#pv challenge
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iwantmochisoup · 13 days ago
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day 6!!! hehe :3c
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scarapanna · 4 months ago
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I liked your art, you won🎉🎉🎉
WE WON NO REDEMPTION WAHOOOOO/silly
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I'm still terrified of the redemption route for this clown though hdhghfg, I want his silly self to stay evil and wimsy and goofy and with redemption uhhh
We're like
I dunno I'm sooo scared devsis is gonna take away that aspect which is what makes him just so funnn. Please pretty please let him be god awful and rotten and rude and goofy if you take that route Devisis I want him to keep his funny wimsy qualities. Please please pleaseeee write him well y'all are doing sooo good with him don't fumble by taking the redemption route (And if they do it better be good and he better stay chaotic and goofy and sassy and condescending and all his "rotten rabid thing" qualities)
If they do him (And his fun aspects justice in this dreaded hypotetical) then I may be cool with it. Though the mean ass possum has grown on me so much I'd 100% miss that evil and unhinged part of him TONS, devsis have mercy pretty please/silly
[Longer more insane ramblings are in the tags hsfhfhhv]
#my view of these two is that these should still be some bitterness on both sides#Both on SM's rabid half and on PV's half#they should both hold some form of “fear” towards one another. just deep deep down considering everything#and SM being rotten AF shchshfn#just thoughts#speaking of...#I like to think of PV's “”friendship“” offer as leff of a “yeah let's be buddy buddies!!!” offer but more of a “I could show you a#better way. Fighting like this is pointless and things could be better if you let me show you the right path.“ kind of offer#I like the idea of PV not really being able to “forgive”/“forget” the horror of the spire of deceit. But compassion is his entire thing#(cough cough the guy's known for ending wars trough reconcilliation and civil conversation. With the occasional “we are cool now!!!” on bot#parties cough cough)#and so I believe he'd be the kind to understand what “explains the guy's sheer insanity” and all but withouth#seeing that as a justification.#TLDR the good old “I get where you're coming from but it isn't an excuse. I'm still condemning your actions.”#*LESS (i aint rewriting that y'all gotta stick with my embarassingly dumb grammatical oversights unfortunately)/silly#long story short I'm a fan of PV trying to do the whole civil convo approach but I want SM to be a stark contrast to that#he should be a HUUUGE challenge to get trough. And it'd be fun if he was simply too far gone#If he isn't though. I want them to have leftover tension#stuff's inevitable imo and it'd be fun to see some clashing#askbox stuff#beetle's ramblings#cookie run kingdom#pure vanilla cookie#shadow milk cookie#crk spoilers#beast yeast spoilers#awakened pure vanilla cookie
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ilikerosesalot · 3 months ago
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Honestly out of all the things I am not surprised that pure vanilla to play a role into me returning back to cookie run. I was always fond of that cookie even before I knew of his lore
....I just didn't expect my return would happen through him getting his own toxic yaoi ship, is all.
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pulim-v · 5 months ago
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🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼 🌼🌼 🌼 🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼
🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼
🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼. 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼 🌼🌼🌼
Ok imma be real w you I am like. 90% sure this is the sunflower thingy. But these are not sunflowers LMAO
you get... a video game rant! (mixed)
Hollow Knight's such an amazing game but there's one specific thing about it that I just cannot wrap my head around. What dictates completion rating, achievement collection and like actual tangible rewards?????
Colo3 is arguably the hardest thing in the base game (only surpassed by Radiance imo), and it gives no actual reward, just the achievement and 1% of completion. Okay. Makes sense. Serves as a fun challenge without forcing players that might not be too into the combat to do it for fear of missing out.
Path of Pain is the hardest platforming challenge in the whole game, so it gives no completion, no reward, and no achievement, just some bonus lore and a little token. Alright, fair, kinda makes sense even if I'm a bit bummed out that bragging about it is just like "look at this random Hunter's Journal entry I have"
AND THEN P5????? THE HARDEST THING IN THE WHOLE GAME GETS AN ACHIEVEMENT AND AN ENTIRE NEW ENDING???????
Can you tell I have a massive skill issue lmao
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annoying--moth · 2 months ago
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Some more Hollow Knight gijinkas-- I've been wanting to draw these two!
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littlebittyhollowbugs · 6 months ago
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''After everything, the Hollow Knight's efforts may not have been entirely in vain...''
aaaaaand chapter 10! the grand finale!!!
Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read this fic! Hope you enjoy <3<3<3
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featherlouise · 2 years ago
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Someone get them pants
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lanternlightss · 2 months ago
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getting to the point where even seeing pure vanilla for a second is activating the braincells. it’s so over for me
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actualbird · 2 years ago
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so i watched marius' 2nd bday card SSR Eternal Flame and wow. Wow. this story being released during This Month Of All Months. a story so entrenched in marius holding onto his personal agency and right to create and express his identities the way he wants to even under immense social expectations and constraints, a story where marius is put on the spot to "choose" an "identity", to "pick" a "side" if he wants protect himself and those around him from the endless criticisms he will suffer if he does not, a story where it's revealed so many people think his identity and expression of it is any of their business, a story with a CRYSTAL CLEAR ALLEGORY OF BEING FORCED TO COME OUT, a story where so many labels are put on marius but at the end of the day all he wants is to be seen and treated like a person, to be loved for who he is...im reading the subtext whether it's here or not. happy pride month to marius von hagen.
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skwonk · 2 years ago
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Cringetober day 8!!1 tumblr sexy man
I am a lesbian,, but this man?!! Anyway it was either gonna be him or tony the clock and he is simply easier to draw so PV for the win
BG from the show by Thomas lynch III
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argesta · 10 months ago
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Academia, in my fanfiction (or at the very least, the ones I gravitate towards reading)? It’s more likely than you think!
In your last reply you mentioned chapter titles, so here I am to ask about the chapter titles!
And also how you decided who plays which roles. Ex. Santiago as Lestat’s oldest friend (from before he married Louis even) and member of his team.
I love this.... academia in my fanfiction more likely than you think... say that 😩
I’ll answer your second question first because it’s so, so good.
When adapting canon to an AU, what I’m interested in is the dynamic capture of a character over the static one. So by static, I mean a 1:1 parity with the character, a modern version of their job, direct translation of their personality, social status, identity etc. Dynamic essence is how they impact other characters + overall context.
To take Santiago - because he's this circus ringmaster in canon S2, this satyr, lurid spotlight figure, I could’ve easily just made him a tabloid guy, go the TMZ route. But that wouldn’t really convey what I needed him for - he’d just be a cameo.
Given that in canon he has such a fraught relationship with both Armand and Lestat - need but rivalry but resentment - I wanted to translate that above all else. And there is no better framing device for this dependency than to have him be this older, grizzled spin-doctor that has been working for “the cause” since forever, knows enough dirt to bury both Lestat and Armand, but does not have the resources to take on any of them individually. Armand himself is a new upstart that technically should be Santiago's subordinate, but in PV he comes with his own capital (the name and power and connections via Marius “eugh” de Romanus at his back).
To me, Santiago’s main draw in all his canon appearances is the fact that his power is so uncertain for all its apparent flashiness. His control is predicated on so many elements which lay behind the curtain (LITERALLY) and which we do not see until the finale.
We think he is calling the shots, but then: oh. You take a closer look and he’s no ringmaster or eminence gris, he’s just the town crier. There is no vertiable eminence gris in either IWTV canon or PV, because they’re all defanged. They are consequences of history and fatherhood, especially if you compare them to figures such as Magnus and Marius - these old men still moving pieces on the board from beyond the grave and/or before the start of the story.
Anyway, am I unnecessary and unserious for thinking this in-depth about it? Absolutely. Is this some artistic credo that I think all AU/fic writers should do? Definitely not.
It’s just the by-product of me outlining this AU-verse in 6 PoVs so far (Lestat, Louis, Claudia, Armand, Daniel, Nicki) so it’s inevitable that the world becomes part of the story. I’d love to get a chance to tell the events in PV from other characters’ point of view, or at least write more fic set in the same PV universe, so I just think of it as doing the planning in advance because I know it’ll come in handy later.
Chapter titles meta under the cut <3 sorry mutuals :’)
The chapter titles are all film techniques! Names come from either cinematography study (frame camera angle perspective etc.) or editing and transitional devices (montage, scene cutting and so on). They are mostly made for motion picture, but some are of course also used in other contexts like news live reporting social media etc. (though I do believe sm apps like CapCut come with their own name for stuff or whatever - I avoid platforming TikTok until it pays me).
I like taking this angle with all present & future chapters because it’s a clin to how the characters are mediating (and meditatizing) their experience through these like - artifacts and artifices.
I.e. TWO-SHOT being a wide-frame, single-take conversation between two people, with almost no one else (certainly #norealpeopleinvolved) entering or leaving the shot until the scene ends. CROSS-CUT being... well, to take it from the definition:
Cross-cutting is an editing technique most often used in films to establish action occurring at the same time, and often in the same place (...) can also be used for characters in a film with the same goals but different ways of achieving them. Cross-cutting is often used during phone-conversation sequences so that viewers see both characters' facial expressions in response to what is said.
Sometimes it's genuine - TWO SHOT really is just a two-shot, sometimes it's an irony/play on purpose/subversion, like SPLIT SCREEN showing on one level Louis-Claudia conversing on a literal screen, the proverbial split between Louis/Lestat, and the disturbing, growing similarity between Lestat/Armand as a common front (as perceived by Louis; being the split image of someone else, etc.)
Certainly I don’t need to oversell the point of why the performativity of editing and montage fits the universe these miserable girls are living in, or why the chapters are defined and sectioned through the techniques it would take to adapt them to screen. (Very clear that none of these characters can define their life without an audience, they’re so consumed with the self-narrative that they forget they are not only participating in it, but fully have the power to change it).
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taldigi · 2 years ago
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I have read the materials you provided, but I think it's not impossible for there being both a Felix who used a cane and one who doesn't. Toei's animation could possibly have been made as animation proof of concept before the more detailed concepts are developed and was made before even the 2012 materials. TA also said in his instagram that Toei didn't use all the materials they got from him and IIRC said they included their own take in the animated PV. So the cane Felix and abled Felix might be both true.
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dinajpurbartanews · 13 days ago
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Singapore Open 2025: Satwik-Chirag Duo Lead Indian Challenge
Singapore Open 2025: ভারতীয় চ্যালেঞ্জের নেতৃত্ব দেবেন সাত্ত্বিক-চিরাগ জুটি Singapore Open 2025:আগামীকাল, মঙ্গলবার থেকে শুরু হতে চলেছে নিজস্ব সংবাদদাতা – সিঙ্গাপুর, ২৬ মে (online): আগামীকাল, মঙ্গলবার থেকে শুরু হতে চলেছে Singapore Open 2025 সুপার ৭৫০ টুর্নামেন্ট, যেখানে ভারতীয় ব্যাডমিন্টন তারকারা চ্যালেঞ্জ ছুঁড়ে দেবেন। এবারের ভারতীয় চ্যালেঞ্জের নেতৃত্বে থাকবেন সাত্ত্বিক সাইরাজ রঙ্কিরেড্ডি এবং…
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bunni-v1 · 4 months ago
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May we get some crk thoughts, my liege? I too have a hyperfixation—
Shadow Milk Cookie Headcannons (SFW & NSFW)
🍓Thank you for the excuse to write this shit, I feel less insane being asked to do it lol. I still think this might taint my public image, so lets hope none of my future employers fuck with tumblr. Anyway only smc since he's who I'm obsessing over. I was gonna add pv, but I write wayyyy too much to include both of them on one post. Maybe I'll do him if someone asks nicely. I'll have a mix of both sfw and nsfw so beware lol.
MDNI (I'll find u)
TW: Shadow Milk Cookie; Obsessive behaviors; Stalking mentioned; Nsfw under the cut; unedited
Info: Shadow Milk Cookie x Reader; Sfw & Nsfw headcannons
Credit for Beast Bite Idea: @rollingeevee (go give them love I adore this AU)
-To start I'm gonna say, he's insane, like genuinely. He leans into a lot of yandere-esque behaviors, but I firmly believe he's not a full-on yandere, just really fucked up in the head (trauma and such, poor thing, wah wah wah.)
-Pre-Corruption Shadow Milk surely had a lot of admirers, but admiration is very different from genuine love and connection. He was, in a very literal sense, on a different level than all the cookies on earthbread. He's immortal, a god meant to care for all cookies, romantic relationships with cookies (other than the other heroes) just aren't an option in his mind. (For the sake of these, none of the beasts have had any romantic interaction with him, because I don't wanna deal with that can of worms rn.)
-All that to say, it's highly unlikely he has much experience in relationships. Maybe he's had flings, and some sexual encounters, but I doubt he would commit to someone he would inevitably lose to time. And, sure, he certainly could artificially extend their lifetime... but that's unethical and unfair to his partner. The burden of immortality is not one a regular cookie is baked to bear.
-So when he is inevitably corrupted and sealed away, romance isn't really a thought on his mind. He's very fixated on escaping that stupid tree and enacting his revenge. Which he does, at least in part, and with his freedom comes half of his powers and ensuing chaos.
-There are not many ways he could meet you if I'm quite honest, so I'll leave that up to personal interpretation. However you do meet him, though, you have to be intriguing. He gets bored of people easily, so you have to stand out -- be that in your demeanor or the way you speak or how you challenge him, it just has to be interesting. Once he's interested he's hooked.
-He's rather... mmm... obsessive? He likely stalks you for a while before he makes any moves. He wants to learn your patterns, the cookies you surround yourself with, the things you like, your job, your favorite foods, what flowers you like, and how do you feel about his chaos? He'll even manipulate things around you, just to see how you might react. (Is it fucked up? Yeah, lol! But isn't it equally endearing? He seems to think so.)
-You have frequent reoccurring dreams about him in this period of time. You've only seen him from a distance at this point, but you can't quite shake him from your thoughts. What's very important here is that you realize that your thoughts are not your own. Acknowledge that he's watching, and make sure that he's aware you're aware. Be that by purposefully doing something he could recognize as acknowledgment, or outright saying that you're aware he's messing with you. He values curiosity and intelligence in a person, if you can break yourself out of his cycle he's 100% sold on you.
-It doesn't take much longer after that for him to make his first official appearance. Bowing gracefully in front of you as he materializes from thin air, smiling like a man driven mad by infatuation.
-Believe it or not, he's really not all that creepy or pushy. He's very playful and charming, and while you have the knowledge he'd been watching you for a long time at this point, it's hard not to fall for him. He flirts with an ease that no other cookie really has, and he's so very funny never failing to get a smile out of you at his jokes.
-Now, this may go against what others characterize him as a lot, but I don't believe he's the type to steal you away and lock you up. Shadow Milk is a cookie who wants to be wanted, he doesn't want his feelings to be entirely one-sided, it would really hurt him to pour himself into someone who does not want to reciprocate his passions.
-He's unbelievably patient with you. Despite what the mental manipulation from earlier implies, he allows you to set the pace and make the moves, mostly nudging you gently in the direction he wants you to go now that he has your attention. Again, he wants you to choose him. He wants you to love him, so he will happily wait as long as it takes for you to realize and accept your longing for him.
-He gives you the flowers you like, and listens to you talk about your exceedingly boring days (with rapt attention, of course, he loves listening to you talk as much as he loves talking). If you ask, he'll take you anywhere you'd like to go on earthbread with a snap of his fingers, showing you sights you'd only dreamed of seeing. (Whether or not these are illusions are still up for debate).
-It's very hard not to fall for him with all this considered, and he knows that of course. He was just waiting for you to confess, and you have to confess. He won't do it even if you make it clear you want him to. It's not something he'd ever admit to you -- or himself -- but he doesn't want to risk even the slightest bit of rejection. It would break him more than he's already been broken, so you'll have to do it for our poor little jester.
-When you do though? Oh, he's over the moon! Practically swooning as he scoops you up and spins you around in celebration. He's so overjoyed. He is wanted, there is someone in this world who loves him genuinely. There's no false platitudes or any worshipping done, just raw affection between the two of you. (Just the tiniest bit of manipulation at the start, but obviously you've dismissed and forgiven that at this point).
-Again, he doesn't immediately take you away from your life if you don't wish to be. He does heavily encourage you to come spend your days with him, though. He can take care of you, he's literally a god, you'll never ever want for anything so long as he can control it (which he can, duh).
-I feel it very important to emphasize that in a relationship with him, you are equal. Even if you literally cannot be equal in stature and power, you are equal in the relationship -- if anything you have more sway over him than he does over you. He's very, very in love with you, and he will do just about anything you ask of him so long as it doesn't interfere with obtaining his souljam.
-Having established that, let's get to the fun stuff.
-Shadow Milk Cookie is very physically and verbally affectionate. If you are around him it's likely he's touching you in some way. Whether that's him literally hanging off you like a baby monkey or just a hand on your arm, he likes to have a physical tether to you.
-Plenty of messy wet kisses all over your cute little face, he loves seeing you get all flustered and feeling your dough burn up from his barrage of affections.
-It's also very common for him to carry you around in various different styles. Over the shoulder, piggback, princess style, like a sack of potatoes... doesn't really matter. It's also a regular occurrence that you fall asleep as he floats around the spire of all knowledge. He doesn't need sleep, and he does not sleep often, but he likes holding you while you do so. It's proof of your trust in him, and he usually uses the time you are sleeping to be more genuinely affectionate. Soft words whispered in your ears bringing you sweet dreams as he runs his hands up and down your back, kissing the crown of your head with such love it would make a grown man blush.
-He calls you cute little nicknames, like shortcake or sweet thing. The most common, and his favorites, are doll/dolly and little star. (Little star is something he hums with such affection it makes you weak in the knees. You know he's feeling more adoring when he uses it.) Talks about how cute you are, how pretty you are, how desirable you are. How any cookie would be so lucky to have you -- too bad they could never compete with him!
-That being said, most of his affections are pretty surface-level stuff at the start of the relationship. At least, what you get to see. He has a hard time opening up to others, he's a very sensitive cookie deep down in his dough. It takes quite a while to get him out of his shell and start showing you who he is as himself.
-Who he is, is a very aching cookie. He lost so much, struggled with his own corruption, and still hasn't fully accepted it himself. He feels as though he has been betrayed and discarded by everything he once loved, it's no wonder he has a hard time showing you such ugly sides of himself.
-You warm him up, melt him slowly, and you get to see peaks of genuine love and adoration behind those heterochromatic eyes. He may never allow you to see all of him at once, but you do get to know him. If you continue to love him despite seeing the uglier side of things, there is a distinct shift in the way he showers you in affection.
-Initially, he's very showy with everything, his love is a spectacle for the two of you to watch. It's almost like he's put himself outside of the relationship rather than in it. After he opens up, it's quieter, more intimate. He's more involved in it, like it's less about showing you how much he loves you, and more about sharing that mutual feeling between the two of you.
-You didn't have much room to show him how much you cared for him, but now you do. He allows you to initiate physical affection and doesn't flinch away at the touch. He accepts your words of admiration for what they are, not questioning your intentions for any reason.
-Kisses are softer, more full of emotion. Less like he's drowning you and more like he's trying to swallow you up. Desperation to have you as close to him as possible can take him over quite frequently during make-out sessions, and they leave you breathless and fuzzy rather than burning and flustered.
-Now, you can't write Shadow Milk without acknowledging how fucking jealous he is all the time. Now, I believe it's less of a jealousy thing (though, that really is something that is frequent), and more of a possessive/protective thing.
-He doesn't get jealous of the average cookie, alright, not unless you show interest for whatever reason. They're not really a threat to him, and why would they be? He's secure enough to know that you wouldn't leave him for some random half-baked simpleton. HOWEVER, he DOES get jealous of the other beasts and especially Pure Vanilla Cookie.
-The other beasts aren't as powerful as him, but they're still powerful and cunning (some of them at least). Truly, on a level of divinity and ability to care for you, they are his closest competition. Even still, he only gets jealous if one of them seems to want to stake a claim on you, or you become too fascinated with one of them.
-If neither is the case, he highly encourages you to form relationships with them. They are cookies that, seemingly, he cares for. While they can be difficult to get along with, if you are someone Shadow Milk deems worth his time, you are someone they will also deem worth their time.
-Ah, I should also mention he gets... pouty about Black Sapphire and Candy Apple. He doesn't see either of them as a threat, so I couldn't say he's jealous... he just gets annoyed when you're being attentive to them when he's around. Black Sapphire is smart enough to set hard boundaries with you to start, for both of your sakes, but your relationship with him is very positive. You are Shadow Milk Cookies partner, after all, you're a very important Cookie and Black Sapphire has no reason to be unkind to you.
-Candy Apple Cookie on the other hand is the one who's jealous here. You find her positively adorable and her little crush on Shadow Milk is nothing but endearing in your eyes, but she very much is huffy about your relationship with him. Of course, she can't do anything to you, that would only turn against her in the end so she just pouts. You can win her over slowly, though, just by being sweet to her and comforting her when Shadow Milk rejects her once again.
-Your relationship with them seemingly pleases Shadow Milk, though you can't really tell if he's happy or not. Sometimes he seems pleased, other times he's pouty, so who really knows other than him.
-However, the cookie that really seriously gets under his skin the most is Pure Vanilla. He does everything in his power to keep the two of you as far away from one another as possible, but it's almost inevitable that you meet PV, especially when he becomes Truthless Recluse.
-Pure Vanilla is everything Shadow Milk is not. Kind, gentle, patient, soft-spoken, and of course truthful. He's very afraid you may meet PV and realize that you do not want to be with him anymore. You would rather have someone like Pure Vanilla Cookie to dote on you in a fashion that he cannot bring himself to do openly yet.
-Of course, you don't, but that doesn't stop the fear from seeping into his dough. The only way to ease him is by being patient and displaying your loyalty through and through. He won't really be calm until Pure Vanilla is take care of, but you can assure him that you won't be leaving him for his other half anytime soon.
-Circling back to his possessive and protective tendencies, Shadow Milk does see you as an object of his affection. He is fully aware you are your own cookie, you are not something he ever wishes to control entirely and remove autonomy from, but you are his. His to keep and love and protect.
-He's very obsessive about your well-being and happiness. If something hurts you (alive or not), it's gone, destroyed. He won't even make a show of it, it just disappears. If you are upset, he is there doing everything to make you feel better. Whatever you want, whatever you need! He's here for you, please rely on him (he needs you to rely on him).
-If you are out and about he keeps an eye on you, which you are aware of. It's rather obvious, so even if he doesn't tell you, you can feel him watching you. Ignoring it becomes easier with time, but if anything happens to you he wastes no time in popping up and taking care of whatever happens.
-This leads into my next headcanon (inspired by the ever-talented @rollingeevee go check them out!), he has a bite of sorts that he uses as a means of monitoring you. It's something he uses to pinpoint where you are at all times, even when he's not monitoring you actively. The bite acts as a connection between you and him, emotionally and physically tying the two of you together.
-You can feel what he feels through the bite, anger, sadness, joy, pretty much anything he feels you can feel. It also acts as a reminder to you that you should not stray too far from where he is, sending an uncomfortably heavy feeling through your dough. (This is a manifestation of his worry, and it only really happens when he notices you've gone somewhere a little too far from the safety of the spire).
-However, this goes both ways. He can also feel what you feel at the same intensity that you feel it. You can, likely less so, also tell where he is. There is a pull in the back of your mind from the magic telling you where to find him at all times, and it only lets go when you are in proximity of him. If you miss him, he feels the same heavy feeling in his dough reminding him that you would like him by your side.
-Now, finally, we have to address the topic of mortality. Shadow Milk is likely more aware than you ever will be of how mortal you really are. This is why he's so very protective and possessive of you, he doesn't want to lose you prematurely.
-However, if you are okay with it, he is completely fine with artificially extending your life span. In fact, he does it happily. He might even start doing it without asking if the topic hasn't been broached in a certain amount of time. He wants to spend as long as you'll allow him by your side, and if that means breaking a few rules of magic and cookie society then so be it. He's a god after all, he doesn't have to answer to anyone (other than the witches).
-Anyway, let's get to the shit you freaks are really here for. (Me, I'm freaks.)
-I don't really think sexual intimacy is something Shadow Milk desires all that much, but he more so likes it because it's... interesting? I'm sure he derives physical pleasure from sexual intercourse, but less so than the average cookie might. Most of his enjoyment comes from seeing you enjoy yourself.
-It goes without saying, but Shadow Milk Cookie is a freak. He's into pretty much anything under the sun (except maybe one thing...), and so long as you're down to try something he's happy to oblige you.
-He is a switch, but he leans dom most of the time, and you won't get him to sub early on in your relationship. That requires a bit too much trust for him, so he'll need time to be cool with giving you that kind of control over him. But he will bottom for you as your relationship progresses, and that's a whole different side to him.
-Lets start with him in a dominant role, though, since it's more common to get from him.
-Obviously, he's a tease, through and through. He loves to watch you squirm and react to the things he does. Tantalizingly light touches drawn over your dough, teeth grazing your soft body almost piercing but never quite getting deep enough, heated breath blown over your most sensitive spots but never relieving you with his mouth as you so desperately need.
-Truthfully he could spend another thousand years just tracing over you, committing each inch to memory until he's satisfied in knowing every inch of you. Unfortunately, (or fortunately), he's not nearly as patient in the bedroom as he is outside of it. Not with all of you on display for him, so trusting and open, ready for him to defile you. Oh, his sweet, sweet little dolly~
-Even with his impatience, his teasing does not stop. His hands continue to ghost over you, making sure you're still squirming even as he succumbs to his need to taste you.
-Oh, and tastes you he does. He doesn't have to subscribe to regular cookie physical limitations, so he somehow manages to swallow you whole. Jaw unhinging so he can get as much as he needs from you, tongue splitting itself to give you attention everywhere, and god is it long and dexterous. He can reach so very deep and it moves with such precision, it makes you cum embarrassingly fast.
-That is if he allows you to cum in the first place. He's a big fan of edging, which shouldn't be a surprise. He likes to get you so close, then deny you of your pleasure. Your whining and grumbling is the cutest thing on all of earthbread, don't you know? He can't help but edge you when you're so damn cute every time.
-Your pleasure is in his hands, and it requires such relinquishing of power and trust. In a weird way it makes him feel warm and fuzzy inside, especially when you thank him over and over once he finally allows you to come undone after hours of teasing.
-Speaking of, he is a big fan of being praised for the work he does on you. Your moans and pleas are reward enough, but if you mumble out about how good you feel, how much you love him, how amazing he is he'll become drunk on your praise. Chasing after it with fervor, meaning he's going down on you with so much more excitement somehow.
-He's into blood (jam?) play. He likes leaving physical reminders of your relationship all over your body (yes, even ur vag/dick if you let him). With how sharp his teeth are, it's impossible for you not to bleed when he does so, and he does really like the sight of your jam. It's so pretty and so different from his own, another reminder of how different you are, and how much you trust him. (He'll lick it up and purr at the taste.)
-Bruises are also littered about your dough, his grip on you is tight, like you might slip away from him. The treatment is rough and harsh, but it feels so nice to be manhandled by him. The bruises are just nice little reminders of who you belong to. (He gets all proud when other cookies worry about them, like he's done something worthy of praise).
-He likes watching, he's very much a voyeur. Occasionally requests that you pleasure yourself for him so he can watch you struggle to get off, and he'll only help you out when you're near tears begging him.
-He prefers coming across you by himself, without having to request it. Or just feeling waves of pleasure through your bite. He'll watch you quietly fuck yourself without letting you know he's there. (Though, you most certainly can feel his eyes on you, that's what makes it so fun right?) Sometimes he'll join you after, and other and times he'll leave you be, it's 50/50 either way and regardless you still end up happy.
-If anyone else walks in on you when you're alone, he's very unpleasant. Accident or not they'll learn to be more aware of their surroundings next time.
-That doesn't mean he's against being watched though. Actually, he finds the idea of someone else seeing how well he treats you enticing (especially if it's someone like Pure Vanilla hehe). If you are together and someone walks in (or spots you in public), he won't stop. Instead, he'll lock eyes with them and smile big and wide, showing off his favorite little dolly for them.
-He's just so proud of you, and you're so very pretty beneath him, the whole world should get to see how you fall apart for him. He'll even make you look at them just to see how you fluster.
-If the offender tries to do anything other than watch, though, well... I really hope they didn't want to live for much longer. He's very much not a sharer, at all. The idea of anyone even thinking they could touch you and make you feel good both makes him laugh and want to tear them apart at once.
-He's very much into roleplaying and can get really into it. To the point, it loses the sexiness and is just the two of you playing around, which can be a bummer but is usually really fun. He likes things that lean into power dynamics but explicitly avoids god/king and worshipper/subject. A little too close to home for him, and would honestly be too boring and basic for him.
-He loves it when you dress up for him in pretty little outfits, be it lingerie or something more cutesy, he adores it regardless. Going out of your way to pretty up for him is a huge turn-on. He also loves it when you let him dress you up how he likes. Regardless of what you're wearing, it's not coming off the whole night. It will get ruined and he won't apologize for it. Besides, he can just replace it, right?
-Sex is more fun for him, but he can be intimate when he wants to be. Usually, when you're in control, he is at his most gentle. Yes, he's a brat when he bottoms and he'll fight you tooth and nail, but once you get him to submit he's the softest and sweetest you've ever seen him.
-He looks at you like you're the god, wide eyes taking in everything you do with such admiration it might make you crumble on the spot.
-He's much quieter, treating it less like a spectacle. Moans soft and squeaky, like he's not used to using his voice in such a way. He clings to you like a vice at each little movement, almost afraid you might disappear if he lets you go.
-Oh, and he praises you so much. 'So good', 'Thank you', 'You're perfect', and 'I love you' all tumble from him with such genuine gratitude.
-Being allowed to let his guard down and have you take control is cathartic for him, which is why it's so uncommon to have it happen. It's why he fights you for control so hard because this is an intimacy he isn't used to. It is hard for him to allow you to see him so weak, but you never use it against him. You're so very sweet and loving, and it makes him melt like butter in your grasp.
-If you have the bite I mentioned earlier, it only makes things so much more intense. Both of you can feel the raw emotion connecting the two of you, making the pleasure heighten further.
-In fact, when he gives you the bite it's the first time he allows you to top him. To connect you to him makes him very vulnerable, so he would naturally have to be in a vulnerable state already when he does so.
-It's unlike any of his other bites, it's far more painful when he initially bites down, but when his magic flows through it your body feels light and airy. The pleasurable feeling wrapping itself around your spine, and you feel what he's feeling. All that adoration pours into your being at once, and it's overwhelming to really feel how much he loves you.
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cryoculus · 21 days ago
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— cleanup on aisle three ⟢
phainon’s late-night grocery runs are a masterclass in chaos: strange ingredients, fish-shaped lighters, and recipes that could either save the world or end it. and you, a cynical store clerk who just wants to end your shifts quietly, find yourself caught in the storm of his culinary madness.
★ featuring; phainon x gender-neutral!reader
★ word count; 8.3k words
★ tags; friends to lovers, the grand chrysos au (from the april fool's chef pv lol), fluff, idiots in love, several food mentions
★ notes; kaientai tumblr reinstation starts NYEOW! if you follow me on ao3, you've probably already seen this, but i thought it would be a nice idea to crosspost on tumblr since i have a fairly decent following here as well :")
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It’s 12:17 a.m., and the store feels like it’s running on fumes.
The fluorescent lights buzz overhead like they're trying to quit. The floor's been mopped twice already, but there’s still a suspicious sticky spot near the freezer aisle. You’ve stopped caring. An hour left on your shift, and you’ve taken refuge behind the express lane counter with a pen and a long receipt roll.
You're halfway through sketching a moth in combat boots when the automatic doors sigh open.
You don’t look up. Probably just another grad student scraping together a meal from energy drinks and despair.
You finish the boots. Add spurs, just for fun.
Minutes pass. A distant freezer door thunks shut. Then: the squeak of a wobbly cart wheel approaches, slow and uneven.
You glance up as a guy pulls into your lane—not with a full cart, but a modest one that looks like it’s been curated by someone either very sleep-deprived or very emotionally unstable.
He’s tall. Broad-shouldered. Wearing a chef’s coat that’s half-unbuttoned and clinging on for dear life. There’s flour on one sleeve, something like tomato sauce on the other. A burn mark peeks out just above his wrist like a badge of honor. He looks like he’s been personally insulted by dinner service. 
You scan his face—sharp, tired features and eyes that look like they haven't closed in 36 hours. And still, for some reason, he’s kind of hot in the way that makes you instantly distrust him.
He starts unloading his haul without a word.
A 2 liter bottle of cola.
Repackaged chicken feet.
A pint of heavy cream.
A family-size bag of marshmallows.
Three lemons.
Two ramen seasoning packets (no noodles, just the seasoning, and you don't even ask).
A tray of century eggs.
A novelty fish-shaped lighter.
You look at the items. Then up at him. Then back at the items.
“Either this is the world’s saddest dinner or an extremely niche food challenge.”
He exhales—half laugh, half resignation.
“I had to abandon my souffle. My caramel turned into lava. And my artichoke casserole exploded.”
“And this is... what? Your consolation prize?”
“This is survival.” He nods solemnly at the marshmallows. “These might be dinner. Or something to keep me from spiraling into insanity.”
You arch a brow as you scan the fish lighter. “Planning to set the marshmallows on fire in the parking lot?”
“I like to leave my options open.”
He rests his elbows on the counter like the weight of the grocery cart has followed him here. The store lights catch on the flour streaking his cheekbone. You're not sure if it's endearing or if you should offer him a wet wipe.
“You know we sell lemon wedges, right?” you add, bagging his chaos with minimal judgment.
“I needed to suffer through slicing them myself. Builds character.”
You tap the touchscreen, and the receipt prints in no time. As it rolls out, you add the final detail to your sketch—the moth, now holding a sword and standing triumphantly on top of a lemon. You doodle on a fish lighter beside it like a familiar before handing it over wordlessly.
The guy takes one look and laughs.
“Do you charge extra for emotionally resonant moths?” 
“Only for customers with weird grocery lists.”
He smiles—slow, amused, like he’s filing that away.
“Then I guess I’ll be seeing you a lot.”
You don’t respond. You just slide his bag across the counter.
He picks it up, nods once, and turns toward the doors. Stops halfway. Glances back over his shoulder like he might say something else, then changes his mind.
“Thanks for not asking about the seasoning packets. Or the chicken feet.”
You manage a lopsided smile. “Was gonna assume childhood trauma.”
He grins. “Close. Culinary school.”
And with that, he’s gone—out into the night, carrying his bag of questionable dinner plans and a receipt covered in doodles.
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You didn’t really expect to see him again.
Weird chef guy with the marshmallows and the seasoning packets. The one who looked like he’d been personally wronged by a stand mixer. He’d left with a fish lighter and chicken feet, and you’d filed him away in your brain under “Midnight Oddities.”
But then, a few nights later, he’s back.
Same graveyard shift. Same busted cart wheel. This time, he’s traded the tomato-stained coat for a plain sweatshirt, sleeves pushed up to the elbows. His hair’s still a mess of white—like someone threw powdered sugar into a fan—and there’s a fresh bandaid across one knuckle.
He looks just as tired as before. Maybe more.
The poor guy drops a basket on your express lane counter with a quiet thunk. Inside: two onions, a bottle of balsamic vinegar, two cylinders of butane gas, and an aggressively large chocolate bar.
“Long night?” you ask without looking up from your pen.
“The lamb reduction caught fire,” he says, with the grave seriousness of someone reporting a tragic death.
You raise a brow. “You mean, like, metaphorically?”
“I mean the fire alarm went off. Twice. It’s fine. The sauce died doing what it loved.”
You nod solemnly. “We should all be so lucky.”
He half-grins, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I considered setting the rest of the kitchen on fire just for closure.”
“You’ll need more butane for that.”
You ring up the items, fingers on autopilot. He leans on the counter, watching you, like he’s got nowhere better to be.
You don’t know why it slips out. Maybe it’s the late hour. Maybe it’s the way your feet ache in that particular flavor of minimum wage exhaustion.
“...Thinking of picking up a second job,” you mutter.
He blinks. “Because this one’s not enough of a spiritual journey?”
You snort. “Because rent exists. And degrees don’t pay for themselves.”
“Ah,” he says, nodding, like that makes perfect sense. “You could always be my emotional support line cook.”
“Tempting,” you say flatly. “Do I get benefits?”
“Free pastries and occasional exposure to open flames.”
“You really know how to sweeten a deal.”
As the receipt prints, you flip it over and start sketching without thinking—muscle memory. A tiny version of yourself appears on the paper, slumped inside a soup pot labeled “Capitalism,” one hand holding a spatula like a white flag. Little cartoon flames lick the edges.
You push it across the counter with his bag.
Mister Chef picks it up. Stares. And for a moment, the usual dead-eyed kitchen glaze in his expression breaks.
“You know, these are actually... really good.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“I mean it. You’re talented.”
You shrug, already pretending to clean the scanner. “Talent doesn’t cover health insurance.”
He’s quiet for a second. You feel him looking again, too long.
“Why don’t you do something with it?” he says softly. “Take commissions maybe? Or start some freelance work?”
You pause, then smile like it’s a joke.
“Not everyone gets to follow their dream on a full stomach.”
He doesn’t have a comeback for that.
You hand over his change, and he takes the bag, still holding the receipt in his other hand like it might burn him if he grips it too hard.
On his way out, he glances back once.
“The soup pot’s got good linework.”
You don’t answer. Just wait for the doors to sigh shut behind him, and a few beats later, you realize that you don't even know that guy's name. But then again, it's not like it matters. You probably won't see him again anyway.
Except you do.
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It happens a week after, when you’re not supposed to be on break.
Technically, you're just passing through the cereal aisle on your way to the walk-in, but somehow your legs stop moving somewhere between the frosted flakes and the granola that costs more than your hourly wage.
You sink down to the linoleum, back to the shelves, legs folded, a rejection email glowing on the screen of your phone in one hand.
Your art didn’t make the cut. Again.
Apparently, “strong technique but lacks conceptual cohesion” is the new “we regret to inform you.”
You don’t cry. You just kind of... sit. Long enough for your name badge to start digging into your shoulder.
You hear footsteps approaching. Heavy ones. Paired with the soft clink of glass jars in a basket.
You don’t even look up until the familiar blur of white hair comes into view.
“Oh,” Weird Chef Guy says, blinking. “Did the Lucky Charms defeat you, or are we both having a bad night?”
You don’t answer.
He sets the basket down. Squats in front of you, arms resting on his knees. “You okay?”
You gesture vaguely at your phone. “Just failed at being talented. Again.”
He frowns, tilts his head like he’s trying to squint meaning out of your soul.
“Gallery submission,” you explain. “Rejected. They said my work didn’t have enough... something. Whatever.”
You expect a platitude. Maybe a bad joke. Instead, you get:
“That sucks.”
It’s simple. But it lands harder than it should.
You glance up—he’s in a dark denim overalls this time, smudged with olive tapenade or maybe despair. He smells like rosemary and late-night stress. Still weirdly hot. Still looks like he hasn’t slept since the lunar calendar was invented.
“I applied last minute. Used some older pieces I did before I dropped out of Okhema U.”
He raises his eyebrows. “Art school?”
You nod. “College of Arts. Illustration track. I had to take a leave when tuition got ridiculous, and I thought, you know, maybe if I made some money and kept making stuff, I’d figure it out.”
You try to laugh, but it comes out hollow. “Turns out, sketching on receipt paper in a fluorescent-lit retail hellscape isn’t exactly inspiring.”
Weird Chef Guy sits down beside you now, shoulder just barely grazing yours. His basket sits abandoned next to his knee—a couple of mason jars, chili oil, toothpaste.
“Lack of cohesion, huh?” he says, voice softer now. “They ever tried making risotto?”
You blink. “What?”
“Risotto,” he repeats. “It’s fussy. Needs constant stirring. Tastes like glue if you screw it up even a little. It's a total diva of a dish. You can do everything right and it’ll still come out wrong. But then one day—bam—it hits perfect. Creamy, savory, actual magic. Like it forgave you for your sins.”
You stare. “Are you seriously comparing my failed gallery submission to rice?”
He shrugs. “All I’m saying is, maybe your art’s just... in risotto mode. Not a failure. Just a work in progress with attitude.”
It’s stupid.
It’s really stupid.
But for some reason, your chest eases just enough to breathe again.
You would laugh, genuinely laugh at this stranger's attempt to cheer you up but then you hear the unmistakable crinkle of a snack bag somewhere down the aisle.
“Damionis?” you call, not even turning your head.
A very casual voice responds from behind the cereal shelf: “I’m on break. This aisle just happens to have the best acoustics.”
You groan. “Go bother someone in frozen foods.”
Damionis pops his head around the corner, grinning like the absolute gremlin he is. “Nah, I like this sitcom. You want me to bring popcorn next time?”
“Only if it’s expired.”
He throws you a mock salute and retreats. Probably. You don’t check.
When your nosy co-worker is out of earshot, you glance at your present company. Weird Chef Guy—because you still don’t know his real name despite this being your third meeting in total—leans his head back against the shelf and exhales.
“I’m Phainon, by the way.”
You blink. “What?”
“My name,” he says, glancing sideways, and you look at him like he might just be a mindreader. “Figured it was time you knew it, since I’ve been reading yours off your nametag like a creep.”
You glance down instinctively at the little badge on your apron. Right. 
You snort. “And here I thought you were just stalking me.”
“Only in grocery stores. And only after midnight.”
“Points for subtlety.”
“Points for not crying in the middle of Aisle Five,” he counters.
You bump his shoulder with yours. Not hard. Just enough.
He bumps back.
And in the cereal aisle, between a shelf of off-brand granola and a man with fireproof hands, something very small and very soft unspools in your chest.
You're not sure if you want to give it a name just yet.
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You’re halfway through a bag of chips and a sip of flat soda when you see Phainon walking into the break room like he’s just stormed out of an interdimensional kitchen hell.
His chef’s coat’s still half-buttoned, a tiny smear of what could be mustard or burnt caramel streaking down his arm, and he’s holding a tupperware container like it contains either the cure for all your problems—or the worst food poisoning of your life.
He spots you, and the chaos continues in his wake, like some sort of culinary tornado.
“Hey,” he greets you, looking way too pleased with himself. “You free to eat something…experimental?”
You raise an eyebrow, slowly lowering the chips. “I don’t know, chef. Last time I checked, I wasn’t signing up for a cooking class. And who the hell let you in here?”
“You’re not signing up for anything,” he says, ignoring your inquiry as he drops the container on the table with a grin. “I’m just trying something out. The ‘No Food Left Behind’ policy. You’re gonna be a test subject.”
You stare at the tupperware, unsure if you should be excited or worried. The lid pops off, and you brace yourself for the smell of burnt desperation and raw ambition.
But instead, it’s surprisingly…pleasant?
“What is that?” you ask, leaning forward.
“Whatever it is,” Phainon shrugs, “it’s better than the version I made for myself this morning. I was going for ‘vibrant acidity,’ ended up with ‘distilled regret.’” He gestures to the container like it's a grand masterpiece. “So, eat up.”
You give him a skeptical look, but you’ve seen enough of his food disasters by now to know that he probably isn’t trying to kill you with poorly executed gastronomy. At least, based on what he checks out in his carts and baskets after his midnight grocery runs. Slowly, you take a forkful. And damn.
It’s good. Really good. The kind of good that leaves you almost suspicious.
The flavors somehow work together in this mess of ingredients—something salty, something tangy, something rich and comforting. It’s like he didn’t just throw things together, but created something from a place of necessity.
You blink, lowering your fork. “Wait. This...actually isn’t bad.”
He grins. “You sure you’re not just hungry?”
“I’m always hungry,” you mutter, finishing the bite. “But no, this is weirdly healing.”
Phainon sits across from you, watching you with an almost unreadable expression. For a second, you almost think he’s serious. “Not what I was going for, but glad to know it worked. Should’ve added more cheese, though.”
“More cheese?”
“Yeah. You’d be amazed at how much cheese fixes everything.” He bobs his head with a self-satisfied smile. “Next time.”
You roll your eyes, but there’s something else there—a tiny spark of warmth you weren’t expecting. The food wasn’t just filling a void; it felt like it was filling something deeper. Like you hadn’t realized how badly you needed it.
You set the tupperware down and glance up at him, suddenly feeling the weight of the last few days. “Thanks,” you murmur, voice a little quieter than you intended. “I haven’t had a proper meal in days.”
His smile softens, but only a little. “Then I guess this was the right kitchen experiment.”
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You really should have known better than to run your mouth around someone like Phainon.
The first time it happens, it’s on Monday night. You’ve just clocked in, half-dazed from an over-caffeinated day, and the last thing you expect is a neatly wrapped bundle sitting in the break room fridge with your name on it.
You raise an eyebrow, curious. You slide it out of the fridge, already bracing yourself for some bizarre culinary experiment. The tupperware looks oddly familiar—like the same one Phainon showed up with last time, only this time there’s a little post-it note slapped on top.
Eat me.
You sigh, but you’re also starving, so you open it.
Inside is some kind of…stew? It’s thick and bubbling in the tupperware, with chunks of something that almost look like meat but might actually be vegetables, and a drizzle of something that looks suspiciously like a spicy aioli.
You’re not sure whether it’s the blend of spices or the odd richness, but it smells warm and inviting. He even prepared a small serving of rice to pair it with. 
You sit at the table, spoon poised, and take a tentative bite. Holy hell, it’s delicious.
You should be angry that he’s invading your break with weirdly good food, but instead, you’re just grateful you don’t have to rely on stale sandwiches anymore.
The next day, it happens again.
And the next.
It’s like a strange, unspoken agreement now. You never see him drop off the food, but there’s always something waiting in the fridge when you clock in.
By the third day, you’ve gotten used to it—the warm, spicy-sweet curry with just the right level of heat, the unexpectedly perfect homemade bao buns, and today, what looks like a bizarrely decadent bowl of ramen with ingredients that should never go together, but somehow do.
You’re standing in the break room, staring at the latest offering like it’s a strange gift you didn’t ask for, when your coworker, Damionis, leans in from behind you, peering into the fridge.
“What is this, another one of Weird Chef Guy’s meals?”
“His name’s Phainon,” you mutter, but even as you say it, you realize you haven’t actually mentioned that part to anyone.
“Right. Phainon,” Damionis mocks, grinning. “Well, whatever his name is, I don’t know whether to be jealous or concerned. You’ve been eating like royalty all week.”
You just shrug, not sure what to say. It’s not like you asked for this. It’s just happening.
Then the weirdest part comes. The food is so consistently good that you can’t even be mad about it anymore. You don’t even ask questions. You just eat.
But then it lasts for over two weeks.
Two whole weeks of unexpected, ridiculously good meals waiting for you in the break room fridge every single shift. You didn’t even need to check the fridge anymore—you just knew there’d be something there. And as much as you’d like to complain about it, the truth is… you couldn’t.
It was all too good. He knew how to cook. Too well.
But this? This had to stop. It wasn’t that you didn’t appreciate the meals. It’s just that you couldn’t shake the nagging guilt that you were being spoiled by someone who barely even knew you. 
And the more you thought about it, the more you felt like you were becoming a passive recipient of his kindness. You weren’t some charity case, and you didn’t want to feel like one.
So, you decide to do something about it.
You arrive at the grocery store at 10 in the morning. The day shift clerk, Arielle, told you this is the time when Phainon usually dropped off his gifts. To your relief, she was more than willing to help you catch the guy red-handed while you lied in wait in the break room. 
And you did. For about twenty minutes. 
Then, almost on cue, you hear a knock on the break room door, and when you open it, there he is. Phainon. Standing in the there with his usual “I’m exhausted, but I’m fine” face.
“You—” You cut yourself off, arms crossed. “You’ve got to stop doing this.”
“Stop what?” He stares at you, genuinely confused. “The food? Is it bad? Because I can totally—”
“No!” You immediately interject, feeling the pressure of not wanting to sound ungrateful. “No, the food’s amazing. It’s just—” You run a hand through your hair, trying to figure out how to phrase this without sounding dramatic.
“I don’t want to be a burden. You keep leaving these meals for me, and I feel like I’m just taking and taking and not… giving anything in return. I can’t keep just accepting these like it’s nothing.”
Phainon blinks at you, a slow realization creeping across his face. Then he shrugs. “You’re not a burden. I’ve been doing this because I want to. You’ve been working your ass off, so you deserve to eat something decent. Besides, I like knowing that I’ve made something you’ll actually enjoy.”
You stare at him, feeling the weight of his words pressing down on you. He sounds so genuine, so nonchalant about it all. But still…
“I feel like I’m taking advantage of you,” you admit, suddenly embarrassed. “You don’t owe me anything. We don’t even—”
“—know each other, I know.” Phainon cuts you off with a soft smile, not an ounce of irritation in his voice. “But that’s the thing. We don’t have to know each other for me to want to do this. I’ve been training at a restaurant for the past few weeks, and it’s been crazy. Honestly, I barely have time to sleep, much less cook for myself. So, I just... grab what I can, throw it together, and leave it for you.”
You stare at him, processing his words. “Wait. You’ve been doing this after working at the restaurant?”
“Yeah. I’ve been coming home late, still on my feet, barely able to keep my eyes open, and I thought: ‘Hey, might as well bring something for them. They're working hard too.’” He gives a small, sheepish shrug. “I mean, it’s the least I can do.”
You’re quiet for a long moment, your mind a little overwhelmed by the layers of his thoughtfulness and how much more he’s been giving than you realized. It’s one thing to show up with a random meal once. It’s another thing entirely to be doing it on the regular, after pulling long shifts himself.
“I don’t want to be a burden,” you repeat, quieter this time.
“Then don’t,” he says with a chuckle. “Don’t make me stop. You’re eating something decent for once in your life. What’s wrong with that?”
You open your mouth to protest again, but something in the way he looks at you—like he actually believes you deserve the meals, and not just because he’s some guy who’s trying to be nice—makes you pause.
“I’m just looking out for you,” he adds. “And I’m not asking for anything in return. Just… don’t overthink it. It’s food. It’s my way of saying, ‘Hey, you’ve got a weird job, but you’re doing alright.’”
And, damn it, that hits a little harder than you were ready for. The simple sincerity of it. You want to argue, but the honesty in his eyes stops you.
“You’re impossible,” you say finally, shaking your head, but there’s a smile tugging at the corners of your lips. “Fine. But only because I’m pretty sure I’ll starve without it.”
Phainon grins, clearly relieved. “Exactly. Now, I’ve got a soup in there that I think might be your new favorite.”
You can’t help but laugh at how easy he makes this all seem. You know this won’t be the last time he’ll show up unannounced, but this time, somehow, it feels a little less like a gift and a little more like the beginning of something worthwhile.
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The commission work has been steady. That’s the word you keep using—steady—even though what you really mean is exhausting.
Since you started accepting paid requests, your days have been a blur of grocery store shifts and digital sketchpads. Pet portraits, custom nameplates, grocery signage with smiling cartoon vegetables—nothing too big, nothing too personal. You keep telling yourself it’s fine. It’s money. It’s more than you had before.
But it’s also not what you love. Not really. It feels like turning your art into product. Into labor. Into something with a price tag instead of purpose.
Still, beggars can’t be choosers.
You think about telling Phainon. You’ve wanted to. After all, this whole thing started because he encouraged you to “do something” with your art. But he doesn’t come around anymore—not during your shifts, anyway. He still leaves meals in the break room fridge, but it's been a while since his last grocery run. You figure he’s probably drowning in work at a restaurant he never told you the name of.
You don’t even have his number. Isn’t that ridiculous?
So you keep your head down. Draw. Clock in. Clock out. Repeat.
And then—
One Thursday night, you’re sweeping up near the produce section, trying to shake off a migraine and mentally calculating how many commissions you’ll need to finish by the weekend, when the automatic doors chime.
You don’t look up right away. It’s late, and most customers at this hour want to be left alone.
But something—some presence—makes you glance up.
And there he is.
Still in his usual chef coat, unbuttoned and a little askew, the sleeves rolled haphazardly to his elbows like always. He looks as if he came straight from the kitchen. But that’s not what catches your attention.
It’s the bruise.
Dark and ugly, blooming along his cheekbone like ink under thin paper.
“Phainon?” you blurt before you can stop yourself.
He gives a small, crooked smile. “Hey. Long time.”
You’re already striding toward him. “What the hell happened to your face?”
“Occupational hazard,” he says, waving a hand like it’s nothing. “It’s not as bad as it looks. I got in the way of a flying sheet pan.”
“Bullshit.”
His smile wobbles a little, but he doesn’t argue.
You grab his wrist—not roughly, but firmly—and drag him toward the back. He doesn’t resist.
“You’re coming with me,” you mutter.
He raises an eyebrow. “Scandalous.”
“Shut up.”
You haul him into the break room, ignoring the lingering gazes from co-workers, and make a beeline for the first-aid kit above the microwave.
He watches you in silence as you wet a paper towel with cool water and start dabbing gently at the edge of the bruise. He winces but stays still.
“You’re really bad at taking care of yourself,” you mutter.
“I could say the same about you,” he says, almost reflexively.
You glance at him, and he tilts his head. “I heard from Damionis. You’ve been doing commissions.”
Your hand stills. “...Yeah.”
“You didn’t tell me.”
“You haven’t exactly been around.”
“Touché.”
You look away, focusing on cleaning the worst of the bruising. “It’s fine. It pays. I don’t love it, but it’s something.”
There’s a beat of silence before he says quietly, “I know that feeling.”
You meet his gaze again, and he looks... tired. Really tired. Not just physically, but somewhere deeper. Like the chaos is starting to catch up to him, too.
You’re not sure who leans in first. Maybe neither of you do. But the distance feels smaller now. Quieter.
Then Phainon says, “Next time you want to vent about it, just... wait for me. I might not always show up on time, but I will. Eventually.”
You smirk, just a little. “Big words for someone with a black eye.”
“Battle scars,” he says solemnly. “The kitchen is a warzone.”
You laugh despite yourself, and the tension lifts, just a bit.
There’s still curry powder under his nails and ink smudged on your wrists. Neither of you are sleeping enough or eating right unless the other intervenes.
But in this tiny, overly lit break room, with a half-empty vending machine humming behind you and a pack of frozen peas pressed to his face, it almost feels like something is working.
Almost.
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The next weird thing he does for you starts with a folded envelope tucked beneath your lunch in the break room fridge.
This time, there’s no doodle, no cheeky post-it. Just your name, written in slanted pen across thick cardstock. You open it between bites of lukewarm stir-fry, expecting another pun or maybe a strange coupon Phainon made up himself—One Free Existential Breakdown Redeemed at Aisle Four.
But it’s not that.
It’s an invitation.
A literal, printed, serif-fonted invitation on heavy cream paper that reads:
You’re cordially invited to a private tasting at The Grand Chrysos. Come hungry. Come after your shift. P.S. Don’t argue. It’s on the house. —P.
Your first reaction is laughter. Then confusion. Then panic.
The Grand Chrysos is fancy. It’s the kind of place you pass on your way to the train station and try not to breathe near, in case you accidentally lower its property value. One with five-course menus and wine pairings and waiters in black gloves. You thought Phainon was training at some well-off restaurant, but not in a place like that. 
You stare at the invitation like it’s going to burst into flames.
When your shift ends, it’s nearly 1:15 a.m., and you’ve changed into a slightly less wrinkled shirt in the back room just in case. You told yourself a hundred reasons not to go. You’re not dressed for it. You can’t afford to even look at the menu. You’ll stick out like a ketchup stain on linen.
But you go anyway.
You’re greeted at the door by someone who seems unfazed by the fact that you’re arriving well past closing. They just smile, gesture you in, and say, “Chef Phainon’s expecting you.”
The restaurant is quiet, emptied of patrons, lit only by a soft glow from the open kitchen.
Phainon lies in wait, blue eyes glittering with anticipation. Still in his chef’s coat, sleeves rolled, hair pulled back, looking exactly like the maniac who leaves elaborate noodle dishes in your fridge and somehow always knows when you’ve had a bad day. There’s a tiredness in his posture, sure—but also a kind of light. The kitchen is his domain. He belongs here.
“You’re still open at this hour?” you ask, hesitating at the edge of the dining space.
He glances up, offers that familiar half-smile. “Nope.”
You frown. “Then what—?”
“I just like to experiment until dawn,” he says, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “New menu trials. Flavor pairings. Wasting perfectly good sleep in the name of soup stock.”
You stare at him, suddenly seeing the dark circles under his eyes in a new light. “Is that why you always look like a dying student during finals week?”
He snorts. “Not inaccurate.”
He gestures toward a single candlelit table near the kitchen window, already set. You sit slowly, unsure of what to expect. But he’s already sliding the first course in front of you—delicate, strange, beautiful. Some kind of cold-brewed consommé with herbs you don’t recognize and edible flowers that look like they were plucked from a dream.
“This is real,” you murmur. “You’re—you’re the one making all this?”
He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but you can see it—how much it matters to him. How proud he is, even if he’ll never say it outright.
Course after course follows. A risotto with saffron foam. A deconstructed katsu curry that tastes like every comfort food memory you’ve ever had. A dessert involving toasted meringue, freeze-dried berries, and some strange, tangy syrup he says he discovered by accident.
You’re halfway through the meal when you finally say it.
“I thought this was your job. But you don’t stop when your shift ends.”
He glances up, caught mid-plate wipe. “You don’t either.”
You open your mouth to argue, but he raises an eyebrow. “How many commissions did you say you had lined up last week?”
You go quiet.
“You’re always tired,” you murmur.
“So are you,” he says gently. “But we keep showing up anyway.”
It’s not romantic, exactly. But it is intimate. And in some ways, that’s worse. You’re sitting in a temple of haute cuisine, eating the best meal of your life, and the only thing you can think about is how tired you both are—and how neither of you will admit you want someone to say, It’s okay to stop.
But for tonight, neither of you do. For tonight, you eat.
And when dessert’s cleared away and he brings out a thermos of something he calls “chaos tea” (probably caffeinated), you smile.
Because tired as he looks, Phainon seems a little more alive with you sitting across from him.
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You still glance at the break room fridge out of habit.
It’s been weeks since anything showed up with your name on it in crooked handwriting. No precariously packed curries or leftover fish terrines that somehow didn’t stink up the room. No chaotic bao buns, no weird jellied things in little jars, no “guess the ingredients” soups that left your tongue buzzing and your heart weirdly warm.
Just your stuff now. Yogurt. A banana you probably won’t eat. A sandwich that’s seen better days. Someone else's soda you’re pretty sure is off-limits.
It’s fine.
You’ve learned how to eat properly since then. You even meal-prep sometimes, if you’ve got enough brain cells left at the end of the night. Your commissions have picked up—just enough to get by, just enough to let you breathe without doing math at the register to figure out if you can afford a single bar of chocolate. And it’s not like you miss Phainon leaving food for you like some culinary cryptid Santa Claus. 
But every now and then, you’ll crack open your tupperware and realize that you still wait for the scent of saffron, or the punch of vinegar, or whatever strange spice he was experimenting with that week.
You’ll look down at your rice and scrambled eggs and sigh, not because it’s bad, but because it’s yours—and maybe, for once, you liked when it wasn’t just on you.
The last time you saw him, he’d looked like death warmed over. Like someone had dug him out from under a pile of cookbooks and deadlines. There was flour in his hair and a pen behind one ear, a band-aid around his thumb and a blister forming on the side of his neck from god-knows-what. His phone had buzzed three times while you were trying to ask him about the new cold brew in stock.
“Dissertation life,” he’d said with a lopsided smile. “You wouldn’t understand. I’m elbows-deep in food chemistry and the historical evolution of fermentation methods. Pray for me.”
You’d rolled your eyes and told him to go touch grass. He’d promised to consider it… after graduation.
That was three weeks ago.
You don’t text him often. You think about it more than you act on it. The last thing you want to be is another notification in a sea of deadlines. But sometimes you’ll send a blurry photo of a weird carrot shaped like a foot, or a doodle on receipt paper of a garlic bulb with tiny arms. Sometimes it’s just a message: Still alive. Hope you’re eating.
He always replies. Short stuff. A thumbs-up. A picture of a burnt omelette with the caption "how the mighty fall." A single “LOL” that somehow makes your day.
You know better than to take it personally—he’s drowning in work. His internship at The Grand Chrysos ended with a bang (and at least one small kitchen fire, according to a very dramatic text), and now all that’s left is the thesis he won’t shut up about.
You sit at the break table with your sandwich, scrolling back through old messages. Your shift’s half over. You’re trying not to look like you’re waiting on a ghost.
The last text from him was three days ago:
Working on my related literature. Might collapse. If I don’t survive, tell the duck confit I loved her.
You smile, even though it catches in your throat a little.
You put your phone down and stare at your sandwich. Take a bite. Chew slowly.
It’s fine. It’s good, even.
But it’s not the same.
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You’re almost done with your shift when Arielle insists—insists—that you go take your break. 
“I already had mine,” you argue, arms crossed, the fluorescent lights humming far too loudly above you. You don’t even know why she’s here at this hour. She works the damn day shift. 
“Take. Your. Break,” Arielle says, giving you a look that says don’t make me drag you.
You eye her suspiciously. Damionis is nearby, not even pretending to be subtle. He’s suddenly very invested in facing the peanut butter jars, whistling off-key. Something is up.
Still, you're tired, and your feet hurt, and your brain is half mush from answering customer questions like where’s the cheese that tastes like sadness but costs twelve dollars more?
So, fine. Whatever. You head toward the break room.
When you open the door, you're hit by the scent of vanilla and something warm, like toasted sugar and citrus zest. The lights are dimmed—when did they even install a dimmer switch?—and standing awkwardly by the fridge is Phainon.
He’s holding a cake.
Scratch that—he’s holding a gorgeous cake. It’s layered and glazed, decorated with candied slices of orange, flecks of gold leaf, and delicate piping that reads Happy Birthday! in slightly wobbly cursive.
And on top: several tiny candles. Lit. Flickering.
He’s using the stupid fish lighter you remember from his very first visit.
“Surprise,” he says, voice soft. “I mean… as much as this counts as a surprise. I had help.”
“He sure did,” Arielle pipes up from behind you, suddenly crowding the entrance with Damionis, both grinning like idiots.
“We coordinated,” Damionis says smugly. “Told him your schedule. Arielle did the decorations.”
You look up. There’s a single streamer hanging half-heartedly from the cabinet above the sink. One balloon taped to the fridge. It’s so dumb. So unbelievably sweet.
You stare at the cake again. At Phainon, who’s shifting his weight from foot to foot, clearly unsure if he’s supposed to say more or not.
And then your vision blurs.
“Oh no,” you murmur, swiping at your face, furious with yourself. “Nope. We are not doing this. I am not crying over a cake.”
Phainon smiles, a little crooked, a little tired. The same smile from all those nights he showed up with tupperware and herbs you couldn’t pronounce.
“Well, it is a pretty great cake,” he says gently. “And you deserve nice things. Even if it's just once in a while.”
You sniff. Your voice comes out smaller than you’d like. “How did you even know? I don't remember telling you my birthday...”
“Mmm, Arielle might have let it slip a couple weeks ago when I bought some salami.” He points the fish lighter at the culprit herself.
Arielle just rolls her eyes and says, “Oh, please. You love it anyway, right?” 
Yes.
It’s ridiculous. It’s heartfelt. It’s everything.
You blow out the candles, blinking rapidly, and someone claps—probably Damionis, who’s always a little too eager about celebrating. Phainon cuts the cake and hands you the first slice. It’s lemon poppyseed with honey cream filling. You don’t even like lemon poppyseed.
But still, it’s perfect.
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You stand in the crowd, awkward in your semi-wrinkled button-down and scuffed sneakers, feeling a little out of place among the polished shoes and proud parents. You shift from foot to foot, scanning the rows of graduates seated in the middle of Okhema University’s sprawling courtyard.
And then you spot him.
Phainon’s cap is slightly crooked—of course it is—and he’s fidgeting with his gown like it’s some kind of prison uniform. But when his name is called, he straightens up. Walks like he belongs up there. And when he takes the diploma, there’s a flicker of pride that crosses his face before he spots you in the crowd and grins like he just won the lottery.
You wave, cheeks warm, and try not to look too proud yourself. He’s beaming, radiant with accomplishment and relief and maybe just a bit of exhaustion.
Afterward, in the soft afternoon light, he finds you on the steps outside the university.
“You made it,” he says, a little breathless.
“You invited me,” you remind him, but you’re smiling. “I thought those seats were reserved for, you know. Family.”
“They’re too far away to make the trip,” he says simply. “But you were here.”
You don’t know what to say to that. So you just nod, feeling something a little too big for your chest. Pride. Gratitude. Something else you don’t want to name yet.
Before you can figure it out, a shadow falls over you both.
A tall, broad-shouldered guy—blonde, scowling by default—clears his throat.
“Mydei,” Phainon says, surprised. “Hey.”
Mydei nods, stiff. “Just wanted to say… sorry. For, uh. Punching you in the face. You know, months ago.”
Your eyes flick between them. Oh.
The bruise. The one Phainon had that night he stumbled into the break room, looking like he’d lost a bar fight with a pan. You remember treating it with frozen peas and whispered concern.
“You really clocked me,” Phainon says, rubbing the side of his jaw with a wince that’s more nostalgic than bitter.
“Yeah,” Mydei says. “You were being annoying. Still. Sorry.”
They clasp hands, awkward but genuine. You don’t ask for details. You don’t need them. Phainon gives Mydei a nod as he walks off, and then it’s just the two of you again.
“So,” he says. “Big graduation moment. I’m finally free. No more dissertation deadlines. No more chefs breathing down my neck.”
“You gonna rest now?” you ask.
“Absolutely not,” he says. “I’m thinking dinner. Celebration. Something borderline dangerous with a blowtorch involved.”
You roll your eyes, falling into step beside him as you start walking toward the city. The sun’s starting to dip, casting Okhema University’s sandstone buildings in soft gold.
“Actually,” you say, heart thudding. “I have a confession.”
Phainon slows a step, giving you a look. “What, your undying love for me?”
You freeze. “Absolutely not!”
He laughs, smug and bright and utterly unrepentant.
You huff. “I meant—I’ve saved up enough. I’m going back. To school. Art school.”
He stops walking entirely.
“You’re serious?”
You nod. “I sent in my documents last week. Just waiting for confirmation. But yeah. I’m… I’m doing it.”
His whole face lights up like a streetlamp. He lets out a whoop so loud a couple of passing students stare. Even is he's the one who just graduated, Phainon is celebrating you so much louder.
“That’s—that’s incredible.”
You shrug, trying to seem cool, like you haven’t been carrying the weight of this decision in your chest for weeks. “Figured it’s now or never.”
“Come over,” Phainon says instantly.
You blink. “What?”
“To my place. Tonight. Let me cook. You’re not getting some lazy congratulations takeout, okay? We’re talking a full meal. Dinner for two. My kitchen, my rules.”
You smile, a little stunned, a little giddy. “You sure?”
“Absolutely. It’ll be awful if you say no. I’ll be dramatic about it. Maybe cry.”
“Fine,” you say, nudging him with your elbow. “But only if you make that weird stew with the spicy aioli again.”
His eyes twinkle. “Deal.”
You keep walking, and for once, the future doesn’t feel so scary. Not when there’s something like this—like him—waiting just ahead.
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Phainon’s apartment used to look like nobody actually lived there.
The walls were bare—blank, indifferent, the kind of blankness that says I won’t be here long. His place was functional, stripped down to the basics. Bed, shower, fridge, stovetop. A stack of cookbooks in one corner, post-it notes stuck in like confetti. His kitchen, when he used it, smelled like burnt sugar and ambition. But most nights, he was too tired to even boil water. He came home to sleep, maybe shower, then passed out with his apron still slung over a chair.
That was before you started coming over.
At first, it was convenience. Your new university building was closer to his apartment than your own place, and it saved you forty-five minutes of commuting if you crashed on his couch. Then it became habit. Movie nights. Shared leftovers. Sleeping in until noon on your free days. You never really asked if you could keep staying over—but he never asked you to leave.
Somewhere in between all that, his walls started to change.
He framed one of your failed lino prints first. You didn’t even like it—too messy, too smudged. But he said it “had texture,” and before you could protest, it was up near his bookshelf, angled slightly crooked like he didn’t know how to use a level. Then came a half-finished charcoal sketch of a pigeon. A gouache color study. An ink portrait of a cat you never met. One by one, the misfits from your sketchbooks began populating his walls.
You grumbled. Called it embarrassing. He didn’t care. “You spend half your time here,” he said once, standing in front of the fridge with a container of soup in hand. “Might as well look like you live here.”
It annoyed you—until it didn’t.
Now his apartment feels like something alive. Something shared. His pans still clatter too loud, and his towels are always mismatched, but the walls look warmer. Lived in. Like a space with a history unfolding inside it.
And then, one quiet Tuesday night, he swings by the grocery store again.
It’s nearly midnight, the store is half-asleep, and you’re manning the register with the radio turned low. He buys something ridiculous—a single lemon, a tin of anchovies, and a bottle of hot sauce. You roll your eyes as you ring him up.
On the back of the receipt, you doodle a sleepy cartoon fish holding a sparkler. He grins when you hand it over, folds the paper neatly, and slides it into his wallet.
You catch a glimpse of what’s already tucked inside—half a dozen of your other doodles, dog-eared and soft at the corners. A rabbit with an apron. A stick figure with flaming oven mitts. Even that old moth wearing combat boots with the spurs. All preserved like little relics.
“You keep those?” you ask, surprised.
Phainon shrugs, casual, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “They make my wallet look cool.”
You roll your eyes, but your heart’s not in it. Your chest feels weirdly full.
Because it’s not just the wallet. It’s the walls of his apartment. It’s the fact that he keeps showing up. The way he lights up when you talk about your latest project, even when you’re rambling. The meals he made for you when he barely had time to sleep. How he’s been quietly holding onto all these tiny pieces of you—and never once made you feel silly for handing them over.
You’re not stupid. You know what this might mean.
And maybe—just maybe—you might just feel the same.
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It’s barely past seven when you’re stuffing your sketchbook into your bag with one hand and trying to smooth your hair with the other. You’ve got fifteen minutes to make it to your first class of the day, and somehow, despite waking up with enough time, you’re still scrambling.
In the kitchen, Phainon is moving with that easy, practiced grace he only ever has when food’s involved. There’s toast browning, eggs cooling, something wrapped in foil that smells suspiciously amazing, and a thermos of warm broth in your favorite flavor. His hair’s still damp from the shower, and his chef’s coat is half-buttoned, but he’s focused, like preparing your lunch is his actual job.
“You don’t have to do that every morning,” you mumble as you slip your shoes on.
“I know,” he says, without looking up. “But I like to.”
And maybe it’s the way he says it, like it’s a given—like of course he’d want to take care of you—that makes your fingers itch. You pull out the little folded doodle you made the night before. It’s stupid. It’s cute. It’s terrifying. Just a rough sketch of the two of you holding hands, hearts doodled above your heads, and the words i like you, idiot scrawled at the bottom.
You wait until he turns around to rinse something at the sink before you slip it into the recipe journal he keeps open on the counter, tucked between a page of messy notes about pickled egg foam and a weird diagram involving chili oil.
Your heart hammers the entire time, but you say nothing. You just sling your bag over your shoulder and shout a “See you!” before you bolt out the door.
Class is a blur. You think your Realism professor says something profound about emotional verisimilitude but you’re too busy trying not to spiral.
It’s only during your break, when you finally unwrap your lunch on a bench just outside the art building, that you find the post-it.
It’s stuck to the inside of the foil, slightly greasy but still legible, written in Phainon’s usual hurried, slanted scrawl.
I’m terrible at feelings but I think I might be in love with you lol. If you’re not horrified, meet me after class?
Your mouth drops open. For a second, you just stare at it, hands frozen around your sandwich, your brain a whir of static.
And then you laugh.
Because of course he responded like this. Of course he had to one-up your confession in the dumbest, most Phainon way possible.
You tuck the note into your coat pocket and pull out your phone, fingers hovering over your messages.
See you at 3 :>
And when 3 o’clock rolls around, Phainon’s already waiting outside your building, hair windswept, journal tucked under one arm. He looks nervous until he sees you walking toward him, and then—then he smiles like the sun finally decided to rise for real.
You grab his hand without saying anything.
He holds on like he’s never letting go.
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⟢ end notes: wahoo, you made it to the end! thank you so much for reading qwq it's been a hot minute since i posted on this acc and tumblr in general (i was mostly active on the kpop side of things in 2023), so i'm kinda just posting this to feel out the vibes. if i should crosspost my other stuff here etc etc. i also just started writing for hsr about,, a month ago?? so i've no idea how the fandom is on here JSDHFJSDGFH either way!! i'm just happy to share my stuff anywhere i can :^)
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fixated-cookies · 2 months ago
Note
Imagine pv and shmilk competing to be the one who fills us up with their babies...
this one is a long one! i've been working on this for two days now.
Warning- pregnancy talk, double penetration
Smut ahead
“This is unacceptable,” Shadow Milk growled, throwing his hands up dramatically. “How dare you think you get to be the one to—to get them pregnant!”
Pure Vanilla, as calm as ever, turned his head just enough to glance at him. “What are you on about now, Shadow Milk?” All he did was subtly bring up how cute you'd look with his kids.
“Oh, you know exactly what I’m on about,” Shadow Milk sneered, his voice turning into a mockery of sweetness. “You think you’re entitled to that privilege? Meant to be the one who gets them pregnant?” He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “No, no, no. You’ve got it all wrong, Vanilla. You’re too… gentle for that. Too sweet. The world isn’t gentle enough for what’s required.” He wagged a finger at him, his voice turning to a purr of superiority. “You wouldn’t even know what to do, would you?”
Pure Vanilla’s smile never faltered. “I’m sure our dear one would appreciate my gentleness far more than your… showy theatrics.” He said this with a calm certainty that only made Shadow Milk’s frustration grow. “No, no, no!” Shadow Milk snapped, throwing his arms out wide. “I’ve worked for this! You think it’s just about being gentle? You have to know how to excite them, to keep them wanting more, to make them feel like they need you!” He looked Pure Vanilla up and down with a smug grin. “You wouldn’t even know what to do when they get desperate, would you? Hmm? All you do is offer sweet words and soft touches, Vanilla. You have to demand attention! You have to claim them!”
Pure Vanilla simply chuckled, not at all fazed by the outburst. “Oh, I’m aware of what they need,” he said softly, the warmth of his voice undercut by a steely edge. “And I believe our dear one appreciates the way I give it to them… with patience and care.” He stood up slowly, placing his hands on his chest. “I am their protector. The one they can always rely on. They don’t need your… chaotic displays.”
Shadow Milk’s eyes narrowed, and his lips curled into a sinister grin. “Chaotic? You call this chaotic?” He gestured to himself dramatically. “I’m the one who can give them excitement—who can challenge them!” He leaned in closer to Pure Vanilla, his voice dropping to a low whisper. “I can make them beg for me. Beg to have my child.”
Pure Vanilla’s smile faltered for just a second, and a flicker of something more intense passed over his face. But then he straightened up, his calm persona returning. “You think that’s what they need? Something as trivial as excitement? No, Shadow Milk, they need stability. They need someone who can give them what they truly desire, long-term.” His gaze turned almost predatory for a moment, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “And I’m more than happy to give it to them… again and again.”
For a moment, the two stood locked in a silent battle, their personalities at odds, but both resolute in their beliefs. But then, in an unexpected twist, Shadow Milk broke the silence with a sharp laugh, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Fine, Vanilla. You think you’ve got it all figured out? You really think you can win this? Go ahead, try. But just know, I’ll be right there watching, ready to take the crown when you falter.” He grinned wickedly. Pure Vanilla’s smile remained, though there was something dangerously sharp about it now. “If you insist.”
....
The atmosphere in the room was suffocatingly warm—not from discomfort, but from the sheer attention radiating from both sides. You were seated between them on the couch, one on either side, caged in by their devotion. They weren’t holding you down, and yet, somehow, you felt trapped, as if the weight of their unspoken desires pinned you in place.
"You've been so quiet, my dear," Pure Vanilla murmured, his breath warm against your temple. "So shy… yet, I can feel it. Your heart—" his lips brushed your hairline in the faintest of kisses, "—it races when we're close, doesn't it?"The heat in your cheeks was unbearable. He always spoke so sweetly, so full of love, yet there was something weighty underneath it all.
From the other side, Shadow Milk Cookie smirked at the scene unfolding before him. His eyes gleamed with amusement, but there was an unmistakable glint of longing behind them. He draped an arm over the back of the couch, his posture lazy, but his presence was anything but. "Poor thing," he purred, shifting even closer, his lips almost dangerously close to your ear. "Are we overwhelming you? Hmm? You can tell us, darling. Or better yet—" his hand ghosted lower, his fingertips grazing the fabric of your clothing just above your stomach so faintly it was almost like he wasn’t touching you at all, "show us." Your breath hitched and the air changed.
The teasing was still there, the playful light in Shadow Milk’s eyes, the soft, unwavering patience in Pure Vanilla’s touch. But there was something else now.
Shadow Milk’s fingers stilled just over your lower stomach, barely pressing, almost as if he was imagining something there. His grin turned into something softer, more contemplative, his voice dropping to a hushed whisper. "Wouldn't it be funny?" he murmured, a chuckle escaping his lips, but this time it lacked its usual sharpness. "A little version of you… of us?"
Pure Vanilla Cookie exhaled softly, his hand shifting, hesitating for only a fraction of a second before he let his palm rest just below your navel, overlapping Shadow Milk’s touch. His fingers were warm, comforting. "How sweet it would be," he sighed, voice almost dreamy. "A child—our child." His thumb traced absent circles, his voice low, reverent. "A little one… with your eyes." He let the words linger, watching for your reaction. Shadow Milk huffed, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Of course, you'd say something all soft and poetic," he muttered rolling his eyes, though his fingers still hadn’t moved. "Come on, my dear," he cooed, leaning in once more. "I bet you'd look so cute, round and full, carrying something so precious."
Pure Vanilla smiled sweetly, a soft hum vibrating in his chest. "It’s just a thought, my love," he assured, but his touch lingered, warm and achingly affectionate. "One I can’t seem to let go of."
Shadow Milk, never one to be outdone, grinned. "Come now, darling," he crooned. "You know you want to imagine it too."
They were closing in on you, pressing their love, their desires, their devotion against you with every soft word, every lingering touch. The intensity of it all was suffocating, yet... somehow, you couldn’t bring yourself to pull away."
One moment, they were simply talking, coaxing you, murmuring things they knew would fluster you beyond belief. The next? You had two pairs of lips pressed against your skin, hot, needy, desperate, peppering kisses across every inch of your face like they were starving.
Pure vanilla kisses were slow yet powerful. his lips hot against your skin as if he were consuming you.
"Ah, ah, Pure Vanilla," Shadow Milk chuckled between kisses, pressing his lips against your jaw before trailing them up toward your cheek, grinning when he felt you squirm. "You’re being so slow. If you hesitate, I might just take all these sweet little kisses for myself." Pure Vanilla barely spared him a glance, too focused on you, your warmth, your scent, pressing tender, melting kisses along your forehead, your temple, your fluttering lashes. His lips trembled against your skin, his breath ragged—he wasn’t just kissing you, he was soaking you in, indulging like a man deprived.
"You're so impatient," he finally murmured, voice breathy, thick with longing. His fingers brushed against your jaw, tilting your face toward him, forcing Shadow Milk to relinquish you for just a moment. "Slow down. Let them breathe." Shadow Milk scoffed, rolling his eyes as he stubbornly kissed down the column of your neck instead.
"Oh, please," he taunted, voice syrupy, mocking, but low with want. His fingers gripped at your waist, almost kneading, thumbs brushing over your ribs as if he needed to keep touching you. "You want them just as much as I do, don’t pretend otherwise."
Pure Vanilla let out a soft, wavering breath against your lips before pressing the sweetest, deepest kiss there. His lips lingered, molding against yours in a way that felt more like a plea than a kiss. He was desperate. He wanted you to feel it. When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, and he exhaled a shaky sigh.
"You belong with me," he murmured, voice dreamy, honeyed, but possessive. "With us."
Shadow Milk scoffed. "There you go again," he muttered, pressing a final kiss to your shoulder before his hungry gaze flickered back to Pure Vanilla. "Us? How polite of you. You should just say what you really mean." His eyes darkened. His smirk widened.
"You want them to be yours," he purred, tracing the shell of your ear with his lips before nipping ever so slightly. His breath was hot against your skin, his voice dipping into something dangerously intoxicating. "You want them so badly you can barely breathe, don’t you?" Pure Vanilla shuddered, his grip on you tightening. His fingers curled against your waist, clutching, trembling slightly.
He was always the composed one. The tender one. But right now? Right now, his voice was breathy, heated, slipping into something messy.
"Of course, I do," he admitted, his lips pressing against the corner of your mouth, lingering, as if he could barely pull himself away. "And so do you."
Shadow Milk chuckled, nuzzling into the crook of your neck, his hands squeezing at your sides just to hear you gasp. "At least I’m truthful about it," he teased, voice muffled against your skin.
perhaps the couch gets too stiffening, too restrictive.
"Enough of this—if we’re doing this, we’re doing it right." only to get snatched away by shadow milk
Before you can even blink, Shadow Milk Cookie's arms are around you, and the next thing you know? The world flips. A startled gasp escapes your lips as your stomach presses against his broad shoulder, his grip tight around your waist, holding you in place like some kidnapped damsel in a stage play.
You wriggle, hands gripping at his back, your legs kicking in protest. Not that it matters. He only chuckles, adjusting his hold like you’re nothing more than a prized possession—which, to him, you are.
"Relax, sugar drop~ I’m just making this comfortable for us."
From the couch, Pure Vanilla Cookie watches with an expression of pure disbelief, before standing up to follow. "Shadow Milk! That is not how you treat someone."
"Oh? Would you rather I tie them up with a bow and hand them to you? Tch—boring."Vanilla’s soft gasp of horror is priceless. A slight pout forming on his lips as he quickly rises to his feet.
"You could at least be gentle with them—"
"Pfft. I am gentle! Just… direct."
You kick again, yelping when his hold tightens, keeping you securely against him as he finally reaches the bed.
Without an ounce of hesitation—he drops you.You land on the soft sheets with a huff, wide-eyed, body bouncing slightly from the impact. And then, Pure Vanilla is there, immediately kneeling beside you, his warm hands cupping your face with such tender concern that the contrast from Shadow Milk’s carelessness is almost comical.
"Are you alright, my love? Did he—did he hurt you?" His voice is so soft, so worried, like Shadow Milk had just tossed you off a cliff instead of onto a plush bed."Ugh, gag me. You’re so dramatic." He tilts your chin up with one finger, his mixmatched-slit pupils gleaming with mischief.
When useless unnecessary fabrics are off and thrown to an unknown corner of the room you may find yourself facing two sentimental beings. One who devotes himself to you eternally;
"You are… beautiful," he whispers, voice breathless with awe. His lips brush against your forehead, trailing soft, fluttering kisses down to your temple, your cheek. "Are you sure, my love? You must be certain. I won’t let you regret this." And the other who's desires are an engima; "I want to hear you, sugar drop~" his voice drops, a low purr against your skin. "I want to feel you tremble. Give me that, and I’ll be so good to you."
But oh, the moment you give them that tiny nod? The air shifts.
And there’s no turning back.
But of course...right when things are at their most heated—your body trembling beneath their touches, their breaths fanning against your skin—Shadow Milk Cookie just has to ruin the moment.
"Tsk, move aside, Sunshine. I’ll take it from here~" he purrs, already reaching to pull you closer. Pure Vanilla Cookie's hand shoots out, pressing against Shadow Milk’s chest with just enough force to halt him. His smile is gentle—his tone? Firm.
"Patience, Shadow Milk. You always rush into things," he chides, fingers brushing your cheek, voice achingly tender. "I’ll go first—" "Ohhh, no you don’t!" Shadow Milk interrupts, scoffing. "Why should you go first? Just because you’re the goody-goody doesn’t mean you get priority! If anything, I should—"
"Because," Pure Vanilla cuts in, his voice so sweetly unwavering it drives Shadow Milk crazy, "I will treat them with care. Unlike you, who turns everything into a performance."
Shadow Milk clicks his tongue, rolling his eyes. "Ugh, there you go again—acting like you’re any better than me! Admit it, you’re just as desperate. Maybe even worse~." Pure Vanilla’s ears tint pink. But he does not deny it.
But the situation doesn't last long , they definitely come to a solution—just not one that benefits you.
After all, why take turns when they can simply share?
"Hah… see? Now this is fair~," Shadow Milk practically purrs, his grip tightening against your waist from being seated in between you. His voice is a syrupy, taunting thing, drinking in your trembling frame as if it’s the most satisfying sight he’s ever witnessed. "You’re just greedy, Sunshine. Didn’t wanna admit you’d rather keep them all to yourself, huh?"
Underneath you, Pure Vanilla exhales softly—a sound too serene for the situation, but his hold on you tells an entirely different story. His fingers ghost along your skin tenderly, his lips brushing close to your ear. "You’re the one who refused to wait," he murmurs, warm and breathless. His touch lingers, pressing, needy. "But… I suppose this is fine. So long as they can handle it." his breath tickles you "Can you handle it, my dear?"
Handle it?
Their cocks lay against your sopping cunt basically dripping onto them with your essence. Shadow milk grinds slightly in a teasing motion with a little sigh, his countless eyes within his strands of hair focused on you...waiting for your answer.
"Y-yes..." Then you see a smile
Feeling the both of them trying to make room inside you makes your nerves catch on fire, little gasp of strain falls through. Pure Vanilla is slow, deliberate—he treats you like something precious, something to be worshiped. Every touch, every movement is wrapped in devotion, as though he’s memorizing every shift in your expression, every tiny gasp you make. "Breathe, my love," he murmurs, voice barely above a sigh. "You’re doing so well… Just hold on..."
Shadow Milk? Oh, he’s nothing like that. He’s still teasing, still watching you with that insufferable, knowing smirk—but there’s something different this time. His voice is lower, his words lacking the usual sharp bite. He doesn’t just want you to feel this—he wants you to know he’s the one making you feel this."You’re trembling, dear" he croons, his breath hot against your skin, his hold firm while sliding deeper into your warmth. There’s a hunger in the way he moves, an unspoken urgency that makes his usual playfulness feel… something else. Something almost tender. He chuckles, low and throaty, fingers tracing over your form. "C’mon now, don’t go shy on me—I wanna hear you." he notices you holding in your whimpers.
Pure vanilla beneath you shudders "There’s no need to hide from us, my love—ah… Don’t hold back." he borderline whispers into your ear, laying his chin beside your neck feeling you tense around him. He pushed his cock deeper inside you experimentally coaxing the tiniest whimper from you lips. Shadow Milk chuckles "Hah, there we go..." trailing his hands up your sides.
Soon a pace is set in motion from them. dragging out countless moans and mewls for them to enjoy. Shadow milk outpaces pure vanilla in his thrust, his dick hitting the sensitive spot inside you quickly. While pure vanilla ever the tender lover he is, hits deep and with a slower pace, mushing the tip of his cock against your cervix every time.
"Hah... just imagine it, sugar drop~" Shadow Milk purrs against your ear, his breath warm, teasing. His fingers slide down to your stomach, pressing there with an almost possessive touch. "You’d look so cute carrying my kid." Pure Vanilla stiffens. His entire rhythm falters for a second before he exhales, slow and measured. "Excuse me?"
Shadow Milk, ever the instigator, only grins. "What? Just saying how sweet it’d be. You, glowing, full—ngh of my little bundle of mischief—" "Yours?" Pure Vanilla’s voice is dangerously soft. His hand moves to cover Shadow Milk’s, fingers pressing firmly against your stomach in direct opposition. "What makes you think you have the right to claim something so precious?" Shadow Milk groans, rolling his eyes. "Oh, here we go—‘precious, sacred, blah, blah.’ You’re so dramatic. Face it, old man, I’d make a way more fun dad." Pure Vanilla sighs "Oh really? Last time I checked, you're older than me" They continue to bicker clueless as to what pleasure they were tormenting you with, cocks sliding in and out of your hole as if their lives depended on it.
Shadow Milk scoffs, shifting against you with an infuriatingly lazy roll of his hips. "Please, like you could even handle them the way I can." Pure Vanilla huffs, his hands gripping your waist with just a bit more possession than before. "Handle them? Don't be ridiculous" They ignore your moans of passion "this is about love, about cherishing—"
"Ohhh, here we go again~" Shadow Milk groans theatrically, throwing his head back. "‘Cherishing,’ ‘reverence’—Vanilla, I hate to break it to you, but they’re already melting for me."
"Shadow Milk, stop saying such things in front of them!"
In front of them?! As if you weren’t right here, suffering from every unintended thrust and every careless, possessive touch they kept throwing into their heated debate.
"Oh, I’m sorry~" Shadow Milk drawls, voice dripping with mischief. "Should I whisper it instead?" He leans in close, lips grazing your burning ear. "You like this, don’t you? All helpless between us~?" coaxing another sweet mewl out of you, causing him to groan lowly.
Pure vanilla realizes, his breathing halts for just a second. Then, his arms tighten trying to cradle you towards him, his hands suddenly stroking up and down your sides in the gentlest, most adoring motions.
"Oh, my love…" he buries his face into the back of your neck, pressing soft kisses feeling you flutter around him. "Are we… overwhelming you?" His tone is sweet, so sweet, but there’s an undeniable strain to it now, like he’s barely keeping himself together.
of course! cocks pressed in at nearly every angle of you, tormenting, torturing, grinding into your cunt like dogs. you hear them speak more but your mind barely registers it.
"My love… if this keeps up, you’ll be carrying my child before long," he murmurs, voice low and reverent, like it’s an inevitable truth. He cast a strange glance at shadow milk. Shadow Milk only smirks, tilting his head with mock sympathy. "Aww, feeling threatened, are we? Face it, Vanilla—our sweet thing’s gonna be full with my kid first."
"oh? We’ll see about that."
--
guess who's back? i can't get over these two they have my heart.
Especially pure vanilla he's so hypocritical in the softest way possible sometimes hahaha
'Don't say that!" he says as he later says the same thing with poise
@_@
I really need them to fill me up with their babies sigh
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