#the amount of art ideas this just inspired in me T-T <3

[eurydia]

Glen McCready as Zevlor, reading Lord Byron's "She Walks in Beauty" and begging for a kiss.

[Full Cameo] Transcript below

She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes; Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o’er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express, How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!

Now, before my courage ups and flees, I beg you: kiss me.

[victoriaspriing]

2023 writing gif-making round up

Rules (adapted for fic, gifs, art, etc.): Share what you made this year! It can be works you posted to Ao3, Wattpad, Tumblr, or anywhere else! You can share everything you made or just the projects you're most excited about.

I was tagged by @swearphil! thank you sm renee <33

Hii!! so 2024 is right around the corner, happy new year yayay. Actually, if I think too much about it I think I'll start crying cause like what do you mean we're less than 42 hours from staring a new year?!! 2023 doesn't feel real tbh time in general doesn't feel real but yeah anyways I'll save that convo for another time. I'm here today to reflect on all the gifsets I've made throughout this year, which let me add, has been A LOT. I'm going to start by sharing some fun stats (yes renee I'm copying you <33), and then I'll do a fun top 5 of my fave gifsets, and to finish it off I'd also like to use this to shout out some of my fave people and creators on this hellsite cause you all made my 2023 so much better and I love you all for that <333

fun statistics:

In total I made 61 gifsets in 2023

57 are heartstopper (not surprised)

3 are 911 lone star (mostly tarlos)

1 are dan and phil

In august I made 20 gifsets, which are the most gifsets I've made in a month this year

In may I made 1 gifset, which is the month I made less gifsets this year

6 of the gifsets are song lyrics edits

3 of the gifsets are heartstopper comic edits

31 of the gifsets are scenes from heartstopper

6 of the gifsets are heartstopper compilations from s1 and s2

top 5 gifsets from 2023 (in no particular order)

that one dnp gifset: I think most people know that I was and still am a big dan and phil fan, and that I spent most of my teenage years obsessing over them and giffing them and only them. Well, they went on hiatus and they stopped having a big impact on my life util they decided to come back and ruin my life again (in a good way). This gifset was the first time I giffed them since like idk 2019/2020, and it does mean a lot to me :') it's not really about the concept and the coloring, I chose this one to be apart of my top 5 for sentimental reasons, and I think that's valid.

give your friendships the magic you would give a romance: once again, sentimental reasons. when I read this quote on loveless it just spoke to me in so many levels. One of the things I love the most about heartstopper is the importance they give to friendship and I just had to make something that highlighted that and I think it turned out super good.

I think nellie loves him: well, now I think I snapped with this one akdhjahak I just love it so much. the coloring.. the heartstopper tv scenes with the heartstopper comic scenes, like chef's kiss, just perfect. of course this is not an original idea so I'd love to thank @rose-nobles for inspiring this gifset <33

mr. ajayi loves museum dates with his grumpy bf: and just like that we are back to sentimental reasons ahdhkas. well, this was one of the first gifsets I made when season two came out and it blew up. I've never had that many notes on a gifset, and honestly I think it's well deserved cause the coloring is good and I had finally just figured out how to sharpen gifs, so yeah love that for me.

I'm bi actually: I had so much fun making this one. the amount of bi coded elements and colors I included on this, I WAS ON A MISSION. the fact I made the font wobbly hsjgdjaka, I love love this gifset.

a little shout out to my faves (I hope you all have an amazing 2024)

@swearphil ☆ @barrowsteeth ☆ @narliee ☆ @cafecdramin ☆ @heroeddiemunson ☆ @nelsonnicholas ☆ @curlyhairedprince ☆ @wylanvannecks ☆ @aimeegbbs ☆ @indimlights ☆ @jelloandsugar ☆ @perrieedwards ☆ @imogen-heaney ☆ @thatwasthenightthingschanged ☆ @klinejack ☆ @birthdaysentiment ☆ @seeleybooth ☆ @sonseulsoleil ☆ @taraolssons ☆ @immortals-malec ☆ @parissquads ☆ @rose-nobles ☆ @itwasmagic ☆ @perccyjackson ☆ @naomismcpherson ☆ @neverfindmegone ☆ @charlieisverybored

Okay I think that's it, I'm so sorry if I missed someone. I'm also tagging everyone that wants to do this, just say I tagged you in it <33

[your-local-uwu-artist]

wip dump :3

evil art style! my art style has quite a lot of range but I decided to default to chibis for this. I also didn't want to like, just draw one character bust up like i see most people do for it, so I wanted to come up with a way to show multiple characters on one page in an appealing manner

sonic drawing practice! I've been procrastinating this one because the lineart I've done so far on it is almost too good. I'm not sure If i can keep up the standard set

jame-joe doodles! really wanna keep developing this concept: I think it has decent potential! i don't remember how much I've shared about him but i don't think i've talked about it much beyond the base premise. Jame-Joe is inspired by characters like Dipper and Wirt, he's clever, is serious and studious in the pursuit of his goals, can be rather emotional and is prone to cowardice and insecurity, but can be determined when push comes to shove. I set myself up for a challenge here, as I want him to be expressive but limited by his doll body. It's a fun challenge though!

more 'i should start an etsy' drawings. i've seen people make like 'gacha blind bag' keychains and thought of the idea of those with aimaina-chan designs!

fdanfsdjk I almost feel bad for spoiling this one because I'm so excited to share it!!!! But i guess the sorta person to read through this post probably don't mind spoilers lol. I realized 'Timmy's a 2000s kid' and decided to go ALL IN on that. I dug deep into my memories and decided this kids going to need rainbow looms, slap-wraps, silly bandz, and those rubbery braclets where theres one white segment and one black segment and i have no clue if this is true but when i was a kid everyone always said the white segment was snow from mount everest and the black one was like sand from the bottom of the ocean. anyway! I had so much trouble wiht finding the right shade of pink that if i go trhough making a youtube video on these designs you guys will definitely here my color theory rant.

my main goal i can only describe as 'arcade carpet'

he thinks he's cool but knows he's lame. I gave him a fnaf shirt also, i dived deep into my brain as asked myself 'what graphic t-shirt from hot-topic would timmy turner wear' and i decided on fnaf because i think it's funny. so far these extra outfits have been going up in the amount of projection I'm doing. It started with spongebob's sweater vests, continued with Dannys stereotypical-transmasc fits, and now I'm lowkey just drawing stuff I've worn (actually danny's fit with the flannel I've def worn before but like, i assigned timmy a sanrio character(i gave him keropi because it's an easy way to incorporate green accents into his design lol)) anyway!!!

i had 'i want it that way' stuck in my head again and turned to queeries he proceded to give me the solution of chipi-chipi-chapa-chapa. this was not a solution obviously but whatever. i decided to use my new problem to animate myself dancing. sure. why not. if I upload this to youtube i think i should title it 'me at the function' of course i don't actually go to any functions so perhaps 'me when i' would be more fitting

Haku with his starter! the shy kid to eccentric adult pipeline

more of baby Haku! weird part-mimikyu child wandering alola before discovering ghost-type communities and being like 'finally! someone that doesn't look at me weird when i mention demonic possesion!'

with the timeline I'm going with Haku's younger than Acerola so she's like a big sister to them :3

He stares at you with his big ol eyes awkwardly lowkey steals your malasada and gives you a flower in return

rf4 art!!! I love rune factory enough that I own a throw pillow with vishnal on it >:3

frey my fucking beloved!!!!!! lest is here too also. btw frey is a demigirl and lest is a demiboy this is true you can trust me

sketch design for one of those cd keychains with alvin and the chipmunks!

I plan to caption this '1k notes and I voice+animate my yumehoshi beam' as a bit, not because i want 1k notes, but because 99% chance it won't get 1k notes, but if it does then it'd be a really funny way to break my shyness with sharing my voice to the internet

smurtsune miku smurf my BELOVED

need more character for this btw!

[i-am-a-fan]

Question time cuz now I'm curious! (Mainly pirate AU cuz you guys sorta caused a fixation) What is the mark on her forehead? Is it related to her inheriting the samadhi fire or is it related to her draconic past? :0 IS THERE A FIC I CAN CONSUME?? Is there other refs on the making? I'm interested to see Sandy's design :3 Are you and spoof like co-au authors, or do you guys kinda pass the au kinda like hot potato? (lol) I noticed that in the concept for the pirate AU it had a doodle indicating that the treasure (which I'm presuming is the staff from previous post 👀👀) is located on Macaques eye. (probably, idk) and that Mk is the key. So uh. Bestie. How does t h a t work???? (Am nervous of angst)

Loving the details! Love the Au! Love any silly thing, either way keep it up Speck!

-your friendly mutual Peony (I should change my pfp lol)

OKAY. IMMA JUST RAMBLE BECAUSE I GOT SOME ANSWERS THAT ARENT SPOILERS. WAHOOO!!! This got long. So just click see more for all the answers

summary:

1. Both. 2. Yes and no. 3. No refs but comics are still being sketched. 4. It’s more like a game of telephone, and 5. i’ll explain when we get there.

1. The mark on mei’s forehead is actually from both!

My inspiration was the pattern on the back of redson’s jacket in the show. It has 3 fireballs and three lines in the middle. Since i deeply love putting in tiny details I of course used this as inspiration for the markings on redson’s back in the au.

The same markings that they got when the samadhi fire was ripped away from their body and sealed into the golden rings. However, it looks like part of the pattern is missing from the burn marks on redson…

2. Is there a fic? Yes and no. I’m still super new at writing fan fiction and comics are my go-to place for storytelling, as a result I’m hesitant to actually release any fic to the public. More so, the comics give me some time to actually think about what I want the plot to be, since i’m just laying down train tracks as I go. (Terrible. i know.)

3. Are there any refs in the making? Honestly? right now, no. Ref sheets are fun but only when you draw that character a lot. And unfortunately, just doing the mei sheet took me around 20 hours total to get it where i wanted it to be. So, i’m still working on other sheets. However, since you asked about Sandy..

He’s supposed to appear in the next comic which will probably take me a while to do. So please be patient! With finals and everything I have no idea what my day to day looks like.

4. Are me and @spoofyleaf co-authors or is this a game of hot-potato? I think it’s closer to a game of telephone, where things get lost in translation sometimes, but over all the message gets passed. The amount of rambling they endure from me in ungodly and i appreciate them. so much.

5. The concept art… uhh don’t worry about :>

THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS!!!

[nerves-nebula]

Me: oh no I’ve just trauma dumped in nerves inbox! It’s probably so tired of ppl doing that instead of commenting on its awesome art/storytelling,, especially w/ nonsense problems like mine T^T

Your response: *the most validating thing I’ve read in my god damned life*

Srsly the amount of times you’ve taken that part of ppl in denial abt their abuse & kicked that little shit in the ass without even realizing it is awe inspiring! & it’s all bc of your drive/talent for sharing your own stories! You’re amazing!!! <3

Gosh, you people are sweet.

It’s probably just because I feel invalid about a lot of my own stuff. It’s easier to validate others and enforce my belief that it doesn’t have to have been Literally The Worst to have been trauma or abuse. Easier to do that for others than it is to apply that to myself, is what I mean.

One thing I try to remember is that it’s common for people with trauma to wish something “worse” or more tangible had happened to them so that they had an excuse to feel the way they do. So that they’re trauma didn’t take an essay to explain. And that’s certainly the case with me. For all the neglect and abuse I suffered, I’m pretty sure nearly all of my siblings got it worse one way or another.

I was and still am petrified of the idea of violence. I was always in close proximity to it and that fear froze me in place every time. I only ever tried to intervene a few times, and I rarely got between anyone. The sexual abuse stuff was probably some of the less detrimental stuff happening. My parents didn’t ignore me more than any others tbh, though I did resent my spot in the hierarchy as “one of the kids who never causes trouble” (my dads words paraphrased) because I knew that meant they generally thought about and cared about me less.

I still feel bad that I want attention. That I wanna be cared about by all of my siblings and doted on when I’ve basically only ever sat off to the side and done nothing when they needed my help. Maybe I’d have the closer connections I wanted if I hadn’t been a coward :p

Aaaanyway, venting in my inbox gives me an excuse to vent back.

[journalsouppe]

ORACLE OF AGES MY BELOVED!!! Mwah mwah I love you so much OoA you were so silly and fun and charming. If only there was a third game about Farore since she's my favorite golden goddess!!! Oh well, at least we have two fun Oracle games and at least Farore is in both.

The images are printed screenshots from the game I found online!

Writing typed below:

Rating: 8.5 Played: Fa 2022 Port: 3DS (GBC Version)

Comments

Feels older than ALTTP

Great reach with sword, better than ALTTP

the screen scrolling caught me off guard

why is the tree in love with Link T-T

let me see Farore!!!!!

loved L-1 boss!

omg riding on the animals <3 love you Moosh

the puzzles are unique but very Zelda like

some similarities to the minish cap

you really need to unlearn everything you know about Zelda to play each game -> potions and fairies are switched in this game

the man's ceremony is gonna make me lose my mind

love the return of the gorons

the gorons all dance, just like smth I believe each Zelda race does

the Ghini are back ahhhhh

mermaid link!! so cute

baby Jabu Jabu!!

very experimental with play styles, I love it!

LYNELS?????

koji kondo killed it as usual

pixel art is 10/10

I like collecting the relics for L-8

omg both types of zora exist I absolutely adore that

omg a little statue of LInk <3

love the skeleton pirates

LINK TEACHING RALPH SO CUTE!!

final boss wasn't too bad, I liked dark link and her final forms (veran)

My holodrum code

Summary:

What a unique game. The whole concept was super cute and I am surprised the oracle games aren't that popular. There are many aspects inspired by OOT and MM such as the Hand in the toiled and some of the enemies but it definitely takes even more inspo from the 2d games. There's a lot of similarities between this game and the Minish cap! It was super cute and it really felt like they let the developers explore silly ideas. For one, they included both river and ocean Zora which I believe is one of the only games to do so. It also has bonus content if you play its sister game, seasons. The dungeons had a good difficulty to them and the bosses and mini had really cool designs - honestly designs you probably wouldn't see in any other game. There was also a good amount of down time content for when you aren't in the dungeons with really fun scenery and characters. Speaking of, the character designs were super cute and unique since they a different pixel art style! (Before I knew this was inspired by Link's Awakening). I highly recommend this game to anyone with a 3DS (rip you can't get it anymore). It is absolutely worth it. A Zelda fan must!!

[eomma-jpeg]

for the ask game, sorry if these have already been asked!

8, 10, 14, 17, 25, 27+28 :)

8. if you had to write a sequel to a fic, you’d write one for…

i already answered this, but what a shame! it is my college au and this first "book" is gonna be about the vashmeryl relationship coming to fruition, and the sequel will be them working through some loooong time trauma and issues, but together !

10. what is the longest amount of time you’ve let a draft rest before you finished it?

oh months, certainly. i have wips and drafts rn that are just sitting.... waiting for me to return LOL

i try to go back and finish the chunks i have and not leave them like,,, halfway done, but i do have a vashmeryl wip i started.... over a year ago? and still have not finished it lol

14. where do you get your inspiration?

honestly from other media i watch. i'm currently planning out a trigun dancer au and i was motivated because of Strictly Ballroom, a silly Baz Lurhman movie (please watch it the romance is so cute and it takes itself so seriously)

also from my friends !!! @squid789 is such a good person to bounce ideas off of and has inspired (i stole her ideas) a few aus

17. talk about your writing and editing process

so... ideally i do what i did for in the meadow where I wrote and wrote and wrote,,, and then just constantly went over chapters with edits and rewrites until it was time to post.

with itm i was always at least 3 chapters ahead and had the time to go back and check through chapters, make sure everything flowed well, ensure continuity... but with my newer works it hasn't been like that.

I have good grammar and spelling in general and i also use The Internet to write on so it gets spell checked, but i don't take nearly as much time to edit my work as i'd like to anymore

im a sleepy teacher who just wants to post her fanfiction T-T

25. besides writing, what are your other hobbies?

alright!

so i love doing embroidery. im currently working on a cross stitch project that has been very relaxing

i love to sing. i cannot express to yall how much i love singing. it is seriously my favorite thing to do. i love music and expressing my feelings through song. i lovvvvvvvvvvve to sing (im pretty good too hehe)

i sew and draw (SOMETIMES) and i cook. i do a lot of things! i love to explore just various arts and crafts

27. your favorite part of the writing process

i just love creating. i love putting ideas on the page and getting the content that i want... because i love the writing of others (and i do apologize) but there is always something that isn't for me

but thats because it wasn't written for me!! it was written for the author

and thats why i write,,,, because i want something specific

and i love romance and it gives me the power to make my blorbos kiss >:)

28. your least favorite part of the writing process

putting the ideas on the page T-T

im a bit stuck right now with what a shame mostly because i keep doubting myself WHOOPS

but its so hard when i cant decide with idea will be best

IMPORTANT LACE ADVICE: it doesn't matter what idea you get down, just get something down. once you have something down, you can change it or decide if you even still want it. the hurdle is getting the idea down!

thanks goo !!!!

[beyondmistland]

Book Review (7/3/23)

The King Must Fall by Adrian Collins (4/5)

A wonderful collection of dark and bloody stories. What You Wish For by Devin Madson (4.5/5) Maybe it’s the fact this is the first story in the anthology or maybe it’s that fairytale-like ending but I loved this story apart from one or two of the character names. The Dark Son by Luke Scull (4/5) Apart from the jungle setting the story wasn’t too original but it did benefit from having one of the rare endings to come with a positive message. Glory to the King! by Anna Smith Spark (3/5) While the idea of imposter syndrome in an undefeated ruler was interesting to read and the writing generally solid, said ruler’s profanity-laced narration struck me as more juvenile than moving personally speaking. The Book Burner’s Fall by Anthony Ryan (3.5/5) While well-written, particularly in its opening sections, I was left somewhat dissatisfied by the climax. Mother Death by Michael R. Fletcher (5/5) The Ice Age-inspired setting, the unique magic system, and the compelling first-person narration made this one an instant favorite of mine. The Black Horse by Jeremy Szal (4/5) The bloodiest of the bunch, this story really reminded me of TLOU from the dynamic between the two main characters to the moral dilemma presented at the climax. Thrall by Lee Murray (4/5) The story didn’t do anything unexpected apart from making the selkies New Zealander but it was well-told. King for a Day by Daniel Polansky (4/5) The Mesoamerican-inspired setting was interesting but what really grabbed my attention was just how many times the MacGuffin changed hands, not to mention the fact each murderous, would-be ruler having a different reason for wanting power. Looking back now, it kind of reads like someone adding the One Ring or the Green Pearl to The Emperor’s New Groove, which…obviously isn’t very funny. The King-Killing Queen by Shawn Speakman (5/5) Really wish I could have backed the expanded edition on Kickstarter. Anyway, what I liked most about this particular story was the blending of an Arthurian-based mythos with a GRRM-like sensibility regarding the human condition. The Face of the King by Adrian Tchaikovsky (5/5) This story was by far the most experimental, which immediately earns it some brownie points. The fact Tchaikovsky actually managed to pull off the present tense, second-person narration and stick the landing with one of the most memorable endings in the whole book, on the other hand, elevates it to the top of the pile. Hand of the Artist by Trudi Canavan (5/5) This was another first-person story I really enjoyed. The protagonist was very relatable and it was nice to see a king be brought down through the healing power of art for a change. The Conspiracy Against the Twenty-Third Canton by Alex Marshall (4.5/5) A non-European setting combined with two likable female protagonists and a few good twists made this a pleasure to listen to though there were some instances of modern language I didn’t particularly enjoy. Also, cannibalism. The Blade Queen and the Stoneheart by Anna Stephens (3/5) Apart from the titular Blade Queen none of the characters were that interesting and again the amount of profanity was a turn-off. That said, the ending did leave a striking image in my mind and the homage to Eowyn from LOTR a nice touch as well. The Day the Gods Went Silent by Justin T. Call (3/5) Well-written but overstuffed with world-building. A Piece of Movable Type by Peter Orullian (2.5/5) Apart from the ending the story wasn’t so much bad as it was dull and underwhelming. Definitely the weakest of the bunch in my opinion. The Wizard in the Tower by Kameron Hurley (5/5) I wasn’t expecting something romantic but I’m also not going to complain when it’s this good. The Varcolac by Matthew Ward (4.5/5) The relatively straightforward plot was elevated by cool characters, excellent prose, and a stellar ending that left me torn. On Wings of Song by Deborah A. Wolf (5/5) A fairytale-like story of sirens and female friendship that was heartwarming, if appropriately bloody by the end. The Last Days of Old Sharakhi by Bradley P. Beaulieu (4.5/5) Definitely a high note to end the anthology on. As an Arab, I adored the Middle Eastern setting but just as much I enjoyed the themes of change, legacy, and mortality. Special shoutout to audiobook narrator, Greg Patmore, who did an excellent job narrating each story.

Currently reading: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

[multi-lefaiye]

2, 5, 17, 18, and 23!

wahooo!!! thank you!! :D

2. That one genre you always try to avoid writing about and why?

hmmmm... i guess for me it'd be pure contemporary slice of life? i just can't really get into writing that personally--it can be fun to read!!! but i always wanna throw something in there to spice things up.

5. How would you describe your writing style? Does your writing style change for different WIPs? If yes describe all or maybe just a few.

i think i would describe my writing style as "wow those sure are some sentences huh"

in general i t r y to get very moody and atmospheric with my writing, but i'm not quite sure how often i succeed there!! i think it's easier for me to describe my art style than my writing style.

17. Have you ever made any major changes to any of your OCs? Which and why?

oh, SO many of them. with the amount that i pick up old ocs, dust them off, and put them in new wips, it's a miracle if any of them remain mostly unchanged.

as an example, let's take a look at the main trio of in seeking paradise.

knives was originally a character in, surprisingly, a comedic slice-of-life thing i wrote on and off when i was in high school. his original name was ace and he was a comic artist. i don't remember much about him, but i made him into a completely new character for this.

salem was originally a character inspired by a creepypasta i really REALLY like called infected town case files. i still have a lot of emotions about that one. anyway, salem's original concept was that she was a woman who was horrifically murdered and revived as like... a phoenix type creature. design wise she's very similar, but i changed her actual concept and personality around a LOT.

aaand david was originally a kinda randomly generated NPC in a ttrpg oneshot i was running!!!! out of the main trio, they've changed the least, except i transed their gender and bumped their height up.

18. What/Who influenced you to start writing and why do you write?

i was first influenced to start writing because i wanted to write warrior cats fanfiction. i am not kidding and i am not ashamed <3

i write now because i want to tell stories and like... connect with people. i have a lot of ideas i want to explore and put out into the world, and i hope that people enjoy them!!! :>

i also write because it's the only way to keep the blorbos from kicking my ass.

23. Tell me about your newest WIP idea. Even if you haven't written it down. Even if it will die in a matter of days.

i actually have two lol. the first is one i mentioned a little bit of--taking the movie The Ritual and trying my own spin on the general concept and vibes.

the latest update for that is that i'm still deciding if those characters are humans or not! because i do think it'd be fun to write a serious horror where the characters are little creatchers, but also i'm a little worried about people not taking it very seriously.

and as for the other one. that's a tales from the gas station fic idea i had. short version for that: i'm thinking about antonio again and i want to write something really exploring him as a character.

[sirislayer]

4, 8, 20, 23 for the artist asks!

4. Favorite Thing to Draw Faces, facial expressions, Pointy ears, Glow Magic stuff, landscape (traditional, abstract), Puns

8. What's the most fun and the least fun parts about your process

Most Fun:

Ideally this lightning of giddy inspiration strikes and I just MUST DRAW or else I will be unable to do anything else. (This is an unreliable reason to do art however, so it should never be depended upon)

But even if this aspect is missing, I like the part where everything of an idea clicks into place. The research starts to come together, the moodboard is helping, the scribbles turn into a sketch, turn into lineart.

Hyperfocus!!!! Hyperfocus is so great to be in. It satisfies my brain being able to hyperfocus on a piece of art and suddenly hours passed by but I finished a thing!!!

Creative activity to me often corresponds with problem solving. The problem often being, that the image I want to exist does not exist. So actually being in the process of problem solving and actually seeing results, thats fun!

Another fun thing - this specifically applies for me to fanart - is when I know a specific person, friend, mutual will enjoy the thing I'm working on as well. It's like "aaah the thing I'm making will probably excite my friend, I can't wait to see their reaction!!!"

Least Fun:

Repetition. I h a t e repeating things I have already done. I don't like doing repetitive tasks or redoing work because I lost my progress due to software crashing. It used to be the thing that would easiest stop me from drawing something. I've gained a bit of a better attitude and harder shell over the years over the course of various professional projects, but it's still a big bummer.

I find posting/uploading + tagging my content on different platforms to be a chore and rather tedious. It has made me think I should just quit twitter/instagram all together because I neither get the interactivity one would want out of them, nor do I necessarily gain any financial benefit from them. Tumblr and YouTube are the most fun to post to, but I know my audience i limited on Tumblr to those, who use tumblr.

Posting in general, while it does result in positive feedback and attention and all that external validation at times, I just find the process boring and rather stressful. Formatting my images to actually be top-notch quality and not be compressed by various platforms takes time, so I actually often just don't do it in the first place.

20. a piece from this year that you're really proud of

I think the one I'm most proud of is one that is not available to the public as of yet. It's an animated short (8 minutes) about coping with the escape from a domestic violence and abuse situation. Most of the work on this was done the years prior to this year, but I did finish a substantial amount of the final animation this year, so I think that still counts. I won't share a link to the video right now, probably in about a year or so. But here are some images from the film:

After finishing that film... long animation does not scare me as much anymore to make. :) If we want to talk strictly limited to this year and this year only - I will probably say my TAZ Graduation Animations [1] [2] [3] and this character design commission!

23. what's something you hope people notice when looking at your art

Uh... that one is actually kinda tough. I don't really know?

Unless the piece has a specific message/vibe I want them to definitely feel (e.g. my domestic violence film), a lot of times I just want people to enjoy the art?

I guess the normal expectation is, I want them to notice my effort? But even then, with 5 minute doodles, that's not effort that's just.. braindump so this answer does not feel quite universal.

A lot of times though, this specifically applies to animation and maybe comics - I am always pleased when people point out things I put in that were not required to make something work, but are fun to see anyways. (e.g. people pointing out ear wiggles, sign language, background action, Fitzroy getting more angry once he notices Argo's upsetness...) It's nice to see I did not add that detail and decor in vain.

In a way I hope people will notice the things and nuance I put there specifically for people to take notice of. (if that makes sense)

[misterbitches]

(SNOB vOICE excuse me for talking abt myself on my own blog 2 no one...im always sf paranoid ppl think i'm being more pretentious than i actually am if they stumble upon my untagged posts)

i'm not a creative writer which is why i went to film school and not real school and write scripts. but i'll watch something dumb and post fics every now and then. so during lockdown i got this crazy idea in my head abt this very self-indulgent ridiculously boring but fun-for-me character study fic for winteam. i don't even know why i would have gotten the urge, i just liked them so much and bounprem's dynamic too.

around that time things everywhere were super fraught (still fucking is obviously) but it was when the pandemic was super bad and people were dropping like FLIES and there was constant state-sanctioned murder. in thailand there were a lot of protests because of a coup going on there and a protester in the VICE video i watched on it said music helped them deal with the poverty and drug use in the slum they lived in in thailand. the left and/or artistic, indie, DIY scenes in other countries always fascinate, inspire, and entice me. uniteasia is a great resource for alternative asian music. a large chunk is dedicated to metal, which i'm not into, but there's a decent amount of post-/punk, DIY/grunge, indie/alt, and post-hardcore. i've been seeing a lot of shoegaze lately too.

so all this brewing in me i started to really think about a (queer) anarcho-commieesque band au fic but team is a (gasp) [cis] girl and i know i know boo hoo but also fuck that! i got a comment about that which bugged me cause i had to justify my sexuality which was weird because why are we both not embarrassed to be on ao3? i get the impulse but no because it was specifically because of all the stuff above and me listening to a lot of my favorite bands like nirvana—in uwma win had posters of nirvana on his wall plus his hair (which could be poser-ish but now he has like 3 and a radiohead poster and an arctic monkeys and oasis poster so you know what werq plus i am actually a poser)—and hole, fiona apple (who had just come out with her new album), vince staples, a bunch of other good shit, and getting into sonic youth. it just got me thinking of like music and art and diy and gender and identity because that's something those bands/people talk(ed) about and struggled with, along with sexuality obviously, and i wrote a lot; still writing. so much was going on then but like life had to stop so so much wasn't? that intensity they bring...what it would be like when there's so much shit going on in the world, if team was different when shit is so different. in any other circumstance, i wouldn't have imagined this specific scenario (i published one? i think or maybe two fics i had for them b4 and wrote some on my own)

anyway i thought about just taking it down and completely reworking some of it into some script for some dumb romcom i'd attempt to write in a pipe dream for it to get made but these 2 are just too compelling for me and now that this show is here??!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?! they're the only ship that could make me give half of a shit enough to even think this hard or continue something for up to 2 fucking years or even think about it. and for what? cos the fic is bad cos again can't write like that but just what? they had FORTY MINUTES in uwma. that's actually bonkers insane. like i cannot believe this????? how can i clown on them too much when they got so many of us fuckin' whipped. it's fun writing them just being hot and cool and doing art tho lmao it's fun watching them jus tbeing hot and cool and freakishly in love anyway i'm editing the stuff i've written and posted and will just save it instead of reposting. so if anyone ever read it before they can be extremely surprised at how different it is ^___^

speaking of music prem's song is really fuckin' good it's just the right amount of good pop with an edge it's a greaaaaaat background song for their scenes. genuinely good and i am never a fan of tv OSTs they are usually generic to me

[hollyethecurious]

CS AU: A Scandal at Swansdown (3/3)

Acknowledgement: This fic was inspired by this breathtaking and heart-wrenching art and prompt @itsfabianadocarmo posted last month. She graciously gave me her blessing to run with this idea and take it in my own direction, as well as allow me use of her aesthetic as cover art. I ask that you all go flail at her because she is a gift and deserves all the blame credit for this!

Summary: While employed by the Jones family to serve as housemaid at their country estate, Swansdown, Emma Nolan-Blanchard has been having an affair with Killian Jones, the future Earl of Hookshire. Emma knew they were being reckless, knew she might already be in trouble, and not just because she has fallen in love with a man she knows she can never truly have. When that “trouble” is discovered by her lover’s step-mother, Lady Jones, Emma is faced with an impossible choice: leave, without so much as a word to the man she loves, and receive a severance that would allow her to give herself and her child their best chance, or be turned out into the street with nothing, left in ruin. Heartbroken, Emma has no other choice but to accept Lady Jones’ terms. With her mother’s ring, the hush money she received, and a quick lie to mask her true identity, Emma set off, determined to make a new life for herself. A life, with its many twists and turns that would eventually lead her to the precipice of that which she’d always wanted. Could a mere maid achieve a happy ending with an earl after all?

A/N: Here we are!! The final installment! I can’t thank y’all enough for all the love you’ve shown this fic! I am overwhelmed by your likes, reblogs, and comments. A big shout out to Fabiana for prompting this fic in the first place! I hope you all enjoy its conclusion!

Much love to my amazing betas and cheerleaders: @kmomof4, @ultraluckycatnd, @veryverynotgoodwrites and @artistic-writer - y’all are the bestest!!

Rated M/E for language and… other things / Available on ao3 and ff.net / buy me a coffee / add to tag list / Part One / Part Two

Part Three 

Emma had not even been afforded the opportunity to remove her jewelry when the pronouncement came she had a visitor. When said visitor was identified as none other than Lady Jones herself, Emma had almost told the footman to send the woman away. However, she couldn’t bring herself to pass up the opportunity of seeing the woman’s reaction as they faced one another on more equal footing this time around.

Still dressed in her best gown and adorned with jewels Ingrid had loaned her, Emma stood in front of the closed doors of the drawing room. Straightening her shoulders, she lifted her chin, then nodded to the footman. He swung the door wide and Emma glided into the room with all the poise and command Ingrid had instilled in her, an expression of civil indifference set on her features.

“Lady Jones,” Emma greeted, enjoying the brief look of astonishment the woman had not been quick enough to smother. “To what do I owe this… pleasure?”

Lady Jones stiffened her posture and approached Emma, assessing her in the same disapproving way she had that day at Swansdown. Although, this time, there was a small glimmer of what might have been respect - albeit reluctant - behind her eyes.

“I must say,” she began in the haughty tone of superiority that had once sliced Emma to the bone. “I am impressed. You turned out to be a rather resourceful little thing, didn’t you?”

“I am sure I do not know what you mean,” Emma replied with a tone of coy innocence.

“Come now, my girl,” Cora cajoled. “Do not sell your efforts short. I can admit I was dubious as to whether you would amount to anything, but imagine my surprise at seeing you at the opera last night. In the Royal Box, no less.”

“Yes. I can imagine that must have been quite a shock for you.”

The woman gave Emma a strained smile in response to the dead panned tone of her reply and began stalking her way around the room, circling Emma as she built up to the reason as to why she was there.

“Not as shocking as it was to hear not only were you planning to enter the season, but that my stepson had already come to call on you.” Coming back around, Cora stood before Emma with a smug expression besetting her brow. “And that after a reunion with you he still had no idea as to the real reason you left Swansdown, or about the bastard he fathered.”

Emma’s hands balled into fists at her sides. “You will refrain from referring to my son that way, and rest assured that even though the opportunity did not present itself today, I will be telling Killian the whole truth first thing tomorrow.”

“No, my darling girl, I do not believe you will,” Cora asserted sharply. “In fact, when he comes to call, you will refuse to see him.”

“Why in heaven’s name would I do that?” she asked coolly.

A simpering expression slid over the woman’s face as she threatened, “Because if you do not, I will inform Lady Frost and the Queen herself that they have been duped. I will tell them all about you, your past, and the true nature of your child’s parentage.”

Emma inhaled sharply, dipped her head, and wet her lips as though nervous. “Very well,” she whispered meekly, pulling a triumphant look from the odious woman. Flicking her gaze up at Lady Jones from beneath her lashes, Emma asked, “Would you rather meet Lady Frost now, or wait until you have gained an audience with Her Majesty and tell them together?”

Cora balked and her brows pinched together in puzzlement.

A smirk lifted the corner of Emma’s lips and she crossed her arms over her chest. Leaning in towards the stunned woman, Emma revealed in a gloating tone, “They already know.”

“They… They know?”

“They’ve known since the day my son was born,” Emma told her. “Who his real father is, the sort of relationship we had, how we fell in love, and… what drove us apart.” Emma would swear she actually saw the woman flinch. “They know and they love me all the same. Love and accept me. Just as Killian always has.”

“Well,” Cora replied, clearly gathering her thoughts. “That may be all well and good, but what do you think Society will think when they learn of the truth?” she asked, the fresh threat left hanging in the air between them.

Emma could not contain the full-bodied laugh that escaped her. Pressing her hand over her mouth, she tried to fight back the unlady-like snort that shook her shoulders, but was wholly unsuccessful.

“You think such a scandal humorous?” Cora scolded.

“I find it hilarious you think anyone would even believe such a thing,” Emma chortled. “Who in their right mind would believe a lowly maid could ascend as far as having the ear and affection of the Queen? Who would dare challenge Her Majesty's own word of endorsement? And even if they did,” Emma continued, taking a measured step forward with her brow arched high upon her forehead. “Such a tale would only cast aspersions onto your own household, damaging your daughter’s prospects, and we both know you are not prepared to risk such a thing.”

Cora’s eyes dipped towards the floor, her desperation oozing from her pores as she played her final card, hopeless as it was. “Then perhaps it is money you are after,” she offered. “I bought you off once before, how much would it take to do so again?”

Emma’s jaw dropped and her arms fell back to her sides as a huff left her lungs. “Why are you so against Killian and me finally having a chance for happiness after all these years? What possible reason could you have when there is little for you to lose and so much to gain? Why would you deny Killian the chance to meet his…” Emma’s words trailed off as an epiphany illuminated within her mind. “Oh,” she drawled, casting a look of cold understanding at Cora. “I see. You’re afraid.”

“Afraid?” Cora responded, doing her best to appear as anything but. “That’s absurd. What would I have to fear?”

“That when Killian learns you are the reason I left without so much as a goodbye or the truth of my condition revealed to him, he will cast you and your daughter out into the street.”

Cora raised her chin in challenge and stated, “Killian would never abandon his sister.”

“No, you’re right,” Emma conceded. “Killian is a good and honorable man. He would never turn his back on Regina because of your actions. But he can ensure that his duty towards Regina never benefits you in any way.”

It was now Emma’s turn to circle her quarry. She was not the helpless young girl she had been when last they met. It was Emma who now held all the power, and she would be damn sure Cora knew it. She would not allow this woman to interfere with the happy future she and Killian and their son deserved.

“He can include provisions within her marriage contract stating if her future husband gives you so much as a cent, the entirety of Regina’s dowry must be paid back to the earl in full… plus interest.” Cora paled at the threat, but Emma was not yet done. “You do not want me as your enemy, Cora. Because we both know once Killian discovers the truth of your actions, I will be the only thing standing between you and utter ruin. So, it seems you are the one who has a choice to make this time.”

Visibly swallowing, Cora held fast to her composure as she inquired, “What choice would that be?”

Standing toe to toe with the woman who had robbed her of so much, Emma looked down at her and could not deny how good it felt to see her be the one standing small and meek. “You will swear not to interfere,” Emma demanded. “You will not meddle or conspire against us. You do not have to voice your support, but you will remain silent. Do so, and I will use all of my influence to ensure you are cared for in the manner to which you have grown accustomed.” Hardening her features, Emma grit her teeth and warned, “But cross me even once, and I will see you left with nothing. It will be you left in ruin. Destitute. Facing the squalor you once threatened me to suffer.”

Unwilling to give up any ground, despite having been backed into a corner, Cora gave her a spiteful smile and viciously quipped, “Are you so certain you will have such influence over my stepson when he learns of your actions? Do you really think his anger will not bleed over onto you when he learns of your betrayal? Choosing money over him?”

Emma softened her features and let out a quiet sigh, rocking back on her heels so she might put some space between them. “I am quite certain he will be angry,” she acknowledged. “It breaks my heart, knowing the pain I must have caused him, and I do not doubt he will feel betrayed.” Cora’s brows jumped and she opened her mouth with a keen retort on her tongue. “But,” Emma said, acutely staying her response. “I trust him. I trust our love, and I have faith that in the end, he will find it in his heart to forgive me.”

Cora’s features fell back to a neutral expression, and her next words surprised Emma. “Well, I hope you are right.” Extending her hand, in acceptance of Emma’s terms, Cora added, “For both our sakes.”

~/~

Killian paced the length of the sitting room, a pungent and expensive bouquet of flowers - one that contained all of Emma’s favorite blooms - clutched in his hand. Tucked within his breast pocket was the engagement contract he’d had drawn up. Ready for Emma’s signature, it was the final piece required in order to obtain the expedited license that would allow them to marry immediately. Though he knew they would have to remain in town until Regina was secure in her own match, Killian ached to return to Swansdown with his Emma, and found himself quite eager to bond with her lad in the place he hoped the boy would come to see as his home as well.

While the sounds of laughter and murmurs of entertained voices had wafted through the hall from the drawing room as Killian had been led to the other end of the house, he was thankful for the quiet solitude this room would afford them once Emma arrived. Slipping his hand into his trouser pocket, his fingers toyed with the velvet box containing the ring he hoped she would agree to replace the one she wore now.

It had not escaped his notice, the modest emerald set in a band of gold upon her left hand. Though lovely, Killian did not think it really suited his Emma. Of course, that could have simply been a byproduct his sin of covetousness was producing. Taking in a deep breath, Killian quelled the proprietary stirrings threatening to churn his gut and swallowed back the bitter taste thoughts of Emma with her beloved husband left in his mouth.

The man was long dead, Killian reminded himself. By Emma’s own admission her husband had cared for and made her happy during their short time together, so for that, Killian could find a sense of gratitude towards him. Knowing she still loved him, and likely always would, was a weight Killian was willing to carry. Besides, given the way Emma had greeted him yesterday, it was clear she still had very strong feelings for him. In time, Killian knew he could win back her love. He was not looking to replace the man who had given her the security of his position or the blessing of a child, he merely wanted the chance to regain the love he knew she was still capable of feeling for him. His father had once said that though love anew is never the same, it could still be found even after all hope of it was lost.

Killian had once thought her lost to him forever, and now that fate had brought them back together, he would not let something as petty as wounded pride stand in the way of their happiness. He had not been in a position to give her everything she deserved back then, and he did not fault her for finding it in another, but now… Now things were different. Now he could provide her all the comfort and privilege and love and security his station had to offer without risk of condemnation or ostracism. And not just her, but her son as well. For just as his father had done, Killian was determined to do right by the lad, ensuring he never felt less than or in any way an outsider. It would be up to Emma as to whether the lad would officially keep his father’s name, but to all of society Killian intended to make it clear the boy was a Jones, and that he be regarded as such in all matters of peerage.

Opening his pocket watch, Killian checked the time just as the parlor door opened. His head snapped up to see his Emma enter, a slightly frantic aura surrounding her as she apologized for her tardiness.

“Forgive me. I did not mean to make you wait.”

“Is everything alright, love?”

“Yes. Fine,” she assured him. “I just… that is… my son was not too keen in letting me leave him with his nanny this morning. He has not yet settled into his new surroundings.”

“I can only imagine such an upheaval would be rather traumatic when one is too young to understand--”

The parlor door banged open, and a small boy came running in with cries of Mama! as he sprinted towards them. Emma scooped the boy up into her arms, and with a visible inhale of fortification, met Killian’s stunned expression.

He had been expecting a wee babe, or a child no older than a toddler, not one of about four years old. A child with dark hair and familiar blue eyes, with points tipping his ears and a dimple he clearly inherited from his mother, denting his chin. The boy asked who the man was, and Emma took in another deep breath as Killian held his.

“Sweetheart,” she cooed softly at the lad. “This is my friend, Killian Jones, the Earl of Hookshire.”

The boy’s face lit up. Pointing at his chest he excitedly announced, “That’s my name! Mama named me after my Papa.” Killian’s held breath whooshed from his lungs, and his eyes snapped to Emma’s when the lad asked with an innocence only a child could deliver, “Are you my Papa?”

Seeing the truth shimmering in Emma’s gaze, Killian turned his attention back to her son - his son - and found himself unable to answer. Fortunately, a harried looking young woman appeared at that moment, a new set of apologies being released into the room as she offered to take Young Master Killian back to the nursery.

“Killy,” Emma said softly, drawing her… their son’s attention back to her, “Why don’t you go back to the nursery with Nanny while his lordship and I talk.”

Killian did not think his heart could contain the emotion he felt swelling in his chest. Watching his son being passed from one woman to the other, his arms ached with a pain he never knew existed. He wanted to tell the woman to stop, to bring him his son, but he knew it was best the boy not be present for the conversation that lay ahead.

“He’s the reason you left,” Killian said, hollowly, not yet ready to meet the anxious gaze he could feel upon him.

“Yes.”

“You left without telling me?” he asked in a tone of accusation colored by the hurt piercing his heart. Turning his head back towards her, he locked onto the green hue of her eyes, misted over with held back tears, and begged, “Why? Why would you keep such a thing from me? Did you think I would be angry, or that I would not do what was right?”

“What was right?” Emma repeated back to him. “What right could you have possibly offered me in that situation?”

“I could have provided for you,” he countered, his voice raising in anger. “For both of you. Did you not trust that I would?”

“Of course I trusted you,” Emma implored. “But I also knew you were not in a position to do so. Marriage was out of the question, and you had not the authority to establish any sort of financial provisions we would have required.”

“So you just made the decision for me, then,” he grit out in anguish. “Took it upon yourself to decide what was best, and to hell with anyone else.”

Tears escaped her lashes, but she remained otherwise composed in the face of his shock and anger. “I did what I thought was best,” she confided, the hope that he would understand infused in every word of her confession. “I did what I felt I must do to give all of us our best chance… and I have regretted it every single day since.”

“Then why not return or write to me?” he pressed. “If you’d had a change of heart, why not write to me and tell me so? I know I spent much of the past five years abroad, but you could have sent a letter to Swansdown to be forwarded to me.”

Emma’s eyes shifted, as did her stance, and the slight change in her demeanor exposed something Killian had failed to read in it up until now.

“Unless…” he exhaled with the beginnings of fresh understanding solidifying in his mind. “Unless you knew such a letter would never be forwarded on.”

“Killian,” Emma beseeched softly.

“Unless…” he repeated, stepping forward and fixing her with a piercing gaze, probing for the truth. “You knew someone would be keeping an eye out for any correspondence from you.”

Emma swallowed and wet her lips. “Killian, please--”

“It may have been five years since last we knew one another, but you are still an open book to me.” The long forgotten bouquet of flowers was still clutched in his hand, and his grip tightened around the stems, crinkling the paper the flower girl had used to wrap them as rage simmered to a slow boil within his veins. “You might be able to lie to others, but never to me. I’m right, aren’t I? Someone knew. Someone knew about us, about our child, and they forced you to leave without saying a word.”

He did not need Emma to answer, her expression as well as his own knowledge and experience were confirmation enough.

“Cora,” Killian seethed, slamming the cluster of flowers against the arm of a nearby chair and tossing the ruined blooms at the floor as he spun around and marched for the door. “My treacherous step-mother will rue the day she--”

“Killian, no. Please,” Emma grasped his arm, and forced him to turn back around. Cupping his face in her hands, she acknowledged, “You have every right to be angry, but please do not do anything--”

“How can I not?” Killian reached up and pulled her hands from his face, clasping them tightly in his own as he brought them to rest against his chest, hoping they might help anchor him while he battled against the surge of such fury. “Look what she’s done! What she took from us. What she took from me.”

Emma released a soft breath and flattened her palms over his heart, her expression holding the solidarity of commiseration even as she asked, “What would you have had her do? What other choice did she have?”

Killian blanched, head cocking to one side as his brows pulled together and his hands fell away from hers. “Are you seriously defending her? After the way she treated you?”

An expression of hurt crossed her features when he withdrew his touch, and she took a small step back, asserting, “Make no mistake, I have held my fair share of resentment towards the woman, and last night when she came here, I let her know in no uncertain terms that I would not tolerate even a hint of disdain or meddling from her.”

Killian opened his mouth, but the demand to know exactly what the hell his step-mother had said, and why Emma had not told him about her visit sooner, died on his tongue when she reached out and tentatively took his hand with fresh tears shimmering in her eyes.

“But standing here with you now, I cannot help but feel the slightest bit grateful for what she did.”

“Grateful?” he questioned, a pang twinging his heart that she could ever find gratitude in having been forced apart.

Sweeping her other hand over his brow, she brushed back the fringe that had fallen upon it and gently pointed out, “Would we be here, together, within the same peerage, so far as Society was concerned, if she had not done what she did? Would we have this opportunity to love one another, and raise our son together within the public eye without the stain of scandal or shame?”

“Our son,” Killian breathed out, lacing his fingers with hers. The pang that had pierced his insides dulled as a wash of longing spread through him, sweeping away the anger that had threatened to consume him. “I have a son.”

“Yes, Killian.” Threading her hand through the back of his hair, she raised up onto her toes and pressed her forehead against his. “And he is here, upstairs in his nursery.” Flicking her eyes up at him, she asked, “Would you like to go meet your son properly?”

Killian sucked in a shaky breath as she lowered herself back down onto her feet, her eyes peering up at him full of love and hope.

“Aye, love,” he replied in no more than a whisper. “I would like that very much.”

~/~

The closer they got to the room at the end of the long corridor, the harder Killian’s heart hammered in his chest. There was a faint buzzing in his ears and a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach where worry had eaten at him over what the lad’s reaction might be. When Emma opened the door, Killian only managed to take a step or two inside before he halted, overcome once more by the sight of his son. Emma glanced back at him when she felt his resistance tug at her hand and a soothing smile spread over her lips.

“Hey, it’s okay,” she whispered softly, prompting him forward with a slight pull on his hand.

Nanny, having seen them both enter, stood from where she’d been playing with the young sir on the carpet and nodded at them before making her way to the corner of the room, allowing them a bit of privacy while maintaining her post.

“Killy, sweetheart,” Emma said, crouching down next to their son and placing a hand at his back in order to draw his attention away from his toys. Bright, curious eyes raised up to his mother’s before flicking over to meet their twins in hue. “You remember Lord Jones from before?” The boy nodded. “Well, he wanted to come up and say hello, and…”

Emma’s words trailed off. A moment's uncertainty of how to proceed crossed her face as she looked into Killian’s, who now offered her an assuring smile before turning his attention onto his son.

“Hello, my boy,” Killian said in greeting, lowering himself onto the floor to sit beside the lad who was still staring up at him.

“Hello,” he replied, placing a block in front of him as an invitation to play.

Killian turned the toy over in his hands before adding it to the tower being constructed in front of them. “Earlier,” he said, gaining the boy’s attention. “When we first met in the other room. You asked me if… if I was your Papa.”

The boy nodded that he remembered and asked, “Are you?”

Breathing in deeply, Killian smiled, somewhat lopsidedly, and affirmed, “Aye, lad. I am.”

Cocking his head to one side, Killy’s brows pinched together. “Where have you been?”

Killian was relieved to hear there was no sadness or accusation in the boy’s words. Only simple curiosity.

“I’ve been away,” he replied. “But I am back now, and would very much like for you and your mother to come and live with me at my home. Would you like that… son?”

Killy stood and smiled. “Yes, thank you.” A soft oof expelled from Killian’s lungs when the boy launched himself at him, only giving Killian a moment to catch him in his arms. “I missed you, Papa,” he mumbled into Killian’s shoulder, and a sob began to work its way up his throat.

“I missed you too, lad,” he replied in a shuddering breath, holding his son tight within his arms while fighting back tears.

A chuckle rose up in his chest from the way the boy squirmed, wishing to return to his toys after a few moments of affection. Killian promptly released him, then joined his son in the construction of a grand tower until Nanny hesitantly approached Emma and reluctantly whispered something in her ear.

“What is it?”

Emma briefly smiled down at him before setting a firm look upon her face. It was an expression he had never seen from her before, and one that had his chest tightening with the reminder of how things had changed over these past five years.

It was the expression of a mother readying herself for battle with a strong-willed foe.

“It is time for Killy’s nap,” she informed them both, and Killian had to swallow back the laugh rumbling in his chest at the way his son’s shoulders sagged.

“But Mama--”

“No buts, lad,” Killian interjected with a measure of gentleness applied to his stern tone. “Do as your mother and Nanny tells you.”

Swinging his gaze back up to his mother, Killy asked, “Can Papa read me a story and tuck me in?”

Killian could see the mirth dancing behind Emma’s eyes when he swung his gaze up to her as well, imagining she was facing matching pleas from two sets of identical forget-me-not colored eyes.

“Alright,” she relented with an exaggerated sigh. “Why don’t you educate your Papa on the proper nap time procedures whilst Nanny and I tidy up for you?”

His son’s tiny hands took hold of his, pulling with all his might until Killian was up off the floor and following him over to his bed in the corner, the sound of Emma’s giggle following them and making his heart swell impossibly larger than it already had.

~/~

The door to the nursery shut with a soft snick. Looking over at Killian, Emma’s chest tightened at the expression of pure joy and awe that shone from the features she knew her son would one day grow into. His Adams’ apple bobbed and a sheen coated his forget-me-not gaze when he turned his head towards her.

“Oh, Emma,” he exhaled on a strained breath. “He is… amazing. I never… gods, I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

Pressing his palm against the door that separated them from their sleeping child, Killian lamented, “For not being there. For not--”

“Hey,” she urged, reaching over and coaxing his face back towards her with the gentle pressure of her hand. “You didn’t know. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

Covering her hand with his own, tears slipped down his cheeks but his expression held no hint of condemnation towards her. Emma took his other hand and prompted him to follow her. The hall was no place for the conversation they still needed to have.

Crossing the hall, they passed a set of doors before she stopped and ushered him into her room. After closing the door behind them, Emma leaned against its hard surface while Killian made his way to the center of the room, his shoulders shaking slightly as he kept his back to her. Her own tears welled within her eyes while she watched him gain his composure, torn as to whether he would welcome her comfort or needed a moment before she offered it.

Long, agonizing minutes later, he turned around and looked at her with a watery smile, waving her to him as he sat upon the cushioned bench at the foot of her bed. Her first steps were tentative, but when he held his arms open for her, she quickly rushed to his side and melted into his embrace.

“Thank you, love,” he murmured into her hair. “Thank you for bringing him back to me.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long,” Emma responded, her voice thick from the same emotion she could hear within Killian’s tone. “I wanted to, so many times, but I… I guess I was afraid.”

Pulling back, Killian kept a hand placed gently at her waist as his other took her left hand, brushing soothing strokes of his thumb over the back of it as he inquired, “Afraid?”

Emma wet her lips and swallowed heavily. “Even with Ingrid’s support and my introduction as a widow, I knew it would still be risky to return. I was worried I might damage you, your reputation and standing within Society. It wasn’t until Elsa…”

“Having the Queen’s favor does have its advantages,” Killian affirmed. “Cora would not dare speak out against Her Majesty, and neither, I gather, would anyone else who might come to suspect you are not all you appear to…” His words trailed off and his gaze fell to her ring. Then, his head snapped up as though a realization had just struck him. “You were never married.”

An amused huff left her and she fondly replied, “No.” Something shifted in his expression, a sense of relief perhaps? “I came up with the story of being a widow when I left Swansdown. This,” she pulled her hand away and held it up, “was my mother’s ring.”

“And your name. Swan. You chose it because of--”

“Swansdown,” she confirmed with a light nod. “I knew I could not give our child your family name, but I wanted to have some part of you connected to him. To us. I did not think to name him Killian until after he was born.” A smile bloomed at her lips as she stated, “He looks just like you.”

Killian dipped his head and a grin broke out across his face. “Aye. That he does.” Though he may have tried, he could not keep the note of pride out of his voice, nor could he mask the surprise that suddenly took hold of his features when he met her gaze once more with fresh comprehension awakening in his mind. “So, yesterday,” he began with a hesitancy buoyed in hope. “When I asked whether you loved him, if he made you happy, and you said… you meant me?”

Emma grasped his hand and squeezed tightly. “Of course, I meant you.”

She could see his resolve knit into place before he even began to move. This time, when he slid off the seat next to her in order to kneel before her, she felt only the thrill of anticipation while awaiting his question.

“Emma,” he began, softly. “I know there is still so much we must discuss and work through. I will not pretend my anger and hurt over what transpired years ago no longer exists, but I want you to know that I… I forgive you for the decision you made, and hope you can forgive me for putting you in the position of having to make it. I do not want to waste time dwelling on the past when we have the opportunity of a future neither of us thought possible laying in wait before us.” A small, black velvet box was produced from the pocket of his trousers, and Emma’s breath audibly caught in the back of her throat when he lifted the lid to reveal the ring within. “My Emma,” he murmured, reverently. “Say you will be mine? Let us belong to one another in Society’s and the law’s eyes as we always have within our hearts? Marry me, Emma? Please?”

Her heart simultaneously broke, from the look of uncertainty within his eyes, and soared, at the words she had longed to hear from him. Easing herself down onto her knees, she cupped his face into her hands and smiled.

“Yes.”

A giddy sound escaped him as Emma pulled his lips to hers. She’d only meant to seal the moment with a quick kiss, but when Killian’s hand moved to the back of her head, kneading the base of her skull in a way that was both a demand and a plea, she couldn’t help the flood of desire that began coursing through her at the knowledge they were entirely alone with her bed only a few feet away.

“What about the ring?” Killian murmured against her mouth when she began to push his jacket off his shoulders. “Don’t you want to put it on?”

“Later,” she mumbled back, already occupied with the task of divesting him of his garments, just as soon as she could get past all the infernal buttons his clothing required.

When he was finally stripped of his waistcoat, his own hands slipped down to the closures at the back of her dress while hers continued to work on his shirt. Their actions were clumsy, half focused on the way their tongues toyed and taunted the other while eager for any measure of bared skin they might run their fingertips over. Standing was a nearly disastrous undertaking, neither willing to be separated from the other as they both rose so her dress could be discarded, along with his shirt; they nearly toppled from getting caught up in her skirts.

“We seem to be a bit out of practice,” Emma laughed, letting her dress slip down her arms and pool at her feet, where she toed off her house slippers before stepping out of the pile of fabric. Looking back up at him, she noted the pained expression on his face. “Killian? What is it?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed heavily and he seemed reluctant to answer, until, “I’m not,” he confessed with a brooding air of contrition. “Out of practice, that is. I haven’t… I haven’t been with anyone since returning to Misthaven, but I have--”

“I know,” she said, slipping her fingers into the open expanse of his shirt so she could rest her palm over his heart. “You told me yesterday, remember?”

“Aye, but that was before I knew you had not really been married. Not that it matters. I--”

“Have nothing to feel guilty over,” she assured him. “I never expected you would abstain from the affections of other women. Indeed, I half expected you to already be married by now. And truth be told,” she said, pausing as she gathered her nerve, “I might well have done the same if convention had allowed it without great risk.” She felt the shuddering release of his breath beneath her palm, and curled her fingers through the soft hair covering his chest. “What matters is that we are together now, and will be for the rest of our lives.”

“Aye, my love,” he whispered on a slight groan, his nipples hardening when her nails trailed over them as her hands skimmed their way back down his torso so she could finish work on the few remaining buttons of his shirt.

His shirt hit the floor, landing atop his discarded vest and jacket. Emma gasped when he spun her around, the hot vapor of his breath ghosting over the curve of her neck and raising her skin to attention.

“Are you sure you do not wish to wait?” he asked, his fingers gliding down her arms which were pebbled from both his breath and his touch. “If you have any hesitations, then please say so now.”

Reaching back, Emma threaded her fingers through his hair before clenching the soft strands in her fist and tugging lightly. “Get this damn corset off me.”

Her entire body jerked at the rough way he pulled at the laces, stealing her breath from her lungs as he growled into her ear, “As you wish.”

Deftly, his fingers made quick work of the torturous garment, and once it fell from her form they did not hesitate to do the same with her breasts. Hot, wet kisses slid down the column of her neck and over the slope of her shoulders while his teeth took playful yet possessive nips of her flesh. His hands continued to knead her breasts, familiarizing themselves with the difference in their heft from when last they’d held them. Her nipples were being teased into nearly painful peaks, causing all manner of moans and whimpers to fall from her lips as his traced the indent left behind by her corset, his tongue applying a soothing balm to the raw skin its support had left behind.

Once more, Emma found herself being maneuvered, her back suddenly pressed up against one of the four posts of her bed. Killian’s mouth replaced the attentions of his fingers, his teeth now applying that exquisite pinch to her nipples before his tongue laved its apology over the roughly nipped flesh. Each action sent a current of want straight to her core, arousal pooling at her center and making her thighs slick with need.

Killian groaned into the valley of her breasts when she reached forward with the intent of loosening his trousers, only to brush against the stiffness of his erection. He rolled his hips while she cupped his hardened length, palming him with a gentle grip as her fingers began to tease the underside of him. With each ebb of his thrusts she applied more pressure to her ministrations, drawing out those deep guttural groans she had missed echoing in her ear. A disapproving whimper fell from his lips when she removed her hand so it might join the other, already firmly clamped to his backside.

“I want to feel you against me,” she said, pulling his hips forward.

“I want to feel you around me,” he rasped back.

The sound of torn linen ripped through the air as he rent the seam of her slip. Shimmying the last of her garments down her legs, Emma’s eyes became fixated on where Killian’s hands were undoing the buckle of his belt and the fastenings of his trousers, her breath coming in short pants of anticipation for what was about to be bared before her. When his hands stilled her eyes shot up to his. A devilish smirk pulled the corner of his mouth upward, matching the arch of his brow and Emma slowly straightened her posture as he pushed his trousers down, freeing himself from their confines before grasping the backs of her thighs and hoisting her up into his arms.

“I had plans to worship you for hours,” he grunted while bracing her against the wide post so he could line himself up with her core. “I’ve missed the taste of you, the rush of your release on my tongue, and the way your skin flushes when you come.”

“We can do that later, as well,” she muttered, canting her hips forward with impatience after the tip of his cock teased her folds and brushed against the sensitive nub of their apex.

“Seems I’m not the only one who has been pining for the delights of the other,” Killian teased, his teeth tugging on her earlobe as his member slid through her folds a second time. “Tell me, darling,” he purred, wickedly. “Have you missed my cock?”

Emma’s back arched off the column and if it were not for the steady grip he had on her, she would have likely met the floor. “Yes,” she whimpered. “I’ve missed all of you.”

“Then all of me you shall have.”

Emma gasped again and scrambled to latch onto his shoulders when he pulled her away from the post. Depositing her on the bed, he set to work removing his boots and trousers, the heat of his gaze raking over her form, now fully exposed to him. Climbing onto the bed, he skimmed his hands up her legs, pushing her knees apart so he could place kisses, intent on ravishment, along her inner thigh as he continued to crawl up her body. He paused, inhaling indecently over her sex, and Emma was sure he would give in to the temptation to taste her when his eyes narrowed on a spot further up.

She sucked in a sharp inhale when his fingertips caressed the faint lines in her skin stretching across her stomach, and held her breath as he placed his lips reverently over the scars. His eyes met hers from beneath heavy brows and she felt his smile lift the corners of his mouth as it tenderly paid homage to the service and sacrifice her body had undertaken in order to bring their son into the world. Carding her fingers through his hair, Emma released the breath in staccatoed exhales as he settled his hips between her legs and hovered over her, braced on his forearms.

“You are even more beautiful today than you were back then, my love,” he assured her, always able to read her so well, even after all this time.

Emma’s head fell back against the plush blankets they probably should have pulled back before engaging in such pleasurable activities, but as Killian’s cock slid through her folds, coating itself in her arousal and exquisitely driving her to the brink of madness as her need to be filled by him intensified beyond measure, she ceased to care about the mess they were sure to make. Taking his backside into her hands once more, Emma lifted her hips and urged him to enter, giving the firm flesh within her grasp a hard squeeze which caused something akin to a growl to rumble in his chest.

“Are you sure you are ready for me?” he asked with a strained desperation catching in the back of his throat. “I have no wish to harm you.”

“You won’t,” she assured him, canting her hips against the roll of his.

Her movement proved successful when the tip of his length slipped inside her. His hiss of surprise morphed into a groan of pleasure, drowning out her own moans of pleasant discomfort. The stretch and burn of his occupation sent a jolt of wonder through her extremities. A rush of tingly euphoria swept over her body as her walls adjusted and moulded around him, welcoming him back after each withdrawal and return until he was fully seated within her. This was the feeling she had craved during long, lonely nights without him, and though she was eager for him move, to feel those languid strokes glide in and out of her like the ebb and flow of a tide increasing in frequency until the currents of their desire demanded release, she also wanted to revel in the sensation of once again being joined together. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Emma crossed her ankles behind his back and held him in place as tears of contentment leaked from the corners of her eyes.

“Emma? Are you alright? Have I--”

“I am perfectly well,” she told him, blinking away her tears so she could gaze upon him with cleared vision. With a featherlight touch, her fingertips traced the line of stubble dusting his jaw and his eyes fluttered shut as he nuzzled his face into her hand. “I am just… so perfectly happy,” she confessed. “And the feeling of it surprised me is all.”

“Aye, my love,” he murmured, brushing his lips against her palm. “Me, too.”

Their eyes never left the other’s when he began to move, both of them savoring every inch of unification, every contact point, every gasp of breath and soft moan elicited until the escalating need quivering at the base of their spines and pulling low in their bellies became so great all thought of relishing the moment was abandoned in order to chase the completion of their desires.

“Yes! Gods, yes!” Killian cried out, his hips snapping with a fury that echoed erotically throughout her room. “Bloody hell but you feel amazing. So wet and responsive and perfect.”

Emma wanted to respond but had not the breath to do so, nor the ability to focus on anything other than the impending bliss nearly within reach. Tremors quaked down her thighs and her back arched off the mattress as her body began to tighten, causing Killian’s movements to become erratic as desperate vocalized breaths sounded between them.

“I’m close,” he grit out. “So close. I want to feel you come with me. Come with me, my love. Let me feel you come.”

Though it had been years, Emma’s body was still attuned to heed his commands. She felt the taut string of pleasure snap and waves of ecstasy flooded her senses, making her cry out her lover’s name as her toes curled and her hands fisted the bed covers. Killian’s thrusts continued to drive into her, prolonging the cascade of rapture flowing through her until his hips jerked and his own release pulsed into the deep recesses of her center as her name murmured against her lips from where it fell from his.

Kissing her deeply, their chests heaving from exertion and their skin slick from their efforts, Emma was nearly light-headed by the time he finally tore his mouth away, panting against her neck as his arms shook in their endeavors to keep from crushing her. With reluctance, he rolled to the side, collapsing beside her as their collective groan of his withdrawal reverberated from the backs of their throats.

“That was…” Emma began, the rest of the statement cut off by the stretch of a smile pulling at her lips, causing her to giggle as she turned her head towards him.

He chuckled in response to her giddy expression and reached for her hand. “Something I look forward to doing with you each and every opportunity I am afforded over the course of our married life.”

Placing a kiss upon the backs of her knuckles, his brow furrowed. Releasing her hand, he rolled towards the end of the bed and Emma could not resist the temptation of spanking his bare ass as he reached over the edge to fetch something. His growl preceded his retaliatory response, and a soft shriek fought past the giggle collecting in her throat when he pinned her against the mattress with her arms held above her head in one of his large hands.

“Hush, love,” he admonished wickedly. “It wouldn’t do to alert the staff of our activities, or else I would be forced to flee before having the chance to place this,” he tauntingly waggled the black velvet box in front of her, “on your finger.”

Tenderly, he pulled her left hand from his grip and slipped her mother’s ring from it, exchanging it with the diamond laden one he had selected for her. While he secured her mother’s ring reverently in the box, Emma brought her hand towards her face and marveled at the way the gem glittered.

When Killian moved again, sitting up as though he intended to leave the bed, Emma’s left hand shot out to grasp his bicep. “Stay,” she implored.

Giving her a lop-sided smile of reassurance, he said, “I’m not going anywhere, my love. I just thought we might be more comfortable beneath the blankets.”

His devilish wink pulled another round of giggles from her as she cocked her brow at him. “Comfortable, huh? I’m not sure rest and relaxation is what you truly have in mind.” Her eyes dipped to where he was already growing hard again before they flicked back up with a pointed look.

Scratching behind his ear, Killian shrugged. “Can you blame me? Though I do not intend to leave your side once we are married, we likely only have a few precious hours before I must depart, and we have much time to make up for. I, for one, do not wish to waste a single moment.”

Grabbing her by the ankles, he pulled her towards the edge of the bed and held her in his arms as he yanked back the covers. Once both were nestled within the softness of the sheets and pressed against the even softer sensation of the other’s body, they took advantage of every minute afforded to them until once again sated, basking in the unhurried delight of simply holding each other without fear of discovery.

That was not to say, however, that the closing moments of their rendezvous did not present its own set of concerns.

“I should not have finished inside you,” Killian stated while Emma set about cleaning herself up so they could get dressed.

“It matters not,” she replied. “Should I become pregnant this time, people will assume it happened during the honeymoon, and besides,” she tossed aside her ruined slip and grabbed her robe from the back of a chair before padding towards her wardrobe for a new set of undergarments, “Society will be expecting you to produce an heir.”

“I already have an heir.”

Securing the knot at her waist, Emma glanced up at him, bewildered. “You have a son, yes. And though you can officially adopt him and give him the Jones name, once our marriage produces another, Society will assume--”

“I do not care what Society will assume, anymore than I wish to give in to its expectations or sensibilities.”

“Killian, you must be reasonable,” Emma countered, even as her heart longed to bestow the very legacy his words were determining for their child. “Our relationship will be suspect enough. The expediency of our courtship, the fact Killian looks so much like you and shares your name… although, I suppose we could take to calling him David. His middle name, after my father.”

“No,” Killian insisted, marching forward and taking her hands in his. “I don’t give a damn what Society demands. Killian is my son. We will not change his name or strip him of that which is rightfully his by order of his birth. He is my heir. Our marriage, and the legal documents I intend to have drawn up, will legitimize his claim to the title, and so far as any of the rest of our children are concerned, he is their elder brother in every capacity. We shall never keep the truth from them. Society can believe whatever it chooses, and I will continue to maintain whatever ruse might be necessary to protect Regina and your family while the ton recovers from the shock of our betrothal and marriage, but I will not perpetuate a lie within our home. Are we in agreement on this?”

With tears pricking her eyes once more, she nodded and replied, “Whatever My Lord wishes.”

A gentle smile crept over his lips in response to her quip and he pulled her in to crush her against his chest, “Whatever My Lady’s heart desires. I promise that’s all I wish for you to have.”

~/~

The sweet summer breeze wafted in from the carriage window as the rattle of its wheels mixed with the jostling of the coach to create a pleasant lull over the earl and his family. Curled on the seat cushion, with his head resting in his father’s lap, little Killian continued to snooze as the trio made their way through the countryside towards Swansdown. Across the coach, perched on her own cushioned seat with an expression of anticipation being cast out over the meadows was the earl’s wife, eager for a glimpse of the estate even though Killian knew she held a bit of trepidation over the manner in which she would be welcomed as the new lady of the house.

Her ring glittered off her finger from the way the soft streams of sunlight hit it as her hand rested against her abdomen which would soon begin to swell with their second child. Killian smiled at the memory of her pronouncement; a rumpled sheet had been tossed at his feet before she declared she had not bled since being reunited with him, and it was simply all his fault. At first, he had thought her angry, and such a reaction had made him panic until her amusement could no longer be contained and she broke out into a fit of giggles. They’d made love with a mixture of tender anticipation at the knowledge they’d soon welcome another Jones into their family as well as a fair amount of humor knowing this would be yet another tidbit of shock for the ton to delight over once her condition was announced.

As expected, their engagement announcement, quickly followed by a wedding proclamation, had sent Society into a tizzy. Cora had used the quipped response Killian had given her the night of the opera to justify their hasty nuptials, stating to all and sundry that the two had met years ago when Killian’s travels abroad had led him to accept the hospitality of Sir Swan and his wife for a time. However, neither his step-mother’s tales nor the queen’s approval of the match could quell the rumours that had flourished during the opening weeks of the Season. Rumours of a torrid affair, of a cuckold husband, and a child who might actually at long last have been claimed by his rightful sire. While certainly scandalous, the tales had done little to cast enough aspersions to actually ruin anyone’s prospects or position within the gentry. If anything, the notoriety had actually boosted both Regina and the queen’s sister, Anna, in their standings within the Marriage Mart, and by Season's end both ladies had entered into matches that were simultaneously advantageous in raising them above their stations while brimming with love and happiness.

Once matters had been settled between his sister and her new fiancé, Killian had decreed that he, Emma, and their son would be returning to Swansdown until their presence was required for the wedding. He graciously left the town home in his step-mother’s care, while letting her know in no uncertain terms that her presence would not be permitted back at the country estate, and that when he and his family did return to town, they would take Lady Frost up on her offer to lodge with her. Killian had been good to Emma’s word (her conversation with Cora having been told in full over the days following its occurrence), and would continue to see to the woman’s comforts so long as she did not meddle or in any way interfere with their happiness. Besides, in only a few short months the woman would become his brother-in-law’s problem, and Killian did not envy the man one bit.

Emma’s sudden intake drew Killian out of his musings and back to the here and now. Following her gaze, he could see the towering walls of the manor come into view and gently extricated himself from their son’s still slumbering form so he could join her on the bench seat. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he brushed a section of her hair away from her shoulder so he could apply a light kiss to the slope of her neck.

“Nervous, my love?”

“A little.”

“Don’t be,” he attempted to soothe her for what felt like the hundredth time. “The staff are all looking forward to our arrival.”

An amused scoffed huffed from her lungs. “You forget, I used to be one of the staff. I know all too well how they are really feeling.”

“Which means,” he countered. “You will be able to oversee their service of the manor, in partnership with Granny, in a way no other countess could.”

They had traded a number of letters with Granny, the housekeeper at Swansdown, over the past month. His first had been to inform her of both his nuptials and the expectant arrival of him and his family by month’s end so she would have ample notice in order to ready the house. She had replied with earnest delight over the news of his and Emma’s marriage, but had offered the earl her notice as well. It seemed she had harboured much guilt over what had transpired that fateful day at Swansdown, and fear for her livelihood under threats administered by his step-mother had kept her silent all these years. Killian could not deny the anger and betrayal he’d felt, learning the part Granny had played, but Emma had been quick to come to the woman’s defense, reminding him again that none of them had much of a choice back then, and what mattered now was they were together and happy. They both wrote back, rejecting Granny’s resignation, and she and Emma had been in constant contact, establishing a new rapport for their now reversed roles within the hierarchical structure of the estate.

Killian reached over and gingerly shook their son awake when the carriage turned up the drive. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he peered out the window and began to announce, with great enthusiasm, all of the attributes of the landscape and house he could identify. As the carriage rolled to a stop, Killian reminded his son of the proper etiquette that would be expected of him, and the lad dutifully nodded though was unable to keep himself from bouncing excitedly upon the seat.

Flanking the walkway up to the house was a line of servants, ready to receive their lord and his family with both the butler and housekeeper positioned at the top of the steps. The footman approached, his hand stilled on the latch of the carriage door, awaiting a signal from within before he opened it, and Killian could feel the deep inhale filling Emma’s lungs as she took in a resolved breath.

Squeezing her waist, he pulled her attention to him and asked, “Ready… Lady Jones?”

A smile bloomed at her lips and she took his hand, threading their fingers together as she leaned forward to rest her forehead against his. “Indeed... My Lord.”

The End

Tagging the Curious Crew:

@kmomof4 @sals86 @jennjenn615 @darkcolinodonorgasm @artistic-writer @courtorderedcake @winterbaby89 @snowbellewells @heavenlyjoycastle @sunshine2632 @stahlop @resident-of-storybrooke @kday426 @cocohook38 @unworried-corsair @aprilqueen84 @tiganasummertree @ilovemesomekillianjones @ultraluckycatnd @wyntereyez @ultimiflos @superchocovian @qualitycoffeethings @facesiousbutton82 @theonceoverthinker @sherlockianwhovian @lillpon @shardminds @skystar87 @teamhook @itsfabianadocarmo @xarandomdreamx @therealstartraveller776 @queen-serena88 @donteattheappleshook @jrob64 @therooksshiningknight @angellifedeath @karl0ta @melly326 @nadine200179 @xsajx @demisexualemmaswan @lfh1226-linda @alexa-fangirl-forever @klynn-stormz @onceratheart18 @monosalvatore16 @eddisfargo @jonesfandomfanatic @ouatpost @natascha-ronin​ @spaceconveyor 

[zalrin]

Dream SMP x Detroit: Become Human AU

DSMP x DBH AU

Note: I was inspired to do this after watching Tubbo's play-through of Detroit: Become Human. At first, I was planning on posting art with descriptions, but I'm over flowing with ideas and not enough artistic talent to hurry along T-T I did post one piece of fanart, but it just wasn't enough so I have impulsively decided to post all my current ideas here on Tumblr and link it on Twitter (This is actually what got me to make a Tumblr in the first place XD)

Android and Human Pairs:

1. Philza & Wilbur

Philza, or Android Model PH-1L2A, is an advanced model of android that is designed to emulate human behavior, empathy, and responsibilities. He is programmed with human-like common sense, so much so that he is often mistaken for one. One of his most unique traits is his additional drone technology incorporation, allowing him to hover in the air and have limited flight capabilities within certain parameters. Some worry that he will eventually become a deviant, or is already one, due to his human-like qualities, but over the years on the force he has garnered vast amounts of trust to overlook most of his android-based discriminations. Unknown to most, Philza is actually married to a human, his ex-partner Kristin Watson, who retired after deciding to pursue a different career path. Kristin is the one that first named Philza and kept their relationship a secret for both the safety of their careers and livelihood. Wilbur Soot, a human, was once the Captain of the L'Manberg divison but was later pushed aside by his rival and competitor, J. Schlatt. Now transferred and demoted to lieutenant, Wilbur has shown no more desire for leadership and instead indulges in his once-suppressed eccentric tendencies. Although true to his duties, he now enjoys his job with less responsibilities and pressures, becoming more free-spirited under the guidance of his new partner/android.

2. Ranboo & Tubbo

Sadly, Tubbo is not an android, though he very much would like to be one. Ever since he was young, he envied the abilities of androids and always hoped for them to receive better treatment, albeit an unpopular opinion. In the past, Tubbo had his very own android, Tommy, who helped him in his tasks at a somewhat large bee farm. Due to his popularity and his work credentials, he eventually took over the company, but was dealt with many responsibilities and moral dilemmas. One revolved around Tommy. Caught doing something reckless and harmful (potentially arson), Tubbo was forced to give his android up for the betterment of his farm. However, shortly after letting go of Tommy, his company went under due to the rapid extinction of the bee population, and he was forced to find another job. Tubbo desperately wanted to reconcile with Tommy, deeply regretting his decisions, but he couldn't find even a trace of his android/friend. This prompted Tubbo to become a private investigator, to one day find Tommy, and was eventually paired with a new android, Ranboo. Ranboo, or Android Model RA-N800, is a highly advanced prototype that dabbles in the highly experimental field of teleportation. However, due to this dangerous function, Ranboo has issues with his memory drive and is easily susceptible to water damage.

3. DreamXD & George

DreamXD has no model number, as he was a private creation, designed in the image of his creator, Clay (aka. Dream), who went missing and is suspected to have been imprisoned. Most of his functions are unknown, even to himself, and his common sense is skewed because he was incomplete when his creator vanished. However, he has recently discovered that he has the ability to fly/hover with little-to-no limitations and can warp his voice at will, going beyond basic imitations. In addition, he has a storage compartment hidden on his body, allowing him to carry and hide items that go beyond normal storage units. Unlike most androids, DreamXD was made to have emotions, though the reasons behind it remain a mystery. He experiences things similar to a human and was designed to be a deviant. Most new abilities that he discovers are often presented during times of extreme emotional fluctuations, requiring him to have control over his emotions to then be in control of his abilities. DreamXD was pushed onto George after Clay was forced to run, entrusting his most prized creation to his once most trusted partner and friend. In the past, George and Clay were partners in the private creation of androids. However, the two had a falling out when Clay's ambitions became skewed from their original goals. Before Clay could spiral out of control, George decided to leave for both himself and his friend, throwing away his old city life and running away to a secluded area, away from urban society. Before the arrival of DreamXD, George lived a very peaceful, if not boring, life of gathering mushrooms and living off what nature provided. When he realized Clay was desperate for this favor, George could not let go of his feelings of loyalty and kinship to his old friend and agreed to let in DreamXD into his home.

3. Karl, Sapnap, & Quackity

Sapnap was also partners with Clay and George, but he left shortly before George. Creating his own independent business of consulting bigger companies on android management and programming, Sapnap was eventually introduced to Karl, an android helper provided by Mr. Beast Inc., and Quackity under the L'Manberg divison. Karl, or Android Model K-4RL, one of Jimmy Donaldson's (CEO of Mr. Beast Inc.) personal androids, primarily work under Mr. Beast Inc. but help out Sapnap and Quackity when there is time to spare. Before his partnership with the two, Karl was given an experimental update that would allow him to have access to vast amounts of past records and current data so that he could analyze the past and calculate accurate predictions of future events in real time. However, due to this Karl began to experiences glitches in his memory bank. At first, he ignored the signs, but then he realized that information/events that never happened to him (present time) flickered across his mind, often giving him a sense of deja-vu. He finally came to the conclusion that the "new memories" were actually past or future events brought on by the update and this data was too much for his system, slowly chipping away and corrupting his files. Scared of being abandoned, or worse (reset), Karl kept his glitch to himself, regardless of how much he had come to trust his two partners. Quackity was paired with Sapnap and Karl under direct orders from J. Schlatt, to investigate the problems in programming of deviants. Due to the rising issues of criminal androids, Schlatt was forced to send out his right-hand man to silence the disturbance before it had a chance to be known to the public and stir up chaos within the community.

PART 2

Note: I apologize if there are any misspellings or grammatical errors. It's currently 2am where I am and my eyes are getting too heavy for me to go back and re-read this post. If I remember to, I'll read over it later today, but for now I'm just going to post this and hope for the best. I really do hope you enjoyed it! If it garners enough attention, I'll try to write a fanfic of this, but I won't make any promises ^^

[beloved-child-of-the-house]

Drarry rec list for @gaykagome no pressure <3 I tend to read drarry only as adults; I’m not really interested in them getting together at Hogwarts. I usually read works that have Harry specifically described as a poc. I don’t read fic that handwaves Draco’s terrible past behavior (tho not all of these will have explicit amends making) I also tend to read M+. 

First gotta mention the fic that got me reading drarry fic. Here’s the Pencil, Make It Work (M) by ignatiustrout. It’s 49k so definitely a commitment, but it’s so worth it! Harry keeps bumping into Draco in the muggle world, and falls into one of his obsessively investigating Draco Malfoy phases again, and eventually kinda muscles his way into a friendship with Draco. They fall in love very gradually and naturally. Harry and Draco are both really three dimensional, vivid, heartbreaking people in recovery. They’re both working really hard to be better people, and that’s an incredibly compelling story to me. Good fun and really touching. 

My darling friend @clytemenestras has written a really incredible slowburn mystery what we used to call case fic, A Guide to the Morphology of Magic. (E 64k) Sally’s Draco ear is impeccable, and his prose is incredibly affecting. If you love the mystery story aspect of the original canon, this fic is for you! Very compelling OCs too. 

So Sally would want me to rec (and I agree!) Grounds For Divorce (E) by tepre. It’s kind of a behemoth at 122k, but it’s wonderful. Harry and Draco are under an enchantment that forces them to regularly spend a certain amount of time touching each other. They have a lot of growing pains learning to deal with it, and they come together and apart a few times before ending up happy together at the end. You get to spend a lot of time with the characters and watch them grow. Draco is pitch perfect, and Harry is also a delight. Harry gets to visit Egypt and meets some of his extended family, which I just love. They spend a lot of time falling in love here; it’s quite luxurious. 

These are all really long, so here’s a much shorter one also by Tepre. It’s called Etched, Curled, Stationed (1.7k, T) and it’s about Grimmauld Place adopting Draco. Very sweet and lovely prose. 

Here’s another one by ignatioustrout called Around You Moves (29.6k, M), and Harry and Draco are roommates in their twenties, and it’s inspired by I believe a reddit post by a guy who’d always thought of himself as straight but found himself jealous of his roommate’s hookups. Charlie writes a very soft Harry, who is an actual preschool teacher, but he does frankly show Harry’s struggle to control his emotions and identify his feelings in the wake of his traumatic upbringing, and it’s so encouraging to see Harry working on his mental health and his relationships. I also like that this story directly addresses relations between Draco and Hermione, because Harry is not the only person Draco was horrible to when they were all at Hogwarts. 

So most of the stories I mentioned have a fair amount of sex in them, but this one takes the cake. It’s called Trouble, My Old Friend (E, 21k) by our old friend tepre. Harry is an Auror and investigating a certain potion that it turns out Draco invented. This potion will show you your deepest sexual fantasy. Well! Obviously Harry tries the potion and obviously it shows him Draco. Harry gets um immediately hooked on this potion. I wouldn’t call it PWP tho because it’s an interesting story that’s about sex and has a lot of sex in it. 

I’m not sure why I haven’t read very much in the way of shorter drarry works, but I have written a couple of ficlets. Here’s one where they play Pokemon Go together. Here’s one where a kitten follows Harry home. Those are really fluffy and short. 

Also I really found the idea of Draco being turned into a werewolf during the war to be super compelling, so I wrote a series about it! The series is called Moonrise and all 5 stories in it total 59k. The ratings vary from T-E. Harry is living in Grimmauld Place, taking in strays, and Draco finds he’s become a stray. It’s an everyone’s gay. Ginny’s gay, Luna’s gay, Neville’s gay, Ron’s bi. We’re all gay.  (Sally is also writing a werewolf drarry fic, so follow wendlaa on ao3 to get an email when it drops!! i’ve read it in draft, and it’s fuckin amazing)

Speaking of Sally, if you’re looking for drarry art, you should follow @clytemenestras. And if you subscribe to his patreon, you can see horny stuff, which I highly recommend. I also really enjoy @practicefortheheart and @yemiello. Dustmouth is another fave. They’re not on tumblr, but you can see their drarry comics on ao3. This one I particularly like. It’s an epistolary story where Harry sends Draco postcards while he travels the world. I like to see Harry having some fun. Funny and sweet. 

[tatertotthethot]

The Doms Next Door 2.0

THIS IS A TEMPORARY REUPLOAD FOR THIS CHAPTER CUZ TUMBLR IS RAN BY A BUNCH OF BOTS. 2.1 HERE

Warnings/AN: frequent, casually cursing; comical, gay Jimin; insecure reader; steamy flirting; tattoo/sexualized Tae 🙃. Enjoy~ (TAEKOOK EDIT ABOVE IS ARTKOOK DONE BY NONCONMAN ON INSTAGRAM)

copyright © 2018 all rights reserved

_________________________________

Your tires came to a stop outside of the tattoo shop you've seen online— a brick building, covered in spray paint and street-style art. A sign buzzed over the awning of the entrance doors, with the built-in UV lights and graffiti-styled font displaying the name of the place in neon-red letters. Kink For Ink! The name alone was what first caught your attention last week, when you Googled "Tattoo shops near me" and it pulled up a list, with "Kink For Ink" being the first option. It just seemed so uncanny and fitting at the time, considering the previous run-in you just had with the sex-crazed neighbors a couple nights before. You couldn't help but to click the link to their Instagram.

A profile came up with 53.4k followers, which immediately blew your mind... but you quickly saw why. Every tattoo and piercing, no matter the body-placement, skin-type, or quirky design, was vividly appealing— certainly done by the articulate hands of certified experts. Even in the comments of the piercings that were posted, people were praising them for the "minimal" amount of pain they experienced, despite the fact that some of piercings were done in places you couldn't even fathom the thought of having a needle jammed through.

It said in the bio that the shop is owned by the two artists that work there— Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook. You couldn't find out much about them, all their pictures showed was their work. You even went back to search for a personal account of their own, but nothing came up. You then went back to the bio and clicked a link to the official website, hoping to find out something, but you were met with a disclaimer rule at the top that automatically deemed your chances of even getting your piece done by them, slim-to-none.

• No walk-ins allowed.

• Every request/idea must be sent in through the DMs of our Instagram page. You will only be accepted only if it spikes our personal interests.

Yikes; You were instantly discouraged by this. The piece you wanted was something so common and cliché, that you actually got the image out of a child's coloring book.... It was the cartoon layout of the glass vase and enchanted rose, from the Beauty and the Beast movie. Cheesy, yes. But it was something of personal, nostalgic value. You remember when you were little— roughly around 3 or 4 years of age— when your parents started fighting and would spend all day screaming and throwing things at each other, putting you in a constant state of anxiety. But then you'd go to bed at night and pop the VHS tape, and the movie never failed to put you in a peaceful state of mind— a hopeful one. It's remained as your all-time favorite love story throughout the years. Which, is ironic, considering that the relationship itself was different, but almost as dysfunctional as your parent's. However, the fact that even the Beast was capable of change, and everything wound up so perfect and happy in the end, makes your heart happy. And even now, at age 19, it still puts you in your feelings. The previous remake of a movie is what actually inspired you to get the enchanted rose as a tattoo, after seeing it in 3D not too long ago. But you're only willing to shell out up to $200 for it, at most. You've just started college, and even though Jimin's parents own the house and let the two of you live there, rent free, you're still responsible for half the utility bills from month to month. Blowing every bit of money you have saved up, right at the start of the semester, would just be irresponsible. But $200 was manageable, and you're looking for anything that'll give you a little extra "oomph" to break you out of this introverted shell you've always known. Pushing it off would just delay it, and you were ready for change. The nose piercing you want is just a small little thing that'll hopefully add a bit of flare to the features of your face. These two guys could probably do the piercing/tattoo with a blindfold on and a hand tied behind their back. So, if it meant that you'd be able to get these things done in confidence, without having to worry about the outcome, you figured it wouldn't hurt for you to at least ask, even if they straight-up ignore you. So, after spending an unnecessary amount of time overthinking the wording of your text, you finally constructed a message in your notes and DM'd it to business page, after sending them a small, simple outline of the cartoony rose, and pressed send.

• You: Hello! I've been wanting to get this tattoo done for a very while now, and was hoping one of you will be willing to do it for me... along with piercing my nose? I know it's a very mediocre and cliché piece, and a nose piercing can be done anywhere. But I'm new to the area and I've never gotten a tattoo/piercing done before and I haven't really checked out any other places either because I found this page first. And from what I can see, you guys are pretty efficient and CRAZY talented. So, I trust it'll get done right.... only if you want to! I'm willing to pay $200 for this, but if it costs that much for just the outline I've sent then that's fine as well. But I understand if neither of you want to do it cuz that is really cheap compared to the ones I've seen lol. But either way, thx for ur time 😁

A few minutes went by and you had just unlocked your phone to check the message again, when the word "seen" popped below the message. You held your breath for a second— but seconds turned to minutes, and time went by with no reply, what-so-ever. You figured maybe you sounded a little too immature to take seriously; kind of like a prepubescent 12-year-old asking someone out for a dance... and you blew it. Which was disappointing, but predictable. So fuck it. Maybe it's a sign; you shouldn't get it after all.

11pm rolled around, many hours later. You were now hiding beneath your covers, beginning your "amateur threesome" exploration on PornHub. You were ready to see what this whole "2 guys, 1 girl" thing was all about. But just when you were about to type it into the search bar, you were interrupted by an Instagram notification dropping down from the top of your screen.

"KinkForInk sent you a message."

You audibly gasped, eyes turning to saucers as you clicked on the notif and switched over to the Instagram app.

• KinkForInk: Hi (Y/N). This is Tae, one of the artists of the shop. The tattoo you sent in is worth roughly $100... but I want to run an offer by you in hopes that you'll be interested.

— Your brows scrunched in oddity, stomach fluttering. An offer? For you?

• You: Okay, sure. What's that?

• KinkForInk: I've been looking for someone willing to showcase the custom design I've come up with, specifically for a much more... exclusive version of the Beauty and the Beast tattoo you sent. And if you'd be down for letting me and my partner put it on you, it'll be free. No charge. BUT you'll also have to sign a contract saying that you'll do a little bit of modeling for us once it's done. You think you'd be in to doing something like that, even if you get it?

— Your head spun for a second, reading the message over and over again until you could fully wrap your mind around what he was saying.

• You: Hold on... YOU wanna put a tattoo on ME so that I model for you? And it's FREE? Are you sure about this? I'm not even model material lol.

• KinkForInk: Yes, yes, and yes, you are. You'd be perfect for this.

• You: How do know that? Is it a face tattoo? Cuz I only have 6 selfies on here and you can't see anything past my shoulders.

—"Seen" came up as soon as you hit send, but a couple of minutes rolled by with no reply to the message, nor was he even typing. Maybe you came off a little rude. But it was already sketchy and it was a logical question.

— An image suddenly popped up: a screenshot of your Facebook profile. Then another— and much to your horror, it was the photo Jimin tagged you in last week, when the two of you were swimming at a local community pool. You were wearing a simple two piece, sitting at the foot of the lawn chair Jimin was also sitting in, as his legs were visible on either side of you and his lap was practically framing your ass. The photo was at an upward angle and looked so scandalous— but really, you had just asked Jimin to put sun screen on your back and he didn't want to stand up because the pavement was too hot against his bare feet. But you actually liked the picture at the time; it was just a silly joke and your ass actually looked quite nice from that angle. Plus, everyone knows nothing sexual actually goes on between the two of you, for obvious reasons. But Taehyung doesn't, so you couldn't help but dreadfully cringe when you saw the caption of the screen shot.

"Babymama 💦🍆"

• KinkForInk: Is this you??

• You: Yes, that's me. The caption is a joke tho... pay no mind to that. But this is like, really happening? You really think it'd look good on me?

— Why that picture though? You couldn't help but wonder.

• KinkForInk: Yes. Like I said, you're perfect for this piece. Are you down to at least see what the tattoo will look like? We don't expect you to be experienced with modeling or anything, but if you listen to us and cooperate, you'll do just fine.

• You: Yes I wanna see, and I'll do the best I can if I decide to get it... I'm just a bit shy, is all.

• KinkForInk: You'll be in good hands. I promise.

• You: Okay... are you going to show me??

• KinkForInk: Can't send it over a message, I don't want it plagiarized or the concept stolen. But the piece itself isn't necessarily crazy or anything, just more creative. I'd be more than happy to show you at my shop some day this week, if you'd be willing to swing by.

• You: Yeah, I can do that. When should I come?

• KinkForInk: Are you available after 5 tomorrow?

• You: I am, I get off at 4:30.

• KinkForInk: Great. Be here by 5:30, and make sure you've eaten in case you like the piece and wanna get started. It's pretty big for a first timer and gonna take a lot of time and patience. It'll have to be done in sessions but I hope you have a fair enough pain tolerance to at least get the outline of it done first.

— It can't be any worse than a bikini wax, you thought, shivering at the memory. That a story for another time. You decided on an alternative scenario.

• You: I give blood from time to time... but that's easy and doesn't really hurt that much. I think I can handle it though... maybe. I honestly don't know lol, I'm sorry 😣. But I can try my best. Can I ask where it's supposed to go?

• KinkForInk: That's okay, I'll work with you. It's supposed to go down the middle of your back. Starts between the center of your shoulder blades, and trails down the length of your spine to your lower lumbar. You'll see how it looks once we transfer a template on your back. But if you don't like it, there will be no hard feelings from my end. I can still do the tattoo you want if that's the case, free of charge just for your time.

• You: Oh no, you don't have to do that! I'd still pay!

• KinkForInk: Not if I don't accept your money. Trust me, I'm not worried about it. The nose piercing is gonna be $30 regardless, though. JK isn't so lenient.

• You: Of course. Will I have to take my shirt and bra off for the tattoo?

• KinkForInk: Yes, and for the pictures once it's done.

— Your mind blanked at that; thumbs froze over the keypad. He was typing again.

• KinkForInk: Don't let that discourage you. Again, you're in good hands. You can bring something to cover your chest. And the pics will be if your back as well.

• You: Okay, I can handle that. So 5:30 tomorrow?

• KinkForInk: Yes, please don't flake on us!

• You: Lol, I won't. I'll be there.

"They're gonna knock us the fuck out and sell our organs to the black market," Jimin declared. He had parked next to you outside of the shop, and was now sitting in the driver seat of his car with his door locked and windows all the way up, refusing to get out. You were standing right outside his door, still having to talk on the phone. "And is this Tae-guy an AllState representative or something?"

Jimin is petty. You wanted him here for moral support— which he's usually reliable for— but this time, he's just plain salty right and doing everything he can to remind you of that. Reason is, he's been begging you to get a matching tattoo with him ever since your 18th birthday, and you've always refused because of what he wanted to get.

Cupcakes. Jimin wanted to get matching cupcake tattoos... in honor of Cupcakke the legend. Sorry, but H E L L no.

You rolled your eyes, growing frustrated. He only has enough time to pop in and confirm that these two aren't gonna kill you, and then he's gotta head home to get ready for work. You were already supposed to be in there. It was 5:33pm, 3 minutes past the time.

"Jimin, you're the one that insisted on coming along! And now you're making me late!" you ranted. "I'm going in without you."

"Hold your horses, hoe! I'm finishing my blueberry slushie," He retorted, sassily bringing the straw to his mouth and loudly slurping it into the phone. He then abruptly flinched away from the straw with a disgusted expression, nostrils flared, body locking up; lips drawing into an air-tight knot that was so extreme and unnatural, it caused an ugly snort to break out of your nose.

He smacked his lips in exaggeration to the taste, face falling back into stone as an eyebrow arched over the top of his aviators; unamused and saltier than before... Like you were at fault for that, too.

"Or... Blueberry-ass, I should say."

That forced another giggle out of you as Jimin stiffly rolled his window down, phone still pressed to his ear and eyes still scowling at you behind the inspector shades. He bit down on the straw and withdrew it with his teeth before dumping the dark-blue contents of the drink out of the window, making it a point to shake the styrofoam cup empty of every drop before tossing it over his shoulder and into back seat. He then spat the straw out of his mouth with an audible "PLUUUUH!" of a French accent, and waited until the window rolled all the way up again, just so he could hang up the phone. You scoffed at this as you shoved your phone back into your pocket, scornfully watching Jimin exit the car and slam the door behind him. He snatched his glasses off his face as his cotton-candy hair swayed in the breeze, revealing his scornful eyes right back at you as he gestured for you to lead the way in exasperated manner— as if you were the one wasting his time now.

"Go on, lead us to the grave," He shooed, a snippy little shit. You sauntered away, walking up the side of the shop, then paused just before reaching the glass entrance door, when you remembered how much of a coward you are. You've never even stepped into a parlor before, and supposedly, this was a famous one. Which makes it more and more surreal when you think about it.

"Are we doing the mannequin challenge now? Is that what we're doing?" Jimin sardonically inquired.

"You go first, I'm nervous!" You whisper-hissed.

"You don't want me to go in there first— I'll show out," he reasoned, simply stating a fact.

"Please don't," you whined.

"Then, again, I'll show out?" He reiterated, as if to say duh. "How else am I supposed to break the ice? I look like Timmy Turner's Fairy-Gay- Parent."

You gave him a wary look... he's right. You sighed, slightly kicking your foot in distracted defeat. Fuck, you hated making an entrance to new places—

"Hold up— is that Drake?" Jimin suddenly blurted, holding his hand up to silence you. You honed in on the muffled track playing from behind the glass door, and Jimin's face soon light up like a Christmas tree before he spun around you, unstoppable.

"Jimin, NO—!"

"KIKI, DO YOU LOVE ME—?!"

It was already too late. The door was flying back behind him as he Milly-Rocked his way into the shop, leaving you no choice but the chase in behind him.

"—ARE YOU RIDING? SAY YOU'LL NEVA-EVA LEAVE FROM BESIDE ME— hello there."

You were panting, coming to a stop right behind Jimin, where you instantly latched on to the back of his shirt as you met the face of the man behind the studio counter. And, as corny as this is gonna sound: the world actually stilled for a solid beat... or maybe you were in the verge of cardiac arrest.

A pair of glossy-Black eyes looked up at the two of you; A series of silver-studded earrings trailed along the outer cartilages, peaking out beneath a head of soft, layer-swept hair. It was a Carmel-tinted blonde in color— thick and shaggy, and neatly spilling in waves around a headband that proudly sported a high-dollar brand-name you've never seen anyone wear in person before. G U C C I, it read— Meaning that the headband alone was probably worth more than some of your college text books, put together. It sat just a few inches above a pair of dark brows, that oddly brought out the shape of his cat-like eyes— irises like polished marbles. His ample lips had a sharp, well-defined Cupid's-bow, and a natural shade of pink that fit the porcelain appearance of his melanin-kissed complexion, to the finest degree.

And here you are, looking like an actual bum. You had just enough time to clock out of work and head straight over here to make it in time. You didn't even have any makeup on, and the only thing hiding your raggedy hair from those captivating eyes is your old baseball cap from high school. It took a second for him to take the bold presence that was Park Jimin— who was also frozen to the spot as he openly checked the guy out. He was hunched over the counter, a v-neck hoodie covering the rest of him with a thin, loose-fitting material. It was Black and allowed a full visual of his tan neck, and prominent collar bones. And it certainly didn't hide the fact that he had a pair of wide-set shoulders, either. A pencil sat in his hand— one that was laced with masculine veins, and lot of decorative ink. There was a silver ring on his thumb.. and a very heavy-looking Rolex watch.

The man cracked a grin at Jimin— a boxy one that dimpled in at the corners.

"Love the hair," he humorously began, twisting a quirky eyebrow at Jimin. You subconsciously snagged the bill of your hat as your eyes went a little wide at how mature the man's voice was.

"Love the watch," Jimin retorted, then reached around and gripped you by the wrist before pulling you into full view beside him. "You wouldn't happen to be Taehyung...?"

"Mhm," the man hummed, absentmindedly moving his wrist at the mention of his watch. His eyes cut over to you, and you swore you could see a minuscule reflection of yourself in his eyes, before they flashed back at Jimin and blinked. "You must be the babydaddy?"

Blood rushes to your ears. It's really him... a guy who looks like a high-dollar model himself, asking you to be his canvas model. Your own conscious didn't even know what to say right now. So you stayed quiet and still as Jimin took charge... which was a mistake.

"She wishes, but no. I'm the best-friend— and a gay one, at that," Jimin replied, and you knew he did that for his benefit. Thot. "I'm just here to make sure you're not gonna sacrifice her to Satan, or anything of that nature. I need her around in case I ever forget the Netflix password."

Taehyung chuckled at that, mouth opening to reveal a row of teeth shinier than Chip Skylark's. But then, you caught something behind his teeth that caused your gut to leap. A silver ball... a tongue ring. Your thoughts clouded over for a second.

"Well, I can assure you, she's safe with me," he said, looking over at you again. You blinked, nothing more. His brow arched at your lack of response, but this time, it was done more handsomely as he was still smirking at you. "Still, you don't look too thrilled to be here... You sure you wanna do this?"

"She's just nervous because you're really fucking hot," Jimin announced, unyielding. "You should feel how sweaty her hand is."

"Don't listen to him— I'm gay too," You lied in panic, trying to defend yourself from the absolute truth Jimin spoke just then. You snatched your hand away from him and jutted a finger at the door, eyes beading and lid twitching as your nerves ran amuck. "Goodbye, Jimin."

"She's a lonesome hetero," Jimin told Taehyung, assuring him with a face that showed no bluff. "One look at her camera roll, and you'd see for yourself—" You were yanking him away by the arm now, in a tug-of-war game that Jimin obviously could've won if he really wanted to. But he figured you suffered enough and eventually let you drag him out of the shop, waving bye to Taehyung before turning to look at you with beading eyes.

"I think he wants to fuck you— text me as soon as you can," Jimin uttered with unmoving lips as before he walked to his car. You stopped for a second, noticing he was actually being serious. How could he possibly think that he wants to fuck you, just from that small encounter? And what is the odd sensation currently coiling in your stomach? Things grew awkward again when you re-entered the shop, coming to a stand at the same spot... only alone now. He was still amused, it seemed. And so calm and cool despite this odd, intense look in his eyes. It gave him a Casanova effect, where all he had to do was give you that look and it'd instantly make you blush.

"He seems like a fun person to be around," he noted, somewhat honestly, but more so making fun of the red-hot appearance of your face.

"He's a pain in the ass," you muttered, trying to conjure up a smirk but hardly even able to speak properly from how dry your mouth was. It felt like there was a white-hot iron expanding in your throat. "I'm really sorry about him."

"Don't be. I'm just glad you're here— thought you'd chicken out." You nervously wiped your clammy palms over the back pockets of your jeans as Taehyung got up from the barstool behind the counter and approached you on the other side of it, a whole head-and-a-half taller than you. He was wearing black cardigan jeans and matching combat boots.. his headband and jewelry the only thing not black on him. And oddly enough, he made it look fucking fantastic.

"Mh-mm," You hummed, not trusting your voice. You've never needed a sip of water so bad in your life— he even smelled expensive.

"Well, It's very nice to meet you," he formerly began, and you mustered up the normality of placing your (dried) hand into his much larger one, as he held his out to you in greeting. And boy, was he close. So close that the heels of your spine itches to lean back from the proximity.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I'm really sorry if I'm acting weird. I'm just nervous." — Your mind struggled to stay focused on your words, arm tensing at the skin-to-skin contact. You were extra-effected by the firmness in his grip. You really wanted to look down at all the bold ink you saw dashing across the veiny surface of his tanned hand, or see if those were images or scripted letters on the knuckles of lengthy fingers... But you were held captive by those God-blessed eyes... And that fucking tongue ring. It was infecting your head in ways that weren't necessarily healthy for your current state of mind, as you saw it peering in and out at certain words.

"And physically shaking," Taehyung pointed out, brows twitching down at your trembling hand in his as if he was concerned for it. But his smirk gave off an odd sense of fascination to the involuntary symptom, like it was cute or something? Hm. He glanced back up at you, causing your dehydrated throat to bob as his other hand came to clasp over the rest of yours, swallowing it completely from the wrist down. "Intimidated?"

"V-Very," you spluttered, a small slither of saliva copulating down your throat as you looked back up at him. He absentmindedly rolled his tongue ring over the button row of his teeth as he watched you with tainted eyes— undoubtably getting cocky with that damn grin of his and proudly teasing you about your reaction to him. It gratified the effortless sex-appeal he had. You were even beginning to imagine that tongue ring elsewhere, and you literally just met him. Then, as you felt the band of a ring move along with the pad of his thumb as gently ran it across your trembly knuckles, chills shot up all the way to your shoulder. Oh... oh wow. You glanced down at his knuckles on reflex this time, and saw a four-letter word scripted in black ink across the bottom row of his knuckles, and another word scripted on the middle section of his fingers. A silver band on his naked thumb. STAY TRUE, it said.

"And why's that?"

"I.. feel like you're a celebrity," you sheepishly admitted, your other hand wedging into your back pocket as you had to stop yourself from reaching for the bill of your hat again. Is he flirting? The words seem too innocent for the way he was making you feel. It was getting so hot in the oven of his massive palms, and he wasn't even squeezing you hard enough to cut off any circulation, but yet your fingers were beginning to tingle.

"Mm, no. Just a little popular, really," he granted, teetering his head a little as he pondered the thought. You could see his vocal chords contract in his sleek neck as they project his smooth, pungent voice. "You still trust me?"

"Mhm," was all you could muster. He'd gotten even closer, to where his hand had gone into a prayer stance around yours. You were aware of how wide your eyes had gone from the awe you... you knew this was just the beginning. He was going to be very handsy throughout this whole process. But in a very twisted way, you were more than okay with that. Even if it meant you were at risk of fainting from actual dehydration. Maybe you were in over your head. But you couldn't will yourself away from this now. And then, just as a wide, heart-stopping smile edged out on that mind-numbingly handsome face, the door at that back of the room swung open, and heavy-metal rock blasted through the quiet vibe of the scenery and caused you to jump a little at the disturbance. Taehyung shot a wicked smile over his shoulder, and his next words nearly knocked you out right then and there as you beheld yet another, breathtaking sight.

"Oh, there you are," Tae eagerly acknowledged, one hand still holding yours as he walked around to grab your with the other, presenting you to the.. hulking presence in the room. "This is (Y/N), our next little experiment."

[wsgeon]

hey everyone! ummm this is peyton (also the mun of lee hyeon) taking a second shot at a second character — i have a lot of muse for this one, so i swear he’ll be around for a while… 🥵 this is ryu geon, yes his name rhymes with hyeon’s & no i do not care ♥️ he’s the lead guitarist/vocalist of meta and also the son of a former nobody rockstar, but i’ll get into all that below! like this post if you’d like for me to come into your ims to plot, click the read more for more info on geon, and/or click here to be taken to his pages: CAREER, DOSSIER, PINTEREST.

HISTORY.

born in autumn ‘97 to a “budding rockstar” (translation: “no yeah i swear our band’s really starting to take off, we sold twenty-three tickets to our last show!”) & a woman with commitment issues ♥️ geon’s dad always told him that his mom left because she had some dire matters that needed to be taken care of and SWORE that she cried the last time she held her dear baby boy, but all of his dad’s bandmates say that she was just some groupie and had to be persuaded into carrying her child to term… who can say for sure?

naturally, there are no pictures of this mystery woman. there was one (1) of her holding infant geon, but then he found out that that was actually a sound tech who worked for his dad’s band… and he just never corrected geon’s assumptions LOLLLL

anyway! he was always really close to his dad, considering they were a two-person family. he has a set of grandparents, an aunt and a couple cousins but they were never involved with geon’s life because his dad is the #blacksheep of the family. geon and his dad against the world, am i right?

uhhh geon was also kind of a black sheep growing up, but he didn’t really notice? he was a happy kid, very energetic and enthusiastic. a lot of adults in the area looked down on him & his dad, but he was SOOOO blind to it because his dad’s a god in his eyes and HE’S always been nice to everyone, so why would they not like him??? because his clothes smelled a little like dad’s cigarette smoke??? big deal

wasn’t troublesome (beyond talking too much), but a lot of people still expected bad things from him :/ “his father’s a dirtbag, i’ll be surprised if that boy doesn’t end up in jail by 20”, “he won’t amount to anything without a proper role model in his life”, “his dad is teaching him how to slack off”, “he won’t contribute anything to society”, etc. he kindaaa picked up on this as he got older but pretended not to because it was more rewarding to play dumb and keep being a good kid(tm) to prove them wrong

was basically a mini version of his dad. same style, similar features, birthmarks in the same places, same “live today, die tomorrow” approach in life, same affinity for singing & playing rock music. ummm he loved his dad a lot. a lot. a lot. wanted to make him proud SO BAD, started his first band when he was 15 and they sucked so bad but his dad was their biggest fan… you know how it is. a lot of people misunderstood him, but he was a very good guy and such a great parent

TW DEATH unfortunately he passed away just shy of geon’s 18th birthday and your boy still hasn’t forgiven the world for taking his dad when he was in the middle of his angsty teen phase — had he known that their time together was dwindling, he would’ve been so so so much better to him END TW

his dad’s band actually rocketed into the charts after he passed & suddenly they were getting loads of publicity, lots of “what a shame that he went under-appreciated” which pissed geon off SOOOO bad because why couldn’t they have had that energy when he was still alive? he’s still mad about it five/six years later

this is getting kinda long, so uhhh tl;dr, he ended up staying with the drummer of his dad’s band until he was old enough to live alone/READY to live alone, but he changed quite a bit. was really going through it, quit his band, stopped putting effort into school. barely graduated. went from being a social butterfly spending every weekend at a gig or with friends to spending all of his time on a pc or in front of a tv, playing console games. the internet comforted him when nobody else would/could and then he met the future members of meta <33333333 #newbeginnings

present day geon is still struggling, has to go to counseling bi-weekly but he’s coming back out of his shell! he wants to fall in love with life again, just wants to tread carefully... outgoing & will talk to absolutely anyone, but he still spends most of his time alone. hard to reach by text, so if you wanna talk to him, you better call/facetime LMAO. talks a mile a minute, especially if you get him going abt something he really likes. laughs a lot, smiles a lot, more habitual than actual signs of happiness but yk. ummm he has a really loud voice, mostly controlled nowadays but he still gets carried away sometimes. an absolute menace during long drives/flights, sorry meta.

funny but only when he’s in large groups. feeds off of other peoples’ energy, really good at reading a room and breaking the ice/making everyone comfortable, but if you meet him 1-on-1, none of his jokes land quite the same.

i envision him as being the kind of guy who carries himself in such a way that you’d assume he’s really popular/out of reach/maybe even full of himself, but he’s... not like that... at all... in fact, he’s kinda irritating when you get to know him. the personification of a flood followed by a drought and vice versa, always either too much or not enough. gets used/ghosted/dropped/dumped/whatever a lot because he’s soooo fun in the moment (if he isn’t in his feelings), but draining long-term.

really emotionally intelligent, in touch with his feelings in a way that a lot of people never thought he would be (probably thanks to counseling tbh). he’s very very rarely the type of person who will make you wonder what your place in his life is — he’s communicative, kind, honest. ummm he thinks that intimacy between friends needs to be more common, so he’s really affectionate with the people in his life. type of guy to tell you he loves you every chance he gets (calling you when he’s drunk, sounding like a clingy ex type beat) & greet you/depart with a hug. losing his dad kinda fucked him up in the way that he won’t leave/hang up until his friends say “i love you” back, gets kinda (re: very) upset if he’s denied that and/or a hug.

TRIVIA.

has been playing the guitar “longer than he’s been walking” (not really, but he swears it’s true).

uhhh he really likes nail art, but he’s kinda hesitant in what he tries? mainly sticks to black polish (or other plain colors), but sometimes he’ll get little designs added in as well. mainly does it himself because he still doesn’t feel comfortable in salons... if his work looks bad, leave him alone <3 he’s trying

inspired by people like kurt cobain, nicky wire, yungblud, billie joe armstrong & damiano david in the fact that he’s not against wearing dresses or skirts on stage. doesn’t do it ALL the time, but often enough that it doesn’t go unnoticed. some people say that he does it for attention because he doesn’t dress like that elsewhere and tbh they’re probably kinda right

interested in history (only SOME... dinosaurs, ancient civilizations, specialized areas like the history of circuses/clowns/skateboarding/punk, stuff like that yk), stand-up comedy & documentaries. could spend a whole day watching documentaries and would say he had fun, has a lot of useless knowledge that nobody gives a fuck about and is kinda dumb when it comes to things that matter

when it comes to music, he prefers playing really fast and heavy rock or punk over anything else, but he actually listens to a lot more soft indie on his own time... he’s too tense these days to be listening to anything else RIPPP

the vibe: homemade tie-dye, ripped slipknot t-shirts, frosted tips, neon crocs with alien & peace-sign charms, chipped black nail polish, calloused hands, cheesy pick-up lines used NOT to land a date but to pull a smile, driving until he’s lost, stupid socks paired with pressed suits, dramatic poetry in an iphone note, etc. 

PLOT IDEAS.

people he met through online support groups about coping with grief

uhhh an on & off relationship that’s been going for who-knows-how-long. the reason for this is up for discussion, but i imagine that he hasn’t given up yet because the constant highs and lows are a good source of inspo 🤪 artists must suffer for their art!

opposite side of the coin — someone he’s interested in, but he’s NOT disloyal so it’s a pattern of persistent courting when he’s single vs intense friend-zoning when he’s not and they’re getting tired of trying to figure out what he wants from them

someone else who likes nail art & can convince him that NOBODY cares if he goes to a salon

someone (probably female but doesn’t really matter tbh) who feels like his feminism is entirely performative… maybe they attack him directly for it or maybe they just REALLY don’t like him and they’re super vague about it idk. either way, please tell him that activism is much more than recommending one female artist a year and saying “clothes have no gender 🤪” so he can be praised for the bare minimum (his heart is in the right place but his skull is empty)

someone super introverted who comes out of their shell with geon! uhhh maybe they think that he’s the one doing them a favor, but in reality spending time with them has been doing wonders for his mental health

other people who like to skate. let’s congregate at the local skatepark and scare the middle schoolers away

someone who inspires him musically, for whatever reason. lots of late nights in studios, idly strumming his guitar and writing lyrics that definitely aren’t about how their eyes look in these dim lights… umm maybe he thinks he has a crush on them but really doesn’t and ends up hurting them eventually, maybe he really DOES have a crush but will (probably) never do anything abt it or maybe it’s entirely platonic and he just admires them a ridiculous amount

someone who likes to make music as a hobby, prob won’t publish/release any of it but it’s fun to imagine. spontaneous meetings with geon in the middle of the night, recording songs together and keeping the WORST takes for the laughs. there’s probably a diss-track of them going in on each other floating around somewhere even though geon can’t rap for shit

night owls who keep him company on the phone, even if they can’t be there physically. them talking really quietly vs geon shouting at them while he plays games LMAO

gaming buddies. come over, maybe you can carry geon through his game of the week or you can both fail but have fun while you’re at it… or you can scream while he fends off that hoard of zombies behind you

i’m typing this at the last minute (literally) so i’m gonna stop here, but i will get a proper plots page put up asap with a wider variety of connections!!! but as always, please do let me know if you have any other ideas. i’m always happy to plot and write with you all 🌚