#i was so no thoughts head empty have a silly doodle i like my beans so much just silly beans

[kimasousparky]

watching too many slay the princess playthroughs. i love these two so much, let them be happy

[pansear-doodles]

30 Days of Artihunter Complete!

Below the cut would be a side diary on the thought process of each day- how I felt during the time and what made me decide to draw the ship in that portrayal. It would also contain some deep thought messages of how I feel I suppose.

Day 1 revolved around me thinking quickly on this idea- that it is pride month and its their time to shine again. What is anything more appropriate than the first art style I drew Rain world in for the first day? I've thought of the roses of explosion spears.

I was feeling creatively driven on this day- wanting to use my painterly style but with not exactly my designs- I also want to mimic how they appear in the game more.

Purple, orange, yellow. Great colors. I'm a sucker for citrus and sunset palettes.

Was feeling lazy this day, but also experimental. Some people saw this piece and thought that the shelter is the tent- that's actually just the entrance. The "tent" is a carpeted roof to the entrance, and the two are enjoying the light rain or the start of it before they head in to the actual shelter. At some point in the future I should design more unique shelters and entrances.

Around the time, I was listening to The Cardigans. Sometimes Youtube gives me sped up versions where the thumbnail has a cute stuffed animal or character. It reminds me of the Sylvanian Family toy series. My very first Artihunter-related commission was the two in pretty dresses with the pups, so I was reminiscing on that too.

I was feeling sleepy so I wanted to draw the two comfortably. I think I was in the mood to draw a wrinkled blanket.

When a character kisses another, it leaves a heart. This is not usually lipstick but rather just an evident smooch mark. You might've seen a similar thing in the newest picrew. Yes- those are smooch marks!

Felt stylistic. Wanted to be different I think. This was the first daily artihunter piece Videocult retweeted. I'm not sure if they realized but whatever floats their boat. I was really fond of how people draw Artificer as this rough, scraggly, rat coyote thing, so I wanted to draw it my way.

It was at this point I realized my daily artihunter hasn't shown the one aspect of their relationship- that they both are fighters and relish on the violence. I drew them fighting a vulture because of Hunter's expedition: Birdwatching

I think... I was feeling sad this day. You'll see this pattern soon in the future days.

I was feeling violent. I wanted to draw gore for once.

I was browsing through twitter and found funny slugcat GIFs and drawings where the slugcat is shaped like some sort of long stringbean. This would be one of the few pieces where it involves another character unrelated to the two.

I think I was on a manic state this day- feeling silly.

Then the silliness crashed down from... something. As the days progressed, my anxiety attacks would worsen and be evidently consistent throughout (and as of writing I still have them, but to a lesser extent at least). This would continue until around day 26. But as of this day, I wanted to show my arti's caring side, comforting hunter.

Amidst an anxiety attack, I wanted to draw them as beans in reminiscent of the specific style of an artist whose small doodles make me smile and laugh.

I think I was feeling empty headed for ideas on this day, so I looked at the rain world art tags for inspiration- it just hit me that I could also draw other artist's depictions of artihunter, so I drew them in one of my styles. Maybe someday I will do more of this. I hope the other rw artists don't find this weird.

I've randomly thought of shovel knight and thought about how cozy the campfire cutscenes were. I wonder if shelters could have ventilations to warrant a campfire inside. It would be nice I think.

It was father's day. This is not a genderbent drawing- I just wanted to draw them in different colors and wearing cool ties, while receiving mugs that call them dad. That's about it. If you think about it, I think arti and hunter would get a maximum of four mugs per year for each- on mother's day, on father's day, on their birthdays, and on rain world's version of the winter holidays.

Butch sapphics/lesbians. I was humorous.

I was feeling upset and certainly riddled with the anxiety and restlessness. I just wanted to draw the family at peace.

I was curious on my friends' input on what prompt for this day, so I asked them what should the two be doing. Several of them gave different answers, so I combined all of them.

I was feeling terrible but I wanted to push forward with the daily artihunter. Their arms have bruises here but they're holding on- just like what I was going through that day.

Anxious, again. I wanted to draw them resting closely. I think I was touch starved.

I wanted to cheer myself up so I went around for memes on tumblr and saw one I found funny and could fit my vision (er- one of my visions) of the ship. I found the sunstone dialogue at the back to replace the dialogue of Hatred a genius move and I'm glad I cracked people up with that detail.

People seemed to like this one- I was feeling painterly that day. Arti's kids are part of their life, and now they're part of Hunter's. I think Hunter would be a great mumdad.

I think... It was around this time my anxiety attacks started to leak out and break open completely. There was a lot of buzz. I was restless. Uncomfortable. Spiraling. People left and right trying their best to comfort me, and then finally the people who helped me snap out of it out of reasonable concern and grips on reality. I'm quite ashamed of being that, but I think at this time, I finally learned how to slowly breathe again. I felt mellow. I drew them as tomatoes with iterator farmers.

I wasn't feeling sad. More like tired. I had school all day until late at night and I had no time to make the drawing, so I made something relatively simple.

I planned this prompt for a while- I wanted to draw them in their wedding wear. The complexities are the exchange of the simplicity for the day before. I at times still cringe at the wedding comics, but they were fuzzy. I think they should slow dance after everything they been through. I think they should hold each other gently until their next stressful moments come. I think they should be happy.

A round about way of compiling most depictions I have of the two. Its funny I always draw their anthro versions taller than the other portrayals, but thats the vibes. They all each have different ways of showing affection. They all each have different experiences despite being similar to one another. Yet they're all the same persons at the source.

Today was polarizing. There were a lot of things I did not expect. A rollercoaster of emotions. But somewhere in there of the today, even with the tears on my face, the throbbing headache and the shaking hands- I was happy. I should acknowledge that I have accomplished another of what appears to be another consistent art month, with absolutely no missed days. I wanted to make it off with a bang- something reminiscent of one of my first artihunter drawings. I shall rest, but I'll see everyone in the fields of Art Fight, where I will smile once more to hopefully live up to my prime and focus on what's important to me in drawing.

With pride month ending, I would like to thank my friends and the rw community for being supportive of my barbie playhouse. 5 Months went by so fast, so many episodes and mistakes but I march forward, evolving and fluctuating, learning. There were things that meant a lot to me and are significant that is considered otherwise by others.

Some people will look at this- all that I've done- think its crazy, maybe unhinged, think I have made them with the intent of malice. Maybe I have not done enough. Maybe I misrepresented them. Maybe I was too proudy or ignorant- perhaps all that was true and I didn't know about it until its too late. There is a certain truth in me that it difficult for me to explain to others and there are some things I think about that don't need sharing.

I wish I wasn't so sensitive to everything but me frolicking about with whatever I want to draw contradicts it. It makes me want to step down or run off to a new quieter place- a new account to disguise myself- but I know I can't let them win that way.

Maybe there are two or more people in me, all conscious. Or maybe I am indecisive and want to explore everything about thing because I love thing and I want to see it in all angles. Whatever I'm doing, I know its out of love and appreciation. I misremember even significant things. I lose myself, but I pick up the pen and draw because its the one thing I know best for myself.

I do not look for validation. I only look for peace. I only look to be comfortable knowing that I'm not making the opposite of peace. I only look to make myself happy.

To the people I've hurt on my journey, the people I've thought fondly of but also fear, the people who hurt me- thank you for being part of my stay in Rain World even if painful and I'm sorry for everything I've wronged you on.

To the people who brought light to me, who tolerated me, who were kind to me, who were patient to me, who didn't mind what and how I was, who encouraged me, who defended me, who talked to me, who shared memes with me, who were calm and honest to me, who acknowledge my flaws, who made me feel safe- thank you. Even if some of these moments were brief. Even if I don't know who or what you are on the other side. Even if something in the future may happen to us. I love you. /p

I say this all with genuine thoughts, and I hope I'm not being emotionally manipulative because I genuinely do appreciate this fandom and I'm grateful that lots of people in it are appreciative of me.

Thank you, again.

P.S. I have realized throughout this month I have worded the drawing artihunter everyday thingy wrong (oops) Well. At least know that I will continue to draw artihunter, and I do not think I'll get tired of the ship and drawing them anytime soon.

[bluepallilworld]

Here we are again! Time for the last big writing of my dark cream family stories ! This time it's better to read the other writings before or you're gonna be confused for some parts I guess XD.

Here a link to the other writings ^^.

It's really long so it's cut into parts, I'll post one each day in case you wanna do theories between OwO.

Characters of mine that will appear: Mimosa, Mu, Fancy and Lint ✨

Meeting or missing (part 1)

The cold air was tickling his bones.

He grabbed his blanket harder and rolled it around his body before spreading himself on the bean bag he chose to sleep on for the night. The returned warmth he felt after a few minutes made him sigh with contentment. Comfy clouds.

He didn’t have the slightest idea of what hour it could be but he must still have some time to go back to sleep. He rubbed his face into the soft fabric. Well, it couldn’t hurt to stay there for a bit longer. Or forever.

He opened his eyes to the darkness of his room, blinking sleepily. Now on his back, he let his eye lights trailed the star path on the ceiling. Orienting himself towards his door, he peered at the luminous words written on the paper hanging on it.

“We’re in the house!” it said, followed by hastily drawn doodles of two faces.

It was quite silly, he knew that. Now that he was nine years old, he shouldn’t need to be reassured that he wasn’t alone anymore like that. Mimosa blushed as he remembered the tantrum he threw once when he had thought they had left the house without telling him first.

He should have told them that he didn’t need that paper anymore. Perhaps. But the thought of a cold and empty house came back to his mind and he shuddered.

Cuddling his squishy tendril, the child took a deep breath. He didn’t really need to breathe, all skeleton he was, but he found the action was soothing. He focused on the faint noise of the air coming in and out.

In and out.

In…

And…

Out…

His eyes closed again, he imagined some wind blowing through the room, creating invisible swirls and making the fabric of the curtains move. It was a peaceful sensation and he felt himself slowly being pulled back to sleep by the soft daydream…

He didn’t fall asleep, however, as he felt something was wrong.

Upon cracking upon a socket, he noticed the window was open. Didn't he close it before going to sleep?

He put his weight on his elbows to upright his upper body and gazhed around in the darkness.

A shriek escaped him when something heavy fell on him from who knows where.

“WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD! IT’S EARLY! ”

The newcomer was now sitting on his ribs, a malicious smile on her face.

Oh…

He should have expected that, it wasn’t the first time his friend -or more his “half-sibling from another multiverse”- sneaked inside his room.

Lint was just like that.

He would have greeted her as cheerfully as usual if it wasn’t for the slumber determined to keep him trapped half-asleep. So he just grabbed a pillow, searching to hit the too awake girl.

The sloppy hit didn’t touch the target. But his friend slipped from her seat anyway and dramatically faked her death as she flopped on the floor.

Silence filled the room as Lint kept wiggling until she stopped moving at all.

Mimosa stared at the fellow skelekid as if waiting for something else to happen.

.

.

.

The girl made the longest fart noise he ever heard.

.

.

.

The boy lost it and started wheezing like crazy. He slided down to the floor and the two children laughed together for a little while.

Each time they thought they were done, a glance at the other and they were set again for another round.

When the bubbly noises finally died down, Mimosa felt finally fully awake. He guessed there was no bad way to wake up!

He shot a look at the door, nobody came to investigate their noisy feat. Perhaps they were still asleep or just at the other side of the house. Shine should be awake as she was often at night but maybe Malignance was still in bed. He tilted his head, lost in his thoughts.

He realized his mistake when two enthused hands suddenly grabbed his shoulders.

“Let’s go!”

“WAIT-”

The room was now empty, the two monsters having abruptly disappeared.

A post-it slowly fell on the bean bag.

On it, was written in bright colors:

“I’m borrowing your bro <3”

[End of part 1]

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

[Go to part 2?]

Shine and Malignance are Mimosa's adopted siblings, they belong to @creative-firebug ❤️

That's it @zu-is-here ! I finally finish it XD

@turtleduckrabbit dark cream shipkid's time ahead UwU

[foreverandalwayshttyd]

happy first Mother’s Day to Astrid! Since no official account posted about her it’s up to the fandom to celebrate her because clearly she loves her little beans more than life itself. So enjoy this fluffy haddock family/momstrid drabble that was so pure and fun to wright.

A Playful Mom is the Best Mom

Hiccup ran his calloused hands through his rustled auburn hair. He huffed in exasperation as he flipped through his notes. Peace treaty. Trade routes. Building plans. The list went on, and the little candle on his desk started to flicker in the dark room. He moaned in exhaustion as he massaged his temple. "Dad, I don't know how you did it....."

He looked up at a little drawing Zephyr had made for him a couple of weeks ago, pinned up on the wall above his desk. He smiled. It was a rough sketch of their family, all of their heads looked a little misshaped, but other than that he was proud to say that she was improving on the bodies. The lopsided grins they wore in the sketch made him chuckle. There was an orange glow against the rough paper, and his thoughts shifted from work to his family. Astrid should've put the kids to bed by now, and he wondered why she hadn't come downstairs yet.

He hoisted himself up out of his chair, and made his way to the staircase that led upstairs. His prosthetic clicked with each step he took, and he finally ascended to the second floor. He quietly walked over to Zephyr's room, as that's where they would usually get ready for bed and then Nuffink would trot off to his room.

He creaked the door open slowly just in case they were asleep. He was surprised when his eyes met an empty bed and a dark room which the moonlight shone through the little crevices in the walls. He pursed his lips and cocked his brow in confusion. He scurried over to Nuffink's room but found it to be empty as well. He stroked his beard in puzzlement, the worst possible situations coming to mind. What if they were kidnapped? What if he was so caught up with his chiefly duties he didn't even notice them leave? What if-

His racing thoughts were interrupted by a tiny giggle that came from him and Astrid's room. He mentally slapped himself as he realized that was the one room he hadn't checked, and it'd make sense that they'd be in there. He swiftly rushed to the door of their room, and turned the knob slightly, just to have a little peek into the room.

"Then what happened Momma!" Zephyr urged her mother to continue with her big blue wondrous eyes. She was nestled beside her mother in bed, her mother's arm draped around her. "Yeah wha' happen Momma!" Nuffink bounced excitedly next to his mother, making the bed creak when he made any sudden movement.

Astrid chuckled and rustled her son's hair, getting him to calm down a little. "I'll tell you on one condition. You two need to go to bed after this, okay? It's way past your bedtime." She said playfully tapping Zephyr's nose earning a little giggle from her. "We will! Tell us what happened!" She looked up at her mother with pleading eyes. Nuffink nestled into her side and Astrid pulled him closer.

"There we were, face to face with the most ferocious looking dragon ever! It's hot breath made my skin prickle with goosebumps!" If only she could mentally lodge in her brain forever what their little faces looked liked as she retold her encounter with a dragon she and Hiccup had been trapped with. Their eyes sparkled with wonder, and their tiny plump lips were parted slightly. "We were trapped, no where to run to, and Toothless had already been captured, like I already mentioned. The only thing we could do was try and tame the dragon....

"So daddy reached out his hand, like this...." Astrid placed her hand on Nuffink's forehead as she closed her eyes and Nuffink started to squeal hysterically. Zephyr couldn't control her giggles because of how silly her mom looked, and how her brother almost doubled over with laughs. Astrid tried to remain serious to show just how serious their situation was, but she couldn't help but smile a little through her closed eyes. "Hey! This is serious you two!" She started to tickle Nuffink who squirmed uncontrollably on the bed, and Zephyr climbed on top of her mother, her shoulders shaking with high pitched squeals.

"Momma! Stop it!" Nuffink managed to get out, curled up into a little ball and trying to shield himself from his mother's tickles. "Not until you two pay attention to the story!" She laughed as Zephyr fell next to Nuffink, and now she was tickling both of her children. Squeals and squirms lasted for about a good five minutes and Astrid finally sighed dramatically and collapsed against the bed frame, the two children gasping for air with ceasing giggles.

They both crawled on either sighed of their slightly panting mother, and slipped under the furs. Astrid eyed them both mischievously. "No more interruptions?"

They both nodded quickly with tiny smiles and bright eyes. "Okay, where was I? Ah yes..."

"I held my breath as I watched your father's face turn away from the dragon, his eyes shut with anticipation. I watched stunned as the dragon leaned into his touch and immediately befriend him. We quickly got on the dragon and tried to escape but then....BAM!" She threw her arms up so suddenly in the air, it caused both Zephyr and Nuffink to gasp fearfully and duck under the covers more. They peeked up at their mother, and she chuckled softly, gently stroking her son's blonde hair.

"Dragon hunters quickly filed into the cave, but the dragon was quicker. He took off into the air and we were finally able to track down Toothless and Stormfly. We just barely managed to escape, but we learned a very important lesson that day." She told her kids quietly as she hugged Zephyr closer. "What did you and daddy learn?" She asked, her wide eyes full with curiosity. Nuffink stifled a little yawn.

"We learned that all dragons, no matter how big or small, could be trusted if they earned our trust. It's kind of like that with people too," She added with a smile. Both of her children's eyes started to droop, and she rolled her eyes playfully. "Alright, I think it's time for bed you two."

Nuffink didn't need to be told twice, as he had already drifted off to sleep next to his mother, Zephyr just barely following behind. She rested her head against her mother's side, and yawned sleepily, and finally shut her eyes in exhaustion. "Love you momma...." She mumbled sleepily as Astrid pressed a kiss against her daughter's hair. Now the real question was, how was she supposed to transfer them to their own beds.

She figured it couldn't hurt to let them sleep in their bed for the night. She relaxed a bit, pressed a kiss to Nuffink's forehead, and then rested her head on top of Zephyr's. Sleep slowly crept in, and she drifted off into a deep rest, a faint smile still remained in her face.

Hiccup's heart almost burst. His smile could light up any pitch black room, and during the whole scene he couldn't stop staring at Astrid. The way she would tell the stories to the children made his heart melt, as she was so enthusiastic about it. Even if his smile couldn't be seen, the smile in his eyes said enough. This was his whole world and he wouldn't give them up for anything. Astrid loved their kids more than life itself, and for that he was grateful. He closed the door quietly and quickly rushed downstairs to his study.

He sat in his chair and pushed all of his work papers and notes away, and fished out for his sketchbook which was under a pile of other papers. He opened it, and flipped through the pages. Old Toothless drawings flashed through his mind, but he kept flipping. He finally found a blank page, and smoothed it out with his forearm on the desk. He relit the dying candle, and grabbed his charcoal pencil from inside his desk drawer.

He looked up at Zephyr's drawing once with a warm smile, and then began to doodle away.

It took Hiccup hours, but he finally finished it. He wiped his glistening forehead with his rolled back sleeves and admired his newest creation. He hadn't drawn something for the first time on his own in years. Not counting the times he had taught Zephyr how to draw.

He blew off the specks of charcoal on his sketch, and smiled proudly. He pinned it up next to Zephyr's and took it all in. The sketch was of Astrid sitting in bed, with Nuffink and Zephyr huddled around her, her eyes wide with enthusiasm, and the kids drawn into her story. Zephyr was huddled into her mother's side while looking up at her, and Nuffink was sitting on top of her with an expression that told he was in the middle of laughing. For the first time in months, Hiccup felt proud of something he had accomplished.

He slumped his shoulders in exhaustion, and blew out the little flickering candle. He made his way upstairs ever so slightly, and smiled at his snoozing family. He crawled into bed next to Nuffink, who he just barely picked up and put him closer to Astrid so he could have room on the bed as well. Astrid stirred a bit and just barely opened her eyes to look at Hiccup. She smiled.

"Hey babe. I hope you don't mind the extra company tonight." She whispered over the dozing children who slept against their mother, and Hiccup chuckled. "You're such a good mom, Astrid." He pressed a sweet kiss against her temple, and she smiled tiredly. "Goodnight." She whispered softly, resting her head on top of Zephyr's once more before drifting off to sleep.

Hiccup beamed in the moonlight. He adjusted more comfortably in the bed, and looked at his family one last time before drifting off to sleep.

Who knew that his life long crush since fifteen years old, would end up being the mother of his children.

[mysmesomefluff]

Saeran Fanfiction #5: Calculus Sucks

A/N: Wrote this as a smol pick-me-up for @dancingchestnut, my smol bean lover @saerans-ri (omgomgomg our r/s is public now 😂😂😂) and other people who might be having exams/dealing with a lot of exam stress!! This is like, such a big throw-back to my life last year lmao. Hope you enjoy~ 

Calculus sucks. 

You run your fingers through your hair again, chewing at your bottom lip as you frown at the particularly difficult question on the practice paper you’re doing. How many questions does that make, exactly? You’ve already skipped a ton of them and you’re not even halfway through the darn thing. 

You glance over at the hopelessly tall stack of notes on the table, and dread fills you immediately. The frustration that has been gnawing away at you for the past half hour begins to bubble up in your chest.

With a groan, you throw down your pen, and in the process the inky tip skids across the page that you were reading. Great. As if the dizzying, hypnotic mess of words haven’t been difficult enough to digest already. Squeezing your eyes shut, you lean back in your chair, letting your head swing back.

You need a break. A yawn escapes you and you’re reminded once again of the bitter fact that you only had a measly few hours of sleep the night before because you had so much left to finish.

What you need is a nap. A long, uninterrupted nap. A permanent one doesn’t too bad to you at this point, actually. 

You just want a break.

“Wow. 8cm, huh.”

Your eyes fly open at the sound of someone’s voice, and you find yourself staring up into the face of a certain redhead standing over you. He has an amused smirk playing on his lips at the moment, clearly pleased that he managed to give you a near heart attack. You wonder how long he’s been there for.

You feel your insides melt a little as a moment passes where you’re a little too dumbfounded to speak. That smirk and adorable dimple below the corner of his cheek always makes you go weak in the knees, it’s unfair. 

Snapping up into an upright sitting position, you spin around your chair to send him a glower. 

“Geez Saeran, don’t scare me like that,” you say with a groan. “And what are you talking about? What’s ‘8cm’?”

“You have a pretty big mouth,” he answers, smirk deepening. “Does your mouth always stretch that wide when you yawn?” 

Okay. Forget mushy insides. 

Heat rushes to your cheeks and your face pinches in disbelief and embarrassment. “H-Hey! My mouth isn’t that big, you’re just exaggerating--”

“I measured it.” He holds up a ruler in his hand, sending a smug, mocking grin your way.

You honestly can’t tell if he’s joking or if he actually used that ruler to measure how wide your mouth went when you yawned earlier. Is your mouth really that big? 

The mortification must have shown far too clearly on your face, for it pulls a chuckle from him. “Just kidding, idiot. You should see how stupid you look right now,” Saeran laughs.

You roll your eyes in response. “Stop messing with me, you big jerk,” you complain With a huff, you turn away from him, not wanting to let him have the satisfaction of seeing the embarrassment on your face any longer.

As you look away, you catch the half-done practice paper on the table from the corner of your eye. 

Right. Paper. Exam tomorrow. Gotta get it done quickly.

Quite easily, you discard the other choice retorts you had for the man and pick up your pen. And then you proceed to frown at that same question. Again. 

“What’s that?”

“Shh. Studying,” you hush, hoping it will shoo your boyfriend away. Normally, you’d love for Saeran to speak more, but today he seems to have too much to say. 

Of all days to be talkative it just has to be today when your stress level is at its peak. 

He doesn’t take the hint though. Ignoring your protests, he deftly swipes the practice paper you were looking at off table to have a look. “Calculus,” he states, eyes scanning the question you were on. From this angle, with him standing next to you, one hand on the table, his wrist barely brushing against your arm, and his brow pressed downwards in thought ever so slightly, you think he rather resembles a professor or teacher. All he needs is a pair of glasses. Black-rimmed ones, perhaps.

“So, you can’t do this question?” he asks, casting you a questioning sideways glance. 

“No,” you admit with a grimace, rubbing your temples. “I’ve been trying for the past thirty minutes, but I’m stuck. This question is so--”

“Easy,” he states in a matter-of-fact tone.

...What?

You take some time to register his words. “Sorry, did you just say this question is... easy?”

He shrugs, and the gesture makes you feel that much dumber. Then again, he is pretty much a genius, much like his older brother. He might actually be smarter than Saeyoung, though that’s just your biased opinion.

“Here, give me your notepad.”

You comply, and watch in astonishment as he scribbles down the solution, step by step, onto your messy notepad that is filled with illegible scrawls and mindless doodles. He didn’t even take two minutes to solve the problem in his head, and all he needed was another minute to write it all down neatly in a clean, empty spot on your notepad.

He’s a monster, you conclude, jaw dropping in amazement when you see his final answer that corresponds to the one on the answer sheet you were given. How did he..? 

You take the notepad from him, looking through the solution he just presented you and you realise he tackled the question from a completely different perspective, one that was much more efficient than the route you were taking.

“Wow.” There’s really nothing else you can offer in response. Finally. The question’s done and that’s that, but... 

You slump over, knocking your forehead on the cool surface of the table. 

“What’s the problem now? I solved it for you,” you hear him say. You can almost hear the frown in his voice. 

“I’m going to fail,” you deadpan, your frustration and stress starting to culminate in the form of a lump in your throat that makes it hard to breathe. “I can’t solve anything on my own. I’m going to fail all my papers. You’ll see. I’m going to be burning in a red river of crosses and angry-teacher comments by the end of this.”

He doesn’t really say anything in reply. Probably because you’re just being a drama queen right now, and you know it. You breathe out a sigh, closing your eyes when you feel some moisture gather in the back of them. Ugh. This is not the time to cry. You need to focus and keep studying. Your paper is tomorrow, for crying out loud. There’s no time to waste on meaningless tears. 

The only thing is, you’ve been trying, studying your butt off and okay, maybe you could have started just a little earlier so you wouldn’t feel as stressed as you do right now, but still. Good grades seem like a faraway dream now, and you briefly wonder if there’s even a point to this studying. 

Exhaustion grips you, and you feel an overwhelming desire to simply toss your notes and practice papers aside, plop onto your bed and go into hibernation. Maybe for a year or two. 

“Hey.”A hand on your shoulder nudges you back up so you’re sitting upright again. You’re half-expecting Saeran to tell you to get the paper over and done with, to tell you to get your shit together and to stop acting stupid.

Which is why your mind blanks completely when he leans in to plant a brief kiss on your forehead. 

The rapid increase of your heart rate and flaming cheeks indicate that you just might be close to having yet another heart attack because of this man. 

You’re rendered entirely mute when he pulls away so his face is just a few inches away from yours, his piercing gaze boring into your wide, glossy eyes.

“Get your shit together and stop acting stupid,” he says with that poker face of his. 

Knew it. Totally called it. 

But despite the bluntness of his words, you can’t help the silly smile that spreads your lips. Saeran has a unique way of making you feel better, even if it’s at the expense of your dignity. The stress doesn’t disappear entirely, but at least your chest feels a little lighter now. 

“Okay, I will,” you reply with a nod. 

“Good. You’ll be fine. If you have anything you don’t understand, I’ll help.” 

“...You’re going to regret your offer.” 

He arches a brow at that. “Why?”

Sheepishly, you scratch the back of your head, glancing over at the stack of papers you still have to do. 

“Well...”

For the rest of the day, Saeran does end up regretting his words, when you interrupt his LOLOL gaming session with Yoosung every five minutes to get help with another difficult question. 

Well. What can you say? 

Calculus sucks. 

A/N: Math is the bane of my existence. 

[emberfaye]

Bitter

So @windsurfingthroughhell posted a really cruel thought about Cassie, Pritkin, and a coffee shop and I got inspired to write something for the first time in forever. It’s my first time writing Chanceverse, so I’m sorry if the details are wrong or characterization is bad.

John Pritkin had been many places in his life so far. There are many adjectives he supposes suit him: experienced, voyager, wayfairer, adventurer, seeker….

He’d sooner face another demon in the Shadowworld than claim one of those words.

If he had to pick, he’d probably best be described as “bloody exhausted”. Transfering across time zones is tough on your sleep cycle, especially if you wrapped up all your assignments in your old country before skipping over the Atlantic and having to come from behind and assist with a massive fuck up that only led to another mess that needed to get cleaned up

To say it had not been a smooth transition was a bit of an understatement.

Luckily, one of the few things that made John have some semblance of hope was the fact that America was a culture of instant gratification, no matter the occasion. They wanted what they wanted, when they wanted, the bigger the better.

Which worked out, because that meant you were guaranteed to find an open restaurant, store, or, Pritkin’s happy place, a 24 hour café. And not only was Bitter Beans open all night, all day, it had damn good coffee. (He was skeptical the first time he had it that it would live up to the name, but one sip and he could feel his adrenaline increase 1000%.)

And the absolutely best part was that his coworkers weren’t here. (Don’t get him wrong, he would die for one of his comrades in a heartbeat. But occasionally he just didn’t want to tolerate the comradery outside of “shit hitting the wall” kind of situations.)

Walking into Bitter Beans, rolling his eyes at the fact that the door stuck just the slightest when first pushed, he instinctively began to notice his surroundings. Being that he liked to work out early in the morning, he had gotten to use to a max of 3 other customers, however usually it was just him and the barista in the “gave up trying to modernize” dining room.

He supposed there’s always one thing that isn’t going to suck.

The barista, one he hadn’t seen before, is idly doodling, leaning on the counter with one arm. She calls out a greeting and straightens, and a strange look flashes through her eyes when he steps up to order. It’s gone in a heartbeat, and he doesn’t care to even think about it. People are crazy, and he just wants his coffee.

“One extra large black, to go.”

If his brevity bothers her, she doesn’t show it. She nods, one finger hitting the buttons on the computer. “4.12, please.”

He counts out the change, sets it on the counter and slides it towards her, then steps to the side to wait. She tenders her drawer, pushes her black and brown ponytail back over shoulder. He lets his eyes drift shut for just a minute, even though a part of him wants to keep an eye on the coffee, because last night was ridiculous (Did these mages even get properly qualified for their jobs?) and sleep was sparse in the few weeks he’d been here. Hell, sleep was parse this year, period.

“Here you go, sir!”

Sighing and opening his eyes, he turned to grab his coffee and saw the girl with two extra large cups. He opened his mouth to correct her, but she simply said, “You look really tired. My treat.” John was about to refuse again, but then he met her eyes and the sheer concern in them silenced him.

“Thank you.” He took them and started walking, an unsettling itch between his shoulders.

Who had that much compassion for a stranger, in this day and age?

The next time he stepped into Bitter Beans, was of course, the day it was crowded. Because he was angry, he had to deal with people. Of bloody course.

Scowling, he got into line. Where had these people been for the last several weeks? Were these even people, or just golems the universe had activated to aggravate him? The line seemed to not even move by inches, but simply in shuffles and sighs. He could barely see the overwhelmed barista as she did order by order, taking their money and then making their drink, and repeat.

Whatever expression she wore before he made it to the front of the line, he didn’t know. But he did notice that when she looked up and saw him, her face shone for just a split second and a smile teased her lips before she schooled her face back into the pleasant look all harried customer service workers rely on.

“One extra—”

“Extra large black, to go! 4.12, please.” John didn’t like being interrupted, especially when it was almost completely in sync with his words, but he also didn’t like that she had caught him so completely off guard. His scowl deepened and he dropped the money on the counter before moving aside to let her get the coffee. She was apparently out of the right cups, because she disappeared through the small door for a few minutes, and then came back with his beverage. She handed it to him with a smile, and he made sure to scowl as he took it from her (gently, he didn’t want to spill it, not just for the waste but also irritated as he was neither of them needed to feel that burn) and maneuvered to the exit.

It was hours later, after so much tedious meetings and paperwork, that he happened to see the name she had written on it, and before he could stop himself he let out a huffing laugh.

He went in the next morning, extremely relieved when it was again empty save for the older woman eating a bagel and typing away, her headphones keeping her isolated from the world.

The barista had her back to him, wiping down a machine, and called a greeting over her shoulder. He stood, hands in his pockets, and waited. When she got to a pausing point, she dropped the rag and stepped over to the register, finally looking up, a smile already on her face.  “Good morning Grumpy!”

He raised an eyebrow, but she just shrugged. “You looked like you want to just burn everything down yesterday, so…Anyways, extra large black to go?”

Although he had every intention to make today a busy day, and should appreciate less chatter, he found himself mildly irked instead, and, examining it later, he realized he wanted her to feel off balance (not that she made him feel off balance, not at all).

“No, I’ll take it for here.”

She blinked at him, seemed to look up for a second, and then just smiled. “Okay, have a seat, I’ll bring it right out. Anything else for you?” When he shook his head, she continued “$1.75”. He again slid the money across the counter, and she picked it up.

Choosing a seat against the wall midway from the counter and door, he observed her. She was completely unremarkable, her hair a common mix of black and brown, and her eyes a simple black. She was completely average in her movements, her speech, and even the fact that she remembered his order was not that unusual if most days were super slow.

So why did she give him the exact opposite vibes? His scowl must have come back, because she had a teasing smile again on her face as he brought the coffee.

“Here you go, Grumpy.”

“Do you always find such unflattering nicknames for your customers?” He hadn’t meant to speak, but she paused and put a hand on a hip and looked down at him.

“Only when they don’t introduce themselves when they become a regular.”

Damn, he really didn’t have a reply for that. “You didn’t introduce yourself either, I thought that was part of your training?”

She actually giggled at that. “I don’t even wear a nametag, do you think they want the rest of this crazy city knowing my name just by looking? Stalker ville, population one.”

He felt a smirk coming and drank his coffee to curb it. “Fair enough.” It was a clear moment for her to exit, but she lingered. He blamed his time in the Victorian ages for his manner, because he said, “What is your name?”

“Cas—Cathy” she stammered.

He narrowed his eyes just the slightest and took another sip. He heard the door being pushed, and as she began her trip back to the register, he murmured, “John.” Judging by the smile on her face and the small glance she gave him before the new customer blocked the view, she had heard.

He told himself he didn’t care.

After that, he never got coffee to go. He didn’t go everyday, but if there wasn’t work to do and he wasn’t too beat up, he would make his way two blocks down to that little silver door with the faded red cup on it, and push it open, careful of the fact that it stuck.

It seemed like Cathy had a 6th sense for when he was going to show, because he would barely have gotten through the doorway before she was calling out hi and pouring a steaming cup of joe as he settled into “his” table.

If it wasn’t busy, and it very rarely was, they would talk.

The first time she plopped down at his table, he was taken aback, although he really should have seen it coming. She complained about being bored, and then asked what he was reading (his assignment glamoured to be a classic novel) and she smiled that cursed, teasing smile.

“I bet you just read that to look cool in public.”

“Yes, of course.” But inside, he didn’t like the fact that he liked that she thought he was cool.

A few weeks in, and she would have her own cup ready to sit next to him, and a daily paper on his table for them to share (In reality, she would read excepts she thought he needed to hear, while he drank his coffee and interjected whenever she missed the point. He was more than amused with the way she made it dramatic and silly, she loved that he felt the need to nitpick everything).

It hit him all at once that things were not okay because of a stupid clock.

Like every morning there wasn’t a mission to recover from, John had woken up and done his morning routine of shielding, followed by a work out. However, on his way out the door to bitter beans, he happened to glance at the clock beside the door and realize that it wasn’t even 430am yet. He always was done with his workout by 5, and out the door by 5:20.

Frowning, he paused, hand on the doorknob, and after a moment realized he had rushed through his routine like a schoolboy, skipping one part entirely.

Leaning his forehead against the door, he whispered a very emphatic “Bloody hell.”

He had grown attached to Cathy.

Like a little idiot, he had gotten into a routine that involved a mortal, and he was going to get her killed, like everyone else, if he got any further in. He didn’t know how Cathy, the average barista, of all people could have become someone he counted as a friend but…

“Of course you do, idiot.” Groaning, Pritkin rubbed his forehead. He was out of practice lying to himself. Cathy was nice, and fun, and always gave him an oversized mug but charged for a regular. He was an idiot.

And he couldn’t return there, ever again.

Opening the door, he made his way to headquarters. Their coffee sucked, but he would get used to it.

It was 7am, and Cathy’s replacement was due to arrive any moment. She looked around the dining room again, and Pritkin had not magically appeared in Bitter Beans. She bit her lower lip, and tried to think of an excuse to be alone so no one would worry when she cried.