#the texture of the gold makes it feel rather stiff and I need to keep Airis size more in mind for when it comes to buildings....

[zondearts]

another practice painting based on a wip I'm procrastinating on

[ins4nebxtch]

effortlessly chic : mastered

a guide to looking effortlessly classy

“It’s not about what you wear, it’s about how you wear it.”

1. Hair: Perfectly Undone

Effortless hair isn’t about looking like you spent hours on it. We’re going for the slightly messy, yet polished look. Waves are key here—think lived-in texture, not those stiff, defined curls. A little undone, but still under control. Messy, but not like you just survived a storm. No Clean Girl slicked-back buns—keep it loose, slightly imperfect, but still intentional.

Healthy hair is everything. But here’s the catch—you don’t want it to look too done. The goal is that slightly tousled, I-don’t-care-but-I-secretly-do look. Your waves should have a bit of mess, but not like you’ve just been attacked by a pack of wolves. Keep it natural but polished enough to show you’ve got it under control. Too slick and sleek screams high maintenance. Too wild and it’s giving “I tried but failed.” Find the sweet spot.

2. Color Coordination

Wearing the right colors? Absolute game-changer. When you’re in your shades, everything about your look just clicks into place. You know those times when your outfit is on point but something feels off? Yeah, it’s probably the colors. The wrong tones can make you look like you’re trying too hard to make something work, while the right ones will have people thinking you just glow naturally.

Same goes for jewelry tones. If you’re cool-toned, silver will have you looking effortlessly chic, while gold will seem forced. And vice versa. Match your metals to your skin tone, and you’ll always look polished without even trying. I speak from experience so trust me on this.

3. Jewelry: Statement Pieces Over Basic

Let’s talk jewelry. The key is balance—statement pieces are where the magic happens. You don’t need to overdo it with cheap, fast-fashion accessories. A well-placed statement necklace or a bold ring says so much more than a bunch of basic hoops. Wearing a statement piece that pulls an outfit together looks much more classy and effortless than throwing on a bunch of jewellery. if you want to look like you spent a couple mins throwing yourself together yet you still look amazing, don’t wear too much jewellery all at once. For example if you’re wearing a dress that’s plainer around the top, wear either statement earrings or a neck piece, not both.

It’s all about choosing one or two pieces that pop and elevate your look. When done right, your jewelry should feel like an extension of your vibe, not a distraction. Trust me, you’ll stand out in a sea of basic.

Timeless pieces like a Cartier Tank watch, pearl earrings, or a vintage-inspired chain necklace are perfect examples of effortlessly stylish accessories. They add sophistication without screaming “look at me.”

here are some examples

1. Delicate Gold Necklace: A simple, thin gold chain or a pendant necklace adds a touch of elegance without being overpowering.

2. Pearl Earrings: Classic pearl studs or small hoops can elevate any outfit while maintaining a timeless look.

3. Stackable Rings: Thin, stackable rings in gold or silver can be mixed and matched for a chic, layered effect.

4. Dainty Bracelets: Minimalist bracelets, such as a simple cuff or a chain bracelet, add subtle detail to your wrist.

5. Chic Hoops: Medium-sized hoop earrings in gold or silver offer a classic vibe that can be dressed up or down.

6. Charm Bracelets: A simple charm bracelet with a few meaningful charms can add a personal touch without being too flashy.

7. Minimalist Watch: A classic watch with a thin band and clean face is both functional and stylish.

4. timeless outfits

We’re not doing fast fashion here. You want pieces that are timeless, effortlessly stylish, and not screaming I just bought this because it’s trending on tiktok. Quality basics, suiting your body type , mixed with some unique statement pieces are where it’s at. Think of it as curating a vibe that feels like you rather than jumping on every fashion bandwagon. Dressing for your body type is very important too as clothes that don’t fit how you’re built just make you look like a try hard and kind of odd.

5. Confidence: The Secret Ingredient

No matter what you wear or how you style yourself, the real trick to looking effortless is feeling effortless. When you feel good, it shows. Confidence radiates in a way no amount of makeup, clothes, or jewelry can. Wear what makes you feel like the best version of yourself, and that energy will do the rest.

In the end, looking effortless is all about balance. It’s about being polished without being too perfect, stylish without being too trendy. Embrace your signature style, rock your colors, and remember: the ultimate IT girl look is about owning who you are—effortlessly.

6. examples and references

[starshipsofstarlord]

Win

stiles stilinski x reader / masterlist

summary; a little pre game warm up never hurt anyone / warnings; smut, handjob, orgasm denial, fantasies, dirty talk, swearing

His cock leaked in you palm, as you ran your skilled hand over it, your thumb swiping over the tip as he released a desperate whine, burrowing his head back into the head rest of his driver’s seat. Stiles was at your mercy, ruining his bottom lip with the prying of his teeth, as he desperately tried to buck his hips up into your grip.

Each of his hands were sternly wrapped around the circumference of the wheel, his knuckles turning white as he relentlessly held onto it. It served as a source of relief, he was able to take his prominent frustration out on the battled steering device as he breathily sighed, his amber orbs screwing shut as he mumbled your name.

“Fuck. Shit. Don’t stop.” You had not intention of doing so, and thus you sped up your pace, watching him as he inhaled heavily through his nose, his dark brows furrowing as he felt close. And then, you stopped, denying him of such an end to the pleasure. “Fuck.” The syllable was elongated, drenched in disappointment as he hit his forehead against the top of the steering wheel.

“Something wrong baby?” You smiled, tenderly running your precum slathered hand over his tense shoulder, him slightly shivering from the soft contact, that poised strongly against the treatment that he had just gotten from you.

“No.” He steadied his breathing pattern, pulling his flushed face back, and hollowing his cheeks in dismissal of thought. He knew your intent, he knew it was well, but it still wasn’t good enough. Not when he wanted nothing more than to fuck you in the backseat of his jeep, until the windows were pent up with steam, and the vehicle was having trouble remaining stiff on its wheels.

“You’re going to win that game, aren’t you? If you do, then you’ll get your surprise.” Clasping your fingers in the sides of your shirt, your heaved the fabric gently up, watching as his eyes ogled, filled with supple desire, and some drool leaking out of the corner of his chapped lips.

“Yeah, imma win.” He was certain of it, you were giving him all the control that he needed. From the leather bra that resembled the outfit that catwoman often adorned herself in, messy stitching purposely running up the seams, it was full reassurance that the competing team was going down.

And then he would go down on you, and discover the matching underwear, that was surely loose around your hips, with various strings hanging from the sides, to make an appearance of disarray upon the sultry and figure hugging component.

“Good. Because I wouldn’t want to have to spent all this money on this little treat for nothing. I could reuse the cat ears that are in my bag for halloween, but this set, well I’d never get a refund. And you wouldn’t deserve to see them, now would you?”

“No.” He firmly spoke, feeling himself grow hard in his lacrosse shorts once more, as his feet tapped frustratedly on the floor of the jeep. You dropped your shirt down, leaning over the console and kissing his cheek.

“Win baby, then we can ditch the after party. Might even let you fuck me in the locker room.” Winking at him, he felt his mouth gape at the half filled promise. His tongue swirled in his mouth at the thought, as his eyes flickered over your whole demeanour, attempting to read the supposition and how it ran over your form.

“The girl’s locker room?” He asked hopefully, being met with you flirtatiously batting your eyelashes, nodding with a prominent grin contorting your face. “Fuck yes.”

“I know you’ve never been in there, but it’s a fantasy of yours. But imagine being allowed to come in there, huh. Sounds good, doesn’t it?” There was a teasing edge locked onto your words, and Stiles wasn’t sure that he would last until after the game.

“Better than good y/n/n.” He sighed, leaning his head back. “I’m gonna go out there and bust, I can’t fucking stop thinking about fucking you in the little girl’s room.”

“So I’m a little girl now?” You contemptibly asked, grazing your hand upon his thigh, until you grabbed his cock, rolling the girth around in your grip.

“No. Definitely not.” His face was flushed as he painted prolifically. “Just wanna see your tight cunt, feel it wrapped around me, squeezing me til I explode. All that’s on my mind now.”

“That’s a shame, cause your dad is gonna be watching your game. It wouldn’t be fair would it, if I allowed you to go out on the pitch all hot and hard, would it?” Wildly, Stiles shook his head, surveying you through half lidded eyes as you tucked your hair out your face, and ducked your head, pressing a kiss onto the pale skin of his thigh.

Your teeth pinched the flesh, extracting a gasp from the lacrosse player, your tongue darting out to lap at his balls. His lips pursed together as he tried to stifle his moans, his hands flying to the dash before him, as he endured the texture of your tongue swiping upon him.

With your right hand, you found purchase on his cock, tugging once more at his length. As you did so, he sputtered out praised, though that was usually not his forfeit, but you allowed his mistake to slip, this once at least.

“Do you want to cum before the match Sti?” He whined, allowing you to continue pleasuring him, unaware of what the consequences would be if he accepted your offer. It was not you just being gracious, it was practically vandalism of his body.

Stiles wasn’t sure he’d survive in Beacon Hills much longer if you were to treat him so vigorously. He felt like a bomb, prepared to convert damage in his surroundings all for one goal, and that was to find some bliss within all this madness.

“Yes. Please. Baby I need to- uh. Shit, shit, shit baby, I can’t-“ you ran your tongue over his spilt milk, lapping it up with kitten licks, as your y/e/c eyes stared ruthlessly up at him. His seed coated your tongue like molten gold, and with such greed, you gulped every shovel of the substance down, holding your smirk at bay until you were finished cleaning him up.

“Too bad, you’re not gonna get any release later tonight though. Guess painting the walls of my locker room white is no longer on the table, you’ll just have me purring instead. Good thing I know where they keep the canes for the bad boys.” Stiles froze, instantly regretting ever considering you would gift him out of mercy.

Before he could retaliate with wet eyes, or blubbery responses, your eyes drifted away, and to the lock screen of your phone, your tongue swiping over your lip, as you contently put it back away. “If you wanna win for me, you’re gonna have to go now babes. I’ll see you on the field, m’kay?”

He couldn’t refuse your kiss, not as you leant towards him, and pressed your lips upon his own. The taste of himself wasn’t so horrific, he rather enjoyed having the affects of what you did to him dancing on his tongue. One thing was on his mind, and that was the only priority he had; it didn’t matter if there was a darach in the local premises, carrying out sacrifices.

It was his aim to win, either way, he couldn’t be an example of a virgin sacrifice, not considering you had so blatantly offered to take the weight on his shoulders with a shrug, and proceeded to do much more than just that. Even if he wasn’t allowed to cum again tonight, he was still eager to claim his prize, after all, it was one of his hormonal dreams, that could play out into reality, so perfectly, and filthily.

[crqstalite]

💋🍒😊⭐💙💗 for Evolet?

ask! 

it got so long lol.

💖 Has your OC ever been in love, be it romantic or platonic or otherwise? Who with and did they ever express their feelings or keep it private? How long did these feelings persist / do they still feel this way? 

Before Kirkwall, Evolet has had plenty of platonic relationships, being rather well-liked wherever they went. Romance was never really something she was interested in though, what she had with friends and her family was enough.

In Kirkwall however, her friendly attitude is sometimes taken as flirting and miscommunication runs rampant by her much more affectionate tone than most were expecting. She met some pushback with Fenris is the beginning but after that every member of her party could probably claim to having some sort of relationship with her -- though Fenris’ is the only with a clear line in the sand (romantic). For a time, she realized he was somewhat receptive to her flirting, though she kept to herself as not to make him uncomfortable in the beginning.

🍒 What kind of things do they expect from their relationships? Does this differ between platonic relationships and romantic ones? Is your OC “demanding” or a door mat? What kinds of things do people expect from them in a relationship?

She doesn’t expect too much, after having mages effectively trashed in front of her face for ages on end, she figures she’ll be lucky to have any partner at all in the future. You could definitely consider her a doormat in both forms of relationships, often differing to someone else’s leadership or advice even if she’s the one with more knowledge on a subject. She’s not sure she can take being told she’s less than a person in any case.

I wonder what someone would expect from her. She’s somewhat shy and stiff by nature but quick thinking and rather empathetic to the people around her. I suppose people would expect that empathy to translate to them as well, if not to hope to unearth a little more of her personality.

😊 What can make your OC smile even when they’re feeling down? What cheers them up and makes everything feel better for them? Is your OC generally a happy person and do they enjoy making others smile? What about your OC makes others happy?

Evolet absolutely loves being around her family, even if it’s just one of them at a time, especially her brother. Sure, she and Carver bicker sometimes but even getting just a sarcastic quip out of him is enough to make her smile, and his company when she’s feeling especially down and afraid is all she needs to get back on her feet. Leandra always had a kind word and a hug for her when she got back from a day of cleaning up the city, and she’d always been closer to her than Malcom. Even just snuggling her on the couch could make her forget every comment some templar made earlier in the day.

Generally Evolet is a very happy person, or as far as her companions know. Somewhat timid, yes, but she’s a ray of sunshine in the eternal darkness Kirkwall falls into. Everyone can rely on her to have their back, regardless of what they’re doing (which backfires on her only once), and it puts her at peace to see her party smiling because of something she’s said.

For her companions, it’s her ready affection. Everyone’s been hugged at least once (some like it more than others -- she figures it out soon enough). She listens, and has never actually turned someone down before if they ever ask for her assistance with something. Her introspective nature is what keeps people around.

⭐ What is your OC afraid of? Any crippling phobias or some such? How do they act when scared and what helps them calm down? Does anyone ever find your OC scary? Why?

Losing people. Evolet is terrified of losing the people around her, but more specifically being taken from them. The horror stories out of the Gallows, even just her brief encounter with Karl and Anders knitted that fear even deeper than it was before she set foot in Kirkwall. The Templar sigil, while comforting for some, is a beacon of dread and paranoia for her. Hiding the lyrium bottles on her belt so quickly had she not had the dexterity, she would drop them all, stashing her staff away somewhere that they could not find it. The sigil of the Chantry stamped on her forehead is a nightmare that chases her at night and leaves her screaming.

Usually she gets very quiet and jittery. Jumpy, nervous. She folds into herself as if to make herself smaller to those around her, forming a shield to possibly protect herself. She gets very narrow minded at night especially if she’s out late, always watching around corners for Templars on patrols. Sometimes if they’ve had a bad encounter years after she’s arrived, she can be inconsolable for hours at a time, begging the people around her not to let them take her. Usually all she needs is to be held long enough to recognize the danger has passed and that she will be okay. Physical affection is what gets her out of these, and will usually ground her better than anything else.

I would doubt anyone would find Evolet scary unless they’ve hurt someone she cares dearly about. While she has a firm grasp on her arcane abilities, whoever is the guilty party has probably had a jolt of fear go through them if they look her in the eyes in a setting like that.

💙 What did your OC want to be when they grew up and why? Did they have any lifelong dreams or ambitions they never got to work on or are they currently working to achieve this dream? Has their life taken a very unexpected turn and put all these plans on hold for a while or have they given up on any dreams?

Believe it or not, at first she wanted to just be normal if anything. She loved spending time with her younger twin siblings and the neighborhood children, and adored baking when they had the money. Her lifelong dream once she grew out of that phase (around the age of 14 when she started realizing then she’d be stuck in this loop of moving from place to place because she was a mage) was to travel Thedas. Evolet always loved to see the sights, and that never changed as she grew up, and she still sort of intends to do it, right after this business with Corypheus is done with.

Her life has taken quite a turn, she didn’t expect to fall in love with Fenris, not in the slightest. Nor did she expect to become viscountess of Kirkwall, or the one who stood with the Templars in the end against Orsinio. Her plan to travel has been put on hold by the whole nobility thing, but one day she will get out of this Makerforsaken city. That’s not say that she doesn’t have new dreams, that have simply changed and shifted due to recent events. Now her focus is learning magic, not the destructive kind, but learning to heal.

💗 What would your OC say is their best feature? Why? What do their friends / family / lover(s) / people they know think is their best feature and why?

Evolet thinks her best feature is probably her hair. There are so many ways to style coiled hair, and she loves it’s texture so much (though she has worn in it in locs for years now).* 

Beyond that, I think other people would think her best feature is her eyes. They’re never quite one color, brown, then amber, then black and brown and all over again. One could comment there are flecks of gold in them if looked at in the right firelight. They’re pools of a beautiful auburn that someone could probably get lost in if he were not careful.

thank you for the ask!!

*i wear my hair in locs lolololol. on the off chance someone thinks the sentence sounds weird.

[writeanapocalae]

Name Exchange

The first time the met was at his sister’s wedding. He was small, his shoulders bunched forward, his arms crossed to hide his chest, his eyes dark and haunted. The stranger’s smile was a knife reflecting moonlight at midnight and was dressed far too well for the small affair. He was standing by the punch bowl, glaring at it, even as he sipped it from a champagne glass. He wasn’t someone who belonged at the wedding, he wasn’t someone who belonged anywhere.

The brother of the bride went to him, curious, tugged at his skirt to keep what little modesty he was allowed to have.

“I haven’t seen you before,” he admitted, “You must be someone’s plus one.”

The stranger smiled at him, blue eyes flashing gold or, at the very least, reflecting the light, for just a moment. “Oh no,” he shines, “I am but your humble wedding crasher. I do so adore parties and weddings are some of the most important ones. Though I am finding this one rather dull.”

The human looked around at the wedding party, college friends, grandparents and other family, a few coworkers. There were only a few people that he knew and he hadn’t spoken to them in years. He had no interest in speaking with them now.

“I’ll admit, it could use a bit of livening up.”

“The punch isn’t even spiked.” The strangers chuckle sounded like the chittering of a house cat at the window. He poured the contents of his glass back into the punch bowl and there was a moment in which it caught the light like a star but the fluid was almost black instead of the usual pink color.

The human drew closer to him, feeling safer with him than with the rest, more open, just because of the way he was standing, the way he wasn’t staring, the way that he felt. He felt like a dark room with oak floors, a roaring fireplace, and an overstuffed armchair. He smelled like cloves and cigars and the deep earth.

The brother reached down into his dress, pulling out the skin warmed flask that had been buried in his cleavage, a necessity for all family gatherings. Using the stranger as a shield from others he poured all of the flask into the punch.

“Well,” the stranger grinned and the grin lasted longer than he did, “That was rather unnecessary.”

“What was in your glass?” the human asked.

“You noticed that did you?” A smirk then, the fireplace crackling in his voice.

“You weren’t terribly discreet.”

“Hmm, I like you. What’s you’re name?”

The human went quiet then, shuddering at the fact. He didn’t know his name, not yet, just that it wasn’t what he was called. He liked this stranger, with his sharp features and all knowing gaze. He felt safe with him. Giving his name though, at least the one that he knew, felt like he would be breaking some spell, exposing himself to a thousand sharks while the red of his dress drew his blood with all of the needle pokes that had gone into it’s making.

“Clara.” He gave in, speaking quietly, eyes flickering down, missing the storm in the stranger’s eyes.

“Oh dear,” the stranger’s voice was as smooth as an overcast sky and as dark as the thunder within it. “That won’t do at all.”

The human jumped as a hand touched the base of his back and his head spun, panic burning through him as he looked up at a different stranger, a much less interesting one. This one was broad and smirking and wore a class ring like it was something important.

“Is this guy bothering you?” he asked and there was a kindness in his voice that didn’t reach his words, his smile not reaching his eyes, his fingers still on Clara’s back.

He shook his head. He didn’t know how to respond. Men like him always made him feel small and vulnerable. Part of him wanted to reach out and clutch at the stranger, get his aid in some way, but he knew how men were. The stranger wouldn’t help him, would allow the newcomer what he wished, which was humiliation and unwanted flirtations. Still, he glanced up at him, silently pleading with the stranger.

He wasn’t expecting the stranger’s golden eyes to burn a bit of red, for his teeth and fingers to appear a bit too sharp in the angles, or for him to step forward, between the two of them. “I believe you’re the one doing the bothering with your interruptions, Charles. Now, I believe you should get your punch and be on your way.”

Charles perked up at that, body going a bit stiff. He grumbled insults and slurs under his breath but did as he was told, ladling some punch into a glass and leaving them to their business.

“Thank you,” Clara said.

“Here,” the stranger reached into the breast pocket of his tailcoat to procure a business card, his features and eyes back to their sharp and very human standards. The writing on the card was floral and curved and silver, turning purple when looked at at a steep angle. “His mother’s phone number. Charles will return for you in an unsavory fashion and you may do with that as you please.”

Clara put the card against the flask in his cleavage, wishing that he at least had a bag with him. He didn’t know how the stranger had gathered such information or why it was on a business card that suited him so well, but he decided not to ask.

He slid his hand up Clara’s arm and his skin was almost too warm, the texture as if he were wearing fine silk gloves though they were bare. “It has been a great pleasure, but the night is growing late for me to remain in one place, and there are many others I have to meet.”

Clara wanted to ask for his number, his name, something so that he could find him later, but he held his tongue. It was good conversation, a warm sensation, but nothing more than a moment in passing with a stranger who would never remember him and never know him as he wanted to be.

---

The second time they met was at Jupiter’s End. His hair was wrapped up and shoved into a hat. His chest was tight and there was glitter on his face. He was a little bit drunk and he was with friends who acted like they understood him. There were so many people dancing that it was hard to see anyone and it was easy for him to get separated from the rest.

The crowd seemed to part, still dancing to some EDM beat, to reveal the stranger, standing at the bar, watching all of the humans gyrating against once another. He was overdressed, if that was possible at all. He was wearing a leather jacket with studs and there was no denying that it was real leather, paired with tight leather pants of the same caliber. His hair was a poof of green brushed to the side and up. He was bare chested aside from a body chain, buried under other chains that had to be real gold.

Pulse quickening, the human danced his way through the crowd, aiming for the bar, for the stranger. He had never expected to see him again.

“You’re here,” he giggled, flopping against the bar, perhaps a bit more drunk than previously imagined.

“I am. How was the wedding?” His smile was the slide of lemon against the rim of a glass.

“Spectacular! You should have stayed!” The wedding was over six months ago but there was no possibility he would ever forget what happened. “My grandma, Flo, beat the shit out of Charles for hitting on a minor. It turned into a little brawl between the old folks and the frat boys. The old folks one. And Dave, my, I dunno, brother-in law? I don’t know how it works, almost broke it off because he hates my sister’s singing but then my dad started speaking tongues at him and it scared him into going through with it. All of the catering staff got drunk out of their minds and spilled half of the cake onto the bridesmaids. You would have loved it!”

His smile grew, a bit of wickedness in his eyes. He looked different now, in the club lights, not less handsome but much less sharp. His nose was crooked as if it had been broken at some point and his eyes drooped with heavy lids.

“You must have enjoyed it,” he smirked. “You’re welcome.”

“That was you? With the punch?”

“That and a few other things.”

There was a spattering of scales on his cheeks, as if they were freckles or stars in the night sky. The human reached out, running his thumb over them. He could feel the stranger stiffen under the touch, skin peel away to reveal more scales, like he was wearing makeup over them. They actually felt real.

“I like these,” He murmured, drawing close enough for the stranger to hear him.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” The stranger spoke in his ear, close enough that neither of them could see the other’s face. “How terrifying and exhilarating it is to show ourselves as we are.”

The human felt more drunk than he had been before, hot and handsy and wanting. His hands went to the stranger’s shoulders, reaching under the leather, feeling more scales, feeling an unnatural heat, feeling a throbbing need.

“I like you.”

“What’s your name?”

He shuddered, pressing his body close to the strangers. He could feel that safety, that warmth, draw him away from the club and the pulsing ambiance. Everything was quieter and while, it was just a name, it felt like a contract. It felt like something definitive. It felt like something he could never give because he didn’t even know what it was himself.

“My father named me Clara.”

“Hmm,” the stranger wrapped an arm around his waist, taking his other hand in his own. His hands were covered in gold rings, his wrist in gold bangles. There were serpents wrapped around him, both in green, translucent ink, and gold. The light hit them in such a way to make them squirm under his skin. “Come now, you can do better than that.”

The steps were certain and strong but the human didn’t know them. He faltered and stared down, trying not to step on the gold tipped shoes. They were snakeskin. He would have laughed but they suited the stranger so well as he slithered them both out onto the dance floor. They suited him like a red plush robe would or nothing at all.

“What do you want from me?” The human had to shout to be heard. “That’s the name I was given. It’s the only name I have.”

“It is as much your name as an ugly sweater you were gifted and plan to return to the store is.” He didn’t need to yell, he didn’t need to raise his voice at all. He spoke plainly and was heard easily. “It does not fit you and you do not desire it. Re-gifting it to me is no good.”

They were waltzing, once he counted the steps to realize it, to the beat of the music, even though such a dance made no sense. He had thought that waltzes were easy, but the steps were difficult and the direction odd. The human had no chance to guess at what he was following but he was able to get the hang of it alright as long as he didn’t think about it.

“Can I get back to you on that?” He called out.

“Of course, take all the time in the world.”

He pushed out and spun the human and there were eyes on them, those that were jealous or pleased at the view. At that moment the attention was good, made the human feel like he was something special instead of something wrong or strange. With the stranger, he felt more himself.

He was drawn back up, turning into the stranger’s shoulder and he was in love with the moment, with the feeling of these hands against him, with the way that his sides brushed against the waves of the crowd and how they were so far away and yet so intrinsic to the sensations.

“Marcel is not your friend,” The stranger spoke plainly, dazzling green eyes searching the crowd for the friends that the human had come with. “They will eat you from the inside, you must not let them.”

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked, before being dipped and then pulled even closer. He didn’t ask how the stranger knew this.

“I shouldn’t get involved, that’s what they say,” the stranger explained, his smile a gash of purple from the strobing lights. “I cannot help myself though, not when my interest is captured. Ares though, xi you can trust, you can spill your heart out to xim and xi will never betray you. Give xim care when xi ask.”

He nodded even though he did not understand.

---

The third time they met wasn’t even real. With a bottle of amaretto under his arm he had fallen asleep, heartbreak leading to the dark winding paths of a dream. His hair was short and his body more his own,  a black ring tattooed behind one ear and bite mark tattooed into a shoulder, the teeth of a wolf digging deep and marking him.

He was in a forest that smelled like cloves and apricots and almonds. The trees were all oaks, their wood dark and polished like a hardwood floor. He could hear the crackling of a fire that threatened to consume it all and a pulsing beat like a heart. At his feet was a winding path, which he walked on with bare feet, gold dust sparkling between the smooth river rock that led him deeper. It was fall as so many leaves fell to the ground in different colors and it was spring in how the new plants were growing up through the undergrowth.

He knew that the path was a spiral but he also knew that stepping off of the path was death. What he wanted was at the very center.

It was an armchair, red and overstuffed, large enough to be a throne. It was surrounded by fat and heavy mushrooms, all in a circle, ready to trap him. Sitting upon it, a glass of blood red wine in one hand, was the stranger. He looked different from how he looked in real life, his features much softer, even under a beard that was filled with small flowers. His cheeks were green and gold scales and there was a pair of thick and massive horns on his head, a thinner one growing from the center, pushing forward before curling back and braiding themselves down his spine. He was nude, though scales coated his joints and there was a mass of leaves and flowers and furs piling in his lap and other divets in his body.

“I was wondering when you’d come,” he admitted, his words dripping gold, physically, into his beard. “I have been waiting for you a while.”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly expecting you,” the human excused, “I’ve wanted to see you, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

He opened his eyes and they were gold with slit pupils. Some of the mass slipped off of his lap as he spun, sitting to face forward, to force the human in his midst.

“Everywhere? I have been hunted before and have great defenses, there is no chance that you would have found me. Still, the though interests me, as I do not sense malice in you.”

“Are you a demon?” He knew it was a bad question, that asking could get him killed if he was right.

The stranger, with the shaking of trees and the blossoming of crocuses, cackled. “Oh no, no no no, not a demon, not at all. I have never met a demon, although I am certain that they would entertain me.”

“Then, what are you?”

“Have you chosen a name yet?”

There was a sultry purr under his words, as if there was a cat somewhere in the room. They were not in a room and there was nothing there, nothing but the two of them.

“Not yet, I have a list, but I’m still checking out my options.” He felt like he should be ashamed and he looked down, away from this thing that appeared to be a god before him, on a throne and with the most transient seasons at his disposal. “I should have listened to you. Marcel ended up being an ass. I couldn’t trust them. They outed me to my parents, said that I was lying by staying in the closet. Now my family hates me and I yelled at Marcel so they’re gone too.”

“Come here,” it wasn’t so much an order as it was a request. There was a tilt to the stranger’s head, a curiosity that filled the world with coriander. The human obeyed without question. He looked up at him, searching his face and his expression. He reached up, and the human did nothing to avoid his touch, even though his nails were black underneath, as if he’d been digging in the dirt, the only clean spaces in his skin coming from the lines of missing rings.

He traced the ring tattooed into the human’s scalp and then twisted his fingers, a magician with a coin from behind the ear, though this was no coin. It was a golden ring, tarnished until it was almost the same black as the ink in his skin. The stranger took his hand and his skin, like in life, was uncannily hot. He spread his fingers and slid the ring onto his middle finger.

“What do you want from me?” the human asked quietly.

The stranger kissed the ring on his finger. “I do not know. What do you want with me?”

His words were stuck in his throat. He wanted to admit to things, to everything, how every night with Marcel he’d been imagining nights with the stranger, how no one’s attention felt the same as those golden eyes being on him, regardless of how he hid them. He wanted to know the strangers name but, more than that, he wanted to be with him, to be an equal with him, to be understood and loved and safe. He couldn’t say that though, not to some deity that he’d only met three times and didn’t even know the name of.

“Why won’t you tell me your name?” he asked.

The stranger was still playing with his fingers, tracing them with his own. He licked his lips with a split tongue and his teeth were sharp. “The giving of a name is a great offering, one that cannot be undone. In giving it is to give someone your essence, to give them power over you. I will not give you such power over me. I wanted you for my own, to take your name and you away from the world.”

“You wanted to steal me,” he realized, shuddering, wanting to drag his hand away, feeling a cold terror spread through him, his trust misplaced once again.

“I did,” the stranger admitted, “I do not wish that now. I want to be your equal. To me you are most interesting and I wish to explore more of the world with you. I can only visit uninvited for so long.”

“I’m just normal,” the human argued, “There’s nothing interesting about me.”

At that the stranger’s face split in a mischievous grin. “And yet you were so quick to join me in causing chaos at your sister’s wedding. You allowed me to make a show of you to the club that night. You not only indulged me but didn’t shrink away from me when I was less than human in my appearance.”

The human blinked and he knew. He figured it all out. “You’re a fairy.”

The smile was just a sliver of a coin, flipped and landing on the edge. “There we have it. Are you afraid?”

“No,” the human said, realizing that it was true. “I’m not.”

His eyes reflected the leaves around them, twirling like snowflakes, the world slowing around them. Sunlight pierced through between the trees.

“That is good. When you are ready for me, come and see me. I shall be wearing a green scarf.”

And with that he woke, alone in his apartment, clothes and memories of an argument strewn upon the floor. Tucked against his chest, under one arm, was a full bottle of amaretto. On his finger was a ring, blackened by tarnish.

---

The fourth time that they met was on a pier. He was himself. There was no question about it. He was alone, aside from a few friends, but he was happy. He didn’t need his family. They had almost killed him, in their own way, in which they did almost nothing to influence him. The ring on his finger had only come off to be cleaned and now it sat on his finger as a series of golden scales, reflecting green instead of any other color.

There was a man, standing at the end of the pier. He was overdressed, in snakeskin shoes and a navy suit. He was staring out at the water, a storm brewing further away, and there were dangerous waves crashing against the shore. Children screamed as they rushed by, chasing after an ice cream truck. It was a safe and expected insanity, the first warm day of spring.

There was nothing strange about the man, nothing to draw his attention, but still he felt compelled to walk towards him, leaving Ares and their other friends to stare after him in confusion.

He walked to the end of the pier and mirrored the stranger’s pose. His hair and beard were white and his nose had no direction to it, having been broken a few times over the decades. His skin was smooth and his bone structure soft. Around his neck there was a green ascot with gold embellishments.

“Ashton,” he introduced, offering one hand.

The stranger smiled, the upturn of his lips like the curl of the coast. He took Ashton’s hand in his own and he shook it, rubbing his thumb over Ashton’s knuckles.

“Elies,” he gave.

“So, this is it?” Ashton asked.

“No,” Elies promised.

“Then what is?”

The fairy grabbed Ashton then, by the back of the head, and pulled him in, pressing their lips together. He tasted like cloves and smoke and honey. His lips were so hot that they filled Ashton, the warmth sliding through his veins and coiling in his lungs.

“Your place or mine?” Elies asked, reverent, like a prayer, and Ashton knew that it wasn’t just for the moment. He remembered the dream, he remembered how Elies couldn’t stay where he wasn’t invited.

“How about mine?”

Elies took his hand and allowed himself to be turned back towards Ashton’s friends.

[cutiecrates]

Cutie Reviews: Doki Doki Dec 18

Oh gosh, I just realize I accidentally forgot to put November for the previous Doki Doki crate, I hope I didn’t confuse anyone...

This months theme: Heartwarming Holidays

“Get cozy and comfy this December with Doki Doki Crate. This month’s theme is “Heartwarming Holidays” and we’ve curated a collection of items to help you snuggle up in kawaii style through the chilly weather.“

Suteki Crate

This specific Suteki Crate is very in-tune with the contents of the crate, I approve. I also love the coffee cup humidifier and tissue cover, they’re so cute!

Okay, let’s get started!

Holiday Mochi Shiba

Sakura has come to us this holiday to snuggle up and enjoy the cozy season, dressed in her winter best.

A soft and squishy plush with many textures, besides the soft fur she also has a soft, velvet shawl and hat with a fluffy pom-pom and gold snowflake detail to match the lining and gold ribbon. She has sewn facial details and blushed cheeks.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

It’s just darling, perfect for winter. The items and details are perfectly flawless, but I did notice the cheeks are stiff from the blush being too heavily applied. You can also see seams and bare patches of fabric all over it if you look at it really close, so it can look a teensy bit messy...

Latte Stencil Art

This next item is a fun one for those days when you need a warm drink- or just feel like being extra-cute with your food items. These come in 2 different sets of 5, one inspired by a polar bear with some fun accents and words, the other is more “traditional Asian” inspired. They recommend using cocoa or green tea powder with these, but you could probably use a variety of things.

So... essentially, realizing we got more than 1 (which I didn’t know when I took this), I decided to try to use the old canister of cocoa powder I have to make the designs. It took like fifteen minutes but I finally got results I was happy with. Never having any experience with these I thought I did okay. But I began to clean up after I took the picture, and when I was preparing to send it... I realized the picture wasn’t saved...

I didn’t have it in mean to try again by this point because I had been putting off going outside to get some weeding done.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I thin they’re really cute and a fun idea. I felt a bit discouraged in doing this but again, I never did it before. It was a lot of fun to keep trying despite that, it made me want to see what else I could use to make these, and I like how we get a set of designs. As I discovered in making these, less is more. You get better results just taking a little out to sprinkle, then spread it around if possible.

Nyanta Claus Washi Tape

Our next item is kind of the “odd man out“ if you ask me, you can probably tell why but just in case- it’s about cats. I love cats but you can clearly see the dog-bear dominant theme, right?

Anyway, masking/washi/sticky tape, whatever you want to call it- it’s essential for the Holiday season when gift giving. This month we got a really cute, Christmas inspired tape by the brand amifa. There are a couple alternate colors/patterns, each staring the adorable Nyanta Claus.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Again, it doesn’t really go with our animal theme, but I think this is perfect for some additional Christmas cheer on presents and decoration. It wasn’t hard to tear, but there was some additional tape that tore off than what I was trying to get. But to be fair, most of these are meant to be used with scissors or tape dispensers, and I have had some tapes get mangled trying to rip a piece off.

Pompompurin Planner

Next up we have an adorable, handy-dandy Planner featuring Pompompurin and all of his cute little animal friends, all donning pompom outfits.

What makes this Planner great is that is also includes a full 2 year calendar, but it also has big colorful decorative calendar pages and memo slots to allow maximum information one might need to write down, for any important dates or schedules. It also has a couple 2-page sheets in the back and an information page, so if you lost the planner someone can return it.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

It’s very sweet to look at, but you know, I never used the previous Planner we got. These are better for people who have a “hectic lifestyle“ in comparison to those of us who have a “laid back lifestyle“, and as of late, mine has been fairly laid-back.

However, I do really appreciate the thought put into this item. I was even considering putting it in my bed-side stand. 

Rilakkuma Honey Blanket

To top off such a cozy box, we have this really cute mini-blanket featuring a sweet Rilakkuma image. It’s so cute~

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

It’s extremely soft and thin, made from a fluffy-fuzzy fabric that would be perfect for a little bit of warm up during winter, or work during summer when it’s warmer out. Lately I haven’t been using a blanket as much due to the heat, but I’m someone who would rather have a blanket on (or to cuddle with) and this is a great alternative.

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - 5 out of 5. I loved everything, it was very sweet. 

Theme: 5 out of 5. I feel like they did great with the theme! It’s very heavy winter, dog, bear-esque and I can see that. Suteki Crate is spot on. I have no complaints. 

Total Rank: 9 out of 10 Cuties. I would recommend this one, unless you wanted something a little more Christmas oriented, rather than winter in general. Also keep in mind the dog bear-theme, which might not appeal to everyone. I probably didn’t sound very excited by the box, but you could say it was so cozy that it made me relaxed~

♥ Cutie Scale ♥

1. Rilakkuma Blanket - It’s so sweet, I don’t really like honey that much but it makes me want to eat something delicious. It also makes a perfect cuddle blanket and hood.

2. Holiday Shiba - I love Sakura x3 she’s so precious~

3. Tape - Nyanta Claus is so cute!

4. Pompompurin Planner - It’s so cute, I love how all the little animals are dressed up~

5. Latte Art - They’re very sweet, and I’m looking forward to using them for more things. I’m still a bit bummed I couldn’t get a picture of my efforts. But it was kind of an ordeal for me...

[thewhiterabbit42]

An Honorary Winchester

Part 1 of Out of Grace (human Gabriel series)

Pairing: Gabriel x Reader

Word count: 10938… oops

Tags: Smut, fingering, unprotected sex, human Gabriel, short reader

Summary: It would be great to have an archangel in your back pocket.  Too bad this one’s human and in as much of a bind as you are when you find yourselves smack dab in the middle of a werewolves’ den.  

Author’s note:  This was written for @gone-to-fight-the-fairies​ Supernatural’s Summer of Heroes Challenge (I’m sorry this is late!).  My quote was: Scott Lang: “On my Signal, run like hell.”  

All tags are at the end. If you find a line through yours, it wouldn’t work :(

Special thanks to my beta @sumara62​, first of her blogname, Queen of the Commas, Purveyor of Descriptives, and (likely) Receiver of Headaches thanks to my muse operating in one tense and my story being written in another. Also to @blondecoffeecake​ for all the encouragement and for answering important science questions.  Thanks ever so much for being my sunshine.

***Please do not repost or copy my work to any other site without my written permission.  Giving credit does NOT count.  Reblogging is ok.***

This was not good.  

Your eyes scanned the room through the hidden vantage point within the wall, and they widened as four more figures entered through the main door.

This was more than not good.  This wasn’t even bad.  This was straight up ugly. 

In all your time of hunting, you’d never had the odds stacked so terribly against you.  This particular group of monsters was well-organized, and well-funded enough to have their own bunker-like structure.  They also appeared to be far more well-numbered than anyone originally anticipated.  

If you hadn’t slipped down a hill and crash landed through the smallest window in existence, you might not have been so in need of a well-timed rescue.  

At least you weren’t alone.  Gabriel had managed to squeeze himself through the frame while Sam and Dean circled back to try and find the main entrance.  These days, however, Heaven’s weapon was looking a bit less terrible and far more soft.  

Might have had to do with how many bags of skittles the man ate… or how he was, in fact, an actual man now.  

Gabriel didn’t like to talk about how he lost his grace.  All things considered, it wasn’t hard to figure out it likely had something to do with Lucifer.  The last time anyone had seen him as an archangel had been back during the apocalypse, saving the Winchester’s asses.  It might have actually been the last time anyone had seen him, period, before you stumbled upon him hitchhiking his way back to the brothers.

You’d never met any of them before that.  Now, you couldn’t get rid of them either.  Except, it seemed, when you actually needed their help.  

“You have a plan?”  He murmured.  

Well it certainly wasn’t to get screwed.  At least not by the pack of werewolves congregating in the room in front of you.  

You wracked your brain, trying to come up with a solution, though the way he was practically on top of you was making it awfully hard to think about anything other than the way his dulcet tone caressed your ear or how his breath was ghosting warmly over you.  

It wasn’t his fault.  He was mostly this close to keep from being heard, though it did mean his lips were as close to your ear as they could be without actually touching.  This might have been as close as they’ve been to any part of you other than the back of your hand.  

You swallowed, doing your best to also ignore the way his chest was brushing lightly against your shoulder.

“Don’t die?” You finally replied.  You practically heard his eye roll through the mounting tension.  

“If there’s anyone I’d rather get screwed by the Winchesters’ with, it’s you, but I’d much rather those prepositions be reversed,” he whispered.  

“You mean positions?” You questioned absently, doing another head count in hopes the last several had been inaccurately high.  

“I meant exactly what I said.”  A smirk sang through his words and when you finally got the punchline, your eyes were the ones rolling heavenward.  

You knew he was just trying to keep things light, to keep you both calm, and possibly even distract you a little while he came up with a plan.  You also knew it was all just bravado.  Gabriel had been a regular part of your life for so long enough now that if any part of that statement were true, he would have made a move already, because, unlike you, he was not a coward.  

“So… you would rather get screwed with the Winchesters’ by me?” You informed him, tone as dry as your smile.  “Because I want you to know upfront, I have a two dick maximum.”

You turned your head to gauge his reaction.  His nose grazed your temple as he let out a short, amused, puff of air through it.  

“Ok, maybe not quite what I meant, shortcake,” his voice was a pleasant rumble in the back of his throat, though a single note of exasperation rang softly through his tone.  “Besides, you should know by now I don’t play well with others and I’m not really a fan of sharing.  Candy.  Toys.  Anything.”

You were about to tease him about that one time he had to share a bed with Dean because you and Sam refused to (and because that particular motel carpet was liable to give you some infectious disease just looking at it) when the door across the room opened again.

The addition of four more guests had the playful remark dying in your throat.  

You turned your attention fully back to the two dozen or so monsters milling about, having tea, eating cookies, chatting about the weather and how many bodies they had to hide this summer or whatever it was that werewolves made small talk about.  

The breath he let out was the heaviest sound you ever heard him make, and his hands came down on your shoulders.  You were wearing your favorite jacket, broken in just right.  The leather was old, worn, supple, and well loved, so the fact his fingers were moving over that at the moment didn’t really surprise you.  Neither did the anxious drumming that scurried down the side of your arms, halting just above your elbows.

Gabriel liked to touch.  Anything soft, smooth, furry.  The easiest way to cheer up the ex-trickster was to plop something cute and fuzzy in front of him (and though he’d never admit it, making surprise trips to pet stores and humane societies was one of your more often used pick me ups for him).  He was particularly fond of things like silk, satin, and velvet, but textures in general seemed to draw him in.  

His touch often came when things were idle, when he was bored and in need of something to occupy his attention, or something to keep him grounded as his mind whirred away.  When it didn’t have to do with sensory stimulation, it was tied to his nerves.  It was a tossup as to whether or not it was the second or third one of those driving his need to have his hands on you at the moment.  

Likely a little of both.  

He guided you back along the passageway, moving you far enough away to be out of their earshot.  He released you, pacing slightly as he continued to think.  His nervous energy was infectious, and you shoved your hands into your pockets, hoping to find something to fiddle with.  You forced yourself to at least act like you were calm, however, and you leaned back against the wall, once again trying to think of a way out of this mess.  

“We gotta make a move,” he finally said, breaking the silence as his movements stilled.  Despite his assertion, his gaze remained uncertain, muddying the waters on just how necessary he felt it was.  

“We should to wait for Sam and Dean,” you answered.  You were outnumbered twelve to one.  If you had found this place a few days ago, you might have had some hope within the dozen people being kept prisoner not far from where you stood.  Now, however, the majority of them were weak with hunger and thirst, and you couldn’t risk putting them in harm’s way in the condition they were in.  

Gabriel stepped closer, placing his hand above your head on the wall as he leaned in toward you.

“We’ve been waiting” he reminded emphatically, trying to keep his voice at a low hush. “We wait any longer and our backup is going to need backup before coming in after us.”

He was right.  He was also so close you could feel his breath across your skin.  It smelled like citrus and sweetness, and you’d put money on it if you reached into his pockets you’d find a fresh skittles wrapper in there.  

You were about to crack a joke about it when the look on his face shifted and he suddenly pinned you beneath a strange stare.  It was packed to the brim in a way you’d never seen before, and there was no way you could hope to untangle all the threads woven through gold within the few short moments you had.

“Alright, the plan is, on my signal, run like hell,” he declared, leaving no room for argument.    

For a moment, you could only look at him.  Working with and even existing around the former archangel had been a significant learning curve for you.  It had taken you some time to pick up on his subtleties, to see past his facades, and to also calibrate your bullshit detector, which was currently giving you all sorts of off the charts readings.  

“Gabriel…”  

“The door on the other side of the room is the key,” he spoke over you, pushing things right along.  “You know which one I’m talking about?”

You pursed your lips, irritated, but you nodded.  It was one of several leading into it, but likely the only one that led out considering it was where most of the werewolves came through.

“Good.  Head straight for it.  Don’t look back,” he finished.

“What are you going to do?”  You demanded, suspicious of just how this plan of his was supposed to work.  

“The usual.  Bring a little pandemonium and chaos to the party.  Liven things up.  Or unliven them, ideally,” he smirked, though it seemed a little stiff.  He reached into his pocket with his free hand, and what he brought up for your inspection had your eyes widening.

“Is that a grenade?”

Where the hell had he gotten that?

He grinned.  “Always wanted to play around with one of these bad boys.  I’ve been guaranteed this one’s filled with silver.  Guess we’ll find out how reputable my man really is.”  

He quickly pocketed the weapon before reaching down to his side.   He unclipped his gun, handing it to you with that same intent stare as before.  

“Take it,” he ordered.

You glanced at the pistol, your stomach sinking as you realized what the real plan was.  

Your father always warned you never to find yourself a good man.  Good men, in this life, Sport, mean you die a widow.  Find yourself one you can trust with most things, but who’s selfish enough not to sacrifice his entire world for yours, unless that’s all that’s left to throw at something.  

Gabriel, was not a mediocre man.  Now matter how much he liked to drive others insane, or how much of an ass he could be, when it came down to it, he was a good one, and good men could never be trusted not to do something stupid when it came to protecting people they cared about.   

“I’m not leaving here without you,” you stated, the finality of that truth clearly intoned.  

The thought of making it out without him had you more terrified than not walking out of there at all.  

“We don’t know what’s through that door, sweetheart, and you need to clear a path for us pronto if we’re gonna get out of here… but you do whatever it takes to get those two muttonheads in here and get those people out,” he pulled his hand back from the wall, hooking a finger beneath your chin, an unexpected softness overtaking him. “Understood?”

Sometimes you wondered if he knew about the torch you carried for him (and just how big it was).  These moments seemed to be happening more and more, popping up in the middle of some impossible or dangerous situation, and always when he needed to convince you to do something that put him at risk.  

“I’m not leaving here without you and I mean it,” you reiterated.    

“Don’t argue with me, kid.  I am millions of years older than you.”  There was a wryness to his tone, though the undercurrent of patience suggested he wasn’t entirely joking.  

You put your hand on the gun, your fingers brushing over his.  You could feel your heart leaping into your throat at the determination in his gaze, and it made your words come out more as a plea than the directive it was intended to be.  

“And I’ve never left anyone behind on a hunt before.  Don’t ask me to do it to you.”    

Your tongue darted out across your bottom lip and his eyes immediately dropped down, drawn to the movement.  His head dipped ever so slightly closer, and your heart leapt right back down into your chest, hammering madly.  It looked as if he was about to – no, he wouldn’t – but he was so close and –

Something changed.  Something had shadows descending swift and harsh across amber and just as quickly as you were convinced he was going to kiss you, he stepped back.  He put his hand over yours, pushing the gun back in your direction.  

“Take it.”

You swallowed back on your disappointment, but it was too late; your fight had already been extinguished, and you ended up taking the weapon from him.  He fished out another magazine from his pocket, wordlessly handing it to you.  

His smile was meant to be reassuring, but you could see the weight clinging to the darks of his eyes, making them appear faded.  “You ready for this?”

***

The correct answer was no.  No you were not prepared for any of this.  You’d been put into messed up situations before, but this - this was intense.  

First of all, grenades were loud.  Really loud.  Especially in close quarters.  Your ears not only rang the same way they did when you fired your gun, but there was an additional muffled quality, dampening your hearing further.  

Second, they packed a punch.  You weren’t sure where Gabriel intended to hit, but it almost didn’t matter.  The shrapnel had scattered across the entire room, blowing bulbs, shattering glass, taking chunks out of furniture, or spraying them with holes.  

Third, when werewolves screamed in agony, they didn’t sound any different than any other person, and when they had pieces taken out of them, they didn’t look any different either.  

The entire experience was far more disorienting than you expected and for a moment you could only stare at the terrible scene in front of you.  

“Move!”

Gabriel’s voice edged into your awareness, but it was the way he dragged you, stumbling through the chaos, that had your mind sharpening again.  You worked on burying the horror, numbing it beneath the sudden rush of adrenaline and fear as members of the pack began to shake free from their own daze.  

One of them leapt up, rushing blindly at you, and it took three shots to take him down.  Another soon followed, and the way it closed in faster than you’d ever seen, its sights set on Gabriel, put you almost in a full-blown panic.  You caught it just above the heart, and your father’s voice swam back into your consciousness: almost only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades.  You miss a shot, Sport, and you potentially miss saving a life.      

The monster growled, and for a moment you feared it was going to lunge.  At least, that would have been the smart move.  It raised its arm high, projecting the wild swing it took at Gabriel, giving the ex-trickster and you plenty of notice to anticipate the attack.  He leapt back just as you pulled the trigger, and this time you hit your mark.   

The ones that came through the door were just as feral, and you realized it must be the smell driving them mad, an insanity-inducing cocktail comprised of blood, death, fear, anger, grief, and God knew what else.  Thankfully, it seemed like the majority were already in that room with you, because not only had you kicked the hornet’s nest, but hitting them this way had apparently stirred them into such a frenzy that nothing short of hitting their heart was going to slow them down.    

Unfortunately, most of the ones capable of attacking were almost recovered enough to start fighting back.

“We need to get to the hallway,” you urged.  You were way too exposed in the large area and not only did you need cover, but you needed a way to funnel the enemy so you weren’t dealing with all of them at once.

Gabriel continued forward, and you moved with him, your back close to his as you tried to keep them off you.  When there wasn’t anything coming, you went on the offensive, taking out the ones closest to pulling themselves to their feet before they could become a direct threat.  

“Clear!” He announced and you glanced back to find he had the door cracked.  He motioned for you to go through and you leveled a look of disbelief before dragging him alongside you.  Unfortunately, there was no way to lock the door behind you, leaving you both vulnerable to far too many wolves still capable of tearing your throat out.  

“Let’s just hope this place isn’t a maze,” you muttered before you both sprinted down the hall.  

***

You weren’t going to make it.  They were everywhere: lurking behind every door you passed, wandering into the hallways you needed to pass through.  Most of them had no idea you were coming, but the moment they laid eyes on you, they were primed to kill on sight.  

You needed a way to slow them down.  None of doors had locks that could be utilized without keys, and as more slowly built on your trail, the more you realized this couldn’t end well for  either of you.  

If you didn’t find a way to box them in or reach the exit (and the Winchesters), you were going to be in trouble.  You made sure to keep Gabe as close to you as possible, especially when any enemies were nearby, anticipating that he would make take matters into his own hands the first chance he got.  

You pushed through another doorway, surprised to find yourself in another large, conference room type area.  Gabriel immediately shut the door behind you, bracing his weight against it.  

“Get that chair,” he ordered, pointing to one against the wall.  You grabbed it and, guessing his intent, jammed it beneath the door handle.  Both of you worked on putting what else you could in front of it before quickly working on a second door that looked like it connected to some of the side areas you’d passed.  It wouldn’t hold forever, but it would certainly buy you some time.  

A chorus of growls sounded along the hallway you entered from as you rushed into the one you hoped led to the way out.  A thunderous rattling and the sound of wood splintering caught your ears.  You rounded the corner, the sound fading, only to be met with another identical looking hallway.  You finally realized you had no idea just how big this place was or how many more corridors you had to get through before you could even get out.  

You needed a new plan, and fast.  

Hope flared fierce within your chest as the two of you took another turn, and the door at the end of this hall appeared different from the rest.  A large, steel, sliding bar was installed as some sort of deadbolt, which could only mean one thing.

Relief flooded your system, overriding some of the adrenaline as you and Gabriel exchanged a look.  He smiled, taking hold of your hand, and for a moment you actually believed that maybe, just maybe, things would turn out alright.  

You had always been a sucker for the hope of a happy ending.  

The unmistakable echo of footsteps and snarls informed you this end would be bloody and brutal.  

Gabriel picked up his pace, practically dragging you and your short legs along as you did your best to keep up with him.  You were only slowing him down.  If he wasn’t so concerned about you, he could have been through that next door and easily increasing the distance between the monsters and himself.  

An idea formed in your head and you winced, because he was going to be so pissed at you.  It didn’t matter.  You weren’t going to be what dragged down such a complicated and magnificent being who deserved far more than what the world had ever given him.  

He had also been the one who handed you all the guns.

You let him break away from you, allowing a little distance to form as you pretended to be winded. He turned slightly, keeping you in his peripheral even as he opened the door and peeked around the edge of it.

“It’s clear!  Come on!” He gestured for you to hurry and you waited until he was fully through the threshold before picking up your pace.  It was perfect timing.  As he he kept watch down the hallway, he was too distracted to notice the way you were working toward an all out sprint until you were almost on top of him, and he had just enough time for his brows to hit his hairline before you dropped your shoulder.  You collided with him, sending him sprawling across the floor.  You wasted no time, dropping to your knee and removing a small six-shooter strapped to your ankle for oh shit situations just like this one. You prayed it would be enough and slid it in his direction.

“What the hell are you doing?”  He wheezed.  You grimaced, realizing you had knocked the wind out of him.   

“Whatever it takes,” you apologized, guilt bleeding through your words.  

His eyes went wider than you’d ever seen, and your mouth went dry as you saw the same fear you felt earlier at the thought of leaving him behind.  

“Get them in as fast as you can,” you said, proud of the steadiness in your tone, though the reality of what you were about to do was about to come crashing down upon you.  

“Wait,” he gasped, hastily pulling himself to his feet as he tried to reason with you  “You don’t need to do anything stupid, short stack.  We’re almost there.”

You backed up when you saw the way his body was tensing, as if preparing to throw himself back through that doorway or you over his shoulder.  Even knowing how fast he was, you underestimated how much quicker he could move than you, especially given the right motivation.  You barely made it back around the door in time, and he was so close when you slammed it you might have literally shut it on his face.   

A frustrated growl rose from behind it as you tried to keep him from pushing back through.  You fumbled with the deadbolt, struggling to keep your weight braced against it and keep it steady long enough to lock it.  The way he kept throwing himself wildly at it made it impossible for you to get the metal to line up properly.  

“Father, dammit, open the door!”  He shouted, a panicked edge entering his tone.  “Don’t do this - don’t you dare do this to me, y/n, please.”

What started as a command, slowly morphed into a plea, and your resolve almost broke beneath his desperation.  The pack was close to descending upon you, however, reminding you why you needed to do this.  You lowered yourself, pushing your feet against the floor with renewed purpose.  Putting everything you had into it, you shoved back, managing to steady the door long enough for you to jam the bar into place.  

“Go!” You shouted when he continued pounding.  The hair on the back of your neck prickled, rising uncomfortably, your signal you were out of time.  Steeling yourself for the oncoming onslaught, you turned, drawing both of your weapons.  You had just swapped out the magazines and settled into your stance when the first one rounded the corner.  

As the pack began to flood the hall in front of you, Gabriel’s frantic banging faded beneath the loud pop of your firearms, and you poured all your concentration into making each bullet count before you ran out of them or luck.  

***

Despite the fact you escaped death’s clutches relatively unharmed and didn’t have to leave anyone behind, you had a feeling you were so, so screwed still.

Gabriel hadn’t spoken a word to you since your sincere attempt at saving his life (and the lives of all the captives that had still been waiting in cages to be rescued).  You weren’t sure if he was seething, or just perfectly happy to let Dean have first dibs at a tirade.  If you had to guess, he was beyond the emotional capability of a normal human being when it came to whatever sentiment was lurking in his gaze, if that darkness lining gold was as infinite as it seemed.  

He wouldn’t even look at or acknowledge you, his stare fixed somewhere out in the darkness as you headed toward the closest twenty-four hour diner Sam could find.

“Are you even listening to me?” Dean demanded.  

No, actually, you weren’t.

You knew Dean cared, and the reason he was thundering his disapproval down upon you was that you had scared the shit out of all of them, which was why you were actively ignoring him.  You weren’t the type of person that did well receiving lectures, but you also weren’t the type to hold it against them for being furious you gave them an unconventional stress test on their hearts.  

“Dean, just take it easy, alright?” Sam interjected.  

Dear, sweet, Sammy.  He had tried to disarm the nuke his brother had become once all the danger had passed and the people had made it safely out.  Not only had he failed, but he had drawn an impressive amount of his brother’s ire for a few minutes and you hadn’t expect him to intervene on your behalf again.  

You’d have to remember to pick up his favorite candy or beer when you had a chance.  

“Sammy, stay out of this,” Dean warned.  

“Look, she gets it.  Only you, me, and Gabriel are allowed to engage in risky heroics,” the younger man sassed back.  

Correction: you were going to have to take this man on a vacation weekend for the lip he just gave.  

The look on Dean’s face was priceless.  The mixture of shock and utter betrayal had you sniggering quietly to yourself.  

“I can’t believe you,” he shook his head in disappointment.  “She could have died –”

“But she didn’t.  In fact, her idea likely saved them both and all those people,” Sam tried reasoning.  His brother, however, was beyond hearing it at the moment.

“The only reason any of this worked out was because we came along and prevented her from getting ripped to shreds!”  He insisted, his eyes swinging back to you in the mirror.  “I don’t know what’s going on, but you are getting sloppy, really sloppy, and if you can’t get your head in the game, I’m benching you.”

His words were like throwing gasoline onto a small, flickering flame.  Everything exploded in a brief, fiery burst as your patience finally wore thin.

“Listen here, Winchester, you are not my father, and since I don’t have any lingering daddy issues like some people in this car–” and by some, you meant all of them, “– I am not in search of one.  My own never got away with telling me I couldn’t hunt, and you sure as hell aren’t going to, so you better check whatever part of your issues are causing you to treat me like I’m some god damn child.  We have all taken risks before.  We’ve all thrown ourselves to the wolves to save someone else, so don’t lecture me because it was my turn to do it.”

“You didn’t just throw yourselves to the wolves, you locked yourself in there with them!  A pack of rabid ones, I might add,” Dean snarkily reminded.  “And if we had come in one minute later –”

“But.  You.  Didn’t,” you snapped, eyes burning as you met his gaze in the rear-view mirror.  “I do get it.  I almost died, but almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”

Surprise cut through the bulk of his fury just before he turned back to the road.  White-knuckled fingers gripped the steering wheel and you watched the muscle on the side of his jaw go rigid.

“Not in this family it doesn’t,” he muttered.    

“I’m not a Winchester.”  The words were out of your mouth before you realized what it was you were saying.  A heavy silence fell between you and for the first time, Gabriel’s attention drifted back to what was happening in the vehicle.  

You would have thought you had insulted their father… or brought up the uncomfortable fact that their father got yours killed by how thick the tension had become.  

“Don’t you pull that, crap,” Dean grumbled, obviously wounded by the remark.  “We have been through too much together for you to act like you’re not one of us.”  

He shook his head emphatically, as if he couldn’t believe you had the gall to insist you didn’t have a place among them.  That wasn’t what you were saying, but there was no point in telling him that now.  Dean wasn’t likely to hear much of anything until he’d had some time to calm down (and put something in his stomach).  

You were all running on empty, and you hoped stopping for food would help settle most of the discourse on just how stupid you were for wanting to protect your friend.  

You rode the rest of the way in silence, which thankfully wasn’t far.  Before long, Sam was guiding Dean off the highway to a small building no bigger than a bus.  There were more cars than you expected at this hour, and Dean was forced to pull around into the shadows of a small parking area behind the building.  Once he found a spot, he shut off the engine, and you honestly couldn’t get out of that car fast enough.  Unfortunately, neither could Dean, and the way he strode around the vehicle toward you with renewed purpose suggested he still had yet to finish with you.  

No doubt he was coming to browbeat you properly, face to face.  

“Dean –” Sam sighed, his tone saying enough as he moved to interrupt his brother.  Dean just put his hand up, his eyes fixed intently on you as he approached.  

“I get why being one of us might not be the most desirable thing, given our family’s histories,” he began, his voice much calmer than before.  “But for the record, you are one of us in every way that matters.”  

The earnestness beneath his words caught you off guard.   The dark pit of sentiments leftover from this evening began to churn, and a slow-creeping guilt crawled its way up from within it.  You pursed your lips, trying to force it, and everything else rushing to the surface, back down where you could keep a tight lid on it.   

“People come and go in our line of work, but, for whatever reason, you haven’t.  You’ve chosen us as much as we’ve chosen you, and you can’t expect us to be thrilled when we come into a place fully anticipating to find that we’ve lost you, understand?”

The problem wasn’t that you hadn’t understood this from the beginning, it was that you didn’t appreciate feeling like you were being spoken down to for doing what you thought was right.  

It didn’t matter now.  Everything had worked out.  Everyone seemed to be done yelling at you.  You would all move past this, and by sunup, everything would go back to normal again.  

You nodded up at Dean and he smiled.  

“Good,” he said, clapping you so heartily on the shoulder your entire body swayed, “Because I’m starving.  Let’s go eat.”

He released you, that purpose in his frame now turned elsewhere as he wasted no time heading toward the diner.  

Sam saw you hesitate and he lingered, watching you lean against the car, and take a moment to enjoy the crisp, fall air around you.   

“You ok?” He asked.  

You nodded.  “I just need a minute.”

He placed a hand on your shoulder, squeezing slightly before trailing after his brother.  

You shoved your hands into your pockets, looking up at the night sky.  You turned, your back resting against the cold metal as your eyes drifting over the twinkling lights scattered across the darkness.  You were surprised at how clearly you could see the stars, and as you focused on losing yourself to the infiniteness of the galaxies above you, you felt the guilt and horrors from this evening begin to drift away.

It also helped to have your mind wandering back to the last time you’d stopped to admire the heavens.

It had been a few months ago, right after you and Gabriel had solved a case involving a Wendigo that had wandered into a national forest, preying on campers.  The two of you had decided to stay a little longer, and the park rangers had been so grateful for your help that they had allowed you to stay, free of charge.  The whole idea had come from a remark Gabe had made about not seeing the allure of “roughing it” in the wilderness.

You were only supposed to stay a few days, but those few turned into a few more and before you knew it, an entire week had passed.  It was the best week you’d had since you father had died.  Possibly the best week you’d ever had, and you knew it had less to do with the what or where and far more to do with the who.

You caught movement out of the corner of your eye and you found the who in question moving around the side of the car.  You hadn’t even realized the former archangel was still out there.  You stood up, about to move toward him when you caught the dark look on his face.

“Gabe?”  

He pushed you back against the car, his grip tight on your shoulder as he leveled a finger right in your face.

“Don’t you ever do something like that again, do you understand?!”

For a moment you could only blink.  You’d heard Gabriel yell before, mostly at Dean, but he had never raised his voice to you.  He wasn’t shouting now, either, though you wished he would, because whatever this was was far more intense and unsettling than having him unleash on you the way Dean had.   

“If those two idiots want to be big, dumb heroes, let them, but you - you are too important to be pulling stunts like that!”  There’s so much beneath his tone, so much swirling within gold, that you haven’t a clue as to what he was talking about, only that he believed it.  

“Gabriel, I’m - I’m nobody,” you stammered, so confused as to why he would think you were anything special.

“You are everything!” He insisted, though it wasn’t his anger that hit the tipping point.  It was something far more potent as his voice grew strained with the underlying trepidation.  A mist formed over amber, and your eyes widened as you realized what was happening.

You’d only seen him tear up once.  It was a brief and powerful thing to witness, a mighty archangel on his knees before you, moved beneath the burden of his humanity.  Helplessness was not a concept Gabriel did well with, then or now, and you suddenly realize it was one you inadvertently reintroduced by closing that door on him today.

You should have known better.  You were the only one who’d been there with any consistency since his transformation, and being left alone (even though you know the Winchesters would continue to look after him) must have been a terrifying prospect for him.

“I’m sorry…”  You took the hand still pointing at you into your own, folding your fingers around his until they finally relax within your grip.  

His eyes closed a moment and he inhaled slowly.  He took his time breathing back out, and when he looked back at you, everything had changed.  The chaos settled to an absolute certainty, one you’d only ever seen from beings with lifespans far greater than yours. It was a reminder of how much more he used to be, and the vulnerability and genuine emotion beneath his words also showed you how much more he was now.

“I can’t do this without you,” he confessed, and for a brief moment he looked utterly lost.

You swallowed.  It took a lot for him to admit his weaknesses (or as most people called them, feelings), but this was more than that.  This was huge for him, and you couldn’t help but feel like there was something more hanging in the balance, something more than just what he had told you.

You took a moment, weighing your words carefully.  Gabriel rarely put himself out there like this, and the last thing you wanted was to give the wrong response and discourage him from ever doing so again.

Sometimes the simplest and safest thing you can offer someone is the truth.  Your father’s voice sounded in the back of your mind.  It was comforting to have his advice so ingrained in you that he was still able to provide it during times like this.  

“Why do you think I pushed you through that door?”  You asked, your voice timid as you stepped out on that shaky limb beside your friend.  

For a moment he just studied you, his gaze hard and appraising.  He almost looked like he didn’t trust you, but you had never given him a reason to doubt what you said… had you?

“I’ve always hunted alone,” you explained, a nervous thrum flooding your veins.  “As soon as I was old enough to, anyway.  My father thought it was for the best.  He always told me when you hunt with someone you care about, you make more mistakes, and you take different risks.”  

Your teeth worried briefly over your bottom lip.  You’d never shared this with anyone before.  You’d never had anyone to share something like this with.  It had always been about keeping people at arm’s length, especially after your father’s death.  

Then along came Gabriel, who had you breaking every rule you and your father had ever laid out.  

“He was right.  I wouldn’t have barred that door for just anyone… but I’ve also come to realize, he was wrong, about doing this all alone.  I can’t do this without you either.”  You gave him a shy, nervous smile, hoping that this would settle the storm rumbling within honeyed hues.  Everything only grew fiercer, however, and you weren’t certain anything you said had actually helped rather than somehow making a mess of things.  

You were about to apologize when the hand at your shoulder slid up to the back of your neck.  You went completely still, your mind reeling, and the way he regarded you was as if this were a test.  His eyes watched your every movement as his thumb began to trace along the fine hairs at your nape.  Goosebumps raced out from beneath his touch, compounded by ripples of excitement as you watched his gaze trail down to your lips.   

“I want to kiss you.” His voice was rough with emotion and you blinked, unsure if you heard him correctly.  The way he cupped your face with his other hand, however, his thumb tracing along your cheekbone, suggested you were not suffering from any auditory hallucinations.  

The look in his eyes grew as the seconds passed, but he continued to wait, and you realized despite his statement, there was a clear question being posed.  You tentatively reached up, running your fingers along the beginnings of a beard growing out along his cheeks.

“Then what are you waiting for?” You asked, your fingers daring as they drifted into the mess of curls behind his head.  He waited for you to pull him toward you before he did the same to you, and the moment your mouth touched his, a thrilling shock wave erupted straight down the center of you.  

There was a hesitance beneath both your lips, as if neither one of you could believe this was really happening.  Perhaps it wasn’t. Perhaps you were still back in the werewolf den, bleeding out, and to block out the horror of your final moments, your brain had conjured your greatest desire instead.

If this was how you went, you could live with that… or die with it, as the case might have actually been.

You would likely die either way, with the way your pulse took off when he nudged you back against the car.  His fingers weaved through the back of your hair, tilting your head back just as he grew emboldened enough to take your lower lip between teeth, nibbling and drawing out a pleased sigh from somewhere deep inside you.  His tongue swept out, stealing a taste of you before his mouth became firmer, ravenous to the point you questioned just how long it had been since he’d done this with anyone.    

His hands joined his hungry exploration, slipping beneath your shirt in search of skin.  He ghosted along your stomach before doing a wide arc around your side and down your lower back.  His fingers dipped beneath the band of your jeans, brushing along the edge of your underwear as he circled back toward the front of you.  

You knew exactly where this was headed, and you had a feeling if you didn’t refocus him soon, he was going to take you right there against the side of car.  

The thought only had you even dizzier with desire.  

You reached beside you, fumbling for the handle.  When you finally got a grip on it, you nudged him forward with your hips.  He took the hint, but not before he grabbed the loopholes of your pants, jerking you flush against him.  You gasped as his erection dug into the front of you, and you managed you guide him sideways enough to swing the door open.  You grabbed him by his jacket, pulling him with you into the car.  Despite Dean’s voice niggling at the back of your mind (watch the shoes on the upholstery!), you dropped down onto the seat, footwear and all, dragging yourself back by the elbows as Gabe climbed in over you.  

He paused long enough to shut the door behind him, and gold glinted in a way you’d never seen before.  That was when the the archangel in him emerged, coming out in the sinuous, graceful way he crawled up the length of you.  The human in him, however, was what had him pressing his mouth back to yours again in haste, his tongue probing for entrance as he slipped his knee between your thighs.  

You opened both lips and legs for him, a rush of heat and electricity enveloping you when he nestled against your mound and his tongue slide over yours.  Your moan was echoed from him as he rocked his hips against you.  He was already so hard, just as you were certain you were already soaked, and he hadn’t even touched you properly yet.  

When his hand glided up to your breast, fixing that transgression, you almost swore he read your mind, human or not.  

You shifted out of your jacket, removing one of several hindrances as he continued mapping the curves of your body.  You decided it was time to get to know his, your hands diving beneath his shirt before your palms skimmed the soft contour of his stomach.  Three years ago, you imagined what you were touching was the rock-hard, washboard example of perfection.  

You found this version of him far more attractive.  

Your fingers wandered restlessly, trying to explore, but the fire he expertly stoked made you feel as if you couldn’t get enough of him fast enough.  Your hands reached down the back of him, cupping that delicious ass you’d spent far too much time admiring, before giving it a firm squeeze.  You followed with a sensual roll of your hips, enjoying the currents of desire that sparked upon hearing the way his breath hitched in response.  

He broke away from your mouth, lips blazing across your jaw and down the side of your neck.  Every lick, every suck, every bite had a purpose, and with every mark he left behind, he was claiming you inch by inch.  It drove you wild, feeling the insatiable need beneath his touch, feeling his own want overflowing onto you along with the heat of his body.  

It was too much and, yet, not nearly enough.  You became acutely aware of just how hot it was, how stifling it felt beneath all your clothing with him pressed against you.  It was an issue that needed fixing.  Now.  

You tugged open the front of your pants, kicking off your shoes, and the moment they hit the floor, he was up on his knees.  His fingers curled beneath denim and cotton, and with one swift yank, he had your pants and panties down to your ankles.  One more tug had them free, where they went sailing over his shoulder against the window.  

His gaze roamed up the length of you, darkening with desire.  “I want to see you.  All of you.”  

Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t deny him what he asked, not when he looked at you in a way no other man ever had.  It was like you were the only thing that existed, like seeing you laid bare before him was what he needed, more than the air in his lungs, more than for his heart to keep beating.  More than anything, he just needed you, and the warmth that rushed into your cheeks was equal parts excitement and shyness.  

You nervously pulled your shirt over your head, your eyes dropping away from his uncertainly.  It had never mattered before what men thought about your body.  Most of them were drunk enough to not care about the scars, scrapes, and bruises that came from hunts, but Gabriel was different.  How many bodies had he seen in his lifetime?  How many examples of perfection were already seared into his mind?  

By the time you were out of your bra, the silence was more deafening than your pulse pounding in your ears.

He wasn’t just quiet.  He was too quiet, and when you chanced a glance back up at him, you saw why.  Everything was different.  The carnal heat had been extinguished, leaving a vacuum of something in its wake.  His face was completely unreadable as his eyes moved down the front of you, his throat bobbing once, twice, and when he finally completed his appraisal, he looked almost astonished.

“You are so beautiful,” he rasped, breathless as he reverently ran his hands along the back of your calves.  A deep flush cascaded down from your cheeks, flooding your chest and running straight down the length of you.  His palms smoothed up around the side of your thighs, and when they rose above the swell of your hips he dropped down onto his elbows, caging your lower body in place.  He brought his mouth down to your hipbone, kissing and nipping his way across the sensitive band of skin beneath your stomach as he made his way toward the other side.  

Your body squirmed beneath his attention as he diverted his course up towards your navel.  You loved not only what he was doing to you, but how he looked as he did it.  The way tousled, golden strands fell down across his face.  The way amber turned absolutely molten whenever it flicked up to watch your own reactions.  The way his lip would curl ever so slightly when he drew a particularly satisfying sound from you.  Everything about him was intoxicating, ensnaring your senses and drawing you further beneath dark and decadent waves that lapped persistently at your core.  

There was no way you were going to hold out much longer.  

It took incredible restraint on your part not to divest him of his remaining clothing; even more to refrain from climbing into his lap to ride him in a way he’d never experienced before.

The inner edge of your resolve crumbled, and you grabbed his hand, cupping it over your breast.  He groaned, his mouth stuttering as he brought his other hand up and brushed his thumbs across your aching peaks.  The breathy moan that escaped your lips was pure satisfaction, and you arched into his touch, your body begging for more.  He languidly circled the taut nubs before his mouth came up and latched onto one, lavishing you until he had you mewling beneath his ministrations.

A sense of urgency built beneath his movements, matching the flames of your desire that were quickly turning into an uncontrollable wildfire.  The slightest touch had pleasure singing across your nerve-endings, and you couldn’t recall anyone ever making you feel this way.  

The fingers from his free hand lightly dragged along your inner thigh.  The sensation suddenly vanished, only to reappear along your folds.  Your hips jerked as a solitary fingertip traced lightly down the front of them.  You whimpered when he curled the tip inward, drawing it up along your slit until he found your entrance.  

“Oh, father,” he groaned, and you were right there with him as he sank his finger into your entrance.  “You’re so wet already.”

Your head dropped back, your eyes sliding shut as you focused on the abundance of sensations he was creating.  The way he just held his finger there a moment was torturous, and just when you were worried that devious side of him was going to make an appearance, he withdrew, easing a second one inside of you.  The ensuing stretch your walls gave has your hips lifting straight off the seat, taking him deeper within you.  

You let out a half-groan, half-growl, and you were as gratified by the addition as you were dissatisfied when everything suddenly came to a halt.  When you glanced up at him to see what happened, you found him with his eyes shut, looking deep in concentration as the tip of his nose came to rest in the valley between your breasts.  You couldn’t help but wonder what it was he was savoring at that moment.  Was it the fact you were already soaked?  Was it the heat of your core that captivated him or was it simply the snug way you gripped around his fingers?  

“I want to be inside you,” he pleaded and when his eyes reopened, liquid honey had all but been swallowed by pools of wanton lust that had his pupils blown wide.  His mouth was hard and hungry as it seared its way back up to your neck where he sucked greedily against your collarbone.  You pulled a breath in through your teeth, feeling the a mark form just as he began to scissor in and out of you.  Your rocked your hips against his hand, urging him on.   

“Please,” he beseeched.

“God, yes,” you sighed.  “I need–” you cried out as he curled his fingers upward, hitting that delicious spot inside you just right.  “–you now.”

He withdrew both hands from your body, and you whined, aching at the sudden loss of him.  His shoes bounced off the door as he frantically kicked them off, but that was the most he removed, unable to wait another second before he was in you.  He barely had his pants undone when he reached within his boxers, pulling himself out, aligning the tip, and pushing into you all in one swift movement.  

Your groan melded with his, a duet of sinful satisfaction singing through the vehicle.  The way you stretched around him was glorious, your entire body tingling with anticipation.  He drew back a few inches, easing into you even further and the world began to melt away around the edges at how amazingly full you felt with him inside you.  

“Oh… fuck,” he grunted, jaw clenched tight and his fingers dug uncomfortably into your waist.  

“Gabriel,” you began when he didn’t move; his head drifted up, eyes locking with yours.  “I want you to fuck me.”

There was as much dryness as impatience in your tone. Technically, he had only asked about being inside of you.  

“As you wish, sugar,” his voice was low, husky, and filled with the same naked desire that glowed within gold as he flashed you a devastating smile.  He pulled back out of you, dragging his tip along your walls, almost withdrawing completely before rolling his hips back into you.  He repeated the languid movements as he placed hot, open-mouthed kisses along the top of your breasts, teasing at your peaks as he gave you some time to adjust to his size.  His teeth flashed out, gently scraping along your nipple just before he released it, only to snap himself back against you.  

You yelped, caught off guard by the hard, sudden thrust.  His eyes were immediately on you, concern breaking through the heated haze of his stare.  You pushed his pants down to his knees, digging your fingers into his ass.  This was one part of him that seemed to always stay firm, mostly thanks to all the running around he did on cases since he hated staying idle for very long.  

“Again,” you urged, nipping hungrily along his jaw, and though the noise you made when he did was sharp, there was no doubt about whether it was pleasure or pain.  “Faster.”

His gaze never left yours as he followed your directive, increasing his pace until he was pounding away at you properly.  

“Oh fu-uck, Gabe,” you panted, raising your hips to meet every one of his thrusts.   He grabbed your knee, settling your thigh up against his waist.  You eagerly raised the other, locking your legs behind him.

“Father, you feel amazing, shortcake.  So hot.  So tight,” he purred.  “This is - I’ve never - I want to fuck you in every position imaginable and then when we’re finished, I want to come up with ones that have never been done before.”

The more he talked, the more you unconsciously clenched around him.  The throaty quality of his voice as he began to unravel beneath the input his senses were feeding him was hotter than anything you’d ever heard before.  The hunger beneath his words only added to the throbbing ache building within your stomach and you were already so close to coming completely undone.  

His hands slipped beneath your thighs, reaching up to generously cup your backside before lifting it off the seat.  He pushed into you again, testing the new angle and depth.  You loved the way his eyes fluttered as he went as far as this position would let him.  Wanting more for him, for both of you, you arched your back, lifting further off the seat and settling your hands beneath you to help hold yourself steady.  You dug your heels into his thighs, drawing him in as far as you could, relishing the low moan you received as you clenched down around him.

He began to move again, but this position didn’t allow him to snap his hips as far back as he could before.  This one kept him closer, forcing him to make shallower thrusts that had him repeatedly dragging across your g-spot before burying deep within you once again.  You weren’t sure at what point you lost the ability for language, but the profanity tumbling from your mouth turned to incoherent mewls and you bit down on your lip as he sent you over the edge harder and faster than you ever had before.    

“Oh fuck,” he groaned, your walls shuddering around him, drawing him so close to his own brink that his pace faltered in an attempt to keep from careening right over it.  He slowed everything down, taking time to nibble his way along one side of your neck before turning his attention to the other.  

“Sweetheart, I want to come inside you.”

You’d never let anyone do that before.  Your life had been a combination of semi-dating attempts with hunters (which never ended well) and one night stands.  You’d never trusted anyone enough not to make them wear a condom, let alone do what he was asking.     

“I don’t think I’ve wanted anything so badly,” he murmured, finding his way back to your lips where he his kisses turned tender.  He brought his hand up to your cheek, and the affection beneath his touch made you realize how much you wanted it, too.

“Then come for me,” you told him, another rule shattering beneath his influence. 

It was all he needed to hear.  His hips began to move again, thrusting into you faster and faster until they begin to stutter.  You felt him thickening, and you tightened around him.  A deep growl erupted from deep within him as he began to pulsate, and he slammed into you one final time, burying himself to the hilt as he spilled his seed inside of you.   

He slumped forward, his head resting on your chest and you both need a moment to catch your breath.  Your hand slipped through soft strands, idly stroking through the soft mess of curls at the back of his neck.  He made a satisfied sound, and the vibrations in his chest hummed lightly against your skin. 

“This isn’t how I wanted our first time to be,” he apologized.   

The fact he’d put thought into your first time had your heart soaring, as does the implication that ��there were going to be many more times to follow.  

His body tensed and his head suddenly popped up as he realized what he’d just admitted.  “I mean… that’s if… I didn’t even ask…”

The way he fumbled over his thoughts made you wonder how much the human condition really interfered with the eloquence you knew he had to possess after billions of years of existing.

“Hey,” you interrupted, throwing him a lifeline.  “You’re going to fuck me in every known position, remember?”

He let out a breath of a laugh, a bashful smile drawing out the dimples along his cheeks.  “If that’s what you want.  I’d certainly like the chance to do this again, properly.”

He looked a little sheepish, though it was hard to tell how much of the color in his cheeks was from this conversation and how much was just residual afterglow.  

“I believe you did just fine putting what you needed where,” you teased.  The truth was, he’d done more than fine.  It had probably been one of the best sexual experiences of your life, because you actually had feelings for him.  Unfortunately, one of them happened to be you feeling vulnerable and you found it hard to admit just how deep in this you already were.

“Shortcake, if you’re not screaming my name, I’m not doing it right,” the wryness beneath his words became overshadowed by his lingering disappointment in himself.

You let out a silent sigh, and the fingers in his hair unconsciously stroked a little more lovingly.  You didn’t know how to convince him he was wrong.  Whenever you couldn’t change his mind, you tended to distract him until another opportunity presented itself for you to be heard.  

“I don’t think I’ve ever screamed anyone’s name before,” you mused, waving that fact in his face much like a matador would wave a red flag.  

His smile stretched into a full, cat-like grin as he took the bait.  “Oh, sweetheart, we are going to have to change that.”

Challenge accepted his gaze said, and the wicked promise that gleamed back at you had heat stirring beneath the surface once more.  As much as you wanted a taste of what he had in mind, a car door slammed across the lot, reminding you of just where you were and who exactly would be coming for you if you didn’t make an appearance inside soon.  

“I look forward to you trying.”  You gave him a playful smile, followed by a slow, sweet kiss.  

“I suppose that’s my cue,” he mumbled against your lips, stealing a few more kisses before drawing away.  He eased out of you before moving back across the seat to give you room to sit up.  He took a moment to pull his pants up and secure them before helping you gather your clothing.  

You murmured your thanks as he handed you a pile of denim.  It took you a minute to find your underwear in it, and the silence that stretched on between you started to turn awkward.

“Guess this makes me an honorary Winchester,” you began, filling it with the first thought that came to your mind.

“Oh?” He asked idly, as he bent over grab his shoes.   

“I’ve slept with an archangel in the backseat of Baby right after making terribly heroic and terribly stupid decisions.  I’d say that pretty much qualifies me,” you explained dryly, hoping to keep things light.

“Former archangel,” he reminded, a bitter note beneath his words.  “But yeah.  That about meets the criteria.”  

“You’ll always be an archangel, Gabe,” you informed him and his posture went a little more rigid as he tried to jam his foot into his shoe.  “It’s not the measure of your strength that determines that, or even the status of your being.  You’re not any less of something just because you don’t have your grace.  You’re still you, and part of that will always be absolute.”  

He looked up at you, and while the heaviness was still there, there was also an appreciation that relieved some of the weight he carried.  “That’s some pretty deep insight you just threw at me, kid.  You sure you don’t have some infiniteness inside you?”

“I believe I just did,” you quipped with an unabashed grin.  

Pride tugged at his lips in a way that brightened his features and breathed an air of confidence into him you’d never seen before.  You couldn’t help but wonder if this was who he truly was, minus the burden of humanity.  If so, he must have been quite the sight.

It took you a few more minutes to put yourself back to rights.  Gabe waited patiently for you to finish, a small smile playing at his lips as he watched you try to tame the mess your hair had become by jamming it back into a ponytail.  You managed to win that fight, though only marginally, and his hand was resting on the door handle by the time you slipped back into your jacket.  

“You know, I really did enjoy this,” you reassured, placing a kiss on his cheek.  “Besides, you know if we took any longer, Dean would have just come along and –”

A sudden, sharp rapping on top of the roof has you both startled  and you shoot toward the opposite side of the car and it was like you were sixteen again getting caught in the back of Johnny Moretti’s Hurst Cutlass.  

“You both better be fully clothed in there because if I open this door and see something I don’t wanna see, someone’s getting shot,” Dean warned.  

Correction, this was exactly like that time your father caught you in the back of that vehicle.

Gabriel’s brows both raise high and he gave you a look that suggested he really is questioning if there wasn’t some divinity in you after all.  

“Wait in here,” you whispered before opening your door.  Your hand reached up to grab the frame, and you simultaneously hoisted yourself up as you stepped out, your head popping over the top of the vehicle to arch a brow at your friend.  

“What is taking you two so long?” Dean demanded, his eyes appraising and suspicious as they undoubtedly took note of your flushed features.  

“You’re not the only one who thinks I’m an idiot,” you informed him, latching on to the only explanation you could come up with for your lingering blush and your absence.  “Would you rather we hashed it out in there or out here?”

“Neither,” he said after a few moments.  “I’d rather you get your asses inside and order so that we can leave sometime before sunup.”  He jerked his hand back in the direction of the building impatiently.  “You have five minutes to get in there or we’re paying the bill and leaving.”

Dean turned on his heel, striding back back toward the diner without giving you the opportunity to say another word.  

You rolled your eyes and shut your door, your stomach, more than Dean’s attitude, urging you to do as you were told.  You made your way around the back of the vehicle just as Gabriel was getting out.  

“Everything alright?” He asked, moving to your side.     

All things considered, you would have to say that things were pretty damn good and the only reason they weren’t excellent was due to the fact you really did need to eat something.  

“Next time, you should just bend me over the hood.  Especially if Dean’s been an ass about something,” you suggested, and you were rewarded with a smirk.

“Don’t tempt me, sweetheart,” he warned, his hand sliding beneath your jacket to play with the soft material of your shirt as you both made your way toward the building.  

ALL the tags:

@girl-next-door-writes  @sumara62 @fand0maniac @feelmyroarrrr @omgreganlove @jannalionheart @baritonechick, @deaths-maiden @lucifer-in-leather @stone-met   @the-moose-of-baskerville @summer-binging-spn  @blondecoffeecake  @raspberrypuddle @ourloveisforthelovely @deanxfuckingadorablexwinchester @crowley-you-sinnamon-roll @tistai @christinalibertymikaelson

Gabe Squad: @theblackenedsky @bloodstained-porcelain-doll @pepperwoodatnight @lacqueluster @samikitten @ludwigs-a-monster @a-vast-african-plain @onlyanothersocialcasualty @kazosa @cobrakai–1972 @nobodys-baby-now

[dothewrite]

The suits headcannons are 😩😩🙌🙌WOBDERFUL!! LLIKE SERIOUSLY, THE WAY YOU DESCRIBED THEM WITH SUITS IS JUST 🙏praissee. Please do continue them!!! Possibly terushima, futakuchi, noya, and tanaka?? THANK YOU SOM MUCH

Sure! And I see you have a type. ;3 Bonus Ushijima and Tendou for you.

[The original suits headcanon here]

Terushima.

Three-piece, a brown so impossibly dark that under the wrong lighting it’s almost certainly black. Notch lapel and two buttoned, his jacket’s loose and open on top of a pristine white shirt. The kickers are his tie and accessories- a rich, metallic dark gold with matching watch chain and pocket square, highlighting his bronzed skin and blonde undercut. A pair of simple cap toe derbies finish the look.

You see, he knows, that you’d expect him to wear something flashy to match his personality and his wicked tongue piercing, but he also knows that he looks like an oasis in a desert in black and gold.

He does indulge his flashy side with his surprisingly smart-casual array of clothes- another formal favourite of his is a black and white checkered jacket on top of a simple black turtleneck with black pants and shoes.

He’s a naturally slim person, but his suits are structured to give him the confidence to match his smirk. Pants slim fitted to shape around his sleek calves, it makes him look miles tall.

His hair, when he actually tries, is slicked back firmer than usual, and there are absolutely no wisps of hair blocking the sinful expression he shoots at you.

Playing with his cuffs when he’s bored just doesn’t kick it for him. He prefers to rest his weight on one leg and slide the tips of his fingers into his pant pockets cockily.

He’s always the first one to get asked to dance, with his rough undercut and slick outfit, and boy are they all surprised because this man, despite looking like a million dollars, dances like he’s earning his keep dollar by dollar.

Give him a pole. Give him a fucking pole, and you’ll be going home a few items of clothing short tonight.

Futakuchi.

A deep metallic blue two-buttoned jacket and matching slim-fit pants. Hugging his shoulders and waist that gives him a streamline appeal, it’s matched with a light blue/almost white shirt with a gradient, metallic charcoal tie. A pair of one piece oxfords with a slight split toe completes this.

This metallic combo makes him look effortlessly slim, and flashy enough that it brings out his wide, closed-eyed smile. Just the right balance of guy-next-door with I’m-going-to-snatch-your-attention.

Sure, he could have gone with something that makes him look older, but honestly, this is his selling point. His youth gravitates.

His usual split-side hairstyle is turned into something completely different- a messy set of bangs framing his oval face and mousse whipping his hair into soft, organized chaos.

It makes him look a year or two older, and at least a few degrees more chill. He’s the guy you bring home and even your parents fall in love with his easy going grin.

It’s not entirely a lie, but all that softness goes away the moment he takes the suit off, and it’s all rough play from there on.

Strangely enough, for someone who actually knows his way around the bespoke section quite well, he’s only got two sets of formal clothing. He likes looking a hundred, but events and parties aren’t really his thing.

(It’s a bit weird to wear suits at a goukon, he thinks.)

Undoubtedly, though, when he really tries, he’s got the wickedest sense of fashion out of them all.

Nishinoya.

Jet black, velvet suit. Jacket and pants both incredibly well fitted against his small figure, it prevents the potential bulkiness that the texture of velvet brings, making him look at least half a foot taller than he actually is. Underneath is a gently striped, grey shirt and a regular black tie with a slight reflective tinge to balance out the matte. Finished with a medium heel, reflective black, double monk strap shoes.

The thing about Noya is that he has absolutely no chill. Always original, always true to himself- this goes one step beyond. He doesn’t just settle for something that represents his character, he chooses something exceptional because that’s what he does.

Nobody expects velvet, especially not on someone his height, but one look at him and you know there’s nobody else in the room with enough confidence to pull this level of sophistication off.

The taper and the single, thin jacket vent at the back brings him to godly levels of ease and slimness. Pushing his muscled corners and edges into one smooth shape, the slim cut of this entire piece crystallizes the aura around him.

You’re also in luck, because his hair, usually at defiant peaks, is let down loose. There’s barely any product in his hair, and it’s left soft and framing his face however it wants to.

It settles for curling a little around his ears but otherwise straight, and it cuts a streamline picture of him.

Surprisingly, he doesn’t dance much. He does tap his heel to the beat when he feels particularly in the mood, but he spends most of his time catching up with his friends and occasionally, giving his fangirls a cocky grin.

Tanaka.

A soft, smooth charcoal/black jacket and matching pants, they’re both structured and giving him and edge to his build, which makes him slightly larger. The jacket is lined with a medium grey that peeks out the inner edge of his lapels, and the matching waistcoat is a thin-striped black and grey with a white shirt underneath. A slightly silver tie highlights the set, and a pair of traditional cap toe derbies in black completes this.

When he’s not busy pretending to be his own girlfriend, this man is a class act. Slightly flashier than Daichi’s traditional, this look elevates his gentle nature to new heights.

He’s by no means more inclined to use his inside voice with a suit on, but all people get sucked in when he smiles, and he honestly looks like a saint.

Why a three-piece? He actually has no idea, because Tanaka has never checked out fashion in his life. However, Saeko had gone shopping with him, and because this is probably the one and only set of formal clothes he’ll ever have, they splurged big time on a tailored set.

The funny thing is that this guy doesn’t even really know what effect he has on people after wearing this stuff. Everybody gets shocked stiff seeing him walk into the room with such calm, and he just goes ‘what???’

At least he doesn’t have to style his hair.

This guy is literally the opposite of Noya when it comes to social parties. He’s utterly, entirely himself and he’s the first one on the dance floor (regardless of whether or not someone asks him) and the last one off, bobbing to the beat and fist pumping all night.

He tried jumping onto the DJ stage once to take over, and that did not go well when he refused to stop after the third song.

Bonus!

Ushijima.

White, two-button jacket on white shirt. Pristine black slacks loose enough to give him the balance he needs for his upper body but tight enough to hug him well are part three of this timeless tuxedo look. With only the first button done up and a full black bow-tie, a pair of cap toe chelsea boots finish the look.

Not a particularly fashion-adventurous man, he sticks to what he knows, and boy does this suit him well. Firm and eye-catching, the white gives him the illusion of bulk (which he’s got plenty of from exercise), and put together with his formidable height, he looks like a towering noble with his stern expression.

He’s actually the only one in the room to try out this timeless look, and he’s alike a man fresh from an evening of fine dining and stepping into a casino.

His hair, with assistance, is slicked back tightly against his scalp, with the exception of a few licks of hair that escape and graze his eyebrows, giving him a slightly less austere feel.

This also, is his only set of formal clothes, as he usually prefers to wear things that are practical for volleyball or jogging.

This suit was pretty much a team effort on Shiratorizawa’s part because of how little he cared about finding something that fitted him.

He paints a more foreboding image when he takes large, striding steps rather than multiple, smaller ones across the room, and there’s a soft gust of wind when he passes.

There aren’t many people who ask him to dance, so he situates a small drink in his hand and drifts around greeting old friends.

It’s not that nobody’s interested in him, but he’s really not aware that he looks so impossibly untouchable with that impenetrable aura. All the girls just huddle and watch him from afar.

Tendou.

He’s sporting a single-button, black and purple geometric squared jacket. The solid black lapel is perched low, matching the strips of black around the cuff of the jacket. Paired with slim black slacks and a regular white shirt underneath, he’s at least opted for a slim fitting bow-tie that complements the flat geometric pattern. Plain toe chelsea boots round up the suit.

You gotta hand it to him, he controlled his urge to actually blind everyone out of amusement and chose something that flattered his body within the realms of reason.

He was thiiis close to picking something either bright green, or bright purple. Then someone pointed out to him that looking like the Joker at a party would not be a good thing.

This combination makes him look extremely well put together, tall and endlessly confident to pull off such a proud print with a rare colour.

Although slim fitting, it’s not the most shapely hue, but the dips of his waist creates enough shadows that it slims his waist down so that he’s an impressive slight hourglass streamline.

His long, spiked hair is left down, and most certainly not slicked back. It lies softly against his neck, with the longer sections to either side of his head tied up in a small pony-tail/bun at the back of his head.

Nobody has ever seen this hair on him before. Nobody expected to either, so it was a lot of dropped jaws.

As crazy as he can be sometimes, he’s remarkably calm and well behaved being surrounded by a lot of people, and although he prefers not to dance, he does spend most of the evening entertaining as many small chit-chats with the ladies that approach him.

[mebell01]

Sanna Annukka

Growing up, British printmaker and textile designer Sanna Annukka would spend summers in Finland with her grandmother. While there she spent plenty of time outdoors. Sanna points back to these experiences as the main inspiration for her work. She is particularly drawn to culture and art of the indigenous Sami people of Lapland, an area encompassing the far north areas of Scandinavia. The patterns and mythology of other cultures around the world also make it into her designs (“About Sanna”).

Inn 1983, Sanna was born in Brighton, England. She studied illustration at the University of Brighton. The band Keane discovered her prints in a London shop and contacted her to do their album artwork. After this success, she joined the Marimekko team of designers where her work is sold as various housewares and prints. Along with Marimekko she takes on other clients and also has her own online store (“Sanna Annukka”). Despite the subject matter being nature, Sunna’s designs are generally geometric and pattern-heavy. In describing her own work, she says “My style is all about pattern. Simple, bold and folkloric” (Annukka).

“Sunset” is a screenprint. It features a thin rectangle with triangles and angular shapes that follow the edge of the rectangle, all leading up to the top of the print that has a white circle, indicating a sun. Although the patterns are geometric, there are curvilinear shapes as as well, representing hills, waves or another kind of landscape. At the bottom of the print are small triangle and circles, adding texture and detail. The colors are maroon, orange and a gold. White breaks up these colors and leads the eye back up to the sun. Overall, it is a successful, interesting design. The viewer immediately looks at the white circle at the top, then the two white curvilinear shapes directly below start the journey down to the bottom. It was a wise choice to leave the maroon area behind the sun a flat color rather than add more pattern, as it adds drama and a place to rest. My critique of this design is that the viewer isn’t sure what the area below the sun is. While I appreciate the abstraction, Sanna’s other work is a little more clear. The colors are also subdued. I think the gold could be a brighter, warmer yellow. Although the piece is entitled “Sunset,” it feels very cold. Arguably, she could be depicting the cold Arctic landscape she often does in her work, but the color choices are still dull.

“The Fir Tree” is a fairy tale written in 1845 by Danish author/poet Hans Christian Anderson. The story tells about a fir tree unable to appreciate living in the moment and always wishing for bigger and better things until it is too late (“The Fir Tree”). Sanna illustrated this entire book but unfortunately I could only find the cover artwork. The hardcover book is a solid bright green. A large and small tree stand side by side, each made out of a dark green triangle pattern. Gold foil triangles are mixed into the pattern as well, along with negative space shaped like birds’ heads. To the top right of the two trees is a gold foil sun, made out of triangles arranged around the center of the circle. The smaller tree has tiny dots making stripes horizontally along its length. The design as a whole has a limited color palette. The lighter, bright green and the dark green emphasize the story being about a fir tree, even before you read the story. The gold adds a grand, festive feel which is appropriate for a very old fairy tale. The use of any more color or anything other than green would be ineffective. Considering the brightness of the green, other colors would vibrate and clash. The gold is striking, even in its limited use as a third accent color. The sun does not have anything to do with the story but it adds another compositional element and the cover would be empty without it. The font choice for the title has interesting thick and thins that serve as a nice base to the tree illustrations, negating the need for tree trunks or a horizon line. The thin, small caps text of the author and illustrator’s name’s does not take away from the rest of the illustration or the title and was an appropriate choice. Overall, the design of the book cover is successful, with appropriate color and composition choices considering the subject matter of the story.

The album art for the British band’s “Under the Iron Sea” album kickstarted Sanna’s career. Years ago when I saw this album artwork and knew nothing about the band I was drawn to it because of the swirling, organic shapes of the sea monsters/horses and their bodies playing off the shapes of the waves. The cool ocean colors work well. The very dark blue, almost a black, represent an angry and stormy sea effectively. The smallest sea monster with its teals and greens give the entire design depth, as the larger the monsters get the darker the colors and the darker monsters are in the back. This particular creature is also closest to the front and breaks up the large, overbearing shapes of the rest of the creatures, preventing them from becoming one large blob. Three of the dark monsters have red eyes, which are distracting and my least favorite part of the design. The red, although very small parts, is still too much. It would be interesting to see the eyes be the teal or green of the smallest sea monster, which would draw the eye around the design more. The white dots for the other monsters’ eyes are repeated in the bubbles and foam of the waves. There needs to be another cluster of these dots in the bottom middle or bottom right to break up the waves a bit more. The patterning on the monsters helps make up for this. The inside sleeve of the album has an interesting pattern with the turtle/fish creatures and the missile shapes. The pattern is disconnected from the subject matter of the album cover at first glance. However, the design in the center of the record works well and connects these two elements. The viewer can imagine the fish/missiles coming from the sky and disrupting the more uniform wave pattern on the front cover and turning it into the chaos on the record itself.

“Kultakero” is a textile design created by Sanna Annukka for the Marimekko site. It features rolling magenta and red hills with the silhouettes of fir trees against a deep plum background. A gold, orange and plum stripe pattern that reflect the shape of the hills break up the dark colors. A horizontal uneven stripe pattern also breaks up the space and adds texture and interest. The horizontal stripes add contrast to the triangle-shaped fir trees. Although there is a lot of pattern and detail going on in the piece, the dark plum adds a sense of calm. As seen in her other work, Sanna doesn’t let the use of pattern make her designs cold and stiff. The imperfections in the lines and shapes give it life and add to its handmade quality, even though it is a mass-produced fabric in this case. Looking closely, each cluster of horizontal stripes is different from one another. However, the small dot pattern, gold stripes and the trees are exactly the same throughout the design. This piece would be more successful if all the elements were slightly different, like the horizontal stripe motif, and had variations instead of being exact copies.

“Nomadimaa” or “Nomad Land” is a two-color print that utilizes negative space as well as detailed patterning dark, solid shapes. The sun in the top left corner and a few hatched stripes below it is the only orange (and color besides black for that matter) in the entire design. Any other use of color, even the orange, would make break the solid composition of the piece and add confusion. While the compact design is a lot to take in at first, the more time you spend looking the more you will see the patterns and the negative space surrounding make up animals such as the horses and birds. The small trees in the top right make a horizon line with the activities of the wildlife taking place below. The small, thin hatching adds a great deal of texture, but the solid black shapes keep it from taking over. Sanna is a master of utilizing great deals of detail and texture without hindering legibility of the scene, and it is prevalent in this piece. The shapes and patterns have a combination of sharp and curved edges. The curved lines such as the horses’ necks repeat the shape of the sun throughout. This piece is successful because again, Sanna uses pattern but adds imperfections to keep it looking handmade and human. What could be a chaotic and confusing piece is expertly organized into a successful composition because of Sanna’s placement of pattern and shape.

Sanna Annukka’s illustrations are works of art on their own but also work well when applied to textiles and housewares. In each design, Sanna brings the landscape and culture of Finland and combines it with carefully-considered detail and patterning as well as interesting color palette to add life and uniqueness to any application.

Works Cited

"About Sanna." Sanna Annukka. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2017. < https://www.sanna-annukka.com/pages/about-us>

"Sanna Annukka." Finnish Design. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2017. <http://finnishdesign.com/sanna-annukka/>

Annukka, Sanna. Interview with Catherine Lazure-Guinard. Nordic Design. Nordic Design, 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2017. <http://nordicdesign.ca/profile-sanna-annukka/>.

"The Fir Tree." Hans Christian Andersen: The Fir Tree. Zvi Har'El, 13 Dec. 2007. Web. 10 Apr. 2017. <http://hca.gilead.org.il/fir_tree.html>.

[olivereliott]

Workshop Guide: Painting A Motorcycle

Whether you’re trying to save a few bucks, or you just like the challenge of doing everything yourself, at some point you’ll probably consider painting your own bike. But not everyone has their own air compressor at home, or a spray booth and a decent spray gun.

But who says you can’t paint some of your motorcycle in your home shop with aerosol paint? Okay, you might not get the same result as a professional painter with a spray booth. It won’t be as durable as modern, two-part automotive paint. And you’ll probably spend time and money stripping it off and sending it to a professional after you change your mind.

But if you want to learn some new skills, have some fun, and get the satisfaction of doing it yourself, stick with me and speed up your learning curve.

You can get an acceptable result painting in your home shop, if you learn, practice and follow a process. So I’ve broken my process down into six steps: we’ll cover the first three this week, and the rest next time.

Before you start, be sure to talk to your local auto body supplier for detailed product information and recommendations. After you’ve read this article, you should be able to ask intelligent questions.

Step 1: Think about the final finish What color scheme does your project have? Will it have lettering, decals, patterns or lines? Flake or flat color? Gloss or matte?

Once you have a final finish in mind, it will help determine the painting process and products needed. A rough design of your paint scheme will help you plan the painting steps, so don’t be afraid to make a sketch with your design drawn in.

Step 2: Choose a paint system Assuming you don’t have an air compressor for this process, your paint selection is a little limited. So let’s cover some terminology that you might hear around paint technology.

Single stage paint is a paint where the color and the gloss are achieved with a single paint coating. Two-stage paints require one paint layer for the color, and another for the protective clear coat (which could be gloss or matte). These two-stage products are commonly called base coat/clear coat systems.

1K coatings are coatings that do not require a hardener, activator or other product to cure. House paint is a basic example of such a product; one-shot pinstriping enamel is another. (Most aerosol paint falls into this category too.)

2K coatings are products mixed with a hardener just prior to spraying, so as to activate a chemical reaction during drying. This provides a durable finished surface much less susceptible to damage from weather, UV rays, fuel or chemicals. Your average body shop will be spraying a 2K finish on modern cars in their spray booth.

As with everything, there are exceptions. Some vendors can supply an aerosol can that delivers a 2K clear coat. They manage this with a separate chamber in the can that contains the hardener. Right before spraying, you activate the hardener supply and it mixes with the clear coat. You then have a limited window to spray the clear coat before the paint in the can ‘goes off.’

And, of course, you could have a two-stage paint system with a 1K base coat (color) and a 2k clear coat. Online sources like Eastwood are a great place to start investigating your options.

For a personal project, I resprayed my Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R commuter bike in black and gold, with a 1K base coat, and a 2K matte clear coat over an eBay sticker kit.

The fuel tank you see above I painted especially for this article. I used a high-quality (read: relatively expensive) enamel aerosol paint from the hardware store, for a couple of reasons:

1. The re-coating time was fast—about 20 minutes. I had lots of paint to lay down, and a deadline! 2. This tank was full of rust holes, so would never go back on a bike, and would only ever be garage art. 3. It was far cheaper than a proper automotive paint.

If you want to tackle a project like this, I’d encourage you to do something similar. Find a surplus tank or fender and practice some of these techniques before you aim the aerosol can at your project bike. At worst, if it doesn’t work out, or you don’t like it, you can strip it off and start again.

Is there better paint for the final finish on your bike than hardware-shop enamel? Yes! Paint product availability will vary depending on where you are in the world, so go ask your local suppliers for advice, or check out the Eastwood site and their resources.

Step 3: Preparation Prep is crucial to a quality finish. My general process is: remove paint, fill, sand, prime, spray putty/filler, sand, and prime again.

Remove Paint You can repaint over an existing coat, whether it’s on a frame or a tank. If the paint is in good condition, you can simply scuff it up with 400 grit wet-and-dry paper and paint over it. You might be taking a risk with compatibility with the original paint, so test the existing paint first. Hold a rag soaked in general purpose thinners on the paint—if the thinners dissolves the existing paint, consider stripping it off.

I much prefer to strip to bare metal regardless. I like to know what I am working with. You can see my favorite methods of removing paint in this article, but paint stripper is available in aerosol cans which might be suitable for a smaller motorcycle project.

On our project gas tank, I had previously sanded the paint off. The downside of sanding is that it leaves deep scratches in the metal—strip-and-clean discs are a clear winner here.

You may have heard advice about preventing or neutralizing rust on your bare metal. I normally don’t bother, as I go straight to the next step within hours of stripping the paint.

Fill On a new or reproduction tank, or on a frame, you might be able to skip this step. Otherwise, line up some automotive body filler. This is normally a two-part product—you need to mix a hardener with the filler to start a reaction that cures the product.

Before mixing up the filler, put on some disposable gloves to protect your skin. Use wax and grease remover with a clean rag, and wipe over the tank to ensure it is spotless and ready for the next step.

You’ll need a surface to mix the filler. Some sources suggest cardboard will absorb resins from the filler, so I use a $2 plastic chopping board from that big Swedish furniture store. Pick up some plastic body filler spreaders; these are a buck or so. (You can use any stiff plastic card if you’re really on a budget.)

Follow the instructions on the product packaging. Mine said something like “mix one part hardener to 50 parts filler by weight.” I have no idea how you’d actually do this, so I scoop out some filler with the spreader and squeeze out a thin line of hardener across it. Use the plastic spreader to continually fold the mixture into itself until it has a consistent color and texture.

You need to keep moving now, as the filler is starting to cure. Use the plastic spreader to drag filler over the surface. I hold the spreader with my thumb on one side and three fingers on the back—I can then curve it to match the surface better. With a few attempts, you’ll soon determine the best angle and pressure to leave a smooth coat on the surface.

Apply a coat no more than 3mm or 1/8” thick at a time. If you have a deeper dent to build up, apply 3mm then let it dry before applying further coats to build it up.

You’ll find the filler getting harder to work as the minutes pass and it cures. Mix up small quantities so you don’t waste any. Aim to smooth out the filler as much as possible; leaving mounds and humps will add a lot of sanding work in the next step.

Sand Once the filler has cured (around 30 minutes if all goes well), you can start sanding. I aim to remove filler as quickly as possible, without leaving massive scratches that I’ll have to fill again later. My hardware store stocks 80 grit aluminum oxide paper in bulk rolls, so I start with this. The 80 grit doesn’t leave significant scratches, and the aluminum oxide paper resists clogging.

While working on this project, I found a 5lb box of assorted grit paper, which would be a good option if you wanted to order online. I also use a color sanding block, which is a firm foam pad that you wrap your abrasive paper around. Rather than a hard, straight block—which is fine for straight, flat surfaces—the color sanding block conforms to a curved surface.

With some reasonably coarse paper wrapped around a color sanding block, start smoothing out the filler. This is dusty work, so wear a disposable dust mask. Keep working though your supply of abrasive paper until the filler is only left in the low spots, such as dents.

Run your hand, palm down, over the surface. You’ll feel any low spots—the filler in these areas isn’t high enough to match the existing surface. Mix up some more and repeat the filling and sanding process.

This step will likely take the longest, but is the foundation for your paint finish. In the tank I painted for this article, I spent around four hours filling and sanding. Mostly sanding. Be aware that while it might look great at the filler stage, the first coat of primer will really help highlight any flaws in this step. If you can see the flaw now, you can guarantee it will be visible under paint. Now is the time to patch it with filler and smooth it out.

Before your progress to the next step, I would recommend progressively finer sanding with 120, 240, and 400 grit papers. I’ve found I sometimes have trouble covering 80 grit sanding scratches in the priming and painting stages if I don’t smooth the filler coat further.

Prime A primer is used to provide a key between the surface and paint, or in this case, between the filler and paint. Your paint supplier will recommend the best primer to suit your final paint finish product. The packaging will suggest how thick to lay it on, and how long you need to wait between coats.

Before you shoot any primer, you’ll need to use tape to mask off any parts that don’t need paint, like the fuel filler. I also mask from behind the tank seam to prevent any paint blowing onto the underside of the tank. I use a reasonable quality painter’s tape, not cheap domestic masking tape.

At the absolute last second before applying primer, or any coat for that matter, use a tack cloth and wipe the surface you’re about to paint. The tack cloth will pick up any dust or dirt that has settled and minimize how much ends up in your paint finish.

The primer you use might contain some filler product to help smooth the surface. If so, you can sand the primer. You might use a 240 grit at this stage, then a 400 grit before the next step. Taking the high spots off will level out the surface further. If you sand back to the body filler, prime it again before moving to the next step.

If the primer doesn’t contain any filler (or enough to cover any marks) you might add the next step.

Spray putty If you find some minor scratches in the primer, a spray putty can help fill these. Follow the product instructions—the spray putty I use suggests three to four coats, then sanding. Again, you might end up sanding the majority of the putty off, with only the putty in the low spots remaining.

Check your spray putty coverage and sand any marks out. Spot patch with more body filler if the spray putty didn’t cover up your earlier sins. Give it a final sand and check with your hand again. Hopefully you can’t feel any more marks in the surface. If you’ve sanded back to bare metal, or the product recommends more primer over the putty, spray it on before moving to paint. And that’s what we’ll cover in Part II in a couple of weeks.

Download a free Amazon shopping list of supplies and consumables needed for a paint job exactly like that described in this article here.

[cutiecrates]

Cutie Reviews: Kawaii Box March 19

Whenever I review a box and really like it, I always have high hopes for the next box. So now it’s time to find out if I liked it too :D

Word of the month: Sakura - Cherry Blossoms

Sakura Stickers

Our first item is this set of really cute puppy and sakura themed stickers by Mind Wave. Something I find interesting about this set is that all the stickers have a light texture through them, and against the plain backdrop, they have a slight raise giving them a very slight 3D effect. Many of the pieces also have a shiny gold accent, which I tried to catch in the picture.

If you like sakura/flowery/or just cutesy stickers, Blippo.com has tons of sheets. This specific sheet is $1.54.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

These stickers are very cute~ I love how colorful they are, and how there are petals to go with the flowers; although I wish they had made them as colorful to match. They definitely give me a spring vibe- I almost feel like I have to wait to use them now.

Sakura Neko Notebook

Our next item is this really pretty looking notebook, featuring a flowery kitty in soft pastels. This notebook is by Tree in Art Interiors and features a unique string binding.

There is a variety of styles this notebook comes in but as far as I know they all have blank pages. Each one is currently on sale for $4.83.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

As pretty as this is, I had a concern over how “tight“ the binding would be, by that I mean how stiff the notebook would be from it and if it would make the one side difficult to write on. It is a little bendy, but you shouldn’t try to test your luck by bending it to the point of ripping. You can shift the notebook a little, making it easier to write on the problematic side though.

By general preference, I try to avoid notebooks that have the glue binding because they are like this one. Not impossible, but they kind of get annoying to me. However, I don’t entirely hate this one, the paper is really smooth to write on. I do have some concerns the string binding could weaken over time or snag something though...

Neko Wooden Clips

For $2.73 on Blippo, we have this cute set of neko wooden clips. There is 10 in total with 5 designs. These are small clips purrfect for decorating a wall, or even if you just wanted to add a cutesy little touch to something else.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  

The quality appears... handmade? I want to say. Like, each design has small differences if you compare two of the same. Some of the clips want to shift when using them, one of them is a bit gnarled (the kitty with the red yarn), and I noticed a tiny amount of glue on the side of one. I’m not sure if these were handmade or if its a quality issue from the factory, but I kind of like that detail. They are sturdy, and the set even includes some woven string, which I thought was a nice touch.

When I was little I loved to paint the larger variant of these at my grandmas, because of her large clothes line outside she had a whole bucket of them!

Cute Animals Pill Box & Aiko Card Purse

Next up we have these two adorable, handy-dandy, practical pink items! First is a little pill box that features 3 sections for storage, two small and one big, and a silver ballpoint chain to hang it from various things. Besides medicine or vitamins, this could also be used for other small items, like jewelry, small erasers, change/money, etc.

They have a big colorful and various shaped collection of these on Blippo. This specific one is currently $2.24.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I use things like medication and vitamins, so this would come in handy for me if I didn’t want to bring the pill bottles or packaging wherever I went. I think it’s very adorable, and it seems pretty sturdy.

There is one very tiny issue bugging me though, you can’t see it in the picture, but I noticed the handle of the umbrella doesn’t connect to the umbrella... I’m thinking it’s a tiny oversight, but if tiny details like that bug you....

<3<

---------

We also have this exclusive Kawaii Box card purse featuring the brands mascot Aiko. It has a chain to connect it to things, but you could also put it in your pocket or just carry it. Besides having a zippered pocket it also has a slot for an ID card on the back. It’s $3.43 on Blippo right now.

Besides cards, I’m sure you could also use it for things like money

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

For being an exclusive item the quality is very good. I only found one tiny issue, this being the card slot being scratched up. I’m not sure how it happened because I kept it in the box this entire time- but it’s not a huge deal or anything, and it isn’t a hindrance.

Pastel Heart Pen & Lipstick Eraser

To go with our cute pastel notebook, we have some cute pastel stationery tools :3 First up is the Pastel Heart Pen, featuring a light pastel tube that has magic written on the side and a fancy metallic clip with a glittery winged heart on it. The cap can also be placed on the pen butt to keep it from vanishing.

There is 4 lovely pastel colors available, each is $2.03.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

It’s a typical fine-tipped pen essentially. It writes very well, it also looks cute and there is minimal smudging. I noticed that it didn’t seem to bother the notebook pages (except for a few tiny dots, residue maybe?) and I had to rub my finger over it to get anything.

--------

To go with the pen, we also get a really cute eraser shaped like a lipstick :D These must be kind of popular lately because I keep seeing them nowadays. On Blippo there is a few different sets, each with multiples to collect or choose from. This specific set is currently $2.03 on Blippo and includes 4 colors in 2 different themed designs. There is pink or peach ribbons, and blue or turquoise sail boats. 

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I think it’s very cute and fun to look at, but in saying this... I don’t think I’ll get very much use out of it. I know it’s a waste, but I loved collecting erasers when I was younger, and the ones I really liked I hated to “ruin“ by using them (the others I ruined, punctured, tore apart, chewed on, etc).

But to be fair I did try to use a very small section of it to see how it worked. It did pretty well, but the eraser is a little wobbly, so you kind of need to be gentle with it or else you might make a mess or tear something.

Neko Dango Sakura Plushie

Of course to go with Sakura season we need an equally adorable sakura plush! Whenever people go cherry blossom viewing, dango is a popular snack item to make or purchase and enjoy while out. So this kitty was made to represent the hanami dango, featuring 2 of its 3 colors (the 3rd is green if you were curious).

There is 4 kitties available, each with slight differences in coloring style and sakura flowers. They’re also made with plush and small beans. Each costs $3.43.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

This is a perfect little cuddly representation for the season, and they feel very soft~ The stitched detail is perfect, and it sits well because of the beans in the bottom. It’s also fun to squish and squeeze.

Puchitto Fruit Grape Candy

The Puchitto Candy series is fairly popular and a long-time running series by Kracie. They all feature a pull apart fluffy gummy-type texture and a variety of fruity flavors and fun shapes. Besides just fruits, they also have stars, peach aliens, etc.

For this entire pack its 93 calores, and on Blippo its available for $2.00. Blippo gets these in on occasion, but right now they only have the grape ones in. But these are one of those “common Japanese candies“ you can find on a lot of websites. 

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Besides being fun to play with, they have a lovely texture for anyone who doesn’t like harder, rubbery gummies. The flavor seems common grape gummy to me, but not grape medicine, and it’s not too harsh on the taste buds. But I’m not sure you would like these if you dislike grape flavors.

DIY Jewelry Magic Wand

The inner magical girl fangirl in me freaked out seeing this for the first time! Not only that but look at those gorgeous beads; they’re translucent, like gems! The piece also includes some translucent, wire-like string to use if you want.

There is 4 colored variants of this piece, but only the case and images on the packaging is different as far as I know. Each one costs $3.43 right now on Blippo.

This is only an example of what I’m making. Initially I had planned on a bracelet, but I thought it might be more fun to go for a whole necklace since I usually just make bracelets with these. Young or old, I like kits like this because they kind of force you to sit down and relax. You don’t have to think while you put them together, your brain just sort of goes on auto pilot.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Given how stressed out I’ve been this past week, this was a much needed break from all the drama surrounding us moving. I love the beads, and the clear string is nice- but that’s where I had a little concern. It’s pretty flimsy and bendy, unless you pull it tight, so I’m kind of concerned that once its tied it might end up looking cheap rather than cute. But I’m hoping that with more beads on it, the less messy it’ll look.

Also, just a side-note but I think the packaging is kind of click-baity. By that I mean it has images on it of beads not even in this set...

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - ♥ ♥ ♥ As usual, I had very tiny little detail complaints, but in general I did like the items. I loved a few of them, but I didn’t hate anything.

Price - ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Everything comes to $27.69, which is about a dollar more than last months box. But keep in mind a handful of items were on sale, so this probably would have been closer to 30-something originally.

Theme - ♥ ♥ Only 3 really items fit the cherry blossom theme, but there was a couple of items that could fit the pink theme color often associated with it (if you got the color that is). I think in comparison to the previous one, this one dropped the ball a bit...  

Total Rank: 6 out of 10 Cuties. Items and price wise the box did good, but I had higher expectations for the theme given how well they did last month and I feel like that played a part on why this one felt a bit lackluster to me. They could have done a lot more with the theme and I wish I did because this one pretty much felt like a normal box. In fact, I had a really hard time figuring out which items I liked more than the others because it felt so... the same to me. I wish they would start coming out with some more unique items, rather than the same old stickers, stationery (not that I don’t love the pens), notepads/notebooks....

♥ Cutie Scale ♥

1. Puchitto Grape Candy - As delicious as this was, I’m a little disappointed that this ended up being my favorite item. Food/snacks shouldn’t be when you get a box like this, but...

2. DIY Jewelry Magic Wand - It’s so cute and I love looking at the pretty gem-like beads~

3. Pastel Heart Pen - It’s fairly simple but sometimes there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m just happy it can clip onto things, and the cap fits on the bottom.

4. Pill Box - It’s so cute, and pink! I definitely think I can use this, it’d definitely come in handy when we move and pack up everything.

5. Sakura Neko Notebook - While I am a little iffy about the style, I love how pretty the cover looks.

6. Neko Wooden Clips - I like their homemade quality and general cuteness. I’d really like to use these, but I don’t take very many pictures so I’ll have to think of something to do with them...

7. Sakura Stickers - Very cute and pretty. I love the gentle colors and slight 3D look. 

8. Neko Plushie - It’s small but it’s still huggable and cuddly~

9. Card Purse - Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s very cute. It has a summery feel to me so now would be a good time to use it, but I have so many of these (and so little change, and cards honestly) that getting out of the house to use it isn’t a priority right now. 

10. Lipstick Eraser - As much as I love how it looks, I put this here because I know I won’t use it. It’s to cute for me to want to use.