#plus they're a nice color of red.

[thelibrarian1895]

Bruce is the restraining bolt

Let's say that Bruce "dies" again. Tim, of course, figures it's another temporary thing and bonus he doesn't need to risk another organ to prove it this time. That being said, Bruce isn't around to stop them now. Dick doesn't feel the need to be the dad this time since Bruce will be back. He's the big brother, the babysitter at best. Jason has never felt the need to step up into a parental role for any of his sibs before and he's not going to stop now. Cass won't kill, that is her line, beyond that, she's not anyone's parent either. Tim is one bad day away from being a supervillain, he seriously needs a vacation but at the same time he needs something that will keep him busy or he will get paranoid (thanks B for the trauma) and so he's not going to stop anyone, Duke doesn't have the experience to know when or if he should stop any of his sibs, steph and barbara are staying out of it as while they are family they consider themselves cousins at best no matter what B says, and no one is going to let Damian boss them around.

That being established, B is gone, Alfred is fretting but not inclined to stop anyone anyway, the kids decide that while the bat is away...

When Bruce returns, Alfred is just returning from a spa trip his beloved grandchildren insisted that he go on since he deserved a nice break and they even investigated to make sure the spa wasn't a scam or front! While Alfred was gone and Bruce was "dead", all Black Mask's warehouses had been mysteriously destroyed with large explosions that Bruce had previously forbidden because he was worried about collateral damage since some of those warehouses were sandwiched by other storage facilities and places where people squatted. (Steph and Jason, both very affronted because they are professionals B! And yes, there were also glitter bombs involved, it made the fire extra pretty with the different colors).

Furthermore, Lex Luthor is no longer the majority shareholder of his own company anymore, that would be Tim now, and all of Lex's employees are rejoicing since they're all getting a pay raise that brings them from the legal bare minimum to not just a living wage but twice that plus benefits even for those who aren't full timers (which is basically everyone, lex never wanted to get benefits for anyone). Lex is also being investigated for embezzling, money laundering, domestic and international terrorism, and the trafficking of minors (kon). Lex chose a very bad time to make Kon sad and Tim took that personally.

Bruce also discovered that Tim's childhood home, aka the drake's old place next door for the given value of next door, has been demolished and that whole area is now a botanical garden and registered wildlife sanctuary. (Damian with assistance and permission from Tim since technically the land was in Tim's name, Damian persuaded Poison Ivy to help while also monitoring to ensure she didn't slip in anything detrimental and also breaking up the exotic animal smuggling ring that B had been trying to keep from him to prevent this very thing. Tim, in the meantime, just happened to have a number of people on hand more than happy to work in a botanical garden/wildlife sanctuary and no, none of those people were ever formerly ninja who answered to Ra's before realizing that Red Robin was a far better employer, why would you ever think they were?)

And of course, the Joker is dead. None of his kids are fessing up to this. If pressed, they will cry, even Jason, and say that they thought Joker killed their dad and they wished it had been them because they missed him so much! (It was Dick and Barbara, Babs faked the paperwork for Dick to go in as an orderly, Dick, in disguise, gave the Joker altered medication via injection and made sure to get some air bubbles in for good measure, official COD was a totally natural brain aneurysm, so sad, no autopsy needed, burn the body)

Duke was a bit of a wild card and ended up hanging out with Selina, picking up a few extra skills, and using those skills to break into various mansions and apartments of the filthy rich to steal back stolen art and artifacts and return them to museums in their country of origin so they can be enjoyed by everyone (he watched indiana jones recently and the "it belongs in a museum" popped into his head a lot, he did wear a particular hat while he was committing his heists) It was nice potential step mother and step son bonding time

And finally, Cass causes Ra's Al Ghul to lose a particular appendage, one that the lazarus pit hasn't been able to grow back for him thanks to a little consultation with Constantine beforehand. She then went to hang out at Themyscira and got some very pretty bracelets.

Bruce is thinking very hard about just turning around. He takes a nap instead and then he lectures his beloved nutcases about personal safety, the law, respecting what is essentially dibs on certain super villains, and all the other boring stuff he's tried to impose on them over the years.

#bruce wayne #batfamily #batman #tim drake #jason todd #dick grayson #damian wayne #signal #stephanie brown #duke thomas #alfred pennyworth #crack fic idea #cassandra cain #cassandra wayne

[injestedsoap]

The 141 + Nik letting you paint their nails

Soap loves when you paint his nails. Admittedly they won't last long because he'll pick the polish off but he really likes watching you hold his hands so delicately, all your attention focused on his nails as you try to get the perfect stoke. He likes them done in black, no top coat because it won't last and he doesn't want you wasting polish on him like that, he talks animatedly the whole time, you have to keep grabbing his hands to get them back where you can work on them, laughing the whole time. He tends to smudge them quickly too, what can he say? He just wants to grab you and kiss you as soon as they're done.

Gaz really likes when you paint his nails. You tend to couple the painting with a hand massage and fuck if that doesn't feel good on his tense hands. You both put on your pajamas and he tells you all about his most recent job, you don't answer much, you need to focus on not getting any polish on his pretty hands, but you love listening to him and he likes to complain about work so this is really nice for both of you. When you're done Gaz is good and waits until they are all dry, top coat and all, before he grabs you to give you a proper thank you.

Ghost would rather eat glass than admit to anyone but you he loves when you do nail art on him. He wears gloves all the time anyway, who is going to know if he has bright pink nails with flowers carefully drawn on them, plus they look really nice and he knows you want to practice. You work with a playlist going of a mix of your songs and his, humming along to all the songs you know so well by now as you add the miniature details and Ghost watches you with the kind of tenderness he can only show when you're so focused you can't look up.

Price isn't much for painted nails but he lets you when you ask. You tend to just give him a clear coat, more than anything you just like this weird little intimate thing you can do for your partner, massaging his hands, moisturizing them, then carefully painting on a coat of shine to keep his nails nice and healthy. Price likes that, closeness that isn't complicated and doesn't demand anything from him but time, something he gladly gives you as often as he is able.

Nik actually asked you to do his nails when you two first got together. That really shouldn't surprise you, you've seen the old pictures tucked in the heli of a much younger Nik in mosh pits with safety pins shoved through his ear lobe, it's sweet, this little bit of his past he wants you to be a part of, refreshing his nails after so many years of not painting them. He likes dual colors, black on one hand, dark red on the other. He plays old metal music, it's bad in a way that's good, and he tells one story for every five songs and you hang on his every word as you blow on his nails to dry them.

#soap #gaz #price #ghost #nikolai #john soap mctavish #kyle gaz garrick #simon ghost riley #john price #nikolai cod #141 #141 headcanons #141 imagines #141 x reader #141 x you #john soap mctavish x reader #kyle gaz garrick x reader #simon ghost riley x reader #john price x reader #nikolai x reader #i have actually decided i don't want to keep tagging this #go be free #i trust this post to find the right audience

[runwayrunway]

id be interested in seeing you rank plane emojis from different platforms (by their livery, or by whatever else) just for fun, if you want!

You're right. I WILL do this for fun, because this is fun. Not based on livery, since they're mostly white with blue wings - just how much I like them. I'll be adding a rating out of 10 for each one because I think that's the tradition for this sort of thing.

Apple - 4/10

I mean, because I have an iPhone this is my default conception of an airplane emoji - I think it's fine, I just find it a bit offputting how they model the individual flaps and cockpit windows but the rest of it is a white airbrushed tube. It's a weird contrast.

It's fine, I think. Acceptable. I maybe think emojis by default aren't the most aesthetically pleasing.

Google Noto Color Emoji - 4.5/10

I think this is a slight improvement over the Apple version because of the more consistent stylization. It's also a little more contemporary, since most airliners that are flying now have two engines. I like that they added a few windows and highlights to keep the cabin interesting, and I think it's a bit...something that they took off the flaps but added flap track fairings. Cockpit windows look awful though.

Samsung - 2/10

This is a bit more of a realistic shape for an airplane but for some reason I don't like it. Maybe it's the fact that you can barely recognize that there's a tailfin at all, or the cockpit window looking weirdly...shiny? I think what gets me the most, though, is that those engines look like Super Mario pipes.

Microsoft - 1/10

She's a little...phallic somehow. I just think a top-down view of an airplane is almost always going to look worse if you make it super round and blobby. On the bright side, it's still recognizable as a plane.

WhatsApp - 7.5/10

I really like the way this one is red. Way to stand out in a crowd. It's also quite realistic without giving up on being stylized. My one issue is with the cockpit windows, which look a bit out-of-place and weird. This seems to be a common point of failure for this sort of emoji. Also, I'm unsure if this is meant to be a two-engined 747, but if it is points off for those not existing.

Twitter - 6/10

I hate to ever hand it to Twitter but this is just solid. That's an airplane, just a very simplified and round one. Even the cockpit windows on this one look okay.

Facebook - 3.5/10

Maybe airplane emojis with airbrush shading just look bad to me. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with the shape of this but I don't think they differentiated the tailfin from the fuselage enough. It looks like a stub. Also, what is up with that miserably short wing chord?

Telegram - 7/10

I mean, it looks like a 3D version of the Apple one, but it's surprising how much making it 3D improves it. Plus, gotta hand it to them deciding their emoji was being flown by Tex Johnston. I admire that sort of verve.

Microsoft Teams - 0/10

On the flipside, animating this one and making it 3D makes it so much worse! It looks like it was made right when people just figured out that 3D animation was a thing that was possible to do, back in the 50s or something. And boy are those pixels crunchy - I wouldn't mind this if it weren't already heinous. Seriously, how is that tailfin even attached?

Skype - 10/10

Now this I really like. Most of these are impossible to assign a model to but this distinctly looks to me like one of the earlier, stubbier 737s, just really short with a pointy nose, and she's waving at you. Crisp, nice smooth animation, just fantastic.

Twitter Emoji Stickers - 0/10

Looks bad. One of the few of these which are very easy to recognize as a specific model of airplane - this is clearly a 747, based on the inclusion of the hump. There is a reason basically none of the others are trying to be a 747. Adding a weird lump to the front of your emoji doesn't really make it any less weird-looking, and rendering a plane from above tends to be weird-looking already. It looks like she was stung by a bee.

JoyPixels - 6.5/10

As with the WhatsApp red, I appreciate anything setting itself aside in color, so I have to compliment the choice of this sort of toothpastey green. This is one of the better simplified airplanes we've gone over today, and the only thing I really dislike is that it has the same issues with the tailfin Facebook does.

Toss Face - 0/10

I can barely tell this is supposed to be an airplane. It makes me want to, excuse the mental image, toss face.

JoyPixels Animations - 10/10

Now THIS is what I'm talking about! Just a nice little pixel aircraft, doing the same sort of smooth wriggling as the Skype airplane - no criticisms.

Sony PlayStation - small/10

Adequate, but too small to really assess further - but the fact that I don't dislike anything about it is honestly a credit at this point.

Noto Emoji Font - 3.5/10

This just looks like the Samsung emoji but rendered with plain lines. Removing detail from these tends to improve them.

OpenMoji - 0/10

Oh, no, I take it back! Too few details! It's like a torpedo with wings awkwardly stapled on. A really phallic one at that.

emojidex - what the hell/10

I think this more or less looks fine, and the livery it has also looks fine, but I'm so thrown off by the fact that I don't think this is a real airplane. I am obviously not an authority on every model of airplane ever built but I'm reasonably sure this isn't a real one. It most resembles a BAe 146/Avro RJ, the only four-engined t-tail plane intended for passengers rather than heavy cargo. But the 146/RJ has high wings, located above the cabin windows, so...what is this airplane? What does emojidex know that they're not telling us?

Messenger - 7/10

While not ugly per se, it's a bit futuristic for my taste. Still, the choice to model it from a position other than directly from the top avoids a lot of the pitfalls that make many of these so bad to look at.

LG - 4/10

Boring? Yeah, without question. But this is just a good representation of an airplane, and at this point I'll accept that. Does the tail thing, though.

HTC - 3/10

Something about the way this is shaped makes this look more like a rocketship than an airplane. Or a Convair Pogo.

SoftBank - 5/10

A decent pictoral representation of an airplane. See: LG. Fixes the tail thing.

Docomo - 5.5/10

Also a decent pictoral representation of an airplane, but I think rendering it in silhouette gets rid of many of the pitfalls associated with airplane emojis. No details to mess up, just the shape of an airplane. Why do the majority of these have four engines? Seriously, there are only three four-engine airliners in passenger service right now. Have the people designing these not flown since the early aughts?

au by KDDI - 2.5/10

Okay, I know I've been saying being a good representation of an airplane is good enough but this is just simplifying too far. This isn't an emoji, it's a unicode character.

Mozilla - 1/10

Why pointy but only sometimes? Why does the tail pinch in like that? It's ugly, Mozilla, you made an ugly one.

#off-duty #transmissions #stopovers

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Wow, this is 1931 home in Winnetka, Wisconsin is impressive. 9bds, 9ba, $8.9M.

Wow, look at the carved wood walls. There's an original tile floor in the foyer, too, and a leaded glass inner door.

You know, I like the white carpet on the stairs. I wouldn't want to clean it, but it looks beautiful. This home has those bas relief ceilings, too.

Is it the way they're photographing the room to get the ceiling in, or are the ceilings low? The large sitting room has wood paneled walls to match the entrance hall, plus the same ceiling and a beautiful fireplace.

Very classy guest powder room. Black marble floor with white veining, and the marble counter on top of an antique dresser has a sink ringed in gold. The gold wallpaper ties it all in.

Comfy home office. The rounded desk looks art deco and is nestled perfectly in a triad of framed windows.

The library shelving is gorgeous. Oblong octagonal cutouts in carved shelves, and that gorgeous fireplace in the middle has a pediment with a pineapple and a black & white marble surround.

I like this light dining room. Cream and pale blue bas relief ceiling is so soft and stunning.

These cheery bright dining spaces are so pleasing. This is a breakfast room in creamy white and it gets a lot of sun from the windows to the garden.

The kitchen is a professional chef's kitchen. It begins with a large pantry done in the same cream color with large glass paned doors on the cabinets so you can see the dishware. The kitchen cabinetry looks maple and has a cute corner fireplace, black countertops and copper pots hanging over the double island.

At the top of the stairs on the 2nd level is a magnificent oval leaded glass skylight. The glass panes are opalescent. And, there's a large sitting room up here, too.

They've made a walkway between 2 area rugs in the huge primary bedroom. On one side is a lovely mahogany canopy bed that contrasts well against the white room and the other side is a sitting room.

There is a huge home office up hear with a pretty French Provincial desk and a chaise lounge.

The bath is nice, there's a separate room for the toilet, and a lovely vintage marble counter on the sink. Love the rust-colored marble on the floor.

What a lovely guest room. It's so large, there's a huge picture window between 2 full-sized canopy beds.

Down in the large basement is a rec room that looks like the ultimate man cave. Rich dark wood furniture, a red pool table with an unusual pool lamp- it's not the usual stained glass, this fixture has foxes in red waistcoats holding up electric candles - love that.

Wow, man cave indeed. That fireplace is the size of a room. You can definitely walk in there. And, look at the life-sized butler statue in the corner. Is he creepy?

The home gym looks commercial. Mirrored walls and a black ceiling make it look industrial.

Outside, the iron gate makes it look like a secret garden.

The hedges are cut in patterns.

It must cost a fortune to maintain these gardens. The property is 3.25 acres.

Is it me, or does the pool look like a fidget spinner.

I love conservatories and this one is lovely. The plants and wicker furniture really bring the outdoors in.

This is the prettiest tennis court with the trees and latticed fencing.

An elaborate play set for the children looks like it conveys.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/44-Locust-Rd-Winnetka-IL-60093/70453195_zpid/

#mansions #old house dreams #houses #house tours #home tour

[tigertales9]

Hard Reset VII

Pairing: Joe Burrow x Reader

Warnings: 18+ / Smut / Fluff

Description: This fic covers the bye week secret wedding night.

Time/Place: Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023 / the lakehouse

A/N: This is the seventh fic in the Hard Reset series.

That last chapter was long as hell, y'all, so I decided to break the next few bits up into smaller pieces. I have a few more things I'm working on for the bye week honeymoon, so I'll try to get those up in the next week or so. After that, we'll see where it goes. Things might slow down a bit b/c of the holidays, but I'll pick it back up eventually.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Surprise!" Joe hollers as he carries you over the threshold. "There's hardly any furniture!" You laugh along with him as he sets you down. "The Thompsons cleared out most of their stuff after the sale went through," he continues. "But they left a lot of stuff here -- that huge, flatscreen TV above the fireplace, a few lamps, cookware, dishes, glasses, towels, a bunch of candles, stuff like that." He shrugs. "They said to just donate what we don't want."

"That was nice of them," you smile, turning in a circle as you take in your surroundings, your gaze landing on two large flower arrangements sitting on the coffee table. "Wow!" you chirp, walking over to bury your nose in the velvety red roses. "These are gorgeous," you sigh, giving Joe a smile as you admire the floral display.

"Five dozen roses," he states. "One dozen for every year we've been together." He returns your smile before continuing. "The local florist said she didn't have a vase big enough to do one huge arrangement, so I said two would be fine."

"They're perfect," you whisper, taking another sniff as he digs his phone out of his pocket.

"I need to text Max real quick to let him know we got here and everything looks great."

You watch as he sends the text before setting his phone on the coffee table. "So Max the caretaker actually exists?" you tease. "I'm not sure what the truth is."

"Yeah," he murmurs, giving you a sheepish look before continuing. "The truth is that I lied through my teeth about driving out here just to move the bed under the skylight. I'd already bought the house at that point but didn't want to tell you and ruin the surprise. That night, when you thought I was cheating, I actually met Max and a crew of furniture delivery guys who delivered our outdoor furniture plus our bed, bedside tables, sofa and coffee table."

You raise an eyebrow and look closer at the coffee table and sofa. "Yep, they look familiar," you nod.

"They're the same ones we have at home," he explains, "except I went with a deep teal blue leather for the sofa instead of the black leather we have at home. If you don't like it we can …"

"I love it," you interject, pointing at your teal sweater. "Teal is one of my fav colors, and it's a perfect color for a lakehouse."

"Okay, good," he plows ahead, gesturing around the vast room. "I only picked out a few things because I want you to pick out everything else -- the remainder of the living room furniture, dining room furniture, bedroom furniture, barstools, breakfast nook, guest rooms, sunroom, bathrooms, and whatever other rooms I'm forgetting."

You give him a smile as he continues, his nervous energy on full display.

"You'll prob want to redo the kitchen countertops," he states, walking toward the kitchen as you follow behind. "Maybe something like that quartz you picked out for your parents' lakehouse when they re-did their kitchen last year?"

"Sounds good," you murmur, pulling him into a tight hug. "I think you need to relax," you suggest, pressing kisses against his neck until he pulls back. "Not yet," he mumbles, dropping a kiss on your lips before heading for the side door. "I need to pull the car into the garage and bring everything inside."

"Let me help."

"I got it," he states. "I'll bring in the groceries first, and you can put those away while I get everything else."

"Okay," you agree, shaking your head as he disappears out the door to the garage. "He's nervous as fuck," you mutter, spinning around to head out on the back deck, bringing in the champagne, glasses, cooler and tote bag (with the deed inside) just in time to see him come in carrying a few grocery bags; he drops them on the kitchen island before heading back out.

You heave a sigh as you drop your haul on the kitchen island and ignore the bags of groceries, knowing there's nothing that needs to be refrigerated. You top off the champagne glasses and give him a smile as he breezes back in carrying two boxes and two duffle bags. "What's in the boxes?" you ask, taking a sip of bubbly while handing him his glass.

"Just a comforter, shams and several faux fur throws plus a few other things. The sheets are in that duffle bag," he continues, pointing at a bag as you give him a smile.

"I know. I caught you cramming them in there, remember?"

"Yeah," he grins, taking a sip of champagne. "Not my shiestiest moment."

"Come here," you coax, reaching for his hand. "I have something to show you." You lead him back to the living room and point at the sofa. "Sit," you order, grabbing something out of your purse before sitting next to him.

"Do you want a full tour of the house?" he asks.

"Later."

"Should we put the sheets and stuff on the bed?"

"Later," you repeat, giving him a smile while patting the black leather book on your lap. "Let's look at this first."

"What is it?" he asks, taking a sip of bubbly as you scoot closer and open the book.

"Okay, don't laugh, 'cause the title is kinda cheesy," you admit, giving him a sheepish grin. "But I know how much you like real books, so I thought you might like this."

He looks at the first page and reads the title. "The Story of Us - Volume One."

"It's a little cheesy," you reiterate, "but every other basic ass was using it so I stole it," you giggle.

"I like it," he admits, smiling as you turn the page. "Ohhh, it's a picture book," he whispers, taking a huge gulp of his champagne. "So much cooler than a photo album," he mutters as he leans in close to study the first pic. "What's this?" he asks.

"It's the night we had our first kiss," you answer, your mind rewinding back to that moment in time.

~ ~ ~

You and Joe -- on your third date -- were sitting on the sofa in your apartment watching a movie when your roommate came home slightly tipsy.

"Y'all are the cutest couple!" she chirped, snapping a quick pic before heading to her bedroom. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," she teased, giving you a knowing look before disappearing.

The tension between you and Joe had been crazy already, but it got even worse once she dropped the "lovebirds" line.

~ ~ ~

"Oh my God, I was nervous as hell that night," Joe reminisces with a smile. "I literally don't remember what movie we were watching because I spent the entire time trying to decide if I should make a move on you. I was super close to working up the courage to put my arm around you when Gina busted in."

You return his smile. "And you quickly scooted a foot away from me like we just got caught doing something naughty." Y'all laugh at the memory, shaking your heads as you look fondly at the pic -- you and Joe with a solid foot of sofa cushion between you, both looking slightly guilty.

"I was so fucking awkward," he groans.

"But you more than made up for it later that night," you soothe.

"I tried to convince myself it was like a game situation," he shrugs. "Like, when I was leaving, I was giving myself a mental pep talk to go in for a goodnight kiss as I followed you down the hall to your front door."

"What was your mental pep talk?"

"Two minute drill type of vibe," he grins. "Don't overthink it, just make a quick read and react."

"Your read was accurate, as usual, and the kiss was amazing."

"Yep," he grins. "To quote Judge Sheila - 'That kiss was a doozy!"

"It really was," you agree. "First kisses are supposed to be awkward, but that one was anything but."

"Our chemistry has always been crazy. That first kiss solidified something I'd already been thinking."

"Which was?"

He gives you a naughty wink before answering. "That you were going to absolutely blow my mind in bed."

"And did I?" you tease.

"You know you did, and you've been doing it ever since."

"You definitely do your share of mind blowing," you purr, giving him a quick kiss before turning to the next page.

Y'all continue to sip champagne and peruse the photos, laughing at the memories they evoke. There are pics of y'all on the LSU campus, at parties and after football games. Joe points at a pic of himself in his football uniform, sweaty as hell and exuding big dick energy after yet another victory. He has one arm wrapped tight around you, pulling you close while smiling down into your upturned face. "I'm sweating all over you," he states. "And I'm loving it," you groan, a thought flashing into your mind of the two of you entwined on the bed in his apartment, naked and sweaty from a different kind of exertion. Sex with Joe is always hot, but post-game victory sex is on another level.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks, the look on his face telling you he already knows the answer. "You know exactly what I'm thinking about," you grin as you turn the page.

The next several pages feature Bengals football games and parties followed by plenty of casual, holiday and vacation pics both just the two of you and with family and friends.

He groans as you point at a pic of y'all dancing at your parents' anniversary party a couple years back. "You looked so handsome that night," you sigh. "Too bad I can't dance for shit," he grumps. "I love the way you dance," you soothe, nudging his shoulder. "Maybe we can dance later?" you continue. "Maybe," he grumbles, quickly turning to the last page in the book.

You laugh at the pic of him from a few years back -- wearing nothing but wet swim trunks and a disgruntled expression -- sitting on the dock at your parents' lakehouse. "This is when you thought a fish nibbled on your toes. I've never seen anybody haul ass out of the lake as fast as you did."

He cuts his eyes at you as you giggle at the memory. "I'm glad you think it's funny that a fish tried to bite my toes off," he mutters, his playful smile at odds with his grumpy tone.

"Your toes are very nibble-worthy," you tease. "Can't blame the fish for trying."

"And you can't blame me for wearing aqua socks in the lake for the rest of my life." Y'all laugh together for a minute before he takes a deep breath and continues. "That's also one of the main reasons we're gonna have a swimming pool put in here. I love to swim without socks, but I need to see what's in the damn water."

"I think a pool would be awesome," you agree. "We have plenty of room for a nice one."

"Yep, I'm thinking a free-form resort style with a sun shelf, a hot tub, a sunken fire pit area, and a swim-up bar."

You raise your eyebrows. "You're a grotto shy of going full Hugh Hefner," you grin, giggling when he gives you a look. "I'm kidding," you soothe. "It sounds amazing."

"I have some pics I'll show you later," he chuckles. "Just a few ideas to think about. I promise my vision is more classy than porny."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Speaking of pics," he says, gesturing at his phone on the coffee table. "That sunset pic we just took is def going in The Story of Us - Volume Two. Plus at least a couple of the pics Judge Sheila took after our secret wedding ceremony."

"For sure," you agree, clinking your glass against his and draining the remaining bubbly.

Twenty minutes later -- after a super quick house tour ending in the expansive master suite on the third floor -- y'all have just finished making your bed in the teal blue sheets, pillow cases and comforter + shams Joe picked out.

"It looks great," you smile, your eyes going wide when he hurries out the door.

"Forgot the candles," he hollers over his shoulder, reappearing a couple minutes later with an armful of candles. You watch as he places three candles on each bedside table and lights them.

"Super romantic," you purr, approaching him with a little swagger in your step. "I have some naughty lingerie I can change into," you offer.

He raises an eyebrow at your dirty grin, considering your offer for several seconds before responding. "I can't wait to see it, but can we do that tomorrow night? Tonight I want you just like this." He leans down and drops a kiss on your lips before hesitating. "Hold on a sec," he whispers, walking to a bedside table and fumbling around for a bit before the sultry sound of smooth jazz fills the air.

He walks back toward you, a shy look on his face. "You wanna dance?" he asks. "I'd love to," you smile, stepping into his embrace, your hands resting on his shoulders as you nestle your cheek against his chest. His hands settle on your hips as y'all sway to the music, the sound of his strong heartbeat throbbing against your ear setting off an answering throb deep inside you.

After a couple songs, one of his hands slides under your sweater and nestles against the small of your back, pulling you closer, the skin-to-skin contact feeling exquisitely intimate as he nuzzles his face in your hair and takes a deep breath. "You always smell so good," he whispers, "everywhere," he continues, smiling when you tilt your head to look up at him. "You too," you breathe, the look on his face causing your pulse to react in anticipation.

He licks his lips before continuing. "I thought you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen when I first laid eyes on you." He drops a kiss on your lips. "But you're even more beautiful now," he states, capturing your lips in a slow-burn kiss, slowly licking into your mouth like he's tasting you for the first time. You lean into him and open wide for his tongue, moaning into his mouth just before he abruptly pulls back.

"Why am I so fucking nervous?" he groans, burying his face against your neck.

"I'm nervous, too," you soothe.

"Are you also hot as hell?" he asks. "Like literally about to combust?"

"Yeah," you croak. "Maybe we should crack open a window."

He hurries to do your bidding before returning to you, a worried look on his face. "We've been having amazing sex for five years, but I'm freaking out on our wedding night. Why?" he rasps, the look on his face solidifying your decision to tell him the truth.

"I think I know why you're so nervous."

"Why?" he repeats.

"Football isn't going exactly as you want right now because of your calf injury, so you put a lot of pressure on yourself to make the secret wedding and wedding night as perfect as possible. It's something you have complete control over, unlike football, but the need for perfection is messing with your head and making you nervous."

He stares at you for several seconds before taking a deep breath. "Shit," he mumbles, running a hand through his hair while giving you a sheepish smile. "You always talk about me being able to read you, but you can read me just as easily. Sorry I'm being so weird and awkward about this."

"You're not being weird and awkward," you soothe. "You wanted everything to be perfect and it has been, okay? It's been like a dream for me. I'll never forget it as long as I live. -- But I think it's time for me to call an audible."

He studies your expression for a bit before speaking. "What's the call?"

"I want you to get undressed and lie face down on the bed so I can give you a massage."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," you state, reaching to unbutton his jeans. "Let me help you relax and take the edge off."

His demeanor shifts as soon as those words leave your mouth; he knows exactly what you mean, and a small smile graces his sensual lips as he strips naked before kneeling at your feet. Your breath catches in your throat as he unzips your knee boots; you place your hands on his broad shoulders to steady yourself as he removes your boots and socks before slowly peeling your leggings off. He stands back up and unties your wrap sweater, easing it off of you and dropping it on top of the pile of mingled clothes.

When he's done, you're left in nothing but seafoam green bra and panties, your pulse reacting to the look in his eyes as he leans down and gives you a lingering kiss before crawling onto the bed face down like you ordered.

You take a deep breath before joining him on the bed, straddling his waist and leaning forward to dig your fingers into his tense shoulders as he moans his appreciation. You take your time massaging him, relishing his grunts and groans and mumbled praise as you hit all the right spots that need attention.

Once you've thoroughly worked him head to toe you ask him to roll over, your eyes immediately drawn to his erection as he does your bidding. "Spread your legs," you urge, crawling between his thighs when he follows orders. "Fast or slow?" you continue, licking your lips as you anticipate the taste of him on your tongue.

"Gonna have to be fast," he admits. "I'm halfway there already."

"Yes, sir," you breathe, lowering your head to get down to business.

"Wait," he mutters just before you make contact. You let your lips hover an inch above his shaft while flicking your gaze up to his. "Take your bra off for me," he orders, his eyes glued to you as you sit up and slowly unclasp your bra before letting it slide down your arms; you toss it on the pile of clothes as you raise an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "Anything else?" you ask, cupping your breasts and bouncing them a few times before rubbing your already-hard nipples, biting your lip when his cock twitches at the sensual display. "No," he croaks, swallowing hard as you continue to tease your sensitive peaks. "Jesus, baby, you better hurry or I'm gonna cum before you even touch me."

"That sounds hot, but I wanna taste you." You grip his cock at the base and run your hand up the long, hard length of him, a gush of saliva flooding your mouth at the sight of the precum adorning his tip; you lower your head and lick him clean before taking him in your mouth, working him fast and deep while he buries his hands in your hair and bucks his hips up; he explodes in your mouth after just a few minutes, his groans of pleasure going straight to your core as you swallow everything he has to offer.

You eventually crawl up and cuddle him, kissing his neck and stroking his chest as he comes down from the intense climax.

After a few more minutes he drops a kiss on your forehead and points at the skylight. "The clouds are obscuring the stars right now," he states, "but when it's clear, we'll be able to see the Big Dipper."

You giggle before speaking up. "You know I'm gonna make a Big Dipper joke about your dick, right?"

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't."

"Well, no matter if it's cloudy or not, I expect to see the Big Dipper every time I sleep in this bed with you," you purr.

"Damn right," he chuckles, giving you another forehead kiss before sitting up and scooting down the bed.

You watch closely as he slides your panties off and tosses them aside, crawling between your legs and spreading them wide as he moves back up your body, stopping to press kisses on either side of your aching core before continuing upward; he eventually nuzzles his face into your neck, his soft scruff tickling you as he drops kisses against your sensitive skin before pressing his lips against your ear. "Fast or slow?" he asks, nipping your earlobe hard enough to elicit a gasp from you before you answer.

"Fast," you whine. "I'm really close."

"Mmmm," he hums, kissing his way down to your breasts, teasing your nipples for several minutes while you squirm beneath him. "Please," you moan, burying your hands in his hair, fighting the urge to shove his head down where you want it as he takes his sweet time pleasuring you. "I said fast," you remind him, your arousal leveling up as he gives you a feral grin before kissing his way down your torso, stopping to rim your belly button before dropping wet kisses in a line all the way down to about an inch above your aching clit.

You hold your breath waiting for the feel of his hot tongue right where you need it, your hips grinding restlessly as the throbbing in your core escalates. "Please, baby!" you beg, making a sound between a whimper and a scream when he finally licks a stripe up your drenched folds before latching onto your swollen clit, rhythmically sucking you in a way he knows you love, making a sound of primal satisfaction low in his throat as you lose control, your hands in his hair and his name on your lips as you come apart.

"Got damn, you're good at that," you eventually rasp, after taking a few minutes to catch your breath.

"Did you like that?" he purrs, licking his slick lips while watching you closely.

"A little bit, yeah," you pant, chill bumps rising on your entire body at the hot look in his eyes.

"Good, 'cause I'm about to do it again," he states. "But I'm gonna do it slow this time, okay?"

"Okay," you whisper, biting your lip when he lowers his head and gently tickles your clit with his scruff before parting your soaked folds with his tongue.

~ ~ ~

The next few hours pass by like a fever dream, with Joe pleasuring you and you pleasuring him in every way imaginable -- from soft, sensual lovemaking to sheet-clawing, hair-pulling, filthy sex.

At some point you flutter your eyes open and realize the clouds have parted to reveal a canopy of stars in the skylight, and a sudden thought hits you, that there's no place in the world you'd rather be than right here in this lakehouse love nest with your man -- your husband -- taking his time pleasuring you, his talented mouth on your neck, your breasts and between your thighs, his thick shaft moving inside you as he whispers sweet and filthy praise to you, your bare skin bathed in starlight and his big, warm body a delicious contrast to the cool breeze wafting in from the open window.

Absolute bliss, you think as you arch up into his next thrust and sink your teeth into his muscular shoulder.

~ ~ ~

A few hours later you come awake slowly, not sure what woke you up.

"Sorry," Joe whispers, sliding back in bed beside you. "I forgot to shut the window earlier, and it's getting a little chilly."

"Mmmm," you hum, snuggling against him as he pulls you close and nestles the covers around you.

"The clouds are gone," he murmurs, kissing your temple as you both gaze up at the stars.

"It's beautiful," you whisper, your breath catching in your throat as a flash of light blazes across the sky. "What was that?" you ask.

"Umm, either a shooting star or a UFO," Joe answers. "Airplanes don't move that fast."

"Should we make a wish?" you ask sleepily.

"Yes," he answers.

You're just on the verge of sleep a few minutes later when his voice pulls you back. "What did you wish for?"

"Nothing," you murmur. "I already have everything I want."

His breath catching in his throat makes you raise your head to make eye contact with him. "What did you wish for?" you ask, the look on his face bringing you completely awake.

"I wished for a lifetime of moments like this," he whispers. "There's no place in the world I'd rather be than right here with you," he continues, capturing your lips before you can tell him you had that exact same thought earlier.

Telepathic, you think to yourself, vowing to tell him as soon as you can but content for the moment to lose yourself in his embrace.

#joe burrow #joe burrow fan fic #joe burrow fanfic #joe burrow x reader #joe burrow imagine

[doumadono]

Synopsis: Kirishima is looking forward to Christmas and decides to pleasantly surprise his boyfriend, Bakugo, with a charming Christmas jumper. The question lingers: will Bakugo be on board with the idea of matching Christmas sweaters?

A/N: this oneshot was written for the KRBK Advent Calendar hosted by @krbkevents My prompt was: sweaters

Kirishima stepped out of the flat he shared with Bakugo, and a burst of laughter escaped him. The snowfall had turned the world into a winter wonderland, and he found himself mesmerized by the delicate dance of snowflakes. His crimson eyes sparkled with childlike delight as he walked through the snow-covered streets, his head tilted back to catch the flakes on his face.

Soon, the hero stepped into the bustling Christmas market. The entire place was a kaleidoscope of colors and festive lights, and the snowfall added a touch of magic to the already enchanting atmosphere. 

Despite Kirishima's excitement about the Christmas market, there was a twinge of disappointment when Bakugo declined the invitation to join him. How could he opt for baking mundane, spicy muffins instead of accompanying him to the enchanting Christmas market?! Yet, Kirishima couldn't help but smile inwardly, recognizing that his boyfriend's gruff demeanor was precisely what captivated him.  He loved Bakugo just the way he was — always angry and negative about everything. They complemented each other so well!

As he strolled through the Christmas market, Kirishima couldn't resist the festive allure of the stalls. The aroma of hot cocoa and the twinkling lights created an atmosphere of pure joy. He meandered through the market, picking up small gifts and treats until he found himself standing in front of a stall adorned with handmade Christmas sweaters.

The older lady behind the stall greeted him with a warm smile, and her eyes lit up with recognition. "Well, if it isn't Red Riot! What brings my favorite hero to my humble little stall today?"

Kirishima blushed, appreciating the recognition. "Hello!! Just taking a break from hero duties to enjoy the holiday season. Your sweaters caught my eye, they're amazing!"

The lady chuckled, "I'm glad you like them, Red Riot. Anything in particular you're looking for?"

Kirishima's gaze fell upon the green-bottle colored sweater with a charming reindeer motif. "Actually, this one is perfect. I'd like two of them, please — one for me and one for my boyfriend. He's a bit of a firecracker, but I think he'll love this."

The lady grinned, "A matching set, how sweet! You sure have a good eye, Red Riot."

Kirishima chuckled at the wordplay, "Thanks! I thought the reindeer motif was a nice touch. Plus, the green will really stand out and match our eyes! Did you make them all yourself?” 

"Yes, indeed. Been knitting these for years. It brings me joy to see people appreciate the art of handmade crafts during the holidays."

“How much do I owe you?"

After the transaction, Kirishima thanked the lady, expressing his gratitude for the beautiful sweaters. As he left the stall, he couldn't wait to surprise Bakugo with the festive gifts, imagining the delight on his boyfriend's face when he saw the matching Christmas sweaters.

Kirishima returned home, paper bags filled with goods in hand. Before stepping inside, he shook off the clinging snow from his shoulders and dusted his shoes to rid them of the winter frost. "I'm home!" he announced cheerfully. After kicking off his shoes and slipping into reindeer-motif slippers, he made his way to the kitchen, where Bakugo was engrossed in mixing dry ingredients for cupcakes.

"Where the hell have ya been, weird hair?! Didn't you say you would be gone for half an hour? You were absent for almost two goddamn hours!" Bakugo's tone was as fiery as ever.

Kirishima grinned, unfazed by Bakugo's irritation. "What, did you miss me?" he chuckled. "Awwww, how adorable!" Leaning in, he planted a playful kiss on Bakugo's cheek, earning himself an angry "tsch" sound from the ash-blonde man.

Kirishima proceeded to unpack the bags, revealing various goodies he had picked up from the Christmas market. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he turned to Bakugo, who was still busy with the cupcake preparations. "Guess what, Katsuki?" Kirishima grinned, his excitement barely contained. "I met this awesome older lady at the market. She was selling handmade knitted sweaters, and I couldn't resist getting us a little something."

"Don't ya dare tell me you got me a freaking sweater," Bakugo growled, not looking up from his task.

Kirishima's grin widened, and he enthusiastically nodded his head, continuing to unpack the bags. "Oh, but I did! And not just any sweater. I got us matching ones!" He pulled out the green-bottle colored sweaters with reindeer motifs, holding them up for Bakugo to see.

Bakugo glanced at the sweaters and then shot Kirishima a skeptical look. "Matching? Seriously, Eijiro?"

Kirishima chuckled, ignoring Bakugo's grumbling. "Trust me, you're gonna love them. They're cozy, warm, fluffy, festive, and totally capture the holiday spirit."

"I'm not wearing one of those tacky things. They're itchy, uncomfortable, and just plain stupid,” Bakugo commented simply.

Eijiro pouted, his lower lip jutting out in the cutest way. "Come on, Blasty, it's all in good fun! Plus, imagine at our Christmas party when everyone sets their eyes on us wearing these matching sweaters! We're going to be the absolute stars of the show!. It'll be a blast."

As Bakugo examined the sweater, Kirishima couldn't help but feel a warm satisfaction. The festive surprise was sure to add a touch of holiday magic to their home. 

"Damn it, Kirishima!" Bakugo bellowed, his voice sharp enough to cut through the air. “I'll look absurd in this outfit,  Hair-for-Brains.”

"Come on, Katsuki, just give it a shot. Humor me and try the sweater on, okay?" Kirishima pleaded with an earnest grin.

Bakugo's temper flared, and without a second thought, he grabbed a handful of flour from the countertop. In one swift, furious motion, he flung it in Kirishima's direction, his aim unerring. "Shitty Hair, you're out of your damn mind if you think I'm wearing that garbage!" Bakugo snarled, his eyes narrowing as he watched the flour cascade over Kirishima. “I already told ya no, and better accept it, man.”

Kirishima, caught off guard, blinked as the flour settled on his hair and shoulders. He wiped his face, managing a sheepish grin. "Whoa, Bakugo! Easy there! What's your problem?"

Bakugo, undeterred, continued his tirade. "Problem? This crap’s the problem! I don't need this festive crap ruining my reputation. Real heroes don't wear ridiculous sweaters with damn reindeers!"

Kirishima chuckled, attempting to brush the flour off his clothes. "Lighten up, man! It's just for a bit of holiday cheer!”

Bakugo scoffed, grabbing another handful of flour. This time, he aimed at Kirishima’s head with pinpoint accuracy. "Cheer? I'll show you cheer!"

The flour exploded around Kirishima, creating a makeshift cloud of white powder. Kirishima coughed, his grin faltering. "You're impossible, Blasty!" Kirishima sighed, shaking his head. "But you know what? I think you'll come around.”

Bakugo scowled, throwing a final glance at Kirishima before returning to his baking endeavors. Little did he know, amidst the chaos and flour-covered, tiny argument, a seed of reluctant amusement may have been planted in his explosive heart.

In the quiet aftermath of their flour-filled encounter, the apartment settled into a serene stillness. Kirishima, exhausted from the shopping, retreated to their shared bedroom for a much-needed nap, leaving the infamous sweaters on the nightstand by his side of the king-sized bed.

As the scent of Bakugo's spicy muffins lingered in the air, Bakugo himself finished up in the kitchen. In a moment of introspection, he admitted to himself that perhaps he had been too harsh on his boyfriend.

Katsuki tiptoed into the bedroom, where Kirishima was peacefully napping. The sweaters lay innocently on the nightstand, beckoning him like a challenge. Without waking Kirishima, Bakugo swiped one of the sweaters and made his way to the bathroom downstairs.

Upon entering the bathroom, Bakugo swiftly flipped the light switch, unveiling the vibrant, reindeer-themed sweater in all its glory. As Katsuki reluctantly tried it on, he couldn't deny that it was warm and comfortable. The soft fabric felt good against his rough skin, and he couldn't help but secretly enjoy the coziness of it. 

Bakugo stood before the mirror, eyeing his reflection with a begrudging appreciation. The dark green hue of the sweater complemented his eyes and light hair, emphasizing his features in an unexpected way. The reindeer, though still an absurd concept to him, somehow added a touch of whimsy to the otherwise fierce hero. A rare smile tugged at the corners of Bakugo's lips as he took in the sight. The warmth of the sweater seemed to melt away his stubborn resistance, leaving behind a sense of reluctant contentment.

As he admired himself in the mirror, a soft chuckle escaped him, and a secret thought crossed his mind — maybe, just maybe, Kirishima's festive idea wasn't as terrible as he initially believed. His boyfriend had a way of making even the Grinchiest of hearts melt.

Little did Bakugo know that he was being observed from the stairs by Eijiro, who had woken up after Bakugo took the sweater. Red Riot descended the stairs quietly to ensure Bakugo hadn't discarded the sweater, and to his delight, he witnessed his boyfriend trying it on willingly.

Kirishima hurried back upstairs, donned his own sweater, and then descended once again. After a gentle knock on the bathroom door, he opened it, peering at Bakugo's reflection in the mirror. "You did it! You put on a Christmas sweater without being forced to do it! You have no idea how happy I am! And look, I have mine on, too! Look at how cute we look!" Kirishima moved closer to Bakugo, wrapping his arm around his boyfriend's waist and admiring their reflections together.

"I look like an idiot, don't I?" Katsuki muttered, but there was a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Eijiro chuckled and kissed Bakugo’s cheek gently. "You look amazing, Blasty! And it's not just the sweater. You always look amazing, handsome."

Katsuki's scowl softened into a small smile, and he pressed his lips against Eijiro's in a loving kiss. "Alright, alright, I'll wear the damn sweater. I have to say, it's not that awful."

Eijiro's face lit up with joy, and he wrapped his arms around Katsuki in a tight hug. "You won't regret it, I promise! This is going to be the best Christmas ever! Oh boy!"

Eijiro hesitantly pulled his phone from the black jeans pocket, looking at Bakugo with a sheepish grin. "Hey, Katsuki, mind if I snap a picture of us in these awesome sweaters? I was thinking of posting it on my Instagram..."

Anticipating a fiery response, Eijiro was surprised when Bakugo took the phone from his hand. To his even greater surprise, Bakugo snapped a series of nice pictures himself.

"Just post the one where I look the fiercest, okay?" Bakugo grumbled. "I want all those people following you to know that even though I'm wearing a goddamn Christmas shirt, I'm still a hero that should be feared and respected!"

Kirishima replied cockily, "Sure thing, handsome! Let me tell ya the Christmas spirit suits you, Katsuki."

Bakugo, not one to dwell on compliments, decided to shut Kirishima up in the sweetest way possible. Without a word, he pulled Kirishima close and planted a gentle, lingering kiss on his lips, effectively silencing any further teasing with the warmth of their shared affection.

#krbk events #krbkadvent #krbk advent calendar 2023 #krbk advent calendar #krbk #kiribaku #bakugou katsuki #kirishima eijirou #kiribaku fluff #mha fluff #bnha fluff #eijiro kirishima #bakugo katsuki #kirishima x bakugou #bakugo fluff #kirishima fluff #kiribaku fanfic

[fyrefrostanimus]

Le Voices

I have been trying to figure out their designs for months and I think I've finally figured them out.

I really hope this is readable, but I will give little design notes on each of them.

When it came to The Voices overall, I knew I wanted to stick with a few conventions: something small that can stay out of the way of The Hero's view despite being able to see them (because why not? this is the fandom side and I'm not going to be a stickler for accuracy), mostly one color on each of them, and a white marking on some of them if there's something that fits. So little birds really did work. I chose to have some sort of not-black/white color on the, because sometimes The Voices can take control (such as how Voice of the Cheated does in Chapter III onward in The Razor, or Voice of the Smitten decides that if The Damsel isn't alive, no one should be) and it would be nice to have some way of telling just by looking even if you can't see it. So now onto the individuals!

These go from left to right, top row to bottom row.

Voice of the Hero

While I haven't posted my design for The Hero yet some things are settled like the way the feathers are set on the head/chest. The Voice of the Hero has the same features as The Hero and the same eye color since it's almost like his own conscious, but not quite. He's there all the time so it makes sense they have a common design element other than bird.

Voice of the Contrarian

While it's Voice of the Skeptic who actually says "wink" aloud, the actual facial expression definitely matches Voice of the Contrarian more. And a bright, maybe slightly obnoxious yellow is definitely what I think he'd be like.

Voice of the Stubborn

Voice of the Stubborn would not take care of his feathers. They're all roughed up from squabbles, although whether it was with The Princess or the other Voices is up for debate. He has a spur on each of his wings like a lapwing does, and red-orange eyes like his burning will to fight.

Voice of the Smitten

Of course Voice of the Smitten has pink eyes, what other color would have worked? His feathers are in much more rounded shapes than the other Voices. Voice of the Smitten has some markings around his chest area that end up in a heart shape, although they're more like stab wounds referencing how you get from Chapter I to The Damsel.

Voice of the Cold

Voice of the Cold was originally going to have a gray-blue as his eye color (that now belongs to Voice of the Paranoid). But man, seeing the way he's almost proud of the fact he killed someone in at least The Burned Gray just immediately made me decide he was going to have purple instead (I was not kidding when I said his behavior in that specific route reminded me of William Afton). The X marking is the same as The Spectre's.

Voice of the Opportunist

Before anyone asks, the cat ears are on purpose. Brown was chosen as it's a neutral tone: Voice of the Opportunist is almost always neutral before he sucks up to the person he believes has the most power. The markings on his wings resembling the pristine blade are physical representations of his willingness to backstab anyone as soon as he gets the advantage.

Voice of the Cheated

Not really sure I like the red eyes, but honestly The Razor is one of the bloodiest route in the game. And what color is blood? Red. Plus it's one of the two colors the symbols on playing cards can be, and since all the Voices are already completely black minus their markings and eye color, it just leaves red. The Voice of the Cheated has wings where the feathers almost look like they were cut short with a knife.

Voice of the Broken

Voice of the Hunted originally was going to have the broken wing, before I slapped myself after remembering VOICE OF THE BROKEN literally exists. While Voice of the Hero has neutral white eyes to match The Hero and Voice of the Opportunist has neutral brown eyes because he can't pick a side until he sees who has power, Voice of the Broken has gray eyes because whatever color was there was beaten out of him just like his wing was broken.

Voice of the Hunted

Green eyes because nature, let's get that out of the way. Voice of the Hunted's feathers are shorter, and almost more natural-looking. He's prey, and the bite mark on his neck isn't going to let anyone forget that.

Voice of the Skeptic

I didn't know why I gave Voice of the Skeptic blue eyes at first, but he keeps a really cool head even when under pressure. And blue is a cool color. It's just brighter to contrast with Voice of the Paranoid. Voice of the Skeptic has a constant raised eyebrow expression.

Voice of the Paranoid

There wasn't much to Voice of the Paranoid when I first sketched him, but the frazzled-looking feathers stuck. He doesn't need a marking when he constantly looks spooked.

#slay the princess #slay the princess the voices

[adobe-outdesign]

Could you review the ixi?

Briefly limited edition for a very short period after their release, Ixi are mostly just goats, and there's really nothing fancy about them beyond being goats (unless you want to count the collars). They are pretty nicely designed goats though, with distinct eye shapes, lots of black accents on the hooves, eyebrows, and horns, and some nice markings around the face and muzzle that really help to break up the body.

I also like the personality Ixis have, being mischievous and sort of sassy. This was more obvious in their old circle art, but you still get it a bit from the converted version as well. It's fun and helps make them stand out.

This might be a controversial Hot Take(TM), but I'd argue that Ixis mostly benefited from customization. The old art was just a bit janky all around—the circle pose mostly looks good, but the default happy poses could look kind of off. The converted version cleans up a lot of that, removing things like the second fur tuft on the head that's too close to the horn to be noticeable, the unpleasant lines around the mouth, the shaggy fur lines, etc.

It also refines some aspects, like giving the lighter tail tip an outline to match the rest of the lighter areas and fixing the hind torso, which was all kinds of screwed up on the original art. It also improves the eyes so they're closer to being the same size (it still looks a smidge off to me, but it's at least better). The shading is also less messy (what was up with that pink reflective light on the tail?), the eyebrows have been thickened to match the other black areas more, and it's easier to make out aspects of the design.

Another benefit is that the collars can be removed. I do think Ixi collars look better than Aisha collars (mostly because they can be interpreted as chokers when anthropomorphized, and they at least match the color of the eyes), but it's nice to have the option to remove it if one wants to.

However, there were a few things that don't look as good—namely, the head is both a bit too big and too wide compared to the original, giving it a weird rectangle shape that doesn't quite feel right. Here's a super quick edit of the converted version to try to get the point across:

Also, for some reason the chest fur also stops below the collar instead of under it, and the red Ixi's mouth is no longer the lighter shade like it is on every other Ixi. The sideways hair ruffle at the top is also weird due to them adding a line underneath. So overall an improvement—but not perfect.

Favorite Colours:

Mutant: What a great color! It's just messed up enough to look properly mutant-y, with the fangs, mismatched horns and ears, bipedal stance, spots, and a long, drooping tail. The color palette is subtle and muted, and it's detailed but still completely coherent as a whole. This design also didn't change with customization at all, so it's still as enjoyable as it ever was.

Grey: I already covered this one a bit in my grey color review so I won't get into it much here, but this color is great. The customized version is so-so (good as a neutral base, but the eyes look a bit weird due to lack of top lids), but the UC version is beautiful with its forlorned expression, huge droppy ears, and pretty dull red accents. Even the collar is drooping!

Robot: Converted robot Ixis unfortunately aren't very good—yes, they have to proportionally match the default base, but the chunky round legs, overly large head ridge, and completely botched shading look pretty bad. It looks weirdly rubbery in a really unpleasant way. On the plus side, the unclothed version is terrifying, so it has that much going for it.

However, the UC version is fantastic! It has a super sleek design that manages to look unusually elegant and cute for a robot pet, with a subtle dark green and black palette and high-contrast red eyes. There are lots of good details in there too, like how the neck matches the legs and ears.

#I didn't. realize I had so many opinions on Ixis before writing this #neopets #neotag #ixi #neopet reviews

[corvuscorona]

The best thing about birthdays, all the time but ESPECIALLY in adulthood, is the opportunity they give you to really commit to a Themed Celebration of some kind.

I'm in adulthood + it was my birthday recently, and also, about 6 months before that birthday, @2000sanimeop & I were driven permanently insane by Stranger of Paradise, so obviously the only reasonable course of action was to invent an Astos-themed cocktail, learn to make edible crystals (for cake decorations), make burgers with squid-ink brioche buns, accidentally find a real recipe for a joke "what if tater tots were cube-shaped" idea we had at like 11:00 at night one time, and completely, fully go to town, all weekend, on manifesting The Jackstos Meal physically in our home.

(Art by @2000sanimeop)

Please allow me to sell you on the KING OF THE DARK ELVES.

First & most importantly, it tastes fucking amazing. Having chosen ingredients based mostly on wishes + vibes, I wasn't sure what to expect, exactly, but between the berry flavor of the cassis, the orange in the curaçao, & whatever arcane bullshit is going on with the indigo gin, the final product tastes impressively like bubbly sangria.

Secondly: one (1) of these things is enough, which feels appropriate, somehow. An Astos cocktail should be powerous, I think, & this POTION of a drink fits the bill.

It's elegant. It's over-the-top. There is so much alcohol in it. I cannot recommend the KING OF THE DARK ELVES enough.

If you can't find Astos-themed cocktail picks, homemade is fine.

[ Gold North Star Charm ] ☆ [ gold jump rings, any ] ☆ [ Circle Top Cocktail Picks ]

Now, about the crystals.

They're strawberry-flavored! We used this recipe for kohakutō, which uses just sugar, water, agar agar [1], food coloring, and flavor extract (plus citric acid, if you feel like it).

[1] Ignore what it says about having to use the one specific brand of agar agar. What they mean is that this recipe is written for agar agar with no included sugar; if there's sugar in the brand that's most available to you, just do math about it! (Sorry. It will work, though.)

It took a couple of hours to cut the crystal shapes, but it was enjoyable, meditative work, and the candy itself doesn't take long to make at all. We got strawberry flavoring specifically for candy-making, which came in very very cute small tiny bottles, at Michael's.

(The Birthday Soul Burst Cheesecake was orange-flavored, and also purple. This gave it an effect not unlike those skittles where the colors don't "match" the flavors, or a mystery flavor airhead, or some other Trick Food. It was awesome. Look at this thing!!)

But, hey, now that we know everything about the crystals...

Are those cubes?

(Yes.) There is a real, existing recipe, on our real internet, for cubes made out of grated russet potatoes. I made them. It was pretty easy, but if I had to do it again, I'd start earlier in the day (the "freeze the slab of cooked potato shreds before cutting it into cube shapes" step, while not strictly necessary, would have made it easier to get clean lines), and I'd probably try replacing the potato starch with a slurry of potato starch and water. I've used the slurry method for sweet potato fries in the past, and it gives them a really nice, crispy coating.

( I would, however, stick to my guns as far as "refusing to deep-fry them" goes. Nobody should have to deep-fry anything on their birthday. Also, I was correct to add some dried thyme and parsley while I was initially cooking the shreds. )

(Art by @2000sanimeop)

Overall, the Cubes were a good first attempt, and made an appropriate side to eat with the Burger of Darkness [2]. The little glass cauldron of terrifying red slop, to the left of the plate in the photo above, is of course Jack's Chaos Sauce [3].

[2] A normal burger, except that the bun was made with squid ink. My household is split 50/50 on whether this made it taste weird or not, but it LOOKED fantastic. Incidentally, if you're like me 1 calendar year ago & think burgers might be kind of a pain in the ass to cook indoors, check out this method from smittenkitchen. (The Burger of Darkness is topped with Colby-Jack (lol) cheese, dijon mustard, and the pickled red onions on this page, also smittenkitchen.) [3] I know what you're thinking. "What could that possibly fucking mean?" Well, it means that I combined mayonnaise, white vinegar, and S&B crunchy garlic topping, which are all 3 of the ingredients for a dipping sauce I have made in the past for also sweet potato fries, and then I added red food coloring until it looked scary and bad. It tasted perfectly acceptable, but dealt psychic damage to everyone present. I recommend trying this. For fun.

The skull-shaped cocktail picks, I bought on a whim well before I knew what I was ever going to do with them. I like to think that this was fate, speaking to me via deeply mysterious channels, as usual.

They now live with the Astos picks, in my cupboard, where I can easily reach them anytime I feel like it, which I hope will be often & for every possible reason.

🥳 💀 ✨

#stranger of paradise

[jonquilandlace]

Anyway I know I'm not a super big COTL blog or anything lol but I made a lamb! :D

Their name is Ciel, like sky, because I was trying to name them vaguely angelically and got to Siel and then realized I could just go for the Real Name variant lmao. They're very based on how I play the lamb lol (and, kinda like my Cult of the Mouse edit, which I did not elaborate upon at all lol, I think of them as pretty much COTL but if you could do an Undertale-style Pacifist Run, so a bit more strategy and dodging)! I h/c the Lamb as mute/using sign primarily, so that's true of Ciel, too; primarily, they're a cutie pie with a heart of gold :>

My main fun design idea is that their scarf is what would change colors with all the fleeces instead of the whole fleece! This is kinda the equivalent of just the base game "red" cloak, though that's a constant underneath the scarves; my favorite fleeces as a player are the two blues (Hobbled Heels and Fragile, I think?), so they're probably most commonly in those two, but, like, c'mon, the red cloak is a classic.

Bonus "Other Fleeces" under the cut! Just did a few personal favorite cloaks, plus the basic white and green because I just like their designs lol (the god of death fleece looks SO NICE on them imho)

#jonniejonniejonquil #cotl #cult of the lamb #cult of the lamb fanart #cotl fanart #cotl lamb #the lamb #lamb...sona...? #lambsona #thats a real tag ill take it #i would tag this as narilamb because I see Ciel as like a Narilamb lamb iykwim but also dont wanna get hate for clogging the tag so safety #cotl sprite #cotl sprite edit

[wreckmetoji]

Hello there! Here with a Vash x female reader request, pretty please!

Fem reader asks to paint Vash’s prosthetic arm? Fluff, pls? Maybe it turns silly as they get into a little paint squabble, and Vash gets paint on the reader’s face? Lots of tenderness and giggles?

we're in a Vash mood today so this is a fantastic little drabble idea!

It's not often that people on Gunsmoke get to indulge in life, or whatever they make of it, so whenever a special holiday rolls around it's always celebrated to the tens.

This holiday was no different, and even though it was nearly the middle of summer on possible the warmest day of the year, you found yourself nearly vibrating from excitement. All the local shops were closed to set up tents in the town square, offering special goods and foreign items beyond your comprehension. It was magnificent, being able to partake in something that relied completely on community, everyone including yourself being much more joyous around this time.

Even more so with Vash by your side, but you imagined he had seen countless festivals and holidays in his years on this planet, so of course he didn't seem quite as excited as you.

Realistically, you didn't have money to spare. Realistically, you shouldn't have bought the bioluminescent paints that sold for top dollar at some wandering merchant that set up at an opportune moment to squeeze as much money as possible out of the townsfolk. The prospect of being able to indulge in a nice artistic treat for yourself was too enticing to turn down though, so begrudgingly you handed over your stack of double dollars- for which was dedicated to your lunch but you could forego it today- and happily accepted the complimentary wicker basket that surely only cost cents to make.

Upon arriving back at your shared flat, Vash questioned why you didn't just by the cheaper, non bioluminescent paint, to which all you could say was, "Where's the fun in that? They're glow in the dark, c'mon!"

He just laughed, as per usual, watching you pitter around your small apartment for necessary supplies.

"What are you gonna paint?" You heard him ask from behind you as you dug through a box in your closet, searching for your long forgotten paint brushes. Paints were uncommon, so of course you would leap at the immediate opportunity to do something with them. Plus, you had the perfect idea. You stood up, dusting off your knees and whipping around to face him, paintbrushes of all shapes and sizes gripped tightly in your raised hands.

"You!"

The statement made him jump, arms raised in protest as he laughed nervously, but your nefarious demeanor and quick advances were enough to tell him there was no point in putting up a fight. Sure, you had to wrangle him a bit to sit on the floor and take his jacket off, but once you actually got to work he seemed less apprehensive and more intrigued at the patterns you were painting on his metal arm.

"You missed a spot," He commented cheekily, pointing with his index finger to a piece of metal untouched by yellow or red.

"It's intentional! I'm putting something there that's a different color," You pouted, slapping the paint covered brush on the spot you had been working on previously, causing a small splatter that got on both you and Vash.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, laughing at the red splatter on his black shirt. He scooped up a glob of paint that hadn't dried yet, much to your vehement protest, and smeared it from the corner of your lips up to your ear. A firm believer in tit-for-tat, you puffed your cheeks out in faux anger, scooping up a bit of blue from the jar of paints sitting beside you, smearing it into your palm and pressing it flat against Vash's cheek.

There was a constant back and forth, giggles and laughs contagious, as you completely forgot the task at hand. By the time you had Vash with his back flat against the floor, his hands wrapped around your wrists to prevent the assault of more expensive colors on his face and clothes, you were both panting and breathless. Both of you still letting out the occasional giggle, he released his grasp on you, reaching his arms down to wrap around your waist.

"You're beautiful," He breathed with such a tender smile, and you hadn't even realized the darkened, starry night sky until you saw a flash of color in the corner of your eye, telling you the fireworks event had already begun. Still, you couldn't bring yourself to turn your head and look, much too enamored by the sight of Vash, who was already so pretty, glowing red and blue and yellow from your paints.

Reaching a color smeared hand up, you caressed his cheek, the paint pulsing with light wherever you touched. He turned his head, kissing the palm of your hand, before pulling you down and placing a sticky, colorful kiss on your plush lips. You giggled, whining in protest, but it didn't dissuade him. Sitting upright, he nuzzled into your face, neck, hair, placing kisses wherever he went, before you eventually returned his affections and slotted your lips against his.

"You're the light of my life," You sighed into him, his warm touch running up your back as colors flashed outside your window with a pop. It was beautiful, a memory you could wrap up in a little bow and cherish in your heart forever.

Again, all Vash did was smile, a hand holding the back of your head as he leaned down for another sweet, tender kiss.

#vash x reader #trigun x reader #trigun stampede x reader #vash the stampede x reader #runningfeather #ede answers

[hopefuladdictions]

Hopey. Make. References.

For Siren AU Renkaza that you and Kaz are writing. Illustrate the lads. You must. I implore you. I MUST KNOW. Even if they're very sloppy guidelines. I need the refs. Don't ask me why. Specifically color/pattern placement on Kyo and what his frills look like and then if Hakuji's eyelashes were left pale like in canon or they're pink now like his hair in your AU.

I have some doodles already if you'd like to see them 😭😭 I'm very torn on how to convey kyos coloring so thats stumped me a bit !

Alright so here is a little doodle of what I was playing with!

ID LIKE TO POINT OUT ! THAT THIS IS NOT LIKE. CONFIRMED WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE YET! IM PLAYING AROUND WITH IT! I want his frills to be a mix of black and dark red to sort of break up all the orange and yellow that he has going on, I think it'll offer nice contrast. For his scales I obviously gotta do Flame colors! But I was thinking of throwing in random black scales as a nod to his mother! Sirens tend to be a bit more colorful so its rare to have like. All black scales. So I like to think ruka was very special and beautiful looking for having that! Some maroon and black...mmmm. anyways! I think kyo should have some sprinkled around ! Kyo needs to have his big bug eyes ofc. Hakuji notices that kyo doesn't seem to blink alot and kyo was like, this human...something is off about the eyes (no extra eyelid) and they blink frequently. How odd. Anyways, as far as patterns and what the coloring looks like DRAWN? Still figuring that out !

As far as tail shape I think I like this last one the best? Kind of a nod to the Flame haori but not TOO much ya know? Kyo is very large and very long and I also am playing around with other fin placements! Like on his hips, down the sides of his tail, he has spines on his back, like, dorsal shit going on, but how far down does it go? Are the fins more flowy or sharp? RAHHH still figuring it out !

As far as hakuji goes, he looks like he would in Canon but he dyes his hair pink. This makes a very. Interesting (read: frustrating to look at) color pallete for his face. I know in my heart of hearts this guy does not give a fuck about dying his eyebrows. So he has pink hair (roots showing but I don't know how to convey that on his short hair) (he will re dye it soon, TRUST) and black eyebrows, plus the light eyelashes and those damn blue eyes 😭😭😭 he has three arm band tattoos but thats about it in terms of his Canon markings ? He also has several piercings. An eyebrow, tongue, and several in his ears!

This is all I have in terms of doodles, but TRUST !!! I WILL WORK ON IT MORE AND TRY TO FIGURE THIS SHIT OUT!!! Kaz is absolutely NO help 😒 just tells me "whatever you prefer or like the best !!" Smh.

#renkaza #kny akaza #kyojuro rengoku #renkaza siren au #hakuji looks so tired #because he IS so tired #he is on the edge bro like honestly he is not doing well post koyuki and keizo #rip to them and all #im sorry for such a long post omg.....

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Very cool original 1946 Art Moderne house in Enderby, British Columbia, Canada has 2bd 1ba and is listed for $709K.

Look at the curves in the walls- they're like scalloped. I wish it was staged better, b/c it could look fantastic.

I can't get enough of the curves in this architecture. Plus, it has the classic glass block.

Cute little counter/serving window. It would look so cute done in a retro vibe.

Loving the red cabinetry. The kitchen is made for retro decor.

Bedroom off the kitchen. Well, isn't this convenient for midnight snacks? Also has a great window seat.

Colorful sink in this bathroom.

This is a bedroom that they're using as an office.

Workroom down in the basement.

Look at the nice built-in storage.

There's a home office set up here, also.

Has a wonderful yard with a giant weeping willow tree, and gardens.

#art moderne home #art moderne architecture #old house dreams #houses #house tours #home tour

[ofnightshadeandthornyroses]

Of Those That are Sanguinary    Pt.1

Eager to shed blood; bloodthirsty.

The Lost boys x fem! reader

A night on the boardwalk is what you needed.

Endless hours and constant double shifts at the diner you worked was making you waste away. Your boss was okay enough but the clientele wasn't guaranteed and you're coworkers – to put it kindly – are mostly cunts.

The diner's closed down for a gas leak and now with a few days off you get to finally come down and get to enjoy the veiw the diner over looks up close and personal.

A veiw you have yet to even bare witness to since you moved here.

You didn't know where to go or what to do first. There were so many stores, stalls, rides, and shows. You just might be here your whole time off. One might compare you to a kid in a candy shop with the way you went around the shops and stalls, looking and trying things out. At one stall you found a metal bat broach with red gems for eyes. When trying to look at the others you just couldn't get that bat off your mind and got it. It looking good with your patch jacket was a plus. After checking some jewelry stands and acquiring some more accessories you head to one of the many food stands near the stage and grab ice cream. Going to the railing to hopefully enjoy your sweet bovine tweet with a show, you're suddenly stopped. Its one of the surf nazis that would would sometimes poke around the  diner.

"Well hello~, didn't know you could dress up so...nice." He says as his eyes rake over your mesh shirt over your bra with your patch jacket zipped only just under. You could practically feel slime from his gaze go over your shorts and fishnets and into your boots. You smiled sickeningly sweet at him, "and I didn't know you made such a great wall."

You go to move a round but he follows. You feel like something else is watching you. "Hey come on. Ditch the ice cream," he leans in and grabs his dick through his pants, " I have something else creamy for ya."

You smile again though this time now thoroughly pissed. "You know you're mighty pretty." you place your curved finger under his chin "I wonder, if I cut you open would your insides would reflect it?"

You bring out your switch blade and poke the case into his gut, thumb above the trigger.

His face screws up, suddenly perplexed. He starts backing up hands raised, but he's ruined your little state of bliss and now you're gonna fuck with him.

"Whoa baby I didn't mean anything. I was-"

"What's wrong baby I thought you wanted to play? Me thinks red might be your color."

"Crazy bit-" You press the trigger, your blade shooting out though not touching him due to the distance he's so conveniently created. It has the desired effect though as the sleez ball quickly walks away.

Now satisfied and in a better mood you practically skip to the railing and sit on it quick to lick the drippings of your now slightly melted ice cream.

You hear them before you see them. The sound of chains and laughter building off of eachother tunes you in and tunes you out of the show currently on stage. You try and ignore it, focus on the blaring music and head bangers, but the sound behind you kept pulling at your mind.

The sound of melodic laughing in different ranges blending together, chains clinking, and leather rubbing together created a sort of siren song that wouldn't get out of your head. You finally spare a glance behind you and see the four infamous bikers of the Santa Carla Boardwalk. Three were playing and pushing eachother around while the other would join with a chuckle and words, deciding instead to walk with a cool stride.

You don't know when your glance turned into a stare but at some point you locked eyes with baby blue. And now they're moving towards you. Oh to everything unholy they're moving towards you!

You're stuck in your spot looking at baby blues and they're about fifteen feet away when five groupies seemed to spawned and stalled them enough for you to get out of your trance like state and find an exit.

Down two sets of stairs left you leaning on a pillar under the boardwalk wondering what the hell just happened. Your heart feels like it's going to pump right out of your chest and your brain felt like it was filled with warm cotton. 

You needed to cool down, to clear your head. To think.

You hear yelling to the side of you. About forty feet away and walk towards it, eager to get your mind off of something other than baby blue.

The sight before you is one of the surf nazi from before and a child in a dated jacket.

"I didn't mean to, really!" The little boy was held in his grasp by the front of his jacket. The evidence of the argument on the front of the surfers denim jacket in the form of what appears to be smashed ice cream.

"That's still doesn't matter when we told you to stay off the board walk! You and those freaks you hang with!"

You had enough at this point. "Seriously? From creeping on women to picking on tots. Is there anything you can't do?"

You put a mocking tone to your voice and bat your eyes with a smirk.

"Oh God it's this crazy bitch again. Look this isn't your business."

"A big greasy pig picking on a kid is what I consider my business." "Excuse me cun-" You punch his throat while he was busy getting in your face. He finally let go of the kid as he fell.

"You good, kid?" As you help him up and he brushes of the sand. "Yeah. I'm Laddie, thank you." "YN, and don't thank me yet, you still need to get away." With that he leaves with a wave and runs off.

You hear the man cough and get up from where you left him.

"You fucking bitch, I'mma get you." You take out your switch blade and he throws a punch. You duck and get him between the ribs and pull while grabbing his throat and squeezing just hard enough. " You're so convenient, you know. I really needed a distraction." You stab again and again puncturing his lung.

Certain that he couldn't scream anymore, you took off your stainless clothes and you got on top and went to work slicing down the middle of his body.

You skin his chest in two equal parts as well as the skin as his thighs and take you excess safety pin from your jacket and pockets and arrange an cut pieces of skin in the vision of your current muse.

Before you go you pick up your knife one more time, reaching into the thigh.

— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —

Laddie ran about the boardwalk searching for the boys. It was a while ago he left the girl under the boardwalk and longer since he last saw them and him and his treat ran into a surf nazi. He finally saw them nearing their bikes looking like they took a quick wash in ocean and a flight telling by their damp hair. They must have fed already.

He tries to stop too late and crashes into Paul.

"Whoa little buddy! Where's the fire!" Marcos head pops out from behind him and they start leaning on eachother.  "Yeah and why weren't we invited!" Suddenly they all stop and take notice as breeze comes by along with the unmistakable smell of blood, in mass quantity.

"Where-" Paul starts but Laddie stops him, his mouth going a mile a minute. "Wait! There was a surf nazi I ran into with my ice cream and he threatened me under the boardwalk and then this girl, she came and punched him right in the neck! Her name was YN and now she there with him! I did smell some blood after I left so I don't know if-"  Dwayne cut him off with a hand an his head. "Okay bud, where did you say this happened?" "Under the boardwalk, that way, near the stage." Laddie points and David puts his cigarette out and says "What'd say boys? Wanna ride?"

A chorus of yeahs and woops followed as the boys got on their bikes and rode towards the smell of blood and Laddies directions.

#the lost boys #the lost boys x reader #the lost boys x you #reader kills but thats okay #serial killer reader #fiction #fanfic #fanfiction #i do not own these characters #except for the ones i make #horror fanfiction #cult classic #reader has their own patch jacket #ft. pauls baby blues #paul the lost boys #marco the lost boys #dwayne the lost boys #david the lost boys #poly lost boys x reader

[silent-dark-entries]

I left my panties at Malfoy manor.

When I woke up this morning, It was so hot that our skin felt fused together. With Draco being little spoon I was able to peel myself away from him without alarming him. I slowly made myself down the loft stairs to the bottom and search for my clothes in the darkness.

I decided to walk home before school so I can put on fresh clothes, so I got up before five. As I made myself down the driveway I notice that security had arrived. I prepare myself to make up an excuse but the gate opens without me saying anything.

Now, here I am on the side of the country road doing my very first walk of shame as the morning commuters swerve pass me. In my school girl outfit and my thirty kilo book bag. I'm starting to think I think of myself way higher than I should. This is a very humbling experience.

The sky is almost completely lit when I finally make it home. My mother has left but the mirrors are still fogged up in the bathroom so I'm assuming she has just left. She's always in a hurry to leave because she tries to get every second of sleep she can. I swipe my hand across the mirror clearing only enough to see myself for the first time since losing my virginity. I graze my hand over two purple marks Draco has left on my neck. They're faint, but still noticeable. I feel embarrassed. How am I suppose to explain this to my friends. I hop straight into the shower. Leaving my clothes and book bag by the hamper.

I get out only when the water starts to run cold. I head straight into my room trying not to look at my self in the mirror. After putting on a fresh uniform, I decide to put on some make up. Placing two red dots on the hickeys to make it look like a vampire bite and some dark eye make up.

I walk toward the science wing where the Botanist Club meets in the morning. I feel stupid with the amount of makeup I have on. Neville is the chairman and has been in it with Luna, his vice chairman, since first year.

I love walking in the science hall. It's covered in vines and colorful flowers. The floors also has the periodic table painted onto the floor by the art club from years ago.

When I look out the garden windows I see Neville leading the club back in from the green house. Luna sees me before I see her. They're both wearing their matching costumes. Neville has a pink flower on top of his head with a couple of white thorns made out of paper stuck to his school vest. Luna has a bunch of deep purple leaves stuck to her with a couple of whit flowers, along with the rest of the club that are dressed as flowers. Luna waves at me dreamily while walking towards me. After seeing Luna at Neville's party everything about her makes sense. Luna's not ditzy, she's a stoner. She's always high.

"Wow Maisie, you look fantastic!" Luna pulls me in for a hug. She smells like dirt, but not in a gross way, in the earthy way.

"So do you Luna! The whole plant squad looks adorable!" I say.

"Thank you! It was all Nev's idea of course!" Luna turns and waves at Neville and he waves back. The first bell rings and Luna and I head for class. "You're coming tonight, right? I hear Cormac was invited but Neville never got an answer."  I nod. Oh god. I forgot about the whole Hermione and Cormac secret. I completely judge Hermione for hooking up with her peer and I had done the same exact thing. 

"Hey, do you want to go to Blaise Zabini's Halloween party Saturday." I say as we turn down the History hall. It's not as decorated as the science wing but its covered in some historical documents and quotes. Nothing special.

"I was invited and it would be nice to have someone to talk to. Plus, they probably wouldn't mind you being there especially Theo." Luna rolls her eyes.

" I heard they do coke at those parties or at least, that's what Fred and George said. Pansy Parkinson did a line of space dust and stripped naked in Goyle's fountain...at a Christmas party." Luna recalls."So yes, I want to go. Who invited you anyway? Draco Malfoy?" Luna says softly as if saying his name will summon him.

"Yeah he did. The tutoring thing has brought us back as friends I guess." I say.

"Oh yes! I remember you two being close in like primary or something. How weird..." Luna says as the second bell rings. Luna and I split as we head to our separate classrooms.

My first class of the day is history with Professor Moody. He's a crazy guy but I'd easily say one of my favorites. He's a great teacher and the perfect teacher to wake me up early in the morning with his loud voice.

I sit close to Moody's desk in the front. We usually talk at the end of class or have small debates. I pull my books and pencils out as the rest of the class floods in, Including Moody.

"Almost didn't recognize you there Maisie!" Moody Laughs. "That Vampire bite almost looks real" I look down and my ears start to feel hot. Moody turns to the board and starts to scribble something on the board. I'm lucky to be a good listener because Moody's hand writing is exactly that, scribbles. I don't want to blame it on his eye patched eye but I always thought that was why.

More students fill the room, including Theo Nott who has his lacrosse stick hanging half way out of his bag. Theo scans the room before meeting at me. He walks towards me and sits down. It's not really unlike him to sit next to someone like me, so he can cheat off us. I won't allow it! If he'll just ask me for help I'll at least think about it...

"Here." Theo holds his hand out like there's something in it. I look up at him and he shakes his head. I hold my hand out and he drops a white origami bird in my hand with 'open me' written on it. I start to open the paper ripping it occasionally.

MEET ME IN THE FORBIDDEN CORRIDOR .

d.m.

I look up at Theo and he shrugs. I stand up and walk up to Moody.

"I...uh...need to go talk to Head Mistress Afults." I say. The bell rings and the last late students walks in. Moody nods and I walk out the class to the forbidden hall way.

It's not as scary as you think it is. It's just an abandoned hall way with empty class rooms. We were told it was forbidden first year but mostly because no prefects are available to watch it. I go to this hallway all the time to tell the truth. When the art classes do their yearly paint of the tree in the courtyard I come in and sit in one of the classrooms for the week.

When I reach the corridor I see Draco at the very end. As I get closer Draco, his costume becomes more apparent as he turns to me. A vampire. His long cloak flows behind him as he paces across the hall, and as he turns to face me. I feel his eyes wander over me. Draco lifts his eyebrows and smile.

"Maisie Waters, skipping class... never saw that coming." Draco teases. Draco holds his hands out for me to grab. I look down at his long fingers stretched out towards me. They're decorated with silver snake rings with emerald eyes. I look up at Draco's gleaming eyes. He's smiling at me and I can't help but to smile back. I grab Draco's hand firmly and step closer to him. "You left so soon this morning."

" I tried not to disturb you." I say quietly.

"You didn't disturb me, that's the problem. I want to be able to walk you out next time." Draco says sternly. Next time? "And maybe next time I can help you find your panties." Draco reaches under his cape and pulls out my pink Monday knickers. I feel my face turn hot. I reach for them but Draco snatches them from my arms length. "Oh no Mai, they're mine now."

"Oh god, Dray." I mumble. Silence falls on Draco and I. "Draco why did you call me out of class..."

"Just wanted to make sure you're okay..." Draco trails off. "And to make sure we were on the same page about what this is...."

"This? You mean you want to keep it a secret." I hiss. Draco says nothing. I let go of his hand letting it swing to his side. "I wasn't going to tell anyone. You arsehole."

Draco crosses his arms in front of himself and looks at the ground. "I'm not trying to offend you Mai-"

"-Well you did." I say backing away from Draco. I throw my hands up and let them hit my sides as I walk away from Draco. What a dumbass, and I'm not even talking about Draco.

#draco malfoy smut #hp fandom #hogwarts #draco malfoy #draco lucius malfoy #slytherin #draco fanfiction #draco smut #draco x reader #draco

[adobe-outdesign]

Thoughts on the Finneon line, including the beta Lumineon design vs. the one we got?

Finneon is kind of a butterflyfish, in the sense that its fins are literally shaped like butterfly wings, but it's also kind of a tetra and kind of a betta fish all at the same time. I do like it from a graphic design standpoint—there's something pleasing about the solid black top with a pink stripe that runs down the length of the torso, complimented by spots on its tail fin, and then blue underneath.

However, it's not really much to look at from a conceptual standpoint. It's a pretty fish, but there's nothing really going on with it beyond that. This wouldn't be inherently a problem if it worked really well as a stepping stone for the evo to flesh out a theme from, but as we'll see in a moment there's not a ton going on there either.

Lumineon takes the small wing-like fins on Finneon's tail and fleshes them out so they're much bigger and more complex, which I like. Honestly, if more emphasis were placed on the wings, they could've been the theme in and of themselves—imagine it being water/bug, water/flying, or water/fairy.

Instead, Lumineon goes in a different direction by being a bioluminescent deep-sea fish that walks on the bottom of the ocean. That's a great premise, and I think it really could've worked well as a theme.

However, the issue is that nothing in the design conveys luminescence at all. It retains the blues and pinks from Finneon, which are still nice, but not nearly bright enough to get across a glowing effect. You do see this effect on occasion, like on its SV 'dex plate, but it really needed to be a permanent effect to get the point across.

Also, when I think bioluminescent fish with a strong emphasis on color and light, I'm thinking like, mostly black body with just a few select highlights of a very bright, almost neon color, to really make everything pop. Lumineon has a bit too much blue on it, with the proportions of the two colors being almost an even 50/50 split. Maybe if the body was black and there was a singular blue band going where the eye is or something. Like, there's nothing all that wrong with the design we got—it's just not terribly memorable in the long run.

We can see from the beta design that Lumineon was originally closer to what I suggested, mostly dark with a few pops of color. I do like the effect this has, especially with the nice scalloped shape to the wings that I think gets a bit lost with Lumineon's rough edges. The extra bit of pink in there are also a nice touch. And while I'm not big on the red, it is nice that the markings around the eye play off of Finneon's.

However, this design has an incredibly awkward body shape, with small wings and a shapeless tail. Plus it still feels like something is missing color-wise, like it needed a ring on its tail or something for one final pop of color. I feel like if we could get the final Lumineon's design but with the beta's colors, we'd have the ideal Pokemon.

Also, as a side note, this line could be a good pick for an evolution or mega form in the future. It's only two stages, and it definitely feels like there's room for expansion still.

Anyway, overall, these guys are decent but they don't manage to deliver on their themes as well as they could have, resulting in a couple of pretty but fairly underwhelming fish.

#finneon #lumineon #pokemon #pokemon reviews