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owliellder · 9 months

Text

Two's A Crowd

College Bully! Leon Kennedy x fem! Reader

MDNI 18+

(Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5)

Description: College is proving to be a lot harder than you imagined. You cannot fail this math class. So when you've tried everything else, a well-known student is recommended to you by your professor for tutoring lessons, not really leaving you with much of a choice but to work with him.

Warnings: Not proofread, No Use of Y/N, Dub-Con, Unprotected Sex, Bullying, Yelling, Cursing

Tags: College AU, Bully! Leon, Shy! Reader, both are in their early 20's, Leon is Rude AF in the beginning, Loss of Virginity, Oral Sex, Fingering, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Additional Tags to be Added

Author's Note: Yay!! New multi-chapter fic in honor of 800 followers!!

I'm a sucker for tropes and mean Leon is one I can't keep out of my head. If you're not good at math then this is the fic for you! (also don't mind me slipping some Sky lore in here...)

Cross-posted onto AO3

Chapter 1

Growing up, college had always been a big dream of yours, leaving you fantasizing day in and out about all the possibilities that would open up, along with actually getting to live through the renowned “college experience”.

In reality, college was a lot harder than you were expecting. Your parents had told you to jump right into it after high school, fearing taking a gap year would ruin your good streak. The stress was starting to get to you and it was only a semester into your freshman year. All the tests, projects, and general studying really wore down on your mental health, not to mention you were failing the one math class you had.

You couldn’t tell your parents, no, they’d probably have a heart attack, especially since that math class was a prerequisite to another class that you needed to take. They were already worried enough that you hadn’t picked a major yet, so who knows how they’d take the news that you were failing right off the bat.

It was hard enough that you were feeling homesick. This was the first time you’d ever been this far away from home, studying at a university when you would’ve been perfectly content going to a community college closer to home. Your roommate was nice, but the two of you weren’t growing any closer than mere acquaintances, so it always felt awkward to just exist in your own dorm room.

Your eating habits worsened with the lack of any real food within five miles of campus. Sure there were a couple fast food chains on the campus itself, but they closed incredibly early. By the time you finished studying, which was around six in the evening, it had already closed. Not to mention that when they were open, the lines were comically long. University food was out of the question after you got violently ill from their “chicken nuggets”, so you were left with the little money your parents provided once a week to order takeout or make quick trips to the store to buy a frozen meal. Only one, since the mini fridge in your dorm was almost always occupied by your roommates stuff.

Everything was so exhausting and you were way out of your comfort zone having to use the community bathrooms for all your hygienic routines. Walking in always made you feel like you were interrupting a meeting in the president’s oval office with how many nasty looks you were given when all you were trying to do was brush your teeth.

The first thing you saw whenever you opened up Canvas was a massive F staring you down from the little box that comprised the majority of your math assignments and tests, making you feel less than worthless. This one semester alone helped you understand why so many people dropped out, this was hard.

By now you’d already gone to your math professor multiple times asking for redos or extra credit work. He was probably sick of seeing you since you showed up after almost every single assignment’s grades were submitted.

“Heeeyyy, Mr. Lebovic..” You said after knocking your knuckle against his open door to grab his attention. “Listen, about that last quiz, I-”

He cut you off with a wave of his hand before gesturing towards one of the chairs sitting in front of his desk. You hurried to sit down, watching nervously as he slowly pulled his eyes off his computer and onto you. “I get it, you don’t need to explain yourself.” His relaxed tone and faint smile was enough to ease your nerves a bit, letting your shoulders slump with a sigh. “You’ve been trying really hard, I can easily recognize that.”

You nodded eagerly, licking your dry lips as you opened your mouth to speak, only to be cut off again. “I’ve been looking into studying options that might help you. Resources are scarce for this material, but I think I finally have a tutor to help you out.”

A wave of relief washed over you at the mention of tutor. Maybe you wouldn’t have to face the wrath of your parent’s disappointment after all! “Oh.. o-okay…” you stuttered, eyebrows furrowing as you silently beckoned him to continue.

“I teach another math class, it’s higher level, but I have a student in there that’s just taken up tutoring the material you’re learning.” Your professor seemed just as happy as you were about the opportunity. “His name is Leon Kennedy, he’s got one of the study rooms in the library from three to five in the afternoon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”

It took you a second to process everything Mr. Lebovic was telling you before you scrambled to pull out a sticky note and a pen to write all the information down on. You heard the older man chuckle softly, looking over at him when he held out a small piece of paper to you. “I wrote it down already for you, don’t worry.” You wished you could’ve thanked him tenfold, but his office hours were closed for the day now, so you said a quick goodbye and hurried back to your dorm, holding onto the piece of paper like a lifeline.

Contrary to what your math professor thinks, you knew the name “Leon Kennedy”. You had a couple friends that you hung out with occasionally out in the grass in front of the science building and they’d brought him up before. The few vague bits of info that you’d heard weren’t flattering, painting this Leon in quite a bad light; the stereotypical jock in a frat flying by on a full-ride scholarship. However, he was your saving grace now and you needed to develop more of an unbiased opinion of him if he was going to help you raise your grade from an F.

“Yeesh, sorry I’m not better at math or I would’ve helped you.” One of your friends, Sky, spoke up as they read the piece of paper your professor gave you yesterday from over your shoulder. “Even if you were better at math, I still wouldn’t trust you.” Ella, your other friend, laughed out.

“Ha ha, yeah, Sky failed math four times. Big whoop.” Sky waved their hands dramatically before walking over to sit down next to Ella in the dead grass. “Seriously though, you’re better off taking a failing grade and dealing with your parents. Kennedy is the devil incarnate.”

“The devil incarnate sounds easier to put up with than my parents, so I’ll take my chances..” You grumbled, taking a seat on a medium-sized rock close to the pair. “Maybe he’s turning a new leaf? Deciding to tutor?”

Sky crossed her arms and rolled her eyes which made Ella elbow them in the side before giving you a sympathetic smile. “Maybe so, but please just be careful. I don’t want you having to put up with some jackass that has an ego bigger than Texas.”

You nodded with a slight frown, moving your foot side to side lazily to push the grass blades around. You didn’t even think to consider the repercussions of studying with some random junior. “I’m sure it’ll be alright. Besides, just tell Sky and I if he’s giving you any trouble. I know damn well no man likes to put up with two women yelling in his face.” Sky nodded and pointed to Ella for added dramatics. “Yeah, and I bite. My top six teeth are porcelain so that shit hurts. Trust me.”

Your friends never failed to make you laugh, a slight resolve in a pool full of worries, you suppose. “Don’t worry, you guys’ll be the first to know if Leon is mean.”

“Good. Now, when’re you gonna go see the guy?” Sky rested their arms on their knees before looking up at you. “Uh.. in a couple hours I guess. I already made the appointment.” Your response seemed to surprise both of your friends, giving them a confused look in response to their shocked ones. “Is that.. Is that not a good time?”

“No no, just.. I thought you would’ve maybe taken a little longer to go and see him.” Ella shrugged, reaching a hand up to scratch behind their neck. “Proud of you, taking the initiative like that.” She then looked at her phone before pulling herself off the ground with a small groan. “I got class in a couple minutes. Good luck with the frat boy.”

She patted your shoulder as she walked off towards the larger building on campus, leaving you and Sky alone for the rest of the time. Part of you wished both of your friends could walk you to the library when the time came, but having Sky was enough. “So.. Leon’s bad bad?” You needed a bit more clarification on the guy you were going to spend one-on-one time with, something to calm you down after running through countless scenarios in your head.

“He’s not all bad, 'least I don't think. I’ve exchanged a few ‘hello’s’ and ‘excuse me’s’ with him here and there since we apparently frequent the same building.” Sky scooted over to the rock you were sitting on, placing the back of their head on your legs. A couple brown leaves blew over from a nearby tree which they grabbed and crunched with their hand. “I haven’t personally experienced any bad happenings around him, but he is part of a pretty notoriously rowdy frat, so you have to promise me that you’ll only study with him on campus and never go to that frat house or any frat house in general, alright?”

Sky pointed up at you, poking the underside of your chin which made you laugh again and swat their hand away. “As much as I rave about wanting to have the stereotypical college experience, going to a frat house was never part of my daydreaming.”

“Good. Keep it that way.” They switched their fingers to give you a quick thumbs up before letting their arm flop down into their lap, eyes closing with a sigh. “Anyways, besides all that, wanna go get some food? I don’t have another class today and you’ve got about an hour and a half to spare, so actually you have no choice. Get up.”

You stood up with a shake of your head once Sky pushed off of your legs who stood up as well with a small stretch. “Don’t burn me at the stake, but I kinda want grocery store sushi. I’m feeling lucky.”

“Please don’t.” You sighed, pocketing the piece of paper before beginning to follow behind Sky as they started to walk across the grass.

After the two of you shared a sandwich from some random shop not too far off campus, Sky walked with you up to the library, stopping just before the front desk. They agreed to not wander in with you under the condition that you’ll go to their dorm straight after to discuss details.

To say you were nervous was an understatement. Most of what you heard about this guy meant he was bad news, though you really didn’t have much of a choice when it came to seeing him. Like your math professor said, there weren’t a lot of options when it came to studying the material you were learning. Sure you had the internet and other students in the class, but you preferred the idea of a tutor since you’d already exhausted yourself trying to follow along with various youtube videos. You needed the in-person teaching, it just stuck better in your head that way.

Slowly starting to walk, you made your way over to the study rooms lining the back of the library. The rooms seemed pretty private with the only window being on the door, which had glass nearly top to bottom. Thankfully the rooms were numbered and Leon had texted you which room to go to when you made the appointment with him, you had no idea what he looked like and you didn’t want to look like a creep eyeballing people through the door until you hopefully found the right person.

Standing off to the side, you could see the number you were looking for sitting above the door, taking a brief moment to collect yourself and hype yourself up to talk to someone who didn’t have the greatest reputation. Set aside everything you’ve heard and just hope for the best..

You took in a deep breath as you strode over to the door, glancing inside through the window before knocking to let him know you were there. The table was angled off more to the left so you didn’t immediately see him until he leaned over the table to see who had knocked. Confidence left you as soon as you made eye contact with Leon due to the groan you could hear through the door. It took you a couple seconds, but you eventually managed to get your body to work with you, hand turning the handle to let yourself in.

“-the last thing I need..” You caught the end of his little rant to himself as you opened the door. The saying “fake it ‘till you make it” is harder than it sounds since your entire body decided to betray you, deciding that shrinking in was the best move. Quietly, you shuffled over to sit across from him at the table, placing your backpack in your lap in some weird way to provide comfort in this situation.

“You weren’t supposed to show up.” Leon grumbled, sitting far back in the tilted chair as his feet lifted the front end of the chair slightly. His arms were crossed and he was giving you probably the nastiest look you’ve ever seen, next to your parents, of course. All you did was sit there giving him a blank stare. It was obvious what he’d said, yet the sheer forwardness of that snide comment had you more than confused. “What?-”

“You weren’t supposed to show up.” Apparently he felt the need to repeat himself with some added bite, barely letting you get a word in. “No one ever shows up to these shitty tutor- whatever the fucks.”

Wow. Okay. “Uh..” You didn’t even know what to say to that. It completely caught you off guard. You’d run through countless ways this interaction would go in your head, but this wasn’t one of those ways. The two of you sat in a very tense silence with Leon just glaring at you from across the table, continuing to rock back and forth in the chair.

Without uncrossing his arms, Leon lifted a hand and waved it around slightly while shaking his head. “Are you actually still gonna sit here orrr…?” The sound of his voice finally snapped you out of shock, causing you to shoot your gaze down to your backpack, fumbling with its partially broken zipper. “I-.. Mr. Lebovic recommended you..?”

You pulled out a few of your failed assignments from your bag before setting them down on the table with shaky hands, keeping your eyes glued to the papers to avoid that burning stare the man in front of you has. “I need-.. I need help..?”

“Do you?” Leon let the chair fall forward, his sarcastic tone starting to make your whole body tremble. “You don’t sound like you do.” He snatched one of your assignments from the table and held it up, pursing his lips as he studied the various red marks made on it closely. You chose to not respond to that, letting your hands rest on top of your backpack so you had something to squeeze.

He turned the page around, the sound of the paper wobbling the only thing you could hear right after the sound of the central heat blowing through the vent in the room. Suddenly, Leon started chuckling to himself, shaking his head incredulously as he flipped the paper back and forth a couple times before letting it fall back to the table. “This is terrible!” His laugh grew louder as he tilted his body to the side to pull out his phone, taking a picture of the assignments you’d put on the table.

How on earth were you supposed to react to that other than just sitting quietly? He was actually making fun of you right to your face. Hell, he might as well point and laugh if he’s going to be this brasen.

The most you could muster up was a quiet yet high-pitched “... huh?” in response to him. This whole ordeal was spiraling a little too fast for you to keep up with. You were expecting to put up with some grown man with a bratty attitude or even just a very uninterested, not all there jock with how Leon’s been described to you, not blatant bullying.

“Huh?” He mocked, taking one last look at his phone while loudly sucking on his teeth before pocketing it again. “Anyways, this is actually sad. How are you managing to fuck simple math up like this?” He roughly grabbed all the papers on the table and stacked them before partially tossing them back at you, some slipping onto the floor. “You’re too far gone, even I can’t fix that.”

You let out a gasp when the papers were tossed at your face, scrambling to catch some of them. Pushing the chair back, you leaned over to grab the few that fell on the floor, desperately holding back tears. “Please, you don’t understand.” You pleaded, voice cracking as you tried your best not to start crying in front of him. “I-I need to pass this class. I’m passing everything else, I just can’t keep up with this one!” You were speed-talking to try and argue your case, sitting back up with the small pile of papers that you struggled to stack properly.

Leon started rocking back in his chair again, arms back across his chest as he watched you with squinted eyes. The corners of his lips soon turned up into a smirk, taking in your sorry state before rolling his eyes with a dramatic groan. “Alright, alright, stop whining, jesus..” He cleared his throat, letting his head fall over the back of the chair. “I’ll help you only because I feel bad for you.” It’s not like he was going to admit that he was being forced to be a tutor, no one needs leverage over him like that

You couldn’t help but give a small smile despite his implication. It was a start. “And I’m not gonna do it today, either.” Well, the sooner the better, but still, it’s a start.

He then stood up from the chair, fixing his jacket with a sigh. “If you show up even a minute late on Friday, I’m not helping” and before you even had a chance to reply, he walked out of the room, the door shutting with a slam which made you flinch. Luckily, you were a very punctual person when it came to this kind of stuff. This was important, so if you had to show up early, so be it. You hurriedly shoved your assignments back into your backpack, not even fully zipping it up before rushing out of the study room, back through the library, and to the dorms.

“He said that?!” Sky yelled, quickly wiping their hand over their mouth to quiet themself once you shushed them. “I don’t really feel comfortable with you going to another ‘study session’ with that guy if he’s just gonna bully you.”

“I wouldn’t call it bullying-”

“He was bullying you.”

“OKAY! So what if he was?!” You fell back onto Sky’s bed with a sigh, arms splayed out with your legs dangling off the side. “I can handle it. As long as I get my grade up, who cares?”

Sky sat down next to you on their bed, giving you a sad look as you sat yourself up with your elbows. “I care. So does Ella. You shouldn’t put up with that just for a grade. I’m sure if you explain to your professor and-”

“And what? Tell him that I’m a grown woman getting bullied over something I should know by now?” You sat yourself up fully now, leaning forward to place your elbows on your thighs as your head rested in your hands. “It’s only until finals are over and we’re already halfway through October. Maybe I won’t even need that much time, maybe I’m just missing one simple… math move and it’ll get the gears in my brain moving again.”

You tilted your head to the side to look at Sky, head now resting only in your right hand as you took in their annoyed look. “Trust me. I can handle this.”

“If you say so.” They ran their fingers through her hair before looking away from you, directing their attention forward to stare off at nothing. “Just remember that I bite and I’m not afraid to use my fake chompers on that no good-”

“I don’t wanna think about escalations right now, but thank you.” You chuckled, playfully nudging Sky with your free hand before moving it back to hold your head up with the other. Though you were trying to convince Sky on this, you were mostly just trying to convince yourself that you could handle this. Handle Leon and his.. alluring charm..

Only until finals, maybe even sooner.

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x-liv25-jamieswife · 2 months

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can you pls do some jameson headcannons?

jameson head canons

of course, i'd love to. jamie is the best brother, and that is not up for discussion. might suck cause i'm currently dying (not fr). i also might make a part two cause i wrote these at like 2am and feel like i have some better ideas. hope you like them<3

his favorite kind of alcohol is whiskey (idk why is just feel it)

he's ambidextrous

loves chase atlantic and the weekend but is also a sucker for love songs, laufey, and taylor swift

actually has a really nice voice. he'll sometimes sing in the shower and avery thinks its adorable (she also has a great voice so sometimes they sing together)

he has nightmares about the day avery got bombed and almost died.

he literally only drinks black coffee with the tiniest amount of milk in it.

he's secretly a huge anime fan, especially more romantic animes.

he had an obsession with octopuses when he was younger (i have no idea why). he used to get tobias to take him out to places where the could see them

played roblox for the longest time possible (he loved bullying kids and playing really difficult obbies (he would not stop until he finished them))

he takes hours getting ready in the morning bc he has a 1094 step hair care routine.

when he gets anxious (very rare) he plays with the hem of his shirt.

he's a very good electric guitar player (i imagine him doing those videos you see on tiktok where the guy is playing and you can only see his hands (people are thirsting over it in the comments))

posts thirst traps on tiktok and tags avery in every single one of them so she can see (at this point this is canon)

when he becomes older, people see him as a dilf.

seems like the kind of guy who would like rough s*x and, although he does like it, he prefers it when its romantic

gets extremely scared that avery will someday realize she deserves better than him and will leave him (he thinks its true but its not). he'll wake up from nightmares where he loses her crying silently, and he'll start cuddling up with her.

loves being the little spoon in bed or resting his head on avery's chest.

he has pinterest boards with inspiration for his dates with avery.

has the sluttiest waist known to human kind (it has everyone in a chokehold)

he went behind tobias' back and got on anti-depressants (i'm projecting) (he got them prescribed to him obvi). he still takes them.

he's actually a really big fan of poetry and literature (one of the reasons why he loves taylor)

when he's really deep in thought/is confused, his eyebrows will scrunch together

he used to be a really big nail biter. he'd especially bite his nails when he knew tobias was disappointed in him and wanted to talk to him.

when he has to sleep without avery, he cuddles up with a pillow bc he hates not falling asleep holding someone/something

has a teddy bear he's had since he was baby that he still has today and cuddles up with when he's alone

he's perfected his fake smile and literally no one can see through it (except for avery)

he loves receiving kisses on his nose (from avery of course)

he used to have a friend group he liked a lot until he realized they only wanted him around bc of his money

his comfort series is percy jackson (in another post i said avery used to have an edit account dedicated to pjo, so they bond over their love for the series)

hates having dry lips. it irks him. he always has lip balm with him

he has impeccable taste in clothing but no one really knows cause he never makes an effort

he only cries at night in the comfort of his room in his pillow

really depressing, but he's tried to kill himself multiple times but tobias always stopped him (but did nothing to help him)

he absolutely loves stargazing. all of his worries melt away whenever he's stargazing.

for halloween one year, he dressed up as a condom...

i apologize for any spelling mistakes :)

#the inheritance games #jameson hawthorne #grayson hawthorne #avery grambs #nash hawthorne #xander hawthorne

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chekensheppppp · 6 months

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I would love to hear about any head canons you have for the two not so very great dads :3 💖

I HATE THEM!!! 😡😤 (proceeds to make art, stories, and headcanons of them as they occupy my mind space for how many months already) (slight suggestive warning for some of these HCs)

I like to think they dated way before the present time (they dated in college, this hc is long so i'm not adding it here rn). So in the present games where they meet again (USUM's RR and Masters) Ghetsis slowly starts to develop romantic feelings for Giovanni (again). This bothers him to no end, especially since he suspects that Gio knows. Mafia man does figure out and secretly uses it to his advantage in their rivalry. Overtime though, Gio starts to feel mutual (again). This leads to him subtly flirting with Lettuce causing the latter to grow even more frustrated with his romantic man crush. He shouldn't fall in love with his enemy for world domination yet he did and he suspects that the other likes him too so now he's even more infuriated.

The jist of their dynamic pre-relationship is just Ghetsis being a tsundere who is also obsessed with the don bastardo (which he tells himself is hatred) and Gio being a smug flirt that takes any chance he gets to infuriate lettuce priest more.

They're very professional, most people wouldn't even notice that there's something going on between these two since they act all curt and business like everywhere. But if one stops and observes them, they'd notice how there is a minuscule hint of fondness in the way they speak to each other and how they have their own code in saying their affections. Also, look closely and you'll realize the glances they share have a deeper meaning than just mere looks. To put it short, they have a lot of eye sex, it's subtle but once you notice it, it becomes clear as day. Their grunts feel awkward whenever they end up noticing; it feels like they're intruding on private matters though they're not sure what.

Ghetsis has mobility issues, particularly his BW2 rendition, and he can't really walk and run for long distances anymore. Good thing he has a strong, beefy stud of a boyfriend to carry him around. Whenever Gio does that, Ghet becomes extremely flustered but doesn't stop him. While he does prefer dealing with his own problems and issues himself with the stubborness and persistence of a lone wolf, he's still a sucker for being treated and pampered like royalty. (After all, he is from a royal lineage and a pompous fuck)(expect a comic based on this soon)

In most other ships that involve Gio, he tends to subtly tune down his cruel, aggressive, and domineering traits for his partner and tries to be more considerate, slow and careful (still keeps the charming mafia godfather vibe tho). In this case, he doesn't. Being that they're both old and shitty bastards, Gio doesn't feel the need to adjust himself much for Ghet since he doesn't play nice either. If anything, he can be as blunt and straightforward as he wants to be. He won't hesitate to just slam the green-haired maniac down his office desk, rip apart his robes and have his way with him until sunrise.

Ghetsis likes to ramble and rant about whatever, whenever convenient. Gio doesn't mind this and lets him go on about whatever topic his partner wants to talk about. Usually he'd also return a comment if the other inquires on what he thinks or when he so chooses but in some instances, Gio just gets lost in the sound of Ghetsis voice, how he would be so full of emotion and conviction in the way he speaks and just the sound of it all can be what he considers music to him. You can tell he's not really paying attention to what Ghetsis says and is just enjoying the sound of his voice when he looks at him utterly lovestruck (well, as lovestruck as how a hardened mafia boss can be)

There are only a handful of people Ghetsis would allow to touch his hair; his hair care routine takes a long time to do and anyone that messes with it is basically asking for death. Gio is one of those few people. This pretty much means that he trusts him enough now to let him touch his hair and boy, he made a pretty good decision. Feeling his hand comb through his locks feels soothing and well, he does like how he pulls his hair from behind whenever they fck.

Gio most definitely had a long list of past lovers and even now that he's seeing someone, he still has many others clamoring to be with him. Ghetsis does not like this one bit. Whenever he's with Gio and someone tries to get too close to Gio, he just shoots them a scowl that can make milk sour up immediately and sticks closer to Gio. Gio does tell him to calm down about it and that he's a grown ass man who can make his own decisions but he does find it endearing seeing how much Ghetsis is in love with him.... even if it is going full possesive, but he can deal with that. (expect a comic on this too)

Curse that one deactivated blog for giving Gio a thing for Ghet's legs because now, I actually like the idea of it. Gio simply loves his tall, GNC, gossip girl, murderous megalomaniac boyfriend and his long ass legs.

There's something so funny about them getting married and Gio going like "Now that we're married, it's only fair that I give you something that you've always wanted." And straight up presents Ghet with a gun and says, "Let's shoot up a police station as part of our honeymoon, amore mio Harmonia." And Ghet is all sparkly eyed and delighted and goes "You know me so well, Sakaki dear." And their children are just screaming in horror in the background, "DON'T MAKE HIM MORE OF A THREAT THAN HE ALREADY IS!!!!"

and yeah that's it for now, this is getting too long lol

#cheken clucks #cheken's nonsense #my headcanons #god this ship is making my brain rot so much #but hey i'm enjoying it HAHAHHAHA #giovanni #ghetsis #terribledadshipping #pokemon #cheken scratch #cuz i had to add a quick art piece here lol

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bitch-butter · 3 years

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Hello,, I realize,,, it is no longer October,, and you may not actually be doing prompts any longer,,, but I would love to see 7. Routine Kisses for webgott (perhaps in front of a crowd, bc I'm a sucker for 'accidentally/unexpectedly revealed they are dating' though I do not know how you yourself feel on this matter)

woah! i don't mind at all, if i have time for a prompt I'll probably do it lol and this one was Really fun to write, and it was a nice break between series/chapter chores, so thank you for sending it in! hope you find something to like in it ~

7. Routine Kisses

“I oughta quit smoking,” George huffed, a stream of smoke mingled with frozen breath gusting out before him as he shuffled on his feet. “It’s too cold to fuck with this shit any more.”

“Then go back inside,” Joe bit, tense against the gentle but bitterly cold wind that moved around them, churned up by passing cars, couples stumbling over each other on the other side of the street to avoid half-frozen puddles on the sidewalk.

George glowered at him under his knit hat, bringing his smoke back to his lips for a shaky puff. “Someone’s testy tonight.”

“Not testy,” Joe grumbled around his cig as he adjusted his scarf, casting his eyes around the street restlessly.

“Are you, like, hiding from someone?” George questioned, a quizzical smile already blooming over his face as he watched Joe survey the street. “Is there an APB out, or?”

Joe blew his smoke straight into George’s face this time, smirking at the disgruntled click of the other man’s tongue. “It’s going to snow tonight, I want to head out before it does.”

“It’s not going to snow,” George shook his head.

“What’s that about snow?” Babe asked as he pushed through the door to the bar, zipping up his coat as he went.

“It’s not going to snow,” George repeated, taking a final drag of his cig before scraping it against the brick beside the door.

Joe rolled his eyes, frowning at the sight of Babe reaching into George’s pocket to snag his pack and lighter. “Thought smoking was ‘bad for your health’.”

Babe shot him an exasperated look, sucking one from the pack and handing it back to George, who simply watched him with a raised brow. “Hearing Gene and Joe talk about the fucking Eagles is also bad for my health.”

“They’re not still talking about football,” George said in disbelief as Babe lit his smoke and handed the lighter back in a gloved hand. “This has to be a new record.”

“This has been the worst year of my fucking life,” Babe sighed, smoke trailing frim his nostrils. “I live with someone who never cared about sports a day in his life and now owns a goddamn jersey.”

Joe snickered, shaking his head just for an excuse to look back out to the street. “Try to get them to talk about Dune again.”

Babe shook his head immediately. “We’re not fucking talking about Dune ever again in a million years.”

“Speaking of, where’s Web?” George asked, arms bunched up around his chest as he shifted on his feet. “Is he coming or what?”

“Said he was,” Joe replied automatically, before grimacing. “He’s coming from a dinner thing.”

He tries not to tip his hand too much when it comes to Web.

Not since New Years, and especially since this Summer, when their casual fucking had taken on an edge of quiet desperation. As of right now he doesn’t think they’ve let on anything, as he hasn’t been victim to any probing texts or dubious looks from their circle, but that isn’t to say he doesn’t live in fear. When they had first decided to finally put a bow on their near decade of not-quite friendship by hopping in the sack together it was only meant to be a one time thing, just one more reason for them both to say I can’t be his friend because of X.

It turned out I can’t be his friend because now I’ve had my dick inside him was not actually the same as I can’t be his friend because he likes Coldplay.

Because even if his stance on Coldplay is pretty fucking firm, his stance on disliking the majority of Web’s personality appeared to have been made of Reddi-Wip and dental floss. They fucked for the first time on Joe’s couch after a New Years Eve party, gold and silver detritus all around and at least 18 beers and two miniature bricks of red wine between them, a half-empty bottle of Cetaphil guiding the way. And he’d let Joe pull his hair and yank him around, and he’d listened when Joe asked him to bite his shoulder deep enough to draw blood as he came, and they’d rolled onto the dirty floor and done it again.

And Web had hung around for close to a week after that. The first day he helped clean up, the second day he made dinner to thank Joe for letting him spend the night, the third day they had watched Lord of the Rings, the fourth day Web had written on Joe’s laptop while Joe picked up a shift, and the fourth day they had woken up and fucked twice before 6a.m. and Web had left before he’d even put coffee on.

The entire rest of that Winter had been rinse and repeat of that same formula. They would meet up on Friday or Saturday, fuck like they were trying to get each other pregnant, and then act like it didn’t happen by the time they were in mixed company later that night. As far as any of their friends know the Web and Lieb show has been happening uninterrupted by actual feelings since they met, as they still find reasons to bicker and pick at each other over their clothes, their interests, Joe’s continued humor at the ridiculousness of Web having a podcast just to dissect book to film adaptations.

But the sex adds an extra layer of fluff over their interactions. It started off stiff, making their arguments all the more voracious, thick, heavy with unspoken sensations, but by Spring had transitioned into something altogether different. The snow melted, and they seemed to settle into a sort of repose: the added airiness of the season gathered up the past and let it seep back down into the dirt, and from it something else began to bloom up in its place.

Web had begun spending full nights in the Spring, for a start. He hadn’t spent a full night over with Joe since that first week they were practically attached at the hip, and Joe found that he liked it more than he had initially given credence to. In the morning he liked to put his face against the back of Web’s neck, burrowing between him and the pillow and sharing the warmth and the space in kind. And, it went without saying, he liked to have his dick in a warm hand before he got up, and then he liked to scroll through the news as Web drank his coffee, reciting pieces of interest to him.

Once they both put their weapons down, and take more than one piece of their armor off, they begin to get along just fine. It stops being Web comes over to fuck and slowly morphs into Joe goes to Web’s apartment after he gets off early and they share a midday drink, or they go out entirely and catch a movie or an overpriced meal, and the first time they hang out and don’t even touch each other’s dicks doesn’t even come as a surprise by the time Summer was coming over the crest of the world.

That June they had been at the grocery store on a Friday night, a long week and a long fuck behind them, gathering up shit for the weekend when Joe had run into one of the guys from the shop in the refrigerated section. Pleasantries had been exchanged, even as Web remained behind him, hands against the cart and eyes furtively shifting between them the longer they went without an introduction. Joe had gotten to it after a moment, but it had been stumbled through so thoroughly that it had been practically incomprehensible until he got to the word friend.

If there had been a word not to use in that situation, friend was it.

Web had reacted quietly, which in itself was uncharacteristic, and had kept that silence most of the night and part of the next morning until he had fled the apartment. Not only had he fled the apartment but he had left Joe on proverbial Read until that Tuesday when he had unexpectedly asked to come over in the late afternoon after Joe got off work.

He’d agreed almost instantly. That too had been a sign that whatever there had been between them the first time they had kissed had changed.

It had been the beginning of those days that started and seemed to never end, dragging on and on and leaving streaks of sun behind that stained the sky until the late evening when the clouds went purple and silver. Web had looked like a dream against it, the window behind Joe’s couch framing his face as he slumped against the back, hand over his mouth as Joe sat beside him, unable to do much of anything except stare at him.

“I think that I have feelings for you,” he’d said, still speaking mostly against his hand as his eyes stared out towards the opposite window.

Joe had laughed at him. “Are we talking more than two, or less than six?”

“I’m serious,” Web said, glancing to him with a peculiar gravity. “I think I really like you.”

“You think, or you know?”

Huffing, Web rubbed over his eyes. “I’m not going to play games with you, ok? I’m really not right now. Stop.”

Joe chewed his lip, paused long enough to let himself be deeply scared to have this conversation, and then gave himself another moment to analyze what exactly he was afraid of. “Ok.”

“Stop,” Web repeated, hand up and eyes open.

“I am,” Joe said sharply back, leaning in gently and catching the way Web’s eyes traced his movement, the way they lingered around the edges of his face. “I’m listening.”

Web blinked at him incredulously. “Do you have anything you’d like to say back to me?”

He coughed out a sound that was annoyed and amazed in equal measure. “What do you want, do you want me to talk or do you want me to listen?”

“I - “ Web began, before closing his eyes and shaking his head, a rueful purse to his mouth as he averted his gaze once more.

Joe watched him, looking dark in the dying sunset, his eyes like stars against the picture of the sky beyond him. “Web…” he said, weak and pausing, before finding himself once more. “Look, it’s bizarre, alright? I’ve known you for how long? I like you, I never didn’t like you.”

“But you don’t like me like that is what you’re trying to say,” Web nodded, voice tight.

“That’s not what I’m fucking saying,” Joe rebuked, reaching for him finally, palm landing against his forearm, travelling up to take his hand and pull it from his face, rolling the knobs of his knuckles between his fingers until they curled together the way he liked best. “I’m not used to looking at you and getting fucking heart palpitations, is what I’m saying. You were my friend, and now you’re something else, and the mood relay is kind of kicking my ass. I'm not going to lie.”

Web swallowed, watching him with premature dread as he spoke. “I care about you,” he said, as solid as he could be. “I care about you, and I like you, and I like to sleep with you, and I want to be with you.”

It was like a child's Christmas List. Joe had never known anybody who said I Want more than Web, in every capacity he could say it. He wants Joe to move over, he wants a sip of Joe’s drink, he wants Joe to fuck him harder, and he wants Joe to be with him.

Joe hasn’t always been the best at saying what he wants when he wants it. He’s happier when people just offer to give it to him, and Web usually has a sixth sense for it, whether it’s ordering for him in a restaurant or knowing just where to kiss him when he doesn’t even know himself. Web is offering him something that he thinks he wants, something he’s afraid to admit that he wants, but to accept it means he would have to offer something of himself, too.

“Maybe I want that,” Joe allowed softly, rubbing his thumb along Web’s hand, the bones beneath his touch like violin strings. “Maybe I want a minute, too, you know?”

Web eyes softened on him, hand going lax in his own before turning up, taking him in a firmer hold. “How long is a minute?” he asked gently.

A minute had turned out to last a Summer. Things changed only minutely: they went out more, inviting the world further into their singular universe, even going so far as to talk on the phone on the days they didn’t spend in each other's orbit. Joe hadn’t talked to anyone on the phone beside his mother in years, and found that he didn’t mind it too much after all.

It reached a head as Fall truly began, the leaves turning a harsh, nauseating yellow all around. That Friday had started off as it usually had: Joe got off work and headed to Web’s place, where he set his laptop aside and they screwed nice and slow for about three hours before going to meet the guys at their usual dive. There they had remained until the sun had mercifully set, then one more spot after that with Babe and Gene, and then to the 7-Eleven after Gene had poured Babe into a cab and they’d taken their leave.

In the 7-Eleven Joe had bought a pack of cigs and a fresh lighter with peaches plastered all over it, presenting it to Web with inebriated glee as the other man clutched at a frozen pizza and a 6-pack of beer and laughed back at him with red-cheeked happiness. As they walked home in the dark Joe had hung off of Web’s arm like they were going for a walk in the park, like a couple in a painting, breathless and bright and ready for life. They ate the pizza in bed as they drank, and with a burst of energy he had gotten on one knee in front of the bed, extending a drooping slice, and asked Web to be with him back.

And they had been together ever since. But they still hadn’t told their friends.

Joe had been open about it so far to anyone who asks, be it people at work or his own family. Hell, Web’s family even knew now.

But something about telling the guys...It runs up against his spirit in a way that even he can’t articulate.

He’s not so much afraid of what they'll think, more along the lines of just not wanting to have the inevitable conversation. As much as he loves them all to varying degrees he’s intimately aware of the fact that they’re all whores that love to gossip more than they like to breathe air. And this thing with Web is the first thing in a long time that’s made him almost no strings attached happy, and the idea of other people getting their teeth into it set him on edge.

Enough to keep the secret on his end, at least. And Web apparently must feel the same because he sure as shit hasn’t said anything.

“Well, is he coming or not?” Babe asked, pulling the collar of his coat tighter against his neck. “I need something to pull me out of my sports induced coma.”

George made a disparaging noise. “He and Lieb are just going to get into another fight about Timothée, right Joe?”

“Miscast,” Joe muttered.

“You are so wrong,” Babe said forcefully as George just let loose a long-suffering sigh.

“I’m out,” he said simply, turning back to the door. “I’m getting shots and putting Whitney Houston on.”

Babe followed him with a turn of his head, pulling on his smoke once more. “Don’t tell Gene I’m out here.”

Joe shot him a disbelieving look. “Where does he think you are?”

“What he doesn’t know,” Babe said simply as George shut the door behind him. “Never mind, there he is.”

Joe turned his head, and there he came. Web had that stupid hat on that Joe kept trying to steal away and toss in the trash, but at least his ears look warm in the nighttime wind, a trembling mist of moisture beginning to float around the street. Looking both ways, he ran a hopping run across the street until he landed before Joe with a smile that was there more so to soften the tension of his brow than to indicate pleasure at his arrival.

“Hi,” he said, a little gust of condensation.

“Hey, Web,” Babe greeted, giving him a wave of his gloved hand, cig still burning bright.

“How was the dinner thing?” Joe asked, taking a drag of his almost spent smoke.

Web grimaced, meeting his eyes just to give a jerky shake of his head. “Let’s not talk about it,” he drawled, before extending a hand. “I want a sip.”

Giving a roll of the eyes that was likely too fond, and thanking the dark for camouflaging it, Joe held his smoke out of the other man’s reach. “Get your own.”

“Edward, you are going to get it,” Gene said sharply as he popped through the door, still in just his T-shirt even in the growing chill.

Babe gaped at him. “You had two last week, I know you did!”

Gene shook his head, looking very much like he wanted to wag a finger. “This isn’t a discussion.”

“Unbelievable,” Babe huffed, tossing his cig down and grinding it beneath his boot, stepping up into the doorway to shoulder past Gene.

“You’re acting like a child,” Gene griped, the door falling closed as he followed after, giving them just enough time to hear Babe’s obstinate: “I’m not a child!”

The shutting of the door snipped the line of stress across his shoulders, and he felt himself go gently loose, like those toy blocks connected by string that lived in every Doctor's office. He met Web’s eyes once more, eagerly this time, and granted him a smile that went all the way up to his eyes.

“How you doing, kid?” he asked, extending the last dregs of his smoke out to the other man.

Web accepted it with a breath of relief, pulling on it briefly before shaking his head wearily. “Bunch of pseudo-intellectual boozehounds with dyed hair, how do you think I’m doing?”

“Remember that time you bleached your hair?” Joe asked, because fuck if his one job wasn’t to remind Web that he technically was no better than anybody else on the planet.

“I try to forget about it,” Web exhaled, smoke mingling with his breath in the air. “All they wanted to do was talk about Rachel Rabbit White.”

Joe snickered, spotting ash that fell against the collar of the other man’s coat and moving to brush it away. “God forbid.”

“It’s sad because I actually love her work,” Web mourned, looking aside to the street wistfully. “C’est la vie.”

“Buck up, Webster,” Joe said, good humor only growing at the melancholic posturing Web was so prone to. “Come inside, get a shot, catch up.”

Web chewed at his lip, a touch of actual reluctance in the line of his jaw. “I shouldn’t have double-booked, I’m tired.”

Tilting his head in faux sympathy, Joe took Web’s collar in a loose grip and gave him a gentle shake. “Well, you did. You’re contractually obligated to show your face for an hour at least.”

Dropping the dead cig on the ground, Web scraped it beneath his heel with a mulish look on his face that gathered a laugh up out of Joe’s chest. “I’m tired,” he whined, shoulders swaying with his own malaise, buoyed back and forth only by Joe’s hands on his coat.

“That’s not a face anyone wants to see,” Joe said softly, pulling him in even closer to kiss the corner of his scowling mouth. “Come on.”

Web made an aggravated sound in his throat, the same kind he makes when he has to wake up early, and Joe grinned as he kissed his cheek, then the bridge of his nose. “Come on,” he goaded again, warm breath moving over Web’s face and giving them almost the illusion of solitude on the city street. “Give me a small one, baby, come on.”

It only took another teasing press to the corner of Web’s mouth before the edges of his lips were turning up, though he looked to try and anchor them down, and Joe gave him a victory kiss that they traded between them for a brief, warm moment tasting of cigarettes and cold wind. Making a newly pleased sound, Web broke from his mouth to peck at Joe’s cheek.

“I’m going to do it,” he said softly.

“You’re going to do it,” Joe nodded back, moving into his heat a moment longer.

“I’m going to do it,” Web sighed, resigned, tipping his head back to take in a long, cold breath that he sighed out forcefully. Looking back at Joe, he gave him a wide, forceful smile that turned the slightest bit more genuine at the sound of his laugh. “There, daddy, do I get a star?”

Joe grimaced, slapping at his collar and pushing him away, much to Web’s humor, who simply stepped back with a huffed laugh. “Sick.”

“One day, Lieb,” Web sighed as Joe stepped up to the door, and the very thought made him want to push him out of the doorway and lock him out.

“Put that wish under your pillow, Web,” Joe toned, holding the door open for him as they stepped inside, the scent of black licorice wafting around the enclosed hallway only to bloom into a sour, wonderful smell as they moved back through to the bar. The guys were clustered around their usual table, just on the edge of the room between the dart board (far, far too close to the bathroom) and the pool table, were a beer and a shot were already waiting for Web as Joe slumped back into his seat, shrugging out of his coat and scarf.

Web sat in the empty seat beside him, keeping his arms and legs to himself so consciously it was almost comical, and Joe spread his legs further into the empty space just to annoy him. A fortifying shot and a few hearty sips of beer had him a little looser, but every time Joe glimpsed at him he still had that same exhaustion hanging off the corners of his eyes. His hair was mussed from his hat, and the combination made him want to put his hands in it, ruffle him further, coax him back to wakefulness the way he does in the morning now.

The thought makes him smile to himself, and the booze thrumming through his blood made him move before he really clocked it. Web’s hand, slowly picking at the skin around his nails, was caught up in his own in just the space of a moment.

It was like dominoes falling, one after the other.

First Web, who looked at him with a careful alarm, his hand going stiff where Joe held it against the table, almost pulling away before slowly going soft, easy in his grip. Joe met his eyes with his own muted surprise at himself, their connection like a balance beam from their eyes to their hands to their growing twin smiles. Sighing, Web relaxed back in his seat, hand flexing to twine their fingers together, a simple motion that transformed the contact from one thing to another.

And then, remarkably, Toye, who looked down at their hands like a scorpion had just crawled onto the table. Joe isn’t surprised, he’s usually the first to know everything and yet somehow the very last to ever say something, a quality he appreciates to no end.

This appears to be no exception, as he stares at their hands, and then at Web’s averted eyes, still locked in to whatever conversation Babe and George are having, and then to Joe. They regard each other silently, Joe hoping his face is set in as resolute a mask as he can project this deep into the evening, an expression of incredulous acceptance falling over the other man’s face like a drift of snow.

“Another round?” he asked, low and yet just loud enough to draw three other pairs of eyes to their end of the table.

Their faces all morphed into different Goya paintings at the same time, ranging from a careful shock and into out and out primal fear.

Joe, never one to not throw gas on a fire, tipped the scale by nodding. “I’ll get it,” he said easily, dropping Web’s hand just to curl it around the side of the other man’s neck, smirking at the pleased flutter of Web’s eyes as he followed the movement with a smile. Just to sweeten the deal, he leaned in and planted one of his usual kisses straight to Web’s messy hair, the kind that are so familiar as to be almost routine, whether he’s doing it as he says goodbye in the morning, as an afterthought while they watch reality TV, the very last one of the day before he shuts his eyes at night.

He pushes up with a little less coordination that he’s usually able to muster on a Friday night out with the guys, knock-kneed with happiness, exhilarated at the red of the other man’s face, the way his eyes go so blue as to be practically violet. With a rub of his hand over Web’s neck he takes his leave, crossing to the bar with relief.

Web can deal with this part on his own. That oughta wake him up plenty.

#prompt #you may be asking...Babe why do you not just write something in an AU you've already created?#and my answer is bc I Contain Multitudes #webgott

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daily-mikaze-ai · 4 years

Note

since you had cecil just now, how about camus for the character ask? I also wanna add that I think your opinions on both cecil and ren are really interesting!!

I'm happy to hear that :D

### Why I like them:

Camus gets a lot of hate and I kinda understand why especially when he wasn't one of my favorites when I first watched. But over time he kinda grew on me? He's got a strong work ethic, which is admirable, with his dedication and willingness to go completely out of his way to make sure his job is done perfectly.

This crosses into headcanon territory but I also think he has a sense of responsibility - noblesse oblige if you will - and will protect those who serve him. I have no doubt that if Cecil or anyone else was truly in danger, he would bust in and save them with all the glamour and dramatics he loves.

Speaking of, him being extra af in his introduction scene was absolutely hilarious.

### Why I don't:

You can kinda automatically assume cause UtaPri is in general wholesome and all that Camus, deep inside or smth, is loyal and dedicated to Quartet Night and its future. But, especially after the Non-Fiction drama cd, I feel like I need something more than what the material has already shown for that to cement to me. Like I need something more solid in what he wants for the future and his true feelings.

### Favorite episode:

Season 3 Episode 6. Tbh I don't think Camus gets much quality screentime for me to have many options for questions like this lol. But then again it's hard to juggle a cast of 11 (turn 18) characters and give them all quality screentime.

A Day with Camus have us very nice insight in his life and routine, and I enjoyed that.

### Favorite season:

Season 2. I can't believe I didn't remember how ridiculously over the top his introduction was lol. Maybe I wiped it out of my memory the first time?

### Favorite song:

(Assuming group songs aren't allowed - Non-Fiction would've been a strong candidate - then I'd choose) Zettai Reido Emotion

### Favorite outfit:

I highly enjoy anytime he wears glasses c o u g h, but if I had to go with one, I'd pick Autumn Basic Style. It really suits him and I'm a sucker for turtlenecks.

### Headcanon:

Camus is Alexander they canonically strangely resemble each other and Camus doesn't have a last name isn't that suspicious and- I'm just joking lol.

But ok I enjoy feeding into my crack Camus-is-a-dog-spirit theory even when I know the reason behind his name et cetera.

### Unpopular opinion:

His "real" voice suits him as a character more, but without that to consider I'm more of a fan of his Butler Persona voice.

### A wish:

Can we have like, an entire song in his Butler Persona. Just,,, because it doesn't exist and that would be really fun as a concept lyrically and musically-

### An oh-god-please-don't-ever-happen:

I know this isn't what this question is asking but just don't let him find out I'm not a fan of the Silk Queen. Or if you do, give me a 24 hour warning to write my will.

### 5 words to best describe them:

Steel

Cold

Flair

Devoted

Noble

### My nickname for them:

Myu-chan. Borrowing from Reiji of course. I have great fondness for Reiji's and Ren's nicknames for the other characters.

#utapri #uta no prince sama #camus utapri #quartet night #ask game #kikiji answers #camus

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simmancy · 7 years

Note

I was wondering how you first started your berry legacy? Did you make a new simblr for it? How did you first start posting and getting into a routine? I really want to make a legacy myself but i'm scared that it would look really mediocre and unorganized! Any tips on how to plan out the storyline and start posting? Thank you!! (asking this to a few different blogs so sorry if yo see this question somewhere else)

I’m honestly super honored that you’re asking me! I’m still a pretty small simblr compared to a lot of people.

I’m going to put this under a cut, just so it doesn’t clutter up people’s dashes because I RAMBLE (like seriously, I’m re-reading it all now and I go on and on and on) but I’m gonna cover everything you asked!

TL;DR: get mildly inspired, get involved in the community and have fun with it!

I cannot recommending creating a new blog enough. While it’s definitely easier to just create a sub-blog off your personal, you’ll have a harder go at keeping things separate once things take off. Plus then you probably won’t have ALL your million tumblr things that you’re already following mixed in with your sim stuff, making things so much harder to follow.

Once you start your simblr (whether a sub-blog or whole new tumblr), TAG EVERYTHING. XKIT SAVES LIVES. Not really, but it will save you a lot of time once you install the Quick Tags and make tag bundles. Seriously.

At least once a day, a “reblog if you’re a maxis match simblr” thing comes across my dash–don’t be afraid to reblog those when you’re starting out. (Or the alpha equivalent if that’s your thing).

Seriously, don’t be afraid to reach out to people and get involved. Ask for sim requests, reply to things, join a Discord server–don’t be afraid to talk to people! I’ve actually made a few good friends this time around. It’s awesome.

This is just one of the unfortunate realities about things–if your pictures look good, you’ll get noticed quicker and blah blah. You can get by on just writing, but it’s a lot harder. This is still tumblr. It’s microblogging. LOOOOONG text posts (like this one lmao) are not what it’s geared towards.

Anyway. I play TS4 on Ultra, and that does a lot of work for me. Sometimes all you really need to do is sharpen and brighten things up. Reshade is another good alternative, if your computer can handle it–that takes a lot of the decision making out because it edits for you! I used to use PickyPikachu’s reshade presets. The downside is that it’s pretty resource heavy.

The basic point here is that having good lookin’ pictures goes a long way to making your stuff look “not mediocre.”

Also, and this is a side thing–find a good theme for your simblr, something that looks good for both text posts and pictures, probably something with either a sidebar or header (or both).

This is the meat of the section and it’s all really Kit/Pastille-specific.

I started up the Pastel Pastilles because I saw Berry’s challenge–I had already read Splash of Color a long time ago, and had a (now obviously abandoned) TS3 rainbowcy. But TS4 was fun and ran like a beast and I liked berry sims, so I dove in. If you were to go back in my archives, though, you’d see that I started posting a TS3 LEPacy, and that’s not even my first one.

I’m not going to even talk about the Grims in this post, since they’re really new. But they’re a prime example of using community involvement to stay interested haha. I’m very excited to play with Ruby and her future family because of all the nice sims people sent for her to eat alive become friends with.

Planning with the Pastilles

With the Pastilles, I honestly got a little tipsy one night and did my initial planning based around Halsey’s Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. Like… Not even gonna lie. That was honestly my starting point. You can almost see hints of this in some places. From there, I had certain scenes I wanted to hit.

Gen 1 - Luna - “Hopeless”; it’s about being in a shitty relationship and hoping that changes lmao (“I hope hopeless changes over time”). Luna and Dianthus were meant to have a much more obviously toxic relationship but Luna ended up having four kids by her second pregnancy and I just couldn’t play and write that fast. However, I always knew that Luna’s big moment would be telling Dianthus to get out.

Gen 2 - Verity Vine - “Now or Never”/“100 Letters” - There are a couple things that have stayed consistent in this gen: Veri and her dreams, the peach spouse’s dad was gonna be a dick and they would be separated for years, and they were gonna hook back up at a wedding.

My very first concept was that Riesling was going to be a bit more wishy-washy and bend to his father’s will (hence “Now or Never” being the song). By the middle of the generation, it was clear that Veri would become the distant one (“he said ‘please don’t go away,’ I said ‘it’s too late’”).

Part of writing a sims legacy sometimes is… letting the sims do the writing for you. Meri and Forest weren’t supposed to be the ones getting married (it was supposed to be Chai Tea and Black Cherry) and they definitely weren’t supposed to have the twins but honestly the story is better for it, you know? And obv most of Veriling’s story isn’t the way I initially planned.

All this said, once I knew where I wanted the story to go, I knew I wanted to plan around a few set-pieces: the fountain scene where Riesling trips onto Veri and she realizes “OH SHIT,” the scene where Eiswein walks in, Punk!Veri’s “I don’t dream at all anymore,” and Riesling’s “Hi, I’m Riesling Puck, you might recognize me from your dreams.” Those were all scenes I knew I HAD to get.

Gen 3 - ??? - “Angel on Fire” - it’s about anxiety lmao so I don’t mind linking it, it’s pretty obvious. Gen 3 has an anxious heir, a song about anxiety was on the nose.

I don’t really recommend the getting tipsy part, but definitely do recommend going in with a basic concept.

The cool thing about challenges is that you already have the guidelines as a starting point. One of my favorite parts about this challenge in particular is seeing how people re-interpret the rules–for instance compare the Gumdrops, Frosts, Amours, Pastilles, Fairyflosses, Prisms–we all started from the same basic rules and there’s still a lot of variation, especially once you get past the initial introductions.

Also, SERIOUSLY: don’t be afraid to take inspiration from crazy places–a song you heard on the radio, a movie, your own life, whatever. Like, I decided Veri’s generation would have it’s first Act at Oxtail University because of the “dream of ivy covered walls and smoky french cafes” line in “Beautiful” (from the Heathers musical). The song otherwise has VERY LITTLE to do with Gen 2. It’s just that line became a starting point for me.

Keeping Things Lookin’ Snazzy with the Pastilles

Looking back, you can kind of see Gen 1 was a bit brighter and lighter/different in editing style than Gen 2. I purposefully set out to get a “dreamy” feel for Gen 2′s pictures. It works for me and the Pastilles–it might not for your legacy! Play around with things to see what works.

I’ve also noticed a lot of banners nowadays (they weren’t as big my first go around here on simblr, but they’re everywhere now). I think that helps to keep things “on brand,” organized and consistent too. I personally don’t use a banner for the Pastilles–I didn’t start with one, and now it looks super wrong to me when I try to use one…. So instead, I’d recommend looking at @frost-rainbowcy–she is SUPER on-brand. I can only aspire to reach that level of #a e s t h e t i c.

HOWEVER, I do keep everything on my blog hyper-organized–there’s a main page where everything’s pretty much linked, and the character page.

TBH, you don’t need to go that in-depth. I just like leaving weird easter eggs in places. You might too.

Posting Consistently

So, I started posting the Pastilles officially almost a week after I made the first post with Luna. That’s because I played a BUNCH right at the beginning, so I’d have something consistent to post for a while. It wasn’t initially as story-heavy as it is now. That’s something you probably want to decide before you start posting.

Right now, I’m posting inconsistently because I’m trying to wait around for Cats and Dogs and not give into the temptation to give Veri and Ries the babies they keep wishing for, but….

I’m in game almost every day–I get off work most days between 2 and 4 now, so by 6 PM I’ve eaten/showered/started up TS4. Even if it’s just to make a sim for someone.

I tend to do all my picture editing on Sundays, as it’s my day off. Sometimes it bleeds over into Monday, my other day off. I don’t always write posts up those days, but I at least stick them in the queue so they’re THERE. For me, it helps giving myself that weird deadline lmao

As a result, I almost always have something queued up.

I utilize the queue like MAD. Right now it’s set at 6 posts a day between 3 PM and 12 AM EST, but I change it up depending on what I have going on and what I can crank out. Usually I leave it on 13 posts a day.

Basically, learn what works for you. It does take some trial and error, but you’ll get it eventually.

Now here’s the real truth: you won’t post consistently if you don’t love your game or your sims.

I love playing the Pastilles as much as I love writing them. To the point that I have them backed up in several places just in case. I’m genuinely attached to the family, and that makes it worth it to me. Sometimes that doesn’t happen immediately (I love Luna, and Vino, and even Dianthus that shitbag, but you can tell that I got invested with Veri and Ries–Gen 1 is 30 pages long on my blog. Gen 2 is 92 and counting).

Storywise, I stay interested because I love the fluffy romance bits and snappy dialogue as much as the Drama Bombs, and also (spoilers) I’m a sucker for supernatural stuff. So I tailored my legacy to fit that.

But when I don’t want to play sometimes I just go in game, grab a few pictures of them in CAS and redo the character page for the 25th time. And that’s okay too. I just always try to make sure I have something to post, even if it’s a small (even if it’s just Riesling’s face. Because I know that’s what y’all want. It’s cool. I get it).

I seriously rambled a lot, but I hope this helps!! Once you get started, please let me know too! I’m rooting for you, non, and any nons to come after you.

#ask #simblr tips #oh gosh i am genuinely so stoked to answer this haha #Anonymous #I️ need to edit this is the morning it’s 2:30 AM and I need to sleep haha

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whimsicmimic · 7 years

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marbleverse sounds really cool! would you mind telling me about some of the characters? i'm very curious!

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

im not gonna lie; there’s a looooooootta characters in marbleverse, just because of how big a project it is. so ill just?? talk about some of the ones in family portrait because those are the ones im working with the most right now!! and also because this particular cast includes some of the oldest characters ive ever made??? (like, I’ve been working with the founders for 8 years!!!! thats a long time to work with a character yall!!! i love them dearly!!!)

SO. there’s 47 members of the cirque du lune. i’m not gonna talk about all 47 of them. im gonna talk about a handful of the ones that might come up more frequently.

the cirque du lune was founded by the sun elf illusionist Felix Pathic and the aquatic elf contortionist Holly Darling. Both of em are trans, Holly’s the World’s Biggest Lesbian, Felix is pan. they have a looooong history together. if you were to ask Felix, Holly is more his family than either of his half siblings are. If you were to ask Holly, Felix is the only family she ever had. You’re gonna see a loooooooooootta them.

They met when they were both kids - Felix was a bit of a pickpocket when his dad Javier Pathic died and he ended up on the streets of New Haven. His dad was a fairly well known toxicologist and much much less known for dabbling in more illegal businesses. Felix says he accidentally poisoned himself. Whether or not that’s the truth is another matter, but that’s the story he gives and that’s the story he’s sticking with. Holly didn’t have a name at the time, but she ran away from home. Felix and the nameless elf got into a scuffle in the middle of a marketplace and she lost her temper, causing a bit of a magic flare up and causing her to literally begin to melt into a puddle of water, which ended up with both of them getting chased out of the marketplace by shop vendors and patrons who didn’t take too kindly to a pair of Waste-touched kids causing a ruckus and called the militia.

Felix helped the nameless elf get away (partially because he felt bad, but mostly because they both dont wanna get caught so why not truce to have that Not Happen so that it Does Not Happen) and the two ended up becoming friends through hiding in a dumpster in an alleyway. They start to talk a little bit. Felix has a flare for dramatics and had been trying to make money through using his illusion magic in a street performing routine. She has no plan, no idea how to move forward. Her main focus was cutting all ties from her family and the community she was raised in, and now? she has no fuckin clue my guy! So they just. Stuck together. Everything’s easier when you’ve got someone to watch your back, right?

anyways, they’ve been running the circus for over 150 years together. Felix technically has the title of ringleader because hes a sucker for The Drama and Holly would Really Rather Not, but without either of em? things would fall apart.

Dapple won’t come up too often in Family Portrait since a lot of the drabbles take place around the time that Naomh joined, and Daps left the circus a few years before then. She and her half-sibling Nico were two of the earliest members of the circus and really really good friends of Felix and Holly! Daps was only convinced to join when she found out that Benzene (a sport fighter) was Felix’s half sister. She’s a half elf and was a swordsman, cellist, and conductor with the circus. She ended up leaving when she was offered a position as a guardsman when the circus traveled to her hometown, which had been a dream of hers when she was a kid. There was a point in time when things between Felix and Daps got real awkward and everyone thought it was because they were fucking. Felix will neither confirm nor deny this, but Holly will if you ask her when she’s drunk enough. Holly will tell many stories about Dapple if you ask her under the right circumstances. Holly’s got dirt on everyone but she’s too nice to use it against folks.

Nico is Dap’s half sibling and they’re a biiiiiiiiiiig half orc. They’re a strongman and fire dancer and they’re just about the jolliest motherfucker you’ll ever meet. They say that they broke someone’s hand during a handshake once, but Nico will neither confirm nor deny. They’re really good with their hands! They helped design Felix’s prosthetic arm once he could afford one and are pretty crafty. They fucking adore knitting, man. They’re very enthusiastic about many things, and knitting is very much on that list. They plan on leaving the circus eventually to become a metalworker, but for now the circus is their home and family and they don’t wanna leave em behind!

Chervil is Felix’s little half sister. She’s a sun elf, she’s kinda sneaky, kinda suspicious. She’s a schemer, that one. She’s fond of pranks, but holds one hell of a grudge when she’s been caught in one. She’s the hypnotist and occasionally works with illusion magic! She grew up in the foster system after Javier died and Felix decided “fuck that noise”. As soon as Felix knew he was able to support her, Felix came back for her. Things haven’t been quite the same between them since; Chervil’s been a bit more distant, a bit more prickly. She instigates and he nitpicks and they argue. Kinda often. But everything works out alright in the end and maybe this is just how things are between them?

Kaitlyn is a jester-sort of actor who has a knack for juggling! She was brought in by her adopted older brother Vincent (a lycanthrope who works on set design and maintenance - he’s the son of a very very very good friend of Kaitlyn’s aunt Cassidy, who raised her alongside Vinny) after she was evicted from her home and had nowhere else to turn. She auditioned as a fortune teller and Felix nearly turned her away, but Holly was enamored by her performance and ended up persuading Felix to let her stay. He warmed up to her after after it turned out she had a thing for juggling and filled the role of a jester instead. She’s a satyr with a jackalope motif. ANYWAYS Kaitlyn’s a giant lesbian and she’s dating Holly. Things’re great with them.

Saru is one of the dancers. He’s a moon elf and kinda a distant cousin of Felix? It’s. It’s complicated. He was a pretty well known prostitute at one point and joined the circus mostly because Felix asked him to and because he thought it sounded fun. He’s kinda like everyone’s weird uncle. He’s delightful to write.

Tante Amaryllis is one of the acrobats, although sometimes she joins in with the dance troupe! She’s an elegant lady. Joined the circus shortly after escaping a reaaaaal bad relationship while pregnant. Ended up with identical twins, named Jasmine and Jasper. She’s been with the circus for like. Thiiiirty years, though? Don’t swear around her. She’ll have words to say if you do.

Naomh is the circus’s youngest member! They’re a dancing violinist and joined when they were seven years old. They were taken into the circus after they were caught breaking into a tavern owned by a good friend of Felix who thought the circus would take better care of them than the foster care system would, as it isn’t very kind to most Waste-touched folk. They don’t talk much about their life before the circus, but they’ve mentioned having a twin brother who got separated from them.They haven’t had much luck finding him. The entire troupe has played a hand in raising them and the kid sees them as family. Felix fucking adores the kid. Everyone adores the kid. They’re a good kid.

There’s a bunch bunch bunch bunch more but. this is getting long. Saru will come up pretty often because he’s a delight to write for? And Tante Amaryllis and the twins Jasper and Jasmine, ESPECIALLY when Naomh is around but like. Yea. I could yell about a bunch more characters but. this is a lot. there’s technically 47, but only about a fourth of em will show up very often.

Felix, Holly, and Naomh will likely show up the most??? but who knows!! The first drabble for Family Portrait is about Felix and Naomh, though.

#creampuff rambles #a walnut #lost marbles #IM SORRY I KNOW THIS GOT #LONG.#thers a lot to say about them tho theres a lot of em and theres a lot to say about em #thank u for ur interest it warms my cold cold body in this chilly autumn weather

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