#I'm sorry for not finish coloring the little bonus

[irisintheafterglow]

some bonus hcs about dating volleyball captain!gojo while i finish up the next few parts of end game. hope you enjoyy !!

his lockscreen is of you sitting on his bed wearing one of his jerseys with no pants on

he'd just made you laugh really hard and it's a candid of you smiling

your lockscreen is of him standing in front of a tree that had "penis <3" carved into it with his thumb up

you'd literally teared up laughing when he begged you to take a photo of him with it

his homescreen is of you trying to wrangle megumi and yuuji to take a proper photo without getting distracted (the photo, therefore, being them getting distracted)

your homescreen is a mirror picture taken after you'd run around in the rain and were both soaking wet

he's holding you from behind and burying his face in your neck while you take the photo

if he wasn't protective of you before, he is the definition of protective now that you were officially together

other players that dare to hit on you before a match are humiliated by the honored one beating them at barely half of his full power

he'd blow you a kiss and then serve straight into the net because he's stupid <3

he likes to leave little notes in your pocket with the most OBSCENE things written in them and you have no idea how they got there

"your ass looks incredible today"

"call me mater because i want you"

"kachow i want you NOW"

he goes absolutely FERAL when you wear his clothes, especially his volleyball gear

doesn't matter if it's a jersey or his track jacket or a worn out tee-shirt from training camp

"you look better in that than i do, baby"

"though i do admit you'd look better in nothing at all"

you could wear his SOCKS and he'd get all giddy

if you're wearing it and it's not yours to begin with, he's a smug motherfucker

would unironically get you two those lego piece necklaces that create a heart in the colors of the school (i was thinking black and purple)

he always has to be touching you

doesn't matter the place or the time or the scenario

whether you like it or not, a part of this man's body will always be on yours

leaning against your shoulder, linking a single pinky with yours, touching your thigh with his under the table

it grounds him and reminds him that he's not alone

he love love loves it when you fiddle with his hands

you're laying down together with his arms around your shoulders looking up at the ceiling you'll trace the lines of his palms with your fingers and play with his hands and he literally melts

he's incredibly adamant to mention to eVERYONE that he has a partner including but not limited to: cheerleaders, fangirls, classmates, girls' team players, and other boys' team players (man can pull idk what to tell you)

at all times just

"i have a partner."

"sorry, i'm taken."

"i'm not single."

"i don't want you."

he'd never dream of giving up a love like yours because you see him just as satoru

not the powerhouse captain set to lead your school into its second volleyball golden age

just your best friend first then boyfriend satoru

whose bloodstream probably contains sugary green apple soda that you taste whenever he kisses you

"i taste that shitty fruity energy drink on your tongue again"

"so you admit you like my tongue"

"i just called it shitty, satoru"

"i'll start drinking a different flavor then, and you tell me which one you like"

he still doesn't convince you to call him captain

yet ;)

[gb-patch]

Hi! I saw your ask about skin tones and honestly, that is very much a barebones excuse to not include skintones in your game. You act as though adding skintones to a sprite would be a complete hand-drawn new asset when it would quite literally be filling in a pre drawn base for both Opal and the mc. Not only that but you potentially have thousands of mc outfits you promised for specific tier havers on the kickstarter. And then for 250,000 dollars, you're telling me we'll get more colors but not even 2 or 4 skintones when there are games with Less funding who have more skintones? Especially considering OL:B&A had the exact same amount of skintones and I could count all the afro centric hairstyles in that game on my two hands. I rather have more skintones than just pale, peach, olive, tan, brown and dark brown (most of which screams a 2000s foundation line of tones) than have more hair or clothing colors. I'm sorry, I love your games, I really do but that's an extremely lazy and abhorrent response from you and I am extremely disappointed.

"Hi. I just saw the post about you not adding in more skintones. I really hope this doesn't come across as rude or demanding but I find your reasoning for not being able to add them...lackluster at best. With all due respect, you set this goal for 250k, over three times the original goal you set for the kickstarter, the idea that somehow you can promise an additional set of darker colours for the clothes, accesories hair and eyes alongside the additional MC pieces people are going to request but not an additional skintone because of Opal seems a little ridiculous. I'm not an experienced artist but I do know how art files tend to work and I imagine adding additional colours to Opal's base design wouldn't be an extreme undertaking. In fact, by contrast, the work to add more colours to the clothes and hairs seems much more labourous considering the amount of them and the fact that some of the clothes have subcolours.

Again, I do hope I don't come accross as rude but I just feel like this announcement was highly dissapointing, especially considering the fact that the additional colours are currently the biggest goal for the kickstarter at the moment" There were two replies, so I put them together. I hope that's alright.

I understand. It would be bad and make no sense if that didn’t happen. I can say that this has nothing to do with funding. I'm not gonna attach more skin tones to a stretch goal, that’s not fair. It’ll be done whenever it can be regardless of what happens with the Kickstarter.

The other colors for hair and such is something I confirmed can be done by our programmer ahead of time using a color picker system in coding.

The situation as it stands today for Opal is that I personally don't have the skills to recolor her myself, the artist we have is in a situation where it would be unkind to increase how much work they have to do (it'd be easier if even less work could be on them), and while another artist could be hired- that hasn't happened at this point. So, saying it "could happen but maybe not" is cautious development process. It’s how it went with both the Cove Patreon Bonus Moments, where I pretended for months that it may or may not happen while working on it behind the scenes because I wasn’t sure how long I’d need to finish it and was worried it could be delayed for long stretches of time.

Being realistic, it is virtually a 100% certainly that before the game comes out, the skin tones will be expanded. There is no good reason why it wouldn’t. I was waiting until things got to a better point in production before coming out to officially say that it’s happening.

And I could’ve said it’s extremely likely but we’re not able to do it quite yet and avoided making anyone feel hurt. I wish my way of handling it hadn’t made the people who believed in our games sad. The reason why I didn’t is that I just can’t help but be averse to making promises I can’t do/the team can’t do and so have to rely on something else working out at some point in the future, even if it is entirely likely that it will.

That’s because I know that these things will make a lot of people happy. I want the excitement and any praise that might come to not happen until the goal has been achieved or is on the way to being achieved for sure. To a degree it’s helpful for players to have confidence in what the company is promoting, but it’s mainly to help with my own habit of catastrophizing. I tend to believe bad things could happen and I’ll let people down even when it’s so unlikely it’s not worth considering. I consider it anyway. And so, you get this kind of long-term hedging before the feature people hoped for suddenly appears. Even now my compulsion is to add a caveat that “there’s still a chance something (I don’t even know what) could happen and it won’t be added so don’t thank me yet” despite me already coming out with the truth that there’s every intention to have it added. I’m sorry to have disappointed you and made you feel disregarded by doing this. Hopefully when the skin options are expanded people will be able to enjoy the game a lot more than how it is with the current demo. And thanks for taking the time to let me know what you thought rather than giving up on the project entirely.

[yuriisclumsy]

I'm so excited that more people started taking cale request!!!✧\(>o<)ﾉ✧

Anyway hiii! Can I have an enemy to lovers with cale henituse and fem.reader idk something cliche like a dance scene or one gets protective of the other or maybe a cute "oh shit I'm actually in love moment"

Sorry I'm bursting with ideas rn.~

Love's Dance

Part 1 (You are here) | Part 2 | Part 3 (coming soon!)

𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 2,729

Authors note: You ask, and I shall deliver. PS. why did you give me such a good idea? like, I'm at 5k word for the overall thing, and I am not even done yet... (send help)

The streets of Roan Kingdom's Capital were bustling like usual. The vendors selling their goods, children running around carelessly, mothers screaming at them to not get dirty, and the usual underground activity Arm did. 

I strolled through these streets, thinking of nothing and relaxing ‘til I get another mission. 

“That reminds me…Arm has been quiet as of late. Sigh…they are up to no good…” I spoke to no one in particular, walking back to the Quiet Isle lodge. 

Quiet Isle is an inn in an area a little off the center of the Capital. I stayed there for the past three weeks after finishing my last mission. The price to stay is cheap, while still being comfortable. It has comfortable rooms, a clear view, free breakfast, and most importantly, it wasn’t noisy at all! Bonus points for the innkeepers, as they have been nothing but sweethearts.  

All-in-all, a good Inn if you’re looking to get your coins worth. 

I went through the inn’s doors, a sweet aroma of lavender hitting my nostrils as I neared the front desk.  

The Innkeepers were an old couple, and the misses genuinely enjoyed the smell of lavender. That is why, as you walk through the inn, you’ll be met with an influx of light purples from the flowers. 

Reaching the desk, I was greeted by a senior woman whose smile could cure all kinds of child injuries. 

“Oh! Why if it is the youth I’m all too familiar with!” The old granny said, delighted to see me. 

 “Greetings, Granny Fes,” I vowed curtly with a small smile. “Have there been any new guests at the inn?” I asked as she extended her hand to give me a piece of candy. 

Receiving the small candy, I offered a small ‘thank you.’ She said a quick ‘You’re welcome!’ before responding to my question. “Yes, yes! I welcomed a few new guests shortly after you left this morning for a stroll!” she excitedly told me. 

“Two of the five I welcomed are a couple expecting a child! Isn't that exciting? Ouu, to be young again…” 

“Oh, please. I say you are still quite young!” I say to get her head out of that cloud. 

“Fufufu, you are too kind [Name].” Granny Fes pinched my cheek as she got a bit flustered. “I believe one day you’ll meet a handsome young man that is suited just for you.” She added. 

I blushed a little, “Oh no, I don’t think that will happen…” I pause for a second. “Do you really think I’ll get lucky enough to have that...?” I asked, not believing I would get someone special to spend my days with. 

“Don’t give me that!” Granny Fes yelled, as if scolding one of her own. “You are beautiful! Which man wouldn't dream of having a wife such as yourself!?” 

All I could do was smile in response. This is how I want things to always go. Living in a peaceful area, sharing memories with people I meet along the way, even starting a family. Arm is nowhere near that picture. And it will never be. 

But alas. Good things always end. 

“Ah! That reminds me. [Name],” she called my name and handed me an envelope, “You received mail from a young lad. He said it was urgent.”  

Looking at the envelope as Granny Fes left to continue her job, I had an ominous feeling, yet I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.  

I turned it around only to see Arm’s seal stamped on it. Arm only sends letters if it is an important mission, and based on the color of the seal, it is of utmost importance.  

I am already not liking this I thought, refusing to open the letter. Maybe if I were to pretend its existence was nothing but a useless paper, it would disappear. But alas, I needed to open the envelope. With worry present in my face I opened it with the seal. Inside was a letter addressing Agent White Gold.  

That code name. It is the thing I despised most in this world. 

To Agent White Gold, 

Play time is up, White Gold. You have been assigned a mission in the Henituse Territory. We have discovered the traces of the leader of the organization known as ‘True Arm.’ Your mission is to go there and find out who the leader of the organization is, dead or alive. It is your choice which one you pick.  

A carriage will come to pick you up at sunrise, so don’t miss it.  

Once you arrive at your destination one of our men will greet you and guide you to your resting location and hand you an envelope. Inside, you will find descriptions of the one we are looking for, alongside a list of individuals that we found to match the description of our target. 

Remember, Agent, we are counting on your success. 

Don’t disappoint us, 

Arm 

Dammit… The moment I receive some peace after working for them like a slave…! I angrily store the letter to shreds, as if it were them instead of the letter. All I wanted was to disappear from the eyes of those bastards. They took me from my home, changed me to fit in an identity they made…they just can’t leave me alone, can they? 

 

I wanted to say no. To be able to run away to a far corner of the world so they would never be able to find me. But it is impossible. No one leaves. Rather, they die. Dying was the only way out. 

Yet, I want to live. 

I looked at Granny Fes as she talked with a few guests that were checking out. At that moment I knew that if I tried to escape, they would get everyone I was surrounded by. She doesn't deserve that. Neither does her husband, or her children and grandchildren. 

It is best I comply. 

“Sigh…Once you're in, there is no escaping their grasp…”  

The sky was tainted in hues of blues, purples, and oranges. The sun was rising from the nap it took, and fully ready to greet us. 

A carriage arrived early at the Quiet Isle Inn. Inside stood Granny Fes and Gramps Liy right next to me. Their eyes expressed sadness when looking at me. 

“Why so sad?” I asked the couple. 

“Oh, it’s just…it’s just that we’re both sad you’re leaving so soon.” Granny Fes confessed. Her husband, a bit more stubborn, only scuffed. Granny Fes elbowed him hard with a smile still shooting at me, gaining a small scowl from Gramps Liy. 

“AGHEM,” he raised one hand to fake a cough, “I guess you will be missed.” 

I laugh at his antics. Deep down he cares, he just has an unconventional way of expressing his feelings. 

“I’ll miss the two of you.” I looked at them with a small hinge of sadness but kept a smile to reassure them. I looked outside to see the coachman wave his hand signaling that he was ready for departure. “It seems I must go,” I turned to them, “see you later?” 

“Yes, yes. Goodbye little lady.” Gramps Liy ‘shud’ me to the carriage as he and his wife stared at me opening the door of the carriage. 

“Farewell, sweetheart. Make sure to take good care of yourself. And remember to look out for good lads while you’re traveling!” Granny Fes nagged me like I was about to never come back. Although, she was right about that. I don’t think I will be able to come back if I want to protect them. 

I laughed and said a small ‘I will!’ as I climbed into the carriage. Closing the door the carriage started moving. I waved to the couple one last time before I could not see them anymore. 

Sighting, I took out the map I packed. Looking at my destination, it was a few days from the capital. “This is going to be a loong trip…” I commented, making myself comfortable for the journey ahead. 

I hope I get this mission done quickly, so I can get another vacation from Arm. I looked up at the ceiling. I mean…how hard could it be to find this ‘leader’ anyways? 

… 

An old butler walks dutifully around the state halls. In hand, he holds a tray with a fancy tea set with a steel dome keeping the food inside warm; its aroma could be smelled by the passing housekeepers with wet laundry. 

The butler knocked at a door, he did not have to wait long, as he got an immediate response from the person inside. Opening the door he says his greetings. 

“Good morning, young master. I brought breakfast along with your favorite drink.” He says as he places down the tray on the table close to the window. 

“Ah, thank you, Ron.” A male voice thanked the butler. 

“It is my pleasure, young master Cale.” The butler, Ron, bowed. 

The man, who is now identified as Cale, sat down on the table to enjoy his breakfast. 

“Young master, if I may…” Ron waited for permission to continue speaking. 

“*Sight* Just spit it out.” Cale said in an uninterested voice. This is another one of his tangents. Drinking the lemonade that Ron made as he thinks of Ron’s earlier endeavors. 

Ron smiled, “I have detected Arm activity within the city.” 

“PFF–” spilling all the lemonade on the cup, he looked at Ron with widened eyes.

What is Arm doing here?! They have more pressing issues to deal with! Like, figuring out who Real Arm is! Cale’s thought went haywire.

 

Ron took his handkerchief out and gave it to Cale to use. 

“What do you mean there is Arm activity in the city? Is it more bombs?” He asked while using the cloth given to him to clean the mess he made. 

He shook his head, “no, at least not yet. I have seen them snoop around the city for information. It would seem we left them a small lead.” 

“Not good…” 

“If you’d prefer, young master, I could go rabbit hunting.” 

Looking at Ron with a drop of sweat evident in his forehead, he reluctantly answered. “...do whatever you want.”  

“Hehe. Then I will take my leave.” He bowed before leaving the room without making a sound. 

Scary old man. He looked outside pouring more lemonade in his cup. It’s not a good sign if Arm is here. I need to prepare in case they strike. 

… 

“Hey, wake up! We’re almost there!” 

“WHAT? HUH–huh?” I got up from my seat at lightning speed, looking around in a daze. As I scoot closer to the window, I see the giant walls looming overhead. On top of one of the towers built in the wall was a flag. It was the Henituse’s family crest imprinted on it.  

I’m already in the Henituse territory! 

Getting closer at the entrance door of the city, the carriage stopped, as they had to do a check before letting anyone in. 

“Execute me, m’lady. May I have your identification paper?” A soldier asked me. 

Security check? When I traveled to other places, they didn’t ask for my identification but the coachman’s. 

I handed him the paper without complaint, receiving it right after he checked that everything was good. The other soldiers gave him a thumbs up after checking the carriage and the coachman. Without further interruption they let us through, wishing us a happy stay. 

“That was…something.” 

The coach man dropped me off at a tavern near the city square. Going upstairs to the second floor of the establishment, I sat down at a table near the edge of the balcony. Waiting for the man that was supposed to give me the information mentioned in the letter I looked out into the streets, I could see the liveliness of the people.  

They were too lively in my opinion. 

Hearing footsteps approaching my table I diverted my attention to them. I was greeted with a man wearing a hat with fancy clothing. 

“Hello, m’lady,” the man greeted by taking his hat off and vowing curtly. 

Didn’t know Arm also had rich allies. I thought, seeing the man's mannerisms. 

“Good evening,” I vowed slightly, “are you the one mentioned in the letter?” 

“Eager now, are we?” He sat down in front of me with a smug smile. He placed his hat down before taking out an envelope. He slid it across the table. As I grabbed it, I took out its content.  

It was a list of suspects. They all had red hair and were male. And that was it. No underground activities, no records, nothing. 

“That’s…it?”  

This is the only information they managed to find…seriously? I thought. Was someone able to sneak past Arm’s noses? How is that even possible? 

“Unfortunately, it is.” 

“Ha...!” I laughed at the absurdity of the situation. I looked up at the man after reviewing the list of suspects.  

“This is the only description we managed to find,” the smile on his face dropped into a frown, “only at the low cost of our scouts: a single spy was able to escape long enough to hide a piece of paper in a tree trunk…” he said. 

“....” I looked down at the list.  

To be able to kill all of our scouts…this is no meek foe. Just thinking of how strong they are sends shivers down my spine…  

“I have arranged a small room at an Inn close by here. I have left some equipment at your disposal. The location is on one of the papers in the envelope.” The man stood up and put his hat on, adjusting his suit a little before looking at me.  

“If you need anything else, I left a card at your place with instructions as to how you can contact me. Remember I’m at your service m’lady, Tata! ~” 

“I will keep that in mind.” 

Watching as he disappeared behind the doors of the second floor, I decided to order something to eat before heading to my fixed place. 

…

 

“…a festival?” Cale looked at the flier given to him. 

“That’s right,” Count Deruth, Cale’s father, said nonchalantly, “the festival will brighten the people's moods, as well as show that we are financially good.” 

Politics…. 

! 

“Wait, here it says the ‘Henituse’s’ are attending…I don’t have to attend…right?” 

Deruth raised an eyebrow in question. “You don’t have to go.” 

“...” 

I must go. *Sight* My well-deserved rest has been postponed once again… can’t I catch a break for once? 

“On that note, I have reserved a spot on the city square where we will be presiding during the time,” he said as Cale gave him back the paper.  

“You don’t have to talk–or better said–you don’t have to even move. Just sitting there is enough.” 

Cale smiled at this I don’t have to move? Seems perfect to me! 

“I’ll be attending in that case.” 

“The festival will start in a few days. Be ready.” 

Cale exited his father’s study, walking back to his room. 

I need to tell Ron about this. It’ll be no surprise if Arm takes advantage of the festival. There stands a man with black hair waiting outside Cale’s room for him to come. 

“!” 

“Young master Cale!” The man runs towards him with puppy-like energy. 

“Choi Han, is there something you need?” Cale asked. 

“I heard from Ron that there have been suspicious activities happening in the city. So, I came to ask for permission to investigate.” Hans explained. 

Cale hummed. Strange. Usually, you would do these types of things without letting me know. Perhaps he thinks this is a bit dangerous and if he doesn't return, we know where to look? 

“You can do as you please, no need to ask for my permission.” 

“I see…thank you young master,” Han vowed, “I will report back immediately once I find anything!” As he said that, he began to leave. 

“Oh, and, Choi Han?” Cale spoke before he could fully leave. 

“Yes, Cale?” 

“If you find anything, make sure to report first. Don’t go around making havoc, got it?” Cale instructed. 

“...yes” he responded with a bit of thinking, knowing it was the best decision. 

Let’s see what they have in store for us. Cale entered his room, he’ll laze around until the festival actually begins. What a bother… 

… 

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Master-List

[prettypei]

hii i enjoy your writing! may i request fluff drabbles for gojo, choso, yuta, noritoshi (kamo from the kyoto school) and hajime (aka kashimo the turquoise haired pikachu) please? like he's in an established relationship with reader and they're out on a cute date, being domestic and behaving like an old married couple. some ideas: ikea, grocery shopping, aquarium, art gallery, science museum/observatory etc

bonus if there are sweet romantic moments~ i'm fine with either fem or gender neutral reader, thank you i hope you'll consider my request! i just need something comforting to read bc shibuya arc has started in the anime while the manga is kinda at a tensed climax rn and i feel stressed lmao

plot: cute dates/domestic couple thingys with them!; fluff

reader: gn! Reader

characters: gojo, yuuta, choso, kashimo, kamo

warnings: yuutas kinda mean in this (but in a yuuta way)

(a/n): first req!!!!!! Hi hello anon I hope u like it 💪💪💪 gojo’s bento is very stereotypical Japanese LOL…KAMO IS SRSLY UNDERRATED!!!! Erm I also have like zero knowledge of flowers so sorry if it’s inaccurate, KAMOS IS SUPER CHEESY ENDING GBHBHJHHJHJH

✰CHOSO

Choso loves art. But he doesn’t only love art, he also loves you. So when you suggested to take him to the art museum for a date, he was overjoyed by the thought. But… he was embarrassed that you would see his drawings of you, so he hid it discreetly in his bag when you went to the museum. Yes, he paints you. Sketches you, even. But he’s way too shy to admit it, because god, he could never capture the way your eyes glinted or the way your smile stood out or the expression of pure bliss when he kissed you… he tries to avoid drawing you, but he can’t. You’re in every thought of his. And now, he’s trying to hide his notebook from you. He’s hugging it close to his chest, hiding it under his book bag as he mimicked the painting in front of him. It was a simple one, really…but it looked like it was missing something. He thought for a minute and his brain clicked. It was missing you. You would fit perfectly into it, since your eye color would stand out splendidly. He just finished drawing your face before… “whatcha doing?” He stumbles and knocks over his collection of colored pencils over the bench he was sitting on. “Nothing.” “Are you drawing something? Can I see it?” You ask excitedly. And honestly, could he ever say no to you? He mumbled a bit as he gave the book to you and started picking up the colored pencils, and you were surprised to see your own face staring back at you. “Is-is this me?” You smile. You flip through the book, and you noticed how your face was on almost every page. Choso looks up with a flustered face. “I-well-kinda? Yeah?” You drop down to the floor and hug him. “You’re so cute.” You mumble with a grin on your face. If he had known this would’ve made you like this he would’ve shown you this ages ago.

✰YUUTA

You and yuuta were at the grocery store, the second time this week, because food was running out again, since yuuta always insists on "buying just enough for both of us so we don't waste any food". If you didn't lie, you thought he quite enjoyed your silly little trips to the groceries. Even though the walk was short, you and yuuta often point out interesting things that cross your path. Last week you saw a dog wearing a fur coat, and just yesterday yuuta heard a construction worker whistle out the tune to "From the start" by Laufey. It's those simple things that quickly become inside jokes for the both of you. Upon arriving at the store, you usually follow yuuta as he shops for suitable groceries for today's lunch and dinner. But...after going shopping with him 3 times when you were dating, you noticed yuuta had a habit of looking at food labels. For a really long time. As yuuta examines the ingredients for the canned pineapples (why would you even need to do that? It's literally just pineapples!) you whine about how he's taking so long that you've started getting wrinkles. He then proceeds to give you a chuckle and a "wait a minute, love." and continue to read the can's contents. "(name)." He calls out your name in the most serious tone you've ever heard him in. "what?" He reaches into the cart and takes out a can of "grilled takoyaki balls: freshly made" and gives you a disgusted look. You shrug sheepishly.

✰GOJO

"(NAME)!!! (NAMEEEE)!!!" A tic almost forms at your forehead when you hear that sound, and, lo and behold, it is your husband once again embarrassing you in front of your co-workers. You walk over to him while crossing your arms. "What are you doing?" You hiss as the women (and men) all around you give you jealous looks. "Can't I surprise my darlin' at work once in a while?" He grins while holding up a bento box. Your eyes soften as you look at the homemade bento. Yeah, it probably tastes like shit cuz Gojo really can't cook, but...it's nice to see him put in an effort once in a while. "I wanna see your reaction when you eat it." He says stubbornly as he pulls your hand into the office building. "Oh boy." You think when Gojo shrugs off the security guard and waves to everyone as he waltzes into the lunch break room like he owns the place. He pulls a chair down for you and sits down in another one. "Open it, open it!" He smiles. You roll your eyes with a chuckle, and you're expecting to see some unidentified gunk, but to your surprise, it's a cute bento with sausages shaped like squid, egg rolls tucked in nicely next to the fried rice, and meat balls on a stick. “I made it four times, did you like it? And, well, I may or may have not made our kitchen a mess but it’s worth-“ You shut him up with a kiss.

✰KAMO

“Kamo, love?” “Yes, dear?” “Look at how gorgeous these Daffodils are!” You pick up a potted plant of them as Kamo miles at you. Going on dates to flower shops had become a routine for you and Kamo, since you both would do it weekly. “Yes, darling, they are beautiful. Not as beautiful as you though.” “Shut up.” You scoff as you roll your eyes and shove him playfully. Kamo has a wide knowledge about flowers, knowing what each of them symbolize and what they represent. Before dating Kamo, you would’ve never known that red, white and pink carnations had different meanings, or that white Hyacinths stood for loveliness. Most of the time on these dates you would stroll through each aisles, pointing out flowers or plants that you thought were cute. Kamo would then proceed to tell you the meaning. On the surface, it may seem like a repetitive action, but with Kamo, everything feels new and interesting. He may tell you a story about what this plant reminds him of, or about how this flower wilts to your beauty. At the end of every date (usually the shopkeeper has to kick you both out) Kamo buys you a bouquet of flowers, each symbolizing something about your relationship with one another. Even though sometimes the flowers wilt and you have to throw them away, he knows that his love for you never will.

✰KASHIMO

"Kashi! You look just like it!" Kashimo hums as he opens one eye to see you holding up a cat. You both are at a cat cafe, since you really do love cats and, well, Kashimo doesn't mind cats, really. But when he met you (a certified-cat-lover) his love for them had grown. Now, whenever he sees a stray cat on the street, he takes a picture and shows it to you. "Do I? Its hair's not green." He points out. "Well, it doesn't have to be! You and him both give off the same vibes! I just saw him standing on top of the bookshelf, thought it looked lonely." "You think I'm lonely?" He teases, getting down from his seat to sit on the floor with you. “Nah. You’re never lonely with me.” You grin. “Say hi to it!” “Hello.” He says with a deadpan face. “You have to be friendly with it!” “Hello.” He smiles an obviously forced grin. “😐” “I love you.” “Okay.” “C’mon, baby don’t be like that.” He smirks as he scoots in closer with you. You roll your eyes as you start playing with the cat. Kashimo’s eyes narrow as he snatch’s the cat away from your arms. “Hey!” “If you keep on playing with it more than me, I’m gonna think you were wishing you were dating it.” He ruffles its hair as he lets it go. “You’re so mean. It’s cute! Unlike you.” “Who exactly is the mean one?” You giggle and poke his cheek. “I’m joking, joking. I love you.” There’s a moment of silence as he takes in the words. “Well, I love you more. If this is a competition, I’m definitely gonna win.”

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook: By chance(short 1)

In which Jungkook gets to know his soulmate and can't help but fall deeper and deeper in love.

Tags/Warnings: Soulmate AU, Idol!Jungkook, slight angst, major fluff, no one asked but I still deliver, Jungkook having impure thoughts oops

Length: short/mid

Belongs to: By Chance

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"Did you order this much?" He laughs to himself as he brings in all the takeout boxes. You jump up to help, nodding eagerly, your phone now discarded on his couch. You've visited him after he'd asked if you wanted to spend some time with him- get to know him, seeing as you're soulmates.

"I haven't eaten all day - and honestly, I paid for it, so who cares! Those cinnamon bites will still taste good tomorrow morning for breakfast. And before you ask, I do plan on taking this stuff home with me if we don't finish it." You shrug, bringing the other boxes Jungkook couldn't hold into the living room.

"How much do I owe you?" He asks, already taking his phone out, and you just lick your finger after having opened some boxes to look what's what, shaking your head.

"Your honest opinion on the chicken, really. I've never ordered those, but they do look very hot right now, not gonna lie." You say, sitting down before stretching your legs. Your shorts reveal a tattoo on your leg that seems to travel high up- he's spotted a glimpse of something up to your rib when your stretched earlier, rising fabric of your shirt having also revealed a sparkling butterfly hanging from a silver piercing decorating your belly button. It makes him wonder how much more you hide away from his eyes, what might be there to discover for him.

You seem to be such a free spirit- an uncaged bird, open, colorful, exciting. You're infectious too, your bubbly nature easily making him feel all happy and relaxed. And he swears that's not just his soulmate bond speaking. He truly believes he would've at least developed a crush on you no matter the circumstances, really. You're cute, a little wild, testing him as if to see if he's able to tame you. You're exactly his type, not just physically.

Your beauty is simply a bonus- a pretty soul safely tucked into an equally pretty body.

"I love them, even if they're a little greasy. I've got a horrible love for fried foods." He laughs, sitting down to eat across from you.

"Would've never guessed." You smile. "Not to insult you, really. But I always thought every Idol, you know, is obsessed with dieting and staying away from anything that could have more calories than a carrot." You say, before holding a hand towards your mouth, eyes wide. "Oh my God, that sounded so rude, fuck!" You shake your head. "Now I cursed, I'm sorry, fuck- I mean not fuck, shit- I mean-" you whine to yourself putting your face in your hands while Jungkook laughs across from you.

"You're fine, really, it's okay." He reassures. "I'm not that sensitive, and honestly, a lot of idols do be like that." He shrugs.

"Maybe? I mean, I probably shouldn't even bring that topic up. I don't wanna be nosy." You say quietly, stealing a piece of chicken from him before you freeze in your motions. "Oh God I should've asked- why am I like this?!" You scold yourself, and he smiles brightly towards you.

"You're cute, nothing wrong with it." He flirts.

You look at him a little playfully suspicious before you continue eating. "If you're aiming at getting into my pants, I might have to disappoint you, mister." You say, and his eyes widen while he stops chewing for a second. "In front of you sits a very awkward virgin that's not even sure if she even likes sex, or kissing, or anything of that nature really. I'm just putting it out there, lay my cards on the table, I guess." You shrug before taking a sip of your soda.

"May I ask why?" He wonders respectfully, wiping his fingers on a napkin close by. "I'll respect your decision, obviously. I'm just curious, I guess." He clarifies, and you shrug.

"You've got every right to be." You nod, licking your lips. "I guess every guy has always been so.. pushy with it to the point where I didn't want to do it simply just to spite them." You explain, not looking at him. "Wanted to see how they'd react if I said that I didn't want to. You know, neither kiss nor have sex. Like a test, to see if they're any good." You tell him, and he nods.

"And none ever passed the test?" He asks, making you shrug as you look at him now.

"I mean, there's one who's on a pretty good road of maybe being the first to do just that." You say, and he smiles charmingly, fingers playing with his lip ring for a second before he turns serious again.

"All jokes aside, I really am okay with that." He says. "I didn't invite you here to fuck you, nor do I ever plan on doing that. Putting up a facade to tangle you into something, I mean. I'd fuck you if you'd want me to, just to be clear here." He tells you, reaching over to steal a few sips of your drink.

"Well, you stole an indirect kiss now, so that gonna be some points added to your fuckboy-ness." You say, crossing your arms- unaware probably that he now gets a very attractive sight of your cleavage now.

"We can easily make it a direct one too, if you want." He flirts again, and you stay quiet for a second, almost making him apologize- until you actually speak again, softly.

"I mean, I wouldn't mind.." you mumble.

"You don't have to push yourself." He tells you calmly. "I'm sorry if it felt like I was trying to convince you. I'm only joking around."

"No-" you start, looking everywhere but him. "-I, don't know, I actually do wanna try it with you. See if I like it." You say. "But, you know, only if you're up for it too."

"I'd be dumb to say no to kissing a pretty girl like you." He shrugs with a boyish smile before he gets up from the floor and squats down in front of you, his hands on your knees as you're still sitting on his couch. He chuckles at your shyness a bit before he slowly leans upwards, making sure to check until the very last second for any signs of you becoming uncomfortable. But that moment never comes, and when his lips make contact with yours for a short peck, your hands find his to hold onto, making him smile into the kiss before he parts from you. "Good? You're free to say if it wasn't, I'm really cool with that." He says, and you nod.

"Never really knew what to expect from a kiss, really." You shrug. "But it's nice. I liked it." You nod.

"Wait that was your first kiss?!" He now asks, and you nod.

"Wasn't that obvious? I thought I made it obvious." You laugh, and he laughs as well.

"I mean, I understood the virgin part, but I thought, you know, a pretty girl like you would've at least been kissed before." He says, and you playfully hit his chest, making him fall dramatically on his butt.

"Oh come on now prince charming, go eat your greasy chicken." You tease, making him grin.

Yeah- he really believes he's gonna fall for you. Maybe he already has.

Either way- he doesn't mind one bit.

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[ribbononline]

Oh yeah! Since I have no clue if/when I'm ever finishing these and I've had them laying around for forever by now- here's the adult IT metaverse outfits I've made! They're all based on their ultimate personas and the concept of heros! Since these were made for an aged up p4 cast, these aren't quite what I'd put their during p4 time selves in- some changing more then others- but if you wanna follow me into design details, that'll all be under the cut!

First off to get em out of the way- Teddie is very largely the same as his p4 time metaverse outfit I made for him back here . The design is still meant to be inspired by magical girls, but the biggest change is that while the old one was meant to look like a magical girl protagonists outfit, this one I tried to lean a bit more into the older/more experienced cast member of the magical girl group type design. Overall a pretty minor change (and I will admit, largely because I'm still incredibly happy with that old design) but it felt fitting!

Chie and Yukiko were, as always when I work on them, designed to match. Their masks specifically mirror eachother with the opposites sides sticking out, and they both have a golden dragon pattern on their clothes as a reference to the twin dragons move! Chie was... honestly one where I had to sacrifice my goals a bit. Like mentioned before, these were meant specifically for an aged up cast. And while p4 era Chie I would absolutely imagine in a kung fu Chung-Li type outfit, we know what a more mature version of her action hero dreams look like; the police! And I.... really did not want to put her in a cop outfit, Ill be real. Instead I just tried focusing on making the outfit look more mature. Also tried to combine a practical and strong look with a more feminine aesthetic, since she struggles pretty badly with her femininity in p4 and I like to think she'd grow more comfortable with her own brand of it over time!

Yukiko is perhaps one of the most drastic one for changes compared to her younger self- if you asked me to design a p4 era outfit for her, it would look nothing like this, hah. Anyways, she's definitely inspired by onna-musha! Compared to Tomoe who was a full on commander of an army going out there, for Yukiko the idea was more the women taking up arms to protect their home when the battle comes their way. Fully having embraced the role she has as the next owner of the Amagi Inn and the responsibility and want to protect it, it's meant to be somewhat of an outing of that!

Fun fact: She has two color schemes! Because uhh I did not know what to go for at all. Her ultimate persona is like a single solid color and I kind of panicked and just ended up winging the colorscheme. One is more red since, y'know, thats her color! The other is more white gold to match her actual persona better. Included at the end of this post for the curious

Rise was based on a greek goddess- though not any particular one, moreso how they're commonly depicteed in art and old statues. Pretty, holy, someone you'd go to for advice and help (someone just out of reach from the general public) It just felt like a good combination of something she'd like to be seen as and percieved as as well. She gets two outfits- for scan and fight mode! Kouzeon has no canon fight mode, thats just for Himiko, but man it exists in my heart. The transistion between the two is literally just her throwing off the long overskirt, hah.

How does her mask work? Excellent question. The p5 idea of having it there when vibing but gone when the persona is out feels a little awkward when her persona's whole thing is putting a visor over her face. Quite frankly I have no idea. Sorry folks. Have all concept sketches for the outfits I've done as compensation with a bonus Noot in there that I never continued on and finished.

[burning-academia-if]

Hi! I’m so excited for the demo to come out on Friday and to meet Zoe officially (they are just sooo, <3 <3 <3, y’know)! I was wondering how the ROs would react to the classic MC was struggling to finish a project and the ROs suggested something that solved the problem so the MC got really excited and did the whole “you’re a genius!!” thing which leads to the MC kissing them on the cheek after which they get extremely embarrassed (in the crushing stage)… sorry I couldn’t think of a easier way to word it lol. Thanks and hope you are having a good day <3

I'm glad you're excited!! Quick note before I answer the prompt so people know what to expect; the MC only officially meets 2 (possibly 3) of the ROs. Two of them are present in scenes not with the MC, and one isn't there at all. The prologue is just setup, and you'll officially meet everyone in Chapter 1!

For the prompt:

Rook: His brain short circuits. He'll recover quick and try to laugh it off, "Well, someone's happy." He hears his voice catch, and hopes you don't notice it, or hear the way his heart beat picks up. He tells himself it doesn't mean anything.

Beck: He's casual about it, and when he notices you're embarrassed, it's a casual reassurance, "It's alright, I don't mind." And he doesn't, because he's always making excuses to touch you in ways you'll allow. Bonus points for an MC who is touchy-feely because you may have even kissed his cheek before, and if you have, why are you so embarrassed this time?

Rhea: She's flustered, but is trying so hard to be casual about it. She gives a single nod of her head, "Anyway, glad I could help." Meanwhile, her thoughts are racing, her heart is doing weird little jumps and she fights the blush threatening to color her cheeks.

Zoe: They're flustered and it's so obvious. They duck their head away, they mumble "You're welcome." It takes everything in their power to look you in the eye again. Bonus points for an MC who would be even more embarrassed at their reaction and then you're both stammering at each other OR a teasing MC who would recover just to make them even more embarrassed somehow.

Lars: He hardly reacts. Maybe a quick glance towards you or a raise of his eyebrow, but he doesn't comment and moves on to the next thing. His response is the same as ever to your thanks, "Sure, whatever." If you're really outwardly embarrassed though, he'd probably give you a smirk, lean forward and say, "Don't do something you can't commit to." He pulls away again before you can react.

???: They're teasing you. Their eyelids lower, their grin gets a little sharper, "Does your thanks always come with a kiss? Because I can be more helpful then this, little moon." Amusement laces every word, and likely only grows with your reaction.

[loserlvrss]

꒰ 𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐒𝐘𝐂𝐇𝐄 ꒱ 최승철 & 최한설

summary : you'd gone on a couple of dates between your schedule of running a cafe, complications emerging when two of your closest flings admit their love and leave you confused

genre : fluff, angst, cafe-owner!reader, artist!vernon, surgeon!scoups, bestfriend!dino, bestfriend!seungkwan, love-triangle, comedy, multi x afab!reader tws : language, suggestive content, emetophobia, reader is very insecure, anxiety, mentions of sex author notes : for @mintchocosan. i sincerely hope it's what you were looking for. i'm so down bad for these two men, istg it was so difficult to decide. thank you so much for requesting! i'm so so so sorry it took too fucking long :c forgive me & thank u for being understanding, happy holidays & new years. word count : 9.2k

“chan,” you turned, watching as the dark-haired man began to audaciously ignore you, a smile to his face, “can you help the customer, please?” 

at that moment, another employee came from the back, swinging the door dramatically against its hinges and sighing out. he passed chan on the way, smacking the back of his head and walking to the register. chan yelped in protest — his eyes shooting everything that wasn’t suitable for the friendly atmosphere of your café at him in retaliation.

the man proceeded to take the order, the customer stifling a laugh at the antics of your best — and basically only — friends. 

he joined the two of you with a slip of paper, handing it off to you and leaning against the counter. he sighed over-dramatically again, earning another side-eye from chan. “y/n, why must you hire such incompetent people? you should take it out of his paycheck, or something — give me a bonus for being so good to your café.” 

you chuckled, pouring the heated milk into the drink you were making, “seungkwan… play nice.” 

chan scoffed, “yeah, seungkwan, play nice.” 

“you both make the day go by a little faster,” seungkwan boasted silently, chan doing the same at your side as he put a lid on the cup you had just passed. “don’t let it get to your big heads, though.”

“chan does have a big head! in fact, if it got any larger we might have to order a custom hat for his bad hair — correction, normal hair days.” 

chan's gaze deepened on the older of the pair, you laughed and took the finished product from the younger, handing it to the waiting customer. they thanked you and walked off; probably to join the bustling streets on their way into work — like you've been at since 4am. 

now that the only customer's were the ones getting a morning study-sesh in. chan jumped at seungkwan, miming a kick you'd see in action movies from time-to-time; when you'd have time to indulge in self-care and actually watch one. 

you watched the pair play-fight for a minute before your phone pinged in the front pocket of your tan-colored apron. your hand reached in and pulled it out, looking at the lit up lock screen of linked hands. you read the notification, barely registering that it happened to be outside of your head. 

"yeah," seungkwan took the phone from your hand, your attempt to get it back in vain when he held it above his head, "we should be free for lunch, but why are you asking y/n? we all eat together anyways." 

chan hummed, pressing his lower back into the countertop and crossing his arms, 'i'm actually not sure if i will be. i've been seeing this doctor recently, his schedule is so hectic that i drop everything for him when he texts me — " another ping rang out, cutting him off briefly, "ah! that must be him right now!" 

seungkwan moved excitedly, reading the text aloud for the whole of the place to hear, "i just had a really stressful night and i just want to see your face, let me know if you can meet." his mouth dropped open, "he even put a heart! chan, look at this!"

"stop!" you whined, chan lifting from his relaxed position and holding you back effortlessly. he nodded for the older to go on with typing — seemingly from his facial expressions — a well thought-out reply.

"guys, i'm so busy. don't say yes right now. seungkwan, you'll have no fingers if you continue to type — oh my god, i'm going to fire you both. we won't be friends anymore, seungkwan, chan, stop it right now — i’m serious." 

seungkwan handed the phone back casually, obviously ignoring your lifeless threats. "great, i'll see you later at your place... don't forget to wrap it up. but he’s a doctor, he should know the risks." 

you shot them a serious glance, that soon morphed into a pleading one. "guys, i have a meeting, which i was trying to tell you — "

"we know. we said you'd meet afterwards. anyways, the painter is coming soon. as in, this morning. y/n, we're not stupid. and besides, who fucks during the day?” 

chan threw his hand up, “well, i'm not stupid — you, however, could've fooled me.”

“yeah? well, you don’t fuck at all, you’ve never even gotten your dick w — “ 

chan lunged at him, pulling his fist back and only pulsing it in seungkwan’s direction. then, they broke out into another verbal fight; your cue to leave them and go back to your office. 

you took a shaky breath as you walked the brightly lit hallway. you knew your friends were right and everything would work out smoothly, they knew about your meeting and truthfully just wanted what was best for you. they wanted you to get out of your shell, yet still, the act itself annoyed you. it almost made you feel belittled, like you had no control over your love-life — at least, no better than they did. 

once you took a seat behind your organized desk, you grumbled and hung your head to the cool wood. honestly, the pressure against your skull was soothing the tension inside you, and ultimately relaxing your shoulders. 

you weren't easy to stress-out, or frankly upset, but right now you felt a little lost though the path was clear and brightly lit. you could see the end, yet the thing — person — wasn't in focus. you couldn't tell if it was you or someone entirely different; especially since you've seen a lot of people throughout your twenty-seven years on earth. 

if you were honest with yourself, you’d know you've been feeling like (for a while now) that something was missing. if you went back a couple of years and saw that happy face of yours opening the doors to your dream café, you'd be disappointed to have her looking back at you. you loved your job, and the regulars made it worth it, chan and seungkwan, who have been at your side since practically the beginning, made it worth it. you weren't financially going under, and you were far from running out of people to serve, you just couldn't pin-point the empty feeling inside your chest that kept you up at night. 

actually, you didn't even know why this was all bubbling up now. in the past, you had it harder — especially during the pandemic when you had to close for all those months, putting yourself and, ultimately, your bestfriend’s at risk of being homeless. but, there must’ve been something about the soggy blanket over the sky this morning that made you feel lethargic. 

then, came a soft knock on the door to your office. you let out a gentle conformation to come in, expecting to see chan or seungkwan telling you that they were going on break despite only working two hours to your almost eight. you almost non-verbally waved them off, until you saw the contempt — almost radiantly so — expression painting the other half of your meeting’s face. he smiled, barely showing his teeth in the process, and shielding you two behind the closed door. 

you returned a slight smile, and he cocked his head, standing in the middle of the room and watching as you raised from your seated position. you circled from behind your desk and wrapped your arms around him. his scent took over your nose: the synthetic, yet comforting smell of paint that mixed with a floral aroma he tried to cover it up with. 

“hey,” he said, barely over a whisper, “are you okay?” 

you nodded into his neck, genuinely feeling a sense of clarity through the fog in his arms. 

“i think… i’m just tired.” you replied honestly, finally breaking from his embrace, “i’ve been here since four and seungkwan and chan have been testing each other’s nonexistent patience today more than usual — making a competition about who’s gotten their dicks wet more.” you shuttered with the mental image. “is it a full moon? i feel like it must be. it’s gotta be the only explanation why today just feels off.” 

he gave you a gentle look, sparklingly-clear eyes meeting your broody ones. “do you need something? how can i help?” 

you shied away, leaning against the cedar of the desk as a blush bloomed across your cheekbones. you almost buckled at the knees from his eagerness to want you to feel better — the genuineness behind his tone. 

your arms crossed over your front, “i’ll be okay. nothing a big girl can’t handle.” you tried to joke, “i haven’t cried since elementary school. i can handle a lot, you know.” 

he further approached you, taking your hooked arms within his grasp and pulling you into him again. “are you sure?” he asked, and before he gave you a chance to reassure him, he took your breath away, literally, as your lips melted together for the sixth or seventh time (not that you were counting) since you started seeing each other. 

his hands found your cheeks as the kiss deepened, yours wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer. your heartbeat was crazily-fast despite the relaxed feeling you felt coursing through you. he peppered a few closed mouth kisses as you slowed, pulling off with soft but heavy breaths. 

"trust me, i know you can handle a lot." he breathily fanned the lower half of your face, “but, i really wanted to kiss you anyways.” 

"oh?" you laughed, "and how did you find that information out?" 

he laughed back, "are you flirting with me?" 

"i don't know," you gently pressed his lips to yours again, "would you like to find out?"

"i thought we were supposed to be having a meeting about art." 

he let you fall back against the cool wood. "i guess we could give it a try..." but there was now a lingering tension that wasn't there before his lips were on yours. you'd been on more than a few dates over the two months you've been — as chan says — putting yourself out there and despite only kissing a couple of times, it seemed he already knew you so goddamn well. “but, no promises i’ll remain professional now that all i can think about is the art we could make while on a canvas.” 

he cocked a brow in your direction, “is that the next piece you want?”

“i dunno, it would probably look like a mess.” 

he hummed, “nothing that involves you would look like a mess. though it would be funny trying to explain how the piece came about.” 

“imagine someone buys it and hangs it in their dinning room.” you pushed yourself onto the surface of the desk, crossing your legs. “eating while looking at where we had sex — though they’d be none-the-wiser to it.” 

he blushed, despite the bold words that left you momentarily speechless, “i could make it happen, you know i’ve got a lot of paint.”

"oh? then you must want to find out exactly how much i can handle."

his hands went up, “you said it first.” 

the rest of the meeting went mildly, despite the fact that you kept gawking as you watched his lips move. you swear you were only half-listening, trying your best not to pounce back on him, just so you could feel the security you had prior, to feel heard and understood even though you weren't saying anything. and maybe part of you wanted him to figure out your boundaries and how far you were willing to go for him. 

you knew, ever since august 21st that he was a perfect contrast to you. and before this you never really believed that opposites could attract. 

the bus bumped as it hit the curb, sending you out of your thoughts and momentarily into the air. you looked outside, the sun past its highest point, the sky a pale milky-blue that you used to say was your favorite as a kid. your day had run longer than anticipated, causing you to reschedule with the surgeon your bestfriends promised you were keen to meet. 

it was the end of autumn, basically winter — the first snowfall a couple of days ago. however, it had melted away with the proximate sun, but there was still a frosty chill that nipped the exposed skin of its' passers. you could see the holiday-cheer in the window displays and wreaths that wrapped the street-lamps, though sometimes you went against the grain, especially on off-days like this one. 

you rested your temple against the window, your sighed-out breath reaching and fogging the panel slightly. you watched as your stop came into view, and even debated missing it on purpose before you remembered who you — your bestfriend’s — had promised to meet. you could picture the relieved smile that would plaster his face, and ultimately it made you feel at ease to know you could be that for him. so, you got from the seat, making your way to the front and out onto the sidewalk without a stumble. 

you’d seen a few people while putting yourself out there, jumping head-first into the sea of boys you could call candidates in the race for your heart. and even though one had a collection of clown dolls, another had a foot fetish, and another was obsessed with old people; which was ironic because you were younger than him. you found not one, but two incredible people through those other tragedies — and neither one, to the best of your knowledge, had any weird fetishes (besides the paint, which you were inclined to like as well). 

you’d met the surgeon first, on a dating app of all things. He made it very clear that his schedule was hectic within the first introduction, and you made it clear that yours was flexible, you were your own boss after all. but you went against the masses; you liked being by yourself sometimes. you liked not having someone depend on you. you liked that he was honest and happy for it in return. that he listened attentively and always held the door for you. 

you, really, liked that he liked you. 

he’d come to your place a couple of times already, the first being after the third date you’d been on. you and the surgeon had gone to a bar, one he seemingly visited quite often from the tenders who greeted him in a friendly manner — and though the thought of him having taken girls there before did cross your mind, you, at the time, had no right to be upset. 

it was his off-day from the, metaphorically, never dead hospital and at first you half-expected him to have a strange sense of humor. you thought he’d have no problem talking of pus and blood and shit during inappropriate times. however, after each date concluded, he had proven to you that he was just a man — a very overworked and tired man — but one nonetheless. you also appreciated having someone to talk to about your medical-anxieties; mostly on nights where you’d had a little too much wine and were overthinking, self-diagnosing from google. you knew if he was free he’d come over and tell you that you weren’t dying of an incurable disease, holding you close. otherwise he’d step away (provided, he wasn’t busy tending to a patient) and listen to all your worries over the phone, his voice low and comforting. 

if you didn’t know any better you’d believe he was in love with you or something — however, you two weren’t even official, let alone close enough to be in love. and besides, he knew you were still weighing out your options with other men, as he was with other women. that other man being a painter, almost opposite of the man you found yourself blushing over (not that you didn’t blush when faced with the artist, because you really did).

you had met the painter shortly after you’d placed an ad on your social media, and door, which stated that you were in need of someone’s paintings to buy to spruce up your space. you had no short list of things suitable for your café and were convinced that no one would seriously inquire. though, here you were, months later with beautiful paintings of anything your heart desired — which he gladly accepted after each meeting. how you two came to go out was no short of a whim, when he awkwardly, yet boldly, asked if you had any plans for the evening. before that, you had thought he was beautiful but kept it professional because you were paying him to paint for your business. your prior interactions were purely transactional on your end, until he flipped the switch and you finally saw him under a different light. 

he was nothing less of a gentlemen during the couple of dates where you went to moderately priced restaurants, or short dusk walks around the block. he even took you to his studio where he proceeded to draw a portrait of you like you two were starring in one of those romantic french movies, that you had no time to watch. 

you liked him because he spoke his mind, and though his movements were never carefully thought out, you appreciated how his brain worked — you appreciated how he made you feel secure, and the love he had for his craft (though it wasn’t making him as much as the doctor). you liked that he was as simple as you were, never needing or asking for more than he received from you and your hectic business. he looked at you with stars in his eyes and genuinely instilled the feeling of being the only girl in the world. 

you liked that he really liked you. 

at the end of the day, you felt conflicted, crying over a guilt you didn’t even know why you had — and maybe, you thought, that that was the reason why you felt empty inside; you lacked a love in your life and that’s why you tried so hard to give yourself everything else as a distraction. you were only human, and nature was to crave intimacy — companionship — to feel another person's skin romantically. 

you wanted a story-book love and maybe that's why it's taken you so long to even get out into the adult dating scene. you knew you had high-standards, but you've grown up being told to never settle. so why would you start now? maybe, too often, you thought of yourself as the problem, as the person who just couldn't be satisfied no matter how hard someone tried. 

the frosty chill sent a shiver over your entire body as you tried to conserve whatever residual heat was left from the enclosure. you were fast-paced while walking the block towards your apartment, keys already in hand and ready to unlock the front gate. it was old-fashioned but somehow it made you feel safer than an electric passcode ever could. 

the hinges cried out as you pushed the barrier from your way, trekking the pavement and up the stairs to the fourth floor. yes, you could've taken the elevator, however, the superficial comfort of alone-time was calming you in ways no man ever could. 

deep-down, you might’ve wanted the doctor to have been called into work, simply because you weren't sure whether or not you were happy: to be around anyone, to care for anyone, to even be awake right now. and you weren't convinced that the smile you oh-so-adore would change that.

yet, you still couldn't help the twist of your lips when stood next to your door was the puffer-jacket wearing doctor, who to anyone else would look suspicious loitering outside a woman's apartment. his head rested against the plaster of the wall, only becoming level when he heard the familiar clunk of your favorite heeled-boots, which he oddly recognized. 

instantly, his back released from the wall and before you had a chance to say something snarky about him waiting for you, he grabbed your bags. 

"hi," he whispered out, almost as if your presence was relieving, "sorry for such short notice, i just had a really tough night." 

you pressed a gentle kiss to the man's cheek, non-verbally reassuring him that everything was fine. "i'm sorry as well, customers were just spilling in." then, you unlocked the numbered door, stepping in before him. you heard the click of the lock, feeling the presence of someone who was far too close, yet not close enough to call your boyfriend. "but tell me about it now," you said, unzipping your shoes. you finished and turned, taking your bags and waiting for him to either speak or take his own shoes off. he looked unsure, "i want to hear about it. do you want something for dinner, i know it's not technically time for it — but we can order or i can see what i have." 

"i'm fine with whatever you want... some fried chicken would be really good right now though." 

you laughed, hanging your purse on a hook, and organizing the rest of your miscellaneous things. "don't you know the health risks related to too much fried food? and to think i'd come to you for medical advice." you over-exaggerated, "spicy or not?" 

his jacket had come off, taking the free hook by your bag. he smiled, grabbing your waist and pressing a kiss to your lips. "both." he replied against you, attacking again with another few fast kisses, barely giving you time to register the prior ones. "and, i'll pay you back." 

"you don't have to, spending time with you is payment enough." 

"purely transactional," he grabbed your face, soft hands caressing the skin, "a girl after my own heart." 

and you don't know if it was the words, or the tone that made you blush deeper than you should have. but either way it had you shying like a middle-school girl talking to her crush. 

you hummed, "you caught me. i only use you for consultations. you're my main medical provider — i say that when that question comes up for adulting shit. honestly, i’m like a walking ad, give me some of your cards, i'll hand them out."

"shut up," he smirked, pushing your lower back so your bodies were closer than before. 

"i would say make me, but you'd like that too much." 

the mood had switched too easily, and now you couldn't help feeling hot and bothered by the hands you just wanted to slip under your shirt or down — you couldn't help your imagination that was running wild within his tight grip, his muscles flexing against you as you anxiously fidgeted. 

his voice was low, "if you're going to use me, at least let it be for something else."

"i think you'd like that too much as well." you lightly pushed him away, though it wasn't because you wanted to, it’s because you knew if you started the two of you wouldn't even make it out of the doorway. "if you want food, you better let me order it."

"what if i'm hungry for something else now?"

your hand covered your mouth, face twisting with a mock-disgust, "what are you? a sixteen year old virgin? that was so cringey! what if i'm hungry for someth —" 

his lips were pressed to yours in an instant, making do with your offer to be shut up as he cut you off mid-sentence. and as much as you knew he liked it, you did too. 

seungcheol pushed you back, hitting the empty wall a little forcefully, but his hand connected with the back of your head before the plaster did. 

it was the little things that made your stomach twist. the little acts of service you weren’t accustomed to before meeting. he was everything to you: comfort, strength, yearning.  

your lips molded together as if they were made for each other. your hands gripping into the strands at the base of his skull, and pulling gently — just enough to get a sound out of the man. he groped your waist, dragging you impossibly closer to his body. you were breathless and unbearably hot, pulling away with his bottom lip still in between your teeth. 

“cheol…” he pushed his head into the crook of your neck, kissing and sucking the sensitive skin under your ear. you whimpered, but still trudged a sentence out, “we have to stop — n-not in the doorway. have some class.”

but one thing about the surgeon was, he always liked a little bit of a challenge. and he thought you were his best match. also, he knew you were lying just as much as you did. 

he trailed his lips over your collarbone, pulling the shirt down to make his path easier. his other hand was pushing up from the bottom, cool skin grazing against your stomach. your chest was rising and falling quickly, head lolling against the wall behind you. he chuckled against your skin, slipping the hand under your shirt and over your bra before palming you.

his lips were now against where his hands just grazed, shirt pushed up into the base of your neck. you fought with the noises that unintentionally fell off your tongue. your body was aflame, lit by, no doubt, the likes of him. 

your hands threaded his hair, as he popped the button on your jeans. you pushed him back, eyes meeting yours with a questioning look; as if to ask if you wanted him to go on. 

and more than half of you did. however, there was a voice from the corner of your mind that demanded you stop, that flashed pictures of commitment, and rings, and hearts across the scene in front of you. a part of you that you only ever wanted to curse.

you actually felt a little nauseous now, heart beating so overwhelmingly fast you could pass out. you wanted to give him whatever he wanted, so you honestly don’t know why you didn’t. 

seungcheol would always push himself aside to aid your needs before his own. maybe it was the doctor in him, but he just cared too much to see you uncomfortable — unsure — by his doing. he wanted you, but he’d wait until you were 100% sure as well. 

he stood up, letting your shirt fall back down and kissing you less urgently than before. 

“let’s order some chicken now, and you can tell me about your day instead.” 

“okay…” you breathed out. he fixed your outfit, re-buttoning your jeans and smoothing over your hair. he laughed as he did, taking your phone from your pocket and holding it out for you, before you admitted, “i forgot what we wanted.” 

your mind was still a little hazy with the feeling of him still on your skin, you could feel the tingling where his lips once connected. you could smell the intoxicating cologne he used to cover up the sterilization of the hospital. 

“i’ll order it.” he said, taking his phone out instead, typing away on an app he already had downloaded. you thought it a little intimate that he knew your address without looking, but you brushed that under the rug — especially because nothing could get more intimate than what was still coursing adrenaline through your veins. 

he stole glanced at you, looking with adoration. you couldn’t tell if it was from him liking having such control over your body, or because of something else. and truthfully, you wouldn’t mind it being the latter over the gravity of him having real feelings for you. 

you left him to follow you through your apartment and into the open-concept kitchen. he sat on a barstool that was neatly placed by the island, putting his keys on the marble, as well as his phone. 

"It estimated 35 minutes." 

you nodded, leaning against the countertop across from his sights. "are you going to tell me about work?" you asked, because quite frankly it was easy to tell he was trying to mask his feelings since you got the text this morning. "you said it was a stressful night, wouldn't you rather sleep than even see me?"

"no, actually I wouldn't." that took you by surprise, momentarily making your eyes widen, "and truthfully, I don't sleep much anyways. I have weird shifts so often that I can't acclimate to any sleep-schedule. I probably haven't slept more than 4 hours since grad school." 

"damn," you sighed out, walking over to the man. you weren't sure what your intentions were, but it just felt right to comfort him. "that's gotta be tough. I really can't imagine." you threaded your fingers into his hair, and he leaned into the touch. 

"it's okay," he sighed out, "we just lost a patient today — one of our cancer ones. we've had her since she was two, since i was a first-year resident. ten tough years, she was so strong, so young. i still can't believe it." 

“oh my god, cheol,” you voiced, “that’s awful. i’m so sorry. she’s in a better place now — wherever that may be — i just know it.” 

he looked up at you, adoration mixed with sadness. there were stars that met your pupils, and you swear you could make a wish if you wanted to. 

“you know,” he started, feeling as your hands dropped around his shoulders, “i don’t know what — i, um, can i tell you something? you don’t have to say anything back.” you hummed a small yes to him, alarms (or maybe bells?) going off inside your head. his hands rested on your arms as he leaned into you, eyes falling closed. you swear he could hear the thump in your chest, and you don’t know if you wanted that to discourage him or encourage him to spew it out faster. 

“i think i love you.” 

“what.” 

you weren’t sure if you were more surprised by the fact that you didn’t jolt away in shock or by what he said next. 

“no, i know i love you.” your face was beat red, and he refused to open his eyes for whatever reason, “i know it’s a lot, i’m sorry. we’re not even dating, but i just, i don’t know, i want it to be official — i want you to be my girlfriend.” 

for a second, your heart was lit up with fireworks, butterflies swarming your insides. you, for a second, wanted that too. you wanted him to be your boyfriend, but you ultimately were scared of that commitment — hell, you don’t even know why you started to date in the first place if not with this in mind. you knew deep down that you weren’t actually ready to not just have fun without the strings attached. 

the cliche was to say that's it's not you, it's me and you all but said it. it felt like he had more pieces of you than you wanted him to — or maybe you did, you weren't fully sure — you feared that that fact would soon start to eat at the depths of your brain, convince you of anything but innocence. 

you wanted to be wanted, but you wanted to be loved more than anything. so, why didn't it look good to you? why couldn't you let him be the silver lining you've been waiting for. why couldn't this surgeon be the one to stitch up your heart? 

and maybe you knew the answer deep down as you sat alone. 

seungcheol had left, after he read you like a picture book. he left you in a state of comatose you didn't think he could — one you didn't think would cut so deep — and you still hoped that he wasn't the one left lost. 

part of you didn't want him to search an empty room with the thought of finding you. but the other part wanted to be sat in a dark corner just awaiting his arms around you. 

you felt an emptying feeling before it all crashed into the lower depths of your stomach. nausea, as you scrambled to the bathroom with hopes of choking the bile back down before it hit the floor. and you felt like you just barely made it, sitting against the cold tile, knees to your chest and head down on them. 

you thought about situations in your past that would've made you deserve to feel a deep despair — one that was currently debilitating — like a half-dug grave with the shovel still in your hand. you felt hopeless. you always knew, at the end of the day, you'd be your own undoing, but you prayed that that day would’ve never come like it has, unfortunately, now. 

your chest was tight, your eyes on fire. you thought you were getting better, you thought you were finally healed enough to get back out there. but maybe you only got better at pretending. maybe through opened doors you got better at lying. however, now you can’t tell if the lies get better the more times they’re worn, or if they’re simply just overused.

you thought about the little girl again — the one that would be looking up at you right now — and cried harder because you didn’t want her to realize that she was the only person who ruined everything every time. 

maybe you were destined to be alone. maybe your red string wasn't tethered to anyone. it would cut deep, but maybe knowing wouldn't kill you. maybe you could find peace with yourself, watching your bloodline wither away. maybe, at the end of your life, you could look back and not have any regrets because at least you did try. 

you felt as if walking on broken glass could hurt less and less the more times you do it — isn't that what getting used to something is all about? truthfully, you didn't know, and weren't sure you actually wanted to, because what's truly worse, being wanted and not loved, or loved and not wanted? it's a question you often asked, but the best manipulation you got was from yourself; no one can hurt you like you can. 

you knew every way to pick apart your brain. your insecurities were your bittersweet company. you knew them all by name. where strangers weren't welcome, they walked freely. you hated them, but the ghosts haunting you, pretty lights couldn't cast out. 

you felt like the world was moving too fast, and you were being left behind. you wanted to just stand still, if only for a second. a luxury you never got throughout the growing pains. and just as you were getting a taste, you ripped it away from yourself. 

you wanted to force yourself to give in to your not-so-hidden desires. you wanted to be loved, and someone who you evidently feel strongly about has admitted just that. in reality, it shouldn't be this hard. you shouldn't be as dramatic as a middle school girl's first breakup. 

but still deep down, you felt like it wouldn’t be right to accept him. at least, not without talking to the painter first. you felt like you owed him that much, even if neither men were technically yours — and you them — you still felt guilty for wanting love from someone while also wanting it from someone else. 

spoiled for choice or by choice? and the fact that you had to choose was killing you, because you’d had such different, non-comparable times with them that it seemed unfair to try and weigh them both equally. 

you know yourself, and right now you know you’d choose the surgeon, but if faced with the artist all that would go out the window. it was circumstantial who you felt closest to, and you hated (and loved) that fact with the entirety of your being. 

maybe that’s why you felt eaten alive — diving head first into the lion's den, with only the wish to be paralyzed by the fall. maybe, you thought, if you couldn’t feel anything it would all magically become easier. but, you were an adult, with supposed adult-feelings. you were supposed to be able to maturely take on battles, and resolve them with your dignity still intact. however, you felt anything but strong right now. 

your fingers grasped for your phone, and you looked at the illuminated time — seungkwan and chan would still be cleaning your store, and right now you felt like you needed your bestfriends to clear your head before it consumed you. 

you got off the floor with much fight, your knees weak and spine anything but straight. you felt heavy, and you weren’t sure if it was the guilt or if you just had never noticed before. either way, you trekked on, memories of the last hour flashing through your head like a badly timed slideshow. you ended up sat at the front door, fighting with the zipper on your shoes. you went to grab your purse when you realized that a — as much familiar as unfamiliar — garment was hanging on the hook next to it; the surgeons, right where he left it before his hands roamed your body for what felt like all the time in the world, but not enough. 

“fuck.” you cursed under your breath, a shiver running over your skin, “i — fuck.” 

it was the only words that you could seem to manage, despite trying so hard to form an actual sentence that encapsulated your feelings. maybe if you could say it to yourself, you could say it to him, but that was a harder task then made out to be in movies and TV shows (you never had time to watch). 

you practically couldn’t even remember how you got from point A to point B, but here you were, keys in hand, standing directly in front of the glass door with a mournful look that reflected. you barely caught the jaw-dropped stare chan gave you before smacking seungkwan to get his attention. 

for a moment you wondered what went through their heads, what they thought happened to you; no doubt it was going to be more dramatic than needed, but you expected nothing less, and honestly, you felt nothing less. 

you were frozen, like the air, when the younger of them came and opened the door with the broom still clad between his left hand. 

“what the hell happened to you?” he asked.

seungkwan came running over, finally realizing that you weren’t playing a trick on the two of them, and it was actually bad news that was making your body shake. 

he took your hand, dropping the washcloth on the way to an empty (and presumably clean, if they were getting their jobs done properly) table. he took the stool down, and pushed you into it. and just as his hands left your shoulders, you felt something snap. it could’ve been because of their presence that your water pipe was now cracked and seeping down your face, however you really couldn’t tell at that moment in time. all that was playing on your mind was the three words that shouldn’t be so complicated. it felt like a foreign language as it played across your heart, one you could only try to understand, much less repeat back. it felt too easy that it was beyond difficult; a trick question you didn’t want the answer to. 

maybe if you were more secure, you told yourself, maybe if you liked your life a little more it wouldn't all be replaying like a fucking horror movie when you blinked — even if only for a millisecond. 

"he said he loved me." 

it's like a bomb dropped for them, however a weight lifted off your tiring shoulders, “h-he said he loves me and i — i”

“and you’re not sure?” 

no, you’re not sure. you’re not sure what love’s supposed to feel like. you’re not sure if seungcheol is even it. you’re not sure how many times you’ve thought about it on lonely nights you wished you had someone to wrap up into. you’re not sure he actually loves you despite offering no opposition to it. you’re not sure, simply because you don’t want to be; you knew that and you hated it. 

“i — i don’t know,” you stated, wiping the drops off your under eyes, “he’s perfect, really, but i — i don’t know.” 

seungkwan cocked an eyebrow in chan’s direction, who looked awfully like a mother: arms crossed over his chest with the broom still in hand. they weren’t convinced you were telling them the truth, but honestly, you had no idea what that would even begin to look like in their eyes. 

you should have your shit together, you were almost 30 for fucks sake, however you still lived by the saying ‘better late than never’ like it wasn’t getting too late. you’ve lived being brushed under the rug, in blissful ignorance of the passing times. sure, you’ve achieved almost everything you wanted as a teenager, but there was still a lingering fear in your heart, one that penetrated every corner and crept with uncertainty. you didn’t question whether you were able to be loved, but if you deserved it — especially from the surgeon or painter, who seemed so keen to. 

a blunt smack to the face, metaphorically, woke you from your dooming thoughts. “y/n,” seungkwan deadpanned, taking the chair next to you and leaning in, “in your grown-ass age, you’re acting like a kid. if you’re unsure, you should talk about it like adults, running away won’t fix anything — and it’ll just leave you alone forever — as much as we love you, we’re not taking care of you in the retirement home, so you better find a man that will.” 

you looked to chan who was nodding slightly, “you deserved to be loved. whether that be the surgeon or someone else. okay?” 

you bit your lip, taking into account what they’ve said, and mixing it with your own feelings; a bitter taste left on your tongue. you debated telling them about your situationship with a business partner, however somewhere deep down you think they already knew somehow. they all but said you have to follow your heart to truly be happy: something they knew you craved, rubbing up against all else. 

you slowly agreed non-verbally. you've come to a decision, and whether it is a good one, only time will tell. 

you chose yourself. 

and this time, you find yourself face to face with a crusty-white door that you knew led into a basement. your hand went up to knock, and it's as if the resident knew you were outside because it creaked open. you’ve been met with the painter more than countless times, but at this moment, you felt like your heart was sitting at your feet on the frozen concrete. 

"i-i tried upstairs, but you didn't answer, so i just assum —"

he stepped aside, "come in." 

you shut up your explanation and followed directions, stepping over the trim and into his studio. you were overwhelmed with the intoxicating smell of paint, looking around at the walls that were covered in acrylic abstracts, oil flowers or chalk portraits. there were multiple canvases that were set on the floor, half-done and partially covered by tarps. 

it wasn't the first time you've seen his studio, but it somehow had gotten even more cramped than that time; when you anxiously thought of ways to organize it. 

"are you okay? you never come here unannounced."

you stumbled inside your head, foggy was an understatement now that you were actually looking at a third of your problem. "i just needed to see you, i-i need to talk to you about something — it's important, i swear. i'm sorry for just showing up." 

"don't be sorry, it's why i told you my address." he pulled a stool form under his sharpie covered desk, brushing it off for you to sit on. "it must be important as you can't even stand properly. sit down, you haven't even looked at me once since coming in." 

you hadn't realized, "i'm sorry," you mumbled, forcing your eyes to level on him as you collapsed against the stool. you were sober (unfortunately), but it felt as if you were full speed drunk-driving. 

"stop apologizing unless you have something to be sorry for." he said, sitting in front of you, trying to garner your attention, "do you have something that warrants an apology, y/n?" 

you remained silent, and you swore you could feel the air stop moving as if it was all sucked out of the room. the way he stared at you made you look through him like a window, because you were afraid that it wouldn't end well if anything else. your anxiety mimicked a hypoglycemic reaction, and you felt the need to hold onto something to steady yourself. you were becoming as predictable as the rain during the months of march and may. 

you needed him, but you needed someone else too. 

you thought a decision could be easy. you'd choose whoever piqued your interest better, but it didn't help that they were both so damn pretty, and nice and caring. they were perfect for you — both of them — in different ways. you were forced to imagine a future with both, and it made you sick to your stomach. 

maybe the fact that one of them would inevitably hate you if you broke it off, especially to be exclusive with a different man, kept you shaken. you hated that you had to meet them romantically instead of platonically, because now that you couldn't have both, you feared you'd get none at all in the end. 

would the memory become unbearable if you broke the surgeon's heart? would the painter even care if you told him it wasn't working out? 

you should go with the one who confessed his love to you as you comforted him in the kitchen of your apartment — but, unfortunately, you can see the way vernon had stars in his eyes, bargaining with them for more than just half of your heart. He wanted to support you in whatever you did, but he knew he met you before anyone else ever did. 

your voice came without warning, "d-do you love me, too?" you meant to ask the deafening question only in the confines of your own head. 

"too?" 

"what?"

"do you love me, too?" he reiterated, your face losing all color, "t-that's what you said. do you love me, too. does that mean you love me too, or that someone else loves you?"

"too?" you all but shouted in his face, "does that mean you love me too, o-or —"

"y/n, i know what i said." 

you felt foolish stuttering, but if you imagined the way you probably looked, it couldn't be more embarrassing. 

"o-oh."

he was acting more mature than you, just as the surgeon did not even hours ago, reading you like he wrote the words to begin with. you'd been shocked close to a couple heart attacks today, and you wondered why on a monday of all days shit had to hit the fan. but the storm had been brewing for a while, and the humidity was only the first tell. 

the room was now left as if no one was in it. you swear you could hear sirens all the way across the city if you focused hard enough. your lip was now raw, and you could taste slight metal from how much you'd been chewing on it. you hated how good the plastic covered couches looked, the piquet fence and three-kid family people strived so fucking hard for. you thought you were fine sitting in the backseat of a car heading full speed for a cliff, because in the mirror you really thought you looked happy enough. if you could turn back time to monday last week, you weren't convinced you wouldn't do it without hesitation. 

you hated how you held the knife that just kept piercing you. and you wondered if one of them could be the one to finally pry it from your cold hands, to finally warm them. your innocence was weakness, and it finally made you realize that you were older; that you, yourself, was your own worst enemy. 

you knew you'd sit in silence until he had the courage to break it, simply because you were certain you couldn't. the sad song was writing itself so well; if only you let your heart listen to the millions of thoughts swirling your dream. you could go left or right, but there was no turning around anymore. 

he was soft against the air, and you audibly heard a hurt in his voice that you felt you didn't deserve to cry over, "you meant that there's another guy who loves you... too." 

you were taking all the bliss for granted, because the moment it was ripped from under your feet your thoughts became erratic. and truthfully, you know it's because you're selfishly still holding on. 

you're still convinced you feel the same way towards them both. you're still convinced that it's one sided: that you don't — can't — love too. you're still scared that this will be too much for you in the end and you'll be left alone. you were convinced that the only way was to love or leave. you told yourself there was no in between two thin lines, no shades of gray between black and white. you thought that there had to be a definitive answer that you kept running away from. 

and you didn't want to run anymore. you were tired; tired of being alone, tired of having to feel sick every time someone you cared so deeply about crossed your mind. you were a terrible person for leading yourself down into the wreck and bringing both of them with you. 

you were honestly going to break it off with the artist for the security of the surgeon. 

when you were walking over, you came up with ways to defend the intentions that seemed cruel, rehearsing the lines that went in one ear and out the other. you faced him and your heart raced. you felt guilty because you knew you couldn't give either of them the answer they wanted without hurting someone in the crossfire. they both loved you, and it made your chest tight with the thought: a continuous loop you found yourself circling and circling until you were dizzy. 

the surgeon had you wrapped around his finger, so desperate for him, and you mistook it for blind devotion. but the artist worshiped the ground you stepped on, you think he'd walk through hell to restore you to humanity. they’d (evidently) do anything to see a smile on your face. 

you watched as he stood up, paced the room in search of something momentarily. then he found it. closed between his forefinger and thumb was a starch colored paper, black fingerprints and smudges all over it. he brought it back, you catching a glimpse of soft features drawn so carefully it couldn't possibly be how he saw you. he handed the portrait to you as he began speaking, explaining his actions, "if you're going to break it off with me for him, it's okay, but just take this then. i can't bear the thought of it — of you being so close yet so far out of reach." he sent a shiver down your spine, "you'd haunt me, y/n." but now you were convinced he saw you more beautifully than jealous hades did persephone, and it made you believe that maybe the love that blooms could be as serendipitous as cupid and psyche. an untainted white-rose could sprout from the ashes of the past. all you had to do was give him the answer he was so easily pulling from you. 

nonetheless the guilt felt for seungcheol wouldn't outweigh it, because you like him too much. in a different, more primal way, in comparison to the romantics vernon showered you with. your heart raced in adrenaline for the feeling of the surgeon's hands on your body, whereas the sight of the painter's lips set you on fire. you wanted them both hopelessly... but for different reasons that all went back to the same feeling: love. if you'd be so much as damned, the complications it implied, despite craving it until you found yourself debilitated in your bed, wishing on every lucky star you could find. you pictured yourself falling, free-falling just to chase a feeling, until you hit the water-stained concrete. 

you loved him — and it hurt so much to have to hurt someone else. but an obstacle is still an obstacle no matter the shape or form. 

he roped your attention back to him, his finger brushing a stray piece of hair back into place on your head. it was always the little things, the small inconvenient actions that solidified your heart in stone. you were veering off to the side, signal on and ready to turn. 

you ignored feeling some type of way because you didn't want to end up hurting anyone in the process, but you've come to learn that nothing is actually free in this world, and you must make sacrifices for the greater good — for yourself. 

you deserved to be happy, you deserved to feel feelings, you deserved to be loved (whether that be by one, both or none of the men). you deserved to be wanted and it's about time you are. 

it was a rainy night, the storm finally hitting. you didn't want to be the bad guy, and that's what you're afraid you'd become for him. maybe you were just too nice. you wondered how your bestfriends could be so ruthless, yet still looked upon fondly. you wondered if you didn't end up loving, would he hate you? 

would seungcheol hate you? 

you wondered what his diagnosis for you would be this time: delirium? broken heart syndrome? delusion? would he imagine you running back to him in a couple months, fantasizing that you'd realize you made the wrong decision? you didn't want him to feel lost, but in the end you were the one without the compass. 

the tears came without warning — so much for holding them back because you didn't feel you deserved to cry when you're the one creating the problem for yourself. you dug the grave, and the saying always ends with the perpetrator lying in it. this time, you just hoped it was big enough for two. 

"y/n," vernon began, gently holding his palms to either side of your face, "you have to do what's best for you." 

you sniffled, "but — but what if that's not what's best for you?"

"why are you thinking of me? or him?" he asked, crouching down to be level with you, "stop doing that and just listen to yourself."

and for once, you did, giving in to desire to want him to want you. you leaned in quickly, his hands still on your cheeks as you pressed a kiss to his lips. he pulled away after a second, completely shocked that you did that without being prompted. but, somehow, you felt calmer than the last couple of weeks had you. 

you were laying it all out on the table right now, and you just hoped he'd pick your card, like you just did his. 

reblogs, likes and comments are greatly appreciated! thank u!

[scrubbinn]

Slime HRT Bonus: At the Clinic

The woman with a blue tint stepped out of the doctor's office, she didn't seem very happy. She was about to leave the waiting room and go about her day, but then she stopped and noticed another. one who already looked so much like the kind of slime she wanted to become. The woman with the blue tint approached the slime. “Um, excuse me, could I ask you a question?”

The amber colored slime looks up from her phone and tilts her head - which had the facial musculature visible through a thin layer of slime - before replying “Um, sure, I guess?” She asks, adjusting her position to better talk with the other woman.

The woman with the blue tint reflexively braced herself. “I don't want to sound rude, we're taking the same stuff, I think, but, well um, do you feel better? With your new self? Sorry, that's probably rude to ask.

The other slime chuckles “Ah, that explains the coloring, I was wondering,” She replies “And yes, I definitely feel better - marked improvement over all that flesh and bone,” She held up her arm, the limb rippling like a wave to accentuate her point “If you exclude the ones stubbornly hanging on,” She added, gesturing to her torso, where her rib cage and spine are visible through her translucent slime. “And I don’t think that’s a rude question, it’s genuine for one, and you’re gonna be dealing with all this eventually, so of course you’re curious about it,” She explains “You’ve just started, yes? A few months in? If that isn’t rude of me to ask?”

“Yeah, I think it's been three so far. I just get really nervous about this sort of thing, it's not exactly a reversible change, but it's not one I thought would be so difficult, you know? Also I have to know if you can wiggle the bones in you. I'm just really curious.”

She chuckles and nods, looking around for a second before discretely reaching inside herself and wiggling her ribs a little, wincing ever so slightly “These don’t move nearly as much as the arms and legs did, and it does twinge a little since you kinda also jiggle your spine,” She explains, removing her hand from inside herself “But yeah, you can definitely wiggle all your bones once you get there,” She says with a grin “And yeah, I don’t blame you, I’d be lying if I hadn’t had concerns at the start too, but I promise it’s worth it, even if certain points are less than fun,” The woman’s eye twitches a little as she finished speaking.

“Would you mind telling me a bit more about it? Your experience I mean. If that's alright. I just have a lot of questions.” The woman nervously sits down next to you. “After your appointment I mean, or before, company can be nice when you're waiting.”

The woman looks over at the doctor’s door before looking back to the other girl “I’m happy too, I don’t know how long we’ll have before being called but I can tell you what I can now,” She replies “Good way to kill time,” She adds with a smile “What do you want to know?”

“I won't ask you why a slime, I think we both know it's not easy to put into words and it's just there for jerks to shame us… Do you also get a bad vibe from that quack doctor? Like it's not just me right, he's really rude all the time, like he doesn't even want to be there.” She dodges the question in her own mind but the one she sends you is charming enough.

“Yeah, he strikes me as an ‘ex-evil scientist’” The woman replies “And he does seem a little… reluctant to be doing this - but I’m not gonna worry about his reticence, the results speak for themselves,” She waves a gooey arm again “Also I don’t necessarily think ‘why a slime’ is such a bad question, so long as it isn’t jerks trying to shame us,” She offered “I mean, I think it’s kind of a fair question - why throw away your humanity? and why throw it away to become a gelatinous blob?” She says “I mean, ‘cause it’s freaking awesome and bones suck, but,” She mutters playfully with a slight smirk 

“But?” The woman hangs on your words, clearly interested in everything. She puzzles over the explanation of becoming a slime, but everyone has their own reasons, and there's always another time to ask hers.

“Well, I mean, but I guess humans don’t really see it that way,” The slime replies with a rippling shrug “Kinda helps me feel more like I chose right though - a human would never choose this, so clearly I’m not human,” She says with a grin “By the way, I can see you’re a different color than me, what kinda slime are you?” She added

“Oh? Oh! Right. Um… I am a soap slime, I think. I mean I know I am. It's like something close to soap, it makes me very slippery. To be honest I also came here to make sure I didn't get a concussion when I slipped into some cookware, heh heh.” She laughs like her injury was a lackluster joke at some two-bit pub. “I guess I never really felt human either, at least sometimes I don't. I guess I'm just really indecisive, being a slime lets you be anything you want to be, with some annoying limits, I actually somehow convinced that doctor to make adjustments for me to better shapeshift my color and texture. It's the one thing I let myself be adamant about.”

“Ooooh, a soap slime, that's neat!” The woman replies “But yeah, that slippyness sounds dangerous especially while you've still got all the fragile bones ‘nd stuff,” She adds, gesturing to the comparatively human slime before her “Also ditto on the indecision - while I'm absolutely loving the slime, I actually started this as a base for shapeshifter HRT - I wanna be able to be anything, and any mixture of things and while this-” her hand shifts into a hammer shape- “is very cool, it's not quite as good as I'd like,'' She confesses, shifting her hand back to digits.

“Shapeshifter huh? Maybe I should ask about it. Sounds like it could be nice, but what about it could be better? I mean it seems like you can morph yourself however you want. Sorry if that’s rude to ask, but I can’t help but get interested in this stuff. I think a dream job of mine would be to help counsel people like us, be the kind of person that could find the perfect prescription for those who aren’t sure. It’s a bit of a silly reason, but if I want to pursue something like that, I’d like to hear all the downs that come with the ups of being a shapeshifting slime.

“Huh, I’d never even thought about that, but yeah, I guess some people might need more guidance or help dealing with some of the changes - there’s been a couple where having a little help would have been much appreciated,” The slime confesses “And yeah, I wanna become a shapeshifter ‘cause while slime shifting/morphing is good, it’s a little limited compared to what I want,” She tells the blue tinted woman “As a slime I can alter the shape of my body, but not really the color or composition.” She explains “So I can make my hand into a knife-” Her hand changes shape once again, this time looking like a blade- “But I can’t make it metal, for example,” She says, shifting the limb back to normal “Nor can I alter the color - which reminds me I’ve been meaning to dye my hair,” She adds, brushing her hair - which was also slime - aside a little “Turns out it only takes food coloring for that,” They says with a smile “But yeah, as much as I absolutely love being a slime, I wanna go full slime shapeshifter - a slimeshifter if you will,” She finishes with a chuckle.

The not yet a slime woman laughs with you. “I get that, I’m actually kicking myself since I only learned about the food coloring trick a couple weeks ago. I’ve actually only recently tried looking up a bunch of tips for slimes, it’s a little hard with how few slimes there actually are, and even fewer who post about it on the internet. I’ve heard that some sleep in a bucket cause they can’t hold their shape when they sleep.” She smiles, seemingly feeling a lot happier just chatting with a stranger after a bad appointment. She receives a notification on her phone, but her attention is drawn to the time. “Oh beans, I didn’t realize the time.”

The woman chuckles “I fortunately haven’t had to deal with bucket sleeping, but I did have some leg based complications once those got goopier, and I meant to do the food coloring as soon as my hair changed, but I just kept forgetting,” She confesses “And yeah, no kidding, there’s so little out there for slimes, It is nice to talk to a fellow slime,” She adds, before the notification bleeps on the other slime’s phone, “Oh? You have to go?” The woman asks.

“Yeah sorry, I have a bit of a busy schedule to keep. Tell you what, we can exchange phone numbers!” the woman holds out her phone showing you the contact information for a person named Mayday. “Thanks for the conversation, call me and I'll buy you a drink sometime, you seem like you'd be a cool friend to have.”

“No, no, I get that,” The woman replies, taking out her own phone, tapping at the screen with a stylus to quickly add ‘Mayday’ into her phone “Yeah, I’ll definitely have to drop you a text, as I says, ‘ll be nice to keep in contact with another slime. Guess I’ll see you for a drink next time then?” She says with a smile, tucking her phone away.

“Yeah!... I hope you have a good appointment. Hopefully we can see each other soon. Sorry for taking up your time.” The woman named Mayday walks out the waiting room door, disappearing into the busy streets outside before the other slime can reply. Sometimes making friends can be as simple as the right place at the right time.

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Start - Prev - Next

Hiya, it's been a fascinating two weeks of learning about ourselves, but we're ready to hop back on Slime HRT and what better way than collaborating with the super talented @sandyca5tle You can read part 2 right here with this link

Part 2

Our own slime HRT story will continue next Saturday. The third part is coming along but won't be ready for a while, but now that we are managing our plurality better, We'd like to hopefully send out a new chapter every week. Thank you for being patient, and thank you for reading.

-Navi

[rockmiyabideusexmachina]

2023 Megaman Summer Fanart Contest Results!

I have no time to whip up a new results post image, but oddly enough I have a dorky 16-year-old drawing I can crop, that somewhat technically covers both themes, in some respect. Go figure.

Thank you to everyone for your patience waiting for this post! Sorry, just have felt a little lacking in focus and energy to finish this until now. As usual, the top 3 who placed will be announced first, followed by the remaining entries in alphabetical order by alias. As an added surprise, I'm also throwing in a bonus runner up mystery winner position, since there were no raffle prizes or anything extra I threw in this summer. They will get the same cash prize as our third place winners. Winners will be contacted soon!

Without further ado, after the break, here are your winners and galleries full of art!

CATEGORY 1:  The Sand-ly Cup Playoffs (Talent)

For the talent category this year, participants were to draw a sand-themed Megaman character taking part in or ruining a beach sport event.

After each entrant’s name, there will be a link to the entry, too, just in case the inserted images don’t load for you. In the interest of not breaking your browser with the usual super-scrollingly-long post, entries consisting of more than 2 images will only have 1 embedded into this post, with links to each page separately.

[Full Cat. 1 gallery]

1.) Daidairo (@aurantia-ignis): [Entry] ($150 USD prize)

Beautifully drawn, with so much going on to draw my eye towards! You've got Desertman not only helping his own teammate out by giving him a boost to spike the Met volleyball, but also firmly gripping Blues from moving with his legs covered in sand. Love all the other cameos in the background, with everyone being so active and enjoying the summer day.

2.) Kaitlin.EXE: [Entry] ($75 USD prize)

In a summer full of surprises, it was a joy to see your art for the first time in a long while! If X DiVE had sadly not been phased out this summer, this would have been a set of skins/new summer characters I know a lot of people surely wanted, with a fun new boss alt design. Finding treasures buried at the beach definitely fit's Scaravich's profile, and his little striped swimsuit armor and diving attire gave me a good laugh, plus looks just perfect for him. The boys all have unique swimwear that fits them great, individually!

3.) @nightopianfoxgirl: [Entry] ($50 USD prize)

Wait...Higsby died? This news ticker sure did take a dark turn at the end! Unless Anubis can use his nanomachines to bring him back and all. Amusing twist turning Anubis' staff into a microphone as he roleplays as Ribbita here. Meanwhile, Iceman, Bubbleman and Aquaman are drowning in the larger size uniforms somewhere. A little humor and a little fanservice mixed in to an overall crisply-drawn & colored piece!

*Bonus mystery runner up random prize!*

Tori: [Entry] ($50 USD prize)

Those pair of Sasoreenu may have spikey drill tails, but Roll and Kalinka are strong enough to power through them! In fact, I think Roll is the one who is going to spike first, and it will be game-set-match for those scorpion bots! Great job, Tori!

Another surprise this year was this being an entry from the youngest participant I've ever had submit something, to go along with being the first ever time a parent and their child have both submitted an entry into the same contest! Good to know the current generation is being brought up as Megaman fans!

And the remaining wonderful entries, in alphabetical order by alias:

@dahlia-the-nurd: [Entry]

Solar frisbee versus sawblade frisbee, who's better at chuckin' those things the farthest? I'll go with the guy who sticks his finger up claiming to be #1. Until a time stopping duo decides to mess with them both a little bit, and neither fly very far... XD

Dr. Fresh: [Entry]

Doc Cossack and all his children enjoying some family fun on the sand. Love the variety having something different that they are all involved in. Bright Man's bulb having it's own 'sunglass' essentially is something clever and creative that I can't say I've seen anyone think of before!

@eulogysinger: [Entry]

Love the concept of the digital touchscreen photos sent for Megaman to browse through, and how you incorporated all the Secret Area Navis into enjoying a beach break. It's funny seeing Yamato's shogun helmet changed into a beachwear sun hat, but still fitting his design so well. Also loved his little foot soldiers getting in on the fun with Desertman; honestly all the scenes are cute and amusing!

@ingopotato: [Entry]

Looks like that sedimentary rock-themed Robot Master is about to be turned into... ...Sandstone.

*ahem* Sorry. Ground Man mucking things up and the look on Stoney's face amused me. Very crisp art, and good job at really making it look like the sand is blowing and kicking up behind both of the main sandsurfing RMs!

Mattasaurs: [Entry]

Mummira head is the perfect volleyball! Unfortunately, just as a decoy here, because bumping that one back over is not going to get you any points, Aile. That was certainly a very well-thought out creative choice in the composition, and I absolutely loved it. The proportions and angle really give a kind of neat fish-eye lens perspective in this piece, in some respects.

@pstart: [Entry]

Well, if the net is out of commission, maybe Volnutt can stake up a defeated Nakel on two poles and hit the Reaverbot eye over it! I can feel the heat with the main sunny yellow background, but also thought keeping the two background characters in a shaded grey was an interesting style choice that also makes them seem like they are in the shade.

__________________________________

CATEGORY 2:  Bae-liawatch (Humor)

For the humor category this year, participants were to draw their fave characters with at least one as a lifeguard, in iconic red swuimsuits/trunks, as an ode to the series Baywatch. Despite my category title, nobody took the bait and drew Alia as a lifeguard, however, rendering it moot.

[Full Cat. 2 gallery]

1.) @grammars-doodles : [Page 1] [Page 2] [Page 3] [Page 4] [Page 5] ($150 USD prize)

For main pun alone, your comic made me laugh the most! Baysquawks just works perfectly for this. XD Cute, fun, with a bunch of nice visual gags. Zack may have lived, but at the cost of poor Quacky Lacky lifeguard #3...

2.) @sylviidaee: [Entry] ($75 USD prize)

The contrast in art style between these two versions is amazing! From the painterly shading, proportions, to what is happening in the scene, the "Expectation" (emphasis on PEC, while looking at Gutsy's chest!) panel is just wonderfully drawn! I don't think I will ever be able to unsee Gutsman as a grinning John Cena muscleman. XD

3.) VCampan: [Entry] ($50 USD prize)

Points for the most literal pure parody of the theme, enabling the rare buddy comedy teamup of Sigma and X. Overall, characters and look matches up really well to the 2017 Baywatch movie poster, with plenty of little Megaman-themed tweaks, although I'm laughing at Zero in the CJ swimsuit/position. He looks thrilled to be put in that there! XD

*Bonus mystery runner up random prize!*

dmr: [Entry] ($50 USD prize)

So, viewer, you are saying, "If Ace is the lifeguard, why isn't he in red trunks like it says in the rules?" Well, obviously Kelvin is the actual lifeguard, but he got too distracted flirting with that hot babe to bother to pay attention to any issues going on in the water. Isn't that another thing lifeguards are known for, anyhow? So Ace is just pitching in. Wonderfully drawn, with a lot of movement and interaction through their poses. Great job on the water and splashy effects!

And the remaining wonderful entries, in alphabetical order by alias:

 AbilityField: [Entry]

Good thing Blues always wears multiple pairs of shades on his head that he never truly has to worry about losing them. I don't know if the same can be said for swim trunks, though...

@aw-colorcat: [Entry]

Ice Man in the ocean would probably make the water cold, but I think the water's even colder when Miss Splashy is inhabiting it, after that frigid reply to Bubs. XD Goes to show how just a simple short retort can bring a good laugh. Cute, and loved Ice Man's meme-worthy expression!

miralie: [Entry]

Miralie requested her entry to be censored a bit (as seen in the link above), to shield everyone from a glimpse at Sigma packin' his *ahem* um...Gunner Sigma. As a compromise, (with permission to post) I decided to edit in Zero spinwaving his way in front of the potentially offending bits and pieces. Or...ya know, maybe Sigma can spin Zero with his Junk-O. You be the judge. Granted, I didn't think your eyes needed to be shielded like Colonel is doing to Iris here, but sometimes it's OK to be like an overprotective older brother. Forgive her, Zero! She just wants to peek a little at the beach commander between Colonel's fingers. Because Miralie did draw him with quite the impressive physique, is all.

_______________________________

Once again, congrats to all the winners, and I will be contacting you about your prizes shortly. And thank you all so much for continuing to participate year after year, both regulars and newcomers! ‘Til next time!

[delopsia]

Del my lovely, I got you some lovely little snapdragons from the garden. I know they're your favorite and as an added bonus they're all fire colors too. The vase is Rhett and I'm afraid I must once again send them via message in a bottle (lol).

Rhett's seen alot of really hard animal births on the ranch and so hasn't Royal, but none were as tough as a little dairy calf who was born in early spring. She was really, really tiny, horribly underweight even because of her mother's condition (Cecelia had managed to get her from an owner who couldn't take care of her anymore) and couldn't nurse either.

You and Rhett made a little spot for her near the woodstove and did everything in your power to make sure she survived. You guys would all be up at all hours of the night feeding her and making sure she was ok. Sure enough, she gained both weight and strength because she had the best caretakers in the world.

It's not long either before she's going out to play with the other calves in the pasture and you, Rhett and Royal occasionally stand by the fence watching her to make sure none of the bigger ones go after her. She's fully nursing from her mother too (Royal will let the calves nurse for however long they need to because it makes less work for them) which is an excellent sign, but you and Rhett can't help but joke about how she bucks and kicks with her spindly little legs and you've nicknamed her "Bambi" as a result. Sure enough the name sticks and you and Rhett have a lifelong familiar in her.

Del my lovely, if I could give you all the snapdragons in the garden I would. You've been too good to me and to all the others out there. 🥰🥰🥰🥰

oh my god, I'm so sorry for taking forever to answer this 😭 I put it on hold to finish one of my wip's first, and that took so much longer than I anticipated it would.

Everyone had a feeling that when Cecelia came home with that lone dairy cow in the back of the trailer, this was probably gonna end in tragedy. Due to give birth at any time and so underweight that Royal didn't trust she would survive the walk to the south pasture, it was a wonder that she even made it on and off of the trailer. Hell, Rhett was so certain that it wouldn't end well that he avoided telling you about her arrival entirely. It was just one of the harsh realities of working on a cattle ranch.

Rhett always gets unusually quiet when he's trying to hide things. So you knew something was up when one day, his work days started getting summed up as a short "was fine" rather than his usual detailed recounts of the day's events. But you could have never expected him to walk through the door one night with a little brown and white calf in his arms. Not particularly unusual for him. Your current record is three calves in the kitchen, but this one is an entirely different breed from what the Abbotts keep.

She's such a funny little thing. She can hardly stand on her own feet, and yet, every time you go to give her a scratch, she's kicking her little legs and trying to kick you! Silence in the house is something of a rarity because she's a hell of a talker. Fussing because her meal was a half second late or even just for the hell of it.

It's a hell of a sight to look out into the pasture, full of cattle bred for meat, with two little dairy cows mixed in amongst them. But aside from her appearance, Bambi blends into the herd just fine, always loosely following her mother and only parting ways to fuss when she sees someone walking past. These other bottle-raised calves may have forgotten the luxury of treats, but she has not. She's spoiled and she demands a tax every opportunity she gets.

Never really grew out of the whole yelling thing, either...💐

[mommyashtoreth]

crowley's s1 design vs crowley's s2 design go

GREAT question I am so pumped for this bc if you know me you know I like character design and ESPECIALLY goth character design. His design changes a bit within both seasons but I'll say that the 2011-era design (yknow, with the half-bun and the silver chain and the tortoiseshell rims) is like, top tier Crowley design to me. It's also less corp goth than like, s2 Crowley and thus more easily replicable by Me Specifically and as. ahem. The Crowlet Of The Group that does a lot for me. But that doesn't mean I DON'T like the sleeker corp-gothy s2 look, I love the blazer and the shoes and how the scarf works with it all and I truly cannot complain about a season of television that delivers a 50something goth cuntress in a turtleneck and a black leather vest. One thing I'm not Crazy about in the s2 design is the hair, I like the color and think the lighter streaks especially are very fun but I don't Love the way it's styled. Like it's fine I don't hate it but it's just not as good as the half-bun very little ever will be. And in general I prefer the more "natural"-looking s1 color, I default to describing Crowley as "ginger" in most cases and even when I refer to his "red hair" (like when I say his stomach hair is red or his bush is red in any of my terrible terrible writing) I'm imagining a more orangey natural red. That's just personal preference tho! Either way I think he's got a great design, I've lauded it before, I really love how different textures and fabrics and finishes are used to not make the monotone black feel "boring" or samey or anything. Being goth is hard work! You don't want the blacks to blend into each other too much but you DEFINITELY don't want the blacks to clash too much either. It's a delicate balance and I think the show strikes it really well

Bonus lightning round of me ranking every historical Crowley costume I can think of off the top of my head, worst to best:

French Revolution bc it blows, the medieval Black Knight one bc it's kind of boring, Shakespeare bc who cares, Bilbo the Shite or whatever his name is I'm sorry but I'm not into it. the minisode is great but it's nowhere near one of his best looks, 1800s St James Park bc who cares, 1940s it doesn't do that much for me I'm sorry once again (I think it's the slickness of the hair again. I don't dig it), angelmode which certainly isn't hot per se but I still need to see bouncing and moaning on it, 1960s, 1970s, the Crucifixion bc I NEED a milf with a receding hairline or I'll die don't let me die, 1890s Edinburgh because Jesus God the cunt (it's the shape of the shoulders), and NANNY ASHTORETH!!! You thought I wouldn't count her would you. Well you thought wrong that's what we do around here baby

[nonclassyparty]

OHHH LIKE A SNIPPET OR BONUS PART OR SOMETHING I WANT TO IF YOU WANT TO PLEASE COULD NEVER SAY NO TO YOUR WRITING

here, i have this 😭 it was supposed to be a bonus chapter from san's pov after chapter 9 but u can have it since i probably won't finish writing it

From: choisan.outlook.com (May 24th; 23:56 p.m.)

To: park_yn.hotmail.com

I got your letter...

This is an old e-mail address that I found in my inbox, you sent me a question about your Computer Science assignment but I never opened it...I'm sorry about that. The assignment is kind of hard by the way so if you felt bad that you were struggling with it, you shouldn't have.

I don't even know if you still fucking use this e-mail but your phone number isn't working or maybe you blocked me or something...

I hope Paris is good to you. I don't know what you're doing there, you didn't mention in the letter...

From: choisan.outlook.com (June 6th; 01:34 a.m.)

To: park_yn.hotmail.com

It's kind of shitty that I've known you for so long yet I know so little about you.

Which is definitely not your fault, I know you were trying. It's always me, isn't it?

I have a habit of not letting people I'm involved with get close to me because it gives them leverage and a weapon to hurt me. Although I did tell you things about myself that I only told Yeosang before.

You told me stuff as well but I kind of fucked up by sharing it with others, didn't I? I don't why I did that, I'm usually very good at keeping secrets but...I don't know. I'm sorry.

Thank you for keeping my secrets safe though, you're a much better person than me Y/N.

But really, I don't know almost anything about you. I keep trying to think of a reason why you left for Paris, I keep trying to remember if you ever mentioned anything about it before but everything is foggy.

I think it has to do with your art, right?

You're not reading these I'm sure so I'll keep writing to you. Don't know why, I guess I need someone to talk to.

Yeosang went home for the summer. He said he'll leave the frat next year and won't live with Yunho and I anymore, he'll move off campus. He said it to Yunho though, he's not talking to me.

If you went to Paris for your art then I'm really glad. You were always very talented. 

I'm sorry I never said that to you before.

From: choisan.outlook.com (July 13th; 03:49 a.m.)

To: park_yn.hotmail.com

I was cleaning out my laptop and phone today because I got a part-time job and need extra space on both devices for all the projects and files and I found a photo of you, Yunho and I.

I don't know where I'm going with this...I just

You're very beautiful. I think you might be the most beautiful girl I've been with.

And I'm not saying it because I'm trying to be slick or suck up to you or anything, you're not even reading these so there's no point in me lying. It's just something I've been thinking about.

You know how people always say that their significant others are the most attractive people they met? That's bullshit.

There's always going to be someone better looking. It's a shallow way of thinking, I know, because I'm aware that when they say that shit they count in their personality and everything that person has done for them. It all adds points to their beauty.

But realistically speaking, they don't consider just their looks when they call them the most beautiful.

I told Boyoung she was the most beautiful person I've seen and she's pretty but I also said it because she's very soft spoken and smart and she has these little habits and interests that add to her beauty. All the quirks and flaws, beauty marks and personality traits that I loved. I meant all of that.

I don't know any of your quirks or weird habits, I know you like to wear skirts and that you like the color pink and pop music and that you paint.

But you're the most beautiful girl I've seen and this is purely a compliment I swear. I feel like I never told you that I thought you were pretty.

Not that you need me to tell you that you're pretty to feel pretty. I know you know that you're good looking.

Fuck I feel like this e-mail is so shallow I don't know why I'm still typing

I just wanted to tell you I guess that you're, objectively, very beautiful.

From: choisan.outlook.com (August 24th; 23:13 p.m.)

To: park_yn.hotmail.com

Classes started again!

I'm so busy with school and classes I fall asleep before midnight nowadays.

Yunho and I still live together but we got a new roommate. He's a freshman named Taeyoung. 

I thought it would be annoying rooming with a freshman since both Yunho and I are taking a master's degree and shouldn't they have some kind of dorm system where they place freshmen together?

Apparently they do but there was some kind of mistake and now we're stuck with him. We feel like we're babysitting him half of the time. The kid is still a virgin.

But he's kinda cute. Feels like I have a younger brother to check up on once in awhile. And it's like fucking adorable how his mom sends us food as well every time he comes back from home.

He's like a little baby chick.

I miss Yeosang.

I still haven't told what happened between us to a single soul, only Yunho knows and that's because he was there.

You know, Yeosang was the first friend I made when I started college. We meet Yunho about half a year after that I think.

I know you and Yeosang never got along but he's a good guy I swear. I told him that you told him to go fuck himself by the way. 

I knew he was in love with me, okay? I knew.

I knew since we started our second year and I didn't know what I should've done about that so I just pretended not to know because I didn't want to make shit awkward or ruin our friendship. 

I sometimes used it. His feelings for me. He always said yes to everything as long as I asked and he always picked my side in every argument between the three of us.

It's not like I ever manipulated him into agreeing to something dangerous, it was mostly to have the place cleared out when I want to bring a girl over or get him to drive me to or pick me up from a party.

And it was shitty of me. I know i know i know i know i know

I'm a bad person and a shitty friend and I don't blame him for not wanting anything to do with me anymore. And I feel so sorry. I feel so fucking sorry but none of it can fix this. I fucked up.

But I miss him.

We had a fight a couple of days after you left. I don't know how it started but I know he was pissed at me for mentioning the stuff you told me in private to them (see he's a good guy. much better than me) and he was snippy and rude in the upcoming days until finally, a fight broke out in our living room.

I said some shit, he said some shit while Yunho was trying to mediate between us. 

I was angry and frustrated and he was being an asshole and you know that Yeosang can be quite an asshole, so I might've let it slip that I knew about his feelings and then he got hurt and said something that hurt me in response.

'You know, I'm glad Y/N left. She finally realized that you aren't worth the pain it takes to love you.'

That's what he said. 

It hurt like a bitch, I cried after he left (and I can say that here because I know you won't tell anyone but if in some case you DO read these, I'll deny every word).

I don't think I'll ever be able to forget those words for as long as I'm alive.

From: choisan.outlook.com (September 21st, 21:16 p.m.)

To: park_yn.hotmail.com

I went to the fall festival today and saw those pink velvet scrunchies for sale on one of the stalls that reminded me of you. It was weird. 

Everything pink reminds me of you.

From: choisan.outlook.com (October 30th, 04:25 a.m.)

To: park_yn.hotmail.com

When you said you hoped I knew how much you hate me in the letter...did you mean that?

I get it. I really really fucking do. Everyone ends up hating me sooner than later. Or resenting me.

I don't know which one is worse.

From: choisan.outlook.com (November 15th, 03:45 a.m.)

To: park_yn.hotmail.com

Y/N Y/N Y/N Y/N Y/N Y/N

Park Y/N

I never could've loved you the way you wanted me to.

I feel like it would've been nice if i did fall in love with you so everything  that happened could've been for something but it was just pointless wasn't it? Useless.

Truth is, I have no fucking clue what love is. 

I've never seen an actual example of it in real life.

I don't even know if what I had with Boyoung was love...was it? See, I'm asking you because I have no idea.

My parents didn't love each other, all they do is argue and hate each other and I can't tell you how many times I've cried when I was a kid wishing they'd just get a fucking divorce so I wouldn't have to hear everything my father called my mother

I love my mom. See, that I know. I love my mom. I would die for her. She's the only reason why I have some shred of ...anything in me even though it's not love. Everything I do in college, my exams, part-time jobs, I do for her but I fear that will never be enough to repay her for everything she has done to me.

You know she was the only person who ever told me it was okay to cry.

My dad hated when I cried, even when I was a kid, he hated it. He always told me men don't cry.

But I wasn't a man, I was just a little boy who fell down from his bike and wanted someone to comfort him and kiss the wounds away. My dad never did, only ever told me to get up.

My mom always told me it was okay to cry years after that. She said it was okay.

I still never cried but it was nice to hear someone say it.

My dad on the other hand... I fucking hate him.

I know it's a bad thing to say but I do. I hate him and he hates me as well.

He told me once how I ruined his life and it didn't make me cry.

I don't fucking know why I'm typing this. Well I actually do. My dad called today.

He doesn't call often but when he does it ruins my entire week.

He only cares about my grades, if I'm passing my exams and is just repeating 'hurry it up with this degree shit and get a job already'.

Like I can hurry the semester up literally what the fuck. I don't even ask them for money. I never did. not once since I started college but he looks at me as if I'm an investment and not his son

I hate him so much I hate i hate i hate i hate him.

[guiraguira]

Waddup to my fellow Matenro stan !

Fluffy-cloud☁anon here !

Wanted to know if you could do a Doppo x fem reader . Senario is where they go out on their first date but the movie that doppo booked ends later than expected.....soCAN I PLS SEE A SHY DOPPO X FEM READER WHERE HE STAYS OVER AT HER APARTMENT / HOUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME?????

Bonus is that she makeshim sleep on the samebed as her coz the cute bb wanna sleep on the couch . Hes do cute omfl !

Also coz where im at its 15/05 and its My boy's bday❤❤❤

Thank you so much❤❤❤❤and enjoy your day/night

☁fluffy-cloud anon☁

Share bed!✨

Hello fluffy-cloud anon! have a good day you too!❤️

That's how it is! Knowing it's his birthday I just want to rock him in my arms and put him to sleep whispering how much I love him.

I can honestly see it in all those scenarios where he is on the verge of death for doing something completely natural in a relationship, believing that he is going to make you uncomfortable or that it is something out of place.

Shy Doppo x female reader!

Warnings: none! Just a little first date awkwardness ❤️

°ahhggg! Doppo burns with shame from his ears to his toes. Why did he have to choose that movie that ends so late on his first date? Surely you will think that he did it to take advantage of you, but really it was the only function that they could arrive at.

°They both work in the same office and already knew each other well enough before he took the first step in asking you out. Even their shifts are the same, ending late as that stupid boss keeps giving them extra homework. The movie time had been booked with these setbacks in mind, he had planned it perfectly… or so he thought.

° You felt that Doppo was more tense than normal, but you thought it was something normal due to the nature of the situation. When in the middle of the movie you looked at him to comment on something he wasn't attentive to the screen, you caught him more times than you expected with his eyes on you. Giving him a smirk every time his gaze met you sent him a flying kiss causing him to sink into his seat and look away.

° When you left the cinema you understood a bit of his concern "I.. uhm…" he plays with his hands and you think that he is asking to walk hand in hand with you, so when you grab him he squeals in surprise. "Actually, I was thinking…I finish very late and maybe we will have to return by taxi "I do not escape your contact but his gaze was fixed on that connection between you.

°"ah, actually I live near here…we can walk there" loose starting to walk. The skin tone your date acquires easily goes beyond burgundy and becomes darker than his hair color as he silently follows you around. In just ten minutes you are already opening the door of your apartment. Only when you close the door behind him does he realize that he entered your house without permission, at night and on the first date.

°Now being trapped and alone at the entrance, the first thing he looks for is a window big enough to jump through. "Do you want a coffee or a tea?" You ask looking for two cups as if he were a recurring visitor.

° "Sorry… thanks permission! Ehhh…. I think I shouldn't be here" he says grabbing the door handle ready to open it and run downstairs, but it's locked. "A taxi home from here is incredibly expensive! You don't have to pay that when you can stay here!" His knees tremble slightly at your words and he refuses to take another step. As if he were an animal trapped in an enclosure he doesn't know.

°"Just take off your shoes and come sit down, take a coffee and I'm sure it's richer than the one in the office." You point to the place you prepared for him and the cookies you left in the middle of both. He complies and asks for permission when he approaches the table.

° Concentrated on his actions, you laugh when he blows on the coffee before taking the first sip. You still don't know how he got up the courage to ask you out, but you wanted him so much that if he didn't get up the courage you would, fortunately the same day you made that resolution he proposed the date. Perhaps, it is an unexpected twist as the evening unfolded, they should have waited longer until they got to the point of inviting each other to each other's house but now none of that matters.

° When you offer him a bath first he chokes and laughs nervously. He can't deny that, he knows your actions tonight pushed him over the edge and he needs to cool down a bit.

° Wearing the shirt you lent him and smelling the same as you from using your hair products is making him sweat again, he should do his best to think about something else. But he can't, you don't let him, finding him vulnerable, you kiss the top of his head, smiling sweetly when you see how small tears of shame crystallize his eyes.

° He has no choice but to cover his face with both hands fidgeting on his seat. "Just, it's our first date" he whispers, opening a space between his fingers to look at you. "The first of many" now your lips leave a kiss on that hand that made room for his eyes. Not being able to resist anymore, he fans himself with the first thing he finds, too ashamed to admit that he also expects the same.

° The night had really advanced and the time to sleep was already inevitable. "Prepare the bed before, so we can go to bed now" Doppo looks behind him and doesn't see anything like an armchair to sleep on, so he thinks you have another place for him in your room. Serious mistake, the only thing there is a double bed. His words catch in his throat when he points to a chair that seems comfortable "no, you won't sleep there" you say arranging the pillows so that they both have the same amount, his body trembles again when without issuing anything other than screams you also deny him sleep in floor.

° You slide in first and hold the blanket up for him, patiently waiting for him to stop being embarrassed. He hesitates for a long time before slowly entering and once covered you must stop him from escaping twice as he implores you to let him sleep in the bathtub if necessary.

° Even in his place concentrating on not making noise when breathing, he can't calm his agitated heart that at the slightest movement of yours begs you not to turn to see him. Just like him, you were also a bit nervous, you trust Doppo, but you also can't sleep so easily knowing that he is by your side.

° "y/o are you still awake?" Obviously you were but you didn't respond, a quick and clumsy kiss hits your cheek, his rapid breathing saturated your ears for a few seconds before he returned to his place on the bed "good night, to you too" in response, you only hear a weak giggle.

° Finally, the heat of sharing a bed manages to make them sleepy and they unconsciously seek each other's contact, ending up with their foreheads and noses together. The nervousness of the day before fades along with the darkness of the night, by dawn they are so huddled together that they hardly seem to be the same people.

[spaceyflowerswriting]

Heyyy can you write danny and reader kissing ? Thx bye bye

lots of love (daniel park x reader)

details: fluffy drabble, gender neutral reader written in 2nd pov, general canon au, you and daniel are dating

summary: daniel gets rewarded by his partner for the many nice things he's done for them.

a/n: thanks for the cute request :] <3

×

Daniel wasn't sure what was up with him today, but he wasn't going to question it when every single one of his acts of services expressed to you was met with your sweet smile. Honestly he was starting to convince himself that he'd just be like this for the rest of his life if it meant he could see you smile like that.

"Devoted to them for the rest of my life..." Like a doting husband.

He blushed at the thought. What was he thinking? You two were still highschoolers with uncertain futures in the making. He shouldn't be committing to such a heavy decision at his age. Still, the thought was nice.

A happy sigh passed his lips and you were quick to notice.

"Are you daydreaming again?"

"Sorry," he replied with a laugh, going back to sweeping the floor.

You smiled and went back to your own chore of tidying the classroom by sorting out some books. "You don't have to be sorry, I was just pointing it out. What were you daydreaming about, by the way?"

"Um..." He quietly cleared his throat, unable to stop the pink that was beginning to color in his cheeks. "Nothing much." In an attempt to avoid further questioning, he asked, "Do you want to take a break? We should go get a drink of water or something after our hard work."

The playful look you gave him made his heart race but he calmed when you went along with his suggestion.

He set his broom down and made a beeline for the door of the classroom. "Okay! I'll run and go get some water bottles for us--"

"Nuh-uh. You've done more than enough for me, today." You stepped towards the door, clearly intending to block it.

Daniel kept walking over anyway. "But--"

"Nope." Once you stood in front of the door, he stopped moving to pout. "Stay right where you are. I'm going to get the water bottles."

There was a momentary lighthearted staredown, although Daniel was only using his puppy eyes. That, combined with his pout, made for his ultimate charming tactic. Or at least that's what he hoped. Thankfully, it worked either way and he brightened up as soon as you huffed.

"Okay, fine, you can come along."

"Thank you!" He hurried to follow you out when you left the classroom.

"Seriously, though, you've done way too much for me today."

Daniel cheekily remarked with, "There's no limit, is there?"

You lightly elbowed him. "Yes, but I'm starting to feel guilty. I mean, you even gave me a shoulder massage earlier."

Maybe that was a little over the top, but oh well. He continued to tease, "Well, that's just because I'd do anything for you."

"Daniel, you are too much sometimes, you know that?"

"In a bad way or--" Before he could finish, you grabbed his collar and slightly pulled him down to your height to kiss him. He quickly melted into the kiss and his hands found themselves resting on your hips.

Usually he was unsure of where to place his hands whenever the two of you kissed, but at the moment it came naturally to him. Seemed like something really was up with him today. He could only hope it'd last so long it became a part of him.

After you pulled away, you leaned in to his ear and quietly said, "I'll give you more kisses later~"

His cheeks colored in pink the same way as before and a big grin formed on his face while you properly pulled away this time and continued to walk off. He trailed after you like the lovesick puppy he was.

×

bonus extra writing below that i thought was funny but scrapped lol (original plan for this drabble/oneshot was daniel being awkward about a first kiss)

"Be gentle... and fast. Be manly... but kind. Got it?"

"Zack, that sounds awfully familiar to something you've told Vasco before."

"Hey, if a piece of advice works, there's nothing wrong with repeating it. And it's not like you have any advice, Jace."

Jace's smile cracked. "Yeah... but still. Daniel asked how you kiss someone."

"And? My advice still applies?"

Daniel rubbed at his nape, glancing between his friends. "Uh, but Zack, how exactly do you kiss someone in a manly way?" He was only met with silence and Jace awkwardly looking away.

Eventually, Zack managed to mutter, "Well... you just..."

Jace sighed and lightly slapped Zack's arm, making the latter glare at him. "Stop making shit up, you're just going to confuse poor Daniel."

"I'm--!"

"Daniel, just talk to your partner about it. Learn together or something. That's the best advice I can offer."

"Ah, okay! Thanks, Jace." Daniel politely bowed his head at Jace and then nodded at his other friend. "You, too, Zack."

"Anytime, Daniel," replied Jace as Zack gave him a thumbs up and a, "Come back anytime for dating advice!"

[vodid]

(Same anon that asked the jewelry asks)

How do you come up with the jewelry for your Obsidian King AU characters? Do you just think of them or look up inspirations on the internet?

How do you come up with the flags of the kingdoms, like Praxus?

What does Prowls castle look like? Is it very very big, and what colour?

I am so sorry for all the questions- it’s also 2:59 and I’m tired and I got a burst of inspiration of questions lol hope that’s okay!

LOL no no you're all good! i'm winding down from finishing up a piece and haven't gotten back to comms so you caught me at a good time

it's hard to explain how exactly i came up with some of the jewelry (i assume you also mean their gold/etc accents) but generally i thought of what would look best with their given designs/stories and went from there. as far as i can remember, it all came from my big ol brain with the help of some friends

there IS usually at least one element that has a deeper meaning for the character, such as barricade with his face of pyrite/"gold", symbolizing his betrayal to both his mate and his noble family; bluestreak with eyelids of gold, accentuating his sharpshooting skills; and smokescreen with his chevron of gold. this one is a little more obscure, but chevrons as we know are a very integral part of praxian culture and are typically used for affection (forehead taps!) so having a chevron of gold could be akin to symbolizing the genuineness and caring nature of a person <3 smokescreen also has snake bite piercings, which play into his gambling side! (cause yknow. snake eyes.)

optimus has a design matrix centric as prime, along with elita for being queen of iacon (home of the matrix bearer), and she just so happens to be his wife! bonus points for matrix centric design!

for prowl specifically, i chose accents that would bring out the sharpness of his overall design and character. y'know, his wings, his weapon, his chest colors, his chevron, his mind and wit — they're all sharp! his chevron loop piercings were purely for looking pretty, his shoulder loops complimenting them, but the chains that hang from his left side go deeper into his grief over smokescreen, having been confined to his berth for an extended period of time.

jazz's praxine appearance had an element completely unintentional on my part that i hadn't realized until someone in my server pointed it out, but you know how prowl has gold chevrons on his servos and, after they bond, jazz has matching ones on his shoulders? this could symbolize jazz's role as praxine to help prowl shoulder some of the weight of being a ruler, taking it from prowl's hands when he needs. romance! meaningful!

the flags... oh man. okay let me include a pic of all of them so far:

we'll go in order. vos is... well, we all know trines and how they're big for seekers. because of this, vos does not have one sovereign, instead having an elite trine to split the duties, hence one fire trail for three jets in the banner. this one i'm not the most satisfied with as it feels really. obvious. compared to the others but it's cute and practical!

old praxus however is a very different story. there are a LOT of elements in this that come together and it actually took me a very long time to figure out. here is an excerpt from the au's info doc on this one: "Based on the gold and chevron of their first sovereign, King Onyx, and the kingdom's love for crystals. Three crystals + prong-like shapes point up in homage to their Vosian roots." (praxians are direct descendants of vosians in this au) so not only does the triple prong allude to trines, but it also alludes to vos' throne room, which has three tall thrones all pointing in (think of g1 starscream's coronation platform) these prongs point up at the gold badge, symbolizing the sovereign of praxus and their status as royalty. heavy vosian roots, as you can see

this symbol ended up absolutely tarnished by the ruby kings and the war with vos. so tarnished in fact that smokescreen had to change it when he became king. the new praxian banner is pretty straightforward. he removed all vosian elements as they are an independent kingdom (and vos hates them anyway) and based it entirely off his only heir as a symbol of a brighter and hopeful future :>

iacon is just the matrix. that's it. LOL

polyhex is really interesting to me and i love explaining this one! obviously we have a sheet music esque design, with an odd clef/bridge of instrument thing at the end, but the symbol there is called a fermata! in music terms, this is to indicate a note held for as long as the conductor says. it's typically the dramatic end to a song! i promise there's a connection and it has to do with the phrase "long live the king!" because,, get it,,, fermatas are notes held longer than normal. hehe. i will say, while i always wanted to incorporate a fermata, polyhex absolutely fought me on this design so i'm not entirely satisfied with it either but it works!

the praxian palace is indeed crystal!! it's very big and changes colors! it's a soft blue at night and a pink during the day. i don't have a detailed or final version of the palace, but here's a draft i made!

it has spires but don't be fooled, they're not functional. the palace itself is only a few levels and generally follows medieval architecture inside, the crystal having been built into with metal

PHEW is that all in this ask? it's been so long since i've infodumped that much about my au :'D if you want more, you KNOW i am more than happy to answer!