#themed appropriately purple and pink

[vibrantbells]

Long awaited (like since December??), the @loturazine is incredibly gorgeous. I had as much fun revealing and unpacking everything as I had ooohing and ahhing over the different pieces and skimming through the books. I can't wait to read and coo over the creatives' pieces. love love love!! ♥

[crushedsweets]

I'm the sweetest girl in town; so why are you so mean? Nina 'the Killer' Hopkins in Creeped PT 1: K-12

PT. 2: PURPOSE — PT. 3 NEW MESSAGE

General disclaimer: This AU is an amalgamation of headcanons, fanon, canon, and the occasional rewrite. There is an overarching story that HEAVILY strays from their canon stories. TW for toxic relationships, grooming, eating disorders, and self-harm. ED content is restricted to the 'middle school' section. Nina is a very personal character to me, but with a LOT of changes. Please take care of yourself and only engage in content you can handle.

BACKGROUND

❥Nina Hopkins was born on February 13, 1998, in California. She was the older sister of 1 brother, Christopher Hopkins.

❥Nina grew up with workaholics. Her father was a carpenter and her mother was a hairdresser, running her very own salon. They'd work 12 hour shifts, coming home to little Nina fast asleep on the couch, waiting for her parents. Especially her dad.

❥Nina was a daddy's girl through and through, and his guilt for never being there was evident. So he chose to shower her in gifts when he could, tutus and little pink mary-janes. Something girly and flashy.

❥Nina's favorite gift was a cheap, princess-themed makeup palette. Little Rapunzel's and Tiana's littered about her glittery pink and purple eyeshadows, set alongside cherry-flavored lip balms. She'd use the tiny sponge brush to delicately put on bright eyeshadow before school every goddamn morning.

❥It became obsessive. She'd come home and reapply. Cry when her mom makes her wipe it off before bed. Kick and scream when they threatened to take it away from her. When her mother asked why, Nina cried that it made her pretty. She didn’t want to look in the mirror without it. 

❥Now, Nina wanted attention. From a young age, you could see it in her. The way she dressed, the messily applied makeup, the loud voice, fake cries. She didn't get it much from her parents, and it only worsened when she became a big sister.

❥She was about 7 when Christopher was born. Her mom may have taken maternity leave, but that still left no time for Nina. She learned how to make bottles, change diapers, and bathe newborns. No attention aside from Christopher’s tiny hands holding onto her pajamas.

❥This opened a new routine for Nina and her mom, though. Each night, her mom dozed off on the couch, rocking Christopher’s little crib. Nina curled up beside her, purple eyelids half shut, watching whatever show her mom had on. 

❥Nina’s mom’s favorite show was Forensics Files. A little odd to her husband, but it immediately hooked Nina’s attention. It wasn’t age-appropriate, sure, but her mom was far too exhausted to change it. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen? If Nina could wear eyeshadow, she could watch her mama’s favorite show. 

❥Just like Nina’s cheap makeup set, her interest in true crime grew obsessive. She’d get in trouble at school, spending her time in the school’s library, typing away at the school’s computer. She didn’t get far with many of her searches considering the Wi-Fi restrictions, but teachers and students quickly caught on. Eventually, she got banned from the library.

❥But Nina couldn’t get those stories out of her head. Every little bit she had memorized, she scribbled away in her diary. Obsessively. She kept track of every single detail. Memorized the victims’ names, the dates, and even the times they were declared dead. Whatever information was available to the public, Nina wrote down.

❥When Nina was about 9, she got her very own laptop. A gift from her dad, and an apology for so many late nights at work. He had no idea what it would unlock for Nina. All of the forums and chat rooms and videos she’d have access to. He didn’t even know there was a fucking ‘true crime community’ online, how could he expect his little girl to get sucked into that?

GRADE SCHOOL

❥When Nina was 10, she became a bit of a recluse. Girls at school avoided her for a few years now. She spent day after day curled up by the playground all on her own, flipping through her diary and brushing everyone off in favor of it. At home, she’d retreat to her bedroom and scroll online forums. 

❥She began making friends online, choosing to lie about her age. She’d befriend adults interested in the same morbidity as her. They introduced her to new content. It began with anime, usually psychological horror. Eventually, it evolved into dark manga, then gorey horror movies. Nina didn’t think much when they introduced her to liveleak. 

❥Nina left her diary behind one day, a fatal mistake that she was always so careful about. A girl from her class, Claudia, picked it up. Nina didn’t see that diary for a week. She spent days sobbing over it, crying to the people she met online and refusing to leave her room in fear of it being found.

❥She was called into her elementary school’s office the following Monday. Little Nina, dressed in hot pink twinkle-toe converse and glittery lip-balm, sat uncomfortably in the stiff office chair. Her father sat besides her, a look of disappointment on his overworked face. Her diary was on the desk.

❥Nina screamed. She screamed and kicked the chair as she snatched the diary. Without a second thought, she snapped the tension in that room, resulting in her father having to hold her down. She panicked violently, and when she eventually settled down into a whimpering sobbing mess, they scolded her. 

❥They began putting Nina into therapy. Weekly sessions at first, trying to dissect what was wrong with her. It made her feel worse. She didn’t think there was anything wrong with her. She wore ‘weird’ like a badge, something that all her online communities praised her for. Why was everyone acting so awful? It didn’t matter that much, though. Her parents still couldn’t carve time out of their work days for her. Weekly appointments turned monthly, turned every three months, turned never.

❥The girl who found her diary didn’t help. She read through it long before she turned it in to the teachers, snapping photos on her older sister's phone. Claudia began to keep track of Nina, similar to Nina’s habits. When the two turned 11 and entered 6th grade, Nina began experiencing relentless bullying and harassment. 

❥It started with name-calling. Deeming Nina a freak show, calling her a future serial killer, or pretending to squeal and run off when Nina walked by. It snowballed into jabs at her appearance, laughing at her messily applied blush and colorful clothes. Saying she was the ugliest girl in their grade, making comments on her body and how all the boys found her gross. She very frequently fell for boys saying they had a crush on her, only to laugh at her the second she believed it. Her self-esteem was already in shambles, but the relentless harassment only worsened it.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

❥Nina found solace online. Her friends were older, more mature. They understood her. Sure, some of them made her a bit uncomfortable, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. When she turned 12, she confessed her age to them. It broke her heart when a few blocked her, but not everyone did. She clung to those who stayed. Curiously, the adults interested in staying friends with little Nina were the same ones introducing her to new disgusting content. They’d ask to video call her and stream their favorite movies. Nina didn’t realize they were snuff films at first.

❥The harassment at school didn’t stop, of course. Nina was too young to start dieting, too young to be buying expensive makeup, too young to be worrying about her appearance. Regardless, she was convinced it would solve her problems. Alongside the fixation on horror, Nina stressed about her looks. She’d sob in front of mirrors, calling her adult friends and begging them for advice. They’d ask for photos. You know, to help her. She shattered every mirror in her room, weeping over her bloody hands and sending shards along her body. Nina's new diary obsessively kept track of new numbers.

❥Nina spent every night grabbing at her face and body, desperately morphing it to look the way she wanted. She didn’t even stop to think about Christopher in the other room, listening to her wretch into the toilet after every meal. Nina was so unbelievably lost in her own world, that nobody good ever came to mind.

❥She thought about Claudia a lot. So thin, tall, and confident. Claudia had a lot of friends, too. Nina was well aware, considering how often Claudia geared their attacks at Nina. She watched Claudia daily. In 8th grade, she noticed Claudia began wearing crop tops. Nina did too. She’d tie up her shirts and untie them around her parents. Claudia wore her hair in a high ponytail every damn day, so Nina started doing it too. Nina began applying mascara and highlight the same way Claudia did. Both girls were arguably too young for makeup, but there they were, egging each other on to apply more and more. Claudia’s wardrobe was pretty simple, nothing too flashy. So Nina opted out of her rhinestones and bright pink sneakers, instead reaching for simple Converse and plain jeans. 

❥By this point, a good number of them had phones. Claudia had long blocked Nina on Instagram, but Nina just made another account. A few, actually. One was an empty account with a fake profile picture and name, only used to follow Claudia without being blocked. A few more were made, used to follow Claudia and bombard her comments and messages with hateful content. Jabs at her appearance, her body, her clothes. Anything Nina could use as ammunition, she shot down Claudia’s self-esteem as harshly as her own. Nina would tell her adult friends online about it, bringing them to Claudia’s pages to attack her. It was cruel, and Nina knew that.

❥But it just felt so good when Claudia began to change. Before the end of 8th grade, she swapped to hoodies and pajama pants. No longer wore her hair up, instead used it to hide her face the best she could. She spoke quieter and didn't laugh so loud anymore. Nina felt like she won, and the freaks online cheered her on. Finally, Nina was able to drop her fixation on Claudia. 

HIGH SCHOOL

❥There was an odd shift in high school. Nina had completely turned her appearance around. She obsessively posted selfies and was quite careful about her online interests. Nobody could know. She wouldn’t even share the fact that she watched anime, far too fearful of the backlash. 

❥She had caught the eye of a senior at her school. His friend group had practically circled Nina, quickly offering her rides home and inviting her out. She bathed in the attention.

❥Christopher watched his big sister sneak out every other night. He’d ask softly where she was going. Gently, she’d smooth down his hair, press a kiss to his forehead, and ask him not to tell. He listened. Nina didn’t realize how much Christopher knew, and how much he kept to himself. How much of her grief he carried with him, worrying for his big sister.

❥14 year old Nina found herself at quite a few parties. Sometimes they’d be cities away, and she’d be seated on a couch at a random college party, shakily sipping away at a drink that made her nose scrunch. Eventually, the boy that brought her to these parties asked her to be his girlfriend. Nina couldn’t believe it.

❥He was the first boy of many to break her heart. It was a short month with him, till she went to the next guy. Then the next, and the next. Nina started drinking quite a bit, occasionally smoking weed and embarrassing herself on several occasions. She said it made it easier to socialize, but she really just thought it made her look cooler.

❥It grew difficult to balance both social lives. Her adult friends online continued to demand her attention at all times. Not much changed from when she was in middle school, including the way her anxiety would skyrocket when they got upset with her. She always folded to everyone in her life. She just wanted them to stay, to praise her, to tell her how kind and beautiful and sweet and funny she was. But it just felt so much better when someone in real life gave her that.

❥Yet another boy broke Nina’s heart. She thought he was the one, she really did. She spent months with him, from the end of her sophomore year to the start of her junior year. He bathed her in everything she asked for at first. She even got comfortable sharing some of her interests with him. He thought a girl liking anime was badass, but when she began to ramble about cold cases, he started to withdraw. Shortly after he broke up with her, old rumors began to resurface. Photos of an old diary slipped back into her school, shedding light on Nina’s elementary school habits. Nothing seemed to change, huh? Still talking about the same shit she was tormented for years back, but this time, they were attached to screenshots and voice memos that Nina sent to her boyfriend that year.

❥Nina knew who leaked them. Claudia, that stupid fucking bitch. Nina was never confrontational. Nobody ever taught her how to be. But this was a new low for her, dragging her right back to her middle school horrors. It’s like all of her misery, all of her insecurities, all of her rage and frustration and low self esteem accumulated into a string of stupid decisions. 

❥Nina followed Claudia home that following Monday. It was long after school, with Nina patiently waiting for Claudia to finish her group project. Neither of them exactly expected this, but when Nina snatched Claudia’s hair and began bashing her head into the ground, there was a deep sense of relief.

❥Regret followed. It didn’t feel so good watching Claudia sob as she curled up on the floor, clutching her face and begging Nina to stop. A pathetically small puddle of blood pooled beneath Claudia, and the sight made Nina’s stomach churn. She threw up. 

❥But Claudia was fine. Only her nose was broken and her face was bruised. Nina was expelled, now being shoved into an alternate school to complete high school. It was tearing Nina up inside to be so alone again.

❥What else was she supposed to do?

PT. 2: PURPOSE

[swiss-mrs]

#WEIRD☆GIRL

(Word Count: 4.6k)

Rating: PG-13, Adult Language and Themes, All Characters are 18+

Reader/OC Description: Reader/OC is Afro-Latina. She has long, dyed black hair that is worn straight with baby bangs and shaved brows. She is an alt baddie and would've definitely ruled MySpace. Body shape/type is not detailed. No Use of Y/N.

Playlist

Synopsis: One day, while Dave and Todd are out, they pass by a park void of screaming kids. Instead, the park is taken up by a group of what looks to be a mix of teenagers and young adults. Passing by the loud group, the boys can't help but stare, mixing Dave up with a girl more socially unacceptable than him.

Warnings(?): Adult Language, Sexual Themes (No Smut, Just Horny Boy Thoughts), Catcalling (Potentially Triggering Language)

This is written in third person but mainly narrated from Dave's view.

》》》

"I can't believe they had it!" Todd exclaims, gripping the plastic bag in his hand tight. Dave nods, gripping his backpack straps.

"Yeah, we need to start coming here more often. They have everything. We gotta bring Marty with us when he gets back."

Today marked the first day of the boys' last Spring Break. Marty was out of town on a trip to Florida with his family, so this cut down the trio to a duo, Dave and Todd. The two were currently walking along a street on the other side of town than their usual hangout. Todd found a new comic and video game store, and he and Dave figured they'd check it out.

"I can't wait to read it."

"Remember, no spoilers until I pick up my edition too." Dave replied. As they round a corner to get to their bus stop, they are greeted with the sight of a large clearing between buildings.

On the closest side to the boys was a skate park. It had a decent amount of skaters occupying it, echoes of skateboards landing against concrete traveling throughout the park. As the boys walked passed, they could hear the sound of music. The further they walk, the closer the music gets.

The current song that was playing was what Dave imagined rugged bikers with dark sunglasses and handlebar mustaches listened to. Scary and intimidating. It was muddy and grungy and punk and metal? He wasn't well versed enough to really know how to label its genre. Just as one song came to an end, another just like it followed.

He and Todd were both staring at the group surrounding the picnic table that held the speaker. Each one was different from the next, but they all had a similar dark and grungy style.

Something that immediately caught his eye was a black haired girl who took two big steps to get atop the picnic table. As the new song began to pick up, she got into a matching character. As she winded her hips and lip sang to the lyrics, Dave was completely entranced by her. "Woah..."

"Yeah…" Todd absently replies.

Her unnaturally dark hair cascaded down her shoulders and around the curve of her breasts. Her bangs reminded Dave of a toddler who decided to experiment with scissors. They were far too short to be considered "normal", but, Jesus, did she pull them off well.

She had two bows on the sides of her head, one purple and the other an off-white cream color. She wore a black, short sleeve crop top with red writing on it, something Dave couldn't really read clearly from this distance. She had knitted, fingerless gloves on each hand that nearly blended in with her skin tone. Dave's eyes continued to work their way down her legs, finding her thighs covered with light pink, sheer lace shorts that stopped mid thigh. The only thing keeping her "appropriate" were homemade, cut-off jean short shorts.

Dave couldn't help himself; he was captivated. He's never seen anyone dressed like she was, at least not in real life. It was like she stepped right out of an anime. She was incredibly unique. How was she able to pull that off so well?

Dave's eyes wandered down further to get a full view of her exposed, dancing legs. He couldn't help but wonder what it felt like to touch them.

She swiveled her hips in circles as she began to spin and whip her hair to the beat. Dave had this opportunity to move his eyes up, getting a perfect view of her butt, his body lighting up as his heart raced.

She had made a full turn, stopping in the direction of the two boys, catching their stares. Todd immediately turns his head to try and seem captivated by the clouds above, but Dave is not as quick to notice.

"Dave." Todd mumbles, eyes dodging the girl's gaze, darting back and forth from his friend, the ground, and a very (not-so) interesting brick building behind the park. "Dave." Todd repeats, elbowing Dave in the side, finally snapping him out of his hypnosis.

"Ouch!" Dave yelps in surprise, turning to Todd who is looking at him wide eyed, trying to send him a message. Dave looks away from his friend and back to the table dancer. She was staring right at him with squinted eyes. They seem to make eye contact for a solid second before she abruptly lifts a hand to her forehead. She held up her pointer and pinky fingers. The 'rock and roll' symbol she held against her head imitated horns as scrunched her nose, sticking her tongue out like a child. The action shocked Dave, but he couldn't help but find her oddly adorable.

Todd is quick to snatch the handle at the top of Dave's backpack and drag him away to their bus stop at the end of the street. The ride home was a pretty quiet one after that.

》》》

Two weeks have passed since he'd first seen the strange girl. Every spare chance he got during spring break was spent taking advantage of his vigilante skills for the wrong reasons. He had secretly visited that park numerous times, watching his girl and her friend group from afar. He knew that stalking was not how he should've gone about this, but he also didn't see walking straight up to her and introducing himself as an option either.

Something was definitely wrong with him. There is no good reason for him to know where she lives, but he convinced himself it was just to ensure she got home safe. Tonight only enforced that thought.

Usually she would walk home with at least one friend for good measure, but for some unknown reason to Dave, she walked alone.

Today, she had on an extra baggy hoodie. One that he came to know as one of her favorites. It reached the tops of her bare thighs, the hem of her mini skirt just visible below. She wore leg warmers that matched the color of her hoodie and worn combat boots. She had a small backpack that looked like wings on her back, decked out in pins of all kinds. The oversized hood was perched on top of her head.

She was always good about checking her surroundings and looking over her shoulder when walking alone, but this wasn't a matter of a sneak attack.

Dave watched as an older man stepped out in front of his strange girl. Dave couldn't hear the exact dialog due to their distance and the passing people and cars, but he for sure knew that whatever was being said was not welcomed.

"No. Thank you. I'd rather be left alone." Dave heard that loud and clear, so why did this creepy guy not take the hint and leave?

The man abruptly reached for her arm, and gripped it tight. Dave took off in a sprint.

"Get your hands off me, asshole!"

"Don't be a fucking tease-"

"Hey!" Dave cut the guy off, running up behind her. "Didn't you hear what she said, creep? Let her go!" He said firmly. Both the creepy guy and the girl's eyes look over to Dave, both of them giving him a once over. Her eyes were full of confusion, one thinly drawn brow raised. The man scoffed at the kid.

"What the fuck is this?" he shoots back. Dave squares his shoulders and raises his masked chin. "How about you mind your fucking business, princess, before you get hurt." the man follows up, making fun of Dave's costume.

"Let. Her. Go." Dave repeats sternly. The guy laughs in his face.

"Or what, leotard?" Dave follows up by removing the batons from behind his back. He points one at the man.

"Or else I'll have to beat you until you let go?" He says confidently. The girl cringes, that was not nearly as intimidating as he thought it was. The guy laughs again, flicking out a pocket knife. The two men stood there in a stare down. Their pause gave the girl a chance to yank her arm from the man's grasp, simultaneously using her other hand to whip out a pink taser decorated like a mini Gameboy. She shoves the sparked end into the side of the creep's neck, causing him to twitch and spasm. She holds it there until the man falls to the ground twitching, presumably unconscious. She takes her booted foot and jumps into a hard kick to the man's side.

"Fuck you, dipass!" Dave stands there shocked. The girl's gaze switches to face him. He lifts his hands in surrender and slowly puts his batons back. The girl takes one big step closer to Dave. He jumps back, but she is quick to grab one of his hands and begin dragging him down the route of towards her apartment.

They walk a couple blocks and round a corner in silence before she stops abruptly and turns to Dave. He stands there staring, absolutely shell shocked. "Who are you and what do you think you're doing!?" She asks, putting two hands on her hips and resting her weight on one side.

"Uh-" Dave stutters. The girl raises her brows expectantly. "I, uh- I was trying to help you." The girl's brows draw together as she squints.

"Thank you, but, to be honest, you didn't really do much, and that only answered one of my questions."

"Uh, I'm, uh- The name's KickAss." The girl stares at him in disbelief for a good five seconds, searching his eyes for any sense of a joke.

When she doesn't find anything, she lets out a "pfft" and giggles. "You're joking, right?" She raises her brows with a grin.

"Uh, no. I'm not…" Dave's eyes look everywhere but at her.

"I-," giggle, "I'm sorry." Another giggle, " I don't mean to be rude, but KickAss?" Dave smiles nervously, instinctual reaching for the back of his head. "You really need a rebranding, my guy." She says, an amused smile still playing on her lips. Her eyes didn't hold any malice or judgement, just intrigue.

"Yeah, well, I'm obviously not that creative." He laughs nervously. Dave looks back to her, finally getting a proper look at her up close. She's smiling… at him. God, he was going to faint.

"Jesus, your eyes." She says suddenly, catching Dave off guard. "They're gorgeous, my god." She huffs a short laugh, staring into his eyes. Dave can't keep eye contact for long, completely flustered. He thanked the powers that be that he had a mask on at this very moment. He was sure he was as red as ever.

"Thank you." He looks down. "You, uh, your eyes are beautiful, too." He says sheepishly. She laughs, shaking her head.

"Oh, please. They're just a normal, old brown. Nothing compared to your stunners. Wow." She throws back at him. "Well, I appreciate you stepping in, KickAss." She thanks, putting emphasis on his 'name'.

"No problem. You seem to have it handled without me." His illusion of 'stalking for protection' ruined.

"Nonsense! Thankfully, I didn't need you to start a fight this time. The fact that you even stepped in at all when you saw something means a lot, so thank you." She clasps her hands in front of her, swaying side to side.

"Can I walk you the rest of the way?" He asks. She shakes her head.

"As sweet as that is, no, thank you. I don't quite know how I feel about masked men knowing where I live." She teases. "Plus, it's not much further. I'll be okay." She smiles at him, again. Dave can't decide if he wishes she'd stop looking at him or if he wishes she'd keep her gaze on him forever. She begins walking away, "Thanks, again! See you around!" She shouts behind her, turning another corner.

》》》

Two months have passed. Shortly after their first, up close, encounter, Dave made it a point to walk her home every chance he got, always when she was alone. Well, not every time. She started to get suspicious as to how he always knew when she was walking alone. "Are you following me?" She'd ask, Dave giving an unconvincing 'pfft' and a 'no', causing her to roll her eyes. After that, he made sure to space out their walks but still following her from a distance. It's now nearing the end of June, and his graduation date is only a couple weeks out.

This night was a first. She invited Dave in. His eyes widened in shock, "Yeah, sure!" He said a little too enthusiastically, internally cringing at himself, but his awkwardness only caused her to giggle.

She nods, "Okay. My brother is home, so you'll have to sneak in. I'll go in first. Just turn the corner," she points, "and use the fire escape ladder to get to the fourth window up. My window has a collection of ninja turtle action figures on the sill." Dave opens his mouth to say something, but she continues, "Wait there until I come in. I just have to let my brother know I'm home first, then I can disappear into my room." Dave sits his mouth and nods. "Okay, I'll see you up there!" She smiles, jogging into the building.

Dave watches her jog up the stairs until he can't see her anymore. He then makes his way around the building and, as instructed, climbs up the fire escape. He gets to her window with ease. Through the parted curtains, he could see into her dark room. The light in the hallway provided little to illuminate the room from the bottom of the closed door, but thanks to the setting sun, Dave could clearly see the four little trinkets on her windowsill. It made him smile. She was a little nerdy, too.

"Ok, I'll order the pizza!" Before Dave could analyze her room any further, she bursts through the door, tossing her bag on the floor. She turns, closing and locking the door before running up to the window. She throws the curtains open and slides up the window, smiling brightly at him. "Hola."

"Buenas Noches, señorita." Dave says, again cringing at his choice of words, getting a laugh out of her.

"Vamos." She says, stepping aside. He climbs through the window, trying his best to avoid disrupting the figures. "You up for pizza?" She asks once he's fully inside.

Dave nods, looking around at her room. "Yeah, sure."

She smiles up at him, gesturing to her room, "Bienvenido a mi casa." She says dramatically. "Make yourself at home, señor KickAss."

Dave chuckles at her, shaking his head. "Gracias." His accent is still strongly American, but four years of Spanish didn't make it the worst. He goes to sit on the plush bench at the end of her bed. He figured that was a safe bet. He wasn't on her bed, but he also wasn't awkwardly sitting at her desk in the corner of the room. It was a kind of middle ground. His eyes follow her as she goes over to her old school boombox, graffitied with stickers, and turns on some music, low enough for them to hear each other, but just loud enough to disguise their voices from any eavesdropping. "Do I need to worry about your brother?" He asks playfully, deep down a little nervous.

"No, he's playing video games with our cousins online. He can't hear a thing with his-"

"AHHH! NO MAMES WEY!" a scream can be heard, as if on queue, scaring the fuck out of Dave.

She rolls her eyes, continuing, "headphones on." She sits on her bed, crawling over to rest her bare legs on the empty cushion next to Dave. She grabs her laptop that was laying on the bed and opens it up. "What kind of pizza do you like?" She asks, typing away.

"Uh, whatever." He says, unsure.

"Well, guess we can't go wrong with half pepperoni and half cheese." She says, placing the order. "My brother is pretty boring when it comes to pizza." Another scream could be heard in the background, promoting another eyeroll. Dave chuckles a little, nodding.

He twiddles his thumbs before asking, "So, why did you invite me in?" The girl shrugs her shoulders, still typing and clicking away.

"I dunno. You've walked me home nearly everyday for the passed 2 months, and I've grown to trust you. Every time we part ways, I feel the urge to keep you around. I figured it was about time we hung out for more than just a few blocks." She closes her laptop hallway and sets it to the side. His heart flutters.

Dave looks at her stunned. "You want to hang out with me?" The girl squints at him.

"Um, yeeaaah. What kind of question is that?"

"I, uh- I mean- it's just- you know-..." He stutters. She giggles at him.

"What?"

"I mean, you're just so cool, and I'm, you know-"

She looks at him amused. "You're what? A cool vigilante guy who is sweet and funny and someone who should totally should give himself more credit." She bends her legs, nudging him softly with her knee. She scoots down the bed a little to sit closer to Dave, holding her knees to her chest. She uses her oversized sweatshirt to encompass her entire body. Dave looks at her with admiration, his heart racing again, before looking away from her and down at the bench below him. "I don't hear a 'Gracias' or a 'Tienes razón, mi hermosa. Eres muy inteligente y eres la mujer más bella del mundo. Gracias por todo, mi amor.'" She goes on.

Dave laughs, "Thank you. I don't know if you're right, but you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." Dave says boldly but still avoiding eye contact, looking down at his hands.

The girl's eyes widen, "You speak Spanish?" She looks horrified, embarrassed by the words of praise she tried to get him to say.

"A little." He twiddles his thumbs more, "I've been taking Spanish all throughout high school. I am no expert, but I can get around." He shrugs.

"Welp, that's embarrassing." the girl reaches up to tug hard on the strings of her hoodie, hiding her face in the fabric. Dave looks up and reaches for her hands.

"Que? No 'gracias'?" He teases, trying to get a look at her face. He has no clue what is coming over him, but he is becoming a bit more comfortable. His heart is still pounding, but seeing her get flustered brought his confidence up. She peers out from inside her hoodie. Her wide eyed look nearly floored him. He was forever grateful that he was already seated or else his knees would have buckled.

"Gracias,... señor KickAss." She says playfully, trying to make up for her embarrassment by joking off. He offers her a soft smile, melting her. It was now her turn to avoid his eyes. Her eyes make their way over to the stereo. "So… you're still in high school?" She asks, looking back to him, wearily.

He nods, "Y-Yeah, but not for long." He says quickly, the realization coming quick that they don't actually know each other's ages. "I graduate in like 2 weeks." Her nonexistent brows raise as she nods. "Are you?"

She shakes her head, "No, I tested out, got my diploma early. I couldn't be bothered with high school anymore." She shrugged. Dave's brows shot up. She really was smart. "It's just me and my brother. The earlier I got out of high school, the more time I had. It allowed me to help out with bills and whatever, get us a nicer place." She gestures to the room around her. "I mean, it may not seem like much, but trust me when I say it's a million times better than where we were." She then takes the time to look around and appreciate her surroundings.

Dave's look of admiration returns. "You're amazing." He blurts out. The girl's eyes find him, holding his eye contact, again with this wide eyed stare. She was gonna kill him. Her heart stopped when she looked in his eyes and found nothing but honesty and softness. She gives him a little smile. My god, Dave was literally going to pass out.

》》》

Dave didn't seem to notice, but hours went by with them talking, eating pizza, and talking some more. It was now pitch black outside, and the only light in the room was coming from her bedside lamps and a flickering candle.

By now, both of them had made their way into the bed. Dave was laying on his back, watching the ceiling while she was laying on her stomach perched up on her elbow, watching him. They were currently both comfortably silent, the soft music still playing in the background. She guessed that her brother must have fallen asleep at his console by now, considering there weren't any more frustrating cries or exciting cheers heard from across the apartment. Dave is the first to interrupt the silence between them. "Would it be a terrible idea to take my mask off right now?"

The girl gasps dramatically, placing a hand on her chest, "and reveal your secret identity, Zorro?" She lets out a short laugh, this causes Dave to let out a tired smile.

"I'm being serious." There's a pause.

"Well…" the girl starts, "you know, once you do so, there's no going back. I'm not so much of a bitch that I'd ever expose you, but you know… it's a big step."

"Is it in the right direction?" he asks, turning his head to look over at her. They stare deeply into each other's eyes.

She sighs, "I'm sorry, babe, but that's a decision you'll have to make on your own." The pet name catches Dave off guard. He nods and sits up, causing the girl next to him to follow suit, twisting her body so she's cross crossed and facing him. Dave takes a deep breath and reaches for the back of his mask. Just as his gloved hands meet the fabric, he felt a smaller hand touch his. "Are you sure?... Absolutely positive?"

He doesn't move, "Positive." He replies. She lefts go of his hand and he pulls the mask forward and off his head. He kept his head down for a second, taking in a deep breath. He could feel her eyes staring at the side of his head.

He looks up and turns to her. They make eye contact for a good 3 second before her sleeve covered hands come flying up to her face, covering her eyes. "Oh my god!"

"Oh my god, what?!" Dave panics.

"You're hot!" She exclaims. Wow, did she really know how to throw Dave off. He watches her, shocked. "This feels wrong, oh my god!" She says, muffled by her sleeves. "I should not be seeing this right now." Dave smiles a little. How does she do this? She's just too cute.

He reaches up for her hands, "Well, like you said, there's no going back, babe." He says, pulling her hands down. Her eyes were squeezed shut, scrunching up her face in what Dave thought was the most adorable way. "Oh, don't be a baby. Open your eyes." He says. She squeezes them even harder just before opening them up, like ripping off a bandaid.

She lets out a sigh as her eyes roam over every feature. She takes a moment to just admire his face before giggling when her eyes make their way to his hair. "What?" Dave asked, this time not panicked, but amused.

She giggles some more, smiling wide. "Your hair is a mess." She says finally, biting her smile.

He rolls his eyes, "Yeah, I don't really do face reveals, so I didn't bother thinking of a way to properly tie my hair up under the mask."

She smiles at him softly, her eyes relaxed. She reaches up to touch his cheek. It's warm and a little sweaty from being stuck under a mask for the last several hours. They get lost in each other's eyes. Dave's jaw was slack, lips parted slightly. Her features still held her soft smile.

"I think I love you." Dave says abruptly, taking her aback.

"What?-"

"I just always feel so safe and comfortable around you, and I love how you're so unapologetically yourself, and you are always so kind and beautiful, and I can't help but find myself always thinking about you, and I'm always wondering if you're thinking about me to, which I hope you do, because I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't on your mind the way you're on mine, and ever since I saw you dancing on that picnic table when Todd and I were walking to the bus stop and you made that weird adorable little devil horn face thing, I knew I just had to know you, like I was drawn to you, and-"

"Wait, that was you?"

Dave ignores get question and continues rambling, "and I know we're just kids, but I can't think of a better way to live life than with you, and I want us to be together. I want to go to see your favorite scary movies with you, even though it confuses me as to why you still go to them when you say they always scar you, and I want to hold your hand and be there for you when you're scared. I want to go see those bands you always talk about in concert with you. I want to learn every lyric to every one of your favorite songs just to impress you when they come on. I want to hold you at night when you've had a bad day and don't know what to do with yourself. I want to keep you safe and always make sure you're happy. I want to be the reason you smile. I want to walk with you forever, stay by your side. I want to fall asleep beside you every night and wake up to you every morning, and I want nothing more than to hear you say you love me and tell me you love me the same way I love you, and I-"

"Dave, shut up!" She says with a smile, her eyes glistening. "Breathe." They both take a deep breath together. "If you keep going, you'll turn blue." They share a small laugh. "Can I kiss you?" She asks.

Without responding, Dave dives forward and kisses her full force. They deepen the kiss, her other hand reaching up to caress his other cheek, his hands resting on the bed, one on each side of her knees.

Without breaking the kiss, Dave moves to readjust. He pulls her closer, moving her to sit in his lap. She follows his lead, getting up to straddle him. Dave wraps his arms around her waist, hugging her closer to him. She arches her back, "accidentally" grinding against him. Dave is first to break the kiss with a gasp, his hands immediately making their way to her hips. She opens her eyes to find Dave's squeezed shut with his eyebrows narrowed together. His blue eyes open to meet hers after a second, both of them breathing heavily, Dave's eyes wide and innocent, looking up at her.

"Sorry." He says, embarrassed that she was able to affect him so easily. She grins, shaking her head.

"Don't be sorry. It's good to know I have such an effect on you." She leans down to rest her forehead on his. She squishes his check together, pushing him down to the bed, his hands finding themselves caressing her now exposed butt from under the mini skirt she still wore. He felt all the blood drain from his head downward. "Should we keep going?" She asks. Dave nods furiously, no longer able to form words.

She leans in slowly to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you, too."

》》》

Moodboard (exposing "y/n") on my page under #weird girl swiss fic

[gehayi]

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, [Katie] Rinderle had offered her fifth grade gifted program students a choice of books to read and discuss, and they chose Scott Stuart’s “My Shadow is Purple,” which you can check out here. The book centers on a child who looks at their mother’s pink shadow and their father’s blue shadow and doesn’t identify fully with either. Their shadow is purple, and they have traits in common with each of their parents. At a school dance, the child is pressured to choose pink or blue, but ultimately, other kids speak out to say that actually, their shadows aren’t pink or blue, either—they’re yellow, brown, red, green. Rinderle, who is obviously an excellent teacher, then had her students discuss the book’s themes and write poems about their own shadows. :::

Two days after she read “My Shadow is Purple” to her class, Rinderle was summoned to the principal’s office twice for meetings. “When I asked why this book was available in our school’s recent Scholastic Book Fair, especially if it was not deemed ‘appropriate,’ there was not a clear answer that could be given,” she told the SPLC. “When I asked if there was a specific list of books or topics that were not allowed in inclusive libraries, the principal stated, ‘No.’ When I asked if there was a rule or policy I was unaware of, she told me she wasn’t sure and she believed it was just considered ‘divisive.’ She told me parents were ‘talking’ and had emailed to complain.” That message came through repeatedly: The rules are vague. It doesn’t matter, because we’ve decided you broke them.

[foreverlogical]

Georgia’s new school censorship laws have claimed their first known victim. Cobb County elementary school teacher Katie Rinderle was fired for reading her class a book she bought at a school book fair, because the book’s message of accepting and embracing differences offended some parents.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Rinderle had offered her fifth grade gifted program students a choice of books to read and discuss, and they chose Scott Stuart’s “My Shadow is Purple,” which you can check out here. The book centers on a child who looks at their mother’s pink shadow and their father’s blue shadow and doesn’t identify fully with either. Their shadow is purple, and they have traits in common with each of their parents. At a school dance, the child is pressured to choose pink or blue, but ultimately, other kids speak out to say that actually, their shadows aren’t pink or blue, either—they’re yellow, brown, red, green.

Rinderle, who is obviously an excellent teacher, then had her students discuss the book’s themes and write poems about their own shadows.

“My shadow is white, an underestimated thing,” one student wrote. “When mixed with colors, it can do amazing things but left by itself it’s kinda bland.” Another wrote, “My shadow is purple and now I do know that everyone’s different and not to be woe [sic] when my heart glows and tells me to see it’s fine to be me.”

Following complaints from a small number of parents—and despite other parents vocally supporting her—Rinderle was investigated, told to resign or be fired, and fired.Campaign Action

Two days after she read “My Shadow is Purple” to her class, Rinderle was summoned to the principal’s office twice for meetings. “When I asked why this book was available in our school’s recent Scholastic Book Fair, especially if it was not deemed ‘appropriate,’ there was not a clear answer that could be given,” she told the SPLC. “When I asked if there was a specific list of books or topics that were not allowed in inclusive libraries, the principal stated, ‘No.’ When I asked if there was a rule or policy I was unaware of, she told me she wasn’t sure and she believed it was just considered ‘divisive.’ She told me parents were ‘talking’ and had emailed to complain.”

That message came through repeatedly: The rules are vague. It doesn’t matter, because we’ve decided you broke them.

In a recorded investigative meeting, Christopher Dowd, the district’s director of employee relations, said, “Not every topic will be specifically in black and white on topics [you] can and cannot teach which is why the language allows for a broader spectrum on ‘issues’ to navigate.” In other words, you’re guilty if we decide you’re guilty.

The 2022 Georgia laws under which Rinderle was fired give parents broad rights to demand the removal of class and library materials and censorship of class discussion. Like most such laws passed in recent years targeting public school curricula and teachers, the Georgia laws are broad and vague enough to allow almost anything to be the subject of a complaint. That in turn means that teachers have to censor themselves because they never know when they’re going to get in trouble. After all, Katie Rinderle was fired for reading a book sold by the book fair at her school.

That vagueness is a weapon that will never be wielded equally. District administrators have the discretion to take some parents’ complaints seriously and not others. They have the power to fire some teachers and let others off with a warning. And factors like race and membership in other marginalized communities will always be at play in those decisions.

In the recorded conversation with the teacher, Dowd also repeatedly referred to “inappropriate topics” and “pornographic” material. Now, you can read “My Shadow is Purple” yourself. There is nothing remotely pornographic about this book, which in fact is aimed at children younger than Rinderle’s fifth graders. What is “inappropriate” about it is that it tells kids they don’t have to fit firmly into a gender binary. That’s all. Nothing sexual. Nothing explicit. Just, “It’s okay not to be pink or blue. It’s okay to like traditionally masculine things and traditionally feminine things.”

As administrators investigated and questioned and castigated Rinderle, they communicated to her that there was “a revolt against you.” She wasn’t told about support from her students’ parents, although it was out there.

“My daughter was very worried about her teacher and suspected that all wasn’t well,” one parent said, “as it was not normal for Ms. Rinderle to miss consecutive days of school. “Emotionally, she was distraught when her class was informed by the school counselor that Ms. Rinderle was gone for good,” the parent said. “My daughter broke down in school and had to have a private session with the school counselor to work through her emotions. Ms. Rinderle’s class was one of the highlights of her school week. In her absence, my daughter described the class experience as ‘chaotic’ and ‘lacking direction.’ She no longer enjoyed it.”

Teacher turnover is known to be a problem for students, something that disrupts learning. Losing your excellent teacher under mysterious circumstances in the middle of a school year? That’s traumatic for kids. And then being told that your teacher was fired for teaching that it’s okay to be different? Well, that’s one way to ensure that LGBTQ+ kids stay deep in the closet, terrified, with serious mental health consequences.

What happened to Katie Rinderle is horrific, and she is rightly fighting her dismissal with the help of her union, the Georgia Association of Educators. It’s important to put it in the broader context—from the damage it does to kids and specifically LGBTQ+ kids to how this is part of a broader campaign against public education. Teachers are leaving the profession because they’re being called groomers and indoctrinators, because they fear parents' reactions to teaching about race in U.S. history, and because, “We are constantly being questioned by people who do not have degrees in education.” This is why the percentage of teachers who feel respected has plummeted over the past decade.

Republicans are passing laws that empower parents not just to say their own kids can’t read certain books but that those books have to be taken out of schools entirely. But again, in practice, it’s only some parents and some complaints (right-wing ones, to be specific) that wield that kind of power. This isn’t about one book or one teacher. In the relatively short time since the new wave of school censorship laws were passed, we’ve seen so many cases, like the 1998 Disney movie about Ruby Bridges removed from schools in Pinellas County, Florida, because of a parent complaint. A textbook company removed mentions of race from the Rosa Parks story after looking at the books being banned in Florida. The College Board backed down to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ demands on an Advanced Placement African 

American Studies class, then realized it had emboldened a bully when he started coming for AP Psychology, too.

This is a right-wing effort to kill two birds with one stone: to weaken schools by painting them as sites of harm to children and driving teachers out of the profession, and to keep bigotry socially acceptable in this country and maintain a white, straight, conservative power structure as a natural state of affairs beyond questioning. While it’s partly a matter of convenience for Republicans, these things are truly linked. Public education as a public good, a place for all kids to be educated in ways that benefit our society and the nation as a whole, is served by inclusion and support. Done well, it does promote equality beyond the classroom. And that’s a key part of why it’s coming under such ferocious attack from the right.

[adobe-outdesign]

What are your thoughts on the Misdreavus line?

Misdreavus is a really nice little ghost. I love how abstract it is—arguably it's based off a banshee and/or a nukekubi, but either way, it's a nice combo of "sheet ghost with waving effects instead of a lower body" and "actually unique design".

Visually, the colors are quite nice—the darker blues help the pink and red accents really pop, while the yellow draws attention to the eyes. The eyes have a really pretty shape to them with the thick outlines, and the little mouth looks appropriately mischievous. I also like how the flowing hair resembles the flowing effects of the lower body.

If I was writing this post back during Gen 2, my only complaint would be that there's no real reason for Misdreavus to be a single-stager. Thankfully, we now have Mismagius to add to that:

And if I like Misdreavus, I really like Mismagius. The addition of a witch's hat is a fun little bit of theming that doesn't distract from the already existing elements; for example, the hat prevents it from having the "hair" of Misdrevus, so it instead integrates that element into its "arms" on its lower body. It also keeps the same fun eyes, just with a zig-zag mouth, and anyone who's read these reviews knows how much I love OwO mouths.

In addition to the elements it keeps, it also expands upon some of the pre-existing ones as well. The orbs around its neck have become more ovular and are now embedded into it, the "cloak" is much longer and now has a pink fringe to it, and the color has shifted from an already nice blue to a lovely purple (there was no need to change it, but it looks good enough that I can't complain).

There are only two things that bug me about it: first, the zig-zags between the "arms" feel kind of random, and continuing the curves of the cloak would've better connected it to Misdreavus. Also, the random spikes around the brim of the "hat" feel kind of tacked on; the ones at the top were more than enough. Other than that, I love everything about this design, and it's a much-welcome addition to the line.

And I guess we can talk about Flutter Mane real quick—and I do mean quick, as it's probably the least interesting of all the past paradox 'mons. It adds some spikes to Misdreavus' head, longer "hair" with scales, slightly different eyes and mouth, and pointer frills at the bottom. It's not bad, but it feels very same-ish compared to the other paradoxes; I could easily see more being done with the neck orbs or the bottom frills.

It's also a bit odd conceptually; I guess it's more dino-like, hence the scales and spikes, but that doesn't have anything to do with the 'mon itself. Particularly baffling is its 'dex entry:

As A) pterosaurs don't exist in Pokemon (Aerodactyl, maybe); B), pterosaurs don't have scales and C) it looks nothing at all like a pterosaur.

Visually, I also find it odd that it has exactly one (1) strand of "hair" with lighter colored scales before the pink tips and nothing else, and also how it has one (1) red point on its lower body and nothing else. It's not really bad looking otherwise; it's just kind of "meh" compared to the other past paradoxes, which all manage to do something more creative and/or have better themes.

As a whole: this is a very strong line; both designs are abstract but the ghost typing is obvious, the colors are great, and the everything is well-balanced. The worst I can say is that Flutter Mane is a bit underwhelming.

[calling4glaives]

It's here! The date and prompts for NyxWeek2023!

Thanks so much for everyone who voted and proposed prompts. We really appreciate your help. Thanks to you, we have a date - June 4-10, and a collection of great prompts. We've organized the highest-voted prompts so that each day has a theme, three prompts, and a color palette, except for the final day which is a free day.

The rules will be the same as last time: write, draw, etc using at least one prompt (or palette!) for the day, and try to post it on the day with the tags #NyxWeek2023, the appropriate day and the prompt, and we'll reblog or retweet as we can, with a summary post for each day and the whole week at the end. If you post late, that's perfectly fine. What we want is more context for Nyx, so whatever time we get it is great!

For easy reference, here are the prompts for each day:

Day 1 (June 4): Danger: Rescue, Captivity, Blades Day 2 (June 5): Power: Magic, Shapeshifter, Storm Day 3 (June 6): Duty: Right Thing, Royal AU, Ring Day 4 (June 7): Companionship: Comrades, Soulmate AU, Home Day 5 (June 8): Ends: Fear, Galahd, Sunset Day 6 (June 9): Hope: Comfort, Hero, Dreams Day 7 (June 10): Free Day. And the hex codes and color names (just for fun) under the cut:

Day 1

#FCF7A5 Calamansi (Yellow) #E3894A Jasper Orange #772037 Claret (Red) #1E257E St. Patrick’s Blue

Day 2

#1C0D0F Licorice (Brown) #2895B3 Cyan Cornflower Blue #5651EA Majorelle Blue #131643 Cetacean Blue

Day 3

#908157 Dark Tan #5C3C49 Eggplant #232740 Yankees Blue #2E3B29 Black Leather Jacket (Green)

Day 4

#6F8D61 Russian Green #9E796C Burnished Brown (Light Pink) #111B21 Eerie Black (Dark Green) #76525E Deep Taupe (Dark Pink)

Day 5

#7AB398 Green Sheen #DED3B3 Desert Sand #1B3937 Medium Jungle Green #1C113D Dark Purple

Day 6

#2E241C Raisin Black (Brown) #646E80 AuroMetalSaurus (Silver) #9E3A24 Deep Dumpling (Red/Orange) #C2A16A Camel (Gold)

Fun fact: each of these was taken from concept art or official art related to Nyx. You'll see each one when we post the day's prompts.

Good luck to everyone! We look forward to seeing what you create!

[zeebeebirdy]

CAMELLIA ACHING - Chapter 3: Purple Lilac Blooms

Camellia, pink - Longing for you Camellia, red - You’re a flame in my heart Camellia, white - You’re adorable 🌺🐍

Simon moves to London for a fresh start. He buys a flower shop, he meets a tattoo artist, and he learns that maybe despite everything, he can find happiness; he deserves happiness.

Art by Niniweenie

At the 141 Tattoos & Piercings parlour, Johnny finally finds a reason to visit Simon next door, at the advice of his co-workers (well...except Graves).

[AO3 Link Here]

A.K.A. a Florist/Tattooist AU 🌺🐍🏵️💀💖 [Twitter thread of random au ideas] - please note, I'm only comfortable with adults engaging with my Twitter due to themes not appropriate for minors

Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 -

[indigo-ghost-girl]

Spoilers for parts of Sonic Frontiers...

Part 1

Part 7

Eggman howled with victorious laughter as he flew into the relative safety of his fleet.

However, it wasn’t long before he started to notice the explosions. He also noticed the two concentrated beams of red energy burning through the air, like the world’s most dangerous beam lights.

The doctor’s laughter faded into a concerned whine as he steeled a cautious glance behind him. He caught a brief glimpse of his possessed nemesis zipping around at his usual speed.

Eggman couldn’t deny it made him almost nostalgic. It was like he was in space again, leading Super Sonic through the rest of his fleet into a trap designed specifically to capture him and retrieve the emeralds. Only this time, the comforting blanket of a plan wasn’t a safety net he could fall back on.

The bolt of red stopped for a split second.

With an instinctual jerk, Eggman swerved the eggmobile to his left. Two lazers of humming, neon purple energy buzzed past him. The narwal themed airship in front of him took the hit and erupted in a great ball of flames. The human gulped.

“Eggman, keep him distracted, I have a plan,” came in Tails static voice from Eggman’s earpiece. It was a miracle it was even heard at all.

“What does it look like I’m doing!” Eggman squawked, swerving his eggmoble hard right to avoid another electric blast. The doctor nervously eyed the singed side of his eggmobile for a split second, “Whatever you plan on doing, do it faster!”

…

On the ground, the other two were helping Tails rummage through the stack of metal crates of Eggman technology and supplies. They had begun to set up an impromptu computer, something neither the red or pink creatures could really wrap their head around.

“So, what’s the new plan?” Knuckles asked, eyeing the lightshow in the upper atmosphere with the appropriate caution and slight awe. He flinched when three giant fish like battleships exploded in quick succession. The sudden judder in his muscles made Knuckles painfully aware of how much he ached.

“The ancients thought ahead, they had a backup plan for if the three titans somehow got destroyed, in the form of the towers,” Tails explained, sliding the metal tongs of two clumps of wires into the ports of a giant keyboard. The keyboard was sitting in a foldable metal table, its thin legs standing surprisingly strong as more and more pressure was piled on top of it.

“Alright?” Knuckles asked, eyes still fixed on the sky.

“Which means that, if we’re lucky, they might have made some type of backup program encase it did get out.”

“Wait, I thought… Sage told us sealing him in cyberspace wouldn’t work?” Amy questioned, pulling out a folded swivel chair that looked big enough to hold ten large bags of potato’s. She took a moment to look at it questioningly, wondering whether Eggman really needed a chair that big or if he just wanted to sit on throne sized seats.

The fox connected another clump of wires into the cyberspace portal, the custom gear shaped metal plug slotting perfectly into its base.

“Not… permanently no but it should buy us some time.” Tails flicked three switches and pressed a big black button. The machine whirred to life, two holographic screens flickering on above the keyboard.

Amy unfolded the chair and pushed it in front of the computer.

Tails fell into the chair, flexing his fingers. “And If not, I’m going to have to program one from scratch.”

...

Eggman beelined it to the tankiest ship in his fleet, weaving in and around the ships moving in to shield him against the lazers zapping mercilessly through the air. The ship in question was a humongous whale shark inspired vessel, wider than most skyscrapers and heavier too, only kept afloat by an ungodly amount of fossil fuel that would make any environmentalist pull their hair out.

The metal sphere narrowly dodged another pair of lazers. He pressed on, resisting the urge to pound his console in fearful frustration. The great Doctor Eggman, fleeing like a coward, again! He simmered furiously. He couldn’t even…

An alarm blared a loud “wahh”, on his console. Eggmans head snapped to the side. One of his airships was hurtling towards him, smouldering with red flames.

He let out a very unsophisticated “Gahhh!” pressing south hard on his controls. The metal egg pod dipped suddenly.

A grating scraping tore across the top of his glass dome. One of the smouldering wings had caught the top of the egg mobile. Its legacy left behind by the charred scratch now engraved into the glass. The sound may have deafened him, were it not for his metal headphones that automatically did their best to cancel out much of the screech.

A metal docking hatch opened on the whale shark ship and Eggman shot for it. His momentum wabbled as he dodged yet another lazer blast. He made it in, side of the Eggmobile clipping the side of the docks entrance, a chunk of metal peeling off. The man dove from the craft, hitting the ground with an undignified groan. He flinched away at the loud crunch that echoed from the far side of the dock seconds later. Eggman didn’t spare a glance at the broken hunk of metal that might have been his resting place had he not ejected himself, instead focusing on dashing to the exit, slamming his fist on a big black button outlined in yellow and black strips. The ship suddenly lit up in blaring alarms, red lights flashing, as he booked it through the door. It closed with a heavy clonk behind him.

Something loud cracked behind him as he ran through yet more doors, each one closing with a heavier thunk. The Docters brain was running a mile a minute, desperately recalling the safest route to another dock and a spare eggmobile. The further away he got, the quieter it became. It made the hairs on his mustache stand on end.

The man slowed to a stop, leaning on his knees and panting. The sound of his gasping breaths echoing off the soulless metal walls of the tunnel. The longer there was no sound, the more the doctors skin began to crawl.

He lifted a shaking hand up to the radio in his headset, missing the button his first attempt at pressing it. “Tails,” he called into his radio, “Just what are you up to?” he demanded, his voice came out much feebler than he preferred and he cleared his throat sharply.

“Just keep it busy,” came the hurried, reedy voice of the fox.

“It’s gone quiet up here,” Eggman admitted with a cautious mumble, “has it…”

“He’s not returned to the island, if that’s what you’re asking,” came the reply.

Eggman hummed in nervous acknowledgement, releasing the speaker button. Eggman pulled out a wire from his back pocket, plugging it into an open space in the wall. He attached the lead into a small tablet like device he pulled from his coat. The screen of the device flittered to life. The top view of the room he was in popping up; the feed relayed from the camara on the wall, showing his bald head and bristled mustache. Eggman took a moment to smooth down his facial hair before tapping the screen. The feed flickered to the room he knew was the dock he had entered. The view of the room flashed red every few seconds: lighting up the space. It took a few seconds to make out but there was a giant hole in the wall, great cracks leading from the hole and into the runways.

Eggman clenched his fist.

He swiped the screen to the right, turning the camara, the door he had entered through was intact, much to his surprise. Had it not followed him?

“Tails are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Tails responded, bordering on curt.

“What’s going on up there Eggman?” Came the distant voice of Knuckles. “The explosions stopped…”

“I don’t know,” Eggman grumbled, flickering through more camaras, the control centre, the engine, the massive spare robot part room.

“Come out come out wherever you are,” came a whispery call from above him. Eggman jolted, stumbling backwards and snapping his head around. His eyes fell on the metal bars that led into the darkness of a tunnel.

“What?” called the confused voice of Knuckles.

“The blasted thing is in the ventilation shaft,” he quickly yanked the cable from the port, shoving both bits of equipment into his coat and starting up his panicked sprint again. Seconds after he took off, the distinctive sound of tearing metal screeched behind him.

“All robots, report to storage chamber B10. NOW!” Eggman commanded. He burst into the next room, running past the broken robot parts and the line of mass produced soldier bots that had began filing into the room from three different entrances. Robots, armed to the literal teeth with guns, lazer cannons and various other deadly metal barrels. The door slammed behind him as he entered. The impact shook the ground under his feet and his arms flailed as he regained his balance.

“Robots! He demanded hoarsely, gasping for breath, “Attack!” A metal explosion went off behind him. Eggman saw tiny bullet sized metal shrapnel go flying past his face. He was still mid run when something lodged itself in the back of his left heel. It threw him off completely. The man fell flat on his face, sliding over the threshold of the exit with his gained momentum.

The door slammed shut behind him, just centremetres away from his boots.

“This had better be worth it, Fox.” he spat into the radio, unplanting his red face from the metal floors. The man tried to stand, jolting forwards when he tried to put pressure on his left ankle. He caught himself on his hands before he could face plant a second time. He had made it to the control room. A large white control panel sat at the centre of the ovular space, propped up on a purposely tall platform with five steps on either side.

Eggman sighed, suddenly regretting his architecture choices.

Eggman heard a seething hissing. He flipped onto his back. A chunk of the metal door fizzled and glowed a hot burning red. It formed the unmistakable silhouette of Super Sonic.

The human scrambled backwards on his back like a three legged spider, his immobile left leg dragging a streak of bright crimson across the spotless white floor.

In walked an unfettered red hedgehog, molten metal dripping off it like hot butter. Its fur and quills hissed, steam and smoke rising off it in thin spirals. Small, charred patches of purple fur fell out, floating to the floor in black, scattered clumps. The skin underneath, only visible for a moment as the fur almost immediately grew back. It took a moment to brush off a small clump of charred fur on its shoulder before turning its attention back to its target.

The hedgehog observed the cowering human for a moment. It chuckled.

Sonic’s face lit up, mouth spreading into a cocky grin, “What is wrong eggface, frightened of a little rodent?” called the thing, its voice warping into a Sonic like snark.

Eggman began to feel thick sweat crawling down the back of his neck. What he would give to have the real Sonic approaching him. He, at least, could be talked down.

“Sonic, you stubborn rodent,” he barked, dragging his tense and ragged limbs across the floor away from it, “I’ve fought you for years, your persistence is maddening. You refused to be commanded by anything before, not even by my brilliance. Why is this thing an exception?”

It paused, then smiled. “The ‘rodent’ doesn’t care doctor.”

“Get back!” he demanded, shuffling back on his bottom. He hit the opposite wall.

Eggmans hand finally reached the compartment behind him, yanking open the hatch and grabbing the lazer gun. The bowel expanded like a Venus flytrap. Eggman spammed the trigger, red shots of light rapidly shooting from the centre of the jaws.

The red hedgehog continued its walk, unfettered. Each shot that hit its target smouldering out like a doused flame, the rest flying uselessly by, melting little holes through the wall, beams of blue sky shining through.

…

Tails jittering fingers jabbed at the keyboard.

Amy tapped the tip of her boot against the ground nervously, hands clasped tightly to her heart. Her eyes followed along to the strings of code appearing across the screen in a vain attempt to understand anything.

Knuckles was pacing, agitated, back and forth through the grass. “Arg,” Knuckles growled, kicking up a clump of grass, “I should be doing something.”

A square panel the size of a thick, A5 book slid back on the metal cylinder, attached to the keyboard with trailing yellow wires. “Amy, I need one of your rings,” Tails told her, lifting his left hand from the keyboard to point at the hole while his right continued to type away.

“Of course,” Amy twisted a ring off her left wrist.

“I said stay back!” Shouted the radio. Tails flinched back, unhooking the radio from his ear, gently tossing it down next to the keypad.

Something on the other end crunched, a static howl erupted from the speaker.

All three creatures cringed. Amy’s face twisted in hesitant worry. The hedgehog quickly slid the ring into the hole, only half of it fitting inside.

“Foreign item, except? Y/N”

Tails quickly clicked a popup that appeared on the second, smaller hologram.

A loading bar appeared under the box.

“Good, now don’t touch it,” Tails turned his attention to the second screen, his hands became a blur on the keyboard, eyes flickering across the lines of blue lettered code as they appeared on screen.

The second voice spoke up from the radio, “This incarnation can only speculate the sentiment of mortal empathy.”

Knuckles found himself gritting his teeth.

“Natheless, Comprehension of imposed imprisonment is a shared abhorrence.”

“Come on...” mumbled The Fox, frantically hitting the back button ten times.

“And compensation is long since overdue.”

A tearing sound, like a knife scoring through leather, followed. The radio crackled and buzzed, struggling to receive the volume on the other side. Small moments of broken roaring cries occasionally snapping through the static.

Amy covered her mouth with a hand, reeling backwards. Her head turned to Knuckles.

“Tails!” He snapped.

Tails lent into the holographic screen, his nose a pennies width from it, “I need more time!” he hissed desperately.

A high whistling cut through the air. Knuckles head snapped towards the sound. A red something broke through the side of an airship, zipping through the air like a comet.

“I’ll keep it busy,” Knuckles shot off in the comet’s direction, tracking its fall.

Amy went to follow; Tails grabbed her by the arm. “No, I need you here.”

Knuckles shoes stopped dangerously close to the edge of the cliff face, skidding to a stop just in time.

The comet crashed into the ocean, knocking up a towering pillar of water that drenched the cliffside. It drenched Knuckles along with it. A slimy something smacked him in the face. He yelped and spluttered in surprise, batting away the silvery distressed fish. It gasped and flailed on the grass next to him. Knuckles wiped the saltwater from his face, his eyes staining with a red frame. He blinked hard, trying to clear the buzzing pain assaulting his eyeballs.

He got back enough of his vision to notice the fish. Knuckles frowned sadly. Still blinking frantically, he nudged it gently back into the water with the side of his foot. It landed back in the water with an unheard plop among the roaring of the waves.

A boom shook the ground. Through Knuckles’ blurred vision he saw a dim scarlet light illuminate the darkness below the waters surface. A few seconds passed and a slew of black shapes bobbed to the surface. Knuckles shook his head before squinting his eyes.

Fish. Dead eyed sea creatures, black charcoal burned to their scales.

Knuckles shoulders tensed. He growled, watching the corpses get tossed around in the waves. He made a fist, slamming it furiously into his other hand. He examined the water, eyes twitching, fiercely watching the waves, waiting for that thing to dare show its face.

Something else bobbed to the surface, small bits of something. He couldn’t see what.

Another rumbling caught his attention, it felt like someone burrowing in the rocks beneath him.

Crackle!

Knuckles leapt back, narrowly missing the shooting red ball of electricity as it shot from the earth beneath his heels.

The Echidna raised his fists, halting when he saw something in its hand: The glistening blue head of metal Sonic, dangling; loose wires fizzling from its base.

“Meddlesome machine,” it tutted lightly, flicking it away with its index finger. The metal ball shot horizontally over the cliff. It soon became a dot in the distance before it lost momentum and dropped like a rock.

The red hedgehog opened its mouth casually, letting loose a waterfall of seawater that cascaded out in one go. Knuckles grimaced in disgust.

“Your friend detests the ocean,” it commented, mouth still dribbling.

Knuckles leapt, aiming a punch. It grinned softly, disappearing just before the fist could contact. A blast of pain exploded in the back of his skull. Another strike to the chest sent him plummeting into the ground, creating a small chasm in the stone cliff face under him.

“You disappoint me, last of the echidnas, your friend believes you to be more capable than that pathetic display.”

Knuckles strained to open his eyes, a pounding headache beating at the back of his brain like a drum. Something caught the corner of his vision. The echidna smiled. With a grunt, Knuckles pushed himself from the rubble onto his knees, “Of course I am,” he chuckled, voice cracking. He heaved in a few breaths, quelling his headache, “But I’m just the distraction,”

A bright yellow ring descended over the head of the red hedgehog, closing in on its arms in a millisecond and swiftly yanking the hedgehog away.

“…What is this?” it questioned dully as it was quickly dragged across the island.

It turned its head, following the yellow rope dragging the ring, noticing the keyhole shaped structure ploughing towards it, the circle atop alit with a glitchy blue flame. The neon purple lights in its eyes spasmed.

“NO!” An eldritch screech boomed, its face twisting and stretching vertically like rubber. “We will not return to that accursed prison.” It screeched in desperation, legs flailing, thousands of voices morphing into one.

It burst to life with red electricity. Just as it entered the circle, the yellow ring binding it shattered.

The red hedgehog glowered down at the fox, neon purple slicing through icey blue. “YOU.DARE-”

But Amy had already ripped off her second ring, jamming it into the hole, Tails quickly slammed down his hand on a blue button. A second ring formed. It ensnared its neck, yanking it back.

The air fizzed to life with red sparks for a split second but was immediately quelled as a bright golden light engulphed the portal.

Tails and Amy shielded their eyes from the bright golden glow, stumbling backwards. The blinding light flickered, fading completely as the humming ancient technology quieted. The only sound left was the exhausted panting of the two friends, standing before the deactivated portal.

“Sorry Amy…” Tails breathed “I don’t think you’ll be getting your rings back,”. Tails shook from head to tails, his arms and fingers throbbing and sore from all the typing.  

“Tails…” Amy wheezed, “That, is the least of my worries right now.”

A silent relief washed over the two. Both fell to their knees.

[emilyhufflepufftlk]

Em's 500 Followers Challenge

Thank you again for the 500 followers, it means a lot. This is a fun challenge to celebrate and to hopefully get everyone's creative juices flowing. This is a Taylor Swift inspired challenge because I love her music and I find her lyrics make great prompts.

Rules:

It's open to anyone whether you follow me or not.

You are welcome to create whatever you like - fics, headcanons, gif sets, edits, fanart, moodboards etc.

What you create should be for/inspired by The Last Kingdom/Seven Kings Must Die but can feature any character/ship/topic you like.

For fics, you can write anything you like (angst, smut, fluff, whatever you fancy) but please tag appropriately and use readmore if it's long.

Pick a prompt from below - you can either use the song title itself as a prompt, a lyric from that song or the whole song; likewise for the albums you can use the title itself as a prompt or create something off the general vibe/colour/theme of the album (which I've included in brackets).

Please let me know which prompt you would like to use. You can have as many as you like but only two people can have the same prompt (I will cross prompts off once two people have picked them).

Soft Deadline: 1st July

Album prompts:

Debut (green, coming of age, innocence)

Fearless (yellow/gold, fairytales, teen love, first heartbreak)

Speak Now (purple, regrets, toxic relationships, growing up) @persephones-journey @mirandahamilton

Red (red, autumn, heartbreak, 'happy, free, confused and lonely')

1989 (blue, neon, new love, finding yourself, starting afresh) @geekandbooknerd

Reputation (black, revenge, secret relationships) @itbmojojoejo

Lover (pink, established relationship, love, happiness, romance) @axe-does-writing @lonnson

Folklore (grey/silver, summer, stories, forests, nature) @errruvande

Evermore (orange/brown, winter, stories, cosy cottage)

Midnights (navy blue, self reflection, late nights, past regrets) @persephones-journey @arcielee

Song Prompts:

Picture to Burn

A Place In This World @ errruvande

Cold As You

I'm Only Me When I'm With You

A Perfectly Good Heart

Fifteen

You Belong With Me

You're Not Sorry

The Other Side Of The Door

Mine @persephones-journey

Sparks Fly

Never Grow Up @ errruvande

Enchanted

Better Than Revenge

Haunted

Last Kiss

Treacherous

I Knew You Were Trouble @persephones-journey

All Too Well

The Last Time

Everything Has Changed

Begin Again @geekandbooknerd

The Moment I Knew @magravenwrites

Better Man

All You Had To Do Was Stay @ persephones-journey

I Wish You Would

Wildest Dreams @morosemagick @ persephones-journey

How You Get The Girl

This Love

I Did Something Bad

Don't Blame Me @ itbmojojoejo

Delicate

Getaway Car

Dancing With Our Hands Tied

Call It What You Want

Cruel Summer @finanmoghra

Death By A Thousand Cuts @princess--of--the--dragonstone

Soon You'll Get Better @ princess—of—the—dragonstone

Afterglow

It's Nice To Have A Friend @ persephones-journey

Daylight @ errruvande

the 1

exile @volvaaslaug

this is me trying @ princess--of--the—dragonstone

illicit affairs @ persephones-journey

invisible string

peace

champagne problems

'tis the damn season @finanmoghra

tolerate it

no body, no crime

long story short

right where you left me @ persephones-journey

Anti-Hero

You're On Your Own, Kid @ mirandahamilton

Vigilante Shit @princess--of--the--dragonstone

Sweet Nothing @timetravelingpenguin1066

The Great War

Bigger Than The Whole Sky @solinarimoon

Would've, Could've, Shoud've @arcielee

Tagging mutuals who might be interested (no pressure): @lauwrite1225 @93xdiagonxalley @trenko-heart @medievalfangirl @muddleofnervouswords @anotherwinchesterfangirl @blah-blah-blah-bla @aelswiths @eretriahs @finantheagile @halfmylife @mommytauriel @agreyraincloudd @dailytlk @chaoticdumbassary @pupzbitez @onesaltyhunter @moonlight-rider25 @charming-merlin @aadmelioraa @nanahachikyuu @lazypeachsoul @cheerylogan @mrsalwayswrite @for-bebbanburg @wildwren @naps4bats @cibs

[middenway]

The colour of Turning Red – Part 6

Here's a link to Part 1.

To the party! I like that this character who gets Priya in a way that no other character does just happens to be coded with the purples from Priya's introduction...

And, it should come as no surprise that when Tyler's party kicks off, it's vibrant purple.

Meanwhile, red is taking over Ming's world. Look at how she's kept in the red portion of the scene until she decides, once again, to do what is expected of her and crosses into the teal portion.

And then Ming goes into Mei's room and discovers what she's been hiding from her. It is no coincidence that this secret self is once again under Mei's bed and this scene is utterly red. Also note the foreshadowing of Ming breaking the picture of her and Mei as this relationship is about to fracture.

This is the same bedroom from a few seconds ago, but look how the red lighting transforms it.

It seems funny, since Mei is hanging out with her friends, that this scene is dominated by teal. But she's avoiding her responsibilities at Tyler's party, and as the scene progresses it's clear she still intends to seal her panda.

Very importantly, this scene draws attention to her pink Tamagotchi, an object that will be used to tap into important themes later.

As the scene progresses, the two versions versions of herself are put into conflict and the teal becomes intense.

Then we have the moment of betrayal.

And Mei takes her mother's hand and moves away for the colour of her friends into shadow.

This scene in the car, with Ming holding Mei's hand, is so cold.

All the colour is far away and behind Mei. And ahead of her is much more plain.

This scene around the dinner table is all in red, showing the intense feelings just beneath the surface in Wu, Ming, and Mei.

Then we get this moment with Jin in the basement. Look at the contrast in these two shots...

...and how the lighting on Jin's face has shifted to pink.

And I like this moment with Jin and Mei. The red lighting starts off capturing Mei's growing anxiety about the ceremony, but it becomes a positive thing as Jin talks to her. The shadows soften. Red is not a negative colour; it's a lucky one. Plus, they're discussing Ming here, so there is appropriately a lot of teal in the scene, but it's lit warmly.

To be continued in Part 7...

[deann1120]

[MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW]

She’s here and she’s beautiful!!! Finally!! Some thoughts:

Nearly all of the fanarts I saw drew her hair as light purple (like how it is now). I wondered if it’d be different and I’m glad it is! Dark purple’s my fave so I’m a lil biased 💜

Is that… the thing from the mirror pad…. ON HER HEAD? Oh that’s funny Edit no it’s not but that thing does look familiar, or is it just me?

We can’t see much now but it does look like she has a princess gown. Appropriate given her name

The pink stars in her eyes are gone! Could this mean it’s not really the Elle we know? Idk

Looks like there is something of a blue ombré at the ends of her hair. Maybe she’s going for a nighttime theme? Some people predicted this, this’d be so pretty!

[peachsayshi]

Color Me Peach Event 🍑✨

↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ I recently reached a follower milestone, and wanted to celebrate by hosting an event for writers and artists! The purpose of this event is to engage with writers & artists, and spread their amazing content on the platform! 🧡 

EVENT THEME: color + prompt

☄. *. ⋆ rules: 

must be 18+ to participate in this event with the age visible on the blog. 

all characters have to be 21+

limited slots - one slot per writer/artist

pairs: you are to write/draw for character ships or character x reader. (adult x minor pairings are not allowed). 

open to n.sfw and sfw content: I will not limit your preferences of what you would like to write/draw  but please make sure that you tag your piece appropriately. 

fandom: jujutsu kaisen, trigun stampede, chainsaw man 

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ PROMPT LIST: 

☄. *. ⋆pink palette - a rosy blush; warm & playful; a budding romance blooming into a beautiful carnation.

☄. *. ⋆red palette - an intense desire; lustful & dangerous; a fiery passion that is all consuming. 

☄. *. ⋆orange palette - a youthful vibrance; spontaneous & cheerful; an exciting new adventure 

☄. *. ⋆ yellow palette - a ray of hope; clear & optimistic; the piercing glow of happiness 

☄. *. ⋆ green palette- a balanced harmony; healing & peaceful; tainted with strains of envy

☄. *. ⋆ blue palette - a sense of tranquility; calming & cold; but sadness bleeds through 

  ☄. *. ⋆ purple palette - an arrogant spirit; emotional & immature; a compassionate dreamer at heart 

 ☄. *. ⋆ gray palette - an indecisive lens; quiet & detached; a neutral playing ground 

☄. *. ⋆ black & white palette - a contrasting difference; innocence & power; where light and dark always meet 

rules for writers: the color you select will be your prompt for the piece you have to write. you can interpret the prompt however you want! rules for artists: the color you select should be the main color of the piece you have to draw - and if you like, you can include elements of the prompt into your piece

send me a message with the following details to participate: color palette; fandom of choice; ship or x reader pairing; n.sfw or sfw 

[caffeine-clouds]

Sonic Inspired Outfits - Style/Fashion Tips (Blaze the Cat)

Wondering what's going on? (intro post here) Fiery princess time woooo! Requested by an anon

I did my best to make these looks natural - which means that you wont look weird or get bullied for wearing anything. These are normal normal clothes, with a bit of style.

Part One - outfits that I think Blaze would wear

Here's the deal - Blaze is purple. What colours does she wear? Darker purple - and accents of pink - as always, white and maybe some black is also complimentary. This is what you aim for. I had to dig around for her existing alt. outfits and a consistent theme of her's is jumpsuits. The best way I can describe her style... is mildly formal. Coats and shawls are great too - and where you can, incorporate small hints of floof - she likes a bit of tasteful floof

(Tip - where something white as your first layer (top, crop top, dress, pants skirt, etc) , and then have the purple be on top in the form of a coat or shawl!)

Part Two - Outfits that Invoke Blaze LILAC PURPLE TIME BABYYYY. Combine with other shades of purple - also pink, white, and very VERY slim touches of gold. Get fuzzy with it, get badass with it - wear what makes YOU feel like a princess.

(Outfits above are also great ways to invoke Blaze vibes!)

Accessory time!! Keep these subtle. Match Baze's necklace with a little bit of gold! And of course - styling with a ponytai could be nothing but appropriate

(Tip - Blaze's shoes are this sort of dark pink, burgundy-esque colour - they go great with predominantly white or black outfits!)

This was actually surprisingly difficult - but anyways, if you want me to get to a chaarcter sooner - send a rec!

[max-the-d0g]

The Unexpected

Wilhemina Venable x reader

A/n: my Emily x reader fic will be posted after Christmas.

There was a shift on the other side of the bed, followed by an alarm going off. It was Christmas Day and Wilhemina had set an alarm for 7 am, which for her is the normal time to get up. She didn't acknowledge Christmas, she did, however, allow you to decorate the house. As long as nothing was in her way. Hence whilst you were decorating the tree, Wilhemina was typically working.

The pleasant warmth of your girlfriend escaped the bed. And a shadow of heat escaped, rolling on your back you stared aimlessly at the ceiling. Knowing there was no need to get up, she didn't want anything to do with Christmas at all as far as you know.

You rolled over, snuggling against her pillow that still smelled of her intoxicating perfume. You heard the shower turn on. Your eyes started to shut slowly, and before you know it you fell into slumber.

---

There was a shake of your arm, trying to ignore it and fall deeper into sleep. You were on edge of it, you could feel it. However, the shaking got a little harsher. Cracking an eye open, Wilhemina was standing above you with a slight smile on her lips.

"It's 9, get up dear. I've allowed you sleep long enough." She caressed your cheek before walking away. Rolling your eyes, you huff out. You didn't comprehend why you had to get up if there was nothing to do.

You stumbled out of bed, wrapping a robe around your body as the winter air chilled around you. You could smell coffee brewing in the kitchen. Wandering towards the kitchen you stumble back a little surprised to see a range of breakfast meals on the kitchen island. What shocked you more was the Christmas-themed pancakes.

Wilhemina sheepishly looked down to the ground, a small smile gracing her plump lips as a rosy blush covered the apples of her cheeks.

'" I know I've been somewhat of a grinch during December, I know it's one of your favourite holidays.  I thought why not surprise you with breakfast and later on Christmas dinner." She mumbled out, sneaking a glance at you. She watched your gaze, your emotions. You were surprised she had pulled this all off, but even more surprised that she was trying to accommodate you. A smile broke across your lips as you flung yourself towards Wilhelmina.

"It's amazing, I love it. I love you." You mumbled pressing soft kisses across her cheek. You felt her cheek lift against them, knowing a similar smile was there.

"Should we eat ?"

----

You made your way into the living room, the tree lights sparkled purple. Despite your original thought that Wilhemina wanted nothing to do with Christmas you still wanted her presence surrounding the room. Wilhemina wandered into the living room, a gift bag in her hand as she shuffled across the room towards you, she settled next to you. The bag captured your interest, you were beyond intrigued.

" I got you this." Wilhemina offered you the bag. Her glowing cheeks once against dusted pink. A smile graced your lips, gathering the bag from her. You placed it on the coffee table, standing up from your seat you shuffled out of the room, mumbling about getting something.

Shuffling in the guest room's closet for the purple and gold wrapped box, you grasp it before racing back to a confused Wilhemina. She realised a huff as she sighted you and a surprised look graced her face as she spotted the box.

" I know... I thought I knew you weren't a big fan of Christmas so I didn't know if it was appropriate to get a gift. But I saw something so you, and it was the perfect gift." You handed her the box. You shuffled back into your seat, there was a slight red tint across Wilhemina's cheeks.

You carefully unwrapped the tie that was keeping the bag secured, inside the bag was tissue paper covering the gift inside. You were running out of patients, and your genuine curiosity got the better of you as you swiftly moved the paper. A box was at the bottom of the bag, wrapped in the finest wrapping paper. Purple glossy paper, wrapped in a silver ribbon with a median-sized bow sitting on the top. You gently removed the box, inspecting it. Trying to fathom what it could be.

Piece by piece, the wrapping was cautiously removed. A jewellery box was uncovered. Looking up to see Wilhemina's expression. She was sheepishly looking at you, she sipped at her hot beverage to hide her face.

Eagerly opening the box, the most glamorous necklace and earring set was staring right at you in your favourite colour. It took you a moment to release a little laugh. Wilhemina looked alarmed, her eyes widening a fraction.

"If you don't like them, I can take them back." She rushed out, a frown gracing her lovely face. Shaking your head, you gesture for her to open hers.

"No, no Just open yours." You demanded softly. She looked at you questioningly before doing as you said. Her fingers gently unwrapping the paper, her eyes widen slightly at the sight of the exact jewellery box. Her eyes meet yours as you laugh inwardly.

She opened the luxury box, and the exact necklace and earrings were sitting in the box, though the gems were coloured purple. A delighted giggle erupted inside her. Shaking her head in disbelief. However, a living smile graced her rosy lips.

"Merry Christmas, Wilhemina."

Taglist: 

@lucyintheskywithxanax​​​  @winters-witch-bitch​​ @impossibleexpertgianthairdo​ @strawberryshorttcakkee​​ @childxofxthexmoon​​ @loverofallthingssarah​​  @pluied-ete​​ @lololauser​​ @madamevirgo​​​ @paulsonsratched​​ @paulawand​​ @the-yellow-birdy​  

[thebrittanybrigade]

I’m so excited to see the babies grow up to be beautiful dogs. Are you gonna change the litter theme to Halloween theme or are you keeping Star Wars?

Oh yeah we definitely couldn’t pass up appropriate theming for these guys

Ash - grey collar - orange boy (we were watching Evil Dead II when she popped the first baby lol)

Gomez - blue collar - orange boy

Hazel - green collar - orange girl

Winifred - orange collar - liver girl

Zombie - red collar - orange boy

Dracula - purple collar - orange boy

Zero - black collar - orange boy

Chuckie - yellow collar - orange boy

Annabelle - pink collar - liver girl