#i come back from a small hiatus and this is the first thing i post

[sanctus-ingenium]

we need to talk about Inprnt.com

Following a really good post with more screenshots and evidence by @dynasoar5 i'm going to talk about my own experiences with @inprnt and why I am about to put my shop on indefinite hiatus from Monday the 14th of August.

First of all I'll say that since starting my print shop last year it has been a significant help to me financially - I was able to not worry about affording car insurance or motor tax (together commonly over a thousand euro) when I bought my first car, for example. I am immeasurably grateful to anyone who chose to buy one and I treasure all the pictures I've been sent of my prints hanging up on people's walls. Right now they are displayed in a real (if small) art exhibition in my home town.

(top right print is not from inprnt though)

They're great prints. Never had any complaints about them. But here's what's going on behind the scenes.

Earlier this year, around March or April, Inprnt sales started increasing in regularity. I'd made as much as $600 a week during previous sales when I made proper promo posts here, but with this increase in regularity, I felt that I couldn't make promo posts every single week. And then one day, I'm not sure when tbh, the sale just never ended. It just didn't stop having that "Ending soon! 15% off your order" banner at the top of the site. Right now it says "Final Hours: $5 Worldwide shipping and save up to 35% off your order!" and not even for a second do I believe in this final hours bullshit. It's been 'final hours' for weeks now. Months, even.

Why is this a problem? Well, how tf am I meant to make a promo post for a sale that is always "ending soon!!" and then never ends. One week it'll say "this weekend only!!" and then when the weekend is over, the sale banner just changes its wording and the sale doesn't end. I can't promo this, it makes me look like a liar and a skeevy salesman by association! It makes the site look like it's 1 week from crashing and burning, and the site owners are just scrabbling to suck as much money from artists as possible before they drown.

And they are sucking money from us. To peel back the curtain, Inprnt money can only be transferred to my paypal account 30 days after the sale is made, just in case the order is cancelled and refunded. This means I used to make one withdrawal every couple of months, when there was enough build-up of money to make it worthwhile. It also forbids withdrawing any sum under $50 btw. I would make a withdrawal request and then, after a 10 business day wait, it would reach my Paypal account.

Not anymore! The past few withdrawals have taken over a month to complete. They are straight up keeping my earnings from me for longer the agreed period. This was my last fulfilled withdrawal:

Note the date.

Almost two months.

And here is the latest withdrawal request that still has not been fulfilled.

It's coming up on 1 month and if the pattern continues, it could literally be November or December by the time I fully clear all sales.

So what's going to happen to my print shop? Because my art is currently being exhibited with a QR code linking to the shop, I can't close the shop this week. Instead I will close it on Monday the 14th of August, next week. That means that on the 14th of September, I can withdraw all of the remaining money without having any left over. My account balance will go to 0 and stay there. Although I'll de-list my prints I will leave my account there, because at the end of the day I don't want to leave Inprnt. It still offers the best artist margins and as I'm now unemployed after graduating, the additional support is such a load off my mind. So this is a chance to wait and see - if they improve their services, I'll happily re-open.

It's a big deal to me because selling prints is sort of my ideal life as an artist. I never had the attention span or self-discipline for commission work and I found that it left me creatively stagnant. I always want to try new things, new concepts and ideas, and being able to think "yeah, people will like this as a print" while I experiment is honestly very reassuring. And I know that in going on hiatus, it'll break a lot of "buy a print" links in my circulating posts. Oh well lmao. If you want to buy a print right now - go ahead, it might be your last opportunity. Another way to support me would be to check out my ko-fi for once-off donations or some nice sketchbooks/comics/book samples you can buy, or subscribing to my Patreon.

As of right now, Inprnt owes me $381 (the unfulfilled request submitted above for $186.60 and my current standing balance of $194.80 which takes 30 days from each transaction to clear).

[arisewanekosuki]

Traveler's little helper -Extra-: Curiosity - Nahida (feat Sumeru Boys x Fem!Reader)

This is something I wanted to post before... I went to the small hiatus, now I finished this short thing but sorry for mistakes, it's 1 Am now and I'm tired... [ Teyvat , Mondstadt , Liyue ] ------

Nahida found it interesting, how can you still not be able to  see those boys holding affections towards you. At first she wondered “Are you really blind for their courting? Or maybe you don’t want to see it?” You’re very friendly, no matter if it’s a guy or girl, if you want to take someone somewhere you won’t hesitate to hold their hand, if someone is sad you always offering a hug. But she did notice that when it comes to guys, there are sometimes a moments when you do realize that you got ‘too close’ and start to feel a bit shy, apologizing to them. But then how could you not notice how they pout for not feeling warmth of your hand anymore?  The easiest way is to ask you and she did. -“Those boys really like spending time with you…but I can’t help and wonder…which one do you like the most?” you looked at her with confusion -“Which one? Hmm.. I like them all, after all they are my good friends!” You smiled so brightly to her. “Ah so you’re just that oblivious.” She thought back then. Nahida always liked to observe people and because of this she noticed the difference in behavior for some of the guys. Wanderer was the first one she noticed the changes in him. That’s not a secret that Wanderer enjoys watching people expressions, especially the negative ones. Making others angry is his little fun in everyday live. And at first it was the same with you, being rude or ignoring you to just see your angry face but this changed. To Nahida’s surprise she noticed how lately he have been only teasing you just to see your embarrassed face and not only that. It seems Wanderer started to like seeing your smile. When at first he would complain when you asked him to help with commissions, now he ‘offers’ help himself to do them. The next one was Kaveh. Always stressed and troubled by many things. But after you invited him to the Teapot he seems more relaxed and happy, of course you couldn’t take away his debt but you helped him a bit whenever you could. She noticed that Kaveh is more calm when discussing things with the clients about his projects. Before he would get angry quickly because of the stress and not wanting to be scammed again but now it  looks like he’s more clearheaded to find common ground on both sides. There is less arguments between him and Alhaitham those days as well, but in exchange now most of the time they clash with each other when it comes to you. The General Mahamatra have two modes, the work on and the work off, but at some point Nahida noticed that there one more “(Y/n) is here mode on”. You don’t mind his jokes, you would smile or even let a small laugh when he tell ones and when you do that, Nahida can see Cyno smiling too. Everyone knows how serious Cyno is when it comes to TCG, he won’t even show mercy when playing against you. But if someone paying close attention to Cyno they would notice how sometimes he gets deconcentrated by watching you choosing next cards. You’re good player but sometimes he lose because he got lost in his thoughts about you. Tighnari was better at hiding his affections towards you, at least when there were more people around. Nahida was watching you two as a little bird, you would listen to Tighnari talking about flowers but sometimes he would decorate your hair with some or giving you bouquets but you never knew the meaning behind them, this is only fact that Tighnari hid from you. You’re the only person who have permission to brush his tail or touch his ears, Nahida can’t count of her fingers now how many times Tighnari was so close to kiss you in moments like this. The little Dendro Archon can always see how Tighnari is protective over you, especially if you get hurt. No matter if the wound is small, Tighnari will always take care of it and softly scold you.

The hardest one to see their affections towards you is Alhaitham. Nahida is sure many other people didn’t even realized that he too takes part in the race of winning your heart. Alhaitham is very subtle with his affections, many may even mistook them for just him being kind to you. But if they know him better they can notice how he would enjoy to have conversations with you, after work he would invite you from time to time for some coffee or tea whichever you prefer. To Nahida, and even your surprise he do offer to read some books for you, when he sees that Paimon is busy and you are curious of the new book you found in your adventures with Aether.

The little Dendro Archon can’t help but be curious how this will go. Will one of them manage to win your heart? Or maybe someone else from another Nation will charm you? But there is something that has been bothering Nahida for a while now, whenever you spend time with the boys and they leave for moment or don’t look at you, she can see your eyes fill with sadness. The Dendro Archon started to wonder “Maybe you’re not that oblivious like everyone thinks?”

[drarryspecificrecs]

2024.02  ~ Top 6 longest fics posted on AO3

1. The Stag and the Dragon: The School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by Jesse_James [T, 180k]

►On the night of October 31st 1980, in an attempt to subvert prophecy, The Dark Lord Voldemort launches a pair of attacks to rid him of the one chosen to defeat him. But when one fails, the world is changed forever. But in this universe, things are different. The rules are not always the same. And things will not always be as we remember. And with a different choice made with a young orphaned Harry's future, the consequences of this one act will echo across fate. /// Meanwhile, in a different family, another boy struggles against what he is, and what he was born to be. All while his father seems to orchestrate more than just his life.

2. Empty Spaces by nori_mari [T, 125k]

►What do you do when everything you know comes to an end? The battle is over, Voldemort's gone, everything they ever wanted has come to pass. So why is it so hard to return to a “normal” life? How does one simply pick up the pieces and move on? When your entire life and identity have revolved around this one thing for so long… what do you do you have left of yourself when that one thing is over?

3. Papa Needs Daddy's Help by @amillionregrets [E, 94k]

►Harry's life revolves entirely around work these days, and he's deeply engrossed in it, as usual, when an urgent fire-call from Ron abruptly turns his world upside down. Apparently, a four-year-old girl with emerald eyes and long black hair has shown up at Ron's shop, claiming to be Harry's daughter and seeking his help to save her papa.

4. The Boy from the Piano Shop by @soliblomst [M, 90k]  *typo

►After going blind in a reckless attempt to avenge Ginny's death, Harry battles with severe depression. One day, he stumbles upon a quaint piano restoration shop in the heart of London and meets the owner, a kindly old man, and his introverted young apprentice, whose voice sounds strangely familiar. As Harry and Draco slowly reconnect through private piano lessons, the small workshop becomes Harry's refuge, offering him a glimmer of hope in a world without eyes.

5. An Addendum For Depressed Authors by @queenie-jinny [E, 86k]

►‘The Misadventures of Harrison Portier’ six-part book series by J.E.P has been on the Daily Prophet’s best sellers list for 177 weeks straight, despite the author’s insistent anonymity and continuing avoidance of the public eye. After a long hiatus, the elusive final novel in the septology is about to hit the shelves, and Draco Malfoy, avid reader of the series and self-proclaimed number one fan (a proclamation he’d made to absolutely none save for himself), is determined to be the first person to read it. When the epilogue of the book leaves much to be desired, Draco has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. Thus begins a stormy correspondence that threatens to disrupt Harry’s hard-earned peaceful routine and maybe change his life in the process.

6. Draco's Splendid Decisions by @jocundasykes [E, 69k]

►Stuck in the doldrums of a rubbish summer holiday, an unexpected invitation beckons you back to the halls of Hogwarts for an eighth year. Should you go, and endure another round of academia? Dive into the mundane drudgery of work? Or escape it all with an international getaway? /// You're a free man. What happens next is up to you.

—

※ Word count: 1k ~ 10k

※ Word count: 10k ~ 40k

alive is a color you don't own by sectumsempra [E, 15k]

armstrong limit by @brosamigos [E, 11k]

Crossed Wires by @skeptiquewrites [E, 11k]

Enclosed is a Memory by Anonymous [M, 12k]

I'll Find You Again (I Always Do) by @dodgerkedavra [E, 15k]

The Month of Giving by Justlikewriting [M, 20k]

Nobody Except For You by @mistsound [T, 10k]

Oh, Overwhelming Passion and Seduction by AtelierOfStories [E, 19k]

These Old Feelings by Reloumi [E, 24k]

Time to indulge by @onehundredflamingos [E, 10k]

Until Now by crpage [T, 11k]

Warm Touch Makes No Sound by @rainjulyx [E, 13k]

—

Ongoing Fest/Exchange

※ Fics would be listed elsewhere.

Frottage Cottage WFAUFF Challenge

Knot Another Writing Fest: Knot Again 2023 | @hpknotfest

[lovemari]

IMPORTANT: Hello! My old account, Lovemari, got deleted. Therefore, I had to make a new one. I'm honestly pretty upset about this so I'll take some time to recover! Thankfully, all my posts are saved as I write them in google docs before posting. Please like and reblog so I can reach my old followers and potentially new ones!

Cuddle, Stress and Safety - Wanderer x Reader

Reminder: I'm not an experienced writer so construction criticism is always welcome! Also, I write for fun. I just wanted to share my work around the world!

Pairing: Wanderer x Reader

Synopsis: Wanderer taking care of you in the cutest way ever.

Notes: I wrote this with myself in mind. I often feel skittish or easily frustrated. Also, I'm back from my very short hiatus. I just had a small writer's block haha!

You're quite timid, often stressing about small things or feeling alone and separate. You often break down easily or begin to act somewhat differently when you hear loud noises or sounds.

Recently, you've gone to your boyfriend for comfort and care in those bad times. You wanted to be held by someone you loved and cherished so dearly. Wanderer is your comfort.

Although, Wanderer is definitely rough and intimidating, often having his enemies cowering in fear the moment he attacks. His hands are tough and dominating, yet when he's with you, they're simply gentle and soft.

Wanderer has never comforted someone before, so he's often confused on how he should caress your hair or whisper sweet, soothing words. It was different, to say the least. Wanderer is so vulnerable and gentle with you. It's like he's another person completely.

The truth is, he just wants you to be happy. He knows how much your breakdowns affect you. He wants you to feel safe and pleased. You're his heart and he wouldn't change that for anything.

He'd often ask you, “Is this the right placement?” Or, “Want me to touch somewhere else?” during these peaceful moments. It shows that he truly cares for your well-being despite being such an adamant and unsettling individual.

Though, when he finishes asking numerous questions, you're already fast asleep. Wanderer would let out a quiet, light chuckle, followed by a smirk. He knows how pure and benevolent you are towards everyone and everything.

Wanderer would stay put for hours until you woke up, finding yourself in his arms. A simple, “Good morning, sleepy.” was enough to make you feel at home. Wanderer was addicted to your smile, as he knew a majority of them were meant for him.

Once you're fully awake, Wanderer will prepare your favorite dish. He would make sure everything was made right, as well as having a drop of love into his foods. It may sound corny, but it's true. All of his dishes are made with you in mind.

Wanderer would serve your food, as if you were royalty. Then he'd give you massages, even though he doesn't really know how to do them. This is because Wanderer wants you to feel loved. He doesn't want you to cry or have a meltdown.

Wanderer would watch over you every afternoon. Watching the sunset and having you on his chest made him feel loved, cherished and appreciated. He always hoped those feelings were mutual. After all, you come first, in his agenda.

When the day is over, Wanderer would tuck you in, before climbing into the bed himself. He would kiss your temple before wrapping his arms around you, giving you extra warmth.

Wanderer would watch over you, making sure danger wouldn't dare to come near you. He didn't require sleep, so it didn't hurt his mental wellbeing. After all, he got to make sure you're safe and secure.

You're the best thing that ever happened to him.

[shesmyboot]

Personal Matter: Chapter 1

*Gif belongs to its rightful owner, it is not mine*

Pairing: Matthew Casey x reader

Summary: You have to tell 51 about a mix-up off shift with a coworker

Words: 797

Warnings: mentions of having sex, pregnancy (lmk if there’s any I missed)

Read on Ao3 here

Notes: Happy my birthday day to those who celebrate. At last, another multi-chapter fic is here after my small hiatus. Getting out of my comfort (Kelly Severide) zone and trying some Matt Casey again. Thank you for reading and join the Taglist to be notified when any new chapters are posted!

Join my taglist here

Tags: @mrspeacem1nusone

——

Staring at the test on the counter, you were speechless. It was one time, he was cute, you were drunk. It felt right, but the two pink lines definitely did not feel right. 

Sylvie, who was ready to leave for shift, nagged you from outside the bathroom door, “almost done in there?”

“Yeah, I’ll be right out,” you gathered yourself and put the test in your pocket, not knowing what to do next.

You exited the bathroom with a nervous look on your face and your roommate could tell.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Can you keep a secret from the firehouse?”

“Of course. What’s wrong?”

“I slept with Casey.”

“Wait, when?”

“A couple weeks ago.”

The look in your eyes told Sylvie you weren’t telling the whole story.

“Is there something else?” She asked, sitting you down on the couch beside her.

“There’s more.”

“Uh oh.”

“I think I’m pregnant,” you pulled the test out of your pocket and showed it to Sylvie.

Sylvie embraced you into a hug.

“Does Casey know?”

“I just found out this morning.”

“It’s gonna be okay. Should I text Boden and tell him you’re not coming in today?”

“No no,” you wiped the tears from your eyes, “I should go to work. I can’t leave truck a man down today.”

“Then we better get moving,” Sylvie smiled warmly.

You grabbed your things from your bed and followed Sylvie out the door to her car, keeping the test tucked in the side pocket of your duffel.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked, lowering the radio’s volume.

“I think I should tell Casey.”

“On shift?”

“Yeah, get it out in the open. I feel like I’m going to explode.”

“Can I ask you something else then?”

You nodded.

“Do you want to keep the baby? Because you shouldn’t be riding truck much longer if you’re pregnant.”

“I think so, but I want to talk to him first.”

Sylvie nodded and refocused on the road ahead. The rest of your short commute was quiet, but pulling up to the firehouse, you felt yourself get anxious.

You brought your bag into the locker room to get changed and stuffed the test from the morning in your side pocket. After changing into your station gear, you left for the bunk room to talk to Matt. He was sitting at the desk in his quarters reading the paper as you approached.

“Captain, do you have a second?” You nervously asked.

“Sure, have a seat,” he gestured towards the perfectly made bed.

There was something more than a shift change on your mind and he could tell.

“What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?” He closed the door and sat back down at the desk chair.

“This is a personal matter.”

“Ok, what about?”

“Remember what happened between us at Molly’s a few weeks ago? We both got a little drunk and one thing led to another…” you trailed off.

“I do. Is there something wrong?”

“I took a pregnancy test this morning… and it’s positive.” You handed him the test. 

Matt looked like his head was going to explode, but he kept his composure as he drew the blinds shut. 

“Captain-“ 

“No no, we’re not just lieutenant and firefighter anymore. It’s Matt, please.”

“Matt,” you corrected, “I’d like to keep the baby, but you don’t have to be involved if you don’t want to. Or you can be really involved, it’s up to you. And I probably shouldn’t be riding truck…”

You had started to ramble, a familiar trait when you were nervous.

“I think you should move in with me,” he admitted, “help you prepare and then take care of the baby.”

“Matt, I don’t know what to say. We had sex once and now you want to move in together?”

“It’s not that simple. We had sex, got pregnant and I think we should move in together to create a stable home for this baby.”

“Okay.”

“Okay? Like okay, you’ll move in?”

“Yes, but there’s rules.”

“Which are?”

“What is this? Do we share a bed when we move in? Are we dating or just friends and colleagues who have gotten themselves into a little mess with genetics?”

“Do you want that?”

“Ask me on a date Matt Casey.”

“Tempe Grill? Tomorrow night? 6 o’clock?”

“Hell yeah, Mexican food sounds great.”

“I’ve got something too then.”

“Okay?”

“I’d like to be involved. Doctors appointments, things like that, as much as you’ll let me.”

“Of course.”

“We should go talk to Boden, you shouldn’t be riding truck while pregnant.”

You stood up and he took your hand, “thank you,” you smiled.

“What’s there to thank me for?”

“For taking care of everything.”

“We’ll get everything figured out, don’t worry.”

[hotwaterandmilk]

With the Pumpkin Scissors manga off hiatus and volume 24 set to come out in Japan next month, I've started re-reading the series. While I'm still not well, I really wanted to put together a brief post encouraging new readers to check it out because it is woefully neglected given the strength of its writing. Plus hey, legally available in digital format in the US via Kodansha -- easy to check out for many of you!

What's it about?

Pumpkin Scissors is set in the aftermath of a great war between the European (German)-inspired Empire and the Republic of Frost that has now been resolved via treaty. To keep money flowing, the Empire's Imperial Army commissions a small military unit to serve as a propaganda platoon by providing visible war relief efforts across the decimated country. However, this small but dedicated unit (State Section III aka "Pumpkin Scissors") actually tries to make a difference despite their limited funding and powers, finding themselves drawn into all sorts of dramatic and brutal post-conflict scenarios as the Empire itself reckons with the ghosts of its past.

At the centre of the story are Alice L. Malvin, second-in-command of the Pumpkin Scissors unit and Randel Oland, a new recruit to the team. Alice comes from a noble background and has lofty ideas about justice, while Randel is a gentle a veteran who served during the war and struggles to reconcile his past and present selves. These two couldn't be more different but for Randel, who was left without purpose after the war, stumbling upon the determined Alice and finding himself ushered into a unit dedicated to war relief could give him the direction he needs to go forward.

Why is it worth reading?

Don't let the rough early art or medicore anime adaptation fool you, once you get past the first major arc in the Pumpkin Scissors manga it grips onto you and won't let go. I cite the anime specifically here because even if you've watched it you're probably not entirely sold on the Pumpkin Scissors manga as a result of the ho-hum adaptation (which you can watch on Crunchyroll). However, the anime ends at a point that is basically this meme given form:

Because where the manga goes next after the final arc shown in the anime is is absolutely phenomenal. Hostage situations, terrorism, ridiculously intense tank fights. The war is over in this story but it is so deeply ingrained in every character, town and situation that its claws will never let go of anyone in this world. In that sense, with each arc building on the last, the series goes from being about superifical "war relief" to the lingering atrocities of war gradually enough that you don't even realise you're holding your breath while reading until something humorous happens to break the tension.

The author Iwanaga uses this smothering atmosphere effectively, with each successive arc peeling back more and more about the horrors of war and the difficulty of surviving after participating in the unthinkable.

However, Pumpkin Scissors never loses a sense of hope. Randel and Alice are both driven to achieve something that feels unfairly far out of their reach, but they never give up and they continue to inspire others along the way. I feel this sense of hope, this desire to improve society and to never remain satisfied with the pre and post-war status quo, is what helps Pumpkin Scissors avoid feeling too bleak even when dealing with some extremely heavy topics.

When you think about it, so many series are set during war but few opt to look at the immediate aftermath of conflict and how things don't ever really go back to normal. In this sense, I think if you liked a lot of the observations made in Golden Kamuy (which also has a cast inhabiting an in-between space post-conflict) then Pumpkin Scissors may also appeal to you.

While the Pumpkin Scissors unit are our heroes, there are no punches pulled regarding the Empire itself - be it how corrupt the military is, how useless the politicians are, or how abominable the country's wartime acts. Nobody is really who they seem to be within the rank and file, with allies and enemies coming from the most unlikely places as the series chugs along.

This is a series that deftly weaves a tale of mesmerising characters and scenarios that, while set in an alternate history, still feel depressingly relevant to today.

What about the characters?

The characters, particularly Alice and Randel, really help make Pumpkin Scissors a deeply riveting tale. They have an extremely slow-burning affection for each other, but each is so obtuse about romance for numerous reasons that even getting them to admit they feel strongly for one another takes most of the series to this point.

And while their relationship is important, they both stand alone as characters in their own right with contrasting backgrounds that often make it hard for them to understand each other.

Alice is from one of the most privileged families in the country and in the opening pages of the series we see she graduated into the military the day the ceasefire was called. Having never served on the frontlines and coming from a wealthy, political family means Alice has been sheltered from a lot and in other series she could well be an obnoxious character as a result.

However, Iwanaga gives Alice the opportunity to actually grow, to make mistakes and to broaden her outlook as she progresses through each arc. She isn't always painted as "right" despite her idealism and it's interesting seeing a young, female protagonist in a seinen title get to be like this without also being grossly over-sexualised. Overall, Alice is a strong and proud noble whose journey has involved many harsh life lessons, but who still holds her unit together and strives for a better society.

Randel, our other lead, has come from a background of poverty and suffering. I won't spoil too much of his backstory, but he brings a perspective to the unit that even Oreldo the back-alley brawler doesn't. Randel not only grew up in an incredibly tenuous situation, but he selflessly sold himself to the war machine as a youth and as such, has actually endured the battlefield. Not only does Randel not eat meat as a result of this, he truly wants to live a life without raising his weapon again -- something he has yet to achieve.

Even with the war being over on paper, he very often has to take out his "Door Knocker" gun and literally fight armored tanks. Physically, this is destroying him. Mentally, it is driving him over the edge. But deep within Randel is this burning desire to be useful in achieving lasting post-war peace, for all his deep suffering and sacrifice to be worth it, and that propels him forward even when it probably shouldn't. In the Pumpkin Scissors unit he finds purpose and a commanding officer who gives him something to believe in again, but will Randel ever be able to stand by Alice's side or will he succumb to everything pulling him down?

Something I appreciate about Pumpkin Scissors is that every character comes into their own when the time is right, well beyond our leads too. From characters that play major roles in certain arcs like Haarkenmeijer right through to Rosetta, the minor gag character nurse. Everyone has an arc in the narrative and geez, some of them are good.

If you just watch the anime it seems like Stecchin and Hunks, for example, are two extremely flimsy individuals who round out the core unit by being "the peppy little admin girl" and "dull, middle-manager-esque commanding officer". When the true extent of their individual histories and skills become apparent in the manga, you're left agape at how truly incredible they both are and how vital they are to the success of the team (albeit in very different ways).

What about it isn't good?

There are a few things about Pumpkin Scissors that bug me, but surprisingly few given the length and content of the series.

The art is honestly not that great. Iwanaga draws a mean weapon but he can be quite clumsy with human anatomy and even though his style has improved over time, I still wouldn't say it's the best. I know the art can put people off a bit, but I'm glad I stuck with it because after a dozen or so volumes it does grow on you (and the story absolutely makes it worth the effort).

There has also been a literal 5 year break between volumes. We have no idea if Iwanaga will take another break or how long he intends to continue the series for and that kind of uncertainty, I get it's not for people who really only want to read a complete story.

Speaking of stories... story-wise, I dislike how the minor character, Princess Septieme, is 9 and has a mildly fliratious relationship with the adult Martis. While Martis doesn't actively pursue anything with her and it's all fairly light, it's still weird to put them in that situation to begin with imho and totally unnecessary. Overall there's minimal fanservice (aside from Alice's sisters having big honkers) so having a random loli princess is just odd to me.

That's about all that comes to mind, but obviously if strong, bloody violence in a war-related setting are triggrering for you then I would not recommend Pumpkin Scissors due to how much of it centres on conflict and its horrible results.

So how can I read it?

The manga was originally licensed for US print release by Del-Ray, but this release was discontinued a while back. Nowadays Pumpkin Scissors is a DIGITAL ONLY release from Kodansha USA and volumes 1-23 are currently translated and available for purchase here. If you're outside the US and don't have local official options or are in the US and low on cash then check the usual sites for free options.

Can I watch the anime then pick up the manga?

I'd say yes, if you watch the entire Gonzo anime adaptation you can fairly easily pick up the manga and continue on from there. Personally I'd recommend reading the manga from volume 1 even if you've watched the anime though, as it's a more tightly written story. If nothing else, you absolutely need to indulge yourself in the anime opening because it is top tier stuff (performed by Evangelion's Takahashi Youko no less).

I think the images contained in the opening sequence may also give you a bit of an idea as to whether or not you'll find the series to your tastes overall.

Anyway there are my extremely incoherent thoughts on Pumpkin Scissors and why it's a series I enjoy and recommend you check out. I feel it deserves far more attention that it receives and I am so happy to have it back from its long hiatus. If you do check it out, let me know what you think! If it isn't for you that's OK, hopefully you'll enjoy the next series I decide to ramble about :)

[justcallmenikki7]

Hi, it’s Nikki.

I’m writing this to give you all, the ones who are still here even tho I’ve been basically hiatus for a while now, with some posts here and there. You probably all, also, saw this coming, but I’m sadly done writing.

God, im crying lmao.

Anyways, I realized after constantly trying to write something, outline, everything, I couldn’t write anymore. Maybe it’s because I went through a severe abusive relationship at the beginning of April 2022 to the end of November of 2022, and it completely changed me as a person. I lost a lot of love, likes, whatever you may call it, from that relationship. It changed me, and one of the things it changed in me was my love for writing. My spark isn’t here anymore, and I’ve been trying to hold on for the last possible year and a half for you guys, but it hasn’t happened. I’m afraid of change, I’m afraid of letting go, and have a bad time of accepting the fact that i mayve grown out of a phase, you know? My love for the boys will always be there, always.

What has also caused me lots of stress, and is a sign of losing my spark, has been trying to write and come up with ideas, and creat stories for those who have messaged me privately, and I feel terrible for not being able to do that, and I hate breaking promises/not keeping my word because I wanted to make you guys happy, and I’ve failed those individuals. I’m sorry for not finishing those requests, and I’m sorry that I never actually started them because I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to make you happy, but I couldn’t get anything out and so I sat for the longest time, trying to get a good paragraph, or in a general a sentence out, but i couldn’t and I didn’t.

And I’ve sadly relapsed the other night after almost 2 years of being clean from s/h. My depression has been in the dumps, and even tho I have so many positives going on in my life and such amazing people, and an amazing partner, my mental health is deteriorating and I need to focus on myself.

I know I’ve once done a short hiatus before and came back because sometimes a small break is good to have, but sometimes all things must come to an end, and I’m officially closing my chapter with tumblr and writing for good.

I’ve made a couple of friends on here, and those friends I want to address real quickly and say my peace.

@wickizer , girl you know everything and ily

@minniepetals . My gosh, I remember reading your story String of Fate when it first came out, and I swore up and down, still today I do, that it’ll be published in the hall of fame. Despite it being on its hiatus, it’s still the best story so far. You deserve an award for your writing, and your story Cry Me A River is such an amazing masterpiece. I’ve been meaning to read it all, but life has gotten in the way and I’m so proud of you. Even tho we haven’t talked in the longest time, I’m still cheering you on, on here and outside of tumblr.

@aft3rhrs . Love, you’re amazing and I hope you take care of yourself and take time for yourself. Self love and self kindness is a priority and make yourself a priority. Your writing is beautiful and I’m glad we befriended each other. I’m cheering you on, and always will. Thank you for being a kind person.

And every other writer that I bonded with on here, I love you and will be a huge cheerleader for you. To those who I reached out to when I was still new for advice, or for me to fangirl to, thank you for being kind and helpful.

And to my followers, the ones who cheered me on to keep writing when I first joined tumblr, thank you for being kind and supportive. I love each and every single one of you. You made this place a safe place for the longest time, and I’m thankful for all of you.

I’m sorry for the longest apology and me basically dumping my issues on here, I just needed to be honest with you all. I didn’t want this to sound like a ‘poor me’ ‘feel sorry for me’ but I needed to, like I said before, be honest with you.

This is scary for me, but this is me saying goodbye.

Love forever and always, justcallmenikki7.

[fordoggo]

Sooo I've read loads of shinran fanfics for years >> Shinran Masterlist

And I've decided to share my good recommendations of fics about ran finding out conan's idenity (this was posted in reddit as well):

RAN FINDING OUT:

Facade by platinum-breaker

Summary: Conan did not expect Ran to suddenly corner him one day.

The Face She'd never seen by ChibiRaccoon

Summary: In all the time she had known him, Ran had never seen that look on his face.

coming back to her by readingnotes

Summary: They broke him. They broke him into so many pieces, and now they're right in front of her, not Edogawa Conan, not Kudo Shinichi; no, now she's the detective, she has to solve this jigsaw puzzle and put him back together. He won't be the same. Of course not. But she'll fix him into the person he'll become.

Artificial Anxiety by Serinox

Summary: On that fateful day in Tropical Land, Shinichi turned away from chasing Vodka when Ran called out to him. Now they are in a relationship and things are progressing nicely. But events happen, which create a kind of artificial anxiety between them, that they have to deal with. Good times are easy, but can they get through the hard times too?

BACK WHERE HE BELONGS by jojoangel01

Summary: Takes part in Shinichis rebirth. Will he seize the day he was rewarded with after getting his body back? Will he be able to control his feelings for a certain person that holds his heart? PURE FLUFF, I mean it! SR, of course! What else? [COMPLETE!]

seven-percent by AngelicSentinel

Summary: Ran finds out at the worst possible time Shinichi is Conan. Now she's got to break them both out of the Black Organisation's lab, but time is running out.

The Mystery of Conan Edogawa by funvince

Summary: Ran Mouri is tired of the lies and evasions. She is determined to get to the truth behind her little house guest once and for all. But is she really prepared for what she may find?

Ran isn't an Idiot! by Baekho0123

Summary: What if Ran knew the truth right away? What if she knew who Edogawa, Conan really is? How much will that change?

Kudo Will Die by Ichthyophobia

Summary: Kogoro finds out. Conan, miraculously, survives the revelation. But only because Ran should get to kill him first.

The Gift of Love by EsTeLweNadia

Note: happens after the reveal

Summary: AU – After the defeat of the Black Organization. Sometimes, the greatest gifts of love come in small packages. Shinichi/Ran.

Feel What You Know by impossibleorimprobable

Summary: They killed her. They killed Mouri Ran. High school detective Edogawa Conan grew up cold, ruthless, and brilliant as ever. With his help, police took down the biggest crime syndicate in Japan. In the ashes, they found a child that bore too much resemblance to a girl that should have died ten years ago. The truth must come out. But at what cost?

OTHER FICS

The Case of the Missing Detective by Krista Perry

Summary: On hiatus, NOT dead. Please see my profile for details. ) A former member of the Black Org wants the secret of eternal youth and immortality, and he thinks he can get it by kidnapping Conan. Conan begs to differ.

The Darkness Inside by Akrim

Summary: Aoko receives a bunch of foreboding messages. It could be a prank but she still decides to consult with Kudo Shinichi - just in case it was not a prank. But it's Ran instead with whom she decides to decode these messages. But things are not what they seem and soon they have spun a web of lies, secrets and danger.

SIDE NOTE: if I can find more of the fics which is under a pile of files I've kept for so long. I will edit, feel free to add your comments and suggestions!

[watermelonsugacry]

i would adore to learn how/when y/n meet mitch! your posts make me so happy!

Choose Your Words

A/N: in celebration of SINCE 2010 turning 1 on Tumblr, here's how the two best guitarists in the world met! 💚

SUMMARY: After almost a year into One Direction's hiatus, Harry craves being in the studio again to make some music. After inviting his best friend and former band member, YN, onto his team, they spend the next two months in Jamaica as they make an album, uncover hidden feelings, and explore uncharted territories. (3.5k)

GENRE: 1dbandmember!yn

SINCE 2010 masterlist // Jamaica series // Previous song here! 🌵

SIDE-NOTE: italicized is voice over commentary (I wrote this kind of like the Behind the Album documentary) bold are things Harry actually said irl

“So what did you say his name was again?” 

Today marks the first day of the official writing session for Harry’s new album. The last of the team had just finished flying in the day before and settling into their new home for the next two months. 

Much like her time in the band, YN being the only female in this team was given her own room to stay in for their stay in Jamaica. With only a couple of hours in the land of paradise, she’s already traded in her skinny jeans for shorts and her leather jackets for open button-up shirts with tank tops underneath. 

Harry is just too excited to wait any longer. YN could tell how much he’s been holding it in and he has been itching to be back in the studio to make some music. After everyone’s taken naps to overcome the jet lag, it was time to get into the home studio to bring Harry’s ideas to fruition. 

The two of them haven’t experienced writing an album like this before. They were always on the road whenever they recorded, putting down some vocals here and there in a mini van minutes before going on stage to perform to a stadium full of people. They’ve never had the chance to set a month or two aside to solely focus on creating such a magic piece of art. Despite already getting in the studio to get started working on the album, it already feels like a vacation.

But before they could even get started, she had to ask about the last member of Harry’s team that she wasn’t able to meet before making the trip overseas. 

“Mitch. Mitch Rowland. He was Ryan’s roommate.” Harry answers as YN takes a sip of her smoothie she made earlier that morning. Her and Harry walk side by side down the hallway on their way to the built-in home studio. The house they were staying in was absolutely beautiful. It was just sitting off the coast so almost every window in the house had a view of the beach. It has a lot of open space in each room, a spacious backyard and a patio area for get-togethers, but YN’s favorite part of the house is the home studio. She can’t wait until hers gets done by the time they get back from their trip. 

“Wait, what happened to the other bloke that was supposed to come in?” 

Harry takes the cup from her hand and takes a sip for himself, “He bailed.”

“Just like that?” YN raises her eyebrows in surprise as he nods around the cup. “Well shit. Is this new guy legit then?” 

“Ryan said Mitch has been working at a pizza shop for the last couple of years and that they’re pretty good friends.” She nods along before being handed back her cup. “Met him about a week before we came out here and he’s pretty fucking wicked at the guitar. He’s pretty stiff competition compared to you.” 

“Har, har,” YN playfully rolls her eyes at his teasing but the compliment simultaneously inflates her ego and gives her tummy butterflies at the same time. The feeling in her stomach only increases as she watches Harry rake a hand through his new haircut.

Only a week before they need to take off to Jamaica, YN and Harry take the trip back to Holmes Chapel to a very excited Anne. The woman never fails to extend a warm welcome—especially towards the young lady who her son’s been secretly in love with since he was a teenager.

They stay by the doorframe of Anne’s small kitchen and (despite YN’s few attempts to talk him out of it) watch as Harry gets ready for his first haircut in almost two years. He takes off his shirt since he doesn’t feel like plucking the hair off of the fabric, leaving him in his pajama pants. The two women watch as he gets his long locks tied back in a low ponytail and YN can’t help the giggle that tumbles out of her lips.

“What are you laughing at?” Harry can’t help but chuckle as well. As much as this transformation is needed in order to transition into this new chapter in his life, there’s no denying that he’s feeling anxious as well.

“M’nervous! I can’t help it,” YN beams, tightly linking her arm with Anne’s.

“You want to cut a bit of it off?” Harry offers.

“Like hell m’gonna to be partly responsible for this crime being committed in front of me eyes.”

The people in the room laugh at her playfully offended tone and Anne pats her hand reassuringly to the young woman’s arm. YN’s had her fair share of hair transformations over the years. For Harry, his long hair has always been her favorite. She remembers the day he told her he planned on growing it out with the intention of donating it and the day he asked her about some ways he could keep his hair out of his eyes—introducing his love for headscarves and small clips. She remembers when she had a real shitty day and he let her braid his long hair to cheer her up...only for him to keep them on for the show they had later that night. She loved to card her fingers through his hair and watch his eyes fight to stay open.

Right as the hairdresser begins to grab at the low ponytail and brings the blades of the scissors to his hair, YN playfully covers her eyes and digs her face into Anne’s arm, “I can’t watch!”

“I was the one with the long hair. I’ve had it for so much of One Direction that cutting it off just felt like starting afresh.”

YN’s eyes peek through the gap in between her fingers as she watches the deed be done. Harry also has a hand over his eyes and playfully groans out in pain. 

She snaps a couple of pictures of him initially getting his hair trimmed before leaving to the living room to let him have his haircut in peace and have a chat with Anne. And once it was officially over, Harry only adds to the anticipation of his new haircut reveal when he tells her to cover her eyes.

“Hurry up, H. M’already all worked up.”

“Okay, okay,” She hears the sound of wood—presumingly the coffee table—scraping against the floor before he takes a take on it to be in front of her. “Open your eyes, love.” 

Her eyes make their way up from the two birds on his chest up to his head.

“Huh,” She smiles contently at the sight in front of her. Harry’s hair no longer reaches below his shoulders. The curly curtains that once framed his face have been removed. His newly short locks don’t seem as curly as it used to be but they both know it’s still there. Harry’s hair is styled in an upward motion and all she wants to do is run her fingers through it.

So she brings a hand up to do just that. She combs her fingers through the top of his hair and she’s slightly surprised that his hair is not long enough for the action to last longer. Her gaze moves down to his eyes and sees him waiting for her approval. 

“Is that a good ‘huh’?” He asks when she hasn’t said another word.

“It’s a good ‘huh.’” She tilts her head to the side as she continues to stare at him and a smile of his own creeps onto his face. She’s definitely going to miss his long hair, but on the other hand, she thinks his new look suits him as he starts a new chapter in life. And if she’s being completely honest with herself, he looks so fucking handsome.

When he sees her eyes continuing to bounce around the top of his head and around the rest of his face, he playfully pushes at her knee, “Stop or else I’ll get conceded.”

His chest swells when he sees that gorgeous smile of hers only become that much brighter, “Oh I think you’re way past that.” 

“I was about to personify my hair but I decided not to,” Harry huffs out a smirk from his seat in front of his interview chair. 

“M’excited for you to meet him though,” Harry says, rubbing his hands together. “Getting a lead guitarist is just the beginning for all this, y’know? Like it makes this that much more real.”

It’s really exciting to see Harry so excited about his music. Going from being in the band for five years and putting out an album a year was tiring to say the least but the fact that they were making music that they loved balanced out some of the stress. Now as an upcoming solo artist, it was inspiring to see him as passionate about music as he was when she first met him all those years ago.

“Well let’s stop wasting time then and let me go see how wicked this guy really is.” YN smiles and reaches for the door handle but before she can touch it, his hand covers hers. She blinks up at him as he brings their joined hands to his chest.

“You think talking to me is a waste of time, lovie?” Whether it was the teasing look in his eye or the way he smirks at her with his dimpled cheeks, but it has her mind going blank without a witty comment to fire back. Yet this is how they’ve been for years: making jokes that were borderline flirty, causing the other person to smirk or playfully roll their eyes in fake annoyance, acting like one another’s actions didn’t have an effect on them when it utterly and wholeheartedly did. Since they couldn’t do anything about it with the strict restrictions of the no-dating rule in the band, there was no harm or foul with these kinds of conversations.

Now everything is different.

They aren’t in the band anymore.

These stubble comments and questions left them searching for the truth behind each word that pushed past the other’s lips. Did the other person actually mean what they said or was it just them being how they always are? 

At a loss for words, she furrows her brows with a rigid shake of her head, “N-no, I-I mean—”

“M’joking darling,” An amused smile graces his face from seeing her all flustered and tongue-tied. It’s a rare sight so whenever he’s able to catch her off guard in this way, he relishes in it.

YN pulls her hand away from Harry’s with an eye roll and a scoff, trying her best to play off a cool demeanor, “I know tha’.” 

Despite her efforts, he continues to smirk down at her before twisting the door handle and pushing the door open. 

“After you,” Harry extends a hand out towards the room. With one last look at him, she enters the room with the rim of the cup to her lips to hide the heat creeping its way up to her cheeks. She sees two of the producers, Tyler and Alex, messing around with the buttons on the panel and in a light discussion. 

She also sees a guy in the recording room through the window above the huge studio console. His long hair covers his face as he looks down to tune his guitar.

“Is this him?” She asks, feeling Harry behind her. 

Tyler turns around and gives a quick nod, “Should we let him know we’re ready for him?”

YN cocks up an eyebrow with a hand lazily resting on her hip, “Let’s see what he’s got.”

Given the good girl persona that One Direction’s management forced upon her during the majority of her career, no one would really expect her to look so intimidating. Sure, there’s always going to be some slight intimidation for the fact that she’s a member of one of the most famous bands in the world, making music that quickly lands them at the top of the charts, putting out new music, and performing to sold-out stadiums almost every night—but she’s been so prim and proper externally that some people wouldn’t think twice to write her off as anything else.

As the last year of the band progressed, more and more of her personality began to shine through to the outside world. She’s a harsh critic and doesn’t like to sugar coat shit—especially if it comes to a big project like this for one of the most important people in her life.

So as she takes a seat on the leather sofa chair with Harry sitting on the arm rest, she puts one leg over the other and crosses her arms over her chest with a neutral expression on her face. Harry might say that this hippie looking guy is a good guitarist, but YN needs to see that for herself.

“I was a bit skeptical about Mitch at first, m’not gonna lie,” YN lightly laughs in her interview chair. “I mean, v’seen a lot of talented guitarists so far during my music career so I was mainly looking to see like, ‘what’s so different about this guy?’” 

From the first note that the guy behind the glass riffs—as cool as it was—she keeps from showing her thoughts and brings her cup to her lips. Harry pinches at his bottom lips as he watches for her reactions; needing her approval for something as vital as this racks his nerves like no other. 

As Mitch continues to play, Harry sees the way YN begins to slowly move her head to the pretty melody. Her eyes scan the spot on the floor in front of her as she listens closely to what’s being played and the infamous crease in between her eyebrows appears.

“But the moment he started playing, he just...” She shakes her head with a smirk. “...he blew me fookin’ socks off.”

Mitch does a really cool riff on the guitar that has the four of them in the room whoop and shout in amazement.

“Woah!” Harry stands up from his seat and lifts his arms in the air. 

“Holy shit!” YN lets out a laugh, putting her hands to her temple in disbelief. “Are yeh fookin’ kidding me?”

The next thing she knows, Harry’s removing his pink button up, crossing his arms across his torso and removing his shirt to place it onto her lap behind him. The two producers in the room soon catch on and start laughing hysterically at the sight before them.

Harry then proceeds to shimmy out of his tight, black jeans, leaving him in his tiny briefs, and sticks his arms in the air. YN places her index fingers in the corners of her mouth and blows out a loud whistle both for Mitch's guitar skills and Harry's undressing.

The two of them don’t waste another second as Harry takes her inside the recording room to formally introduce her to the newest member of the team.

“Mitch, this is my best friend YN. YN, this is—”

“Mitch fookin’ Rowland,” YN smirks, taking his outreached hand. “S’nice to meet yeh, mate.”

“Thanks, same here,” Mitch gives her a shy smile. “Harry’s told me a lot about you. He told me you’re a musician too?” 

Trying not to be thrown off by his innocent tone, YN glances at Harry at Mitch’s unexpected comment but she’s quick to bounce back, “I am, yeah. Nothing too major though. Play a bit of guitar as well.”

“Yeah, and by ‘a bit,’” Harry throws a hand on her shoulder. “She means she’s practically married to it.”

“You have to show me some of your secrets then,” Mitch motions to the guitar that’s still pressed against himself.

“Sure, but before that, you gotta show me how you did that one riff earlier,” YN says as she’s already reaching for one of the guitars she’s brought for the trip and throwing the thick strap over her shoulder.

It’s strange to meet someone who hasn’t known their band. YN can’t remember the last time she met someone where they didn’t know her name and her success prior to being formally introduced. Since she was sixteen years old, she began to feel like everyone knew everything about her: her feelings, her background, what she was fucking thinking just because they read something in some sleazy, tabloid article. People had preconceived notions about her but with Mitch, it’s the complete opposite. It was an uncomfortable experience at first, but then YN fookin’ loves it.

“The thing with Mitch is that since he had no experience with being in a recording studio and YN having the same, if not more, experience with songwriting and that sort of thing, it really connected us in a way where the three of us sort of, balanced each other out,” Harry explains, before pitching at his bottom lip with his thumb and index finger. “We had each other to lean on and work this out together and the three of us wrote the majority of the album together.”

“The first song we wrote together was Ever Since New York,” YN recalls as she pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. “Knowing from personal experience, the best form of therapy and venting out yeh feelings is in songwriting so...that song was just waiting to come out of Harry.”

A major part of creating music is being vulnerable. It’s an intimate experience to write songs, especially with other people, in letting other people see your hurts, your feelings, and the kinds of thoughts that can keep you up late at night. It’s one of the reasons why YN and Harry are as close as they are. It took some time to get used to it at the beginning of their careers together, but they let each other see the deepest parts of themselves. They tell each other things that they’d be embarrassed to tell anyone else with no fear of judgment; they’ve created a safe space in one another...well, as safe as one can feel when they’re secret, deeper feelings for their best friend.

Ever Since New York came to life fairly easily; songwriting can be that way when writing from life experiences. After finalizing some of the lyrics about Harry’s sick father with YN and working out the chords with Mitch, the next they knew he was laying down the vocals for the song. 

As everyone gets to work in the studio, YN finds herself reverting back to her old demeanor in the band: sitting in the corner of the room watching as the four male producers work their magic in front of the huge console of buttons and sliders. Not that she minded all that much since she was hired as a songwriter, there was nothing in that kind of job description for her to be with the other men producing Harry’s songs.

She knew her place without being told and she’s had years of experience in learning how to be okay with that...but that didn’t stop her mind from dreaming about being up there, moving various sliders, typing away at the desktop computer, and helping fix vocals as they appear in their zigzag form on the screen.

As if hearing her thoughts behind him, YN’s head perks up when Tom—better known as Kid Harpoon—spins around in his seat and beckons her over with a nod of his head.

When Harry comes out of the recording booth, a smile spreads across his face when he sees YN sitting in a swiveling chair with everyone else, clicking away at the desktop mouse as Kid points to the screen. She nods to whatever he’s saying and highlights the recorded vocals to make the needed adjustments.

When Kid sees Harry come up to them, he pipes up, “H, you didn’t tell me we got another producer on our team.”

“Oh, no s’nothing—” 

“I thought you knew,” Harry says in-matter of fact, interrupting YN before she can finish. When she blinks up at him, he nods over to the computer screen. “Wanna show me what you’ve got so far?”

She gives him that smile that has been making his knees weak since he was sixteen years old. “Okay. Okay, yeah. Um, so here’s a bit from the first verse you did earlier...”

As she shows him the work she’s done, it takes him a second to make his eyes stop bouncing around her profile. She speaks so passionately about her work, her eyes lighting up like a kid in a candy store. The way her plushy lips push and pull with each word has him wanting to reach out to run his thumb over her bottom lip.

After all these years, how has his feelings for her not gone away? 

He thought maybe this time it would be different. They’re not in the band anymore...but with her being hired on as a member of his album-making team, they’re practically co-workers once again. 

Harry pulls his eyes away from her face and looks at the computer screen in hopes to drown out those intrusive thoughts. He just hopes this doesn’t affect their work...shit.

Next Song Here! 👻

taglist:

@wobblymug @be-with-me-so-happily @ashtongivesmebutterflies @kiwiskiwiskiwi @darlingdesire @obsesseddd @hopefulwastelandcreation @cacapeepee @breezie-b00 @harrysfolklore @theekyliepage @sunshinemoonsposts @nervousspiderling @tbslonelyhes @tenaciousperfectionunknown @harrystylesrecs @certified-nalayak @itsjustsel @iknowyouthinkimbulletproof @gviosca @behindmygreyeyes @twobluejeans @allisonxmcu @theemeraldbutterfly @jean-love @marvellover-sam @b-reads-things @reveriehs @rach2602 @thurhomish @perrypughstyles @luvonstyles @mxltifxnd0m @teamspideyman @c00chiemonster @juiceboxrry @s8tellite @folklorehrry @illicithallways @claramllera @eunoiaax @hoya122 @nichmedder @sleutherclaw @gloriousmoneyrascalbiscuit @harianaswhore @vrittivsanghavi @vc55bughead @futuristiccroissantlampsludge @onecrazydirectioner @valluvsu @itsgabbysblog @awkwardbisexuall @rosehel @sucker4angstt @isalove @diorchives @mrshiddlestyles02 @fdl305 @tiaamberxx

[seenoversundown]

Masterpost

₊⊹ The Caravel Tavern Series ⊹₊

The opening of Caravel Tavern was a dream come true for Jake. With the help of his best friends and brothers, naturally. In a small city in New England, it's rare to come across new faces. (or even run into some from the past) Follow along through the series to discover what this piratical themed bar has in store for these boys.

WARNING: This series would be considered an AU ROM-COM, with romantic themes, wholesome friendship vibes, found family, and silly goofy behavior throughout.

Trigger Warnings will be listed at the beginning of chapters if applicable. (Please reach out if you feel anything was missed and I will make sure to add it in quickly!)

Please be advised that this series will include slow burn, open-door romances, meaning there will be on-page sexual content. Mature readers only (18+)

• All of these can be read as stand alone books, but do read better as a series! They are interconnected, so you will get more details if read in order 🫶🏻 •

💜 🩵 💛 ❤️

Sam Kiszka x Willa (Fem OC) - Temporary Hiatus

Enemies to Lovers | Forced Proximity | Workplace Romance

Masterpost

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Josh Kiszka x Quinn (Non Binary OC) New posts every Monday!

Love At First Sight | Secret Dating | Friends to Lovers

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• Book 3 - TBA

Daniel Wagner x Melody (Fem OC)

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Jake Kiszka x Charlotte (Fem OC) New posts every Thursday!

Workplace Romance | Friends With Benefits to Lovers | He Falls First

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Anything extra that is within the world of Caravel Tavern:

Prologue ⁂ - (Jake POV) : Opening night of the bar and all the festivities that come with that.

Dueling Cameras ⁂ - Sam x Willa (Fem OC) decide to make getting pumpkins into a little competition (per usual) (One Shot)

Chiaroscuro ⁂ - Josh x Quinn (Non Binary OC) attend a local film festival where Josh gets to present a short film he's directed. (One Shot)

Spooks & Cider ⁂ - Daniel x Melody (Fem OC) Back in high school, go to a Fall Festival where Melody faces her fear of the Haunted House. (One Shot)

Affirmation ⁂ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) find themselves in an oddities shop where Charlotte has her tarot cards read, whether she believes in it or not. (One Shot)

Be Naughty, Save Santa The Trip ☠ - Sam x Willa (Fem OC) Sam runs late after a shoot and Willa leaves him a little surprise for when he gets back home to her. (One Shot)

Merry Everything & A Happy Always ⁂ - Josh x Quinn (Non Binary OC) have always had the tradition of baking cookies together, but Josh sets up a scavenger hunt for Quinn to bake some this time for a very special reason. (One Shot)

It's The Most Wonderful Time of Year ⁂ - Daniel x Melody (Fem OC) took on hosting Christmas dinner with everybody but unfortunately for Daniel, nothing is going smoothly. (One Shot)

White Christmas ☠ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) have a million and one things to do on Christmas Day and Charlotte is already stressed by 6 am. Thankfully, Jake knows exactly how to calm her down. (One Shot)

Succulent ☠️ - Sam x Willa (Fem OC) take a little trip to Vermont for Valentine’s Day where Sam cooks up a nice dinner with a great idea for dessert. (One Shot)

Satiate ☠ - Josh x Quinn (Non Binary OC) - Quinn is sweet enough to make breakfast in bed, but also has a devious little plan for their favorite person. (One Shot)

Saccharine ⁂ ☠ - Daniel x Melody (Fem OC) spend a sweet Valentine's Day making cinnamon rolls together and then have a cozy evening away. (One Shot)

Siren ⁂ ☠️ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) get stuck at the bar on Valentine’s Day, but Jake makes sure to make it up to her after the bar closes. (One Shot)

Allure ⁂ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) it's Family Lake day and that means getting to longingly stare at Jake while he takes care of everything he can. (there is a part 2 that's linked at the end <3)

TagList | Jukebox Playlist | Master List (for other one shots / fics)

Wattpad | AO3

[saturnine-saturneight]

Here Comes the Sun

Being that I'm now on hiatus from posting Reburial to work on Act 2, it feels weird not to post anything on Sundays at all, so I'm going to try and keep up the posts with behind the scenes and other material that I already have lying around. Hope you all have fun it.

To kick that off, I thought I'd post the very first version of Chapter 5 :) I wrote this 8 years ago now, in 2016. This and the other short drabbles I wrote back then have been the basis for countless drafts and rewrites, but this chapter specifically is close to my heart because it was the very first one. A lot of it is very different, and some things stayed very much the same. I think it's a very fun comparison.

If you'd like to read this, I would suggest you read at least up to Chapter 5 first. Consider this heavy spoilers, it covers the same ground. All content warnings that apply to the most recent version of Reburial apply to this as well.

1.

You spot the first mushroom while washing yourself in the bathroom of a fast food chain—brightly colored plastic chairs, the queen's face plastered everywhere, glory to the Empire—and Ron dashes into the room so fast he almost slips on a puddle of cheap hand soap. 

He asks you why you screamed, your face in both of his hands; so you show him the memento you got from Cherie, a small, bright blue patch on your tan skin right where your first rib starts. The two of you more cling to each other than you hug, and then you both take antifungals at opposite sides of the grody bathroom and try to work out a plan of action.

“I didn’t think this would happen”, you say around the small white pill under your tongue. You want him close again, but you sit on your hands instead. “I never would’ve done this if I knew. You know that, right? That I didn’t know?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah”, he tells you and rubs his hand over his head, “calm the fuck down, I know you didn’t go spore fishing on purpose.” Then he stares at a suspicious puddle on the tiles between you. “Fuck, though." 

"Yeah”, you admit, “Fuck.”

2.

The next one pops up as you’re unloading boxes from a van you stole, trinkets and tidbits and two pounds of liquor, and when you heave the last box up the steps that lead to your customer's house and go to wipe the sweat from your forehead, there’s a bright blue patch on the back of your hand. You scream again until you cry, and don’t stop until Ron soothes you down from it (he never holds your face like that) and you can barely see him through all the tears. He tells you it’s going to be okay, but wears a mask around you from then on. 

He’s scared, you think, but you’re not sure if it’s for you or for himself.

At least it’s quiet for a while after that. The mushrooms don’t go away, but neither do your flowers, and you regularly make sure that they’re still there, push them upright, pick the dirt off them. You have to count your blessings after all.

3, 4, 5.

The third mushroom brings a friend, two cerulean blue fans that bloom up from your torso, right where your binder starts. They itch, but not as much as the fifth one that follows two nights later. It turns out that scratching them off doesn’t do anything.

Your best friend hasn’t touched you since you last shared a bed, almost two weeks that you’re really not trying to count—eleven nights, exactly eleven—when usually, you’re almost always in some kind of contact, feet in his lap or head on your shoulder or wrestling him in the dust. It’s good that he’s staying away. He split the antifungals up for you right before he split up the rest of your belongings, his side and yours, and that’s good too. You can’t actually see his face now, but the crease between his brows reads terror. That’s not so good.

6, 7, 8, 9—

After that, it all comes in waves. First more mushrooms, sprouting up in a big, technicolor patch right under your sternum, one all the way up your arm, a few single ones on your forehead and your cheek (Cherie’s still burns cold against yours), all as blue as the sky on the worst days. They leave your beautiful blossoms wilted and brown and you cry some more. Ron starts chewing his nails again.

Then comes the fever, bright and hot (like the sun? No, like a fire, or—like something that’s hot), and you’re almost grateful because it makes you forget yourself so much that you barely even notice that you can’t bind anymore.  

Next comes the thirst. You don’t have a metaphor for that one, all you know is that you could drink the sea if Ron let you. His face reads something milder now. Worry again, maybe. (He’s not giving up on you, is he?)

End.

What really knocks you out is the hunger, though; two, maybe three nights after the thirst sets in. Your legs go weak under you, your stomach is hollow, even the crusted up red you left in your wake before Ron made you trim your nails is starting to look appetizing, even if you’re vaguely aware of how disgusting that is. He feeds you jerky, beans, and canned fruit, but it’s just not enough.

There’s nothing on his face now, nothing in his body language. You know this boy like the back of your hand—bright blue patches not included—and you can read him like a book. He’s going to leave you. Of course he is, no normal person would ever love a zombie.

So the next time the moons go down, you don’t sleep. It’s not like you would want to miss a single ray of sun anyways, but this time, you won’t lie down in the grass.

He sleeps in the dark in your backup tent, curled around his dog, hood pulled over his eyes. There’s fine, brown fur all over his clothes when you come closer, and when you crouch over him you see that his hair has gotten way too long. 

You’ve barely reached out to brush your fingers through it when something stops you mid-motion—he’s awake. “Nat?” Then, again, “Natalie?!” It’s way too loud for such a beautiful day, such a bright day, such a—you find that your mouth works in vain when you want to express that, so instead, you growl. He calls for you again, turns his head towards your tent—he thinks he’s hallucinating, so, like the good friend that you are, you show him that he’s not.

You aimed for his throat, but caught an arm instead, you discover when your teeth hit his ulna with a satisfyingly wet crunch—or his radial bone? In any case, you get a mouthful of blood. You just want to bite down again to make short shrift of this one when you discover that he has a second arm, the faithless friend, the fucking traitor—the dart in your neck won’t budge. Fuck him for looking so clueless while carrying elephant-grade tranquilizer with him. Fuck him and fuck his crocodile tears. 

Your jaw goes slack almost instantly, but at least you get a second bite in. On a shoulder, you note, hazy but not unhappy, before the world tilts and you go down hard.

Hi Reburial taglist 👋

@tragedycoded @cowboybrunch @fairytaleinagem @marlowethelibrarian @gioiaalbanoart

@davycoquette @cometkov @writingrosesonneptune @innocentlymacabre @noblebs

[thatguythatdrawsalot]

Ruby - Atlas Design Critique.

I'm ending things off with a post about Ruby, now I do love making these kinds of posts but I don’t want to make it a top priority because, of course, I wanna draw other things especially since I start college around the corner. These posts tend to take more creative juices from my small brain. Until then, just consider critiques/redesign posts on a hiatus. 

RWBY Archives

I’m glad you guys were able to see me talk about outfits in a negative, negative, neutral-positive, and now POSITIVE way, mainly due to being biased. The archives say pretty much the obvious in her having a new style and being more cutting-edge with the look aka more stylish. I think they nailed it as she looks more mature and better yet her corset is way more reminiscent of Pyrrha. You know? The friend Ruby wants to honor since she saw her die right before her eyes- I can keep gushing about how cool she looks but uh, again I’m being biased, she’s cool-looking but not… practical. As in this outfit isn’t necessarily good to wear in Atlas, or rather the tundras. I wouldn’t mind this if she was solely stuck in Atlas/Mantle but she goes on outside missions, why on earth is she wearing a mesh? If anything this outfit would serve better if she was in Vacuo. The outfit had an alternative version of No Sleeves and even her presumed Volume 10 outfit looks so identical to her Atlas design.

Amazing how even the best outfit in Team RWBY still doesn’t make her look warm for the climate.

Hair

Remember back in my Blake Critique post on how I said I hated the ‘Spitting-Image of Parent' trope in fiction? They could’ve given Ruby a ponytail to look similar to once again; Summer, but they didn’t they got Ruby’s messy bang out of her field of vision and swooped it to the left! She looks 100% cuter and combat ready and while everyone was excited at her for looking more like Qrow, I was excited cause her hair looked more like Taiyang’s hair in being swooshed to the left. Though I wish they gave a reason as to why Ruby changed her hair all of a sudden, when characters change hairstyles it’s usually to show a display of growth with a ‘Show Don’t Tell’ reason but I’ll be biased and assume Ruby just wanted to look more mature ever since stood her ground in Argus for a reason I don’t wanna rant about.

Primary Color - Red!

Ruby doesn’t fail in representing her color of Red. The long red cape already does the job well plus her red skirt, she’s a gold star for being a red-themed character. But when it comes to her sleeves, blegh. I’m sure people have noticed this by now but Ruby’s sleeves are light gray which is so similar to her skin tone, which puts more emphasis on her arms. I swear the first time I saw the teaser trailer and saw Ruby’s model, I thought they decided to ditch the sleeves but no. The sleeves are just super light like her skin. I think it would’ve helped the design if they either made Ruby tan like her sister or made the sleeves a darker gray.

Negatives?

I do love Ruby’s Atlas look but as I said I can’t be biased. As cool and cute as she looks it isn’t a proper outfit for the cold environment she’s in, she even shivers in the show canon. The sleeves matching her skin look weird. An open skirt is silly and what’s sillier is a belt holding it in place. I also really hate how Ruby’s cape was just… replaced. Back then I thought her cape had significance as she continued to wear it even when it was withered and tethered, but even back then I thought her Vale cape held more significance- but anyways it was just replaced. Whatever I guess- oh my god it’s the same cape with lazy fabric around her neck. They couldn’t give her a different styled cape? One where it’s held together by a string? Buttons? Pins? No?...

Redesign

Okay, I know it’s crazy, but I ditched the cape and emblem. I know, I know! I just used the canon logic and since the cape didn’t mean anything to Ruby for it to be replaced, she could just ditch it for now. I know the cape is an iconic element but I couldn’t find a way to incorporate it. I also ditched the metal emblem, I know it’s a ‘mother’s promise’ and her mom’s emblem but uh… she didn’t wear it in Volume 2, I didn’t think she would care to wear it now. I wanted the look to be different but I think I just made Ruby unrecognizable now. I know the formula is to have Ruby wear a cape and the metal emblem but I just… couldn’t. I’ll confess to you guys about something, the main inspiration for this outfit was Ruby’s Ice Queendom design. I love it and wanted to try to get Ruby with that similar vibe, but I can understand if everyone may not like this. No cape, no metal emblem, and looks a little more childish when Ruby is supposed to be mature. I get it, but I wanted to show you guys that you shouldn’t be afraid of drastic changes to designs. It can sometimes work and sometimes not. 

Conclusion

Ruby’s outfit is still arguably the best amongst her team even when it’s not climate-appropriate, as much as I nag about her sleeves being too close to her skin color and the decision of her cape being repaired I still do love it. It isn’t perfect I can admit that but she is on the top best Atlas designs for me. If this outfit was instead held off for Vacuo or a return to Vale, it’d be top fifteen at the very least in all of the designs we’ve seen across the show. 

But of course it’s just my opinion. If you love this design or hate the design, please share your opinion. I’d love to hear it! :D

[musingsbycaitlin]

HEY! Writeblr Intro!!!

Hi, my name is Caitlin, and I’m a third year Creative Writing student in rainy England. I’ve got a couple WIPs but none are set in stone so you’ll have to bear with me for a while haha.

- I’m here for a good time so my writing is solely based on my mood and vibe at the time, please do not expect consistency.

- I write short stories mainly but am trying to branch out into novels so you’ll hopefully be seeing a bit more of that in the future.

- I am a university student with anxiety and decision fatigue so things change drastically around here every so often but I promise if I go quiet I will come back.

Let’s get into the WIPs (these will be constantly edited and changing) and feel free to ask me any questions about any of them, even ones that might have been removed from this list if you’re interested.

IF I GIVE UP, SO MUST YOU - a Wild West literary fiction novel

STATUS: currently drafting (on hiatus)

GENRE: literary fiction, sapphic romance(?)

CURRENT WORD COUNT: 3,995

Okay, so a bit of info about this project. I started writing it a bit ago purely because I wanted to write a Wild West novel and then it turned sapphic and then it became literary. It follows an unnamed narrator as she navigates life outside of her small town after she is targeted by bandits in a raid. A coming of age novel that explores what it means to figure things out for yourself whilst battling with false truths engrained into your from a young age.

NIGHT SWIMMING (working title) - a short story collection

STATUS: literally haven’t even started :/

GENRE: literary, horror, surrealist

This collection is my version of NaNoWriMo this year because there is no way I can feasibly write a novel in a month where I also have to write my dissertation first draft and three other short stories like no. I’m hoping to do an update on my page whenever a story is complete, so I will also update this section to include the names of all the stories going in. Stay posted is all I’m saying ;). All I know is I want it to explore the everyday in a surrealist way (as most of my stories do).

DAMAGED GOODS - a dystopian sci-fi novel

STATUS: currently drafting (on hiatus)

GENRE: dystopian, sci-if, speculative

CURRENT WORD COUNT: 2,323

So, I haven’t done an intro post to this yet simply because I had to put it to one side once university started again. A brief summary is this: Auden, an average guy, husband, and father, has gotten into a dreadful car accident. In this society, however, surgery is replaced with metal transplantation. Due to Auden’s extensive injuries, he now must live in suburbia with a completely metal head, arm, and leg.

I’m super happy with this concept and the initial 2,000 words I’ve got I’m pretty okay with. The main issue is where to take it and if it will be a full novel or more of a novella.

EAT YOUR YOUNG - a gothic horror novella

STATUS: currently drafting

GENRE: gothic horror

CURRENT WORD COUNT: 4,950

I haven’t done an intro for this project because I honestly wasn’t sure I’d return to it but the spooky season is upon us and I really want to get back into writing this. Brief Summary: Mr Gerard is an accountant hired by the Heron Manor estate to deal with the affairs of the three sisters residing there after a mysterious death of the man of the house.

This is going to me my main personal priority other than my short stories for now and I’ll try to get an intro out soon.

Okay, so that’s all for me folks. Like I said, any questions please feel free to send me an ask or a message, don’t be a stranger. As a writer I always wanna talk about my projects, OCs, and anything else writing craft related!

I’m tagging some mutuals, if you wish to be tagged or removed :( - let me know x

@annlillyjose @dallonwrites @aesa @winterandwords @iannicellis @isherwoodj

[lover-of-mine]

The thing I find fascinating is that the show runners are fully capable of writing engaging couples. Henren, Bathena & Madney – their relationships are beautiful. And then we have Buck and Eddie with their respective LIs. It’s almost as if they want the relationships to fail.

This season, they had every chance to set up Tommy as a suitable LI for Buck. But they didn’t? They didn’t even have to show a grand love confession or the likes, but at least some small gestures. Them holding hands in the hospital, Tommy dressing up for the bachelor party, being a little more sensitive when they ran into Eddie during that first date… Just a few simple things that would have made all the difference.

I feel like most of the love for Tommy comes from headcanons the fandom accepted as universal truths, while there isn’t much in canon to support it.

This isn’t meant to be hate on the character (though it probably will be taken that way by certain people), it’s just that I don’t think he is a good fit for Buck. He’s guarded and deflects with a dry sense of humor, when Buck needs a person to be vulnerable with. You know, someone who is so soft and sickeningly sweet with him. So far, I didn’t get much of the sorts from Tommy. But then again, we didn’t get to see a whole lot of the relationship actually playing out on screen, so who knows.

And the other thing that started to bother me is about the daddy issue thing. There is nothing wrong with showing (or alluding to) a couple having an active/kinky sex life. In general, I’m all in favor of it.

But looking back at season one, Buck used sex as an unhealthy coping mechanism to feel a connection to people. And he doesn’t have the best relationship with sex to begin with (Remember 7x05 and the talk with Eddie, where it hadn’t occurred to either of them that saying no is an option? Doesn’t sound healthy to me.) If they wanted to set Tommy apart, they should have put all their efforts into building an emotional connection between the two. I’m not saying that sex can’t be a part of it - not even that it can’t be kinky - but that the show should have put much more emphasis on the emotional aspect of it rather than the physical attraction.

Maybe it’s just wonky writing due to a shortened season but the relationship between the two isn’t half as good as it could have been.

No, but I made a post about this during the s6-7 hiatus, because it's not like the show doesn't know how to establish a love interest, bathena and madney work because all of them exist individually and Henren was introduced to us in a way where we would side with Karen, so even tho Karen only exists to be Hen's wife we care about her in a deeper way because Karen has never done anything wrong in her life. With Buck and Eddie all of the love interests are presented to us with something wrong with them. Shannon never had a fighting chance because she left and Eddie himself was never sure about her, Eddie was dating Ana and Marisol because he thought he had to, and I'm not even gonna go there with Kim. Abby breaks every possible protocol to call Buck, and she's never in it in the same way Buck is, Taylor tries to take advantage of Bobby's addiction for her personal gain and continues to take advantage of him to get ahead, Ali is never there, Natalia is too interested in Buck's death and Tommy is callous. There's a weird metaphor in there, but the basketball scene, the way Buck hits Tommy and ricochets back and Tommy doesn't even flinch. Buck needs someone who will bend. But the show didn't even try to establish an emotional connection between the two of them, everything comes back to the physical and with a character like Buck, who was shown using sex as a bad coping mechanism, to constantly make it seem like this new relationship isn't going beyond the sex is concerning. There were better ways to imply they are having sex. Even more considering the way the show had the opportunity to make it seem like they are building some sort of emotional connection and just chose not to. Every scene we had with the 2 of them could be rewritten adding the idea that they actually care about each other beyond the attraction, and that's a choice. To go the route they went is a choice. I'm still not over the way they had Tommy not dressing up and then Eddie suggesting matching outfits in the next scene. Like, it was that easy because they showed Eddie doing it. And I don't wanna compare, but with the constant triangle formation and the way they were showing Eddie as the person who understands Buck and Tommy as the dude Buck is fucking, we have nothing happening in our screen that makes it seem like Tommy is even a little fond of Buck and all I can think about is Buck standing in front of a hot air balloon with a huge bouquet of flowers for a woman who referred to him as a boytoy. Buck deserves someone who's gone for him and none of his canon love interests gave me that impression. And they make a very explicit choice to not make that implication. They could've been something, but right now they aren't. If you just watch the show you don't know why they are dating. They are just there. And coming from a show that wrote bathena, madney, and henren, and the way that Tommy being a firefighter gives him a fighting chance because it's real easy to make him exist outside of Buck, it's on purpose.

[chupenguin]

I'll be the man my father never was (extra)

[Remember the dadzai fic being in hiatus?? Well, here's a small part of what I had planned, posting it for @imsofrancey bday!! Have an amazing day!!!]

December 2022

Nights like this are getting less usual with each passing day. 

Now, Dazai doesn’t call for a helping hand, only so he can drink himself to sleep in a bar down the streets of his city. 

Adam is right about what think, he should burn the desire to drink and drown with something else that soothes his mind and, with a little try and error, walking around was found to be the answer.

So, Dazai becomes an elderly man, strolling around the city with hands in his pockets. His fingers twitch, aching to hold a cigarette, but he pushes that to the back of his mind as well, and keeps walking in the dead of the cold winter night.

Would you stay for Christmas? Chuuya asked two days ago.

We’ll leave once winter is over.

Like some kind of princess trapped inside the hut in the goods, or a pirate condemned to take refuge in the port during the months the ocean was ungovernable.

Their tug of war of offering Dazai and Atsushi to stay and not being able to leave, had been going on since September and maybe, by this time, Dazai didn’t really wanted to keep playing.

It’s late when Dazai comes back from his walk, later than he had planned when he told Chuuya about heading out for a while. He needed to clear his mind, to walk around an empty city, thinking about nothing and allowing his feet to take him wherever his body wanted.  

With all the complaints he had at first, Dazai is glad when he opens the door of Chuuya’s apartment. If he was still alone, he would have paced around the house, digging his nails too deep into brittle skin as he tried to ground himself. With Chuuya home, he can leave for a walk, knowing that Atsushi is safe and sound, without having to call and bother one of his friends or coworkers. 

Balancing everything is easier now, and Dazai knows that without Chuuya here, his bad habits would knock on the door much louder than they already do.  

“Chuuya?” he calls softly, but the apartment remains silent as he takes off his shoes. Three pairs of shoes align by the door now. Atsushi's ones are more for the show than anything but, in these past weeks, Chuuya had bought enough baby shoes to fill a room.

“He’ll walk soon”, he said last night. “I can feel it.”

The tiniest doc martens Dazai had ever seen seem to be his favorite ones, and that are the ones in the genkan. Maybe Atsushi and Chuuya went for a walk too, sooner in the afternoon. 

There is no sign of Chuuya in the living room or in the kitchen. Maybe for once he dragged himself to bed early, not waiting for Dazai to come back. He doesn’t blame him, work and taking care of both Atsushi and Dazai, is a draining thing to do. Not even Chuuya and all his energy can keep the rhythm with the kind of life they have now. 

“You’re asleep?” The door to Chuuya –their– room opens, just to find an empty bed, and that’s strange, because there’s no sound coming from the bathroom, and the small balcony door is closed. “Slug?” 

Chuuya may be short, but not enough to disappear inside the apartment. And much less left it unattended. The only ones in the room are the cats, sleeping peacefully in an empty bed. 

“Did you fall asleep in the brat’s room?” opening the door slowly, in case the kid is sleeping, Dazai walks into the next room. Feet light against the carpet and tiptoeing around toys. “Chuuya?” 

He asks again, because Chuuya is not occupying the rocking chair.  

“Where are-,” oh. “Hi...” 

Dazai gets his answer when he approaches the crib to see Atsushi.  

“Found you.” 

He should laugh at the vision of Chuuya fitting inside a crib, but instead of that Dazai’s heart melts with affection at the way his partner embraces Atsushi. The kid is holding onto the adult´s shirt, melted in his arms in a sleep that looks deep and comfortable. 

Atsushi has a tendency to fall asleep holding onto something. 

And a tendency for waking up when someone makes him let go from that something. 

Dazai can see it, Chuuya rooking the baby in his arms until he was quietly snoring, and climbing into the crib when he realized that he wasn’t letting go of his finger. Anything to not wake him up. 

“Someone’s back is not going to be happy about this tomorrow,” short and small and everything, Chuuya is curled into a pretzel to fit inside the crib. “Sleep well dear.”

And then, he heads for his own spot in Chuuya’s cold bed. 

A loud sound blasting through the baby monitor wakes him up a few hours later. Dazai opens his eyes and jumps from the bed so quickly that he’s not even half awake when he bursts Atsushi’s door open, rushing into the room like a hurricane. 

He freezes in the spot the moment he realizes what’s happening. 

It wasn’t a cry that woke him up, no. 

It was a laugh, crystal clear and filling the room in a way that makes the static in Dazai’s brain go away.  

Well, more like two laughs. 

Atushi's giggles, clear and happy and so full of life, make a strange contrast with Chuuya laugh, deep and a little ugly. But Dazai always found the way Chuuya laughed charming, even if it was loud and a little bit crooked.  

They're still sitting inside the crib, Atsushi on Chuuya's lap, who keeps ticking the baby's sides, making him burst with happy noises for the first time in the morning. 

“Oh, you’re awake,” Chuuya says, looking at him from his spot in the crib. Dazai expected to find him ashamed or blushing because of it, but he looks pretty content with his sleeping spot of choice for the night. “Morning.” 

“Good morning...” 

“Say morning to dad Sushi,” and he grabs Atsushi's little arm, making the kid wave at him. 

“Papa!” Atsushi makes grabby hands at him and Dazai’s legs finally answer, walking toward the crib so he can pick up the kid. “Papa!” 

“Papa looks weird,” Chuuya jumps out of the crib without problem, stretching like a cat in the sun. Dazai decided to ignore the cracking sound Chuuya’s bones make, too focused on the sight for a few seconds before that. “Everything is fine?” 

Chuuya’s hand rests on his arm, warm and secure. It's not a firm grip, he just places them against his cold skin, and Dazai shivers at the touch. Or maybe, it’s the soft look in Chuuya's eyes that makes him shiver. 

With morning light sneaking in the room, Chuuya’s eyes are magical, light dancing over the mismatched colors. He looks happy and relaxed, and, when he tiptoes to kiss the corner of Dazai’s mouth, Dazai indulges. 

“A little under the weather, that’s all,” there’s no point in lying to Chuuya and, as much as seeing him and the kid together cheering him up, last night's episode has Dazai trying to find balance once more. “The walk helped.” 

“I’m glad then,” glad that it wasn’t a bottle of sake or a razor that did the trick. Glad Dazai was learning how to deal with everything in healthier ways. “Breakfast?” 

He doesn’t push it, Chuuya doesn’t ask when Dazai doesn’t tell. 

Chuuya bops Atsushi’s nose, who laughs again, trying to reach for him again. 

“No buddy, you already stole him from me the whole night,” Atsushi is so easy to distract, the moment he talks, his attention is back in Dazai. “Stealing other’s man from such a young age, what are we going to so with you?” 

Dazai nuzzles his nose against Atsushi’s chubby cheek, who keeps laughing. He's such a happy kid, easy going and bright. He's everything Dazai wasn’t when he was younger, he hopes he can keep growing up like this. 

“I wonder who he learnt that from,” Chuuya says, still on his tiptoes. “Sounds like a classic Mackerell move.” 

“I never stole anyone’s girl,” he protests, pouting a breath away from Chuuya’s mouth. “And I didn’t steal you either.” 

Chuuya came to him in his own stupid accord. 

“You’re lucky my taste in men is as bad as your posture,” and then, with a last impulse, he finally gives Dazai a proper good morning kiss. Chuuya's lips are warm against his, and Dazai can feel the small smile that takes shape against his mouth. “You need to shave.” 

Chuuya complains with their lips still pressed together and, in revenge, Dazai bites his bottom lip. 

“Only if you do it for me.” 

[dojunie]

MISDIAL; LJN [CH 4 TEASER] PICK UP THE PHONE!

[★]; [MISDIAL MASTERLIST]

info;

lee jeno x fem!reader

college au

chaptered

slow burn

genre; not-quite-friends to lovers, older brother mark lee, brothers best friend lee jeno, light angst, eventual smut, yn is a menace to society, story/character driven

warnings for this teaser; none

teaser wc: 2k / comment on this post for taglist!

taglist:@hibernatinghamster@jenoxygen@eaglesnotravens@donutswithjaminthemiddle@jvjsssnaa@huangrenhyucks@luvenshiti@shiningdery@jaeminsbebu@aliceinwhateverland@bebsky@gem-gem@jkjkseo@jenosbliss@pewpewpwe00@ti–red@philanarose@softbbyg0rl@aaasteroidsky@carelessshootanonymous@en-boyz@jlsavyy@roseymerrie@bangchanisemo@skuezk@jaehyuns-adorable-dimples@ourbeautifulaffair@jeonnyread@jvjsssnaa@episkeyjeno@bockhyun@jenojammin@zarastrawberry@peachie-bear @itadaramaterasu @alymii @cuteejeno @episkeyjeno @nohunlee@ooojisoo@luv4jeno @jydivrs @pinkysinnerbaby @jenojenoyes @maeyoung @axmdocs @nctzennikki09

[a/n] jeno lovers this is for you... thank you all for sticking around through these random long ass hiatus(es?), i promise the full chapter is being worked on and coming soon. here is a longer teaser for your trouble. i love u.

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“SO. ARE WE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT?”

It’s 7:38AM, and Jeno has finally driven for long enough that the Palisades building is no longer looming in his rearview mirror. In a perfect world he’d be heading back to his apartment right now to sleep away the next twelve hours of his life— but Jeno’s life has not been perfect since you moved back to Seoul, and he knows even before Donghyuck finishes speaking that the following conversation is going to be unbearable.

The man in the backseat slurps obnoxiously from the thermos he’s got at his lips. “Frankly, I’m a little suspicious that we’re not already talking about it. Because there is like… no chance neither of you have anything to say about all of that.”

“All of what,” Jaemin thankfully asks, nonplussed. “Your sudden closeness with little Jeon?”

Donghyuck scoffs, taking another loud sip from the borrowed bedazzled cup. The contents held within is fresh brewed coffee courtesy of the small Starbucks Jeon Somi’s has on her kitchen counter, and he’s practically perched on top of the center console because he’s leaning so far forward. “No, prick. Don’t even start. All of that being last fucking night. You know,” he prods very pointedly, “At Wooyoung’s?”

For a split second, Jeno’s mind goes completely elsewhere.

Wooyoung’s. The guy was more Jaemin’s friend than his but he’d been invited to the party anyway, initially with a polite promise to swing by for an hour or two before clearing out to avoid the storm rolling in. Then, a few hours later in Mark’s place, you. Wandering into the apartment none the wiser to his presence, lost and squinting into the depths of your phone; and the only thing Jeno can remember from the seconds before you looked up and shut him out again was wondering how the hell he didn’t notice how much you’d changed. 

If he was being honest, it's something that's been bothering him since that night at Nabi Bar. Because… you’d always been cute. Ask anybody with eyes. In highschool you were cute enough that sometimes Jeno didn’t quite understand why no one else seemed to be thinking about it as much as he was. Everything you did made him want to pick you up and shake you like a dog with a new toy. But somewhere along the lines, this…shifted. 

“What about Wooyoung’s?” Jaemin sighs. “We were there for like, four hours. You’re going to have to be more—”

“You and Y/N,” Donghyuck says unrepentantly, striking right to the heart of his curiosity. “Mark’s birthday up in the woods, the lake house, whatever the fuck happened there. Y/N’s truth or drink question. To be specific.”

Jeno isn’t the best at understanding his own feelings, and he’ll admit that easily. So if he’s being serious about when he first realized something had shifted, when he noticed that something was undeniably different about you— he’d, coincidentally, also have to point a finger towards the weekend they all spent at the lake house. It was the first time he’d seen you in nearly four months. He’d shown up at Mark’s place with the van full of guys and hung out downstairs in the same living room that he used to spend every afternoon screwing around in before college came and whisked them all away, and waited for you and Mark to come down. And— And, he’s not proud of this, but— Well.

Well, when you did eventually reveal yourself, when you finally found his eyes amongst the crowd of his friends perking up at your arrival… he’d kind-of been expecting a bigger reaction. 

He’d been working out more, is all. And he’d grown his hair out for the first time since he was a little kid, and had finally grown accustomed to the pokey, itchy world of contacts. He looked different. He felt different. He’d just finished his first year of college and was definitely feeling a little too cool about it. And in highschool you used to look at him like he had done something great for just simply existing— so he’d been ready for you to all but drop when you saw him now— but you’d run your gaze over Jeno for what felt like half a second before turning to Renjun, smiling widely at this new guy like you’d been waiting to meet him and only him. 

And he remembers being… confused.

That had been the first clue that something about you (or, maybe, something about him) had changed.

“Na Jaemin. You are absolutely not going to sit here and not explain what the hell she was talking about.”

“It was over a year ago,” Jaemin replies belatedly. The tense beat of silence that followed Donghyuck’s question was nothing to be envied, but Jeno almost instantly preferred that to actually hearing… this. Whatever this is about to be. “And you heard her. There’s nothing to explain. She was getting over someone, I was getting over someone, and like most stupid teenagers do, we did the only thing that came to mind—”

“Okay but you understand that she’s not like most stupid teenagers, right? You hooked up with Mark’s little sister. On his birthday. At his birthday party. Did you have a death wish? Why are you both acting like this isn’t breaking goddamn news?”

“Because it isn’t news,” Jaemin mutters sharply, starting to sound a little agitated. “For a myriad of reasons. Can you please not phrase it like I was trying to seduce the Virgin Mary?”

“I’m not phrasing it like anything! I just… I mean, you’re not seriously going to pretend like this isn’t absolutely insane, right?”

“What about two people hooking up is so insane to you?”

Donghyuck seems flabbergasted by this. “Jaemin. Everything. Everything about it is insane. Because it’s not just two people ‘hooking up’. Of all the people on earth you could have— and trust me, the number of options you have is high, I’ve heard some of the shit the girls on campus say about you— you chose her? The single person on this earth that Mark would flay you alive for even—”

Jaemin snaps his eyes to the rearview mirror, and Donghyuck’s words cut a little short. He’s reached the end of his rope.

“Donghyuck, is Y/N a human being to you?”

A very, very stagnant second passes.

“Or is she just some attachment to Mark, some little doll with no will or power of her own? You realize that this is why she hates being around us so much, right? Why she’s never around in her own apartment? Did you even notice that you’ve only ever said her name once in this whole bullshit conversation? Do you know what you’ve been calling her?”

Jaemin’s question hangs in the air like a physical weight. 

Mark’s little sister. That’s what Donghyuck had been mindlessly referring to her as. The realization hits Jeno like a punch— his hand tightens around the steering wheel with immediate guilt; guilt for not even noticing how interchangeably they’d all been using the words in the first place and, much deeper down, knowing that even if Jaemin wasn’t talking to him, Jeno was definitely the worst culprit in the vein of only seeing you as an extension of your brother. 

That’s basically what you’d told him on the balcony before you left and took half of his spirit with you. 

“Jae... that’s not what I meant,” Donghyuck says, sufficiently scolded. All the gossip-seeking enthusiasm has drained from his voice. Now he just sounds sorry. “You know that’s not what I meant. That’s not how any of us see her.”

“I know that,” Jaemin replies quietly, returning his gaze to the window. “She doesn’t.”

They ride in silence for almost a whole block before Jaemin sighs.

“If you want to know so bad, freak— she found me after I got off the phone with Jurin for the last time. Sometime while you guys were off gathering wood for the campfire.” 

For a moment Jeno genuinely doesn’t know what he’s talking about. A millisecond later Donghyuck perks up from the backseat though, and that’s never a good thing.

“At… At the lake house?” he says tentatively.

“At the lake house,” Jaemin nods. 

Shit, Jeno thinks. Fuck. 

“Y/N found out that she and I broke up, I found out that she was having guy problems of her own, and we basically had compliment-time to make each other feel better. The next time I saw her was when you guys left to go camping and we stayed back. I was watching a movie in the living room and she asked if she could join me because she couldn’t sleep, and— And after that you can put two and two together. That’s it.”

“Prude,” Donghyuck mutters. When Jaemin shoots him another look in the mirror though, he’s the perfect picture of innocence. “—Is what I would have said, if you were talking about any other girl, ha ha. Anyway! Did you guys kiss?”

Jeno's arms tense up so quickly that he almost swerves into oncoming traffic. 

“Fucking hell—! Hey! You’ve got precious cargo back here, jackass!”

“Pothole,” Jeno grunts. 

He’s lying through his teeth. But it’s the only thing he could think of. There’s no such thing as a pothole out here— they’re in Gangnam, on a main goddamn road, but he can almost feel Jaemin’s eyes on the side of his face, so keeps his eyes sharply forward despite the fact that his ears are no doubt already starting to flush pink from discomfort. 

“I’m not telling you that,” Jaemin replies after a second. “Voyeur.”

“What? What type of sense does that make? You two literally fucked on our communal couch, but asking about a kiss is too—”

Even if it feels like every nerve instantly lights ablaze under his skin from this comment, Jeno is much better about controlling his expression this time around. It probably wouldn’t have mattered because in the moment after the words left Donghyuck’s mouth Jaemin whirled around in his seat to pinch him, a sharp grab at his thigh that had the boy yowling in surprise— and then immediately thereafter, agony, because Jaemin’s strength is nothing to sneeze at. 

“Listen to me very carefully,” Jaemin hisses. “Firstly, don’t be crass, before I actually pinch you where it hurts. And secondly, not a word of this is leaving this car. Do you understand, Lee Donghyuck? If you tell anybody—”

“Okay, okay!” Donghyuck cries out. “Fuck, do you have razors under your nails?! I think I’m bleeding!”

“If anyone asks me anything about the lake house in the next few days that’s only what's first to come,” Jaemin replies darkly. “I’m serious. You can laugh about it all you want but we all know exactly how Mark is going to react if he finds out, and I’m not interested in playing the odds on whether he ends my life via strangulation or vicious beating.”

Donghyuck mutters to himself, still rubbing at the spot where Jaemin sniped him. He’s thinking of ways to reassure Jaemin, probably. (Or so Jeno hopes, because the younger him could have surely used some reassurance that Mark possibly wouldn’t have tried to kill him where he stood if, back in highschool, he’d ignored your brother's wishes entirely and actually told you how he felt.)

Jeno is probably listening even harder than Jaemin when Donghyuck simply whistles and says, “Remember when we all watched him punch that watermelon in half during spirit week? Back in our senior year, when they were still finding chunks of it a week later in, like, the ceiling rafters and shit? I think my money is on him beating you to death.”

And on that very positive note, Jeno flicked his turn signal on and coasted into the lane that would take them right back to SNU.

[thanks for reading! full chapter coming sooooon ♡]