#and well they can't all make it... and i'm fond enough of this photo i'm posting it on its own

[batsplat]

deeply compelled by this photo

[mostly-imagines]

🌻 anon here

The last few days I stumbled into a few posts about Jason having +18 pics of reader in his phone and I just can't stop thinking "would he tho??" Like would he trust enough his device to have r18 pictures of the one he love and literally worship in his phone??? Knowing he knows damn well how easy it is nowadays to get those types of pictures through hack and stuff??

And I'm not saying he would share the pics, HELL NO he would never. But because I don't think he would trust his phone -and also because it cracks me up- I imagine him having a Polaroid to take the pics. The photos get printed automatically and if he have to he can't literally burn those without having to overthink about someone hacking his phone.

Like can you imagine him just casually take a Polaroid you didn't know where there out his nightstand and taking a pics of you while you reaching your peak??

Anyways all of that just to ask what one of my fav Jason writers would think about the whole Jason having spicy pics of you in this phone

18+

i’ve honest to god been thinking about this non stop since you sent it sunny

i think you're dead on, jason's protective streak rings too loud in his mind to ever take the chance of someone else maybe seeing those photos of you. personally, i’m of the belief that he uses his phone for the most practical purposes only and that his photo gallery is borderline empty, with few exceptions of nondescript images. like the only pictures of you on his phone don’t show your face or any revealing information about you. yeah, he’s a little paranoid in that way but it just makes his alternative that much more interesting.

there’s also something about it that feels more personal, more intimate. there’s not a chance in hell those photos are going near another person and he likes the idea that you’re giving him this amount of vulnerability and trust.

i also think he is an avid supporter of your personal autonomy and feels better knowing that if you want a picture gone, all you have to do is burn it and it's gone forever. he doesn't really like the idea that so many things on electronics can be spread or seen without you even knowing, so he's perfectly fine to stash a few polaroids in unsuspecting places.

he’d be really hesitant to ask you the first time, he was worried he’d make you uncomfortable or that you’d think it was weird. the thought initially came about after he’d gone on an away mission that lasted twice as long as it was supposed to and he was bordering on losing it without a single image of you. that, and frankly, he was stressed and he has never experienced a stress relief quite like you.

so the night he comes back he’s kissing you hard and rubbing up against you, but all he can think about is how badly he wants to capture all your facial expressions and imagery he couldn’t stop imagining while he was gone.

he breaks away from your lips breathlessly, “can I take a picture of you?”

you give him a bemused look, “what? like, now?”

he fiddles with the waistband of your underwear, not making eye contact. “well…in a few minutes..”

his timorous disposition gives you a solid clue of what he means and you smile up at him. “yeah?”

he finally meets your eyes, looking hopeful. “is that alright?”

“of course,” you nod and he leans back down against you, lips meeting your pulse point. “what brought this on?”

he noses at your neck, “jus’ missed you. a lot.”

you nod, pulling back and running a finger down to the tip of his nose. “take as many as you want.”

and he did.

his favorite pics are the ones he takes right when you cum, lips slightly parted, brow pinched. he’s also fond of the moments right when you’re just starting to feel it.

the photos of you on your knees, trying to take him in your mouth as much as you can really do something to him. your eyes watering and you holding his hand for support. he has to pace himself when he looks at those, especially the ones where you’re looking up at the camera.

he doesn’t usually like to be in the pictures, other than his dick in/against you or his hand splayed across your stomach or neck. he also has one or two where you’re riding him and his free hand is on your hip guiding you.

you’d have to be having a particular kind of sex for it to even occur to him to stop and take pictures. it only really happens during the easy times, when you’re both just having fun more than anything. it’s then when he’s really able to take his time with you and savor things, which is why the majority of your polaroids are taken then. he’s also more likely to be in a teasing mood then and not in a particular rush to get you where you’re going. a lot of those pictures show you smiling and completely relaxed which is another reason why he tends to revere those moments.

a grade A way to make him feel better after a long week is leaving him some surprise polaroids in the stash, it makes him crazy. he’s honestly just really obsessed with the idea that you trust him so much with those kinds of photos that you’d go out of your way to take some for him when he’s not even there. i actually think that’s at least half of what turns him on so much about the whole thing, the trust that you place in him and only him to not only see you in those moments but also relive them afterwards. just pics of you in lingerie or even just one of his shirts—it’s over for him.

[luveline]

oooh! just had an idea!!! bombshell reader x spencer where he comes over to her apartment one day on the weekend to suprise her with breakfast/flowers bc they just started dating. however, bombshell is in sweats/no makeup/messy hair when she answers but when she sees its spencer, she FLIPS out/slams the door bc she doesnt want him to see her in that state. spencer, however, is confused ofc because he genuinely doesnt notice her outfit/lack of makeup and thinks she is gorgeous no matter what.

hope this is ok ♡ fem, 1.1k

The song starts slow and ends slower. You could picture Spencer listening to it, his head on your shoulder or yours on his, wired earphones shared between you. 

You grab a pencil to jot a quick post-it note so you'll remember, one knee on your desk chair. You don't want to sit down with the shower running in case you get distracted by your new photo frame.

You and Spencer took a photo to commemorate finally getting together. Or rather, Hotch did, standing behind the camera with an impossible mixture of fondness and disapproval. You look like a true couple with matching graphic t-shirts and beaming smiles, Spencer's arm over your shoulders and yours behind his back. You can't see it without staring; you use all your strength to ignore the photo, pulling your post-it from its pad and tacking the yellow square to your vanity. Tell Spencer about love song from Ocean Boulavard. 

The door to your apartment rings with a knock. If you weren't distracted in your losing don't-think-about-Spencer battle, you'd recognise the timid pattern of it. 

You've been expecting a parcel all weekend. 

"Coming!" you call, tugging a sweater over your vest top, plaid pyjama pants dragging against the floor as you make your way out of your bedroom and into the main living area. "Two seconds!" 

You give yourself a precursory glance in the mirror next to the door before you answer it. You'd never go out like this, but the delivery driver won't see you long. You're mostly clean and fully dressed, though your socks don't match. 

That's another thing to tell Spencer. He must be rubbing off on you. 

"Hello," you say cheerily, pulling the door open with a smile. 

"Hi," Spencer says, big brown eyes aglow at the sight of you, his hands full to bursting. There are enough things in his hands to hide his chest completely. 

You don't have a chance to decipher exactly what he's brought as you flinch behind the cover of the door, not cruel enough to close it in his face, but wanting to. "Spencer! What are you doing here?" 

"Well, you live here." 

His hand comes up tentatively near yours on the door. He doesn't push it further in or attempt to come inside. He might have, if you hadn't squeaked in warning, biting down on the soft inside of your cheek. 

"Is everything okay?" he asks.

"Everything is fine!" You squeeze your eyes closed, your pulse a hummingbird hammering between them. 

"Really?" Spencer asks, taking back his hand. "Can I–"

There's a shuffling sound like he might step forward, and that's the last straw, you're fully panicking as you slam it closed.

A too long silence. Your breath comes unnaturally quickly, your thoughts racing to match. I can't believe I just did that. Why did I do that? 

What do I do? 

"Spencer, I'm naked," you say. 

"You were definitely wearing clothes. What's wrong? I brought breakfast, I thought I'd surprise you. I texted you. When you didn't answer I figured maybe you were still sleeping after last night, but… now I'm thinking maybe I read that wrong."

"You didn't read it wrong! You can always come over!" you insist, looking around behind you as if you might suddenly find a full face of makeup hiding in your sideboard, or a fresh change of clothes hanging on the coat hooks. 

"Okay, so, can I come in?" 

You poke at the sore bit of skin in your cheek with a wince. "Spence, I'm not dressed. Like, I'm not ready. I look like a mess." 

"You looked beautiful. For the two seconds that I could see your face, at least." You breathe in uselessly. An answer doesn't present itself. Spencer offers some wisdom while you panic, but you aren't sure you want to hear it. "We're dating, right? So as much as you clearly don't want me to see you like this, it's gonna happen. Hopefully regularly?" He laughs lightly on the other side of the door. "Can I please come in?" 

Nerves gnaw at your fingers, uncomfortable pins and needles. "What if you don't like it as much?" you ask quietly. You're surprised he can hear you. 

"Do you trust me?"

What sort of question is that? This isn't about trust. This is about you, an image of yourself you hold and that you want others to share, it's why you dress as you do, why you wear your intricate hairstyles, and spend hours upon hours priming and primping.

You want to be pretty deeply, especially in Spencer's eyes. Do you trust him to find you pretty still, without all the extra effort? Pretty from the moment you wake up? 

You wait for the verdict as you open the door again. The handle clicks and lugs, the hinge whining as it swings inward. You step backward to allow him space, meeting Spencer's eyes with an insecurity that doesn't suit you.

He doesn't react at first. His hand tightens around the neck of a sprawling bouquet, wildflowers like a burst of colour against his chest, the long white body of a lily of the valley kissing the curve of his neck. He smells like powdered sugar donuts and the food truck they came from, the story of his obsession a remembered delight. I think of you every time I cross the square to the train station by my place. The warm vanilla smell reminds me of your perfume. But I'm usually already thinking of you. He's been bringing you donuts intermittently for months now. 

He finally smiles at you, all manner of morning warmth flooding the room with him. The sun at his heels, the silky brown colour of his hair, you look up as he steps close, as light silhouettes him, turns the silk to fluff. You can see every detail this close down to the baby flyaways, and he can see the same. 

"How could you think I wouldn't like this?" he asks. His words are hushed with earnestness but yards from hesitant. Spencer is unabashedly, genuinely enamoured with you. "You're so pretty. You always are." 

You beg him silently to hold your face, taking the flowers from his hand. He can read you from that small action alone, raising a deft hand to your cheek. 

You lean into his palm. 

[mrsshabana]

Always the groomsman, never the groom

♡ CW: 18+ MDNI, Female!reader x Gyutaro, mostly fluff and angst, some smut. Reader is a groomsmaid and Gyutaro is a groomsman.

♡ AN: I was a bridesmaid at a wedding this weekend so it inspired me to make this oneshot!

Gyutaro had been a groomsman at numerous weddings. All of his friends getting married, yet he couldn't even manage to ask a girl out.

And here he is yet again at another wedding. This time it was Akaza getting married. Gyutaro didn't know his husband to be very well, but he remembers him from college. Kyojuro Rengoku.

Gyutaro was happy for his friend, but he couldn't help but be a little jealous. He wants more than anything to fall in love and someday get married, but all he was able to manage was the occasional hook up. And even that was rare.

He's not too fond of hook ups, but he's so desperate for any kind of affection that he's willing to do almost anything. And no matter how hard he tries to get to know someone, they always leave before he can wake up in the morning. Leaving him alone, yet again. At this point he's convinced that's how things were meant to be.

Gyutaro can't help but wonder if he would be able to meet someone at the wedding. But is it really worth the inevitable heart break? When he sees you he starts to think that it might be.

You're a part of the wedding party on Kyojuro's side, you must be one of his close friends. Gyutaro immediately notices how beautiful you are. And the way your breasts look in that dress isn't bad either.

Gyutaro's breath hitches when he finds out you'll be partnered with him during the ceremony. He's not sure whether to be excited or filled with dread that he get's paired with the one person he was crushing on.

You remember he wasn't able to make it to the rehearsal so you had to practice with someone else, but now that he's here you might as well introduce yourself.

"Hi there! I'm Y/N," you say in a friendly tone, reaching out your hand, "It's nice to meet you, looks like we'll be paired for the ceremony."

"H-hey," he reaches out and shakes your hand, "I'm Gyutaro."

You give him a recap of everything they told you at the rehearsal, "So it's super easy, you'll just follow the other guys down the aisle. Then after the ceremony, Akaza and Kyojuro will walk down the aisle. Then each of us will get with our partners and walk down the aisle after them."

"So... I just walk over to you and uh...?" He's trying to pay attention but he keeps staring at your boobs.

You smile, "We'll go after Douma and Shinobu. Once they get halfway down the aisle we'll walk to the middle, latch arms, and walk together. You can just follow my lead," You try to make it make sense but it's hard to explain since he wasn't there for the rehearsal.

"Oh ok, cool. Sounds easy enough," he says as he has absolute no clue what to do.

When it comes time for the ceremony to start, it goes pretty smoothly. Gyutaro just follows the other guys' lead. The whole ceremony is really beautiful and you feel yourself tearing up when Akaza and Kyojuro read their vows to each other.

After they kiss and walk down the aisle, you look over at Gyutaro. He knows what to do right?

His palms are sweaty and he can't remember for the life of him what he's supposed to do. He's lucky Douma goes before him so he can see what he's supposed to do.

The two of you meet in the middle and you lock arms with him, "What'd you think of the ceremony?" you whisper to him as you walk down the aisle together.

"It was real nice, I'm happy for them," He smiles, trying to hide the shakiness in his voice.

You, Gyutaro, and the rest of the wedding party wait around to take photos while the rest of the guests have the reception.

The whole time Gyutaro's thoughts are running rampant. You were so nice to him! No girl has ever been so kind to him, but maybe you were just being nice? There's no way you have a crush on him or something. That'd be absurd, you've only known him for a few hours.

He has no way of knowing that you actually find him very handsome, especially in that suit he's wearing. He has a je ne sais quoi about him. Something unique that you've never seen in a guy before.

After the photos you spend most of the wedding with your friends, and Gyutaro spends time with his. It's not until the wedding is almost over and everyone has had a few drinks that you talk to him again.

You noticed he was sitting alone at a table so you went over and sat next to him, "Hey Gyutaro, mind if I join you?"

His cheeks immediately become rosy, "I uh- no, not at all. Go ahead."

He's at a loss for words. A girl has never came up to him like this and initiated a conversation. Could you possibly be... interested in him?

He soon finds out when after talking for over an hour, he asks you if you want to come over to his place tonight. It's a bold move, and he never would have done it without the help of some alcohol. He swears he's dreaming when you actually agree.

"Are you sure...?" he asks.

"Yeah! Unless you're secretly a murderer or something," you smile and nudge his shoulder.

He figures he should take advantage of this opportunity before you realize how repulsive he is and change your mind. So he quickly takes you on his motorcycle, back to his apartment in the city.

When you get there Gyutaro tries to play it cool, showing you around his apartment and trying to make friendly conversation. But really he just wants to get to the main event. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling incredibly horny.

It doesn't take long before you find yourself sitting on his lap, making out with him on his bed. His hands already pushing up your dress to grab at your ass.

You're so different from the other women Gyutaro has hooked up with. They never went as far as wanting to kiss him, let alone actually bothering to touch him like you are. It sends shivers down his spine and makes him feel amounts of affection he didn't know possible.

He starts to get really nervous when you lay on your back. You actually want to see his face while he fucks you? He's only ever done doggy style with his previous partners because his face would ruin the mood. But not you.

You caress his cheek and look into his eyes as he plunges into you. That's the moment that he becomes attached to you, feeling himself falling for you.

He almost loses it when you moan his name and hold him close to your body as he thrusts into you. He thought this kind of shit was only in the movies, not real life. Let alone for a guy like him.

You don't yell at him when he becomes too overwhelmed by emotion to pull out. Instead you wrap your arms around him, kiss him, and tell him what a good job he did.

He knows how pathetic he must seem, but he can't help but cling to you. Holding you close to him, and nuzzling his nose into your hair. God you smell so good.

You aren't used to having hook ups like this, so you hope he won't mind if you stay the night. And by his clinginess it seems like he doesn't want you to leave either.

In the morning, Gyutaro wakes up in a panic. He slept in too late, you must have already left. He shoots up with wide eyes only to see your sleeping form still beside him.

"She... she didn't leave?" he mumbles to himself, "But they always leave..."

You're different. You're special. And this is when Gyutaro realizes that he's falling in love with you. Maybe the next time he goes to a wedding he won't just be a groomsman, but the groom.

[kentosbabes]

Hello dear how are you?! First of all thank you for your hard work!! If it's alright for you may I ask dating hc of young high school time gojo x (fem)reader? How would he act around the person he loves and is he a Heartbreaker? Please take your time.thank you!

I'm good! Hope you are well aswell <33

Highschool Gojo X Reader hcs

Gojo who is a 'what he wants he gets' type of person, so when he sees something or someone he wants he has to have it. His cocky nature would thrive in his high school years. He walks through the corridors sliding his sunglasses down his nose to give the girls a peek of his eyes and smirking at how flustered they all get.

Gojo who always has a new girl at his side with pride thinking that they'll be the 'special' one. Gojo doesn't pay too much mind to them, to him it's just a bit of fun and he has no interest in protecting their feelings. His 'heartbreaker' reputation doesn't bother him at all, instead, he sees it as a way to just get more girls.

Gojo who can't help but feel offended as you just roll your eyes at him and scoff as he flashes a charming smile at you. He doesn't pay too much mind to what others think of him yet his ego is hit every time you scoff at him.

Gojo who can't stop watching as you giggle at a joke his best friend Geto told you. His eyes are attached to the way your plump lips move and your eyes sparkle as you look up at him. Gojo's only broken out of his trance by the blonde girl who sits at his side rubbing his arms up and down.

Gojo who can't hold back and gets up from his seat with the girl and strolls over to you. 'Heyy look who it is, my two favorite people' He says throwing an arm around his best friend. 'Gojo what do you want' you say rolling your eyes at him.

Gojo who after failing at winning you over with charm he opts for a different tac-tic. He becomes more invested in his relationships and being more affectionate within school hoping you would notice and be jealous.

Gojo who doesn't realize how much his change in behavior affected you. He doesn't notice how you stare as he hugs a girl around the waist, or how you play with your fingers as you see him pull a girl into a storage room.

Gojo who can feel you stare at him during training, and decides to confront you later that day at a small party. Gojo stands at your side as you watch everyone dance around. 'you know you could just keep a picture' he says looking down at you. 'shut up Gojo'

Gojo who managed to kiss you that night and from then on he's been inseparable from you. He was never too fond of the girls who threw themselves at him but you, you made him feel giddy inside. And when you were too far away he felt sick, so he made sure to keep you close.

Gojo who is all for the little things. He remembers your favorite flowers and makes sure to buy you a bouquet at least once a week, he remembers your coffee order and favorite food. Gojo loves kissing you, from kissing your knuckles to showering your face with them. He just can't help himself.

Gojo who is obsessed when in love. The thought of you plagues his mind and he feels a hole in his heart when you're not near. He can be a little possessive when you talk to other guys but with a strong hand wrapping around you and pulling you into his lap he is a happy man.

Gojo who although is still in high school enjoys cuddling with you and planning out your future. He knows a lot of his is destined because of his six eyes but he can't help but fantasize about a simple domestic life with you.

Gojo who as soon as you mention being jealous of some girl he spoke to, blocked all his ex-girls and girl friends from his phone. He has you as his lock screen and has you and Geto stared as his favorites in his contacts.

Gojo who loves to show you off to others. From talking about you when he and Geto are together, to showing random strangers photos he has of you on his phone. He just can't get enough.

Gojo who spoils you like crazy. He's buying anything you say you like and point out at the shopping mall. Gojo takes you out to fancy restaurants and luxury vacations just to see you smile.

Gojo who although hates seeing you cry, is more than happy to take care of you. His first response is 'Who hurt you? I'll kill them' but quickly he's cuddling you in his arms and kissing your forehead telling you your okay. He also makes sure to run a hot bath and order your favorite takeout.

Gojo who wouldn't let anything hurt you and vows to protect you for life. He's always worrying about you even in the smallest of situations. For example, when the coffee cup is too hot and burns your hand, he is all over you for the rest of the day making sure you're okay.

Gojo who was the first to say 'I love you'. He made it a big deal, with rose petals, candles, and a fancy dinner. That night was the first time you had sex and he couldn't help but repeat 'I love you' over and over again.

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Reading the fleetway Sonic comic now and

I'm convinced that Tails is his special little guy??

I mean, he's an asshole, no doubt, but he passes up a party (mind you, he loves being celebrated as a hero so much) to go looking for Tails

He goes looking at his "favorite place" and literally dons shades and a worse attitude at learning Tails was taken

He genuinely cares about him as his buddy? Sure he complains about him or insults hin fairly often, but he clearly likes having Tails around enough to want him back??

Are we gonna talk about how Tails breaks free from Robotnik's control because he can't bear to keep hurting Sonic, because he cares?

This scene too reminds me so much of that scene from Fang the Hunter issue 1 where Tails called for Sonic and Sonic bid himself to be patient and not lash out because Tails is his friend. Like again, Fleetway!Sonic is an asshole, but he's holding back when it comes to Tails even a little bit

There's just constant proof whenever Tails is put in danger or captured that Sonic cares about his well-being. In fact he cares so much he just kind of is just indifferent about those he puts in danger by zeroing in on saving Tails (and those he saves he doesn't necessarily save with intent to). In this issue specifically, Sonic, the animal companions with him, and an unconscious Tails get washed away in a current of water, and rather than worry about his own well-being or those of his companions, he yells at them to keep ahold of Tails in the water so he can take care of the badnik.

Personally I feel like this sequence speaks for itself? Although Sonic is fairly confident, he risks his life on the chance that he can steer the Death Egg off course (and we're not even factoring in whether he can escape in time), and sends Tails away in the only escape pod. He literally gambles his life on this act of saving Emerald Hill and worries first about securing Tails', even if only Tails may end up escaping.

There's also the setting? Tails crying for Sonic and calling him the bravest hedgehog he ever met, Sonic reacting like he didn't just narrowly avoid death and that Tails is just stating the obvious, the two of them floating down in the escape pod during the sunset

I don't have the picture space to show it, but there's also another part of this issue where Sonic continuously nags Tails to stay out of danger and to let him handle everything alone, and then (after falling into a trap), starts talking to himself about how glad he is that Tails wasn't around to see him make such a rookie mistake. It's easy to read as Sonic always leaving Tails behind because he doesn't think much of him or thinks he'll be in the way, but I don't think that's completely true! I get the idea that Fleetway Sonic likes having his buddy around just as much as he wants his buddy to be safe. So he brings him around everywhere he can, but he forces him to hang back during the dangerous bits. And that's not to mention how this issue showed just how much Sonic values Tails' opinion of him.

And BOY does this scene get me

It's like

This is the first time Super Sonic ever appears in StC. Are we going to ignore that Fleetway!Super Sonic stops attacking and reverts back into regular Sonic because of Tails?

This is like Mecha Sonic in Archie's Mecha Madness special all over again, except Fleetway!Super Sonic is under no one's control. He stopped attacking because Tails bids him to remember them.

There's just so many little things about them in my reading so far that I almost can't believe it (and would hit the tumblr photo limit a number of times if I were to show it off)

If I had to label their relationship in StC, I'd say that, to Tails, Sonic is someone he admires greatly. He doesn't seem to be fond of Sonic's attitude (largely when it's aimed at those other than himself), and he expresses criticism as to how vain Sonic is and his eating choices, but ultimately he cares about Sonic enough to stick around with him and go on adventures from time to time. For Sonic, I think Tails is someone he secretly likes having around. He often criticizes him, and depending on his mood he'll do it whenever he gets an opening, but he's also just...bad at feelings. When Tails is in danger, he'll zero in on saving him, almost above all else, and then when he saves Tails he's going off about how he can't trust Tails to be alone, angry and annoyed. He's a jerk, but a jerk who cares more than he lets on about Tails. Tails isn't just some admirer, he's important to him, and at the same time, Tails' is someone whose opinion of him he values. Ahsjsjs and....he's also the kind of guy who would say something like "Hey, that's enough! Only I get to bully Tails!"

Is their relationship healthy? No😂 But also in StC it also comes off like...they're both choosing this. Despite everything they choose to be buddies

Idk I'm fascinated so far😂

The Sonic the asshole and his special little fox

[therabine]

We've got some new cover art and as someone who works in digital media and deals with AI content on daily basis this new cover for Troy Saga set off an alarm in my brain. Naturally I sank into an analyzing spiral, because that's just how my brain works.

"Looks like an AI art with repaints on top" I thought to myself, but to be sure I've checked it with different AI recognizing software (remember kids, if you use AI to generate your art, other AI can reverse engineer the process and identify it!). But so can a human eye most of the time. Pay attention to the combination of these identificators:

- weird blur

- different lines of horizon in one image

- bonkers anatomy/construction errors

- high contrast

- a lot of nonsense happening in the background

The results of AI checkup on the new Troy cover art were mixed

"Okay, let's check out the original Troy Saga cover, I like this one"

Yep, it has no out of place blur, the wooden horse's anatomy doesn't weird me out, the backgrounds look nice, deliberately painted with attention and care, I can make sense of the individual strokes. Good to know that my eyes are still good for something.

"Just to be sure, let's check out the Cyclop's Saga"

Okay, now it's proper weird. Maybe the Hive is off caliber? Wait five minutes, let me make a quick AI Thunder Saga cover art.

Nope, still works. What about other covers?

Fascinating! To be honest Circe Saga cover art doesn't look like Ai to me (all three animals are drawn with nice proportions and the lion is probably drawn with the help of Symmetry tool in Procreate, AI is surprisingly shitty at doing perfect symmetry).

Maybe it's the style of the artist that's confusing to the AI detector? Zwist seems to be particularly fond of whirlwind designs in all of her artwork (bad AI art often does weird stripes and whirlwinds, especially when you're trying to generate something which doesn't have a lot of references for it in the dataset that AI is trained on). Let's run Hive on her original artwork with a lot of whirlwinds and a wonky tree.

...okay. Now that is weird.

Look, I'm not saying that Zwist is a bad artist or something, using Ai isn't against the law and she clearly can paint better than I do. She is talented, go show love to her original artworks that are not Epic related. Hell, I can't even prove with 100% certainty that AI was used at all. Just because I don't like the new Troy cover art doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy it too.

But the whole situation is fascinating to me. A lot of people on insta ask if the new Troy cover is AI, only to be shut down by fans who scream "no, that's just her artsyle and X confirmed that it's not AI, you are just haters".

YOU ARE NOW IN THE UPDATED PART OF THE POST

Special thanks to the people who shared the link to the new Troy Saga cover art speedpaint for erasing my doubts and providing a respectful conversation in the comments.

Watched through the speedpaint a few times, trying to figure why the end image became unsettling enough for a lot of people (myself included) to assume it's AI.

My guess is that Zwist has developed for herself an intricate decorative style, but isn't very familiar with so called 'academic' art.

Why do I think that? Well, I wanted to see how artists of the past depicted the wooden horse, and do you know what image you see when you type up 'Trojan horse' into Google? That's right, it's the giant prop from the movie Troy (2004). And you know, no shame here, using references to draw something you've never seen before is good, I'm just shocked I didn't recognize this design sooner it's very cool. What I really like about it is that it really looks like it's been made rather fast from the scraps of the broken down ships and yet it still resembles an actual horse. Look at the cute pointy ears! Look at the mouth of it! This gorgeous posture!

What's even better, it still exists somewhere in Turkey (well maybe not the actual prop, but the full size replica of it), so there's a ton of photos from different points of view. My best guess is that Zweist used this one as a reference for the new Troy Saga cover:

And here's a problem - this is a very complex structure to draw. Not only that, but Zweist also uses two light sources - moonlight from above and the light of the fire below, which means that we have two different sets of shadows emerging from these light sources.

Unlike all other covers that are very decorative in nature, this one is attempted to be very realistic, almost cinematic in its use of lighting. With all that extra complication it's easy to set yourself up for failure and get too much in the details while losing the larger shapes.

Unfortunately in her simplification of the original reference Zweist completely neglects all the intricate shapes and planes that make up the wooden horse. She forgets that wood cannot bend in circles like that, or that unpolished wood is a low-reflective surface (which means that even the lightest spot lit up by the firelight will be darker than the light on the sand/marble/metal coming from the same light source). It seems like she doesn't analyze the shape of it at all, so we lose the majestic posture and the shape of the horse head.

Just for the fun of it I used 1,5 hours of my time to photobash the reference photo into the original Zweist background. It's very rough (I literally painted everything using nothing but a standard Photoshop round brush and a computer mouse), but I think it gets my point across.

I'm too tired to redo the background and this post is already ridiculously long. But I think that it suffers from the same problems - lack of research and care. Those are just some random shapes taking up space. I get that it's supposedly a burning Troy we see around, but does it look like anything to you? I mean really? Again, it's just a shapeless mess. And all of that could be avoided with a bit of extra research and analysis. There's more to the ancient ruins that the same set of columns over and over.

So, what is can we learn from it? What is the conclusion?

Zwist is a talented young artist, but painting "realistically" isn't her strongest suit. You may like her style, or you may not, but I think there is a difference between "doing it your way" and "trying to succeed and failing". She may try to learn from this situation in two ways: 1) work around her stronger sides making the next covers with simpler designs and less intricate lighting or 2) practice the more realistic style and get better at it.

I don't know the exact reasons why the AI recognizing software flagged some of her work as AI generated. But I think that if it's not just your audience who starts to wonder if you used AI, but you somehow manage to confuse the very program that detects AI, then you've got a problem with your art.

If we want to beat AI companies in their game and stay relevant as professional artists we can no longer produce mindless art. We can no longer afford to produce sloppy work. As sad as it is, within next 10 years there is going to be a large shift in understanding and producing art as we know it. If the art we create can be easily replicated by AI or will look like it's been made with AI, then no one would bother to commission art from you. We have to adapt, to find new ways of exploring our creativity, perhaps even to create a new visual language of expressing ourselves.

In the end of a day human art always beats AI art. You know why? Because AI is not really Artificial Intelligence. It's just a very complex algorithm that is good at recognizing patterns. That's all it is. It doesn't have a conscience, it has no context for the human experience, it cannot think, and most importantly - it cannot invent.

So I want to end this post on the hopeful note - the art will survive. The artists will survive. And if we can learn anything from this situation is that kindness and open dialog is the vest way to deal with confusion. Once again I want to thank everyone who was kind enough to comment on and engage with this post. It grew out of love for something that is deep and personal to me (Epic) to a larger discussion of the changes in the world of visual art (something I love and care for even more). Hope this update spawns more nuanced and respectful discussion on the topic!

[rapha-reads]

Things from Interview With The Vampire s02e04 (ep11) I noticed:

[Edit 1: Actually this turned into a live-commenting, sorry]

[Edit 2: Keep in mind, I haven't read the books, so all of these observations are born from the show itself and the few (lots of) spoilers and narrative plot points I've gleaned here and there.]

Both Claudia and Louis are so bored with the coven. Or maybe bored isn't the word, but... Done? Frustrated and annoyed? Restless? Louis because he never intended to join and so cares not all for all their internal affairs. Claudia because she thought she'd finally have the life she wanted and instead is being forced to relive the tragedy of her life day after day.

And Armand rejoices in drawing them further apart, scolding and punishing Claudia while begging scraps from Louis.

And he's soooo jealous. The face he makes when Louis starts explaining what Dreamstat feels like is priceless.

Also, personal theory: either Louis is indeed suffering psychotic breaks after psychotic breaks, or just manifesting his own version of Lestat because he doesn't want to let go. Or Lestat can astral project and has been stalking Louis from the moment they left New Orleans.

The coven is tearing itself apart. And normally I'd add "and Armand isn't even seeing it/taking it seriously yet" but given that the whole of them are unreliable narrators and that Armand is a shady ass bitch whose only agenda is himself, I'd say he's well aware and purposefully making it worse.

I can't make sense of Santiago yet, though. Is he jealous? Ambitious? Is he fond of Claudia? Does he hate her? He definitely hates Louis, but is it just jealousy or real antipathy? Oh, but Louis is still my precious special kitten and that speech about Paris, art and modernity, as a contemporary culture student, made me vibrate a little out of my chair, and Santiago clowning him makes me want to claw his face. We get it, you hate him and you think he's pretentious, now can you shut up and let us talk a bit more about the art scene in Paris post-WW2 and why Louis is absolutely right, Picasso isn't all that impressive in the end? Thanks. Bacon tho, Bacon is interesting. My contemporary art teacher last year was excruciatingly boring, but he had a boner for both Louise Bourgeois and Bacon and we spent several hours on them (and not nearly enough about Mapplethorne, alas). Anyway. I feel ya, Lou. I have been called pretentious too for simply getting excited about art, culture and folkore.

I'm rooting for Louis and Claudia to kill them all off and run away to Italy. I know it won't happen, but one can dream, eh.

Is Armand messing up with both Daniel by getting into his mind and Louis by switching the photos? Interesting. Two people who have a shitton of issues stuck with a sadistic, insecure and bitter control freak who's been pulling the threads since way before anyone realises. And Louis is so lost in his trauma and grief and anger, he trusts Armand and doesn't see what's happening and been happening to him for 70 years, while Daniel is just a sad, sick old man who thinks he knows his life and what his future entails. Armand is definitely having fun.

"Je n'aime pas fenêtre quand fermée" is NOT FRENCH, MY EARS. I will be picky, I don't care for artistic licence. Correct sentence would be "je n'aime pas les fenêtres quand elles sont fermées". Admittedly, if it goes into a song, you'd have to respect the length of the line and all those musical measures. But still. You could shorten the numbers of syllables by dropping the language register: "j'aime pas les f'nêtres quand elles sont fermées" ; from 12 or 13 to 9, the original line being 8 or 9. Depending on whether you say "je-n'ai-me-pas" or "je-n'aim-pas" and "fe-nê-tres" or "fe-nêtres". Anyway. I'm sure the writers had those discussions (I hope; hey, AMC, hire me, I'm a good proofreader and I speak 5 languages).

Me: oh, Louis isn't even bothering now, he's directly talking to... Wait, is Lestat eating that photo? If it's Dreamstat: the hell is going on in your head, Louis? If it's Astral Lestat: that is certainly a choice, my friend.

"Barely Balthasar", LMAO, Lestat I fucking love you. Poor Balthasar always gets forgotten in adaptations. Nope, we're not here to talk R&J, moving on.

Armand: "this is my tragic backstory. Feel pity for me. I'm the good guy." Me: yeaaah, how much of this is actually real? And, uh, no, like Lestat said: ha! You're a storyteller and a conman, Armand. You weave your story to pluck at the heart's threads of your audience, modulating it to their sensibilities to better serve your own interests and your plans. What are those interests, these plans? Hell if I know. But I absolutely do not trust you at all.

HANDS OFF CLAUDIA OR I'LL BITE

"The wilderness that is our daughter" have I said lately how much I love Lestat.

Oh, hello, the Loustat scene on the bench just broke my heart, which is funny if you consider that that's just Louis breaking up with himself. Also, do we consider Louis knew about the initials in the pocket, and Dreamstat is saying what Louis wants him to say, or is it another unreliable narrator Louis, or is it Lestat himself...?

Aw, going from the Loumand scene on the bench to "toxic gay divorce with body count" sure is a tonal shift. Lmao. You're losing your touch, Armand. Louis' awakening. Daniel's awakening... San Francisco next, that will be fun. Excited to see how they've changed that part, knowing it's the red thread of the first book.

...

Oooh, that got long. Apologies. I really need to sit and read those books.

[zoeydripdoria]

More than just roommates

MINORS DNI 18+ ONLY !!

Jean...

Your heart starts racing as you reread his application over and over again. You're torn between your desire to spend time with him and the fear that things could get awkward if things don't work out between you. But then again, what's the worst that could happen? You two could become friends, right? It's not like you're planning on falling in love or anything like that.

*ARTWORK BELONGS TO ME*

You never thought your life would turn out this way. One minute, you're minding your own business, cleaning up your room after a long day of classes, and the next, you're thrown into this whirlwind of emotions when you hear a knock on your door. It's the landlord, informing you that your roommate has moved out and that you need a new one since you don't make enough money on your own. You can't help but feel a mixture of annoyance and relief. Annoyance because now you'll have to deal with the extra rent and chores, but relief because you were never really fond of your roommate anyway.

As you're going through the list of potential candidates, one particular name catches your eye: 

Jean.

 It rings a bell, but you can't quite place it. You look through their photo, and suddenly, it all comes rushing back. He's the boy from your high school, the one with the light ash-brown hair that always looked perfect no matter what the style, the deep-set eyes that could stare right through you, and the smile that could light up a room. The same Jean who sat next to you in homeroom every day for four years, the same Jean who you had a crush on since the first day of freshman year.

Your heart starts racing as you reread his application over and over again. You're torn between your desire to spend time with him and the fear that things could get awkward if things don't work out between you. But then again, what's the worst that could happen? You two could become friends, right? It's not like you're planning on falling in love or anything like that.

You decide to take a deep breath and send him a text, telling him you'd like to meet up and discuss the possibility of him moving in. He responds almost instantly, saying he's free later today. Your mind races with anticipation as the hours slowly tick by.

Finally, it's time to meet up. You're standing outside the coffee shop, trying to calm your nerves, when you see him walking towards you. He looks just as good as you remember - if not better. He smiles warmly when he sees you, and it takes all of your self-control not to melt into a puddle on the sidewalk.

"Hey, you must be y/n ," he says, offering you his hand. You take it, feeling a spark of electricity run up your arm. "It's nice to finally see you in person." His voice is smooth and rich, sending shivers down your spine.

"Yeah, likewise," you reply, trying to keep your voice steady. You decide to get right to the point. "So, about moving in..."

He nods, leaning forward slightly. "Oh, absolutely. I'd love to live here with you, Y/n. It'll be great to have someone nice to come home to after a long day." His smile grows wider, and you feel a blush creeping up your cheeks.

You take a sip of your coffee, trying to calm your nerves. "Great. Well, we should probably go over some details then. Like, how much do you make per month?"

"Oh, about the same as you, I think. Maybe a little more," he says easily. "But don't worry about that. I'm more than happy to pitch in for my share of the rent and expenses."

You feel a wave of relief wash over you. At least that part won't be a problem. "Great. Okay, well, here's my number. Let's keep in touch and sort out all the details once we're back home." You hand him a slip of paper with your phone number on it.

He takes it, studying it for a moment before looking up at you again. There's a sparkle in his eye that you haven't seen before. "Yeah, definitely. And listen, Y/n..." He hesitates, biting his bottom lip. "I just want to say that I'm really glad this worked out.

You feel your cheeks flush again, unable to look away from those deep-set eyes. "Me too, Jean. It's going to be great living here with you." Your voice is barely above a whisper, but he seems to hear it just fine.

He smiles, reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind your ear. The touch sends a shiver down your spine. "I can't wait to get started. We're going to have so much fun together."

His words make your heart flutter, and you can't help but wonder where this newfound attraction is coming from. It's been years since you've seen him, and yet the way he looks at you, the way he touches you...it's like you're the only person in the world. You feel a rush of heat to your cheeks, and you're suddenly aware of the fact that you're standing close enough to him that you can feel his breath on your skin.

The rest of the conversation passes in a blur. You discuss the logistics of moving in together, agreeing on who will take care of which bills and chores. But it's the moments when you look into his eyes that seem to stretch on forever, when his touch sends shivers down your spine, that you realize this is so much more than just two roommates.

Finally, you say your goodbyes and head back home, feeling a strange mixture of anticipation and nervousness swirling in your stomach. The entire way there, you can't help but think about how things will change once he moves in. You wonder if he feels the same way you do, or if this is all just some weird coincidence.

When you finally open the door to your apartment, you're greeted by the familiar scent of your favorite candle and the sight of your cat, Milo, curled up on the couch. The reality of the situation begins to sink in, and you're left with a sense of both excitement and trepidation. But as you climb into bed that night, the memory of Jean's touch lingers on your skin, and you can't help but wonder what the future holds for the two of you.

Months later

As the months  go by, the tension between you only seems to grow stronger. You find yourselves constantly seeking each other out, whether it's through lingering glances across the room or casual touches that seem to happen by accident. The air around you feels charged with an electricity that you can practically taste, and it's becoming harder and harder to ignore the attraction that you feel for one another.

One night, while you're both sitting on the couch, watching TV, you feel Jean’s  hand brush against yours. The contact sends a jolt of electricity through your body, and you can't help but squeeze his fingers gently in response. He looks over at you, your eyes meeting, and for a moment, you're lost in the depths of his gaze. You can feel the heat radiating off his body, and you want nothing more than to close the distance between you. Slowly, carefully, you reach out and trace your fingers along the line of his jaw, feeling the rough stubble beneath your fingertips. His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows heavily, and you can see the desire written all over his face.

  His eyes flutter closed at the touch, and he leans into you, letting out a soft moan. The moment feels eternal, suspended in time. You can feel the desire building inside of you, the need to feel his skin against yours. You lean in closer, your lips mere inches from his, then he lets out a shaky breath and stands up, stepping away from you. The sudden movement breaks the spell that had been cast between you, and you're left feeling a mixture of confusion and longing. He apologizes, saying that he's not sure if this is a good idea, but you can tell that he wants it just as much as you do.

The rest of the evening is awkward and strained, with both of you seemingly at a loss for what to do or say. You try to convince yourself that it's better this way, that you shouldn't rush into anything, but the ache in your chest tells you otherwise. You wonder if he feels the same way if he's as confused and torn as you are.

As you both head off to bed, you can't help but feel a sense of loss, as if something precious has been taken away from you. You crawl into bed, tossing and turning restlessly, the memory of his touch burning itself into your skin. You close your eyes, trying to will yourself to sleep, but all you can think about is the way he looked at you, the way he felt against you. It's becoming clear that there's no going back now, no undoing what's been done between you. The question now is, what will happen next?

You wake up to the sound of birds chirping outside your window, and for a moment, you forget about everything that's been going on. You stretch luxuriously, enjoying the warmth of the sun streaming through the curtains. As you sit up, you spot a note propped up against your alarm clock. It's from Jean, apologizing for the way he acted last night, admitting that he's just as confused and torn as you are. He says he needs some time to sort things out, but that he doesn't want to lose you.

The words bring a mix of relief and anxiety. You're glad that he feels the same way you do, but you can't help but worry about what this means for your relationship. Do you give him the space he needs, or do you push for more? You decide to give him some time, but you also make it clear that you're here for him whenever he's ready to talk.

Days turn into weeks, and you find yourself constantly seeking out excuses to be near him. The tension between you is palpable, and every time you catch his eye, you're transported back to that night on the couch. You can feel the attraction growing stronger with each passing moment, and it's becoming harder and harder to ignore.

One afternoon, while you're both in the kitchen, you lean against the counter opposite him, feeling the warmth of his body just a few inches away. He looks up from what he's doing and meets your gaze, and for a moment, neither of you says anything. The air is thick with desire, and it feels as if the room could explode from the tension. Finally, he sets down what he's holding and slowly walks over to you. His hands find their way to your hips, pulling you close, and for the first time, you let yourself fully surrender to the feelings that have been building up inside of you.

His lips find yours in a desperate, hungry kiss, and you respond with equal passion. You feel the heat of his body against yours, and as he presses you against the counter, you realize that you want this just as much as he does. He slips a hand beneath your shirt, trailing his fingers over your bare skin, and you arch into the touch, moaning softly. The taste of him fills your mouth as he deepens the kiss, and you can feel your heart racing in your chest.

When he finally pulls away, you're gasping for air, your head spinning. He looks at you with a mixture of desire and tenderness, his eyes dark and heavy-lidded.

 "I don't want to lose you," he whispers, and you can hear the raw emotion in his voice. "I don't want to fuck this up!" You reach up, tracing your fingers along his jawline, feeling the stubble there. 

"I don't want to lose you either," you admit, your voice barely audible.

He leans down, capturing your lips in a gentle kiss, and you can feel the tension between you begin to ease. As he pulls away, he looks into your eyes, and you see a resolve there that you haven't seen before. 

"Then let's not," he says simply, and you know in that moment that you're in this together. You reach up, threading your fingers through his hair, and pull him down for another kiss, longer and deeper than the last.

The world around you fades away, leaving only the two of you and the heat of the moment. You feel the roughness of his skin against your fingertips, the strength in his arms as he holds you close. You know that there will be obstacles ahead, but for now, you're content to lose yourself in the feeling of being loved by him.

He kisses a trail down your neck, and you arch your back, pressing your breasts against his chest. He groans softly into your ear, and you feel the hard length of his arousal against your thigh. You want him inside of you, but for now, you revel in the feeling of his lips and hands exploring every inch of your skin.

As he works at unbuttoning your shirt, you reach down and help him unfasten his pants. You're eager to feel him against you, but when he steps back, you're momentarily disappointed. He looks at you with a mixture of desire and tenderness, and you realize that he's waiting for you to make the first move.

With shaking hands, you unbutton his shirt, revealing the smooth skin of his chest. He's muscular and tan from hours spent working in the sun, and you can't help but marvel at the beauty of his body. You reach out, tracing your finger over the defined ridges of his abs, feeling the heat radiating off of him.

His hands find their way back to your hips, and he urges you closer, guiding your lips to his. The kiss deepens, and you can feel the passion building between you once again. You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him down on top of you, and he groans into the kiss as their bodies finally connect.

He's hard and hot against you, and you welcome the feeling of him filling you up. He moves with a slow, steady rhythm, their hips meeting in perfect synchrony. The room spins around you, but you don't care. All that matters is this moment, this connection between you.

As you come together, your bodies moving in perfect harmony, you realize that this isn't just about the sex. It's about so much more. It's about finding someone who understands you, who sees the real you and who loves you anyway. It's about trust connection and intimacy.

He looks into your eyes, and you see a mix of tenderness and desire that takes your breath away. He leans down, capturing your lips in a gentle kiss, his fingers digging into your hips as he thrusts deeper. You arch your back, meeting his movements with equal fervor, the sensations building inside of you, making it harder and harder to focus on anything but the feeling of him inside of you.

His skin is hot and smooth against yours, and you can feel every ridge and muscle in his body as he moves. He groans deep in his chest, and you moan in response, your body moving in time with his. You feel the familiar tension building within you, and with a sudden surge, your body shudders in release. He follows seconds later, his eyes closing tightly as he throws his head back, his breath ragged and uneven.

As the intensity of the moment begins to fade, he collapses onto you, their sweaty bodies sticking together. You can feel his heart racing against your chest, and you know that this wasn't just sex for him either. It was something more. He rolls to the side, pulling you into his embrace, and you feel the warmth of his breath on your neck as he whispers, "I love you." And for the first time, you know you mean it too.

You lie there together, catching your breath and savoring the closeness.

[savventeen]

to build a home

pairing: jihoon x gn!reader rating: T (for swearing) wc: 3.7k summary: on the train ride back to meet jihoon's parents in person for the first time, you realize you don't really know what it's like to have a childhood home — at least, not in the sense that most people seem to have. but it's okay, because you've found a home in jihoon instead. warnings: talks about divorce (reader's parents) tags: fluff, this is so sappy guys, kind of emotional hurt/comfort, soonhoon best frienemies (they’re ride or die dw their friendship is just based on mutual teasing lol), vaguely implied asexual reader, a truly excessive amount of handholding, i really made jihoon into a hand-holding fiend and i'm Not Sorry a/n: this might be one of the most self-indulgent things i've ever written since reader's experiences are 100% based off of my own lmao. also i can't believe i wrote almost 4k of them just talking on a train, like??? wow. also also, i listened to sleeping at last's cover of i'm gonna be (500 miles) on repeat while writing so i recommend giving it a listen for the Vibes haha

Jihoon was nervous.

Not in a bad way, of course. But he was taking you back home to stay with his parents for the next four days and they would be meeting you in person for the first time and he was nervous.

Soonyoung, the bastard, could definitely tell and had made it his mission to embarrass the hell out of him until the last possible second.

It was only supposed to be Seungcheol and Minghao dropping the two of you off at the train station, but Soonyoung had physically crammed himself into the backseat between you and Jihoon and refused to let go of either of you until you’d reached the train station. Even then, you had to physically pry him off of Jihoon and promise to tell Jihoon’s parents that Soonyoung loved them and missed them and—

“—make sure to take lots of pictures of all his cringey old anime posters!”

Soonyoung’s insistence is only diminished by the effort he’s exerting not to be forcefully dragged back into the car by a disgruntled Minghao. Jihoon knows Soonyoung’s being even more of a handful for his sake, and Jihoon is both filled with love and also the desire to strangle his best friend with his bare hands.

Minghao is able to get him mostly back in the car, Seungcheol watching on with a slightly fond but mostly concerned smile, but before they can get the door closed, Soonyoung claws his way back to the doorframe to tell you, “Also, his mom keeps all of his baby pictures in a bunch of photo books by the—”

“And that’s enough from you,” Jihoon interrupts, forcefully shoving Soonyoung back into the car by the face, Soonyoung screeching with poorly disguised glee, and slams the car door shut.

Jihoon waves at Seungcheol who he can see laughing through the glass as he pulls away from the curb, leaving the two of you standing with your suitcases.

He hears you giggling, and turns around to face you with a sigh. “Ignore him.”

You give a thoughtful hum, drawing it out as you grab the handle of your suitcase and wait for Jihoon to grab his and start walking with you through the station.

“No, I don’t think I will,” you finally decide, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of your mouth.

Jihoon groans, tilting his head back as if to ask the universe why me?

“Why,” you continue, “embarrassed about your Nami posters?” 

Like Soonyoung, Jihoon knows you’re just teasing, and he falls into your easy banter with a smile threatening to tug at the corners of his mouth.

He glares at you half-heartedly. “It’s poster, singular. And no, I’m not embarrassed,” he adds as you both make your way across the platform and into the closest empty train car (the only benefit of leaving at the ass-crack of dawn). “Why would I ever be embarrassed about Nami? She’s badass.” He grunts as he stands on his toes and lifts his luggage to store on the overhead rack and then reaches out to take yours as well. “Plus, you’re one to talk, with your weird shrimp god poster—“

And this argument is familiar, too. He can’t help but smirk as you roll your eyes in exasperation and slide into the seat next to the window.

“It’s shrimp heaven,” you exclaim, “we’ve been over this.”

Jihoon just shakes his head, and he knows he sounds more than a little besotted when he says, “You listen to the weirdest shit.”

You give him a Look that manages to be both deadpan and undeniably fond, and no one except a few untitled projects saved on his external hard drive knows exactly how much he adores that particular look. “I am aware, yes, thank you.”

While this is the first time the two of you are traveling back to where Jihoon grew up, it is not the first time the two of you have traveled together. There’s a well-worn ease to the way your shoulders draw together like magnets, Jihoon offering up one of his earbuds as he balances his iPad across your joined knees.

It had scared him, the first time he felt himself leaning into your presence without a second thought — as easy and unthinkingly familiar as pulling on his favorite hoodie when he’s cold or the sound of his keys clinking against the countertop every night when he gets home. He’d never been one to seek out physical affection before, not unless he was desperate. But now he can’t help but feel like a flower seeking out the sun whenever he’s with you.

He leans his head against yours as he asks, “Want to watch some Bonobono?”

“Yeah,” you reply with a happy hum.

Jihoon presses play without further ado, and the two of you settle in for the next few hours.

You get through a few episodes quickly before taking a quick snack break, and it’s only a few minutes into the next episode that Jihoon notices you aren’t really paying attention. He turns his head where it's resting on your shoulder to get a better look at your profile, but he’s not able to see much since you have your own head turned to look out the window.

He finishes the episode and gets halfway through the next one, glancing over at you every few minutes, before deciding it’s time for him to check in.

Starting conversations is still not one of his strong suits, but he’s discovered interesting ways to wiggle himself into them, mainly by tricking you into getting the ball rolling for him. It’s in these moments that he channels his inner Soonyoung (he is taking this train of thought to his grave, mind you) and asks himself “How would cat-me ask for attention in this moment?” (Again, taking this train of thought to the fucking grave.)

So Jihoon leans away from you just enough for him to be able to turn slightly in his seat and gently plonk his head against your shoulder. When he gets no reaction, he does it again. And again, before doing it one more time as your turn to look at him with an amused smile. “Hi? You having fun, there?”

“Yep,” he says, popping the “p”. “The funnest.”

You snort and shake your head at him. “Okay, babe.” You turn your attention back out the window and Jihoon frowns.

With a quiet huff, he plonks his head on your shoulder once again, pushing in with his forehead and rubbing it back and forth against your sweater.

You start giggling — and god, it’s still one of his favorite sounds, he doesn’t think he’ll ever get tired of hearing it — and you turn to look at him again with a single eyebrow raised. “Yes, Jihoonie?”

He moves so his temple is resting on your shoulder and he can look at you properly. “You okay?” he asks, lighthearted and warm. “You’ve been staring out the window for a while, missed the last couple of episodes.”

You blink, a little surprised, and look down at the iPad still balanced between the two of you. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine, sorry.” You give him a smile and shrug the shoulder he’s leaning on. “Just thinking.”

The automatic retort of “oh, dangerous” is on the tip of his tongue, but he holds it back with a small frown. He’s never liked when you apologize unnecessarily, but he knows it’s something you’ve been working on, so he decides not to bring attention to it this time.

“What about?” he asks instead.

You’ve turned your attention back to Bonobono at this point, and you respond with a distracted “Hm?”

Jihoon pokes your temple with one finger. “What’re you thinking about?”

“Oh.” You look at him, considering, and then you huff out a short laugh as you reach over to pause the video. “You actually,” you tell him, tucking the iPad into your lap as you turn in your seat to face him fully.

That was not what Jihoon was expecting. “Me?”

“Yep,” you say, popping the “p” just like he did earlier. “Your bedroom, more specifically.”

That was definitely not what Jihoon was expecting. Both of his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “My bedroom…” he trails off, voice dry and seeming to ask, are you really implying what I think you’re implying?

Your expression morphs into one of disgust so quickly Jihoon barks out a startled laugh. “Ew, no, don’t look at me like that, that’s not what I meant.”

Jihoon lets out a few of his own giggles as he asks, “What did you mean, then?”

He almost coos at the adorable way you pout as you cross your arms in faux anger. “Ugh, no I’m not telling you anymore if you’re just gonna tease me.”

“Aw come on,” he cajoles, reaching out to pry your crossed arms apart. “I only tease those who deserve it.”

You roll your eyes even as you let him pull your hands into his own. “Tell that to Soonyoung.”

“Are you kidding? He deserves it just for existing.”

You lift one of your conjoined hands to awkwardly point at him. “I’m gonna tell him you said that.”

Jihoon narrows his eyes. “Good. He needs the reminder.”

You fold over as you snort, falling into Jihoon’s space for a moment before you straighten back up with a beaming smile. “You’re such a terrible friend, Lee Jihoon.”

Closing his eyes, he nods solemnly. “I am aware of this, yes. It is my curse.”

“Oh my god,” you laugh, making him smack himself in the shoulder with your still joined hands. “You can be such a dramatic little shit sometimes.” There’s a glint in your eyes that tells Jihoon you’re about to say something purely because you know it’ll rile him up, and he’s proven right when the next words out of your mouth are, “Soonyoung must be rubbing off on you.”

Jihoon’s jaw drops in offended horror. “You’d better take that back right now, I swear to god, y/n—” He doesn’t give you a chance to respond as he untangles your fingers and digs them mercilessly into your sides.

You squeal at the onslaught and try your best to deflect, but Jihoon’s relentless and you’ve always been extremely ticklish, so it’s only a few moments later that you’re choking out through strained laughter, “Yield! Yield! Fuck, I yield, you absolute ass!”

Jihoon glares at you as he stops and generously lets you trap his fingers in your hold. “Take it back.”

“Yes, I take it back, geez,” you pant. He’s pretty sure he hears you follow it up with a near silent “Why are both of you so insane?”

He raises an eyebrow. “What was that?” He wiggles his fingers pointedly.

“Nothing,” you say quickly, glaring at him half-heartedly before rolling your eyes. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Good,” he smirks, wiggling his fingers again, but this time so he can lace them once again with yours. He brings each of your hands up to his face and kisses your knuckles before bringing them back down to his lap and letting himself drink you in.

You’re looking at him with something teetering the edge between incredulous and fond and over-the-moon, and Jihoon thinks he probably looks like a smitten fool just based on the way his cheeks ache and his ears feel like they’re on fire.

He’s come to love moments like these, where the both of you take a moment to just… take each other in — to simply exist in each other’s presence and soak it all in like sponges. And he doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to put into words exactly what it feels like to look and be looked at like this. To see and be seen.

Jihoon doesn’t try to find the words this time, just lets himself bask in your glow with a soft smile.

After a few moments, he brings himself to break the ambient quiet of the train. “Hey,” he murmurs.

Your response is as soft and quiet as the smile you tuck into the corner of your mouth. “Hi.”

He stares at you for another moment before saying, “You never ended up telling me, y’know.”

“Telling you what?”

“What you were thinking about earlier.” He starts idly rubbing his thumbs across the skin of your hands, tracing gentle arcs with the pads of his thumbs.

“Oh.” You scrunch up your face a little before smoothing it out with a small shrug. “Eh, it wasn’t anything important.”

“Hmm.” Something tells him it probably is something important — to you, at least. And even if it isn’t, he still wants to know. “Tell me anyway?”

You tilt your head and look at him with a confused sort of amused smile. “Why do you wanna know so bad?”

Because I’m highkey obsessed with you and always want to learn more about you and how you think, is what he doesn’t say. At least, not out loud and not right now. He knows it’d probably fluster you and he doesn’t want to distract you from answering any more than he already has. (And maybe he’s still struggling with saying his sappy thoughts directly to your face instead of hoarding them in various notebooks, but that’s a problem for future Jihoon to work through.)

“Just curious,” he murmurs with a shrug. “And we still have a couple of hours left on the train.”

You stare at him for a moment like you don’t quite believe him and are trying to find the lie somewhere on his face. But eventually you mutter, “Okay.” You take in a deep breath and let it out slowly through your nose. “Well,” you start, after a moment of collecting your thoughts. “I said I was thinking about your bedroom, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Okay, so.” You purse your lips as you tighten your hold on Jihoon’s fingers, just for a moment, before loosening your grip with a quiet exhale. “I was mostly just trying to imagine what that’s like.”

Jihoon blinks at you. “...What having a bedroom is like?” His tone comes across more deadpan than he means, confusion flattening his question into more of a statement.

“No, no,” you shake your head. “What having a childhood bedroom is like.”

Jihoon blinks again, furrowing his brows. “...I don’t understand.”

“God, I’m not explaining this right,” you mutter, chewing on your lip in obvious thought. “Okay, so like… You know how in movies and books and stuff, a lot of times there’s this— trope, I guess, where a character goes back home and stays in their childhood bedroom and it’s like a glimpse into their past? A lot of times for comedic reasons?”

Jihoon slowly nods his head. “Yeah, I know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, well.” You give a self-conscious little half-shrug that makes Jihoon’s chest hurt for some reason. “I was wondering what that’s like. Like…” You trail off for a moment, gaze drifting off to the side and focusing on the middle-distance. Jihoon forces himself to wait patiently as you try to find the words you need to explain, his thumbs continuing their silent metronome across your skin.

“What— what’s it like to have lived your entire childhood in the same house?” you start, gaze still locked somewhere off to the side. “To have the same four walls watch you go from toddler to kid to preteen to moody teenager and then reluctant adult? And to know those same walls are still watching you grow up.” You give a wistful little sigh and focus back on Jihoon with a crooked smile. “I’m trying to imagine what that’s like. Hadn’t realized how much of a foreign concept it was to me until I really started thinking about it,” you finish with a small huff.

During your whole little spiel, you hadn’t sounded sad or bitter or anything other than genuinely curious, but it still pokes at that little ache in Jihoon’s heart. He knows your parents divorced when you were young, and there’s a part of him that wishes you could have had the perfect childhood he knows doesn’t actually exist. He also knows you’re not one to really talk about yourself or your past, so he’s grateful for the vulnerability you’re sharing with him in this moment. Softly, he encourages you to share more with him. “You went back and forth between your parents a lot, right?”

“Oh, god yeah,” you laugh. “And not only that, but my mom could never stay in one place either. Growing up, I think my dad only moved like… four times? But my mom moved… uh.” Your brows furrow deeply for a moment. “Hang on, I need to think this out.”

Jihoon almost whines when you detangle your fingers from his, but manages to turn it into a pretty convincing cough. (It’s actually not at all convincing, but luckily you’re too preoccupied to properly clown him for it.) He watches you mutter to yourself with a small pout and then he looks back down at your hands like he can make them hold his if he just stares hard enough. Your fingers extend one by one as you count, and his pout falls away as one fist and then the other blooms fully. And then one fist closes again, leaving a single finger standing.

“So… eleven? Eleven times.”

He’d known you’d moved at least a few times as a kid, but… “Holy shit.”

“Yeah.”

Gently, he reaches out to hold your hands again. Squeezes. “And how often did you go back and forth?”

“Oh, god. That was a mess, too.” You’re laughing, but that ache in his chest keeps spreading, digging deeper. “We had different schedules that would change like— every few months. We did three days on, three days off, alternating sundays; we did two days on, two days off, with alternating weekends; at one point we even did every other weekday with alternating weekends… it was insane. Looking back, it seems even more insane.”

“Jesus.” He can’t even begin to imagine what that must’ve been like — almost constantly being on the move. Especially as a kid. “How old were you when they split again?”

“Five.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah.” You sigh, long and gusty. It doesn’t sound sad, at least, just tired. Maybe a little bit like release. Then you send a small, amused smile in his direction. “So you can kinda see why the whole “childhood bedroom” thing is such a foreign concept to me, right?”

He can see why. And it aches. “Yeah,” he breathes.

Some of that ache must show on his face because you gently scold him, “Hey, don’t look like that.” You untangle your fingers once again to cup both of his cheeks, thumbs pressing into the corners of his mouth and smoothing out his unconscious frown.

You look at him, soft and warm and so full of love Jihoon’s breath catches in his chest. And then you adjust your grip so you’re pinching his cheeks, and you wiggle his face a little bit. “This wasn’t supposed to be a sad thing, Hoonie. Just a “we had vastly different experiences” kind of thing.” You stop pinching his cheeks and go back to simply holding his face between your palms. “Like, I know it helped me understand the concept of “home is where the heart is,” yanno?”

And, oh. Oh, Jihoon is so very head-over-heels in love with you. He can feel that love pooling and swelling inside him, curling up between his ribs and tickling the tips of his fingers as reaches up to cover your hands with his.

“Hmm.” His mouth moves before his brain can catch up. “And where is your heart, y/n?” he breathes.

For one infinite moment suspended in time, you and Jihoon are the only two people to exist. The world around him disappears as your eyes bore into his, and Jihoon gets to watch something in them soften, melt — pool into something that looks a lot like love as you turn your hands to let go of his cheeks and hold his fingers instead.

You bring his hands to hover in front of his face, and you roll your lips between your teeth like you’re trying to hold back a smile. What you’re trying to say finally clicks in Jihoon’s mind when you glance down at his hands and then back up at him with a raised eyebrow.

All of the blood in his body rushes directly to his face and ears so quickly that Jihoon thinks he might burst into flames.

 “Nooooooooo,” he whines, hiding his blazing blush behind your entwined hands and ignoring the way you’re outright laughing at him now. He lowers your hands just enough so that he can glare at you from over the tops of your knuckles. “How are you able to say the cheesiest things without actually saying anything? I can’t stand you.”

“Then sit,” you giggle, like the absolutely adorable little shit you are.

Jihoon growls in frustrated adoration before licking the back of your hands in retaliation.

You screech and try to yank your hands back, but he’s the stronger one between the two of you and he refuses to let go. “Lee Jihoon, you animal, what is wrong with you?!”

“Vengence,” is all he mutters.

You splutter. “Vengence for what?”

He continues to half-heartedly glare at you as he brings your hands down and presses them to the left side of his chest. Vaguely, he wonders if you can feel the way his heart is pounding against his ribs. “For stealing my heart,” he pouts.

The sound that comes out of your mouth reminds him of a dying seal, and that’s how Jihoon knows it’s over for him — because he’s never heard a more endearing sound in his entire life and he thinks that maybe he’d do anything to hear it over and over again.

You continue to tease each other back and forth, your love for each other a steady undertow, and Jihoon realizes that while they may be heading back to the house he grew up in, it’s not home in the same sense any more.

Not when he looks at you and his heart sings a steady home, home, home inside his chest.

The thought doesn’t scare him nearly as much as he thinks it should.

Home, home, home.

He likes the sound of that.

[liesmyth]

Okay this is weirdly specific and obvs if the answer requires doxing yourself don't answer but hjdkfg fave places to go running at? I started going on more walks and it's so fun to explore the local space!!

no worries! I'm very alright with telling people I live in Rome, a city of 3 million people. you can all have that for free etc. (actually, I'm very braggy about it. borderline obnoxious, ngl. Think the Italy equivalent of a New Yorker)

Also!!! I LOVE THIS QUESTION SO MUCH. It made me go through Strava history and dig some running pic I took.

the appia antica route!

if you (generic you) are ever in Rome, there's a lovely green area along the old Appia way that's great for running but also for picnics. My favourite local road race (coming up next month!!) is partly along that route and it's SO beautiful. It's one of those places that make you feel you're genuinely grateful you have a body to move around in and experience the wind and the sun and the mosquitoes in your teeth and the achy calves from doing a few km on cobblestones. It's a very large green area (Appia Antica / Parco degli Acquedotti / Parco di Tor Fiscale / Parco della Caffarella) and there are so many fun trails and paths.

Lungotevere / centro storico swag

Sometimes u (me) gotta flex and be like "oh, look, I live in Rome" and just plot your long run so that you end up by the Vatican or whatever. There's a route along the Tiber river that's technically a bike lane but it's large enough to run safely, and it's really fun for Sunday runs / whenever you have a bit of time to actually get there.

There are other really great running spots in central Rome like any of the parks (Villa Borghese, Villa Ada etc. and EYE don't really do it often but it's very nice)

Here's a pic! Not mine

Country roads take me home etc — Castelli Romani

Hilly towns just outside the city that have veeery fun trails and countryside views! You have to actually get there so it's a bit involved, and then once you're there you're like "why the fuck did I think running up a hill was a good idea?" but if you DO like running up hills, it's fun. I like going in the summer for longer runs and I don't bring any snacks just absolutely gorge myself on blackberries from the bushes.

My beloved neighbourhood run.

I love walking out of the door and just going for it! It's very entertaining as far as "neighbourhood routes" go. It's a decently safe area, I can stay well clear of cars, there's a car park I can do sprints in (and, occasionally, will see people fucking in cars, as one does) and some green. I wish it had a bit more elevation, but there's a stretch of road that's decently hilly so I can't complain + there are some VERY interesting characters and sights. Alas, it's within sniffing distance of a bakery AND a steakhouse, so there isn't a time of the day I can run at without getting hungry along the way, but I don't mind — I have been known to plot a route so that I finish right in front of a bakery for breakfast.

no landmark photos for obvious reasons but here are some cute birdies I saw running a few weeks ago

Holiday run!

One thing I really love to do on holiday is go run around a new city / any place I've never been in, and exploring new places while I'm at it. Some of my most beloved holiday memories are of running early in the morning in new places. Sometimes it backfires horribly and you end up on a muddy path at six thirty AM with water in your shoes and frantically trying to match your phone GPS with that of the route you downloaded yesterday, but it's usually worth it. These are a few photos I had on my phone — the beach is somewhere along lake Garda, and it's been years and I still remember that run with a lot of fondness. Also, another time I got lost in the middle of nowhere in Tuscany and ended up chatting with an incredibly MILFy American tourist who was also out running and that too is a fond memory... anyway. Holiday runs my beloved

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Fics Written in 2020 (2) Masterlist

part one

a different side of me (ao3) - dizzy

Summary: Dan's early 2010 struggle with his home life, his future, and how Phil fits into everything.

A whale of a time - (ao3) - lazyphannie

Summary: Dan's horny and Phil's still sleeping.

Advent Calendar 2020 (ao3) - Phantje

Summary: Dan is a single father to his son Mes. When Mes does not go to Dan's best friend Meggie's nursery, he tags along to Dan's photography studio. With Mes, the studio, and his film-review-blog, Dan is certainly busy, and yet finds time to be a little lonely - he is skilled like that. Dan's life seems to suddenly start spinning when he rescues a client from a malicious photo booth.

Phil is the co-founder of the IRL store, but wants to start working to meet new people and to fill his days. That has nothing to do whatsoever with him pining after the mysterious blogger, and he isn't even really all that lonely, actually.

Phil starts working at a nursery, makes a new friend, and gets more than he bargained for in falling in love with the photographer.

All Signs Point to Us (ao3) - RyRyCaptain

Summary: When the queen and king gives birth to Daniel, they soon learn that their son is deaf. In order to let Dan express his opinions to those who haven't learned sign language, they find him a translator who happens to be the son of the King’s advisor, Phil. Soon enough, Phil starts to realize thAt he fallen in love with the younger boy.

All We Seem to Do Is Talk About Sex (ao3) - truerequitedlove

Summary: In which Dan’s got a boyfriend and a tongue piercing, and Phil’s got a weed hookup and an anxiety disorder. In high school, they were labeled “bad influences on each other,” maybe that would never go away.

Arrangements (ao3) - intoapuddle

Summary: One night stands have worn out their welcome, but Dan isn't ready for a relationship. Thankfully, other arrangements can be made.

attachment (ao3) - dnovep

Summary: Harlow’s monkey experiments, love, & Phil wrapping Dan in blankets.

baby can't you see? (i'm calling) (ao3) - danfanciesphil (thejigsawtimess)

Summary: Two years after Dan's ill-advised stint up a mountain, and Phil's escape from a Royal psychopath, their dramatic flying off into the horizon hasn't had such a steady landing. Phil is consumed by his new venture in giving back to the world, but Dan is receiving none of this graciousness. Their living situation remains unstable, and they're barely in the same room long enough to hold hands.

It's all about to break apart, when the pandemic hits them where it hurts. Once again, Dan and Phil find themselves thrown into isolation with one another, back up where it all began. The memories of The Secret of the Alps are both fond and traumatic; being there again, trapped and in a bitter feud, is worryingly familiar. Can they make it out together a second time around? Or is this cycle doomed to repeat itself forever, until one of them calls it quits?

(TW) Break Me (ao3) - MySecretsX

Summary: In this world, you're marked with black. That's if you have a soulmate at least. Everyone is destined to cross paths with the one who is meant for them, at least once in their lives.

When you and your soulmate meet, you will touch, if only briefly, and the exact area of skin you touch with the other turns from black to white, with streaks of blue, purple, yellow, all marbled in with each other.

Daniel Howell is well-known in town. People cross the street if they're approaching him and newcomers to the neighbourhood are warned about his presence. Exactly like the Lester's were. But Phil Lester has other ideas, he saw the pain within the boy, how bad can he really be?

chaos in bloom (ao3) - vvelna

Summary: The adventures of Dan and Phyl, ghost removal experts.

closer than before (ao3) - graydar

Summary: Maybe he’ll just take this one chance. It might be fun, might be something to do, might be more than that. He’s fine with not knowing. All anyone is doing right now is not knowing. It’s the new trend.

Cold, Empty Mattresses and Falling Stars (ao3) - conshellation

Summary: 2009 au where phil and his family own a campground/cabins in an area that is known for stargazing and phil has lived his entire life there, therefore knowing a lot about stars. dan and his family come from the city to said campground because dan is a nerd and asked to come there for his birthday.

Covet (ao3) - americanphancakes

Summary: The only thing making Dan feel alive is his all-consuming crush on the new deacon.

Crossing the line (ao3) - dakogutin

Summary: After billionaire Phil Lester meets an unfortunate incident that ends him up in hospital with no memories, Dan Howell— a mistreated employee convinces Phil that he is Dan's working-class husband to get back at him with the many hardships he faced as an employee. What could go wrong?

Dead! (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Phil is a zombie living in the abandoned Luton airport, Dan is a human survivor. Bound together by the fear of what hides in the dark, they choose not to kill each other, and begin the long journey to Manchester and (hopefully) to new colonies

doppelt. (ao3) - schnaf

Summary: The big wheel in Manchester. The big wheel in another Manchester. Phil's disappearance. Finding Phil - twice. Dealing with Doppelgängers. That's not exactly what Dan expected from their first meeting. But in the end, being with Phil is all that matters.

for the first time in such a long time (I know I'll be okay) (ao3) - possumdnp

Summary: Three conversations in Phil’s bedroom in 2009.

grind to the rhythm (as we wine and dine) (ao3) - kishere

Summary: God, everyone was going to think him a harlot, Phil thought as they walked out of the maze in silence. Being left alone with an alpha he wasn’t mated to was cause for gossip.

Hot As Hell (ao3) - Spring_Haze

Summary: Dan and Phil take advantage of a few minutes of unexpected privacy while in a dry sauna. Phil can't resist his boyfriend on account of his well-established sweat kink.

I Will Be Loving You (ao3) - phantasticworks (steddieworks)

Summary: Dan and Phil spend their first Valentine's Day out of the closet.

it's a church of burnt romances (ao3) - phanetixs

Summary: Dan backs into the car and the driver asks where he’s heading. His head swims with thoughts of Phil, and of guilt and embarrassment at how he’s subconsciously treating his friend. Whose life centres around virtues like chastity. And non-objectification goes both ways. Dan takes a few deep breaths, pressing a palm to his insistent bulge to quell his arousal. As always, it doesn’t work.

Well, he resolves, if he can’t get Phil out of his head, he’s got to get someone else into it. Or onto him, preferably.

Or, a Fleabag AU.

Lonely in Conflict, Cast as a Convict (ao3) - andthenshesaid-write (ladyknight1512)

Summary: Dan is a vampire who can’t remember how it feels not to be lonely. Phil is a vampire hunter living in his brother’s shadow.

When they meet, they find acceptance in each other that they don’t find anywhere else, but there are secrets and other forces at play trying to keep them apart.

married at first sight (ao3) - nothingbutniall

Summary: Dan and Phil get matched together on the new season of Married At First Sight.

Midnight Garden (ao3) - silentdescant

Summary: In which Phil is a gardener at the palace and Dan is a reclusive prince.

Mirror Mirror (ao3) - dont-tell-them-i-write-phan (QueenJunoTheGreat)

Summary: Dan and Phil get invited to stay at a historical castle with Martyn and Cornelia. Contrariwise, Daniel and Philip aren’t invited anywhere, but not many people can say no to a highly trained thief and a dragon. But that’s totally unrelated

My Spirit Love (ao3) - MySecretsX

Summary: If you fall in love with a spirit who drains you both away, do you live together for twenty years, or stay alone each day?

Phil has lived in his house since he was born, but it was when he turned seven he met Dan for the first time. It's all childish games and the muse of a naïve brain until your fifteen-year-old son claims to have fallen in love with the boy you've never seen.

Is anything possible for love?

oh you got me shaking (ao3) - chickenfree

Summary: Usually if the models talk to him, it’s just – them asking questions, Phil joking about how he doesn’t really know what he’s doing, even as he directs them.

They don’t try to argue with him, usually.

One Thousand Midnights or More (ao3) - JudeAraya

Summary: A decade of love told in moments.

Our House (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: Enemy is a harsh word. Rival sounds so immature, like Dan’s the star of some teen drama on Netflix. Competition is close, but not quite there.

In simple terms, Dan has a distaste for Phil Lester. Otherwise known as AmazingPhil in their line of business, for some reason that’s beyond Dan. What makes him so amazing anyway?

There’s a reason the network wanted Daniel Howell and Phil Lester for this specific series, and Dan guesses there’s really only one way to find out that answer.

or

And they were co-hosts. Oh my god they were co-hosts.

pastry chef attempts to steal phil's heart (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: If anyone asks, Prince Philip's sneaky morning journeys down to the royal pastry kitchen are for nothing more than the perfect cup of coffee.

The Secluded Glade (ao3) - palomeheart

Summary: Phil Lester has always been acutely aware of the ways he and his daemon Adra are different from others. Namely that Adra is male, hasn’t settled yet, and they share second sight that causes them to have dreams that show them glimpses of the future. Now, as a consequence of one of his prophetic dreams, he’s forced to go on a rescue mission to find a group of children that have gone missing from his town. He may have signed up for more than he bargained for, however, when they find another man who’s been captured with some differences of his own.

The Wanting Comes In Waves (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: After moving to the tiny Welsh coastal village of Rhagfyr, Phil struggles to find a new way of living, what with his new school and the decision of his future still on the table. Dan is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, but perhaps there’s beauty inside destruction.

they grew up so nicely, didn't they? (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Cornelia doesn’t just get a boyfriend when she starts dating Martyn, she gets a whole second family too. Kath and Nigel welcome her with open arms and she becomes a pseudo older sister to Phil.

She is there watching from the sidelines as a boy bolts right into Phil’s heart and sets up camp. She gets to watch as Dan and Phil build careers and an internet community and all the trials and tribulations, as well as the pride and happiness, it brings along.

When the Weather Breaks (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: Sitting across from Phil on that worn out velvet Starbucks sofa, sharing sickeningly sweet coffees and what they would like to think were hushed giggles, was the first time Dan felt a glimpse at what real love could feel like.

or

Perception checks, pining, and peppermint mochas.

with a bullet (ao3) - waveydnp

Summary: phil returns to his room after a party thrown by his housemates only to discover that there’s already someone in his bed

[signoraviolettavalery]

Ummm I may have had some insomnia and written a whole thing about vampire!Bojan having trauma and angst post his adventures in captivity as discussed in other posts with @touchyourblood and @anxious-witch

under the cut with all the trigger warnings for self-harm, welp

Jan is cutting a pomegranate - oh, fond memories of writing Carpe Diem in Hamburg - and the knife catches the light. Flashes, and suddenly he's back there. Chained down, a knife flashing in the light before being buried in his stomach, his own scream echoing in his ears.

Someone is in his space and he acts on pure instinct; registers a flash of surprise that he's unrestrained, before pinning whoever it is to the wall, hand squeezing around their neck with vampire strength.

"Bojan?" the sound comes as if through water. All he knows is that he needs to keep squeezing, to kill this man, because this is the only chance he'll get. He's not going back there, not going back to the chains, even if it means blood on his hands.

"Bojan!" the sound comes louder now, and he blinks again. His captor hadn't bothered to learn his name. He blinks again, and more of reality swims into place.

it's not his captor that he has his hands on. It's Jure. Sweet, sunshine Jure, fair haired and pale skinned. The one who bruises the most, the one Bojan hates feeding from the most because it leaves the biggest, angriest bruises of all of them. Who'd obviously seen him suffering and stepped forward to help, and who's now staring at him in abject fear, pinned to the wall like a fly.

He's never seen fear in any of their eyes before. Nervousness and trepidation, sure, especially back when he was still adjusting to being a vampire and they were learning to control his urges. But never the abject, thoughtless fear that comes when your brain shuts down and all you know is a fight for survival.

That's in Jure's eyes now. They're wide, like a deer in the headlights. He's not moving, not even trying to pry Bojan's hand off, knowing what a futile endeavor it is.

He'd caused that.

He drops his hand and backs away. Nace steps forward immediately, reaching out a hand to Jure, who leans against him.

"I'm sorry," he says, though words obviously aren't enough. "I'm so sorry."

Thankfully, no one reassures him that it's all fine, because it's not, thank you very much.

"oh god, I'm really the monster he said I was. The one who was always going to hurt someone one day."

"Bojan - " Jan begins.

"I have to go. You're safer with me as far away as possible." And before they can protest, he's out the door, vampire-fast.

He makes some bad choices over those next few days. Drinking, drinking more than a human should be able to stand, but he's not human, is he? Wandering drunk through the streets of Ljubljana until dawn, not bothering to check traffic signals, because what does it matter if he gets hit by a car? It won't kill him anyway, although it really should.

He doesn't remember when or if he sleeps. He wanders. There's some forests involved (in the forest with his demons, ain't that hilarious). He climbs some rooftops, wondering what would happen if he just let himself fall. And fall.

No one would catch him, of course.

He doesn't feed, but, with no damage to repair, his body can last much longer without feeding.

What would happen if he just...didn't? The thought comes again whether it's like starving to death. Would his body eventually just pass out from the strain, or would vampire instincts take over? Would he hurt someone like he'd almost hurt his friends?

Maybe there are other hunters, he thinks. Others like the one who'd taken him. He wanders more dark streets, but no one asks him for a photo, no one stabs him with a syringe when he's not expecting it.

Jan finds him eventually, after about a week. Bojan can't even imagine how. Then again, Jan is a hunter. Which makes him almost laugh. He'd wanted a hunter. Well, here he is. Jan's not one to go in for torture, but maybe if Bojan asked, he'd put him out of his misery....

They're in an alleyway, a dead end that Jan had followed him into. (cornered him into?) Bojan hadn't exactly been watching where he was going, hadn't cared. And now he's corned like prey. Unless of course he were willing to hurt Jan.

He'd rather die.

"Why are you here?" he asks, skipping over how'd you find me?

Perhaps Jan saw reason and came to put him out of his misery, as well he should.

"I'm here to bring you home."

Bojan blinks, because he hadn't expected that. Part of him had hoped for it, maybe, but also hadn't really dared to hope for it.

"You know why that can't happen," he says." I'm a danger to you. The hunter was right. I'm a monster, and one day I'm going to slip."

Jan shakes his head and pulls out a knife. Bojan watches the movement without concern - until Jan moves to slice his own wrist.

"what are you - don't - " Bojan sputters in confusion.

Jan holds out his bleeding wrist and Bojan closes his eyes, backs away. He can smell the blood from feet away, warm and luscious, the need to feed made better because it smells of Jan. His senses heighten even further, and he can hear Jan's blood pumping, pumping, as it beads at his wrist.

"you want it, don't you?" Jan tempts. "I'm guessing you haven't fed since we last saw you. You wouldn't have." And of course Jan knows him well enough to know that.

"Why are you doing this?" Bojan asks. "You should know how dangerous this is." He tries to back away even further, hits a wall.

Right. They're in a dead end. The one Jan had backed him into. And Jan is coming closer now, closing the distance between them.

"You want it," he says calmly, like he's not offering blood to a predator. "Your instincts are screaming at you. But you haven't moved."

"Don't" - Bojan is panicked now, because Jan is right there. His blood is right there, filling all his senses.

"I can tell how much you want to," Jan says. "But you're fighting it, because you're not a monster. That - that man is the monster."

Bojan shakes his head in protest. "You saw Jure's bruises -"

"They're healed now, which you'd know if you'd been home in the past week. He misses you, actually. So do the rest of us."

They want him back? All of them?

The shock must be clear on his face, because Jan adds, "besides, it's not you being a vampire that hurt Jure. It's trauma. That happens to humans too, you know. But we're your friends. We want to help you."

Jan's bleeding wrist is still in front of him, forgotten as Bojan processes that information.

They don't hate him. Jure hasn't fled the country in fear. They want him home.

"On one condition," he says.

"What?" Jan asks warily, and Bojan can't blame him.

"If I try to hurt one of you again, you stop me. I don't care how, I don't care if you have to hurt me, you do it."

And yeah, Jan doesn't look happy about it. But he says "okay," and so Bojan follows him home like a lost puppy. At their door, he waits behind Jan with trepidation, wondering what welcome he'll receive. Awkward silence? Stilted helloes? Will they avoid him?

Before he can spiral, the door opens and they're going inside. The others jump up from the couches where they'd clearly been waiting and make a beeline for them. Bojan freezes, wondering if he's allowed to hug them. He's missed them so much, but do they even want his touch?

The problem is solved when Nace and Kris wrap their arms around him, with Jan joining in from behind.

"we missed you," they say.

Jure is last. Bojan gives him a panicked glance, wondering if he's supposed to say something. Apologize again? Jan is right, though. At least the bruises have healed on his pale skin.

Then Jure falls into a hug with him. Somewhat warily at first, and he can tell Jan is watching them carefully. He's comforted by the thought. He ruffles Jure's hair, feels Jure smile against his shoulder.

He's never been more stunned in his life.

"You guys really wanted me back?" he asks.

Kris, characteristically, calls him an idiot. Jure gives him a half-hug. "Of course we did," Jan says from behind him. "We missed our charismatic frontman."

and god, he's missed them so much. He goes for another hug, holds them close (but not too close, he doesn't want to accidentally break a rib). Wants to bury his face in their skin, but remembers that he hasn't fed in a week and that's a bad idea.

"So...movie night?" Nace suggests.

They watch something stupid. Something that's not a vampire movie, and something with no torture scenes. Perhaps High School Musical, taking turns singing along to it? Bojan cuddles with Jan (the one he feels safest with in the sense that Jan is the most skilled at taking him out probably). Tries to ignore how hungry he is, and how tempted he is.

It doesn't get past Jan. It never does. "After," he whispers, ruffling his hair, and Bojan is glad. He can't do it here, in front of the rest of them. Even though he's done it dozens of times before, feeding from a freely offered wrist with a movie in the background, but right now he just can't.

So, after, in his bedroom, Jan offers quietly. "I know you haven't fed," he says. "And I know you don't want to, but you have to." He doesn't need to spell out why Bojan has to. What happens if he doesn't.

"If I hurt you, stop me however you need to. Promise me."

Jan smiles. "In the past you've understood words just fine."

"Promise me." Jan sighs, but promises, and Bojan gingerly takes the offered wrist. The one Jan had sliced open earlier. The blood had barely stopped. It pulses just beneath the surface, and it's a relief to let his fangs out and bite.

And oh, it's so sweet. The way water tastes to a man in the desert and whatnot, but also, he's always loved the taste of his bandmates' blood. Not that he's drunk any other, but he's always thought theirs tastes particularly good. It tastes like home.

He pulls away long before he wants to and meets Jan's suspicious gaze. "That's not enough. Drink."

Bojan doesn't argue. He drinks. Jan will stop him if he has to. He promised. His friends keep their promises. With that reassurance, he lets himself keep going, until he hears his name, the warning in Jan's voice.

He pulls away immediately.

"See? No violence necessary," Jan says, taking out the bandages that they have stocked in every room of the house.

"Let me," Bojan offers. He's well-trained in this, putting pressure on the wound, then binding Jan's wrist with infinite gentleness, stroking his knuckles.

"Thank you," he says. "Really."

"You'd do the same for us," Jan says, and it's true. Bojan would do anything for them. Why can't he accept that they'd do it for him?

....and that's the scene. Not included is that one of them, probably Bojan, suggests that Jan teaches the rest of them how to fight him off, in case anything goes wrong and Jan isn't there. And they also have a nice long discussion about Bojan's triggers so they can avoid them. But that's for another post.

[deerabigailhobbs]

Greetings and salutations good friend; I bring offerings of Adamgail-siblings thoughts!

So I was thinking about Adam going 'fuck this' and bringing Abby back home with him. Does he still live in the same shitty place, or has a boost in the popularity of his photos following his post-trap fame given him enough money to get a better place? Do they bring any of the Hobbs House furniture with them? Orrrrrrrrrr does he live with Lawrence, coming home after being missing for a week with no warning like "Honey I'm home, and guess what I brought back: your future sister-in-law!"

Whatever the case, we see a drastic change in the type of clothes Abby wears after episode one. Going from floaty more casual clothing, to a more compressed(i can't think of a better word) look. So what if after moving in with Adam, she starts to wear a more grungy look; quite a few people dress aggressively to warn away people, so maybe Abby could go for that to get randos to stay back to keep herself safe.

Her and Adam could maybe have a siblings bonding moment of Adam giving her a (probably not great) haircut and dye-job in the bathroom to make her look less like the pictures in the paper!

I like to think of the idea of a while down the line Abby meeting Danny from Saw 2 at a 'Teens who nearly got serial-killed support group' or maybe Adam met Danny at a survivors group and Danny stuck to him because 'wow this guy knows Scott Tibbs lead singer of Wrath of the Gods (the band on his t-shirt)' or at some point Adam was like 'hey I have a sister your age I think you two could be good friends'. or something.

Anyway, the end result would be the two meeting and becoming friends, perhaps bonding over their trauma a little bit. And then mayyyybe joining forces to create an angsty teen band where they sing songs about the fucked up things that happened to them!

Hope you're having a good day!

Hello! Very happy to see you in my inbox again friend! I'm a little sick right now, but happy to ramble about the siblings :D

I LOVE the idea of Abigail, Adam and Lawrence living together. I really think Lawrence would be fond of Abigail. Although Adam wouldn't say exactly why Abigail had come to live with them, he'd know the situation back home is dire. I can imagine him getting the house all ready for their return , asking Adam beforehand what Abigail's interests are. So when Abigail arrives she's greeted with a small bedroom full of art supplies, and a window facing the park nearby the house, which he delightfully explains to Abigail had all sorts of critters roaming around day and night. I'm sure this would not only warm Abigail's heart, but Adam's too. Knowing that his partner would care so much about someone so close to him would make Adam want to propose that very moment.

I like to think when Diana visits, her and Abigail would get on well. Abigail would finally know what it's like to be an older sibling figure. I can imagine her helping Diana with her homework or making food for themselves when Adam and Lawrence decide to go on a date night, which would consist of homemade pizza and ice-cream for dessert.

(now I've got a really cute image of Adam and Lawrence coming back home to a sleeping Abigail and Diana, snuggled up against the couch while The Little Mermaid credits roll <3)

Funnily enough, I'm planning on writing a part of my fic where Adam cuts Abigail's hair, but dyeing it is also a nice thought! I'm sure Abigail would be quite hesitant to trust her brother with scissors and hair dye, but surprisingly he knows his way around a head of hair. And paired with some new clothes Lawrence had bought her (no matter how hard she insisted she didn't need them), consisting of flowy skirts, loose tops, cardigans and jumpers/sweaters for the winter months, she'd really start feeling like her own person, not who someone wanted her to be.

I also love the idea of Abigail and Daniel (Danny) being friends! Especially since the only person we see Abigail interact with her age is Marrisa and her dad's victims. He'd think she'd like so cool with her platinum blonde hair (thinking of that one picture of Kacey rn) and they'd hit it off!!! In my opinion, if they were to start a band, I think Abigail wouldn't want to be front and centre, so I can imagine her taking up the drums, hidden away from everyone yet still soaking up the atmosphere. And of course for their first gig Adam insists on taking pictures for free (much to the jealousy of Scott) and he'd be so proud of her!

[lieutenantbiscute]

*Gently knocks on your door*

Sorry to bother you but this has been rotting my brain for nearly the whole day since I saw your family photo artwork of your Shellshock AU and I had to say something or I'd explode-

Okay so you know how like parents will say things like "When you have kids they're gonna be worse than you were mark my words" kind of ordeal? Well picture that but with Raph, Leon and Danny (since they look like mischievous little troublemakers via family photo). Like Raph notices that his two middle children get into so much trouble and chaos whenever they're together or that they'll bicker and be sarcastic towards one another. And it's like never ending and Raph loves his kids to death but for the love of God could they not reek havoc wherever they go??? And he's just witnessing this and he's like-

"They're troublemakers, can't turn my back on them for a moment's notice! I mean my God even me and Leo were-"

And he just stops as he remembers being 15, and all the bickering and smartass remarks that he and his own twin/older brother Leo would throw at one another. And he thinks about all the trouble they'd gotten into growing up and all the dangerous stunts they pulled and how Splinter was always like lowkey exhausted but fond and it hits him and Raph goes-

"Oh. Oohh......so this was how Master Splinter felt when me and Leo did stupid shit omfg I finally understand why he would look like he was gonna tear his fur out half the time. It all makes sense now-"

And later Raph's in the dojo in front of Splinter's photo going-

"Father it's me Raphael. Just stopping by to say I'm so freaking sorry that I was a little shit."

(This is completely random and again I apologize for randomly dropping in I just had to say something cuz it was hella funny to me sgsgsgsgzvs).

mist. Mist homie you’ve hit me cause ITS TRUE!!

The mental image that he gets when connecting dots between his 15 year old self with Leo between his sons Danny and Leon just overloads him for a minute cause now he’s like ‘I can’t say shit cause I was worse DAMMIT!!’

But now he also gets why sometimes Splinter was a bit harsh with the two of them, the constant bickering and arguing and sarcasm sometimes makes him wanna pull his shell off his own back some nights but by the end of it he loves that his sons have that closeness enough to throw insults and not mean them. It means that he’s maybe, hopefully doing a good job as a father. Though he counts most of his accomplishments thanks to Mona being at his side to set him right some days and set the boys right most of the time too XD

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1208: Rememberance of a Harsh Past and an Old Friend (Kingdom Hearts X FF7)

11:54 a.m. at Disneyland..........

It was a nice and lively day in the wonderful town of Disney. As the sounds of cheers and laughter from all ages continuously echoes throughout the entire areas, the former leader of Avalanche, Barret Wallace, sits alone on a bench near the coffee, looking down at a small photo he's carrying in his hand, of him smiling next to another man wear the same looking gun are as he is.

Barret: ('Sigh')

???: I'm back.

Barret turns to see his friend/co-worker back at Lockhart's Bar, Isa, standing in front of the bench, carrying two cups of freshly made coffee in his hands.

Isa: (Hands Barret his Drink) The line was too long for my liking, but it was more than enough to pick this up for you as well. (Takes Out a Newly Purchased Snicker Bar From his Pants Pocket and Hands It to Barret as Well)

Barret: (Forms a Small Gron on his Face) ('Heh') My man. Thank you. (Takes a Whiff of his Coffee's Scent Before Letting Out a Bit of a Satisfied Sigh) It's always good to have the smell of coffee in any time of the morning. (Takes a Sip of his Black Coffee) ('Mm')

Isa: (Simply Nodded in Agreement) I admit. The aroma their brand presents is fairly appealing enough. I doubt it'll taste any special though.

Barret: (Raises an Eyebrow) What are you, a coffee critic or something?

Isa: When it comes to comparing any coffee to the ones I perfectly crafted in my own time, I'm as harash of a critic as they come. (Sits Himself Down Next to Barret Before Taking a Sip of His Own Coffee) Hm. This isn't half bad.

Barret: (Snickers a Bit) Damn. You caved in to it's taste already? (Forms a Teasing Smirk) That was quick.

Isa: (Rolls his Eyes a Bit) I said it wasn't bad, Wallace, I'm not as fond of it as I am to my own creation......But it'll do for now. (Continues Drinking his Coffee)

Barret: (Burst Out Laughing) Ah man! You're a real riot sometimes, Isa, you know that?

Isa: I'm not the funniest man alive. (Smiles a Little) But I'm happy to see my antics was able to at least make you smile for today, considering how out of it looked earlier.

Barret: Yeah. (Laugher Dies Down a Bit While Rubbing the Back of his Head Back and Forth) It was really that noticeable, huh?

Isa: To me it does. I can't say the others notice it either, but with Lea watching over them, I'm certain it'll stay that way for now.

Barret: ('Sigh') Well, I hope that's the case then. The last thing I need right now is for them worrying about me on our day of fun.

Isa: Agreed. (Looks Down at a Photo Barret's Holding in his Other, More Mechanical Hand) I take it this has something to do with that man next to you in that photo?

Barret: Yeah. That there was an old friend of mine from way back, Dyne. We grew up together back in Corel, working all day n' night in that old coal mine. (Chuckles Lightly at the Memories He Shared with Dyne) I remember the heat in that place were a lot more hotter than the temperature out here, but it never stopped either one of us from getting every little thing done. Even if one of us drop to the ground, exhausted, we would always be by side, help each other back up, amd power our way through until the sunsets. Nothing could stop us! (Glares at the Ground) That is until Shinra brings their ugly, pissed-filled heads into our town, setting everything on fire, and killing everyone on sight, our wives and love ones include.

Isa: (Eyes Slowly Widens to Genuine Shock by What He's Hearing Right Now) Is.....that right?

Barret: (Slowly Nodded While Letting Out a More Heavy Sigh) Yeah.....They're ruthless sons of bitches, still hate 'em to this very day.

Barret takes another Sip of his drink before continuing.

Barret: One of their ringleaders, Scarlet, her them corner us and try shooting us down till Dyne swooped in and takes a a few hits before slipping off a nearby ditch. I caught him by the hand and tried my best to get him back up the surface, but one of those troops shot both of our arms straight through, causing him to fall down......

Isa: (Turns to Barret's Now Metal Hand) (So that's how you ended up armless......)

Barret: Life been a personal hell for me after that. The guilty of leaving my hometown been eating me alive, I found Marlene and had to raising on my own at the time, 'least till Tifa and my old crew, the Avalanche, came into the picture and hekp out on ocassions, and I spent a longtime believing that Dyne was dead n' gone, 'till the day I found out he was still alive in the Corel Prison years later.

Isa: He survived that fall?

Barret: Yeah, but.....('Sighs Heavily') Isa, when I tell you that man was completely different from the last I saw him. He looked so broken......defeated even. His mind was already shattered long before then. We fought each other for an hour or two on end until he swooped in and saved me again from those damn troops lurkin' in om us. He told me his hands were too stain to be anywhere near Marlene, his..... own daughter, before giving me his pendent, continue living with the guilt, and NEVER make her cry for as long as the of us both live. And after that, he was gone. 'Had a proper burial for him before I departed with Cloud and the gang.

Isa: (Bows His Head Down a Bit) My condolences to your friend and everyone else whose lives were taken on that day. (Looks Back Up at Barret with a Hint if Sadness in his Eyes) I'm sorry you had to go through all of that.

Barret: (Fling his Habd Up and Down a Little at Isa) Nah. Don't worry about it. Like I said, life wasn't easy for me back then, but I persevered to where I'm at now, alive and in peace with the people I hold dear. Can't be anymore blessed about it than that really. (Opens Up his Snicker Bar and Bites Off the Top of It)

Isa: And yet, another thing has been bothering you just as much, is there?

Barret: ('Clicks Teeth') Damn. You're reading me like an open book today, man! Do you always do this with Lea and them?

Isa: On ocassions. I've been examining their mood and facial expressions so frequently as of late that it gotten a bit more easier to do the same with other people as well. (Takes Another Sip of his Coffee)

Barret: Ever thought about being a therapist or something? You be pretty good at it if you keep this up.

Isa: (Casually Shrugs) Perhaps. But I'd rather not be bombarded with clients' personal problems on a daily.

Barret: (Gives Isa a Reassuring Smile) Nah, I'm sure you can handle a wave of people's problems with both of your eyes closed. I know you ca-

Isa: (Giving his Friend an Unconvincable Soft Glare) Barret. I hope this conversation isn't your way of dodging the previous topic completely, is it?

Barret: Uhhh.......Maybe.....not? (Shrugs While Smiling More Awkwardly)

Isa raises an eyebrow at Barret in silence.

Barret: ('Groans in Defeat') Fine! You want me to admit me? Here it is: I'm scared of telling Marlene about her real daddy one of these days, alright!? ('Sigh') I mean, I know it's an inevitability and important to do so or what have you, but it's so goddamn nerve-wracking just thinking about it sometimes, you know?

Isa: (Simply Nodded in Agreement and Understanding) Understandable. It's never easy to reveal this type of information to those closes to you, but you try to be more calm before the time comes for the both of you to approach the matter.

Barret: Yeah. (Takes a Deep Breath) I still have some years life before she reached pre teen status, right? I got this!.....At least I hope I do.

Isa: (Places his Hand on Barret's Shoulder) Have faith in yourself, Barret. You've faced and conquered through many hardships and tragedies in your life to develop and become the very man and father you are today. (Smiles a Bit) I have no doubt in my mind that you will have what takes to tell her someday,

Barret: (Smiles Back at Isa) Thanks, man. I'm glad and thankful to have you and your folks around in our lives. Y'all are good people.

Isa: Likewise.

????: UNCLE BARRET!~

??????: DADDYYYY!!~

???: Damnit, Kids! Will you slow down for a sec!?

Isa: Hm. Speaking of which......

Barret turns to see Roxas, Xion, and Marlene running over to give him a group hug.

Barret: (Chuckles Lightly) Heyey now!~ Settle down, will ya? Do y'all missed your old man that much?

Roxas: We're more worried about you if anything.

Xion: Axel told us something's been bothering earlier. We had to come check on you!

Marlene: (Rapidly Nodding her Head With Worry in her Eyes)

Barret: (Sees Lea Panting and Walking By While Raising an Eyebrow at Him) Oh, Is that right?

Isa: (Crosses his Arms at his Boyfriend) Couldn't keep your mouth shut for the life of you, huh, Lea?

Lea: Hey......(Tries Regaining his Breath Before Speaking and Pointing at the Kids) They were the ones asking about him. I just didn't have the heart to lie to them. That being said- (Turns to Barret) Are you doing okay over there, big guy?

Barret: ('Sigh') Yeah, yeah, I'm more than alright now. Y'all don't need to fret over me.

Marlene: Are you sure?

Barret: (Gives His Daughter a Reassuring Smile) I'm positive, baby girl. (Flexes his Muscles) Your old man is tough as nails and spikes, remember?

Marlene: (Giggles Softly) Don't forget sharks too, daddy!~ (Forms a Teasing Smirk) Or are scared of them now?~

Xion: ('Gasps') Ooooooooh!

Roxas: Them fighting words.

Barret: (Chuckles Lightly) Now you know damn well I ain't scared of none of those chompin' sea nuisances, you little numbskull! C'mere! (Picks Up a Giggling Marlene and Twirls her Around a Bit)

Marlene: Okay, okay!~ I believe you. Just know that I'm here if you need to somebody to talk to, okay? You're my world, daddy. (Gives Barret a Peck on the Cheek)

Barret: (Chuckles Some More Before Putting Marlene on his Shoulder) D'aww~ You're my world too, pumpkin, now and forever more. (Gives Marlene a Peck on her Cheek) Now let's quit all worrying and go back to our day of fun! Starting with that raceway or whatever. (Walks Off to Y'all like go kart racing, right?

Xion/Roxas: Yeah!~/Woo! Let's do it! (Follows Behind Barret and Marlene)

Lea: (Watches the Gang Walk Off) Good to see that problem solved. (Turns to Isa Next to Him) I take it he had something personal to deal with earlier?

Isa: Yes. But I've helped talking it out with him while you were all away.

Lea: Nic- (Suddebly Looks Down at the Coffee Cup Isa is Holding) What the....

Isa: What?

Lea: (Looks Back Up at Isa) You're drinking coffee you didn't make for once.

Isa: That's....(Raises an Eyebrow in a Bit of Confusion) What I've also been doing during my time with Barret, yes.

Lea: Well? What do you think?

Isa: (Shrugs) Average. (Takes Another Sip his Coffee Before Walking Off)

Lea: (Unconvinced) Uh-huh. (Follows Behind his Boyfriend) Your slurping sound says otherwise.

Isa: Pretty sure that's the sign of me being thirsty if anything.

Lea: ('Sigh') Look man, there's no shame in admitting you like their brand as much as yo-

Isa: (Quickly Points at Lea) Nuh-uh! It is nowhere NEAR having the same level of exquisite taste and flavor as mines. Not by long merit of a shot. (Continues Sipping on hus Coffee)

Lea: (Rolls his Eyes) Whatever you say, hon.

@ma-lemons

@bestpony666

@albion-93

@thelexhex

@26shann

@tampire