#drew this to celebrate my dog’s birthday :)

[kangaruthi]

nona and noodle (king of dogs in secret)

#drew this to celebrate my dog’s birthday :) #nona #noodle #nona the ninth #the locked tomb #art #digital art #fanart

[partycatty]

a depressed and drunk johnny cage in his trailer on his birthday and we decide to surprise him. Us being a good bestfriend bake him a cute little cake with happy birthday spelt out in frosting and get permission to go deliver it to him.

what’s he supposed to do when he’s drunk and a cute little thing like us does something so sweet? sure it’s his birthday, but he thinks you deserve a gift and he ends up fucking you in his trailer.

love ya 💙💙💙

ARF ARF BARK BARK GRRR WOOF

johnny cage > happy bithday

you surprise your best friend on his birthday. he returns the favor.

warnings: smut ofc, he's drunk (i knowwww he's a canon recovering alcoholic BEAR WITH MEEE) SUB JOHNNY NATION RISE UP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i kinda made him beg like a dog icl so hes kinda ooc oops

notes: INTENTIONAL MISSPELT TITLE!!! and this fic kicked my ASS. it took me like a week to get the courage to finish this holy fucking shit.

word count: 2.8k

[ masterlist ]

• you and johnny went far back. you had ties in the filming industry though you weren't on screen yourself. this drew you two together, even before you careers blossomed.

• you worked next door to his production, and you recall johnny expressing to you his annoyance for having to work on his birthday. he sounded... more miserable than usual, and it left a weird pit in your stomach.

• during your break, you ran into a nearby supermarket and purchased all the equipment you'd need: cake mix, frosting, sprinkles, and two numerical candles that spelled out 30. it took blood sweat in tears for you to bake this cake in record time, and decorating may have not been your strong suit but the purple frosting and gold lettering turned out... decent. hey, it's edible nonetheless!

• tip-toeing your way to his trailer, you were sure he had to be inside. you even double checked with his staff, and he was on an extended break while filming. standing at the door, you knock a couple times, and a stuffy, groaning voice responds.

• "m'busy," you know it's johnny's voice but it sounded far sadder than anticipated. hopefully the cake would cheer him up?

• you reply with his name through the crack in the door, and there's some shuffling before the door swings open. you don't even have time to wait or process the situation before johnny tugs you into his trailer by your arm. your face darkens slightly when you notice his flushed face and parted lips. his hair was messy, and the smell of alcohol poured from his mouth. the top few buttons of his dress shirt were undone, giving you a peek of his bare chest. any other situation, you'd be head over heels, but his appearance concerned you.

• "are you drunk?" you ask with a hint of bewilderment, and johnny can only wipe his eyes and nod weakly, giving you a lopsided grin that unfortunately makes you feel weak in the knees. you swore to god to never act on this little crush, since he was a celebrity and all, and you knew better than to put your genuinely good friendship at risk.

• "you made me a cake?" johnny's gentle, almost tearful voice tore away any anger that began to bubble up and replaced it with warmth. you nod and hold it out to him, and the faint candlelight flickers against his skin beautifully. he was so soft when he was drunk at times, and only you got to see this warmer side compared to his typical cocky ways.

• "it's... not my best work," you shrug sheepishly, looking down at the cake. when you look back up, you notice johnny's lashes are wet as they flutter, looking down at the cake with you. he sniffs, and wipes his eyes quickly.

• "you spelled it wrong." his smile doesn't falter but the tears threaten to spill.

• "what?"

• "doll... look," johnny's finger trails the iced words. "you forgot the R."

• oh, shit. you did. the cake reads HAPPY BITHDAY JOHNNY in the most confident gold lettering. the time crunch must've made your proofreading not too accurate. you blush and try to move the cake away from view, sliding it onto his vanity.

• as you were about to sputter useless apologies and try to move on, johnny takes a step closer and fully embraces your body in his large arms, his form completely overtaking yours and trapping you in his grasp. johnny's head buries itself in the crook of your neck as he squeezes tight, nearly knocking the wind out of you.

• on instinct, your arms try to wrap around his body, gripping his shirt tightly. johnny mutters something incoherent, his drunken ramblings a key trait of his state.

• "you're so sweet to me," he mumbles tearfully, peppering kisses along your neck. sure, he was affectionate typically, but he was kissing your neck. he was drunk, but... your heart fluttered.

• "hey, hey..." you rub his back soothingly, hoping maybe you could stop him from attacking your neck in hopes it'll cool your rising heat. "because you're my best friend."

• he whines into your neck, presumably in appreciation of your words. your neck begins to have a faint smell of alcohol.

• "such a sweet girl..." he doesn't stop. his hands wander to your lower back, pulling you in harder. this worries you, deeply.

• "johnny," your voice is warning as they find their place on his broad shoulders. "easy, easy, you're drunk."

• "whassat matter," he bites down into your flesh, making you yelp in shock. "mean so much to me."

• when his hands find their way to your ass, kneading at the flesh, you shove him away with furrowed brows. "you don't want this," you warn him, fighting every single urge to not pounce on him in that moment. "this is... really, really stupid, i mean, it's just a birthday-"

• johnny shuts you up quickly with a kiss, slamming his face against yours so hard you feel the clack of his teeth. his face cups yours, borderline squeezing your cheeks as his lips dance with yours. when he finally pulls away, a string of saliva connects your lips and it sends you weak in the knees.

• "doll," he huffs, wiping his mouth. "birthday or not, i've wanted you for so long." he's breathless and nearly incoherent, like this was his only shot at what he truly wanted. johnny was infamous for admitting shit when drunk, so you knew that this was true for the most part. this was only reinforced when he suddenly dropped to his knees, level with your stomach as he placed fluttering kisses along the front of your shirt.

• "please, i..." he pressed his face into the fabric, fists bunching up around the back. "i'll make you feel real good, if you let me..." his hand snakes under your shirt, rubbing circles in the flesh of your waist as he looks up with pleading eyes. your hand moves downward, raking gently through his hair.

• "you really want this?" you ask gently, toying with his hair. "no going back."

• his lips brush against your stomach as he teeters between kissing the skin and speaking against it. "i want you so bad, doll."

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

• all it took was your permission, and johnny was on you in seconds. he backed you into his vanity, sending various items clattering to the ground. he fit so snug between your thighs, settling there to make out with you. perhaps he didn't even notice, but he was gently rutting into you as your lips connected, expelling desperate whimpers down your throat that only fueled your long-time desire. his cock could just barely make out the dip between your folds, but he pressed a little harder and made you gasp when your clit received unexpected attention.

• johnny pulls you in by the waistband of your pants, pressing your bodies impossibly closer as he panted in your ear. "let me taste you," he begged in a low whisper as he hooked his thumbs under the fabric. "i'll be good, i'll be so good."

• jesus, it seemed he wanted to eat you out more than you wanted to be eaten out. you'd never seen this flavor of eagerness in a man and it admittedly took you some strength to not giggle at how johnny fucking cage of all people became a lost, drunken puppy between your legs.

• "go on, pretty boy," you pant as your lips brush. the smell of alcohol brings you back to reality for only a moment.

• johnny decided that words took too much effort and instead dropped to his knees before you, shoulders holding up the weight of your plush thighs as he parted them hungrily to not waste a second more.

• the poor man forgets to even remove your pants before he's pressing his nose onto your heat, eyelashes fluttering as his heart swells with adoration. your scent, your heaving chest, your pretty thighs weighing his shoulders down, it was all too much. his pants feel a size too tight as his boner strains against his slacks.

• you get his brain going by jumping your hips up to get your pants past your ass, letting him pull them down the rest of the way. he throws them far, far away and latches himself again onto your pussy, now only divided by the fabric.

• "you were so eager before," you groan, thrusting forward slightly to put more pressure. "take them off."

• "no," he mutters against your panties, the vibrations making you jolt. "want this to last." his tongue flattens, drawing a long stripe up the fabric. when your panties stick to your pussy, it makes out the shape and he groans at the tease.

• "hold on," he places your thighs back down, trying to calm his breathing and flushed face. "i... i need this first. please." he unbuckles himself and pulls his slacks down to his thighs, giving you a view of his rock solid boner. it honestly looked painful, and you felt pity even if he looked adorable like this. his eyes were downward, fidgeting with his loose belt in shame. he chuckles breathily. "it's so hard, it hurts."

• "that's..." you struggle to find words when your mouth goes dry staring at his thick imprint. "that's alright." your voice was flat, trying to hide your desperation at his need to ask for permission. he didn't need to ask.

• johnny swallows thickly and lets his pants drop, followed by his boxers. his cock was blushed and seeping with precum, twitching once when he looked back up at you. he lets out a small moan, getting far ahead of himself as he positions his hips against yours. he gasps when the contact is made, stuttering his hips ever so slightly. johnny's hands find your thighs again, squeezing down hard to ground himself to not cum immediately. sober and platonic interactions were already far too much for his raging desire for you, so actually getting what he craved was beyond overstimulating.

• you were sick of waiting, so you snake your arms to rest atop his shoulders, hands raking through his undercut. you grip down slightly and he bites his lower lip in response, eyebrows knitting together as his wet eyes burn through yours. you glide your cunt along his throbbing dick and he jolts forward, resting his damp forehead against your shoulder.

• johnny understands you're just as eager as him and begins to thrust into your damp panties, but quickly decides it won't give him what he needs, so he hooks them with his thumb and stretches them aside. his tongue darts out to wet his lips, his eyes are glossed over and all he can fixate on is your pleasure.

• his tip notches between your folds and settles nicely, earning a hiss from the both of you from the warmth. johnny bucks forward eagerly, sliding himself up and down seamlessly due to how soaked you were. your folds hug his cock in just the right way, and you feel yourself already feeling heavenly every time your sensitive clit bumps against his tip.

• "fuck, doll," he hisses into the skin of your neck, placing open mouth kisses. "i want to last, you're - ngh - making it so hard... so hard..." he trails off, groaning when you slip and make his tip kiss the entrance of your cunt, making his knees buckle. "'m gonna cum just from this... god, you're so beautiful, beautiful girl-" his praises become increasingly more high pitched and you can tell by the way he begins to stutter his hips that he's close, unable to last long and it's driving him wild.

• johnny wasn't ever this needy, ever this pathetic. you reduced the cocky a-lister to a near-sobbing mess as he slips across your cunt, finding a momentum difficult from how slippery the entire scene has become. his cock is soaked, dripping down his leg due to your arousal.

• just as your orgasm builds up, as does his, johnny pulls away and lowers himself, gripping the flesh of your ass to pull your hips to his mouth. now thoroughly soaked and clenching around nothing, your cunt is desperate for a release that johnny happily provides, latching onto your clit, and shoving two fingers deep in your hole. he flattens his tongue, shaking his head slightly and flicking your clit relentlessly.

• your orgasm rides up on you rapidly, overwhelmed by the direct pleasure and how filled you were from two of his long fingers alone. wanting to lurch forward as your body trembles, johnny uses his other hand to sit flatly on your stomach, pushing you up against the mirror of the vanity and forcing you to take his lapping and fingering.

• johnny couldn't stand to have your pleasure soak his cock, shockingly. he needed, needed to taste the mess you were making for him or he just might die. you shake, trying to writhe and twitch as your orgasm fights you in waves. loud moans are pulled from your throat with each pulse of pleasure. your arousal soaks johnny's face, effectively soaking his nose and chin as he devours all you have to offer. he matched your moans with high-pitched whimpers, brows knitting together as his eyes clench shut. he was in heaven just as much as you were.

• he continues to lap at you until you force him away by his hair, his mouth becoming borderline painful as he eats you out through your orgasm. you giggle, as it slightly tickles. johnny looks... well, still drunk, but now a new kind. pussydrunk? lovedrunk? either way, the glossy look on his face suits him.

• as your chest heaves, attempting to recollect yourself, everything about the situation comes back to reality. you just grinded against your best friend. your best friend made you cum from his mouth.

• "what's that look?" johnny asks, wiping his mouth with his forearm. his eyes are glittering with delight.

• "nothing," you shrug, his grin contagious. "you did good, johnny."

• "yeah?" he seems proud of himself, glancing downward for a moment. he squeezes your thighs lovingly, placing a gentle kiss on them before finally standing up.

• "yeah." just as you respond, you look down to his cock, wondering if maybe he'd need some help getting there, too. it seemed only fair, that is, until you notice it's semi-hard and soaked. you sit up and lean forward, looking past your legs and onto his trailer floor. cum is splattered onto the flooring, some of it dripping down his thigh. "you came from giving head?"

• "how could i not have?" johnny's sheepish at your observation, but owns up to it quickly as he tucks it back into his slacks. "you're incredible." his face is tinted pink.

• "you're too sweet," you giggle, and johnny helps you down from the vanity as your legs wobble. giving up on finding wherever the hell your pants went, johnny leaves for a moment and returns with a pair of pajama pants, presumably a pair he kept in the trailer for his princess naps.

• "look who's talking... hey, speaking of sweet," johnny laughs, rubbing his hands together. "you and me wash up, and we have some cake, yeah?"

• "i like that plan," as you jump into the pants. johnny visibly tenses up seeing your breasts bounce from the jump, and he can't ignore the way your thighs and ass jiggle. "where did i put it, anyway?"

• you both look around the trailer for a moment, the memory of placing the cake down hazy among the rest of the event. you let out a small gasp, realizing that the cake was on the vanity, the one you got fucked out on... or rather, it was. the cake was splattered on the floor, frosting spread out and depressingly smeared anywhere it could reach. you frown, and johnny hovers behind you as you both look over the mess.

• "that sucks," johnny sighs, but his voice sounds uplifting. "that's alright, i ate something better."

�� "don't be gross," you giggle, swatting at his form behind you. "that was perfectly good cake."

• "we can make another," johnny offers. "together. and i'll make sure you spell it right this time." his arms wrap around your middle, pulling you in close and breathing in the scent of your hair. the sweat, perfume and natural smell you carried always drove him wild, but he was now comfortable enough to bury himself in it. you lean into his touch, sighing as the heat from your bodies provides the perfect comfort.

• "happy birthday, johnny," you mumble softly, rocking back and forth in his arms. johnny responds into your hair, his voice breathy and warm.

• "thank you, doll."

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat x reader #johnny cage #mk1 #johnny cage x reader #johnny cage smut #mortal kombat smut #marley writes ☆

[mosneakers]

◇

Seymour: [Croaky voice] My sisters love me now, but oh, Persy sure wasn't too thrilled to have me as her baby brother back in those days! [Soft chuckle] She wanted me dead.

Tycho: No, I'm sure she was just adjusting.

Coraleye: Yeah! I bet it all changed for her when she saw your handsome little face.

Seymour: It took her some time to warm up to me. Even then the little shit preferred her animals and imaginary friends.

Coraleye: [Smiles] Uncle Bo...

Kirsten: And she wasn't even the one they considered "troubled." Gwendolyn, now that's the one they had to watch out for...

Gwendolyn Darling

Mr. and Mrs. Darling often wondered what kind of personality —if any— Gwendolyn would have developed if it weren't for the invention of the modern television. Her entire demeanor was made up of pieces of tidbits she collected from her time spent in front of the screen.

Despite the children from school finding her rather strange, Gwendolyn navigated social settings with ease. She'd smile like a dazzling silver screen starlet, and crack jokes like a beloved gameshow host.

Persephone Darling

Persephone was a very grumpy and irritable child. often opting to keep to herself due to her crippling social awkwardness. As Seymour explained, her only real friends were creatures with feathers or four legs, as well as those conjured by her imagination. But where she lacked in cheerfulness, she made up for in athleticism and harbored a profound passion for animals. Persephone maintained an active lifestyle and found enjoyment in a variety of sports, spanning from swimming and ball games to the art of ballet.

As Seymour's due date drew closer, a knock on the door followed by the family dog barking madly signaled an unexpected visit from Agnes's nephew, Mortimer—a visit undoubtedly orchestrated by Cornelia. As if he were being forced to recite the offer against his will, Mortimer reluctantly extended his services to babysit the girls, as her days grew busier with a new baby. Agnes appreciated the offer and could've certainly used his help, but she knew well that Mortimer, being a teenage boy, would likely rather be off doing something else, rather than tasked with keeping an eye on his younger cousins.

Agnes remembered back to her sister Cornelia's assertion that Mortimer's best friend, Bella Bachelor, was beginning to "smile at him in a different way now." Struck with a clever idea, Agnes proposed a deal to Mortimer: If he would be willing to babysit the girls and take good care of them during her labor and the early days with the new baby, he could bring Bella along to assist him. Considering his mother didn't allow him and Bella to be alone anymore, Mortimer lit up like a lightbulb, and eagerly accepted. He did request, however, that Agnes not mention Bella's involvement in this arrangement to his mother.

And it sure was lucky the Darlings got a babysitter just in time, for not long after, in the early hours of the morning at 4:27 AM, on All Hallow's Eve, the Darlings welcomed a bouncing baby boy with little babydoll eyes. They held him close, celebrating the first happy birthday of many more to come.

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#ts4 #MD4season10 #ts4 story #vintage ts4 #Many Moons Ago #Many Moons Ago: Gen 1 #MMA Gen 1: Ch. 17 #sims 4 #Seymour Darling #Agnes Darling #Erik Darling #Persephone Darling #Gwendolyn Darling #Mortimer Goth #Bella Bachelor #Bella Goth #Coraleye Darling #Tycho Curious #Kirsten Darling

[yankasmiles]

Thank you, and I love you!

Samchon gained his wings in the early morning of April 2. Our family had the honor of being chosen by him — he was an old stray dog that found our home — and we had the privilege of being with him in his senior years and his final moments. He had chronic kidney disease, and as much as I dreaded the diagnosis, in a way I'm grateful that we had a long time to say goodbye. Grief and relief are two conflicting emotions I've been grappling with. I miss him a lot. He was like a son to me, really.

I first met Samchon when he was hiding in our laundry room in November 10, 2018. He was emaciated and covered in twigs and matted hair, so we knew that he'd been on the streets for a while. We tried to find his family for weeks but no one claimed him, so we adopted him and celebrate his "gotcha day" every November 10. November 10 also happens to be Yamaguchi's birthday, so I often drew my two favourite boys together. I wanted to compile my drawings of them in one place, mostly for myself.

I've been taking time off to grieve and just regain my bearings. Samchon's palliative care was such a big part of my family's daily routine that his absence is felt in many different ways. I plan to return to the swing of things by next week, and will update my shop customers and commissioners accordingly regarding delays.

If you read this far, thank you!

#cw pet death #my art #I don't think I'll stop drawing my dog in the future #which hopefully doesn't sound like a weird thing

[cinnabunhwa]

best birthday ever

pairing: xiaojun x gn!reader

genre: fluff, established relationship

summary: it’s xiaojun’s birthday and the memories of your second date have you bringing him a late night snack on a busy night. the two of you reminisce on the memory, very fluffy!

warnings: pet names (babe, love)

words: 1.182k

masterlist | taglist

Biting your bottom lip nervously, you typed a text to be sent to your boyfriend. Today was his birthday, and it’s the first one that you ever got to be a part of. He’s been working a lot more than usual now that his group was active again; he didn’t want to take anything for granted. You were so proud of him and you wanted to make sure that he remembered to celebrate his own day.

“Hey! Will you be home before midnight tonight?” you pressed send, hoping that he wouldn’t be completely opposed to it. He needed rest, and that you were sure of, but you also knew that he would willingly continue to work. ‘Just a little bit more,’ he’d say, but then it would be 4am and he would be dragging himself back to the dorms. Your phone vibrates.

“I should be! Is everything okay??” He seemed more worried about you than anything else. You chuckled, he’s really too sweet for his own good.

“Everything is okay!! I just wanted to see you today, even just for a few minutes!  :)” 

Plans were set, you were going to meet him outside of his dorm at 11pm, after all his schedules prior to midnight were done. Dejun is someone who has always been passionate about his work. Whether it be dancing, singing, or hosting, he has always been someone that could be counted on. You knew that he would make sure he was there. With that in mind, you got to work planning what you would bring over. 

–

You arrived outside the dorms 10 minutes early. You didn’t want to risk him seeing you set the bags up neatly so that he could carry it in well. You had brought him fried chicken from his favorite place and a little treat for Bella as well. It’s impossible to forget the way that his eyes lit up when he tried the chicken from that stall for the first time. 

It was your second date, and Dejun had the day off so you both decided to go to the food market and try different street foods. He excitedly showed you all of the places Hendery loved (the guy knows good food), and all of the places he and the members had eaten in the past. Stumbling upon a new stall, he paused with a perplexed look.

“I’ve never seen this place before? But it looks like it’s been here for a while,” he said, head slightly tilted.

The stall was operated by an elderly lady, who spotted the two of you staring and beckoned you over, a large smile gracing her features. You greeted her cheerily, looking over the options of the stall before realizing it was all Korean fried chicken. You looked over at your date and his eyes were sparkling looking at everything. He had engaged in conversation with the lady and she was already filling a box just for the two of you to walk around with. As you tuned in, you caught the very end of the conversation.

“-second date, and I wanted to take them to one of the night markets nearby! I’m so glad you started your stall,” Dejun chirped, wrapping his arm around your waist as the breeze blew by. 

The elderly lady gave you a soft smile and handed the box to the two of you. Dejun reached to pay, and she tsked at him, shaking her head. He tried everything he could to get her to accept payment: saying at least let it be a tip, and even pulling out his infamous puppy dog eyes. She would not budge.

“Please take this as my blessing for the two of you, and if you like it, please come by again,” she returned, smiling to herself. She knew the two of you would last if the way he looked at you meant anything.

Relenting, he jokingly scolded her, saying that next time he’d have to buy twice as much. Chuckling, she agreed, shooing the both of you away to enjoy the rest of your date.

The sound of the dorm door opening drew your attention away from your thoughts. Your boyfriend jogged over to you, attempting to peer around you to see what you were holding behind your back. You maneuvered backwards from him, keeping your surprise a secret. There was no way you were letting him sneak up on his gift.

“YAH hello, nice to see you Dejun, how are you?” You playfully scolded, making the silliest angry face you had. 

This only made his antics stronger, as he pretended to peek over one of your shoulders, then dive around to your side but you were too fast. Side stepping him, you stuck your tongue out and waited for him to speak.

“Hi y/n,” he breathed, eyes sparkling playfully and a soft smile coming to his face, “I’m so excited to see you today, it’s been such a fun day so far.”

Grinning at him, you bring the bags around to the front of you and his eyes widen at the sight of the logo.

“You went all the way to the market for me??” he remarked, “oh babe you didn’t have to go alone, I would have definitely gone with you.”

“Happy birthday Dejun,” you smiled, nudging his side playfully and shaking your head, “I knew you’d be busy so I wanted to bring it for you.”

Thinking back to your second date, he felt so fond. The elderly lady who ran the stall had told him that she could tell how much the two of you cared for each other, even in passing. She eased his nerves by saying so, and even mentioned that the two of you reminded her of her own love. It was that night that Dejun decided he would do his best to get to know you, and make you happy. But here you were, remembering what he loved and bringing gifts even on a busy day just for him.

Gently grabbing the bags, he set them down on the bench next to you. A warmth spread across your face as he brought his hand to your cheek, the silly mood forgotten. 

“Thank you babe, it means the world to me that you would take time out of your day just for me, even with things as busy as they are,” he said, pressing his forehead to yours, admiring the way your eyes locked onto him. Like this, it always felt like time slowed down and it truly was just the two of you in the world. He didn’t have to be an idol in your eyes, he was just Dejun. Your Dejun. That’s who he vowed to be, and he intended it to stay that way. Wrapping your arms around him, you felt all the love and admiration that you had for him be received and you sighed contentedly, nuzzling his hand.

“You’re always welcome, love. How was your birthday?”

His thumb caressed your cheek, a grin encasing his features.

“It was the best birthday ever.”

aaaa happy birthday xiaojun!! hearing him on live today saying that this birthday was one of the best, and then saying it was the best birthday ever prompted this. i hope he finishes his schedules well, and rests like he promised us. i hope this gives you good feels as you continue on ur day. much love!!

--

creds: divider, divider 2

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#kpop writing #kpop fanfiction #xiaojun #xiaojun x reader #wayv #wayv x reader #wayv xiaojun #xiao dejun #wayv fluff #xiaojun fluff #nct wayv #nct #nct fluff #nct fanfic #happy birthday #happy birthday xiaojun #happy birthday to our prince

[jennahmariawrites]

Hi everyone! I’m back!

Y’all seem to really like my 100 questions to ask your characters, so I’ve decided, after long last, to make its sequel that nobody asked for but y’all are getting anyway.

So, without further ado, allow me to present…

100 Questions To Ask Your Ship - by Jennah Maria

How did they meet?

Who fell first?

What are their pronouns and sexualities?

Who’s the tallest and shortest?

What is one thing that drew them to each other?

What is a typical date night for them?

What do they do for their anniversary?

What’s something they do that annoy each other?

Have they ever broken up? Why? How did it go?

Do they get married? If so, what was their wedding like?

Do they have kids? If so, how many?

How do they feel about PDA?

How do they feel about each other’s families? What do their families think of them?

What are some physically attractive traits they see in each other?

What are some personality characteristics that they find attractive in each other?

How long did it take them to get together after meeting?

If you had to give them a ship trope (enemies to lovers, childhood friends, sun x moon, etc) what would it be?

How do they feel about matching outfits and couple costumes?

What do they do when one of them is sick?

How do they feel about each other’s friends?

How do their friends feel about them?

Did anyone disapprove of them being together? If so, why?

What is something they love doing together?

What’s their favorite place to eat out together?

Have they been with someone else before?

Do either of them have pets?

What was their biggest fight about?

When they do fight, who apologizes first?

What are their love languages?

What was the biggest hurdle they had to get over before they could be together?

How do they feel about Valentine’s Day? (Or the equivalent in their world)

Do they have a couple’s song? What song do you associate with them?

What are some of their shared interests?

What are some of their not shared interests?

How do they celebrate each other’s birthdays?

Do they get to grow old together? What are they like as an older couple?

Who is the most social out of them?

Who typically drives?

What are some things you associate with them as a couple? Flowers, colors, elements, etc.

Do they share clothes? Who steals whose clothes?

How are their communication skills?

When did they realize they loved each other?

Who confessed first?

Who said “I love you” first?

Can they dance? Do they ever dance together?

If they get married, who proposed to who and how did they do it?

When did they tell others about their relationship and how did people react?

Have they had any scandals in their relationship?

If you had to pick one fictional couple to compare them to, who would it be and why?

Do they cuddle? Who is the big spoon?

What are their sleeping habits and nightly routine?

What is their morning routine?

Do either of them have any commitment issues?

What are their favorite flowers? Do they give each other flowers?

Who is more high strung and who is more laid back?

Who wins who carnival prizes?

What was their first kiss like, when did it happen?

Who tends to be more forward about affection?

Who would sing a sonnet to the other?

Who would write a poem for the other?

Have either ever doubted how the other feels?

If one of them died, how would the other handle it?

Why are they compatible?

What are their zodiac signs?

Who spoils who?

Do they work? What are their jobs?

Was it love at first sight?

Who has more dog energy and who has more cat energy?

Who’s the most horny? (Only NSFW question, I promise)

How do they feel about double dates? Who would they go on double dates with?

Who handles the money?

Who’s more jealous?

Who talks more and who listens?

Who took the longest to figure out their feelings?

What is their age gap? Who is older?

Who’s more messy and who’s more clean?

How would they cheer each other up?

Who is more likely to fight and who holds them back by the collar of their shirt?

What’s an inside joke they have?

Who’s the most touch-starved?

What were their first words to each other?

Do they want kids? Have they talked about it?

Who has the street smarts?

Who’s more book smart?

Who cares more about appearances?

Who cooks?

How do they divide up chores?

When eating out, do they split the bill, swap who pay, or does one tend to treat the other more?

Did they hide their relationship?

How obvious were they about their feelings?

What was their first date like?

How often do they argue with each other?

Who’s the physically strongest out of them?

Who deals with the bugs?

How far have they gone to save/protect the other?

What’s something they sacrificed for each other?

Do they share food?

Who outlives the other?

Who worries about the other more?

Do they have a ship name? If so, what is it?

#ocs #writer things #writerscommunity #writing #writing thoughts #my characters #my ocs tag #ships #character questions #shipping #ship dynamics #writerslife #writerblr

[theewokingdead]

Mine - Dave York x f!Nanny Reader

gif by @pedropascalsx

Masterlist

Pairing: Dave York x f!Nanny Reader Rating: Explicit Word Count: 3.4k Summary: You’ve always resisted your feelings for your boss, but what happens when you finally give in? Warnings: Cheating/Infidelity, unhappy marriage, age gap, language, fingering, praise kink, light choking/hands on throat, possessive yet protective Dave. A/N: Please do not read this if infidelity upsets you. This is my first Dave York fic and I wanted to try writing a dark character. What better way to celebrate Thirsty Thursday?

A part of you doesn’t know why you’re here. It’s not like Dave is your father; you don’t need his permission to leave the house. The man is your boss, and his home your workplace, but you have the freedom to come and go as you please. Not to mention your job is done for the evening, having dropped the girls off for a birthday party slash sleepover earlier in the day. Why, then, are you lingering outside of Dave York’s home office, debating whether you should go inside?

Since meeting him, your feral side has been trying to claw its way out of you in desperate search of fulfilling primal needs. Something about him drew you to him. Maybe it’s his look, seeming like he could break your back like a fucking glowstick with his broad, powerful shoulders, strong arms, and large hands. Maybe it’s how he seems soft despite his military and government backgrounds, the way he interacts with the girls, his puppy-dog eyes that light up when he smiles, his smooth babyface when he’s cleanshaven, and the way he can always make you laugh with his playfulness. Maybe it’s the way you both seem to click. Or how you’d look up and catch him stealing glimpses of you from across the room or sneaking peeks of your lips while you spoke, both of you pretending it didn’t happen when you catch him. The tension is there, pulling at both of you like a strong magnet.

And you cannot deny your attraction any longer.

But you keep coming back to your senses, reminding yourself that he is your boss. That he is married – unhappily, but still married. That you could ruin his chances of gaining the upper hand in an inevitable divorce – despite his wife’s own infidelities. That you could be fired if you allow you rash craving to carry you away.

But, fuck, it’s something you want – need – so badly.

Mind seemingly made up, you lightly knock on the partially closed door, smoothing your dress and adjusting your posture while waiting to be invited in.

This is crazy.

“It’s open,” Dave calls from inside, his tone monotonous, sounding as though he doesn’t want to be bothered.

Don't go in… the little angel on your shoulder tries to warn you, but the devil beside you smothers it before there's even a chance.

Opening the door of Dave's dimly lit office, you find him seated at his desk, staring intently at the computer. As you approach the desk, he doesn’t look up, probably thinking it’s Carol, who rarely speaks to him outside of arguments and matters concerning the girls.

“Is there anything you need before I go, Mr. York?” you question, folding your hands in front of you, playing shy.

Your voice immediately draws Dave's attention. He eagerly lifts his head, his mouth falling slightly open when he sees you. His soft, chocolatey eyes quickly travel down your body, seeming to catch sight of the roundness of your breasts and hips that the dress seems to accentuate. Tiny goosebumps spring up along your arms, thighs, and legs, as if everywhere his eyes touch gets warm and tingly. Is this a rash of shame?

Having realized he was staring, Dave clears his throat, turning the sound into an awkward chuckle. He rubs his thumb across his lip before upturning them into a sheepish smile.

“I, uh…Sorry,” he says, sounding flustered. “What did you say?”

“I asked if there’s anything you need before I go,” you repeat.

“Go?” he questions, seeming disappointed that you have somewhere to be.

“I, um… I have a date tonight,” you remind him, knowing he had overheard when you informed Carol that you would be going out tonight – both as a formality and, well, honestly, to get a rise out of Dave.

“Right,” he responds. Are you just hearing what you want to hear or is there a hint of jealousy in his voice?

“With Shawn,” he adds in a sing-song voice, playfully teasing you, just as he often does with his daughters.

“John.” Though you correct him with a small laugh, you’re screaming inside, wondering if he really only sees you as the nanny, or maybe even a child, considering the slight age difference.

The cellphone laying facedown on his desk starts to ring and you fear this is the end of your interaction, but he quickly grabs it and declines the call.

“Right,” he repeats quickly, pointing his cellphone at you and smiling, which you return. His smile quickly fades from his face before bringing his phone to your lips, seeming to study you. After a moment, he discards his phone back on his desk then brings his hand to his lips, his elbow on the arm of his chair. He looks away, seeming to ponder if he should say what he’s thinking. 

“And do you think you’re dressed appropriately for – what? A first date?

“Fourth date,” you correct him again, this time with less enthusiasm. “And I’ve worn this dress to plenty of things before.” You look down at the garment, pulling at the fabric of the skirt with one hand. It’s simple but doesn’t leave much to the imagination, more skin showing than not. Contrary to what you said, it’s not something you usually wear. “Is there something wrong with it?”

Dave purses his lips. “No. Not at all.” He shifts in his seat, then throws you a simple smile and waves you off, his attention returning to his laptop while he says, “Don't let me keep you. Enjoy the night off.”

Returning his smile, you nod, but you can’t help but feel disappointed. Had you read everything wrong? Is he really not into you?

Fuck, I’m so stupid.

“I will,” you respond. “Thank you.”

Before leaving, you glance at his profile, his eyes, the shape of his nose, his tousled hair. The top button of his blue collared shirt is undone, the tie and suit jacket long since cast-off after a long day at the office.

God, he’s perfect like this.

You watch as he lays his large hand on the edge of the laptop, his index finger lazily gliding across the touchpad. Fuck, his fingers are so long…and thick.

The thought of him touching you tempts you to squeeze your thighs together to relieve the pressure between them, but instead you squeeze the pressure point between your thumb and index finger, trying to stop both the need to have an orgasm and the urge to cry. It hurts so much that you can’t have him, but you accept that you were wrong.

Without another word, you back away, then turn and move toward the door, your disappointment apparent.

“You can do better, you know.”

You pause at his voice and inwardly draw your lips, gentling biting them to prevent the twisted smile on your face from growing any bigger. Is there still hope?

“Sorry?” you question, feigning confusion while turning to him.

Leaning with his elbow on the arm of his chair, he looks at you. “You deserve better than him.”

Amused by his statement, you respond with a soft, flirtatious chuckle, adding a little sway to your movements as you step back up to his desk. “What makes you think that?”

Dave flashes you a roguish grin, radiating light. “Let’s just say I know things you don’t and leave it at that.”

Now, you’re genuinely confused. You know he’s CIA. Could he use his position for personal interests? To keep tabs on the people around him?

Eyebrows knit together, you ask, “Did you…Did you run some sort of background check on him?”

He doesn’t deny the accusation and instead all but explicitly admits it. “I need to know who you plan to bring around my daughters.”

You don’t know whether to be angry, happy, scared, or indifferent toward – or even turned on by - the fact he basically creeped on a man you’ve shown interest in. Though you know he cares deeply about his daughters, you don’t accept his reasoning for doing whatever he did.

Shaking your head in disbelief, you openly claim, “That’s bullshit and you know it.”

Your response intrigues him. “What makes you say that?”

“You know I would never do anything that would put the girls in danger. You wouldn’t have hired me if you didn’t trust me.”

A serious look appears on his face. He studies you with narrow eyes, as if trying to determine if you will give up easily. You stare back, glaring angrily but carefully studying his eyes, hoping to see a glimmer of the truth.

“Alright,” he muses, folding his arms in front of him. “What if I said that I was just trying to protect you?”

The thought of him wanting to protect you sends tingles all over your body, though you try not to show it. “Then I would say, ‘Thank you, Mr. York, but I’m not yours to protect.’”

The standoff continues for several moment, you meeting his stare and holding it with resolve you definitely don’t actually feel. You don’t care if you win; you’re still just trying to get a rise out of him.

And you’re successful.

He is the first to break, responding with a low grating sound, a half-laughter, half-growl that rolls in his throat.

“No. You’re not.” A shadow of shame or – dare you believe - disappointment hangs in his voice. He leans back in his chair and turns his head slightly away from you, his lips pursed tightly, three deep furrows on his forehead, showing some sort of internal strife.

Although he remains still, his eyes pan to you, his pupils coming dangerously close to swallowing his irises, looking as though he could devour you.

“But you could be.”

You find yourself falling into the black flames of his eyes, burning with lust. Your heart starts thumping and a flurry of emotions wash over you: the thrill of excitement and the fear of getting caught mixed with the undeniable buzz of arousal.

A slight chill spreads through your body as Dave rises from his seat and moves to the door, stirring the air beside you, causing every hair on your body to stand on end.

“Imagine if you were…”

You hear him close and lock the door, then listen as his slow, heavy footsteps move toward you. Before your conscious can rear its head and tell him to stop, his hard, warm body gently presses against you from behind. His scent intoxicates you, and you want to turn around and bury your head in his chest and inhale deeply. You are completely powerless to resist him, ready to do exactly as he says.

“Imagine all the things I would do for you - do to you.”

Tell me, you want to say, but you find yourself unable to speak.

“Do you have any idea the things you make me want to do?”

The moment his hand touches the bare skin of your back, exposed by the cut of your dress, you suck in a sharp breath. A delicious shiver that has nothing to do with wind runs down your spine, tingling with awareness. Your heart is pounding so loud you’re certain he can hear it in the silence of the room.

“I would kill for you,” Dave murmurs, gently gliding his hand down your back, sinfully producing a low quiver in your tummy.  His gesture is tender, but it’s clear by his words that his thoughts are anything but pure. “I would murder any man or woman who’d dare to even think of hurting you…or taking you away from me.”

Heat slides through you, turning you on more than it probably should.

“This is very inappropriate, Mr. York. I hope you know that,” you say, knowing this is wrong on so many levels. But you also know that only other people would think it wrong. To you, this feels so good, so right. You’re comfortable with him, and though the situation is twisted, how can you deny how you really feel?

Dave removes his hand from your body. “If you want me to stop…”

Turning your head, you look at him through your eyelashes and state in a seductive voice, “That’s not what I said.”

His chuckle in response is just low and hollow. “Good.”

With your consent, he nudges at the thin straps of your dress and pulls them down over your shoulders, letting them dangle down your arms.

“Then let me tell you what’s inappropriate, sweetheart,” he says into your ear, his voice deeper than you’ve ever heard it before. He kisses your neck while lowering the straps further, sliding the dress down your body. “Coming in here in this skimpy little dress of yours, getting me all hot and bothered like the fucking tease that you are…that’s inappropriate. I bet you’re not even wearing panties, are you?”

Taking a deep breath, the garment falls to the floor, pooling at your feet. You stand there completely naked and vulnerable. Releasing your breath, you close your eyes, savoring the anticipation of whatever he wants to do with you.

Chuckling with a twisted satisfaction, Dave sweeps your hair away, brushing it all to one side, fully exposing your neck and shoulder. A hand snakes up your neck as he wraps an arm around you, the other gently resting on your waist, holding you close to him. As his fingers splay across your throat, you tilt your head, granting him full access. His lips are soft and warm, same as your skin to him, as he caresses you with them, planting a hot trail of kisses down your neck. He buries his face in the crook of your neck, breathing deeply, allowing himself to become drunk with your scent. It makes you feel beautiful, desirable.

“You came in here begging to be fucked, didn’t you?” His voice is filled with fire and desire.

Whimpering, you capture your lower lip between your teeth. Your pussy weeping, you push your ass against him, giving him hints of what you want, while his rock-hard erection nudges into your back, making promises to enter your throbbing sex.

“Fuck,” he groans before sinking his teeth into your flesh, nipping at your skin. “Answer me. Did you come here wanting me to fuck you?”

The slight pain of his bite, the heat of his breath, the commanding tone in his voice; it all makes you heady with need.

“Y-yes,” you sigh.

“That’s what I thought.”

While the hand on your throat moves down to cup a breast, the one on your waist moves further down, tracing every dip and curve along the way. His calloused hands are rough yet gentle as they glide across your bare skin.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Dave praises before nibbling your ear. “So fucking impossible to resist.”

He runs down and around your leg, then slides his hand up your inner thighs to massage the warm skin there.

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to touch you like this?”

Biting your lip, you shake your head.

“How many nights I’ve fucked my own hand, even fucked my wife, while thinking about you? Pretending it was your pretty little pussy, imagining your voice in my ear telling me how much you want me, how much you need me.”

A tingling sensation settles even more fiercely between your legs. You are melting inside, your heart racing, wanting more, more, more. Your mouth dry, you nervously lick at your lips. Though you love the anticipation, if he doesn’t put something in you soon, you’re going to explode.

Dave moves his hand, feeling the top of your mound before moving his fingers down to your folds, which are already slick with desire, embarrassingly so.

��Fuck,” he groans. “Look at that. Already so fucking wet.”

He parts your swollen folds, making you gasp, then runs his fingers along your slit. He circles and caresses you there, not quite touching the part of you that aches and throbs for him.

“You don’t know how much I’ve thought about eating your pussy,” he murmurs. “I want to lick it. I want to suck on your clit until you scream. I want to push my tongue so far up your pussy and make you come until you’re dripping down my face. I bet you taste so fucking sweet, don’t you?”

The thought alone nearly breaks the dam, but you feel him dripping on him. “Why don’t you taste for yourself?” you offer.

“No,” he responds, and his refusal makes you whine, thinking he’s going to prolong your pleasure for as long as possible. “No, I want you to tell me what you need first. Tell me what you need, baby, and I’ll give it to you.”

Your only response is another whimper, desperately moving your body in search of some sort of relief from the pressure growing inside you.

“Do you want me to touch you?” Dave asks.

You nod frantically. “Yes. Please. Touch me.”

“Good girl.”

His fingers trace then part your folds, finding your swollen nub before gently strumming it. You throw your head back, arching against him. His hand feels like nothing you’ve ever felt before, and you don’t want him to stop.

“Oh, shit, Dave,” you gasp. “F-fuck. Fuck me. I want you to fuck me.”

“Yeah?” he questions, to which you nod. “You think you’re ready for my cock?”

Your nod is more frantic this time, whimpering softly.

“No,” he growls. “Not yet. First, I’m going to fuck you with my fingers until you are pleading to have my cock inside you. Then I’m going to make you come. Then, and only then, will I consider giving you my cock. Think you can do that? Can you be a good girl for me?”

“Mhm,” you whine. “Yes.”

Cupping your entire sex, Dave slides a finger in you, murmuring soft words of praise in your ear as you take him. He thrusts his finger in and out, slow at first, allowing you to get accustomed to the feel of him before adding a second, stretching you and sinking his long fingers deep into your aching wetness.

“Fuck, you look so good with my fingers inside you,” he remarks.

You let out a moan, the base of Dave’s palm rubbing against your clit as he pumps inside you. He squeezes a breast with his other hand, stopping to circle your nipple with his thumb before pinching it.

“Is this what you wanted?” he asks. “Or were you hoping I’d see you in that dress and have no choice but to bend you over my desk and take you like one of my fuck toys?”

“Shit! Yes,” you moan.

“Maybe I should. Maybe I should fuck you then send you to your little boyfriend with my cum dripping out of your pussy. Remind you who you really belong to.”

“Please!” you cry out.

“Please what?” he questions, his breath in your ear nearly enough to send you over the edge.

“Please fuck me. Please!”

Dave thrusts his fingers inside you once more then draws them free, using the dampness of your desire to caress your swollen nub. He moves through your folds and sinks two fingers back inside you, the pad of his thumb messily tracing circles around your clit.

Closing your eyes, your breath goes ragged. Pleasure burns within you, and at any second, a time bomb filled with bliss will explode within you. You’re so close; he can tell by the way you’re tightening around him, squeezing your fingers.

“That’s it, baby. Come for me,” he encourages.

When you open your mouth to cry out your release, the hand teasing your nipple quickly flies up to cover your mouth, covering most of your lower face.

“Shhh,” he whispers. “Good girl – that’s a good fucking girl.”

One of your hands instinctively reaches up and grabs his arm, looking for something to squeeze, your fingernails digging into his flesh as your muffled screams tear into his palm. You writhe against his hand as your climax surges out of control, wave after wave of burning, shattering pleasure rippling through you. He holds you captive, his fingers continuing to pleasure you, prolonging your ecstasy and making you climax back-to-back, your body quivering and shaking at his touch.

After your second orgasm, you go weak and your legs turn into jelly, barely able to hold you up. You’re grateful he is there, trusting him enough to sink against him when you can no longer take more. Slowly, he removes his fingers from you, causing you to gasp from the overstimulation. His hand falls from your mouth and his arm wraps around the front of your body, holding you against him.

“You’re mine,” Dave whispers into your ear. “Do you understand? Mine.”

After nodding, you let your head fall back onto his shoulder, still grasping his arm, but less tightly, wishing you could hold onto him forever.

“I’m yours,” you pant, still trying to catch your breath.

His cock aches with want, needing to fuck you so badly.

“Good,” he growls, letting go of you now that you appear steady on your feet. “Now go to my desk, bend over it, and spread your legs.”

#dave york #dave york x reader #dave york x you #pedro pascal #dave york smut #pedro pascal character fanfiction #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal fandom #pedro pascal fanfiction #the equalizer 2 #my fanfiction #thirsty thursday #dave york fanfic #dave york fic #pedrostories #pedro pascal smut

[luminouslumity]

Mainland Boys: A Joseph and Billy Story

From Kendare Blake's newsletter: a snippet set on the mainland during the time that Joseph was banished there with Billy.

By the winter of his sixteenth year, Joseph Sandrin had been away from Fennbirn for what felt like a long time. But only when he thought about it. Most days, he was as any of the other mainland boys his age: concerned with his studies, and the break from his studies for the holiday, concerned with prospects of sport, concerned with whether he and his foster brother Billy Chatworth would merit an invitation to the Governor’s Ball. Most days, he was of the mainland, for that was the ground beneath his feet, and those were the lives that surrounded him.

But sometimes, and more often when he was near the sea, he thought of his old life, the one he had led as a boy on that shrouded island of magic. He would think of hot, steamed clams in butter, and birds perched on shoulders. Dogs and petulant cats with such expressive faces that they could sometimes seem to speak. He thought of fields full of barley that popped at a touch. And mostly, he thought of his girls: a dark little queen with a coal-smudged nose, and the naturalist girl with one green eye and one blue.

That day, at the start of December, he stood at the edge of a frozen pond, edged with dead, tanned reeds. Close enough to the sea, he supposed, to spark the memories of the island. Or perhaps it was only that it was December, when both of his girls would celebrate their birthdays.

“Joseph! Ho, Joseph!”

Joseph smiled, listening to the soft crunching in the snow as Billy approached from the direction of the house. Then a sharp crack, and a laughed curse: his shoe must have broken through the ice. “Stop walking on the pond, dolt,” Joseph said over his shoulder. “The ice isn’t thick enough yet.”

“Damn, my foot is freezing!” Billy threw his arm around Joseph and shook him. “What are you doing out here?”

“Thinking.”

“Thinking of Christine Hollen? Squirreled away in the privacy of the Governor’s stables?”

Joseph chuckled. Christine Hollen was the Governor’s daughter. His oldest daughter. She would not be seen cavorting with the likes of him, a foreigner, a foster-son, not even if his foster family was one of the richest in the city.

They had come north for the holiday, like many of the best, most respected families had, including the Governor. The Chatworth’s country estate, Hartford, was not far from the Governor’s own. It was actually visible from the most eastern hill. Joseph ought to know. Billy had brought him up there plenty of times, dreaming of the day he would buy it right out from underneath the Hollens at half the value.

“I’m not about to play around with the Governor’s daughter. Your father would have my head.”

Billy let go of him and tugged his scarf up farther on his neck. “Well you ought to do some playing at least. The lads are starting to talk.”

“You know I’m…waiting for someone.”

“Ah yes.” Billy grinned. “Waiting for someone. And that would be the infamous Jules Milone, wouldn’t it? The girl you haven’t laid eyes upon since you were eleven? The girl you may never see again if I don’t become king of your home country?” He cocked an eyebrow and burst out laughing. Joseph did as well. Billy Chatworth, the king-consort of Fennbirn Island. It sounded ridiculous, and seemed impossible.

Not impossible, he thought as he looked at his foster brother from the corner of his eye. Difficult. But he must have been sent to the Chatworths to groom Arsinoe’s future husband. Why else would the Goddess have sent him?  He had clung to that belief in the early years, clung to it hard, filling Billy’s ears with stories of Fennbirn. His education, in Joseph’s mind. But now that the time of the Ascension drew near, it felt more and more like fancy. Made up by his childhood imagination, to make his banishment bearable.

“Only a few months left,” Billy said. “Finally, after all this time, I get to go to your secret island. I have to admit, part of me doesn’t believe it exists. Part of me expects to board the boat and find you and my father laughing your arses off at your magnificent, five-year practical joke.”

“But we don’t know if it’s ‘we’, do we?” Joseph said. “I’m still banished. You might be on your own.”

“On my own? No, not after so long.”

“The Black Council doesn’t often let go of a grudge. Why do you think I’ve been preparing you all these years?”

Billy shrugged, the carefree mainland boy, even in the face of courting a queen. A queen who would have to murder her two sister queens, no less. But Billy had grown up on the mainland, with no gifts, and no Goddess. No queens and no Black Council looking down over everything. He had grown up with money, and with power, and with ease, and the struggle of the queens would not be real until he saw it for himself.

“You worry too much, Joseph. My father will work something out. He always does.” He blew warm breath into his cupped hands. “It’s freezing out here. Let’s go into the village and grab a pint before the party tonight.”

 ***************************************************

The walk to the village was short, but Billy insisted on taking the carriage anyway on account of his cold, wet foot. As they were let out near the pub, something in a shop window caught Joseph’s eye.

“What now?” Billy asked, following as he went to press his fingertips to the glass.

It was a ring. A simple, silver ring, set with dark green stones.

Billy leaned close. “That’s nowhere near fine enough to catch the prettiest girl in three counties.”

“Christine Hollen is not the prettiest girl in three counties. She’s only the wealthiest. And I wasn’t thinking of her.”

“Of course you weren’t. This is more to Jules’s taste, then?”

“When it caught the light, from over there…it looked like the color of her green eye.”

Billy leaned back and squinted. “So it does.”

“How would you know?”

“Well, I did have that old cat, with one blue eye and one green—”

Joseph smiled. “Stop comparing Jules to your old deaf cat.”

“I loved that cat. And I’m willing to bet that I remember the shade of that cat’s eyes better than you remember the eyes of some eleven-year-old girl. She might not even have those eyes anymore. They might have,” he wiggled his fingers vaguely, “darkened and whatnot. It’s unnatural for you to have carried on about her this long when you don’t even know what she looks like.”

“I know what she looks like.” Or at least, he thought he did. He remembered so well that girl of five years ago. Her smile. Her clothes. The sound of her voice. And as time passed, and as he grew up, so did the Jules of his imagination. Her hair grew long and tumbled down her back. Her face thinned and her eyes softened. Her laugh changed from the high, wild laugh of a child to the low, easy one of a young woman.

Of course, anyone who knew her family could have told him that the girl he was imagining was really only the image of Jules’s aunt, Caragh, with a dash of her mother Madrigal thrown in as wishful thinking. When Joseph imagined Jules, he simply conjured up the most beautiful girl he could think of, because to him, that’s what she was.

“It’s nearly her birthday. Sixteen, just like the queens. Born in the same month.”

Billy sighed. “The same month as Arsinoe. My bride-to-be.”

“Your queen-to-be.” Joseph watched as Billy’s eyes lost focus, and the blush crept into his cheeks. Billy imagined Arsinoe the way Joseph imagined Jules. Over the years, Joseph had built Arsinoe up, highlighting her virtues: her bravery, her wit, her fierce, affectionate spirit. He may have left out some other things, like that she was stubborn as an old donkey, sarcastic and secretive. And of course he had told him she was beautiful, when he had no idea. When they were children, Arsinoe was just like Jules: dirty and running about, and she had kept her hair very short. Poor Billy. All queens are beautiful, they say, but in Billy’s mind, Arsinoe must look just like Christine Hollen, only with black hair and eyes. And though Joseph does not doubt that she will be lovely, she will not be lovely like that.

“I can’t wait to meet her for real,” Billy said, his voice wistful. Then he straightened, and tugged on his lapels. “Queen or not, one look at me and she’ll faint dead away.”

“From fright?” Joseph laughed, and Billy tugged him back down the street to the pub.

****************************************************

Despite the chilly winter air, the party was warm. It was a dinner party, and so not terribly crowded; certainly not as crowded as the Governor’s holiday ball was bound to be, though that was on more expansive grounds.

Joseph, as usual, stayed back from the dancing, content to stand by himself at the window and imagine what Jules and Arsinoe would make of the mainland dances. The mainland girls in their frilly frocks, with lace at the sleeves and ribbons in their hair. Perhaps he should have warned Billy that Arsinoe would be constantly in trousers. But no. Why ruin the surprise.

“Are you not dancing again, Joseph?”

He did not need to turn to know who that purring voice belonged to, but he did so anyway, to be polite. “I’m afraid dancing has never suited me, Miss Hollen.” Christine Hollen, the Governor’s daughter, stood before him resplendent in green satin that made her blond hair shine like spun gold. Somehow she had managed to get herself alone. Usually she was flanked by a small herd of girls of similar age and social status. Watching them Joseph was reminded of the geese that wandered to and from the pond on the Milone property.

“I could teach you,” Christine said quietly.

“So I could dance at your wedding to Billy?” he asked, and she tossed her head back and laughed.

“Billy Chatworth has not looked at me once since this summer.”

“But he speaks of you often. Just this afternoon he told me you were the prettiest girl in three counties.” She does not blush much at that. No doubt that is a lower number of counties than she is used to. “You know that if he decides not to go abroad, he will pursue you in earnest. And when he does, then I’ll learn to dance.” He excused himself quickly, and ignored her dropped open mouth.

He moved through the rest of the party, making sure to appear to be searching for Billy. If he was idle for one moment, some girl would be upon him, trying to drag him out for a turn on the floor. Room after room and he did not spy Billy; after four rooms he began to search for real. He even poked his head into the drawing room, where the men sat smoking cigars and playing cards. But Billy was nowhere in the house.

“So which girl is also missing,” Joseph muttered as he stepped out onto the porch. The winter air was cold, but still, and an earlier dusting of fresh snow coated the trees and fence posts and made everything soft. Even in the blue light of evening, it was not hard to follow Billy’s footprints.

As he walked, he heard Jules’s voice in his ear like he so often had when they tracked something as children. “Here’s where they started to hurry,” she would have said, and, “here’s where she picked up her dress to stop it dragging in the snow.” They hit a snow drift, and the girl’s prints ended. “Oh, for Goddess’s sake,” he could hear Jules sigh. “Here’s where he picked her up.”

He followed the trail to one of the stables. Not the busy one where the coach drivers were having their own bit of merriment as their horses rested and stayed dry, but the nearly deserted one that housed the horses owned by their host. He opened the door and it creaked, but not before he heard the low laughter and rustling of clothes.

Joseph shook his head. He stomped his feet. He gave them plenty of time to put themselves together before he climbed the ladder into the hayloft, but even then, Billy’s tie was undone and Penny’s dress was askew.

“Joseph!” Billy exclaimed and put his hand to his head in relief. “You gave us a fright!”

“As I should. You’re starting to be missed.” He nodded to Penny, who blushed as she brushed past him.

“Will you—will you make it back to the house all right?” Billy asked, and she paused on the ladder only long enough to glare.

“What are you doing?” Joseph asked when he heard the door open and close again. “Just this afternoon you were dreaming of queens.”

“So I’m practicing.” Billy grinned. “Besides, that festival you keep going on about isn’t for months.” He peered regretfully at the ladder after Penny. “Not terribly gallant, I suppose.”

“Not terribly.”

“I’ll be better. I will.” He threw his arm around Joseph’s shoulder.

“If you ever treat Arsinoe that way…”

“I know, I know, you’ll strike me dead. And I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Joseph clenched his jaw. “Sometimes I don’t know how I expect her to come to love you like I do.”

They walked together back to the house, and upon entering, ran directly into Billy’s father, Mr. Chatworth. Instantly, both boys straightened. Mr. Chatworth was an imposing man, though Joseph could never put his finger on why. He was handsome, but not extremely so, tall, but not towering. It was something in the eyes, perhaps. You always knew that he had the measure of you. That he saw through you, the moment you opened your mouth.

“There you are,” he said, and smiled. “Joseph, I need a moment with my son.” He led Billy without a word up the stairs and into a private office. It did not matter that it was not his house, and not his office. Chatworth did what he wanted, and somehow that earned him respect. Back in Wolf Spring, it would have earned him a punch in the face.

Content to wait, and away from the party at least, Joseph paced slowly at the bottom of the stairs. It seemed a long time before Mr. Chatworth came down again, and smiled at him, and patted his shoulder. Billy followed after, looking a bit dazed.

“What was that about?” Joseph asked.

“He received a letter,” Billy replied, and as he spoke, his face lost its paleness, and his mouth curled into a smile. “From your island. Your banishment has ended early, brother! You’re to go home before the end of the month!”

Joseph could barely breathe. He threw his arms around Billy and they shook each other hard. “I can’t believe it!”

“And that’s not the best part! I’m to come with you, and stay with your family. Get a bit of a head start with the queens.” He punched Joseph in the arm. “I told you my father would figure something out.”

Joseph’s head spun with hopes he had been too afraid to have for the last five years. He was going home. Home to his mother, and father. Home to Matthew and Jonah and Wolf Spring. Home to Jules. And to Arsinoe, with the gift of a fine husband.

Billy reached into his pocket. “And there’s this,” he said, and pulled out a small box. He opened it, and inside was the silver ring that Joseph had admired in the shop window. Even in the dimness of the hall, the green stones glittered. “I doubled back for it when I sent you home ahead.”

“I can’t afford it,” said Joseph, and pushed the box back.

Billy shook his head and placed it in Joseph’s hands. “I’m not going to let you go home with nothing for your girl.” Then he turned him back to the party, his grin wide. “Joseph my friend, we are going to take that island of yours by storm.”

#three dark crowns #kendare blake

[just-a-soft-kid]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR DEAR AND PRECIOUS @floofanflurr!!!

I had the honour of making this piece in collaboration with the amazing @dumbassv32, @humankk, and @powercritter!!! More credits to the collaborators and info about this piece under the cut 💜

Back in April, I stumbled across a beautiful Undertale fic, Heart on the Table. I was instantly drawn in, and a few weeks later, the author, Floof, made a lil discord server for readers!! I honestly could not have guessed what a gift this server would be, but it sure did end up becoming truly special. So!! It just felt right to commemorate our Floofy's bday by illustrating a piece of us celebrating the occasion together!!!!

I've met some of my best friends in this wonderfully chaotic server, not least of all is the spectacular Floof themself.

Floo, you really are something special. Your earnest care, enthusiasm, encouragement, and deep love are such beautiful gifts to all of those around you. You make people's lives so much better by just being yourself. I am so grateful every day that our paths crossed, and I feel truly blessed that I get to call you my friend. Thank you for allowing us to celebrate this special day with you!!💜🫂🎉

A few weeks ago, our server started sneakily collaborating on this birthday piece for our lovely friend. This was a real group project!! Everyone contributed hugely by brainstorming with me, sending me references for their character representations, and just offering a ton of encouragement.

When I finished the lineart, I realized I absolutely did not have the ability to take on the colouring, and had hit a wall. But then along came the spectacular @dumbassv32 , who did the INCREDIBLE colouring. I literally could not have done it without em. Ey brought all of us to LIFE with their art, and it was incredibly delightful to work with em!!!!!!!

@humankk proposed adding the skelefamily from Heart on the Table in the background. I wasn't able to figure it out, but then KK went and drew and coloured them!!!!!! I added them into the image and just adapted KK's drawing. I couldn't have come up with how to add them in, KK you are a legend!!!!!!

And then... in the midnight hour... @powercritter went and added the absolute abomination of a hot dog into our resident server Napstablook @rhubarbsdad's head. The Breakfast Dog sins have now been immortalized. Bless.

Thanks so much, y'all - we did it!!!

#heart on the table #i love my friends

[nowis-scales]

Ryoma Birthday Headcanons

It’s the first day of May, and so that means that it’s Ryoma’s birthday! Per the usual when there’s a Hoshidan royal with a birthday, I have to write a set of birthday headcanons to celebrate them. Hopefully you enjoy this year’s round!

‣ So you know how for years, there’s been that joke about that Ryoma’s probably like, really annoyed that Xander is taller than him? My hot take on this is that initially, he didn’t really care. Whatever, right? It’s not like he can control his height by sheer force of will, and Ryoma quite likes not having to duck through the average doorway. However, once everyone else started pointing out as a big deal to him… yeah, admittedly, he started to get more grumpy about it. Only problem is, he won’t admit to being grumpy about it, so he’s just standing there like “yeah whatever, I don’t care” when it is just so, so painfully obvious that he cares.

‣ You remember how last year, for Sakura's birthday, I mentioned that one of her siblings lost a tooth by falling down the stairs when they were little? Yeah, that was Ryoma. He was about six when it happened, and of course it was on one of the big stair cases leading up to Castle Shirasagi. Thankfully he was one of those kids that was just like, strangely durable, so he didn’t really cry when it happened. He was far more excited that one of his teeth had been knocked out, and kept trying to excitedly show Sumeragi and Ikona, who were so busy checking him over for cuts and bruises and whispering to each other “oh my gods we’re such terrible parents” to initially understand what their son was trying to show them. Sumeragi used to love to tell that story to people. Fuuga still laughs about it.

‣ According to the 4koma anthology comics, Ryoma is for the most part pretty honest, but he’ll still soften the blow on a lot of things if he can. However, if you really want to see Ryoma at his peak honesty, just talk to him when he’s sick. He doesn’t have the energy to put things into a nicer delivery. Oh, you want him to do politics with a fever, chills, and upset stomach? Fine, but you’d better be prepared to paraphrase literally everything he said in response to that daimyo’s questionable idea, because there’s no way you’re going to be able to deliver anything Ryoma said upfront. And don’t even bother asking about Ryoma’s general symptoms unless you’re the healer — he’ll tell it to you in grouchy, pouting detail.

‣ One of Ryoma’s worst fears is being helpless in any situation. When he’s put into a position where he can’t do anything, he’ll start to panic. This often means that he will do anything he can get to get out of it, even if it means doing something underhanded or against his typical moral code. That's also part of the reason why he can be characterized as impulsive or stubborn at times: he cannot give into a helpless situation. He needs to be able to take some sort of action to make things "right". If he doesn't feel that he has sufficiently acted, then he can never make peace with what happened. In the back of his mind he knows that this is probably a trauma response from Corrin's kidnapping in childhood, but he doesn't really want to have to confront the idea that it might be the wrong thing to do sometimes.

‣ Loves dogs. Loves them. When he was little, he was always pestering Sumeragi to let him have one. Obviously, because of his age, Sumeragi didn't think it was a good idea, but said that he might let him have one when he got older. Unfortunately, he passed before he could see that promise through. For a long time Ryoma largely forgot about getting a canine friend, too focused on other things to consider that that was something he could do for himself... but after the war drew to a close, he finally adopted that pup we see in the art piece Kozaki did of him.

‣ Though Ryoma’s hair may look like it’s spiky, it’s actually more so fluffy than anything. That of course doesn’t make it any easier to work with, but the texture probably isn’t as bad as you’d expect. Unfortunately, this still means that it gets all matted and tangled at the drop of a hat, so Ryoma is constantly wrestling with it to keep it under control. Most of the time he just ties it up to keep it out of the way, but he leaves it down in battle because he’s been told it makes him look more intimidating. It has led to the occasional embarrassing moment when it’s been caught in parts of his armour, though.

‣ His position makes him kind of emotionally distant at times. It's not necessarily something he wants to be, but the whole being a prince thing/being the "head of the family" by Hoshidan standards does kind of make him feel isolated. He tends to act on that in turn, and though there are times where he does try to connect with those around him, it still comes across as awkward and stilted from time to time. He finds it difficult to have close friends, and can never seem to connect with Takumi and Sakura the way that he wants to. To some people, this comes across as him not thinking much of them, but he honestly just doesn't know the right way to engage a lot of the time so he just... doesn't. It's something he would like to improve upon.

‣ One of Hoshido’s most eligible, if not the most eligible, bachelors. He’s not particularly crazy about this status. It’s not like he never wants to get married — he knows some day he’s going to have to, for the good of the kingdom and whatnot — but he hates being in a room full of people or corresponding with people he knows are just trying so desperately to impress him. The entire experience just feels terribly inauthentic, and he’s worried about if any of this is really enough to found a relationship on. Tack on the fact that he barely notices flirting from the average woman, and it just becomes overwhelming to even think about choosing a partner in those circumstances. He would much rather fall in love where it's possible.

‣ When it comes to pettiness, the man is like a crow. If you have wronged him or his family, he can and will remember it. And he doesn't hesitate to take revenge for it at times, either. There's still one nobleman who can't figure out why the crown prince seems so much colder than him than to everyone else. Hinoka asked Ryoma about it one time. Apparently, when they were younger, the nobleman mocked Hinoka's interest in battle and suggested she was a faulty woman. He apparently did so when Hinoka was in earshot, but she doesn't remember a thing. Ryoma, however, has kept this little grudge of his close to his heart and refuses to let go because how dare you talk about my sister that way!!

‣ While we know his English and Japanese VAs can both sing quite well, I feel like Ryoma is just not a very good singer. He's not necessarily always out of tune, but he just... sounds awkward. I don't really think of him as the singing type, to be honest, so whenever he tries it's probably more of that mumble-singing you do in the car anyways. He tends to stumble over lyrics or occasionally hit the wrong note, and when that happens once it's just going to throw him completely and keep happening, so it just tends to be a very mediocre performance. He probably once got Shiro to stop crying as a baby by singing to him, but purely because Shiro was so focused on Ryoma's second-rate lullaby that he couldn't remember to be upset.

#fire emblem #fire emblem fates #fire emblem ryoma #fe ryoma #fire emblem fates spoilers #fire emblem fates birthright #fire emblem fates revelation #FE headcanons

[ducktoonsfanart]

Donald Duck with his family and his best friends - Happy New Year and Happy Holidays! - Modern Three Caballeros and Quack Pack

I wish everyone a happy New Year 2023! And happy holidays!

This is one of my first drawings I did for the year 2023 and if this was supposed to be in the previous year but oh well. Yeah, sorry it didn't turn out the best, but I drew almost all of my favorite characters that I love from the Duckverse in one drawing. Like last year, or the year before last, I mostly draw characters gathering together celebrating holidays, including Christmas and New Year's celebrations. As I unfortunately didn't get to do Three Caballeros Week last year, this year I will do as much around them as I can.

So since I drew the Quack Pack the other day, I decided to draw the Three Caballeros again, but in modern clothes with my friends and my family. And that's mostly in the Quack Pack AU version, which I like to imagine. Yes, they met three caballeros again, but now they are in modern clothes and this is more of my headcanon. I merged Brazilian comics, The Three Caballeros, Legend of the Three Caballeros, European comics and Quack Pack into one. Of course, in my own way and in my own style. Everyone, together with their family and friends, is celebrating Christmas (behind them you can see glowing lamps, mistletoe and a Christmas tree) and preparing dinner, so everyone will enjoy a beautiful night together.

There's Donald and Daisy Duck, Panchito Pistoles, José Carioca (Zé Carioca), Rosinha Maria Vaz, Aracuan Bird, Gyro Gearloose, Fethry Duck (Donald's cousin), Dugan Duck (he's in front of all those characters, so he looks a little bigger than usual, sorry, otherwise he's Fethry's nephew), Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck (Donald's nephews), April, May and June Duck (Daisy's nieces), Zico and Zeca Carioca (Ze's nephews), Newton Gearloose (Gyro's nephew), Bolivar the dog (Donald's pet) and the cat Trixie (Daisy's pet). Everyone celebrates the New Year together! Also Donald is in a love triangle with Daisy, Cabs and Gyro, while Zé is in a love triangle with Rosinha, Panchito and Donald. I hope you like this drawing and this idea!

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2023! With good health and happiness! And I hope to draw more than last year! Especially this version.

¡Feliz navidad y próspero año nuevo!

Feliz Natal e Feliz Ano Novo!

Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

P.S. Also, this is my gift for my friend @you-big-palooka @isabellanajera, I wish her a happy belated birthday and happy holidays and I wish her lots of happiness and health. I hope you like this gift of mine!

#happy new year #happy new 2023 #my fanart #2023 #three caballeros #ducktales #quack pack #donald duck #daisy duck #donsy #José Carioca #jose carioca #ze carioca #duckverse #huey dewey and louie #panchito pistoles #gyro gearloose #april may and june #fethry duck #rosinha vaz #aracuan bird #rosinha maria vaz #donro #josepan #jose x rosinha #donald x daisy #bolivar the dog #dugan duck #newton gearloose #trixie the cat

[pluckysidekick]

Well I’ve been processing the news of S4 being Nancy Drew’s last for a week now. I can’t say I was terribly surprised, but I also am very much not over it and quite heartbroken. The new CW owners seem hell bent on cleaning house, which continued with StarGirl getting the axe and will continue with more cancellations. It will be interesting to see if their current viewers stick around for cheesy unscripted shows and cheap overseas programming (I will stay for Kung Fu if it manages to get a fourth season).

That is enough negativity. I want to celebrate the best show that is still on TV for this season and look forward to S4, which Kennedy had promised will go out with a bang, and Noga and Melinda (showrunners) assure us will have a satisfying ending.

I have to start out with the (minor) news that Kennedy (who also had a birthday this week) and her adorable dog Otis will be on World’s Funniest Animals on Sat. November 12, 9pm ET. This will most likely be my first and last time watching this show, but can’t wait to see what tricks Otis can do!

It’s been extra quiet on set recently, which started even before the announcement. But there have still been quite a few tidbits worth mentioning, starting with Maddison’s awesome fit and very sad attempt at singing Elton John (who performed in Vancouver recently and she and many others went to see) captured by Leah last week. Pretty sure this is from Ep. 9, directed by Robin Givens. Robin coincidentally co-starred in The Fix with Alex as his stepfather’s ex who Alex’s character had an interesting relationship with. Looking forward to their reunion episode, great to see her directing.

We learned this week that filming is going on downtown at the courthouse! Everett’s trial, perhaps?

There have also been glimpses in the past few weeks of the morgue (please give us Ace in scrubs and Connor the surly coroner) and the HB police station (complete with faux wanted poster of sangalicous).

In potential guest star news, Anthony Natale (Ace’s father Capt. Thom) was in Van filming recently, and Henry Zaga (who an eagle eyed fan recognized from the blurry production trailer cast photos shared earlier in the filming schedule) arrived in Vancouver this week. I can’t say for sure if either are going to be in ND S4, but here’s hoping we get a good Ace (Hardy?) family scene.

Halloween didn’t go unnoticed on set! Alas there were no actual cast sightings, but nice to see Nick get his due (again from sangalicious) and to see the DC Universe on the CW lot for a little longer at least.

Alright, I went on too long as per usual, props if you made it this far. Really hoping the cast and crew are doing well after the sad news - I hope they know we love them and can’t wait for S4 and look forward to their future projects. Look for a separate post when I publish Chapter 11 of The Space Between, my Season 4 spec fic, very soon. Things get very spicy and fluffy!

#nancy drew #nancy drew cw #nace #ace [redacted] #cw nancy drew #nancy x ace #ndcw #maddison jaizani #kennedy mcmann #nancy drew s4 #nancy drew season 4 #author: pluckysidekick

[softmick]

incomplete tag game catch-up sunday

Name: meagan Age: 34?

First Pet? the first i remember was a pot-bellied pig my dad named porkchop. the first i chose for myself was a 15th birthday present - a grey tabby i named peter pan.

First Word? not sure?

First Celebrity Crush? devon sawa maybe (little giants, casper, now and then!)?

First IRL Crush? a kid who sat at my desk clump in kindergarten.

First kiss? my neighbor and childhood best friend, brittney

First Car? my mom's purple pt cruiser

First apartment/house/dorm/whatever away from your parents? i moved in with an ex-boyfriend and HIS mom and his twin brother's baby mama and their child.

First time on a plane? the first i remember was 6 or 7 and i was alone. but i probably flew with my parents before that?

First cellphone? a pink razor at the old age of 18

First concert? afi is the first one i remember but technically i saw the spice girls in like third grade.

First Foreign country you visited? my grandma took me to costa rica for spring break when i was a junior in high school and really enjoying spanish class.

First sport you ever played? cheerleading and then... soccer?

First career aspiration? there were a lot, i'm not sure what came first

And finally… tell me about the first time you wrote/drew/created/whatever something that made you think "wow": i made a rough clay pony in elementary school that i found both ugly and impressive. many many years ago i wrote klaine fic and was surprised other people actually read it.

Thanks for tagging me @mybrainismelted and @deedala !

AND i really wanted to do this one so,

1. name

2. righty, lefty, or ambidextrous?

3. tumblr handle

4. numbers 1-10

5. All caps: THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG

6. lowercase: the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

7. A quote/a lyric/an idiom/an encouraging message/whatevs <3

Thanks again to Kat and Deanna for tagging me and also Sam @sam-loves-seb and Gigi @sgtmickeyslaughter

#tag games #hi

[thewarriorspecial]

(WIP) Lanterns Light

Rating: Teen

Additional Tags: Angst, description of a flashback

Guy gathers some friends to celebrate Kyle's birthday but the lovely lights in the sky take him to a dark place instead.

Not too bad, not too bad, Guy thought to himself. He’d manage to gather most of their friends, honestly surprised at how many were available and on Earth all at the same time.

Kyle was beloved to so many, it was easy to get a group together to celebrate his birthday. When he had heard about the lantern festival, he couldn’t pass it up. He had a feeling filling the night sky with glowing symbols of hope would really strike a chord with Kyle.

What he hadn’t counted on was the best part, sitting under a tent in a circle of camp chairs with his and Kyle’s oldest friends. Shooting the shit, drinking beers, eating funnel cake. What more could you ask for?

Kyle was deep in concentration, hunched over his paper lantern. Each one came with a little marker so you could draw your hopes and wishes and remembrances on them. Most of them had written special dates, quotes, little doodles. Hal had drawn a Mustang GT. John was adding loving details to his dream home—proverbial dog and fence and all. Guy drew a couple dicks. Kyle was filling every inch with a mural of his loved one’s faces.

As the sun disappeared over the horizon, everyone started getting their lanterns ready. All popped up, they were quite a bit bigger than Guy imagined. Every inch counts and all hur, hur, hur. Guy, Master of Fire, took the liberty of lighting the little candles inside the paper lanterns with his XXL Big Man lighter.

They waited for the music cue and then released the lanterns all together. The crowd was easily a few hundred people. The lanterns floated out of their hands, steadily up and into the wind, glowing golden against the cobalt sky.

Kyle was smiling and tearing up, “This is beautiful. Thank you.”

“Happy Birthday,” Guy whispered in his ear.

Kyle turned to look over his shoulder, into Guy’s eyes. The pinpoints of hundreds of lanterns reflected in Kyle’s eyes like stars.

“Green Lantern of Sector 2815 deceased. Searching for replacement,” a metallic voice rang out.

“Arisia?” Guy called out.

“Where?” Kyle looked around excitedly.

“Green Lantern of Sector 315 deceased. Searching for replacement.”

“Killowog?” Guy called out again.

“Green Lantern of Sector 2814 deceased. Searching for replacement.”

“Kyle?” Guy’s head whipped around, searching without seeing.

“I’m right here,” Kyle reached for Guys arm and Guy slapped his hand away like he was blocking an attack.

Hundreds of green rings scattered across the sky. Beams of green and yellow light crisscrossed the sky. Guy’s eyes scanned the sky, but in his heart he knew it was already over. The central battery was blown. Kyle was—

“Green Lantern of Sector 2814 deceased. Searching for replacement.”

“No,” Guy’s voice cracked, barely a whisper. The rage didn’t come this time. There was no flame to burn away the agony and shield his heart.

John slowly stood up from his chair, his arm outstretched, palm down. Everybody stay calm. He looked at Hal, gesturing towards Guy with a tilt of his head, beckoning Hal to follow.

Hal sharply, subtly shook his head no. He didn’t dare move or speak. He had his shirt collar pulled up to partially cover his face. If Guy looked his way and saw Parallax he’d go scorched earth on this place. He turned his terrified eyes to John, pleading, do something.

“What is happening?” Kyle asked

“Green Lantern of Sector 2814 deceased. Searching for replacement.”

“John?” Guy croaked out.

“On your 3,” John strode towards Guy.

Guy whipped to his right, his eyes glassy, but seeing John. Guy opened his mouth to speak and nothing came out.

“Where are we?” John asked, trying to figure out what Guy was reacting to.

“In hell. I lost Kyle, John. I couldn’t stop this.”

“I’m blind, Guy. I need you to be my eyes. Tell me what you can see.”

But Guy had already turned away, fixated on the lanterns floating serenely through the sky. His breathing went quick and shallow. His eyes darted across the twinkling sky.

“I—I’m sorry,” Guy choked out as he squeezed his eyes shut.

“Guy?” Kyle tried again.

“I’ll be back. I’m sorry.” Guy turned suddenly and headed toward the trail they had taken from the parking lot—towards the safety of the Jeep. If he could just sit in the quiet he could wait this out. He knew he should probably like, breathe or something but nothing helpful was getting through the memories clouding his mind. He just knew he had to get away.

Kyle turned to John and touched his shoulder, “Go with him, please.”

“You guys relax, I’ll take care of this,” John said, more confidently than he felt.

When John marched down the trail after Guy, Kyle sank into the camp chair next to Hal, “What just happened?”

Most of the paper lanterns had floated to the far side of the field, leaving Hal and Kyle in the night’s shadowy embrace again. Hal’s expressions were a mystery.

Hal had enough of his own flashbacks to know what happened to Guy. He could only guess why but if Guy wasn’t here to speak for himself he didn’t want to insert himself. “John’ll know what to do. He always does. It’ll be okay,” Hal said to calm Kyle as much as convince himself.

__

When John reached the Jeep, he found Guy crouched down, clinging to one of the muddy wheels. When Guy turned to face John his face was twisted in misery. John would rather have been punched than see Guy like this—it hurt less.

“Hey-“ John started.

“I’m good. Go back, okay?”

“When you’re ready, we’ll go,” John kept his voice neutral lest his pugnacious friend feel coddled.

Guy shook his head, “John I—don’t let me fuck this up for him ok? Just, go back. Be normal without me. Please. This’ll go away.”

“You’re not fucking anything up, buddy. Kyle just wants to know you’re okay.”

“He can’t see me like this, John.” I couldn't protect him then. Look at me now. “He can’t.” I’m old. Slow. Weak. “I can’t pull anymore dead bodies outta the water. You understand?”

“Alright.” John said simply, lowering himself to the ground and facing away from Guy. He knelt down, ready to spring if need be and kept a watchful eye on their surroundings.

“What are you doing?” Guy asked.

“I’m watching your back.”

#*myfic #guykyle

[bizarrequazar]

GJ and ZZH Updates — October 23-29

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.

This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)

[Glossary of names and terms] [Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]

10-23 → Hsu Fu Chi posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Hogan posted a photo ad of their limited edition shoes featuring Gong Jun’s dog doodle. (1129 kadian) This was reposted by Gong Jun’s studio. A commercial clip for the shoes was also featured on Weibo’s opening screen.

→ Kangshifu posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Gong Jun posted a promotional video he did for Fresh, later reposted by Fresh.

→ The Instagram posted ten photos of “Zhang Zhehan” with white hair.

→ Kangshifu posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun. 

10-24 → Kangshifu posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun. The caption includes, “The scent of jasmine is strong, letting people continue to reminisce, like a friendship that never fades away.”

→ Cosmo posted a teaser video announcing that Gong Jun would be on the cover of their November issue, with the feature celebrating his birthday. Caption: “Age is just a number, facing life youthfully and enthusiasticly is the main theme. For the people and things he met in the past year, @ Gong Jun Simon chose to be grateful for the past and wave goodbye; for the upcoming new year, it is an unknown and a new expectation for the future. Bravely say ‘hello’ and enter the new year.”

→ Colgate posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun.

→ Gong Jun posted two photos of himself with new Tangle Teezer models. (1129 kadian) Caption: “It’s here it’s here! Tangle Teezer princess comb x Cinnamoroll joint style! I choose blue! ✌️” Tangle Teezer later reposted this.

→ Hogan posted the full commercial for the limited edition shoes. (1129 kadian) Gong Jun also posted it to his Douyin at the same time, caption: “Who drew the puppy, so cute!”

→ Cosmo posted the dual covers for the November issue, announcing that it was available for purchase. (1129 kadian) Caption: “This year, we have defeated a lot of confusion, grievances, withdrawal, and embraced ourselves countless times. While being grateful to others, we must not forget the hard work of ourselves in the past year. @ Gong Jun Simon regards gratitude as a promise, supports his parents, and the fans who never give up... ‘Also, be grateful to yourself who has been working hard, never giving up.’“ Gong Jun’s studio reposted this with the added caption, “In the bright and comfortable autumn atmosphere, boss @ Gong Jun Simon finds himself and embraces fruitful results!” Fan Observation: Some Zhang Zhehan solo fans bought copies of the magazine, watermarking their receipts with things like “haizhe support Gong Jun” and “haizhe wish Gong Jun a happy birthday.”

Half an hour later, Cosmo posted fourteen photos from the issue. Caption: “As an object to be stared at under the spotlight, @ Gong Jun Simon is doing his best in the state of subordinate work. And apart from the focus of the lens and the lights, there is a layer of life-like narrative on him. In the past year's turmoil, Gong Jun chose to face the miserable world with a more mature state of mind. After the storm passes, it will inevitably leave imprints, but it still retains the undamaged youthful heart.”

Ten minutes later, Cosmo posted a video from the photoshoot. Caption: “As an actor's sensitivity and observation, there are different temperature vibrations in the perspective of @ Gong Jun Simon. Pure juvenile feeling and occasional childishness are all natural gifts. Days and nights filled with work can only give him a little time to satisfy the child in his heart and talk to him in his heart.”

→ Hogan made two posts [here] and [here] posting photos from the Cosmo photoshoot to highlight their shoes.

→ Tiffany & Co. posted three of the Cosmo photos to highlight their jewelry.

→ In a collaboration, Cosmo posted a commercial for Fresh featuring Gong Jun at the same time that Fresh posted two photo ads with him. Cosmo caption: “Love and sharing are the gifts that life gives us. It is warm and bright like the morning sun, making happiness naturally overflowing. Hiding beauty in the gentle warm sun and lighting up life with the magic of love is the most beautiful blessing that nature has given us.” 

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted a behind the scenes video from the Cosmo photoshoot. Caption: “A small filming note, boss @ Gong Jun Simon turned into a farmer, packing the autumn harvest and romance together.”

→ Cosmo posted a video featuring Gong Jun. Caption: “Approaching his birthday, @ Gong Jun Simon recalls those wishes when he was a child, about cars, transformers, remote control planes, ‘All came true, both parents bought it for me.’ As for his wishes when he grows up, especially this year's, he said with a smile, ‘Birthday wishes, it won't work if you say them. But I will work hard and I will not let myself regret it.’“ [subbed video] Fan Observations:   -  During the line “break through the shackles of rumors”, he’s lying in a pose almost identical to that of his pfp after 813.

→ #GongJun, #SimonGong, and #龚俊Simon trended on Twitter (as he rightfully should have with how much I was losing my mind trying to keep up with everything).

→ Gong Jun posted six of the photos from the Cosmo shoot. Caption: “I have gained a lot, thank you to @ fashionCOSMO”’ He later posted six to his Xiao Hong Shu (13:18, 511 and 1129 kadian), caption: “Listen to me and give up! Give up being lazy and get moving!” and nine to his Instagram, caption: “Life is movement~”

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted a douyin of more behind the scenes footage. Caption: “#Gong Jun The boss who was ‘surprised’ by a naughty 🎃”

→ 361° posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Gong Jun appeared in a livestream for Hogan. [written summary with clips] [full recording (no subs)]  -  He mentioned that Fox Spirit Matchmaker will be wrapping soon.  -  When asked to pick a letter in the word Hogan in order to select a question, he chose the letter H.  -  When asked what sci-fi movies he likes, Gong Jun began to say “Director Nolan’s Ten—” then paused, smiled, and said, “All of Nolan’s movies.” There’s an old candy with a lot of evidence to back it up that he and Zhang Zhehan went to see Tenet together near the end of Word of Honor’s filming.

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted ten photos of him. Caption: “Traveling through the realm of fantasy, boss @ Gong Jun Simon came from a trace, to capture inspiration tonight and explore more possibilities~” This was reposted by Hogan.

→ Hogan posted three behind the scenes photos of Gong Jun from the filming of the promotional material for the limited edition shoes.

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted seven photos from the Hogan livestream. Caption: “The night has come, and it has become the focus of its own @ Gong Jun Simon.”

10-25 → Tangle Teezer posted two photos ads featuring Gong Jun. Caption: “To be honest, you didn't see enough @ Gong Jun Simon yesterday, right? Come~”

→ Hsu Fu Chi posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun’s silhouette to promote their upcoming livestream.

→ Charlotte Tilbury posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun.

→ Kangshifu posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Colgate posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun promoting their upcoming livestream. They posted a second photo ad a few hours later.

→ Gong Jun posted a douyin of himself. Caption: “If I don’t say it’s cold it won’t be cold 😎” BGM is 陆政廷Lil Jet - 谁会被吻 (Who Will Be Kissed). [lyrics] Fan Observation: It was discovered that when the song is sent on Weixin, an AMV of Kimi no Na wa (Your Name) plays—the movie that Zhang Zhehan compared the “there’s a light on you” pose to and that Gong Jun’s Weibo header is from.

→ 361° posted two gifs from Gong Jun’s douyin with the caption, “‘Words are not important, look at pictures’”

→ Cosmo posted a section of their article about Gong Jun. Weibo caption: “‘The role is not what I give him, but the meaning of his own existence. The actor is only one of the carriers of the role.’ @ Gong Jun Simon understands and is compatible with the actor's observation and unreserved sensibility. The characters vibrate at different temperatures.”

10-26 → LockNLock posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Charlotte Tilbury posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun in the green suit. (You thought you were free from it? Think again.) (1129 kadian)

→ Colgate posted three photo ads featuring Gong Jun, including one promoting their upcoming livestream. [1] [2] [3]

→ Gong Jun posted the promotional photo of himself for the Navigating the New Era album, which a song performed by him will be featured on. Caption: “Leading the new era, forging ahead in a new journey ❤”

→ Sina Music posted promotional photos of all the participating artists for the Navigating the New Era album, including the one featuring Gong Jun.

10-27 → Going-to-work 🍬: Gong Jun was wearing a shirt from the brand Welldone and 361° Retro Daddy shoes (lol). The little orange friend was also present again.

→ Colgate posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Hogan posted a collection of photos from their livestream a few days earlier, including four of Gong Jun. (1129 kadian)

→ VogueFilm released the full short film “Hello, Hello”. [English subs] Film synopsis from the caption: “In the world of the short film ‘Hello, Hello’, the human world is numb and mechanical, and remains unchanged. Clothes, rooms, and furniture are all monotonous white. All ingredients must be cut into the same size. People who are not in contact in reality must participate in online ‘social networking’ on time according to regulations... This is ‘Lin Yin’ who is imprisoned in a blank room. @ Zhao Liying's life. An AI created by human beings, @ Gong Jun Simon is endowed with emotions by code, but at this time, it is like a newborn child, full of warmth and curiosity towards the world. ‘What are you thinking?’ The screen flickered, and the AI ​​from the virtual world interrupted Lin Yin's thoughts, ‘I'm thinking about why people suffer so much.’”

→ Cosmo posted another section of their article about Gong Jun. Weibo caption: “For @ Gong Jun Simon, growing up left a mark but did not take away his youthful heart. He would laugh at himself during filming, grab a prop tomato and take a bite. Such almost childlike moments may be Gong Jun's preciousness.”

→ Gong Jun’s studio reposted VogueFilm’s post with the added caption, “Virtual and reality are intertwined, time and space overlap. Boss @ Gong Jun Simon will witness the rapid collision between the future and reality with you.”

→ The Instagram posted six photos of “Zhang Zhehan” with Kele and one of the moon. Fan Observations:   -  His ears are wrong (again) and he’s missing the freckle on his finger. [side by side comparison]  -  The inclusion of Kele is possibly a response to discussion last week about a video from the tea shop in which Kele is very visibly distressed by the way he’s being handled. (animal abuse cw for the link) If it is a response to that though, it’s not a great one considering Kele looks quite upset in these photos.

→ Gong Jun unfollowed thirty-one accounts on Douyin. He is still following Zhang Zhehan’s deactivated account, as well as the official Word of Honor account. Fan Observation: One of the accounts he unfollowed was the deactivated account for his show Begin Again. The fact that he unfollowed it but not Zhang Zhehan’s indicates that he was able to distinguish the UID sequence.

10-28 → Hsu Fu Chi posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Youku resposted one of Gong Jun’s photoshoots from earlier in the week (the one with the car) to their Twitter.

10-29 → A Twitter space was held to discuss recent candy. [recordings] [written notes]

→ Gong Jun posted a vlog of recording Little Shoulders and the BAZAAR photoshoot released 09-02. [subbed video] Caption: “#Gong Take Notes VLOG# It’s ‘confidence’ [doge emoji]” BGM is September by Earth, Wind & Fire. His studio reposted it with the added caption, “Boss @ Gong Jun Simon 's Gong Take Notes is here! From the recording studio to the night walk, the immersive work experience card +1” It was also reposted by Colgate. Fan Observations:  -  Posted at 14:19, 511 kadian, 51129 with the date.  -  Some find is suspicious that he specifies that the time is 8:51 when he finishes work, commenting that he looks quite excited.  -  This seems to be the same evening he took the photos he posted on 09-10, dating the video 08-19.  -  The BGM has the lyrics “do you remember the 21st night of September?” 09-21-2020 was the day of the “ni bu pei” scene reshoot.

Additional Reading: → Flora’s daily fan news thread

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#[lays down on the floor] BUSY WEEK. #Zhang Zhehan #Gong Jun #Word of Honor #woh cast #lld timeline

[tapejob]

ty @paulie-the-penguin for the tag <33 ily

what book are you currently reading? - negotiating the unnegotiable by dan shapiro. one of the best guys I’ve ever met and one of the best books I’ve ever read, honestly should be required reading for everyone. 10/10

favourite movie you saw in theatres this past year? - only movie i’ve seen in theatres in 2023 was avatar: way of water which was alright? favorite movie I’ve ever seen in theatres was definitely everything everywhere all at once, though

what do you usually wear? - if you see someone in a stars hoodie and black sweats on any given day, there’s a non-insignificant chance that could be me. i’m usually a hoodie and sneakers and sweats kind of person, unless pressed by necessity

how tall are you? - 5'3”

what's your star sign & do you share a birthday with a celebrity or historical event? - cancer!

do you go by your name or a nickname? - tj, teej, whatever u make of it

did you grow up to become what you wanted to be as a child? - interesting question. in a sense, yeah, this is exactly where i wanted to be as a kid. but at the same time i feel like i’m on the road downhill.

are you in a relationship? if not, who is your crush if you have one? - not in a relationship and hopefully won’t be in one anytime soon. wanna enjoy my time alone and help some friends wingman :)

what is something you're good at vs something you're bad at? - good at data analysis, bad at networking

dogs or cats? - cats <3

if you draw/write/create in any way, what's your favourite picture/line/etc. from something you created in the last year? - i drew a lil mcdavid in acrylics while at a friends house, and sometimes I like to stare at his colorful cheeks

what is something you would like to create content for? - i’d love to draw more in general, but not a lot of time. it’d be cool to do more data projects with hockey too :)

what's something you're currently obsessed with? - hockey (always) and finishing my psets

what's something you were excited about this past year that turned out to be disappointing? - the state of harvard women’s hockey. coach stone wtah

what's a hidden talent of yours? - badminton trickshots :)

are you religious? - nope

what's something you wish to have at the moment? - my article to get approved … dropbox to cooperate … something to do over the summer

tagging @sophie83540 @reavenedges-lies @blueskrugs @tapedsleeves @birdcage @lovethygoalie @donttelltheelff and anyone else up for it :D

#tag games