#but it'd be hell to clean; especially if you don't use it often

[neganium]

I feel like "guy in the walls" type of stuff was a lot more feasible when servants' corridors were still a thing.

#having secret passageways in the walls still fucks tho #but it'd be hell to clean; especially if you don't use it often #and you'd still have to accommodate for wiring and shit in the modern era; would it even be worth it?

[drifloonz]

hellooo. Can I ask for some dad steven headcannons?

i've been ignoring too many of my requests SOOO yes!! you may :)

dad steven headcanons!!

these are long sorry. or not sorry. whichever works. smile

____

♡ ok first of all. if this man impregnates you or anyone uh. he'll either be really into the idea or really fucking scared. usually a mixture of both. nervous and very anxious excitement.

♡ like he's always wanted children but in the state he's in now, he has always seen it as something unachievable for him nowadays

♡ who's getting pregnant? YOU decide!!!!!

♡ alternatively adoption exists which yeah that works too

♡ presumably, if this is a scenario where he's dating someone either the reader or like someone else, then PRESUMABLY he's gotten his life at least a little back together enough to clean his house a bit and clean Himself up a bit and generally just take care of himself and his surroundings more to be liveable enough for him, you, and presumably a child.

♡ single father steven is also very good. either or. but if he's a single father and a baby just drops in front of his doorstep he would take it but panic really hard ( he may at the dead of night fly to some adoption center and hope to god they take this random child... but he's also deathly scared of bad things happening especially w. waves hands at his whole story. so he might be too overprotective already to do that. )

♡ either way into actual dad hcs

♡ he used to babysit a shitton when he was younger, mostly with red and blue, so he's got the skillset for it. and he's also used to wanting to be a good rolemodel! it's just that these skills are so tucked away after the Depression Spiral that it's hard to get him back, but he definitely tries - for his child.

♡ honest to god if you asked him to name his child he'd either make an entirely new name or, because he's unoriginal and had a whole spiral over it, would name her miki or something very similar if she's a girl.

♡ welcome to the world Cool Charizard ( legal name ) /j

♡ ... it'd also be funny if whenever he has a child its always Girl because . yea. yea. Narrative curse.

♡ either way they basically don't have access to the internet bc i don't think steven even has that shit because he's poor as hell. at most he has phone data somehow that he probably isn't paying for. somehow.

♡ maybe his rent gets paid for him bc he was champion once idfk /j

♡ i thnik people are just too scared to properly enter his house and tell him to pay taxes and or rent he just gets to keep his shitty bigass house for free

♡ also it would be weird considering i think that the entirety of kanto tried to sweep him and his whole situation under the rug BUT THATS UNRELATED. SO!!!

♡ basically his kid is not an ipad baby thank god.

♡ even if his partner has one he's going to be like. vaguely scared of technology and also thinks itd be a really bad idea ( it is ) to just raise their child on that shit. the baby gets one cocomelon video a week /j

♡ thank god he probably still has his tv's that somehow still work so he just will let them watch baby shows in the living room sometimes instead of fucking cocomelon . thatd be horrendous.

♡ sometimes watches kids shows with his kid in his lap or next to him. usually falls asleep pretty quick into doing that

♡ he DOES tuck them in goodnight.. sometimes tells them stories.

♡ steven is really really really really overprotective over his child/ ESPECIALLY if it's like. straight up his child with you or whatever. that was a labor of LOVE!!! this also means he loves them very much but he's very dodgy with them going outside and whatnot. at least without his supervision.

♡ he'll be silly for his child and his child only. he'll make funny faces for them to giggle at and things like that and try to do fun things w his lil baby. etc etc. it's very cute to look at but if you use it against him he's going to glare at you really hard and squint judgementally

♡ honest to god i've said this so often to my friends . steven is ABSOLUTELY the type of guy to accidentally drop his baby while trying to hold them or throw them into the air a little and go "Oh shit. Sorry". brad lisa the painfulcore type dad except like less morally neutral bc his situation isnt the same

♡ lets the baby nap in with him a lot. sometimes you can walk into his bedroom and see him with all of his long ass hair splayed out on the bed and the baby also splayed out on the bed ... stevens gotta get his beautysleep!!! so does his kid!!!

♡ stevens really not sure whether to keep miki ( the charizard ) a secret from his child or not. because he knows that like. miki wouldn't hurt his baby almost definitely but he's still kind of scared of the possibility of either of them hurting one another accidentally or not... so at least until theyre older miki's probably a thing he tries not to mention.

♡ in general he also tries to not talk about himself or his past at all to his kid. he doesn't want them to know the ugly sides of himself.

♡ he just pretends he's a normal guy. if they somehow find out otherwise he'll either sigh deeply and tell them the truth, likely as some sort of life lesson to them ( either on safety, cautiousness, boundaries and trust w the trading incident or 'Hey if this happens to you maybe don't do what i did' but im not sure if he's self-aware enough to think of him as in the wrong entirely in that situation ), or he'll just say "must be a different guy" ( they look exactly the same in photos other than how disgruntled steven is now ... )

♡ he absolutely has a baby carrier. i think he always has wanted to carry a baby like that bc he thinks its all cute and funny. he probably smiles at you when you look at him wearing that with your little googoo in it. it looks so odd on him that it's kind of funny

♡ steven is absolutely a dilf tbqh... imagine dadbod steven NOW.

♡ sorry for sidetracking so much. anyways, he's the type of dude who OVERprepares. like MONTHS in advance, he's already buying a shitton of baby clothes, food, bottles, various furniture, etc. how is he buying these? well. either with your money or he's stealing that shit. or he somehow actually has money now. he might've mugged the various people who try to sneak into his house and 'mysteriously' die. who knows. It's a living! Kind of..????

♡ due to his general aversion of society he's kind of torn over wanting to go to a hospital or just doing it in a tub or something if its a situation where he has a partner. i think ultimately he'd do it in a hospital, despite his fear of people, because he's really scared of something going wrong. he'll wait with like. bated breath. scared as hell.

♡ he will cry the second that baby is in his arms. 100%. trust me. like. silently, probably - at least for the first few seconds. but theres a lot of tears. and a smile.

♡ he hums little lullabies to his baby and will gently move them back and forth... while the babies probably chewing at his hair a little.

♡ also yes he lets the baby play with his hair... his hair is that childs stimtoy ( whatever this means )

♡ s!3v3n is also surprisingly calm and good to the baby. the baby would either be fucking terrified of s!3v3n's face or think its silly and laugh at it. s!3v3n particularly likes to make silly faces where his tongue sticks out real far ( he can just do that when hes like that dw abt it ) and he goes crosseyed

♡ =P =D => <- s!3v3n making silly faces for a baby ( pov )

♡ ok this has all mostly been pregnancy and baby hcs. actual kid hcs uhhh... he probably really wants to homeschool his kid bc hes very overprotective but if you talked him into it he'd reluctantly put them in Actual Public School so they can have like. a social life. lol. bc otherwise theyd be EXTREMELY fucking isolated considering stevens been vanquished to Pallet Town's Shadow Realm ( aka pallet town 'A little to the west guarded by rocks and past the forest' edition ) and steven really doesnt want them to be lonely bc it sucks and hes been isolating himself for most of his life at this point so he knows it sucks

♡ he gets more comfortable going outside. most of kanto has forgotten about him anyways - he just specifically avoids going out to pallet town. if his kid wants to go there and hes not a single dad he'll have his partner do it for him. but he likes to go take walks with them and go to playgrounds. plus, he doesn't even have to whip miki / M' out in the wild grass - pokemon avoid him anyways. lol.

♡ as bittersweet as it is, if his kid wanted to be a pokemon trainer he WOULD have the best tips and tricks on it... he was the undefeated champion and arguably the first ''pokemon master'', whatever that term even means. ( presumably ''trainer champion'' instead of ''probably appointed to be in that position for someone to fight'' champion. like lance. or The Other steven. or smth. )

♡ he'd probably find a way to get his kid a starter... he still lives in kanto and close to pallet town too, so he can pull a silver and like. steal a starter. or he could just send his kid on their way ""without supervision"" ( hes lurking in the forest keeping an eye out just in case ) to ask oak about it

♡ if they pick charmander it is 90x more bittersweet. amen. but i think bulbasaur would be cute too bc its the only starter not picked and not relevant in strangled red + my own personal bulbasaur bias.

♡ although stevens going to tell them not to trade pokemon for obvious reasons - either thru a ''spooky tale'' / urban legend ( that is just his story but he tells it much more vague. like. ''... well i heard sometimes pokemon don't come back out.'' ) or just straight up says some shit like ''yea don't trade pokemon. it's bad.'' without elaborating

♡ regardless. he's still being very overprotective and unless his kid doesnt budge on it hes preferably not letting them go explore the world on their own until theyre like... 13-16

♡ even then. hes usually kind of trailing behind without telling them bc he legitimately has nothing better to do.

♡ ... also if the kid doesnt have a rival , like, no one at school or no one who they meet in their journey, then steven might. like. sigh deeply. get a few pokeballs from god knows where. catch a new team comparable to their kids level range. and be their rival. who is also their dad of mid 20s to early 40s in age. for some reason. people question it but he doesnt care he just wants his kid to have fun

♡ funnier option that i dont think he'd do ( probably ) is he pulls a clavell ( or team rocket ) and acts like a totally different guy when all that changes is his fit and maybe his haircut. except he prob pulls it off well. he'd still be obviously steven but his cap is backwards and his hair is tied up and his little jacket or w/e is around his waist and thats all that changes. his shoes might be untied for the 'stupid kid / teenager' look but then he trips over his feet and ties them bc its not worth the image

♡ alternatively ; its just s!3v3n. thats kind of steven but different right ( JOKING. HE WOULD NOT DO TH

♡ this hypothetical would be way funnier if he regained his entire reputation somehow of being a cool and strong pokemon trainer that he had when he was actually a trainer bc ppl forgot abt champion steven. and hes just like. "Okay. It's a neverending cycle of torment huh." under his breath when his kid cannot hear

♡ if asked for his name in this state hes just like uhh. uhhhhaa,.f uh. uh. stephen... thhhheee. third.

♡ he's probably not doing the thing mike and or blue did where hes the last e4 fight who isnt even an e4 member but is your rival. thats a bit too bittersweet for him. this whole exercise is fun but he doesn't wanna FULLY relive his glory days a year before his awesome trauma spiral. he also may or may not even do the gym leaders for the same reason. hes just a guy who his kid fights sometimes that is classified as a rival by technicality

♡ also yes he still has miki. he always has miki. shes just probably tucked into a bag or smth so ppl dont ask about why he has a cracked fucked up pokeball. she only comes out if his kid is in serious danger and he needs an intimidation tactic, or at worse, a method to quickly harm or kill someone with

♡ eg if a serious evil team situation happened and genuinely harmed his kid or threatened to their asses are not leaving unscathed.

♡ sorry this specific 'fake rival who is also your dad who also used to be the undefeated and first trainer champion of kanto' scenario is extremely fucking funny to me + fun in general. but moving on

♡ type of guy to dress his kid when theyre like a baby who cant think for themself in the stupidest halloween costumes ever. big pumpkin costume. hes about to crack into laughter when he takes a picture of them in it . or a charmander costume . because its steven. ( yes hes in a giant charizard onesie and yes if you make fun of him or his kid hes going to kill you dead

♡ he does go trick or treating w them too. he like. feels normaler on halloween. it was probably one of his favorite holidays even if pallet town was small an he probably got 50% apples and shitty non name brand stuff and 50% actual candy from the neighborhood homes

♡ type of parent whos going to squeeze his kids hand real tight when they get a shot or anything like that

♡ semirelated. hes tall and his hands are big but hes still gunna hold his kids hand everywhere even when theyre older until his kid complains enough ab it being embarrassing.

♡ has to crouch to talk to his fucking kid on eyelevel a lot of the times that his back hurts. like. more than it usually does.

♡ solution; just pick them up and talk to them while they are lifted into the air if theyre ok with it

♡ piggyback rides for his kid. 100000%. hes a piggy back ride type of guy. along with other similar things. would it be called grumpiggyback riding because its pokemon... anyways

♡ i think when his kids older they probably have a lot of inside jokes and steven likes to banter with them a little. playfully. and also likes to make jokes with the most deadpan ass voice bc his kid finds it funny, probably.

♡ stevens never had parents, so being a parent to someone else is... foreign, but also not really? as mentioned he did constantly used to babysit blue and red. and he was overall the teenage childhood role model for many kids in pallet town... but he himself was mostly raised by mike. so. either way, he very much loves kids and taking care of them. so tldr. hes a really good dad.

♡ i have more ideas but if you want any specific dad steven hcs explored jusrt ask me bc i have thoughts on this.

#wispy writes #steven strangled red #steven strangled red x reader #strangled red x reader #<- TECHNICALLY. the reader / his implied partner if he has one is very much not a central focus #headcanons

[quiveringdeer]

Camera Roll Challenge: Dating Jean Kirschtein

I dunno what it is about Jean but this man reads hopeless romantic to me. Maybe the whole being an artist thing. Especially when he's older. Breakfast in bed just cause you deserve it. Probably did the thing where he wrote letters to his future self to open at certain life milestones. Some of them are to his future significant other. When they get engaged. When they get married. When they've been together 5, 10, 15, etc years.

It's something he keeps up with as he gets older too. So they aren't always just from his super younger self. Maybe he wrote one to his future partner in high school then after going through lots of growth and experiences he decides to write another one to that same person. It'd be really interesting to read how much he changed in-between those years. I think he'd also make ones for partners that are like, what I was thinking in the moments before our first kiss. when I knew I'd fallen in love with you. other ways I thought of proposing. (Man, I'm so smitten for this man, I can't believe out of everyone I'm writing the most in depth for him. lol)

I don't know if he ever reaches the smooth or suave level when flirting or asking folks out --tho he thinks he has lol. He's so corny but it's really sweet and cute. Probably continues to use ridiculous pickup lines on people as a way to break the ice.

He can dance-thanks to Connie! He's a got pretty good rhythm and is a quick learner when someone takes the time with him. So thanks to his bestie Jean can salsa, batchata and merengue. He's always up for going out dancing and would take the time to teach his partner. Along with that, he's also the type of person that feels a big urge to wine and dine his partner and take them out on regular dates no matter how long they've been together.

Also the dancing wouldn't just be when yall are out on the town. Saturday morning cleaning days often lead to some kind of dancing and sometimes dance-off shenanigans. Depending on the music selection.

Like Bertholdt, I can really picture Jean being into theatre. Though, unlike Bertie, he very much thrives being the center of attention on stage. Related to the hopeless romantic thing, I can see him memorizing monologs, sonnets and poetry to recite to his partner.

Also, while there is that one OVA of him being a lil shit to his mom, I feel like once he gets over that teen "too cool for my mom" era he's a great son. His mom is so accepting of you and the first time you come for dinner she's totally the stereotypical mom who breaks out baby photos of her Jeanbo! I feel like she'd be such a great mother-in-law and is just so thrilled that Jean found someone to give his heart to.

A few photo thoughts below the cut :)

Top middle: Random morning with him bringing you breakfast in bed. And then also cleaning up the dishes afterward! Definitive husband material right here. (not that the bar should be that low but it's a green check) And you can't help but wanna catch a photo of those pretty legs of his as he's heading out.

Middle left: Okay I can't make a Jean post without bringing up horses. lol I feel like he grew up in the burbs and never really interacted much with them. But being besties with Sasha he ends up tagging along with her and Connie when she starts learning to ride from friends at the Ren Faire she works at in high school. Also, can you imagine how dreamy this man would look dressed up as a knight? Then waxing on poetically about how much he's in love with you? Corny as hell but my heart would definitely be doin flips.

Middle center: Why did he take a picture of himself pretending to sleep and send it to you?? Who knows with this boy. But at least he's cute. And he does seem real snuggleable.

Middle left: Booooooooooooooooy. I don't know bout yall but this photo got me feelin some type of way. Not just the tongue but the beanie and the earring too. 😮‍💨 Just feels like our boy's whole vibe in a nutshell.

#jean kirschtein x black reader #jean x black reader #jean kirschtein #jean kirschtein x reader #jean x reader #jean smau #jean kirschtein smau #aot x black reader #aot x reader #aot smau #nat writes #i dunno why this is so mushy! #i did not plan to write any of these things but they just came to me #sweet soft man

[dearshelby]

OTP ASKS GAME | T.S x OC

A/N: Absolutely no one asked for this, but you can't judge a girl for loving her OC, right? HERE is the template of the questions and yes, I'm encouraging my lovely mutuals to take a look at them because they really make you think deeper into your characters and I actually had fun with it! Also, the numbers are out of order because I only answered 31 out of 40, I thought it'd be better to keep the original order

1. Who most initiates PDA? Neither of them are really into PDA but before the war Tommy did it most, he enjoyed pressing a small kiss in Eleanor's temple when no one was watching just to get a shy/scolding look from her.

After the war though, Ellie always has a hand on his back or shoulder, it's grounding to him and reassuring to her.

2. Any sleep habits either had to get used to? Remember that scene in season 1 in which he is sleeping with his boots on, feet off the bed and an opium pipe in hand? That would've pissed her off to catastrophic levels because →

• The bed is clean and Tommy's boots are dirty

• He's ruining his already damaged back

• Where the hell is the blanket?

• She just knows he didn't brush his teeth, had water or took a wee

The thing is, Eleanor has an established routine while Tom contents himself with just laying down and if he gets any sleep, he's lucky. Once they adapted themselves he sleeps a little bit better because he sort of conditioned his brain into getting sleepy doing the "routine"

3. Hot and Steamy or Soft and Tender? Yes. Just kidding, it depends on their mood, Tommy enjoys sex in general and the only "demand" Ellie has is to be the closest as possible, which is possible at any pace.

4. How did they first meet? Tommy tried to steal some things for baby Finn at a grocery store and got caught. Eleanor happened to be there and noticed the owner of the store would beat the shit out of him, she didn't think it was fair and paid for the groceries. Out of gratitude, he walked her home afterwards.

5. What is their love language? Touch takes the first place, they don't say I love you often or consider themselves good at verbalizing feelings but if you pay close attention you'll notice they're always touching each other, be it touching feet under a table, resting a hand on the other's leg or touching elbows when standing together.

6. When did they realize they loved each other? They weren't officially together yet. For her, when she realized how utterly heartbroken she was thinking he was responsible for the robbery at her mother's shop (which he wasn't by the way), in her mind he had betrayed her, becoming exactly who her mother said he was and yet, she kept wishing he didn't have because she didn't want to stay away from him.

For him, when they went to a communist meeting and she enthusiastically talked to everyone, he felt a mix of joy for seeing her happy, with jealousy because she wasn't giving him attention.

7. Who is more sentimental? Eleanor. She keeps many of Theo's (her baby brother), Finn's and Tommy's old belongings, especially things like their first ties, hats or pocket watches.

Tommy is way too attached to "the past is in the past" to collect objects like that, however after her death in 1929, he kept all her discos, books and jewelry for their daughters to inherit, her clothes were only donated because he knew it's what she'd have wanted. The only exception is the gold bracelet she never took off, that is his, in his silly little head it still smells like her (it doesn't).

8. What’s one way their personalities complement one another? Besides being two introverts, they're very organized, determined and ambitious people (p.s - however, Tommy's ambition comes from trauma, Eleanor's doesn't, so she knew when to stop, he didn't ).

9. How are their personalities different? Tommy is realistic and spiritual (in his own ways lol) while Ellie is pessimistic and skeptical.

10. What are some non-sexual activities they do together? Much like cats, they're more than able to coexist in the same room minding their own business, but some things they enjoy doing actually together is having lunch/dinner or napping on the other's lap while they read a book.

11. Which member is more physically affectionate? Tommy initiates it more often at the privacy of home, doesn't necessarily mean he is more affectionate because touch is how they both show affection, but at home, he's the one to start it.

12. Which member is more verbally affectionate? Eleanor, mainly in a teasing way, she'll whistle, call him handsome or stud, anything that'll get him blushing and fussy.

13. Which member steals/borrows the other one's clothing? Eleanor because obviously Tommy wouldn't steal her dresses (perhaps her coats on some modern!AU). She's personally fond of rummaging his wardrobe for socks, shirts, sweaters and scarves.

14. Are they an introverted couple or an extroverted one—AKA would they prefer to go out to a party or event together or would they rather stay in? 100% introverted, especially after the war, if an event isn't related to the company or isn't a family occasion they're probably not going.

15. Who is more likely to make an impulsive decision and who is the voice of reason? Surprisingly, Tommy is way more impulsive, his arrogance pushes him into reckless decisions and Eleanor has to talk him out of it.

For example, in 1924 she wanted to deal with the Italians situation by firing Lizzie, then having John apologizing, or not killing Vincent Changretta after he made her get shot in an attempt to kill Tommy. He didn't listen and we know how it ended.

16. Who stays up way too late and who tries to drag them to bed? Tommy and his crazy sleeping schedule get on her nerves, sometimes she doesn't even say anything, she just shows up in his office and he knows, he follows her to bed without questioning.

17. Who fell in love first? Tommy did and oh, poor boy, it took a while to woo her.

18. What song fits them perfectly? Love me tender's cover by Pato Fu, the lyrics aren't very complex but are sweet, it's personally the song I picture for them if Ellie was a real character.

19. How do they deal with being away from each other for a long time? Fun fact: There's a bell in between his and her office because they're on different floors. When they're both home it rings from two in two hours, it was meant to be used when they have important things to say, but they actually use it whenever they want to see the other.

To be true, the only time they spent a long time away from each other was during the war. However, if they were to be apart, they'd call each other every day and unavoidably become more verbally affectionate, he'd spend some time thinking about her especially in the mornings and before sleeping, while she'd use his shirts as a pillowcase like a fool in love.

20. Who holds a grudge the longest? Oh woah, we're talking about two very proud people, but I'd say Eleanor, it's very toxic of her to give the silent treatment but she just can't avoid it. And at first, Tommy in his endless pride and anger swears he won't give in, he eventually does because he can't sleep well without their feet touching or focus on his paperwork when he's so tempted to ring the bell to her office.

27. What random everyday object/activity makes them think of each other? Not surprisingly, Ellie thinks of Tommy when she sees cigarette cases or red ties, she thinks they fit him well.

Now, Tommy is a certified coffee maker™ here, she always asks him to make some so its scent makes him think of her.

28. Do they get along with each other’s friends and family? I won't try to defend Eleanor, she had fights with each Shelby member at some point because even if Tommy is wrong, she tends to side with him, she's the typical "no one can be mean to my husband but me" wife.

She fiercely believes he infantilizes people, in 1919 for example, she didn't understand why he was so worried about Ada, she believed her sister-in-law was a grown woman and if she wanted to risk her life sneaking around with a communist racketeer, that was her choice. All she worried about was Karl and her and Ada had a big fight when she threatened to take the baby when he was born.

In 1924 she fought John for being dumb and threatening the Changrettas, and in 1926 she fought everyone who thought it was a good idea to push a prostitute into Finn.

Long short answer: Eleanor gets along with everyone, she's able to remain cordial, but she absolutely will pick up a fight if someone crosses hers, Finn's or Tommy's way, be it a Shelby or not.

Now, Eleanor's family is a complicated subject, her mother Ruth was never the same after her husband's death and Ellie doesn't remember much of her dad. Ruth never liked Tommy because he's a gangster, bad rumors always surrounded him and she simply doesn't understand what her daughter sees in a *Campbell's voice* murdering, cutthroat, mongrel gangster.

Theodore, the baby brother, sort of admires Tommy, if his sister loves him so much he can't be that bad, right?

29. What is their sex life like? Considering they were together for seventeen years, it's pretty well rounded. Tommy isn't that much of a whore in this AU, he had 5 or 6 people including Ellie and a few prostitutes, while she only had 3, the boy she lost her virginity to, Tommy and the woman she cheated with.

Out of the seven days of the week, I'd say they're doing it 3 or 4 times, mostly uneventful but not in a bad way, more like an intimate one.

They're both switches, varying between subs and soft doms at most, sometimes they try some different things such as bondage or unusual positions, but usually they stick to cowgirl/missionary and blindfold the other, they're actually fairly vanilla.

30. What is their favorite place to kiss the other? (Cheek, hand, closed eyelid, neck, nose, etc.) Tommy is very fond of her neck, it's where her scent lingers the most and he loves watching her trying not to laugh from the ticklish feeling.

Now, Ellie is a simple woman, she likes his lips, his wrists or the shaven sides of his head are a good call too but it doesn't come close to that cute little pout.

31. What’s the relationship like? Smooth? Rocky?I'd say something between both, the business makes them argue a lot, in 1922 for example, she got really mad at him for leaving the hospital to see Alfie without any warnings, but they usually make peace soon.

33. Who has the most nightmares and how do they deal with them? Tommy never stopped having nightmares about the tunnels and through his life he got other subjects to have nightmares about, such as John's death, his daughter being kidnapped, even his mum comes to haunt him sometimes.

Eleanor is a heavy sleeper but since they sleep touching each other, she wakes up when he moves abruptly. Unfortunately there was no solution for his PTSD, love can't heal him, so the best she does is soothing him, assuring he's safe and the shovels aren't real, bringing him a glass of water or tea and keeping him company until he sleeps again.

34. Do they give each other nicknames? I mean…Tommy and Ellie are nicknames, other than that they use love or darling, but it's not often.

Tommy is rather fond of being called darling though, it gets him all fussy especially if used in front of the family.

37. What do they like the least about each other? Eleanor's skepticism towards any mystical belief of Tommy was subject of argument more than once. She doesn't believe in curses, spirits, luck, fortune telling or anything alike, she doesn't know how a man smart as him can believe in what she deems as parlor tricks and he doesn't understand how she can simply not see what's right there

38. What was their most memorable date? Probably the one in which they had their first kiss, a small birthday party of a friend they didn't even consider a date, but ended up being special for both of them.

39. What other couple would your otp get along with the best? Well, Tommy managed to turn the whole family against him at some point, but Polly x Aberama and John x Esme in 1919

40. Who makes the other smile with almost no effort at all? Surprisingly or not, Tommy, he can make Ellie smile by simply having a glass of water, eating a healthy meal or looking particularly cute while resting in the sun.

#tommy shelby x oc #OC Eleanor Shelby

[genshinimpactlife]

Hello, I was wondering if I can ask for a match-up? Also just wanted to let you know that I wish you good luck with internships and stuff!

To start things off, I'm really awkward. It takes me a while to send anything to people,be it acquaintances, teachers or even close family members like cousins who I get along with well.

I have absolutely no gender preferences, you can go wild! Also I'd like both sfw and NSFW, the latter being put in between [ ] at the very end!

Continuing, I'm rather on the shorter side, a bit thicker (?) Than average as well. Shoulder length dyed brown hair and blue eyes.

I often find myself being really shy around people to the point of blushing whenever somebody asks me a question which ultimately makes me go all red in the face, it really doesn't help when somebody points it out— I just get worse and want to dig a hole and hide. Though I am a bit more wild and honest once you get to know me, albeit a crybaby by default for reasons that I don't even know about (it just started so suddenly, I genuinely don't know why). My close friends consider me a " mom friend " cause I always put them above everything, even skipping school at some point because they were not having a good day and needed somebody to talk to. I often try to help them but sometimes I feel like it's not enough, so I try my best to listen and let them feel heard. To those who know me in real life, they'd consider me cuddly (due to my rather thicker body) and really, really introverted.

I love reading, be it hard cover books or fanfiction, writing angst really comes to me on daily basis, especially when it includes characters that I make or had made in the past. Cooking is also a hobby of mine, though I'm nowhere near as good as my mother. There are times when I get confused when it comes to cooking new dishes, but I either ask for help or try to look up a solution on the Internet. Besides that I guess I like just staying at home, Napping and playing with my dog who has quite an attitude. There was a time when I carved apples and even visited a local shooting range, but due to inconsistent schedules (thanks school) I had to stop.

Also sometimes I tend to overthink things, to the point where I just disappear off of the face of Internet for a couple of days. It worries my friends, but I simply don't know where to turn to during that time, so I am just brooding in my room or trying to get my mind off of it by cleaning the house. I've lost plenty of friends that way, which makes me rather picky when it comes to trusting people hence why there is a difference between acquaintances and friends. I barely ever call anybody a friend, unless they're really close to me.

I love cold weather, not the " frost is biting at my skin " kind of cold, but one where I can go outside and not come back for a couple of hours without feeling like a walking icicle. Summer is like hell to me, I can't really stand it and sadly have to use my AC more often. Though nothing beats a hot chocolate after a particularly cold walk, followed by cuddling into my blankets and reading a book from my shelf.

[NSFW]

[I guess I consider myself a literal definition of a bottom, though I'd love to please my partner if they asked or showed neediness. I don't know why but there is just something about being pinned to the bed and pounded, a bit of degradation? I surely wouldn't mind, after all I'd want my partner to enjoy themselves as well. I am strictly against receiving oral, it would only make me squeamish like " are you sure? " and I wouldn't be a fan of my partner trying to force it on me. Fingering is fine, but not receiving oral. Since I want to please my partner, I wouldn't be against trying new things, bondage, bdsm, maybe even slight roleplay? Though I'd be really awkward for the first couple of minutes. Reassurance? Only when I'm pleasing them, otherwise it'd make me think that I've done something wrong. But going back to kinks, creampie? Again it just makes me feel some sort of way. Then I go into things like overstimulation (?) be it giving or receiving, seeing or feeling like everything's so hot would genuinely make me feel accomplished in some way. Cuddling? Only if we haven't been at it for a long time, otherwise I'd hate to sweat even more. Oh, I forgot to mention— people told me I have cold hands (it's true, even in summer they feel like ice) and there's this thing " If your partner's got cold hands, they're amazing in bed. " sounds silly, but somehow it gives me some sort of confidence. ]

That is all, thank you and good luck once again! Take as much time as you need and no need to rush^-^

Sorry for any grammar errors, inconsistencies. English isn't my first language but I'm trying to learn!

I would match you with...

Yae finds your shyness adorable, and she would tease you about it until she knew how awful it made you feel.

She never once again teased you when she saw you getting shy for any reason.

She would be your logical person to turn to when you start overthinking things and fall into that pattern.

She would always have you read new light novels before they hit the shelves to see what you think of them.

Her favorite quality time with you is cooking. Though the two of you usually get distracted from playing around too much while cooking.

She may not be the most affectionate person in public, but behind closed doors, she can't get enough cuddles and affection from you.

She would absolutely respect your boundaries about not going down on you, nor would she ever push it.

Yae is a switch-leaning dom and loves finding the perfect amount of degrading and praise with you.

She's big on experimenting and trying new things out with you.

She loves to overstimulate you. Seeing you writhing on the bed gives her satisfaction.

"Darling, I think you can handle another orgasm; it's only your fourth one."

She loves how excited you are to please her sexually, it only fuels her desire for you.

Thank you so much for your kind words! I am very excited about my internship. Hope you enjoy!

#Genshin impact matchup #genshin impact #genshin impact headcanon #Yae miko #yae miko matchup #yae miko headcanon

[cicadadust]

Just dropping by to say that I absolutely love your Gintama OCs, especially Kaiba: his design is beautiful 😍 ! Do you have more info on him and how he'd interract with the canons characters ?

AHHHHHHH THANK YOU! Also very exciting to get an ask about an OC too, I feel unprepared haha, so I'll answer what I can!

Some extra information on the fellow.

Personality wise, I feel like it doesn't fully match his appearance. Like it's a bit more surprising once he starts interacting with someone. As he surprisingly is more of a goofball with a softer heart. The closest I could compare his personality to, is probably James from Pokemon. With a pinch of Gintoki and Kamui in there.

And just a few other tidbits of other random information.

Kaiba really doesn't care for using money, or even trying to earn it. He'd rather barter, or pay someone back by doing something for them. Though this really stems from the fact that since he's been to so many places, and planets- it's difficult to keep track of all the currencies, especially if he may never need to use a certain type again. Although with the lack of any sort of cash on him, it definitely lands him in a bit of trouble. And hes an infamous dine and dasher.

Kaiba is an absolute sucker for upbeat or sweet older (especially within the range of anything from the 1900's) love songs. Definitely one of his favorite things in the universe is to listen to this type of music while traveling, and staring out a window. He will say staring at passing stars and while flying within a planet's atmosphere is the best time to do so.

Despite the Yato's weakness to the sunlight, and the fact he only has a resistance to it. He enjoys laying out on warm surfaces, especially rocks fo hours under sunlight. Even if he often feels a bit dizzy and ill, he feels like it was worth it.

Cooking, not a problem. Kaiba enjoys it quite a bit. Though can probably compete with Otae with her skills. Sure he may not make straight up black matter... But he does tend to burn the hell out of food and over season it. Not actually caring how it turns out in tastes, but instead how cool it looks while cooking.

Strangely enough, Kiaba enjoys mundane and tedious chores. Like hand washing dishes, or windows, weeding, etc. he finds the repetitive actions and clearing or cleaning somthing very therapeutic.

Kaiba is 100% a bread fan, though he also mistakes pastries and such being a type of bread. Preferring sweeter tasting breads. His favorite has to be the darker honey wheat breads though.

Lastly, it's not like Kaiba hates rain or anything. But to him, one of the worst sensations in the universe is when it just starts to rain, and you can feel a raindrop land on your hair, and slowly slide down into your scalp. It drives him crazy... Along with soaked clothing.

For character relationships-

I feel like he'd get along with the Yorozuya at first, but if they were in the presence of eachother for long enough. I'm sure they'd get sick of Kaiba after awhile. Especially if he tries to pin any food bills off on them, or if he even has a chance to dig into their food. Course he definitely still would try to pay them back- like cooking for them, though of course that never ends well. He definitely would help Shinpachi with more of the chores he seems to do, which is more helpful. Though I don't think could ever be forgiven fully. And still be viewed as more of a nuisance that encroaches on their lives time to time like some of the other cast.

It's a bit more obvious for this, but yeah, don't think the Shinsengumi and Kaiba would get along. But due to personality, I think Kaiba and Kondo would have more of a mutual respect for eachother.

The character Kaiba would most likely get along best with, is probably Gengai. It'd definitely remind Kaiba of his home planet being within a workshop. And he'd love to observe and learn while Gengai worked, and offer his own metal working skills and ideas he developed back in Ardoros. Wouldn't even mind running errands for Gengai, having much more respect for him.

#oc #Kaiba #ask

[lovinkiri]

Caught trying to escape yandere love interests

Eijirou Kirishima x Reader

Katsuki Bakugou x Reader

Izuku Midoriya x Reader

Description: Yandere bnha boys catch you trying to escape. Let me know if you want this for any other characters and I'll make another!

Warning: Manipulation, abusive, controlling and toxic behavior, etc.

Eijirou Kirishima

It was like a ray of sunshine.

No, it was a ray of sunshine.

It was purely an accident. You were just cleaning the basement. Trying to get a certain corner with the duster, you stood on your tiptoes and knocked the small, black curtain off the hook. That's when you found it.

A window. It wasn't big but it wasn't small. Actually, it was just the size needed. Just big enough for you to crawl out.

Moving away, you looked around the basement and grabbed the small workout bench Eijirou usually sat on when he was lifting weights.

You quickly moved it to the window and stood on it.

The sunlight looked so warm..

Sliding open the window, you grinned at the light breeze. It felt amazing.

You knew you didn't have long though, so you lifted yourself and started to squirm out of the small space.

Wait.. Was the sun? God, it was. It looked so bright, so beautiful. It'd been so long.

You had your waist out and you were sure you'd escape. You could run. Going to the police would be useless, they wouldn't believe you. But you could still hide. You could still be free.

Sadly, your fantasy would remain just that. A fantasy.

You didn't have time to register the scraping sound of the bench getting kicked away. Before you knew it, Eijirou's hands were gripping at your thighs and dragging you back down, back into his arms. You let a short shriek and immediately froze in fear.

"W-What the hell were you doin', Pebble?" He attempted to keep the reassuring smile on his face, but it seemed more unstable than anything. His voice shook with hidden anger that only showed through his fingers that were now digging into your hips.

You whimpered softly. "I-I'm sorry, Eiji.. I-I just saw the sunlight a-and got excited.." You mumbled, everything you said technically being true.

He took slow deep breathes, pressing his head against yours. As soon as he was calm and his grip was no longer so tight, he simply sighed. "I told you baby, we can go outside for your birthday. Or somewhere around that time.. I want you to myself that day." He grinned. God, that smile used to be so innocent.

You simply faked a small smile. "R-Right.. I-I'm sorry, Eiji.."

The next day though, Eijirou had the window replaced with a glass, bullet proof screen. You could still see the sunlight. At certain times of the day, you could see the sun..

You just wanted to be freed.

Katsuki Bakugou

You weren't even sure what made you try it. You'd already tried so many times, so what made you try today?

Perhaps it was because Katsuki was in such a rush this morning.

Perhaps you simply didn't think it could hurt to try.

Perhaps it was both.

You aren't sure what made you try the door knob this morning.

Every lock in the house was Y/n proofed. All doors could only lock and unlock from Katsuki's phone, some new app that was developed for safety reasons.

Katsuki says it's for safety reasons, but you know that's not it. It was to keep you in and to keep others out.

He always paid such attention to every detail. Nothing could usually slip Katsuki Bakugou's mind. Especially if it had something to do with you.

So it surprised you when the knob fully turned.

It wasn't locked.. He actually forgot to lock it today.

Looking around, you contemplated grabbing some things.

No. Katsuki had all possible weapons locked up in drawers and cases with a key on he had. A key that was currently around his neck.

You shook your head. It would take too long anyway. Katsuki always popped in on you at random times during his work. Your best option was to just run.

You slowly opened the door and slipped out, closing it behind yourself. You traveled down the walkway and looked around.

Katsuki's place was pretty secluded. He never wanted anyone around you. The only person he allowed near you was Kirishima, that was all.

That's when you saw it. After hearing the sound of gravel crunching under some weight, you turned your head.

Katsuki's car. And sadly for you, Katsuki made direct eye contact with you among rolling up.

You quickly turned and ran, unable to to stop yourself from crying as the sound of his door opening came.

Being locked at home, you weren't nearly as fast as Katsuki. Your stamina wasn't as great either.

You were grabbed by the arm and roughly yanked into Katsuki's chest.

"Y/n.." He growled out. Usually, Katsuki called you by a pet name. If he used your real name, he was pissed. Pissed enough to punish you.

As he dragged you back into the house, you sobbed heavily. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Katsuki!" You pleaded.

Once he got you through the door, he once more yanked you against him with a harsh glare. "Misbehaving fuckin brat. Chased you down for 15 minutes and now you're sorry?"

You whined and didn't bother struggling as he slammed the door close, knowing it would piss him off further.

"Take your clothes off. 15 minutes of uninterrupted spanking. Then get on your knees in the corner and think about what you did."

As he let you go, he pulled out his phone. After putting in the password, he locked the door and turned his phone off completely.

You slowly started to undress and afterwards took your punishment.

He didn't keep you in the corner for too long. Soon, he was holding you in his lap, mumbling about how he needed to protect you.

"The world is dangerous out there, Teddybear. But I got you. You're safe with me."

Izuku Midoriya

It was late and Izuku was asleep next to you. Usually, he cuddled you during the night but he rolled over this time.

You'd been lying there, staring through the darkness at the ceiling all night. You couldn't sleep, but that was common. How could you sleep when your captor laid right next to you at night?

When you did sleep, it was was when he wasn't home. That used to be often actually, and you never minded. But when he lost his mind, he took more time for you, much to your displeasure.

Haha. Most people would love that, wouldn't they? Just reminds you of how different your situation is.

Then a thought came. What was stopping you from leaving? You could get up, find the house keys needed to unlock the door.

Where would you go? There's a trail that Izuku always drives up to get here. That must be it. It'd have to take you to the city, or at least in the general direction. If you could reach Musutafu, you'd know where to go.

Besides, if you escaped, it'd be way harder to catch you in the dark. Izuku's always been fast, but he couldn't chase someone he couldn't see, right?

Everything seemed like it was coming together and you made a decision.

You were gonna do it. Tonight.

Where did he usually leave his keys? Ah.

In his hero costume. Hanging on the bedroom door.

Giving Izuku a glance, you slowly and very carefully got out of bed. Izuku didn't even budge.

You started taking slow, light steps towards the door.

You were gonna do it. You were doing it.

"What are you doing up, Doll?"

The sound of Izuku's voice made you freeze. You simply stood in front of the door.

"Doll?" He questioned again. You heard him get out of bed.

Clearing your throat, you looked at him. "I-I was just going to the bathroom, Zuku.." You quickly lied. "Did I wake you?"

He smiled and chuckled. "I kinda sensed you weren't next to me. Crazy huh?"

You felt your hopes for any future attempts at this crumble. "I think it's sweet.."

Izuku seemed to answer, as his smile widened and he gently took your hand. "C'mon." He pulled you from the room and into the bathroom, closing the door behind the both of you.

You looked down. "I don't need to be watched.." You mumbled. He kissed the top of your head lovingly and sighed.

"I know you don't like it, Doll, but I need to know you won't do anything to escape or anything harmful." He said, his voice laced with gentle care.

"You can trust me, I-I won't." You crossed your arms, knowing it was a lie. But it was always best to tell him what he wanted to hear.

Lifting your head by the chin, you noticed his smile was replaced with frown.

"So you wouldn't lie to me?" He asked softly. You quickly shook your head. "Fine. Then go to the bathroom, Doll."

Your stood there, frozen. You could tell from the disappointed look on his face that he knew. He caught you. He wouldn't ever trust you.

#izuku midoryia x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #eijiro kirishima x reader #bnha #boku no hero academia #mha #my hero academia #yandere #katsuki bakugo

[d3-iseefire]

@strictlynofrills​ - Here you go! I’ sorry it took so long! I was writing it on work breaks and after I got home! hope you enjoy it! :D

"Look out!"

Bilba barely had time to register the words before a short, hyperactive blur darted across her path. She sucked in her gut and twisted, simultaneously lifting the two full trays she'd been carrying in each hand.

As she did she crouched ever so slightly, trying to keep her movements as fluid and seamless as possible. On the trays two full glasses wobbled and Bilba tensed. Then they settled and she let out a slow breath in relief.

A smattering of applause came from a handful of patrons and Bilba took a careful, partial curtsey in gratitude. A few feet to the side, the small boy that had nearly caused her to trip had the good manners to look embarrassed. "Sorry."

"That's all right," Bilba said, keeping her voice modulated and soft. "Let's just leave the running for the playground in the future, okay?"

He nodded and resumed his trek toward the bathroom, still moving quickly but no longer in a full out run.

Bilba shook her head, struggling to ignore the way her legs wobbled beneath her, and resumed her trek into the restaurant's dim room. She'd never particularly cared for mood lightning before but was grateful for it today as the bags under her eyes were especially dark and makeup had done little to cover them entirely.

No one wanted  a waitress who looked like she'd stepped out of a zombie movie.

She wound her way around glass topped wooden tables and chairs wrapped in plum colored leather, navigating pushed out chairs and sprawled personal belongings with ease.

Many of the tables were occupied with regulars and she greeted each with a bright smile as she set down appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks. Quiet, relaxing music played over the low, steady flow of conversation and she saw more than one female guest slide off uncomfortable looking heels to sink sore toes into the plush carpeting.

Shire had been designed to be both upscale and cozy. Patrons could expect a high-class experience, but one where they also felt comfortable and relaxed. It was a place to bring a date, hold a business meeting, or just come and relax over a glass of wine after a long workday.

It'd be a perfect place to sleep too, Bilba thought, gazing with longing at the padded booths. She sighed and forced her eyes away, focusing instead on a familiar figure in a darkened booth at the back of the restaurant. Bilba saved him for last, in the hopes of being able to spend a minute or two speaking to him. As she sat his plate down he smiled up at her fondly. "And how are you doing tonight, my dear?"

Bilba glared at him. "Don't give me that, Gandalf."

The elderly man raised an eyebrow innocently. "Is there a problem?"

"You know darn well there is." Bilba gave into her fatigue just a little and slid into the booth across from him. Her head was pounding with the promise of a headache and she had that all over ache that was her body's way of telling her she should have gone to bed days ago. It had become almost a part of her over the past year and there seemed to be no getting used to it no matter how much coffee she drank.

She lowered her voice to a low hiss, not wanting to disrupt the other guests. "You didn't tell me everything about the new maitre d'."

The older man's other eyebrow slowly raised. "Did I not?" He lifted his wine glass and took a sip. "I'm certain I was quite thorough."

Bilba's glare deepened. Gandalf was an old family friend, and also one of the most prominent lawyers in the city. He'd been the one to convince her that trying to run Shire completely alone, filling the role of owner, manager, and maitre d' was simply insane. He'd offered to find her someone trustworthy and reliable to help with some of the workload, and she'd reluctantly agreed.  

A few weeks later he'd brought her a name. Fili Durin. Bilba had recognized the last name as belonging to the past owners of Arkenstone, an internationally known, high end restaurant. At its height people were making reservations a year or more in advance and, those lucky enough to get in and actually afford something, would be guaranteed to find themselves in the midst of the world's most famous and powerful people.

The last Durin owner, Thrain, had made a series of increasingly bad business decisions that, ultimately, had resulted in a hostile takeover by Smaug Drakestone. He was the owner of Drakestone Barbecue, a retail federation of chain, fast food restaurants. The day he'd taken over, he'd turned Arkenstone into the flagship for his chain, much to the public outcry of the culinary world.

The Durins, driven into near bankruptcy according to rumor, had faded from the public eye and gone unheard of by anyone for years, or at least before Gandalf had held up that slim file. Bilba had been impressed with his education and degree in both culinary arts and hospitality but had been far less enthralled with his lack of experience.

When she'd pointed that out to Gandalf the man had simply chuckled. "Are you sure you're the one to be making that judgement, my dear?"

The words had brought a flush of red to her cheeks, as well as an ego check. Bilba had never wanted to work in the restaurant industry and had taken little interest in Shire as anything more than a way to get free gourmet food whenever she wanted. She'd been going to school for a degree in creative writing when...everything had happened.

It had been a trial by fire for her, trying to learn what she needed to know to ensure her parent's dream didn't die with them, and there were certainly days where she couldn't say for sure if she was sinking or swimming.

Most days she was pretty sure it was the former.

"What the boy lacks in experience he makes up for in passion," Gandalf had said gently to ease the sting of his prior words. "Much like someone else I could name. Give him a chance. I have a feeling you won't be disappointed."

Bilba had agreed, trusting the other man to not steer her wrong.

It was a decision she both loved and deeply regretted at the same time.

"Has the boy not been doing a satisfactory job?" Gandalf asked now, brows pulling together in concern.

"On the contrary," Bilba mumbled. "He's done an amazing job."

More than amazing, really. Fili was the first one in and often the last one out. He manned the front desk, managed the staff, kept schedules up, and still somehow managed to learn the names of their patrons as well as their likes and dislikes. He had the uncanny ability to gauge a person's personality after a few seconds of speaking to them and organized the seating to ensure people were not seated next to personalities that would clash with their own. Shire's approval scores had gone up over 15% since he'd started, and the pressure on Bilba's shoulders had gone from crippling to simply overbearing.

Hell, she'd been averaging almost five hours of sleep a night, not taking into account this past week when Fili had been gone.

"Well," Gandalf asked in confusion. "If that's not the problem, my dear, then wha--"

His voice trailed off as a presence fell over them. Bilba felt her gut clench. Oh no. She'd forgotten he was supposed to be back that night.

"Ah, Mr. Durin," Gandalf said cheerfully. "What a pleasure to meet you again."

"The pleasure is mine," a familiar bass said and Bilba's insides literally begin to do a full on, Olympic style gymnastics routine. Bastards. "Miss Baggins--"

He didn't get a chance to say anything else as Bilba jumped to her feet, planning to...do...something...only to feel her hand smack into the tray she'd set on the edge of the table when she'd sat down.

The one she'd collected a few empty dishes and sets of cutleries on, intending to take it back with her.

In almost slow motion she watched as the entire tray flipped off the edge of the table. The loud clatter of knives, spoons and forks hitting the ground ripped through the serene atmosphere of the dining room, along with the unmistakable shattering of glass as the carpeting failed to save the three plates and near empty soup bowl as they impacted.

Most restaurants had tile floors for just such situations, Bilba found herself thinking irrationally as she watched the remnants of dark liquid soak into the tan covered fibers. Her parents had liked the carpet, insisting it gave a homier feel to the place. They hadn't minded having to deep clean the carpets on a near weekly basis to ensure they stayed looking their very best.

Bilba minded, very much. Particularly since, as of late, it had all been thanks to her that they needed to be cleaned to begin with.

Total silence fell over the restaurant, and Bilba felt her face catch fire. She focused on Fili's shoes, the black leather marred by drops of soup, and her heart sank.

"Sorry." She started to drop to her knees, only to stop as his hand closed lightly over her arm to stop her.

"Careful," he said mildly. "You don't want to kneel in broken glass."

Bilba's eyes flicked to his really intense, blue, eyes and an almost electric charge surged right through her. She straightened, fighting a wave of dizziness, and focused on the ground. It was the only way she could to avoid noticing his dark blond hair, or chiseled features, or the way his body filled out his suit -- and, really, who the hell decided maître d's had to always wear suits? Okay, so it wasn't like she minded, much, but she was like five seconds away from having a heart attack at any given moment so that was a problem and -- what was she doing again?

Oh, right, broken glass and humiliation and he was still touching her.

She jerked her arm free with a nervous laugh that she prayed didn't sound borderline hysterical or insane like it did in her head and knelt more carefully.

To her surprise, he knelt next to her. For the first time, she noticed he held the tray in his hand and she realized she hadn't heard the loud clang of it hitting. "Did you catch that?"

"An acquired trait," he said dryly, as he picked up utensils and the larger bits of broken glass. He sounded amused, or at least Bilba hoped he did.

He stood, and Bilba rose with him, closing her eyes this time and breathing through her nose to try and keep her feet. Fili handed her the tray with no small amount of trepidation. Bilba focused on broken bits and pieces of dishes on the tray and, before she could embarrass herself farther, spun and returned to the kitchen, past one of the other servers who was already headed to the area with a vacuum to finish cleaning.

***

Fili watched the young woman until she vanished through the swinging doors of the kitchen. She looked exhausted. She normally looked exhausted, but far more so tonight. Mentally, he kicked himself for having stayed away so long. He should have tried harder to get back earlier.

He sighed and turned back to the booth. He completely ignored the roar of the vacuum as it made quick work of the remaining broken glass and, around him, the rest of the room slowly followed his lead and returned to their own meals.

Once the clean up was finally done, he flashed a smile at Gandalf. "As I was saying, it's good to see you Mr. Grayson."

The older man looked positively delighted by something, and Fili's eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to figure out just what it was.

From the kitchen a second, loud, crash rang out and Fili closed his eyes, counted to five, and then opened them again. "I'm almost afraid to see how much we lost the last five days I was gone."

"I have a feeling you'll find it to be nothing at all," Gandalf said with amusement. "Bilba happens to be the best waitress Shire has."

Fili raised an eyebrow. "Is she?" he asked doubtfully.

"Indeed," Gandalf said. "In fact, she took over your place while you were gone."

There was the slightest hint of censure in his voice and Fili nodded with a grimace, remembering again the deep bags under her eyes. "My grandfather passed away unexpectedly and the funeral was out of town."

He'd been worried over even asking for the time off, funeral or not. He'd e-mailed, believing he could sound calmer and more professional, or at least that's what he'd told himself. In reality, he'd been cringing at the thought. He'd been there a month and was already asking for four days off? He'd expected his request to be rejected out of hand but, to his surprise, the response had been there when he'd awakened the next morning, granting him a full week off, with pay.  

"I wanted to thank you," he said now to Gandalf, "for taking a chance on me. I'm in your debt."

His entire family was. It had been a struggle after...everything had happened. They'd needed jobs, and fast, whatever was available that could keep them from losing the last few things they had. Fili had managed to get through college on grants and scholarships, hanging everything on his uncle's conviction that, one day, Arkenstone would rise again. His mother had been against it, having never loved the restaurant to begin with, but Fili had been raised hearing about Arkenstone and his uncle's dreams had quickly become his own.

It was only recently, very recently, that they'd had the luxury to begin thinking about the culinary and restaurant world again. Fili was the first to get a foot through that door, and the hope that had flared to life on his uncle's face upon hearing the news had made every moment of school, and every late night so far at Shire, worth it.

"While I'd like to take credit for it," Gandalf said. "It was Bilba who ultimately took the chance."

"Yes," Fili's eyes flickered toward the kitchen where the silence was beginning to worry him. A working kitchen was no place for someone as exhausted as she clearly was. "In any event, I'm grateful to you both."

"So it would seem." Gandalf's eyes narrowed in contemplation, and then he nodded toward the kitchen. "What do you think of Miss Baggins?"

Fili frowned. "She needs to take better care of herself," he said without hesitation. "She's no good to anyone, least of all herself, if she's near dead on her feet."

Again, a flash of guilt raced through him. Part of the reason he'd been hired was to take the burden off her. He made a mental note to work even harder to make up for the extra load she'd had to take on while he'd been gone.

"She cares deeply for her parent's legacy," Gandalf said. He seemed about to say something else but thought twice about it, and simply gave Fili a slight smile.

Taking the hint, Fili nodded and took his leave, not wanting the man's food to get cold.

He spent the rest of the evening managing the room, speaking to guests and politely ignoring the flirtatious grins of at least three young women. Once the last customer had left he oversaw clean up and closing, before walking several of the female servers out to their cars to ensure they weren't harassed in the parking lot. Security was on his mental list of things Shire could use but he hadn't felt it was his place to suggest it just yet.

Bilba hadn't reappeared since the incident earlier so, after he'd locked the front door, he headed toward the back hallway. The door to the main office was shut but there was a light shining out from underneath.

He hesitated, and then knocked lightly on it. When there was no response, he cleared his throat and said, "I just wanted to thank you for granting my time off request and assure you I don't plan to abuse the privilege. I know you took a chance on hiring me, and I intend to make you happy you did."

He flinched as soon as the words left his mouth. Happy you did? Mahal, could he be anymore cringey? He started to say something else, decided he'd said enough already, and nodded at the closed door. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow."

Mentally, he hoped she was in there taking the opportunity to catch up on sleep. He personally doubted it, but one could always hope.

***

On the other side of the door, Bilba stared down forlornly at the glass of wine she'd knocked over when Fili had knocked on the door. She hadn't realized anyone was still there so late, let alone him.

Talk to him, her internal voice had scolded as he spoke. It's not hard. Just open your mouth and say something. Preferably not inane. Or cringey.

That thought unfortunately conjured the memory of before he'd gone on vacation, when she'd managed to spill and entire pot of, thankfully, cold soup that had been on its way to being thrown out. On him. She'd managed to spill it, on him. Then she'd gone back to the larder to get some more...something...and walked in on Fili mid shirt change.

"Sorry," he'd said, with a low swear as she'd stumbled to a stop. "The only other place is the bathroom, and I didn't think patrons seeing the restaurant's maître d changing would be that professional."

Bilba was pretty sure the sight of him without a shirt on would cause a minor health crisis, but it would probably have not been the most professional thing to say.

Her eyes seemed to superglue themselves to his chest and, as much as her mind screamed at her, they were determined to stay just where they were.

Look away, Bilba's voice had screamed at her as her eyes had laser focused on his chest. Look away! Or better yet, leave!

She'd done neither, because she was a walking HR complaint, and he'd cleared his throat and slowly pulled his shirt closed.  

"Do you need something?" he'd asked and it had taken a lot for her not to tell him that, yes, she needed him to take his damn shirt back off.

Bilba groaned as the memory faded, along with Fili's footsteps as he walked away from the closed door.

She was a terrible boss. She wasn't her parents, or her grandparents before them. She had no training in how to run a restaurant, manage payroll, balance books or anything. Gandalf had helped her as he could, but he had his own business to run. He'd recommended she hire a new team after the old one had up and quit but she'd been hesitant to try. She literally knew nothing. If she chose the wrong people, they could literally destroy Shire, run it into the ground, steal it out from under her and she'd never known until it was too late.

Still...she chewed on her lower lip absently.

Gandalf had recommended Fili and, in the short time he'd been there, he'd been a godsend. Okay, he also looked like a god, which was not helping her heartrate or her supplies budget but, really, he'd taken such a massive burden off her just in the jobs he'd taken up.

She'd recognized it all over again in the week he'd been gone. When suddenly it was up to her once more and the full, crushing weight, had fallen back on her. She was so tired from it that she'd started crying on three separate occasions for no reason.

She didn't want to go back to that, wasn't sure how she'd done it for a year, and now she found herself desperately wanting to continue on the track she was on. To have less pressure, less work, more ability to sleep, or relax or enjoy...anything that wasn't work related.

She'd been mulling, just a little, about the rest of the Durin family. She remembered the stories, how one of the Durin children had nearly managed to save Arkenstone, would have in fact, had Smaug not swept in and cut it all out from under them. The whole family had been involved in the business, from childhood in most cases, and if even a fraction of them were as talented as Fili was...

She chewed on her lower lip and then opened her email. She'd hesitated to do it while he was gone at his grandfather's funeral, but perhaps now? She might not be able to talk to the man without tripping over herself, but she could at least email him, right?

Hopefully.

Dear Mr. Durin,

She paused. Was that too formal? It was probably too formal.

Dear Fili --

Nope.

Mr. Durin,

She sighed, deleted the email and closed the laptop lid. If she couldn't even figure out a salutation there was no reason to go any further. She crossed her arms and dropped her head on them with a groan. She was freezing cold in spite of knowing the temperature was perfectly temperate in the building, and she felt ill.

She was exhausted, in over her head, and couldn't even speak to her own damn employee.

God, she was pathetic.  

***

Fili didn't see Bilba when he arrived for work the next day. The light was still on under the office door, however, and he found himself hoping she hadn't been there since the night before. He had no idea how the girl managed to run the restaurant, work a shift and take care of the rest of her day to day life.

Then the memory of the deep bags under her eyes from the night before hit him and he realized the answer to his question of how she did it was probably simple. She didn't.

As he took up his position behind the front desk he snagged the attention of one of the other servers, an older woman named Carla. "Hey, is it true that Bilba ran the desk while I was out?"

She nodded. "She did it before you were hired too and did a fantastic job of it if I may say so. Only hired you because Gandalf convinced her to get someone before she passed out from exhaustion." She sent a concerned look toward the back office. "Girl takes far too much on her own plate. Her parents had a full staff, but she does it all by herself."

Fili frowned. "What happened to the staff?"

Carla huffed in annoyance. "Most refused to work for someone young and inexperienced, a couple others claimed it was too hard to work here without Belladonna and Bungo, as if it were a piece of cake for Bilba to do it." She shook her head. "Assholes, the lot of them."

Fili found he quite agreed. He settled into his role as the doors opened, and fell into an easy rhythm, one that wasn't interrupted until the sound of shattering glass from the bar signified Bilba had left her office.

A hand patted his and he raised an eyebrow at the elderly woman he'd been checking in. She was one of their regulars, coming in almost every day to simply enjoy the company of others. "You know, young man," she said in a voice shaky with age, "you really should do that poor girl a favor and take her out already."

Fili's eyebrow arched higher. "I beg your pardon?"

The woman nodded toward the bar. "Poor thing only gets shaky when you're around, you know." She patted his hand and winked at him from under her hat. "She's a good girl. Not like those hooligans that live across the street from me with their loud music."

She nodded again and wandered past him. Her companion, a man a few years older than Fili's uncle, smiled after her with affection. "Don't mind, Mother. She likes to play matchmaker from time to time is all."

Fili chuckled. "I don't mind at all, Sir. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to your seats."

The man nodded, and Fili led them to their table. As he returned to his desk he hesitated, and then deliberately veered toward the bar where Bilba was picking up a tray. It was ridiculous, he thought. She didn't get nervous simply because --

Bilba glanced up, spotted him and proceeded to drop the drink she'd been picking up. It hit the tray, which caused the other three drink to fall and crash onto the bar, liquid flooding the top and leaking down the sides to the floor below.  

Huh.

***

Bilba sat on a stool at the bar, head resting on her folded arms. She was in that state halfway between being asleep and awake where her body was heavy, and she felt like she had a bad case of the flu. The restaurant had closed a half ago earlier but the thought of trying to go home, or even just to her office to get started on paperwork was excruciating.

An arm slid around her waist suddenly, and she looked up with a frown just in time to see Fili as he slid an arm under her legs and proceeded to lift her straight up off the chair.

Bilba wrapped her arms loosely around his neck without thinking and shook her head in a futile attempt to clear it. She was so damn tired. "What an odd dream," she mumbled. She relaxed against him and shut her eyes again. She was dimly aware of being carried, and then settled into the seat of a car. "Noooo," she whined, reaching out. "I have to do payroll."

He knelt, one hand on the open door and the other on the edge of her seat. "You need sleep. You try to do payroll now and you're likely to pay everyone in Monopoly money."

Bilba giggled at the absurd mental image, and then groaned as her head began to pound. "I feel awful."

"Because you push yourself too hard." He stood up and shut the door. Through slitted eyes, Bilba watched him walk around the front of the car, her car, and slide into the driver's seat.

"Are you kidnapping me?" she asked suspiciously.

He chuckled, a low rumble, and then turned the key in the ignition, sending the engine roaring to life. "I'm taking you home." He grinned at her. "It's my job to ensure everyone has a pleasant experience at Shire, and that includes my boss."

Bilba grumbled and sank back into the seat, noting absently he'd somehow managed to buckle her in without her noticing. "I'm a sucky boss."

To her horror, her vision blurred, and she shook her head, trying to dispel them the threatening tears. She wasn't usually a crier. It's just a dream, she told herself. Figures she'd managed to screw things up with him in a dream.

"You're not screwing anything up," Fili said as they pulled onto the road. "You're too hard on yourself."

Bilba frowned at him. "Since when can you read minds?"

He chuckled. "You're talking out loud."

"I am not," Bilba grumbled. She sagged back in her seat. "I don't even know how to do payroll."

Fili's eyes flickered toward her, surprised. "Then how have you been doing it so far?"

"Google." Bilba raised a hand to wave through the air. "Google knows all."

"That it does." Fili focused on the road for a few minutes. "I might know someone who could help you in that."

"I'm sure you do." Bilba tried to focus on the road in front of them but it shifted in and out of focus. "I don't know anything about restaurants," she blurted. A few tears escaped on their own and she lifted a hand to wipe them away. She felt cold and shaky and, god, but she just wanted to sleep. "I'm such a screw up."

Fili grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "You are not a screw up. A screw up wouldn't be able to keep a restaurant like Shire running for as long as you have, knowing as little about the business as you do. You're just overwhelmed."

The walls of her gated community came into view and Bilba wondered idly how he'd known where she lived.

They pulled up to the gate, and a light shined on them as the guard inside stepped closer.

"Miss Baggins, are you all right?"

"Hi Bard," Bilba managed to mutter. This dream just kept getting weirder. She tried to curl up against the door, but it was next to impossible to get into a comfortable position and, damn it all if that didn't make her want to cry all over again. "I wanna go home now."

She heard a quiet conversation between Bard and Fili and then the guard opened the back door and slid into her car. Apparently, in this dream, she was collecting people like lost puppies.

She heard Fili laugh again but tuned it out in favor of dozing. She was vaguely aware of the car stopping, and then of being carried again. Her house alarm beeped and, when Fili set her on her feet and supported her, she hazily punched in the code to turn it off.

Then she was being carried again and then, blessedly, the sheets of her very own bed were under her. She felt her shoes being tugged off, and then the blankets were drawn over her.

She was sound asleep before they had fully settled.

***

Fili wordlessly followed the guard downstairs again, reset Bilba's alarm and then followed the other man out, locking the door and pulling it closed behind him.

He and Bard walked in silence back to the gatehouse and then Fili headed to the sidewalk just outside the gate pulling his phone out as he did. He dialed, and bit back a grin as a gruff voice answered. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"That I do," Fili leaned against the stone wall, bracing one foot behind him and shoving his free hand into his jacket pocket. "I need a ride."

"Why?" his uncle asked, already sounding more awake. "What happened to your car?"

"I had to give my boss a ride home," Fili answered. "I left my car back at Shire."

"Your boss?" Thorin questioned. "This the one you won't shut up about?"

Fili rolled his eyes. "You know she's trying to run Shire completely by herself?"

"She's insane then?" Thorin asked. "Your mother will be thrilled."

"She's not insane," Fili said, defensively. "She's just in over her head. Anyway, I think she might be open to hiring some more people. You know, people with actual restaurant experience. Managerial, bookkeeping, so forth."

"You talk to her about it?" Thorin asked.

As he did, Fili heard him grunt and swear under his breath as he struggled to get dressed and, most likely, find his shoes. He was always throwing them every which way and taking forever to locate them again. After a minute the phone call cut off entirely as his uncle hung up in frustration. Fili slid the phone into his pocket and leaned back against the wall to wait for the other man to arrive.

"No, he whispered, to no one in particular. "I haven't talked to her about it."

Not yet anyway, but he planned too. Maybe tomorrow, over a cup of coffee if she was willing.

Plastic cups of coffee.

Definitely plastic, and with a lid.

#Writing Wednesday #My Writing #Prompts #Fanfiction #The Hobbit #AU #Restaurant #Female Bilbo #Bilbo/Fili

[rppik]

1/1/2020

... or, well, it was about two hours ago (it's 2 am), but I'm not gonna get nit picky lol. This year I'm gonna do journal entries, once daily or as often as I can manage! I reckon it'd be fun, I enjoy looking back on past shit I wrote so why not write more regularly~? I also want to draw more this year, to improve and just for the hell if it, so... Ye :3 I want to do more digital art especially, since I have so little practice in it, but I can't at the moment so instead I'm working on a traditional piece on the big ol' sketchbook my dad got me for Christmas.

This is what I have so far, done a little bit every now and then during December. Excuse my poor photography skills, I'm inexperienced lmao:

Explanation out of the way, onto the actual journalling, I guess;;? ... Heya hey. The first day of 2020 was pretty darn decent! Went grocery shopping, picked up some stuff from the Christmas clearance section that we thought would be useful for making decorations next year. Made chicken and noodles from scratch (which was sooo good), did some cleaning, tried to be as helpful as possible before fucking around on Minecraft. The bee update came to the PS4 recently but I haven't been able to find any yet, even after starting a new world (which I'm looking forward to building in, but still, where's my buzz friends ;o;?). Little broski and dad are sick, dad with a nasty cough and J with the flu, and I'm over here with no vaccines or health insurance like,, I love you and am here for you but God I don't want what you got fkdkdkk. I'm about to head on to sleep, got a bit of a headache, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow~ haven't had too bad if anxiety at night recently, so maybe I'll actually be well rested.

Tomorrow I want to work on the bead chandeliers we got going on, and potentially wrap presents for a pal of mine I plan on visiting soon. He's in college, hasn't got much access to holiday decorations, and I just so happen to have supplies aplenty for just the thing so~~~

Over and out, Ally ^^

PS. forgot to mention, I told myself earlier I'd give a shoutout the the worker who helped me at the store-- sending good vibes to the pal who helped pick up the box I dropped when my hands were way too full! Mundane moments of kindness like that keep the world turning and also I really didn't want to bend over at the time so thanks lmao

#journal #letter to me #personal #wip art #my art #calling this art feels pretentious right now but whatevs it'll get to looking more like 'art' over time lol #trypophobia #<- just in case #1/1/2020 #z