#Also writing in second perspective was getting limiting

[dxckgrxsonx]

#9 with Jason Todd PLEASE I beg of u

Title: Payback, Backfired. Pairing: Jason Todd x (F) Reader, (Mentions of ExBF!Dick Grayson x (F) Reader). Words: 1.4k Warnings: SMUT 18+ Plot: Prompt 9 from this list. Revenge Sex. (Readers ex is Dick Grayson.) Notes: i literally had so much fun writing this. also hi my beautiful darling @sio-ina-bottle thank you sm for requesting this prompt ily <3

****

“Tell me.” Jason starts the second he sinks the tip of his cock into you, mouth twisted into a fucked up grin, all sharp and triumphant; like getting into your pants grants him some sort of award, maybe something akin to bragging rights. “Is he better than me?”

Your answer circles around a snarl, fury swelling thick and suffocating between your teeth, “Shut the fuck up. The last thing I want to be thinking about is my ex whilst you’re fucking me!”

Hindsight knocks at the edges of your skull, perspective swinging on its head to offer a different look at what you’ve gotten yourself into, because decisions birthed in the face of spite and heartbreak don’t typically have happy endings.

If you’re honest with yourself though, things have limits.

However, a compelling argument to it is this: you’re long past caring.

You’re hurting–more than you ever thought capable–and more than three-quarters of you wants him to hurt too.

You think of the breakup all over again and your stomach rolls, eyes burning, Dick Grayson was supposed to be the one you built a future with; the one you looked at and never turned away from. But he didn’t seem to have much trouble walking away from a relationship spanning almost a year.

“Hm.” Jason almost purrs, bottoming out, stretching your pussy wider than it’s ever been before because he’s thick and so heavy. “Your ex must have been something special if you’re getting all teary on me.”

His hand reaches up, palm covering your cheek so he can thumb away the wetness from your eyes. Under different circumstances the action would make you melt–would probably have you squeezing at his cock like you’re coming–but Dick would do the same thing when your emotions bubbled over and you can’t stand it.

There’s also the look on Jason’s face, the twitch in his mouth, the glimmer in his eyes. It’s almost like he’s conquered something; capitalised on someone else’s failure and taken it as his own.

“Be quiet.” Your voice shakes until you tighten your jaw to settle it. “And take your fucking hand off my face before I chew it off.”

Jason’s hand grabs at your jaw as he shifts, pulling out and sinking back in so your eyes roll to the back of your skull. He laughs, free hand sliding around the back of your knee to stretch you open wider, and you can’t quite silence your whimper as the head of his cock rubs so sweetly inside you.

“You’ve got a filthy mouth.” He hisses, pressing his fingers into your cheek to force open your mouth, the callouses on the tip of his pointer finger digs into your skin and you kick up your hips in frustration. “I take it he didn’t treat you like this very often, huh? You’re clearly not used to anything like this.”

The rhythm Jason sets is easy, a slick glide of his cock splitting you open until the empty space Dick left is filled with pleasure and your own weeping cunt. Something sparks up the length of your spine when he rubs at your clit and you groan, body shaking apart.

“You have no idea of the things he did to me.” Your words are slightly slurred from the way Jason shoves his fingers into your cheek, and the discomfort from it overlaps with the wet smack of his hips. “You’d be appalled.”

In your relationship, Dick was many things to you, a soft touch, a problem solver, clever beyond anything you’d ever seen before. But there were moments in your sex life where he was mean; when he guided you beyond anything you thought possible and made you hurt and beg and cry.

And the truth of it is: you absolutely loved it.

The world tips when Jason flips you over, and instead of being flat on your back–his well muscled body bullying you into the mattress–you’re manhandled onto your knees, face down in the pillows. His cock parts your folds, the tip pushing from your entrance to your clit and back again.

He angles his hips and pushes into you in one long stroke.

You moan and spasm around him.

“How about here?” He asks, pausing to hold himself deep in your pussy as his thumb rubs over your asshole. “Did he ever fuck you here?”

The noise you make is unhinged, a sob stuck between fury and ecstasy. Of course he’s fucked you there, you want to snap, worked you open using his fingers and tongue until you cried so softly for him to please, please fuck your ass.

But you can’t speak. Not when Jason fucks you, sinks his thumb juuust past that tight ring of muscle and praises you for taking it so well.

“Stop talking about him.” You try to say, every part of you shaking and fucked open. “The whole point of fucking you is to stop thinking of him.”

Jason stops talking eventually, which should have been a relief. But rather than putting energy into taunting reactions out of you. He fucks you through orgasm after orgasm until you splinter and crack, calling Jason’s name, overstimulated and vibrating like a live-wire.

His resounding laugh in response holds weight, holds something you’re not privy to.

If you had any sense about you, you would almost think he knows exactly who your ex is, despite the fact you’ve not once mentioned his name. Hell. The whole point of you taking Jason home was out of revenge because maybe, just maybe, Dick would find out and hurt just as much as you.

****

There’s noise coming from the living room.

Sheets off, you shuffle around your bedroom, Jason still sleeping in your bed. He’s completely naked, fabric pooling at his waist. The expanse of his chest is littered with scars, some thin and faded, others thick and pink with raised tissue. Oddly, it makes him more attractive, but you’re not sure if it’s because Dick had scars too.

You should know, after all, you’d pressed your lips against every single one of them.

The closest article of clothing is his t-shirt and you slip it over your head, the hem settling comfortably against the tops of your thighs. Underwear comes next, but the pair you find are torn, seams ripped apart under Jason’s hands. You ignore the arousal still clinging to the gusset of the fabric, the wetness soaked through when you flirted with Jason.

Frustration flares. He’s such a prick.

Finding your pyjama pants you slip them on and move towards the door. Glancing back at Jason you hesitate for a handful of seconds before exhaling and continuing forwards. He can get himself up if things go to shit.

Coming into the living room you freeze.

“What are you doing here?”

Dick stops at the sound of your voice, head snapping towards you so fast you take a half-step back. There’s a box on the coffee table, half filled with his things, in his hand is one of his hoodies–all black with a brilliant blue stripe down the sleeves–the very first one of his you ever wore.

“Getting my things.” Dick answers eventually. He sounds tired. You want to cry. “Figured I’d be able to get them before you woke up.”

You hum, not trusting your voice.

You still haven’t moved.

He continues, “I think there's some more stuff in the bedroom if you don’t mind.” It’s not a question, it’s a heads up of where he’ll be going next and you bristle.

“You can’t go in there right now.”

Dick’s eyebrows furrow, attention shifting to your slightly ajar bedroom door, “Why not.” He looks at you again, bright blue eyes lingering on the shirt you’re wearing. “That’s not mine.” Everything about his voice is unrecognisable and all the hair along your arms prick up.

Time stutters and stalls when Jason breaks the threshold, still shirtless, jeans hung obscenely low at his hips. The grin on his face is downright mocking, there isn’t a single thing on his face that isn’t coated in near cruelty.

You feel caught up in the middle of something you had no idea about. Jason was a quick, easy fuck. Someone you didn't know, someone you didn't think had any real connection to Dick; someone you could have used to make him jealous.

But right now, looking at the outright horror on Dick's face, and remembering the way Jason looked at you last night, you think he might have played you both.

“What’s up, Dickie.” Jason says, tone scarily even. He slings an arm over your shoulders and stares Dick in the eye, “You don’t mind me fucking your ex do you?”

****

[sloanout]

The bad rap Taash and veilguard as a whole get remains equal parts confusing and frustrating to me. It's one thing to see culture war chuds seething over woke or whatever, but really I expected better from Tumblr of all places. Whether or not you enjoyed DA:tV, it is objectively an incredibly inclusive game that did a lot more for representation across the board than most titles, and trying to debate that fact or tear it down because it didn't do its representation exactly to the letter of how you wanted it is, straightforwardly, poisonous to the fight for diversity in gaming as a whole. Call me dramatic, but every time you act like a spoiled child and pitch a bitch fit over a nonbinary or trans character not being exactly what you wanted, you are actively hurting your own cause. You don't have to like Taash, but if you care about the community it's the least you can do to restrain yourself from posting freezing cold, Steven Universe discourse level takes about how they are actually "harmful" or would have "put you back in the closet".

Here's the tough truth about portraying nonbinary and trans perspectives in media: these identities are not a monolith. Nonbinary, as a whole, is not a secret third gender with its own set of trappings, it's a wide, wide label that means many different things to many different people. That you can look at an nb character written by a nb person and say "they did it wrong" with your whole chest speaks more to your own limited viewpoint and disconnection from the greater queer community than it does to the actual quality of the character.

The impossible challenge that creators face when their writing hits fandom spaces is that people want many different things from art. I've seen people adamant that the correct and most helpful way to do rep is to have a character turn directly to the camera and say "I am transgender" and then have that part of their identity explored for the next 300 pages. I have also seen people, just as adamant and righteous as the first, claim that representation is best and most correctly done when queerness is an incidental background detail in the same vein as hair color or favorite food. The truth is that neither of these perspectives, nor any in-between is inherently more or less correct than the other. Different people will want different things, because at the end of the day different people have different experiences with their queerness and would like to see that reflected in the things they love.

The only real way to be incorrect here is to malign and defame a story for daring to depict something outside of your particular experience - as I see many people do with Taash. I had to read with my own eyes a post about how their romance with Harding is predatory or some shit and that it reflects poorly on the nb community. Quick question: could you please go do your moral crusade about 50 Shades of Grey or some other piece of work so I don't have to see it? You help no one with this hyperbolic bullshit. The only thing you're doing is handing the worst people in this world further unsubstantiated ammo for casting genderqueer people as inherently sexually abusive. Think for a second about who and what you sound like for the love of God. Taash and Harding are both into what happens on screen, your weird moral panic is your own problem. Once again, you don't have to like it, but please do not try to frame something as ontologically evil and harmful to the community because it doesn't suit your tastes.

Taash is fine nonbinary rep. As a nonbinary person, especially one who is afab and spent most of my life feeling a bit out of place and uncomfortable with what the world expected of me, I think it's just right. They managed to represent me. Sorry that it didn't get to be your experience that got put in the game, but it's impossible to tell every single queer story at once. If you really give a shit about the community, celebrate the wins of your fellows, not just your own.

And the sad thing is, I see two big 'critiques' about Taash's questline - either that it's all about their gender identity, or that it doesn't explore their gender identity enough. Sometimes I see these takes in the same post and I can only imagine what sort of doublethink Koolaid the culture war nonsense has gotten you to drink. Taash's gender is front and center, and that's great! But it's a part of a larger story - a story about a difficult family relationship. Taash's story is about the ebb and flow of their relationship with their mother more than anything else, and to be honest? It's one of the best in the series.

Family drama has been a mainstay of Dragon Age - you have Hawke's personal tragedy in DA2, Dorian's alienation over his identity and beliefs in Inquisition, and hell, Morrigan throughout the series tends to be more tied up with family dynamics than anything else. Taash is the continuation of that tradition, and I love what they have. The binary choice at the end is pretty weak and downright misunderstands the experience of being mixed race, but the dynamic between Taash and Shathann is fantastic. It's pained and restrained in such a realistic way, two people struggling with the old and new who dearly care about each other but can never seem to see eye to eye, and end up falling back on their worst vices - anger for Taash, and discipline for Shathann.

Veilguard has a tendency to pull its punches and make everyone a bit too chipper and chill, that's a legitimate criticism given the series' history, but I was deeply struck by how unforgiving Shathann's death was. It was really, unrelentingly realistic - life happened, and Taash never got the chance to sort out their relationship with her. They didn't get to reconcile or ever see eye to eye. Despite spending most of their screen time together bitter and simmering, Taash is so devastated by their mother's death that you have to pull them out of certain death. It was cathartic and brutal for me, a nb person who has had a really really poor relationship with my mother in the past, it made me go plan a lunch with her because I was so grateful that things didn't end like that for us, that I did get the time to work through it.

And sure, you can accuse me of going easy on Taash because their story resonated with me - but isn't that what a story is supposed to do? Reflect the real and sincere, evoke emotion in the audience and crystalize experience and feeling on the stage? Isn't that proof of its value?

At the end of the day, representation has no single golden standard. The only real end goal is to be represented at all - not only by shining heroes and perfectly squeaky clean moralists, but also by characters who are just as human and fallible as the real life people they draw from. Taash succeeds there, and I think they deserve a lot more love and grace than many in the fandom want to show them. If you still want to slander Taash as harmful or bad, why don't you call me that too? Why not call every non binary person who fails to meet your rigid standards evil and degenerate while you're at it? See how much of a community you're left with, and who the ghouls cheering for you actually are.

[buildingabetterfuture]

SPOILERS FOR BLOCKTALES CHR 4 UNDER THE CUT!

ok ok ok so hi everyone its metashades. i just played through demo four with chur (@greedy4tix) and HOLY SHIT MY JAW IS ON THE FLOOR. it answered some questions and raised a whole plethora of new ones. i just wanna ramble about some theories i have and the cannon slightly shifting for this blog.

wait isnt there two buildermen now??

the pre-prologue got released and well, i have a shit ton of questions.

if david baszuki / builderman was kidnapped in the present then brought to the past, then WHERE IS PAST BUILDERMAN??? SHOULDN'T HE BE FINE SINCE THE SHADY GUY ONLY ATTACKED PRESENT BUILDERMAN??? OR DID THE SHADY GUY KIDNAP PRESENT BUILDERMAN, GO BACK IN TIME, KIDNAP THE PAST BUILDERMAN AND JUST HAS BOTH OF THEM LOCKED UP IN A BASEMENT SOMEWHERE????

HOW DOES PAST SHEDLETSKY KNOW ABOUT PRESENT BUILDERMAN BEING KIDNAPPED??? IN HIS PERSPECTIVE THAT SHIT JUST HASN'T HAPPEN YET.

ALSO SPEAKING OF SHEDLETSKY

SHEDLETSKY IS EXREMELY SUSPICOUS

a kind person on the blocktales askblog dc pointed this out to me and i've been spiraling ever since.

theres alot of evidence suggesting that telamon is shedletsky. (which makes sense cause they're both the same person in real life too.)

first of all they share the same font colour

and secondly shedletsky insinuates that HE own's the haunted manor. you know the haunted manor TELAMON owns???

what makes this interesting is that people like the ghost chef view telamon and shedletsky as two different people

the only explanation to this that shedletsky is hiding the fact that he is telamon. which means he's LYING TO OUR FACE about being to injured to help us directly on our quest. if he was able to save kitchen wizard and jim as telamon, WHY ISN'T HE HELPING US ON OUR ARGUABLY MORE IMPORTANT QUEST?? IS HE AVOIDING INTERACTING WITH THE SWORDS??

WHY DID HE LEAVE THE FIREBRAND ABANDONED FOR SO LONG??

WHO MADE THESE SWORDS IN THE FIRST PLACE??? ALOT OF PEOPLE (INCLUING ME) ASUMED SHEDLETSKY FORGED THEM BUT IF NOT HIM THEN WHO?? AND IF IT WAS HIM WHY IS HE SO FUCKING INCOMPETENT AT HANDLING THEM??

also this bit of dialogue is weird:

(this man is gonna pull a sans undertale on us at the end of the game omg.)

oh god the vices are part of all the sfoth wielder's psyches.

it's been a theory / hc of mine that the vices are not just limited to the player's mind, but they are part of the minds everyone who used a sword. and well this is has been all but confirmed at this point.

"This is because Greed, Hatred, Solitude, and Fear are the most common and the most powerful emotions experienced by the wielders."

GREED:

the only reason catain trotter went down into the temple of the red sun is for cash after all. even if this was to provide for his crew, his greed costed him everything.

and well the ancients straight up just calls captain trotter greedy.

SOLITUDE:

i have strong evidence that both mayor thyaniel and griefer suffer from this vice the most.

thyaniel is the one i have the most evidence for. he just admits he his position as a guardian makes him feel isolated from his peers.

griefer i have far less evidence for im just purely going off of vibes.

he just gives off the vibe of a hikiomori shut in. his room is a mess and it's located in the middle of buckshit nowhere far away from the town.

FEAR:

the cruel king is clearly paranoid about blackrock's destruction.

HATRED:

though hatred doesn't have one particular wielder representing it (if you exclude the player) all the other wielders showed signs of suffering from it's influence.

cruel king hated us because he believed we would bring doom upon his kingdom.

griefer was kinda just an ass to everyone, especially his dad.

and captain trotter hated us for betraying him for the firebrand and for getting his crew killed.

anyways

1/2 i'll write the second part later >_>

[thatfeelinwhenyou]

safe & sound recap! (spoilers)

so.

i did it. i actually finished this series. honestly, i went into this with zero confidence i’d see it through, so i planned to write everything in advance before posting. . but… my self-control? nonexistent. cause i ended up posting prematurely. when i first announced the series on my blog, i had up to part 4 written. i thought, “hey, it’s just two more parts” (at that point of time i only had plans to write 6 parts). i figured i could get it done on time. i was wrong 😀

i had a plan, sure, but the more i wrote, the less certain i felt about the direction i was taking. even up until the very end, i wasn’t sure it was something i wanted to release. hence, why part 7 took so long.

and for everyone who was convinced y/n was going to die… you weren’t completely wrong. i was supposed to kill her off. i actually have a whole draft written in my docs. but it felt wrong to write about humanity and human nature without offering second chances.

i mentioned somewhere before that the core notion that inspired the creation of safe & sound was, “would i still be capable of falling in love if the world was ending?” and i wanted the reader to feel this dilemma for themselves. killing her off would’ve made it impossible to explore this idea.

because isn’t it human to fuck up and try to redeem yourself? hope was the central theme of this fic—hope as the driving force for survival. killing her off would’ve made all that hope meaningless. and that’s when i realised i wasn’t writing the story i wanted to tell. so i rewrote the entire ending and delayed part 7. and i’m so glad i did because i’m proud of the way it turned out. so in case anyone is planning to ask, i will not be posting the draft 😂

i also took on a new form of writing. with safe & sound, i was writing it in a loose first-person pov. i'm pretty sure many of you noticed, i wasn’t diving into jungwon’s or anyone else’s internal monologues. everything was filtered through y/n’s perspective because i wanted the reader to learn new information at the same time as her. this approach was intentional in the sense that i wanted to heighten the sense of isolation and fear. in a zombie apocalypse, survival is rooted in what you directly experience and perceive—there’s no omniscient clarity, no clear insight into what others are feeling or planning. it’s all about y/n’s limited understanding of the world around her.

this pov choice also reflects y/n’s own internal struggle—how she processes trauma, how she pieces together hope and love amid chaos. it was a deliberate attempt to keep the reader emotionally tethered to her journey. but with that also comes the struggle of justifying the actions of other characters. even now, i don't think i did a very good job. but it is what it is. let me know if you guys prefer this style of writing, may or may not explore it in future projects!

but of course, the most important reason i even managed to finish this series is you guys!! a huge part of my motivation came from all the love and support i received from all of you. every time i post a part, i’m just sitting there, waiting to see what you guys think. maybe that sounds superficial, but it genuinely feels good to be praised and appreciated.

it still amazes me that people take time out of their busy schedules to leave me reviews and send me asks about how much they enjoy my works. i know i’m not the most active author on tumblr. i take forever to reply to anything, and i know some of you try to catch me when i’m online. it really, really means a lot to me. just know that all the energy i receive, i put right back into writing!

so, with that, i’m excited to let you guys know i’m working on a one-shot (still undecided on the member) and maybe even another ot7 series. who knows? 🤔

i’ll also be replying to asks and reblogging some of your posts, so feel free to mute me LOL. i'll definitely be taking a big fat break but don't worry, i'll still be coming online and replying to any comments and asks! until then, please stay hydrated, happy, safe, and sound! ❤️

xo, nat

[all-you-need-is-paul-mccartney]

James II Part I (Paul McCartney x Fem!Reader)

Find Part I Here

A/N: Hello everyone! I feel bad I keep disappearing for like a year at a time; I've been accepted into college, and I've been doing a lot of upgrading work to get there. I also got a job at a dispensary which is great; hitting the John Pennon is helping with major writer's block! Thank you for your continued support and patience while I'm doing all of this. It means a lot that you are all still reading my work, some of which are well over 5 years old now. It means a lot to me that so many people enjoy my writing. I do this for you guys, so your comments and opinions are so kind and encouraging for me to get more work done, so thank you!

I would also like to thank my editor @strawb3rri-le for helping me brainstorm and plan out this story; we're so excited for this one to finally get on a roll!

Summary: Paul, after a long week of working, makes a decision about the girl at the library.

This fic is still written in Paul's POV, and it will probably stay that way because I love knowing what he's thinking about. Also this is a part 1 to a 2 part chapter, so that will be coming after I finish writing a second chapter for another popular fic I was writing.

WARNINGS: I used Y/n a few more times again and I cringe every time I use it and it's so painful, but that's the price you pay when you write x readers, eh? I don't think there are any swear words, maybe some objectification of women if you close one eye and tilt your head, but it's from a "rockstars just get laid so easily" perspective so just take it with a grain of salt.

T rating just in case a swear word or 2 found its way in here

Paul was really busy that next week. He couldn't find any time to be by himself because of the responsibility he had in The Beatles.

The album A Hard Day's Night was to be released about two months from then, as well as the movie of the same name. The guys only wrapped up on filming a month prior, but there weren't enough songs yet to call the album an album. While Paul, John, Ringo, and George were consistent with writing and recording their songs well within their due date, there was always added stress when there was a time limit.

And, even with all of that in mind, there were talks of preparing another album for release in December. So there the band was, spending a whole week in a recording studio brainstorming different songs for A Hard Day's Night. They all played random instrumental chords and progressions, and sung gibberish until proper lyrics formed from the early hours of every morning until late every night.

That Friday evening, they all collectively decided to wrap up early, and take the following day off. Everyone seemed rather relieved. Their work was slowly moving along, but a day to reset, everyone could agree, was well needed.

Paul got home around seven, sighing in contentment as he passed through the front door and dropped his shoulders.

He could finally relax.

He set his bass on the floor by the door, shrugged out of his jacket, and kicked his shoes off before making a beeline for the sofa. He sighed again as he sunk into the furniture for the first time since the previous weekend. All he wanted to do was lie down, and he was so glad he could finally do it. His arms hugged the pillow at his head as his body began to unwind.

It had been a long week, and only now was Paul feeling the weight of the built-up fatigue...

He napped for only about fifteen minutes, but it wasn't planned. He sat up again a moment after waking up so he didn't fall back to sleep, rubbing his face and yawning. He was hoping to stay awake for another couple of hours. Maybe making some dinner was a good idea.

Paul got up and wandered to the kitchen, searching through the refrigerator and pantry, and settled on making a sandwich for his final meal of the night.

He got the ingredients and threw it together rather quickly, bringing it back to the living room so he could eat at the sofa. On his way there, he turned on the radio, and set it to a quiet volume, digging into his sandwich as soon as he sat down.

His eyes wandered his apartment for a few minutes as he ate, admiring his possessions and sentiments on the walls and sitting on display. Sometimes it was easy to take this place for granted, but some really long weeks recording, or being on the road, was enough for that appreciation for his personal space to return.

Paul finished his sandwich, and as he reached to place the plate on the end table to his left, he caught a glimpse of a little black book sitting there.

It was the book he signed out of the library from the week before. Since his recent schedule didn't take too kindly to free time, he actually hadn't touched it since being at the library.

After a moment of debate, Paul reached over for the book, trading it for the plate. He examined the cover again. It was black leather, adorned with intricate designs punched into it. The title of the book read "Gourmet Mushrooms of Europe."

Paul didn't really know much about cooking, let alone different mushrooms used for cooking. He opened the book up, and a ripped page fell into his lap. He lifted it up, eyes softening as he read what the paper said.

"Y/n," he mumbled tenderly, examining everything else further. All that was written on it was her name, a smiley face, and a phone number.

Paul took a moment of his time to think about the situation at hand. The situation with her.

Truth be told, Paul wasn't really even allowed to be in public without supervision at the time because of how ridiculous the mobs and fans could be; especially with him. He managed to sneak out that day to be out of the apartment, and away from the clingy bodyguards, and he was a little on edge from the idea of something going wrong and being caught. A quiet library seemed to be the safest place for him, and he could be left alone to do his songwriting in peace.

What happened instead was him stumbling into a strong, unexpected infatuation with a curious girl who didn't know who he even was-- and Paul was so torn on whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

There was no denying Paul felt that being famous was rather exciting. The attention you can get from being as well-known as he, felt exhilarating, even more so when you know you could probably have any girl you could ever want. The feeling of being able to tease and flirt with the opposite sex so confidently, and have it be that easy to win them over was unlike anything anyone could imagine experiencing, and Paul's career was only going up from there...

But, man, doesn't all that attention just feel synthetic?

What if he wanted this girl? The girl who was clueless? The girl who thought he was just a regular guy?

What if Paul could fall in love, and it was all real?

What if he were just James?

Paul enjoyed y/n's company so much, and what she had to say about her interests, and knowing her better as a person was an idea Paul was naturally gravitating towards, as would anyone if they met someone they were interested in.

However, doing something like this was probably going to end in her finding out the truth, whether it be through the media, other people, or even him.

He could fix all of that right there and then by calling her, and setting the record straight by telling her who he actually was... and potentially put that unbiased romance at risk.

This plan, although the most reasonable, and conscious decision, unfortunately didn't sit well with him at all.

The problem from every angle here was that Paul kind of wanted to try and pursue her romantically, and he didn't want to endanger a future entirely dependent on who he actually was.

But on the other hand, what were his other options? What if not calling her at all would be the best option? And have Paul be bitter the rest of his life for not taking a chance and losing her?

Or what about keeping up with the James charade? Paul had already lied about his name. What's he gonna lie about next? His last name? His job? His family? At what point does the lying become too much? Ironically, this was the only way he could receive the genuine connection he wanted with her... to lie about himself, and seriously threaten her trust for him if she found out the truth.

He didn't want to believe the third option was his only option. He wanted to believe he was a good person, and would tell the truth...

And he wouldn't admit it-- not in a hundred years-- but there was a tiny, little voice in the back of his head, whispering among all the other thoughts he was having, and the voice asked, "but wouldn't it be interesting to see just how long you get away with it?"

This wasn't a high Paul was wanting to chase... but he just... couldn't help but wonder exactly that. How long would it take for her to find out?

Had it been any other girl in the whole world, Paul would not have been overthinking, or making such a ridiculously big deal about some white lie like this.

But this wasn't any other girl in the whole world. This was someone who saw Paul and treated him like a regular human being, unbeknownst to her that the kindness and humanity she offered him as person was unlike anything he experienced in his day-to-day life as a musician. She didn't ogle at him, nor did she scream in his face, she didn't throw herself at him or try and grab at him. She just smiled kindly with her pretty lips and asked him questions, and it didn't seem to matter whether or not she'd ever see him again; what mattered was that she was kind to him in the limited time she had with him.

Her reserved nature was what appeared to be drawing Paul in, and a part of him also wondered if someone like him, living the lifestyle he was, would drive someone as quiet, and as simple as her away?

He didn't feel sorry for her, per se, but he did also note that she mentioned she'd never been in a relationship before, and taking advantage of her and making her feel used was not something he wanted to do.

Paul blinked once at the paper before his eyes slowly drifted back across the living room before his gaze settled on the telephone. He felt like he was glued to the sofa, still thinking of every possible scenario in his head where this could all work out for him in the end.

He stood up after about another minute of debate, took a deep breath, and approached the phone, her number in hand.

He was going to tell her the truth. No more playing any games.

He picked up the receiver, and dialed her number, hesitating on the final one, but choosing to stand his ground. He could hear the ringing in the receiver, and every second passing was more time for anxiety to begin welling up within. For a split moment, he considered hanging up and calling another time, but then there was shuffling, and he held his breath as he heard a voice on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Uh-- Y/n?" He asked after a second, chest tight with nerves. "... From the library?"

"James? Is that you?" Her excitement could be heard in her voice, and Paul took a seat in the chair next to the phone, huffing a shaky breath, and feeling his burning face with the back of his free hand. His name coming from her mouth was quite the sound, he almost forgot just how much he liked hearing her call him that. It was personal, and endearing.

"... yeah, uh, it's me. How uh... how're you doing?" He sounded so out of place, and he didn't even know how to segue into explaining all of this to her. He'd only met her once, but keeping a secret like this from her when Paul had these plans to romance her just didn't seem fair at all. He figured some small talk would be a good way to warm up, and then he'd get to the nitty gritty. He dropped his free hand on his leg from his forehead, squeezing his knee as he waited for her to respond.

"I'm alright, thanks. I just did a longer day at work today, so I don't have too many extra chores for Monday, so that's nice. What about you? Reading up on your book at all?"

Paul's eyes fell to the book again, across the room, and he nodded a little, even though he hadn't. "Yeah, uh, a few pages. I've been a bit busy at work myself but... I do have tomorrow off."

"Oh, so do I! I'm just about done my book from last week, so I'll be going back tomorrow morning to exchange it for a new one!"

Paul furrowed his brow a little at what she just said. "... that massive green book? You're done it already?"

She laughed airily on the other line. "I'm a librarian, James; reading is my life."

There was a split moment Paul's morality slipped, and he appeared to be at a crossroads again.

"Y'know... you might just see me there! I uh... I like going there to do some work. I'll be going in the morning. Perhaps, if I see you, we could continue where we left off, y'know...?"

He couldn't do it. He couldn't tell her. He couldn't risk this.

"That actually sounds lovely! Maybe we can do what we did last time, and talk about books. Or... sit in silence as we read and work. We can do that too," she suggested a little awkwardly.

Paul smiled at her dorkiness, sighing a little laugh before assuring her, "I would love to do that. I'll be there around nine."

"Me too! I'm excited to see you again, James." Her gentle voice made Paul blush yet again, biting back his smile as he responded, "likewise, Y/n. Good night."

He hung up the receiver, his body coursing with different emotions. Excitement. Anxiety. Confidence. Frustration. Affection.

Paul knew he did wrong there, not doing what he originally intended.

To make himself feel better, Paul thought that he could still be honest with her about everything else in his life, like his likes, dislikes, interests, etcetera; so when the time came that he needed to tell her the truth, the blow wouldn't be so hard. He could flirt with her, and be romantic with her, like Paul typically would, and still be James.

Once Paul could convince himself that he and James were one and the same, that's perhaps when his confidence and swoon-worthy pickups would return.

After sitting in the chair for another moment longer, he looked back up to the mushroom book.

He got up, made a few strides over and picked it up, flipping it open and starting on the very first page.

Well... if he was gonna try on this James character, and impress Y/n with him, he'd better get practicing.

_____________________________________________________

A/A/N: Thanks for reading, guys! I know this one was kind of filler considering it's almost been a full year since updating, but thank you for sticking around anyways! A second chapter for Do You Want To Know A Secret is coming next, so keep an eye out! Also, I am completely revamping my Tag List, so please let me know if you want to be added, and you'll be notified of all my upcoming writing!

[jungkoode]

OFF-LABELS | O9

→ PAIRING : Med Student!Hoseok x F!Reader (Brother’s Best Friend AU)

→ RATING: Explicit, 18+.

→ DATE POSTED: March 10th, 2025.

→ SUMMARY: You’ve spent four years convincing yourself that your brother’s best friend is just being nice when he remembers your coffee order, quizzes you on neuroanatomy, or lets his touch linger a second too long. Because there’s no way that the golden boy of Seoul National’s medical program might actually be flirting with you. Especially when he keeps saying things that could be perfectly innocent… if only he didn’t say them in that voice.

→ TAGS: second person perspective, female reader, medical school au, brother’s best friend trope, age gap (4 years), pining, touch starved, overthinking reader, confident hoseok, gentle dom hoseok, medical terminology as flirting (lmao), study sessions, domestic moments, innocent (but not really), plausible deniability king hoseok, anxiety, internal monologue, guilty crushes, subtle teasing, emotional edging, gentle manipulation, praise kink undertones, intellectual attraction, competency kink, hand fixation, voice kink, medical intern hoseok, first year med student reader, home setting, casual intimacy, unresolved sexual tension (for now), secret attraction, nervous rambling, self-doubt, intrusive thoughts, anatomy lessons with ulterior motives, competent hoseok, flustered reader, close proximity, accidental touches that aren’t accidents, virgin!reader.

→ CONTENT in this chapter: Car rides that test limits, lessons in following instructions, behavioral correction sessions, power dynamics in enclosed spaces, and time management exercises that end in failure. | power exchange, car scenes, behavioral modification, training sessions, time limits, control dynamics, authority challenges, discipline dynamics, oral (m), deepthroating, some tears, blowjob in a car, spanking, kind threats.

→ MASTERLIST | TAGLIST REQ | WORDCOUNT: 3k

→ MINI SERIES: PREVIOUS | NEXT

→ A/N: I really liked this chapter, and as I said previously, it’s probably my favorite one out of the 11 of them. 10 and 11 are a wild ride and basically pure smut. This one… I don’t know why, maybe it’s the thrill of pushing somebody to their limits or the anticipation of what’s going to happen to Chip now that Hoseok is done holding back. But something scratches my brain just right. Anyway, enjoy this one, and get ready for the next two because you’re going to need water (and Chip too… all I’ll say is she’s multiorgasmic, so.) Also, I did say this in my author intro for this series and all, but this is basically a self-indulgent story. I just wanted to explore plausible deniability, menacing kindness in medical settings, and a bit of psychological warfare. I like how brilliant Hoseok is and how he’s always ten steps ahead, and I love how Chip has basically rewired herself to be attuned to him unconsciously. Like ‘normal flirting’ isn’t for her. She doesn’t like ‘nice’. It’s a silly thing, but I really liked writing that, having her realize those things about herself, it shows growth. Maybe they’re both a bit messed up, but they somehow work. And that’s realistic and that’s what I like. So yeah, I wasn’t going for full analysis and psychological depth in this one, because frankly, it’s a mini-series so, word count is a thing. I wanted to actually have a story finished, a completed one, and if I went off-the-rails with this one then we’d be facing another slow burn 500k word count monstruosity—I can’t do that to myself. Some things are not spelled out. Some things are for you guys to interpret. And as always, I’ll be hearing all of you out in my inbox! 💕

PLAYLIST

The minutes tick by like honey drips—slow, sweet, deliberate. You check the time: 16 minutes left.

Fuck him.

Fuck his countdown and his medical terminology and his whole menacing kindness act.

"Mike!" You grab his arm, pulling him back to the dance floor. "Dance with me."

He looks surprised but pleased, hands settling carefully on your waist. Too carefully. You press closer, letting the alcohol and spite guide your movements.

15 minutes.

Your phone buzzes. You ignore it.

"You sure you're okay?" Mike asks as your hips sway against his.

"Perfect." You loop your arms around his neck, making sure to arch your back just so. Because you know he's watching. Can feel those surgical eyes cataloging every point of contact between you and Mike.

14 minutes.

Another buzz. Then another.

"Your phone's blowing up," Mike notes, glancing at your clutch.

"Let it." You turn in his arms, pressing your back to his chest. His hands hover uncertainly at your hips. "You can hold tighter, you know."

13 minutes.

Your phone starts buzzing continuously. Text after text after—

"Should you maybe check that?"

"Nope." You guide Mike's hands lower, letting them rest on your thighs where your dress has ridden up. "Just dance with me."

12 minutes.

The buzzing stops abruptly. Your stomach flips with anticipation.

Because you know what this means. Know what happens when he goes quiet. It's like watching storm clouds gather—that perfect, terrible stillness before lightning strikes.

11 minutes.

Mike's thumbs brush circles on your thighs—gentle, tentative touches that make you want to scream. Because they're wrong. No clinical precision. No calculated pressure points. Just... nice.

You hate nice.

10 minutes.

Your phone lights up with a single message. You shouldn't look. You really shouldn't look.

You look.

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝙷𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚞𝚗?

Heat floods your system. Because that's his voice—the one he uses right before he makes you fall apart. All honey and poison and promise.

9 minutes.

Your fingers shake as you type:

𝐘𝐨𝐮: 𝚢𝚞𝚞𝚞𝚞𝚙. 𝚖𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜

The response is immediate:

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝙽𝚘 𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝.

𝐘𝐨𝐮: 𝚓𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜??

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝟾 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚜, 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚙.

You press closer to Mike, making sure your dress rides up just enough. Making a show of it.

7 minutes.

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎.

𝐘𝐨𝐮: 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚋 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗

6 minutes.

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚎𝚡𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎. 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘.

Your thighs clench involuntarily. Mike mistakes it for encouragement, his fingers flexing against your skin.

5 minutes.

𝐘𝐨𝐮: 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚞 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚌. 𝚖𝚒𝚔𝚎’𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝙸𝚜 𝚑𝚎.

Just that. Two words that sound like a medical diagnosis and feel like a death sentence.

4 minutes.

𝐘𝐨𝐮: 𝚖𝚑𝚖𝚖𝚖. 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎

The dots appear, disappear, appear again. Your heart thunders.

3 minutes.

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝙽𝚘.

𝐘𝐨𝐮: 𝚗𝚘?

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚘𝚗’𝚝.

𝐘𝐨𝐮: 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚎

2 minutes.

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝙾𝚑, 𝙸 𝚊𝚖.

Oh.

Oh so he's actually here. Somewhere in this crowd, he is watching. He was pretending to be home, pretending he hadn’t been watching, pretending he wasn’t here.

But he is.

1 minute.

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝙻𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚙.

You turn in Mike's arms, pressing closer. Let your lips brush his ear as you whisper something meaningless, making it look intimate.

30 seconds.

𝐘𝐨𝐮: 𝚘𝚘𝚙𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎’𝚜 𝚞𝚙

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝙸𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚍.

Your phone goes silent. The crowd shifts around you, bodies pressing closer in the dark. Mike's hands move respectfully somewhere above your waist.

And then—

"Mind if I cut in?"

That voice. Honey-thick and surgical-sharp, right behind you.

Oh.

Fuck.

Your entire body freezes, even as Mike continues moving near you, oblivious to the way your pulse just flatlined.

Because Hoseok is here.

Not just watching from some hidden vantage point. Not just sending threatening texts. But here—close enough that you can smell bergamot and antiseptic and all those things you want to feel under your lips.

"Mind if I cut in?" he repeats, and now his hand settles on your waist, surgical fingers spanning your ribcage like they belong right there.

The touch is gentle. Clinical.

Lethal.

Mike hesitates, hands stilling immediately. "Uh, we were kind of—"

"Were you?" He responds swiftly, and it has no business being this hot.

Hoseok's thumb finds the pressure point between your ribs, pressing just hard enough to make your breathing stutter. His other hand extends past you, offering Mike something that glints in the strobing lights.

"I believe this is yours." He adds then.

You crane your neck to see—and nearly choke.

Because that's a hospital ID badge.

"Dr. Jung?" Mike's voice rises in recognition. "From the ER rotation?"

"Mm." Hoseok's thumb digs deeper into your side. "Small world."

The music flutters around you as understanding dawns on Mike's face. Because of course. Of course, Mike is doing his internship at SNU. He told you so earlier. Of course Hoseok would know him. Of course this whole situation would implode in the most spectacularly awful way possible.

"I didn't realize—" Mike starts, but Hoseok cuts him off with a smile that could sterilize surgical equipment.

"That this is my best friend's sister?" His hand slides higher on your waist, proprietary and utterly poisonous. "The one I specifically mentioned during orientation? About maintaining professional boundaries?"

Oh.

Oh no.

Mike's hands drop from your body like they've been burned. "Shit, I didn't—I mean, she didn't say—"

"No?" Hoseok's voice is dusted in cyanide. "Must have slipped her mind. Just like it slipped her mind that she has an 8 AM anatomy lab." His fingers tap your ribs. "With me."

You should say something. Should defend Mike or explain or—

"I'll just..." Mike backs away, hands raised in surrender. "Yeah. Nice seeing you, Dr. Jung."

He disappears into the crowd, leaving you alone with six feet of barely contained medical malice.

"Nineteen minutes," Hoseok murmurs against your ear, turning you in his arms until you're facing him. "I gave you nineteen minutes."

Your mouth goes dry. Because he looks... devastating. White dress shirt rolled to his elbows, dark slacks that you just know cost more than your textbooks, hair slightly disheveled like that day he fingered you.

He looks like he just stepped out of surgery.

He looks like he's about to perform one.

"I—" Your voice cracks as his hand slides up your spine, pressing you closer. "You said don't come Thursday."

"I did." His other hand cups your jaw, thumb brushing your lower lip. "And yet here we are. On a Friday. With your dress halfway up your thighs and some intern’s hands all over my—" He cuts himself off, jaw clenching.

"Your what?" The tequila makes you brave.

Stupid. 

Reckless.

His eyes darken. "You know exactly what you are."

"Say it." You press closer, feeling the way his breath hitches. "If you're so concerned about my behavior, Dr. Jung, diagnose me."

His thumb presses harder against your mouth. "Don't."

"Don't what?" You let your lips part, tongue darting out to taste the pad of his thumb. "Test you? Pretty sure that ship sailed around minute seventeen."

A muscle jumps in his jaw. "You're drunk."

"Tipsy," you correct, rolling your hips against his. "Just drunk enough to tell you exactly what I think about you blocking my number and playing hot and cold and—"

His hand fists in your hair, yanking your head back. "Not here."

"Why not?" You bare your throat, feeling his pulse thunder for the first time ever. "Scared of losing control, sunbae?"

The honorific hits like a match to gasoline. His grip tightens painfully in your hair as he drags you off the dance floor, through the crowd, past the bathrooms to a darker hallway near the emergency exit.

Your back hits the wall hard enough to knock the breath from your lungs. His hands cage your head as he looms over you, expression thunderous.

"You want to talk about control?" His voice is barely audible over the muffled bass. "Let's talk about how you deliberately disobeyed me. How you let some fumbling intern put his hands all over what's mine."

Flames lick down your spine. "Yours?"

"Mine." He leans closer, lips brushing your ear. "Or did you forget how pretty you looked choking on my cock? How desperate you were for my fingers? How you begged—"

"Fuck you," you spit, but your thighs press together traitorously.

His laugh is cruel and gentle all at once. "Oh, Chip." His knee wedges between your legs, spreading them wider. "That's exactly what you want, isn't it? Why you've been testing me all night."

You shake your head frantically, even as your hips roll against his thigh.

"No?" His hand slides up your inner thigh, bunching the dress higher. "Then why are you so wet?"

His fingers brush against damp lace, and you bite back a whimper.

"Tell me," he demands softly, circling your clit through the fabric. "Tell me why you're soaking through these pretty panties."

Your head thunks back against the wall. "I hate you."

"No." His fingers press harder, making you gasp. "You hate that I'm right. That I know exactly what you need." His other hand cups your breast through your dress. "That no matter how many other aspiring doctors you dance with, no matter how much you pretend..." His thumb rolls your nipple roughly. "You'll always be my Chip."

The possessive pronoun makes you whine. He swallows the sound with a kiss that tastes like punishment and promise.

"Car," he growls against your mouth. "Now."

"Make me."

His smile is surgical precision and poorly contained violence. "Last chance to behave."

You bite his lower lip in response.

His growl vibrates through your chest as he hauls you away from the wall.

"Have it your way."

The world tilts as he hoists you over his shoulder like you weigh nothing—all that strength he showed you back home on display as he secures you with one arm.

You're still giddy enough from tequila and victory to wave cheerfully at Mike's shocked face across the bar.

SMACK.

The sharp crack of his palm against your ass echoes even over the music. The sting blooms hot and perfect, pulling a sound from your throat that’s definitely not pain.

"Oops," you giggle, squirming deliberately against his shoulder. "Sorry, Dr. Jung."

Another smack lands harder, right where thigh meets curve. This time, your yelp dissolves into an embarrassingly breathy moan.

"Still feeling defiant?" His voice is sugary-sweet venom as he starts walking, each step jostling you against his shoulder. "Or should I conduct a more thorough behavioral assessment right here?"

"You wouldn't dare," you taunt, voice muffled against his back.

His laugh is quiet. Lethal. "That’s adorable, Chip. Truly."

SMACK.

You yelp again, fingers digging into the back of his shirt. “Sadist.”

“Self-restraint of a saint, actually.”

You’re halfway to the exit when he hums thoughtfully. Almost like he’s just remembering something.

"You know," he says conversationally, "I was going to let him off with a warning."

Something tingles in your stomach. "Hoseok—"

SMACK.

"But then he put his hands on you." Fingers tighten on your thigh, casual but severe. "And that? That’s something I just can’t overlook."

You push up against his back, twisting to look at him. "You’re not—"

"Relax," he murmurs, effortlessly adjusting his grip as you squirm. "I’m not going to ruin him."

A pause.

SMACK.

"But he’s an intern, isn’t he?" His tone is all polite, mere curiosity. "Which means his next rotation is what—three weeks?"

You unawarely hold your breath.

"ER is brutal at SNU," he continues mildly. "And interns? They burn out so fast."

"Hoseok." You say his name like it’s a warning.

Like you have any say whatsoever in what he does.

"Mm. No, you're right." He sighs like he actually considers it. SMACK. "Wouldn’t want him transferring to another specialty out of sheer exhaustion. What a shame that would be."

You dig your nails into his back, panic rising. "You can't—"

He chuckles, patting your thigh as if to soothe you. "Of course I can’t. That would be unethical."

SMACK.

You whimper, thighs squeezing against his chest.

"But maybe," he says softly, fingers pressing into the burning skin of your ass, "someone will make sure he remembers exactly where he stands."

You go rigid.

"Someone like…" He taps his fingers against your thigh. SMACK. "The Chief Resident?"

Your pulse pounds.

"Or maybe," he continues, voice all silky amusement, "someone even higher than that."

"You are insane," you breathe.

"And yet—" His hand slides under your dress, fingers teasing the damp heat between your thighs. "You keep testing me."

Your head thunks against his back.

His chuckle is quiet. Knowing. "That’s what I thought."

You squeal as he pinches the sensitive spot he just spanked. The cool night air hits your legs as he walks through the parking lot, carrying you like a misbehaving doll.

"Put me down!" You mean to say it like a retort—but you’re laughing now, drunk on tequila and victory and the way his fingers keep finding new places to leave bruises.

"Oh, I will." His palm connects with your other cheek, evening out the sting. "Right over my knee first, then bent over my desk, then—"

"Hoseok!"

"That’s not my name tonight, is it?" Another smack, another moan you can't quite swallow. "What did you call me? Dr. Jung?"

You're definitely going to die. He’s going to kill you with his bare hands and perfect voice and medical terminology.

(Worth it.)

His car beeps as he approaches—something sleek and black that probably costs stupidly too much. The passenger door opens and—

"Wait." You twist to look at him over your shoulder. "Aren’t you going to check my alcohol levels? Make sure I’m safe to—"

His laugh rumbles through your whole body. "Oh, Chip." He deposits you in the seat with gentleness, despite his rough demeanor. "Bold of you to assume you’ll be conscious enough to remember your own name when I’m done with you."

Your nipples perk up as he buckles you in, movements deliberately slow. His fingers subtly trace the marks he left on your thighs, pressing just hard enough to make you whimper.

"Besides." He straightens, smile pure poison in the streetlight. "I need you exactly this brave for what comes next."

The door closes with a soft click that sounds like a death sentence.

And you?

Well.

You've never been happier to die.

Hoseok sits on the driver’s seat in a matter of seconds, and the car immediately purrs to life with a swift flick of his wrist. His hands flex on the steering wheel—those perfect surgeon's fingers that make your mouth water just looking at them.

"Hair up," he commands without looking at you, voice clinical and cold. "Now."

You fumble with your hair tie (the one you always wear on your wrist and thank the Jesus for that right now), fingers trembling as you gather your hair into a ponytail. His eyes stay fixed on the road, but you feel him watching in your peripheral vision.

"Good girl." The praise drips like antifreeze—candied yet devastating. His legs spread wider, expensive slacks pulling taut across his thighs. "Now pull it out and suck."

Heat floods your face. Because he's not even looking at you—just expecting obedience as he navigates through Seoul's nighttime traffic with perfect precision.

"I—" You swallow hard, remembering how you'd barely managed half of him last time. How your jaw had ached for days. How he'd had to finish with his hand because you couldn't—

"Nineteen minutes, Chip." His voice stays honey-smooth even as his knuckles whiten on the wheel. "That's how long until we reach my apartment. Make me cum before then."

Your fingers shake as you reach for his fly. The zipper sounds obscenely loud in the quiet car.

"Nervous?" He takes a turn with too much accuracy, still not looking down. "After all that sass at the club?"

You finally free his cock—already hard, already leaking, already massive. Your mouth waters even as anxiety twists your stomach.

"I can't—" You remember choking, tears streaming down your face as he'd guided you deeper. "Last time I couldn't—"

"Eighteen minutes." His thumb brushes your cheek, the touch deceptively gentle. "Better start practicing."

You lean down, bracing one hand on his thigh as you take him into your mouth. The taste is familiar now—salt and skin and him. His breath hitches slightly as you swirl your tongue around the head.

"Deeper." The command is velvet-soft but unmistakable. "You wanted to play games tonight, Chip. Show me how much you've improved."

You sink lower, trying to relax your throat like he taught you. His cock hits the back of your mouth and you gag slightly.

"Sixteen minutes." His hand finds your ponytail—not pushing, just holding. "Remember your breathing exercises."

You whimper around his length, tears already gathering at the corners of your eyes. He's so big—stretching your lips obscenely wide as you try to take more.

"That's it." His fingers tighten in your hair as you bob your head. "Good girl. Use your tongue just like I showed you."

The praise makes you moan, the vibration making his hips twitch upward. You gag again as he hits deeper.

"Careful." His voice stays steady even as his cock throbs against your tongue. "Don't want to crash. That would be..." His grip tightens marginally. "...inconvenient."

You pull back to catch your breath, lips still stretched around his tip. "How much time?"

"Fourteen minutes." He takes another turn smoothly, like he's not getting his dick sucked in Seoul traffic. "And you've barely managed half. So disappointing, Chip. Can’t you do better?"

The words feel like a slap stinging across your cheeks, but you can’t deny the wetness they bring through your panties. You sink back down with renewed determination, forcing yourself to take more. Your throat spasms around him as tears streak your cheeks.

"Better." His thumb wipes away a tear. "But still not enough. Show me how sorry you are for disobeying me, Chip. Show me you mean it."

You hollow your cheeks, sucking harder as your hand works what you can't fit in your mouth. His breathing grows heavier but his driving never falters.

"Ten minutes." His hips roll up slightly, making you choke. "Want to know what happens if you fail?"

You whine around his cock, trying desperately to take more.

"I'll park the car." His voice drops lower, darker. "And teach you properly. Right here. Until you learn."

The threat makes you redouble your efforts, tongue tracing the thick vein on the underside as you force yourself lower. Your jaw aches, drool gathering at the corners of your mouth.

"Five minutes." His control is cracking—just slightly—voice rougher as you work him faster. "Running out of time, Chip."

You're crying properly now, mascara probably ruined as you desperately try to please him. He momentarily glances down, taking in your ruined expression as your eyes lock with his.

"Fuck." The curse slips out as his hips jerk up. "Three minutes. Show me how badly you want to make it up to me. You can do it, Chip."

You're a mess—tears and spit dripping down your chin as you take him as deep as you can. His cock twitches against your tongue, pre-cum bitter, but so perfect because it’s him.

"One minute." His grip becomes brutal in your hair. "Better swallow it all this time."

You feel him pulse, feel his thighs tense under your palm. His cum hits the back of your throat in hot spurts as he guides you down further than you've ever managed.

"Good girl." He sounds wrecked even as he parks the car perfectly. "Every drop."

You swallow obediently, throat working around him until he softens slightly. When he finally lets you up, you realize you're in his parking garage.

"Time?" you rasp, voice completely destroyed.

His smile is gentle but noxious as he tucks himself away. "Twenty-one minutes." He cups your tear-stained cheek. "You failed."

Butterflies erupt in your stomach as he exits the car, coming around to your door. His expression is pure medical malice as he helps you out.

"Don't worry though." His thumb traces your swollen lips. "We have all night for remedial lessons."

→ 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @cannotalwaysbenight @livingformintyoongi @itstoastsworld @somehowukook @just-reading-dany @sanarin @billy-jeans23 @stutixmaru @chloepiccoliniii @kimnamjoonmiddletoe @annyeongbitch7 @mar-lo-pap @hobis-sprite0218

© 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.

no reposts, translations, or adaptations

[cripplecharacters]

I have this mage character who's disabled with limited mobility (I'm planning for her to have severe ataxia, but the exact disability I give her might still change). I have a couple questions/thoughts about how I should portray her. It's a medieval fantasy setting.

She's… not very morally good. She's currently with a group of bandits (AKA: she robs people). She hasn't got some "I want to kill people because the disability makes me miserable" thing going on though, and most of the other bandits are abled, so her being evil/morally grey is not unique to her. Also, if I ever end up actually writing the story, it would be from her perspective. Does this make it ok, or does it fall under the "disabled villain" trope?

Mobility aids? She would definitely need one, probably a wheelchair, since she can't walk unassisted at all. The thing is, her family is a bunch of ableists who kept her in her room all day because they found her disability "shameful", so she doesn't have a mobility aid (except maybe a clunky wheelchair that needs to be pushed around by someone else). And she definitely isn't going to have a mobility aid around when she gets semi-kidnapped by the bandits (as mentioned before, she ends up joining them). When they're actively robbing people, she'd ride a horse, but what about when they're in the bandit hideout? Making a wheelchair seems hard and time-consuming. I could make her magic powers be telekinesis or (short-distance) teleportation, but that might also be erasure and I don't want that. Any suggestions?

Hi asker,

For the first half of your ask, that sounds perfectly fine, because disabled people don't have to be morally perfect! Especially if the story is written from her perspective, it's actually pretty important that she's not just a 0 flaws character. It's perfectly fine that she's morally grey, an anti-hero, whatever, as long as she isn't the only one that is these things as a disabled person.

The "disabled villain" trope is more like, the disability is what makes them evil, or they're the only disabled character and they're evil, basically equating disability to moral failure and to villainy. Other bandits being of similar morality to her but abled is a huge deal in terms of sidestepping the disabled villain trope. As long as she's not the 'most evil' in her bandit group and the only or the most disabled one, this works just fine.

For the second half of your ask:

If the bandits let her join after kidnapping her, they presumably want her there. This means that they would probably willing to help her get or do things that she needs to do in order to continue to be there with them, and that can include them helping source a wheelchair or a walker or a rollator. Maybe they make it themselves, maybe they steal one, maybe they kidnap someone who can make it for her, maybe something else. But if they're something like her friends or found family, they'd probably want her to participate in things, and they could help her get what she needs to do so.

As to the powers, they could be erasure. They don't have to be erasure, but they could be. But to be honest you don't necessarily seem attached to those as her powers, so you could choose something else instead.

As to ataxia, since you mention not being fully decided on this yet, make sure you research how ataxia, particularly severe ataxia, would affect her. I don't say this to say she wouldn't be able to ride a horse — paralympic athlete Mari Durward-Akhurst has ataxia and participtes in paralympic — but I mean that you'd want to look at what she needs to do that and how it affects her daily.

As to mobility aids (sorry for saying as to so much), many people with ataxia use wheelchairs or walkers or rollators. Rollators are wheeled walkers, basically. If she'd be able to use one of these in the hideout definitely depends on the hideout's layout and access. But maybe they could have a hideout with ramps, or on a single level or something, as opposed to like... a treehouse hideout. But magic exists in your world, so maybe her aid could have some sort of enchantment. Like, maybe the aid itself can do very limited teleportation and this gets her into the door, for example? That could be a pretty cool and useful enchantment to put on a wheelchair. But mostly, since you have magic, you have more leeway than in real life as to what the limits of mobility aids are within a space. Or even within a space itself; maybe the entrance steps have a button that can turn them into a ramp. Things like that!

Hope this helps,

mod sparrow

[numberoneredriotfan]

Things I'd change if I were to rewrite Mha

A few things for context: These are just things that I would like to see and are all personal, and aren't meant to be a direct criticism on mha. These are for no one else but me, and how I would change mha if I had no limitations such as run time, censorship, etc. So don't take these too seriously. I just wanted to put my thoughts somewhere.

Have it take place over the course of ALL THREE of their years at UA. Like I have always been confused why it would only show them in their first year before all the shit goes down?? (I understand why but still-). I wanna see the kids ACTUALLY learning stuff in school before they go off to fight a war okay.

Put some of the movie storylines into the main one. Such as Humarise, I-Island, and Nine. With minor to major changes to each one. I feel like all of them had a lot of potential plot-wise.

Get rid of the whole Shigaraki/Afo possession plotline... it was really stupid. Focus on Shigaraki himself.

May sound strange, but have it be episodic to an extent?? At least for the first few seasons and have there be a major arc every now and then. Think team-up-missions style. Show the kids being kids while still incorporating their classes and hero studies.

Every character gets one or two chapters or episodes just dedicated to them. Whether it be exploring their personality or backstory. I want to feel connected to all of the kids!!

Deku, Uraraka and Iida are focused on more as a trio. I hated how their friendship was thrown aside in favor of "omg strong shounen trio." Bakugou and Todoroki should still have a relationship with Deku, but stop lumping them together. It feels so forced.

Get rid of the whole Endeavor redemption arc. Well, maybe not get rid of, but rework it. I don't like how Endeavor's feelings became the centerpoint of the todoroki family subplot. I feel like he did a 180 on his behavior way too quickly. Have something big happen that changes his perspective (I wouldn't consider All Might retiring as something big).

Self-indulgent but more focus on the Bakugou, Kaminari, and Kirishima trio!! They're so fun! Also, I wanna see Bakugou's process in making his own friends, real friends, outside of his weird rival-complex with Deku.

Rodydeku needs to be canon Okay but seriously, I would like to see more of Rody and Deku's relationship. Rody should become a more prominent person in Deku's life!

Playing onto that, but have half of their second year take place while the class is doing an exchange program. Based off MermaidMarie's fic, but I'd like to see Deku go back to Otheon. And I wanna see the other kid's adventures in different countries!

Slow Deku's progress down with one for all. I feel like it was going at a steady pacing until season 5 when pacing went out the window. I want to see Deku discover each one of his new powers in time, not just have them thrown at him one after the other.

GIVE ME A QUIRKLESS VILLAIN DAMN IT. I want there to be someone who's so smart at manipulation and intelligent that they don't need a quirk to get the job done.

Someone in class A needs to die. That's all.

More world building! There's so much to be explored with a superhuman society, so explore it!

Deku needs an actual vigilante arc. Not working with pro-heroes, but actually going out and taking matters into his own hands.

Have a theme of Expectation Vs. Reality be more present. This was explored a bit in mha, but not enough I feel like. I wanna be greeted to the idea of heroes being these incredible pillars of justice, how the kids see them to be, and then watch as this idealistic view slowly crumbles before them. Have them see the corruption that comes with the career, the true extent of the pain and misery heroes suffer, and all the systematic issues that come with it. Have them at some point question what being a hero means, and have them each find their own answer.

Better writing for all the characters in general tbh.

HAVE STAIN BE A REOCCURING VILLAIN. HAVE HIM LEAVE A BIGGER IMPACT ON DEKU. STAIN IS ONE OF THE BEST VILLANS IN MHA PLEASEEEEE-

This goes without saying, but the fanservice just doesn't need to be there. Attraction is completely normal, but write it in a way where it isn't borderline sexual harassment thank you very much. Also have Midnight put on some goddamn clothes around these kids for the love of god.

Have the quirk of doomsday theory be more prevalent, don't just use it for when it's convenient.

More Kirishima. Completely self-indulgent but I want him to be a major character.

And finally.... just show these kids being kids. I loved the episodes where they were goofing around, like the dorm contest and the school festival arc. Show more of their teenage worries outside of their hero studies, have them act immature and do dumb things more often! Show them just hanging out. Show them just being their authentic selves. Show this, so that when it does go into the more intense arcs and as the story becomes darker, have them reminisce on those moments of just being them. Have them grieve over who they were before.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

A huge THANK YOU for the fantastic writing advice and resources you are creating and sharing. I'm reblogging almost all of your posta on my side blog, which is for storing writing advice, so I can easily come back to your wonderful pieces of advice whenever I need them. I can't begin to tell you how helpful your posts have been for me!

May I ask if you happen to have any tips on writing dialogue, where the POV character is not taking part in the exchange?

For example, Kali, the POV character, is in the room when Brim and Sheila have a conversation. Or maybe all three of them are having a conversation, which at one point becomes a conversation between Brim and Sheila, while the POV character is sort of left out of whatever affairs they have to discuss.

Do you have any advice or good practice examples on how to build such dialogue scenes so that it doesn't feel as if the POV character is too passive and in simply in the scene for the reader's convenience (so that the reader may listen in to what is being said).

Totally understandable if you don't have time for this and decide to disregard the ask. :)

Again, a million thanks for your wonderful blog!

Additional detail from your private message: "The POV character is narrating in third person. It's a close third person POV."

Close Third Person POV Dialogue

Third-Person Limited Point of View

(Often called a “close third”) When an author sticks closely to a single character but remains in third-person.

The narrator can do this for the entire novel or switch between different characters for different chapters or sections.

Allows the author to limit a reader’s perspective and control what information the reader knows.

Used to build interest and heighten suspense.

It is the most common POV choice in modern literature.

This narration adheres to a Sympathetic POV the way first person does, getting the reader inside that character's head but also allowing the depiction of reactions or other things the character isn't aware of.

If the pronouns could be changed to first person without losing any comprehension, this is the POV you're in.

Learning from The Classics. E.g., George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four:

The dialogue that follows between two men, and later, a third, does not include the POV character, who is reduced to a spectator:

After the altercation, we return to the POV character, Winston, then the narration provides more context on what just transpired:

Another Example: Lois Lowry's The Giver

The dialogue that follows among Lily, Father, and Mother, without the POV character's involvement, but we are aware that he is in the room, listening to the exchange:

After the dialogue, we return to the POV character, Jonas:

Examples from George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire:

Daenerys is an interesting example. Reading about descriptions of her from some other characters (who have mostly only seen her from afar or heard rumors and second-hand accounts about her), she gets painted as a bloodthirsty tyrant who has left Slaver's Bay in ruins and is possibly as mad as her father. Reading her POV, we see she's sane, albeit naïve, and is truly compassionate and well-intentioned in her actions; unfortunately, her good intentions tend to horribly backfire due to mistakes or sheer bad luck.

Cersei is actually something of an aversion; while the audience finally gets a look at the childhood prophecy which has shaped her entire life through fear, we also get a look at her utter hostility — such as her silent fury during the marriage of Tommen and Margaery and her paranoid beliefs that anyone who opposes her is working with her enemies. Even in her own POV, she comes across as petty and selfish at best, and outright psychopathic at worst. Even as a child of ten, she was capable of arranging the murder of one of her best friends.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

With these examples, we see how some writers utilise similar techniques. Even though the POV character is not taking part of the interaction, they don't feel passive to the reader. We still feel their presence as an observer (like Winston in 1984 and Jonas in The Giver). In that moment, the POV character and the reader seem to merge. The authors simply allow the conversation/interaction to flow, thus writing the dialogue as normal, including more context either before or after (or both) the dialogue/interaction.

More: Writing Tips & References on Dialogue

Thank you so much for your kind words, really warmed my heart! You are so lovely. In addition to these examples, you can also look for sample dialogues in this POV in your favourite novels, or the ones you wish to emulate, for further inspiration. Hope this helps with your writing :)

[m4ple9x0x]

Sᵒᵘʳ Cʰᵉʳʳʸ

-Chapter VII-

Hyunin x fem!reader

WARNINGS: SMUT MDNI !! use of alcohol, Felix and Hyunjin kissing, swearing, obsession, lmk if I forgot anything!!

Genre: strangers to friends to lovers, smut, stalker!Hyunjin, yandere!Hyunjin, slow burn.

a/n: hi guyz!! i hope y'all will enjoy this chapter! in this fic i made Felix bisexual, THIS DOES NOT BY ANY MEANS MAKE IT REAL IT'S JUST A WORK OF FICTION, also you'll be able to have fragments of Hyunjin's pov, whenever you read from his perspective you'll notice words being bolded or slanted consistently, if u have any feedback or opinions write it down in the comments, im open to some constructive criticism, also if u wanna get added to the taglist lmk!! <3 maple out~

dividers by: @cafekitsune <3

Previous chapter

You’re sitting on the couch and scrolling on your phone, it’s already 1am but you’re not sleepy at all, besides, Felix and Hyunjin are playing Mario Kart so even if you wanted to sleep you wouldn’t be able to because they are too noisy.

-Can you guys get a break from screaming at each other like little kids? I’m getting bored in here alone.

-Just a second I’m about to beat Felix’s ass!

-YA THINK LOSER!!

-You guys are so unserious. You say rolling your eyes. It was weird, after Joanna left it was like a silent agreement between you and Hyunjin to act like nothing happened in that closet, it wasn’t awkward, just weird.

-I SHOWED YOU!! You’re pulled out of your train of thought by Hyunjin’s scream.

-I’ll get you next time don’t worry about that.

-Okay so you’re done, let’s ALL do something together. You say getting up from the cozy couch.

-Like what? Felix asks.

-Let’s do a drinking game again, the effect of the alcohol is going away for me at least. Said Hyunjin.

-That’s okay I guess, but what drinking game?

-The game that we played when Joanna was here was fun, how about we continue with that? You turn to look at Felix that had an excited expression drawn on his face.

-Okay then, let’s do that.

Hyunjin grabs the vodka bottle and brings the shot glasses in the living room.

-So this time the shot limit is 3, right?

-Yea.

-Okay I’ll start, Felix truth or dare? You say while pouring vodka in the shot glasses.

-I’ll do dare this time I guess…

-Hmm, okay let me think.

Maybe it was your boredom or maybe it was just the thought of seeing how that would turn out, how he would react, you’re hesitating for a second, but after one more minute, you say:

-Kiss me.

In that moment everyone in the room freezes, Hyunjin immediately turns his head to look at you, Felix switching between staring at you and at Hyunjin.

-W-what? You hear the blonde say, a blush now more than obvious on his face.

-Kiss me Felix.

You side eye Hyunjin, his jaw was clenched, his dark eyes almost burning your skin. *Is he jealous?*

-I… I don’t know. Felix was hesitant, he clearly didn’t want to make his friend mad. In Joanna and Felix’s eyes, you and Hyunjin were already a couple, even if you two didn’t necessarily address any feelings towards each other.

-Do it Lix. You and the freckled man turn to look at Hyunjin at the same time, he was looking at Felix now with a smirk on his face. He was planning something you could clearly tell.

-What? Felix muttered.

-Kiss her, if that’s what she wants.

Felix now shifts his gaze to you as if he’s waiting for approval. You nod at him and watch him inhale deeply, now the atmosphere of the room got tense. Felix was slowly moving towards you, with each move he is making your heart skips a beat. He approaches you, his hand slowly brushing against your chin, up to your ear then behind your head, he looks into your eyes, and closes his eyes. You close your eyes too. Finally, you feel his lips against yours, the kiss wasn’t a passionate one, just a quick peck. That’s what you wanted, nothing more, Felix was nice, but you didn’t like him like that. After what happened in the closet you just couldn’t shake off the feeling that Hyunjin left you to carry, you are just testing the waters, see how he feels, if he’s trying to be casual with you or something else. You felt something shift in the way he looked at you after Felix sits back in his place, Hyunjin is fixing you with his eyes, you are not sure, but you feel like he’s jealous.

-Okay, my turn now. You hear the tall man say.

Silence.

-Y/N, truth or dare? Oh… he clearly has a plan.

-Truth. You want to play it safe.

-Do you like me? You swallow hard and look around the room, you pick up your shot and down it. He looks at you like he’s gonna devour you any second.

-Okay, moving on… Felix says, breaking the tension.

-Mhm, go on Lix. Hyunjin says still staring at you.

-Hyunjin, truth or dare?

-Truth.

-Do you like anyone?

Hyunjin downs his shot too. This is probably his payback. Now the tension was building up even more.

-Y/N, your turn again. Felix says.

You thought of this, ever since Felix said that he kissed Hyunjin, it’s been on your mind, maybe you were a bit drunk too, maybe it was the tension, you don’t know what to blame, maybe you just wanted to test him more.

-Hyunjin… truth or dare? You know he’s going to choose dare, you just know it.

-Dare. He fell right into your trap.

-Make out with Felix. Now the question was… was he gonna down a shot or is he going with it? *He won’t down the shot, he’s trying to prove something, right?*

-Oh you’re so dirty. Lix, come here. You stare at the two men in front of you in disbelief. *He’s actually going along with it*. Felix sits in front of Hyunjin.

-You want a show, I will give you one Y/N. Hyunjin says looking at you while grabbing Felix by his neck and kissing him aggressively. Felix runs his hand through Hyunjin’s long dark hair, sliding his tongue in his mouth. You watch as the two make out open mouthed, their tongues visible as they run against each other. Hyunjin opens his eyes and stares at you while starting to kiss down Felix’s neck, the blonde throwing his head back in the air. You immediately blush watching this unfold in front of you. You don’t know why, but this is turning you on, maybe it was the fact that you wished to be in Felix’s position, or maybe it was just Hyunjin. He keeps staring you down as he gets Felix’s shirt off. You freeze in place. *What is he doing...*. He starts kissing Felix’s abs, and lower…lower until his lips are on the blonde man’s belt.

-Stop! You say looking at the two shocked.

-Too much for you princess? Hyunjin says smirking. Felix puts his shirt back on his face red as a tomato.

-I think we should go to sleep, it’s almost 3am already. You say, checking your phone.

-Boooring. Hyunjin says.

-I’m kind of tired too, I think I’m going to sleep. Felix gets up and goes to the bathroom.

-Then I guess I’ll go home. You say getting up too.

-No need, you can sleep here too.

-Are you sure?

-Yes… only problem is Felix is taking the couch, you can take my bed, I can sleep on the floor if you want.

-N-no… it’s okay. You wanted to sleep next to him, and he knew it too… he must know…right?

-Okay, good. *Good? What does that even mean?*. Here you go again, overthinking everything this man is saying. He just loves playing with you, doesn’t he?

-Only problem is I didn’t bring anything to change in…

-I’ll give you something.

-Okay, thanks.

It’s really dark in Hyunjin’s room, you can’t sleep, his presence… so close to you… in the same bed, it’s just too much, wearing his shirt and shorts that are swallowing your entire body. He’s probably asleep already, you can hear him snoring lightly, your back is facing him, you turn around and look at him. He looks so peaceful like this, without even thinking your hand touches gently his face, caressing his cheek. He exhales easily, you pull your hand away but he grabs it and kisses it. He opens his eyes and looks at you under his eyelashes.

-Can’t sleep princess? He whispers, his voice gentle.

-Not really…

-Hm… you should rest, let me help.

-And how would you do that?

-Turn around, let me hold you.

You turn around and Hyunjin hugs you from behind, he holds you against his chest tightly as if he’s scared you might run away. He kisses the back of your head and inhales deeply.

-You smell nice.

-T-thank you…

-Good night Y/N.

-Good night Hyunjin.

Without realizing your eyelids get heavy as you fall asleep in his warm embrace.

The smell of freshly cooked food is infiltrating into your nostrils, you blink three times slowly, the sun shining through the curtains making it harder for you to open your eyes. You turn around and toss your hand on the other half of the bed, you notice the absence of the man that slept next to you in bed so you open your eyes. He wasn’t here, the door of his room was slightly open, you take your phone and look at the clock. 12pm. *Damn*.

You get up from the bed and go to the kitchen, assuming Hyunjin is there from the smell of food. He was cooking shirtless, his shorts naturally falling lower on his hips, your eyes travel lower, his v line on full display. You swallow hard.

-Good morning princess. You shake your head, caught red handed.

-See anything that you like? He says with a teasing voice. You roll your eyes at him.

-When did you wake up? You say sitting down at the table.

-Hmm… maybe an hour ago? You just missed Lix, he left half an hour ago.

-Oh… you should’ve woken me up…

-Thought you should get some rest, yesterday was a long night.

-I guess.

-Here. He says placing eggs with bacon and a cup of coffee in front of you.

-Thanks! You say looking up at him.

-No problem, I’ll go take a shower while you eat, also I made some pancakes too if you want dessert after too.

-Did you eat?

-Yeah I did with Lix before he left.

-Alright then.

You finish eating, Hyunjin was still showering, it’s no surprise to you that the man takes his sweet time in the shower honestly, you decide to snoop around a bit, you know you shouldn’t but it’s not so wrong, right? You walk around the apartment looking at framed photos of him and his friends, a smile sneaks on your face observing his own smile in every photo. You are about to walk in his room but observe a door opposite to his bedroom. *I didn’t notice this yesterday*. You turn the doorknob, it’s locked…

What is he hiding?

-Looking for something? You jump startled at the sudden voice behind you. You turn around, your back pressed to the door, Hyunjin was staring at you, droplets of water falling from his wet messy hair down his bare chest, you follow them with your eyes as they keep on running under the towel around his waist. You look at his face, his head now tilted to the side still waiting for an answer.

-N-no… I was just curious to see what was in this room. -Nothing you’d be interested in, just something personal.

-Okay… Well now you’re clearly curious. What’s so personal that he has to hide under lock and key?

-So… how was the food?

-Really good actually…didn’t think you’d cook so well. You say chuckling.

-Oh c’mon, why wouldn’t I be a great cook?

-Well… you seem to have it all.

-What do you mean?

-Great cook, good painter, amazing coffee, and good looks… leave some for other people. You say rolling your eyes and smiling.

-Really? You think that?

-Yeah. You look at him, he smiles at you gently.

-Cute.

His smile was melting all of your skin away, was melting your heart, each time you look at him it’s like it hurts, you don’t understand how you could get to feel like this for someone so quickly, it’s like his eyes were portals to past lives you lived together, secrets you shared, hugs, kisses, that never actually happened, at least not in this reality… but that’s how Hyunjin was making you feel, like you were special, like nothing else mattered but you… and him.

You had no idea how he’s looking at you each time you’re not paying attention, staring at your face, hair, eyes, eyelashes, arms, legs, movements, everything you did was mesmerizing him, hypnotizing him, sending him into despair. He kept on spiraling for days… after he met you...was like his life reset, he could breathe differently now, you weren’t fire, you were water, taming him with your waves, keeping him under control, that’s what he needed all this time. He wasn’t searching in the right heart, your heart had the key to his creation, to unlocking his true inner peace, he didn’t need red, when he had a whole forest with rivers. He was yours, you just didn’t know, he could finally move on from… her. He initially didn’t think much of it, even though he had never seen someone as ravishing as you before, it wasn’t necessarily only your looks, it was the weird combination of confidence and sadness that you had, carrying it around fearlessly, this rawness. Before even knowing he was hooked, in your maze, in everything you were, you surely must’ve known what you were doing to him, driving him crazy. He started getting closer and closer, picking up on your small habits that he found deeply endearing. The way you’d stutter once he’d make eye contact with you, the way you’d play with your hair when you were stressed or concentrated, the way you’d have the straw from the free coffees he gave you in the corner of your lips while looking up at him with that innocent look. You had no clue, how crazy he’d go over all of this, he was trying to keep it under control, he didn’t want to repeat the mistake he did with… her. It was just impossible not to go crazy over you though. He tried… he really did, but after you left his place this afternoon, after everything that happened between you and him yesterday… he just couldn’t. He put on the clothes that he lent you, grabbed the pillow that you slept on, his pillow... you slept on his pillow, your scent still present on the items, the only thing that kept you trapped next to him, just what he wanted. He was feeling the rush through his body, feeling every single drop of blood going through his veins burning for you, his desire. You had to be only his. He was suffocating himself with the pillow inhaling the ghost remaining of you on the material, his hand in his pants rubbing up and down slowly, gently. Images of your face looking up at him in the darkness of the closet, kissing his abdomen, you just wanted him so bad, he just knows you were soaking for him.

-Fuck… He grunts, he moans, he whimpers, he could even bark for you if you wanted him really. He was being pathetic, but there’s no avoiding. He needs you. He strokes up and down faster, rougher. He can just imagine you taking him so well. That’s it. Without even realizing he cums all over his pants and fingers. He can finally breathe. And you’ll be his, this is enough for him, having you trapped as a scent on his clothes and pillows… for now at least it’s working. You’ll have to understand right? He can’t lie he’s a bit scared… what if you see his true colors and get scared? But you have to understand...right? You just have to, you just get him.

He just secretly adores you so much, he has to…this is enough… for now. You’ll understand surely, he knows you’re different, he’s feeling it. He got big things planned for the two of you, and there’s no way you could refuse him, he knows, he feels the way you look at him, he can’t be wrong with this, he knows you do feel it too. Like the universe pulled you together. This game that he was playing was a dangerous one on the long run, he knows he won’t burn again, getting everything turned to ashes around him, he could drown now, but it was worth it for what his heart truly desired… you.

taglist: @lezleeferguson-120 @hwangjoanna

[workanons]

Forced perspective gribeans - one shot

First post but originally posted this drabble as a ask for the @ludolka for their gribeans au!

I changed a few things and polished it out more! Enjoy.

Note: I'm not English so there's a good chance a few mistakes got in there... I also failed writing class oop

His eyes were tired, he was tired.

The countless cups of coffees and empty energy drink cans littert his table. All he had to do was fix this stupid bug in nulls code. Early in the morning he send a status update about seeing fish swimming in the sky and looking at the code it was there confirmed by the program. Null saw fish fly.

A ridiculous error he couldn't understand at all. Whatever null saw wasn't real, perhaps the program saw bird as fish. But yet it was stupid and needed fixing, he wasn't a programmer like mumbo but having often looked at the man work he picked a few things up. Hopefully it was something he actually could fix.

Cold arms wrapped around him from behind as he went to rub at his tired eyes. The cool feeling easily told him it hat to be the very android that was giving him a headache. "You look tired Joel." The monotone voice of null sounds next to his ear. By now he was used to it, how there was a lack of emotion in that voice. In a strange way, he found the voice calming but that was expected. The intern they had way earlier into the project had a calm and approachable voice, cool guy. "How many minutes until I pass out?" Joel asked instead, choosing to ignore Nulls observation. silence filled the room, save for the wiring from the Many computers and lab equipment, as null began to scan him. A robotic hand grabbing his left wrist, measuring his pulse. "About three minutes and forty seconds. What got you so interested in my code?" Sighing he leaned back into his chair, null releasing his shoulders, the LED's eyes of null scanning his face. Locking eyes with each other. 'how romantic ' Joel thought jokingly.

"You send a report of seeing fish fly so I'm trying to fix that issue." A chuckle. A shiver ran down Joel's spine, nulls laugh was still a strange sound. Not having vocal cords the closest he was able to do was a huming with a up and down frequency. 'beautiful' "Have you ever heard of a forced perspective?" The other asked, looking quet amused ,despite the lack of facial muscles. Upon his own confused stare did null decide to suddenly pull the chair with him suddenly. The wheels squeak with his startled movement. "What are you doing?!" Joel asked alarmed, the Android doesn't reply as he was wheeled to the aquarium further back in the lab. Null made a grab from his arm, that Joel quickly shook off. "Don't lift me up I weight more that your lift limit." Getting up from his chair he looked at null expectantly, Crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sit." "excuse me?"

"Sit on the ground." Sighing he fulfilled the request now sitting in front of the aquarium. Null sat down next to him, looking up at the fish in the aquarium.

"Forced perspective is a technique that employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is. It manipulates human visual perception through the use of scaled objects and the correlation between them and the vantage point of the spectator or camera." Null explains and it didn't take a genius to know that null used a wiki article. Following his gaze he was surprised to see what he meant. From the perspective both were sitting at, aligned the window behind the aquarium perfectly, the illusion that the fish were now flying in the black night sky.

"Flying fish...that's why your program reported it..." Joel said amazed. "Yeah..." Null replied laying his head on Joel shoulder.

[randomyuu]

the way it follows you home, the stories i never told

My guy Vox once again graced us with lovely Goyuu fanfics, and the way it follows you home, the stories i never told, made me go FERAL.

Time travel? Two Gojou Satorus? Double affection for our sunshine Yuuji? Yuuji sandwich? What feels like possible continuation of (you'll whisper, serpent tongue) what you fear you have become???

FUCK.

I need to stop indulging my imagination too much. I should’ve been content with writing long-ass comments but noooooo, my brain goes “you gotta draw it”. DAMMIT VOX, YOU AND YOUR DELICIOUS WRITINGS HHHHHH

So… usually I should’ve picked a favourite scene that is within my drawing capability, but I just… love all three chapters??? So I made a questionable time investment? I can’t stop??? Help???

This is probably the most ambitious fanart project I’ve ever done so far. Fair enough, considering I might combust if I keep these welled-up emotions inside from reading Vox’s Goyuu fics. Fuck.

Fic info:

Title: the way it follows you home, the stories i never told

Author: @voxofthevoid

Pairing: YuuGoGo. Future!Yuuji, Future!Gojou, Teen!Gojou

(idk why I laugh writing YuuGoGo. I’m beyond help)

Currently, it is 3 chapters out of 8. And it’s gonna be NSFW chapter 4 onwards, so don’t forget to read the tags first, folks!

The drawings are under Read More, because I have lots of thoughts surrounding each chapter and drawings. It’ll be hella long if I didn’t hide it here. It was a mess down there. A combination of hours before, during, and after I read said fic. I’d say good luck finding the art among the sea of jumbled words but… you’ll find them easily. Don’t worry about it haha

SPOILERS FOR ALL 3 CHAPTERS! I highly recommend reading those first before diving into these drawings!

Also for the comics, read from right to left please!

From here on, I will be referring to the Future!Gojou as Gojou and the teenage one as Satoru.

Overall, drawing all these is fun! Really fun! This project pushed me quite hard, forcing me to test my limit (because I rarely draw this much back to back). Since this is a combination of drawings and comics, the coloring style will not be consistent. In a way, I want to try some brushes I never get to use, as well as try out my new graphic tablet. Drawing these got me giggling because I was finally able to let loose during line art. It's much easier to do so, and sometimes I just get to reread the fic and giggle to myself for the nth time.

CHAPTER 1:

Whooo. Whooooooooo—

Ok, ok, the premise is just that good. It intrigued me, fascinated me, and I just… oomph. I cannot refuse a Time Travel Yuuji Sandwich. Sign me up.

Honestly, there are two scenes that are just… a bit too clear in my mind when reading this chapter. That would be the one I drew above, and the other is when Yaga called Gojou to come outside of the class. I love, loooove how Vox wrote Satoru’s POV. And when Yuuji fucking giggles?

I lost it.

Can you imagine, drawing Yuuji grins, with shiny stuff, maybe some sunlight, just purely happy and indulging Gojou?

Help me, for I am drowning in my love and adoration for Yuuji.

Page 2 is an experiment on using harsh black as shading (kind of?). I really enjoyed colouring Yuuji, and drawing those buffalo skulls! I wish I can grasp the concept of contrast a bit better tho :v

CHAPTER 2:

This is probably the only chapter where I picture still images instead of comic panels. A bit like those cool chapter covers in mangas. The one I really, really want to draw is the scene with Satoru on the table. Can’t pass the opportunity to highlight Satoru being a brat, albeit a really cool brat.

Cool idea drawing always proves to be a challenge, because of course my artistic skill just so happens to be below the requirement. Thank you, Sketchfab, for the chair and desk’s perspective otherwise I’m screwed lmao

The second scene that I want to draw the most is this:

Gojou is one step away from climbing Yuuji. Also, I have a bit of a problem picturing a man pouting that makes him look crazy instead, so please have Gojou pouting adorably instead. Because, as Yuuji said (with love), Gojou is (also) a brat.

This is possibly my favorite art in this project, after Yuuji's in Chapter 1 page 2. It's clean because I don't have to draw background, and I was having a fun time drawing Yuuji. And Gojou's squishy cheek as well.

Oh, actually, there is a “manga” scene in this chapter. It’s when Yuuji said, “I love Satoru.”

I just—

AAAAAHHHHH YUUJIIIIIII YOU AND VOX ARE GONNA BE THE DEATH OF ME. That secure relationship between Yuuji and Gojou? Satoru’s description of how Yuuji’s smile could blot out the sun??? Not me screaming 💀 I also see bits of hints of possible co-dependency, though I could be reading those wrong, but either way I’m good. Secure and possessive relationships are fun to consume hhhhhh

But yeah. There are too many wholesome Yuuji smiles in this fic, and I… I am not confident enough to draw genuine happiness. It’s too much for me ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

For this chapter, another reason why I chose these two scenes is just because I want to try and draw cover-worthy pictures of Yuuji and Satoru, and Yuuji and Gojou (cough)

CHAPTER 3:

We start the chapter with Nanamin. Ah, Nanamin. I forgot what his teen self looked like and was surprised to see his design again lmao

I want to draw Yuuji and Nanami scene because… I just want to, I guess. I have never drawn him before (Yaga as well) so that's an interesting challenge. I got two ideas on how I want to draw it. One is a bit painting-esque, and the other one is like another chapter cover. In the end, I chose the cover one because I want to emphasise the difference between teen!Nanami and the Nanami from Yuuji’s original timeline, and how the watch feels like a connection between the same (yet not) person. It’s a bittersweet feeling? In a way?

I’m not really good at explaining my intention ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

I love Yuuji’s answer to Nanami's question.

AND FINALLY.

A Yuuji SandwichTM scene.

And oh B O I do I love it. Have I told you I like every chapter? I probably have. But this one? Satoru’s curiosity, Yuuji’s on-brand self-deprecation, and Gojou come strolling down to show more of Yuuji to his mini-self. I want to draw this whole scene, from Gojou finding them, feeding Yuuji snacks, bitch-slapping Satoru into the backroom, to Yuuji growling. Them trying to hide a boner from Yuuji’s growl got me cackling so hard I LOVE IT 😭

I love it all. Please love Yuuji in my stead, Satoru and Satonyan :3

Oh! Also! 40-finger Yuuji sounds really, really cool! I’ll be happy with whatever Vox will give us in future chapters, but 40-finger Yuuji… possible scene with this timeline’s Sukuna… my god. The action! The drama! The bloodshed! One can only hope.

However, as much as I love that whole scene, it’s still too much for me :”) I’m still not yet confident in delivering the humour and action. Also my already-long drawing plan had my brain groaning in protest so I can’t push my luck :'D

When Gojou said "He looks sweet, but he's a bit of a beast", I kept picturing Yuuji staring innocently, but there was an edge to his look. As if the moment Satoru looks away, he will pounce. But in the end I just stick with innocent-looking Yuuji because I accidentally drew his eyes that way and I want to keep it in lol

Since Satoru points out how soft and cuddly Yuuji is, I also want to draw soft Yuuji :v

And the last one… is the last scene. For some reason, I read that both Gojou and Satoru share Yuuji’s lap and was having a frustrating yet fun time figuring out how it’s… physically possible, without having their butts on the ground because they both are not small at all. As I lined the art, I reread it again and… perhaps I read it wrong? Satoru is beside Yuuji, and not on his lap? So yeah, this one might be the least accurate, but hey, at least you can view it as a crack drawing or something :v

AAAANNNDDD I HAVE EXCEEDED TODAY’S BRAIN CAPACITY OF FORMING WORDS

Have I told you I love this fic?

…I probably have.

Have an amazing week (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*

[natsmagi]

Is it me or has the writing quality gone down in enstars? the reason I say this is because although I don't keep up with the game (I am still heavily into enstars I just went on a game hiatus bc im salty for losing my account) I keep on hearing about the writers just absolutely butchering the character's development and mischaracterizing them. It's like the fans know the characters better than the writers themselves. Plus I haven't recovered from my anger from them adding Ibuki to Akatsuki (as well as blatantly ignoring and erasing his Ryukyuan/Okinawan heritage). This really frustrates me

oh for SURE. granted, ive pretty much exclusively been reading switch stories these past few years, so my perspective is limited and theres always a chance im missing something. So do take my word with a grain of salt

but yea no, compared to !-era the quality just. isnt really there. enstars was never perfect, but the stories felt consistent. each story felt like it meant something, even if its something small and slice-of-life-y. one thing ive always adored about the earlier stories is how interconnected everything felt. ive mentioned this before im sure, but i loved how certain stories would take place at the exact same time and if you read both stories you could see the overlap and how their paths cross. it was always so fun to read a story taking place at the same time as one centering your oshis, and then see them have a little cameo in this other one! like you uncovered a little easter egg of extra context!!! and this is a thing ive noticed lacking in !!-era

the big stories in !-era also felt like they actually carried weight. some stories would be over 40 chapters long just because akira had a story he wanted to tell. And this was greatly beneficial for the stories! because it meant the story could be written at a more logical pace. he didnt just rush through bullet points, he weaved a genuinely convincing story. and i feel like this is another factor the quality feels like its gone down so much. everything feels rushed now. a story will introduce a new conflict and resolve it within 15 chapters. it carries no weight but it tries to be groundbreaking and shocking. and nowadays they arent even conflicts that had been foreshadowed or anything. Honestly i think theyve forgotten about how powerful foreshadow can be altogether because they just Dont implement it anymore. at least when it comes to switch

i think the reason for this might have to do with there being so many different writers now. During !-era it was just akira writing the big hitters, and you'd have other writers do smaller, less consequential stories. but now i feel akira is running dry with things he can write, and it does feel like he wants to start distancing himself from the project. And this has resulted in other writers getting to take the spotlight. Which would be totally fine btw! but it feels like none of the writers really know what the others are writing???? and thats why you can feel like a story has a decent set-up only for literally nothing to come from it. thats why conflicts start and end within the same story. It completely breaks the illusion that these are complex characters with complex stories, because they just flatout dont give us convincing complexities anymore. Even if a character has healed from a large character arc, theyll now reintroduce that old drama because. Well it sold back then, so why not??

its so frustrating because i feel like even if enstars WAS to give me a decent story today, itd fall short on the basis that i Know this isnt going to matter like. at All. theyre gonna forget this ever even happened.

u should all know my opinion on Wish by now, but lets pretend for a second that its a good story and was greatly beneficial for the development of switchs relationship together. For the sake of argument. Since the release of this story their dynamic has not been changed WHATSOEVER. with natsume, theyve been DOUBLING DOWN on his insults towards tsumugi. he still mocks his hair and since he cant call him "fuzzy glasses" anymore, hes resorted to calling him "neat glasses"?????? and natsume seems to have gone back to being so fucking Rude, when at the beginning of the new era he had grown so sweet because he now genuinely trusts tsumugi. you give us this huge page turner only to undo literally all growth??? though frankly, it makes sense for the growth to be undone after a horrible decision like that

but you also have tsumugi who is the EXACT SAME AS HE WAS PRIOR. do note ive been distancing myself from the game for a little while now, and esp since after the release of wish, but i saw people on my TL post screenshots from stories with neo tsumugi in them where hes still as clumsy as he was, still neglecting to take care of himself, still overworking himself, and still leading this borderline self-destructive routine. theres been NO CHANGE. WISH CHANGED NOTHING BUT TSUMUGIS HAIR. these stories are only excuses to make grand changes. they dont even care about making it convincing or not anymore. they dont care about what comes after. They didnt think any of this through. i still cant get over them adding ibuki to aktk on a whim and now theres 2 aktk songs that are just never getting ingame MVs because they DIDNT THINK THIS DECISION THROUGH AT ALL.

and again. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF TAKING SORAS SYNESTHESIA AWAY??????????????? i constantly see people trying to defend the tsumugi hair thing, but genuinely HOW can you think it was done with switchs best interest at heart when they TOOK SORAS NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION AWAY?????????????? how do you not see the absolute gutting of switch happening before your eyes???????? and dont even get me started on natsume. hes not safe from this either. But his deterioration is seen through his characterization rather than having literal features taken from him. hes being reduced to some pretty "femboy" and it pisses me off. he has so many complexities and is such a compelling character and hes WEIRD hes supposed to be WEIRD but theyre just. Hes being reduced to pretty guy. and it pisses me off because thats not what made me love him so much.

remember in thieves when switch were given a new secret room they could hang out in like in yumenosaki, where natsume could do his little experiments? remember how NOTHING CAME OF THIS AND NATSUME HASNT DONE A SINGLE EXPERIMENT AT ALL IN LITERAL YEARS???????? the prsk collab was unironically one of the sweetest things they couldve given us because it had the natsume i had grown to love, and it featured his newfound maturity since wonder game. It made me so incredibly happy to see and made me hopeful that maybe........ Maybe things will get back on track.

and then fucking wish dropped LMAO

[babyangelsky]

My Favorite Expressions in Love Sea Ep. 8

That's it. That's my (late) intro this week.

But in all seriousness, although I was somewhat prepared because of the additional previews that dropped for this episode, I don't think it's really possible to be fully prepared for how something might hit you until you actually see it. And parts of it didn't hit great, lads.

Just know that I'm using the term 'favorite' from a mostly acting perspective for this week and probably next week too.

For my own sanity I'm starting off with Mahasamut's fond husband smile. Mostly because I can and I want to but also because we got see a lot of it this episode. The sweetness that I noted last week is still very present.

I was also very glad to see that Mahasamut has forged a very affectionate bond with Meena.

Mira, Viviana, you've got no business looking disappointed that your plans aren't working out the way you want them to and lamenting about it in voiceover when you keep playing these games with my girly. Things will progress if you're clear!

The sweetneeeessssssss.

Vivi makes the best faces when she's watching Tongrak and Mahasamut be sweet. She can't see the writing on her own wall but she can see it on theirs.

Viviana! It's not a competition! It's not a race! Where's P'Kit someone go get him and make him have a come to jesus with Vivi. She's even got Tongrak telling her that fiction ain't reality and that she needs to use her words.

Tongrak, you are gone for this man.

"Nonsense!" he says. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt anymore, is it, Harry? I do love the sibling energy these two have. They're the Spider-Man meme except they're both clowns calling each other out for not expressing their feelings.

It's Mahasamut sleeping peacefully like the angel he is while Tongrak wrestles with the fact that Vivi is right for me.

I expected a lot more smugness and vitriol from Prin given that she's scheming to destroy Tongrak and has done it with such gusto up until now but it says a lot that even she looks disgusted with what she's doing. She won't even let Jak touch her. Turns out even a hell witch has her limits.

But this man? No such luck.

He's making this face after being asked to destroy his child. Prin offered him five million (and possibly more) to hurt Rak and he looks happy about it. Giddy even. That's sheer malice. Absolutely beyond fucked up.

When your adorable teenage niece roasts you for not having any friends and coming to her for advice.

If "Bet." was a facial expression.

Who's the cat and who's the canary now, Khun Tongrak?

Mahasamut's got cartoon hearts floating around his head and baby girl is so done with him.

*holds on to this moment for a second longer*

I throw roses at Peat's feet every week for how fantastic his face acting is but don't think for a moment that Fort doesn't deserve them too because he absolutely does.

Mut's face was all warmth and smiles when he was alone with Meena, then it became more guarded and cautious when they were approached, then we landed at this when Meena confirmed that the trash in front of them was her grandfather.

Fort's face is naturally very sweet and soft. He's got the opposite of resting bitch face but the fact that he can affect one so well when it's so far removed from what comes naturally to him is all in the eyes.

Look at his gaze. His eyes are normally very sparkly but here they look flat and cold and you can barely see his pupils. These are the dead calculating eyes of a shark and they reveal more hatred than words ever could and that takes TALENT.

I have to give An props for that too because he's also very good at the shark eyes but he's using them in a different way than Fort is.

Look at this screenshot and tell me it doesn't feel like Jak is looking through Mahasamut instead of at him. I can't quite describe how his face emotes but doesn't show actually genuine emotion, it's very impressive and unsettling.

The only time it felt like Jak was actually feeling something was when he looked happy about fucking with Tongrak's life.

Save me, adoring smile. Adoring smile, save me.

VIVIANA! I KNOW YOU DID NOT JUST LET KAIMOOK LEAVE YOUR APARTMENT WITHOUT CHASING AFTER HER TO MAKE SURE SHE KNEW YOU KISSED HER AS YOURSELF!

LOOK AT HER FACE. QUIT FUCKING WITH MY KID AND MAKE YOUR FEELINGS CLEAR.

Microseconds were all it took to shift from the gentle loving look Mahasamut was giving a sleeping Tongrak to silent rage as he recalled the encounter with Jak. Microseconds.

Incredulous disgust. I'd lay bets that we all looked like this when we heard Jak say he wanted to fulfill his role as Tongrak's father.

PEAT HAS MADE THIS EXACT FACE AND I HATE IT. NINA MY BABY YOU'RE SO TALENTED AND IN THIS MOMENT I HATE IT. THEIR EYES ARE EVEN A SIMILAR COLOR AND CATCH THE LIGHT THE SAME WAY.

IhateitIhateitIhateitIhateitIhateit my tiny baby princess this is the look of someone so much older than you IhateitIhateitIhateitIhateitIhateitIhateit

Gone. Besotted. Utterly enamored.

How could anyone look like this

when their child is looking at them like this?

I hate how much Jak is enjoying this and there is absolutely no doubt that he is, it's vile.

It took me a very long time to get Chris Chiu's scream out of my head when I watched Unknown and it's going to take even longer for me to be able to look at An Oliver Poupart without feeling my skin crawl.

To end this on a high note, I'm going to point out that Mahasamut's shirt isn't just a solid color.

It's TEXTURED.

The straits may be dire but if nothing else, at least it looks like I'm clowning in the right direction. Let me know if you wanna be tagged in these weekly writeups!

[sunlit-arrow]

About Artemis Parthenia

In my short time learning about Lady Artemis, I have encountered a lot of discussion and reiteration regarding Her virginal aspect. Since Her cult revolved significantly around this commitment to chastity, it is a topic that must be addressed by anyone interested in an in-depth worship of Her. Still, I have made my own reflections and would like to share these here.

(Please note that I am in no way an expert—just a single worshiper writing down her personal perspective on a vast topic.)

It is a lot to unpack since it is one of the main things that distinguish Her as a deity, so I'll go through the following points:

Virginity and Maidenhood

Artemis as Protector of Girls and Women

Artemis and Childbirth

Patriarchal Views on Chastity

1. Virginity and Maidenhood

Homer describes Artemis as "one of the three" who cannot be swayed by Aphrodite's power. This is how we learn that Artemis has no romantic or sexual interest. (While I acknowledge that many of Her myths and their possible reinterpretations can be read through a sapphic lens, that is not the focus of this discussion.)

What is particularly interesting about Artemis’s detachment from romantic love is that She not only rejects marriage but also actively chooses not to marry. From an idealistic, romantic, and modern perspective, we might imagine Lady Artemis declaring that love will never keep Her from the wild and that no man will ever take that from Her. However, we still get to read myths that describe the moment in which Her father, King Zeus, grants Her the wish to stay an eternal Maiden.

Virginity, in this context, does not mean actual chastity but rather a rejection of marriage to a man.

In contrast to other married goddesses, one can only imagine how offensive it would have been to lust after a maiden goddess—something reflected in the many myths where Artemis punishes those who violate Her privacy. Thus, "virgin" or "maiden" became a title that imposed limits on how men perceived girls and women.

This leads me to my second point.

2. Artemis Soteira, Hêmerasia, Philomeirax & Paidotrophos.

When we look at other virginal goddesses like Hestia and Athene, we could go through their cults and analyse why their aspects as maidens are relevant to their domains, but what about Artemis?

Lady Artemis is not only, along with Lord Apollon, the protector of Lady Leto (their mother, who was abandoned in Her time of need); She is also the protector of girls—their untamed nature, their growth through puberty, and their well-being once they are married off and considered women.

Artemis, as the protector of girls and women, remains a maiden because She transcends the control that men have over girls. Her independence and fierceness as the Lady of Beasts is a power no man can overcome, and for that reason, She is a threat to those who would seek to violate what She most fiercely protects: the innocence and autonomy of young girls.

Artemis must be depicted as a maiden not because She must be pure and chaste but because She is an adult, powerful goddess who represents the right of little girls to choose their own futures.

Taking my own perspective, I can imagine Lady Artemis choosing not to marry because of Her love for the freedom found in the wild. As if She wants to share the gift of choice with all, She calls women to Her sanctuaries, offering them a refuge from forced marriages.

"Come with me and be free."

3. Artemis Orsilokhia

So, how can a virgin goddess also be the protector of mothers?

Just imagine being married to a man your father chose for you, being forced into sexual intercourse because it is your duty to bear an heir, and suddenly, you have this little baby—yours to carry, yours to nurture, yours to bring into a world that has wronged you.

Artemis understands the love of a mother, whether it comes from choice or coercion. She knows this because Her own mother suffered while bringing the godly twins into the world. One could say that She held Leto’s hand as Apollon was born.

Here is where I could go on and on into an in-depth analysis of the myth of Kallisto—since, in my opinion, Lady Artemis would never kill a pregnant woman out of rage—but I will save that for another post.

All I want to say, since this post is already long, is that if we examine how earlier civilizations viewed sex, we see that it was often directly tied to procreation. Sex frequently meant childbirth. In this sense, one could argue that Artemis is also a goddess of sex—not as an act of pleasure but as a force of nature. She is a protector against rape and sexual violence, a judge of those who mistreat their partners in intimacy, and a caretaker of those who bear the fruits of fertility.

Once again, Lady Artemis is not against sex or pregnancy. She is a goddess of freedom, and because of that, She is a goddess of choice—of the ability to decide whether to be a mother, a wife, or neither.

4. Chastity Culture and Artemis’s Priestesses

What I dislike most about the modern interpretation of Artemis as a virgin goddess is how it has been used as an excuse to police the sexual behavior of women.

Yes, Artemis’s priestesses were once required to be virgins. Yes, a vow of chastity was demanded. But based on everything I have discussed so far, doesn’t it make more sense for Her priestesses to be free with their bodies as they choose? Why do I still see people asking Artemis’s priestesses if they have taken a vow of chastity? Why does it matter?

Let me put it this way: as the Lady of the Wild and the Mistress of Beasts, how can we even begin to imagine the untamed forces of life without sex?

This may be a controversial opinion, and I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, but continuing to demand chastity vows from women as a condition to validate their devotion to a goddess who protects girls and women is an insult to much of what She stands for.

Do not let chastity culture corrupt Her worship. Teach children how to say "no." Teach them to recognize manipulation, grooming, and abuse. Teach teenagers how to have safe sex, how to ask for and give consent. Teach people to respect their bodies and that "No" is a complete sentence. Discuss sexual violence in relationships, peer pressure, and healthy understandings of sex and love.

Worship Lady Artemis by giving people all the tools they need to choose for themselves. And if their choice is to have sex, let it be in the healthiest way possible.

[adelrambles]

Tips on Writing Bishop

I've been asked a couple times for advice on how to write a good (03-style) Bishop, and I'm well-aware he can be a bit tough to get a grasp on. As someone who's studied him specifically to learn how to write him as accurately as possible, I figured I'd compile some thoughts in case it'd be helpful to anyone else. I know a lot of Rise takes on him are basing off the 03 version, so maybe this could help generate ideas, too. SO!

Big Overall Points!

At the core of EVERYTHING Bishop does are two primary motivations. The first: the protection of the earth. What this means to him can get tricky, because it doesn't necessarily mean protecting the people, at least not all of them. But it will be better understood alongside the other:

The second: The protection of his sense of safety. Bishop has been deeply traumatized, and everything he does is born of a want to avoid that pain ever again. In his mind, earth is a safe area, a controllable factor, and anything outside it is a danger that must be eliminated. This is why he will still be willing to put himself and other people on the line in service of this; any sacrifice is worth the greater goal. (It's worth noting, Bishop will claim the first as his motivation freely, but is likely not consciously aware of the second.)

Bishop deals in Big Picture ONLY. Another reason Bishop will willingly throw away anything, including the lives of the people he claims to protect, is that he seems incapable of understanding things on a small, individual basis.

Bishop is a cold personality. He does not have strong displays of emotion. He does emote, but for the most part it's muted, so I recommend using emotional bursts very sparingly. (In my own writing, as an example, I try to limit my use of exclamation marks in his dialogue as much as possible.)

At his core, Bishop is afraid, and his response to fear is aggression. This also makes it particularly difficult to talk him down, if he's put in an emotional state. His response to not being in control is often violent retaliation.

With those basic tenants understood, let's move next to some major personality traits:

Bishop is a controlling personality. This is a direct result of his trauma response. Things that can be controlled are safe, therefore he must control everything. If something cannot be controlled, it's a threat that must be eliminated. If he doesn't know why something happened, he becomes angry (including even when it benefits him.)

Bishop is very low-empathy. When writing him, I try to keep in mind that he cannot put himself in the perspective of others. (Or if he can, he doesn't care to.)

Bishop is a sadist. He gets personal enjoyment from hurting others.

Bishop likes fighting, but only when he's winning. He will quickly leave if he can't see a guaranteed victory.

Bishop is paranoid. This is probably self-evident, but it's the reason he's often so well-prepared even when things don't go to plan.

Bishop genuinely seems to enjoy science. He's shown to be far more lenient with scientist characters than anyone else, and he seems to involve himself in his scientists' projects to a degree. Enough to, at the very least, understand their work. (Given he was the one set to dissect the turtles, it might also be argued he has some medical or biology background, himself.)

Bishop is an opportunist and scavenger. He can roll with failures as long as he can find something to get out of it. If he's presented with an opportunity to stab someone in the back, and he has something to gain? He'll take it without a second thought.

Bishop is deeply self-blind. For all his perceptiveness and strategic prowess, Bishop is not very self-aware in the slightest. He is completely blind to his own hypocrisies, and thoroughly confident in his own righteousness.

Bishop adapts fast. He accepts situations for what they are and acts (Though he may still be angry about them, or what have you.) This is likely a skill developed via longevity; the world around him has changed rapidly, but he doesn't feel out of place at all.

Bishop will take extreme risks and thinks wildly outside the box. Also self-evident, if you're familiar with the plans he enacts throughout the show. He'll put a lot on the line if he thinks the reward is worth enough, and he's willing to go to extreme lengths to get what he wants, even if his plans would be considered crazy by normal standards.

Bishop is persistent. If he wants something, he won't stop until he gets it. If he fails, he'll retreat, make a new plan, and try again. It is very difficult to convince him to back down (and certainly not on moral grounds.)

Habits and triggers I've noted:

Being restrained of any sort puts Bishop in a panic. He is more likely to have an emotional response in these scenarios, and seems to have (an albeit muted) desperation to escape. (See: Leatherhead restraining him in the first encounter; His reaction to being trapped on the surgical table in Head of State.)

When being duplicitous or suppressing a reaction, Bishop will go to adjust his tie. This could possibly be considered his tell.

Bishop seems to have a particular fear of aliens blending in as humans. His slayer project was built around the assumption that this is a common threat. (Worth noting: This makes The Shredder the model of the exact threat Bishop is afraid of. Technically, Bishop himself may also fit the description of a threat shaped like a human.)

Writing considerations:

In 03's narrative, Bishop is EPF and EPF is Bishop. Narratively speaking, any organization Bishop is head of acts as if it is an extension of his will and character.

Bishop is shown to strike fear and/or discomfort into most characters he interacts with. Anything beyond this is an outlier, and will draw a reader's attention.

Dialogue-wise, Bishop is generally succinct and blunt. He does dabble in gloating, though, and especially likes to upset others. If he's given a chance to be mean, he'll usually take it. It can help to consider he has a Mission Mode and a Normal Mode. When it comes to Mission Mode, he gets straight to the point and hates unnecessary talking. Otherwise, he's still not very talkative, but will take the time to make pointed jabs or talk through a plan. A lot of his sense of humor seems to be rooted in how He's Better Than You (And You're Going To Die Painfully.)

It's a common pitfall that Bishop is depicted as seeking out the turtles. In 03, once he gets their DNA, he's done with them. Any encounters after that are incidental. Bishop does not care about anything that won't effect his greater goal. If he's targeting another character, it should have to do with a greater plan.

Bishop is an extremely competent combatant, shown to be able to handle up to 7 opponents at once. For a breakdown on his fighting style check out my other post on that!

Bishop is hard to kill, and oftentimes he accidentally contributes to his own defeat. (The hook from Bishop's Gambit is an example I get a LOT of mileage out of, as a perfect symbol of his self-defeating prophecies.)

We almost only ever see Bishop in the context of his work. While it could be construed that he depersonalizes himself, it's much more clear that the narrative depersonalizes him. As far as we, the audience know, Bishop's work is all that he is.

It's unclear if Bishop was released from his abduction or escaped. Depending on which you ascribe to, this can have ramifications for his mindset on how to deal with the alien threat. (Personally, because so much of his inability to cope hinges on a feeling of helplessness, I believe he was released. If he escaped on his own power, that undercuts it, somewhat.)

Thematically-speaking, Bishop parallels both his own torturers and his own victims at the same time. He has perpetuated the cycle that traumatized him in the first place by trying to fight fire with fire. (In that vein, I don't think he's capable of understanding that, not seeing aliens as people in the first place, just dangers. Considering how deeply ingrained his trauma is in his worldview and actions, it would probably ruin him, if he were ever able to actually grasp it.)

Bishop and EPF are likely a commentary on the military of the time 03 was coming out. This can be something worth keeping in mind, when figuring out his greater themes in your story, though it can just as well be discarded if it doesn't fit.

Adding to that, Bishop has an extensive american military background. His skills and knowledge will reflect that.

Bishop also plays on and references a number of real-life alien conspiracies. It can be worth digging through conspiracy history to drum up ideas and themes, too.

The ethical and philosophical quandaries of Bishop's body-hopping and humanity tend to not hold too much weight, because Bishop, himself, doesn't seem to care.

If I think of more I'll certainly be adding on to the reblogs of this post! Or, if you have more thoughts, please feel free to add! If you're in the mood for more Bishop ramblings, that's practically most of this blog atm, but this post is a particular favorite. If you're interested in Fast Forward!Bishop, specifically, consider this post! (also read Taking Pawns. slipped in that self-promo, nice.)