#and it would be easier to process for someone watching the full collab

[hylwicks]

Is your name a Hylics ref?

YES IT IS!!!!!

My current username is a mashup of just my regular nickname and Hylwicks, my friend Martin suggested it for me a while back and I liked it so much I used it I looooove Hylics! It's actually one of the main inspos for my own game, I use 3D assets turned into 2D sprites as a stylistic choice because of Hylics :]c

[selinakidreams]

hello hello hello ! this is my comfort piece for @doinmybesthere ‘s mental health awareness month collab! and I’d just like to say a huge thank you to emme for creating such a wonderful collab and thank you for letting me be apart of it.

paring: kirishima eijirou (I’m talking 7ft big strongman vibes) x empathic quirk f!reader (established relationship)

word count: 3.7k +

genre: hurt/comfort + fluff

warnings: mentions of anxiety & toxic friendships, instigating with means to harm- please let me know if I missed anything!!

a/n: this I think,, was the best way to approach what has tormented me for years. it was a reoccurring thing for me but I never handled it properly, and just this year, someone important taught me that I deserve more than what I’ve been putting myself through. so here it is! I also think that once my schedule clears up, I’m gonna make a sister piece to this but idk !! let me know if you guys would be interested in that!

++ the absolute biggest thank you to my betas/flow checkers @doinmybesthere @lady-bakuhoe @keishinslove BIG kith

pss. the first person who can guess my love language based off this fic wins a prize

Turning other’s confidence to despair, gloating to fear, persistence to tiredness, motivation into loss- but all you felt was drained. The overuse of your quirk left your head feeling full of cotton; Your chest heaving and vision slightly blurry. 

You arrived late to the fight because what started as a relaxing day off quickly turned into a rush to get to the streets. Thankfully Red Riot had been on the scene, waist-deep and stalling a full-fledged fight between two combat villains until backup came. 

His tired eyes met yours and you flashed him a hopeful smile until witnessing the villain get a short-termed upper hand. They landed a solid punch, which caused you to feel not only the repercussions of the shock-inducing impact but your building guilt of being a distraction.

Years of training reminded you not to let it get to your head, your hero instincts kicking in after emotionally experiencing that strike. Heart pumping with adrenaline, you began to focus your heart and mind, simultaneously tuning into what those around you were feeling, never forgetting to keep your eyes wide and alert. 

Confidence, eagerness, perseverance, exhaustion, determination. 

Taking a breath as you ease into a rhythm, you kept your sights on the two people who were attacking the boulder of a hero and finally, a steady grasp.

Quirk at work, the familiar mental image of loose strings flowing in the wind appeared, and you grabbed a hold of them, symbolizing that you had caught hold of their feelings and wasted no time on bending and contorting to your will. You watched as their actions became slower and less motivated, making it easier for Kirishima to handle. He must have realized what was happening, a new surge of elation pumped through him as he began to knock both of the villains down a peg. 

Seeing him fight had always been such a marvel to watch; it was so easy to be mesmerized by the sheer enthusiasm he had while trying to keep the balance and execute justice. Kirishima Eijirou was a hero in all senses of the word- and not just any hero, your hero- as cheesy as it sounded.

Secured under his weight and possibly unconscious, Red Riot looked around, a bit disheveled, until his gaze found yours. Expecting to be met with the warm sincere smile that always made your heart flutter, your heart sunk when you saw his eyes turn wide and frantic as he called out your hero name. 

On top of feeling a bit dizzy from honing into those particular subjects and manipulating two people at once, a wave of distress washed over you, adding to the unfavorable aftermath of pushing your quirk. 

You were quick to whip around, finding another villain was closing in closer than expected. You dropped all previous controls and focused solely on the person in front of you. 

“You had gotten better since the last time I saw you,” they sneered as they attempted to land a hard-hitting kick to your stomach. 

Missing by a hair, you pushed past the dreariness in your head and went straight into a defensive position.

The close-cut dodge wasn’t the only thing to throw you off; now you had realized why Kirishima looked at you like that; your traumatic past, the one you had divulged to him in the safety of your home, warbling with tears streaking your cheeks, was coming back to roughhouse with the intent of ending in a knockout. 

Fear twisted into gut-wrenching anxiety; the plummeting feeling hit the bottom of your stomach with a harsh thud.

In front of you stood the unmistakable frame of someone you had considered to be one of your closest friends for a time; someone that seemed so natural to be with, someone you divulged secrets and shared smiles with, someone that had made it seem like separation was not an option- now turned villain, sporting a suited evil smirk smeared on their face. 

It was hard not to let the tears collect on your waterline, thinking about the whirlwind of your relationship as your gaze met theirs for the first time in years. Months and months of triggered breakdowns, cold sweats from various nightmares, and countless tears have been shed as time progressed, the sinking feeling of long-lost fear that they had put you through now showing its ugly head; the thought you had convinced yourself for so long- that you ended up not even being worth their time starting to resurface. 

It had been hard to learn the lessons that were dealt and see the mistakes made on both parts- not just yours, to pick up all the shattered expectations of what a true friendship is, but you had. Now you were able to sort through the wrong sorts and had gotten emotionally and mentally stronger because of it; in many ways, the ending of the friendship helped you realize that there were ways you deserved to be treated, and like shit wasn’t one of them.

However, it almost seemed like all the progress you had made swirled down the drain now that they were in front of you. It was like you were experiencing the heartbreak of them ending the friendship all over again.

“Awww! The poor little hero is still heartbroken after I left her?” their tone patronizing as they jutted out their bottom lip to form an exaggerated pout. “Look at you! I can practically see the desperation on your face- desperate for me to come back? You’ve always been so fucking clingy. But you know, the news has you pinned as like... some kind of saint… no, no. You’re nothing but a selfish attention whore playing the good guy... so I just wanted to stop by and remind you of the truth.” they sneered, really aiming to trigger your trauma. 

You had opened up to them about all your fears; from the smallest to the all-consuming ones, so for them to be targeting you like this… they must have thought that you haven’t changed- and you fucking have. You worked damn hard to do so; You’ve grown and have started appreciating yourself more, started loving yourself more, started working on yourself more. The villain was only targeting your past worries, keyword, past.

Regardless, you were already feeling too much as is and the best thing you could do for yourself right now was to control yourself. 

The urge to take it personally was beyond tempting- to make them suffer as they had done to you, to watch them break right in front of you… But there was a specific way to handle this situation, one you’ve envisioned more than enough, the perfect high route. 

Quickly looking back to see how Kirishima was fairing, you were met with the rock hero in the process of cuffing the other two offenders, allowing you to feel a rush of relief. You turned around and mentally centered yourself. The convict seemed to put together what you were about to do, so without hesitation, they began charging only a second too late.

Taking a breath, the perfect feeling to muddle their prideful feeling down surged through you as you carefully knotted their violent stings together.

It was the feeling you faced when all was said and done after, the outcome you faced after you had gone through confronting all of the trauma that was built up by this person. 

All you felt was emptiness. 

When it hit them, you saw it in their eyes as they stopped in their tracks. No smugness, no pride, no cowardness. Nothing to egg them on and yet nothing to make them feel terrible. Blank. 

Before confusion slithered its way to their consciousness, you took the opportunity and roundhoused them- your efficient ankle sweep knocking their head to the floor, deeming them unconscious.

Crouching to the floor next to their body, you made sure they were breathing before cuffing them and standing back up, turning around you double-check on the scene behind you.

The police furthest from you were tucking the Red Riot’s villains in their cars while the others jogging towards you kept their eyes on the limp body behind you, Kirishima in tow. He looked incredibly tired but couldn’t seem to keep the smile off his face. He felt proud.

A weak smile graces your lips as you try to take a step, only to see your vision blur.

Great. 

The last thing you saw was the panicked look in his eyes as his pace quickened to a run in attempts to catch you. You faded out to the sound of an urgent call of your actual name before your body hit the ground with a thud. 

The next few hours came in slow-paced blinks. 

The first time you opened your eyes post-fight, your body felt heavy… but you were moving. It didn’t take long to realize that you were being carried by the muscular arms that you wake up to every morning. Slowly peeling your eyes open, the sight of his signature spikey red hair reminded you that what had just happened. Your boyfriend, the one who was on the scene with you, had witnessed you overcome one of the people that truly had left damage on you. He wasn’t looking at you, but staring straight ahead; by the way, his fingers curled around your bicep and thighs, it had been tough for him to watch everything that had gone down. 

You tried to call out his name, but it sounded stifled, sounding more like a broken whisper than anything. After another try, he seemed to have heard you, his ears perking up even though all the commotion- or maybe it was just ironic timing. When his red eyes caught the beaming smile you attempted to comfort him with, he tried to mimic it, only you could make out the way his bottom lip quiver. Your eyelids became unbearably heavy and for the second time, unconsciousness took its hold over you.

Blink.

The next time your eyes peeled open, you were being inspected by the all-to-familiar medical team. The inside of the ambulance was much brighter than it was outside, fluorescent lighting causing you to squint. Unnamable hands were touching your head and pulse points. When they noticed your eyes open, they tried to keep you awake as long as possible, the first step was sitting you up on the gurney. The first person you made eye contact with was your designated nurse- the one with the most comforting presence, was that part of her quirk? 

With a kind smile and knowing eyes, she jerked her head in the direction of the person she knew was first to come to mind. Following the movement, your gaze landed on Kirishima, who was standing off to the side and chewing on his nail, arms crossed against his chest. 

Had he already got checked out? Was he okay? 

When he noticed you were staring, he mustered up a small smile and in return, you slightly lifted both your hands to do a loose wave in attempts to warm up his smile. It worked.

“Okay c’mon, you know how these checkups go- you can go be with your boyfriend once we know you’re okay.” your nurse teased, knowing full well that a serious approach wasn’t going to work with you being this drowsy. 

You merely nodded in response, head and eyelids still heavy.

 The rest of the examination went by speedily, you being awake making everything go ten times smoother. After everything was checked and you were clear to go home, the nurses moved to talk to Kirishima as you moved to the edge of the ambulance, waiting for them to finish. 

“I’m so lucky that you’re not only my hero but also a registered caregiver. Well actually… both are pretty super...” You mumbled, trailing off with a lazy smile, lids finally starting to accept the losing battle of staying open. 

“Nooo, you’re lucky that it’s the overuse of your quirk that’s keeping you out of the hospital and not fatal injuries. It’s not manly to push yourself too hard.” he quipped back in a light playful tone; He didn’t miss how hard you were fighting to stay awake. “Baby, can you make it to the car or do you want me to carry you?” 

It was moments like this where you appreciated how comfortable Kirishima made you feel in your relationship; feeling no shame when you revert to a clingy pile of mush. Reaching out, you let your eyes close as you mimic grabby hands to your enormous boyfriend. 

You hear him sigh as he kneels in front of you, opening your eyes in time to catch his broad back muscles shifting, “c’mon love, you need to help me with this bit.”

You clumsily climb on his back and loosely wrap your arms around his neck, standing up with ease. He quickly adjusts you against him to get a better hold on your thighs. Once he begins walking, you let yourself subside back into unconsciousness.

Blink.

You were jolted awake when you felt yourself falling, only for your behind to hit a familiar cushiony surface. Oh right, the car. Before you could fade out once again, you heard Kirishima say something about going to grab the paperwork so the both of you can file your reports later when you wake up. The last thought you were able to think was something along the lines of how incredibly lucky you were to have someone love you so deeply.

Blink.

Waking up to the view of the city lights twinkling below your balcony and the energy of a healthy 8 hours of sleep, you stretch the rest of the drowsiness out of your body till you feel ready to accept the hefty amount of paperwork that’s waiting for you in the other room. 

The only light that illuminated your bedroom was the reflection of the living room lights on the hallway floors. Before getting up, you spared a glance at your nightstand, seeing a glass of water with a note underneath, as predicted; this happened more often than not after a battle. You reach out and take the glass in hand and take a steady sip before letting in more and more water, then reading the messy little note:

 in the livingroom <3 

You smiled at the little doodle he drew- two characters that seem a lot like the two of you, kissing, with a sparkly heart over their heads.

The need to recreate this drawing was growing at an incredible speed.

With newfound determination, you push yourself up from the bed and shuffle to the living room, squinting when the light becomes a little too harsh against your eyes.

Eyes fully closed when you get to the center of the living room, purposely facing the wrong way and trying to suppress a giggle, you try to use the most monotone voice you could muster.

“Kiri - where are you I can’t see.” 

“Your eyes are closed- babe, open your eyes.” 

“No it’s too bright but I saw this cute drawing on the nightstand done by this really talented artist and I must recreate it please recreate it with me.”

You heard a bit of shuffling before his voice came close to your left side.

“Was it a pretty manly drawing?” 

“I would like to think so.”

He was much closer at this point, shifted to somewhere close in front of you right before warm lips were on yours; as quick as the peck came, it was gone in a flash followed by the sound of him plopping down on the couch.

“Wait Eijirou-” you start to pout as you turn in the direction where the couch is, eyes now fully open and set on Kirishima until the shock of pain shot through your nerve endings. 

“Ah, shit! Fuck!…” you wince, lifting your leg to hug your newly stubbed toe.

Kirishima is back by your side in an instant, really trying to suppress his laugh but doing a terrible job.

“You’re such a jerk for laughing,” you pout, giving your best attempt of a proper shove… and he didn’t even budge. 

There was a moment of complete silence then the booming of your boyfriend’s boisterous laughs bouncing off the walls. Rolling your eyes, you limped over to the spot on the couch where he was previously sitting, and as the cushion beside you dips, you sigh. 

The sight in front of you was a disheveled mess. Scribbled on papers were thrown about- most were filled out but there were a few that were blank, pens and highlighters could be spotted under and over random reports.

“I did most of the reports… but I didn’t know if you wanted to fill out yours… because of who you were fighting.” he slowly stated, as if he were walking on eggshells. You could tell that he was holding back from hitting the main issue. 

Was this something you were ready to unbiasedly talk about? Kirishima knew most of the details, but he also realized that you probably wanted to talk about it more now that you’ve not only seen them after all this time but had to fight them. 

With another sigh, you let your head fall into your palms- your elbows digging into your thighs- and you roughly rub your eyes before coming up for a new breath of air. 

“My heart was pounding…” you started, attempting to prepare for the unwanted wave of grief, but as you trailed off, oddly enough, it never came. 

When reflecting on the fight, you remembered the range of emotions you felt, but now… you just felt… empty- which was ironic. No sadness, longing, anxiety… if anything, with your caring redhead staring at you with the roundest eyes, you felt at ease. 

“But honestly? I don’t really feel much right now. Like I can say that when looking back, I think I handled myself in the best way possible- they don’t deserve to have that satisfaction of creating a rise out of me, and quite frankly… I’m tired, Ei. I’m so tired of letting them have that hold on me. I don’t deserve that kind of pain. As much as I am a hero, I need to think about myself as a person and there’s only so much I can endure. My mental and emotional health comes first.” 

After saying all of that, there was a slight hint of relief that flooded your system; you already began to feel lighter.

“I’m so proud of you. I know that must have been really hard to face but you did it, and you were so good about it,” he whispered as he reached out for your thigh. 

Accepting his comfort, you sucked in another breath and smiled up at him. He held and returned your smile for a couple of seconds before slightly leaning in, his eyes flickering from your eyes to your lips. 

“Would it be alright if I.. kiss you?” it was such a heart-warming gesture, how he was making sure you weren’t pushing yourself. 

“More than alright,” you whisper, barely getting out the last word because of how quickly the gap between you two closed. The kiss was comfort in the rawest form; his pace was slow, his large hand cupping your jaw as his tongue invaded your mouth. You were following his pace, your eyes coming to a close, melting into a relaxed state for what seemed like the first time today. 

Keeping the kiss light, he pulled away shortly, but not before placing a lingering peck on your lips, then one on your forehead and whispering, “I made you a snack. You’re probably hungry right now so I prepared you a little something filling. And while you eat, I’m gonna run a bath with some Epsom salt and lavender oil, does that sound good?” 

Overwhelming gratitude washed over you. Words couldn’t possibly measure even the bare minimum of the love you have for Kirishima Eijirou, and yet you managed to string a soft, “You are the most wonderful person in the world, and I… Eijirou I love you so much.” 

His eyes became a little teary as he looked down at you, a wobbly smile in place before whispering a returning “I love you,” before heading into the bathroom to run the water in your massive tub. 

As the thundering sound of the water filling the tub echo through your apartment, you get up and rummage the fridge to find a plate of adorably cut red apples with a glob of peanut butter off to the side. 

“Baby do you want tea?” You call out just loud enough, “I’m gonna brew that green tea with the toasted rice!” 

He came into the kitchen looking big and confused, “what did you say, baby?”

“Green tea?”

“Oh yes, please,” he said, leaning in and planting a kiss to your temple before turning back to the bathroom. 

“Kiri? Can you put on the house shows on the tv? I forgot what channel they were on.”

You didn’t need to turn around to hear tv turn on; a shout of thanks was called out before you took a bite of your snack.

It felt all very domestic, something you never thought could happen to you. Your childhood was a montage of quirk abuse, being emotionally used, following the same types of toxic people, and never learning your lesson. It all flipped somewhere in your twenties- you began to realize the pattern after being shown the kindness the world could offer. No longer world you put up with bullshit like that. You knew better now and Eijirou always reminded you of that. 

You were halfway through one of your favorite flipping shows when Kirishima came in shirtless, letting you know the bath was ready, “Okay my love, it’s ready. Take your time, I‘ll be in the tub.”

You stripped on your way to the bathroom, leaving all your clothes on the bench in the bedroom before padding into the warm-tiled bathroom.

The view you stepped in on was delicious; your huge boyfriend taking up most of the tub, his head tilted back against the wall, eyes closed.

“Gee red, you’re so sexy.” you aimed to tease, but your words came out a bit strained. He chuckles before turning to face you and groaning your name, “hurry up and come in here.”

And it’s then when you’re submerged in all the heat and laying against your boyfriend’s warmth, do you remember that life is what you make it to be. Never accept anything less than the love and care you deserve.

Blink.

[jeonggukkiepabo]

CRYSTAL SNOW ❄ MYG

SUMMARY: Christmas has always been a stressful time for Yoongi: buying presents, decorating the tree, baking cookies, you name it-Yoongi does it. It wouldn't be so difficult if Yoongi had someone to help him, but all he has left in his life is his beautiful daughter Ara.But maybe this year, he won't be all alone.

GENRE: christmas fluff  ❄ a bit of smut

WORD COUNT: 7,3k

WARNINGS: f l u f f, single parent yoongi, kindergarten teacher y/n, oral, satoori, domestic christmas vibes :(, mentions of death

AUTHOR’S NOTE: the secret collab is finally here! thanks @kimtaehyunq​ for letting me join💞 i’m so excited to read the other fics as well! & thank you Mags for doing this amazing banner I think this is the prettiest banner I've ever had. 🤧 Tysm love💞

MERRY CHRISTMAS

People usually say she looks a lot like her father, but all Yoongi sees in Ara is his wife. Wherever his daughter goes, his wife's ghost follows, the memory of his teenage love and the wonderful years they spent together until she left their lives.

Min Dasom died almost one year after Ara was born, her death coming too sudden for anyone to bid their last goodbyes-leaving her husband and baby heartbroken and alone.

It was awful, Yoongi won't be able to forget that one night the police called him, telling him that his precious wife drowned in the ocean during her monthly trip to the beach with her friends. 

Ever since that call, Yoongi has never stepped near a beach again, never felt hot sand between his toes again, never went swimming again.

It was hard, being a single parent and Yoongi was tempted to give up many times, but seeing Ara grow and bloom into the beautiful girl she is now, Yoongi is beyond thankful that he survived the pain and sorrow.  

He never drowned his thoughts in alcohol because his sunshine always looked at him with her sad little eyes, almost as if she knew what he wanted to do and hugged his legs tightly until Yoongi set the bottle away and picked Ara up and spent the night cuddling her.

Things got easier as soon as Ara was old enough to finally go to kindergarten, allowing Yoongi to work more hours and on a daily basis again. It's not like he needed a lot of money, it's just that Yoongi needs to work. 

He's used to working all the time, he's always been-because working doesn't give him time to think about the tragedy that is his life.

Money wasn't an issue for the Min family, Yoongi used to be one of the most successful pianists and producers in South Korea, but he gave up on that as soon as Ara was born, just to have time for his family.

His friend Hyunjin offered him a job as a songwriter and composer at his own label JinHit Entertainment. 

Yoongi could work from home whenever he wanted and needed to, but the studio Hyunjin set him up was way better and filled with new technology that Yoongi loved playing and experimenting with.

The acclimatization to her new daily routine wasn't easy for Ara because she wasn't used to having women in her life-until now, it has always been Yoongi and Ara. They ended up switching kindergarten two times before Ara came into the one that you've been working at for a while now-instantly falling in love with you.

The first few days with your new reference child we're quite… interesting because the little girl was full of action and so curious about every little thing in the room that you couldn't sit still and talk to her father for a while because Ara grabbed your hand and pulled you towards the next game she wanted to play.

Her father, Min Yoongi, sent you an apologetic smile as he watched you play with his daughter from a distance, giving you time to get used to each other and build a bond. You winked at him as you took a seat next to Ara and started to explain the rules of the board game to her-impressed about how well she was understanding them.

It didn't take Ara a long time to send Yoongi home, waving him goodbye and pressing a loud kiss onto his lips. "Go and work, Appa! Uncle Hyunjinnie waits for you to make good music!"

Yoongi looked at her with a pout, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're telling me to leave? Just to go and work? That is rude, princess."

You giggled and hugged Ara as she ran over to you, Yoongi long forgotten.

"Would you like to bring your dad to the door, Ara? I think he might be sad if you won't. Remember: he won’t see you for a few hours and you don’t want your dad to be sad during lunch, right?"

Ara giggled but nodded nonetheless and grabbed Yoongi by the hand. "Hurry!"

Yoongi looked at you in shock, desperately trying to hold in his laugh. "I think you gave me Ara's evil twin instead of my sweet little princess! Where is my nice girl that always kisses Appa goodbye?"

You shrugged your shoulders playfully as one of the other kids asked for you to help him with building a big tower out of building blocks. "Have a nice day, Mr Min. Oh and make sure you won't forget about our appointment on Thursday! I don't think it'll take longer than an hour, it's just to talk about Ara's development so far."

Yoongi was one of the few parents that were always punctual, not even a minute too late-and the only parent you've never felt any kind of rage towards. Not only that, but he attended every kindergarten fest, always prepared little cupcakes for Ara's birthday to bring with her to kindergarten and share with her friends.

May was rolling around quickly and you were as eager as always to craft some little gifts for the children to give their mothers. 

You prepared some candle wax and melted it so the kids could fill it in plastic forms and add glitter and scent to their preference, just to have a nice little gift to give. 

Most of the kids had fun, some of them were a bit grumpy because they got glitter all over themselves, but there is one little girl pouting and trying not to cry in front of them, not even touching the wax.

Ara.

It breaks your heart every time, knowing that Ara's mother died years ago and that she probably had no other woman in her life because you’ve already heard that her father works quite a lot. 

Squatting down next to the little girl, you gently pinch her stomach just to hear her little giggles. 

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Don't you want to make a nice candle?"

Ara looks up at you, one single tear slipping out of her eye. "I don't have a mom, so no candle for me."

You coo, playing with Ara's hair as you stand up again, leading her towards the crafting table.

"That doesn't matter, Ara. I think your dad will be happy to get a candle too! We can pick a different color than pink, what do you think does he like the most? I’m sure we will find something!"

Ara taps her chin, smiling slightly as she thinks about Yoongi's favorite color. "Black! He wears black clothes! Always! Do we have black glitter, Y/N?" 

She scrunches her nose at the first few oils, but one scent really lights up her face. "This smells like Appa! Can we use this?" 

"We do, I didn't put it on the table because usually nobody wants it so it sits on the shelf, all by itself. I think the glitter finally deserves to be used!" You smile at the kid, grabbing the small container of glitter from the shelf and handing it over to Ara.

"We do have a few scents, would you like to smell them? Choose whichever you think smells the best and we can put a few drops in the wax,' you offer the bowl of different oils to Ara and help her open the lids.

Ara holds up the little bottle of rose oil and you smile to yourself. Black roses, that really seems to fit the impression you have of Mr. Min.

"Of course. Now, let's mix the glitter with the wax and we can put it into the mold. Alright, now stir it while i put in a few drops of the rose oil, okay?"

You guide her through the process, talking to her and listening to her rambling about the piano lessons Mr. Min gives her on a regular basis, just because Ara wants to be like her favorite man in the world.

"He is a great dad, Ara. You're so lucky to have him, I know that he must be sad sometimes too, but you're such a sunshine and help him as much as he helps you," you hug her from the side, enjoying the way Ara leans into the hug as well.

"I want a mom, but Appa is almost like a mom! He lets me paint his nails, goes to ballet with me and always bakes princess cookies for our tea parties!"

Ara giggles as she dips the wick into the liquid wax.

"Appa needs a woman to love, the only dates he goes to are work-dates with uncle Hyunjin," she says.

And yes, you think so as well.

One day around September, you decide that it’s definitely hot enough to prepare the blow-up outside pool for the kids, allowing them to change into their swimsuits and let them play around, even adding some bubbles to the water to let them experiment.

Mr. Min smiles at you, his gums fully showing and you can’t help but smile as well as you hear his words.

“And I think there’s no job that you could do better than this one.”

You’re sitting next to the pool on a bench in the shadow, reading some books to those few kids that don’t want to hop into the water as Ara jumps out of the pool.

“Y/N, come inside as well, it’s so nice!” She jumps up and down, her wet ponytail dripping onto her shoulders.

You pout, pointing to the kids next to you. “I can’t, you know that some of the kids are still afraid to go into the water with so many other children around. Maybe next time. Now, go and enjoy it, it’s super hot and I don’t know when autumn will come around and surprise us with bad weather!”

Ara nods quickly, hopping back into the water and continues splashing some water around with her friends, but she glances at you every few seconds. Then, she whispers with her two best friends before all three of them nod as they look at you.

Suddenly, they run towards you, surprising you with wet hugs and loud giggles, leaving your white summer dress almost see through.

Suddenly, there’s someone clearing his throat right behind you and you wish you could sink deep down into the pool once you see that it’s Mr. Min. 

“Girls!,” you can’t help but yelp, the cold water causing you to jump up from the bench. Yet, you laugh with them, the cooling really helping you with the heat.

“You can’t just do that, Ara. Look at my dress now, you can almost see through it, you’re lucky that the parents won’t come in within the next two hours, otherwise they would see me like this,” you try to look stern, but to be honest: you would have done the same if you were Ara.

“Ara, why did you do that?,” he asks with his calm voice and tries his best not to look at your hardening nipples under the dress. 

Ara’s bottom lip trembles as she looks at you with sad eyes. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I just thought it would be funny…”

Mr. Min turns to you and bows slightly. “I’m sorry, she shouldn’t have done that. And well, I came to pick her up earlier because we will visit her grandparents over the weekend. I should’ve informed you earlier. Is there any way I can help you with your… erm, dress?”

Mr. Min nods at you, picking up his-still wet-daughter as he looks you up and down slow enough to leave goosebumps all over your skin once again. 

You blush, shaking your head as you grab Ara’s clothes and hand her to her father.

“It’s alright, Mr. Min, it’s not your fault-and a water fight is too much fun to just not do it, right, Ara? It’s sunny enough so I’ll just bring the bench into the sun and I’ll be dry soon enough! I hope you’re having fun with your grandparents, Ara! Have a nice weekend, Mr. Min.”

“It’s alright, Mr. Min, really. You don’t know how many children happen to call one of us mom without realizing it. It’s nothing too wild, I’ve gotten used to it and I think especially in Ara’s case… It was supposed to happen, you know? I mean, I don’t want to intrude on your private life, but I suppose you’re not seeing another person and Ara isn’t growing up with other females, so she takes those she sees here as a female person to bond with, you know?”

“Thank you, mommy! Oh… I mean Y/N..,” Ara quirps as he turns around in her father’s arms, even though it doesn’t look like she’s really sorry at all.

“Ara!” Mr. Min gasps as he looks at his daughter. 

Yoongi shakes his head. “I haven’t seen another woman ever since my wife died. Ara is the only woman in my life, the only one I give all my love to. She deserves it,” he sighs. “But you’re right, I think another female person would really help her with growing up. I just don’t want to introduce her to some random woman I might not even want to spend the rest of my life with. Is this egoistic?”

His honest words hit you, knowing how lonely he must be, all alone with his little girl and a bunch of work he has to do. “It’s not, Mr. Min. You don’t have to date just because you think it would be the best for Ara. There are many single fathers that raise their kids perfectly fine and I think you’re one of them! Ara never tells bad stories about you and I think you’re doing a really good job, spending all of your free time with her and allowing her to experience so many fun things. I’ve met so many ‘happy’ families that didn’t even manage to pack breakfast for their kids, so really, don’t break your head over something like this! I’m happy that Ara accepted me so much and that she always comes to me whenever she has a problem. This is why I chose my job.”

Over the next few months, Mr. Min is all that’s on your mind, even though you know how unprofessional it is, but he’s even kinder to you than he’s been before. You usually have a small chat with every parent whenever they bring or pick up their children, but Mr. Min makes sure to always catch you and ask you about your day, if there’s anything new in your life and you can’t help but ask him about his work and the songs he’s been working on as well.

“Ah, it’s really stressful right now. I’m working with this band that’s debuting soon and we have to prepare and finish the entire album I wrote about five songs for. They’re really good but still so young, I think the oldest is 16? Or was it 17? Whatever, that’s like ten years younger than me! I think I’ll grow grey hair soon when I keep on working with such young idols,” he sighs playfully as he helps Ara to put on her shoes and jacket. 

“I mean, you’re not that old, Mr. Min. Don’t worry-as long as you keep that handful smile you will look like you’re straight out of some perfume poster. But I’d love to listen to one of your songs! I mean, if you’d let me,” you smile with honesty as you hand Ara her backpack. 

Mr. Min shrugs, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he opens his Spotify account. He types something in and turns the screen towards you. AGUST D, it says. You scrunch your eyes at the name, trying to remember where you’ve known it from, but it doesn’t ring a bell right now. 

“I’ll make sure to listen to some of your songs, I hope they aren’t too sad though, I prefer my music to be more… pop and rock?”

You cringe at your own words, hoping that the man knows what you were trying to say. 

And fuck, you did like it. Turns out that AGUST D wasn’t some softie that plays guitar lullabies, no. 

Yoongi cracks a grin, then winks at you playfull before he takes Ara’s hand after she said goodbye to you.

“I think you’re going to like it.”

AGUST D seems to be one of the best rappers in the music industry that you’ve ever been listening to. He sounds so aggressive and fast that you needed to listen twice to some of his songs to understand what he was saying, but you ended up adding much more songs into your playlist than you’d like to tell him.

But you did tell him.

“Oh, I’m not doing that crazy rap thing anymore. It was a phase, I guess. By now, I use the name to help smaller musicians and trainees, produce their songs and write their lyrics. It’s better to do so with a bigger name, but AGUST D died a long time ago, I guess I killed him.” Mr. Min says the next day.

"I mean, as long as you keep all of them on Spotify, I'm alright with that. Most of those songs match my aggressive driving vibe and I can't imagine driving to work without it." You try to joke before you realize what it must've sounded like. "Oh lord, I didn't mean it like that!" 

You blush, trying to hide your reddened cheeks in your palms, but Mr. Min just laughs it off.

"Don't worry, I get what you mean. I usually play Love Talk as soon as i leave this building."

He even has the audacity to wink at you before he leaves with a grin, causing Ara to coo.

"Appa really likes you if he teases you!"

And the teasing goes on and on, there’s almost no day without a snarky comment from Mr. Min or a sarcastic comment from you-but neither of you takes those words to heart because that’s what you need in your lives, someone to laugh with, someone to make jokes with.

Even though there are plenty of other children in your group and so many parents you talk to daily, the only one you’re happy to see in the afternoon is Mr. Min.

The summer is long gone and fall said goodbye a few weeks ago, December came around and your little crush on Mr. Min isn’t as little anymore-and you can’t help yourself but wonder if he might be into you as well. You’ve shared a few noons talking about Ara’s development and if she’s ready for school next September, but most of the times you didn’t talk about the girl for more than thirty minutes before one of you switched the topic to something more private as the man leans closer to you and locks his gaze with yours.

You’re not as nervous around him as you were before and you can feel him starting to open up towards you as well. Yet, you’ve never met outside of the kindergarten, knowing it would be way too unprofessional and you’d never want to ruin the wonderful bond you share with Ara just because you’re desperate to jump into her father’s lap and call him Daddy too.

You’re not one of those women to go into a club and have a dirty one night stand with a random stranger, but you’ve been too busy to actually go and meet people, so you’ve kind of gotten used to being alone, even though you’re really missing late night cuddles and Disney marathons.

It’s Saturday afternoon and you’ve been strolling through the mall for a while now, looking for some christmas presents for your friends and family-but also wanting to treat yourself because work has been more than just exhausting lately.

You’ve been handling the entire group alone, having a lot more smaller children because new kids have been coming to kindergarten and having to deal with so many parents alone can be pure hell. Sadly enough you’re living all by yourself, only having a few close friends that don’t understand why you’re even doing this underpaid job and your last relationship crashed almost two years ago.

The mall looks amazing, beautiful christmas ornaments are hanging from the ceiling and there must be someone playing the piano somewhere because the soft melodic tunes fill the entire mall, reminding you of Mr. Min once again.

You just stepped out of a lingerie store, something you’re really passionate about even though nobody but yourself sees you in it, but you love the feeling of lace on your skin, love how beautifully the soft colors compliment your skin and love imagining Mr. Min ripping the soft material off you.

The small paper bag in your hand, you look around for another shop that might hold the next christmas present for one of your friends. 

“Appa, please! I already have a picture but we need you to have one too!”

You know that voice too well to ignore it, searching the area for the small owner of it, giggling as you found her. Ara and Mr. Min are in the Santa area of the mall that gives you the ability to sit on Santa’s lap and take a picture with him as you tell him your biggest christmas wishes.

But the little girl is not sitting on Santa’s lap, she’s trying to push her father towards the man with the fake beard, clearly wanting him to sit down on that lap.

You giggle, walking towards them just to find out what’s going to happen.

“Ara, I’m too old and heavy for poor Santa, I think he prefers girls your age-wait, no not like that. I think he likes boys and girls-ugh. You’re driving me crazy, princess. Look, there’s a few other kids wanting to have their time with Santa as well, why don’t we just leave and try to find some more presents from the giftshop here, hm?” The man tries to talk his daughter into leaving the uncomfortable situation, but Ara is as stubborn as ever-she always gets what she wants, especially from her father.

“But… I want you to have pictures with Santa too!” She pouts, looking over at the confused Santa before she hears your giggle. “Y/N!”

Mr. Min turns around, a shocked expression on his face and a soft pink tint on his cheeks.

“Oh, Ms. Y/L/N. What a surprise.”

You giggle even more, stepping closer towards them. “Hello Ara, good afternoon Mr. Min,” you bow slightly before accepting the little girl’s hug. 

“I see, you really want to sit on Santa’s lap, but Ara doesn’t want to let you because she’d be embarrassed.” 

Yoongi hums in agreement. “Horrible, those children. I mean, I just want a nice christmas picture with Santa, but you know how they are… right before puberty hits them.”

“Y/N, Appa doesn’t want to take a picture with Santa, would you sit on his lap and take a picture for me?” Ara looks up at you with her big eyes and like always, you can’t say no. Instead, you hand Mr. Min your bags-not thinking about the fact that one of them is from the lingerie store-before taking Ara’s hand and walking over to the smiling Santa.

The picture is quickly taken and not even five minutes later, Mr. Min hands you your bags, whispering, so Ara wouldn’t hear you. “I think the peach one will suit you the best.”

Ara nods and rips the bags out of Mr. Min’s hands to show you her cute dresses and bows while the man just stares at you with an open mouth. Did you really just say that to him? 

You gasp, hiding the bags behind your back but who are you to deny the fact that this man is the exact reason you stepped into the store?

“Thank you, I hope someone will get to see them before Christmas. It would be a shame to waste those pretty pieces for some lame mirror selfies,” you smile innocently before squatting down next to Ara. “Did you buy something nice yet?”

“Appa, we wanted to get hot chocolate, can Y/N come too please?”

Yoongi is speechless once more as he quietly follows his daughter and her kindergarten teacher towards the mall’s cafe-realizing that he shouldn’t have chosen his tightest pair of skinny jeans because somehow, they got quite uncomfortable as soon as you arrived.

Yoongi raises an eyebrow at his daughter before he picks up all the dresses that Ara tried to shove back into the bags. “If she wants, she’s welcome to join, but I think you should ask her first, maybe she is busy.”

You blush at the invitation, not sure whether to accept it or not-but you’re not one to decline on hot chocolate. Smiling at Ara, you nod. “Show me where to get the best hot chocolate, I’m craving something sweet and thick down my throat.”

He watches you as Ara grabs your hand and swings them around with a soft giggle, heart warming as he sees your fond smile.

Ara talks about you a lot-hell, Yoongi asks about you a lot whenever Ara doesn't want to talk about you but watch her favorite show.

It's unprofessional and probably not allowed, Yoongi knows, but Ara leaves for school in March anyways, so who cares? 

It's obvious to the both of you that you're interested in each other, the flirting and teasing coming to a point where Yoongi can't wait for another snarky remark of yours.

And now that he has the chance to sit and talk with you outside of your workplace, you just chose to buy a bag full of fucking beautiful lingerie (yes, Yoongi looked inside, no, he doesn't regret it).

Ara leads you into this beautiful cat cafe that apparently has "The best hot chocolate and bubble tea, but it's too cold for bubble tea… Can they make hot bubble tea?" as Ara says, earning a harsh "no" from Yoongi, because that's something he wishes for as well.

"Go find a place with Mr. Y/L/N, Ara. I'll get your order, yeah? What can I order for you?" Yoongi looks at you as he pulls out his wallet, giving you some time to read the menu.

"Oh, the candy cane hot chocolate, please! And please, as long as we are not talking inside the kindergarten, call me Y/N. I mean, you've seen my underwear, I think you deserve to call me by my name."

Yoongi blushes, nodding and rushes towards the cashier to order your drinks. You smile at the man, then at the cats-they look somewhat similar-before you sit down next to Ara who is currently petting four cats on her lap.

"They're adorable," you coo, "Do you have any pets?"

Ara nods with a big smile and hands you one of the cats, a pretty one with orange fur and big eyes. 

"I have a turtle! Gukkie gave it to me and Appa didn't like it first, but I love her!"

You enjoy the cat's purring as you gently stroke her chin. "A turtle sounds lovely, I hope you can show it to me one day."

"Oh, that won't be a problem, I can invite you for dinner and Appa will get shy and red in the face, but he wouldn't say no because he's super soft for-" "ALPACAS! I'm soft for alpacas, haha, here we go, three hot chocolates."

Yoongi appears with a pained expression as he places your hot chocolate right in front of you.

"Thanks, Yoongi," you smile at the man and Yoongi swears that his heart stopped beating for a second. "I'm soft for Alpacas as well."

Right after you all finished your drinks, Ara decides that it’s time to walk through the mall once more, just to make sure that Santa is still there and will take another picture with hot chocolate-filled Ara. 

“Did you enjoy your date with Y/N, Appa?” She looks up at her father as you walk towards the mall. Yoongi trembles, blushing brightly. “I’m pretty sure this wasn’t a date, Ara. Don’t assume things like this, it’s rude,” he mumbles as he gently pets her head to make sure she isn’t hurt by his comment.

You giggle, whispering loud enough for Yoongi to hear. “I really liked it, Ara. Your Appa can be funny if he wants to.”

The picture with Santa comes out pretty, even though the man groaned as two grown adults decided to sit on each of his legs, the bright smiling Ara kneeling in front of them. But it’s really worth it, because Yoongi’s smile never leaves his lips this evening, gums showing beautifully on the picture and you quickly make sure to get a copy of that picture as well.

Yoongi’s eyes widen. “So was this a… you know?” It’s endearing, how shy he suddenly seems to be. You’ve never seen him like this. Stressed, overworked and happy - yes. Shy and blushing? Never.

You nod with a soft smile as you lay your hand on his shoulder.

“Yes, I’d like that to be a ‘you know what’, Yoongi.”

You can't even tell when the two of you officially started dating, but you'll never forget the first kiss you've shared during one of your walks-thanks to Ara for snapping a picture of it. Yoongi's hands wrapped around your waist, eyes clenched shut and lips curled in a soft smile as fresh snow fell down on you.

Seeing Yoongi at work wasn’t as weird as you had expected it to be, it’s quite the opposite. He’s attentive and lovely, bringing you fresh croissants or donuts every morning or puting little chocolate for you and Ara in his daughter’s lunchbox.

He’s caring, picking you up after your shift to invite you to dinners and walks through the forest with Ara, because that little girl just loves walking in the fresh snow that has started to fall recently. She takes pictures of your footprints with Yoongi’s phone and makes him promise to print it for her to hang up.

“Of course I can, Ara. You’re already wearing your sleeping clothes and you’ve brushed your teeth with Appa, so hurry up and pick out the book you want me to read!” 

Ara grows closer and closer to you, until that one day where you stay over the Min’s house for dinner, she asks you to bring her to bed.

“Can she, Appa? I want her to read my favorite bedtime story to me! Please, Y/N,” Ara looks up at you with a pout, her beautiful eyes-that remind you of Yoongi-sparkling with admiration. 

That girl really makes your heart melt, combined with the soft smile that Yoongi gives you. And suddenly, you feel like you’re meant to be here, helping that man that you’ve grown so close to, helping the girl that lost her mother way too early and maybe even helping yourself with accepting that love really comes unexpectedly.

You gently tuck the soft blanket over Ara and place her favorite stuffie next to her as you smile at the girl fondly. "Sleep well, Ara," you whisper quietly, trying not to wake her up.

"Kissies, please," she mumbles sleepily and makes grabby hands towards you.

"Ara, I-" "Please," she whines and opens her eyes, tears starting to build up.

"Okay, it's okay, Ara." You swipe her hair out of her face before you plant a soft little kiss onto the girl's forehead. "Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, Y/N. Will you be there tomorrow morning?"

Your smile fades, unsure if you really want to tell the little girl the truth. 

"Probably not, I have to get ready for work. You know that I love to wear dresses on Thursdays and I didn't bring mine. But we will see each other in the kindergarten!"

"Okay," she whispers before she falls back into a quiet slumber.

Yoongi has cleaned the kitchen in the meantime and poured more wine for the both of you to enjoy in front of the fireplace.

"She really adores you," he says as you sit down next to him, sipping the rosé Yoongi bought just for you.

"And I adore her. She's an angel. Thank you for allowing me to spend so much time with her, Yoon."

Yoongi blushes again, shaking his head. The greyish blonde hair got messier as the evening passed. "No, Y/N. You're the first mother-figure Ara has, I have to thank you in both mine and Ara's name. I know that dating a single father is a lot, but you're accepting my family so well… I never thought I'd find another woman in my life again. Ever since my wife died, it was hard for me to even look at other women, let alone build up something like a relationship with them because I always felt bad. But that's what she would have wanted for me. To love again, to not waste my last handsome days," his lips curl into a smirk before he shakes again. 

Then, his sharp eyes met yours and soften within seconds. 

"I… I don't know if it's the right time, we've known each other for two years, we've been officially dating for only three weeks, but I think I won't change my mind about it-no I know that I won't change my mind. I love you, Y/N. And I know that Ara loves you too."

You gasp, lips beginning to tremble once your eyes meet Yoongi's. "Yoongi…," you whisper before you place your glass on the table and basically jump onto his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck. 

"I wanted to be the one to tell you first. I love you so much, Yoongi. I've had this stupid crush on you ever since you saw me in that wet dress, ever since you've shown me your music. Ever since I've seen you being the wonderful father you are-and that's so sexy, you can't even imagine."

Yoongi smirks as his hands find their place on the curve of your ass. "Sexy, huh? Me, doing the laundry and cooking dinner? Or me walking Ara to kindergarten with the homemade lunch boxes? That turns you on?"

You laugh, hiding your face in his neck as you lean closer to press your lips against his ear.

"All of that-and the way that you love Ara with all your heart, that's maybe the sexiest thing about you."

The man groans as he grabs you even tighter. "I never thought that sweet talk would turn me on even more than dirty talk," he laughs shakily as he wiggles his hips slightly to get into a more comfortable position that won't suffocate his hardening erection.

You sigh, sit up and run your hands through his hair. "Isn't all of this too early? I always tell myself that I shouldn't fall so fast, but here I am, ready to go every step with you."

Yoongi nods before he presses a peck on your nose. "Same, but we have all the time on earth. Ara wants us to get married by tomorrow, but I'm sure she'll survive it if we decide to postpone it for a few weeks."

You giggle as you look over your shoulder to the fireplace. "Did someone ever suck you off in front of a fireplace? Isn't this the definition of Christmas?"

The man underneath you gasps in shock. "No, but… I mean, I… You don't… have to?"

Laughing, you slide out of his lap and onto the floor, thankful for the soft carpet. "I want to, bubs. I wouldn't do something either of us isn't comfortable with. I assume you're alright with it?"

"Of course, but… I guess nobody ever did it because they wanted to, but because they feel like they had to?"

You raise an eyebrow at him, obviously disappointed in his previous partners. 

"It's as much fun and pleasure for me as it is for you, believe me, Yoon. Now lay back and enjoy, yeah?" You give him a calming smile as you open his pants carefully, then sliding them down his toned legs.

You press kisses all around his thighs to warm him up to the feeling, knowing that it has to be overwhelming to have some that close after all that time. Then, you gently remove his boxer shorts as well, leaving him bare and proud in front of you.

You groan as you start to stroke his cock, earning a low growl from Yoongi. "So beautiful," you whisper, then you take him into your mouth, getting a feeling for the weight on your tongue before you start bopping your head. 

Yoongi tries to contain himself, knowing that Ara could wake up every second, but alone the sight in front of him could make him come with a scream.

Instead, he cups your cheek, feeling the bulge that he causes there. Another groan leaves his lips. 

You look up at him, smirking-or trying to, with a mouth full of cock-and leading his hand into your hair, using it to push you down even more.

Yoongi's eyes lighten up. "Really?"

You almost laugh out, but you're doing your best to contain yourself and nod, placing your hands on his thighs to stop whenever you can't take it anymore. Yoongi is long and thicker than the average you've had before, but it's a challenge that's worth it.

He pushes you down slowly, enjoying the hot warmth of your mouth and then your throat as he pushes in-surprised that you didn't really gag around him.

Spit trickles down your chin as he moves faster, thrusting his hips to meet the movements of his hand and enjoying the gurgling sounds you make.

He comes far to quick for his own liking, shooting his load down your throat with a quiet groan. "Fuck."

You giggle as you swallow what he gives you, standing up to sit back on his lap to kiss him.

"You're welcome." 

Then, before you can grab your wine again, he flips you around and goes on his knees in front of you. "My turn," he smirks, eyes shining dangerously behind his fringe. 

"Yoongi, I-," you try to say, but he shushes you with a sloppy kiss.

"I know that I have to, but believe me: I love giving pleasure more than receiving it."

You pout, hands running through his soft hair.

"I didn't shave…," you whisper, a bit ashamed because you didn't come prepared, not thinking that this would be happening today.

The man in front of you raises an eyebrow.

"Do you think I am a 15 year old, pre puberty fuckboy that cares about shaved pussies? It's natural, love. Even if you can't believe it: I grow hair too, nobody is freshly shaved every day. I don't mind that, okay? Now, stop pouting and let me do my work, will you? Can you be a good girl and do that for me? All you've got to do is lean back, open your legs, throw them around my shoulders and let me devour you."

His shameless words turn you on, you can't even deny it-especially not when your panties are that damp. So, you naturally obey and help him to remove your pants.

"I told you, peach is your color," Yoongi groans in his deep Satoori as he looks at your clothed core. The peach colored lace has darkened from your arousal and the man can't help it but press his face against the material, licking one bold stripe over it.

Nobody has ever done that to you, rather pulled them off in a hurry because they thought that body fluids were disgusting, but Yoongi didn't seem to mind as he gently bites your folds through the lace. 

"God," you moan in pleasure as Yoongi finally pulls your panties to the side and spits onto your pussy, making it even wetter.

You're a whimpering mess as soon as Yoongi's tongue is on you, flicking and playing with your clit, collecting your juices and spreading them all over your pussy. You've read about that before; men eating pussy like they're starving, but Yoongi is somewhat different.

He eats pussy like he wants you to always remind it, to make you obedient and never being able to enjoy anyone else doing that job.

He does it well-of course. His tongue is as fast as he's been spitting rhymes on his mixtape, and you're more than thankful for that.

He doesn't even get to use his fingers before your orgasm approaches you, strong waves of pleasure hitting you as Yoongi keeps on kissing and slowly licking you through your high.

Then, he grins at you. "Round two, here we go."

And this time, it's not only his tongue working wonders, but also his fingers stroking you on the inside until they found your spot. 

You press your hands on your mouth to keep yourself from screaming out loud, hips bucking wildly as you come for a second time within less than ten minutes. And again, Yoongi guides you through it and softly caresses your stomach.

"Fuck, I love you," you pant as he comes back up and steals a kiss from you.

"I can't wait to have you in my bed properly," he whispers and takes a large sip from his wine. 

You can only agree.

You've started to spend the nights at Yoongi's more often, bringing Ara to work with you and helping Yoongi with her and the household whenever you can. Your relationship blooms beautifully and Ara is the happiest little bean when you're around.

Obviously, you spent Christmas with Yoongi and Ara as well, buying little presents and enjoying the comfortable atmosphere with the family.

Yoongi gave you a spare key to his house, so you're always able to visit them, spending the nights there and soon enough, you moved in.

❄❄❄❄

The Christmas after that, you surprised Ara with the adoption papers, telling her that now that she's in school and not one of your kindergarten kids anymore, she'll be able to finally call you Mommy (not that Ara minded before, you just felt weird and guilty about it).

And here you are now, preparing the huge breakfast for your third Christmas around, smiling at the ring that adorns your finger. 

"Smells fabulous, Mama," Ara says as she runs towards you and falls into your arms.

"Do you want me to help you with dessert, Mrs Min?" Yoongi asks as he presses a kiss onto your cheeks. You lean into his touch, shaking your head. "It's almost done. You can go into the living room, I'll be there in a minute to open our presents, bubs."

Yoongi prepares the fireplace, lightens some candles with Ara and lets his daughter hand out the presents. 

"I have one more for you, Yoon," you whisper as you hand him a small box.

"Oh? Can I open this first?" He tilts his head curiously, shaking the light box.

"Open!" Ara squeaks and sits down between her father and you. You nod with a fond smile as Yoongi lifts the top. Then, silence.

"Really?" He whispers with teary eyes.

"Yes, finally," you smile, "Ara, you'll become a big sister!"

Yoongi sniffs, hugging his family tight.

"And she'll be the best sister in the world. Merry Christmas, loves."

[chyornaya-vdova]

She's gone, come Over

A collab with panda365 aka @gammacousin

Tony's made a stupid Titkot Challenge on Pepper and wants Bruce to do the same to Natasha. Obviously Nat is not amused and Bruce has to fear for his life.

AO3   ff.net

Tony’s whining again, grumbling in the lab with puffy eyes and a scrappy blanket over his shoulder. He jumps when Banner enters the lab, the door slammed behind him.

“What’d you do? Pepper kicked you out?” Bruce asked, wondering what Tony's done to make Pepper that furious with him.

Tony tried to compose himself, but failed. “Uh nothing. Just a joke. She didn't take it that well…“ He mumbled, looking away from his science bro.

Bruce sighed and held the bridge of his nose. “What did you do?“ Sure, it wasn't the first time this happened, but Pepper sounded more angry than usual when it came to Tony's shenanigans. And he should know, he was an expert when it came to anger.

“You know the latest app all the kids are using?“ Tony explained with a flourishing hand gesture “I tried one of the trends out. Didn’t end well.”

“And?”

“Annnd I texted Pepper a minute after she walked out the door and said ‘okay she’s gone, you can come over now’. And I waited.“

Bruce sighed again, long and deep. He could already guess what happened next. What did Tony expect to happen? That she won't be furious and won't throw him out? He held his forehead and thought about what he should say. This was just too ridiculous.

“You know how her nose twitches when she’s mad?” Said Tony, before he could think of anything to say.

“No.” Was all he could say in that moment.

“Well! It was twitching!”

“Is that really important right now…?“ He mumbled, not getting out of the sighing circle anytime soon.

Tony was supposed to be smart and then he did something as stupid as this. When Bruce looked at his friend again, he knew something bad would happen soon. Tony had this weird look on his face. As if he had a stupid idea that'll bring them into lots of trouble.

“No.“ Said Bruce before Tony could vocalize out his idea.

“I haven't said anything.“

“I said no.“

“What if I dare you? I’ll make a bet!”

He'll regret asking, “What bet…?“

“I’ll give you $500 to put towards your new microscope if you try the trend on Natasha the next time she leaves.”

Banner scoffed and put on his lenses, ready to focus on working, “I don’t have a death wish, thanks anyways.”

“Dude! Bro! Come on…! You have to live-!“

“Yeah! I’d like to.”

“$700…$1,000…eternal bragging rights with the boys? It’s bad luck to keep telling me no.”

“Look, when the time comes where Nat needs to take me down, I don't want it to happen like this, okay?“ Bruce grumbled. As nice as it sounded to have a new microscope, his life was at risk. It's not the same when Pepper's mad. Yes, she was creepy when angry, but Bruce swore to never ever get on Nat's bad side. Ever. And he was quite sure once she 'killed' him, the other guy would be next.

Tony tapped at his knee, jaw twisted in thought. “I’ll bargain with Cap on the next mission! No Hulk. Period. You can science behind the tech screen while we kick butt. Deal?”

Bruce bit his lip so hard it almost bled. He groaned, tugging at his curls frustrated. Before he could answer he needed to look at his options. Would it be really worth it? “I guess it won't matter if I'm dead...”

“If you live it’s an amazing story.”

He whipped around and counted on his fingers. “No Hulk on the next mission, a brand new microscope, and $50,000 down on a new house for Nat and I.”

Tony was visibly cringing. “Shi-rrr. Sure. Dang you’re expensive upkeep! One condition- this is all recorded via the security tapes for my viewing pleasure later. Okay? Deal?“

He already knew why Tony wanted it recorded. “You're gonna put the footage on YouTube and this children’s app, aren’t you?“ He asked, sighing once again.

“Nooooo, of course not! Who do you think I am?“ A liar. That's what he was.

Bruce hesitated for a few more minutes, weighing all his options again. Maybe if he already had the house, she probably, hopefully would be less pissed? He was thinking about surprising her with it anyway, so why not use it as a method to prevent his imminent death. Bruce sighed. “Okay. Deal.“ He already regretted it...

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

Natasha suiting up for an errand always took twenty minutes. She’s lingering in the hallway and strapped on her gear and a knife in a secret holster.

She yelled with her short hair bouncing, “Bruce! I’m getting sandwiches for lunch, what do you want?”

“Is the salami going to threaten your life?”

He pointed to her holster.

She smirked, tugging her belt a little tighter and reached for the keys, “Not if I kill him first.”

“Where are you going?”

“Whatever I see first. Tony's paying of course.“ Said the redhead, as she held up Tony's credit that she kept stealing from him.

“How-? You’re going to get caught one of these days.”

“I’m a spy, Vrach.” And it's not like Tony made it difficult for her. It was easier than stealing a lolly from a baby.

Bruce rolls his eyes, looking her over with a thought. “Do you have your phone on you?”

She tapped her side. “Yep. Should I text you where I end up? Can you text me your order?”

Bruce smirked, already trying to hide his evil thoughts and the unhinged nerves that accompanied it. “Yep! Sounds great!”

Natasha made sure she had everything she needed, before kissing Bruce's cheek. “Okay, I'm off.“ Bruce gave her a little wave, as she left.

He bit his cheek and watched and waited. Maybe if he lingered a bit longer she’d be halfway to pick up their lunch. He’d have a full half hour to prepare for the explosion.

Or maybe Natasha would just laugh it off...find amusement in the prank. Heck, she lives with a bunch of guys. She’s used to this...right?

“R.I.P, me...” Bruce reached for the phone, tapped his messages and clicked her name. He typed quickly;

‘She just left. You can come over.’

As he hit the 'send' button he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Now he had to wait...

He stood and dropped his phone back onto the table and circled around to head to his private office. He lifted a hand to the door handle and heard the sound of screeching tires pulling back up to the tower. Someone was driving recklessly. Dangerous considering New York streets. He entered his office and swung the door lazily closed. It sprung back open and hit the wall, forcefully. Almost as loud as the screech that followed...almost.

“Robert Bruce Banner!”

He cringed and looked up, trying to play innocent. The green shade in her eyes and the blush on her cheeks did nothing to help the situation.

Natasha stood there, his phone in her hand with her pupils the size of full on quarters.

“What. The. Hell?!“

“Uh-”

He couldn’t get a word in. She was talking again. “Who’s ‘she’?! ‘She’ who?!”

“She uh.. “ he stuttered, English shipping his mind. “She you.”

Natasha lifted her eyebrows. “Me. So I left and you thought it would be a good idea to call over your, what, your other girlfriend?!”

“I don’t have another girlfriend-“

“Did you realize you were texting me?! Who were you trying to text?!“

“Well, uh...“

“Give me your phone!” She dropped her head and charged like a bull, searching his pockets like an unhinged rabid animal.

“Natasha!” He squirmed away, receiving a slap to his shoulder in the process. “Ow!”

She screamed, pivoting. She dropped her own device in her circle, scrambling to locate his device. “Where did you put it?!”

“Natasha!” He followed her down the hall, finding just the slightest amusement in her demeanor. If she wasn’t a trained killer, unraveling his significant other might have a bit of play to it.

She slammed her hand on the table and lifted his phone, her lip trembling as she went off in a mumbled Russian. Bruce would prefer the screaming to the whispers. He knew she could hurl a knife in his direction at any moment with just the flick of her wrist.

“Betty?! Were you trying to text Betty?! You texted Betty, didn't you?!”

He looked at her, softly and kindly, trying to take a seat at the table she was hunched over at, frantic with his phone in her hand.

“Hey, honey-“

“Don’t you honey me! You’ll answer the damn question!”

“Okay, okay!” He lifted his hands in surrender. “Easy! Just take it easy.”

…there’s the knife. An inch away from his throat. Natasha held her frown, immovable in her position. “Answer. The. Question.“ She growled at him and it was pretty frightening.

“I will. I will. Let's talk, okay?” He managed to squeak out.

Romanoff glared at him for a few more seconds, before tucking her blade and hurled it at the wall, shattering a glass in the process. She forced a grin and dropped his phone. “Okay, let’s talk…”

“It was a bet, Nat.“ he grinned nervously, “I didn’t, mean to-.“

“Tony? Was it Tony? It was Tony, wasn’t it.”

“Nat. We’re just talking.”

Natasha tugged her jacket in a huff, standing a bit straighter with her same intimidating eye contact. Her jaw was tight, no doubt grinding his heart against her molars.

“It was a prank- that’s it.“ He reassured her as honestly as possible.

Her head tilted, an eyebrow raised. It was crystal clear that she didn't believe a word he said. “Really. That’s it?”

“I might’ve. Well I might’ve...”

“Talk, Robert!”

“I made a bet! Alright? I made a bet with Tony.”

She crossed her arms, her death glare was still there. “With Tony.”

“With Tony…it was a big bet.”

“Did you gamble away a kidney?”

“No…just...listen-“

“I am listening!” She hissed impatiently. Yes, he understood, she just wanted him to get to the point.

He looked up, those bright puppy dog eyes she would like to tear out at that moment, “Without cutting me off?”

Natasha walked over to her knife, took it down with a huff, and sat back at the table with a boot on the chair. With her fingers running along the blade she nodded ever so slightly.

“I’m going to die...” He mumbled to himself.

She nodded again, still staring at the knife. “We'll see. I'll be the judge of that.“ Nat answered, who obviously heard his mumbling. It was true, though. His life was in her heavily armed hands. It's usually a good thing, but he's never been on the receiving end before...

He laid his hands on the table. “Alright. First of all, there is no other girlfriend. Just you. You’re my everything.”

Natasha snorted with sarcastic laughter, again not believing anything he said. “Listen! Please. I made a bet with Tony, for us. For you and me. He was being stupid, he wanted me to do something equally stupid, so I said I would if he gave me $50,000.”

Now she looked up from her knife with a raised eyebrow.

“For a house! Tasha! Put away the judgement for ten minutes, I swear you can cut me open when I’m done talking.“ He sighed and crossed his arms. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

Natasha looked back down at the knife in her hands. A few seconds ticked by. A minute. A very long and agonizing minute. “And that...that’s worth giving me a heart attack?”

“Well, uh…“ It kinda was, since now they had the house, but he still feared for his life and half lied to her instead. “No. No it’s not. I'm sorry.”

“This wasn’t funny.“ She scolded. Of course she was right. He knew it from the beginning.

“It wasn't.“ He agreed immediately. “Forgive me?”

She kicked the chair in front of her, still glaring. “I need a ten foot radius for the next 48 hours.”

“Sooo, I’m not forgiven.”

“I’ll think about it.” She reached back for her keys. “You never told me what you wanted for lunch.”

“Oh. Yeah. Well if you’re going to-”

“No no. You’re going with me. You obviously need to be supervised since apparently you can’t behave when I’m not around.” She scolded as if he's a little kid.

“It was a stupid prank!”

“Stupidity has its consequences. Get in the car.” Natasha turned around to go outside, but he wasn't quite done with her.

“Nat?“ She stopped and just looked at him over her shoulder. “Let's hug it out?“

“Ten foot radius.“ She reminded him, but he wasn't having any of it. Bruce opened his arms and gave her his best puppy look. The redhead glared at him and they stood there for a few seconds. Then, she eventually gave up and came back to hug him. Bruce wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her as close as physically possible. “You're still not off the hook.“

“I know. You can punish me all you want. I deserve it.“

“You sure as hell do. You have five seconds left.“ Bruce listened as she counted from five downwards and only let go when she reached one.

“I love you, Nat.“ He said, but she answered with something he should've expected but honestly didn't in this situation.

“You're a dork.“ Natasha turned around to leave the room and on her way she waved at him to follow her, which he did.

“Well, I heard chicks dig that.” He couldn't help but reply, which earned him a slap on his arm, this time more gentle than before.

[candychronicles]

stoner // h. shinsou

A/N: My take on the stoner collab! Thanks for letting me join @heroheads​ and I hope you all enjoy!

CHARACTER PAIRING: Shinsou Hitoshi x Reader

WORD COUNT: 1,127

WARNINGS: drug use, mentions of drugs 

SYNOPSIS: it’s a fight to the top, and once you get there, it doesn’t get any easier. smoking, however, gives you a chance to breathe, and maybe even more.

Want to read more? Click here!

lazy trails of white smoke drifted through the air, creating a mirage of loose shapes and figures. your hand reached up to dance around in the clouds, feeling everything and nothing all at once. your roommate, Shinsou Hitoshi, mimicked your movements, hands meeting in the middle of the milky sky, soft shockwaves of electricity sizzling between your fingers.

you two were desperately in love with each other, an undeniable attraction that was so thick it could be almost physically felt. you met in high school, vying for the top, to be heros, to be greater than you were now and greater than you could ever imagine to be, but you two still fought, making your way up into the ranks. high school was a whirlwind, a shit show, a storm of emotions and anxiety and pain and when you were both nearing the end of your ability to handle everything that came your way, you found a miracle drug.

weed was the escape you could never imagine and now could never imagine living without it. it was a sweet little plant that, used responsibly, created a much needed relief for the two up and coming heros. with your odd quirks, becoming a hero seemed less than possible, but that never stopped you both from achieving your dream, and it was partly in thanks to the little green goddess allowing you two to spend time relaxing and unwinding, both alone and with each other.

now that you two got through the years of struggle and fighting to be recognized, the use dipped greatly, but there were those rare days where you were both off and you needed to unwind a little bit. this was one of those days.

your eyes shifted towards Shinsou, blinking once, twice, three times until he came back into focus. you moved your hand from lazily waving into the air to place it on his head, stroking his soft hair and disheveling it more than usual. his eyes had never left yours, watching your every movement, too entranced by being around you to even think about looking away. 

usually, the intimacy between you two was far and few inbetween. there simply wasn’t enough time in the day, but you two made your schedules that way, wanting to avoid time with each other at all costs because you were both too afraid of the feelings that you both had for each other. today, however, was different. 

there was too much commotion going on at your agencies, too much stress, too many civilian casualties and failures that piled up and made the feeling of despair greater than normal. the need to be with someone you trust was too great, and so you sought solace out in each other, drawing together like moths to a flame, not caring if you get burned because you’re so desperate to reach that bright light, that feeling of warmth and love.

“Hitoshi,” you started, waiting for him to hum in response before you continued, “i think i’m in love with you.”

he stared at you for a long time, watching as you took another hit from the blunt, watching the tip glow a bright orange. you ashed in the designated tray that you two found at a thrift store, some kids experiment that worked well enough for the two of you. you passed the blunt back to him, watching as his slender fingers gently grabbed the brown paper, puffing on the end of the slowly shrinking log.

he focused on breathing in and out, unsure of what to say or do. he knew what he wanted to do, but wasn’t too sure that it was the best idea. you two were high, absolutely blitzed, and he wasn’t sure if what you were saying was real or just a feeling you had in passing, but he decided after a while that he didn’t care, that he would take full advantage of what you said and see where it led him.

he carefully snuffed the now roach out, tossing it in the tray and finally looked back at you. how fucking lucky you were that your eyes didn’t get red. he continued to stare at you once more, reaching forward and pushing a piece of hair out of your eyes, then cupped your cheek, taking a deep breath before leaning forward and placing his lips on yours.

you took a few moments to respond, not processing what was happening until your brain caught up with your body. your lips moved on their own accord, though, and your breath hitched in your throat as you realized what had happened.

when you said that, you weren’t expecting much. you just knew you were sick of feeling this way, sick of being so desperately in love and unable to say anything, and so you did without thought, wanting to get it out of your mind and out into the world. you somehow knew in that moment that, no matter how Shinsou felt, he would never judge you, and would accept your feelings.

your brain didn’t even come across the idea that he might reciprocate those feelings, and definitely didn’t expect him to kiss you. he tasted like lavender and bud, like fields of green, a breath of fresh air in an otherwise bleak world. his lips were soft and smooth, gliding over yours with sloppy motions, not caring about technique, just wanting to taste you and to have you taste him, to become a part of him, even if only for a moment. 

when you pulled away from the kiss, you almost couldn’t breath, wanting to savor the sensation for as long as possible. your foreheads were pressed together, warm skin and humid breaths mingling together. you moved away first, touching his face with your hands, running over every edge and curve, memorizing the feeling of him on your fingertips. 

“was that real?” you asked him, not sure of your own voice, hoarse and dry.

he nodded his head and hummed in response, too breathless to respond. 

the kisses continued, back and forth for hours, the drug slowly leaving your system yet still feeling high from the sensation of one another. when you were both sober, lips red and swollen from kissing, cold from leaving the window open and yet too entranced to bother closing it, you confessed your true love, all the feelings of desire and need, and melded together, skin on skin and souls intertwined in a beautiful dance. 

the sun was now slowly sliding down the sky, a yellow yolk streaking the mirage of reds, oranges and purples and yet that sight did nothing to compare to the beauty of the moment, of two lovers finally becoming one, in both body and spirit.

Tags:  @redbeanteax​ @softforshigi​ @katsuki-bakugous-lady​

Want to be a part of my taglist? Message me!

[indecisive-v]

NINJAMUFFIN DOING ANOTHER AMA ON TWITTER, HERE'S MORE SHIT FOR YA! keep in mind i'm just sharing the funkin related stuff, though i am including WAAAAY more than what i shared before 👍 go check out ninja's twitter profile for questions about stuff like ritz! questions in blue, answers in orange. if yall don't wanna read everything i MIGHT make a version of this post where i replace the answers with my own summaries of em (and if the questions are long, those too)

and here's a link to the ama tweet itself! dunno if it's still goin

Q: I figure the answer will be yes but do you have more plans to implement more guest appearances from people in the newgrounds community into FNF? Or are you all gunna focus on OG lore and stuff going forward

A: for guest appearances, I think we have always seen it as getting a healthy mix of both. PERSONALLY I'd like to lean towards having more OG stuff than guest stuff, BUT it's all a matter of what other boys think of that as well. I'm not the sole person working on game!

Q: Are you gonna release the full FNF game or are you gonna be releasing week after week? Like, are you gonna release week 8 or are we gonna wait some years until The Full Ass Game comes out?

A: Release plan for FNF right now is a few more updates or whatev to the 'demo' we have out right now, and then a long silence of probably no updates whatsoever until the full game is done (which will likely be a few years). That's partly why we made kickstarter for game.

Q: Hey so like, how much will Fnf cost after it's finished? And when will you ask the supporters what they want the game on?

A: It's all subject to change, but right now it prob gonna be standard 15-25$ lil steam indie game.

We will ask Kickstarter pledgers and whatnot what they want the game on SUPER close to when its released, to keep options open if we get onto anything like a console people want.

Q: 1. how was your day

2. are you releasing a week 8 song early like week 7, or are you goin full lockdown

A: I am doing GOOD today, and I think recently I've been good in general.

up to the mood, but so far we doing good about not having anything leak or whatev, so I think it'd be fun to have update come out with people not knowing what to expect at all. Build dat intrigue

Q: Will fnf ever get official plushies?? Seems like an untapped market

A: FNF plushies will prob happen some point, we have a lot of current merch stuff on our plates already though! (Mostly kickstarter type stuff, shirts, pins, posters, and all the physical OST stuff) Its a lot to sort out, but in time more and more stuff will happen. We r jus 4 boys!

Q: did you ever expect your game to blow up as it did? what was your first reaction to seeing it become super popular

A: FNF never had a humble moment, literally day 1 before the prototype even came out, the vid on twitter had like 5K likes overnight. Then when ludum dare version came out, it got 5K likes again, like it wasnt just a fluke. Was crazy, and def felt like somethin was different wit FNF

Q: Do you plan on getting other people to come in to help with the music? That seems like a lot of work to dump on one person, what with the erect mode and whatnot.

I guess the question could apply to all aspects of development. Will you be bringing on more people to help?

A: We definitely are getting help from other people. We are always keeping an eye on people for various different things. In terms of programming, already I've gotten 2 people (MtH and Geokureli) to help with certain Week 7 stuff (charting/polish, and loading stuff). Shit like dat

Q: Oh, also, will the Steam version be Workshop compatible? That'd really help streamline the process of downloading mods.

A: Steam version of FNF will likely NOT be Steam workshop compatible, because we want all the mods to NOT be spread out through different places. There WILL be modding support that is as streamlined as Steam workshop though. Mainly for non-steam versions of the game!

Q: Are there any chances that the game will have a physical release? Also any updates on a switch port? I remember one of you guys talking/joking about it.

A: Not impossible for FNF to get a physical release. We would want to see how far we could go with it though. I think it'd be super easy to do something wit people like LimitedRun games or whatev, but I think stuff like that can only go so far. I wanna see Funkin in mf Walmart!!!!!!

not that LimitedRun isn't going to be an option! Just we consider and pursue many different things! FNF release is years away, so we have time to think about everything. Whole mindset can be different just a few months from now.

Q: Out of curiosity, how are you dealing with all the popularity? It blew up so fast id barely be able to handle it if I was in your shoes.

A: The only way I've been able to handle it is having the other boys on the crew and being able to talk to them about all the overwhelmingness.

Part of it feels very lonesome, feels like NO ONE can come close to comprehending exactly how I'm feeling, except them. also other PALS!!!

Q: Do you own any of the bootleg FNF merchandise? Like any bootleg plushies or anything?

A: i dont, i genuinely think they r a waste of money, and I know any bootleg shit that gets made, we can prob go about and make it, and make it 100x cooler because we actually put effort into shit. bootleg shit just in it for the coin, so they aint gettin that from me

Q: How did you go about getting in contact with sr pelo for skid and pumps vocals?

A: Pelo i think was familiar and pals wit PhantomArcade a bit thru various Newgrounds things and collabs and whatnot.

pelo retweeted the first OG FNF posts first ever, and brought a LOT of attention to it. to pay him back, we put skid and pump in game! ask dave for more info prob

Q: what's the plan for having the full ass game open source if it's gonna cost money? couldn't people just download the source and compile the game for free?

A: when FNF is fully released, the full source code will be released as well.

the game will be DRM free so it will be way easier for people to redistribute the released/offical .exe instead of compiling it, so that's not the issue anyways. people will pay for things if they like it

Q: What are the chances of it getting on consoles like switch or Playstation, ps5 would definitely be my preferred way to play

A: it'd be a matter of hiring someone to build out backend stuff for those specific consoles. someone who knows their way around all the wacky code stuff, AND knows console hardware stuff. Then its just a matter of hittin up those console manufacturers (Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo)

the CLOSEST one is SWITCH. pretty much all of that backend is already made, so it just a matter of gettin all that access and shit.

i think in any case though, there's a lot of NDA stuff required, i dunno how much we'd be able to talk about it even IF we get that stuf sorted

Q: any ideas of releasing it on epic store or another platform?

A: Right now, the only thing that is 100% confirmed and WILL happen is a Steam version, itchio version, and mobile versions on respective app stores. Other storefronts aren't out of the picture though, but we don't want to spread ourselves too thin with it.

Q: Will you continue using HaxeFlixel to make the rest of FNF?

A: yes, because it is what I'm the most technically proficient in, and generally is VERY flexible. just a matter of ME becoming a better coder. It's ALL open source, so if I need something done a certain way, either I can do it, or we can hire someone to do it.

Q: have you seen game theory's videos on your game yet and if so, what do you think about them? (not talking about his predictions because i dont want spoilers. i like mystery)

A: it is always good silly fun to watch the Game Theory vids about Funkin with some pals, and see what matpat thinks of the game. i lov the vids, but wish he used my face less! Or at least used a cuter pic of me like this one!!

Q: Ok so: What does the future of FNF look like to you?

A: future of FNF is a rhythm game that not only exceeds every expectation that people have of it, but subverts most expectations and conventions as well.

Q: Do you plan on retouching on older weeks once the game is fully out? Like reanimating sprites, redoing some charting, updating the background, etc

A: retouching and probably overhauling certain aspects is almost definitely gonna happen. Everything is fluid and can be changed (and should be changed when necessary). i dont think anything should be too attached to, especially this early on in development

Q: I honestly do not care if the answer to this is vague as hell to keep surprises and shit lol but… Since Week 7 was the closest we’ll get to a playable girlfriend (still bf controlling tho), do you have plans to make girlfriend playable in spin-off things or just freeplay?

A: wouldnt be out of the picture for a playable GF, i don't think we've had some hard thing AGAINST it. just a matter of what we want out of the game, and what sort of story or whatev we could do with that concept

Q: How do BF and GF manage to meet famous newgrounds characters (such as pico, tankman and the others to come) like is this all in one universe/ timeline or are they being brought in?

A: i think they are all just there existing. i think there's a lot of wacky things in other media that try to justify crossovers, like MULTIVERSE bullshit or TIMELINE shit, but i dunno, its like subspace emissary. Captain Falcon and Olimar from Pikmin just hang out. Shit like dat

disclaimer that all lore shit is in phantomarcade head pretty much and maybe there is wacky dimensions or somethin

Q: Will the game have dlc?

A: its not too unlikely that we'd have expansions of some sort, but i mean right now we plan on packing in as much as we can into base game, and trying to make that as pure as possible.

if there is ANY dlc, i would personally want it to be 100% free updates

Q: How did you meet Phantom Arcade, Kawai Sprite, and EvilSker? And what do you think about the community and its controversies?

A: me and phantomarcade been fukin around NG for years so years and years ago we naturally crossed paths and became pals

about 2 years ago i found kawaisprites music on NG, and started talkin wit him, made Ritz wit him and we fell in lov

and evilsk8r i met cuz of FNF!!!

quik elaborate on evilsk8r, wanted artist for gamejam FNF was for (ludum dare), and OG person i asked wasnt available, so he referred me to evilsk8r, who I have never met or talked to before ever.

[cosmicbash]

@friendshipfisting requested some grumpy Em at the beach while chatting and I got a little bit carried away writing dorky fluff so-

You lucky heathens are getting a huge prompt drop. Hope you enjoy~

(This is long enough I could post it to ao3 if someone wants to come up with a title ahah)

--

Marshall hated beaches. He always had, they were just always so overcrowded whenever he tried going. And huge clusters of people did nothing but stress him out, even before he got famous and all those claustrophobic fears of a crowd closing in on him suddenly became a reality.

When he was younger and getting absolutely trashed everyday it was easier to deal with. The combination of pills and booze kept him mellow enough that he could even throw himself into a crowd at his own concerts. Helped build up somewhat of a tolerance for whenever he got up on stage.

Outside of performing however? They were still an absolute nightmare that made his stomach twist up into knots. A brief pass through, and maybe a few stops to meet and greet fans he could handle. But actively plopping himself into the hot sandy clusterfuck known as a public beach? That was the furthest thing from fun or relaxing that he could think of. 

Luckily living in the middle of Detroit meant he was mostly free of dealing with said landscape.

So why in the hell was he struggling to get comfortable on some stiff itchy wooden beach chair, with the ocean loudly looming not very far away?

"The wave's are freaking perfect today-" Colson was beaming a smile at him, almost as blinding as the sun resting behind his pretty wet head. The lighting ironically formed a halo around the self proclaimed rap devil. It made Marshall want to snort. "You should seriously come in."

"I'm perfectly fine right here." Under the safety of his umbrella, above the hazardous hot sand. And most importantly far away from the heavy crashing waves. 

Swimming wasn't his best skill either, afterall there was not much need to swim when you avoided the beach. Sure he could wade in a pool and float on his back if needed, but moving, rushing water was a completely different ballgame.

"You're such a drag," Colson's eyes rolled, long legs kicking up sand while he crossed the distance between them. He was still dripping water all over the place, stray droplets splashing onto Marshall's legs when he loomed ever closer to the chair.

Reflexively the older man tucked his notebook away in the nearby bag, knees pulling up so he could resituate himself. Legs crossing indian style to give the brat a place to sit. 

Marshall couldn't care less about being a "drag", he'd been very vocal about his displeasure with the whole idea of wasting a day at the beach. For once he'd taken over the role of bitchy pushover. Spending most of the night before and morning of their trip muttering under his breath, listing all the reasons why it was such a stupid idea. But still going through with the process of booking and reserving a secluded spot for them on some remote beach.

The only reason he'd put up with it at all was for the younger rapper's sake, something which he hoped Colson could actually learn to appreciate. It wasn't common for him to concede like this, but it was only fair. "You enjoying choking on salt water and burning your skin?"

The tall blonde dropped down with a hard plop, legs bouncing to disturb more sand while the beach chair creaked. The bitter question didn't seem to phase his good mood one bit. "Yupp! Loving it. I've missed the beach, I was starting to look like a ghost."

More water splattered against Marshall's ankles, had his skin twitching. "One more big wave like earlier and you might be one-" The brunette was thankful he had shades on, just recalling the moment only a half hour prior when a huge wave had suddenly crashed down and disappeared his partner made his face curl up. It had been a genuinely terrifying minute of watching and waiting for Colson's soaked head to reappear above the water. One that nearly had him leaving his tiny sanctuary to pound down the length of sand separating him from the water. 

Thankfully the younger rapper had resurfaced, farther out then when he'd been hit. Laughter visible even from his distance with the hard shake of the boys shoulders and wide smile. 

"What? That was nothing, you should've seen how big some of the waves over in the Bahama's could get. Now those, those could totally sweep you out to sea."

Clicking his tongue Marshall gave a swift nod, fingers prying open their small cooler to dig out a cold bottle of water. "I'll take your word for it." The last thing he needed was for the kid to get a Bahama's vacation plan into his head. 

Colson sighed dramatically, upper body dropping down to drape over the older man's lap. Inciting a string of curses and half hearted shoves from how the action left water soaking through his shorts. "A little bit of sun and water isn't gonna kill you old man, you look ridiculous all bundled up here in your shirt and hat. Like some horrible undercover pap who's hiding a camera in his beach bag."

The observation was accompanied by a soft laugh and long fingers tugging at the collar of his shirt, trailing up along his jaw to flick his hat.

Marshall's teeth set in a line. "What, you want me stripped down streaking across the beach? Tattoos and dick free for an actual reporter to see?"

The chance of some paparazzo being nearby was slim to none, they both knew that. Marshall had gone out of his way to rent the accompanying two beaches on either side despite the small cliffs between them. There was noone other than their own mix of security teams for miles. The only chance someone was getting a shot of either of them was with a drone.

In theory Marshall could strip down and dance about the beach all he wanted, grab Colson by his skinny waist and fuck him down into the sand until he was choking on a seashell. He was fully confident in his team.

That didn't mean any of that sounded remotely tempting however.

"Maybe not running across the beach," Colson snickered body twisting until he was lying with the back of his head against the older man's crotch. Arms curled up over his head so he could lightly grip onto his sides and stretch the rest of his body out. "A slow sensual walk towards the water sounds a lot better. Would give me something really great to look at."

The harsh tug on wet blonde locks barely elicited a reaction. "If your hoping for a full moon tonight you're gonna be disappointed. News called for clouds-" It was easier to deflect from the brats flirting then reward him with a proper response.

"With how your pants sag I'm guaranteed at least a half moon before sundown." This time Marshall was the one sighing, head shaking while he rubbed his temples. Colson of course looked beyond pleased with his joke, damp hands rubbing up over the front of his shirt to lightly massage his shoulders. "Unless your planning on dressing correctly for once while we walk the shoreline."

"Who said anything about walking along the shoreline? When did I agree to that?"

"What, we're gonna have a beach date and not enjoy the sunset together? It's no wonder you've been divorced twice." The light teasing had Marshall snorting despite himself. Palm pushing his sunglasses up off his face and much to his partner's delight knocking away his sunhat.

"Actually I let Kim's other boyfriends worry about the mushy shit like that, last time I went to a beach with her she left me passed out along the shoreline while the tide was rising." The memory had him chuckling quietly to himself while his gaze trailed along with white shoreline. "Fucking bitch almost let me drown all because I snorted her share of coke."

"Jesus-" Colson's lips burst apart in a laugh. Palms leaving the older rapper's shoulders to cup his neck instead. "Hope she at least cleaned your pockets out before she left-"

The suggestion had Marshall's gaze dropping back down, lips quirking up into a smirk while his fingers raked through Colson's knotted hair. "You'd think so right? Damn bitch swiped my wallet and forgot the motel's key card. Came back to wake my half submerged ass up and bitch how hard of a time I was giving her- like- fuck me for not reminding her it was in my back pocket while I was drowning!"

The outburst had them both laughing finally, Colson's boisterous and expressive was Marshall's was quieter and reserved to a soft shake of his shoulders. A few years ago the same story might've dragged up residual hurt feelings. Colson's soft fingers tickling his throat and heavy body helped keep them away.

"I'll keep that in mind in case I wanna drown your ass sometime soon."

"Probably already have it planned out, why your so eager to get me walking along the shore."

This time when Colson snorted it was followed up with a firm pull. "Fuck, ya caught me-" Large hands curling around the back of his neck to pull him down for an upside down kiss. It was interrupted by panted breaths and light shakes of the younger rapper's head but the action soothed his mood nonetheless.

Colson's mouth was warm against his own and tasted like salty sea water. Marshall even swore he could feel the scratch of sand against his chin but continued to kiss back anyway. The moment was pleasant, helped ease what little stress he had left in his temples.

The broke apart when his back started to ache, fingers tugging softly at the tangled blonde locks until they separated. "If I walk you along the shore like some cheesy hallmark movie can we skip the whole lovey dovey sunset gazing bullshit?"

Colson mock gasped. "And ruin my proposal I had planned?"

Leaning back Marshall moved to uncross his legs, forcing his behemoth of a partner to sit up himself. "If it's another collab idea dragging me out into this ridiculous sun and pesty sand was the worst way to soften me up-"

"Actually I was gonna propose we try fucking out in the ocean. Was hoping the whole weightless thing with the water meant you could hold me up while we fucked." The sleazy wink had Marshall shooting Colson a worried look. It was hard to tell how serious the brat was being. It sounded just like the kind of stupid thing he would actually plan.

"That's one way to break the news to the media," The brunette couldn't help but shake his head and laugh while he climbed back up onto his feet. Hand catching the wide umbrella so he wouldn't knock it over. "Rap God Eminem and rival MGK found naked adrift at sea together. Nude!"

For what felt like the millionth time that day Colson cackled, long neck stretching out while he threw his head back. "We- haha- We don't both have to be naked! Why would you take your shorts off too? You actually wanna skinny dip with me?"

"God no. I don't think I'd ever get the sand out of my ass. Fuck I've been sitting down this whole time and there's some inside my thighs." 

Colson was less graceful when he stood up, full on jostling the umbrella with his head. Fingers curling around the older rapper's abandoned hat to slap it back ontop of his head. "That's half the fun of going to the beach. Getting sand in all kinds of-"Their eyes met in a brief flirty gaze. "Uncomfortable places."

The wink that followed was all the encouragement Marshall needed to start walking towards the beach. Eyes rolling so hard he thought they might get stuck in the back of his head. The sooner they got down to the shore the sooner he could get back to comfort of a nice soft hotel bed.

And promptly screw the blondes brains out.

[twinklecheeks]

Friends With Benefits (Jeff Wittek Imagine) Part 3

Summary: Jeff and Y/N have been hooking up for a while. The whole vlog squad assumes they’re dating and Y/N does too but Jeff doesn’t like labels. He eventually starts to express interest in Natalie.

Note: Sorry I always post at night! I usually take the day to type and then release it at night. Planning on making this a multiple part series, depending on how good it does. You’re 21 & Latina in this (maybe) series. Also, I’d like to apologize for the typos, if there is any. I’m just illiterate lmao.  

Warnings! pregnancy.

Part 1, Part 2

Word Count: 1.9k

For the past week, you’ve been trying to figure out ways of telling the vlog squad that you’re pregnant… Would it be easier just to tell everyone at one or do one/two people at a time? UGH WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO BE SO DIFFICULT. You have to tell them asap because you’ll be able to know the gender in a month and you want them to be there. You decide to do something different for every couple of people in the squad but before you do, it’s time for your first ultrasound!

The last time you got this done, you were 9-10 weeks pregnant, so you were LATE finding out you were pregnant. You wanted to find the best doctor you can find and luckily, Kylie set you up with the same one she had. You brought Stass and Kylie to the appointment because they begged you. Doctor: *walks in* Hey y/n how are you feeling? Y/n: I don’t feel as sick anymore but I’ve been feeling really full lately. I didn’t think my stomach would pop out so early. I was thinking maybe it’s because I’m a small and short? Doctor: ‘maybe. Layback and let me take a look” she put the cold jelly on your stomach and starts looking around with the doppler. She finds the baby and you see it wiggling around. Kylie & Stass: “You’re giving us major baby fever rn.” The doctor turns on the heart monitor and you hear a strong heart beat. To you, it sounds normal, but to the doctor, she hears something else. She moves the doppler some more and she sees something. Doctor: “umm miss, how thorough was the ultrasound you had in the ER?” Y/n: “I don’t know, they had a lot of people and they did it a little quick? Why do you ask?” She moves the doppler to what she saw and you see another blob appear. Doctor: “if they would’ve been more thorough and taken time, they would’ve told you that you’re having twins. You, Kylie & Stass: “TWINS???!?!?!!!” Doctor: “Yes. It seemed to be that baby B was hiding behind baby A.” None of you had words. You were having twins… TWO KIDS. You felt like you were having the biggest fever dream of your life but you knew this was real. You already told your family you were pregnant but know you gotta tell them that you’re having TWO? Oh hell no. Doctor: “do you want picture?” Y/n: “uhhhh, sure?” You all walked out of the appointment speechless. Kylie: “well that happened.”

*A few days later*

I took you a couple of days to process that you’re eating for 3. You wanted to do something simple cause you didnt wanna stress yourself out anymore than you already are.

David, Jason & Josh:

(Remember when Erin pranked David and Josh that she was pregnant but it was really an ovarian cyst? It’s gonna be set up like that.)

You asked them to come with you and film in your tesla so you can film a car mukbang. You had the pregnancy test with the old ultrasound picture with only one baby in the glove compartment and you had the one that shows the twins in your pocket. Y/n: *filming a mukbang* “Hey guys! I have David, Josh and Jason here with me, say hi.”  All three of them: “Hi!!!” Y/n: “Since I had no other ideas this week, my last resort was this. So have fun watching us stuff our faces with food.” You drove to Chick-Fil-A, in n out and jack in the box. Once you got everything, You parked in a parking lot, but before you start, you asked David to get you some “napkins” that were in your glove compartment and you saw his eyes go wide. David: “Shut the fuck up.” Jason and Josh are in the backseat all confused and David shows them. Jason: “No you’re not.” You’re just sitting there all nervous/ laughing and all you can say is “yes I am.” David is crying cause he loves babies, Jason & Josh are congratulating you. David: “Who’s the dad?” Y/n: “He’s not in the picture.” They all look at you with sad eyes. Jason: “we’ll be here to help with everything at anytime.” Your hormonal ass is getting the best of you and you try to hold back the tears. Y/n: “oh! One more thing. That was the first ultrasound from 3-4 weeks ago, this one was from a couple of days ago” They all see the two blobs. All three boys: “ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS YOU’RE HAVING TWINS?.” David: “Can I plan the gender reveal party?? Y/N: “Sorry, Kylie already called dibs.” David: “You told Kylie before us? Wow that’s cold.” Y/n: “Oh shut up. She was my only friend my age that has a baby. I had to get advice.” David: “ To make it up to me, If one of them is a boy, can you please name it David Jr.” Y/n: “Yes…. for 250k.” Jason: “Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past him… cause it would probably be sponsored by seatgeek.” David: *looks to the camera* “You heard it yourself people. If she has a boy, she’ll name it David Jr. for 250k. “ Y/n: “Damn now I’m kinda scared”

NEXT DAY, Corinna & Mariah:

Okay so that went well, I gonna do a 2 truths, 1 lie with Corinna & Mariah. They’re gonna be playing on the same team, so it’s 2 against 1, well 2 against 3 lol. After about 3 rounds, it was a tie (I lied on other ones so we can tie.) Y/N: “Okay so my first one is that I broke my leg when I was 15, 2. I hate Corinna’s dog and 3. I’m pregnant. Mariah: “Oh what the fuck….. Ummm.” Corinna: “Wait, you hate Carl?!” Y/n: “Just answer the question.” Mariah & Corinna: “The lie has to be that you’re pregnant.” Y/n: “the lie is that I hate Carl.” It took them a minute to understand what I said. Mariah: ‘YOU’RE FUCKING PREGNANT.” Corinna: “OH MY GOD NO WAAAY.” Y/n: “Oh and one more thing! “Shows them the twin ultrasound.” Mariah & Corinna: ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING.” Corinna: “Are they Jeff’s?” Y/n: “Is it that obvious?” Mariah: “Kind of. The boys haven’t noticed because they’re idiots.”

NEXT DAY: Kristen, Scotty, Todd, Zane, Heath & Matt:

(I made this a big collab cause I was running out of ways to tell people)

So for this reveal, I asked the six of them to send in their silly baby/kid pictures so we can react to them. The last pic will be of the twin ultrasound. Y/n: *filming* “Hey guys! I’m here with Kristen, Scotty, Todd, Zane, Heath & Matt, say hi.” All 6 of them: “Hi!!!” Y/n: “This week, we’ll be reacting to our childhood photos and maybe roast them.” All of the pictures were so 90s. Kristen with the classic ruffled poofy dresses, Matt looking like a nerdy kid, Zane holding Hidaya when she was born, 7 year old Scotty singing into a hair brush…. And then the final picture, my twin ultrasound. Everybody was so confused. Zane: “Did someone eat their twin in the womb? cause aint none of us a twin.” And then someone finally noticed. Matt: “Y/n why is your name at the corner of that ultrasound?” Kristen: “NO YOU’RE NOT.” Heath: “OOOO BITCH SHE GONNA HAVE 2 LITTLE COFFEE BEANS.” Scotty and Todd are just speechless. You’re wondering if Todd knew about you and Jeff because he’s his best friend…

You pulled aside Kristen and told her Everything. The only people you can trust with who the dad is are the girls. Kristen: “Are you gonna tell him?” Y/n: “No… He doesn’t treat me right. If he’s never treated me right, how is he gonna treat these babies?”

Todd & Jeff on a hike:

Todd: “Hey, did you hear that Y/n is pregnant?” Jeff: “whoa no I didn’t. Who told you that?” Todd: “y/n did. She revealed it in a collab she was doing with others. She’s having twins.” Jeff: “Jesus Christ, twins? That’s gonna be terrible.” Todd: “She must’ve forgot to tell you. Maybe pregnancy brain really is a thing.” Jeff’s thoughts: “I knew that bitch was sleeping with other people. There’s no way those babies are mine. She had no right trying to get mad at me cause I’d ghost her. Thank god I’m with Natalie. She’s like no one I’ve ever dated before.”

Hanging out with Kylie & Stass:

I told all of the vlog squad. Stass: “Did you tell Jeff?” Y/n: “No, but Olivia told me that Todd told him. I think Jeff is too dumb to connect the dots. He won’t figure it out.” Kylie: “Are you sure you don’t want to tell him? You’re having twins and one baby is already a lot but two? You need the help. You know what, I can hire nannies for you.” Y/n: “What? No, you don’t have to do that. I don’t wanna spend your money.” Kylie: “It’s not like I’m running out. You do remember that I’m a billionaire, right?” Stass & Y/n: “How could we forget lol.”

David, Jason & Josh POV

David: “It sucks that y/n is gonna be a single mom. It’s gonna be a lot; 2 babies and she’s in her last year of college. I hope she’ll be okay.” Jason: “She’ll be fine. She has all of us to look out for her.” Josh: “I have my own kid to watch, so I’ll probably not be as much help.” David: “She has been one of the best friends I’ve ever had. We met on vine in 2015, we met up here in LA and then the rest was history. She was really there for me when Liza and I broke up. She was my shoulder to cry on. Honestly, I’d do anything for her.” Jason: “Do you have a thing for y/n?” David stayed silent. Josh: “I’m not sure if it’d be the right time to try to win her over. She has a lot going on.” David: “It’s getting pretty late, y’all should be heading home. Jason: “Yeah. I have to pick up Charlie and Wyatt early tomorrow. Josh: “The wife doesn’t like that I stay out late, goodnight.”

David thinking to himself:

I’ve had a thing for y/n for a while now but I don’t know. It’s obvious that she had a thing with Jeff. Because of those 2 fights they had in my backyard, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jeff was the father. I was mad at how Jeff spoke about her. She not like that at all! I mean, it’s not wrong if she were but no one should ever talk to a women like that. I’ll help her as much as possible; I’m not opposed if anything were to spark between us along the way…

Back to Y/n, Kylie & Stass:

Kylie: “When’s your next appointment?” Y/n: “2-3 weeks, why?” Kylie: “Cause by that time, WE CAN FIND OUT THE GENDER OF THE BABIES!” Stass: “She’s obviously gonna go all out. Did you see Stormi’s first birthday? I swear it looked bigger than a sweet 16.” Y/n: “Oh boy… or girl…”

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

We get to find out the genders in the next chapter!! She’ll be like 16 weeks by then… I’m excited! I’ve already decided what both are gonna be… There’s gonna be some surprises! Oh and David has a thing for y/n? Ooooo girl the Tea is HOT. I also just realized the date of the video I picked when y/n and Jeff diddled (yes I said diddled).... The date on the video says 7/20…. That means the twins are due 4/20……. I swear I didn’t plan that lmao.

Taglist: @elvlogsquad @siemprestan @zavidzobrik @1-800-juniper @iminlovewithenchilidadas @ilsolee

[nuwisha-laughs-last]

Changeling excerpts part 1: Pests and Peeves

An excerpt from a World of Darkness Changeling: The Dreaming rpg I played a while back.  This is a collab I did with my character and a friend’s character meeting for the first time.  If you are unfamiliar with WOD, I will leave some key information at the end if you would like to orient yourself before diving into the story.  In the meantime, off we go!

*************

Pooka were social creatures. Some of them weren't, most of them were, but they all LIKED people and none of them WANTED to be alone.  Even pooka recognized that dying was one thing that everyone had to do by themselves, but that didn't mean that they had to spend the entire process in solitude.  Prior to that last breath, most pooka never spent more than a few minutes alone. They didn't fear death -- they just would have been much happier if it could have been a group activity.

The seer was getting old. She could feel it, even though she still didn't look it. She was always surprised (and more than a little amused) to see her reflection in the mirror and to hear how young other people thought she was. She still looked the same as she had in the past, even as she watched her friends age and die. But that was why she was on the move - seeking someone to keep her company and finding a place that was more appropriate to meandering the future now that all the other's at home had stopped being fun.

She shook her head, and ruffled her fluffy hair, revealing two tawny mouse ears. She was getting melancholic -- a side affect of the rain, she was sure. She glowered up at the sky – rain made her want to curl up in front of a fireplace with chocolate and cheese. The rain should have been considerate enough to wait until she'd found somewhere better insulated than the middle of the road. Or perhaps the road should have been better built to offer more shelter from the rain. She pondered the idea for a minute before spying a nearby cave to hide in. It would be as good of a place as any other to curl up for the night. As if to punctuate her decision, a huge clap of thunder resounded and the downpour suddenly increased.

Wrinkling her mousy little nose, she turned herself to making a small fire near the entrance of the cave and laying out her cloak so that it would dry easier. She chose a blanket from one of her bags that was relatively less-soaked than the rest and wrapped herself in it before pulling out a velvet pouch from under her shirt where it hung around her neck.  Squinting in the dark, she peered inside and pulled out a thick stack of tarot cards.  She held them out and looked at the pretty pictures before selecting her first card. It was one of her favorites because of the pretty pictures, and after it had accidentally gotten coated in glitter that one time, she tended to use it to represent herself in these readings. Then she laid down the Star Card -- a prudent decision in case she accidentally picked an ugly card for the last one. Then she flipped the cards face down in her hands and closed her eyes, a useless gesture as she opened one to peek anyway, and picked a card. She opened her eyes all the way and stared at the card for a minute before looking out at the rain tilting her head to the side.

"That could work." she whispered, shuffling the cards and putting them back in her pouch.

***

With a weary huff, Morrigan pushed open the door and dropped her bag.  Coming up behind the crescent couch to the right of the large circular room, the big, blue troll put her hands on the back and rolled over the edge to land with a satisfied wumpf on the soft cushions.  Big as the couch was, Morrigan’s immense height meant her head and legs stuck out significantly on either end.  Morrigan dangled her feet up and down trying to loosen her muscles.  Training had been rough today.  She was no good with spears, they kept getting tangled in her horns.  Morrigan reached up and gave the massive ram horns an experimental wiggle.  She winced, she’d given them a few pretty good knocks earlier.  With a sigh she reached up and started to undo the multitude of braids she used to keep her pale hair out of her face before sinking into the cushions contentedly. 

Just as sleep had crept under her eyelids, there was a muffled scuffling noise in the general area of the kitchenette.  Morrigan cracked an eye open and peered lazily in that direction.  When nothing was forthcoming she shrugged and settled back down.  Almost immediately a skittering sound came from in front of the large window on the opposite end of the apartment.  This time Morrigan sat up and looked around, listening intently.  Once again, silence, but this time Morrigan rose and strode over to the window, searching around the hardwood floor for any sign of…well…anything.

Just as she was about to give up, the noise resurfaced over by the couch.  Quick as a flash Morrigan took a running leap and landed in a crouch on the cushions she had been occupying not a moment earlier.  But again, she was too late, as the skittering appeared to now be coming from her bedroom.  Silently she slid to the door and peeked into the opening.  Still nothing. 

But she needn’t have worried as none too soon a deafening crash met her ears from the direction of the pantry.  With a jump she was at the door and wrenched it open and, well, she definitely couldn’t say she was prepared for the sight that met her eyes.

“Hewro!” 

Morrigan looked around wildly for the bearer of the oddly muffled greeting.  The pantry floor was covered in white powder but more odd than that was the small woman currently climbing down the pantry shelves.  The pooka jumped down and grinned at Morrigan, revealing the cause of her speech impediment: her cheeks were packed full of something and bulging noticeably. 

The pooka was incredibly small in stature, even for a changeling of her kind, with wide eyes and a very large amount of thick tawny hair falling down to her waist around two huge mousey-ears.  She was dressed in an assortment of clothes that seemed to both match and, simultaneously, clash horribly.

“W-What?” Morrigan stuttered, but the pooka held up a finger in the universal “wait” gesture before indulging in an enormous swallow, then fixed Morrigan with a baleful glower.

“You have no good food in here.” she accused, giving Morrigan the distinct impression she was being judged for the state of her pantry.

Morrigan blinked, at an utter loss for words, and surveyed the mess.  Flour littered the floor as well as several canisters of various food-items, their contents scattered to every corner of the room.  It seemed that the intruder had scaled the ladder-like shelves of the room to, as evidenced by the empty bag, reach the pack of pistachios.  The confusing part is Morrigan kept those on the bottom shelf. 

“Well…” Morrigan said, dazed, “not anymore I don’t.”  She shook her head, and blinked a few times, struggling to make some sense of the situation. 

“I-Wha- where did you come from?  WHO are you?!  WHY Are you eating my food?!”  She picked up the bag,  “THIS is as big as your HEAD!  How the HELL did it all FIT?!”  She dropped the bag and looked around, suddenly deflated by her outburst, “And...and how did you get in?”

The pooka stared up at her with eyes slightly too big for her face and scratched one of her downy ears,  “Well that was completely unintelligible, how am I supposed to answer that? You do realize that screaming is horribly unhealthy? It increases your stress levels and causes you to grow strange little freckles on your knees.  Incidentally, it also turns you blue. You must spend a great deal of time screaming.”

Morrigan had no words for this small creature, but that didn’t seem to bother her for with a twitch of her tufted tail and a wrinkle of her nose she just continued rambling.

“Who am I? I’m a dormouse so, logically, I came from your door. Alternatively, you can say that your boot is now a door.  As for the rest, I have yet to figure out what the size of my head has to do with the size of my stomach, but if you can figure it out, you can tell me later.  I came here because three years ago I was visited by an ambassador from the moth kingdom who told me that in order to prevent uncertain doom and destruction and in order to bring glory and honor - you do like glory and honor right?  That’s a troll thing, right?  I think it was anyway, so I’m supposed to bring glory and honor and in order to do that I had to follow the future as indicated by the moth kingdom ambassador’s magic bamboo plant and arrive to this city.  Upon which I used my almighty super awesome seer powers to identify the “younger pooka” I am destined to adopt.  You’re not much of a pooka, but the cards are never wrong, so we’ll just make do.  Perhaps a shrinking cantrip will sort out that largeness problem.  Anyway, where do I sleep?”

“I-“  Morrigan scratched her head.  She had never been so confused in her life.  “Wait…adopted?  You’re not staying here!”

“What are you talking about?  I live here.  I should call the guard on your intrusion, but I won’t because I understand that as a troll you probably weren’t well-educated on manners and acceptable behavior.  But don’t worry, we’ll fix that too.  It’s never too late to learn good manners.  Oh, and speaking of manners, you may call me the Splendid Soothsayer of Remarkable Fabulousness.”

Morrigan crossed her arms,  “I’m NOT calling you that.  And you’re NOT staying in MY house.”

“What about the Marvelous Oracle of Tremendous Awesomeness?”

“No.” 

“Or the Stunning Seer of Surprising Spectacularosity?”

Morrigan blinked and carefully nudged one of the Pooka’s huge ears, “Can you even hear me?  Do those ears work or are they just for decoration?” The Pooka ignored this statement just as she had the previous,

“The Impressive Clairvoyant of Ostentatious Foretelling?”

“Get out.”

“Fine then, the Grand Prophet of Majestic Illustriousness.” 

“NO!”

“Well,” the pooka huffed,  “you’ll have to call me SOMETHING if we’re going to be roommates.”

Morrigan rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, “This can’t be happening…”

“I KNOW!”  The pooka clapped her hands together looking altogether too happy, “You can call me Bridget!”

***

The next morning, Morrigan crawled out of her bed with a groan. Maybe it had all been a dream and she'd never met a mouse pooka who claimed to be the Stunning Deer of Surprising Rediculosity. Or, if that was too elaborate of dream to have come from Morrigan's subconscious, that the pooka had gotten bored and scampered off during the night. That wasn't too unlikely, Morrigan thought to herself. Most pooka got bored easily. But as she walked into the main room, Morrigan was sorely disappointed. 

"Bridget, what are you doing?" The pooka didn't respond from where she was attempting, and only minimally succeeding, to move the couch in Morrigan's living room.

"Bridget." Morrigan growled in warning. She was not a morning person and patience was a foreign concept.  When Bridget refused to answer, Morrigan stomped over and put her hands on the couch to prevent it from moving. The pooka stared at her in surprise and, satisfied that she finally had the pooka's attention, Morrigan continued.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Good morning, Morrigan!" Bridget chirped, "You know, you really should go see a doctor about those hallucinations. You came in and you kept talking to a Bridget, but I looked around and there wasn't anyone else in the room but me. I was going to interrupt and ask if perhaps the person you were talking to was invisible, because I'd like to meet someone who was invisible too. But my mother always told me not to interrupt when grown-ups were talking. I wonder if she'd still call it interrupting if they're talking to a hallucination." Morrigan's frown deepened as the pooka continued talking.

"I was talking to you, Bridget, I’m not crazy..." Bridget looked very confused before coming around the couch and pressing the back of her hand on Morrigan's wrist, almost as if she were trying to check Morrigan's temperature through it.

"Are you feeling ill, Morrigan? My name's not Bridget, remember? How many fingers am I holding up? Have you been forgetting other people's names? When did the hallucinations start, exactly? My name's Kara, remember?" Morrigan stared flabbergasted at the pooka who was alternating between trying to wave her hand in front of Morrigan's eyes and poking at Morrigan's ribs.

"Yesterday you said your name was Bridget." Morrigan protested weakly.  She was too tired for this. 

 The pooka recoiled in blatant disgust.  "Bridget?!  Why would I ever call myself Bridget?  It's a horrible name that's a derivative of Brittney,  which has become ridiculously popular as a name as of late and clearly the sign of parents who want to squash any semblance of uniqueness out of the children while appearing to encourage it.  This is just proof that you're ill. Here, you sit down right here, and I'll be right back with some Pepto Bismal for that head."  Morrigan just nodded as the small insane thing sat her down on the table and pranced off.

There was a pooka haunting her apartment.  With a moan Morrigan slid off the table and retreated to her room.  She was going back to bed.

*** END ***

And now for the promised infodump for those interested in WOD:

What is a Changeling?: “In this game, the player characters are half-human, half-fairy changelings. Cut off from Arcadia, not quite of this Earth, these changelings are torn between their human and fae natures. If the two natures aren't balanced, the results may be disastrous” ( https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Changeling:_The_Dreaming )

What is a Pooka?: “Pranksters and comedians, Pooka are well-loved by kithain and mortal alike, but few who know them will ever trust them completely: they are incapable of telling the whole truth. Each is able to take on the form of a specific animal, most often one with a tie to human stories of mischief” ( https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Pooka_(CTD) )

What is a Troll?: “Trolls are dreams of honor and duty--their honor is literally their strength. Loyal to a fault and near-stoic as stone, they have been at times bitter rivals and at times staunch allies of the Sidhe. More than anyone, these warriors are guardians of the commoners.” ( https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Troll_(CTD) )

If you enjoy tabletops and haven’t played any World of Darkness I highly recommend it!  I’m going through a Werewolf the Apocalypse campaign right now and will probably post some excerpts from that too in the future. 

[zaffrenotes]

V U Q C

C: What member do you identify with most?

In Choices? There’s more than one - ROE MC because ROE was one of the first books I played when I downloaded the app. I liked her because she was part Filipino, and at that point I’d never seen a (specifically) Filipino MC in any book I’d read (digital or otherwise). Bland as she is, that’s why I still hold a connection to that book - plus I chose to marry Leo, and got details about Liam for TRR in the process, haha

RoD MC because I *was* the overachieving supernerd in high school with the overprotective parent(s) that didn’t want to teach their kid how to drive, who ended up dating a bad boy with a fast car 😂 (he just wasn’t part of an underground gang, as far as I could tell). 

also Mark Collins from LoveHacks because I too will watch certain movies/tv shows when I’m feeling down and need to retreat into myself for a while. 

Q: How do you feel about collaborations?

They’re nice in theory but there’s always a chance you’ll end up with a weirdo who messages you at random times with ideas in their head and you just wanna tell them to 

😂 😂 😂

Collabs can be great and a lot of fun - it can be easier coming up with a story when you’ve got someone to bounce ideas off of, and being able to ask for help when you’re stuck. Anyone I collab with in the future will have big shoes to fill @the-soot-sprite because you’re awesome AF and you make me laugh and you’re so weird and you love Henney AND Doctor Who AND you’re crafty. so yeah. big shoes to fill 💙 

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

@ao719 is my Liam stan sistah who writes like a woman on a deadline every single day with an IV of coffee permanently attached to her, because she’s written SO MANY series that - while they use the same characters from the books - still end up as very different stories with their own set of complex individuals. 

@dcbbw because kiwi Riam 😂😂😂 and I have a mega-crush on SGL (Sock Game Liam) from her TRR DC AU. I ought to do a deep dive in her Master List but from what I’ve read so far she’s aaaaaa-maaaaaay-zingggg and she’s really good at making all her pairings work.

@choicesarehard if you haven’t read her outfit drabbles yet, you totally should! now E here is a gifted writer - her short ficlets and drabbles are quick reads but good golly does she pack everything into those paragraphs! Ride or Die, Open Heart, and a lil bit of BloodBound if you’re looking for something new to read. Plus she’s a total sweetheart 💙

V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

Answered this previously and I still don’t have a definitive answer! If I had to choose, maybe a prequel to Full Disclosure by @ao719 - only because I’d love to write up ridiculous scenes of Charlotte navigating her way through the social season as her lovable chaotic self. Notably scenes where she’s at the Beaumont estate, getting to know Carl 😂

[bbyboybrock--archived]

Serendipity (C.B) | Chapter 9

Summary: Serendipity: (n) the chance occurrence of events in a beneficial way

Popular youtuber Isabella Hart, known as Bella to her audience, bends over backwards to separate her youtube life from her private life. Known for her overall clean content and her bubbly attitude, Isabella has a wild side to her that only those inside the youtube community know about. When Bella meets Colby during one of the trap house parties she finally meets someone she can be her genuine self with. When trouble arises after their meeting, will Bella be able to hand the pressure or will she destroy her relationship with Colby as well as herself in the process. [This starts in 2018]

Written: 2019

Word Count: 2,771

Warnings: swearing

Serendipity Masterlist

I sit in the shopping cart surrounded by things while Colby pushes the cart. Both of us needed to do some shopping so we decided to make it a date. We've gone on a lot of dates that we think would keep us hidden from fans. It's starting to get a little boring. We mostly hang out at my apartment or Colby's house. If we do go out in public we go at night or to a party. I want to take us public just so our options for date night aren't as limited. But I still like the idea of privacy and I know that Colby wants to protect me for as long as he can from the fans that would send hate. We talked about when and how we would announce it the week after Gabby left, but we both kept trying to keep it a secret for a full year. I don't even know how we lasted nearly six months without one of our friends accidentally leaking it.

My thoughts are interrupted by my phone ringing. I dig it out of my pocket and look at the caller id. I stare at it puzzled for a second before answering it.

"JC? Why are you calling? Is everything okay?" I point Colby down an aisle while I see why JC is calling.

"Hey Bella, long time no talk. Listen, are you busy Friday?" I think for a second.

"We were literally texting last week. Anyway, no I'm not. Why?"

"Kian and I are having a party, want to come?"

"Can I bring someone?"

"Yeah, bring whoever. Just say yes."

"Sure, I'll come. Why didn't you just ask me over text? You calling actually made me nervous."

"Sorry, I just had to be sure you wouldn't pretend that you didn't see my text or have time to come up with an excuse."

"I'm not that bad. I'm busy right now but I'll text you later about the details. Bye!" I hang up the phone before JC could say anything else.

Colby slows the cart down and stops me in front of the school supplies. He walks in front of me with his mouth slightly open.

"I'm sorry, when you said, 'JC' did you mean JC Caylen?"

"Yeah! We go way back. Did I not tell you I was friends with all of the O2L guys? Kian and JC are like my brothers at this point." I grab a few notebooks and examine them before choosing a nice teal one.

"Dude! They're my dream collab. I can't believe you never told me you knew them."

"Well, you're in luck. They're having a party on Friday and JC said that I could bring someone." A small smile creeps on my face as I watch the corner of Colby's mouth twitch. He's trying not to show how excited he is but he's failing. I grab a few more school supplies that are in my reach and throw them in the cart.

"That's awesome! I can't wait." If we weren't in a store Colby might me jumping for joy.

"Let's go you goof. I'm starving and we can talk about the party."

****

Friday comes quicker than expected. Colby and I stand outside of Kian and JC's place. I can tell by the way Colby is shifting on his feet that he is nervous. Colby always seems so cool, so seeing him like this is kind of cute. He took even longer than normal to get ready. He's been planning the perfect outfit since Wednesday. I tried to invite Sam but he and Kat already had plans.

JC opens the door and I give him a huge hug. We haven't seen each other in months. I turn around to see Colby starstruck at the sight of JC. He quickly shakes his head and snaps out of it.

"Hey J, this is my boyfriend Colby. Colby, I think you know JC." They shake hands and greet each other.

"Nice to meet you man, I've seen your stuff. Welcome to the party. Drinks are in the kitchen. Don't worry Bella, I made sure to pick up some juice boxes just for you." JC takes a sip from his drink.

"Oh shut up, we both know that I can out drink you in a heartbeat. How's Kian? Did you tell him that I was coming?" Colby has gone back to being starstruck and kind of drooling at JC.

"Yeah, it's all good. Don't worry about a thing, chicken wing." I roll my eyes and look at Colby.

"You know what, why don't you two go find somewhere for us to chill together while I go get us some drinks. JC, do you need a refill?" I lightly hit Colby to bring him back to Earth. JC nods and puts his arm around Colby's neck and they walk off talking.

I walk around and try to find the kitchen. I decided to walk in the direction where there is a larger group of people. It's not nearly as crowded as the trap house parties so it's easier for me to walk around. When I reach the kitchen I luckily find three empty and clean solo cups. I make Colby's drink first. I just pour a cup of soda, he's driving us back home. He also told me that he didn't want to get drunk tonight because he didn't want to make a fool of himself. I mix two random drinks for JC and I. I grab all three cups and begin my search for JC and Colby. I quickly find them on the couch talking about God knows what. I plop myself in-between them and hand them their drinks. I greet Chelsea and join the conversation.

****

About an hour and two drinks later all four of us are still on the couch. Not much is going on around the party. It's really chill compared to how their old parties and the trap house parties. Colby is a lot more comfortable and being himself around everyone. I look around and see Kian awkwardly standing in a group. It looks like he's not even paying attention to the conversation happening. We make eye contact and he gives a small smile and gestures to the front door.

"Hey, I'm going to talk to Kian for a bit. You okay here by yourself?"

"Yeah, go have fun." I kiss Colby's cheek and untangle myself from him.

I head out the front door to find Kian sitting down. I sigh before taking a seat next to him. We both sit in silence and sip our drinks. I don't know what to say or what he's thinking. I don't even know what I'm thinking. Kian and I haven't talked in almost a year. Things between us weren't even the best.

"You don't talk to me in over a year and then you show up at my party?" Kian doesn't even look at me, he just keeps looking forward.

"If I remember correctly, and I do, us not talking was a mutual decision. Besides, JC invited me and told me that you knew. I'll leave if that makes you feel better." I finish what's in my cup and stand up.

"You're still the same."

"I was going to be nice and show you that I actually did change but someone decided to be a dick." I turn around to go back inside and get Colby but Kian's hand stops me from leaving.

"No, wait. I'm sorry. When I saw you I had a plan on how this was going to go but then I screwed it all up. Just, please sit down." His voice is soft.

"The minute you start being a jerk again I'm actually leaving." I sit back down and stare forward.

We sit in silence again. The air is tense between us. We know what needs to be said but neither of us knows how to say it or even start the conversation. We had a fight, things were said, and then we mutually ended our friendship. It made things awkward between Kian, JC, and I. Before Elijah helped me find my own place, I used to crash at Kian and JC's to get out of the house. They never questioned why a 16-year-old was sleeping on their couch at least once a week. We just hung out and went to parties together.

"So, uh, do you still have feelings for me?" I break the silence and make things even more awkward.

"Does it matter? I mean, if I confirm or deny that, then are things going to change?"

"You're right, things wouldn't change. I just didn't know what to say." I play with the empty cup in my hands.

"I'm sorry about what I said."

"It's okay, you were right. I was just too fucked up at the time to realize that you were just trying to help me. I got my shit together and now look at me." I turn to Kian and grin.

"Glad I could help. Was the, uh, the guy you were all cozy with—was that your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, his name is Colby. Don't tell him I told you this, but he's like a huge fan of you and JC."

"Happy looks good on you." Kian sheepishly smiles and blushes.

"Kian Lawny, that is the corniest thing you have ever said. And believe me, you've said some shit. But in all seriousness, I'm really happy right now. Not just because of Colby; you know how I feel about girls think that dating some guy will drastically change their lives. Dating Colby is an added plus the that I wouldn't have been able to appreciate if you didn't go off on me. I've been working things out and coming to terms with some things."

"Maybe I should go off on people I care about more often. Anyway, catch me up on what else is new with you."

Last year, Kian and I were at a party like this one. It was a bit more hectic, and so was I. I would go to most of the parties with Kian and sometimes JC too. And just like every party I would get completely shit-faced and go hook up with some random person. That day Kian got to me before I was too drunk and pulled me outside. He told me that he had feelings for me. He said that even though he had these feelings, he wasn't going to act on them because of how I was. He even went as far as to say that if I continued to live the way I was, nobody was ever going to love me. That nobody could love me if I didn't love myself. Naturally, and because I was about half drunk, I got defensive and called him a slew of names. The argument ended with Kian saying that he couldn't just stand by and watch me waste my life away. So we both agreed that we just wouldn't be in each other's lives anymore. That argument hurt and I responded by getting drunker than I've ever been and sleeping with a few guys before going home. A few days later I realized what Kian was talking about. So I stopped going to parties for a while. When I did start going to parties again I put myself on a four drink maximum limit and an absolutely no hookup policy. In my free time I worked on my mental health and made things better for myself. I'm not complete fine, but I'm better off than I was this time last year.

****

The rest of the conversation goes on normally. Eventually, I take Kian to meet Colby and we stay a bit longer so that they can get to know each other. Colby and I leave about an hour after that. We grab food from Taco Bell and take it back to the trap house. The whole time Colby is beaming about Kian and JC. I smile to myself as I listen to what they talked about every little detail Colby touches on. Colby only stops talking about just before we're about to go to bed.

Just like every time one of us spends the night at the other's, we spend a bit of time on our phones before bed. Colby is browsing music and working on something in his notes app. I'm taking the time to scroll through social media and replying to fans. After seeing Colby's reaction to meeting Kian and JC, I can't help but feel like I'm making someone else feel like that. Normally I just like edits or tweets, but now I'm actually commenting. My mentions are blowing up more than usual. I click to see what has everyone in a tizzy. When I see what I was tagged in I quickly sit up in bed.

"Oh fuck..." I keep checking all the mentions and most of them are the same.

"What happened? What wrong?" Colby places his hand on my back and rubs small circles.

"Someone at the party got footage of us together and uploaded it. Everyone's freaking out on Instagram. I don't even want to check Twitter. The fans even started digging through old posts." Colby sits up and looks over my shoulder at my phone.

"Don't read the comments. Not right now anyway. Let's just put our phones away and go to bed. We can deal with it in the morning." Colby yanks my phone out of my hand and puts both of our phones on our chargers. We lay back down but neither of us is going to sleep for a while.

"I mean, it was bound to happen one of these days." I lace our fingers together.

"What should we do?"

"Well, we only have two options. We can either deny it or confirm it."

"Let's just confirm it, Iz. We did say that we would announce our relationship sometime after six months. We can do things normal couples do instead of sneaking around like teenagers."

"Okay, technically I still am a teenager, thank you very much. Nineteen still has the word 'teen' in it. And you're right. I was also enjoying the outside world not having an opinion on our relationship. You know, like normal couples."

"Don't worry princess, everything will work out. Let's go to sleep and deal with it in the morning." I place my head on Colby's chest and for a moment we both just lay there listening to the sounds of the other just existing.

****

I wake up alone in bed. I sit up to see Colby sitting at his desk. I throw his stuff koala to get his attention instead of calling him like a normal human. Colby turns around and picks up the koala before jumping into bed with me.

"So I've been thinking while you were sleeping. We both have to upload today, so why don't we just do fun videos on our channels and go public that way? If mess up your video schedule then we can just do it on my channel." I think about the videos that I already have edited and ready to go. My manager isn't going to like it, but I'm going to do it anyway.

"No, I can post something else today and push everything else back a week. Just hand me my laptop. What video did you want to film for your channel?" Colby hands me my laptop and I post on all my social media that my video is going to be up late.

"Probably the eat it or wear it challenge. It's more on brand for my channel. What about you? Are we going to some sort of makeup video?"

"Cole Robert Brock, I am appalled that you would even suggest a video that I was already thinking about. Now I'm going to have to think of a different video. Oh! How about a fast food roulette video? We can do it like a mukbang and talk about our relationship." I sit up in bed happy. Is it because I'm happy about opening up about our relationship, or because I'm thinking about food? Probably both.

Colby and I quickly get ready and go to film our videos. After a few hours, Colby and I work in overtime to get our videos edited. We upload our videos at the exact same time and promote the shit out of them. After uploading we decided to stay off the internet the rest of the day and have our first big date out in public during the day.

[onestowatch]

Hollyy Dives Headfirst Into Heartache on ‘Miss The Feeling’ [Q&A]

Photo By: Tess Graham

Chicago alt-soul band Hollyy warms our hearts with their passionate vocals and retro-inspired grooves in their latest EP Miss The Feeling. The release is a skillful blend of something old and something new, embodying a vibrant Memphis soul sound full of heartache and visceral emotion that cannot help but transmit that feeling out into the world for others to see, hear, and feel. Although this isn't the band's first EP, Miss the Feeling is their unyielding introduction into a world that needs unapologetically honest music.

Formed in summer 2018, Hollyy consists of Tanner Bednar (vocals), Brandon Couture (guitar), Peter Giere (keyboard), Rafe Soto (drums), and Dominic Zeier (bass). Ones To Watch was able to chat with the band about Miss The Feeling's creation process amid a global pandemic.

Ones to Watch: With this being the first EP the band has released since your debut "Letters From Lawndale," what are some things you all have learned about the production and creative process that made this an easier release?

Tanner: I think we've mostly just all grown as musicians and songwriters during that span between projects, which is great. We've also changed our process quite a bit for the better. Rafe has really souped-up our basement studio into a magic music-making space, which we love and hold super dear to us. This EP was also the first time we worked with a producer, and it was truly the most incredible experience. We owe a lot to our friend/producer Nick Boyd for this work.

Brandon: This EP was a much more collaborative songwriting process than our first EP as Holly,. We all contributed songs and helped shape each other's ideas. Once someone brings an idea forward, it becomes all of ours, and we all put in a lot of care to make each song the best we can make it. It takes a willingness to feel exposed and accepting of how someone else is going to hear what you write.

Rafael: I think we've all learned a thing or two about collaboration and how we can change certain aspects of a song and get something brand new out of it that plays to our strengths.

This EP is full of retro, warm tones that still touch on themes and feelings of loneliness, lost love, and more. To you, what is this EP about?

Brandon: It's a reflection on times past that you once longed for and trying to find your way forward.

Tanner: Miss the Feeling is kind of a perfect literary send-off for acknowledging you've been stuck in a rut for a while as well as just not feeling yourself and getting back to that point of being internally content again. It could translate to human relationships or emotional struggles not involving human relationships, and I like that.

Rafael: I agree with Brandon. It's about being able to let go of moments in your life.

What was your favorite song from the EP? Why?

Tanner: I love all my children equally hehe. But I have found that rocking out to the end of Turn it Around has been rather therapeutic during quarantine. So I guess that??

Brandon: Beach is one of my favorites to play live, we've been playing it back to back with Miss the Feeling, and it's really fun.

Rafe: I also enjoy the miss the feeling/beach medley because it's super fun to play.

Pete: Like anything, it depends on the mood. The ending of "Beach" has a very dreamy/jazzy vibe and has been fun to expand and jam on musical ideas.

How do you feel Hollyy has evolved not only as a band during the pandemic, not only in regards to your sound but overall?

Brandon: This time has really affected my writing for sure. This year has been challenging on many people, and the future is so uncertain for so many. People need something to look forward to, and I've found myself trying to write about that pain and confusion of not knowing which way forward is.

Rafael: I think it's helped us really streamline our process and figure out what we absolutely have to do in person and the things we can collaborate remotely on. Our writing process usually takes place in person but it has found its way to a million different messaging and document apps, I think this gives us the chance to reflect multiple on what we're writing.

What have been the biggest struggles of trying to record this EP during a pandemic?

Brandon: Luckily, we finished a lot of the recording for this project before the lockdown, but it's forced us to find other ways to push our new music while not having the ability to promote it live. It's also changed how we've had to work on our next project, moving to virtual meetings and writing from our respective homes.

Tanner: Yeah, it's honestly been super cool to see how we've adapted to essentially being a virtual rock band these past seven months while still being very efficient and productive with our tunes, writing, and releases. Personally, I have really enjoyed the challenge of needing to get creative to find different outlets of marketing and content pushing during the Covid-era, and we have a super supportive and talented team that helps us out along the way as well, so that's been great.

What would be a dream collab or feature for a future Hollyy track?

Tanner: We're ready to get down in the writing trenches with Stevie Wonder or Anderson .Paak at ANY point!

Brandon: Kevin Parker from Tame Impala would be incredible, as would the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio.

Rafael: Probably Gwenno or Dex Romweber.

Pete: I think we've talked about having a rapper put down a verse on a song before. I've been listening to a lot of Action Bronson lately, so I would have to put him.

The EP not only goes on a sonic journey but a visually artistic one as well. In all the music videos, fans have seen a mysterious driver in a vintage car driving into the sunset and towards an unknown destination. Who is the artist, and how did this concept come to be? Is there a deeper meaning, or was it just something the band thought looked cool?

Brandon: The artwork is meant to elude themes of escapism and finding your own way forward, which I think are some of the more subtle themes in our music. When I drive alone, I often find myself having intense internal conversations with myself, often to reflect on something that might be bothering me.

Tanner: Yeah, the artwork is definitely super purposeful with some underlying meanings and symbolism, and that's something that I'm glad came together for us in the end, and people are catching on to and deriving their own ideas of what it may mean. We had talked about using the car and the geographic locations to help depict escaping and longing for new and better days. We played with the concept of colors and backdrop settings to allude to what lyric meanings may be included in that single as well. All in all, our friends Lucas and Ariel from Brazil (two super talented artists, by the way) helped us out with these images, and we're super happy we got to use our friends' work for these.

In a time when touring and live shows are on pause, what does Hollyy plan to do from here? Live stream concerts? Do y'all plan on pulling a Flaming Lips move and encourage people to go to shows in bubbles?

Brandon: Giant bubbles would be incredibly fun! We've been finding ways to get together, make some videos and live stream, and certainly plan on continuing, but our big focus now has been writing and working on the next project. The one benefit to the pandemic is it's given us a lot more time to write, and we have a good number of songs that have piled up now. It's helped give us something to look forward to and work towards.

Tanner: Yes, I think nothing says giant bubble mosh pit quite like the intro to Miss the Feeling. I would love to try that out one day. But to piggyback off of Brandon, we're absolutely just enjoying the writing process right now, staying safe + healthy, and looking forward to creating more and more music with each other while we're stuck in the dystopian universe. One day we'll play a normal, carefree live show again :)

Who are some "Ones To Watch" you would recommend people to check out?

Brandon: Chicago is an incredible hub for local bands. Ratboys, Divino Nino, and Sen Morimoto are some really incredible artists that have been crushing it lately.

Tanner: I think some of these artists are going to start/continue to make some noise over the next year: Neal Francis, Fat Night, MICHELLE, and Qari.

Rafael: Lately, I've just been listening to a ton of roots reggae, so checkout Desmond Dekker. I am stoked about the new Fuzz album though.

Pete: I think right now, everyone should check out Wyatt Waddell. He has an absolutely incredible mix of RnB, soul, and hip-hop to his sound. He's also from Chicago, so that helps too!

[ramblinganthropologist]

Writober 2020 - 15 (Roots)

Summary: Lucy notices a few things about her partner one busy day. Like that she needs to dye her roots... and that she likes her. Good luck with that one, Lucy.

(Sunburst idol unit)

---

Where was she?

Lucy frowned as she stared out the window. Outside it was a busy city street in Tokyo. People were going about their business, students were procrastinating going home, and there was a sense of energy that sunk deep into the crosswalks as they passed. The city was alive with activity, and it hummed as she tapped her fingers on the counter.

No notifications on her phone...

She was sitting in a lolita-style cafe, her favorite. Her tea was cooling in front of her, her slice of cake untouched. It had been almost a half hour since she had gotten there, and soon her partner was going to be twenty minutes late.

“She better not have forgotten...” Lucy sighed and sipped at her lukewarm tea. “Maybe I should call her?”

Her hand stretched to her phone, but then it stopped as if she had been electrocuted. She drew it back, frowning. For some reason, the thought of actually calling the other girl made sparks shoot through her body.

That was new...

“Poor thing, she looks like she got stood up.”

“She's so cute too, whatever guy she's waiting for is nuts.”

The whispers reached Lucy's ears. Two of the cafe's waitresses were whispering to each other, their eyes in her direction. She felt her face color as she looked back down at her phone screen. Not only was it rude, it was factually incorrect.

She was on a work meeting... only her collab partner wasn't there.

“Where are you, Ray?”

This wasn't like the other idol. Loud and abrasive though she may be, the punk rocker tried to be punctual. Sure, she was sometimes ten minutes late because her brain (her shitbrain, in her own words) made her mess up the time. But usually she called if that was the case, yelling an apology as she dashed to their meeting spot.

So... why wasn't she doing that?

Lucy peeked out the window again, hoping to see the familiar head of pink hair bobbing through the crowd. Ever since she had dyed it, Ray was even easier to spot in a crowd. However she didn't see the bright, obnoxious color, nor did she spy the familiar frame of one of Tokyo's more famous performers. Unless she was hiding behind a truck, she just wasn't there.

The clink of a plate drew Lucy's attention from the window. One of the waitresses had approached her table, bringing a small pink cupcake with her. She smiled in a sympathetic way as she backed up from the table, the hem of her frilled apron making soft sounds as she did.

“It's on the house, dear. We're so sorry to see your date didn't work out.”

Her face went absolutely scarlet as she looked from cupcake to waitress. “N-no! It's not...”

“SHIT, SORRY I'M LATE.”

The abrupt English caused pretty much the entire cafe to turn. Someone was standing in the doorway, breathing hard as they leaned against the frame. Sweat was dripping down a dark brow, almost as if they had run the entire way.

Ray was in her school uniform and the ribbon was about to come completely untied from her neck. It took her a few seconds to straighten up, and then she mopped off her face with the back of her large hand. Then she smoothed back a loose strand of pink hair as she assumed her full, imposing height of 192cm.

It was a miracle her head didn't hit the frame.

Lucy shook her head, but she smiled all the same. “We speak Japanese here, Ray.”

The other idol rubbed her undercut as she nodded. “Yeah... my bad.”

She held up her other hand as she switched languages. “Sorry for scaring you, folks.”

Her oddly accented Japanese combined with her appearance set whispers as Ray crossed the cafe to where Lucy was sitting. She slid into the other side of the booth, nodding as the frazzled waitress handed her a menu. After her order was put in for a soda and the biggest slice of chocolate cake they had, they were alone.

She should've been mad... but it was kind of comical.

Lucy sipped at her tea as she watched Ray settle in. “You're about to lose your ribbon.”

“Shit, you're right.” The idol fumbled with it for a few seconds until it was clumsily tied. When she bowed her head, Lucy got an eyeful of a line of dark among the pink. There had to be at least a few centimeters there if she was guessing right. That equaled about a month, maybe two, since she had dealt with it.

Was not dealing with your hair punk? She didn't know, she was lolita.

“Anyway, why were you so late? You didn't text me.”

Ray finished tugging at her ribbon a few seconds later. One side of the bow was longer than the other, but it was going to stay on. “Oh... the teacher asked me to retake a test. She didn't believe I actually got a perfect score on the math midterm so I had to take it in front of her and the principle.”

Lucy frowned. “And?”

“I fucking killed it, no surprises there.” And then she flashed one of her rare grins, the ones that made her eyes light up like traffic lights. “She was so fucking pissed but you can't argue with the results. Principle's pretty tired of her shit so I dunno what's happening there.”

The words didn't register. Lucy was too focused on the pounding of her own heart. Something about the way Ray smiled was doing terrible things to her stomach... or maybe it was the tea. Could tea give you indigestion?

“Hey, you ok?”

She stood from the table, heart still pounding. “Excuse me, I need to visit the restroom.”

And then Lucy left, heading for the bathroom without saying anything more. Once she was locked in the stall, she rested her forehead on her knees. It felt like her heart was about to beat out of her chest any second.

What the hell was in that tea?

She took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself, but her thoughts kept going back to the table. Ray, with her messy hair and bright eyes smiling at her with almost childlike glee. Her partner, with her brilliant shitbrain and inability to tie ribbons to save her life. How she would've done anything to see that smile again...

She couldn't get her out of her mind.

“What's wrong with me?” she pressed her forehead, head spinning. Her thoughts kept going back to the girl at the table waiting for her and that look of concern that had been painted all over her face. Worst of all, her heart kept pounding.

If she didn't know better...

Lucy sat up suddenly as a cold shock filled her body. The pieces started falling into place, but the picture they created was so foreign that she could barely believe it. She didn't want to, but it was hard to argue with the evidence. Either she was having a heart attack and was about to die in that stall or...

“I can't... have a crush on her.”

Speaking it made it real. Lucy stared blankly at the floor as the realization washed over her in waves. It caused her to sit back against the toilet seat as she stared at the door. She... had a crush on Ray Jones. It was as simple as that.

Simple... and not simple at all.

Her thought process was interrupted by the creak of the bathroom door. Someone had entered, and their heavy-sounding feet stopped by the sinks. Lucy watched their feet, stomach sinking as she recognized those boots. Only a few people could wear shoes that big...

“You ok in here? Need medicine or something?”

Ray's voice was unusually soft and filled with concern as she stood at the sink. Lucy had no doubt if she asked, the other idol would go get her something to help with her stomach. Sadly, no medicine would help with this... and neither did her presence.

But it was rude to turn a collab partner down.

Lucy straightened up and left the stall after flushing. She met the idol at the sinks and carefully began to wash her hands. As long as she didn't look the girl in the eyes, she didn't feel the sensation welling up in her stomach.

Luckily, Ray was tall. That wouldn't be a problem as long as they were both standing.

“I drank a lot of tea waiting for you, I'm fine.” She dried off her hands. “Let's get back to business, I have a lesson at  5 and you have to prepare for your show recording.”

Ray chuckled for some reason as she washed her hands with much less finesse. “Whatever you say, princess.”

Lucy's stomach churned uncomfortably as her face heated. “Also you need to dye your roots. They're starting to show.”

She should've gotten to the door first, but her partner's legs were far longer and trained. It was almost infuriating how smooth the idiot looked when she opened the door for her. There was no way Ray didn't notice how red her face was getting... she was enjoying this.

Damn it all.

“Thank you.” She stepped through stiffly, feeling the other idol fall in step behind her. People were looking at them as they headed back to the table. Both their orders were there now, which meant they had something to focus on.

Ray was still smirking as she slid back into her side of the table. “Also, I'm 6'4”. Nobody's going to see my roots unless they're on a ladder.”

With that, she sipped at her soda with a sort of cat-like contentment. Lucy was left tongue tied, frustrated, and working on a crush she hadn't even realized she developed. Part of her wanted to strangle the other idol... but another part wanted to hold one of those large hands. It was a weird place to be in, so she settled on picking at her cake.

Working with her was going to be impossible now... why couldn't she just hate her? Liking someone was so much more complicated...

[sempiternalsandpitturtle]

8 influencer marketing statistics that will guide your strategy in 2019 and beyond

Remember Beanie Babies?

These stuffed toys inspired perhaps the quintessential collector fad of the 1990s, giving Gen-X and millennial consumers their own little taste of Tulip Mania. All the enormous hype and eye-popping price tags got a big boost from a then-innovative source: one of the first real blogs, maintained by parent company Ty, on which different Beanie Babies would “post” their ghostwritten updates to an online diary.

The Ty blog entries showcased the early potential of influencer marketing, the practice of building brand awareness, cultivating an audience and shaping purchase decisions via the power of well-known and persuasive personalities. In that case, it entailed personas modeled on highly sought-after toys, meant to drive word-of-mouth about their appeal in lieu of conventional ad buys. Today, “influencer marketing” as a term is nearly synonymous with the recommendations of peers and online content creators, as well as celebrity endorsements.

You wouldn’t be mistaken to think that influencer marketing is as much about the messenger and their chosen medium – whether that’s a blog or, increasingly, a social media platform – as it is about the message in question. So does it actually work? We’ve put together these influencer marketing statistics to help answer this question and guide you in incorporating it into your marketing initiatives.

1. 70 percent of YouTube viewers trust YouTube creators more than other celebrities

Everything from an in-depth product review to a quick how-to video has a natural home on YouTube, making the platform an especially versatile channel through which influencer marketers can reach and affect their audiences. And those audiences are huge.

The above number, taken from a Google-sponsored study, indicates that literally 1 billion+ plus individuals place YouTube stars among the foremost trendsetters and tastemakers. Popular channels like those of fashion reviewer Grace Helbig and podcaster Joe Rogan have millions of subscribers apiece.

More importantly, their followers are highly engaged and likely to act on what they hear. Six in 10 YouTubers would give more weight to a content creator’s advice on what to buy than they would a traditional celebrity endorsement.

A successful influencer marketing campaign on YouTube could take the form of a hands-on demo, careful product placement or daily vlogging. There are so many ways to build and monetise an audience on YouTube for marketing efforts within your particular niche, whether that’s beauty product recommendations or power tool guides

2. Instagram topped 1 billion active users in 2018 – and most of them are millennials and Gen-Z

If we had to point out where influencer marketing crossed the Rubicon from “oh this is kind of a neat idea” to “wow there is serious power here”, it would be Instagram’s launch in 2010. Instagram took influencer marketing mobile, dramatically expanding the potential audience.

Its distinctive aesthetics and user demographics, which skew younger than the general population, also made it an ideal platform for posting the aspirational content so conducive to building brand awareness and loyalty. You don’t have to take our word for it, though – 87 percent of influencers cited Instagram as their favorite platform in 2018.

Between 2016 and 2017, the number of Instagram posts bearing the FTC-required #ad or #sponsored hashtags for sponsored content surged to 1.5 million. These updates generated over 1 billion likes between them that year. But those numbers don’t tell the whole story, as influencer marketing efforts on Instagram are often subtle and organic.

Almost two-thirds of the top-performing Instagram posts feature products and find their audiences through carefully selected hashtags, filters and additional details such as geotags and video captions (these are very important, and a lot of people don’t even know they exist). The Instagram users who engage with influencer posts are relatively young millennial consumers; over 60 percent of them under 35. That puts them squarely in the lucrative 18-34 segment that many marketers target.

Bottom line: Almost any modern influencer marketing campaign will be #blessed to have a strong presence on Instagram. As much as three-quarters of purchasing decisions by Instagram users are influenced by what they see on the platform.

3. Nine in ten Pinterest users use their pins to plan purchase decisions

Other than Instagram, no platform is so closely associated with influencer marketing as Pinterest, the image-centric social network that launched in 2010. Pinterest’s pinboard-inspired design lets users assemble collections of pictures, GIFs, videos and other items, many of which serve as blueprints for future purchases.

If services like Pocket and Instapaper offer the web’s version of a “Read It Later” button, Pinterest is a close as it gets to a “Buy It Later (Probably)” button. Ninety percent of Pinterest users saying they use it to make purchasing decisions and 60 percent buy something from a brand after seeing a promoted pin.

To influencer marketers, Pinterest offers a great balance of branded content opportunities and organic reach. To Pinners, the site is a much more trusted source of product recommendations and exposure than search engines, other social media or even friends and family.

Pinterest offers greater flexibility than the other major influencer marketing platforms. A Pinterest campaign might entail curating a special board that mixes products from top brands, using promoted pins or participating in the official Pin Collective program, which pairs businesses with content creators who are experts in producing beautiful, high-engagement pins.

The long half-life of Pinterest pins also allows for highly protracted marketing efforts. The typical pin takes 3.5 months to generate half of its engagement, compared to 90 minutes for a Facebook update and only 24 minutes for a tweet.

4. Twitch averaged more than 3 million unique monthly broadcasters in 2018

A Netflix executive once identified the hit game “Fortnite” as a bigger competitor than Hulu or HBO. That’s because on top of actual playing time, users collectively watch billions of minutes of lengthy live playthroughs of “Fornite” and other games, along with non-gaming content. Influencer marketers are capitalising on the platform’s notably high levels of engagement.

Users who spend only a few seconds engaging with marketing content on Instagram or Facebook might spend minutes with it on Twitch, since they are giving the live video their full attention. There are plenty of effective ways to reach an audience on Twitch via an influencer campaign, including:

Unboxing videos.

Product shout-outs.

Sponsored live streams.

Giveaway contests.

While it’s not as well-known an influencer marketing platform as Instagram, Pinterest or YouTube, Twitch is an up-and-comer with undeniable potential. Partnering with an influential content creator on a live stream is a relatively low-cost way for a brand to incorporate video into its marketing efforts and increase its chances of sustained engagement.

Don’t mistake Twitch for a gaming-only platform, although that does remain its most prominent vertical. The platform has dedicated categories for hobbies and crafts, food and drink, art, science and technology, special events and more. With more than 9 million channels up and running, there’s endless variety across Twitch and plenty of room for you to reach the right audience.

5. 43 percent of Americans get their news from Facebook

No discussion of today’s social media-powered influencer marketing would be complete without a few words about the Social Network itself and its more than 2 billion members. Facebook’s sheer size makes it an important forum for influencers, despite it lacking the curatorial design of Pinterest, the cultivated aesthetic of Instagram or the video-only format of YouTube and Twitch.

The stat above shows just how wide Facebook’s reach is across digital life. It’s a local and national news site as much as it is a place to like vacation photos or reply to questions in someone’s status update. The massive number of eyeballs focused on Facebook means that reaching even a small sliver of its active users can generate considerable return on investment (ROI). Marketers as a whole see Facebook as the best social network for ROI on ad spend. What about influencer marketers in particular?

Facebook has gradually made it easier for influencers to team up with organisations looking to reach certain audiences. Dedicated tools such as the Brand Collabs Manager simplify the process by which brands can find, contact and collaborate with content creators whose audiences overlap with their own.

Even without using these specialised services, influencers can get plenty of mileage from Facebook by reposting and sharing assets originally posted elsewhere, such as a video or infographic. Influencer content on Facebook has a higher click-through rate than ads, although its cost per click is also higher.

6. 40 percent of Twitter users have made a purchase in response to an influencer’s tweet

Twitter has likened influencer marketing to the digital equivalent of a Wheaties box. That cereal brand became notable for the athlete portraits that appeared on many of its boxes and indicated the star’s endorsement. The fast-paced, conversational nature of Twitter makes it a powerful engine for generating word-of-mouth via comparably high-profile endorsements, albeit ones that can attract thousands of likes and retweets within a matter of minutes.

Twitter users who see tweets from brands experience a 2.7-fold jump in purchase intent. Add influencer tweets to the mix, though, and the boost nearly doubles, to a 5.2x increase. In fact, Twitter’s researchers discovered only a narrow gap between the share of users who sought out recommendations from influencers (49 percent) and those who did the same from friends and family (56 percent).

On Twitter, as on the other platforms we’ve looked at, the best approach to building brand awareness and converting users is usually to combine influencer and branded content. That way, you can reach an audience at different parts of the sales funnel while presenting them with varied content, from video testimonials to tweets optimised and tagged to gain traffic from current events and holidays,

7. Word-of-mouth generates twice as many sales as direct advertising

We’ve talked a lot about specific social networks and how they let influencers connect with their audiences. YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitch, Facebook and Twitter are undoubtedly powerful tools, but what does success look like when using them? Start with high engagement, which leads to increased word-of-mouth activity.

An effective YouTube explainer video or a strategically placed pin can generate the consumer-to-consumer recommendations that often provide much greater ROI than simply buying an ad. According to McKinsey, recommendations of the iPhone during its first 2 years of availability in Germany drove six times as many sales of the devices as Apple’s own paid advertising.

Very little if anything in the marketing world compares to a direct recommendation from a trusted source. Whereas display ads often lose out to ad blockers and video spots are either ignored or skipped, word-of-mouth suggestions reliably hit home. Friends and family are high on the list, and so are content creators with large and attentive audiences, as Twitter found in its research on how the platform shaped buying decisions.

8. Brands average a $6.50 return for every $1 of influencer marketing spend

At the end of the day, influencer marketing efforts must do more than build an audience. They must also show tangible ROI and prove that they’re worth investing in, even at the expense of possibly bypassing more traditional routes such as direct advertising.

Evaluating an influencer marketing campaign is complex, with many possible KPIs to look at, including:

Brand mentions.

Comments, likes and shares.

Overall audience reach.

Form completions and other conversions.

Changes in sales.

Inevitably, results from influencer marketing vary widely by company and platform. They’re generally positive, however – 70 percent of respondents to an Influencer Marketing Hub survey reported an ROI of $2 or more and the average ROI was $6.50 per dollar. Some companies saw as much as a 20-to-1 return!

In 2019 and beyond, influencer marketing is a critical area to focus on, alongside other similarly proven practices like SEO and email marketing. While the days of using a humble online diary to generate a huge bubble in the prices of stuffed toys – and an ensuing cultural phenomenon – are long gone, you have a more sustainable opportunity in front of you: The chance to cultivate audience trust and admiration, all at the massive scale of the web.

from http://bit.ly/2KKZzXI

[rbeatz]

A Beautiful Tragedy: An Interview with Conrad Clifton

I met Conrad Clifton at an event and like most new producers I meet at these events, I immediately checked out his music when I got home. I was impressed by the versatility in his beats and eclectic nature to his sound. There were elements of hip-hop, trap, indie, latin, and dream synth oriented electronic music that had me dubbing his sound certainly as unique. I couldn’t quite put my finger on a specific genre, and at the same time, I couldn’t stop listening. When I normally hear someone who makes “beats,” I’m waiting for a top line (aka vocals) to help the track add another layer; however, Conrad’s beats stand alone and that need for a vocal element doesn’t necessarily exist. Although he has some vocalists on certain tracks.

Conrad Clifton has been praised by various publications. He is an Independent Music Award Winner for BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA EP. He was dubbed one of the Top 10 Standout Act at SXSW 2017 by Culture Trip. He performed at Billboard Hot 100 Festival in 2015 and has continued to work with artists and other producers in the industry. His sound production and arrangement narrative are super professional, and he does a lot of his acts LIVE. This is NEXT LEVEL if you ask me.

His newest album, Infinity Pool, was released this spring. I listen to this album while I work, while I clean my house, and I’ll throw it on in the background if I have a bunch of people over. It’s the perfect ambiance music, and I’ve heard through the grape vine that his live act really takes his music to the next level.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Conrad Clifton. You know the drill, click the Spotify embed below and read his full interview below to get the FULL Conrad Clifton experience.

INTERVIEW:

Where are you from and how has that shaped the musician you are today?

I grew up in the Midwest, where everything I listened to was also influenced different genres. I mainly listened to hip-hop, but being in the middle of the country, rap didn’t really have it’s own distinct sound, so we pulled heavily from the East Coast sound as well as West Coast and Dirty South. I came up listening to a lot of Wu-Tang, Nas, Snoop, Dr. Dre, OutKast and UGK. Hip-hop and the samples being used in their productions really exposed me to all different genres of music, so from that, I started studying songs from jazz, soul, indie rock and experimental electronic music. It wasn’t till much later that I got into dance music and started seeing how all these sounds and vibes fit together, or (more importantly) how they could fit together.

What instruments did you play when you were younger?

I studied piano for a few years when I was a kid. My parents got me lessons, but I had too much energy and would’ve rather been outside playing basketball or doing anything else that was actually fun, haha. So I didn’t stick with it, unfortunately. I retained just enough to be creative, now. Can’t really read music anymore. I just play by ear.

Are there an instruments that you currently wish you COULD play?

I’ve always wished that I could play the drums. Percussion really, really speaks to me. You can hear that in my music, I love the creative possibilities of what you can build with only percussion-like sounds.

Tell us the story of how you started creating music on your computer?

I use to play around with rap when I was really young, rapping to songs on the radio or rap instrumentals, but eventually I decided I really wanted to try to write lyrics and make songs. That’s what made me start producing; the necessity of original music to make songs to. I started using really lightweight programs like MTV Generator & Hip Hop eJay, where you just drag and drop samples into place on a timeline. I’ve come a loooong way since those days, thankfully. I graduated to hardware samplers, and then heavyweight DAWs like Cakewalk, Nuendo, Cubase, and ultimately ProTools. Now, I do all my work in Ableton.

What was your favorite studio moment when producing your latest album, Beautiful Tragedy?

Wow, I’m not sure. Probably when I was able to finesse my field recording Roll Call into a percussive transition going into Prince of Crown Heights. I actually recorded the sounds of the West Indian Day Parade, around the corner from my apartment. Then I layered up those live sounds with some tribal percussion that I use throughout POCH. It’s so important for an album to be more than just a collection of songs. It should breath. Like there should be moments, you know? That whole transition from track 1 through track 3 really gave the album a unique feel.

What do you like to do when you’re simply hanging out – aside from music?

I’m pretty heavy into movies. Thrillers and Sci-Fi mainly. And of course, that’s where you hear the most interesting and creative sound design and score. So even there, I can’t get away from it, haha. I’m determined to make music for movies some day. S/O to RZA and Trent Reznor.

Who are your musical influences?

I’m really influenced by “1-of-1” artists and producers, which is what I hope to become. Like, there’s only one Timbaland. Nobody could innovate the sound of a genre the way he did. There’s only one Four Tet, Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke, Thom Yorke or J Dilla. So it’s hard to be different. It would be much easier for me to go out and emulate the lit trap artist, or the most pop sounding future bass producer, and win. But that’s short-term thinking. Long-term it makes more sense to be genuine to your creativity and passion.

Who is one of your favorite acts right now to watch live?

Instrumentally, I’d say Bonobo. I love the way he makes use of the players in his band, and all of the sections of his music where he’ll bring in a full choir, or whatever’s necessary to fulfill his vision sonically. In terms of overall music and creative sound design, I love seeing Four Tet or Hudson Mohawke. The way they compose and deliver the music in a live format, and the music itself, really gets to me.

Who has been one of your favorite artists to collab with?

I’ve been working with some really amazing artists that everyone needs to hear. I plan on putting more music out with them in 2018. As far as more established artists, I really loved working with Yelawolf. We did a lot of work together in the past, and to see him become so successful has been really dope. He’s always been a true artist.

What are some of your favorite venues to play and why?

Soundpieces at Monarch in San Francisco was really dope. The sound system was incredible, and the crowd was one of the best I’ve ever experienced. So much love and good vibes from the people there. Also, the main room at Flash in DC was super lit for pretty much the same reasons: the sound system bangs, and the people were dope. In NYC, Rough Trade and Knitting Factory are really good too.

Have you played at any festivals?

Yes! Looking forward to doing more. Billboard Hot 100 Fest was sick, I actually got to watch Lil Wayne’s show from backstage. This year, SXSW was amazing. I got to do a showcase that included some of my favorite artists, like San Holo, Sweater Beats, Chrome Sparks and a lot more. I really loved NXNE in Toronto, as well.

What DAW do you use and why?

I’ve used so many over the years, but now, I do everything in Ableton, composing, mixing, mastering, and performing. It’s the best thing I’ve found that allows you to creatively make different pieces of music, and randomly trial-and-error how pieces fit together like a puzzle. It’s really freeing to be able to work that way, verses lining all your pieces up on a linear timeline, and building song sections that way. It’s also really fun to perform with, triggering audio clips, and throwing in sound effects on the fly.

Do you have a typical music production process? If yes, can you explain it?

Since I’m influenced by so many genres, it’s hard for me to just pick what type of song I want to make before starting on a track, so I don’t fight that. I usually just start by searching for a sound element or virtual instrument that inspires some feeling. After that, I follow it down a rabbit hole, in a way. Depending on what vibe I’m getting from the initial sounds I used and chord progression, I can start to hear/feel how the drums should sound, and I’ll adjust the tempo before starting to add percussion sounds. From there, it’s a whole building process, all driven by feeling. I just go were it takes me, and I never force it. I can’t even complete a song, unless I’m in love with it and feel like I could listen to it over and over.

What is your favorite MIDI Controller or instrument to produce with right now?

In addition to a few other keyboards, I use the Ableton Push 2 when producing and performing. It’s definitely my favorite piece of gear. The tech is deep, and it makes everything easier. I don’t even need to look at my laptop screen when I’m performing, and my sessions are really involved, so that says a lot.

What is one of your favorite or go-to VST Plugin?

I use Native Instruments Komplete, which is more of a collection of VSTs, but it’s definitely a go-to. So many options to choose from to spark ideas.

Do you have a key production tip for our young producers out there?

I’d encourage young producers to take a class on audio mixing, or take lessons from someone who knows. Sooner or later you’ll realize how important it is for you to be able to manipulate the sound spectrum, and be able to bring all your ideas to life. Plus, it’s great to not need someone else in order to finish your own song.

What food do you eat the most?

I’m vegan, so mostly fresh vegetables, big salads, and thick hearty soups.

What is next for Conrad Clifton?

Well Beautiful Tragedy came out this spring, and I released the Nitemare remixes in the summer, but I’m ready to put out some more new music. So I’m currently finishing a follow up to the album. It’ll have a crazy remix of  Time on it, plus some really vibey new originals, and a surprise VIP mix. Beautiful Tragedy was such a strong overall project, and I just want to continue where it leaves off, like a stream of consciousness in a way. You’ll understand when you hear this new EP. Can’t wait to share it!

from rBeatz Radio http://ift.tt/2yIX8RE