#I mean it would be protected speech anyway

[griseldagimpel]

I am absolutely tickled that The Magnus Archives made a character's villainous monolog an act of religious worship.

If Elias Bouchard went to the U.S., his villainous monologing would be a constitutionally protected act under the First Amendment of the Constitution.

[lobpoints]

some boring lc thoughts in dm with friend ig

Click ALT if you can't read the text

[aphel1on]

the longer i look at this panel the more deranged i feel about it. this is environmental storytelling at its finest.

the eodio stand-in doll in particular makes me crazy. where did it come from? did thistle just pop into the village like "hey ungrateful wretches, one of you needs to make me a life-sized mannequin, For Reasons". did he make it himself? seems quite unlikely, yet the possibility haunts me. i mean, i guess there could've been one just lying around the dungeon somewhere. it's the act of replacement itself that really gets to me. (edit: it's been pointed out to me that the eodio doll also could have been left behind as part of delgal's escape plan. slightly different kind of madness but tbh, just as funny-sad to me if that happened and thistle went Ok, Guess That's Eodio Now.)

both the wives are there too. we know very little about them, which makes me tend to assume thistle wasn't all that close to them, but they're still included. when did they end up here? did he kick their souls out of their bodies at some point, or were they among those who left their bodies voluntarily to try and escape? when did yaad become an effective orphan, delgal an effective widower? women in the margins of the narrative, tell me your stories!

and the fact that they're surrounded with the living paintings, which thistle habitually wanders through to relive the past. this truly is his inner sanctum, his place of utmost comfort... and it may as well be a tomb.

that panel is so creepy when you first see it. just a sense of "ohh jeez, there's a lot to unpack there".

and actually, yeah, it remains creepy from pretty much any angle, but the more you think about it the more it's also tragic.

this is where many of thistle's happiest moments took place. everything he had in that picture is now gone. first he lost their warm regard, then one-by-one their bodies became hollow shells. before the end, none of the people here needed or enjoyed food anymore. the dinner table, as a center of both family life and nutrition, became obsolete.

a line from someone else's excellent post about thistle has stuck in my head ever since i read it: "to eat is to live, but to eat together is to be loved". to me, this is the sentiment and symbolism at the core of everything that happens in dungeon meshi.

it makes this bit all the sadder and more disturbing.

there's several things to note here:

thistle has gone from seated and eating with them as part of the family, to a lonely and ominous figure hovering over delgal's shoulder

eodio is conspicuously absent from view, and his body would have been a husk by now, but yaad says parents, which forces me to assume that they are sitting at the table with eodio's soulless body, hidden under yaad's speech bubble

they're not actually eating anything.

those plates are empty. you could assume that they've already finished eating, maybe, but yaad refers to it as sitting around the dinner table. in fact, he compares it to what he's currently doing; sitting at the dinner table watching the touden party eat, not eating anything himself.

it paints a pretty grim picture. for some time even after the fantasy had fallen apart, even after there was no need or desire to eat, they kept gathering around the dinner table. at that point, i'd guess only so as not to provoke thistle's wrath.

but even that last happened a long, long time ago.

this is a callback to what senshi said in the golden kingdom: the reason the people keep maintaining their fields and silverware and so forth is that they need to do so in order to stay sane.

paradoxically, the dinner table is the most striking evidence of thistle's insanity, and at the same time, it's the only anchor to sanity he has left.

he kept enforcing the ritual of dinner together long after it lost significance. when even that was impossible- because almost everyone's souls were gone- he kept their bodies at the table anyway. it's fine. it's fine! he's protected them, physically, just like he set out to. they're all still breathing. at a glance it looks like they could wake up and resume dinner at any moment. like this, it's easy to pretend.

isn't that what being a dungeon lord is, at the core of it? rejecting reality, staying in the prison of one's impossible desires. it's just one long game of pretend.

thistle did all this to protect his loved ones. no matter how obsessive and twisted he became in pursuit of that over the years, his core motivation never changed. this is all he has left of that dream: his loved ones' bodies gathered around the locus of their happiest memories together. like this, he can tell himself he's succeeded.

when eodio's body vanished with delgal's soul in it- when he couldn't even have that anymore... well.

i want to reach through the screen and shake him. no, they're not, thistle. THISTLE, NO, THEY'RE NOT! the doll of eodio is the closest thing to him in this panel, underlining the point. when that final illusion was shattered, he became completely unable to cope with reality.

therefore casually forgetting the creepy eodio doll isn't real.

thistle isn't stupid. eodio's body vanished at the same time as delgal's soul. shortly after, more adventurers came pouring in than ever before. deep down, he knows what happened. if he didn't, being confronted with the truth by mithrun wouldn't have made him panic so hard he summoned chimera falin to the first floor.

yet still...

he absolutely can't admit that to himself. he is clinging to the last scraps of the illusion with everything he has.

this is a dungeon lord at the end of desire. this is a lotus-eater machine left running long after its conclusion. this is mithrun lying listlessly in his bed, his replica lover having given up any pretense of being human. the illusion is all that's left. (an illusion is all it ever was.) thistle and the citizens of the golden kingdom- they're ghosts just as much as the ones who wander the dungeon floors. and if it weren't for thistle sealing the lion away, he would've been eaten by it long ago.

all of this encapsulated by that single panel of the dinner table.

[wonderjanga]

Billy’s Ideal Hero

Billy has had so so so many years to think about being the ideal hero. He’s finally come to the conclusion as to what being the ideal hero is.

It’s being super mysterious and suave. Mary thought him that last word.

Thankfully, he came to this conclusion before he started fully interacting with the public so no one needs to know about his normal, not hero-like self.

Billy didn’t realize how much of an impact this persona had on history and other heroes in general. The first time he found this out was, after the time bubble popped, when he was in DC because he needed to talk with some government people. On his way back to Fawcett, before he could leave the city, he spotted some kids bullying another, and he swiftly put a stop to it.

Marvel: *lands behind them with a smile* “I think it’d be wise for you boys to stop.”

Bullies: *turn and scream before running off*

Marvel: “Now then, are you alright?” *picks up some books on the ground*

Kid: *gobsmacked and takes the books back*

Marvel: *raises a brow but starts to float off the ground so he can fly off again*

Kid: “WAIT! WAIT! Are you the real deal?”

Marvel: “Yes? Why wouldn’t I be?”

Kid: “That’s… Awesome!”

The kid started yapping and yapping about something Billy didn’t entirely understand. The kid then shifted his books around so he could get to a history textbook.

Kid: *flips to a page* “This is you, right? You said this!” *shows it to Billy*

it was a black and white picture of him, making a speech in front of a crowd.

“It is a heroes job to protect anyone they can. Weak or strong, black or white, man or woman. It should not ever matter. If it does, you were simply never a hero in the first place.”

— Captain Marvel, circa 1949

It took every bone in Marvel’s body to not scrunch his face and look away and embarrassment because WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE’S IN THE TEXTBOOKS?! But alas, he has to remain that cool mysterious disposition.

The second time he realized the impact of this persona was when he was also in another city. Metropolis. See, he’d wanted to talk to this so called “Superman” but before he could, a giant foreign aircraft made itself known. Naturally, he went through the proper proceedings of telling the aircraft to leave and that it was in a foreign airspace. Instead of leaving it shot at him. None of its weird doohickies worked though. How humans have developed… Anyways, that ended up with him luring the ship to the middle of nowhere. After all, he would never fight it in a city. He’d have to be an idiot to do that.

He took care of the ship itself in a minute, his lightning frying it. Then he took care of the invaders inside. Turns out they were from a different planet. He took care of them in a couple minutes. In the end, he was covered in alien guts and picking it out of his suit and gloves.

After Marvel steps out of the ship…

Supes: *standing there confused as to why the aliens weren’t attacking and suddenly sees Marvel and stares*

Marvel: *stares back and stops picking alien intestine out of the hood of his cape* (idk I just like it whenever he has a hood on his cape. Think of the injustice version of him if you don’t know what I mean)

*silence*

Marvel: “I presume you’re Superman?” *steps forward, ignoring that he’s covered in blood because that wouldn’t be very mysterious or suave of him to acknowledge*

Supes: “Uh…” *looks behind Marvel and sees a bunch of dead aliens* “Yes?”

Marvel: “Wonderful!” *moves in front of Clark, takes off a glove (Yes he also wears gloves because I really like his injustice costume if you ignore all the black and replace it with either red or white) and holds out a hand for a shake* “It’s amazing to meet a new hero, let alone one from outside of Fawcett.”

Supes: “Really? It’s a pleasure to meet you too, sir.” *shakes his hand*

And it really was, even if Clark kept looking between Marvel and the aliens because he hadn’t heard a single sound of pain from the ship. That either meant Marvel did it quickly or he did it quietly. Clark wasn’t sure which was better. It was still a shock to see a revered hero, a hero Clark actually idolized, look like the person responsible for a massacre.

The two talked though and Clark wasn’t picking up any homicidalness so…? They actually managed to get smoothies after the Captain cleaned himself up with magic. Clark didn’t even know how they ended up in a smoothie joint. It’s just the other hero was so- so- so suave and mysterious. It reminded Clark a wee inseey weesy bit of Bruce. (Billy would internally cheer upon realizing that his persona was working) The other hero was also extremely easy to talk to and actually liked a lot of things Clark did, like reporting!

it almost made the kryptonian forget about the fact he was pretty sure the other man massacred a bunch of aliens. Almost. He brought it up to Batman immediately after their little little hangout session.

[theyluvlyss]

𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐥...

batman's cape (and any of the other batfam member's capes) are heated/can be microwaved :D.

...yeah, probably not the most original thought. surely someone has come up with this before, and hey, maybe it's even canon - but that doesn't really take away any of the ideas I have, so on we go anyways lmao.

I imagine that you, y/n, reader (lol idk-) is often found all wrapped up in bruce's cape (ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S FRESH OUT OF THE WASH) and he'll be TEARING the manor apart looking for that shit because why would it be anywhere else except in the bat-cave, in his bat-suit vault, right there clipped onto the specific bat-suit he's choosing to wear for whatever mission he's finna go on, just to eventually find you on a couch somewhere above the bat-cave all rolled up like a worm in it with the glow of your phone emitting from underneath the fabric and your little giggles muffled by it because you're probably laughing at memes or something idk.

bruce is definitely the type to think it's silly and lowkey can't even blame you because it do be cold in the mansion, but he also refuses to drop the "I'm so hardcore and a brute and stone cold" act so he's yanking that shit offa' you and you're just BEWILDERED, suddenly exposed to the light and cold like, "😮⁉���🫨⁉️" and before you can even process wtf happened, bruce is already whisking around the corner, gone and out of sight💀.

dick would also think it's silly, but lowkey actually be annoyed, though, and he'd make that KNOWN. like, sure, he'd initially be VERY stressed when he can't find the cape (even though it's not thay big of a deal but for some reason, he just doesn't feel "complete" without it😭) but then he'd see this huge lump all wrapped up in it on a bed in one of the many rooms or something. at first, he'd think it's one of the handful of pets owned and living in the wayne estate, just to peel back the fabric and see YOU.

"...Hi😃..."

"...🙂Why are- Nevermind. You do know that I need this, right?"

"I mean,,, you don't need it, you just-"

*YANK!!*

"NO, WAIT, IT'S COLD!!"

"THEN GET A BLANKET!!"

I'm sorry, but I feel like dick don't play 'bout his cape, and you're just either gonna have to find different ways to sneak it or just leave it tf alone😭✋🏽. but when it's not currently in dire need by him, he'll happily return it to you and smile when you squeal and wrap yourself back up in and under it while it warms up.

BARBARA GETS IT FR. SHE GETS ✨️🩷YOU🩷✨️. but also, she is attached to it in the way dick is, so don't be surprised if and when she needs it, she's taking it from you with zero mercy and under the excuse of, "I'm on duty tonight, I'm not showing up out of uniform lol." and you're just left there like "☹️...". but outside of those times, the both of you can be found very happily and contently under her cape as you watch horror movies or something and rambling about who knows what, a common interest lol.

and I'm pretty sure in some strains/universes or whatever of dc, she ends up becoming oracle because she's paralyzed or some shit, right?? I could totally be wrong, but if I'm not, I feel like in that case, she just GIVES it to you. she makes it a huge deal, too, she acts like she's passing along the magical ashes of a dead ancestor that grants you infinite knowledge and protection or some shit and has a whole speech prepared, just for her to hand you this neatly folded up cloth and you're just like, "...You're giving me your cape����??" and she's like, "Ya🙂♡." and you can't even be mad because ...

IT'S A HEATED CAPE like idk what else you could want from her like plz✋🏽.

(*casually skips over Tim bc idk enough about him and if I mischaracterized him I'd have to delete this account and then me off of the face of this earth bc I refuse to be that bitch who doesn't know her shit😃*)

jason will see you with his cape, and whether you're awake or asleep, he'll loom over you menacingly until you sense his presence, and then not even give you the chance to give excuses before he's like, "I'm on watch tonight."

you don't dare protest lmao. and he isn't giving it back to you later on. it's one of those things that if you really want it, you gotta go get it. and then expect you won't have it for very long, so whatever you plan on doing with it, you better make the most of it😭✋🏽. that's literally all I can say for him lmao.

DAMIAN (my fave) (^3^)/. I feel like he'd make it seem like SUCH an inconvenience for himself even though he doesn't actually care about the cape itself and if anything, finds it very sweet and endearing that you literally use it as a blanket because "it gets so warm" and "it smells like you" and "it's here when you're gone and I miss you". but, much like his father, he just HAS to keep up the, "I'm so stone cold and no nonsense and eternally vexed" facade, so if you're awake and you have it, he'll just hold out his hand expectingly and - like jason - you don't dare argue because you're just gonna lose🥲.

but if he finds the cape and you're asleep with/under it, he'll actually let you keep it. like, he'll just leave it and either go about his superhero duties without the cape entirely, or he'll just use another one from a different suit. sure, it might possess different capabilities (no pun intended), or he might feel a little... off... without a cape, but he'd rather that than interrupt your comfortable state.

and you'll be so bent up about it when he returns, and you're like, "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST TAKE IT😭💔?!" and he's like, "you were obviously very comfortable, I didn't want to disturb you😐..........🫶🏼."

so um.... yeah, I honeslty dk where all of that came from, but do with this info what you will.

byeeee /ᐠ^ω^マ~ !!

[i-cant-sing]

10 year old Spider girl reader is tiny and mean. She’s like a chihuahua.

Fr, and like imagine a villain being a platonic yandere for small spidergirl. Like this villain is always ready for duels and everyone is like???? Why is your nemesis a CHILD???? And this dude does not give a crap what anyone thinks, he is doing his homework and preparing well to give you epic battles that never really cause you any harm, it's just for theatrics. Maybe the villain in question here is Miguel? And maybe 10 year old spider girl resembles his dead kid so he is trying hard to bond with you and only fights with you because he has already eliminated every other real criminal and he would never let them harm you, but you're dead set on becoming a hero, so to fulfil your dream, he'd play the role of a notorious villain WHILE ALSO ACTING LIKE A FATHER IRL BECAUSE HE OBVIOUSLY KILLED YOUR REAL DAD AND REPLACED HIM AND YOURE CONFUSED AS TO WHY YOUR DAD (miguel) is suddenly so caring and attentive and protective towards you unlike your dead dad who wasn't so bothered to raise you properly but you appreciate the change of heart.

Anyways, you don't know that Miguel and the villain are the same guy, so you are going out everyday to fight him, and Miguel is lowkey impressed with your fighting skills, while also going the whole nine yards to be the BEST VILLAIN ever, like my man has a whole speech prepared, full on dramatics.

Miguel, disguised as the villain: You won't be getting away this time, spider girl! I HAVE PLANNED-

10 year old spider girl: can we skip the speech? I have a curfew at 8 and my dad made my favourite for dinner🥺🫶👊

Miguel, internally clutching his heart in awe: of course, sweetie, whatever you want-

[txt-trash]

bad impression | choi yeonjun

summary: choi yeonjun knows he’s a heart throb, it’s not hard for him to get someone he wants once he sets his mind to it—except you won’t even give him the time of day. he should just move on to the next, right? well he can’t, because he’s determined to prove your bad impression of him wrong.

➣ college au, smüt, fluff

➣ fuckboy!yeonjun x f!reader [she/her]

➣ 9.4k words

warnings: college, minors dni, fluff, smüt [oral {both recieving}. foreplay. breästplay. use of protection. riding. makeout. missionäry. honestly fluff at the end. yeonjun is whipped and he doesn’t know how to deal with it. y/n is very cold toward him in the beginning.] jealous Yeonjun.

song inspo: obsessed — mariah carey [finally found a girl that you couldn’t impress]

He looked dumbstruck. His lips were parted just slightly as he stared down at you in what looked like shock. A small laugh caught in his throat as he brushed his hair out of his face, licking his dry lips trying to figure out what you just told him.

“Are you um… you know, are you busy? Is that why?” Yeonjun asked you. He looked down both ends of the aisle just to make sure nobody was around to hear him being rejected. It would ruin his street cred. Maybe he just caught you at a bad time, you were in the library after all and maybe he interrupted your work. Yeah that’s probably it.

“I’m not busy,” you told him as you put a book back into its spot, pushing the cart of books down the aisle, “I just don’t want to.”

“Why? Wait, um, did I do something to you?” He asked, looking like you shot an arrow straight through his ego. You shook your head releasing a small laugh as you kept working while he followed you. His brows scrunched together in confusion as he moved a couple books so you could put another into the space.

“No Yeonjun, you didn’t, I’m just not interested,” you told him, finally looking at him. He looked visibly taken back by the last statement you made and he was at the point of desperation so he needed to stop. He gave you a mere nod as he began to step away. You gave him a charming smile as you went back to work.

“Alright, I get it,” Yeonjun said with a dramatic sigh, “I’ll stop annoying you.”

“Thank you.”

He still can’t believe it.

“Am I ugly?” Yeonjun asked his friends the next day during lunch. They looked at him with expressions that immediately made him regret asking but it was too late to take it back.

“Yeah,” Kai said right away while Soobin just checked him out as if really contemplating how to answer the question. After much debate Soobin said, “Not usually, why?”

“Because Y/n said no,” Yeonjun told them as he checked his appearance with his front camera making sure to fix his hair and everything. The other two looked at each other with confusion before Soobin was the one to ask, “No to what?”

“Going with me to the party tonight, remember I told you guys I was gonna ask her out?” Yeonjun reminded them and the two made a unanimous ‘ahh’ sound. There was a party tonight at a friend’s place but Yeonjun couldn’t even tell you all about it because you were very quick to reject him! And he means quick like flash lightning. He hadn’t even finished his speech before you told him no. Then when he tried going into more detail you just told him you weren’t interested. It had his mind whirring.

“I remember but who cares? You’ll probably find someone else tonight anyways,” Kai said with a shrug as he stuffed his face with whatever lunch he bought at the cafeteria today. Yeonjun was still distraught by your rejection yesterday that he’s not even hungry.

Maybe he’s just being dramatic but he’s never been rejected before, he doesn’t know how to take it. He’s still thinking about the way you just straight up told him you are not interested in him. And okay, to be fair he’s only really been into you for the last few days and he was really seeing another girl just a couple weeks ago but that’s the past. You’re the one he wants right now and yet you rejected him. Him?!?

“But I want Y/n,” he released a loud whine that had him stomping his feet under the table in a mini tantrum. Why did you reject him? He doesn’t get it. He’s a total catch, ask anyone—literally.

He kept thinking about this all day and when he got to the party he was still sulking. Girls were talking to him about anything and everything yet his mind was stuck on you. He’ll admit his feelings aren’t deep for you but you’ve just really hurt his ego and he doesn’t get why. Do you have a partner? Are they even your type? Is he even your type? Do you not have time because of school or work? Are you just not feeling well? Why wouldn’t you want to come out with him tonight? He knows you said you’re not interested but how? He’s a catch. He needs you to know he’s a catch!!

“Guess who’s here,” Kai told Yeonjun practically running into him as the older tried to distract his broken heart with a game of Beer Pong with some girl he didn’t know. Yeonjun couldn’t even bring himself to be excited at what sounded like potential tea being spilled and ignored his friend instead choosing to shoot a ping pong ball straight into a red cup, immediately being cheered on.

Kai had to hit Yeonjun’s arm repeatedly to get the guy to react until finally he snapped and turned to the younger, “Hit me one more time I dar—“

Kai slapped him on the cheek lightly but enough to make Yeonjun’s head turn to the side and that’s where he saw it. Lo and behold, none other than L/n Y/n stood there chatting it up with some friends wearing his favorite colors. How could you do that to him? How could you stand there wearing lavender and powder blue while having drinks with someone else?

“I’ve gotta go pee,” Yeonjun lied as he left them all at the Beer Pong table ignoring their boo’s in order to go find you. He chugged back the rest of his drink giving quick waves to whoever said hi to him.

You were just minding your business trying to have at least one drink before you dipped out on the party and went home but apparently you couldn’t even do that. The universe wanted you to have to suffer and that’s why Yeonjun magically made his way to you and tapped your shoulder like some old lady asking if she could cut in line.

“Funny seeing you here,” Yeonjun said with his usual arrogant yet pretty smile, “I thought you were busy tonight.”

“Um,” your brows furrowed as you turned to look at him, “I'm pretty sure I said I wasn’t busy, I just wasn’t interested.”

Yeonjun’s eyes narrowed in thought ignoring the way your friends Taehyun and Beomgyu made ooo sounds like you gave him a good burn. He shook his head, “No I’m pretty sure I heard you say you’re busy and totally interested in me.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure you have hearing problems then because I never said that,” you responded looking a little annoyed now.

“I do have hearing problems,” Yeonjun said, never once backing down or stuttering over his words, “It’s called Selective Hearing, look it up.”

“I know what Selective Hearing is,” you told him, trying very hard not to smile because he was being so damn ridiculous right now.

“I’m just making sure,” he, on the other hand, had a shit-eating grin knowing that he’s getting to you, “So why don’t you tell me what you’re drinking so I could go get us more.”

“I have a full cup,” you said, “Besides I’m here with some friends.”

“What friends?” Yeonjun asked dramatically, looking around you. You rolled your eyes at his joke and turned to where Beomgyu and Taehyun should be. Keyword: should. They’re gone and when you looked around for them you found them playing Beer Pong pointing at you mockingly as they laughed. They knew how much Yeonjun grinds your gears and they left you here with them.

“Looks like you’re stuck with me,” he said with a smirk that you just wanted to wipe off. You shook your head, “Looks like I’m going home actu—“

“Y/n!” He called out to you as you made your way to the door but before you could get to it he cut through the crowd of party goers like a man on a mission and placed a large hand flat against the door, “Why do you hate me?”

Your brows furrowed, “First of all I don’t hate you.”

“Then why won’t you say yes to one date? Hell you won’t even say yes to one drink with me! If that doesn’t seem like hate I don’t know what does,” Yeonjun said honestly. Why do you keep rejecting every single one of his efforts?

“I’m just not interested, Yeonjun, I don’t like wasting my time,” you told him honestly, “And you’re the type of guy to lead someone on, waste their time, and never speak to them again.”

He was so visibly taken back by what you said that he couldn’t even react in time to you moving him back so you could open the door and leave the party.

Listen, you weren’t president of the Choi Yeonjun Hate Club by any means, seriously. It’s just hard to take the guy seriously when all you hear on campus is how much of a player he was. You’ve had a couple classes with him the last two years and yeah you know him but not like you really know him. He’s never shown interest in you before so why is he doing it now? You have no clue.

Also, you’re pretty sure just two weeks ago he was on some girl’s Instagram story with hearts all around it. He’s so clearly a fuckboy and those just aren’t your type. Between school and work you don’t have time to waste on some guy who’ll probably ghost you after getting you in bed. It might sound harsh but it’s probably true. So, like you said, better to not waste your time on a guy like him.

“So what did the Campus Crush want last weekend?” Taehyun asked as he and Beomgyu played some game on the PC while you scrolled through your socials. You were currently all sitting in the library on some lounge chairs wasting time till your next lecture. You released a deep sigh, “He keeps crying about a date.”

“Ooh, does this mean you’re gonna get laid?” Taehyung asked and both you and Beomgyu glared at him. You rolled your eyes, “First of all I said no. Second, why are you talking about getting laid if you’re a virgin.”

“That’s what im sayin,” Beomgyu said, “Yeonjun’s a fuckboy and Taehyun’s virgin ass shouldn’t be telling you to go for it.”

“First of all I’m not a virgin, second, because Y/n’s been in a dry spell for weeks,” Taehyun said, “Sorry I’m the only one looking out for her sanity.”

“You saying you’re not a virgin is exactly what a virgin would s—“

“I’m not a virgin!” Taehyun said a little too loudly and all heads turned in your direction. He released a loud groan as his face began to redden, “Alright whatever, I hate you guys. I hope Y/n stays single until she’s 60 and all shriveled up.”

With that he left, leaving you and Beomgyu to laugh on your own. Beomgyu pointed down at Taehyun’s snack that was sitting on the table, already reaching out to take it only for Taehyun to come back and snatch it. He left the two of you alone and you kept scrolling while Beomgyu played a single’s match now.

Taehyun was a muttering mess as he stomped out of the library, going on and on about how his best friends suck and hate on him because he’s the youngest. The only reason why he put a pause on cursing you both to hell was the tall frame blocking the entrance to the library as they came in. He looked up, an evil smirk on his face, “Hyung.”

“Taehyun,” Yeonjun said, looking around him almost immediately to see if you were around. The younger got the best idea ever and as he left he said, “If you’re looking for Y/n, she’s in the resting area in the back.”

Yeonjun nodded, thanking the guy blissfully unaware that Taehyun will probably get murdered tonight for telling him that. He was actually in here to escape some girl he ghosted who was just outside and the only place he could go was the library. It seems like the universe was on his side though since now he knows you’re here too. He followed Taehyun’s directions and found you right where he said you would be. Your back was to him and Beomgyu saw him coming first and he could see the way the guy told you about his arrival yet you didn’t turn.

He took Taehyun’s old seat with a simple, “Hey.”

“Hey…” Beomgyu said awkwardly as he looked at you, who only glared at Yeonjun. “What are you doing here?”

“Taehyun told me you were back here so…” Yeonjun said making himself comfortable, choosing to ignore the way you cursed at Taehyun who was only here in spirit. Yeonjun looked at Beomgyu expectantly and the guy just sighed, seeming to understand what he wanted and began gathering his things. You released a deep sigh, “Yeonjun.”

“Yes, cutie?” Yeonjun said with a flirty smile that he knew would annoy you but he’s come to realize you’re cute when you’re annoyed with him. You rolled your eyes, “What are you doing?”

He looked down at himself, “Sitting?”

You huffed in annoyance as you sat up to gather your things and try to leave but a sudden hand over yours stopped you. He smiled, “Come on Y/n, just give me one chance.”

“Are you always this desperate?” You asked and although it should be taken as a jab to his character he saw it as an opportunity. “For you? Yea—Wait, wait wait!”

You were both standing now and Yeonjun was in front of you, “Look, I just want one date. If it’s terrible you don’t ever have to speak to me again. If it’s good… well… um… you know.”

“What? If it’s good I’m supposed to sleep with you? Fat chance Yeonjun, I’ve gotta go,” you told him, putting your backpack on and walking away but he was hot on your trail.

“I was gonna say if it’s good we’ll go on another, y’know, get to each other and shit,” Yeonjun said clearly new to this. He’s never had to beg someone to go out with him and please don’t ask why he’s so stuck on you. You sighed clearly wondering the same thing and finally turned to him making him stop abruptly before you bumped into each other.

“I’ll tell you what, give me a month to decide and if you’re still interested by then, then I’ll say yes” you said and it took everything in him not to release the loudest most annoying gasp in disbelief. A month?! If this was a cartoon he would have an arrow shot through his back.

“And well… if you’re with someone else then I guess it wasn’t meant to be, right?” You said with a nice smile now. There goes a second arrow right through his chest and if this was that cartoon then he would be on the floor bleeding out already from being rejected. Sensing his distress you decided to throw him a bone, “You do look good today.”

With that you left like you were never there in the first place.

A month? He can do a month, sure. Yeah. Easy as pie—except he doesn’t know how to make pie nor does he know if it’s easy at all! And he doesn’t get the saying and he doesn’t want to wait and he doesn’t know what to do!

“You okay there bud? You’re looking a little blue,” Soobin said right before Yeonjun crashed into his arms with a loud dramatic cry. Soobin struggled to catch him, nearly dropping the guy as Yeonjun gasped for air.

“A month! Y/n said in a month she’ll tell me if she’ll even consider a date! Who does that? Who puts someone on lay-away? Who would do that to me?” Yeonjun said pushing Soobin away so he could throw himself down on Kai’s couch ignoring the shout of the younger one cursing at him for making him miss a hit in his game. He held a hand up to his forehead like he was in a fainting spell, “Is something wrong with me?”

“Aside from your obnoxious dramatics, screechy laugh or ugly face? Probably no—ow!” Kai was cut off with Yeonjun pulling on a strand of his hair.

It was a Sunday, four days after you basically told him to fuck off for a month and he has no clue how to handle this rejection. Soobin knew this too and that’s why he said, “I’m meeting up with some girls to ‘study’ later, you should come with and forget about Y/n.”

“Can I come?” Kai asked and Soobin just nodded. Yeonjun shook his head no, “I don’t wanna.”

“Oh come on, yes you do,” Soobin said, reaching out to cling to him, “One of them has been begging to meet you. Why don’t you go for someone who likes you?”

“Fine, if you insist,” Yeonjun said, forgetting in that moment why he was so upset and what he was supposed to do for a month.

He joined the others at this little coffee shop later on in the day. He had to show up fashionably late for his own aesthetic and reputation and walked in like he was the coolest guy in the room. Soobin and Kai, of course, rolled their eyes but the girls were loving it.

“You’re late,” Soobin said with narrowed eyes because they had all been hanging out just a couple hours ago. Yeonjun just shrugged, “Can’t rush beauty.”

“Sure I can,” Kai said, kicking Yeonjun’s butt to hurry him along. Yeonjun glared at him but took a seat anyway. He looked at the three girls in front of them and he could immediately tell which one wanted to get to know him. She was practically sending him hearts with her eyes.

“Hyung this is Mina, Jisoo and Yeaun,” Soobin introduced him and he just nodded saying his name before looking down at what they were all doing.

“I thought we were studying,” Yeonjun said knowing damn well he didn’t even bring his backpack. He really just thought it would be funny to call them out on it since that was apparently the whole reason they gathered. He knew it was just an excuse but still. If you were here you wkd have brought your backpack, he’s just saying.

“Oh,” Yeaun laughed nervously, “We forgot our things.”

“It’s fine, Yeonjun is just messing with you guys,” Kai said, waving the older one off. Someone came by to get Yeonjun’s drink and that’s when they all started talking.

“I think I’ve seen you before,” Yeaun told him and he had to look at her closely to see if that was true. She gave him a flirty smile, “Dance class.”

“You’re a dance major?” Yeonjun asked in a questioning tone as he looked her over. She was cute, actually very close to his ideal type but hm…

Hm…

“Well no but I’m a theater major and I just want to expand my performance level, y’know?” She said trying to have a better conversation with him but he wasn’t all there.

Yeonjun knew he rejected Soobin’s offer to come out for a reason. Okay? At first he wasn’t even sure why he said no and that’s the only reason why he agreed—because it was so out of his character to turn it down, y’know? Like he said, they’re all cute but he just… he’s just not feeling it. That deal you made with him is really stuck in his mind.

You’re acting like he really is fickle. He knows he's dated a lot in the past [past as in a few weeks ago] but do you really have such little faith in him? You just had to say that if he dates someone else in the meantime then it’s not meant to be? What kind of shit is that? You won’t even give him a chance and he’s taking the challenge. He’s decided right now that he’ll show you. You think he’ll get over it in a month? You think he’ll go on to the next girl in line? Yeah alright, he’ll show you.

“Yeonjun,” Soobin called out to him and he snapped out of his own thoughts about you and caught everyone staring at him. “Huh?”

“Oh um, I was just wondering if you could help me with vocals some time, I heard you’re a good singer too,” Yeaun said brushing her fingers through her hair. Yeonjun looked her over, “Uh sure.”

He shook his head thinking of something else as he stood abruptly, “You know what, I’m not feeling good so I think it’s better if I just head home.”

“Oh wait, can I get your number?” Yeaun asked and he looked down at her outstretched hand with her phone in it. He wanted to say no but then he would look like a dick so he silently nodded and typed his number in before leaving without another word.

Once he was out of the café he was notified about her contact info. He scrolled through his notifications while he waited for the bus and he couldn’t believe it. No wonder you had no faith in him. He had dozens of people in his DMs like a lot. You think he’s a fuckboy he gets that but damn he really was. He’s embarrassed that he’s shocked. Okay, he’s gonna really have to put in the work this month.

You honestly thought Yeonjun got over it. It’s almost been two weeks since you last ran into him and you’ll admit part of you was happy but the other part felt kind of bored. Like… where’s that annoying bug that wouldn’t leave you alone?

“Watch it,” Beomgyu huffed as he quite literally pushed you aside so he could leave the room first. You glared at him as he laughed, “You’re walking too slow.”

“I’m thinking!” You yelled, “I can’t multitask.”

“It’s walking…” Beomgyu said as he stood straight, “Are you dumb? Anyway, where’s Yeonjun? Shouldn’t he be popping up around the corner somewhere?”

You rolled your eyes, “I don’t know, he’s probably moved on.”

“Awe, that makes you want to cr—ah!” Beomgyu shut up the second you pulled on his hair and began swatting you away, “I’m kidding! Damn, you little demon.”

“Whatever,” you sighed as you began to walk away from him, “I’m gonna go to work.”

You said your goodbyes and you left toward the bus stop. Maybe you just jinxed yourself or this was some sort of sign because the only other person waiting for the bus was none other than Choi Yeonjun. He didn’t notice you at first but when he did he looked genuinely surprised to see you.

“Hey,” you said casually as you sat about a foot away from him. He took his AirPods out and put them away, “Hey.”

After some time of awkward silence Yeonjun cracked a smile, “Miss me?”

“What? No,” you told him with a roll of your eyes. You even turned yourself away from him a bit but Yeonjun was quick to bring you back to him, “Kidding.”

“So what are you doing tomorrow?” Yeonjun asked, already getting the annoyed look from you that he really liked, “I’m not asking you out. It’s an invitation.”

“For?”

“Soobin’s having some people over at his place, you and your friends should come,” Yeonjun said casually but he had this smell sense of fear that you might think he’s asking you out. Which, okay, maybe he’s cheating and if he hangs out with you all night then it would be like a date but… no. You stared off in thought and he felt the need to rush out, “Not a date. I swear.”

“Hm… alright,” you said with a shrug. He couldn’t help the curl of his lips with a smirk as he nodded, “Cool.”

Saturday night you were joined by your two besties at Soobin’s place. There were definitely more than a few people but it also wasn’t crazy packed either. There were enough people here that you didn’t really see Yeonjun since he was somewhere off doing whatever he does at parties.

“Can’t believe you got Y/n to come,” Kai said as he watched you play some drinking game with Taehyun. Yeonjun was watching too but his eyes were more focused on one of your opponents who was watching you closely like you interested him. He doesn’t like that. You also seemed to be entertaining the guy, laughing at his jokes or letting him ‘help’ you in the game. Yeonjun knew what he was feeling but he’s not used to it. He’s not used to feeling jealous.

It’s only been two weeks that has been holding himself back from talking to you and he’s quite literally cut everyone else off. He understood that if he wanted you to take him seriously then he would have to change some of his behaviors and he’s been trying. Even tonight when girls have come up to him trying to get him to be with them he’s been very bland. He hasn’t entertained them like he usually would. He’s not giving them flirty smiles or arrogant eyes. He’s just not caring enough for them. Yet here you are talking to any guy who approached you. It was driving him insane.

“She’s here but not for me, clearly,” Yeonjun said bitterly as he took a big swig of his drink, watching you intensely, “Who’s that guy she’s talking to?”

Kai looked over, “No clue, why? Am I sensing some jealousy from the Choi Yeonjun?”

He rolled his eyes at that as he took another drink, “Shut up.”

“He is jealous, everyone! Choi Yeonjun is jea—ow!” Kai whined when Yeonjun smacked his arm and rubbed the irritated area glaring at him in the process. Yeonjun thrusted his drink into Kai’s hands as he left.

“One more Y/n, please!” Taehyun begged as he tried playing one more round but you were tired of the game already. The guy who you were playing against was cool but he was sort of touchy. He kept checking you out in a way that made you feel slightly uncomfortable but you tried your best to be nice to him. You were just over it at this point.

“Yeah Y/n, one more,” the guy winked at you as he appeared right next to you, a hand on your lower back making you inch away from him, “You can be my partner.”

Taehyun’s eyes narrowed but before he could try and save you from this creep, a hard hand landed down on the guy’s shoulder making him turn already looking annoyed by the touch. Yeonjun stood there with a cocky grin, “Sorry man, I think I’m gonna take over from here.”

“What are you talking about?” The guy said glaring at him, “Y/n and I are about to get some drinks.”

Your brows scrunched together in confusion, “I’m not interested.”

“You heard her?” Yeonjun asked, standing between you two now, “She’s not interested so you can run along now.”

“Listen, I don’t know who you think you are to bring your ass over he—“

“I can tell you who I am right now,” Yeonjun was getting more irritated by the second. He already had to watch the guy try and flirt with you from across the room and now he’s annoyed because the guy is right here trying to get you to drink more with him. It’s like he’s going into protection mode at this point and he wants the creep to go away if that’s what you want.

“Yeonjun,” you called out to him but he was too busy staring the guy off as if ready to act whenever the guy did. You had to tug on the side of his shirt to pull him back but he was like a stone, “Yeonjun. Come on, show me where the bathroom is.”

It was just an excuse to get out of there because you can see it right now that he is not happy. Taehyun sensed this too so he tried to help, “Yeah come on, let’s go man.”

You wrapped a hand around Yeonjun’s arm and he was finally able to retreat even though the guy had him pissed off. He was barely able to notice the hand you had on him until he was walking away trying his hardest to ignore the guy’s curses that were geared toward him. Taehyun left the two of you alone and Yeonjun led you down a hall past the guest bathroom toward Soobin’s room for more privacy.

“You okay?” He asked as you opened the door to the master bathroom, leaving it open as you fixed your appearance.

You gave him a nod, “I’m fine, you’re the one who seemed pretty upset back there.”

He leaned against the doorframe watching you, “Was I as pushy as that guy?”

You looked at him through the reflection of the mirror deciding to be honest, a smile even cracked on your face, “You’re pushy but not like him, he’s a creep.”

He chuckled but still looked wary over it. You released a small sigh as you walked up to him, “Thank you though. He was weirding me out the whole game.”

Yeonjun looked surprised by that. This entire time he thought you were responding to the guy's advances and it wasn’t until the end that he realized you didn’t like it. He licked his dry lips as he looked down at you and how close the two of you were now. He kept glancing down at your lips but he knew he shouldn’t even try. But then you were moving closer and he acted before you began to doubt it and he was so close… so close that your lips merely brushed against each other and as he dipped his head down to capture them—the moment was ruined.

“Move! I’m gonna barf!” Soobin yelled, cutting right past you two and practically pushing you out on his own. You stumbled into Yeonjun and he glared at his friend, annoyed that you were pushed and interrupted too. He held you by the waist for longer than he needed to but you didn’t tell him to move. With an annoyed sigh he led you back out of the room scratching the back of his neck nervously, “So…”

“I’m gonna go sto e if the others are ready to go yet, I’m um… pretty tired,” you said making him frown a virgin but he just nodded. He had about two weeks before you took him seriously, right? So was the almost kiss just a fluke or something?

He just let you go as he stood in the hallway all by himself debating what he should do now if you left. He’ll probably just leave too then.

You hated that Yeonjun was really getting to you. You wanted to spend more time with him but you were still hesitant about it. That’s why you left to find your friends but neither one wanted to leave yet. You were over this party so you just wanted to go and when you found Yeonjun about to leave too, you rushed.

“Wanna get a cab together?” You asked him, catching him off guard but when he saw it was you behind him he was quickly agreeing. So the two of you headed downstairs while Yeonjun made the call and you waited silently. You got in the car together once it arrived and gave both of your addresses, which weren’t far from each other.

“You know it feels weird not having you ask me out every five seconds,” you joked and Yeonjun attempted a smile.

“You said a month, didn’t you?” He said looking over at you, “And it sounds like you did miss me after all.”

“Maybe a little,” you laughed softly as you brushed your hair out of your face.

When the car arrived at your place first it was very clear neither one of you wanted to part ways. So you decided to bite the bullet and say, “Wanna come up? Hang out a little more.”

That’s all he needed to be rushing out the car behind you, tapping his phone on the screen to pay the driver before you could. You laughed at the way he hit his head against the top of the car but he just smiled along with you. The two of you went up to your place and he felt nervous for some strange reason. It’s not like he’s never been to a girl’s house before but this felt different.

He could see your personality all over the place and he took his time remembering some of things you had like your backpack and laptop which sat on the small sofa. Your mail at the entrance table, blinds drawn, one cup in the sink. You chuckled, “Are you looking at my sink?”

“Maybe,” he smirked, “I’ve got to remember everything in here in case you never invite me back.”

“You’re so weird,” you said as you sat down on your couch after turning the lights on. When Yeonjun was done looking at everything he joined you.

“So…”

“So…” you repeated what he said and the both of you broke out in smiles. He licked his lips in thought. Would he have been reading it wrong if he leaned in for a kiss again? Was that just some sort of… fluke?

“Are you going to kiss me yet or do I have to go fo—“

That was all Yeonjun needed to cup your face in his hands and press his lips against yours. You were taken back by his eagerness but you did your best to match it.

It was messy, a little too eager for a first kiss between you two. In his eyes, and maybe yours too, it had been anticipated, even if you rejected him a lot he knew there was tension there between you.

You swung a leg over his lap until you were straddling him and dragged his lips back to yours. Finally. You could feel the slightest hint of excitement throughout when you ground your hips down on his lap making him release a low groan and dig his nails into your hips, guiding you. Using his gasp to your advantage you let your tongue poke inside exploring the warmth of his mouth. His eyes fell shut deepening the kiss with his tongue and yours relishing in your make out.

Your hair fell to one side as you kissed along the corners of his mouth, a hand flat on his shirt while you trailed down toward his jaw. He licked his dry lips when he felt the tender affections on the angle of his jaw as the hand over his t-shirt ran over his chest. He let his head fall back trying to catch his breath when you playfully nipped at skin, kissing away any pain and sucking lightly. He readjusted you on his lap feeling a slight sense of uncomfortableness and let his hands fall back down to your waist keeping you in place.

"Fuck," he sighed out when your hand began to touch the end of his shirt sliding underneath to run over the ridges of abs. He'd gotten so muscular it was hard to not want to touch him all the time.

He always knew you were a great kisser and eager too. It had him wanting to forget everything and just live in the moment but he couldn’t. You made a deal.

One month. That’s how long you were going to make him wait for your answer and at this point he’s determined to wait that long even if he has you sitting pretty on his lap. The whole point was about him moving onto the next before you even gave him a chance so he has to prove he’s willing to wait for you to see he’s serious. When did he become so serious over getting one date? He doesn’t know.

“Wait,” he couldn’t help but release a small gasp when you kissed his neck but he had to stop, “Baby…” It slipped. He swears.

You pulled back immediately looking down at him with furrowed brows. He cleared his throat trying to sit up straighter without getting you off his lap, going as far as wrapping an arm around your waist for you to know he wants you there. He licked his lips, “Um… I don’t know what we’re doing but if it’s y’know… uh, I think we should stop.”

You looked visibly offended and he winced at your glare as you began to slide off him despite his attempt to keep you in place, “What?”

“It’s just, you told me a month, right? That in a month you’ll tell me if you want to go on a date and it’s only been two weeks so I know you probably haven’t decided yet and I don’t want you to think I want to sleep with you,” Yeonjun said watching your face contort to disbelief, “I mean, I do! But I’ve got to show you I’m serious about that date, right? Well I can’t really show you I’ve changed if I give in the second you let me come close.”

“So you don’t want to… tonight?” You asked shyly now as he moved to stand up.

“I do, I want to so fucking bad Y/n, but I want to prove to you that I’m serious even more,” Yeonjun told you honestly, “So I think it’s better we just call it a night before I do something that’s going to push you away all over again.”

“Okay…” you said as he looked down at you, “So you’re leaving?”

“I’ve got to, or else you’ll tempt me too much,” he said but he still leaned down so he was hovering over you and kissed you once again.

It was short and sweet and he just had to do it a couple more times before he called it a night.

“Mmh, this is so hard,” he groaned against your lips, “But I should go, right?”

“Yeah…”

He smiled as you stood up with him to lead him out. He left with a promise to text you once he’s home and you were left alone to wonder what the hell just happened?

You honestly did not expect to catch feelings for Yeonjun. Like first of all, the guy’s a fuckboy so obvious when he first approached you, you did not take him seriously at all. That’s why you kept rejecting him over and over again but the last few weeks he’s seemed to change. You don’t know if you fully trust it yet but it’s been a month.

Now you’re here at some VR studio yelling loudly because you’re both scared of the horror game you’re currently playing. He’s practically clinging to you and then yelling when you touch him. He nearly walked you in the face with the controller.

“Wait!” You yelled trying to get away from his flying hands until it actually did hit you, “Ow.”

Yeonjun has never taken off a headset so fast as he looked over at you with a huge pout. He grabbed you and pulled you into him immediately, “I’m sorry, fuck, I’m so sorry, let me see. Where did I get you? Are you okay? Are you bleeding? Oh my god did I cut you?”

“Relax, I was exaggerating,” you chuckled and despite smiling at that he still squeezed you in his arms.

“Poor baby, let me kiss it better.”

“You don’t even know where you hit me,” you joked but he still held your face in his hands and pressed his lips against yours. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes at his excuses and kissed back. The screen flashed red signaling your deaths in the game. You sighed when he pulled away, “Now we died.”

“Rest in peace, let’s go,” Yeonjun said, helping you take off the headset fully and set it down next to his. He took you by the hand and led you out.

“What’s the plan now?” You asked as you left the studio. Yeonjun shrugged as he began to swing your laced hands, “Ice cream… and then a movie at your place?”

“Alright.”

It was supposed to just be a movie at your place in your bedroom but here you were kissing now. There was a hint of a smile into the kiss as he deepened it, dipping his head low. You straightened your back hoping to get closer to him, your hands going to his thighs for support as you sat criss crossed across from each other.

Just as you were moving closer to his groin area he reached for one of your wrists. Not stopping the kiss he pulled your hand away leading you to lay back. You followed his movements laying down on your bed as he hovered over you. He kissed down your neck, sucking softly on a spot he felt you twitch at. Your hands tugged on his shirt and though it was a quick pace he sat up pulling the shirt up.

He yanked it off feeling your hands fly to his belt loop but he stopped you again. He was slightly out of breath as he spoke, "Y/n..."

"What?" You asked self consciously, bringing your hands away. Leaning over you again, trapping you under him Yeonjun looked down. He tugged at your shirt, inching it off and you lifted your head to help remove it. He threw it on the ground moving to lightly kiss your neck again, "Let's take it slow, alright?"

Nodding feeling a little flustered you agreed, licking your lips as his hand trailed your side running over your bra. His mouth left wet kisses down to your collarbone and between your breasts. You let out a soft sigh feeling his gentle touch. You moved to unclip your bra, sliding it off. He left a gentle kiss on your right breast.

His hand cupped your chest kissing on the sides, "Just taking it slow..." He was telling himself that more than you.

His voice was airy as he let his tongue poke at your nipple. His thumb swiped over it feeling it begin to harden and let his other hand cup your other breast too. He repeated the action a couple times letting his hair tickle your neck before his lips circled around the hardened bud.

"Yeonj—ngh," you whined, wriggling around a little for more. He looked up at your face, tongue flicking your nipple as his other hand groped the flesh of your left breast. He didn't say anything but didn't move quicker. You wanted to rub your thighs together but with him laying between them it was hard to. Instead you ended up just trying to rut up against him.

When he pulled back a small string of saliva connected his bottom lip to your boob and before you could say anything he moved on to the other. You felt strange, getting so turned on with foreplay. You touched along his back wanting to feel more of him pushing your breasts in his face. He eagerly sucked on your nipples, coating them in spit that made you feel dirty in a good way. Once your nipples were as stiff as they could get he moved along down your stomach. He never once pulled his lips off your skin, not even when he tugged at the fabric of your shorts. He yanked them off, sitting back again looking down at your wriggling body.

Below him you looked so pretty.

Hair splayed across your bed sheets. Expression full of lust with darkened eyes. Exposed breasts moving with every pant of breath you took. Your frilly underwear that left little to imagination and with a smile he leaned forward to capture your lips with his again.

After a short kiss he pressed his face against yours. He licked the shell of your ear as a hand trailed down to the hem of your underwear.

He grunted shortly, finally removing your underwear as he went back to your breasts hungrily latching onto a nipple again. He slid your right leg up until it was bent close to your stomach, exposing more of your wet pussy. Silky strings of arousal coated his fingers as he ran them between your folds and over your clit. At the hint of some stimulation you began to meet the efforts of his hands with a roll of your hips. Unable to keep himself from a taste he dropped to be faced with your count.

With a groan, he pushed his nose into your wet pussy and inhaled deeply. Some slick nipped at the tip of his nose. Yeonjun just wanted to please you and make you feel good. His mouth closed over the stiffened clit suddenly and he began to lick and suck you, feeling the outline of your slit get his chin wet. He was lost in his own world, hips rutting against the bed as his tongue worked to taste your raw essence.

You were the sweetest thing to ever grace his tongue. His thick tongue lapped at your juices, running through your slit and pushing into your warm hole. He was quite literally tongue fucking you with a hand to your chest groping your tits again. If he could suck on them while feasting on your pussy he'd be in heaven.

You were in ecstasy with his mouth slobbering all over your cunt making you fuck up into his face. Yeonjun swirled over your sensitive bud using his other hand to spread out your soft folds. His tongue fucked into your pussy as far as he could go before feeling your walls clench around him. It only made the hand on your tits rougher groping more into his hand holding your hips anchored down to the bed as you began to shake.

"Yeon—" you moaned softly, hands in his soft dark hair keeping him in place. He didn't say anything, only heightening his movements and with a final call of his name you slowly unfolded before him. He eased you through your orgasm with a hand stretched across your body letting your hips guide him in a rhythmic motion through your high. Yeonjun pulled back for a moment, swiping his tongue on his lip, licking a small drop off as you caught your breath.

With an effort to lean up and kiss along your neck, you caught him off balance making him land on the bed instead. Quickly before he could try and stop you you were yanking his button open and tugging at the zipper. He hissed at the sudden friction of losing the thick layer of denim from his member. He let you slide them off, muscles tensing when he tried to lean up to kiss you.

You met him halfway, a messy tongue kiss mixed with the taste of your arousal and spit. Distracting him enough with the kiss you let your hand go over his bulge from his briefs.

Yeonjun’s breath caught in his throat at the first feel of your palm over his cock. His eyes glazed over as you smiled seductively at him kissing the tip of his nose before letting your hand slide past the briefs and touching him directly. You start with a couple experimental strokes, his mouth drawn open in a silent moan, "Should I stop? I can’t hear you.”

His brows are knitted together, a hand over your hair and the other fisted up to his forehead. He shook his head licking his lips, "Don't," his voice was hoarse, feeling you bring your face closer to his tip, licking it gently, tasting the bead of precum on your taste buds.

You flatten your tongue on the underside of his cock, a teasing long kitten lick from his base to his tip. You stopped at the head letting spit pool in your mouth and onto his cock keeping your eyes on his. Then, his eyes meet yours slowly and you swallow more of his length into your mouth. His eyes scrunched closed in pleasure, biting the back of his hand to stifle the loudest moan he's ever felt bubble up in his throat. It was something in the way you teased and looked him in the eyes while doing it.

Holding the base of his cock with one hand, you begin to bob your head setting a good pace, with your other hand on his thigh keeping yourself from losing balance.

Your eyes lock on the obvious muscles flexing under your touch. Your hand helps jerk the rest of him, your other hand coming up to massage his balls.

Yeonjun watches the way his cock disappears into your mouth, the feeling of your mouth, your hands working other areas. It took everything in him to not let out everything and instead released shaky breaths and soft groans. He was close.

You press into him, hand on his thigh once more as your nose pressed into his pubic bone. You took steady breaths through your nose doing your best to relax your throat and flatten your tongue. You stayed still for a second, letting yourself get used to his cock so deep in your throat, jagged breaths in and out. Yeonjun panted lightly, feeling the throb of his cock as his tip hit the back of your throat. He can’t believe you made him wait so long to have you like this. And he can’t believe it really was worth the wait.

You roughly swallow around him, suppressing a gag as you resume to deep throat him.

"Fucking hell," he groaned tossing his head back in bliss. Moans were pouring out of his mouth, his groan muffled into his hand, "I'm so—close."

His pants come quicker, more jagged and out of breath. His mouth hung open, hips almost locking from how hard his muscles flexed. With his cock twitching in your mouth Yeonjun slowly comes down from his high, hand petting your hair. His eyes were hazy and his mouth dry. It felt like he couldn't move a muscle and yet he was yanking you off his cock and smashing your lips onto his. He could taste himself on you and with your aftertaste on his he wished to kiss more. He was still hard, probably in anticipation when rummaging was heard.

Yeonjun pulled back to catch his breath letting you search for a condom tearing into it immediately.

He hissed in discomfort as he dragged his body into a sitting position, back pressed against your headboard. He let you slide the condom on his member watching it come back to life. His eyes locked on the spread of your legs moving to sit on his lap. Yeonjun kept a hand at his base and the other on your waist while yours gripped his shoulders.

He watched closely as you lined yourself up watching the head enter. He quickly looked at you as your mouth drew open, sinking down on his length. He didn't push to move even if he really wanted to and instead let you adjust. He wanted this to be pleasurable to you too. He whispered softly, "I want to make you feel so good.”

Your smile turned into a soft moan at the first expert roll of his hips digging his cock a little further into your walls. You ground your hips letting your head fall forward when he took a boob into his mouth fucking up into you.

He nipped at the bud playing with it as he looked up at you to the best of his ability. Your pouty lips moaning softly has him pulling away to kiss you again, "Am I making you feel good?"

He groped at your ass, spreading the soft cheeks apart and rammed into you when you threw your head back in a moan, "So fucking good."

You returned to him feeling lightheaded holding his face in your arms forcing him to look at you as he bounced you on his cock. A hand on your ass and another on your tit letting you pull his face into you. Your already erect buds tightening as he pinched and pulled at them. He left wet, sloppy kisses over your throat, moving his hands to grip your waist harshly. Yeonjun’s nail dug into your soft flesh as he lifted your hips up and down on his cock.

"Just like that," he bit into his lip, staring down at the way your hips gained a more determined rhythm to get him off. You pulled on his hair making him look at you, "I'm gonna cum."

"That's okay baby," he talked you through it, eyes locked on yours as he felt your warm walls begin to tighten around him. A familiar ring of nerves clenching around his member as it sucked him into your folds. He wasn't going to last much longer either.

He hasn't slept with someone and felt this good in a long time.

His voice was soft as he caressed the side of your face, "You're making me feel so good Y/n."

When you didn't respond and he felt himself at his peak he added, "Please, won't you let go for me?"

He let you snuggle your face into his neck, a hand still on your jaw as his forehead rested on your shoulder.

It was like a wave washed over you, the final words to put you over the edge. Just like that you were releasing, biting back a euphoric moan as Yeonjun hugged your sides talking you through it. In all your past hookups not once did they treat you so softly while tossing you around too. It made you want to show him other sides to you too.

When yours had calmed enough, the last squeeze of the ring was enough for him to let go into the condom. He grunted softly into your ear guiding your hips up and letting himself slip out. Your thighs shook as you crawled over to the side of the bed taking a moment to catch your breath.

Not caring much for the mess, Yeonjun took you by surprise when he laid down next to you. The condom long gone tossed off somewhere and he let his legs tangle with yours. As the sex haze wore off you began to question this, not because you regret it but because you don’t know where this leaves you two.

And the way Yeonjun was pulling you into his arms snuggling up against you as he let sleep began to take over his body, you debated if there was anything worth questioning.

By morning Yeonjun had processed last night through dreams. He rolled over to pull you to him once more and hit an empty bed. The blanket loosely covered over his lower half as he looked around the vacant bedroom.

With furrowed brows he looked on the floor sliding jeans on not caring for the briefs thrown on the floor and made his way out the door. He looked visibly taken back at the sight of you sitting on the couch working on your laptop. You hadn't even bothered to wake him up.

"Hey," you said blandly, going back to your work. Yeonjun picked up on your tone and no, he wasn't going to let you brush last night off.

"Why aren't you in bed?" He asked to check the time seeing it wasn't even seven yet. You shrugged. With a sigh he shuffled over to you, "Y/n."

You didn’t answer him right away, not until he took a seat next to you and pulled you into him, “Come on, let’s get back in bed. Or better yet, let’s get breakfast.”

“Yeonjun I don’t know…”

He rolled his eyes playfully, “That you like me? I know you do. I like you too and I thought last night was enough proof of that. So why don’t you put this away and please just have pancakes with your boyfriend?”

You matched the roll of his eyes as you cracked a smile, “Boyfriend? Since when?”

“Oh I’ve been your boyfriend for a while now but you’ve been pushing me away for over a month so I had to hide it.”

“You’re crazy.”

“For you? Yeah, I am,” he laughed.

::.

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omg I’ve been wanting to do a txt blog for the fattest minute but I’ve been too lazy to start so I have finally decided to start lmao. give it a read, tell me what you think!

[theanonymousninja247]

Random Turtle Thunks: Kisses

*adjusts my sunglasses* It'd be softboi hours folks. Tonight I'm thinking about the Rise Boys and their favorite places to kiss you.

*Cookies and Cream Rating: 16+ please*

Raph 🧸♥️:

•Forehead Kisses. Lingering ones right at the tip of your hairline. It's often because its the only place he can reach without having to shift too far down. Often brushing your hair back, cradling your cheek in the palm of his hand and tilting your head back juuuuust a little to get that perfect angle for a small smooch. The type of kisses that are full of tender promises and small wholesome moments where he just longs to be soft with you.

•Your shoulder. Chaste presses of his lips to your skin to the crook of your neck. This young Atlas knows a little something about carrying the weight of the world and often that weight settles on the shoulders. These type of kisses serve as a reminder that he understands the struggle, the weight and promises that you don't have to carry it all by yourself anymore. A somewhat protective kiss, reminding you that nothing can hurt you when you're this close to him. That he's here for you, he’ll never leave you and will forever have your back.

Donnie 🤔🟪

•Your nose. I really don't see Donnie being really big into kissing. Like think about it. Kissing is literally just the process of swapping saliva. How uNsAnItArY. *shudders* “Just where has your mouth been? Did you even brush your teeth?!” That being said, a quick peck to your nose is a simple way to fulfill the “touch of the day” box without having to get unnecessarily close and personal. There is work still to be done after all. Not to mention the cute little face you make when you go slightly crossed-eyed at his affectionate gesture is somewhat endearing. It is a very understandable reaction after all. He too would go speechless at such attention from a genuis like himself.

•Behind the corner of your jaw. Donnie doesn't like kissing. That being said, if he is going to engage in such an act, he's going to want to do it right. Never mind him looking up the most sensitive parts of the human body to make sure he plants his affection in the most effective locations. Nevermind that at all. Besides, kissing here that little bundle of nerves seems to do the trick most adequately.

Leo✨💠

•Your lips. “My Lady, if the kisses are words, c’mere. I’ma give you a speech.” No. Like seriously. I know Leo is considered the “medical expert” of the family, but the amount of times this turtle has given you some serious mouth-to-mouth should be illegal. In all honesty though, it really does mean something special to him. For this smooth talking turtle who always knows just what to say, it’s a way for him to shut up and learn how to put some action behind those words. For once, he wants to show you that he means what he says. Because for all the silliness, it was never a joke, his feeling for you.

•Your knuckles. Leo is a one-stinking suave gentleman when he wants to be, and he's not going to let you forget it. Not to mention it’s an easy, inconspicuous way to keep you close so long your hand is entertained with his. Not that he worries when you're out of reach or anything. The cute little increase of color right there on your cheeks as he presses a slow kiss to each fingertip and between your knuckles is also a nice touch. Just lets this face man know he's on the right track or whatever.

Mikey🎨🧡

•Your cheeks. This bundle of affection will give you some sugar anytime, anywhere without hesitation. You can not stop it. It is inevitable. He's so close to you all the time anyway that it just seems second nature to have his cheek squished against you somewhere. He also just loves getting close enough to see your eyes. They really are like windows to the soul, and you have a soul he wouldn't mind getting lost while exploring. So it makes sense to decorate those “windows” with some “Angel Kisses” (He does put the angel in MichelANGELo after all) You know. Just while he's close to you like this. Never mind the heat from your cheeks underneath his hands as he tries to hold you still for your daily barrage of affection is comforting to his scared hands. Never mind that at all.

•Your tummy. There is something incredibly magical about the way you giggle shriek as you try to writhe away when he kisses your tummy. It’s the kind of laugh that means you are happy and in the present moment with him and currently the furthest away from something that hurt you. He just wants you happy and hearing that laugh heals something inside his heart. He loves the way your tummy its so squishy underneath his kneading hands and he can't help but bury his face in your soft skin. Be warned you will not escape without some raspberry blown kisses. Mikey ain't letting you leave without being properly adored that is both a threat and a promise.

[books-and-omens]

Okay okay, so I really want to talk about S2 Crowley.

I’ve been thinking about who Crowley is in the book and who he is in the show, and the gap is significant. (@tbutchaziraphale has fantastic meta over here which I think is spot on.)

Book!Crowley is an optimist, yes? I mean, we’re outright told this:

“Because, underneath it all, Crowley was an optimist. If there was one rock-hard certainty that had sustained him through the bad times—he thought briefly of the fourteenth century—then it was utter surety that he would come out on top; that the universe would look after him.”

Honestly, what a thing for a fallen angel to believe! And to me, it’s powerful, yes, but it never quite answers the question: where is he getting that certainty?

Tv!Crowley, in the meantime, is emphatically not this. He’s never been an optimist, not even in S1—although in S1, it might have been easier to look at A & C and consider them essentially similar to their book selves if a little out of sync.

In S1, Crowley gives the whole “don’t test them to destruction” speech. He cares about humanity deeply, even if he won’t admit it. He will try to stop the Apocalypse.

And there is still a moment when he feels helpless. When he has no innate optimism to carry him through, no deep belief in the universe looking after him or anyone. When his instincts tell him to run, and he tries to follow them. When he despairs. Aziraphale pulls him back out of that despair; they make a stand together. As we know, it works.

But the thing is, the thing is. I find tv!Crowley’s lack of optimism so very relatable.

I find despair so very relatable, too.

We live in an age of deep anxiety. (Climate change, anyone? Just for starters! The promise and wonder of the Moon landing and the end of the Cold War are far in the past; day to day, we deal with the effects of capitalism, of reactionism, of continued exclusionism. It’s far too easy to feel helpless.)

So in S2, Crowley is very much the same character as he was in S1, except we see it even clearer.

He is not an optimist. He wants to run; he wants to escape when faced with Gabriel’s arrival; he wants to protect Aziraphale and himself, and believes that the best—perhaps only—way to do that is by them retreating as far away from the problem as they can.

In Heaven, Crowley finds out about The Second Coming. His need to escape and to keep his angel safe become overwhelming. But he doesn’t tell Aziraphale about the Second Coming, does he? And his repeated offer to run away together doesn't even make sense to Aziraphale. (Not that Aziraphale would want to run if he knew. Quite the opposite, in fact, which Crowley must know.)

Anyway, Crowley already knows that the clock is ticking. Aziraphale is about to find it out. (Do you notice how often, in the last fifteen minutes of S2, we hear nothing in the background but the ticking of a clock?)

And just—the despair, the desire to retreat and escape when you are faced with overwhelming odds, with a fundamentally broken system, are so relatable.

And yet escape has never been the answer.

I hope, of course, that this is what we’ll see in S3 if there is a S3. Crowley deciding, emphatically, that running away is not the answer. 

We didn't get there yet. We were dropped out of the story at the darkest point.

But I think being at this point is precisely what makes Crowley’s confession at the end of S2 transcendent.

Because it’s the same conflict, isn’t it, except on a personal scale. Despair in the face of overwhelming odds, followed by the decision to not give up.

Crowley, who’d been ready to confess, sees what is likely to happen. He sees the way the deck is stacked against him, sees that he is unlikely to get through. He feels the coming loss. 

And then he does it anyway. 

He confesses anyway. He says what he has set out to say, gasping and clawing for every word. He does it at the point when everything appears lost.

And no, we don’t see the effects of it, not yet. We don’t see what he has launched, the hook that sank into Aziraphale, the change it has wrought in Crowley himself.

But his bravery won’t be lost.

We live in a dark timeline. I maintain that this is precisely what makes this story so compelling.

Be brave. Do the difficult thing anyway. Do it anyway. Do it anyway.

Even in the face of overwhelming odds. Especially in the face of overwhelming odds. While not being an optimist in the slightest.

This is what hope is.

This is what we have to do.

(And to all of us who’d lost a comfort story: I’m so sorry. I, too, am still grieving for it. I know, I know.

Emphatically: all is not lost.)

[alien--cookie]

I'm like 8 years too late, but oh well - I've had this Captain America Civil War rant stuck in my head for a while and I need to get it out after re-watching it. (This is gonna be long af, but bear with me).

I feel like a lot of people missed the actual point and plot of the movie (and the marketing definitely didn't help). The whole "team cap vs team iron man" stuff becomes irrelevant after like the first 20 minutes of the movie. But of course, it's still quite a big part of the movie and I'd like to take a moment to explore what I think, the different character motivations are around why they signed or didn't (or would / wouldn't).

The only reason Tony "I successfully privatised world peace" Stark signed the accords in the first place anyway is because of his massive survivors guilt complex which we see triggered by the woman who approaches him at the end of his speech to the MIT students. Like this man does not give a single shit about the government, and much like Steve Rogers, he just wants to keep people safe. Unlike Steve, however, he doesn't trust himself to do so and thinks of himself needing the be kept in check, for someone else to take the blame (though he'd probably internalise it anyway, let's be real).

Rhodey has always kind of been more on the side of the government, even if that meant going against Tony - think Iron Patriot - so it makes sense that he'd want to sign. He understands that a group as powerful and dangerous as the Avengers needs to be kept in check, but what he doesn't understand are the risks around that. In a perfect world, it would be fine, but unfortunately government systems are stupid and corrupt.

Peter was only really in the fight in the first place because he was a child blindly following this big celebrity guy he idolised. He didn't know enough about the situation to properly analyse it, just being fed and believing whatever Tony told him (and he had no reason to go against him, so why would he? This was his shot, he's been chosen by THE Tony Stark to help). "Mr Stark said you'd say that" "he said you're wrong, you think you're right, that makes you dangerous." I 100% believe that if Peter had read the accords, that he would have been on Steve's side anyway.

Vision is an embodiment of 'good' and 'peace' - essentially everything that Ultron was supposed to be, but wasn't. He has no reason to be against the accords if it will keep people safe and he makes the point during their conversation of "our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict ... breeds catastrophe. Oversight ... oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand." It's also very much the beginning kind of puppy love between him and Wanda in this movie, meaning that he will want to protect her. No matter what. Even if it means "locking her in her room."

Nat was seriously one of the only people in this movie with a brain cell lol. I firmly believe that if the accords had been properly put in place, she would have followed them until she no longer thought the government's instructions were 'right' and would have gone against them anyway. Her main goal in this movie was trying to keep the Avengers, her family, together and ultimately do the 'right' thing.

T'challa didn't give one shit about the accords lmao, he's damn king. No, he was only there in the first place to take revenge on his father's death (which at the point of the airport fight scene he still thought it was Bucky's fault. He later discovers, after following Steve and Bucky to Siberia, that it's Zemo's, and locks him up).

Steve's concerns with the accords are valid, and honestly I wouldn't have signed them either. To be told "sign, retire, or get locked up" isn't really a big winner for me lol. And the thing is, Steve's done this. He fought in WW2, he got paraded around like some big hero while men died, and he did nothing. It wasn't until he went against orders, that he actually did something helpful (saved the captured 107th division in Azzano). So, no, he's not going to be side-lined when people out there need help. That's just not who he is.

Bucky had no part in the accords, and as soon as he got introduced into the movie, that plot point became irrelevant. He was framed by Zemo, and then used to rip the avengers apart. The accords was just another log to add to the fire at that point. He followed Steve because "till the end of the line" and all that. He literally, heartbreakingly, says "I don't know if I'm worth all this," but he follows anyway.

Scott, much like Peter, is kinda just happy to be there. He's following CAPTAIN FREAKING AMERICA into battle without hesitation. But like, let's be honest, given his whole movie and character, I very much doubt Scott would be on Tony's side if he had read the accords.

Clint got dragged out of freaking retirement for this shit, and he didn't actually get involved until after Team Cap already knew about Zemo. That's why he's there. Not because of the accords, but to help Steve get to the Quinjet to get to Siberia and stop Zemo before he can go through with his assumed plan to wake up the five super soldiers who'd been stashed there. (Of course, this isn't actually Zemo's plan, but we'll get back to that later).

Wanda is going through some serious self loathing during this movie, and the incident in Lagos doesn't help. Like at all. Ma girl just wants to live her life and be left alone at this point and she's getting all of these horrible things thrown into her face by Secretary Ross. She doesn't want to be controlled, she doesn't want to be a weapon, she wants to be free. "You locked me in my room." - Girl already probably hates Tony Stark due to her family being killed by one of his bombs and Ultron, so she's mad anyway.

Sam is on Steve's side from the start. With the accords, to fight Zemo, all of it. During the 'discussion' between him and Rhodey, he says "So let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?" He doesn't trust Secretary Ross, and is clearly hesitant to add his signature to the accords. (not that I blame him).

The main actual villain and 'plot' of the movie after the first part with the accords, was the whole thing with Zemo wanting to tear the Avengers apart to get revenge for his family dying in Sokovia. He takes advantage of the accords, and of Bucky / The Winter Soldier to do this but it's not really discussed which annoys me. It's a MAJOR part of the film, yet all I ever really see being discussed are the accords affecting the decisions of characters throughout the film with no consideration of the wider picture.

From when the UN meeting is blown up, the Avengers are being manipulated by Zemo working in the background throughout the film. He frames Bucky for murder, and Steve - who has been looking for Bucky for the past 2 years - goes after him like ‘tf man’. Bucky gets taken in and Zemo uses the opportunity to activate the Winter Soldier programming, learn about Hydra’s super soldier program, and of course - “Mission report. December 16, 1991.”

This leads to Bucky’s escape and attack, Steve and co going on the run, and eventually the airport fight. The meaning of this scene gets lost, I feel, when people relate it back to the accords because it’s not about that anymore. Not really, not for anyone. Especially not for Steve, or even for Tony.

Tony at this point, most definitely feels like his world is being torn apart. He’s losing control, he’s spiralling, and Steve just isn’t listening. He’s blinded by his anger to the bigger picture and he just wants to get a handle on the situation to deal with it further.

Steve’s forgotten all about the accords, his priority is keeping Bucky safe and stopping Zemo. He tries to tell Tony, tries to talk to him, but Tony isn’t listening either. I mean their whole interaction just before the fight shows this:

(the dialogue below has been condensed to show the key lines - basically I got rid of other characters talking irrelevantly)

-

Steve Rogers: Hear me out, Tony. That doctor, the psychiatrist, he's behind all of this.

Tony Stark: Anyway, Ross gave me 36 hours to bring you in. That was 24 hours ago. Can you help a brother out?

Steve Rogers: You're after the wrong guy.

Tony Stark: Your judgment is askew. Your old war buddy killed innocent people yesterday.

Steve Rogers: And there are five more super soldiers just like him. I can't let the doctor find them first, Tony. I can't.

- later -

Tony Stark: And you've been a complete idiot. Dragging in Clint. 'Rescuing' Wanda from a place she doesn't even want to leave, a safe place. I'm trying to keep . . . I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart.

Steve Rogers: You did that when you signed.

Tony Stark: Alright, We're done. You're gonna turn Barnes over, you're gonna come with us. NOW! Because it's us! Or a squad of J-SOC guys . . . with no compunction about being impolite. [Steve looks aside.] Come on.

-

Not to mention that Tony, after learning that Zemo impersonated and killed the actual doctor dude that was supposed to see Bucky whilst he was in confinement, he DISOBEYED the accords and Secretary Ross to go and help Steve stop what they thought at the time was the reactivation of the five super soldiers who'd been left in cryo freeze.

He follows Steve and Bucky to Siberia to help them, not to fight them. That only changes because of Zemo showing the footage of Bucky, WHILE UNDER BASICALLY MIND CONTROL, killing Tony’s parents.

In this scene, Tony 100% has every right to be angry. Unfortunately, he’s the kind of person who cannot see past his anger. He gets in his head, he spirals, and he tries to kill Bucky based on blind rage. (IT WASN’T BUCKY’S FAULT DAMMIT).

And yes, Steve was 100% in the wrong for not telling Tony. This whole scene could have been very easily avoided if Steve had just pulled Tony aside and had the difficult conversation about his parents death. Tony deserved to know, and Steve was only sparing himself pain by doing it. Dick move Steve, 0/10.

The fight between the three allows Zemo, having successfully completed his plan of eliminating the super soldiers and tearing the avengers apart, to slip away. With his work done, he tries to end his own life, but T’challa stops him and arrests him instead.

Steve and Tony’s fight was unnecessary, dramatic, and heart-breaking, and I’m very glad they managed to make up later, but ye. I think, at the end of the day, they’re all just dramatic idiots with communication issues lol.

-

Thank you for reading my long ass essay lmao, apparently I have a lot of feelings about this movie 😂

[balladingbard]

How Deryk Solved the Problem of the Ancients

When we talk about the Myths of the Realm finale, I think many of us went in expecting how the story would end.

We knew the Twelve were former Ancients from Venat’s faction. We knew they were getting ready to pass the torch to mankind. Heck, we even knew Deryk was Oschon.

But despite the predictability of the story, I think Myths highlighted a nagging problem Ancient society was plagued with and never could get over: the inability to enjoy life simply for what it was.

When we think about it, the Ancients based their lives on their work and purpose. Once that purpose was done, death awaited. We saw it in Ancient society with the Elpis arc. We saw it with the Ascians, like Emet-Selch and Elidibus and their speeches on duty. We also saw it with the Twelve, who after all these millennia of guiding mankind to stand on their own feet again, decided to call it quits and return to the Star.

Work becomes life, according to the Ancients, and once that work is done, what life is there left to live?

But then Oschon came along.

Like the rest of the Twelve, Oschon (or Deryk, as he called himself) was like the other Ancients. His work was wrapping up, and after a final test for mankind, he was going to return to the Star with his friends like the other Ancients before him. But unlike the rest of the Twelve, rather than observing and keeping communication to a minimum with mankind, he reached out and became one of them - joining their travels, breaking bread at the table, listening to their hopes and dreams.

Though still at work, he got to do something the other Twelve had little chance to do - see the newly created world not from the eyes of a protective deity, but of a man. And when he allowed himself to glimpse a life outside of his work, it awakened a desire to remain. While the other Eleven returned to the Star, Oschon decided to stay, embracing Deryk’s identity and finally taking the time to simply enjoy the world and people he’d spent lifetimes protecting.

In short, Oschon learned a lesson the Ancients ignored - how to see the beauty of life outside of work.

Though the Ancients weren’t wrong in celebrating their purposes and finding joy in what they did, we saw in the Elpis arc and Hermes how damaging it was to make life solely about work. Would Hermes have been as distraught in taking Fandaniel’s seat knowing it didn’t mean the end of his mentor? Could the Eleven have gotten to know their people had they stayed, and thus find new purpose in the world they helped shape? Menphina says in her final battle, “Let’s delight in the simple things,” but does she really allow herself to?

No. Instead, it’s Oschon, the wanderer…the loner. The one who really wasn’t supposed to be around people much, but chose them over his purpose as an Ancient anyways. And despite still having love for the Eleven, he allowed himself to do something no other Ancient (except perhaps Elidibus) could do: remember the Ancient world, but still embrace the new.

[ender-cloud]

JASPER MY KING 🙏🙏🙏

Spilers under cut

There was none last week because it’s been really busy last week and this week, but I just felt like I had to

Lyn brought up that Jaspers inspirational speech is happening at the same time as Hyde’s breakdown and now it’s all I can think about.

“Guys we must face this hard ship” vs “HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT” is just a really fun image in my head

“YOU should be upset” instead of WE, this mean that Jasper actually isn’t mad at Jekyll because he does Understand.

I wont go into to much detail because I already did in a different ramble

I love the lodgers expressions, they don’t show up often but when they do the absolute most characterization is shoved into them

The last page too, they get no time but when they do they leave an impression

At first I was expecting Jasper to say what we all already know, but adding some new information lets us know both how chaotic the society is and how much Jasper has gotten to know about everyone and how he has come to really be apart of the society

The lodgers also seem to respect him, he was able to get their attention despite their frantic nature and they actually seem to be listening to him

He is a voice of Reason in this confusing time, reason that most of the lodgers seem to be lacking at the moment

Jasper has grown from the shy, quiet new guy to a more respected and valued member because of the one on one work he did with Jekyll that helped him learn more

Jasper has been more open to speaking his mind, first with Jekyll, then Racheal, and now all of the lodgers, He has the qualities of a leader, even if he may not personally think so

I hope I am not saying all of this just for the lodgers to not listen in the end 🙏🙏🙏

I dont really have much to say about this Panel, It just made me chuckle and I felt wrong not including it.

As more updates are made the more I like Victoria, she’s just so interesting with everything and I love seeing her in different situations with how she acts to them

Anyway Back to Jaspers speech

I feel like this was really the best way Jasper could’ve ended it, bringing back the whole reason why Jekyll had made the society; a safe community where Scientists could go and be protected

A place where they could help each other on their research, find lab partners and eventually find patrons

Also the thing about Risks and experimentation, Jasper has a point, you wont always get your experiment right, just like Jekyll; he wanted Hyde to be seperated from him, and it didn’t work out 100% correctly.

And people DO get hurt, both emotionally and physically, while the lodgers are all betrayed about what Jekyll has done it is very likely they would’ve done the same

No one wants to admit when there wrong and no one wants to admit defeat, it’s something we see with both Jekyll and Frankenstine many times, hell, it’s something we have all experienced in our own lifes.

While many people would probably understand what Jekyll had done and was going through if he told them sooner, he was scared. He’s the leader, he cant just admit that he made a mistake, he feels like he needs his perfect reputation.

That is why Jasper is trying to get the lodgers to understand, he is making them realize why Jekyll had done it, and while it might’ve not been right, they all know they would do the same

Jaspers words are powerful enough to hopefully convince the lodgers and redirect their anger for now and have things simmer down for a bit

[kopifurann]

read from left to right ⤍

Francis, i think it's hard to take ur world seriously when ur cradling my face so lovingly but maybe it's just me

Saying 'i love you' it's so embarrassing, plus when you're a nation, that kind of words can be quite a heavy burden for both parties since they need to put their people first over their existence and feelings as a 'human.' At least that's what Scotland believed. He called himself Alasdair for fuck sake, he mean to protect his people.

But proclaiming 'you're willing to die for them' was a different story especially if you're a nation. Well, even humans sometimes wouldn't really mean it and take said words as figures of speech anyway. Not every human would be in a dangerous scenario where they need to sacrifice themself for their beloved.

Nation can't die.

And so Scotland thinks, there's nothing wrong to proclaim his feelings in such a way, especially to a boy who already has many suitors who have said the same thing and even had themselves really died just for him.

Yet when he finally gathered his courage to confess, rather than being basked with a warm laugh, he was faced with a scowl.

(ScotFra is honestly probably the only France ship (that I incredibly adore) that I can't entirely ruin with horrible toxic relationships. So anyway, they're very in love but have no idea how to properly communicate. Well, they're just teenagers after all. It's expected for them to be clumsy, especially when the two of them were quite aware how different they were. Alasdair was intimidated by Francis' beauty and his experience with people and love. While he wanted to be more than just an 'alliance' in politics, he feared he couldn't really reach Francis in a way he wanted it to be. Because of how easily Francis would come and go with his lover, he feared that if he ever finally stepped into the boundaries, he would never be able to mend everything back together and even ruin it. Francis thought Alasdair never really liked him, at least not in a way Francis wanted him to. As a nation, he seemingly always put his people first than himself, so he thought the alliance was simply just another political shit the humans want them to have. After all, as sweet Alasdair can be, it seems the he is always keeping distance between them. What does he really mean to 'die for him?' Did Alasdair think he's way too weak to be a proper ally?? Is it why he seemingly always acts quiet when he's with him? Did he think he's that repulsive that death would be an only escape?)

[callsign-mayhem]

i'm with the band (part 2)

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Female!Reader & Bradley Bradshaw x Female!Reader (final pairing to be revealed at the end...) Word count: 5.1k CW: Use of Y/N; reader wears Dr Martens, but that's the only specific detail.

You discover that your best friend Bob can play the drums, and since you have some musical gifts of your own, you decide to start a navy band. It's supposed to be a bit of harmless fun, but what happens when lines get blurred between you and Bob, feelings come to the surface, and a certain Rooster gets jealous?

This is a multi-part fic.

Find part one here! Part three

The Hard Deck was bustling like it always was on a Saturday night. Bradley was the last of the daggers to arrive, so he headed straight to the bar to get caught up. When he was eventually next in line to be served, he was more than a little surprised to see Maverick behind the bar.

‘What’re you doing, Mav?’ He asked.

Maverick handed two pints of beer to a young aviator, flashed him a million-dollar smile and then turned on Bradley. ‘Helping Penny,’ he replied. ‘One of her girls called in sick.’

Bradley’s lips quirked. ‘Does this mean I get free beers all night?’

Penny suddenly appeared beside him, a tray of empty glasses in hand. 

‘No, Rooster, it doesn’t. And if Pete wants to keep his balls attached to his body, he’ll agree with me.’

‘Remind me never to get on your bad side.’ Bradley grumbled.

‘There’s a beer in the tap for you, anyway,’ Maverick explained. ‘From Y/CS.’

‘What?’

‘Three beers, actually. She paid for them when she got here, something about getting you back for the sex on the beach.’ Maverick grinned, seemingly pleased that he’d successfully embarrassed his son for all intents and purposes. ‘Hope you used protection.’ 

‘Oh god, Mav. Stop. That’s not what she meant.’

‘I know what she meant,’ he said, pouring Bradley’s beer. ‘She’s drunk already. Phoenix too.’ 

Bradley’s stomach somersaulted. He’d seen you drunk a handful of times, and he was obsessed with the way it made you more confident. 

‘Yeah, that’s my fault.’ 

‘Keep an eye on them, alright?’

‘Always do.’ Bradley saluted him and headed towards your space in the corner. 

Somebody had the good sense to push three high tables together. Much to Bradley’s annoyance, Bob and Mickey had already taken the seats on either side of you. Nat was sitting opposite you like she had at the restaurant, so she saw Bradley before you did. 

‘ROOSTER’S HERE!’ She yelled.

You spun around so fast that you almost slid off your stool. Before Bradley could steady you, Bob was already there with his hand on your arm. 

‘ROOOOOOOOOOO!’ You cried. ‘Did Mav tell you about your drinks?’ 

You weren’t drunk to the point of heavy eyes and slurred speech, but you were the furthest from sober next to Nat. The last empty seat was right at the edge of the tables, next to Jake. Bradley didn’t feel like chatting to him all night, so he picked the stool up and put it at the head of the table by you and Natasha. 

‘Yes, he did. You shouldn’t have, doll.’ 

You practically swooned at the pet name, a reaction Bradley filed away for later. He wondered how else he could make you swoon. 

‘What did I miss?’ He asked, settling himself on his stool.

‘Me and Y/CS duetting Limp Bizkit in Bob’s truck,’ Nat informed him. ‘It was something to behold, really.’ 

‘Penny should start doing karaoke nights,’ you said. ‘Imagine the fun we’d have.’

‘Nobody would want to do karaoke with you, Y/N.’ Bob said. He had two Corona Extra bottles in front of him and a full one in hand. Bradley supposed that you weren’t the only one who needed a bit of Dutch courage tonight. ‘You’d smoke every single one of us with that voice of yours.’ 

You blushed deeply. Mickey and Natasha shared a knowing look, all but confirming Bradley’s suspicions. 

‘He’s not wrong,’ Bradley chimed in. ‘We should get behind the piano later.’

So maybe he was swinging his dick around. Either way, the way your eyes widened at his suggestion was worth feeling like a dick for a couple of seconds.

‘Really?’ 

‘Yeah, it’s been a minute.’ 

‘I’d love that, Roo.’

Nat jumped down from her stool. ‘Let’s get another drink, Y/N. I think Penny wants to talk to us about that thing.’

‘She does? What thing?’

‘The thing,’ Mickey interjected. ‘You know, the surprise for Mav.’

One second, two, three. Then realisation suddenly dawned on you, and you disappeared with

Mickey and Natasha, out of Bradley’s grasp yet again. 

What he wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall during that conversation. 

Natasha led you through the swarm of people around the bar and out to the decking. Part of it was undercover, which is where you stood to keep out of the rain. Clusters of people were huddled underneath the shelter, smoking cigarettes and sharing drinks. Mickey had followed you out, which you found highly amusing. 

‘You’re not one of the girls.’ You toyed, poking him in the chest. 

‘I am tonight. I know what’s going on, and I wanna be involved.’

Nat rolled her eyes so hard they disappeared into the back of her head. ‘You’re such a child, Fanboy.’

‘Oh, let him stay. Maybe it’d help to get a guy’s perspective. He texted me at the restaurant to tell me Rooster was looking at my tits.’

Natasha scowled. ‘Don’t let me hear you say tits, Fanboy. It doesn’t suit you.’

You and Mickey both howled with laughter. ‘That’s exactly what I said!’ 

‘We’re getting off track here,’ Phoenix said, flapping her hands. ‘Pay attention.’

Mickey nodded, face grave. ‘Attention on deck.’ 

‘First of all,’ she started, ignoring his pun. ‘Bradley was looking at your tits. Let’s get that out of the way. Second of all, Bob was also looking at them.’

‘Well, he was trying not to, which made it obvious that that’s where he wanted to look.’ Mickey corrected. 

‘Right.’ Nat agreed.

Heat pooled in the bottom of your tummy. ‘What am I supposed to do with this information?’

  ‘You gotta make a decision.’

‘What if I don’t want to be with anyone right now?’

‘Don’t you?’

It sounded even more stupid out loud. Of course, you wanted to be with someone, but how were you supposed to pick out of the two most incredible guys in the whole world?

‘Why do I have to make a decision now?’

‘Cause they aren’t gonna wait around forever.’ Natasha told you. 

‘Bob might.’ Mickey said, earning him a smack around the back of the head. ‘What the fuck was that for?’

‘Bob has just as much chance of finding someone else as Bradley,’ Natasha chided. ‘Don’t talk down about him.’

‘Right, sorry.’ 

‘Me and Bob are starting a band,’ you blurted out. ‘We’ve been getting close lately, practising and stuff. A few navy guys are coming to his place next week to audition.’ 

‘Oh boy,’ Mickey grinned. ‘You’re starting a navy band and didn’t ask Rooster to join?’

‘His name didn’t even come up,’ you admitted. ‘I doubt he’d wanna be part of it anyway. He’ll probably say it’s lame.’

Nat tucked a loose curl behind your ear. ‘If you think that, you don’t know him at all. He lives and breathes music, and he won’t think it’s lame if you and Bob are there.’

‘If she’s there, you mean.’

Nat raised her hand, and Mickey flinched. ‘I swear to God, your honorary girl membership isn’t gonna mean shit if you say one more word.’

‘Damn.’

‘We should go back inside.’ You said. 

‘Tomorrow, we’re gonna talk about this. Once we’ve dropped Bob off at his truck. You’re not gonna keep getting out of it.’ 

‘Breakfast? What breakfast? Can I come?’ 

‘Fanboy, for fuck’s sake.’ 

Bob was arguing with you over the songs in the jukebox again. A fuzzy feeling had overtaken his body, filling the empty spaces with warmth and giving him confidence he’d never known until now. Sure, he’d been drunk before—well, drunk by his definition—but this was something else entirely. He’d come to the conclusion that even though he was enjoying himself immensely, it wasn’t something he wanted to feel on the regular. He didn’t understand how people did this every weekend. 

‘If you had to pick one song in this jukebox to listen to for the rest of time, what would you pick?’ You asked, leaning against the machine.

Bob scanned the song titles that were becoming so familiar to him that he’d probably be able to recite them in his sleep soon enough. 

‘That’s an impossible question.’ 

You smiled lazily. ‘Come on, Bobby.’

‘You’re expecting me to pick one when there’s The Clash, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and AC/DC in this jukebox.’ 

‘And Billy Idol. You can’t forget Billy.’ 

‘Exactly my point.’ 

You leaned over to reread the song’s titles. Bob admired the way your hair slipped over your shoulder, brushing the hand he was using to steady himself against the jukebox. You were closer to him now than at the restaurant earlier, and he wished he could bottle your scent and carry it around with him all day. He was obsessed with your perfect, glossed lips and the idea of kissing them. 

His small crush on you wasn’t small right now, and being intoxicated made it harder for him to stop himself from doing something about it. You reached out and pressed the number for Dancing In The Dark before taking his hand in yours—a small feat, maybe, but not to him. Your hand was soft and warm, and he wanted to feel it on his face again, like in his truck. 

‘Where are we going?’ He questioned. 

‘To dance.’ 

‘I can’t dance, Y/N. You know that.’ 

‘Everyone can dance when they’re drunk,’ you reassured him. ‘Just don’t overthink it.’

It was easier said than done, but with your hand in his, his newfound confidence grew three sizes until it was almost too big for his body. You two were something straight out of a movie just then, dancing in a small space you’d found in the middle of the bar, singing along to the lyrics at the same time. 

He respectfully rested a hand on your waist, and you put the hand that wasn’t holding his other one on his shoulder, so you were like ballroom dancers. You sure looked the part, being too overdressed for The Hard Deck; the only thing missing was an actual ability to dance, but you were both too happy to care. Little did you know that Natasha was filming the whole thing on her phone and taking pictures now and then. 

When the song ended, you both waited to see what would play next, but nothing did. Instead, Bob was brought harshly back to reality, to the sounds of glasses clinking and loud chatter. That’s when it dawned on him that the jukebox had been unplugged. Once people realised what was happening, they moved to the piano on the other side of the bar from where you and Bob had been dancing. He hadn’t even noticed Bradley leaving the table to unplug the jukebox or take his seat at the piano because he’d been too wrapped up in your energy, your touch, and the sound of your voice. 

He wasn’t happy to have been interrupted by Rooster yet again, but the idea of hearing you sing properly—not just under your breath while dancing—was highly alluring. 

‘I think it’s piano time.’ You grinned. 

Still holding tightly onto his hand, you weaved your way through the massive crowd to the rest of the daggers, all of whom were at the front, waiting for their friends’ performance. When Bradley saw you, his face broke out into a toothy grin. He’d donned his aviators as per usual, and he watched you walk over to him over top of them like it was just you in the room. 

Bob couldn’t exactly blame him. Most of the time, you were the only person in the room for him, too. 

When Bradley patted the spot on the bench, you hurried yourself, clearly excited to perform. The alcohol was probably helping, as he’d yet to convince you to get behind the instrument sober. 

Bob moved to stand between Natasha and Reuben. 

‘Been having fun?’ Nat quipped. 

‘I was.’

‘Is that a little jealousy I hear in your tone, Floyd?’ 

Reuben nudged him playfully. ‘Come on, man. Phoenix didn’t raise you to sit on the sidelines. If you like Y/CS, don’t just sit around and watch someone else sweep her off her feet.’ 

Keys tinkled as Bradley got reacquainted with the piano. He looked to you earnestly, silently asking if you were ready. In response, you nodded and offered him an anxious but excited smile. 

Bob recognised the song immediately. 

Bradley sang the first verse, and you sang the second. Where his was husky and deliciously rough around the edges, yours was full and velvety. 

Slow down, you crazy child You're so ambitious for a juvenile But then, if you're so smart, tell me Why are you still so afraid?

Where's the fire, what's the hurry about? You better cool it off before you burn it out You got so much to do, and only So many hours in a day

When the chorus came around, both you and Bradley sang together. Paired with his expert piano playing, it was the most beautiful cacophony. Your voices welded together like precious metals, and the result was priceless. 

But you know that when the truth is told That you can get what you want Or you can just get old You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through  When will you realise, Vienna waits for you?

You were bouncing off one another. When Bradley sang louder, you sang louder. When Bradley’s voice deepened, it made yours sound more angelic. When you held a particularly long and high note towards the end of the song, Bradley stopped singing altogether to give you and your voice a very deserving moment in the spotlight. Everyone around the piano was singing along, even Bob. He was helpless to stop the urge. Bradley’s stage presence was infectious, even when you weren’t performing with him, but there was something about you singing Billy Joel that made it virtually impossible not to join in. It wasn’t just the song or the fact that you were singing it, but the apparent joy that performing brought you and Bradley. Someone would have to be deaf and blind not to notice it. 

Bob was half considering asking Bradley to join the band. He was talented, and Bob could see that he’d be an asset, what with how much you loved singing with him. 

But that was also the problem, wasn’t it? 

He hadn’t even wanted to be in the band, but now he was protective of the whole idea. He didn’t want band practice to become another place where he competed for your attention and affection. 

Bradley managed an expert transition from Vienna straight into his usual crowd-pleaser, Great Balls of Fire. Bob had no idea how he’d managed it, but he had, and the crowd roared with delight. Mickey and Javy—who had somehow overtaken you and Nat and currently held the position of the drunkest daggers—were jumping around like maniacs. Bob, Nat, Jake and Reuben were laughing amongst themselves, totally distracted by their shenanigans. 

As a result, Bob missed the smouldering look that you and Bradley shared, the way you reached up and stole his aviators with a wink, all while never missing a word of the song. He was singing at you, and you were singing at him. Now, not only were you the only ones in The Hard Deck, but you were also the only ones left on planet Earth. 

It was gone 1 AM when the cab pulled up in front of your home. Stars twinkled in the night sky—looking much like your dress—and your front garden was bathed in moonlight. It had been a night for the ages, but as brilliant of a time you’d had, you were looking forward to taking off your boots and putting your pyjamas on. 

Natasha seemed to share your sentiment—she’d taken her shoes off in the cab and walked up your front path in her socks, trainers swinging absentmindedly from her hand. You were glad she was spending the night because you felt you needed an entire debrief after the evening’s events. 

Bob’s presence was perhaps more exciting than the prospect of gossiping and making breakfast with Nat. He was drunker than you’d ever seen him, humming to himself as he led you to your front door. He held your arm to keep you steady, and the contact felt out of this world. 

‘Bobbyyyy—’ you slurred. ‘Please, can you get my house key out of my bag? I don’t think I have any base brain functions.’

He laughed, taking your bag off your shoulder to find your house key. ‘I knew I should’ve stopped Seresin when he started ordering shots.’

‘Nah. That might have been the best idea he’s ever had.’

‘I think we’re gonna have to agree to disagree on this one.’

You and Bob were standing on your porch with the front door open. He gestured to Natasha, who was doubled over next to your rosebushes. 

‘Example A.’ He smirked.

You facepalmed. ‘Not the fucking roses, Nix!’ 

She heaved once, twice, then promptly threw up. You started down the steps, but Bob reached out and grabbed your arm again. 

‘You can’t even stand up straight,’ he said. ‘Go inside, I’ll get her.’ 

‘Yes, sir.’ 

You stumbled through to the kitchen, turning lights on as you went. The air in your house still smelled like the autumn candle you’d been burning earlier and clean laundry. At heart, you were a homebody. Nothing was more satisfying than returning to a clean, organised space, cooking a meal and watching a movie tucked under blankets after a long day. It was rare for you to enjoy a night out like this, to be the one begging everyone to stay for one more drink. The atmosphere had been charged tonight, especially at The Hard Deck. When you’d performed ‘Vienna’ with Bradley, it had been like touching a live wire. The current still reverberated through your body, and your body ached from unused energy. 

In the time it took Bob to get Natasha inside, you poured three glasses of water, added some ice, and nearly tripped over your own feet. She looked a bit worse for wear, but it was nothing that some aspirin and long rest wouldn’t fix. 

‘I think you two should get upstairs to bed.’ Bob said sternly.

‘Okay, dad.’ Nat sniggered. ‘You gonna tuck us in?’

‘Well, I just held your hair back while you threw up, so we’ve already crossed a line.’

‘Girls do that for each other all the time,’ you said. ‘It’s normal.’

‘But I’m not a girl.’

Nat wagged an accusing finger at him. ‘You know what, if Fanboy was here, he’d have appreciated that. He loves being one of the girls.’

‘So true,’ you murmured in agreement. ‘Bob, you’re being ungrateful.’

‘For what?’

‘Your hon-honourary girl membership.’ You said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

‘Alright, let’s go. Get your waters.’ 

Both of you did as you were told but weren’t happy about it. You headed towards the staircase, Bob following close behind. He turned lights off as he went, ever thoughtful. 

Upstairs, Nat collapsed face-first onto your bed. You rummaged through your chest of drawers for three sets of pyjamas while Bob switched your lamps on and closed your blinds. 

‘Bobby, are you okay with one of my oversized band tees?’ You asked.

When he didn’t answer, you spun around. He was perched on the edge of your bed, the photo frame you kept on your side in his hand. He was cradling it like it was worth a million dollars, eyes misty and far away. It was a photograph of you and him on the carrier after the special detachment mission when everyone had gone out to meet Maverick and Rooster. There seemed always to be people taking pictures in moments like those, and when you’d seen this one, you had to frame it. You and Bob were standing facing one another, faces bright with triumph and relief. He cradled your tear-streaked face in his hands, and you were both laughing in disbelief that you were together again. 

‘You keep this next to your bed?’ He whispered. 

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you said: ‘Of course I do.’

‘Why?’

‘Because you’re my best friend, and I like it being the first thing I see when I wake up in the mornings.’ 

Bob set the photo down gently. He seemed to be having a hard time breathing. ‘One of your T-shirts will be fine, thanks.’ 

Natasha sat up, rubbing her head. ‘You guys are so cute,’ she said. ‘Do you want me to sleep in the guest room?’ 

Your eyes flew to Bob. He was playing with his hands, clearly still stuck on the photograph. 

‘No, Nix. You should sleep in here with me in case you choke on your vomit.’ You threw a pair of Spongebob pyjamas at her. ‘Go put those on.’ 

‘Both of you are so bossy.’ She grumbled. ‘You’re perfect for each other.’

She padded across your bedroom floor and out into the hallway. Once you heard the bathroom door close, you sat next to Bob on the edge of the bed.

‘It’s a Radiohead t-shirt.’ You informed him. ‘I don’t think any of my pyjama pants will be long enough for you.’ 

He took the shirt and set it on your pillow, ignoring the unsaid words that hung in the air like rain clouds. It was all you could do to sit still when Bob took his glasses off and ran his fingers through his sandy hair. 

‘Thank you for letting me stay,’ he said quietly. ‘And for the shirt.’

You looked at him earnestly, waiting for him to meet your eye. ‘Thank you for existing.’

His leg bounced nervously. When you laid a hand atop his thigh to stop it, his eyes darted to and from your face so fast you almost missed it. There was no way you were letting him shy away from this time. 

‘Bobby, look at me.’ You pleaded.

He did as you asked with some difficulty, and you were met with a hesitant gaze. 

You touched the middle of his head with your index finger. ‘What’s going on in there?’

He leaned against your hand, smiling bashfully like a child. ‘It’s a secret.’ 

‘We don’t keep secrets.’

It seemed like he was going to spill his guts for a moment, but then he stood up. He grabbed your t-shirt, pausing above you.

‘Get some sleep, Y/N. I’ll see you in the morning.’

And with that, he took himself off to the guest room, leaving your heart racing and your head spinning. When Natasha returned, you were still staring at the doorframe, desperately trying to figure out what had just happened. It seemed like Bob was upset with you. 

‘What happened?’

‘I think Bob’s angry with me.’ 

‘Why?’

You picked up the picture frame and handed it to her. ‘He was looking at this, and I tried to talk to him—see if I could see what was going on in his head—and he couldn’t even look at me. He told me to go to sleep.’

Nat’s brows knitted together in confusion. ‘I don’t think he’s upset with you.’

‘He is.’

‘No, he’s not. Hear me out: he’s in love with you, and most of the time, you guys act like more than best friends. Short of sleeping together, you’re basically already a couple. Then, tonight, you have that moment with Bradley—’

‘It-’

Nat held a hand up. ‘Don’t deny it, we all saw it. There’s chemistry there.’ She insisted. ‘Bob’s probably super confused because he can see it too, and then he comes here and sees this. The poor guy probably doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going.’ 

Your heart withered in your chest at the realisation. ‘He’s in love with me.’

‘Yes, Y/N, and you need to do something about it. If you think you might feel the same way, you need to stop fucking around with Rooster and give it a shot with Bob. Or, you need to let Bob down gently because otherwise, someone is gonna get seriously hurt.’ 

God, how you wished it were that simple. You took the clips from your hair and kicked off your boots while Natasha took her makeup off at your vanity. All seriousness put aside, it did feel a lot like the kinds of sleepovers you had with your friends in high school. 

‘Nix, can you unzip my dress?’

‘Damn, now you’re trying it on with me too?’

You laughed. ‘You make me sound like a whore.’

‘I mean, if the shoe fits…’

You grabbed one of your throw pillows and launched it at her. She squealed with laughter, jumping up to grab her own pillow. After dealing a few revenge blows, she unzipped your dress for you. 

Breathless from laughter, you said: ‘Hangman would have a field day if he saw us.’

‘When he asks how our sleepover was on Monday morning, we should tell him we had a pillow fight in lingerie.’ Natasha grinned devilishly. 

‘He won’t be able to focus on his manoeuvres.’

‘Good, then I’ll beat him all day.’ 

Natasha crawled into your bed and propped herself up on your throw pillows. You went through the motions of your night routine, taking off your makeup and changing into pyjamas. It was gone 2 AM by the time you got into bed. You had lots to think about. Natasha was right about somebody getting hurt if you didn’t do something soon. She’d told you everything you needed to hear except what you were supposed to do about it. 

Why couldn’t there be a blueprint, a map that showed you which path to follow and where you’d end up? 

As you drifted off to sleep, you thought about band auditions with Bob on Tuesday afternoon and the expression on his face when he’d seen the picture on your bedside. But this wasn’t all you thought about. You couldn’t help but reminisce about your performance with Bradley and the pure, unadulterated joy you felt while singing with him at the piano. 

Rain pelted against the roof of Bob’s garage. The weather had been awful the last couple of days, the build-up to the storm that had been forecasted for San Diego. Bob loved being cosied up inside when it was storming and falling asleep to the comforting sound of rain. What he didn’t love was the fact that it kept the dagger squad grounded and bored at work. Sure, there were other things to get on with, but he preferred being airborne. 

It had been a tedious week thus far. The only thing getting him through it had been the prospect of band auditions this evening. Considering he didn’t even want to start a band to begin with, he was in his element now. You and Bob were sitting on the sofa in his garage, leaning forward in your seats as you listened to Elliot Green play bass with expert precision. Elliot was one of the air and space operations guys, and he’d seen the poster you’d made on his way to work one morning. Bob wasn’t sure anyone would notice your posters, even though you’d spent ages creating them. 

He’d never been happier to have been wrong about something because Elliot was a natural on the bass. He was precisely the kind of person you needed for the band, and Bob could tell from the glint in your eye that you felt the same.

When he was finished, you both gave him a hearty applause. Elliot was tall and lean, with sandy blonde hair slightly longer than Bob’s and glasses. At work, he wore the same glasses as Bob, but he had a different pair for out of hours. These were round with tortoiseshell rims, and Bob couldn’t help but think Elliot was an artsier version of him. 

‘Well,’ you said dreamily. ‘I don’t think Bob and I need to discuss anything.’

‘No, we don’t.’

‘The spot is yours if you want it.’ You beamed.

Elliot’s blinked behind his glasses, taken aback. ‘Isn’t there anyone else trying out?’

‘Not for bass,’ Bob explained. ‘We've got someone else coming over in the next hour, but he’s trying out for guitar.’

‘You wanna stay?’ You offered. ‘Since you’re part of the band now, it might be a good idea.’

‘Yeah, sure.’ He smiled. ‘Thanks, guys. I’m excited.’

Not even half an hour later, Fletcher Adams showed up with the sexiest-looking guitar Bob had ever seen. It was a matte black Strat, and it suited him perfectly, what with his slicked-back raven hair, grey eyes, and sharp jawline. He introduced himself as Fletcher, but you and Bob knew him as something else. 

Fletcher Adams. Callsign: Phantom. 

He was part of another squadron, and although Bob didn’t know him well, Phantom’s reputation preceded him. If Bob weren’t part of a better squadron than Fletcher, he’d have found him intimidating. 

‘Thanks for having me, guys.’ Fletcher said. ‘I’ve been fixing to join a band for a while now, but there’s not much happening in the San Diego music scene.’ 

Somehow, Bob found that hard to believe. As you grabbed a cherry coke from the mini fridge, Fletcher eyed you like you were something to eat. If he’d wanted a bandmate with a massive crush on his best friend, he’d have called Bradley up.

‘Let’s see what you’ve got.’ Bob said, gesturing towards the guitar. 

Fletcher made a ballsy choice for his audition song: Master of Puppets by Metallica. Part of Bob had hoped that Fletcher was shit at guitar, but he was anything but. It was as if his instrument was an extension of his body, the strings extensions of his fingers. If that wasn’t enough, he played the most challenging part of the song with his eyes closed in bliss. 

It appeared the band was complete. 

Before wrapping things up for the night, you all made plans for the same time and place on Friday night to start putting some songs together. You also pooled all your equipment and made a short list of things you were missing. Everyone contributed, and you and Bob arranged a trip into the city over the weekend to get the last few bits you needed.

The whole thing had come together remarkably quickly, perhaps too quickly for Bob’s liking. At work, he was trained to keep his cool in stressful situations. It was different then, when he could use his nervous energy for problem-solving and quick thinking. He wasn’t unused to feeling like a fish out of water, but this was the furthest from the pond he’d ever been. Bob liked to keep his head below the parapet where it was less likely to get cut off. He stayed off the radar and made as little noise as possible, but starting a band was the exact opposite of that. 

And falling in love with you was the noisiest thing he’d ever done.

A/N: Part two is finally here! This fic isn't doing as well as I thought it would, but I'm still going to finish it because I'm enjoying writing it. I guess my uni professor was right in saying that the projects you're super attached to are the worst received. I have such big plans for the next parts, and it's kind of writing itself at this point. I have no idea whether the reader ends up with Bob or Bradley, so I'll be just as surprised as you guys!

Taglist: @dearsnow

[bambi-kinos]

So here's an interesting thing: apparently Geoffrey Giuliano wrote Lennon in America based off of these stolen diaries.

That's where the accounts of John touching Julia's tit and the gay pass at Tony Manaro may come from. These are screencaps from Hey Dullblog offering some insight into where Giuliano saw these stolen diaries:

So here is my brilliant theory: I think at least some of John's stolen diaries were photocopied by Fred Seaman (Xerox was introduced to the world in the 1960s and used by Disney to animate 101 Dalmatians for historical context!) and that these copies were auctioned on the black market and/or mailed to John's industry friends. I am certain Paul has them in his safekeeping.

Fred Seaman and Robert Rosen had plenty of time to do this considering how long it took for the theft to be discovered. It is a certainty that Yoko DID NOT get all of the diaries back, Giuliano is rich and could afford to purchase copies of the diaries or rent time to look at them in whichever reading room they are being kept in.

I also believe that Robert Rosen himself still has access to at least some of these diaries and that's how he was able to write Nowhere Man, particularly the numerology section which has REALLY detailed notes about the math John used. Frankly I don't believe that Rosen could put these down from his memory of reading the diaries but it would make a lot more sense if he successfully squirreled away copies of what he could get away with and referenced them while writing the book. Hopefully he's kept in touch with that mob lawyer who protected him when Yoko tried to get in the way of Rosen's First Amendment rights to free speech.

It is impossible to say what will happen but stuff like this is why I believe Paul has something in store for us all once she has passed away peacefully. He's not going down without a fight.

And as a general note: I am not convinced that Paul is going to come out or confirm McLennon Does Real or anything like that. I don't expect that and frankly I'm not sure if I really want it anyway. Paul wants privacy regarding his relationship with John and I do not believe he has been doing conspiratorial winks and nods to the Beatles audience like advanced math equations in his music videos or something like that. I think that Paul wants to fully take back control of the Beatles narrative and that he wants the world to understand, once again, that Lennon & McCartney is the foundation of the band and he and John truly were best friends. Whatever that entails and whatever it means for Yoko Ono herself, is completely unknown to us at the time of this writing (December 2024.)

@yulia-k-blog

[potatomountain]

We Will Never Die

Pairing: Rocker Hongjoong x fem!reader

Au: Friends to lovers, band au

Genre: fluff, a lil angst, suggestive

WC: 1.4k

Summary: You stood by your best friend's side all your life, building up his dream because you were always a part of it to him. You underestimated how much, ready to leave, just for him to remind you that what the two of you have will never die.

Warnings: 17+, suggestive, a lil toxicity and implied smut

AN: was gunna have smut but was struggling and this is for the @lapydiaries January event! "Garnet" so today was the last day to post. Anyways. Enjoy the brainrot of one Kim Hongjoong. Didn't turn out how I wanted but eh, I'll play out the rest in my head. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk!

Banners and dividers by Me. Blank blogs WILL be blocked!

Make a band with your best friend, they say. It’ll be nice, they say.

Wrong.

So very wrong.

For starters you weren’t the musical genius he was. Playing an instrument to a skill that wows the audience. He also had the charisma for it.

Kim Hongjoong, your childhood best friend, was born to be on stage. You… weren’t.

That didn’t mean his dreams of touring the world excluded you however. In fact every time he talked about it, you were a part of his speech. All throughout high school as he got better at the guitar and his voice charmed more than enough people, you fell more into his shadow.

Your self confidence plummeted at first, but Hongjoong did everything he could to change that. He made his band, and you were part of it. You were there at every practice, every rehearsal. You helped him with auditions, Hongjoong saying he didn’t want anyone you didn’t trust. By the end of your high school days, he had a decent band and you were their honorary member.

What you didn’t tell him was you had decided to go to school to learn how to manage. You wanted to help, learning all about the trade and what it takes to become successful outside of good music.

Hongjoong protected your self-esteem all throughout high school. He hyped you up when you felt down, reminded you he believed in you, and never once doubted your presence in his life. So you wanted to do everything you could to protect his dream.

That was fine and all until you were both in your mid twenties and Hongjoong and the group “Garnet” had a decent following. Just earlier this year they had a single that played on the radio, really taking off their career.

He was getting offers to sign with other labels, better management, and in your opinion they were damn good opportunities. But that wasn’t the only reason that had you regretting this all.

Chicks lover rocker guys after all. And he ate that up, dominating the hearts and cunts of all sorts of girls that came to his show.

You were the one who had to make sure the girls didn’t try anything afterwards.

Sure, out of the whole band, Hongjoong had his bed preoccupied the least, but it was still enough to get your heart hurting. As if you could pinpoint when you started pining over him like a man and not a friend.

They were all teases, all eight of them to an extent, and you weren’t no saint either, but you avoided their advances. At least until the other night. The drummer, Wooyoung, really did enjoy eating you out. Too bad his mouth was so loud he bragged to the others.

Now, for whatever reason, Hongjoong was mad at you.

He never said he was, but there were signs. The change in wardrobe, the offhanded comments, the way Wooyoung also seemed to be in his bad graces.

And his teasing. God his teasing. He wore tank tops, talked about getting more tattoos and then would point to more intimate places on his body. He even joked about getting your name. Seonghwa, who did their makeup, started giving Hongjoong heavier makeup, and now he had a new piercing on his brow.

The crowd loved it, signs that were definitely not kid friendly were at the venue this night. Girls in skimpy outfits, fishnets and leather skirts. His type, and they were all vying for his attention. And he gave it. He winked and flirted, flicking his tongue out, but now after every instance, he glanced to the side of the stage and right where you were standing.

He was flirting to tease you, as if saying he could fuck anyone he wanted, rubbing it in your face.

You weren’t sure when he became an asshole, but you were going to give him a piece of his mind.

The band of course stayed and had a drink or two after the show while you oversaw the equipment back to the bus. It was mid cross country tour and you were not going to let his antics screw it up. So once it was all settled and you knew the men were back at their hotels, you went right to his room and barged in, not caring if he had a woman with him.

Which, he did. “Get out.”

“But we were just starting to get to know each other.”

“Is she someone important?” The woman on his lap, who was shirtless, asked.

“Just my manager.” He drawled, staring at you with that same angry look you couldn’t decipher. “Can this wait.”

“No. It can’t.” Blood boiling with anger you clenched your fists at your side. “Either we talk now or I had your contract over to someone else and walk out.”

That got his attention, pushing the woman off and grabbing her shirt. “Scram.” He climbed off the bed and over to you as the woman left, seeming hesitant as he stopped before you. “You wouldn’t actually do that… would you?”

“Why the hell not? It’s not like you need me! You’re getting better label offers and contracts that could really take your career to new heights. You can get any fucking woman you want, a better manager, probably one that doesn’t sleep with the bandmates so why the hell should I stick around? Because we’re friends? Ha, is that why you have been rubbing it in my face all night?” You let your insecurities and anger boil over, tears pricking your eyes.

You just didn’t feel good enough for him. You let yourself believe if you worked hard enough and gave him his dream then you deserved to stand by his side. You deserved his love.

The realization you might have been in love with him all this time shook you, a few tears breaking free from your lashes while he could only stare.

“Rub it in your face? No! No that wasn’t-” With a groan he slapped his palm against his face, running it up to pull off the red and black striped hat he had worn for the show earlier. “I was trying to make you jealous.”

“What?” Frozen in place, you gawked at him. He was trying to make you jealous?

“Yeah.” He avoided your gaze, looking down. “The teasing wasn’t working and I wasn’t sure how else to get your attention. I was too scared to approach you about it-”

“About what? Kim fucking Hongjoong what are you getting at?” Despite the threat your voice was barely a whisper, hope lodged in your throat.

He blushed, he actually blushed, playing with the hat in his hands. It was very rare you saw Hongjoong as anything other than confident and sure of himself. “I was jealous you got intimate with Wooyoung. I thought beforehand it’ll be okay as long as you stay by my side but…” He finally looked up at you, raw emotion in his eyes. “But then I realized I didn’t want anyone else to touch you like that. You’ve always been my other half. I was so sure that what we had could never die, even if we did…”

The hope blossomed in your chest and you swallowed hard. “Are you saying… you were mad and did all that because you want to be the one I fuck?”

He shrugged. “I want to be the one for you for everything. Me and you. That’s how this started. My dream isn’t anything without you, don’t you know that?” He stepped closer and reached out. “Through thick and thin it’s always you.”

You let him pull you against him, chest to chest, your breath knocked out of you. “Hongjoong… this sounds like a confession.”

“Maybe because it is?” He was already leaning in as if to kiss you; not that you were making any effort to pull away.

All it took was one moment, one kiss, and you were on the bed beneath him, lips locked and clothes flying off with a desperation you couldn’t recall seeing him with before. At least until you were completely on display for him, shy as he pulled away just to admire your body.

You tried to close your legs and cover your chest but he just shook his head and pinned your hands at your side. “I’ve waited for this, please let me have it.”

Even if you wanted to deny him, you couldn’t. His hair was a mess, made even worse now that his shirt was tossed somewhere but he still had his accessories dangling from his neck.

The sight of him like this would never grow old in your mind. Your desire and love for him, brought out by his touches, would never die.