#And that I should talk about them more often

[onceinablueberrymoon]

intentionally by chance | husband!salesman x pregnant!reader

scenario: a month after seeing the salesman on his way to the airport, gi-hun returns to that subway station every day, hoping to find the salesman and confront him. this is where you come in. setting: takes place after the events of season 1, but before gi-hun hires the loan shark group to search for the salesman warnings: deception; pregnant!reader; no use of y/n; second person POV word count: 1.3k notes: salesman fluff! ♡ this guy’s been plaguing my thoughts for weeks now, so i had to write about him. my first fic in years! i like to think that S1 salesman is more chill than in S2. please enjoy! borders by @strangergraphics-archive

“Excuse me… Can you please help me?”

The red-haired man, who was perusing the endless options of cup ramyeon, turned in your direction, but remained planted a few feet away from you. 

“Me?” He pointed at himself.

You nodded, adjusting the items you were holding in your arms. “Can you grab me that cup of ramyeon from the shelf? I’d get it, but my hands are full…” 

The man walked over and retrieved your cup of ramyeon. As he handed it to you, he noticed your pronounced bump under your sweater and furrowed his eyebrows. 

“Miss, you’re in no condition to be carrying so much. Please, let me help you bring it to the checkout.”

With your approval, he unloaded the rest of your snacks into his arms. The two of you walked to the register, where you insisted on paying for his own cup of ramyeon. You suggested eating the ramyeon at one of the tables outside the subway station’s convenience store, but he insisted on sitting on a bench on the subway platform. 

“Is there a particular reason you wanted to eat here? It’s not the most ideal dining spot…” You slurped your noodles happily. The man ate slowly, popping his head up every so often and eyeing his surroundings carefully. 

“I’m… looking for something. Nothing you should worry yourself with,” he continued to eat his food while you gave him a skeptical look.

“Perhaps I could help? Well, as long as I don’t have to move very much,” you chuckled, patting your stomach. He gave you a soft smile before changing the topic. 

“Shouldn’t your husband be buying you food instead of you coming to get it yourself?” He gestured to your bag of snacks, and you giggled.

“My husband buys me all the food I want, but sometimes I just want to get out of the house! It’s no fun being cooped up all day,” you sighed. The man nodded in understanding. 

“It’s also nice to talk to other people, like you,” you smiled at him. He returned your smile, but then his eyebrows shot up when a sharp smack echoed throughout the platform. 

The man jumped up, his cup ramyeon forgotten on the bench. You turned to see where the noise had come from, only to find a group of students huddled around another student who had dropped their textbooks on the ground. From what you could hear, it seemed like they were holding them for a friend but couldn’t handle the weight.

The red-haired man froze for a few seconds, then sat back down, heaving a big sigh. 

“Are you alright, sir? There’s nothing to worry about – it was just some books that fell.” You tried to comfort the man in some way, but he brushed the incident off. 

“I’m fine. It just… reminded me of something,” he tried his best to give you a reassuring smile, but it didn’t convince you. “Don’t worry about me. Please eat,” he gestured to your unfinished ramyeon, “you need strength for your baby.”

The rest of your time together was pleasant, but you were still not convinced that the man’s reaction was nothing. You both finished your noodles, disposing the packaging and your utensils before parting ways. 

Once you returned home, you put the remaining snacks away and settled on the sofa. There were still a few hours before your husband was due home. You got yourself comfortable, curled up under a blanket, and drifted off to sleep.

“Rough day?”

You cracked open your eyes. All you could see was a blurry grey shape, but you already knew who it was. 

Blinking your eyes a few times, your husband’s handsome face came into focus, with his usually crisp grey suit looking a bit creased. His usual smirk graced his face as he looked down at you on the sofa.

“I should be asking you that. What happened to your suit?” You sat up and he sat down next to you, leaning his head on your shoulder.

“One prospective player became violent when he lost at ddakji for the 20th time in a row. Of course, I was able to subdue him, but it took more effort than usual,” your husband tried to press down a crease on his sleeve, but to no avail. He rested a hand on your rounded belly, gently rubbing circles with his fingers.

“How was today? I trust you succeeded in your mission?” 

You scoffed, “He was exactly where you said he’d be. I was able to have a conversation with him. We even ate ramyeon together for lunch!” 

Your husband turned to face you, an eyebrow raised. “You ate ramyeon together?” He gave a small pout, “I thought I was the only one you ate ramyeon with.”

Immediately, your face flustered as you explained yourself, “Hey, you know that I would never cheat!” Then, you scoffed, “We ate cup ramyeon, alright? Not whatever fantasy you’re imagining in that head of yours.” He laughed, pecking you on the cheek.

“Oh, but I have some exciting news,” you said with a sparkle in your eyes. “He’s still looking for you. And he’s basically gone mad trying to find you.” This caught your husband’s attention.

“While we were eating, there was a loud noise. Turned out that a kid dropped their books. But Gi-hun didn’t know that. He shot up so fast I swear I thought he was possessed!” 

Your husband seemed to take in your findings carefully, continuing his circles on your bump as if they helped him focus. 

“He wouldn’t tell me what he was looking for, but he specifically wanted us to sit on the subway platform, so I think it’s safe to say he’s searching for you.” Your husband had previously informed you that he had spotted a player he had already recruited at the Incheon Airport subway station, albeit with flaming red hair. After talking with the Frontman, he confirmed that Seong Gi-hun was indeed the winner of the 33rd edition of the Games. 

Once you shared the rest of your intel with your husband, you let out a big sigh. 

“Should I meet with Gi-hun again? It’d be useful to know his location and I could maybe gather more info,” you looked at your husband who had since sat up, but he didn’t take his hand off your bump. 

He pondered your question for a moment. “While I would benefit from knowing his whereabouts, I’m more afraid of something happening to you,” his voice sounded strained. “I wouldn’t be there to protect you and our child.” 

You leaned onto his shoulder, resting a hand on top of his on your belly. “We’ll be fine. If anything, Gi-hun was also concerned for me because of the baby,” you winked. “Maybe they’re the key to earning his trust.” 

Your husband’s lips tightened into a straight line. While he wasn’t happy that you would spend time with someone who clearly despised him, you were right — your pregnancy would lower Gi-hun’s defenses. You knew how much your husband’s schedule was impacted by Gi-hun’s constant presence on the AREX subway line. It would greatly help your husband if you could keep Gi-hun at one station while he recruited prospective players for the Games. 

Your husband kissed the crown of your head and stood up, attempting once again to smooth out the crease on his sleeve. “We’ll see. I’ll talk to the Frontman to see if we can get you any additional protection. I still don’t like the idea of you being around Gi-hun alone. If he learns of our relationship, I imagine he will use you as ransom,” he clicks his tongue, “We can’t have that now, can we?” 

You shook your head and stood up next to your husband. He wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer to him. 

“For now, continue researching prospective players. I’m almost done with your last batch,” he flashed his signature smirk, which you returned with a soft smile of your own.

“On it. Rumour has it that Tapgol Park has an abundance of people down on their luck…”

[shouyuus]

Hiii, I’m the person screaming crying throwing up every time you post, love ur stuff!

Anyway… I’m thinking mechanic!vi prolonging the time it takes her to fix your car just cause she wants you coming around the shop more and then when she does eventually fix it she kinda worries you’re not gonna stay over at hers as often but u decide to ask her if u can move in or smth like this?!?

Idek tbh my brain is so fried from over consuming Vi content

all you have to do is stay

mentions of sex, but no explicit scenes, car mechanic!vi au oh she absolutely would; there's actually so much stupid domestic bliss in this wow

and sure, the hookup was good in the beginning, but she liked it when you came around, liked it when you'd show up at her shop, all shy and wide-eyed, asking her if you could watch, and who's she to turn down such a pretty girl, right? and honestly, she thought it was kinda cute, how you'd try your best to ask her about this or that, and she'd find herself rambling about her favorite kinds of pinon brackets, or talking you through a chassis restoration for another vintage car that was brought in.

it shouldn't take a whole-ass month to rig a crossflow radiator, especially since the rest of your car's actually in pretty good condition, but she keeps on picking out other things to do, insisting that she's already here anyway, sliding out from under the car with a crooked grin, asking you to pass her another cold beer.

but there's only so many things she can make up before it's obvious, even to you that there's not much else to do. so when the day comes, she's quieter than usual, tallying up the extensive list of repairs that she's both done and made up for herself to do (you'd insisted that you at least pay for the major ones, and if the smaller ones came with a dinner-date and dessert in bed afterwards... well.)

"and... i think that's all of it, sweets."

she hands you the receipt, immediately tucking her hands into the pockets of her light-wash jeans. her shoulders shrug up as you look down the list. it's way less than that she should be charging you for, but you peer up at her, frowning at the pinch between her brows and the tension clear in her muscles.

"vi? what's... wrong?"

"ah -- it's nothin' sweets, don't worry your pretty little head over it."

she teeters forwards and back, as if she can't decide if she wants to move closer or back away. but you're already reaching for her, closing the distance between you with your head cocked, your eyes bright and questioning. and she could never resist it when you looked at her like that, so toe-curlingly trusting. as if there wasn't a thing in the world she could do or say to drive you away or upset you.

sometimes, she'd lay awake and wonder if you knew how dangerous that kind of trust is -- how someone less scrupulous would take it and twist it into something foul. but she'd never let that happen -- at least not while you wanted her around.

"violet... we might not have known each other for very long but... you're not a very good liar," you say, reaching up to cup her cheeks, coaxing her eyes back to yours. she laughs -- it's a tiny, helpless sound; it shakes her open in a way that startles even her, the way her whole body wants to fold over you, into you.

"geez, sweets... that's... that's not really fair of you."

she lifts her hand to press them over yours, hands over hands, petaled around her cheeks, and it occurs to her that perhaps this is what it means to live up to her namesake -- violet. you'd said it was a beautiful name the first the she told you what vi stood for.

"you're not really fair either, vi... but that's never stopped you, has it?" you ask, a mischievous glint in your eyes, your lips twisted up on a fox-hole smile.

vi sucks in a breath. something feels like it's clawing up the length of her ribcage and burrowing through the hollows in her chest till she can taste it pitter-pattering at the back of her throat. it takes her a full three seconds to realize that it's her own traitorous heart, beating so strong she can taste it on her tongue.

"fuck."

and then she's kissing you, pulling you to her, fingers harsh and desperate, her touch lingering like month-old grease-stains the way they dig into your delicate skin. you gasp open for her, against her -- you let her tug you into her till there isn't a part of you she can't reach if she wanted to.

the kiss breaks like a dam bursting open, and a few seconds later, she's got you hoisted up on her workbench, wrenches and old receipts scattering to the floor as she slots herself easily between your legs. it's a familiar place to be, after all -- after all this time.

you hiss, fingers fisting in her hair; it's longer now, than when you first met. and she'd be lying if she said her letting it grow had nothing to do with your offhand comment once (over yet another impossible banana sundae) that you liked it long.

"vi -- vi -- please -- you --"

"hm? what is it, pretty girl?"

"you c-can't just try to distract me w-with sex every time --"

and she can't help the grin that hitches over her lips at the way your chest is heaving, your eyes blown dark, the way your thighs shake on either side of her hips. but she can see the flicker of worry in your eyes and her stomach twists with uncertainty.

"i -- i don't --" she tries, but a breath puffs out of her and she sags against you, "it's... just... now that the repairs are done... there's not really much reason for you to come around... and..."

at her words, you heave a sigh that seems much too big and weary for your body, pulling back to fix her with a surprisingly sharp look.

"you really thought i was coming around here to listen to you talk about my car repairs?"

vi does her level best not to pout; hearing you say it out loud, it does sound... a bit childish. instead, she leans forward and digs her nose into your neck, wrapping both arms around you till she's got you cocooned in her chest.

"what? you weren't interested in the new pressure washer i got just so i could get that really stubborn stain off your back bumper?"

you trail your fingers through her hair, letting your nails graze along her scalp. a shiver washes down the length of her back and you giggle close to her ear.

"sure i did... but you could talk about... dunno... your favorite dish rag, and i think i'd still wanna listen -- because i like listening to you talk about the stuff you like... because..." and its your turn to hesitate, her turn to pull back and fix you with a look -- one that's equal parts pleading and disbelieving.

"because what, pretty girl?" she asks, her voice low and husky, a thumb running across the round of your cheek.

"b-because i -- i like you, vi."

your eyes flicker away and color seeps into your cheeks like dye across clear water -- the shade blooming into you till vi's sure there's no color so beautiful as the one that you are now.

"mm... well, thank god for that cause..." she leans in to press her forehead to yours, "i was starting to wonder, what with all the multiple orgasms and midnight munch sessions and --" she laughs as you squawk indignantly at her, your eyes flashing wild and wide.

"t-that's not what i -- you know that's not --"

"oh? so you don't like those?" she asks, the tease now so obvious in her voice that you flush several shades darker. vi thinks she may have to amend her previous decision on her favorite shade of you. and you're outdoing yourself today.

she lets her free hand wander to the bend of your hips and she gives you a squeeze.

"i --" you steady yourself in the solidness of her, reaching down to lace your hands with hers, "of course i -- i like those things too but i -- i like that you're the one doing them to me and --" you swallow; vi tries not to be to distracted by the hummingbird flutter of your pulse as you struggle to find the words, even though both of you know full well by now exactly what you're trying to say --

sometimes, just sometimes, words speak just as loud as words need to. and the actions are just there to back them up.

sometimes, there are certain things that people just want to -- or need to -- hear said out loud.

"i -- i wanna come over even when there's nothing for you to fix... i..." you steady your breathing and vi nearly drowns in the certainty that settles between the pair of you, an ocean full of of unsaid words (the ones that don't need to be said to be understood), drifting like sunlight over shifting waves -- their brightness made no less real by their shimmering reflections in the water, "i guess i just... wanna be wherever you are. like... all the time."

vi's eyebrows hitch; her breath follows shortly after.

"all the time?"

you bite down on your lips, "yeah but... i know it's only been like... a month or whatever --"

"no, no god -- sweets, i -- i want that too -- more than anything -- it's just --" she motions at the shop, and you nod, catching her hand in yours mid-air.

"it doesn't have to be right now," you say, smiling and giving both her hands a firm squeeze.

"yeah?" she asks, a rare quiver to the shape of her voice.

you nod, "yeah." and your voice is just as solid as she needs it to be. you lean in to kiss her, and she sighs open against you, as you've done so many times for her.

"we'll -- we'll make it work," you say, in between harsh, nipping kisses, even as vi groans and trails her mouth along the line of your jaw. you gasp, letting your head tip back, "w-we'll t-take it s-s-slow -- mmngh -- vi!"

vi hums as she sucks a dark hickey into the side of your neck, feeling savage wanting plume open in her chest. she looks back up at you with darkening eyes and a hunter's smile.

"dunno if i know how to take it slow, sweets --"

"w-what about all those t-times you told me t-to wait --" you keen high in the back of your throat as she drops to pillow her cheek to your thigh, flipping up the bottom of your skirt to dig her nose into the damp triangle of your panties.

vi scoffs, rolling her eyes as she glances back up at you with a playful smirk.

"oh fuck you."

you lick your lips, reaching down to sink your fingers into her hair again, pulling just hard enough for the an ache to gather in her belly.

"thought that's what you were trying to do."

vi stands up, pulling you bodily forward till your ankles are linked at the small of her back, her palms holding up the plush of your ass as she walks the pair of you back into the house and up the thin flight of stairs to her room.

it's a good few hours before either of you are coherent enough to talk about any of this again, but by the time you are, the twilight is budding along the far horizon, and vander's texting to ask vi if he should pick anything up on the way back from the bar for dinner.

"you wanna stay for dinner?" vi asks, twisting to glance at you in bed, her face illuminated by the digital blue of her phone.

your pillow your cheek on your hand, "yeah, i'd love to."

"cool, what do you want?" she asks, her eyes turning back to her phone.

you lick your lips, "how about... you ask vander to pick up some tomatoes? i can make one of my grandma's old soup recipes. you have potatoes and cabbage right? and... i think i saw some pork bones in the freezer the last time i was here."

you cast your eyes up at the ceiling, ticking through a mental list of ingredients.

you only turn to shoot vi a glance when you realize that you can no longer hear the rapid pik-pik-pik of her fingers on her phone.

she's staring at you with what could only be called wonder in the halfway dark.

"you... remember what's in our fridge?"

"well i -- there's not much in there --" you say, almost indignantly.

she laughs, shaking her head, "no, it's just -- i didn't think you'd ever notice something like that, i mean, pardon me for thinking that you've never set foot in a kitchen in your entire life, what with you being daddy's little princess and all," she goads, nudging you with an elbow even as you squirm away from her, pouting.

"i'll have you know that i'm actually a really good cook, okay?" you tell her, "when -- when i was little, and my grandma lived with us, i'd help her in the kitchen all the time. and... after she got too old to make stuff... i was the one who cooked for her, because she said it tasted like stuff she'd eat in her childhood so..."

vi shuffles closer to you under the blankets, nuzzling her nose into your cheek.

"and just when i thought you couldn't get more perfect," she murmurs, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

you giggle, allowing yourself to be tugged back into her chest.

"i told vander to pick up tomatoes... and to invite silco and everyone else he can round up over for dinner."

you squeak, shooting up, "what?!"

vi grins, pushing up with a soft yawn, "you can't just tell me that you've got grandma-level cooking skills and not expect me to invite my whole entire family, right?"

you tumble out of bed, nearly tripping over your panties, still caught around your ankles. you pull them up, scrambling for one of vi's big shirts to toss over your body as she watches you from the bed with an indulgent smile before swinging her legs off and standing up to pull you back into her chest.

"calm down, sweets -- i'll help you, kay? now, tell me what you need."

you nod, pulling on a pair of her jogging shorts and twisting your hair into a haphazard bun out of your face as you start listing off ingredients, hopping the last two steps onto the first floor landing and fluttering into the kitchen.

by the time vi rounds the doorway, it's to find you with vander's massive apron already tied around your waist, an several pots and pans stacked on the countertop.

"i need three onions, and a head of garlic and... a few bay leaves, if you have them. it's okay if you don't --"

vi fights back a grin (it's a losing battle, she thinks, but it's one that she's considering losing for the rest of her goddamn life if it meant doing this every day with you).

"sure, sweets -- whatever you need."

you nod, rolling up the sleeves of your shirt as you set to work peeling the potatoes. a few second later, vi pops up from the fridge, frowning.

"looks like we've only got one onion, but i found some shallots... not sure how good they are though... they were kinda shoved into the back." she holds up the bag with a grimace.

you blink at her, and for a moment, vi thinks that you're going to be angry, or at least a bit frustrated. but then, your face breaks into a sweet, helpless sort of smile, and you reach out to take the shallots from her.

"it's okay," you say, in a voice that sounds just a little too much like coming home, and vi has to swallow passed the peach-pit suddenly caught in her throat.

your fingers brush against hers as you point her towards the half-peeled potatoes, and she gets to work without you even having to ask.

you lean up onto your tiptoes and press a kiss to her cheek, your eyes bright as fallen stars when she turns to look at you.

"it's okay," you repeat, smiling up at her with that smile that just might rhyme with forever, "we'll make it work, okay?"

vi licks her lips; there's an entire ocean of saltwater words caught behind the tombstones of her teeth that she does not know how to say. but she thinks, as she looks at you and you turn back to fussing over the one onion and handful of shallots, that you probably know it all anyway.

"okay," she says, before turning back to the diligent work of peeling the potatoes.

[redwyverndht]

ok. to all those people saying "the people are fine, I don't like the CCP": do you actually know anything about the Communist Party of China? Anything at all?

Do you know about their policies under Deng Xiaoping, the balancing act of "liberalization", how if affects more than one billion people every day, and how those people interact with their government?

Do you know about the practice of Democratic Life Meetings (民主生活會), how officials, from the lowest local offices, to the highest of ministers, are meant to debate and rid the Party of inefficiency through open debate? Do you know how some see it as a mostly ceremonial task with no real impact in policy, and how it's seen as a revival of Maoist thought and policy?

Do you know how all Chinese companies, per art. 5 of the PRC Constitution, have Party offices and committees as part of their company structure, which often host? Have you ever wondered how that changes employee relationships, HR practices, how that could affect culture?

I can't find any English-language information with a neutral view of everyday Chinese culture. Nearly every single website in English talking about committees in enterprises are Forbes, The Guardian, US intelligence agencies. This makes sense, I looked it up in English.

But have you ever seen where your perception of the Communist Party comes from? It's not from everyday Chinese people. Do you hate the CCP, or do you hate the idea of it the American government and its allies of the neoliberal order have planted into your mind? Why do you always mention Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, Tian'anmen Square, Mao's Great Leap Forward?

That is like having everyone only mention the United States in terms of Jim Crow, chattel slavery, imperialism in the support of both fascist dictators and inefficient and unequal neoliberal regimes in Latin America, the killing of millions of people in the Middle East... I could go on for a while, but if you're American you probably know all that.

But is that your entire life?

I am NOT saying governments shouldn't be criticized. But you can't imagine what it is like when those criticisms are the ONLY thing your country is reduced to. If you're American, everyone is forced to know about you. Everyone has to care about your elections, know what a "Republican" is, because you are the hegemon of the planet. For now.

Americans will never encounter that reduction and xenophobia regarding their own country's legacy, because, inevitably someone will go "what about everything else?" Your movies, your inventions, your art, your music, your lives. Everyone will remember them, whether they want to or not. This does not negate oppression inside the United States, nor the actions of its government.

You should criticize that.

But the average citizen outside the American imperial core will not have that same grace. They will have their entire country, their identity, reduced to those things. To Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, Tian'anmen Square, Mao's Great Leap Forward. To the Cartel, drug smuggling, crime rates, insecurity. To religious extremism, to poverty, to the eternal victim of violence.

To you "criticism" of their country's government.

Have you ever considered that the internal politics of other countries is those countries citizens' business? How you should shut the fuck up about governments you don't know, about oppression you don't face? Maybe you should focus that energy ranting about the CCP into actually making a difference in your own country?

How about you shut up when you don't know what you're talking about?

[melminli]

what would it be like to be in a romantic relationship with cho hyun-ju? l headcanons

short summery - a few scenarios about dating the one and only, cho hyun-ju! (w/ fem!reader)

a/n: i’m not a trans person so i obviously can't know what that feels like, but i also never want to ignore that part when writing smth w/ her since it's an integral part of her identity! lmk if there ever is something that i should fix!

dating hyun-ju would probably have to happen either before her transition or quite a while after because she just wouldn't be in the right headspace to meet someone new during the early stages of all that change. it just would be a period in her life where she needs a lot of space and time for herself, so romantic relationships would definitely not be one of her priorities.

however, dating hyun-ju before she starts her transition would give you both several options on how to manage this step in your relationship. firstly, you would have to think about your sexuality a bit, if you haven't already done so. especially, if you would still want to be with her! it would obviously be difficult for hyun-ju to finally decide to come out to you because she loved you and didn't want to risk losing you, but of course, she would still respect any decision you made! sometimes you just have to let go of the things you love, even though it would break her heart if you decided to stay friends. but, either way, she was glad that she could trust you with this!

dating hyun-ju after she came out to you would lead to you helping her as much as you could through the steps of feeling more comfortable in her body and standing by her side after losing family and friends. you were ready for her to share her mental problems and more with you, so that you could support her, but hyun-ju would try to burden you as little as possible with all that stuff. having you by her side was enough for her and she also just didn't like complaining to the one person who made her forget about all the negative things in her life. so, maybe after a while, you two would agree that she should try therapy! it would be something that could reinforce her in a way that she felt more comfortable with when it came to her problems, and it would help her tell you about some things in a way that wouldn't overwhelm you or her.

dating hyun-ju would generally mean that you would always feel safe by her side, not only because she was a very understanding person and a good listener - but also because she was well aware of her own physical strength! there was a time when she was very ashamed of it and it wasn't her fault that society didn't consider muscles and stuff to be 'feminine', but you didn't want her to dislike herself for something that you loved about her. so, you did some research and discovered some great female personal trainers, wrestlers, and the like to show them to her! self esteem wasn't something that could be built overnight, but seeing other women who were like her and confident should still help somehow, right? besides, you two eventually started being fans of these people!

dating hyun-ju would mean that she would unconsciously take care of you in different ways. whether that meant taking you out somewhere or cooking for the two of you. honestly, you would have a hard time returning the favor because hyun-ju would insist that she liked giving more than taking, but she also deserved to sit back and relax sometimes! so, there would be more moments over time when she would let you take the lead and let herself get spoiled a bit.

dating hyun-ju would involve, that you only had to mention something you liked in a conversation once for her to buy it for you. she's pretty observant when it comes to things like that!

dating hyun-ju would mean that when you went to bed at night, you would often have long pillow talks until one of you fell asleep. the length of the conversations always varied, of course, but you both especially cherished the time on days when you were recovering from a busy week. you would just lie close to each other for quite a while, whispering quiet things to each other while the nightlight was on, and find comfort in each other's presence.

[mexicanvarianz]

I just love to think about Nuru and Yong a lot more than varigo even if i don’t draw both Nuru and Yong often, especially with the whole betrayal. From what i have seen, it all focuses on Varian and Hugo but i don’t see much about how Yong and Nuru feel. I usually see how both Nuru and Yong comfort Varian, which is understandable, they care about Varian a lot. But then again, these are kids who put all their trust a random person, and have become a founding family all together where they trust and count on each other. Yong who sees Hugo a lot as a brother and looks up to him and same goes for Nuru, she may have not trusted him at first but she stepped out of her way to start trusting him completely and actually getting along with Hugo as a friend and also like a annoying older brother, i think both Hugo and Nuru learn about their differences of growing up in different social classes.

Yong didnt take it so well, he act out of frustration and anger probably the way varian reacted in S1, Yong felt that all Hugo’s encouragement and support for Yong was all a lie and to gain his trust making him feel like a complete fool of himself. He’s very snappy at anyone completely now having trust issues as well, this is his first time being betrayed after all and he feels so naive he feels like he should kept his guard up instead of trusting anyone or look up to anyone he sees as a cool person.

Nuru at the moment was back to square one with her feelings, when she realizes Hugo was working for Donella, she completely shuts down emotionally, she has this moment of “i was right but i wish i wasn’t” she kept her feeling to herself and first thing that comes to mind is to comfort Varian and Yong but she was also hurt in processes of this and is affected by Hugo’s actions as even with their differences she still viewed Hugo as family. At this moment Nuru gives hugo the silent treatment and only speaks a little to him without letting out her anger or sadness.

Varian saw all of this and his first instinct was to put them first then think about his feelings about Hugo later, he saw himself a lot in them, how they felt, the feeling of being hurt, and betrayal where you feel completely lost. Varian would comfort them the way no one did for him when he was at his lowest, he understood Yong’s anger and try comforting both Nuru and Yong, try to teach them how to cope in a healthy way and letting them know they aren’t alone and he understands how they feel. Instead of comforting one person, they comfort each other.

I have talked about this before on my instagram story but i wanted to posted it on here!

[thinkingaboutbees]

Hi, I'm the OP of this thread on Bluesky. I thought I'd come on here and upload some of the analysis I've done in later-additions to this thread, which weren't online when Tumblr-OP @carucath made this post, as well as a recent interaction with Rhianna Pratchett, all of which I think are useful bits of contextual info/expansion. I've seen a few people in the notes/reblogs saying things about the fan-desire to rush to defend their faves etc., and kind of discounting my analysis because of that. While I agree that fandom spaces absolutely do have a huge problem with that, and that retrospectively reading Neil Gaiman's work looking for 'signs' that he was a piece of shit the whole time isn't actually constructive/doesn't really add anything useful to the discourse, my intent with this thread wasn't to try to absolve PTerry or put distance between him and Gaiman (though I can see how it reads that way). I'm more interested in looking at how 'known' people like Gaiman move within fandom spaces, as well as how our parasocial relationships with public figures, and the cult of personality which some people build up around them, can often help to protect them or even enable their behaviour (worth remembering that a number of the women Gaiman assaulted/abused have talked about being fans of his work, or meeting him through fandom spaces, or, even when not fans of his work as in the case of Scarlett, still being a bit over-awed by his fame and reputation). I suspect that Gaiman's embellishment of his relationship with PTerry helped to build up his persona in SF/Fantasy fandom spaces after Pratchett's death, contributing to his personal Cult of Personality and fandom parasocial relationships with him. Over the last 5 years especially, Gaiman has had a pretty meteoric rise in the public eye outside of online SF/Fantasy fandom spaces & conventions. In particular a number of his works have been adapted for TV across various large streaming-platforms following the success of Good Omens, with high-profile names attached to them, and large marketing campaigns. By positioning his Good Omens adaptation as 'Terry's dying wish' of him, Gaiman has gained a lot of attention for it and for his other work, increased his own public standing, and thus directly profited off of Pratchett's legacy and the public perception that the two were close friends. (Obviously GO was adapted with the support of Rhianna & Rob, but, as you'll see in these other threads, we probably should think of it as being primarily a PTerry novel, with some minor input from Gaiman). Some personal context: I hold two degrees in English literature (both with Firsts, or a 3.7-4.0 GPA for the Americans on this thread), as well as a research-Masters degree in Creative Writing (with a high 2.1, because I developed a chronic illness which made me bedbound for 6 months of that degree lmao). I have a long-standing personal and academic interest in both Gaiman and Pratchett's work, and have written multiple essays on Terry Pratchett's style & his approach to genre, including some for my Masters degree. I generally stay out of fandom spaces these days, and these threads have sprung out of my own prior research and academic work. While I'm yet to seek a PhD, I have previously been employed by the English Literature department of the main university in my city, where I was the tutor for one of their undergraduate courses (this means I was responsible for organising and running the weekly group tutorials/workshops which make up the other contact-hours for students outside of lectures, providing one-on-one support and feedback for students who asked for extra guidance but didn't feel it was complex enough to go to the head lecturer, and for marking student-essays). I do eventually hope to go in to academia/lecturing, but right now am taking a few years off from studying since finishing my Masters to pay off some of my student loan debt, get my health back on track, and to focus on my creative practice and writing career.

There was an interesting thread on Bluesky dissecting Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's relationship

TL:DR - It seems like Gaiman has been exaggerating the level of closeness between them for YEARS

[somuchbetterthanthat]

Actually I think there is a very funny world out there where people were just assuming for years that Vander and Silco were a thing (how could they not, they're not Subtle about it) except Vander and Silco, touch-affectionate as they were, brother in arms as they were, determined to do a revolution together as they were, etc. were... not. Yes they'd fall in the same bed often - after talking about their dreams and their plans -; yes they'd always be in each other's spaces, but then again if you saw Vander with Felicia or Cole you know he was Just Like that with his Family, and he'd just gained Silco's trust and was proud of that.

They have an horrible betrayal and a harsh divorce and they haven't even ever kissed; yes perhaps deep down they might have been vaguely aware the other meant the world to them and they wanted to spent their life together but it didn't quite register back to wow we should jump each other's bones, tenderly kiss, and get married.

but then the kids learn their story and Benzo still assumes they were together so Ekko assumes they were together so everybody else is just like D:. We need to bring them back together. Powder cause she's a romantic. Vi cause she believes it might bring the dream of Zaun back into Vander's eyes. Claggor because he wants Vander happy. Mylo because he is apprehensive and eager to meet the mysterious, shadowy Silco.

It works, i'm sure, but i do want Silco and Vander, YEARS after having had rolled their eyes at countless people assuming their relationship, glancing at each other and having to slowly explain to kids that. no. they. were not. like that. ("but you wanted to" Powder says, eventually. "right? right?") and Silco and Vander exchange a new glance, more charged, and, well.

[jthealien]

Foreshadowing I’ve Found for THAT Reveal

Spoilers for the Season 1 finale under the cut!!!

HI GUYS HOW ARE WE FEELING WOW

I’ve spent the weeks in between the fast pass release and now rereading and looking for every bit of foreshadowing I could find for B- I mean Nox… being a key. (Or at least key adjacent)

Side Note: I’m playing fast and loose with the definition of foreshadowing here. Some are pretty small details or silly observations, but my list my rules :P

So here it is compiled in a massive (vaguely chronological) list with numbered photos!

Also if there’s anything I missed (I’m sure there is) please add it!!

———

1) The literal first scene of the comic is a crescent moon (in a purple background), which we now know is Nox/the villain key’s symbol

2) (Ep. 13) Nox knows “plenty about the keys.” uh yeah I bet you would

3) (Ep. 13) Chase asks if Nox is part of Ex Libris and wants to make the keys more miserable, which seems to make him really upset. It’s understandable, I’d be pretty upset if I was implied to be working with my tormentors to make my own life even worse.

4) (Ep. 13) From the start Nox assumes Chase wants the keys for something selfish. Considering Ex Libris treats the keys like objects, and some of the keys (like Bronze) are pretty weary around people, that’s not an unreasonable assumption. Nox is so accustomed to being used by higher ups for selfish wishes

—This puts his outburst in Ep. 31 in a whole new light, specifically the line about Chase wanting to befriend the keys. He’s so convinced that couldn’t be true because it’s never been true for him.

5) Each of the keys has a specific junk food/snack they like. Silver has cheese, Bronze has peanut butter, Goldie has gummies, and it seems Nox has chocolate :]

6) (Ep. 20) “Every last thing” about the keys is his business in his words

—Guess that includes himself

7) Metals can rust, and Nox isn’t a fan of water (besides baths, but I assume that’s because he can control when he goes in and for how long)

8) When you stick a key in a book, they automatically know the story (as said by Bronze in Ep. 21). This explains why Nox seems to know a book’s plot no matter what

9) (Ep. 28) He says that the keys can take advantage of “certain loopholes.” In that moment, this is a reference to what characters a key can use for their role. But it could also be a nod to how keys can technically use other keys to enter stories. He’d know that since it’s what he’s been doing this whole time.

10) In the infamous “They feed you, right?” scene (Ep. 29), we’ve always kind of assumed that — yeah — Ex Libris just doesn’t feed him often. But in this scene, Chase ALSO says “keep you locked up.” I have a feeling that’s actually what Buddy got upset about. Ex Libris probably did keep him locked up as a key, which has to be really traumatic considering his severe claustrophobia.

11) (Ep. 31) Nox assumes Chase’s wish is just as “self-serving” as his is, which we now know is to be human again.

—(Nox actually projects a lot of his own feelings onto Chase, I’ll talk about that some other time though.)

—Referring back to number 5, during this whole confrontation, Nox is convinced that Chase only wants Narratonin for a wish. As a key, of course he’d think that, because that’s all that the humans usually around him want.

12) ”Nobody should have to accept being the villain if they’re trying their best not to be.” (Ep. 30) and “I get it, you’re the villain around here…” (Ep. 32)

—He literally IS the villain

—(Also I didn’t have room to include it, but Nox gets a really sad look on his face after Chase says that last line. yikes..)

13) (Ep. 32) In response to Chase talking about trusting humans, Nox says “them.” He could’ve said something like ‘people’ or ‘anyone,’ but his wording here implies that he sees human beings as separate from himself.

14) The crescent moon necklace on his outfit in Sick Days, as well as the half-ones on his jacket. If you really think about it you could also count the gemstones near his eyes as representing his gem eyes.

—It’s maybe a little strange that this outfit is the one he decided to make so similar to his key form. But it makes sense considering the previous arc was Beach Boys, where Nox became more trusting of Chase

15) (Ep. 35) He’s never been sick because keys can’t get sick.

16) (Ep. 36) He says “real people” and “person,“ showing again how he might not think of himself as either of those. (See number 13)

17) (Ep. 39) There’s a lock on Nox’s coffin

18) (Ep. 39) I originally thought it was the lighting but nope, his ear is literally gray! Also his hair here is less spiky at the ends, like how it is in his key form

19) (Ep. 39) He looks surprised by his reflection, because he’s only used to seeing his human form while in the books.

—In fact, since you can’t see yourself in the book mirrors, when’s the last time he saw himself as a human?

20) (Ep. 39) The broken key-ring looking thing around his neck

21) (Ep. 49) “Good, that means I’m taller than someone for once.” if only you knew, Chase..

22) The entirety of Ep. 50 confirming that keys can go into books

23) (Ep. 53) He gets really pissy over the idea of his teeth being “baby”. Might be carry over from his grudge against being like 5 inches tall in reality

24) (Ep. 53) His claustrophobia could stem from being stuck in his key form and being put in a box for weeks or months at a time.

—He keeps repeating that he just needs to “wait it out” and “it’s fine” because that’s all he could do and think as a key

25) (Ep. 54) “That moon is too close” following the scene where Buddy decides to lower his guard and work on his harmful behaviors. We now know the symbol of the villain key is the moon, so it could be Nox trying to distance himself from his role as the villain.

26) (Ep. 55) The crescent moon on Bad Cat’s lapel

27) (Ep. 56) “Some people are very good at disguising their true nature” in reference to Nox. It’s quite literal, in this case.

28) All the characters’ eyes are drawn in a very specific way, no matter their color (black shading taking up half the iris, the white shine). Every character except Nox, that is.

—Well, every character except Nox and the key’s human forms. I always thought it was meant to make him seem more intimidating (which it Does), but it really might be a byproduct of being a key. The queen in Friends and Family (Ep. 56) almost has Nox’s exact eye color, and her eyes are still colored in the usual way. So it’s definitely more than a stylistic choice.

—Makes me wonder what Nox looked like pre-key form. ..Did he still have his bright blue high beams..

29) Dreams by Day is about a key having a dream/flashback, and Dreams by Night is.. also about a key having a dream/flashback

———

And that’s all I have for now!! I’m absolutely going to find something else the millisecond I post this but like u said please add anything you notice.

[pokemonshelterstories]

"impact of socioeconomic status on how people’s pokemon care is perceived," can we hear more about that actually? i'm very curious to hear what you mean and your thoughts on it! if you've talked about it before, can i get a link to the posts?

sure! i don't want to give too much away since i may publish this later, but i spent a lot of time looking at how a trainer's socioeconomic status correlated to the amounts/kinds of welfare issues they were reported for.

unfortunately, pokemon care is something that is widely influenced by the wealth and perceived status of the trainer. obviously the wealthier a trainer is, the more access they have to pokemon with more intensive care needs and to owning more pokemon in general- and in many ways, this is a barrier to lower class trainers toward being able to compete at a high level in different forms of pokemon-oriented competition.

this isn't necessarily an issue in terms of whether or not anyone is entitled to be able to raise a certain pokemon (i still believe the vast majority of people should not try to raise the vast majority of pokemon, just in terms of how difficult it is to properly care for them), but it does cause problems when we talk about who's setting the standards of care for pokemon. a champion-ranked trainer or master contest coordinator is far less likely to have their care or training questioned than someone in low-level competitions. and because of this perception, we see an over-reporting of welfare concerns for less wealthy trainers (this is frequently compounded by factors like race as well), while welfare concerns are rare when it comes to the upper class. the types of reports are different, too, as are the consequences: a lower class trainer might be indefinitely banned from competing because their pokemon's body condition is below average (an issue that can often be remedied with education and access to higher-quality food), while an upper class trainer might get a slap on the wrist and a temporary hold on competition for overuse of pain medications to keep their pokemon battling through injuries.

one of the case studies i presented that really got me interested in this is of a wild absol named kui. kui lived in orre before cipher's invasion, but she disappeared along with all the other wild pokemon. she's recently reappeared and has been spotted throughout the region. she's actually started alerting a friend of mine who does ranger work out there to potential disasters. kui was never a captured pokemon. instead, she was befriended by a member of a native tribe, and while she was allowed to wander freely, she chose to stay among the tribe for the majority of her time. as a pokemon educator, i've been trained to see that as poor pokemon care. absol are powerful and dangerous pokemon, and habituating a wild pokemon like that without catching it is normally something i'd warn against. but that's the way this tribe has been raising pokemon for generations! and the bond they formed with kui has resulted in a positive outcome for both her and the tribe.

i've had to really reflect on my own personal biases in how i view people's interactions with pokemon as a result of researching this. i do still hold to a lot of the beliefs i have about the way people and pokemon should interact with each other, and i still think it's important to educate people on how to care for pokemon in a safe and respectful manner. it's just a good reminder that we need to care for pokemon welfare at all levels without making assumptions based on things like socioeconomic status!

[tobiasdrake]

This is why populism is so effective and so powerful. Democrats need to get better at having emotional conversations with voters. They need to learn how to humanize themselves and empathize with the people they're talking to.

Feelings don't care about your facts. We got killed on the economy in this election cycle because the facts said the economy was good, but people were still hurting.

"The unemployment percentages are--" I can't find a good job.

"Interest rates have been--" I can't afford bread.

The average person doesn't care what the numbers are. They don't care what the statistics say. They form their positions emotionally, not logically. They care about what they're seeing and feeling, and they need a narrative that connects to their personal life experience.

The Democrats said, "You don't know what you're talking about. The economy is fine, actually, and you're wrong. We just need to keep doing what we're doing because everything is fine."

The Republicans said, "You're right to feel that way, because the economy is broken. Your feelings are valid and you're right. And it's the immigrants' fault!"

And between the two arguments, "The facts say you're wrong" and "Let me tell you who to blame", voters elected hate. Because hate validated their feelings. Hate spoke to them on their level. Hate offered a narrative they could understand, instead of charts and 500-page statistical essays.

The facts are very important and should be used to inform positions, but they aren't persuasive. You can't convince somebody that the sky is actually green by offering them a light spectrum analysis. They're going to look at it and go, "Looks blue to me." You're wrong. You're not speaking to me on my level. I'm not voting for you.

But if someone else comes along and goes, "Yeah, sky's blue 'cause of all the chemtrails being poured into it by socialists," then they might nod along and go, "Those bastards." Because they understand that.

This person gave them a reason for why the sky's blue instead of simply telling them that it's not. A bonkers reason. Absolute dogshit. But a reason they can accept and internalize. It certainly sounds more correct than the sky being green.

"Okay, but as soon as they fact-check him, everyone will realize--"

NUH NUH NUH NUH NUH, let me stop you right there. Because they aren't going to fact-check him. If it sounds right, then it is right. That's how most people form their positions on complicated subjects they don't really understand. If they had any desire to independently research this topic for themselves, they would already know he's wrong.

This is where Democrats need to improve. The facts are on our side far more often than not. And that's great! We should be taking factually correct positions. But we need to get over our instinct to try and crush a fool in the Arena of Logic and Debate, and learn how to present ideas in common language and in a way that's empathetic to common experiences.

We need to learn how to talk to people who sincerely do not know what we are talking about.

the lesson I'm taking away from this election is not that the Democrats need to become more left wing or more right wing but moreso that they need to find a way to cater their rhetoric towards people who genuinly have no idea what is going on. the target audience for every speech and political appearance should be someone who doesn't know what the three branches of government are because they were drawing a Cool S during high school civics

[addysadness]

Debunking common Lando Norris hate / misconceptions :) 

Debunking common Lando Norris hate / misconceptions :) 

Lando “bottles” starts / turn 1 - This is so overly misused and has led to so much ridicule, hate and toxic memes and harassment. What most people who use this don’t know or bother to look into is that Lando’s reaction times were actually always consistently in the top few times compared to the other drivers.  For example, throughout the 2024 season, the commentators (helped by the AWS stats) noticed that Lando’s reaction times were on par with his rivals. However, the gears made a strange sound and indicated that, although the MCL38 took time to launch, it was not due to LN’s reaction time or start but rather related to the car. (See Zandvoort) Mclaren realised that the MCL38 had a glitch that had occurred in multiple races and events across the 2024 calendar: ”It wasn’t the smoothest of starts to the race for Lando, though, as he experienced a small glitch finding second gear during his acceleration from pole,” said Mclaren.  Despite Mclaren’s eventual recognition of the mechanical fault they didn’t help dissipate the “bottler” narrative and continued to paint Lando in a negative, blaming light as seen in multiple points and situations throughout the season.

The “its luck not talent” comment from Brazil 2024. THIS WAS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT BY THE MEDIA, He was not referring to Verstappen. Even if it was, Lando retracted the comment or rather the media twisting it in the FIA gala. And even talking about his win in Miami being lucky because of the safety car

The situation with Tr*mp in Miami, it was a bad situation all around however what do people expect him to do? All of the drivers are trained in PR and have to be careful and measured in response to the media and guests. Tr*mp was having a Republican party conference in the Paddock suite and visited Mclaren due to the location of their hospitality and garage. He also posed with several high ranking F1 officials including Lando’s direct boss Zak Brown and the heads of the FIA and F1. No person would risk speaking out when multiple people with authority over your job and status are interacting - specially in a time of high political divide. Also, Lando has mocked and expressed his hate for Tr*mp multiple times on stream in the past. He has also gotten in trouble for speaking about social issues in the past (along with Lewis and Seb) as the FIA have barred drivers from talking about their political beliefs and stances.

This is a good article by Planet F1 with more information and a good perspective on the way that Lando would have to be: “his comments sounded like a young sportsman desperately trying to stay neutral and not come down anywhere but sitting straight on the fence.” :

The truth behind Donald Trump’s Miami GP visit in a tale of unfortunate events

People calling Lando unsportsmanlike and not a Team player. Lando has always been extremely team centric and has said for years that he is motivated by his team and making his team proud. He has a very close relationship with a lot of his mechanics, often getting them tickets that they struggle to get, taking them out for dinner and keeping an eye on personal life details such as noticing when one of his mechanics got a dog. LN always thanks Oscar when he has the opportunity in both post race debriefs and pre podium interviews (see Singapore 24 and many others). In the 24 season he did multiple things for Oscar in terms of giving him points, wins and helping defend to protect Oscar’s position (In Baku 24, he held Perez off).  In the Qatar Sprint Race, he unprompted and, actually against team direction, gifted Oscar the win as well and ensuring Oscar was in P2 in the first place by slowing down to give him DRS Slipstream the whole race.  I personally don’t think Lando should have done this but it shows his good character - even in Hungary he did give Oscar the win. 

And despite the horrific treatment and emotional manipulation by his team he still congratulated Oscar after the race, praised his talent and DID spray him with champagne despite popular misconception. 

He regularly shows respect for all the drivers, having good rapport with most of them. And doing things like having a meeting with Franco Colapinto and his manager in Brazil and trying to help him with easing into the expectations and spotlight of being a F1 driver. 

Lando isn’t perfect, he has done things that aren't ideal but he tries to learn from them. Most of the times he has acted imperfectly - like the Hungary cooldown room comment - was when he was coming down from an adrenaline high after a race where he was treated horribly by his team.  In fact,  Lewis said later he saw no harm in it. 

Lando has always done a lot of charity work, raising money for causes like Dementia, deaf and blind children, BLM (e.g.  "I’m Happy They Unfollowed Me"- Lando Norris Bashes His Racist Fans - EssentiallySports), NHS, and Mind (mental health awareness), despite receiving a lot of backlash because of this. He has spoken up about women in motorsport and his company Quadrant have multiple female members and recently posted a blog about Women in motorsport on their website:

THE WOMEN SHAPING MOTORSPORT: LOTTE VAN DRUNEN AND RUTH BUSCOMBE – Quadrant

Let’s be as kind as we can as we all love this sport and should be united by this not the opposite. Just because we prefer some drivers doesn’t mean we have to hate the rest.

[purplehalnw]

So, I've been seeing a lot of people talking about how disappointing it is that Jayvik (the non-canon mlm ship) is more popular and is overshadowing Caitvi (the canon wlw ship) and how it's likely because of the fetishization of mlm ships that often happens in fandoms.

And... I definitely won't deny that mlm fetishization is a factor in this, however I'm kinda bothered that some seem to think that this is the ONLY reason Jayvik could possibly be more popular than Caitvi.

In my opinion, part of the reason Jayvik is so popular now is because them in season 2 was essentially Caitvi in season 1.

With s1 Caitvi there were those moments that clearly showed that they were into each other however viewers didn't know if the writers would actually go for it and have them be together, especially with the long wait. So, many people obsessed over these scenes, analyzing them and using them as "proof" that their ship is real and valid.

The same thing happened with Jayvik in s2. They had those moments like in ep 2 when they "broke up" or their fight scene in ep 8 or their death scene in ep 9. Moments that could be and many people interpreted as romantic but weren't explicitly said to be. One of the biggest arguments I've seen in this fandom now is how Jayce and Viktor's relationship should be interpreted. So, naturally people hyperfocus and obsess over these moments with Jayvik, creating several posts about them and using them as "proof" that their ship is real and valid. Just like with Caitvi in s1.

But Caitvi in s2? They kissed in ep 2, there was no way anyone could deny that they loved each other, there was no need to obsess with the ship as much because all the proof of their validity was just laid out plainly.

Plus, there's also the fact that the discourse around Caitlyn's arc and Caitlyn and Vi's dynamic and potential toxicity due to their class differences has kind of understandably turned people off of this ship. While Jayce and Viktor definitely do have their class issues, it was never a main focal point of their relationship or as intense of a point of conflict as Caitvi's.

[scrubbinn]

Mimic HRT: month ??? “Fulfillment”

“Alright, see you later, Grace.”

 Floating in the void, Mayday waved as another headmate floated away into the ether. She had made a habit of communicating with her others during her time here. It was surprising how many there were here, how long she had been suppressing them. But here, with no one else to talk to… it was nice. Pleasant even.

“You like her, don’t you?” 

Laborer rested next to Mayday, the first one of them to reach out, Often getting into fights with her, but always trying to steer her onto a better path. Laborer didn’t really fit them anymore. More like a navigator.

“N-no! I mean… She’s cool, I guess… Shut up you nerd!”

Definitely like a sibling.

“So. What now?” They asked. “You've met all of us. At least, everyone that I know is here. You still want to stay here?”

Mayday thought for a moment. The image of a doorway back home came to mind. There probably was one somewhere, but it'd been so long since she stuffed herself in here. What was the outside world even like? Did anyone look for her? Did anyone ca-

“You're spiraling.”

Her mind halted as she processed the words. It still wanted to continue her thoughts, but there was something about the words coming from them that made her reconsider. They carried the tone of “of course I know what you're going through.” She decided that maybe she could just rest a bit first. 

“Does it ever get easier?” She asked, already knowing the answer.

“No.” They spoke with a cheerful tone despite the topic. “Maybe for some, but not us, that's why we're here. To help ease the burden. But I know staying here, just because it's what you're used to, isn't helping. You know that too, don't you?”

“It's where I should be. I'll be a burden to everyone else if I leave. And you won't be there with me.”

“We will though.”

Mayday could feel the presence of her headmates grow closer. Her attention turned to the warmth of those around her. The friends and family that had always been there. Now finally visible to her. Despite such physical impossibilities of the void, it felt like a big hug from so many people. She found it hard to imagine this many people actually wanted her. She wanted to cry, but she had no tear ducts to show her joys and sorrows. Maybe she wasn't meant to stay in the void alone. Maybe she would come back here, but it wasn't nearing anytime soon.

“Maybe sounds like Mayday, that's probably why I'm so wishy-washy.”

A voice next to Mayday starts laughing. “Where the hell did that come from? That's the lamest attempt at sounding clever.”

Mayday laughs too. “I felt like being a bit silly.”

This was a new feeling for her. Completion? No. It was just happiness. Not the kind you have by playing games or going shopping, but the kind you're aware of, the kind you can hold onto and bring it close to your chest. The blanket of joy that lets someone sleep well at night. It was like sitting In a sunbeam.

“What if I end up doing something bad and hurting someone?”

The navigator spoke “You won't.”

“But what if I do something stupid, or I mess up, or I get worse and I end back here?

“You won't.” They chuckle at the reassurance.

“But how can you be sure!? I'm a monster, I might decide to abandon all of you.”

“You won't, and we won't leave you, we've been here. We've always been here. I don't know why we're here, or how long we'll stay, but we won't abandon you.”

“But, but… You could handle things so much better than me.”

“Mayday. This stopped being my story so long ago. It's yours. You're doing amazing.”

When Mayday opened her eyes, she was sitting in her room at THEMS, right in the middle of a sunbeam. She was back in Hyper city. At first she was terrified. Where were the others. Would she never be able to talk to them? But faintly, she heard the words in her mind. She calmed herself, breathing slowly. She checked her phone. Three months had passed since her trip. This was going to take some explaining to everyone.

Mimic HRT: Month 27 “The End”

“That's quite the story.” Dr.Gates spoke softly as the mimic in front of him had finished recounting her tales.

She had been appointed a therapist by Erian and Alexis after her runaway vacation. She didn't mind. It was probably about time, and all her previous doctors sucked.

He spoke again in a soft tone. “So, do you feel better recounting everything?”

“Yeah,” she spoke, matching his tone automatically. “It's helped us come to terms with what we are. Sort of.”

“Do you still have those nightmares?”

“...Yeah… I, don't think they're ever going to go away, but they don't panic us like they used to. Still the same dream: halfway through eating my friend's bodies, and any wounds start shapeshifting back into healthy flesh, then suddenly Miller, or Erian, or Abi crawls out of one of the bodies. I wake up eating my bed frame. At least they're over quick.”

Dr.Gates writes something down before speaking. “Abi appearing alongside Miller and Erian is new. Did something happen between the two of you?”

Mayday bites off a part of the couch she sat on. Dr.Gates didn't seem to mind.

“We broke up a while ago. Mutual. And we're still friends. Besties, even. But, between our transition, and explaining our plurality. She said she stopped recognizing us after a while. I guess I get it… Let's talk about something else, please.”

“Of course. Is there something else you wish to speak on?”

She sat and thought for a while, she didn't actually think of something else. Her confusion and frustration became apparent.

Dr.Gates interjected into her thought process. “How is your work with Erian going?”

Mayday perks up. “It's going great! I mean, we're still looking for new clients, but besides that, we're looking into new ways to support therians with detailed timelines of what their treatment will look like, and actual documents with guides, procedures, and resources for those starting their journeys. There's a lot. I, er, we want to create the tools we never had for everyone that comes after us.”

“That's quite a noble task, I look forward to hearing your progress on it.” 

He quickly checked his watch after a small beep came from it.

“Our time is almost up, one last thing before you go though. I want to ask for your progress on what we've talked about last time, with how you see yourself.”

Mayday couldn't help but let out a sigh. That's what most of her journey was, slowly accepting what she was, all of the struggles that came with it.

“I think…” She spoke softly. “I think it's really easy to blame yourself when things go wrong for being who you are. Although some of my problems were my fault. But… maybe that's what therapy is. Learning to not blame everything on yourself. It sounds like basic kid's morals, when I put it like that. I think we just lose sight of it easily… I'm a mimic. What that says about me, how I act, how I see myself, how I see the other parts of me, it doesn't matter anymore. I like being a mimic. Faults and all.”

The polar bear smiles. “A very nice thought, Mayday. I think that will end today's session. I'll see you next week.”

Mayday smiles back. “See you around.”

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Start - Prev

Thank you to @ashen-vulture for letting us use the character of Dr.Gates

So yeah, This is the final chapter of Mimic HRT. It was originally going to be posted on Friday, but after hearing about Dragon HRT, we decided to wait until now. What does this mean for this blog? Well, you might have noticed it took about a month between the previous chapter and now. We've been busy. With friends, work, studying, and learning to draw and code in RenPy, we've been busy.

So here's the new project! We're going to start working on an Animal HRT visual novel. Obviously this projects will take a while, but we will still be writing smaller stories for this blog in the meantime.

Hope all of you enjoyed Mimic HRT. Thank you for all sticking with this series. Love yall lots, and see you for the next project.

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Mention list: @a-shramp, @calliecwrites, @be702, @respectfulevil, @hyacinthdoll1315

@aster-is-confused, @bloodandbrandywyne, @glitchgloop, @nyxthewary, @lunadook

@celestemysterios, @i-am-trans-gwender, @reliablegal, @bookmothic-dyke, @fluffytransfemkittykatwitch

[zorilleerrant]

Ohhhh, I think about this a lot, and Murderbot is such a good example! Easing readers into a story will make it read well the first time, but if they ever try to reread it, all the exposition becomes glaring. Usually that's annoying and feels pointless, but sometimes it can highlight problems with the plot, characterization, or even the worldbuilding itself. It gets too big the second time through. (That's why everyone's always on about exposition.)

The typical way of getting around that is introducing a plot context or character relationship where people would be explaining the important parts of the story. Sometimes, people use an unusually verbose or nitpicky narrator who wants to keep talking about random mostly irrelevant things. Murderbot, though, does my favorite, and one I think is sorely underused: the stories just throw you in and assume you'll get it eventually.

(This is one of the particulars I'm talking about when I say fanfic ingrains good writing habits, too. Fanfic almost never tries to handhold you through establishing the known quantities, so it's no surprise a ficcer knows how to do this!)

It can be hard going into a story planning to do that, especially if you're a writer who does a lot of worldbuilding or otherwise keeps really detailed notes. You've made a lot of decisions! Unfortunately, to make the story flow, you're going to have to wait to share most of that with the reader.

The Important Parts:

There are things the narrator doesn't know about the world. Lots of things are true in real life, but you don't know them either; this is pretty much inevitable. Murderbot is fun about this, because some things it has opinions on, some things it doesn't understand, and some things just feel normal to it!

These include things most people in the world would know, and they include things the readers might/will likely know. Murderbot has a lot of trouble with emotions, which is relatable, because we've all had some trouble with that, but it really establishes how non-human it is that it often assumes humans never have any similar trouble. Characters in a different world won't always share the same premises as in your world.

The character should know things relevant to it. This is the most commonly talked about, I think, because a lot of the most aggravating exposition is a character 'learning' through an explanation of something they should already be deeply familiar with. It's not just about general facets of the world, though; it's important that characters know a lot about their established specialties. Murderbot may be confused a lot of the time, but when it knows something, it knows it. Or it's faking knowing it and it learned it from TV.

Different characters should know different things! I think this is often overlooked in favor of trying to streamline the worldbuilding, so most characters tend to have the same background but different specialties. But in general, lots of people are working from different premises and expectations about the world, not to mention different life experiences. Murderbot does this in an especially fun way because it's always speculating about whether other people know what it knows or if they think it knows what they know, adding an interesting metafictional quality to a strong basis for character building.

When the narrator likes or cares about something more, they talk about it more, and when they like or care about it less, they talk about it less. The worldbuilding is all equally important to you, and maybe to the reader, but a character will latch onto only specific things. Murderbot has so many of those specific things! And it will go on at length, until it gets to a metaphor roundabout on occasion. This fleshes out the character more than the world, but it's important to establish your lens.

Especially since most 'truths' about the world aren't universal! There are always going to be prevailing attitudes and common myths and personal biases. These add to the worldbuilding, because you can see different ways characters interact with the world and how they come to think this way. There's not just one culture, let alone one subculture, so you need things that seem different. Murderbot, with its relatively unique perspective, is adept at showing you how many different ways different people think about things. And yet, it keeps insisting all other SecUnits think just like it! Which is a particularly wonderful bit of character and worldbuilding.

Anyway, if you think you need to tell the reader something up front, no you don't. It'll probably slot in seamlessly three chapters later, and give you a chance to let the details appear organically. Let them live their lives and care about what they want to!

An important writing lesson I'm taking away from Murderbot is that you don't always have to ease your readers into the world and the characters and speculative concepts. Sometimes you can just start with the fun part where there's a sandworm trying to eat someone and that's fine too.

[enihk-writes]

Can I suggest a she fell first he fell harder with Chung Myung

[when he sees me]

pairing: chung myung x f!reader

summary: he'd always known that she liked him, he just never knew he did too.

═══════════════

longing gazes weren't meant to go on for long, it was a movent of artistry in itself. to watch someone when their back is turned and to then turn away when just before they look back. it's like a dance, a push and a pull like waves coming in at high tide.

she thinks she might have looked at his back enough times to have his visage imprinted in her mind's eye. she loved all beauty that walked on this earth — he wasn't that much of an exception. at first, at least.

she liked how long and thick his hair was, and oh, she wished she could run her hands through it. when they were younger, their white uniform made him look rather cute. now, in their black uniform, she thinks he's grown into a dashing young man. his features developed beautifully over the years too, and she couldn't help but take notes on it. from his strong brow that turned up into a sharp point at the ends, to the slope of his nose and the fullness of his lips —

covering her heated face in realisation, she slinked down to the floor with her knees to her chest.

oh no. she was in love with chung myung.

═══════════════

he can see her from the corner of his eye looking at him, her trying to be discreet didn't work at all — he should've felt a little uncomfortable then, but somehow he didn't mind her staring.

it didn't take him long to put two and two together and figure out how she felt about him.

how could he not? when he sees her, she ducks right out of view with her shoulders raised — something she tended to do when she got bashful, just one of her habits he'd noticed.

or that time he turned back to see her still in her daze and in her little daydreams, her eyes filled with a silent, quiet flame of adoration.

at some point he'd begun to stare at her too. he appreciated how she always wore her heart on her sleeve — if she was happy, her eyes would crinkle up at the corners. if she was disappointed, her gaze would turn downwards as her hands play with the loose threads of her clothes. if she was confused, her eyes widened. he'd know she was upset and angry if there were tears gathering at the outer corners of her eyes.

he felt his insides twitch a little. nervousness? no, that's not it. well, it's not serious, so he'll think more about it next time.

═══════════════

she was a very careless girl, someone who was in her own little world up in the clouds most of the time. while he was a rather careful man, who always seemed to see too much, or know too much. and that was all the opportunity certain schemers hanging around them needed.

they should have known it wasn't a coincidence, when the door to the study room locked by itself as she came in to deliver paperwork to him.

they should have known it wasn't a coincidence, that they were both paired up in the sect duty roster pretty often.

they should have known it wasn't a coincidence, especially when the head of the medical hall or tang soso were sometimes too busy and had her come and patch him up on their behalf.

the awkward small talk slowly became casual conversations that would end in comfortable silence as the two stayed next to each other. he couldn't have known then that it would plant small seeds in his heart that took years to grow into vines that wrapped around and tugged down tightly whenever he was with her.

═══════════════

it all clicked together in the middle of one summer's night — chung myung sat up in his bed, hands grabbing at his hair and practically ripping them off it's roots. how could he have been so slow? how could he have been so stupid?

you are actually.

no i'm not! he snapped back at the sarcastic voice of his sa-hyung in his head.

it was funny how the metaphorical final piece of the puzzle was that damn namguang kid. he really thought he was so slick when he stole glances at her, huh?

stop being so jealous when you can't even admit to your own feelings.

his head dropped back as he stared off into the darkness, uncharacteristically quiet.

the guy was right. it was embarrassing how he'd always known but could never come to terms with his own heart. how he would freeze up for just a second each time she was close, how his hands felt like they were on pins and needles each time his knuckles would ghost over her side. he should've known then.

damn it. he liked her. he really loved her too.

he could only hope that it wasn't too late for him yet, that he caught up to her years of longing after him. tomorrow, first thing, he was going to make the first move. there was no way he was going to let that adoring gaze fall onto anyone else.

tomorrow.... tomorrow... and the days after that... what should they do together? chung myung feels himself drifting off to sleep with a snall smile on his face — giddy with childish delight over the thoughts of the first love of his second life.

[lowkeyerror]

Help With The Curriculum pt 5

Agathario x Reader

Word count: 4.8k

Notes: Requested, smut, car sex, fingering, strap-on sex, oral on strap, cunnilingus, blindfold, tied hands, 1 face slap, jealousy, lmk if there's more bc it's more than the rest haha

Summary: There’s a new professor in the English department who has taken a special interest in Agatha. You and Rio have to remind Agatha that she's already spoken for.

An: I thought it was over, but someone request another part so this is what I came up with, enjoy it.

Previous Part | Series Masterlist | Masterlist

Things have fleshed out for your relationship with Rio and Agatha over the year. Originally there was uncertainty of what was to become of your encounters with the other professors, but now you had none. The three of you had made your relationship official, at least to each other.

The students and faculty of the university were none the wiser. Besides it wasn’t their business anyway. Unfortunately not being out publicly did have a few disadvantages. One of them being that some of the other faculty members would be flirty with the three of you.

Currently, both Rio and yourself had a problem with one of the English professors and how eager she seemed to interact with Agatha. There was no reason for her to ask for Agatha’s help or advice yet, that did not stop her.

Agatha brushed off your concerns stating that the professor was new, and just being friendly. Neither you or Rio bought that excuse.

Rio was a little more hotheaded than you when it came to the topic of Wanda. She’d roll her eyes, say something under breath, and even glare shamelessly at the auburn haired woman.

You on the other hand tried to keep your anger down. However, you couldn’t help how the new professor made you twitch with anger. Your hands, your jaw, and Rio had even caught your eye twitch once when Agatha mentioned the other woman.

“How did your kids do on the exam?”

“They did alright, the class average was like a high C. I’m thinking of curving it a little,” you respond to Rio as the two of make your way to Agatha’s classroom.

“Same, I think there were a few questions that were worded a little weird. I might just make them extra credit and remove them from the base test,” she agrees.

The two of you keep talking about your classes until you arrive at Agatha’s. You know she shouldn’t have a class at the moment, so you thought you’d go chat. Partially about the test grades and in part about dinner plans for the night.

When you enter the class, your conversation stops in its tracks. The pair of you are shocked to see Wanda already here, talking to Agatha.

The woman is leaning over Agatha’s desk, giving her the perfect view of her cleavage. You can see her biting her lip as she speaks lowly to your girlfriend. She’s clearly flirting with the woman as she chuckles when Agatha mutters something to her.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Rio says under her breath.

You simply glare at the scene in front of you. You try to stay calm, but you only feel your anger intensify as you see Wanda leaning over even further so her hand could rest on Agatha’s.

“Professor Harkness,” your voice calls out with authority.

It causes all three women in the room to startle. It’s not often that you use this tone of voice. There’s a subtle irritation in it, hidden under the lower than usual octave, and the professional air you present.

“Professor L/n, Professor Vidal, what can I do for you?”

“We need to go over the exam scores and possibly the exam itself. Professor Vidal thinks some of the questions are unfair, we need to think about restructuring the test for next semester,” you keep your focus solely on Agatha.

“Isn’t that something you should talk to the head of the department about?” Wanda jumps into the conversation.

“I am head of the department,” Rio answers with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Oh, well in that case I’ll be on my way. I just wanted to ask you, Professor Harkness, if you maybe had some time after your last class to help me with some of my curriculum?”

Rio couldn’t hold her tongue any longer, “Aren’t you an English professor? What could she possibly help with better than anyone in your department?”

Wanda begins to stutter, “There’s actually quite a bit o-of overlap and-”

“Maybe you should talk to your department head, if you’re lost,” you add on.

“I actually have plans tonight, Wanda sorry. Professor Vidal and L/n are right. I'm sure someone in your department, like Professor Romanoff, can help you craft your curriculum,” Agatha answers the woman kindly.

The English professor nods to herself dejectedly, “Thank you Professors.”

She makes her exit after that. When the door closes behind her the room stays silent.

“That little slut was all over you Agatha,” Rio begins her tangent. “Her tits were practically in your face, she was just waiting on you to lean forward some more.”

“Would you relax it’s not like that.”

Rio’s jaw drops slightly and her eyebrows raise, “Oh, it’s not like that? Then why is she, an English professor, repeatedly asking you, a history professor, for your help.”

“She’s just new to being a professor, it’s not like-”

“No, she didn’t ask you for tips on being a professor. She asked you to help her with the curriculum and we of all people know what that really means. We’re nearly halfway into the semester, the fuck does she need help for?” Rio does not let Agatha finish.

“Y/n would you tell her that she's overreacting?” Agatha looks to you for help.

Your expression hardens, “She was touching you.”

“It was a friendly-"

“Rio and myself are the only ones allowed to touch you like that,” you hold her gaze.

“You can’t be serious?”

You walk around the desk to stand next to her, “And you can't be this naïve. You know that whore likes you, and you're letting her take up your time, touch you, and flirt with you? Do you need a reminder of who you belong to?”

You see her squirm under your words, “Y/n.”

“Rio and I will show you tonight. You're going to take what we give you.”

You don't say anything else turning on your heel. Rio gives Agatha a small teasing smile before walking out behind you.

“So, what's the plan?”

You smirk at the older woman, “You’re in charge tonight.”

Rio stops walking, and her eyes widen, “I’m what?”

You chuckle at her, checking the hall for prying eyes before you kiss her on the cheek, “You’ve earned it. I’m following your lead.”

“I have some ideas.”

Your smile only grows, “I’m all ears baby.”

Rio shares them with you eagerly. It’s nothing too crazy, but you find yourself falling in love with the way she thinks. You can tell she’s wanted to do this for a long time. By the time she’s gone over the main things, you can’t ignore how wet you are.

“Rio,” you say her name tentatively.

She hums in response.

“When’s your next class?”

“Half hour, why?”

You don't elaborate, instead quickening your pace walking towards the parking garage. When you get to your car, you climb in the backseat. You tug Rio in after you.

She falls on top of you, your lips find hers eagerly. She surprised by your actions, but falls into them with no problem.

You take her hand and slip it into your pants, she gasps at your wetness.

“Your dirty little ideas got me so hot baby. I need you,” you breathe out against her lips.

“Fuck, you’re drenched,” she slips 2 fingers inside of you.

You help her slide your pants down around your ankles so she’s able to thrust inside of you. You could hear her breathing into your ear, her lips ever so lightly grazing your earlobe.

“I love the way your fingers curl into me. I love your weight on me. I love it when you’re in control baby, so giving,” you breathe out.

She begins to pump faster, sucking on your neck. Her thumb begins to play with your clit, knowing that you were on limited time.

“Cum for me. Please, show me how good I make you feel.”

You cum on her fingers and she helps you ride it out. You kiss her passionately not wanting to go back to the campus. Rio is the one to break the kiss.

She reaches over to the small towels that you'd taken to keeping in the car. She cleans you deliberately.

“Let’s just cancel class,” you play with hairs on the back of her neck.

“You know I can't do that,” Rio kisses your nose.

You find yourself whining a bit, “Family emergency, please. Let’s just go home, get a head start on the activities.”

Rio bites her lip, “You’re whining.”

“I’m begging,” you correct her. You can see her about to crack. Your hand cups her face gently, “Please, I need more of you. I want to make you feel good too.”

“Y/n,” she pleads.

“Fine, I guess we can go back to class,” you frown.

Rio puts her hand on your chest, keeping you down. You hardly beg, the submissive needy nature that you’re exhibiting does something to Rio. She’s usually the one who’s the neediest of the bunch, but today it doesn’t seem that way.

“You’re going to make it worth my while, pretty girl?”

You blush at the nickname, a singular word spoken softly from your lips, “Yes.”

“You better.”

The two of you maneuver so that you’re sitting up. Both sending out an email canceling the rest of your classes for the day.

Rio gives you a quick kiss, and exits your car, “I’ll see you at home.”

You all took separate cars to work, partially because you all had different schedules, but also in part to keep the school out of your business.

You hop in the driver’s seat, trying to calm yourself before you drive away. While you called it home, technically it was Agatha’s place. Rio and yourself kept your residences, but you spent most of time at Agatha’s.

Somehow Rio manages to beat you home. You’re eager to get inside. When you do, it’s eerily quiet. You head straight to the bedroom.

When you go in, Rio stands with her back facing the door. She’s already naked. You shut the door softly behind you. She still doesn’t look your way. You strip off your clothes before wrapping your arms around her middle.

You begin placing a trail of kisses on her shoulders, up the side of her neck. Her eyes are blown when they meet yours. You shudder under her gaze. You try to kiss her, but she pulls away slightly.

“I know we talked about what we were going to do to Agatha, but…”

Your eyebrows crease, “But what baby?”

“Can I fuck you?”

You feel your face heat up without your permission.

“With the strap?” You ask her for clarification.

“It’s ok, if you aren't comfortable, but-"

You kiss her eagerly. The sound of your lips smacking against each other, fills the room.

“Baby, I’ll ride you so nasty,” you giggle lowly against her lips.

Now it’s Rio who is blushing . She doesn’t say anything as you help her into the harness. Once the strap is attached to the base, she lays on the middle of the bed.

You’re still slick from her fingering you in the car. You see her reaching for the lube, but you grab her hand.

“I want to get it wet,” you tell her.

You spit in your hand before you begin to stroke the fake cock. It’s not too long after that your lips replace your hand and you begin to slowly bob your head up and down the cock.

“Oh my god,” Rio is intoxicated by the image.

She has truly never pictured seeing you in such a way. She’s hesitant, but her hand tangles itself in your hair. You can hear her breathing become shaky.

“L-look at me,” you hear her stutter.

You look through your lashes to find her staring at you lustfully. Not breaking contact, you go down to the base of the toy. She holds you there until you’re gagging on the rubber piece.

When you come off of it, you’re teary eyed, but you continue to lick her cock. You press kisses against the shaft.

“I need you inside of me.”

You straddle her waist. The way she looks so enamored has you feeling really hot. She can hardly speak as she watches you.

“Speechless baby?”

Rio swallows hard, “You’re just so pretty worshipping my cock. I just want to watch you.”

“Then watch me.”

You don’t remember the last time you had something fill you up this way. Slowly you lower yourself onto the saliva covered cock. You moan as you take it all. Rio’s hands place themselves on your hips.

It takes a moment for you to adjust. Your hands rest in the middle of her chest as you find a rhythm riding her.

“Holy shit,” your eyes roll back as you pick up the pace. “Rio, please baby, I need you t-to fuck me.”

Your words seem to pull her out of her trance. Her hips start snapping up to meet you as you bounce on her cock. Her hands travel from your waist to your breasts. She massages the mounds in her hand before playing with your nipples.

Rio sits up abruptly, pulling you closer against her. Her tongue glides over your nipple, sucking gently.

“Oh fuck,” you yelp in surprise as she lifts you just to lay you flat on the bed.

She begins to bury herself into your cunt at a rapid speed. The sound of her impaling your sloshing cunt paired with her guttural breathing sends you into a frenzy.

“You take me so good sweetheart. I could watch your hole swallow my cock forever. I can feel your hole sucking me in. You’re so soaked, I keep thinking it’s just going to slip out of you.”

You lock your legs around her, making sure she stays inside of you, “I’m going to cum.”

Rio fucks you even harder, nails digging into your hips, “Cum on my cock.”

You fall apart at her command. Her thrust slow before she gingerly pulls out of you, making you whimper at the loss fullness.

She cuddles up into your arms. It causes you to chuckle a bit as you run your fingers through her hair.

“You’re such a softie baby,” you kiss her forehead.

“Shut up, I didn't think you'd take it like that is all. You had me in awe,” Rio admits looking up at you.

Her fingers draw patterns on your skin.

“It made me feel really hot, so caught up in the way I looked with you inside of me, could barely even speak,” your hand falls from her head down her back.

“I’ll do better next time,” she mumbles.

You tilt her head up to look at you, a seriousness in your eyes, “I loved the way you fucked me baby, and if you can keep being my good girl, I’ll let you do it again.”

“Your good girl?”

You nod, “My good girl, since Agatha is so preoccupied with the English department.”

“I’m going to be rougher with her,” Rio says it as a statement.

“As rough as you want. We’re going to make sure everyone at that place knows she’s taken,” your fingers play with Rio’s harness. “In the meantime though, I think it’s time I gave you a reward for fucking me so sweetly.”

You undo the harness to expose Rio’s pussy.

“Yes, please.”

That's how the two of you spent your time waiting for Agatha. Some fucking, some talking, and then more fucking. When Agatha did come home, she was welcomed by the sound of Rio loudly moaning your name.

She takes her time going to the bedroom. When she gets there, she hears the sound of your soft laughter. Going through the door she sees your head resting on Rio’s thigh. You have a small smile on your lips as the other woman scratches your head with her free hand.

“So this is why you both decided to play hooky today?” Agatha makes her presence known.

The air in the room shifts when you both lay eyes on her. She freezes in place under the weight of the gaze.

“Tonight, you have a lesson to learn,” you say standing.

Rio follows suit, her eyes shamelessly dragging over Agatha’s body.

Agatha scoffs, “Wanda is just-”

“We don’t care. She has a thing for you, and you haven't deterred her enough. Tomorrow you're going to let her know you’re taken,” you rebut.

Rio shakes her head, “She won't have to tell her, she’ll figure it out on her own. She should pick up the… context clues, English professor and all.”

“Fine, do your worst, I suppose,” Agatha gives in.

Rio smiles holding up the silk bands for Agatha to see. The smug look drops from her lips. Rio passes you one of the ribbons while she takes the other.

Rio careful covers Agatha’s eyes, tying the ribbon behind her head. The woman then removes the top half of Agatha’s clothing. You pull her wrist out in front of her tying them together.

You and Rio lead her to the chair in her room, helping her sit down. Rio takes a seat on Agatha’s lap while you stand behind the chair.

“Agatha, you look so perfect tied up like this,” Rio’s thumb cascades across Agatha’s sharp jaw, before pulling at her bottom lip. “Suck,” the tone she uses is a complete 180 from the way she was speaking to you.

Agatha complies taking Rio’s thumb into her mouth.

“You’ve been behaving like an attention whore. Reveling in any ounce that that red headed skank has been giving you. Do we not give you enough attention?”

Your hands plant themselves on her shoulders, massaging them. Rio feels Agatha’s mouth vibrate around her thumb. She pulls it out of the woman’s mouth.

“She asked you a question?”

“You give me more than enough attention.”

Rio hums, then leans forward so her lips are touching Agatha’s ear. “Then why are you letting other bitches touch you?”

Rio gets out of Agatha’s lap and you remove your hands from her shoulders. The lack of contact makes the woman want to stand.

“Sit still,” you command, which causes her to stop all her squirming.

While Agatha sits, you and Rio prepare yourselves. The two of you stand in the middle of the room, stroking your fake cocks. You can see Agatha begin to lose her composure as she waits for something else to happen.

“Alright, come to the middle of the room and get on your knees,” Rio gives the directions.

It’s a bit of a challenge with her hands tied and the blindfold, but she manages it fine. You turn her so that she’s facing the two of you.

“Open wide, we’re going to shove our cocks down your throat,” you grab a fistful of her hair.

She listens, even making a show of sticking her tongue out. You guide her with a firm grip, making her take Rio first.

“That’s it, relax that throat for me,” Rio begins thrusting into the woman’s mouth.

Her grip replaces yours and you watch Agatha struggle with Rio’s building pace. Rio is rough with Agatha, holding her head down until the full length is in her mouth. She keeps her there until a few harsh coughs leave her, causing her to come completely off of the dick.

She takes a few deep breaths, but you don’t allow her to catch many more, before you shove your cock in her mouth.

“If you want attention, you got it baby.”

You don’t fuck her as hard as Rio, but you guide her more. You control the way her head bobs with an iron like grip. The saliva pooling down her chin and onto her chest drives you insane. It’s the power of it all, seeing her in this position turn you on tremendously. You push her head off of your dick, watching her chest heave up and down.

She’s not in the floor for much longer as Rio yanks her up and practically throws her on the bed. Rio doesn’t let up as her lips attach to the side of Agatha’s neck sucking harshly.

You join in, bombarding the other side of Agatha’s neck. The woman in between begins to pant at the sensation. Rio begins to play with Agatha’s nipples as she assaults the woman’s neck. This causes her back to arch slightly off of the bed.

You meet Rio in the middle of Agatha’s throat. The two of you remove yourselves from Agatha to see the full necklace of hickeys that you’ve created around the woman’s neck and collarbone.

“Now everyone will know that you’re taken,” your finger runs the path of the dark purple bruising.

You don’t say anything else as Rio pulls you into a sloppy kiss. The two of you are hovering over Agatha. The woman on her back mewl at the sounds she’s hearing. She can’t help, but fight against the restraints, wanting to touch the two of you so badly.

When the kissing stops, you decide to rid Agatha of the bottom portion of her clothing. You can't resist her leaky pussy. You look briefly to Rio, almost as if asking permission, and she nods.

Agatha withers as she feels your breath against her cunt. You see her hole clenching around nothing.

“Please,” she cries out.

You give her a teasing lick that makes a desperate wail escape her lips.

“Beg some more,” Rio instructs her.

Her voice is unsteady as she attempts to plead, “Y/n, Rio please. Someone, I’m sorry I- I let her touch me. I don't want anyone to touch me that's not you, please just. I need you, pl-”

Her sentence is cut off by a high pitch yelp as you begin sucking on her clit. While you get consumed with her drooling pussy, Rio begins to suckle off her. Her teeth playfully nip at Agatha’s tits before nursing from them like a baby.

The simultaneous stimulation has Agatha’s brain turning to mush. She doesn’t know what sounds to make or words to say, it all just becomes gibberish. She can feel herself getting close and you can tell by the way her cunt tries to take your tongue.

Instantly you’re removing your lips from he and Rio is doing the same. It causes Agatha to sit straight up in bed. She’s looking and moving frantically.

“No! Please, I need to cum. Let me cum, don’t leave me like this. I was being a stupid slut, I won’t do it again. You own me, you both own please. I’m yours, I’m yours, I’m yours.”

You can tell by the wet spot on the blindfold and the tearstain on her cheeks that she’s crying.

“Stomach flat on the bed, ass in the air,” Rio’s words have Agatha scrambling to comply.

You take the time to remove your harness and sit in front of Agatha with your legs open. Rio straddles her legs rubbing the tip of the strap through Agatha’s messy folds. The woman responds by sticking her ass higher on the air.

Rio gives it a harsh smack, “I’ve been waiting so long for this.” She wraps Agatha’s hair around her fist yanking the woman partially up right. “Now eat her out while your pussy swallows my cock.”

She shoves Agatha’s face down right into your pussy, which the woman starts licking and sucking ravenously. You almost come off of the bed at her carnivorous speed.

“Oh fuck,” you lament.

That’s when Rio decides to slip herself fully into Agatha. Her body shakes and her mouth stops working on you as she tries to recompose herself.

“Keep eating or I’ll pull out,” Rio threatens.

Agatha’s face buries itself between your legs. She can't worry about her nose or the mess on her face all she knows is that she wants Rio to move. Your taste quenches a part of her greed, but she needs more.

Rio begins to pound Agatha’s pussy. Unable to stop herself from slapping the woman’s ass as she drives deep inside of the woman.

“I’m going to cum,” you murmur, reaching behind Agatha’s head to untie the blindfold. When it falls from over her eyes you lift her head just enough to meet your gaze. “Look at me while you make me cum.”

You slap her firmly across the face, like she had asked for last time, having looked a little more into the practice. The long grunt she let out into your cunt sent you over the edge.

“Now who do you belong to,” you move some hair out of her face .

Her words are unintelligible as she fails to answer you. The bliss she feels with Rio fucking into her nearly too much to handle. Rio’s arm locks Agatha in a semi choke hold, raising her body at a new angle. It’s just enough so she can speak into Agatha’s ear as she rams into her.

“Who owns you, Aggie?” Rio whisper, biting Agatha's ear lobe.

“You own me, you own me , you own me,” she keeps repeating it until she nearly screaming.

You swipe your fingers through your folds before pushing them into her mouth, “Ssshhhh. That whore will never fuck you like we can. She can’t have you like this. Don’t ever let her fucking touch you again.”

She nods her head as best she can in her position.

“R-rio please,” she whimpers, with your fingers still in her mouth.

The begging, mixed with the way Agatha was desperately pushing herself back to meet the thrusts, has Rio cumming.

“Make a mess for me, Agatha,” her hold on the woman’s throat tightens.

It sends her over the edge. You quickly take your fingers out of her mouth, to catch the woman as she slumps forward. Her head leans on your shoulder with her mouth open. You don’t care about the saliva that begins to pool on your skin.

Agatha winces slightly as Rio gently pulls out of her. She discards the harness, wrapping her arms around Agatha’s middle. Her head rest against Agatha’s back. You all silently attempt to catch your breaths.

You untie Agatha’s wrists and she sighs in content. The first thing she does is place one hand on your cheek and the other on Rio’s thigh.

“Jealousy is so hot on you two,” Agatha breaks the silence.

You both laugh, but you're the next one to speak, “Seriously though if she doesn't back off after this, I'm going to snap.”

“Me too, you’re ours Agatha, “ Rio adds on, placing a gentle kiss on Agatha’s back.

She nods lazily against your shoulder, “I’m yours.”

“Damn right,” you kiss her forehead.

“I’m exhausted,” Rio moves to fully lay on the bed.

You agree with her, “We’ve been fucking since we walked through the door, I could sleep for 3 days.” Your stomach growls causing you to speak again, “Some food wouldn't hurt either.”

Agatha is the one to get out of the bed and throw on a robe. You and Rio watch in amusement as she struggles to walk. Her legs tremble with every step.

“Where you going love?”

She doesn’t look back, “To the kitchen, I’ll cook us something. It’s the least I could do after using Wanda to make you jealous.”

“I fucking knew it,” Rio calls out.

“Don’t be too mad. You finally got to fuck me, my good girl,” Agatha responds.

Rio tries not to, but she melts at Agatha’s words.

“That sweet talk won’t work with me,” you call out to her.

“Are you sure about that daddy?” She annunciates the last word in a teasing tone.

You fluster at her words, “Not fair, Harkness.”

“All is fair in love and war Professor L/n.”

Rio takes your hand in hers, “She always wins banter pretty girl, you’ll get used to it.”

You don’t concede yet, taking one more shot at Agatha, “Well in that case, I guess it’s only fair to tell you that your good girl fucked me with the strap earlier.”

Rio can’t hide the tint in her cheeks as she smacks you lightly on the arm. You fail to hold back your laughter as you see Agatha hobble back into the doorway.

“She did not,” Agatha says incredulously.

You kiss the top of Rio’s head, “She did, and I loved every second of it.”

“So when do I get to?” Agatha complains.

You shrug, “Considering you purposefully made us jealous, I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

“Y/n,” she drags out your name when she whines.

Rio interjects, “I think you'll have to… earn it.”

“Precisely.”

Agatha pouts, “I’m going back to the kitchen.”

“Wait,” you stand up pulling Rio with you.

You peck Agatha’s lips, “ Thank you for cooking , love.”

Rio does the same, “We love you.”

She smiles shooing you both away, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, love you too. I’ll call you when it’s ready."

While Agatha cooks, the two of you straighten up the room, before getting cleaned up, with fresh clothes on. You can’t help but smile, thinking about this little life you cultivated with Rio and Agatha. It feels like a personal slice of heaven. If you knew this is what would come of Agatha asking for help with the curriculum, maybe you would’ve asked her first.