#i got various ribbon to make their bracelets...

[loverdude]

I think I have bought most of the supplies I will need to make Carrie plush become real 😈

[helenkordart]

This was a bit of an insane project! I decided to draw all the designs from the various official arts we have gotten over the years. A bit of an archiving project! I tried to make them as accurate as possible. It involved a lot of guesswork tho, since most of them don′t show the full designs. Let′s just say that only 5 of these (and I mean five figures, not design sets lmao) show any kinds of shoes.

I do love seeing the design elements that carry over between the designs tho. Ququ is a cold boy and has to have some kind of fur or a scarf. Feng-er doesn′t want a speck of dirt to touch him and prefers high collars and bracers and high boots (the boots ARE book canon tho). I also love that there′s only three designs that have Ququ wear some kind of crown, the rest is just ribbons or nothing at all, despite the jade crown being mentioned at least once. Like no, we want the boy to be cozy and prevent headaches...!

Please tell me which designs are your favourite! Mine is the official manhua design, mostly because it′s honestly such a smart design, especially Ququ. Like you can tell the artist looked at Ququ and his specific disabilities and worked from there. Besides the hair ribbon, my favourite small detail is the arm warmers that look like compression gloves used for arthritis 🥹 That one means so much to me. Also the difference in layers between Ququ (I′m cold) and Feng-er (ew no dirt touch me ew). It′s just. So nice 🥹♥️

If you want the corresponding official arts, I′ve posted them in the thread on twitter! Anyway here′s which is which with more commentary lmao sorry I cannot shut up about these so much thought actually went into making them and this is the only place where I can actually talk about them properly 🥹

The designs from the first discontinued manhua- Some people in the fandom prefer these because they say they feel more adult but no, sorry, sure the art skill might be better but they just. Don′t feel like Fengcuis to me. Like I would′ve learned to love them but I′d never exchange them for the main ones we got. Plus the character designs changed between all the panels, so trying to chase down a specific design was hell. I′m glad Ququ showed up only in one panel so I didn′t have to do that again lmaoo

The designs from the official manhua- I already explained above why I love them so much. Just. These are THE designs for me. I see these little guys and my heart goes doki doki. If (when) I make lil standees, I′ll very probably use these

The designs from my favourite of the manhua covers- you don′t understandddddddddddddddddddddddddd I love this cover so much. To say I′m insane about it is an understatement. Just. Look at the cover art. Feng-er staring directly into the camera, challenging. Ququ looking soooo kissable. Their entwined fingers. Ququ wearing a jade bracelet in the colours of Feng-er′s robes. I′m just. Vrrrrrrr bark bark BARK. Also had to make MORE patterns for this one. Still not sure I did it proper justice tho 🥹

The manhua-canon modern au outfits- I still can′t believe we got a canon modern au where singer-spy Feng-er kidnaps doctor Ququ on a mission-date and has him hold a silly baloon all day and wear a cute little cap with a silly little cockatoo on it and then they wish each other a happy new year during a sunset on top of the ferris wheel AND I′M SUPPOSED TO BE NORMAL ABOUT IT???????????? Anyway Ququ in his tweed collection is so cute. Mwah. Best boy. Feng-er come on tug on his scarf and kiss him. Do it. Now

Designs from the covers of the traditional edition- these designs are pretty unique while still feeling in character, which is cool! Ququ is such a fancy lil lad here. And I′m obsessed with his... frog? Mousie? Front clasp. I made it a little fox because of course I did

Design from the 1st cover of the simplified edition- I don′t have that much to say about these honestly except that they′re very pretty. I love that Feng-er′s top robe is sheer and I love the silver embroidery, even if it took me some time to figure out how tf to draw it

Design from the 2st cover (Ququ) and 3rd cover (Feng-er) of the simplified edition- that Ququ design drives me crazy. He looks so soft and cozy, you wouldn′t guess that this is the meanest most repressed bitchiest man in all of ye olde Sui dynasty. I want to squeeze him. Cute agression overload. Meanwhile I couldn′t figure out what Feng-er′s belt and hem was doing pattern wise so I just winged it lol.

Fengcuis cosplaying a married couple with designs from the Thai vol. 1+2 freebie- God. Funniest arc in the entire book. They′re insane. They′re perfect for each other. Peerlessly matched. One day I′ll draw more of unhinged wife Feng-er because seriously. Their idea of heterosexual marriage is SO funny. They′re so real for that. And the og chibi designs are SO cute. Ququ′s sweaty little face. This was your idea gay boy, suffer

Audio drama designs from first half of season 1- These are so funny bcs the difference of the designs is like. Main covers: beautiful and ethereal. Minisode covers: Ququ is A Tube with a head on top. Slappy fights. Beautiful. No notes. TubeQu is a god′s perfect creature

Audio drama designs from second half of season 1- I said it before but these just feel too generic to be properly them. While drawing them they did kinda grow on me, at least Feng-er, since his expression is kinda perfectly smug. Im still ehhh on the Ququ tho. He′d look better without the crown.

Designs from Thai covers 1+2- oh man lol the thai covers. I was joking that I could not save the Feng-er, but he did grow on me. It might be that he looks proper manic with the chibi base I drew 😂 But he′d look so much cuter with bangs. Idk why the artist did him like this. Meanwhile Ququ is the most beautiful man alive. I mean it′s what he deserves, but it′s still very funny. Also LOVE how big and fluffy his collar is.

Designs from Thai cover 3- besides my other issues with the thai design, the colours on Feng-er just clash lmao I′m sorry, again why did the thai artist have to do him like this 😂 meanwhile the coat on Ququ is not a colour I′ve ever seen him in, but yknow what it works surprisingly well. He continues to be the most beautiful man around. Sorry king is that horrible peacock bothering you

[queerbuckleys]

Is It Gender Play?: A Case Study in Masculine Presentation in Fashion

So first off I want to start by saying that this is about the clothing and it is not about Oliver. These items were chosen by a stylist to serve the aesthetic of ABookOf. He is indirectly involved because he happens to be the one wearing them, his presence does have an effect as this takes on the perspective that he is as far as I know, a cis man. The clothes are the material and in this case he is the canvas– which still has an effect on the artwork at the end but is not manipulated. I am going to be using a feminine, center, masculine approach to this because it’s the best way I can conceptualize this clearly, not because that's how gender and presentation works. Got it? Cool! Let's go! 

ABookOf is a Arts & Culture publication that focuses on storytelling that has a bright and fun aesthetic that is not directly but in the vein of Camp. As a part of their mission statement they state that they strive to highlight “Your brand, your stories, your journey and your talent…through the artistic eyes of our team and collaborators…”  

This ensemble curated by Andrew Philip Nguyen, Fashion Editor of ABookOF, is a look that plays with pattern and masculinity. 

The bold orange shirt that has a slight pattern on it, that is indecipherable at the moment. This appears to be a traditional button up, styled with a red polka dot ribbon. This is what pulls it toward the center in terms of presentation as it evokes that of a traditionally feminine pussy bow blouse while also resembling a traditionally masculine tie. The other styling choice that adds to the mixture is that it is unbuttoned revealing the white undershirt. 

The other attention grabbing piece in this ensemble are the boots. They are a traditionally masculine combat boot style that has been adopted by various “deviant” subcultures aesthetic closet. What pulls attention and them more center is the bright color because bright yellow is not a usual color for shoes, for either end of the spectrum. The height of them is also eye-catching and pulls them into the subversive category as they are taller than the traditional boot and are aligned with subcultures. On a side note I love that they seem to be either Doc Martens or reminiscent of them in their design as a nod to Oliver’s origins, which connects their strive to highlight their interviewee’s story and attention to detail when selecting items for their photoshoots. 

The bracelet is also traditionally masculine, and while jewelry is historically present across all genders, in combination with all the other pieces in this ensemble it adds to the playing toward center and the definitions of masculine fashion that the look is making a statement on. 

The pants are deceivingly simple. Upon first glance they are the least interesting piece in the ensemble but they are one of the grounding pieces of the look. If they were plain black pants, it would all still work, but be far less intriguing. They add yet another pattern and texture to the entire ensemble that creates the Camp aesthetic that ABookOf seems to have curated. 

In a nutshell, each of these items fall into the “traditionally masculine” category when stripped to their bare bones, it is the unique way they are styled and presented that pulls them center. This ensemble is an exploration of masculine presentation that slightly challenges the greater societal expectations of masculine fashion. The boundaries of which have been softening, especially in magazine photo shoots, over the past two or three years. So to answer the simple question of is this Gender Play? No, it is masculine presentation on a masculine body that falls into the family of Camp and breaks societal norms and traditions. 

[weministertomonsters]

Deathsinger - M monster x F reader

The scent of spices and food is heavy in the air. Henna-stained hands flash as servants from various households buy from the stalls, arguing with sellers over prices. Small tents house coffee mats, where men and women drink strong cups and play cards, pinning and unpinning jewelry from their hair as they win or lose.

Other tents hold fortune tellers or shamans with pouches of dried snake skin and oils that will make a person fall in love with you. Troughs full of embers sizzle as the juice from meat and corn drips on them. Teenagers loiter and small children play tag and pilfer food until their mothers find them and drag them home.

This is Vasskeva, the desert market.

Your tent is set up under a fig tree a little out of the way, purposefully harder to find. That's what makes it unique and what keeps customers coming back. That, and your dancing, and the seductive arch of your eyebrow, and the way you engage with your audience. They love it, men and women alike.

The boisterous people that come crowding into your tent tonight look a lot like bandits, but tonight is Vasskeva, and peace is the one rule everyone upholds on this night. They come with pockets full of jewelry they have either won or stolen from the card tents, high on the buzz of coffee, fried cheese, and wine.

You dip your head in a courteous bow.

"How may I entertain you today?" You ask.

They cheer, and a few calloused fingers stuff gold rings and bracelets into your bedazzled bra, sneaking touches of your skin. You smile, red lips glistening in the candlelight.

"Dance, dance!" A bandit says in a thick accent. "Say, where's the Oskov we found? Oskov are music people, no?"

A man is pushed forward. He has no shoes on which is a risky move in the desert. His robes are plain, not his native clothes then. The Oskov are famous for the brightly colored fabric that even the commoners wear. Except for his feet, the rest of him is covered, even his hands. The shawl swathed around his head is deep black and you can only guess from the tilt of his head that he is watching you. The only other thing you can make out is the glint of a metal band around his neck.

"Have you instruments, deola?" One of the men asks, his thumb caressing your ankle.

You smile and pull your foot away before he ends up tripping you. It has happened before, your very presence entrancing someone to the point that when they touch you, they don't let go.

"I have a drum. Can you play?"

The Oskov nods once and you unearth the drum from beneath your mountain of dancing ribbons and tambourine and shakers, holding it out to him.

The metal band around his neck glistens with repressing magic and you idly wonder how he got caught. His gloved hands touch yours for a moment as he takes the small drum from you and sits cross-legged on the floor. He pulls off the gloves and lays them on his knee. His hands are dark grey with veins close under the surface that resemble tree roots. His long fingers are dangerously elegant, the black-tipped nails trimmed down to harmless crescents.

You pick out a soft orange dancing shawl with metal beads that make a shimmering sound and wait for his signal. The drums start slow and rhythmic. You've always liked the deep sound of this particular drum, a pitch that drags the movement out of your very being until you feel like the drum is directing your movements.

The bandits clap along appreciatively. They are well-behaved and respectful, which is more than you can say for some noble people who have visited your tent.

You begin to learn the beat the Oskov is playing out for you, anticipating the highs and the drops. You spin and shimmy, letting your shawl dance through the air, whispers of the fabric slipping sensually over hands and grinning faces. The drum speeds up, and as you dance, a fine sheen of sweat covers your skin. When the song finally ends, you're breathless, and not from exertion. You feel alive, your vision sharp and your veins flowing hot with blood. It transforms your body. Anyone would be a fool not to recognize how turned on you are.

The bandits look pleased like they've accomplished something. Gold coins and jewelry are offered to you, but you refuse. You manage to catch your breath and you push your heavy braids over your shoulder and announce,

"I want him as payment."

The bandits turn to look at their captive, and for a few moments, there is silence. Just as you think they will refuse, their leader booms out a laugh. Their leader turns out to be a tiny, toothless old woman, not the muscular man you had presumed.

"You certainly have an eye for nice things, eh, little deola?" She lisps. "You have danced well. Hmmm..."

She taps her gnarled fingers on her cane.

"I will bargain with you, yes? We will give you not only the Oskov but half the gold if you put on another show for us."

"Very well. What dance do you want?" You ask.

"A dance of life, shall we say. With him in it." The leader smacks her lips in satisfaction.

She probably thinks you won't bite. But you're determined to have him, so you give your head a little toss and nod. The bandits cheer. The Oskov is sitting very still. He offers no resistance when someone snatches the drum away and begins to play a disjointed, banging tune. You hold your hand out to him with an apologetic smile. Sleeping with him hadn't been your initial plan, but you have no choice now.

He has the right to refuse, but he takes your hand and stands, intentionally looming over you. You're not afraid. You lean into him, and whisper against his covered ear,

"Do this for me, and I will help you remove the band around your neck."

~ • ~ • ~ • ~

It's been a long time since I enjoyed writing something this much! It turned out exactly how I wanted it. I have a part 2 in mind as well, in case anyone is interested! The music at the beginning is exactly what I listened to while writing this.

The dancing I envisioned for the story is bellydancing, which I happen to be learning myself, as a fun way to exercise. I kept wanting to take a break to dance myself. 😂

[krash-and-co]

LOCKWOOD AND CO HEADCANONS BECAUSE I'M BORED AND AUTISTIC

some of these are going to go against canon but I don't care because yes

𒊹︎︎︎ Lockwood really likes cats, and they like him too. if he sees one, he'll kneel down and just wide-eyed stare at it. and it'll??? like??? go up to him???? Lucy is still trying to figure out why this is.

"do you telepathically speak to cats lockwood"

"do I what"

𒊹︎︎︎ George once created a fake ghost out of mesh, chicken wire, semi-transparent curtains, glow-sticks, and various other random items. He claims it was for "research purposes," but considering it was placed in front of the bed in the spare room Kipps often sleeps in, nobody believes him.

𒊹︎︎︎ Kipps really likes kareoke. whether he is good or not is a topic of argument often. Lockwood says "he's making a wonderful effort," (while covering his ears and visibly grimacing) and George and Lucy just straight up tell him he sounds like a dying animal or something of the same meaning. he's actually not horrible, and Holly may or may not join him. (they are good friends no I don't take criticism. and they are both gay. they're besties and I-)

𒊹︎︎︎ Lucy made Lockwood a bracelet and he wears it literally all the time. he's got his suit, jacket, tie, and oh look at that a bracelet. very professional. he somehow doesn't see the problem.

𒊹︎︎︎ Lucy and George made Lockwood a birthday cake from scratch when he turned 18, and Kipps and Holly were in charge of decorations. Lockwood was sent on a phony errand to buy a very specific brand of doughnuts which he took very seriously. George, who was carrying the cake to put in the oven, ran into Kipps and Holly, who were holding a fold up table.

the batter spilled all over it.

Lucy insisted that the oven would burn away all the germs anyway so she and George quickly scraped the batter back in the bowl, put it in the oven, and served it later, decorated and everything as if they didn't scrape batter off the ground 2 hours before. It was not very professional looking but didn't look like anything happened to it either, and lockwood saw it and actually cried.

however, Kipps and Holly wisely turned the cake down when offered. George, Lucy, and Lockwood ate happily.

Lockwood does not know.

Lockwood will never know.

𒊹︎︎︎ holly, when lacking something practical to wear for a case, will literally cut her dresses shorter or rip off sleeves and stray ribbons without batting an eye. the team was in shock the first time she did this. she doesn't know why.

𒊹︎︎︎ Lockwood knows sign. you absolutely cannot fight me on this.

he learned when he was little; Jessica taught herself and then him because she knew he had difficulty speaking when upset. (he had an even harder time handling his emotions when he was younger.) they'd use it all the time together.

but after Jessica died and he wound up working with Sykes, there were multiple instances where he'd start signing and nobody knew what he was saying. eventually he got even more upset and just gave up, resorting to complete lack of communication until he could speak again. that happened a few times with his Portland Row crew, when he was really frustrated and just couldn't think of anything else to do, and they all felt so bad for not being able to understand him despite how hard he was trying.

lockwood decided he wanted to teach Lucy sign literally out of nowhere. they were just sitting on the couch together, and they're both all quiet until he turns to her and grins. he puts his hands to his chest and then his right pointer finger against his left palm, and she's confused until he explains it means he loves her. "love L. love Lucy. I love you, Lucy." She thinks it's the sweetest thing ever and he really wants to show her more (cuz he's finally with someone he loves and trusts and ow my heart). after that day he started teaching her for little dates and stuff and ahhhh lockyle...

help me I thought about this way to much it's so perfect

but it's better than obsessing over the fact that Netflix ditched us

[stalwaria]

[ Lucky Charms ] - What’s a magical night without some souvenirs? A particularly enterprising merchant who’s been around for the past few balls has come up with a genius lucrative lovely idea: charms and bracelets with the chosen year’s theme, so as to remember it by… You should totally get matching versions for your friends, too!

Despite the hour of closure drawing nearer, there were still various activities to take part in. One interesting development was the arrival of a merchant selling lucky charms, who had only just arrived, or so it seems, as she just about finished setting up her stand.

Now this is pushing the boundaries of legitimately late. Can’t hurt to check it out, though. Maybe I’ll find something interesting.

The build quality was rather nice for a makeshift setup, Kliff noted. There were a number of small trinkets—keychains with unique characters, sword charms glowing from the chandelier light, ribbons with detailed inscriptions, weighted decorations (I’m sorry, what?)—mostly just fancy knickknacks, and Kliff was never interested in superstition.

Despite his lack of interest in the main advertising methods of the vendor in front of him, however, he was so absorbed in his observation that he hadn’t realized another party-goer walk up to the stand as well, seemingly more interested in the baubles laid out before them.

Weighted. Decorations.

Weighted decorations...!?

Etie peers, a spark in her eyes, at the trinkets and baubles on display. She had considered getting a couple of charms to share between her and Céline, but now, she was far too caught up in the wonder of weighted accessories. Sure, she had her tiara, but...

The more she wore, the more she could maximize her endurance training!

"Excuse me, vendor? I'd like—" As she reaches out to point at a bracelet that caught her interest (was each charm made with heavy metals, she wondered?), her arm bumps into the guy beside her. "—oh, sorry. Guess I got a bit excited there."

Eyes flicker down to his accessory, and she smiles. "I can trade you my teardrop crystal, to make up for the inconvenience."

[houseofbeelzebub]

🍒| A light pink box with orange polka dots was placed right on the top shelf of Elliot's locker [Just before they got off their Mechanics Club meeting], tied and held together with a yellow ribbon.

. . . 🌿| The box contained a mildly decorated orange cream pie in a container and a bottle of orange peel tea, both of which were individually wrapped in a white and red plaid piece of fabric. Another small box was placed on top of the food, containing a golden charm bracelet with various mechanic and little tangerines/oranges charms. And at the very bottom there was a envelope . . .

" Good evening Elliot, I hope you enjoyed the Pie, I tried making it myself . . . it was my first time attempting to make pie, but I can assure you it's not poison. (Which is why I placed it at the very top, so you could try it before having doubts) . . .

I was attending a festival, and picked out the charms myself as it reminded me of you . . . I hope it matches your aesthetic. As for the tea, you've been looking quite tired and I find this particular flavor comforting and it just soothes the tastebuds. (Hopefully you haven't chugged it down by the time you're reading this, since I'm aware you usually leave mechanics club around this time).

It was a bit difficult to get the measurements right, but I wanted to make something myself for this particular gift, as it would probably help set up my motives without much of an explanation required.

But if you do happen to require a more direct explanation, then I must confess, that I've surprisingly fallen for both you and Asteria, so if you don't mind, would you care to join me for a picnic later this week?

— Sincerely, Allure . . . "

[ooc: once again asking to pretend this happened real time because homegirl would NOT ever in her LIFE confess online, publicly.]

*stareing at the stuff with a very red face.*

Gues I'll have to dress up for a picnic....make her something aswell while I'm at it *he mumbled before she went to go eat the pie,now wearing the bracelet*

[arcaneprism]

Coffee Shops

Requested by: @catuskat666​

Prompts: Soulmate AU, magic coffee mug

Warnings: Mentions of food

Notes: IM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE I ACTUALLY STARTED WRITING IT AGES AGO BUT I GOT HIT WITH THE WORST WRITERS BLOCK - like... i literally havent written anything I could release as even a short story for years??? So I decided to like... bullet point hcs (my thoughts may wander and be incoherent im so sorry) instead or else this will never see the light of day. I will leave the few lines I’ve written at the bottom tho!! 

———————————————————————————————————

So most people have soulmate marks that make it easy to find who their soulmate is. It could be an odd mark but once you knew who it was referring to then it’s pretty obvious.

Okay some people had rather unfortunate marks because of this (Claire had the trollhunters amulet in a pan poor girl) but he’d still say they got lucky

Douxie got a fucking coffee mug

He worked in a coffee shop constantly surrounded by people who are addicted to and reliant to coffee how on Earth was he supposed to rely on a coffee cup to figure out who his soulmate was???

Okay well, he knew that they were magic at least.

His soul mark was on his left forearm and it spends most of its time under Douxie’s magic bracelet thing and his hoodie sleeve. It was a magic wand pouring coffee into a mug with magic sparkles surrounding it. the mug had a ribbon banner type of decor around it that said something Douxie couldn’t fully make out. All he could read of it was ‘- alive because of coffee -’ and ‘-ally die’. 

(Pardon the sketchiness i kinda just doodled it like 5 minutes ago)

Once again, Douxie did not find this information helpful. Arcadia was filled with magical creatures - trolls, aliens, wizards and witches, it was literally magic central and again !!! He works !!! in a coffee shop !!! surrounded by caffeine addicts !!!

When asked, Douxie would probably shrug it off - he’d been alive 900 years after all, if he was going to meet his soulmate, he’d probably have done it by now. (Especially now that, y’know, he worked where their source of life can easily be found - no he wasn’t salty at all that he’s not met them, what made you think that?)

It would be nice to meet them though. He would love the intimacy and understanding people with soulmates seemed to experience. Platonic or romantic, it didn’t matter. He’d love having a lifelong friend he could bare his soul to. 

If he was being honest, the reason he craved meeting his soulmate so much is probably his lack of a support system?? He had Archie and Zoe and made various friends over the years sure but Archie wasn’t human and he didn’t always get it and Zoe had her own life and her own issues and both of them often needed space from each other (900 years of constantly being around the same person does get quite suffocating) and his other friends were mortal so... that wasn’t great. What he build proved to be a sufficient support system over the years but a sufficient support system doesn’t make for an ideal one and yeah, he’d like something more stable

Whatever ROT alternative happened, Douxie went to Metrocity or somewhere and came back to Arcadia after.

(I like the thought that he probably bumped into his soulmate at Metrocity honestly??? They were probably holidaying or lived there or something idk but the universe dictated that it was not yet time for them to meet so no significant conversation happened and definitely nothing coffee related they probably just passed by each other or something)

Back at Arcadia, Douxie went back to working at the coffee shop

Everything was settled, his family has grown, he felt at peace. Soulmate existing or not, he was happy with the support system he finally built. He was happy.

Then one day someone walked into the shop speaking into their phone.

“Okay, I’m at the coffee shop now.” “Oh come on, you know me. I’m literally only alive because of coffee. I need it. Without it, I’d literally die.”

The words they spoke felt familiar but he wasn’t quite sure where he’d heard them before.

He took their order and didn’t notice them staring at the skull necklace around his neck as they spoke.

He made their order, not realising that he had grabbed one of the takeaway cups with a ribbon decal around it.

When he passed them their order, their fingers brushed and Douxie could feel the small distinctive tingle of magic on their fingertips.

When he looked up, he saw their soulmate mark on their shoulder and stopped.

The customer furrowed their brows then asked if he played guitar and oh

Oh, this was them.

He’d finally found them.

I imagine his soulmate’s mark to be something somewhat like the doodle above? A guitar with a skull on it surrounded by wisps of magic.

But okay yeah that’s pretty much all I had in mind for this there’s a bit of prose under the picture underneath but as you can see I was... struggling for coherency akjefsajdn

Douxie had the stupidest soulmate mark, he decided.

Some people had soulmate marks that were clear and told them who their soulmate were. Jim had a skull on top of the shadow staff made out of roses and Claire had the trollhunter’s amulet on top of a frying pan - which looked kind of weird but it was clear. They could tell who their soulmates were. They knew.

Douxie had a goddamned coffee mug. A COFFEE MUG!! HE WORKS IN A COFFEE SHOP HOW IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE HELPFUL!?!?!?

If he’s only worked in

[dysaniadisorder]

talk then lovely! ill listen! i want to hear !

TYSM... im putting it all under a cut because it got reeeally long. <3

[ID: A sketchbook drawing of redesigns of each girl from Danganronpa 2, minus Mahiru. Theyre all standing next to each other and shown from the waist up. end ID]

Mikan Tsumiki -

I've spent an... amount of time in hospitals mostly interacting (or trying not to interact) with nurses and im confident saying Mikans presence is. Not comforting.

Nothing can really fix this, but nurses with long hair often wear their hair up while working (even guy nurses) and while she would, I imagine a high up hairstyle would be uncomfortable for her or feel like it draws attention.. so she has a low ponytail & some bobby pins and various hair clips to help keep it settled (have you seen her fuckin hair it does NOT cooperate.)

Fuck whatevers going on with her canon outfit I'm giving her some normal nurse scrubs (they're blank this is just what nurses wear ive noticed. kid & teen dentists and stuff will wear cute designs and shit but I have never seen a nurse do so, i'm sure it'd feel kind of insensitive in situations) but the apron adds any element of character design. It's looser & a bit blanker, & has pockets & places to hold things on the lower part and belt. Nurses gotta hold a lot of shit, why I am also giving her a medical bag she keeps on her (mostly for herself lets be honest). She keeps her various bandages, and I gave her some bracelets. One is a beaded bracelet with a needle charm on it WHY does she love needles so much its weird. She's definitely the type of person who tells you you have nice veins while you're just going about your day. To be honest i'm not sure why but I gave her a medical alert bracelet... maybe it's for herself which could be reasonable if she goes into crisis mode or has a panic attack or passes out, or maybe its a blank one to have on hand. That doesn't make sense. Ignore me

Also! It's down in the drawing but she has a surgical mask. This is a nurse thing, an i'm-being-bullied-and-someone-told-me-my-face-was-ugly thing, and a social anxiety thing. But her wearing a mask all the time makes sense.

[ID: A notebook doodle of Mikan Tsumiki, drawn as described above. She looks tired and a bit distressed. /end]

Hiyoko Saionji -

Oh the curse of being short that she makes up for in being an asshole. "This is your badness level. It's unusually high for someone your size."

Anyways, this was a doodle, and I didn't do as much research into kimonos & traditional dance hairstyles as I would've liked. But, she has a bun because that's what I've seen most often, along with the sticks in her hair & the flower hairpiece. The bangs & bun are a bit of a mess but she'd clean up her hair if she was actually performing. And if she was really casual, she enjoys putting her hair into pigtails.

Her kimono has a thicker ribbon on the waist piece just because, and she carries a fan tucked into it. She has a pair of shorts on underneath because come on, this is what she's fucking wearing around school. I hate this game

On top of all this she's probably wearing socks and sandals like a weirdo.

I relate to her in being dogshit at tying things though... she probably gets annoyed at the angle and keeping track of all the cloth. That said she probably has a modified one to wear around that's elastic or slip on or easier to tie maybe.

Stares at her backstory. Also probably has some scars around that are from her... murder attempts or harassments, but keeps hidden with makeup.

She has candy stored somewhere in that kimono sash (hey lookit me finally remembering what its called!) but she pulls it out of nowhere you never have any idea where she got it from. For a more casual outfit she probably wears shorts or pants (shes ecstatic about having so much free movement) and big shirts or sweaters, they're comfy. That and pigtails. They're not as big as they are in canon though because what the fuck. And post growth spurt I've always hated that she supposedly got taller but like she wasn't even as tall as Mahiru. Shut up. She has a height that rivals Nekomaru

[ID: a notebook doodle of Hiyoko Saionji as described above. She's baring her teeth, annoyed, and flipping off the camera while looking away. /end]

Ibuki Mioda - (she/he/ze)

THIS DRAWING IS A MESS LOWKEY IGNORE IT. But I do have plenty of ideas for zim.

I made the weird hair things be a bit more obvious of a headband, though I didn't make them look like devil horns on purpose. She probably has several with different types of horns. Zir hair is shorter & just as messy and weirdly dyed, plus he has pink & blue (or maybe pink and green) raccoon tails. Obsessed w his ear & lip piercings so they're staying, but I also gave zim a nose piercing (realistically she'd probably have a septum but I didn't think that out). Sharp teeth and refuses to tell anyone if they're fake or not. Drippy emo makeup that I didn't really like, and the dark demon eyes are not intentional I just don't know how to draw.

I love the weird barbed wire necklace but he needs a bigger weirder choker with all those annoying danglies. It jingles when he walks or moves at all. It's hard to see because she's behind everyone and a mess, but here I drew zim with a dark tanktop with a large bow over a huge sweater. She has shit fashion taste that only appeals to a small audience (emo & scene kids aka her aka me) and it's so bad it's good. Definitely the type to wear a bunch of bracelets and weird pins everywhere, and stick safety pins wherever he can. I like the one worn up arm warmer & spiky bracelet on the other hand, though ze has far more bracelets and annoying jewelry than just that. Far too many belts, too. The drawing was partially supposed to be a height lineup, Mikan & Peko are the tallest, but often Ibuki is up there with them too because she usually wears platforms. I reaaaally love the skeleton socks he has in dr3, and i can't decide between bit pants like tripp pants or a weird skirt, so either is good, I don't think ze could decide either.

I'll definitely redraw this, over and over. Until i am fucking satisfied but I think it'd be better if he had like a fishnet undershirt with a different kinda sweater or tanktop or something... or maybe just a t shirt with an annoying design on it. Either way, I love Ibuki a whole fucking lot. Nothing about zir outfit is practical or normal looking and she loves it that way. He's sick of wearing pop-star type outfits in a girl band he's going all out babey he's full scenemo now

[ID: A notebook doodle of Ibuki Mioda, drawn as described above. He's winking and sticking his tongue out, while giving Chiaki next to her bunny ears. /end]

Chiaki Nanami - (she/he/they)

One of the designs I actually did a bit beforehand... that said she is very cluttered but I don't really regret that. As I, too, am chronically sleepy half her energy in the morning is put into putting on all her bullshit because it makes them happy, and then regretting it because like why the fuck am i wearing all this bullshit.

Look. They're a teenage gamer. He bathes and take care of himself she's not a heathen though it is skipped more than it should be because exhaustion (I can relate). Her hair is shorter & always messy because she simply likes the way it looks, and hates the feeling of comb teeth & brush bristles (autism).

Acne, because she is a teenager and I gave them some more moles than just the singular one on their boob. I'm in love with the hair clip I could never devoid her of that, and then she has pixelated heart and item bag earrings, along with ear piercings up her right ear (they just wanted to do something new for a moment.) Constant eyebags, constantly sleepy, but they dislike the taste of coffee. Unfortunately this often means energy drinks & soda. Not sure of popular japanese energy drinks but I like to think he has one of those entire half walls of monster energy cans on his bedroom wall.

Now to my atrocious outfit. Let's see here there's a spaghetti strap type romper over a hoodie with bunny ears (im obsessed with the bunny motif) and on top of that is a chunky cardigan and an animal backpack. Im also obsessed with the animal backpack). Why so many layers? I don't know I'm gonna make up excuses. They are often cold. They're allergic to sunlight. Comfy & easy to sleep in anywhere. Have you ever worn that many layers its fucking magic its like you're a walking pillow and you can never get punched or hurt. Look if all these designs were based on the fact that they're on a tropical island they'd all be VERY different.

The romper is semi short & comfy because having ur legs out is healing (also body hair. she's a teenager). fuzzy socks, and they are not immune to cutesy impractical shoes. (Socks are one white and one pink with red stitching, u know, monomi foreshadowing and all that.)

I don't know enough english & american video games for this, let alone japanese ones. Forgive me for being basic with them. (though its a bit easy when alot of popular games are just translated from japanese...) So. The earrings are 3/4 undertale reference and like 1/4 animal crossing reference. Pacman pin (classic) triforce pin (less classic but still) & a pokemon necklace with a ribbon choker. They are not immune to cutesy things. There's patches on the cardigan elbows, & they have an ace ring. It's subtle. I drew him with pride pins but realistically I doubt she'd have them, partially of just not having figured things out yet. He'd maybe have a trans or progress flag pin though for at least a sign of allyship. They absolutely know firsthand how online gaming spaces are & they are a very sweet person.

Anyways um. The moral here is im in love with chiaki and wish to give him a big hug & a kiss.

[ID: Two notebook doodles of Chiaki Nanami, drawn as described above. In both they're tiredly staring into the camera with a neutral expression. /end]

Peko Pekoyama -

What the fuck is she wearing. No.

I decided to give her a proper kendo outfit because I mean like, come the fuck on. I kept her weird little symbol because her outfit was looking bland without it, and a necklace just because. She likes it, okay?

She has a tight black shirt underneath that reach her hands and have thumb holes. It's about the subtle gothness. The sash on her outfit has a kuzuruyu clan logo, but by request she ties it so it isn't visible. She has thoguh shoes though & still black tights because I love those.

Her hair is slightly shorter and braided against her head so they don't get in the way. (She could cut it, and some other people in the clan probably recommended she did, but when she asked fuyuhiko he just told her 'do whatever you want' and, welll. She likes longer hair.) The ribbons are just for show they come out easily & she has regular hair ties in.

[ID: Several notebook doodles of Peko Pekoyama, drawn as described above. In the first and last she is shown staring blankly into the camera. The middle one is a doodle redraw of one of her sprites, showing off her full outfit, and talking skepitcally. /end]

Sonia Nevermind -

I like Sonias design but it's a little bland & exactly what you'd expect. She's (at least implied to be) slavic, so I wanted to give her a bit less super western type fancy clothes and closer to. you know. Slavic designs, moreso east Slavic designs (I found lots of photography and art by russian & belarusian peopl). She's not full ancient royalty and I couldn't resist giving her a suit vest with decorative pins that match her brooch pin. Her shirt has a fancy lacy collar & I literally couldn't resist all the clothing patterns & designs. I'm aware that a lot of her outfit is faaar more fancy and special-occasion than usual, but she's pretty fancy and anything but casual.

I gave her a sheen golden little decorative scarf thing with a star design, just because it looks pretty & adds to the fanciness. Doing this again i'd probably want to give her more slavic type jewelry, and maybe some sort of scarf or better headpiece. But I love her bow, so I added some crown-adjacent gems & designs on top of it plus some flowers attached to it. I put her hair completely down her but I imagine she's stupid good & fast at tying braids and would do so if she needed it out of her way or to look more professional or fancy. She has a stud earring and one dangling eye earring, and to be honest I don't know why. I thought it looked cool on her and she'd probably wear something just a little weird like that.

[ID: A notebook doodle of Sonia Nevermind, drawn as described above. She's smiling and standing up perfectly straight. /end]

Akane Owari -

Good gosh. Someone help her

I'm definitely not against her having big boobs, some people just yaknow. have that & gotta work around it. But she desperately needs some support for them.

She has a vest thing that works as support & cover, because under that is a black gymnastics leotard. Plus I wanted to throw a medal on there for emphasis. I love Akane so much... I tried making her both more muscular but still a little thin, looks at her backstory. I wanted to keep the button up but it'd feel like too much if she was wearing it regular so it's around her waist, along with shorts because have you seen what leotards look like. She needs shorts. Also those like, sweat wristbands on her arms as well.

She has running shoes but inside she has loose beam shoes on that she can tighten when she needs to. Because beam shoes are horrible for like, regular walking around let alone fighting & exercise but she'd probably keep them on her somewhere.

Her hair is shorter but I love the wild look, it matches her. Having it shorter makes it a bit harder when she has to tie it back for competitions/performances but she hated doing that anyway, to the point she considered shaving it all off at some point. She still might.

Bandaids, both on herself and stored in her pockets. Let alone how much she needs them she also has a bunch of rowdy little siblings and she definitely keeps at LEAST bandaids on hand in case they ever get hurt. She probably does this so messily it'd make Mikan faint (cut back to the scene where Akane says she can just rub a little spit into a head wound and she'll be fine) but hey it works, who cares.

Still staring at her backstory. She's not fucking dumb i stg. She IS in a vastly different social situation than she's accustomed to though she probably doesn't feel quite as out of place as she would around other professional gymnasts.

[ID: A notebook doodle of Akane Owari, drawn as described above. She has a bandaid on her cheek and one hand on her hip, looking to the side with a confused expression. /end]

Mahiru Koizumi -

She's simple and theres nothing wrong with that. My problem is that she is not butch enough

Her proper redesign is the one with the ponytail (the rest is me messing around w how she'd dress comfortably & how she really wants to). The thing is she's butch but she is also a teenager and has parents. Though she gave herself an undercut in secret and wears a ponytail to show it off at school & the island. Stud earrings because she got her ears pierced when she was little & doesn't want them to close up. She has more freckles just cause that makes sense.

I like this design but i do admit it's pretty basic, just turning her cute overall skirt thing into a romper. But it fits her nicely. A tie & button being kept obviously, & she has shorter black socks & docs.

She still always has her camera on her though it's in a small bag that easily flips open to let her take photos (I have one of those for my polaroid & my aunt has one for her digital camera) but she can still take it out and hold in her hand to take photos. Has a carabiner & some keyrings to keep ahold of her shit, and probably has a useless but fun keychain or two on it as well. Shoves it in her pocket if the situation requires being quiet to take a photo (like taking a photo of an animal) but usually she likes how it jingles when she walks. I drew her with I think like one pride pin, and maybe it'd be the lesbian flag or maybe just a rainbow but either way I think she'd just want people to subtly know know if she didn't make it obvious enough.

There's a scar on her leg from... something. I can just imagine that being an ultimate photographer can be dangerous at times (being in the wild, capturing political or historical events, ect.) and that I'm sure she's been called upon plenty of times for journalist jobs and the like.

[ID: Several notebook doodles of Mahir Koizumi, drawn as described above. The first two show her design, one is a full body doodle of her with her hands on her hips, looking a bit annoyed. The second is a bust doodle, showing her looking disgruntled and tired. She has a wire choker on. The other three are her in alternate outfits, all with shorter hair. In the first she has a baggy shirt, baggy shorts and dog tags, and stands with on hand holding her camera at her side and the other in her pocket. She's smiling. The second shows her sitting in pants and a loose black tanktop with very messy hair. The last is a bust doodle of her holding a camera and wearing a blazer. end ID]

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

oh !!! and for emil :3

roots: Is your OC's look inspired by any specific style of clothing or fashion trend? What are the roots and/or inspiration for their look?

texture: Does your OC favor any specific kinds of cloth or textures? Is there anything they can't wear or don't like? What sort of fabrics do they prefer?

+ the accessories & accents section, please <33

ONE MORE ASK AFTER THIS ONE... sorry for taking so long!

roots: Is your OC's look inspired by any specific style of clothing or fashion trend? What are the roots and/or inspiration for their look?

I really don't know how to explain his aesthetic? Like the outfit he wears is specifically supposed to make you think of Ohm. Their stories have parallels, their personalities have parallels. So I wanted their clothing to have that sense of parallel too. Ohm has a very odd.. almost pirate captain aesthetic going on. While Emil's is more.. a knightly captain? Which you'd think, given who they are and what they're currently up to, that would be switched? But yeah its not one specific aesthetic or look really. Just that Emil's entire design, clothing and accessory wise, is based off of Ohm's design.

texture: Does your OC favor any specific kinds of cloth or textures? Is there anything they can't wear or don't like? What sort of fabrics do they prefer?

Emil isn't the biggest fan of canvas. But he's not extremely picky, he doesn't have much after all. Velour, despite often appearing in aristocratic outfits, is a material he absolutely despises touching.

bling: What jewelry does your OC wear? Does it have any meaning?

Jewelry, Emil wears a lip ring, earrings and a red band around his neck. While his earrings and lip piercing don't have any particular meaning. the band around his neck is a call to the several versions of the Girl with the Green Ribbon, which comes from a French story. There's so many interpretations of the story, and some are about various shackles of life. The ribbon around his neck is a call to these various types of stories.

hair: How does your OC wear their hair? Does it have some kind of meaning?

He keeps it loose and long. He loves his long hair. His mother used to always try to get him to cut it. So its a rebel thing to keep it long lol

makeup: Does your OC wear makeup? How often? What kind? Why do they wear makeup, and do they like it?

Emil doesn't really wear makeup, but when he does its usually dark, blacks, reds, whites. That kind of makeup. Thick eyeliner. He likes it, just too much work.

favorite: Does your OC have a favorite article of clothing or accessory? What is it? What's the meaning behind it? Do they wear it all the time or do they wear it sparingly to keep it safe?

His hair pins. They belong to Mitch! He also has a bracelet that Alexis made him that he doesn't wear but keeps safe in his bag. He does wear the hair pins though, because he knows Mitch is wearing his hair ribbon.

change: Has your OC ever drastically changed their appearance? Significant haircuts, big tattoos, complete wardrobe swap, etc? Why? How do they feel about the change?

He got a couple of tattoos once he left his family, but since none are super visible they don't really count as drastic appearance changes. He's kept his own appearance for the most part.

alternate: What would your OC's alternate universe look be? If they're a fantasy character, what's their modern look? If they're sci-fi, what's their fantasy look? What AU would you want to see your OC in, and how would they dress themself? Bonus: Prompt an AU!

If you'd like a gander at what he looks like in the world of DnD here's the drive for his outfit! He's very snazzy looking

[subtletruamadumping]

A Pitch Black Room, A Velvet Ribbon, A Secret Box

______________________________________________________________

This was my first year doing NaNoWriMo. It started as a writing prompt (the title is literally just the prompt) and it's a collection of short stories from many different peoples' perspectives linked by various objects. I won this year but never looked back at it. In fact, I am kind of embarrassed by it but I try to remind myself I was literally a child. Instead of being broken up into chapters, it's broken into characters.

Written in November 2016

______________________________________________________________

Part 2, Lilianne

Sloan had “friends”. Lilianne was one of them. She was a little ashamed about this forced and completely unrealistic relationship, but it was a necessity for middle school. You see, if you weren’t “friends” with Sloan Harlow, the most popular girl in school, you would never be popular yourself. Not to mention, Sloan’s parents were, like, uber rich. There was almost nothing they wouldn’t buy for her. The “friendship” had certain perks that Lilianne couldn’t bring herself to part with. Like the time each of the “friends” had gotten a very nice charm bracelet. Of course, Sloan dictated what charms would be allowed on said bracelet to help identify the “friends”. Sloan had so many “friends” she couldn’t remember then and, therefore, had to tag them with expensive jewelry. Lilianne wanted to be that popular. Well, she wanted to be that rich, too, but she could do something about being popular. She couldn’t change her wealth.

Sloan’s birthday had been on Saturday, so Lilianne knew she needed to get her something. She was slowly trying to work her way up the social ladder. She needed Sloan to know who she was. She also needed her to like her. It was a harder process than one might imagine, especially since Lilianne wasn’t the only one trying to get on Sloan’s radiar. Lilianne needed to stick out. She needed to be remembered. She needed to get into Sloan’s inner circle: the group that she hung out with on a regular basis. The people she took to the movies or shopping. Lilianne needed to be one of those people.

She dropped into her first class: French. Sloan sat next to her in French. She claimed it was because they were such great “friends”, but Lilianne knew it was because she was good at French. Sloan was terrible at it. If it wasn’t for Lilianne, she would probably be failing the class right now. Lilianne whispered answers to her or passed her notes all of class, making Sloan able to keep her head just above the water. Sloan didn’t mind a C, but she had this strange fear of actually failing a class. She probably just didn’t want to get held back a year. That would be embarrassing.

“Morning, Lily.” Sloan called, making Lilianne look up. She came over to her desk with a smile wearing a new ribbon in her hair. She probably got it for her birthday. Lilianne wondered how much it had cost her parents.

“Hey, Sloan.” Lilianne replied as Sloan sat in her chair “I got you something for your birthday.”

“Oh, I can’t believe you remembered!” Sloan said, smiling broadly and flashing her perfect teeth.

“Here,” Lilianne said, pulling out a broach from her backpack. It had taken her allowances for the past two months, but she was pretty sure she was making a good investment.

“Oh, it’s beautiful!” Sloan cried, taking it “It’s absolutely lovely! Thank you so much, Lily.”

“Uh, it’s actually Lilianne.” She said quietly. Sloan didn’t seem to hear, though, as she attached the broach to her shirt.

“You know, you’re the first person who’s given me a present today.” Sloan said after she made sure the broach was straight.

“Really?” Lilianne asked “That’s probably because school just started.”

“No, no. I’m absolutely sure it’s because everyone else has forgotten about it.” Sloan said with an overly dramatic sigh “I almost forgot myself, after all.”

“I really don’t think anyone’s forgotten about your birthday.” Lilianne said “It was just over the weekend and not everyone had had a chance to see you, yet.”

“I suppose.” Sloan sighed “But, all the same, you were the first one. You are a really great friend, Lily.”

“Sure, whatever.” Lilianne said “I just wanted to get you something for your birthday.”

“Since you were the first, I have a present for you, too.” Sloan said, reaching down for her backpack. This piqued Lilianne’s interest. Did this mean Sloan was letting her into the group? She waited impatiently for Sloan to fish out whatever was in her backpack. To Lilianne’s surprise, she pulled out a little box.

“Here, take this jewelry box for your charm bracelet.” Sloan said as she handed her the box “I want to make sure the symbol of our friendship never gets lost.”

“Sloan, it’s beautiful.” Lilianne gasped, once again wondering how much her parents had paid for it.

“I insist you have it.” Sloan said “It’ll be a reminder that you were the first one to remember my birthday.”

“Oh, thank you.” Lilianne said, securely storing it in her own backpack.

“Do take care of that box.” Sloan said “My grandmother gave it to me three days before she passed away.”

“I will.”

“It means a great deal to me.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“I simply couldn’t bear it if I knew something would happen to it.”

“Would you like it back, then?” Lilianne asked flatly.

“Oh, no, no, no, no.” Sloan cried “It must be yours.”

“Alright, then.” Lilianne said “I’ll make sure it’s put in a special place.”

“Thank you.” Sloan said, grasping Lilianne’s hands “I’m glad to know grandmother’s memory will live on elsewhere.”

“Yeah, right.” Lilianne said weakly, pulling her hands away “Did you do your French homework?”

“On my birthday?” Sloan gasped, clearly appalled at the idea.

“Right, I guess that would be ridiculous.” Lilianne said pulling out her own. Sloan always came up with an excuse to not do her homework.

“You’ll help me again, won’t you?” Sloan asked, pulling out her blank worksheet.

“Yeah, sure. We just have to do it before class starts.”

~*~

Lilianne’s mother didn’t like Sloan. Not one bit. She especially didn’t like it when Sloan gave things to Lilianne. She thought it was ridiculous that she had gotten them all bracelets and spent so much money on her “friends”. But, her mother had also not been popular in school. She said being popular was useless and a bad reason to be friends with someone. Lilianne didn’t pay her much mind, though. If she had been popular in school, she would know.

And it turned out that almost no one had forgotten Sloan’s birthday and many gifts had been passed to her throughout the day. She was positively bubbling over with happiness. Her mom probably didn’t mind when her “friends” gave her things. It was probably expected by this point. Sloan’s mom had probably been the popular one in her class. But, her mom was not Lilianne’s mom. She would have to keep the box out of sight of her mom, otherwise she'd make Lilianne return it. She couldn’t have that. She smuggled it into the house in her backpack.

“How was school today?” Her mother asked when she walked through the living room.

“Good.” Lilianne replied “It was Sloan’s birthday on Saturday, so there was a lot of excitement.”

“I don’t think there should be more excitement over one birthday than any other.” Her mother said flatly “What makes Sloan’s birthday more special than your other friends?”

“She’s Sloan.” Lilianne said simply. Her mother sighed, but didn’t press. Lilianne went to her room in the back of the house, dropping her backpack on her bed. She closed the door, then brought out the secret box.

It really was very pretty. It was made of dark wood that had a reddish tint to it. It had curved engravings that looked like vines to Lilianne. It even had a little bronze clasp to keep the lid secured. Even the bottom was painted with little rosebuds. It was a wonder to behold. Lilianne ran her fingers over it, enjoying this very small fraction of the riches Sloan had in her bedroom. How could she just give a thing like this away? She knew it wasn’t really her grandmother’s. She always talked about the places her grandmothers were going to take her on vacation. Yes, both of them. So, they were both still alive. She had lied about the origin of the box, but it was still a beauty. What would make her want to give it up?

The only thing Lilianne could come up with was that she had gotten a better one for her birthday. She had given away the “lesser” one so that she could bask in the glorious “better” box. Lilianne didn’t mind having it, though. There was nothing “less” about it to her. She wasn’t going to put the bracelet in it, though. No, she was going to wear that all the time, so there was no reason to put it in a secret box. However, it looked like it would be perfect for the poems she was writing.

Lilianne was a poet, though no one knew it. She didn’t like people to read her work, much less actually know she had works. She was really worried they were terrible, but she loved to write them. It made her feel good to put her thoughts and emotions down on paper. The constrictions of the rhymes and meter made it a puzzle for her to figure out a way to say what she wanted to within the parameters. It was a challenge within herself. She used her poetry to express herself so she wouldn’t have to outloud. It was amazing to her that more people didn’t do it, too.

She carried the box over to her desk. She put it down and opened one of the drawers. She moved a few journals and packs of markers out of the way. Underneath these was her legacy. She pulled out the stack of papers. Her poems. She carefully put everything back into the drawer and closed it, then sat in the chair in front of her desk. She looked over each of the poems, smiled a little, then folded it up and placed it gently in the secret box. It took her longer than she was expecting. She didn’t realize she had so many poems. When she had finished placing the last one in the box, she carefully stored it under the desk, out of sight from anyone who might come into the room. She glanced at the clock. She didn’t have much time to finish her homework, now. She’d have to stay up a little later than she had hoped.

“Lilianne! Dinner!” Her mother called. She would have to stay up really late.

~*~        

The box remained a secret. It also remained a place for her poems. It was almost overflowing when she finally moved out of her childhood home. She was all grown up, now. She was ready to face the wide world on her own. Of course, she took the secret box with her when she left. She just knew that she would do something with the poems one day. She just needed to wait a little longer. It wasn’t the right time, yet. Lilianne had a stroke of luck. She was able to move into a nice apartment easily and had a good job to pay for it. No, the job had nothing to do with poetry, but that would come soon enough. As for now, the secret box was put away in a closet, waiting for its time.

[madamewickedfiction]

Is it alright if I request if you have any cute or fluffy headcanons for Sundrop and Moondrop?

Horray! Thank you, Anon, for my first request for the lineup of Security Breach fics. This was actually something I've always wanted to write since Sun/Moon are the cutest characters in the game! So, without further ado, these are some of my personal fluffy headcanons with our favorite daycare attendants!

Character(s): Sundrop, Moondrop, Reader

Y/N: Gender Neutral

Genre: Fluffy

Warnings: Small Mentions of Minor Injury

How the two robotic caretakers came into your life was quite the story. It happened during a family birthday trip to Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex. You were the oldest of two other siblings, a middle brother and a baby sister. Since your sister was far too young to play arcade cabinets, laser tag, or drive a go-cart, they had to drop her off in the Daycare so she wouldn't be left out.

When it was time to leave, your folks instructed you to head back to pick her up while they pulled their car to the front of the building. However, once you were inside, she wasn't anywhere to be found. After searching everywhere for her, you eventually found her at the Daycare's first aid station, where the Sun animatronic was attending to her scuffed knee after tripping over one of the wires from the generators (seriously, they need to fix that before a lawsuit happens).

After cleaning it with a warm towel, he stuck a Freddy Fazbear™ themed bandaid on it before pressing his faceplate to give a kiss to her poor booboo. You didn't know why, but it strangely warmed your heart to see the robotic sun character tend to your sister's injuries, like a parent. Sure, it was his job to look after young children, but seeing him cheer her up after taking a hard fall was moving, even for an AI.

A friendly greeting soon turned into more visits at the Pizzaplex, and the two of you got closer and closer each stay. Soon, a few months later, Sun was happy to call you his beloved ray of sunshine, and the two of you became a couple! There were definitely some cheesy yet adorable moments that came about as the two of you dated.

On days you went to the Pizzaplex, you brought your sister along so that you and Sun could keep her company while you spent time together. She looked forward to seeing Sun just as her big sibling did.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Sun always looked forwards to your visits! Sometimes he'd look at the clock several times to check just how long until you would get here, just the thought of you coming made him all warm and fuzzy inside!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

With how slender his arms are, he would greet you with the biggest hug, snuggling you into his chest before pressing his faceplate to your cheek with a "mwah!" to kiss you! Oh! And he'd be sure to greet your little sis with a friendly hello too!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

The two of you would often spend the day looking after your little sister and the rest of the rambunctious kids in the daycare, and you would join in on the various activities that took place each hour while enjoying each other's presence.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

One day, while doing arts and crafts, Sun took the time to make you a very special gift. He would make you a ribbon bracelet in your favorite color with bells attached like his. He even wrote, "to my one and only sunshine, (Y/N)" on the back of it with extra sparkly glitter glue.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

When he presented it to you, he even said something along the lines of "the bells sound so sweet, but not as sweet as the chimes of your voice." You swear you had to hide all the red on your face because you worried Sun would think you were running a fever.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Being around Sun always made you enjoy feeling like a kid again! From sliding down the slides with your sister in your lap several times to having a playful fight of tossing the colorful balls at each other in the ball pit.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Of course, all this playing would make you and the kids exhausted. So when snack time rolled around, Sun made sure to figure out your favorite snack and the flavor of Fizzy Faz from the Fazbear vendor bars and save them just for you. He even sits next to you with his head resting on your shoulder; how sweet!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

When it was time to clean up after each activity, you helped with instructing the kids on how to clean, helping them put things back where they belong, and making sure everything was neat and tidy (and to make sure Sun's OCD wouldn't kick in, the poor thing stresses way too much!)ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

When everything was tidied up for the day, he sometimes awarded each of the kids with Sunnydrop candies. He gives one to your little sister and one to you (or two if he's feeling extra special) as a thank you for everything you do to help him with the Daycare.

Needless to say, your relationship with Sundrop was nothing but fun and enjoyment. However, there was still something that did seem... off about your visits with him. You began to notice that before a specific time, he would try to usher you from the Daycare for a short time until he lets you back in.

At first, it didn't seem like a big deal, but it began to happen more and more in your relationship, more than you'd like. After pushing it off for long enough, you tried to talk to him as to why he would have you leave. Knowing that he could hide it for much longer, it was when you discovered the animatronic's other half, Moondrop.

Moon was drastically different from the bubbly, energetic, and outgoing caretaker you knew; he was more secretive, defensive, and always kept to himself. Sun feared that if you ever met him, you wouldn't love him anymore! The poor thing was scared that you would be scared of him. But after communicating with him, his nerves were more at ease, and he trusted that you wouldn't freak out. It was about to be naptime in the Daycare, so Sun would soon say goodnight.

As expected, Moondrop was hesitant to approach you the first time he came out. He has never become attached to people, even if Sun knew them well enough. It took several days before Moon decided to tentatively stalk towards you. He spoke only a "hello," before tucking in the kids in their sleeping pads. Regardless, you were patient and friendly towards him, just as you would for Sun.

But it was that patience that Moon began to realize what Sun saw in you. You weren't scared or revolted by him when most saw him as a scary boogeyman. And that's all he ever wanted... to not be feared. When he got the courage to do so, he confessed his feelings to you, and of course, you full-heartedly accepted. Moon was an important part of Sun. After all, they wouldn't be the Daycare Attendant without them both, now would they?

Since you and Moon were now dating as well, you decided to bring some spare essentials from home to the Daycare for your little sister and the kids, such as comfy pillows, soft blankets, and even nightlights for those afraid of the dark.ㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Before it was naptime, Sun would always be sure to give you a peck on the cheek before saying goodbye for now and awaiting the automatic countdown for the lights to go out. Once they were off and he switched to Moon, he was pleased to see you here with him once again.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Moon was always more subtle and casual when it came to affection towards you. Instead of greeting you with hugs, or kisses, it's little things such as asking how you and your little sister are, how your day went or saving your favorite spot to sleep during nap time. It was sweet of him to be so considerate towards you!ㅤㅤㅤㅤ

When it was time for the kids to rest their heads, Moon would always incorporate you with the activities, such as helping him read aloud a bedtime story or even sing a soft lullaby as a music box plays within his chest compartment.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

As with Sun, Moon also made a little something special for you. Although he wasn't as artistic as Sun, he decided to make a beautiful origami crescent moon made out of construction paper, and on the side, written in glow in the dark ink, reads "to my precious moonlight, (Y/N)."ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

He was so anxious about whether you would like it or not; he's NEVER given a gift so special to him before. But after receiving a single kiss on the cheek of his faceplate, his systems quite literally blanked out as he tried to maintain his composure. He's so cute when he's flustered!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

One of the things Moon struggled with most was kids waking up from a nightmare, or they can't sleep. He doesn't always know the right thing to say or have a way with words. But with your help, you offer a hand to escort the kid back to his sleeping pad and help him back to sleep with a Moondrop candy.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

After doing so much for the kids in the Daycare, it's only fair that you take part in naptime. Once the kids were settled in, you and your sister decide to climb into a sleeping pad of your own as Moon gently tucks a blanket for you and wishes you both a goodnight.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Little did you know that once you were asleep, Moon couldn't help but observe you from afar. Not in a way that seemed creepy. You just looked so calm.. and peaceful. He sometimes would watch over you until naptime was over, silently looming beside you as you're swept away in dreamland.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

A few minutes before the lights would turn back on and naptime would be over, he would lean his faceplate down to your sleeping form, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead before whispering, "I love you, moonlight" before switching over to Sun to wake everyone up.

Many people would find it strange being attracted to an animatronic, let alone the caretaker of a children's place. But Sun and Moon were more than just animatronic Daycare attendants; they were your partners. Even beneath their metal frames, they still have emotions, thoughts, and feelings. But those are only shared with one special person in their lives, one that means more to them than all the stars or clouds in the sky... And that is you.

Whew! That was a lot, but it was worth it! Thank you so much for reading and the support I've got in the past few days. Please be sure to drop a like on this and a follow if you'd like to see more FNAF work like this! More requests coming soon, so stay tuned.

~ℳ𝒶𝒹𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝒲𝒾𝒸𝓀𝑒𝒹

[fizziefizzco]

A to Z of LynnCove: B is for Birthday

Cove’s first birthday in Sunset Bird is not going as well as he expected... ok its going horrible, but thankfully Lynn is there to the rescue (Feelings are Crush and Direct)

[ low-key this is me counting down to @gb-patch’s release of the Step 3 dlc, but also kinda beyond that because why not] 

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

If he was entirely honest about it, Cove didn’t really expect anyone from school to show up to his birthday party. He didn’t have any friends in class and only gave out invitations to everyone because his dad made them. No, what really made this the worst birthday ever was that his dad had forgotten. Yes! Forgotten the party that HE was going to set up. If anyone HAD shown up, they would’ve been in for a terrible surprise. Mr. Holden was even super busy that week, and had forgotten all about his fatherly duties.

So when cove left his room that morning, not expecting much but still hopeful, he was met with disappointment and an empty house. His father had left a note and breakfast on the stove that he had to run in to work for an emergency - with no indication that he knew it was his son’s birthday. Cove honestly wanted to cry right away; and the feelings began to well up inside of him as he grabbed a plate and sat down to eat breakfast. Cold eggs and bacon. Happy birthday to him.

[rest under the cut] 

Meanwhile at the Cho house, or rather a few hours earlier ... Pamela Cho came downstairs to a frantic answering machine message from Cliff Holden that he needed to go somewhere for the day due to an emergency at work. When she tried calling back to get an explanation, Mr. Holden wasn’t picking up his phone. Hrm. Well it wasn’t an inconvenience for them to take care of Cove that day - her and her wife’s youngest child seemed to love him in a rather innocent way. Their older daughter was indifferent to him. 

As though she’d called their name, little footsteps came bounding down the stairs as she set the phone back in it’s place. Pamela, or Mom, as her kids called her, was a morning person - and thankfully so was Lynn, her youngest. Her wife Noelani, and oldest child Lizzie, were both the kind to sleep in late. So it was just Pamela and Lynn at the moment. 

“Good Morning Mom!” Lynn called out as they hopped over to where one of their mothers was. Pamela smiled and let out a small chuckle, 

“What’s got you all excited this morning?” She asked, reaching out to ruffle the mess of dark waves that Lynn had. Lynn didn’t move away from their mom, and relished in the comforting gesture. 

“It’s Cove’s birthday!! His dad sent out invitations for a party, I helped cove hand them out to the whoooole class!” Pamela smiled 

“That’s - “ She cut herself off, eyes going wide in dawning horror. “You said ... TODAY is Cove’s birthday?” and when Lynn nodded back with confusion, Pamela made a b-line to where her keys were. 

“Baby go wake up your Mommy, okay?” Pam called out, turning to grab hold of her child’s shoulders. 

“What’s wrong mom?” Lynn asked. 

“Mr. Holden just called me that he had to leave for an emergency for work. Looks like there won’t be a party today.” Pamela spoke as she slid her shoes on, Lynn let out a small gasp. 

“That mean’s Cove is all alone on his birthday!” They exclaimed. 

“Exactly. Now go wake up your Mommy, I’ll bring Cove over here.” Pamela opened the door as Lynn ran up the stairs to go wake Noelani up.

Cove was taken by surprise when his front door opened. A tiny part of him wanted it to be his dad, and say ‘surprise buddy! I didn’t forget about your birthday!’ but there was no such thing. Instead, one of Lynn’s moms was at the door - a sympathetic look in her eyes. 

“Hey Cove.” She spoke, walking over to where he was sitting at the counter island. “I got a call from your dad that he had an emergency. Thought I’d come pick you up to spend the day with us.” Cove looked away from her and back down to his breakfast that he’d barely touched. “Come on, we’ll take you out for breakfast since we know it’s your birthday.” His eyes widened as he heard those words. 

“Y- you know it’s my birthday?” Cove questioned in a tiny voice “I thought that everyone forgot.” Pamela’s heart broke for the poor kid. 

“No way. Lynn was practically off the walls with excitement this morning. Your dad too, told us to make it a good day for you in his message.” Pamela never really lied, but this time it was needed - as the kid already had a hard enough time with his father. Cliff deserved this much. Cove nodded and moved to hop off the chair that he was in. His bright pink cast still on his arm, only a month or so until he’d get it off. Pamela helped him wash and put away all of the leftovers and pots/pans. She was the neat freak between her and noelani, but it seemed that Cove didn’t mind it and was just following along. 

As soon as the two of them got back over to the Cho house, they were greeted with quite a surprise. A few balloons, a banner, and some streamers were decorating the main living area. Lizzie and Lynn both popped confetti-poppers and Lynn shouted “surprise!” as the pair of them came through the door. Cove entered with a visible look of surprise on his face, though that soon was supplemented by a bright blush when he noticed Lynn’s bright expression. 

“Noelani!” Pamela exclaimed, “How did you put this all together so quickly?” Noelani shook her head, her sprawling curls bouncing as she moved. 

“Not my idea.” Noelani spoke between yawns , “Lynn was like a tornado. I trust you’ll give me a real explanation.” When Pam smiled at her and nodded, she nodded as well. 

“Iranalloverthehousetogetallthisstuffforyou!Itsallmostlymyoldbirthdaystuffandsomeoflizziesbutwedon’tmindoratleastIdontmind!Imsogladyourehereicantwaittocelebratewithyou!” Lynn’s voice went a mile a minute, making Cove’s (and their mom’s) head spin. 

“Thank you lynn.” Cove spoke softly, cutting off anything else that Lynn was going to spew out. Lynn just kept quite and smiled brightly at him. 

“Since Lynn looks already dressed, how about the three of us change and we’ll all go out to take Cove for birthday breakfast?” Pamela offered, to which Lizzie and Lynn nodded vigorously. Noelani offered a smile and was the first one to head up the stairs.

“Do you think we can go to that pancake place that has the confetti pancakes?” Lizzie asked, looking hopefully at her Mom. 

“If that’s what Cove wants for breakfast, then sure.” Pamela answered. When the eyes turned back to him, Cove nodded with the smallest of smiles. 

“I like pancakes.” He spoke simply, and with a cheer from Lizzie - Pamela and Lizzie both headed to get changed. The two people left in the living area were Lynn and Cove. 

“Happy birthday Cove.” Lynn spoke with a smile. For some reason that he wasn’t sure of, it made him feel a lot better , their well-wishes. He didn’t quite know what to say but- 

“Thank you Lynn.” A blush creeped across his face as he followed Lynn to the couch, the two of them hopping up to wait for the others. 

“I got you a birthday gift, but you’ll have to wait before we get back. Mommy said I couldn’t bring it with us to breakfast.” Cove nodded and the two of them talked quietly about this or that , mostly breakfast preferences, until the full family was ready to head out and go get breakfast. 

Breakfast went well enough. Cove got birthday pancakes, but really really didn’t want the waiters to sing to him - which was perfectly fine for the family (ok well lizzie wanted to hear the song, but her protests were shot down). After they returned to the house, Lynn’s moms went to go have an ‘adult talk’ and Lizzie ran off to her own room, leaving Cove and Lynn alone once again. 

“Oooh!” Lynn exclaimed as they ran up the stairs ,with Cove following slowly behind them. “I can’t wait to give the gift to you. I worked really hard to find the best thing. Ok, things, to give you!” Cove could feel the excitement radiate off of Lynn, and despite how sad he still felt, was smiling a little at the thoughtfulness of the day so far. He followed close behind, and all the way to Lynn’s room - which was much neater compared to his bedroom at home.

He sat down on Lynn’s bed at their request, and watched as Lynn grabbed a medium-sized box from their closet. It was all nicely wrapped up, with a bow and everything. He marveled at it in awe as Lynn set it down next to him.

“Go ahead!” They motioned to the package. “Open it!” Cove rather expertly tore through the wrapping paper, and the ribbons, to get to the present inside. 

It was a box of various things. There was a  small box that held a bracelet similar to the one Lynn always wore, a dolphin keychain, a stuffed monkey with sunglasses and surfboard, and another small box that took up half of the medium-sized one. As Cove took that box out, he felt that there was something important in this one. Maybe it wasn’t literal gold, or diamonds, but he got the feeling that it was important either way. 

In the smaller box was a set of various scavenged objects: shells and sea-glass mostly, that were all gathered from the beach that laid just down at the end of the street. It was all so good, Cove thought to himself. But then he realized something. Lynn’s special sea-finds box was gone. That meant... 

“Lynn I-” He started, but Lynn cut Cove off before he could say anything. 

“I want you to have this. It's got lots of good stuff.” Lynn’s smile was wide and brilliant as they motioned for him to keep the box. 

“but it’s your-” 

“I can get more. It will be much more fun to gather with you now.” With those words from Lynn, Cove let the matter rest. He looked back down at the box and smiled, more to himself than to anyone else. He still felt really bad about his dad forgetting his birthday, but Lynn was there to make him feel better. She set up a surprise and got him the best gift ever. There was no way that he could ever thank her properly. 

“Thank you Lynn.” That would have to do for now, but Cove would spend the rest of his life thanking them for always being there for him, for always waiting for him, and for being right by his side whenever he needed them. Lynn never had to do any of the things they did for him, but they did so willingly and without question. So, for that, it was a great first birthday in Sunset Bird. 

[ if you’re wondering; Cove’s dad felt really awful about the whole thing and managed to get his son a great gift... which was why he’d been super busy lately. He’d wanted to get his son a fishtank and supplies. Noelani and Pamela gave him an earful though.. ] 

[kyber-crystal]

hiii i have a request. what about making/buying a present for poe and he just. doesn’t really know how to react cause he can’t remember the last time someone got him a gift. <3 mwah

YES but ok why did this lowkey make me kinda sad my poor baby :( in headcanon format so i could scream a little more about this concept and make it longer skask 

little things || poe dameron

so poe’s birthday is in less than twenty-four hours now and you’d been on the verge of a mental breakdown three times in the past week because you’d been stressing over what to do for him

the amount of times leia had to calm you down was...just too many to count

he never once brought up the subject of his birthday. he’d mentioned when it was during conversation a while back, but you were quick to hold on & remember it

because he was forced into the war and brought up to be a pilot at a young age, he never really got any time to actually rest up and relax, so the concept of celebration was rather unfamiliar to him

after his parents’ death, he was alone and left to fend for himself

so he ended up leaning heavily on you 

he tells you all the time you remind him so much of your mother and then it hits you 

you know exactly what to do 

finn and rey manage to keep him distracted for the entire day while you started preparing everything

you were originally planning to bring him something from your home planet of coruscant, but you’d be gone too long and he’d notice 

with the help of leia, you did some digging around and found several old pictures of poe’s parents and recovered some of shara bey’s things

you went back to your room and went digging through boxes of your stuff when you’d found it

it was a bracelet of yours you'd had for as long as you could remmeber—handcrafted out of moonstone and stardust by the angels themselves. it was said to bring good fortune to the wearer and protect them for as long as they lived

you were waiting for the right time to p

you quickly and carefully wrapped everything up and went back outside

poe was still distracted, though he was starting to get suspicious because it wasn’t like you to go for more than a day, much less a few hours, without spending time with him

leia sent him on a quick recon mission while the finishing touches were made

“shut up before i impale you with my lightsaber!” -rey, after threatening finn because he’d almost knocked the elaborate cake over after almost falling off the ladder from hanging things up

you felt guilty at the sight of seeing poe return from his ‘mission’, his shoulders dropping when nobody was in sight to greet him

“surprise!” everyone quickly jumped up from behind their hiding spots to greet him

the entire base had been decorated from head to toe and he was rendered speechless at the sight

after all the celebrations were done, you’d gathered everyone around the bonfire and handed poe his package

"what? do you not like it?"

“y-you got me a gift.”

“of course i did! why wouldn’t i?”

“...oh. i just haven’t gotten anything in a...long time.”

“go ahead and open it!”

you don’t know whether to feel proud of what you’d thought of or slightly sad because he started tearing up as he untied the ribbon and removed the wrapping paper to reveal what was underneath

“where did you find these?” he held up the various black and white photos of him and his mother when he was little. “how did-”

you just grinned. “i have my ways.”

“i love you.” he blurted

“i know.”

“hey, that’s my line!’

(i’m sorry I had to sfadsfasdf)

“han. let them be”

you smiled once more and clasped the bracelet around his wrist. “handcrafted by the angels. made out of moonstone and startdust; it brings you good fortune and protection”

“this—i don’t know what to say. thank you”

“always.” 

(you were originally going to sprint into his arms and kiss him right then and there, but decided that making a huge show in front of everyone wouldn’t be the best way to start things off so. rip)

alright i’m sorry if that was super cringey but i have not written anything proper in a longgggg time !1!1! but i hope this was what you were expecting : ‘)

[yespolkadotkitty]

Fighting Blind, pt 19

Masterlist here ~ thank you @heatherbel​ for the beta!!

Warnings: shameless angst.

I sleepwalked back to my apartment. The noises of London made me jump at first, my movements jerky. Had I locked up the storeroom? The museum staff entrance? I didn’t know.

I didn’t much care.

I had lain on the floor of the storeroom for some time, clutching the axe. Sobbing my throat raw. Willing it to send me back to before. Willing it to let me look into Pero’s eyes just one more time.

Willing whatever magic that it had before to let me hold him, just for a moment, feel his heart beat, bury my face in his neck. Hear his voice.

Just one more time.

I didn’t remember taking off my filthy robes and changing into the spare outfit I kept in my locker for nights out. The nylon fabric felt incongruous; I’d become used to thick, soft robes. My bra chafed.

I let myself into my apartment. Everything was where I’d left it. 

My phone chirped in my bag and I pulled it out to see a text from Emma: Don’t stay too late! Reality TV beckons.

It was our little joke since she had introduced me to Ru Paul’s Drag Race, six months ago.

It felt like five lifetimes ago.

I put the phone to sleep, dropped my bag in the kitchen, and dragged myself to my bed, looking ahead of me but not seeing.

I lay down, fully clothed. The date on my bedside clock showed that here, almost no time had passed. I’d been deposited back to almost the exact moment I'd left.

My gaze was unfocused as I stared at the ceiling. My eyes reported back a view of the plain plaster, but in my mind I saw Pero’s last moments. The length of thick red ribbon around my wrist felt unreasonably heavy. I twisted the fraying ends with my right thumb and forefinger.

If I could have cried some more, I would have. 

I felt wrung out, a cloth squeezed too hard and then left out on the line until it sagged, dry as bone, moving only at the whims of the wind.

Eventually, I slept, and when I did, I dreamed of my husband’s big, soulful brown eyes, his scarred hands on my skin, the whisper of his melodic Spanish accent in my ear.

*****

I woke up in the middle of the night, shaking. My arm spread out across the cool, crisp sheets, reaching for the warmth of a broad Spaniard who had been killed in battle thousands of years ago.

I clutched desperately at a pillow that did not smell of him, and I waited for dawn to come, silent and dry-eyed, a husk of myself.

The next day, I called in sick. 

Emma left me six texts and three voicemails. Marco tried to call all afternoon. I ignored them both, and I stayed curled up on the bed, staring at nothing, hardly moving except for water and bathroom trips. 

Eventually, I slept. 

No dreams came.

*****

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a sharp rapping on the door jerked me from my half-sleep, half-grief stricken stupor.

“Fuck off,” I moaned to the empty room, my voice paper-dry, cracking. “You’re not Pero. He’s gone.”

The clock showed a whole day had passed. It was just after ten a.m.

The pounding got louder.

I scrubbed my hands over my face, got up wearing yesterday’s clothes. Walking felt like dragging my feet through a carpet of molasses.

I yanked open the door without checking to see who it was.

Emma stood on the other side, and she took me in with wide eyes, her lips parting.

“Um, oh my God,” she breathed, taking in my wrinkled clothes. I probably stank. “What happened? Flu?”

I gazed at her, my very best friend, trying to summon joy at seeing her face again, when I never thought I would. Instead, I just shrugged.

And then she moved forward and wrapped her arms around me, and I let my face fall into the familiar feel of her shoulder, and I cried.

Two cups of tea later, I had unloaded the entire story to Emma, who had listened without interruption, various expressions parading across her elfin face, but, who now almost certainly thought I had experienced some sort of intense mental break.

I wasn’t entirely sure I hadn’t.

“Well,” she said finally, with the tone of someone speaking to a very infirm person or a  baby; “You can’t go back to work in this state, can you?”

I gaped at her. “You want me to go back to work now?”

She tugged my hand until I reluctantly stood up from the sofa. “You’ve not got a lot of choice. There’s a man in the staff waiting area and he says he won’t leave until he sees you. Came all the way from America.”

My heart sank further still. I just heard America, not Spain.

Emma herded me into the bathroom, stripped me off as I stared sightlessly at the wall, turned on the water, shoved me under it.

I watched, unfeeling, until the spray hit the red ribbon around my left wrist, and then a cry raked up my throat, and I slid down the tiled wall, curling in on myself, pressing the damp wedding bracelet to my lips, wishing myself back in China. Back in Pero’s arms.

Wishing I could hold him just one more time.

Just one more time.

*****

Emma didn’t say much on the way to the Armouries. What could she say? From her point of view, her colleague had called in sick one day and  appeared to have suffered an intense psychotic episode.

I half sleep-walked off the tube, up to the museum. People passing probably thought I was taking very strong drugs.

Emma made me a very strong cup of tea, so strong that perhaps the spoon could have stood up by itself, and steered me to my desk chair. “Sit. I’ll bring the visitor.”

I stared into the mug. “Do I have to? Please don’t make me.”

Emma set her hands on her hips, her face creased in sympathy,  brow pinched with worry. “You can go home right after. I swear. Okay? You get one more day of whatever... this is, and then I’m taking you out on the town. London at our feet. Or, you know, twelve hours on the sofa, with popcorn and Ru Paul. Okay?”

I nodded, just to get her to leave.

Time passed; I wasn’t sure how much. I stared at my PC’s Welcome to the London Armouries screensaver, and wondered how much trouble I would get in if I hurled my computer out of the window.

Then I remembered I didn’t even have a window in this office. 

I smiled without humour.

A soft knock at the door made me look up. “Come in,” I called, with zero enthusiasm.

The handle turned, and I expected to see Emma, but I didn’t. What I saw made me topple off my chair.

A man with Pero’s face stood in the open doorway. His hair was lighter, cream caramel kissed with autumn, tousled. Scruff adorned his upper lip and the same strong jaw as Pero’s.

The same soulful, deep brown eyes.

The same striking profile, same nose I’d loved the hook of.

I stared at him as all the noise was sucked from the room. My ears rang.

He hurried over to me. “What the- Are you okay?” he asked in a husky-edged, drawling baritone, California with just a lick of Texas.

I stared at him wordlessly. My mouth opened and closed, until I finally squeaked out, “is this some kind of joke?”

The man stepped back, brows furrowed. “Funny. I’m pretty sure that's my line.” He rubbed a hand over his scruffy jaw, and that was when I saw it.

The circular mark on the root of his thumb. The depiction of infinity; the spiral, the serpent eating its own tail. Not black, like ink, but the colour of melanin.

My heart lurched into my throat.

This time when he offered me his hand, I took it. 

Our palms touched, and something electric chased down my arm. The stranger jerked as if I’d struck him, slapping his hands over his face as he reeled back, hitting the wall and sliding down it. I rocked back on my heels, staying on the floor.

He held his hands over his eyes for a moment that stretched, shaking, his shoulders hunched in.

When he finally looked at me, his eyes had changed. Darker, somehow. His mouth just a little scowly.

My heart jumped like it had been supercharged, because there was my Pero. I was frozen to my spot.

“The dreams,” the man said, very slowly. “I’ve been having these crazy dreams. But they’re.. memories, aren’t they?”

Unable to speak, I nodded.

“They’re my memories. But also… not mine.” He stared into the distance for a long moment, his face pale, wonder sketched on his features. “And this.” He ran the index finger of his right hand over the birthmark on his left thumb. “You did this.” His eyes sparked hazel fire, accusing me of this insanity.

And he was right. I had done this to him.

I held his gaze, my heart in my throat, heavy. “I gave it to you. Before.”

The stranger’s hand eased over his abdomen, resting where Pero had been gored open by Tao Tei teeth. “It feels… fuck, it feels real.”

I swallowed, my eyes burning, stomach bottoming out.  Tears streaked down my face and I let them come, my stomach cramping, and for an agonising moment, it was like losing him all over again. In my mind’s eye I saw the blood pulse from him, his life slipping away and me crouched over him, helpless to stop it. “It was real.”

We sat together in silence for, I don’t know how long. I both ached to touch him and feared it. Feared the modern texture of his open-flannel shirt over a white t-shirt. Feared the rough denim of his jeans.

And how would he smell? Not of lemon oil, leathers or woodsmoke. How could he?

“I’m Zach,” he said into the dragging silence. “Zachary Pero Wellison.”

My mouth dropped open.

Zach smiled lopsidedly, pushing a hand over his face. The face that was Pero’s, and yet, not. “So… I guess with the addition of…” He waved his hand between us. “...this, I’m sort of…. Both of us? I’m Zach, but I somehow have the memories of….. Pero.” He pressed a fist to his head and then popped his fingers in a “head exploding” reference. “Is this really happening, do you think?”

I laughed, without humour. “At this point, I don’t think I know.”

Zach huffed out what might have been a laugh. “The shrink sure as hell didn’t cover this in PTSD counselling.”

His deadpan delivery made me smile for the first time since I’d woken up back in 2019.

Footsteps sounded outside, followed by voices that lingered and then, after a minute, moved on. My gaze flicked over Zach, my stomach heartsick. Pero, my Pero, was in there, and yet, he wasn’t.

This was impossible. Everything I had ever learned told me what Zach and I were experiencing just did not happen.

But.

“You’re military?”

He nodded, shrugging off the shoulder of his flannel shirt and pulling up the right sleeve of his t-shirt to show me the bottom half of an intricate tattoo on his shoulder. “Semper Fi. Marines. Buzz cut grew out.”

I ate up the extra view of his body, greedy to know where he would be the same, and where he might be different.

“Glad I never saw anything like… the Tao Tei in Afghanistan,” he said shakily, a self-deprecating laugh escaping his lips.

I held his gaze. “It was an experience. Are you.. I take it you don’t still serve?”

“Nope. Three tours and an honorable discharge, two years on the street, but for the past five I’ve had a steady job. A roof over my head.” He summed up his life so flippantly; his delivery really reminded me of Pero’s nonchalance about death.

I sell my sword for coin, I sleep when fighting has exhausted me, and one day I will die and return to the earth. Simple, don’t you think?”

“Um, so... can I get you a coffee?” I asked, swiping my hands over my eyes. It felt like a monumentally banal thing to say seeing as this man now seemed to hold every memory my dead husband had ever clocked up, but I didn’t have anything else.

“Got any whiskey?” he half-laughed.

“I wish I did.”

“I’m good. Drank about a gallon of it at the hotel. Nerves. I, um…” He lifted those cocoa eyes to mine, and for a second, a heartrending second, it was Pero looking at me. My pulse tripped. “This is... fuck, this is a lot. I really…” He clenched his hands into fists, drawing my attention to that birthmark, the same lines, lines I had drawn, only in that brown shade of skin pigment. “I wanna touch you. Or he does. I don’t know. But… can I? Is that okay? I can’t think about anything else.”

Twin zings of excitement and fear skidded up my spine. “Um… okay.”

Neither of us moved.

Zach laughed nervously, standing. He towered above me as I sat in the corner next to my computer chair. I let my gaze travel up his body, long legs in faded blue jeans, a flat stomach under that white t-shirt, the lines of his torso delineated by the open plaid shirt.

His eyes were soft as he offered his hand again, palm out flat.

This time, when I took it, no lightning. Just a warm touch. His fingers sure and confident around mine.

He tugged me gently to a standing position, until we were only a foot apart, then he let our joined hands fall to our sides. We stood together like that for goodness knew how long, looking into each other’s eyes; his so familiar and yet so new.

Zach lifted his free hand to gently skim his thumb along my jaw, and just like that, the air changed. Each breath I took seemed supercharged as I gazed into his big, soulful eyes. “Zach,” I whispered, and it didn’t feel wrong.

He slowly lowered his head to mine, his eyes constantly flicking to meet mine, checking it was okay. Checking I was okay.

And then just before our lips met, a shudder went through him, and he whispered, “Cielo,” with just a hint of Spanish melody, and there was no way in hell he could have known that word unless-

And I yanked him down to me and kissed him with all the love and yearning and grief in my heart, and he kissed me back. His hands came up to spread over my back, and the warm, solid wall of his chest felt divine. 

Perfect. 

Bliss.

I opened for him, and he licked into my mouth, his teeth scraping just a little, and I welcomed the tiny hurt, pressing closer into his body. His lips were Pero’s lips, his little shaky inhale the way Pero would sometimes suck in a breath when we kissed. I shoved my hands beneath his open plaid shirt, felt the play of muscle on his back, under the soft t-shirt, and it was like holding Pero. I sobbed into Zach’s mouth and he drew back, frowning.

“Sorry,” I choked out. “I’m sorry. I -”

“I know,” Zach whispered, stroking my hair back. “I was there. He - I - loved you … He loved you. More than anything.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my lips together to stop them from trembling. “This isn’t happening. I would give anything to have him back. Anything. But this is… it can’t be real.”

Zach cupped my cheek, his eyes dark, stormy, and for a moment it was my husband looking at me. “Ask me something only he would know.”

I opened my eyes again. This was like living in an alternate reality of the film Ghost. But real. I felt the floor under my feet. I felt Zach’s palm against my skin, gun-callused, the same way Pero’s had been sword-callused.

“What did he say to me, when we... when I…” The words dried up on my tongue. Suddenly I didn’t want to share, which made no sense. “The first time,” I finished lamely.

Zach dropped his gaze from mine, a flush stealing over his cheeks. “Cielo. Heaven. I will not last,” he murmured, that Spanish melody sneaking, incrementally, into his tone.

My pulse spiked. 

No one could know that.

He met my eyes again. “Fuck. I know. This can’t be happening. But it is. Unless we’re both suffering the same delusion.”

I half-laughed. “Unless. God, Zach. I’m sorry. I’m sorry about…. all this.”

“I’m not. I wanted answers to these insane dreams, to the burning feeling on my birthmark, and however absolutely batshit those answers are... I had so many moments over in Afghanistan, wondering what I was fighting for... where my life was going. Always thought - it’s so stupid, but always thought I was just waiting for something. And maybe that something is you.”

My stomach dropped. “Oh, Zach.”

He smiled lopsidedly. “Whatever this is, it doesn’t feel like just my twisted little secret anymore.”

“I-” My heart pounded. “Secret. Oh my God, secret. The axe.”

Zach’s gaze shot to mine, wonder sketched on his handsome features. “I know how to open it.”

*****

I’d never run so fast before. I skidded out of the office, Zach on my heels, past some very surprised visitors and down to the artefact storeroom. I could only hope that no one had been there since the day before yesterday.

Zach stood silently by, but I saw his hands clenched into fists by his side as I swiped my keycard.

It was still there.

The door slammed behind us as I lurched on to the floor, picking it up, uncaring about being without cotton gloves.

Zach held out his hands, and I passed it to him. He gazed at it in wordless awe, his eyes poring over it, fingers stroking reverently.

Then he turned it over, pressed his thumbnail into the slice representing Pero’s scar in the carving on the bottom, and the handle turned, loosening.

I gasped in shock, surprise, joy.

Zach gently pulled the haft loose to reveal a shallow compartment in the metal handle, two pieces of parchment and a loop of crimson lying inside, like the finest of treasures.

With hands that shook, I took out Pero’s handfasting bracelet. The edges were frayed, the fabric so old it had discoloured, but it was his. I lifted it to my lips, felt my heart wrench from my body.

Zach had set the axe down and held the pieces of parchment in his palms. His eyes were wide as he breathed, “I wrote this. I mean, he did. But I remember writing it.”

I paused, the dusty, faded bracelet pressed to my cheek. “What?”

He showed me the yellowed parchment, the writing faded beyond recognition. “The words are almost gone. But I was there. I - he - wrote it while you slept. On the handfasting night.”

The world spun. I braced myself up on one arm. “Would you read it? Please.”

Clearing his throat, Zach closed his eyes, and to my amazement and joy, to my sadness and gratitude, Pero’s voice left his lips.

Querida

You sleep as I write this. My wife, in our bed. Your body and soul more beautiful than I could ever have wished for, in this life certainly. I am not good with words, mi vida, but you must know that you hold my old, scarred heart in your hands.

I think perhaps, you always have. 

If you are reading this then I have gone with God, but whatever He may have planned for my old bones, I will carry you with me always.

Until we meet again,

Yours,

Pero 

When he’d finished, tears streamed unashamed down my face, wetting my jeans. I couldn’t have cared less.

Zach’s face was drawn, too. He set the two pieces of paper aside and opened his arms, and without a second thought, I crawled into them. He rocked me gently, and I pressed my face into his neck, breathing him in; he didn’t smell of Pero, he smelled of rosemary and sandalwood and coffee, but it wasn’t wrong.

“Thankyou,” I whispered into his shirt. “Thank you, for letting my hear his voice, just one more time.”

Zach said nothing, just nodded. He understood. He always would.

We sat that way for I didn’t know how long. Eventually I roused myself. “Zach?”

A soft chuckle rumbled from his chest. “It’s still me. I think,” he drawled, American again, but that husky-edged voice curled its way into my heart.

“What’s the other piece of paper?”

He lifted one arm to pluck it from the floor. “It’s… what is this language?”

I recognised the penmanship. “Oh my God, it’s Gaelic.” I scrambled off his lap, reaching for my phone. This piece of parchment had been wrapped inside the other, and the words had been mostly preserved. I took a picture of the text, uploaded it to the translation app a colleague at the British Museum had developed. While still in beta, it nevertheless contained many ancient languages.

Within a few moments, a translation appeared, and Zach and I gazed down at the screen as I read aloud:

Jade

The thought that this message may find you in a future many, thousands of years from now gives me pause, I must admit, but since fighting those… Monsters, I find nothing surprises me.

We gave your husband a warrior’s wake. That I swear to you. Lin saw to many of the details personally. After your rooms were cleared I found a note in his hand and I enclose it here.

We captured a Tao Tei in the days following Tovar’s death. We fed Ballard to it. A fitting end for such a waste of air, I think you’ll agree.

And after that, the strategists found the Queen. We think we’re halfway to learning how to be rid of them. Once and for all, I pray.

A year has passed since you and Tovar left me. As I write this, Lin sits beside me with our twins, Jade and Pero, named for the man who saved Lin’s life, and the woman he loved beyond the boundaries of time.

I don’t know what will happen when we die, but we will keep Tovar’s axe in our family as best we can. Lin says she trusts the spirits to take care of it, and after all I’ve seen here, I can’t disagree with her. 

She wouldn’t listen even if I did.

We miss you.

With love,

William Garin

*****

A/N: One more chapter to go on this journey. Thank you, thankyou, thankyou for all your love, comments, messages, reaction gifs, theories, THANKYOU x 1000000000. Thank you for indulging my insanity.

Tagging: @babybelou​ @theravenreads​ @vanillabeanlattes @alienprincesspoop​ @knittingqueen13​ @lackofhonor​ @holographic-carmen​ @thewayofthemandalorian @buckstaposition​ @thegreenkid @agirllovespasta​ @chews-erotically​ @apples-of-february​ @mstgsmy​ @songsformonkeys​ @synystersilenceinblacknwhite​ @buckysalefty​ @readsalot73​ @restingnurseface​ @opheliaelysia​ @emmy-dandiliom918​ @prdsdjarin​ @a-seeker-of-imagination​ @havenforafrazzledmind​ @badassbaker​ @thewaythisis​ @kindablackenedsuperhero @keeper0fthestars​ @starlight-starwrites​ @agentpike​ @alldatalost​ @littlemissthistle​ @cryptkeepersoul​ @stylelovechild​ @maryan028​ @seawhisperer​ @emesispo​ @beccaplaying​ @hdlynn​ @jaime1110​ @marydjarin​ @ahopelessromanticwritersworld​ @mrsparknuts​ @pinkzsugar​ @cutepurplehedgehog​ @ksgeekgirl​ @skdubbs​ @roxypeanut​ @usernameistooshort @tortles​

[misqato]

birthday surprises with tsukishima, oikawa, kuroo and kageyama

Summary: a short hc + scenario of the boys surprising you on your birthday!!

Genre: fluff

A/N: so this fic is for my friend’s birthday, (she told me she didn’t have tumblr but am posting it anyway cuz why not). anyway, hope you guys like the fic!! requests are still open as of now btw :)) ‘til next time, claire❤

tsukishima kei

he’ll actually pretend to forget it’s your birthday.

you text him on the morning of your birthday to see if he remembers ;))

y/n : kei!! guess what day it is today :>

kei: idk, monday?

this bitch.

you were kinda disappointed cause it seemed like he forgot about your birthday + he was acting extra salty on you :((

you left him on read and just spent the rest of your day at home with your parents.

you would get calls and messages from your friends greeting you, but you still felt really sad because of how your boyfriend was acting.

your parents tried to cheer you up but it just didn’t help

you just really wanted to spend the day with kei :((

on the other hand, kei just wanted to surprise you.

he felt really bad about doing that to you, but it was part of the whole surprise.

so anyway, you were just lying down on your bed that time, and just as it was about to get late, you receive a message from kei.

kei: i’m here outside. open the door.

You head downstairs and open the front door to see a sweaty Kei standing there with two medium sized paper bags in his hands. You practically leaped at him and gave him the tightest hug while you inhale his scent because you really really missed him today.

“I missed you.”, you said, head still resting on his chest. “I missed you too idiot, and happy birthday.”, he says, smiling down on you.

You stay like that for a while until he finally says, “Um, can we come in? My hands are still a bit preoccupied over here.”

“Yes, of course. Come in.”, you say, helping him with the bags as you both make your way inside and sit by the dining area.

As you both settled down inside, he takes out the contents of the paper bags: both of you guys’ favorite strawberry shortcake, a new set of headphones, a dinosaur plushie, and one of his hoodies that you love to wear when you come over to his place. “I’m sorry for acting like that a while ago. I really didn’t forget it was your birthday today. I just wanted to surprise you today and-”

You cut him off with a kiss. He was in shock for a while but then he melted in not shortly afterwards. “Ssshhh, it’s fine, Kei. What matters is that you’re here with me now.”, you give him a soft smile. “Thank you for all of this, Kei. Thank you for being a part of my life. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Y/N. Happy birthday. You mean the whole world to me.” You both leaned in for a kiss.

Well, it was a happy birthday indeed.

oikawa tooru

this man will throw a whole ass surprise party for you

he’s got his whole volleyball team, your family and your friends to help him with the surprise

he really wants to celebrate your birthday in the most special way so he’ll really go all out for you

he doesn’t drop any hint of it whatsoever and makes sure no one spoils the surprise

you think it’s just going to be another one of your normal birthdays where it’s usually just the two of you

so like he picks you up at your place when you’re all dressed up and ready thinking he’ll only take you out to dinner with just the two of you

of course he’ll shower you with kisses and compliments telling you how beautiful you are

and just as you both got inside his car to drive to the venue, he brings out a blindfold and tells you to wear it for a while

so then of course you’re like ???

what is this man up to?

but then he tells you “c’mon princess it’s only for a little while. just trust me”

you sigh and put on the blindfold

“you’re lucky i love you”, you jokingly tell him

The drive didn’t take that long, but for you it felt like forever. “Are we there yet?”, you ask your boyfriend countless of times already. In which he’ll reply, “We’re almost there, princess. Hang on.”, while rubbing your thigh reassuringly.

After parking the car, he finally announces, “We’re here, but don’t take your blindfold off yet, alright?”

You whined, starting to get impatient.

“Now, now, it’s only gonna be just for a little while now, princess.”, your boyfriend says.

“You said that for like, 10 times already.”, you protest, rolling your eyes under the blindfold, which made him chuckle.

“Now we’re gonna have to get out of the car. I’ll come around your side and help you out okay?”, he says.

“Alright.”

He hops out of the car and he made his way to the passenger seat to help you step out of the vehicle. You both walked towards the building with your purse clutched in one hand and the other being held by your boyfriend guiding you as you walk.

As you both made the venue, you both made a halt. Your boyfriend finally says, “You can take off your blindfold now.” And as you take off your blindfold you see your family and friends altogether greeting you with a very loud and warm “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!”

There was confetti flying around the place and cameras all pointed at you as you stood there in pure shock. You really hadn’t expected this to be happening.

Your boyfriend then makes his way toward you and hands over a huge bouquet of your favorite flowers. You then give him the biggest hug and smother him with kisses all over his face, with the guests clapping and saying their “aww’s” all over the place.

“You really did this for me?”, you ask him.

“Well yeah, but, I don’t really want to take all the credit since our friends and family members helped out too.”, he sheepishly smiles.

“You’re the best boyfriend I’ve ever had. I love you so much.”, you say as you kiss him on the lips once again.

“I love you too, princess. Happy birthday.”

You both spent the whole rest of the night partying. It was the most memorable birthday you’ve ever had.

kuroo tetsurou

this man will spoil you rotten

i mean he already spoils you enough on a normal day, but he’ll literally give you ANYTHING you want on your special day. i repeat, ANYTHING

he’s been saving all year for your birthday, just so he could give you all the nice things you’ve been wanting all year

christmas is another story, though (which we’ll be saving for another time😉)

the first thing you see when you wake up is a very excited kuroo sitting down on the floor right next to your bed

it’s 9am and you were still a bit confused and disoriented so when you see him you’re just like “???”

when he sees you’re awake he’ll go “happy birthday, kitten” with a soft smile that makes you melt like AKHKADHSH

and he even made you breakfast!! in bed!!

kuroo is actually a really great cook

so he just watches you as you chow down your food and he finds you so adorable when you’re eating it just makes him go uwu

when you finish your food, he’ll offer to clean up and wash the dishes so you could dress up and get ready.

and so after you get ready you both make your way to the mall

It was already around 3pm, and you still haven’t decided on what you really wanted for your birthday.

You’ve been to plenty and plenty of various shops and yet you still haven’t made up your mind. You only wanted to buy one gift so your boyfriend wouldn’t have to pay for much even if he’s insisting that he’ll pay for everything.

And so both of you went through the last of the shops that you haven’t been to yet. You both decided to go to the jewelry shop, in which you found lots of sparkling diamond and gold bracelets, rings and other types of jewelry. But one that really caught your eye was this gold necklace with a small diamond heart pendant attached to it.

He noticed you staring at it and asked the saleslady, “How much is it?”.

“Around 50,000 yen.”, the saleslady replied.

He figured he could just use his credit card. “Do you want to buy that one, baby?”, he asks. And as much as you really wanted it, you didn’t want your boyfriend to spend that much money on just a small birthday gift, so you said, “No, it’s fine. I mean, it looks pretty, but it’s too expensive.”

“C’mon kitten, I haven’t gave you a gift yet, and I told you it would be alright with me if the price is a bit expensive. I really want to give you something special on your birthday, and I want you to be happy, of course.”

“Being with you today is enough for me, babe. You’re the most special gift I ever had.”, you reach up and kissed him on the nose.

“Alright, kitten. If you say so.”, he gives you a soft smile and you both walk out the store.

Later that evening...

Just as both of you were about to head home, Kuroo says he needs to rush to the bathroom for a bit and tells you to stay where you are.

It took him quite a while and then you see him jogging back to where you were supposed to meet.

“Gosh, are you okay?”, you ask a sweaty Kuroo that’s heavily panting.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Let’s go home now.”, he says. Wrapping an arm around your waist as you both exit the mall and walk to the train station.

You were getting quite suspicious of your boyfriend, but you just let it slide.

Both of you then arrive at the doorstep of your place. “Goodnight, Tetsu. Thank you so much for today. I had a really great time.”, you say as you place a kiss on his cheek.

“Wait, I have something for you.” he says, pulling out a tiny grey box with a silver ribbon tied to it and hands it to you. “Open it.”, he says with a large grin plastered on his face.

You take the small box and untie the ribbon. When you open it, you see the same gold necklace with the diamond heart pendant on it like the one you were eyeing at the mall earlier that day. Your eyes widened at the necklace and you were utterly speechless.

You looked up to your boyfriend looking at you with a large smile on his face and said, “Want me to help you put it on?”.

“Yes, please.”, you say, turning around so that your boyfriend could have easier access to secure the necklace around your neck.

“All done,” he says once he’s finished. “Wow, it look great on you, babe.”, he praises you.

You then grabbed him and gave him a big warm hug. “I told you, you really didn’t have to buy me this. It’s way too expensive.”, you say, head still buried in his chest.

“Well, I really wanted you to be happy, babe. Didn’t you like it?”, he replies.

“I love it, babe. Thank you so much.”

“Anytime, kitten. Happy birthday.”, he says, peppering you face with tons of kisses.

kageyama tobio

he’ll get so stressed out on planning a surprise birthday for you ceflvnvbf

so he asks tanaka and noya for some advice which is probably not the best idea

they suggest throwing you a huge surprise party with them dressing up as mascots

istg poor boy almost went with that idea-

but thank gOd sugamama overheard the conversation and came to the rescue!!

so he suggests to take you to this drive-in theater just 10 minutes away

kags liked that idea so he takes sugamama’s advice (stan sugamama😔✊)

on day of your birthday, he takes you to the park first

it was pretty chill. y’all just eating ice cream on the bench while watching little kids play

inside, he’s really nervous about whether you’ll like his mini surprise or not

so during the afternoon he says that he’s going to take you somewhere (but ofc he doesn’t say where exactly)

but you just trust him and let him drive because he’s your boyfriend anyway, not a serial killer

he stopped by the convenience store for a while and told you to wait in the car

he went out with some chips, ready-made popcorn, some soda and his carton of milk (ya boi needs his milk) and you were starting to get an idea of where he’s taking you

so y’all are on your way there and when you saw the tall sign thingy that says what movie they’re showing (idk what they’re called FDEFBEB) you start getting so excited because you’ve never been to a drive-in theater before and you really wanted to go to one with your boyfriend

“We’re here.”, your boyfriend says, glancing at you with a smile on his face as he sees the amount of excitement on your face.

“Omg Tobio I can’t believe that you thought of taking me here.”, you say, reaching over to his side to pull him into a hug. “Oi, boke, let me part first before we cuddle.”, he says, looking for a good place in the front near the screen so that you get a good view.

“Alright, hihi.”

The movie that was showing was one of your favorite old school romance movies. You were sitting at the hood of the car with a blanket laid down under the two of you. You were lying in his arms while watching the movie and you honestly couldn’t think of anything more romantic than this.

You knew what was gonna happen next, so you stare up at your boyfriend and admire his features while he focuses on the movie (he apparently hasn’t watched it yet :<). He then notices you staring at him and gives you a smirk. “What’re you staring at, boke?”, he asks. “Nothing, just looking at how my boyfriend looks so great under the moonlight.”, you say, giving him a smile.

“Thank you for taking me here, babe. I really appreciate the effort.”, you tell him. “Of course, babe. Anything to make you happy.”, he says. “Although I gotta thank Suga-san for suggesting this place to me.”, he adds.

Just as the movie showed the two main characters pulled into a kissing scene, both of you sheepishly look down.

“Do you, um, want to-?”

You cut your boyfriend off by pulling him into a kiss on the lips. The kiss was very soft and tender. When the two of you pulled away from the kiss, he says, “Happy birthday, boke. I love you so much.”