#and here i am--barely a year later and i got commissioned to do art for the very singer i was in awe over * - *

[lovebirdgames]

To the ready...

This is my last devlog and final reflection before Band Camp Boyfriend releases. We started working on the game in 2015. We released the demo on Itch.io in 2018. We got our Steam page up in 2022. Now here we are in 2023, almost eight years later. We’ve been working towards this moment for eight years.

To be honest, it’s a little bit scary. My anxiety can’t help but whisper, “What if they hate it?” but thankfully logic growls back, “They won’t.” The most important thing is…I love it. I love it and I’m proud of it, and I’m here to reflect on everything and thank everyone for their hard work. Band Camp Boyfriend was once an idea in an instrument truck and today it is a reality thanks to you.

I may use “I” and speak from my perspective here, but I am only one half of the soul of this game. My sister’s heart, creativity, memories, and talents also make up Band Camp Boyfriend. She is just the shyer of the two of us and not as present on social media. So while I speak from my heart, know that it also comes from Alex’s.

Alex and I came up with the characters and stories together. We bounced ideas on band fields, long walks, and over coffee. There are so many warm moments of us barely able to detail our scene ideas in between peals of laughter. Together, we crafted it into better versions, constantly improving on it. As we worked, we covered for each other’s flaws. Alex is the perfectionist between the two of us and she is the more knowledgeable one when it comes to music, as she majored in it. She also was able to do the math and figure out the tough programming. Then she taught me—I am not the perfectionist, but I am the workhorse, the motivator. I am obsessed with checking things off my list and constantly working to whittle it down. And while her writing style is to carefully hone each paragraph, mine is to just devour. I sit down and I just write—though I like to say the characters write themselves. I’m just an invisible presence within the story, writing the scene as it plays out. If you know the characters deeply enough, you always know what they’re going to say next and your fingers fly across the keyboard just to keep up. But enough about me.

Band Camp Boyfriend is the kind of game that absolutely needs an original soundtrack and by God did Alex create an incredible one. The themes, the motifs, the fine details. She has put so much thought and hard work into the music of this game. I have no idea how she does it. It’s magical to me. It adds so much to the game and heightens the emotion by tenfold, and I can’t wait for you to hear each song—from “Let It Slide” to “Swan Song” to the full band performance of the alma mater and that final song in the credits. Every single song brims with Alex’s talent, passion, and hard work.

And honestly, I am blessed to have her as my sister and my best friend. Thank you, Alex, for sharing this journey with me.

One talent my sister and I do not share between us is digital art. We write, we program, she composes…but sprites, CGs, backgrounds, GUI? That’s not something we can do. So we commissioned artists we found on Lemmasoft Forum and I’m so grateful to have found them when we did.

Bunny, our background artist, created the entire world of Band Camp Boyfriend! She worked with us closely to make sure the details were right and was so sweet. It was so cool to be able to move around the world she created and help capture the shots that we wanted. Potouto (now Khoaisama) was also wonderful to work with. She is so full of talent and creates amazing, unique GUI for many different visual novels! Also, I love her enthusiasm. And our chibi artist, Mayunnaise, has created some of the most adorable chibis I’ve ever seen! Thank you all!

I want to say a special thanks to Flora, our sprite/CG artist who was so incredible to work with. She was patient, devoted, talented, and granted us art even better than we imagined…seriously, I would lose my mind over everything she sent us…but one of the best things we attained on this journey was certainly her friendship. Flora, you are a fantastic human being with a wonderful sense of humor! I’m glad you will finally, finally get to see your stunning art in action. Thank you for sticking with us as we kept spinning in circles. “Okay last round of CGs…actually, can you do one more round? Actually, just one more CG. I swear this time it’s the last one, I swear!” She also needs to be commended for her dedication to nailing all the detail on the instruments. That’s not easy to do. Flora, you rock. I hope you love the game.

Next, our stunning voice cast. They brought these characters to life in a way no one else could, better than we ever could have envisioned. Seriously. Their talent made me love these characters even more, which I didn’t realize was possible. I’m sorry for making you all wait for the game so long and I’m thankful you continued to reprise your roles throughout the years when we asked for more lines. Joe, Jonathan, Wish, Jared, Richard, Joseph, Mark, Emily, Melody, Daisy, Daniel, Lasli, Angelo, Riley, Sara, and Steve…thank you from the bottom of my heart for lending us your incredible talents. You are all spectacular voice actors and lovely people.

And I could never forget my fantastic friends who helped beta test the game! Becca, Karen, Kristin, Ross, Chris! Thank you all for lending your time and for being my friends through thick and thin. You each brought your own talents to testing and really helped me to clean up the game. Ross the genius also helped with programming and I am extremely grateful to him and his brilliant mind! Programming the Extras menu was no small feat and I don’t think we could have done it on our own and still met our deadline. Thank you so much for offering your time and working so hard.

We are sorry to cast, crew, and fans that creating the game took so long. This is a hobby and a passion rather than our full-time jobs, and you only have so much time for hobbies as an adult. Life can easily get in the way and we certainly faced our fair share of life changes and hurdles these past 8 years. We often beat ourselves up for not finishing the game in 2020 as we had initially hoped, but I believe this is what was meant to be. The game only got better. Some of the early story decisions make me cringe. Some of the writing I revisited was written by someone with less life experience and a bit tone-deaf on real issues so I was able to fix it. Most importantly, a final route (which was previously going to be DLC for later on) was added and wraps up the game wonderfully. Band Camp Boyfriend was meant to be released in 2023.

I want to thank both of my parents for their unending support through it all. Our dad helped us with the business side of things, getting the game copyrighted, and the joy of taxes. He wholeheartedly supports us in whatever we do, though he is a tad skeptical that a game called Band Camp Boyfriend will sell many copies…so we’re gonna surprise him, right guys? :)

As for my mom…I owe the fact that the game is finally on the cusp of being released to her. She has been our biggest supporter and fan. She has spent hours helping us program and running tests on the game. Until the very last minute, she scraped through the game to make sure there was no crashing. Before that, around two years ago, she sat me down and asked what she could do to help see this special game finally become a reality. It was a major turning point and we owe her so much. Her love of the game kept us going.

Love you both more than words can say. <3

Finally, I want to thank all of the people who have contributed to the wonderful memories and hilarious quotes that have found their way into Band Camp Boyfriend. The three different marching bands I was lucky to be apart of. And to my favorite, hilarious band director and my wise, gentle French horn teacher, who are no longer of this world…thank you for fostering in me a strong love for music, for seeing a talent in me that I couldn’t always see, and for building me into a stronger person. You both left this life too soon, but your impact in so many lives remains. I wish I could show you the game Alex and I created, the game that you helped inspire, and make you smile one more time.

I know some people will look at the hokey title and think it’s just another dating sim, just another gimmicky game, but to some of you, I hope it will be much more than that. As it is to me. It brims with a life of experiences. But not just mine—I’m sure so many of us who have worn a marching band uniform have had the same experiences. And through these experiences, we are connected.

I’ll say it once again, even though it won’t be the last time you hear this: Thank you for playing Band Camp Boyfriend. I dearly, truly hope you love it. I hope the game makes you smile, makes you laugh, makes you cry, and I hope you carry the characters, their lessons, and their story in your heart long after you get that final CG. I’ve carried Band Camp Boyfriend with me for almost eight years; I am so ready to share it with you.

See you at band camp.

-Taylor

#final reflection #game development #devlog #band camp boyfriend

[sleepyselkiesketches]

I wanted to do a big piece to wrap up my year solidly, and here it finally is! I forget when I had the idea, but I really wanted to draw the ocs who had physical effects on my life all in one place. This has been a few months of work, and I may not be quite finished with it, but I have alas run out of time if I want to meet my deadline XD

More info on how important these characters have been to my life under the cut, cause that stuff’s Personal

Joy was my very first oc. The one that showed me just how much my imagination could Do, how far it could go. The one that gave me something to really write about, so I discovered my passion for writing and spent Years learning everything I could about writing and books. I don’t think anything will ever top how good my first rush of inspiration felt. None of my other ocs would exist without her paving the way. She even ended up being the reason I picked the college that I did, so many years later.

Arrow introduced me to online spaces, and helped me work through the concept of trauma and mental health. She carried me through a really hard transition, though I didn’t realise it at the time. She gave me a safe way to dip into my harsher emotions without self destructing. I learned so much about my own values and my mind from her. Honestly I’d rather not get into exactly what my experience with her was, it’s so cringy (to give you a hint, she was my online-sona) XD Out of all of them, I think she has changed the most and really gives me a sense of how far I’ve come

Kai is one of the main reasons I conquered my social anxiety, and managed to coast through my worst depression period. There are so so many experiences I never would've gotten without him. I am so much braver and kinder to myself for his existence. He sort of picked up where Joy left off, inso far as filling me with joy and inspiration again, and expanding my imagination and writing skills. Plus it was the first time I got to really experiment and branch out with character design (ie. There are more outfits out there than just tank tops XD)

And Ebony... aaahhh, Ebony. The whole reason my tumblr is what it is today. The reason I really became an Artist, and even got commissions! They led me to my partner, to my gender, and to so many dear online friends. Years of digital art and practice, all because of Ebony. Half of the art gifts I’ve gotten are of them! I can’t even keep track of all the ways they've affected the course of my life, like just my partner Alone completely changed everything for me

I can barely begin to scratch the surface of every small way these characters physically impacted my life. No shade to my other ocs XD

#Can you see the theme with my characters XD #god Kai stands out so badly #You get 3 guesses for what my favorite color is XD #yeah wow this really tacks my creative and emotional history from ages 10-19 #This really feels like a piece I'll want to re-do like 10 years down the line #I haven't drawn Joy in uhh... well over 6 years #I may or may not have cried seeing her again #I still vividly remember the moment she came into my mind #it was like my whole world suddenly becoame so much Brighter #and I knew who I was in this world with no shadow of doubt #Arrow was a different story XD #quite a bit bittersweet #ig getting to show care to that version of me #I also did her last cause I realised that I wanted to move forward from the tank top XD #it's my guyyyyyssss #sleepyselkiesketches #can't wait for the day I actually do good shading XD #ocs #Ebony #Kai #Arrow #Joy #yknow maybe drawing my mostly brown and green ocs in a forest was not the best move XD #....actually I'm suddenly struck by how you can see my energy decline through the characters #from climbing trees to leaning to sitting to reclining #....huh

[crystalcatgamer]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tag by @havenotwillnotreadthebooks, lo, Kefi!

How many works do you have on AO3?

122 🎵 I’ve orphaned and deleted a few along the years, though.

What fandoms do you write for?

Uhhhh. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (ORV), Boboiboy, Jujutsu Kaisen and more. Currently really, really fixated on One Piece though I haven’t written fic yet, but am cooking so much toxic doomed brothers food (Donquixote Bros)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Vis la goddamn DSMP phase always going to be my biggest mark in the world. Excluding discontinued fics and stuff I’m not happy with anymore for now…

Run, run (Here comes the boy) 1415 kudos

May the odds (Be ever in your favour) 1203 kudos

There are days where I don’t know the person in the mirror (And there are days I don’t care) 1161 kudos

Hold you in my hands like hot tea 1155 kudos

Knowing I’m safe cause you want me 1052 kudos (A sequel to fourth place!)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I respond to every single comment I can, though sometimes I might miss some! I’ll catch them months later lmao. It’s always fun to chat with ppl about what’s in my fic

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I’ll call out your name, but you won’t call back. This is an ORV fic, doomed Doksoo (beloved) and since it’s canon compliant… yeah. ‘Twas full of angst that came from love.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

The deep blue of summer nights. This was a cute ORV fic born of me wanting to write Secretive Plotter’s birthday being celebrated by ABFD, SWK and Uriel! They’re my fav rare dynamic

Do you get hate on fics?

I think the closest I got was some discourse on my DSMP fic? To be expected, and it was cleared up soon enough!

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I did like years ago lmao, tucked into the depths of the internet. Definitely not on main, for this is a family friendly account sir. It was fun in a way but also I hated writing it most of the time??? More of a reader than a writer I would say. As for what kind… while, I wrote what I liked ☆

Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I HAVE THREE (3) CROSSOVERS AND THEY’RE BOTH WITH JUJUTSU KAISEN. Maybe I’m more insane over JJK then I thought I was. In my defence they’re easy to cross. Okay so basically my craziest one is this ORV X JJK one (Something blue, something new) in which I wrote the ship Kim Dokja x Gojo Satoru because I was commissioned to

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope and I hope I never do!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have not, but as long as people ask first I’m always open to it.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

A FNAF fic I wrote with Kefi (the one who pinged me for this game): Many vegetables, one soup, and a work full of original poems with @thenamelesshaven: You are made of the sea and the stars (and one day you are going to find yourself again)

What’s your all time favourite ship?

[glances at my art gallery] Recently, LawLu from One Piece and… Sharron/Maric from Lord Of The Mysteries

What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

We Shouldn’t Be This Kind Of Tired At Our Age! An ORV fic featuring Yoo Mia witnessing Yoo Joonghyuk’s changes with every turn!

What are your writing strengths?

Uhhhh. Being able to churn out stuff at the speed of light. And writing angst (lol)

What are your writing weaknesses?

Actually having a proper outline, ehe. It’s why I usually write one-shots.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Uhhhh I? Might do it some day? I’m just a bilingual guy who barely passed Chinese. It’s cool when other people who know what they’re writing about do it in their fics tho.

First fandom you wrote for?

Ehe. VIS LA BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA (MY HERO ACADEMIA) but the fic’s been orphaned to the void ✌🏻

Favourite fic you’ve written?

Woah. Tough question, scrambling for it… this one! when I look in his eyes, well, I just see the sky. It’s a Black Butler fic I wrote recently for Whumptober (2023), Elizabeth Midford centric! I love her a lot <3

#got a game for me #my family gets a personal tag #my writing #orv #fic

[ejga-ostja]

Long time no post

HEYA I’ve been silent for like. 3 months OOP so I wanna talk about why that has been and what I wanna do with this account in the future.

(TLDR at the end of the post)

I originally made this account for Megamind posts only and the reason I’ve gone silent is because I’ve lost interest in it. It may seem strange to be talking about this as extensively as I am, but this obsession has been more than just a phase to me, it’s almost felt like a relationship. Which is why I don’t wanna leave it behind without saying anything, it feels only right to address it and talk about what it has meant to me. It’s brought me countless hours of pure joy, it’s given me a kick-start for commission work, it reignited my passion for drawing unlike anything else, it’s introduced me to the kindest community I’ve ever met, including someone I consider to be a potential lifetime-long friend. Those are the main things but I could go on and on about all the other tiny wonders that came with it. But as far as my interests go, I tend to experience them strongly and briefly, so no obsession lasts, and when I got terribly sucked into Megamind, I knew that I’d fall out of it someday. The obsession has been fading since November, the announcement of the sequel show reignited it, but then some personal circumstances in April finally completely pushed me out of it.

But I am grateful, I’m happy for all the good things that this wonderful movie has brought to my life, and I’m especially happy that I still love it. The obsessive part is over but Megamind will forever hold a very special place in my heart bc loving this movie has been unlike anything I’ve experienced before. But this isn’t a sappy ‘Goodbye Megamind’ post as much as it is a sappy ‘See you later alligator (Megamind)’ post bc I assume I’m gonna come back to it once the show comes out ;>

Which brings me to the next reason this post exists, the future of this account. I originally intended this to be a Megamind only account and keep it as an archive of my obsession even after I’d move on, but truth be told, I really really don’t feel like making and growing another account x_x So, as it is, from now on, non-Megamind art will be posted here as well.

Thank you for all the love you’ve given my fanart, after years of focusing on OC content and getting barely any feedback, I’d forgotten how awesome it is to see how happy your art can make people :D So again, thank you, I really really appreciate it <33

TLDR:

- I’ve lost the passion fuelling my insane Megamind obsession, which means (probably) no more Megamind posting and fanart, at least until the show comes out.

- Despite originally creating this account to be exclusively Megamind focused, I’ve decided to use it as my main Tumblr art account. Going forward, expect other art as well.

#FDL

[dzpenumbra]

8/26/22

I'm in a bad mood today. I wonder why. The aftermath of the big fight yesterday, it all starts setting in. I barely got anything done today and I'm really pretty pissed about that. I was planning on making my second hand-polished stone wire-wrapped jewelry piece today, my first *original* one. As an artist, it often feels like fraud to do someone's tutorial and just put embellishments on it. I feel like once someone finds out I went to college for art and I've been an artist for like... 15 years... the bar is raised just a tad bit more for me. Maybe I do that to myself, it can be hard to discern what's potential judgement from others and what's imposter syndrome shit. But seeing the gleam fade out of someone's eyes after you tell them you followed a youtube tutorial is just really crappy.

So yeah, today I tried to do an original wire-wrap. It was rife with fuck-ups the whole time. It took me like 3-4 hours of finding the right tools - I was trying to find a clamp for the wires so I could braid them, ended up using the clamp on my streaming mic. A lot of do-overs and stabbed fingers later, I got something thrown together. I think it's pretty bad. I mean, it's not horrible, but I think it's just aesthetically very scattered, thrown together and sloppy. I know I can do much better. But as for it as an isolated piece, I put it aside to check out again after I sleep on it.

Every time I have a massive fight, my self esteem is crushed. I wonder why, it was barely a fight at all. It was me flailing while my head was being held underwater. I barely even raise my voice anymore, it's all just like... pathetic begging, occasional crying episodes, desperately trying to fix things, trying to get to an understanding. It's pretty much always about my life, my problems, my struggles, my flaws, my weaknesses. And typically it happens when I'm asking for help with them. This is a very well-defined pattern, with mountains of history. When I have a problem that I need help with, I get the first thought that pops into that person's head. No checking what options I've tried, no research, no questions asked, just "here's what you do." If I disagree - that's being way too generous... - if I don't accept, praise and thank them, regardless of whether the help is... helpful. Or even possible. It is a guaranteed conflict.

I had this problem with both of my parents, with several friends, with my brother. In fact, it seems like it's most of my fights honestly, the more I look at it. Wow, this is actually pretty eye opening, I'm glad I wrote about this tonight, in a weird way. I am pretty regularly in need, I really don't have much... at all. I have very little money, social contact, things going on, extra hands to get things done. My life is typically very quiet and empty. There's always room for more, there is TONS of room in my life for cool people who care about me. I only leave my house to go hiking alone. I rarely see people at all. I live alone with my cat. Like... there's fucking plenty of room for people to be helpful in a wide variety of ways.

What I get is fucking lectures. What I get is "what I would do", typically unsolicited. And if I don't like it, if I ask for more options, if I even try to just modify what they offered, they get pissed. They take personal offense, as though I was talking to them about something they specialize in. It's fucking so strange.

So yesterday and today I was told how to run my business by the two people I interact with. My whole social world. Neither of them have worked in a creative field, neither of them have tried to sell their own art or music, neither of them have gotten me paid commissions, and neither have started their own business. In fact, both of them have told me outright that they don't even fully understand how some of the digital platforms I use work or why I use them. Yet they speak to me with authority, and act defensive when I question it. To put this in perspective, if I really felt like I needed to set my business in stone, it would've been founded in 2009. That means that I have been working in this field for 13 years. I've had a few breaks, but honestly not too many.

What's going on here? Well, my best guess is that neither of them are appreciated fully by those around them. So they come to me, a fountain of hope and optimism, dragging myself through broken glass with two broken legs towards the life I deserve. So they see an opportunity, someone is asking them for something. They get excited, they offer insight. And I... reject it. The beggar is choosing. Instead of trying to explore any other options, it goes immediately to this place that starts like "oh, you must not understand how this all works, let me explain", and then, when I explain my actual first hand experience in the field, it shifts to "oh, you're challenging me?" And that's typically where the bell rings and they start seeing red and swinging. So that's where I get really doe eyed and start apologizing and tip-toing like I'm sneaking across the DMZ.

I learned a lot of stuff from therapy and mental health workshops and stuff over the years. The big one that changed literally everything about my social persona was just learning how to push through the shame of asking for help. My entire career just never went anywhere because I was too proud, too "I'll just do it myself, I'll figure it out, I don't want to bother people" to ask for help. I had a weed freakout where I thought I was dying, legitimately 100% believed it, saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and I didn't call anyone. Didn't want to bother anyone, didn't want to stress them out, they're going through enough. That was a wake-up call to me that there was something really wrong with me. My shame was so powerful that it could potentially prevent me from getting medical help when my life was in danger. And it had in the past.

I learned how to ask for help, and also how to say "no". I fucking suck at saying no. I hate it. Especially when someone is doing something they're going to regret, and I know it. Because it just offers them a scapegoat on a silver platter. I'm the bad guy who said "no", so what they did actually wasn't a bad thing, I was just being mean or stupid or forgetful or didn't understand them or something.

So the demons I need to keep working on are, of course, pride and shame. I need to get my confidence back, pronto. I need to be okay with embarrassing myself and failing. I need to seek out real support and say no to lectures and debates from those who just sorta want to change my plans. Especially when they know very little about my plans and are not asking any questions or really showing much interest.

If someone in a position of support is not trying to understand your perspective and situation when you're asking for help, but instead is just telling you what to do, just... take a step back from that. I think. Maybe change the topic or something? I don't know man, it's really easy to combat this stuff within my own head, but doing it with other people is really tough. #isolationproblems. If my anxiety is just superficially judging a situation and telling me to give up or freak out, I sit down and get that fucker to ask some questions, to learn more, then start floating solutions. So, when other people superficially judge my situation and tell me to give up or do it their way, I just try to explain myself. Ugh, this is sad, I'm cutting myself off, I don't want to keep reliving this.

You can work on your own problems, but you can't work on others' problems. So what do you do when you have the demons of others on one side, and complete social isolation on the other?

You go out and make some friends. Any tips on where someone in their mid-30's (who's not really on social media besides doing this and posting on Instagram like once a month and doesn't go to bars and shit) goes to make new friends? Preferably digitally? I'm legit open to anything now, as long as those people have love in their hearts. I'm not sure if Bumble is the right call, it never seems to be.

I am overdue for that trip to the skatepark...

I hope tomorrow brings you and I some peace and joy, the world needs more of it.

#diary #journal #stream of thoughts #mental health #spilled thoughts

[mochipon-vt]

so here's the deal...

i really really really hate coming on anywhere and fussing, ranting or lamenting about things but… i'm extremely stressed, frustrated and upset.

my main pc is fucked, apparently. for the past 3 months, i've been working off of my old, dinosaur aged pc (it's 10+ years old, barely works, has trouble booting etc) ever since my newer pc started having serious issues. over this past weekend, i was finally able to take it the shop and get it looked at. they informed me a day later that one of the ram sticks was bad (as my partner had already suspected) and i was charged 100 bucks for this discovery, that i had to borrow from my parents.

they voicemail that i had received informing me of the issues found, that if i wanted repairs, it would cost 40 bucks alone for install + whatever price i chose to spend for new ram stick(s), however, once i visited the store to actually SPEAK to someone (their phone system is trash and no one would answer/return my call), i was told any parts install would cost SIXTY bucks instead and offered new parts costing from 100-120 in range, which would ultimately make the total cost + the 100 for diagnosis, close to 200 bucks.

my partner says that's a ridiculous price to pay for something that can be popped in and out to replace but unfortunately, i'm not very knowledgeable about hardware and hardware installation so i don't feel confident in going in there myself and replacing it/them even if i got my hands on new parts and we are also long distance so he's not able to do the install for me.

what i thought should be 'thankfully', the shop took out the 'bad' stick and i was told i should be able to bring my pc home and use it RELATIVELY normally without replacing it at this time, it just would not be able to run at the same capacity as it could have if it had both sticks of ram installed. at this time, it's worked for a total of.. a day and a half normally and without issue before having the same major issues again; web browser/tabs crashing, apps fully crashing or not operating (discord is currently a blank/grey window for me right now and i have to use the browser app to even use it), inability to install anything and finally, a full blue screened pc crash; so now i'm assuming BOTH sticks were bad and the brand installed is trash. (i do not know the brand of any parts installed in my pc as my ex purchased them all months before our relationship ended)

so what's the point i'm trying to get to?

i'm in desperate need of some money. i'm a disabled, unemployed person who my parents basically resent for needing their support for survival and i've been trying VERY hard to work towards making ANY kind of income from my creative skills in order to start saving up to attempt to move out of my parents' home and across several states to live my partner as, after being kicked out and left by my ex, has landed me in yet another home that doesn't respect or treat me fairly and takes a toll on my mental health/stress and motivation/focus on a daily basis. the added daily stress of not knowing if my (EXPENSIVE) devices are reliable and functioning has made it extra difficult to stay focused and motivated to keep moving towards my goals.

i currently have no financial nor food security as my parents often (intentionally) leave me out of meals, don't allow me any cash to go shop for myself and tell me to get a job, on the rare occasions i do happen to ask for 5-10 bucks for some dinner, same as they did when i asked for them to help me repair a device that COULD be a job for me if i could just get it back to working condition.

i am VERY new to doing commissions and i understand it does take some time to establish a good work flow + trustworthy reputation as a commission artist but i am determined to work hard and as efficiently as possible to provide clients with the best possible work i can produce. i am NOT, however, new to the art market world as i've had many mutuals and friends who have had commission shops or have gone on to produce their own physical merchandise so i've had many years of observing the processes and progressions.

at this current time, i'm considering setting aside my plans for vtuber development i had for this year which would have included working on small, 'mini' debuts leading up to a larger, legit debut as i progressed to learn to make my own environment overlays and assets + relearning live2d skills to rig my own model, to solely focus on constantly making art to showcase my skills for hire. i am also considering, after polishing up my commissions page more, including smaller, bonus arts with larger piece purchases as a small thank u for people helping me gain work and funds for my needs.

i'm just.. really drained and tired of prolonged issues taking a toll on me, both general life things i've experienced most my life and now these frustrating tech problems that i hope would have been non-existent with a newer pc as i had been experiencing many troubles with my old pc for years (this new pc is only a year old). i'm ready to be able to have peace in my life and to focus on things that are fulfilling to me and bettering skills that bring me joy.

#mochi.txt #vent #commissions #commissions open #boost #signal boost

[snowmuttgetsweird]

5/2/23, late morning

Been a minute.

I've mostly just been too occupied to really post here- not all bad stuff, some good stuff. Between work and play, I've been too tired to type most evenings, so I'm just taking a little time out of my morning while I sip some coffee to journal a bit.

I've been working really hard to try to catch up on commission stuff. A couple months ago I had like, a two-week long burnout where I BARELY worked at all- and if I did it was like, the absolute bare minimum, at a snail's pace. Since then I've been paying for it- I end up working on the PREVIOUS month's commissions during the time I need to be taking NEW work for the NEXT month's rent, plus Patreon Mini Commissions (I still need to do those for April in fact), and it kinda just keeps snowballing. I AM further along with commissions this time around than last month though, so I AM starting to actually catch up with my workload. It helps that my clients have been very patient with me, I'm so thankful for that. I'm glad they can be so confident that I WILL get their art done given the time to do so, and that they're willing to wait. I guess that's just the fruits of my hard work to ensure that's the truth of things. I ALWAYS finish the piece. I had one slip on that like two years ago and I made a personal vow never to let it happen again. Trello helps with that.

Besides work, I'm trying to still make time for play.

I DID make enough to buy the Digimon cards I wanted- about $45 bucks worth, so that's really cool. Digimon is nice, specifically because it's one of the cheaper TCGs I can play. I've mostly abandoned Yugioh because of the price tag. Initially I started playing Gallantmon because of the structure deck when I was first getting into the game, and since then I've stuck with it and haven't bothered to build anything else. Being a lower-tier/rogue deck, it's on the cheaper side even by Digimon standards as long as I don't invest in alternate art cards. In addition to that, being a popular, main character digimon, Gallantmon will likely, consistently, receive more support throughout the game's lifespan, so I should consistently have opportunities to expand and evolve the deck as long as the game goes on. Even if it's mid now, statistically, it'll likely get enough support to become genuinely strong later. Plus, Guilmon is just an absolute cutie.

That aside, a good friend of mine gave me the money to just straight up buy Resident Evil 4 Remake. He was enjoying it so much, knew I wanted it, and knew I wouldn't be able to afford it myself for quite some time, that he basically just bought it for me, so I've been playing that most evenings after work. It's /really/ good, and really I couldn't imagine a better game to invest in. RE4 has always had really good replay value, and the same can be said for REm4ke. I plan to play the game over and over for a while.

I've also been trying to learn chess on the side. I've always been interested in chess and enjoyed playing, but I'm quite bad and never really put time or effort into studying openings or anything. At this point in my life, with so much going on, I'm not sure I have the time to dedicate to it AND my other hobbies.

My roommate's birthday is coming up. I'd love to buy them something, but that might be out of the question, so I'm thinking of doing some art, getting it printed and framed, and gifting them that. I've got an idea for a three-piece suite I'd like to do maybe that could display well on a wall or atop a shelf- SFW, of course.

Uhh I think that's it for now, I'm not sure what else to say. I don't really have anything else going on, I'm just working and playing games. That never really changes lol.

TTYL.

[ipxakachi]

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card - "Rewind" | ENGLISH Ver | AmaLee & Brandon McInnis

#I mADE ART FOR AMALEE #IM STILL YEETING #These two are the official VAs in the CSCC dub for Akiho and Kaito --!! #Fun fact: Brandon also voices Samon Gokuu from Nanbaka-- aka the monkey guard BHJKDFGJKDFJK #God i hadnt drawn this much of the same charas in so long omf #I remember watching singers like Amalee and being in awe over their videos and the artists that got feat. #and here i am--barely a year later and i got commissioned to do art for the very singer i was in awe over * - * #hhhHHHHHHHHHHJGFJKFJKGFK #CRI #IM STILL SO EXCITE #i love being apart of these videos so much ; ; #It's such an honorrrr #//lays on the floor #video #commish art #card captor sakura #card captor clear

[babycharmander]

If you think you have never stolen artwork, read this post.

So, art theft. If you've been a follower of mine, you've heard my barely-coherent rants about this before, but I thought it might be more productive to make a more coherent post on the subject.

If you're wondering about the title of the post here, it's because I feel like a lot of people aren't really grasping what exactly art theft is, and a LOT of people, even well-meaning ones, do it without even realizing it.

"But wait," you say. "I would never STEAL from an artist!! I never claim it as my own!" And that's all fine and good, but you're missing something here.

To start things off, what IS art theft? (It's not what deviantART said it was several years back, I'll tell you that much. *cough*)

We all know what art is, so let's talk about theft. Dictionary.com defines "theft" as "the act of stealing; the wrongful taking and carrying away of the personal goods or property of another; larceny." Okay, makes sense, but what about that other word there, stealing? Dictionary.com defines "steal" as "to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right, especially secretly or by force."

From those definitions, we can go on to define art theft as, specifically, "taking art without permission or right." In the context of art, that typically involves reposting it (not reblogging--reblogging is different) or using it for other things.

And there, my friends, is the issue.

If something is taken or used without permission, it is stolen. Permission is the important thing here--if an artist says "oh yeah, you can go ahead and use this!" then it's not stolen. You have their permission. But if you DON'T have that, then it IS stolen. It IS theft.

"But I'm not claiming it as my own!" you say. But you don't have to claim it as your own--the act of taking it in and of itself is an act of theft.

"But I said 'credit to the artist!'" The "credit" thing is a whole other conversation, but here's the short of it: The entire point of credit is to direct people to the source of something. If you are not directly linking to where you got the art from, you are not giving credit. "Credit to the artist" is not actually credit of any kind whatsoever. (Also, Google and Pinterest are not sources.)

"But I DID link back to the artist!" Okay, now this is where it may get confusing, because you may think you're covered because you actually did give credit. Here's the problem: if you reposted it or used it without permission, regardless of whether you gave credit or not, it's still stealing.

I'm bolding this because it's a point that a lot of people get tripped up on. Let me explain it this way: If you went into your neighbor's house and took something of theirs without their permission, but you told people "oh yeah, I got this from [neighbor]'s house!" that that would still, of course, be stealing, and it's no different for art.

Another thing is that even when you credit, people don't always check the source. Very recently I found a case where someone had reposted a piece of artwork of mine to Pinterest that was deliberately made to look like it came from the source material (it wasn't meant to confuse anyone, though--the description of my original post made it very clear that it was fanart). The person who reposted had linked back to my original post. The problem? The comments had people asking if this was official, where it happened in the source material, etc. Despite the fact that the source was right there, no one thought to look at it.

Even if you link back to the source, if you did it without the artist's permission, it's still stealing, and still causes problems for us artists.

"But I just posted it to my Pinterest--" DO NOT DO THIS. DO NOT POST AN ARTIST'S WORK TO PINTEREST IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THEIR EXPLICIT PERMISSION TO DO SO.

"But this artist friend of mine says they're okay if I post their work to my Pinterest so long as I link back to them!" Good for your friend! But the fact that your friend is okay with it doesn't mean that all artists are okay with it. For me, personally, I am very not okay with my work being posted to Pinterest, and say as much on my art blog description and posts (which people tend to ignore).

The problem with Pinterest--and reposting art in general--is that we artists don't know when it happens unless we're told, or unless we find it ourselves. It causes us to lose control of our art. And because of this, our art can spiral further out of our control, because when our works get posted to Pinterest or other similar websites, people who have no grasp whatsoever on how art works will just take it as "free art" and then use it for whatever they want.

That's how a piece I spent 20+ hours on was used as a poster for a paid event, without my permission, and without any payment or credit to me.

If an artist has said nothing about Pinterest (or other similar image sharing sites), your default should be to assume that they don't want their artwork posted there.

"Well I didn't repost someone's art, but I did use it for my avatar/RPing icon/video/fic cover/photo edit--" That's still stealing. If you're using it without their permission for any reason, that is stealing. Not to mention, the artist may not be cool with what you're using their art for anyway. (Looking at you, people who use platonic art in your shipping videos.)

“I MEANT to ask them for permission, but I forgot!” This can ONLY happen if you used the artwork BEFORE you asked for permission. You can resolve this by asking for permission BEFORE you use it, rather than assuming the answer will be “yes” and using it before asking.

"But it took me a really long time to make that icon/video/cover/edit!!" How long do you think it took the original artist to draw their piece? It doesn't matter how much work you put into modifying someone else's art--if you're doing it without their permission, you're still stealing.

"But I couldn't find the original artist! I tried to find them, I really did, but I couldn't. Is it okay to use their art then?" No, because you still don't have permission, and by reposting it anyway, you’re continuing to make the artwork spiral out of their control.

"What if I found the artist, but they speak a different language from mine? I can't ask them for permission, so is it okay if I repost their art anyway?" NO!! DO NOT DO THIS!! If there is a language barrier, use Google translate or find someone to translate for you and get a hold of the artist that way to ask them for their permission. The language barrier is NEVER an excuse to steal artwork. There are plenty of non-English-speaking artists who have taken ALL OF THEIR ARTWORK OFFLINE because the art theft was completely out of control. (And this isn't just exclusive to English-speakers stealing art from people who don't speak their language. It happens artists who don't speak English stealing art from English-speakers, too, but as this post is written in English it doesn't do much good for me to rant about this here.) If you can’t ask their permission, do not use it!!

"But what about reblogging?! Isn't that the same as reposting?? Should we not reblog art at all then?" No, reblogging (or retweeting) is not the same as reposting. If you reblog art, you keep all the information that we attached to the art, including our blog name and the description attached to the art. Reblogging/retweeting actually helps us artists A LOT, so as long as you're reblogging from the original artist (and not someone who's reposting their art), by all means, reblog our art!

"What if I just want to share someone else's artwork on Discord or show it to a friend?" This one's a bit different and is not actually as problematic. If you want to share our work on Discord or whatever, just link directly to where we posted it. Please don't post the art itself, unless you're doing it alongside a link because Discord won't show a preview or something.

"What about a forum or a site like Reddit?" This one's a bit different, since due to the way Reddit functions, if you LINK to the art, you have to go directly to the artist's original page to view it. (At least, that’s what it’s like the last time I was active there.) In a way it's roughly the same as with Discord--be sure you're linking directly to the actual post rather than just uploading the art on its own--but I would also ask the artist if they're okay with it, because they may be a member of the subreddit or forum and want to post it themselves, or they might not want their work shared to specific communities. (Some communities have a function where a bot will repost the artwork to Imgur, and some artists don't want that done with their art.)

"What if I'm saving it to my computer/phone to look at later, or making it into my desktop/phone wallpaper?" IMO this is fine, since your computer/phone files aren't public, and neither is your wallpaper. It's only a problem when you post it to public places without our permission.

"What if it's art I commissioned?" Well... like... in that case, it's art you paid for, so unless the artist you commissioned laid out very specific terms for you, you should be good to use that art. Like, at most, the artist may ask you to credit them somewhere in your blog description if they drew your icon or something, or credit them in a fic description if you commissioned a fic illustration from them, or something to that effect. It's really something you should have already worked out with the artist beforehand, but for the most part you should probably be fine to use art you paid for however you like.

"What about art I requested?" This is a bit different from commissioned work. Just because the art was drawn at your request doesn't mean it's explicitly yours (unless it's like, a drawing of your original character or something). Some artists take requests more as suggestions, so the art they draw in response to a suggestion or request is still theirs. Treat this as you would any other artwork and ask the artist for permission first before you do anything with the artwork you requested from them.

“What about NFTs?” ... Okay this one I can’t really go over too much because I barely understand it in the first place, but NFTs are BAD for artists and are a form of art theft. Do not turn people’s art into NFTs. This is a crappy thing to do. (If you want more information on this one, you’ll have to look it up yourself. It’s a form of cryptocurrency and it’s confusing.)

“If you don’t want your art stolen you shouldn’t post it in the first place.” This is fascinating logic. Try applying it to something else and see how it holds up. “If you don’t want your merchandise stolen, you shouldn’t open a booth.” “If you don’t want to get poisoned you shouldn’t eat food.” “If you don’t want to get punched in the face, don’t walk outside.” Yes. Flawless logic. Truly.

"Why do you care so much, anyway?! I'm sharing your art because I like it! That's a compliment! Shouldn't you be happy?" Well, we're certainly glad you like our art, but the problem is... as I've said before, reposting our art causes us to lose our control over it. When we lose control of our art, that damages our livelihood. As I said before, other people have made money off of my artwork. As well, some artists lose jobs because when their potential employers check out their portfolio, they may find artwork that's been reposted everywhere online, so they cannot hire the artist because they believe they may have stolen the artwork in their own portfolio.

Your reposting an image you thought was cute to Facebook or Pinterest could cost an artist their job. Think about that.

So, tl;dr, keep this in mind: you need the artist's permission to repost or use their artwork. If you do not have it, it is stealing, even if you credit the artist.

I know this post is really harsh in places, but this is such an important thing for all artists, and there's so many misconceptions about art theft online. And I feel like one of the biggest problems is that when some people see posts on art theft, they ignore them, because they think they've never done it or would never do it, so that's why I worded this post the way I did. I'm not trying to hurt anyone--I just want people to understand what art theft is, how it affects us artists, and how you can avoid it. Thank you for reading.

#long post #psa #drawing #art theft

[contorted-curruptions]

*-Mug Shot-*-Poly KiriBaku X reader-*-part one-*

Note: Surprise Saturday, I got carried away with the story and thought it might be best to section it off in two parts so you’ll be getting this one and another post tomorrow peeps, I hope you enjoy my first attempt at a story like this one. Smut is not in this one so if you are looking for that you’ll find it tomorrow, until then please feel free to enjoy this. Also all characters are aged up and the time the story takes place is when they are already pro heroes, so keep that in mind.

=============================================================

Running, running, the sound of bare feet harshly pounding across the hard surface of the ground below. The pavement cold and merciless on your bare feet, you feel the damage from all the running with no shoes.  As you run the sound of your terror echoes out across the soundless night, the streets so empty, not like how they usually are in the daytime. Not a soul will hear you and if they do it’ll be a little too late. It’s dark and only the street lights give you any semblance of where you are going. You hear and feel your heartbeat pounding away in your chest, that feeling becoming more painful with each pound. You feel yourself falter a bit more but you can’t afford to stop, can’t afford to stop running even for a minute. You know they have to be hot on your tail, know they won’t waste time in giving chase once they know you have fled the scene, that most horrifying scene that you left behind. The images flash through your mind as you ran churning your stomach and bringing fresh tears to your eyes. You stifle a sob but that makes your chest clench most painfully but worst of all in this panic while you turn into an alleyway you haven’t noticed the glass scattering across the entrance of the alley. Though you become sorely aware of it once your feet make contact with the shards causing you to let out a scream at the pain shooting through the fresh wounds the glass makes. You wind up tumbling to the ground, you scuff up your hands and knees as you make contact earning more painful noises from you. You fell unceremoniously on the ground in a small heap. Those sobs you kept in achingly inside your chest burst out and you howl out, hot tears now streaming down your face.

For a moment you lose your resolve while you lay there in that heap on the pavement. The pain from all the running through the city catching up with you. Your breathing erratic and you are finding it hard to catch the breath that you lost during this chase. You feel dizzy, your entire body aching in agony, and for this time all you can focus on is the sheer panic coursing through your entire form. You need to get up, need to, have to, you can’t just keep lying like this out in the open, they’ll find you. Another surge of adrenaline gives you the energy you need, you rise to your feet and start running again. You are ignoring the pain in your feet and in other areas of your body which is over-exhausting. You’re Focusing on what is dead ahead of you, a building that looks abandoned. You can focus on much of anything else except the idea of escaping, the idea you can hide and rest a moment. Though, you have to wonder what you are going to do. You can’t run forever and you doubt hiding will do you much good either. No, not when facing off with two pro heroes who are much more experienced than you. Two pro heroes and friends you never had thought until now would have done something like this in the first place and no one else will believe such a claim either. No one will convict two heroes that have done nothing but good. 

These thoughts alone left you feeling alone, so very alone. Who do you turn to in a time like this one? Who will even believe you? You, a simple book store clerk and hobbyist selling random things for fun? You are what most would call a nobody, just another face in the crowd, which is why you have to wonder what wound you up getting mixed up with these two in the first place. However, this is no time to think about that. There is no time to be drudging back into the past when what you need to focus on is finding a solution to your problem. A solution that doesn’t come easy or seemingly at all. The alarm of this chase slowly starts to dull into confusion as to why you haven’t been hearing anything from the two who should be hunting you down right now. You haven’t even seen a glimpse of either of the two males you figure are after you currently. Everything quiet and dark, not a sound, not a peep, nothing. You pause your running once reaching the abandoned building and making your way inside. You pant and groan, your lungs and everything else feeling like they are on fire. You place your hands on your knees and take in a deep gasp of breath before coughing loudly. You are choking and gasping after all that running, that dizzy feeling coming back to you. You stumble to the wall and lean against it, you in this tiring state slide down not caring about the filth on it or the ground under you, and there is trash along with other more grimy looking things all around, nonetheless at the moment, you choose to ignore it. Your body too worn and your mind still scattering about too much to really mind it all. All you need is to breathe, that is all you can think, you need a moment. Maybe if lucky, they aren’t chasing you after all. You can only hope that is the case yet you can’t be too certain so you know you can’t linger for too long.

“Fuck...fuck...it stings damn it…why…?!”

You curse under your breath finally starting to feel the glass in your feet you didn’t bother to remove before. You are fearful to even look at the bottoms of your feet right now, you can only imagine how torn up they must look currently, The blood. Looking off you can see the small trail leading to you.  You let out a small whimper as you raise your hands to look at them. They too sting badly from falling a few times before. Looking them over it seems they have been torn up pretty badly. A few rocks rest under the skin now, you poke at the bloody and bruising flesh trying to scoot a rock from under the flesh to get it out only to hiss from how it feels to do so and once more curse.

“Damn it…stings...”

You say in a whimper as you move to curl up into yourself, more tears start to cascade down your cheeks, that tight feeling in your chest returning.

“(BF/n), oh god...what am I...?!”

You curl up and start sobbing the images of your beloved’s corpse chard and beaten to a pulp on the floor creeping into your brain, it once more causes you to feel sick. It makes you want to vomit. The smell, the sight, the screaming before all that, those are things you know you’ll never forget. All of them tear you up inside, this is all your fault after all if it weren’t for taking on that project for the two pro heroes you wouldn’t have been winding up here, would you?

It had been a simple day, one like any other, the sky was bright and sunny dotted with a few clouds which you had remembered you stared up at that day. It was very nice unlike tonight, cold and unbearable regardless you remember you woke up beside your lover then. Your boyfriend had given you a good morning kiss like always ever since you had moved in together. Honestly, you hadn’t been in that house together all that long, only a couple of months but those moments spent together had been a dream. A dream you hadn’t wanted to wake up from. You would both get up and get ready to go to work. That morning you showered together, you both got a bit frisky that morning. You and your boyfriend would make out tongues danced together while your arms would be wrapped around each other. You could feel how well your bodies fit together. 

Hard to believe that is all over now, that lovely little dream with your boyfriend dead, as dead as he is now. You will never feel that perfect fit with him again. Knowing that sends another wave of pain through you and causes another sob to echo out from your chest as you shiver and wish for the warmth of your lover. Right now you feel more cold and alone than ever before.

Continuing that trip down memory lane, you could recall you left the house alone that day. Your boyfriend would take his car to work and you would walk, being that you didn’t live that far away from the book store which you work at. You can’t help but think that years ago you wouldn’t have seen yourself working in such a place and it’s not because you don’t like books more so you have problems dealing with people. It fills you with a lot of anxiety to deal with things most days. Honestly, you feel you might have just wasted away if it wasn’t for your boyfriend who always seemed to have your back when you needed it. What are you going to do now that he is gone? Are you going to spiral out of control? No, somehow you will stay strong for his sake. 

Regardless, continuing on. The day moved forward normally nothing seemed out of place, not even the random email you had gotten when you came home. The email was another commission for a project by another faceless person. You didn’t know that this request would wind you up in deep trouble later, in that deep trouble now. The commission seemed all too normal. The client wanted something special done for an anniversary gift for their boyfriend which seemed very cute to you. Really you sort of like hearing from the clients more than most do. The theme was simple it was to be a Red Riot and Ground Zero themed item or rather mugs. They wanted it to be a bit flashy or at least the art on them to be, it was something you could do, Honestly. Despite not being that into heroes, you were happy to do this for the client. You love making things and even more so making those who enjoy your work happy. So like with any other client you got to work after you sorted through the details, and actually, you were very excited. This was something you could do with your boyfriend, he was much more into the whole hero thing than you were and still are. Funny enough your boyfriend did like those two in particular. They were heroes that he very much enjoyed so that day you learned quite a lot about the pair of heroes in question.

The project went on as normal and with your newfound information, you made the gift extra special. You wanted to be very specific to the client’s taste so you tried to ask questions however they seemed very lax about everything they had said that they trusted your judgment. You didn’t mind this one bit. You had given the client updates and he seemed to like them. Eventually, the day came for the project to be done and you shipped them out. You had been very proud of your work and even your boyfriend was. Actually, Your boyfriend had got all pouty, he wished he could keep them which you had found funny then...what you would give to be able to hear him laugh again, to see that smile, and now that was stolen from you.

For a long while, things seemed alright, there had been no word from the client. However, you had been paid so you assumed they were happy with what they had gotten. It wasn’t until a full two months later that things started to kick off again. The day had started normal enough, you made it to the bookstore on time, and would work as you normally would. That day was quiet, not many customers, and most of the day spent slacked off with your coworker while doing what needed to be done around the store. Though at some point the bell on the door would sound it would call you back to the front of the store. A young man with crimson red spikey hair and eyes was the one who sounded the bell when he walked in. Upon further inspection your eyes would widen you would form a recognition with the redhead in the store, it was the hero Red Riot. You couldn’t help but stand there dumbfounded.

“H-Hello and welcome to Nook Books, how can I help you?”

That had been what you said when you finally had found your words, your voice had come out in a bit of a stutter and you had given him a small nervous laugh. He responded to your more shy behavior with merely a smile and offered up an adorable laugh of his own, which actually eased your own anxiety towards the situation at the time.

“Hey there, yeah I could actually use a bit of help finding a book.”

You would smile at the young hero and gave a small nod, you of course were always happy to help the customer, and there was no exception then either. Not to mention you were face to face with the hero Red Riot and at that time you had been oh too excited to be in his presence for the fact you could tell your boyfriend about the encounter. Maybe if you were lucky you could get an autograph, or maybe at least a picture, though to be honest you also hadn’t wanted to bother him so you so it was just a debate in your mind. you at the time though knew it would make your boyfriend happy if you would get it.

“Ah yes, well I’m happy to help, what book are you looking for?”

You would offer up one of your best smiles and try not to fidget too much however you had already shifted to and fro a bit out of nervousness already.

“Ah well, haha, I kinda don’t know…”

You would blink a moment in confusion but nod a moment before you responded.

“You don’t know? Are you buying for someone else?”

You would question a moment, you thought maybe his mind had been on someone else when he thought of the book he wanted, it might have been a gift if he wasn’t sure what kind of book he was on the look for however just as well he might just not had been sure what type of book he needed for himself, but something told you it wasn’t for him, you had a felt that way anyway.

“Haha, yeah, it isn’t for me, though he’s very special to me, he’s a bit difficult to buy for sometimes. Do you have any books that would be more action-packed and manly?”

You had smiled when you listened to his explanation for who it was for and even giggled when you heard what exactly he was had been in search for. There were many, many books on hand that could cover what he wanted but with so little given and that he said the other was difficult to buy for well it seemed like a slightly daunting task. Even so at that time you were determined to find the perfect book for this special someone that he had talked about. You smiled and worked very hard, you asked specific questions to try and get a better gauge on what type of book to get. If only you had known what you had been dealing with back then you wouldn’t have worked as hard as you did to make him happy. You wouldn’t have been as pleasant to him, but sadly you hadn’t known and you had been as positive and polite as possible. You even asked more than you would have given your normal comfort zone. You had tired yourself out on one customer something you wouldn’t usually do, but you wanted to impress the male. You wanted to make sure someone like him left very happy. You did manage that, you got him the perfect book, after you found that book for him you brought him over to the register to check him out.

“I think that book will make him smile, and if it doesn’t feel free to hold me accountable.”

You would chirp out as you rang up the book, you had a good conversation with the young hero. He’d even told you his name which was interesting to know. Kirishima seemed to talk about Ground Zero. Of course, it was said they were good friends so you supposed that was only natural, and he’d mentioned a few other interesting aspects about himself which had tickled you to learn about. It wasn’t every day you could have said you got to talk to a pro hero.

“Don’t worry, I trust your judgment, I don’t think you’d steer me wrong haha.”

You would nod and laugh as you placed the book in a bag and told him how much the book would be, Kirishima would pay you and you would hand him the bag, of course surprisingly he didn’t rush off after that, he would stick by the counter a moment.

“Before I go, would you like an autograph or something?”

He had given you a big grin and you would blink, you had held back and tried not to ask because you hadn’t wanted to bother him and there he asked you about what you had wanted from him, almost too eager you lept at the opportunity.

“Y-Yes actually I’d love that, my boyfriend is a big fan.”

At the first part of your statement it would seem that Kirishima was very happy to hear what you had to say but as you look back on it now you realize that he had twitched lightly, he had made a small change in his facial expression that said something else when you mentioned your boyfriend, you thought nothing of it back then but now it was very apparent that he was upset to hear you were with someone and that the reason you wanted a picture and autograph was because of him and not because you were a fan.

“Yeah? Alright then, glad I could help you make his day like you made mine.”

After that, you would get to pose with him for a picture and he would sign a piece of notebook paper for you, it was the only thing you had on hand at the moment, but he happily signed it for you. You also hadn’t noticed that he looked for more reasons to make conversation with you but your coworker interrupted and him unlike your boyfriend wasn’t very fond of heroes so he could care less that one was in the store other than the fact it meant that the store might get a good review from someone who mattered.

“(Y/n), I need you to do something for me in the back.”

Your coworker would speak up, you could tell from the tone of his voice he just wanted to hurry things along.

“Oh, I don’t want to keep you. It was nice to meet you, (Y/n). Hopefully, I’ll see you again.”

With that Kirishima had given you a small smile and wave before he made his way to the door.

“Yeah, you too, have a lovely day, I hope the person you were buying for enjoys your gift!!”

You would call back to him before he fully left, you hadn’t thought about how he used your first name, you didn’t tell him he couldn’t then, which would come to be a mistake later, many things would lead to being mistakes you couldn’t have fathomed being so problematic. After that meet with him, you had continued work only to be nagged by your coworker about doing your job in a timely fashion which irked you quite a lot but you hadn’t let it ruin your day. Like you assumed your boyfriend would be over the moon to see the autograph and to see the picture you had been so pleased to see his smile, that night was one to remember, Your boyfriend had been so excited he made love to you. Part of you doesn’t want to remember that part, only because it’s yet another thing that you will never have from him again, and giving the current situation, you find it inappropriate.

Suddenly you hear a loud bang echo out, a growl and cussing from not too far away from where you are in the building. Your heart begins pounding in your chest, it looks like those who were chasing you after you had fled are finally here to collect you. Your breathing picks up and you move scrabbling to your feet. If you stay here they’ll find you for sure, that is all that you are thinking about, you need to escape and now.

“Where the fuck are you (Y/n)!! I know you’re fucking here, can’t hide forever idiot!!”

#Kiribaku #Bakukiri #yandere #Xreader #fanfic #boku no hero academia #boku no hero x reader #my hero academia #my hero fanfic #my hero x reader #bakugou katsuki #bakugo #bnha bakugou #bnha kirishima #kirishima #kirishima eijirou #poly #part 1 #death #murder #twisted love #obsession #love #horror #dark #running #hiding #flashback #sad #boyfriend

[cafedanslanuit]

the birthday dinner

pairing: hawks x gn!reader

words: 1.5k

summary: hawks receives a text from you inviting him to a birthday dinner. even if initially he wants nothing but to avoid such a meeting, he complies, not realizing he has a surprise ahead of himself.

tags/warnings: feel-good fic, pea-sized angst, soft hawks and all the happiness for him because he deserves it ~

notes: happy birthday to my favourite birdman! <3

Like every other morning, the first thing Keigo did when he woke up was check his work phone. He scrunched his eyebrows as he realized it was turned off. Was it malfunctioning? He should ask the commission for a new one. As he waited for the phone to turn on, he grabbed his personal phone, wondering if there were any missed messages during the night. There was only one unopened message with your name attached on it. He tapped on it curiously.

He didn’t realize he had been smiling until it disappeared in an instant.

“happy birthday baby!!!!!! <3 i love you so much. i know you’re working today but please please please come by my place around 9. i have something planned for both of us and i think you’re gonna like it. mwah, love you, have a great day!”

Keigo ran his fingers across his scalp, his mouth twisted in a line. He loved you, he did but there was nothing he wanted less than to celebrate it. His work phone started beeping non-stop as the birthday messages came by and he let out a loud sigh. He would take care of those later, he promised himself as he hopped off of the bed and onto the shower.

.

.

.

.

Number Two Hero, Hawks, had perfected the art of fake smiles years ago. It was meant to calm down the public, to accompany his flirt persona and to hide what he was truly feeling or thinking. That’s why as soon as he entered his office, he feigned surprise when his agency jumped from behind their desks to wish him a happy birthday, the closest thing he had ever had to a birthday surprise party. They did it every year, yet Hawks would always open his mouth in surprise and put a hand on his chest, thanking everyone for the surprise and humming contently as he had a bite of the cake. After laughing with the rest of the agency, he would excuse himself, lying about paperwork or a meeting with another hero. He was such a good actor that everyone truly believed he was distraught about missing the rest of his birthday celebration.

That morning it was like every other year before. The surprise, the laughs, the cake. The online meeting he couldn’t miss. He went to his office and locked himself, his smile fading the instant he was alone. He let himself fall ungraciously on his chair and then took out his personal phone. He looked at your text again and realized he had never replied to it.

“sounds great dove. see ya <3”

The uninterested and slightly bothered look on his face didn’t match the text but he sent it anyway. Putting the phone away, he then took notice of his work phone and started going through the messages. He loathed the idea of thanking the Commission and other top heroes for their birthday wishes but he knew it had to be done. He wrote four different thank you messages on his notes app and then proceeded to randomly copy and paste them in the different messages, taking short breaks to eat the slice of matcha cake the office had given him.

He hated matcha cake.

.

.

.

.

Hawks had scheduled a lunch meeting with Endeavor, but an hour before they were supposed to meet, his assistant called saying he had another urgent meeting. Having heard the news, the rest of the heroes in his agency had begged him for him to let them take him to lunch. Doing one of his best performances yet, Hawks had told them the Commission had asked him to lunch. Being a top hero got him special attention after all. He tried his best to ignore the other heroes' disappointed faces and wondered if they really felt bad at all.

An hour later, he sat on the rooftop of his agency, eating a fried chicken takeout with his hands. He sucked on his fingertips as he watched his phone screen, a reaction video of a movie he didn’t have the time to watch in its entirety. The idea of calling you crossed his mind for a brief second before he pushed it away completely.

You didn’t need to see him like this.

.

.

.

.

Takami Keigo reached your place five minutes after nine o’clock. He had barely had time to take a shower before arriving and he already felt like his social battery was drained. When he knocked on your apartment door, he heard your voice telling him to come inside. You were still in the shower, apparently. He stepped inside, leaving his shoes on the side and looked around your apartment. There was no sign of a birthday dinner or unwanted guests, so at least he could relax about seeing other people. You came out of the bedroom wrapped up in a towel and gave him a big smile.

“Hey birthday boy,” you greeted him. “Give me five minutes and I’ll be ready. You do need to change though. I grabbed something for you, it’s on the coffee table,” you added, before disappearing in your bedroom.

Keigo looked down at his outfit. He had chosen a black fancy shirt and some designer jeans, knowing you had something planned out. Was that not enough? He couldn’t suppress the grimace appearing on his face. Did you have something really elegant planned out? He really didn’t want any other birthday celebrations. He had had enough of generic gifts and pretending to enjoy a date that only brought him sour memories about the disappointment of being a child whose parents would always forget about his birthdays.

He should say something to you, he thought, but the idea that you were already changing and that you had even gotten him fancy clothes to go with your idea made his chest hurt. Letting out a long sigh, he walked to the coffee table, where a big paper bag was waiting for him. He carried it to the sofa and emptied its containers.

Keigo didn’t understand when he saw a pair of sweatpants and a cotton t-shirt fall from the bag. With his eyebrows furrowed, he took the clothes to inspect them closer. They were new and incredibly soft. What kind of cotton was it? And why would he need to change into sweatpants for the birthday date you had planned?

As if you had listened to his questions, you appeared next to him, wearing your pajama shorts and an oversized t-shirt. You had a big smile on your face as you circled your arms around his waist and pressed a kiss on his shoulder.

“What’s this?” Keigo asked, turning his head to you with an amused smile.

“I know you’re not really excited about your birthday, so--”

“How do you know that?” he interrupted with a cheeky smile. He turned on his heel and placed your arms around his neck, so he could hold your waist and pull you closer.

“I did ask you what did you want for your birthday a couple of weeks ago and you gave me the most unenthusiastic answer,” you chuckled. “Whatever you want, dove. I’m good,” you imitated him, exaggerating his dull voice to then let out a small laugh.

“Hey, I am pretty convincing,” he defended himself, tickling your sides and making you laugh even more.

“You are!” you assured him. “But now with me. I know all your tell-tales, Keigo,” you smiled, leaning your head to kiss his cheek.

He quickly moved his head so you ended up kissing his lips. Chuckling, you kissed him over and over on his pink lips, loving how he holds you even closer to him. You pulled away from him and held his face tenderly.

“I don’t know why you don’t like your birthday and I won’t ask. You can tell me, or not, whenever you’re ready. But I wanted us to have a relaxing night. Just the two of us, no fancy dinners, no expectations, not even the smallest reason you have to pretend to be okay. I don’t want you to pretend. Not when you’re with me, at least,” you shrugged with a sheepish smile.

Keigo looked down at you. There were so many words he wanted to tell you, all twisted and tangled on his mind, so he chose to the one truth he was always sure of.

“I love you,” he whispered, loving how his words drew a big smile on your face.

“Love you too,” you replied, pulling him closer and hugging him tightly.

Not even two seconds later, your doorbell rang. You pushed him away gently with an excited grin.

“The chicken is here! Let me get my wallet while you go change,” you said, before running to your bedroom barefoot, a content hum as you go through your drawers.

Keigo unbuttoned his shirt quickly. As soon as he put the t-shirt on, his body immediately relaxed. Not only was the fabric soft, but it smelt like you. He started thinking maybe you had put some of your perfume on them and he couldn’t be happier about that.

Maybe this was going to be a good birthday after all.

#bnha x reader #hawks x reader #takami keigo x reader #keigo takami x reader #takami keigo #keigo takami #bnha hawks #hawks #mha x reader #mha hawks

[lala-ladybug]

Healing Hands: Chapter 1

Hello hello! First fic here, it’s a Maribat AU with a side of Sword Art Online. Or what I remember from having watched the show once about five years ago. We’ve got Marinette and minimal class salt, Young Justice but only the good parts, and primarily Jasonette. Please spread the word (I am a tiny sideblog) and let me know what you think <3

Read here on AO3

Next

Chapter 1: You have no idea how many baddies I’m going to blow up because of you

Friday, at long last. Marinette could not have exhaled a bigger sigh of relief. It was mid-way through the school term, her commissions were ramping up, and Hawkmoth had become frustratingly active. Her duties as class president had only increased as she and her friends neared the end of lycée, not to mention all the studying she was doing for the baccalauréat on top of her regular school work. Commissions were booming now that her popularity as the anonymous designer MDC was soaring worldwide. She wouldn’t give any of it up for the world, but she might enjoy getting more than three or four hours of sleep for once.

There was only part of her life that had gotten easier since that day three years ago when she was entrusted with a pair of spotted earrings and an old god to match. Ladybug started out with one partner, but she now had a whole team to share the responsibilities of keeping their city safe. Ryuko and Viperion became permanent fixtures of the Parisian rooftops, and Bourdonne replaced Queen Bee after the infamous (albeit self-inflicted) unmasking of Chloe Bourgeois. The people of Paris looked to these heroes with pride and trust.

And Marinette Dupain-Cheng, now the Guardian of the Miraculous, looked to her partners with trust as well. She had decided that with her in charge, she could no longer keep secrets from her friends, from her new Order of the Guardians. She discussed it with Chat Noir, and he had smiled and agreed that it was time. And one day, when Ladybug gathered her teammates on a remote rooftop in the dead of night, she said only “I trust you,” before allowing her transformation to fall.

She wasn’t nervous, not really. She knew Kagami and Luka had good hearts, and she had seen firsthand how much Chloe had grown. Those three accepted her civilian self, her true self, without half a thought, and followed their leader in dropping their transformations as well. Chloe got her quips in while Ladybug looked to Chat Noir.

He passed his gaze over the faces of their friends and smirked like he was holding in a laugh. As he said “Claws in,” Marinette could hear the laugh in his voice, an intonation that sounded so very familiar, and oh. Of course.

Adrien Agreste beamed at his friends, both in the mask and out, and said fondly, “I’m so glad it’s you.”

The rest, of course, was history. For the year and a half since then, the five heroes of Paris had kept the city safe from threats magical and mundane alike. Hawkmoth had, of course, gotten craftier and more vicious with his attacks, sometimes choosing to send bursts of weaker akumas over the span of a week, sometimes waiting a month before sending an especially brutal villain their way.

But it was nothing that the Order of the Guardians couldn’t handle. Even though it could get exhausting after a while, which is why the incoming weekend was a welcome reprieve. There was another reason why this particular weekend was so exciting, which was that a new video game, Mindscape, was debuting. It would be released at midnight EST, which was 6:00 in the morning for Paris.

“Today’s the day, girl!” Alya squealed as she flagged Marinette down on their way to the classroom. “We are so lucky that our class won that raffle to get these exclusive passes. I bet I’ll be the first blog to get the scoop on this new tech they’re using!”

Marinette giggled and started to reply, “Super lucky, right? I’m excited too, I heard--”

“You know,” Lila cut her off as she sidled up to Alya. “I’m not saying that I didn’t enter us to get those downloads, but I was a big help with beta testing.”

How she managed to time that comment just as the three girls crossed the threshold of the classroom, and how she managed to know that nearly the whole class would already be there to hear it, Marinette would never understand. She only had to wait a moment before the rest of their friends rushed to the door to thank Lila.

“This opportunity is amazing, we are incredibly grateful!” Max was first in line, ever the technology-enthusiast.

Kim pushed his shorter friend out of the way and vigorously shook Lila’s hand. “You have no idea how many baddies I’m going to blow up because of you.” Lila looked a little overwhelmed as he continued to shake her hand all the while, and she gave him a nervous smile.

He was soon pushed out of the way as Alix muscled her way to the front next. “I definitely owe you for giving me the chance to kick his ass in a brand new way!” She jerked her head to where Kim had landed on the floor, pouting at her.

As the rest of the class who would be joining them in the game’s premiere expressed their thanks, Alya looked on with an affectionate smile. She was so very happy that she now had two kind, selfless best friends. Her smile fell a little as she noticed Marinette stoically edging her way around the crowd and up to her seat, not having said a word to Lila. Alya just wished that her two besties would get along.

Alya put a hand on Lila’s shoulder and smiled her thanks before following Marinette to what was once their shared desk. “You really should thank her, you know,” Alya implored hopefully.

Without turning around to face Alya, Marinette paused and shared an incredulous look with Adrien, who was already seated at his shared desk with Nino. She then shrugged and replied, “Lila never actually said that she got us the passes,” before continuing up the steps to her seat at the back of the class. Alya shook her head and sat down. It was always like this, a cool indifference from Marinette whenever Lila came up. They were both such incredible people, Alya couldn’t understand why they didn’t get along.

As for Marinette, she was semi-content to let Lila be as long as her lies didn’t hurt anybody. Her unrealistic promise to take away all of Marinette’s friends was never fulfilled, and honestly the amount of emotional energy it used to sap from her just wasn’t worth it anymore. Marinette had no idea how Lila was going to get her hands on a copy of the game when Mari was, of course, the one who had won the raffle. She distributed the special access passes herself, and Lila certainly hadn’t gotten one. If this was the way that she wanted to make friends, she would eventually have to face the consequences.

But for now, Lila was basking in her praise. That is, until she glanced at her phone and gave a small gasp of dismay.

“What’s wrong?” Rose asked, concern already etched on her face.

Lila covered her mouth with one hand and started rapidly blinking back tears. “It’s my VIP copy of the game. There was a mixup in the mail and it won’t get here in time for tomorrow morning! I’m so sorry everyone, it looks like you’ll have to do it without me....” She buried her face in her hands and her shoulders trembled with barely restrained sobs.

The class shared a worried look, and Sabrina piped up, “It’s okay Lila, you can borrow my copy.” Lila immediately looked up and surged forward to clasp the hands of her friend.

“Really? But won’t it have the same problem?” Sabrina smiled and shook her head. “Nope, it’s a digital download! I don’t mind, you can always trade it back when your VIP pass arrives later.”

Lila gave her a brilliant smile, any tears long-since dried. “Oh, thank you so much Sabrina! I’ll see what I can do about getting you a VIP pass too once mine gets here.”

At that moment, Chloe walked in, and one look at the scene displayed in front of her had her rolling her eyes at her former best friend. She gracefully swept up the steps to join Marinette at the back of the classroom and whispered to her, “Aren’t they all digital downloads?”

Marinette, who had started unpacking her bag to prepare for class, inclined her head and gave the blonde a meaningful look that indicated yes, they were indeed all digital downloads. Chloe snickered and started preparing her own side of the desk.

After the fiasco of outing herself as Queen Bee, Chloe had lost the minimal support and tolerances she had been allowed before. It gave her time to truly reflect on how she acted and treated other people. She had since been quietly making amends with those she’d wronged, and the person on the top of that list was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It took time and a lot of effort on Chloe’s part, but she mellowed out and did a lot of growing up. She still spoke her mind, though.

“Huh that’s strange, I got the VIP package too, but mine was a digital pass,” Chloe loudly proclaimed, studying her nails nonchalantly as the rest of the class turned to look up at her.

Lila grit her teeth into a forced smile and replied sweetly, “Well that’s because mine was an original beta testing copy that they had to update for the full game.” She turned her attention to Marinette and a note of false concern crept into her voice. “Oh Marinette, I hope you’ll still have time to come too! I know you’ll be busy this weekend with planning the spring class field trip. It would be such a shame if it didn’t happen because you were too busy playing a video game.”

Marinette suddenly felt very warm under the gazes of the entire class. She stammered out, “Oh-of course we’ll get to go! Don’t worry, I have a meeting with the school board on Monday.” Trust Lila to sniff out the one thing that had slipped below her radar.

Lila’s eyes lit up with an opportunistic gleam. “That’s great! Where will it be?”

“Well, uh, the school board has to review the location, so I don’t want to get your hopes up, but I can tell you that it will be in, um,” her eyes flicked around wildly and landed on the posterboard of different flags from the prior week’s lessons. “America!”

The class burst into excited chatter moments before Madame Bustier arrived and the late bell rang. Marinette released a breath and sagged in her seat. Saved by the bell.

Chloe gave her a sidelong glance and murmured, “America, huh?”

“Shut up,” Marinette shot back.

* * *

Madame Bustier tried to get the class to pay attention, she really did. They struggled through their lessons before lunch, the volume of side conversations between deskmates swelling all the while. The moment the bell for lunch dismissal rang, the students exploded into conversation as they left the classroom.

Marinette waved as Chloe and Adrien walked off to go meet Kagami and Luka at a nearby cafe. She breezed into the patisserie across the street from Francois Dupont and gave her surprised Maman a kiss on the cheek.

“I thought you were going out with your friends for lunch?” Sabine asked, balancing a tray of eclairs on her hip. “I forgot I have to plan our class trip!” Marinette replied cheerfully as she hurried into the kitchen to quickly fix herself a croque-monsieur. She gave her Papa a hug as she finished preparing her meal. He shouted up at her to not make a mess as she retreated into her room to eat at her desk.

She gave a small snort at that. It was nearly impossible for her to make a mess of food when she had over a dozen Kwami there to clean up after her, but he didn’t know that. She greeted said Kwami with a delighted grin and a wave as she set her plate down by her desktop computer.

“Marinette, why are you back so early?” Tikki asked, “is everything okay?” The other Kwami swarmed around her as she woke her computer up and logged in.

The girl waved one hand nonchalantly and opened up a web browser with the other. “Everything’s fine, I just forgot about planning the class trip!” She took a huge bite of the sandwich and started typing furiously. Several Kwami dove after the crumbs that sprayed everywhere.

“Ohhh, I see! Do you have an idea of where to start?” Tikki zoomed around Marinette’s shoulder to hover next to the monitor screen.

Marinette had the same determined gleam in her eye as when she finally found the perfect fabric for a design. She said confidently around a mouth full of ham, “America.”

* * *

By the time the lunch break had finished, Marinette had a preliminary list of cities on the East Coast of the United States. She had researched Gotham first, but it looked far too dangerous and gloomy. Next was New York City, which she determined was too big. Philadelphia was historic, but in a way that would definitely bore her classmates. Boston was too cold despite its excitement. Which left Metropolis as the perfect candidate. It was also protected by the perfect superheroes, Superman and his family, so she was absolutely confident the school board would approve of the city.

Of course, the meeting on Monday would need more specifics than just the city, but she was pleased with her progress so far. Marinette shut down her monitor, grabbed her backpack and plate from lunch, and went downstairs to the kitchen. She quickly scrubbed and dried her plate in the sink before waving to her parents as they bustled around, accommodating the tail end of the mid-day rush.

Marinette walked across the street with a spring in her step and, spotting a tall flash of blue hair, half-jogged up to her group of friends.

“Hey guys, sorry I couldn’t make it to lunch!” She grinned apologetically at Kagami and Luka.

“That’s alright Melody,” Luka gave her a side hug, “Chloe told us you were busy planning your class trip.”

Adrien slung an arm around Kagami’s shoulder and pulled his girlfriend closer to whisper conspiratorially to her, “I hear we’re going to America.” She laughed softly at his antics and at Marinette who stuck her tongue out at him. Kagami then said to Marinette, “That sounds delightful, Marihime. I trust you will still be joining us tomorrow morning?”

Marinette’s eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of playing the game with her friends all weekend long. “Definitely! I’m going to finish preparing for the school board meeting tonight so that we can play the second it comes out.”

“If you can wake up on time,” Chloe teased.

Marinette crossed her arms defensively and stated with pride, “I already set three alarms, thank you very much!”

Adrien burst out laughing at that. “Leave it to our everyday Ladybug,” he winked. Her face flushed as she pouted. He chuckled again and kissed Kagami on the top of her head. “See you later, mon coeur.”

She and Luka waved to the rest of the group as they left to return to their own schools. The three Francois Dupont students watched them go for a moment before returning inside.

“So, you and Kagami have plans?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah! Our parents gave special permission for a sleepover at my place tonight so we can play the game right when it comes out tomorrow.” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit he had never quite abandoned. “But I’m not sure how often we’ll be able to be online with you guys after this weekend. You know how busy our schedules are....”

Marinette elbowed him lightly as they walked. “It’s a blessing you both managed to convince your dad and her mom to let you come to the launch at all! We’ll play together when we can, it’s no big deal.”

Adrien smiled gratefully at her and held the door open for both Marinette and Chloe as they entered the classroom. Alya was already there, and once she spotted her best friend (well, one of them), she skidded down the steps with a huge grin and held an invisible microphone up to Marinette.

“Thank you Nadja, and good afternoon Paris! This is Alya Cesaire, and today I am joined by young fashion designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, can you give us an exclusive scoop on the trip you’re planning for your class?”

“Good afternoon Mlle. Cesaire,” Marinette giggled, “Unfortunately, the trip has yet to be approved by the school board so no details just yet. But I can tell you with certainty that we will be visiting the resident city of some popular American superheroes.” She winked as she finished in her best interview voice.

Alya gasped and dropped her pretend microphone as she hugged her best friend. “Really!? Oh my gosh girl, you are the best!”

Marinette laughed and hugged her back as Alya jumped and spun them around. Once they pulled apart, she told the brunette, “As soon as the school board gives me the green light, you’ll be the first to know.”

The late bell rang and the girls practically skipped to their respective seats as Madame Bustier called the class to attention. Well, “attention” in the loosest sense of the word. They struggled once more through the majority of their lessons, but Madame Bustier seemed to sense defeat and she let them chatter excitedly for the last twenty minutes before dismissal.

Kim and Alix were boasting about how they were going to stay up all night, while Max encouraged them to maximize the time they would be able to play the next day by getting a full night’s sleep in before the launch time.

Lila bragged about her role in the creation of the game from its conception to even having suggested the highly anticipated date of release. Adrien pointedly ignored Lila in the row behind his and discussed the music they had recorded and mixed for the game with a very enthusiastic Nino.

Sabrina looked on a little sadly until Mylene, Ivan, Rose, and Juleka invited her to join their Disney movie marathon double-date instead. Mylene was too nervous to play the game so Ivan chose to sit out to support her, and video games weren’t really Rose and Juleka’s style. Sabrina’s face softened as she gratefully accepted their invitation.

Nathaniel turned around in his seat to talk to Marinette about the art rendering and the programs they used while Chloe scrolled aimlessly on her phone.

By the time the bell finally rang, the class was beyond excited to go prepare for the launch the next morning.

Marinette, to her credit, swallowed her enthusiasm and sat down to fully plan out their trip to Metropolis. It was grueling work, researching the safest hotel that was still in a central location. It had to be affordable but not shabby, too, because they had a limited budget. She eventually settled on the reputable Wayne Hotel, apparently part of an enormous corporation called Wayne Enterprises, and then began to build an itinerary with different events from there.

She worked nonstop the rest of the night, with the exception of a brief dinner break, and it was nearly 11:00 at night by the time she finished. Marinette sat up from her desk chair and stretched, then double-checked that her alarms were set before finally heading to bed.

#marinette dupain cheng #jasonette #sword art online au #virtual reality #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug fic #maribat #maribat fic #healing hands

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

HASO, “A Gift.”

Ok, so someone somewhere, I thought asked for Adam/Sunny Fluff. I don’t know where or who that was, either that or I am remembering incorrectly, but either way here it is whether you wanted it or not :)

Thought I’d focus a little bit on Sunny.

Ignore if you are NOT interested in the relationship subplot.

I am trying to do this right, but who knows if that is going to work because I don’t usually write this sort of thing.

The humming of the ship’s engines reminded her of Anin, and reminded her of the distant roaring of the volcanoes as she slept in their family’s little hut at the center of the fertile belt. The feeling the memory provoked in her was a fond one despite being tainted by years and years of her mother's overarching disapproval, disapproval she was only now casting off, shedding it like an alien might shed a second skin.

It was a thing slow in coming, after years and years of constant disapproval, but becoming a Saint had been her last push into shaking off the insecurities of her childhood. The spirits of Anin had chosen her, and that was something even her mother could not deny, it was something sunny herself could not deny, despite her own fears and insecurities telling her otherwise.

She was worthy.

Finally worthy.

It felt good to wake up like that, felt good to sit up in the dim light of her little room aboard the Omen, and know that she was enough. She lay there in the quiet for a moment, in her own small room, with her own little window that looked out on the stars to her side. She rolled over to stare outward watching a distant galaxy spinning past in all of its glory. Adam liked to park the ship in places like this, places that would remind the crew of where they were and what they were doing. 

From this distance that spiraling galaxy seemed so small despite being billions of lightyears wide, dim and distant, though still shedding a faint light upon her from so far away. As she lay there another light pulsed over her body, luminous purple-blue LED strips around the bottom and top of her room, dimmed for the proper ambiance.

She sat up slowly stretching and flexing her feet.

She sat up looking around her room and the familiar space lit by the glowing purple blue neon.

It was a strange mixture of things alien and things familiar.

Beside her bed, a tall, climate-controlled glass case held a large armature upon which her saint’s armor was proudly displayed, little white stage lights shining pearly waves of rainbow across it’s outer metal, beside that a metal rack on the wall held a collection of spears, some worn and used with age, others sharp and new, one glittering with the same pearly white sheen as her armor.

On the headboard of her bed rested a pair of lime green headphones.

There was a Holo-screen on the wall across from her bed and a couple of photos tacked up on the wall across from her. They were hard to make out in the dim bluish lighting, but there was one of Anin and a few of her and her brother, a couple more of her and Adam, and a single image in the middle.

It wasn’t as refined an image as the others, having been hand painted by a crewmember as a commission for her….

An image of a tall golden Drev in mighty war armor.

Just below that image, set back into the wall, there sat a small, almost-shrine, with a spirit light and a few other odds and ends from Anin.

Sunny stood and stretched rolling her muscles and joints as she walked over to the little shrine and knelt before it.

She reached out and cupped the spirit light in her two lower hands as she bowed her head.

She stayed there for some time as the minutes ticked away.

A clock on her nightstand gave her the time in human hours tiny numbers glowing green.

As the clock hit 30, she opened her eyes and turned to the side dipping a rag into the sink and proceeding to rub it over her body.

Drev didn’t need to bath as frequently or as…. Heavily as humans. Where humans relied on natural oils to keep their skin healthy, the Drev had no such problems, and rarely produced the amount of bacteria that humans did. For that reason, Drev didn’t tend to smell, and if they did it had more to do with what they ate than it did with their own festering nastiness. 

She set the rag down and stood, pulling on her headphones and scrolling through her playlist using the implanted chip in her arm, like the humans she had taken up one of the devices to store her information and money, along with the implanted translation system just below her ear. She kept it off most of the time, but she could turn it on when needed.

Scrolling through the list, she paused at one and then hesitated before clicking on it.

Sunny knew a lot about music for someone who grew up without it. It was a piece  of art she thought the Drev were sadly lacking, and listening to the drums and rasping vocals of humans two thousand years dead, she wondered why they had never thought of it.

The playlist, had been one she hadn’t touched in a while. 

It tended to make her sad despite it’s upbeat and powerful music.

It reminded her of Adam.

It was his playlist after all, but she really did feel like she needed something to get her going this morning,

With the music going, she grabbed one of her spears from the wall, and then stood at the center of the room.

She closed her eyes as the blue neon light glowed over her. WIth her eyes still closed she began to move slowly, one foot forward one foot back dropping into a crouch pulling the spear back and then beginning to move slowly remembering the forms, remembering the mountain and the voice of Naktan as he urged her through the new and emerging steps.

***

0400 

Adam sat up, cool air blowing on his skin from the vent above. 

Outside the window the vast spiral of the Milky way glowed in from his viewing window casting delicate yellow light over his skin. He stretched muscles flexing and tensing as he extended his body to a brief maximum before relaxing. 

He sat there for a moment taking in the view, allowing it to bath him in cosmic light.

And some people wake up to a sunrise.

He reached down to the side of the bed, gripping the cool metal and carapace surface with his left hand before socketing it into place over the stub of his missing leg. There was a sharp whirr and then a sudden rush of sensation. He flexed the two toed alien foot of his right leg and stood stretching his legs as well.

He turned and walked to stand before the full length mirror by the window. The light was dim, but it still cast enough illumination that he could see the hills and valleys of his own body set in sharp contrast in the light.

He stood straighter lifting his chin and surveying himself in the mirror. 

He was almost proud of what he saw. Never a slouch, he had always been active, and during training he had been in good shape, but a few years as captain of the ship, with more duties and little time he had neglected his physique for other matters. It hadn’t done anything horrible to him, but he had seen better days.

That was, of course, until his breakup with Sunny. Granted a week of binge drinking hadn’t exactly helped matters, but his following vacation time that had included a stint of time with a human colony of Neospartans had kicked his ass back into gear. A few months and a couple of personal revelations later, and he had made it his goal to mold himself into the best version of himself he could conceive. His body was just beginning to show that dedication.

He bent down, tugging a pair of shoes from one of the drawers under his bed, and sat down to tie them on.

He stood and walked over to the side of the room pressing a button on the wall. There was a sharp whirring as the floor rotated and three large screens slowly pulled down from the ceiling. 

Off to his left waffles opened one sleepy amber eye before heading back to sleep.

He flicked his arm once and stepped onto the small rectangle of floor.

The screens lit up in front of him showing an open mountain landscape and a trail.

The floor below him slowly began to move, and he broke into a jog. The music flipped on at his request as his feet began pounding against the moving floor. He kept his back straight and his arms against his sides as the floor tilted and rolled slightly below him, mirroring the trail on which he now ran.

Sweat rolled down his bare back as, forty minutes later he dropped to the floor, hands held at shoulder width pushing himself repeatedly up and down and up and down. When his arms shook, he stood and leaped upwards, catching onto the padded black bar on the ceiling. The muscles in his back flexed firing as his teeth clenched and sweat dripped down his face onto his shoulders.

He repeated that sequence for some time before returning to the side of the room and picking up the silver metaled spear.

Still breathing hard he pulled on the VR glasses and followed the Drev training simulation twice before putting the spear away.

Waffles at up and stretched.

He patted her head once before passing into the bathroom.

Water cascaded down his body where he sat washing salt and sweat down the drain, only to socket his leg back on again and dress himself. Eyes stared down at him from the walls, vintage movie posters from years long gone.

A replica lightsaber glittered dully in the light where it sat on his nightstand.

He adjusted his uniform cap before the mirror, and whistled once for waffles, who ran up to stand at his heels.

He opened the door just as Simon was raising her hand to knock.

She stepped back in surprise, and he smiled, “Beat you again, Simon.”

She opened her mouth nonplussed and then closed it again holding out her clipboard, “Morning, Sir.”

He took the clipboard and marched with her up to the bridge where he got his work done. Waffles lay at his feet as he gave the morning crew their orders, and inspected their trajectory, reading their orders from the UNSC and the GA,before sending off a few reports. He read through the reports of his chief staff and approved a few important changes.

Once upon a time a day like this might have overwhelmed him.

He stepped down from his chair and turned to Simon, “Command is your Simon, I have a few things to attend to this morning.”

She saluted crisply and traded seats with him as he turned and stepped down the stairs.

***

The sound of the engine was louder down here and his heart thrummed along with her as he stood with his back to the cold metal. At his feet Waffles stared up at him with her big brown eyes, waiting. 

Deep breath.

He turned stepping into the doorway and looking into the small workroom, lined on all sides by unfinished projects and hanging blueprints. He stood quietly in the doorway, watching the light play over her blue carapace, rolling down her like rivers of sunlit water. The way she moved was so steady, and so sure, that it seemed as if she herself were the waters of a mountain river, steady, changing only with the greatest deliberation.

The movement of her hands on metal was so precise and so predictable he might have been able to pound out a beat to her movements, but this was hardly the time. He stepped forward silently over the metal.

“Someone once told me you can only find Gemstones in the darkest of places.”

Sunny turned her head and rolled a great golden eye when she saw it was him, “You know you flirt like a…. Hut being tipped over in a windstorm.”

“How’s that?”

“A mild disaster.”

“How ironic, so are you metaphors.” 

She eyed him up and down with one golden eye, “Where is he and what have you done with him?”

“What do you mean?”

“My Adam is a stuttering idiot, where did you put him.”

My Adam.

He walked over and sat on the bench next to her leaning back against her work table, “Tied up and locked in the closet for the time being.” he smiled and scooted a little closer, “He tends to get nervous talking to pretty girls.”

“Oh, does he?”

She leaned forward a little bit one of her hands brushing up against his leg.

Shit 

Dammit! The stuttering began in earnest  and he felt his face go red to the tips of his ears.

She hummed deep in her chest, “That was a good try, you almost made it a full minute.”

***

Sunny hummed in mild pleasure as she watched him squirm, her superior cones and rods picking up the delicate change in skin tone as subcutaneous blood rushed into his face. The Delicate pattern of UV light that played over his face glowed in green blue pearl patterns, swirling over his cheeks and face.

She knew those pattern well, and guessed she could probably have drawn them from memory if someone had asked.

He ran a hand through his hair, and as he did she could pick out the individual strands of hair and the color changes. A few of the hairs at his temples had bleached white. She wouldn’t tell him that, but the number of white hairs had been increasing rapidly over the past few months. Weather it was stress or genetics she didn’t know.

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I tried.”

“You did.”

He continued to rub the back of his neck, “I um…. I brought you… s-something.”

“Oh?”

He reached down beside him and pulled a long black box from the floor offering it up so she had to pull back to let him set it down on the table before her.

He turned to look at her, his one green eye so alive with worry she wanted to reach over and take his hand just to calm him down.

But he remained even, and with a smile of his face, he reached over and flipped the case open. She glanced in, eyes wide with surprise, “What…. This is all for… me?”

“I thought you…. Might like it. I mean they aren’t really my thing you know, but they did, they did make me think of you and I, well I picked up a few things but I…”

One look from her silenced him and he wilted back into his seat, “It was during my little vacation…. I was going to give them to you earlier, but I didn’t want it to seem like I was trying to buy you back. I really just thought you’d like them.” 

“Tell me about them.”

He scooted over to sit next to her, and he was close enough now that she could feel the heat radiating from his body, “This knife, I won in a bar fight with an outlaw, stole it off him while he was unconscious.” She watched him blush again a little, “I would have felt bad about it accept he was kind of an asshole.” he pointed to the next item in the velvet lined box, “That is the revolver of another outlaw I met by the name McBride, bested him in a boxing match on the back of a moving train. That spear was given to me as a gift by the NeoSpartan king for prowess in battle, and that triton was something I picked up free hunting alien sharks.”

He turned to look up at her, “I’m not pushing or anything,” he held up his hands, “Jupiter knows I don’t deserve it, but, it is a gift, and I want you to have them-”

He trailed off.

She stared at him.

He stared back.

She leaned down a little lowering her head and lightly touching her forehead against his. He wasn’t speaking any longer. Her eyes were half closed. She leaned forward, one of her hands resting on his real, human leg. He was warm below her hand, almost burning. One of his hands rested over hers.

They sat like that for a minute.

And then she felt him move. Something brushed over her cheek, soft, human lips depressed against her skin warm and humid. She hummed softly in her chest until the pressure pulled back, and she opened an eye. Before she knew what had happened she was on his feet, gone from underneath her hands.

He stood about two or three feet away skin on his face and hands bright with blood flow.

“I-I have to…. To do a.-something, a- about a thing, but I hope you like…. The gift.” He turned.

“Watch out for the-’

There was a clattering noise as he caught his toe on the step, pitched forward, landed on his hands and knees and then scrambled out the doorway with all the grace and beauty of a meteor collision.

“Step.” She finished to the empty air

She could still hear him clattering his way up the hall.

ON the floor below her Waffles looked after him with a comically confused expression for a dog.

“Well go on after him, and make sure he doesn’t accidentally kill himself.”

Waffles yipped low in her throat and charged off after him

Sunny hummed and turned back to her work bench staring down at the box of items, reaching up a hand to rest on her cheek.

They were getting there.

Slowly.

But they were getting there

[dorminchu]

Insult to Injury: Chapter V [preview]

Fandom: James Bond

Characters: Madeleine Swann, Lyutsifer Safin, OCs

Relationships: Safin & Madeleine

Warnings: Blood and semi-graphic violence, moderate language.

Rating: M

Two weeks later, Safin was checking into the Hotel Seevilla under a false name and considering his plan. It was an hour-long walk from the hotel around lake Altaussee to the cabin. The climate here was biting and Gruber, his contact, had gotten a real kick out of his quiet fascination with snow.

He received several odd looks because he was obviously not from around the area, but he let Gruber do most of the talking. Within the same evening he arrived a package was delivered to his room which contained; a vz. 58 in 7.62x39mm rifle with a side-folding stock; a bulletproof vest to be worn beneath his shirt; parka, snowpants and boots; a porcelain mask, intricately painted; and a photograph of Mrs. Blanchard with her husband and daughter. The mask was the only real aberration being heavy and impractical, but Safin knew he couldn’t rely on the hood for complete coverage so there was little to be helped.

At a glance, Mrs. Blanchard was probably in her late thirties at the time the photo was taken. Mr. Blanchard had to be at least fifteen years her senior, but there was a sharpness about the wife's face and in the eyes which belied both her age and a tacit sense of cruelty. The daughter, Madeleine, stood between them, Mr. Blanchard's hand on her shoulder. None of them smiled.

The mission itself was straightforward; He was to walk over to the cabin on the other side of Lake Altaussee, shoot Mrs. Blanchard, and return when it was done.

Just before dawn he woke and geared up.

The weather was clear. The lake had frozen over and gave the impresson of a sprawling pane of glass. He encountered no one else on the trail. The cabin itself was a two-storey, well-kept, with a motorised dory at the dock presumably for summer use. A flight of stairs led to the front door. Safin walked up to it, weapon at the ready, listening. From the other side came two muffled voices, a woman's and adolescent's.

Safin hesitated.

He had not expected the daughter would be home. It would be impractical to stand around and wait for the woman to appear first, but killing her out in the open wasn't optimal. He shot the door open and shouldered his way through without an issue.

The conversation had stopped. There was a hall leading directly further into the house and a set of stairs that led to the second floor. Safin advanced down the hall, poised to fire.

The sound of footsteps reached him first and Mrs. Blanchard came into his view. She set eyes on him, froze, pushing something behind her arm. With her eyes locked on his she began to speak in a calm but brittle tone but Safin could not understand what was being said.

He opened fire. The woman crumpled, torn apart before she hit the ground, spattering the walls. There was a short scream. Safin advanced. The girl stood motionless in the kitchen, unbloodied but frozen as her mother twitched and lost her faculties and the wooden floorboards became slick. Her face was very white, and a slight tremble played on her mouth. But she didn’t go to pieces.

The coat told him she was well looked-after. She was old enough to know better than to linger here. She snapped her head towards him, her tiny face twisted with rage. She raised her arms out in front of her and his attention locked onto the gun in her hands. She pointed it at his face, her teeth bared. Safin took a measured step backwards and lowered his gun and said in a calm voice: "Не стреляйте. Я не причиню тебе вреда."

"Sors d'ici!"

Her aim was slightly off-kilter but still managed to graze his face. Sharp, white-hot pain exploded in his jaw. He swiveled around to face her. In that split-second the girl had shifted in his mind from “civilian” to “threat”. The ensuing horror on her face told him more than words could.

She ducked past him and bolted out the door.

Safin cursed, then went after her. Crisp snow under his boots giving way to ice. He was disoriented by the shift in terrain.

The kid got a little further and then screamed as her footing slipped. She fell back on her ass, still holding the gun. Okay. Perhaps she just got in a lucky hit. She was clearly panicking now. Safin stopped a foot or so from the bank.

“Стоп! Достаточно!”

She yelled something else, but even without the language barrier, Safin could tell it was not kind. This wasn’t going to get them anywhere. He switched to English: “Stop! You understand me?”

The girl’s face twisted. “Go to hell!”

“Listen. I am not going to hurt you.” He showed his empty hands, the rifle at his hip. She did not lower her gun but she was looking at him directly now. Safin extended a hand towards her. “You must come back. Your father will worry about you.”

“How do you know my father?”

“If I tell you, it will put you in more danger.” He took a step. The ice groaned. The girl flinched and raised the gun. Safin snapped: “Don’t be stupid.”

Seconds passed before she finally lowered the gun. Her eyes fixed on his boots or more specifically his stance. Probably could figure he was a novice on ice. She did not take his hand but began to push herself over to him. "Just stand up."

"I'll fall through," she said, as though it were common knowledge. She got to her feet once closer to the bank and kept a healthy distance between them as they made their way back.

By the time they reached the cabin properly the sun was just above the treeline, and Safin was regretting this whole ordeal.

“You didn’t even try to shoot me,” said the girl without prompt. As if they were going to have a conversation. Safin didn’t respond. “Why would you wear that silly mask on the job?”

“What?”

“It didn't protect you. Now you’re bleeding, you won’t have any cover. Can you see anything at all? Did you pick it yourself?”

Safin had never been given such a mundane series of questions by anyone in his life. It was already humiliating enough to have been seen by this girl let alone suffer her attempts at mockery. If a child could see the flaws in the designated equipment then why the hell couldn’t his contact? But his business was not with her, so he worked his throbbing jaw and said nothing.

“And you are a liar. You haven’t answered a single question I have given,” she went on, holding herself with a cold veneer of confidence that bordered on arrogance. “My father is not just some businessman, you know. He will send someone after you and no amount of ransom money will help.”

Safin spat out a mouthful of blood. “You are very confident for a girl who just lost her mother.”

The girl’s eyes flashed as though she'd been struck. “You have no right to—”

Sound of a distant automobile reached them. Safin wrenched the girl by the arm; childlike terror resurfaced behind her eyes.

“Who is coming?” he hissed.

“It's just the postman.”

Safin did not release her. Her face paled. Despite her best efforts she was not her mother and the despair in her voice became evident, barely above a whisper.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“That depends. Did you see me?”

The girl looked confused for a brief moment, but she didn’t betray herself with words.

Safin let her go and began moving along the snowbank towards the opposite side of the cabin. There was suitable cover in the trees.

Notes: The revised chapter 05 happens to features some commissioned art by the one and only @cavalieredispade.

Information regarding Safin's gun was taken from this article.

Translations: Не стреляйте. Я не причиню тебе вреда. = "Do not shoot. I will not hurt you." "Sors d'ici!" = "Get out of here!" Стоп! Достаточно! = "Stop! Enough!"

#no time to die #bond 25 #fanfic #fanfiction #work in progress #madeleine swann #lyutsifer safin #very excited about this!

[fairymadnessyeah]

Piss Off your Parents

Shigadabi week day 5

AO3 Link

Summary: Tenko is tired of being treated like a kid. He knows that his dad is worried, but he is an adult and it's time his old man understands that. Luckily, he has a hot new boyfriend who is more than willing to help him.

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Civilian / Steampunk / Teamwork

"YOU GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!" Tenko cried as a moving company placed his furniture on the UA teacher's dormitory.

Tenko had always been an unlucky bastard. He was born with a destructive quirk that made him dangerous to others and valuable to villains. Or, more specifically, one villain. All for One. The man wanted to grab hold of him since he was a child and had his first accident with his quirk. He had luckily been found by a hero instead of the super-villain though. Loud Cloud, or Shirakumo Oboro had come across the scared, skinny, bloodied child and helped him out. The two, along with his friends Aizawa Shota and Yamada Hizashi, had learned that he was the grandson of Nana Shimura, the mentor of All Might.

Suddenly, he had gone from murdering his family to being adopted by the cloud hero and gaining three hero uncles and one hero aunt. His life had gone from nightmare to dream-come-true in a matter of seconds. And after years of taking care of him and being the best possible dad he could have asked for, the man who saved him was stabbing him in the back.

"Tenko, this is only temporary," the cloud haired man says trying to calm him down. "You only have to stay here for a few months, until it's safe for you to live alone again," the hero teacher explains.

"I have my own life now, dad. I have art classes and friends and a life outside of UA, unlike you," Tenko hadn't followed on his new family's career. He didn't want to be a hero. After everything he had gone through, he just wanted a simple life. And he almost suceeded.

He might have gone to UA, but only because his father and uncles worked there and he went to General Studies. Once he graduated, he got a scholarship for an Art course of studies in a good university, he sold commission pieces of his drawings on patron and got his own apartment. It was not the luxury and excitement of a pro-hero, but he was happy. He had a great neighbour, Twice, who introduced him to his gang of misfits and outcast where he fitted perfectly.

There was Giran, Twice's boyfriend, who ran a Personal Manager office. Magne, one of the girls who worked there. Toga, an upcoming idol who the office represented. Spinner, a friend of Toga's. Mustard, Giran's intern. And Dabi, another one of the represented clients of their office and his boyfriend.

How had he gotten that? Don't ask him. One day, Jin was introducing the two to each other, and the next Dabi was taking him out on dates. Tenko had never had a boyfriend before, and his relationship with Dabi was rather new, so he hadn't told his dad yet. For the most part, he didn't want to freak him out. Oboro had grown very protective of him with having a crazy super-powerful villain going after him. But with how things were going, he was starting to not care that much about it.

"It's already been decided, Tenko," Oboro sighs. "You have to stay here..." Oboro tried to place a hand on his hair, but he quickly moved away and stomped inside.

"Fuck you!" he cried at his dad first. "And fuck all of you too!" and he continued with the rest of the faculty members hanging around in the Common room before heading upstairs to what will be his new place.

If he was honest, he didn't care much about living for a few months in UA. He loved his dad and his uncles and didn't really mind spending more time with them. But they couldn't keep treating him like a child. They couldn't take such a big decision for him believing that they knew better. He was an adult now. They had to talk things over with him and understand that he could make his own responsible choices. Usually Shouta, Hizashi and Yagi would have his back, but with their paternal instincts turned on again with the arrival of Midoriya and Eri, there was no such luck.

He stomped all the way to his room and once inside, flopped face down on his couch. Unlike the students dormitories, UA faculty members had bigger quarters. Instead of a one-bedroom, they had a private bathroom, a separate bedroom and a main lounge area. It was better than his apartment, but the fact that it had been his and this wasn't, made the entire thing pale in comparison to his eyes. But maybe it was just his anger. He was still pissed at his father, and it frustrated him that screaming at him wouldn't help the situation. He wanted to get back at him somehow, teach him a lesson. But how?

His answer came in the form of text message. His phone pinged in his pocket, and when he checked who it was, he couldn't help but smile.

Dumbass <3

Why are ppl taking stuff out of your home?

Are you moving out?

No

Dad is worried and made me move with him

Well, Fuck

And I had a plan to surprise you with cooking and a nerdy movie...

Guess we'll have to wait

X(

Don't cry, babe

We can sneak you out.

I am an expert, after all

An expert?

What? Did you sneak out of your house late at night to go to some concert or some shit?

Like the rebel that you are?

Hell yeah,

I'm the disappointment your parents don't want you near

That's right...

You are a disappointment

Okay... Rude

Do you still want to help me with my body-art project?

Sure

Are you free tomorrow? It might take a while

I thought you were going to paint over me and take some pictures.

How long can that take?

A lot

We might get distracted~

And I want to reward you after such a long day of work~

...

I have a clear schedule on Friday.

Good

It's a date!

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"What the..."

School had just finished, and the teachers were just returning to their dormitory. Thought the sight that welcomed them wasn't one they were expecting.

It had been a couple of days since Tenko had moved in with them. The rest of the staff didn't see a problem with it. They knew the kid, and he was a polite and responsible young man. That morning, for example, he had asked all of them if he could use the Common room of the dorm for one of his art projects and if they were alright with somebody else coming too (Apparently he needed help with the project). It was a good change, though. Lately, the art student had been in a foul mood, ever since he moved. But that morning, it had been as if he was a whole other person. Oboro had been glad his son's mood had improved. He thought once he could focus on his art, it would happen. Boy, was he wrong...

When the teachers entered their new shared home, Tenko was there with a plastic rug covering the floor, some paintbrushes scattered around and kneeling in front of a half-naked person. It was definitely not what they expected.

"Oh, hey," the nudist greets them with a nod.

The sound makes the man kneeling turn around, revealing the other was not fully naked, but wearing underwear thank god and Tenko was painting near his crotch area. Aizawa, who was holding Eri and covering her eyes, and the rest of the teachers, let out a relieved sigh, except Oboro. He is still staring in disbelief and surprise, not understanding what is going on. Why is his son with this stripper stranger? Why was he so close to him?

"Sorry about the mess, I didn't know this would take so long," Tenko apologises as he goes back to painting on his live canvas.

Said canvas was a tall red-haired man with blue eyes who couldn't have been a few years older than Tenko. The guy had painted on patches of black ashy paint on half of his face, his neck, arms and shoulders. He probably had more on his back and legs, but the teachers couldn't see that. His front was left bare, but Tenko was making a weird patterns that were rising through his abdomen and chest, leading to a giant rainbow heart in his left pectoral.

"What type of classes are you taking?" Yamada asks.

"This is for my Alternative Art and Style class," Tenko explains. "Now, could you not bother me? It's a delicate process, and I don't want to start over again. Pretend we are not here," he calls them off.

The teachers do, and so he continues. Once he finishes with the chest, he takes a weird tool with a round end and dips it in water. He gently starts to trace patterns on one of the black patches, revealing a multitude of colours behind it. It's rather magical, seeing the colour come to life on the other's skin. Eri, who had become too curious and escaped Aizawa's censoring, even asks if she could try. Tenko lets her, and she does a small heart in the behind the redhead's ear.

An hour later, Tenko is done, and he and the live canvas start to take pictures of his work. The teachers are not paying it too much attention now, letting the student finish in peace as they grade papers, sometimes glancing back at them from the corner of their eye. All of them but one, who was too busy glaring daggers at the canvas. Oboro can't help but notice the weird tension between his son and the naked man. There's something in the way their gazes cross, and their touches linger that is making him mad. He used to be able to read his son like an open book. There weren't any secrets between them. But now, he is not so sure.

After a few shots with the guy spread-eagle against one of the white walls, the two left towards another room to take more pictures. Oboro fought against all his instincts telling him to stop them, to go with them, to not leave them alone for a second, and stayed with the rest of his co-workers and friends. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he had let his son walk straight to hell.

"Finally," Snipe sighs relieved once the two younger adults leave.

"Yeah, Shirakumo-san, you didn't tell us your son had a boyfriend-," Thirteen comments.

"He doesn't!" the delusional man interrupts. "That guy is not- he isn't- Tenko would tell me if he had a boyfriend, alright!?" he tries to convince them or himself, he isn't sure at this point. Shota hums by his side, in that ' I agree, but we both know you are wrong'  tone.

"Honey, the only reason why they didn't jump each other is because we were there," Nemuri goes straight for the punch, covering Eri's ears and giving him a little wink.

"No! No, no. NO." he splutters before going back to paperwork. Shota hums again.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They don't see Tenko again until after dinner. They were cleaning the table when the young man came down wearing a new set of clothes. Instead of the dirty sweatpants and tank top he used for painting, he had a black pair of pants and a black hoodie that was too big for him. The neckline didn't cover one of his shoulders and the sleeves pooled in his wrists. The hoodie also had a fire design on the back with blue flames.

"Hey, you missed dinner," Oboro tells him as he dries while Yagi cleans. "There's some leftover the fridge, if you want them," he tells him.

"No need, there's still some pizza left from my lunch with Dabi," he says and starts taking out what he needs.

"Dabi?" Yagi asks. "That's the name of the model who wore your art today? He seemed familiar,"

"Yeah, he's a professional model, maybe you saw him in a billboard or something," Tenko explains and starts heading out of the kitchen.

"You might wanna take another shower, Ten, you still have paint on your neck," Oboro points out.

"That isn't paint, dad..." Tenko grins as he disappears upstairs.

CRASH

"Oboro-san! The plates!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday morning at UA always started slow. The weight of the week was still present, and the usual energy was not there yet. The staff of UA began their day with a quiet morning and a cup of coffee. Not all of the teachers stayed though. Some returned to their homes for the weekend, like Hizashi and Shota with Eri. They would take turns to stay with the students during Saturdays' and Sundays'. This weekend, Oboro, Nemuri, Snipe and All Might stayed.

"Fucking married fools..." Snipe groans as he arrives at the Common room.

"What are you complaining about now?" Nemuri asks, confused as the rest of them also come down.

"Last Night, Yamada and Aizawa," he grunts and spreads on the couch. "I know that they are married and that they love each other, but can't they keep it down?" he moans tired, making everybody confused.

"What do you mean? They left yesterday with Eri, they didn't even spend the night here," Oboro tells the hero, voicing everybody confusion.

"But then who were the ones having sex yesterday in the room on top of mine?" Snipe asks baffled.

"Sorry about that," a low voice comes from the kitchen. The teachers all turn towards it and find the model from yesterday leaning against the kitchen door with two steaming cups of coffee one was Tenko's favourite one, Oboro noticed and no shirt.

"What- Why- What are you still doing here?" Oboro asks, fearing the answer.

"My baby was lonely, and he never says no to Daddy's attention," Dabi grins and walks back upstairs.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, how long are you going to torture your dad?" Dabi asks his boyfriend, giving him the steaming cup in his new bed before he lays down next to him.

"For a while," Tenko hums and sips his sugar monstrosity he referred to as 'coffee'. "I'm guessing in a month, he'll finally get tired of it, learn his lesson," Dabi hums as he sips with him. "You don't have to follow along if you don't want to. I know what I'm doing is stupid," he says, lightly scratching his neck.

"Are you kidding me!? I love every second of it," Dabi chuckles. "How about on winter holidays you came to my family's home, and we do the same to my old man?" he suggests, a mischievous grin forming in his face.

"Are these going to be our dates from now on? Pissing off each other's parents?" Tenko rolls his eyes at his boyfriend's daddy issues.

"Hell, yeah. We are a team, aren't we? If you succeed, then so do I," he kisses him in the cheek, making the younger man's cheek turn pink. "Speaking of which, I need to leave more marks on you, babe," The brunette traces a path with his lips to the crook of his neck.

"Dabi..." the artist moans. Suddenly, the body besides him steps away from the bed, taking the heat with him. "No, don't leave..." he pouts and watches as his boyfriend rummages through his overnight bag. A second later, the taller male drops a dozen lipstick tubes on the bed and a box of make-up removing tissues on the bed. He then sits in the mattress again, in front of him, making the new objects bounce. "What are those for?"

"A game I know. Pick one," Tomura looks between the object and his boyfriend, trying to decipher what he was planning on doing. With a shaky gloved finger, he takes the tube nearest to him. Dabi takes it from him and spins it open, displaying a hot pink colour and applies it rapidly on his lips.

He is about to ask him something else, but he is interrupted by a pair of wet lips connecting with his. After his mouth, Dabi kisses his cheek then his jaw, his neck and collar bone before once again returning to his lips. He then separates from him once again and reaches for one the wipes, leaving Tomura panting. "Pick another one," he is instructed as the brunette takes off the pink lipstick. Without taking his eyes off Dabi, grabs another tube and hands it to him. The man on top opens the new one, a deep red, applies it and goes back to Tenko's lips. This time though, instead of continuing on his neck, the other dips down lower and tugs his shirt upwards. He starts to outline a straight line from his hip to his heart before returning to his lips again. "Another one and take that shirt off, I plan on making you a masterpiece," Dabi softly whispers in his ear before wiping off the make-up.

Colour after colour, Dabi stayed true to his word. His collar and neck ended up pink, his chest had three lines of kiss marks in red, purple and blue, his shoulders and wrists got green and yellow on his right and left and his crotch covered in black. He would start and end with his lips, making them swollen and full of colour. Dabi kissed him slowly and sensually everywhere, tearing him apart with every touch of his lips, smearing make-up all over his body. He felt his affection and care, leaving him breathless and dizzy. They didn't do anything overly sexual, his bottom was still sore from yesterday, though Dabi did blow him.

As the two laid next to each other after it, Tenko couldn't believe how happy the other made him. Dabi was his first relationship, and the man had been nothing if not patient with him. He let him set a pace he was comfortable with, teaching him the ropes and calming his anxiety whenever he got nervous. He even went along with his petty scheme. Tenko knew he was falling for the guy and it terrified him and thrilled him at the time. The fact that he could just be next to a person and be happy and content was new. He could stay in this bed forever, staring back into those blue eyes, and be in peace.

Suddenly, a phone rings in the background, interrupting the moment. Dabi huffs annoyed and picks up the phone on the nightstand. "What, Giran!?" he answers the call. "What? No, I'm busy. Can't you postpone it?" he says after a second. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. But I'm with Shirakumo right now," he moans and sighs once he gets an answer. "Alright, alright, I'm going. I'll see you there," he hangs up the phone and sighs again.

"You have work?" Tenko asks him.

"Yeah, the photoshoot for that new perfume brand, 'Angel's Tears', got moved to today. They want to release the product earlier, to win against a rival brand," he explains annoyed. "I don't wanna leave..." he moans and hides his face in the crook of his neck.

"You can come back later, I don't want you to miss work," he tells him, stroking the model's naked back. Dabi groans in protest and cuddles closer, hanging on to hin tighter. "Come on, you lazy bum, get up," he tells him and tries to get out of his hold.

It takes him a minute, but he is able to get out of bed and go into the bathroom. When he is in there, he gets to look at the end piece of Dabi's game. His body is a battlefield of lip marks of different colours in a chaotic yet very eye-catching way. He had a lot of issues like a LOT of issues and his dislike for his body was one of them. But looking at himself like this? With the clear evidence that someone loved his frail, pale form, it made his stomach flutter. Taking advantage of his new-found confidence, he goes for his phone and takes a picture in the mirror. As the camera goes off, Dabi appears behind him, placing his arms in his stomach and his chin in his shoulder. He takes another one.

"I told you I would make you a Masterpiece," he whispers in his ear and then kisses it.

The two try to get presentable, or at least Tenko does, covering the lipstick with clothes. The make-up is dry now, so the wipes don't take much of it off. He might need to take a shower once Dabi leaves. Once the two are ready, they go to the gate hand in hand to wait for Giran. The manager is going to drive the model there, since he doesn't have a car.

They depart with a kiss and a promise to call the other once they're free again.

Once he is gone, he makes his way back to the small dormitory-apartment, where he sees his dad sitting in one of the couch with his face in his hands. Yagi by his side, was trying to comfort him. He ignored them, but he can feel their eyes in his back and neck. Especially on the make-up he yet had to remove. He is feeling a little bad for his dad. He knows it's very pitiful what he is doing. But he guessed for now he learned his lesson. He could back down a little and attack once he went back to his habits. He was prepared if that happened. Unlike his dad, whose strategy was unplanned and sprung in the moment, he had a hot-blooded boyfriend he could use as very effective ammo.

He took a shower when he got to his room, which took him while. The lipstick was a pain to scrub off, and it made him question how worth it would be to do it. But then he remembers how good it was to be kissed stupid by his boyfriend and how he would love to do the same to him, and thinks that maybe it's worth the mess. He steps out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist but stops in his tracks.

"Dad!? What are you doing with my phone!?" he yells when he sees his dad there, messing with his phone.

'Quick, Oboro, act stupid!'

"...what's a phone?" the older man utters. 'Not that stupid!'

Tenko feels like he's about to explode with anger. Screw going on the defensive! Screw his dad and his overprotective nurture! Screw being treated like a child or an innocent teenager! This meant war and his dad was going to relive hell on earth!

Tenko takes a deep breath to calm down first. He isn't wearing his gloves right now, and while his control is pretty good, he doesn't want to accidentally decay his phone or his possessions in a fit of anger. Or worse, his dad.

"I'm going to change, and then  you  are going to apologise for disrespecting my privacy," he tells him in his meanest and darkest tone. "Also, if I were you, I wouldn't open the camera roll," he warns as he enters his bedroom.

The scream he hears once the door is close is strangely satisfying.

#shigadabiweek2020 #shigadabi #dabishiga #shigaraki x dabi #shigaraki tomura #Dabi #bnha #mha #au

[falcon-eye]

So I’ve been writing on my phone and this one almost made me lose my shit because when initially hitting “copy” I accidentally hit “paste” and deleted the entire fucking thing. Thank GOD gmail keeps a copy of your notes. Holy shit.

Again made for @inexplicifics Accidental Warlord AU

Veko and Eloise’s domestic adventures continue! I’m so happy people actually like them! I’ve grown so close to them both. This will be part of their bigger story, because since I’ve been writing on my phone they’ve been really small and when I expound on them I want to add more details before all this, like about Veko and Hamra and all that. So consider these teasers I guess? That’s why the endings feel so abrupt. Or that’s the excuse I keep telling myself. I don’t know. But when I finally post everything it will be on AO3, and I may put these little ficlets on AO3 as a fic as well.

Anyway hope you enjoy this one! Veko and Eloise return!

——————

The next time Veko saw Eloise was just as bizarre as the first. Except this time, she ended up helping him as opposed to him saving her father again. It was, somehow, even more awkward.

It was a few weeks of a full year later. What was supposed to just be one kikimora turned into a while nest, and despite this, the alderman barely wanted to pay him what he said he would for the one kill, let alone a whole cluster of them. He wouldn’t even let Veko inside. Luckily it had almost literally just stopped raining. But it was getting to the point where Veko was having to take a few calming breaths between the arguing; the alderman was a miserable prick, but Veko didn’t want to snap on the guy.

“You take what I give ye an’ be done with it!” the alderman shouted, reaching for the dagger at his belt. “Or you’ll get no coin and—“

“Husband!” a woman’s voice rang out. Veko and the alderman jumped; fucking rain and yelling, making Veko’s senses dull. A small force practically ran into him from the side and wrapped a hand around his elbow. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Uh—“

“Eloise!” the alderman exclaimed. Oh shit, that’s where Veko knew her from! “Nothing t’ worry about, this Witcher was jus’ leaving.”

Eloise turned to Veko, pressing closer. “You were?” she asked, faking concern to apparently Veko’s ears only. “But darling, you just got here!”

Veko’s mind went totally blank. “Hello?” he said dumbly.

The alderman’s eyes narrowed. “What?” he hissed. “Eloise, this man—“

“Is my beloved,” Eloise cut in. The alderman’s mouth shut with an audible click. “Last year, don’t you remember? The Witcher that saved my father from those drowners!”

Veko continued to stare at her.

“But—“ the alderman stammered.

“Now what’s with all this shouting over here?” Eloise barreled on.

“I sent this Witcher here to kill the kikimora roamin’ about,” the alderman said.

Eloise gave Veko’s arm a little shake to snap him back into the conversation. “I, uh,” he stammered. “It wasn’t just one. There was a whole nest.”

Eloise clapped a hand over her mouth and gasped dramatically. “A whole nest!” she exclaimed, drawing the attention of the townspeople nearby. “My goodness! I’m so glad it’s been taken care of! Oh, Lennart, I don’t know what we would have done had a whole nest of those beasts descended upon the town!”

People were starting to whisper. The alderman—Lennart’s heart rate sped up. “Oh, well yes, I, eh, was good indeed.” He looked like he was trying to both glare at Veko and keep the shock of Eloise’s outburst off his face at the same time—and failing.

Eloise finally let go of Veko and took the alderman’s hands. “Do you need help with the coin?” she asked innocently. “For the additional kikimora? I know things have been difficult since Nora left—“

“I can handle it!” Lennart exclaimed, eyes darting around at the growing mass of people who’d come to hear about the monsters. The alderman patted Eloise’s hands and laughed nervously. “I mean, that’s alright dear! I-I’ve plenty of coin for the Witcher here! Let me—I’ll go get it.”

Lennart raced back into his house and the crowd of people began to disperse, clearly boring of the now dwindling conversation. Veko was still not sure what the fuck just happened. But before he could ask, the alderman burst back outside and practically threw a pretty hefty sack of coin into Veko’s hands.

“Splendid!” Eloise exclaimed, and then turned to Veko one more. “Shall we go, darling?”

Veko nodded, letting himself be led away, once again, by this bizarre woman. But just before Lennart went back inside, Veko turned to him, held up the bag of coin, and winked. Lennart turned an ugly red and slammed the door behind him.

“Fucking weaselly prick,” Eloise hissed. Veko guffawed.

“Holy shit,” he said. “Where did you even come from? How did you find me? What—what the hell was that?!”

Eloise held up a hand and ticked answers off her fingers. “I was in town putting an order for paints in, saw your horse tied to a tree near the edge of town, and Lennart is a right prick but easy to exploit because of it. His wife Nora left a few weeks ago with some adventurer who came through town. She knew he’d been trying to bed any girl in sight and rightfully left.”

Veko pocketed the bag of coin. “Well I’m not going to complain,” he said.

Eloise tucked her hand into the crook of his arm again. “Are you planning on staying?” she asked. “Papa says it’s supposed to rain; he can feel it in his knees, he says.”

Veko started itching at his burns. “I, uh—“

“Right, coming with me then.”

Veko laughed again and Eloise guide the way.

——————————————————

For having apparently acquired Eloise and her home, this was the first time Veko had actually been inside. It was cozy, the walls painted a pale pink and yellow. The kitchen was warm and smelled amazing, Eloise having apparently left something cooking while she’d been out.

Peering into the next room, the apparent main room of the house, Veko found bottles of paints and an assortment of brushes set up at an easel against the far window (splattered in paint); blank canvases were piled behind it. But actually giving the room a look-around, his attention was immediately drawn to the walls lined floor to ceiling with the most beautiful paintings Veko had ever seen.

Landscapes of what Veko recognized as the local stream and the goat paddock out back, faces he didn’t recognize but could have started up a conversation with him with how real they looked, random assortments of everyday items put together to make some interesting structure—there was art everywhere.

Veko didn’t realize he was gaping until he heard Eloise chuckle. “Like what you see?” she asked.

“They’re amazing,” Veko replied, reaching towards a painting of a young boy.

“Don’t touch!” Eloise snapped; Veko jumped. “Sorry, sorry, they’re just—when they dry the colors fade of you touch them.”

“Sorry,” Veko said, shoving his hand into his pocket.

Eloise shook her head. “It’s always been a dream of mine to be a famous painter. Sometimes I get commissions or sell some in Oxenfurt. There’s a man who comes by to take them to market every now and then. Anyway, apparently my father went to bed early,” she said. “Stew?” Eloise chuckled. “I can paint a delicious meal but actually cooking it, eh...”

Now it was Veko’s turn to laugh. “I’d love some, whatever it tastes like,” he said. “And—thank you, for that shit with the alderman.”

Eloise waved him off. “Honestly? Bringing you up has been doing wonders around here,” she said.

As Veko sat down at the table, he remembered: “Did you call me husband?”

“How long ago was that and you’re just realizing that now?”

“In my defense, you came out of nowhere!”

“Aren’t you supposed to be this great warrior with heightened senses?”

Instead of answering, Veko leaned forward and smirked. “You think I’m great?”

Eloise stared at him for a moment before scoffing and shoveling a spoonful of soup into her mouth. “A great pain in my arse,” she said, “and you’ve only been here five minutes.”

“Might I remind you that you’re the one who dragged me here.”

“Yeah, because you looked like a bloody kicked puppy when I asked!”

“Kitten.”

Eloise blinked. “What?”

Veko tapped his medallion. “I’m from the School of the Cat, so I’d be a kitten.”

There was a moment of silence before Eloise let out a ‘PFFFT!’ and burst out laughing. “Did you really just—“

“I can leave right now!” Veko exclaimed, but there was no heat behind it. Eloise’s laugh was loud and hoarse, hardly ladylike or cute, but for some reason Veko liked hearing it. He wanted to hear it again.

Eloise wiped tears from her eyes. “Just eat your stew, Witcher,” she said.

“Veko,” Veko said. “My name is Veko.”

“Veko,” Eloise repeated, like she was getting used to how it sounded. “Nice to officially meet you, husband.”

Veko started scratching his burns. “Oh gods.”

Eloise smacked his hand like she’d done last year. “Stop doing that,” she snapped. “You’re going to make it worse.”

“I’ve had it for fifteen years; I don’t think it’s going to get worse.”

Eloise was quiet. “How—? Never mind.”

“No, it’s ok,” Veko reassured her. “My brother and I got into a fight. Or something. I can’t remember. But it was an accident, either way.”

“Is your brother also a Witcher?”

Veko nodded, having just stuffed his face with stew again. “Yah,” he said, his mouth full. He swallowed. “Identical twins, actually. Though my hair’s longer and he’s a bit bulkier than I am. His name’s Hamra.”

“Veko and Hamra,” Eloise said, “twin Cat Witchers, huh?”

“Yes ma’am,” Veko replied. Over the course of the meal, Veko explained the basics about the Cats and their caravan, how they worked and why they occasionally split up. Eloise, for her part, only asking questions when he’d finished a story and let him talk most of the conversation. Normally, talking is what Veko was used to, but both times he’d been with this woman she’d shocked him into silence. It was nice to be comfortable again.

Night settled quickly and when they finished their respective meals, Eloise took both their bowls to wash. “I’m going to set a cot up for you,” she said over her shoulder.

“What, no bed?” Veko teased.

“Other than my father's bed, there’s only one other and it’s mine,” Eloise replied.

“Not enough room for husband and wife?”

Eloise suddenly turned serious. Without even turning to him she said, “I’ll not bed you, Witcher.”

Veko held his hands up in surrender, even though her back was still turned. “Ok,” he said softly. “Just messing around, sorry. Didn’t mean to upset you, truly.”

Eloise sighed deeply and finally turned to him. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I just. I don’t want that. From anyone, ever. It’s—it’s hard to explain. Just thinking about... that... makes me... extremely uncomfortable.”

Veko nodded. “I understand,” he said. “I mean, I don’t, but I respect that.”

Eloise smiled. “Thank you,” she said.

“Is that why me being your husband is useful?” Veko asked; Eloise’s heart rate sped up. “I don’t have a problem with that!” he quickly assured her. “It’s just, last year you said something to that effect.”

Eloise looked him in the eye for a moment, maybe trying to assess if he was telling the truth? And then nodded. “Yes.”

“Well, that’s no problem here,” Veko said. “Gods know I only really come through this area once a year. I could swing by to keep up appearances.”

“And I could help you bleed Lennart dry of all his coin.”

Veko smirked. “I like the way you think.”

Eloise smirked back. “I think this is going to be a very successful partnership.”

#the witcher #witcher oc #accidental warlord au #inexplicifics #falcon writes