#I KNOW actually reading comics can be frustrating and confusing

[atlantic-riona]

I don't really have "enemies" but if I did, people who try to make the Batfamily unproblematic...you're on thin ice and it's already cracking

[icallhimjoey]

no no no no no NO no NO! NO! joe can NOT get away with this! he's gonna deny us our *fun* isn't he? this absolute bastard can NOT think that this is an acceptable way to keep us around! NO!

you know what? you're right. you're so very, very right. Wordcount: 3.3K

---

All The Aces

part one - part two - part three - part four - part five

Joe was wrong.

Joe was wrong, but... he wasn’t stupid, as it turned out.

So that first time, you hadn’t really fully realised what was happening, which – fine. Who could blame you? And you would argue that, the next two times after, it also wasn’t really your fault that you hadn’t caught on...

The fourth time; obvious. You would’ve been an absolute idiot had you not put the pieces together... which, you had, so, you also weren’t stupid.

And also, if it wasn’t for Izzy, maybe it would’ve all clicked into place on the third time.

It was just that... Joe went about it a little too calculated at first, the sneaky fucker. Likely because he was also testing the waters, trying to figure out what he could get away with.

And.

Well.

The answer was: A Lot, Apparently. But again; who could blame you? Joe wasn’t stupid.

Joe wasn’t stupid at all.

When he’d buzzed you up into his flat whilst he was making dinner, you’d barged in with a million things on your mind. All of them extremely negative and ultimately: unimportant.

“I know you’ve not invited me over to just rant at you for ages, but, can I just rant at you for ages?” You dropped your bags right where you were standing.

Joe, spatula and pan in hand, eyes on the food, went, “Ages?”

“Okay, fine. A minute. Can I rant at your for a minute?”

You hadn’t even said hello to each other, priorities elsewhere right now. This shit was on your mind and you needed it off your mind.

Joe’s eyes quickly found his oven timer and he reached for it to set it. To a minute. Because he was a comical genius, you see.

“All right, one minute…. And, go!”

You ignored the stupid joke and just, unleashed. There was some work shit, some small annoying things that had frustrated you throughout the day, but when you got your phone out to read a text thread between you and a childhood friend, you really got into it.

The oven timer went ignored. It beeped, but Joe just silently turned it off and put it to the side. You were in the middle of a sentence and whatever the problem was, this seemed important to you.

He knew it was all petty shit you likely already had all the answers to, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t listen.

Joe tried his best to follow along. Really, he did. But he was also finishing your dinner, peeling potatoes and cutting vegetables, and you were going a hundred miles an hour, straying off the main story every ten seconds to explain whatever was going on better. Which, it didn’t. It only confused Joe more, but he nodded along. Said things like, Oh my god, no way and what the fuck at all the right moments like a good friend would do. Like a good boyfriend would do.

“It’s not my fault we’re not as close as we used to be, she went off and had four children- four, Joe. Four.”

You’d started pacing.

“And then she went, “oh you still living with that girl?” That girl – Izzy, we’re talking my best friend since uni, Izzy. That girl. What the fuck does she think she’s even saying?”

Arms were flying, and Joe silently covered a pan with a lid for fear of your phone landing in it.

“And remember when, like, four years ago, I went to celebrate new year’s with her instead of with our group, just because she’d asked a million times, and she didn’t want to come down to join our party? And then she mixed drinks and got me so drunk, I didn’t even make it until midnight? She’s still holding that over my head, look,” you just kept going, read a text message aloud about maybe trying that again and just doing mocktails so she would actually be able to see the fireworks this time.

You sighed aggressively and turned its back end into a frustrated cry.

“Am I insane? Don’t actually answer that, but… am I insane?”

You stopped pacing to look at Joe, and... you had to take a second to take in what you were seeing.

Joe was stood leaning against the countertop where, behind him, potatoes were sizzling loudly in a frying pan. He had his arms crossed over his stomach, head cocked to the side and he was just… staring at you. Slightly biting into his lip. Smiling, a little. It was a way of looking at you that you could feel within your chest. That made you whole face heat up as you felt how the tops of your cheeks blushed.

Rude.

Had he even been listening at all?

“Be helpful, please. Am I insane?” you asked again, arms flying once more, outraged and in need of a very specific answer.

Joe let his smile grow a little wider and kindly assured you, “You’re not insane.”

He got it right.

“Thank you.” You let your shoulders visibly drop, glad to have heard Joe say what you needed him to say. But then you looked behind him.

“You’re burning the potatoes.”

Joe just kept his eyes on you and said, “I know.”

Didn’t unfold his arms. Just kept his warm eyes on you, that fondly stared a little dreamily.

“Joe,” you scolded, half laughing as you stepped closer to take the pan off the fire, but Joe was faster and turned the hob off just before you could intervene. Then he immediately took advantage of you being closer and used both of his hands to cup your cheeks. To hold you by your jaw, and to tip your head back for him.

Then he gave you that same look again.

Half-lidded, soft, adoring eyes that just stared down at you as he smiled a little.

“What?” you asked, expecting him to lean down for a kiss that didn’t come.

“Not insane.” Joe cooed.

You sensed a but coming.

“But?”

“But…” Joe leant down a little, got a little closer. “But you’re very pretty.”

“But I’m very… Joe, that has nothing to do with–”

Joe cut you off with the kiss you’d been waiting for. Soft lips brushed to yours in a funny position because he caught you in the middle of a word, strong hands holding you in place. You let your fingers wrap around his forearms and attempted to pull away, but Joe wasn’t having it. He used the very brief moment your lips parted to whisper, “So pretty.” into your mouth before he was back on you, arm now curling around the back of you to keep you from leaning back any further.

The kitchen smelled of delicious food, and you’d just spent at least ten minutes pacing around the room whilst tirading about something ultimately so very insignificant, especially to Joe, but the boy was kissing you.

Told you that you weren’t insane.

Said that you were so pretty.

Had cooked you dinner and had let you spew about an old friend trying her best to reconnect without telling you that you were being silly.

You probably were being silly.

Today just hadn’t been the best day.

And written communication had the tendency to change in meaning depending on your mood.

You could read everything again the next day and interpret all of it differently.

You were being silly.

But the boy was kissing you now, and it was just the perfect remedy to a shitty day.

Joe held you in place and kissed you until he felt you sigh into him. Until you gave in, and decided that, yea, sure, Joe could just make out with you in his kitchen for a while if he wanted to.

Joe swallowed the soft sounds you made and softly groaned in return. He loved how he could feel you grow more relaxed under his hands. Loved the way you were pulling him down to you to get more of him. Loved how you started to deny him pulling back, now more desperate for him than he was for you.

When you felt Joe’s hands start to wander down your back and round out over your bum for a squeeze, you managed to break free from Joe just long enough to say, “Should we have dinner first?”

As an answer, Joe bent through his knees a little and you felt how his grip grew stronger as he was about to lift you up. You got your arms around his neck just in time.

“Nah,” Joe murmured into your mouth, hands firmly under your thighs as he encouraged you to wrap your legs around his waist. “Dinner can wait.”

You got walked over to the bed where Joe laid you down and then just lazily kissed you for a bit longer.

Where you sunk into his mattress and tangled up into his sheets whilst dinner out in the kitchen grew cold.

Where roaming hands were heavy and wandering, pulling at the hems of shirts as palms searched for smooth, bare skin to touch.

Where you eventually grew a bit impatient and tried undoing Joe’s trousers with fumbly fingers, not breaking your kissing.

Where you slipped a hand inside and felt how hard he was.

Where Joe pretended to suddenly care about dinner until you got your mouth on him and he let himself fall back into his pillows, eyes fluttering shut.

Where the sun was setting outside, casting the room in soft warm oranges as Joe used careful, gentle hands to get you out of your clothes.

Where Joe wanted to see all of you.

Where Joe wanted to feel all of you.

Where Joe made you laugh when you bit into his shoulder, and panted, “I take it back, what I said earlier. You are insane.”

Where, after a while, when Joe burrowed his face into your neck and didn’t remove it, you knew he was in the homestretch. Mind blank. Just feeling.

And you were right.

It didn’t take long for pants to turn into groans, for rhythmic thrusting to turn into sloppy hip-clashes, and for Joe to tense up all over with a held breath before turning into a boneless collapsed man who felt like all the strength within him had just left through his dick.

It took a while for Joe to return back to earth. He just laid on top of you, face pressed into the crook of your neck, breathing so close to your ear it almost sounded like he was inside of your skull.

When Joe finally did remove his face from being pressed into your neck, there was a spit-string connecting you together still.

“Oh, ew,” you laughed, moving your face away slightly, “That’s disgusting.”

Hovering over you, cheeks flushed and hair messy, you saw how Joe looked at the spot where he’d been drooling all over you, and he grimaced.

“Oh, no, maybe,” he leant onto one elbow to get a hand into the crook there, already laughing. “Maybe don’t,” he started wiping, tried to get a bit of duvet in there which only made you feel how wet it actually was. When you moved a little more to get a look, Joe tried to stop you from seeing the wet patch of saliva he’d left behind.

“No, don’t look! Stop!” he was laughing now, and against his advice, you got a hand in there to feel.

“What the fuck, Joe, you drooled all over– Joe! There’s a fucking puddle!”

For a short moment, Joe acted like a child caught sneaking a snack he wasn’t supposed to have taken from the pantry, very cute yet very guilty. That quickly changed into a more indignant attitude, where he gave you a face for giving him a hard time about enjoying himself.

It was only a bit of spit.

“I’ve cooked you dinner!” Joe exclaimed as he climbed off of you, and he said it like the argument was meant to make your neck less wet somehow.

“Which has absolutely gone cold.”

“Come on,” Joe held out a hand. “I’ll heat it up and we’ll have it outside.”

“How about,” you started, grabbing the hand and letting him pull you up. “You go heat up dinner, I’ll wash your sheets, and, um, shower.”

Joe didn’t let go of the hand he was holding, and pulled at it until you were up on your feet where he was quick to lock his arms behind your back to keep you close.

“How about,” Joe copied your tone to make you laugh, and got his face back into the same crook of your neck where he blew a raspberry to make you squirm. “We both take a shower, and then we get the rest sorted after?”

You’d never taken a shower as long together before. No funny business - just actual washing. Except, Joe would keep kissing you places he would then wash straight after, because you clearly thought his spit was dirty now, so every press of lips got chased by a soapy shower sponge and it took for fucking ever for Joe to stop thinking the bit was hilarious.

To be fair, you hadn’t quite figured out how to not laugh every time he did it, so... partially your fault, you guessed.

But what wasn’t your fault, was how not orgasming hadn’t been weird at all. How that hadn’t consciously crossed your mind once. You’d been distracted with wet sheets and soapy kisses and then after all that, a lovely home cooked meal outside on the balcony where you had it with your hair still wet, dressed in just T-shirts and underwear.

It wasn’t your fault the first time, it wasn’t your fault the second time, and it definitely wasn’t your fault the third time, when Izzy barged in right in the middle of it.

It also wasn’t exactly her fault, though.

All Izzy had done was get home from work.

You were right in the middle of the hallway of your shared flat, pressed up against a wall, half naked, in Joe’s arms.

And then Izzy walked in.

Now… you’d seen Izzy freak out before. But to see two of your friends mid stand-up-fuck in your own hallway after a long day at the office triggered a new form of anger within your flatmate. It didn’t help that, as you were trying to get out of Joe’s grip to rush into your bedroom, that Joe’s hold on you only strengthened.

Izzy was the first to start shouting, and a fraction of a second after her first, “Oh my God!” you and Joe started shouting too.

Izzy was stood in the doorway where she was shielding her eyes, workbag sliding from her shoulder into her elbow, and she was screeching on the top of her lungs, “Oh my God, Oh my GOD, no! No! What the fuck! No!”

Joe shouted, “Leave! Leave!” right into your ear with an unmistakable urgency in his voice whilst the cutting edge left no room for argument.

And then there were panicked screams coming from you, high-pitched words tumbling over each other, all sentences unfinished, half telling Izzy to close the door behind her, half telling Joe to let you go.

Which, he didn’t do.

Joe just held on stronger and used his legs to press you against the wall like he was trying to make the two of you disappear into the brick there, and it hurt.

The chaos lasted maybe four seconds. Five tops. It was all overlapped loud voices, all frantic movements and then… to make an already awful situation even worse… Joe orgasmed.

You shrieked, “Wh– Are you coming? Are you coming right now?” as your eyes nearly bulged out of your head with shocked outrage, hands trying to push at his shoulders whilst your legs tried to find the floor.

It was the worst evening you’d had in a good while.

After everything, you sat on the foot of your bed, hugging your knees and Izzy stood on the threshold of your bedroom, asking what she’d ever done to you for you to decide that having sex in the shared hallway at twenty minutes past six in the evening was a totally normal thing to do be doing.

Joe’d quickly left after. Was out the door in a flash after the world’s most awkward apology ever.

“Sorry Izzy, for, um... yea, for making you see… and, um, hear that.”

“Fuck off Joe.”

“Yea, I’m… sorry, I’ll leave. I’ll see you Friday, yea?”

“I said, fuck off, Joe.”

“So sorry. Sorry.” Joe had paused, and then a single look of Izzy had made him go, “Yea, yea. I’m going.”

He hadn’t even dared to turn around to find you in your bedroom first. He’d just walked straight out and texted you, “Got sent home. Call me in a bit?”

Promises were made of removing clothes behind closed doors from now on – preferably locked doors, please. And if you couldn’t take four more steps to get yourselves into your bedroom first, for the love of God, please, just go over to Joe’s. He’s got a whole place to himself and you could fuck on the doormat for all Izzy cared.

You apologized too.

Said it would never happen again.

And then Izzy said she had to not look at your face for the rest of the night because she kept reliving the visuals, and – fair. That made sense.

You kind of didn’t want to see your own face for a second either.

And there was no way that Joe had planned to deny you an orgasm like this, but... it was real fucking convenient that Izzy always came home from work around the same time each day. It was real fucking convenient that he’d gotten you incredibly worked up with cute little text messages all throughout the day. Real fucking convenient that he walked in with his shirt tucked tightly into his jeans and far too many of the buttons undone for you to be normal about it.

There was no way he’d planned it.

But he’d definitely given the situation a little nudge into the direction it had eventually headed into, and no one could blame you for not having seen it then.

Not yet.

But then the fourth time happened, and Joe’d just edged you all night. Was very open about his teasing. Made you tell him if you were getting close, and then when you did, he’d just… ease off. Pull back. Let you whine and cry for it until he thought you’d pleaded enough for him to be nice again.

He’d gotten you so close.

So, so close.

But not close enough.

And then, when he came and just rolled over after, you knew.

This guy was having sex with you without letting you orgasm.

“You’re sick, you know that? Like an actual sociopath.”

“I’m just following instructions.”

Yea, all right.

Yea.

Fine.

He’d gotten away with it up until now, which, well done, Joey. This idiot really thought he held all the aces, didn’t he? Smug little bastard.

But you know what?

Good.

He could feel that way.

You were going to let him feel that way.

There were loopholes.

Easy ones too.

Joe was wrong, and clueless, and maybe, actually… he was a little stupid, after all.

And you were stubborn. Determined. Persistent.

Dead set on proving yourself right.

Which you were.

You held all the aces.

Not Joe.

Joe was wrong.

You were going to outplay the player at his own thought-up little game, and he would see. Oh, absolutely, he would see.

He’d fucking see.

---

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add yourself

[jenn-ieverse]

୨ৎ. 🎧 𝇃𝄄ㅤ ઈㅤֵㅤN I K I ‹ ENHYPEN › ๋ ࣭ ⭑

AFTER HOURS

PAIRING ʬʬ badboy¡niki + femalereader

TROUPE ʬʬ badboy x class president

WARNINGS ʬʬ (for this chapter) underage smoking, fl has a slight comical psychotic breakdown lol [she's just burnt-out],mentions of blood.

LIST ʬʬ prologue, 01

A/N ʬʬ Thank you so much for all your love in the prologue! I wasn't expecting it ♡ If you want to be a part of the unofficial taglist, comment ♡ Do read the prologue before reading this chapter!!

AFTER HOURS

“Excuse me?” you led out an audible gasp, catching some judgemental looks from passersby. “What? You expect me to help you without anything in return?” he leans in cockily, sliding his phone out of your grip, for a moment your hands brush, leaving a sensation on your skin. “Can't you though? As a fellow classmate?” you look at him with puppy eyes, he laughs.

“Are you tryna act cute? Aegyo doesn't work on me.” he looks at you as if he finds your desperation amusing. “Ugh!” you groan with frustration, the remaining patience vanishing into thin air, “Look, here's the thing. My position is at risk, so whatever you want, if I can afford it, I'll give it to you but you have to help me out.” Niki frowns, “How is your position at risk?” he's got selective hearing too if that's the only part he caught out of the whole conversation.

“Forget it, forget I said that.” you look away, huffing. Niki pulls out a cigarette and lights it, “You don't mind right?” he motions towards the lit stick and you shake your head in response. You can feel him staring at you but you look everywhere but at him, “You need a drag? Looks like you need one.” you groan at his words, frustration bubbling inside you, so much so you think about talking a drag for once.

“It's that snitch bitch Kang Areum, you have no idea how betrayed I feel right now Niki.” and once you begin, it doesn't stop, “She goes on to hehe haha with her boyfriend, I am the one who always gave her my study notes and this is what she did to me?!” you didn't care if you were yelling, you just wanted it all out.

“She goes behind my back to that poor excuse of a homeroom teacher and tells him that she wanna be the class president, as if she can ever handle that, but the worst part? He would actually make her. And what about the shit I have gone through to get that place?” you grab your hair, letting out a sarcastic laugh, “You know what's even funnier? I should just throw these papers at you and get up and leave, instead I am sitting here buying you fucking band-aids!” You wave the empty box of band-aids in front of his face, now having let go of your hair.

“Feel better?” Niki ditches the rest of the cigarette and crushes it with his feet. You take a deep breath, your chest feeling lighter than before. Is this how it feels to let things out? “I don't know, maybe I should just let her-” Niki interrupts you. “I'll do it.” your eyes widen as if they'll pop out of your eye sockets. “Come again?” you sit up straight. “The form, I'll do it.” Niki shrugs nonchalantly.

“In return,” you lean in with full concentration, waiting for him to continue, “I want…” his words float off as he looks around, “Come on, say it.” you tap the table impatiently. “Friend.” he says with a suspicious smile, “Friend?” you repeat in confusion. “Yeah, you and me, friends. What say?” He twists his hands and does a handshake with himself, while emphasizing on ‘friends’ and you just eye him judgmentally.

“You and me, friends? Come on, that's like real sus, you know that.” you point it out, “Okay, how about I complete all the assignments I hadn't done since last two months, submit it and tell the homeroom teacher that you convinced me to do it.” he proposes, “My dear friend.” you take his hands in yours, “My best friend.” you give him the warmest smile you could, “That was easy.” He scoffs, amused.

“No but like really? You'd do that for me?” your expressions get serious, “Yeah. We are friends after all.” you felt like you were on cloud nine. “I bet Kang Areum can't top that now, can she?” you chuckle nodding, “You look evil.” Niki teases your tone. “Oh shut up. You can't make fun of me yet, we aren't that close.” you warn him with a glare that just makes him smile even more. Before he could say something in response your phone rings, “Yeah, what's wrong?” It was the class vice president, Heesung. “The council meeting?” Niki sits back and listens to every word you say, not knowing who's on the other side of the call.

“You attend it instead of me, what's the big deal Heesung?” Niki scoffs as soon he hears the name and gets up. You frown at him, he waves his pack of cigarettes and walks into a narrow alley beside the convenience store. You look at him leaning against the wall and lighting another cigarette before taking a quick drag, “Are you even listening to me?” Heesung's voice from the other side of the phone makes you quickly look away and refocus on the call.

“Look, I have some work to do alright so I won't be there-” you stop at the sounds of yelling as a couple approaches, “You cheated on me with my best friend and now you are gaslighting me?” the woman in her late 20s yells at the man beside her. “For God sakes, I am not gaslighting you!” the man yells back. You just wait for them to pass by but instead the woman stops a few feet away from you and grabs the man by his collar, “Stop lying you asshole.” the screaming and yelling intensifies.

You get and walk away into the alley. You nudge Niki to get further into the alley and make some space for you and so he does. “Is everything alright, I heard yelling.” Heesung says, now his voice on the call echoing in the narrow alley, you notice Niki looking away. “Yeah all good, listen, just attend the meeting and tell me the details tomorrow alright?” you are eager to cut the call and get out of this place because what you hadn't realized is that being in close proximity with Niki isn't a good idea after all. “But you were supposed to be here!” Heesung continues to complain, making you sigh.

“Yeah I know but-” you feel Niki nudging your feet with his, trying to distract you from your phone call. You pull the mobile away from your ear and cover the speaker with your other hand before speaking, “Just hold on a minute will you?” you glare at him hoping he would stop. “Cut the call would ya? I'm bored, come on.” a playful smirk linger on his lips as he leans in, towering over your height.

“Are you with someone?” You hear Heesung from the phone. Niki opens his mouth to say something but you clamp his mouth shut with your hand and place the phone back, next to your ear. “What? No, of course not! I'll talk to you first thing tomorrow alright? Okay bye.” you cut the call without waiting for the caller's response. You quickly realize how close he is standing to you, even if you try to step back, you won't be able to as your back was already pushed against the wall and so was his.

He slowly grabs your hand and removes it from his mouth. “So it's true that both of you are like, a thing.” Niki raises his eyebrow, tossing his burnt out cigarette away. The smell of thick smoke consumes you. “Me and Heesung?” your frown is followed by a laugh, “That rumor is ages old, nobody says that anymore.” you shrug, remembering how in 10th grade the rumor circulated because of a stupid incident. “I'll walk you home.” Niki grabs your wrist and pulls you out of the alley.

The fighting couple were long gone. Home, no, no, no. You pull your hand out of his grip, “You don't have to.” you try to refuse politely, “Isn't it like 10 minutes from here?” he points in the other direction. “How do you know?” You frown at him, “Just… guess.” he looks away, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. “No, no need.” you refuse, firmly this time. He looks at you suspiciously, “Why are you acting weird?” he eyes you suspiciously.

“Leave.” you pick his bag and push it to his chest. “Don't you understand? Go away.” your words make him scoff, “Whatever weirdo, forget it.” he swings his bag over his shoulder and walks away. As you look at him going further into the distance. your phone rings again, Mother, flashes on the screen. I wish I could never go home. 

“Alright, Yeonjun, back off now.” you stand with their arms extended horizontally to your sides, palms facing outward, signaling for both the students to stop. It was another morning, another chaos had ensued in the classroom. “How dare you throw your notebook at me?” Beomgyu yells, waving the notebook in the air. “I told you to not bother me, didn't I?” Yeonjun tries to charge at Beomgyu but you stop him.

“You guys seriously can't be fighting about this! Are you a bunch of preschoolers?” You say with exhaustion, “Well, he does act like a preschooler.” Beomgyu prompts, “Gyu stop provoking him!” you turn to the other classmate. “Or what? Is he gonna hit me?” Beomgyu challenges. “I might as well do it then.” you turn to your other side to see now Yeonjun had picked up a chair and was ready to throw. “No! Jun, put down the chair, alright?” You say slowly, motioning him to put the chair down.

“Y/N, I have had enough, move away or you are gonna get hurt.” he warns. “Look at him threatening the class pres. now!” Beomgyu continues to prompt. “Someone call the homeroom teacher!” Another student in class yells, and two other students run out to do so. “Yeonjun, look we can-” Yeonjun gives the chair a big swing, ready to throw, you close your eyes as a reflex as you hear a chain of gasping reactions run through the classroom.

When you slowly open your eyes, you see a familiar back in front of you. “Niki?” you move out from behind him to see he had grabbed a leg of the chair and slowly put it down. The students start to whisper amongst themselves at the unexpected scene. Your gaze falls on the blood oozing out of his palm. “Your hand!” you point out as Niki himself realizes he's bleeding. He must have cut himself from the edge of the chair leg. “I didn't do it! I swear! He grabbed it himself!” Yeonjun surrenders defensively. “Yo dude, why did you grab the chair?” Beomgyu says from behind.

“Alright, both of you, cleaning duty after school.” both Yeonjun and Beomgyu erupt in complaints and apologies at your order. “And you, come with me.” You grab Niki by his shirt sleeve and make your way to the infirmary. 

୨        ₊       ┈    ⪩⪨      ┈     ₊     ୧

You pour disinfectant over his wound as he winces with his hands stretched over the wash basin at the corner of the infirmary. “Why the hell did you do that?” you brought up the incident from before. “Why didn't you move?” he counter questions. “Because I know Yeonjun! He wasn't actually gonna hit!” you state the obvious, patting the wound dry before applying the medicine.

“Do you know how many times he has picked up a chair and swung it in the air, threatening to hit before putting it back down? He doesn't have it in him to actually hurt anybody.” Niki was at a loss of words so he would look everywhere but at you. “I've put the form along with the assignments on Mr. Choi's desk.” he finally says, you frown with confusion, “What? I thought… Why?” As far as you remember things did not end well yesterday, so you had assumed he wouldn't go through with the deal.

“Because you deserve to be the class president, no one knows them better than you do.” he says referring to the classmates. All you could do was nod knowingly but a part of you felt grateful. Maybe he isn't as bad as everyone thinks him to be, maybe you were too quick to judge. Maybe being his friend isn't so bad after all, “Look, about yesterday…” you say as you finish wrapping up his cut. “Maybe I was wrong.” he says instead, “Let's go back to being strangers.” you were dumbfounded at his words. “You were right, me and you being friends is quite strange.” he gets up from his seat. “No Niki, I…” he gets up and walks away without waiting for you to complete your sentence. 

ʬʬ Taglist ʬʬ @d-dilemma @onementally-unstabel-kid thank you lovelies, hope you like it!

[e-rated-beardo]

Do we need another voice added to the conversation about The Thing? I guess it can't hurt.

I have about every feeling on Earth. I'm frustrated it's going to be shorter than we thought. I'm wary, because we've all learnt this year that a green light can be un-green-lit with no warning. I'm so relieved they've removed That Guy. I'm relieved we're getting something. I'm angry that That Guy had to secretly be a shit (judging from the info I have) which has caused all this bloody anxiety for all of us IN ADDITION to the actual proper shit things he's done to others in the past (given the info I have) and that his shittiness is going to sully people's enjoyment of this thing in big or small ways. I'm cautiously optimistic that we might get something faster, because fewer minutes means quicker work, maybe. I'm worried (as I always was) that it isn't going to be what I've hoped for. I'm frustrated that it's still so very quiet in media regarding what That Guy has done and mildly worried his ex-fans might never know a lot of things that might have led to closure.

I've never been in fandom before this and I have a vague understanding of how lucky I am that this was the one that sucked me in. I'm told not all fandoms are created equal. This one is a bloody marvel. A real fucking marvel. I'm not talking about the art and writing (which are just fantastic like I can't believe), but about how last night I first read The News in a Discord server and thus had other fans Feeling All The Feelings around me right from the start; how I went on Tumblr and found the early discussions and shock and complicated emotions from people whose handles mean something to me, and how I went on Reddit and saw other people gif-screaming in frustration while simultaneously trying to comfort each other. This is such a wholesome place. HOW is this such a wholesome place. Can we keep cultivating this? All of this? Keep welcoming the randos posting on Tumblr about experiencing the Final Fifteen for the first time with avalanches of emoji hearts and fanfic? Keep patiently explaining and re-explaining new and confusing news to commenters who haven't heard all of them yet? Keep showing strangers how to code on AO3 or how to be a lovely fanfic reader or introduce them to the metas people thought up in 2015 or encourage them to post their own loving, scrunckly first art piece and give them love and appreciation for it?

We've Had A Fucking Moment Year, haven't we? And somehow, as an overall experience, to me, this has been an absolute GOOD. Because there's a whole bloody world of other obsessed folks around me now, feeling the same conflicted feelings as I do, largely speaking, and mulling them over in open blogs and private servers and fanfics and comics and DMs.

I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. (Or more than half of you, more likely. We're not Hobbiton.) I really like y'all, anyway. You're neat. Can we be frembs? ❤️

If you want a little comfort fanfic escapism, I'm told this 7k-word, E-rated silliness I made once is a balm for S2-related wounds. (There's a podfic of it, too.) This thread on GOAD cropped up with great timing yesterday and is full of people's comfort fic recs. There's tons more of this everywhere. This fandom, man. This fandom. 🖤🤍

[lionhanie]

han taesan ; back 2 u (part one)

you can’t help but find yourself coming back to taesan everytime

this is part one of my series, back 2 u! read the previous part here!

fuckboy!taesan x fem!reader, college au

...featuring! BFFS jaehyun + woonhak, fuckboy leehan (AND he's taesan's roommate), and lovely roomies sungho + riwoo <3

word count: 1.7k

warnings: cursing, alcohol mention and usage, party mentions, TAESAN IS A BIG FLIRT, reader lowkey doesn't like him lol

a/n: fuckboy taesan i won;t U so bad .. . .. </3

likes ♡ and reblogs ↺ always appreciated!

You would’ve never expected yourself to be involved with Han Taesan, well-known on campus equally for his pretty face and his ability to have someone new under his arm every week. Your school wasn’t necessarily huge, but it was impressive to think that most students had some inkling about who Han Taesan was.

His existence frustrated you deeply, actually. There wasn't any actual reason to hate him per se, but it was aggravating to think that some people just have so much going for them. Not only was he undeniably attractive to anyone who had eyes, he was also known for his unmistakable musical talent and a captivating charm that drew people in immediately. It’s almost comical the way you could be minding your business in class only to overhear a group of girls a couple seats over talking about how handsome Taesan was at a party last weekend or who his most recent fling could be.

Despite everything you’ve heard people say concerning him, you found it hard to believe he was such a player. Sure, he may have some good looks, but he looks… Innocent, in a way. Harmless.

The first time you’d interacted was in the library. You’ve noticed him in there on various occasions while you were working, but never paid much mind to it, given that he’d only look around the bookshelves for a couple minutes before seeing himself out. Taesan was standing right in front of the library’s help desk, where you worked for a couple hours in between classes. “By any chance, would I be able to check out this book?” He’s holding it out to you, and you’re surprised to find that he’s renting out one of your favorite novels. 

“Yup, I’m just going to need your name and student ID. You can only get it for four days at a time, but you’re free to come back and renew the book if you need more time with it,” You type away at the keyboard in front of you, opening up the form you needed to fill out for book rentals. “That’s a good book, by the way.” Your small talk is unnecessary, but your job was too boring not to make conversation with the few people that actually used your services. 

“Yeah, I’ve been eyeing it for a while,” He’s smiling as he takes his card out from the back of his phone case, sliding it to you on the counter. “Ah, my name is Han Taesan. And here’s my ID.” Picking it up, you notice that the name he’d just given you didn’t match the one on his ID. Han Dongmin? You were almost sure this was Taesan, though. Sensing your confusion, he chuckles as he moves to explain the mismatching names. “Most people know me as Taesan, not Dongmin. It’s just a nickname, really. Does it matter what name I use to check out the book?” He tilts his head as he looks back up at you, waiting for your response. 

“No, not really. It’ll be linked to your ID anyways, so it should be fine.” You scan his ID on the card reader next to you, allowing you to finish up the form splayed out on the monitor. Taesan drums his fingers on the counter, glancing around the near-empty library; he’s humming the melody to a song you don’t know. “You’re all set, Dongmin.” You slide his receipt and a piece of paper telling him when he needs to return the book under the cover before giving it back to him. 

He’s caught off-guard at hearing his real name come from your mouth, but he flashes you a grin regardless. “Have we met somewhere before…” Taesan’s sentence trails off until he notices the name tag pinned to your shirt, “...Y/N?” 

This time, you’re the one caught off-guard. “Sorry, is it better for me to call you Taesan?” You question. He’s probably only striking up a conversation because he doesn’t like people calling him by his real name— that probably explains why people call him Taesan instead. “And no, I don’t think we have.”

“Nah, keep calling me Dongmin. It sounds nice coming from you.” He’s leaning on the counter now, close enough for you to notice the luxurious-smelling cologne coming off of him. “You’ll be one of the few people who call me that, you know.” His comment makes you roll your eyes playfully, scoffing at the way he’s making it sound like a special honor for you to be able to call him that. “Are you free this weekend?” 

The clicking of your keyboard stops as you finally look at him properly, feeling slightly bashful at the sudden question paired with his intense stare. “...Why do you ask?”  Your initial perceptions of Taesan quickly dissolve, as you now realize that this is the type of person he really is. Looks really can be deceiving. He smirks at the expression on your face, happy with himself knowing he has such an effect on someone he just met.

He slides his phone over to you, just like he had done with his student ID just moments ago. You take a peek at it, curious about its contents, only to see a blank “New Contact” screen waiting for you. “Number?” He asks for a girl’s number… Like this? It irritates you to think that he’s probably used this exact sequence numerous times without fail, and now he’s here using it on you while you’re at work.

Hesitating briefly, you pick up the phone and type in your info— You hate how easily you give in to him, almost wishing you played a bit harder to get, but it’s hard to say no to the handsome face of Han Taesan directly asking you for your number. “I’ll text you, yeah?” 

“Okay,” You reply, completely baffled at the interaction that just unfolded all in the span of less than ten minutes. Taesan slips his phone into his pocket and tucks the book he rented under his arm, giving you a small smile as he steps away from the desk. As you watch him walk out the sliding doors, you let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding in. Next to you, your phone screen lights up. 

4 new messages from “Unknown Number”! it’s dongmin [address] come saturday if ur free, starts at 10 i’d love to talk to u again, y/n :-) 

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Just this once, you’re grateful that Han Taesan is so widely known, because it was surprisingly easy to find friends who were already planning on attending Saturday’s party. You were at ease knowing you’d at least have Riwoo and Sungho to fall back on if the nerves suddenly took over. 

You wish you could say that you debated on not coming, but that’d be a complete lie, because you’re currently standing in the middle of Riwoo and Sungho’s shared apartment throwing back shots to pregame. “It’s been a while since you came out with us Y/N! What’s the occasion?” Sungho randomly interrogates you while refilling the empty shot glasses on the counter. 

Biting your lip, you contemplate your response: Should you lie and say you just felt like partying this weekend? You’re well aware of the fact that the pair of roommates in front of you are friends with Taesan… So it wouldn’t be weird to mention him now, right? But then again, his parties are huge. Chances are, he invites random strangers to them all the time, so there’s no need for you to act like your interaction at the library was anything special— You’re about to answer when your phone screen flashes on the kitchen island.

 

2 new messages from “Han Dongmin”! i’ll see u later ya? ik u won’t leave me hanging again y/n ;P 

The notification exhilarates you. Was he looking forward to seeing you tonight? It annoys you slightly to think that Taesan knew you’d show up, even if you’d never confirmed the matter. “Ah… I didn’t know you were friends with Taesan, Y/N!” Riwoo reads the text off your phone from over your shoulder as he moves to pick up one of the shots Sungho just poured. Guess he chose the answer to your internal turmoil for you. “Now that I think of it, how come we’ve never gone to any of his parties together before?” 

Mirroring his actions, you take a glass for yourself and finish it in one clean gulp, wincing at the burn it sends down your throat. “Hm, I don’t think I’d call us friends. He asked for my number at the library the other day.” You correct him, explaining the encounter you shared with Taesan two days prior. 

Being the last to take their shot, Sungho hums in understanding across from you. You can’t help but wonder what it’d be like to actually get to know the kind of person Han Taesan is; Would he maintain the tension with his flirty remarks? Or is he just a normal college student that doesn’t actually live up to the reputation he’s made for himself around campus? 

“So, Y/N, do you think he’s hot?” Sungho blurts out, making you choke on your spit. Riwoo giggles from beside you, patting your back as you finish your coughing fit. “I mean, we don’t care if you think he is. Taesan’s a handsome guy. Hell, half the student population probably thinks so too!” Sungho’s contagious laughter fills the kitchen, making you and Riwoo laugh along with him. 

“Well duh, why wouldn’t I think he’s hot?” There’s a smile on your face as you admit your attraction to the boy in question. Han Taesan is definitely intriguing. The alcohol feels like it’s finally made its way through your system, the room feeling a bit warmer than it was earlier. The three of you didn’t drink much; just enough to give you a little more courage to go to the party without feeling too nervous. You take a glance at the clock on their microwave: 10:43PM. “Shouldn’t we get going?”

taglist: @minwrlds @luna2nite @taesancore @taesanmoon @helpsplease @taylorluvation (send an ask / comment if you want to be added hehe)

© lionhanie 2024 ; all rights reserved!

[polygonal-trees]

Welcome new Transformers fans!

You might have seen this Don't Make Me Tap The Sign meme floating around. Transformers One has been out for a little while now so I want to expand on it as well as some other TF fandom things.

What does "Transformers doesn't have a set canon" actually mean?

Essentially, every new Transformers story is a reboot. They might draw from or expand on concepts from previous iterations but canonically each continuity family is separate. This means all lore is extremely flexible - origin stories, relationships, even personalities can change wildly between iterations and while some may be better or worse than others, they are all equally canon.

For example: Orion Pax was a dock worker in G1, an archivist in Prime, and a miner in TF One. None of these contradict each other.

Continuities also tend to share ideas without being directly connected. For example Transformers One draws from Transformers Prime in multiple ways (e.g. it features Airachnid) but it is not a prequel to Prime and in fact directly contradicts it. Yes I know there's a guy on xitter claiming tfone is a prequel to the Bay movies but he's wrong.

What is a continuity family?

Most storylines include tie-in novels, comics, video games, and other shows that all share the same canon.

The Aligned Continuity is the most well known. It consists of Transformers Prime, Rescue Bots, Rescue Bots Academy, Robots in Disguise 2015, multiple video games, and some tie-in novels and comics. They are all ostensibly set in the same canon... except the Aligned Continuity is inconsistent so even its lore is loose :')

My point is that while every continuity is separate, some shows are connected.

(Sorry if this is confusing. It is confusing. You get used to it)

What about fanon?

The Transformers franchise is old enough that a lot of fanon has become so pervasive it exists in a sort of nebulous space where it feels like it could be canon or at least become canon once enough fans are working for Hasbro but essentially: oh boy is there a lot of fanon

For example: seeker trines, doorwing speak, the Unicron Singularity and all forms of robot sex (sorry) are fanon, but they appear so often in fanworks that it's easy to get confused (I know I do!)

It's safest to assume something isn't canon unless you've seen it in a show (and even then, it may only be canon to that particular show)

Can I mix-and-match in my own fanworks?

Absolutely! It's very common for creators to set a story in one continuity but transplant a character from another, or use a different backstory, or borrow whole plot points from different canons. Chop up that lore and make a delicious continuity soup.

So why is this important?

It is very, very, very, very, very frustrating to be "corrected" about something that isn't relevant, or to see someone critisize a show based on lore that doesn't apply, or to have a character be called OOC when they're not, etc. I think a lot of fandom slapfights could be avoided if more people understood how loose Transformers canon actually is. Do what you want with your own creations but please be mindful when it comes to interacting with other people's.

This is A Lot

You don't have to know everything about Transformers to be in the fandom and have a good time - if you're only interested in TF One that is perfectly alright, you don't need to watch every show and read every comic and play every game to be considered a fan of something.

But if you want to find out more I recommend checking out the TFWiki - it isn't perfect but it gives a good rundown of most general lore as well as details about specific shows.

That's it from me. I hope this is helpful! It's the sort of thing I would have liked to read when I first joined the fandom haha

[ihopesocomic]

Sorry for the mini-essay but I think people massively underestimate how much hard work and dedication goes into a Passion Project. People think that creators who make free content, who do their work as a hobby and not as a job, must only get enjoyment out of it.

That’s not how it works. Doing it purely because you want to doesn’t automatically make the more challenging, frustrating, or (gasps) TIME CONSUMING parts of the project any less burdensome. If anything, it makes it worse because you aren’t being paid for all of that labor. You’re just doing it for the sake of doing it, and as rewarding as it can be, it can also be demanding.

Im finally publishing a fanfic for the first time and don’t get me wrong, it’s been great to get feedback on my work and interact with a community. I love that there are usernames and profile pictures I can actually identify because they’re regulars on my work.

But does that mean I don’t have to constantly redo work because I don’t like how it turned out? No. Does that mean I always update on time? No. Never get burnout? No. I still very much go through all of the things paid writers do, because the Creative Process is difficult and demanding no matter what they paycheck is or isn’t.

And all of that is just if you guys WERE missing updates, which you’re NOT. So like… these complaints are not only very entitled and ignorant, but also just confusing. People really just be mad for the sake of being mad, I guess?

Anyways yeah, free content creators are still content creators, and passion-driven hard work is still hard work. You two are cranking out absolutely STUNNING visuals, compelling characters and engaging worldbuilding every single week and that’s amazing. Thank you for your hard work and I’m sorry about the twerps that don’t appreciate it enough!

Ah the price we pay for being human and having a brain, amirite haha

It's to be expected, to a certain point, that people simply don't understand that things like comics and cartoons take time. General impatience is something that can be ignored. If people asking for updates bothered us, we wouldn't post anywhere ever haha You gotta have at least SOME backbone if you want to do a comic. Or anything really.

Comics are a TON of work, and I knew this going in cuz I've done shorter comics before. It is not to be treated as if its easy. (Well, its easier than animating a whole series by yourself LOL) There's a lot of pre-comic planning that people don't tell you about. And that's just the stuff you have to do before you even start drawing. Of course this only applies to long-form storytelling, there's different rules for different kinds of comics.

And I won't even get into what it takes to making the comic itself, there's a lot of parts that need to be considered like formatting, time-management, what shortcuts you have to take to save on labor, and getting across as much information as you can in a short amount of time, while using mostly visuals. It's a skill, so it can be learned haha

A lot of doing comics is on-the-job training. Which I know can be frustrating for perfectionists, but from a reader's perspective, part of the joy of webcomics is seeing how far the art has come. And you can't exactly get out a webcomic if you keep redoing things over and over. You'll burn yourself out even faster. This is why it's important to have a plan lol it just makes it easier to adjust if you have to change things, than if you have no plan at all.

Even if RJ and I for whatever reason no longer felt passionate about this story, and wanted to move on to something else entirely, we wouldn't leave everyone hanging. We'd tell everyone what happens one way or another. Because too many people just abandon a story just to tell another one, and that's not fair to people who were here to read a story that appealed to them.

But the entitlement of people sucks, the constant heckling, the fact we can't moderate our own comment section, and more importantly Webtoons just sucks as a site anyway. - Cat

[keikiri-kitten]

a/n: for my college and university folks who are suckers for the number two hero? this is for us <3 my senioritis is kicking my ass ;-;

Keigo is an absolute pest. You can’t study around him. In fact— don’t. Studying will consist of him being the most absolute childish man ever. You’re almost ashamed to say you’re in love with him. He’s throwing small little snacks at you, spewing his little factoids about your lessons at you while you’re studying and it’s overall the most eye twitching experience. The little facts would help if you were going over them in class. He’s just being a smart ass. You endure about an hour of this man before you snap at him. This man smirks. He sarcastically sighs out and gets on all fours and crawls between your legs to look into your eyes. His arms prop up onto your thighs as he pouts. “You know, maybe you should give me some attention.” In frustration, you pop a flash card against his forehead. He blinks in confusion before pulling it off of him and reading it to you. “Ask me about ethics, but I’m not the one to ask about neuroethics.”

“Then shut up. You want attention? Read these to me. I would like a kiss after every question I get right.” Rolling your eyes and folding your arms, you speak to him with a matter of fact tone.

“Mm!” Keigo squeaks, sitting on his bottom in front of you with a grin, flapping his small wings. “I’m gonna like this game.”

“Read.”

“Anything for you,” winking, he does as you ask. He makes studying fun actually and you wind up passing your quizzes when you study with him. Turns out, your lessons are actually interesting to him and he can’t wait until you ask him to go over your notes with him.

It goes from you slamming a flash card to his forehead comically to you rushing home with a C on one of your assignments (not even a test or quiz) and he’s looking at you worriedly. He stumbles back and gold eyes fall to your hands that are pressed against his chest as you force a book into it. “Help me.”

He stares at you for a moment with a blank face only for his lips to turn into a smile, “okay? I was gonna ask if you wanted chicken tonight before you bumrushed me about a mediocre grade, but I think we turn this into a study date. Come on, let’s get you some good grades!”

He won’t say it but you can see how much he loves to study. You come home now with him reading your books, stuffing them with post-it notes and rambling off to you things he’s learned while you were off to classes or work. This man is studying your lessons any time he can. He studies more than you. Part of it is because he didn’t have a traditional education. The other part is that he wants to help you succeed. He’s studying when he has free time during patrols or his off days. Maybe studying with him is not going to be that bad. He says things you didn’t even catch and helps you use these little tidbits for essays. It makes your heart melt and lifts a weight off of your shoulder. He genuinely cares and anticipates the day he gets to see you graduate.

[stelladess]

I feel a bit annoyed by people saying Firefly is the star rail version of Kallen. As a fan of both characters I feel they got next to nothing in common whatsoever. They dont look similar, they arnt similar people, they dont have similar backgrounds or motives... there is just nothing really. It feels like reducing them to Stelle/Caelus girlfriend (this one is supported by the story but I feel like much of what makes Firefly and this ship interesting gets overlooked, admittedly some of it assumes the theory about Firefly being SAM is true and some lore knowledge about SAM but even without taking that into account Firefly is a great character in her own right) and Otto´s girlfriend (which, as a huge Otto fan, I will say, of course has its own issues and I do not like the romantic interpretation with them, the previous era versions of them are different people and dont count for this imo and there is no evidence at all Kallen of the current era was into Otto and also Kolosten heavily suggests it wasnt even a romance thing for Otto either) I highly recommend people read the prequel comic focused on Kallen, its when Kallen is younger then when we see her in flashbacks, set before meeting Sakura (i highly recommend also checking out that whole story at some point even if it can be a bit awkwardly time gated in game and slightly confusing) in HI3 so her personality/demeanor is a bit different from how she was by then (she is a lot more naive for one) but I think its still a good introduction to see why Kallen is a good character and a good showcase of how she isnt like Firefly at all and doesnt require sitting trough all of Kolosten and several side stuff in game to get to, so its a convenient starting place to see if you want to see more about Kallen. Which I hope anyone reading this ends up wanting to but even if not thats fine and is why I recommend starting here since its an easy read with very nice art and a fairly self contained story. Also if you dont play HI3 and am just curious on Kallen because of what other people are saying. Elan Palatinus: https://manga.honkaiimpact3.com/book/ Some spoilers for Penacony mentioned below here....

Firefly I dont wanna go too deep into character analysis here cause some of it relies heavily on an unproven theory, ill probably write about her more later though. But either way I feel like she is a very well written character, her desire to indulge in some escapism to get a break from her harsh reality with her terminal illness, her determination to find the watchmaker´s legacy despite the risk, her clearly having gotten a lot of experience dealing with dangerous situations despite seemingly wanting to just live a normal happy life, she hasnt been in the game very long (yet, the boss that "killed" her whole gimmick is that you can free the souls it claims so im not so sure she is actually gone, also you can see a Firefly leave her body before she dissolves shortly before Sam shows up...) but she is already very strongly characterized even with her limited screentime. If the theory that she is Sam is also true then it would add an extra layer to her closeness with Stelle in that some lore about Sam suggests Sam was artifically created for the purpose of fighting against the swarm, so she likely would relate to Stelle on account of the whole... being made to fullfill a purpose thing. As a stellaron hunter in this case she would also know about that quite likely so I like the theory. Idunno I just feel frustrated how characters often feel like they get boiled down to just their archetype or role (and sometimes not even any of those but just completely unrecognizable) when they are actually very interesting and well written characters. I want people to appreciate the writing that went into these amazing characters, not just these two but also many other examples but I wont ramble on here. So I strongly recommend people read more about them if at all curious, altough be careful since there are tons of leaks and spoilers in general going around regarding anything Penacony related, so with Firefly it might be best to wait a bit if spoilers are a concern.

[suicidalgamergirl]

Hot To Go

4 pages long. Dunno how to continue. Getting help from AA fans.

-V

****

The Vampire Ascendant arrived on the balcony, carrying the small shopping bag with said plush.

He notices the movement of Nessa in the living room. He was reading her and seeing that she was very scared.

He couldn’t shrug off that she was feeling exactly how he felt when failing Cazador’s orders. Like she deserves to be punished.

What had Ken done to her that led her to not trust others? Humans tend to be social creatures. They crave attention from others.

She was different. Quite different. 

He entered the apartment, without making a sound. She was preoccupied with the door.

Nor did he want to be stabbed repeatedly with a box cutter.

Darling needed to behave when she held sharp and pointy objects.

Especially towards him.

****

She slowly unlocked the door, box cutter ready to stab in self defense.

The door swung open to reveal....

An Amazon Delivery Guy.

“Package for Ms. Vanessa Alexandria,” the guy said as he was giving her a package.

Vanessa dropped the box cutter in shock. She did buy herself a gift off Amazon for her birthday.

After signing it, the delivery guy left and she closed the door. She opened the package to reveal a video game she wanted.

An Otome game. These games kinda helped her feel like she can confront men, despite the situations she puts herself in with real men. They would only be a fantasy of a man actually interested in this hag. No one in real life cared for her. 

Why can't she live in a fantasy like that? It was quite harmless.

Lowering her head. She had to grow up from playing video games, because people in their 30s start having families and enjoy the company of others.

She wanted to be alone.

****

Rolan and his gang of hunters arrived at the apartment complex. They have to act quickly. Vampires know how to get whatever they want. Vanesa was living alone in an apartment. Why did she let Ken die?

She lived alone, had always kept to herself in her hobbies, and was mostly anti-social. Perfect dinner for The Vampire Ascendant because no one will miss her. They have to stop him because she will be in danger.

The staff let the group in, confused why they would dress up in Renaissance clothing. They waited for the elevator and ascended to said apartment.

For they will be glorious in their hunt.

They must win.

**** 

Tears were running down her eyes. She was holding the game she got. Everything in her life had her always trying to be someone else. Her comics got no interest and she couldn't make a living out of her passion.

So she became a janitor to clean offices.

Rolan appeared at the open door.

“I’m glad he hadn’t arrived,” Rolan said as he turned to the distressed Vanessa, “you there. Did you notice a palely skinned gentleman?”

“We’re here to tell you that you’re on his list,” Zarha replied, “he killed Ken, your boyfriend, and he may kill you too.”

Kill her? She felt a sense of release from their words. Death was a perfect solution for her.

“Don’t worry,” Rodney said, “you’re safe now.”

She turned to the hunters.

“There is no vampire here,” Vanessa said sternly to the hunters, “besides he won’t be interested in this hag.”

“Maybe we should check your apartment?” Doug asked, “Just to be sure.”

“He is not here,” Vanessa stated, “If you don’t leave, I would start calling the cops. There’s no vampire here.”

“You don’t understand!” Rolan argued, “Vampires like him will kill anyone. They don’t care about us, that’s why they must die!”

“Please leave. You are invading my privacy.” 

“Don’t you care about your own safety?! He’ll kill you.”

“PLEASE LEAVE,” Vanessa replied as she was standing her ground.

Rolan sighed and turned back to his hunters.

“Fall back,” Rolan replied as he looked at the hunters, “it seems she doesn’t care about the danger she’s in.”

The hunters finally left her apartment. Frustrated with her, they couldn’t do anything because she had a right to refuse them. 

That vampire is a fucken lucky bastard.

****

The Vampire Ascendant was eavesdropping their conversation as he stayed in her room. Nessie could have easily told the hunters he was here. She could have easily had him killed off by their leader.

But she didn’t. 

Quite the peculiar human.

He decided to make himself known.

With grace, he confronted her in the living room.

****

Ness heard something. She lowered her head.

The Vampire Ascendant was here. To kill her like he had Ken. He had been watching her having a conversation with the vampire hunters. It didn't matter. He was here now. 

And was going to kill her. 

He comes closer and Ness is ready. She's made her peace. Said her goodbyes to the hurt and fear she's carried with her for too long. She closes her eyes. And yet the icy touch never comes. He never reaches for her. She feels no teeth at her neck. 

Instead, all he does is speak.

“You could've had me killed,” he stated as he looked at her, “You could've given me to them...and yet you didn't. Just as I suspected... Intriguing."

She heard his words. He was a vampire and she was his prey. She assumed he might be gentle to end her life.

But he wasn’t going to do that.

“I have spent quite a while studying you,” he continued, “...watching. Trying to understand what it is like to be a feeble human in this day and age. You saved me. So I spared you. And still you save me again. And now I wonder...why?"

Realization flustered her cheeks. She was dumbfounded by his questions. Was she selfish? She wanted the vampire to end her life.

Just like he ended Ken’s life.

He leaned in closer, almost listening to her pulse.

“I know your secret,” he said, “the one that tied you to that man. The one who has you in his snare. You seek comfort in cuddling plushies and self harm. It was because you know no better, a mere slave to a weak master.”

Goddamnit. She didn’t want the vampire to get more psychological with her. Why do men always seem to get thrills of turning her into a doormat? Is this what couples do?

She didn’t want that. This is what couples do.

Right?

“Please,” she gave a weak cry. She knew the vampire should end her. Tears were running down her eyes.

He placed his cold hand onto her face, wiping said tears and sensing her quick pulse racing from his touch of her soft cheek.

“I know what it’s like to feel unwanted,” he replied, “how easy your master turns you into his new toy, only to always fail his expectations. And I cannot let another being fall into their master’s hands again like I had. Hence I had to kill him.”

She was slowly feeling calm. He admitted killing Ken. A relief was on her. Ken is a dick. Who knows how long she would have if she didn’t catch Ken cheating on her with his phone? How long will her relationship be with him? Will Ken literally drive her to her own death?

This was all because Ken knew about her secret. 

He knew about her sexual assault. He knew how gullible Nessa was. She was only trying to make new friends when she was a tween. One girl from her grade perked interest at her. They both went to a secluded area and it happened…

She forced herself on Nessa and she was shocked by what was happening to her. To make matters worse, she says she’ll see Nessa again someday and left her to rot in misery of being violated.

All she wanted was a new friend. 

****

Ken has tried everything that he can to at least have some intimate relationship with Nessa, despite knowing she was assaulted in her teen years by another classmate years ago. So she really couldn’t enjoy sex like every other adult.

It fucked up her mentally and emotionally.  

It also didn’t help that he was constantly nagging for it and downplaying that she’s worthless in a few years.

After seeing him chatting up chicks on his cell, she knew he wasn’t faithful. She had enough.

She kicked him out of her apartment. 

He started to leave, looking back at Nessa.

“No one else will find you attractive,” Ken said to her, “I just gave pity on you because no one will ever want to sleep with you.”

Good. Just leave.

“You dumb bitch,” Ken catcalled her, “you should have given me what I deserved for being nice to you.”

And he left her.

Ken was no more and she was free. 

But why was she crying?

****

The Vampire Ascendant had Nessa in his grip. He could feel her pulse quicken.

“I don’t want you to cast doubt on yourself,” he said to her, “your blood screams to be tasted. Though, I rather not let you see me as a Grim Reaper, a harbinger of death. Maybe see me as a Merciful Angel instead.”

She opened her eyes and looked at the vampire. He wasn’t going to bite her. Is she really that pathetic? Vampires do enjoy willing prey.

He smirked at her, looking at her brown eyes as his eyes glowing crimson red.

“You know,” he began, “I rather like you. Unassuming. Unassertive... But I can see something else just behind your eyes.  A quiet thing, that wants to be *free*. And since you have helped me, I shall return the favor.”

She was confused. Was this how relationships work? Right? What could this vampire want? What can she give to him?

He kept looking at her, placing his fingers on her chin. She kept looking at him, confused and confident towards the vampire lord. As a vampire fan girl, this could be her fantasy. She tamed a darkly handsome creature of the night. Someone who loves her sweet calling blood.

“Even when you are afraid,” he continued, “There is something within you that does not want to cower. And perhaps..." His face falters, still eying the vampiric fan girl.

"Perhaps, I once held someone dear to me…” he trailed off, “who would have done the same for you. As she did me.”

She felt clueless and embarrassed. She wanted to understand her savior. How did she help him? All she did was make a bat house and entice a bat to eat mosquitoes. She was foolish to use him to end her life.

The hunters said he’ll kill anyone. He knew about Ken from her journal. The weak master was slain. He was going to drive Nessa to her death if she didn’t break it off.

Yes, The Vampire Ascendant killed him. Ken was finally out of her life and will never abuse another partner with his cruel hands.

Right now, said vampire lord admitted to having some feelings for her. She was slowly starting to not be terrified of him. He's a powerful vampire lord. Those vampire hunters were wrong about him.

If he was true to their words, she would be dead right now.

Not having a staring contest with a vampire.

[bisquuet]

hi! still alive! AN UPDATE: LONG READ :D no new devlin content since im focusing on my oc comic :( ( speaking of comics. remember that other comic i posted here like once and never talked about it again?? yeah.. ) - lets talk about that. will i ever go back to that comic? -yes, when? i don't know.. i realized i went into the comic very.. unprepared.. or less prepared than i thought i was. so it got me second guessing things and getting confused..!! i have a VAGUE idea of how I want it to go, or atleast i DID, now im not so sure.. I think i need to sit down, splurge out my thoughts and ideas and go from there,, now i technically have a WHOLE post that is done that was supposed to be dropped shortly after the first one. but i thought to myself, oh ill just work on the next update and once im halfway THEN ill drop the second one! i never got halfway. i ended up just sketching more up ahead and adjusting and ''fixing'' things in the second update. making me loose track of time and getting behind, not only i had school to deal with too! so i just have a LOT of storyboarding of pages...that im slighlty afraid of looking at cuz i know that ill want to fix it but ill be unmotivated to actually fix it.. (bad rawr!!) eventually i have to get to it..!! >< ANOTHER major factor of the delay was my confidence, i wasn't satisifed and even frustrated at times when something didnt come out as good as it did in my head. i REALLY like the first update pages! especially devlins scene! but i think i got too ahead of myself and put WAY too much onto my plate, raising expections, of others and myself, mostly myself.... and I was trying to copy to a manga style, rather than convert my style normally into a manga setting, if that makes any sense. so i wasnt.... 'comfortable' drawing.. i dont know how else to describe it! but ever since then and even before, ive been getting less confident with my art and my style, feeling like its ugly or its getting worse. forcing myself to keep drawing, straining myself trying to make something that looks good to me. i have lots of fun and joy drawing for others, the reason i draw is BECUZ i just want to share what i make! as shallow as it sounds i like creating content for others to enjoy! it makes me happy and proud of what i draw! so. when i make something i dont like, i cant bring myself to show it cuz I dont like it.. others may, but that wouldnt change how i would feel about it. i felt that way deeply with the second update, which is why i kept tweaking it,,, and so I just let myself get caught up with other things.. feeling upset and guilty that I kinda just.. abandonded the comic..! saying that ill pracitce and oh ill do that , i Need to do this and this and this when i havent even done ANYTHING! i think, and i genuinely mean this, i think ive only recently started to ACTUALLY do things.! like development for my OC comic, writing for it, making content and sharing about them to whoever would lend an ear! so in a way the seewar comic walked so that my OC comic could run, hopefully.. so, unfortunately ill be focsuing more of my attention on my OC comic, and i honestly can't promise anything. the only thing i CAN say is that i will share the second update that i finished long ago.., no matter how much internal rawr doesnt want to, i feel like thats the first step to overcoming this fear and dread ive associate with the comic, which is something i DONT want. ill be scheudling to drop this weekend since ill be away.. i dont know when ill actively start working on the seewar comic again becuz i genuinely want to finish it and share it, i just have to not be too ambitious and plan out whats necessary. anyways.. now that school is out im finally paying all of my debts and owed art.. its rough but it has to be done. thanks if you have read all of this,, i greatly appreacite the support, from friends and followers, fossils, (thats what my fans are called wink wink) love yall fr <3

[jonillaa]

hii !!! I love your writing and fanfics!! They're the best I binge read them at night everytime fr...but anyways can I get Jo doing your makeup? Like you wanted to hang out with your bf and you want him to do your makeup! You guide him and he gently tries to put makeup on you, blush, eyeshadow, eyebrows, and foundation, you turn out to be a clown but you guys laugh about it !! 😊😊😊

DUVET ┊ asakura jo

PAIRING ┊ jo x f!reader

GENRE ┊ fluff

WC ┊ 668

WARNINGS ┊ classic friends to lovers plot (kinda idk they like each other tho) , not proof-read , lowercase intended!!

SYNOPSIS ┊ it’s jo’s day off, and you find yourself missing him a little too much. in an attempt to spend some time together, you invite him over and ask him to do your makeup. (and he ended up staining your duvet oops)

A/N ┊ i honestly could not come up with a title for this fic so it literally doesn’t match up at all but it’s okay cuz it’s jo!! 😜

jo had finally managed to secure a rare day off from his hectic schedule. he was looking forward to spending some quality time catching up on his favorite anime and indulging in a much-needed break—a break he definitely deserved. little did he know how soon that plan would change.

meanwhile, at your place, boredom was slowly consuming you. the dullness seemed to multiply exponentially, making the hours feel like days. suddenly, an idea struck you like lightning—a foolproof way to kill your boredom and maybe even spend some time with jo.

with your fingers flying across your phone's keyboard, you swiftly typed out a message, inviting jo over without mentioning your ulterior motives. you hit send, half-wondering if he would even consider your request.

but to your delight, jo replied almost instantly, his reply filled with his usual awkwardness: "oh uh, sure. i wasn't really doing anything anyway".

an excited flutter danced in your chest as you prepared for jo to arrive, making sure you had clean brushes and fresh makeup laid out. you couldn't help but feel a little nervous. jo may be your friend, but there was just something about him that made your heart race a little faster.

minutes later, the doorbell chimed, signaling jo’s arrival. you greeted him with a smile, trying to hide your nervousness.

"so, what's the plan for today?" jo asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"we’re going to have some quality time," you replied, leading him to your bedroom.

confusion flashed across jo’s face, but he decided not to press the matter. after all, there were plenty of strange adventures you'd roped him into during your friendship.

upon entering your room, jo’s eyes landed on the chaos of makeup supplies spread across your dresser. his eyes widened comically.

"you’re not going to suggest i do your makeup, are you?" he asked, panic lacing his voice.

biting your lip, you let out a nervous chuckle. "uh, actually, that was exactly my plan."

jo stared at you, disbelief etched on his face. "you’re kidding, right?"

with a mischievous glint in your eyes, you shook your head. "nope, dead serious. come on jo, it'll be fun!"

you guided jo to sit in front of the vanity mirror, feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety. jo looked both adorable and slightly terrified. he bit his lip, his gaze fixed on the soft brushes in front of him.

"okay, but no promises that it’ll come out good," jo mumbled, finally giving in.

for the next hour, jo followed your step-by-step instructions, his fingers trembling as he tried to recreate the makeup looks you were showing him. the room filled with laughter and comfortable silence, the two of you bantering and teasing each other throughout the process.

at one point, jo’s hand shook so badly that instead of applying mascara to your lashes, he ended up streaking black lines across your face. you burst into fits of laughter, clutching your stomach as jo scrambled to fix his mistake.

"this is harder than drawing," jo muttered sheepishly, his deep voice tinged with slight frustration.

as the afternoon wore on, jo’s initial awkwardness melted away, replaced by a newfound confidence. his touch became more sure, his strokes lighter and more delicate. but just as the two of you were nearing completion, disaster struck.

jo’s hand slipped, and a vibrant splatter of red lip tint landed squarely on your pristine white duvet.

his voice filled with panic, jo stammered, "i’m so sorry! i didn't mean to!"

you couldn't help but let out a small laugh, your eyes sparkling with mirth. "it's okay, jo. it’s just makeup. i can wash it off."

relief washed over his face, and he smiled. "i’ll buy you a new duvet cover, okay? i promise."

the mess on your duvet somehow solidified the bond between the two of you. jo’s apology was filled with genuine affection and concern that tugged at your heart, making you realize how much you meant to each other.

a/n 2 i feel like the ending is so awkward and out of place HELP IM SO SORRY. 😕

[sasukeless]

Seeing you reblog posts about things the anime added that wasn't in the manga, I wonder if the experience of consuming only the anime changes a lot of how people can interpret Naruto (both the character and the series)? I only read the entire manga at like 14 going 15, and bits and pieces since then, and always felt like I had a little different experience from my friends at the time that only watched the anime? Like just curious about what important messages/context were portrayed different on TV

the truth is that there’s just so much that is missed and changed in the anime but most people either don’t realize it or prefer it because.

the thing about adaptations is that the people that do them sometimes view the characters different than the actual author and their bias CAN affect how faithful the adaptation ends up. ig ppl assume this is not the case with anime because most of the time they just animate the scenes in the manga as they are but that’s not true, it might not be as extreme as comics adaptations in hollywood but there’s still changes. with naruto especially is jarring, i mean almost 50% of naruto anime is just filler.

i know ppl don’t know what filler is lately because they think some beach episode is filler or whatever when the point of filler is that it’s just not in the source material and you might think that’s not a big deal but unfortunately in naruto case it is. like i said ppl that make these fillers have different readings of the characters so the portrayal of said characters in those added episodes ends up being contradictory to how they are in actual canon and thus people that take fillers as canon end up having a completely wrong opinion in the characters. it doesn’t help at all that the anime doesn’t just keep filler to filler episodes they add also scenes in actual canon episodes so again ppl obviously get confused and it’s frustrating.

the amount of times i see people making anti sasuke meta based in some shit studio pierrot added is hysterical because that’s not his actual character why are you analyzing something he never did in the canon story?

aside for characters, there’s also dynamics that are butchered by the anime either by downplaying them or just making it seem more. and if we talk of specific message/context i will always point at vote2 episodes which is literally meant to only follow manga and yet still In the culmination of the story, the anime managed to add filler scenes that dilute it

yesterday i joked about this but truthfully the endings and openings with all the symbolism and metaphors did sometimes a better job at adapting naruto than the actual episodes.

i know ppl love the anime, i mean the nostalgia and everything it’s there. i would be lying if i said there’s not some bits i like. but i will always fight the manga is the only one that should be taken into account if you’re seriously discussing naruto’s story and characters

[zalrb]

Can you elaborate on how Zuko's rage in NATLA was removed/lessened? I didn't notice that so I'm curious what stood out to you.

Also, why do you hate the dialogue scene between Aang and Zuko and the talk Aang had with Katara and Sokka about what he learned from Zuko afterwards?

For the second part, did you read this post? If so, what exactly about it do you need clarification on with regards to why I hated the dialogue scene?

For the first part, I don't really know if I can expand in a way that makes it clearer, just that I felt that the actor played Zuko like he was a teenager who is irritated that he's on a family trip and he doesn't want to engage with anyone and just wants to sit at the back of the car and listen to his music

and there are elements of that in the animation, for sure

part of what makes Zuko a compelling character is that he IS still just a teenager who is dramatic like a teenager in a way that can be comical but he actually has inner turmoil of epic proportions, which fuels him, which gives him an almost frightening kind of drive (which the show also weakens because he's not as active in NATLA since Iroh points the way a lot)

because his honour, his home, his legacy, the love that he is so desperately chasing from his father is all wrapped up in this mission to capture Aang, and succeeding means dooming the world to colonization and genocide so there's also Iroh gently trying to get him to understand the implications of that while guiding him into taking steps to becoming a more compassionate and considerate person and all of that can get entwined with confusion and desperation and resentment and frustration and anger,

which then gets entwined and/or becomes this sort of underlying rage that this whole thing is happening at all

and all of that nuance, I didn't see in NATLA's Zuko, and it's hard for an actor to portray all of that especially when the writing isn't helping them out. I think it requires a certain amount of experience or some spectacular raw talent, which is also one of the reasons I was like, just keep it at the animation.

Because when Zuko is supposed to be fighting down his anger in NATLA it just looks like he's keeping himself from having a fit,

even the delivery of "are you seriously going to allow..." is barely incredulous, it's huffy

particularly since the show doesn't actually allow for rage not just anger but rage in general to be demonstrated, which I spoke about before because in the animation when he's spoken back to Zuko squares up to fight, Zuko is always ready to fight someone, and Iroh has to calm Zuko down

I think because the fandom including myself pokes fun at Zuko for being an angsty king a lot, sometimes the intensity of the rage he'd be feeling can get toned down or played off but for the most part, it's this corrosive emotion that he deals with all the time, which is why when he joins Team Avatar he explicitly says he doesn't want to rely on hate and anger for drive anymore

and the animation shows this intensity through the expressions

but also his actions, which NATLA toned the fuck down. He's just kinda moody and sullen

So, another example, when Zhao in NATLA is like, we're going to start looking for the Avatar, Zuko takes a step forward

In the animation, he needs to be held back. From an adult perspective, depending on the adult, a teenager charging at you might be amusing but if we're aligned with Zuko, he's enraged

and because rage is a journey for Zuko, when he bests Zhao at the agni kai he's being the bigger person but when Zhao isn't being the same, Zuko needs to be held back again and Iroh needs to coach him away from letting his rage taint his honourable victory

If you listen to Zuko in the pilot, when he goes to the Southern Water Tribe and he's like I DON'T WANT ANY CALMING TEA, it's not a sulk, it's not i dOn'T wAnT aNy CaLmInG tEa, he's angry that Iroh appears not to be taking this seriously.

99% of the time Zuko is meant to be 'angry' or driven or insistent or stubborn or one-track-minded in NATLA, it comes out as whining

even when his little yell in this scene had me like, so, like, no fire is coming out to emphasize his frustration or anything?

Anyway, I can't explain my thoughts more than this haha.

[kitsuneoftheorganization]

Vrains: Valentines Day

A/N: this is a week late shhhh... (pretend it was posted right on time) i just wanted to edit a few things and somehow added several paragraphs, and it's now nearing 4am... aha ;-;

(also forgive me for characters not being on here, i haven't gotten through the entire show yet and wanna do them justice :] )

characters: Ai, Playmaker, Skye, Varis

warnings: none!

Ai

• you best prepare for every cheesy pun he can possibly think of involving his name

• clingy clingy clingy (i mean, think back to his joke in duel links "love me touch me feed me hot dog sandwiches!") he's gonna be wrapping around you like a backpack so get used to not getting any alone time the entirety of the day, or not going out without an eldritch monster clung to your shoulders like a witch and their familiar

• when you finally convince him to stay in his smaller form to be less conspicuous, he'd substitute holding your hand by holding your fingers since he's stuck in the duel disk, and constantly asking you to log into vrains so he can "properly hold your hands".

• there's something comedic about a tiny ignis with his hands on his hips and an exasperated look pouting about holding your hands... you keep saying you're busy to tease him and this frustrates him greatly, but it's so cute you can't help it

• anytime you bring your wrist with the duel disk attached near your face, or check it for some reason, he'll reach over and (comically because he's so tiny) try to kiss you

• but even though his puns, cheesy jokes, and constant talking can get a bit annoying, how can you stay mad when he's giving you the sweetest looks ever and smiling like the adorable lil creacher he is? he'll look away whenever you catch him though, and insist he was looking at something else... very unconvincingly

• he also wants to make up for all the things he didn't get to express to you beforehand, what with everything that went down and being tracked by the hanoi, and today's holiday is a good ice breaker for that topic

• before he confessed to you, he'd look extremely squirmy and anxious all the beginning of the day especially when you ask Yusaku why he seems so awkward and tense

• you had been friends and allies for a long time, fighting alongside Yusaku and the others to protect his fellow ignis as best as you both could, so there was no reason you could think of for him to be nervous around you

• Yusaku would just sigh exasperatedly and give a glance to Ai, who would immediately try (and fail) to look natural, leaving you very confused

• little did you know, he'd been talking with Yusaku for weeks about how he'd go about telling you while simultaneously roasting him for being no help and having no experience... leaving Yusaku to question him why he was asking in the first place. if only you could overhear their banter...

• he'll hack into your duel disk later on to talk to you, and look as though he'd be sweating bullets if he could

• just... stares at you silently for a solid minute leaving you like ???

• finally after a second he sighs and unloads all of it on you at the speed of a commercial actor reading fine print

• once he slows down though, he gains his confidence and is actually very eloquent explaining his feelings. you can hear the sincerity in his voice and tell he's being completely serious

• when you told him you returned his feelings, the tone switches in an instant and oh boy his old self is back in a flash

• "hah, i knew you could never resist this hot bod!" and now he's posing dramatically on your duel disk... and you immediately wish you had the power to mute him

• afterwards, he'll try to catch you off guard by kissing your cheek every time your face is near the duel disk, or making heart eyes to fluster you

• it would be endearing and fluffy having this little creacher so head over heels for you but it's incredibly flustering when you remember he's also a six foot tall, incredibly attractive, peircing eyed, fancy-vampire-extravagently-dressed tumblr sexyman that towers over you and is very intimidating

• even though he jokes a lot, he's incredibly smart and does care deeply, so i can imagine him setting something up somehow, whether it's ordering something to your door, hacking some big screen in the city for a message that would confuse other citizens but that you'd recognize, or leading you to cyberse cards he created to put in your deck because to him it's both a gift and a way to always be present with you and remember him by, and shows you're his using his cards

• if he has access to a soltis body, he'll want to do things he didn't get to do much before, to just go out for a walk and see the city with you without the whole pretend-i'm-a-villain-to-save-the-future thing going on

• will grab your hand and kiss the back of it because he saw it in a drama and wanted to try it

• you end up seeing a video later from someone in the area that had seen you both holding hands...

• "who's vampire lookin ass boyfriend is this lmaooo"

• it's all you can do to stop him from angrily replying with 10 different accounts he made...

• after all that though, I think he'd want to make cookies together at your home, or just something fun and domestic, since originally when he was left at Yusaku's apartment he was always bound to the duel disk. will probably throw a little bit of dough at you when you aren't looking though (he'll swear it wasn't him despite you being the only two there)

• probably tries all the things he's seen in dramas that he watched with roboppi in Yusaku's apartment, and it's very obvious (let him have his male lead moment okay)

• at the end of the day, he actually becomes somewhat uncharacteristically shy for once when he asks if you'll watch tv and play games with him

• if he's in his soltis, he'll put you on his lap and wrap you both up in a blanket, his arms around you, with his head just in place to whisper in your ear...

• he leans in close, lips right next to your ear, his hair brushing against you, sharp amber eyed gaze firmly on you, breath on your skin and...

• "do you and Yusaku actually think hot dogs are sandwiches"

• you cut him the most deadpan look ever, even putting Yusaku to shame while he laughs in complete satisfaction, locking his arms around you when you tried to get up

• even if he isn't in a soltis, he'd be in his monster form with his arms completely engulfing you, and head laying on your chest as you both watch dramas he insisted on

• will pout unless you let him kiss you, even though that form has a mouth full of sharp jagged teeth

• he's actually really warm, and his closeness is comforting, the only issue is that he's so tangled around you getting up would be a monumental task

• eventually if you fell asleep, he'd stay with you the rest of the night, as close as he can possibly be while going into whatever sleep state it is that ignis are capable of

• he'd let you use one of his arms as a pillow, and if you tried to move or get out of bed to get water or anything, he'd tighten his grip and dramatically whine about you "leaving your poor ignis"

• tells you he loves you after he thinks you've fallen asleep :>

Skye/Aoi

• considering her brother has sheltered her to an extent all her life, I think she'd want to do fun things with you!

• especially on a day like valentines, she'll want to do something thrilling

• in real life, she's someone who doesn't always have the confidence to do what she really wants to, to say what she really means

• though you met each other through VRAINS, you had become a huge support to her in real life, and helped her in ways you weren't even aware of. she never told you, but when she'd log out of VRAINS and leave her persona, and the confidence that accompanied it behind, your words and encouragement stayed with her

• did she really deserve it? if you knew the real her, would you still say the same things? she didn't know, but she knew that she could at least log in and have your presence waiting for her each day, something to look forward to

• even though she was the duelist in the public eye, personally, she admired you highly, not only for your dueling skills but for who you were and what you stood for, and what you would say to her

• it may have been in passing for you, but it echoed in her mind for hours

• that she mattered, not only as Blue Angel, but that her life was inherently valuable and meaningful no matter who is behind the mask, that though you'd been through many things, at the end of the day no matter where we find ourselves there is always more than it appears to life, that you can choose your destiny, and that there is always light even if we can't see it at the moment

• sure, anyone could pass them off as cheesy and forget it, but when things got to her and she felt alone, like no one knew her truly, and like she'd be in the cage her brother's concern had made for her forever, on the lonely late nights when no one was home... they comforted her. she desperately wanted to believe she could choose her own destiny, considering her and her brother's lives had so far felt like leaves being blown in every direction by the wind of circumstance

• you were a friend who treated her like a person instead of a celebrity, and didn't try to use her for internet fame, and so she had begun to feel like she truly could trust you

• the free spirit in her envied the fact that you were someone who had no leash unlike her, fighting the hanoi, going wherever you pleased, holding your own against the threats to VRAINS

• the longer you remained friends though, she'd realized that she'd begun to develop feelings for you beyond friendship or idolization

• even when you both had finally met in person, she'd never had the guts to say anything, too afraid she wouldn't measure up or that upon seeing her real self you'd think less of her than as Blue Angel and never think of her in that way

• little did she know you had grown to care for her strongly as well

• when she'd finally gained the courage to confess to you, she'd texted you with a friendly invite to go grab a snack since you were both alone today, and you both occasionally would do things together (Akira felt she was protected with you, thankfully)

• at least that way, she could back out if she got too nervous and let things between you remain the same

• she messaged you to meet with her at a cafe in the city, somewhere she liked, to eat something tasty and unwind after the stress you'd all been through

• you'd thought nothing of it, since you were just friends after all... you supposed you were lucky to spend time with her, even if it wasn't under the circumstances you wished it was

• you had kept your feelings quiet, not wanting to place any more pressure on her, so if friendship was what she needed, so be it

• you'd notice there was something on her mind, but as you're both finishing your food, you'd see some spark of confidence rise in her eyes and she'd grab your hands that were sitting on the table, take a deep breath, and start to explain the real reason why she met with you there (surprise bitch, this is a date!!!!)

• it takes you a moment to take in her words, because THE Blue Angel wants to be with you, THE Skye, the Skye you've been friends with for so long... the fact that she saw you the way you saw her was enough to make your soul jump through the roof

• she's overjoyed when she learns the feeling is mutual, and a streak of excitement and energy comes over her, thinking of all the things she wants to do with you

• this was the real Skye, you felt, someone with energy and spirit and that spark of adventure in her eyes that was shining through in this moment

• you'd agree to go to an amusement park straight afterward, something she'd always wanted to do but had never been able to since her brother was always busy and would've never let her go alone

• somehow, you'd fit almost every ride into the few hours you were there, from rollercoasters to the ferris wheel overlooking the city, and you both tried all the out-of-the-ordinary foods they had at stands

• she holds your hand on every ride, and everywhere you walked through the park as if you'd melt away if she didn't feel you beside her <3

• if you're a bit nervous of rollercoasters, she'd sit beside you and let you hold onto her... definitely doesn't try to get you on one again for that specific reason

• after you rode a bunch of rides, i think she'd like to just walk with you and see the sights of the park, talking about everything that's happened so far, her hopes for the future, and about how she's determined to try and find aqua if there's a chance she may have also been revived, and how cute she thinks you look holding the cotton candy you'd both gotten and the sunset illuminating your features ;>

• later when you got home, she'd invite you to come over, and you'd both log into VRAINS and either sightsee on a board, or speed duel with each other, and then meet up with the others to talk and because she wants to tell everyone about your relationship

• no one is surprised, because you both complimented each other so well even before and they could sense your chemistry

• being basically a celebrity duelist, i think she'd like to announce that you're together by a duel, if she's gonna introduce you it has to be perfect

• everyone else agrees and cheers you both on, wondering who will win

• if you were anxious about all the publicity though, she'd understand and would keep it on the low until/if you want to or are ready :)

• if you do though, at the epic conclusion of your duel, she starts to speak up in front of the reporters who had caught on and started filming, and everyone in the crowd is watching with baited breath to see what she'll say

• she announces that you've not only been her friend and a great support to her, but that meeting and being with you has been a new freedom and adventure she thought she'd never get to have

• and then she kisses you, above the city lights of VRAINS, riding on the wind, with the cheers of everyone surrounding you

• after all that, when it's really late, you'd both have a bunch of late night snacks and make cookies together, occasionally checking people's posted reactions to you being together, or if you didn't anounce it, see people's speculations on the hot mystery person she dueled with ;] and then play video games until you both got sleepy

• overall, i feel like her love language would be experiencing freedom and fun with someone she loves, letting loose with no restrictions

• you'd both end up asleep on the couch leaning against each other, game controllers still beside you both

Playmaker/Yusaku

• yusaku is a man of very few words, but he's someone who you know means every word he says, and you'd always admired that about him

• he also is someone who expresses things through actions moreso than words

• i think Ai would push him to confess to you on a day like valentines, something Yusaku would never do by himself, but Ai would annoy him to no end about not acting on his feelings until somehow he finally got him to do it

• I think Yusaku is someone who on the inside would want to be physically close, but the walls he's put up keep him from giving in, and his focus has been on a singular goal for a very long time, so a lot of what he does is based on protecting himself

• you had piqued his interest initially due to you seeming to also posess something akin to link sense, always sensing situations that he could feel too, which was what led to you two crossing paths often

• since you respected his privacy and didn't try to fight his battles for him, he came to respect you

• you'd eventually offered to aid him, and despite your skills and similarities, he was firm in going about his business alone. as time went on though, all your small acts of kindness and silent way of being there for him in the background without prying or invading his boundaries started to chip away at those walls a bit

• he'd catch himself with a strange feeling of curiosity when you'd leave after mopping the floor with the hanoi, watching as your figure would dissappear, finding himself deep in thought.

• Ai had of course taken notice of this and teased him relentlessly for it, and though he denied it repeatedly at first, maybe there was some truth to his teasing...

• once he wasn't so single minded in his goals, and had more time to think about things, it really hit him just how much he did appreciate your company, and he found himself forming something of a friendship and bonds with you and the others

• outside of VRAINS, he'd catch himself absentmindedly wishing he would run into you, or wondering if he'd see you in person somewhere, hoping to find you somehow, but telling himself it was strictly because he wanted to know your motives and connection to the situation at hand. yes, you were friends now, but you both didn't fully know each other's motives, much less what your appearances were in real life

• when Ai couldn't take it anymore and knew he wouldn't make the first move himself, he came up with a plan, which Yusaku only begrudgingly agreed to after a long back-and-forth

• you'd received a message to meet Playmaker in a certain spot outside VRAINS, which came as a shock, but you were also excited to meet him in real life, if it was indeed not a trap set by the hanoi

• you'd showed up, cautious at first, but immediately recognized the hot dog stand you were familiar with, having visited it once, and though you didn't know it was him at that moment, Yusaku was sitting by the food truck, outwardly calm, but you could see he was a bit stiff, as though internally nervous. He was talking to the man grilling the hot dogs, and as you got closer you noticed just how handsome he was... that he had familiar green eyes, and finally the unmistakable aspect you could always identify him by: the yellow eye of the ignis on his duel disk.

• It was a bit awkward at first, but after you had approached the seats and spoken up, he introduced you to Kolter and himself formally now that you were all in person

• you both talked for a while, speaking about your goals, your hopes, and how you both had a shared interest in protecting Ai and the ignis from the hanoi

• eventually, Kolter had given him a knowing glance and made an excuse to go "run and grab something he needed from the shop close over"

• Yusaku seemed to mentally facepalm at the obviousness of his actions, but had nevertheless turned to face you after he left

• "There's something i've been wanting to, uh... ask you about." he'd said awkwardly, and it was almost strange to see someone so usually stoic and confident be as unsure as he was now

• He'd stated how he was wary of you in the beginning, but that he was glad the two of you were friends despite his initial coldness, that he trusted you now and could tell you had a good heart.

• by now your cross between flattery and confusion was growing, and as he continued to speak, jt seemed as though he was dancing around what he actually wanted to say

• after a shared look between himself and the ignis who was now standing on his duel disk and glancing between you both (in... anticipation? entertainment? you weren't sure) he sighed and looked you in the eye.

• "I... wanted to ask if you would... stay with me," he paused momentarily between words, seemingly flustered as he spoke. "And there are three reasons why".

"One, you're a good hearted and skilled duelist who adapts well, and have a connection to the network that proves a valuable aid. You're a very strong ally in this regard. "

"Two, you've been incredibly kind and respected me despite my being wholly dedicated to revenge and not exactly being friendly in return. You're understanding, and you've been there for me on multiple occasions, putting yourself in danger even when I assured you it wasn't necessary. I thank you for this."

"Three, because after some time, I can't help but find myself deep in thought every time we encounter each other. I can't help but catch myself wanting to stop you every time you leave, but never knowing exactly what I wanted to say, and I've found I... enjoy your company. So, I-"

• He was cut off by Ai, who by now had his arms crossed and an exasperated look on his face

• "what shakespeare here's trying to say is that he's got feelings for you and he appreciates that you put up with him and care about him, but he's too cool and grumpy to say that outright. Also, he thinks your dueling skills are hot, and he's been like a puppy secretly hoping to run into you everywhere we go. And he should be thanking me as his brilliant, intelligent wing man who helped him with getting this far because he was never gonna pull you by just staring at you all mysteriously and brooding all the time and never saying anythi-"

• Yusaku shot him a glare that could've fried the rest of the hot dogs in the stand were it pointed that way, and Ai dramatically fell over and ceased talking, though he had a satisfied, smug look across his face

• taking a sigh, he spoke up again. "I'm saying I want you to be with me." he was now directly looking into your eyes, piercing green filled with hope, and behind that it seemed, anxiousness

• when you replied that you felt the same way about him, he'd done something he's rarely ever done with anyone: hugged you. it was slow and sheepish (you knew he wasn't one much for talking, much less any physical contact, so you were flattered by the gesture), and you could feel a thousand emotions through it: relief, shyness, and his muscles relaxing against you after a moment, like it was something he'd long needed

• the whole time, Ai was cheering as though he was watching the moment in a drama

• the rest of the day, Yusaku wouldn't initiate much physical contact, but he would often have his eyes on you.

• it's something very new for him to have mutual feelings of this sort, as he's always focused on other goals, so it would take a long time for it all to sink in for him, and considering he's always on guard, keeping his eyes on you feels like his way of keeping you safe

• he'd want to do things that were usually soothing for him with you because it would feel as though it's sharing a part of himself with you. having dealt with the trauma of the Lost Incident, he's extremely guarded and private, and so to include you in the things that ease his worries is an incredibly huge gesture

• he doesn't exactly have much money. his apartment isn't the most comfortable, and he isn't always able to eat well either, much less go to restaurants, but the gift he later gives you is something far more meaningful and thoughtful than anything a store could offer on a day like today, something from his own knowledge and skill that he had made himself

• he had coded you a modification that would attach to your duel disk and would cover all your tracks in VRAINS, protect you from viruses, and keep your identity secret, similar to the programs he used with Playmaker, that he had started making a few months back for you and not mentioned

• he'd be extremely shy giving it to you and would deny any thanks or compliments with a blush

• he would want to spend the rest of the day calmly in your company, just able to enjoy the peace for once

Varis/Revolver

• like Yusaku, he's someone who's very guarded and honed in on his goals, and he has the world on his shoulders in his belief that he should also be responsible for the situation his father created

• though you had opposed his views on the ignis, you also understood his motivations, and that he was caught in the trap of his father's shadow, no matter how hard he insisted that it was purely his choices

• the fact that you two had somehow formed a bond despite being enemies was something neither of you could explain, nor something either of you would mention verbally. having investigated as many secrets of the hanoi as you possibly could had helped you gain a better understanding of why he did what he did, though, and discovering he was a pawn in his father's chess game had changed your view of him

• after a handful of encounters, though, you could tell by the way his eyes would soften when they landed on you, the way he almost seemed careful to never place you in danger, and the fact that you had noticed less and less members of the knights of hanoi trying to duel you unprovoked, almost as if they had been ordered to do so, meant something was going on

• while you were concerned that he was dedicating his life to someone else's cause, he was concerned that you were endangering yourself by associating too closely with the ignis

• every situation with him was tense, but not in a negative way. In fact, your run-ins with him whether his trying to get information out of you on Ai's whereabouts, or your challenging him to deter the hanoi, there was something unspoken in the air between you two

• it came to a head at one point during an intense duel, where the building you'd both been standing on in VRAINS had been engulfed by a stronger than usual data storm and crumbled beneath your feet

• you'd both scrambled to catch your boards in an attempt to avoid falling, but yours had slipped from your grasp at the last moment

• and then the next thing you knew you were being suspended in midair by Varis balancing precariously on his board, his arms having curled around you just in time while you were both whisked into the storm

• you'd met his eyes for a moment, and there seemed to be a million thoughts and emotions swirling, before he closed them and sighed as if resigning himself to something he'd been battling internally

• when he'd reopened them, the expression he gave you was uncharacteristically caring and concerned

• it was over as quickly as it happened though, as in the blink of an eye you'd been set down on a building nearby, and he was nowhere to be seen, leaving you to wonder what had just happened

• you'd not seen him for a while after that, leaving you confused and mulling over the situation, thinking you'd just overthought it or misinterpreted his actions

• a couple months later, though, you'd been stopped in your tracks by a knight of hanoi, but to your surprise, it wasn't to challenge you. it was extremely strange: they'd calmly handed you a message and monotonously informed you "this was to be delivered to you", and then disappeared without another word or trace

• you'd worried it may have been a trap, but cautiously opened it: a message straight from Varis himself, reading, "I need to speak with you. you likely know why. Meet me at..." followed by what seemed to be coordinates. he was asking to meet you in person.

• when you had gone to the specified location the next day, having had to find the directions by phone, it'd led you to what appeared to be docks

• there was a young man at the end of one pier, turned toward the ocean, hands in his pockets. he was tall, and the breeze was tousling his white hair gently

• once he heard your footsteps approaching, he'd turned to face you, and you immediately knew it was him, steel blue eyes softening as they fell on you

• you couldn't deny how handsome he was, and seeing the real him, without his avatar's outfit, without the mask, was almost like seeing him without chains: this was him as him, not a pawn of his father, not the leader of the hanoi, but-

• "Roken" he'd broken you out of your thoughts, his voice softer than the usual stern roughness he usually spoke with in VRAINS. his gaze was locked firmly onto you, flustering you slightly, and you'd told him your own name in return

• the conversation that followed was less awkward than you had expected, but you could tell after a few minutes of talking he had decided to face the inevitable and address what you both knew but had thus far left unaddressed

• he was calm and collected, but you couldn't help but feel your heart pounding since you'd both tiptoed around it for so long, being enemies. it was easy that way, always being able to hold that subject second to you and your friends' rivalry with him

• he'd bluntly asked you if you had feelings for him, and stated coolly that aside from your stances he respected you as a duelist and had come to care for you, that he'd wanted to meet you in the real world, to see the real you outside of the "fake world" of VRAINS

• upon hearing you returned his feelings, he'd stepped forward and wrapped you in a firm embrace. his head came to rest on your shoulder, and you could feel his heartbeat

• "I'm... speaking not as Varis when I say this, but I do want you to stay away from that ignis. I know you have noble intentions, but you're in real danger every moment you accompany it. I know you will not agree with me, but I'm asking you to focus on this... My heartbeat, my arms around you right now, my breath on your shoulder. We are real, this is what's real. This world matters. That world is a world of facades, and those ignis within it will only endanger this world. I'm not asking you to be on my side, but I'm asking you to at least protect yourself. I don't want to see you hurt because you chose to protect those A.I."

• His words had touched you, but you'd replied that not all the ignis were as dangerous as he believed, that their free will meant no simulation could ever predict how things would turn out, that they were not the enemies he perceived them as. You asserted you would not back down from your stance, and that you wished he would not remain a prisoner of his past and his father and open himself up to you and your friends' perspectives

• Though you both disagreed, there was no argument, instead he'd tightened his grip around you, and you both stayed silent for a moment

• "I just want you to be safe."

• for the rest of the day, you'd just be walking with him through the city, places he must frequent when spending the little time he has away from his position as the leader of the hanoi

• there's a mutual acknowledgment between you that you are enemies and the entire situation is complex, but that you do indeed mutually want each other's safety

• he'd not realize what day it was, because despite wanting to deep inside, he's never really paid too much attention to holidays. he feels too much responsibility to his father's wishes to pay too much attention to "frivolous" things like that, but in reality, i think he'd want that normalcy. he's just too caught up in everything that's been dumped onto him to enjoy things as he should be able to

• nonetheless, the rest of the day he would want to spend time with you, walking through the city and stopping to get food, a chance to be Roken, and to talk to you without your opposition in the way, if only for a while

• like Yusaku, I feel he'd be the protective type, one who keeps his eyes on you a lot, but respects your abilities, skill, and personal space at the same time. unlike Yusaku though, I feel he'd be more open to physical contact, and would hold your hand in public

• part of why he admires you, is because he doesn't see himself as a good person. he carries around a lot of guilt, and can be quite ruthless, but he views you as someone who very much is good hearted, just from his view on the wrong side of the ignis situation

• so i feel like he would feel as though he doesn't deserve you deep down, and that's part of why he maintained distance for so long. deep down, he seeks atonement, and doesn't want you swept up in the midst thought you've chosen to be

• even though he is still seemingly cold and gaurded on the exterior in person, it feels as though he lets you in in his own ways. he doesn't talk much, but he can communicate his feelings best through eye contact and the way he holds your hand, and his actions, the way he holds you against him like the words could flow through touch

• you'd part your ways at the end of the day, wondering what your next encounter would be like, the feeling of his hand still lingering in your thoughts

• when you got back home, you'd realize in addition to your keys, there was something else that had been added to your pocket: a small note and a duel monsters card: one from his deck.

• the note read, "This may serve you well should you find yourself in particular trouble... Don't let your guard down with that ignis. I trust you will do the right thing should the situation come. Until our paths cross again, - Roken."

• it was his way of extending an olive branch and simultaneously protecting you - expressing through action what he couldn't through words.

[mama-qwerty]

Hullo hullo! I hope you're doing well! I saw your post about interacting, and I pulled up my confidence cos I'm really curious about your ideas for movie verse! With tails being someone that maddie dotes on (cos I like the idea of them bonding over science things and such) while knux clicks well with your oc (who I fell in love with in your fics which by the way I need to re read again because they just legit heal me and make life good again )

Yeah er ramble but I'm really curious cos most things I've seen maddie doting on knux and tails is kinda loved equally but having it be mixed up is really intriguing !☆

SSDGlfgjklhj;SJGDSLJgLK

Thank you! 💕💕

Since the series has introduced the idea that Knuckles may not actually stay with the Wachowskis, I think it's very interesting to do some speculating about that. Everyone had always just expected Knux to be the Mama's Boy, which, sure, it's a great thought considering his life on the run since he was like 6.

But that kinda leaves Tails by the wayside. Of course everyone's gonna love him because he's baby, but when you think about it, that's not really fair to him. Sure, in the comics and games and such, he latches onto Sonic and Sonic becomes his "mom, dad, and picket fence", but in the SCU that's not really fair. Sonic himself is just a kid--and behaves as such--so having Tails assume that role of "little brother who's almost a son to Sonic" won't really work.

The more I think about it, the more I think I like Knux pulling back from the domestic life that Sonic and Tails have yearned for, and accepted quickly and easily. Knuckles appreciates the Wachowskis' kindness, but this whole 'structured family' thing just isn't for him.

Maybe he floats between families. Maybe he becomes Green Hills' communal child. Maybe he's the local cryptid who wanders the outskirts of town, patrolling and making sure everyone is safe under his protection.

Maybe he takes the Master Emerald and finds himself a nice secluded place to keep it, and essentially making Green Hills his Angel Island.

What we saw at the end of the second movie and in the Drone Home short may actually be canon still. He may have tried to acclimate. Tried to adjust and fit in.

But the frustration we've seen from the (admittedly very short and possibly out of context) bits from the series trailer makes me wonder if, despite his attempts to join the family, he just doesn't feel like he belongs there. It feels like he's wearing a sweater that's too tight. It's supposed to be cozy and comforting, but it's stifling and borderline suffocating. But everyone else seems fine in their sweaters. Sonic is obviously happy in his. Tails has accepted his without trouble.

So what's wrong with him that he doesn't?

He's frustrated. He's feeling out of place, when he knows he shouldn't be. But this is so different than what he's used to. From both his tribe and his time on the run. So he goes back to the things he's used to--the arenas and training.

But then that doesn't work either. That's not accepted. So he's back to feeling frustrated. He can't be a kid, he can't be a warrior. He's both and he's neither. He's a boy who's had to grow up before his time, but now is expected to simply go back to being a kid with a family.

It's not working, and he feels so confused as to what he should be doing.

Until he sees Wade needing help.

Now he has a purpose. A goal.

And he throws himself into it, because it's familiar. He teaches Wade what he knows so he can feel useful. Confident.

But maybe along the way, Wade teaches him some things, too. Maybe he learns that it's okay to not be so serious. It's okay to be a kid and maybe do goofy things. To laugh and play and just be. To accept yourself for who you really are, and not who others expect you to be.

I have no idea where Knux will end up, or whose family he'll join. (If any.) But I do hope he becomes more comfortable with himself, and a little happier in life.