#Generic and Solid are best friends and they love each other so much

[yes-asil]

Really enjoy The Average Adventures of Genericpaw, so I drew the main cast (as well as a re-colour for silly fun)

[kunareads]

tread carefully

bestfriend!choso x reader

masterlist

wc: 4.4k

a/n: was missing my baby boy and ended up with this. it's nothing crazy but i love it lol

content: bestfriend!choso, they're drinking, friends to lovers, face sitting, raw sex, praise, they're so soft for each other

18+ please <3

you’re both tipsy. or maybe more than tipsy.

it’s hard to tell with choso—he always looks serious, always sounds deadpan, even after multiple glasses of something you can’t pronounce. even buzzed, he’s composed in a way that would be annoying if you didn’t find it sort of… hot.

right now, he’s slouched on his carpet with his back against the couch, head tilted back, eyes a little too shiny to be sober.

you’re sprawled out on the floor in front of him, giggling to yourself at something stupid he said five minutes ago—he hadn’t meant it to be funny, which only made it worse—when he speaks.

“you know what would be really good right now?”

you blink. “water?”

he frowns. “no.”

“a nap?”

“no.”

you grin. “more wine?”

he blinks at you. “tempting.”

you giggle. “okay, enlighten me.”

he stares at you for a beat. then with the kind of low, serious sincerity generally reserved for life-or-death situations:

“sit on my face.”

you go silent. what the fuck did he say?

choso doesn’t flinch. he doesn’t smile, doesn’t even blink. “i’d be so good to you.”

you laugh—not mocking, just completely caught off guard. “you’re so drunk.”

“yeah,” he admits, unable to keep his lips from curling at the sound. “but that doesn’t make it any less true.”

your heart skips. you can't tell if he’s joking. he sounds like he might be, but he looks so sincere.

“i think about it all the time. how you’d sound, how you’d taste. how soft you’d be if i got you to relax on me.”

his voice goes a tiny bit lower.

“you could use me as long as you wanted.”

and for the first time tonight, you forget how to laugh.

your pulse stutters as something hot and heavy blooms in your stomach. you weren’t ready for that.

he must see the change in your face, because his tone softens further, like he means it but doesn’t want to scare you. “you don’t have to.”

he leans back again, gives you the space to say no, to make it a joke, to brush it off. it’s an out, but you’re realizing with startling clarity that you don’t want it. then, after a beat:

“just, if you want to. i want you to.” you watch his throat work as he swallows. “really want you to.”

he drags a hand through his hair, face flushed all the way to his ears. it’s the most disheveled you’ve ever seen him—shirt bunched at the waist, legs spread loose, tongue peeking out to wet his bottom lip like he can taste you in the air.

he’s still choso. still your best friend. but he’s never looked at you like this. have you been missing it the whole time?

you press your palms to the floor. “you’re serious.”

he nods. “i want you.” a pause, a tiny smile. “we can blame the wine later if it gets weird.”

you rise onto your knees. not a decision exactly—more like your body answering something wordless, drawn forward by his voice.

his hands twitch when you move, but he waits for you to crawl into his space. your knees press into the carpet as your thighs slide between his and his breath hitches when you settle between his legs.

god, you think, throat tight. he meant it. every word.

because he’s watching you now like it’s killing him not to reach—like touching you before you ask might ruin it.

you brace against his shoulders. he’s warm and solid under your hands.

“you mean it?” you murmur, looking at him and suddenly feeling very vulnerable. please say yes.

his hand rises, hesitates. it lands on the side of your face, thumb brushing your cheekbone.

“yeah.” he leans in, slow enough that you could stop him, but you don’t. “let me take care of you?”

your chest aches from how much you want to let him.

“okay,” you whisper. “yeah. okay.”

his exhale is almost a groan, something that sounds like thank god and thank you tangled up in one breath.

a hand slides from your cheek to the back of your neck, fingers threading through your hair. the other settles on your thigh, spreading his palm there like he’s grounding himself in the fact that you’re real and you’re here and you said yes to him.

you lean in before he does. it’s instinctive, like you’ve done it a million times despite this being the first—forehead to forehead, noses brushing, both of you breathing the same air.

he tilts his chin and his mouth catches yours.

it’s not rushed or messy. it’s careful and soft and devastating in how tender it is. he kisses you like he’s savoring you, and you can’t help but be a bit caught off-guard by it. your hands move down to his chest, then back up to his shoulders before settling behind his neck.

you sigh into him and he swallows it down, fingers gripping tighter at your thigh. the kiss deepens, careful and sweet, and you get the sense that he’s been wanting this for longer than he lets on. you’ve never been kissed like this.

his hands move like he’s scared to miss anything.

the one at your thigh drifts upward, tracing the edge of your shorts as the other slips down to your waist, fingers toying with the hem of your shirt.

he barely moves away, lips brushing yours as he murmurs, “can i take this off?”

you nod and shift enough to raise your arms. the drag of his knuckles across your stomach as he lifts the fabric isn’t on purpose, you don’t think, but it leaves your skin buzzing anyway. when it’s gone, he tosses it aside without looking away from you once.

his gaze trails down and back up, and when he meets your eyes again, his face is softer than before. hazy around the edges, drunk on you now.

“you okay?”

you nod. you feel it everywhere—the ache of wanting, the weight of being wanted. in your chest, your stomach, the insides of your thighs. “yeah.”

he leans forward again, kissing the space below your jaw, then lower, to the hollow above your collarbone. his hands drift to the top of your shorts.

“can i?” he whispers against your neck.

you nod, already breathless. “please.”

both hands move now. he leans back to give himself room and hooks his thumbs into the waistband. it’s clumsy because of the angle—because you’re straddling him and he won’t stop touching you long enough to do it properly. you lift yourself, and he takes the chance to drag them off one leg at a time.

you settle back into his lap. not fully, but enough that your hips brush and he inhales sharply. you like the sound, want to hear it again, so you press your body down a bit, and the breath punches out of him like he’s been hit.

“you’re gonna kill me,” he mutters.

you lean in and press your lips to the corner of his mouth, trailing to the spot below his ear. “that bad?” you murmur.

“worse,” he breathes.

you smile at that, lips brushing the shell of his ear. “you said i could use you.”

he nods, letting his hands slide down to rest on your ass. “meant it.”

you shift again in his lap and hear his groan, muffled against your shoulder, as he presses a kiss there.

“can i lie back for you?”

you nod. he leans away just far enough to turn and ease himself down, elbows first, until he’s flat against the floor.

he looks up at you, eyes hazy and wide, chest rising in shallow breaths. his hands find your thighs again, light at first—thumbs tracing right above your knees—then firmer, sliding up like he’s checking if you’re really going to let him have this.

you follow without speaking. your palms meet the floor beside his head, steadying yourself as you move forward.

his breath catches when you settle above him. you hesitate, hovering. his fingers flex against your thighs like he’s holding back from pulling you down. he won’t do it—not unless you ask—but he wants to.

“you’re sure?” he asks.

you nod fast, the heat between your legs threatening to burn you. “please.”

that’s what does it. he pulls you down gently and you follow, guided by the look in his eyes—the way they go half-lidded when you brush his mouth, the way his hands tighten at your hips like he’s scared you’ll float away.

and when you finally, finally lower yourself fully, he groans like it’s the first real breath he’s taken all night.

a kiss first. one, then another, open-mouthed and needy. his tongue flicks out, gentle and sure, and your whole body shudders.

his mouth is hot, tongue moving slow—so slow—easing you into it. but there’s a hunger in the way he’s licking at you, trying to memorize you.

you don’t mean to roll your hips, but you do a little.

his hands flex hard around your thighs—one of them shakes—and he groans. it’s muffled, desperate, and it sends a bolt straight through your spine.

and after that, it’s like something inside him snaps.

he moans into you, loud and helpless, and his mouth opens wider, tongue working up a sloppy pace, chasing something out of reach.

his nose presses against your clit as his tongue drags up through you again and again, messier every time, and he doesn’t care what it looks like. he’s not even thinking, just tasting and moving on instinct.

“choso,” you sigh. “fuck—”

he doesn’t stop or slow down, only moans into you louder. his grip tightens until it hurts, and he ruts up into nothing, mouth moving more insistently like his name in your mouth broke him open.

you rock against him again and he follows, shifting on the floor to chase your movements. it’s messy, all slick and spit and heat, and his eyes flutter open like he’s been dragged out of a dream just to look at you.

you brace one hand on the carpet, the other tangling in his hair without thinking. his response is immediate—a deep, needy sound that hits you low in your core. you gasp again at the way his hands tremble where they hold you. he’s not trying to tease you, and he’s not dragging it out. he’s lost in it—messy and hungry, worshipful and gone.

“you’re—fuck—” your voice breaks, breath breaking on a moan. “you’re so—fuck, choso—”

you start moving. tentative at first, grinding into his mouth, chasing the flicks of his tongue, the sounds he gives you. his hands slip down your thighs and back up to your waist before one leaves you, searching the floor next to his head until he finds your hand.

you meet his eyes. his mouth parts wider as you roll your hips again, tongue flattening against you like he’s offering himself up.

he nods. permission.

and it undoes you.

you intertwine your fingers with his as your hips find a rhythm. you grind again, more insistently, and feel him moan into you, tongue pressing firmer, chasing you like he might cry if you stop.

“fuck—choso—”

he nods again, brows furrowed, humming small mhms into you. yes. yes, keep going.

so you do.

you ride his face like it’s the only thing you can do. your pace builds up tight, hot and unbearable, and he just takes it. mouth open, tongue slick and starving for everything you give him.

you keep your eyes on him. the way he looks at you renders you breathless—glassy eyed and worshipful and ruined. like he can’t believe you’re real and on top of him and letting him have this.

you cum hard, your body unraveling as he groans so loud it borders on obscene. everything in you pulses—deep and warm and too much. but he doesn’t stop. his whole face is soaked, but he keeps licking and sucking you like he’s not done yet.

“choso—” you gasp, voice trembling. your thighs are shaking, threatening to give out, but his hands are there, steady at your hips. his lips are swollen, his mouth open, his tongue licking slow through your folds like he wants to wring every last drop from you

“you—” he pants. “you taste so fucking good.”

your stomach flips.

you look down at him, barely able to think, and something in you aches. you want to kiss him. want to feel him. want to see him fall apart the way you did.

you want more.

you lift off his face. his hands fall away reluctantly, but his eyes stay locked on you.

you crawl down his body, chest brushing his as you go. he blinks up at you, stunned, still catching up. your hips settle above his again, meeting the tops of his thighs where his knees are raised, and when your weight drags against the bulge in his pants, he gasps.

you do it again, purposefully this time, rocking forward to press against him through the fabric. the heat of him, the tension, the way he twitches beneath you—it’s all there, and it’s all for you.

he groans, one hand clenching at your waist, the other curling against the carpet to ground himself.

“fuck—” he mutters, breath stuttering. “fuck, i’ve been—wanted this for so long.”

you lean down and kiss him before he can say more, swallowing whatever else he was about to confess. his mouth is still hot, slippery with you, and the taste makes you dizzy.

your clit throbs with every pass of pressure, and he strains beneath the fabric between you—his sweats soaked through the front, sticky with your slick and the smear of his own precum leaking through the cotton. you rock forward again, dragging over the mess, and he whimpers.

you smile into his mouth. “choso.”

he breathes your name with his eyes closed like it’s a prayer, lifting his hips to meet you halfway.

your lips move down his jaw, his neck, the hollow of his throat. you drag your fingers over the front of his shirt, the hem bunched between your hands.

“take this off.”

he moves like he’s in a haze—sitting up and pulling the shirt over his head, tossing it aside and turning so his back’s against the couch again.

you take a moment to watch him.

his hard chest rises and falls beneath you. flushed all the way down, lips bitten pink. his hair is a mess, his eyes shining.

“you’re gonna break me,” he breathes this time, and it sounds less like a joke and more like the truth.

your mouths meet again and you let your hands slide down his chest, fingers feeling the hard lines where his abs begin.

and when your hips roll again, dragging against him, he bucks beneath you, eyes fluttering shut, mouth parting to let out something between a groan and an exhale.

your body is sensitive as you move, buzzing from before, and the want lingers low in your belly, aching sharper every time your hips rock forward.

he’s so hard. his length presses right where you need it, and you both gasp at the same time—mouths brushing, breath shared.

you whisper, “do you wanna—”

he nods before you can finish. “yeah,” he murmurs. “yeah, if you do.”

you shift off of him to help with his sweatpants, both of you fumbling, fingers pulling at the strings, the waistband, pulling the fabric down his legs.

he’s flushed and leaking and thick, twitching against his stomach. you both pause, just looking.

“god, choso—”

and he laughs. “don’t look at me like that.”

“like what?”

his eyes flick up to find yours. “like that.”

you smile, a little shy. “sorry.”

he shakes his head, reaching for you. “don’t be.”

you crawl into his lap, thighs bracketing his again, and he’s so warm, cock flushed and twitching between you. your body’s reacting already, clenching around nothing.

his hands slide up to your face as you settle over him, eyes searching yours.

“you sure?” he asks. “we can stop.”

you shake your head. “don’t wanna stop.”

you reach down, guiding him to your entrance, and you both exhale when his tip slides through the mess between your thighs.

you pause, bracing yourself.

and then his hands grab your hips—tender, encouraging—and he tilts his hips up a little.

“go slow,” he murmurs. “let me feel you.”

you take your time sinking down on him inch by inch, nails pressing into the skin of his chest as he stretches you open. it's almost more than you can take. he’s thick, perfect, nearly overwhelming—but the way he holds you and whispers your name makes it easier. makes it good.

you bottom out with a gasp, thighs trembling around him, brows furrowing.

and he’s staring at you. wrecked. like he’s never seen anything more beautiful.

“okay?” he asks, breathing heavier now.

you nod, even though you’re hardly holding yourself together. “yeah. just—can i have a second?”

his hands stroke up your thighs and settle on your waist. “take your time.”

you breathe through it. once, twice.

you’re so full, so warm, stretched around him in a way that makes your head spin. choso doesn’t say anything else, rubbing circles into your skin with his thumbs. his chest rises hard beneath your hands, but he doesn’t move, waiting for you.

you shift your hips a little, enough to savor the drag and the way he catches against every nerve on the way out.

he whimpers. “fuck,” he breathes. “do that again.”

you do.

a shallow roll of your hips, and his hands flex at your waist, trying to stay present, like the feeling of you might knock him straight out of his body.

his grip firms. “that’s it,” he whispers. “just like that.”

you do it again, a little deeper this time, and his jaw goes slack, eyes fluttering, doing his best to hold them open just so he can watch you.

you fall into a rhythm like that, each fluid motion making the air thicker, the room smaller. the only sounds are your shared breath and the soft wet drag of your bodies moving with each other.

his head tips back with a moan. “doing so good,” he pants. “feel so fucking good, baby.”

you lean down, kissing his neck, his shoulder, the curve of his collarbone. you run your tongue along the spot by his ear and he gasps your name like it means something.

you whisper back, lips brushing his jaw: “it’s so good.”

“you’re—” he groans again, hands traveling up your back, then down to your hips, where they stay. “fuck, can’t believe it’s you.”

the next grind pulls a choked sound from him—half gasp, half groan—and you feel it vibrate through his chest where your hands are pressed.

you smile and whisper, “yeah?” like a secret.

he nods, eyes fluttering closed. “fuck—yeah.”

you press your forehead to his, keep moving. the slow grind of your hips is deeper now, messier—slick and hot and so much. every drag makes you gasp, every thrust makes him groan.

you kiss him again, mouths barely working, just panting against each other, all open breath and quiet, broken sounds.

“choso,” you whisper, breath catching and hips stuttering. “god—”

he meets your eyes then, eyes wide and glassy, mouth parted, chest rising fast. “don’t stop,” he murmurs. “please don’t stop.”

your bodies fall into something more intense now. less of a rhythm, more of a tide. you’re grinding and he’s right there with you, hips tipping up to meet every roll, like he needs to be deeper. like he’s trying to keep up, to give you everything he has.

“you’re so good,” he mumbles, almost slurred. “you’re so fucking good, you feel—” he breaks off with a moan when you grind down harder.

your clit brushes his pelvis and your body jerks. the friction sparks low and hot through your core.

“cho—” your voice cracks. “i’m—i think—”

his hands are already there, sliding up your back, one settling between your shoulder blades, the other gripping your waist, trying to ground you, trying to feel it happen.

“yeah?” he pants. “yeah?”

you nod, and he kisses you. not clean, not careful—just there, all heat and desperation, lips parting to breathe you in. his arms wrap tight around your waist, helping you move, helping you chase it, and it shatters something inside you.

“i got you,” he says, firmer now. “come on, i got you. don’t fight it, let it happen."

your cry breaks open in his mouth.

your body seizes around him, clenching tight as your orgasm rips through you—thicker and heavier than before. it floods your veins, pulls the breath out of your lungs, and he groans like it’s happening to him.

“oh shit,” he breathes, the words spilling as his hips roll up to meet you.

you’re clamping around him, still warm and wet and pulsing, and it pushes him straight over the edge.

“oh fuck,” he chokes, throat bobbing, eyes screwed shut like he can’t take it. “baby—baby, i’m—”

his voice cuts off with a loud sigh as his whole body jerks beneath you. you feel it—his hips stuttering, cock throbbing deep inside you, the way he moans through it like it’s being dragged out of him.

you hold him through it, riding it out with him, body pressed close, mouth at his temple, fingers threading through his hair as he shakes beneath you.

he moans again, softer this time. almost like a whimper. you kiss his cheek, his jaw, then the side of his throat, and whisper, “it’s okay.”

his arms wrap around you tighter like he can’t bear to let go yet, even a little. his hands move, one smoothing up your spine, the other curling at your waist, memorizing the way you fit.

you stay close, melt into him. for a while, neither of you speaks. you stay like that, breathing together, hearts hammering against each other.

his voice breaks the silence, rough and stunned and so, so soft.

“… you okay?”

you nod, forehead tucked beneath his jaw. “mhm.” you smooth a hand down his chest, feeling the way his heart stutters under your palm. “you?”

he nods. “yeah,” he says. “i just…”

he trails off. you pull back to see him, chin resting on your hand against his chest.

“didn’t think it’d be like that,” he murmurs.

you watch him for a beat. he’s not looking at you. his eyes are on the ceiling, brows drawn like he’s trying to make sense of it.

your fingers trace a line across his sternum. “what’d you think it would be like?” you ask.

his lips twitch, barely a smile. “i don’t know. i’ve thought about it,” he admits. “maybe more than i should’ve.”

the admission makes you smile, but you don’t interrupt.

“i thought it’d be good,” he continues, voice rough. “hoped it would be. just never imagined it would be like…” he trails off. “like that.”

you don’t press him to explain, don’t ask what that is. you think you already know.

you nod and lean in to kiss him again—warm now, not fevered like before. like you’re telling him me too without saying it out loud. he exhales like it’s a relief.

when you finally pull away, your breath mingling with his, you whisper, “we should probably clean up.”

he nods, but makes no move to let you go.

you smile again. “gonna let me up?”

“mm.” he tightens his arms around you. “five more seconds.”

you let him have it. your head rests on his shoulder. one of your hands finds his hair, damp with sweat, and you comb through it gently. he hums appreciatively, low in his chest. then, finally, he exhales. “okay.”

you ease off him carefully, both of you in no rush. he helps you up, walks you into the bathroom. you clean up together in the quiet way people do when they care—no fuss, no awkwardness. just hands brushing, little glances, and comfortable silence.

once you’re both back in the living room, he tugs the blanket off the back of the couch and settles into the cushions. he looks at you, hoping, but not assuming.

you go to him.

it’s easy, familiar, like it’s not the first time you’ve curled up against him like this, even though it is. his arm wraps around your waist. your head finds his shoulder. and for a while, there’s only the sound of breathing, the soft hum of night through the windows, and the weight of your bodies pressed together.

everything feels warm, safe. but part you needs to hear him say it, just to be sure.

“are we okay?”

his fingers pause for a second, then keep moving. “yeah,” he says. “of course we are.”

you pull back enough to look up at him.

“you don’t think we messed anything up?” you ask.

“no,” he says, gentle. “not even a little.”

some small, invisible knot in your chest loosens.

“okay,” you whisper.

he doesn’t say anything else—just pulls you closer and lets your head fall back against his chest before you can think about it too hard.

maybe it was always going to be this, you think. maybe it was never anything else.

[prentissluvr]

three seconds — sam winchester

for : 200+ followers event [ closed ] ➖⟢ pairing : sam winchester x gn!reader ➖⟢ genre : fluff ➖⟢ cw : light swearing, accidental cuddling, casual mention of marriage between sam and reader (it's just dean teasing tho lol), idiots friends to lovers, kissing, barely edited ➖⟢ wc : 1.2K prompt : sleeping in the same bed, as they’d often do, but one morning waking up cuddling

MOVED BLOGS TO @sammyluvr !! no longer active on this blog! all fics can be found there!

to be truthful, this isn’t the first time you’ve woken up with yours and sam’s limbs entangled with each other’s. it’s just far less common for his hand to be so gloriously attached to your waist or his face to be tucked all sweet and warm into your neck. your own hands are placed in his hair and on his broad shoulder blade.

waking up like this is heaven; first, in the moments before you can process exactly what is happening, and second, once you realize and can bask in the splendor of having him so intimately close and vulnerable with you. then it comes crashing down as you remember that this isn’t quite how it’s supposed to be, and that you’ll never, not for a moment, be able to get this feeling out of your head, your body.

which means every moment after you untangle yourself from him will be full of a pure, undying, taunting want, maybe even need, to have him like that again. such a feeling is a general inconvenience as one considers that sam is your best friend, that he and his brother are just about all you have, and that you’d rather die than lose them to the fact that you’re in love with him. so clearly, it’s better he never knows, it’s just that constantly thinking about cuddling with him tends to lead to you making heart eyes at him or your cheeks flushing hot when he looks at you a moment too long.

then there’s the realization that sam is still asleep, the steady rhythm of his breath tickling your neck is both comforting and terrifying all at once. what if he wakes and jerks away, uncomfortable with your proximity? should you push him away before he even realizes the position you’re in? it’s not as if sam doesn’t enjoy physical affection; he pretends he doesn’t, but you’re convinced that he’s a cuddlebug at heart. maybe that’s an overly cute way of putting it, but you can feel how much he loves hugs, how much he enjoys having his head in your lap when you get a rare movie night. you’re just worried that this is too much, too close for even him.

and yet, you’re feeling selfish, because what if you never get him like this again? so you close your eyes again and just revel in the way it feels to have the tip of his nose pressed to your neck and his forehead against your jaw. his hands on you, so steady and sure in his sleep. his hair, soft between your fingers and the muscle of his back under your palm. his leg, tucked between yours. just the weight of him, pressed against you all solid and real and almost immovable until he wakes.

you hear dean stir a few feet away and you pray he won’t be able to tell you’re not asleep. breath even and eyes still gently closed, you hear dean move about, mumbling to himself. he’s digging around in a bag, pulling something out. then you feel him move closer and you swear he’s hovering at the foot of the bed.

then you hear a click, like that of a camera shutter, and you realize dean’s taken a picture of the two of you like this. pictures of the three of you are rarer, and dean being the one to take it means it’s special. you suppose blackmail is special in its own way and beg to no one that dean didn’t hear your breath hitch as you realize this moment is now immortalized by a picture that dean’ll print out someday and shove in your faces to make fun.

then dean’s mumbling to himself again, now close and loud enough for you to make out his words. “these two,” he sighs, tone practically chastising as if he sees something glaringly obvious, but the both of you can’t seem to quite get there. “i swear, the heart eyes from across the room, the longing gazes. god, they’ll be the death of me.” 

he really, truly thinks you’re asleep. he talks like this when he doesn’t know you can hear him. though usually not about you and sam, not like this. “they’re both such idiots. idiots in love,” he laughs humorlessly to himself, then turns away, stuffing the camera back in the bag he dug it out from. “maybe i should lock them in a closet,” he considers, voice so low you can barely catch his words, “see who caves first. then they’ll probably only thank me for that or the puke-inducingly cute photo once they’re married, those ungrateful asses. kids these days.” he lets out a huff of breath as he heads to the bathroom, seemingly done with his ranting about … about what? you and sam being in love with each other? what the hell was he saying, married? you and sam? you have to hold back from letting out a lovesick sigh.

you’re so caught up turning dean’s words over in your mind that only sam’s hand lightly squeezing your side brings you back to the present. your eyes shoot open and you pull your hand out of his hair. sam parts from you, barely. how long has he been awake? you’re almost too scared to look at sam, who hasn’t even attempted to untangle himself from you. he’s still got his hand on your waist and his leg tucked between yours and your eyes catch his without you meaning to. it’s always like that; your eyes will wander until they find his face, every time. it’s habit, instinct, unavoidable.

he looks at you long, and something about his pretty eyes turned green from the morning light and the color of the sheets keeps you holding his gaze, taking him in as he does you.

when sam finally speaks, his voice is hushed, but there’s this barely contained joy to it, begging to be released. “think we should save him the trouble?” the playfulness in his voice tugs at the corner of your lips. when he sounds happy, you can’t help but feel that way.

“of?” you ask, thinking you know what he means, but wanting to be sure.

“of locking us in a closet. sounds like a bit of a hassle, if you ask me,” he smiles at you, and his words plus the sight of his dimples has got you grinning without restraint. you wonder again how long sam was awake, but completely without apprehension this time. all the two of you needed was a few playful words exchanged, and now you know. though you wouldn’t have without dean’s unwittingly overheard grumbles, so you supposed you will have to thank him after all.

“i don’t know,” you say with a false air of careful thinking, “seems like it could be fun, y’know? it’s been too long since we’ve played a good trick on dean, don’t you think?”

sam doesn’t have an answer for that because he’s been too busy staring at the way your lips move, still pulled into a smile as you talk. you take another good look at him and wonder, how in the world did i miss it? the way he looks at me?

if he doesn’t kiss you within three seconds flat, you’ll do it yourself. it takes him those three seconds exactly, and you move in such synch it’s possible that your lips meet right in the perfect middle of the barely-there space between you.

[downthe-f4ndom-rabbith0le]

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) - Chapter 11

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Word Count: 6347 Warnings: death, violence, fighting, bloody wounds, angst, infuriatingly oblivious love interest, slowburn Spoilers: Young Justice Seasons 1-3 plot partially, but it ended in 2022 so catch up.

Y/N Prince - miracle daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor - and Dick Grayson - first adoptive son of the Batman himself - have been best friends since day one. They went to school together, trained together, kept each other's alter ego secret from everyone else, and they founded the Young Justice alongside their friends together. 

But as time progressed, Y/N and Dick grew up and Y/N found herself wanting more than friendship with Dick. But he never seemed to indicate that he reciprocated her feelings. And when Wally died and Dick abandoned the team, Y/N realised he never would. So she heads to the one place she knows will help her become a stronger warrior so that one day she can take her mother's place: Themyscira.

Two years after his leave, Dick reaches out to his old friends to help him with a mission. But when he finds out Y/N left too, he chases after her in the hopes to bring her back.

However, when the two finally reunite, it isn't as warm as he hopes. Not to mention Themyscira becomes under siege as they go to war against Echidna, the Mother of Monsters in Greek Mythology, and her army of monstrous children.

Will Dick and Y/N be able to put their past behind them and save the Amazonians' homeland? Or will they fall, unable to tell one another their true feelings?

~~~

In the early moments of the morning - at the point where the sky has lightened enough to know day is coming but the sun hasn't broken the horizon just yet - Y/N sat on the balcony edge of the Strategy Room staring out over the rippling ocean.

Her eyelids were heavy from the long and sleepless night of planning and preparing for what was to come at dawn, but she forced herself to look out. To take in the serenity and peace one more time before she broke it. A yawn threatened to slip out, but now was not the time for rest.

Y/N let out a sigh, her mind spinning with thoughts. So much to do, so much to consider. Her, Dick and the other generals had spent the last few hours discussing and preparing the best way to dispose of the hydra and it was a solid and stable plan.

And yet Y/N's stomach churned with uncertainty, her fingers gripped the marble balcony edge as if bracing for the impact that was to come. Because it would come, she just didn't know in what form it would.

You have the makings of a True Warrior, Y/N... All you have to do is lead...

Y/N let go of the balcony for a moment to inspect her open palm. The conversation between her and her grandmother played over in her head. Despite knowing her heritage, Y/N couldn't quite understand how she of all people could possess such a power as the one she'd wielded the other night. She wasn't her grandmother, and she most certainly wasn't her mother.

'A True Warrior, huh?' Y/N muttered to herself, returning to overlook the ocean. Y/N felt no power flow through her, not even a shred of it. But her grandmother was right about one thing: she had to lead today, regardless of how it would turn out.

Looking out to the horizon, Y/N thought of her old home. Her apartment in Washington DC; her mother's home just a few blocks away; the now destroyed Justice Mountain; the Watchtower. She thought about the people and pets that occupied those spaces of her life. The fond memories she shared with them, and the memories that she would possibly never get to make with them if today turned out badly.

Her heart yearned for the loss that hadn't happened. It was only hitting her now, on the final day of Echidna's war, that she may never see all of her loved ones again without even a chance to say goodbye.

Because today was the last day of the war. Y/N would make sure of it. One way or another, it ended today.

'It's beautiful. I can see why you like it here so much.'

Y/N didn't have to turn around to see who was speaking to her, and a small smile crept onto her lips. Okay, maybe her grandmother was right about one more thing.

Y/N twisted in her seated position to see Dick standing a few steps behind her admiring the ocean, but also smiling at her. Since he'd arrived, he'd worn nothing but the clothes that had been on his back. Just jeans, a plain white t-shirt, a jacket and boots. But now he wore Amazonian armour specifically tailored for him. Leather and steel guards covered his broad chest and strong wrists, and his feet were adorned with leather sandals similar to the women.

To Y/N's amusement he wore a skirt too, made of separate strips of leather and studded with steel. His escrima sticks hung in a loop on the skirt, but in his hands he held a helmet. He looked straight out of an Ancient Greek painting. If Y/N didn't know any better, she would've thought he was a demi-god.

'Indeed,' she replied and twisted around to jump down from the balcony and walk towards Dick. Looking him up and down, she couldn't help but say, 'Wow, I never thought the day would come that I would see you in a skirt, Dick Grayson.'

He chuckled as well, swishing his hips slightly to emphasise the skirt. 'Neither did I, but I kind of get the hype now. Very breezy down there, it's good!'

Y/N shook her head but couldn't help but smile. 'Surprisingly, it suits you. Maybe when you go back to Bludhaven you should change your Nightwing costume to incorporate a skirt.'

At the mention of his home, Dick's smile dropped a little, as if remembering why he wore a skirt right now. But he fixed his smile and nodded. 'Sure. When I get home.'

He looked over her shoulder, nodded to the horizon. 'You don't get views like this back in Washington DC, hey.'

Y/N twisted to see the sun had finally peaked beyond the horizon and the sky was layered with reds, oranges and yellows as the sun slowly but surely rose.

'You sure don't,' she agreed, but her sights were set on something that laid beyond the horizon. Something she wasn't sure she'd ever see again. 'But that doesn't mean I don't miss it.'

A soft and gentle sea breeze blew up from the waves crashing up against the mountainside way down below. Y/N breathed in the salty air and closed her eyes, steeling herself to start the day.

'Would you ever go back?'

Dick's sudden question had Y/N opening her eyes to see him looking at her, his expression half-serious and half-anxious. As if he was scared to hear what she had to say but had to ask her anyway.

'As in go back to Washington DC?' she asked. 'To Man's World?'

He nodded, and Y/N found herself struggling for an answer. 'I don't know, Dick,' she finally responded. 'If we survive today, I... I don't know.'

The look on Dick's face told her that wasn't the exact answer he was looking for, but he nodded silently in acceptance. 'We should go and get everyone into position. The sun will fully be up soon.'

He was right, they said that at dawn they would set their plan into motion. But her grandmother's voice whispered in the back of her mind.

Whether he knows it yet, he loves you. And I think you better tell him how you feel in case this war goes further south. Don't you?

'Wait!' Y/N grabbed Dick's wrist as he turned to walk away.

Stopping in his tracks, he turned around, confused. 'What is it?' he asked.

Y/N really couldn't believe what she was about to do, but if there was one thing that she'd learnt while living there it was that her grandmother was always right.

'If today goes badly,' she started, forcing her erratic heart to calm down because it was beating faster than a hummingbird flapped its wings.

'It won't go badly, Y/N' Dick interrupted. 'You can't think like-'

'If today goes badly,' she insisted, cutting him off. 'I don't want to have any regrets.'

Dick looked down at her curiously, the slightest tilt of his head sending a loose strand of hair falling across his forehead. 'Regrets? What do you mean, Y/N?'

Y/N's throat threatened to close up, the usual fear she had when approaching this topic forming a ball in her throat, clogging the words up. But instead of letting it, she swallowed thickly, kept her eyes locked with Dick's. She kept holding onto his wrist to ground herself, to make sure he understood what she was about to say.

'I love you,' she said, her voice so breathless and fearful and relieved all at once. The words had come out so softly that, in her mind, she thought she hadn't said them at all but imagined it.

But Dick smiled and said, 'I love you too, Y/N. You know that hasn't changed since we met.'

Her heart sunk a little at his misunderstanding, but instead of going with it, she shook her head and said, 'No, Dick, I mean that I love you.'

She watched him, watched as he went from happy to confused to truly realising what she'd said. His smile gradually faded until he was just looking at her wide-eyed and speechless. It was a heart-wrenching, gut-sinking look, but Y/N wasn't done.

'You don't have to say anything back, Dick,' she explained. 'But I have spent too long denying this. It's partly why I am here and why you're now in this mess. Because I was too afraid to tell you how I really felt. If my fate is to die today, then I would feel more content knowing that you knew the truth. That I feel you bring out the best in me. That I get butterflies every time you laugh with me. That I will do everything in my power today, even if it means dying, to see that you get home to Bruce and the others because I love you. I just wished I had found the courage to do so long before now.'

After all that, Y/N took a steadying breath in and when she breathed out it was like all the weight held in that one secret finally lifted from her. It was such a relieving feeling that she could've cried, but instead she just smiled because even if he didn't feel the same, she was finally telling the truth after so many years of lying and suppressing.

Dick's expression was unreadable. She couldn't tell if he was angry, sad, indifferent, because he just kept staring at her with a slightly opened shocked mouth. But if he wasn't jumping for joy, there could only be one other option.

He doesn't feel the same.

She could sense tears were building and she really didn't need that in that moment. She had a war to go fight.

So she cleared her throat and said, 'That's all I wanted you to know. We should go now. They all will be waiting for us.'

As if he had been lost in his own thoughts, Dick mindlessly said, 'Right...'

Y/N quickly brushed past him but heard his slow foot steps following her soon after. The rejection wasn't as painful as she thought it was going to be. But, subconsciously, she'd made peace a long time ago with Dick's un-romantic feelings for her.

But something felt different now, inside Y/N. A new sense of reassurance and certainty that wasn't there before. Whatever it was, it spurred Y/N on towards the palace courtyard where the remaining warriors and generals were probably waiting for them.

One way or another, this war ends today.

~~~

The dawn had fully risen now, casting the quiet island in rays of warm hope despite their city's ruins. Y/N was crouched atop one of the buildings back near their destroyed camp, eyes locked onto the beast that had desecrated it.

Y/N wasn't sure what she expected from a hydra, nor from any monster child of Echidna, but even monsters had to rest it seemed. The tents they once slept in were piled and structured in a way that resembled a nest of sorts where the hydra now huddled and slept soundly in.

From where she crouched hidden, the monster almost looked harmless. Until she looked around at the scorch marks on the walls of buildings cobblestone streets. The screams of her fallen sisters still rung in her mind, but she gripped her sword tighter to ground herself. Their deaths will not be in vain.

The first phase of the plan only involved Y/N and a couple adept warriors so she hid alone. It was still early morning, and this part of the city was still drenched in shade. She had to wait for the signal.

She hated the waiting, if only because it left her with her thoughts too long. Dick was hidden somewhere around the nest as well, and she could've sworn she felt his burning blue gaze on her.

While Y/N had made peace with her decision to tell him, she couldn't help but wonder how he was feeling right now. Was he angry? Sad? Disgusted even? Or maybe - like the good soldier he was - he wasn't feeling anything at all. Maybe, like it had always been, Y/N thought about him too much, while she had never crossed his mind like that.

Come on, stop that now, she scolded herself, turning to her shield that was propped up against some rubble. She needed to distract herself, get her head back in the battle ahead. Dick Grayson would not be the reason she lost them the war.

Y/N caught her own eye in her reflection on the shield. She wore a helmet like Dick had held, and a similar outfit too. However, her armour gleamed black compared to the usual steel the other warriors used. It was obsidian-infused steel, forged specifically for the Princess of Themyscira a millennia ago.

The leather and studs of her skirt were dark too - it was as if she were a shadow, a wraith. Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt - according to their myths - possessed armour just like it. If her grandmother was telling the truth, it was also blessed by Athena.

As she looked at herself, Y/N felt both the strength of the armour, but also the weight and pressure that came with it. She was no Athena, nor Artemis or even Wonder Woman. But she was the Princess of Themyscira now, and she'd be damned if she didn't try to fight for her home.

Y/ Npressed her sword long ways and flat against her front, the hilt pressing against her chest. 'Athena, bless us,' she whispered with her eyes closed, praying that her plea reached the goddess' ears. 'Mother... help us.'

When she opened her eyes, a flickering light from across the courtyard flashed at her. It was Dick, twisting his shield this way and that to catch the sunlight.

He was flashing the signal.

Y/N stood up, as well as the other warriors who had been hiding, and she raised her sword high. 'Aim!' Those with bows and arrows notched their arrows into the string and pulled back. 'Fire!'

Eight arrows released simultaneously, and the few seconds they flew silently was that brief moment of the calm before the storm. Everything was quiet and unmoving. But when the arrows pierced the hydra's scaly hide, the air thundered with its roar as it roused from its slumber.

But it wasn't up just yet. Y/N called out again. 'Aim... Fire!'

Another round of arrows flew down to the monster, and this time it was fully awake, clawing its way to its feet, all three heads hissing with fury. The central one seemed to spy Y/N, and as its open mouth lit up with fire, Y/N ran along the rooftop screaming, 'Move!'

Y/N narrowly missed being burnt to a crisp as the hydra fired at her, the fire burning so hot that when she snuck a glimpse behind her she saw it had melted the marble. She hated to think what she would've looked like if she hadn't moved.

Y/N leapt from that rooftop to the next, banging on her shield like a madman with her sword. 'Hey ugly! You hungry? Come catch us!'

Whether the creature understood her or not, all three heads gave her a furious glare that told Y/N she had gotten their attention. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dick and the other warriors of their group either running along the rooftops like her or down on the cobblestone streets.

Dick bashed his shield too, screaming, 'Hey! Over here!'

The left head lunged at Dick but his acrobatic skills helped him easily avoid the attack. The other warriors started doing the same, keeping the hydra looking and lunging in different ways. Constantly being disoriented.

Just what they wanted.

'Keep it moving!' Y/N called out, then started running along the roofs again, banging her shield. The others followed suit, being as loud and obnoxious as they could. The hydra did not appreciate its food running away, so it chased after them all, bulldozing through any building that did not accommodate its size.

Y/N saw the right head open its mouth to blow fire down the street at the warriors on the ground. They wouldn't survive the heat, nor outrun its reach. So she stopped for a brief moment to throw her sword at the monster. Her aim was strong and true as it pieced one its eyes, causing the hydra as a whole to stop as green blood leaked from its wound. It tried clawing out the sword but it was embedded too deep to get any purchase on it so it only managed to scratch and harm itself even more.

In its agony, it spewed fire everywhere, unable to guide its attack in so much pain. Y/N dodge-rolled out of its range once more, but one of her skirts tassels caught fire so she ripped it off before it could catch any further.

'Keep going!' Y/N called out. 'Get to the training grounds now! I'll keep it distracted!'

Y/N leapt down from the roofs finally, with nothing but a shield to protect herself, and stood before the hissing hydra. She felt the heat from the fire still spewing from its right mouth, squinted at the morning sun glinting off its talons and serpentine scales. But she just raised her shield in front of her and banged her own guarded wrist against it, over and over again. The resounding clangs that reverberated through the street drew its five remaining eyes on to her miniature figure.

And yet, Y/N didn't feel small as the monster of myth encroached on her. In fact, she'd never felt taller, stronger.

'Hey!' she screamed up at the hydra. 'Hey, ugly! You hungry?'

The monster bellowed in response, getting more aggravated with her every second that passed.

'You'll have to catch me first,' Y/N said, then slingshotted her shield at the left head. It made contact with its temple and rebounded into the central head. The impact it made sent the central head colliding into the right head as her shield rebounded back at Y/N.

If it wasn't pissed off before, it certainly was now as it reared onto its back legs, hissing and blowing fire every which way in anger. Y/N didn't waste a second more as she turned and bolted up the street. The way the houses around her rattled along with the street told her it was following her. Just as planned.

As Y/N looked around she couldn't see Dick or any of the other warriors much to her relief. Now she just needed to make it to the training grounds to finish this off.

She narrowly dove out of the way from a blast of fire and smelt singed hair as she kept running. Too close, she thought, but the street started to make an incline as marble stairs replaced flat ground. Almost there.

Just as Y/N went to climb the stairs, a large claw came crashing over her head and onto the stairs, crushing them into rubble and blocking her path. Y/N turned to face the hydra, which now sneered down at her with its small victory. With the stairs up the hill in ruins and the hydra's body blocking the way back in to town, Y/N was soundly trapped.

But she was the daughter of Wonder Woman and the Princess of Themyscira; she would not be so easily beat.

Before it could open its mouth to fire at her or eat her or both, Y/N leapt above the hydra's head just to land on it again and use it as another jump pad to leap higher.

She'd forgotten what it felt to fly, to not be weighed down by gravity and her own limitations, and so Y/N found herself smiling as she arced above the mountainside then back down again to land on the top of the stairs to the training grounds.

The hydra below hissed in fury, sinking its claws further into the stairs and began its ascent up the mountainside. Y/N didn't wait for it to reach her, instead choosing to run across the empty field as fast she could.

But she could hear the hydra reach the top, felt it chase her as the ground thundered beneath her feet. She just about reached the very middle of the training round when she felt it tower over her again.

Y/N leapt high again, as it made to squish her beneath its talons, arcing backwards this time to land atop the right head of the hydra. With one hand she clutched a horn on the hydra's head, with the other she hastily pulled her sword out of its injured eye, fluid and green blood leaking from it more as she did. It howled in agony, thrashing its head from side to side and almost sending Y/N falling to the ground.

But she held her ground, plunging her sword into its other eye. As it writhed in pain, the central head lunged at her with an open mouth, to which Y/N reefed the sword out of the eye to slice its vulnerable tongue off. Just as the third struck out at her, Y/N leapt onto its head and plunged her sword into its head.

The piercing screech that she extracted from the beast almost sent Y/N deaf, but she leapt one more time off the hydra completely, landing far away to see the now blind, tongueless and brainless hydra heads flail about in agony. All that was left was to finish it off.

Y/N dropped her sword and raised her shield above her head, allowing her power and strength to build up and concentrate before slamming the shield down on the ground.

The sound of the impact was like thunder, booming throughout the area as if a bolt of lightning struck the ground. The ground cracked around the shield, then spiderwebbed its way towards the hydra. As it did, the ground fell away, sending the hydra hurtling down into the depths of the mountainside. It screeched and roared and hissed as it fell, but no matter how much it clawed for purchase, there were no walls nor ground to cling onto.

So it fell, and a resounding thud rattled the ground as it connected with the bottom.

Y/N waited for the dust and her heart to settle before she dared look over the edge. The hydra laid unmoving at the bottom of the pit, every inch of its body pierced by rocks and spikes. The three heads splayed out unmoving, and the sight of the lifeless eyes allowed Y/N to sigh with relief.

Hundreds of rushed footsteps alerted her to more company, but when she looked behind her she was glad to see her warriors, her sisters, and Dick running towards her, cheers now echoing across the training grounds.

Calliope rushed at her, legs surprisingly healed, and embraced her. 'You did it! You actually killed a hydra!'

'No, we killed a hydra,' Y/N corrected her as she pulled away. 'If it weren't for you guys setting up that pit, I'm not sure how else we would've defeated it.'

'Are you kidding?' Dick said, drawing her attention to him. He looked weary underneath his helmet, but his smile was radiant as always. And his eyes shone with an adoration that Y/N hadn't ever noticed before. 'You singlehandedly blinded, cut off its tongue, stabbed its brain, and sent it into the depths of Themyscira. You did that, Y/N. You won us this fight.'

As Calliope and everyone around them cheered and hugged in celebration, Dick and Y/N shared a look that spoke volumes of relief and joy and everything around them faded. Dick took a step closer and that one movement had Y/N remembering what she'd told him before the battle and her heart stirred up again.

He opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off as the ground suddenly shook so badly as if it were an earthquake. Y/N grabbed on to Dick to hold herself up as others fell over. When it settled, Y/N and Dick shared a confused look.

'What was that?' Dick asked, but the ground shook again, harder this time.

Y/N turned towards where the shakes were coming from and saw dark clouds forming over the ocean as a whirlpool seemed to form in its depths. A green light emanated from the whirlpool and slowly, rising from within it was Echidna, but also not. She didn't look human anymore, more like her monstrous children as scales replaced her skin and her hands were more like talons. With a great leap that shook the ground again and sent waves lashing at Themyscira's shores, she landed on the edge of town, decimating homes and shops as she did.

She stood taller than all the buildings in town, and with a great big swipe of her hand, Echidna knocked marble columns down and roofs off houses. But she didn't seem to care what she destroyed as she slowly made her way towards the palace.

Towards Y/N's grandmother.

'We haven't won the war yet,' Y/N said, turning to speak directly with Calliope. 'Take half of the crowd to look after those who have evacuated and hidden themselves in the northern caves. I'm going after Echidna.'

'I will not leave you, Princess,' Calliope tried arguing, but winced slightly as she took a step towards Y/N.

'You are in no condition to fight,' Y/N stated. 'I will take a handful of warriors, but if I am to not return from this fight, it is you I place my faith in to keep everyone alive.'

'But Princess-'

'Please Calliope, do as I say and go. Go!'

Calliope looked between Echidna and Y/N a few times, frustration and understanding warring on her face. Eventually she nodded, then turned to those near her and started spouting instructions.

'Andromeda! Celeste!'

Two women amongst the chaos emerged and stood before her, ready to take orders. 'Gather the remaining warriors and follow me. We're going after Echidna.' All they did was nod before leaving to rally those that remained.

'I'm going with you,' Dick said, coming to stand beside Y/N, determination hardening his beautiful features.

'I can't ask that of you, Dick,' she said facing him.

'Then don't.'

Dick raised his hand to gently cradle Y/N's neck and head, and in that one gesture she felt completely disarmed despite her holding a sword and shield.

'We started this journey together, we will finish it together, too.' he said, and Y/N knew what he meant.

He meant that from the very beginning he was by her side, when they first met at Bruce's mansion and she judo flipped him. That they had stayed by each other's side through the good and the bad, the horrific and the beautiful. And he would stay now. Regardless of if he reciprocated her love for him, their bond ran deeper and stronger than any complicated feelings could ruin.

Y/N had never felt more grateful, so she nodded her head, not daring to speak of her gratitude in case she cried.

Andromeda and Celeste came up beside Y/N and so Dick dropped his hand as she faced them the warriors that stood ready to fight behind them.

'We are ready when you are, Princess,' Andromeda said.

Y/N nodded, then looked out over all the women that watched her, looked up to her, awaiting her command. No doubt they knew death awaited most of them, perhaps all would not survive Echidna's wrath. But they would not be able to call themselves Amazons if they gave up without a fight.

Silently, Y/N raised her sword above her head and watched as slowly each and every warrior raised their weapon with her. Even Dick beside her raised his escrima sticks in solidarity.

'For Athena!' Y/N cried out.

'And for Themyscira!' the warriors cried in response.

And with that Y/N turned and began running for the palace, Dick and Andromeda and Celeste running beside her with hundreds of women warriors following behind in a stampede of steel and strength.

Y/N lead them through the decimated town, wandering through the devastation Echidna had left in her wake. It didn't take them long to reach Echidna, who stood just outside the enchanted palace gates.

'Echidna!' Y/N cried out as she threw her shield up at the giant goddess.

The weapon bounced off her effortlessly, but it did make her turn around, and it was then that Y/N was able to take in Echidna's new form.

Almost as tall as the palace, she looked down upon their small army with green snake eyes, a forked tongue flicking out here and there. A black tail with a talon on the end curled up behind her as if readying to strike. Now that she was closer, Y/N spotted fangs poking out of Echidna's mouth as she sneered in disdain and anger.

'Stand down!' Y/N continued. 'End this war now and we will spare you!'

'Spare me?' Echidna said, her voice sounding more snake-like than her original voice. 'Like you spared my children? I warned you I would make sure your kind never lived a day after I was through with you. Well... that day has come!'

Echidna held her hands out to the army and green liquid seemed to pool from her hands then flow like tar waterfalls to the ground. From the pools rose monsters from the initial battles, gnashing their teeth in absolute hunger. Without hesitation they charged at the Amazons, and the two sides collided in a mighty clash of steel and teeth.

Y/N palmed off a rat-like creature as it leapt at her face, then swung her sword at a striking serpentine monster, effectively slicing its head off and dissolving it to goo once more. However, it didn’t matter how many they killed off, the pools of tar were infinite and so the monsters kept coming. 

Y/N spotted Echidna above punching at the enchanted gates in an attempt to open them. Her impact sent the invisible walls shuddering, and Y/N swore she heard glass fracturing with another punch. The world thundered as Echidna struck the gates one last time, and the protective dome that had kept the cornerstone of Themyscira safe for millennia finally shattered. With no enchantment left to face, Echidna kicked the gates down and wandered into the palace courtyard.

‘No!’ Y/N sliced at the surrounding monsters, trying to escape their onslaught but they seemed to understand her urgency and kept coming to stop her. 

Out of nowhere, Dick leapt onto the back of an equine-like monster, bringing one escrima stick around its neck and pulling on either ends of it back towards him. He effectively severed the creature's head, leaping to the ground as it dissolved into goo. Andromeda and Celeste came swinging in too, knocking back the remaining monsters to clear the space around them.

’She’s broken through the gates. We must not let her reach the Queen,’ Y/N said, breath haggard and forehead dripping with sweat.

‘We won’t,’ Dick said, and the certainty in which he spoke made it sound more like a promise. He looked briefly around him. ‘Everyone else can deal with this. Lets go, we have a goddess to kill.’

Y/N nodded, then turned to Andromeda and Celeste who nodded their confirmation that they would follow. ‘Let’s go then,’ Y/N said, and she leapt just enough to gain some momentum before thundering back down to earth and slamming her shield into the ground. It was enough to knock over the oncoming wave of creatures, clearing a path through to the gates to the palace. 

The four of them ran to the gates and was greeted by the sight of broken statues and walls, of destroyed gardens and, most horrifyingly, lifeless warriors who’d stayed to protect their queen. The blood that spilled from them only angered Y/N more, and so when she saw Echidna about break down the last doors before she reached the palace’s centre, she launched herself from where she stood with a battle cry on her lips and flew at Echidna with her sword raised.

Echidna turned just in time and batted Y/N away, slamming her into a nearby wall. Y/N grunted from the harsh impact, but quickly pushed herself off the wall and charged again.

‘Feeble demi-god,’ Echidna hissed, punching at Y/N this time and sending her high into the air. ‘You think you can defeat me?’

Though struck with pain, Y/N pointed her sword down at Echidna as she came flying down. As Echidna made to swipe at her, Y/N timed a hard slice to the goddess' palm, cutting from the base of her fingers to her wrist. The goddess hissed with disdain as YN landed on solid ground again. An arrow fired into Echidna’s cheek, earning an annoyed wince from the goddess. Y/N turned to see Celeste, a well-trained archer, had gotten herself into the best possible position atop a broken chunk of wall. 

She notched an arrow quickly and sent it flying, this time landing near Echidna’s eye. She hissed again and made to lunged at Celeste when a spear pierced her upper arm. That drew a more pain-filled cry from Echidna as she clutched at the wound, smearing green blood over her hands. Y/N followed Echidna’s angry glare to find Andromeda almost opposite in height to Celeste on the opposing broke walls of the palace. 

Y/N’s heart almost stopped beating as Dick leapt from pillars that rose high above Echidna - how he got there, Y/N didn’t want to know - and on to Echidna’s shoulder. ‘Hey Monster Lady!’ he cried into her ear, narrowly missing a talon as she clawed at her shoulder. Using his acrobatic skills, he swung from one shoulder to the other and managed to land a few blows on her vulnerable cheek. He looked so small, so ridiculous, Y/N would’ve smiled were they not in the situation they were. But a sense of pride filled her as she watched the three of them. It made her actually begin to believe they could do it. They could defeat Echidna.

‘Enough!’

Echidna’s tail whipped quicker than lightning, and before Y/N knew it Celeste was being impaled by the giant talon on its end. A broken cry had barely fallen from Y/N’s mouth before Echidna was grabbing hold of Andromeda and crushing her in her bare hands. Dick leapt from Echidna’s shoulders before she could grab him, he didn’t fall fast enough to avoid her whacking him into a nearby wall. The impact was so hard that large pieces of rubble fell off with him as gravity pulled them both down. 

‘Dick!’ Y/N cried as he and the rubble hit the ground, dust spiralling everywhere so she couldn’t see anything. When the dust finally settled, she saw him lying down on his stomach, his bottom half pinned by heavy rubble.

He didn't move.

Furious tears spilled down Y/N’s cheek as she surveyed her fallen loved ones, as she looked back up at Echidna with an ire she hoped would burn the goddess to hell. Only able to see red, Y/N cried out in agony as she leapt at the goddess again, sword at the ready. With only Y/N to deal with, Echidna easily swiped Y/N into a nearby wall. Y/N clawed herself out of the hole she’d made and launched herself at Echidna again, managing to land a few blows on the goddess’ face before being punched into the air again. This time, Y/N cried out from the pain that rattled through her bones, from the muscles that were no doubt tearing and snapping. 

‘I am Echidna. Mother of Monsters!’ Echidna bellowed, and as Y/N started her descent, the goddess landed the final blow as she punched Y/N into the ground. 

Y/N could barely manage a scream as her body seemed to light on fire in agony. Get up. Get up! She mentally screamed at her body to move but her limbs did not respond. Even breathing was an effort as blood dripped from her mouth down her throat excruciatingly slowly. All she could do was look up at the broken roof above her, and Echidna as she leaned over her unmoving body. 

‘You never stood a chance,’ Echidna hissed, although the words came in different volumes. No doubt Y/N’s hearing was busted, but she still understood the monster above her, the taunts she presented. ‘The Amazons will die today. As soon as I kill your precious queen, the gods will know to fear my name. Say hello to your dear grand-uncle Hades for me, now.’

Y/N waited for the final blow to come, to see darkness and welcome it. But she was dealt an even worser fate. Echidna left, her steps vibrating through the ground, but they became softer and softer the further away she became. Get up. Get up! Y/N couldn’t let Echidna win, not when they had so much to save, so many lives on the line.

But Y/N could feel her injuries catching up to her, felt the blood pooling in her lungs faster, felt all the broken bones and torn muscles. Echidna had broken her, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Athena… Mother, please… She was sure no one heard her prayers, not even the almighty Zeus would waste time on a measly person such as herself. Someone who had failed her people and therefore condemned them either to death or a life worse than death under the rule of Echidna. 

But she did selfishly wish for one final thing. Echidna had punched her so much that Y/N laid in a crater of rubble. She couldn’t see Dick, couldn't check if he was okay. She highly doubted it after seeing Celeste and Andromeda be killed. Echidna had no mercy it seemed, and for that Y/N mustered up one last tear to fall down her face as she prayed by some hope that Dick would live.

As it did, her eyes closed, her chest stopped rising, and her body stopped feeling. 

~~~

Tag List:

@valiantbouquetcloud | @epicy0n | @resistanythingbuttemptation | @lunaizhere | @nameunknownsthings | @tqrgvryen | @pariahsparadise | @edgycat | @b4tm4nn | @cynwing | @lilylovelyxo | @herondale-lightworm | @animeflower26 | @tiny-marie | @jedigrayson | @kookiemyfeelsposts | @whore-of-many-hot-men | @vxxviennne | @peachmartini | @jayn333-blog | @rory-cakes | @littleshadow17 | @lwtmonster91 | @levi-09

[wenutted]

I dont see a character limit so..

hcs with dr.ratio, jing yuan, aventurine, sunday, blade and dan heng as father figures? :3

Father figures! Dr. Veritas Ratio, Jing Yuan, Aventurine, Sunday, Blade, Dan Heng [SEPERATE] & Reader

[CW]: [MASSIVE SPOILERS for Penacony and the Xianzhou Luofu, some good old angst, and very brief mentions of death]

[Genre(s)]: [Bit of a mixed bag tbh. We have some crack, some angst, some fluff, and but they're mainly just general hcs]

[A/N]: [Oh right character limits... I should set that. Maybe like I'll settle with about.. 5 characters max? (I'll still write all 6 here tho dw lol)]

[Oh, also, you mentioned father figures, and not fathers, so no one's biologically related here, they just kinda go "ur my friend now" instead]

Dr. Veritas Ratio

-> The only reasonable way I could see Dr. Ratio ever spare a glance at you without some kind of special circumstances would be if you're one of his students.

-> You're the youngest in his class, which in of itself is a feat, but you've managed to score yourself as one of the more well-behaved students. It's not like you have the best grades, nor are you very good at socializing with your classmates during projects, but you're a good kid; you ask questions on things you don't understand, pay attention during lessons, and you seem genuinely interested in the material. This, in of itself, is more than enough for you to become one of Dr. Ratio's favorite students.

◇ It's hard to really tell when exactly the shift occurs, but, one day, Veritas eventually just kinda... takes you under his wing?

◆ Dr. Ratio isn't one to show much lenience, but he spoils you in his own special way; tutoring you before tests, letting you speak first if someone else raises their hand at the same time– hell, he even lets you hang out in the classroom between lectures.

◇ Imagine just munching on the loudest chips while Veritas is trying to grade homework. Poor guy is genuinely tweaking, but he can't bring himself to yell at you; you're just trying to eat. Meanwhile, you're holding back a cheeky grin as you watch him try and pay attention.

◆ Even funnier, imagine calling him 'dad' in class. As soon as the words leave your lips, you almost immediately request to go to the bathroom, and end up skipping the rest of the lesson. Of course, Dr. Ratio scolds you for doing so, but he definitely gloats about it to a few of his associates.

◇◆◇◆◇

Jing Yuan

-> It is not hard to consider this man fatherly; whether you're a solider who works under the general, or you're just a civilian who occasionally chats with him over tea. The funniest part is that Jing Yuan just accepts this fate, and even leans into it.

◇ He trains you personally, alongside Yanqing, teaching you how to protect yourself, but also using the long sessions as an excuse to bond with you.

◆ Jing Yuan is also the #1 napping companion. You can just curl up next to him and almost immediately you're drifting off. Finches land on your heads, chirping soft, and there's a cat purring in the General's lap. After a few minutes, Yanqing joins too, and now there's really no chance of waking up anytime soon.

◇ Speaking of Yanqing, if Jing Yuan's your dad, then Yanqing is your annoying brother. You love him to death, but the knight-in-training always seems to find the most inconvenient times to seek you out.

◆ Overall, these two are the best family tho. 10/10.

◇ (BTW imagine auntie!Fu Xuan who teaches you basic forms of divination; like reading tea leaves)

◇◆◇◆◇

Aventurine

-> Again, it really doesn't matter whether you work for the IPC as well, or if you're just a citizen from some random planet he visits. The former would allow the two of you to see each other more often tho, so we'll go with that.

◇ Aventurine's a chatty guy, so if you work directly under him, it's not hard to end up getting along with the Stoneheart. You guys just kinda clicked and now you're attached at the hip.

◆ He takes you on as his apprentice, and brings you everywhere with him. Every day with Aventurine is an adventure; whether you're sitting around and doing paperwork, or taking part in that grand Penacony scene, you best bet that gambler will find a way for you to have fun.

◇ You've probably learned a lot of different games and strategies, too. Even if you're just watching Aventurine play, all of the rules have been committed to memory. Whether it's poker or blackjack, you can easily keep up with even the most advanced of players.

◆ Unfortunately, you've also gained your mentor's nasty habit of not hesitating to go all in. Of course, it's not like you just throw everything on the line on a whim; you're not an idiot. But, if you're confident it'll earn you the win, you don't waste a second to rely on your luck and raise the stakes.

◇ Aventurine almost cries the first time you call him 'dad'. He definitely tells all his colleagues about it too. Aunt Jade will forever tease you about it, while Topaz awkwardly pats your back and tries not to laugh.

◇◆◇◆◇

Sunday

-> I'd like to imagine you're a singer, like Robin, but you also do her makeup before she steps up onto stage. Regardless, you and the cosmic superstar are already incredibly close; she's practically your family. You both rehearse together, compose songs together, and sometimes you even perform together!

◇ Being such dear friends, it's no surprise that you've talked to Sunday plenty. Whether it's phone calls, holograms, or handwritten letters, you know the halovian man like the back of your hand.

◆ So, it's not anything particularly special or surprising when Sunday and Robin personally greet you, upon your arrival in Golden Hour. They're both familiar faces, and brief pleasantries quickly escalate into deep conversations.

◇ While you eventually head off with Robin again, to go prepare for the Charmony Festival, you promise to come visit some time later. Sunday merely chuckles and ruffles your hair, sending you on your merry way.

◆ Unfortunately, that promised meeting never happens. Before you have the chance to even go to the Dewlight Pavillion, you're suddenly awakened from a sweet dream by none of than Robin, herself, quickly urging you along.

◇ The Harmonious Choir stands before you. Every moment is more terrifying than the last as you battle alongside the Astral Express. What's happening? Why is Sunday doing all of this?

◆ By the time the damned melody comes to an end and the Harmonious Choir– no, Sunday falls backwards, you can't even will yourself to move as you watch Robin races towards him. You feel sick to your stomach. This is the worst dream ever.

◇◆◇◆◇

Blade

-> You just so happened to have encountered Blade in some dank, backwater alleyway, all the while his Mara was flaring up. Very safe circumstances.

◇ Guess what happens when this scary ahh criminal man comes charging towards you, sword in hand, when you're trying to explore.

◆ Yeah, you killed him. And then you had a panic attack because you just killed a human being. And then he wakes up, and then you panic more.

◇ Bro does NOT understand what's going on. He just stares at you while you scream bloody murder, and flops to the floor in a near melodramatic fashion once you regain your wits and try to check on him.

◆ It takes like 30 minutes for Kafka to come and finally pick the cranky old man up, but by that point he kinda just drags you along with him. Blade doesn't like you per se, but you're also his emotional support silly little guy now.

◇ Kafka finds it too amusing to tell him to stop. So now you're unofficially a Stellaron Hunter!!! Safe to say Silver wolf was happy about it lmaoo

◆ Blade doesn't really act very fatherly, but he definitely has his moments.

◇ If Elio ever puts you in a script, Blade will make sure to flank you at all times, keeping a sharp eye on you.

◆ He's also another ideal napping buddy. While Blade, himself, doesn't sleep much unless he's healing from a bad wound, he won't leave if you lean against his shoulder. Literally this man will die before he wakes you up.

◇◆◇◆◇

Dan Heng

-> Dan Heng is a very patient parent. There's no arguing with that– but he's also a bit distant at times. You can only wonder what's going on in that guy's head.

◇ Dan Heng holds your hand whenever the both of you are anywhere crowded, and he'll even pick you up, if you ask. But then the Trailblazer started asking for piggyback rides too and now you have to walk everywhere :(

◆ Also, I feel like he'd be more affectionate as Imbibitor Lunae. Something something instincts, maybe. He'll wrap his tail around you, he'll let you touch the giant water dragon thing he summons, Dan Heng would probably split the sea for you, just so you could collect seashells.

◇ Just don't call him Daniel, or else you'll be shunned for all of 2 weeks </3

◇◆◇◆◇

[Please, if you enjoyed reading this, leave a reblog or a comment. Your words motivate me to write more!]

[tryingtofindava]

Could you write for Teen Michael & Fem reader who's the exact opposite of him (kind, girly, nice, ect..) and they are in a relationship?🥰 Thank you!!

𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐰 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝! 𝐒/𝟎 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬*ೃ༄

: ̗̀➛Back to Source

THIS MAN LOVES WHEN HIS S/O IS GIRLY!!He just loves total girly girls in general tbh.

He likes that you two are so different from each other, opposites attract ig.

I think he likes girly partners better bcs he gets to call them really feminine pet names.

His pet names would consist of: Darling, Love (He’s British guys, it’s in his blood to call you darling & love.) Baby, Babe, Gorgeous, Angel, Sugar tits. And then they just get progressively worse.

He doesn’t mock you like he does others.

Though, he gets jealous easily. And jealousy with your kindness? Welp, that doesn’t really work well together.

“Babe, I’m telling ya. Justin is a massive prick, why even bother help him with the assignment?”

That’s nothing compared to how he gets when it’s is friends you’re helping…

Michael acts like he doesn’t care about much, but he’s lowkey protective. If someone flirts with you, he’ll get sarcastic, jealous, or flat out step between you and them.

He likes it that you’re always by his side to take care of his injuries. He’s the type of guy to start shit with someone, only to get his ass handed to him. So he likes it when you’re there to clean and kiss the wounds better.

He finds it dead cute when you play games w Elizabeth and Evan. (deadass might give him Abby fever ‘til Evan cries again.)

Take your fake lashes off infront of him, he’ll stare at you like it’s the 1400s and you’ve just committed witchcraft.

He lives off the attention you give him (since he doesn’t get a lotta attention from his parents n shit), he’s a patter merchant for sure.

His idea of a date? Hanging out in the dingy back corner of an arcade, snacking on cheap food, making fun of bad games, and pretending not to be affectionate in public.

He’d take you to the cheap Roller Rink in town, double points if you don’t knowhow to skate and you HAVE to hold his hand the whole time.

He’ll laugh if you fall too. Then feel bad cuz you pout. Then it’s his turn to take care of you if you scrapped a knee!! :D

ALSO SHARES HIS MUSIC WITH YOU!!!

Grunge, punk, anything angry or loud. He’ll roll his eyes if you hate it, but secretly burns you a playlist anyway.

Solid 10/10.

He’s a total charmer.

He thinks you’re a godsend, and in his eyes you can literally do no wrong.

He can still be a jerk, especially when he’s angry or stressed. You might see him go too far with someone and feel weird about it.

If you call him out, he might get defensive at first, but he’ll stew on it later and try to make it right. He doesn’t want to lose you like he loses everything else.

Under all that bravado, Michael thinks he’s already a screw up, and part of him expects you to leave.

He clings a little too tightly sometimes. Not in a needy way but in the way he always walks you home, always wants to know where you are, always checking in on you.

Over time, being with you softens him. You’re probably one of the first people to treat him with patience and kindness, which messes with his head in the best way.

It’s not a redemption arc… But he does start thinking twice. About his actions. About Evan. About who he’s becoming.

Michael HATES overly sappy stuff.

Calls it cringey and definitely rolls his eyes when other couples do PDA…. But then he’s sneaking glances at your hand, subtly bumping your shoulder like he wants to hold it. His justification? that it’s only okay when you two do it.

He acts like he’s not paying attention when you talk about your interests, but he remembers everything. Your favorite snack? The movie you said you wanted to see? Written down in a beat up notebook or scratched into the corner of his school binder.

If you saw it, he’d die. He’d say it’s for blackmail, but… the truth’s obvious.

Thinks you’re too sweet to others, and definitely wants you to toughen up. He doesn’t want ANYONE walking all over you.

And if he found out someone was? It doesn’t end well for them…

There are rare moments after he fights with his dad, or when guilt over Evan creeps in. Where he just shuts down. Gets quiet, withdrawn, almost ghost like.

You might find him sitting alone, hoodie up, not saying anything. And if you just sit next to him, no pressure, no judgment… eventually he’ll lean into you. No words, just silence and shared grief.

In front of others Mike is seen as snarky, mean, always has a joke or insult ready. With you in private? He’s not exactly sweet, but he’s real. He lets the mask drop. His voice softens around you. He’ll lie on the floor and complain about everything while you play with his hair or paint his nails (and he’ll pretend he hates it).

Michael’s got a temper, especially when it comes to people crossing a line with you. Say something out of pocket? Touch you wrong? He’s in their face in seconds.

There has been MULTIPLE occasions where you’ve had to talk him down from a fight.

“Mike, he didn’t mean to bump into me-“ But he’s already preparing to throw hands.

He doesn’t out right say I love you, but he definitely shows it.

It might take forever for him to say those words. But he shows it when he walks you home, when he lets you see the scared parts of him, when he changes just a little for your sake.

And when he finally says it, it’s awkward, whispered, and like it nearly killed him. But it’s the most honest thing he’s ever said.

Michael lives for chaos. If you’re dating him, you either join in on his pranks or you become his unwilling alibi.

“You didn’t see anything, babe,” he says, smirking as a bucket of water tips over the door onto some poor freshman.

Though he acts clueless…

Michael’s not dumb, he’s actually sharp as hell… But he hates authority, so he tanks his grades and acts like he doesn’t care. You see through it. You catch glimpses of the boy who reads weird horror novels, quotes movies you’ve never heard of, and actually gets people more than he lets on.

Every compliment is wrapped in sarcasm. “Wow, you’re not completely useless today. I’m so proud.”

But sometimes his voice cracks a bit just enough that you can tell he actually means it. If you call him out on it he’ll deflect with, “Whatever, don’t get all sappy on me.”

If you’re dating him, you’re definitely getting detention at some point. He’ll convince you to skip class or pull some harmless prank, and suddenly the school staff’s on your case.

But if anyone blames you too hard? He immediately takes the fall. “It was my idea. Back off. They didn’t do anything.”

Mrs and Mr Afton adore you!! Think you’re a good influence on him. And you’re always welcome in their home, you even get invited on family trips.

Michael does stupid stuff with his friends, smoking behind the school, sneaking out, trespassing in weird abandoned buildings but he’s weirdly careful when you’re involved.

“If you’re coming with us, you listen to what I say,” he’ll mutter. “I’m not dragging you into something that’s gonna get you hurt.”

Definitely sees your femininity and sweetness as weakness. Which definitely causes some arguments but after he’s had his petty moment he’s immediately crawling back to you.

You are the one person he can’t lose. And that terrifies him. It’s why he pushes you away sometimes, acts like he doesn’t care because deep down, he thinks he doesn’t deserve love after what happened to Evan.

SOZ THIS TOOK FOREVER TO COME OUT IVE LITERALLY BEEN BRAINDEAD FOR WRITING FOR LIKE…EVER.

[gayraeofsun]

i just really want to scream about this movie into the void because it was so well done, and i doubt anyone will really see this but i don't really have anyone i could have a deep discussion about this with.

trigger warning and spoiler warning ahead for the movie blink twice. content ahead discusses themes around sa, including r*pe, drugging, manipulation, and general physical/verbal abuse.

i don't keep up with any previews or recent movie releases much anymore, so i was going into this movie almost completely blind like i do with most new movies anymore. i had seen one preview, but it was apparently plain and simple enough for me to mostly forget about it. the irony in that will be made known a bit later on.

the movie automatically opens with a screen that displays a trigger warning, which is something that i had been seeing for the first time in any kind of visual media. normally these things are already listed by the ratings, but as a sa survivor who had no idea what this movie was going to be, it was a good thing to see so i could brace myself for what was to come. do i think this is necessary for any and every movie of this kind? no, it feels a little redundant (again, these things are typically included in the ratings). and, well, asking me to not watch if it would upset me is kind of a no deal, since i paid for a ticket and popcorn to see this on the big screen.

we're immediately introduced to our two main characters, two best friends, and it's hard to not immediately fall for their relationship with each other. so playful and silly and ridiculous, you can immediately tell they adore each other's company in their shitty job living in their shitty apartment, and you can tell that they're written by a woman who loves these characters and wants to portray them as relatable people. the interactions between the whole cast of girls, i think, was just outstandingly done. they felt realistic, not constantly shitting on each other and fighting for the attention of the men (though some jealousy of that fashion is still portrayed). they were all there enjoying the island and they ended up bonding together wonderfully. they were funny without being over-the-top rude or nasty or promiscuous, as is portrayed commonly in female characters in popular media. i can't and won't stop gushing over how much these characters felt just like real life girls that i was hanging out with.

this movie was really great at putting a pit in your stomach and slowly making it grow. of course, the trigger warning at the beginning spoils what's to come, so for me the pit was there from the start. any sensible person who's been socialized to be a woman will know, you don't ever just run away with some random ass group of men you don't know to the middle of nowhere with no cell service. but the little things that make the main character, frida, stop and question are so subtle, and so easily dismissed to start with. the used lip gloss in the drawer, the available clothes despite being an "unexpected" guest, the weird cleaning staff. but they increasingly get more odd. the island is full of venomous snakes and they all have to be killed on sight. something about these flirty interactions isn't quite right anymore, and he's talking about repressed memories. what day even is it? why am i always waking up with dirt under my nails?

who even knows or cares though, since we're all high and/or drunk 24/7. welcome to paradise!

it builds and builds until it begins to unravel, slowly and then all at once as the girls come to the realization of what happens to them every night when they get unbelievably high after dinner. the bond between the first two to piece it together was outstanding, and i love that there wasn't a cheap "find the phones and call authorities" plan. they worked out why that wouldn't work at all, because who would they believe? the "hysterical bitches" making claims without any kind of solid evidence, or the rich white man who's now a reformed soul and probably good friends with some of the cops?

the ending is not a happy one, in my eyes, though i believe it was probably supposed to be portrayed as one? two girls live and three girls die by the end. the ringmaster (ceo) of the whole thing ends up accidentally taking his own forgetfulness juice and suddenly doesn't understand what's going on and why all his friends are dead or have been otherwise brutalized. he knocks over lit candles and then trips and knocks himself out in his stupor, and the island burns down, the photographic evidence (that was later discovered) and all. i thought it was just going to end there and we would be left with the ambiguous ending, and that's never satisfying and feels very overdone anymore.

but instead, we're given a scene where our main character is now the ceo of the company, and legally married to the man who lured her away and horrifically abused her. twice. i interpreted this as her getting her own form of justice/revenge. i doubt she gives him half the treatment he gave her, but now she controls him and everything he owns and knew, and gets every bit of respect she wants. he killed her best friend and two other girls after overpowering the lot of them every single night. in a perfect world, he'd get tried and punished for his crimes legally. but all the evidence of it ever happening burned to the ground. so this is what she does to cope. in the final scene, she seems very satisfied, more than pleased to make her new husband's old crew squirm. she becomes the thing that destroyed her and so many others (but yk, most likely without the rapist cult).

one character i very suddenly grew interested in was the scrawniest boy in the group. he flies perfectly under the radar and doesn't appear in many of scenes that portray the gruesome sa. the one where he's in clear view, he appears to be another victim, trying to flee from one of the bigger men and receiving a black eye, which he would have no memory of getting the next morning. he's told by one of the girls that he smells nice, most likely referencing the perfume that was making them forget everything. it seemed very clear that he was in a victim role here as well, likely also being sa-ed. but he's never seen bound and gagged with the girls.

his final scene gets interesting when the ceo berates him for doing nothing to help the girls the entire time (yeah, the same ceo millionaire who's been basically orchestrating this whole sick fucking show in his perfect little getaway island). how he thinks there's a special place in hell for people who sit and do nothing in the face of evil. there are two very different ways to interpret this. 1) he wasn't actually getting drugged and abused with the girls, and was there as someone who didn't actively participate in abusing the girls, but also didn't do anything to try to stop it either. this could be blatant commentary on the two types of evil; while "not all men" r*pe and abuse people, not enough men will speak out against it or try to run to the victim's defense. or 2) the ceo was casting blame onto someone who was genuinely confused as to what was happening (which seems to ring true in both scenarios), and someone who was also a victim and stuck in a completely helpless situation. both could hold some level of truth, but ultimately i read him as the latter, thinking he was meant to represent the less common male victim. he gets killed by one of the girls, who wasn't specifically targeting him but also wasn't taking any chances, and that's the last we see of him. in my eyes he could either be read as the kind of evil that merely observes and therefore was rightfully murdered, or he could represent his male victims often get forgotten about or less acknowledged, which could speak as to why he was killed off so quickly never to be discussed again.

and i've gotta say, one thing i really appreciate about the scenes depicting r*pe is that it put a lot of the focus on the r*pists and not their victims. they were careful to not show any nudity or any shots of the women getting r*ped, but still showed them getting forced down when they tried to flee. i have not personally seen any other graphic scenes of this nature in other movies, but from what i hear a lot of it can get rather pornographic, and i feel like that's incredibly distasteful when you're trying to depict something that's absolutely vile. this movie does a great job of getting the absolute terror of the moment across without compromising any of the actresses by posing them seductively or showing off their bodies, and same goes for the men (if you don't count a couple of them being shirtless).

the writing is so wonderful, and the little clues as to what's happening beneath the surface are so good and plentiful. this is a movie that i don't think i'd ever be able to sit through again, but the sense of dread that continued to grow and grow will surely stick with me. it was very darkly funny in many places, which did great to break up some of the tension. for anyone who was able to stomach it, i would highly recommend watching through it once you're able. i think it was outstandingly well done and handled certain things as well as it could without watering any of it down.

[samsblades]

three seconds — sam winchester

cw : gn!reader, fluff, light swearing, accidental cuddling, casual mention of marriage between sam and reader (it’s just dean teasing tho lol), idiots friends to lovers, kissing, barely edited, 1.2K words. requested ! for my 200+ followers event [ closed ] .

prompt : sleeping in the same bed, as they’d often do, but one morning waking up cuddling.

to be truthful, this isn’t the first time you’ve woken up with yours and sam’s limbs entangled with each other’s. it’s just far less common for his hand to be so gloriously attached to your waist or his face to be tucked all sweet and warm into your neck. your own hands are placed in his hair and on his broad shoulder blade.

waking up like this is heaven; first, in the moments before you can process exactly what is happening, and second, once you realize and can bask in the splendor of having him so intimately close and vulnerable with you. then it comes crashing down as you remember that this isn’t quite how it’s supposed to be, and that you’ll never, not for a moment, be able to get this feeling out of your head, your body.

which means every moment after you untangle yourself from him will be full of a pure, undying, taunting want, maybe even need, to have him like that again. such a feeling is a general inconvenience as one considers that sam is your best friend, that he and his brother are just about all you have, and that you’d rather die than lose them to the fact that you’re in love with him. so clearly, it’s better he never knows, it���s just that constantly thinking about cuddling with him tends to lead to you making heart eyes at him or your cheeks flushing hot when he looks at you a moment too long.

then there’s the realization that sam is still asleep, the steady rhythm of his breath tickling your neck is both comforting and terrifying all at once. what if he wakes and jerks away, uncomfortable with your proximity? should you push him away before he even realizes the position you’re in? it’s not as if sam doesn’t enjoy physical affection; he pretends he doesn’t, but you’re convinced that he’s a cuddlebug at heart. maybe that’s an overly cute way of putting it, but you can feel how much he loves hugs, how much he enjoys having his head in your lap when you get a rare movie night. you’re just worried that this is too much, too close for even him.

and yet, you’re feeling selfish, because what if you never get him like this again? so you close your eyes again and just revel in the way it feels to have the tip of his nose pressed to your neck and his forehead against your jaw. his hands on you, so steady and sure in his sleep. his hair, soft between your fingers and the muscle of his back under your palm. his leg, tucked between yours. just the weight of him, pressed against you all solid and real and almost immovable until he wakes.

you hear dean stir a few feet away and you pray he won’t be able to tell you’re not asleep. breath even and eyes still gently closed, you hear dean move about, mumbling to himself. he’s digging around in a bag, pulling something out. then you feel him move closer and you swear he’s hovering at the foot of the bed.

then you hear a click, like that of a camera shutter, and you realize dean’s taken a picture of the two of you like this. pictures of the three of you are rarer, and dean being the one to take it means it’s special. you suppose blackmail is special in its own way and beg to no one that dean didn’t hear your breath hitch as you realize this moment is now immortalized by a picture that dean’ll print out someday and shove in your faces to make fun.

then dean’s mumbling to himself again, now close and loud enough for you to make out his words. “these two,” he sighs, tone practically chastising as if he sees something glaringly obvious, but the both of you can’t seem to quite get there. “i swear, the heart eyes from across the room, the longing gazes. god, they’ll be the death of me.” 

he really, truly thinks you’re asleep. he talks like this when he doesn’t know you can hear him. though usually not about you and sam, not like this. “they’re both such idiots. idiots in love,” he laughs humorlessly to himself, then turns away, stuffing the camera back in the bag he dug it out from. “maybe i should lock them in a closet,” he considers, voice so low you can barely catch his words, “see who caves first. then they’ll probably only thank me for that or the puke-inducingly cute photo once they’re married, those ungrateful asses. kids these days.” he lets out a huff of breath as he heads to the bathroom, seemingly done with his ranting about … about what? you and sam being in love with each other? what the hell was he saying, married? you and sam? you have to hold back from letting out a lovesick sigh.

you’re so caught up turning dean’s words over in your mind that only sam’s hand lightly squeezing your side brings you back to the present. your eyes shoot open and you pull your hand out of his hair. sam parts from you, barely. how long has he been awake? you’re almost too scared to look at sam, who hasn’t even attempted to untangle himself from you. he’s still got his hand on your waist and his leg tucked between yours and your eyes catch his without you meaning to. it’s always like that; your eyes will wander until they find his face, every time. it’s habit, instinct, unavoidable.

he looks at you long, and something about his pretty eyes turned green from the morning light and the color of the sheets keeps you holding his gaze, taking him in as he does you.

when sam finally speaks, his voice is hushed, but there’s this barely contained joy to it, begging to be released. “think we should save him the trouble?” the playfulness in his voice tugs at the corner of your lips. when he sounds happy, you can’t help but feel that way.

“of?” you ask, thinking you know what he means, but wanting to be sure.

“of locking us in a closet. sounds like a bit of a hassle, if you ask me,” he smiles at you, and his words plus the sight of his dimples has got you grinning without restraint. you wonder again how long sam was awake, but completely without apprehension this time. all the two of you needed was a few playful words exchanged, and now you know. though you wouldn’t have without dean’s unwittingly overheard grumbles, so you supposed you will have to thank him after all.

“i don’t know,” you say with a false air of careful thinking, “seems like it could be fun, y’know? it’s been too long since we’ve played a good trick on dean, don’t you think?”

sam doesn’t have an answer for that because he’s been too busy staring at the way your lips move, still pulled into a smile as you talk. you take another good look at him and wonder, how in the world did i miss it? the way he looks at me?

if he doesn’t kiss you within three seconds flat, you’ll do it yourself. it takes him those three seconds exactly, and you move in such synch it’s possible that your lips meet right in the perfect middle of the barely-there space between you.

[lostintransist]

This Bunny Bites | Part 15

Part 1 | AO3

You had popped home to get yourself ready. A cute matching set under a pair of gray sweatpants you stole from one ex and a band hoodie you kept from another ex and you were ready to grab everything else. A pair of ballroom heels, an aux cord that would connect to your phone, and the CBD lotion all got tossed in your bag. The case of sports drink you had snagged on the store sat on your backseat.

The sparkly heels never failed to make you smile. Todd had been in his seventies when he found you dancing at the club and loved to spend money on you. He even took you to dance classes for ballroom dance and bought the heels so you would fit in. When he passed a few years later you got an invite to his funeral. There were a lot of familiar faces in black that day.

Sasha was a dancer turned pole teacher. A dance studio and a solid income that had business records and a tax guy, the whole kit and caboodle. Staying friends with ladies as they left dancing had always been hard but Sasha, a shrewd businesswoman before all else, kept connections like coins in her pocket. A call to Sasha and you could get just about anything you need.

Many sex workers who chose the work were sharks. Tons of people thought sharks were the predators to fear in the sea. Not you. One too many nature documentaries had taught you to fear orcas. Whale Killers is what they were called before a mistranslation renamed them Killer Whales. That’s what Sasha was, a whale killer.

Cara had been texted the moment you got off the phone with Sasha. She would get back to you when she had a moment at work. The jump to the corporate world had been hard and Cara missed dancing, even though she wouldn’t say as much. Doing your due diligence as her best friend, you checked if Kyle had reached out yet in a follow-up message. Her replies came through as a single word each: yep, nope. Oh, so they were all on your shit list tonight then.

These ruthless soldiers would suffer before the night was over.

The studio had five poles in the room you rented for the night; which was more than enough room to have the men at a time practicing some basic moves. You figured you and Cara could switch off at the instructing. This wouldn’t be the first time that you and your soul mate had taught together. Cara, Sasha, and you had all worked at the same club. You and Cara would even make up random dances when things got slow.

The strip mall had enough parking to let you park closer but knowing Sasha had a class coming in later you parked further out and carried in your bag and the drinks. As much as you wanted to break the men who your brother claimed as family instead of you, the person your mother had tried to raise found her voice at the worst times, hence the lotion and the drinks.

With no sign of Sasha when you got through the door you headed left to the private room. The hardwood clicked under your shoes as the LEDs shined on you in silence. Setting the case of fluids off to one side you set the room lights to dim but not squinting levels of dark. Plugging in your phone to the speaker you queue up a generic pole playlist. You wouldn’t get caught off guard by some of your favorite dance songs and make a fool of yourself in front of them. Stripping off your outer layers you set about warming up on the pole.

You knew, by word of mouth because you were not stupid enough to ask, that sometimes Sasha still took personal clients off the books. Exploring would only land your ass in hot water, and as much as you loved a warm shower, the lava of knowledge would melt you into carbon.

They all showed up. Surprising really. You expected at least one of them to call out. Must be the brotherhood that wouldn’t allow them to lose face in front of the others.

“Holy shit.” Johnny lets out a whistle of surprise.

You were upside down on the pole when they walked in. One hand low on the pole, taking most your weight, the other pulling you up as your legs hover parallel to the floor. Glancing up as you dismount from the pole you see Cara is practicing an air walk. Cara is grace incarnate, even with all the time away from the work.

Her hair had been growing out for a few years now; her braid settled between her shoulders. The strands of silver that you had started to notice at her hairline made you love your best friend all the more. Perfectly proportionate from the shoulders down, with hints of muscle, and a killer hit of a smile, Cara can be the physical incarnation of either a goddess or cunt when she tries. You could only run with the big dogs because of her. Cara saved you in so many ways. Sometimes you wished that sexuality was a choice because she would have been yours.

All four men look like they took a flashbang to the face. Kyle, especially, looks affected. Good. Maybe he would call Cara now.

She isn’t breathing hard as she touches down. A glance over the staring eyes and they are dismissed. You’re up.

The order wasn’t repeated but it takes a few minutes for them to listen. When every man is down to his boxers and dog tags, or in Ghost’s case boxers, a wife beater, dog tags, and a surgical mask, you begin your lesson. First point, always, is safety. Once the basics are covered you show them three moves, a 360, a fireman, and a back hook. Your goal is to get them used to spinning and getting their feet off the ground. Learning to trust themselves and the pole can be a whole lesson on its own.

Cara, by unspoken agreement, had taken charge of Kyle and Johnny. That left you to handle Ghost and Price. Something about turning on your teaching brain lets you focus on their moves and not on the bodies before you. Obviously, you noticed the collection of tattoos that lay like ruins under the coating of Price’s body hair. You also noticed how Ghost’s tattoo sleeve extended to his shoulder, intricate details that you wanted draped over your shoulder. You also discovered his ditch-water blond hair. Would his beard be blond?

Price, after the fifth time of attempting a 360, started to get red in the face. He could do this, he has the grip strength but he either failed to get the pole spinning before he tried or chickened out if he was moving.

Kyle is the first one to get his feet off the ground. Cara gives a few light claps before making him do it again. The glance at Johnny has you getting Cara’s attention on him with a jerk of your chin. His hands were too close together for what he was trying.

Switching your attention back to Price you watch a moment. Tapping him on the arm with two fingers you wait for his attention. Once both feet are on the ground, brows furrowed, and hands on his hips you give him instruction.

“Let’s try the back hook instead, seems like you need to feel secure. Put one hand on the bar, good.” Pointing at yourself and moving as you speak you explain the next step, “With your outside foot take one step, then when your inside foot steps instead of letting it touch down on the floor hook it over the bar.”

Ghost had been watching, and seemingly not staring at your tits or your ass. Shame that. You picked this set deliberately because of the amount of ass cheek that the cut showed off and how the sheer fabric of the bra cups kept you secure but teased the shape and darkness of your nipples.

Both men followed your instructions. And both made it up.

Ghost made a comment to Price, and called the fates to bowl a strike on their night.

“Knew it wasn’t that hard if so many birds can do it,” he lifted a brow at Price who chuckled.

Cara huffed a disbelieving laugh and muttered loud enough to carry across the room. “Fools. The gods only listen to fools after dark.”

Apollo must have kissed Cara’s bloodline long ago because Kyle went down within minutes. After a series of moves, he looked nauseous, hand gripping the pole with such a tight grip the color of his knuckles changed. You caught sight of him in the mirror.

“Kyle, ass on the floor now,” the command bounced off the mirror as you started toward your bag.

The hand not on the pole formed a fist and pressed tight to his mouth as he slid to the ground. By the time he settled against the hardwood, your bag was being thrown down near his feet and you were uncrossing his legs to get them elevated.

“Back to spinning Captain, you’re not in charge tonight.” You catch Price’s eye in the mirror as he nearly to his down man. Without moving your gaze you continue, “Kyle lay flat for me. Now tell me, dizzy or vertigo?”

“Vertigo.”

Nodding, you shoo Price with a flick of your fingers. The man had a problem taking orders. Settling into a kneeling position near his shoulder you watch his face.

“Alright, that’s something we can deal with. Does this happen often?”

“Eh,” Kyle waggled his hand to and fro, “Fell out of a chopper, don’t deal well with spinning since.”

Even if you had been working you wouldn’t have been able to stop the impressed look from settling on your face. He grinned at your expression. Pressing the pad of your forefinger to his forehead lightly you scowl down at him.

“Don’t let it get to your head lover boy. Sometimes men can do impressive things.”

The crazy glare you see your brother throw Kyle is promptly ignored. You were trying civility on for size tonight. Once Kyle feels well enough to sit up you help him up. When you stand on your knees the man ends up eye level with your tits. Oop. There it is. The startled glance from your nipples to your eyes has you waggling your brows with a smirk and standing. Kyle rises easily, happy to be set to the side with a sports drink as his stomach settles. You kick your bag across the floor until it is out of the way.

Ghost goes down next. In the split second when all his weight hung by an arm before his leg secured the pole something in his shoulder shifted. The barest dip in his body and the grunt from his mouth told you what had happened. It was a pretty common injury. Not quite a dislocation but his shoulder wasn’t seated perfectly anymore. Crossing the room in a few short strides you hooked an arm around his middle and walked him back by force of personality alone. Man had to be at least double your weight; most of your weight being muscle. He moved willingly.

Directing him to sit next to Kyle you wait until his long legs are settled mostly straight to straddle his thigh. You pay no mind to the shift in his boxers. You’d salivate later.

“Alright, let’s see here,” you don’t ask permission before you start rubbing your fingers into the joint. Yep, exactly what you expected. His shoulder is tight, all of the muscles fighting to keep Ghost’s arm from moving any further out of place than it had already done so.

“Kyle, in my bag should be a container of lotion. Would you grab that?”

Kyle, helpful man he is, opened and presented the lotion to you. Scooping out a healthy amount on your fingers you press it firmly in and around Ghost’s shoulder. Some breaths from him escape as whines and others as grunts of pain.

Once the lotion is absorbed, and the CBD doing its best to relax his muscles, you pinch Ghost’s forearm between your elbow and your waist. Your other hand settles on his tricep.

“This is gonna feel funny, just focus on keeping your shoulder relaxed,” you lean back as you talk to him. You stretch until that point where his body fights, the connections unwilling to give anymore. Once there you slowly release his arm back feeling to ensure that it seats correctly. When no odd tension arises and all pressure on his arm has ceased you pat Ghost where you still hold him.

“Doing alright? How’s the shoulder feel?”

He lifted his arm off you, stretching and rotating it.

“Better than the last time physio had their hands on me, that’s for damn sure.”

With a grin you stand, shin purposefully brushing sensitive areas as you rise.

“Glad to hear it, I do like leaving men better than I found them…” You smile down at Ghost and Kyle in what one man had called your man-eating grin and continue, “Sometimes.”

A commotion of swears and thuds of heels hitting the floor has you spinning in time to see Johnny go down in a mess of limbs. Price stopped his spinning and helped your brother up. The rage in his face made Johnny look exactly like your father did. It slapped you like a sneaker wave, determined to drag you out to see and let the whale killers have you if the ocean didn’t kill you first.

Part 14 | Part 16

Bunny Masterlist | Masterlist

Cute divider from @/jimzittos

@leahnicole1219 @notsochillnerd @darling006 @harperstyles @lucienofthelakes @redkarmakai @demothers-empty-blog @cheese-pull @itsmeamysworld @fluffysmiko @w0ede @skeletonsucker @defronix @lilynotdilly @whisperwispxx @stinkii-boii @hyperfixation-train-station @littlelovebug98

[veephoenix]

zutto — chapter seventeen | wc: 4.8k | series masterpost | prev. chapter

Chapter summary: Lia and Noah try bondage for the first time.

Reading time: 20mins aprox.

Tags and trigger warnings:  mentions of Lia's past abuse, mental health, shibari (rope bondage), finger sucking, sexual references.

Author's note ✨: I don't know if I'm more emotional than usual, but editing this chapter nearly brought tears to my eyes. I love them and the way they love each other so much it breaks my heart they're both fictional.

Also don't forget how sexy patience and communication can be.

General trigger warnings: this work addresses and depicts issues related to addiction, abuse, & violence, contains explicit sexual content, and explores themes of childhood trauma. Reader discretion is advised. +18

The pressure of Noah’s fingers on her scalp almost made her moan as he massaged and shampooed her hair. Her eyes were closed, head tilted back. Her chest was nearly brushing against his, her hands gripping his hips to steady herself. 

The shower was the perfect way to wake up after the deep sleep they’d fallen into the night before, exhausted from the long flight from Japan to the States.  

“Jolly’s going to propose to Emery.”

Lia’s eyes snapped open when Noah spoke, his voice casual in the steamy enclosed space the shower was.  

“What?”

“He told me yesterday,” Noah explained. “My reaction wasn’t much different. I had just dropped you off at your apartment, walked into the house, and he dropped the bombshell on me.”

Lia blinked, her fingers unconsciously digging into Noah’s skin.

“But... How—Since when has he been...?” Her hands slid up to his chest, looking for something more solid and hard to lean on. “Are you serious?”

“Serious enough that he asked me to go ring shopping with him,” Noah replied matter-of-factly as he continued to massage Lia’s hair. 

It took her a few seconds to process the news, then a grin spread across her face, and before she could contain herself, she bounced on her tiptoes, letting out a small squeal. “Oh my god! Jolly’s going to propose to Em!” 

Noah smirked, her excitement never failing to spread to him. “Think she’ll say yes?” 

Lia scoffed, as if the question itself was ridiculous.  

Emery was one of her best friends. She’d known her since art school when she had studied graphic design. Lia had even been the first to know about Emery’s crush on Jolly before anyone else.

“Absolutely. She’s been dreaming about Jolly for years. And I’ve never seen her as happy as she’s been with him. I don’t think we’ve ever talked about marriage, but I’m pretty sure she’ll say yes. This is so exciting!” Her excitement bubbled over again and she threw her arms around Noah’s neck, hanging onto him. “Can I come with you and Jolly to pick out the ring?”

Noah’s response was immediate. 

“No.” 

He shot her a look before placing his hands on her shoulders and turning them both so that he was now under the shower spray. As he started rinsing the shampoo from his hair, Lia stared at him, a surprised—and offended—look on her face. 

“Why not?”

“Just because,” Noah replied, ignoring the indignant glare he could feel coming from her. He kept his eyes closed as the water washed through his hair.  

Lia was about to bring her hands to her hips. She huffed. 

 “Just because?” she repeated. “That’s not a reason. I’ve known Emery longer than any of you. I know exactly what kind of ring she’d want. I could help Jolly.”

“No need.”

“But...” She frowned, genuinely not understanding his resistance. “What’s wrong with me tagging along? I’d really like to go.”

“He asked me,” Noah said simply, lowering his head and blinking the water from his lashes. A few strands of hair clung to his temple.

“I’ll ask him if I can join. I’m sure he’ll say yes.”

“Lia, I said no,” Noah retaliated, his tone and gaze cutting. 

She blinked at him, taken aback. “Why are you being so… adamant?”

“I’m not being adamant,” he replied, turning to shut off the water. “It’s important to him. If he only asked me, he had a reason. The rest of the guys don’t even know yet, so don’t say anything.” 

Lia rolled her eyes. “Of course I’m not going to say anything. But do you really think Jolly didn’t assume you’d tell me? Come on. He probably took it for granted that we’d go together. You and I always—”

“Lia, what part of ‘he asked me’ is so hard to understand, sweetheart? Just me. Alone. There’s nothing more to talk about. Don’t insist.”

His calm and fraternal tone only made her frustration spike. “Why?” she demanded. “You can be so bossy sometimes, I swear.” She poked a finger into his chest. “You’re so bos—”

“Shut up,” he cut her off, his hand flying to her mouth. Her eyes widened in outrage, hands flying up to grab his wrist as she tried to protest behind his large palm, but before she could, he closed the space between them until he pressed her against the cool shower tiles. “Shut up, Lia.”

She waited for her chance to speak the second he let go. But the moment he did, he silenced her by covering her mouth with his.  

Two weeks later

Convincing Noah proved to be an arduous task. Lia kept insisting for days, and every time she did Noah ended up throwing her off, so she finally gave up. Jolly hadn’t said anything to her yet, and Lia guessed Noah was right: Jolly wanted to keep it a surprise until he decided to get down on one knee to propose to Emery. Lia was very excited about what that entailed, but she knew how to behave in front of Emery and keep her mouth shut each of the times they saw each other in those two weeks. 

Those weeks after returning from Japan happened to be quite hectic. Everyone was back to work, focused on new projects, the new album, upcoming tour. Lia, in turn, was working on the possibility of creating a book with some of her sketches and trying her hand at exhibiting some of her canvases. 

Friday afternoon, she was alone in her apartment, sitting on the floor of the small room she called her studio. Noah was in the music studio with the rest of the band. He had been there since morning, and they hadn’t seen each other since he had dropped her off at her apartment hours earlier. 

Next to Lia, on the floor, was an empty coffee cup, the bottom covered with a bit of cinnamon residue. Lia had lost track of time. The quiet of the day and various dreams she’d had that week had her drawing almost frantically. She wasn’t even paying attention to what she was drawing because she was too focused on the small details, the lines, the shadows. 

She didn’t come out of her trance until suddenly her phone pinged three times in a row, indicating three new messages. They were messages from Emery, asking if she would like to have dinner together tomorrow, girls only. And a picture of her cat. Lia replied yes, sent a heart-eyes emoji as a reaction to the cat picture, and put the iPhone down again. 

She picked up the sketchbook, and that’s when she truly saw what she had been drawing. It was as if a blindfold had fallen from her eyes. She had been aware, in some distant way, of the images forming under her hand, but she had never paused to consider what they might mean. With a frown, she flipped back through the pages, finding more of the same.

Girls tied up, flowers curling around their limbs, stars blinking above them.

They were not sexual drawings, not in any explicit sense. Most of the figures were clothed, some in long dresses, others in short sleeves, in underwear… but there was an intimacy woven into the lines, something between the captivity and the care portrayed. Perhaps it lay in the delicacy of the strokes, the rendering of wrists tied with ribbons, the way the flowers seemed to cradle the girls rather than trap them. There was no fear in their faces, only a quiet stillness, a dreamlike serenity. The contrast was unsettling: the restraint of the body, the freedom of the surrounding beauty. It was both innocent and charged, gentle and vaguely transgressive.

With her fingertips, she gently traced the hair of one of the girls in the drawing. It was, in essence, a visual half-story. It was obvious that the girl was lying in bed, or on the floor—it didn’t matter. Her hair took up much of the page, while only half of her face was visible. However, the real focus of attention was not on her face, but on her wrists: tied with a rope knotted in a bow, the ends of which were wrapped around her forearms, almost like a hug.

Lia had outlined only her eyebrows and eyes; the rest of her face remained hidden. And yet, the serenity emanating from the figure was undeniable. A peace that Lia found herself longing for, desiring with an unexpected fervor.

An hour later, tired and somewhat exasperated, she decided to take a shower. The water helped her calm down a bit, though it also brought back memories of the last few times she had showered with Noah. 

When she stepped out, wrapped in a towel with her hair still damp, she looked for her phone. Once she had it in her hands, she hesitated for only a couple of seconds before texting Noah.  

Lia: Hey. Can we stay at my place tonight?

Noah didn’t take more than five minutes to reply.  

Noah: Sure—just tidying up here. You okay? Did something happen?

Lia: Everything’s fine. 

She hesitated again. Then typed:

Lia: “Can you bring the ropes?”

The three dots on the screen lingered longer than she would have liked. She bit her lip, feeling warm again despite just having showered. A minute later, Noah’s response came. 

Noah: Sure. I’ll be there in 30min. Love you x

A duffel bag hung over Noah’s shoulder as he opened the door to Lia’s apartment thirty minutes later. He’d be lying if he said that ever since he’d received Lia’s text, his heart (and something else) hadn’t been beating faster than usual. 

He’d had plenty of time to think about what might happen that night on the way over (he’d stopped at home after leaving the studio to grab some clean clothes and the ropes they had bought in Japan). He was grateful for that because it’d allowed him to gather his thoughts, organize his ideas, and center himself before seeing Lia. 

Whatever happened that night, just seeing her and making her smile would be enough. Everything else would just be a bonus.  

“Lia? I’m home,” he announced, shutting the door behind him. 

Lia appeared down the hallway two seconds later, dressed in gray leggings, a white T-shirt and matching socks. Her hair was down, and Noah could swear that the scent of her shampoo had already caught up to him the moment she stepped into the room. 

“Hey,” she greeted, walking toward him. 

Noah didn’t take his eyes off her as he set the bag down on the kitchen bar and closed the little distance left between them. 

Lia stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, but he kept watching her with a tiny frown. She was fidgeting—he could tell. 

“I’m a little nervous,” she said, her voice steady but soft. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, through a playful smile danced on her lips. “But if you’re not too tired from work, I was thinking… maybe tonight we could try out those ropes we bought in Tokyo.”

Noah reached out to palm her head and slide his hand down her hair. 

“I’m never too tired for you.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. 

“Are you sure? He echoed, his gaze intent on hers.

Lia gave a small nod. 

“Did you bring them?”

Noah responded with a slight dip of his head, resting a hand on the duffel bag. 

Lia made a satisfied little gesture. She grabbed Noah’s other hand and tugged him toward the bedroom, making him carry the duffel bag clutched in his fist.

Once inside, Noah set the bag down on the white dresser and turned to face Lia.

“Before we start, are you sure you don’t want some dinner first?”

They could order takeout if she wasn’t in the mood to cook, or they could prepare something light, fill their stomach, catch up on their day and then get to ‘work’.

“No.”

Her answer was final. She wanted to do this now because she didn’t know when she’d feel this courage—bravery, or whatever it was—again. 

“Is it because you’re nervous?”

“I guess?”

“We’ll stop as soon as you tell me to stop,” Noah assured her. “Even if I’m the one holding the ropes, you’re in control, okay?”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath, thankful for his words. Then, she asked, “how do we do it?” 

Noah made his eyebrows dance. “To be honest, I don’t really know.” He ran his free hand through his hair, pushing it back. 

“Do you want me to... get naked?”

“No,” Noah replied, a wave of heat crossing his eyes. “Stay in your underwear. Is that okay with you?”

Lia nodded.

“I want you to be comfortable,” Noah continued, turning back to pull the ropes from the bag and placing them on top of the dresser. “From now on, I’ll need you to use your words, okay?” He waited for an answer looking at her from over his shoulder.

“Okay.”

She undressed. 

Meanwhile, Noah disappeared for a couple of minutes and returned with a few scented candles in his hands. He placed them around the room and lit them, their glow adding to the coziness of Lia’s bedroom. 

Only in her delicate white cotton underwear set, Lia stood at the foot of the bed, waiting for him, for his instructions. 

Noah took one look at her and then, he pulled off his hoodie and t-shirt, letting both fall to the floor. 

He walked over to Lia, cupped her jaw with his fingers, and kissed her deeply.

“Get on the bed, on your knees.”

Lia obeyed as Noah picked up a black rope, letting it slide through his hands. 

Positioning himself in front of her, he took in the sight—her back straight, hands resting on her knees, hair cascading down her shoulders and chest. She looked beautiful in that submissive posture. Adorable, even. 

And she would look even more stunning once she was tied up.

“I think you should tie your hair up,” he pointed out. 

With the hair tie around her wrist, Lia quickly gathered her hair into a messy low bun. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do. She immediately looked back up at Noah, waiting. 

“I’ve never done this before,” he admitted. “I mean, reading instructions in a book isn’t the same as actually doing it on a person. It might not look as… polished as the pictures.”

“We have time to practice,” Lia reassured him.

Her enthusiasm—her trust and hope—made something settle in his chest, pushing him past his lingering hesitation and insecurities. 

“Alright. Let’s do this,” he said, rolling his shoulders. Then, meeting her eyes, his tone grew more serious. “If anything feels too tight, you tell me. If you start feeling uncomfortable or start having second thoughts, you tell me. And if I hurt you—even a little—you tell me immediately. Understand?” 

“You’re not going to hurt me.”

“Understood, Lia?” He insisted. 

She hesitated just a second, the intensity in his eyes causing something low in her belly to prickle, before flashing him a teasing smile. 

“Understood, Sir.” 

It was clearly an attempt to cut through her nerves—and his. Noah exhaled quietly, some of his tension melting, but he still felt the nerves buzzing under his skin.

“Good girl,” he murmured. 

And he began. 

With the black rope in hand, Noah explained the design he had in mind—a star-shaped pattern across her chest that would also keep her arms bound behind her back. If she wanted to continue, he would move to another design on the lower part of her body later. 

He wasn’t sure how long it would take since this was his first time actually doing this, but Lia didn’t seem to mind. It struck him as absurd that she was the one constantly reassuring him when, logically, it should have been the other way around. 

Without needing further instruction, Lia moved her arms behind her, wrists placed together, side by side. 

Noah measured the length of the rope with quiet focus and got started at her back with a simple double-column tie, his fingers steady despite the small furrow between his brows. As the first loop slid across her skin, Lia’s heart skipped a beat. She was going to be tied up, unable to defend— protect herself if… She closed her eyes and pushed those thoughts away. And soon, that sensation morphed into something warm, something oddly comforting.  

Her eyes shot back open to find Noah watching her as he worked. He was closely watching her reactions. 

Using the long tail of the rope, he moved up along her spine, securing an anchor for the entire harness, just like he had seen in the book. When she instinctively tested her wrists, giving a small tug, Noah stopped. 

“Okay?” he asked, voice careful. 

“Yes,” her reply was soft and simple.

Still, he doubted. His biggest fear was that this would take her back to her time with Mitch. To a place where she had no escape. 

“You can continue,” Lia said when she noticed he wasn’t moving. 

Noah moved around her, getting on and off the bed as needed. He wrapped the rope around her torso, just above her covered breasts, and secured it back to the anchor. Then, he brought it forward again, this time looping it under her bust, forming a second horizontal band. Carefully, he crossed the rope diagonally over her chest, creating an X-shape before threading it through the upper wrap.

Lia hadn’t asked why she needed to wear so little clothing, but she supposed it had something to do with vulnerability, with feeling—how we are at our most exposed when we’re bare. And right now, she did feel vulnerable, but in a way that had her nipples hardening at every innocent brush of Noah’s knuckles against her breasts. She focused on his touch, the sensation of surrendering to him, of what it meant, of why she was doing it, and it all sent an exhilarating shiver down her spine. 

The next part should have been simple. Noah just needed to mirror the pattern on the opposite side to form the star. But with Lia letting out soft, contented breaths and flashing him small, reassuring smiles, Noah found his thoughts clouding over and his dick getting hard. 

He made a mistake. 

Stepping back to check his work, he frowned. Instead of a perfect star, something awkward and symmetrical stared back at him. 

Lia tilted her head, a single strand of hair escaping her bun and falling over her face. “Something wrong?” 

Noah scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, uh… I think I messed up.”

They looked at each other, then burst into quiet laughter. 

After undoing a few steps and correcting his mistake, Noah continued, integrating the ropes with the anchor point and tying them into the structure around her wrists. He tightened the knots carefully, flicking his gaze between them and Lia’s eyes, ensuring she was comfortable. 

“Good? Are you comfortable?”

 “So far, so good, yeah.”

Satisfied, Noah pressed a kiss to her hair, tucking the loose strand of hair behind her ear. Reaching for another rope, he explained the next part and got started on it.

“Raise yourself onto your calves.” 

Lia did as instructed. 

“Part your legs a little. That’s it. Perfect.”

Starting at her waist, Noah wrapped the rope around her, securing it at the back with a firm square knot. He took a second—maybe longer than necessary—to admire the curve of her butt, barely covered by the thin fabric of her thong. His hands moved with precision as he created the first thigh wrap, bringing the rope down between her legs and looping it around one thigh. 

As he worked, he pulled the rope diagonally across the front of her thigh, threading it under the waist wrap to begin forming a diamond shape. 

As the rope slid between her legs again, making her acutely aware of every point of contact, of how her mind was reacting, Lia started to feel slightly aroused—and embarrassed. Noah seemed so focused on the task, so intent on just creating the perfect design…

Or so she thought, because the moment she felt herself grow wet, her eyes slid down and it didn’t go unnoticed to her the bulge straining against Noah’s pants.  

He was sculpting her, framing her body in a web of tension and symmetry. She was turning her into something to display, only for his eyes—and the result was obviously having some effect.

He performed the same steps on the opposite thigh, mirroring the shape. He knotted the rope securely, double-checking with her. Each knot cinched the rope tighter against her flesh, and with it, the feeling of being put together only grew. It was… nice. Comforting. It felt as if someone was providing a protective blanket when she was falling apart, piece by piece, to keep her from shattering. 

When the time came for the final knot, Noah’s hands lingered at her hip, his fingers brushing tenderly before securing the rope with a careful pull. Once done, he methodically checked each connection, sliding his fingers between the rope and her body to ensure nothing was too tight. He checked the pressure at her wrists, below her breasts, between her legs and below her butt. Perfect.  

By the time he was done, Lia felt exposed but cocooned. The combination of ties bound her arms behind her while wrapping her body in elegant patterns. Her upper body was restrained and accentuated, while the ties at the bottom decorated her lower half with a beautiful web of black. The contrast between restriction and security was something she hadn’t really expected, she had to admit. She had trusted Noah, but this was unfamiliar territory. Even after reading about the art of Shibari, she wasn’t sure it would feel the same as in the pages. 

Nothing would have prepared her for how it would feel, anyway. 

Every slight movement made her hyper-aware of where the rope pressed and pulled. And with each shift, she was reminded of Noah’s care and attention. He’d tied her because he loved her, and while doing so, he had inhabited the moment with her, watching how the rope transformed her body and how she responded to it. 

And it responded.

Lia knew she was wet between her legs, and she was waiting for Noah to notice so that the flush of shame would take over. 

Instead, before he even stepped back to fully admire his work, he stayed close. He lifted her chin with gentle tattooed fingers, and his thumb traced her bottom lip. 

Daring, Lia opened her mouth, just slightly, before wrapping her lips around the tip of his thumb and sucking softly. 

Noah let out a slow, unsteady exhale. His control faltered for a split second before he lowered his forehead to hers. 

“Breathe with me,” he said.  

Time blurred. Minutes passed. Two. Maybe ten. 

She drifted into the haze of it, the feeling of the ropes hugging her body, the flickering of the candles, the scent of Noah, the steady weight of his hands cradling her face as if she were something delicate, their energies tangled together like the ropes around her. 

When they broke contact, Noah stepped back, studying her with quiet intensity. 

Lia was about to speak when he reached behind her head. His fingers found the elastic that held her bun in place, slipping it free. Her hair spilled over her back and shoulders, cascading over her chest. He took a moment to smooth it down, ensuring not a single strand covered her face. 

She was bound. Beautiful. And entirely his.

“You’re stunning,” he murmured, his voice thick with reverence. “Absolutely beautiful.”

Obviously, Lia’s cheeks, already warm, tinted pink. 

“Thank you.” 

His eyes searched hers. “Do you feel okay?”

“Better than I expected,” she answered honestly. 

A flicker of something passed through his expression before he asked, “Can I take a picture of you?”

“Yes.”

Noah moved quickly, snapping a couple of pictures. As soon as he was done, he set his phone aside and turned his full attention back to her. His eyes swept over her again, slower this time. 

Lia fidgeted slightly, the movement making the ropes tighten deliciously around her. But it wasn’t just the sensation of the bindings that made her shift—it was him. The way he was looking at her. The way it was impossible to ignore the hard line pressing against the front of his sweatpants. 

Then his expression changed. 

His eyes zeroed in between her legs. 

In two steps, he closed the distance and without a word, his fingers brushed over her panties, right over the damp patch that had formed there. 

A barely-there touch. The lightest pressure.

Lia held her breath. 

Noah lifted her fingers to her face, just inches from her lips, and rubbed his thumb and index finger together. They were coated in her wetness. 

“Does this turn you on? Being tied up?”

“I didn’t know,” she answered. She swallowed, pulse hammering. “There’s no point in hiding it now, is there?”

“Why would you hide it?” he asked, frowning.

Lia shrugged, the ties pulling at the movement. “It’s embarrassing.”

“It’s not embarrassing,” he corrected. And without giving her a moment, he took those wet fingers to his mouth and licked them clean. 

Arousal coiled deep in her belly at the sight of it, at the slow, deliberate way he held her eyes as his tongue flicker over his fingers, tasting her.

And suddenly she imagined how it would feel to be laid on the bed, tied while Noah ate her up, without mercy, without stopping, taking her from one orgasm to another until she was begging him to fill her up. 

 She wanted that tongue between her legs right now. She wanted that cock that hid behind those sweat in her mouth, hitting the back of her throat. 

“One of the purposes of this,” Noah said with measured voice, as if he could read her mind, see inside of it, “is exactly that—turning you on.” 

And it had; it had turned her on. Badly. 

Being tied up, completely at his mercy knowing fully well he would never hurt her—only worship and pleasure her, was intoxicating. And she wanted more. 

 She was bracing for him to finally touch her when he let his hand drop to his side and announced, “I’m going to untie you now.”

Lia blinked as confusion settled inside.

“But—aren’t we going to have sex?”

“Not now.”

Her brows pulled together. “Why not?”

“Because that wasn’t the purpose of tonight,” his fingers traced the intricate knots along her body, checking the tension one last time. “This time it was about ensuring that you enjoy this… about showing you that you’re safe with me… And about proving to myself that I have enough restraint to take it slow and easy with you.” 

Realization dawned. He was holding back. For her. 

He was scared; he had to admit it. He was terrified of pushing her too far too soon. He had seen her grow, seen her heal, but he also knew the ghosts of the past weren’t easily exorcized. And if Mitch still haunted her beneath the surface, one wrong move could set her back. 

He refused to let that happen. He didn’t want Lia scared of him.

Lia’s voice was soft when she spoke. 

“You don’t have to take it slow and easy with me, Noah. And I already know I’m safe with you.” 

Yeah, and she had mentioned she loved seeing him go all feral on stage. That didn’t mean he had to rush things when it wasn’t necessary. 

When the time came for her to be tied and fucked, she would be giving all of herself to him, surrendering all control even though he would always stop the moment she said so. 

He needed to make sure she was ready for that when it happened, and he didn’t think the moment was now. 

Maybe she was ready, but patience was easy when it came to her. And for her, he would wait forever. 

Lia’s brown eyes flicked down to his erection, still straining against his sweats. “What about…?” 

Heat surged through him at the way she looked at him. 

“I can take care of that, if you let me,” she said.

He chuckled, shaking his head. 

“We’ll take care of that—and you—later. Now, we untie you and we eat something. Maybe change those panties first.”

She sighed dramatically but didn’t argue, totally understanding. She straightened her back and tilted her chin, offering him her lips. 

Noah kissed her thoughtfully. Adoringly.

When he pulled away, he grinned. “We have all night to get dirty,” he murmured, bending down to start untying her. “Don’t we?”

Yes. Yes, they did. 

The way he looked up at her as he worked the knots off made her melt, and she was suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of happiness this man brought to her. 

“Why are you so good, Noah?” 

She didn’t even process the moment the words left her mouth. It didn’t matter; Noah seemed to have an answer ready.

“When you love someone the way I love you, it brings out the best in you.”

For the ones wondering, the Shibari ties and harness that Noah performs on Lia in this chapter are the star-chest harness and the diamond shorts.

— prev. chapter | chapter eighteen

Taglist:

@somebodyels3 | @respectfulrebel | @thecoyotescry | @bluestdai | @lacy1986

@sweetwombatpizza | @missduffsblog | @shilohrosechicken | @jilliemiw86 | @alwaysfightforwhoyouare

@chey-h | @ferduttini | @dominuslunae | @todressabladeupinred | @tf-is-aesthetic

[twig-tea]

With 23.5 finally coming out, the people are rejoicing at finally getting a high profile gl from GMMTV. But there have already been several gls airing this year, including my fav TsukuTabe, that have been flying under the radar with fandom, and in general there are more gls already out there than folks seem to think. I just know you have a list of all the gls we should be watching, please share with the class!

Thank you for the ask! How did you know I had a draft of GL recs to make at some point? [Trick question, I mentioned it to you.]

It may seem like I'm out here hating on GL because i've made a couple of negative reviews of recently airing series recently (Love Senior and Chaser Game W in case you're curious) but I actually have lots of GL that I love and that I wish were better known! Thanks for sending this ask so I am inspired to actually finish it! I've limited myself to series so that I could keep the list and this post to a reasonable length. Where possible I've listed where you can find each of these and included a link. And I've included an 'elevator pitch' summary but I am NOT in marketing for a reason, so please don't roast me too hard for my terrible comparisons. Alright, enough waffling!

Twig's GL Rec List

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat S1 & 2 (Japan, 2022 & 2024, both seasons fansubbed by @furritsubs; if you need help accessing this show feel free to DM me!)

Elevator pitch: Our Dining Table with lesbians and an even slower burn. Watch for beautiful food, acespec rep, mental health and therapy rep

What might turn some off: Extremely low heat, and quite slow-moving; warning for a disordered eating and family trauma plot (v gently handled)

Let's start with the one you've already mentioned. This is a heartwarming slice-of-life slow burn in which an autismspec-coded woman who likes to eat is invited by her neighbour, a femme acespec woman who loves to cook, to come and eat her food. It starts from a very practical place (when you love making food you need someone to help eat it), but their relationship grows as they spend more time together. The story follows them as they both move towards self-actualization in several ways: as a lesbian, as asexual, at work, with their families, with their friends, with each other. This show is so careful to say the important words aloud. And there is so much delicious cooking! Each episode highlights a particular recipe, and the food porn is real. Do not watch while hungry, but definitely watch. The found famiy vibes in this one one are also immaculate.

She Makes My Heart Flutter (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Younger lesbian friend group tries to help out (slightly) older lesbian bar owner with mixed success. I can't think of a good BL equivalent, The Moment Since feels the closest with its similar bartender/patron romance

What might turn some off: Comedic tone; short runtime; struggles with being closeted

This is a gem of a miniseries about a bar owner and an interior designer who smoulder at one another while an intrepid group of younger bar regulars (including the bar owner's neice) meddle. This series is really cute, solid, and full of sapphics! Once again found family vibes are immaculate (you may sense a theme in my faves). Run don't walk.

Fragrance of the First Flower (Taiwan, 2021, GagaOOLala)

Elevator pitch: Right-person-wrong-time/second chance romance; tonally is a little like We Best Love 2: Fighting Mr. 2nd but with an ambiguous ending.

What might turn you off: Medium heat, second chance romance means they break up once, internalized homophobia, adultery/cheating, at one point there's a creepy dude, child with autism (depicted well), ambiguous ending

At its core this is a story of a woman who can't stop getting in the way of her own happiness. This series is a little more sad than the rest of this rec list but I couldn't not include it because this relationship is so poignant. Plus there's a s2 that supposedly is to come out in 2024 so maybe we'll get our happy ending after all?

Love Greater Than or Equal to 70 Degrees C (Korea, 2019, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Ingredients but with lesbians staring at one another over beautiful tea pairings! What more could you ask for?

What might turn you off: Low heat; short runtime; ambiguous ending; like Ingredients this is essentially a long ad for the café it's filmed at.

This is a Korean miniseries about passionate tea sommeliers making really fancy tea while staring at one another a LOT. Perfect sapphic representation, 10/10 no notes. This one packs a lot of the drama tropes into its short runtime, so even though it's short it's full of butterfly-inspiring moments.

Sleep With Me (Philippines, 2022, GagaOOLala/iWantTFC/Netflix w/VPN set to Philippines)

Elevator pitch: The Truth About Cats and Dogs but the self esteem issues are handled without catfishing. BL equivalent: Hmmm. Closest I can think of is Gaya Sa Pelikula.

What might turn you off: There's some ableism (treated as such) in this show; Open ending.

Stellar GL between a late night radio DJ and an insomniac who listens to her show. One of the main couple is a wheelchair user and the show tackles ablelism and navigating disability in relationship as well as feelings of inadequacy in a relationship and how that manifests as interpersonal conflict.

Our Relationship Ended Before it Began (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Along the lines of I Cannot Reach You; the show gives both perspectives and they are held back by queer angst.

What might turn you off: No kiss (but they make it very clear both want to kiss), internalized homophobia

Really sweet miniseries about having a crush and being afraid of being hurt so you don't actually make a move. I really like the way the girl who has not dated a girl before defaults to gender roles and it throws the more experienced lesbian lol I also really like the way this show makes clear that both of them are waiting for a kiss, and that if you get in your head about things, it can get in the way of your own happiness!

Pearl Next Door (Philippines, 2020, Youtube)

Elevator Pitch: Gameboys but with lesbian vloggers.

What might turn you off: Love triangle, lots of teasing but low heat in the end, a lot of (good) conversations about mental health issues, ambiguous ending

This is the GL spinoff to Gameboys, starring Pearl from Gameboys. Pearl ends up being fought over by the two gorgeous women in the gif, an old love and a new. I love the queer friendships in this story as much as the relationships. I will say it's an open ending (that felt a bit like the showrunners didn't want to decide between ships) and definitely the love triangle features prominently but even in the face of these aspects that would normally turn me off a series I had a good time. The characters and interpersonal conflicts feel very real, and are allowed to be complex even when the show tone is comedic.

Dear Uranus (Taiwan, 2021, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Schoolgirl ensemble GL; a little like My School President but without the singing.

What might turn you off: Short runtime; ambiguous ending; a little bit of bullying; very standard romance trope execution

The first Taiwanese GL miniseries, this series was produced by a Taiwanese lesbian couple (Rabbit & Wolf)! Lots of excellent drama tropes, and incredibly gorgeous women (I think the entire watching audience fell in love with Erol.

Lily Fever (Korea, 2015, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Complete crack; YYY but with more kissing and frankly an even less coherent story.

What might turn you off: The lack of coherent plot; less a romance and more a very thirsty lesbian kissing everyone she can

This miniseries is utter chaos. Nothing really makes sense, it's all just random excuses to cause very suggestive moments (and kissing) to happen. I love so much how this series depicts women being so absolutely thirsty for one another (and yes that date isn't a typo, this series is ~9 years old). Not an "happy ever after" ending but it really isn't that kind of story.

Chasing Sunsets (Philippines, 2020, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Ocean Likes Me with lesbians. Resort romance with a mental health twist.

What might turn you off: Some of the mental health stuff gets intense, this was filmed in 2020 so the pandemic features heavily; hopeful but slightly ambiguous ending.

A complex story from the Philippines covering mental health and finding yourself. A woman shows up to a resort and befriends one of the women running the resort. They get closer as they spend time together, and the resort owner realizes something is off. There's also a BL side couple in this series.

Show Me Love (Thai, 2023, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: A little like My Day the series with lesbians, in that they work together and fall in love and it's full of tropes

What might turn you off: The advertising for the Miss Grand competition, there is some bullying and cheating (though way less than I was expecting tbh), not a lot actually happens, the editing gets a bit wonky at the end

This is essentially a massive ad for the Miss Grand Thailand competition; this GL was produced by the same company that produces that competition, and the stars are mostly Miss Grand competitors. The main pairing were shipped in the actual competition, and the company decided to make a GL about them. It's very slow paced and low-stakes, and there are better kisses than I expected considering everything I just said about where this show came from. There are a lot of cute moments!

Girlfriend Project (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Love Class with lesbians

What might turn you off: One of the leads is kind of mean in that pgitail-pulling way? It ends abruptly (but happily)

This is a short miniseries about two girls paired in a class that are assigned to "date". The chemistry is chemistrying. And there is a kiss (a good kiss, and a tiptoes kiss at that!). This show also has one of my favourite tropes, in which someone who seems like a pushover stands up for themselves and their partner finds it very attractive. For the record, in this show they are watching another GL by the same company, Love Tech.

Lulu (Philippines, 2022, Vivamax/grey)

Elevator Pitch: Present Perfect with lesbians (but with a better ending).

What might turn you off: Depictions of panic attacks, brief depiction of drowning, pandemic lockdowns, illness, exes, waffling, happy but open ending (which I actually liked for this story)

Two women trying to move on from the garbage in their lives meet at the beach of a B&B (where one saves the other from drowning) and become one another's company during their escape and then something more. They both have baggage that seems determined to keep them apart even as they continue to be drawn together. In the end, they decide to stick it out and see where they end up, with no guarantee of happily ever after, which I found very sweet. Requires either a VivaMax account or searching the grey for it, but it's worth the effort (check MyDramaList comments for suggestions on where to find it). Plus one of the leads has a cactus as a pet.

Welcome to the Lesbian Bar (Korea, 2023, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: A little like Fudanshi Bartender but without the fudanshi bartender and all of the bar patrons are lesbians lol

What might turn you off: Short, can get a little bit preachy, abrupt ending

Cute short series with different very stories every episode as different patrons visit the bar. The stories range from women who have been together for awhile, to people meeting from an online app for the first time, to someone visiting a lesbian bar for the first time; and yet the story all weaves together in a way that's satisfying though ends abruptly. Includes some solid marriage equality propaganda.

GAP the Series (Thai, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Kind of the vibes of Together with Me but lesbians and in an office instead of school. Angry boss falls for charming new intern and

What might turn you off: This one is the highest heat of all these recs; homophobia especially amongst family, brief depictions of death by car, brief mentions of suicide, cheating, bullying, abuse of power in the office.

A list would not be complete without this one! Honestly the plot is a bit wobbly but the show is a lot of fun. The girls are very cute, the feelings and tension builds really well between them, the friend group is excellent, and in the special we get a wedding.

---

The rest of these have caveats of one kind or another, but i couldn't leave them off a rec list, so here are the side couples and censored stories that are still worth your time anyway (I might do a separate more detailed post for these, as well as for films, one day if there's interest):

Nevertheless (GL side; Korean, 2021, Netflix) Not sure it's worth watching a whole kdrama for side lesbians? Search soljiwan on youtube. They are great. Even the Netflix account stans them. I watched this (ngl, I watched the SolJiwan cut) as it aired and was constantly braced for it to let us down but it did not! A really good friends-to-lovers story.

Friend Zone 2: Dangerous Area (GL side; Thailand, 2019, YouTube): These sapphics are messy and I love them. Decent conversation about dating someone with mental health issues in this series, and they're one of the only couples in this ensemble to get a happy ending. If you're just watching the lesbian couple (which you can, their story is pretty self-contained) you don't need to have seen s1.

Six Survivors (GL side; Japan, 2022, Viki) This show is a horror comedy and it is SO MUCH FUN. Warning for zombies and blood, but way less than you might think. One of the eponymous 6 survivors is a lesbian who keeps trying to convert them to veganism lol. If you watched Chaser Game W you'll recognize one of the actresses in this, the lead actress is from Kamisama no Ekohiiki, and one of the guys is from the prequel series His as well as I Want to See Only You! And yes there is a kiss. Also a surprising number of Mallrats references. Not for people who can't handle gore or relationships being complicated/not a "true love" story/ambiguous ending.

Kamisama no Ekohiiki (complicated question of is it GL in parts, Japan, 2021, furritsubs once again coming through to save the day) This one is a bit complex because there's bodyswap, but the girl who falls for the bodyswapped boy-in-a-girl's-body is clear that she is only interested in the girl. One of the better bodyswap stories because the bodyswap is not a secret for very long, so instead there's a lot of introspection about what gender means and who/what they are attracted to. Feels wrong to call this GL, necessarily, but it's very queer.

Couple of Mirrors (Censored GL, China, 2021, Viki) Story of a rich girl and her assassin girlfriend. This production did an amazing job getting away with what they could, just don't watch the last five minutes and we've got essentially a happy lesbian family.

Legend of Yunze (Censored GL, China, 2021, @douqi7s) Very cute very low budget xianxia miniseries with two seasons and a special. The special is set in modern times in a future lifetime so if you want a cute censored-but-clearly-a-soulmate-love-story this is the one for you. Don't be thrown off by the weird cuts/abrupt episode endings, that's in line with cdramas in general.

Led Astray by Love (Censored GL, China, 2021, @douqi7s) A very fun and adorable isekai story in which a modern day girl is transported to a wuxia novel setting and has to figure out how to get home, and gets romanced by the princess along the way.

And a few additional links for people who even more content:

My Indian sapphic webseries rec list

My suggestions for content with toms (Thai category that's similar to but not exactly the same as butch lesbians) in response to this post.

This really good GL MyDramaList list (not made by me!) lists what seems to be everything I've mentioned and about 200 more. Even I haven't seen a few of these!

My YouTube playlist of sapphic content: This includes anything I stumble across or find in my searches, a lot of music videos and random shorts as well as some microseries and miniseries that I don't consider GL but are WLW/sapphic in addition to true "GL" content. For serialized content, I add just the first ep. A complete mess, but you can trawl through to find stuff to watch, like Hetero!

SOONOTSUE: The same producers of She Makes My Heart Flutter have other short series on their channel worth checking out; if you liked that one, try Out of Breath!

Shakeshoulder: Thai YouTube producers of very pulpy (read: low budget and dramatic plots) shorts

FuFuKnows: This YouTube channel is owned by a gay Taiwanese couple that produces shorts every week, including some with GL mains and sides. These are very low budget but cover a whole swath of queer themes.

@douqi7s is a godsend providing subtitles for all kinds of content, including sapphic shorts and more series than I've listed here. Check their tumblr for links to all of their content; A Practical Guide to Being a Superstar's Assistant has one of the best setups to giving us great moments in the guise of something else so that they get past censorship I've ever seen; I also recommend The Vampires if you're into genre fiction, as well as Legend of Yunqian if you enjoyed the xianxia parts of Legend of Yunze. @wlwcatalogue did an excellent summary of many of the non-wuxia options here.

Quick pitch for the streaming platform GagaOOLala; it's affordable, has a ton of content, including a whack of GLs (originals, license series, and a ton of shorts), and is run by queer people out of Taiwan who care about good quality queer content being made and having an audience, and using the soft power from those successful series to support social change. And if you can't afford a subscription it's worth checking out what they have for free, they open up temporary free access to some things for various events throughout the year.

In searching for gifs for this post I found fellow tumblr user @drowningparty 's WLW compendium list; they've listed more series and films so check it out if you still need more content!

*wipes sweat off brow* that should be enough to be getting on with, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg! If there's something specific you want to see with sapphics let me know and I can tell you if I know it exists. Anyway, I hope this gives you and everyone else a taste of what all is out there! I of course always want more, I am serious about being a sapphic dragon hoarding every crumb i can get my lizardy hands on, but I do think what we have should also be appreciated more. If I missed one of your faves, please tell me!

[blossom-sims]

Elemental Legacy Challenge for TS3

Hi all, this is my first Sims 3 legacy challenge I've made myself, it is a result of my boredom on a Saturday evening but it was a lot of fun, so I'll throw this at you ☺

This elemental legacy challenge is for The Sims 3 and spans 9 Generations. It is inspired by the Chinese Zodaic Elements and also inspiration from my favourite JRPG's which utlise a lot of elemental themed magic. It has guided ideas and generational requirements with story themes throughout. Feel free to tag me if you have a go at this ✨

Rules:

I have listed the intended requirements for each generation, move on to the next generation once the requirements are complete or the next heir becomes a young adult

I have listed some guidance on careers, lifetime wishes and traits. I recommend taking 2-3 of the traits listed but they aren't mandatory

You can use money cheats if you wish, I've tried to write the generational order to put you in the desired financial spot for storytelling, but please just have fun with it

Please do alter and play this how you wish & how your stories pan out, the guidance is just there for ideas and isn't meant to limit you

Generation 1 - Earth

Child of earth, you are grounded and resillient. Your goal is to provide your family with solid foundations for the generations to come. You are selfless, stubborn and driven. You know what you want and will work your upmost to achieve it. Your ambitious and frugal nature can get on other's nerves and prompts the question: with so much planning for the future, are you really taking time to enjoy your own life?

Traits: Ambitious, Frugal, Natural Cook, Snob, Workaholic

Job: Medical Career

LTW: World Renowned Surgeon

Requirments:

Begin in a starter house. You should not move lots or houses this Generation and instead add extensions onto your house when needed

Master the cooking and nectar making skills

Fall in love and marry one person in your lifetime

Do not have children until you reach level 8 of your career

Save 20,000 for the next generation

Generation 2 - Water

Child of water, thanks to your parents hardwork, you had a carefree childhood and now plenty of savings behind you. You are a calm free spirit that lets the oceans currents carry you to your next adventure. You are in no rush to settle in one place just yet, why rush when you are having such fun? Your time for settling down will come evetually. Whatever will be will be.

Traits: Adventurous, Loves to swim, Commitment Issues, Easily Impressed, Athletic

LTW: Seaside Saviour/Seasoned Traveler/Deep Sea Diver

Job: Lifeguard

Requirements:

Travel to 3 different destinations

Do not get married and settle down until adulthood

Have at least 3 children with 3 different people you meet in your travels

Master the diving skill

Own a boat or live in a houseboat

Generation 3 - Fire

Child of fire, you are passionate and hot-headed, throwing yourself headfirst into your work and relationships with a grandeur flair. You wear your heart on your sleeve, making many flock to you for friendship or more. Your self-awareness around your temper certainly helps your popularity as you channel your temper into your physical fitness. You certainly aren't burning out anytime soon!

Traits: Social Butterfly, Hot-Headed, Artistic, Loves the Heat, Flirty

LTW: Super Popular

Job: Self-employed Painter

Requirements:

Master the painting and martial arts skills

Have at least 20 friends and maintain friendships until you are an elder or the next generation takes over

Have 3 passionate lovers in your lifetime

Throw a party once per week

Woohoo once per week

Generation 4 - Grass

Child of grass, you just can't get enough of babies, especially your own! Your family and their wellbeing are your whole world. You live to nourish, protect and teach your loved ones. However, you have been told on one or more occasions that you can be overbearing...a helicopter parent perhaps? Don't they know you only want what is best for them?

Traits: Nurturing, Perfectionist, Loves the Outdoors, Family Orientated, Green Thumb,

LTW: Surrounded by Family/The Perfect Garden

Job: Daycare

Requirements:

Have a garden and live off the land, using your grown produce for meals

Max the gardening skill

Fall in love and marry your childhood sweetheart

Have 5 children and a bad relationship with at least one

Teach all of your children their toddler skills

Live within your means in a small-medium house - never have more than 10,000 in household funds

Generation 5 - Ice

Child of ice, your parents doting nature only added onto your pressure. You never felt like you fit in with your family, never felt understood. They were all so extroverted and loud whilst you much preferred your quiet isolation. Perhaps that's why you prefer animals over people. You have a lot of love to give, I can only hope you will find someone to share that with (who is not one of your many pets).

Traits: Shy, Animal Lover, Hates the Outdoors, Savvy Sculptor, Loves the cold

LTW: Descendant of Da Vinci

Jobs: Self employed Sculptor/Painter/Inventor

Requirements:

Have a poor relatioship with your parents and siblings, you will leave your childhood family home as soon as you age into a young adult

Have 3 pets at one time

Only leave your house when necessary

Meet your lover through online dating

Master the sculpting and inventing skills

Have a child through the time machine

Generation 6 - Electricity

Child of electricity, you sure are a shocker! You thrive in the spotlight and want all eyes on you, for better or worse. You would never miss an opportunity to make a good story for the headlines. Rumours have been circulating that your appearances are a rouse: you're broke, narcissistic and even miserable! They're just jealous of your fame and fortune...right?

Traits: Inappropriate, Star Quality, Charismatic, Daredevil, Irresistible

LTW: Superstar Actor/Rock Star/Vocal Legend

Job: Actor/Musician/Singer

Requirements:

Reach Celebrity Level 5

Reach Level 10 of your chosen career

Have 3 negative scandals in your lifetime

Act inappropriately once per week

Live beyond your means - live in a large mansion and keep your household funds below 5,000. Spend any additional income on items, spa treatments and activities

Have a fall from grace and leave your children with nothing

Generation 7 - Metal

Child of metal, you know what it's like to be at rock bottom. Due to your parents neglect and carelessness, you taught yourself all you know to get by and find your next meal, even if you aren't proud of it. You are stubborn, self-reliant and one hell of an evil genius. You won't hit rock bottom again. Ever.

Traits: Evil, Kleptomaniac, Genius, Night Owl, Rebellious

LTW: Become a Master Thief

Job: Criminal Career

Requirements:

As a teen: consistently maintain D's at school, skip school, pull pranks and steal from neighbours

Work for tips as a mixologist in your young adulthood

Master the mixologist skill and learn every drink recipe

Have a found family

Steal an item every week

Never fall below 2,000 simoleons when you are independant. If you do or are about to, start doing whatever is necessary. We will never hit rock bottom

Marry a rich sim, have a child with them and kill your partner off

Generation 8 - Air

Child of air, your life so far has been turbulent and chaotic. Your parents death has scarred you and you have floated through life lost. You try to travel on the right path for your late parent, but you can't help but feel there is more to life than what meets the eye. There are sounds at night that wake you, unexplained foresight into future events and a pull to the paranormal. Perhaps it is time to stop fighting this unknown path and instead let the winds carry you to where you are meant to be.

Traits: Good, Light Sleeper, Unlucky, Over-Emotional, Neurotic

LTW: Master of Mysticism/Paranormal Profiteer

Job: Fortune Teller/Ghost Hunter

Requirements:

Join a base game job in young adulthood. Quit once you reach level 3

Reach level 10 of your chosen career

Donate money to charity every week to honour your late parent

Marry a supernatural or one of your clients

Do one exceptionally good thing in your lifetime (examples include: cure a supernatural, adopt a child, revive a dead sim)

Have a close relationship with your children

Generation 9 - Space

Child of space, you certainly are special. With your parents holding a unique view on the world and the afterlife, you grew up with an open mind and childlike awe of life's wonders and mysteries. Your parents advocated for you to question the world, and question you did! You excelled in your studies and took a particular interest in space. Is it true you become a star if you die?

Traits: Genius, Childish, Athletic, Slob, Ambitious

LTW: Perfect Student

Job: Military

Requirements:

Keep straight A's throughout school

Go to university and achieve a perfect GPA

Master the logic skill

Reach space by becoming an astronaut (Reach level 10 of the military career)

Have an alien baby

[sunshades]

hello bell, I hope you're having a wonderful day. I'm very bad at articulating my thoughts but I 100% agree with you that the end scene with cathy and heathcliff standing next to the graves are indeed cathy and heathcliff, not their children! but this theory is very prevalent in the fandom and it doesn't make sense to me, which I brought up to my friends but I can't explain myself further than 'why would it be their graves considering the message of the canto and development of their relationship' and then elaborating on both to the best of my ability.... I think I chose the wrong line of thinking and now I'm stuck and it's driving me insane! how would you explain the scene being cathycliff? thank you in advance!

hi anon!! i'm really sorry this ended up super offtopic and more character analysis beam but. I LIKE TO BE THOROUGH

SO long story short i mean Yeah you're right it just doesn't make sense for these to be Other Guys after the whole thing about how they can in fact reach to each other and even if it's "too late" the love was there and it always remains.

i'll put a tldr at the end to mention some other smaller things that make the child reading incorrect, but to get way too detailed with it, the canto removes the narrative need for a second generation, because heathcliff and catherine are already taking on those roles as far as the ending goes. so let's talk about a glimpse of tranquility!

small tangent re: general reception cuz i just think it's always relevant. it's not that prevalent here, but correcting common misconceptions is kind of impossible over on twitter, and there are a lot of people who read the books years ago and don't remember some details. i still see people wondering stuff like "why did they call him linton when that's his last name?" while someone familiar with the story will pick up on how that's because he's based on linton heathcliff even more than edgar. a lot of limbus source books discussion goes by word of mouth rather than solid sources (ohh the divine comedy misinfo that goes around...) so i mean. just because more people say it it doesn't mean they're understanding it better than you. always double check 🔥

OKAY with that out of the way: much like linton is linton h. and edgar, the same goes for heathcliff and catherine, including personality (heathcliff's passion but hareton's loyalty and kindness, and on the other hand cathy e.'s impulsivity but also cathy l.'s crafty side and more reserved personality) and most importantly narrative role.

the thing with the second volume of the story is heathcliff isn't "redeemed", but the tale itself is, through hareton and cathy l. in some essays i've seen this described as a kind of fairy tale situation, with hareton being almost this "lost prince" trope, but even that "good" ending to the book is terribly bitter with the context that it was only an option for him, as a white man who could reclaim his family's wealth, while heathcliff is never able to be peaceful and free in a world that upholds the racism that victimized him to that point- this is stressed by the fact that even in death, he and catherine reunite outside of heaven, outside the bounds of society.

when it comes to limbus: i wanna link to this v good post by @/melonisopod about how heathcliff is hareton, and i have mentioned before how hindley is also heathcliff, but yeah to restate it: heathcliff eventually breaks the cycle, in the face of hindley who first subjects him to the abuse, spurring his desire to take revenge and enact that same violence on others, and in the face of the erlking who represents everything horrible people think of him and he worries he might turn into. this reflects the way hareton is framed narratively, with book!heathcliff explicitly seeing himself in him, the love and the shame and the inadequacy...

catherine is handled differently, because she does give in to the despair and follows the path laid for her by the narrative (that the only ending for their story involves her death), but the canto still hints at the dual roles through the line about the ghost of her mother, or the whole situation of the spring equinox.

so heathcliff and catherine both suffer through the events of the first generation, and obtain the narrative role of the second generation, but then the thing is: while heathcliff is obviously connected to hareton (to you, the reader), the erlking is also just. literally what would've been him. he's looking at the reflection of his future and nelly tells him: that is you, you are the devil. of course it's important that the symbol of the resolution of the story is also him, not a third hypothetical (white) child. he's the one who decides to change things:

and he's the first to acknowledge that they lost that chance of speaking and working things out together, and that now they did uh kill a bunch of people and drove their mother figure insane (nell im sorry nell may you have a lovely retirement), so THAT'S when the graveyard scene shows up-

this is meaningful enough for both him and the erlking to realize the strength of his and catherine's love- and unlike the book where we're looking at an entire saga featuring two generations of characters, and the resolution and narrative satisfation can come from either of them, here it can't be about anyone else but heathcliff. it's not a generic "oh i guess love will keep happening in the city", this is about the possibilities of their lives. it is about knowing that even if she won't wake up, it's worth moving forward and living and remembering her, and that eventually they'll meet again in some form, and that their love was not wasted, or outmatched by the hatred they had for each other and themselves.

not to go on another tangent, but a sentiment i see at times in fandom is that multiple universes/mirror selves/clones plots tend to get a reaction where people assume that the story being told is always "you're shaped by your experiences = none of those people are like you" which! absolutely makes for a great narrative like hell yes everybody let's go rewatch infinity train together! BUT it's not the only story you can tell with it! because at times instead it can be used to give you a different perspective on a character, or to give it to the characters themselves! something like umineko hinges on this line of thought, that those alternate truths are still part of you.

canto vi touches on both of these points, on one hand by having catherine (who was so caught up in her mind that she overlooked the people around her) understand that the person she loves and must protect is the one she spent her life with, but on the other hand they have heathcliff (who was so blinded by his self-hatred that he couldn't conceptualize anything beside that) see the truth of a world where they can be together, and know what even if things were to turn out badly, they will meet again.

FINAL NOTES to support all this: the river of consciousness is ofc a plot element to the city in general, but it also references the underworld rivers of greek myth- this was the haunted house canto, where the main npc turned into the house and had her body puppetted by a ghost characterized as a banshee, while the main character met his own self who was characterized as a dullahan and lead an army of the dead... we're also in a larger story based on the divine comedy- wuthering and canto vi share a lot of imagery with canto 5 of dante's inferno, and while i can't be sure of the former, the latter was definitely intentional.

with all of these together, the implication of the scene is that at the end, we're finally getting to see the shadows of the underworld at peace, emerging from the current together. and heathcliff himself clearly sees that image as the two of them!

NOW other assorted stuff:

i keep mentioning it but yeah like just to clarify in the novel heathcliff and catherine do reunite as ghosts, walking the moors together, same as the certain world cg,

dante sees "two youths who each resemble Heathcliff and Catherine"-- hareton does not look like heathcliff, he looks like catherine (first book screenshot, i didn't crop it so i wouldn't have to add another picture and have tumblr be mad at me) in that scene heathcliff goes on to talk about how actually Everything reminds him of her, but that's irrelevant in this context. first of all hareton is white, but he's also described very similarly to her, he has her same eyes and hair, and has a completely different bearing from heathcliff. (on the other hand, since we're here, game catherine being blonde makes her visually closer to catherine l.)

kind of? sidenote maybe but the canto not only describes catherine and linton as not loving each other, but it's also pretty much said that they didn't even sleep in the same bed. nelly's whole arc implies to me that only she is the costant that's always dragged in between their drama, while marrying linton isn't necessarily like... recurring? the world where cathy works at k corp and the one where she's a sailor confirm this further. so there's that

best for last: the canto's profile banners! to start with, this is the same image that was used pre-release in the roadmap to promote the heartbreaking. baseline, why even promote heathcliff's canto by using a picture that isn't supposed to be him or even a character that physically shows up in the story. but more importantly, only one grave, only one person, the golden bough in the distance. of course it's him! even more specifically, this one isn't "heathcliff from the wuthering heights of a certain world", but it's our own: left alone, but looking for the hope in the distance.

SO this got super long. but to sum it up, the child reading goes into a lot of hypotheticals that kind of ignore the narrative roles of heathcliff and catherine in the canto. it kind of just boils down to a "what if (thing that didn't happen) happened just like the book though" feeling which like, nobody really expects or even wants for other cantos? well sinclair is going off to war next

on the other hand, additional material points to the tranquility cg being heathcliff and catherine, heathcliff speaks of it by recognizing himself in it, the erlking is so personally moved by it in a way that doesn't make sense for someone seeing the daughter of the woman he loved and the son of his abuser, and just in general the ghost reading of it is a reference to the final chapter of the book in a way that acknowledges the events of the game and heathcliff's characterization.

as more of an opinion, i would say the scene even places dante's narration as a parallel to lockwood's and the story's closing lines "(i) wondered how any one could imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth", which i find really cute, especially when thinking about inferno 5 🙏

again!! sorry this got so long, but i hope it helped! every now and then i realize there's bits of the story i wanted to write on properly but then ended up only discussing with friends, so i'm always happy to share... have a lovely week anon thank u for stopping by to talk!! very flattered you though of me 😊💖!!!

[shapelytimber]

do u have a colouring tutorial / tips n tricks up anywhere???

Well no, but I can share my usual process :))

Hi hello, welcome to my personal hell : colors ! It's the part of the process I struggle with the most, and how I do it really isn't efficient or time saving <3 so take what I'm about to tell you with a grain of salt ! I went to art school n shit, but this is not something that comes easily to me. (Also note : I'll only be talking about how I color lined drawings, my process when painting is pretty different)

Ok so first thing first, the most important thing to do : define your light source(s), and the overall lighting ambience of your drawing, even if you don't have a background. To do so : let's do a quick n dirty black and white ! Why black and white ? When you select a color there is three parameters you have to keep in mind : saturation, warmth and value. Beginning in black and white simplify things by only making you think about values. Please note this black and white is only a sketch, and that when adding colors in it will inevitably change.

Step two, where hell begins ! But before questioning every life choices that brought us here, some basic things ! Our sun's light isn't yellow it's orange, and that works for a lot of artificial lighting too be it flames, warm lightbulbs... So unless you are going for a colder light, or something else altogether like neons or alien planet, use orange ! And if you are familiar with the color wheel, you know that what contrasts best with orange is blue, so shading with blues to contrast with the light works great. Of course there is a billion scenario where this does not apply and I could go in more details but the general tip here is : contrast warm colors with cold colors.

But let's come back to our black and white, it's time to add some colors with my trusted friend : 👄🌸✨gradient map ✨🌸🫦 (and others). Let's apply a gradient map to broadly and rapidly put down the major colors of our piece ! My favorite is a light orange and dark greens one but to each their own, depends on what you are going for

And now..... It's time to fuck with it ! I use a combination of "color lookup" layers (photoshop filters), levels, saturation (because I love my colors *very* saturated), special layer types (color, multiply, lighten...ect...) to add specific colors but not fuck too much with the light and warmth, and sometimes I tweak the color balance. Rinse and repeat until you have something you are somewhat happy with. pro tip : at this point you'll have stared at your drawing so long you'll not be able to objectively know what it looks like anymore. So this is a good point to stop drawing for the day, do something else, go to sleep and come back the next day with fresh eyes. Borrowing the eyes of a trusted friend is a nice bonus and helps having a second opinion on what the hell you are doing (thank you to my friend quiji who usually receives discord messages at 3am with a photoshop screenshot and a message "does it look ugly or is it just me ;;")

And now for the final and longest step !!!!!!!!!! Well just gotta make it look good- but we now have a solid base to work out of (or a shit base that I'll change my mind and radically alter at this stage but shhhh, this is a scenario where everything goes right), so all colors we'll add at this stage will generally not stray to far from what we already have ! At this stage I'm focused on 1) having everything have it's "right" color, 2) having every important element highlighted and clearly visible (for this it helps to keep a "hue/saturation" layer with saturation turned all the way down at the very top of your layers : it's a quick way to switch to black and white and make sure you're not fucking up you're values too much) 3) remember I'm not going for realism and 4) create *interest* ! To create interest, I vary the way I add colors and shadows depending on the texture I apply them to :))) here are some fun examples :

And voila !

and the final black and white, to show that it did change a lot but the general values are still roughly the same :

Hope that was useful fjdjdk

Tldr : one must love and cherish the color wheel, cruel mistress with many secrets. And ugly colors are very important

[scoonsalicious]

10.1 Major

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Summary: Lily McIntyre, trainer for new SHIELD recruits at the Avengers Tower, has been in love with her best friend, Bucky Barnes, from the moment she met him. She's been content with her role of the #1 girl in Bucky's life, even if it means she has to sabotage a romantic relationship or two. It'll be worth it when he realizes that they're meant for each other, right? There's just one small problem: Lily McIntire never expected Bucky Barnes to fall for You.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language.

Word Count: 1.5k

Previously On...: You saw Bucky's strength full force for the first time.

A/N: At my nephew's 3rd Birthday Party today. Pray for me.

If you ever feel so inclined to support my work, hop on over to buy me a coffee; it's much appreciated! <3

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when new story parts drop, please follow @scoonsaliciousupdates

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

You sighed in relief as Bucky waved a final goodbye and walked out the door. It wasn’t that you were happy to see him go… it was just that, well, you really couldn’t deal with the contents of this envelope with him there. You waited through the count of ten after he’d walked away before turning back to Zadie.

“The courier company, Zadie,” you said, your voice calmer now than it had been when you first walked out of your office. “I need to know which one it came from.”

Zadie bit her bottom lip in distress. “I’m… I’m sorry, Major,” she said. “I was checking in a group for a 1:30 session when it got dropped off. I wasn’t really paying attention. I’m sorry.”

You let out a frustrated breath of air. “It’s okay, Zadie,” you told her. “You didn’t know it would end up being important. And I’m sorry I yelled earlier. I just… well, I wasn’t expecting this and it’s thrown me for a loop.”

“Is everything okay?” Zadie asked, concern showing in her voice. “Is the business in any kind of trouble?”

You shook your head, wanting to relieve her of any worry that this had any impact on The WarZone. “No, no– everything’s fine on the business end. The stuff in the envelope is personal. I think I have an idea as to where it came from, but I need to be sure.”

“But you just told Sergeant Barnes it was business stuff,” Zadie insisted. 

“Yeah, yeah I did,” you conceded. “It concerns him, and I really don’t want him having to worry about it. At least until I have more facts.” You hated that you had lied to him about the contents of the envelope, but you would have hated the look on his face when he discovered what it was even more. 

Thanking Zadie and apologizing to her once more, you made your way back into your office. Once inside, you locked your door and dumped the contents of the envelope onto your desk. Dozens of reports and photos splashed across your workspace, each one depicting the horrific crimes of the Winter Solider in brutal detail. The final piece to fall from the envelope was a photo of Bucky, in full assassin gear, aiming a gun at the head of an unarmed older man, and in blocky all-caps lettering, the message to you: DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE FUCKING?

You knew Bucky well enough by now to know how upset these documents would make him, how he would most likely pull away from you once he saw you knew the dirty details of his crimes, but you would never. You’d meant what you’d told him on your first real date– he was not the man responsible for these atrocities; and these anonymously sent pieces of paper wouldn’t change your mind.

However, there was someone out there who clearly thought they would. Someone who assumed you would be put off by the darkness in Bucky’s history. Someone who didn’t want you to see him anymore. Honestly, the pool of individuals who knew about your relationship with Bucky was so small, there weren’t many suspects. One, however, stood out more than the rest.

You moved around to your desk chair and sat down. Picking up your phone, you dialed Zadie at the front desk. 

“Hey, Zade,” you said when she answered. “Do me a favor and have Rand come see me when he gets back from lunch. I need to have a talk with him.”

*

You spent the next forty minutes trying to figure out where the documents came from, both in terms of what courier service delivered them and where the documents might have originated from. You were a bust on both fronts, unfortunately.

Your first step was to review the security cameras in the lobby for the time in question. You watched the courier enter the building and go to the reception desk, patiently wait for Zadie’s attention, then have her sign for the envelope. Unfortunately, there was no uniform or logo indicating what company the courier worked for. You knew you should have splurged to have cameras cover the outside front of the building, on off chance the courier had gotten into a marked vehicle, but you hadn’t thought the expense necessary at the time. 

As for the provenance of the documents themselves, well, that was also a dead end. Most of the files came from the archives of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division of the United States Government. You knew S.H.I.E.L.D. had suffered an intel leak back in 2014, and it appeared that everything that had been sent to you on the Winter Soldier’s crimes were a part of that leak or had appeared as evidence in Bucky’s trial, making all of it accessible to the public, if one cared enough to go digging and knew what they were looking for.

You squeezed your eyes shut and pinched the bridge of your nose, frustrated that you’d hit another brick wall. So much for finding proof. A knock on your door drew your attention and you checked your clock. Rand would have just gotten back from lunch a few minutes ago.

You stood up and walked to the door of your office, unlocking it. 

“Hey, Major,” Rand said a bit nervously. “Zadie said you wanted to see me?”

“Yeah, Rand, come in, please,” you said, motioning for him to enter and sit down. God, you really didn’t want to be having this conversation. He took the seat on the opposite side of your desk, and you sat down in your chair, folding your hands on the desk in front of you.

“I got your package,” you said, trying to keep your voice as neutral as possible.

Rand frowned in confusion. “What package?” So, he was going to play stupid.

“The envelope you had delivered to me this afternoon,” you said.

“I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about, Major. I didn’t have anything sent to you.” He seemed to consider something. “Fuck– should I have? Is it, like, your birthday or something?”

Wordlessly, you slid the envelope in question across the desk to him. He gave you a puzzled look and reached down, withdrawing the stack of papers within. You watched his eyes widen in shock and disgust as he flipped through them, one by one.

“You think I sent this to you?” he asked, affronted. “Seriously?”

You shrugged. “You’ve made your feelings about me seeing Bucky no secret,” you told him. “And you were downright rude to him when he came in earlier. I can’t think of anyone else who would be warning me about who I’m seeing.”

“Major.” Rand put the stack of papers down on top of your desk. “I may not like the guy, that’s true– but I respect the shit outta you. You’re a grown ass woman, capable of making your own decisions. I don’t necessarily agree with this one in particular, but it’s still your decision to make. Besides,” he leaned back in his chair, “in all the years we’ve known each other, when have I ever had a problem telling you you’re being a dumbass directly to your face?”

He was right– you’d known Rand for ages– you’d fought in the army together, and he’d never once shied away from giving you his opinions directly and frankly, no matter how blunt they might have been. An anonymous envelope and a cryptic warning were not the way he would go about doing it.

“Fuck,” you said, putting your head in your hands. “I’m sorry, Rand. You’re right. I just– shit. I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” he said, leaning across the desk and putting a hand on your elbow, “don’t be. I get why you would have thought it was me. I can’t say I disagree with whoever sent this, but doing it without putting their name on makes them a coward. If they have a problem with you and Barnes, they should come to you directly. None of this cloak and dagger bullshit.”

You didn’t want to think about there being multiple people out there who might have a problem with you and Bucky being together, but if it wasn’t Rand (and you now truly believed it wasn’t), you’d have to face that possibility. “Still,” you said, looking up at him, “I’m sorry for accusing you without any evidence.”

Rand shrugged. “Eh, I made myself look like a pretty good suspect,” he teased. “I wouldn’t worry about it, Major,” he said, standing up to go back to work. “If they can’t even be bothered to tell you their problem to your face, they’re not worth your worry. Hell, if you can’t be swayed by an old friend like me, I say don’t let this bother you at all.”

“Thanks, Rand,” you chuckled. “I’ll take that into consideration.”

Rand nodded as he made his way to the door. “If it’s any consolation,” he added before he walked out, “Barnes really does seem to like you a lot.”

You smiled to yourself as he left, vowing to not let the anonymous sender get to you. It was quite the consolation, actually.

Quite the consolation, indeed.

<- Previous Part / Next Part ->

[arcane-ish]

The s2 Silco/Vander/Felicia flashback

@lady-griffin stealing the conversation from over there, because we are already yapping so long on somebody else's topic.

If I was doing that scene, without completely rewriting or removing it – I would have made it less of a flashback and more of memory. Have things be disjointed or non-real elements included; Vander’s memories have been torn up again and again and again but Vi calling his name was enough for him to put them together and be cognizant enough to be himself again... but those memories are still broken up. It’s not 100%. Some possible thoughts - having flickers of other people being in the bar too (making it feel more like a community and not just three best friends) and then it just becomes Vander, Silco, and Felicia because those two are who he tried so hard to remember. Maybe we see the mom dancing with the dad, but he keeps flickering in and out and disappears altogether because Vander wasn’t desperate to remember him as much when he was being experimented on by Singed; but Felicia and Silco, his girls, his kids – he clung to those memories so they're more solid for him, but even they’re not perfectly remembered, because he literally can't. Maybe young Silco keeps appearing with his eye after the river or the barnacle version of him creeps through for a second or two.

You know, that's a really interesting point. I have issues with that scene and not all of them are really the writing. My thoughts here are bit disjointed, so I'll try to collect em.

I don't like the fated/connected from the start stuff

ie I don't care for the "Vander named Vi/Felicia told him first" stuff, just like I don't care about the "Jayce encounted Viktor as a child". It's just genuinely a trope I don't care for much.

I don't mind CaitVi just nearly missing each other at the heist of Jayce's lab. And I don't mind Timebomb being playmates as kids and that being the origin of their story.

But if like the show had instead given us a scene for Vander and Silco where let's say Vander flashes back to his parent and the parent suddenly drops a scrawny kid into his room and says "you gonna take care of him now". That would have been just about my least favorite turn of events. Even though they are my biggest ship.

It's not great as a "fated" type story

I don't like fated type stories in general but I can see when they work like JayVik obviously did for a lot of people. And you can tell those stories about platonic love.

But to me that isn't really there.

Because the flashback emphasizes Vander's connection with Vi (he named her) but most of the season emphasizes his relationship with Jinx more. Which I don't think is that unnatural, as season 1 is more from Vi's POV and season 2 is more Jinx's POV, it makes sense that those seasons would emphasize each main characters connection with him.

But that means it doesn't work as a tragic fated story.

He named her, but he dies with Jinx. And his last scene that we know of (putting both girls to bed, blowing out the candle) emphasizes both of girls fairly equally.

If his death had been more about him dying for Vi maybe it would have rung better, more poetic more fated. Or if him and Vi had gotten one proper scene chilling together, just about the two of them.

Like let's say the scene Jinx and Vi share at the place with their height measurements, if that had been Warwick and Vi instead, maybe their story would have felt more whole.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to change it, that scene was important for Jinx and Vi. But Warwick and Vi not getting a scene like that contributes to Vi and Vander's story feeling like it's been left dangling. (ie that Vi hallucinates Loris as Vander)

So getting a big "fated" type scene but then having the storyline feel like it's kind of dangling, doesn't really pull together. Which to me enhances the feeling that the scene feels cheesy.

Felicia's role is both too big and too small

I generally have a bit of an issue with how a lot of the minor s2 characters are written. That a lot of them feel less plausible/in the world. I have this with Isha, with Maddie and also with Felicia.

The art of season 1 was that everybody and their wants and needs felt very plausible within the world. A lot of the s2 characters (Felicia, Isha and Maddie spring to mind) feel more "plopped into the world to do their purpose and then fuck off".

Felicia before season 1 was just glimpses, dead body on the bridge, flashes in Vi's memory. And suddenly she gets this big fat scene that focuses on her and her needs and her ideas.

... and then she's pretty much gone from the story. Yes, she's not completely gone, you can argue Vi and Jinx have their bonding scene and that is the end of her "arc"/her fullfilling your purpose.

I just feel like a little bit more might have tied it together more.

ie Jinx hallucinates her and she tells her not to give up

or she shows up in Warwick's healing dream as a guide kind of like Skye

or she shows up in Vi's hallucinations as a comforting presence

or she shows up in Vander's final "putting the kids to bed" dream

or have her statement be more in line with the "message of the series" that is later voiced by Jinx's hallucination of Silco

Don't get me wrong, as I like Silco and Vander, I'm glad that that scene wasn't an intro to "oh great, now everything is going to be about her now".

But the imo relative lack of follow through makes it weird to me that the scene is like that (long, very focused on her)

The visuals are boring

I think you actually hit the nail on the head.

When wrote my review/reaction to that scene, I think I settled on this very early that my biggest pet peeve isn't what happens in that scene or is said, but that it feels off. They look too clean, too well fed. Why no dirt, no scars, no tattoos, no ripped clothes, hard muscles from work? Why not try to communicate more about the setting?

Arcane so far has been really good of really characterizing the different eras of the Last Drop. And it feels that just off that it's that empty and has that little personality. (ie if they wanted to emphasize that it's been freshly built and it's before the grand opening they could have had like tools lying around, brooms and buckets)

Or give me Felicia having the same dialogue, but have her actually be ragged, with bags under her eyes, ripped cloths, dirt on her cheek. Make them feel like proper young revolutionaries rather than like well fed students chilling.

That's why I personally prefer the little flashes of Silco in Warwicks memories as he runs through the mines. They communicate so much more personality.

Arcane has done flashbacks that felt very realistic, very plausible, like the Caitlyn or Viktor child flashbacks. And they have done flashbacks that clearly mix stuff that happened with like impressions (uninjured Silco floating in really deep water versus Silco being drowned by Vander in clearly less deep water). And then we have things like are like clearly warped, to the extent of having an off the wall style like the Remember Me video or the Isha montage.

The fact that the Drop is that empty makes it feel like a capsule in time. It doesn't feel like a realistic place that tells us a lot about the circumstances that they live in (even though it would have been super interesting to get a glimpse into the Zaun of the past).

Okay, so let's embrace it's not a realistic, scene, it's just Vander's memory. So what does it tell us abour Vander? Is it his happy place? Then why does the style look so different from other memories? Does it communicate that he cared a lot about Felicia? Then why not build on that again.

I guess the idea of the scene is to emphasize that Vander was connected and bound to the girls from the very start. And his love for the girls is like the only thing that keeps Warwick slightly tethered to thir world in s2. But I dunno, it still feels kind of off to me.

I naturally rag a lot about the writing (just because a lot of the time it's just so clear that they infused scenes with so much more personality and meaning with the animation alone, without any dialogue being needed). But that's really a scene where the writing is "okay", but the animation is kind of uninspired/they could have done more to give it personality. IMO it stands out as one of the more boring scenes of the show.

As for improvements in animation alone:

like you say, flashes of other things, to continue with the theme of Vander's memories being very fractured

make the characters more ragged, make them feel more like a realistic part of the world, imply something about how much work it was for them to get the drop

But that's kind of the thing too. I think the Remember Me montage suggests that Vi had a relatively happy childhood. Which in turn implies that period of peace between them getting the Last Drop and the Bridge.

So maybe they didn't want the implication that life in the past was a constant struggle, to make it work better as a baseline of peace that Jinx and Vi can bond over.

I dunno, to me the scene just feels "off". It feels very "blunt" and kind of not very economic in both the writing and the animation.

Like, when I think of a scene like Caitlyn telling Jayce that she's upset about Jinx. The writing is very blunt and on the nose there as well, but the animation and the scenery with the wind, it tries to communicate something to us about what Caitlyn is feeling, how "stormy" it is inside of her. It's still a building scene "because Caitlyn feels this way, she will later do X".

Compared to that the flashback scene just feels kind of ... flat to me. Very uneconomic about what it communicates compared to the length. (and I don't mean that every scene has to be economic, like clearly Arcane will hold on a scene in order to wallow deeply in that emotion, where the emotion or a badass fight scene is the kill shot of a scene, but it's not that type of scene. Or if it was meant as a "wallow in nostalgia" scene it is outdone by the much more excessive Remember Me)

It's not the worst scene, I don't hate it. There are aspects about it that I like (I like Silco's diary, I like Bozo 1 and Bozo 2, I like the ankle biters). It maybe communicates a bit about what world/backstory the writers imagined (carved from bedrock) even though it does pretty much only in dialogue rather than also in animation.

But I think of scenes like Vi and Jinx walking into Silco and Vander's old hideout and Jinx touching the jackets and imo that does just such a better, more subtle job of communicating things on so many layers (communicate something about Vi and Jinx and their relationship to each other, their relationship with Silco and Vander, Vander and Silco's relationship with each other, something about the time).

I do wonder why it was that way. Like, they clearly wanted to show as a little about Vander and Silco's past. But why do it that way?

Did they throw in the "Vander named Vi" part because they think it's important or because they were worried some people might not get that it's the same woman from Vi's flashbacks? Did they want to set up "Felicia asked both Vander and Silco to take care of the girls" to create a bedrock to explain why Vander and Silco are together in the AU?