#I SCRAMBLED to get a screenshot of one and HERE SHE IS!!!!!!!!!!

[stardestroyer81]

✨ YOU WILL LOOK AT HER!!! ✨

[writingwithfolklore]

Don't Wait for Your Muse (Using Sources)

                In the same way that artists collect reference photos, fashion designers collect fabrics and textures, and interior designers collect paint chips, writers must collect sources. A source could be:

Evocative, funny, or interesting dialogue

A description you’ve never heard before

Interesting and rare words

A cool dream you had

A paragraph from a book you love

A specific feeling or experience

Something you saw out in the real world

A snippet of conversation you passed by on the street

A smell that gives you a particular memory

Any other piece of art, writing, music, design, a sense, story, etc. etc.

Essentially, anything that sparks your imagination, that’s evocative of the human experience—of that humanity and closeness we’re always trying to capture. My creative writing prof said to us, “why are you waiting for a ‘muse’? Go to your sources. Don’t just wait for inspiration to strike.”

                She cautioned us not to try to make sense when we put together our sources, but rather make meaning. The nice, easy part is that anything you put together will create meaning. So here’s what we gathered to get started, but I also challenge you to carry a journal or a place on your phone to start collecting things you find out in the world.

                Choose a one-word or sentence theme that describes your project. For this theme, collect:

A photo, taken by anyone at any time

A poem, written by anyone

A paragraph from a newspaper or magazine article, then scramble it using the “cut up machine”

A screenshot of something posted on social media

A series of text messages, emails, or other communication between parties

A screenshot of the abstract of a scholarly article

Good luck, and if you’re comfortable, I’d love to see your collections!

[ngray192]

CHAOS THEORY SEASON TWO IS OUT!!!! As you all expected, I watched it all in one sitting and wrote notes on everything! Under the cut is my train of thought and commentary on the season, and no, you will not be given context for anything that I wrote.

- omg I’ve been waiting all dayyyyy

- Raptor lady is gone, I wonder who the new villain is.

- I wonder if this is gonna tie into Dominion at all

- Boat!!

- Shoutout to Nick “Rocket” Rodriguez

- I’m sorry did they make a hammock in here????

- Only Sammy can make a shipping container into a home

- Yaz I love you

- Yasammyyyyyyy ugh they’re adorable

- I knew it was a baryonyx!!!

- Kenjis so sad

- Why is he throwing lettuce into the ocean?

- Like five minutes in and there’s so many small yasammy moments

- Ex-kon was hilarious, you guys just don’t get it

- LET HIM COPE

- Yaz and Kenji moment!!!!

- Therapist Yaz is my favorite

- I love her development and growth omg

- Hybrid Dino??

- Kenji Kon, stop leaving the container

- A storms brewing

- Why is there just an open crate of lettuce?

- Bro you’re wasting so much lettuce

- They were in Louisiana last season?

- How tf have you not been caught?

- The water animationnnn

- Oh shit

- Ben please don’t get shocked again

- Ngl I’d offer to help too

- Yaz and Kenji in their besties era

- BUMPYS EGG

- Is that a baryonyx?

- DID IT DIE???

- Two?!

- The ashes from the fire animation is wild

- Yes saves the Dino eggs

- Oh fuck this is kinda graphic I love it

- This gives the same vibes as the actual movies and I’m all for it

- Bro that parasarolaphus (I cannot spell) looks scary af

- Sammy running to Yaz for Yasammy, Ben running to Kenji?????

- Lets see a person die

- Aaaaah it’s the scene from the clip I saw!!!!

- Such a cool chase scene

- BUMPYS EGG

- KENJI STOP

- He didn’t help you, he saved your fucking life

- Are we gonna get a “Kenji is suicidal” arc???

- Tell me why I was actually worried? They’re not gonna kill Kenji

- Brotherss

- Those eggs should be scrambled wtf

- A lot of Yaz and Kenji moments I’m here for it

- Open up, PLEASE

- Oh shitttt

- He’s not gonna tell anyone, is he?

- THE MEMORIAL IM CRYING

- Solid first episode

Episode 2

- “marooned five”

- The light shining from the clouds??? Beautiful

- Ok, this is a valid “not telling the group the truth” plot line, he doesn’t wanna distract them and be wrong

- I’m sorry, who tf are you people??

- Wait is this small child gonna join the group??

- Please don’t be a big part of the show, I wanna focus on Camp Fam

- Are the dinosaurs protecting her? I love that

- What kinda Dino is that? Gallimimus? Struithominous?

- Did they change clothes or just take off their jackets?

- Omg they can’t split into 3 groups of 2 anymore

- Yasammy side mission!!!

- I love Kenji omg

- They’re such brothers, I love it

- Same old dino nerd

- Why are you not concerned that people are on your property?

- Why would you just tell her a large portion of your plan??

- I kinda want this lady to be evil

- Can we get a name for this girl soon?

- No she found the eggs!!!

- Why tf would you take it from the bush and leave it out in the open?

- Do you need service to play a video like that?

- Also you can def show the group just the thumbnail for the video and they’ll see her

- They’re so goofy, I love them.

- I was right, it is a gallimimus!!

- It’s like a dino-mill upriver

- Damnit, you guys just fucked up the balanced ecosystem here

- Cool ass dino omg

- The colors on herrrr

- Please don’t fall out of a tree

- The rice nooooo

- It’s a suchomimus

- Stop trying to fix things omg

- I’m sorry but I don’t care about the mom and daughter

- “Off-brand alligator”

- I love how Yasammy is usually Team Distraction

- Darius is so fast wtf

- Rock climber Kenji

- MOVE KENJI

- HES SO STUPID AND BEING SO DANGEROUS

- They are kicking that Suchomimus’s ass omg

- His voice is so much deeper than in CC

- Screenshot and show the rest of the group the picture of Brooklyn omfg

- Animata and Zayna

- SHOW THEM

- SHOW THEMMMMMM

- UGH

- I hate you

- Captain Kenji!!

- Ngl this season isn’t as interesting as season 1, but hopefully it’ll get better

Episode 3

- This episode is titled “Clever Girl 86”

- Brooklyn!!!

- And freshly amputated damn

- YOU “stitched her up” AT HOME???

- Aww a compy lost its foot?

- I love when people in shows have realistic reactions

- She drove a motorcycle??

- Video call!!

- I don’t like that jacket

- Clevergirl86 is someone from Dark Jurassic, maybe Ronnie??

- Ok, so this is the day they broke up?

- I should’ve finished rewatching it he first season

- Oh is it love confession time?

- He’s such a bad liar

- No, it’s different with Ben because they’re IN love

- Girl don’t say “unless…”

- Yikes

- I love how you can see the reflections on screens, it’s so cool

- Account was hacked???

- It doesn’t look like enough of her arm is gone

- Is this a full Brooklyn episode? It’s only episode 3

- Ronnie is definitely a lesbian

- Alcohol will take the edge off, let’s get hammered

- I hate the pixie cut, I’m sorry

- Awww Gordon

- OVER 60??

- Her dads are in town for the funeral???

- This is so sad

- She still acts like Brooklyn

- Wow, never mind a lot of her arm is gone

- Kill the DPW guy

- Stab him, you’re dead you can’t be put on trial for murder

- I refuse to believe Raptor Lady speaks to people on the phone

- Ok, but staying dead was kind smart

Episode 4

- the dino liberators are here

- He’s trying to be Kenji and I don’t like it

- Why wear masks if you’re just gonna take them off and use your real names?

- A trust fund? Earnest is fr just Kenji but worse and mixed with a little bit of Dave

- Syd?

- The animation is gorgeous

- OUTFIT CHANGES???

- Her username is Esther Stone

- Nosey ass kid

- Yaz looks so cute!!!

- Do not take the child with you

- Please tell us what happened with Sammy’s family

- Nooooo don’t go with the group

- They all look like their faces and bodies changed when they changed clothes

- Ok, she’s still in America

- Are they gonna kill them???

- THEY TOOK GEBA

- Why tf is Kenji wearing those shoes?

- THEY KNOCKED HIM TF OUT

- The camera shaking as the dinos run out? I love it

- She’s a pretty good actress

- God I fucking hate this guy

- Why are the dinosaurs so sad?

- I don’t care about this child and her dinosaurs

- UHGHGHRHGGHHHHH I DONT WANT THIS CHILD HERE. IT IS A CAMP FAM SHOW

- Why is he being a dick all of a sudden?

- Dubai?

- She’s just like Ben dropping her phone in the water

Episode 5

- such a pretty show omg

- Sammy is such mom-material

- She’s 14???

- They’re back to their old outfits, sigh

- Why did they split up Darius, Sammy, Zayna and Kenji, Yaz, and Ben?

- Same old Ben

- Girl, the six of you lived together on an island for six months, privacy does NOT exist with this group

- Omg do you think it’s the girl from JW Dominion?

- “Damning”

- THE GADDY, DADDYS GADDY FROM SEASON 3

- How many close call sneaking scenes are we gonna have?

- Is it the girl from Dominion?

- Stop being weird about her missing limb??

- There’s no way Ben has cell service rn

- Not him using Yasminas head to get around the boat

- I love his little dino imitations

- This reminds me of JWCC season 1 episode 6 or 7 with the kayaks

- Ok, yeah it is the raptor girl from JW Dominion

- All around the globe?

- Oh fuck

- Come on, Sammy get the gun!

- KENJI WTF

- STOP

- The way her bangs move when she shakes her head, I love her

- Did the raptor press the elevators buttons what

- She’s kinda bad at painting

- Oh shitttt

- Is she the one hunting the kids?

- This penthouse chase scene is good

- Girl is not good at running from dinos

- The way she immediately puts the same arm up is a nice detail

- Girl you are not cut out for being on this journey with this group

- They were taking all the risks on those islands

- I’m not really getting anything marked on my bingo card

- TELL THEM

Episode 6

- what is in the water? Cause i doubt it’s the mossasaurus

- Awww a hippo

- Wait hippos are crazy dangerous

- Reminds me of the paras during the kayak episode in CC Season 1

- Zayna def should’ve known hippos are dangerous af

- “Dirtbag”

- You’re wasting all your food

- Throw the mangoes further omg

- KENJIN KON YOU ARE SO STUPID

- The details in the animationnnnnnughhgugggh

- Ben’s lips look so chapped omg

- I hate this child

- A lot of fire this season

- I don’t think she’s the Broker, I think there’s someone bigger

- Sammy needs to become a mom

- YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE CELL SERVICE HERE

- Oumars dead babe

- She’s vegetarian??

- OMG

- IS THAT A DEAD BODY????

- WTF

- They’re all so stressed out

- You’re gonna make her anxiety come back, let her breathe

- Brooklyn, wtf are you doing?

- Kill her

- Sucho number 2

- KENJI

- Don’t hide Yaz wtf

- Oh fuck that had to hurt

- THEYRE GONNA LEAVE HER BEHIND

- Lame, should’ve killed her

- They were 13 on the island?

- I guess she is the broker?

- Ok, girl nobody believes you

- Don’t give her the laser pointer

- IS HIS SHOULDER DISLOCATED

- BRO WTF

- They never would’ve shown half of this shit in JWCC

- YES NOW TURN BACK AND GET YAZ

- Oh she’s knocked tf out

Episode 7

- only a few more left

- Give her a break omg shits always happening to her

- Why is it taking so long for them to get back to her??

- … I guess the Sucho won

- I feel like the boats are much faster than going on foot?

- Also the current is not that strong

- Damn Sammy’s kinda scary when she’s worried about her wife

- Fuck this Sucho fr

- I wish we got more Ben and Darius this season, even just as friends

- Why are Kenji and Ben being so awkward??

- Darius does NOT know how to talk to children but he’s trying so hard

- Once again, the animation is gorgeous

- I love him

- I don’t like Zayna

- She’s real af for that though

- Yaz has a head injury and is climbing up trees rn, girlboss

- OH SHIT

- That lowkey scared me

- LEAVE HER ALONE

- THAT KICK OMG

- Girl is struggling

- I love a good Yaz-forward episode

- I love the way the eyes shine when the flashlights are on them

- Awww Kenji

- Benji?

- Aww Darius protecting Zayna

- “Oh jeez, oh jeez, oh jeez” I love him

- They are just beating the shit out of the local wildlife and I love it

- LIONS?!?

- This girl does not know everything omg

- Water and land are dangerous, you would’ve had problems either way

- Give her a break omfg

- IT CAN SWIM?!

- Yaz’s plot armor is absurd

- She needs to get back to her girlfriend, she is cold, wet, tired, injured

- You have paddles?? At least you should

- What dino is this?

- The dino fights are crazy this season

- You’re doing all of this in sandals??

- … at least you don’t have to worry about the Sucho anymore

- KENJI YOU RUINED THE MOMENT

- “My girl” STOPPPPP

- They’re so in love

- ITS DAYTIME???

- Probably my favorite episode so far

Episode 8

- this is 2 parter??

- I love how they all just know how to steer a boat???

- Awww Kenji protecting Yaz

- I love Sammy

- How tf can they hear a generator that far away??

- YES LEAVE HER BEHIND

- Girl

- Kenji is the older brother ever

- Oh shit a dino

- The chase scenes are good this season

- Kenji, stop IT

- Finally

- This is so sad

- Yasmina “not a hugger” Fadoula

- They’re so in sync

- Monolophasaurs?

- Benji are probably thriving rn be fr

- I love Ben

- Sammy’s so dorky I love it

- Oh my gosh

- Baby dino factory

- I hate Zayna, like I know she’s a kid but she’s annoying (I’m 17, I’m allowed to dislike children)

- Goodbye captain lang, damn

- Yasammy have not kissed ONCE this season (maybe they have, I’m not sure)

- They all take care of Zayna and that’s cute

- Yaz holding Sammy like that is adorable

- DO NOT SPLIT UP

- Why is Zayna the only person in this show with pierced ears?

- They should form a cheerleading team the way they’re lifting her

- Is this a dino fighting arena?

- IT HAS NO EYES

- This scene is actually so interesting

- FUCKING IDIOT GIRL

- Darius is the fucking king of sliding through small gaps

- Team Distraction for the win

- That is a child, why do you care if she thinks you’re cool or not??

- BRO SHOULD NOT BE ALIVE AFTER THAT FALL

- Kenjis still wearing those ugly ass shoes

- I love Ben

- WHY DID SHE JUST WALK IN THERE???

- SHE TOOK THE EGGS

- That was a good episode

Episode 9

- part 2

- That phone is huge

- Why are you having the one-armed girl drive?

- You shouldn’t trust her

- Dr. Sarr?

- Rewrite the genetic code??

- They’re still referred to as kids and I love it

- I do like episodes where I get to piece together a timeline

- What is this fucking music in the background?

- Oh shit she was working the crate and shit

- Seeing this all from her pov is kinda boring

- I was lowkey hoping for a more dramatic reveal

- I actually like how dark this season is and how every bad guy character is bad

- Oh my gosh

- Damnit Brooklyn you should’ve let her fall

- I don’t really like that we keep repeating the same scenes, but only slightly different

- It’s fine to split the Fam up like this, but we need to stop focusing on Brooklyn, I wanna go back to Ben and Kenji or Yasammy and Darius, split it up like we did in CC

Episode 10

- here we go, final episode

- Kenji needed that

- He def needed to release that anger

- I think we need to let Kenji kill someone

- Wtf how is he still alive?

- Baryonyxes are so cool

- Awww the dinosaurs are bonding

- It’s like the scene with the raptors and the hybrid in Jurassic Park 2 or 3

- I’m too invested to write notes lmao

- Those night vision sunglasses are kinda cool

- Fuck that kinda scared me

- Where is Zaynas dad?

- This season is lowkey scary

- How does her phone still have power? It’s been like 4 days

- Someone should’ve brought a gun

- They cannot hear you saying “I’m coming” in a normal volume be fr

- Ben and Kenji have been alone together way too much to not kiss

- Oh, there’s Zaynas dad

- WHERE ARE KENJI AND BEN

- Where did that car come from??

- Bro all of a sudden went into Tokyo Drift mode

- Kentrosaurus?

- Who let Kenji drive??

- There’s still so much to wrap up

- Biosyn??

- Wait does this take place before Dominion then?

- Ok, but BUMPYS EGG IS STILL IN THERE

- She def took bumpys egg out

- See? I know everything

- Oh, wait that’s it??

- I have mixed feelings.

[xxnashiraxx]

With Stars to Fill My Dream (5) - Close Your Eyes and Hear My Secret

I finally have images!!! Please enjoy them throughout this post!

Summary: A street-smart, musically inclined human girl with a tragic past gets abducted by a nautiloid after her painfully average shift at a retro singing diner. What's worse- putting your all into Olivia Newton-John and Travolta for lousy tips, or getting your guts ripped out by a gnoll? Or worse- getting turned into a hideous humanoid squid? Ofelia Montez will have to see if she can survive long enough to find out.

Pairing: Astarion x female!Tav

Warnings: 18+. Mentions of past abuse and trauma. Canon-typical violence and gore.

Word Count: 6,850

I have some screenshots! Finally! Here are some good ones pertaining to this chapter! 🖤 And thank you for coming! Opening under the cut!

Astarion had found the source of his suspicion at last. He watches Ofelia plead for the girl, her eyes glowing a soft pink. Purple light swirls around her extended fingertips, reaching for Kagha. The man, Rath, watches and doesn’t say a word. He nods to Astarion, however, allowing it if it means sparing the girl. He can tell they’re all afraid to stand up to Kagha, and Ofelia’s the perfect tool to do so. Risky, but effective.

She succeeds, and Astarion sets his jaw. So. She’s been lying about not knowing magic. What else has she been lying about? Being kidnapped? Could she be behind them being tadpoled? What an elaborate ploy, so utterly convincing that he curses himself for not seeing it.

He decides to confront her- perhaps if he gets her to confess, he can use it as leverage to keep himself safe, in the group, guaranteed a spot at the table. Maybe she’ll even let him into whatever she has planned, spare him from his illithid fate. Then he’ll be able to remove Cazador from the equation and… finally be free.

She scrambles, tears springing up in her eyes. He sneers at her in disgust, alarmed at her proficiency in playing this part so well, for turning her sobbing on him, to appeal to him. She’ll not find pity here, or compassion. It’s almost worth it, to see her snide and sour comments and expressions reduced to this- he reduced her to this.

Regretfully, he allows her one small mercy- to be in her head. Here, all of it will be laid bare. It’s better than having her tell him with her words. This way, he’ll get the raw, unfettered truth.

It isn’t what he’d expected, however.

[whataperfectwasteoftime]

Special

Pairing: Dave York x virgin f!Reader

Rating: E (explicit smut, 18+ only) 

Word count: 7k

Warnings: large age gap, virgin!reader, first time sex, oral sex (f receiving), fingering, PIV sex (with a condom), possessive!Dave, ambiguous/dark ending

Summary: You’re part of the newest class of interns at the DIA. Told to either sink or swim, can you stay afloat long enough to get everyone’s coffee order right, deliver reports to the correct offices, and juggle the attentions of the gorgeous man in office 712, the only person at the DIA so far who’s given you the time of day?

A/N: I wanted to write first time sex with Dave York and this ended up going in a direction I did not expect! Dave is soft, but gets a little unhinged at the end, and the ending is ambiguously dark. I don’t use beta readers; instead I just send my friends increasingly unhinged screenshots with no warning or context to see how they react. Thank you to @leslie-lyman, @pedropascalx, @honestly-shite, and @radiowallet for dealing with my shenanigans, I love you all.

Masterlist

“First of all, let’s get one thing straight right now. You are not special. You think you were hot shit at Harvard? You’re worms here. The way the DIA vets their interns is simple: we throw you into the middle of the ocean. Some of you are gonna drown, that’s the point. The rest of you are gonna survive by crawling your way to the top of the pile and fighting to stay afloat.”

You try to keep your face neutral as the woman–who doesn’t look to be much older than you, but who clearly has a chip on her shoulder after surviving her own cutthroat internship at the DIA–introduces the new group of interns to their first day on the job. 

“You have questions about what to do, where to go? Fuck you! Figure it out. You–” she points at a young man beside you. “What’s your focus?”

“C-Counterintelligence,” he stammers. 

“Second floor, talk to Mike.”

“Who’s–”

“What did I just say?”

The man’s mouth snaps shut and he rushes away in the direction of the elevators. The woman sends several more interns scrambling in scattered directions, looking for their new offices for the next year. Finally, her finger lands on you.”

“You.”

You’re ready. “Cybersecurity,” you announce, keeping the waver out of your voice. 

“Oh.” She looks you up and down with a wrinkled nose. “That means you’re with me. Basement.”

You follow your guide down the stairs to a room at the end of the hallway. You look excitedly around the cramped room, where your fellow interns take up almost every available surface, typing furiously on laptops stacked on books or piles of paper. Everyone in the room is lucky to be here: all the tops of your classes in Ivy League schools, all considered prodigies in your fields, all with overblown expectations of yourselves before your careers even start. 

“Where’s my laptop?” you ask, eager to get started.

Your guide gives you a withering stare. “You can’t just arrive here on your first day and be top dog,” she says. “Everyone you see here has spent months earning their place doing the important work.”

“What am I going to be doing?” you ask warily.

“Coffee.”

“Coffee!?”

“Coffee. And–” she checks her watch, “–you’re late. Go up to conference room E403b and for God’s sake, take a notebook. You’re going to want to write it down.”

It takes you ages to find the conference room. You try first to look for it on your own, wandering the labyrinthian maze of offices and cubicles, trying to make sense of the naming convention on the doors. Finally, you have to ask a floor secretary, who looks at you like everyone seems to look at the interns at the DIA–with aggressive indifference.

The meeting is apparently in full swing when you enter, and you fight down the urge to grimace as conversations cut off in mid-sentence as every head in the room swivels to look at you. You hold up your little notebook and shake it slightly. 

“Coffee orders?”

Everyone speaks at once, of course, and you scribble furiously, trying to get it all down. Carmel latte, cappuccino, macchiato, americano–fuck, wait–which one of those was nonfat? It’s all the more difficult because you don’t know a single person’s name; you try to write down simple descriptions instead. Blondie. Guy with paisley tie. Hawkish nose. Thick glasses lady. Eventually, you look down at your writing. It’s chaos, of course.

“Thanks!” you squeak. “Be right back with your–uh, with the coffees!”

You run across the street to the nearest coffee shop, feeling more like a magazine editor’s PA than an Intelligence intern. All that’s missing is vague instructions to get various fashion designers on the phone. You juggle fourteen coffees on your way back, a delicate balancing act of cardboard trays and sloshing, hot liquid. 

By some miracle, you manage not to spill any on yourself when you reach the fourth floor again.

“Hi! Me again. Um–okay. So, americano… cold brew… iced latte…” you begin handing out the coffees, glancing down at your muddled cheat sheet in vain, trying to remember who had what.

"What's this?" the man with the hawkish nose asks, frowning down at the cup you’d placed in front of him. 

You look down at your hastily scribbled notes. 

"Uh, a… pumpkin spice latte?" 

The man's eyes narrow.

"That's mine," a woman to his left pipes up. “I’ve got your black coffee right here, Dave.”

The table is a flurry of movement as several other people switch drinks, correcting your apparently many mistakes. You want to sink into the floor–this isn’t what you’d signed up for in the slightest, and now this entire conference room thinks you’re a moron. 

“Thank you,” the man–Dave–says. “That will be all.”

You nod at the obvious dismissal, and retreat from the room. Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

Thankfully, the rest of the day is spent organizing a massive filing cabinet by alphabetical order, and you don’t have to interact with anyone else for the rest of the day after such a major fuckup. You’re just finishing up the V’s when you hear the same woman from before call out your name, and you cringe inwardly. God, what now?

“More coffee?” you ask with a wry twist of your lip.

“Hilarious. Will you take these up to Mr. York? He’s on the seventh floor, wing C, office 712.” 

A stack of reports is thrust in your face, and you have to scramble not to let any of them go cascading to the floor around your feet.

You mutter the directions under your breath as you take the elevator up. York. Seventh Floor. C wing. 712. York. Seven. C. 712. 

You tap timidly on the office door. The occupant looks up, and you have to suppress the urge to turn around and run away. It’s the black coffee guy. The man who’d dismissed you after you handed nearly everyone the wrong cup. 

Dave York.

Dave appears to be on a conference call, but he holds out his hand, beckoning you in. Before he drops his arm again, he makes a ‘just one moment’ gesture as he finishes up the call, so you wait, awkwardly rocking back and forth on your heels as you stand just inside the doorway, listening to the conversation. 

“We were fortunate that a potentially serious nuclear incident did not happen,” someone on the computer says. “Next time, we may not be so lucky.”

“All we can do is monitor the situation,” Dave responds. “I want a report that we can submit to the hill by Wednesday at the latest.”

When the call ends, Dave closes his laptop and looks up at you expectantly. “What do you think?”

You blanch.  “Think? I–”

“The call. Zaporizhzhia. What do you think?” Dave folds his arms and looks up at you with a neutral, open expression. He’s the first person who’s really looked at you all day. The one thing you’ve learned is that interns do have one superpower: invisibility. Most people have looked right through you, as important and significant as an office potted plant. 

To add to your nervousness, the man is gorgeous, and you find yourself staring at his pursed lips and dark eyes for longer than strictly necessary.

“I don’t… I’m just delivering stuff,” you mumble. “I brought these, uh, reports I was supposed to–”

“Our intern program only takes the highest talent from the most prestigious schools,” Dave interrupts. “I don’t believe for a second that you came here to just fuck up some coffee orders and deliver reports.”

Your gaze drops down to the floor, embarrassed.

“What school did you go to?” 

“Brown,” you answer automatically. 

"What was your major?"

"Cybersecurity."

“Honors?”

“Highest.”

You peek up at Dave through your eyelashes. He’s smiling now, as if he finds you amusing. 

“And I’m guessing you didn’t fund your education by working at Starbucks,” he says sardonically. 

“I had a fellowship,” you mumble. 

Your answer makes Dave laugh out loud, but you don’t find the humor in the situation. You can't figure out if he's making fun of you or giving you a very back-handed pep talk. 

"So, Miss Brown," Dave says. "What do you think?"

“The–the reactors at the plant are shut down,” you start slowly, “but there’s a risk that the nuclear fuel could overheat if power supplies to the plant’s cooling systems are cut off. They’ve already been forced to operate on backup generators a number of times. The–uh–the shelling should be tantamount to the use of a weapon of mass destruction.”

Dave listens, nodding intermittently. When you’re finished speaking, he holds out his hands for the stack of reports. When you hand them to him, he drops them on the side of his desk.

“Thank you.”

Another dismissal.

You nod and make your way over to the door.

“Brown?” Dave calls out, making you turn.

“Sir?”

“You’re going to be treated like a doormat for the next twelve months, but you are not one. The most important thing you can do right now is to have some fucking teeth. Got it?”

The words may be harsh, but Dave’s eyes are warm, one corner of his mouth turned slightly upward.

You nod rapidly. “Yes, Sir. Thank you.”

The smile grows. “Chin up, kid.”

Kid.

You nod, and with a little sigh, you head back down to the crowded cave that serves as a home base and office space for all of the interns in the building. 

– – – – – – –

The next week there are more reports to deliver to office 712. And the next week. And the next. You wonder just how many deliveries the man gets, or if it just happens to be you every time. After the first day, Dave continues to make small talk with you–sometimes asking about work, sometimes discussing current events, or just remarking on the weather.

Dave York is off-limits, but you can’t help the way your heart starts to pound when he looks at you, or worse, when he talks to you. Sometimes you feel like he must be able to hear that telltale waver in your voice that indicates how incredibly flustered he makes you. You feel off-balance whenever he’s around; your words are more breathless, delivered at a higher pitch, and you can’t stop yourself from looking at him with wide eyes and parted lips whenever he says anything. He fascinates you. He’s just aloof enough to be mysterious, but personable enough to give the illusion of approachability. 

Dave asks you things. Your opinions on foreign affairs. Your approach to cybersecurity. Your desired career path in Intelligence. Your… your weekend plans? Captivated by the older man’s attentions, you tell him everything. Sometimes you want to slap yourself for not being able to shut the fuck up whenever you step foot in his office, but Dave listens so intently–or, at least, gives the impression of listening intently–that it’s hard to stop. You tell him your career aspirations, your future dreams, your opinion on blockchain, the fact that you had a disastrous blind date last weekend, everything. 

“Disastrous how?” Dave chuckles. 

You laugh. “Where do I begin? First, he shows up twenty minutes late, then he won’t stop talking about his ex and his investment portfolio…”

Dave makes an exaggerated gasp, making you giggle harder. “He–that’s not all–he insisted on ordering for the both of us, which would have been fine, except he ordered filet mignon for himself and a house salad for me.”

“Where the hell do you find people like this?” Dave asks with a grimace.

You shrug. “Tinder.”

Dave shudders. “Doesn’t sound worth it.”

“There’s really no other way to meet people my age,” you mumble. 

Dave’s head snaps up. “People your age?” he parrots.

“Yeah, I dunno. I mean, I wish I could skip to the part where everyone knows what they’re doing, but that’s just not how it works, right?” God, how you wish you could find someone who could show you everything you’ve been missing, everything you’ve wanted but was never really sure how to ask for–at least, not with the right person. There have been plenty of wrong people, and it never seemed like the right time with any of them. Of course, now, at twenty-three, you’re considered a late bloomer–and that narrows the field of potential first partners even further. No one seems to want to deal with someone as inexperienced as you. 

You shudder to think what that dipshit from last weekend would have said if you would have confessed just how inexperienced you really are…

“If you want someone who knows what they’re doing, it sounds like you’re looking in the wrong place,” Dave murmurs, and is it just your imagination, or has his voice gotten deeper, more husky?

You swallow. “Probably, Sir,” you mutter noncommittally. “I, uh–I have to go. I’m supposed to be taking meeting notes down on three.”

“Stay safe out there,” Dave says quietly. 

You can’t help but turn back as you reach the exit, giving Dave a small, shy smile as you leave. His dark eyes are piercing into yours, and you feel the burn of his gaze long after you’ve left the room. 

– – – – – – – – – 

You start staying in Dave’s office longer and longer after you deliver your reports. You always sit in one of the chairs opposite his desk–the left one, usually–and talk with wide-eyed enthusiasm for a half-hour or more, sometimes. You start talking about everything. Your family. His. You learn that he’s divorced and has two girls. You learn that he plays the piano, and that he almost always reads non-fiction, rather than novels. 

“Any more dates from hell?” Dave asks one afternoon with a wry grin.

You laugh. “The last guy put me off of Tinder for a while.”

“Good.” 

Your eyes snap up to meet Dave’s questioningly. 

“You can do better, you know that, right?” 

You shrug sheepishly. “Not like I haven’t been trying,” you grumble. “They all seem sweet online, and then they turn out to be jackasses.”

“Maybe it’s the online thing that’s the problem,” Dave suggests.

“Old man,” you tease. “That’s how people meet nowadays.”

“Is it,” Dave murmurs. 

“Mmhmm. Well–I’m gonna go, I’m supposed to be handing in some statistical analysis of supply chain cybersecurity risks by the end of the day,”  you say, popping out of your chair and heading for the exit. 

Your hand is on the doorknob when Dave speaks again. 

“I would treat you as you deserve,” he rasps under his breath. 

You freeze on the spot. Did he really just…? Slowly, you turn your head to look back at the desk. Dave’s gaze is downright predatory, with hooded eyes and a little half smile that seems as if it’s challenging you to act.

“S-Sir?”

“Think about it.”

– – – –

You do. 

You do little else but think of Dave’s words for days. I would treat you as you deserve. Think about it. You speculate wildly about what it would look like–whatever Dave thinks you deserve. You have little to go on–so little experience, that you can only call up steamy romances and movie scenes for examples. What would Dave York be like as a lover? Would he be rough? Gentle? Intense? The prospect of this man being your first… well, it’s daunting. Intimidating. 

But if the idea scares you so much, why have you been soaking through every pair of underwear since Dave said those words to you? 

Why does your heart skip a beat every time you deliver coffee to his meetings, his dark eyes burning into you as you pass paper cups around the conference table? 

Why do you touch yourself to the thought of him, late at night, your fingers a poor substitute for Dave's deft hands?

Dave, for all of his intense staring, doesn't bring the subject up again. You would think his silence on the matter is a mark of chivalry–you didn’t accept his advances, and now he’s backing down–but for the way the man looks at you like a treat to be devoured. It isn’t the look of someone who’s been turned down.

It’s the look of someone who’s waiting. 

You know–and Dave seems to know, too–that it’s a matter of time before you approach him again. He’s achingly polite every time you deliver anything to his office, asking about your day and listening intently to the answer, although the subject of your failed Tinder dates doesn’t come up again. If it had, there wouldn’t have been anything new to report–you’ve stopped responding to any messages, unable to entertain the idea of anyone else when the person you want the most is right in front of you.

Dave has ruined you for any other man, and he hasn’t even touched you yet.

– – – – – 

In the end, it takes two weeks. It would have only taken one, but you spend the second week gathering up the courage to say something to the man. Your mind is made up, but you drag your feet until Friday, when the tension inside your body is so great that you can finally stand it no longer.

You knock on Dave’s door that afternoon with empty hands. No reports. No coffee.

Dave, when he looks up to see you standing awkwardly in his doorway, seems to know exactly the reason you’re there. His eyes dance with equal parts amusement and desire when he says, “Shut the door.”

You do as he asks and take a few steps forward, not moving all the way inside and sitting down in one of the chairs opposite Dave’s desk as you usually do.

“Don’t lurk in the doorway, pretty girl. Come sit down.”

You give Dave a shaky smile and sink down into ‘your’ chair, nervously smoothing your skirt with your hands as you do. “You–you know why I’m here,” you say timidly.

“I do.” Dave nods, leaning back in his chair. “I need you to say it out loud, though.”

“I–I want–” you trail off. What is it that you want? You can’t think properly, the only thing you want is him, you want this man and all of his dark, intimidating energy and you want his attention and most of all, you want to know what he meant when he said he’d treat you as you deserve.

“What do you want,” Dave prompts when you don’t finish the sentence.

“You,” you whisper. “I just–you. That’s what I want.” 

Dave’s smile is wolfish. “I’m going to need you to be more specific.”

“I want you to show me exactly what you meant,” you say, tilting your chin up and growing bolder. “You told me to think about it, and I have.”

“You’ve thought about it?” Dave repeats, his smile widening.

“I’ve done nothing but think about it,” you admit quietly. 

“Did you touch yourself?”

“Did I–Dave!” you protest, aghast.

“Did you?”

Your heartbeat pulses in your ears, and you’re barely able to hear your own answer over the rush of blood to your face. 

“Yes.”

“Good,” Dave murmurs. “Good. I want you to come over tonight,” he says. “Give me your number. I’ll text you the address.”

You dictate it to him with your heart in your throat while Dave taps the numbers into his phone. A few moments later, your own device buzzes with a text. 

“There,” Dave says. “Seven o’clock. Don’t be late.”

– – – – – 

Your head is buzzing with anticipation for the rest of the day, and the feeling grows when you arrive back at your little studio apartment to get ready for tonight. You shower again, taking extra care to shave, and you pull on the sexiest lingerie that you own–a black lace thong and matching bra. You spend too much time dithering over what to wear–should you be casual? Sexy? Flirty? The address Dave had given you is in a neighborhood; it’s clearly his home. Should you still dress as if it’s a date? After some deliberation, you choose your favorite ‘date’ outfit–a maroon dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves and an enticingly short skirt. 

You can’t help but notice the difference in the way the two of you live, when your Uber pulls into Dave’s neighborhood. You live in the cheapest housing you could find–a drab, postage stamp of an apartment with peeling wallpaper and faulty electricity. Dave lives in a pretty white house with a generous yard and a garage. You try not to think about the fact that the man must be fifteen years older than you, or more. What does he want with you?

When you knock on his door and Dave’s eyes widen and darken at your outfit, you know you’ve made the right decision to dress up a little. He ushers you in with a warm hand at the small of your back–the first time he’s ever touched you, and your breath catches at the simple intimacy of the gesture. 

When you enter the house, you’re hit with the pleasant aroma of food, and you shoot Dave a questioning glance.

“Did you… make dinner?”

Dave chuckles. “Did you think I invited you here just to fuck you?”

“...Yes?”

Dave tsks. “I believe I said I’d treat you as you deserve,” he says simply, leading you into the kitchen. He hands you one of two already-poured glasses of white wine, letting his fingers brush yours as you accept it. 

Dinner is chicken alfredo, which is incredible, but your stomach is already full of butterflies, and you don’t eat as much as you usually would. The two of you chat easily, as you always do, although things on your end are a little quiet. It’s not that you’re nervous, it’s that–okay, yes, you are nervous. Not because you don’t want to lose your virginity tonight to Dave York, but because you just don’t know what to expect. Will it hurt? Will he hold you after? Will you cum? Will he care if you do? Would he want to touch you first, would he, would he, would he—? With so many questions swirling around in your head, is it any surprise you can’t get a word in edgewise?

Eventually, Dave clears the plates and stacks them gently in the sink. Not sure whether to follow him or not, you take the awkward middle ground, rising from your seat and taking a few steps forward, standing in the middle of the kitchen feeling silly. 

You needn’t have felt awkward in the slightest; Dave walks toward you with dark, hooded eyes and a predatory smirk. When he reaches you, he runs one finger tip across your bare shoulder. “You dressed up for me,” he remarks. 

Breathlessly, you nod. 

“Sweet thing,” Dave murmurs. His hand moves up to gently cup your cheek as he steps in closer until you can feel his body heat. Your eyes flutter shut reflexively as his lips draw near, his breath ghosting across your face as he descends.

It isn’t your first kiss, by any means, but it’s the first that makes you forget how to breathe. Dave's lips are gentle, but insistent, his mouth moving sensually against yours until your lips part of their own accord and Dave's tongue flicks out to taste you. 

Dave is apparently spurred on by the full-body shudder it causes, and his arms are suddenly around you, crushing you to him, as he delves into your mouth and takes what he wants. You give it all willingly, although your heart is hammering at the prospect of more to come.

Your hands clutch at Dave's shirt uselessly as he deepens the kiss. You're vaguely aware of the little whimpers you're making into his mouth, the gasps and sighs as he subtly changes the tilt of his head or teases your tongue with a playful lick of his own. 

Finally, when you're about to drown in your arousal, Dave breaks away and takes your hands in his, pulling you out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his bedroom. 

Dave kisses you again beside the massive bed, and this time, his hand slides up your bare thigh underneath your dress, causing you to shiver again. 

Dave chuckles. "Poor thing, you feel like you're about to fall over," he teases. He guides you down onto the bed, and your heartbeat reaches a crescendo.

Dave is on top of you, a low growl in his throat as he presses his length against your thigh. His hand slips underneath the material of your thong and he groans at the wetness he finds there, but the feeling of his hand on your labia is foreign and unfamiliar and suddenly your body stiffens, your eyes going wide with trepidation.

Dave pauses, his hand still inside your underwear. His eyebrows draw together, his lips pursing with confusion as he pulls back to look at you. 

“Why do you look so scared?” he asks, concerned.

Your mouth opens, but you can’t find the right words. You search Dave’s face, trying to think of something to say, but all you can think about is his finger resting on your parted folds, the first time anyone has ever touched you there, and you feel like you’re about to spontaneously combust.

“Tell me,” Dave insists.

“I… fuck, I’ve never done this before,” you mumble. 

Dave looks as if a bucket of ice water has been poured over his head. “Done what?”

“Any of it. I–I’ve never–”

Dave’s hand slips out of your underwear, his eyebrows knitting together as he takes in what you’re saying. “Nothing?” 

You press your lips together and shake your head. Oh God, this is it–the moment Dave realizes this isn’t what he thought it was, and you’re a girl playing pretend.

“Oh, honey,” Dave breathes. “Why didn’t you say anything before now?”

“I didn’t want to ruin it,” you say quietly. “I know I’m too old to be–you know–and I just wanted to get it over with, and–”

“Shh,” Dave commands. “It wouldn’t have ruined anything. I just would have done some things differently.”

“Like what?” you ask timidly. 

“Moved slower, for one,” Dave answers. “Savored you.”

“Oh,” you say dumbly. 

“And I will,” Dave promises darkly. “Savor you. Enjoy you thoroughly. I need you to tell me one thing, though.”

“Anything,” you agree.

“Do you really want this? Think about it. There’s no going back.”

You nod rapidly up and down. “I want it.”

Dave surges forward and captures your lips in a passionate kiss. “It will always be me,” he growls against your mouth. “I will ruin you for anyone else.”

You barely have the presence of mind to utter one final word.

“Please.”

Just as he’d said, Dave moves slower now. He divests you of your dress and bra, letting his fingers dance across your cleavage, circling closer and closer to your nipples until you’re squirming slightly on the bed, your breath coming out in little pants. When the tip of his finger just lightly touches one, you arch off the bed as if an electric shock had just coursed through you. You’ve never been this keyed up in your life.

Dave chuckles at your response, and you duck your head in embarrassment at first, but he grips your chin and tilts your head back up to meet his dark gaze.

"Don't do that," he chastises. "I want to see every little thing that I do to you."

His mouth engulfs one nipple and you sob out loud into the room. Oh God, it's hot and wet and you can somehow feel the way his tongue is licking at you all the way down into your pussy. 

"That's it," Dave encourages. "Fuck, you’re so responsive.”

You feel like your brain is melting. Dave is a real and heavy and delicious weight on top of you, his hands pulling pleasure from you that you’ve never felt in your life, and he’s barely even touched you yet. He lavishes attention on your nipples until you’re shaking, licking and sucking to find out what you like–and he discovers quickly that you like it when he flicks his tongue back and forth against the little bud by the way it makes your head tip back as you gasp loudly. 

“Take it,” Dave whispers. “That’s a good girl.” 

Eventually, he kisses a path down the sensitive, soft skin of your belly, making you squirm and giggle slightly. Dave chuckles darkly.

“Ticklish?”

You nod breathlessly. Dave nips softly at the little swell of your belly before moving down to the lacy fabric of your underwear and running his nose up and down the material. 

“Oh,” you exclaim. “Y-You don’t have to do that, that’s–”

“I really fucking want to,” Dave says. “I want to taste this sweet pussy and I want to feel it shake around my tongue when it cums for me.” He inhales deeply with half-lidded eyes, making a low noise in his throat at the smell of you. When he finally hooks his fingers underneath your waistband and starts to pull your panties down your legs, you think you might combust. 

"Has anyone ever done this before?" Dave asks.

"No."

Dave's lips curl into a wicked smile. "Beautiful girl," he rasps. "I'm going to fucking ruin you."

The first little kitten lick to your clit nearly makes you cum right then. You clench violently, and Dave chuckles, the low vibrations sending little shockwaves through your cunt. 

"Ohh, I'm going to enjoy this," Dave murmurs before he starts lapping at your pussy again. You're impossibly wet, so worked up that you can already feel the telltale heat crawling its way up your spine. 

You babble at the ceiling– "Dave–Dave, fuck, I can't–oh my God, this is–Dave!" The last cry of his name ends in a squeak as you shatter for him, clenching around his tongue and feeling, rather than hearing, his resulting groan.

When you come back to awareness, Dave is hovering over you, his dark eyes flitting over your face, watching you come down. 

“Taste yourself,” Dave rasps, his lips–shiny with your slick–too close to yours. “How fucking sweet you are.”

You nod, and Dave lowers his mouth to yours, his entire body pressing against you again–and you feel the hot, hard length of him against your thigh. His hand grasps your hip, his fingertips digging into your flesh, and you moan at the feeling, and at the unfamiliar taste of you on Dave’s tongue. 

Despite the orgasm, you still ache between your thighs, an emptiness that cannot be soothed by just Dave’s tongue. 

“Dave, I need–” 

“Shh, I know,” Dave murmurs. “I know.” His hand moves to the button of his pants, undoing it with one hand and shoving his pants down around his thighs before kicking them the rest of the way off. You stare at the way his erection strains against the tight material of his boxer briefs. When you hesitantly reach out and touch it, Dave hisses but doesn’t move, letting you explore at your own pace. It feels… big.

“Dave,” you begin, shaking your head slowly, “it’s not gonna fit. It’ll–”

Dave chuckles low in his throat. “I promise, it will.” “But what if it—hurts?” you squeak, growing timid again.  

Dave lowers himself again until the two of you are flush together. “Look at me,” he directs. “Look at my face. Would I ever hurt you?”

You search his face, but all you can find is blunt honesty. “No,” you whisper. 

“No,” Dave agrees. “No, and by the time I’m done with you, you’re going to be fucking gagging for it, pretty girl.”

He sucks his index finger into his mouth, coating it in his saliva, before slowly sliding it into your soaking cunt. 

“You’re gonna cum again like this,” Dave states frankly, “with my fingers and with my mouth, and I’m gonna make you so fucking wet that it’ll slide right in.”

He thrusts gently with one finger, watching your face, those dark, burning eyes sweeping over your expression and assessing your reaction. When you start chasing his finger, making little mewling sounds when it’s just not enough, Dave crawls back down your body and lathes his tongue over your clit for the second time that night as he adds a second finger. 

Just when you’re about to reach your peak again, Dave pulls back, reducing the friction and causing the feeling to retreat. You shoot him a questioning glance, but he simply smirks back, gradually giving you more until you feel it building back up, and then eases off. He repeats this little ebb and flow of pleasure, this little game of give and take, over and over and over until you’re panting and squirming and desperate to cum. 

“Dave–” you whine when the pleasure recedes again.

“One more time,” Dave promises. “You’re doing so well, sweet thing, being such a good girl for me.”

It’s as if Dave has the ultimate control over your pleasure–knowing how to make it rise and fall at his pleasing, and he does, fucking up against a spot you’ve never reached yourself while his tongue swirls around your clit until everything starts to tighten again, when he stops. 

“Dave!” 

“I said one more, didn’t I?” Dave protests. “Trust me, I’m gonna make you cum so fucking hard after working you up like this.”

He presses a gentle, feather-light kiss to the tip of your clit, his eyes dancing with amusement at your desperation. 

“Poor thing,” he goads, and his fingers start to rub insistently against you again. He sucks your clit into his mouth, gently flicking it with his tongue, and the spot inside you–you suddenly realize you feel like you’re about to–

“Dave–DaveDaveDave–shit, hang on, it–I’m gonna–”

He doesn’t withdraw in time, and something bursts inside you and splashes out around Dave’s fingers as you come apart again. You’ve never felt anything like this–it feels so fucking good but fuck, your face heats in embarrassment as you realize just how wet the sheets–and how wet Dave–is.

“Oh–oh no…” you mumble, but Dave is eagerly licking you clean with a deep groan, licking up into your cunt to chase the last droplets of the surprising deluge. 

“Dave, I–” you start to apologize, but Dave is on you again, kissing you passionately before you can utter another syllable. 

“My good fucking girl, so fucking sweet for me,” Dave murmurs against your lips. “Squirting all over me on her first time.”

“Please,” you beg him. “Please, I want more–”

Dave rolls off of you to rifle around in a drawer. He pulls out a condom and a small packet of something else, and you watch as he removes his underwear, heavy cock bobbing free between his legs, before rolling the condom on and opening the packet, drizzling the viscous fluid into his hand before coating his cock. He slides the same hand between your legs, coating you with the thick, slippery liquid. 

“It’ll be easier with lube,” Dave says by way of explanation. You expect him to crawl between your legs with you on your back, but instead he lies down beside you, urging you onto your side and pulling you flush against him so the two of you are spooning, instead.

“Just lay like this,” Dave murmurs into your ear, sending goosebumps to the surface of your skin. He grabs your top thigh and pulls your legs open, so that your top leg is splayed over Dave’s. His lips are still at your ear when you feel the thick tip of his cock sliding back and forth against your pussy, and your breath quickens even as your hips instinctively push back against him. 

“Shh, relax,” Dave soothes, and slowly starts to push in. 

“Oh–” you breathe, feeling him breaking you open for the first time. True to his word, it doesn’t hurt. It’s overwhelming, and somehow incredibly emotional, even though you’ve never really attributed any significance or meaning to your virginity, viewing it more as an inconvenience over the past couple of years. Still, the reality of Dave pressing inside of you feels profound in some way, and you think back to what he’d said earlier. 

“I’ll ruin you for anyone else.”

He might be right. At this moment, you aren’t sure if you’ll ever want anyone else. 

Dave pushes in inch by inch, taking it slow, paying attention to every little hitch in your breathing, until the two of you are completely joined. 

“Feel that?” Dave grits out, his voice sounding unusually strained. “Feel me?” 

You nod, breathless. 

“Tell me.”

“It feels–fuck, I feel so full.”

Dave’s hips flex experimentally, and you whimper pitifully. 

“Again,” you exhale. 

Dave obeys, giving you his cock with slow, deep thrusts, one arm banded around you, holding you flush against him and the other still gripping your inner thigh. You can feel every inch of him, heavy and thick inside of you. You never would have imagined that sex with Dave would be this sensual, this intimate. His breath is hot against the shell of your ear, his breaths getting heavier with effort and pleasure. His lips nip at your earlobe, then brush messily up and down the side of your neck. He finds a little spot just behind your ear that makes you shiver every time he passes it, and he sucks a mark into your skin there, making you moan pitifully. 

“That’s my girl,” Dave rasps against your skin. “My precious girl. I wanted this from the beginning, you know? That morning with the coffees, I pictured laying you down on that conference table and eating that pretty cunt until you begged me to stop.”

The dark timbre of his voice, the filthy words, and the drag of his cock along your walls all combine to make you a puddle in Dave’s arms. 

“Little did I know that I’d be the first to taste you,” Dave continues, his thrusts increasing in intensity as he speaks. “The first to make you come undone with my fingers, the first to feel how fucking tight and hot you are.”  

His hand slides up your inner thigh until his fingers strum at your clit. “I’m gonna make you cum around my cock and once I feel it squeezing me, I will never let you go, you understand? I’m going to make you mine, sweet girl. I’ll give you everything; ruin you for everyone else so you’ll never want anyone else. Say you’ll let me give you everything,” Dave commands, his voice deepening to a low growl.

“Y-Yes,” you breathe, stunned at the shift in tone. 

“Yes, what,” Dave leads.

“Yes, you can give me everything.”

“Good girl,” Dave coos. “I’ll treat you how you deserve. You won’t have to worry about anything; you’ll be my special girl. Won’t you?”

Dave’s possessive words are slightly unsettling, but the coil is tightening inside of you thanks to Dave’s deep thrusts and his fingers circling your clit, and you can’t find it in you to disagree as you start to reach the point of no return, the little moment of vertigo before the plunge. 

“Yes,” you gasp.

And you fall. 

– – – – – 

The first thing that comes to your awareness is something warm and damp between your legs. Your eyes blink open sluggishly and you turn your head to see Dave kneeling between your legs, wiping you gently clean with a washcloth. 

His cock is softening, resting inoffensively between his legs, no longer flushed and angry, and you tilt your head to the side thoughtfully as you watch him. 

Dave notices you looking, and he smiles.

"Did I hurt you?"

You smile and shake your head. "No."

"Good." Dave discards the cloth and joins you on the bed, folding you into his chest. 

"Is it always like this?" you ask softly. 

"It is with me," Dave answers frankly.

"Did–did you mean… all of the stuff you said? I mean–at the end?"

"Of course," Dave says. "You are my special girl, aren't you?"

"I–" you swallow. "Yes?”

"I'll give you everything," Dave promises. "You won't be an intern anymore, I'll see to that. I want you as an analyst on my team, working for me directly."

"Won't–won't people object to that?" you ask, aghast. 

"They wouldn't dare," Dave rumbles. "They don't go against me. And they won't go against you, either. You'll be mine, and that means you're off-limits. Wouldn’t you like that?”

You nod slowly in agreement. Would it be so wrong to let this man help you along in your career? Especially a man who’s so very attentive to you, who says that he’ll give you everything, who says sex with him is always this incredible. Wouldn’t it be akin to madness to say no to this?

“Perfect,” Dave says. “You’ll start on Monday. You won’t go down to that basement cave any more, you’ll work in my office. With me.”

“Oh,” you say, hardly able to believe what’s happening. “I–wow, Dave that’s really sudden–”

“Mmm,” Dave hums, nuzzling into your neck. “All the best for my special girl, hmm?”

You laugh disbelievingly. “Okay,” you giggle. “Yeah”

Dave chuckles too, deep in his throat. 

You glance at the old-fashioned alarm clock sitting on Dave’s bedside table. It’s nearly ten. You start to second guess yourself–would you be intruding if you stayed the tnight? Do people usually stay over after the first time, or do they leave? Why didn’t sitcoms prepare you for this moment? 

“Should–should I go home?” you ask, unsure of whether Dave wants you to stay.

“You think I’d kick you out after this?” Dave teases, his fingertips digging into your ribs to make you squeal ticklishly. “Silly girl. You’re staying right here.”

You nod. “Good,” you mumble. “‘Cause I’m feeling a little tired.”

“Go to sleep,” Dave says softly, kissing that little spot behind your ear that makes you shiver. 

Your eyelids are impossibly heavy, and you think you must fall asleep in a matter of minutes.

Just before you do, you think you hear Dave say one more thing. 

“My special girl, you are home.”

It was probably just your imagination.

[lunar-years]

3, 6, 8, 13

not even bothering with anon idgaf I love to be a hater 🔥🔥🔥

we can be proud haters together since i'm over here happily typing out my answers lmao. putting most of this under a cut because of length.

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

no idea if these were ever on tumblr, probably it was twitter, all the worst takes i've seen come from twitter, but the top two contenders battling it out for Worst Ever have got to be:

One) Henry should've moved to London because he "hates the political climate of his own country" Henry is like, what, NINE? absolutely a wild take, worsened by, "And having a premier league coach as his dad is way cooler than having a dad who coaches his pee wee league" or whatever like. Again, the boy is nine. I think Henry cares more about having a Dad who's present in his life than he does about how "cool" his dad's occupation is.

Two) "Zava was actually way more disciplined than Jamie because he has fantastic habits, whereas Jamie is the type to just give up and go on a reality show." ohhh don't even get me started lmao. i was fuming for days.

6. which ship fans are most annoying?

lol. do i even need to say. specifically the twitter breed of them & no hate to the ship on the whole, just the portion of shippers that are cuckoo bananas about it and target the show creators. An extremely close second for me is the portion of r/k shippers who loathe Jamie for "getting in the way" because I take that personally 😭. Like I'm sorry your endgame didn't happen but please leave him out of this. it's not his fault they had problems the entire time they were dating, lmao. ugh.

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

so many. here's a running list.

Roy and Keeley shouldn't have broken up and/or should have gotten back together in the finale.

Roy was OOC when he asked Keeley who the tape was for.

Ted shouldn't have gone home to his son

Matthijs was inherently "creepy" for inviting Rebecca back to his boathouse to get cleaned up after she plummeted into the canal right in front of him. (have you guys never taken a risk ever in your lives?)

Nate didn't deserve redemption

Jamie was CLEARLY completely over Keeley by season 3 (as evidenced by...what exactly?) and it ~came out of nowhere~ to dredge up the "dead" love triangle

I could go on....

13. worst blorbofication

to me the crime is less blorbifying them (because I consider them my blorbos too <3) but I definitely dislike the way some people blorbify Roy and Jamie. Roy for reasons previously discussed and Jamie because there's definitely been a pattern of woobifying him to the extent of like, taking away his agency, dismissing all of his mistakes, and treating him almost like he's weak and constantly needing to be protected when he's absolutely none of those things. Idk. What appeals to me about Jamie is not how "soft" he is it's how relentlessly brave he is. Anyway. They're both my blorbos and i love putting them through the ringer and watching them scramble to pick up the pieces as much as everyone else, but i also think it's important to recognize they're both very much grown adults with asshole tendencies and a large capacity for cruelty who have made plenty of mistakes yet still are deserving of love. what happened to nuance. it's funner to make blorbos out of complex characters you view complexly. anyway.

[tomwambsmilk]

Not to get all conspiracy theory, but that reddit screenshot you reblogged got me thinking... It is really weird that a show as big as Succession had its final season announced so late and with almost no promotion. Alan Ruck said everyone knew it was the last season in June, but Sarah said she didn't know until January. HBO has been pretty chaotic recently, a lot of shows were axed, I don't think it's that crazy to suggest internal conflict might have something to do with it. Especially if future plans could alienate a large chunk of the viewership, like that post mentioned the idea of killing Kendall off, or I bet businessbros would be turned off if Tom and Greg actually kissed, people would probably be mad about it being 'bad representation' too. Maybe I'm just in denial, idk :(

lots to unpack here lmao.......

First of all. I have to say that I DO agree that there is something weird about how season 4 has rolled out and been promoted, and there's absolutely something weird about Alan Ruck saying everyone knew in June, and then Sarah Snook doubling down a couple of days later to say she found out at the table read. Best case scenario, I think HBO let Jesse Armstrong make the call, and he made the call very, very late, and then HBO had to try and do damage control because the late announcement botched some of the promo, and not everyone internally ended up finding out about it at the same time.

Worst case scenario? ...... I don't know. I really don't want to turn into a conspiracy theorist. But. I've seen discourse about hbo max. I've seen people talk about the writers strike. And I know that studio-creator conflict is pretty common in the industry. so do I think it's possible that there was internal conflict involved? Yes, absolutely. Do I think it's likely?..... I'm genuinely unsure. I don't know. I wouldn't place bets in either direction tbh.

And..... yeah, if internal conflict was at play, I would say it's pretty likely that there was some discussion of future plotlines and story beats. If hbo is scrambling for money, they might be more invested than usual in pumping out things that are commercially successful to increase their subscriber numbers. (It would also bias them in favour of creating new shows instead of renewing old ones). What does that mean for succession? Again, I'm not sure. I don't have HBO's market research, and I don't actually know what the widest cross-section of its viewership is interested in. I think killing Kendall off would definitely alienate a massive chunk of it.

And tomgreg going canon? .......Honestly, I'm not sure I want to comment too much for fear of accidentally starting the johnlock conspiracy II: succession edition. I don't think HBO is the Big Evil Homophobic Studio punching down on Little Gay Rights Creator Jesse Armstrong. I also think that if season 5 pitches were being discussed, a disagreement on just one plotline wouldn't be enough to get Jesse to call it quits. But I'm also aware of the Discourse around "woke HBO" in the wake of ofmd and tlou, and of the businessbro portion of the viewership (which is sizeable) vs the marketing to the tg fans. I don't know if I'd go as far as "HBO axed succession bc tomgreg canon", but yeah I could definitely see there being Discussion about tomgreg.

(That being said. I did write that post about the editing/soundtrack de-homoeroticifying (?) tomgreg scenes and it would be really REALLY funny to me if that turned out to be HBO interference lmao)

[nakimochiku]

“Deku-kun!” Ochako chirps when Izuku finally picks up the phone. “Mina-chan told me she heard from Kirishima-kun who heard from Bakugou-kun! He’s coming back from America for New Years!” 

Izuku’s heart leaps into his throat. He scrambles for a response that isn’t garbled noises. 

“Excited?” Ochako teases. 

“Yeah. It’ll be great to see him.” Izuku says as neutrally as he can.

It's been five years, eight months, and two days since he last saw Kacchan. But who’s counting? Almost six years of scouring youtube for videos of Kacchan (“Get that fucking camera out of my fucking face you shitty extra!” In irritated english), for interviews with Kacchan (“Excessive force is fucking real but what the fuck was I supposed to do? Sit back and jerk off while the fucker had hostages? He's still alive isn't he? I didn’t even fucking burn him!”), news reels of Kacchan (“Hey! Get back and calm down! I got this!”)

The Americans love him. His brand of rudeness, bluntness and arrogance helps him fit right in. His instagram (which he updates once in a blue moon and always with thirst traps of him working out) is full of fans begging him to spit on them. Izuku can respect that Kacchan found a market that would take him just as he is. 

The problem though, with Kacchan being an american hero is that his merch is almost impossible to get. Shipping alone costs an arm and a leg, and Kacchan’s website doesn't do international shipping. Izuku thinks it's crazy that globalization can be such a thing and he has to pay forty dollars just to get a Dynamight brand key chain (it's adorable, shaped like a little grenade with Kacchan’s orange x logo across it, he needs it yesterday.)

Sometimes, Izuku almost gives in. He scrolls through his cart and thinks fuck it, I deserve a treat. I’ll do it! But he never does. 

But now, Kacchan is coming back home. 

Izuku deliberates for a long time. He swishes the idea back and forth like mouthwash, before he finally makes up his mind. 

He opens a long ignored text thread with Kacchan (the last message was his birthday. A very simple series of emojis. A bomb. A cake. A party hat. Izuku had replied “thanks i think” and been left on read.) he sends a screenshot of the very fluffy winter uniform themed hoodie he's been salivating after and a message that says “you owe me six years worth of christmas gifts. Get me one and we’ll call it even”

He's left on read. 

Three days after new years, Izuku stumbles over to the door to silence the incessant knocking. “Yes, what is— Kacchan?!”

There's Kacchan, hair a little windswept, nose red from the cold, a massive box under his arm. He’s still so fucking beautiful he makes his heart stop. “You gonna catch flies all night or you gonna let me in? It’s fucking cold.”

Izuku numbly steps aside. It's not like he expected Kacchan to look different. He updated his insta story just yesterday. But he’s here, in Izuku’s space, breathing Izuku's air, and Izuku doesn't even know what to say. Kacchan just huffs impatiently at him and shoves the box into his arms. “What's this?” He asks, already ripping into it. 

Kacchan shrugs, slouching his way to the sofa and dropping into it like it's a throne. “You think I don't know your stalker nerd ass wants way more than the hoodie?”

The box is full of all sorts of Dynamight merch. Izuku’s eyes sting. “Kacchan—“ he starts, voice wobbling. 

“Oh my god no. Don't get all sappy okay. It's no big deal!” Kacchan grouses. He looks at the wall of All Might merch, the light in the kitchen, the weave in the sofa’s fabric. “It's just been a while.”

Izuku abandons the box of merch to sit at Kacchan’s knee, letting his fingers rest low on his thigh, squeezing gently until Kacchan finally looks at him. “Thank you.” He says sincerely. And then, before Kacchan can cheapen the moment, “I missed you a lot.”

Kacchan sighs through his nose, shoulders relaxing. “Yeah.”

Later, Izuku is recorded off duty and proudly repping his Dynamight merch. The fan behind the camera giggles, “Deku! Are you a Dynamight fan?”

“The biggest!” Izuku answers proudly. 

In America, Katsuki closes the video, snaps his Deku brand popsocket closed, and pretends he’s not in a really good mood. 

[whitneys-puppyslut]

Finch (Robin's PC)

18+ / minors DNI

Hi guys. Thanks for the support on my first two drabble thingies. And welcome to my blog, since I haven't said that yet.

I'm gonna start a little series where I show off my personal PCs I use when romancing different characters in DOL. I made them all in the sims since I'm not confident in my drawing skills... so their actual in my head designs are a little different than the screenshots you'll see here. And of course, the actual sprites in DOL differ quite a bit as well. But y'know it's just so you guys get a sense of the character.

I might also put all of them into a world in the sims with their love interests and see what happens lol.

Anyway, without further ado, here's Robin's PC: also known as Finch!

Headcanons under the cut

Finch the Bodyguard

Get it? because robin is a type of bird and a finch is also....... yeah I'll see myself out

she/her pronouns

bisexual

Finch isn't her real name. But nobody knows her real name, not even Robin or any the teachers...

Leighton knows, and Bailey knows. But that's about it.

Finch erm... "persuaded" Leighton to change her name on school documents.

She's not above using sex to get what she wants... i mean in this fucked up city you do what you gotta do.

She prefers not to have to resort to that though.

Most things do go her way, after all she's smart, attractive, popular....... and intimidating........

Yeah she is BUFF in case you can't tell. She loves building muscle and working out... but mainly she's like that out of necessity.

I mean it helps to be able to fend off attackers and pursuers.

Or simply scare them off before they even lay their hands on her!

She has scary dog energy

Whitney knows to stay out of her way.

Bc the one time he did stop her in the hallway and tried to put his hands on her... did not end well for him.

EVERYONE recorded that fight. It's not everyday you get to see Whitney get pummeled into the ground...

And then he SCRAMBLED to get those videos taken down....

It's okay tho Finch actually made a truce with him and helped him threaten persuade everyone to delete the videos.

As long as he promised to keep his and his friends' hands off of her loved ones.

So yeah they don't interact with each other now but they both know the terms and conditions of their little truce

Robin & Finch <3

So how did Robin get the hot goth baddie?

Well as per the plot of DOL they grew up together and were friends and he looked up to her and yada yada

They were pretty much acting like lovebirds way before they actually made it official

And their situationship was fine as it was, for a while... but Finch really feels like she needs to devote herself to people entirely. And she felt bad having her attention pulled away from Robin, her best friend since forever, by other friends and especially other potential love interests.

So she was like fuck it and, in the privacy of Robin's room one night, while he was playing video games, they made it official

It was all sappy and shit <333

She DEDICATED herself to him

She's a great gf honestly

Neither of them are very fond of PDA, and Finch is very stoic and rather serious irl, and she feels like she needs to keep up her intimidating persona

so they keep the lovey-dovey shit behind closed doors

i love them they're so cute

her other little "title" alongside "the bodyguard" is "robin's protector" bc that's basically what she is. She doesn't let any harm come to him as long as she's there.

She even pays Bailey's rent for him. So yeah she juggles like a million jobs trying to afford that

But she tries to find jobs that are safe that robin could do, bc honestly that lemonade stand... isn't helping much.

Unfortunately all the higher paying jobs come with a lot of risk. Risk she's not willing to put Robin through.

She feels very protective over him, not in a weird way but genuinely she hates seeing him hurt, but it's gotten to the point where she feels like he can't go anywhere and do anything.

It's putting quite a damper on his confidence levels.

And she's noticed.

But what can she do other than try to protect the love of her life?

And when it gets to the point where she has to choose between a confident robin, or a safe robin, what will she choose?

Is it even up to her?

Wow sry guys that was a lot. Also as much as I love DOL I don't actually play that much so I might get some details wrong or miss big plot things that I just haven't seen so... yeah.

Ok bye lol

[fruiteggsaladit]

Who she is to ME SPECIFICALLY.

Or,

Botan gets 10x times funnier if interpreted as being a 30-something-year-old

Link to tiktok user@johannes2o's "POV: our friend is an airport dad" video on tumblr: https://only-tiktoks.tumblr.com/post/713049563491155968 ; with screenshots of various comments: https://redead-red.tumblr.com/post/716343198278123521

Further thoughts:

.... Okay so I know three out of 4 of these circles are parental figures (technically only two of them are parental figures, the third one is a figure of speech) but I resent when a female character is assigned as the "mum" of the group when she's clearly, at most, if I have to use a failial term, an uncle.

The fact that in the manga she's told by Koenma not to tell Yusuke abt the egg potentially devouring him if he does or thinks something bad wasn't NEARLY utilised for its comical and dramatic worth that it had and this has scrambled my brains ever since. Yusuke thinks he just has to hang onto the egg, Botan however is fully aware of the truth of the test and is probably sweating bullets for him!

She's used to sending clients to their death not to help them improve as a person whose character growth will be acknowledged by the heavens - usually it's enough for the client to feel ready to move on but that isn't the case here! HE'S GONNA DIE FOR REALSIES AND HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW-- leading to Botan being Weirdly Invested and Pushy about Yusuke doing good deeds, which Yusuke finds weird at first bc she wasn't like this at the beginning? But he's also not smart or observant enough to assume that she knows something he doesn't. Misogyny win! (Headcanon: Yusuke thinks its feminist of him to know a woman can hit him just as badly as a man can. .... Yusuke oh my god.)

Which when I rewatched A Goofy Movie and we get to the principal yelling at Goofy about how Max is destined for the electric chair for staging a performance for the student body and ask Roxanne out, gave me perfect panicked Botan vibes.

"The electric chair...." (an extremely haunted expression on Goofy's face. He then picks up something that reminds him of the Goof family roadtrip and decides this is what will save Maxie from future legally sanctioned execution.)

There's also this one part in the Yukina arc where she, Kuwa, and Yusuke are trekking through a forest and she looks like she's the only one prepared for a trek, and she's the one pointing which way is the right one, gave me the headcanon that she camps and is wildlife-savvy and I got very attached to that.

Next, Mrs Bennet. Oh Mrs Bennet. Poor woman is stuck in a society that values men and realised a little too late that she and her husband should have made sure their girls could have an education and thus secure some work, sadly her husband is useless and she's the only one panicking about it; worse, her panic makes any potential suitors turn away from her daughters. Arguably even worse, it alienates her from her daughters, who also realise how dire things are, but don't appreciate her stress.

Have I mentioned my "Botan gets 10x times funnier if interpreted as a 30-something"?

Its canonically stated in the manga that her birthday and age are unknown, so really she could be billions of years old (Edltrich botan... YES) or she could be a baby ferrygirl/shinigami. She's never heard of Sensui until he shows up in the Chapter Black saga, who disappeared 10 years prior to reappearing. Which implies she entered this service 10 or less years ago.

I personally think it's the funniest if she's in her thirties and she'll still get swept up by the youthful energy of the kids and then repeatedly get mentally hit by the truck of "You're the adult here."

The miscommunication would be great! Yusuke has no idea why Botan is so invested in his good deeds first and now in him being the spirit detective - little does he know, she got invested bc she was literally told "if he doesn't do a good job, he'll get eaten by the monster he's made (that we gave him)", and she's having complicated feelings she doesn't want to address ever abt him being a 14-year-old with a life-debt to the afterlife bc they offered him the chance and never told him there were strings attached.

Meanwhile Botan doesn't know WHY he just can't listen to her or Koenma when that's the easy part!! Obedience is DEFINITELY the easy part!!! She's going above and beyond what was originally in her job description, he can too!! (Hello soul-crushing guilt she's locking away never to look at again. Hello shame that she was a part of this. Hello cowardice at the inability to own up to this!) Hence the yoda.

[skorchinq]

Bows Only: Third Time’s the Charm

[IDs in alt text]

Not only did we have a free Faruzan and a Ganyu banner in 3.6, but 3.7 brought the Ibis Piercer bow in the event and the third Yoimiya banner since this account began. Which of these banners will prove fruitful? Will we get Ganyu? Will Yoimiya finally come home after dodging us twice? Let’s find out...

First thing’s first, finally did the ascension quest! It brought us up to world level 7 and AR 52-- but nearly 53.

and of course, it didn’t take much longer to actually reach 53...

After this, I did something I haven’t done on this account in a long time... I actually played the Archon quest.

Excuse me sir... sir?

Got this crazy screenshot with two Paimons. Woah

Omgoose Hi Kujou Saraaaa hi hiiiii :3

I once again forgot my name was DavidBowie and choked

But anyways look at this incredible Ganyu piece I got!!

Our first max ascension character has got to be Amber, of course. And we’ve finally done it!

We even made some progress in the Abyss!

And after ages, I finally got the Inazuman craftable bow. It’ll be good for Yoimiya... one day...

We got the Liyue statues all the way up to Level 9! Which means we can finally complete chapter 8 of the adventurer’s handbook!

We’re pretty close to finishing chapter 9, too...

Oh I forgot about this until I found the screenshot making this post... this had me cackling. Someone joined my world, asked one question, and left...

idk guys, they may claim to be a simple wanderer who idolizes Kaeya_bulge26 on tiktok, but I kinda get the feeling that... do you think they might actually be Kaeya_bulge26 on tiktok??? I dunno...

Anyway I finished chapter 9

And got Tartag to max ascension!

And Kujou Sara to max friendship!

I then got a 5* on the standard banner! Can you guess who it was?

I hate everything

Back to the Archon Quest! Hi Teppei!!!

Bye Teppei I left to do the Brewing Developments Event

Ok we’re back! Hi Gorou!

Also this guy...

Don’t lie to me Nathan. I know what you are

Yes that’s right. Our time to fight side by side with Gorou has finally come. Not like he’s been here since the very beginning or anything

Venti’s max ascended!!

And I got a northlander billet fighting Boreas! since we already have all 3 bows that use it, we’ll use this to refine Amber’s weapon.

Teppei you goof

Gorou is max friendship as well!

It was then... that we finally got Ganyu!!

and a couple Fischl cons to boot!

And oh Archons we are at World Level 8.

Well, it should be no issue now that we have Ganyu. She’s strong, graceful, and most of all...

She’s great for collecting pigeon meat :)

Anyway. I got another gold on the standard banner, but unfortunately it ended up being nothing more than weapon fodder...

After that, we did the Interdarshan Championship event and got our free Faruzan!

I scrambled to get that event done in a single day... and in 3.7, the King of Invocations event was the same. tbh I was pretty burnt out w/ genshin for a while, I probably would have skipped the 3.7 event entirely if it weren’t for the fact that it gave a bow. I didn’t even bother to screenshot it cause it was late and I forgor. I did get it tho. It’ll be a nice Tighnari weapon when we get him.

And of course, given my pity was reset when I got Ganyu and I wasn’t playing much, it should come as no surprise that... yeah, I didn’t get Yoimiya on her banner. I did get her somewhere else, though!

You can’t escape me in TCG, at least.

Hey, we’ll get her next time. Fourth time’s the charm, right?

Now, 4.0′s coming up, and we’ve got both Yelan and Lyney to go for... I’m going to pull for Yelan first, but should we manage to get her I’ll pull for Lyney after! Since starting this account a year ago, we’ve lost every single 50/50 to Jean... but this patter will finally change on Fontaine. I believe it! I’m manifesting it!!! We WILL get Yelan!!! ...or at least lose the 50/50 to Tighnari instead!

Look, my standards are really low at this point. I just want bow characters man

Also fun fact! I’ve been trying to post this update for literal weeks, but I was experiencing some uhhh. technical difficulties

See, the post editor on web doesn’t let me add alt text. Everywhere on the internet says that there should be an icon with three dots you can click to add the alt text but there. is not. It doesn’t matter if I hover over or click the image, it doesn’t change, there is no icon to click on the image anywhere. But that was fine because it still worked just fine on mobile! So what I’d do for previous posts in this series is make the first draft of the post on web (because that’s where all the screenshots are), save, and then go back and edit the draft on mobile, adding alt text IDs then.

And here’s where the problem arises: recently, for no apparent reason, I can no longer edit or post drafts on Tumblr mobile. I can view my drafts. I can open them. I can change things. But no matter if I hit save changes or post now or anything else, Tumblr then experiences an error, it doesn’t post, and none of my changes are saved. It just goes back in my drafts the way it was before I edited it.

So, if I can’t edit drafts on mobile, I’ll have to do it on web. I quickly tested to make sure it worked, and it did! But I still. can’t add alt text in the tumblr post editor.

Until I had the idea to add alt text not through the post editor but through the Inspect element! Once again, I tested it out and it seemed to work. Adding alt text through the inspect element on web and then saving caused that alt text to show up when viewing the draft on another device! So, I finally was able to finish the post! Literally the day Fontaine drops!

I’m thinking of liveblogging my Yelan pulls. Which will be in like half an hour lol. So! Stay tuned for that!

[mxcat777]

See previous tags copied in tags, bc I'm too lazy to screenshot, crop, add to post. But! Not exactly a fanfic, but more of a fic-shaped ramble, I'm good at those, writing them into fics is something else entirely, but vibes I can share

Going off of the idea of Dream more or less accidentally ending up with countless wet dream!Hobs, who are all desperate to fulfill their function, but Dream being too jealous to let them work with any other dreamer. So they just end up kind of ambushing him. Not that he minds, deep down. Pf course, for show, he must protest, but the thing is. They're all Hob. They all possess his beautiful puppy dog brown eyes. And they're wet dreams, it's their function to Know what dreamers want/need. Dream wants/needs. Desperately.

So he doesn't stand a fucking chance.

So at some point, their leader, as it were, checks in with a very knowing and tired of his majesty's shit Lucienne, to make sure Dream won't be needed for anything important (they're wet dreams, not irresponsible, come on) for a few days at least (Lucienne translates this to a solid week probably more, she knows how long it's been, she knows how pent up he is, she knows how hopelessly gone he is, she is being realistic here).

They ask Dream for an audience. He acquiesces. (He has to, even if he has an apprehensive feeling about the whole thing. He can't act like anything is amiss. Because nothing is! This is totally normal! What do you mean how is it normal to have dozens of perfectly functional dreams not performing their functions, they're... Not. Suited. Yeah that.)

They arrive. All of them. Dream realizes he has made a grave miscalculation. He very gracefully, shut up, attempts to make a tactical retreat. No he doesn't flee, Dream of the Endless doesn't flee!

(Any hasty scrambling attempted is anticipated by fed up dreams so he doesn't get very far.)

Dream's defences don't hold up very long against dozens of Hobs all staring at him Like That. They are wet dreams after all. This is their function. To give this relief to dreamers. He dreams, sometimes. He doesn't indulge often, but he can. He doesn't have much time for rest, but it is undeniable that dreaming himself helps to properly perform his function. He thinks of it as random drop in performance checks with his dreams. He can, privately, to himself, admit that this situation is... Unusual. He can allow them to perform their function. For their own comfort, of course. He is a gracious master. Sometimes. He tries to be. More than he used to. He's working on it ok, leave him alone!

He gives in. A mere ten seconds later, with several alarm bells going off, he realizes he has, again, made a severe error in judgement.

5 minutes later he is no longer capable to ponder the consequences of his decisions.

Of course, whilst Dream is getting railed six ways to Sunday, at some point Hob enters the Dreaming. The realm very smugly caters to the wishes of its master (and not precisely against the dreamer's wishes either, to absolutely nobody's surprise) and deposits a very confused Real Hob right in the middle of this fuckfest.

One of the dreams not currently on deck (there are several) has the presence of mind to explain to him what's happening. Something along the lines of

'so the last couple weeks/months/years any wet dreams our honored lord and master has created, he hasn't allowed to go out and perform their function. And meanwhile has displayed every single one of the symptoms we are made to look for when deciding what dreamers to cater to. You understand we had to make a point. We are perfectly capable and he needs to do something about himself or we'll do it.' (any improvements on this speech very welcome, it was different in my brain but it's not coming pit in words, the dream knows exactly why Dream is in this State and why they haven't been allowed out, and knows exactly who he's talking to -hard not to- but looks on with a shit eating grin while Hob puts the pieces together)

Anyway, at that point the dreams have all had their go, Dream is a sobbing mess and Hob has rubbed his two braincells together and arrived, lo and behold, at the correct conclusion.

So he steps forward. At first Dream think this is simply another dream he created, so he just sort of accepts his fate (enthusiastically) of having the point his subjects are making hammered home one more time. Then his Dreamlord braincell powers back up, which was understandably on standby, and he realizes with a shock that this Hob he has not made. This is the real one.

He doesn't have a lot of time to be mortified, but he still manages pretty solidly.

Then Hob's dreaming daydreams (nightdreams? Sleepdreams? Dreamdreams? Fantasies.) make very clear what Hob's stance on the whole matter is - horny as shit delight, to be precise - so he shuts up and spreads his legs.

Lucienne is very glad she blocked off a whole week in the calendar.

The various wet dreams get makeovers to be a little less Hob-like, so they can perform their functions.

Except the teacher!Hob dream. That one knows where to find its audience. Hob is simultaneously flattered, in stitches at Dream's face, a little weirded out, and resigned to deal with some embarrassed students while knowing exactly what the cause is.

The bartender!Hob also petitions to stay the way he is. It sticks for a bit, but then he asks to broaden his parameters to include more varied bartenders, because there isn't nearly as big a demand for him as there is for teacher!Hob. Hob doesn't know how to feel about that.

We have all talked about Hob having a thing for goth twinks, but have we considered Dream creating wet dreams that look just like Hob?

Like, every time he gets thirsty for Hob, bam! Another wet-dream!Hob. We have a 1389 mercenary Hob, a 1489 Hob with ink-stained fingers, all up to a 2022 Professor Gadling. But that's not all! Because Dream also has an Ancient Greek Hob in a chiton (inspired by 2022 Hob cheekily calling him "Lord Morpheus," like ONE TIME), a Hob in fishnet stockings, garter belt, and a leather corset with his tits out (inspired by one of Hob's random dreams where he's poledancing in high heels)--there's just, there's a lot, okay.

And, like, Dream can't even send the wet-dream!Hobs out to do their jobs because he gets jealous. So now Dream has a harem--I mean, beg your pardon, Dream has a very respectable group of wet-dream!Hobs in the Dreaming who are increasingly feeling useless and, dare I say it, desperate to please their Creator.

I don't know where exactly I'm going with this, but I'm sure it's in a very spicy direction.

[whimsy9sims]

Words of love - Episode 1 Part 2

The next morning arrived with a vengeance, and Josie was jolted awake by the blaring alarm clock. She scrambled to get dressed, brushing her hair in a rush, and dashed out the door. Running through the busy streets, she resembled a caffeinated tornado racing against time.

Breathless, she finally arrived at the office, and as luck would have it, her nemesis Emma was the first to welcome her with a smug smile. "You're late," she chimed, her voice laced with barely concealed satisfaction.

Josie's eyes rolled so hard they might have taken a spin around the world. Facing her work rival first thing in the morning was not the caffeine kick she had hoped for. Unfortunately, their desks were like neighboring countries, impossible to ignore.

Then, just when Josie thought her morning couldn't get any worse, her boss Yvette’s voice cut through the air. "Josie? Can I see you in my office?"

Resignation weighed heavily in Josie's heart as she felt her heart beating faster. "I'm toast. Probably the record-holder for the fastest demotion post-promotion," she muttered, her despair an echo of the morning's chaos.

But then, a light bulb flickered to life in her mind. A plan, however desperate, was better than no plan at all.

With a determined expression, Josie slowly made her way to Rafael's desk, her grin as convincing as a politician's campaign speech. "Hey there, Raf."

Rafael's response was just what she expected; a low growl emanated from him like a disgruntled bear.

"Raf! Please, I need your help!" Josie pleaded, abandoning all pretense of composure. Desperation fueled her voice as she implored him to intervene on her behalf. She didn’t have much time for her usual convincing ways.

Rafael's response was succinct, and it stung. "Sorry, you're on your own, Bennet."

“Josie?” Yvette’s voice was heard again. Gulping down her disappointment, Josie headed towards Yvette’s beckoning office. "Coming," she replied, her voice a somber note.

Inside Yvette’s office, Josie plastered a smile on her face, determined to face the impending doom with a semblance of grace. "You wanted to see me?"

Yvette’s eyes held a glimmer of intrigue as she motioned towards the other occupant in the room. "Josie, I want you to meet our new member. I've decided that you'll be working closely with him on the next article. Show him the ropes, introduce him to the flow of things. Josie, meet Finn. And Finn, this is Josie. She's one of the sharpest minds we have in the company."

Frozen disbelief carved itself onto Josie's features as her gaze settled on the newcomer. It couldn't be. But the face was unmistakable. The guy she'd met at the club, the one she had an inexplicably enthralling connection with, stood right before her.

"You..." Finn mumbled.

A concoction of surprise, curiosity, and secret excitement mingled in her eyes as they locked onto his. This could only lead to one thing: a rollercoaster ride of unexpected twists and turns, guaranteed to keep her on her toes.

Josie's lips twitched into a playful smile as she mentally braced herself for the adventure that lay ahead. "Well, this is certainly going to be interesting," she thought, her thoughts alive with anticipation.

_____________________________________

P.S - I'm still new to taking screenshot and I plan on getting better at that! If anyone has tips for me I would love to know <3

Also, I change my reshade so that's why the pictures look a little different here. Sorry for all the unprofessional shenanigans, I will try to get better at this! I'm just really passionate about this story :)

[abla-soso]

that post u screenshoted is still valid??? all of those things shiv said were right just like what tom said to shiv was right. tom isn't some poor sad victim he is literally actively pushing to be with these awful people whether it's through shiv or not. i love tom but he's just as manipulative towards shiv as she is to him. shiv and tom got together at one of her lowest points and tom flies out to her because shes having a bad time and thats the first time they have sex and tom proposing to shiv while she thinks her dad is dying and tom trying to convince shiv to have a baby with him when they think hes going to jail and tom trying to get back on her good side when shes struggling at her fathers wake. like tom is not the only one being used here. he wasn't a cunt to her later when logan died bc they were equal he had actually just lost his most table way in waystar that's why karl drags him and he scrambled to find someone to take him under his wing at logans wake

I was specifically debunking the "Tom tried to baby-trape Shiv without her knowledge" part, not the whole argument about the Tomshiv fight. And I never said that Tom was a poor sad victim. Did you miss the part where I said he was a selfish, conniving, social-climbing bitch who likes to abuse people beneath him?

He's equally as bad as Shiv, but he never had the opportunity to act as bad as her until he was finally able to socially climb closer to Shiv's level. That's why all these claims of him being as terrible to her during the marriage (when he was - to quote Logan himself - fathoms beneath her) are delusional.

[beevean]

It's here 🥰

As the one who contributed to one predictable half (i deserve financial compensation for taking all those screenshots), I would like to give my thoughts, because it really his fascinating how easily we could compare those two.

Narratively, they have absolutely nothing in common. Sunny is the protagonist of a videogame, around which everything rotates and is meant to be likeable from the get-go; Lenore is a minor villain of a TV show, one that at first we were meant to despise or at the very least be disturbed by.

Furthermore, Sunny is, in short, an empty shell. He is meant to be as #relatable as possible; I have seen multiple times how analyses that propose that he's this complex, nuanced, gripping character basically boil down to "he's just like me fr fr", appealing to those who suffered from depression and other issues. Nothing of the sort with Lenore, who has a personality, however ill-defined and contradictory, and her main appeal is her sexiness her cunning and the concept of someone simultaneously caring and dangerous.

But both OMORI and NFCV have two things in common. One, giant holes in the story that allow fans to project their ideas and interpretations to fill in the plot and characterizations: in Lenore's case, I've seen fans who basically reverse engineered Hector and Lenore's relationship to answer the question "how come he holds no resentment against the woman who raped him into slavery?", coming up with all sorts of easily-disproven theories claiming that Lenore actually meant well from the get go and she only wanted to save his life and she lied to her sisters when she gloated about wanting to fuck him so more, etc. In short, they saw nuance and subtext when realistically it's just rushed writing. Can't make specific examples for OMORI but I'm sure @woodchipp can confirm it happens in that fandom as well :)

And two, the idea that sadness = sympathy. Not remorse, not regret, not any substantial chance in your action: simply being sad and in internal turmoil is enough to make you deserving of forgiveness. Lenore doesn't even remotely feel bad about deceiving Hector by taking advantage of his feelings and desire for freedom, which is the reason I constantly add a reminder of the line "you were having fun"; she is, however, very afflicted about how Carmilla's plan is making her feel useless and depriving her of her stability, she gives us her tragic childhood to make us understand that she only wants peace, she is contrasted against the much more malicious Carmilla so that she'll look more goodhearted by comparison, and she doesn't do anything other than simply talking to Hector about her own woes, being painted as a sad, lonely little girl seeking company from "the only one who listens to her" while not even bothering to talk to him about him. Hence, the claim that, for as much as she gave him a gilded cell and wanted to protect him from Isaac, Lenore doesn't actually love Hector and only treats him as her pet, which is precisely what she said he is after raping him and gloating about it.

NFCV also cheats by politely removing us of mostly every reminder of Lenore's past actions, such as the slave ring not even working - because if the ring hurt when Hector refused to work, it would make his situation a bit more questionable. And, of course, we are given no explanation as to why Hector has completely forgiven Lenore to the point of putting his life before hers, which again makes his fans scramble for an explanation which roughly sounds like "yes but after raping him she was nice to him and he just wants to be loved, so it's all water under the bridge because Hector is good at heart :)".

Lenore isn't even the only case. Look at Dracula being exonerated from his attempted anthrocide after one scene where he cries that he's killing his boy, or Isaac who is promoted to the role of a hero because he wants to do stuff for himself and he expresses his desire in a cool, epic way, rest in peace to all the innocents he murdered in cold blood for the crime of being in his way. The show does this very often.

(funnily enough, of all characters, Isaac more or less expresses this view about Hector. He stops him from "mending his mistakes" and seeking redemption for his betrayal because "he suffered enough". Putting aside the asinine idea of wanting to resurrect Dracula, the message that passes is that pain is enough of an expiation. Hector doesn't need character development, if he suffers for enough time!)

And as for Sunny, well, Wood said it better than I could, but in short the moral of the game is that everyone, the other characters and the player, should forgive Sunny simply because... he feels bad about it, and if he doesn't forgive himself he'll just kill himself, and you don't want that, do you? Look at him, he's just a poor boy! Isn't it enough to make you feel bad for him? Sure he doesn't do anything for his friends in real life, he abandons his bestie to his panic attack, he takes his friends' words of support based on the assumption he's grieving for a sister lost to suicide and uses them to assuage his feeling of guilt of having killed her, he only tells them that he lied to them right before he moves so that he won't have to deal with their reaction... but it's fine, because he should forgive himself because mental health is important 🥺

It's very blatant emotional manipulation that misses the point of having actually nuanced, complex characters who grow. It's the idea that simply being sad is enough to earn forgiveness and sympathy. Sunny suffered from his own mistakes, and that self-inflicted pain is enough to make him not just tragic but beyond reproach (Lenore didn't even suffer until the end lol, the moment she is in a less than comfortable position she kills herself). It's also the idea that your sadness is what matters the most, because Sunny's guilt eclipses the severe trauma of his friends who believed they lost a friend to suicide and broke apart, and Lenore's feelings of inadequacy are what the story chooses to focus on, rather than her victim's potential feelings that follow being deceived, raped by deception, treated like an animal, yet that treatment still being the most "love" he has ever received.

And you can only feel sorry for them if you quietly ignore how their actions affect others, or believe they were justified because one was a minor and the other was "kind". Both Sunny's friends and Hector are mere accessories to Sunny and Lenore's characters, who don't concretely develop because there is no need to do so. Aren't they tragic enough as they are? Sure, they have seriously hurt other people, but aren't they so cute in their sadness? Why can't you just want them to be happy to compensate for their sadness? He didn't mean to 🥺 she only meant well 🥺

So yeah, with the power of sloppy writing, we can compare a 16 yo boy who accidentally killed his sister and goes on a journey of self-forgiveness with a centuries-old vampire who abused her prisoner-turned-pet-turned-lover. The key is "cheap attempts at nuanced sympathy that become character-centered morality".

Netflixvania's Lenore and OMORI's Sunny: Why Are They So Similar When They Shouldn't Be?

Sunny is the protagonist of the 2020 game OMORI, a hikikomori who shut himself away from the world after accidentally killing his sister.

Lenore is one of the arc villains of Netflix' Castlevania (2017), a vampire diplomat who at first is sent to manipulate Hector into complacency, but then forms a more equal bond with her slave.

On the surface, Sunny and Lenore should have nothing in common. And yet, somehow, they do.

NOTE: I'm aware those two characters' big crimes (manslaughter and rape by deception, respectively) are not comparable. The point of this post is to document the numerous similarities in their actions and the ways their respective stories frame them - nothing else.

This post mentions such topics as sexual abuse and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

Lenore deceives Hector into having sex with her by pretending to support his desire to escape the situation he's trapped in, making him trust her on false pretenses; the support Sunny's friends give him is based on a lie he subconcsiously knows about, but doesn't divulge for the sake of covering his ass.

Hector reminds Lenore of the slave ring (a magical binding ring she used as a way to prevent him from fleeing the castle and/or rebelling against his captors), to which she only brushes him off by insinuating he was “having fun" when they had sex and Hector never brings up the subject again; Omori points out that the support Sunny uses to get through the final boss fight is based on the lie that Mari killed herself when Sunny was the one to accidentally kill her, and the game frames his point as unworthy of consideration solely because he’s Sunny’s evil mental illness.

Hector (presumably) makes peace with Lenore's abuse and then allows her to kill herself when she decides she doesn’t want to live anymore; Basil (presumably) makes peace with Sunny before the latter moves away despite Sunny’s abandonment of Basil prior to the game’s events. Both Lenore and Sunny abandon the person they're supposed to care about to the consequences of their own actions - twice, in Sunny's case.

Both Lenore and Sunny's suicides make the act look easy. The former kills herself on a whim and it's framed as romantic (with the show's director, Samuel Deats, outright confirming her death was presented as beautiful "for effect"); the latter’s fate is determined by a single "Yes/No" choice prompt after the final boss fight and the game frames him throwing himself off a roof if you select "No" as a joke by setting the cutscene to a cheery pop song.

Lenore barely shows any care about Hector's mental well-being since she's only concerned about his physical comfort; Sunny only imagines doing something nice for Basil by watering his flowers in Headspace without ever doing anything for him when he has the chance to.

Lenore seeks Hector's company only to complain about her woes; Sunny joins his friends again only because he's about to leave in 3 days.

NFCV's story wants the audience to forgive Lenore since she's sad about feeling useless even though she never does anything substantial to indicate she's changing into a better person; OMORI's story wants the audience to forgive Sunny since he's sad about killing Mari and abandoning his friends even though he never does anything substantial to indicate he's changing into a better person.

Hector's trauma is framed as irrelevant compared to Lenore's whining about how she feels useless; the grief Sunny's friends experienced in the four years before the game's events and are experiencing during said events is practically glossed over in favor of emphasizing how sad Sunny feels.

Lenore's rape by deception is trivialized into her making dick jokes with her victim, the very first scene of them together after her betrayal in the previous season, that is framed as a cute bonding moment; Sunny's manslaughter of Mari is trivialized into him having a nice picnic with his friends in front of her grave, a wholesome scene that ignores how he is sitting near the grave of the loved one he killed with his own hands, surrounded with his unaware friends, without as much as a hint of guilt (which could've been easily represented by Something)

As noted by the post's title and its introduction, the fact those two characters have this much in common is baffling and honestly disturbing. I shouldn't be able to compare a 16-year-old teenager to a 200-year-old rapist vampire that easily. That brings me back to the question posed by the title - why are they so similar when they shouldn't be?

The answer's plain and simple - shitty writing. In Lenore's case, the six-week time skip that gets the audience to the point where she and Hector are already besties may have come from NFCV's lead writer, Warren Ellis, being fired from the show following allegations that he molested women, which might've led to its last season being rushed. In Sunny's case, the reason for his failure as a character is thankfully far less horrific - Omocat has made it clear OMORI's emotional impact was their only priority, so it all boils down to them wanting to create the most tragic blorbo to have ever tragically blorbed at the expense of everything else, including the story's other characters and basic common sense.

[amarysso]

Genshin Roasts and Funz

Ok so I’ve been saving screenshots from events and quests meaning to make posts about them, but they never make it to actual post status 😭 so i just decided to compile them here as kind of a throwback post

For some reason in the Bake-danuki quest every time snow was involved there was an option to blame Kaeya??? Stop shading my boy mihoyo, he has trauma, he didn’t ask for this.

Madame Ping roasting Yanfei for supposedly being “too busy” during the Lantern Rite

Cloud Retainer getting mad that the other adepti went on their gaycation

Kaeya, Venti? Which one of you did this?

Paimon get roasted by Mihoyo. Like, all she was asking for was like a juicer? or a magic juicer? And the writers literally go out of their way to make her look dumb as hell, have the MC insult her, etc. Like seriously who hurt you?

Backhanded compliment for Xiao, he gets called handsome and short in the same sentence 😭

The Shogun is a weeb confirmed. I’m inclined to think this is true, Miko just passed it off as a joke. Can you imagine... “It’s been 300 years, for celestia’s sake, you’re my girlfriend, the least you could do is bring me some dango!”

I know everyone’s seen this already but this panel is just comedy gold 😭

I love how Paimon always talks about how she hates Childe for being evil but then when we see him again she’s scrambling like crazy to cover for him. She really does care ❤️ And poor aether is just putting up with it.

I see you, Ningguang, making your wife get all your stuff for you. Also, “I compensate her in other ways?!” 👀 that’s bold.

My review of the Enkanomiya event.

Why all these Sangonomiya Samurai like “snake lady hot?” I mean they’re not wrong but I think we’ve got bigger problems guys.

alright, that’s what I got for now, hope you enjoyed.