#I honestly dig the humour

[bornnraisedinsilenthill]

The Dead Don’t Die gave me Monty Python vibes, but in a sane way.

Probably due to the UFO.

[llamagoddessofficial]

hi i was wondering if you would happen to have any jealous classic scenarios- like the cause and what he would do about it ok thank u ilu bye (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

Oho... classic Sans... my funky ketchup packet.... it's been so long since we had JUST him, hasn't it?

Looking at him, you wouldn't think he's the jealous type. How could anyone think so? He just seems so silly. He's so round and soft, he's your best bud. How could he possibly be jealous, he makes dad jokes and 'threatens' to hide whoopee cushions around the house if you don't give him a kiss. He plays videogames on the couch and pauses them to catcall you as you walk by. You can trust him.

He doesn't dislike any of your close friends, he doesn't make a fuss when you think a famous person is hot (he might even agree), he doesn't start shit when you get hit on. From the outside it's like he's never been worried or jealous in his life. It's honestly relaxing.

... Sans is a very, very deep lake. The surface seems completely still and glassy, welcoming to swimmers. But the currents writhing beneath are powerful enough to grind away mountains.

Yes, he gets jealous. Very much so. He's just incredibly good at hiding it.

His tells are minute. If you're not Papyrus, it takes a very keen eye to pick up on them. And if you're at the point where you can pick up on them it might be time to get him out of there.

His eyelights will be a different shape - smaller, more tense. His smile hangs a fraction lower. He sometimes acts like the other person isn't there, he stares at them for just a moment too long. He slips an arm around you like a declaration of ownership. He makes up reasons for the two of you to leave the room. His words are ever-so-delicately laced with venom, he'll insult someone right in front of you and you won't even realise until you're halfway home.

As for why he gets jealous...

The one thing he knows he can give you is his humour. He knows that for what he lacks in looks and personality, he can more than make up for with how much he makes you laugh. No one makes you laugh like him.

... Which means he hates when someone else does make you laugh.

It digs right into his Soul like a needle. He can't stand someone else lighting you up like that. Especially if he thinks they're more attractive to you than he is.

You might not be able to tell when he's jealous. But you can always tell after he's felt jealous. Because... he's just that little bit more cuddly at the end of the day.

[tojisun]

hockey player simon pt 03 // part of this plot // mlist

i swear it was just supposed to be a drabble w no plot

jo heaves a sigh the moment you slide in front of her, and you would have been insulted if it wasn't for the gentle smile she gives right after. still, she's staring at you with that teasing tilt of her lips and her eyes narrowed in humour, one that you're not privy to.

"what?" you finally bite out, fiddling with your iced coffee, feeling self-conscious.

you fleet your eyes to yourself and, yeah, sure you're wearing the same pants as yesterday’s but c'mon? you didn't get to go back to your place after, well...

at least you didn't repeat your top, and is instead wearing a sweater you've stolen from simon's closet. cashmere, cream and soft, and the material comfortable, if not a little bit loose in the arms that droop past your fingers.

you thought you at least looked like those typical college students in the movies—effortlessly chic in a boyfriend sweater, if not a little haggard because who is not when in university?

she finally chuckles, the thrum of her voice easing up the frown that tugged your brows together. “don’t sweat it, superstar. it’s just that i’m still not used to seeing you be a sugar baby.”

you choke mid-sip, her words devouring you like an angry tide. you feel your eyes water in protest, the feeling burning as you sputter.

“i’m not–!”

“you’re not what?” tim asks, sliding into the seat beside yours.

you grumble, wagging a finger as you wipe your stained chin with your other hand. jo snorts and fills him in, chuckling all the while as she gestures at your sweater because she knows it couldn’t possibly have been yours.

tim’s smile turns cheeky, teasing, and he wiggles his brows at you.

“shut up, oh my god,” you whine, rolling your eyes at them, almost shyly, and you feel your cheeks warming. “i’m not– simon’s not my–”

“oh c’mon, babe,” jo says, playfully throwing her mechanical pencil at you. you huff before chucking it back at her, giggling to yourself when it bounces off her arm and rolls into the floor.

tim picks it up for her.

“he buys you expensive things—” her eyes flit to the new promise ring that you’re wearing. you unconsciously hide it behind your palm. “and pays for your tuition which i’m so, so jealous of.”

“doesn’t he fly you around too? in a private jet or something?” tim pipes up, shamelessly snagging away your iced coffee now that you’re too preoccupied to drink it.

“he doesn’t!”

twin brows quirk up in silent judgement.

“…he buys us first class tickets, not, like, a whole jet.”

see? they seemed to say with the way they cock their heads to the side.

you sniff. “it’s for work,” you mumble, remembering the first time simon flew you for his games.

“i mean, for him, maybe. but you? tell me what business do you have in winnipeg?” tim chirps and you almost want to jump him just to make him shut up.

“sugar baby,” jo finishes, singing. “but i mean, who can blame him, huh?” she grins, her voice dipping into a faux southern accent. “i’d spoil you too, sugar.”

“oh, you flirt,” you trill, taking the opening she offers to change the topic.

tim takes the bait and whines about how jo doesn’t do all those things for him, but jo is unmoved, eyeing you knowingly, but thankfully drops it too.

it’s just—

there’s a whole stigma to athlete’s girlfriends. for god’s sake, they even have a whole label—puck bunny—which is honestly just a dig made up by really shitty men who burn with jealousy . and you know that, but—

you can’t help but wonder if some, not all, of simon’s love for you is because of what you do to him. of what you give him in return. especially since he’s so busy all the time, either flying during the season and is rarely home, or packed with training and other physical regimen during the offseason.

so you wonder if this—flying you with him on the days the official WAGs are not being flown by the franchise, bringing you to vacation spots on the other side of the ocean, buying you everything you used to only dream of ever having—was his way of paying you back for your support and patience and care and love.

tim knocks his shoulder with yours, worry now lining his boyishly charming face.

“y’alright?”

“of course.” you lick your lips. “so did you ever get a copy of the lab sheet from rayan?”

.

you watch from the front seats as the team wrap up practice tonight, their coach looking pleased at their performance. it was still difficult to follow the game, but the players all look content too despite the sweat and their ragged breathing.

they never did know how to hold back even during a practice.

you say your goodbyes to the other people who came to watch, shooting simon a text that you’ll be waiting for him in the parking lot, and walk out.

the cashmere sweater, thankfully, is enough to fight off the cool air and the gentle breeze while you make your trek to simon’s distinct range rover, all sleek and pure black like he’s got the damn royals for a passenger.

it’s locked so you hover outside, stuffing your hands in the pockets of your pants, and entertained yourself with making puffs of air like you’re ten again. it’s honestly not too bad to be alone, if it weren’t for the sudden swarming of your doubts—the very same ones you thought you already shrugged off before taking the cab to the rink.

fuck.

“hey, love,” simon’s voice pierces through your thoughts and you jump, barely smothering the yelp that almost tore itself from the base of your throat.

you swivel, heart pounding, and simon’s beautiful face creases into one of concern.

“are you–”

“si!” you greet, jogging to him.

he laughs and opens his arms for a hug, one that you excitedly give him. you tuck your cold face in the crook of his neck, breathing him in, taking in the antiseptic scent of rink soap and the faint smell of his shampoo.

his body is so warm against yours, and you can’t help but melt in his hold, body relaxing at the comfort he brings you.

“you ready to go home?” he asks like the insinuation that his home is also yours is not heart-stopping and world-changing.

you nod, unable to trust your voice right now.

there’s something different whenever it’s just you and simon—your thoughts, for once, are quiet and your confidence in yourself peaking like simon is the only place in this world where you can truly be yourself. it’s not just indulgence, nor tolerance, but it’s pure unadulterated acceptance.

and maybe it’s because of that realization, that flipped switch, that in the lull of your conversation with simon, you bring it up.

“did you know? my friends think that you’re my sugar daddy.”

you feel him freeze, body going rigid as your words spill into the space between you two. you continue to hide your face away from, avoiding a serious conversation as regret begins to build, shame licking up from your fingertips to your ears.

stupid, you think to yourself. why the hell did i bring it up? fuck—

then, simon laughs, soft and sputtering, his whole body shaking as he giggles, choked wheezes uncontainable. you tip your head up just enough to catch his eyes, questions filling your tongue, waiting to be spilled, but simon cups your cheek so tenderly before you could doubt anything any more.

“do i need to be one to spoil you rotten?” he asks like he didn’t just shaken the foundations of your doubts.

do i need to be one to spoil you rotten, he said like spoiling you was the norm. like showering you with expensive gifts and booking you expensive flights and helping you with your expensive necessities was something that boyfriends typically do. like your friends are the odd ones for thinking he had to be anything other the man you’re dating to be able to splurge for you.

“no,” you say, dizzy with the weight of your affections.

simon’s smile droops, his eyes clearing. “was that something that honestly worried you?”

“i–”

the humour leaves him, and simon straightens up at seeing the gravity of the turmoil in your heart. his hands fall to your sides, thumbs hooked in the dip of your hips. he leans forward until his nose is brushing against yours.

“you know i love you, right?” simon asks, his voice quaking in desperation.

“yeah,” you sniffle, honest because god you mean it. “yeah, si. i know.”

“okay,” he says after a while, still intensely looking at you like you aren’t surely anything but a blob in his eyes with how close you two are pressed to each other.

then, his lips brush with yours, so faint, you almost missed it. you shudder at the feeling of it—how could a chaste kiss feel so intense?—your lips wobbling as something in your heart bloats.

you feel simon’s lips stretch into a grin from where they’re ghosting above yours, and then he’s kissing you again, this time deeper and longer. you curl your arms around his neck, feeling like you’re being swept off your feet all over again.

because simon is not good with words, truly, but he’s managed to swing an axe to the cornerstone of your self-doubt and made it crumble.

.

“oh god,” jo sobs in your arms, the two of you snuggled up under your sheets. “that was a joke! i promise!”

“i know,” you say, giggling. “i swear jo, it’s not you, it’s me.”

she looks up at you, eyes shimmering with tears. “are you sure?”

“yeah,” you croon, bumping foreheads with her. “...‘sides, simon’s taking me somewhere to make up for, and i quote, ‘making you doubt how serious i am about you’.”

she sniffs. “…permission to make a joke again?”

you grab your plushie from somewhere behind you and smack her ass with it.

“ow!”

“stop being dramatic—that didn’t hurt.”

[giggles nervously] so uh. 🏃🏻

[originallandlockedmariner]

August 1996 & August 2023

In my late 20’s I was soft.

I hid behind excuses, rationalizations, and self deprecating humour.

I didn’t respect myself.

I didn’t like myself.

I was drifting further away from who I knew I was inside.

I was lazy.

Complacent.

Embarrassed.

Ashamed.

Unhealthy.

Unfocused.

Undisciplined.

I’m in my 50’s now.

I have dedication.

Purpose.

Grit.

I’m healthier, focused, and disciplined.

Accountable.

Happier.

I am the most genuine and authentic version of myself.

I’m proud of my work.

My sacrifices.

My challenges.

My integrity.

This is me.

So the moral of the story is….

Transformation is a process riddled with ups and downs. Honestly...some days it seems all you get is a healthy serving of hurdles. Life has a funny way of challenging every plan you put into motion. Setbacks followed by crippling self doubt followed by injury. I've learned there are no days off. You just gotta trudge on. Dig in. Embrace Grit.

Unlearning years of bad habits isn't easy, it’s that old path of least resistance thing, but I've never felt more healthy or proud of the work once I've put in an honest effort. You just gotta trust in the process. Faith in yourself to be a little bit better tomorrow. Continue focusing on better eating, commitment to training with purpose and working on your mental health.

Realize, we all stumble. I’m actually fairly proficient at it. But failure is a single event not a characteristic. It doesn’t define you any more than a single success does. Successful people have one thing in common - they find out what it takes to be successful and repeatedly do it. It’s that simple. They do it, again and again, not talk about it. Actions have always spoken louder than words, we all know this. Being knowledgeable in regards to fitness plans, diet information and health tips is only part of the journey. To get anywhere you need to apply it all in to action. Daily. Determination and discipline, not discussion, determine your distance. Stop talking about it and do it. And as cliché as it is, try to focus on ‘progress not perfection’. Even baby steps are moving you further away from who you were yesterday.

[lyralit]

4.1.24 - the importance of learning new things

As much as I think academic & work focus is incredibly important going into the new year, one of my other goals is to practice doing more: to learn all of the things I want to do, in addition to work, in addition to writing. I want to know how to do thousands of little things, and I think the longer we wait, the less likely we are to do them.

Picking up a new hobby doesn't have to be buying a dozen textbooks and spending hundreds of dollars on lessons because you might have the slightest interest: it can be from whatever you have here, now, and you'll never learn if you don't get started.

Some of the things I've been getting into (as I've mentioned before) are baking & crocheting. it just feels so cozy and nice & I love the idea of comfort.

here is a list of things I want to / you should try that's new!

learning a new language. fifteen minutes a day, I kid you not. I'm learning latin on duolingo and I don't ever think about it, but when I do it (25 day streak 💪🏻), I'm starting to notice my improvements

consuming good media. and that's not scrolling for half an hour on tumblr. it's books—deep ones and silly ones and ones about romance and dragons and apocalypses. it's movies! I watched keira knightley's pride and prejudice twice in the last few months, and also three men and a baby which is something I never thought I would watch, but it was quite funny I think. and I learn from it: I cannot write humour or romance for the life of me, so it's basically studying to write (is the self-gaslighting too evident?)

learning to crochet. I made a silly little headband today, after scrolling through pinterest and desperately wanting one. I started crocheting in december to give as gifts (I completed none of my wips, much like when I write) and used the tools I had around me: an old rainbow loom hook and whatever string I could find. now I'm proud to say I can read somewhat fluently crochet acronyms.

baking. I keep saying this. I know. but when I tell you a two years ago I was exploding cupcakes in the oven and last month I made bakery-style cookies...I made bread! a loaf of bread! (in a bread machine, but it's so good and I instantly made another. there is one in the bread machine right now). honestly it just made me feel that much better about improvement, and trying new things, and that is the mindset I want for the new year.

learning to code. in all honesty, I never thought I was a compsci - engineer kind of person. then this year, out of sudden (masterminded) urges, I joined a bunch of tech and robotics initiatives, and maybe it's the sense of community (I can rejoice in finding another nerdy group) but now I am happily chauffeuring myself to these meetings 4h a week. I'm looking into pursuing more into the fields of eng and science. and I'm learning some code from one of the friends I've made!

starting a blog. ...I know most of the people who linger around my blog stay for the writing content (the last posts have turned this writerblr into a digital diary, and I'm only half sorry for that). but since I've joined tumblr (almost three years ago now!) I've got to meet so many wonderful people (including you!) and want to try so many things.

and I get it. it's overwhelming. so here are some starting goals that maybe I'll try also.

start doing art. -> make a card for someone as a gift.

learn a new sport & start exercising. (I'm trying out track & field in the spring, so stay tuned to figure out how that goes) -> see if someone will come play ball with you. do 1 or 2 youtube workout videos a week.

film videos of your daily life. it doesn't need to be for posting! -> edit together clips you've taken for a last year recape.

start a scrapbook. -> print out photos and dig up construction paper. decorate a page.

make a poetry journal. -> go on pinterest to read poetry! pin styles you like and set fifteen minutes to writing.

make a regular journal! -> write once a day. just try: goals for the day in the morning, or a recap at night.

try your hand at gardening. -> research plants that grow well in your region. see if any of the seeds you may have at home are useful. water your lawn. buy a plant and try to keep it alive (set reminders, leave it in front of your sink)

learn to make candles. -> watch a youtube tutorial. see if you can play around with candles you already have.

play chess. -> see if someone will play chess with you. no? chess.com is right there. go make an account. go find a stranger.

learn to play an instrument off youtube. -> maybe you have a piano sitting around, or a guitar you've never touched. you don't even need to master it. pick a song you like and google that. no instrument? maybe there's a way to play drums with home items.

go for a run. -> once a week. a set time. just shoes and the outdoors. too cold? go to a gym and use a treadmill. maybe that's not possible? skip rope.

start / join a book club. -> just you, or some close friends, or people online. a book a month. talk about it.

** on that note, would anyone like to join a tumblr book club? slide into my asks and maybe we can get a blog list!

thank you for reading again <3 until next time.

k.

[bits-and-babs]

Pt 2 to soap x medic!reader??

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐍𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 – 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍𝐍𝐘 '𝐒𝐎𝐀𝐏' 𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐇

synopsis: when you admit you're nervous, johnny tries to calm you down. he does the exact opposite.

pairing: johnny 'soap' mactavish x f!reader (stitch)

warnings: medical themes, mutual pining, yearning, dirty jokes, johnny being the loveable arsehole he is, vague references to nsfw.

soap masterlist: here [ pt 1. here ]

Slipping the steel cutting needle through the split skin above Johnny's eyebrow, you chew the inside of your cheek in a desperate attempt to ease the threat of a tremor in your hands. You're almost certain by the stinging ache buried in the meat of your face that you'd gnawed at the flesh to the point you'd bruised it.

"Remind me again why you chose me?" Johnny's accent grumbles under his breath, wincing as the needle pierces the mangled flesh again.

He's referring to your decision to request that he come to you specifically in the event of an injury. You need practice, fresh out of training and still mildly terrified of an inescapable fate: hurting people while trying to help them. 

It was inevitable, of course. There's no way you could medically attend to a wounded soldier without hurting them in the process, bar doping them up to their eyeballs in ketamine. The sutures would sting, and the needles would prick– a certitude you had learnt to swallow begrudgingly. 

As for your reason for requesting Soap visit you in his need for medical assistance? You were honestly attempting to figure that out yourself...

"Truthfully?" You sigh, a smile pulling at the edges of your mouth, "You're always in the medical bay, Sergeant MacTavish. It's a perfect opportunity to practice."

Soap inhales sharply, a gasp, and it causes you to freeze in worry, eyes widening. He tries not to move too much, but places his palm to his tac-vest as though he's clutching at invisible pearls. "I cannae believe yer calling me clumsy!"

The lurch of your heart stills once you realise you hadn't hurt the ridiculous man. Letting out a trembling sigh, you try to exhale the pricking adrenaline teasing at the edges of your brain before continuing the procedure. 

"Would you disagree with me? I can't count on my hands how often Lieutenant Riley has carried you in he–"

"Yer meant to be curing me, Bonnie, not bruising my ego," Johnny grumbles again. Again, a smile stretches your lips, and you let the teasing comments die on your tongue while focusing on the stitch pattern. 

Annoying knots form in your lower back as you lean forward in your chair. Both of you are, quite frankly, an amusing tangle of limbs. In order to get close enough to the wound, one of your knees had settled between Soap's thighs, the other situated beside his left hip. The soldier's hands fall in his lap, your own pulling at the sutures. 

The Scot's blue eyes remind you of the ocean; they do little to douse the fire that heats your face. Instead, they fan the flame, the stare you can feel him levelling at you dredging up the remnants of the epinephrine you'd managed to suppress. 

"Always lookin' like yer gonnae be sick when you do this." Soap's voice is oddly soft, packed with cotton as he attempts to dig for answers, "Bein' squeamish seems like it'd be enough to put ye off bein' a nurse."

You let out a weak laugh, shaking your head to dismiss his assumption. The ridiculous man raises his brow in intrigue, only to wince his eyelids at the pain that followed. 

"It's not that," you admit quietly, chewing again at the inside of your cheek, "'M worried I'm hurting you." 

"Promise you, Stitch, ye hurt a lot less than bein' shot," he muses, those blue irises dancing in your peripheral when he scans your expression. It's such a mortifying admission. Of course it hurts when you treat patients, but something about it knocked you nauseous. 

Soap seems to realise the lack of humour in your profession. He hesitates momentarily, watching you work before placing a gentle hand against your knee in a comforting gesture. You know he means well, that he hopes to ease your churning anxiety, but kicks your heart into a gallop. 

Despite trying so hard to focus on your work, you are highly conscious of his searing gaze tracing the curve of your lips. Soap does it all the time, spends so much of his time with you gazing at your mouth like he's trying to commit the anatomy, each crease, to memory. In turn, you'd spend the silent moments between you and the Sergeant imagining what it would be like to kiss him. Like clockwork: bumping noses, the gentle scrape of his stubble against your chin and cheeks––

"We need you to ease up, Stitch. Can tell ye some silly jokes," he insists, tearing you from the daydream that threatens to pull you under. You cringe playfully, glancing down to catch his gaze for a moment. 

"Don't you tell me jokes anyw––"

"What's a pig put on dry skin?" He interrupts you, a grin spreading across his lips. You roll your eyes at the corny intro to the joke, letting out a mock sigh of exasperation that causes the Scot to chuckle. 

"I don't know, Soap. What does a pig put on dry skin?" 

"Oinkment."

"Thank God you joined the SAS; they wouldn't have let you into the comedy club," you muse, chest warming when Johnny's hearty laughter bounces off the infirmary walls. 

"Alright-" pausing again, Soap's eyes crinkle in the corners. There's a glint of something dangerous in those sea-blue rings around his pupils, and a smug smirk warns you that he's cooking up another joke. "What d'ye call a nurse with dirty knees?

Hesitation freezes your muscles, needle hovering over his skin. Your brows pinch together in contemplation, tongue suddenly too large for your mouth and coated in cotton. 

"I-... I don't-?"

Johnny smirks wider, his palm still on your thigh but somehow feeling as though it's burning through the flesh. 

"A Head Nurse." 

It's embarrassing, the choked sound of shock that works its way up your throat when your lungs collapse in on themselves. Heat burns across your face, like Johnny had placed a personal branding iron against your cheeks. 

The shakes that had been looming the entire time start in your wrists, and Johnny laughs at your mortified expression when you sit back in your seat. 

"Sorry, Stitch. Did'nae mean to make you feel uncomfortable." 

You want to tell him no again, reassure him that he hasn't–– but you can't admit the real reason his utterly absurd joke had crippled you. Couldn't force the words out of your mouth: that the mention alone had caused a surge of need. 

You'd dirty your knees for him. 

The heavy silence that settled between you has Johnny's laughter flatlining. His lips press together, jaw slack as he notes your expression. You can see the lightbulb flash above his head, the realisation settling into his features quicker than you can argue your case. 

Oh. 

"I'm gonna call another nurse to finish this––"

"Yea," Johnny chokes, swallowing nervously as he watches you stand from your seat. "Good idea." 

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[aihoshiino]

chapter 149 thoughts

Chapters Since The 143 Kiss Happened And Went Entirely Unacknowledged And Unaddressed Count: 6

anybody else here unironically love getting yuribaited or just me

Honestly I kind of don't know what to think about this chapter lol. As it stands I didn't really hate it - in a lot of ways, it feels like a return to the humour and emotional focus of early OnK which is something I've honestly been missing in the manga while revisiting the anime. Mengo's art toys chapter was great and getting some proper Akane focus was nice. On the other hand, transitioning into this style of writing with no cushioning after the last arc is so incredibly jarring and the Akane stuff we get here is… well, we'll put a pin in it for now and address it later.

In general "put a pin in it" feels like the right energy for this chapter. As the second chapter of a new arc it's primarily setup for the stuff we're going to be dealing with for the next however long, I think it's going to be something we can really only chew on when we have a more solid idea of what exactly it's setting up, long or short term.

Anyway…! We start off with an explanation of why Kana seemed to flip so suddenly last chapter which does patch up some of that logic a bit. I think it's a little silly that she didn't actually overhear the conversation and thus clue into the actual goings on with how close she was standing but that's basically romance misunderstandings 101 so…

Her leaping to assumptions and giving up so quick also feels a bit abrupt but tbh Kana has always been deeply insecure and quick to leap to it's so over when it comes to her feelings for Aqua. Not only that but as others have pointed out since last chapter, from Kana's outsider perspective, Aqua was at his happiest and most at peace while dating Akane and has been in a mental health spiral to the point of expressing suicidal ideation since they broke up. Obviously we, the readers, know the extenuating circumstances at place but from Kana's POV it makes perfect sense to conclude that Akane makes him happiest and is uniquely equipped to do so. It just feels clunky in execution.

On the subject of clunky… I won't lie, it really bugs me that the first really significant AKKN interaction we're getting is love triangle shit entirely centered on Aqua. One of my biggest complaints about the series post TB was the way the end of that arc set up a huge status quo change to Akane and Kana's rivalry and then kind of failed to expand on it at all and that continued to be true all the way up to the Movie Arc. I'd hoped that them both working in close proximity as actresses on the same project would give us opportunities to dig into that. We got some lip service in that regard and then swerved hard into suddenly hyperfocusing on Kana's insecurities regarding Ruby while Akane got all of zero meaningful focus during the back half of the Movie Arc even though she was one of the characters with the most potential to bring interesting things to the table.

Honestly, one of my biggest fears with Akane's declaration that she'd stop Aqua's plan was that even though the two of broken up, she would continue to orbit Aqua at the expense of being allowed an arc of her own that focused on her relationships with the wider cast. Like - even if what she says about not being romantically interested in Aqua anymore is true, she is nevertheless entirely revolving around him to a really frustrating degree. It really feels like Akasaka realized Akane would have solved everything going on in the Movie Arc and had to panic and offscreen her as a result lol.

tho akane dismissively talking about the idea of clinging onto a past lover did make me do a very mean chuckle. ouch, better hope ruby didn't overhear that one, girl!

That said, for all my complaints, I didn't hate their little talk. Yes, it contained an absolute mountain of transparent-to-the-point-of-cynical KanaKane shipbait but it was pretty gay so who's to say if it's really good or bad or not. It's also just nice to see Kana and Akane being able to have a talk that isn't entirely hostile even if I really wish it was under different circumstances, or even that we'd just seen the road they took to being able to be so civil with each other. But whatever - we're here now, I'll take what I get.

Circling back around a bit, I am intrigued by the idea of Akane framing herself as having 'moved on' from Aqua when she very clearly hasn't lol. Like I indicated up there, I don't quite think this is the case nor do I think we're supposed to uncritically accept this as being the case - it reads moreso to me that Akane is trying to convince not just Kana but also herself that she's moved on from Aqua so Kana doesn't feel like she's in Akane's way if she tries to shoot her shot. As for why… well, that's something to talk about at the end of the chapter but I do think it's interesting either way. Akane wildly overshooting in her scrabble to convince Kana it's totally just platonic and going for sonzoning Aqua was also about the most insane thing she's said in a while but her utterly panicked and deranged expression as she said it made me bust a gut laughing.

In general, the expression work this chapter was on fire and there was a ton of really funny and really cute moments - Akane's blushy pout after Kana's quasi-confession, the fish-eye lens effect on her when Kana sees her outside her door and especially her and Kana's expressions in the second to last page… jesus i lost it so bad.

I've been gushing about Mengo's panelling and expressions for the last ten or so chapters but she really is amping it up lately. It definitely feels like her art for OnK has been getting really refined during the last few volumes and while this chapter was a little whiplash-y coming off the end of the Movie Arc, I also think it's a really impressive display of Mengo's range, too. Her horror and drama chops were on full display while all that was going on but in a more lowkey chapter like this, she brings a lot of life and charm to even simple things like the little montage of everyone wrapping up their day of the beach - it's three silent, tiny panels at the bottom of the page but she crams a ton of detail and character into each one.

I also am Extremely Shrimpterested in the note this chapter ends on. Something OnK does occasionally is use genre trappings as a smokescreen for what is actually happening on page and Akane's words at the end here seem to indicate this is happening here, too. This entire chapter goes extremely hard on the romcom tropes and dynamics but the way Akane's energy totally changes once she's on her own makes me think this is intentional and a reflection of the way Akane is setting up to use Kana.

Because I do think it's undoubtable that she is setting up to use Kana. Her sudden leap to captain of the SS AquKana is not about wholeheartedly supporting two people she loves (at least not primarily) and more about her continued efforts to save Aqua from himself. Kana just happens to be a convenient pawn in making this happen.

If I'm making this sound very cynical and cold of Akane: it is! But that's why I think it's so interesting. Akane is very like Aqua in a lot of ways and seeing this tendency of his to perform cruelty and manipulation to the greater end of doing the most good (or at least in their eyes) mirrored in her is very juicy and potentially very deadly in the hands of someone as smart and perceptive as Akane.

It's also kind of telling and kind of really sad to see Akane asserting that Aqua wouldn't be able to take revenge if he had a girlfriend at his side when that certainly didn't stop him back when he and Akane were dating. It's subtle but it's consistent with just how little faith Akane seems to have ever had in Aqua's feelings for her. Kana's not the only one struggling with long term insecurities in that regard.

I also can't not address the elephant in the room that is the story setting this up while the resolution to whatever the hell is going on with Ruby is still dangling over everyone's heads. I mentioned this last chapter but it really is getting to be bizarre just how much of a nothingburger that has been turned into, not just in terms of the characters' lack of reaction to it but the way the narrative has just entirely failed to give it any weight or significance whatsoever. I can only assume that one of the other girls making a move to pursue Aqua (if it does end up happening) will kick Ruby into action and we'll get god knows what sort of resolution there but a dark and evil part of me that loves to start shit thinks that the funniest possible resolution would be for it to never come up or be referenced ever again just for the sheer frenzy of confusion and bafflement it would cause. everybody loses!!!

[canmom]

Wait is ratfic not fiction about rats???

I can talk about fiction about rats too! Let's talk about some British childrens' book series! And one American comic book.

The four relevant works for our discussion would be the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, the Welkin Weasels series by Garry Kilworth, the Deptford Mice series by Robin Jarvis, and the Mouse Guard series by David Petersen. All these works portray a world inhabited by semi-anthropomorphic animals that are at the scale of real world animals. And indeed all of them include rats, albeit mostly as antagonists.

Redwall is perhaps the one that has most penetrated internet pop culture, thanks to articles like this one on SomethingAwful which mocked some of the series's recurring elements while painting Brian Jacques as a bit of a nazi. I ate those books up as a kid, but in retrospect I truthfully can remember only snatches: the shrews' battle cry of 'logalogalogalog!', the pages of elaborate descriptions of feasts.

Redwall is a big sufferer from the 'evil races' problem. A certain arbitrary set of species (e.g. rats, stoats, weasels, ferrets) are ontologically evil, and various other species are standins for various stereotypical British social classes (e.g. iirc moles are always working class). As unfortunately tends to be the case, it even makes the strange decision to double down on this - I believe in one of the books, a member of one of the evil species is raised in the Abbey, but inevitably his evil nature comes out when the good rodents and mustelids are once again threatened by an army of bad rodents and mustelids.

Nevertheless, as repetitive and ethically dubious as these books are, they do conjour a very specific flavour which makes them memorable. The author's enthusiasm for food as child of the Blitz shines through, as does his evident love for the idyllic Redwall Abbey. There's a lot of really charming elements like the 'logalogalog' thing. Having these read out to me as kid was great, it had a bit of a panto feel, where I could join in with the expected beats.

The first Redwall book implies that humans exist in this world, but this is subsequently quietly retconned to an only-animals fantasy world.

The Welkin Weasels series is a lot shorter at six books, and you may well bounce off the author's enthusiasm to insert puns and references all over the place (I recall one book managing to set up "badgers? we don't need no stinkin' badgers"), but from what I remember of them they benefit from having more explicit horror elements which makes the stakes much more engaging. I recall the weasels trying to weasel their way into a crypt full of horrible pitfalls and finding it very tense as a kid.

There is once again a sympathetic-unsympathetic species divide - weasels are our plucky heroes, while stoats tend to be aristocratic and cruel. However, it does play out a little differently: the first three books are in a medieval fantasy setting with explicit magic, but over the course of the novels, the mustelids manage to rediscover humans, leading to a timeskip forward into a more steampunk setting where the animals and humans have built a joint society together.

Honestly, I would quite like to reread these books! They may well not hold up today, but it would be fun to revisit them.

The Deptford Mice series by Robin Jarvis - author of Deathscent, a highly memorable novel in which Elizabethans have been transported by aliens into a space archipelago where all the animals are robots which run on the four humours - is a pretty fun one, although my memory is very foggy. It's set in our world, in London, and as I recall the first book involves an evil cat wizard attempting to resurrect the Bubonic Plague from the plague pits. I recall a scene in which rats dig up the plague pit and have their paws melted by the lime coating it. Beyond that I can recall very little but I definitely think it merits inclusion in this list of rat fic.

Once again we have the good rodent/evil rodent problem. Mice and rats are almost identical creatures, so it's weird that the sympathetic/unsympathetic divide falls so consistently.

Mouse Guard is an American comic series about mice with little cloaks and swords. Making it be a comic is kind of a great idea because you get to see how cute they are at every turn. The mouse guard are responsible for defending the other mice from threats such as snakes. They have a pretty high mortality rate.

I'm... actually not super familiar with the comics, but they inspired a roleplaying game by the creators of Burning Wheel, using similar mechanics - e.g. its beliefs system, the simultaneous-resolution combat system. That got a lot of buzz around the late 2010s. So if you want a game to play as an rat at the tabletop, it's probably a good one to check out!

We might also at this juncture mention the wildly popular novel Watership Down, which imagines an elaborate rabbit society complete with a substantially fleshed out rabbit religion. I wrote about the animated film for Animation Night a couple years back - it's quite a memorable one.

Sadly, this is mostly mousefic (with a bit of weaselfic). I don't know of any true ratfic - centred on rats as protagonists. Perhaps this is an opportunity for someone out there to write ratfic ratfic to correct this imbalance.

edit: omfg i forgot the rats of NIMH. thanks to both the people who reminded me of that one

[mint-yooxgi]

{8} - Paradise Gardens - Yandere!Demonic Entities!Ateez X Reader

Yandere AU & Demon AU - Book Two to Hotel California

Genre: Mature, Horror, Angst, Fluff, Slight Humour

Pairing: Ateez X Reader

Words: 8,715

Warnings: Anxiety and PTSD, minor mental illness. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.

A/n: Okay, so I totally forgot to write an authors note before posting lmfaoo. Anyways, this chapter is a bit meh in my opinoin, but it really sets up the next one in my opinion. But finally!! Reina!!!! As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy~

Also, gentle reminder that I don’t do tag lists.

Mini Masterlist - Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven

“What do you mean, ‘he’s not awake’?” Your eyes are wide, heart thundering inside of your chest as panic seizes you.

It’s been over twenty-four hours since you’ve gotten back to the house from the dragon’s nest. In that time, you’ve nearly slept for the entire day, only waking up for brief portions to either eat something, or use the bathroom. Honestly, you feel like you could probably use a few more hours still, but your worry for Jongho takes precedence over everything.

Currently, you find yourself sitting at the kitchen counter, the several other males standing around you precariously.

“It’ll be okay, Dearest,” Yeosang reassures you. “It’s probably just the after effects of the spell.”

“Really, he’s just sleeping it off.” Wooyoung shrugs, almost nonchalantly, but you can still see the tension in his shoulders. 

There’s concern in his eyes that he cannot hide. In all of their eyes. Concern that they cannot hide from you.

“What aren’t you telling me.” It’s not so much a question, but a demand.

“Baby…” San’s expression falls.

“I know you guys don’t sleep. At least, not like I do.” Your voice is calm as you do whatever you can to remain level headed at the moment. “You said it yourselves, he should have been up by now.”

A grimace lingers on all of their features.

Hongjoong sighs, his arms crossed over his chest as he looks down at his feet. “We think the spell he got hit with is more intricate than we first believed. We can’t even reach out to him in his own mind.”

“So, it’s the spell that’s put him in a comatose state?” You blink, taking a deep breath inwards as your fingers dig into the skin of your thighs.

“We’ve already tried every countermeasure that we can against all of the spells known to cause these effects.” Seonghwa’s gaze falls, as if ashamed to be telling you how they’ve failed both you, and their brother like this. “It seems our magic has no affect on it at all.”

“We’ve been browsing the library all night,” Yunho runs a hand through his hair, his eyes bloodshot and bottom lip nearly raw from worry.

Mingi fares no better. His hair still sticks up in odd angles, and he cannot prevent the way his jaw twitches every few minutes. You don’t even need to get your next question out to know that they still haven’t found anything.

Your head shifts, staring down at the counter before you. Blinking blankly, you attempt to wrap your mind around this turn of events. You thought Jongho would have been fine by now, but clearly there’s more going on than meets the eye.

Heaving a great sigh, you stand to your feet.

Immediately, all of their attention darts to you, both San and Wooyoung even going so far as to reach out in your direction. However, it’s Yeosang that reaches you first, grabbing your wrist gently in his one hand.

“Dearest,” there’s nothing but concern on his features as his brow furrows, a hint of fear shining through in his eyes.

“Don’t worry,” you offer him a small smile, “I’m not going to disappear on you again.” The conversation you had leading up to this moment was rough, but you managed to get through it. Together. “I just want to see him.”

Your words seem to assure them enough, for Yeosang is releasing his grip on your wrist in the next second. Still, that does not prevent them all from following behind you, and entering the youngest’s room with you.

Again, you sit yourself on the edge of the bed, the early morning light of the sun streaming through the open windows. Gently, a breeze drifts through, and the cool touch of wind offers you some semblance of assurance that things will all turn out okay. Eventually.

Lifting a hand up, you caress the side of Jongho’s face, his features reflecting nothing but a peaceful serenity.

At least you know that he’s no longer in any pain.

Steadily, his chest rises and falls with every breath, your thumb stroking languidly against his cheek as you look him over. There’s a sadness in your eyes that you do not try and hide, the guilt still tugging freshly at the wound in your heart. Despite their constant reassurance, you still blame yourself. You honestly don’t think you’ll be able to breathe again properly until you see his warm, brown eyes staring back at you once more.

“I need you all to be honest with me right now.” You keep your gaze fixed on Jongho’s sleeping features for the moment as you take a deep breath. “Is there a possibility that he can die?”

A brief silence greets you, and you have your answer before any one of them speaks.

“Yes.” Yunho breathes, his shoulders deflating at the reality settling over all of you. “If we can’t figure out the spell that was used, or how to counteract it, there’s a possibility that it could claim his life.”

“Or worse.” Mingi’s voice is barely above a whisper, yet you still manage to hear him.

Your blood runs cold. “Worse?”

Wooyoung swallows his suddenly dry throat. “He could remain in this state forever. Neither living, nor dead.”

You close your eyes, fingers pressing a little firmer into Jongho’s cheek as you attempt to ground yourself.

“Well, the spell was meant for me.” You reply, exhaling shakily. “What better way than to torture you than always keeping me just out of reach?”

Their silence speaks volumes.

Slowly, you begin to retract your touch from his face, grasping his hand in your own instead.

“At his base level, is Dimitri considered a caster?” Your eyes search Jongho’s features for any slight shift you can find.

“He is.” Hongjoong confirms lowly.

Your mind begins churning, thoughts flitting every which way as you attempt to wrap your head around things. Briefly, you recall that conversation with the two younger harpy sisters and Sudaem.

“Are there levels of magic different than your own?”

A grimace before Mingi is replying, “there are.”

You hum in understanding.

“What are you thinking?” There’s a minor curious gleam in Seonghwa’s eyes as he looks at you.

You turn to face them, determination beginning to bloom on your features. “We need to talk to Sudaem.”

“The gorgon?” San’s brow furrows.

“The leader of the gorgons.” Yeosang hums, understanding passing over his features.

“Are we sure we should be informing a gorgon of all people that Jongho has been incapacitated?” Wooyoung looks between his brothers, a grimace on his face.

“I don’t think we’ll have any issues concerning that.” The corner of Yunho’s lips quirk upwards as he shifts his gaze back to you.

“I know I probably know less about this stuff than all of you as it stands,” you begin, taking a deep breath in, “but will you let me handle it? You guys can be a little intimidating when you want something.”

“A little?” Mingi grins knowingly, and it warms all of their hearts to see you quirk one in response.

“Should we call for Stella, then?” Hongjoong smiles faintly at you, noting the way you nod your head lightly in his direction.

Seonghwa clicks his tongue twice quickly in succession.

A blink, and Stella appears circling over your heads. She lets out a concerned caw, immediately landing on your shoulder and nuzzling her beak against you.

You giggle, her feathers tickling your neck. “I’m alright, Stella.”

She begins poking the tip of her beak affectionately against your cheek, and you realize that she’s placing little kisses onto your skin. The fact that she coos each time she does so has you smiling, much to the irritation of the others. Yes, they love seeing you happy, but not when it’s from a bird who is clearly rubbing in the fact that she can flirt with you so openly during a time like this while directly in front of all of them.

“Stella.” Seonghwa warns, his lips tugging downwards at the corners.

A few sassy clicks, and an annoyed twitch of the eldest’s brow lets you know the type of reply she gave him.

“Okay, Stell, enough teasing the men.” You bring your hand up so she can hop onto it. “I’ve got an important task for you now.”

Instantly, the raven straightens, puffing out her chest as she stands at attention. She meets your gaze, nodding for you to continue.

“I need you to contact Sudaem,” you begin, laying out your instructions very clearly.

The whole time you speak, Stella remains silent. She nods her head in understanding at every detail you give her, noticing how the males around you barely even move, letting you take charge once again. The amount of trust alone they continue to show you warms your heart, even more so this time around.

The second she disappears from your hand, you’re standing back to your feet.

Wooyoung’s brow furrows. “Where are you going?”

“To change.” You reply simply. “I don’t think appearing before the leader of the gorgons in my pyjamas is going to make me look very intimidating.”

“You’re plenty intimidating in your pyjamas, Baby.” San nods assuringly, recalling the image of you appearing in the kitchen with a baseball bat held in your hands.

A snort of laughter escapes you as you head towards the door. “Only you would know, Pretty Boy.”

You manage to pat his shoulder lightly as you walk passed, a knowing grin tugging at your lips. Though, what you fail to see is how San freezes, a dopey grin spreading across his features as your words wash over him.

You called him Pretty Boy.

He giggles, his fingers twitching excitedly at his sides. 

He only wishes the circumstances were better.

Ten minutes later, and after freshening up slightly, you make your way back towards the foyer. You see all of them already waiting for you, Stella perched on Hongjoong’s shoulder.

“Did she agree?” You address your question towards the raven who caws eagerly in response, wings flaring and managing to hit Hongjoong square in the nose. You snort out a laugh. “So, how long have you been waiting to do that, Stell?”

The raven hops off of Hongjoong’s shoulder, the male glaring at the bird in irritation as he spits out a feather rather unceremoniously. She pays him no mind as she glides over to you, landing gracefully on your own shoulder and cooing affectionately.

“At least she didn’t poop on you this time.” Yeosang deadpans.

“This time?” Your hand comes up to muffle your laughter. “Stella!”

An innocent caw greets your ears, feeling her shift from foot to foot on your shoulder.

“To be fair, she was just a newborn at the time.” Yunho chuckles.

“Who hasn’t she pooped on at some point.” Seonghwa sighs, shaking his head.

Another soft snort of laughter escapes you as you turn to look at the bird perched on your shoulder. Casually, she avoids your gaze, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d say she’s embarrassed.

“We’re getting off topic.” Hongjoong frowns, arms crossed in front of his chest.

A blink, and you’re composing yourself, though none of them miss how your entire demeanour drops instantly. It almost makes Hongjoong regret bringing up why Stella is here in the first place.

“Sudaem is waiting for her summons from you.” Mingi tells you.

“She’s agreed to meet with us, then.” You nod your understanding.

“What, exactly, is it that you are planning, My Love?” Hongjoong meets your gaze, a curious gleam shining in his eyes.

“Simply getting an expert’s opinion on some things.” You reply before turning to Stella. “Bring her in.”

In the blink of an eye, both her and Yeosang have disappeared. A moment later, they’ve reappeared before you with Sudaem in tow. You can see the way her snakes shift nervously over her shoulders, her steel grey gaze darting every which way around the front foyer.

“Sudaem.” Seonghwa inclines his head in greeting.

“Hello.” She bows back, her whole body trembling as her hands begin to wring themselves nervously in front of her body.

You step forward, a gentle smile on your face. “Thank you for agreeing to come on such short notice.”

“Of course!” Her head perks up, snakes hissing lightly in response. “You said you needed my help, and as your friend, here I am!”

A sense of relief washes over you at her words, and you find yourself taking her hands in your own. Gently, you give them a firm squeeze, meeting her gaze.

“What seems to be the problem that you summoned me into your home?” She tilts her head somewhat curiously, gaze fixated on you. Almost as if looking around at the several other males surrounding you is too much for her at the moment.

“You are familiar with the two most powerful clans of casters, correct?” You inquire.

Immediately, she nods. “I am. The Ciervo, and Sintra.”

“Then, you are familiar with their spells?” You continue, and understanding washes over the rest of the males in that room with you.

“For my part, I know practically all of them.” She blinks at you, a mild confusion lining her words.

You nod once. “Follow me.”

Without waiting for a response, you turn on your heels. Her one hand is still held in your own as you guide her down the hallway and into Jongho’s room, leading her over to the comatose male on the bed.

“The only details you need to know are that he was hit by a spell about thirty hours ago or so, and he hasn’t regained consciousness since.” You state, releasing your hold on her hand to sit beside Jongho’s resting form. “I was hoping you might be able to help identify the spell he’s been hit with, and offer a solution for it.”

Sudaem searches your features, noting the worried tug of your brow as your one hand moves to hold onto the male’s beside you. She can feel the weight of the other seven King’s stares on her back as she stands before you, and she cannot help but shift from foot to foot.

“I understand you are under no moral obligation to help him,” you are quick to continue as you take her silence for hesitance, “But, please, Sudaem,” you swallow thickly, your eyes shining with unshed tears, “Please, help him.”

A firm nod is all you receive from the gorgon as she steps closer. “I’m not much of a healer, but I need to check his vitals.”

A soft ‘okay’ is all she hears from you as you shift slightly to allow her to get closer. Only, your hand on her shoulder stops her before she can so much as touch him.

“We do not know each other all that well, but I do consider you my friend, Sudaem.” There’s a hint of a warning in your tone as you meet her gaze, your fingers sinking a little firmer into the skin of her shoulder. “I appreciate you doing this.”

Gently, she places her own hand on top of your own. Understanding passes between the both of you as she nods once firmly, the corners of her lips twitching upwards in a thin smile.

She’s heard your message loud and clear. If she so much as tries anything to deceive you, and hurt him further, you will not hesitate to do to her what you did to that harpy the other day. Perhaps even worse. Besides, the several males standing around the room might also have something to say about it this time, too.

“I will need to know a few more details about his condition.” She begins her assessment of his being, starting with checking his pulse.

You watch her carefully, motioning for her to ask what she has to.

“When the spell hit, did he suddenly lose consciousness?” She directs her questions at you, her snakes shifting to rest against her back and out of the way for now.

“No, he had about ten minutes before he went under.” You reply, somewhat shakily.

“Was it a delayed hit?” She glances upwards as she leans over him in order to meet your gaze. At your confused look, she’s quick to continue. “Did the spell take time to take effect?”

“No, it was instant.” You avert your gaze to the floor, thumbs beginning to rub over one another as the vivid memories appear in your mind once more. “It appeared only a physical spell at first.”

“He bled.” Not a question, but a statement.

You still nod solemnly in confirmation, feeling a reassuring hand place itself onto your shoulder. Turning your head, you see Hongjoong standing there, Seonghwa right beside him.

“This might be an odd question, but do you remember the shape of his injury?” Sudaem stands back to her full height. “Sometimes the cuts can resemble a symbol related to the type of spell used.”

Briefly, your eyes glance over to both Wooyoung and Yeosang. You watch as the younger of the two steps forward, a small notebook appearing in his hands along with a pen. A quick flick of his wrist and the shape of Jongho’s wounds are drawn onto the paper, which gets torn out and handed to the gorgon in the next second.

A furrow immediately pulls at her brow. “I see.”

Your heart skips a beat in worry, eyes practically begging for her to tell you something. Anything.

“Can you tell me anything else about what happened afterwards?” She turns towards you, a sort of softness taking over her features as she sees the anxiety ridden state you’re in.

“What would you like to know?” Your voice is small, somewhat unsure of yourself.

A sight and sound of which Sudaem never thought you would be capable of. You seemed so confident at the meeting with The Three Sisters. You must really be worried.

“Anything and everything you can tell me that happened from the point of the spell hitting him, onwards.” She replies honestly.

You hesitate. Not even the seven males surrounding you are privy to all of the details of what happened after Jongho had been hit with the spell.

Comfortingly, they all brush against your mind, letting you know that they’re all right here for you if you need them. With that simple notion of support, you understand that you are not alone, and that everything will be okay.

Taking a deep breath, you begin your recollection of the events that took place immediately following Jongho jumping in front of that spell for you. The whole time you speak, you keep your gaze locked on the floor in front of you, not daring to look around the room. The memories threaten to consume you, that overwhelming sense of guilt creeping up your throat and nearly choking you out by the time you get to his final admission before he passed out. However, you neglect to tell her exactly what he said.

“He managed to speak after ten minutes of fighting against the hold of the spell?” She blinks, somewhat amazed. “That’s impressive.”

This catches your attention, your head whipping up to look her way. “What do you mean?”

“If my theory is correct, he was hit by the ‘Veil of the Hypnos’ spell.” Sudaem says, addressing all of you.

A collective sharp intake of breath from the males around you has you looking around at all of them in worry. “What? What does that mean?”

“I didn’t think it were possible.” Mingi frowns, beginning to pace restlessly back and forth at the side of the room.

“Only a powerful caster could perform such a spell.” Sudaem continues. “He should have fell under the effects immediately, but he didn’t.”

“The 'Veil of the Hypnos’ is a dangerous spell. If it doesn’t kill the person on contact, they become lost in the veil between worlds, mind left in an eternal sleep.” Yunho explains, turning to look at you with clear worry in his eyes. “If the victim wanders too far, they can never return to their own body.”

You swear your heart stops. Pure, unaltered fear begins shining behind your eyes as you frantically look around at all of them.

“Dimitri will pay for this.” Wooyoung seethes, hands clenching into fists at his sides.

“Dimitri was the one who cast such a spell?” Sudaem spares a glance around the room.

“It was meant for me.” You reply lowly, and you swear you hear her breath hitch.

“You will need an equally powerful caster with the same stores of magic held within them to pull him out of such a state. One that hails from the big two at the very least.” She says, voice firm.

The several males grimace from around the room.

“Their aid will not come freely.” Seonghwa states, somewhat pointedly. “At least not the ones we know.”

“But Dimitri’s not from the big two.” Your brow furrows in confusion. “Right?”

“He’s not directly from them, no.” she meets your gaze. “However, he has lineage, and he is the most powerful outside of them. You will need someone on par with him magic wise. Someone with the ability to summon the Eight Kings.”

Your brow quirks.

“There are a few things that work in our favour already.” She goes on to say. “One: that he took so long to succumb to the spell’s effects means he’s still fighting against it. Two: you inferred that you were the one that transported the both of you home despite you still being human. That means his blood is still running through your veins, correct?”

Your mouth parts only briefly, considering her words. You clear your throat. “It is.”

“Am I wrong to assume your blood also runs through his veins currently?” She inquires.

“Your assumption would also be correct.” You answer immediately.

“Then, he’s also tethered to you right now, even unknowingly.” She nods, somewhat to herself. “We’ll need to gather a few things first, and I’ll have to return to my home to grab the spell books we’ll need. You need to get that caster here as soon as possible, though. Every second you waste is a second he could stray further from his own body and mind.”

Immediately, you spring to your feet, moving to exit the room. You know what you have to do.

“Where are you going?” There’s a hint of worry in San’s gaze as he watches you dart across the space between Jongho’s bed and the door.

“I have to make a phone call.” You reply, not even bothering to stop as you reach the hallway. “It seems a catch up with my best friend is long overdue.”

“Angel, are you sure now is the time-“

“Reina is a Ciervo witch.” Yeosang cuts Wooyoung off.

A stunned silence passes throughout the room.

“But is she practicing?” San’s brow furrows as he watches you disappear from sight.

“It doesn’t matter. She had enough power to summon us, even unknowingly.” Hongjoong says, all of them quick to exit the room after Sudaem. “Besides, she won’t be alone.”

“You will only be able to help this caster so much.” Sudaem interjects, halting in the front foyer with Stella on her shoulder. “You may be able to lend her a portion of your strength if need be, but his will be a task meant for her and Your Queen.”

A brief pause where they think over her words.

“Because their blood runs through each other’s veins.” Yeosang observes.

“Correct.” Sudaem inclines her head. “That small fact may end up being the deciding factor on whether or not this countermeasure works or not.”

“What do you mean?” Mingi steps forward, frown tugging at his brow.

“How often have you heard of someone reversing the effects of the ‘Veil of the Hypnos’ spell?” Sudaem fidgets, somewhat warily. 

Their expressions drop.

“It’s no easy task, and there’s a possibility that it might not work.” She admits, her snakes shifting restlessly over her head. “Especially if this caster has never performed such a spell before.”

“It will work.” Your firm voice cutting in from the side draws all of their attention to you for the moment.

Sudaem blinks at you in mild shock at how determined you sound. “How can you be so sure?”

“It will work because we say it must.” You reply, tucking your phone into your back pocket. “We take care of each other, because that is what we are meant to do. There’s no room for failure. Not this time.”

“Petal,” Yunho’s worried voice reaches your ears.

“I know for a fact that if that was me, you’d all be saying the exact same thing.” You watch as they all straighten at your words. “You would never stop until I was safe. Is it that astounding that I would want to ensure the same for any of you?”

The way they remain quiet is answer enough.

“We all know what we have to do.” Your firm nod confirms it as you step beside Yeosang for the moment. You turn to face Sudaem. “I will be as quick as I can, but knowing everything I’ll have to explain, I’ll be an hour at the very least.”

“Are you sure she’ll help you?” Sudaem shifts slightly from foot to foot, Stella releasing a worried coo from her shoulder.

Softly, your head begins to nod. “She will.”

“Then, I will need some assistance gathering the supplies.” Sudaem’s grey gaze darts around the room.

Both Mingi and Yunho share a look.

“We’ll help you.” Yunho steps forward, Mingi right behind him.

“Once we’ve gathered the supplies, I’ll set everything up and await for your return.” Sudaem turns back to face you.

“Alright,” a simple nod of understanding accompanies your words. You meet her gaze. “See you soon.”

In the blink of an eye, her, Stella, Mingi, and Yunho all disappear from sight.

Without wasting another moment, you turn to the remaining males.

“One of you needs to drop me off at Reina’s.” You say. “And it has to be Yeosang.”

Their brows all quirk at this.

“I need to test a theory I have.” You tell them. “See if she remembers him from the incident at the mall.”

Understanding flashes across their features, but you can still see the grimaces San, Wooyoung, and Seonghwa send your way.

“If she knows nothing of her heritage, then it may take some convincing on my part. I might need some help from all of you for that.” You step in closer to Yeosang’s side as he places a hand onto your lower back. “Maybe don’t attempt to rearrange the furniture in her apartment this time.”

The last thing they see is a slight upturn to the corner of your lips before you’re disappearing from sight.

The sight of Reina’s familiar red front door has you smiling slightly. You haven’t been to her apartment in months, but you cannot help the memories that invade your senses as you see the small scratch in the paint. It had been put there by accident by her when lugging in that old recliner with you last year. That’s not to mention all the other dings and dents put into her walls from the two of you over the years moving things around that you probably shouldn’t have.

You smile softly to yourself.

Gently, you take Yeosang’s hand in your own, intertwining your fingers as you subtly glance around the hallway. At least no one is around to have seen you both suddenly appear.

Taking a deep breath in, you knock.

Some shuffling is heard on the opposite side of the door before loud footsteps draw closer. A click of the lock later, and the door is swinging open to reveal your best friend. Her dark brown hair is tossed into a messy bun, an oversized hoodie wrapping around her frame.

“Geez, when you said you were close by with your one significant other, I didn’t think you’d be this close. What were you doing, waiting in the lobby?” She teases, grin tugging at her features. She swings the door wider, finally taking note of who you stand beside. Her gaze darts back to you almost immediately. “You should come inside.”

“Oh, he only came to drop me off.” You say, squeezing his hand lightly in your own.

“Just wanted to make sure she got here safe.” He smiles, squeezing back.

Reina stares intently at Yeosang, narrowing her eyes. “Have we met before? You seem really familiar.”

Something sparks within your gaze, a small sense of relief flooding your veins. 

Good. You can work with this.

“When we ran into each other briefly at the mall that one day,” you watch her carefully. “Remember?”

Her frown deepens, sparing a brief side glance at you. “Yeah. I think so.”

“Anyways,” you turn to Yeosang, placing a gentle kiss onto his cheek. “I’ll call for you when I’m ready to be picked up.”

"Alright, Dearest,“ a knowing look is shared between the both of you as he smiles. “You two have fun, then.”

With a final, reassuring squeeze to your hand, Yeosang is releasing his hold on you. A gentle smile rests on his features as he makes a show of walking all the way down the hallway and towards the elevators before disappearing once he rounds the corner.

You turn back to Reina. “Boy, do I ever-“

Your words die in your throat as she tugs you inside, somewhat frantically. Immediately, the door to her apartment is slammed shut, the locks clicking into place before she’s turning to face you with a wide-eyed look.

“Do you know who that was?” Her gaze is wild as she presses herself against her front door, as if blocking the only path Yeosang could take to reach you in this moment.

“Uh, yeah,” you shoot her a sceptical look, “Yeosang. One of my significant others.”

“No, that’s not-“ she sighs. “Do you know what he is?”

“Reina, you’re not making much sense right now.” You cross your arms over your chest. A hint of amusement dances on your features as you watch your best friend shift her gaze everywhere around her apartment but at you for the moment.

Heaving a sigh, she pushes herself off of the front door. She begins to make her way towards the living room, grabbing your wrist as she walks passed to drag you along with her. After sitting you on her couch, she crouches in front of you, as if she were a parent about to explain something extremely important to her child.

“Have you ever noticed anything strange happen when you’re with him?” She begins, watching your every expression carefully.

“Define strange, Reina,” you quirk a brow, almost knowingly.

“Strange as in things you can’t explain happening.” She replies, her hands coming to rest on your knees as she leans into you. “You know, like, supernatural.”

You nearly laugh from how paranoid she suddenly looks. “Rei, if you have something to say, why don’t you just come out and say it?”

“Well,” she hesitates, “you remember that day we ‘summoned’ something?”

“Vividly.” The corner of your lips quirk upwards.

“I know it was essentially an unspoken rule between us not to bring it up, but…”

“You ended up summoning the Eight Kings of the Realm, and now they’re my significant others and I’m their Queen.” Your eyebrow twitches playfully.

“This isn’t time for jokes-“ her breath catches in her throat. “Wait, what?”

“What?” You tilt your head slightly, blinking at her expectantly.

“You know who- what they are?” She replies, a bit incredulously.

“Of course I do.” You chuckle. “I’ve known for quite a while, actually.”

“How long have you known?” She asks, observing you carefully.

“Remember that spontaneous weekend trip I took all those months ago?” You inquire, seeing her nod her head in understanding. “Since then.”

“Fucking hell.” She curses under her breath.

“How long have you known?” You turn her question back on her.

“Only for about two months now, but I didn’t know you were in a relationship with them all.” She breathes, falling backwards slightly in order to sit on the floor before you.

“Wait, how do you know?” You shift forward, heart beginning to pound in anticipation in your chest.

“This might sound a bit crazy, but apparently I come from a family of casters?” She sounds a bit uncertain of herself as she says this, as if she’s still trying to wrap her own head around things.

“Oh my god, this will make things so much easier.” You breathe a tremendous sigh of relief.

“Wait, how do you know that?” Her face scrunches, looking at you suspiciously.

“We have so much to talk about.” You say, leaning back and getting comfortable on her couch.

“Should I get the blankets?” She grins, a sudden teasing gleam in her eyes.

“Sure,” you grin right back. “We may be here for a while.”

Two minutes later, you both have drinks and have swaddled yourselves in your favourite blankets like you always do for movie nights at her place. She sits across from you on her couch, legs tucked in beneath her as you mirror her position.

“Boy, do I have a lot to tell you, Rei.” You sigh, taking a sip of your drink as you hold it in your lap. “Honestly, I just need to talk to someone about it all, too. Are you okay with that? I’m not joking when I say there’s a shit ton of things we need to catch up on. I’ll try to be as quick as I can, though. Time really is of the essence right now.”

“You and me both, honestly.” She breathes, taking a sip of her own drink. “You go first, and then I’ll share mine.”

You nod your understanding. “Okay, well, here goes nothing…”

So, like every good catch up session you’ve ever had with her, you begin at the very beginning. You watch her every expression intently, noticing how her mouth drops as you recall the dress incident, and how she visibly starts shaking when you get to the very first dinner you ever shared with the eight of them all those months ago.

“You stabbed the Captain of the Eight Kings and you’re still alive?” Her eyes look about ready to bug out of her head. “Damn, he must really love you, then.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” you smile, a fond chuckle escaping your lips.

The way her jaw drops once more as you go on to tell her about the next two weeks after that has a sort of nervousness tugging at your features.

“They kidnapped you, and held you hostage?” There’s nothing but absolute horror on her features as she looks at you.

“Yes, but no?” You shrug mildly. “I could literally do whatever I wanted, except leave them.” The shocked look she sends you has you continuing immediately. “It sounds a lot worse than it was. Honestly, I laid into them pretty good after two weeks had passed. Threw a mug at Wooyoung’s head, made them feel horrible for what they had done, you name it.”

“Did it hit him?” Her brow quirks.

“No, he dodged it.”

“Shame.”

“Reina!” You laugh in disbelief.

“What?” She blinks at you. “It’s the least that he deserves after fucking holding you hostage!”

“They let me go places!” You’re quick to defend them. “Sure, it wasn’t ideal at the start, but I never felt trapped when I was with them.”

She nods her head in understanding, eyeing you cautiously. “Are you aware of their powers.”

“I am very aware of their powers.” You confirm with a nod.

“I mean this in the best way a concerned best friend would, but you do realize they might be mentally manipulating-“

“Don’t even go there.” Your tone is sharp, gaze suddenly dark. “I’ve had this conversation with them before, and I trust them when they say that they haven’t, and never would use that aspect of their powers on me.”

She raises her hands in her own defence. “Just making sure. I didn’t sense anything off about your mental state, but I’m not as skilled as my grandmother.”

“I know they sound really bad, but please, Rei, let me finish my story.” You reach across and squeeze her knee.

She motions for you to continue. So, you do.

The moment you get to the mall incident, you notice her tense.

“I remember bits and pieces about that day, but it all felt like a dream to me.” She admits once you get to the part of running into her in the washroom. “I had hoped it was all a dream. Even after my grandmother sensed the possession, and made sure that I had been fully cleansed, I didn’t want to believe it. It’s all still pretty blurry.”

“I’m sorry, Rei,” your expression falls. “I never meant for you to get involved like that. I had no idea who Miyeon was until the very next day.”

Reina visibly starts shaking in anger as you tell her about the argument you had gotten into with them over everything after running into her at the mall.

“Are you kidding me?” She seethes.

“Reina, let me finish!” You shoot her a look, and she falls silent. For now.

The more you speak, the more you can visibly see her relax. You don’t go so far as to tell her everything that occurred between them and Miyeon, for those are not your memories to share. However, you give enough context so that she understands where they stood in their relationships at that point.

“You know, the stories my grandmother has been telling me about these Eight Kings of the Realm sound nothing like how they really are.” She comments. “I’ve yet to determine if they’re good or bad, but at least they can admit when they’ve made a mistake. Their love for you seems genuine, which is saying something.”

The knowing look sent your way does not go unnoticed by you.

You smile somewhat tensely.

“You’re telling me.” You agree. “Every day they kept surprising me, and every day I could feel that wall I had put up to try and protect myself from their advances slipping.”

“Wait,” her eyes flash, a worried pull to her brow, “they never… they never forced themselves-“

“Fuck no!” You’re quick to shake your head, going so far as to raise your hands in front of you for emphasis. “You know my own views on consent, and when I tell you that they are on the exact same level as I am, please believe me.”

Her brow quirks, and even though you think it’s subconscious on her part, she begins to nod her head.

“This doesn’t mean I approve of them, yet.” She states, looking at you through playfully narrowed eyes.

You raise your hands in your own defence, shifting your position slightly as you continue your story. You don’t realize, but there’s a certain fond look that begins to take over your features as you recount certain memories with the eight of them. A loving look, which Reina immediately picks up on, smiling to herself all the while.

“So, Mingi gave you a cat you’ve secretly always wanted. Yeosang played your favourite melody on his violin for you. Yunho brought you to see a horse they got for you named after a horse from your favourite series. San cooks your favourite meals whenever you want them,” Reina lists off, lifting a finger for each male counted. “They literally created your dream home to live in together, complete with a grandiose library and garden…”

“But wait, there’s more.” You wiggle your brows.

Reina tilts her head, a knowing grin tugging at her lips. “‘More’ you say?”

At the way you nod eagerly, she motions for you to continue. You can tell she’s listening intently to every word you have to say, opening up more to the idea of these eight men the more you tell her.

“Okay, I’m still wary of them a bit, but they do seem to genuinely care for you.” She observes.

“Believe me,” you smile softly. “They do.”

Her jaw drops, a gasp escaping her lips when you tell her about the portrait Yunho has painted of you.

“Okay, they are literally pulling out all of the stops and romantic gestures I can think of.” She pats the top of the couch excitedly. “Need me some freaks like that.”

“Oh?” You quirk a brow. “Are they beginning to get your approval?”

She hums, pretending to think about it for a moment. “Debatable.”

“Reina!” You laugh, her right along with you. 

Honestly, you haven’t felt this light for a while. You seriously missed being able to talk with your best friend about everything, and the fact that she already knows to a certain extent what they are saves you from having to both explain things, or leave certain things out of your retelling. It’s quite refreshing.

“I’m not liking this handsy one too much.” She frowns disapprovingly, her arms crossing over her chest. “Negating the fact that he took you to see literal dragons, he sounds like a piece of work.”

“Aren’t we all?” You hum, the corner of your lips quirking upwards. “Believe me, he will never make that mistake again.”

Reina’s brow quirks as you go on to explain the weeks that followed that incident, noticing how she remains quiet throughout it all. That is, until she’s leaning across the couch to smack you on your arm. Quite harshly, too.

“You fucking hypocrite!” She smacks you lightly a few more times after that as you lean away from her with a whine. “Fighting fire with fire only burns you both in the end.”

“I know, okay! Let me finish!” You swat her hand away.

After you finally explain that talk on the balcony that you had with Seonghwa to her, you notice how she leans back slightly on the couch.

“Huh,” she nods, somewhat to herself. “I’m honestly surprised it took you that long to play something on that piano. Even if you weren’t necessarily playing it for them.”

You shrug, “I had other things on my mind.”

“Fair enough,” she raises a hand along with her words.

A smirk daces across her features as you inform her of the very next set of events that followed.

“Didn’t like you swooning over WayV, did they?” She chuckles.

“No,” you laugh along with her. “Not particularly. But I will say, the payoff was quite sweet.”

“Didn’t pin you for one to enjoy jealous sex.” She deadpans, and you nearly spit out your drink in response.

“It wasn’t like that!” You attempt to defend yourself.

“Mmhmm,” she hums knowingly, “sure.”

“You’re the one who sent me the pictures of me in that corset.” You mumble, and this time, it’s her turn to almost spit out her drink.

A loud cackle greets your ears. “Then, you’re welcome!”

“Yeah, yeah,” you wave her off with a playful roll of your eyes. “Anyways…”

As you continue, even you can tell your whole body goes tense. You know what’s coming next, and you’re not too particularly fond of relieving those memories again so soon after telling Wyno. However, Reina is your best friend, and talking to her is one of the easiest things in your life. It always has been, and it always will be. You know that you’ll always be there for each other, and nothing will ever come between that.

The moment you mention Miyeon infiltrating your new home, you watch her expression drop. Horror paints her features as her whole body goes still, the blanket falling from her shoulders. Tears begin to line her eyes at each new detail you reveal to her, silently beginning to trail down her cheeks as she notices the pained look resting on your face.

Silently, she reaches over to grab your hand in her own, shifting closer to you on the couch. In any and every way she can, she offers you comfort for the tragic events that you have suffered through at the hands of that jealous and downright evil demon. She only wishes that she could have been there to offer you support when you needed it most.

“I am so deeply sorry you had to go through that,” she meets your gaze, the both of you sniffling as you cling to each other for dear life. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you.”

“It’s not your fault, Reina,” you shake your head, assuring her in your own way. “I appreciate you saying that, but don’t put that on yourself. You supporting me now is all I need.”

“Of course,” she pulls you in for a hug. One which you gladly return. “I’m here for you, babes. You know I am.”

“That I do,” you smile, sinking a little deeper into her embrace as you hold her tighter. “The same goes for you with me. I’m here for you, too.”

A simple nod is all you receive in response, but you don’t need to look at Reina to know that she’s smiling, too.

Pulling away after another minute holding one another in each other’s arms, you meet her gaze. You feel as if another tremendous weight has been lifted from your chest, words coming much easier after that. 

Time seems to just be flying by as you continue to recount your adventures to your best friend. The way she gasps and starts hitting your knee affectionately when you describe gifting each male one of your pieces of jewelry has you chuckling fondly.

“You gave Hongjoong the One Ring?” Her jaw drops. “Okay, I believe you. They really are special.”

“I told you.” You grin.

“That still doesn’t mean they’ve earned the ‘Reina seal of approval.’” She shoots you a look. “They’ve gotta pass the best friend test first.”

“I don’t think they’ll have to try very hard.” You joke.

“No, I don’t think they will.” She confirms with a grin before turning dead serious in the next moment. “Though, if they hurt you, I am not afraid to curse them for it.”

You grimace, and she immediately picks up on it.

“Too soon?” Her brow furrows in worry.

“It’s not that, it’s just,” you let out a sigh, “another reason why I’m here today.”

“Wait, did one of them actually get cursed?” Her eyes widen dramatically, worry pulling at her features.

“You could say that,” you mumble. “I’m getting there, I promise.”

“Okay,” she nods. “Please, continue.”

Again, you pick up right where you last left off, explaining to her everything that has happened to you since you brought the eight of them to meet your parents. The events seem to fly by until you’re finally arriving at the start of this past week.

“If I ever meet this Malik guy, it’s on sight.” She raises her fists, mocking punching him in the face.

“You and me both, sis,” you hum, a small quirk to your lips upwards.

You make quick work about telling her what happened with Mina, then Wyno, and then the harpies, until finally, you reach the event that you had really been leading up to. You notice her little quips and encouragements have all stopped for the moment as you begin to curl in on yourself. Nothing but worry is on her features as you fight off the tears that wish to gather once more in the corners of your eyes as you explain what has happened to Jongho.

“Okay, first of all, that was not you fault,” she gets you to meet her gaze. “I would bet anything in the entire world that he doesn’t blame you either. Not after everything you’ve just told me about him and his brothers. So, get those lingering doubts out of your mind. They have no precedent being there.”

You can only offer her a solemn nod in response.

“You said he’s trapped under the ‘Veil of the Hypnos’ spell?” Her brow furrows as she stands from the couch. Disappearing down the hallway, she continues speaking the whole time, calling over her shoulder, “I remember my grandmother mentioning something about it, hang on!”

Not even a minute later, she returns. A book is held in her hands. One which seems familiar, but you can’t quite place your finger as to why as you dry your eyes. With one knowing look from her, you suddenly remember why.

In her hands rests the spell book she used to summon the Eight Kings with. Flipping it open, she sits beside you on the couch, skimming through the pages until she finds the right one.

“Ah-ha!” She grins, pointing to a specific heading on the one page. “Here it is.”

The two of you briefly read over the page, and you have just the right mind to catch glimpses of ‘connection’ and ‘high emotion’ before you’re sparing a glance at her.

“So,” you nudge her shoulder lightly, “are you going to tell me about how you found out about all of this?”

Closing the book gently and resting it on her lap, Reina begins to rub her fingers over the detail work on the cover.

“Well, remember how I mentioned that I couldn’t remember much about what happened at the mall that one day?” She begins, to which you nod your head. “I couldn’t distinguish what was real, and what was a dream. It was my grandmother who sensed something was off. We went to visit her about two months ago, and she could immediately tell I had been possessed by a demonic entity of sort. She just couldn’t understand how this entity could no longer reach me. I realize now that I have both you and those eight males to thank for that.”

She spares a glance up at you, and you place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“My grandmother was quite blunt about it, and she cussed out my own mother for not telling me what I was.” Reina’s lips quirk upwards, as if recalling the memory now. “You know how passionate my grandmother can get.”

“Oh boy, do I ever,” you chuckle, recalling the amount of times you’ve seen her start cussing someone out in Spanish over something. “Really, though, she’s a lovely lady.”

“You don’t have to deal with her every day,” Reina sighs dramatically. “Anyways, that’s when my gran started asking me a bunch of questions. I told her I read something with you from this,” she shakes the tome in her hands, “spell book, and she nearly flipped. Started chanting in some ancient language, going off about protection spells and such. That’s when she realized there already were protection wards placed on both me and my mind.”

“I’m guess she was able to sense who put them there?” You quirk a brow.

“Bingo.” Reina turns to look at you. “Which is when she started freaking out and saying that I needed to start my training to learn how to be a proper caster to protect myself. The stories of the terror of the Eight Kings were soon to follow, apparently passed down from generation to generation.”

“Do you believe them?”

“Not anymore.” She shakes her head.

“Then, you’ve deduced part of the reason why I’m here right now?” You place a hand onto her shoulder.

“Other than wanting to see me,” she shoots you a playful look which you mirror, “I figured it out.”

A moment of silence.

“Will you-“

“Do you even have to ask?” She cuts you off with a pointed look.

“I should have known.” You let out a sigh, a grin pulling at your features.

“You said this gorgon - Sudaem - will have prepared everything by the time we get there?” She inquires. “All the ingredients, and the proper spell book?”

You nod in confirmation.

“Well, then,” she stands to her feet with a firm nod of her head. Tucking the tome beneath her one arm, a look of determination crosses her features. “What are we waiting for?”

[charmac]

What episodes would you recommend showing people if I'm trying to get my friends into Sunny?

Honestly I think it really, highly depends on the person you are trying to get into the show! If you really know someone and want them to fall in love fast, I think there’s something worth showing them the episode you think “fits them” best (i.e. I showed my sister Frank’s Little Beauties because she loveddd watching Toddlers and Tiaras growing up).

But if it's a group of people or you're more-so wondering what episodes best explain/get across the overall idea and appeal of Sunny, these are my top 5 recommendations (with basic reasoning, not really in a particular order):

The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis - Capitalising off a current *situation* to "get rich quick" - very, very clearly exhibits how they're all stupid and terrible in their own unique ways, fucked up family relationships, and inadvertently destroying the lives of a stranger with little remorse

The Gang Gets Trapped — I think this one is just really good at face-value (in that you have no idea what the fuck is going on) and the payoff jokes are gold. You get a good look at the dynamics, impulsivity, and tempers of the Gang

The Gang Exploits the Mortgage Crisis - see Gas Crisis reasons but make it a little more flamboyant

Charlie Has Cancer — Originally the intended Pilot episode. I genuinely see a lot of value in starting someone in Season 1, because that’s where it all began after all

Mac & Charlie Die — My personal favourite to show people off the bat, really because it's my favourite episode(s) but it's also a great first episode as a high (as in stoned) comedy. It's insane and weird and is the real idea of what "Sunny humour" is

I personally wouldn’t start someone past Season 7 because I feel like the early years are an essential foundation to all that comes to follow, and IMO it's really important to understand what the show is at face-value when you're first going in. They'll have plenty of time to dig much much deeper when they see the rest...

LMK if you use one of these or if you picked another! I always love hearing what episode(s) made people want to keep watching and which made them fall in love with the show :)

[thestalwartheart]

Heeeeey ciao I was honestly starting to wonder if you were alright last night and was planning to ask in your DM but I feared to result creepy. Sorry about your teeth, dentist is one of my biggest fears!!!

Eventually, my question is: smut fics. What to absolutely avoid to be credible? You gave us very good advice already but repetita iuvant!

Ciao Elle! That’s really sweet of you to want to reach out.

I know I’ve talked about this on my blog before, but I’m not sure there is a set list of things to avoid. Every reader reacts to smut differently. For example, I know some readers who need the realism of prep and protection to buy into the smut and others who are happy for the author to handwave those things away.

I think the most important thing for me is making sure the sex is centred around the characters and not the other way around.

One of my personal pet peeves as a reader is seeing two characters who never use pet names suddenly becoming effusive with their use of “baby” or “darling” or “sweetheart.”* But that’s symptomatic of a bigger problem in erotic writing where some authors approach smut as a replicable formula for every pairing they write.

Your characters are still themselves when they have sex. Arguably moreso! If they’re awkward during their daily lives, they’ll be 10x more awkward during sex. If they fancy themselves a comedian, they’re probably going to make their partner laugh. That’s true even of sex that “subverts” their character. i.e: James Bond isn’t likely to beg and whimper when he’s subbing. He’s much more likely to be stoic and stubborn and cheeky. When he does finally loses it, it’ll be with all the force and speed of a bullet.

There are some great resources out there about the mechanics of writing sex (esp sex between two men), but I’ll have to go digging to find them - I’ll reblog and link them later if I get a chance.

*not that this can’t be employed as a fun way to add a bit of humour or vulnerability to a scene!

[crowxfeathers]

A’ight. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Let’s talk; I enjoyed it. Screw it, yeah it has pacing issues which were mildly irksome for me. Also it doesn’t take itself seriously but that works for a film like this. You’re not supposed to take it too seriously either, let’s be real. Ahem, spoilers under the cut.

I love the way they got around the issue of Charles’ actor, Mr. Rightfully Not Appearing In This Movie, without recasting the character or just having him be inexplicably gone. The way they showed the flashback using stop motion, again avoiding using the actor, was so on brand for the film and clever.

Keaton carried this whole damn thing on his probably very aching back, every scene with him was a delight. It’s not often films actually make me laugh out loud literally but I was having to stifle quiet laughter fairly frequently. Such a delightful character still to this day who you can’t help but love even if rightfully you should be repulsed by him.

Yeah, some jokes are lowbrow and corny but man that’s Beetlejuice and if you don’t dig it this film was prolly not for you ngl. Dont watch the first one if you’re new to the character and the humour here didn’t hit.

Back to pacing issues; too many subplots, two major plots and not enough time for it all. They should have picked one main plot imo, especially if they were gonna have a lot of little side stories in there too.

The main antagonists were very nothing imo. It’s a good thing most people came for Beetlejuice, rather than them. Delores had a lot of potential, I just wish she got more screen time bruh.

Willem Dafoe looked like he was improvising a lot, and even if his character felt unnecessary honestly it was hard not to enjoy his scenes bc Dafoe just looked like he was having a blast every damn moment he was on screen.

This is long man I’m just really passionate about this character and the original film A’ight.

All in all I had fun with it and enjoyed it but then I’m kinda the target for the film; old and nostalgic af for the original, and just excited to see more Beej. If you’re not that demographic, if you can put aside serious analysis of the film and just enjoy it for the cheesy, funny, insane ride it is you’ll have fun… otherwise it’s prolly not gonna land at all ngl.

Personally it punched me in the left kidney with nostalgia and I was grinning through it like a deranged cryptid.

[thegreymoon]

I am really not the target demographic for Red, White and Royal Blue and honestly, the entire premise sounds dumb af from where I'm sitting, but all the gifs that crossed my dash looked hilarious and that main actor is beyond gorgeous, so I am going to give it a shot tonight. My expectations are so low, that unless this movie gets a shovel and starts digging, there is no chance it cannot exceed them. I am so ready to eat my words, just give me some pretty people, mindless fluff and basic comedy and I will be happy, I swear!

***

TWO FUCKING HOURS?

You guys, I'm going to be honest here, I don't think I have it in me to sit through this 😭😭

***

LOL, only a younger brother 🤣🤣 They did not have the guts to go all in and make him the heir to the throne.

Also, lol @ "Prince of England's hearts" but even more so at "whom all the world adores" 🤣🤣 I cannot. I am absolutely not the target demographic for this and I don't think I have it in me to just go along with this, fictional British royal family or not. Who speaks like this? Who even believes it?

Anyway. Abolish the monarchy, Guillotine them all. Long live the glorious revolution!

***

LMFAO 🤣🤣

Well, at least he looks equally disgusted.

If we can't off the royal family, how about we just off this news announcer? Because I am getting so much second-hand embarrassment.

***

LMAO, OK, he gets ONE point 🤣🤣

OK, fine, two points, because he is stupid beautiful and the reason I sat down to watch this in the first place 😤

***

Yassss, girlfriend has great taste!

I'm two minutes in and so far, she's my favourite. I would totally watch a two-hour movie of her touring London and giving commentary on the yumminess of various guys she encounters.

***

LMAO, is he going to get hammered and smash the obscene 75-thousand-pound cake? 🤣🤣

Because why else would they mention that price point and also show the cake in all its humongous 8-tier glory 🤣🤣

Here for the diplomatic incident, ngl, I would totally read the shit out of that in the tabloids the next day 🤣🤣

***

NOOOOO, THE CAKE IS RIGHT BEHIND THEM!

THEY WILL TOTALLY TOPPLE THAT CAKE!

***

Okay, I am laughing 🤣🤣

***

SCREAMING 🤣🤣

I saw it coming from a mile away, but goddamn, it DELIVERED! 🤣🤣

***

I can't stop laughing 🤣🤣

Watching this was such a good decision 🤣🤣

***

LOL, if this was a real-life event, I would spend a week gleefully reblogging it on Tumblr, no lie 🤣🤣

Also, it is a 9-TIER CAKE, not 8 🤣🤣 The more, the messier!

***

LMFAO 🤣🤣

Also, OMG! Uma Thurman! 😍 It's been a hundred years since I watched her in anything!

***

"Sunshine of my heart" 🤣🤣

This movie is hilarious 🤣🤣

***

Wait, Sarah Shahi??

I loved her in Life! I also watched Fairly Legal for her and thought she was stunning in The L Word! I'm forever bitter we never got to see that Nancy Drew adaptation with her in the main role 😕

***

The thing that is the most difficult for me to suspend my disbelief for is the idea that these two overly privileged young men involved in their countries' respective politics are actually nice people.

I keep chanting to myself, "You are not here for realism! You are not here for realism! YOU ARE NOT HERE FOR REALISM!"

To varying levels of success 😕

***

Romantic comedies are so not my genre. And I am so not here for ex-boyfriends or whatever this guy is.

I need Alex and Henry to get back together ASAP and start smashing cakes again because I'm starting to get bored.

***

These are gutter-level jokes.

Seriously, they couldn't get more creative?

***

They have the most basic taste in literature ever. It doesn't even feel authentic, more like what a nineteen-year-old girl thinks good taste in literature should look like.

***

I feel like I am extremely uncharitable towards this movie (the cake thing was funny tho) but it is very hard to take their bland flirting, pedestrian romance and pathetic humour seriously when you're coming into this from 2ha 😕 The standards that have been set are on another planet compared to what we are being given here.

***

Please 😭

And smash another cake, otherwise I don't know how I'm going to make it through another hour-and-a-half of this 😭😭

***

The things I will watch for pretty people 😭

He truly is stupid beautiful and makes this thing infinitely more watchable every time he's on screen.

***

I'm with Henry on this one, this party is like something straight out of my worst nightmares and crushing on the tall, hot guy seems like the only tolerable thing in this whole hellscape.

***

Aww, baby, he is not having a good time.

He wants to kiss him for New Year's too!

***

LOL.

Well. That escalated 🤣🤣

***

NOOOOO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING JUST STARING AFTER HIM?

RUN AFTER HIM AND TELL HIM IT'S OK AND THAT YOU SHOULD CONTINUE SOMEWHERE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS!!

***

And some women! 👀

She's my favourite character in this thing, lol, followed closely by Sarah Shahi and Uma Thurman. And then Prince Henry 😅

***

This guy stands no chance to the level that it's embarrassing he still keeps trying.

I almost feel sorry for him, but I kinda have the feeling that he's going to be the one to out Alex and Henry, so my sympathy is very shallow. Just know when you've lost, my man, and MOVE ON.

[seriousbrat]

What do you make of Lily’s relationship with Slughorn? Slughorn in the series seems to be seen as a bit of a cringe guy, blatantly collecting celebrities and celebrities in the making. With Lily’s disdain for James and Sirius arrogance and entitledness, wouldn’t it be in line with her personality to not think much of someone like Slughorn either? Although understanding he means well, his attitude towards muggleborn talent reads a bit like a micro aggression - would that not bother fiery and independent-thinking Lily? I’d love to read more meta or fics about these two characters, it’s so funny to me that Harry was always almost hyperfocused on uncovering his dad’s memories and identity, and then in HBP, out of nowhere Slughorn comes alone like “Lily Evans gave me will to live” and Harry doesn’t dig deeper??? I’m also curious wether Slughorn ever also acknowledged Snape’s talent for potions or had any curiosity about him, since he was so close to charming Lily. I need to know!!

Honestly, I LOVE Lily's relationship with Slughorn. Mostly because I find Slughorn a very entertaining character to write. I just find his mannerisms amusing so I kind of have a soft spot for him lol, even though I don't think he's a great person or anything. He's not terrible either, he's just supposed to be average. Moderate.

I definitely think you make a good point about Lily's lack of patience for the Marauders, but at the same time I think Slughorn, whatever else he was, was never purposefully cruel and I don't see him as arrogant. Pompous and ambitious, maybe, but also not overly ambitious-- Dumbledore states that he never aspired to personal power but preferred to watch from the sidelines. I think Slughorn represents the casual or 'benevolent' prejudice of the wizarding world, probably the most common attitude among purebloods. He espouses unexamined beliefs about Muggleborns that are obviously bigoted, but at the same time his actions don't fully line up with those beliefs, as several of his favourite students have been Muggleborns, and he deliberately rejects students aligned with the Death Eaters. He's just a moderate, who doesn't examine the world around him because the status quo benefits him.

I do think Lily would have been fond of Slughorn despite all that, because he's generally kind. We only see Slughorn with older students but I imagine he was really sweet to the first years, one of the 'softer' professors among the staff. He was very kind to Hagrid (even though this was partly for personal gain) and also to Ron after the love potion debacle. So I think Lily would have seen him as a kindly, well-intentioned uncle who nevertheless had failings. For the time period, however, Slughorn's attitude would probably have been standard and honestly his inclusion and support of Muggle-born students during the war, even if it was flawed... is still something. I've no doubt that Lily wouldn't have been afraid to argue with Slughorn when she disagreed with him, but he would probably take it in stride, engage with her opinion with good humour and respect even if he didn't share it. He enjoyed and encouraged her "cheeky answers". And that's honestly a much more pleasant experience than someone outright dismissing your beliefs. I can see why they got on, personally.

About Snape: I've no doubt that Slughorn spotted his talent pretty much immediately. And while Lily and Sev were friends, this was perfect- the glow of Lily's personality basically covered Sev as well, made him more likeable by association lol. However, I think while Slughorn was very fond of Lily for who she was, he didn't actually like teen Sev very much. Snape's not exactly a people person, and he was even more disagreeable as a teenager from what we know-- Slughorn likely saw that as an obstacle to success. My belief is that when Slughorn (who I see as a bit of a gossip haha) became aware of the rift between them he automatically sided with Lily and Sev stopped receiving invites to the Slug Club. Slughorn likes talent but he also likes charisma, something Sev lacked (at least in a way that was obvious), and if Slughorn as Head of Slytherin was at all aware of Sev's proclivity for the Dark Arts that would have been a further strike against him.

Anyway! As I said, I really enjoy writing Slughorn lol. I've even considered doing a Wodehousian-inspired Slughorn prequel even though there's no audience for it probably lmao..

[pinkshaus]

what are some of honey's 'petty humour' videos on her tiktok?

( 🗨️ )  ⸻ 𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗬 @ 𝟭:𝟬𝟵𝗔𝗠!

❛❛ oh so you want the tea huh? honestly most of my petty tiktok is aimed towards yg and what they like to refer to as 'music' or pulling pranks on my members. and if i am feeling extra feisty, making digs at idols not being me. ❜❜

(first one is dig at yg for being unproductive & lazy with cbs & second is for idols who cannot twerk & third is when she pranked called them for april fools)

[canonsinthehead]

So I Watched Bucchigiri?!... (My Review)

(Before you proceed, I'll assume you watched the show but honestly you can still read it since i will limit the spoilers for those who want to watch the show)

1.First Impression/Why did i Watched it?

Youtube Ad victim (yes you read that right), the clip showing a mixture of throwing hands and humour looked interesting and fun.

(this crunchyroll ad above) IM NOT GONNA LIE, I 100% WATCHED THIS SHOW BECAUSE OF OUTA TAHIDE'S FINE ASS IN THE AD (CLICKBAIT VICTIM).

2. Story (5/10)

Laconic: A Red Aladdin style genie demon have a 300 year old beef with his blue boyfriend so now a lame loser high schooler maxs his stats and have to fight but dont get it twisted CORN ADDICITON WILL PREVAIL!

ehhh... Trashcan come to the podium. The biggest issue of this show are the plot points & certain characters motivations/personalities (ehum, Arajin. Ehum, Mahoro). Some are gear grinding when they appeared on screen. I'm not gonna dig too deep but the story sounds good on paper but when you add the unsufferabble MC, everything falls down the drains (Matakara should have been the MC).

I understand this is supposed to be a funny show but some tropes fall flat and are aggravating at best. Honestly Arajin & Mahoro are eating up most of the points for this categorie (get the lame simpery and mincest out of here). Other characters and the storyline as a whole did their thing regardless of the cliché they carried BUT ITS HARD LOOKING PAST THE BAD.

3. Characters (9/10) (THE BEST PART)

Before diving deeper, Bucchigiri is a mid show with AMAZING & GREATLY DESIGNED CHARACTERS. Aside from my thirst for Outa, I've looked up other characters before watching the show anf their designs are really good (MAPPA delivered). Which is why i'm disappointed to see them mishandled like that.

Also y'all couldnt have another female character to balance out Mahoro? (please omfg)

3.5. Simplified Characters Impresssions

MATAKARA(LEFT): Welcome back Suzaku Kururugi! ARAJIN (RIGHT): Walking Trashcan, Weirdo Simp from the deepest part of the abyss & Certified Mean Girl.

KOMAO (LEFT): My Ray of Sunshine (Is that a skirt and some dreads? SLAY!) ZABU (RIGHT): Min Yoongi (Suga)

MARITO: Mahito (JJK) + Boutarou the Pirate (Golden Kamuy) + The Pink haired dude from Sk8 the Infinity. OUTA: Some tanning slipped into the Manwha Male algorithm.

THEM TOGETHER : 2025 MatchaBlossom (sprinkle some crack over it)

JABASHIRI (RIGHT): So this is where Zabuza went after dying... Justified Hater of the MC (i stan with him) btw bro a hard head makes a soft ass... HAGURE (LEFT): Under heavy protection, Jabishiri should have beat you up for how you did him during the fighting tournament. I Knew you couldnt fight but i love you anyway... THEY ARE MY FAVOURITE DUO I CANT LIE (or ship i guess).

ARAJIN'S MOM (LEFT): Emotional Wincest Boy Mom MAHORO (RIGHT): That one sided bro/sis wincest in anime. GOING TO HELL IN A CASKET.

I'm not gonna say more.... (Nanami your boy is tweaking)

CAT DUDE (LEFT): Kiba Inuzuka's arch nemesis + Ouran High School Host Club KEN (RIGHT): Tekken/Street Fighter Character + King of Rule34

Well...

4. Watching Experience (5/10)

Yall know i will never complain about a 12 episodes anime (shout out to GANGSTA) but this serie would have benifited from more episodes with the story it was trying to go for. Because it really gave EASILY FORGIVEN and lets all dance around the campfire (wait arent yall opposite gangs or we dropping it and merging together?!.)

Like ive said the MC slowed down the watching experience because i had to actually leave and come back to later due to being so pissed off.

5. Do I Recommend?

As crazy as it sounds, i do recommend it. the 12 episodes will not take too much of your time and these characters a worthy of being love and appriciated to the fullest (the fanart is kinda dry).

In a way this series is a win for me regardless my complaints because the fights are cool as hell and its really showed me how to make great characters regardless the setting. I can see how this show could be a banger to others and it definetly can.

FINAL REVIEW (5/10)

Thanks for Coming to my TED Talk!