#「 DIVE INTO THE MADNESS 」 － threads

[rawliverandgoronspice]

ohhh I managed to convince my potato laptop that it was indeed capable of running clip studio paint let's fucking goooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lurxof--thxmaw]

❝ [ receiver finds sender covered in blood ] ❞ － @yxllowcoat

During the long time she spent on the Maw, the Lady had spent an extensive amount of time witnessing some of the most outlandish things one could possibly think of. She's seen worse in the outside world, admittedly, even if her memories of it are vague: what happens on the Maw is but a fragment of the depravity staining the mainland. It was like a mist, laying softly on humanity's eyes － but not her own. Never her own.

However, one of the things that seemed to stick consistently across all civilization both on and off the Maw is violence. Unbridled, unexplainable violence. It seems that a stable of the human nature was to gravitate towards it almost subconsciously. The Lady's hands are not clean themselves, that she has to recognise; one has to do what they must to survive.

The way she saw it was, by her own admission, rather simple: you can either run from violence, or engage in it. And one can only keep running for so long before getting caught.

She presumes this is what must have happened to... her.

The child standing at the end of the corridor is small and frail, much like many others. The madame can hear her breaths, no matter how soft they are. And her presence － her soul, flickers with a rather annoying insistence to it. It was hard to ignore once it was made known, really. The woman's eyes trail over her shining raincoat, stained by the bad odor of blood. Its shades mix with the yellow fabric in a rather fascinating way.

The Madame doesn't speak yet. She limits herself to studying the little intruder.

PROMPTS.

[signalimmune]

☠ There is someone new entering the Haven's vicinity.

☠ Little fingers curl around wood and shifts it to the side as she peers through the cracks of her outpost; piercing blue eyes focused and watching. It is not uncommon for Fifteen to be the one on lookout; her own consciousness burns with the urge to help others-- a fact that she retains no matter the loop the Nowhere gives ( lucky for her, she's familiar with most of the Nowhere at this point; the City, the Maw-- the Nest, too ).

☠ Now, monotony is something Fifteen is familiar with, too; events that are set in stone and the string of fate tangle around her fingers for her to tug and stretch and unravel, and yet when there's something-- or someone-- new, she cannot help her excitement.

☠ She sees someone red in the distance; and Fifteen finds herself pushing the wooden plank further to dip through the crack and step out, hands clasping together as her eyes widen and her mouth opens slightly; for once, there was something fresh in her years of knowledge, and thus, she cups her hands around her mouth and calls.

☠ ❝ Hooooy! ❞ Is what she calls, and one of her hands raises to wave, ❝ Ain't seen a stranger in a long while! Hello! ❞

@rcdsweatshirt !

[queen-of-gotham]

☀️👙☀️ Popsicles ☀️👙☀️

(Roy Harper X F!Reader)

Word count: 1,287

Synopsis: Roy watches you eat a popsicle in the summer heat and he can’t handle it.

Warning ⚠️: 18+ MDNI, smut, oral f!receiving, oral m!receiving

Author’s Notes ✍️: I haven’t written smut in years but here’s to diving back in for summer time 🤿

☀️click here to join my Taglist ☀️

It was way too hot for a typical Star City summer, the cicadas constant yelling only added to the annoyance that the cold, non-alcoholic beer just didn’t hit the same, and somehow that annoyance died like the taste on his tongue just watching you.

Roy was sure you were going to kill him, not literally of course. His heart was racing and his cheeks flushed as he watched you watch his daughter splash around in her kiddie pool. Your plush lips wrapping around the frozen purple ice, taking it into your mouth much too far, as far as he was concerned. His mind was wandering to the other things those pretty lips could be wrapped around.

It didn’t help that you were wearing one of those supportive bikini tops that pushed your cleavage up in the most appetizing way, he couldn’t help but watch the drip from the popsicle as it fell down into the valley of greatness, and Roy swallows hard. You were certainly trying to murder him.

You stick your tongue out to lap up the melting drops from the ice block, before you really feel Roy’s gaze on you, glancing over to him as you speak, “what?”

“You’re doing this on purpose aren’t you?” He asks, voice a bit lower and strained, with a tone and look in his eyes you’re all too familiar with.

“Doing what?” You ask innocently, doe eyes meeting his blue eyed gaze as you put the popsicle back into your mouth after you speak.

“That!” Roy exclaims, motioning to the popsicle in your mouth and you choke a bit on your laughter as he shifts and adjusts himself in his shorts that are growing increasingly too tight.

“Can I just exist without you getting turned on, Roystopher?” You ask between short giggles, your boyfriend’s freckled cheeks turning a bit more red than they had been.

“Don’t call me that.” He says, shoving your shoulder lightly and finally tearing his gaze from you, over to Lian who was playing with her mermaid barbies in the little pool.

“Roy doesn’t have enough umph in it when I want to fuss at you.” You tell him, a playful smirk on your lips as you shift a bit closer to him, laying your head against his bare shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”

-

That evening after you two finally got Lian to bed, Roy wasted zero time getting you out of your clothes, discarding them haphazardly into his bedroom floor, his lips kissing down your skin like a man who was starved.

“Fuck, angel.” He murmurs, his tongue peeking out to run over the valley between your breasts, tasting the salt on your skin from the long day. “You drive me mad, i couldn’t wait to get you to myself.”

His hands are everywhere, like you truly may just slip through his fingers if he doesn’t touch you everywhere all at once. Thick fingers pluck at your nipple before his chapped lips wrap around it, tongue flicking back and forth against the hardened bud, and he revels in the way you moan and the way your back arches off his bed.

“Roy.” Your voice is soft and needy, like you’re asking for more just by saying his name.

He switches sides, showing the other breast the same treatment for not nearly long enough before he kisses further down your chest, down your navel, tracing the muscles of your abdomen with his tongue, just to watch you writhe underneath him.

Roy smirks, his red tresses falling into his face as he shifts down to below your waist, easily pulling your legs over his shoulders, fully laying on his stomach on his bed, beefy, muscular hands wrapped around your thighs as he ghosts kisses to the insides of them.

Your hands subconsciously threads into his hair, moans still falling off your lips as you arch your hips towards his face and he can’t help but chuckle a bit.

“And you wanted to talk all that shit about me being impatient.”

You huff, giving him a glare that quickly dies away when his tongue runs up your slit and he groans like he’s just tasted heaven for the first time.

Roy takes his time at first, licking between your folds, the flat of his tongue running across your clit, slurping and drinking at your wetness like he hadn’t drank in days, and his name is falling off your lips like a prayer he could never hear enough of.

Roy always made sure you were taken care of first in the bedroom, his nose bumping against your sensitive clit as his fingers dip into your wet cunt, your velvety walls pulsing around his digits as he pumps them in and out of your core, lips kissing to your clit where he sucks on it just the way you like, drawing a loud moan from your lips, your hips grinding into the thrusts of his fingers as he expertly finds that spongey spot inside you, bringing you to orgasm quicker than you’d like, and his free hand covers your mouth to muffle the sounds of your pleasured cries as your ride out the feeling of your orgasm.

“That’s my girl. Good job.” He says, talking you through it until your panting a bit, pulling his fingers from inside you and making a show of licking and sucking the creamy fluid from his fingers and hand, licking his lips and wiping his hand across his beard when he’s finished. He grins down at you as he sits up, keeping your legs over his shoulders as he leans back on his feet, stroking his hard cock at your entrance.

You whine, impatient, wriggling your hips towards him. “Roy, don’t tease.” You plead, batting your eyes up at him as he watches your kiss swollen lips when you talk.

“M’not teasing babe,” he says, but you know that smirk, and should have known better than to believe him, despite the feeling you get when he dips his tip in, slow and gentle, barely pushing past that ring of muscle to watch your face get a look of relief, giving you another inch to make you moan, and he pulls out, chuckling at the look you give him. “That’s teasing.”

“Don’t be a little shit, just fuck me.” You fuss at him, reaching down to try and grab him, but he grabs your wrist first, letting your legs fall from his shoulders as he shifts up your body, his legs straddling you as he thrusts his hips forward a bit, running the head of his cock over your plush lips, groaning at how they part for him without him really even having to ask, and wrap around him so nicely.

“How about you treat me like that popsicle you were eating this afternoon?” He asks, looking down at you intensely as he gently rocks his hips, thrusting his dick further and further into your mouth.

You pull off of him just long enough to answer, your free hand wrapping around him to stroke his length as you talk, smirking up at him, “you want me to chomp on it after I’m done sucking?”

He looks at you for a moment in a horror, knowing well that is how you eat your ice blocks, chomping and chewing that last little bit that tries to slide down the stick.

“Okay, well not exactly like that.” He back tracks and you giggle, running your wet muscle across his balls and up his length, still smirking a bit.

“I’m just kidding. I like your cock a bit too much to chew it off.” You assure him before taking him into the warm cavern of your mouth once more.

@bernardsbendystraws for the divider 🌸

@cafekitsune for the mdni banner ☀️

[withallthingslove]

Have you seen the press kit on Hulu’s website?

They are basically doing a 180 arc of Nick with him still not stepping up to Gilead but even worse, following his father in law into the dark side, after him and June said they love each other in the present. Lizzie and max speak about Nick betraying June mid season and June not letting her love cloud her judgment anymore and finally see him for who he really is, a commander in Gilead.

I mean if they wanted to achieve a fail final GOT style, I think they are succeeding… I know we have to wait and see but I’m really disappointed with this storyline. But Lawrence on the other hand will help fight Gilead…

Yes, I was commenting on the Reddit thread.... *super long post and spoilers incoming*

Overall, I'm not surprised. They've done this since season 2. If they completely scrap Nick's Testaments characterization in favor of redeeming Serena or Lawrence I will be big mad. But why would they rewrite Luke's character to be like how he is in The Testaments but not Nick's? The answer is I think they are still pushing Nick to be underground and I think we could still have a NickxJune endgame or an ambiguous she chooses no one.

Before diving into the press notes, let's look at what we have so far:

Max is listed 4th on the cast list, in front of Ann Dowd. The season synopsis says he will face tests of character. This to me implies a big increase in screen time

Both Elisabeth and Max chose the bridge kiss as their favorite show moment

On the giant billboard, Nick is shown right beside June. Luke, Aunt Lydia, June, and Nick are also all in a group together, which to me is the characters who make it out alive to be in the Testaments.

The season summaries for seasons 1-4 were Nick heavy with his rebellious acts while only the season 5 was Luke heavy

In the fan tweets video they have O-T read a fan wish about June and Nick ending up together

The trailer is pretty Nick heavy like the season 4 trailer

Now the press notes:

June's character description: It does not mention Luke, but does mention Nick. "Over the course of the series, June becomes a completely new person, a person who does find her voice, an angry voice, a powerful voice. She’s a different person than she was. A lot of the romance with Nick is because of that. They are two people who understand and share the burden of Gilead’s tyranny."

This is reaffirming that Luke is included in June's past, Nick is her present. Back in the day we compared Nick and June to Katniss and Peeta, and this is almost verbatim what Jennifer Lawrence once said about Everlark.

Nick's character description: "I think some of the edges fray on Nick this season. His moral center is actually shifting. He has been quite selfless for much of his life, especially in this dynamic with June. And so maybe his gas tank for that is starting to run out. He’s speaking up from himself a little bit more and sometimes in quite misguided ways"

For seasons I think Nick has been a fuse waiting to blow. He was manipulated into joining a cult, survives in said cult, meets the love of his life and makes her his north star. Everything he does is for her but that is not sustainable and is uneven. Part of what I love about June and Nick's relationship is that he soaks up all of her stress and desires. But what is his outlet for that? When you take June away who is Nick? Where is his moral center if he is not acting out of love for one person? He has to figure that out this season if he actually wants a future outside of Gilead. If June ends up with him now, you would have a long list of people saying it's not good enough. So Nick needs to do more than be seen as good because of his connection to June.

"There’s something in Wharton’s masculinity that Nick has been searching for. One of the things that this season explores is the notion that a lot of these men in Gilead have broken relationships with their fathers. I think Nick sees in Wharton a mentorship that he craves. This season is the first time Nick’s been tempted by the dark side on a fundamental level, primarily because of that relationship."

Look I love Nick but by anyone's definition he's a war criminal with daddy issues. And that's fine because he's a fictional character and it's nuanced. He's nowhere near as responsible for Gilead as Fred, Serena, and Lawrence are. But he is still complicit. He's a Commander now, and he may still have ties to the Martha network and friendlies and Mayday, but he is not operating a secret operation out of his house like Lawrence that we know of. Being complicit as a driver is different than being complicit as a Commander. You go from being a cog in the system to upholding the system. The show has repeatedly driven home that Nick and Lawrence are good but flawed men. But if June is to truly choose Nick and end up with him, he has to turn away from Gilead for himself. Not to protect her, Nichole, and Hannah. And I don't think Nick has done that kind of work yet. At least not the show's version.

Now for his daddy issues. I think Nick is morally good, but even in earlier seasons he thought Commander Pryce was a good person. He looked up to him and trusted him. But Pryce was still a founder of Gilead who designed and upheld the system. When Pryce died Nick started depending on Lawrence. It makes sense that he would be drawn to Wharton. He's messed up from losing his family before Gilead and craves acceptance and stability and a paternal figure. It's how he got manipulated into the SOJ in the first place.

I don't think Nick could go underground at this point, even if he is working with Tuello. He's not ready. He has to work through the issues that got him into the SOJ, and that might mean he backslides. Healing and doing internal work is rarely linear and I doubt it is linear in a totalitarian regime.

So while I can't see him turning June in, I can see him ruining the rebels' plans by abandoning his agreement with Tuello. I can see Wharton taking advantage of a distraught Nick and having him kickoff the Return Baby Nichole campaign 2.0. Because Nick might not trust systems but he trusts people. And trusting the wrong people got him roped into Gilead.

So while yes it may suck for us fans of Nick and I don't trust the show to do it well, but I can see the writers thinking that Nick's path in season 6 involves backsliding. Because his history can suggest that. I will also add that when I first read The Testaments and was reading so fast, I interpreted Nick being underground as a commander on the run/rumored to be dead for protection almost like a myth. Not an active resistance operative. The show could easily go that route where Nick backslides and then redeems himself when he realizes his mistake and goes on the run vs officially joining Mayday.

Luke's character description: Doesn't mention June, just Hannah.

Tuello's character description: By the end of Season Six, a lot of the alliances that Mark had hoped for have fallen apart. Lawrence may be Mark’s only last, desperate hope to retaliate for all of Gilead’s many atrocities.

I could see Nick's betrayal being to Tuello and by extent of that to June, not him betraying June herself. It also makes sense that Nick makes a choice in the Jezebels episode after he sees June in disguise, and she hears about it two episodes later.

Elisabeth about Luke: "He is ready to go. So as soon as Mark gives him that opportunity, he doesn’t hesitate. June is furious with Luke’s choice. She’s trying to keep everyone safe, and Luke signs up for this most dangerous of missions."

What about that says June is choosing Luke?

Elisabeth about Nick: "In this season, we see Nick and June together for the first time in quite a while. Finally, they can talk about things that have been left unsaid. They finally admit that they love each other now, not just in the past but now."

Praise be we're getting extended Nick and June scenes. We're getting them talking like an actual couple and confirmation that they are the people they would choose to be with. Hopefully they discuss his role in the takeover and his history, because as one of the EPs said years ago, because June and Nick only have fleeting moments they try to keep it light when they see each other and they push down or forgive the bad. They NEED to have an actual discussion that fans see if an endgame is going to be possible. Or else they will be a resentful conflict avoidant couple.

"But then, toward the end of this season, Nick betrays June’s trust. It’s the biggest thing that’s ever happened to the two characters. It’s inevitable in a way. June has been shown over and over again that Nick is a member of Gilead’s hierarchy and will abide by their rules. But, she just doesn’t listen. Love clouds her judgement. Now, finally, she is able to see who he is and what he’s capable of. It’s devastating"

She says towards the end of the season, not at the end. So there is time for Nick to redeem himself before it ends.

Love clouds all of our judgements. We love Nick as a character so we see the nuance and we know his backstory as a resistance member in the novels and how his season 3 scenes were cut and that he was originally going to get Hannah out. But the average viewer doesn't. For better or worse, the show made Nick a commander in the system with a shady past. For him to go underground they have to address it and rectify it, not avoid the direction a great deal of viewers see him going in.

We love Nick for how he supports June and that he is a complex character. But he has been capable of bad things in Gilead by "following the rules." Would disobeying them get him killed? You could argue yes. But his character as written in the scripts is one who finds a way to do things for June within Gilead's official and unofficial rules. And after season 2 he's also bombed Chicago, killed commanders, married a high commander's daughter, supported starting New Bethlehem and probably a bunch of stuff offscreen. June hasn't seen that, but we have. And we chose to see through it and love him as a character anyway. But June has to do the same.

About it being inevitable, Tuello implies Nick has had multiple opportunities to leave Gilead. But he never did. Why? I think of what June said to Lawrence about "how long did you think it would be until they came for you?" The longer Nick stays in Gilead, the more likely it becomes he ends up betraying June in some way, either by active choice or association.

Also, we don't know what his big betrayal is? Why freak out about it yet when season 4 hyped up him capturing her and him being married as betrayals. Because that season also got us great Osblaine scenes that ended on a high note.

In a glass half full look, maybe seeing June distraught over Nick will be super angsty and amazing in a way so painful it's great.

O-T about Luke and June: "they are united as a couple to save Hannah. On the road to that mission, they sometimes have to make sacrifices. They have to sacrifice intimacy, home life and romance"

Nothing about this says happy rebel couple in love.

"It’s difficult for Luke to see June and Nick together because their connection is palpable. These are two people who are deeply energetically connected. They have a dynamism that he and June lack. Also, Nick is a man of action and, so far, Luke has not been.... And Luke definitely feels that when he sees Nick - so handsome, so confident, so strong. Max plays Nick with so much nuance and charisma that you totally understand why June is drawn to him. But, of course, Nick is still a commander in Gilead."

We're getting Luke, June, and Nick together!! Luke realizing that June is in love with Nick!! Luke realizing that they have something he and June will never have!! I've prayed for times like these.

"Luke is going to love June forever no matter what, although Luke fears that she might end up with Nick. I think he understands their connection is eternal, and he might have some uncertainty about how it’s going to ultimately play out."

So, so far Elisabeth has mentioned June being angry at Luke and in love but betrayed by Nick, and O-T has mentioned June and Luke not having romance and Luke coming to terms with June ending up with Nick.

It sounds to me we are getting the dissolution of June and Luke's romance, and an angsty high stakes faux-lovers to enemies back to lovers June and Nick arc.

Max on Nick and June:

"I don’t think that Nick has ever had any apprehensions about Luke... He’s often been quite compassionate toward Luke. I think he recognizes and understands that the situation is painful for both of them."

King shit.

"I think his relationship with Rose definitely factors into the changes in Nick’s relationship with June, but time is honestly a big part of it. We’ve spent a long time with these characters and in turn, they’ve been in these relationships for a long time, and relationships evolve, and resentments grow, especially when there’s so much external drama and chaos. I think it’s understandable that we would start to see the edges fray on this dynamic between June and Nick."

Just like I said earlier. Nick has been selfless towards June for pretty much the entire show. How long can that selflessness go unreturned, especially if he feels that every time he makes an effort to save her she is causing havoc again to try and save Hannah or bring down Gilead? And that brings Nick and June to two different pages.... June trying to bring down the horrible system Nick lives in BUT WON'T LEAVE because he has family obligations, daddy issues, and a low self esteem. A turning point would have to come eventually.

And Max's description might sound bad, but edges fraying just means uncertainty. It doesn't mean ending. The only reason Nick and June have been stable across seasons is partially because distance makes the heart grow fonder. They can push aside the bad when they are together and wish for each other when they are apart. I believe 100% they can be a couple in the real world, but to do so they need to rock the boat a little bit.

It looks like this season will let them face some hard truths so they can actually move on to the other side. S1-2 they were I think as much of a couple they could be, but s3-5 they've just been in a purgatory limbo of not being able to see each other or discuss anything. Because of how deep their love is they still hold a candle for each other, but they've been holding that candle while metaphorically moving farther apart.

Warren Littlefield about the love triangle:

"June’s married to Luke but she’s in love with Nick. She’s having Nick’s child, but she still loves Luke."

Even a producer knows that Nick is who June is in love with. Luke she still has love for, but she's no longer in love.

CONCLUSION

Obviously I'm using this to comfort myself because of how much I wrote. But honestly, when I read through the press doc for the first time I didn't read it as the end. As much as I would love for Nick to join the resistance midway through, I can see why the show is not taking that path. They are choosing to go with the storyline they've been building for seasons to (hopefully) get to Nick abandoning it all in a huge, dramatic, finale way.

But this doesn't have to be a bad thing. I read the press doc as an opportunity for June and Nick to actually overcome the challenges that have been keeping them apart.

And nothing about the character descriptions says June is choosing Luke. It says her and Luke are only bound by Hannah, and she and Nick are in love but drama is keeping them separated.

So let's get ready for some angsty, horrible, amazing, intoxicating drama.

[theesirenteller]

Bone Marrow.

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞 : 𝐈 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭

New Orleans, 1998

The wound never healed right.

Even after Stack died—after the bite, the blood, the rebirth—that scar stayed. A crescent-shaped chunk of missing flesh near his ribs, where Savannah had sunk her teeth in and ripped. A fevered act of lust, madness, or something older, something sacred. Vampirism should have erased it. Should’ve knitted it shut, neat and clean like the rest. But no. That scar remained.

Mary noticed it the first time she undressed him.

"What did this?" she had asked, voice low, fingers brushing the torn skin.

He didn’t answer. Wouldn’t. Her hands were cold, and her breath smelled like iron. Even with Mary—especially with Mary—Stack couldn’t speak Savannah’s name without something ancient clawing up his throat.

Mary never asked again. But she remembered. And Stack felt the shift after that—how she started watching him closer, how she’d dig her nails into that scar during sex like she was trying to tear it wider. Like she was trying to bleed her out of him.

Then one night, Mary vanished.

Savannah was gone too.

That was months ago.

The nights since had been long and wet. Stack haunted the city like a curse, hungry and aimless. He fed only when he had to. He didn’t keep company. Didn’t keep names. The vampire world buzzed with news of Mary—the mad one, the blood-artist, the butcher-bitch poet of the Crescent. Bodies arranged like constellations. Teeth left in teacups. Smiles carved into skin.

And now, whispers.

Of something worse.

A woman. Not like Mary. Slower. Cleaner. A predator who disappeared into the fog after every kill. Who smiled as she ate. Who didn’t run, didn’t beg. Who left nothing behind but the bones.

Stack knew before they said her name.

Savannah.

He found her at a dive bar just off Elysian Fields. The kind of place with warped wood floors, a jukebox that never stopped humming, and locals who knew how to mind their business. The sign above the door had long since peeled away, leaving only rust and shadow.

She was at the bar, nursing a beer. Long fingers wrapped around the bottle, lips glossy and slow around the glass. Her eyes were half-lidded, her braid trailing down her back, bones threaded through like tiny white warnings. She didn’t look at him when he walked in.

But he saw her.

And smelled her.

Stack stopped cold.

Mary’s rot was on her. That stench — old blood, ruined flesh, the sour tang of rage. It clung to Savannah’s skin like perfume. But it wasn’t just that. It was her. Alive. Human.

Savannah should be Sammy’s age. Seventy-five. Maybe older. But she didn’t look a day over thirty-five. Her face had thinned, her eyes deeper set, but that same wicked curve to her mouth remained. That same impossible gravity.

She didn’t turn to him. Not right away.

Just raised the bottle and took another sip.

“You gonna stare all night?” she asked, voice smooth, untouched by time.

Stack swallowed something hard.

“You pos' ta be dead.”

She finally looked at him. And smiled.

“You too, suga.”

Stack leaned back in the booth, jaw tight, his gold tooth catching the dim bar light. He’d been quiet since she let slip Mary had come for her — but now, his voice dropped low, thick with that Mississippi drawl, the kind that curled like smoke in the air.

“You knew what she was, huh?” he muttered, eyes never leaving her face. “Knew she wasn’t no regular gal, and you still let her close? What she do to you, Vannah? What you do to her?”

Savannah tilted her head, that lazy smile playing on her lips again. She licked the rim of her bottle slow before answering, her voice velvet but bone-deep cold.

“Ate her up,” she purred, giggling like she’d said something sweet. “And spat that heffa her out.”

Stack blinked. She kept going.

“Her flesh was rotten, Stack. White and filthy. Like chewin’ on mildew and maggot dreams. It stuck to my teeth — I can still feel it on my tongue sometimes. Made my mouth taste like grave water. But I ain’t swallow none. Not her.”

She tapped the bottle against her lip, then whispered, grinning wider;

“You ever tasted somethin’ so foul it make your stomach remember who you used to be?”

Stack stared at her, blood roaring in his ears. He didn’t know whether to kiss her or kill her. That’s the thing with Savannah — she never gave you just one reason to stay, and never gave you any to leave.

tagged; @bxrbie1 @unvswrld @belleofthefloor @voydess @nubiagurllll @whysoceerious @soursourapple @thebumbqueen @queenofklonnie22 @rosaaverse @lovedlover @toxicsalami23 @milesf4vg1rl

[throttleheart]

⸻ ⸻ ⸻

Upstairs Noise, Downstairs Trouble

Pairing: Lando Norris x Oscar Piastri

Genre: Crack treated seriously, fluff, sugestive, non-descriptive sexual content

Word Count: <1k

Summary: Oscar’s new upstairs neighbor is loud. Not like TV-too-loud or walking-in-boots-at-3AM loud. No — he’s singing-abba-in-the-shower-while-dropping-weights kind of loud. Oscar files a noise complaint. The guy responds with apology gifts — that are somehow worse. Oscar plans to stay annoyed… until he reads the note. Now he’s doomed. Especially when he finally sees him.

⸻

Oscar lives alone. Quietly. Peacefully.

So when someone moves into the flat above and starts sprinting at midnight, blasting music, laughing out loud alone — it ruins him. Literally. Sleep? Gone. Sanity? Hanging by a thread.

He tries earplugs. Noise-cancelling headphones. Rage.

And finally, when the Mamma Mia karaoke starts again on a Tuesday morning at 8:32 AM — he snaps.

To: Building Management

Subject: Formal Noise Complaint – Unit 7B

Hi, sorry — I never do this, but the new tenant in 7B is extremely disruptive. Loud music, late hours, dropping heavy items, etc. Would appreciate if something could be done.

– Oscar Piastri (6B)

He expects silence. What he gets… is worse.

The next day, there’s a knock at his door.

No one’s there — just a box.

Inside:

• A giant chocolate bar. Unopened. Expired.

• A candle that smells like motor oil.

• A pair of socks that say “STOP BEEING SAD” with cartoon bees.

• A folded letter, written in messy black ink.

⸻

Oscar —

Sorry if I’ve been loud. I honestly didn’t realize. New place, new acoustics, apparently a loud voice and heavier feet than I thought. My bad.

I tried to pick stuff to say sorry — not sure if you like chocolate or bees or whatever, but I figured effort counts.

Anyway. I’ll try to bee quieter (haha get it?). Thanks for not just banging on my door or something.

– Lando (Upstairs)

P.S. I swear the weights fell by accident. I’m not that kind of gym guy.

⸻

Oscar stares at it.

Reads it again.

…and again.

He wants to stay mad. But something about the messy writing and dumb socks and the fact that Lando thought this would fix it makes him laugh out loud for the first time in days.

The noise lessens.

But then it starts again — softer this time. A voice. Singing.

Through the ceiling, muffled and low:

“My love is wider than Victoria Lake

Taller than the Empire State

It dives, it jumps

I can't give you more than that

Surely, you want me back”

Oscar rolls his eyes.

But a week later, when they pass each other in the stairwell for the first time — finally, face to face — Oscar’s entire brain short-circuits.

Lando is…

Shaggy-haired, hoodie half-zipped, smiling like he’s already gotten away with something. “Hey — 6B, right?”

Oscar blinks. “Yeah.”

“You must be Oscar.” Lando grins. “Hope the bees helped.”

Oscar stares. “They didn’t.”

Lando laughs.

And Oscar knows — in that split second — he’s so screwed.

⸻

They don’t even touch for weeks after that.

But the tension builds.

Soft greetings turn into lingering ones. They get coffee. Lando gives him a playlist. Oscar pretends not to memorize every track.

And then one night, after a bad day, Oscar knocks.

Lando answers in sweatpants, shirtless, damp curls, blinking like he just came out of the shower. “Everything okay?”

Oscar walks past him. Doesn’t speak.

Lando closes the door, heart suddenly pounding.

“Did I do something?”

Oscar turns.

“I read your letter again,” he says. Quiet. Then steps closer. “You said you’d be quieter.”

“Yeah—?”

“You weren’t.”

And then he grabs Lando’s jaw, pushes him back against the kitchen counter, and kisses him breathless.

Lando makes a noise that can only be described as whimpering.

Oscar pulls back just enough to breathe.

“You want me to stop?”

Lando’s voice is wrecked. “Not even slightly.”

⸻

They don’t make it to the bed.

Oscar ruins him on the couch.

Lando’s hoodie ends up on the lamp. One sock survives. The other is never seen again.

Lando is a puddle of giggles and flushed skin, buried against Oscar’s chest.

“You’re were pretty loud,” he whispers, breathless. “Not a good example.”

Oscar grins against his hair.

“I’m sure the neighbours don’t mind.”

⸻ ⸻ ⸻

[leupagus]

You know what else pisses me off? Women's hair and how it's used as shorthand in this show in just the laziest goddamn ways possible and then IT'S NOT EVEN DONE WELL.

Like okay Brienne has short hair because she's a fighter but it's EXACTLY THE WRONG LENGTH IF YOU'RE A FIGHTER. It's Jaime Season 1, the exact length to get into your eyes while you're fighting! You're telling me that Brienne "I've been beating up idiots who thought I was unwomanly since I was tall enough to kick them in the balls" of Tarth wouldn't have a pixie cut???

And then there's Cersei, who DOES have a pixie cut but again, ALL WRONG FOR HER CHARACTER. I can't see her keeping it short, myself; this is Cersei Lannister, the most beautiful woman in Westeros and trained from birth to be beautiful. Who uses that beauty. She might cast that aside once she takes the throne (and if so you need to EXPLAIN WHY SHE DOES SO other than "when lady get power she get manly"), but before? When she's still the queen mother and trying to get Tommen out from under the influence of Margaery and wanting to keep things as they were? And even if you could convince me that she keeps it short as a reminder of what happened to her — which you could! — you have to have her keeping it the length it was during her walk of atonement and not...whatever that wig was. Show me the Cersei who gets her hair cut once a week, so that she can remember and HATE those who were responsible. (She probably kills the barber who does it every week Arabian Nights style! Let's see that!)

And if you want to talk about hair upkeep, WHAT THE FUCK WAS UP WITH DAENERYS'S WHOLE BRAID SITUATION. Like let's leave aside the fact that no scalp in any universe has the hair required to have that many braids of that thickness in it (and god that wig looked so bad, SO BAD, why was the wig department SO BAD ON THIS SHOW). The reflection of Daenerys's descent into "IDK I'm Just Evil Now IG?" by how elaborate her hairdo was doesn't make any sense for many reasons, not the least of which was WHO WAS DOING THAT HAIR FOR HER. I can guarantee you that was not a hairstyle you could do yourself, even with the magical hair follicles of the Targaryens. So who? Not Missandei, clearly. Not Grey Worm (although I would have paid so much money to see that and to see him discover his inner stylist and quit the Unsullied to open a barber shop in the Reach or something). Plus, the hairstyle we see her have in the last few seasons isn't one we see on anyone else, so... what is the point of it? Is it purely a signal for the audience, rather than an actual hairstyle that A HUMAN PERSON would want to put her scalp through every day? (Also again, that wig was so bad, why did it never move or have any whispies even when she'd just gotten off the BACK OF A DRAGON, like have you ever ridden your bike really fast down a hill YOUR HAIR GETS WINDSWEPT god I'm so mad.)

The only note I have about Sansa's hair was that the subliminal cue of having her and Arya and Brienne be the only Westerosi women not wearing wigs was actually kind of thematically interesting and then they gave her the shittiest wig of all for the last two seasons and fucked it all up.

Me before writing this GOT fic: this will mostly be about Sansa, my main squeeze, my best girl and beloved

Me while writing this GOT fic: so instead of the whole dumb shit that happens to Daenerys in seasons 5 & 6 what if instead she’s presiding over Meereen while it invents democracy so it can vote her out of the city. Along the way Meereen invents journalism and soccer.

[thefadecodex]

So what spirits do you think the Evanuris were? Like Elgar'nan would be Command, Mythal -> benevolence, Solas is wisdom -> pride, but what do you think the rest were?

I like to think June is Inspiration (made the eluvians), Sylaise would be Harmony, Dirthamen/Falon'din are the shattered remnants of Wisdom (<- i get this from this quote on Dumat: "in silence is the beating heart of wisdom). Dirthamen would be Knowledge -> secrecy/deceit(?) and Falon'din would be Learning corrupted into Hunger?

Sorry for the rambling- but I love this blog and Evanuris being former spirits just fascinates me!

Well met, wanderer of the Fade!

I have thought about this a lot, honestly, and I’m still coming to my final conclusions on the nature of the Evanuris. However, here are my current thoughts until I reach that section to dive deeper:

June – Innovation (The creation of the eluvians speaks to a mind driven by invention and transformative creativity.) When corrupted, it becomes Obsession.

Sylaise – Harmony (Her association with peace, fire, and the nurturing aspects of elven society suggest a spirit tied to balance and cohesion.) When corrupted it becomes Stagnation.

Ghilan'nain – Creation (Her association with shaping creatures, monsters and guiding them ties closely to the act of bringing something new into being.) When corrupted it becomes Hubris*.

In this context, I wouldn't use hubris and pride to be the same. Think of pride as believing you're the best in the room, while hubris is believing you're above the rules of the universe.

Andruil – Competition (Her obsession with the Hunt and her repeated challenges to other gods suggest a drive defined by rivalry and dominance.) When corrupted, it becomes Madness.

As for Falon'Din and Dirthamen, I’m still untangling their threads, but I’m leaning toward them being shattered fragments of Discovery.

Dirthamen might represent Knowledge, with a drive that, when twisted, becomes Secrecy—hoarding knowledge for himself rather than sharing it.

Falon'Din could align with Learning, corrupted into Hunger—an insatiable need to consume, understand, and claim everything in his reach, even the souls of the dead. Which also aligns with comments made by Solas in DAI about Falon'Din's desire for worship.

I love your interpretation of them as remnants of Wisdom, particularly with the connection to Dumat’s quote: "In silence is the beating heart of wisdom." It aligns beautifully with their themes.

It’s such a fascinating idea to explore the Evanuris as once being spirits themselves—shaped, changed, and eventually corrupted by their own desires and the weight of their power.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Discussions like these are what make exploring this lore so rewarding.

May your path through the Fade remain well-lit!

—The Fade Codex

[saturnsorbits]

Always a Groomsman

Fandom: My Hero Academia, Warning: Angst (A Touch), Smut, Exhibitionism, Reader Smokes, Kaminari isn't a Hero Anymore, Brief Mention of Addiction etc. Word Counts: 5.4k.

Summary: A wedding, what a wonderful place to reunite with the one that fucked you and ran all those years ago.

The light is already dying by the time you finally manage to slip away from the reception and make a B-line to the back of the tent. Your feet are killing. The whiskey helps the pain, but even whiskey can't numb everything.

'Oi.' Bakugo catches your elbow, stopping you just short of freedom.

'Where are you going?'

'Need some air.'

Flicking up his eyebrows, he offers you a smirk that tells you he's not buying your bullshit. 'So it's got nothing to do with that then?' He hooks a thumb towards the dance floor and the drunken silhouette of Kaminari Denki He's curled himself around a bridesmaid, hand pinching the silk over her hip, lips hovering barely an inch above her neck as she threads her hand through his hair.

You chew your lip and lie. 'No.'

'C'mon... Just talk to him, you know you want to.' Bakugo's eyes widen suggestively.

'I think he's too pre-occupied to talk.' Something bubbles in your stomach as you watch Kaminari whisper in the woman's ear and you quietly shift your gaze so you don't see what happens next.

'You know he's only over there because he thinks you're mad at him, right?'

'I am mad at him.'

'It's been years.'

'He fucked me over, Kat...'

Bakugo's gaze hits the floor. It's not like he's forgotten what happened. 'I'm not taking his side but -.'

'No.' You raise your hands, palms flat in the air to stop him. You know what he's about to say. You've heard it all before. 'You've got guests to entertain and I am literally going to explode if I don't get some air in the next minute.'

Rolling his eyes, he plants a kiss on your cheek and uses his new proximity to whisper in your ear. 'He'd make a pretty groom, that's all I'm saying.'

'Oh, fuck off.' You manage to swat his shoulder only once before he's turned on his heel and returned to the mess of wedding guests that whoop and roar when he re-emerges into the fray.

The cold hits you as soon as you duck under the edge of the tent and step out onto the small deck. Instantly, you pull at your shoes and hiss as your feet are forced to straighten against the wooden floor. Before the throbbing in your soles has settled, you stagger off, limping towards the tall rail separating the deck from the field beyond.

It's a nice night, cold, but nice. In the sky, stars burn on a back-drop of navy, their blanket only broken by the soft, red blinking of the odd satellite or plane. The music from the tent floats out and lingers in the air, leaving you with enough space to actually think for a second.

You'd been overjoyed to watch Bakugo finally get hitched to Kirishima, but almost all of that excitement had died when you saw Kaminari. It had been almost ten years since the night he'd kissed you outside of UA, since you'd stumbled up the stairs to his dorm and let him be the first to touch you. He'd pretended as if it had never happened afterwards and you'd taken the hint.

A few months later, you'd moved south and he had stayed. He hadn't even shown up to your leaving party, despite both Sero and Kirishima telling you he'd be there.

But, all of that was in the past, or at least you'd thought it was until your eyes had grazed his as he stood beside the alter as Kirishima's best man and you'd felt a forgotten affection swell in your stomach. Sighing, you fiddle with your clutch bag and remove a half-full packet of cigarettes from within. You flip open the box, pluck one from inside and pop it in-between your lips before diving back into the clutch to search for a lighter. Rummaging for a second, you come up empty.

'Shit.'

'Need a light?'

The voice makes you shriek. You jump, stumble over your shoes and just about manage to catch yourself on the rail. Hand falling to your chest, you can feel the hammering of your heart through your skin.

'Am I that scary?' He snickers.

You squint, trying to make out his edges in the low light. Your eyebrows furrow, then lift as you focus on the man in front of you. He looks good, better than the last time you'd seen him: A scrawny shadow of himself pictured in a double page spread of a gossip magazine, something about heroism, drugs and a sex scandal printed in bright ink above it.

Flicking your eyes up to his, you're glad to see the spark has returned to his eyes. An old, but familiar shiver runs the length of your spine and suddenly, your stomach fills with motion. 'You... You look good.'

'Yeah?' He holds open his blazer, allowing you to get a full look as he slowly spins on the balls of his shoes and pinches at the skin of his stomach. 'Hero weekly says I'm chubby now.'

You're tempted to lie, to tell him that he's looked better, but you don't. 'No, you look good, healthy. It suits you.'

Something in Kaminari's chest stutters and he has to swallow the spit pooling in his mouth before he speaks again. 'Light?'

You pause. 'You don't mind?'

His face breaks into a smile, perfect and shining. 'Nah, don't even crave the things any more.' He misses out the bit about having enough nicotine patches on his chest and arms to stop a bull.

You concede. There's a comfort that comes back almost too easily, like the past finally catches up with you. It dampens the fire in your stomach, leaving you clutching at the anger that had grown inside of you since that night. You lean forward, letting him cup his hands around the end of your cigarette.

His hands shake when he tries to make a spark. It takes one, two, three times of his thumb coming down on the wheel before it finally catches a light and he can step back to a safer distance.

'It's still the same one, doesn't work as well now though.' He mumbles flicking the cap of the lighter. It's silver, with a chipped yellow lightning bolt painted on the front of it.

If you looked close enough, you're sure you'd be able to find the rough scratching of your entwined initials, engraved by his shaking hands at fifteen.

You breathe in, savour the burning of smoke as it infests your lungs and exhale. Turning, you rest against the rail and look back out over the field.

'So – you're -.'

'Sero said -.'

You both start up at the same time, the constriction of the silence around you forcing you both to attempt to fill it.

'You first -.'

'No, you – go on.' You encourage, arching an eyebrow.

Kaminari swallows. His heart thrums violently, threatening to deafen him, but he's just hoping that you can't see how bad his hands are shaking, how he can feel sweat beginning to bead his forehead. He's not an idiot. He knows how he left it, what you must think. As soon as Kirishima had asked him to be best man he’d felt his guts begin to twist and turn. The idea of seeing you again set his veins on fire. You cough and pull him back from the edge of his thoughts.

'I – uh...' He can't think. You're too close, too real and suddenly, his tongue seizes in his mouth.

Another beat of silence nestles its way into the conversation and you can't take it. You switch the conversation. 'Ei said you're going to work with Aizawa.'

He takes a deep breath and prepares himself to look at you, but it still doesn't stop the air being stolen from his lungs when he finally does. There's a flourish of nostalgia in his stomach and he swallows a grin. 'Yeah. He, uh, he sought me out. After all the – the, y'know, rehab and all that, he thought I'd be a good fit.'

'Yeah?' You raise your eyebrows. Kaminari's fall from grace had been far from undocumented. There had been barely a week that he hadn't appeared in some sort of magazine, his eyes dull and another questionable entourage in toe. Another one night stand, a model spotted having cocaine snorted off her tits; wherever there was chaos, Kaminari had followed.

'Yeah... We're, uhm, we're already working with a group of kids in UA. They got caught up in that villain attack down town. We do these workshops were we like pretend to be pro-hero's...'

Smiling, you raise your eyebrows. There's light in his voice, something you've missed and something you're keen to hold onto.

He snorts. 'No, I know, I know, but we pretend to be...' He shoots you a cheeky glance. '… Current... Pro-hero's doing interviews and talking about our experiences and stuff, y'know like it's miles away. Helps to sort it all out in your head, picture a future were it isn't all still hanging over you. There's this one kid, absolute firecracker... He stopped the whole fucking building collapsing before they could get everyone out, has a pretty nasty scar to thank for it too, but he does the most flawless impression of Bakugo it's almost scary.'

You bat at his arm instinctively and freeze as your hand wraps his bicep. For a second it's all too easy to forget you're not still teenagers clinging onto youth with both hands. 'That looks good on you too.'

'Huh?' He swallows before moving his hand to cover yours on his arm. His skin prickles when you don't pull away. It's hard to forget how it all ended. How he'd been too naïve to tell you how he felt, how he'd bit his tongue for months after he'd summoned the courage to finally kiss you and how he'd tried everything he could to run from the violent storm of emotions that had been released in his stomach that night.

It hadn't worked.

Avoiding you hadn't worked, neither had sleeping with other women or pretending it had never happened.

You lean into him, tightening your grip and the warmth of your skin reminds him that he's not the scared teenager he used to be.

'Helping kids, working with Aizawa...' You giggle, relaxing into his presence at last. 'It looks good on you. You light up when you talk about it... It's nice. Haven't seen you look like that since...' You chew your lip. 'Listen...' It's impossible to read him. His jaw is set, eyes facing forward as the cold begins to chap and redden his cheeks and you have to fight to push away the thought of how beautiful he still looks. 'I know you're only out here because Bakugo told you to be.' The accusation slips off your tongue too easily as the past rears it's head.

'I'm not – it's -.'

'You don't have to lie to me.' You offer him a broken smile, a truce of sorts.

'I really screwed up, didn't I?' He chuckles, letting smoke drift from his nose and mouth before turning to you.

'You did.'

There's a lapse in the conversation and he takes his chance. You're peering up at him, your eyes filled with the embers of something he hopes is affection and he dives in. 'Do you remember that night... Outside the school when... When, we -.' He feels stupid. The words lodge in his throat and refuse to move, forcing him to stop and haul in a breath. You'd think after all the talking therapy he'd be better at it by now.

He battles through, after all – he doesn't know when he'll get the chance to see you again.

If he doesn't do it now, he never will.

'When we slept together?' You sigh then tilt your head and finally give in, resting your head against his shoulder. Part of you wonders why he's brought it up, the other part isn't sure you care. Right now, you're just happy to bask in him. You've missed it: him. Even with the history between you. 'You don't have to apologise. I get it.'

'What do you mean?' Kaminari stammers.

'Well, It was a mistake, right?' It's a question disguised as a statement, but you don't give him time to answer before you're already trying to soften the blow yourself. 'We were young and people sleep together all the time, it's not a big deal. I just -.' You puff out your cheeks, finish your cigarette and drop it to the floor, letting Kaminari crush it with his dress shoe. 'I – I guess I just expected us to... It doesn't matter, you didn't want it and I respect that, just, it was just a hard pill to swallow, I think.

He takes another lungful of cold air, hoping the shock will calm him. It does, but only until he cranes his neck to look at you again. You're looking back up at him, your eyes wide and questioning, pupils blown out through darkness and alcohol. His gaze lingers on the soft pump of your lip and he's almost knocked over by the rush of memory that reminds him you used to taste like strawberries and smoke.

He wonders if you still do.

'It's not like that...'

You swallow. 'What was it like then?'

His voice is a whisper when he finally admits what he came out her to tell you. 'I was scared...' His thumb ghosts the back of your hand. 'I'm still scared.'

'Denki...'

'Yeah?' He's vaguely aware of the fact that he's unable to tear his eyes away from your face, but he's too caught up in the feel of you pressed to his side, where you belong, to care.

'Don't start saying things like that.'

'Why -.'

You lick at your back teeth, fighting annoyance. 'Not now. Especially not when there's a bridesmaid wondering where you've got to in there.' You hook a thumb back towards the tent.

'I'm not – we're not, we're not together or anything...' He's stumbling, making a mess as usual.

You roll your eyes. 'You don't have to lie.'

'I'm not lying.'

'I saw you all over her.'

'Dancing – we were -.'

Chewing at your lip, you sigh. 'It doesn't matter.'

'No.' He takes hold of your hand, squashes his own on top of yours and pins you as best as he can without forcing your fingers to entwine. 'It does.'

You swallow. 'Why now?'

'I – uh -.'

'Why not then?'

'I was scared.'

'You know...' You slip your hand from under his and fold your arms across your chest. 'It hurt when I realised that I was just another fuck for you, but it wasn't as bad as loosing a friend Denki – We were friends and you just fucking ghosted me. No explanation, no apology, you could have just fucking ignored it and I would have let things go back to normal, I would have just -.' You're crying, kind of. Tears well in your eyes, but you're refusing to let them fall. You've spent too many tears on him already and your make-up took almost an hour to do.

'I was a fucking idiot, I was scared and – and -.'

'I think I'm going to go...' You nod, swatting away his hand when he reaches for you. 'It was nice seeing you.' Turning, you're ready to make a short dash through the tent, ready to be as far away from the constricting air of the deck.

'No. Please. Please, don't go – not again, I just. Fuck.'

A hand wraps your wrist, pulling you back just enough that he can slip in front of you blocking your escape. 'Den - Kaminari.'

'Just let me, let me get this out. Okay.' He's pleading when he looks up at you, but he can't let you leave, not without at least trying. 'I was a fucking idiot. I was so scared that you'd hate me, that, that I'd be a bad boyfriend, or you'd move away and I wouldn't be enough, that I'd be too busy with work, or it'd be too much and I – I let that get the better of me. I was already falling apart, even back then and I didn't – I didn't want you to have to see it, to put up with it. You, fuck, you deserve so much and... That night...' He hauls in a breath. 'That night was one of the best nights of my life, not, not just the sex – just being with you and I – Well I did fuck it all up, didn't I... Look at the state of me - I couldn't, I couldn't have dragged you through all that.'

'Oi.' You fix him with a stare. 'Don't go blaming yourself, not for what you've been through - or how you've dealt with it. Never, okay... And for what it's worth, I would have gone to Hell and back if you'd asked.'

His jaw ticks, but when he turns to face you there's something almost thankful in the shine of his eyes. 'I'd never ask.'

You chuckle. 'I know. You wouldn't have had to. I've have done it anyway.'

He swallows.

You roll your lip between your teeth and bite down. 'So you liked me... Back then, I mean. When we – I wasn't just, just another girl that you...

'We both know I did.' He licks his lips. 'I was a fucking idiot, I -.' His eyes widen as he struggles to find a word to summarise the years that have elapsed between you and leaves him out on a limb.

'Do you still...'

He nods.

'And if, if it were to happen again, you'd want that?'

'More than anything.'

'And you wouldn't run away?'

'Only if I was chasing you.'

You smile, straighten and curl your body into his. 'Then...' You whisper. 'Kiss me.'

He does. Wrapping a hand around your neck, he lets his thumb rub at the softness behind your ear as your lips meet again for the first time in years.

Things go quickly from there...

It's overdue. A coming together that both of your bodies have longed for, for far too long. He kisses the same, with lips that are a touch too dry and a hunger no-one else has ever been able to match.

You have a mind to stop him, have a mind to stall his hands as they press to your chest and seek out the stiff peaks of your nipples, but you don't. Instead, you let yourself be overcome. Your hands find his belt. It's almost too easy to do, to unclasp the buckle and yank it clear of his suit pants. You cast it aside and are surprised when he doesn't seem to care where it lands.

He pushes you back, urging you further and further away from the wedding still raging inside and towards the scant privacy the deck can offer.

Although, it's more than obvious that neither of you care.

Each touch is electric. A build of emotion that had crystallised, now dissolving into your hands and dripping through your fingers. It's rough and needy, desperate, but more than that, it feels right.

'Here, quick.' You pull at the lapel of his suit jacket, yanking him impossibly closer.

He misreads the signs, twisting and turning as he attempts to wriggle from his jacket and slip it from his shoulders.

Tugging it back into place, you shake your head. 'No time, just...' You let your hand slide down his chest, feeling your way across the expanse of him before slipping your fingers into the waist of his suit pants. '… Come here.'

Kaminari moans as you make quick work of his pants, shoving them eagerly half way to his thigh. 'Don't need to tell me twice.' He chuckles, using what little air remains in his lungs to whine as your fingers graze over his hardening cock.

You tease for barely a second longer before taking hold of him and squeezing.

'Fuck.' His head rocks back on his shoulders, eyes rolling to the skies as he sinks into the feeling of having you again. 'I've missed you. Shit.'

You chuckle and lean in close, pressing your chest to his as you lick at the shell of his ear. 'Have you missed me or just my hand?'

Immediately, he pulls back. His hands wrap around your elbows as he holds you at arms length. He looks comical, with his pants clinging to the thin at the end of his thighs and his grey boxers almost dyed black, stained with pre-cum as his cock pulses in its confines, spilling more desperation onto the fabric. 'I really have missed you...'

Stooping to catch your eye, he raises his eyebrows and offers you a smile. 'You. Not the sex, not anything else. Yo -.'

You barely let him finish his sentence before you're breaking from his constriction and pressing back into him. 'I've missed you too...' Biting his lip, you ease the sting with a kiss. 'But, we really don't have a lot of time and I'm so fucking wet I -.'

He whines against your mouth. 'Can – Fuck, let me taste.'

'Maybe later.'

The idea of later makes his blood sing, but the sound of the party still raging inside quickly refocuses him on the task at hand. 'Think I can make you cum in five minutes?'

'Oh.' You squeak when his hand pinches at your ass. 'I fucking hope so.'

'Challenge accepted.' Grinning from ear to ear, Kaminari presses back until you bump against the wooden railing of the deck. His hands roam across your body, squeezing and nipping at everything he can reach. Reaching up, he takes hold of the strap before pausing. 'Can I?' Or will this rip?'

'It'll be fine... Just -' You push your chest out, helping as best you can as Kaminari pulls down the front of your dress to expose you to the air.

The cold air forces your nipples to pebble immediately, the lip of your dress forcing your breasts to sit high and pretty and in perfect reach of Kaminari's wondering hands.

He cups your chest, thumbs brushing over your nipples until you squirm. If he had time, he'd savour this. He'd crane his neck, bow to your beauty and take one of those hardened rose buds into his mouth. He'd taste your skin, savour the salt and lick effortlessly over you until your cries became the background noise to his dreams. Licking his teeth, he looses himself to the feeling of you filling his hand. The fat of your tit spills through his fingers as he squeezes, earning another breathy gasp from you before turning his attention to other areas.

'Denki...' You're breathing heavy already, your chest heaving as Kaminari takes his pleasures feeling every inch of you. His hands sink, exploring. He pinches at your ribs, skates over your ribs and grips your hips before landing a firm smack against your ass. 'Denki, please... Fuck, c'mon, I need -.'

'Yeah?' His pupils have blown when he looks at you. Rings of gold struggle to keep them in check as hunger threatens to swallow them whole.

You nod, helping him yank up your dress until it's bunched up around your hips. Shivering against the cold, your knees knock together as a wave of vulnerability suddenly washes over you. You're freezing. The arousal trapped in your underwear cooling by the second, even as your cunt burns to be touched.

'Fuck...' Kaminari's hand sinks into your underwear the second it can. His fingers brush across trimmed pubic hair before petting, gently, at your clit.

You moan, bucking into his hand as he slips further and brushes his fingertips across your entrance. Bringing his hand back up, he presents his hand to you in the air. Your arousal shines on his skin, the glittering light from tent making it shimmer as he widens his fingers, leaving sticky strings to hang between index and forefinger.

He admires the shine. 'You're so fucking wet.'

Nodding, you reach for his wrist to pull it to your mouth – tasting yourself and cleaning his skin, but before you can, his tongue darts out of his mouth. He collects your slick like a delicacy and moans as your sweetness hits the back of his throat.

'Denki, I can't wait anymore... Please -.'

Kaminari wastes no time. In a moment, he has himself freed from his boxers, his cock hard and twitching against your stomach and your leg hooked lazily over his arm.

You tug aside your underwear yourself, exposing your cunt to him fully. There's no time to waste. Something primal eats away at your insides, something you're sure will only subside once he's seated inside of you. Your fingers itch, one hand playing with the strays hairs at the base of his neck as you look down and watch as he guides himself into you.

The initial push makes him hiss. You're tight. Tighter than he remembers as your walls wrap around him and clench. Locking his jaw, he hauls in a breath through his teeth and wills himself away from embarrassment.

Feeling him twitch helplessly inside of you, you grasp him by the lapel and pull him close until your nose touches his. 'Don't you dare. Not...' He gives you another inch, making you gasp and roll your hips. 'Not yet, don't fucking -.'

'Don't worry, baby. 'm not, not gonna.' Holding onto his sanity with his fingernails, Kaminari pulls back his hips and grinds back into you. The rhythm he sets up is uneven at best, but still, each thrust causes his cock to rub directly across the sponge roof of your cunt making you whine and cling.

Lips finding his neck, you litter him with lust. Your teeth find purchase, biting down to stifle the moans bubbling in your chest as he continues to fuck you, bottoming out each time in an effort to give you everything he has.

'You're gonna leave a mark.' He speaks through gasps, his pace stuttering as he continues to try and please you. The muscle in his thighs shake, his hands struggling not to clamp down on your waist as he pushes through the pulsing of his balls that threatens an early end.

You chuckle, revelling in the goose-flesh your breath leaves in its wake. It's intimate, setting a fire in your stomach as you pull back enough to catch his eye once more. You smile. 'What? Don't want your cheeky bridesmaid side piece to see?'

His pace falters. 'I don't.'

'Denki, baby... I'm joking.'

The pet name hatches butterflies in his sternum. They bump against the bone, tickling his organs and making him feel like he could float six feet from the floor. Not for the first time, he curses his own previous cowardice for stealing away all the pet names the past could have gifted him.

Bringing your foreheads together, you pant, breathing in each others air for a moment.

It's always felt like a cop out to call him 'The one that got away'. The title had never fit, no matter how much you'd wanted it to – or wished at one point and yet, right here, now, you wonder how you'd ever even brought yourself to think of him like that. 'Denki... Denks.' He hums, transfixed by a look he'd only been able to imagine in your eyes. 'What – what do you need. Tell me.'

You chew your lip, muttering. 'I'm never going to cum like this.'

'Ah.' His eyes light up, a shock of understanding zipping through him.

It might have been years, but he remembers every second of that night you spent together. He remembers you quaking, remembers how you'd looked on your hands and knees, thighs shaking as your spine curved deliciously, your ass bouncing as you rocked yourself back on his cock desperately. How could he forget?

Slipping out of you, he pulls back only enough to lay his hands on your waist and spin you.

You twist, dizzy and grab hold of the railing to steady yourself. Instantly, you're up on your tip-toes, back curved as you wait, pretty and presented. Anticipation lances through your legs making holding yourself up difficult, but it's all worth it when you feel him stretch you open and slide home.

Not giving you a second to adjust, he sets a blinding pace, spurred on by the memory of what it had felt like to have you fall apart around him. The fingers of his right hand dig into the flesh of your hip as the other slides up your back and takes hold of your neck. He grips, leaning over you to whisper, hoarse, in your ear. 'Touch yourself... Touch yourself for me, show me how good you feel, baby.'

You obey. Slipping a hand between your legs, you spread your fingers to feel him rutting into you for a moment. The skin of his cock is silk soft and slippery with your arousal, grazing the sides of your fingers as you shift and finally, begin to rub at your clit.

'Fuck...' Kaminari's grip on your hip stutters, growing light as he feels you tighten up around him. 'Go – Good girl. Shit. I'm not – not gonna last, I -.'

You don't need him too. In a few moments, you feel the telltale rush. Your cunt aches, clit pulsing as your orgasm threatens to reduce you to your knees. With your eyes rolling back into your head, you struggle to keep circling your clit, but Kaminari's fingers replace yours without you asking.

His movement is clumsy, but he manages to fuck you through your high either way. 'Holy, holy fuck... You feel, feels so – fucking Hell.' Stuttering, he struggles through, pouring his focus into you as you milk him relentlessly, bringing him closer and closer to his own end. With a tight chest, you reel back, glancing over your shoulder.

Kaminari's face is flushed, his cheek bones brushed with a pink that makes him look boyish and young. The edge of his mouth is twisted, a cause of his teeth gnawing at the inside of his cheek and his jaw is clenched, bringing out the cut line of his jaw.

He's close. You can tell. The thought thrills you, your cunt tightening on impulse as you await your prize.

'Where, fuck, fuck... I can't cum on your dress, you're – you're gonna have to move, or, or -.'

Reaching back, you grab at the edge of his suit jacket and pull at him, forcing his hips against your ass. 'Inside.'

He doesn't get a chance to think, his body makes the decision for him. His balls tighten, pulsing as he cums, emptying himself inside of you. Curling over, he presses a kiss to your shoulder, teeth scraping against the exposed skin as he pours himself into you, pumping you full.

With your stomach full and his lips grazing the base of your neck, you relax into a bone-deep kind of satiation you'd not felt since that night. It's surreal. Absurd as you come crashing back to reality as realise that the party has begun to quieten inside of the tent.

He's still dripping out of you when you hear the high pitched whistle cut through the air.

Kamiari turns. Tearing his suit jacket from his shoulders, he drapes it over your hips, covering his own mess.

'You two made up then?' Sero's smile is blinding. His hands are dug into his pockets, thumbs poking out over the material as he shrugs himself into his shoulders. He's plastered, his hair mattered and a mess as it falls from its bun, but even the alcohol making him stagger doesn't put a stop to his mischief.

Kaminari panics. His voice is still breathless, shaking slightly from the force of the orgasm that had almost had him seeing static. He should have made you cum quicker, shouldn't have slowed down the way he did. Fuck, he should have asked you to come back to his hotel. You deserve better than a quick, forgive me fuck outside of a tent in almost freezing temperature. He curses himself and cringes. 'How long have you been stood there?'

'Long enough to be pitching a tent, you guys don't fuck around huh...' He chuckles to himself. 'Well, I guess you do but -.'

Struggling with your dress, you can't help the smile that breaks your lips when Kaminari shields you and helps get your tits situated and hidden once more. Stepping from behind him, you slide a hand down his arm and twist your fingers in his. Hoping this time he won't run away. 'What do you want Hanta? We're just about to get out of here.'

Even if you had been trying to miss the smile that brightens Kaminari's face, you wouldn't have been able to. He re-adjusts his jacket, now slung over your shoulders and squeezes your hand tight.

Sero chuffs. Still too drunk to know better. 'When I first came out here I just wanted to smoke, but now I'm thinking of asking to watch.'

Reaching down, you pluck one of your heels from the floor before turning and throwing it headlong at Sero's head.

He ducks, laughing as the shoe goes wide. 'That a maybe then?'

'Hanta...' Kaminari whines, but Sero is already backing away holding his hands up in a mock surrender.

'Woah, woah...' A cheeky smile tugs at his lip, bringing his left dimple out in a way that only happens when there's real mischief up his sleeve. 'I guess now would be a bad time to tell you that the lights out here cause a pretty solid shadow to be cast on the side of that tent then, huh?'

The colour drains from both of your faces. 'No...'

Sero's eyes shine as he reaches into his pocket and removes his phone. 'I've got a video of it if you don't believe me...'

-> Masterlist

[atrirose]

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐊𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐍𝐇𝐘𝐏𝐄𝐍

ft. enhypen members x f!reader

synopsis: perks of dating your fav ! members

before you dive in : hcs , sfw , enjoy and don’t get too delusional.

HEESEUNG : sings / makes songs for you , heeseung giving you private concerts for free , likes to sing songs about how much he is infatuated with you or to express his love , favorite time to sing for is probably when he takes outside to watch the stars at night “i want to be remembered by your name , as the mad man deeply was in love with you”

JAY : using his card jk having the privilege of him cooking all your meals for you , loves packing meals for you if you have classes that day , roams with apron on the whole day (the pink one of course) , will never let you go hungry , will spoon feed you if disagree to eat. his ears will always perk up and turn red when you compliment his cooking , his sole goal is to leave you flabbergasted with his skill , loves biting your cheeks when you stuff it with food “sorry you just looked so cute i had to”

JAKE : dating jake has many benefits, free tutoring / layla / cuddles , as you can see jake comes with a lot of perks but his favorite time probably is seeing you struggle with the physics question he insisted that you do yourself ‘to understand the topic better’ but you can clearly see him giggling and enjoying your distress “you look so cute” jake said as he kissed your pout and took over the pen and book to solve the question for you “you are so mean” you hit his shoulders as he worked on the question but he makes sure that you understand the question. “yn , on every right answer you get a kiss , work hard” he winked as he handed you a worksheet.

SUNGHOON : free head massages , he loves your hair especially when you apply shampoo and your hair is in the lil wet kinda state , he loves to thread his hands through your hair , lightly scratching your scalp to make you relax after a long day , makes sure your head is always in his lap as he looks at you lovingly as if he has never seen anything more beautiful than you , tries to learn new hairstyles to try on your hair , loves to be a big spoon so he can bury his face in your hair “i love your new shampoo”

SUNOO : using his skin care , i swear after you started dating him your skin is blinding , it’s smooth and glowing. sunoo loves applying his products on you after he is done with the step on his , you get lazy sometimes but he his too stubborn to get you go to sleep without cleansing your face , texts you a hundred times a day to apply your lip balm, it’s like he has a sixth sense to sense your chapped lips. “yn stop moving , you are going get the foam in your eyes”

JUNGWON : eating pizza crust , he is the ‘give it to me’ kind of guy when you don’t like to eating something. oh you don’t like pickles , tomato’s , crusts , just give it to him he will eat it gladly , if you don’t like anything in your food he would 100% remove it before you eat , it’s like he knows you better than you know yourself “stop making that face , i know give it to me , i will eat it”

NIKI : borrowing his cool clothes , niki has an amazing collection of hoodies you love to steal , i mean come on it’s not your fault they are soft , comfy , oversized and cool. he rolls his eyes every time he sees you in his clothes but he is secretly super proud of his fashion sense because you like it , he do gets cocky on that fact but we love our boy 😫🫶🏻 , will always show the clothes he brought to you , like a little fashion show “yn is that my tie you are wearing as your belt”

an.! the way jake scenario i dreamed about and it always gives me butterflies 😭🫶🏻🫶🏻

[ciginatree]

hey munch!noah hc wont leave my brain so you have to deal with it now /j

ughhh 😩 I live for munch noah

here’s a little blurb for all the munch noah lovers

Your hips rock and swivel against his tongue in an attempt to sate your pleasure. He’s moving so slowly and you need more, but Noah’s lost in the taste of you, lost to the point where he can’t register your desperate hands tugging at his locks. His face is buried between your thighs, his arms threaded under your legs and snaking up over your stomach to lock together, holding you still and clamped around his head. You can feel every flex and ripple of his biceps against your leg and when you glance down at him the contrast of his skin against yours is striking. His tattoos pop like wildflowers creeping along the face of a grassy plane. His nails dig into your skin and he moans as he drags his tongue along your slit once more, his eyes squeezed shut. A gasp rushes from your throat and your hands tangle in the sheets when he kisses your clit before sucking it into his mouth and your eyes slip back into your head. He’s as desperate as you are, his hips starting to rock into the mattress. He grunts and laps at your hole, slipping his tongue inside to taste and fuck you. “Fuck,” he moans as he withdraws his tongue and your thighs squeeze around his head. “That’s it babygirl.” You’re on the brink of madness and you can’t help but pull harder on his hair before grinding against his lips. Noah’s head tips back at your tug and he smirks with a soft moan before diving back in, his appetite as insatiable as yours.

Tags: @dollieomens @spookieolson @exitwoundsx @tashka @thisbicc

[pastorfutureletthembe]

Saving Lu Guang!!

For obvious reasons, we're all assuming Cheng Xiaoshi is the one who needs to be saved. The final plot twist of season 2 is the main reason:

I'm sorry Cheng Xiaoshi I’ve always been telling you to not change the past but I couldn’t follow my own words. Even if I know death is an unchangeable point, I still want to use the last chance to go back to the beginning, and save you.

But. Lu Guang is the most unreliable character you'd find out there. His version of the story is sometimes inconsistent.

Many details don't add up, might it be the fact he doesn't have his phone with him at a moment as important as closing a trap on Liu Min, or that the scene in the hospital bathroom is different when Cheng Xiaoshi dives as Lu Guang, or the simple obvious impression that it's future Cheng Xiaoshi who's giving him the partner talk on the basketball court--

Well, there might be someone in Lu Guang's corner diving and changing things without him being aware of it. This person being Cheng Xiaoshi himself is most likely.

Now, why would Cheng Xiaoshi dive into the past after all this time when he decided against it after Lu Guang's death? Saving Lu Guang or Qiao Ling is the most realistic and in character reason but there is more to this particular theory today.

Remember, whatever we think, there is more to the story. As omniscient as Lu Guang seems to us at the moment, he, himself, doesn't have all the information.

Past or Future, it has been clear until now that official content is hiding many secrets yet to be uncovered. Dive with me into this madness once more~

This meta is largely inspired by this thread

>> Lu Guang's secret

Let's start with something as basic as characters concept arts. Those always strike me as out of charater, because Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi's personality seems somehow switched: on the character sheets, Cheng Xiaoshi looks pissed and Lu Guang smiles (like a creep).

Two things are worth noticing in this first pack of pictures:

Lu Guang's character sheet looks like a frame if the film roll has been exposed to light while loading in the camera. It is damaged. His smile in the background is also absolutely not his. In the light of Yingdu Chapter's teaser, it could mean Lu Guang is possessed by either Li Tianchen or Vein. Not only that but the surexposition makes it impossible to know the exact color of his eyes. Could be yellow, red, blue, gray.

They are both trapped in the bottom of a hourglass. Cheng Xiashi looks at Lu Guang in a frustrated/angry manner, and this face is a lot like the one in the background of his character sheet. It could implied that Lu Guang got them into some kind of bad situation.

Promotional posters presenting season 2's characters have Li Tianchen in Qiao Ling's shadow while Liu Xiao in Qian Jin's. Lu Guang is Cheng Xiaoshi's. Lu Guang lies/manipulates Cheng Xiaoshi for his own good since the start, he hides secrets after all. He is as much a puppeteer as Liu Xiao. He is very knowlegdable but we have no idea to what extent. We can only assume that whatever he is doing, he's doing it for Cheng Xiaoshi's sake.

These details and the implications don't put Lu guang under a good light. Lu Guang always was a morally gray character, however his logic paired with Cheng Xiaoshi's compassion make them the duo we are rooting for.

A popular theory is that Lu Guang betrayed a Time-Something Organization to save Cheng Xiaoshi and is now being punished. Another one is that he made a deal with Vein to grant his wish. In any case, he might have ties with Vein and Liu Xiao, as a whole or separatly, we can only speculate so far.

In my meta on the Promotional Poster for the AR GAME, and the Light and Color theory, I mentioned that "Burning Palace" hints on a Fourth character being part of this new group, and argued that the missing character is already part of the cast: Lu Guang.

Futhermore, whatever happened, he can only be at fault: Lu Guang is supposely the one who introduced Cheng Xiaoshi to his powers. We still don't know the origins behind those, and I won't start the disucussion in this meta, but we know that at some point, in this timeline or another, Cheng Xiaoshi tried to convince Lu Guang to use their power to earn money and pay their debts. Link Click Live Action is not canon to the donghua, but in this adaptation, Lu Guang is the one coming to Cheng Xiaoshi and teaching him the useful way to use his strange energy.

To resume, Lu Guang isn't only keeping secrets from Cheng Xiaoshi. As an audience, we know close to nothing about him, even less than his roommate! Except for the fact he's probably been diving back in time to change the past. Therefore, he cannot be trusted regarding his abilities, his past, or even his motivations. Lu Guang knowing everything or more than others because he lived through several repeats is a false fact. When something unexpected happen, he totally freaks out and he is a control freak. It's okay, we love him as he is. But! He is the definition of unreliable as far as narrators go.

In the past or in the future, Cheng Xiaoshi has to find out the truth at some point. His reaction shouldn't be important for this meta though. Actually, I think the official artworks of him being pissed shouldn't be taken quite literally. The hints I talked about above don't mean anything about HIM or his feelings but it says everything about Lu Guang's actions and the implications of those: he is doing something he knows is wrong and his ultimate goal is exactly the same as some antagonist. Being kept in the dark, lied to or manipulated, Cheng Xiaoshi wouldn't focus on any of it.

Why? If Lu Guang actually rewrote reality and put himself in a doomed situation for him, Cheng Xiaoshi would absolutely try to cancel this accomplishment. That's the only important information we need for this meta.

Cheng Xiaoshi went back in time as someone they knew before so we can assume he would do it again if needed. Imagine our guy coming back as Qiao Ling, as his own wingman to force Lu Guang back into his life? If the talk on the basketball court didn't work, I'm pretty sure getting Lu Guang to do physical work in the studio and bully him to admit he likes Cheng Xiaoshi would do the trick. That's a start anyway.

With these few starting points, we can go deeper now:

>> Through the Looking Glass

There's a myriad of instances where Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi are kept apart from each other by glass or shown as each other's shadow or reflection. And I've been mentioning it for a while now but finally, after almost a year, I think I've finally cracked this case!

Starting with Surprising Click Posters, there are 5 visible TV screens with a message of ERROR on Lu Guang's. No matter the meaning, I think it is important to note that Lu Guang is just as much a spectator as we are. The plot happens as it's supposed to happen: no matter what, they'll end up at the same point. For some reasons, I always believed that Cheng Xiaoshi was trapped behind the glass, in the TV, as a playable character, if you may. That's part of how their abilities work together, isn't it? Their deal is Cheng Xiaoshi dives but Lu Guang drives. Well, I'm not so sure anymore. The Picture of the carwash is random but interesting. Cheng Xiaoshi is outside and is knocking at the window.

Who's the one trapped behind glass after all? What if Lu Guang himself is trapped in a TV and Cheng Xiaoshi is trying to get him out?

The first one seen with a camera in INPLICK's art isn't Cheng Xiaoshi but Lu Guang. The story is told from his perspective. But this is Link Click we're talking about so this means basically nothing. Cheng Xiaoshi dives into pictures, he is the one with real control. Lu Guang, all-knowing that he is, is introduced as a passenger, an observer. Even after the big reveal regarding his diving abilities, his strict rules and his attempts to protect the main timeline bring him to failure. This cycle is only set to start again over and over, making it an actual time loop.

In "OVERTHINK", Cheng Xiaoshi is the one using the camera. He looks away from Lu Guang (in deception or sadness I'd say). Once he takes the picture, there is no one there: it could mean Cheng Xiaoshi is using one of Lu Guang's pictures to dive. Yes, Lu Guang's picture: after all, it is Lu Guang's camera that he is using.

Take a look at this meta: Rolleiflex

This aside, Lu Guang is the reflection/shadow, not Cheng Xiaoshi, and thus on several instances. A shadow or a reflection can't do shit. Lu Guang has no control, even if he's being sneaky and acts in the dark. Lu Guang isn't the one calling the shots.

Cheng Xiaoshi is knocking through the glass to reach Lu Guang who's always watching us, the audience. His motivation, objectives, values, worth depends on Cheng Xiaoshi's survival but he doesn't see him. Perhaps his obsession is blinding him to the point he sort of dehumanized his friend. Indeed, the distance between them is as wide as the one between you and them. Coincidentally, when he does look at us, Cheng Xiaoshi is looking at him.

I'll probably write a structured and complete meta about it at some point but for now I'll just put this idea in your head: who else looks at Lu Guang's reflection and portrait, always?

Liu Xiao.

lover_astrid on X often follows Liu Xiaos's trail, they point out interesting things those, specifically: x x

Let's start with Liu Xiao monolgue at the end of season 2:

"It seems that one has only one destined path. But in reality, it is made up of countless parallel lines. It can be driven by one's personality. And can also change with the influence of others. Sometimes we wanna change it. But we can't. I wanna bring more parallel lines together to turn all uncertainties into certainties."

If we cannot change one's path (aka death is an unchangeable node), what is the point in turning incertainties into certainties? For one thing, I think he means to flatten a curve: make it one unique path for one specific node, like a True Timeline of sorts. Then, what does it imply? My guess is to remove either Cheng Xiaoshi or Lu Guang entirely. A theory to take with a grain of salt.

At this point, if we talk about his identity as today, before Yingdu Chapter, he could very much be an alteration of either Lu Guang or Cheng Xiaoshi trying to right a wrong. In the teaser of Surprising Click, he is standing with a picture in front of the familiar couch, many TV screens surrounding him. He's oviously a watcher. He has more knowledge than Lu Guang, and he's obsessed with him apparently, which implies that he knows about his abilities, maybe personally.

Secondly, the text Liu Xiao is reading is part of Shakespeare’s sonnets (39). I won't go too deep into the meaning of it but feel free to read this analysis. It does speaks of lovers separation, but as something that need or should happen.

Lastly, the black feather is Lu Guang's. Liu Xiao can reach Lu Guang but Cheng Xiaoshi cannot. Liu Xiao is always staring at Lu Guang's image and he has his feather as a memory, but Cheng Xiaoshi is separated from his friend by glass.

Edit: this feather thing is even more important now that Yingdu Chapter Opening THE EYE has been released. It shows a notebook with codes in it and the bookmark used is a white piece with the word REWIND on it. It's probably Lu Guang's notebook. The symmetry of making Liu Xiao an alternative version of Cheng Xiaoshi is more and more likely.

In BREAK! Cheng Xiaoshi is the one looking at us. It's like a nudge: hey, actually, I am the one telling you the story, pay attention please. When he raps in songs, he always starts by interrupting loudly to get your attention as well. "Now I'm talking. And Lu Guang will take over."

Cheng Xiaoshi's hand is on a bubble. I always thought it was a mere planet but it's actually a see-through marble. I think it is possible that Lu Guang is inside. The title itself, "BREAK!" is a giveaway of what it will take to free Lu Guang from this. But hold that thought for now.

The hourglass is a recurring motif in Link Click. It is Lu Guang's symbol. It might means that Lu Guang is in a timeloop. Perhaps he isn't only going through repeats but he is trapped in ONE endless loop. Perhaps he's already saved Cheng Xiaoshi but forgot; cut from the reality he belongs to.

The hourglass is not only an object we come across in PVs. The Birthday artwork for Lu Guang showed him in one, with forget-me-not flowers replacing sand. The Bday arts are actually very interesting because both Cheng Xiaoshi's and Lu Guang's heavily hint on Tarot Cards: the Hanged Man and the Fool. I'm working on an ass-long meta regarding the Tarot Imagery in Link Click so I won't go into too many details here.

We have the Hanged Man: he might be intuitive but he is lost, feeling trapped, is self-limited, in need for release only possible by letting go. There is a part of this arcane that tells us we know the prefered outcome but it might blind us, bring us to a prophecy we're actively trying to keep from realization. He sacrifices himself but for what?

In myths, might it be Judas hanging from the tree because of guilt, or Odin when he sacrificed himself to gain the knowledge of the runes, we're talking about an obsessive person who acts according to their own beliefs, with strong moral values. The Hanged Man speaks of selflessness... giving and not expecting in return, making sacrifices for what must be done. The truth is the Hanged Man picked his hill and will die on it. This card comes before Death, representing the peace that comes from accepting what is out of our control or no longer resisting our fate. This is all about letting our own hubris prevent us from taking a different approach.

The cat here is covering one of his eyes, which could be a parallel to Odin once more. I mentioned at the end of this meta that Lu Guang's sight has been stolen. So, it might be a choice that he is in the situation he is in but perhaps he shouldn't have made decisions on wrong beliefs.

I'll let you know that the reversed Hanged Man suggests that the seemingly noble deed of offering yourself as the sacrificial lamb is, at least for the time being, a useless gesture.

Now, the Fool. As a tarot card, I find this one very interesting and mysterious. Arthur Edward Waite gives the Fool the number 0, but in his book he discusses the Fool between Judgment (XX), and The World (XXI). He is suspended between realities. The Fool is usually considered part of the Major Arcana in tarot reasing but this is not true in tarot card games; the Fool's role in most games is independent of both the plain suit cards and the trump cards, it does not belong to either category. The Fool proceeds without calculation, spontaneously, without hesitation or resistance. Without a blueprint, he is freed up from rules, restrictions and systems.

Portrayed as an empty headed simpleton unaware of the forces that move him. In the Waite-Rider deck, you'll see him immortalized right before his fall of a cliff, walking with his loyal dog. He's impulsive and careless. But tradition tells us that he has a secret that protects him: the magic of synchronicity. Now that seems counter-productive in my meta but basically synchronicity is what happens when seemingly unrelated events coincide in improbable ways that have some sort of significance for you. Carl Jung believed synchronicities were evidence of a unifying consciousness at play in the universe, creating physical manifestations of what's happening in our psyche.

Together, the Fool and the Hanged Man encourage to take a step into the unknown and to trust that everything will work out in the end. This combinaison warns of a time when sacrifice and surrender is necessary for growth and transformation.

The Hanged Man understands that his position is a sacrifice that he needs to make in order to progress forward. But only by letting go of old patterns or beliefs that are holding him back can he embrace a new path leading to a good resolution.

The gears and hourglass present in these artworks are kind of self-explanatory. A cog only works as part of a machine, and the machine can only work if everything in there is where it should be and fullfills its role. One action or series of actions repeated on loop. The hourglass measures time but it comes to a stop at some point: has to be turned around so the sand it contains keep flowing. It has a start and a stop.

Finally, the character's flowers aren't only pretty, they're also meaningful. Both are related to Love and Death. Forget-Me-Not are popular enough: related to the wish to be remembered even after our passing, translated into devotion and enduring love. Bellies speaks of everlasting love even beyond death, symbol of cheerfulness and loyalty.

>> Time is like Music

"VORTEX" is a palindrome, meaning it is the same when played forward or backward. The sequence itself shows this: it starts with a reverse and then, once Cheng Xiaoshi touches Lu Guang's hand, he falls down. It is a hourglass in shape and sounds. Also, it would be very clever if the story of Link Click as we've seen it had the same construction in its narrative: starting with a reverse and slowly unfolding the accurate chain of events.

This hourglass, we can find it in the "BREAK!" PV, but also in "XETROverthink". Cheng Xiaoshi literally dives into it to try and reach an unconscious Lu Guang, enlightening the idea that our favorite unreliable narrator has blind spots. We don't see Cheng Xiaoshi catching his friend because the scene cuts to the hourglass.

So, what if Link Click lied to us since the beginning? What if one other version of Cheng Xiaoshi is actually the main character and knows more than Lu Guang himself?

In "The Tides", when walking in front of the painting of a man with fabricated wings (and we know this story is one of a widower), Cheng Xiaoshi looks at it while Lu Guang looks the opposite way. There are different ways to interpret this (because this is animation so we can't be 100% sure). Once again, Lu Guang could be looking at the audience or merely glancing at his lost friend in longing.

Still, this shot offers two possible points of view:

It could be that Lu Guang empathizes with the widower's story: he is living it. He knows all of it already so he doesn't need to look at the doomed romance on the wall or actually investigate the mansion. He probably did it already.

Cheng Xiaoshi is looking at Lu Guang's shadow/reflection when he looks up at the painting. Or perhaps it is the opposite: Cheng Xiaoshi is looking at himself. This is merely a reflection to him. And Lu Guang thinks he knows the role he is playing in the story but, really, he's clueless.

We don't see who makes the figurines clap later but from their position in the previous shot, we can safely assume it is Cheng Xiaoshi's finger pushing the woman's hand down. Which is interesting. It either means Cheng Xiaoshi will always willingly choose to meet Lu Guang half way... Or Cheng Xiaoshi won't allow them to be kept apart and the real secrets unfold there.

Surprisingly, you might have missed an obvious hint that dropped this summer, or simply overlooked: H A N D S.

The wings on the painting might look like Lu Guang's demonic ones but I do not believe it is a coincidence that Lu Guang usually sits by Cheng Xiaoshi's right when they clap. The first time we see them do it, and this exact frame has been used in PV and Overthink, Lu Guang claps down. Also, the "BREAK!" poster shows Cheng Xiaoshi as an angel and they are standing in the exact same position as the figures in the mansion. Once again, the hourglass floats, ominous, between their palms.

Note that even when Lu Guang receives Cheng Xiaoshi's hand, he is on the right side.

Next: None of us skipped "Dive Back in Time" so we know it by heart. Still, I find hints in this intro on a daily basis. If you pay attention, you'll not only notice that Cheng Xiaoshi probably dives in the first three seconds, but he's looking down through glass, at Lu Guang. Lu Guang, who stands at the top of a building here, is still not above Cheng Xiaoshi. Two things:

In the chronological order, the story told is this: First, Cheng Xiaoshi dives into the picture and then we see Lu Guang changing the timeline to save Cheng Xiaoshi. This is basically Inception. The story/the show that we're watching is happening inside a picture. The whole thing is a dive.

The glass could be from the frame but it could very much so be from the usually hourglass, symbol of Lu Guang's obsession.

Another interesting detail is this shot:

Thanks to the watch, we know those are Lu Guang's hands but it is a pose we only see Cheng Xiaoshi takes. Because this is the "sponsors screen", this became Cheng Xiaoshi's signature move to me. We see the story through Lu Guang's perspective, but it's really Cheng Xiaoshi that we should focus on, here.

This particular sequence also offers a reverse: a fall, the "frame" sign with hands, one of the hand making a sign to "look up"/"go back up", then we are pulled up. It is the same narrative as "VORTEX" but this time we find ourselves on the other end, the correct order.

"Break!" lyrics once again seem to fit to Lu Guang more (and I think that's the point, "You're not just a tool" can only be addressed to CXS because that's how Lu Guang and Qiao Ling usually call him). Although the word break is used only once in the song ("make or break a leg"), the action of BREAKing is Cheng Xiaoshi's. Plus, the broken glass is the hourglass.

Speaking of broken glass and reflection, this shot of Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi in reverse in "VORTEX"- I reversed it according to the background (falling down). Once more, Cheng Xiaoshi is the main body, Lu Guang is not actually there. He is a reflection.

In a way, this theory only gives more sense to "XETROVerthink": Lu Guang appears in the hourglass but it's Cheng Xiaoshi who swims to him in order to save him, not the other way around. The rest of this PV is Cheng Xiaoshi's POV too.

Aside from the visual theme that shows basically everything we need to know about Link Click's plot, you have obviously the lyrics. As much as "VORTEX" and both ENDs, they could be read as Lu Guang or Cheng Xiaoshi's pov. But like I said at the beginning of this meta, some lines aren't working for Lu Guang at all.

There has been a hint of Lu Guang trying to stay away, in Lu Guang's flash back, but failing. We don't know if these memories belong to the timeline we're currently watching or not, but they egg us on the very real possibility that Lu Guang might chose to stay away from Cheng Xiaoshi in order to save his life. After all, their powers are complimentary and work together. Their side hustle depends on this. Arguably, and this is an realistic conclusion to draw: this job is what kills Cheng Xiaoshi. It's only natural to suppose he wouldn't die if Lu Guang wasn't in his life.

Your eyes, there ain't nowhere left to hide behind Something secretive hidden inside your mind If it ain't for your misguided taste I'd turn out so ordinary Fabulously un-addictively bore out my own brain Well, don't you feel sorry I'll love where I'm going now

Blue: Diving into Lu Guang's past/picture, could uncovered all secrets, Cheng Xiaoshi could understand him and, from this perspective, there is no possibility to hide anything.

Pink: Cheng Xiaoshi wants to correct Lu Guang's correction, he doesn't want to live an ordinary and boring life Lu Guang isn't a part of. He likes their side hustle as well, I think, because, as I said in the past regarding LCLA, he wants to help people, it's part of his core.

Possibly, our favorite unreliable narrator actually went through it in the end. This hopefully won't stick, not if Cheng Xiaoshi has something to say about it.

Cheng Xiaoshi wouldn't really want things any other way, and that's why this theory of him trying to get Lu Guang back into his storyline seems so plausible to me. Good or bad memories, he just want his partner back.

Because, after all, doesn't it sound like a line someone who remembers a friend who doesn't exist would say?

Chase you to the end of the world just to say your name once more.

I always thought it was a strange way to put it. Most of the time, songs and movies say the opposite "I want to hear you call my name one last time." You know the kind. But here, he wants to say it. Because he lives in a world where no one with that name exists!!

Food for thought. 👀

[noyasbunny]

Melting Point

The cold night air bit at your skin as you stood by the lake, your arms crossed over your chest. Magnolia was quiet, the stars reflecting off the water’s surface like scattered diamonds. It should have been peaceful, but your body was still thrumming with adrenaline from the mission earlier.

Gray had been reckless—again. Diving headfirst into danger without thinking, taking blows meant for you, and acting like it was no big deal. You hated how much he worried you, how much he affected you.

"Still mad?"

That infuriatingly smooth voice came from behind you. You turned, arms tightening around yourself, trying to keep your composure. Gray Fullbuster leaned casually against a tree, his ice-blue eyes watching you with a mix of amusement and something darker, something that sent a shiver down your spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

"You could’ve gotten yourself killed," you snapped, unable to keep the frustration from your voice. "You always do this, Gray!"

He sighed, pushing off the tree and stepping closer. "I can handle myself."

"That’s not the point!" You threw your hands up, exasperated. "You don’t think! You just throw yourself into danger, and one day, you won’t come back!"

Gray’s eyes softened, but there was something else there too—an intensity that made your breath hitch. "You’re worried about me."

"Of course, I am!" you blurted out before you could stop yourself. "You—"

Your words died in your throat as Gray closed the distance between you in two long strides. His fingers brushed your cheek, tracing a slow, teasing line down to your jaw. His touch was cold, but it left a trail of fire in its wake.

"You’re always getting under my skin, you know that?" His voice was low now, husky, filled with something dangerously tempting.

Your heart pounded. "Gray—"

"I don’t like seeing you scared," he murmured, his thumb grazing your lips, his touch featherlight but enough to make you dizzy. "And I really don’t like fighting with you."

You swallowed hard, feeling trapped between the cool night air and the unbearable heat radiating from his body. His scent—fresh like snow, but something deeper, something undeniably him—was intoxicating.

"Then stop being reckless," you whispered, your voice barely audible.

A slow smirk tugged at his lips. "No promises."

And then his lips were on yours, cold at first but warming fast as he pulled you against him. His hands slid to your waist, firm and demanding, pressing you flush against his body. A gasp escaped you, and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue teasing, claiming, stealing the very breath from your lungs.

You clung to him, fingers threading through his dark hair as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss, his grip tightening as if he didn’t want to let go. His hands roamed, trailing up your spine, leaving a delicious contrast of warmth and cold that made your knees weak.

Gray pulled away just enough to look into your eyes, his breathing heavy, his pupils blown wide with something raw, something primal.

"You’re too damn tempting," he rasped, his voice rough. "I don’t think I can stop now."

You shivered, but this time, it wasn’t from the cold. "Then don’t."

A growl rumbled deep in his chest before his lips crashed against yours again, and this time, there was no hesitation—just pure, unfiltered need.

And as the stars burned above the lake, Gray made sure you felt every ounce of it.

[noctusfury]

Did Viggo Really Die? (RTTE Headcanon and Theory)

Well met, my fellow Furians! Today, we'll dive into a topic I've been sitting on for years since the show, particularly Season 6, back in 2018.

Did Viggo really die in "Triple Cross"?

Thankfully, several other people have had this suspicion besides me, from what I saw after googling it.

There's @kingofthewilderwest 's post here, though it's about Season 4, I feel it applies well here. There's also a discussion thread about Viggo's death on the HTTYD Wiki here if you feel like checking it out.

But I found it really odd that Viggo "died" so anti-climatically when he survived a BLOODY VOLCANO!!! (That still ticks me off, by the way.)

What makes it stranger is that we see Viggo acting injured in this scene when Hiccup turns to Viggo.

And what happens after Hiccup leaves? Viggo straightens, drops the facade, and does THIS:

I mean look at this mad-lad WALKING AND CHARGING like nothing had happened to him!!! It's absurd!

And those arrows didn't look like they went all that deep. Which, when you think about it, makes sense. After all, there's no way Viggo wouldn't have arrow-resistant armor. Being the Chieftain of Dragon Hunters, his armor is probably mostly made of dragon materials. His cuirass is likely made of some tough dragon material, specifically made to repel any assassination attempts. Someone in his position must've had a lot of assassination attempts and even mutinies. Either that or Viggo is just extremely careful and wants to make sure every precaution is taken to ensure his safety and life.

Of course, the Skrill's fire blast might've killed him, but considering that we never see his death, we haven't seen a body, and the fact Krogan and Johann never mentioned it must mean that Viggo is actually alive.

Allow me to explain how this could be possible.

Viggolocks and the Three Accomplices

As you know, there is a special meaning to "Triple Cross". Not only is it encompassing the double-cross by Krogan and Johann against Viggo, but also the triple-cross Viggo did against them.

However, there's also another reason:

The Accomplices!

In this episode, when Hiccup met Viggo, the latter had this to say:

"The Accomplice. One of the most important pieces in all of Maces and Talons, allowing a player to use an opponent's piece for their own ends. You can certainly win without it; but with it, you can attain total victory."

<><><><><>

This entire episode's theme is about accomplices. In fact, it's accomplices who are the episode's catalyst.

How many? Three.

Yes, that's right. THREE!

Hiccup is the first accomplice, obviously.

Who's the second?

A Skrill. Viggo drags Hiccup along to a very cold and snowy place (my theory and headcanon is someplace around the Shivering Shores), and uses a shiny dagger to attract a Skrill to him.

But why a Skrill? Viggo explains this to Hiccup in this scene:

"In ancient times, the Singetail was one of the most feared dragons. However, there was one dragon, whose powerful blast could neutralize the Singetail's fire. Meet our Accomplice, Hiccup. The Singetail's only predator: the Skrill."

<><><><><>

Krogan's Flyers were guarding the Hunter base where the Dragon Eye was located. As such, having a Skrill — the Singetails' natural predator and only enemy — on their side was essential to their plan, even if it was just to be a distraction.

However, there was one more accomplice — a third accomplice — who might have possibly been involved that Hiccup (and perhaps even Viggo) didn't know was involved in their little scheme.

This guy, in Season 5's "Wings of War".

Honestly, I truly view this to be an abysmal display of teasing us with a plot point, only to not do anything with it! Seriously! What a waste of a good plot device! 😤💢😠

Or is it? 👀🤔

When he and Viggo dived into the volcano in Dragon's Edge, he almost fell off the ledge and into the volcano (even though, in reality, it's impossible to be anywhere near a volcano without dying from one thing or another 😑).

However, Viggo saved him from dying, causing the Hunter Goon to say this:

Dragon Hunter: I owe you my life!

Viggo: Perhaps someday you will repay me in some small way.

<><><><><>

Bear in mind, Viggo didn't do this out of the goodness of his heart. He needed an ally — or an accomplice, in this case — who he could use in the tentative ally-cum-rival's camp. And saving his life was a great way to hook him into doing whatever he wanted him to do.

Thus, it is entirely possible that Viggo recruited him to take part in this scheme, fully intending to escape, take back his Hunters, and go to other lands to continue his empire.

In fact, what's interesting is the expression of this Hunter in this scene below.

Of course, as you know, from the earlier GIFs, it could just be that he was surprised at Viggo charging at him. But you never know.

Of course, one could point out that the Hunter might've already paid Viggo back by interrupting Viggo (and thus Krogan's attempt at assassinating him) in "Wings of War". However, I find that to be a flimsy rebuttal, and I don't believe that Viggo would let that slide and would argue that he already knew of Krogan's scheme, and thus, would insist that the Hunter still owed him.

Conclusion

Therefore, it is my conclusion — along with my theory and headcanon — that Viggo survived this confrontation. Albeit injured, he is saved by the Hunter whose life he redeemed for his own use as the unknown accomplice (to Hiccup) for his plans, and helped him escape Krogan and Johann, where they go to some isolated place to heal. And later, Viggo would gather the remnants of the Hunters, reunite with his Tribe, and sail to distant lands, as he had promised Hiccup.

What do you guys think? Do you think it's plausible? Did you also think it unlikely that Viggo perished in this episode? Let me know your thoughts!

Thanks for reading! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Long Live the Night

— Noctus Fury

[joons-cinnamon-bun]

Masterlist

🌸To be updated as I write more🌸

If you'd rather read on Ao3

🌷Just Namjoon x Reader smut🌷

(And just happy endings, coz I'm soft like that)

Completed:

A series of unfortunate Dates — strangers to lovers, matchmaking, kind of arranged marriage — 1 — 2 — almost 29K words

Moodboard

Fate has never been a determining factor in Namjoon’s life. Destiny, if it existed at all, seemed to have a sick sense of humor, and his horoscope barely got it right half the time. In fact, the only otherworldly forces Namjoon puts any stock in are his mother’s divine meddling…and his unlucky dating streak. So when she signs him up for what can only be described as a modern, barely legal, arranged marriage agency operating somewhere out of Seoul, he’s not even surprised. Resigned? Yes. Hopeful? Not in the slightest. But then he meets you. The girl from the bus, many months ago. The one who felt like a missing piece from his story, but slipping away through the fates' threads. And through what can only be described as a bizarre serries of coincidences (or, as your mother would say, divine intervention), you’re here. Wearing a pink dress. Wondering if maybe, just maybe…soulmates do exist. Namjoon doesn’t believe in fate. And maybe, just maybe—he could believe in you.

Perfect Plan — friends to lovers, friends with benefits? (But the benefit is a baby) — 1 — 2 — 30k words

Life has a funny way of throwing you off course. After enduring the heartbreak of infidelity, you find yourself diving headfirst into meticulous planning, determined to control every detail of your life. But on your 29th birthday, you realize things haven’t unfolded quite as you imagined. So, in a bold attempt to take back control, you craft a new plan: have a baby. And who better to ask for help than the one constant in your life —your close friend Namjoon? Drama ensues.

Glitter, glue, I love you— married couple AU. Slice of life — 1 — 14k

You and Namjoon have been married for quite some time, your relationship having only grown since you first met as bright-eyed students back in the day. Now, you're a passionate primary school teacher, and Namjoon is an inspiring college professor, both deeply invested in shaping young minds. This holiday season, after a long day at work, you find yourselves staying late to decorate your classroom. Namjoon, ever the considerate soul, swings by to pick you up but of course, you take advantage of the opportunity and put him to work. As you hang twinkling lights and arrange paper snowflakes, the conversation takes a meaningful turn. In the midst of the holiday madness, you talk about your future, and the idea of starting a family emerges… Best Christmas gift ever.

On going:

The Case of Us — Detective AU, coworkers to lovers partners, enemies to friends to lovers.

moodboard

Summary: You and Namjoon are an unlikely pair, clashing from the start. He’s a seasoned detective, used to working alone and running on instinct. You, a rookie, fresh off acing your detective exam, ready to prove yourself. At first, you butt heads—your sharp, hardheaded approach grating against his calm, measured demeanor. But there's an undeniable pull between the two of you, an unspoken understanding that begins to form as you both tackle case after case. Through the chaos of the job, you rely on each other more and more. And though you're still figuring out the balance between the stubborn rookie and the seasoned detective, you both know one thing for certain—you're a hell of a team.

Hiatus:

The holiday pretense — fake-dating, idiots in love, friends to lovers/roommates to lovers au — 1 — 2 — 3 — 4

moodboard

Namjoon has never been a fan of the holidays. In fact, he could list more things that sucked about ‘The most wonderful time of the year’, than things that brought him joy. Yet, beneath his cynicism, a flicker of hope appeared this year, as the faint scent of homesickness hung in the air. Unfortunately, there’s one tiny little thing that keeps him from calling home- his lack of a girlfriend. But fear not; this holiday season, Namjoon’s smart mouth gets him in a situation where he has no choice but to approach you- his longtime friend and roommate- with an unexpected request.