#AGE GAP LMAOOOOO

[unforth]

Okay I usually don't dip into the discourse but this is just. So amazingly ridiculous that I can't resist sharing these two asks I saw (received and adroitly answered) in the tgcf tag.

Y'all ready for the dumbest take to hit TGCF since "Hualian is reverse grooming"? (Thank you for reminding me of that one, thegreymoon, that was a batshit week 🤣. At least that one has the excuse of being a twitter take. This one though is right here on tumblr dot com. Homegrown idiocy.)

Okay so the first anon ask...

...so far so vaguely normal, yeah? I mean, I ship them too but there's definitely toxicity there, if it makes someone uncomfortable so be it.

But I promise you, whatever you think anon's comeback is, you are wrong. You cannot even imagine the follow up.

Wait for it.

Wait for iiiit.

You ready?

YUP YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, THE 2,000 YEAR OLD GHOST/GOD STALKER AND THE 800 YEAR OLD TRASH GOD ARE, YUP, RELATED NOW.

I'm sorry. I just. I read this almost an hour ago and I'm still seesawing between 🤣🤣🤣 and 😵‍💫😮‍💨😒.

I can't decide if it's "tell me you haven't read the book without telling me you haven't read the book" or if it's "anti discourse has descended to the point that incest has become an entirely meaningless concept, forget 'they're not related in anyway but they THINK of each other as family so it's (somehow) incest,' no we've now hit 'it's yucky so it must be incest.'"

Also I'm sorry I screencapped and posted your asks without asking permission first, edensrose, I just can't stop smh over it and I thought others would get a laugh without me putting your actual posts on blast.

[kampflesben]

Caught up with pit babe, AlanxJeff truthers rise UP

[rumbelle-scream]

*coughs*

u mean belle is gonna meet rumple with glasses and absolutely start losing it!?\(@>"+|!\{#>(%>##+!

student!Belle x headmaster!Gold au moodboard (suggested by @taexxggu)

[ihavemanyhusbands]

Honey Bun (18+ Series)

Aaron Hotchner x Stripper!Reader

Part 5 // MINORS DNI

WC: 3.0k words

Song Inspo: Possibly Maybe - Björk

Series Warnings: Eventual smut, bit of an age gap (placing reader at around 25-26), cursing, alcohol consumption, formalized sex work (Stripper/Pole Dancer), occasional angst, drama. In this chapter specifically -- light angst, flufffff, SMUT OBVIOUSLY, smoking one (1) cigarette (sorry about that but its DRAMATIC and therefore NECESSARY), semi-public sex (?), lap dance, dirty talking, Hotch being submissive and breedable tbh, aaaand that's all I can think of rn, but lmk if I missed anything!

A/N: Lmaooooo sorry that the plot just kinda flew out the window on this one a little bit, I just wanted to write something dirttyyyyyy tee hee hopefully all is good here but lmk if it needs other warnings or anything!

Tags: @montyfandomlove, @cassiemartzz, @hausofwhores, @pedrohoe04, @sebastiansstanswhore, @comfortzonequeen,

-----------------------

“Looks like lover boy is here,” Josephine noted, wiping down a glass to keep herself busy. “Doesn’t seem like he had a great day.”

You glanced up to see Aaron approaching the bar. It’d been a few days since Gia’s birthday, in which you hadn’t spoken much to him. You were gathering the courage to talk to him about things, but it was taking more time than you anticipated.

And now, it seemed time was up.

“It’s been tense to say the least,” you murmured. “Mind if I take fifteen?”

“Go ahead,” she said. “Let me know if you need anything.”

You nodded appreciatively, patting her arm before making your way to Aaron.

“Hi,” you said, smiling meekly. “It’s my smoke break. Wanna join me outside?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you smoked.”

“Only sometimes. Good excuse to step outside when things get to be … too much, I suppose,” you shrugged. “Plus, it’s a little more private for us to talk, don’t you think?”

He nodded, pursing his lips. “Yeah, you’re right. Lead the way.”

He stood up and followed as you led him out the back door. The cacophony of music and rowdy patrons faded into the background as the two of you stepped out into the alleway. The night air was cool but bearable, still in the late throes of spring.

You covered the flame as you lit the cigarette, exhaling a plume of smoke.

“Can I have a drag?” He asked, and you offered it to him.

 You watched his profile as he exhaled smoke too, looking off into the middle-distance as he thought.

“I wanted to—” you started to say at the same time he said. “I thought—”

The two of you stopped, staring at each other for a moment.

“Oh, go ahead,” you prompted as he handed the cigarette back to you.

“No, no. You can go,” he insisted.

“Um… well I wanted to say that I’m sorry that things have been kind of weird lately,” you began. “It all came as a bit of a shock, as I’m sure you felt.  But uh, I think I owe you some honesty, so I’ll just come clean.”

You took another long drag, bracing yourself to just rip the band aid off. 

“Ever heard of the Crimson Lounge?” You said. “I dance there on the weekends. I’m a stripper, that’s my mysterious other job.”

You ashed the cigarette, gathering your thoughts for a second before barreling on. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I guess… it was stupid not to, but I’m sure you understand why I didn’t. But you deserved to know.” You looked up at him, finally meeting his dark eyes. “Especially because it’s not going to change.”

He extended his hand towards you once more to get the cigarette. He ashed it, taking a long drag himself, his gaze not leaving yours.

“What sort of reaction were you expecting from me?” He asked curiously.

You shrugged, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. “I don’t know… I guess disappointment? A loss of respect? Or something worse.”

He seemed genuinely surprised at this. He tossed the finished cigarette on the ground and stepped on it to put it out.

“Hey, look at me,” he said, gently taking your chin and tilting your face towards his. “I don’t feel that way at all.”

You searched his face for any hidden emotion that might betray his words. But the only thing you found was earnestness, as well as determination.

Still, you asked, “Really?”

“Yes, of course,” he assured you, cupping your face in his hands. “Trust me, that’s not a problem to me. Sure, it surprised me, but that doesn’t mean I see it as a bad thing.”

“You’re a rare exception to what seems to be the norm…” you said, smiling wryly.

“I like you for who you are, Honey. I see you.” His thumbs brushed over your cheekbones. “I know we’ve only been on a few dates, but it’s been such a pleasure getting to know you. I’d like to continue… If that’s okay with you. I want to know everything.”

You nodded, your eyes stinging as tears pooled in your vision. “Well, there’s one more thing I should also clarify. About Derek.”

He stiffened a little, swallowing hard. He said nothing, willing to just listen. 

“He met Gia and me at the Crimson. He’s been a regular for some time,” you said. “He’s, uh, seen a lot of me, on and off the stage. But we’re just friends and nothing more. He’s with Gia, and they really like each other.”

He nodded, jaw clenched. He took a few breaths, just looking at you, and that seemed to help ease whatever conflicting emotions he was feeling. 

“But… he was always respectful?” He managed to ask.

“Yeah. He’s a good guy,” you smiled reassuringly. “I’m sorry if this just complicates things.”

“Honey, please,” he shook his head. “Who the hell am I to judge you for anything you do? It’s in the past, as you said. As long as he was decent, that’s all I care about.”

“Well, I think you’re more than decent.” Your eyes flicked down to his lips. “And I really want to kiss you for it.”

He chuckled, leaning down and kissing you sweetly. Your heart continued to race, but now for entirely different reasons. You were kind of in disbelief that it had all gone so well, still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But his thumbs traced your cheekbones again, wiping away the happy tears you hadn’t realized you were shedding. It was a reassurance that you needed, and you were grateful he gave it so freely.

When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead against yours.

“So, you forgive me?” You murmured.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” he said. “You did nothing wrong. But I am sorry that things got so strange last time we saw each other. I hope I didn’t react… harshly. I was just surprised.”

You waved him off, nodding in understanding and pulling back further to look at him. 

“There’ll be another chance for a better first impression with my sister and Gia, don’t worry about them,” you assured. “And you know… If you’re comfortable, maybe you should visit me at the Crimson some time. See what it’s like. I could even arrange for us to have the VIP room for an hour, so we’re out of the main floor.”

He smirked a little. “Does that mean I’d get VIP treatment, too?”

You rolled your eyes playfully, smacking his arm. “Yes, only because you’ve been so good… But you’ve turned me into a real sap, you know that?”

He planted an affectionate kiss on your lips. “That was the goal.”

————————

“Honey, you’ve been requested for a private. An hour and a half, already paid for. He’s at table seven, you can escort him upstairs.”

You nodded, making your way over. It hadn’t been a very busy night, so you decided to call it right after this. An hour and a half was kind of pushing it, but at least it was early enough that you could still enjoy some downtime at home and potentially see if Aaron was free for another sleepover.

You’d plastered on your most charming smile, but it faltered for a surprised moment when you saw the man in question — Aaron, sitting by himself at the table, swirling his scotch around the glass lazily.

It was as if you’d summoned him somehow. For a moment, as your gazes connected, it didn’t seem real. 

He hadn’t mentioned anything about coming in, but it clicked that he wanted to surprise you. It was a bold move, but you couldn’t help but be impressed. He smirked at you and your smile returned, genuine this time.

Mostly, he seemed at ease, but before you’d arrived, he’d kept his eyes down. You caught sight of a few girls glancing in his direction, but he was unaware of the attention he was getting. All of his focus was on you.

“Well, well,” you said. “What do we have here?”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Honey,” he said, slightly raising his eyebrows. “But nothing compares to the real thing.”

You caught onto his game immediately, stifling a shudder as a tingle ran down your spine. Who would have thought he was into this sort of thing?

You’d figured he might be kind of vanilla, but you just kept being pleasantly surprised by him. You bit your lower lip, eyes roaming over him appreciatively. He returned the gesture, taking his time to drink you in, his nostrils flaring as he exhaled slowly. 

“What’s your name, handsome?” 

He took a sip of his scotch. “Whatever you want it to be.”

“Hmmm, well I’ve always liked the name Aaron,” you said, offering him your hand. “Come with me, I’ll take you somewhere quieter where we can get to know each other.”

He took your hand, not letting go as you led him towards the stairs. You went up the steps in front of him, giving him a lovely view of your ass in a g-string. It took all of his willpower not to touch you; To let his broad hands roam over the expanse of your soft skin.

There would surely be enough time for that later.

Once in the VIP room, you had him sit down while you picked the music. It softly wafted out of the speakers, the slow rhythm so irresistible that you began to sway your hips to it.

Pink and blue lights bathed you in their romantic, dream-like hues. His dark eyes tracked your movements, sinuous and almost serpentine. He was utterly entranced, and he had to adjust himself in his seat.

“Like what you see?” You asked, grinning teasingly.

“You’re breathtaking,” he rasped, nodding. “So beautiful.”

You loved feeling the ardent intensity of his gaze — like a caress, making heat slowly course through you. You were absorbed by each other;  Nothing outside of this room – of this very moment – existed. 

You teased him further by toying with the straps of your micro bikini top, and he clenched his jaw, a low grunt stuck in his throat. 

“Come closer,” he said, his voice a little hoarse. He cleared his throat before adding, “Please.”

You prowled towards him on all fours, and when he tried to reach for you, you grabbed his wrists and pinned them down at his sides.

You tsked, tilting your head to one side. “Hmm, think you can be good for me and keep your hands off?”

He nodded all too eagerly, making you smirk. You came up between his legs, your torso barely brushing his. Your lips were mere inches from his, too, but before he could be further tempted, you pulled back and turned around.

His fingers twitched at his sides as you sat on his lap, your back against his chest. Though you couldn’t hold down his hands at this angle, he was resolved to behave. You began to gyrate your hips ever so slowly, already feeling his prominent bulge pressing against your ass.

This time, you finally undid the straps of your top, letting it slide off of you. You heard his sharp intake of breath right next to your ear as you leaned back so he could get a better view of your front.

“You enjoy torturing me,” he gritted out. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“You just look so good when you’re all worked up like this,” you purred.

Then, to torture him even further, you grabbed his hands, bringing them to where your g-string hugged your hips.

“Hook your fingers here,” you instructed, and he immediately obeyed. 

You stood and bent forward, his thumbs helping pull your panties down. At this new angle, he had an up close and personal view of your newly exposed cunt, and he couldn’t help but let out a pitiful whimper.

You chuckled. “You all good there?”

Instead of responding, he slid down to his knees, pulling your underwear off the rest of the way. You stepped out of them and felt as his hands came back towards your hips, holding on firmly. 

All of his self restraint had seemingly shattered, and like a starving man, he started kissing at your thighs. You indulged him for a moment, biting back a soft moan as you felt his lips on your inner thigh. 

But then, surprisingly, you felt him nip and suck at the sensitive skin, sure to leave a mark.

“Hey, now!” You chastised, turning around and pushing him back a little. “Naughty, naughty, trying to bite more than you can chew. Didn’t I say hands off?”

“I wasn’t using my hands, technically,” he countered, smirking slightly. “But I’ll do better.”

“I’m sure you will.” You crossed your arms. “And you can start by making it up to me.”

“Yes, anything.”

You looked him over, still on his knees, eyes wide and eager. He truly looked like he would do anything for you at that moment.

“Worship me,” you said finally. “If you want to put your mouth on me, it has to be over every square inch.”

He licked his lips and leaned forward a little, unable to resist you. “That I can do, gladly.”

He dove into his task diligently, kissing his way up. Your fingers buried in his hair, keeping him close. He took his time, but when he reached the apex of your thighs once more, he looked up at you as if asking for permission.

But as much as you wanted to say yes, you didn’t want this part to end quite yet.

You tugged his head back lightly. “Keep going, you’ll get your prize after.”

He grunted, but acquiesced, licking up to your navel. You suppressed a shudder, already clenching around nothing. The build up was driving you near feral, but such desperate want was an addictive feeling. 

You almost caved in once more when he reached your breasts. His tongue circled one of your nipples, his teeth subsequently grazing the hardened peak. He repeated his motions with your other breast, but in a teasing retort, he moved onto your sternum before you could really bask in the pleasure.

And once he reached your throat, you couldn’t take it any longer. You grabbed his chin as you brought his lips to yours, eliciting a low moan from him as your tongue tangled with his.

“You want your prize?” You asked between kisses, nipping at his lower lip when he nodded. “How do you want it, Aaron?”

“Fuck me,” he said without hesitation. “Use me to give yourself pleasure. I just want to make you feel good.”

His words had you instantly dripping and you squeezed your thighs together to try and ease some of your ache. You felt like your knees might buckle at any moment, and you crushed your lips against his ravenously.

“Sit back down for me,” you urged.

He did so, making you bend down so as not to break contact with him. But you quickly pulled away to crouch in front of him, reaching for his belt.

“May I?” 

“Yes. Whatever you want, I’m all yours,” he said, shifting forward to help you undo his belt and pants.

You hummed as you freed him from his underwear, the tip of his cock glistening with precum. You gingerly ran the tips of your fingers over the prominent vein on his shaft, making him twitch.

“Someone’s excited,” you noted, smiling slyly. “Remember, hands off. I’m in control here. My turf, my rules.”

He nodded once more, swallowing hard. You let a string of saliva fall onto his cock and straightened back up, spreading it with your fingers. 

“Scoot over to the edge.”

You went on your hands and knees in front of him, sliding backwards until your hips were bracketed between his knees. You wiggled them a little enticingly, grinning at him over your shoulder.

“Be a dear and help me put it in, will you?” 

Your eyes fluttered shut as he slicked the head of his cock through your folds, coating it with your arousal. He pushed in slowly, stretching you deliciously, and both of you exhaled sharply as he bottomed out.

You started moving at a slow, even pace, working the entirety of his length until you adjusted to it. You soon picked up speed, unable to keep yourself from moaning wantonly. 

“Fuck, Honey…” he groaned. “Does that feel good?”

“So good,” you panted. “So fucking good.”

“Don’t stop,” he pleaded. “Please, cum all over my cock.”

Though he did not use his hands, his hips snapped up to meet yours, making his thrusts harder. He repeatedly hit a spot deep inside you that had you clawing at the floor, abdominal muscles tightening.

“Aaron, please, I-” the rest of the sentence died in your throat as pleasure seized you in its vice-like grip. 

Your eyes rolled to the back of your skull and you heard him moan out your name as his own orgasm washed over him. He spilled inside of you, thrusting shallowly as both of you rode out your ecstasy.

You were both dazed for a few more seconds, breathing heavily, still lost in one another. His hands caressed your hips affectionately — reverently, even.

As he pulled out of you, he helped you up and hauled you onto his lap. His arms encircled you, and you wiped his hair away from his sweaty forehead. 

“Well, safe to say we know each other pretty well now,” you chuckled breathily. 

“You did guess my name from the get go,” he said, also chuckling. 

He kissed you tenderly, pressing you tighter against him, like he just couldn’t get close enough. It made you melt, how he always made sure to show you how much he cared. 

“I kind of want to say I’m sorry for surprising you, but…” he started as he pulled away.

“Don’t,” you said, stroking his face. “I’m not sorry.”

“I’m not either,” he said, and you smiled at each other. “This was one of the most incredible nights of my life.”

“Hmm, something tells me you’re gonna become one of my regulars, Aaron.”

He kissed the tip of your nose. “I’ll be your favorite one.”

----

[mysicklove]

Spent the last couple of hours reading all of your posts under #big brother au 😵‍💫

ALSO WDYM YOUR MOM WAS A GOODIE TWO SHOES AND YOUR DAD WAS TROUBLE… LIKE THEY LITERALLY CAME OUT OF A BOOK OR WHAT…

Also, since you said the meet cute (can I even call it meet cute? Whatever, you get it) of sukuna and reader resembled your parents story in some sort of way, would you say your relationship with your siblings also influences how you portray sukuna and yuuji’s relationship?

I LOOOVEE this au I’m so obsessed, I love the way you write it 😔😔🫶🏻🫶🏻

LOLOLOL yeah ig we are doing mello family lore rn, but yep!

my dad was a whole ass deliquent, didnt even finish high school bc he got kicked out LOL and got arrested multiple times. crazy. my mom was super religious and got good grades and the whole thing. my dad liked her since like middle school? and they were friends and ig my mom was soooo embaressed to be his friend bc he was such a bad kid LMAOOOOO

so yes i kinda based sukuna n reader off them a little bit (but reader isnt that big of a goodie two shoes). but the whole sukuna pining for a long ass time and reader not being interested for a hot minute will be included in the prequeal (that i keep talking about and havent completed)

and the siblings aspect i would say....kinda. my siblings are all close in age so there wasnt that big age gap that sukuna and yuuji have. but my brother was DEVIOUS to my little sister. so kinda based on them two LOL

[finniestoncrane]

While I do indeed love the idea of an older man destroying me, I always like to do this dumb little thing where I imagine Arkhamverse Riddler isn’t as old as people think. I usually imagine him as about 22-26 in Origins and about 32-36 in Knight. Mostly because I’m still okay with him having 10-15 years age gap, and because I just think it’s funny to picture that he just looks THAT rough. Like imagine this exchange and tell me it isn’t hilarious.

Person: So how old ARE you???

Riddler: Wait… Guess.

Person: 48!

Riddler: WHAT?! No, I’m not-! Usually when people play that game, they guess younger. Was THAT younger?!

Person: Yeah? Is that not…

Riddler: I’m not in my FORTIES. I’m in my 50s…

Person: Oh, I knew it!

Riddler: I’m not-! I was JOKING! I’m 35!

that's a rough fuckin paper route he's had if he's 35 in knight. or do i just look old and don't realise it lmaooooo

i like him at 55 in knight (because 55 is the sexiest age) but i 100% would tease the ever loving shit out of him for how QUICKLY he aged between them like man you need a good meal, some moisturiser and a replenishing shampoo. you've gone from lustrous, thick bug in a sweater vest to 110lbs soaking wet where the only muscles you have are on your arms from either masturbating or mechanical work or both

but he'd know i was lying because i'd spend my time gazing longingly at that receding hairline of his, and those wrinkles, and his shallow cheeks GOD i love age i love old men i love old women i love wrinkles... i got distracted lol

i do love the idea of him trying to get someone to stroke his ego and then being deeply disappointed with the reality that slaps him in the face though lmaooooo

[btsgotjams27]

this is us ~ jjk | 16

six months later and you're still not over jungkook, and when you finally hit rock bottom, you realize you have to pick yourself up because no one else can do it for you.

✨ title: this is us | (sequel to all grown up) ✨ pairing: jungkook x f!reader | ✨ rating: m/18+ | minors dni ✨ genre/au: drama, romance, angst, fluff, smut | est!relationship, age gap, bff's younger brother ✨ playlist | AO3 & Wattpad ✨ a/n: if you haven’t read the prequel to this, please do so here! :) ✨ a/n 2: hello, hello! can you believe we're almost done with this series? it's been a crazy journey for these two, hasn't it? lol. well, i'll just say the angst is strong in this chapter but! this is the last angsty chapter, which i'm kind of happy for myself, my readers, and the characters lmaooooo. i hope y'all enjoy it and now it's only going up from this point out!

[ SERIES MASTERLIST ] | next ✨ 17 ~ one year later

chapter 16 ~ so maybe you're not okay | wc: 5.4k warnings: time skip (6 months later), angst, reader is reflecting on her past actions, language, alcohol consumption, *some* tough love, self-deprecation, depressing thoughts, mentions of throwing up smut warnings: kissing, touching, groping, breast play

~ six months since the breakup ~

Six months have passed since you and Jungkook split up. Sometimes, your heart ached continually, and you wondered when it would stop or ever cease. You almost gave in and called to check how he was doing or what he was up to, but you didn't. It was foolish to believe he'd want to talk to you since he, too, was hurt. You had shattered his heart for the second time, and you shouldn't be surprised if he never wanted to hear from you again.

Your heart skipped a beat anytime his name was uttered, whether it was Jin or Yuna. A part of you wanted to know if he was doing well or if he was as unhappy as you, but you were hoping for the latter. He deserved happiness, and you wanted him to find it even if you weren’t a part of it.

As much as you wanted to run away from responsibilities, you couldn’t. Your show was the only thing that kept you going—for now, at least. Critics and audiences alike praised the first half of the season, but as the season proceeded, numbers began to fall, making you doubt your talent and career. Could your writing be suffering as a result of your breakup? It did take up a lot of your mental space these days.

You wanted to hide under a rock and never come out again, it was virtually impossible because your phone rang nonstop day and night, attempting to put out fires—executives, producers, and writers breathing down your neck, never letting you take a breath. You just wanted everything to halt, and you just wanted no one to need you. But you were reminded of that whenever you stepped into your apartment. You didn’t know which was worse anymore.

The show's last day couldn’t have come any faster, and Kenji wanted to go big and celebrate the filming wrapping. You arrived at the beautiful modern building, which hardly looked like a restaurant.

“Hello, darling.”

You turned to your ex-boyfriend, his arm snaking around your waist. He could never help himself, but you smacked his arm away. “Kenji,” you said with a scowl.

“I’m sorry, love—habit.” You rolled your eyes. “Come on, let’s celebrate,” he said, holding his arm for you to take, though you didn’t amuse him by doing so. You were tired of his antics.

Because it was a party and you were practically the face of the project, you had to put on your best smile and pretend everything was fine—better than okay, perfect because you had gotten what you wanted out of your career, you had worked your ass off to get where you are. Still, none of this mattered if you didn't have the most important person by your side, but you didn’t dare utter his name.

If there was one thing you hated about being in this industry, it was the mingling aspect. Of course, you cared for your crew but showed it differently than how Kenji wanted to. You preferred intimate gatherings, taking a few groups to talk and catch up.

Though, at this point, you didn’t want to be around anyone anymore and just wanted to eliminate the noise clouding up your mind and space.

“Hey, babe. Are you doing okay?” Hyunie asked, pulling you in for a hug.

You loved your friend, but you swear to God if she asked you one more time if you were okay, you’d explode. “I’m fine,” you snapped, closing your eyes.

Having Hyunie by your side throughout this project was a godsend, and you couldn’t have done it without her. As Yuna was busy with baby Indie, Hyunie became your right-hand gal, almost waiting on you hand and foot.

She cleared her throat. “I just wanted to make sure,” she muttered, ready to walk away.

“Wait, Hyunie—” You turned, grasping her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“It’s okay. I know you’re stressed. I’ll leave you alone.”

God—were you always this bitchy and cranky? Or had you unlocked a new part of yourself that you’d only discovered after breaking up with Jungkook? Either way, you’d lose your friend if you didn’t stop.

You had stopped counting how many glasses of wine you had accepted from the server as he passed by with his tray, but it had to have been more than enough for you to want to kiss the next person you saw.

Aimlessly, you stared at your wine glass. Are you the only one like this? What the fuck are you doing with your life? Pretending to be okay when you weren’t. Shit—you were so fucking pathetic.

Every day, the same thing, over and over again. Mindlessly, alone. You were gradually losing yourself in your innermost thoughts.

Tomorrow may be better. Maybe it’ll be alright. But who were you kidding? They were nothing but lies. You were too far gone, too broken. And it didn’t look like it could ever be reversed.

“So, you’re the big boss, hmm?”

You looked up to see a handsome man donned in an all-black outfit, his honey-skin chest practically on display, the deep V of his silk shirt leading your eyes down to his lower half. “That’s me,” you muttered, swirling the last of what was left in your wine glass.

“Can I get you a refill?”

“Yes, please.”

The man flashed a beautiful smile before going behind the counter, reaching underneath to pull up a bottle of wine.

“Are you supposed to be back there?” you asked, raising a brow because he wasn’t a crew member from your show. Actually, you had never seen him before.

He chuckled. “I’m Jung Hoseok, co-owner of Onjium.” You held your glass out for him to refill.

“It’s a beautiful restaurant, and the food is immaculate.”

“Ah, why, thank you,” he remarked. “Should I return the favor and praise your show?”

You tried to suppress your smirk by sipping the red wine. “I’d rather you praise me instead."

Hoseok's tongue darts to wet his lips, biting the bottom. "I can do that."

It had been too long since you had kissed anyone, alone let anyone even touch you. But Hoseok’s kisses from the column of your neck trailing towards your collarbone made you realize how horny you were—and your vibrator wasn’t cutting it anymore. You weren’t sure why you hadn’t sought out a fuck buddy in the first place. It would’ve easily taken your mind off everything and relieved some stress.

His hardened length brushed against your clothed heat, his soft lips continuing to mark your body, his hand on the small of your back, eliminating the distance between you. “Fuck—you’re so sexy,” he kissed your lips. “Why isn’t every man dropping to their knees for you?”

You throw your head back, a chuckle leaving your lips. “Do you always flatter every woman who walks through your restaurant’s doors?” you ask, tugging at his belt, unfastening it with his pants.

He grins and shakes his head. “I never do things like this,” he lies through his teeth.

“Uh-huh, sure,” you quip back. “So you’ve never fucked anyone on this couch before?” You found it hard to believe—a good-looking man like him, not fucking every beautiful that walked into his restaurant?

“Nope, never,” he laughs, coming in for another kiss, his hard length pressing into your lower abdomen, making you ache and crave what’s hidden beneath those briefs. “Can I?” he asks, toying with the thin straps of your dress.

“Please do. I’m at your service to be praised and adored.” You were hardly ever this bold or confident. Maybe it was the alcohol coursing through your veins, coinciding with how shitty you’ve been feeling these past several months.

Hoseok’s slender fingers drew imaginary circles into your skin. He studied your face—eyes closed, mouth agape, and head lolled back. Savoring every moment as you bite your bottom lip, just waiting for him to continue as he pleased. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

Honestly, at this moment? Anything—anything to relieve the ache that was building inside your body.

He hums, waiting for your answer.

You opened your eyes and straightened your posture. He still hadn’t removed your straps, so you did it for him, agonizingly slow, of course—just as he teased you, you did the same to him. But your stupid bra stood in the way until you unfastened the hooks, freeing your breasts one at a time. His attention is now diverted from your eyes to your chest, taking in the perfect view.

Wrapping your arms around his shoulders, you leaned in, whispering, “I want you to fuck me so hard that you have to take me home and then fuck me all over again.”

He shifted in his seat, adjusting himself, then gripped the soft flesh of your ass through your black slip dress. His hands roamed the sides of your body. His eyes fixated on your breasts before palming them in his hands. “Fuck–yes. You don’t have to tell me twice.”

His hand reached the back of your neck, pulling you in for a kiss. You spread your legs wider, rolling your hips against his erection. Faint whimpers leave your lips when his fingers pinch your stiff peaks.

“Fuck–Kook. I need you inside me.”

“Name’s Hoseok,” he says between kisses.

“Don’t–don’t talk.”

“Anything you want, princess.”

You pulled away with a deadpan expression, breathing a loud sigh.

“You just ruined it.” Of course, he couldn’t have known that you hated that pet name, but that pet name also brought you back to reality.

You drew the strings of your dress back over your shoulders, proceeding to grab the rest of your things. “I’m sorry, Hoseok. I shouldn’t have done this,” you say, looking around for your bra.

“Was it something I said?”

Technically, yes, but also, you were stupid for trying to sleep with a man you had just met. This wasn’t you. You didn’t go around fucking random strangers–you much preferred being in a loving relationship, not one-night stands with men you’d never see again.

“No–it’s me. I’m sorry.”

Quickly, you left the crime scene, slipping into a taxi, still holding your bra because you couldn't put it back on without someone stopping to talk to you. With eyes closed and a loud sigh, your head lolled back on the car’s headrest. The angel on your shoulder was berating you for making bad decisions. The devil told you to return to the man who wanted to sleep with you and show you a good time. Right now, you didn’t want to listen to either of them.

You open your eyes and straighten your posture, catching a glimpse of yourself in the rearview. The person staring back was unrecognizable—having sunk to the lowest of the lows, unsure if you could pick yourself back up. At this point, you wondered how your friends could even put up with you. You didn’t even want to be around yourself—a pitiful mess you were.

Sundays were brunch days at Yuna and Namjoon’s. It was a tradition the group had organized since the new parents had their hands full.

But you lay in bed, thinking of the many excuses you could give to your best friend to get out of this brunch you had started to loathe. It reminded you of your mother’s family reunion dinners.

You 9:27 AM *cough*cough* I’m not feeling well. I think I drank too much.

Yuna 9:29 AM 😒 Get your ass over here. I don’t care if you’re on your deathbed.

Tae 9:30 AM Dang—mama don’t play. You tell her, Noona!

Hyunie 9:30 AM Seriously, taetae? Why??? Why are you like this? 😑

Joon 9:31 AM I’m making my infamous avocado toast.

Jin 9:32 AM Namjoon cooking? *cough*cough* I’m sick too.

Yuna 9:33 AM Oh! Don’t make me slap all of you through this phone. Everyone be here at 10:30! OR ELSE.

You 9:33 AM Fine…

Jin 9:34 AM Okay—MOM.

Tae 9:34 AM Or else, what? You’ll spank me?

Hyunie 9:35 AM Someone come strangle my husband before I do!!

Even if you were on your deathbed, huh? Apparently, you still had to attend this infamous Sunday brunch.

A notification bell came through your phone, illuminating your screen.

Jin 9:37 AM I can come pick you up.

You 9:38 AM Why? You don’t trust that I’ll go there?

Jin 9:38 AM Nope 🙃 See you soon friend.

The car ride to Yuna’s consisted of nothing but radio silence. Jin looked over, watching you mindlessly observe pedestrians, deep in thought about who knows what. He wanted to interrupt many times but didn’t want to appear insensitive.

“You look like shit,” Taehyung remarked, sitting at the table.

“Thanks, Taehyung. I really appreciate your honesty,” you faked a smile before letting it falter. “FYI—this is what I look like, hungover.”

“You seem to be drinking a lot these days,” Yuna couldn’t help but comment.

“There’s nothing wrong with drinking,” Namjoon responded as he was focused on smashing the avocados in the bowl. He looked up to see his wife glaring at him. “What?” He cleared his throat. “I mean, as long as it’s done in moderation. We don’t want anything bad to happen to our bodies.” He looked over at Yuna again, who was pleased with his answer.

“Maybe just slow down on the mimosas today, babe,” Hyunie interjected when you picked up the tall, slim glass and sipped. Whoever made it went a bit overboard on the champagne. It wouldn’t be your fault, it was whoever made this.

“I’m fine,” you noted. “I’m a big girl, and I can care for myself.”

With her tongue in cheek, Yuna tuts as she spreads the butter on the piece of bread, preparing the pan for the avocado toast.

You wanted to let that slide because she had been like this for the past few months, making snide, snarky comments or saying things under her breath. Maybe motherhood was taking a toll. Maybe she hadn’t had enough sleep. Maybe she, too, was pissed off at the world.

“Do you have something you want to say to me?” You set your glass down, folding your arms across your chest. Maybe you were feeling confident after the sip of orange juice and champagne.

Everyone quieted down, pretending not to let this conversation become awkward, trying to do other things to distract themselves.

Yuna placed the bread into the warm pan, letting it sizzle, but she didn’t answer you. She had wanted to talk to you privately for a while now, but everything was bubbling up to the surface, and she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Namjoon clenched his jaw and lightly elbowed her, giving her the staredown of the century, mouthing, “Not now.”

“Why not? Hmm?” she answers aloud to her husband. “She needs to hear what I have to say.”

He looks at everyone whose eyes are now on the couple in the kitchen. “There’s a time and place if you want to talk, but not in front of everyone,” he said in a hushed tone, quickly glancing at you, then back to his smashed avocados.

“Yuna, if you have something to say, just fucking say it.” You were tired of all these side eyes and unspoken words.

She sighs and then turns off the stovetop, removing the pan from the heat. “It’s been six months, Y/n. Six months since Jungkook left.”

“Yeah, you don’t think I fucking know that? I have to live with that knowledge every day. Why can’t you just leave me the fuck alone and let me drink in peace?” Picking up the glass, you took another sip; the bubbly drink fizzled down your throat. “I’m fine,” you lied. “Sometimes I just want to wallow in all the shit I’m feeling, okay? And be fucking depressed, sad, and hurt. Am I not allowed to do that?”

Hyunie steps closer, grasping your arm. “Of course, you can, but we’re just worried about you and want you to talk to us.”

“What do you want me to say?” You look around the room, trying your best to hold it together. Your tongue darted to lick your lips, teeth nibbling your bottom lip, but the yearning in your heart welled to the surface, just waiting to erupt. “You want me to say that I fucked up? Instead of pushing Jungkook away, I should’ve tried to work through it. That I should've gone to LA to get him back? Well, it's too fucking late. I can't do shit now. He's probably moved on with his life and is doing ten times better than I am."

You let go of Hyunie and sat in the dining chair. "God–I'm so pathetic." You wiped the tears streaming down your face. "I feel so numb, so broken," you said with a shaky voice. "I just want to wake up from this stupid nightmare, but I can't because this is my fucking reality. I know I have no one to blame but myself for this mess."

Everyone looked at you with pity and remorse. Practically watching you fall apart. You didn't want this to happen but knew it eventually would.

Yuna sympathized with her best friend, and she did. But she also had her baby brother to worry about as well. She knew how he was doing–which was much better than you right now, and you were right. He had moved on and was in a better spot, mentally and emotionally.

She walked over to you, placing her hand on yours, gently rubbing the top of your hand. Yuna softly sighed, “I love you, I do. But sometimes I just wanna give you a good smack.”

“Jagi!” Namjoon quips, setting down his fork.

“In a loving way, of course,” she pauses, “I'm sorry things turned out the way they did with you and Jungkook. It hurts me to see you like this–living life so aimlessly. If you want him, go get him. If you don't, then move on.”

“It's not that simple,” you said, turning to her.

“I know—but you have to try. Take it one day at a time. Do something fun. Try something you’ve never done before. Get your mind off everything,” Yuna suggests.

She was right. Since your show had wrapped up and nothing else lined up, you could do as you, please. Maybe you could find a new hobby or travel—it’s been a minute since you had a proper vacation. Honestly, traveling to a secluded place seemed like a dream. But would it be a ruse to run away from your problems, or would it help you move on? Could it be a bit of both?

“I’m sorry, guys. I am.” You look up to your friends who have been supportive these past few months while you were at rock bottom.

Jin, Namjoon, and Taehyung grunted or hummed, acknowledging your apology before distracting themselves with something else.

Hyunie comes in for an embrace. “You’re gonna be okay. I know it.” She pulls away, the corners of her lips curving into a reassuring smile.

“I don’t deserve you guys.”

“You don’t,” Jin jokes, in which Namjoon glares at him. “What?” He stuffs a blueberry in his mouth. “Just saying.”

You were conscious of your choices and actions and aware of the consequences; nevertheless, accepting and coming to terms with them was another matter.

Regardless, if you wanted to get out of this deep, dark hole you’ve dug, no one could help you unless you helped yourself.

With nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one to see—your life felt like it had no meaning, no purpose.

Do something fun.

Yuna’s voice echoed from the day before. Fun? You didn’t even know what you considered fun anymore. What did you even like besides writing and working? No new films were interesting, at least not enough to make you want to pay to sit in front of the big screen. And you just knew you’d be scrolling through Netflix for hours trying to find something to watch before ultimately giving up. There was no point, you thought.

And since none of those things were riveting, you again found yourself at the bar. At least, it was the first time you’d gone this week. Well—to be honest, the week had just begun.

“Another Moscow mule, please,” you inquired, waving down the bartender. It was only your third one of the night, but given that your speech was becoming unintelligible—you’d be cut off soon.

The bartender nodded, acknowledged your request, and began working on your drink.

You held onto the black straw, mindlessly stirring the ice in the copper mug. Your eyes laser-focused on the bottle sitting behind the bar back—Highland Park, single malt whiskey. You preferred cocktails over straight liquor. You didn’t think you could handle all the alcohol content; hell, you could hardly hold the ones in cocktails.

Next to the shelf of liquor stood a mirror, but you couldn’t recognize the person in the reflection. Who was she? Six months had passed since the breakup, and the person in the mirror looked grim and unhappy. You couldn’t remember the last time you genuinely smiled or even laughed, and you had forgotten what true joy felt like.

This past year drained you emotionally and physically. You weren’t sure you had even gotten through all of it, and storing these traumatic, unpleasant memories in your amygdala only to resurface when you drank, forced you to deal with your emotions and feelings—things you didn’t want to touch. They were too painful and tortuous. It was easier to leave them be, brush them off, pretend that life could go on—but you had to face these memories and feelings sooner rather than later, or you’d never be able to pull yourself out of the hole you had dug.

The soft murmur of your name broke your focus on yourself in the mirror. You turned to see Min Yoongi beside you in a black button-down with a turtleneck underneath.

“Why do you look like you just sat down to be interviewed for a documentary?” You ask without regard to how he is doing or what he was doing at the bar.

Yoongi laughed at your abruptness. “I just came from a meeting with a colleague and came here for drinks, but he had to head out; then I saw you sitting here, so here I am.”

“Mmhm, here you are.” Your eyes lit up when the bartender handed you your drink.

“Can I get a single malt whiskey? Neat.”

You chuckled because you were looking at the bottle the bartender picked up.

“You okay?” Yoongi asked, sitting beside you, his knee slightly brushing against yours before swiveling away in his stool.

It would be easy to say, ‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ and go on the rest of the night indulging in small talk, but did you want to open a can of worms?

You gave your attention to the new Moscow mule sitting before you, stabbing the lime with the black straw and pushing it down to the bottom. You turn to him, “I feel like I’m gonna break down and cry at a moment’s notice.”

For some reason, it felt easier to bare your soul to someone who knew nothing about your life because all your friends quickly judged you and your decisions. But not with Yoongi. He knew the bare minimum about you.

“It’s okay to cry. Just don’t cry alone,” he simply said before thanking the bartender and sipping his whiskey.

Honestly, you hadn’t cried in the past few months. You felt more numb than anything, but the accumulation of your relationship with your mom, infertility, and Jungkook was enough to make you want to break down and give up on everything in life. The weight of it all was coming to a peak, ready to erupt.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You just did,” he teased, to which you rolled your eyes. He took another sip, waving for you to continue.

“Do you ever ask yourself what the fuck you’re doing with your life?”

“All the time,” he chuckled. “It’s normal to ask that question. Think about it—we’re living, breathing humans that live on a rock floating through time and space.”

“Yes! Oh my god! I think about that all the time. Why do all of my problems seem so big in my little world? But compared to how big the world is, it seems silly, minuscule, and unimportant. I mean, the person walking down the street probably has bigger problems than me.”

“Mm, that could be true, but don’t minimize your hurt and feelings. It’s important to recognize and learn from those things and let them shape a better you.”

“Why get a shrink when all you need is ‘Min Yoongi’ in your life?” You finally take a sip of your drink, the ice already melting in place, the condensation pooling a rim on the napkin.

He chuckled at your joke. “I’m hardly a therapist. I’ve just—I’ve been where you are, and I’m sorry it sucks, but give it time. You’ll be okay.”

“But, like, how do you know that?”

“Well, I don’t,” he took a swig of his whiskey. “I mean, there aren’t many things in our control, but for the things that are, it’s important to do what we can. We can only manage what’s right in front of us. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, next week, or three months from now. Just worry about what’s happening right here, right now. That’s all you can do, you know?”

You recognized the truth behind Yoongi’s words and wanted to believe it. You did. But it was always easier said than done. Maybe you just needed more time, time to find yourself again. Maybe find joy in the little things, in yourself, and become comfortable in your skin without the dissonance of your friends. This time in your life would be as good as any since you had nothing lined up for you, work-wise. There was no one to keep you here in Seoul. You could go anywhere if you wanted to. Would now be the right time to uproot your life and go wherever your heart desired?

Yoongi could see you pondering his words, maybe letting the reality of it all soak in. He chugged the last of his whiskey, setting the glass down. “Come on, let me take you home.”

You lifted your finger, ready to key in your apartment's code, before returning to Yoongi. “Do you wanna come in?”

He hesitated before answering, “I shouldn’t.”

“You’re not going to tuck me in; make sure I don’t drown in my vomit?” Yoongi snickers. “Sorry, I’m not in my right mind right now. You don’t have to come in.”

“You’re not gonna make this easy, are you?”

“I just gave you an out. You can leave if you want, but if you don’t hear from me tomorrow, will you be ready to live with that guilt if something happened to me?” You could’ve easily eliminated the last line but couldn’t help yourself. Let’s blame it on the alcohol for the sudden confidence.

Yoongi’s tongue darted out, licking his lips, the corners of his mouth curving into a smile. He nodded toward your door. “Come on. Let’s get you tucked in.”

“I just want to lay on a nice, warm beach. Or I guess I’ll try to dream of it tonight.”

Yoongi followed you into the bedroom and lunged forward to keep you standing straight before you plopped onto the bed. “I have a vacation home in Phuket if you ever need to get away from here.”

“You do?” Your eyes widen in delight, almost wanting to take up his offer.

“Yeah, Tae and Hyunie went there recently, and I’m only ever there occasionally. Feel free to use it if you’d like.”

“Is this the part where you plan to murder me, and no one will ever find my body?” you joke, referring to when he said he’d take you home the first night you met, even though you hardly knew him then.

“I think you’ve been watching one too many Law and Order episodes, huh?”

You shrug. “You can never be too careful, you know!”

Yoongi laughs. “If I wanted to murder you, I’d have done it already.”

“I don’t know. Maybe you’re waiting for the perfect moment. Like when I’m all vulnerable in my bed.” He shows off his gummy smile, a feature you’ve come to appreciate. “You should smile more often. You have a really pretty smile.”

He shook his head, letting out a soft chuckle as he turned away from you. Through the short time, he’s known you, you were never this honest with him.

You sigh. "Can I skip to the part where everything will be okay again?"

Yoongi kneeled by your bedside and flashed a closed-lipped smile before scanning over your features. Apparently, you were just full of questions tonight, but he didn’t mind. "Where you are now is not where you'll always be."

He seemed so positive and empathetic toward your situation, which you were grateful for. It's possible he was just being kind, but he had plenty more to say. He was almost like your personal fortune cookie, always ready with an answer.

"That's easy for you to say." You snuggled deeper into your fluffy pillow, pulling the duvet under your chin.

"Mm–yeah, it is," he chuckled. "Well, there's a high chance that the future you want never happens, and if you put too much meaning into it, it'll torment you."

“Gee, thanks,” you said dryly. 

“You know what I mean.”

You stick out your tongue in protest, pulling the duvet over your head. “Just say I’m being pathetic. I can handle it,” you lie, muffled through the sheets. You were one step away from losing your shit.

Yoongi cleared his throat, lifting the duvet so he could say goodbye. He could see the sadness in your eyes when you looked back at him, and he only knew what you were going through because Kim Taehyung had a big mouth and shared whatever details he knew about you and your ex-boyfriend. But he never wanted to press you further unless you wanted to share.

“Well, I’m gonna head out. It looks like you’re tucked in safely and not dying, so...”

He proceeded to stand, but you sat up, grabbing his hand, your hand lingering longer than usual. Your eyes focused on his plush lips, then you moved in, closing your eyes for a kiss, but he pulled away.

“I’m sorry.” He stood, taking another step toward the door. “You’re cool, but I don’t kiss people when they’re not sober.”

Your cheeks become warm, your gaze avoiding his. “I’m sorry. As you can probably tell, I’m not in the right mind frame, and I’m very susceptible to handsome men when they’re sweet.”

Yoongi flashed a thin smile. “It’s okay. I’ll pretend nothing happened,” he remarked, waving his hand again before leaving you alone in your bedroom.

When you heard the front door closed, you grabbed your pillow and screamed into it. Why was kissing someone always your answer when feeling shitty about yourself? At this point, Yoongi probably found you as foolish as one could be. He probably wondered how and why Hyunie and Taehyung continued to be friends with someone like you.

You set the pillow aside, sliding under your covers, thinking about the question you asked Yoongi earlier at the bar.

What the fuck are you doing with your life?

So much of your adulthood was spent trying to survive your childhood and the trauma that came with it, and as you became an adult, you hoped the person you had become would be the person you needed when you were a child. But in reality, you felt like an imposter. The adult version of you was trying her best to be what that little girl needed, though ultimately, you failed her.

You knew deep down inside that you needed to stop whatever this path of destruction was, stop blaming others, not wait to be rescued, and most of all, stop refusing to participate fully in life. You had friends who became like family to you, who loved you no matter what you did. Was that not enough?

Inevitably, you were aware that no one could save you but yourself. You’d spent your life stuck in this endless cycle that no one had created but yourself.

You stopped before you started. You gave up before you even attempted. You talked yourself out of it before you got into it.

In retrospect, you knew you were also at fault regarding Jungkook. You sabotaged your relationship because you couldn’t bear the pain. But what if you had tried and given everything, and it worked out?

But as Yoongi said, it’s better not to dwell on a future that may not happen. Otherwise, you’d continue this endless cycle of torment.

✨ a/n 3: so, how are we doing? how are we feeling? do we have any theories on what'll happen next? what do we think about yoongi? let me know (:

also! i still plan on doing the podcast episode, so start thinking of questions, comments, rambles/rants (:

✨ next ~ 17 ~ one year later

[wanderingblindly]

completely predictable and unashamed ⭐️ You Bring Me Closer to God from me

Helllooooooooooo darling!!!!!!!!

I've picked apart this fic from a lot of angles, so I think I'll take this chance to talk about some of my favorite lines :) thank you so much for the platform to ramble on and on lmaooooo

Lines Showing Background Characters

In my mind, this is the first fic where I actually created an entire universe with a variety of dynamics -- not just the main characters interacting in a bit of a bubble. These are some of my favorite moments pertaining to that!

“Yes! Because it’s awful, your beer!” He yells again, loudly enough that Sebastian hears it. Oscar can almost sense it, the way Sebastian’s ears perk up at the complaint.  He’s over beside them in an instant, grabbing Charles’s jaw in a way that would be deeply off-putting if you didn’t know that Sebastian is just… like that. “Tell Jenson,” He says fervently, as if he’s holding the secret to the universe in his hands. “Tell him we need better beer! German beer!” Oscar opens his mouth to banish Sebastian – who’s clearly more intoxicated than he realized – back to his seat, but Jenson beats him to it. He yells down the bar, not even startling Nico and Lewis, “It’s a British bar, sweetheart! Have some pride!” “I am not British! And your beer is the worst!” Sebastian calls back, earning an attempted nod of agreement from Charles – head still restrained by Sebastian’s deceptively strong grasp

Writing Charles and Seb's dynamic was WONDERFUL, and is something I'm ((slowly but surely)) exploring in the sequel. It's clear that Seb is exceedingly fond of him, but shows it in a way that only a menace could. In that way, I picture them having a bit of a brotherly dynamic rather than something paternal -- which would probably be more natural given their age gap and difference in life stage (Charles being in uni, Sebastian being married with a small business).

“So I’m thinking,” Sebastian starts, leaning across Jenson to yell to Lando, Alex, and George. “If you just change the… you know, the pre-chorus, it’ll sound just like –” “Camila Cabello?” Charles cuts in, popping up from god knows where and sitting down next to Sebastian. He waves to Oscar, who’s already grabbing his gin and tonic.  Sebastian groans, looking over at Charles with a face of hardly contained disdain. “Always the Señorita stuff with you, isn’t it?” “Darude, Sandstorm?” Alex offers with a shit-eating grin, earning him a solid smack on the shoulder from George. Clearly he reignited something they’d been bickering over earlier, as George goes into a heated yet measured telling off about ‘I told you the rhythm was wrong, obviously it sounds like Sandstorm–’ .  

I didn't write as much of George and Alex as I originally wanted; there wasn't a way to organically fit them in. That said, I think this small exchange shows everyone's relationship so clearly while only being a small part of the greater narrative:

Sebastian, the older brother that genuinely wants to talk about their work

Charles, the annoying side character that just wants to needle at Sebastian

George, the earnest band member that takes their work (too) seriously

Alex, the band member that wants to get under George's skin just because he can

All of the above is highlighted using a few different techniques that I was pretty proud of myself for combining. First, we see that Charles doesn't have a genuine interest in earnestly participating judging by the fact that he didn't even hear the beginning of the conversation; he shows up in the middle of Sebastian's sentence, and tosses out an answer with no relevance to the band, the bar, or the overall vibe.

We get to see that Charles and Alex have similar goal here based on Alex's suggestion: yet another song that makes no sense considering what he know of the band. Finally, we understand that Alex prodding at George must be a regular occurrence due to his tone.

Idk that was all probably so obvious but it's something I remember being mighty pleased at tying up so neatly.

General Favorite Lines

He’s wondered what Lando’s face looks like when he’s down on the ground, though he’s seen it once or twice. Enough to know. Enough to fill in the gaps with ideas and fantasies. But now he can see it fully, can see the hazy-eyed stare as he fights to keep his head upright.  Eventually he gives up, allowing it to loll back in ecstasy, holding up the microphone to his parted lips — wet from a flick of the tongue. 

Obviously I loved this because I loved writing Lando being slutty, but I also loved it because it kind of highlights that Oscar maaaaaay be a bit of an unreliable narrator.

In the opening scenes, Oscar tells the reader in great detail -- and with a sense of absolute certainty -- how Lando performs. But here, we learn that Oscar actually can't always see him super clearly from behind the bar. So it makes us wonder, how much of what Oscar said (Lando luring in the audience with the promise of lewd fantasies) was real, and how much of it was what he read between the lines?

It doesn't really affect the plot much, but it does show much more creative leeway Oscar may have compared to what the read originally assumed.

“Can I ask you now?” There’s hints of change along the skyline, layers of midnight velvet slowly giving way to thin winter blue. They’re almost closer than last night – or was it two nights ago now? – pulled together by threads of conversation spread over the hours.  Lando, still mirthful from his story about accidentally crashing his friend’s DJ set, softens an ounce. He’s almost painfully expressive, each thought flashing across his face before building on his tongue. “If you wanna.”  Oscar asks with a silently raised brow, vision flicking to Lando’s lips before finding himself lost in his eyes.  “I’ve been trying to ask you out, like. Forever.” Lando finally confesses, the breath carrying the words sweeter than anything Oscar’s ever felt. “I kept coming to try, but it’s just – you’re hard to read, man.”

Confessions!!! Confessions are so hard!!!! But I liked where this ended up going, and I really liked the ambiance that I managed to set up quickly. It's difficult to describe the passage of time, I find, but I ended up quite endeared by that specific verbiage for the colors of the sky shifting.

[sexysilverstrider]

I FINISHED CUPID PARASITE: SWEET AND SPICY DARLING!!!!

honestly, i enjoyed it. it gave a nice satisfying closure from the 1st game. there were some routes where it was a bit slow and made me sleepy but most of the time i enjoyed it A Lot. now for my personal fav routes

gill - he was my favourite LI from the 1st game and he still remains as my fav in the 2nd game. funny and cute and sexy plot. i love my happy pathetic extremely sexy megane

jupiter > allan > raul > shelby > merenice > ryuki

honestly the startling difference between peter and allans routes. allans route made me very sad tbh like. it left an empty feeling as i played. very satisfying ending tho!! i pity allan more tbh and i feel like my friend would love him more jeje im looking at you

peters was a riot lmaooooo mans stupid funny from start to finish. lack of sexy compared to allans rauls n gills but it leaves a nice satisfying ending for all 💗

now the sweet n spicy ends lmaooo. granted sweet end is of course sweet but leaves some unfinished business.

fav sweet ends - gill (SO CUUUTE) > allan (I AM A WHORE FOR MORTAL/IMMORTAL) > jupiter > raul > owen (albeit short) > ryuki = merenice = shelby

spicy tho 👁👄👁 - jupiter (BARK BARK) > gill (kinda wished the cg would be darker) > shelby > raul = allan > ryuki

merenice technically has no sweet n spicy so ill put his normal end in sweet

also kinda wished for eli omars route. i love powerful break who breaks

all in all? 10/10 its truly a romcom at its core and if u wish for some stupid sexy moments n you enjoyed the 1st game i highly recommend! now here are my fav cgs 💗

this sweet end was sosososo sweet indeed! gill got assurance from his family n friends tht lynette will be safe and lynette being a tease makes me go ee

ok listen I AM A SUCKER FOR GAP MOE AND THIS HOT PIECE OF DEITY IS THE GAP MOE OF THE GAME BARK BARK AWOO

ryuki while sadly the slowest pace of the route for me this cg was worth it 👁👄👁

and this???? thiiiisss??? 😭😭😭 this broke my heart but i love it so much!!! the very idea that human allan grows up and loves demon lynette no matter what. like the idea tht he grows old n dies n lynette waits for him again and allan reincarnates and falls for lynette all over again AAAAAAA also age gap oneeshota thank you game how did u know i love good food

gonna play the 1st game again to feel happy. gonna play the next otome game but this time has nothing but pain. idk

[quodekash]

CONTINUIAMO LA PUNTATA SEI DI DANGEROUS ROMANCE (or, in other words, LET'S CONTINUE EPISODE 6 BITCHES)

OML EVEN THE OTHER TWO GOT UP TO HELP

i have such a deep emotional attachment to literally every single character in this series it's insane somebody help me

dude I literally love these wiping down scenes in bls so much, its always so tender and caring and adorable and HONEY YOU'RE GAY OML ILYSM KANG

nOOOO

DONT MAKE ME CRY

wait do we know what happened to his parents? is this common knowledge and im the only one who doesnt know, or do we all know?

but like. sailom and saifah's parents clearly aren't in their lives at all, so did they abandon them? did they die? how long have they been missing their parents for? does sailom remember his parents at all? what's the age gap between sailom and saifah? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS FAMILY PLS SOMEONE GIVE ME ANSWERS

...

........

.............................

........daddy kink?

THE QUESTIONS GROW

PLS I NEED TO KNOWWWWW

oh hey that rhymed

I SEE PICTURES IN THE BACKGROUND

CAN WE GET A ZOOM-IN PLEASE

OH YOU DIRTY DIRTY LIAR

CMON MAN

bro is deceiving left right and centre holy hell man

BRO, I LITERALLY LOVE HER SO FRIKIN MUCH

IM WHEEZING

THIS IS SO FUNNY

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3, ANYONE????

"right now I can hardly breathe" "oh-oh you can do it, just know that I believe" "and that's all I really need" "then come on!" "make me strong! it's time to TURN IT UP, GAME ON"

pls tell me someone will know what im talking about and will appreciate it

I showed the scene to my sister and she knew immediately what I was about to reference so im hoping i can share the joke with someone

LMAOOOOO KANG IS JEALOUS OF GUY

THE CLASSIC JEALOUS-OF-THE-BEST-FRIEND TROPE

pat napat jindapat knows the feeling

as do many others but hes the only example I can think of in the current moment

AAAAAAAA

IT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

IVE BEEN ANTICIPATING THIS FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK

HOLY FRICK I MIGHT DIE

HR3IPOGJOERJOSDOGVJOBREJOPIHODGJBVJPHIOBJERPWJIHEOTGJFO[PIH3REJPOIHBGHFJO[IBVHERJBDSHPIGVHEROUHIFSDHIGBJVIHPJOERIHJOU0FDHIPGJUPHIVBJOUHIPR9U-EPHI9U-FDHIPSGJOUVU[9RF

HOLY FR I CK

H O L Y F R I C K

that was so soundwin of them

OH MY GOHSHHHHHHH

IM SO EXCITED FOR NEXT WEEK

I will be rewatching this episode (at least the very last part) every single day until then

also lmao, 'give it to me straight' and then he asks quite literally one of the gayest things he possibly could

ive rewatched that last scene three times now. frick. someone help me.

[songmingisthighs]

BABY!XIKERS AU INTRODUCTION

so this is an au that @starlitmark and i made (on a whim) that ended up becoming a thing lmaooooo

and i knowww i knowww they're techincally not "babies" but the word babies on xikers is both adorable and accurate

this is the masterpost of the baby!xikers au which includes who is whose baby, the age gap set between members, their siblings and such. this is an open universe meaning that anyone and everyone are allowed to make a creation based off of this au (as long as this post is tagged in the post and is made clear that the creation was based on our au).

without further adoodoo, here are the members, age gaps, and their paired ateez dads :

Minjae, 6 years old - Hongjoong

Junmin, 6 years old - Seonghwa

Sumin, 5 years old - Mingi

Junghoon, 5 years old* - Wooyoung

Jinsik, 5 years old - Yunho

Hyunwoo, 5 years old - San**

Seeun, 4 years old - Mingi

Yujun, 4 years old - Yeosang

Hunter, 4 years old - Wooyoung

Yechan, 3 years old*** - Jongho

*junghoon is set as a year older for the sake of being brothers with hunter

** san has a daughter, a rainbow baby that's the same age as yechan named soohyun

*** yechan is set as a year younger than the maknae line because we want a toddler yechan

fics :

But what if...? - san × baby!hyunwoo @starlitmark

[10.34] - yunho × jinsik

[8.07] - mingi × sumin × seeun

Candy - yeosang × yujun × hunter @starlitmark

[9.14] - xikers ft. teacher!sunmi

[12:24] dad!hongjoong × baby!minjae (ft. mom!reader)

(more to be added)

network : @cultofdionysusnet

[sorchathered]

I may have broken @bobgasm by suggesting I could be Lewis Pullman’s cougar-adjacent milf even though we don’t have a big age gap (5 years 😂) and I might have to make that my header for this cursed blog lmaooooo

[sab-teraa]

knew my frontal lobe finally developed when i started hating age-gap romances for myself lmaooooo

[fluffypotatey]

LMAOOOOO someone talking about how Gleb and Brooke’s showmance is problematic bc of their age gap and like—

babe? babe. baby dear. baby doll

that is not the reason

[sailorstarr-chan4]

For the first time since 2020, I am feeling the urge to read InuKag fics again???

This all started in June when I FINALLY read the iconic "Freak Attraction" by our esteemed @artistefish (which is PHENOMENAL AND AMAZING BTW PLEASE GO READ IT), but then, just now, I saw that the Smut Queen herself, @keichanz had posted new smut...... 👀👀👀

Aaaaaand suddenly I went hunting for other smutty oneshots to add to my "Marked for Later" fics. For the first time in AGES. Like. Um. Holy shit????

[Ramblings about my "Inuyasha history post-2020" below cut. Tl;dr: I'm lowkey Shook that my love for Inuyasha and InuKag fics is finally, slowly coming back 🥹💕]

Here's the rundown: 2020 happened. I went into quarantine with my parents. I was determined to finally devour a BUNCH of Inuyasha fics I kept meaning to read, and at first I did with great gusto..... but..... as April 2020 crept along, my interest began to wane and depression seized a hold of me.

Then Yashahime was announced. The fandom imploded. I felt nothing. No interest, no worries, no intrigue. NOTHING. It would've scared me if I was capable of feeling it.

Oh eventually, I felt a mild amusement at all of the squabbling and ship wars and all that nonsense (and spawned a whole fucking series of memes as a result lmaooooo). But my love for the fandom/fics had more or less snuffed out. Which sucked for a number of reasons, not least of which were "shit, most of my WIPs are for this fandom fuckfuckfuckfuck" LMAO 🙃

Depressing shit aside, I dove back HARD into the Disney fanfic side of things, on top of other anime titles and old fandoms like Harry Potter. I moved on to other fandoms, partially due to feeling embittered at the Inuyasha fandom for already making my depression over my lack of interest EVEN WORSE with all the in-fighting over Yashahime (which btw, for the record, is NOT a particularly bad show. It's not a GOOD show, per se, I don't have any strong feelings for it either way, but it's NOT the Antichrist™ like fans were making it out to be, sheesh >.> It's just another mediocre sequel for a classic-but-not-particularly-amazing-original-series. Shocking, I know. Moving on)

The only thing keeping me sane about Inuyasha was watching it with my fiancé, from Nov. 2020-Sept. 2021. His delightful commentary breathed life into the series like you wouldn't BELIEVE lmao 🤣

Eventually.... I felt the desire to write again. But it was HARD. 😭

After Shameless was completed in April of 2020, I felt.... empty of Inuyasha fic writing. By a miracle, I managed to update my Big Three WIPs (An Unexpected Encounter -> June 2020; Inuyasha: Prince of Thieves -> July 2020 & Sept. 2022; and Shards of the Sea -> June 2021 & Sept. 2022), but the gaps between updates kept widening, and I only worked on them because they were already partially written/published. I even ended up archiving older ficlets into Tied Together and Bonds Across Time, but had to resist the urge to delete everything and start afresh SEVERAL times since 2021 (which, coincidentally, was around the time the fandom was tearing itself apart over Yashahime bullshit and by bullshit I mean innocuous junk people were losing their goddamn minds over ugh.... 😒)

The handful of other fics I punched out for other fandoms were small, and only posted briefly in the summers of 2020 and 2022.

The latter summer was thanks to my first InuKag written smut in 2 years: Sinful Symphonies.

So, yay! Finally getting a feel for writing again, both for Inuyasha and in general! But I still felt utterly detached from other Inuyasha fics, not because of the writers (are you KIDDING me, half of the reason it was hard to distance myself from the fandom was because of the AMAZING TALENT in this fandom ugggghhh 😭), but because of my personal, complicated feelings with the fandom and series as a whole.

But then I binge-watched the series by myself this May. And finally, decided to buckle down and read Freak Attraction, which I have been meaning to read LONG before 2020, and thus, it became my first Inuyasha bookmarked fic on AO3 in almost 3 years, and first "new" Inuyasha fave as whole since August 2021.

My last Inuyasha bookmarked fic on AO3 was on Nov. 1, 2020 (on ff.net, I read two small MirSan smut fics in August 2021, but these are outliers; I really could not bring myself to read more than those -.-).

My last InuKag bookmarked smut on AO3 was April 7, 2020.

My last REVIEWS I left for an Inuyasha fic (besides the aforementioned fics) were from June-August 2021 for a couple of updated faves (namely Keichanz's Iconic You Rescued Me, which was a ROLLERCOASTER OF FEELS, LEMME TELL YOU).

And now. NOW. AT LAST. THREE WHOLE YEARS after 2020 sucked the joy of Inuyasha fandom/fic from me.... I want to try again. I want to read more again.

Even if it's only a little bit, I would like to find joy here again. 🥺💕

[praetorqueenreyna]

I think the funniest and bestest part about making nyxlin mates a Thing(tm) is that it both avoids the really uncomfortable parts of its counterpart renessme/Jacob by the fact that Nyx is definitely not meeting Tanlin until he's like grown and mates being objectively LESS weird then imprinting but also makes it worse for everyone involved because instead of loving one of nyxs parents tamlin wants them both dead. Ultimate way to damage all people involved actually. Tamlin getting his bias against mates as a concept strengthened cause no kind god would set him up with feysands kid, feysand undergoing the ordeals cause feyres worried her sons gonna get into something weird like she was woth tamlin meanwhile rhysand, who has about the same age gap with feyre as Nyx does with tamlin, is projecting all those awkward problems onto this. Nyx is the only optimist about this because all of the adults in his life are basically enemies to lovers mate stories anyway. He's so sure this is gonna go well. Tamlin wants to kill himself.

Actually no again just really sank in that all the mates Nyx likely knows... are essentially all enemy to lovers, literally hating the absolute SHIT out of each other types. The best he might be able to get is elucien, which even then had a rocky start. Nyx is gonna go into this thinking he can fix Tamlin cause that's likely how EVERY mate in his life describes their relationship lmaooooo. Rhys and Feyre desperately regretting not emphasising how difficult their interactions used to be because now their son is operating under 'dick fixes all' logic.

This is all good and interesting but mostly I think it would be funny. I just want adult Nyx to introduce his age-inappropriate boyfriend to his parents and have them all realize what's going on at the same time.