#I hope everyone has a happy holiday and has fun at what you celebrate!✨

[chibifox2002]

DedeDecember Day 25: Christmas

DDD & Connie passing out gifts, Tulip being a lil menace, and Mama D not understanding that she's supposed to unwrap her present...

Sounds like Christmas to me!

#I hope everyone has a happy holiday and has fun at what you celebrate!✨ #DedeDecember #king dedede #kirby #bandana dee #bandee #ribbon kirby #queen ripple #escargoon #meta knight #kirby oc #connie dot #mama d #manny moth #tulip spider #my character(s) #my design(s) #my art #chibi's kirby au

[neutron-stars-collision]

Waiting for the Night

Bruce Wayne x F!Reader

Chapter 15 - Mess me around 'til my heart breaks

Masterlist; Chapter 14 Summary: Vengeance comes to head at the Iceberg Lounge. Just as the Riddler has planned, all along. Warnings: Angst, canon-typical violence, swearing. Author's Notes: ...hi! Long time no see, right? The story isn't abandoned nor done yet, so here I am. Hindered by writer's block, depression and no strength, this update took longer than I wanted it to, but I hope it's worth it. It's short - 5k (but not sweet), it's chaotic, it's all I could manage. If anyone's still around waiting on my two idiots - this is for you. Thank you for sticking around, and let me know what you think? Happy holidays to all who celebrate! 💕✨ Tag list: @thecraziestcrayon, @kookiewastolen, @imimsy, @tuskens-mando, @sugarcoated-lame, @blue-aconite, @hypnoash, @rabbitdictionary, @nicklet94, @mcrmarvelloki, @shimmeringgrim, @ttae-yong, @freyadruid, @siriuslydestiny, @ms-dont-care, @raphaelaisabella, @itsmytimetoodream, @brightjimini, @castellandiangelo (let me know if you wanted to be removed/added)

(gif credit @jokerous)

The Iceberg Lounge was a venue everyone had heard of, even though barely anyone had ever been to. For some, it was the byproduct of the reluctance of being seen within the vicinity of Falcone and his posse. For others, it was simply out of fear. Because, yes, admittedly, the Lounge and its surrounding areas did not look welcoming. Least of all, in the middle of the night, with the driving rain pounding on the sidewalk in front. Yet there you were, the handbag clutched tightly in the shaking hands, hastily assembled outfit drenched. But there was no other way.

Not when you wanted to make sure Falcone paid for what he had done. To you and everyone else. Not when you no could no longer trust Bruce to bring justice. Not when you felt the weight of what happened on your shoulders and could not shake it off. Not without doing something, anything.

So, there you were, the gun weighing down your handbag without a plan or trust that you could pull the trigger when it came to it. You never used it before, after all. Always hoping it would never become necessary. But that, as with most things, turned out to be a false hope. Taking a deep breath despite the fear constricting your lungs you straightened your back. Only (false) confidence could offer a way into a place like this. That and flirting. So, you pasted on a smirk and knocked on the steel doors barring the entrance. Within seconds, the doors opened to reveal a set of twins. Both their faces stone cold and unwelcoming.

“What do you want?” one barked the question in place of a greeting.

The sour frown only deepened once they scanned you head to toe. But you did not let that deter you, turning up the sweetness to the max and replying with a coy tone:

“No need for hostility, gents. I only wanna come in and have some fun,” you bated your eyelashes, gaze sweeping from one onto the other “Maybe meet someone nice and… Oh, you know,” you winked, signing off the unspoken statement and hoping for the best.

The other usher twitched, sharing a glance with his brother and then staring back at you with less conviction in his gaze. The flicker of hope warming up your stomach.

“We don’t want any trouble inside,” the man levelled you with a hard look, promising a repeat of what happened to you at the Inferno, should you dare try anything.

You smothered a shudder, threatening to run through your body at the memory. This time, you would swear you would be much more careful.

But they need not know that.

“I’m no trouble” feeling a little less uncertain, you paused the sentence only to drop the punchline after a beat, “Unless you want me to be” in response, the twins rolled their eyes in tandem and stepped aside to let you through “Thanks, darlings” the heart was hammering in your chest as you passed them with a final wink and began descending into the neon hell below.

After experiencing the Inferno firsthand, you knew what to expect, yet still, the booming music made you flinch as you reached the bottom of the staircase. One look around the packed club was enough to increase adrenaline levels and heighten your senses. Falcone was likely upstairs in his private rooms, rarely mixing in with the clientele. And even then, it would happen inside 44 Below, where no random partier could ever enter. No, your best bet was to sneak upstairs, hoping everything else would fall into place. Whatever the fuck that meant.

Slowly, you steered your way through the crowd, searching for the way in. There was a lift, guarded and with surveillance. As you watched, you could see a woman in a short, skin-tight dress charm her way in, clearly familiar enough with the bodyguard that she was let off. Your best bet turned out to be a fire-route staircase close to the staff rooms. You just had to find the right moment.

Which landed your way before you could properly formulate the idea. A sudden commotion at the entrance to the club made you look - curious and alert. A distant sound of a fistfight bursting underneath the drum and base. A shout and a warning. That was it. Your blessing. You crossed the room, opened the door quietly and sneaked inside without as much as a second glance. You breathed out as the door closed behind your back, feeling the blood rushing through your veins. There was no time to waste.

Your legs carried you up the staircase, not daring to look back or stop even for a second. Because every minute of hesitation could be the last one you would ever get. And if your intuition was correct, the fight erupting at the door, which became your saving grace, had everything to do with Bruce. It meant that more trouble was on its way. And that your time was indeed running out.

Reaching landing on what should be the second floor, you tried the emergency exit to find it unlocked, the heavy doors opening with a slight effort. Leaning out through the crack in the doorway, you made sure the corridor was empty before stepping out onto the carpeted hallway. It was dark; the lighting sparse and warm, drowned out by the mauve wallpaper and coal-coloured carpet. Before you could decide which way to go in search of Falcone, the light was cut off entirely.

“Fuck,” the soft curse escaped your lips as you squinted down the hallway, desperate for a clue.

You got it the very next second, a shout followed by a gunshot blasting through the rooms on your left, further down the corridor. Despite the common sense urging you to turn right, you had to follow the noise. The yelling and the gunshots. Hoping you could get through to Falcone without getting shot first.

Crouching by the wall in the darkness, you took out the gun and armed it without hesitation. Then you started tiptoeing down the hallway, keeping your back close to the wall and the gun outstretched in front. Now more gunshots were ringing through the silence all around the second story, hinting at least two fights taking place simultaneously. You did not let that thought dwell, steeling your body for whatever was coming as you crossed the threshold and entered the room. The emergency lights provided feeble help as your eyes scanned the lounge for danger. It seemed empty, an upturned drink spilt on the table, a stray bullet lodged in the velvet sofa padding. Before you could contemplate it further, the sound of a struggle in the room next door was the one to shake you out of the stupor.

You crossed the space, eyes wide, the pulse pounding in your ears as you clutched the gun in clammy hands. Nothing prepared you for the sight you encountered next door.

Falcone had his back to you, leaning over someone laying on the floor, a cue pressed over their throat, choking them.

“You made me do this. Just like your mother,” he spoke with venom, putting even more pressure on the cue, making you act before you fully understood what you were about to do.

Praying to the god you did not believe that you could stay unnoticed by the man, you closed the space and kicked Falcone in the knee, making his legs buckle with a surprised yelp. Without waiting for him to react, you delivered another punch between his shoulder blades and raised the gun to finalize the blow with the weapon, hitting him in the base of his skull. Only once he collapsed onto the floor, you could look at whoever he was strangling before you stepped in.

The blood froze in your veins upon the sight. Selina was sprawled on the ground, breathing hard and clutching her throat with desperation. Of course. She was staring at you with confusion, evidently equally shocked at your intervention. A stranger, for all she knew.

“Who the hell are you?!” a startled yell was the one to remind you why you were there in the first place.

You raised the gun again, aiming it at Falcone’s head with all the peace you could muster. Now, towering over him with no one to stop you, it was easy to remember why you had to do it. Why he deserved it.

“Oh, you won’t know me” you watched as his eyes narrowed, searching for answers you were not too eager to offer, “You might’ve heard of my father, though,” you could see the moment the pin dropped, his mouth falling agape.

Behind you, Selina stood up, groaning quietly. Despite the lack of trust, you could not bring yourself to check what she was doing, your gaze fixed on Falcone, unwavering. The bravado had faded, leaving behind only the cold determination and overwhelming grief you could never get under control. No matter the years, the pain was always there. But maybe that could help. Maybe pulling the trigger would solve it. A dangerous flicker of hope burning in your heart at the idea. At a chance of peace within reach. You just had to do it. Easy, isn’t it?

From the shock on his face, you knew Falcone did not feel confident enough to talk you out of it, too scared of the look in your eyes and the sure hand holding the gun. And for a good reason, for the edge you had been tiptoeing ever since had never been closer. Just one step and…

You armed the weapon, placing your finger on the trigger with a quiet sigh. It would be easy. So fucking easy. You met Falcone’s gaze, making sure he saw the hatred and determination painted across your face. Before your pointer finger could pull the trigger, heavy footsteps rang out in the adjacent room, bursting into the space with a too-familiar voice calling out your name urgently. You did not turn towards the door, wincing as Bruce spoke:

“Don’t do it” judging by Selina’s quiet gasp Vengeance has joined the chaos.

But his attention was only on you, closing the gap with intent. You did not dare look at him, keeping your eyes fixed on Falcone, jaw clenched in annoyance at the interruption. All the while, you had been hoping he would not be there to witness what you had to do. Now it was too late.

“Just leave me to it,” your voice shook as you replied, the grasp on the weapon tightening as if to challenge the sudden nerves.

As if to show Bruce and everyone else you meant it.

He was not listening.

“I can’t” his voice grew nearer as he stepped up close, the heat radiating from his body making you shiver slightly; it was nothing compared to having him speak into your ear next “He’s not worth it,” the gravelly voice counteracting the feelings swirling in your head and heart.

You could feel his chest pressing into your back, arms enveloping you, trapping you there. You could not let him talk you out of it. The bitter scoff escaped your throat.

“Not worth dying?” Bruce’s name was right there, on the tip of your tongue, held back only by the strength of your common sense, “He has to pay for what he’s done,” your voice cracked, betraying the storm in your head.

An unbidden sob, building in your throat despite your wishes to keep it together. Everything has faded, leaving only Bruce and the gun in your hand. And the pain of what happened, tugging at the scars in your heart, begging for notice.

As if feeling your resolve crumble, Bruce tightened the hold over your body imperceptibly, lips brushing over the shell of your ear as he whispered, only for you to hear:

“But not like this” he took a deep breath as though taking a plunge into the unknown “You don’t have to pay with him,”

It was almost enough. You squeezed your eyes shut, hoping to make it all disappear. But it was all still there. Falcone, the weight on your shoulders, the promise of vengeance in your reach. You would never forgive yourself if you let it go just like that.

“If I don’t do it, then no one will. And he’ll walk away from this just like that. I can’t let it happen” risking a glance at Bruce from the corner of your eye, you lowered your voice to a whisper, giving the confession to him only, “I’ve nothing to lose” there it is.

The gun was still in your hands. You could pull the trigger before Bruce would knock it out of your hold. You could still do it. The despair rose to a crescendo in your veins, the blood rushing in your ears, urging you to do it. To give in. Let go.

“You do, and I care too much about you to let it happen” his final whisper hung in the tense silence before Bruce closed his arms around you, forcing the weapon out of your hands, “I’m sorry,”

As soon as he let go, you took a step forward, out of his grasp, a pathetic sob uncovering the cracks in your heart before you could get it under control. You did not dare look at Bruce or anybody else. Instead, you stared at the floor, silent and motionless. You could hear Falcone’s attempts at backchat, some nonsensical, witty comments that were probably his way of making Vengeance lose his cool. You knew it was pointless. Soon enough, the man was being led away, undoubtedly bound to be arrested as soon as they reached the club level. Somewhere, deep within that misery slowly filling all the caverns in your heart, you wanted to see it officially happen. Even if only to further irritate the wound, which would never heal.

“You guys seem close,” Selina spoke suddenly, making you whip around to face her, surprised she had not left yet; almost enough so to miss the curious notes in her tone “How do you know him?” she eyed you closely, the taxing gaze scanning you from head to toe and back again as if it could answer the questions she had.

It was impossible to let go of the apprehension as you returned her stare, taking her in and weighing the options. The truth was not one of them, so instead, you settled for a half-truth:

“Through work,” it was difficult enough to keep a neutral facial expression, not letting her see that you knew more than you could admit.

And not allowing yourself to get consumed by the jealousy that still seemed hard to smother. Even when knowing Selina had no clue you existed or were in the picture. It still hurt.

“What kind of work?” the incredulity wove itself into her emphasis, making you frown inwardly.

You could not answer that question. Shrugging, you gave her a parting nod and fled the room without another second wasted. It was already too close for comfort.

***

By the time you had pushed through the rapidly gathering onlookers and managed to step outside, Falcone was already in handcuffs. You could see Gordon standing next to him, reciting the formula by heart with Bruce right by his side, towering over the scene like an avenging angel. Once his gaze fell on you, he nodded almost imperceptibly. You chose to turn your head away from him, unable to process the chaos in your head. Anger was there, clear as day, simmering and boiling with increasing ferocity. At what he took away from you. But resignation was there, too. Seeping the remains of energy and determination from your body till all you could dream of was to crumble and let the rain wash you away. Please.

“Goddamn rat,” a sudden menacing whisper from the doorway of Iceberg Lounge made you look up.

Along with everybody else. The Penguin had joined in on the gathering, looking down at Falcone with unhidden contempt. The sentiment was reflected in the eyes of the other man as he asked:

“What’d you say?” tone sharp, all but asking to be challenged.

Everyone was still, watching the scene with their breaths held. It seemed significant. Like a duel that would determine the future of Gotham, one way or another. Like impending coup d’état, which would either change everything for good or burn to smithereens without ever taking flight.

“Enjoy your night at Blackgate, Carmine” the sour look never left Oswald’s face as he added with a hint of glee in his voice, “Probably be your last”

Without knowing the details of the rivalry unfolding before your eyes, you knew he meant it. There was no friendly warmth there, no respect. Darting your gaze to Falcone, you knew he saw it too.

“Oh-ho. So, you’re a big man now, Oz?” the provoking edge only seemed sharper with each word exchanged between the two.

“Maybe I am,” the Penguin only shrugged, his gaze steely as it settled on the (former?) boss.

The scales were starting to tip one way instead of the other. The scene at hand was almost enough to turn your mind away from the pain and the anger.

“Really, Oz?” Falcone’s lips quirked into a smirk; although shackled, he still looked down upon everyone else, sure of his power and superiority, “Because to me, you were always just a gimp in an empty suit,”

As soon as the insult hit, you knew something was coming. A stray gasp escaped the gathering as your eyes again found Bruce’s. He felt it, too; you were sure of it.

“I’ll spray paint your ass!” the yell had not yet landed when a shot reverberated through the alley, and all hell broke loose.

Falcone had collapsed to the ground with a sharp gasp, the rapidly spreading bloody stain marring his shirt. From the corner of your eye, you could see the cops crowd the Penguin, convinced he fired the shot, mindless of his protests. Bruce was kneeling by Falcone’s body, tension radiating off his form.

You could not move, frozen in the spot, mind reeling from the gravity of what happened. Someone took it from you. Someone fired the shot. The one you were supposed to deliver. Falcone was gone. Dead. And you did not know why your heart shattered in your chest or why it was suddenly hard to breathe. Fuck.

The streetlight above the scene flickered, drawing your attention back to the moment. A faint thought begged for your focus, but you could not remember what it was supposed to be. What you had forgotten and why it felt crucial.

“Bring him into the light. And you’ll find where I’m at” Bruce’s whisper felt like the necessary push, making you stagger forward, joining the GCPD in surveying the windows and rooftops in search of the Riddler.

It had to be him answering his riddle in the most literal of ways. You should have realised it sooner. Should’ve known what to expect.

Before you could process it fully, one of the cops pointed at a window almost in front of the Iceberg Lounge. The unit clamoured towards the apartment block opposite, dispersing the crowds with their orders and threats. You watched as Bruce disappeared into the shadows, leading the task force into danger. Without thinking, you backed away into the alley, hiding from the rain and the prying eyes. The Riddler was close; you could almost feel it.

The text chime on your phone made you look at the screen distractedly. It was a message from work, calling you over to the Gotham Square Garden and report on Réal’s imminent victory. A wayward sigh escaped your throat as you buried your nose in the scarf around your neck and breathed in deeply. You would go soon. Only… just a moment longer. Just until you knew they had him. Just until you could talk to Bruce.

***

It was nearly half an hour later when your waiting paid off. Or when the burner phone vibrated in your pocket and you were welcomed by a simple text:

“We’ve got him. Can I talk to you?”

For a second, you considered not replying, letting him hang and determine the answer for himself while you dashed off to work as you should have done ages ago. But that voice was a mere whisper, quickly overshadowed by feelings lurking in the darkness and waiting for their time to shine. Same ones that made you come back to him each time. The same ones you did not dare analyse, fearing what you would find.

“I’m waiting in the side alley near the Lounge. Need to go soon” pocketing the phone, you took a hesitant step out of the shadows.

It was getting increasingly difficult to pretend the feelings were not there. No matter the anger and resentment simmering in your veins, you still wanted, needed to see him. Would wait for half hour in the cold and rain to look into his eyes and exchange a couple of words. Because he understood, he knew what had been kept secret from everybody else. Because Bruce might as well be the only person who saw you.

It was terrifying.

Before panic could kick in, you heard the approaching footsteps at the exit of the alley. Even now, after everything, seeing Bruce in the suit felt strange. You could easily see him there, underneath the cowl and armour. And yet, Vengeance looked nothing like the man you have come to… love?

“Is he arrested?” you blurted out the question to prevent those words from spilling outside.

He did not notice. Instead, Bruce came even closer and faltered, the previous confidence nowhere to be seen as his eyes roamed over the dingy alley, looking for somewhere to land.

“Yeah, he… I think he wanted to be. And now he’s asking to see me in Arkham and…” his voice was softer now, lacking the edge and certainty as his gaze settled on you, searching for answers, “I don’t know, it all feels like a trap, yet I can’t walk away. The Batman can’t walk away” breaking the eye contact, Bruce sighed quietly.

The resolve to be cold and cruel was waning by the minute. You chose to stare at the ground as you followed with another question:

“Are they inside looking at his stuff now?” the awkwardness was hard to shake off.

But it was either that or admitting how much it all hurt. And you had enough of vulnerability today. Least of all when it came to Bruce.

“Yeah,” as if understanding the intent behind your formal questions, he added, “If I learn something, I’ll let you know. For now, all we’ve got is his identity – Edward Nashton, an accountant” he met your eyes again, waiting for the nod to mirror the gesture.

Making a mental note of the surname, you could only flash him a thin smile, hoping it could convey even half of what you were feeling.

“Okay, I’ll check him out,” the next words were out before you could overthink them, staring at Bruce to make sure he knew you meant it, “Be careful… there, with him. He’ll probably try to rile you somehow,”

You did mean it, feeling a distinct flash of panic upon the thought of him alone with the Riddler. Even separated by the prison bars. There was no telling what he would try, what he could tell Bruce to reach his goal, which still was a mystery.

Something in his eyes shifted when your words sunk in, the awkwardness melting for the softness to take its place. Yet, still, what Bruce said next took you by surprise.

“I’m sorry. For taking it away from you,” his voice was barely louder than a whisper now, spoken with remorse and uncertainty you rarely got to hear from him.

The anger was not there anymore, replaced with aching resentment, making it hard to find the words you needed as you felt Bruce watch you closely. Steeling yourself for the umpteenth time during the evening, you sighed and kept your eyes fixed on the ground as everything came rushing out:

“I get it; it was probably for the better. It’s just… please don’t pretend you care when I know that you don’t” swallowing hard, you clenched your fist to stop the hand from shaking.

The vulnerability was always hard because it meant letting the other person know they had your heart in the palm of their hand. They rarely knew what to do with it, bruising and breaking it until you could not breathe anymore. It was always like that. You were always stupid enough to let it happen again. This time was not any different. Bruce wasn’t any different.

A sudden gust of wind made you shiver in the cold, almost taking your mind off his silence, extending far beyond shreds of comfort. The decision to cut the conversation short with a half-assed goodbye was just on the tip of your tongue when Bruce spoke again:

“I care” the desperation in his tone made you look up despite common sense.

He took another step, closing the gap between you to a meter. Too close and too far, all at once. But it was the look on his face that broke you, the sheer extent of confusion painted across his features as if Bruce really believed what he preached. As if it was you who had it all wrong, accusing him of indifference. It was the necessary push back into insanity and frustration, digging out the anger from its shallow grave. Enough to admit to what you thought you could never tell him. Taking a deep breath against the constricting lungs, you levelled him with a hard gaze:

“Bruce, I saw you. With her. In that man cave you’ve got below the tower, or whatever the fuck that is” he flinched as soon as your words hit the mark, only fueling the bitterness in your heart “I know my part here is done. I’ve shown you the ropes, now you can woo her. Just please, don’t make me believe I mean anything to you” as if to taunt you, your voice broke on the final vowels, adding an edge of despair to the speech.

And betraying your feelings as you could do nothing but stare, knowing well that Bruce was many things, but stupid was not one of them. All that he lacked now was a confession, damning you for eternity. And yet you still could not bring yourself to look away, frozen by an invisible force, unable to do anything but stare as the myriad of emotions passed through the familiar blue eyes. Surprise, disbelief, and frustration were easily identified. All overshadowed by that indescribable emotion you have seen before. One that you did not dare contemplate for the fear of losing the shreds of sanity. After all, it was simple. Wasn’t it?

“You’re wrong,” Bruce’s voice broke through the silence as he took a final step in your direction.

Your mouth opened in protest, daring him to call bullshit on what was pretty obvious. To you, anyway. But you never got that far.

He was fast, his hand curling around your jaw, angling your head so he could press his lips to yours without hesitation. You could only gasp as Bruce kissed you, hard and unrelenting. The pressure of his mouth against yours was almost dizzying, wiping your mind clear of anything that was not him. The taste of his tongue prodding your open. The bruising teeth catching onto your lower lip without an ounce of reservation. A deep groan escaped his lips only to be swallowed by yours. You wanted nothing else but to yield. Let him take your pain and confusion and make sense of it.

With each passing second, you felt the certainty wane, leaving nothing but confusion behind. Because Bruce kissed you like he meant it. Like the heat of his mouth was only yours to experience. Like he never wanted you to forget what it felt like. Your fingers curled around his jaw, brushing the exposed skin with a reverence that came from starvation. Because it could never last. No matter how much you wanted it to.

The sobering thought was the one that made you end the kiss and take an abrupt step away from him. Away from what felt familiar and right. Away from the temptations. You did not meet the searching gaze that settled on your face as you scrambled for reason in the haze.

You could not stay, called by duty and the smithereens of dignity. So, you did what you knew best. You ran. Sparing one last look at Bruce, you hoped your eyes could convey the apology you could not voice. Even if, in the grand scheme of things, it was inconsequential. Then you were off, walking away with your gaze trained on the ground beneath your feet. Hoping time and distance would do the rest. And knowing better that they would not.

#the batman #the batman 2022 #the batman x reader #the batman x y/n #the batman x you #robert pattinson!bruce wayne #robert pattinson!bruce wayne x reader #robert pattinson!batman x reader #robert pattinson x y/n #robert pattinson x reader #robert pattinson #battinson fic #battinson x female reader #battinson x you #battinson x reader #battinson #bruce wayne x y/n #bruce wayne x you #bruce wayne x reader #bruce wayne #batman x reader #batman x y/n #batman x you #waiting for the night

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Happy 2024, everyone!

I hope everyone reading this had a fantastic holiday season, and that they got to celebrate and enjoy it exactly how they wanted to. I hope old memories were remembered fondly and that new ones were made to add to the collection. And most of all, I hope the next 366 days (we’re leaping this year, friends!) are so incredibly good to you. 🤍

& now for the annual year end wrap up / new year intentions post

Out with the old…

Woof. I know I was nowhere near alone in having a rough time in 2023. It seemed like so many of us were struggling for various reasons, and I hate that for us. I truly hope that the new year is kinder to everyone.

Personally, it was one of my lowest years all around. Despite there being some really fun high points, I struggled in literally every aspect from creatively to mentally, and at times it was nearly impossible to string two or more good days together. If it weren’t for the love and support of my friends and (some of) my family, I honestly don’t know how I would have gotten through it. Things haven’t changed much just because the calendar flipped, but I’m doing my best to stay afloat and hopeful that things can start to get a little bit better.

Creatively, I let myself down in 2023. Last January I came up with a list of some writing goals that I wanted to accomplish, and friends, I barely made a dent. It was so disheartening that halfway through the year I stopped posting my updates because there basically were none, and focusing on my flops was not doing it for me. Yes, engagement was down and that was a bummer (let’s all scream and shout at each other a lot more this year, deal?), but my main hurdles came from stress and anxiety related to regular life things - and I did a terrible job at cutting myself slack for that. All I did was add pressure to something that has always been fun, and that was absolutely not cool of me.

Especially because there were things I wrote this year that I was actually quite proud of, failed goal list be damned. So this year…

… In with the new!

This year my goal is just to write: What I want, when I want, as much as I want, and as much as I can. I’m going to try to finish as many things as possible while still indulging any new sparks of inspiration. And I’m gonna try to do better at being cool to myself while I’m at it 💁🏻‍♀️

Oh! And! I’m going to try my best to do my part in reviving the engagement level with more reblogs and comments and visits to inboxes.

With all that said, I’m going to try to work on some specific things to start the year, mainly: Recall, Survivor Blues, Unfinished & Aphelion. But with no pressure or time limits or anything like that.

So that’s that on that. A year of lower expectations might be just the thing to get things kicking again. As always, I am so thankful to every single person who supported my writing (and in turn, me) over the past year more than you can possibly know. Wishing everyone lots of luck, love, strength, health and happiness in 2024!!

🤍✨

#happy new year!!! #2024 #2024 writing goals #out with the old #in with the new #✨🤍✨🤍✨

[crescencestudio]

Devlog #27 | 01.24.23

Hi everyone!

Wow, it’s been a while! I didn’t realize how long it’s been until I had to go searching for the last devlog to see what my progress has been since then LOL. I hope you all have been well and that 2023 has been kind to you so far <3 

Before we start, I wanted to show our holiday art in case anyone missed it! For the end of the year, we met Fenir under the mistletoe and many people gave him kissies (someone also grabbed his face).

We also wanted to celebrate Lunar New Year with bunny Aisa 🥰

Now for the actual updates. I’ll put them below the cut, so I’m not clogging up everyone’s feed! 

Writing

Last time we talked, I said I was making headway on Druk’s first draft. That was a lie LMAO. I’ve switched from Druk to Fenir and have been spending most of my time getting Fenir’s first draft finished. I am VERY close to finishing the first draft—I only have one chapter left.

I think by the time the first draft will be finished, we’ll be sitting at around 30k words; however, this is before I’ve put in things like fun little romance scenes, choices and branches, etc. So Fenir’s route is shaping up to be in a similar range to Kayn’s \o/

Regarding Kayn’s route, we are sitting at 50k+ words wee! I’m super happy with where the script is at right now, especially for it being the developmental phase ^^

Art

golden hour in alaris ✨ 

In general, the BGs needed for the demo are wrapping up. Because I anticipated this part to take the longest (since there’s just SO many BGs), it means I’m going to be balancing more of my focus on the updated demo as well—focusing more on updating the CGs, coding the soundtrack and VA in, updating the script a bit, cleaning that godforsaken bug, etc. I don’t have a solid estimate on when the updated demo will be ready, but I will update you all immediately when I do <3 

Recently, Vui finished up Etza’s room as well as the Market date BG. He also has been working on the Cafe BG, which in my biased opinion looks sososoosososo cute. I just have the sketch right now, and because of Lunar New Year, he is on a (much deserved) break. But I’m very excited to show you all (because obviously I’m going to show you because I have no impulse control and I get excited over everything) the final product! 

kayn’s updated demo cg

I’ve continued to work on CGs. Some of it has been updating demo CGs, while some of it has been working on CGs for Kayn’s route. As you can see, with updated ones, my style has changed a lot since the demo. So I’ve slowly been going back in for each of the LIs demo CGs and updating them! It hasn’t been too bad, but I am nervous about the duo ones lmao. I’m not very good at composition that involves more than one subject, so we’ll see how those go ha... ha...

I sat down and actually planned out and did the math for the CGs required for Kayn’s route, and it’s looking like it’ll be around 8-10! Because this amount will be consistent across routes, it means the final CG number for Alaris will be around 48-60 CGs. Looking at that number makes me want to cry a bit, but I know I’ll be working on these throughout the entire year, so it hopefully won’t feel as overwhelming as it looks on paper.

I have most of the sketches finished for Kayn’s CGs (and even some sketches/finished pieces for some of the other LIs), and it honestly hasn’t been too painful of a process, so hopefully it stays that way lol! 

Additional Notes

Something I’ve had to start thinking about is getting beta testers again.  I bring this up mainly because once Kayn’s route finishes the developmental phase, I’m going to start creating the beta version of their route. Additionally, the new demo will need beta testers.

I’m realizing now with the scope of Alaris, I’ll probably need.... a lot lol. The Alaris demo has a bug that didn’t come up for my beta testing team but has affected some players, and the bug literally makes a part of me die every time I think about it. The demo was much smaller in scope compared to the full game, and I kept the beta testing team small because I didn’t think I would have to make it super super big. But now, I’m realizing the more people involved with the beta testing process, the better so I can ensure a cleaner product.

I’m still not sure how I’ll go about “recruiting” beta testers. It will most likely be a tier available in the upcoming Patreon, but aside from that, I’ll have to give it more consideration!

“Market Research”

And then of course I have been playing visual novels and simping---who do you think I am?? I recently finished V’s route in Mystic Messenger. Wow, that was a ride LOL. I don’t actually have anything drawn up for him, but the experience was so wild, I felt the need to share anyways. 

I started playing Piofiore, though! I’ve surprisingly been enjoying it. Nicola is my bbg. I only have Dante and Gilbert’s routes left, so we’ll see if one of them changes anything!

It was also Toasty’s birthday recently, and while I hadn’t planned on drawing anything to celebrate, I did because a sleepy Toasty was too powerful to ignore. 

#alaris #devlog

[xxsycamore]

December 11 for Leon?

Oh, yes. This turned out a little filthy, oops. 🤭 Thanks for requesting, hope you like it and happy holidays! 💝✨✨

Santa, honey [ LEON X READER SMUT ] 

Rating: E

Word count:   920

Tags:  Quickies; Dirty Talk; lots of dirty talk; Riding; Size Kink; Creampie; Come Eating

Check my masterlist here! You can also find all my works on AO3 under user xsycamore.  In my profile you can find my Ko-fi if you would like to support me!

Part of ‘Tis the Season for Smut 2.0 Content Creation Challenge, hosted by @voltage-vixen  [DAY 1] [DAY 2] [DAY 3] [DAY 4] [DAY 5] [DAY 6] [DAY 7] [DAY 8] [DAY 9] [DAY 10]

DAY 11 - Santa Claus is cumming to town

You already know Leon loves kids, but once the holidays draw near, you get to see just what the rest of the faction have been telling you about. The night before Christmas, while lying in bed with your boyfriend, he told you that he has one more surprise for you and that you're going with him in town the next day.

When the morning came, you woke up alone in his bed and started preparing for going out - expecting to meet Leon at the entrance, but instead there was… Santa Claus?!

"Leon what are you-"

"Hmm hmm…Santa Claus is coming to town~ ♪"

It's the only answer you get before Leon happily prompts you to link hands with him and go out. Seeing the large bag he carries over a shoulder, you already have an idea what this is all about.

 The day goes by with your face almost starting to hurt from smiling, the town folks' happiness contagious when they stop by to meet Santa. With you as his loyal helper, it's ensured that every poor kid in town gets to enjoy a little present - Leon just has to make sure no one tugs on his beard too hard to accidentally reveal that he is actually one of the kingdom's princes and not Santa…

 Before you know it, the already short day goes by - snowflakes starting to dance in the air and Leon telling you it's best to go back home before he can start getting worried about you catching a cold. Though, taking notice of how warm your hand is as he collects it in his bigger one, he smiles and makes a remark of how you probably had more fun than everyone else.

 The Santa outfit makes for a good disguise and is truly charming, but you just can't wait to take it off him already. Walking him backwards to bed and making him almost trip on his just-taken-off shoes, you make a quick work of undoing his belt while kissing his neck.

"Feisty…"

"Oh, shush now."

You're a little riled up of how the walk back home in the snow would have been perfectly romantic if Leon hadn't decided for it to suddenly take a different direction - by whispering naughty things in your ear. Thought the streets were deserted as people have already went home to celebrate, the way he squeezed your butt still got you blushing and yelling at him.

You climb up on the large bed, straddling him as buttons begin to come undone, when Leon interrupts and starts buttoning them up right after you.

"The way this is going, I'll definitely be late for family dinner with my brothers."

"Are you suggesting…?"

"Yeah, I'll just show up in this outfit."

"Oh my god." You don't know whether to shake your head or laugh at the thought of the other princes' reactions. You can see Clavis having a good laugh and maybe Jin suggesting he himself go change for solidarity, but safe for the two of them, you're not sure if this family dinner would last past the hors d'oeuvre…

"Let's just try to not wrinkle it too much, yeah? Can you do that? Or are those hips too impatient to ride the fuck out of me?"

"Shut up before I make you…"

The way he slaps and squeezes your hips to further emphasize his point, and you smile a little at how handsy he is acting today. Despite everything, you really do want him - just as he suggested, you crave of the hot pulse of his cock as it finally slides home inside you. You take it out of his pants in a hurry, sliding your hand into your own underwear to finger yourself ready for this thickness. You're not surprised to find yourself already wet, happy that for once you're not leaving the preparation in Leon's capable hands - else he'd definitely get distracted and therefore be late for the gathering.

"Wait, let me do it. Lay on top of me."

He still steals the sweetness of connecting the two of you, as you comply and fall on his chest, hands on either sides of his head. He reaches out behind you, sliding your underwear to the side and getting a grip of his aching hard cock. He rubs it on you for a moment, enjoying the mewling sounds you produce before thrusting his hips upwards and piercing your hole.

"Ahh- Oh god-"

"So big? You feel it in your guts?"

Your eyes fall tightly shut in embarrassment as Leon has the audacity to cite you word by word from previous…ahem, heated moments in the bedroom, especially your early ones. There is something unbelievably hot about quickies with him, because you haven't yet had the chance to get used with his dirty mouth by the time he fucks your brains out. And you love every word.

"Yes- Fuck me Leon, please-"

"Mmm, can't wait to fill you all up so I can lick it out of you later. I want you on my face so bad."

You shamelessly let yourself go and climax around his cock, hugging him with your walls tighter than ever and just hoping he'll comment on it… that's it, if he isn't too busy groaning out the warning for his own release.

…You're starting to have a feeling he will get banned from future family dinners, without a single regret at that. And there you thought your insides would get to rest for one night around the holidays…

Taglist: @arsnovacadenza @ale-teodora @kimi00twin @leonardoism @otomelady @privilegedpancake @g-kleran @thehappycat123 @pumpumnnnp  @thesirenwashere @theuwuisunreal @ravenarld @kyokirigiri-22 @kimmy-banana @btarinana @animeworldsposts @randomanimatedhusbandoseeker @galaxyprison @trishtori @sadshaxk @starshards26 @pro-cat-stination @acethephoenix256 @ikevamp-shrine-2 @judgemental-seal @nad-zeta @crystal13unny @keen19thcenturygoatsstudent @lordsister @ikemen-banshou @ikemenlover24 @themysticalbeing @canaria-blackwell @otome-scribbles  @rhodolitesrose @fun-ghoul-neela @salty-fed-up-bitch @coornn @toxiicmoron​ @kpop-and-otome​ @queen-dahlia​ @kisara-16​  @chaosangel767 ​ Please let me know if you want to be tagged/untagged!

#Ikemen Prince #IkePri #IkePri Leon #Ikemen Prince Leon #Leon Dompteur #IkePri smut #Ikemen Prince smut #IkePri fanfiction #Ikemen Prince fanfiction #tis the season for smut

[hoes4hoseok]

what was your first impression of your moots?

no one has ever sent me something anonymously wow thanks 👁️👄👁️ (also this gets off-topic and turns into a love distribution fest later so...)

if I'm being honest, i had already started a mf thanksgiving post but scrapped it bc I thought I could combine these two. I started writing this MID-NOVEMBER.

disclaimer: i didn't do every single one of my moots, bit I've been writing this for over a month so cut me some slack.

ALSO I have a ton of typos and switch between 1st and 2nd person multiple times so please excuse the terrible writing😭

&& before I begin, I'd like to thank everyone who was patient and caring while I was gone. it means a lot. I love you all, and happy holidays (and new year at this point💀) to everyone who celebrates!

okay! here we go:

@hanniiesuckle17 -> okay so I started by low-key binging her stray kids works and then was like '🤩 I have to comment, this is too good'. so I did, and she was like...the sweetest? fr I was so happy because I had never interacted here and was super awk. I truly appreciate how kind she was to me when I was still new to tumblr; it made me confident enough to interact with people more and I can't thank her enough for it 🥺💘

@hyukaite -> kat! AHHH I remember following you bc I saw one of your blue hour concept photo (?) edits and was like "🤩 I want more". and then you asked if anyone wanted to play among us a couple of days later and I said HELL YES and joined && it was prob my best decision of october lmao <3 I remember thinking that you prob didn't wanna talk to me though so 🙈. thank you for being so fun and always making me laugh w your clapped instagram reels! you're active so often and I love talking to you about the most random shit (even when we were faking 99% of what we were saying DNFJFKFKFK resin)

@unlocktxt -> I'mma start w how much I admire you bc...well, I REALLY DO—you're so carefree (when appropriate ʕ´•ᴥ•`ʔ) and on the first day we made au moas I remember feeling 1000% more comfortable after listening and watching you jam out to everlasting shine hehe. (I also rlly appreciate (and admire) that you're always the quickest to realize when someone feels uncomfortable and checking in when you can🥺)

@strykiss -> our friendship had a very ✨unique✨ start but hERE WE ARE. I literally just thought you were young. like. you radiated pure positive ((& baby)) vibes. OKAY in all seriousness, you bring positive energy w you wherever you go and I love that for you ( ◜‿◝ )♡. it makes me so happy when you start saying what ever amie-talk there is for the day, even when I'm just reading your conversations in our group. again, you're a constant energizer whether you're trying to playing some new game w kat and lexi or if you're just talking like you usually do. this felt super repetitive but I hope it gets the point across—ly amie!

@missskzbiased -> my mbti pal! I was surprised that someone actually wanted to talk to me DNFIFJFJ but I'm soooo glad we did. thank you for tagging me in tag games (&& not getting annoyed when I tag you in everything dncjfjcj) and being one of my first friends here🥰you're super sweet and I love interacting w you a lot🥺

@kkuming -> GIGI—well, there were a few things that I remember thinking upon meeting you, one of them being that you and kat were deadass soulmates😌like no joke you two got along so well so....anyways, you were also very sweet but I felt like your "I don't swear thing" was an act at the time LMAO

@yawnjunie -> blu! the mastermind who sensed my seokmin energy (still got no idea how you did it but 🧠). okay when we first started talking i thought you were hella smart for your age—at least, that's what I got from that first stats exchange lmao (you weren't very active back then either🗿 [december piper is cringing bc she's much worse] but ily anyways:D💕)

@softbbyg0rl -> YOU WERE ALWAYS SO SWEET (♡ω♡ ) ~♪ LIKE IDK I JUST REALLY LIKED YOU. you also had sick makeup and art skills and I always have thought that you're really pretty<3 also, I'm glad we started talking again recently and I hope we continue💘

#piper things #moots #lexi 🍓 #amie ❤️