#so to say that this is a DREAM commission is an UNDERSTATEMENT

[willczek-art]

Remember that Rebels of the Outlaw Wastes fanmade trailer I made as my final school project???? Well, apparently people over at Nerdy Pup Games liked it enough to COMMISSION ME FOR AN ANIMATION FOR THEIR NEW PROJECT.

It's called Super Squad High, it's a boardgame about teenage superheroes and I DID THE TRAILER OPENING FOR IT!! :DD

✨>YOU CAN WATCH IT HERE<✨

[sugoi-and-spice]

Taking Care, Taking What's Mine - A "Play Nice" Commission

Summary: A Play Nice AU Chapter, in which, rather than taking the high road and trying to build a real relationship with the girl he's been sextorting for weeks, Tomura Shigaraki baby-traps her instead.

CW: Quirkless!AU, Dub-Con, Smut, Extortion, Baby-Trapping, Forced Pregnancy, Love-Bombing, Manipulation, Power Play, Possessive Shigaraki, Yandere Shigaraki, Morning Sickness, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat

AO3 Link

A/N: Happy fucking Father's Day readers!! Lmao! I got this AMAZING commission a while ago to write an AU of my AU (a fanfic writer's dream come true honestly), of Shigaraki baby-trapping MC and well, while it took longer then I meant it to to come out, I'm so glad that I could post it on Father' Day of all days lmao.

Anyway though, this was so much fun to write. Shigaraki has been on the journey of bettering himself for so long in Play Nice now, it was a total blast returning to form and writing him nice and scummy again.

I'd love to do more of these honestly, so as a reminder: I give discounts on Commissions that take place in my AU's.

Play Nice, Burnt Bridges, Step by Step -- all of them. They're super fun for me to write and most of the heavy-lifting of ideating and plotting has already been done for them, so I'm happy to write fics like this for cheaper. :)

Anyway, enjoy some forced parentification on this day of dads. xD

“Hey, hey— are you alright?”

She lifted her head from where she’d been resting it against her gym locker, the coolness of the metal being the first thing to even remotely ease the headache she’d been fighting for the last three days. 

“Yeah, of course,” she tried to force a weak smile as Nejire approached her, clearly concerned, “Why do you ask?

The captain was dressed in her practice suit. And she quickly realized that so were all the other girls, most of them already making their way out the doors to the pool deck. She was the lone straggler who hadn’t even managed to undo her uniform tie yet. Nejire looked over at these girls, and then back to her, wordlessly demonstrating why that should be obvious.

She laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head, “Okay, I guess I’m feeling a bit under the weather today…”

And that was the understatement of the century. She felt like absolute shit . Piling on top of that stubborn pounding in her head were a pair of really sore tits, a lethargy that stuck with her no matter how much vending machine coffee she chugged, and cramps that had shot straight out of hell and directly into her uterus.

But to be honest, she couldn’t complain too much about these ailments. In fact, she was pretty damn relieved. These were all her tell-tale signs of PMS. They were a little worse than usual this time around sure, but if that was the tradeoff for the relief of not being pregnant, she’d take it in a heartbeat. Her period was only one day late at this point and it had all but paralyzed her with fear.

Of course in retrospect, the fear did seem a bit silly. After all, Shigaraki’s creepy family doctor had warned her there might be some changes.

“I never start patients new to birth control immediately on a Long Acting Reversible Contraception,” he explained, “Especially not teenagers.”

“Why not?” she demanded, “It’s reversible, right? It’s not like you’re tying my tubes or anything.”

“No, but you never know how your body is going to react to the hormonal shift. You could develop acne, weight gain, hair growth—”

“I don’t care about that superficial stuff.”

“... Migraines, blood clots, depression,” he continued, looking at her pointedly.

She looked away, feeling a bit stupid for interrupting him now that he’d listed the more serious side-effects.

“I’m not saying you have to stay on the pill forever. But give it a few months, see how you feel on it. It can help us better determine which long-term birth control is best for your body without any unnecessarily invasive procedures.”

She shuddered at the very thought of being stuck in this set-up with Shigaraki for months. She hoped he’d get bored of her sooner rather than later.

Well, on the brightside, at least this sketchy-ass doctor seemed to be as interested in looking under her skirt as she was having him down there. However, this still left the ever so pertinent issue of:

“Okay, but there’s still the issue of getting the pills. No pharmacy is going to give me these without signed parental consent.” She had the always convenient Japanese purity culture to thank for that.

Ujiko simply smiled and pulled out a wheel of birth control pills from his medical bag right then and there.

“Consider these the same as this appointment,” he said, cupping his hands over hers and placing the wheel firmly into her palm, “ Off the record. ”

And then the rest of the “appointment” had descended into one of extremely thinly-veiled intimidation that bizarrely enough, she’d relied on Shigaraki of all people to save her from. By that point, she’d been scared so shitless she had very little argument left in her to try and reason him into just giving her the damn IUD.

The regret of not standing her ground on the issue did hit her later that night on the train home. Particularly when she thought over the fact that the way they were keeping these pills off the record was by having her pick up her refills through Shigaraki. The idea of giving him even more power over her like that made her feel sick to her stomach. And yes, while logically she knew that he had just as much motivation to keep her from getting pregnant as she did (she had a feeling All for One would not take too kindly to his star successor knocking up a lowly commoner such as herself), she still just had a bad feeling about the whole thing.

So she’d resolved herself on her first refill day to completely lay into Shigaraki for any level of tomfoolery he may get up to in this situation. There would be no forgetting, no being too busy to pick up the pills for her, absolutely nothing. She was ready to rain full fire and brimstone on him if there was even a hint of bullshit.

But to her surprise (and relief), she hadn’t even crossed the threshold of his bedroom before he was tossing a new pack to replace her wheel with. Simple and nonchalant, and then he was just as quick as always to badger her about getting her clothes off already, get on the bed already, break up with your boyfriend already.

It was the same old, same old — for better or for worse. Even if she couldn’t trust Tomura Shigaraki himself, that action had at least ensured that she could trust his own desire for self-preservation.

And that was better than nothing she supposed.

Back in the locker room, Nejire asked her, “Do you think you’re coming down with something?”

She smiled at her friend, joking, “Nothing I don’t come down with every month.”

Nejire tilted her head in confusion for a moment before the lightbulb visibly lit up in her head.

“Ohhhhh,” Nejire nodded sympathetically, “Yeah, Aunt Flow can be a real meanie sometimes, huh?”

She laughed, then winced as the action worsened the throbbing in her head,  “Damn it— you can say that again.”

Nejire’s brows furrowed and she brought a hand to the small of her friend’s back, “Hey, why don’t you take this afternoon off?”

She looked back to her, surprised, “Oh no, I couldn’t…”

“Sure you could!” Nejire chirped, “And honestly, you probably should. We’re working on our weakest strokes today. I had you down to work on your fly.”

Visible dread filled her as she thought about doing that much undulation in her current state.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Nejire laughed, “Seriously, go home. We’ll miss you, but we love you too. So we want you to take care of yourself.”

She debated a little more internally, one other loose thread dropping into her mind’s eye.

“If I do… Do you mind—”

“I’ll let Mirio know,” she shot her a wink as she clarified, “ After practice. I’ll let him know you just need the peace and quiet.”

She smiled at Nejire, genuinely grateful. This. This right here was what made all of the bending over backwards she did to fit in and please others worth it. To be cared about by such a good person. 

The warmth of that care stayed with her all the way out to the school gates, where she was then immediately filled with dread upon realizing that she’d need to go in one of two directions depending on where she was going after school: the train station home, or the walk to Shigaraki’s.

And just which direction she was scheduled to go today.

She let out a long groan, anguished and loud enough to startle a couple members of the going home club that passed her. For once though, she didn’t care about her reputation, she was too focussed on what a goddamn nightmare she was falling into.

She pulled out her cellphone with a sigh. Yes she knew the effort was probably futile, but damn her if she didn’t at least try.

Yup. She could’ve seen that coming from a mile away. She sighed as she shoved her phone back into her bag and started the very slow trek over to Shigaraki’s. 

“Wow, you weren’t kidding,” Shigaraki said as he looked her over his doorway, “You look like shit.”

She shot him a wholly unimpressed look as she shoved past him into his bedroom.

“Yeah, I fucking told you.” 

Shigaraki, surprisingly, didn't have anything to say about her tone, even with her brusqueness towards him being more than usual. He just watched her drop down face first onto his bed and curl her legs up into her chest.

She sighed at the slight relief the position gave her. While dealing with Shigaraki’s antics was about the last thing she wanted right now, she supposed that at least she could be grateful for how much closer his apartment was to her school then her own home was. It saved her a good fifty-minutes of white-knuckling a train stanchion to keep down her groans of pain. Now at least she could get the relief of laying down much sooner.

If only for a little bit.

“What’s going on?”

She bristled at Shigaraki’s voice, the unwelcome reminder that she wasn’t going to be able to truly relax right now. And while there didn’t seem to be any entendre or even impatience in his question, the fact that his voice was getting closer to her was enough to make her suspicious.

“My head aches, my back aches, my boobs ache — everything aches,” she grumbled down into his sheets, “And I feel like I’ve been donkey-kicked straight in the uterus.”

“You start your period or something?”

He didn’t sound sarcastic when he asked it, not that typical boy way of asking any time a girl did something they considered “moody”. It was a genuine question. But it irritated her all the same. 

Everything seemed to be irritating her these days.

“About to,” she answered, “It’s like a day late, but it’s definitely coming.”

She felt the bed shift a bit as he sat next to her.

“Are you nauseous at all?”

Her brows furrowed, a bit confused by the interest.

“I guess a little,” she answered, because even though it was mild, there was a certain turn in her stomach that wasn’t unlike motion sickness, “But honestly, I think it’s just from the pain. This has been going on for like three days.”

“Have you taken anything for it?”

She could’ve laughed if she wasn’t so annoyed by the reminder of all her futile attempts to alleviate this. Because of course he was looking for a quick fix so they could fuck already.

“I’ve taken everything for it,” she groaned, “Nothing’s working.”

He just hummed in response, and then she could feel the sheets behind her dip a bit as he repositioned himself. Into what orientation, she wasn’t sure. She was about to turn her head back and ask him what he was doing when she felt his hand featherlight across her hip.

And between her legs.

“No, Shigaraki please,” she whined, pulling he knees closer into her chest, “I’m not kidding, I’m seriously in a lot of pain—”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“Tell that to your hand then,” she snapped as his fingers tried to wiggle their way between her clenched thighs.

“I mean I’m not doing anything for me. This is for you.”

“Oh is it now,” she deadpanned.

“I’m not gonna fuck you,” he insisted, more irritably this time, “Orgasms help with cramps, right?”

She stilled, sufficiently stumped by that particular statement. Because yes, she could say from experience that they absolutely did. She’d spent many a nasty period with her fingers latched to clit to chase that particular path of relief. 

…but why the hell did Shigaraki know that?

She gasped as she suddenly felt the gentle roll of her clit under three fingers. Apparently, in her moments of distracted deliberation, Shigaraki managed to push his hand past the plush lock of her thighs and under the hem of her panties.

“Sh-Shigaraki…” she whined, pushing her elbow blindly and weakly back towards him.

He caught it gently in his free palm and, rather than trying to pin or strain it in whatever which way he desired, like usual, he just held it there. Didn’t even hold it in place really, just shielded himself against its determined path towards his ribs.

“I’m serious,” he said, uncharacteristically soft, “I’m trying to help you.”

She finally mustered up the strength to — despite how much her aching abdomen hated her for it — turn and glower at Shigaraki.

“No funny business?” she pressed.

He settled his own flat expression on her, “When have I ever been funny?”

More times than she’d like to admit honestly, but she got what he was saying here. He was a pretty serious, straightforward person on principle. He didn’t bullshit, he didn’t pull cheap tricks, and, shockingly enough, he didn’t typically lie. Frustrating as it was, Tomura Shigaraki was pretty much always unapologetically himself and he always did what he wanted.

So if he said that he was doing this to help her, then she supposed that she didn't actually have a lot of reason to distrust him.

Plus, his fingers hadn’t stopped their soft, but affective ministrations between her legs, and the pleasant sparks of heated relief they were sending through her were undeniable.

She turned back onto her side with a sigh that was half-exasperation, half pleasure.

“Fine,” she said, throwing back quickly before he got too victorious, “But fuck around and I’ll kick you.”

Shigaraki just chuckled, a soft throaty sound that shouldn’t have sent the chills up her spine that it did, “Yeah, yeah…”

In one motion, careful not to jostle her too much, Shigaraki both pulled her back and scooched himself closer, until her back was nestled snug against his surprisingly firm chest and her head laid in the crux of his bicep.

With this new closeness he was able to be a bit more deliberate with the angle and pressure he used to rub at her swollen sex. And, while she hated to admit it, the increased blood flow between her legs was causing the pressure within her to build quite a bit faster than usual. Enough so that it had her letting go of the tension in her neck and joints — the automatic stress reaction she had to any of Shigaraki’s displays of intimacy — and letting the weight of her head drop fully into his embrace.

A shuddering sigh left Shigaraki at that clear relinquishing of control, of the way she truly let herself lay back and relax into him. It gave him the encouragement he needed to enjoy her to the fullest extent that he wanted her as well, burying his nose deep into her hair. 

He started to stroke wider circles around her, the flats of his fingers never leaving her clit, but now allowing the tips to dip softly into her entrance. He didn’t push them in at all past his first knuckles, just enough to catch some of that growing wetness and spread it all across her fluttering lips.

“A-Ah—” she gasped out, “Sh-shit…”

“Like that?” he rasped, hot against her ear.

She bit her lip, nodding needily, “Mm— Mm-hmm…”

He groaned at the response, doubling down on that motion as he started to stud long, hot kisses down the back of her jaw and neck. The feeling, so gentle and intimate and good in combination to the way he worked her sex, had her unconsciously rocking her hips into his touch, and back into his own.

Vaguely through the haze, she could feel the familiar outline of his stiff cock against the cleft of her ass, but shockingly he didn’t try to grind it against her for relief. If anything actually, when her own hips moved unconsciously back against it, he actually shifted his own hips away, anglind them down so his erection pushed into the bed instead. As if he didn’t want her to feel it, that he was concerned about her feeling pressured by its presence.

She didn’t have the chance to think too much into that though, not when his fingers were coaxing her closer to the edge by the second. The mess between her legs was obscene at this point, through teary eyes she could see the overflow of it spreading wide across her thighs and pooling down in the sheets. 

“God look at you, so fucking wet,” he groaned, lips having made it down to her shoulder and staying there so that he could have a better view of her writhing under his touch, “You needed this, huh? Fucking needed me…”

She buried her face into his arm to muffle her moans, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of an answer, but also not wanting him to stop.

By some act of God, Shigaraki didn’t push for that answer either. She wasn’t sure why he’d abandoned his typical demands and taunts, didn’t threaten to stop until she gave him the verbal submission and begrudging praise he always wanted. Nor did she stop to think about why, she just let the gratitude course through her, spurred further and wider by the waves of heat rushing through her body, threatening — promising — to overflow.

Shigaraki could feel that axiomatic tension in her body, the boiling point it promised, and sped up his hand to stoke the flames.

“You’re close aren’t you? Oh yeah, you’re close…” his kisses turned to nips at her neck between progressively more demanding growls, “Gonna be a good girl and come for me?”

Fuck, hearing those last words spill from his mouth should not have done what it was doing to her. But it was speeding up her peak, and it was speeding it up audibly.

“Yeah, yeah that’s good, really good. Let it go. Go ahead, be a good girl and let it go.”

She cried out, her arching back forcing her face forward and mouth unmuffled as finally, finally her body went blissfully loose, the pain of the past few days overtaken by waves of heat and pleasure. One after the other, her hormone-driven sensitivity wrung out multiple orgasms, and his frantic fingers were happy to work her through each one until she was begging him to stop.

“Good girl, yeah, yeah, just like that. That’s a good girl,” he continued to praise, returning time and again to that phrase he could feel her getting unconsciously excited over, “That’s my good girl…”

It was just a few blurry moments of consciousness after that. She was pretty sure she whined something like “too much” to him at some point, and he whispered back something that she was sure was just utterly debauched right back. Or maybe it was sweet nothings, he had really favored those by the end of this escapade after all. 

Whatever it all was, she supposed it didn’t matter. All that mattered in those seconds of labored breaths and fluttering lashes was the beautiful bliss and relief that finally overtook her body. That allowed her to immediately fall asleep in his arms.

Shigaraki held her there for a long time after. He raked his eyes greedily across her body, letting himself carve every detail deep into his memory. He knew he didn’t need to, not anymore. Her boyfriend, her parents, hell, whether or not she got into Todai with him, it was all a non-issue now. There was no reason for him to lose this anymore. She wasn’t going anywhere in life without him. He was going to be able to revel in this sight for the rest of his life now. And he just couldn’t believe how lucky he was for that.

He chuckled a bit at that. Well, maybe lucky wasn’t the right word. This was all by design after all, weeks of very deliberate planning and deception. It was just like he’d always been taught. It didn’t matter what hand you’ve been dealt — and Tomura Shigaraki had certainly been dealt a shit hand in a lot of ways — a real winner made his own luck. 

Sensei would be mad, Shigaraki knew that much. Everyone would be mad in fact, but he didn’t care. He was just following the fundamental lesson Sensei himself had instilled in him the day they met. 

Take whatever you want, and fuck all the rest.

Several minutes into hearing those sweet deep breaths of unconsciousness from the beautiful girl in his arms, Shigaraki finally peeled his fingers away from her cunt.

And slid a wide hand up to cradle her tummy.

It was dark when she woke up, not a single one of Shigaraki’s many monitors or television lit the windowless room. That was odd for a couple of reasons, the first of which being that the overhead lighting had definitely been on when she’d dozed off. The second of which was that any time Shigaraki wasn’t preoccupied with helping her study or studying her, he was chronically attached to at least one screen, if not multiple, so it was more than a bit odd for him to have zero on. The reason for the lack of blue light however became quickly apparent as her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness.

Shigaraki wasn’t here.

She was totally alone in his room, alone and tucked into his bed. Had he gone to the bathroom or something? But then why would all the lights be off? It seemed like he’d probably been gone for a while. Weird…

She threw off the covers and flipped her legs around with much more ease than she’d done anything over the last three days, much to her relief. However long she’d been out, the sleep had clearly done her some good. The pounding in her head and pelvis had finally ceased, perhaps just in time for her to actually start her period. She did feel some dampness between her legs after all. Although…

Her face heated up as she remembered the much more likely cause of that.

Damn it, she thought with a groan, dropping her head into her hands. She couldn’t believe that she actually let him do that to her, for her. He was going to get entirely the wrong idea from it. The idea that she might actually like him and want to spend time with him, that there was some kind of connection between them that extended past the time she was required to spend with him to keep him satisfied. And she absolutely could not deal with that.

Being his little sex toy was one thing. A demoralizing thing, yes, but a manageable one. She’d seen the way Shigaraki treated things he objectified — games and magazines and the like. He got bored of them quickly. And if she was one of those things in his eyes, then eventually he’d get bored with her too and she’d be free.

If he was attached to her though? Had found connection in her and a desire to keep her in his life? She didn’t even want to consider that nightmare scenario.

She made her way out into the hallway, looking up and down from the empty bathroom on one end of the hall to the top of the staircase on the other. She didn’t have to contemplate the lack of presence on this floor for long though, when she heard Shigaraki’s voice echoing up from downstairs, talking emphatically to Kurogiri, she assumed. 

She couldn’t hear exactly what he was talking about, but whatever it was, he was being particular about it. “Don’t overcook” and “perfect” were a few of the words she managed to catch, so it was about food, maybe? The accompanying sounds of sizzling pans and clanking cookware would certainly support that. As would the smell that suddenly hit her.

It wasn’t an unpleasant smell by any means. In fact, it was salmon, one of her favorites. But for some reason at that moment, the smell hit her with a particular intensity that made her feel overwhelmed.

And really fucking nauseous.

She just barely made it to the toilet at the end of the hall, not even fully down to her knees by the time she was emptying her stomach into the bowl. It wasn’t just a brief moment of sickness either. The bouts were loud and long, she was sure that it echoed throughout the entire apartment. It left her red-faced, skin covered and hair clumped with sweat, not to mention still gagging long after she had nothing left to gag on.

A hand she barely even noticed came to rest on the small of her back in the midst of it all. It was only in the aftermath, spent and dry-heaving that she could process the fact that it was Shigaraki, kneeling at her side, patiently stroking small circles into her clammy skin and encouraging her softly.

“Let it out. Just let it all out.”

She groaned once she finally seemed to have a solid thirty seconds of dry, steady breath. And Shigaraki used that respite to nudge a glass of water into her hands.

“Here.”

She didn’t argue or agree, just took it from him with shaky hands, tossing half of it just into her mouth to swish around and spit the remaining bitterness from her tongue.

 “Drink some of it too.”

She nodded shakily, still too drained and disoriented to be irritated with his telling her what to do, or suspicious of the fact that he was being so nice. 

And still, as she took entirely too long to finish the rest of her water with timid little sips, he just knelt on the ground with her, moving the hand on her back to rest on her knee, thumb rubbing circles into the spot where a bruise would undoubtedly form. 

Finally, after a long, silent stretch, she managed to croak out, “W-What time is it?”

“Only seven,” he answered, “Kurogiri’s got dinner almost ready downstairs. Seared salmon, brown rice, avocado salad—”

She whined, shaking her head roughly at the very implication of food.

“Don’t like salmon?”

“I-I do… It’s just—” she gagged a little as she remembered that smell that had set this all off in the first place, “Th-The smell right now. It’s too much…”

“Oh yeah…” he nodded understandingly, muttering something to himself that she couldn’t quite make out. It sounded kind of like, “Heightened” and “Read about that…”

Her brows furrowed a bit, frustrated and confused. She was getting the feeling that he was really not telling her something.

“W-What?”

Shigaraki just waved her off, “No, that’s fine, that’s fine. Salmon’s not the only thing he made. There’s sauteed spinach, wakame tofu soup, toasted—” 

Jesus Christ, was Kurogiri cooking for an army down there or something? 

Well, whoever it was all for, and as delicious as it all sounded in theory, imagining those foods in practice right now was making her feel sick all over again.

“Mm-mm, Mm-mm!” she whined, shaking her head again.

She didn’t want to risk opening her mouth right now, lest she blow chunks all over the front of Shigaraki’s shirt. Although wouldn’t that be a nice little serving of karma for him…

“You need to eat something,” he insisted, more lecturey than she’d ever heard him, but with a strange gentleness to his voice as well, “And you need to drink some more too. You’re totally dehydrated.”

She shook her head more emphatically at that, which only resulted in her falling forward into his chest. 

He caught her before she could fall any further, scolding her not too harshly, in fact, a bit whimsically, “Is this how you’re gonna be the whole time?”

She pulled her head back to look at him, a confused furrow in her brows that brought the corners of his lips up.

“It’s not a bad look on you to be honest. All weak and petulant,” he brought a hand to pinch lightly at her cheek, “It’s kinda cute actually.”

Her eyes narrowed, finally feeling her stomach steady enough in her to be annoyed. He chuckled, just as amused and endeared by this look as the last. 

“Well how about okayu?” he offered with a patronizing little lilt, “And maybe some ginger tea?”

He clearly wasn’t going to let this go. And infuriatingly, he was right not to. She definitely was in no shape to go home on this empty stomach. 

She sighed.

“Yeah… Yeah okay.”

Going at her own shaking, snailish pace, Shigaraki helped her up onto her legs, pulling her immediately into his side as he led her back towards his bedroom. Normally she’d protest, stick an elbow right into his ribs and storm on ahead of him, but honestly she needed the help right now. So she sucked it up and let him lead her back into his bed. 

But that didn’t stop her from eying him suspiciously as he propped his pillows up behind her and tucked her back in under his comforter, the overall way he doted and fretted over her, even stopping to look back at her one more time from the doorway before he returned downstairs to give Kurogiri the new marching orders.

She dropped her head back against the pillows when finally alone, a bad feeling settling heavier and heavier in her stomach. This was beyond weird, the way he was acting. Sure, the guy was overbearing and constantly demanding of her attention, stupidly needy even. But doting? Not only willing but eager to put her needs ahead of his own? Caring deeply about her actual well-being and not just what he wanted to be her well-being? This was all way too out of character for him.

“…You can tell me. If he bothered you, I mean. N-Not just the Doctor either… If um… If anything’s bothering you.”

She sighed at the memory. Alright, maybe she wasn’t giving him enough credit. He’d shown at least some capability and even interest in her wants and well-being, he wasn’t a complete monster.

But still, all of this? The cooing and the caring and the, erm, servicing even that he’d done? It felt like too much. Like she was missing something really key about it all.

Like something was wrong .

Whether she ended up getting lost in that train of thought for long, or Kurogiri had already had some okayu whipped up downstairs, she wasn’t sure, but she was startled by how quickly it seemed that Shigaraki returned with a breakfast tray in hand. She cocked her head as he set it up over her lap, this was a lot more robust than she was expecting, and, she realized as she examined everything on the tray, a lot more stocked as well.

There was okayu, front and center for her, yes. But also on the tray was another small bowl of soup (looked like the wakame that Shigaraki had mentioned, a thing of plain yogurt (the really fancy kind that came in the glass jars), a glass of orange juice…

And a little dish of four pills. 

Painkillers or antiemetics maybe? They looked more like vitamins…

“Go ahead and start with the okayu if you want,” Shigaraki explained as he climbed up into the bed next to her, “But I want you to try and get some of the wakame and yogurt down too…”

As he settled down, his legs flush with her own, he continued to rattle off instructions and explanations for the rest of her tray, sending her mind completely spinning, faster and faster, like a goddamn Gravitron.

And she was ready to get the fuck off.

“...if nothing else though, take the vitamins. You need the folate, calcium, iron, and the omega-3 especially, since you don’t want the salmon—”

“Okay, stop, stop, stop !”

Shigaraki paused, having the audacity to look at her like she was crazy for snapping. 

“Jesus—what the hell are you even talking about Shigaraki?!” she demanded, “What’d you say, folate? What? What is all this?”

He cocked his head, clearly playing innocent. Whatever this was, he was clearly enjoying the slow unraveling of it all.

“What’re you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about!” she snapped, “All this attention and doting and food stuff! What the hell is this all about?!”

He just smiled back at her, taking in how pretty she looked, even when mad (especially when mad sometimes), God, to think that this really was his forever now. He wondered if they had a girl, how much she’d look like her. He hoped a lot…

“I just want to make sure you’re getting all the vitamins and nutrients you need…”

He reached over then, spreading his hand flat against her stomach.

“ Both of you .”

She froze.

No.

No, he couldn’t mean—

She tried to speak, tried to ask what the ever-loving- fuck he was talking about, but her mouth had seemed to go dry. She tried several times to open and wet it a bit, but every time she did, it felt like her throat was closing too. It took at least four desperate attempts for her to finally force out one rasped:

“... what? ”

Shigaraki’s grin widened, and he started to rub circles gently across her belly.

“You’re gonna look so cute, all big and round with my kid,” he giggled suddenly as he remembered something, “Oh, and your tits too. I wonder how big they’re gonna get…”

She stared at him, unblinking, unbreathing. Everything but un-fucking-existing.

He couldn’t be serious. He was fucking with her. He had to be fucking with her!

“Th-That’s not funny.”

His grin evened a little, not disappearing outright, but settling away some of its blissful excitement into something more coyly victorious.

“I said it already,” he reminded, “When have I ever been funny?”

She shook her head in disbelief.

“N-No. No, no, no this isn’t— there’s no way—”

“I’ve got the tests ready when you need to pee, but I think it’s pretty clear. These are all the symptoms I read about.”

“No!” she insisted, “N-No, no— this is, it’s my period! It’s just a day late, it’s not—!”

He chuckled, “I know the symptoms can be similar, but come on. When’s the last time you’ve hurled like that thanks to your period? And the sensitivity to smell? You know this is different.”

Crumbling, every argument she could possibly think of was crumbling to dust before she could even get the thought fully formed. And cruel, vicious reality was more than happy to take its place.

“B-But my birth control pills…”

“Fertility pills,” he explained, his splitting-grin returning in full, “I would’ve preferred to get Clomid from the doctor, but it looks like the over the counter stuff and tracking your cycle worked just fine.”

Her stomach dropped. Pieces of memories, peculiar behaviors and nagging thoughts she’d had over the last two months falling into place. How there were stretches of times where he’d cancel their sessions, only to insist they make them up a few specific days in a row. How he wanted to go multiple rounds a lot those days. How he’d stopped wanting blowjobs from her entirely. How he seemed to only want to fuck her from behind or with her knees pressed hard into her chest, positions he could fuck her the deepest in.

And how he’d have her stay still with his cock buried in her after he came. 

Back then, she just thought he was being weird and pervy. And in a way she was right.

Horribly fucking right.

Shigaraki shifted his legs away from her so that he could bring his head down to her lap, laying his cheek blissfully against her belly. 

“Was so easy,” he hummed against her skin, “Like your body was just waiting for me to knock you up. Waiting for me to make you mine…”

His hands moved across her body, one coiling behind her back so that he could pull her tighter into him, the other lacing his fingers through her own. The fingers on her trembling left hand.

“Both of you, forever,” he growled happily, a predator who had finally and definitively sunk his teeth into his prey, “All mine.”

[linkemon]

Confession headcanons

You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Other headcanons from Twisted Wonderland can be found here.

Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you're interested.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 of the confession headcanons.

This part contains: Deuce Spade, Lilia Vanrouge and Vil Schoenheit.

Deuce Spade

• Ace would have realized what was happening to Deuce faster than him. Spade had always liked you very much but he didn't even realize when his feelings started to go in a completely different direction. He stopped seeing you as just a friend and started to imagine what it would be like if you spent even more time together alone. Which with your friends always looking for trouble was really hard.

• Ace would come up with several potential plans, each of which would backfire. The flowers? Ruined by Grim. The letter? Misplaced somewhere. Everything would turn against Deuce. His friend, tired of it all, would tell him to just get a grip because he had no more options.

• To say Deuce was shaking the whole way to you would be an understatement. But in the end, he decided he had to be himself. Deuce wanted you to love him like that. So he went exactly as he was, at night when the thought occurred to him. In his pajamas, during curfew in Heartslabyul. He figured he'd admit it to the prefect in the morning, like an honor student.

• When you opened the door for him, he said what was in his heart in one breath. He promises to love you just the way you are. Because he knows he's not perfect himself. He'll try to change, for you. Hard work is his specialty. So give him a chance and you definitely won't be disappointed.

Warning! This part contains spoilers for the beginning of the 7th book!

Lilia Vanrouge

• This would be a confession that would survive many trials. From the very beginning, something drew you to him. Maybe because, as it turned out later, Lilia is a completely different student than everyone else at NRC. Because of his flirtatious behaviour, it is easy to perceive it as fun. Something seemingly non-binding. As if everything was fleeting for him because after all, he had lived so many years. That is why you would have to wait for a real, sincere: I love you.

• When he announced he was leaving school, you were devastated. Here he was, announcing the news to everyone and you were standing at his farewell party, looking him straight in the eye with boundless sadness. Lilia truly believed it was for the best. Until Malleus decided to put everyone, including you, into eternal sleep.

• When you woke up in Vanrouge's dream, he wasn't the same fae you knew. You didn't really want to admit it was him but with every passing second, you began to understand him better. All the reasons why he became who he was. The lengths he would go to when he loved someone. It was then that you realized that only now did you fully understand him.

• When Lilia pulled you desperately to him in the dream, you didn't know what to do. He was your beloved but also a general who shouldn't exist anymore. His lips wandered for a moment. It wasn't a gentle kiss. Quite the opposite, it expressed hunger and longing. It said what words couldn't before the dream separated you. Now you have to do everything in your power to be able to feel it once more.

Vil Schoenheit

• Vil doesn't look for people who can't match his determination. He's got his life in order and knows exactly what his goals are. He's only changed the methods to achieve them. So when he realized how much he cared about the potato, he knew you had to grow up to that level of determination.

• He gave you time to read the gestures that expressed romantic interest. At the same time, however, he was very direct. He didn't want to leave anything unsaid. He waited for you to realize it and ask directly. He loves you and is able to do a lot for you. He made it clear that you have to accept that his career won't go anywhere and will be an important part of your lives. However, if, despite this, you return his feelings, he will move mountains for you because he knows he can. When you were already sure that you felt the same way, he asked you out on a real date.

• The date was classic and classy. A bouquet of wine-red roses. In addition, you, dressed in the best, elegant clothes that Vil chose for you two. An expensive restaurant and exquisite dishes that melted in your mouth. Afterwards, a walk. The starry sky above you, which turned into a cluster of torrential clouds halfway there. However, this gave you the opportunity to play a truly cinematic scene.

• You will remember the kiss in the rain for the rest of your life. Just like running in the downpour to the nearest free roof, covered with Vil's jacket, while holding his hand. His sincere laughter is not something you hear often. It will play in your ears like a melody for a long time.

If you'd like to be tagged in the next part of Twisted Wonderland headcanons, let me know!

[mrsmikaelsxn]

Oblivious To Love

masterlist 1k celebration

pairing: five hargreeves x female reader

warnings: fluff, kinda flirting, kissing

summary: five is your boss at the commission, always flirting and hinting that he likes you. you're oblivious to this but then finally admits his feelings - requested by anon

a/n: not to toot my own horn but i think my writing was pretty good in this. thanks so much for requesting for five because i have to write more of him !!

song: i wanna be yours - arctic monkeys

Five Hargreeves was certainly a character.

He was a decently closed off person. He was always thinking... calculating. Always working to be ten steps ahead of everyone and everything.

He didn't enjoy working at the Commission. He'd rather be enjoying life with his family, and enjoying a decent cup of coffee. For a while when he was there, he was always aggravated at someone or something.

That was until you came.

Or well, until he met you. You've been working there for a few months already.

You're the most stunning person he's ever laid his eyes on. To make things better, he was over the moon when you became his assistant.

You are absolutely lovely. Not to mention, incredible at your job.

You're sweet, smart, and extremely sensible.

Five loved your company. He was always in a good mood when you're around. He often dreamt about you, not to be taken out of context.

He dreamt of a life with you, seeing as how you two are so compatible.

To put the cherry on the sundae, you made the best coffee he's ever had. That says a lot coming from him.

"Good morning, Five," your captivating voice fills his office.

"Morning, gorgeous," he smiles.

He watches as your cheeks turn a light shade of pink. "You have got to stop calling me things like that."

"Nonsense, everything I call you is fitting."

He leans back in his seat and watches your movements as you move towards him. He takes in your outfit and curses the unprofessional thoughts that invade his head.

Today you were dressed in a knee length black skirt, a white button up blouse, and a black blazer.

The blouse had a few buttons undone which gave a glorious view of your cleavage when you lowered yourself to pick a fallen paper off the floor.

However, he considered himself a gentleman, so he looked away.

"Anyway, I was just about to go and make your coffee. Would it be troublesome if I joined you today?"

He stands up from the chair and strolls over to you. He brushes a strand of hair that sways in front of your face. "You're always welcome to join me, doll."

"Great! I'll be right back," you beam and leave.

To say you enjoyed having Five as your boss was an understatement. He was always kind to you, never let anyone say a bad word about you.

You wouldn't deny the fact that he was an attractive young man. The way he called you pet names that had your stomach flutter made you have a sliver of hope that he liked you.

True, pure love.

It's something you've always dreamed about. Reading it in books and seeing it in films gave you a longing to have someone to spend your life with.

After you finished preparing the two coffees, you walk back to Five's office. Your heels make a sound with every step you take.

You open the door and send a soft smile to your boss. "Welcome back, beautiful."

You break eye contact and place his beverage in front of him. "Hi."

He leans his head in his hands as he rests his elbows on his desk and admires you. "How did I get so lucky," he mumbles, not meaning for you to hear it.

You chew the inside of your cheek, "Get lucky with what?" you ask quietly.

He blinks. Then blinks again. "How did I get so lucky with you? When did I do something to deserve you?"

"Oh, um, t-that's very sweet of-"

"Have you ever taken into consideration that there's a deeper reason why I act the way I do with you?"

"Well, not exactly..." you trail off.

"Hm. Did you ever cogitate about how maybe there's a more meaningful explanation to how I behave around you? One besides getting entertainment from witnessing you blush?"

Your mouth opens slightly, and you are at a loss for words. After a moment, your eyes meet his intense ones. You take a breath, "Are you saying..."

He nods once, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"But what about-"

Before you have the chance to finish your sentence, he strides over in front of your chair, puts his hands on each one of the arm rests, and connects his lips softly onto yours.

He felt you freeze for a split second, before you tilted your head upwards to kiss him back easier.

He drowns in the feeling of your lips. The kiss being shared between you two is better than anything he ever could have imagined.

You both taste of coffee, and he loves it.

You pull back and smile shyly as him. He takes a step back and hops onto the desk, so he's now sitting on it and facing you.

He leans his elbows on his knees and clasps his hands together. "I hope after that kiss you'll join me for dinner tomorrow night."

You stand up and smooth your skirt. "I would be delighted."

[porcelainseashore]

It was a real honour to have @folyxfanart work on this for me. To say that her artwork is stunning is simply an understatement. It is so much more ❤️

I’m about to be rather vulnerable as this piece is something close to my heart. For the past few months and counting, I’ve been writing a crossover Leon x Reader fic where I placed Resident Evil characters in the universe of Vampire: The Masquerade. It’s been a real rollercoaster ride and pretty much my biggest project to-date, which started out as me just wanting to write about two fandoms I love for myself. I am my own worst critic and each week pressing that ‘Post’ button is unimaginably nerve-wrecking. 

That said, commissioning Folyx has been such a dream. It was so nice to indulge in something without any judgment, and her creativity and dedication is like a breath of fresh air. She drew RE2R Leon as the Toreador vampire I gave life to and his ‘Angel’ — a version of Reader whom he Embraced (*I usually treat her as a soft OC in my stories).

Toreadors in love? What’s new, most say. Well, these two have certainly been on a helluva journey, and have more trials and tribulations to face. There’s something comforting is seeing them finally accept themselves and each other, exchanging and consuming vitae, lost yet found in their better half’s arms.

A thousand thanks, Folyx, it is everything and beyond that I could’ve ever asked for! 🙏

[crissiebaby]

A Padded Procession

DISCLAIMER: This POV story contains diaper usage, crossdressing, masturbation, humiliation, and other ABDL themes. I hope you enjoy!

Commissioned By: jerry175

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

*CLUNK!*

Sliding open the rear passenger-side door of her van, Kara let out a shaky, yet excited breath. How could she not be? After all, it wasn’t every day that one of her best employees and even better friends, Maggie, would be getting married. It wasn’t even her wedding and yet she could feel the rush of pre-wedding jitters as if she were planning to waltz down the aisle herself. Sadly, Mr. Right had never come around for Kara. Not for a lack of trying. The attraction just never lasted. Either that or she ended up being a tad too controlling for their tastes.

And that’s where I came in. My name is JJ, formerly Jarek. A little over a year ago, I was working IT under Kara, grinding away at a job that made me miserable for more hours a week than I’d like to admit. That all changed when she accidentally happened upon my secret porn stash at work, which was filled with some of the most erotic ABDL and sissy porn the internet had to offer. And while many bosses would fire an employee who was so willing to waste company time pleasuring themself, Kara wasn’t just any employer.

Over the course of a single weekend, Kara transformed my work life from a humble IT specialist into the office baby. Her office baby. I resisted the change at first but after some arousing coercion from my fellow female employees, I took to my new role as Kara’s sissy baby girl. She was no longer my boss. Now, she was my Mommy. 

The changes only became more intense from there. Along with a steady diet of CrissBaby Bowel Busting Formula and weekly shots of Regression serum, I was officially adopted as an adult baby, completely signing over my adulthood to Kara. And she made sure that I was living an infant lifestyle 24/7. Double diapers were to be worn at all times. As were only the girliest and sissiest outfits that Mommy could find, which she was more than happy to parade me around the office and out in public. To say it was a humiliating experience would be the understatement of the century. However, to say it was anything other than my wildest and kinkiest dreams come true would be the worst lie I’d ever told.

“Okay, JJ, let’s go play-play,” said Kara with a big smile as she unbuckled me from my car seat, booping my nose as her arm passed over my head. I instinctively moved to cover my nose, causing her to giggle at my innocent reaction. She then placed her hands under my armpits and lifted me out of the car, showing off a year's worth of arm and core workouts.

As my feet touched down on the gravel ground, I couldn’t help but wiggle my hips as my powder pink party dress unfurled down my legs, allowing the built-in petticoat to brush delicately against my thighs. If my diaper wasn’t tenting before, it certainly was now, especially with the pair of egg vibrators that had been fastened to my sissy clitty that were begging to be activated with the press of a button. I pushed my dress down over my pointed padding, shivering as a euphoric ping radiated from my crotch up through my spine.

Unfortunately, as the pleasure began to die down, so too did the fogginess that Little Space offen coated my eyes with. Looking around the winery’s parking lot, it became apparent to me just how many people were attending Maggie’s wedding. “I fot chus said dere woodn be too many peepo,” I said, having never been around a group larger than the 20 or so employees at Kara’s company. I wasn’t exactly counting but from a quick glance, there were nearly double that number of cars if not more. Just how big was this wedding supposed to be? 

“Calm down, JJ. Everyone will be too busy focusing on the bride to worry about a little baby like you anyway. Now open wide,” said Kara, instructing me to open my mouth and let in a bulbous pacifier before rewarding me with a big hug. I unsurprisingly melted like I always do, recognizing that like it or not, I was walking into that wedding diaper first. As we parted from the hug, Mommy took me by the hand and ushered me toward the venue, “Just keep a hold of my hand and I promise, nothing will happen that I know you can’t handle.”

In spite of how reassuring Kara’s words may have seemed to an outsider, the way Mommy said that final sentence had my heart pulsing out of control. Clearly, she had her heart set on pushing my blushy boundaries today whether I liked it or not, and was aiming to provide as much comfort in the meantime. You’d think that after spending so long in sissy baby bliss that the embarrassment I felt would’ve cooled off. This could not be further from the truth as Kara had a knack for coming up with new and creative ways to bring out the red in my cheeks. It was a big part of what I loved so much about her.

Entering the winery’s reception hall like a scared animal clinging to the leg of its overprotective mother, I swear I could feel every set of eyes staring at me as I passed by. Men, women, old, young. Everywhere I turned, I saw the pupils of several dozen strangers. And below those pupils were mouths that whispered and giggled at the sight of me. I squeezed Kara’s hand tighter in desperate need of comfort, fixing my eyes on the large, white wedding cake that sat in the center of the grand hall. 

Mercifully, it wasn’t long before some familiar faces began to pop up as basically everyone from work was in attendance, including and especially the bride herself. “Oh my Goddess, Maggie! You look absolutely stunning!” said Kara, yanking me forward at a brisk pace as she approached her subordinate for a congratulatory embrace. She was dressed in an off-white, cupcake wedding dress that cleared at least two feet in all directions. Not the puffiest wedding dress ever but still quite a bit of volume, “You’d better promise me this won’t come between you and your job.”

Cackling in response to Kara’s faux concern, Maggie graciously returned Kara’s affection. “Thank you, Kara. And don’t worry, I won’t dare miss out on a day with this cutie,” she said, her attention suddenly turning to me. She was dressed in an off-white, cupcake wedding dress that cleared at least two feet in all directions. Not the poofiest wedding dress ever but still more possessing than enough volume to make me insanely jealous, causing my horny brain to circle back to all the yummy ABDL sissy wedding captions I’d read in my life. I wouldn’t get to muse on those alluring graphics for long, though, as Maggie snapped me from my stimulated stupor by cupping both of my plump cheeks in her hands, “You’re lucky your Mommy did such a good job with your face or else I’d be pinching those cheeks all night!”

It was true. Kara had spent nearly an hour putting on my makeup. At the time, it was a fun albeit slightly blushy bit of Mommy-sissy bonding time. Now, it felt more like a 5D chess move designed to extract as much blood from my cheeks as possible. “Go on, JJ. Tell Miss Maggie thank you for complimenting your appearance,” said Kara, encouraging her fuming baby to speak up in appreciation.

“F-Fankoos M-Miwth Maggie,” I stuttered, failing to calm myself down enough to produce a legible lisp. Without fail, a chorus of laughter followed my pathetic attempt at sounding grown-up, further driving home my humiliation. I felt like a mouse trapped between the claws of a group of malicious cats. And much to my dismay, the feeling was only about to be bolstered.

“Maggie! Maggie!” said a tall, flat-chested woman with a sleeve of tattoos running down her arm. She wore a sleek red bridesmaid’s dress that looked like it was far outside of her typical wardrobe, “We have a problem. Your cousin needs to take Amy home because Amy was throwing up and now we have no flower girl for the ceremony,” she said, her hands clamped on Maggie’s arm as she jogged in place, “Quick, do you know if anyone else is bringing a daughter today? It wouldn’t be hard to teach someone to fill in.”

Placing a frustrated hand on her forehead, this was obviously the last thing a bride like Maggie wanted to hear. “Shit, Olivia, is there no chance Amy will get better? I don’t have any other younger family members! Ugh! I guess we’ll just have to go without a-” she said, coming to an abrupt halt as her gaze landed on me, “...actually, on second thought, let my cousin know we’ll be okay. We have the perfect replacement right in front of us.”

I gulped hard, recognizing that once again, I found myself at the center of attention with all eyes on me. Well, almost all eyes. Looking toward Mommy in hopes she would spare me from being paraded down a wedding aisle, I was shocked to see that her focus was not on the latest proposition to up my humiliation. Instead, her sights were locked onto the tattooed woman, Olivia, with a line of red forming along her cheekbones and across the bridge of her nose.

“Well, what do you say, Kara? Mind if we take JJ off your hands for a bit?” asked Maggie, elbowing her boss with a sly wink.

Realizing too late that the conversation had left the station without her, Kara quickly answered without thinking. “Oh, yeah, sure. JJ’s up for anything you need,” she said, nudging JJ in Maggie’s clutches and passing her diaper bag off to Maggie before beelining toward her goth Goddess.

“W-Waid! Mommy!” I said, feeling one of Maggie’s hands wrap itself around my waist while another planted itself firmly on my shoulder. All the while, I watched as my only hope of salvation disappeared into the crowd of people, leaving me to what was sure to be my blushiest fate yet.

Before I could fully grasp what was happening, I was whisked away from the main reception hall and led down a dim corridor, stopping as we reached the last door on the right. My breathing shortened as Maggie knocked on the door, only for a plethora of female giggles to echo through the doorway as she opened it a second later. “Hope you’re all decent. Bride’s coming in,” she said, stepping into the den of femininity with me at her side.

The first thing to hit me about the bridal dressing room was the powerful aroma of floral perfume that wafted throughout the room. As I tiptoed into the space filled with girls I didn’t know, I struggled to find air to fill my lungs with. It almost didn’t feel real. It was as real as could be, made evident as Maggie escorted me to the other side of the dressing room where a young woman with short brown hair was doing her makeup, “Hey, Carrie, I have a small request for you. Can you look after our new flower girl here and get her ready? I’d ask someone else but you’re the only bridesmaid with any caregiving experience.”

Spinning around in her chair with a perky smile stretching across her lips, Carrie leaped to her feet and rushed over to lift me into a hug. It was certainly a shock, to say the least. “You didn’t tell me there’d be any Littles here!” she said to Maggie before angling her glance down at me, stroking my hair much like a supervillain with a white, fluffy cat might, “You must feel super lucky getting such an important job! Don’t worry, we’ll have you looking almost as eye-catching as the bride…almost.” She stuck her tongue out at Maggie to emphasize her joke.

“Great! I’ll leave you to it then!” said Maggie, unhooking her arm from mine as she made her way back to the reception hall.

Left alone in Carrie’s care, I could feel my heart trembling like a scared bunny’s. It was already tormentous enough to be surrounded by so many women that I knew at work. Here, without a familiar face to cling to, was like getting pushed into the deep end of a pool lacking the ability to swim. I wanted to run; to go find my Mommy and convince her this was too much. But I’ve also been through this song and dance before. The only good pleading to Kara would do is likely pile on further embarrassment. It didn’t matter how much I was dreading my flower girl makeover. My butt may as well have been glued to the seat.

“Okay…um, sorry, can you tell me your name, baby girl?” asked Carrie, realizing an important step had been missed as she stepped in close and rested her hands on my shoulders.

Pressing my pointer fingers together, I nervously responded, “I-I’m JJ.” Little did I know what my simple response had caused.

Having grown accustomed to being known around the office as the crossdressing baby that I had become, I’d forgotten that not everyone was aware of the crossdressing part. From an onlooker’s perspective, I looked like the spitting image of a female Little. So, as soon as Carrie heard my voice and name, her eyes lit up like she’d just won the lottery. “Oh. My. Gosh. Maggie got a sissy baby for a flower girl?!” she shouted in her excitement, unwittingly turning every head in the dressing room. It had been a while since I’d truly felt this impossibly small.

“Yo, did you just say sissy? Like, that little girl is actually a sissy boy?”

“That’s what I heard. Just look at him! You can barely tell!”

“It’s like he was born to be a girl. Please tell me you need help, Carrie!”

One by one, the voices of Maggie’s wedding party spoke up in jubilation of their newest and only male member. Though to be fair, the term “male” was getting quite the liberal usage. I could only watch with strained eyes as the girls peeled off from what they were doing to gather around my chair.

Before I could protest all the unwanted attention, a pair of hands latched onto my wrists and held them high. It was Carrie, who was aiming to get the ball rolling on my transformation. “First thing’s first, we need to get you out of that lovely dress of yours. Girls?” she said, keeping a firm hold on both my arms as several hands grabbed onto my dress and yanked it upward. If only it had been long enough to be pinched under my butt. Sadly, the short dress had little to hang onto as it was pulled over my head, leaving my top half to only be covered by my petite, B-cup bra, which had been lovingly stuffed with toilet paper. Cue the laughter.

“Bahahahaha! You wanna borrow my pasties, JJ?” said one of the girls, cackling as she cupped my filled bra and began to massage it, “I bet you wish you could have a pair of real ones. Maybe Mommy will get you on hormones if you’re lucky!”

Understandably, my face turned bright red, both from my shameful exposure and from the thought of getting even girlier than I already was. I prayed that none of these girls brought up the idea of hormones to Kara. The last thing she needed was any help in the humiliation department.

Mercifully, the idea wasn’t allowed to hang in the air for long before Carrie spoke up once again, “Let’s adjust her makeup a bit to start,” she said, plucking the oversized binky out of my mouth, “The bridal party is all wearing the same color and we definitely can’t leave out our Littlest member! And just so you know, I had my lips all over this one.” She winked as she grabbed a tube of ruby-red lipstick and brought it to my mouth.

Meanwhile, I could feel two sets of hands get to work stripping off my shoes and ankle sock with Carrie obstructing their actions entirely. The same hands then took great pleasure in selecting a pair of white tights before stretching them over my feet and up my legs The delicate caress of soft hands and even softer fabric forced me to bite my lip, doing everything in my power to keep from wiggling so as not to draw attention to the sensations I was feeling. There was, however, little I could do about the electric signals that the tantalizing skin-on-skin contact and sheer tights were creating. Naturally, my body had been conditioned for arousal, having been made to cum practically on demand at the office. So was it any wonder that my diaper started tenting out?

“Ooooooh! I think our flower sissy is enjoying the attention,” said another girl, leaning in close to get a better look at my throbbing double diaper front. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the twin vibrators entangled around my cock weren’t meant to stretch, choking the blood flowing through my phallus and increasing my sensitivity tenfold.

Finishing up with my eyes and lips, Carrie stepped back and snickered, tsking at my aroused state. “Naughty, naughty, naughty! We can’t have you pitching any crinkly tents while walking down the aisle,” she said, sinking her hand into the pillowy padding. My feet arched forward as far as they could go as I squirmed helplessly beneath her erotic touch, “I’d say one- no, two more diapers ought to do it!”

“T-Two mo diapees,” I whimpered, my expression and whiny vocals garnering more coos and giggles. This was sissy torture to an infinite degree!

Digging into the diaper bag that Maggie had passed off to her, Carrie quickly fished out two fresh CrissBaby Super Soakers before smirking as she peered deeper into the bag. Knowing  

the wide array of kink stuff Kara had packed from Lightning Laxatives to Lisp Lollies, it was any wonder what dastardly thoughts she was having. However, it was when she gleefully pulled out the pair of small vibrator remotes and plopped them down between her bountiful cleavage that I realized how truly doomed I really was. “Diaper time!” she said in a sing-songy tone, something that only amplified my blushiness, “Would you girls help me lay our princess potty pants on the floor.”

Barely needing an invitation, the girls dutifully carried out Carrie’s wishes as I was sprawled across the floor with my arms and legs pinned in place. Craning my neck up from my prone position, I pushed out my bottom lip as Carrie flattened out and fluffed up the pair of bulky nappies. My butt soon rested upon both cloud-like layers with all eight tapes locking me into an overtly infantile state. 

I sat up as the girls finally released my appendages, despairing as I failed to even bring my feet together, much less my knees. Walking down the aisle just got a lot more challenging. Tragically, the diapers may as well have been an opening act in comparison to what was in store for me next. Short, flouncy, and matching the accent colors that each of the women was wearing, my jaw dropped as I gazed into the sparkling, lilac void that was my flower girl dress. Even the girliest girl would say this was overdoing it, though I could practically hear Kara’s devious words in my head saying, “Oh, but you’re fair girlier than the girliest girl, sissy baby!”

“Alright ladies, time to wrap our present,” teased Carrie as the dress was brought over my head. I held my breath as my head was submerged in layers of taffeta and lace. By the time my head popped out the other side, I didn’t need to open my eyes to know how silly I looked. The howling laughter of the bridal party was more than enough, “Awww, JJ, sweetie! You have to open those pretty eyes to see how precious you look.”

Knowing it could hold out forever, I decided to bite the bullet and open my eyes before someone took it upon themselves to pry them open. Sure enough, it was somehow worse than I expected. No doubt, my flower girl predecessor had to be a very small child based on how short the dress was. It barely cleared my belly button, taking away my ability to do something as simple as pull my dress down over my diapers. Not that it would make much of a difference considering I was engulfed by a foot of padding in all directions.

Brushing her hands together in a self-satisfied manner, Carrie threw her arms around me from behind, pulling me into the kind of hug that only seasoned caregivers knew how to give. “What a perfect angel. Maggie’s gonna regret making a scene stealer like you her flower girl,” she whispered in my ear, sending pleasurable chills coursing throughout my body. I could feel my resistance melting, “Now then, I’d say we’ve kept you to ourselves long enough. Let’s go say hi to everyone, shall we?”

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Mortification. If you had to put my feelings into a single word, it would be mortification. From the second I stepped foot in the main reception hall wearing an actual little girl’s dress and more diapers than I could soak through in multiple days. It was non-stop cooing, butt-grabbing, and, worst of all, the cheek-pinching. By the time people were taking their seats for the ceremony, my cheeks had been permanently stained crimson by the countless abrasions. At least I was permitted to keep my paci out so as to show off my painted lips, though to call that a consolation prize was laughable.

Thankfully, the end was nigh. Kara had already informed me that she’d be changing me back into my own dress after the ceremony was finished, though she was also a tad more scatterbrained than usual, much to my surprise. Regardless, that meant all I had to do was drop some flower petals down the center aisle before the bride’s entrance and I was in the clear. That light at the end of the tunnel was all the motivation I needed to prevent a total mental collapse due to all the unwanted attention.

Not long after guests began to take their seats, I was rounded up by the Maid of Honor, Olivia, who, as if by an act of Goddess, was the only person not deriding my extremely sissy baby appearance. She passed a basket full of pink and purple flower petals off to me, positioning it in the crux of my elbow “Listen close JJ because I’m not going to repeat myself,” she said, staring me down with stoney eyes, “Since you missed rehearsal, here’s how everything’s gonna shake down. The minister and groom will enter first, followed by the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and then me and the Best Man. After that, it’ll be all you. Just try not to waste all the petals too early and you should be aye okay. You got all that?”

Nodding through my anxiety, I had to admit to myself that I was a little excited to have a role in a wedding for the first time in my life, even if it was the most humiliating role possible. Plus, Maggie had been a dear friend of mine for years. To be the one to walk down the aisle directly before her had me feeling very sentimental. Receiving a quick headpat from Olivia, I was ushered to my place in the procession.

Once I had the order of operations down, the waiting game began, made one hundred times worse by the anticipation held deep inside my chest. It made me crave Kara's comforting arms something fierce. Luckily, the actual wait time didn’t end up being super long, even if from my perspective, it felt like an eternity. I watched with a contented smile as members of the wedding party began to file in and make their way to the head of the ceremony as the soft string quartet began to play. It was beautiful. It was graceful. It was-

“Hey, JJ, come here for a sec,” said Carrie, calling me over when there were only a handful of bridesmaid-groomsman pairings left. Not wanting to miss my cue, I initially tried to ignore her but as her waving became more frantic, I relented.

Before I knew what was happening, Carrie was leading me by the arm around a corner with my diaper bag under her arm. “Don wowwy, I don nees mo diapees,” I protested, believing she must be intending to check my diaper ahead of my big walk. However, it soon became apparent that this was far from her intention as she pulled me in close with a firm hand supporting the base of my spine, “Wuh awe chus-MMMMMF!”

Suddenly, my eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as Carrie pressed a small, clear bottle to my lips. I instantly recognized the gag-inducing flavor as one of the Lightning Laxatives that Mommy liked to keep on hand. I tried to shake her off so I could spit it out but was unable to before she tilted my head up and forced it down my throat. “Sorry, little JJ, but it’s always been a dream of mine to make a silly sissy baby shit themselves in public,” she said, planting a kiss on my nose.

I was given no chance to respond before I was led by the hand back to where the rest of the procession was waiting just in time for Carrie’s turn down the aisle. Sweat started to form across my brow line as I felt my tummy churning like an evil witch’s cauldron, which at this point, it may as well have been. I mused telling Olivia what had happened but having learned from past experience, honestly rarely worked in my favor considering my word was never taken over a Bigs. All Carrie would have to say is that I snuck into a bag myself and I would be in even worse trouble than before. I decided to stay quiet and hope that I could make it through my flower girl duties before the cramps set in.

Thankfully, once Olivia began her descent down the aisle, I knew my turn was just on the horizon. I inhaled sharply through my nose as I waited for Olivia and the Best Man to take their spots closest to where the bride and groom would be reading their vows.

“Hey cutie, break a leg out there,” said Maggie, patting my butt from behind as it was finally time for me to serve my hyper-feminine role. Regrettably, that small pat was enough to jolt my stomach, putting extra pressure on my bowels at the worst moment. I clinched hard, stopping in place momentarily as I muscled through the pain. My momentary pause did turn a couple of eyebrows but nothing beyond that as I forced myself forward on rattling legs. I grabbed a handful of flower petals and daintily sprinkled them over the floor as I walked, realizing that I’d completely forgotten to be embarrassed over my situation by the time I was a quarter of the way across the aisle. My mind both fortunately and unfortunately had bigger problems to worry about.

*GUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRGGGGGLE!*

All of a sudden, a tummy grumble loud enough to be heard from space echoed out from the pit of my stomach, turning every head in the winery. I glanced ahead at Carrie, who was struggling to contain her vicious smile behind the hand that cupped her mouth. I whipped my head toward Kara, hoping that my Mommy would see the panic on my face and know she needed to get me out of here. As fate would have it, she and Carrie shared similar facial expressions. It appeared I was truly on my own.

Securing another pile of petals in my palm, I picked up the pace and started dropping flowers in double time. There wasn’t a person in attendance who wasn’t aware of the shameful display was on the verge of making, so it no longer mattered if they could tell I was in a hurry. To my dismay, these efforts were all for not as Carrie took the liberty of adding fuel to the proverbial fire that I was broiling in

*BZZZZZZZZ!*

As the twin eggs strapped to my dick began to vibrate furiously, I dropped to my knees only a few feet from the end of the aisle, giving everyone the best view possible. I buried my face in my hands and bellowed out a devastating moan, wishing I could phase out of existence in that moment. Dreadfully, what I was about to do couldn’t have been more obnoxiously visible.

*BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRT!!!*

My eyes went cross as the seat of my diaper expanded exponentially with barely solid fecal matter. And thanks to the quadruple diapering I’d been subjected to, it took seconds at most for the mushy sludge to creep forward into the front of my diaper. Between the runny mess and purring vibrators, my brain stood no chance. My mind went near blank as I began humping my diapers in the middle of the aisle.

Craning my neck back shakily with the little consciousness I had left, I looked at Maggie with solemn eyes, feeling immensely bad about my scene-stealing antics. And yet somehow, she could only smile at my inability to control myself, snickering from the sidelines at my latest humiliating predicament. “Called it,” she said, nudging her father and holding out her hand. He rolled his eyes and sighed as he pulled out his wallet and slid $20 into her hand. 

“Well, at least you got decent coverage down the aisle,” said Olivia as she approached me and cupped my huffy face, “You did good, JJ. Now, let’s get you back to Mommy before the bride gets impatient.” Without waiting for a reply, she bent down and lifted me into the air, showing off her prowess in the gym with a perfect squat. Adding to my embarrassment was the fact that even after being held aloft in the air, I couldn’t stop my hips from twitching as my diaper grinded against her buff arm as she made her way down one of the seating pews and delivered me to Kara, “I believe this pamper packer belongs to you?” She placed me in Kara’s arms, the pair of dominant women refusing to let me touch the ground at all as my Mommy sat back down with me resting in her lap.

Nervously smiling up at Olivia, Kara winked at the Maid of Honor. “Thanks, Olivia. We still on for dinner next Friday?” she said, making a point of asking in front of me.

“Of course! Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” responded Olivia, returning Kara’s seductive glance as she presented me with more headpats, “I can’t wait to get to know you more, JJ. I get the feeling we’re gonna be great friends.” Taking the time to look longingly into Kara’s eyes, she abruptly turned and rushed back to the head of the ceremony so that the wedding could continue, leaving me alone with Mommy for the first time since we’d arrived.

“Did you have fun today, cutie, because Mommy certainly did,” said Kara, ruffling my hair with her chin as “Here Comes the Bride” started to play. The two of us watched as Maggie and her father approached her soon-to-be husband. Well, one of us watched. I was too busy bouncing atop my plushy padding in hopes of making stickies before the ceremony concluded. At the end of it all, no matter how much I protested and despaired, I knew deep down that this was not only the role in life I deserved but the role I wanted, which was a feeling that only strengthened as Kara leaned in next to my ear and whispered, “Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll get to be Mommy’s flower girl too.” 

Nuzzling my face into Kara’s cleavage, I looked up at her with doughy, loving eyes, “I’d wuv dat Mommy.”

THE END.

« A PADDED PROMOTION (Link to DeviantArt)

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Edited by AllySmolShork

[thevanillerose]

TRAINING | GLADIOLUS x READER | FFXV

~ WRITING COMMISSIONS ~ ~ PATREON ~ ~ KO-FI ~

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not own anything except my own writing. All properties belong to their respective creators.

“Hey, time to get up sleepy head!” “Mnn...” “C'mon princess, you'll have plenty time to doze later...” “Jes...just...one more minute...”

THWACK. “OW!”

You jolted up like you were on a spring, and quickly shoved his heavy boot away from your side. He hadn't kicked you hard, you were more irritated by the fact that he had pulled you out of such a nice dream. Riding a Chocobo through a field of fluffy white cotton. Ah...you could just...lay back down and...drift away again...

“Ah ah ah, you're not gonna slip that one by me. Come on-” A strong hand took you by the arm and hoisted you up before you had a chance to even open your eyes properly. Rubbing the sleep from them as you were sent stumbling forth and out of the tent flaps, you finally came to enough to turn and give him a good glare.

The man who woke you up was Gladiolus Amicitia- the trusted and loyal bodyguard for Prince Noctis. He stood tall in the sunlight...though he always stood tall, whatever the weather. Hard not to when you were pushing 6'6”. And if his height wasn't notable enough, his muscles certainly were. To say the guy worked out would be an understatement.

Amber eyes smirked back at you, and you scoffed, running a hand through your messy [H/C] hair so you could at least smooth it down. Yes, much like the Crown Prince himself, you were bad for sleeping in. However, Gladio hadn't even given you time to get ready, much less compose yourself. And you needed to. He was training you this morning...and training with him was really no joke.

“Remember what I taught you last time?” he walked over and slapped his palm down around your shoulder. You just looked up at him sourly. “I barely remember my own name right now.” He just laughed heartily. It was hard not to cheer up a bit when he did. His happy moments may not have been as infectious as Prompto's, but it was always nice to see such a tough man smile. Really, he wasn't so bad.

Gladio had been training you like this every morning for the past week while you camped out in Duscae, but it wasn't out of cruelty. If anything, it was the opposite.

You were more of a tactician than anything else, and sometimes you really felt tacked on to this party. Even being sent to accompany and protect Prince Noctis had been a last minute affair. Not that you were complaining...it was far better to be here than back in Insomnia.

You were still shaken by the news. And Noct...well...you tried not to ever talk about it with him.

Gladio only wanted you to feel like you were of more use, since you had told him you'd felt you weren't of any. He was looking out for you by doing this...as torturous as it could be having to wake up at the break of dawn and start exerting yourself. Regardless, you were grateful.

“C'mon princess, let's get going before the others wake up. You wanna be back in time for Ignis' famous breakfast, right?” Gladiolus attempted to spur you on with the promise of food, and yes, shamefully, it was enough to get you going. Letting him lead the way down off the camping plateau and toward the marshy plains, you jogged lightly after him, but soon picked up the pace enough to become level with the guy.

A little sweat was already gathering on your brow but you tried not to make a big deal of it. It would be true to say that part of you wanted to impress him. When it came to anything physical he was always the king, and you at least wanted to keep up in some respects.

Eventually you reached your destination, which was one of the fishing shacks arranged around the edges of the vast lake there. Coming to a stop by the mirror-esque water, you caught sight of yourself reflected within it. All hunched over with your hands on your knees like that and your hair strewn haphazardly around your face, you couldn't help grimacing.

So what? You were spending one-on-one time with an objectively attractive male. Who could really blame you for wanting to look presentable?

Quickly fixing yourself, you then turned and exhaled slowly, seeing that Gladio was already standing there ready and waiting to start the next phase of training. The run here was only meant as a warm up. Here was where the real tricky stuff started.

You called it 'tricky' because you really weren't a fighter. Sure, you could handle the daggers you carried well enough, but you were still distinctly lacking when it came to combat. Gladio was here to help you gain that sharp edge...to become more capable. You hoped.

“Let's pick up where we left off last time.” he cracked his knuckles, though it was for preparation, not intimidation. “You need to learn to become more aware of your surroundings. Half of combat is all about blocking. If you go crazy just trying to get in a hit anywhere you can, you'll not only tire yourself out, but you'll leave yourself completely open for a counterstrike.” This was all knowledge you could have inferred yourself, but you still listened to him intently as he carried on: “The key is timing. Knowing when to attack, and knowing when to shield yourself. Now-”

Suddenly, his fist swung. You gasped and stumbled back a step, quickly throwing up your arm in a clumsy fashion. Naturally he didn't plan on actually hitting you, but his knuckle still came close enough to give you a scare. Pulling back again, Gladio took another step towards you and laid his hand upon your shoulder once more, making sure you were steady. “See, now that's an issue. And it was only hand to hand too. You'll definitely struggle if you try to block a sword like that.”

Most certainly in the case of the one he carried. No innuendo intended.

“Right...okay...” you sighed heavily. A bout of weariness hit you again but you quickly shook your head to get rid of the sensation. Gladiolus didn't seem to notice, instead just carrying on with his lesson.

“Let me show you the best way of doing this. Take out your daggers for me.”

Doing as he asked, you placed them in his palm when he held it out expectantly. Lifting the weapons to his eyeline, Gladio then felt the blade of one between his thumb and forefinger, before humming and nodding.

“Yeah, it's strong enough alright.” “Strong enough for what?” Your innocently phrased question prompted a live demonstration from the man. And you didn't feel quite so innocent when he stood behind you and pressed up against your back.

It was in moments like these that you really noticed how small you were compared to him. You weren't actually that tiny for a girl, but you were practically a gnat in comparison to someone like Gladio. His strong and muscled arms looped around in front of your chest, though didn't wrap around you. Rather, he had only positioned himself in such a way so that he could take your hands in his and help guide the glinting blades. Even his hands alone seemed to engulf yours...

“See, if you cross them like this-” Gladio moved your limbs so that blade was against blade, forming something of an 'X' shape, “-it'll act as a makeshift shield for you. Blocking a two handed beast like this still isn't ideal, but it gives you an option if you don't have the time or speed to roll aside.”

As you stared up at the two intertwined blades, you could see the sun shining boldly through the gap. The heat from those golden rays beat down upon your already sweating face, and you squinted. Your vision started to blur, your knees wobbling.

Suddenly the sky was rolling around you. A mix of blues and greens shot through your vision, until you felt the middle of your back hit something firm. The sight before you was replaced by a sudden darkness, and your eyes fell heavy before closing...

Some time passed, yet for you it was an instant. Those same eyes of yours began to flicker, letting in little glimpses of far more filtered light, before eventually opening enough to let you see the canopy of leaves above. At your side, your palm ventured out to help push you up, gracing over a soft, cool fabric, set down against the slightly moist grass. Though you managed to urge yourself to sit, something quickly took hold of your shoulder.

You knew that motion anywhere.

Looking over, you could see Gladiolus sitting on the same navy blue blanket, his arm outstretched to hold you steady. His sharp amber eyes never left your weary visage for a second.

“Easy there...just take it slow.” he urged you cautiously, before gently letting his hand slip away when he was sure you were sitting fine. Blinking a few more times to clear away the last spots of drowsiness, you observed the gruff man with a furrowed brow.

“...What...what happened?” “You fainted.” he stated simply, turning his attention away from you momentarily to focus on the pot of food he was stirring, before looking back again. “It was my fault. I think I pushed you too much, too soon.” “No that's...that's what I wanted though...” you spoke drearily and shook your head in what felt like slow motion. Clearly you still weren't totally together after that ordeal, but at least you were in the shade.

Gladiolus must have caught you when you collapsed. Good thing he was standing right there, eh?

“Doesn't matter what you wanted, I should have seen it coming. Obviously you were already at your limit.” Gladiolus continued to scold himself while he spooned up some soup and motioned closer. His hand went to your lower back and he held the spoon before your lips. “Open up. Ignis made this for you.”

Usually you would have been internally freaking out at this point. Every time he touched you during training you always felt a bit of a spark anyway, but here he really was treating you like the 'princess' he affectionately called you (even though you were far from royalty). However, you were still so woozy that you merely did as he wanted with little reaction, opening your mouth and letting him feed you. It was delicious of course, as could be expected from the delicacy master himself- Ignis. Though a worrying thought came to mind as he helped you eat, and between your second and third spoonful you had to ask:

“-Did the other boys find out about this then?” “What, about you fainting?” Gladiolus smirked and shook his head. “Don't worry, I had a feeling you'd want to save face. I just told them you wanted to have breakfast down by the lake since it looked so nice. They didn't suspect a thing.”

Good. Relieved, you started to relax a little more. Your strength returned enough to let you finish the soup yourself, and once you had you felt magnanimously better. Finally, you were human again.

“That was awful. Dammit...why am I so weak?” you questioned curtly, and Gladiolus took his turn to frown. “[Y/N], you're not weak. Not even slightly. Do you think we could have come this far if you were?” He had a point. You were already well underway on your journey, and it wasn't like it had always been a piece of cake. Still... “I need to be stronger than this. I need to get stronger so I can protect the Prince...”

Yes. Maybe you did. But as Gladio looked at you, he didn't see a single thing he really wanted to change. At first he could admit that he had doubted how useful you would be as part of the Crownsguard. Yet over time he had come to see just how important you were to the team. You were incredibly smart, and quick thinking. You had a knack for knowing what to do even in the most baffling situations. Just as a good defence was as important as a good attack, it was also crucial to have that kind of clarity at your disposal.

Besides...that wasn't the only thing he had started to notice about you. You had many other notable assets too...and as you sat there in the mottled shade of the lakeside tree, he saw one of them very clearly. A gentle, tender smile had spread across your lips and in turn illuminated the rest of your features. Sometimes he doubted it was possible you could look any prettier, yet in that moment you perhaps looked the most beautiful he had ever seen you.

“Thank you, Gladio. For helping me so much. I promise I'll do better next time...” “Don't...don't worry about it.” Did he just stutter? Stumble over his words? Hell, he even rubbed the back of his neck like a sheepish schoolboy. Gladiolus quickly composed himself again though. Right now wasn't the right time for that. Right now he wasn't ready to reveal anything of that nature.

“You can take a day off tomorrow, and then we'll carry on after that.” he told you, to which you nodded affirmatively. “Sounds good.”

That was right. For the moment...he just had to focus.

In a way...he was training himself too.

[moon-spirit-yue]

It's Not Living (if it's Not With You)

Chapter 1: Raya Ran into Some Complications

(TW WARNING!!!!!! This mini series is based heavily on the show Criminal Minds so if murder mysteries and descriptions of that sort of thing are not for you, just don’t read this fic. It’s not like my other fics where I let you know of a small uncomfortable part. I really don’t want to make this fic too horrific and gory, but it will get dark. Basically, if you can get though an episode of Criminal Minds this fic will be fine. These sorts of topics are not for everyone so please just be aware of this if you choose to proceed)

“Please don’t hurt me this way! I have a wife! And a sweet baby boy! How could you be so cruel?!” Raya whimpered, turning her head away from the monster that was trying to torture her.

“God, you are so dramatic,” Noi snorted without looking up from her book. 

“Okay first of all, your “wife” does not count, and second, you don’t have any kids,” Tong began before getting cut off.

“Objection! Tuk Tuk is my beautiful son and I don’t appreciate you acting like he isn’t,” Raya huffed. “And I am married! Sisu and I have the certificate framed and everything! What’s with the judgement? Is it because we’re gay?” 

“I’m pretty sure the judgement is coming from the fact that you two only got married to get grant money for college,” Boun laughed.

“And who the hell asked you, twerp?” Raya glared.

“Your dog and sham marriage do not count,” Tong sighed.

“You know, you’re being awfully negative to someone who literally got shot at this morning,” Raya grumbled as she reluctantly opened her eyes.

“Yeah well, the unsub missed and honestly? I’m kinda wishing he met his mark. Now wake up,” the unit chief scowled. 

“Oh please! We’re the smallest unit in the BAU! If I get shot and go out of commission we’d literally have no choice but to dissolve and relocate to other units,” Raya scoffed. “And you know that Noi despises change.”

“It’s true. My mother used a different kind of cereal to feed me as kid because my usual stuff was out of stock and I protested by refusing to eat breakfast until I got my cereal back,” Noi confirmed.

“And you call me dramatic,” Raya laughed.

The bickering continued like it always did until they finally landed back in Quantico, their beloved home base. The quartet wearily got off the plane single file and entered the FBI building. It was long a flight and they were all ready to crash.

“Hello my dazzling little agents! How is everyone?” Sisu greeted them once they got on their floor.

“Feeling like I’m about to pass out. The guy was maniac. I mean, who carries three guns on their person at all times? Even for a serial killer, it’s a tad excessive,” Boun groaned.

“I do not envy any of you. It’s bad enough I have to see the crime photos, I could not imagine having to see the guy that caused them, let alone capture him,” Sisu shivered.

“This job is certainly not for the faint of heart,” Tong confirmed.

That was the understatement of the year. 

“Agreed. Hey Sisu, can you drive me? If I go behind the wheel I’m scared I’ll fall asleep,” Raya asked.

“Anything for the wife!” Sisu laughed. Boun and Noi had small smiles on their faces as Tong loudly sighed in displeasure.

“The sanctity of marriage is wasted on you people!” Tong declared.

“We’ll get a divorce one day, don’t worry sir,” Raya giggled.

“A man can only dream. Alright, before we all disperse, I do want to say that you all truly outdid yourselves this past week. The unsub did his damn hardest to shake us off, but we managed to pull through. I really am proud of how this team has grown,” Tong said.

The other four agents beamed at his words. As much as the whole team likes picking on each other at every possible opportunity, they really did care about each other and yearned for their boss’s approval. The next words he said were not nearly as uplifting.

“We’re going to need to get in here early tomorrow. We’re all behind on some important documents that have to get on my desk by the end of the month,” the unit chief stated with a stern look on his face. 

“Boooooo!” Boun groaned. 

“Dang it, I thought he forgot about that,” Noi mumbled.

Raya just decided to stick with her classic pout. She’s getting too tired to talk.

“On that note, I’m going home to my wife, that I married for the right reasons,” Tong said, shooting a look at Raya and Sisu. 

The other four then went their separate ways, mumbling some tired goodbyes and see you tomorrows. Sisu had to practically drag Raya to her car and shoved her in. 

“At least stay awake until we get home,” Sisu sighed while starting the car.

“Can we just go to your place for night? Tuk Tuk’s already there and it’s closer,” Raya mumbled.

Tuk Tuk always stayed with Sisu when Raya was out on assignments so she really didn’t feel like relocating him tonight. Plus, she had a good portion of her stuff at Sisu’s anyways.

“I had a feeling you’d say that. Your bed is already made,” Sisu laughed.

“Have I told you that I literally love you?” the agent yawned.

“It certainly wouldn’t hurt me to hear it more often,” Sisu laughed. 

“Oh, do you still need help dying your roots?” Raya asked. 

She was now vaguely remembering Sisu asking for her help at some point when she was out on her previous assignment. Considering the fact that some dude with mommy issues damn near killed her, the text was shoved in the back of Raya’s mind for a hot minute.  

“Yeah, but let’s save that for tomorrow. I don’t think you can be trusted with anything permanent right now,” her best friend said, side eyeing how Raya was nodding off.

It took everything in her to muster up the strength to give Sisu a thumbs up, so that’s probably for the best. Raya’s pretty sure she did fall asleep during the brief car ride because she blinked and bam! There was Sisu’s house.

“Carry me,” Raya demanded, slumped over.

“Oh my god,” Sisu groaned

After much pulling and tugging on Sisu’s part, they made it through the front door and was greeted by Tuk Tuk’s little yips of happiness. Raya grinned the second she saw her fluffy puppy and began pressing kisses on his furry face.

“I missed you, my beautiful baby! Oh yes I did! Yes I did!” Raya cooed as her precious pup licked her cheek.

“I’m gonna turn in. Anything you need?” Sisu asked her.

“Uh, can you drop Tuk and I off at our house before work? I just got the notification that my package got delivered and it is dangerously unsupervised right now. Other than that I’m good,” Raya explained.

“That’s fine. See you tomorrow, bestie. Love you! And I love you too Tuk!” Sisu said while scratching his fluffy ears.

“We love you too. Night!” Raya waved as she walked into her designated room.

She kicked off her shoes and changed her clothes before immediately flopping on the bed. Raya heard Tuk Tuk jump on the bed and snuggled right next to her. She multitasked by using one hand to pet her dog and the other to text her father she’s back in Quantico, safe and sound. 

One of the major downsides of this job is knowing her father is going into cardiac arrest whenever a case pops up. He tried to convince her for weeks not to take the job but alas, her mind was made up. So then Benja decided to force to send texts when she left for a case and when she came back. Raya carelessly tossed her phone on the other side of the bed once the message was sent and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

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

The best way to wake up is seeing Tuk Tuk’s adorable face right beside her. Man, she missed this dog. 

Raya had to speed through her morning routine to get out the door at a reasonable hour. Ushering Sisu to get moving, Raya and Tuk Tuk were already waiting in her car by the time she got in.

“You know, you’re a lot less pushy when you’re tired,” Sisu huffed while driving off.

“It’s not my fault someone’s stealing packages from people’s doorsteps!” Raya exclaimed.

“You’re a profiler, catch them!” Sisu snapped.

“Too busy tracking down serial killers, thank you,” Raya told her.

“I hope you have an extra load of paperwork to finish,” Sisu glared.

“You are so hateful in the morning,” Raya frowned. 

They made it to Raya’s front door with no serious injuries, so she grabbed Tuk Tuk and made her way home.

“Do you want me to wait for you?” Sisu yelled.

“I’m good! See you in the office!” Raya yelled back.

Her beloved wife nodded and proceeded to drive to work. Raya turned her attention to where her packages get dropped off at. 

She absolutely beamed at seeing her mail sitting there, unstolen by the neighborhood thief. Raya grabbed the package and tapped the passcode lock combo to let herself and Tuk in.

Raya awkwardly opened the door to let Tuk Tuk in first and kicked her package in the house. Stumbling in herself, she gave the house a quick clean from it’s lack of use. Once Raya finished eating cereal straight from the box, she was already back out the door.

“Tuk Tuk, take care of the house for me while I’m gone, will ya?” Raya asked the little pup. He gave a bark in response which in Raya’s mind meant he totally agreed to her task. 

“I love you bud! See you tonight!” Raya said before locking up her house and getting into her car.

The FBI building wasn’t that far away but of course it was far away enough to hit some major morning traffic. Patience isn’t exactly where Raya shines. She didn’t even have the time to go to her favorite coffee place.

Finally, she was able to make her exit and entered the building of her workplace. She walked up to her desk to be greeted with Boun and Noi arguing over what case they think will be chosen next.

“I’m telling you, those murders down in Texas have to be serial! There’s just too many gun related deaths!” Noi exclaimed. 

“No way, there’s several missing people in North Carolina that have never returned for the past couple weeks! Oh Raya, you’re here! Hey, which case do you think is the next one?” Boun asked as she plopped into her small cubicle.

“No clue. Have either of you guys started your paperwork just at a curiosity?” Raya asked, pulling over her papers. 

Noi and Boun looked at each other guiltily before scrambling to get their own papers out. Raya snorted and shook her head before focusing in on her own work. Those two remind her of actual kids and the fact that they’re both younger than her doesn’t help.

The day was an uncommonly quiet one. Tong summoned them all near the end of it to discuss the files they had to get through in one of the meeting rooms.

“We did make good progress on what we finished today, but there’s still a hell of a lot more to be done. I highlighted which ones are top priority and we need to-” Tong began but was cut off by a random voice.

“SSA Spine, I’m very sorry to interrupt, but someone needs to speak to one of your agents,” the person told them.

“Did any of you have plans for company?” Tong asked with a raised brow. 

The other four agents shook their head while giving each other looks. Who on earth could be looking for one of them? 

“Well which agent do they need? And who’s asking?” Tong questioned further.

“Oh, Virana Fang wanted to speak with Agent Heart,” the woman said.

Raya’s blood somehow chilled and boiled at the same time. Seriously, Virana? Of all the fucking people that could meet with her? 

“Isn’t she like, a big time attorney? Raya, did you get into someone legal trouble?” Boun asked with furrowed brows.

“No, no I did not get into legal troubles. We know each other from uh, I guess when I was in college. And let me tell you, she is not a fan of mine. The fact that she’s here is honestly making me feel rather nervous,” Raya frowned. 

“Oh my god, I remember her! Man, she did not like you,” Sisu scoffed.

“Did Mrs. Fang say what exactly she wanted?” Tong asked.

“No, all she said was that it was urgent,” the woman answered.

“Do you want to tell her you aren’t available? I’m not entirely sure what’s going on but I can see your hackles raised, Raya,” Tong said with concern. Raya stood up from her chair.

“There’s no point. The woman’s relentless. If she says she wants to see me, she will see me. I have a feeling I am not going to like this conversation,” the agent sighed as she reluctantly followed the woman.

“Do you want one of us to come with you?” Noi inquired.

“That’s fine. I can take her in a fight,” Raya joked as she left the room. 

Once the door got closed behind her, she allowed the dread to kick. Tong was right, her hackles were raised. What the hell could Virana possibly want with her? 

Raya’s arms were crossed and her jaw clenched as she approached Virana. Oh, how Raya loathed her regal, menacing face. The older woman looked professional and impeccable as Raya has always known her to be. Never a speck of dirt on her clothes nor a strand of her hair out place. Confidence and ferocity ooze from her every pore, ready to suffocate anyone that tries to challenge her. This is how Virana Fang presents herself. 

But the Virana Fang Raya is currently looking at doesn’t have the usual intensity she frequently possesses. Instead she looks around anxiously, like something terrible is about to happen. The agent can’t find it in herself to feel any sort of sympathy for this woman. 

“Virana Fang. Why have you come to haunt me on this otherwise peaceful afternoon?” Raya drawled. Mrs. Fang almost seemed startled to find Raya standing right in front of her.

“I do not have time for your typical unnecessary remarks. Look, I want to keep this as short as possible. The bottom line is, I need your help,” Virana whispered quickly.

“I’m sorry, you need my help? Me? Raya Heart? My help?” Raya asked, utterly baffled. Virana stiffly nodded in response. 

Raya blinked once. Twice. Three times. Then she smiled. A smile turned to a laugh. What kind of bullshit is she playing at?

“Does it sound like I’m joking? What punchline did I just deliver?” the woman hissed. 

“Oh come on, I’m sure even you can see the irony in this? I mean you asked for my help, Mrs. Fang! God that’s hilarious!” Raya laughed. She honestly can’t take this situation seriously. “You know, it’s probably best if you just go. I thought I could get through this conversation but I think I overestimated myself. Please, have the day you deserve.”

Raya shook her head and turned away but the other woman’s hand stopped Raya. The agent looked back and saw how desperate Virana really looked. Before the agent could respond, Virana decided to speak words that alarmed her even more.

“Listen, I am well aware that in a perfect world, we never see each other again, but this world is not perfect. In a perfect world, my daughter would not be in danger,” Virana hissed in a frenzy.

This conversation could not get any more insane. What on earth was going on with Namaari? If Raya had any doubts about helping the lawyer, they were all gone now.

While her and Namaari weren’t exactly having sleepovers and braiding each other’s hair, Raya still cares about her. Plus, Namaari was certainly in better standing with her than Virana. (Then again, the raccoon that dug around in Raya’s trash last week was in better standing with her than Virana so that didn’t really mean much.)

“Fine, I’ll bite. Why is Namaari in danger?” Raya asked with annoyance. 

“Because a serial killer is after her. That’s why I came to you, considering the fact that catching them is your job,” the older told her in a low voice.

The agent’s jaw dropped. A serial killer? After Namaari? Well, to be fair, Namaari is a lawyer so it’s entirely possible a client is out for revenge? 

“How can you be so sure? I assume you came with evidence because this is not something I can just take your word for,” Raya managed to ask.

“Of course I came with proof, but I would prefer to speak of this in a more private setting,” Virana requested. First reasonable thing she’s said since she got here.

“Follow me,” the agent relented. Raya spend up the stairs to the conference room her team was in with Virana hot on her heels. 

“Hey, sir, can I use your office really quickly? It’s important,” Raya asked while gesturing to Virana.

“Of course,” Tong nodded while giving the two of them a suspicious glance. She is so getting interrogated when this conversation is over.

Raya then walked to Tong’s office and closed the door behind her once Virana stepped in. The agent sat on the little couch in the office with crossed arms.

“Lay it on me, Fang. Why do you think a serial killer is coming for Namaari?” Raya asked. 

Virana opened her briefcase and pulled out two envelopes. She handed them both to Raya. 

“Just look at the cases with those two girls that have unfortunately passed away. I’m sure you’ll realize I’m right,” Virana said while sitting on the chair across from her.

The lawyer said it in such a haughty way that it made Raya really hope that there isn’t a case for more than just Namaari’s safety. The agent took the two envelopes from her and opened the first one.

The first girl’s name was Anchali Chakan. She was born in Nebraska, moved to New York when she was ten, then transferred to a college in Maryland where she’s lived ever since. She got married only three months ago to her long time girlfriend, now wife. Or, now widow. A relatively normal upbringing from what Raya can tell. She had dreams of being an artist and made some very impressive pieces before her passing. Now that Raya knows the basics about this girl, it’s time to get into the actual crime that was committed.

Yikes. That is the first word that comes into her mind when she saw the picture of this woman’s untimely death. Raya doesn’t care how many cases she comes across, she will never get over all the horrible ways people kill. 

The murder happened in her house on March 1st. The place where she’s meant to feel safest. There was bruises around Anchali’s neck, an obvious sign of strangulation. Medical reports say that her windpipe got crushed which was the cause of her death. But alas, the atrocities did not stop there. There was an arrow that went straight through her neck. The only thing that made that detail a little less horrific was the fact that the arrow was stabbed into her neck post mortem. Raya cringed, shook her head, and went on to the second case.

The second woman is Cai Lan. She grew up in New York and stayed there until her last days. Unlike Anchali, Cai was born into poverty and had to claw her way out. She had been a foster kid since she was five, homeless for a period time in her late teens, went into massive debt getting into college, and had to live in an RV until three years ago. Cai did manage to make her way into upper society by scoring a manager position at a financial firm.

Cai’s murder occurred exactly one month after the first one, April 1st. It took place in Cai’s home just like Anchali’s. Again, just like Anchali’s murder, Cai was also strangled to death and ended up with an arrow through her neck post mortem. Looking closer at the arrow, Raya was disturbed to find that there was a heart at the front of the arrow. She glanced back at Anchali’s crime scene and found the heart was at the front of her arrow as well. 

Was the killer trying to imitate cupid’s bow? Ah, shit. This case is one hundred percent serial. But Raya still can’t see the connection with Namaari.

“I will give credit where credit is due, this is a serial case. Even though it crosses state lines, the signature is way too specific to be the average murder. I still don’t understand what this has to do with Namaari, though,” Raya sighed, looking up at Virana.

“Both of these girls are Namaari’s ex-girlfriends. Their break ups were very friendly and the two of them stayed in contact with Namaari after their relationships had ended. It’s how she became aware of their passing,” Virana said. 

For the first time since she entered the office, Virana had a mournful look on her face. Raya may have actually found it in her to feel bad for her but there was a very serious problem at hand. Then the attorney handed Raya another envelope, though this one was much smaller.

The very stressed agent opened it up and felt all color drain from her face. There was two plastic baggies with strands of hair. One strand of hair was significantly lighter than the other.

“Please tell me these weren’t mailed to you,” Raya begged, looking up at her. Virana’s grim face told her everything she needed to know.

“Two days after Anchali was killed, we got this bag with the light brown hair. News of her death hadn’t reached us yet, so we weren’t quite sure what to make of it and sent it to the police for investigation and figured out who it belonged to. Same thing with Cai,” Virana told her.

Wordlessly, the agent pulled out her phone to check the date. All the color drained from her face when she saw that today’s date is May 1st. 

“Follow me, we don’t have much time,” Raya commanded.

Raya gathered all of the evidence presented and all but sprinted out of the room. The older woman quickly followed suit. The two of them barreled into the conference office where her teammates were sitting. They all flinched when Raya tossed all the information of this new case on the desk. 

“Listen up people, we have to get through this quickly. Here you see two girls going by the names of Anchali Chakan and Cai Lan. The connection between their murders is the fact that they were both in a romantic relationship with Namaari Fang. They both died from strangulation. Part of the unsub’s signature is to put an arrow through their victim’s neck after they passed,” Raya said, talking a mile a minute.

“So it’s personal. Is, is that a heart at the tip of the bow?” Noi frowned, pulling the photo closer to her.

“Yeah, I think it’s supposed to reference Cupid’s bow. Namaari also received a strand of both the women’s hair two days after they were killed. These murders occurred on the first of March and April. Considering the fact that today is May 1st...,” Raya trailed off.

“We need to act now. I don’t like the fact that she’s been getting gifts or that the unsub knows where she lives. No need to bother collaborating with any local PD, this crosses state lines so we have full jurisdiction,” Tong began, explaining what he’s read in the files. “It’s safe to say that the unsub is targeting those who have had a romantic relationship with Namaari. They’ve also been going in order of who Namaari dated. She was with Chakan from eighth to ninth grade and then Cai from eleventh to twelfth grade. Mrs. Fang, was Namaari with anyone in the time period between Ms. Chakan and Ms. Lan?”

“Uh, kind of. After her break up with Anchali, I got word she did date a couple of other girls but they were just attempts at forming a relationship. Her next real girlfriend was Cai,” Virana answered immediately.

“Okay, looks like the unsub focuses on official relationships. Who did Namaari date after Ms. Lan?” Tong asked.

Raya could have sworn that Virana eyes landed on her before returning to focus on Tong. Must have been a trick of the light.

“From what I’m aware of, the only other girlfriend she had is her now fiancé, Jintara Niran,” Virana told him.

“But you’re not sure?” Tong pressed.

“No, I’m not,” the lawyer confirmed.

“First, please write down your daughter’s address. I take it her and her fiancé live together?” Tong asked. Virana nodded and hastily wrote it down. 

“Perfect. Now I need you to call your daughter and ask if she has had any other serious girlfriend between Ms. Lan and her fiancé and that she needs to be completely honest. If we’re right, she could very well be killed tonight,” Tong instructed. 

Virana turned rather pale at the last statement but nodded nonetheless. She walked out of the room and grabbed her phone, calling her daughter outside. Tong turned to the rest of the group with a serious look in his eyes.

“Okay, Sisu, you head to the computers and start sending police to stand guard at Ms. Fang’s and Ms. Niran’s house right now. If Mrs. Fang is right, the unsub is going for Niran next,” Tong began, but Sisu was practically out the door by the time he was finished with his sentence.

“Boun, I want you to just get to their address and kick start the process of asking them questions. Plus, I want one of our people to be with them as soon as possible,” Tong told him.

“On it!” Boun confirmed, launching himself out of his seat.

“Noi, stay with Virana and get whatever else you can out of her while simultaneously giving her some comfort. I’ll head out to the local PD where they live. It’s only two hours away but we should set up shop there anyways. Two hours can easily be the difference between life and death,” the agent told the only girls left.

“You got it boss man!” Noi nodded.

“And Raya, you know those case files I had you look at for review?” Raya nodded, causing Tong to continue. “I want you to get those files then head to the local PD with Boun. There’s a case in there similar to this one so we can get a better idea of how to handle this.”

“Understood, sir. I’ve got it covered,” Raya told him while rushing to get out of the room. 

Holy shit. Someone has been killing Namaari’s ex girlfriends. This was not on Raya’s 2023 bingo card.

As Raya glided down the stairs, she passed by both Noi and Virana conversing. Before she could leave the floor, Virana spoke to her.

“Ms. Heart!” the lawyer exclaimed. 

“What is it?” Raya asked anxiously.

“Please, just be careful,” Virana almost begged. Ah hell, that is so weird.

“Of course. I always am,” Raya told her confidently. With that, Raya turned around and dashed out of there.

The agent all but sprinted to her car. Once the car started, she began driving like a bat out of hell to get to her house. Because what on god’s green earth is happening right now?

When Raya got back home, she didn’t even bother locking her car before throwing her front door open.

Raya stood at the door for a moment, completely forgetting where she put the files. Then her brain started working again and she remembered that she shoved them underneath the dryer.

As Raya walked towards the kitchen, something made her pause. Is, is something burning?

Side tracked from her original mission, she found that the stove was turned on. That shouldn’t be possible. It wasn’t turned on this morning when she first got here and Raya’s breakfast was cereal straight from the bag. She did not touch the oven.

Tuk Tuk then made his entrance by running right by Raya and her fears quickly disappeared. Her big old dog probably accidentally knocked into the stove and turned it on. It has happened before. 

“Hey bud. Were you trying to make some dinner for yourself while I was gone? I should probably feed you anyways,” Raya smiled, giving him a light scratch on the ears. Before Raya could blink, she was pinned against the wall by someone wearing a mask.

It took a couple seconds before she realized that this masked man now had their hands wrapped around Raya’s throat, slowly squeezing the life right out of her. 

[fe-fictions]

Stahl x Robin commission 

It started late one night.

You were already feeling under the weather, but worse still, your babies had started throwing up as soon as dinner was over.

Everybody was under the weather, but the issue was, nobody was sure why.

“Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods-!!” Stahl had Morgan tucked under one arm, Marc slung over his shoulder, and he was trying desperately to help you to the washroom before you also emptied the contents of your stomach.

To say he was concerned was an understatement, but the poor mellow man had now suddenly been tasked with acting as the head nurse.

Somehow, he managed to get the children into their washroom, assigninga bucket to one, a basin to the other, and simultaneously was scrambling to try and get you taken care of too in the midst of all the madness.

It was going very poorly.

“Papa…” Morgan’s pitiful moan was the only signal Stahl had before the sweet child had to throw up again.

Stahl was over in an instant, petting his little boy’s head and pressing a cold, wet cloth to Morgan’s neck.

The baby was trembling from head to toe, but his little sister wasn’t doing much better. Poor Marc was clutching the basin, her face an uncomfortable mixture of pale and green.

“It’s okay, buddy. You’re doing fine. Your body’s doing what it’s supposed to do.”

“I f-f-feel like it’s t-trying to k-kill me…” He said, stumbling over his words between chattering teeth. Stahl kissed the top of his head, giving his son a very gentle hug.

“I know. I’m sorry.” He gives him one more kiss to Morgan before turning his attention to Marc. She was fading, thankfully, looking like her spent energy was officially turning into sleepiness. 

She was only two, so this was just brutal for her. He gently takes her into his arms, making sure to wipe her cheeks and mouth with her cool cloth. 

She’s so light when she holds him…maybe when she’s back to full health he’ll start feeding her more. 

“Do you want to try to sleep, honey?” He asked her softly, brushing his thumb along her pouty cheeks. She nodded tiredly, clinging to his tunic with what little strength she had left.

He smiled softly (albeit rather sadly), taking her quickly to her bedroom. He delicately laid her into her bed, tucking her in and making sure to give her a nice, fresh cloth for her forehead while she slept.

“If your tummy starts to hurt again, you call for Papa, okay?” He crouched beside the bed, brushing her hair back. 

“Yes, Papa.” She whispered, earning a flurry of kisses on her temple.

“Good girl…sweet dreams.” He murmured, giving her the best smile he could before he made his way back to his poor wife.

The only disadvantage of being the mother of two small children is that, when everybody was feeling ill, you had to be prioritized last.

It made plenty of sense, seeing as the babies couldn’t take care of themselves. But you’d be lying if you said you didn’t want Stahl to dote on you first (a little bit).

Thankfully the doting came in swiftly, with Stahl knocking on the bedroom door before hurrying to the washroom you were currently holed up in.

Your hand was on your forehead, leaned back against the wall and fighting the nausea threatening to overwhelm you again.

“Hey…how are you feeling?” He asked you cautiously, coming to your side. A tentative hand rested on your back, and you did your best to respond with some semblance of positivity.

“Well, I haven’t thrown up in a little while,” Your voice cracked, but you managed to paste a smile on, “So I think the worst is over.”

“I’m really glad to hear that.” He sighed, though the relief in his voice was sharply contrasted with the exhaustion that came with playing nurse.

“I-I think I can keep some food down, finally…how are the kids?”

“They’re still green, and still traumatized,” He said, running his hand up and down your back absentmindedly. “But they’re not throwing up every twenty minutes like they were through the night.”

“Gods, those poor babies.” You frowned,heart twisting at the thought of being powerless to help your little ones in a crisis like this. “I wonder what caused it.”

“I’ve heard there’s a pretty nasty stomach flu going around the city. Children seem to be the source of the plague.”

“Could it be due to the nursery?” You wondered, “They go to the castle daycare every day….I’m sure some other child must’ve exposed it to them. But why did I get sick?”

“Well, I grew up in Ylisstol, so I’ve had more than my fair share of stomach bugs. I’m guessing you don’t have the immunity for it since you weren’t raised around here.” 

“That makes sense…” You trailed off, shutting your eyes when another wave of nausea hit. Stahl tensed beside you, ready to spring into action.

“Are you okay?”

“...I’m…fine.” You managed, grip slackening as you leaned back. Stahl directed you into his side, wrapping his arm around you.

“At least you’re in better shape than last night. The kids are more or less the same, but I think the worst of it is over. Though I’m not a doctor, so I can’t say for sure.”

“Did you alert the clerics?”

“Uhhh, no-” He scrambled up suddenly, “I should do that!”

“W-wait, don’t run off yet.” You laughed weakly, “It’s still early, and we’re not dying. We can let them know what happened in a little while. Let’s just wait and see i-if we can stabilize a bit, first.”

“Are you sure?” He fretted, “I’ve never done this before, and I’d hate to make things worse for you all by not getting help! I barely know what I’m doing anyways!”

“There’s not much to it, dear.” You smiled, “Keeping us clean and comforted is a big step. Making something light and easy on the stomach would be next…porridge, or rice…”

“Oh gods, that’s right! Breakfast!” He slapped a hand to his forehead, “I knew I forgot something! You all must be starving.” 

He looked so guilty, it was like he’d kicked a puppy. You waved a dismissive hand.

“If we’re still nauseous and vomiting, it’s best not to try anything.” You said, “But if things have calmed down by the time you’ve finished preparing it, then it’ll be worth attempting.”

“Are you sure?” Stahl hesitated again, looking positively flabbergasted and at the end of his rope. It was hard enough handling one sick person, but with two of them being his babies and the other his wife, he was teetering on the brink even after hours of care.

You held out your hand for him to take, drawing him back to your side. 

“We’ll be okay.” You promised, “Try to settle down a little bit.”

He nodded and comes back down beside you, though he’s still pinching the bridge of his nose. You  look at him sadly, knowing he’s beating himself up.

“I just hate that I can’t do more for you all. I’m your husband, and I’m their papa, but I just feel so powerless, you know? Like I should be able to take care of you guys when the hells break loose!”

“You do a fine job of that,” You lean against his shoulder while shutting your eyes, “It’s just the first time you’ve had to do it. Nobody does it perfectly on their first try.”

“But what if it ends up affecting you or the children? What if they get worse because I couldn’t take care of them as good as you? O-or what if I leave you here for too long and you’re stuck dealing with this mess all alone?”

You pat his arm, “The storm’s already passed for the most part, my love. I think…you just need to relax. If we weren’t doing well, we’d tell you. If it was because you weren’t helping, I would definitely tell you.”

“...Really?” He looks down at you, eyes full of anxiety. He was such a sweet man, if only a little bit too worried about the small things.

You bump his chin with your forehead. “Really.”

“Aw…” He blushes, “If you’re sure you’re doing okay, then I’ll try to worry a little less. Let me go check on the kids, and then I’ll start making breakfast.”

“Take your time.” You hum softly when he kisses the top of your head, giving you one last quick squeeze before leaving you to your own devices.

Mercifully, the worst of it was over. The children could keep their breakfast down, even if their appetites were lacking. 

It was a day all three of you spent in bed, with your sweet Stahl hurrying between your rooms to make sure everyone was comfortable, nobody had thrown up again, and temperatures were normal and safe.

It was certainly quite hard being a lone father and husband versus a whole family of Ylissean Flu-havers…but despite his struggle, it was a battle he had somehow managed to conquer.

He made sure to reward himself with a hefty bowl of beef stew for dinner (your treat), and a nice, long 10 hour nap afterwards.

[tenebriism]

"Xingqui?" The name leaves Aether's lips breathlessly as he's, at last, able to turn and get a proper look at the younger man. How long has it been since the two of them had last crossed paths? Probably at one of the Lantern Rites - and from what Chongyun had told him, the mischievous bookworm had taken his leave from Liyue Harbor sometime after that. After catching neither hide nor hair of the young man for over a year - and likely much longer than that - it would be an understatement to say that he's surprised to meet up with his friend in the midst of a fight with the Fatui.

And now that the dust has settled, their opponents left either prone on the ground or having retreated, Aether finds himself able to give the other boy his full attention. With a grin spread across his face, the Traveler finds himself rushing forward to throw his arms around the younger, a laugh leaving him as he pulls Xingqui into an elated, good-natured embrace.

"Gods, what're you doing here?" he asks, pulling back so that he might get a better look at his friend. His hair's grown, Aether notes, and he looks... well, a little less like a young nobleman, with a flicker of experience apparent in those golden eyes. Even so, Aether is still able to see that familiar sparkle that Xingqui's always been known for.

While this rumor involving his sister had turned up nothing, there was still something to be said for being able to reunite with another of his companions instead. "Chongyun said that you'd left the harbor, I... where've you been?"

XINGQIU IS FREE, Y'ALL.

Life on the road hadn't been EASY, not that he'd expected it to be, and yet . . . he wouldn't trade it for anything, even the COMFORTS he had been used to back at the family estate. Though he'd been pampered, day in and day out, by staff hired specifically to tend to his every whim and need, nothing could compare to the liberating breath of fresh air he'd drawn when, first, he'd escaped Liyue's borders. No longer did he feel weighed down by his family's expectations, or the tedious schedule that felt more like shackles around his legs. The wealth and teachings afforded to him in his youth were cherished, certainly, as was the relentless martial arts training that had enabled him to seek and retain SOME manner of independence over the years, but since

Now, he could be FREE . . . even if it meant learning how to properly survive on the road, and tend to things HIMSELF, instead of ringing a bell and waiting for someone to do it FOR him.

Mondstadt was his first destination. Appropriate, given the point of this entire life altering journey. The land of wind and freedom, where people oft traveled in search of an understanding of what it felt like to live life for the sake of living. Here, with the help of his dearest friend, Albedo, Xingqiu had learned a wealth of things that, for once, did not deal with commerce, or formal tradition, or academic studies. He'd learned what it meant to be a knight, an adventurer, and even a bit of ALCHEMY on the side, but most importantly, he'd begun to learn who XINGQIU himself was, outside of his family's reputation.

Of course, he hadn't come here merely to escape the jaws of his family line and slack off. Nay, no matter how much wealth filled his pockets and pouches, and how EASY it would be to simply purchase lavish accommodations and relax, Xingqiu STILL wanted to, somehow, be of use. To prove he was more than just the spoiled son of a wealthy guild manager. As such, to feed his adventurous temptations, he accepted commissions, here and there, when he wasn't helping out Albedo in Dragonspine or around Mondstadt, or teaching the school children how to read, write, and dream. When he'd caught ear of a rumor that the missing sister of the famous Honorary Knight of Mondstadt had been seen nearby, he'd set out IMMEDIATELY in hopes of helping said Honorary Knight.

The Traveler, after all, did so much for Teyvat. It was about time someone did something for him.

. . . even if it ended in a RUN in with him, but to Xingqiu, it was a blessing. A very favorable outcome, even despite the lack of PROGRESS, in regards to his missing sister. " Oh--- T-Traveler ! " He stiffens, not used to being hugged like this ( not even by Chongyun, and even less, by his family ), but he's just as elated to see the Traveler as the Traveler is to see him.

" Chongyun is correct; I finally left Liyue. No more lessons, no more meetings . . . I regret not having rebelliously escaped sooner, in fact ! " He BEAMS at the older man, before gesturing downwards towards the sprawled out bodies on the ground, " I know you could have handled yourself just fine, but you will have to forgive me for stepping in all the same and stealing your thunder. I saw you and could not deny myself the opportunity to fight at your side for the first time in archons only know how long. "

Even the way he speaks sounds far more refined than prior, when oft, he would zone out from an important conversation in favor of getting further into his current choice of literature, only to jump back in with a half-assed response. Now, he retained eye contact. Listened with eyes AND ears, and did not respond merely for the sake of responding, but rather, to fully contribute.

A young boy, Xingqiu was no more.

" My only regret is that the rumors were not true, but I suppose I should have known better. Still, it is better to investigate falsities than it is to, potentially, miss out on a truth, correct ? "

@ironbloodcd ;; ღ

[tiggyloo]

I've had someone waiting for me to commission them to illustrate this monster I had a dream about once for...something like four or five years now at this point? The commission is estimated around $600, as it would be three stages of this monster thing. And it sucks that I haven't been able to pay for it after so long, I really want this but god. Especially now, it's going to be near impossible for me to save up that much and to say that I'm frustrated over this would be an understatement

[cvntyre4d5]

(HIIII Okay so since I just moved from quotev I’m just gonna paste my story from there)

(Sweet Dreams~ PART 1- Where it all began) (also my fanfics are meant 2 be for everyone unless it says otherwise so yeah and I wrote this abt 3 months ago so enjoy)

(Before we start FYI anytime you see she or he thats NOT you!"

'RIIIIIIIIIING RIIIIIIIIIIIIIING RIIIIIIIIIIII-.' As you throw your phone at the wall, you sleepily wake up and grab your phone off the floor. You look at it shocked cause somehow it's not even close to broken. With a sigh of relief, you get dressed and walk downstairs.You open your phone out of boredom and decide to scroll through Tiktok. A few videos later, you see a anime shifting video, you laugh what a big fucking joke. "Why not try it out?" says your tired roommate. "Hell I have nothing better to do." "Have fun with that, those take fucking hours." says your roommate laughing, she walks upstairs to her room.

You watch the Tiktok again seeing what all you'll need, you choose a method and head over to the store. Grabbing some paper, a pack of pencils, and then just some random snacks. You go pay for your stuff, but just your, luck your card declines. The cashier complained over your declined card. A few seconds later a tall figure approaches, he comes up and pays for your items, you take a good look at him as you thank him. Black hair, but it wasn't jet black it was much darker, mysterious red eyes.. almost glowing, and height was an understatement, he was tall but not too tall. He gave you a smile and walked off tipping his hat. You walk home thinking about the man. He was dressed strangely in a suit? "Probably from the Anime Convention nearby", you think to yourself. You make it home and decide on your script. Writing down the most random crap, not caring what goes on the paper. After all it isn't real, right?? A few hours later, you head up to your room; getting everything set up.

You lay down, slowly closing your eyes, gently you say "I hold the power to shift my reality", "I hold the power to shift my reality", "I hold the power to shift my reality..." You fall asleep.

(I do commission btw cause why not)

[seungsuki]

money - convincing sae to buy you something is like winning a lottery (gn!reader)

warning: none

note: this was so random but i just imagined sae being a rich guy

“mi amor… just what am i even looking at?”

to say that sae was confused was an understatement. oh boy, he was beyond confused here. he came home from practice like every normal tuesday. tired, he just wanted some dinner and watched the soccer highlights but you had other plans. 

you grabbed the tired boy and pushed him on the couch. telling him to sit tight, you ran into your room and came back with your computer. hooking it up with some cables, you connected it to the tv. before sae could even ask, you pulled up a presentation

“i made this and it’s very important! you better listen carefully or else!”, you threatened and gave him a smile

he shrugged since he was used to you being weird and doing questionable things already. making himself comfortable, he read the title of the so-called ‘important presentation’ you made 

“why you should buy me tickets to watch lesserafim… have i heard that name before?”, sae asked carefully to not make you upset 

“you don’t know lesserafim?? i’ve been talking- you know what it doesn’t matter. just hear my reasoning”, you grumbled and moved on to the slide 

“you remember when you told me i could get anything i wanted for my birthday”, you asked

“yeah i remember”, sae cautiously agreed 

“so i decided that i want lesserafim tickets for my birthday! as a broke university student, it is difficult for me to afford it”, you read off your slides 

“i just don’t see where this is my problem? this lesserafim thing is something you like so i don’t see why i have to buy tickets. that’s not counted as a birthday gift”, sae replied 

you facepalmed yourself as you stared at the pro player, who only shrugged his shoulders. it was gonna be difficult but were you going to quit? nope 

“you’re rich! where are you even gonna use this money?? it’s not even that expensive. the tickets are only around $2000 without the commission fees and stuff”, you argued 

“only $2000? mi amor that’s a literal scam. you’re just gonna watch some girls sing and dance so you could literally watch it at home for free!”, sae said 

well… he technically did have a fair point. you could watch it from home. keyword: could. you agreed that prices were crazy high but the experience and feeling of being there with the crowd live was something no money could replace. you looked at sae in a pleading way to hopefully change his mind. the soccer player sighed before reaching out for his wallet in his pocket 

“just this once i’ll buy you some lukewarm concert tickets. gosh, $2000 for just a performance that you’ll forget someday? why not just get a nice necklace or ring”, sae sighed in defeat 

you celebrated your victory as sae handed you his card to make your purchase. you quickly gave him a hug and constantly thanked him before giving him a kiss on the cheek. then you ran to your computer and began the booking process 

you were too engrossed to see the way how sae placed his hand on the same spot you kissed. a small trace of blush spread over his cheeks as he coughed to cover any embarrassment. watching you get this excited made every minute worth it.

he didn’t care how much money you asked. heck, you could even run your dream cat cafe if you wanted to with his money. he’d give up all his money just to see you smile- though he would never admit it and act all grumpy about it 

“i hope you made dinner or else i’ll take my card back”

© seungsuki 2024-25 -- do not repost, translate, alter, etc on any platform without permission. Any characters used in my work do not belong to me, they are created by their original creator

[lovely-english-rose]

0w0 what's the doll maker au?

oh well its definitely the most written of all the wips i have lol its something that i had started a many years ago, abandoned, then decided to revisit and start to completely rewrite, so theres alot of notes and a couple drafts of it actually. the idea is a bit like. pinocchio and that life-size barbie movie (idk if anyone would remember that one). so yuu is a porcelain doll maker and mika is one such doll he creates, who comes to life! ;w; there is still alot i would like to tweak and maybe even overhaul again for it tbh. here's the first two paragraphs of the latest version ive reworked:

Yuuichiro Amane was a skilled and admired doll maker, well known for his remarkable talent and how young he was for someone in the craft. He lived in a fairly small village, just a short trip away from a much larger city, where many wealthier and known patrons would come from to commission his work. Yuu’s fascination with porcelain dolls and the process of making them started from a young age when he was just a child, and from there grew. He soon was able to pick it up as a hobby, and now in his early twenties had been able to start his own business creating and selling his passion. He crafted everything himself, from the dolls themselves to the clothes they wore. To say he was lucky to be living his dream would be an understatement. It was hard work, sometimes he would accidentally prick his finger while sewing or get a burn from his kiln if he wasn’t careful, but he still loved every minute of it, and such incidents happened less frequently as he'd grown in his craft.

Normally, after Yuu first started out, he primarily worked on crafting premade dolls ready for display and to be sold when someone came in. Lately however he had begun getting increasing amounts of commissions for custom dolls. Yuu had no complaints about such requests, he loved to create something that came from someone else’s imagination and hey - who could turn down the extra cash custom work turned in? Often people would ask for princessy type dolls, or ones that looked like a loved one, surprisingly he’d even had several requests for dolls with nonhuman features like pointed ears, fangs, or even wings, and they still turned out gorgeous. Yuu especially loved the looks on customers' faces when they were presented with their commissioned dolls. The love and excitement was its own thrill and filled Yuu with pride for his hard work.

[thebananniediariesbyannie]

my journey through 2023

a post with a lot of words and a lot of feelings. #AlwaysLookingForward

this first photo is for my newly launched small business - @shopthebananniediaries - to see it live and ready to shop is a dream come true! i couldn’t be more proud and feel any more amazing than i do right now. follow my IG account and start shopping! (sign up for the rewards program to earn points that can be redeemed as discounts!)

*click the button below to shop my small business!

the products were sourced in small batches in order to be more sustainable. all of these products on my store are from small businesses with qualities including but not limited to: women owned, latina and latino owned, lgbtq+ owned, stores that give back, and more! products will be updated and expanded as we grow as a business!

the unedited, unfiltered gym photos are representing a promise i made to myself. a promise to grow and be the best version of myself. so say i’ve had a rough few years would be an understatement. healing is not linear and that’s something on my mind as i have great days and not so great days. it’s time to smile, time to love, and time to grow as a person!!! #CheersToNewDaysAhead

other photos are some of my favorite brands that have entered my life thanks to content creating. i’ve had the opportunity to work with some really amazing brands and the hard working individuals behind those brands. i am looking forward to meeting more beautiful souls and working hard with amazing brands!

Click the button below to find other social media outlets where The Banannie Diaries posts content! Follow, subscribe, and stay tuned for more beauty, fashion, and positive vibes!

*FTC Disclosure: This website, page, post, and/or video contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through my links

Thank you so much for joining me today! I truly hope you enjoy my content as much as I enjoy creating it. In order to make your experience on my site more enjoyable, I’ve included links throughout my site applicable the items I am writing and posting about. Please refer to my Terms & Conditions and the Disclaimer of this site before using these links.

#TheBanannieDiaries #SmallBusiness #ShopSmallBusiness #TheBanannieDiariesByAnnie #MentalHealthMatters #SmallBusinessOwners #HeyMaeve #Spindrift #FlorenceByMills #SPF #Sunscreen #GlazedDonut

[amberfaber40]

A Beginner’s Guide To Growing Dahlias

A Beginner’s Guide To Growing Dahlias

A beginner's guide to growing dahlias. Everything you need to know to successfully plant, grow, and care for your dahlia flowers.

Dahlia Mania: how to grow the flower of the moment

How to plant and grow dahlia tubers and the where to find the best varieties for your garden this year.

Swoon-Worthy Dahlia Varieties for your Cut Flower Garden

You want to grow dahlias, but there are so many varieties! Here are some of the must-grow varieties for farmer florists and beautiful backyard bouquets.

5 Common Mistakes When Growing Dahlias (and What to Do Instead)

Dahlias can add a rainbow of hues to your flower garden, but If you're not sure whether your dahlias look healthy, check out the five most common mistakes when growing dahlias. Find out what you can do to ensure they produce a full show of blooms.

How to grow dahlias with Erin of Floret Farm - From Britain with Love

How to grow dahlias with Erin Benzakein of Floret - all you need to know to cultivate and arrange these most blissful and prolific of blooms

Islander

Flower Arranging Party from Gabriella New York

Flower arranging is one of those incredibly useful details to put in your hostess bag of tricks for safe keeping. It's the workhorse that will get you through many a dinner party and pretty up your ho...

HOW TO GROW DAHLIAS FROM SEED

It's not quite March yet, but already I've got a shelf full of seedlings growing away, in front of my big south-facing window. The last year has been a long one, and I need green and growing things in my life. So, I got started a little early this year, and I'm not sorry. Not yet, anyway! My kids like to call small growing things 'greenlings', and I think it's sweet. Of all the darling greenlings on my windowsill, the ones that put the biggest smiles in my heart are the Dahlia babies. They're just so robust, and joyful, and

Swiss farmhouse, garden of Dahlias by Tim Shirey / 500px

The dahlias you need for however you're growing

Want dahlias but don't know how to choose? Here's my guide to great selections to fulfill all your dahlia dreams.

Triple Wren Farms

Jowey Mirella is a super-productive deep plum (almost black) ball dahlia. Like most Jowey dahlias it has very strong stems and is a good re-bloomer. When days w

Dahlia : floraison, taille et entretien

Avec ses différentes variétés les dahlias subliment le jardin. Découvrez tout ce que vous devez savoir sur sa plantation, sa floraison, sa taille…

Ball Dahlia "Blyton Softer Gleam"

Explore sheffielder3's 438 photos on Flickr!

Everything You Need To Know To Successfully Plant, Grow, and Care For Your Dahlia FlowersIf you are thinking about growing dahlias, you’ve come to the right spot! I’ve created this beginner’s guide to dahlias so that you too can enjoy gorgeous dahlias in your cut flower garden this summer.To say that dahlias are my favorite garden flower, that would be an understatement. I fell in love with dahlia flowers at a very young age. These beautiful flowers have always been a favorite of mine! My mother grew dahlias in our backyard garden and my uncle also had a huge dahlia garden in Seattle. One of my favorite childhood memories was seeing fresh cut dinner plate dahlia flowers in the house. From the time I was very little, I was determined to grow my own dahlias someday.Affiliate DisclosureAffiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may contain affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thank you in advance for your support of my blog!Table OF CONTENTSTable Of ContentsEverything You Need To Know To Successfully Plant, Grow, and Care For Your Dahlia Flowers How I Got Started Growing Dahlias Adding More Dahlia Tubers To My Garden Are You Ready To Start Growing Dahlias? What Are Dahlias? What Are Dahlias According to Wikipedia Types of Dahlias Types of Dahlia Varieties Dahlia Tubers VS Dahlia Seeds Growing Dahlias From Seed Growing Dahlia Seeds Where To Buy Dahlia Bulbs Where to Buy Dahlia Tubers In Canada: Planting Your Dahlia Tubers Where To Plant Dahlia Tubers Good Soil Is Important If You Want To Grow Beautiful Dahlias When To Plant Dahlias USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Finder How To Plant Dahlias How Deep To Plant Dahlias Spacing Dahlia Tubers: How Far Apart To Plant Dahlias Dahlias Need Water: How Often To Water Dahlias Water Dahlias Once They Have Their First Set of True Leaves Support Your Dahlia Plants: How To Stake Dahlias How To Pinch Dahlias Knowing When To Pinch Dahlias Weed Control Get in the know. Diseases and Pests That Can Affect Dahlias Combating Pests and Diseases When Growing Dahlias Applying Neem Oil To Your Dahlia Plants Beneficial Insects for Pest Control Do I Need To Deadhead Dahlias How Long Do Dahlias Bloom Growing Dahlias As Cut Flowers In Bouquets When to harvest your dahlia flowers Keep Your Cut Dahlia Flowers Out Of Direct Sunlight Do Dahlias Come Back Every Year Get in the know. When To Dig Up Dahlia Tubers How To Clean Dahlia Tubers For Storage Multiply Your Tuber Stock: How To Divide Dahlia Tubers Growing Dahlias: How To Store Dahlia Tubers Over Winter Periodically check your dahlia tubers for signs of rot Join Your Local Dahlia Society It’s Time To Start Growing Dahlias! How To Plant & Grow Dahlias Other Dahlia & Garden Posts You Might Enjoy: Shop Some Of My Favorite Garden Finds How I Got Started Growing DahliasI first started growing dahlias in my own backyard in 2014. That summer of 2014, I bought 16 dahlia bulbs at Costco and online to plant in my flower garden. Little did I know back then that I was just beginning my journey in growing dahlias. The next summer I grew 64 dahlia plants!Fast forward to now and I am currently planning out our 2021 flower farm where I will be growing somewhere between 700-900 dahlia plants. For me, it’s like the old saying with potato chips, you can’t have just one. Adding More Dahlia Tubers To My GardenEvery year since 2014, I’ve been able to multiply my dahlia tuber bulbs by dividing them. It’s amazing how single tubers multiply in the course of one year! These tuberous roots can multiply and create on average 3-10 new tubers for the next growing season. Of course I’ve also added many dahlia varieties along the way. In 2020, I grew close to 40 varieties of dahlias (not including the ones I started from seed). This year (2021) I will be growing over 60 different varieties of dahlias.While I may be growing almost 1000 dahlias, I actually have several thousand dahlia tubers! You can actually find some of my favorite dahlia tubers for sale in our online shop by clicking here. Holding a freshly harvested bouquet of dahlias from our garden. “Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.” — Mario QuintanaAre You Ready To Start Growing Dahlias?Hopefully you’ve found yourself here today because you too have a desire to learn how to grow dahlias. Keep reading and I will do my best in this beginner’s guide to dahlias to guide you in the right direction so that you can successfully get started with planting, growing, and caring for your own dahlia flowers. Whether you are a beginner in the garden or an experienced gardener, I hope you will learn something new about growing dahlias in this post.What Are Dahlias? Close-up of Frank Holmes Purple Pom Pom Dahlia.Dahlias originate from Mexico and would you believe that they were once eaten just like a potato plant. Can you imagine growing gorgeous dahlias to eat the tubers? Crazy, huh? In my wildest dreams I can’t imagine growing dahlias just to eat their tubers.What Are Dahlias According to WikipediaAccording to Wikipedia, a “dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America.” Dahlias are a member of the Asteraceae family. They are closely related to sunflowers, daisies, chrysanthemums, and zinnias. There are hundreds of different varieties of dahlias. All dahlia plants produce single stem flowers ranging from 2 inches in diameter to a foot wide. Most dahlias do not produce any scent and they attract pollinators to the garden through their bright colors. Turn on your JavaScript to view contentTypes of DahliasThere are hundreds of different varieties of dahlias. All dahlia plants produce stems of single flowers ranging from 2 inches in diameter to a foot wide. Most dahlias do not produce any scent and attract pollinators through their bright colors. Dahlia plants also range in height with some as little as a foot tall and others growing to upwards of 6 or 8 feet in height.Types of Dahlia VarietiesThere are hundreds of varieties of dahlias. However, all varieties are broken down into specific types of dahlias. Within each of these types, many different varieties exist. Now, let’s take a look at the different types of common garden dahlias. These pictures show different dahlias ranging from pom pom to decorative dahlia to dinnerplate dahlias to cactus dahlias. The flower form and flower size can vary greatly from variety to variety. There are over 50,000 classified dahlias in the world! Single Flowered Dahlia Pooh | Collerette Dahlia Dads Favorite | Anemone Dahlia Cutie Patootie | Waterlily Dahlias Ice Tea | Formal Decorative Dahlia Honeymoon Dahlia | Informal Decorative Dahlia Shiloh Noelle Dinner Plate Dahlia Pink Robin Hood Ball Dahlia Frank Holmes Pom Pom Dahlia Maui Semi Cactus Dahlia Cactus Dahlia Fimbriated Dahlias Single & Double Orchid Dahlias Peony Flowered Dahlias Dahlia Tubers VS Dahlia SeedsWhile many garden flowers are planted by seed, most dahlias are planted as a bulb referred to as a dahlia tuber. If you see a variety of dahlias that you like and you want to grow the same plant, then you must start with a dahlia tuber. By planting a dahlia tuber, you will grow an identical plant from the mother plant.  Clump of dahlia tubers.Dahlia plants produce tubers that grow in the ground. Each year the mother tuber (the original bulb) typically produces anywhere from 5-20 new tubers. By dividing these tubers in the winter, you can multiply the original plant and grow identical dahlia flowers.Growing Dahlias From Seed Close-up image of dahlia seeds.Growing dahlias from seed is very different from growing dahlias from tubers. When you grow dahlia flowers from seed, no two plants will ever be the same! That’s right, by growing dahlia flower seeds, you are actually creating a new variety of dahlias that’s never been grown before. Whereas when you plant a dahlia tuber, it will grow an identical plant from the mother tuber.Growing Dahlia SeedsDahlia flower seeds get their genetic makeup from the seed parent as well as the pollination of bees. That’s right, the bees and other garden pollinators actually play a huge role in determining what your dahlia seeds will eventually grow. The bees carry pollen from one dahlia plant to the next and actually modify the genetic make-up of the dahlia seeds. Most dahlia seeds will grow single or semi-double blooms with an open-center.  You can learn more about growing dahlias from seed by clicking here to read my in-depth post on growing dahlias from seed.Where To Buy Dahlia BulbsNowadays it seems that you can buy dahlia tubers (sometimes referred to as bulbs) almost anywhere. I do however recommend that you choose to buy your dahlia tubers from a reputable grower or wholesaler. Reputable growers are less likely to have disease or viruses present in their tubers. Dahlia tubers of various shapes and sizes. All viable and ready for planting.Some of my favorite online dahlia tuber sources:–The Flowering Farmhouse –Bear Creek Farm –Floret Flowers (currently not selling tubers, but have an amazing seed collection) –Swan Island Dahlias –Tall Grass Farms –Triple Wren Farms –Dahlia Addict (An online resource guide that lists many growers throughout the U.S. & Canada) Where to Buy Dahlia Tubers In Canada:–Creekside Growers –Dahlia Addict (An online resource guide that lists many growers throughout the U.S. & Canada) Planting Your Dahlia Tubers Flower beds are amended and ready for dahlia planting.Where To Plant Dahlia TubersTo begin, you will need to decide where to plant your dahlia tubers. Your dahlias need full sun with at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Choose a sunny spot with morning sunlight. If possible, try to find a wind protected spot to plant your dahlia tubers.Good Soil Is Important If You Want To Grow Beautiful DahliasDahlias will also benefit from being planted in well drained, sandy soil. If you do not know the Dahlias are heavy feeders that benefit from being planted in well drained, sandy soil. If you do not know the fertility of your soil, I recommend getting a soil test. A soil test will provide you with important information so you can amend your soil accordingly to have rich soil to feed the dahlia root system. Doing so will reward you with more dahlia flowers this summer. Dahlias do best in slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.When To Plant DahliasTo get started, you need to know when to safely plant dahlias outside. Planting time varies from Most people plant dahlias in early spring. To get started, you need to know when to safely plant dahlias outside. Planting time varies from growing zone to growing zone, but is always after danger of frost has passed. While it can be tempting to get an early start on growing dahlias, your dahlia tubers should not be planted until the ground has warmed and all dangers of frost have passed. The ground soil temperatures should be above 60 degrees before planting out your dahlia tubers. Depending upon your growing season, most areas can plant dahlia tubers outside around mid April through May. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Finder lets you check your last average frost date for your growing zone.USDA Plant Hardiness Zone FinderIf you do not know your growing zone, you can use the USDA Hardiness Zone Finder to check when your last average frost date is for your growing zone. As a general rule, this will tell you when it’s safe to plant out your dahlias. Of course, be sure to also check your local forecast for any late forecasted frosts. I typically wait a week or two after our last frost date before planting out in the garden.How To Plant DahliasFor detailed instructions for planting your dahlia tubers, be sure to check out my detailed post: “A Beginner’s Step By Step Guide For Planting Dahlia Tubers.”How Deep To Plant DahliasOnce it is time to plant your dahlia tubers, begin by finding dry areas with good water drainage. Start by a planting hole that is 4-6 inches deep. Next, place your dahlia tuber on it’s side with the eye of the dahlia tuber facing up. Gently cover up the dahlia tuber so it has 4-6 inches of soil covering it. Now the waiting game begins. Some dahlia tubers can take as long as 4 weeks before you see sprouts above the ground.Spacing Dahlia Tubers: How Far Apart To Plant DahliasMost dahlia tubers need to be spaced at least 12-18 inches apart. This allows for air flow to move freely through your dahlia plant. If your dahlias are spaced too closely together, air can not flow through and you will be more likely to have pest or fungal problems on your dahlia plants.Dahlias Need Water: How Often To Water DahliasHow often you will need to water your dahlias depends a lot on where you are growing your dahlias. Most soil has enough moisture that you do not need to water your dahlias until the first set of true leaves appear on your plant. Watering too soon can cause the dahlia tubers to rot. Water Dahlias Once They Have Their First Set of True LeavesOnce your dahlias have sprouted their first set of leaves, you should give your plants a deep watering 3-4 times per week. I prefer to use a drip line to provide a good, long soak. With a drip line, I water my dahlias for about 30-60 minutes. During hot periods I will water my dahlias daily, checking to make sure the soil is not too wet. You do not want your dahlia tubers to rot.Support Your Dahlia Plants: How To Stake DahliasWith large blooms, tall dahlia plants can become top heavy and need to be staked. If you are just growing a few dahlia plants in your garden, you can either use garden stakes or tomato plant cages to support your dahlia plants.If you are growing rows of dahlias, then you will want to use posts to corral your dahlias. I use t-posts spaced every 10’. Then, I use heavy duty polypropylene twine wrapped around the t-posts to support my dahlia plants.How To Pinch DahliasAfter your plants start growing, you will eventually need to pinch your dahlias. Pinching your dahlias will encourage the plant to branch out and produce more stems. It is important to note that pinching dahlias can delay blooms by a couple weeks, but in the long run you will be rewarded with more blooms.Knowing When To Pinch DahliasWhen your dahlia plants reach 12-18 inches in height (or have 4 pairs of leaves), you will want to pWhen your dahlia plants reach 12-18 inches in height (or have 4 pairs of leaves), you will want to pinch your dahlia plant. Find the center stem and cut out about 3-4’’ of the center stem. Your dahlia plant should have at least 4 sets of leaves at this point, so when you make the cut, you should be left with at least 3 sets remaining. By cutting out the center stem, you will encourage the plant to branch out and grow more side buds. Pinching is a good guideline if you also want your beautiful flowers to grow longer stems. Using clean garden shears, remove about 3-4” from the center stem. Close-up of where dahlia plant was pinched. Dahlia plant will now be encouraged to produce more low lying and longer stems for cut flowers. Weed ControlIt is important to stay on top of weeds around your dahlias. You want the area below your dahlia plants to remain clear to prevent any pests and disease from affecting your plants. To avoid injuring your dahlia plants, hand pull or gently weed around your dahlias. Get in the know. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates.Thank you for subscribing!There are many diseases and pests that can affect your dahlias ability to grow. Keeping your dahlias weeded, watered, and fertilized can all help your plant to stay healthy and ward off pests and disease.Slugs and earwigs LOVE dahlias. There are different ways you can keep both away and prevent them from devouring your beautiful plants! After planting you can put down Sluggo or SluggoPlus around your dahlia plants. This will need to be reapplied throughout the growing season. Powdery mildew is also something that can easily affect your dahlia plants. Powdery mildew is a fungus that can be treated with neem oil, a fungicide. Neem oil is used as both a fungicide and pest control. You can spray your plants every 7-14 days with neem oil to combat powdery mildew, spider mites, and aphids.Make sure that you do not spray neem oil when the bees are active. While a great, natural pesticide, neem oil is toxic to bees. Some gardeners prefer to spray their plants with compost tea. A good compost tea can help you grow stronger and healthier plants that are more disease resistant. Compost tea can also help to improve your soil’s fertility.Releasing beneficial insects is another way you can combat pests in the garden. I love to release ladybugs several times during the growing season. Lady bugs devour aphids and are a great, natural pest control solution.If you want to be rewarded with lots of dahlia flowers, you will want to deadhead your dahlias. Deadheading spent blooms will encourage new growth on your dahlia plants. To deadhead your dahlias, simply cut off the spent blooms.Once planted in the ground, dahlias take typically about 8 weeks to start blooming. For most growing zones in the U.S., you will typically see your dahlias start to bloom in July. Your dahlias will continue to bloom until your first hard killing frost. Dahlia flowers are exceptionally gorgeous in bouquets! Many people grow dahlias in their cut flower garden to fill their homes with fresh cut dahlias in the summer. While dahlias are a gorgeous cut flower, they do not have a very long vase life. With proper conditioning though, you can expect a vase life of 3-7 days for your dahlias.When harvesting dahlia flowers, be sure to cut the flowers in the early morning or late evening. Start with a clean pair of garden shears to make your cuts. I like to bring a cool bucket of water into the garden with me so I can immediately place my dahlias in water.After harvesting, boil a pot of hot water. Make a fresh horizontal cut in your dahlia stem and dip your stems in hot water (water should no longer be boiling, but still hot). Dahlias have a hollow stem and this will help your dahlias to start drinking water and hopefully prolong their vase life. If possible, place dahlias in a cool location for 12-24 hours to rehydrate (do not place in a fridge with fruits and vegetables).Dahlia flowers are extremely sensitive. While it can be tempting to display your beautiful dahlia blooms in the kitchen, keep your dahlia bouquet away from direct sunlight and fruits and vegetables. Your bouquet will also benefit from fresh water, change out your water daily for longer vase life.Depending upon your growing zone, dahlias may come back every year. In zones 8-10 you can actually leave your tubers in the ground over winter. Below zone 8, it is recommended that you remove your tubers from the ground to protect them from freezing and rotting over winter.Even if you live in growing zones 8-10, it is recommended that you dig up your dahlia tubers every few years to divide the tubers.