#they just have to go ruining perfectly good color schemes

[knittingempress]

Here I was. Planning a crochet sweater. It’ll be stripes so I was trying to think of colors. I decided on the sequence: light gray, dark gray, black, blue, black, dark gray, light gray, with a thin stripe of white in between each of them and as the ribbing. I ordered the yarn and was very happy with my decision.

Until this afternoon that my brain suddenly realized that with the accent blue I chose…it’ll look exactly like a blue lives matter flag. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Now what? Do I use another shade of blue? Do I do another color? Do I edit the pattern? Do I choose another neutral to be the contrast? Do I substitute it with white so the accent is white even though it’ll also be on the ribbing and in between the other stripes?

I don’t technically have to decide this second…but I was so excited! Maybe it’s a good thing though that I noticed before I got to that stripe.

#all cops are bastards #they just have to go ruining perfectly good color schemes #now what? #do I just pick a different shade of blue? #I’ll never be able to un-see it #crochet #yarn #crochetblr #knitblr #defund the cops

[lya-dustin]

All is bliss

Chapter 5

Cw:mentions of medicinal drug use, sex, infidelity 🔞

Taglist: @mercedesdecorazon @aemondx @darylandbethfanforever9

Gif by @c4r170

“No.”

It was a trap, it had to be.

“I need an heir; you need to fuck someone who isn’t the Master of Laws’ third wife.” His brother reasoned as if it were some chores they were exchanging.

Like Aegon trading his best wine for just some of the opium Aemond smokes for the pain of his eye.

“I would be siring bastards unto your wife, Aegon.” Aemond continues saying no.

“No one would be able to tell, which is why it is such brilliant idea, little brother.” Aegon reasoned. “Can’t risk the babe coming out the wrong color. Unlike our whore of a sister, there is no room for failure.”

“Why not one of her Velaryon cousins? Daeron looks like her enough to remove most doubts.” Aemond suggests even if the idea of anyone fucking Aemma is enough to make him lose his temper.

“No, Daeron is too besotted with Hel and would tell his father who would tell Corlys who’d tell Rhaenyra. It must be you.” Aegon dismissed his suggestion with a wave of his hand.

“Aegon---” he begins but stops thinking it better. “I would need time to woo her, I doubt she would be agreeable to this idea of yours.”

“Fine, just don’t bore her to death.” He said as if this were nothing.

“I’ve never seen you without it.” Aemma does not shrink away when she sees him without the eyepatch.

It intrigues her in fact.

“May I?” she asks as her cool fingers come just close enough to touch the scar.

Aemond only nods and does his best not to move away as her skin makes contact with the scars left after that dreadful night at Driftmark.

There is an easy intimacy with him. Something she cannot seem to do with her husband and yet comes as easily to them as breathing.

Aemma is careful, leaning forward as her fingertips lightly graze on the tight and ruined skin starting on his forehead and ending just over the cheek.

Her mouth is parted, no sound is there beside the fire in the hearth and their breaths mingling in this completely natural closeness they always seemed to have.

This time she is not drunk, and she wants to kiss him.

To kiss those lips that are parted just as her are, to taste the wine they drank together on his tongue, to know the taste of this most forbidden of fruits.

A shame he could not be the man she married.

“May I?” His voice is low and sends a delicious shiver through her she had not felt in ages.

She nods and let him kiss her knowing there won’t be no going back from this.

And its good, better than those perfectly false ones with Aegon that make her feel like a cheap whore.

Better than her first kiss with Addam of Hull who she had hoped would take her away from everything so she wouldn’t marry Aegon.

She pulls away the moment it starts to feel so good she wonders what other talents the man sitting on the window seat with her has.

His eye is wide with desire, and she knows hers look the same.

It had been a long and deep kiss that made her forget she was married to his own fucking brother and that the moment anyone knows about this they are fucking dead.

“We shouldn’t have done this.” She says, yet she doesn’t move away from him.

“You are too good for him, you know that, Aemee.” He says, his damnably kissable lip twitched slightly in a sort of smile.

“I couldn’t live with myself if you were hurt because of me.” She admits wishing she had the courage her mother had in spades.

“I will let you in on a little secret, my pearl, my mother is the biggest hypocrite that has ever lived.” Aemond says with a wicked smirk.

He hates himself.

She will learn he was told to seduce her to further their gains one day and that day everything will come crashing and burning around him.

Aegon had not said mother was the architect of his scheme, but he knew shit must be dire if they were going that far.

Father’s health was waning, Rhaenyra was on her seventh pregnancy and with Aegon left infertile by some whore, mother needed a perfect little prince that no one would ever suspect not being his father’s child.

And because they know the child would be a bastard, Aemma would do anything to keep it a secret.

She’d kill him if it meant the babe would be safe, just as her mother chose her children over her brother when he lost his eye from that fight after he claimed Vhagar.

Mother was a good woman, but she too had been corrupted by the power she gained from his father.

And while Aemond would not have minded their orders, he needs Aemma to want a child with him instead of stealing this luxury she treasures more than gold and jewels.

So, he doesn’t spill inside her when that kiss in the library turns to making love on that settee, and the rug they used to play in as children and on the bookshelves with books more valuable than anything else here.

Calling it a fuck made it feel too impersonal. He had not felt this vulnerable nor done it with his partner’s pleasure in mind ever, he thinks.

Hells, he doesn’t even take off the eye patch when meeting with Lady Wylde or the barren handmaids in his household his mother put in there for their personal use.

“I wish it had been you.” She said with such melancholy in her eyes as he rested his head against hers wishing it didn’t have to end with her going back to his brother.

“It could be.” Aemond kissed her again, it was as addicting as opium, better tasting too. “He won’t care if we are lovers. He doesn't deserve you anyways and after what happened in Harrenhal, Aegon has lost any right to deny you your happiness, Aemma.”

He hates himself, and yet he cannot stop himself from hoping she’d say yes.

“Expect a grandson soon, lady mother.” Aegon says when they meet for something or the other the next day.

Aemma looks guilty and yet looks even more radiant than usual and Aemond has a bounce in his step and even laughs like he didn’t have a stick so far up his arse his hair had turned straight.

Mother does not know, and the identity will remain a mystery like all the great magic tricks in the world.

“She agreed?” the queen asks, looking at Aemma with disapproval.

“Oh, no. The guilt of committing adultery is overwhelming her and believes I am not aware. Aemma would rather die childless than agree to such a thing.” Aegon answered with a dismissive wave.

Aemma would tell him, when she cannot hide her pregnancy, Aegon will be benevolent, accept to claim the boy as his and have her believe she is so lucky to have such a forgiving husband.

Besides, no one would tell the little bastard is Aemond’s and the moment she falls pregnant it will come to an end and Aemond be wed to one of the Four Storms.

Aemma will love Aegon for accepting their son and all will be bliss between them.

#aemond targaryen x velaryon!oc #aegon ii x oc x aemond #aemma velaryon #hotd fanfic #all is bliss fic #aemond x rhaenyra and laenor's! daughter #aemond x oc #aegon ii x oc #aegon ii targaryen #aemond targaryen #ewan mitchell #tom glynn carney

[rroaddkill]

Rant? I guess?? Not really, just rambling.

Something that makes the chucky subreddit mad is when I say Child's Play 2 isn't my favorite and it's rly low in my ranking, now thats not to say that I didn't like it but there are parts that I do! I just don't like how..colorful it is? And I really really hate how fast the franchise goes straight into action so fast, (this EXCLUDES the first two films)

Child's Play 2 is really bright and colorful for a horror movie, and I get it. It's supposed to be morute in a childlike sense, but I like the more gothic elements in chucky movies. Like c1, bride and curse.

Cult of chucky has got to be my very least favorite (except for the last 8 minutes of the film with nicachucky and tiffany), it's so bright and blinding. The constant white color and bright lighting of the mental hospital is almost overwhelming.

Chucky season 1 was okay-ish with maintaining darker colors and dark/timid color coded themes. Chucky season 3 definitely does the gothic-ish theme well too.

Now onto my (mostly, there are some gripes here) positive rambling

Curse of chucky is the BEST for the muted color / dark lighting theme that the Child's Play aura has, and what I mean by aura is (in my opinion) chucky films just don't necessarily feel so beamy and bright, like it almost ruins the dark and nightmarish vibe it should have. Curse of chucky however has the muted/timid colors, it's a slight gorefest (compared to other movies like terrifier for example. Hence why I said slight) and it has the gothic element especially in the house it takes place in. Only issue is that it goes straight into action in less than 10 minutes of the film.

Child's Play 1 also did well with muted colors, the night-time in late 80s chicago (mostly beautiful in this film omg especially with the subtle colorful lights in the streets) and the almost eerie silences throughout the film, and the raw aggression that chucky's character had at the time too. I almost feel like he's nicer as of late, and like yessss emotional maturity you go girl, I wish the films and the tv series would've stuck with chucky being as vicious as he was in the first 3 films, and ALSO not being so open about being alive like in c1, c2 really killed that not even a trilogy in.

Chucky season 2 was AMAZING with my preferred color scheme, not too bright but not TOO dark. I know it offended some Christians but as a devoted Christian, I loved it. No offense taken as I personally don't believe any was delivered either, my only gripes with season 2 are nica's outfits and glenda's outfits..dude..the neon colors gotta go. Glen's fashion was nice though! I liked theirs. Some of Glenda's outfits are faves of mine, especially the ribbed black crop top, and the black jeans with the red straps(?). Onto Nica's outfits, I know that was all Tiffany, however the dresses were so ugly 😭 Nica's own choice of outfits when she left with Glenda and Kyle were sooo much better. Along with her looks in season 3. My only other gripe with season 2 is G.G..ew. hair is too vibrantly dyed red, and the hairstyle doesn't even remotely suit the doll. Not only that but the denim/patterned pin jacket is gross. The rest of their outfit is nice though, it'd be better if the black dress was paired with a leather jacket AND add the pins to that instead because the pins weren't exactly ugly. G.G's makeup isn't terrible but again, doesn't fit the doll.

Bride of chucky, oh where do I even start. This movie always gives me a wave of nostalgia everytime I see it because it was my first chucky movie. And I LOVEEEE the gothic theme all throughout the movie, the usage of blue/purple/red/gold PERFECTLY and those colors don't even really go together! But I gotta say, the set nailed it. The outfitting nailed it. Ronny Yu NAILED directing this!! I love how it toned down chucky's color palette too from the bright childlike colors to fit a gothic film lighting, I also like stitched chucky better than the good guy doll, it's eerie and fits him better. I adore how tiffany made a wedding dress and leather jacket pair work too, her whole makeover and outfit worked so well and it's an iconic scene too! I love love love how this film doesn't stray away from its dark lighting and muted colors either. I wish it was more serious tho, that's my only real gripe with it. And boy I really wish the baby glen scene was extended, at least up until psyches found them in the cemetery because canonically it wasn't that long after Glen killed Detective Preston (I think that was his name). All that aside I love the colors, the outfits and the soundtrack.

Seed of chucky is definitely my all time favorite out of all 7, bride is a close second. I just wish the darker tones made up in most of the movie stayed throughout more of it. I love love LOVE glen's outfit and color scheme! Timid purple works with him so well. Glenda's imitation of Tiffany's look was also adorable...and apologies but, seed Glenda's makeup was a lot better than syfy G.G's. Now Glen and Glenda are my all time favorites (as evident to anyone who's ever met me or seen my account lol) i wish Chucky would've stayed alive and lived with Tiffany and the twins. Finally I wish that as human kids at the very end of seed, there were more scenes with them, especially with Glenda, including the scene where Fulvia gets killed by Tiffany.

I don't know what this ramble really was about or if it makes sense. It probably doesn't. Just a cluster-bunch of my opinions all slammed into one post. I guess the TLDR is

bright colors bad, gothic themes good.

Also child's play 3 isn't included because i hate it.

#salem is thinking #idk if this is a franchise ranking or just me rambling about my bright color and bright light sensitivity #chucky #childs play #rant #ramble #salem is yapping

[tomyo]

Maka Supplementals

Hey welcome to my "Maka Supplementals" post aka when you become so obsessed with an anime character, you start to treat any other character that looks like them as that character. I've been in this fandom and ancient amount of time and for some reason, I'll just notice a very Maka like quality in them.

Neiro from Kaiba

I'm probably ruining myself by starting with the best. Kaiba (2008) is really a series you can easily project not just Maka AND Soul but the rest main cast onto. I stg I thought Bstar and Popo had the same VA (they definitely have the same god complex). Naturally the pigtails and droopy eyes were a huge connector and the orange/green color scheme is frequently used to represent our fav duo. As for the story, it's mostly around Kaiba and Neiro being just out of reach of each other and a new technology that allows people to store and transfer memories to new bodies. Neiro also makes a good Kaiba type as a stern person in the present but soft and kind in the past/later on. She also has family trauma which may be a theme. On its own it's a masterpiece but I actually made my first SE friend in part due to us both separately coming into SExKaiba au art.

Mikan from Gakuen Alice

I only ever read the series but I figured anime art would pop more. Mikan, the mc, our classic lightish hair color in pigtails and you could possibly call her eyes droopy shaped. Tbh I can hardly remember this series since it's been 11+ years since I last read it but I do remember Mikan having mother issues. If I remember right it's a magic academy shoujo and I probably wouldn't have included it but I wanted to show off that cute angel outfit she's wearing.

Shizuku from Tonari no Kaibutsu

When I watched this series in 2014, this was the first time I said "Oh, this character is just Maka" and thus this list was born. Did you ever want to experience Maka in a Shoujo where her love interest looks like DtK but acts like Bstar? Here you are, the most frustrating romance ever. Shizuku Mizutani is a pretty perfect Maka type, she's quiet, serious, extremely studious, and constantly annoyed by everyone else's shenanigans. One day she's sent to deliver socially maladjusted Haru Yoshida his homework and naturally a classic nightmare romance starts. I'm not kidding when I say every episode one of the two confesses to the other who then turns them down. Honestly, that's the plot. The first confession is right at the end of episode one and it doesn't stop. Can't lie though, I love high school tropes and aesthetics so it's a fun way to reimagine the crew's life going.

Kirin from Gakuen Babysitters

Absolute baby. If you want to imagine was toddler Maka was like then Kirin is pretty good for that. She's not really a main focus of the story but Gakuen Babysitters is still surprisingly good. Kirin really feels like the tiny Maka we saw in Chrona's soul, very outgoing and friendly to those who aren't as confident. She often fights with a Black Star like nursery mate and has an aggressively doting dad that aligns perfectly with Spirit. One small story arc with her is wanting to be a witch. Not really a lot of anything but a cute detail to point out.

Marnie from Pokemon

She has pigtails and 2011 me drew Maka in the exact same outfit. Ngl, this is a real head empty one but I'm still not over that happening.

Nino from Fukumenki Noise

Sorry this is actually just another kind of annoying shoujo. Outside of the hair, Nino is pretty much nothing like Maka. Unlike most series where the story is a string of misunderstandings, Nino's naivety is often a major problem where she cheerily sings over listening to her best friend/crush's home problems and doesn't reflect on the ways her actions could be affecting others. So why is she on here? The music segments. There's this raw and unpolished nature to the singing that really just brings something special to it. Honestly just watch the singing proportions, ignore the bad cgi (in 2017 no less) and pretend its Maka "I don't get music" Albarn singing it.

Sana from Kodomo no Omocha

Probably the only series I've watched before Soul Eater on this list. I recently rewatched and kept feeling weird about the Maka vibes I was getting off of it. Sana does start the series pretty annoyed her schooling is being interrupted and her middle school uniform looks like the Sparoi uniform but her more core characteristics is being a child star and is extremely hyperactive because of it. So what was it? She's voiced by Laura Bailey. It's very interesting to hear her distinctive wobble in Sana's voice. Of course that isn't all, Sana has family issues and her genki personality is related to people pleasing so it's interesting to see when that facade drops. While the manga leaves a stronger impression, the end of 17- start of 18 has a few particularly beautifully scenes of animation.

Also something I want to point out is Sana's amazing wardrobe. Despite being 90s, the bright colors work great for Y2K looks that feel right for Mala's style sense. I wish I could use more than 10 photos to show them off. The anime uses a lot of long sleeves and skirts and the manga has some more trendy fashions like the fur trim cardigans that are popular right now so I'd look there for some outfit Y2K revival references.

#draft post #draft posting #soul eater #maka albarn

[creativia10]

Punk with Lavender

Summary: Roman is ready to spend Halloween with his usual group of friends. He finds himself more surprised by their costumes than he expected to be.

Relationships: romantic Prinxiety, platonic brotherly Creativitwins, background romantic Dukeceit, romantic Logicality

Wordcount: 1010

Warnings: some mockery (but it's light-hearted teasing among friends)

Notes: Tuliptober Prompt 30-Oneshots

Part of one-shots. Will have more than one.

Set for Halloween

@transexualfoxprince

Based on @tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors Pastel/Punk verse

Roman smoothed out his costume and looked himself over in the mirror. He smiled. He thought he cleaned up rather well and made for a great dark prince if he did say so himself. The style looked like that of a typical fairytale prince costume. Except the color scheme was black and red. It fit him better anyways.

There was a knock on his door.

“Is his highness ready to come out yet?”

Roman snickered at Virgil’s unintentional irony.

“It’s funny you say that.”

Roman opened his apartment door only for his jaw to drop when he saw Virgil.

Virgil smirked. Virgil made fists and posed.

“Oo, look at me. I’m punk Roman. Totally a tough guy.”

Virgil was dressed like a punk. He was all in black. Roman didn’t think he’d ever seen Virgil lacking so much color. And he was wearing Roman’s jacket, a clothing item Roman let him borrow more on purpose now. He wore a mini skirt over fishnet stockings unlike Roman’s usual leather pants though. Still with boots though, just a bit more angular. The only thing that matched Virgil’s usual aesthetic, was his lavender-colored hair.

Virgil was still preening at Roman’s reaction. Roman blinked a few times.

“You don’t look completely like me,” Roman said. Virgil rolled his eyes and gestured with his head. They started walking out.

“Yeah, I thought it would be more fun this way.”

He shyly looked up at Roman.

“And uh, you look good too. Even if you couldn’t get a good roast in from your costume.”

Roman let out a little huff and put his arm around Virgil.

“I was perfectly fine with just looking good. Especially for you,” Roman said with a wink. Virgil shook his head.

“Idiot. You don’t have to do it for me.”

Virgil grumbled but leaned into Roman anyways. Roman hmmed.

-

The poetry café has been their group’s meeting spot anyways. The cafe didn’t officially have a Halloween event going on. But, it had become an unofficial tradition to dress up and hang out there around the spooky day anyways.

Apparently this year, Roman was not in on a group coordination effort though.

Remus was also dressed like a punk, but with neon green to replace Roman’s typical reds. He too smirked at Roman.

“Hey Ro, do I rock leather better than you? I bet I look so tough. Oo all this black totally means I’m extra and special.”

Roman rolled his eyes. “I think your neon exterior ruins your point.”

Janus hmmed.  His style was closer to Virgil’s current one. Janus wore a dark purple but with a leather skirt, and spiked heels.

“It is fun to see who could be intimidated by this though,” Janus added. Remus cackled and nodded in his agreement.

“Why did you all find it necessary to mock my style tonight?” Roman asked.

“Not everyone,” Logan said.

Roman looked over. Patton giggled. He was wearing a pastel blue sundress, the only one in pastel this time for some reason, which was an odd sight. He also had on blue converse. Patton’s hair was still dyed turquoise though, and his piercings were still in. Patton grabbed the ends of his skirt and spun around with a giggle.

“Oh, I love dressing so differently today! I feel like I look so cute! No wonder you all love to dress like this.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say cute is the correct descriptor for them usually,” Logan said. Indeed, the usual pastel wearers, Janus, Remus, and Virgil seemed offended.

“But uh,” Logan coughed, “You certainly do.”

Roman cooed at them with a smirk, getting a glare from Logan at his efforts. Remus mimed barfing in the background. Logan was the only other one who didn’t seem to be a part of this style-swapping scheme though. He was dressed as…a teacher maybe? Logan dressed like a professional, including a tie.

Janus gestured to the style swappers. “First it was just Virgil who wanted to, he thought roasting his new boyfriend was a good time. Something I can appreciate. Then Remus wanted to join as well. I thought the style sounded fun so I joined of my own volition. Patton didn’t seem to realize the intention was mockery and just wanted to have fun.”

Patton gaped at them.

“Of course, I’m not making fun of you! If anything, I’m honoring your look.”

Logan adjusted his glasses. “Yes, I did not understand it myself. But, it is apparently in good fun.”

“Speaking of, why did you choose to dress in that?” Remus asked. Logan huffed.

“It is different than my usual getup.”

“Yeah, but why a teacher?”

“It was different enough. I didn’t want to put too much effort into this when it is merely for going to our usual venue. I’m not exactly the costume type. Be grateful I dressed up for Halloween at all.”

 Patton cooed at him and linked arms.

“Well, I think it still looks good honey. I can see you being smart enough to be a teacher.”

Logan blushed a bit, “Thank you, dear.”

Janus and Remus made disgusted faces again.

Roman looked back to Virgil. “You’re the only one who went far enough as to change your physical appearance for this though, I noticed.”

“Ah, yeah.” Virgil brushed some of his now lavender hair back behind an ear and looked away.

“I thought it worked with yall’s typical punk aesthetic. Plus, I had kind of been considering getting it colored like this anyways. What do you think?”

Roman smiled at Virgil. He gently tangled some of his fingers into the lavender hair as he brushed it out of Virgil’s eyes.

“I think it really suits you.”

Virgil smiled and shyly looked up at him again.

“Yeah?”

Roman nodded, “Of course.”

Roman leaned in for a kiss.

“Alright lovebirds, let’s get going before yall start falling into tunnel vision again.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, but the two of them turned to join the rest of the group to head to their favorite venue. It should be a good Halloween.

#Tuliptober2022 #ts roman #ts virgil #prinxiety #sanders sides #ts remus #ts janus #ts patton #ts logan

[pikahlua]

Okay so...Dabi's Dance, the episode was spectacular, easily in the top three best episodes this season, hell it might even be No.1 and the voice acting really sold it, I could listen to Dabi talk for hours, the emotion and the build-up and how he just couldn't help himself and just had to start dancing from how excited he was, it was great. The animation followed that energy well too, really dynamic and I vaguely started thinking of JJK when I saw it.

I think my only complaint is that they cut out the 2nd shot of Twice reaching out and the dialogue over it, "I still gotta protect their happiness!" You can't have Skeptic asking Dabi to bow down to his editing skills, all "perfectly spliced" and not show what he was editing, because it sure wasn't "just the mere existence of the video" but the contents of the video. There's no flashback to Dabi holding something in his hand telling Hawks he should've been keeping both eyes on him when he says, "your cameras caught such good footage!" That tells us the cameras weren't just part of the room or Hawks' feathers, but something Dabi carried with him.

Because we saw all the footage go out when the war started and Hawks slice them off his wings. I don't know if anime-onlys will remember that. Or the fact that Twice's line there? Took place at a different moment than the "hand-reaching out" scene. Skeptic placed it over there because it made Twice seem more vulnerable. The audience doesn't even know that Dabi was encouraging Twice to "go wild" and "make quick work of those heroes out there, just you alone is enough" because even though that IS spoken at this time, it's cut out. And so is Dabi himself from the frame, they don't know Twice is reaching out for a high-five, it just looks like he's pleading for help and desperate to escape. Technically true, but there's more going on here. And Dabi uses that to color his hero-hating propaganda. He wasn't so fully honest about doing his best to protect Twice. Sure, he wanted Twice to get out alive, but he waited to record that line anyways? He waited outside since the start of the battle to throw back the line of "looks like sympathy tripped you up after all!" He had two agendas. Dirty Hawks' name on purpose and secure the damage Twice's quirk could do. Idk if any of this will be noticeable at first glance. He reallyyyy wanted his broadcast to have a certain vibe, this isn't a simple call-out for "justice." Even his manner of speaking is more subdued and polite, sad and hurting, like he's a concerned whistle-blower for society, while live-time Dabi is gleeful and saying things a little different from the video.

Dabi's Dance is brilliant because it re-contextualizes everything we know about him. The silent, rough-spoken, loner of the League being this clever, energetic guy is one hell of a reveal. Part of that re-contextualization is breaking down everything we assumed about him from previous arcs. He hates Endeavor and wants him dead? Yes, but also no. It's a mix of hate, love, and grief and he was worried about him actually dying in Kyushu. He's been scheming in the background all along, with Ending and StarServant, and dragging Skeptic everywhere as his new best friend. He tells Endeavor that "not everyone has to be pure and selfless, just you" even though he tries to call out heroes as a whole, acting like he wants everyone to "think more critically" and hold them all accountable, when really he's only had eyes for Endeavor.

It's just better to drag them all down, because as AFO said, he'll burn down the whole world for his grudges, and this way makes more of an impact, it puts all the blame on Endeavor, doing it now with the war. If people distrust all heroes, then they'll never give Endeavor the slightest chance. Because he's a "hero" they're all bad, he goes so far as to drag in Hawks because "he's someone Endeavor keeps in company" bad people hang out with other bad people, so might as well ruin the whole profession yeah? All cause Endeavor is a hero, they're all with him by association, and it's what little Touya was asking Natsuo. If Endeavor is like this, do all heroes do that? But does he REALLY believe that heroes "only protect themselves" when he claims that "heroes must always be ready to save a life" betting that Hawks would save Twice from his flames. (And I'm so baffled by this when he believed Hawks was genuinely capable of killing, he killed Jeanist after all, the autopsy proved it.)

Hardly matters, Toga saw the video, and she believed his every word. It's quite reminiscent to what she tells Ochako, that heroes think only themselves and the people they protect are considered "real people" they wouldn't protect anyone else. This is unrelated, but Dabi says "this is my present to you Endeavor" when he talks about digging up info on Hawks and I was hit by a flashback of him also referring to Shouto as a "present" in recent chapters when he thinks about if he has time to bring his corpse to Endeavor with his failing body. Thinking about this and his "come to see your pals get cremated?!" when the 2nd war starts, and I'm just a whee bit suspicious that someone really was honest when he tells Toga giving her Twice's blood was just a way to get back at Endeavor.

Whoever she hurts, the damage she does, everything in this 2nd war that's meant to be a much worse version of the 1st war with everything that didn't happen, happening, because "I guess I didn't bully them hard enough" it worked halfway, but now the villains will really make themselves a clean victory. No short-comings. What tentative trust was gained by the heroes will shatter by them again, completely. Dabi is such a good villain, I want people to see that. He's so sneaky, knowing how to bide his time and how to utilize his resources. He's more of an active villain than Shigaraki and that makes him fun. He's got a brain and full awareness of his actions, I love and hate his constantly changing words. Saying that "my fire that killed over 30 innocents is indeed Endeavor's fire" "look at that Endeavor, another one burnt up by your flames!' before going "haha way to state the obvious! stay out of this, this is a family affair!" when Deku says "you aren't Endeavor!" when the whole world gets dragged into this "family affair" as per Jeanist's words. He's just SO AWARE and having a blast controlling the narrative, and I just like and enjoy that more than a villain being possessed by AFO who can no longer think for themselves, who never really got to even in his own planning. I hope people watching the newer episodes see this because he didn't just spontaneously decide to be like this, he's serious when he says he planned and thought about it for years. It's easy to hear the words, it's something else to think back on his every scene and see, why when and how.

How did you fit this many words into a single ask?

#my hero academia manga spoilers #final showdown spoilers #ask pika #anon ask #dabi #go off anon lol

[myymi]

dumb things i paid attention to in s1 ep17 “eggman the auteur” instead of the actual plot

tails enjoys throwing sonic right into danger, literally

apparently ruining his schemes of taking over the world is fine, but sonic destroying a bot too early in his movie that he could easily rebuild if he really wanted to?? unacceptable

i’m pretty sure this is one of the only times tails (taking after his big bro) actually calls eggman “egghead” (i could def be wrong, but i dont remember him saying it much) 

one of the few times dave actually cared about his food (says lunch is gonna be late because it burned?? since when did you care if food was edible)

amy literally fights eggman at least once a week and was still not expecting the movie he was filming to have dangerous scenes (case in point, she only decides to ask for a stunt man after they come across the first dangerous scene) 

we can of course take knuckles saying he has a knuckles costume as it just being himself, but what if he has an actual knuckles costume?? idk i think it’s kinda funny

eggman’s so desperate for praise he literally built bots to agree with him (though, the yesbots are adorable so im ok with it)

you see sonic’s angry stomps when he goes to tails’ workshop??? and how tails apparently knows how to write a good script??? theater boys, both of them

also i love how chill tails is with sonic storming in just to vent, he’s the best 

sonic just carries a pen around i guess??

tails can write really fucking fast 

according to eggman, sonic doesnt know the things he would say (“sonic would never say that!” bro he literally wrote it wdym)

“i hate that hedgehog” there’s two, so you’re just completely ok with the other one? (eh, tbf eggman does seem to favor amy over everyone else)

for some reason all of the villagers are perfectly ok with going to eggman’s lair just because there’s going to be a movie (ik yall arent the brightest but cmon now)

eggman had blonde hair but his mustache is brown?? dude pick a color (also, does that mean it’s canon now that eggman has “blonde-moments”?)

everyone thinks eggman’s lifelong dream to build a theme park is hilarious apparently

eggman sees the fucking shrew thing (i forgot his actual name, yknow the bot that kept saying “radical speed”) as something that’s important enough to have its own statue alongside his own (theyre literally holding hands)

#sonic boom #sonic the hedgehog #tails the fox #miles tails prower #amy rose #eggman #dr eggman #ivo robotnik #doctor eggman #knuckles the echidna #dave the intern

[falsecryptic]

03/10/22 - Cookie

A Ethubs fic set in Season 9 before Etho moves out of Bdubs' monolith.

Day three of Hermittober!

___________________________________________

A small stream of smoke rose from the set of candles sitting on the ground, wax still dripping slowly down the side. Where a wall was just moments ago was now an opening. A narrow staircase spiraled down, barely lit. The dank passage was a sharp contrast from the bright and pleasant monolith.

Pulling his mossy cloak tighter around him, Bdubs quickly decended. His footsteps, the sound of damp gravel and dirt rubbing against the sole of his shoe and the stone steps, echoed slightly. The sound of his racing heart and his fast breathing accompanied it.

He tried to focus on the sound but his mind kept drifting. Drifting back to the last few weeks. The last few years. The last few decades. Always with the same person.

Going down further and further, he eventually found himself in a much more open passage. The stairs now dropped down into deep pits on either side. Skeletons and other hostile mobs lined the ledges in the walls. The path before him would have been dangerous if he wasn't careful. Yet his pace never wavered. Each stair and every stone, was familiar to him and he paid no attention to them anymore. He knew through muscle memory alone every step.

Thoughts raced through Bdubs' head. He stoped trying to suppress them at some point although he didn't quite remember when.

Is this even a good idea? What if he thinks this is weird? What if he sees right through me and rejects me? Will that ruin our entire relationship? But there's been so many signs from him, I'm sure he feels something for me too. Well, I'm not sure but still there's a big enough chance, I have to go for it.

Bdubs finally reached the room. He stepped on a pressure plate in front of the table and yet another hidden passage opened in the wall. Once again the change was dramatic, however this time Bdubs was caught off guard.

The room that had been nothing more than stone and some logs had been transformed. The entrance was on a level of its own, 4 blocks higher and overlooking the rest of the room with a railing just in front and a small staircase down to the left. Brown seemed to be the main color scheme, with green plants helping to tie the space together. A fire had been lit in the brick fireplace filling the room with warmth and a very cozy feeling. Within a second, Bdubs' eyes fell on the grey haired man sitting in front of the fire with his back to the door.

"Etho, you're crazy! This place isn't even recognizable."

Realizing who had just entered, Etho completely ignored what had just been said to him.

"Bdubs did you lock me down here again?"

His voice raised slightly in mock offense, a tone Bdubs had heard many times before. But when he heard it this time he could suddenly feel his stomach doing somersaults. He cleared his throat.

"I have my reasons."

"Oh I'm sure you do. Was this some sort of quest from the King or something? If you're getting diamonds from this I'm expecting at least half of em for the inconvenience."

"No no, nothing like that. I'm here on my own behalf, not as the kings right hand."

He beamed with pride at that last remark. The kings right hand. A title he was happy to boast whenever the opportunity arose.

"Aren't you the king's royale jester?"

"Very funny!" Bdubs yelled back. "You know with jokes like that you oughta apply for that position."

"Nah I think that kind of job is best for a short guy like you"

"I'm not short! I'm 5'10" that's a perfectly normal height!"

Ethos laugh once again caused Bdubs to fluster. He quickly brushed it off and decended the stairs to see what Etho was up to. He found the other with a book and quil in hand. Messy paragraphs were scrawled on the pages, the handwriting thin. Bdubs could only make out a few words before Etho closed the book and set it aside.

"Whatcha got there?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Etho teased.

He would've, actually, especially after what he thought he had just seen. Anxiety and hope rasied in his chest more so now than ever before.

Do I really have a shot? No, don't be ridiculous, he thought to himself. You've known him for millenia, why are you getting so worked up now? You probably saw wrong anyway. He collected himself, focus back on the man now standing in front of him.

"So anything I can do for you Bdubs? You said you were here for a reason?"

"Ah ha! Yes of course! Um, well you see..." shades of pink started to become visible on his cheeks. "I was really craving cookies actually and uh-"

"Oh if you want I still have some of Scar's elven cookies I bought earlier. They're from today, here I'll go grab them."

He put on hand on Bdubs' shoulder, gently guiding him to the side so he could get to his storage area where he had stashed the cookies for later.

"Wait no!" the shorter nearly shouted as he grabbed Etho's wrist. "I mean, that's not quite what I had in mind."

"What were you thinking then?"

"well uh..." seeming to have only just noticed, Bdubs let go of Ethos wrist, his face getting more red by the second.

"I was wondering if you wanted to bake cookies with me. I have all the stuff upstairs in my kitchen and you can take half of them when we finish actually you can have all of them and if you don't have time then I totally understand or if you just don't want to them thats okay too really it's just some stupid cookies I-"

He looked up at Ethos eyes and the words he was about to say next dissappeared instantly.

Thoses eyes. People always seemed to have trouble reading Etho. Bdubs, however, only needed one look at his eyes and he knew.

One look and Bdubs could tell that Etho had caught on, or at least seemed to have realize something. He was a bit worried, which was a fair reaction. It wasn't often that Bdubs was this obviously nervous about something. But Etho was logical and seemingly always thinking and calculating the best way to approach something. This was by far no exception.

Time passed. The two of them stood together for what felt like hours, however no more than a minute went by before Etho seemed to come to a conclusion.

"This isn't just about cookies, is it?"

"No."

Etho paused, thinking again.

"I think I have an idea of what this is really about. Should I test my theory?"

"Wha- uh yeah sure, go for it."

Nervous beyond anything he had ever felt before, Bdubs was trying to look at anything but Etho, eventually finding his shoes to be very interesting. However, that didn't change much. In his peripheral vision he could see the taller man pull down his mask and lean forward.

Soft lips pressed against Bdubs' forehead, his heart pounded against his rib cage. As Etho started to pull back, the shorter of the two found some confidence (most likely from the adrenaline) and pulled the other back down into a real kiss. At first it was hesitant and awkward, neither one wanting to force the other, but once it seemed clear that no one had objections they became more relaxed. They held each other close as they both melted into the kiss, the world around them disappearing by the second, their focus entirely on the other.

And then they pulled away, still holding each other close while Etho rested his head on top of Bdubs. They stayed like that, both in disbelief that they felt the same, both thinking that they never had a shot. And yet here they were.

Some time passed before anyone spoke.

"So, did you still want to make those cookies?" Etho asked in a soft voice without moving.

"Maybe in a little bit, for now I'm just content being here with you."

#hermitcraft #hermitshipping #hermitcraft fanfic #etho #bdubs #ethubs #hermitblr #mcyt #hermittober #no beta we die like the queen

[desmondkane-of-ao3-fame]

So I know Luz and amity are part of the cheerleading team but what if they were like auxiliary members of the emerald entrails if they need a sub, I do feel like flyer derby would be a good fit for the two since it’s a less dangerous than grugby for amity and Luz is pretty skilled with a palisman

Honestly, I think they’d probably be happy to join Flyer Derby as stand in’s. There could be an incident where Hunter and Viney crash into one another during practice and injuring themselves before the big Glandus game, and now Luz and Amity have to step up!

•First and foremost, uniforms! Due to Flyer Derby allowing more freedom of expression in their uniforms, Luz and Amity can choose anything so long as it matches the general green-and-black color scheme and isn’t pre-enchanted. Amity, wanting to keep it simple and nostalgic, chooses to use her old Grudgby uniform, except painted with green shoulder pads and gem with a magenta undershirt and black shorts, plus a black left glove and a green right one. Her war paint is the same as her circles under each eye from Wing It, matching the emerald green of the entrails.

•Luz, meanwhile, goes a bit more out there, choosing to modify her sea-faring shirt with green-and-black stripes going diagnollay across, along with her Grudgby shorts, also now green with a black stripe. Her undershirt, though, is multicolored, like her Hexside school uniform, and gives her the most colorful look in the team. Her hair is spiked like her original design, and her war paint is a spiky orb around her left eye, sorta like Skara’s star, except emulating the sun.

•They have less then a week before the next game, so Amity and Luz have to work overtime to learn all the strategies and moves. Thankfully both are fast learners, and the rest of the team is able to learn how to make up for whatever weaknesses the two have.

•When the day of the game comes around, the Entrails show up at the stadium, ready for whatever Glandus throws their way. Viney and Hunter are there too, having been brought to the stands with help from Ed and Em, who will spend the game doting on and smothering their injured partners instead of cheering. This leaves only Jerbo as the cheerleader for the game, while Barcus and Puddles continue their epic duel for team mascot.

•As the game begins, Luz and Amity slot themselves into the team dynamic perfectly: Amity is able to score a number of points like Hunter, and Luz serves just as well in the defensive role as Viney. Even though there were doubts about their abilities from both Glandus and Hexside fans, Luz and Amity help prove to stand with the rest of the team.

•Though Gus is incredibly happy with his team winning, he can’t deny how incessantly eye-rolly it is to be on a team with not one, but two adorable couples on it. Every time any of the other Entrails score a point their partner immediately flys over to kiss their cheek or hug them or say something sappy and Gus can’t help but feel like a third wheel on two dates that are currently happening in the middle of the game.

•After a few rounds, Hexside is declared the winner, and Amity and Luz accept the trophy alongside the rest of the team, with Hunter and Viney joining in alonsgside Ed and Em and, since he did have to do the entire cheer routine himself, Jerbo. The picture is ruined by a rampaging Puddles crashing the stage trying to grab Barcus, but the Entrails are all still happy with their performance, and Hunter and Viney declare Luz and Amity can take over their roles anytime.

#the owl house #skarlow #lumity #emerald entrails #cute #headcannon

[kearnsbrantley48]

Why My Best Place To Buy Fashionable Clothes For Guys Is Better Than Yours

Buy at the end of each and every season because the selling price will be discounted. Bella Ella Boutique, based out of Utah, is the perfect place to find tasteful, feminine women’s clothing and accessories at prices you will love. You may find that as the toddler grows taller, you need to replace tops more frequently. If you and your mate are alone in the house, you may want to put the laundry equipment in your master suite; if you share the house with children, you may prefer to house it in the kids' bathroom or a nearby guest bath. And yet, they are still dark and rich enough to put on to the theater too. This look will really put you on the fashion edge. Make sure you go for the ones that will suit the clothing and enhance its style. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Phantom, a new style from True Religion jeans, will cost $375. This will help you give an illusion of a perfectly proportioned figure.

Knee length pants and bermuda shorts, the wardrobe must haves look best for tall women, these also help cut the length of your legs and give good appearance. With a little legwork, you can have great pleather additions to your wardrobe in no time, from skirts to coats to blazers. If you like your design scheme to be a little more diverse, eclectic decorating may be the style for you. cute kawaii clothes or flannel lining will mean that as little wind as possible is making its way into your clothes and ruining your ride. Also be careful will choosing the colors. This information comes in handy when you're trying to create a scheme of colors that look well together. You can even pair leopard with bright colors if you're feeling particularly whimsical. You can be ready for any event with their advice. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider. As temperatures drop, you'll often see fur, shearling and fleece items in magazines and in stores. Every year at New York's trendsetting Fashion Week, we get a sneak peek at the looks we'll see in stores in fall.

Blanket Fashion Clothing

Get to know your body shape. Knowing your body and its limitations can help determine the right pair of shorts for your training and professional development. While you choose the skirts make sure the cuts fall perfect over your body. A popular look often seen on the runway come fall is known as "ladylike" -- classic and sophisticated style. But if your style is more punk rock, you'll be glad to know that the cropped, ripped-sleeve classic jean vest has made quite a few appearances in the fashion magazines. This season's denim jackets don't have too much in common with the classic jean jacket. Luckily, many designers have come out with faux fur versions of these items. Faux fur can look just as fashionable as the real thing. Check out pleather. Leather items tend to swallow up entire paychecks, but you can reach for an attractive pleather piece instead to save some money. Wear items that are more tailored (such as a tunic and skinny jeans), and mix different washes to avoid the dreaded all-one-color effect. It's a fun mix of high and low. One too many rips, a shade too light or an inch too high on the waist and you're stuck in "Dad jean" territory.

Losing your one bath, even for a few days, is tough, so if you're planning a second bath somewhere down the road, it may be worthwhile for you to switch projects and install the second bath before disabling the first (and only) one. To make sure you stay firmly in the first category, steer clear of loose cuts and very light washes of denim. We love that the site encourages you to pick your size first and then browse options from there. Stop by our plus size boutique in Columbus, OH today for a selection of fashion-forward clothing and lingerie. Kids are easier to size than adults, so shopping online usually isn't a problem because they don't have to try everything on. We also have shoes, accessories and jewelry to help you find all your fashion accessories in a single place. “Plants heal, plants help us breathe. Some designers stick to goat and sheep shearling exclusively because these particular animals are raised for their meat and not merely for their skin or fur. Faux fur and shearling clothing is much cheaper than the real thing. From fur and shearling coats, to vests, hoodies and even fur-trimmed boots and gloves, they all often warm up the runways.

#kawaii clothes #kawaii clothes shop.Kawaii

[thegempage]

i promised sbart planet thoughts so while i wait until my brain is ready to take a shower, here are some of those, under a cut bcus i have a feeling this is gonna turn very rapidly to rambling lmao

(also, note: some of these thoughts were collaborative, and i'll try to note them! but a good chunk of this is just gonna be me spitballing ideas to get my brain to calm down so they're not "official" (as official as a largely community-driven au can be) to any particular sbart au discussion and open to workshopping in the future)

bart, as the page of space, gets the frog planet! and bcus he's Bart, we decided in a vc that he'd have the Land of Paint and Frogs. LoPaF is a bright, colorful planet, with aggressively colorful consorts and frogs that leave splatters of paint wherever they jump. i feel like it'd be almost rainforest like, with lots of nooks and crannies for things to hide in, and everything just seems... slightly off. nothing is quite the right color -- some of the trees are green, some of them aren't, but none of them seem... comfortable. like they're waiting for a fresh coat of paint, to make the obvious pun fjdklasfasd. even the waterways running through everything are all different colors, swirling like paint water left too long and beginning to separate. his quest -- besides the frog breeding -- would probably be something about "fixing" these colors and figuring out what all the plants and waterways and such want to be

i'm not sure what his consorts would be, but honestly them being ambiguous and many-shaped, so it's hard to really nail them down as any particular animal, feels very bart, esp if they're all various different colors

(also while i was researching this i saw that the wiki suggests that if anyone but the time player helps with the frog breeding, shit goes wrong, so while i still think clair hangs out to help, the universe accepts oculus "helping" by ordering around bart and managing to perfectly interrupt/ruin bart's plans in such a way that saves the frog breeding as the time and space player working together, and clair being around is just kind of a fun bonus)

chief, meanwhile, is a knight of doom, and we decided his planet would be the Land of Streetlamps and Deliverance (LoSaD, which is a delightful acronym for him fjkdsalfds). the entire planet feels like an endless, winding detective noir city block, with buildings that tower to always partially block any natural light. all of the streetlamps seem programmed to make everything feel dystopian, constantly flickering, broken, or more dim up close than they seem from far away. you can go inside the buildings, sure, but you probably don't want to unless you're prepared to ask seven different consorts where you're supposed to be going because all of them have very different ideas about how the building is laid out and all of them are partially right. sadness sits in the streets like fog -- easy enough to move through, sure, and easy enough to avoid, but if you sit and rest too long it starts to get to you. The benches for buses that will never come are especially prone to tripping this effect. LoSaD has no interest in making things comfortable for you, but there are plenty of dark corners to hide in if you need them!

(chief uses one of these to try to get christian, i think, but it doesn't quite land the first time, leading to a chase that ends with christian dead on his own quest bed and unfortunately (/j) returning from the dead)

his consorts i think would all be little gray turtles who are quite hesitant to talk to anyone and are suspicious of the world outside of their buildings. i'm not sure what his quest would be, or if he'd have any particular desire to complete it. i also think the entire planet follows a generally canon color scheme, i.e. grayscale and red, with most of the lamps shining white light, but lights inside and outside alike flashing red whenever anyone stands underneath of them and entire blocks flashing dark, doom green whenever chief does anything. smithsprite thinks it's all incredibly depressing

christian i've loosely assigned (with blessing) the Land of Grief and Alleyways (LoGaA). his land i think would be a sort of 50/50 split of cityscapes and large, open cemeteries. some of the cityscapes are centered around churches to the Genesis Frog, others skyscrapers to nonsense companies, and a few odd ones out are large altars centered around something with many, many eyes and no name. it's not unlike LoSaD in that the weather is always kind of dim, but LoGaA always seems on the verge of sunset, and while sometimes clouds roll over it never actually rains, and the whole planet seems to be struggling to breathe. the headstones don't seem to be attached to any particular grave, and digging them up reveals items or plain dirt more than it does skeletons, and even then those skeletons are incomplete. the cities are quiet and relatively empty for how many buildings there are -- where LoSaD has mazes all over its surface and inside its buildings, the buildings on LoGaA are full of open-concept floors and basic living quarters. the whole planet feels like there were supposed to be more people on it, but some of them just... didn't show up. christian manages to dupe all of them into doing and buying whatever he says, of course, but maybe there being less of them helped with that, who knows!

idk about a quest for him either, but i have a very strong feeling that something has happened to his denizen, and ideally he would be fixing it (maybe a coma?) but he is almost certainly not going to do that

i don't have solid ideas for anyone else yet, but i think clair's is the land of something and tunnels, just bcus like. it's clair.

stacy and becky's planets fit together, as if you can't have one without the other, and their quests are probably intertwined

smith's is probably a lot like chief's at first glance, but much brighter, and with yellows instead of green, maybe more open with parks and such? gray parks covered in red flowers fjkdalfds (smithsprite likes this one a lot better)

lucidity... hmm. i think lucidity's planet is split down the middle, but what's on each side i'm not sure? i just think you'd fly up to it and there's literally a canyon for an equator wide and deep enough that you'd need flying powers or a shit ton of grist on hand to get across unless you're prepared for a lot of rock climbing. her house/apartment/whatever it would be is situated in a tower high above the canyon, with drop offs on either side

oculus's planet is always watching, no matter who, what, or where you are, and there's always a tick-tock echoing in any silence that dares try and make itself at home there, a clock always reminding you that you're wasting time by standing around, and you don't want to leave time lying around for a thief, do you?

and these aren't planets, but i feel like the inside of the Prospitian throne room is like, a "man cave," with a balcony that has a grill on it that cooks things it shouldn't be capable of cooking; there are big comfy armchairs and all the drinks you could want in a fridge that's never empty and all of your favorite snacks in the cupboards that seem endless. you always feel safe when you're inside, and you can never seem to find the front door? you got in here somehow and Dad™ teases you about using the front door next time, but you can look out the windows on a golden, shining city while Dad™ makes your favorite burgers!

the Dersian throne room is simultaneously Your Room and a kitchen, depending on what Mom™ needs you for. her kitchen always smells delicious but it's not quite clear whether that's with dinner or dessert, not that it really matters because on Derse it's hard to keep track of time. the barstools are comfortable to sit on while you wait for Mom™ to give you instructions or a plate... until she's upset with you for something, and then you can't seem to get up no matter how much your lower back seems to ache. but that's only if you've done something wrong, sweetie, so why don't you come test out your Mom™'s new recipe? she's made your favorite!

(no one's ever been able to describe the inside of Their Room, their eyes glossing over when they try to remember what it looks like.)

alright i'm gonna go shower now 💙 but i'm very open to more suggestions or thoughts 👀 i can't promise all of this is Strictly Homestuck Approved bcus i'm also bending it quite a bit for the tfr aspect but it's still fun lmao

#little rock.txt #homestuck #tales from riftdale #tfr #sbart au #long post

[fridayfirefly]

The Wedding Schemers

Read The Wedding Schemers on AO3

Masterlist

Written for Maribat March Day 23 - Enemies to Lovers

Damian Wayne was so annoying, Marinette wanted nothing more than to shoot him. Unfortunately, he was the only person who could help her. If they couldn't work together, everything would be ruined.

But Marinette was getting ahead of herself. To fully explain the situation, she needed to take it back five months. Back to the beginning. Back to the first day they met. It was April, the season of growth and opportunity. And rain. Lots of rain. Marinette normally wouldn't have a problem with rain. However, rain ruined outdoor weddings and as a professional wedding planner, it meant that she always had to have a backup plan.

Marinette had just finished up her biggest wedding yet. The wedding of Adrien Agreste and Chloé Agreste (neé Bourgeoise) went off without a hitch. It was perfect, the most praised wedding of the season. Which meant it brought in new customers. New rich customers.

Timothy Drake and Stephanie Brown hadn't been in attendance at the Agreste wedding, but they had seen pictures and had decided to hire Marinette as their wedding planner. Over the phone, the couple sounded lovely. They had already picked out potential color schemes, potential venues, and a date for the wedding: October 14th. Marinette figured it might be her easiest wedding yet. That is, until she met the bride and groom in person, and they brought along the best man.

Damian Wayne was intolerable. Every idea that Marinette brought up he instantly shot down. He was pickier then either Tim or Stephanie and they were the ones who were getting married in the first place. Marinette was so frustrated she wanted to quit the job. However, she knew that if she wanted to break into the high-profile wedding business, she couldn't have such a major blow to her reputation. So Marinette sucked it up and tried her best not to punch Damian. All Marinette had to do was survive one annoying groomsman, and her career would be set for life.

----------

It was a warm, breezy August morning when Marinette got the phone call. "Hello?" she said as she answered the unknown number, setting her mug of coffee down on her side table.

"Marinette?" Marinette recognized the voice as Stephanie Brown, slightly distorted by the sob that she let out half-way through the word.

"Stephanie, are you okay?"

"The wedding is off," Stephanie cried, barely able to get the words out. "Tim and I aren't getting married."

"What's wrong? I'm sure we can fix this." Marinette tried to reason with Stephanie but was hung up on before she could finish her sentence.

Marinette stared down at her phone, trying to puzzle through what she had just learned. It just didn't make sense. Stephanie, who seemed perfectly in love with Tim just days earlier, was now calling off the wedding. Obviously, there had been some unexpected developments since Marinette last spoke to the couple, but she couldn't imagine a fight that they couldn't work through. Marinette needed to get back in the loop, and she knew who she needed to call. With a long-suffering sigh, Marinette dialed Damian's number.

"Dupain-Cheng," Damian answered the phone with a clipped tone.

"Wayne. Any idea why Stephanie just called me to announce that the wedding is off?"

Damian sighed. "One of Tim's ex-girlfriends met up with him last night. I'm not certain what happened, but I'm certain that Rossi was involved."

"How can you be so certain?"

"Lila Rossi," Damian bit out the name, "Has had her sights on making my brother miserable since the day he broke up with her. She would love nothing more than to ruin his life."

Marinette took in a deep breath, then let it out. "It's clear to me that Tim and Stephanie are both perfect for each other. This is just a minor setback. Someone needs to get them back together. Are you going to help me, or am I on my own?"

"I will help," said Damian succinctly. "I will pick you up in twenty minutes so that we can formulate a plan."

Damian hung up the phone and Marinette was left wondering how in the world she got herself into this position. She now had to spend the day with the most intolerable man she knew, so that she could reunite his recently broken up friends, in order to save their marriage. Marinette sighed. "I might need another coffee."

----------

Damian pulled up to the curb in front of Marinette's house, driving some luxury brand that Marinette would never be able to afford. Marinette climbed into the passenger seat, turning to Damian with an expectant look. "Do we have a plan yet?"

"Not quite a plan, but I do have a handle on the situation as it is now," said Damian, "Tim is refusing to talk to Stephanie. Stephanie is refusing to talk to Tim. Neither will tell my why they've called off the wedding, but it's obvious that there is some degree of miscommunication going on."

Marinette started to do what she did best - formulate an action plan. "We have to get them to meet up and talk things out. I'll take Stephanie, you take Tim. We need to convince them to follow us to a neutral location and we'll have to come up with convincing lies. If either sees through our plan the whole thing is ruined. Then we'll need to find a place to have them meet. I'm thinking a restaurant. We need our location to be somewhere where neither of them would storm out from but it also has to be private enough for them to talk it out."

Damian nodded. "There are plenty of restaurants that would be suited for our needs. The real problem is convincing Tim and Stephanie to follow us."

"I already have an idea for Stephanie. I'm going to ask her if she wants to go to Clement Park and do one of the destroy-the-dress photoshoots. I image that she's upset enough right now to agree to something drastic and dramatic."

Damian looked surprised. "That's a good idea. You're less incompetent than I thought, Dupain-Cheng."

Marinette decided to take his words as a compliment. "Thanks. I am a wedding planner, after all. It's kind of my whole job to be good at plans involving weddings."

"This is more of a scheme than a plan."

"I'll be a wedding schemer for the day, then," joked Marinette. "Now, are there any good restaurants near Clement Park, or should I choose a different location?"

"I know a restaurant a block away from there. I’ll lure Tim there under the premise that we’ll be getting lunch."

Marinette nodded. "I'll try to get Stephanie to the restaurant at noon. I'll also try and make sure the dress stays intact for that long. I have a feeling that Stephanie will still need it after her lunch today."

"Thank you for assisting me. I do not say this often, because it is rarely true, but I do not think I would be able to accomplish this task without your help."

"No problem, Wayne."

----------

Stephanie jumped on the opportunity to destroy her wedding dress.

"I can't believe I ever agreed to marry him," fumed Stephanie as they drove to the park, wedding dress taking up the backseat of Marinette's car.

"What happened between you two?" asked Marinette. "You seemed perfectly happy when I saw you last week."

"He hooked up with one of his ex-girlfriends behind my back. Lila called me last night to confess to the affair, begging me to forgive her because she didn't even know that Tim had a fiancée when she slept with him. I didn't believe her at first, but then she sent me proof. The poor girl kept blaming herself. It wasn't her fault, the only person to blame was Tim."

"That's horrible." Marinette decided not to press the issue any further. She needed Stephanie to trust her.

As the car stopped at the red light, just a block away from the restaurant, Marinette turned to Stephanie. "I just had an idea. We should get some red wine to splash onto the dress."

Stephanie grinned. "Oh that would absolutely ruin it. I'm sure we can pick up a bottle in one of the restaurants down the street."

Marinette pulled the car up in front of the restaurant that Damian had chosen. "Why don't you come in with me, to help pick out the bottle. We can use half of it to destroy the dress and the other half to get drunk afterward."

"You're just full of good ideas today." Stephanie got out of the passenger seat and followed Marinette into the restaurant.

This was the most delicate part of the scheme. If Stephanie caught sight of Tim and Damian too early it would ruin everything. Marinette led Stephanie through the restaurant towards the back, where Tim and Damian sat, under the premise that they were looking for the sommelier.

"Oh no!" Stephanie looked furious as soon as she caught sight of the men, but it was too late. The only way for Stephanie to get away was to make a scene. Marinette grabbed Stephanie's wrist and pulled her over to the table. "Really, Tim?" hissed Stephanie.

"I wasn't involved with this," growled Tim, glaring at Damian.

Damian got out of his seat and pulled it out for Stephanie to sit down in. "I think the two of you need to talk this out. I have no idea what lies Lila Rossi spun to cause this, but her motives have been nefarious since the moment she stepped into Tim's life. Rossi is the untrustworthy one here, not either of you."

Stephanie sighed. "Fine. I'll give Tim twenty minutes to tell his side of the story. But then I'm leaving."

"Thank you," said Damian. He put his hand on Marinette's shoulder and led her away, giving Tim and Stephanie their privacy.

"Do you want to go check out Clement Park?" asked Marinette once they were outside the restaurant.

"Why would we do that?"

Marinette shrugged. "In case Stephanie doesn't forgive Tim, I need to find a good spot to pour wine onto the wedding dress," she teased.

Damian cringed. "That's a twenty-thousand dollar wedding dress. You were just going to let it get ruined?"

Marinette shook her head. "I would have never let Stephanie destroy it. Even if our scheme doesn't work out, I'm going to keep trying to get them back together. Tim and Stephanie love each other. This is just a minor setback."

A thoughtful look passed over Damian. "Thank you, Marinette, for your help today."

"No problem. I was happy to help."

"I suppose you would be. Having your clients cancel after five months of work would no doubt be a career setback."

Before Marinette could protest what he said, she heard a voice call out from behind them. "Marinette! Damian!" It was Stephanie, grinning ear to ear as she ran towards Marinette and Damian, hand in hand with Tim. "We're getting married!" exclaimed Stephanie as soon as she was within earshot of Marinette and Damian.

"That's great!" Marinette replied, feeling the weight of Tim and Stephanie's failing relationship lift off of her chest.

Stephanie looked a bit more nervous. "We're getting married today. This wedding prep - planning the rehearsal dinner menu and picking out flowers for the bouquet - has been driving me crazy. All I want is to get married to Tim."

An elopement was the opposite of what Marinette wanted. It would be a terrible career move, to have her clients get so sick of planning their wedding that they abandoned it entirely. And yet, she carriedfor Tim and Stephanie too much to see them suffer on her account. “You’re wedding dress is in the trunk of my car. You wanted to ceremony to take place in the gardens at Wayne Manor, and that can happen any time. How about six tonight?”

Stephanie let out a sigh of relief. "Marinette, you're the best. Tim, let’s get married.”

Tim nodded. “Let’s get married.”

----------

It was Marinette’s first time planning a wedding in five hours. It might have been stressful, except Stephanie assured Marinette that they didn't want big impressive decorations. And in a very unlikely turn of events, Damian showed up to help Marinette set up.

Marinette wasn't quite sure why Damian was there beside her, tying ribbons and flowers to the walls of the little gazebo on the grounds of Wayne Manor. She got her answer when Damian finally asked the question he had been holding in for hours. "Why didn't you convince them to go through with their original wedding plan? You've put countless hours into their wedding and now all of that work is for nothing."

That was the question of the hour. The response was easy. "If I was in it for the money, I would have chosen a completely different career. I decided to become a wedding planner because I wanted to make people the happiest they could be on their special day. For Tim and Stephanie, this is the happiest they could be on their wedding day - not a big blowout wedding, but a small personal ceremony. It took almost losing everything for them to realize this."

Damian looked guilty. "I'm sorry that I misjudged you, Dupain-Cheng."

"Call me Marinette and I just might forgive you."

"Of course, Marinette. I suppose you may call me Damian, then."

"Thanks, Damian. Now can you pass me the pink ribbons? I want to pair them with the gypsophila and white roses."

As they worked together, slowly but surely turning the gazebo into the perfect wedding centerpiece, Damian kept up the conversation with Marinette. "I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other after this."

"You think?"

"I'm certain that Tim and Stephanie won't forget the help that you gave them.

Marinette shrugged. "It wasn't that big of a deal. Anyone would do what I did."

"Not just anyone. You're special, Marinette."

Marinette blushed. "I think you're pretty special too, Damian."

Her face got dangerously close to Damian's, and she could see the desire in his eyes. Marinette's eyes closed, and she sucked in a small breath of air, ready for what was about to happen.

In what had quickly become a trend for the day, Stephanie chose that moment to interrupt the intimate moment between Marinette and Damian. From across the lawn, she called out, "Quit flirting and finish up with the decorations! The ceremony is about to start and I need help putting my dress on!"

Marinette glanced over at Damian, face still pink with blush. "I've got to go, but I'll see you after the ceremony."

"Goodbye, Marinette."

Marinette fled the gazebo, wondering how in the world she had gone from dreading spending time with Damian to almost kissing him.

----------

The ceremony was beautiful, even if it was entirely under-planned. Tim's vows to Stephanie were only half-written, so he had to improvise. Stephanie's allergies were acting up from all of the pollen in the air. They ran out of napkins ten minutes into dinner. Still, Marinette knew that this was Tim and Stephanie's dream wedding.

"Marinette." Damian caught up to Marinette when she went into the house to get another bottle of wine for the reception.

"Damian. You wouldn't happen to know where the wine is kept?"

"We have a wine cellar."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Of course you do," she teased.

In the privacy of the wine cellar, Damian finally looked Marinette in the eyes. "I know that our relationship didn't have the best of beginnings, but I've realized now how wrong I was about you. I thought you took on Tim and Stephanie's wedding for the money. I didn't realize that you had grown to care about them as a couple."

"I misjudged you as well. I thought you were so difficult to work with because you didn't like me. I realize now that it was because you wanted the best for your family."

"How about we start over," suggested Damian.

"You've got yourself a deal." Marinette stuck out her hand. "I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, professional wedding planner."

"I'm Damian Wayne, the brother of the groom."

Marinette grinned. "I've heard that there's a dance floor outside. Maybe you'd like to show me it?"

"Would you give me the pleasure of dancing with you, Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

"Call me Marinette, and you've got yourself a deal." Marinette snagged the right bottle of wine and started making her way out of the cellar. "By the way, Damian, I had a fun time scheming with you today. Maybe we could come up with another scheme for tomorrow. One the involves actually eating at the fancy restaurant."

Damian smiled. "I like the way you think."

"I tend to have good ideas. It's in my job description."

@maribatmarch-2k21

#maribat #daminette #romcom au #marinette dupain-cheng #damian wayne #MaribatMarch2021 #maridami #marinette x damian #miraculous ladybug fic #my work

[br-disaster]

Nie Huaisang’s outfits appreciation post

After the terrible loss of our second best dressed cultivator and fashion icon Nie Mingjue, the cultivation world now lacks one of it’s pillars. But little did they know, our fashion king had a disciple, someone capable of honoring his legacy in many ways.

While we all grief, a new icon rises.

And I’m here to prove that Nie Huaisang deserves his late brother’s title not only because Mingjue’s no longer serving looks -may his fashionable soul rest in peace-, but because Huaisang has always been a stylish icon on his own.

I mean, this look right here is enough proof:

 Huaisang has quite a lot of robes, and they are all so different, I decided to compile them chronologically:

1. the “assigned fashionable at birth”one

Look at this small bean with his cream-colored robes. Whoever chose this color for him did a great job, though it’s a bit weird that they looked at baby Mingjue and went “all you’ll wear is dark gray from now on” and then Huaisang was born and “cream it is!” And we don’t really see anybody else from the Nie sect wearing this color, I wonder if it has anything to do with Huaisang’s mom, or if it’s just for the dark\light color contrast,  the two young masters can’t possibly wear the same colors, it would ruin the aesthetic.

 It looks just like his main-possibly-stay-at-home-robes, like he just really loved this especific set and had a lot of other robes that looked just the same growing up.

Really small, really cute, makes you want to carry him around saying: look at my baby, he’s so stylish!

2. the “good old Gusu days” one

This is like a uniform, there’s nothing really special about it. But I’d like to point out two things:

One: the silver embroidery on the shoulders and the silver on his waist belt matches the pristine white of his robes really well.

Two: look how wide his shouders look, there you go, Huaisang, keeping the Nie shoulder game strong!

3. The “it’s called fashion, dage” one

Cream-colored again! It embodies teen!Huaisang’s aesthetic perfectly: it’s expensive, it’s pretty, it looks comfortable, but it’s minimalistic.

I mean, I have no idea if it is actually expensive, but it surely looks expensive.

It has no discernable patterns, but the fabric just looks so good, look at the texture. It looks warm and heavy (rip Ji Li). And it’s pleated, look at him! Everything about this one screams rich-carefree-spoiled-delicate-pretty-gongzi.

And well, we see him strolling around and getting in trouble instead of going straight home in this robes, then on Fatal Journey we see him painting landscapes instead of practicing and claiming he doesn’t want to become the Nie sect leader in this very set of robes. Maybe he has indeed been wearing similar robes since his childhood and wants to, you know, go back to when things were as simple as taking the long way home coming back from Gusu.

4. the “didn’t really engage on the war but needed to look good regardless” one

This one is so pretty, y’all. It’s silver and white and gray, the brothers  are matching with their disciples’ robes, you won’t find a Sect with a superior fashion sense.

I can totally understand why he didn’t change to some post-Sunshot robes. Imagine looking this good at home, with none of your friends or disciples or brother to see you. Nope. This robes belong to a banquet, even one as unpleasing and akward as this one.

(They technically saw him, since he wore the same robes while they were planning the whole Sunshot thing, but no one was paying attention to it, right? And you can’t let such a nice look go to waste)

One of my favorites, for sure. It even matches his fan. It’s peak aesthetic.

5. the “I’m only here for the food and the drama” one

I didn’t really like this one at first. It looked kinda futuristic in my head, you know? It’s probably just the really structured fabric and the color, but It was a bit too much.

But now, looking at it as I take screenshots, I like them. It’s bold and fierce and remember the shoulder accessories being a code for battle? Well, I doubt Huaisang shot a single arrow that day, but he was supposed to be competing, so it makes a lot of sense that he’s dressed like this while his brother is wearing his pretty, dark yet lighter civillian robes to watch him.

He’s even wearing epaulettes (well, I trust that that’s the name) that matches the ones Mingjue wore with his Sunshot robes! Are they the same pair? Did he borrow it? Or do they secretly comission the same robes and accessories  and wear them on alternate occasions?

These are the most battle-coded (and at the same time is not battle-coded at all, it’s too ostentatious) robes we see him wearing until now, and he is representing his sect at the hunt, he has to look like a proper heir that is capable of fighting, whether he likes it or not - and judging by how unenthusiastic he was during the opening shoot-the-wen-prisioners ceremony, I’d say he was not enjoying it at all-.

But it’s such a cool look, I really like it now.

6. the “he will throw hands with a non-corporeal entity while giving his big brother all the love and understanding he deserves” one

 This may look like the same robes we usually wears at home, but they lack the pleated part and I don’t think his long sleeves would fit inside his wirst thingy, which I now know it’s called a vambrace or a bracer,  they were quite wide sleeves.

Anyway, we again have his minimalistic aesthetic. No patterns, the only addition being the outer robe that realy looks like the one Mingjue wears with his stay-at-home robes, except with no sleeves; and the bracers\vambraces.

But look how different this looks in comparison with the previous one; he wasn’t fighting shit in those pompous silver robes, but he was so determined here, ready to face anything. This is the difference between a battle-coded look and a battle-codded Huaisang.

It’s practical, it’s pretty, looks comfortable and it’s perfect for scolding your older brother then comforting him because he gets emotional when people argue with him, ok?

Huaisang is the best younger brother, fight me

8.the “sad, sad” one

I’ll just say that the inner robes are really similar to the one Mingjue wears with his stay-at-home robes, though they are not the same. Perhaps my theory that they did comission a lot of similar itens is correct after all.

I don’t think this look is particularly good, and the context surely doesn’t help at all, but it’s interesting to see him in gray and black.

 Overall, I hate it here.

9. the “somehow even worse” one

Look, if I had to compile all his outfits, I had to include this one. But there’s nothing to say about it except just looking at him wearing it makes me sad.

10. the “you didn’t see that coming, did you?” one

This one here is a trick, ok? At this point of the story we have no idea of what’s going on and if this misterious person is important or not; all we know is that he is quite fond of patterns and dark clothing. And that he has some money.

But damn, once we find out who this is, it instantly becomes something else entirely. 

It’s so fucking DARK!! It’s Wei Wuxian’s kind of dark, it’s crazy to think our boy Huaisang, who’s been wearing light grays, white and cream all his life would come up with something like that. It doesn’t even look Nie, and that’s probably what he was going for, y’know, so no one could recognize him and all of that.

But jesus, this look is just wow.  It’s perfect for a scheming mastermind, even though we don’t really know about it yet. The scales pattern is really nice and I love when he wears this sort of robe, with the fitted sleeves and the extra fabric at the shoulders. The flame (I think) pattern is nice too, though it’s a bit too much here, just a bit. But he seems to like this pattern a lot, so let him have it

And the craziest part is: we know these robes. And i’ve seen a couple of posts about them, it’s the same inner robe he wore at the Phoenix Mountain night hunt competition, almost 16 years ago. 

Like what are these robes made of??

11. the “sneaky, sneaky” one

The famous Nie pattern, am I right?

I love all theories about this one and as I took the screenshots, I noticed how his inner robe is the same as robe number 8. Huaisang says no to excessive buying, please reuse your clothes!

I’m particularly fond of the theory that Nie Mingjue comissioned robes for both his didi and his boyfriend Xichen, but I can accept that Huaisang just inherited his brother’s robes, though the flame pattern (once again proving we won’t guess Huaisang is behind everything not even after seeing him wearing the same patterns as in episode one twice) at the bottom is definetly a Huaisang thing.

I really like how heavy it looks, and the black thin stripe.We know it’s the same pattern as Xichen’s robe but seeing it combined with the back and light gray of the Nies really gives it a distinct identity.

12. the “and the oscar goes to...” one

Look at him, all innocent-looking placing all the chess pieces on their right places. Gotta love director Nie.  And it makes so much sense that he would wear something as light as this robes for this moment. He wore light colors for most of his youth, when he was carefree and naive and harmless; he cultivated a reputation of being dependent, fearful and stupid even. In this moment, more than ever, he needs people to believe this is exactly who he is, and what’s the best way of doing it?

Yes, reminding them of your old self. All he does is pretend and lie while he cries and faints.  A director and an actor too!

Throw yourself at your brother’s sworn brothers trying to look harmless while annoying the hell out of them? check.

Faint conveniently as your brother’s murderer lies at your face about killing said brother because even you have limits and you can’t watch that fuckery and not want to murder him right there? check.

Pretend to be stupid while conducting the protagonist and pretty much everybody else to ask the right questions and therefore unmask the terrible things your nemesis did?  also check.

And the robes are really pretty, look at the texture at the bottom right!! Silver and white go really well together. Wide, wide sleeves and this heavy-looking fabric. Superb, really, one of my favorites again.

And look at him carrying his saber (which he  probably left at Pier Lotus later)!

13. the “...and cut!” one

Look at these robes and tell me they don’t absolutely look like something Nie Mingjue would wear. You know he would. 

And it’s such a contrast to his previous robes. The white and silver one for looking innocent and lost and funny; the dark gray to look like a serious sect leader who will endorse the accusations against his enemy (Ok, he did act confused and lost and innocent in these robes, but he also showed real shock and grief and sadness, he did show his true feelings too)

He’s honoring his brother here, he did it, he brought justice to him, he defeated his brother’s murderer.  He spent years wanting and waiting for this moment, it’s only fair he would do so while looking so much like his beloved older brother.

I love everything about this look. The color palette is almost the same as the one robe his brother wore to the post-Sunshot campaign banquet. The dark,shining gray, the black, the thin bronze\golden stripe at the collar. Even that extra overlaid fabric at the bottom front of his robes is the same as Mingjue used to wear. Beautiful, really.

He would be really proud of you, I hope you know that, Huaisang.

14. the “I may or may not steal your chief cultivator status, watch out Wangji” one

I know he would never steal Wangji’s post, cql!NHS doesn’t even want it; but like, we deserved Chief cultivator!Huaisang, right? So it was worth the joke, I think.

The inner light gray robe yet AGAIN, I suspect this is his favorite inner robe.

We have some bold patterns here, so elegant. I really like when he wears this kind of outer robe, accentuating his shoulders, suits him really well, And this is such a Nie color palette, just like the previous one. In fact, Huaisang wears way more dark colors than we give him credit for. Especially after becoming sect leader. 

Sleeve game on point too, really long. And it matches his fan as well.

Lovely look, I wish we could have seen more.

In conclusion: 

King of versatility, resusing 16 year-old robes AND looking damn good while doing it! He looks good scheming, he looks good lying, he looks good fainting, he even looks good tricking people into stabbing other people!

 Name a more iconic king, I’ll wait.

#this ended up more like meta than I intended #but Huaisang deserves all the praise #also it's super long #but he has many outfits ok #nie huaisang #nie brothers #cql #mdzs #i spent an unhealthy amount of time doing this #why? huaisang deserved a post too #same thing I said about the other post stands please tell me if I said something disrespectful

[plush-rabbit]

Quiet Flames

Word Count: 2.7K

A/N: Because I couldn’t find how he got his scars, this is vague about that. I hope you enjoy it!! A little bit of a spoiler involved? It falls flat and it’s not directly mentioned- kinda vague- so read if you want?

Dabi is calm and collected. Cool and unfeeling. A fire that burns too bright and implodes on itself. He is the ocean- steady and untouched, still and brimming with life under the surface. Dabi is the ocean- unstable and unforgiving, life breaking through the surface in a grand scheme, waves crashing and ruining the stillness, ripples going out for miles, a remembrance of what happened oh so long ago. His fire burns bright, his emotions burn brighter and he himself, gets snuffed out because of it, scars that decorate his body, purple, marred skin held together by staples that give out, that drench his body in blood and wisps, his body adorned with scars that fade into his soft skin, that become forgotten memories; other scars held from his childhood, tattooed onto his skin, never once fading, never forgetting the memory and pain that came with them.

He sits next to you, eyes closed, the music emitting from your laptop filling the silence. Shirtless on your bed, his scars on display, curving around his body, mismatched and asymmetrical. He doesn’t move, stays perfectly still even when you leave the bed and reach into the closet, pulling out a large blanket, a light teal color, held tightly against your chest. The room is cold and the heat from him isn’t enough. Dried blood stains a staple and you wonder if it hurts when he has to replace them. You wonder how long he’s had to suffer alone, to grit his teeth and adopt the uncaring persona, to let himself be someone else. You wonder who he was before his life turned, if he ever had the option to be a hero, to be a civilian- to be a person.

“I can feel you watching me,” he whispers, the guitar strumming sounds after his words as if he had timed it. “What is it?”

There’s a tightness in your throat and you don’t want to think about who he was before you met him. Who he was before he decided to be Dabi- no last name, no history, past, no connection to the world that sits outside your window. The rain hits against the window and the wind howls into the night and you’re left standing in the middle of your room, the song fading and a new one taking its place.

“I’m tired,” you reply, nails digging into the plush fabric. “Are you?”

He sighs and turns his head in a lazy way that reminds you of a cat. His eyes are half open and they’re so bright against the skin that runs under his eyes. “I could sleep.” He shuffles, placing pillows on your side and a finger taps at the exit button on your device and you’re left in a room with a humming air conditioner and high pitched wind that is shattered with rain. “Put it away.” He closes your laptop and lays back in bed, arms behind his head and his eyes staring up at your ceiling. 

The blanket rests on the bed and his hands reach towards it, pulling it up to his chin, hands coming above and gripping it tight. “You’ve been quiet,” you whisper, letting the laptop rest on the desk, your finger tracing the edge. You turn around and his eyes are closed. “Are you okay?”

He’s a villain. He’s murdered people, murdered heroes, no doubt murdered criminals. He made no point to hide it from you, came smelling burnt that was too pungent to be explained by anything other than meat. He made his presence known. He is larger than life itself. Burns brighter than the sun. Burns brighter and hotter than anything you’ve ever witnessed. And you know one day, he’ll burn out. Blue flames will flicker and his eyes, bright and beautiful, will dull. 

“Just had a long day, doll,” he mutters, hands clenching further. “Don’t worry your pretty, little head about it too much.”

You might never witness his destruction; might never witness the day he flickers out. But you witness him now- tense and quick to say his words. “I’m gonna worry Dabi.” His eyes slowly open and he meets yours. The bed creaks under your weight, the blanket stretching and stringing as you place your knee on it and he holds it tighter, pressing it closer against his chest. “You don’t look well.” You place the back of your hand against his forehead and he squirms away from your touch, turning his head sharply, letting your hand slip away from him.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” his voice is tight, “but none of me looks well.” he turns on his side and his back faces you, the blanket slipping and exposing his skin until it's pressed tightly against him.

You frown and your hand rests above his covered shoulder. “That’s not what I meant.” 

You hear him sigh. “I know. Like I said-” he turns and his back is against the mattress, eyes still closed- “long day. Don’t worry about it.” He spreads his arm wide and his hand curls before it’s forced to relax. “Just- Come on. Let’s go to bed.”

You fear one day he’ll push you away. You don’t doubt the feelings he has for you but you also know who he is. You can feel the days where he wants nothing more than to embrace you and love you, to run his hands over your body and rest them upon your curves, against skin that is soft and warm. You can see the days where he gives you nothing more than a glance, a silent acknowledgement and lips that press hesitantly against yours until they turn harsh and burn against you, leaving you red and whimpering. A love where he wants you to say goodbye so he can have another reason to fuel his hatred, to fuel the Dabi that is uncaring and scornful.

You rest against the space he has created for you, your hand coming up to touch his chest and he jumps at your touch. “Were you hurt?” You ask and you hope the meaning isn’t lost- that he’ll answer truthfully.

“I-” you can hear the lie in his voice, the quick, easy thing to say so you can press further and he can use himself as an advantage and distract you with his warmth and so your hands cover his heart and he falters. “Of course I was,” he says, and when you look up at him, you find him already staring at you. “I’m fine now.” 

He’ll lie to you. Lie about his feelings but never who he is. 

You think about what to say and you don’t know what to say. He isn’t okay. Still pulling the blanket up to his chin, eyes that dart away for a second before meeting your gaze and hands that shift from moving under the blanket to fisting the blanket to covering his lower face. 

You don’t think you can ever understand what roars in his mind, what his thoughts scream at him, the feeling of emptiness, the cold touch from the world. But for now, you can love him, you can let him know what warmth is, the soft touch that could be given- that will be given to him freely without the fear that others would have. For now, for a quick moment, you can let him feel good- let him have a moment where he’s the vulnerable one.

You press your lips against his, run your tongue over his bottom lip, feeling the cracks and grooves of it, committing the memory of it, locking it away and keeping it safe. He welcomes the kiss, welcomes the change of conversation. He smiles through the kiss, raises his hands until they stop midair and lower, settling on your waist. 

He pulls away, a soft gasp and he analyzes you, eyes darting around and tracing your features with an unseen line. There’s words that stay stuck in his throat, apple bobbing in uncertainty and he reaches forward, and captures you in another kiss.

Standing on your knees, you cover his hands with your own and unfurl the blanket held tight in his hands and you move it to the side, exposing his bare chest and his eyes widen a fraction, narrowing as he watches you rise above him and straddle him with your legs, an arm steadying you and the other coming to cusp his face, fingertips brushing over him, rising and lowering as the staples follow a pattern. He nods away, leaving your touch for a second before returning, a frown pulling at his lips. He parts his lips and pink wets his lips. “Thought you were tired,” he mumbles against you, hands still as ever, a light hold onto your skin. 

“I want to make you feel good.” You nuzzle into his exposed skin, nose brushing against his two toned skin, the warm metal almost comforting against you.

Your hand curves down his body, sliding and fingertips leaving a trace over his jaw, thumb sliding down his neck, tracing along the curved part of his scars, mindful of the staples that hold him together. An arm covered in a sweet color, the other in patches, not quite like the other one, and your hand flutters over the untouched skin. 

“You don’t have to,” he replies, hands stilling you. “If you’re tired, you’re free to go to bed.”

You respond with another kiss, silencing his words and he holds you close, pulling your hips lower against him, feeling the growing erection that rubs against your crotch. Your hand lowers, trailing down his belly, fingertips brushing over the peach fuzz that follows down and hides beneath the waistband of his sweatpants. 

You press your palm against him, wrapping around his length and he lets out a hiss. You pump him through the cloth, and he breathes in relief, jutting his hips and his hands slide under your shirt, tickling at your sides and you smile into the kiss. “Stop teasing,” he mumbles, letting a hand slide and cover yours, slipping it under his waistband, and you feel his length, the warmth emanating from it heating your hand. He squirms underneath you and his erection springs free, the cotton from his sweatpants bunching over and brushing past your bare legs. “Speed up your pace,” he mumbles, tilting his head, exhaling with knitted brows.

Your thumb brushes against his slit, spreading the budding precum over his head. You straddle above him, knees and a hand planted firmly on the bed, as you twist the other hand, a soft clicking sound accompanying his breathy moans.

He’s quiet as you work him through the pleasure, silent, breathy gasps that mask as his moans, hands fisting and teeth gritted together. He breathes heavy, sucking in sharp breaths when you twist your hand, fingertips brushing along a thin vein and his face flushes with a healthy glow, eyes opening and glazed over with ardor.

“You’re beautiful,” you mumble, lips ghosting over the staples, placing delicate kisses where purple meets metal. “You know that I love you. Scars and all. Fire and smoke.” Your arm trembles and you move to a straddle, lowering yourself until you peck at his collarbone, seatied below his length. “I could never find you anything other than handsome.” Your hand moves slowly, thumb circling around his head and spreading the pearly beads.

He breathes harshly, eyes shut tight, a flush appearing on his face. “Don’t-” 

“I mean it Dabi,” he swallows when you say his name and he teases his bottom lip with his upper teeth. “You are so handsome. So beautiful and gorgeous.” You nuzzle into his chest, blowing cool air against his skin. “You’re so good to me. So nice and caring.” Your hand moves at a quicker pace, a soft clicking sounding out in the room. “Look how handsome you look under me, my love.” He lets out a strangled moan, brows furrowing and you can feel him pulse under your touch. “You’re so good Dabi, so wonderful and deserving of good things.” You trail kisses over his chest and your free hand cups his face and slides down to the curve of his neck, his pulse quickening. “I wish you could see how pretty you look right now,” you mumble against his skin, kissing at the scars, rough and grooves etched upon it, leaving the traces of them against your lips. “So cute and blushy under me,” your body bends as you press your lips lower against his abdomen, lifting yourself up once you cannot go any farther. “I love-”

“Fuck,” he interrupts you, a harsh rise and fall of his chest. He curses into the room, skin cold and on fire all at once, his length leaking into your palms. “Tighten your grip baby.” He nods his head and refuses to open his eyes. You do as he says, watching him through half lidded eyes. “Just like that.”

His back arches and a moan sounds in the back of his throat, filling the room, muting the rain and the wind, skin aflame and the parts that aren’t covered by a cool shade of purple is lit up in a sweet pink, rising on his neck and peeking past his cheeks. 

“You deserve good things, you know?” You want to make him understand that he’s worthy of love. That whatever he’s told himself to be uncaring isn’t true, whatever he has faced doesn’t make him any less worthy. “I could never hate you. Never be disgusted by you-” his eyes widen and he looks at you in shock- “you’re worth more than you think so. Worth more than you could ever realize.” He opens his mouth and steam rises from his face. “You deserve forgiveness. Whatever happened in your past, you never deserved it. It was never your fault. Dabi,” you murmur his name, whispering like it’s something sacred, “I love you. And I won’t ever hold your past against you.”

He cries your name, eyes shut tight and with a guttural moan, he releases onto your shirt, a thick discharge that spills and stains, splatters against your shirt and drips to your palm where you continue to move, smiling softly when he whimpers and his hands rest upon your thighs, fingers curling and dully scratching and pressing his nails into your soft skin. 

Fabric is carefully removed, rolled up to avoid the mess sticking to anywhere that isn’t fabric, your chest exposed and nipples pebbling against the cold air of the room. You kiss him through his heaving breaths, kiss at his throat and whisper how good he is. His hand against your bare chest, as he lets himself calm down from his high, leg shaking and eyes that open to meet yours, and you kiss as his eyes, kiss down his face and pepper your love over him where tears would fall if they could.

He holds your face in his hands, thumbs brushing along your bone. His touch is warm and safe, comforting and you lean into it, cupping your hand over his, your palm meeting his knuckles and you turn your face to press your lips against his palm. “I love you Dabi.” Even muted, the words are clear, they hang in the air, no rush for a response. The words are sweet and true, your eyes earnest as you stare at him while saying it, hoping that he can understand that you mean everything that you say. 

He opens his mouth, words form and lips move along, but no sound moves past his lips. You want him to tell you what he thinks, you’ll accept every part of who he was and is. He closes his mouth, lets his tongue peek out and he pulls you in for another kiss. “I love you,” he says softly, the words loud enough to be heard by you and only you. His words are rasped out, said in a low murmur and he looks away, meeting your forehead with his.

He smells of smoke and mahogany, his hands rough and gentle against your skin, lowering his hand until it rests over your heartbeat, sighing and pressing his palm deeper against you, desperate to feel you closer than before, and he buries himself against your shoulder, hiding himself from the world and from you, his lips ghosting over your skin in kisses, searing the marks onto you.

#dabi x reader #bnha imagines #touya todoroki x reader #bnha spoilers #i hope you liked it! #im iffy about the title but eh #someone scream with me #clown make up was the right make up

[bjy-on-ao3]

Kinktober 2021, Day 4

(As usual, you can find the AO3 version of all my uploads [and some things I don’t post here to tumblr] via my Masterlist blog page.)

This is another one that probably could have been longer, and I’m not 100% sure if it fits the prompt as planned. I’m hoping it’s still likable though, all things considered!

Summary Sometimes things don’t go quite as planned. When Reader’s plans to spend the day with Barbatos are interrupted, they try to get their way, even if it means getting in the way of work.

Tags/Warnings Blindfolds, Bondage. Creampie, Gags, Kinktober, Kinktober 2021, Oneshot, Prompt, Reader-Insert, Shameless Smut, Vaginal Sex

Kinktober 2021, 04: Brat Taming (Reader x Barbatos | Obey Me!)

You had gone to visit Barbatos that day expecting to spend some quality time with him, having finally arranged a day when he wasn’t swamped tending to the needs of the prince and the castle. Shortly after arriving, abuzz with excitement to finally have some alone time with him, Barbatos had received news that an impromptu celebration was being held the next evening - meaning whatever spare time he left to him was suddenly gone.

The news had made you cross to hear, knowing that Barbatos would be required in the kitchens on such short notice, though you had tried to hide your discomfort. To your credit, you thought you had done an admirable job when all a part of you really wanted to do was protest how unfair the latest arrangement was. But Barbatos was dutiful to a fault, and directly fussing over things would do little good.

Instead, you took the opposite route, and offered your help, thinking perhaps additional hands involved in the chore might lend it to be completed more swiftly. Unfortunately, you had vastly underestimated just how much work needed to be, as well as how much patience you had for it. The first couple hours of work had gone on well enough, but it seemed to be unending. You found yourself tiring of the tedious tasks, internally groaning at the work left before you still. Briefly, you wondered if the assignment was actually some curse neither of you was quite aware of, but you quickly dismissed the absurd thought.

You paused in the middle of stirring a bowl of ingredients, glancing out of the corner of your eyes to Barbatos busily plowing through each new culinary task, little phasing him. He was the picture of efficiency and focus, and the kitchen air was heavy with the various smells of seasonings and sweet flavorings, and citrus courtesy of his efforts. You watched him work as inconspicuously as possible for a moment, a new idea slowly coming to you. An idea that was far more alluring, though one admittedly much less productive than the task at hand.

Turning your attention half-heartedly to the bowl in front of you, returning to stirring, you finished it and pushed it aside. You searched for a proper excuse for the scheme you were hatching, finding it in a multitude of bottles and jars of ingredients for some of the next things on Barbatos’ long list of to-make recipes. Resuming the guise of a hard-working assistant eager to assist with the prepping and cooking, you moved to gather more ingredients and dishes, brushing purposefully close to Barbatos as you went by. You leaned forward to gather a bottle or two, reaching around him and feigning a hint of clumsiness that led to stray touches.

Lights taps and pats on his shoulders and arms played off as helping you balance. Strokes on his waist or hip, daring to creep a little lower. All manner of touches that seemed innocent enough. But you knew, or rather hoped, that it might distract Barbatos and broach his focus,  and potentially lure him away from his chore. He remained just as unphased as before, though, hardly giving you a second look, save to courteously steady you or to make a polite quip to be a bit more careful.

After several unsuccessful attempts, you frowned at your lack of progress. Though you weren’t to be put off so easily and moved onto your next plan of action without lingering on the thought too long. You stood closer while you worked on your latest project, mashing an assortment of ingredients and fragrant herbs into a mortar beside Barbatos. Still grinding the contents, you subtly slipped your spare hand down, reaching more brazenly for Barbatos’ thigh. Your fingers brushed the cloth of his pants, creeping inward more slowly.

Barbatos cleared his throat pointed, his only acknowledgment of your attempt before he caught your hand by the wrist, pulling it gently away before you could properly feel him up as you had planned. You pouted again, further frustrated by his determination to ignore you. You still weren’t done yet, though. You tried the same thing, making the motion less obvious, more alike to an accidental slip. But even then, Barbatos dismissed your wandering hands, stopping only to speak for a moment, but not to address your meddling in the way you had hoped.

The look on his face was sterner than before, a hint of warning to stem your interruptions and focus. “Now isn’t the time. There’s far too much work to be done.”

You met his words and stern expression with a stare of your own, though one much more petulant. You silently huffed, fuming and pouting further, staring down into the muddled mass in the mortar. While you considered your options next, you went back to actively helping prepare batters and sauces, and icings. Barbatos moved away several times, pausing to place unbaked cakes and pastries into the large ovens or put assembled treats away to chill until the next day.

At some point, he returned to the counters with a platter of golden brown pastries assembled in an orderly pile. It was obviously one that had set for some time already, the tops of the stacks already topped with stiff peaks of colorful whipped frosting. As Barbatos turned away to resume work, a new scheme sprung into your head, prompted by the confections set out before you.

For much of the work before, Barbatos had only stopped to give you more than passing attention - or at least you had thought - to offer advice, or give you instructions. At last, though, he looked toward you, recognizing how you looked when you were truly onto some new plan. Barbatos had kept a careful amount of his attention dedicated to you, though you hadn’t yet realized.

He was good at feeling out when you had a mind to try and cause trouble or to grab his attention, whatever the situation. He had known as well that once you started, you weren’t going to give up easily, even if it meant acting rather childishly in your determination. He recognized the look on your face as you eyed the decorated pastries. When you glanced over, checking if he was paying you any mind, he knew you were about the act up again.

Sure enough, you set down your current tool, reaching your newly free hand in the direction of the pastries. The sharp, sudden mention of your name though made you flinch and halt with your arm outstretched.

“Haven’t you misbehaved enough for one evening?” Barbatos said evenly. The words had still startled you, even though you had been aware you had more of his attention than before.

Your nostrils flared, and you blew out an angry huff, recognizing the tone of Barbatos’ voice and debating your next move. Should you behave and drop it for the night? No, that wasn’t an option. You had to push your luck, challenge him. Your irritation demanded nothing less.

“Maybe I wouldn’t have to misbehave if you’d pay me more attention in the first place,” you snapped back in defiance. You turned back to the pastries from before, thrusting a finger toward the large pile of frosting on the pastries’ peaks arranged in an ornate pattern.

“I know you understand those for tomorrow,” Barbatos continued, his voice still even, but more warning, accompanied by another commanding call of your name.

“Well, maybe I don’t want to keep waiting,” you snapped, though it was quite clear it wasn’t sweet treats you were being impatient about.

You looked at Barbatos markedly, turning and dipping your finger into the frosting and scooping out a section, ruining part of the decoration. Looking back, you raised the coated finger to your lips. His gloved hand caught your wrist again, more firmly than before, and when his eyes locked with yours, his glare was piercing and cool. You suppressed a shudder but refused to break or back down.

“That’s enough,” he declared sternly.

What he did next was in stark contrast to the tone of his voice. He didn’t release your hand immediately, instead tipping your frosting coated finger toward him and sucking it into his mouth. His tongue rolled hotly over your digit, cleaning the sticky, cloyingly sweet icing from it. Your brows shot up, and another shiver threatened to creep down your spine while you swallowed hard. You had gotten the attention you had so petulantly been trying to achieve from Barbatos, but at the same time, it had shattered your resolve.

That attention was lingering, though, a taste to quiet and rattle you.

“I think it’s time you retired for the night,” Barbatos decided after pulling your finger from his mouth and letting your wrist free, foregoing any more contact with you and leaving you wanting, stirred up from that one action alone. Yet, there was something mischievous, almost dangerous in his tone, something that rang familiar. “You will wait up for me. When I am done, we will discuss this. Have I made myself clear?”

You nodded meekly, your streak of mischief shaken and relegated to the back of your mind. “Yes,” you answered quietly. Your mouth felt dry, and a tenseness grew in you, something halfway between anticipation and uncertainty.

“Excuse me?” Barbatos questioned expectantly.

“Yes, sir, perfectly clear,” you added, his words prompting you to remember your ‘manners’.

“Good.”

Barbatos turned back to the counters, leaving no room for further dispute. You saw yourself out of the kitchens, calming your thumping heart down as you went. You flagged down a Little D, requesting aid to return to the guest room you normally stayed in when you came to visit Barbatos or stayed in the castle for any other occasion. You gave your thanks upon reaching the room, closing the door behind you and flopping onto the bed with a frustrated sigh.

You tried to preoccupy yourself for a while thereafter, browsing apps and messages on your DDD, answering friends, and checking in on the demon brothers. It could all only keep your attention for so long, though, and eventually, you drifted off to sleep from boredom with the device at your side. ---

You weren’t sure how long you had slept when the soft click of the bedroom door awoke you. You glanced blearily to the door, just able to make out Barbatos’ silhouette against the darkness of the room. Though the outline of him was difficult to see, he was hard to miss in other ways. As he approached the bed, the ominous glow of his eyes, casting his face in a sickly green pallor, was the most noticeable feature.

You jolted up on the bed, recalling Barbatos’ instructions to wait up for him. But it was too late - Barbatos had already seen you sprawled out asleep on the bed, disobeying him once more. Passingly, you noted you hadn’t been the one to turn the lights off in the bedroom.

The bed sank with Barbatos’ weight when he reached the foot of it. He poised himself over you on his hands and knees, and you instinctively sank back against the sheets. As he leaned down, something cool, thick, and scaly curled purposefully around one of your thighs, teasing slowly further.

“Misbehaving again, already? You’ve been very insolent today. I’ll need to give you a much more thorough lesson this time, won’t I?”

#kinktober #kinktober 2021 #shall we date? obey me! #obey me barbatos #fanfiction #writing #ao3 #barbatos

[daydream-believin]

Flowers Have Feelings

summary: it's valentines and you're making some gifts for your good pal douxie,,, also confessing

warnings: swearing probably, no proofread cause tired

word count: 2659

a/n: i've been struggling with writers block. i guess. i've returned to this only to write like, a paragraph so many times. which is bad cause like cheese designed the bouqeut and this should have been done ages ago. idk idk bon appetit

tags: @yagirlcheesely, is for you

image below: sketch of the bouquet

You jumped out of bed and slammed your alarm. Today was the day. You had to get everything ready today. Tonight would be the presentation. The night you finally do it. The night you confessed to your closest friend and crush, Douxie. Also happened to be Valentine’s day.

Your friends may have told you: “Just be patient. Drop hints. If he likes you, he’ll let you know.” But you weren’t about that passive love life. You liked to grab that strawberry cow by the horns. Subtly was boring and took far too long. You were in love with your friend and you were gonna let him know frankly if it killed you. It probably would, to be honest.

As confident as this makes you sound, you were aware of the possibility of him not liking you back, and that was okay. Sure, your heart would be shattered and you might not be very peachy for, say, a month or six, but you accepted that. At first, you had resigned yourself to just adoring him secretly. But you quickly grew impatient with that. What were you afraid of, really? Him letting you down gently, and ushering you two into an era of awkwardness? Okay so maybe that was worth considering. But not really. You wouldn’t let it come to that. Even if he did turn you down, you weren’t about to let that fact taint your friendship like that. You two were very close, and Douxie wasn’t the kind of guy to suddenly treat you differently after such a thing. Just a few weeks of awkwardness at most before all was forgotten (on his end at least). Only a problem for you. But, boy, it would be really, really nice, and not awkward, if he reciprocated.

You and Douxie were thick as thieves. There wasn’t a thing you hadn’t told each other. Not a secret between a pair of buddies as close as you. Oh, one thing, you know. The fact that you had caught feelings, that was definitely something you had kept secret from him. As eager as you were to do so, you couldn’t just drop a bombshell like that at any old time. That’s why you chose today of all days to confess; a little extra luck from St. Valentine. A little magic to give you a boost, placebo or not. This was going to happen. This was going to work.

You strapped on your helmet, safety first, before heading out on your bike. You cleared your schedule for the day cause you weren’t really sure if everything would work out or not. You could have everything done and ended wrapped up neatly in a few hours, or you could have a complete disaster on your hands, which could take up all your time. Time you would happily give, since you were determined for everything to be perfect. It was also nice to know you didn’t have to come in to work later,, lest you spend the whole night, crying your eyes out. You shuddered at the possibility. You were gonna stop thinking about that now. Yeah, only confidence now.

You may be a teensy bit sleep deprived. Only a teensy bit. You chugged a monster this morning, you’ll be fine. It wasn’t your fault you were up all night researching flower language. There were so many flowers, and those flowers had so many feelings. Eventually though, you managed to settle on a bouquet of roses, daisies, and dandelions. Fern leaves for greenery too. Greenery was important for flower arrangements. It tied the whole thing together. While it wouldn’t be the most on theme color scheme, the yellows, whites, reds, and greens, would mix together prettily. You definitely didn’t have to go as far as this, and you were banking on the fact that Douxie even knew flower language, but it was sweet, it was romantic. And you were going to be romantic about this, dammit.

Daisies, for friendship. It was really important that you communicate just how much you valued Douxie’s friendship and how nothing would change between you two if he were to not return your feelings. Red, red roses, classic romance. There was a reason the blooms were so strongly associated with the valentines holiday itself; no one sees a red rose and thinks of anything other than love and romance. A clear message to your beloved. And well, the dandelions? Cheery, beautiful, resilient, common weeds, never to be approved of, finding the strength to bloom despite assholes like Merlin’s best efforts. Dandelions were Douxie’s favorite flower.

Too bad the florist didn’t even consider them to be anything but said common weed. You had included them in your order when you called it in and you could hear the florist laugh, but muffled as if he put his hand over the receiver, before returning to the phone to inform you that you would have to add them yourself. Pretty rude, if you say so. No matter, hand-picked dandelions would be romantic, anyways. Even if no one else knew about it but you.

You placed the bouquet neatly into the basket of your bike. You’d pick the dandelions to complete it later, right before the big confession, in order to keep them fresh. But as of now, the bouquet peaked out of your basket, the floral fragrance wafting up to your face as you made your way to the next store.

Last week, you had seen such an adorable little box of chocolates. It had chocolates shaped like little skulls, flowers, and ghost cats, and the box had a silly pun about death. Goth chocolate, def. It would have been perfect for the edgy wizard in your life, but alas, it was way too fucking expensive. Like obscenely expensive. But no matter, you’d just steal the idea. How hard could making chocolate be anyway?

You left the grocery store with your haul safe in your skull-patterned reusable shopping bag. Wizard-chic and eco-friendly, it was your favorite bag. The contents of the much-loved bag? Melting chocolates, a jar of marmalade, a jar of raspberry jam, a jar of strawberry jam, and a new roll of wax paper, since you were out. Now you weren’t as ambitious as to make your own jam here. This was a failsafe. There are only so many ways to ruin chocolates if you did not make the chocolate nor the filling yourself. Now just a quick run in the stationary shop on your way home for a cute box, and you were all ready to start your chocolatier career.

 * * *

Douxie was getting antsy. Not many patrons had paid a visit to his bookstore this afternoon. Which was strange for valentine’s. and it left him with nothing but his thoughts to entertain his anxious mind. Doux had a lot to worry about. His band had a gig in a new town, so he wasn’t sure how they would be received. He was waiting on a shipment of books that was supposed to show up days ago. It may have gotten lost. That Lake kid was getting himself into more and more trouble these days and it was starting to become hard to help out without overstepping his vaguely imposed bounds. But most of all, at the very moment, he was worried about you.

You had asked him to meet up for dinner tonight. Okay, pretty normal for a Sunday night. Not that the weekend meant anything to either of you, but you normally set aside Sunday for dinner hangout. So nothing to abnormal. But then. Then, you said, something… Douxie actually can’t recall what you said, per se, just that it was along the lines of “we need to talk.” And that your tone sounded nervous. He did not like that one bit, nope nope. He had spent a great part of the day just revisiting every interaction the two of you had had in the last month or so, desperate to figure out if he did something wrong. But he was coming up blank, for all his efforts. Across the room, the clock ticked on. It would be closing time soon enough, and then he’d no longer have to wonder just what he did wrong, as you would be there to tell him directly. Fuzzbuckets, he couldn’t wait.

* * *

You wiped the goopy chocolate off of your cheek with the back of your hand. So far this wasn’t a total disaster. You had at least seven chocolate skulls filled and drying in the molds. The white chocolate seemed to have melted smoother than the regular chocolate? The regular chocolate ones looked kind of lumpy. You hoped they came out of the molds okay. Not to mention the ones you already messed up. A little mountain of chocolate pieces and jam had started rising from your table top corner.

It had been lots of fun at the start. melting the chocolates with a double boil, planning out which molds would be which flavors. But actually filling those molds? A messy, messy ordeal. You had chocolate and jam all over your kitchen, up to your exposed elbows, and even a little in your hair. But that was okay. You’d clean the kitchen later. With the molds in the freezer to set, your priority now was cleaning yourself up rather than the kitchen.

And you cleaned up nice, if you did say so yourself. You got the chocolate out of your hair, and had on a fresh outfit, taking a little time to put effort into your style. You looked snazzy, but not too fancy. You needed to stay casual. Something that you hoped would make Douxie be like ‘wow they look pretty okay’ but not freak him out with formality. Yeah. This was good.

Your watch beeped. Okay, you needed to get out of here, no more dilly dallying. You pulled the candies you made out of the freezer. Moment of truth. Thank the stars, all of the chocolates came out of the molds smoothly without breaking. You arranged them in the cute circular box you set up earlier and folded the tissue paper over them. They all fit in perfectly. The cheesy valentine card, the most important part, didn’t quite fit on top of the candies, you’d have to put it with the bouquet. You slid the lid onto the box and fastened a bow around it with a blue ribbon. Maybe this was a bit overkill, but Douxie knew how to appreciate the dramatic. He’d love it, you were sure.

Last but not least, you headed to the greenspace across the street from your apartment for the final ingredient in your Douxie wooing, dandelions. You were lucky that the empty lot had recently bloomed an entire garden’s worth of the yellow things. The chilly breeze mussed up your newly-fixed hair as you danced about gathering the tiny flowers, adding to the bouquet until you felt like it was enough. Which took longer than you had hoped. You definitely could have kept adding in more dandelions but your watch beeped once again and you had no choice but to make peace with the level of yellow and book it to the bookstore where you and Douxie were supposed to meet before heading out for the night.

* * *

Hearing the ding of the door chime, Douxie turned around to kindly inform the customer who came in that he wasn’t open, but the words caught in his throat when he was met with your smile. There you were, standing in the shop with a box in one hand and flowers in the other. You looked cute. Really cute. But Douxie chased that thought away. He fumbled with the book he had been re-shelving. It fell out of his hand unceremoniously, landing with a thud.

“Hey,” Doux managed to get out. “What’s all-”

“These are for you!” you shoved the presents into his now empty hands. That courage you had earlier? Gone. Your resolve? Dissolving as we speak. You had to get this over with before you chickened out. He was just so good, okay. And why did you think this was a good idea. Douxie looked down at the gifts in his hands confused, before blushing. If he could have reached a hand behind his head and rubbed the back of his neck he would have.

“I didn’t know we were doing Valentine’s, uh. I feel bad I didn’t get you anything.”

“Oh! Don’t be. I just,, felt like doing something nice for you and uh, special,” Douxie tilted his head. You took the box, freeing up his hand. “These are chocolates I made, like, like you’re supposed to do.” You waltzed over to the counter to place them out of the way. “The bouquet is the real star here, uh, I picked them out very carefully.” You tucked your arms behind your back. “I, uh- I brushed up on flower language, and I hope I got it right.”

Now Douxie may have been a Victorian once upon a time but he had barely any surviving memory of the frilly flower language people socialized through in those days. But thankfully, the blooms in the bouquet in front of him were straight forward enough that he did in fact get the message without taking too much gear turning in that noggin of his. Although, the friendly daisies with the red roses were kind of sending him some mixed signals. He knew what he wanted them to mean, but he could just be misinterpreting. You seemed to notice his hesitation.

“Um, there’s a card too. In the flowers somewhere. That. Probably explains what I’m trying to say a little clearer.” You carded your fingers through your hair. You had anticipated not being able to really speak with your voice, as you barely could now, so you’d written it all out on the card as backup. But damn, that card had everything on it. You maybe got a little carried away. There wasn’t going to be any going back from this.

Douxie dug out the card from amidst the blooms. It was handmade, with a cheesy little drawing on the front complete with a pun. And then he opened it. It was almost solid black with ink. Yeah, you had written that much in there. Both sides. And a little on the back. Wow. Doux tried his best to keep up a poker face while reading it but failed quickly as the first few lines alone left him flushed. It was true, everything was on it. From how much you adored Douxie as a person, to how much you valued his friendship, to how pretty you thought he was, to how you longed for something more, with him? Douxie felt like his hands were getting the card all sweaty.

It was nerve wracking watching him read that card. It seemed like he was finished, since his eyes stopped raking through it, but now he was staring intensely at the words written on the pages, in a trance. He broke focus, looking to the bouquet, back to the card, and then finally settled on you.

“Wow.”

“… is that a good wow?”

Douxie caught you by surprise. He pulled into a hug. “Yeah, a good wow.”

You and Douxie’s first non-platonic hug? Yes please. You didn’t even mind the flowers pressing into your back. Okay so a few rose thorns were poking you but that was fine. Douxie smelled like something you couldn’t name, but it was spicy, and cozy. He let you go sooner than you were ready to, but he grinned at you as he left to rummage through his things in the back for a vase. He turned to you as he proudly displayed them on the store’s counter, right where he could look at them all workday,

“So, where are we going tonight? For our first date?” Doux chuckled, “and, technically, our first Valentine’s day too.”

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