed, your cheeks filling with air as you tapped your foot. You let out an exasperated breath. It smelled of coffee. "I know that it's not my fault, but— but that doesn't make what happened right."

Sunoo opened his mouth to speak, but you cut him off, beginning your ministrations once again. "I'm just doing what's right."

By the end of the school day, Sunoo got out of the nurse's office, just slightly stumbling. His head still hurt, but thanks to you, who missed a few classes, it hurt a lot less than it should have. Once again, you proved that you weren't as bad as the rest. 

If it was any other day, Sunoo would go to the library to fit in a few hours of studying, but after today's events, he just wanted to go back to his dorm.

It's been a long, stressful, and painful day. 

The moment that Sunoo's dorm door shut, he made a bee-line for his bed, completely ignoring his roommate Sunghoon. He threw off his uniform shirt and tie, peeling them off like they were some nuisance. 

And just like that, the second that Sunoo's head hit the pillow, he knocked out.

Sunoo opened his eyes and he was in a bed. Not his own bed, but a softer, much more comfortable bed. 

He felt a warm—really warm— almost fuzzy, feeling in his chest. Sunoo's hands feel around the bed. The sheets are smooth and clean, and under his fingertips they wrinkle ever-so slightly. Now that he was looking around, it seemed to be early morning, with rays of sunlight peeking through the windows. In fact, this dorm room wasn't his. It smelled of espresso coffee, and was so pristine and neat.

Sunoo didn't notice it now, but all the pain he was supposed to be feeling disappeared. And just as he was about to get up to his feet to inspect, someone appeared at the doorway.

You.

"You're up, sleepyhead?" you said, leaning on the doorway as a sly smile spread across your face. 

Why was he in your room? 

And more importantly, why were you in only a bathrobe? 

Sunoo looked down, and that's when he realized that he, too, was shirtless.

Instead of responding how he'd want to— confused out of his mind— words tumbled out of his lips, almost like he had no control over them. "I was waiting for you."

You giggled, pretty sounds falling from your pretty lips. You slowly sauntered over to the foot of your bed, your gentle hands coming down to brush against Sunoo's leg.

"You look so handsome, sweetheart," you rasped. The warmth and fuzziness that he felt earlier began to spread from his chest to his entire body.

And the next thing that Sunoo knew, you were on top of him. Your lips pressed wet kisses all over his bare chest. Sticky gloss clung to his flushed skin, leaving pretty lipstick marks across his skin. 

"God, I want you so bad," you groaned, before taking his skin between your teeth. You sucked on it gently, earning a gasp from the boy. You giggled into his ear.

By now, Sunoo was burning up completely. Each graze of your lips was like a scorching hot iron piercing his skin, but it burned so good. If it weren't for his fingers that dug into the crisp bed sheets, or the way that you gripped his chin, Sunoo would have fainted already. Each gasp for air as you marked his soft skin was ripped from his throat, hot lines of electricity running through his veins. 

"Please..." Sunoo pleaded through a strangled whimper, letting out a soft moan when you bit onto his ear, your warm breath brushing up against his skin in a way that made him shudder. "Please, [Name]."

Everything before had a haze over it, a blurry screentone cast over Sunoo's eyes.

But as you looked up at him through your pretty eyelashes, lips swollen from abusing his skin, Sunoo swore that he could see everything so clearly. Every line on your face, every shadow and every highlight, every blemish and every perfection— he could see all of it.

"Please, what?" you murmured, your lips spreading into a grin. "What are you begging for, sweetheart?"

And it drove him crazy.

Sunoo threw his head back, an airy moan tumbling from his lips, giving you better access to his neck. 

"I need you," he whined, his chest heaving up and down as he failed to catch his breath. "Please, I need you so bad."

You giggled again, pressing a hand against his chest.

"Anything you want you get—"

Beep beep! That was an eerily familiar alarm sound, one that was familiar enough to make Sunoo's head whip around.

You looked unfazed, only giggling again before leaning in to press soft kisses on his chest. 

Beep beep!

There it was again! This time, Sunoo's body jerked at the sound, his face scrunching. Why weren't you reacting?

"Focus on me, sweetie," you whispered in his ear. 

Sunoo complied (because of course he did), closing his eyes as you pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. And just as he was beginning to forget that godforsaken sound, sinking into the sweet taste of your lips...

Beep beep!

Sunoo couldn't help the way that he jerked away from you.

And as he did, Sunoo jerked awake.

His eyes shot open.

Dark room, completely drenched in sweat, burning up, and unfortunately alone.

"I swear, you always look like someone pissed you off."

"Right? He always looks so... constipated?"

On most days, Sunoo could endure his friends' teasing. Not this morning though.

He woke up from that dream completely disoriented. With his hair disheveled and face flushed, Sunoo arose from his slumber with beads of sweat running down his temple. It took him four more rings of his alarm clock and his roommate yelling at him to truly regain his consciousness— for while he was physically awake, he wasn't truly awake. Not after a dream like that.

Sunoo told everyone so far that he woke up with a fever, which was true. His cheeks were bright red, and his skin was hot to the touch, as he was bundled up in a few layers of coats. 

Truthfully, his physical condition wasn't what was causing him to be so disoriented.

It was you.

What the fuck was that dream? 

Usually, Sunoo couldn't remember his dreams, even if they were fever dreams. But now sitting in the dining hall, nibbling on his breakfast, Sunoo could remember every little thing so clearly in his mind. 

He could remember how your room looked, how your bathrobe made your skin look so beautiful, how your plump lips felt against his chest, how fucking gorgeous you look—

Clank!

Sunoo dropped his fork onto the table, the metal cutlery clanking with the porcelain plates around him.

"What's up with him?" Jungwon not-so-quietly whispered to Riki. The two watched, perplexed, as Sunoo's cheeks turned even more red, the older boy's tired eyes squeezing shut as he hid his face in his palms. 

Sunoo groaned, looking through his palms to look at his friends' confused expressions.

He felt hot. Maybe it was the fever. 

He looked down at his palms, the reddy patches sticky with a thin sheen of sweat. 

Definitely not just the fever.

He couldn't get your voice out of his head.

It was well-known that you liked to call everyone a nickname of sorts. It seemed like his nickname was "sweetheart."

Sunoo knew it was innocent, especially when you were fixing him up yesterday. But now with a new context—the context of his not-so innocent dream where you rasped "sweetheart" into his ear— he couldn't help but feel shy.

Sunoo's chest heaved. His tweed coat felt too thick now. His fingertips were held together by threads, and if he wasn't careful, he'd burst with blazing plasma. 

Tuning out his friends, Sunoo couldn't stop his mind from drifting back to last night's dream. 

He'd absolutely combust if he saw you again. Sunoo had no idea how he'd even look you in the eye, after doing unthinkable things with you in his dream.

God, there was no way that he'd ever let anyone, let alone you, find out about this. He felt like some pervert, some sick creep using you to fuel his nasty fantasies. He was not, but he sure felt like it.

Sunoo didn't dare look anywhere except down at his plate. If he did, he feared that he would catch sight of you, and completely die. As a matter of fact, even hearing the names of your friends in passing made his stomach do flips. 

The school bell rang, and now Sunoo had to drag himself to class. Murmuring a small good-bye to his friends, his heavy footsteps took him where his first period morning class would be.

Gosh, he fell asleep almost immediately last night! Quick, was there homework that he was supposed to complete? His morning class started with his elective, botany. 

Botany, botany, botany, he repeated in his head, jotting his memory. There weren't any notes due until the end of the week, and the closest test from today is two weeks. So why did he feel like he was missing something? Was there a presentation that he didn't remember? Maybe they were having a lab today and he forgot to bring his gloves. Or maybe—

Sunoo stopped in his tracks.

Just as he was cooling down, he felt his skin erupt with goosebumps, warmth overtaking his entire body.

If it weren't for his acute awareness of his surroundings, Sunoo would have tripped over his feet.

Because you decided to appear.

Oh fuck, why were you right there? Standing across the hall from him, all prettied up and completely oblivious to the hell that you were putting Sunoo through.

Had you always looked so pretty? 

Of course, Sunoo recalled how perfect your face looked at all times, how jaw-dropping you managed to look even when you didn't try. The way that the light reflected off your skin made you look like you were glowing. Like a halo.

Sunoo's face burned. You definitely looked prettier in real life than in his dream. Not even the intricate workings of his brain could capture your beauty.

A strangled noise escaped Sunoo's throat, his face turning as white as a ghost, eyes big as saucers. 

No, no, no! Sunoo squeezed his eyes shut. Of course. He had morning Botany with you! How could he forget!

"Move, you nerd!" someone grumbled as they shoved past him. Usually, on any other day, Sunoo would cuss back at them, maybe shove past them even harder. But all he could do now was stand back dazed.

He forced himself to pick up his feet again. After all, class was starting, and the bell would ring in a matter of minutes. 

What was harder than pulling himself out of his daze was walking into that Botany lecture hall. Sunoo didn't dare look anywhere that wasn't his shoes, in fear that if he even caught a glimpse of you, he'd evaporate.

With quick, hasty steps, Sunoo scurried along the sides of the hall, ignoring the little hi's and good morning's from his classmates. 

And just as he thought he successfully made it to his seat...

"Good morning, Kim!"

To say that Sunoo nearly jumped out of his skin would be an understatement. 

As you appeared before his seat, seemingly out of thin air, Sunoo felt every inch of his body flare up with warmth. 

You looked even better up-close.

"Oh— Uh—" Sunoo couldn't help the way he stared at you with wide eyes, his lips agape. 

"Good— Um, Good morning, [N-Name]," was all he could manage out.

You stared at him for a few moments, blinking a few times, before a wide smile broke out on your lips. 

You reached out, your hand resting gently on the crown of his head, completely oblivious to the way that the boy tensed under your touch. "How does your head feel, sweetheart?"

Sunoo completely forgot that he'd sustained a head injury earlier. How could he remember when something (or someone) else was making his head hurt?

"I-It's good!" he stammered quickly, words tripping over themselves. "I'm good!"

You cocked your head, your brows furrowing. 

"No one picked on you, right?" you looked around, leaning closer to him— close enough that he could feel your breath on his neck. "Did any of my friends try bothering you again?"

Sunoo flushed at the proximity. This was feeling a little too familiar.

"No!" Sunoo nearly shouted. When everyone turned to look at him weirdly, the room falling silent for a mere second, he muttered a quick sorry. "I mean— No, n-no one bothered me again."

You nodded slowly, before you brought your hand to his forehead. "You're feeling a little warm, sweetie. You aren't sick, aren't you?"

If he had less self-awareness, Sunoo would have run around that lecture hall a few times, dunked his face in a bucket of iced water, and maybe even screamed a few times before answering your question. But he couldn't, so all he could do was shake his head no.

"Good," you said with a smile. "I'll see you around."

With that, you turned on your heel, and went back to your seat. 

Class started, but Sunoo couldn't quite focus.

Sunoo felt like this had to be some joke. It felt like Jungwon or Riki were about to come out behind the curtains and scream "Gotcha!" in his face.

Because why on earth were you and him on the same path to the boys' dormitory?

After his daily study session in the library, Sunoo figured that the chances of him running into you again would be low.

But lo and behold, as Sunoo was on his way back to his dorm, you materialized from thin air and started walking with him. In silence, of course, but you greeted him with a smile.

Even after 10 hours of being out and about, you still managed to look so perfect.

In all the years that he'd attended this Academy, Sunoo's never seen you take this route, let alone go to the boys' dormitory.

Did you have a boyfriend? Or a special relationship with a boy? Sunoo's stomach dropped. What if he's been thinking about you all this time when you were taken already?

Sunoo opened his mouth to talk, but you beat him to it.

"Sooo, Sunoo," you said in a dreamy, sing-songy voice. "How's your day been?"

Torture, because of you. "I-It's been okay."

You hummed. "That's good to hear."

.

.

.

Silence.

It wasn't like he was in love with you. But for some reason, it bothered Sunoo that you could be heading to the boys' dorm for a possible boyfriend. He just needed to know.

"Where are you— Where are you headed?" Sunoo winced at his question. You probably thought he was weird now. He felt hot all over.

You smiled, clicking your tongue with a playful eye roll. "Just to my cousin's dorm. He just transferred here so my parents want me to help him move in."

Sunoo blinked.

Oh.

"Th-That's nice," Sunoo quipped. "I'm just going back to my— uh— dorm."

Of course he'd be going back to his own dorm! Sunoo chided in his head. You definitely thought he was an idiot by now.

The trip up the stairs and down the hall was quiet, awfully silent— only the distant sound of students and footsteps filling the air.

Eventually, the two of you met a stop.

"I should be turning at this corner now; his room is just down that hall," you said to him, earning a nod. "Thanks for walking with me, Sunoo."

"Of course," Sunoo said back shyly, a small smile on his lips. " 'It's my pleasure."

"No seriously," you continued, a bashful smile on your lips. "The halls during this time of year are a little sketchy. Sometimes, I can't even trust my own guy friends to walk me."

Sunoo cocked his head.

"The point is," you said, your eyes unwavering as they met with Sunoo's eyes, "You make me feel safe."

Before Sunoo could respond, you shot him a kind smile, before turning on your heel. "Good night, sweetheart!"

Sunoo was rendered speechless, staring at your retreating back.

"Good night," he muttered under his breath, not audible even to himself. "Sweetheart."

(He definitely thought about this interaction later into the night, and burned up severely.)

Although no one would guess it, the next few weeks were hell for Sunoo. It was almost terrifying.

How did you manage to show up everywhere?

Truly, it felt like everywhere Sunoo went, you just happened to show up. 

It started with little things. In the middle of class you would come in to give back a sweater you borrowed from your friend. Sometimes you would come in and sit at the back of class to make up a test that you missed, or to ask the professor any question you had about the upcoming assignment. Each time, you'd wave at Sunoo, sometimes even before you waved at your friends.

All normal, of course. Every time he'd see you, he'd immediately straighten his back to make sure his posture was perfect— maybe even brush his hair out of his eyes and adjust his glasses, all in the hopes that if you looked at him, he wouldn't be a pain to view.

All as if he wasn't screaming on the inside. There was just something about how you always had that dreamy look in your eye, like a princess. How could he possibly look you in the eye? 

Sunoo wanted to look perfect and pristine for you, but at the same time, he wanted to disappear under your gaze. Sometimes, he wanted to disappear because he simply couldn't handle the power that your eyes had. Other times he wanted to disappear so that he could look at you— observe every line, perfection, and imperfection of your face— without the existence of others around him.

No matter the time, one thing was common: Sunoo always turned four shades redder whenever you walked into the room. And it was frustrating.

"Why are you red?"

"You look embarrassed. Did you fart or something?"

"Tomato boy."

It was embarrassing, especially because his seatmates always ended up being the biggest assholes anyway.

Then, you began waving to him in the hallway. It started with small waves, sometimes with you mouthing hi or hello. But then you'd sometimes run up to him with a wide smile just to say hi.

Maybe you were just really nice, Sunoo thought, though he'd be lying if he said that he didn't wish you were giving him special treatment. In fact, it made him feel sick just thinking about how you called your friends cute pet names like darling, too. He almost had to excuse himself to the washroom when thinking about you calling other people sweetheart. You were bound to, of course, but that didn't mean that Sunoo particularly liked that idea.

All of these were small little things, pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things, especially considering that you were the most popular girl in school.

But then it started getting bad.

And it wasn't your fault.

Why— just why— did you have to be in every single one of his dreams?

The first dream he had about you was already enough. Why did he need a bajillion more?

The dreams ranged from extremely mundane to scary to a bit... raunchy. And yet, you still managed to be in every single one of them.

In the mundane ones, you'd be the person that mutters a remark to him before disappearing. 

In the scary ones, you'd be the person that Sun threw over his shoulder as he ran away from the undead. 

In the raunchy ones, you'd be under him, your arms thrown around his neck as he lays wet kisses on your skin, basking in the pretty sounds that you make— Too much!

He couldn't help it. He really couldn't.

There were times where Sunoo was afraid to go to sleep. Not because seeing you was a bad thing, but because the aftermath was always bad.

Sunoo always woke up sweaty and burning up. He'd trudge to the shared bathroom and splash water on his face. No matter how cold the water was, whenever he closed his eyes all he could see was your face. Your pretty, pretty, face. You seemed to get prettier with every dream, yet dream-you couldn't ever compare to real life-you.

Seeing your face wasn't the problem. He loved to see it. The problem was that every time he saw your face Sunoo would get all clammy and mushy and warm on the inside. His cheeks would burn, and he'd feel warm all over. 

And the hardest part was that every single time, all he could hear was your voice calling him "sweetheart" — over and over, in a hypnotizing cadence that only made him want to fall into your essence even more.

It was weird.

So, so, weird.

And Sunoo thought that he was going to die.

It seemed like Sunoo was always in for a surprise.

By the end of the month, Sunoo managed to convince himself to forget about his dreams completely. 

After all, after a few days of doing his best to avoid you, he was able to assure himself that all of these feelings would disappear with time, since his attraction to you was random anyway.

Sure, you're pretty, Sunoo told himself. And very kind and sweet, but it wasn't like you and him were best buds. So whatever delusion that was going on in his head was bound to go nowhere. He was just being a teenager, probably.

He'd never felt this way towards anyone before. It was best to just ignore it.

Sunoo clenched his fists. Yeah, he'd do his damn best to ignore it.

But as he was in line in the Academy's library, preparing to check out a new book about whatever topic he wanted to read up on, Sunoo felt a pair of hands clutch his shoulders.

"Hi, Sunoo!"

Sunoo whipped his head around and jolted, a small "Ah!" leaving his lips. Startled, he nearly dropped his massive hunk of a book, earning a glare from the snobby student-librarians. 

It was you.

The moment that he laid eyes on you and your silly little grin, Sunoo's resolve weakened. Like walls of a fortified castle crumbling under the force of a cannon, if Sunoo didn't look away now he'd be absolutely beat. 

"H— Hey there, [Name]," he said quietly, tearing his eyes away from you and turning back to the front, holding his book close to his chest.

"Whatcha got there?" you asked him curiously. He could still feel your hands on his shoulders squeezing him playfully.

Sunoo looked down at his book.

Thematic Cartography and Geovisualization?

Oh god, you were definitely going to think he was a nerd.

"Nothing..." he murmured, clutching the book even closer to him.

You shook him by his shoulders playfully, a little chuckle coming from your lips. "Oh, c'mon! I know that massive book isn't just 'nothing.' What're you reading?"

"It's..." Sunoo winced. "It's embarrassing."

You pouted, a little hmph! coming from you.

"Next!" the librarian called, and Sunoo moved forward in the line to check out his book, though he was distracted by the way that you still continued to cling to him.

"You didn't— You didn't get a book?" Sunoo asked as you followed him to a library table, your hands empty.

"Nope," you said smoothly. "I'm just here to study!"

"Oh." Sunoo blinked, pushing up his glasses. It was quiet and he didn't know what to say. "What are you studying?"

"I'll tell you," you smiled, "Only if you tell me what your book is about."

He sighed. Sunoo sat down, and naturally, you followed suit, sitting across from him. He plopped his massive book down onto the table, and slowly slid it over to you.

Your brows furrowed together as you read its title.

Sunoo's cheeks burned. You definitely think he's some nerd. How embarrassing.

You finally looked up at him. Only, instead of looking at him with condescension or ridicule, you looked embarrassed.

"Um," your brows knitted together further. "What's cartography?"

Sunoo stared at you. You don't think he's weird?"

"I-I'm sorry," you continued, letting out a deep breath. You looked perplexed. "I'm not very smart. I don't know what cartography is. Or what geo-something-something is. Can you explain it to me?"

He stared at you again.

After what you just said, there was no way that he'd possibly let his feelings for you fade away. There were a lot of things that Sunoo couldn't agree with when it came to the popular kids at his school. But here he understood why hoards of boys would be at your feet, begging for just one chance.

The corners of his lips lifted. The bashful look on your face was... cute.

"It's okay," he began. "Cartography is just the science of making maps."

You looked even more confused, but also relieved. Relieved that he wasn't going to make fun of you for not knowing. "There's a science behind making maps?"

"Hm," Sunoo paused to think, "Not exactly. But there's a lot of thought that goes behind making maps."

"Why?"

Sunoo thought he was going to fall in love. He loved his friends, of course, but none of them were ever as curious about his interests as you were.

"Well," Sunoo's hands joined to make a circular shape. "The Earth is a three-dimensional globe." You nodded to show that you were listening, staring at him with curious eyes. "Imagine even trying to transfer a 3D globe onto a flat, two-dimensional surface. It's pretty difficult to do without intense distortion."

You nodded slowly, your eyes narrowing.

"Was I rambling?" Sunoo asked quietly, so quietly that he didn't even think you could hear him.

"No!" you jumped to answer, earning a glare from the librarian. "I'm just trying to process it."

After a few moments of silence, you sucked in a deep breath. "I get it now, sweetie. You're so smart."

"Th-Thank you..." Sunoo stuttered out. Did he really just ramble to you about maps? And did you actually just listen to him with interest? "What are you studying?"

"Oh, me?" you looked down, embarrassed again. "It's just history. I can't wrap my head around it and I have an exam next Wednesday."

"Oh...." Sunoo blinked. "I can help you."

And that's how he got invited to your dorm.

(And to hell with forgetting his feelings!)

Truth be told, you weren't the person that everyone thought you were.

It seemed like, to the rest of the school, you were just a perfect little angel. And the fact that you rejected every guy that made advances toward you only helped that image grow.

Everyone thought you were perfect, beautiful, and most of all, untouchable.

And that couldn't be any further than the truth.

The truth was simply that no one was good enough for you. 

Everyone had an essence of snobbery to them, something that you just couldn't get past. You wanted someone raw and genuine, someone that had more substance to them than just their daddy's money.

Which was why you wanted Sunoo Kim.

And you wanted him bad.

There was something so fucking attractive amount the way he'd push up his glasses, eyes squinting to get a better look of the board as he messily jotted down notes.

There was something so charming about the way he clenched his jaw when he was concentrated, his brows furrowing.

There was something that made your stomach flip whenever he rolled up his sleeves to do some math problem that you probably couldn't understand.

There was something that made you so obsessed whenever he swiped his tongue over his plush lips, his eyes brightening as he explained his favorite topic.

God, you didn't just want him. You needed him.

All these years, you did everything with him at the back of your mind. Would Sunoo Kim look up from his massive textbook if you wore this skirt? Maybe he'd even breathe in your direction if you got a better grade on this exam. 

You didn't get it. Everyone looked at you, yet the only person that you wanted to look at you did not.

You wanted Sunoo Kim, and you wanted him bad.

You and Sunoo agreed to meet on Monday and Tuesday to help you study for your history exam on Wednesday.

On Monday, the two of you met in the library right after school. It was a quiet, focused session, covering all the necessary sections in a short amount of time. For the first time ever, you actually understood the concepts!

On Tuesday, the two of you agreed to meet in your dorm at 7PM, because that was when you knew your roommates would be gone.

You glanced at the analogue clock pinned high on the wall near the entrance of your dormitory. Every dorm room had one, as mandated by the school to promote punctuality— all the exact same model with a red-brown base, serif lettering, and a gold trim. Yet, the clock in your dorm felt slower, much slower than it should.

6:47PM, it read, the slow ticks pushing off the walls as if to tease you.

Couldn't 7PM come any faster?

Your eyes fell over to your roommate's mirror in the corner of her desk. 

The Academy's uniform was strict. Collared button-up, the school blazer with its crest crisply embroidered on, for girls the skirt at a reasonable length: it was all very stringent. All students were required to wear the uniform during school hours.

This study session with Sunoo would not be during school hours. You picked out your best top— a pretty, white top with a delicate lace trim. You always got the most stares when you wore this one (and hopefully, Sunoo would stare at you).

You never thought that you had to put any more effort into your appearance than you usually did, but as the clock ticked on the wall, you couldn't help but feel self-conscious.

You knew you were pretty, but what if Sunoo didn't think the same? Did you look weird today? You swore your face was feeling puffy earlier— should you do something? What if you suddenly woke up today and you morphed into a frog-like creature, and everybody knew except you?

You picked at your fingernails as you waited (im)patiently for 7PM to come. Your palms felt a little clammy, and your heart pounded in your chest with each passing minute.

And finally, just when all of your self-confidence was beginning to slip from your grasp, you heard a knock at your door.

If it was anybody else, you would've taken your time to get to the door, maybe even shout a little "Just a minute!"

But because it was the Sunoo Kim, you couldn't help but eagerly scurry to the door. You would've been embarrassed because Sunoo could 100% hear your loud footsteps as you rushed to the door, but you were too engulfed by your nerves to even think of it.

"Hi, sweetheart!" you blurted the second you opened your door, a bright smile on your face. There Sunoo stood, with his delicate face and thin gold-rim glasses, looking composed and focused as ever. And god did that make you want him.

"Oh, hi," Sunoo said coolly, pushing up the glasses on his nose. Though, you missed the way his eyes twitched, his tongue swiping over his bottom lip as he sucked in a sharp breath.

The two of you stood at the door for a few moments, just staring at each other. Your smile never faltered. If anyone were to see you, they'd see hearts in your eyes and a sparkly, pink lovey-dovey aura radiating off of you.

"Come in!" you said cheerfully, letting the boy into your dorm.

The two of you got to work pretty quickly. If there was one thing about Sunoo that you could appreciate, it was his sheer willpower and concentration when it came to academics.

It wasn't like you didn't try in school. That couldn't be further from the truth; you always tried your best, even when your best didn't earn you the best marks. 

Sunoo was just another level. You couldn't understand how he did it. He was so focused and intelligent, it made your chest feel warm and fuzzy.

The moment that he stepped inside, he had your textbook and notes cracked open immediately, asking you questions that were just a little too difficult for your mind to wrap around.

"What?!" you cried, your face scrunching as jumbled words that you couldn't understand fell from his lips. You looked at Sunoo incredulously. "We did not study that!"

You could have sworn Sunoo chuckled at your confusion, his eyes squeezing into thin crescents as the corner of his lips lifted. Usually, you'd feel embarrassed for not quite being the brightest, but Sunoo never made you feel that way.

"Lee is your professor," Sunoo pushed up his glasses, unable to hold back airy chuckles at your outrage. You nodded. "Well, he's notorious for his ridiculous trick questions, right? As your study-buddy, it's my duty to prepare you as best as I can."

That's when you got up from your desk chair and flopped over onto your bed, groaning into your pillows. 

"Why do you have to be so thoroughhhh?" you whined, kicking your feet.

Your heart fluttered when Sunoo laughed. 

Yes, laughed. 

It was high-pitched and breathy, like he was sucking in breaths of air only to push it out with a pretty giggle.

You whipped your head around, picking it up from the pillow. You stared at the boy with wide eyes. 

God, how could anyone be so beautiful?

You watched the boy laugh, completely and utterly infatuated with him. He was so cute. You needed him now.

You threw your head back into the pillow, continuing to groan and whine, in the hopes that it would make him laugh.

"You hate meeeeeee," you whined, "You hate meeeee!"

"I don't!" Sunoo laughed, his hands slapping his knees, "I don't hate you."

You whined again, kicking your feet. "You doooo."

A comfortable silence fell over the two of you, filled with quiet giggles. From your desk, Sunoo nudged you with his foot, earning another cute whine from you.

You were cute. And hardworking and enthusiastic. But that wasn't a surprise to Sunoo. 

Sunoo watched as you shouted at your roommate who came back to the dorm to fetch something she left behind.

"Hurry up, Yujin!" you chided quietly, trying to get Yujin out of the dorm as quickly as possible... before your momentum with Sunoo was lost. "Move it, move it!"

"Geez, sorry!" Yujin rummaged through her things, trying to look for whatever she forgot. 

When Yujin finally left, you never closed the door any fast, eagerly turning back to Sunoo and plopping down on your bed.

"Sorry, sweetie" you murmured, a frown on your face. "My friends are having a party tonight and Yujin forgot her lipstick, or something. Her stupid crush is there so she needs to look 'perfect' or whatever."

"Party?" Sunoo cocked a brow.

"Yeah," you rolled your eyes. "It's for someone's birthday."

Sunoo narrowed his eyes. 

Did you skip your friends' birthday party just to study for your history exam? 

.

.

.

Pause.

Did you just ditch your friends just to study with him?

A strange noise came out of Sunoo's lips as his cheeks felt warm.

Relax, he thought. It wasn't like it was a date or anything. Surely, you were just trying to get a good grade. That's why you chose to study instead of party.

"I was gonna go," you said smoothly, looking at your nails, "But how could I miss out on time with you?"

Sunoo's ears burned. 

"Oh— Well—" Just as words were becoming coherent in his head, you just had to drop that on him. He spluttered. "Thank you...? I-I— I mean—"

You chuckled. You got off the bed and joined Sunoo again at your desk. "Let's study, sweetheart."

For the next hour or so, the two of you were in a deep study session. Every word that you read and every word that fell from Sunoo's mouth, you soaked up like a sponge. You needed to pass this exam, and even more, you needed to make Sunoo's efforts worth it. He already spent yesterday and today helping you; you did not want to waste his time and fail.

Your dorm room was quiet now. Other than the sound of pages turning, pencils on parchment, and the distant sound of partying down the halls, the room was silent. From time to time, someone would run down the halls, probably running after their friend. You and Sunoo would look up at each other and share a chuckle.

You had just finished a practice test a few minutes ago, and now Sunoo was grading it for you. Meanwhile, you read up on your notes once again. Holding the notebook up, you hid behind it, creating a wall between you and Sunoo. 

You feared that if you could see Sunoo, you wouldn't be able to concentrate.

Well, just him being in the same room as you was already enough to make your mind drift. How could you not?

His concentrated expression made you feel weak to your knees, his fox-like eyes drilling into your practice test. His skin looked so perfect and airbrushed, you just wanted to pounce on him and mark it up and—

Okay, too far.

But still.

You've been studying for a good hour now. It wouldn't hurt to take a break, right?

You peeked over the side of your notebook to catch a glimpse of Sunoo. He was minding his own business and doing it quietly, but he looked so good that you couldn't tear your eyes away.

Yep, this was the break that your eyes needed, from those hunking paragraphs of text and difficult-to-read stimuli.

"Do you need something?" Sunoo asked, not moving his eyes from the practice test that he was currently grading. 

You felt your cheeks heat up. How did he notice your staring so quickly? This must mean that he could always notice you staring at him! Fuck, fuck, fuck, were you weird? He definitely thought you were weird now, and—

"N-Nothing," you stammered out, immediately burying yourself back into your notebook. In fact, you even went as far as turning your entire back from him out of embarrassment.

.

.

.

So embarrassing!

"I don't mind..." Sunoo murmured.

You snapped your head over to him. "W-What?"

Did you hear him correctly?

"I said..." This time, it was Sunoo's turn to hide his head behind the paper, making it impossible for you to see face. "I said I don't mind if you stare at me."

You felt light-headed.

Everything— from the deep espresso scent in the air to Sunoo's soft cologne to the way his moles littered his skin to the way he was sat so attractively at your desk, spouting intelligent nonsense at you to the very way that his glasses sat on his nose— everything about Sunoo was driving you mad.

Insane.

You didn't feel like yourself. You didn't feel like the perfect angel that everyone wanted you to be.

You felt like a selfish animal about to pounce on another. You felt like you were going to sink your teeth into his neck and ravage him.

Your head was spinning. Everything was spinning. Your skin felt hot, your mouth dry, as if it needed something to satiate it now. You were thirsty, thirsty for Sunoo, and nothing would be able to satisfy you but him.

And before you could even control yourself, you threw aside your notebook, grabbed Sunoo's face, and smashed your lips against his.

In that moment, it felt like all time stopped.

You couldn't feel anything, other than your hands that delicately clutched Sunoo's face, and your lips that were pressed against his. Your heart pounded in your ears. You felt like you were tied to a pyre, burnt like a sinner at the stake, yet it felt good.

But the moment that you heard Sunoo's breath hitch in his throat, a guttural sound tumbling out, you regained your senses.

Immediately, you pulled away, stumbling back as you caught your breath.

Sunoo's face was bright red as he stared at you. He took heavy breaths, almost like he wasn't breathing before.

"I-I'm—" you blurted, your mind not quite thinking straight. When your eyes met with Sunoo's you nearly bursted. "I-I'm so sorry— I don't know what came over me."

Sunoo only stared at you.

You swallowed the lump in your throat. What on earth did you just do? Suddenly, you were hit with regret and embarrassment.

You spluttered, apologies and jumbled words spilling out of your lips. Yet, Sunoo wasn't listening.

Your words fell upon deaf ears. 

Sunoo was too busy staring at your lips.

And if you weren't too busy apologizing, you would notice the way Sunoo's teeth dug into his bottom lip, his fists clenching as his nails prodded into his palms. You would notice the way Sunoo stared at you with glazed over eyes, how his pupils were blown out.

You would notice Sunoo's own self-control slipping out of his grasp.

After all the torment that he's been through— all your light touches, appearances in his dreams, and goddamn pretty smiles— Sunoo could feel his resolve being torn from his hands. He did his best; he dug his claws into what determination and control he had, but alas, it wasn't enough.

And as fast as you could blink, Sunoo grabbed your wrist and pulled you in against his chest.

Holding you by the waist, Sunoo gripped your chin. 

"Can I kiss you?" His voice was desperate. "Please, can I kiss you?"

"Yes," you whispered, your hands sliding up his chest to hold his broad shoulders. "Yes, please kiss me."

As the last syllable left your lips, Sunoo wasted no time crashing his lips against yours. 

Unlike his usual quiet and calm self, his lips were the complete opposite. They were rough and hungry, eating you like a starved man. You whined against his lips, gripping Sunoo's hair with weak fingers. 

It was a messy kiss. An inexperienced, messy kiss that any of your friends would jeer about. No rhythm, no ebb or flow, just feeling.

But to you, this was what you needed. 

You could taste the desperation on Sunoo's tongue; the taste of someone pushed to the edge and now finally tipping over. It sent electric waves of warmth down your skin, your stomach doing flips as his hands roamed.

Then, Sunoo gently pushed you onto the bed, his lips swollen as he peered down at you.

"Are you okay?" he asked quickly, making sure that he didn't push too hard.

You only smiled. "Mhm."

Sunoo got on top of you, being careful to not crush you under him.

It looked just like his dream.

The smell of espresso coffee in the air, the two of you in bed, and did you think he wouldn't notice the white lace top that you chose to wear? Just for him.

Sunoo leaned on his elbows for support as he was on top of you, leaning in to kiss you.

Except, before his lips could meet yours, you giggled, placing your hands on his shoulders to stop him.

Sunoo looked at you concerned, like a deer in headlights. Had he done something wrong?

But you only smiled. 

Gently, you put your hands on his glasses, straightening them out. They had gotten crooked earlier when the two of you first kissed. 

"Can I take these off, sweetie?" you asked.

Shivers ran down his spine at the nickname. Sunoo hummed, too eager to kiss you to even care if he'd be half-blind without them. You took his glasses off, putting it on your bedside table.

Sunoo took your face in his hands, his fox-like eyes staring into your eyes. 

"You look so beautiful," he breathed. Sunoo's head dived for your neck. His breath tickled your skin, making you let out a whimper. "So, so, so beautiful."

With that, Sunoo began pressing open-mouthed kisses on your neck. With each kiss you let out a moan, your arms tightly wrapped around his neck and pulling at his hair. Your legs wrapped around him, your head falling back into the pillows to give Sunoo better access.

"Su— Sunoo— ahh," you struggled out, especially when Sunoo sucked on your skin. Although he was only kissing your neck, your entire body felt like jelly, including your brain. "Sunoo— I-I'm sensi— sensitive there."

"Sensitive where?" Sunoo asked simply, ignoring the way that you squirmed under him.

When you could only moan in response, you could feel Sunoo grin against you.

His lips nipped at your collarbone. "Sensitive here?"

"A-Ah—" you moaned, your arm jerking out to grip the bed sheets below you.

Sunoo kissed a wet line to your jugular, right at the center of your neck. "What about here?"

When all you could do was whimper, he grinned again. His lips traveled to the very side of your neck, just under your ear.

"What about here?" he asked again.

But instead of a moan or whimper, you laughed. You threw your head back again, pulling Sunoo's head into your chest in an embrace as soft giggles left your lips.

"I'm ticklish there," you giggled out. You bring a hand up to brush up against that spot on your neck. You grinned softly. "Sorry, I'm ticklish there I guess."

Sunoo nodded into your shoulder. He took in your scent, the feeling of you pressed up against him. He didn't mind that your little session was interrupted by something light-hearted. After all, he got to learn something about you, no matter how small.

And just as Sunoo was listening to your heartbeat, you pulled him back. 

"Turn over," you instructed. He did just that. You were now on top of him. "My turn."

Just like in his dream. 

He was in for a long night.

"Sunoo!" you shouted, your legs moving faster than you could think. The moment that you spotted his familiar back, you pounced on him, throwing your arms around him. "Sunoo, guess what?!"

Sunoo looked over his shoulder, swallowing back any embarrassment and shyness as you hugged him. Everyone in the hallway was staring at you by now, but it seemed like you didn't care. And if you didn't care, then he didn't care either. "What?"

You turned the boy over. It was now that he noticed the papers in your hands. You shoved it in his face, big red numbers at the forefront.

"One hundred percent!" you exclaimed. It was your history exam. "I got one hundred percent!"

The two of you celebrated (i.e. you hugged Sunoo) in the hallway, completely ignoring anyone that was staring. After all, it was Wednesday afternoon and the dining period was ending soon.

"Good job," Sunoo smiled. He was happy. "You did great."

"I couldn't have done it without you!" Your smile was so bright that it could light up the entire academy. You threw your arms around him again, this time pushing your face into his neck. You squeezed him. "Oh, thank you, thank you!"

You pulled back, looking at him with big, glimmering eyes. You took his hands in yours, squeezing them excitedly.

Feeling bold, Sunoo pushed up his glasses before leaning down to whisper in your ear. "Your neck," he rasped, "I can see the hickeys."

Your eyes widened into saucers at that, immediately fixing your shirt's collar. Your face was painted with shyness, squeezing your eyes shut. Your panic was so evident that anyone could probably tell. So cute.

"Just kidding," Sunoo chuckled, before he turned on his heel and began walking away from you, ignoring your cute shouting as you followed after him.

Yeah, he'd regret that later. After all, you had him on a leash, and there was no way in hell that he could escape you. 

He wasn't going to sleep tonight, one way or another. Not if it's you.

[psiroller]

boobs man

this is a compound drabble request from two discord server buddies, @snakewife and @avoidcrow, who wanted a scene of chilchuck and laios hanging out in a tavern and for collaring to be somehow involved. i ended up liking it a lot, so consider this a preview for the next fic in the break the lock series :3

CHILAIOS/822 WORDS

cw: petplay, collaring, dudes being freaky in public with their clothes on

Of all the seasons, a summer evening was best for a night out drinking. Chilchuck liked it close to sweltering, the humid air starting to cool once the sun had finally set; not so hot that a glass of wine made him feel nauseous and lethargic, but warm enough that when Laios finally showed up, he had the first few buttons of his shirt collar undone. Chilchuck waved him down with a lecherous grin and patted the bench next to him, getting the blurry lower half of a winning smile from Laios. Chilchuck was not a good enough man to look a few inches up, at least not a few glasses deep, but Laios didn’t mind.

“Hey,” Chilchuck said. He jostled somewhat when Laios sat down next to him but played it off smoothly by leaning on the table, cheek against knuckle. “What took you so long? We had to start the first round without you.”

“I’m sure you absolutely had to,” Laios teased, earning him a weak punch to the shoulder that could be confused for a mosquito bite. No more horseplay in public, they’d agreed, for Chilchuck’s safety from Falin.  “Just wanted to get ready.”

“Getting dolled up for me, huh?” Chilchuck’s eyes had yet to move upwards, fixated on a bead of sweat that slid across Laios’ collarbone and down around the curve of one of his pecs. Laios leaned in with both arms crossed and the drop disappeared into the appealing crease formed by the press of his biceps. Chilchuck’s gaze was pointed and unwavering, and Laios felt a head rush that couldn’t be blamed on alcohol. It was only after Chilchuck handed him his glass to finish off that any wine had made it into his bloodstream.

“Yeah, sure,” Laios shrugged. “What? You don’t like it?” he asked with just a hint of a whine.

Chilchuck’s eyebrows furrowed. “When have I ever complained about you having those things out?”

“Ah, so you haven’t looked up yet, then.”

That’s when Chilchuck saw the glimmer of a silver clasp, the mottled ink-blue scales of a hydra, his familiar stitching along the seam of a collar. His eyes bulged out of his skull and he choked on his own spit, coughing into his elbow. It was Laios’ turn to be smug, finishing off the glass and placing it decisively on the counter. Even while Chilchuck was dying, he couldn’t help but notice the slightest jiggle.

“I thought—ack.” Chilchuck rubbed his throat as he calmed himself down. “I need to quit smoking…”—Laios nodded sadly—“I thought I told you not to wear that outside of…!” Chilchuck gestured vaguely.

“You did,” Laios said flippantly, with a shrug. Chilchuck’s eyebrow raised. “But I thought it might be fun to try it just once.”

“Are you sure this is the only time?” Chilchuck asked with a suspicious inflection. Laios looked away and twiddled his sleeve with his thumb.

“I wear it to sleep sometimes,” Laios confessed. Chilchuck felt his blood run cold, how a deer must feel when an unseen wolf lays its eyes upon it. Laios watched him go through three of five stages of grief before patting Chilchuck on the back reassuringly. “I take it off before I get out of bed. Falin hasn’t seen, or at least hasn’t said anything.”

Chilchuck pushed his palms into his eyes. “You’re gonna kill me one day, Lai.”

Laios preened. “I thought that was what you were into.”

Chilchuck whipped around to tell him off, pointer finger primed, and Laios was all smiles. The radiance of it sucked the breath out of Chilchuck’s lungs, the hint of barely restrained laughter. The wine was already making him flush.

“With the party here, though? Really?” Chilchuck hissed. Laios hummed.

“That’s also why I waited,” he said. “Look at ‘em.”

Namari was hooting and hollering as Falin and Marcille chugged cheap beer from their steins, arms hooked around each other in the most primal display of human camaraderie.  It was frankly beautiful, or would have been if Chilchuck wasn’t going to have to make sure a wasted Marcille made it home safe before dragging Laios to the guild house. No one was paying attention. Even Shuro looked like he was having fun.

Chilchuck looked back up at Laios, who cocked his head, waiting for whatever it was Chilchuck clearly wanted to say. Laios looked like he was having fun, too.

Sighing with deep and grave responsibility, Chilchuck reached a hand into the collar of his shirt and pulled at a chain. There was a familiar padlock, small and more of an ornament than any serious piece of hardware, and a dark blue key. Laios’ stomach fell out as Chilchuck unhooked the padlock and stood up on his knees to snap it around the two clasps of his collar, and tucked the chain and key away.

“If anyone asks, you lost a bet,” Chilchuck muttered. Nobody asked.

[sequincult]

Return of the Floyd Part 3

(part 1 can be read here) (part 2 can be read here) No matter how stressful the last day may have been the sun will always rise anew, a light dew rests gently upon each blade of grass in troll village. Floyd yawns and stretches as he steps out of the pod, some sleep and a quick bath had him feeling much better than yesterday. 

Though he’d half expected Poppy to be slamming on his door at 5am, oddly she’s nowhere to be seen.

“HIYA FLOYD!” Poppy appears behind Floyd, seemingly out of thin air.

“AAAAAA!!!????” Floyd shrieks in the highest region of his vocal register. “Where were you??”

“Oh you know, I might of hid in your pod and slept there in case you needed anything…” she coyly swings on her heels.

“What??” Floyd thought as he pondered how the hell he could have missed a neon pink troll hiding in his bedroom. “I guess I appreciate the concern?” He replies, careful not to offend her.

“OK Great! We better get going, I’ll lead the way! Oh and yeah, I brought you this.”

She hands Floyd a simple green glove.

“What for?”

“It’s to cover up your hand silly! If other trolls see you like that they might get nervous!”

“Oh. Right.” While he was away Floyd had forgotten how skittish pop trolls can be.

“Sorry if it’s not really your style…”

‘Not his style’ was something of an understatement, it didn’t match his jeans or his hair, but he knew he’d have to wear it just in case.

“It’ll do for now. Thanks.”

After slipping on the glove the pair make their way into the depths of the forest. There’s an uncomfortable quietness for the first ten minutes or so, neither of them know each other very well after all. Poppy hates the feeling of awkwardness crawling down her spine, so she tries to break the ice.

“So uh, hey Floyd? What was Branch like when he was younger?”

“Well… he was a very cute baby, and he loved wearing those ridiculous giant glasses John gave him.” he giggles. “As he got older he really liked to try and help us all out, even though he wasn’t physically able to most of the time. Being a baby and all. But him and I ended up very close, especially as Brozone started to fall apart…”

Poppy’s stride suddenly halts, as if the earth stopped moving and its weight fell entirely upon her feet.

“WAIT…You’re THE Floyd? BROZONE Floyd??” She begins hyperventilating, and if she shakes anymore she’d likely explode.

“Crap.” Floyd suddenly remembers that he’s actually talking to another troll and not just himself. “Oh haha yeah.. that’s me.” he forces his mouth into a somewhat disturbing grin. “The sensitive one…”

Poppy’s mind spins with endless thoughts. She LOVED Brozone… How did she not notice he was THAT Floyd. He has to be joking right? And anyway, there’s no way Branch could’ve been in a boyband! The thought of that alone was enough to break her out of her stupor.

“So that means Branch has FIVE brothers right? No, wait…. You said glasses” Her eyes sparkle as she puts the pieces together. “That must mean Branch was-“

“Bitty B?” Floyd interjects. “Haha! That was him alright… Though it’s-“ he sighs deeply. “It’s just hard to imagine. Seeing how he is now.” His mood turns dour, his steps a little more laboured. “Hey, could we maybe talk about something else? It’s kinda hard to think about what happened back then.”

“Oh! Sorry, sorry. I’ll try and think about something else” she replies, still noticeably vibrating with excitement.

After a few more minutes of silent walking, Poppy simply can’t hold in her curiosity any longer.

“So… do you have any photos of Branch when he was a baby?”

“POPPY.” Floyd turns to her and snarls. “What did I just say?” 

“ACK!!! Ohmygosh I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to it’s just… I was kind of a huge Brozone fan as a kid and that part of me is freaking out right now. I’m really sorry, I had no idea being in the band was so difficult for you.”

He immediately feels bad for yelling. It wasn’t like him to shout like that, and it’s not like she really knows anything about his relationship with his brothers.

“Look, I’m sorry for losing my temper. There’s no way you could have known how rough things got by the end, and after we broke up we all left and stayed silent about what happened.”

“Well, what did happen?”

He rolls his eyes for what feels like the hundredth time and smirks.

“You know, I think I’ve talked enough about my troubled past for one day, maybe some other time.”

“Well hey, thanks for saying what you have, It’s been cool getting to know you.”

Floyd can’t help but admit to himself that it’s nice to talk to someone about this stuff. His ex had hardly been much of a listener, and most Brozone fans just wanted to hear about obnoxious gossip and rumours. Poppy might be a little intense sometimes, but she’s probably the kindest troll he’s ever met.

After walking for what feels like forever, Poppy jumps and points excitedly.

“Hey Floyd look! We’re almost here!!”

“Really? But this looks like any other part of the forest we’ve walked through.” He squints as if doing so will reveal anything.

“Ahah! That’s where you’re wrong… You see, Branch’s bunker can be located by looking for one GIANT rock with three smaller rocks placed on it’s right hand side. Then you check that the plant to the left of the rock has five leaves. Branch always trims it down to five…”

“Wow, you sure know a lot about him.” He sighs, feeling guilty that someone he’d only met yesterday knows more about his brother than he does.

“Oh y’know just a little bit! Nothing much haha! So anyways… you go crouch in those bushes over there, and I’ll try and talk to him. He CANNOT know you’re here or he’ll probably freak out or something.”

“You’re probably right, I’ll go hide over here and try not to look like a complete weirdo.” he sasses before scurrying off into the trees.

Once Floyd is far enough away Poppy waltzes over to Branch’s bunker. She kneels down to the entrance and knocks as politely as she can muster (which is still pretty forceful).

“Hello, Branch? Good morning Branch! Are you awake? I need to talk to you about something.”

The small flap in the grass tilts up slightly to reveal his gloomy eyes and little more.

“Oh, Poppy. It’s you. Let me guess… You’re hosting yet another idiotic soiree and for some godforsaken reason you want me to come. Yeah, it’s a no.”

“Oh Branch. While I am planning on hosting an ‘idiotic soiree’, that’s actually not what I’m here for.” She responds with a slight smug air.

Branch lifts the flap up a little higher, curious. “So what are you here for then? Oh god, it’s about Floyd isn’t it.”

“NO! It’s not.” She frowns as Branch glares into her soul until she finally breaks.

“Okay! Okay! Yeah it’s about Floyd.”

“I knew it. He’s set you up to come beg and plead to me to be nice to him because he’s too much of a coward to do it himself. Typical… I haven’t needed him in my life for over a decade and that’s not gonna change.” His tone saddens slightly. “He only wants me to like him again so he can feel better about himself anyway.”

“That’s not true Branch! He really, really cares about you! Besides, this is more important than you and him getting along. Floyd is… well, effectively homeless and has nowhere to go. My dad’s letting him stay in one of the guest pods for now but he can’t live there forever! Please, let him stay with you.”

“Ha, not a chance. He left me alone, why should I help him? Why is it that I’m the one that always has to compromise.”

“But he didn’t leave you alone! Sure it was naive to think everything would be fine with your grandma but-“

“Don’t you dare use my grandma as way to guilt trip me in to letting Floyd stay here! He’s a grown man now. He can handle himself.” He turns and starts to lower himself back into the bunker. Poppy panics and tries to hold the entrance open with her foot.

“No, no, Branch! I wasn’t going to do that! I would never say anything like that to you! Please, just listen to me!”

“I’ve done enough listening thank you very much! Now, I think it’s time for you to GO.” His voice breaking into a shout.

“Branch! Listen!”

“Nope.”

“BRANCH!”

“NooOOoope!” He snarks in an utterly infuriating tone, putting as much stress as possible on the ‘p’ sound.

“GRRRR! FINE THEN! WAIT. HERE.” Poppy screams before she stomps off in a seemingly random direction. Branch is genuinely startled at her reaction, he’d never heard her shout like that. Or any other troll for that matter. He was glad she was gone though, otherwise she may have noticed him softly blushing. Yet before he can sneak his way back into his home, she’s returned. And with… Floyd?

“LOOK AT HIS HAND. NOW.” She grabs his arm and flings the glove from his palm, revealing its faded tone.

“SEE? FLOYD’S HAND TURNED GREY BEFORE HE RETURNED AND HE NEEDS YOUR HELP. OK???” Tears are starting to form in her eyes as Floyd glances awkwardly toward Branch, who has still barely processed his presence.

“I-I, why didn’t you just tell me he was here I…” 

“I guess I wrongly assumed you might actually listen to me. And after your argument yesterday neither of us thought it would be a good idea for both of us to talk. You can understand that, right?”

“I suppose…” he looks over at his brother, feeling a tinge of remorse. “Look, I’m likely a complete moron for saying this but.. come in. Both of you. BUT you can’t stay here, ok?” He concedes.

Poppy and Floyd nod gently at each other as they enter the elevator, ready to descend and unsure of what’s to come. Whatever happens, at least it’s progress.

[miasmaghoul]

hellohello :)!! i saw the tags you left on the mountaindew piece, very very glad you liked it <3

based on that i am offering you a prompt of some sleepy ghouls, possibly with how they fight off the cold when it comes to winter :0? go absolutely bonkers w it (your writing is fantastic can i say, like. incredible. esp with descriptions)

ACK THANK YOU OMG YOU'RE TOO KIND <3

THAT MOUNTAIN-DEW PIECE IS WONDERFUL AND I AM THROWING YOU KISSES FOR IT MWAH MWAH MWAH

Cozy eepy ghoul fluff JUST FOR YOU

Rain grumbles to himself in bed, curled up on his side and shivering.

It's another drafty winter night and the water ghoul is miserable, alone in his room and too cold to get up and stoke the fire he'd let burn down to embers much too quickly. It's after midnight and he's tired, a long day of library work and practice behind him. But it's way too cold for him to sleep, and he'd rather be back in the pit than forced to get up in this chill.

Rain hisses as he wriggles an arm out of the mass of blankets he's wormed himself into to grab his phone from the nightstand, fingers shaking while he types.

R: Help, my fire went put and I'm freezing.

R: *out

The screen goes dark and Rain swears he can see his breath in the moonlight pouring over him. He whines high in his throat and tugs a blanket over his head. His phone buzzes a few minutes later.

D: fuck u too? satanas i gotta be in 4 rooms at once apparently

Well, at least Rain isn't the only one suffering.

R: Shit. Sorry Dew.

D: stfu its not ur fault

D: common room in 20

Rain perks up at that. The common room this late at night can only mean one thing. There's just a little problem.

R: I can't het up, I'll be an icicle. :(

R: *get, sorry, fingers are frozen.

D: ffs

D: hang on i'll get u a ride princess

Rain rolls his eyes and curls back in on himself. He imagines the others passing the time while they waited for the impending meetup.

Mountain would be fussing over his plants first and foremost, pressing gentle fingers into their soil to distribute his earthen warmth. He'd be in low-slung flannels and a long sleeved shirt, little sprigs of lavender poking from his hairline as sleep tried to dig its claws into him. Rain thinks about how wonderful Mountain is to sleep next to, naturally warm and big enough engulf his whole body. They sleep back to chest every time, legs tangled together, Mountain's arm clutching Rain's chest with their fingers intertwined. Mountain would snore into his hair, lulling him into a dreamy slumber.

Aether would be in a similar boat as Rain, his proximity to the void at the source of his power leaving him cooler than most. He wouldn't show it though. If Rain went to him right now, Aether would be lounging in bed with a medical text and those elegant silver-framed reading glasses in place, casual as could be in just a pair of pajama pants. His eyes would be heavy though, sleep dragging at their corners. Rain would slip under the covers and Aether would put his things aside, sliding down onto his back and letting the water ghoul curl against his side. Rain would hook a long leg over Aether's hip and an arm over his belly, resting his head on his soft chest. Rain always falls asleep first, soothed by Aether's quintessence and comforting presence.

Dew, if he weren't running around prepping for an impromptu ghoul pile, would undoubtedly be with either Aether or Swiss. It was rare to find the fire ghoul sleeping alone, except maybe in the dead of summer. Rain didn't mind sleeping next to him in any season, his natural chill an advantage that allowed them to share a bed on even the warmest nights. Dew would either be playing his beat up acoustic or watching some nonsense on his phone until sleep took over, dropping the device into his own face at least once. To sleep with Dewdrop is to sleep naked, and Rain quite likes that about the experience. They sleep face to face, entangled in one another any way they can manage, skin to skin and forehead to forehead. Rain would drift off on the scent of cinnamon and a crackling fire, awash in cozy warmth.

Swiss would be in whoever's bed would have him. Not always for anything lascivious, but the multighoul did NOT sleep alone. He'd had horrific nightmares after his summoning, the others finding him shrieking his lungs out in the dark. The presence of others at night had helped him through it, and the habit had stuck. If Swiss had texted Rain to come to his room, it would have led to two things - being stoned and making out. Not that you'd hear Rain complaining about it. He'd lay his head in Swiss's lap and let the other ghoul feed him the joint. Sometimes he'd kiss him with a mouthful of smoke instead, and Rain liked that especially. They would drift together, tactile and giggly and in just their boxers, Rain eventually falling asleep between Swiss's legs, arms wrapped around his waist. Swiss would sing him there, gentle claws running over his scalp while Rain pressed kisses into the little bit of pudge at his waistband.

The girls would be together in their nest, formerly Cumulus's chambers. Cirrus and Sunshine's rooms were always empty at night, unless they were entertaining a guest. Even then, they always migrated back together. Anyone was welcome in their shared den, to their oversized bed strewn with countless pillows and blankets, but it was always at least the three of them. The ghoulettes all sleep in pajamas that differ only in color; camisole style tops with shorts in light blue for Cumulus, silver for Cirrus and peach for Sunshine. They fit together in the nest, Sunshine at the center so the others could nestle into her warmth. Cumulus and Cirrus would mirror each other at her sides, one leg hooked over each of hers and their heads on her shoulders, arms around each other. If Rain joined alone, he liked to lay on his stomach under their tangle of legs, the weight of them carrying him off so easily.

If Rain were warm enough to sleep, he'd be reading himself there. He's currently in the middle of a trashy urban fantasy with vampires and werewolves, one he couldn't make it through a single chapter of without laughing hysterically. But ideally Dew would be here, sitting between Rain's legs and talking about everything and nothing while Rain braided his hair and soaked in his warmth. Dew would be doing something with his hands - rubbing Rain's calves, up to his thighs and then wriggling back against Rain's naked body. The water ghoul would smirk and say his name low, but the fire ghoul would feign innocence. He was just getting comfy. They'd tease each other until Rain was finished tying off the braid, then Dew would be flipping around so they could ravish each other. They'd fall asleep the same way as always, only much, much closer.

The designated 20 minutes fly by as Rain loses himself in thoughts of warmer times, and before he knows it he's being dragged from his reverie by his door being thrown open. Rain startles, peeking from behind his blankets to squint at the broad shape in the doorway.

"Someone said you needed a lift?"

Rain huffs out a laugh as Ifrit strides into the room in just a pair of low-slung sweats, arms crossed over his ample chest. Rain is tempted to just drag the fire ghoul into bed and lay on top of him, basking in his warmth.

"I can't feel my feet," Rain complains, and Ifrit grins as he leans down to scoop the water ghoul up princess style, blankets and all. He gives Rain a peck on the temple.

"You get tit privileges, Regina, don't worry." Rain chirps at the nickname, nuzzling into the fire ghouls neck in search of burning cedar and sun-warmed stone. He lets his eyes drift shut as Ifrit carries him to the common room, not opening them again until he's being set down next to the makeshift nest in the center of the room.

The couches and loveseat have been rearranged into a bed of sorts, shoved together with any gaps having been filled with pillows. It's lined with at least a dozen blankets and a mountain of pillows. The rest of the pack is already present, bleary eyed and swaying on their feet in the roaring firelight. They all clearly need this.

"Okay, Rain's in first tonight," Dew says, standing at the head of the nest. "Everybody wait your damn turn this time."

Rain yelps as Ifrit scoops him up and tosses him directly in the center of the plush pit. He laughs as Ifrit climbs in after him, scooching to the far end of the arrangement. Dew is right behind him, divesting Rain of his own blankets and rubbing a warm hand over his spine.

"Shit, raincloud, you are frozen," he murmurs, pushing heat into the water ghoul's skin. "C'mon, let's get you warm." It never ceases to amaze Rain how caring Dew can be. It only really came out on nights like this, but it blew him away every time.

Ifrit lays down first, half propped against the pillows in a corner. Rain follows him swiftly down while Sunshine mirrors Ifrit in the opposite corner. He molds himself to the fire ghoul's side, head firmly on his chest - Ifrit had given him tit privileges, after all - and twisting a leg around his. Ifrit kisses him on the forehead and Dew is next, pressing himself flush to Rain's icy back. He'd removed his shirt as well, and Rain greatly appreciated it. Dew presses his lips to the back of Rain's neck and hums softly into his skin. It's a weakness of Rain's and he finds his eyelids already begin to drag down.

The others follow suit.

Aether is next, finally admitting to also being cold and wedging himself on Ifrit's other side. He leans over to give each of them a kiss before resting on the other side of Ifrit's chest, laying a strong arm over their little pile. Dew does the same behind him, and just like that Rain is surrounded by warmth and comforting weight. Aether's leg loops around Ifrit's and their knees touch, Rain giggling at the sensation.

In the other corner, Sunshine has been bracketed by her girls in a position mirroring that of Rain and Aether on Ifrit. They all drag their legs up for Mountain to join, laying diagonally between the two piles. Swiss follows, scrambling to lay directly on top of Mountain with his head in the center of the earth ghoul's chest. The rest of them would wait until the two were settled, Mountain then giving the okay for everyone to put their legs up. They all would, a blanket of limbs weighing Swiss down against Mountain's chest until they were both groaning.

Once they're all settled, Swiss is the first to tap into his fire and start the warming process. His heat leaches into Mountain, and into their combined legs. Rain groans as his toes start regaining feeling. Sunshine is next, her summery warmth flooding them with the scent of honeyed peach blossoms. Ifrit and Dew warm themselves together, and the moan Rain gives has all of them chuckling. He can't even think to care, not with the toasty warmth and heady scents engulfing him. It's like he's at a bonfire in a fruit orchard, surrounded by everyone he loves.

"Thank you," he breathes into Ifrit's skin.

Dew kisses the back of his neck again in acknowledgement before going back to humming into the soft skin there. Rain is the first to start purring, drifting away in hazy warmth and a ring of arms. The rest aren't far behind.

Copia finds them like that the next morning when they're late for practice, the room filled with what sounds like roughly a dozen lions. He strokes a gloved hand through Rain's soft curls, chuckling at the way the water ghoul is drooling over Ifrit's skin. He can't bring himself to wake them, instead tiptoeing from the room with a warm smile on his face.

In his sleep, Rain does the same.

[tinytinybumblebee]

ack thank youthankyou for being ok with getting these hcs!! It’s just a long ask is all and I didn’t wanna like. Destroy your inbox and I also don’t really wanna come off anon to do a submission because my softness for agere is something I’d rather keep to myself, people can be nasty about it :( but yeah here are some of my bby astarion hcs!!

• Regresses from 3 months to 2 years

favored nicknames include little star (since that’s what his name means and all), prince/little prince, starshine, starlight, and ofc the classic baby boy

teethes like a baby shark in that he must investigate everything with his mouth! If he’s feeling especially little as well he’s not good at asking his cg for much of anything so if he’s hungry he’s going to be nibbling at them and whining all the while. Pacifier very necessary with him, he definitely needs a clip so he never loses it

I play by the rules that vampires can better pass for living people the more well-fed on blood they are and having enough blood reactivates some body processes like warmth, a false heartbeat, breathing, and digestion for nonblood things so basically what I’m saying is if he has enough blood in his system he can have some normal baby treats. He likes bottles of milk with vanilla and honey, and all kinds of red berries mashed up for him to enjoy, like strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, etc. Those are his favorite treats:)

Some little ones encourage their cgs to discipline them but astarion is not one of those. No discipline, please, just give him a stern-talking to, he’ll get so upset at anything else

Because he’s astarion with his massive ego no matter how much he trusts someone he represses his tiny side a lot and is pretty embarrassed about it, but the right actions from his designated cg can make him drop like that.

Picks one designated cg and that’s it, no one else. Will pitch a fit if separated even for a moment

He likes to be held, cuddled, anything that has him close to his cg. Rocking him is an instant happy boy.

Some little ones never say anything about needing a diaper change and must be checked constantly. He is NOT one of those little ones. When he has an accident it will be known, he hates how yucky it feels and will immediately start whining and crying

He’s a big crybaby but he recovers fast. Usually it’s just when his cg pushes the right button then bam tears stop instantly.

Doesn’t really do toys, he doesn’t get them… he just wants dada/mama. The things he does like to play with are his blankie, his one special stuffy (a floppy white bunny) and puppets and rattles if his carer is waving them at him

Brush his hair, give him baths, button his clothes, dress him, change him, ultimate sign of trust because of his horrible background is when he lets his cg interact with his clothes, especially undressing him. But it takes time to get there, such as the first few times they had to give him a bath he shrieked like a banshee but was distracted with words of reassurance and kisses

Loves to be praised!! Call him a brave little boy or tell him how pretty he is or how happy he makes you, he will be such a happy boy

Giggles+wiggles!! When he’s happy he squirms and giggles and babbles, oh boy does he babble, little Astarion and big Astarion have one thing in common and it’s that they’re soooo chatty

Must be held at all times and NEVER to be left alone. Especially while sleeping, waking up without his carer in arm’s reach is a one way track to meltdown town for good reason

Must be the most precious, delicate and adorable thing in the room at all times. Will also never willingly share his carer.

Big Astarion hates being coddled but baby Astarion? coddle coddle coddle, must treat like he’s made of glass

When he’s big he will deny literally everything that happened when he was little but rest assured he treasures every last minute of it.

Grabby hands all the way! Grabby hands at everything he wants… most of the time that would be mama/dada

Doesn’t like reminders of his vampirism when little, just whatever is instinct to him but he doesn’t like thinking about much else

Loves aaaaaall the little gear. He is not the type to want to regress with whatever is lying around, he wants all the diapers and onesies and strollers and what have you, whatever keeps him as removed from his adult life as possible

That’s just some of what I have!! I’m so sorry for this absolute monster of an ask, your blog just inspires me so much I’m such a big fan <33

WAAAAAAA oh my goodness these are absolutely phenomenal aaaAAAAA 🥺💖💖💖💖 rotating these in my mind forever now!!!

Thank you so so much for sharing these😭💖 Bby Astarion deserves all the coddling and loving praise aaaaAAAAAAAAA

[ao3feed-itafushi]

October Hues

by ack_dragon Set a week before the Shibuya Incident takes place, only this time, Tokyo Jujutsu High goes to a restaurant to celebrate Yuta's early return from training in Africa Toge wants to feel secure and safe. For his entire life, facts and apathy have served as armor against the shitty circumstances of the real world. Unfortunately for him, certain people, and his feelings for those people, make things a bit more complicated. Nobara hates the fact that she's stuck with two lovebirds that can't even see it themselves. She can't stand them, but thankfully, alcohol and a certain girl with red glasses might be able to help. Megumi has never really cared about love, let alone the romantic sort. The only thing that he's done less than love is talk about his feelings. This time around, he does both. Words: 2429, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English Series: Part 5 of Ack's Pride Month 2024 Fandoms: 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, M/M Characters: Okkotsu Yuuta, Inumaki Toge, Kugisaki Nobara, Zenin Maki, Fushiguro Megumi, Itadori Yuuji, Background & Cameo Characters, gojo and the rest, etc - Character Relationships: Inumaki Toge/Okkotsu Yuuta, Kugisaki Nobara/Zenin Maki, Fushiguro Megumi/Itadori Yuuji Additional Tags: Fluff, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Restaurants, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, yuta comes back from africa early, First Kiss, Hugs, Domestic Fluff, Love Confessions, Confessions, Drunken Confessions, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, implied/referenced past homophobia from AO3 works tagged 'Fushiguro Megumi/Itadori Yuuji' https://ift.tt/YlroHdW

[amrv-5]

dream, remember, glass (u don’t have to do all 3 i’m just nosy 🫣)

ACK HELLO and THANK YOU for the ASK!!! great picks and great guesses these were all in there!!!!!! below the cut for length:

First, dream—not actually too many of "dream" straight up. This is the only instance that isn't, like, "dreamy" or "dreaming," janked from my upcoming M*A*S*H fic olympics etc:

HAWK: You think that now, but it just isn’t the case. This place—it’s an aberration. The second you touch down at home, it’ll slip away. Like a dream. And me with it. And that’s alright.

Aaaand for "remember" we've got a no-context-given Beejhawk moment from S2G2:2:Untitled Boogaloo:

“Yeah,” Hawkeye said, looking up at BJ, at the way the sky framed him. “She was terrible about—even when I got too old for it, she was always poking me in the ribs or the belly to make me laugh. Her second-favorite birdsong, I remember her saying. Behind mourning doves.”

Okay and there were something like 40 instances of "glass" in just the WIPs I checked, so I narrowed it down to one from each of the above:

BJ (into glass): Those were all jokes, anyway. That’s different than lying.

Erin stopped short to watch the chimes hanging from the porch rafters rattle, tinkling glass ones throwing fractured rainbows in every direction, wood chimes clubbing together hollowly, a massive metallic collection of tubes at the back of the porch clanging like church bells, a green sea glass wind chime clinking unobtrusively nearest the stairs. 

[authoroftwwm]

Here be part 3 (it says part 2 but it's 3, dw)

The Worlds We Made: Chapter 1, Pt. 4

"Do you understand how long I was running around that park looking for you?! I have a packed schedule, you know!" Matthias hadn't seen Rosswell this angry in a long time. This wasn't the worst anger he'd had to weather, but it definitely was up there. "I can't just leave you in the park alone, either! I have to make sure that no one from your former planet recognizes you--whoever they are--I have to keep you from getting angry and terrorizing the entire city--don't look at me like that! I'm not saying it's definitive, I'm just saying it's possible--"

"Definitive... D... i... v?" Matthias sighed. "What does that mean?"

"Definitive?"

"Yeah, that--oh, sorry you were in the middle of saying something and I stopped you again...waithangonhangonihaveit!" Rosswell let him think for a moment. "Intrupt--interrupted? Is that right?"

The silence that followed didn't last quite as long as hoped, as the laughter of a worn-out caretaker echoed throughout the log cabin the duo called home. Rosswell sauntered over to Matthias and began to ruffle his hair as one would a cat who didn't quite understand that this is my glass and you need to leave it alone.

"You're such a mess, Mattie! Come here!"

"Ack! No--not the hair--Dad, I'll fight you!"

"Oh? Did you feel like losing again?"

"I'm not gonna lose! I'll just... Not win."

"Mm-hmm..."

"I'll lose on propose--purpose! That way you have to deal with the fact I could have beaten you!"

"That implies you have the ability to win in the first place."

"Aren't dad's supposed to be encouraging of their children's abilities?"

"Yes, but I know your limits, and I'm not going to lie to you about them. That'd be wrong of me to do."

"Ugh, fine, whatever... Uh, also..." Matthias nervously grasped for courage. Apologizing is extremely difficult for most young people, and he was no different. He had made sure he knew the words a long time ago: 'I apologize for [thing that was wrong]. I will do better in the future.' As easy as it seemed to do so, there was a lot of guilt associated with it; every time Matthias tried to admit his faults, he lost track of what to say. He was going to do it this time.

"You good--"

"I apologize for running away from you and for not telling you where I was I will do better in the future I feel shamed I don't want to be in any trouble I just wanted some time with Wimphrey I just--"

[fyeahboydholbrook]

Boyd Holbrook as Stephen Tynan in "Beckett" 2021

[ridhearts]

it's in the little things {heartslabyul + savanaclaw}

OK SO. this started off as a "antithetical things they'd do when they're into you" but it turned into just. things that they do when interested. Some of them go along with the first inspo and are like "oh no they have feelings their world is upside down now" and others are just. cute. So just consider this me throwing offerings into the void so maybe the inspirations/motivation monster will come back to my brain <3

Heartslabyul

Riddle - in the way he fixes you up gently

Late! You were late!

Grim bounded ahead of you, eager to get a quick breakfast before the line closed until lunch. You were simply trying to keep an eye on him, already having resigned yourself to the few crushed granola bars in the bottom of your backpack. Barely catching the glass door as it shut behind Grim, you hurried down the halls and tried not to let your feet slide out from underneath you. Your effort was for naught when you nearly collided with a body the moment you turned the corner into the cafeteria. Riddle let out a surprised ack!, fighting to balance something held in his arms. You staggered back as well, apologies already falling from your lips.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry, Riddle!” You said breathlessly. “I know, I know, running isn’t allowed in the halls, but…we had a late start.”

Riddle gave you a quick once-over, expression flat but at least not angry. He sighed, handing you the container in his hands with a quiet, “These are for you.”

“Oh-?” You were able to open the container and spy a few homemade muffins before Riddle gently pressed against your chin.

“Chin up. I’ve told you before that you should maintain a neat appearance,” He murmured to himself. His chiding words were gentle, as were his hands as they freely adjusted the buttons on your blazer, straightening out the fabric where he could and fixing the way the collar of your shirt fell over the jacket. With deft, practiced fingers, he tied the ribbon around your neck too, stopping just before it constricted your throat. You swallowed when he leaned back half an inch to inspect his work, anticipating the way his face almost immediately darkened and he rushed to pull his hands away.

“Thanks, Riddle,” You said before he could stammer himself into embarrassment. He pulled nervously at his own shirt collar once.

“You should make sure to wake up on time…” He scolded weakly, voice trailing off before he cleared his throat. “I mean, ahem, the Queen forbids eating in class, so…you should finish those before it’s time to leave!”

He turned and left before you could respond, walking stiffly like a toy soldier. With a fond sigh, you looked at the box of Trey’s treats in your hands. At least Grim would be interested in this part of your story.

Trey - in the way he plainly lays out his intentions for you

Everybody depended on Trey, that much was obvious. The members of his dorm even called him mom on multiple occasions, only half-joking despite the grimace he tried to hide. It’s not like they were being entirely unreasonable, either - Trey was one of the most dependable guys at school. Yet who was there for him to lean on?

You, apparently.

You didn’t mind, of course. Through years of being the dependable one, Trey knew how to confide in you without it feeling like too much. Still, you noticed how he relaxed more and more, until he was no longer filtering his frustrations to you. Perhaps there wasn’t a genuinely mean bone in his body - just a bunch of tired ones, ones that yearned to rest in the solace you were happy to provide.

There was a funny domesticity to the whole thing that made your stomach twist in knots the longer you thought about it. Behind you, Trey was helping Grim through the last problem on his alchemy homework, the job you assigned to him to keep him away while you cleaned the last of your dishes. Perfectly in tune, Grim scampered away to put his paper with yours just as you pulled the plug in the sink and dried your hands. A moment later, you appeared behind Trey and let him lean into you, wrapping your arms loosely around the top of his chest.

“Thank you for helping him,” You murmured. “That’s one less thing I have to do.”

“It’s nothing,” He answered, and meant it. You were one of very few people he truly didn’t mind helping out no matter how many times you asked. “Besides, now that means I get you to myself.”

There it was again - something said so flippantly that made your heart do somersaults in your chest. Not quite knowing how far you could go, you leaned your head forward and placed the lightest of kisses to the top of his head.

“Do you really not know that I’ve been all yours since the start?” You ventured, keeping your face hidden behind his head even if he wouldn’t have been able to see you if you hadn’t. “It’s alright. I don’t mind reminding you.”

You weren’t sure how you’d get him to believe you for real, but he reached up and squeezed your forearm, and you knew you’d manage it somehow for a shot at this being real.

Cater - in the steadfast attention he gives you

Riddle looked about ready to blow a gasket, face red and sharp glare on Cater. Or rather, on Cater’s hand as he scrolled mindlessly through magicam.

“Cater,” Riddle said through gritted teeth, “Do I need to remind you of the rules to start an Unbirthday party? Put your phone away. Please.”

“Are we even going to start before the Prefect gets here?” He asked, unamused. Ace peered over Cater’s shoulder and made a face when he saw that he was looking through your magicam account. Not only was his crush making him moody, it was apparently making him a lovelorn sap, too.

Before Riddle could respond, you barreled through the entrance to the garden, out of breath and holding Grim by the scruff of his neck. He wriggled and shouted, effectively drawing everyone’s attention from the punishment that was about to happen before their eyes.

“SO sorry I’m late! Grim started a fire just before we-” You looked around you and saw a handful of tense first years along with a very angry Riddle. “Oh, is this because of me? I’m really, really sorry, I was going to tell you but I thought I could make it.”

“IT IS NOT - ah,” Riddle started loudly before catching himself and taking a deep breath. “It’s not your fault, Prefect. Cater here-”

“Saved you a seat!!” Cater interrupted, pulling out the chair next to him and eagerly patting the cushion. You gave Riddle a small smile before sitting, finally releasing Grim from your hold. A gray blur darted around the garden before ultimately ending up on your lap while you chuckled at something Cater said. His phone was nowhere to be seen.

Deuce - in how eager he is to please you

Deuce was determined to approach his new school life openly, honestly, and with more effort than anybody else in the student population. Becoming an honor student was an entirely new experience for him, so he figured it’d be best not to complicate matters with unnecessary mind games. For similar reasons, he took the same approach to how to deal with you, his very first ‘oh-my-goodness-the-prefect-is-totally-out-of-my-league-but-i-think-they’re-WAY-cooler-than-everyone-else-and-i-can’t-just-lie-to-them-so-i’ll-win-them-over-with-the-hidden-charm-my-mom-said-i-have-when-i-lamented-to-her-in-my-last-letter’ crush.

It didn’t help that on top of being insanely clever and tough and attractive, you were also totally smart. You didn’t even have magic and yet, if it weren’t for Grim’s scores bringing down your average, you’d easily be at the top of the first year class on every test. He HAD to take you up on your offer to study; he’d get to spend more time with you AND he’d get the best tutor in the grade to make his honor student dreams come true!

An unexpected outcome to this, though, was the immense pressure Deuce felt to impress you. What if he failed a test? You would be disappointed in him, right? Would you feel like it was your fault? Would you hate him forever and never study with him again??? The thought kept him up later than his worries about the test did, though Deuce would never admit it. (Ace might, if he ever got the admission out of him.)

His worries were for nothing, though, as he walked out of the room with a solid 86 earned entirely on his own. Deuce’s first instinct was to run down the hallway hollering in excitement, but he kept that inside in favor of waiting for you.

“So, how’d you do?” You asked as soon as you saw Deuce standing against the wall. You could see Deuce consider tricking you and saying he failed, but the excited bounce in his mannerisms gave him away. Instead he showed you his test, cheering with you when you loudly congratulated him. “I knew you could do it! All that studying really paid off!”

Ace, who had followed you out of the classroom and went entirely unnoticed, huffed and waved the both of you off. “Alright, lovebirds, just meet me at lunch,” He grumbled, gesturing for Grim to follow him. Deuce let him leave, instead relishing in your praise while he had it. Not for the first time, he considered himself lucky to be able to hold your attention for so long.

Ace - in how deeply he allows himself to feel for you

Ace wasn’t shallow, but he wasn’t exactly the deepest sea, either. He could understand many of the deep, complicated feelings his classmates often lamented, but he preferred to coast on the surface, floating cheerfully in his little bird-shaped floatie with a drink in hand. That is to say, Ace was usually much happier just accepting things as they were. If somebody didn’t like him, fine. If something was fun, do it again until somebody came around to ruin it. Then, move on to the next thing. Life didn’t have to be that deep - or, at least, his life didn’t need to be. It didn’t seem too fun down there anyway.

But then you reached up and pulled him down by the ankle, forcing him to sink to emotional depths he never bothered with before.

It wasn’t dark or scary like he was expecting. Actually, he was having fun with what he was experiencing. The way his heart pounded out of nowhere was close to an adrenaline rush, and the warmth that spread through his body wasn’t the worst thing. But he was definitely sinking, a pressure building on his lungs that was getting harder and harder to ignore. Would he acclimate? Would they burst? Ace didn’t know, and he found when he opened his mouth to ask he was only met with bubbles.

There wasn’t much of a difference between the way he acted before and after you turned his life upside down. Nobody really paid close enough attention to notice the way he held on to your hand a little longer while leading you around campus, or how his laughter faded out a little quicker in favor of watching you. When he allowed his thoughts to drift and he remembered there might come a day you have to leave forever - a day that could be just around the corner, for all anybody knew - a dark feeling settled in his gut that stubbornly stuck to his insides. There were little things he began to notice, little moments he began to collect, and they made him sink faster like pebbles in his pockets.But..being down beneath the surface really wasn’t the worst thing. Not if you were the one pulling him down.

Savanaclaw

Leona - in the ways he can’t quite play it cool

There were a lot of subtleties within Leona that you didn’t yet understand. It wasn’t for lack of trying, of course. You were simply still learning, and Leona proved to be just as difficult as you expected. He was guarded, everything he gave you was purposely an inch short of what you wanted, and what you were beginning to understand about him was telling you that he would never, ever give you a straight answer for any of your questions.

You only knew Leona for a few months, though. Ruggie has known him longer.

It wasn’t entirely your fault that you seemed to be grasping for hints in every direction. You weren’t even familiar with beastman mannerisms, so how could you be expected to dig even deeper than that? Ruggie, on the other hand, lived with lions for a while, and one in particular has been the main receiver of his attention for a while. Even without his knack for reading people, Ruggie would be an absolute fool not to notice how utterly hopeless Leona was when it came to you.

Leona’s ears were always perked up, one part of him alert even when the rest of him was dead asleep. Catching Leona unguarded was almost impossible, as his ears were always listening. Ruggie thought Leona was merely protecting what was his, making sure that when he helped himself to some of the prince’s items he wasn’t taking something Leona particularly treasured. What Ruggie was beginning to realize, though, was that they were listening for you.

Ruggie asked Leona about once, in a round-about way that they both knew was intended to preserve both their prides. Leona claimed he was merely bracing himself for the annoyances that trailed behind you at every turn, yet the way his ears lowered slightly, relaxed when you greeted him, gave him away.

More obvious than his ears was his tail.

Leona was not a touchy person. In fact, he preferred to be left alone entirely, whenever possible. The only person who could get away with even being close enough to touch him was Ruggie, and that was only when the only option to get Leona off the mattress in the morning was to push him off of it. You were the exception, as Ruggie was learning. You normally had his tail wrapped around your wrist like a bracelet, and half the time you didn’t even know it.

Ruggie watched with curiosity as you sat between him and Leona at lunch. That was another thing you could do - force Leona into rooms he normally wouldn’t bother with just with the promise of your premise - and a few seconds later, you had a tail wrapped around your back and resting on your lap like some sort of seat belt. Ruggie gave a breath of a laugh, looking away so Leona couldn’t prove exactly what amused him so much. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why Leona was so obsessed with keeping you close, so interested in making sure you couldn’t be taken away. You just hadn’t yet learned where to look.

Ruggie - in the things he shares

Ruggie didn’t have a lot.

There were lots of good things about him - he was hard-working, straightforward, more clever than he gave himself credit for (even on days where he gave himself plenty of credit). As long as you were not the target of his jokes, he was funnier than most of the people around him. The more you thought about Ruggie, the more you could decide was wholly good about him.

But, materialistically - so, in the way that mattered - Ruggie didn’t have a lot.

He neither hid nor flaunted that fact. It was just something everybody knew, to the point where every move he made was reasoned away with “he never had a lot.” Ruggie’s hunting in the kitchen for food about to go bad? He’s resourceful like that, because he needed to be. Ruggie’s running to and fro on errands others should be doing? Probably collecting IOUs for the next time he finds he needs something. Truth be told, the assumption got kind of annoying at some point - while he can play very easily with others underestimating him, it did settle uneasily that people associated him with lacking something. It was like someone rubbed his fur the wrong way; not the end of the world, but definitely not ideal.

Ruggie spotted you sitting against a tree one day and instantly sighed in relief at his search being over. He had a lull in jobs, a time slot saved just for you - but he walked like he was on a mission, just so that people would leave him alone. Efficiency, and all that. As he approached, you smiled at him before turning your attention back to a textbook open on your lap. With little grace, he dropped a few plastic-wrapped food items in your lap and stood in front of you, his shadow stretching past you and up the trunk of the tree.

Your writing stopped and you blinked at the food a few times. When you looked up at him, the grin on your face was wider than it had any reason to be. Ruggie briefly wondered which would weigh heavier on his mind: the idea that you wondered why he gave this offering to you because it might be all he had, or the idea that he just wanted to make sure you, specifically you, were taken care of.

You looked hungry, was all, and Ruggie knew how to fix that. But you didn’t need to worry yourself with the details.

Jack - in the ways he shys away from you

“You won’t be able to carry all of that,” Jack said bluntly. You peeked at him from the side of the stack of boxes, blinking as if processing his audacity.

Professor Crewel sent you to the botanical garden to fetch a few boxes for the next class’ lab. It seemed a simple job at first, until you realized the boxes were full of heavy bags of fertilizer. Still, you put on a brave face and tried to heft the boxes up yourself, only able to make it a few steps at a time before needing to take a rest. Jack, who had been in the garden checking on a plant for a project, had half a mind to leave you alone to struggle. But the idea didn’t sit right in his stomach, turning in a way that was worse than just disagreeing with his personal honor code, so he decided to offer his help.

In a…roundabout, unintentionally-so-yet-still-semi-insulting way.

Your arms gave out and the boxes fell to the ground with a thud that drowned out your sigh. “Okay, yeah, you’re right. Do you think you could give me a hand?” 

Of course he could. You knew he could. You did know he could, right? Jack lifted the boxes with ease and shook his head in disbelief, turning to the exit. “Lead the way, prefect.”

“Wow!” It took you a moment to marvel at his display of strength, your eyes practically burning the path your gaze took down his arms. After a moment, you scurried to match his pace. “Sorry, I’m just…always so amazed at how strong you are! It’s really impressive.”

You didn’t give him any time to embarrass himself with the visible shock that dawned on his face. With a soft exclamation, you ran to hold the door open for him, allowing Jack to collect himself for a moment. The only problem was his tail, wagging a mile a minute and showing no signs of stopping before he walked in front of you.

Just before he crossed the threshold, Jack stopped, pretending to adjust the boxes while willing his tail to at least slow down. It took longer than he’d like, but he eventually got it to a pace where he could pretend his tail was just swaying with the way he walked. 

There were a lot of things he wished he could be more honest with you about, but the mere thought of even starting that conversation froze Jack’s blood. The ice in his veins burned more than the shame of taking such a cowardly way around things. He wished his tail would get the memo to stash all his feelings away, but alas, it was always too honest for his own good. Perhaps it was a sign…but for now, it was just a burden, one that you were getting too close to discovering each day.

[samcollinsbf]

a few redacted piercing hcs

im like sooo tired rn so these are very unorganized feeling + i will make a more cohesive post tomorrow or something with more of the dudes but for now my thoughts must be shared.

these are organized in order from most to least me just projecting so bear with it

CW for body modification described in pretty heavyish detail + mention of needles of course under the cut

Darlin

darlin has 1738292933 piercings like just trust me

they have 2 professionally done from when they were like a baby but the rest they did by hand

as i've stated before they've given sam a couple of ear piercings

like the amount of trust you need to have in someone to stick a needle in your ear hello !! holding your vampire boyfriends face in your hands !! they mean a lot to me can you tell.

they've gotten infected a million times before probably but each time are like fuck it we ball !!

they're actually decent at piercing now though. they've got the routine down and can name the technical term for like every piercing imaginable

Lasko

3 total. 2 lobe + 1 helix

lasko love of my life did his helix himself but like. horribly. it was shortly after he left his parents place so idk he was running off adrenaline a little

he is not a super adventurous man but he was having a moment and figured it couldn’t hurt That bad.

tried to do it with a sewing needle in his bathroom mirror

it did infact hurt that bad. bro had to stop halfway through to take a breather like helix piercings hurt so bad if you’re doing it on ur own especially if you don't kno wtf you're doing

he powered through it though and im so proud of him

ASHER OMG

11 total

5 lobe 3 helix 1 industrial

he’s also a self proclaimed expert piercer

except his pain tolerance in Low. six feet under the ground. he is in agony every single time but is like Fuck it we ball !!!!!

he is a LIAR though and tells everyone it’s like Super easy and quick to do

david knows the truth though.

asher’s first time piercing his ears was in david’s bedroom when they were teenagers

bro had a sewing needle a block of ice and the feeling of pure spite

towards what idk he had an emo phase he was having a moment like lasko🤷‍♂️

david probably incessantly told him to Not to do it because its “stupid” and “going to get insanely infected” but at some point gave up and just watched as asher attempted to stab himself in the ear as he sat criss cossed infront of davids bedroom mirror

they had radio head playing in the background because the image made me giggle.

asher ended up chickening out with the needle halfway through his ear because it hurt

david had to do it the rest of the way for him like the ally to the trans community he is 🙏

and OH MY GOD i saw these earrings at niles months ago that were like little red circles about a centimeter wide with silver paw prints on them

he wears those.

ACK damien my love

i feel like he got an industrial piercing at some point

actually you know what he actually had a shit ton of ear piercings

day to day though he takes them out all you see are a ring of little holes in his ear because they kept getting caught on his clothes + he wears glasses and he hates how it feels when the click against things

he keeps them in at night through and will wear them for special occasions

ok these get less detailed from here on out

elliot : left eyebrow piercing + gauged ears

guy : ok this is based off some like fanart i saw of him that i actually can’t find now that im looking for it but i think he has a double eyebrow piercing (whoever has made fanart of him like that im kissing u on the face ur like sooo real for that one bro.)

vincent : SNAKE BITES. also like small gauges

milo : i think !! he has a septum im not sure though

ok im like atually way to tired to continue i just really like body modification have i made that clear enough.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Azul Ashengrotto Union Birthday Personal Story: Part 3

"Happy Birthday"

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3

[Octavinelle Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Ace: 'Kay, here comes the next one.

Ace: "If you could join any dorm other than Octavinelle, which one would you choose?"

Azul: Let me think… It is something that I have thought about in the past.

Azul: That is, how I would want to place myself into a completely different environment than that of Octavinelle…

Ace: Doesn't every dorm have a different environment from you guys? Y'all have the special distinction of literally being underwater.

Azul: Indeed. Any of the dorms would offer quite the learning experience. Only, I would like to avoid a transfer to Savanaclaw.

Ace: Aaah, I getcha～ The Savanaclaw dorm's all hyped up in their athleticism and're filled with dudes who're really good at sports.

Azul: I made absolutely no mention of athletic abilities! I was merely going to say that the atmosphere of that dormitory would not suit my delicate skin.

Ace: Ack, sorry! Okay, then, so which dorm would you want to go to, Azul-senpai?

Azul: …Well, I suppose it's fine. If I were to transfer to another dorm, I would choose Scarabia.

Azul: To tell you the truth, I have been fascinated with the Scalding Sands for quite a while now.

Azul: My hometown is one of the coldest regions in the Coral Sea. Furthermore, not much light reaches the sea floor.

Azul: Diametrically opposed to that, the Scalding Sands has an abundance of sunshine that reaches across a vast desert.

Azul: The environment itself goes without saying, but our cultural differences are also of great interest to me. There are music and meals that are unique to the Scalding Sands.

Ace: Ah, yeah, the meals that Jamil-senpai would make for us during our basketball club training camps were super delicious with all those spices.

Azul: Oh my. If only I could have partaken in that.

Azul: It is not only the dishes, of course, but their tableware is also quite visually appealing.

Azul: Those vivid and eye-catching colors are rarely seen in my own hometown.

Azul: I had heard that Scarabia is modeled to be similar to that of the Scalding Sands. I would be able to interact with various items actually from there, and…

Azul: I would have frequent opportunities to hear stories from those who came from the Scalding Sands, like Kalim-san and Jamil-san.

Azul: The quickest and most accurate way to study traditions and cultures is to speak to those local to the area. It would be the optimal location for me to gain more knowledge.

Ace: Hmmm… Yeah, but your reason's still packaged a bit too neatly. …I bet you got some kind of scheme hatching in the back of your mind, don’tcha?

Azul: Of course not, how could you possibly think such a thing. …Is what I would say, however…

Azul: As my presenter who is to bring me good fortune, perhaps I shall let you in on a secret.

Azul: The Scalding Sands is known for their high-quality tea leaves, spices, and silk fabrics.

Azul: Each and every one of them are items that would be novel to those in the Coral Sea… Yes, in other words, this is a gold mine!

Azul: If I can further my relationships with students from the Scalding Sands and make connections there, it would be considerably beneficial.

Ace: I knew it!! Crafty, as always.

Ace: And that's it for the questions! Neeeexxxt it's time for that long-awaited-super-awesome "Gift of Good Fortune", riiiiight～?

Azul: Ace-san… You really are quite an easy person to read. This is the largest grin you've sported all day.

Azul: …Sigh. I would have preferred avoiding being covered in cream like this, but as it is tradition, I suppose I'll have to accept it.

Ace: Don't worry, I'll hit you straight on! I got pretty good hand-eye coordination 'cause I'm in the basketball club and all.

Azul: What do you think I’m worried about…? …Ah, please wait one moment. I need to remove my glasses.

Azul: …Sorry to keep you waiting. Well, please go ahead.

Ace: Mmkay, here I gooooo～!

Ace: AZUL-SENPAI! HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYYY!

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3

[merakiui]

Imaging Sea Glass darling after being with the trio for awhile.

Since they’re basically the mafia, there’s guaranteed that at least a few foolish people will try to take a jab at them, and even fewer kidnap darling.

I imagine that when darling gets rescued they’re all like ‘ack, sorry that I’m super weak and got caught…well, have ‘fun’ with those guys’ and casually checks themselves for injuries (or cuddles with one of the trio for even more sinister vibes) as a few poor souls scream in the background.

I also like to think about a scenario where darling meets a human again. Like, they’re super fascinated and eats up all of the knowledge they’re told.

Then, they offer them knowledge of the sea. No, no! No need for you to worry your little head! I can keep an air bubble of sorts as I show you around :)

One thing leads to another, and the human finds themselves drowning in the face of these three mermen in front of darling, whom is peaking from behind the shoulder of the tentacle freak.

Basically, I’m getting obsessed with the idea that darling becomes more jaded and loses their humanity

Sea Glass darling with their scary fish privileges is unstoppable. <3

Oooh, darling gradually losing their humanity as they spend more time in the ocean than on land is interesting to consider. It’s fun to imagine how their personality would change as they get accustomed to life in the Coral Sea. The trio definitely influence some of their behaviors. They’ll probably pick up a few hunting/self-defense techniques from observing the twins, and they might even memorize a few potion recipes if they spend enough time with Azul.

It’s hard for darling to not get curious when they have so many things from the human world in the grotto. So if they ever come across another human, I could see them wanting to spend lots of time with them because it’s a new face and they only ever see the trio. But knowing the trio, they won’t allow this and darling will either have to be secretive about meeting up with their human friend or attempt to introduce them to the trio. Both options end in the same fashion—with the human killed in front of darling’s eyes as a morbid lesson. Humans are dangerous and you shouldn’t ever interact with them. Over time, they’ll learn that these reactions can’t be avoided, so they might as well accept it. And eventually it won’t faze them anymore, even when the twins tear into the next victim darling just so happened to charm.

[lickoutyourbrains]

Crow's horrible challange with no pressure at all ;)

Start writing a story using the prompt: "I promise my lap is very comfy" with any character you'd like and the tag 3 people who you want to continue it. You can give them their own prompts to include :D!

(know that if you choose to write for your oc or the djd and tag me I will absolutely butcher the characters xd)

(alright, here we go. warnings for mild description of bad injuries, the threat of death and vague monsters.)

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

Patton watched through cracked glasses as Virgil paced on the dank and musty concrete, back and forth and back and forth and ba ck and f orth and b ack and fo orth a n d b a

Patton's breath jolted as he fought to stay conscious, the pain in his chest throbbing anew with his sudden movement.

Virgil was still pacing.

The dim light of the basement bulb cast grim shadows that man his eyes look darker than they already were, he was gnawing on his thumb in either concentration or panic, maybe both? The blood that was drying on his hands gave the faint illusion that he'd bitten through his own skin.

"Virge..." Patton exhaled, grimacing before trying louder to get the other mans attention, "Virge."

He stopped, whirling to face him with wide eyes before rushing to his side, questions about his pain, has he bled through the bandages, cursing himself for being too antisocial to go to a first-aid class so he knew how to help-

Virgil quietened at Patton's hand weakly gripping at his wrist.

Patton smiled as best he could, "You need... to rest... too..."

Eyes grew frantic as Virgil shook his head, "I can't, you're hurt and we're trapped and I need to stay alert in case one of those things finds us or-"

Patton tugged at his arm, "You don't... have to sleep..."

"But-"

"Just rest... your head..." he patted at his thigh with his free hand, "I promise... my lap is very... comfy..."

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

I wanted to make the danger specific enough that there are monsters that have hunted/hurt these two but vague enough that anyone adding to this can interpret it to whatever suits them best.

Prompt: "It's just us."

Tagging other people paralyses me so if this piques anyone's interest then go for it!

[jovialluminaryalpaca]

True Beauty | Little by Little | Han Seojun x Kang Soojin fanfic series/one shot? Idk

Part 2 , Part 3

This is the first time, I'm posting something on Tumblr, so bear with me haha, I don't know why but I kinda would've loved to see Soojin with Han Seojun after the time leap and her redemption. It's my opinion and I'll feel absolutely grateful if y'all respect it, thank you, I hope y'all will like it.

Warnings: Slight panic attack trigger mention (not edited)

It was late in the evening and it had been an hour since Seojun left the studio for the day, he now sat on one of the stools staring at the empty glass in front of him. He didn't know why he was here but there he was, he remembered coming to this place for the first time, the night he let Jugyeong go back to Suho and after that night, he found himself coming back to this place often, whenever he needed a break or to get away from everything for a while.

He rubbed his face a little too harshly to check if he was sober enough to move and to his luck, he was just tipsy. He paid for his order and bought himself a simple soda before leaving the place. He put his mask and beanie on and kept walking as the cool wind hit him. He kept looking around to see if anyone recognised him but much to his pleasure no one did. His eyes stopped and soon did his feet when his eyes fell on a familiar figure. He blinked twice to make sure if he wasn't hallucinating.

What was she doing here?

He felt bold and decided to walk up to her. He kept walking till he stood a feet away from her. She had pamphlets in her hands and struggled as she tried to hold them steady and approached people to help people in need. She took out another pamphlet out as she felt a figure walk near her and looked up only to freeze in her place. Her words stopped in her mouth as she looked at those eyes. She was not blind to not recognize who was standing in front of her.

He expected his face to lift in a scowl as usual but it didn't. He was surprised, indeed and definitely had no words to speak. He knew that she met Jugyeong and reconciled with her but he never really bothered to know about her whereabouts. But after what he saw in front of him, he definitely didn't want to be that person who would laugh on her face and blame karma and he obviously didn't want to ack like a jerk and rub salt on her open wounds. So he didn't speak a word and just observed her as she stared right back at him.

She changed so much, he observed. Something about her was different, it wasn't like she was not the Kang Soojin he knew in his teen days, she was still her, but she looked so much better, somewhat relaxed and for some reason it felt like whatever that ate her then was not there around her now and it was very visible on her face. He shook his head wordlessly and turned around.

"Ya, Han Seojun." She called out as he stopped in his place. There was silence for a while as she took a deep breath and walked closer to him.

"I owe you an apology." She said as he blinked while his back faced her.

"Can we go somewhere where we can talk alone?" She continued hesitantly expecting him to walk away as soon as those words left her mouth but to her surprise he turned around and looked at her.

"Okay." He said and followed her.

-

"Thank you." Soojin said and bowed a little to the helper and sat in her chair as Seojun studied her.

He leaned forward and took a bite of the food in front of him and she gulped as she faced him finally.

"What I did back then was very foolish of me. I despise myself for stepping down to that level." She said as he listened to her.

"And I don't expect you to forgive me because I am asking you to. I know I'll always carry the guilt of hurting people who trusted me. I owe you an apology, even if what I did wasn't directed towards you." She said as she looked down and placed her palm on the table.

"I'm sorry." She finally said as he slurped his drink.

"It's alright." He said and she looked up with slightly wide eyes.

"What?" He asked as she opened her mouth to say something but closed it again.

"I didn't expect you to forgive me so easily." She said as he placed his drink on the table.

"Like you said, what you did wasn't directed towards me. If Jugyeong gave you another chance, I can do it too. Anyways, We weren't really friends in the first place, so yeah." He said as she nodded and then there was a wave of silence that surrounded them.

She felt grateful that he forgave her.

"You didn't come to Heegyeong unni's wedding?" She asked.

"Yeah, I was busy with my debut and all of that." He replied with a shrug.

"Oh." She replied as he nodded.

"So, you are an idol, now." She said as he looked and rolled his eyes slightly.

"Yes, that I am." He said.

"How does it feel to be one?" She asked.

"Stressful. But, I feel happy that I get to live my dream." He said with a small smile on his face. She smiled back and nodded.

"I thought you didn't come because of well...nevermind." She said as he looked at her and she ignored his gaze and went back to eating her food.

"Honestly, I didn't come because Jugyeong told me that she invited you." He said as she looked up.

"Well, of course, you hate me." She mumbled and to her surprise he heard it.

"I did. But, I don't think quite the same now." He said.

"Does it mean you hate me less now?" She asked as he chuckled to her surprise.

"Weren't you the one who despised me?" He asked as he raised one of his eyebrows and she rolled her eyes.

"Maybe, I was and it was because of obvious reasons." She said in a light humourous tone.

"Is that so? Can I know the obvious reasons please?" He asked as she cleared her throat and lifted her fingers to start counting and he could not help but notice how her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance as she revisited those years.

_

"Soojin-ah" Soo ah called out as she held her friend's hand and pulled her along and made her sit on the table where all her friends were seated on. She looked around and found Cho rong eating as Hye min tried her best to control her laughter while looking at her partner and eating her food in silence, Tae hoon was asking Soo ah to eat first and take selfies later because the food might cool down and not taste the same, Jugyeong was explaining something on her phone to Suho as he fed her and then there was Seojun who looked appalled at the sight of the couples that surrounded him. He was seated right in front of her at the corner of the table and sulked as he leaned his head on the pillar next to him and waited for his food. His eyes were closed and disgust was clear on his face. It had been two months since she first ran into him on the road while distributing pamphlets for a charity event and now they were friends and dare she say best friends because it haunted her how comfortable she felt around him and how she actually liked spending time with a guy who once so full of himself. She pushed her leg forward and tapped his shoe. He got startled and opened his eyes to look around and then looked at Soojin who smiled innocently at him. He lips lifted in a scowl as he murmured something and went back to sleep as Soojin chuckled, ofcourse sleep was important.

He jolted up again and looked at her as she was looking at the menu.

"Ya Kang Soojin. When did you come?" He asked.

"A few minutes back." She replied as her eyes checked the menu out and he looked at her and couldn't help but smile as she observed the prices of the food items.

He missed her, it had been a week since they last saw each other because he was busy with recording his new album and couldn't find time to catch up with her as she was busy arranging and hosting charity events.

He cleared his throat as he saw Suho look at him and then at Soojin and went back to feeding Jugyeong as she opened her mouth wide. Seojun rolled his eyes at Suho and scrunched his nose up, he sighed as he relaxed his face and then looked at his phone and scrolled through his social media to find something interesting, his order appeared in front of him when he sat his phone aside. He thanked the waiter and dug in. Soojin just stared at with disgust as he finished the entire plate by the time her food arrived and he shrugged as he looked at her.

A smile appeared on her face before she could stop herself, she shook her head and looked at her plate, neither of them knew what was happening but the entire table looked at them start a new chapter in their own books.

_

Soojin sighed as she sat on her table and removed the hand that covered her forehead as she completed her work. Today was a very stressful day for her with so many events to plan but she was happy that she got to relax later as Seojun promised her a meal at her favourite restaurant and then a game night.

She switched the lights off, picked her belongings, locked the room and walked out. She smiled as she remembered how many times Seojun apologised to her for not attending the event which was arranged by her and promised to make it up to her. She didn't know how both of them got there but they did. Her younger self would've laughed on her face if she said that she would be one of Seojun's close friends one day.

To be honest, they were nothing alike, she was smart and he was well kinda dumb, she came from a very different household where she yearned for love from family and he came from a family who absolutely loved him and provided him with as much comfort as possible, she was terrible at singing and his voice was absolutely beautiful, but maybe the difference was something that made them different than the others out there, it made them unique.

She bumped into someone and her smile faltered as she looked at the person. Her heart raced in her chest and she felt terrible memories flood her head and she froze in her place. Tears blurred her vision as she looked at the person in front of her.

"Soojin?" The figure, her father asked and she heard footsteps approach them but she didn't turn around to look at who it was as her eyes were fixed on the person in front of her.

"Ya, Kang Soojin. See, I'm early..." Seojun trailed off as he noticed the presence of another figure around her.

"Get out." She said with anger in her voice as it broke in the end.

"Soojin..." Her father asked again.

"GET OUT." She screamed as both the figures around her remained still in their place, while one was in shock and the other was worried. She waited for a while for her father to leave and when she noticed that her father wasn't leaving anytime soon, she turned the other way and walked past him as Seojun looked at her and followed her outside.

"Soojin?" He called out as she kept walking.

"Soojin?" He called louder but she still didn't stop, her vision was blurry with the tears that kept running down her cheek and she kept wiping them off aggressively. He ran towards her and held her hand to stop her and she turned around to snap at the person who did that but she couldn't when she looked at who it was.

"Come with me." He said softly as he took her to his car and both of them sat inside in silence, he started the car and drove to her apartment. When they reached, she got out without saying a word to him and walked towards the elevator. He locked his car and ran behind to stop her. He was surprised how she managed to get into the elevator in the time he locked his car.

"Soo jin?" He called as he finally caught up with her in front of her apartment and she stopped in her tracks.

She didn't turn around and sniffled quietly.

"Are you alright?" He asked hesitantly. He heard no response, tears didn't stop flowing down her cheeks. His heart dropped at the sight in front of him, he didn't like watching her cry, it hurt him and he didn't understand why it did, but it did. He hesitantly walked closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Say something." He said and at that moment she turned around, wrapped her arms around him and broke down in his arms. He was taken aback but he caressed her back slowly to calm her down. She hicupped as he stayed still and let her let it all out.

After a very long time, she finally stopped and let her hiccupping self dettach from him feeling a little embarrassed but he didn't care about it. He held her face and brushed the remaining tears off from her face and gave her a small smile.

"I don't know who that was and what happened. But, all I'll tell is, our past never defines us, it's behind us, it's like a closed book, you are not what you were years ago and I know that after getting to know you in the time we spent together in past few months. Don't let it bother you too much. Okay? Take care." He said as she looked into his warm brown eyes wordlessly and nodded, while she did that, a warm feeling spread all over her body at the closeness of his face and the softness of the tone of his voice and her heart fluttered in her chest.

"Call me if you need anything, but for now, go rest, when you feel better give me a call and no, I didn't forget that meal, we will go grab it when you feel better. Alright?" He asked as she nodded in his palms.

"Good night." He said and smiled at her before letting her go.

"Good night." She managed to croak out as she walked towards her apartment.

She walked in and waved at him and he waved back at her and walked away. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she closed the door and leaned her back against it.

It was ironic how someone who once called her a piece of trash and despised her so much comforted her and said that what she did in the past doesn't define who she is now.

A sudden realization hit her like a truck. How was she so oblivious to it? She wondered.

She never felt comfortable around anyone in her life but in Seojun's arms, it felt as if she belonged there. The way he caressed her calmed her wrecking nerves, it just made her feel safe there and as much as she didn't want to accept it and as much she was afraid of being heartbroken again, she knew at the moment that much to her dismay she developed feelings for someone who will look at her the way a friend does, again.