#Active Halo Design Phones

[webstoriess]

Infinix launches Note 40 5G with Dimensity 7020, 108MP Camera, and Magkit

Infinix has launched the Note 40 5G in the Philippines, featuring an Active Halo Design and a first-in-segment Al Lighting. The phone is powered by a Dimensity 7020 chipset, coupled with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It sports a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080p and a smooth refresh rate of 120 Hz. Notably, it is equipped with a 108 MP primary camera and a 32 MP front camera…

[ljblueteak]

Richard Hamilton Swingeing London 67 poster and Beatles 68 poster

Text from Andrew Wilson's Swingeing London 67

The [Beatles] poster, described by Hamilton as a 'give-away' print, was the result of a fairly complex design process that took about two weeks to complete, with daily visits from Paul McCartney, the one Beatle who worked directly with Hamilton on the project and who had prior knowledge, through[Robert] Fraser, of Hamilton's work--he had earlier bought one of the Solomon R. Guggenheim (1965) screenprints from the 1966 exhibition of the series that he had helped hang.

This relationship gave Hamilton the freedom to develop his idea for the poster and the whole design project without interference from the other band members, Yoko Ono, or the record company.

The poster shows George Harrison, John Lennon, McCartney and Ringo Starr as distinct individuals. This is in sharp contrast to the individual John Kelly portraits, in which the similarities of pose, gaze, and lighting, conforming to the aesthetics of of a record company's publicity department, portray them as members of a band.

The seemingly casual pinboard aesthetic by which these informal photographs were arranged was determined primarily as a solution to crucial design issues (echoing his decision to order the collage for Swingeing London 67--poster as newspaper columns, with headline at top left).

The sheet had to be folded three times in order to be inserted into the square album sleeve, and this obliged Hamilton to approach it as 'a series of subsidiary compositions. The top right and left-hand square are front and back of the folder and and had to independently stand as well as be a double spread together. The bottom four squares can be read independently and as a group of four. They all mate together when opened up and used as wall decoration.'

The top left-hand panel is what is seen first, and it presents the songwriting duo of Lennon and McCartney. Lennon is shown in blue light, singing. The image has probably been taken from a television screen, and the attendant distortion and blue glow are unflattering.

The image of Lennon overlays the bottom right corner of an equally unusual portrait of McCartney in a bathtub, his head half submerged, soapy suds giving him a halo. Running beneath the two portraits is a fabricated contact strip that includes an image of Lennon in front of one of his wall drawings; the band in a recording session...in which they are, unusually, playing brass instruments; and a colour image from the recording of 'Hey Jude' (1968).

This sense of fragmentation, of hidden codes and messages, echoes both the 'guarded privacy and locked rooms' and the 'disturbing, dreamlike darkness' that have been identified in the album, inviting the fan to imagine the band members' private worlds, and hinting at the beginning of the band's disintegration.

The dominant image of the poster's top right panel, opposite Lennon and McCartney, is of George Harrison. This portrait casts him in a mystical, otherworldly and contemplative light, with the right side of his face obscured and out of focus....

There are very few collective photographs of the band: playing in recording sessions or in filmed concerts; with Harold Wilson after they had each received the MBE; and a sequence of them doing the 'business' as they re-sign their contract with EMI.

Instead, the poster emphasizes the individual activities of John, Paul, George and Ringo around the time of the collage. Starr is shown with his co-star from the film Candy (1968), Ewa Aulin, and also dancing with Liz Taylor (wife of his other co-star in the film, Richard Burton). Lennon is shown becoming the working-class hero. Yoko Ono appears just twice: in a self-portrait by Lennon of the naked couple, and in an image of a naked Lennon sitting cross-legged in bed talking on the phone, as its stretched cord cuts her out-of-focus head in two--cancelling her identity.

Of the band, it is McCartney who emerges as the poster's dominant figure. Hamilton has said how The Beatles contains 'arcane touches which only The Beatles' more intimate associates were likely to smile at,' and yet such details--such as the doubled image of a shut door or McCartney 'pole dancing' both naked and clothed--are not at the cost of the poster's legibility. At its centre is the reverse of a photograph, a gift to one of the band, bearing a lipstick imprint and a groupie's imploring words: 'I love you.'

In all this, Hamilton's fundamental aim for The Beatles was that it should reach a large audience and be as accessible as the cover design was remote. This was not a new subject for Hamilton. My Marilyn had already adopted, three years earlier, the motif of the publicity photograph and the manipulation of celebrity image as a subject. What is different here is Hamilton's direct participation in popular culture: The Beatles, like Swingeing London 67--poster, shows him not only constructing work with a subject that revolves around the manipulation and production of pop celebrity imagery, but also inserting these works into the mass circulation of popular culture.

--Andrew Wilson. Bold mine.

[caraetdeul]

Feeling Quite Muggy Today

Lee Seokmin (DK) x reader

There will always be a rainbow after the storm. Or in other words, the most beautiful things can come from the ugliest circumstances.

TW: reader having a bad day, toxic boss, accident-prone reader

A/N: here's a new one-shot for our very own Sunshine! I've been working on this for the whole day so hopefully everything checks out. If there are other TW that I missed, please do tell me so I can add it in the list. My taglist for Seventeen is still open so if you wanted to be tagged for my future works, just send an ask. As always, enjoy reading caratdeuls!

~Main Masterlist~

Mornings were supposed to be calm and relaxing.

Watching the sun peek through its confinement from the clouds should be mesmerizing and serene.

Even going through your morning routine despite the looming stress that comes from a workday should be tranquil and unperturbed.

Well to be fair, your day did start like that. Waking up to the birds harmoniously chirping through the window behind the sleeping form of your boyfriend. The sun's rays hit the back of his head, creating a beautiful halo from the disheveled hair around him.

Looking at your phone by the bedside table, you realized that you still have a few minutes before your alarm goes off. So you settled back in the comfort of your bed and in your boyfriend’s arms, content in letting the day begin with the warmth this morning brings you.

You almost fell right back to sleep when you hear the first few notes of your alarm being played. Seokmin once asked you how you were able to wake up to the soft tune of a piano playing when he needed the power of a rock band just to take him out of dreamland. You then tried explaining how much of a light sleeper you are through your laughter as he drum his hands on your stomach which turned into a tickling fest. Keyword: tried. You chuckle at the memory before going through with your routine but not without the expected resistance and whispers of “5 more minutes” from the person beside you.

After taking a shower and changing into your work clothes, you went down to your kitchen to start preparing breakfast for the both of you. You let Seokmin take his time trying to get the sleep out of his system since his schedule doesn’t start until noon. 

Once you got the kettle on the stove and your eggs start sizzling on the pan, you suddenly felt arms wrapping around you from behind and the smell of citrus shampoo and cologne engulfed you.

“Good morning to you my little sunshine,” Seokmin murmured into your neck, softly kissing the spot just below your ear.

You giggled from the ticklish feeling before responding, “Good morning to you too Minnie.”

“So what is on the menu for today?”

“Well,” you drawl out as you turn off the stove and turn around in his arms to face him, “It was either eggs or a burned-down kitchen. Personally, I would prefer to have a fully functioning kitchen so I ultimately decided on having simple eggs as breakfast.”

He laughed at your response, remembering all the accidents you have made in this very kitchen due to your clumsiness. There were so many of them that it came to a point where he was actively avoiding any opportunities for you and Mingyu to be in the same room at the same time. The disaster that would ensue once that happens would be one for the history books.

“Okay, eggs it is then,” Seokmin answered once he got a hold of himself. He then started preparing coffee for the both of you while you transfer the cooked eggs to your plates. He took out the kettle, filled it up with water, and put it on the stove that’s already been turned on by you. You passed by him holding your plates in both hands before placing them on the dining table. You then return to the kitchen to take out your designated breakfast mugs from the overhead cabinets, a mug shaped like a dog with its tail as the handle for Seokmin and a black and gold marble-like mug for you.

That was one of the things that certainly became a permanent feature in your household once you moved in with Seokmin in your new apartment. You were the one to bring a whole collection of mugs, ranging from the aesthetically minimalist ones to the weirdest and funniest mugs that even Seokmin was visibly perplexed as to how in the world you got them. It was at that moment that your boyfriend decided that mugs would equal you. Anytime he goes on a trip somewhere and sees a mug, there’s no doubt that he wouldn’t be going home without it. From then on, your mug collection just doubled as time goes by, successfully taking almost half of the whole kitchen storage space.

One morning just like this, Seokmin noticed how you always used that particular mug for your morning coffee. Never failed to use it every morning but when it came to the other parts of the day, there wasn’t a specific mug that you choose. When he inquired to you about this, that’s when he learned how special that mug is to you. You shared how it was the very first mug that you bought on your own. 

Owning things for yourself in your family’s household was a rare thing for you. Every single thing was shared by every family member and your things were typically paid for by an older relative since you were still a student at the time and have no work to earn money from. So once you graduated and were finally working, it was a very special moment for you when you finally got your own mug through your own effort.

In hindsight, you realized how simple and anti-climatic buying your own mug really was but Seokmin immediately stopped you from saying anything further. He then reassured you by walking to one of the cabinets that were filled with mugs and opening it, seemingly making the hardest decision in his life while scanning the variety of mugs in front of him before finally taking one out and going back to his seat in front of you. Placing the dog-shaped mug on the dining table separating the both of you, he solemnly declared that this was his own breakfast mug from here on out. You then smiled the brightest smile Seokmin ever saw on your face and if you were to ask him, he would probably describe it as the only thing other than the sun that a sunflower field will always face.

So when Seokmin heard a crash behind him, looking over to see your favorite mug on the floor in pieces, he knew this day would be one of the hardest days you will ever experience.

His feet moved towards you before you even realize what was happening. He guided your frozen figure to a seat on your kitchen island, carefully removing his mug that was still in your hands and placing it on the counter. He then went back to the area where your mug was laying in pieces, picking up a plastic bag to put your mug in. He carefully took each broken piece in the bag all the while glancing at your from time to time trying to gauge whatever you were feeling at the moment.

The whole moment only sank in for you when you heard the clanking of the pieces in the secured bag as it was placed in front of you. You then felt warm hands gently cupping your cheeks and a thumb softly wiping on the area below your left eye. Overwhelmed by the sudden downturn of events as well as the worried look plastered on your boyfriend’s face, you whimpered before finally breaking down.

Seokmin’s arms immediately wrapped around you, letting you cry as much as you need to. You were a blubbering mess, trying to apologize for how pathetic you possibly looked crying over a mug. But all he did was shush your worries with reassurances, shutting down every single insecurity that seeps out with a whisper of his own words full of love and care.

It took you a while before you finally calmed down enough to remove yourself from the cocoon of your boyfriend’s arms. When Seokmin was sure that you were good enough to leave alone for a minute, he stood up to get you a cup of water. When he came back to your side, he let you drink the whole thing before taking the cup away and putting it in the sink, reminding himself to wash it later.

He observed you for a bit, taking note of your sad and tired eyes and fidgeting fingers. He was about to say something when you interrupted him.

“No, it's okay. I’ll be okay,” you mumbled.

“Are you sure?” he asked, trying to find any sign of hesitation behind your eyes.

“Yes, I’m sure.” You put your hand on top of his squeezing it while looking directly into his eyes, doing your best to convey the sincerity behind your words even though you knew deep inside that this will definitely be an annoying chip on your shoulder for quite some time.

“And besides,” you chuckled, “it really isn’t a great thing to say to your boss that you wouldn’t be able to work because of a stupid mug.”

Seokmin knew what you were doing. He knew your tendency to downplay whatever you were feeling and use humor as a defense mechanism. But even then, he also knew that you were too stubborn to do anything otherwise.

So he let you continue on with your breakfast, obviously trying to avoid looking in the direction of the plastic bag that holds the mug. He tried making light conversation while eating, inserting a joke or two that he knows will make you laugh even in these circumstances. In some way, you can say that he was successful in getting a laugh out of you but for Seokmin, he can hear how dull they were compared to your real laugh.

Once you were done with breakfast, you immediately get up to put your dishes in the sink only to be stopped by Seokmin as he told you that he will take care of it. You smiled at him gratefully before proceeding to get ready for work.

Coming out of the bedroom fully clothed in your work clothes, you kissed Seokmin goodbye and rushed out of the apartment when you realized how late you were, shouting an “I love you” before the door closed behind you. 

The moment that you were fully out of the apartment, he let out a deep sigh. He sat back down on your sofa with the plastic bag in his hands. His thoughts start to wander, trying to find a solution to your predicament. He took out his phone and started googling different ways to fix a broken mug when he came across a particular video. Watching the whole thing, he grinned knowingly. He started the video once again from the very beginning, determined to bring back that bright smile of yours.

— — —

You closed the door to your apartment, sighing in relief that you were finally home. You knew that your day was only gonna get worse after that particular incident but you didn’t expect that it would get this bad.

You were on your way to work that morning when your boss suddenly sent an email to you letting you know that you will have an impromptu presentation at a coming meeting that same day. Your boss then noted at the end that no excuses will be tolerated and that you should be thoroughly prepared for it. You sighed frustratedly, reminding yourself to take a few deep breaths before you do anything drastic. You just turned up your car’s volume and continued driving, letting Taylor Swift drown out your thoughts of replying back to your boss with an email full of profanities and declarations that would definitely land you with an issue from your HR.

Finally reaching your office, you were heavily set on finally getting to relax for a bit before you actually begin to work. But once you sat down, you were immediately met with a buttload of paperwork on your desk. The fact that you haven’t had a single cup of coffee since then was only adding to your frustration. This then resulted in you remembering the very reason for your lack of caffeine which only made you want to rip out every single hair strand from your head.

Unfortunately for you, your misery continued on for the whole day. From your boss berating you for your poor performance during your presentation to being stuck in heavy traffic on your way home, you were in desperate need of cuddles and comfort from your boyfriend.

Trudging towards the living area, you absentmindedly remove your shoes as you walk. Once you reached your couch, you were met with the most endearing image you have ever seen in your entire life. Sitting on your couch is Seokmin wearing a very comfortable dog onesie while holding popcorn and ice cream. The tv was turned on and your favorite comfort movie was paused, waiting for your arrival.

“I…I don’t even know what to say,” you muttered, overwhelmed by the love from your boyfriend. You were about to sit down when Seokmin suddenly stood up.

“Wait!” Seokmin reached out for your shoulders, effectively pushing you toward the direction of your bedroom.

“What? Why? What’s happening?” You try to resist but immediately yelped when you were only met with him scooping you up into his arms bridal style. He didn’t reply to your protests as he walked, only flashing you a grin that told you that you weren’t getting out of this anytime soon.

Once you reached your bedroom door, Seokmin finally let you down on your feet. He opened the door and led you to the bed where a onesie of your favorite animal was laid out.

“Even though I love seeing you in your work clothes, being sexy and all that jazz, I also love for you to be as comfortable as you can be,” Seokmin said, kissing your forehead before heading out of the room. You looked back to the onesie on your bed that was definitely only bought earlier today. But even then, it smelled of Seokmin’s cologne which made you smile. You were totally gonna ask him if he was a mind reader or something.

When you finished changing out of your work clothes and into your onesie, you walked back to the living area. You sat beside your boyfriend fully prepared to get as comfortable as you can.

“Oh shit wait, I forgot something.” Seokmin ran towards the kitchen before coming back to the couch. You watched him hand you a mug full of your favorite beverage while he sat down beside you, also holding his own mug. You muttered a thank you before you settled down with him.

You then waited for him to start the movie but after a few minutes, he still didn’t move. Confused, you looked back at him only to be met with sparkling eyes and an excited grin on his face.

“What?” you asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Seokmin didn’t say anything and instead, he glanced at your mug before looking back up to you. Scrunching your eyebrows, you followed his line of sight wondering why your boyfriend was acting weird all of a sudden. It was then that you realized what he was trying to show.

In your hands was the very mug that you broke earlier that day. It wasn’t even a replica of your mug. It was the exact mug that you bought. The only thing that was different was the thick gold lines that sprout from random edges of your mug. And probably for the millionth time today, your eyes glistened with tears but unlike before, this one was filled with tears of happiness.

“B-but how?” you whispered, still in awe.

“Well, I know how much you care for that mug and I didn’t really want to end this day with you being all sad because of it. So I tried to find ways to fix your mug. That’s when I stumbled upon a Japanese method of repairing ceramics and things like that. I think it was called kitsune or something,” Seokmin explained.

“Do you mean kintsugi?” you clarified.

“Oh! Yes! That’s the term. Kintsugi,” he confirmed.

Looking back at your mug, you realized that that was the reason for the thick golden lines all around it. Kintsugi is a Japanese method of repairing ceramics with the use of glue that was then dusted with gold. The main idea behind this particular method is that the flaws and imperfections of something also deserve to be seen as a beautiful thing. Your heart only swelled even more because of this.

“Do you… like it?” Seokmin asked.

“Like it? I love it!” you placed the mug on the coffee table before lunging at him, your arms wrapping around him. He laughed as he was pushed down towards the couch due to your strength, surprised by your sudden actions before hugging you back.

“I love you Lee Seokmin,” you murmured into Seokmin’s neck.

“I love you too, my little ball of sunshine,” he replied, kissing your head. He reached out for the remote on the coffee table, pressing the play button before returning his arm around you.

The both of you stayed like that the whole night up until the morning sun shines through your windows, letting the warmth of each other seep through your skins and fill up your hearts.

Taglist: @moonwonuu @belladaises

[abracadaxbra]

♡︎Welcome To My Blog!♡︎

Hello, I’m Dax! I use He/They pronouns and am transmasc. I mostly do art but I’m also into music! I currently live with my boyfriend and our very silly cat. Also I lean more into goth aesthetics IRL!

Here’s some more info about me and this blog!

…

➥︎What is this blog?

This blog is an art/personal one! I’m trying to expand my reach as an artist so, I came back to Tumblr as a part of that. This is my main I guess in simple words.

It’s just gonna be my art or me promoting my Redbubble and such mostly on here but sometimes I’ll say thing a little bit.

➥︎What Am I Into?

A lot of things actually! I engage in activities a little.

A comprehensive list of things I do:

Draw (usually Sonic or my creation the Smumkleverse)

Video game (usually Persona or BlazBlue Cross Tag or Guilty Gear!)

Write (I’m currently working on a google doc of my personal Sonic OC lore)

Making Master docs on my interests

Watch silly things on the television

Want some specifics? Here you go 🫵😋

Games

Paradise Killer

Guilty Gear Strive

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle

Persona

Minecraft

Halo

Madness Combat: Project Nexus

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R

Skullgirls

Cookie Run: Kingdom

My Singing Monsters

Castlevania

Cyberpunk

FNAF

Shows/Movies

Dorohedoro (completed)

Aggretsuko

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (caught up)

Chainsaw Man (caught up)

Trigun (completed) + Trigun: Stampede

One Piece

Smiling Friends (caught up)

Mob Psycho 100 (completed)

Madness Combat (caught up)

Castlevania

Dr. Stone (caught up)

Hunter x Hunter (caught up)

Like every Ghibli Movie I can find

Promare (completed)

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (completed)

Beastars (caught up)

Music

All Persona soundtracks

Paradise Killer soundtrack

Tyler The Creator

The Vanished People

KoRn

Slipknot

Limp Bizkit

Kaya

DAMAG3

Austin and The Powers

Joywave

IDKHOW

Sleep Token

BABYMETAL

Jhariah

Muse

Joey Valence

The Guilty Gear Strive and Xrd soundtracks

+ more…

➥︎︎Fun Facts

I have a cat named Selene! She’s silly

I’m Italian/Puerto Rican!

I was once a Homestuck fan but now Andrew Hussie is my sworn enemy 😁

At one point I aspired to be a vet tech but now I’m more interested in music and being a Behavioral Technician for special needs children

I love building gundam model kits sm you don’t understand a demon possesses me as soon as one is in my hands and I don’t stop until it’s finished

My favorite YouTubers are Nexpo and every channel that uploads ocean documentaries

Mermaids and sea animals (sharks and the ping pong tree sponge) are my current special interests! I have a huge merfolk google doc I’m slowly working on

Spider-Punk is my fav Spider-Man

I’m a former competitive Smash player but I’m very slightly considering getting back into competitive fighting games due to my love for Skullgirls and Guilty Gear

I’m not super invested in most fandom spaces but I will draw just about anything and am technically a furry I suppose as I do have a fursona

I used to Cosplay! I plan to eventually revisit this when I have the means though

My persona I draw myself as is a creature named Smumkledorf and here he is:

➥︎Other Things I Like?

Alright this is mostly just so I can talk about Baja Blast but:

Drinks

Baja Blast…..

Kola Champagne

Sprite

Cucumber lime Gatorade /shame

Foods

Pasta (I am a stereotype I’m sorry)

My boyfriend’s dad’s cooking tbh

Taco Bell

Taquitos

Cherry tomatoes

➥︎Where Am I?

https://twitter.com/abracadaxbra

➥︎What Am I?

I am every single creature ever. This is my kinboard for reference:

[shnowyfox]

all my mlp ocs in order of creation

DayDreamBreeze. also my original gamertag on minecraft! i uhm. shes not supposed to be a cheese changling. She's inspired by a fluttershy toy i had and the beautiful artwork for the honey queen chrysalis from ink rose's interpretation of her backstory. i swapped the honey for water and she's supposed to be a pegasus? but i drew her as a changling here for some reason and i have no clue why

Casey Cockatrice. Seeing pony youtubers discuss the show in their oc form, and thinking "wow, they're all just pegasi" i was like "i should do that but not be a pegasus" so i made an oc and never did that lol. probably a good thing though. anyhow. Casey was originally supposed to be an angel cockatrice but I didn't know how to do that without just making a chicken with a lizard tail until just now im realizing i should make it a dutchie omg. Casey enjoys the ponies and wants to befriend them but is confined to the everfree forest, so she has dawned a blindfold so she doesnt hurt anyone and she likes to hang out with zecora and collect herbs with her. she still just kinda does chicken/dragon things most of the time like pecking at the ground and sitting on treasure. The ring in her comb is supposed to be a halo. halos stuck in the character's design physically (usually through the hair or something similar) was a common thing i did for characters that were close to me at the time.

Lemon Lily. She is. very bright. she was supposed to have a much more subtle color palette but i didnt do that and now she looks like sprite lmao. anyhow. i drew her randomly when i went through a small mlp phase a few years ago, mainly just attraction for chrysalis, but i guess she exists. her cutie mark is supposed to look like a water lily made of lemons but it kinda just looks weird idk. i'd say her talent is supposed to be like.. maybe floral arrangement? i think i had some inspiration from early mlp background ponies and i remember the florists were my favorite.

JASON!! my favorite little idiot. he's a griffin i made in pony.town after realizing if i use the singular freckle and closed the eyes, it looked like he had tiny eyes and angry brows lol. all i do with him is act vaguely like skydoesminecraft and boop people with my bird fingers.

DayDreamBreeze 2.0. i literally drew this bitch and didn't do anything else with them. ever.

then is autumn breeze whom i've drawn literally in like my last post so im not doing it again rn. she's my LOE pony and if you want her lore go to the post where i drew her on my phone.

Honey Suckle. The only OC that I have surviving evidence of actually writing their backstory and whatnot. They were created with the idea of them experimenting on their body trying to turn themselves into a bee (basically beeatris as a horse, i know none of you know my persona beeatris but its pretty much her without the demonic activity and disney fairy influence), though i have thought of maybe changing it to her wanting to become a breezy or a changeling. She lost her horn because of this experimentation and is fluffier and has patches of hair on her eyes because of it. i forgot if she had a cutie mark or if i just didnt draw it or if it's overgrown? I think a lot of this character's experimentation was based off of memories of my brother who had leukemia and tried experimental treatments, mainly the fuzziness he got from his chemo or steroids i forgot which one it was. I also drew her as a kirin, idk if that was supposed to be a thing of like.. me doing it as an alternate idea of what she's aiming to achieve, as an alternate form of what she was born as.. or if it was just a doodle.. but it was pretty cool. a good quote for her is the vine thats like "i am a wolf on all levels but physical"

Next is Pegasus. I originally had a different name for them but i don't think i can share it here. Pegasus is also related to my brother though and is very cool. they're really just a celestial body as a pony like Celestia and Luna, but with more of a crystal pony inspiration. also, they speak enchanting table only and i think thats really funny. same size as Luna. also, she can hide in Luna's hair.

Stone Hoof. based somewhat off of Smokey Quartz from Steven Universe, i thought it'd be cool to also give them speckling like an appaloosa horse or vitiligo. you can't see their cutie mark but it's supposed to be a yoyo and i put it in the shape of the symbol of leo since im a leo and i designed them on the same day as pegasus lol. they are intended to be a friend to Honey Suckle.

Finally, we have... I didn't name this one actually. uhm. well! it looks kinda like scootaloo, especially g3 or 3.5. which was unintentional but she was one of my favorite ponies and i had a few toys of her so it kinda makes sense that this is what my brain thought of when i thought "well loved my little pony doll". The hair is based off of the fettucine hair on those g4 plushies and also somewhat based on dreads. the patterns on their hooves is the heartshaped horseshoe from those promotional toys where you can scan them in for video game perks. and the wings are colored after discord's wings. I also got inspo from Stitches from Animal Crossing.

those are the horses. 1 like = 1 more horse post.

i also have customs i made as a kid that i dont have pictures of but i could redraw. but they're basically just "this character but i painted this animal on their face."

[biglisbonnews]

Beyoncé Returns to Music With Dubai Performance On Saturday, January 21, Beyoncé made a return to the stage at the opening of a resort in Dubai — for an audience of hand-picked celebrities, media, and influencers. For her first live show since her poignant Kobe Bryant tribute in 2020, Queen Bey was allegedly paid $24 million to perform at the opening of the Atlantis the Royal hotel, which will start taking room reservations in February. Though recording of the concert was strictly prohibited, with guests asked to place their phones in plastic bags, leaked footage instantly went viral across social media. \u201cBeyonc\u00e9 delivering a flawless performance in Dubai. \n\n\u201d — Pop Base (@Pop Base) 1674342000 Related | Beyoncé Confirms 'RENAISSANCE' World Tour for Summer 2023Beyoncé opened the show with a rendition of Etta James' "At Last," which was followed by hits like 2008's "Halo," 2003's "Crazy in Love," and her first performance of "Beautiful Liar," a 2006 collaboration with Shakira, in 15 years. \u201c#Beyonce opened her Dubai show with 'At Last'\u201d — Yesha (@Yesha) 1674335633 The evening also included an appearance by Bey and Jay-Z's 11-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, who performed a duet of the song "Brown Skin Girl" with her mother. During the performance, Beyoncé wore a yellow gown by the Dubai-based Atelier Zuhra, while Blue Ivy wore a red sequined suit. Beyoncé's other outfits included a red gown and pants ensemble by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran. Despite her characteristically flawless performance, the 41-year-old singer's decision to perform in Dubai has drawn some criticism from commentators — given the fact that homosexuality is illegal and same-sex activity is punishable by death in the United Arab Emirates. It's worth pointing out Beyoncé did not perform any tracks from her 2022 album RENAISSANCE, which earned acclaim for paying tribute to the sounds of queer club music. However, many still criticized the choice to appear in Dubai. \u201cBeyhive forever but..Beyonc\u00e9 performing a whole new show for sheiks & billionaires, whilst her fans can\u2019t even get a crumb of Renaissance visuals. AND In Dubai of all places, which actively excludes the community that inspired her latest album. Idk idk\u201d — jono \ud83e\udd8b (@jono \ud83e\udd8b) 1674346147 Ahead of the event, Pitchfork reported that journalists from a number of publications had been invited to an "once-in-a-lifetime performance" with a surprise musical act, which was later revealed to be Beyoncé. Attendees included select media, influencers, as well as celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Rebel Wilson, Liam Payne, Chloe x Halle, Letitia Wright, and Swedish House Mafia. On Saturday, Beyoncé's publicist distributed a media alert about her performance of "At Last" accompanied by some official footage from the concert. They noted that there was "more to come." During a live auction in October 2022, Beyoncé confirmed an upcoming RENAISSANCE World Tour for Summer 2023, though no general access dates have been released yet. \u201cBeyonc\u00e9\u2019s publicist just sent out professional footage from the Dubai concert and said there\u2019s \u201cmore to come\u2026\u201d\u201d — Nicholas Hautman (@Nicholas Hautman) 1674336541 Photo by Mason Poole/Parkwood Media/Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal https://www.papermag.com/beyonce-dubai-performance-2659292277.html

[rankajewellers0]

Choosing the Perfect Gold Engagement Ring from Ranka Jewellers Pune

The tradition of exchanging gold engagement rings is a timeless symbol of commitment and love. While gold engagement rings have long been associated with women, the modern era has seen a shift in perspectives, with an increasing number of men also wearing these meaningful symbols. Whether you're a man looking for the perfect ring to propose to your partner or a woman searching for the ideal ring for your significant other, selecting the right engagement ring is a significant decision. In this guide, we will explore key considerations for both men and women when buying engagement rings.

Choosing a Gold Engagement Ring for Women by Ranka Jewellers:

Understand Her Style:

Before embarking on the search for the perfect engagement ring, take the time to understand your partner's style. Consider her fashion preferences, whether she prefers classic, modern, or vintage styles. Pay attention to the type of gold jewellery she already wears to gather insights into her taste.

Determine the Ring Size:

While this may seem like an obvious step, ensuring you have the correct ring size is crucial. You can discreetly borrow one of her rings or seek assistance from friends and family to determine the right size. This attention to detail will make the proposal even more special. https://www.rankajewellers.com/gold/rings

Explore Different Settings and Metals:

Engagement rings come in various settings and metals. Traditional choices include platinum, white gold, and yellow gold. Consider her lifestyle and preferences when choosing the metal. Experiment with different settings such as solitaire, halo, or three-stone to find the one that complements her style.

Select the Right Gemstone:

Diamonds are the classic choice for engagement rings, but other gemstones like sapphires, emeralds, or rubies can also be stunning alternatives. Choose a gemstone that holds personal significance or aligns with her favourite colour.

Choosing an Engagement Ring for Men by Ranka Jewellers:

Consider His Lifestyle:

Men often have active lifestyles, and their choice of engagement ring should reflect this. Consider durable metals such as platinum or tungsten, and opt for a design that aligns with his daily activities.

Explore Alternative Metals:

While gold remains a popular choice, many men are opting for alternative metals like titanium, palladium, or even black zirconium for a more contemporary look. These metals offer unique styles and are often more budget-friendly. https://www.rankajewellers.com/gold/rings

Personalize with Engravings:

Personal touches can make a ring even more special. Consider engraving the ring with a meaningful date, phrase, or initials. This small detail adds sentimental value to the ring.

Choose a Timeless Design:

Classic and timeless designs often appeal to men. Simple bands, brushed finishes, or unique textures can create a sophisticated yet understated look. Consider his personal style and choose a design that resonates with him.

Buying an engagement ring, whether for a man or a woman, is a significant milestone in a relationship. Understanding your partner's preferences, selecting the right size, exploring various settings and metals, and adding personal touches through engravings are all essential factors to consider. Ultimately, the perfect engagement ring is one that symbolizes the unique bond between two individuals and reflects their personal style and commitment to each other.

Phone: +91 72760 31885

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[robfinancialtip]

Dr. Suzette, a licensed psychologist, shares her experience with the Halo Collar 3 in managing her time with her energetic pet, Darby, especially during unexpected work calls. The Halo Collar has become essential to their routine, allowing Dr. Suzette to call Darby back with a tap on her phone. The Halo Collar Training App helps control Darby's curiosity, and the GPS feature provides reassurance about her location.

The Halo Collar 3 is praised for its state-of-the-art design, unique feedback mechanisms for tailored training, long-lasting battery life, and durability. The magnetic charging port keeps dirt and water out, contributing to its robustness. The Halo Fence, an innovative feature, creates virtual boundaries, ensuring Darby's safety within designated zones. The auto-connect feature to the cellular carrier with the strongest signal globally provides constant connectivity, especially during walks.

Dr. Suzette highlights the groundbreaking Halo Fence, emphasizing its intuitive interface for designating specific zones, adaptability to different environments, and customization options. The collar has transformed her day-to-day life, providing peace of mind and confidence in letting Darby run freely while remaining happy and safe.

Additionally, Dr. Suzette expresses gratitude to Cesar Milan for his research and technology contributions to the Halo Collar 3. She guides viewers through unboxing, explaining the simple steps to set up the collar app. The video concludes with an invitation to join her on discovering how the Halo Collar 3 can be life-changing for both pet owners and their pets.

For those interested in Halo Collar reviews, this comprehensive overview covers various aspects such as design, training features, GPS capabilities, and the innovative Halo Fence. Dr. Suzette's perspective adds a valuable dimension, especially for those seeking insights into dog training and the practicality of the Halo Collar in real-life scenarios. The Cesar Milan endorsement adds credibility to the product's effectiveness. If you're considering the Halo Collar 3, this summary provides a detailed and personalized account of its features and benefits.

The most compelling aspect of the review is likely the transformative impact that the Halo Collar 3 has had on Dr. Suzette's daily life with her pet, Darby. She emphasizes how the collar provides peace of mind and confidence, allowing her to manage her work commitments seamlessly while ensuring Darby's safety and happiness. The mention of the Halo Fence as a groundbreaking feature, creating virtual boundaries and adapting to different environments, further underscores the product's effectiveness in enhancing the well-being of both the pet owner and the pet. Additionally, the positive remarks about the collar's design, long-lasting battery life, and reliable GPS features contribute to the overall compelling nature of the review.

🐶UNRIVALED FEATURES!🐶 CHECK OUT THE GAME-CHANGING FEATS OF THE NEW HALO COLLAR 3:

✅ New PrecisionGPS™ Technology ✅ New Active GPS Antenna ✅ 24-hour Battery Life ✅ Auto-connect to Any Cellular Network Worldwide ✅ New Perfect Fit System ✅ Magnetic Charging Port ✅ New Colors: Orchid and Sunburst

Here are some EASY STEPS in setting up your new Halo Collar 3.

👉First, download the app 👉Then create your account. 👉Add your user profile information to your Account. 👉When prompted, “Allow ‘Halo’ to use your location,” select “Allow While Using App.”

[practice-is-praxis]

Video Game Magick

Video Games are something which I've been incorporating into my magickal practice for a while now, kinda even before I knew that's what I was doing (like most of my magickal experience, really).So, I figured I'd give some insight into how I use video games in magick and witchcraft and maybe some others will find this helpful.

Why video games? -  Why not? Hear me out. Video games, particularly certain genres, can be excellent tools to reach a "no-mind" gnosis state. I like to use fighting games at low difficulties, platforming games, easy shooters like Destiny 2, phone games, etc. Basically just lose yourself in the game.  As you do, you will enter a meditative flow state, and this is ideal for magickal procedures.

Magickal Systems - Certain games even have magical systems in the game, and you can use those systems for inspiration on your own magical systems. Create enchantments based on spells in fantasy games, imagine your shields as the kind of rechargeable energy shields many games have these days, starting with Halo.

Sympathetic Magick - Sympathetic magick can be used. Set your intent that the character you make/play as in the game is you, and as the character gains/deals damage, you charge energy in yourself. You could even consider concepts such as sacrificial magick (virtual life-forms being used), or doing rituals in game, using your character. Games like Skyrim are all about magic, and let you create potions, spells, and sacrifice monsters. Imagine every experience point being a quanta of energy, a bit of information, that transfers from "you" in the game, to you in real life.

Sigil Magick -  For sigil magick, I often like real-time strategy games, where I can draw sigils using buildings and resources in the game, design maps as sigils to upload that others can play on, and charge for you. Any game can be used though. You can consider your character, or a symbol you might be able to choose on one of their pieces of armor, capes, or accessories, or even the design of the character themselves, as a sigil. Load up an online game, and you don't even have to play the game "good". Every time you die, the sigil is destroyed, charging it each time. Shutting the game off after absorbing experience points would be activating the sigil.

Low-Energy/Disability/Illness - If you have low-energy/low or no mobility/disability/difficulty leaving your room, are bedridden, etc you can do a lot with video game magick. Perform rituals using your characters. Many games will even let you collect magical items and accessories, and you can really customize your game-self as much as you want, and let your virtual self represent your ideal/desired physical self.

And now I'll list a few games I personally enjoy the most for video game magick, and my personal applications of them, which hopefully will inspire you.

Pokemon - Using Pokemon is something I've seen others doing. Some great people on witchblr have made entire masterposts of Pokemon offerings and invocations based on their elemental types, and certain kinds of magick associated with each type, etc. I recommend checking out those posts.  Transfer all experience points from your Pokemon, and all in-game money you earn, into alchemized energy that you can put into your magick. Use a custom character name, and custom Pokemon names as mantrical sigils, every time you read the name, the mantra is activated.

Skyrim - Use your in-game character to be the representation of your real-life self. Gain experience for your character, alchemize and transmute it into energy for yourself. Create potions and use herbalism and alchemy in game. When your character drinks them, you get the benefits. Absorb Dragon Souls. Use your thu'uum as spell incantations. Perform rituals to the best of your ability in game. You can easily find a magical sword, a magical staff/wand, a pile of coins, and a source of water, or a cup, to represent all the magickal tools. Customize your character with your desired appearance.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - This is a game based on a Celt warrior named Senua, who needs to restore her dead lover's soul from Hel. Runes constantly appear in the game, and they really seem to have done much research for the game to get the runes right. It's also a game that represents mental illness, specifically psychosis. Senua hallucinates, has visions, hears voices, and sees runes in her world. The game is very streamlined with a simple interface, and innovative combat system, with trials to get through that can be imprinted with ritualized intent. The action is great for getting into a state of single-pointed awareness gnosis. It also has a lot of really cool lore, that's actually based on a real magickal tradition spanning back centuries. Extra recommended for anyone dealing with mental or physical disability/illness.

DOOM: ETERNAL - If you can deal with hyper-violence in video games, DOOM is great. It's intensely fast-paced, so great for getting into the flow state, because if you don't the demons will likely overtake you. There are many rune-esque symbols in the game that can be programmed with intent and used as sigils. Assign a certain negative feeling to each of the various types of demons. For example, any time you see a Cacodemon, link it to Gluttony, and then sacrifice it, and let that represent you exorcising your gluttony, etc. Extremely good for excitatory gnosis, the fights come in natural waves, so after every intense fight, before letting yourself feel relief or the excitement and adrenaline start to fade, isolate the feelings, remove their usual emotional connotations, and use the energy for spellcasting, and then finally release it for a very cathartic experience.

Destiny 2 - Destiny 2 is a fun game, that's now largely free-to-play on pc, xbox, and playstation. It involves space travel, aliens, they literally say "space magic" at one point, which is about as close to saying "cosmic witchcraft" as one can get without saying it. Travel to different planets and moons, and protect the last survivors of humanity from hostile alien forces. Destiny 2 is great for gnosis, because it's easy enough to mostly be able to just play by instinct. There are dozens of accessories, emblems, etc, with sigils on them, that can be imprinted with intent, that each character class can get. You can design your character as a sigil that gets charged with every kill/death. Charge your name with intent. All experience goes to your real-life self. Charge missions with ritualized intent. Finishing the mission is finishing your ritual. In magick, the belief and intent are more important than the method, in my experience. Create servitors based on the aesthetic of the "Ghosts", that help you learn new information, and act as protection, or healing. Visualize having one of the rechargeable shields from the game, and the ability to "revive" from failures, and move on.

Warcraft 3: This is an old-game now, 20 years old (Jeebus...), but a good one for magick. You can use the mapmaker to design maps with sigils drawn in, using the trees and buildings you can draw them, and then upload the maps for others to play in, charging your sigil. Many real-time strategy games can be used, but I prefer Warcraft, as it's also got to do with magic, and I have a lot of emotional attachment to the game, first playing it when I was a young child. Again, charge characters with intent, when they take/deal damage they charge, when you shut the game down, it releases the energy into the Universe.

Final Fantasy - Another series that has to do with magic, and can be great inspiration. Tarot-esque cards can be collected in many games, that can be given meanings. The series trademark "Guardian Forces" can be used as a custom pantheon, giving them each magickal associations and abilities. They can be invoked at any time as your own personal guardians, protecting and warding your space, or healing and charging you, etc.

That should do for now. Some other games that can be used for similar applications (that are also just fun to play) include: The Witcher series, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Dark Souls, Ori, Overwatch, Call of Duty, Halo, Kingdom Hearts, Elder Scrolls Online, Injustice, Ark: Survival Evolved, Dead Cells, Wizard of Legend, Minecraft, Animal Crossing, Diablo 3, Pillars of Eternity, Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur, and many more. Get creative!

If anyone has any suggestions of how they incorporate video games into their magickal practice, Feel free to add them in comments/tags, etc.  ❤️  🖖 

[dreamkidddream]

I absolutely loved the doll! mc one with the brothers and diavolo. Could I ask for the same idea with the rest of the undateables and luke? If it isn't too much though. Thank you very much, don't forget to take care of yourself and stay hydrated!

I’m glad you enjoyed the first part!! I hope you’re staying safe through this pandemic and that you’re drinking plenty of water. I’m so happy that people liked the Doll!MC scenario so much (it even became one of my top posts and I was NEVER expecting that to happen 😳 click here to read it with the Bros and Diavolo). I got an UR card for Barbatos today and immediately thought back to this scenario cause I was just imagining the different situations with Doll!MC. Hope you enjoy!

Also, Luke’s part is strictly platonic, just FYI!

The Undateables (Minus Diavolo) with Doll!MC

Barbatos

Let me just say, you make this man’s day so much better

Your presence is just so calming for him. You could just be standing there (which is heavily enforced in the kitchen), not doing anything, and he would still be fully relaxed

Definitely loves you being in the kitchen with him, and will find ways to invite you so that you guys can spend time together

“MC, the young master has a tea party planned for this afternoon, and I’m afraid I may need your assistance to help prepare.”

“But Barb, I thought you didn’t want me touching anything-”

“I don’t want you touching anything that can cause you harm. I can easily handle the labor, but I do have a task for you...”

Cue to you sitting perfectly still and taste testing his sweets

“Barb, are you sure that I’m helping you like this? I don’t want to be useless to you!”

“Nonsense, MC. This is perfect. I needed someone with an exceptional palette, and you’re just the right person for me.”

Just you and him, and his sweet creations. What more could he ask for?

Maybe being in a relationship with you, but he is very sure that it’s going to be happening in the near future...and he didn’t even have to use his powers to know that

He stares at you a lot. He can’t help it, he loves to just admire you!

Barbatos is the type of guy where he doesn’t have to rely on words to express his love. His love language is acts of service: packing you lunch and extra sweets every week, giving you recipes that he wouldn’t even share with Luke, and gifting you mini accessories that you can wear with your outfits!

He gave you this adorable three-legged crow holding a cupcake hairpin and you’ve been wearing it ever since

He tries to hide his blush everytime he sees you and now he has to work even harder because of the pin lmao

HAVING YOUR OWN TEA PARTIES WEEKLY

You both have a designated day and time where you don’t plan anything in order to have your own tea parties

No Diavolo, no noisy demon brothers, no other exchange students (sorry Luke). Just you and him, enjoying each other’s company and him basking in your glow

If someone did try to harm you, he would already know of it and properly disposes of the problem. Lord Diavolo can’t afford to have any issues interfering with the exchange program, and he can’t afford to have anything happen to you so...no harm no foul, right?

Please continue to do what you’re doing MC. Stare at him with your bright, doe eyes and give him that lively smile everytime. It makes his day go by much easier, especially since he knows that you’ll still be there, waiting for him with your own desserts and that smile reserved just for him

Simeon

Was convinced that you were an angel

Lowkey still convinced that you’re an angel

Really, you just look so...angelic

Wasn’t upset when you revealed that you were in fact human; he was happy because this meant that he could show you around the Celestial Realm!

Speaking of Celestial Realm, be prepared for Simeon to be your very own personal tour guide everytime. This could be your 50th time up there and he’ll still try to point new things out

“And over here is-”

“Michael’s favorite resting place, since the lilies always seem to bloom whenever he’s around,” you giggled. “I remember Simeon, you tell me this everytime we visit!”

He’s a tad embarrassed

“Forgive me, MC. It seems that I get so elated over the fact that you’re here with me, I tend to repeat some things over.”

“That’s okay! I still have fun with you everytime!”

Oh MC, you’re too adorable!

Which causes him to worry over you. While he knows that the brothers and Diavolo (along with Barbatos) wouldn’t dare cause you any distress, the same couldn’t be said for the other demons lurking around, both in and out of RAD

But not to fear, Simeon your friendly guardian angel is here!

I am so sorry for the rhyme lmao

He may not have been personally assigned to you, but that doesn’t mean he can just let anything happen to you! He’s only doing his heavenly duties in protecting you! He’s also being a good friend by watching over you too, his little lamb

He wouldn’t attack anyone, but if he made a complaint or a very serious concern to the right person (Lucifer or Diavolo), consider the problem handled

You have your own tea time as well, and Luke would join you sometimes. But, every now and then, Luke would have to finish some homework or study, or Barbatos would miraculously call for him at the castle, or if it was just too late and Luke just had to go to sleep, then it would just be you two. Sitting by the fireplace, discussing matters ranging from RAD to your life in the human world, drinking tea that you would take turns preparing

Not to mention the downright dainty little cakes you would bring. One time you brought him angel cakes and he found so lighthearted and precious that he requested you bring them everytime, just for him

May or may not base a character in his new story around you

Simeon wants to shield you from the horrors that are surrounding you both. You’re so pure, he just wants you safe. From the way that you would dress to the way that your eyes would just look so amazed and innocent at him, he just knows that he needs to watch over you, always. The brothers do get a little wary when they see how much time you do spend at Purgatory Hall, but they know that Simeon couldn’t possibly have feelings for you, and you were always so giddy after leaving there, they couldn’t bring themselves to say anything

And Simeon knew that he was starting to feel more than he should. He couldn’t profess his love for you now in risk of falling, but he can wait until you get your wings. Just imagining you in your cute little Ceslestial Realm outfit (which he hopes still mimicked your current style) with your very own beaming halo was enough to keep him waiting and to make sure that you stayed on the right path

He deemed that you were worth the wait

Luke

BFFs! BFFs!

When he first saw you he could just cry

Someone innocent like you got sent down here with these monsters?! He had to keep you safe!!!

Simeon thought you were angel and then realized that you were not; Luke thought you were an angel and refused to believe that you weren’t

You didn’t have it in you to burst his bubble so soon, so you just let him run with it until Simon broke the news

It was like telling a kid that Santa Claus wasn’t real; you can only imagine how Luke took the revelation

Not well from what Solomon told you. Simeon kept saying he just needs some time to process things, and you just felt so awful about the whole thing

Which lead to you bringing him so much sweets that it made Beel jealous and very upset

But we all know how Beel can be around food, so it wasn’t a huge surprise. He chased you around all day and you had to use your pact to get him to stop!

And you promised to make him double the sweets in he forgave you so all is well

Luke was still obviously sad, but he wasn’t going to stay sad forever. Especially not after you brought this many sweets just for him!

Lucifer was not a happy demon when Simeon arrived at the HoL’s doorstep with you groaning and clutching your stomach. And Solomon took so many pictures of Luke while he passed out from his sugar high that he dedicated a whole album in his phone to it

Favorite activity to do together: Baking! (Obviously)

Trading recipes, shopping for ingredients together, baking things for each other to try (where really it was just to have double the desserts)

When you two are in the kitchen together, no one else is allowed (except for Simeon, but only if he’s looking and not touching). It’s now MC and Luke time, everybody else is gonna have to wait!

Luke only wants you to do the the activities that he sees as harmless: which is everything that doesn’t include sharp items and anything else that can hurt you

“MC get away from that! That can seriously hurt you! Let me get it for you instead!

“Luke, honey, it’s just an oven it’s not my first time using one-”

Too late, he already took it out of your hands into his own, mitts already on

Speaking of oven mitts

You guys have matching aprons and mitts!!

Barbatos may be a little bit jealous, but he likes the bond that you two have. And he knows that Luke won’t be a romantic rival so he’s alright lol

Luke is your deemed protector/bodyguard, and he proudly wears the title since no one bothers you because of him (or so he thinks). Everyone makes fun of him calling him a chihuahua, but jokes on him, when Luke complains, he complains

Won’t take long for Simeon or even one of the brothers to pick up on his whines complaints if he thinks someone is bothering you

Luke believes that while he’s small, he can protect you and try to keep you free from danger. He may be young, but he sees himself as the older brother out of you both (even though it’s really you being the older sibling and him being the baby). Always looking out for you especially since you’re too fragile to be left alone!

You’re one of the only people that genuinely likes him and don’t make fun of him. You’re dear to him MC, please don’t ever change!

Also, he definitely talks to Michael about you all the time so excitedly and sends him sweets that you both made together. Michael is a proud dad at this point

Solomon

Knew you wasn’t a doll but loved to tease you about being one anyway

Was there a spell that can really turn you into a doll? You wouldn’t mind if he tried it out on you, right MC?

Don’t tempt him please because he WILL do it

“Tell me, MC. Hypothetically speaking, if I were to purchase-”

“No Solomon, you can’t shrink me down to fit me into a dollhouse, no matter how nice it sounds. Besides, I can’t bake in a dollhouse, the oven wouldn’t work!”

“I can fix that.”

You’re very amusing to him for some reason. Was it because of how doll-like you are? The fairytale way that you dressed? How you were still human and was able to live with seven of the most powerful demons and not die? Maybe it’s the way that you still radiated such positivity despite being in literal Hell?

Honestly all of the above

TEACHING HIM HOW TO COOK/BAKE

Poor Solomon doesn’t realize that his cooking isn’t...the best

And you took the best approach in helping him atleast cook something that looks edible

You didn’t say his cooking was disgusting like some people (literally everyone else), so he took that you giving him lessons was a date of sorts

He wasn’t complaining. Your time spent in the kitchen was scenes straight of a romcom (no matter how cheesy it sounds); his arms wrapped around your waist and dotting icing on your pretty nose

May or may not have licked some icing off of you at one point, will definitely do it again

Solomon is a very confident man, borderline arrogant (Oh who am I kidding he IS arrogant). So yes, while people may see you as an easy target, he’s here to remind them that you’re not. And that if they want to try, chances are they won’t be walking away in one piece

He’s powerful, too powerful in fact. He may not be the strongest physically, but if even the entire student council recognizes his knowledge and what he’s capable of, no one should be dumb enough to test him (keyword: try)

But he wouldn’t mind showing off if it’s for you

You’re one of the only beings to ever peak Solomon’s interest genuinely. Yes, he loved to tease and bug you whenever he pleased, but you also made him want to come around you more and more. He was drawn to you, and that doesn’t happen a lot with him (at least without ulterior motives)

*coughcough* making pacts *coughcough*

You were the only thing that made Solomon feel weak, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Don’t get him wrong, he’s still The Greatest Sorcerer, but he couldn’t help but feel himself get weak in the knees when you gazed at him with so much sincerity. He loves it and loves you

Once your back in the human world, he’s going to be so selfish with you. I mean, he already kinda was now, but this time there won’t be any interruptions or distractions around to take your attention

Us humans have to stick together, and what better way to stick together than to be together, wouldn’t you say MC?

[cuuno-moved]

haha do you remember that mythrodak art i showed parts of in here a bit ago? yeah i forgot to add the most important aspect (symbolism) so i finally posted it today and you deserve to see

look at the ghost manacles. they are four layers of the same thing with varying layer effects (and some are blurred) plus two layers behind them to give an aura/halo effect radiating from them.

after this, i hate drawing chains. i did line art of this which took so long but oops it ruins the ghost vibes so that’s an hour of careful line work GONE for nothing (i’m being hyperbolic).

anyways the symbolism behind them is the way that mythro might escape the prison, but he always ends up captured again. his freedom is always with the looming knowledge that people are still looking for him, and that he can never go where he wants without limit, even though he isn’t actively in chains.

it’s also on the hand scratching shiratori not just bc i didn’t want to figure out a full-body pose/design but also bc symbolism and connecting the bird to his imprisonment.

also have this fun alt version i spent a ton of time on that isn’t as nice looking, but does have ghost shiratori (ghoshiratori?)

this was signed on my phone. it was hell.

HOLY SHIT. THATS SICK OH MY GOD

[blu-archer]

Disaster Day

There are probably going to be grammar mistakes, because I can’t proof read to save my life... But hopefully it’s not hectic

Anyway, this was requested.. I kind of got carried away a bit, but I hope it’s close to what you may have wanted!! 

Word count: 6691

SNZ - Allergies

‘Sickie’: Jungkook

Caretaker: VHope

like [mild] inducing I guess... it’s meant to be cute and like, familiar..?

Hybrid Universe

*Awkward Peace Signs* 

uhh yeah, thank you for support and please enjoy it..<3

****

Jungkook was exhausted.

To be fair, his day had been jam-packed full of lectures and dance activities, so it shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise – if only that was the initial cause of his problems. No, despite his day of hard work his fatigue plagued him less due to the events of his schedule and more specifically to the day. His annual disaster day.

It had started when Park Areum had pranced up to one of his best friends in the food court that morning. Giving a shy smile before unloading a gift bag of chocolates and whipping a small bouquet of various bright flowers out from behind her back as she whispered a soft ‘happy valentines’. Jungkook had to force the urge to groan, not wanting to appear rude while Jaehyun politely accepted the gifts, shooting an apologetic glance towards the hybrid. And from there it had only gotten worse.

It was rather unfair. Jungkook loved flowers, they were beautiful, and they smelt sweet and pretty, but the love was clearly  not mutual. It hadn’t taken him long before the incessant itch clung to his sinuses, making paying attention to his classes increasingly difficult. All around him students traded cards and flowers with mirth, and he wanted to go home. Yugyeom had given him some of his own allergy medication, upping the dosage, but it was never truly effective for Jungkook. His hybrid genes just burnt off anything in his system before any real progress could be made. So, he was left to suffer.

It was hard to believe his day had taken such a turn for the worst, it had started off so well too. 6am he had been nudged awake by soft prodding and strokes along his sides. This had caused him to twist and muffle his giggles into Taehyung’s bare chest - only to realise that he had trapped himself in the infamous ‘iron cuddle grip’ and had left himself vulnerable to the hands rousing him from sleep. Hoseok hadn’t hesitated to continue, letting Jungkook’s whines and squirms be responsible for waking up Taehyung, and even if the witch had pouted and been grumpy for the first half an hour, it had quickly dissolved into teasing and discussion about whatever usual whacked dream Tae had had during the night. They had eaten breakfast together and shared kisses in the shower and had even gone as far to drop him off at school together to give him final kisses and promises for the day ahead.

Yet now he sat miserably in his drawing class, catching a sharp flurry of sneezes into his palm, and trying his best to sink into the shadows and away from everyone’s lingering gazes.

It wasn’t like he could help it. The frequency of the attacks were becoming more apparent with each passing moment and being in an enclosed theatre wasn’t helping. The girl next to him offered a sympathetic look before digging out some tissues for him, gesturing to a smudge of charcoal on his face as well.

Jungkook didn’t even care how desperate he appeared when he excused himself to the bathrooms to blow his nose. His head was beginning the ache and no amount of sniffling could help his running nose. There was a lengthy moment in the bathrooms just dedicated to splashing water on his face before staring blurrily at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were tinged red and his nose had taken on such a bright hue that if he walked home someone would probably grab him to shoot a cold commercial. Looking closely – and this very well may have been his imagination, but he could have sworn that he could see a fine layer pollen sticking to his black ears. It was probably there. With how tight his chest was feeling, there had to have been something on him.

He coughed and blew his nose once more, contemplating if it would help if he just blocked his nostrils with the tissues from the rest of the session. He would look like a fool, but it could help… then again, with how sensitive his nose was currently it would probably just make it worse.

 A big part of him wondered what Tae and Hobi were doing, they weren’t allergic to flowers like he was so they were often able to still enjoy the day without having to worry too much about how they were going to feel at the end of it.

Hoseok had probably been spoiled by his classes and other staff members. Even before they’d started dating, Jungkook could see how much he appreciated the small little love notes or being gifted with a flower or a surprise date, or just being able to flaunt a relationship and be emerged in a bubble of emotions that left people staring longingly. He was able to do and get all of those things now, perhaps not all from Jungkook, but he got everything he deserved. Valentine’s day was always a big day from Hobi, probably because he never really cared about it before – especially back when he had still not to come out. And Jungkook was glad that he got spoilt now, he loved that people loved his boyfriend, and he especially loved how after being showered in complements and affection all day, the dancer came home and reached out in preference to his boyfriends.

With regards to his witch, the events shouldn’t be that much different. Taehyung was probably hiding behind some shelves, going through spell books. Or playfully flirting with Namjoon and Yoongi again. Or knocking off the love attempts of his small following of ‘fans’ that often came to the shop to swoon over him – much to Yoongi’s annoyance. Jungkook could never actually tell how Tae’s day would go. It seemed that every day was a day that someone expressed their ‘love’ for him, that hadn’t changed from when they had been teenagers.

Sinking to the tiled floor, he brought out his phone, frowning at the new crack in the screen from when he’d dropped it early that day. His ears drooped low, almost hiding his face as he stared down at their group chat.

Tae had posted an image about an hour ago of him fanning away faux tears while holding up three red roses dramatically, claiming that someone had -Unsurprisingly - confessed their undying love to him. He could see Yoongi over his boyfriends plaid shoulder entirely unamused at his apprentices actions. No doubt Tae had been lectured or had been subjected to a mouthful of tired, witty complaints after taking the photo.

Jungkook smiled at the quick replies beneath it.

From: ~♥Sunshine☼~

“Hope they have life insurance.”

 From: ~♥Tae♥~

“Hobi... You can’t kill them….”

 From: ~♥Sunshine☼~

“Don’t need to. Poor heart must have given out in defeat after you told them about your two super protective boyfriends.”

 From: ~♥Tae♥~

“Two super protective, lovable and sinfully attractive boyfriends. And yes. I think a part of it did, and again when Yoongi interrupted them after they propositioned for a number swap…. but on an upside. I got to boast about you both again!! Highlight of my working hours.”

 After some more mild threats, Hobi mentioned some other points of his day – mostly speaking about the dare Jimin had been put up too, crashing into the staff room that morning wearing a bright pink and white cupid outfit with wings and a halo, throwing around confetti and giving him sunflowers, and then all of the cute cupids throughout the separate grades coming to hand out things or sing to designated students.

There were some time gaps in the conversations after that, between the sections where either of them were too busy too answer, but they seemed to be having fun as they switched to teasing each other. Both had left prompts or questions for Jungkook more than once, always willing to drag the youngest into their banter. Although his absence wasn’t uncharacteristic, his eyes still lingered on the softly toned question that Tae had slid out barely fifteen minutes before, asking whether Jungkook was busy and what he had been up too…

 Not feeling up to making excuses, Jungkook tapped into his camera and took a quick, slightly blurry selca – not even bothering to double check it before he sent it through the chat. He looked terrible, and he would still look terrible if he checked it anyway.  He breathed heavily from his mouth as he wiped his nose, only to increase the sensitive tingles that pulsed through him. Jungkook could feel his eyes burn with irritated tears and they itched. God he wanted to rub at them, and his ears, they always got this way when he was around flowers for too long, but he knew it was a bad idea. University was not the place to let his allergies and instincts completely control his actions.

He lifted his phone lazily to see new messages had come through.

 From: ~♥Sunshine☼~

“Oh Bun…”

 From: ~♥Tae♥~

“Are you okay?”

“Allergies?”

“Is it bad there?”

“Can you breathe fine? Should I come fetch you?”

 From: ~♥Sunshine☼~

“I think you should leave early… Tae, ask Yoongi to borrow his car..”

“and maybe bring something menthol.”

 ..

“I’m fine mostly… Just really sneezy. And my chest is a little tight but it’s not that bad, probably frojnm” –

Jungkook sneezed openly into his lap, blinking in a daze before realising he had accidentally sent the message.

“from exposure.”***

..

From: ~♥Tae♥~

“I’m going to leave now, should I come fetch you from a specific building? Or wait outside?”

..

There was a small part of Jungkook that felt bad for being an inconvenience, but mostly he was satisfied that he was going to go  home. Even if that meant that Tae missed out on some of the usual adoring customers being even more adoring towards him, Jungkook will get to shower and nap and just exist in peace for a bit. And that sounded great.

“outside. I’ll leave now.”

..

From: ~♥Sunshine☼~

“love you Jungkook. I’ll be home as soon as I can!”

 From: ~♥Tae♥~

“I’ll be there in ten minutes, maximum.”

   He didn’t waste any more time. Discarding his used tissues, Jungkook shuffled back to his classroom. He coughed into his fist as soon as the door to the theatre had closed behind him, locking him inside with his demons. Thankfully he didn’t have to explain much to his lecturer. They had taken one look at him and just waved him away sympathetically, telling him to feel better and to try get some work done later if possible. Given the all clear, he had practically sprinted out of the room after grabbing his supplies.  

 The sun beamed down on him, almost brutally. His black wardrobe wasn’t helping much in that regard, but he walked hastily through the bustling courtyard to find the shading parking area just outside the security gates. A campus guard gave him a brief wave as he passed, eyes softening a little at the state of the shy, yet charismatic hybrid that he had come to know. Jungkook held his wrist to his nose as he ventured further away from the small crowds of people. He found an old bench that was situated under one of the many large Korean oak trees, that’s shadows were cast over his skin mimicking that of a cool breeze. It wasn’t the most comfortable seat, but it served his purpose. After getting as comfortable as he could on the frail wood, he tried once more to clear his nose. It was a hopeless attempt of trying to rid himself of symptoms, one that had obviously failed and had left him sinking back into the old harsh wood of the bench with closed eyes. He couldn’t smell the usually musky, earthy scent that clung to this area and he wasn’t willing to send himself into a fit by looking up at the dappled light shining through the leaves over head – although he could probably recall each and every possible shade that it could be right then. He’d tried to paint the various lighting on the leaves many times, year-round. The view was usually one he’d never want to miss, but the day had taken every last bit of energy he had and trying to appreciate it right this second just wasn’t going to be possible.

 “Kook?”

Jungkook opened his eyes to see Taehyung peering out of the driver window of Yoongi’s much loved Jeep. Had ten minutes passed already? It hadn’t seemed like it… Jungkook blinked slowly at the vehicle a few steps in front of him, reached to rub subconsciously at his eyes. Taehyung looked just has beautiful as he had that morning, his pinched brows more prominent by the red bandana that exposed his forehead. He had parked the car at a slant so that he could pull off easily, not caring about the irked glances security was sending his way for taking up more than one parking.

Realising a bit belatedly that this was his lift,  Jungkook sniffed and grabbed his things, shuffling tiredly to the passenger door. He vaguely heard Tae say something else as he hopped into the seat and tossed his things to the back, but he wasn’t really paying attention. A warm hand brushed through his hair, down his arm and then settled on his own fist. Jungkook closed his eyes once more and rested his head against the glass as Tae started driving, his hand being intertwined into a tight grasp that lay between the both of them as he drifted languidly to the sound of tires on tarmac and Tae’s gentle humming.

    **

“How is he?” Hoseok asked as Taehyung grabbed two of the three grocery bags the elder had been carrying inside, both moving too quickly put them onto the kitchen counter before starting to pack things away.

Hoseok had wanted to come home straight after work but had opted to going shopping in order to at least make something up for later if Jungkook was up for it – he was able to grab a few things for his boyfriends as well. They usually didn’t get things for each other when it came to these types of holidays, but he couldn’t help himself.

Taehyung shrugged. “He was really tired, so I had to wake him up a few times before he could shower, then he just kind of went to bed. I barely got a full sentence out of him.”

Hoseok sighed heavily. It wasn’t as worrying as the first few times he’d seen Jungkook get allergy attacks, he’d learnt that the hybrid tended to get stuck in his head and what he was feeling. Most of the time Jungkook didn’t even realise that he was going quiet, but Hoseok wished that he would at least let them help more.

“He probably just needs some time for the worst of it to calm down, I bought some scented lotions for later. If he wants it. Some dark chocolate too.”

“Should we make a soup or something?” Tae pondered. They usually stuck to warm foods when it came to allergies and colds, especially with Jungkook who was prone to rhinitis.  

“I was thinking about making a curry, or ordering one in if Jungkook needed us, but if he’s still asleep we can start making it now. The spices would help a bit.” Hoseok pursed his lips as he looked over what was yet to be packed away, his hands resting on his hips.

He startled a bit when he felt Taehyung wrap his arms around him from behind, resting his head into the crook of Hoseok’s neck as he engulfed the dancer into a fierce yet tender hug. Taehyung laid a kiss just below Hobi’s ear, smiling against the elders skin before sighing happily and relaxing onto his boyfriends sturdy frame.

“Why don’t you go shower so long? You’ve also had a long day… I’ll start cutting everything for you, I’ve gotten better - you’ve taught me well.” Tae said softly, his chest warming as Hoseok leant back as fluidly as he had leant on the dancer. “Then we can set up for a nice night in. Kookie didn’t even bother to set up a nest earlier, so I think it would be nice if we tried to do something like that for him. Then he can be comfortable enough to decide if he wants help or not…”

Hobi chuckled. “A little eager?”

“What can I say? He’s adorable… and I wasn’t the one that bought scented lotions and chocolate.”

“Touché.” Hoseok stepped out from the embrace with a grin, not wanting to inform the witch that he’d gotten those specifically because he knew the other two enjoyed it. He didn’t typically get the same reactions from it as they did, but he loved the care involved. Thinking about what the night entailed got his body buzzed with warm sparks as the expensive gift bag that he’d smuggled inside using his duffle bag came to mind. He couldn’t wait to for his boyfriends to see what he’d gotten them. “I’ll go shower, hopefully Kook is feeling better later… Be careful with that knife!”

 It wasn’t long before both Taehyung and Hoseok had finished with their preparations. Their meal was simmering away, filling the apartment with rich spicy aroma’s, and they had transformed their lounge into what they hoped was an appropriate nest of sorts. Carrying a mattress from one of their guest rooms had been a little difficult to do quietly, but Tae had peeked in on Jungkook to see that he was still uncovered, lying diagonally across their bed, smothering his snores into a pillow. After that, collecting a variety of blankets, pillows, plushies and majority of the soft scarves and sweaters that they had, had been a piece of cake. Hobi had made sure to dedicate a small table to the lotions and tissues, while another stayed mostly bare for their food and drinks later, the only thing adorning it was the chocolates Hobi had bought alongside a small herbal arrangement that Tae had gone and grabbed from Hoseok’s little garden on the ground floor, adding a few roses that he had easily twined up from wire.

Overall, it looked cute. It had even been fun to make.

They curled up on their soft creation while Taehyung set up a line-up of movies, listening to Hobi’s suggestions intently – not caring that half of his ideas were going to leave them crying if they watched them.

If its what Hobi wanted, it’s what he was going to get.

 It was just before six when Jungkook stumbled into the room. His nose was still red and a bit swollen, and his fist rubbed at his one ear with annoyance. The bunny hybrid had paused, his brows pitched into a tight frown as he took in the set up before him, then sniffled and collapsed onto Taehyung where he sat amongst the blankets.

He had woken up feeling a bit more refreshed, that tightness in his chest had disappeared, but he was still bothered by that  itchy feeling in his sinuses and congestion.

“How’re you feeling, Bun?” Hoseok asked as he joined them from the kitchen. His hand tangling up into Jungkook’s hair before scratching slowly at the base of his ear.

The hybrid blinked as a buzzed sensation did a lap through his body, leaving him rubbing a finger under his nose harshly. He could feel Taehyung pulling him back so that he’d be resting against the witches chest, Tae’s large hands rubbed ticklish circles into his sides that left him twitching in the elders lap.

..

..

“Bun?”

“’m fine..” Jungkook answered, focusing his slitted gaze on Hoseok’s face hovering before him. “Just…meh.”

Hobi hummed lowly. He dragged his nail along the length of Jungkook’s ear, sending shivers to course through his body. Hoseok did it again – slower – grinning as he watched as Tae flushed lightly and bit at his lip while Jungkook squirmed harder against the witches lap.

“What’s bothering you Kook? Should we help?” Hoseok asked softly.

“We made some food for us, too.” Taehyung added, a smidge deeper than usual. “We were going to wake you, but then we wouldn’t have been able to surprise you…”

Jungkook smothered a yawn into his fist, resting his head back onto Tae’s shoulder as he glanced around. The smile that spread across his lips wouldn’t stop growing as he caught sight of everything that they’d put into their attempt at nesting. They’d actually done well, almost an exact copy of what he would have done. His gaze landed on a set of lotions and the itch in his nose only seemed to increase at the thought of opening one of them.

“Food sounds great.” He said, scrunching up his nose. “I didn’t really feel like eating earlier.”

Without a moments’ pause Hoseok was heading back to the kitchen, followed closely by Tae who had gently nudged Jungkook to curl into the blankets beside him rather than on him so that he could help. They had dished up hastily, putting a hefty amount of the curry and rice mixture on the hybrids plate before carrying it out. Tae had made sure to grab a few bottles of flavoured milk before he returned to the room, where Hoseok and Jungkook were lighting up two of his large, sturdy scentless candles. With a soft smile he flicked his wrist towards the switch on the wall as he sat beside Jungkook, letting the room fall to darkness before the candles flame settled into a stable glow. They moved the candles up on either side of the tv screen and away from any possible accident range.

The meal had been a simple setting of silence, the trio all paying attention to either their food or the film that was playing just loud enough to not disturb the neighbours. Jungkook had sat through half the meal with tissues grasped in his hand, wiping at his nose every few minutes as the spices and heat opened up his sinuses. The itch had still not left, but had taken a bit of a backseat momentarily, which Jungkook didn’t know if he was thankful or annoyed about.

This definitely wasn’t exactly how he had planned for this day to go, it never was, but his boyfriends had somehow found an alternative to still have a good time. A part of him knew, the part that kept glancing back to those meticulously arranged lotions, that it would feel good to sneeze now, unlike earlier when the rest of his symptoms were problematic. Yet he didn’t want to ruin the soft mood that had been created. Not to mention asking them to help him with his nose was probably not very high on the romance list. Just one normal Valentines. That’s his aim. Just one. Surely it was possible…

So, he bit down on his lip and tried his best to ignore that lingering tickle, sipping on some milk, and letting the chocolate melt over his tongue.

They had just started the second film -another cute romcom that Hoseok had been hung up about- when Jungkook felt that tickle become apparent once more. Consuming him so far that he hadn’t realised that he had audibly hitched until he felt Tae’s soft, concerned strokes along his back. Defeated, Jungkook raised his hands to hover in front of his face, letting his breath shake and build – only to rapidly blink in confusion as the urge left him disappointed and sniffling. He frowned, then shrugged sheepishly at his boyfriends who had both turned to watch him. Hesitantly, they returned their focus to the movie, Hoseok had shuffled a bit closer to hug into Jungkook’s side while he watched so that he could hide his smile into the hybrids shirt each time something cute or embarrassing happened on the screen. Which Jungkook usually encouraged, but now Hoseok would give him a quick sideways glance each time he felt the youngers breath stutter – and he was almost certain that Taehyung had been aware of it as well after he moved the open box of tissues closer. After the fifth empty promise Jungkook didn’t care that it was blatantly obvious what he needed, he just wanted to be able to sneeze.

He sat up straight, causing Hobi to be pushed off of him, and rubbed at his nose as he glanced up to the ceiling. His breathing built shakily but once again, nothing happened. He let out a frustrated moan and pressed both hands to the base of his ears, rubbing hard to try and force some sort of result out of him.

“Jungkook?” Hoseok prodded, pulling one of the hybrids hands away from his ears. “What’s wrong?”

“I ne-h’hih-ed to sne-ehh..hh’heh…”

And then he saw through teary eyes, the soft tissue held before him.

“Let us help then, yeah?” Tae said deeply. It wasn’t like Jungkook was going to decline that offer.

Taehyung wrapped an arm over Jungkook’s shoulders to get more comfortable and then gently placed his tissue-armoured hand over the hybrid’s twitching red nose. Jungkook stiffened as his breathing faltered further by just having the enclosed warmth from Tae’s palm, both arms falling to his lap. An urgent whine crept from his throat as he felt the pressure of the witches fingers on the sinuses either side of his nose. His mouth had fallen open with  soft, panting breaths and he could feel Tae’s arm tightening around him as he gently massaged in silence.

A tight ball of heat had settled in Jungkook’s stomach, gradually working its way into his chest as he was left a physical mess and Taehyung pulled away to switch to a new tissue, deciding that the old one had become useless. Jungkook had been about to complain when he felt a long cooling breath directly hit his nose from the left. His eyes had snapped shut and he had pitched forward so quickly that Taehyung had barely made it time to catch the wet fit of sneezes that had allergic tears trickling down Jungkook’s cheeks.

 Huhe’TSHhh!! ..Hehh’ETCHhew! Eh’TSHhiew!...... …  Heh’ehhhshheww … Heh’eehhhTCHsheww!!

 Instinctively Jungkook had reached up to cover, trapping Tae’s hand in place as he snapped forward with another triple – half stifled as he squished into the steady palm.

“Bless.” Hoseok pressed a hand to the nape of Jungkook’s neck. “Better?”

Jungkook sniffled as Taehyung pulled away, only to have Hoseok press another tissue to his nose.

“Blow for me.”

A flush spread across Jungkook’s cheeks at the request but he did as was asked, taking a deep breath before blowing out with wet muffled burst. Hoseok didn’t flinch away and wiped at the hybrids nose once he’d finished.

Jungkook glanced away to see Taehyung slip a piece of chocolate into his mouth, then the witch met his gaze through dark, heavy lashes.

“Better?” He repeated Hobi’s question.

 Mostly. The itch wasn’t completely gone, but it wasn’t as bad as before. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to brush it aside anymore.

His mouth fell open to begin his explanation only to be met with chocolate flavoured lips. For the first time since that morning Jungkook was able to fully catch the witches scent. A wave of familiarity doused him, urging him into further contentment. He sniffed and leant closer as Tae had gone to move away, pressing his lips to the column of his neck as he breathed in the woodsy scent once more. A rumble vibrated through Taehyung’s throat as he laughed, pulling Jungkook into him as he rolled back into the nest playfully.

“You seem better.” Hoseok murmured with amusement.

“I-“ Jungkook looked up to see Hobi also reaching for the chocolate. “Thank you…It still… its fuzzy.”

“You want us to keep helping you, Kookie?”

Slowly, Jungkook nodded. A heat spread up his neck as Taehyung grinned at him, almost like he’d been waiting for Jungkook to ask all night.

“Can you lean back into me Bun?”

The question was practically rhetorical, Jungkook wasn’t going to be going against anything they asked of him at this point. He glanced over Tae’s shoulder and the elder’s grin slid into a lazy smirk.

“Tilt up.”

Their movie played on in the background, barely being heard over the pounding in Jungkook’s ears paired with his heavy breaths. Hobi held him gently and rubbed his cheek against the tender part of Jungkook’s neck, only increasing his pants a light trickle of pleasure bled through him. Taehyung took his time, dabbing a small section of his wrist with one of the bottles Jungkook had so keenly peered at before twisting a tissue up, ready to get to work. The hybrids nose twitched as he caught the sweet, fruity scent – at first only becoming slightly irritated until Taehyung moved closer. The candlelight hit the elder like a heavenly glow, an angel descending towards him with expression of something fallen rather than graced. He wondered what Hoseok would look like next to him – he wondered what Taehyung saw when he looked at them. From the depth of his gaze, Jungkook could only assume that it was something just as mesmerising as his view…

His senses burned.

Jungkook gasped and felt his eyes flutter shut as Taehyung moved to sit on his lap, his legs overlapping Hobi’s on either side of Jungkook. The witch reached up and pulled lightly at one of his ears and Jungkook moaned as he sniffed deeply, earning himself a lungful of the intoxicatingly sweet scent that had him pitch forward with a sharp ‘H’ehh’nngxch’. A finger settled below his chin and he met Taehyung’s burning eyes and tilted his head back obediently, his breath hitching against the scented wrist of the witch as he carefully inserted the tissue. The tickle that had permanently settled at the back of his nose reared into a dominant existence as Taehyung moved the ‘tool’ around in a calculated manner, while Hoseok took to laying soft kisses along his neck and ears.

Hoseok murmured soft words as he rubbed his thumbs into Jungkook’s lower back, asking how he was or if he wanted more. The bunny couldn’t even formulate a full sentence without his breath stuttering off. God, if he knew this was how his day would have ended he probably wouldn’t have been so annoyed about it in the beginning.  

Tae angled the tissue to reach slightly further in, biting his lip as Jungkook slackened beneath him, but still resulted in nothing more than desperate hitching.

“Angel…” Tae whispered deeply as he pushed the bottle of lotion that he’d opened towards Hobi. “Maybe we should work together on this…”

Hoseok kissed Jungkook’s neck a final time before he emptied some of the oil onto his palm behind the hybrids back. Taehyung returned his attention to Jungkook, dragging the tip of his forefinger lightly around the rims of the hybrids nose before returning the tissue to the next nostril.

Nghh hh hih… … huh.huh ..huh hhh… mmghhm..

Jungkook was going to die of frustration. Truly and entirely. Taehyung was teasing him now. The witch could very easily help him alone. He knew exactly what to do and where to go, and yet he wished to tempt and torture it out of Jungkook. Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but damnit… now?

Jungkook gasped as heat scorched his blood. Taehyung had to rest a hand on his shoulder to steady him from slipped forward as Hoseok slipped his hands beneath the bunnies shirt. The dancers fingers glided over his skin like a sculptor, fluidly glazing his skin with the cold lotion. His nose quivered and his chest heaved. Immediately he was crumbling into a sniffling mess, Taehyung had even taken a moment to stop his tempting – although that may have been a new type of torture, letting Jungkook’s breath build. Somewhat desperate, Jungkook reached up to paw at the bridge of his nose only to have Hoseok grab a hold of his wrist, pulling it to join his own trailing the hybrids clenched stomach.

“Poor Kookie.” Taehyung brushed his hand through the youngers hair, tugging it lightly before petting down the length of Jungkook’s ear. “Why can’t you sneeze… hmm?”

“T-hih- teassahh ..snf snf..ah huh hh...”

Almost pitying, Taehyung settled his hand on Jungkook’s cheek, and the hybrids nostrils flared. A single finger ran down the bridge of Jungkook’s nose and his chest burst with an aching heat.

Huh iih eh ehh ehH’HESHI’uh! HEH’ITDZshhh! …Huh.. hh..nmmnmm snf. SNf. … eh ehh’hh ..h he heH…. heh’NGGXTshhheww! H’NGCHh’shuh… snnf

Jungkook panted and sniffled thickly, refusing to open his eyes to see the mess he’d probably made on Taehyung’s arm that had yet to move. One of Hoseok’s hand found its way up Jungkook’s spine, steadily sending chills through his body until the dancer slipped out and massaged at Jungkook’s ears. The bunny snapped forward into another bout of desperate breathy sneezes as his fur became slicked back and oiled as well.

“There you go..” Taehyung murmured lowly as he brought a tissue to the hybrids nose, catching the wet expulsions with a gently grasp – giving soft, prodding massages whenever the younger stuttered off shakily.

Between Taehyung’s pestering and Hoseok’s support and wayward gestures, Jungkook was pretty fucking blissed.

 ..

“You good?” Taehyung asked, pulling the younger into his embrace once Hoseok had excused himself to the bathroom.

“Mmmm. Stuffy… but good.” Jungkook ran his wrist under his nose, only to prompt a congested sneeze into his lap twice more.

Even after the lengthy shower that they’d had, Jungkook still couldn’t breathe out of his nose but it wasn’t exactly surprising. Taehyung had continued his teasing for almost an hour before deciding he’d done a decent job of satisfying what Jungkook needed. It had been great, Jungkook couldn’t remember the last time Taehyung had played this way, the last couple times that he’d asked for help had been simple and somewhat time restrained. And having both his boyfriends at his disposal had been the topping of it all.  

He closed his eyes and lent his head back onto Tae’s chest while the elder started to hum a soft tune that had a gradually serenity flooding into Jungkook’s body, almost encouraging the bunny to slip into sleep. He had been teetering on the edge of darkness when he heard the sound of Hoseok’s light footsteps re-enter the room.

  “Oh… is he asleep?”

“No,” Taehyung answered just as softly as Hobi had asked. “Not yet anyway..”

“Okay… Okay, I have to do something.” Hoseok said, oddly serious.

 Jungkook forced his eyes open again to see the usually spriteful dancer shuffling awkwardly in the dim candlelight, his thick jacket grasped tightly in his hands. Jungkook tried to swallow his yawn, failing to a second one, before clearing his throat with a light cough.  

  “You’re … leaving?” Jungkook frowned, his ears drooping low at the mere thought of not having both of his boyfriends near him.

“No!” Hoseok moved to his knees directly in front of the pair. His jacket falling to the ground with a thud. “I need to do something with you two.. or say something rather… and I hope you.. I don’t know.. like it? I guess?”

“Okay then..” Taehyung set his chin lazily on top of Jungkook’s head, giving Hobi a small reassuring smile. “I’m pretty sure we agreed no gifts, but if you need too…”

“I do.” Hoseok licked his lips, taking a shaky breath. For a moment the only sound in the room was Jungkook’s soft sniffles that he tried to muffle into his sleeve. Another breath, deeper and steadier this time. “I love you… both of you, so much I can’t even comprehend it. How did I end up at this point? The closeted human kid ending up in a relationship as comfortable and loving as this with not one, but two heart throbbingly precious men whose souls are probably the most kind and fearless and open that I will ever meet… I got so lucky.. I can’t imagine not seeing you every day, or not waking up to a full bed, or not watching you two bicker over food, or kissing you after a long day, or hearing your completely bizarre daily adventures – especially you Tae, I want to know every time you accidentally set something on fire or make potions combust in their jars –“

“it was two times!”

“My point being,” Hoseok laughed. “That I want to be in your lives for the rest of mine. I know I probably could have planned this better, but I suppose everything about us was a bit spontaneous…” he reached into the inner pockets of his jacket and retrieved two velvet boxes in each fist. “I know you both would do this differently, given the obvious differences, but I felt like this was the right time for me… we don’t need to like do anything straight away or anything I just-“

Jungkook reached out to touch Hoseok’s leg, halting the mans speech. “You’re rambling Sunshine.”

Hoseok bit at his bottom lip as he saw the faint confusion tinted in the bunnies furrowed brows and pursed lips, yet Taehyung was beaming with glistening eyes, his gaze never leaving Hoseok’s face.

“I- uh… here.” He handed the emerald box to Taehyung, who seemed to be trying not to shed any surprised tears, then pushed the crimson box into Jungkook’s palm. The hybrid’s confused expression rapidly turning into one of awe. “It’s not a unique sigil, or a mating mark, but this is the only way I can make a physical bond. I’ve thought about this for so long and I just…..I… yeah.. ..m-marry me?”

“Ma-Marry?” Jungkook blinked widely, while Taehyung squeezed the hybrid tightly with a huge boxy grin.

“As if we’d ever say no to you?” Taehyung giggled, the candlelight doing a good job at hiding the flush that had crept to his cheeks.

“Marry?” Jungkook repeated, almost hollowly.

Hoseok swallowed hard at the what could be about to happen. God, had this been a mistake? “You don’t need to say yes Bun, I just.. this is something I needed to ask. I just wanted us.. I just want to be bound to you more than just words. I want people to see that you’re mine, but it’s okay if you don’t want to.”

Taehyung peered down at the bunny questionably then opened his box. The ring was a thick simple band of white, laced with gold intricate designs of engraved roses and small rose quartz embedded in a circle throughout the centre. He didn’t stop the tears from falling then. Just nodded while biting down on his lip. Jungkook turned to see the ring, then looked down at his own box with his mouth agape.

“You.. You want to marry me?” Jungkook spoke softly. “I just spent the last hour and a half sneezing myself into the next plain of reality, and you choose now to ask this?” The hybrid gave a choked laugh, opening his box to see a black ring that was identical to Tae’s in design. Simple and yet so beautiful.  “Oh my god Jung Hoseok. You have the worst timing. I love you so much.”

Hoseok sucked in a tight breath and shifted to sit beside the pair. “Is that a yes?”

Jungkook started laughing again, sniffling back his tears. “Are you going to put these on us?”

Hobi grinned so widely it hurt. His blood danced and his heart screamed as both of his boyfriends leant into him, letting him slide their rings on.

“Ohhh  this is going to start a riot at work.” Taehyung teased happily. The giddiness in his voice only increasing as time passed.

“Good those girls can finally leave you alone.” Hobi kissed Tae’s shoulder as he intertwined his fingers with Jungkook’s. the ring pleasantly cool against his skin.

“To think I wasn’t looking forward to this day.” Jungkook mumbled, leaning back into both of his boyfriends arms.. “Best Disaster Day of my life

[fjadwrites]

Habits I Actually Did

Out of  the items/activities/ways/habits listed in The Guardian’s 100 ways to slightly improve your life without really trying article, let’s see what I’ve actually done over there since... Well, I just want to see what I’ve done. At least since last year.

Let’s go!

2 On the fence about a purchase? Wait 72 hours before you buy it. - Well, this is more of the contemplation over whether or not it’s worth spending any money over it.

4 Bring fruit to work. Bring fruit to bed! - This is more convenient that buying biscuits on stores on a cold night when I decided to stay up late.

13 Feeling sluggish at work? Try the Pomodoro technique: 25 minutes on, five-minute break, and repeat. - I’ve tried this a lot of times over the last year, especially when I have to work on so many pending writings.

16 Set aside 10 minutes a day to do something you really enjoy – be it reading a book or playing Halo. - The maximum had been 20 minutes... before they decided to call me again to do some errands and this and that. You know what I mean, right?

18 Reuse all plastic bags – even bread bags. Much of the packaging you can’t reuse can be taken to larger branches of supermarkets for recycling. - We were limited in plastic bags that we can use ever since eco-bags were in the roll here. So yeah, every plastic bag that can be reused is important.

22 Laugh shamelessly at your own jokes. - As weird as it would appear, I’m only doing this when I have my alone time.

23 It might sound obvious, but a pint of water before bed after a big night avoids a clanger of a hanger. - Not always, but I managed to do this for nights -- even if it doesn’t happen every night.

24 Start a Saturday morning with some classical music – it sets the tone for a calm weekend. - Well, this is more of a way for me to set the mood so that I could write better right after.

25 Look closely. - Literally and metaphorically, yes. I did this for several times because I have to analyze some of them. As weird as it sounds.

27 If possible, take the stairs. - This is more because I like to walk. And a lot of areas here in Baguio uses stairs instead of just a straight road or path or something.

30 Be polite to rude strangers – it’s oddly thrilling. - Well, this was hard, but I managed. But I’d rather not talking to them and would just choose to avoid them in order to avoid trouble. It’s better and it’s quieter for my sanity.

32 Connect with nature: stand outside barefoot for a few minutes – even when it’s cold. - Done this a lot, since I tend to forget wearing slippers, anyway. Hahaha!

42 Don’t have Twitter on your phone. - I don’t have Twitter or any other SNS apps on my phone for about a year already.

44 Try taking a cold shower (30 seconds to two minutes) before your hot one. It’s good for your health – both physical and mental. - I’ve been doing this for quite a while now, honestly, than boil some water since... I’m impatient in waiting for the water to boil, anyway. And yes, even if the temperature here had already dropped to 10 degrees Celsius and below.

45 Text to say thank you. - I mean, it’s manners, right? Especially when they did something to help you.

48 Buy secondhand. - Did this around the time I was looking for heels that I’d be wearing for my younger sister’s wedding. I don’t have enough money at the time, so... you know the gist.

49 Buy in person! - Same as # 48. I mean, I have to. I’m the one who has to choose the design.

52 Say hello to your neighbours. - Done this to some of them since not all actually deserved it, in my opinion.

66 Don’t save things for “best”. Wear them – enjoy them. - And enjoy them I did.

67 Sing! - I do this a lot... for a reason, of course. And when I’m alone.

74 Respect your youngers. - Also doing this even when talking to them online.

79 Ignore the algorithm – listen to music outside your usual taste. - Did this a few times and somehow, I liked how I managed to find songs that I’d want to listen to, even if it’s not my usual taste of music.

84 Handwash that thing you’ve never cleaned. - I never cleaned it because I actually forgot about it. I know, my bad. Sorry.

85 Don’t get a pet/do get a pet. - The bold one is actually my choice. But my mom actually got three.

86 Nap. - I mean, I ended up having naps before I could even stop myself. Seriously.

87 Learn how to breathe deeply: in through the nose, out through the mouth, making the exhale longer than the inhale. - This was hard, but I was able to do it a few times.

89 Politely decline invitations if you don’t want to go. - Actually, I decline invitations when I really have no drive or desire to go anywhere except my room.

93 Do that one thing you’ve been putting off. - Folding my clothes in my cabinet. Finally! And it’s been a long while since I started contemplating on doing this.

96 Keep a book in your bag to avoid the temptation to doomscroll. - Been doing this since I don’t want to complain on the fact that the line was long or the wait was long. And I have reasons not to look at people. Hehe!

97 Listen to the albums you loved as a teenager. - They’re still cute, in my opinion. And they do give off nostalgic emotions in me.

[addytheheartbreaker]

"Adorable Lolita outfit"

Its been a while since I lasted posted here. Sorry for my inactiveness in here, because I am now more active at my other social media, Instagram where I only posted my Royale High content there a little of my art too. So, here my self-persona main outfit.

Here is the description of my Adorable Lolita outfit

- Firstly for my outfit outfit, the dress is a vintage Lolita dress. The dress is pure white with rose pink sleeve cuffs, rose pink ruffles at the bottom of the dress skirt, a red ribbon and at the back is a unique design corset dress with a light pink tulle back bow that ties the corset dress.

- Next is my thigh high length lace trim stockings. The stockings is white with rose pink lace ruffles and to finish it is some rose pink and light pink Lolita shoes. The shoes are low heels, with rose pink ankle straps.

- On the next part, it isn't complete with accessories to compliment it. A single red rose headband for the hair, pearl stud earrings and a pearl silver ring decorate the ring with tiny diamonds.

- Lastly are the items that I carried. I carried a lot of items that are necessary and sometimes I only carrying it around to whatever reason. Here are the items I carried with me (P.S: not in real life, this is what I carried in RH)

Spring Halo 2021 (With or without if I feel like wearing it)

A cute white and pink clutch

Lolita Parasol/umbrella, the parasol/umbrella is white with light pink ruffles, pink handle and light pink roses (the roses are removable if it is raining and transform into a umbrella).

2 of my stuffed animals, a white stuffed bunny with a light blue ribbon and a white stuffed cat with a pink bow. (Sometimes carried it for either company if I'm alone, wanting comfort or wanting to do something cute).

A cute white shoulder bag

A white and pink folding hand fan with pink rose design and pink lace

Makeup: Lipstick with a lipstick case, powder blush with a blush brush and pressed powder foundation.

Handkerchief and a small tissue

There are items that aren't include because I ran out of paper to draw the rest:

Cellphone with a cute Yami-kawaii styled phone case and pink and white earphones

A cute white comb and pink, white and red hairbrush

Mood changing necklace (Only wear it for special occasions or if I feel like wanting to wear it)

Adorable wallet (from the clutch)

Small mirror

A thick hair tie scrunchie (Only if I have to tie my hair up for work, eating or if I am getting serious)

[rivetgoth]

I had this friend I met in the Hetalia fandom in like 8th-9th grade who was like, a lot older than me (I was like 12-13 when we met and she was like 17 or so), and we were REALLY close for a really long time, we'd talk and call every day and it got to a point where she was really dependent on me in this awful way where she would like constantly threaten suicide if I didn't answer her texts fast enough and shit like that. She was really rich cuz her dad was a doctor and one time she bought me an entire fucking Xbox One (I did not ask for it like... I'd always been a PlayStation gamer LOL) because she didn't have anyone to play Halo with her. My family still has it and uses it as a DVD player/Netflix machine.

Anyway the really batshit thing about this person (BESIDES the fact that she was like, definitely a pedophile who loved shota and frequently sexted me after she'd turned 18+ and I was like 14 and she also had both a bestiality and incest fetish that she'd talk to me about constantly — I was a kid I had no moral concept of anything and just liked being edgy and feeling mature) was that she was like. A chronic liar who constantly faked identities. And for years after cutting off contact with her I would look back and realize that she had faked even more than I had noticed at the time. The thing is, I knew for sure she wasn't lying about her home life -- Her address, what she looked like, her dad's profession, her age, her house, her pets, etc, were all things I had proof of. But when I knew her she was constantly remaking her Tumblr to escape drama she'd start, and she would constantly make side blogs under pseudonyms and pretend it wasn't her (sometimes it would be random shit like aesthetic blogs under different names or ask blogs for characters or smthn, other times it was like, callout blogs for people she had gotten into drama with where she would pretend to be someone else defending her). I assumed back then that I was always going to be in on it, because she would always tell me whenever she made one of these fake accounts, and sometimes she would encourage me to make a new account too as a sort of roleplay thing where we both pretended to be people we weren't... Until I learned that she wasn't always telling me. Every so often, I would become mutuals with a new account who would start messaging me about my interests and strike a conversation with me. Then something would slip and my "new mutual" would admit that they had actually been my friend all along... Which should have made me immediately cut contact because that's weird as shit, but I was young and she was a close friend, so I would just sorta accept it.

She ended up being like, horrifically transphobic. She got run off her blog twice for being specifically transmisogynistic, first insisting that she was allowed to headcanon canon trans women as feminine men and then on her next blog insisting that lesbians couldn't be attracted to trans women. I was still young and closeted and she was one of my closest friends and was constantly messaging me that the situation was making her suicidal and she was just wording things wrong and totally supported trans people and people just weren’t giving her the benefit of the doubt and she was still learning so I tried to just stay out of it without losing her. Then... I came out as trans lol. She stopped replying to me when I first came out and then made a bunch of vents on her tumblr about how much it upset her and about how “using he/him pronouns for AFAB people is triggering” for whatever fucking reason. She told me her “best IRL friend” who she had introduced me to once on Skype but who never logged in again after and who refused to ever do a group call or anything (definitely another fake account) said that it was irrational for me to expect my friends to respect my pronouns so soon after coming out and that I shouldn’t be upset if I get misgendered. Then she apologized but told me my name and pronouns would never fit me. As you can imagine, as a little baby trans kid who was closeted from my family and terrified of even having come to terms with being trans, I didn’t really have a great defense.

Soon she started being really woke like 2014 style Tumblr SJW to save face, she came out as nonbinary and told me in private it was because she felt bad when people called her cis during discourse (she absolutely wasn't nonbinary) and she coined a "new sexuality" that was "attraction only to people you perceive as feminine, regardless of how they identify" -- what this actually meant was "attraction to cis women and not trans women." She ran an aroace help blog despite not being aroace? And made a bunch of pride flags that I still see around sometimes to this day. She would start fights a lot and try to out-woke people and got into a bunch of drama with other SJW types of the day, got into a bunch of drama with TumblrInAction and Mogai-Watch and shit like that, and she claimed for a short while that she had a headmate (FWIW I totally believe DID is a legitimate thing but like. Trust me on this one.) who was transphobic and that it made her so sad, she told me that it was actually that headmate that had been transphobic before, and every so often her headmate would front out of nowhere and misgender me and use really abusive language like calling me a cunt or a bitch or whatever. She started making these "intersex nonbinary" OCs who she would constantly make porn of under the guise that they were representation for LGBT people who were just like, extremely fetishistic cuntboys and dickgirls (they were “intersex” to explain why they could be “girls with natal penises” or “boys with natal vaginas”).

At that same time, she somehow always managed to have these random, very sporadically active trans women mutuals who were apparently amazing friends of hers, who shared some interests with her but also would defend her when people brought up her past, with these long-winded “Well, I’m a trans woman and I think what she said is perfectly justified and everyone makes mistakes and she’s always been a good ally!!” Then one day some trans woman received an ask from her account where she claimed to be a “black trans woman” (she was, of course, a white cis woman) and she freaked out and claimed she had “been hacked by TiA or 4Chan to make her look bad” — I realize now she had just been sending anon messages pretending to be things she wasn’t and forgot to hit anon LOL. Late in all of this she also got into a bunch of hot water for being really antisemitic and saying she didn’t trust Jewish people because they were just like Christians and like, 5 seconds later she came out as Jewish and wrote this whole long sad vent about how she had had internalized antisemitism and then started going by a random Hebrew name LMAO.

In the end the final breaking point was when I found her secret TERF blog, where she had been making posts for months about how trans men are just insecure women who are trying to escape misogyny by stepping on the backs of “fellow women” and using me as a fucking example, and also saying that me not coming out as a trans man had been “basically rape” since she had been SEXTING me when she was 18+ and I was 13-14+ and that it was traumatic to know someone she had trusted was secretly identifying as a man LMAO. She was also obviously saying all sorts of transmisogynistic things, but also had these really bizarre fetish posts about wanting trans women to fuck her...? I confronted her about it and she literally fucking out of nowhere told me that she was in the emergency room with a mysterious illness that might kill her and she was allowed to have her phone but due to privacy laws couldn’t send a picture as proof. While “in the hospital” she deleted the TERF blog and her personal blog. I had known her for literal YEARS at this point (we had met when I was 12-13 or so and by the time we no longer spoke I was a few months from 17), and I was completely stunned to fucking hear this person trying to pull “I’m in the hospital with a deadly disease” at being confronted for some shit like that LMAO. I made a post about it on my public and another “trans woman friend” of hers logged in to vehemently defend her by saying that there’s nothing wrong with AFAB women being untrusting of trans people because female oppression is uniquely traumatic and that there’s nothing wrong with women expressing their sexuality by sexting minors as long as the minor consents and that I was the real predator for “hiding that I was a man” (remember, I’d been a 13 year old closeted trans boy), before never logging in again... 😭 One of the last times we ever talked was when she demanded I refund her for the fucking Xbox and I refused.

Anyway, the long-term aftermath of that is that a few people online (in some random cringe areas of the internet) who archived some of her antics still think that I also wasn’t a real person, since they caught onto how much she lied about too, so they think I was also a sock puppet and I have no interest in clarifying and making myself known to those people LOL. I have no fucking idea where she is now, she deactivated everything after her being a TERF came out. There’s like, so much more to that I could say because I knew her for YEARS and, like I said, she was one of my “closest friends.” Her parents had wildly expensive pure bred designer dogs that she would make Vines of. She wrote Beatles real person fan fiction. For her birthday one year I made her a shirt on Zazzle with an inside joke about one of her OCs... does she still have that? Either way, she was easily the most batshit person I’ve ever known closely online and I will forever associate the Hetalia fandom with people like that.

[imaginetonyandbucky]

Keeping Me Alive

Chapter 9: Never Too Late

by @dracusfyre

The answer turned out to be six weeks. Six weeks of bluffing through phone calls, six weeks of faking it when Stane came by to check his progress, six weeks’ worth of “still trying to get the math to work out” and “unexpected difficulties.” He’d handed over the updated prototypes to the miniature arc reactor two weeks ago, though he’d made sure to transpose some numbers deep in the schematics to give them some trouble until they figured out the mistake. He could see the frustration growing on Stane’s face and in his voice, and each time it happened his stomach swooped with fear and he considered giving in. But each time he managed to kept his mouth shut; each time he told himself, maybe tomorrow, but not today. He knew he couldn't keep stalling forever though, and that knowledge was a lead weight in his stomach every time he woke up.

The night his time ran out, Tony was nursing a glass of whiskey and staring at the fire in the fireplace, thoughts far away. The sound of his door unlocking made him jump and his heart was still racing from adrenaline when he saw Stane open the door. It started beating double time when he saw that for the first time in weeks, Stane was in a good mood.

“Good evening, Tony,” Stane said cheerfully as he closed the door behind him.

Tony had to swallow twice before he could speak. “Stane,” he said, and set his whiskey down on the coffee table when he saw that his hands were shaking. Stane in a good mood was much more terrifying than Stane in a bad one.

“I just swung by to check in and see how you were doing,” Stane said, and Tony watched him warily as he approached, noticing that Stane hadn’t taken off his coat or his shoes, like he wasn’t planning to stay long. He had no idea what that meant, but a change in routine was never good.

“I sent an email update yesterday,” Tony said, and he had. He’d pointed out a lot of problems in the current suit design and had made suggestions while managing to not actually give any solutions. It had taken him hours to write something that spectacularly unhelpful and he had been perversely proud of it.

“Yeah, I saw that email,” Stane said, putting his hands in his pockets as he looked at the fire as well. He picked up the poker and moved some of the logs around and the fire flared, reflecting red and orange on Stane’s skin. “But you know, when I was reading it, I kept getting the feeling that you were holding out on me.”

“No,” Tony said automatically, palms starting to sweat. “I’m not. I – I wouldn’t.”

“You see, that’s what I keep telling myself,” Stane said. When he turned to face Tony, the iron poker was still in his hand. Tony’s eyes fell to it and he swallowed thickly. He wanted to run, but his limbs were frozen as Stane came closer. “But then I think, Tony miniaturized the arc reactor after six months in a cave, something Howard couldn’t do in forty years.” Stane lifted the poker and set the tip of it against the arc reactor, pressing Tony back against the couch. He gasped at the pain and pressure as Stane started to lean on him, feeling like the arc reactor casing was squeezing the air from his lungs. “And this, this mechanized suit thing, isn't half as complicated as that. So I have to ask. Are you holding out on me?”

Tony stared up at Stane, who was looking down at him with a sort of patient indifference while Tony struggled to breathe. His breaths were coming fast and quick as he started to panic, and he kicked out at Stane, trying to make him back off. He grabbed at the poker and tried to push it away from him but Stane just leaned harder, the tip of the poker screeching as it etched a line in the protective glass of the arc reactor. Tony knew in that moment that Stane was fully prepared to kill him if he didn’t get an answer he liked and with that knowledge, he suddenly realized that he didn’t care. So he tightened his jaw against the pain, met Stane’s eyes, and stopped struggling. Kill me, he dared Stane with his gaze, since he couldn’t breathe to speak. Fuck you. I'd rather die.

And that was when Stane took a step back and threw the poker to the side, the ring of it against the marble floor echoing loudly. “I was afraid of this,” he said with a sigh. “Get up.”

As soon as the pressure was gone, Tony sat forward and curled over his knees, raggedly sucking air into lungs that felt bruised, each breath like a knife in his chest. Pain radiated out from the arc reactor, pulsing in time with his heart. He was staring sightlessly at the rug at his feet, spots crossing his vision as the need for air fought with the tight bands constricting his chest, when he heard Stane make an impatient noise and felt him grab the back of Tony’s shirt.

“I said get up,” Stane said irritably, pulling him off the couch. Tony staggered to his feet, hand on the arm of the couch as he steadied himself. “Let’s go. You need to see something.” He shoved Tony towards the door and Tony stumbled, almost falling on the way to Stane’s car, the concrete of the driveway scraping his bare feet.

“Where are we going?” Tony finally managed as the pain in his chest subsided to a dull ache.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Stane said. Tony sat very still and quiet in the passenger seat for the rest of the ride, fear keeping his throat closed tight as he tried not to draw Stane’s attention. It felt like another blow to the arc reactor would break him in half, split him open right down the middle like a log, and he wouldn't be able to keep from spilling every secret he’d been trying to keep.

After a few minutes of driving, Stane turned on the radio. The sound of a conservative talk show filled the dense silence in the car, an incongruous counterpoint to the tension that had Tony’s hands clenched into fists in his lap. They drove for over an hour before Stane pulled off the highway, then they spent another hour on back roads before pulling up to a back entrance of the LA port facilities. Stane showed his drivers license to the guard at the gate, and after studying it for a moment the man saluted and said “Heil Hydra” before buzzing them through. They parked at one of the dozens if not hundreds of anonymous warehouses that lined the shipyard, with only a number on the side of the building to distinguish it from the others. A keycode and fingerprint scan opened the door, which led to a blank hallway with a concrete floor and corrugated metal walls. The place was almost ominous in its banality. At the far end was another door, and Tony knew that whatever was on the other side of this was what had Stane in such a good mood.

“Here we go,” Stane said as he opened it. Tony reluctantly followed him through it, warily studying the room as he stepped inside. One side of the room was lined with hooks where body armor, helmets, and other gear hung, with a wooden bench lined up in front of a wall of lockers. In the far corner was a large munitions locker filled with rifles, handguns, and ammo cans. On the back wall of the room was what looked like an ancient upright hyperbaric chamber, rounded glass and blackened steel with a variety of cords and hoses running to it. Computers filled up most of the space in the middle along with a large metal machine, and on the third wall crates with the Stark Industries logo were stacked up almost to the ceiling.

And in the center of the room, Tony finally realized, sat the Winter Soldier. Tony felt his face go slack with shock, because this was the Soldier as Tony had never seen him: stripped of his weapons and bare-chested, no face mask or goggles. If it wasn’t for the metal arm Tony wouldn’t have even known who he was looking at, and the surprise seemed to short-circuit Tony’s normal seething hatred. The Soldier was sitting in a heavy metal chair that was haloed with some sort of machinery, staring straight ahead while white-coated technicians moved around him, checking the device and looking at something on the computers that were hooked up to the chair.

“Come on,” Stane said, and started towards him. When Tony didn’t follow, feet rooted to the floor with dread, Stane grabbed his arm and dragged him forward. They stopped about ten feet away from the chair, just far enough away that they weren’t going to disturb the work of the technicians but close enough that Tony could almost count the stubble on the Soldier’s jaw.

“Get a good look,” Stane said. He put his heavy, meaty hand on the back of Tony’s neck, keeping his head facing the Soldier, as if Tony could drag his eyes away from the man in front of them. As they’d approached, the Soldier’s eyes had flickered towards them, studying them. They lingered on Tony’s face for a long moment, and a slight line appeared between his eyebrows before he looked away. Tony noticed, incongruously, that his eyes were an icy blue, almost gray, but were strangely vacant as he stared across the room and ignored the activity around him, just like he always did with Tony. Without his normal tac gear, Tony could see that the metal of the arm went well into his chest; ropy, thick keloid scars marked the boundary between skin and metal.

That was also when Tony noticed the restraints on the Soldier’s arms, binding him to the chair.

“What-“ Tony started, but Stane squeezed him by the nape of his neck and shook him slightly to silence him.

“See, you seem to think death is the worst thing we can do to you,” Stane said into his ear. “Or torture. Pain and death, that’s all you think we can do. Kill you, kill your friends, blah blah blah. Right?” When Tony didn’t move, too stiff with fear, Stane put his hand on the back of Tony’s head and forced it up and down in a parody of a nod. “But it’s not. You see, with this machine, we can take your mind, pour it into a blender and,” at this, Stane got close enough that Tony could feel his breath, making his skin crawl, “pour whatever we want back in.”  Stane straightened. “Watch.”

Stane went up the Soldier and took a chair from one of the technicians so that he could sit with his face level to the Soldier's. “What’s your name?” he asked him, and the man’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. After a moment he just shook his head. “It’s James,” Stane said. “Your name is James Barnes and you were born in Brooklyn, did you know that?” The Soldier shook his head again. Stane threw a smirk over his shoulder at Tony before turning back to the Soldier. “Mission report,” he ordered.

At this, the look of confusion cleared. “Level 9 target eliminated. All witnesses eliminated. Package retrieved. All combatants returned to extraction point with minimal injuries. No damage sustained to Hydra property,” the Soldier reported. His voice was softer than Tony expected, but gravelly with disuse.

Stane turned to Tony and said, “Did you want to ask him any questions?” When Tony only shook his head, Stane frowned. “Spoilsport,” he complained, but he stood and gestured for Tony to take his place in the chair. Tony stepped forward reluctantly, an awful sense of dread making his limbs heavy. It wasn’t cold in the room but Tony felt a chill anyway, almost deep enough to make him shiver.

“Stane, please,” Tony said, not even sure what he was pleading for. Stop. Don’t make me do this. He didn’t even know what was going on, but something was deeply wrong here and it was making Tony feel a bone-deep terror that he hadn’t felt since he’d woken up to see Stane at his kitchen table when he was 18 years old.

“Sit,” Stane ordered, and shoved Tony into the chair. Now Tony was close enough to see the darker line of blue that circled the Soldier’s irises and the chapped skin of his lips, the cleft in his chin and the straight line of his nose. The Soldier was staring at him, and once Tony met his eyes he couldn’t look away. “Do you know who this man is?” Stane asked him, and after a moment of hesitation, the Soldier shook his head. “This is Tony Stark,” Stane said. “Remember that.” As the Soldier nodded once, Tony heard Stane ask the technicians, “Is everything ready?”

“Yes, sir.” At that, one of them came forward and put a hand on the Soldier's shoulder, pushing him against the back of the chair. The machinery that surrounded the chair began to hum as it lowered into position. The whole time, the Soldier’s eyes never left Tony’s, which is why Tony could see the exact moment when the blankness sharpened and turned into fear as he realized what was happening. A bite guard was forced into his mouth, and Tony could see his hands clench into fists and strain against the clamps binding him to the chair. After a moment a headset came down to surround the Soldier’s head, forcing it back until he was looking at the ceiling. Until now, he had been almost completely silent, but as the machine whirred to life, Tony heard a strangled whimper and saw the Soldier try to flinch away from the metal that was covering his face.  Tony closed his eyes and tried to turn his face away but Stane was behind him and forced his head forward.

“Watch,” Stane said. “Or I’ll make you flip the switch.”

Tony opened his eyes. A technician glanced towards Stane and must have gotten the go-ahead because he looked down at the panel in front of him and activated the machine. There was the sound of electricity buzzing and the Soldier jerked, screaming. The tendons of his neck stood out from the strength of his screams and they echoed off the metal walls, burrowing deep into Tony’s ears until he thought he’d hear the ring of them for the rest of his life. He watched as the Soldier's back bowed and his body convulsed, feeling like he was going to throw up. The sound of electricity cycled louder and louder, and the Soldier kept screaming even as his voice grew ragged, until finally the machine stopped and the room fell silent. The Soldier went limp, panting, as the headset lifted off of him and he was allowed to sit up again. His face was pale and his hair soaked with sweat, and he shivered in the aftermath, still twitching slightly.

“Hey,” Stane said, snapping his fingers at the Soldier. After a second, the Soldier focused his gaze on Stane. “What’s your name?” The Soldier's brow furrowed as he thought, and after a moment he shook his head. “What’s his name?” he asked, gesturing to Tony. The Soldier glanced at Tony, features blank with unrecognition. He shook his head again, and Stane slapped him. The sudden sharp noise made Tony jump. “I told you to remember,” Stane said sternly, and the Soldier swallowed but still shook his head after a long minute. “Fine. Give me a mission report.” The Soldier's agitation just got worse, and he shook his head again.  “Release his restraints,” Stane told the technician, then took a pistol from the small of his back and handed it to the Soldier. “Now take this apart and put it back together.” Looking relieved to finally get an order he understood, the Soldier's hands flew over the gun, and in moments it was pieces, all the way to the hammer and slide release spring, then it was back together, locked and loaded. Stane smiled approvingly and said, “Now unless you can tell me what your name is, I want you to point the gun at your temple and-“

“Stane!” Tony shouted as the Soldier's hand started to move.

“Yeah, I think you get the point,” Stane said. He took the gun out of the Soldier's unresisting hands. “No use beating a dead horse.” With a painful grip under Tony’s arm, he pulled him out of the chair to stand facing him. “You do get the point, right?” Stane said, picking a piece of lint off Tony’s shirt and flicking it to the side. “If not, let me make it crystal fucking clear. If you think you can take your secrets to your grave, that you can defy Hydra and there’s nothing we can do about it, you’re wrong. All we gotta do is stick you in that chair, give you a few targeted pulses of electricity to your hippocampus and neo-cortex, among others, and you’ll do anything. I. Say," he said, finger tapping the arc reactor for emphasis after each word.

Tony stared at Stane and absolutely believed him. Whatever happened in that chair wasn’t just about pain, it was about erasing; whoever the Soldier was - James, if that was really his name and not just something Stane made up – had been before, Hydra had erased him so thoroughly that not even his name remained, just the Soldier. Tony tried to imagine the terror of that, of having his memories and his personality and his will taken from him, every bit of him laid bare while Hydra picked over what they wanted and discarded what they didn’t. “I understand,” Tony managed.

“Good!” Stane said with a smile. “So when I say, ‘design me a fucking mechanized suit, Tony,’ what are you going to do?”

“Design the suit.”    

“Right answer.” Stane put his arm around Tony’s shoulders and led him towards the exit. “Let’s get you home.”

Tony was silent the whole way. Stane, on the other hand, was still in a great mood, switching talk radio for golden oldies and drumming his hands on the steering wheel. Tony only spoke when spoken to, giving only one word answers as Stane came inside for a drink and rambled something about the SI board of directors. He felt numb inside but forced himself to nod and answer in all the right places, until finally Stane tired of whatever game he was playing and left.

When the door finally closed behind him, Tony stood and went to the windows that faced out onto the ocean. Save who you can. Mourn who you can’t. Never forget, never forgive, and if you get a chance to escape, don't look back. Tony could still hear the Soldier's screams and see Stane’s smile, and as he stared at his reflection in the dark glass, he knew he was going to do something very, very stupid.