#with them. AND THEN every single one after it has me complaining ''why is choosing fonts so hard''

[queen-lance]

I just wanted to come home... I wanted to come home so bad.

Words by @electraheart2012

[mochinomnoms]

Cling azul clingy azul clingy azul. Kisses for azulito. Azulito deserves many kisses

BESITOS! MUCHÍSIMOS BESITOS, MUCHÍSIMOS PARA EL AZULITO MI AZULITO AZULITO AZULITO AAAAAAAAAAAAAA BESITOS BESOSBESOSBESO!!!!!!!! EL MERECE MI AMOR, MI CARIÑO, MI TODO LOS BESOS NO SON SUFICIENTE—

*ahem*

If you're like me, and insist on showering Azulito (he begs that you don't call him that in front of others, especially the twins) with kisses and kisses galore, you better commit to it!!

You better let him cling to you as you cuddle and smooch in his large bed, he's exhausted after a long day's work. He needs this, he needs to wrap his arms (just the two never seems enough sometimes) around you as you lay on his chest with his weighted blanked on top of you both.

Complain that it's heavy, but he insists if he's to take you back home that you start becoming accustomed to the pressure of the ocean and his 8 tentacles around you. No, you are legally obligated to spend at least one hour with him every day after 5pm per your relationship contact.

(Note that, it's not an actual contract. He's made very few since Leona destroyed his collection, saving them for emergencies and things of personal importance. He has one waiting for you to sign in the future, glittering gold with the words ENGAGEMENT CONTRACT on the top.)

For now, though, he demands that you let him indulge in your affections, exclusive to him (and maybe Grim). Leave lipstick marks on him, one specifically on his collar, Why are you so surprised? It's so that he can brag about getting such a wonderful, beautiful, enchanting, loving partner. Azul's so surprisingly affectionate in public, an arm wrapped around your waist so that his hand rests on your hip, rubbing any exposed skin there. He's bringing you closer, preening when you place a hand on his chest for stability. That's right, he's YOUR stability in this crazy world. He's delighted that everyone else can mope and stomp around, jealous as you place another kiss on his cheek. All these single-fucks can seethe and cry about how he, the Azul Ashengrotto, can show off his pretty eye-candy of his arm with a self-satisfied smirk.

You're his partner, his beloved, his his his! You, to be frank, had the opportunity to choose celebrities, princes, heirs, future kings. You had the cream of the crop, really. But none of them met your standards, only him! He wins! Ha! Ha ha ha! Now, let's go back to the bedroom, he's in need of your sweet embrace and would like to make out with his partner! HIS!!!

Ha, ha, HA!

[multifandomwhore-003]

Random Hazel Callahan headcanons that have been rotting my brain for the past couple of days:

Pairing: Hazel Callahan x female! reader

Summary: Not needed

Genre(s): a little angsty at first, after that's it's just pure fluff

Warnings: mentions of trauma and maladaptive daydreaming

A/N: I'M GONNA WRITE MORE FOR HER BECAUSE I NEED IT SO STAY TUNED, also I listened to False God by Taylor Swift the entire time I wrote this.

Taglist: @aemonds-holy-milk , join tag list here

• She has horrible listening skills, usually her house has been a pretty noisy and chaotic place, even before her parents divorced, so she's learned to mute the outside world.

• It tends to annoy pretty much everyone else outside the fight club, the only exception being PJ, she perhaps got annoyed more than anyone.

• When you first noticed you had to repeat yourself at least five times whenever she was around, you tried to come up with different ways for her to keep up, like texting her as you spoke so she could read it as much as she needed to.

• Later on you found out it wasn't just about losing track of a conversation, as you asked to borrow one of her headphones one time, you were shocked her ears weren't bleeding right then and there.

"Fucking hell, Hazel! Are you trying to break your ears or something?" your ears hurt for a second.

"It's not loud at all" She placed them on her neck.

"Baby, I can hear the music coming out of those things like a concert speaker,"

• You decided to invite her over to your house as often as possible, demanding a no-headphones rule.

"Why not?!" she complained.

"Because you're gonna be completely deaf at the age of 40!"

"And you'll be there to teach me sign language, right?" she hugged your waist.

"You're saying you prefer not hearing my voice for the rest of our lives?" you lifted a brow.

• The realazation dawned on her.

• To this day she hasn't worn headphones a single day in her life.

• Maladaptive daydreaming is also something she struggles with, not as much now as she used to in middle school and the first two years of high school, but it still happens sometimes.

• You found out when you decided to surprise her by coming to her house one day

• Mrs. Callahan said she couldn't get in contact with Hazel, for whatever reason.

• Most likely her phone turned off since it was out of battery.

• So she texted you she was gonna be missing all night, permitted you to stay the night, and told you to take care of Hazel.

• You found her in the kitchen yelling, it sounded as if she was yelling at someone.

"Are you ever gonna choose me over a booty call?! How is it that Jeff's dick is more important than me?! Your daughter! You fucking pushed me out and you still can't even ask me how my grades are doing and shit!"

• Your first thought was —Her mom's plans must've been canceled—

• As you approached the room as quietly as possible, you looked through the rim of the entrance, there was no one.

"Hazel," you spoke quietly through her screams.

A shiver went down her spine, he face turned white, she blinked a couple of times before turnind her head, "How much of that did you hear?" she avoided your eyes.

"I've never heard you like that," was all you could mutter as you approached her slowly and then embraced her in a hug, "I know you're not insane by the way," you whispered in her hair.

She began to cry.

• She didn't want to talk about it for the next few days

• When she did, she stumbled upon her words, talked too fast, and teared up every once in a sentence.

"Call me first," you cupped her face, "I'll never judge you for whatever you have to say,"

• She wanted to kiss you right then and there, but just rested her forehead on yours, an act of ultimate intimacy.

• I could get into the divorced parents' trauma for hours because same

• But for now I'll move on to the happy part

• Physical touch is the absolute most pure form of love she can give

• If she's not hugging your waist at all times, she's holding your hand, resting her head on your chest, shoulders, legs, etc. pretty much everywhere she can

• If you have long or medium hair she'll attempt to braid your hair, keyword attempt

• If you have short hair she'll buy little elastic ponytails to tie them around your head everywhere she can

• Her reasoning behind this is that her favorite plants are cactuses

• That's it, that's all the reasons she needs

• If you happen to be bald she'll rub your head while singing the chorus to Diamonds by Rihanna

• She plays ukelele

• She knows how to make a few origami figures and if she tries a new one, as crumbled and sweaty as it is she gives it to you

• You have a whole shelf in your room dedicated to every piece of folded paper she's ever done for you

• If you're more of a fem! girl, she'll try something of yours whenever she comes over and stare at her reflection for hours

"Good thing, god didn't make me straight, she knew I would be a menace,"

• You can only roll your eyes and laugh at her twirling and pretending to dance ballet in your dresses and skirts

• If she happens to go shopping without you, she'll try something you'll like and send you the photo after

"If it looks this good on me, imagine how AMAZING it'll look on you,"

• She once asked you to put makeup on her, she'll say she was just curious how she'd look

• She wasn't lying, but she also didn't mention she just wanted to recreate this picture:

• If you happen to be more of a masc! girl, you'll trade clothes as often as you can think

• More than once you have arrived at school with something she likes and just drags you to the bathroom to for you to make the exchange

• It's not her clothes and your clothes anymore, everything you own is hers and vice versa

• More often than not you're no longer sure what used to be only yours

• This goes for accessories and shoes as well, even if they don't fit her, she'll fill them up with toilet paper until they fit just fine

• You'll match AT LEAST once a week, as per her request of course

• She tries all kinds of chips (or crisps for my British luvs) she has tried every flavor and seasoning, but her favorites and the flaming hot ones, even if she ends up chugging your waterbottle after finishing the bag

• Although her parents are rich and taught her from a young age to be a precise wine taster, she's a tequila and vodka girl

• She hates gloomy and rainy days because they bring down her mood, but spending the day binge-watching cheesy movies and stuffing her stomach with all the snacks o her house makes it up

• She's ABSOLUTE SHIT at Karaoke, but my god does she have the spirit

• Her go-to song is Lies by Fleetwood Mac, but if she's drunk enough to gain confidence she'll request Easy On Me by Adele

•  If she insists for long enough and you decide to sing with her, she 100% will try to recreate the following musical numbers:

• Lay all you love on me -Mamma Mia

• Every duet there is in Teen Beach Movie, her favorite childhood movie

• The cellblock tango -Chicago and Ex-Wives -from Six, if the rest of the fight club joins as well

• Popular from Wicked, strangely enough, she's Glinda

• Seventeen -Heathers

• Candy Store -Heathers featuring Isabel as Heather Mc Namara, Josie as Martha Dunnstock, and PJ as Veronica (She was heavily forced to after Brittany suggested it)

• Smooth Criminal -The Glee cast cover

• If you're a good singer, or at least a decent one, at the end of the song she'll hype you up more than anyone in the crowd, even carry you (this also applies to my plus size! lovelies, DON'T YOU WORRY, she has muscles)

• If you're a bad singer, then you'll be shit together, the worse your voices sound, the better you'll enjoy it

• Onto the kissing and overall more stereotypical relationship stuff, aka the not-so-comfortable part of my asexual-spectrum girlies.

• As previously shown in the original material

• Kissing is slow and passionate, she likes to enjoy your lips as much as possible, taking in every movement, taste, and breath

• Hands on your jaw  and neck EVERY FUCKING TIME

• The first few times you offered her some chapstick or lipstick, or lipgloss, or lip oil, or anything, she would kiss you making you chuckle in surprise

• Now you don't even need to ask, she'll just be like

"Hey, your lips look beautiful," and peck you on the lips

• If you're alone it definitely turns into a whole makeout session

• She just claims it tastes too good not to do it

• Every once in a while she'll hug you from behind and aggressively kiss your cheek

• Good luck kisses before every test

• Her favorite kind of dates are picnic dates

• She takes pictures of the sky whenever she feels it matches your vibe

• She takes A LOT of pictures of you ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, she even went as far as to buy a film camera because they make everything more magical

• She reads A LOT

• She obviously knows too much about social injustices and everything regarding that realm, but she likes other things as well

• Avid fantasy reader, I DON'T MAKE THE RULES,

• Going back to this need for escapism, she was heavily raised by George R.R. Martin and Leigh Bardugo

• Definitely screamed, jumped, and overall looked like she was in a sugar rush when both Game of Thrones and Shadow and Bone came out

• She wasn't exactly allowed to watch Game of Thrones at the time it came out, so she watched when she was 16 instead

• Shadow and Bone, however, oh boy, it was whole event

• She cosplayed Sturmhond and made you cosplay as Zoya

.

.

.

That's it for now children, if I come up with anything else I'll do a part two or even better write something more complete

[enden-agolor]

weirdly specific idea but thoughts on jesskas angst straight after access denied (probably before a journeys end aswell) if jesse chose to save petra first instead of lukas...

I think about this… all the time…..

This is kinda long so uhh

It’s kind of idk… Insane?? That right after defeating PAMA, Jesse and his friends get absolutely no break time in between returning with Harper to the portal hallway, and down to the spleef match. Like I can imagine they were all already so exhausted, and for them to get sent into that with absolutely no warning?? I feel as though that definitely played a part in why Lukas, Petra, and Ivor (depending on who you choose) end up losing and being sent to the Nether mines.

But the reason I mention this is both Lukas and Petra have the opportunity to have two near death experiences in one single day. The amount of anguish either of them must be going through? I can’t imagine. I feel like Petra is more the person to kind of suck it up and deal with it on her own terms, keeping those feelings hidden, but Lukas has more trouble withholding his emotions. I imagine him constantly rubbing at the back of his head where he was chipped, messing with the spot the chip was implanted and feeling the grotesque hole it leaves in his scalp, and all the dried blood along with it. He, Petra, and everyone else in the Crown Mesa have to deal with this.

Okay my bad I’m realizing now I’m kind of rambling. But hear me out.

I like to imagine that when Jesse rescues Lukas and Petra (I always pick to save Ivor just for that scene where Lukas laughs at him in his underwear) and heading into the dorms, each room has like two beds, so each room gets two people. And uhm because I am smart and cool I say Jesse and Lukas get assigned a room together and Ivor and Petra get theirs together (which they both equally complain about but that changes nothing).

After everyone gets to their rooms and night falls, the entire place quiets down as all the contestants eventually fall asleep but Lukas is still very much wide awake, sitting up in his bed, worried about his journal, worried about the future, and replaying every traumatic event that unfolded as the day gradually progressed. That, and the pain in the back of his head is unbearable. Part of him is relieved he’s not competing, but another part of him feels tremendously guilty and disappointed in himself for losing the match.

Jesse, exhausted beyond belief, but kept awake by the visions of his friends dying, that, and the memories of his fight against PAMA, and seeing Lukas in such a moment of peril as he’s rapidly losing his grip on Jesse, while simultaneously trying to fight PAMA. Well, it keeps a guy up, no matter how tired he is. And tossing and turning in his bed, he eventually turns over and sees Lukas still awake, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. Maybe it’s completely dark in the room, aside from the nearby window that a rift of moonlight casts through, lighting Lukas up just enough so Jesse can see he’s awake.

Jesse sitting up and asking Lukas if he’s okay, and how come he’s not asleep yet, Lukas can only really respond with a shrug and shake of his head. Just says to Jesse that he can’t sleep, and that’s when Jesse sits up fully and kinda shifts on the bed, letting his legs dangle off the side as he sits up fully, giving Lukas his full attention.

Long story short, Jesse will pry for more, then proceed to ask Lukas how he’s feeling after everything. Lukas hesitant, but trusting, spills his emotions about PAMA, about the ache in his head, about his frustrations with Harper and the old builders, and how guilty he feels about spleef. I feel like he’d definitely begin to crack under the pressure of finally saying everything out loud, utterly distraught as he begins to choke up, and that’s when Jesse stands up and crosses the room, settling down on Lukas’ bed and well, tries to match the emotions Lukas is feeling by confessing all of his own worries, and the turmoil he’s facing from the past, and what’s to come in the future.

Most of all though, he tells Lukas how thankful and relieved he is that Lukas is safe. And that’s when Jesse’s voice really begins to shake is when he talks about how he’d thought he’d lost Lukas twice in one day, and how terrifying each moment felt for him. Lukas by this point has gone silent, listening, shocked speechless by the depth and emotion Jesse’s words carry. Like the way he speaks about Lukas sounds as though he were someone meant dearly to Jesse. Like he was surprised to see how much Jesse cared when he begged for Lukas to be okay after he was unchipped and laying supposedly lifeless, and to see that kind of passion, so soon after, now alone… just the two of them.

Idk man Lukas is feeling a bit flattered. And kinda getting that butterfly feeling which he’d usually experience around Jesse every so often, but as of recently the feeling numbed do to the stress of the current situation. But now that feeling kicks back in full swing, and it is a lot.

It’s when Jesse says, “I don’t ever want to lose you.” Is when Lukas finally settles on an idea brewing in his mind.

I’ve always hc Lukas as someone who copes through trauma with touch and affection, or just nice feelings in general, so him nervously responding with “You won’t,” and hesitation when Jesse smiles tiredly back at him, slowly finding the confidence with “uhm… Jesse? If you wouldn’t mind,” and Lukas scoots over a little bit, patting the spot in bed next to him. A once in a life time opportunity.

Jesse is shook, also blushing like an idiot because wow Lukas is ethereal in this lighting, and he looks gorgeous, even with those tear stained cheeks of his. Jesse is kind of dumb though, specifically with this sort of thing so he just replies with an “uhm.. s-sure, Lukas.” And scoots over, settling in beside Lukas but on top of the covers. Lukas smiles at how dense Jesse is, and says something like “under the covers, Jesse.” And Jesse’s like “o-oh okay.” Still blushing, embarrassed like an idiot. Also Jesse is like. Big. He is a big guy so he takes up a significant amount of space in the bed. Also he’s like a space heater, and with the cold, snowy weather outside, and complete lack of an ac (it’s minecraft), Lukas is naturally drawn to that warmth, snuggling up to Jesse who is just kind of laying there, tense and unmoving, heart pounding. And oh god Lukas is wrapping his arms around his torso and settling his head right between his thick bicep and chest.

Then… only then can they fall asleep ☝️ Also this moment empowers Jesse like never before, and he wakes up the next day in a cuddly embrace, feeling every one of his hearts completely rejuvenated.

What an awesome thing that totally happens in canon because Enden says so.

[solarwynd]

People are saying the situation with Friends being replaced by Who as army's choice for most streamed k-pop song this year is the same as Like Crazy being replaced by Seven last year, but it was actually worse last year. Cause Like Crazy was doing something like 3m daily streams and had a realistic chance to surpass Cupid, and JK already had the most streamed song of 2022 (which is in itself bullshit cause armys in all their ot7 obssession should've given than to Yet To Come, since it was not only a group song but their last comeback, but instead they choose to push a Charlie Puth song that has only one BTS member as just a feature). Friends on the other hand is doing 1.6m daily streams and is probably not gonna surpass Magnetic. And, unlike JK, Jimin never got the most streamed song and he deserves it now for what happened last year.

Also, I don't understand what the crying is about. Friends was doing badly even before Who was released. So it's not like armys are dropping a song they weren't streaming to being with. What exactly are kths complaining about? That armys are focusing on Who instead of Friends? But Who is gonna have more streams than Friends in a month, and isn't one month the usual minimum amount of time armys should prioritize a new song anyways? Do kths really want armys to drop Who during it's first month just so a song that is over four months old can have more streams? Cause it's not like armys are planning on focusing only on Who for the rest of the year, only one month would be enough. By the time it would be reasonable for armys to stop prioritizing Who, it would already have more streams than Friends, making it the best contender for the song armys should push for that record, so why would they push a song with a worse chance instead? Like, be realistic, for Friends to end the year with more streams than Who everybody would have to stop streaming Who, and why would anyone do that? Because Taehyung's song was chosen for that record first? Well a Jimin song (LC) was chosen even before that, so if anything, he should get it first. Kths can try again next year, fighting!

L&R is where it all started to go wrong and was the unfortunate beginning of getting terrorized with mediocre pop music and white men.

Seeing armys just abandon LC especially after everything we had already seen happen last year was just the final straw for me. From there I knew I had to really had to leave cause I couldn’t deal with the constant shelving people were doing to Jimin.

I think armys were definitely over YTC at that point cause regardless of the typical SOTY response they normally give every single release, they did not care for it. But like you said by their own principle of strict OT7-ness they should’ve given most streamed to it instead.

I feel like armys like Friends between than the songs on layover but not enough that it showed in its numbers because it was also dropped fairly quickly. And like I said if they really wanted to give that man most streamed 2024 for a k act, they would have been moved for it. I’ve seen them push SNTY for EOTY awards more over that record for Friends . (And again proof that people are fine with other members being put on the back burner in benefit of JK, but when it’s Jimin it’s unacceptable)

WHO has gone the LC route (even more so) where it’s definitely not just some armys and us streaming. It definitely has GP and casuals. So even if armys fully drop it and say it goes back down to maybe its initial streams or a little less, it’s still gonna end up over taking Friends. Because even if armys gave their full energy to getting that song’s streams back up, the highest I can see it doing unfiltered is maybe 3M.

And then you have Jin that’s gonna have his album soon. They’re not gonna prioritize friends over his album and I can see them wanting to give Jin the best debut he can get since he got discharged.

[loveindefinitely]

i care so much about the tf 141 plays valorant au who are their mains please

༊*·˚ TASK FORCE 141 — valorant au headcanons.

a/n. omg thank you its a very meaningful thing to me ALSO

featuring. simon 'ghost' riley, johnny 'soap' mactavish, kyle 'gaz' garrick, john 'bravo six' price

warnings. gn!reader, suggestive content, crack, they're all in love and stupid, attempts at humour, polyamory

GHOST as an OMEN MAIN

✩ The first agent he unlocked, and the only agent he plays. If anyone else takes him, he doesn't select at all. Is on very thin ice due to his frequent dodges.'

✩ Likes the practicality of him, how the smokes help your entire team out, and the teleporting aspect makes it more fun for him to get frags. Tries to be experimental with it to try and impress you guys, but usually fails.

✩ Does not understand in the slightest why he mid frags usually, even when you, Soap and Gaz have explicitly explained how duelists and smokes work. He just views it as another thing to conquer.

✩ Makes fun of Soap because his smokes are 'weaker'. Has been hit in the back of the head for it.

✩ When he found out that Sage and Omen were somewhat of a ship, and overheard you saying how much you wanted the 'Halloween card', he asked about dressing up as them for Halloween. (Your glassy eyed smile made the cat ears worth it.)

✩ Deliberately smokes off entry just to piss off Soap, when he starts trying to backseat too hard. Once blinded you all because Gaz said that Soap's smokes were better. (Soap just smoke-entried onto site.)

✩ [NSFW] Plays on his voice, praising you, Soap or Gaz anytime you clutch or get a good shot in. Starts straight up dirty-talking mid-game, using every single one of your weaknesses against you. Talks more than he does in person when he gets antsy, getting off to the steady breathiness of your voices as he gets more and more filthy with it.

SOAP as a JETT MAIN

✩ The most obnoxious little fucker when he plays.

✩ An absolute menace. He specifically baits you and Ghost for frags, because he finds Ghost's growing anger and your petulant huffs amusing. (He also just loves how he pays for it later.)

✩ Asked Gaz to match one of those cringe usernames with him. Probably something like 'I Blow Bubbles' and 'Bubbles'. Gaz said no and also asked him to never speak of it again. (He asked you later, and you nearly cried on the spot.)

✩ Once cried because the enemy's team Jett was a smurf, and threatened to take his girl. He worried about it briefly, then remembered all of his '''''girls''''' were just down the hall. And not impressed with a guy that had more kills in a video game than in real life.

✩ Laughs when he sees Price die, than screams when he gets shot immediately after.

✩ [NSFW] Gave you head while you played a game once, unbeknownst to the other two. Made you give comms while his fingers thrust into you, his tongue licking over your hole. Laughed against your thigh when you pulled his hair after he made you die with a cruel stroke.

GAZ as a KAY/O MAIN

✩ Used to be a Pheonix main, but got sick of Soap making fun of him for choosing the 'brit', and the one that people shipped with Jett. Told him that if he wanted him so bad, to just come out and say it. (Gaz turned off his PC at the plug for that.)

✩ His flashes are usually really good, but if Soap or Ghost make a snide remark, or Price tries to take the leadership-role, he'll flash everyone. Says it was a misclick but no one is buying it.

✩ Has watched multiple lineup videos, and takes it all very seriously. If you or Soap are bantering while he's trying to do it exactly right, he'll threaten to go to your rooms and smother you with your pillows. (Neither of you complain, and if you're feeling particularly bratty, you'll push him to his limits.)

✩ Was the first one to play Valorant, and got Soap hooked. From there, it spiralled, but he's just happy he gets to do something he enjoys so much with the people he loves so much.

✩ Definitely the most patient one of the team. He kinda taught all of you at some point, because he doesn't get pissed off as easily as Soap. Also, he just loves watching as either you, Price or Ghost start to understand how fun it is -- and start to be able to properly play.

✩ [NSFW] Has played with you sitting on his dick, letting you cockwarm him while he presses kisses into your neck. Did it while in a custom game with Soap, and whenever Soap was starting to win, he'd set the voicechat to auto, so your moans and whimpers could be heard. (Led to an unfinished game, but three finished orgasms.)

PRICE as a KILLJOY MAIN

✩ He plays KJ purely out of spite. When you three (ghost would never) first begged him to play with you, Soap, Gaz and you had convinced him to play Brim. He was not impressed when five minutes in, Soap was whining for him to try and say the voice lines.

✩ The reason he likes playing her so much is because he can spend his time setting up sites. He likes defense over attack, and it's really cute when he hums while trying to do lineups.

✩ (He doesn't tell any of you this, but part of it is that he gets to sit back while you all compete for top frag. In the field, he might take the top rank, but he likes seeing you all laugh and poke fun at each other. He falls a lil bit more in love with each of you every time threats are thrown about over comms.)

✩ His aim is shit. Like, absolutely terrible. Has complained multiple times about how the guns don't have the right heft to them, and that it's all completely unrealistic.

✩ If he goes AFK, it's to head to either you or Gaz, pick you up, sit in your seat, and just watch as you play from his lap. Just rests his chin on your shoulder and wraps his arms around your waist. Doesn't care about the penalty -- would much prefer to embrace his partner.

✩ If any of you are up late, playing, when he wants to cuddle up and go to sleep, he WILL turn off the internet just as you press queue again. Feigns ignorance, but you all know it was him. (You all pretend that you believe him, because you can't exactly decline his silent neediness.)

✩ [NSFW] When he's feeling particularly horny, he'll start prompting bets between you all. Like, whoever top frags gets to cum first, or, however many times you die is the amount of spanks you'll get. All while waiting for the inevitable pounding of knocks on his bedroom door.

A/N. this au is so disgustingly self-indulgent i am disappointed in myself. anon, even if this is only enjoyed by me and you, at least there's someone else out there that understands me 🙌 thank you for giving me a reason to rant about my silly lil thoughts. if this at all interests anyone pls lmk or give me ideas for a oneshot...

[tqmies]

First of all congratulations on your 1k 💕 Can I request for your event . Haechan + Enemies to lovers or fake dating ( up to you ) + prompt 2

Bet | Lee Haechan

Part of Tqmies 1K Event!

Enemies to lovers & fake dating au, 2. “Why are you mad?” “I’m not mad, I just think you can choose better people to kiss.” wc: 1.1k Note: i love haechan, i love that my followers love haechan too, now come here so i can give you a big smooch. & thank you <3

"No way." Haechan says, standing firm. "I won't do it."

"I'll pay you a hundred bucks."

"When do I start?"

"Wait, wait!" You interrupt, putting your hands between the two boys. One being Haechan, and the other being your best friend Mark. "I haven't even said anything yet."

"You don't need to baby." Haechan smirks, before swooning dramtically. "I know you're dying for a chance at me."

"I actually hate you." You deadpan but are ignored.

"Hate and love," Haechan sighs. "Such a thin line of difference, both feelings are so intense that you must get them confused."

"Get a load of Shakespeare over here." Jeno remarks, and you laugh.

"Quiet," Haechan bites back.

Mark looks over at you. "So what'll it be? Will you help me?"

Every bone in your body wants to refuse. But Mark's your best friend, and you sigh, knowing he would do it for you if you ever asked.

It just happened to be your luck that Haechan and you were the only free ones in your group. And single, meaning you'd have to pair up with Haechan. Well, Jeno was too but he was tied up for the night due to some baseball practice.

That left you and Haechan as the only ones able to attend this double blind date with Mark as support. And in all honesty, you thought his worry was stupid.

"Why do you need us to go again?" You ask, pinching the bridge of your nose.

"It'd help me feel less nervous! And you guys are the only one's not busy tonight so-"

You sigh, "Whatever Mark, I'll do it."

"Oh thank goodness," Mark deflates. "I was so worried."

"Not doing this for you, I'm doing this for the check!" You elaborate, though Mark knows you're lying, curse your weakness for your best friend.

..

"Remember, you met in high school, Haechan confessed senior year and you’ve been together ever since.” Mark repeats, as you all sit in his car. He’s ran through the scenario like a teacher in front of pre-school children.

But you nod. "Got it."

"Yeah I got it after the first twelve times." Haechan crosses his arms as he wave's Mark off. "We'll be fine, you worry about your date, and let me worry about this freak over here."

"Oh shut up!" You retort. "You're lucky to even pretend you're on a date with someone like me."

Haechan scoffs, "Okay, if that makes you feel better."

As you open your mouth to speak, Mark stops you both, warning. "Guys, you two aren't acting like you're dating right now.."

"Haechan just can't admit that I'd be an amazing date."

"Sure, I bet being with me will be the best date you've been on."

"Bet?" You raise a brow. "You're on."

"Oh no, please no." Mark mutters to himself as you and Haechan exit the car. He might've bit off more than he could chew, you guys making bets was never good, ever the competitive ones.

Yet, he can say as the night progresses, that he's pleasantly surprised with you two's behavior. Of course, he's paying most attention to his date, but if he didn't notice then she definitely didn't.

You two are the most convincing fake couple ever, minus you two actually hating each others guts. Mark assumes its all fueled by competition, trying to butter the other up to get them to admit they'd be a good date. From the way Haechan pulled out your chair, to the way you diligently complimented his food choices, inflating his already huge ego.

And as weird as it feels, Mark has to admit he likes to see his two closest friends even getting along, but he really can’t complain.

“You two are adorable.” His date points out, and it’s the first time you’ve really looked at her tonight. Her eyes meet yours and something in her lights up. “Wait, I know you!”

You agree, though you can’t remember from where.

Unfortunately, she fills in the blanks for you. “You kissed Lee Jeno at that party a few weeks ago!“

Silence looms over the table as you can only hear the chattering of patrons around you.

You remember now, she must’ve been one the party goers at the recent frat party Jeno dragged you to. No one else wanted to go with him so he grabbed you off your couch on a Saturday and made you party with him.

It had ended in the two of you drunkenly making out on the frats couch, to which you had promised to never say a word about again.

"Oh yeah?" Haechan speaks up, shooting you a glare as he grits his teeth. "That's funny considering I mentioned we've been together for years."

Mark wants to die.

You laugh nervously, as the girl beside you two widens her eyes. "It was during our um.. break!"

Nice save, Mark thinks but then Haechan speaks up. "I don't remember us having a break."

The smile falls off of your face. "We broke up for during that one weekend, remember?"

"Oh my gosh, I must have the wrong girl. It probably wasn't you, no worries." Mark's date speaks as she tries to ease the tension.

"No need to lie." Haechan replies, raising his brows. Then he just shrugs, going back to his food. "I did a lot of things while we were on break too."

Mark wants to die, again.

Also, when the hell had you kissed Jeno? Like for real, that had actually happened?

You just quietly go back to your food, noting how the other couple's face's are hot red, Mark likely too scared to say anything. At least Haechan didn't rat you two out, though you're sure Mark's date knows now.

The rest of the date goes on pretty silently, save for small chatter from around you and the occasional comment from Mark.

You and Haechan exit the restaurant first, hoping Mark would gain the courage to ask his date on a second one, seeing as it seemed they got along pretty well despite the incident.

As soon as you're out of ear-shot, Haechan turns to you while crossing his arms. "You're the worst fake partner ever!"

"Me?" You ask, pointing into his chest. "I had the situation handled, and here you come with the 'we weren't on break!' Like would it have killed you to just agree?!"

"Whatever, I don't care." He responds, turning away from you.

Though you notice he seems bothered. "Jeno and I were drunk, if you're upset at him not telling you. it's not a big deal, I barely even remember."

"Why would I be upset?" He mocks.

"I don't know? You seem bothered!"

"Maybe I am."

You throw your hands up. "Well, why are you mad?"

He smirks at seeing you riled up. “I’m not mad, I just think you can choose better people to kiss.”

"Really, yeah?" You ridicule. "Like who? You?"

"Yeah." He says, nonchalantly. "Bet I'm a better kisser than him anyways."

"You bet?" You smirk.

"I bet, now wanna find out?"

[somethingvicked]

True love of mine part 6

An Eddie Munson story

Stranger Things AU (no Upside-Down)

warnings: female reader, angst, flexible timeline.

The songs used in this chapter belongs to the bands that has written and released them! I take no credit for it, I'm just borrowing them.

Chapter 5

Now

Eddie

The next day Eddie called his team into the meeting room at the studio, waiting for them all to sit down.

“I’ve written a new song. It will be a single, not for an album. And I want us to film a video for it too – ready to release in two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” his team all but cried but he just nodded.

“The video in itself will be simple, nothing extravagant like fire effects or expensive props or anything like that. Just me playing a guitar and singing, the rest of the band around me.”

“Well… I suppose that’s possible then,” Greg said. “I just didn’t know we had plans on releasing new music at this time – the next album isn’t planned for another six months.”

“That’s why it won’t be included on an album,” Eddie said. “It will a release on its own. One single, one song, one time only.”

Because this wasn’t for his fans, or for his producers to make money of. This was for Y/N.

Y/N

It had been more than three weeks since you wrote Eddie your letter and by now you had started to give up the hope that there would be a reply in some way. It had been slim to begin with but hope was a persistent thing in the human nature.

But deep down you know it was stupid. To hold on to a love from fifteen years ago.

If the gossip magazines were to be believed Eddie hadn’t had a steady girlfriend in years but why would he? He was a rockstar, he could probably pick and choose between barely legal hotties every night if he wanted to.

Don’t think about that.

That’s why you had the shock of your life when switching between the channels lead you to MTV and a photo of Eddie filled the screen.

"Eddie 'The Master' Munson has released a new single," the TV reporter said, smiling, "and it has already made minds spin, trying to figure out who the girl he's singing about could be? Let's listen to it and see what you think! You can text the number below if you have any suggestions!”

The video was in muted colors, Eddie sitting on a stage on a stool, guitar in hand. A band of musicians surrounded him, but they were all in the background, Eddie was the focus. Then the song started, him standing up, strumming on the guitar as the song’s tempo increased and he started to sing into the microphone.

If you're traveling down to the Hawk's country fair

The winds hit heavy on the borderline

Remember me to one who lives there

She's the one true love of mine

You gasped. Hawk's country fair...?

He had to mean Hawkins, right?! And the country fair… was that a reference to the fair you two had gone to, when he won you the cat ring?!

If you're going down to snowflakes storm

Rivers freeze and summer ends

Please see if she has a coat so warm

To keep her from the howlin' winds

Tears blurred in your eyes when you remembered how you were always so cold during the winters because you were too vain to wear the winter coats your mom bought for you, thinking they made you look fat. No one ever said teenagers were smart.

And how Eddie used to take off his denim vest and place it over you, never once complaining about being cold himself.

Will you see for me if her hair hangs long?

Rolls and flows all down her breast

Will you see for me if her hair's hanging long?

That's the way I remember her best

Eddie had loved your hair. You’d kept it long ever since you were little, knowing that your hair was one of your best features; thick and shiny.

Eddie loved to play with it, braid little elf's braids into it or buy viking jewelry to put into the braids.

The only time he complained about it was when you were naked. “It hangs past your breasts and shield you from me completely,” he had pouted, making you giggle.

After Eddie had left you had cut your hair off and kept it short for almost fifteen years. It was just last year you had finally had let it grow out out longer than a short bob.

I'm  wonderin' if she remembers me at all

Many times I've often prayed

In the darkness of my night

In the brightness of my day

Now tears were streaming down your eyes. So this was his way in replying. You hadn't put a return address on the letter, not even thinking there was a chance he'd want to reply to you, even if you had hoped that somehow he would reach out to you.

And he did. This way.

If you're travelin' down to the Hawk's country fair

The winds hit heavy on the borderline

Remember me to one who lives there

She's the one true love of mine

She's the one true love of mine

She's the one true love of mine

She's the one true love of mine

She's the one true love of mine

Then

Hawkins, 1981.

Y/N

You honestly didn’t know what to do. It had been almost a month since the fair and you and Eddie had kissed. You had thought that finally you would take the step to become more than friends.

But the Monday after when Eddie picked you up from school he had acted like nothing had happened.

You had wanted to ask him why but deep down you were too scared about the answer. That it hadn’t meant anything to him, that you had overstepped a boundary.

That hurt.

When it had been a week of Eddie acting like the fair had never even happened you had started to distance yourself. You couldn’t take it.

You loved Eddie Munson but if he still saw you as just a friend… well, of course he couldn’t help how he felt, but neither could you. And you could only control your own actions and you decided that for now it hurt too much to be even close to Eddie.

That’s how you started hang out with Jonathan Byers instead. He was one year younger than you, but he was a nice guy, a loner, with a reputation for being a loser but when you two started talking in history you found that only the loner part was true – and only because he didn’t fit in with most cliques in high school.

You told him about Eddie and Jonathan said that he was an idiot but that he was certain Eddie was in love with you, he was just uncertain on how to navigate it. You didn’t believe him but it was nice of him to say it.

Eddie stared at you two when you passed him in the corridors but you refused to meet his eyes. He had made his choice, he had no reason to be angry.

It ended with you leaving the cat ring he had won you on the porch of his trailer, not wanting any more reminders of that night.

That evening it was Halloween and you took Jonathan with you to the Hideout, knowing that Corroded Coffin would probably play but the free drinks made up for it.

Jonathan didn’t had a costume and neither did you, even if you had put on a dress, for once.

Indeed, Eddie was there and when he saw you with Jonathan you swore you could see him gulp but you looked away again, once more repeating to yourself that Eddie had made his choice. He couldn’t fault you for yours.

Then suddenly Eddie got up on the stage, all but dragging the rest of the guys with him even though they weren’t scheduled on for another hour.

“I want to sing a song tonight. A song I dedicate to the most wonderful girl in the world. A girl I lost due to my own idiocy. But I need to let her know how I feel at least.”

Then they started playing. You gasped. It wasn’t Corroded Coffin’s usual vibe, it was a power ballad by Bon Jovi.

It had been released just the week before you and Eddie had gone to the fair, and you had listened to it so many times that you had worn out the cassette tape already.

Eddie started, his voice lower and huskier than usual:

This Romeo is bleeding

But you can't see his blood

It's nothing but some feelings

That this old dog kicked up

It's been raining since you left me

Now I'm drowning in the flood

You see, I've always been a fighter

But without you, I give up

You couldn’t believe it. Did he do this just because he was jealous of you and Jonathan? No, you had known Eddie for many years; he wasn’t one to play games. But why had he acted that way with you then?

Jonathan leaned in and whispered into your ear. “Told you. He’s clearly head over heels in love with you. My guess is he just didn’t know what to do after that kiss.”

That was true. After the Ferris wheel you had seen how late it was and you had to rush back to your house before you were grounded. You and Eddie hadn’t talked about what the kiss meant.

Did he think that you… that it didn’t mean anything to you? Is that why he had been like this?

Eddie took a deep breath and then sang from the bottom of his lungs, an expression of near agony on his face.

I can't sing a love song

Like the way it's meant to be

Well, I guess I'm not that good anymore

But baby, that's just me

And I will love you, baby, always

And I'll be there forever and a day, always

I'll be there 'til the stars don't shine

'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme

And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind

And I'll love you, always

Tears now rose in your eyes. He did love you. This… it was the most sincere (and beautiful) love declaration you could ever hope for.

Now your pictures that you left behind Are just memories of a different life Some that made us laugh, some that made us cry One that made you have to say goodbye What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair To touch your lips, to hold you near When you say your prayers, try to understand I've made mistakes, I'm just a man

When he holds you close, when he pulls you near When he says the words you've been needing to hear I wish I was him With these words of mine To say to you 'til the end of time

That I will love you baby, always And I'll be there forever and a day, always

Eddie looked at you, standing beside Jonathan and you could have sworn that a tear ran down his cheek.

What? Did he think that you had… that you and Jonathan were a couple? Did he really think that you could get over him so quickly and just…?

If you told me to cry for you, I could

If you told me to die for you, I would

Take a look at my face

There's no price I won't pay

To say these words to you

You walked closer to the stage, you couldn’t help it. Eddie was like a magnet to you.

Jonathan just stood back by the bar, sipping his soda and smiling.

Eddie’s gaze met yours as you walked closer. It was like everyone else in the bar had disappeared and it was just the two of you.

Well, there ain't no luck

In these loaded dice

But baby, if you give me just one more try

We can pack up our old dreams

And our old lives

We'll find a place where the sun still shines

And I will love you, baby, always

And I'll be there forever and a day, always

Your lips trembled when you nodded. There was no question about it. There was no one else for you and never had been. And from what this told you – Eddie felt exactly the same.

You two just needed to learn how to communicate better.

I'll be there 'til the stars don't shine 'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme I know when I die, you'll be on my mind And I'll love you, always

Always, always

Eddie finished, took his guitar off and jumped down from the stage. You didn’t waste any time, you ran straight into his arms.

“Eddie…” you all but sobbed. “Jonathan and I are just friends – I could never want anyone else but you. I just thought… I thought the kiss didn’t mean anything to you.”

“Oh, kitten,” Eddie cooed, stroking your hair, “it meant everything, it was the best goddamn thing in my life, except for meeting you. I just… I got so nervous when you didn’t call the next day and then on Monday you didn’t say anything about it…”

“Neither did you,” you giggled, shaking your head at how silly you both had been.

“No, I suppose I didn’t,” Eddie said. “But I’m here now. And I’m telling you – I want you to be mine. I want to be your boyfriend. Do you want me, kitten? Always, like I just sang?”

You nodded. “Always, Eddie. Forever and a day.”

He took out the cat ring you had given him back earlier. “This is a promise, kitten. Until we do the real deal.”

taglist: @ali-r3n @ficsbypix @mewchiili @melodymunson @ches-86 @jenniquinn @eddiemunsonfuxks @stolen-in-moonlight @alastorssimp @pandemoniusstuff

(let me know if you want to be on the taglist!)

please, like, comment and reblog!

Your likes are wonderful but reblogs expand my reading circle.

[dandydingo]

Why I’m Leaving Freelance Commission Work An essay about doing furry commissions by DandyDingo

Preamble  First and foremost I’d like to state that this is not a post geared toward complaining about commissioners or fellow artists in my industry. I’ve simply noticed a concerning disconnect between commissioners and artists about several topics and wanted to make something that explains, clarifies, and elaborates on some of those issues.

I love the community I’m a part of and would like to see it do better! Though it’s a meme that if you want to make money as an artist you should become a furry, it’s actually a double edged sword that I’ll be trying my best to pick apart and display. The following points I’ll be rambling about are also based on my personal experiences working in this type of career for 3 years. I am by no means the most qualified but I’m not the least qualified either; this to say please take what I say with a grain of salt. It won’t apply to all situations!

With those disclaimers out of the way, get ready for a whole lot of reading!

What is this job and how does it work? Typically when someone is referring to a furry artist they mean an artist selling illustration commissions on a freelance basis. There are many different kinds of independent creators though and this could include someone who sells merchandise, makes a living off patreon with comic work, or does fursuits. For the sake of staying focused we’re discussing artists who specifically sell illustrations and work one-on-one with commissioners to accomplish this.

As any seasoned commissioner knows, the way an artist’s process works can be varied but typically involves:

buying an open slot for a commission type (ex: a painting)

handing over your references, requests, and paying 

waiting for a work in progress image to approve 

receiving the final product

This process is the basic premise, an industry standard if you will. The artist gets the benefit of controlling when they can take on work and the commissioner has the opportunity to communicate what they want at multiple stages of the project.

But why are there so many variations to what projects an artist will even accept, what’s in their TOS, and how long it takes them to do it?

Specialization  The thing about many furry artists is we’re independent creators with little to no formal education in illustration. We’re not the type of artists you see putting together Magic the Gathering cards or developing a big title game. To expect that level of industrial standard with speed and quality would be ludicrous! This is what makes us appealing to commission though- you’re not going to find our product anywhere else and you’re supporting an artist you like directly. 

In fact, every furry artist is a unique snowflake with their own specializations. This is partially since art takes a ridiculous amount of time to get good at. An artist is almost forced to choose what they can offer and what they’re going to invest in trying to sell. This can even be out of our control! For example, one of the running jokes with my slice of community is the fact that after drawing a single bird furry there was suddenly an entire flock asking me to draw their bird sonas. 

Specialization directly rewards furry artists with more steady income / clients and thus they might have to restrict what they can offer. Again, learning to draw something new takes a lot of time. An artist who has never touched backgrounds will struggle a lot to suddenly try and include them in their work. This doesn’t mean it can’t be done or that an artist doesn’t want to. I would even argue this hyper specialization can often leave artists in a depressing loop they feel they can never escape from. If they suddenly draw something else it won’t sell, their personal interests have been buried by what actually works on the market.

Some artists do break this mold though and either enjoy the specialization they’re in or are experienced enough to draw whatever they fancy at a high quality. Perhaps even, their audience expects and celebrates an experimental approach from them which is something that’s true in my case. One of my most successful commissions were “surprise bags” where requests and edits weren't even allowed! Others are not fortunate enough to have that option though.

In any case, this is not the sole reason for the insane variety we see in furry artists and why their commission processes vary so much but it is a huge part of it. For context, the level of skill you see in my art took 5 years to get to and I would consider myself intermediate at best. It’s truly an underrated skilled trade.

Prices - Part 1 Cost of Living Money, everyone’s favourite non-controversial topic! So why is furry art so expensive? 

It costs a lot to be a living breathing creature with a roof over your head and food in your belly. We all feel the current effects of inflation and ridiculously high rent. This is definitely a big reason why art can / should cost a lot and believe it or not MOST artists do not make minimum wage.

This doesn’t just apply to furry artists of course and I would be beating a dead horse on something we all already know, the economy is in a terrible state right now. It depends on what country / area you live in, what your living situation is, if you have any pets or health issues, etc.

In general though, that $200 price tag for a reference sheet doesn’t make the cut in most places. It might be the single biggest reason why I cannot continue this work anymore, the price I can sell something for is only so high but my workload will remain the same. That reference sheet will take me 2-4 days to complete no matter what if I want to maintain the good quality a commissioner is (understandably) paying me for. 

Depending on what you're selling and where your experience level is at (the more experienced you are the less time it takes to complete something at an acceptable quality) a commission can take 1 hour to finish or it can take 12 hours. So… just do a lot of smaller cheaper stuff right? 

Prices - Part 2 The Great Artist Killer, BURNOUT If an artist cannot manage to sell a few big things to meet their monthly bills they might instead switch gears to sell lots of small affordable things. This can mean doing 20-40 commissions a month at a back breaking pace. While all jobs slowly drain the life out of your soul, art demands a level of mental focus that is often overlooked and in the case of this career, you only have you to do the work that is required. 

There is no one to cover your shift, there is no one to assist you, and if you don’t make your deadlines your reputation is at stake. The very same reputation of good work ethic that keeps your commissioners coming back the next opening. You must push through the burnout! You must work until your hand aches and bleeds! You must- there is no one to save you from this Hell!

If you try to be an affordable or high production artist this is the life you have to look forward to. Desperately churning out product as you retrofit your creativity and passions into a well oiled machine. Often to try and prevent this artists will raise their prices to something they can live off without breaking themselves or have a mix of high / low prices. A middle ground if you will, something that still doesn’t make the standard of living but isn’t a death march either. It’s a precarious and strange limbo with financial insecurity but hey… at least you’re not dead. It should be noted as well that most artists struggle with some form of mental illness and selling commissions might even be the only career open to them. This is not a topic I feel qualified to speak on but it does play an enormous role in experiencing burnout and the general struggles of this career. 

Prices - Part 3 Afterthoughts While I wish artists could push for an appropriate living wage, I understand the commissioners' side as well. Spending $100 that could go toward groceries is just not feasible for the vast majority of us and so when we see something that is actually in our range, a $20 headshot or $10 sketch, we often hop on it without a second thought on the ethics of paying that low. It is okay to buy a treat for yourself that is within a price range you can afford though! You should never spend what you can’t nor should you ever feel pressured or guilty to buy something.

If a commissioner is concerned about paying enough I would recommend saving up and giving as big of a tip as you can! Artists are almost always underselling themselves and even just a $5 tip covers the cut that Paypal takes or buys them a coffee to get through the day. Buying what’s reasonable for you is absolutely still supporting them and a little goes a long way!

NOTE : any artist can experience burnout or struggle with meeting minimum wage no matter what they’re selling; this is a hard topic to pick apart Making Art - Part 1 The Process So how does making art work? That might seem like a silly question but it’s hard to understand when you’re not the one creating it. Given how closely a commissioner and artist must work together in order to achieve a desired result I think it’s worth breaking down what goes into making a piece. Of course every illustrator is different but here’s how it generally works:

Hope You’re Mentally Well Art requires mental concentration, particularly for something complex such as a city. Often a bad mental state can be worked around but sometimes the process stops here- you’re just not able to focus enough to measure out that perspective or break down the complex anatomy that goes into drawing a hand.

Find References An artist may need to take an hour or so to find the right references or to make thumbnail sketches. Especially if your client asked for something specific (like a particular brand of whisky) you need to know what it looks like and how it will fit into the piece. For small quick pieces though this is usually a waste of time and skipped.

Sketching Here is often where the commissioner sees the first glimpse of work done- the sketch! Some artists are messy, some are neat and tidy. They might be drawing you a reference sheet or a headshot but either way you typically get to take a glimpse at their blueprint and ask for changes before the rest happens. Sketches are easy to change and can be redone from scratch with the least amount of time lost if needed. It is the optimal step to work with the client on making sure expectations are met.

Rough Render To keep it across the board for all types of art (painting, cell shading, lineless, etc) we’ll call this part the rough render. A commissioner may be shown the flatcolor swatch to ensure markings were drawn accurately, the lineart to double check all requested details have been included, the rough lighting to give an idea of the mood… the list goes on and on! Some artists skip this step entirely if it’s not needed, there is such a thing as oversaturation when it comes to communication.

Final Product This is simply where the commissioner and artist part ways once everything has been approved, the final product! It may have taken hours or days to get to this step but either way it’s been completed.

Making Art - Part 2 When It Doesn’t Go Smoothly Sometimes an artist’s workflow is so rigid even a single missed day from bad mental health or a life event can have a cascade effect that puts them behind schedule. Quite literally an artist can only draw for so many hours before their hand (or body in general) physically gives out. I’ve had work days where I’ve tried to push myself in order to catch up, to the point of rubbing the skin off my finger enough to make it bleed. In the long run this can mean career-ruining cases of carpal tunnel in the wrist or hand and like with any other desk job; your neck and back aren't very happy about the workload either. Artist work days are often shorter than what’s considered normal which adds to the general difficulty of the career as well. While some artists can certainly work that full 8-10 hour shift, others might only be able to handle 3-6 hours before they can’t concentrate or are in too much pain to continue (speaking in long term for that one, it took a few years of regular work before I started having real physical issues from drawing too much). Given most are stuck at certain price points for selling their art it’s almost impossible to charge more in order to compensate for these possible missed days. It’s an issue with other careers as well which I do want to acknowledge; missing even one day of work could mean less groceries that week or cost someone their job in extreme cases. We truly live in a society! It should be noted though that keeping an impossible schedule is a huge stressor for artists who are stuck having to produce more than they can mentally or physically take on. They often know they can’t do it but what other choice is there- not buying the medication you need that month? This always seems to lead to something public and discussed a lot in the community; the instances of being issued a refund out of the blue or seeing a lengthy mental breakdown post about suffocating in the stress of it all. The wear and tear on creativity is visible as well. An artist’s work may become monotone or lifeless as they sink further from the weight of impossible to meet expectations. They might struggle to produce what they used to be able to as time marches on or simply feel unbearably hopeless. If the unsustainable workflow continues for too many years passion becomes strangled and real physical consequences are apparent. 

Some are able to escape this or don’t have this issue! Others suffer in silence or might not be aware of the strain they are being put through, as is the case with plenty of other careers.

How Can I Support Artists? If you’re interested in making life easier for your favourite artist there are a few simple things you can do; specifically in regards to the commission process!

Read the Terms of Service This is not something you should skip over as it could detail how edits are handled, what an artist is willing to draw, etc. It's beneficial for everyone that the TOS is read.

Look Before You Buy Take a peek at an artist’s gallery and decide if you like their style before you purchase anything OR buy a small sample to see if you enjoy how they draw your character! I feel some commissioners don’t understand that an artist cannot change how they stylize on a whim (for example a semi-realistic artist isn’t going to suddenly draw anime). If you’re indifferent or you like experimentation then this isn’t something you need to worry about.

Have A Reference Sheet Although reference sheets are expensive, if you frequently commission artists and are able to afford it BUY ONE! It saves a huge amount of time and frustration- so much so that some artists won’t even consider accepting your commission without a proper reference sheet. Having to guess the body type or colors takes a lot of time and can easily be prevented!

Leave Wiggle Room Give an artist some room to breathe with a bit of artistic freedom! Do not expect them to get that exact #CCE5FF shade of blue you want or draw every single marking of a complex pattern. Lower your expectations if they’re that high, you’ll enjoy the piece more when you do!

Tip Particularly if you’re commissioning a character with a lot of detail or have very specific requests, leave a tip. Again all it takes is a $5 tip to make a difference!

Advice For Artists If you’re truly looking to get into this industry or have been in it for a while, here are some tips that can (hopefully) help make your job a little easier or get started. I don’t want to discourage people from this job by any means! We wouldn’t have the community we do without freelance artists. NEW ARTISTS

Start Small If you’re just starting out you’ll want to aim for the $10 - $50 price range with marketable pieces such as icons or chibis. You may have to heavily undersell yourself for a while to grow a client base. If you don’t sell anything at first don’t be discouraged! It’s perfectly normal to struggle for a while (even years) before you have anything steady.

Experiment Now is the perfect time to experiment and see what works and what doesn’t, what you like and what you hate. Try different platforms, different commission types and styles, whatever you fancy! The goal is to find a niche you can wedge yourself into, feel happy with, and work towards; not to fish around for immediate results.

Focus On Studying The more experience and tools in your belt, the better. For the first while you should be focusing on improving your art if you’re not at an intermediate level. Once hands don’t feel like such a struggle you know you’re at the right place! This will set you up to be more efficient and feel less frustrated down the road.

EXPERIENCED ARTISTS

Personal Time For the sake of your mental health you need to set aside time to do personal art, experiment, and relax. This could mean having a consistent day off, finding a new hobby, or making vent art just for yourself. Also, don’t be afraid to post personal art! You should not be apologizing for taking reasonable time to yourself.

Experimental Commissions Allow yourself to open weirder commission types from time to time. Maybe lately you’ve been really into drawing beach scenes, you could open a 2 slot commission that promises summer vibes. These could be filler between your bigger pieces or replace them every now and then depending on what you can get away with. Other examples I’ve seen are selling goretober calendar slots or $10 artistic freedom sketches. Just try to get yourself out of that repetitive loop if you feel like you need to, worse case it doesn’t sell!

It’s Okay To Quit Not all of us have this option given personal circumstances but there is no shame in leaving this career. Doing commissions even as a casual filler can rob you of the passion you once had for your hobby. If you feel genuinely unhappy with this job and come across the opportunity to safely leave, go for it! In my case I’m going from commission work to comic work, something within the same general field that I can do at my own pace. 

Afterword Although I tried to cover as much as I could with this, I know not every issue of the relationship between commissioners and artists was addressed. There are artists who take large amounts of money and then ghost their commissioner. There are commissioners who negatively nitpick at every step of the process and leave an artist feeling like a beaten down dog. The furry community is huge with lots of different folks, there will of course be bad eggs that make things harder for both sides. 

I simply hope this leaves commissioners with a better understanding of an artist's perspective and gives some well deserved compassion to the creative people that breathe so much life into our community. We as artists should also appreciate the clients that support us with positive enthusiasm. This special relationship doesn’t exist in a lot of places and I hope I've offered something to help furries have a better understanding of one of the biggest aspects of our community. 

Written with much love for the wonderful people that have cheered me on over the years and the community that has always shown it's full support toward me.

[somethingsomethingwords]

Ok so, here is another one. This is a little bit different from what I usually write or even like reading, but alas, sometimes an idea just enters your brain and just doesn't leave. Also this one has a title ig. So here it is. I hope you'll like it. Enjoy 💜

Of course I wanted you to stay

(but you didn't, no you didn't, no you didn't)

Lance was so full of adrenaline he almost dropped the mic. He was shaking from head to toe, but there was a huge grin on his face.

There was no sadness, because even if this was the last concert of the tour, it had been one of his best ones like, ever.

Also he was home, so he knew that after all the crazy partying he would do tonight, tomorrow he'd meet his sister, he'd go to that bakery that sells the best cupcakes, and he'd be able to roam the streets with his thick glasses and ugly beanie and scarf combos, and no one would recognise him.

But still, that's tomorrow. In that moment, there was the encore.

It was always different, so it was always special, but that day even more so. It was composed of three of his older songs, about pain and heartache and moving on despite the past, maybe in spite of it. He loved it very much. Because he was home, singing his first hits and he was ending one of the happiest and saddest tours of his life.

It had started great, new album, in love and energetic. Then he was left behind, alone and with nothing to show for it. Because it had to stay a secret. He had to keep his love secret. He had had no one to complain to, because the only people who knew would have been put in an uncomfortable situation, and he didn't want that. So he hid his hurt and did what he always did. He put it in his music. He sang his pain until the only hurt he could feel was the one in his throat.

It really had been a rollercoaster. But now it was the end, everything was better, and he wanted to send a last fuck you. He may have matured, but nothing would make him lose his pettiness.

So he sang.

Are you sorry like you weren't at the time?

Loving you was easy,

that's why it hurts now

The worst way to love somebody

is to watch them love somebody else

and it works out now

And sang.

Cause someone loved me,

someone fucking loved me

Someone fucking loved me,

I loved him too

Goddamn it, I was worth something,

I fuckin' earned something

I have a right to die, a right to live,

a right to choose, too. And God, no!

Of course I don't wanna feel better!

Can you fucking imagine?!

And sang.

Because, in the end,

you can see how much I loved you

from the fact that I'm fine now

It's a lie, but I say it anyhow

He put every single emotion into these songs, and finally let them go.

When the crowd roared, it all exploded.

He felt a solitary tear wet his face, but nothing could have stolen his smile. He waited for his band, then bowed and left the stage.

The night was young and he was feeling free and wild. And quite hungry, actually.

So he took his band to his favourite pub. They ate, and drank, and ate some more.

On the taxi towards his house, Lance realised that, no matter how much it had hurt, he didn't regret having what he had with Fernando.

Even the tears, even the heartbreak, they all shaped the person he was today.

He liked to think he was loyal, and dependable and kind. But most importantly, he liked to think he was better than the person he was yesterday.

His house appeared, and after paying and tipping the taxi driver, he opened the door.

Yeah, it was big and a little bit empty and a little bit cold. A little bit like his heart. But it was something to be proud of, because it was his, and he was working on it.

---

The next day he really started to rethink all of this rock star thing.

His head pounded with his heartbeat and his mouth tasted rancid.

He got up and drank some water, downing a couple of aspirins for his headache.

After the shower he felt somewhat normal, and decided to go out for breakfast.

He reached his favourite bakery and ordered two pastries to go. He wanted to retreat and lay warmly in front of the fireplace.

Lance noticed him as soon as he stepped out, but he decided to ignore him. His house wasn't that far, he could reach it quickly and without having to talk to him. For once, he wanted to thank whoever made him with long legs.

But even if he could go fast without running, so could the other.

They walked in silence, side by side, for a few minutes.

When the silence and the presence were getting to him, he abruptly stopped and turned towards the other man.

"What do you want?"

Fernando didn't deserve kindness nor gentleness. He forfeited those when he left Lance. Via text. Without explanation and blocking him immediately after.

Lance had spent too many days crying; now he wanted nothing to do with the man.

"Hello Lance. Was just around" he said, as if it explained why he was in Canada and not in England, in Monaco, hell even at home in Spain.

Lance huffed and started moving again, having had more than enough, but stopped when he felt a firm grip on his wrist.

He stared at the hand on his arm with wide eyes, before raising them to Nando's face.

"You have three seconds to either take your hand off or have it broken" he said shakily.

There must have been something in his voice that made the threat a real one, because suddenly he was free again.

"Lance, am sor..." Nando started.

"Shut up before I make you. We can't discuss here, someone could recognise you. Come to my house" surely not his finest moment, but all Lance could feel was fury. Still, he wasn't raising his voice, so he could consider it a win.

you are still protecting him, Este's voice said in his mind.

shut up, of course I am, but what else could he do?

They arrived at his house. He quickly opened the door and closed it when Fernando got in.

"You have no right to come here with your flimsy excuse and expect me to be ok with it. Now, tell me what you want and get the hell out of my house" there, simple and direct.

For a moment, Fernando seemed seriously sorry. But Lance didn't care. He was the one left behind, the one who had to pick up his pieces when he fell apart. He healed as best as he could, and he would not apologise for building up his defences.

"Lance, I am really sorry, for what's worth. I want to explain"

"You are a few months too late. At this point, I don't even know if I care. I only ever asked one thing, Alonso. One. I was ok with being kept a secret, and avoiding being seen together, and the distance. I only asked you to openly communicate and shit like that. You just left without a word" now that he had started, he couldn't seem to stop.

"You knew, I told you why I wanted that. Why I needed you to be honest and open, yet you just disappeared. I had to ask Este, who had to ask Mick. And for what. To be told that you had a new model girlfriend? So no, Alonso, I don't care anymore. It would just reopen old wounds. Now go, I'm sure you have somewhere else to be"

and someone else to be with, it wasn't said but both could hear it.

"That's not right. I have nowhere to go. Am alone, Lance" he said, something hurt and teary in his voice.

Lance was about to replicate, sharp words already on the tip of his tongue, when something in Nando's expression made him stop. His eyes showed how open he was being, how vulnerable.

Lance sighed, and led the man into the living room, making him sit on the couch, while he went into the kitchen and brought back two glasses of water. He would have preferred something stronger, but this felt too important of a moment to have it tainted by alcohol and not being in the right mind.

He sat on the opposite side of the couch, and waited for the other to start talking.

"First of all, am sorry, really. I knew it would hurt you, how I left you, but I did it anyway. And I know you have no reason to believe me or care. Am here because I believe you deserve the truth about everything"

He seemed honest, but Lance wouldn't trust him so easily, not again.

"What are you hoping for with your confession months later, mh? I'm not going to obediently come back to you, waiting to be heartbroken again. You're not gonna fuck me and leave, either. So, what do you want?" he was probably being unfair to the other man, but anger and confusion had never been a good mix of emotions for him.

"Lance, I would never..."

"Like you would never leave, Alonso? Don't make promises you can't keep and don't say things you don't mean" he interrupted, harsh and stubborn.

"You are right. I made promises and then I broke them and betrayed your trust. But I need you to know I had reasons. Not perfect, not good, but I had them" and goddamnit, Lance could feel himself beginning to soften.

just listen to him, said his conscience, suspiciously sounding like Mick.

"Would you care to explain them?" Was he being sarcastic or curious? He himself didn't know.

"Of course. Someone was starting to notice some...changes in me. I was happier, nicer, smiled more. Someone I don't like said something in a way I didn't like. Made me understand that he knew something was up, and would ruin me. So I decided that I needed to protect myself, to protect you. Left you because I couldn't see you. I knew I'm not strong enough to leave you if I saw you"

It all sounded logical, from a certain point of view, but Lance knew there was more, so he waited for the other to continue.

After a few seconds, Fernando raised his eyes, looking at Lance, before turning them down again.

"I didn't like the weakness. All the time, I was thinking about you, wanted you near. It was too much. So I thought I could just stay away, and forget about it"

about you, was left unsaid.

"And can you? Forget about it?" Lance not only wanted to know. He needed to, before going on with the conversation. He could feel his hands beginning to shake and his eyes starting to water, but he had to be sure.

Fernando immediately raised his eyes, and spoke with a tone determined and something like hope in his eyes.

"Of course I can't. I'm here right now, begging for a second chance" he said pleadingly.

"Then beg" Lance said, not meanly, but he also wasn't feeling particularly charitable, and it was better to make some things clear from the beginning: he wasn't going to repeat the same mistakes. He wasn't the young man staring at his teen crush, starry eyed and in love and grateful for every scrap of attention and affection. He was older, maybe a little bit more bitter, a little bit wiser. Fernando left some marks onto his heart, and he wasn't going to refresh them for nothing less than certainty.

"Lance, please give me another chance. I know I fucked up, was so wrong. I'm begging you, let me fix this. However long it takes, is ok. Just, tell me you'll think about forgiving me, and starting again" he was being so earnest, how could Lance resist?

"Even if I forgive you, and it's a big if, I'm not going to forget anytime soon, ok? I'll need time and space and for you to make an effort" he really was weak for this man, but who could blame him, he spent half his childhood idolizing him and then he met him and fell in love.

"Will do whatever it takes. But let me, please"

Realising all the air stuck in his lungs, Lance sighed.

"Ok"

He didn't even finish the word that Fernando picked him up and spun Lance around, making him laugh despite himself.

Fernando finally put him down, and took his hand to kiss it, maintaining the eye contact for a few seconds.

Lance could feel himself blushing, and quickly shook his head, still smiling.

After a few seconds of just getting reacquainted with one another, Fernando broke the silence.

"I liked the show yesterday. Especially the encore"

And now Lance was definitely blushing. His encore had been designed as a way of finally letting go, one last screw you to the man now in front of him. But he couldn't say that to him, even if it was pretty clear.

It would have been childish to throw shades at Fernando in one of his concerts, no?

"Yeah, I was inspired, I guess" his smile smaller but still there.

"Fuck the guy who made you suffer, the bastard" and in his jokingly way, Nando was telling him that he wasn't angry, and that they would be ok.

"Yeah, fuck him"

[felony-bunny]

More headcanons that will be in separate posts but this time about who they would choose in Mario Kart and it will be separated by dorms

(Characters are from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)

Heartslabyul

Riddle

You’re so funny to actually think that he would play with you or little anyone else (unless someone doubts his skills and mocks him)

IF you were able to convince him his first choice just off the bat would probably be Mario because he is the main main character

Again IF you got him to play more he would honestly just end up choosing Peach after you tell him that she is basically single handily running a kingdom and is the more sensible headstrong character

He would most definitely complain about why she isn’t a Queen and is referred to as just a princess

If you really want Peach he will choose Rosalina (he doesn’t care too much)

Out of any game you would play with him this would probably be one of his favorites

Trey

Toad

What else do you want me to say

He has definitely played a ton with his siblings and every time they get attached to a new character and will only play as them he tries not to accidentally pick them

Toad was a good safety character

Not to obnoxious that he would dislike the character but not a character that everyone is flocking too

Cater said before that they kind look alike and he was so upset that he couldn’t argue with it (obviously he didn’t show that he was upset at all and took it like a little kid said his haircut was ugly)

If Jade happened to play with him he’d go with Yoshi or Koopa Troopa

Cater

Honestly he seems like a cat Peach or raccoon Mario player

I literally can’t defend why I think this way

I take back raccoon Mario

If cat Peach was taken (*cough* Idia *COUGH*) he would go for a baby princess or toadette

The only way I can think of defending this is by bringing up his hyper, cutesy persona

And also probably King Boo from time to time

Ace

First thought is Wario

Second thought is shy guy

Third thought is King Kong

Maybe Waluigi but he seems more like a Wario guy

Forth thought is Dry Bones

Bro will fight you on a character just to fight you then choose a different character

Cheats

A lot

Gets upset when he gets a power up that doesn’t mess people up

Deuce

Waluigi

Shy guy

Bowser Jr.

Dry Bones

Occasionally Wario

Don’t stray from the list

He fucking loves this game

Will win a good percentage of the time depending on the track

With some tracks he’ll win, there is no competition

Some he is so bad it’s like he’s never played before

But with most of them he’s a bit above average

He definitely played this game a lot throughout his childhood

He won’t fight you with the characters but he has to get one of his regulars

If you hit him he will get revenge one way or another

[shu-glue]

What Happens When You Meet A Scholar

Wanderer x Scholar!Reader Headcanons

wherein the Wanderer finds out you were stranger than he originally thought.

contains: gn!reader, mostly fluff, mentions of reader committing questionable felonies like breaking into libraries, slight cursing bc pls let wanderer say f*ck, wanderer whacks you awake one time and you whack him when he's late

If the Wanderer were to compare you to anything, he'd compare you to one of those... Eremites who's always dancing and look like their head are in the clouds.

Or maybe an unusual hilichurl.

(Maybe the unusual hilichurl is more accurate.)

He doesn't really know why, after you dragged him into your cooking interest club, did he choose to even stay.

A majority of the meals the club makes on a daily basis are meals that he isn't exactly fond of (the other members complain that the only meals he ever liked were the ones that were even more bitter than their professor on a Monday morning).

But he always found himself back in that little kitchenette, holding a bowl and a whisk for some reason, watching idly as you taught him how to do various cooking techniques that he never really cared to learn; he's a puppet for goodness sake, he doesn't need to eat.

Thus, because he lacks the ability of leaving, and you lack the ability of having fight or flight instincts when it came to him, your relationship is quite... endearing in a strange way.

❅ He learns that technically, you belonged to the Darshan Spantamad, the Darshan specializing in elementalism, but the reason he's never seen you anywhere on campus before was because you were a driyosh and you just came back to Sumeru after taking a quick trip to Inazuma. (Though, you mentioned you wouldn't be leaving again for another few weeks.)

❅ The Wanderer is perplexed whenever he talks with you because you always, always, always deflect every abrasive and sarcastic comment he makes. It's not that his bratty attitude goes over your head, rather, it's like it bounces off of it; you hear him, you understand that he's trying to rile you up, but you always wave off his attempts and treat him like you treat everyone else.

❅ He's now a permanent "thorn" on your side, by the way, much to Nahida's slight chagrin because that also means he's skipping lectures again. At least he's socializing(?)

❅ He always remarks about how you look exhausted and dead tired, such is the life of an Akademiya student trying to write a thesis proposal that won't get rejected this time. He also caught you flat out snoring in one of the libraries once when you were strangely absent from the kitchenette and he went out to find you (albeit complaining halfheartedly). When you awoke, he's already pushing a plate of food and a cup of coffee towards you with a scowl, saying stuff along the lines of "what would you do without me" and "for a scholar, you're so stupid to skip lunch".

❅ You ask him how he managed to sneak food and drinks into the library and he decides to not mention anything about open windows and his Anemo vision. (He also decides not to mention how you were mumbling in your sleep, stuff along the lines of "you can't drop out because of a single rejected thesis" and "you can't give up yet")

❅ Speaking of breaking rules in the library, you ask him to help you break into the library one night too.

❅ He was just as perplexed as the first time he met you.

❅ You mention some books you need for the research study you were doing, and while he does make a great point by saying that you can just borrow them without needing to break in, you're also basically a broke Akademiya student.

"It's just 500 mora."

"Yes, but it's 500 mora." Stop spending so much on shady resources then.

❅ He always ends up helping you anyway because 1), he has nothing better to do and 2), it would be so funny if the both of you were to get caught just because you refuse to pay the borrowing fee. If he sees you emerge from the restricted section, you can trust him to keep his lips sealed because divulging secrets without fear is a sin in the Akademiya, isn't it? (He's just eager to see what kind of fucked up research you've been doing that required you to steal restricted books and pay criminal amounts of mora for research resources if only he knew)

❅ Whenever you have tests and quizzes that the professors randomly decide to give you, the Wanderer is always there not to help you exactly but to tease you about how little you actually know of the field of elementalism. You admit that you only took up the course for a friend you once knew. He was about to pry further, maybe finally find out what vulnerabilities aloof and flighty you may have, but you're dead asleep and drooling on your book before he could do so, and whacking you awake made him forget all of his inquiries.

❅ Sometimes, the two of you share classes per what Nahida has assigned him to, and those are the only classes he willingly takes. Though, be prepared, he's like that kid who comes late into class armed with only a pencil and a blank notebook he hasn't written in in ages. He'll come into the lecture hall 20 minutes late and when you chastise him for it, he'll tell you that "if the teacher isn't here yet, he's not late." One bonk for him. He'll also unceremoniously drape himself over your shoulder when you take out the Prerequisites in the World of Alchemy and Elementalism book you've been urging him to buy since day one. He prefers sharing yours, thank you very much. It's more fun to annoy you by stopping you from turning the page because he's "not done yet" but turning the page himself even when YOU'RE not done yet. The only time you ever openly whack him with his stupid hat.

❅ He doesn't listen to a word in the lecture but he manages to retain the information when you explain it to him, recalling the professor's words from off the top of your head. You almost think that he isn't listening because he hasn't said a word to interrupt you, but when you stop talking he goes, "Who said you can stop? I'm still lost on how the different elements react to each other and create residuals, you know?" He just likes listening to your voice but he'd rather face retribution from everyone he'd wronged than admit that.

❅ Now, when it comes to the cooking interest club itself, the Wanderer is a... participant observer at best.

❅ The other club members will most often just find him either: by your side, helping you with cutting up ingredients, taste testing the hot broth that would have otherwise been too hot for a human's tongue (instead of questioning his inhuman traits, you've taken advantage of them for the most mundane things what kind of academic scholar are you), or creepily brooding and sulking and staring at everyone else preparing some dishes. The latter is when you go out back to fetch some more ingredients; no one lets you go out back to fetch ingredients anymore because of this man.

❅ Aside from the day he first came to the small kitchenette, his birthday, he hasn't cooked a single dish of his own again and honestly, everyone was dying to have some of his Shimi Chazuke again, the bitter tang of the tea complimented the sweet taste of the rice perfectly. But he refused to cook for everyone again and because of his more than bratty behavior, instead of being intimidated like the rest of the Akademiya students, they're exasperated and endeared.

❅ One time, however, the club hosted a cookfest, where pairs are tasked with running a food stall with any dish of their choice. Obviously, when you heard the announcement, you immediately turned to the Wanderer and despite his protests, you end up becoming one of the pairs. It wasn't supposed to be a contest or anything, just a simple day where you all cook and sell your dishes to the people of Sumeru City. However, the other club members made a bet that whoever got the most sales will be exempted from dishwashing duties for one whole month.

❅ He swore he has never seen your eyes fire up like they did when that was announced.

"Wanderer."

"...what."

"We must win."

"Absolutely not. I'm not going to exert anymore effort than I need to in something as silly as this."

"Then would you like to be outdone by the guy who thought a turnip was beetroot and the guy who thought we had no more onion powder because he read the label of one of our containers as noino?"

"..."

"Exactly."

❅ Your stall had the most customers the entire day, with a bunch of different people arriving to buy food he made. Even Lesser Lord Kusanali and the illustrious Traveler with her floating friend came by, and while you were enamored with their presence, the Wanderer just clicked his tongue. (Like what he's been doing for the past few weeks, he will not mention how he noticed the fact that some of their customers oddly looked like the other members of the club, nor the fact that their posts were oddly empty at the same time.)

❅ Don't worry, when at the end of the day you complain about not having the chance to eat his cooking all afternoon, he'll hand feed you some chazuke just to "shut you up". Though, he won't complain about the obvious stars in your eyes when you chew on the bite; he'll even tease you for it but god forbid if any one of the club members tease the both of you for acting so intimate.

❅ Compliment him too much on his cooking skills, or even make an offhand comment about how his superb cooking skills can "survive the test of time and rival the Electro Archon's eternity", and the comments would go through his hat and straight to his head. Your praise literally DID something to his braincells that rewired his entire dopamine supply and transport system. He'll be cooking something for you one way or another, it doesn't matter what it is.

"Oh, Unagi Chazuke this time?" "It's a more common version in Inazuma than my Shimi Chazuke. Well? Is it up to your taste, scholar?"

"The meat on the Tandoori Roast Chicken is so tender, what technique did you use?" "Funny you should say that, I simply..."

"So? Aren't you going to accept this?" "...why do I feel like you've been feeding me more than usual?" "Nonsense, who said that? What a ridiculous conclusion to make. Do you know what my reputation is in the Akademiya? Do you think I'd ever willingly feed anyone anything that I make? Right. Now, should have I fried the Samosas for a few more seconds or no?"

❅ He would rather die than have anyone find out that the reason he's been borrowing more and more books on cuisine and recipes was because of you. He would rather die even more than have someone tell you and he is looking at you, Buer, yes you, don't you dare Nahida.

❅ Oh, well, Nahida would never rat this Wanderer's feelings out to anyone, especially you. She respects his privacy, having grown fond of the puppet like she would a brother. However, it's difficult not to make teasing remarks and throw him a knowing glance everytime they're in the Grand Bazaar together and she catches sight of you, him already staring at you with a distant look in his eyes.

"Are they the person you've been growing fond of, Wanderer?"

"What? Who? No. Shut up. That's impossible. Who would ever grow fond of someone like them? I'll make seafood tonight if you tell this to anyone."

❅ Oh my, she has her work cut out for her then.

❅ The Wanderer thinks you're stranger than he originally thought. You treat him like everyone else despite his rudeness, you dabble in forbidden topics for your research and break into facilities just to get your hands on sources, you love it when he cooks, you're competitive at the right moments. And most of all, you make him feel something in his chest he never thought he'd ever feel.

❅ Maybe this was the cruelest fate Celestia could bestow upon him, giving him something like you, oddly the purest thing in his life, that he knew he would never dare to taint with his bloody hands.

❅ If only he knew.

[ronearoundblindly]

Oooh, can I get 4, 7, & 8 for RoaR, please??

I had a hard time choosing questions because that story is so incredibly well-developed that I felt like I already knew the answers to most of them. 👏👏👏

Questions from this ask game and for The Root of All Ransom series with Ransom Drysdale x rich!reader.

*I just want to preface this by saying RoAR Ran is an eternal work-in-progress. He will never magically become soft and cute all the time. He doesn't turn into a super-loving, sweet thing only around Reader but stay a grumpy asshole to everyone else. It's way more complicated than that.

4. Who initiates affection? Why does the other not initiate affection as much?

What we know from RoAR's story so far is that you and Ran are pretty evenly the instigators of sex, which is very different from affection in this case. Ran takes a long time to develop affection for anyone. Most people he hates, some people amuse him, even fewer people he tolerates, and there has been no one--not a single soul in the world--that he's ever loved...until you.

He shows affection in teeny, tiny ways. He remembers far more of your preferences and tastes than he learns for anyone else. It used to be that he remembered things for the purpose of fucking with people (like how he knew his mother would hate what he bought for her birthday and why he chose to dangle you and your Birkin in front of her). He still does that. It's a hard habit to break.

Ransom doesn't receive affection well either, and that's a similar, slow progression.

Even during sex, for those first months before Harlan's birthday party, Ran can't accept that there are moments that aren't about the sex anymore. Moments of connection get swept aside so he doesn't need to think about it. Kissing never means more than kissing...until it does.

Intimacy is scary to him, okay? You try not to spook him; he can't handle clingy unless it's a product of exhaustion. I believe it was in this ask that I eluded to him being nice during sleepy sex. Isolated and tired is the only time Ran has no walls up and no filter for his openness. He'll be needy and clingy, too. It's like a magic hour, just much shorter and easier to end early. That higher, self-conscious, self-preserving brain function kicks in very quickly.

Again. That's for the first few years. After that, he finally trusts the bedroom as a whole to be a safe zone.

7. How often do they say “I love you”?

Rarely the words. Since Ran is so...let's use the nice term 'guarded,' it's clear that even the smallest of gestures is a big deal for him, and that speaks louder than the words.

Has he done something that is more convenient for you than him? He must really fucking love you.

Has he gone out of his way to do something only you enjoy? Holy shit, Ransom Drysdale is in love.

Has he *gasp* not complained the whole evening? Sell all your stock! The apocalypse is nigh! Ran really, really fucking loves you.

You say "I love you" when it's absolutely crucial he hears it. Ran could so easily dismiss that sentiment if the phrase is overused. He won't believe the power of the words if he hears them for no reason all the time. If you say it for every little thing, then 'I love you' becomes a little thing.

8. What do they love most about the other? Why?

Though it might be subtle and hard-earned, Ransom's loyalty is FIERCE.

He can feel betrayed somewhat quickly (like being disinherited by Harlan), but Ran will fight tooth and nail for the very few people he trusts. He will die for you--either by sacrifice of his reputation or his life. It's endearing and quite possibly the most rewarding gift he could ever give you.

That's what you love the most about Ransom. Despite his best efforts to remain indifferent, he is completely and utterly devoted to you.

Ran, on the other hand...

He loves the crook of your neck.

Hold up! Hold up now! I said what I said, but hear me out!

Ransom is not close to people--anyone really--and does not allow people to get close either. Throughout this enemies-to-fuck-buddies-to-reluctant-lovers journey, he's had to let a lot of walls come down. Renovation's a bitch, ya know. Mentally and physically, it's a big fucking deal that he continues to see you, to sleep in the same bed as you, to call you and talk to you and listen the whole time. Ran is not accustomed to having to be present.

He can sleep in the crook of your neck. He can listen to you talk like there's no one else in the world. He can hear your heartbeat when you're quiet. He can hide because this is all really new for him. He can smell your skin and remind himself that it's okay to miss you when you aren't there. He can kiss there and mean everything all at once: "I'm horny," "you're sexy," "I love you," "I'm tired," "get off the fucking phone," "I don't want to get up," or "don't leave me."

The crook of your neck. That's Ran's new center of gravity.

Thank you for asking!

ope. i'm fine.

[i-will-change-this-someday]

Ok, so I know in my last Midnight Burger post I already ranted about how I think Ava was in the wrong, but I'm going to rant some more.

(It is very long, and probably a bit incomprehensible.)

At the time, I was on ep 20, I assumed that she would get some growth and Caspar might not put up with her bullshit as much, but instead she just continues to be always right and justified in her behavior, and quite honestly, it's driving me insane.

Ava has, throughout the entire show, been incredibly rude to just about every single character, she constantly calls everyone idiots, including Leif, one of the best engineers in the galaxy.

When asked the very reasonable question of why these two astrophysicists should let her in to their observatory her response is to say she's smarter than them. It is so incredibly rude, Ava isn't a astrophysicists, she's a theoretical physicists; why would she know more than them, the astrophysicists, on astrophysics?

It's like she can't help insulting everyone she meets, and I understand that she is a woman in a male dominated field, but literally no one has ever doubted her intelligence. Not once has a character thought that she is unqualified or belittled her. It's not like everyone doesn't believe in her, and she's set on proving them wrong; she's just being a jerk.

And if it was like, her behavior got in the way of all her relationships and she needs to learn to be more empathetic and connect to others, then I wouldn't mind it as much, but her relationships are more or less fine with everyone. The only character you could argue she has any issues with is Caspar, but that's more about the unsaid feelings than her general attitude.

She's not even an emotionless scientist, which I guess good on her not being a stereotype, but then it just means she's can understand other people, and maybe empathize with them, and chooses to insult them ALL. THE. TIME. She CAN be nice and be thoughtful, like how she walked Clementine through her panic, but she decides to verbally demean everyone instead.

I'm not even saying she should try to be nice, just stop bullying the people who care and are always there for her. Like, it's nice she and Leif get to talk about science things, but she can't go 20 seconds without calling him dumb or saying how smart she is.

She complains about Clementine not facing any consequences, like Clementine didn't get burdened with everlasting guilt and was about to be torn apart a couple hours before. But thinks it’s completely fine that she essentially got off Scot-free after potentially endangering everyone at the diner. (Yes, she got shot in to space, but Caspar was right, it was safe, and she even got the answers she wanted.)

Like, I’m sorry, but what the hell kind of response is a smug “your welcome” to “hey, yeah, so all that stuff you said to me actually hurt a lot, and it emotionally scarred me.” Like, can you not for two minutes? Are you seriously incapable of being kind for a single moment!?

She is so flawed, but also a Mary Sue; like the flaws are there, but they're almost never addressed, and when they are, they get dropped easily or forgiven immediately.

To me, it's not charming; I don't like when a male character is hubristic but always right and always gets the last word, and I still don't like it when a female character does it.

And I know, she, finally, decides to "change" but has she really? I haven't listened too much past that episode, but that doesn't negate her previous actions.

[stainedglassthreads]

A lot of people have been talking about that new Undertale book that is available for pre-order. Obviously I don’t have it, so I can’t confirm or deny anything said within it. But I heard, in a section talking about how important the number three is to Undertale, it mentioned there only being three Dreemurrs. 

@/under-lore has dissected this, as well as there apparently being ‘three entities controlling the vessel’, and it does seem like something that can be called accurate. But it also just. Makes me incredibly sad? Just like how fanfics and AUs deciding the only way for a happy ending is to kill Flowey, it makes me sad when Chara, who was loved by the Dreemurrs so deeply, who monsterkind seemed to consider one of them, is considered ‘not a part of the happy family’. I obviously can’t tell why every single fanartist chooses not to include Chara, and I didn’t pay for any of that art so it’s not like I can complain about or dictate their artistic choices. But just... it’s sad. 

They fell into the Dreemurrs’ lives, they brought hope, they ruined everything, and now nobody even says their name aside from Asriel. They are the reason things are the way they are in the Underground now, but they’re also gone, but they may not have considered themselves the Dreemurrs’ kid, but they also made a sweater that says ‘Mr Dad Guy’ so maybe they did, or just wanted to make Asgore happy by pretending they did, or did it as a favor to Asriel? 

I dunno. Maybe the book was wrong, or meant ‘three boss monsters’ instead of ‘three Dreemurrs’. Maybe Chara felt they didn’t deserve to be a part of the family being human, or had bad hangups about people who are their ‘family’, as many headcanons of their backstory involve them either losing family members or coming from a highly abusive home. 

It’s also kinda interesting in a way, though? Kris experiences a lot of dysphoria about being human, but they DO seem to be considered by everyone, the town, Toriel, and Asgore, as being ‘Asriel’s sibling’. Everyone doesn’t refer to them and Asriel as being ‘like siblings’, Asriel is repeatedly referred to as Kris’ brother. Kris is viewed by many as being ‘Deltarune Chara’, and while I strongly believe Toby WANTS you to compare Kris to both Frisk and Chara, this could be a deliberate difference to further establish Kris as their own person. While both Kris and Chara have a deep discomfort with humanity, Kris considers themself a Dreemurr, while Chara considers themself ‘disposable’ or just ‘a soul’.  

Frisk, meanwhile, has the choice at the end of the game of deciding to stay with Toriel or go other places. If they do stay with Toriel, nothing ever says that they consider Asgore their father, or Asriel and Chara their siblings. Certain AUs, such as Inverted Fate, have Frisk choose to stay with someone who isn’t Toriel as their ‘family’. Perhaps they consider themself an honorary Dreemurr(it certainly is a popular headcanon), but there’s no confirmation that they do or don’t. 

At any rate. The book is interesting, but whether it’s ‘canon’ or not depends on your definition of canon. It grants a new way of looking at and contextualizing the game, but people are entirely free to just play the game and never even touch bonus materials such as the Winter Alarm Clock Dialogue and the book, there is a valid point of view that a story should be self-contained and not require materials published after the fact to be understood properly. 

[srovtl]

A Melody Of Serata On A Night Of Requiems chapter 6

Akira: Faust...

Faust: I'm going to patrol the village for a bit.

With those words, Faust quickly left the square. Lennox watched him leave and turned to Bradley.

Lennox: Bradley. He, never forgets those who died before his eyes.

Lennox: He lives in the now, carrying all of that with him.

Lennox: And it's not just the last disaster. Living in a time of war, it wasn't uncommon to witness the death of a friend.

Lennox: So if his former comrades had any intention of blaming Faust, he would have just tried to face it head on.

Bradley: Ha! Now that's just self-deprecation. telling them to complain about something they don't have any problem with, is just more trouble for the dead.

Bradley: Even Oz had a hard time with the last disaster. It was obvious that they couldn't fight it with half-assed strength.

Bradley: But even so, there were those who chose to fight and turned to stone, so why would they need to complain to you, the curse worker?

Lennox: ………I agree. But no matter what, there were too many casualties last time.

Lennox: The thought that a single different move could have saved a life doesn't easily disappear.

Bradley: We've all got some handful of people we choose to care about. But see, the world doesn't hinge in the hands of just one guy.

Bradley: You survive cause you want to, and turn to stone when you can't handle it any more. That's how the world works.

Bradley: You survive messily, and when you meet those guys again, be prepared to tell them your stories until they get tired of you.

Bradley, Faust, and Lennox all have their own views on life and death, and their own feelings of mourning for the dead.

But no matter what, our temperaments are different. Just as the way of mourning the dead differs in each country, everyone mourns the dead in their own way.

Akira: (I have never lost a friend yet)

Akira: (So I guess I shouldn't empathize so easily...)

Even if we didn't have such a deep relationship. I would think of my friends who I met every year and fought with, and I would feel like blaming myself.

I'm sure that's not what my friends would want, and they would want me to live my life as I am.

Both of these are true feelings that they have felt over the hundreds of years they have lived. I am now touching a part of that.

Cain: I understand how Faust feels.

At that moment, a young voice cuts in. Cain has returned to the square after going to collect offerings from the villagers.

Akira: Cain...So you heard our conversation.

Cain: Sorry. I thought I'd wait a bit longer, but the soup they worked so hard to make was starting to get cold.

Cain walks up to the altar and offers up a steaming pot of soup. He then gently clenches his fist.

Cain: The damage from the last battle with Calamity was great. Many of the wizards who took care of me at the Magic manor were sacrificed.

Cain: How could we have protected them? How could we have avoided farewells? I can't help but think about it.

The words that spilled from his lips resonated so deeply that it felt as if they were gripping his heart tightly.

He was a caring man, and he remembered secretly traveling to various countries to mourn the friends he lost in the last Calamity.

I remember my heart filling up when he brought back souvenirs as if nothing had happened, with a gentle smile and the same hands that had offered flowers.

However, Cain's expression suddenly relaxed. In a gentle, nostalgic voice, he spoke the following words.

Cain: The wizards of the Central country were two sisters. They were a bit noisy but kind, and told me stories about wizards and the rules of magic.

Cain: They looked after me well, and would come to see me while I was at the magic manor, and we went out together a few times.

Cain: And the southern wizards, too. Don't you remember, Bradley?

Cain: The Rollito de Pollo that the grannies made was simple and delicious, right?

Bradley: ………Yeah.

Cain: I wanted the Master Sage and Riquet to try it too. Though when I tried to recreate it, it was a bit rough, so it didn't come out very well.

Akira: I also wanted to try it. Let me help you next time.

Akira: I'm not that good at cooking, but let's make it together, tasting it. I'd love to hear some memories too.

Cain accepts my reply with a gentle smile. Warm steam sways in the slightly more relaxed atmosphere.

Akira: (They remain firmly in everyone's hearts. The things we learned from those who are no longer here, the taste of their food, all these various memories...)

I looked Cain, Bradley, and Lennox in the eyes one by one.

I speak while praying that my feelings will reach them, even if only a little.

Akira: There's not much I can do as a sage right now...

Akira: I can't defeat the disaster or solve the strange events happening all over the world right now, though.

Akira: First of all, I will do my best to complete this request with everyone here before me.

When I said that, Lennox and Cain smiled gently. Bradley also lowered his eyes and leaned his back against the wall again.

Even without words, I felt like everyone's smiles were pushing me forward.

Akira: Now then... let's join Faust and begin the Requiem Soiree.

Riquet: Come this way, everyone. The Soiree will start soon.

Brown-haired man: Oh, it's gotten so festive. The offerings we all prepared are lined up nicely.

Riquet: Hehe. These flowers are also very nicely arranged, aren't they?

Riquet: You all took me to a forest outside the village, and the flower fields in nature were really beautiful.

Curly-haired old lady: Oh, I'm glad you praised me. Before the mittens started wandering around, the children often picked flowers in the forest.

Freckled girl: The food looks delicious too...! Mom helped out, right?

Woman with a Mole: Yes, we all put our best work.

Lennox: It smells delicious. Even if it's necessary for the ritual, it's a pretty sumptuous meal.

Bradley: I like that there's meat and not just vegetables. Stewed and grilled...

Riquet: Nero said that eating an unbalanced diet is bad for your health.

Riquet: Once you're all seated, I'll serve the food evenly on Bradley's plate.

Bradley: Adults don't have to eat things they don't like. You're the one who should eat a lot and grow up quickly, tiny one.

Riquet: I'm not tiny!

Everyone sits down, chatting away. Faust is in front of the altar, arranging plates of incense and decorations.

And next to him is a beautiful blonde woman holding beautiful gloves.

Akira: Hello. Are those gloves also an offering?

Blonde Old Lady: Oh... Master Sage. Yes. I thought I'd have them offered at the altar.

Faust: Apparently, she makes the gloves offered at the maiden's grave every year.

Faust: This year something strange happened, and it was all hectic, so it hadn't been offered yet. I had them finished in a hurry.

Akira: I see. She said she offers them every year. Beautiful silk and lace gloves... They look very similar to the ones I saw yesterday.

Blonde Old Lady: ...Right. I'm sure she's still looking for these gloves.

Faust: Who knows, this is not where she rests, but we will hold a banquet to summon her spirit. Let's place it in a conspicuous place on the altar.

As Faust said this, he placed a beautifully crafted white glove in the center of the altar.

After the villagers had gathered and the preparations for the ceremony were complete, Faust solemnly proclaimed.

Faust: Now then, we will hold a Requiem Soiree. First, pray at the altar to summon the wandering soul and satisfy its hunger.

The wizards: Prayer to the altar.

The wizards who had been talking up until then clasped their hands and closed their eyes, and the villagers followed suit one by one.

Faust rang the bell. The clear sound had a nostalgic, sad quality to it.

Faust: ...Now, from here on out, there's no need for silence. Everyone, remember and talk about the dead. Memories are also an offering to the dead.

The villagers looked at each other as Faust spoke.

There was a confused silence. Then, little by little, more words began to flow.

Woman with a mole: Memories, huh...? I've never actually met the maiden, but she's famous in the village.

White-haired old lady: That's right. She learned to sew and knit in no time.

White-haired old lady: When I taught her how to make flower crowns, she quickly got the hang of it and made several.

Old lady in apron: She was a kind, good girl. Although she died without ever becoming a bride or a mother...

The villagers' reminiscences inevitably turned into a solemn atmosphere.

Rutile sat next to them and spoke to them softly.

Rutile: If you like, here are these... the flowers that didn't fit on the altar.

Rutile: Would you like to make a flower crown together while we talk?

Old lady in apron: Oh, that's nice. Shall we knit while thinking of that child? I'm pretty sure it's done like this.

Old lady in apron: A flower crown, a flower crown. Let's all make one in a circle. Pick the flowers, line them up, tighten them, and spin them around.

Rutile: Oh, what a cute song! Plus, if you sing it while you make it, it's easier to remember and more fun.

White-haired old lady: That's right. It's a song to teach kids how to make flower crowns, but you can also dance to it. Right?

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