#I'll read it 10000 times

[skyvastbunny]

I WAS WAITING FOR THIS. OMG FINALLYYY😭😭 again, It was so soooo good with all these emotion roller-coaster and everything, just perfect♡ but this part,

it's going to be one of the most memorable things about this series for me ig, bc i had a conversation so sooo similar to this with my ex girlfriend and i felt those emotions again when i read this so.. i guess again, it just shows how amazing your writing is that makes me feel all these type emotion🥹 anyways, thank you so soooo much for writing and sharing your beautiful work with us. can't wait for the next chapter but pls, take your time for writing. don't feel like you have to rush things, take your time<3 love you so sooo much stay safe😙💕💗

Phases

Phase Two: Wildfire

LMH, HJS

Masterlist, Story Masterlist

wc: 7.1k

Story Synopsis: Whoever said patience is a virtue have never met Jisung and Minho.

warnings: smut, explicit sexual content, poly!minsung (minho chapter focus), service top!minho x switchfem!reader, mxm, a bit angsty but its alright, unprotected but clean piv, oral (f receiving), lil bit of ass play/anal, morning sex, marking, cream pie, so sweet my teeth hurt

Phase One

A/N: this site hates me and likes to delete parts of my story, so there will be minor errors but it shouldn’t be too bad. just please bear with me ://

Has Minho ever been affectionate? No, never of his own accord. Did that stop you from expressing your own affection? Never. He’d never admit it, to you or to Jisung, but he secretly loved when you’d persist even after he shrugged you away, it made him feel wanted. That’s all he’s felt since finding you, and Minho’s amazed he even managed to do that.

Until he met Jisung, he’d never had the easiest time making friends, let alone dating. He had almost an instant realization that he’d found some life long companions, but that also came with the territory of having to actively keep the friendship alive knowing full well that talking isn’t one of his strong suits. Jisung was friends with everyone, his introvertedness came unraveled whenever someone of a slightly larger personality came around to bring it out of him, so becoming close with the other boy was rather simple. You, on the other hand, he had no idea where to even begin to approach. Which, when he thinks back on now, seemed so silly. You had taken him in with open arms and he felt right at home, and it scared Minho beyond belief. 

Meeting the two of you was the only thing Minho seemed to be able to gage some control on. The only reason he gained the confidence to ask Jisung on their first date was because he’d caught Minho one day by dropping by his place unexpectedly, the younger was never really aware of personal space. He had burst through the closed door of Minho’s bedroom to catch him in the aftermath of cleaning a vibrant purple dildo. Neither of them had spoken for a few minutes, just staring at one another until Minho asked if Jisung wanted to get take out for dinner.

It wasn’t an explicit date, but the both of them knew.

Everything important to him has come to life because of horrible, horrible timing. First with Jisung, then with you, and Minho has never felt his life to be so out of control until now. When you’d caught him and Jisung kissing that night, it was like a little piece of him broke apart seeing the look on your face. He didn’t want things to go the way they did, and he hated himself for reacting so badly. But how was he supposed to tell you that he felt like his life was downward spiraling and you seeing him making out with your best friend was the cherry on top?

The two days he went without seeing you were like hell. Literal hell. He even called out sick at work because he couldn’t leave his house without fighting the urge to go to yours. Minho knew that if the roles were reversed, he wouldn’t want you showing up at his door and prying into his feelings that even he was struggling to understand. No matter how hard he tried to vocalize what his emotions were to Jisung, it only came out as jumbled words and mixed noises that made no sense to either of them.

Given the circumstances, maybe he should’ve tried a little harder to reach out to you. But that little part inside him told him that if he pushed you too far, you'd run away. For that reason, he let Jisung do the talking first, and it seemed to have worked.

When you finally picked up his call, Minho felt tears sting in his eyes when he heard your voice. Then you told him you loved him, and Jisung told him he loved him, and even though it wasn’t the first time you’d said it, through the phone he could feel that you meant it.

Seeing you and knowing that you knew, but unable to get himself to speak about you three’s relationship was suffocating Minho, almost as much as it was you. Jisung encouraged him to no end to talk about it with you and every time you came over he swore to himself that he would. And then he didn’t.

To be fair, it had only been two weeks since the incident at Changbin’s party, but in that time you’d made an effort to come over every day, even if it was just to have dinner. He was well aware of what was happening behind closed doors with you and Jisung, even got off to the thought of it on more than one occasion. Him and Jisung had uncountable shared moments like that, it was easy to picture himself watching the two of you together and the things he might say. But imagining you, he had to get a little creative. Were you subby, like him? Did you whine and whimper at the nasty things Jisung says and get weak in the knees if he so much as looked at you with those eyes? Minho always thought you were the same as him and would do anything to please, so that’s how he’d fantasize about you, on your knees with your eyes big and pleading for something to stuff your mouth, Jisung towering above you and calling you all kinds of names and spewing whatever lewd things he could think of to get you even more wound up.

He’d cum hard when he thought too deeply about it, pushing himself to the verge of calling Jisung over at 2 a.m. because he couldn’t satisfy himself the way he did. The not so recent addition of you in his fantasies made it all the worse, especially now that the things he thought of may be true.

On the verge of sexual and, even moreso, emotional combustion, Minho decided that it was time. He had the entire date plotted in his head down to the very minute. He blames you a little for his sudden eagerness, the last time you and Jisung were over he caught a glimpse of the now faded red streaks that lined down the younger’s chest and immediately knew what it was from.

Jisung had helped him a little bit before he decided to go through with his plan, at least he thought he was helping. If anything, his presence was making Minho all the more nervous because of how badly he didn’t want to fuck anything up. 

“Babe, everything will go great. Do you want me to hang around in the shadows in case you need emotional support?” The younger handed Minho his nice white dress shirt and watched as he changed.

“What if she says no?” Minho was concentrating too hard, unable to even button up his shirt with his shaky hands.

Jisung moved to help him, calm him with the gentle skin on skin as he finished the buttons and adjusted the collar, “she won’t say no. She loves you too much.” He planted a quick kiss on Minho’s lips. As much as he enjoys kissing him, it did little to ease the churning in his stomach.

It was late in the afternoon when he came to your place to pick you up. Minho had hesitated to knock on your door, fidgeting with the bouquet of flowers he picked out and recalling all the things in his picnic basket. Just as he raised his fist, the door swung open and he caught a whiff of your sweet, floral perfume. Minho almost folded right then and there, light from the window surrounding your figure like the gates of heaven.

“Do you always wait outside for fifteen minutes before coming in?” You joked so easily and tugged him inside by the arm. He took a second to look you up and down, admire your pretty dress and take in the sight of you getting dolled up just for him. “You’re staring,” you said, taking the basket from his hands and setting it on the floor.

“I am,” he confirmed, still not looking away.

The giggle you let out made his lip curl slightly and stick out the bouquet for you to take. Of course you did with a gracious smile and took them into the kitchen to place in a vase, “let me get my shoes.” You ran through the house to grab what you needed and pondered taking a coverup or not, “will it be cold?”

“If it is, I have my jacket for you,” Minho called back, silently patting himself down to make sure he was actually wearing one. He was, a beige cardigan that would look perfectly oversized on you. Taking another second to spray a little cologne, Minho took a peak at himself in a nearby mirror just as you walked back out, ready to go.

“You look pretty,” you say as you walk up behind him, placing a gentle hand on his arm to get him to face you. Minho felt his ears heat up at the compliment, smiling in acknowledgement. Warmth took over his skin when you reached up to fix the chain adorning his neck, feeling your fingertips grazing the nape to move the clasp to the back. As you finished, you ran your hands down his chest slowly, and Minho would’ve fallen to his knees right then and there. Without moving, you look up at him innocently, “what are we doing today?”

Bravely he took your hands in his and intertwined your fingers. “I was thinking about a late picnic? Take a walk along the river and just… be together?”

“Sounds perfect.” Without a second thought, you stand on your tippy toes and place your lips to his cheek so nonchalantly. It was effortless on your part whereas Minho could feel his heart beating out of his chest. He found himself touching the part of his cheek where you had kissed him, lingering there and blushing just that much more until you called his name and led him outside.

And everything was going perfect, the weather was perfect, found the perfect picnic spot, had a perfect late lunch, Minho was nowhere near as nervous as he was just a few hours ago. Banter between the two of you was normal, commenting about anything and everything, neither of you could stop yourselves from talking about Jisung as well, you both laughed over his need to constantly be touching one of you. Because things were going so well, he couldn’t help but mess it all up by asking one simple question, “are you and Jisung dating?”

He asked it with a smile on his face and laughter in his voice but Minho could see you hesitate to answer despite your kind expression. You observed him backtrack upon saying the words out loud and could practically hear the glass shattering in his head. To ease him as much as possible, you took his hand and played with his fingers. “I think so. I guess it depends on you.”

You felt him tense with just his palm in yours, seeing his shoulders pull back and eyes fall towards your thumb running along his,  “what do you mean?” His breathing sped up a little as did his heart rate.

Here was the downward spiral once again, and he doesn’t even know why when he was the one that asked the question. Minho didn’t mean for it to come up so early and suddenly in the date, but he couldn’t help his own curiosity at the expense of his emotional state. His hand trembled in yours, you could feel it no matter how much he tried to hold steady. You took the opportunity to cup your free hand over his to hold tightly, “walk with me.” You didn’t wait for him to respond to lift him off the picnic blanket and lead him towards the river. Minho threw a look over his shoulder at the set up. “We’ll come back for it, don’t worry.”

Minho went with you hand in hand, still shaking in your palm but not as much as the cool breeze soothed his overheating skin. You held his hand tighter, squeezing in reassurance that he didn’t need to say anything, but would be there to listen if he wanted to. There was nowhere in particular you were leading him, leisurely walking as close to the river as possible because he loved to watch the windy waves.

You watched him intently for any signs that he was uncomfortable knowing he wouldn’t say if he truly was. Minho never talked much about his past relationships, the only reason you knew anything was when he’d mention something in passing, but you assumed the worst. He caught the way you were looking at him, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” you smiled up at him, sympathetic.

“I am. I just… can’t tell you why.” Minho squeezed your hand a little tighter.

You squeezed harder, “you don’t have to.”

“It’s just,” he pulled the two of you over to sit at a bench overlooking the river. It was slightly colder now that the sun was setting, the small shiver that ran through you was enough for Minho to take off his cardigan and drape it over your shoulders, already warm. “I don’t know how to explain it without sounding insane.”

“Have you met Jisung?” The two of you giggled again at the mention of your other partner.

“He’s confidently insane, it’s a big difference.”

Tilting your head, “then what are you?”

Minho pondered for a second, looking at the water then back to you. “Insanely anxious.”

“Really? I pegged you for a chaotic neutral.” When you nudged his shoulder with yours, Minho’s cheeks flushed at the sorely specific term.

A certain bright purple image flashed in his mind, “d– did Jisung tell you?”

You raised an eyebrow, “tell me what?”

“Nothing. Nevermind,” he deflected quickly.

“But really, Min,” you brought his attention back up to your eyes with your finger guiding his chin up. “Your mind doesn’t scare me.”

“It scares me.” It came out as a pleading sob, voice cracking slightly as he opened your hand to lay his cheek into. The action itself felt more rewarding than getting him to speak. The split second where he looked at you with big, round eyes, lips pouting trying to find how to put into words what was happening in his head, no sense of his emotions because they were just so big that no words could do it justice. You knew. “I love you a lot, and it scares me,” he whispered.

The smile that plastered across your face was almost criminal for how deep the conversation was. “If you keep looking at me I might cry,” he admitted but was reluctant to let go of your hand.

“I can look away if you’d like.” Minho nodded and you looked out at the river, “the sunset is pretty.”

“Jisung makes it so easy not to think. He makes me feel stupid in so many ways, it’s humbling and freeing at the same time. I appreciate him and adore him and I forget to show him that sometimes.” You resisted the urge to look at him, catching yourself before you could fully turn your head.

Swallowing the lump in your throat, “I wonder if the water is cold.”

“I forget to show you, too, and I’m sorry. I don’t understand anything going on inside my head or anything I’m feeling, but I love you.” Minho kissed the inside of your palm and snaked it back to thread through his hair. Staring blankly ahead, solely focused on his voice and his words and his hair between your fingers, your lips curled into a gentle smile. “Jisung doesn’t need to understand me– I mean, he does, but in a way where he doesn’t have to understand every miniscule bit, and he still loves me. You understand everything– the good, the ugly, every dark and twisty, scary corner and you still love me. I met Jisung and there was this, like, stupid flame he lit with his annoying smile. Then I met you and it spread like a fucking wildfire and now, I can’t get out. I don’t ever wanna get out. I hate myself for how you found out, it feels fucking criminal that we did that to you and it was so unfair. You and him… my everythings. And I’ll spend however long I need to to show you that you are. Let the fire consume me until there’s nothing left.”

“That sounds painful,” you finally faced him to find his chest heaving up and down, already staring straight at you.

“It is,” Minho whispered back.

“Can I kiss it better?” Your body moved on its own, turning towards him and scooting closer so your knees brushed his.

“Kiss the pain away?”

“Kiss the pain away.”

Minho nodded, with the hand that held yours in his hair, he grazed down your arm to softly pull you in even closer, almost chest to chest but not quite. A slight tug on his roots and Minho came in to press his lips to yours, chaste, supple, so sincere in the way he kissed you. Only closed lip kisses, but still so satisfying. He felt pillowy and warm and you could taste the lingering minty chapstick he applied earlier. There was the clean smell of the river water swirling around to mix with his natural musky, cottony scent to the point that it made you dizzy. Was it only a few seconds, a few minutes, or a few hours the two of you kissed like this? It didn’t matter. You wanted more as soon as he pulled away.

He pecked your cheek and brought you into a bone crushing embrace, tucking himself away into your neck. You were taken aback for a moment, but melted into the hug anyway to feel Minho relaxing just the same. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“Something you don’t already know?” Minho’s chuckle rumbled against your chest.

“Do you like girls?”

Pulling away, the weight on his shoulders seemed to have shrunk based on how he raised his eyebrow at you. “Don’t ask me stupid questions,” and he crashed his lips to yours again.

Entering his apartment hand in hand felt right, it made sense to follow behind him as he kicked off his shoes and throw his keys on the nearby table, watch as he unloaded the picnic basket and leisurely walk around the house to do his mundane chores.

You smiled fondly as you watched him, eventually following him further into the house. The dress you were wearing was growing uncomfortable, having been wearing it all day. “Babe, can I borrow some clothes?” You called out mindlessly.

You couldn’t see it, but Minho shot you a happily surprised look as you entered his bedroom. “Of course.”

His room was always rather neat, everything having its place so it was easy to find a spare shirt and pair of shorts to change into. Then the sound of the toilet flushing and sink running from the ensuite bathroom made you jump, only to reveal a very homey looking Jisung emerging from it. “Oh! You’re back!” He greeted as you slung Minho’s shirt over your head, trotting over and planting a kiss on your lips.

Jisung was oddly normal about seeing you in Minho’s clothes, walking towards the door until he abruptly stopped and turned to do a double take, his eyes following his smile. “It went well?”

“It went great,” Minho appeared behind him, leaning against the doorframe. Jisung peered back at him over his shoulder, having to look up to meet his eyes. The younger one smiled and stood on his tippy toes to give Minho a casual peck.

You felt warm watching them, like your heart was on fire and it was coursing through your veins, a much different reaction to the first time you’d seen them kiss. A part of you wanted to cry with how happy you were, it was almost overwhelming. If it had been anyone else you probably would’ve on the spot. But it wasn’t just anyone. Minho and Jisung are your people. Your people, and they made you theirs as well. So maybe you let the ache in your waterline loose just a little and sniffled back the minor leak in your emotions, which made Jisung skip back over to you.

“Another one for you, too,” he gleamed and kissed you gently. “Did you guys bring back any food?”

“There’s leftovers on the counter,” Minho followed Jisung out of the room, leaving you for the time being.

It felt like the day had gone by all too quickly and you were exhausted. Not in a physical way, moreso emotional and feeling the effects now as you laid back onto the middle of Minho’s bed and stared at the ceiling. Comfortable it was to listen to their idle chatter in the background, so much so that you found yourself closing your eyes still on top of the covers, letting their voices lull you to sleep.

“Listen… She’s snoring,” Jisung held his finger up and hopped onto the counter to sit.

“Let her. I kinda dropped some heavy bombs on her today. And why can neither of you sit on the chairs like normal people? I bought them for a reason.”

The blonde took a bite of the picnic snacks, “like what? That you like it in the ass?”

“No! But… isn’t that implied?” Jisung shrugged, stuffing his mouth again. “It didn’t come out the way I wanted it to, but we got there eventually.”

“Really! So can we all fuck now?” He caught Minho by the neck as he passed by, trapping him between his legs and slinging his arms over his shoulders.

Minho rolled his eyes, “is that all you ever think about?”

“Fucking both of my scrumptious, beautiful, sexy ass partners? Absolutely, I think about it all the time.” He emphasized his point by grabbing his ass, smiling deviously.

Groaning, Minho leaned into Jisung’s arms, “just hug me for now. We can fuck later.” Jisung giggled and held him tighter, whispering an, “okay.”

As much as he wanted to stay, Jisung had to leave just a little before midnight, stranding Minho alone with his thoughts once again. Except he wasn’t upset about it. Actually, he was enjoying having you here, even if you weren’t conscious, he just liked having another body in the house. By now, the chores were done, he washed his face, and changed into his pajamas and still had downtime to just sit and watch you. It was a lot less creepy in his head, but he loved how cute you were when you were asleep, mesmerized. Laying on his side next to you, he refrained from touching so as not to wake you, but failed when you stirred and turned your face towards him. A stray strand of hair fell over your eyes, how uncomfortable that must’ve been, Minho found himself pushing it away and you were fluttering awake beneath his touch.

Groggily you blinked into consciousness, straining a little to look up at him, “what time is it?”

“Thirty past midnight,” Minho whispered back, fully threading his fingers through your hair now.

You didn’t move, just staring into his eyes and enjoying the light skinship. It was a rare thing to get from him, even before. You wonder if he didn’t because of the friendship line, or if he just isn’t keen on initiating it, you have all the time in the world to find out now.

“I’m sleeping here tonight.”

“Mhm.”

Wordlessly, he stood and lifted you just a little off the bed to make room for himself, managing to get you beneath the covers. You could hear his soft breathing and make out the handsome features of his face in the dim moonlight illuminating his room. The two of you faced each other now, heads in the pillows and hands loosely intertwined. “Are you tired?” You asked him quietly, seeing his eyes blinking slowly.

“No.”

“Are you lying?”

“No.”

“What are you thinking about?” Voices hushed, Minho untangled his fingers and brought them up to cup your jaw, thumb just barely grazing over the plush of your lips.

He let out a deep breath, “kissing you.” You lean in to give him another soft smooch, feeling tingly all over as you did.

“Now what are you thinking about?”

The enamored, lazy grin on his face was endearing, “you kissing Ji.”

Giggling, “I think about you kissing Ji, too.”

“We should get a bigger bed.”

“Can I bring my own blanket? You two are blanket hoggers.”

“What?!”

“Why do you think I sit on the end of the couch during movie nights?”

He was silently blinking at you, “...I need some space.” Minho rolled onto his back just to stare upwards, the comforter hooking around his legs to tug and leave your backside exposed. You knew he wasn’t being serious as he blindly reached for your hand to hold but let out an ironic laugh as you pulled the edge to prove your point. He adjusted himself and the blanket came loose again.

His side profile, even in the dull light, was beautiful. You let go of his hand to trace the outline of his nose with the tip of your finger, drawing all the way down to his plump lips then down his chin and neck to splay your hand across his chest. Minho looked like he was deep in thought, or his head could’ve been completely empty, both options were very possible but you hoped for the latter.

Wordlessly you moved under the blanket closer and threw your leg over his torso to straddle him, taking the comforter with you as you sat up. Minho didn’t say anything but rather raise an eyebrow and lay his hands on your thighs, loosely massaging up and down the muscle. With a sigh, you tilted your head down at him, pushing his bangs from his forehead and caressing his cheek. “So curious,” you whispered.

A small hum left his lips as you smoothed the furrow in his brow with your thumb. “Why are you frowning, pretty kitty?”

Immediately his face relaxed just to morph into a surprised state of confusion, eyes widening and twinkling while trying to read your expression. “How did you–”

“Our baby’s mouth isn’t the only thing that’s big.” Slowly you wiggled your hips backwards to sit on his crotch, growing harder by the second. The grip his hands had on your thighs tightened as though he was holding back, which was proving to be more difficult for both of you. “He talks a lot, but you already know that.” Minho accepted your kiss gratefully, sliding his hands up to your ass as you ran your tongue along his bottom lip. He moaned into the kiss when feeling you slip your tongue into his mouth, not fighting or battling but rather looking for  a reaction. The lack of one is what made you pull away prematurely. Reattaching to the skin of his neck, “you don’t have to hold back with me, sweetheart.”

His body shivered and nails dug into your ass through the material of the borrowed shorts. Just barely did Minho cant his hips up to grind his erection into you, though almost instantly he let himself fall back to the bed. You followed, sitting onto him with your full weight and languidly moving back and forth while you continued to bite down his neck. “C’mon, pretty kitty. What do you want? Wanna be taken care of?”

Minho shook his head, no. “Wanna stop?” Another no. “Wanna use me?”

Oh, his ears perked up at that. “Y– you’d let me?”

“Only if you keep it our little secret, or we’ll both get punished.” You sat back to tug the shirt over your head, suddenly thankful that you’d changed earlier because the way Minho was staring at your breasts was a sight you’d never forget. He hesitated to let his hands climb higher until you took them and cupped them over your boobs, “use me. Just this once.” You gave him a wink, a signal that tempted him into groping you, tweaking your nipples before the excitement overtook him and flipped you onto your back.

His shirt came off in a split second and he was ravaging your lips again, not giving either of you a moment to breathe. Spit and saliva would’ve been dripping down your face if not for his desire to practically swallow you. Not that you would’ve minded either outcome, you couldn’t get enough. When Jisung said he’d trained Minho, you weren’t sure what that entailed. Seeing the older now you understood, he was on a tight, tight leash.

Hands were everywhere, in his hair, on your ass, scratching down his back, tugging at your shorts. Minho finally pulled away just to leave a trail of wetness down your chest. He handled you on the rougher side as he wrapped his lips around your nipple, teething and bruisingly groping the other like he was touch starved. It was like he didn’t know where he wanted to be, just that he wanted every part of you in his mouth because when he was finished with your boobs, Minho suctioned each inch of the skin of your torso and stomach to leave deepening red spots wherever he could.

Coming to the hem of your (his) shorts, it was all but ripped from your body along with your underwear, you swore you heard the fabric tear. It didn’t deter him, Minho continued his rampage down your legs and inside your thighs. His eyes somehow grew even wider upon seeing your cunt, wet and dripping, but didn’t make a move to touch you there. Even with your hands in his hair guiding him, Minho stopped and looked up at you, “can I?”

“Please,” you were almost whining even if there was no need for you to. He had all the power in the world now, and you didn’t need to beg for a single thing. He was more than excited to give you whatever you wanted.

Forget a man stuck in the desert without water, this was a whole new level of eagerness that words couldn’t do justice. To describe his enthusiasm would’ve required rewriting the entire english dictionary, which would’ve taken a lot more time than you had considering how skillful Minho was with his tongue and plump lips continuously stimulating your clit. He was moaning into your nerves and sending vibrations rippling through you, the addition of his fingers was your written demise, sending you over the edge in record time. Maybe it was because of how emotionally attached you felt towards him that made cumming so easy to accomplish. You’d always heard that sex with someone you love is an entirely different ball game, and whoever said that deserves to come as hard as he made you just now, every day of their life.

You wanted to return the favor, almost immediately trying to sit up as soon as you were able to recover enough, but Minho clambered over your body to keep you down.

“Let me do everything, please. Wanna make you feel good.” He begged, hiking your knees around his hips to keep you close.

“Awe, our Ji must never let you have your fun, hm? You already made me feel so good, kitty. Can’t I help you now?”

“No, no,” you tasted yourself on his tongue as he pressed a deep kiss to your lips, sending a shock of arousal down to your core again. “Can’t wait that long. Can I have you? Please.”

“Okay, sweetheart. How do you want me?”

Only a guttural groan from within his chest resounded through the room when you gave permission. Taking one leg from his side, he flipped you onto your belly with ease and planted more teethy kisses down your spine. He cupped your ass with both hands and bit harder into the flesh there, on the verge of breaking skin but it felt too good, you couldn’t even be mad. But, perhaps Jisung would be, his plaything marking you up like this and claiming you as his own. That was a worry for later.

It was getting harder to focus as Minho’s tongue roamed closer and closer to your core again. With his big hands, he spread your ass cheeks wide, licking your cunt from behind and burying his face between. He took a little extra time to trace the outline of your clit and draw upwards towards your asshole, hardly grazing the rim and making you shudder and a shot of heat pool in your belly again. The goosebumps along your skin made him chuckle and press a bit harder for more of a reaction, and when you moaned, he pulled away.

You’d never been touched like that, let alone licked. It was new and strange but so comfortable with him, knowing exactly how to touch you and just how to get you to melt. You almost stopped his fingers from entering your cunt again just to ask how the hell he did that because fuck, you wanted him to do it again.

But Minho moved on, circling his fingers at your wet hole to simply play with you, listening intently to the way your walls squelched and sucked him in. He seemed to have a fascination with your pussy, like he was entranced by a spell that couldn’t stop him from staring.

“Use your freedom while you have it, pretty kitty,” you snapped his attention back to the throbbing in his lower half and he almost cried at how hard his cock throbbed.

Placing a kiss and a lick to your pussy, Minho sat up and pushed your legs together, fisting his dick slowly to take in the sight of you. Looking over your shoulder as best as you could to see him, but his hand was planted in the middle of your back and pinching your skin lightly whenever you tried to get a better look. You were so easily controlled this way, nowhere to run and no way to see what was coming.

Spreading your ass again, Minho let the tip of his cock only prod at your asshole to see what would happen. You shivered and whimpered at the foreign sensation, but mewled louder when he traversed down to press at your cunt, bluntly pushing forward so slowly that you felt every inch of his cock stretching you so wonderfully. He felt different from Jisung, but just as good. While Jisung had length on his side, Minho had girth, it was hard to keep your cunt from clenching as you took him.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck– oh god,” he muttered, “baby was right. So fucking tight.”

“Ah– easy, sweetheart.” You dug your hands into the mattress and gripped the sheets.

Minho sat up straight and adjusted his posture, knees on either side of your hips and using your ass as leverage to thrust shallowly, experimentally. A high pitched whine left him while a muffled cry came from you. It didn’t take long for him to find a slow but steady pace, knowing he’d blow early if he went too fast. But it only made you want to tease all the more.

“Such a big cock. Don’t know how to use it, do you kitty?”

“I– I do!” He pleaded.

“Show me, then. Please me.”

His hands moved to plant next to your head and his chest pressing against your back, trapping you. Wide spread his legs, full body weight in his hips, Minho pulled out further and slammed back into you. The clap of skin on skin was encouraging, as was the moan you let out. And he’d lost all resolve after that, letting gravity do the work to rock you into the bed with every stroke, both your bodies practically bouncing with how hard he pounded. The slapping sounds bounced off the walls, out the open windows and you had to say, you were proud of how pretty he sounded. You were building another high just listening to him, but could tell he was ready to blow.

You demanded he pick up the pace, “louder, kitty. Cry for me louder.”

He did, no longer holding back any noise that wanted to fall from his lips. As he lost the reins on his self control, Minho started growing sloppy, murmuring about how sweet you felt, how perfect you felt snug around his cock. “Gonna cum, fuck, so close–”

“Hold it. Wanna cum with you,” you called behind you as best as you could, even with the motions making your voice bounce. Minho understood, keeping rhythm as he sat back again on his hunches to use the strength of his thighs to continue moving. He elevated your hips just enough to change the angle, letting him slip somehow deeper and kiss your cervix so deliciously.

He was getting impatient, thrusts growing shallow as he got closer to his high. Despite not truly following orders, his neediness was helping you along to your own, the repeated quick prods to your sensitive spots was teetering you on the edge, crying his name when he hit it exceptionally good and made the bubble in your gut burst to suffocate you in blissful warmth. You knew he was still using you to achieve his orgasm, it only prolonged yours to milk him to completion.

Minho collapsed on top of you not even a minute later and didn’t move, keeping your hole plugged and soiled. It took more than a while for the both of you to regain your breaths, your arms spread across the mattress and Minho tracing mindless patterns along them. “I can hear your heartbeat,” he whispered.

“I can feel yours,” you whispered back.

He rolled over eventually, taking you with him to lay on your sides spooning, sweaty and sticky but fulfilled in more ways than one. His leg thrown over your hip, you held his hands to your chest tightly, feeling enveloped in warmth as Minho planted gentle kisses to the back of your neck and shoulder.

“Can’t wait to do that again in the morning.” Your admittance made him laugh and kiss your cheek. 

Minho snuggled in closer, “can’t wait to wake up to you every morning.”

You’d spoken it into existence and went another round as soon as the two of you were coherent enough, though this time it was much slower. He was still somehow inside of you when you’d woken up to the sun beginning to rise. Feeling him grow hard already within your walls was another new experience that felt beyond amazing. Morning haze made your body numb and sensitive at the same time, his warm lips raise goosebumps all over again as he reached his hand around to graze your puffy clit.

It only took a few fond touches to get you wet and ready, though of course neither of you stopped there.

“I’ll never get tired of kissing you,” he muttered into your hair. “Smell so good, fit so perfect around me.”

Minho was even touchier than last night somehow, his hands never stopping finding a new part of your body to love. Your hips, your thighs, belly, love handles, chest, he even found a way to make your ankles feel sexy as he lifted your leg and met the joint half way in the air to place a kiss to.

The morning was spent in bed with him lazily thrusting into you from behind and caressing every bit of your body followed by unfiltered words as he came across it, annotating you like a good book. But a good book should always be accompanied by good music, his fingers strumming your center until you cried out a melody that would play in his head on repeat for ages. And you were filled to the brim once more, held so tightly and so loved that it felt impossible either one of you had ever been broken in the first place. There was just one piece missing.

But not to worry, he had burst through the door with almost comedic timing, seed seeping from your hole as he greeted the two of you.

“Awe, damn it. I missed out on the fun!” Jisung slumped, stripping his shirt and pants off and joining you and Minho in bed completely unphased by what had just happened. “We need a bigger bed,” he gave you a kiss on the forehead and one to Minho as well before taking up the space in front of you.

“She said we’re blanket stealers and wants to sleep on the edge,” Minho threw you under the bus before you’d even gotten to greet the blonde lying next to you.

“We’re what?!”

Their reaction was identical. “Be happy I don’t mind that you both also snore. Can I take a shower before you start attacking my sleeping preferences?”

“No! You sleep in the middle. Just like this,” Jisung copied Minho by tossing a leg over your torso and caging you between their bodies. You felt them interlock hands and rest it on your hip like another lovely hello.

“Why didn’t you stay?” You asked softly.

“Had a few errands to run,” the blonde eased your worries.

You reached your top hand back to run through Minho’s messy hair and the other dragging Jisung in closer by the chin, kissing his lips and humming. It was comfortable, so comfortable that your heart started to race and you wanted to hang your head out the window to scream to the world how in love you were and how you hoped everyone would look at you and feel jealous because of how much they loved you back. Was it petty? Yes. But you couldn’t help it, you were sickeningly happy and wanted everyone in the world to know.

With Jisung right in your face, you spoke, “I know I’m on birth control, but can one of you buy me a plan B? I just got double cum dumped and feel it sticking–”

“Double?!” Jisung yelled and sat up, looking over you at Minho. The older nodded yes to your question and pointed to where your bodies were still joined and held up two fingers, his cock flaccid now and doing very little to keep any fluids in. Looking closer, Jisung noticed the bruises covering your body and suddenly relaxed.

A mischievous grin replaced his jealousy. “Pup, I know I said you could do whatever you wanted to him. But I don’t see a single mark on him.” You looked behind you at Minho who attempted to hide his face in your hair. “Why don’t we go take a shower and change that?”

-

A/N: took me a sec to post this part...had a lot going on but we here now!!! and the character plot miiiight've gotten a bit lost but I'll make up for it in part 3 I promise!! so pleeeeease stick around for that it'll be worth it ;)

tags: @sensitiveandhungry @babebatter @changbinluvr @epiphanynaffit @fawnpeaks @linovely @dumplinbokkieracha @finnydraws @naturules @djeniryuu @hamburgers101 @skzhomiehopper @yesv01 @hyunjinsamdl @dazzlingligth @lvrhyuka @alexis-reads-fics @linaliskz @0002linoskitten @chillichillicrabcrab23 @zerefdragn33l @straycrescent @binnies-donuts @soldierstangirl-blog @bakedlilgoonie @levanterlily @shelbyyy44 @yeetmehome @in2heartz @astroodledream @the-sweetest-rose @leebitsimpracha @lilbugs-things @viviennenstan @staurdvst @alex--awesome--22 @imzenning

[orphiclovers]

Ya ever think Pre-Scenarios Yoo Joonghyuk went to church / ya think Yoo Joonghyuk has catholic guilt?

You would never get asked questions like this on any other site. Gotta love tumblr. And of COURSE I have thoughts on this that I will ramble on in great detail.

In general, I always try to be careful to not accidentally project my western understanding onto things with a different cultural context. Especially in regards to things like Christianity, since it’s not universal and…idk it would feel inaccurate to ascribe it to characters who wouldn’t realistically encounter it themselves? Not that you can’t, but I personally try not to. That's irrelevant with ORV though, they literally made the biblical Garden of Eden be a place YJH has been shirtless in. So I’m just going to go ahead and assume that all the Christian motifs I find are intentional and fair game lol

I’ll start with your second question: KDJ’s the one with the catholic guilt, not YJH. YJH has something much more sinister going on.

He gets two main monikers in canon - ‘Pilgrim of The Lonely Apocalypse’ and ‘Puppet of The Oldest Dream.’ In ORV your moniker basically reveals what your ‘story’ is all about. These two names are supposed to show what Yoo Joonghyuk represents, and my thoughts there are…

1. Puppet of the Oldest Dream

He’s the incarnation of the all-seeing and all-knowing god that created the world. 

What I’m saying is, he's a Jesus figure, alright? HEAR ME OUT. He is cursed to walk the world and suffer eternally to bring salvation to one man - at the end it's revealed that he willingly chooses to bear this burden (talking about 0th here). It’s that classic scapegoat story, bearing the sins of the world to save everyone else, but he's also choosing to do this, despite knowing it will be awful.

At the end of his regressions, when he breaks free of his chains, stops being a puppet, he finds himself lost and missing their weight. He had a terrible purpose in regression - without it, he's meaningless again.

2. As Pilgrim of the Lonely Apocalypse

He's literally called a ‘pilgrim’ - someone who goes on a journey to find god. Catholic guilt is about thinking you deserve to suffer for some perceived sins, but Yoo Joonghyuk already is in Hell. ‘Hell of Eternity’ specifically, which manifests with the Christian imagery of fire and brimstone. His ‘journey to find God’ takes him through a world of unimaginable pain and cruelty that he has to somehow find meaning in. (Both YJH and SP have different answers on what that meaning is in different points in their life. )

Needless to say, he has A LOT of imagery associated with religion.

On a more personal level, YJH is motivated by this ceaseless search for the meaning of his own existence. There's the extra layer there that he knows instinctively he was put on this earth for some grand reason, only no one ever tells him what it is. He’s cast into the world without memories and has to stumble through life blind, just like the rest of us. He desperately seeks someone who can tell him what he’s supposed to do, parent, god, prophet or anyone else. (Basically, he's an edgy atheist teenager.)

That’s why he never reaches his ‘▪️▪️’ - the cruel thing is that he can’t ever truly find his purpose, because he is driven by having an unreachable goal.

To answer your first question: Pre-scenarios Yoo Joonghyuk is busy trying to survive his shitty job and taking care of Mia. He doesn't have time for church or having a life or anything. All he can do is daydream of one day finding whoever created him and gave him life. He puts all his hopes on getting enough money to hire a private investigator and keeping this single goal in mind for years. 

He will meet his parents and they will tell him what he’s supposed to do right? The really fucked up thing is, he does eventually get there.

The investigators give him an address, which he visits but finds only an empty house. On the way back, he has a little bit of an existential crisis and starts really thinking about it all. even thinks the classic YJH ‘who am I?’ Then, not even one second later, THE FUCKING APOCALYPSE STARTS. THERE’S HIS ANSWER I GUESS!!!!!

[cubot]

I get alone with my thoughts for one second and then my brain goes to the VN love interest route I beat yesterday and I go, "jesus fucking christ what the fuck."

[imrllytootiredforthis]

Hiya, I was reading your "how txt would sound in bed" post and was wondering if you could do the same for Stray kids :)

Your writing is amazing, thank you so much💙✌️

starting off with channie, he's not too loud i don't think.

he is very breathy and kinda more on the throaty side. that's just when he's trying to be quiet though, when you're in his studio and the boys are in the next room or and your hand just feels so good moving up and down his sensitive cock, he feels like he's losing his mind.

he isn't too much louder when you're alone but i do feel like he would be so much more whiny and when he's not whining, he's moaning and he moans with his accent and dear lord.

lixie's moans would be so pretty, so deep and rich omg. just like his deep voice normally, his moans would be the exact same.

but also in my heart and soul i think that if he got into it (if you played with his nipples), his voice would get several octaves higher.

he'd keen and mewl a lot, getting so much more vocal when he's about to cum, whining high and cute.

he'll be going red when you point it out, fucking hell imagine him with sweater paws, getting fucked out of his mind but you saying his moans are the cute is the most embarrassing thing in this moment and he just covers his face with the sweater paws with a cute little 'stoooop'.

honestly, hyunjin took me a little while because i couldn't figure it out. after some contemplation though i've come to a conclusion,

he'd be kinda a middle range in volume, not too loud or too quiet, but that changes depending on the situation.

he really is a performer and that doesn't change in bed at all. even if he's getting railed so hard he's seeing stars he still keeps note of exactly what sets you off.

exactly which noises he makes seem to illicit that hungry look in your eye. he changes based on what you like, plays with you by using it against you. whether you like him quieter or louder (you better like him louder or i don't trust you) he notices and then it's just a game to see how long it is until he starts making them in a non-sexual way in your normal life, waiting for the moment you'll snap and fuck him against the kitchen counter.

now my sweet little brat lee know would grunt and groan a lot pretty quietly because he doesn't want to moan and let you know how good he feels.

when he gets really close though or falls into subspace, he just gets so completely overwhelmed with pleasure that he really can't care anymore, utterly debauched sounds falling from those puffy lips, all swollen from how much he's bitten them. super loud and super ruined, any and every curse under the sun gasped or whined out.

it's really adorable to see him going from somewhat composed, but clearly trying his best to stay that way and then just melt away with the pleasure, dissolving into a mess, a slave to the sensations that you give him<33

the cute little puppy seungmin, he pants a lot, whimpers a bit, akin to a puppy-

but he isn't that loud in general, he'll have to place his mouth right by your ear for you to hear his tiny mewls and whispers for more, honestly it's pretty perfect for when you're pegging him in mating press or missionary, and his face is buried into your neck

he'll happily make himself a bit louder just for you but only if you ask him nicely-and only if puppy gets a reward

my little perv jisung, babygirl's a shrieker for sureee, gasping, moaning, screaming, losing the very concept of composure, thoughts a jumbled mess just because of how good you make him feel.

gives zero fucks for anyone else around-i've said it a million times and i'll say it again, there is not a single ounce of concern for common decency when he moans out loudly from the vibrating plug up his ass in a public area.

dirty talker 10000%, learned it all from the absolutely sinful-*sigh*, just check his browser search history. baby's got a mouth on him and will not shut up unless you gag him.

he also definitely gets upset when you tell him that he has to be quiet, pouting and maybe even shedding a tear, asking why you don't wanna hear his noises.

binnie, he would sound so cuteee-

it really depends where you are because he's really shy and if you're anywhere that people would possibly walk in on you (gym locker room) it's gonna be heavy breathing and the tiniest n e e d i e s t little 'please' e v e r

and he isn't that loud to begin with but when you're in private, just the two of you, looking up at you with the sweetest cutest doe eyes in the world,

then he really feels like he can lose himself into all of the sensations, he loses it real quick tbh just of how sensitive he is and can hardly bring himself to be quiet.

and lastly, with innie, poor baby just gets so overwhelmed and so flustered, he'll try to cover his face and muffle his moans until you pull his hands away (or tie them over his head). even then though he won't let you really hear him, biting his lip or swallowing the moan crawling up his throat

he'll try to bury his face into your skin, trying to distract himself, take his mind off of how good he feels while marking you all up,

when he finally does let you hear him though-it really should be a crime that he didn't let you sooner, absolutely heavenly, absolutely sinful, wholly and utterly delectable. soft whimpers and full moans, ughhhh.

[alllgator-blood]

hymns of the unholy drops tomorrow, I'm gonna make a track tier list but here's my initial thoughts before it comes out:

This feels worthy of a "read more" just because there's no pictures to look at and it's four paragraphs. TL;DR the album is very cheesy but I'm literally so excited I'm gonna stay up all night so I can listen to the new album the second it drops. The overly critical part of my brain is telling me I shouldn't derive enjoyment from this album unironically but I'm not gonna obey, I am cringe and free and I'm gonna crank this shit with no shame cause it's the game I like...IN MUSIC FORm

[gif meant to represent me randomly busting it down leshy style when I'm home alone, and singing "THE END AWAITS AS THE OLD FAITH TAKES THE LAST OF MY KIIIIINDDDD" over and over]

The lamb's song was kickass and if I heard it in the wild without knowing there was a metal album for this game, I'd spontaneously combust from sheer excitement. It's instantly recognizable and that's kinda all I wanted from it tbh! I've mentioned before that I'm way more of a djent/shoegaze/sludge fan when it comes to metal rather than the genre these songs have been, but I'm literally so excited the bishops are getting some kind of inclusion in a project that I'm gonna crank this album even if it reminds me of the shadow the hedgehog game soundtrack. Tbh this one is so solid that if they JUST announced this one and didn't make the others, I'd still think it'd stand alone quite well for what it is! Edit: I said I'm cringe and free, why did I spend half this section dunking on the genre.....

Leshy's song..........was totally lame but in an epic way, like the first time I listened to it I thought it was fine! But when I actually read the lyrics I had tears streaming down my face from laughter. I screamed out loud when the guy basically says "btw my name is leshy :)", the lyrics are actually so fucking bad. But c'mon it's LESHY he's the littlest brother, if anyone got a corny ass song it should really be him. The shredding solo at the end is fucking hilarious and if he was in charge of his own song, he 10000% would request that specific ending. Musically, this one sounds the least like the source material so far but it's got that arpeggio from his + amdusias' theme and that's arguably the most iconic part. Also, "DAYLIGHT WILL COME UNDONE AS WE ECLIPSE THE SUN" is insane and is the best part besides describing his blindness as "ETERNAL NIGHTFALL"

Heket's song...........It has my favorite lyrics so far but the vocal work after the 40 second mark had to grow on me. I can't describe it but it sounds like that post grunge style and as a grunge fan, post grunge is my biggest opp in the music world. I was hoping they'd get a female singer for this but for heket specifically I can understand why they didn't. The actual lyrics in the song are fuckin badass, when it gets to the "MAKE YOUR PEACE, CREATURE" part I always turn it up to a deafening volume because it goes BALLISTIC. Genuinely my favorite part of any of these songs so far. I adore that her characterization in this song is layered and isn't just "I'm leshy, I'm made of plants or something and also I'm gonna kill you", it goes through her arc PERFECTLY imo!! Instrumentals in this one are better than the leshy song as well, I really like that they brought back the pitch bending/choppy sampling from the ost for this one

I'm on my hands and knees begging for the shamura song to be good, the leshy song had me worried but they came in clutch for heket. If they don't work in shamura's iconic lines from the game, I'm gonna cry inside I think- I'll forgive a lame kallamar song but ONLY if it's funny. Narinder's theme is gonna be hard to fuck up imo I have faith it'll be top tier

[allastoredeer]

manlyman al/uwu lucifer, buff al/skinny lucifer, lucifer in a drag with al dressed in a suit - all the same crap, it's also very noticeable how much of luci in dress with al in a suit there is and how little the other way around or when they both in dresses and also luci in dress? 10000+ likes, while rare alastor in dress? well, barely 1000 or 2000. Same with any reverse of usual fandom versions of them. Very telling if you ask me. Blond, short, goofy, did a sad face few times? Of course it's the one who's we gonna make a girly girl here and there's can be only one in our mlm ship 🙄 People want fanon charlastor but without charlie in it because she's actually a female

Damn, you came in swinging.

But, like...I see no lies here. It is kind of funny that people put Lucifer in dresses more than Alastor when Alastor literally wore a nun outfit in the show. It's such a shame too because with Al's long legs and slim waist, DAMN he'd look so good in dresses.

It is very telling that in every fandom space, with at least one pairing - usually a very popular one - one of two becomes a girly girl and the other a darker, menacing, and more intimidating manly man. There's nothing wrong with feminine male characters, nor them being in mlm relationship, but when it happens to every. Single. Ship. where the characters are stripped down to basic archetypes.... ಠ_ಠ

It really is funny, because going by what we've seen in the show, Alastor is so much more of a girly pop than Lucifer is. Him and all his little wrist flicks and sassy remarks.

I mean

Look at this guy

Look at him

LOOK AT HIM

LOOOOOOK AT HIMMMMMMMM

How can people see this man as a super serious big bad muscle daddy? I don't understand. He's so unserious. So full of whimsy. He's a clowning troll. And I'm telling you, look at that thin waist and those long legs. He'd look amazing in a dress.

This actually reminds me of a previous ask I got a while back. The topic was centered around some fans saying that Alastor would never bottom and the over all characterizations of him and Lucifer, and this line here sums it up perfectly:

"shows such a patriarchal-ly drenched heterosexual view of sex, that they then apply to a MLM ship that drives me INSANE."

Particularly, the drenched in a patriarchally heterosexual view. Having one man in a mlm relationship be more feminine than the other is totally okay, there is nothing wrong with that, and there are a lot gay relationships like that.

But the way a lot of radioapple is depicted feels weirdly heterosexual, and it's because of the behaviors and archetypes that get assigned to them. Lucifer becomes this teeny tiny, wide-eyed, awkward little waif and Alastor this big dark possessive boyfriend who's always looming over his shoulder and glaring at anyone who looks at Lucifer. It reads like every other cringy straight romance I've read. Add in the trope of Alastor drinking Lucifer's blood and it's basically "Twilight" set in Hell.

Okay, not to derail, but there was this one AU that I was obsessed with. It's a Hades/Peresphone AU for radioapple, and it sounded amazing, but there were so many depictions of Alastor as Hades and Lucifer as Persephone and I was just...

I was flabbergasted.

You have Lucifer, the king of Hell, the DEVIL himself, be the goddess of spring instead of the Lord of the Underworld. I'm....whut?!!?!?! Alastor is literally a deer, he would be perfect to play Persephone. That guy would be hunting down all the people poaching and harming his domain and making them suffer, and I can totally see Niffty as a psycho little nymph that tags along on his "hunting trips."

I've seen one or two au's where Alastor is Persephone and Lucifer is Hades, and they are glorious, but every time I see the opposite I feel like I'm taking psychic damage. A year of my life gets taken away. I fear I'll be on my death bed soon.

Also this line "People want fanon charlastor but without charlie in it because she's actually a female" it's so true to fandom it hurts, but it's so fucking funny, I'm wheezing

You ate with this ask 🤌

[totheseok]

seunghan thoughts because I miss him

so we've all seen that video where they were playing the huge jenga

and when it fell he reached to kind of break its fall so that it wouldn't hurt shotaro

so I'm imagining that like

it's really common that he gets hurt a bit in the process of helping others and then brushes it off

imagine he comes home after filming that episode, maybe he's staying at your place for the night, and u see a small bruise, scratch or cut on his hand and ask about it

and he's probably just like "oh it's nothing the jenga tower fell and I got hurt a bit"

btw if you've ever had even the normal sized tumbling tower fall on your hand that shit HURTS ok the amount of times I've gotten bruises and cuts from them *shivers*

point is he tends to put other people before him

he's definitely the type of person to start picking up the larger pieces of a broken glass while waiting for someone to get a broom, just so no one else gets hurt

even if he gets hurt in the process

:(((((((((((((

imagine his s/o, you, then taking care of him cus he always does it for others

side note I just KNOW he loves hand kisses

but he wants to take care of you :(

it's just a big adorable wholesome mess with both of you babying each other

he's also SO attentive

he'd definitely keep small things about you in mind

like maybe you mentioned a snack you liked growing up and this man goes out of his way to find it and mass purchase it (like an Asian dad)

or you mentioned a book that seemed interesting when u visited a bookshop while out with your friends

Trust he's bought every book in that series for you the next day

maybe u said u ran out of catfood

when he comes over the next day, he's got a bag of the catfood

and it's tye one you use cus he checked

10000% has a period tracker for you on his phone

stocks up on snacks, pads and heating pads a week beforehand in case it shows up early

definitely the type of person who doesn't want you to consume too many painkillers because of the side effects but he won't stop you when you need them

he definitely try to look for natural pain killer recipes (as someone with horrible cramps, boiling black seed in water and drinking the water while it's warm is a VERY effective pain killer)

he strikes me as the type to pay attention to what you don't like doing and tackles those things before you

like maybe you hate doing the dishes and so when sees dirty dishes he gets to cleaning them before you can even think about it so that you wont have to

he definitely listens to you rant about your favorite book or show

even if he hasnt watched or read it

he will always listen and he loves it

he'll listen to your theories about what will happen next

and listen to you rant about how the second lead shouldve been end game

he also knows all of the tea

like omg your friend's ex is texting her again

is it pineapple or orange?

its GRAPE?!?! no way

i could honestly go on about this for hours but i'll stop here for now

[magicalgirlsandcerulean]

Love Macho "Visual Novel"

Thanks again to restinpeacesensei for notifying me of this.

Note some of the pictures have text which adds to the experience, while others duplicate text from the tweets they're from - you could probably still read the former using a screen translator and read tweets with the autotranslation, but there was a bit of a misunderstanding going around about one of the routes which warranted a proper translation.

The bold sections indicate main decision points (the start, the Defence Club and the student council).

Feedback is welcome.

(Even if you did play this thing through at least once, it's fun to see where all the branches go.)

Play along by starting here...

Start: Setting aside the particulars [of how you managed to do so], somehow you transfer to Binan High School and you have #Your Encounter with that person...

----

The people who challenge this and share their results... ---- ...will go into a lottery to win a present of a 10000 yen Amazon gift card! Repost this tweet to increase your chances! ▼Tap the picture to begin!▼

(Picture: Tap to start!)

(Tap here.) You start your new life from today! On the way to school, you pass by... A: The Earth Defence Club

B: The student council

-> A: Earth Defence Club: For some reason, these people are noisy, huh?

A: Pass by them

B: Try calling out to them

C: Head towards the Kurotamayu

-> ->A: Pass by them: "Eh, your bag..."

A: "By any chance, is that made of pure gold?"

B: "Is that the thing that's viral on social media right now?"

-> -> -> A: "By any chance, is that made of pure gold?"

Surprisingly, you have an expert eye. That is exactly the case.

"I...have a feeling I'll get along with you."

He offers his hand for a handshake. He's looking at his bag and smiling...

(Cont. on picture)

"T-That-!"

Somehow, on his bag is a strap of a gold nugget!

”Of course, as a way of guaranteeing [it doesn't get lost], I carry it close to me."

"Yeah, gold's asset value doesn't fluctuate much, so be careful..."

You two talk finance to your heart's content.

This would be my destined meeting with him...(Io end.)

-> -> -> B: "Is that the thing that's viral on social media right now?"

Yes, surprisingly, you're a trend junkie and bought this bag, which you recently saw on social media.

"That's excellent! The cherry pattern on it is cute!"

(Cont. on picture)

"Actually, I bought it as well...Is that made of pure gold?" [4]

Yes, it seems to be of considerably good value. You worked hard at a part-time job, saved up and made a down payment to obtain it...

"I also worked hard to save!"

Then...

"Let's go cut loose, shall we?"

"Yes! Let's!"

This would be my destined meeting with him...(Ryuu end.)

-> -> B: Try calling out to them: "Excu~se me..."

A: "Does Binan High have a chikuwabu club?"

B: "Where's a good place to eat an after-school meal?"

-> -> -> A: "Does Binan High have a chikuwabu club?"

Of course, this place doesn't have a chikuwabu club...Your shoulders slump.

"How about asking the student council?"

(Cont. on picture)

"My previous school didn't have a chikuwabu club either..."

"Did it?"

You wanted to make a chikuwabu club, so you vented your feelings to him.

"...I can feel your passion. However, you can't make a club with less than 5 members."

...is it possible to gather 5 people with the philosophy of chikuwabu...?

"Well, do your best."

"...! Thank you!"

This would be my destined meeting with him...(En end.)

-> -> -> B: "Where's a good place to eat an after-school meal?"

"I know a delicious curry place."

The black-haired boy pushed up his glasses as he responded.

Hearing "curry", your eyes light up. Actually, curry is your favourite food, so much you carry it around in a thermos.

(Cont. on picture)

"Will you tell me where that place is?"

You want to know this at any cost, so you give in.

"That's fine. If it's fine with you, would you like to go together?"

Without hesitation, you nod.

"Yes please!"

"Well, how about next Wednesday [1]?"

You coordinate your schedules.

This would be my destined meeting with him...(Atsushi end.)

-> -> C: Head towards the Kurotamayu: Are you taking a bath now?

A: "Huh, is that a Binan High uniform?"

B: No one's around. You hear the sound of wood being chopped...

-> -> -> A: "Huh, is that a Binan High uniform?"

A petite boy appeared in the middle of the bathhouse.

"My family's bathhouse is the best! After all, it uses fresh hot spring water, untreated from the source! How about taking a bath before going to school?"

(Cont. on picture)

"...this bathhouse has the same name as me, so I went inside."

...well, to tell the truth, your name is Kurota Mayu [2]. It's read the same way [as the Kurotamayu].

"Heh------! Is that so? Somehow, I get the feeling you're extraordinarily lucky!"

This would be my destined meeting with him...(Yumoto end.)

-> -> -> B: No one's around. You hear the sound of wood being chopped...

You called out, but no one came...

*chop* *chop*

"??"

There is the sound of wood being chopped.

You try going out the back where the sound is coming from...where a brawny man is wholeheartedly chopping wood.

"Um...excuse me."

(Cont. on picture)

You timidly call out and the man notices you.

"Ah, a customer? Sorry about that."

He's kinda strong...

"This is a discount coupon. That's 'cos, from the looks of things, you look like you're also a Binan High student."

"? When you said 'also', you mean..."

"My little brother also goes to Binan High..."

A refreshing, quiet wind blows between the two of you.

This would be my destined meeting with him...(Goura end.)

-> B: The student council: Wah, these guys have something of an aura...

A: Comparing them to someone like me, I'm...

B: I have an official Business Skill Test in Bookkeeping, 2nd Grade [3]!

-> -> A: Comparing them to someone like me, I'm...: They, who gallantly appeared before you, saw you and unreasonably deepened your worries.

Then, you start to tell them, "It's the entire world's fault this happened...I'm not evil..."

(Cont. on picture)

"Donum!"

You can hear a voice from somewhere.

"Ugh!"

You feel something stabbing you in the neck...

In that moment, power wells up inside you.

"If I have this kind of power...!"

You head towards Binan High, acting upon an impulse of destruction...(Student council bad end.)

-> -> B: I have an official Business Skill Test in Bookkeeping, 2nd Grade [3]!: Perhaps, they are a group of talented person like you...? Having judged that to be the case, you suddenly appeal to them. "Heh?...We were looking for someone to manage the finances. Are you a transfer student?"

(Cont. on picture)

"I transferred here today. I'm Kurota Mayu [2]."

"To have a bookkeeping qualification at that age is promising," the silver-haired person said, while the other two nodded in agreement.

"As Akoya said, would you like to manage our finances?"

"Yes! I'll make good use of my qualifications and show you I can be helpful!"

Thus, it was decided you entered the student council!

This would be my destined meeting with them...(Student council good end.)

[Note 1: Might be reading into this too much, but Boueibu's season 1 aired late on Tuesday nights, i.e. Wednesdays.]

[Note 2: Japanese name order.]

[Note 3: 2nd grade is the highest possible grade you can get in this test. To get one, you'd need to score 70% - 100% and the pass rate is 20%.]

[Note 4: Originally, my brain rationalised this as the gold nugget keychain being on the bag, but...you can have bags with handles, clasps etc. made out of an alloy containing 24k gold and that can still count as "pure gold".]

Update: Added note 4. Thanks, restinpeacesensei.

[topazadine]

Identifying bad writing advice

I have seen what seems to be a backlash against the genre of writing advice in recent days. By that, I mean I saw like two posts about it within a few days of one another. That, to me, is an epidemic! We need a global symposium discussing the peoples' distrust of writing advice.

Not really, but one does need to practice caution when reading anything that tries to tell you to do something. That includes me, and even this post that you're reading.

There are tons of excellent guides out there helping to refine your unique voice rather than change it. BUT you should treat everything you read with some caution and ask if it resonates with you.

With that said, let's take a look at some warning signs that you might be getting bad advice.

Inexperienced source

You need to understand writing on a deep level if you're going to act as an authority on it. Someone who has just started writing can share their experience, but they shouldn't position themselves as an expert by any means.

Also, writing takes years to learn. Literally years. Casually writing for two years or so is not going to teach you everything you need to know so that you can share that with others.

I would also say that while you do not need formal training to be a writer, you should have some formal training to teach writing or give advice. As I'll discuss more later on, being able to do something well is very different than being able to explain how to do it.

If someone doesn't provide their credentials and their suggestions seem a little off, then they may not have the experience necessary to help you. I've shared my own credentials in several other posts so I won't belabor them, but I have written over two million words of creative writing, hold a BA and an MA, and have 15+ years of practice. I also tutored writing students for about five years.

Unengaging writing

This is pretty self-explanatory. If the advice-giver's writing is boring, or uninteresting, or hard to follow, they probably need to spend more time developing their own craft before they try to teach anyone else.

I include poor formatting in this as well. If someone is doing wacky things with their formatting that make it hard to read their guide, like using extra teeny tiny small font or enormous fonts, they are doing this more to show off how smart they are than helping you.

The "extra small super cute fonts" thing is also kind of ableist because low vision people are going to have to rachet their magnification up to 10000 to see anything. This suggests that the writer is not thinking about their audience.

Universalizing everything

The problem with advice about such a diverse craft is that it is almost impossible to target every potential need. Similarly, every advice-giver is coming from their own perspective and may not be able to see beyond their own experiences, biases, and so on.

If someone says "all good writers do this" or "always avoid this," they are likely not going to help you much.

With any advice, you should take what resonates and leave the rest. Sometimes, what resonates is uncomfortable, but you know deep down in your heart that it's true. That's common, especially if you have some bad habits holding you back but you're unwilling to fix them.

I try to always include a caveat that I am only coming from my own perspective and what I say may not apply to you. If someone writes an advice guide and tries to say that their way is the only good way to do something, or that anyone who doesn't follow their advice is a "bad writer," then they aren't thinking beyond their own nose.

Excessive prescriptivism

There are very few real rules in writing. In fact, I have distilled them down to only two that apply to everyone.

Writing needs to communicate something to someone.

Writing needs to be written so that others can easily understand (and enjoy) that message.

These two adages cover damn near everything about the craft, including the importance of grammar, spelling, syntax, and so on. For creative writing, they also consider the importance of coherent plots, understandable characters, good dialogue, avoiding infodumping, and so on.

Going further, these two rules explain that your writing should have themes and symbols meant to provide a deeper meaning without throwing it right in the reader's face, because readers don't like being lectured.

Note that these rules do not tell you how to create your characters, or how to format your writing, or anything like that. Because those things are all very context-specific, and what I suggest may not alway apply.

It's why older writers grit their teeth at younger writers bashing them over the head with "show don't tell" because there is nuance here. And you get to that nuance by writing a lot. Which is why beginner writers haven't found that nuance yet. And which is why beginner writers should not be giving advice.

Fails to explain the reasoning

Doing something and teaching something, as I said above, are very different things. Someone can be an amazing writer, but when they try to explain themselves, they fall flat. Similarly, you can be an avid reader but an atrocious beta reader because you have no idea how to identify problems and suggest solutions.

Having spent years learning craft and helping others improve, I can identify why something works or doesn't, and I can explain this in a way that makes sense. For example, my spicy mundanity post doesn't just say "mechanical descriptions are boring."

The post explains why those descriptions are unengaging, then shows examples of how to fix it, and then explains why those passages are better.

Similarly, my post on how not to write a character doesn't just say "avoid this." It explains why certain tropes are annoying and gives advice on how to fix those things.

I often link my advice back to key concepts, including cognitive load and audience, in order to demonstrate that at its heart, writing is deceptively simple: it's about communicating something to someone in an entertaining way. But there are millions of ways to do this successfully, and everyone needs to find their own path to success.

If someone just says "do this" without explaining why this is a better option, they're not telling you anything. They are just giving their opinion about what makes good writing without helping you improve.

Discouraging or elitist

Anyone who makes you feel like shit and like you can't possibly ever be a good writer ... is an asshole. Anyone who berates you for mistakes you make while learning is trying to gatekeep one of the world's oldest art forms - storytelling - for no reason other than to feel better about themselves.

You do not need an English degree or Creative Writing degree or any degree to be a good writer. You don't need formal training; (good) free advice you find on the internet, when applied systematically, can do wonders for you.

All you really need to be a good writer is time, practice, and patience. Just like anyone can pick up an instrument and become proficient if they do it over and over again, so can anyone become a great writer if they persevere.

Many people unfortunately fall into this trap of thinking that writers are some special breed of human who were innately gifted by the gods themselves. Sure, you can have an inclination toward writing, just like you can have an inclination toward anything else. But you can also brute force that talent through hard work.

Writers are not like athletes, where genetics and physical fitness and early life development all play a role in whether you can get to the Olympics. Some people just suck at sports and it's unlikely they will ever improve. I am one of those people. Rest assured I understand.

Thankfully, though, writing is much more forgiving and welcoming than that. (Though not all writers are very forgiving and welcoming.)

It may take you longer than someone "naturally gifted," and you may struggle more, but anyone can become a good writer with practice.

Those who tell you otherwise, or who tear down your work and mock you, or who insist that you need XYZ degree or skill or experience or whatever, are wrong.

Please don't listen to them. Please don't let them ruin your joy.

If you'd like to read more of my work, consider buying my book!

9 Years Yearning is a gay coming-of-age romance set in a fantasy world. It follows Uileac Korviridi, a young soldier training at the War Academy. His primary motivations are honoring the memory of his late parents, protecting his little sister Cerie, and becoming a top-notch soldier.

However, there's a problem: Orrinir Relickim, a rough and tough fellow pupil who just can't seem to leave Uileac alone.

The book features poetry, descriptions of a beautiful country inspired by Mongolia, and a whole lot of tsundere vibes.

You can also check it out on Goodreads for a list of expanded distribution.

Be sure to preorder Pride Before a Fall, arriving January 1, 2025!

If you do purchase my book, don't forget to leave a review!

Reviews are vital for visibility on Amazon and help to support indie authors like me. Whenever you love a book, be sure to let the author know! It's much appreciated.

I've also created a masterlist of writing resources that you can peruse at your leisure, all for free.

Enjoy!

[nogenderbee]

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ 𝔽𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕙𝕝 𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗 ₊˚ˑ༄

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ anon request: hihi! platonic blade, welt, jing yuan and dan heng with a teen reader who is like fischl?

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Hello! Sure! I'm sorry because I kinda made it for fem!reader but if you're alright with just changing princess for prince and so on here and there, it should be alright to read for any gender!

Anyway, hope you enjoy either way!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ platonic

✧ Dan Heng is certainly surprised by your acting, tho every child has their phase he thinks...

✧ he doesn't want to accidentally ruin your childhood so he just goes with it

✧ and if you call him your royal knight? He'll actually be proud from that title! Maybe he won't admit it but he feels somehow happy you're always picking him for ant exploration

✧ tho he's often surprised with your language... you're a teenager and you speak so elegantly? That's certainly useful skill but how the heck did you learned that?!

✧ he's gonna call you whatever your imaginary name is, even if something completely different is in your papers

"I humbly declare you a loyal knight of Prinzessin der Verurteilung!"

"I'll do my best to not fail you then. You can trust me."

✧ if you even have a raven, he'll be even more interested in you... they allowed you to have a raven on the Express? How did you convinced Pom Pom?

✧ either way, he doesn't care if you're just trying to live tour fairy tale life as long as you're happy

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

@miya-akane @toyaswif3y - come get your quiet but scary trabilazer!

✧ it's easy to say that Welt does NOT get you kids... he's aware you have your imagination but you're certainly taking it to another level

✧ you're not playing your role as a Prinzessin, you're living it!

✧ he doesn't know if he should be happy or afraid how creative you are

✧ but he's acceptive so he'll agree on your ideas, as long as they're not anything dangerous

✧ when it comes to change of your name... I feel like he'd cross out your real name on any paper and replace it with the preferred one

✧ he's trying his best to catch up with you so the first thing he does is ask you if anything besides your name changed too!

"Just your name? Are your pronouns still the same? Do you need help of specialist? Or are you just discovering yourself?"

✧ he's trying his best and he's not afraid of showing it, if it means making sure you're comfortable!

✧ but if you decide to have a bird... it may come with few additional rules and you may need to keep it in a cage for a little while

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

@vodka-glrl - come get your father of the express!

✧ Jing Yuan is actually always happy to hangout with you and get to know more about your world

✧ he's always playing along with you, but it actually sounds like he's serious instead of playing because you're a child! Maybe he genuinely believes in it and just doesn't admit it out loud?

"And you may be first guess to witness my renovent palace!"

"I'll be more than happy to accompany you, young lady."

✧ similar to men above, he'll correct anyone and anything that contains your legal name, changing it to your prefered one. Because why would he ignore it after you trusted him and told him about your little secret?

✧ when it comes to your language... he was a bit surprised at first but now he responds the same way!

✧ don't be surprised if someone asks you one day what did you do to General because he sometimes speaks like that in public too... he's just too used by now

✧ and if you have a bird? Feel free to let it fly around Xianzhou as long as it's trained well!

✧ in fact, he'll be more than happy to see your tricks if your bird knows any

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

@miya-akane - come get your soft general~

✧ Blade is accepting your imagination but he doesn't even try pretending like he believes in it

✧ you can give him 10000 arguments how it's definitely real and he'll reject all of it with just "no", so I say you don't waste your time...

✧ but he's not complete meanie, he'll accept your prefered name with ease

"I do not know anyone named Y/N! I'm Fischl! Prinzessin der Vertolung!"

"Fischl? Sure, at least it's easier than your real name..."

✧ he may act like he doesn't care but he'll state daggers at anyone who gets your name wrong

✧ he just goes "would you like to repeat yourself?" with most murderous gaze of his, so you can be sure this person will never get your name wrong again

✧ but he definitely is surprised by your language... he's a bit surprised you're so young and speak fluently like that...

✧ but he doesn't question it more than needed and just brushes it off as some teenager games, not bothering to care as long as you're not bothering him with it

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

@vodka-glrl - come get your cold man!

[severalowls]

Hi I played myhouse.wad here is my thoughts on a narrative thing people seem intent on brushing off in favour of tired tropes.

Spoilers for myhouse.wad do not read this if you havent played it go and play it blind thx

So Thomas and Steven are heavily heavily implied to be husbands. The use of Intensely, Notably impersonal language in the journals is a whole other point to analyse irt its authorship but I digress, my (first) point is: Thomas is also Probably trans.

So in the airport you go into the womens bathroom and theres a pill bottle on the way in that says "needs a refill..." and then you do a little loop around the mirror and theres blood in the mirror then blood all over the place and blooddemons spawn in all around you... then you leave and there's a full pill bottle that says something like "such a relief" and when you come out the bathroom signs have switched and the bathroom you came out of is now the mens room.

Now the Le Reddit/gamer dood prevailing interpretation is apparently that this is... a coincidence? That the meticulous insane modder(s) who created this entire mindbending feat of technology Simply Forgot and its a total coincidence. Fuck off.

Now the prevailing theory also seems to be that the airport bloodbath is actually Thomas's father, evidenced by the same empty pill bottle being in the hospital room with the dead man. Nah, that's because they're both Thomas's fuckin pills and that's Thomas.

Steven (the PoV character as it were) is in the same hospital because this is a representation of the critical inciting event of the entire meta narrative: both of them having died, together, at home (probably in a house fire).

Everything we see in the mod represents scenes and events in their lives, and this is the point where Steven departs from the mortal coil and goes to join his husband Thomas, who is flatlining but nonetheless sat bolt upright, locking eyes with Steven who, in the context of the wider story is putting his affairs in order through the medium of Doom. CRUCIALLY this one hospital scene, where the video game gameplay rules of Doom (you die, you reload a save) are defied and we pass into a (god damn it) liminal space between the abstraction of the game and Death, is the only point where they are reunited.

Which then suggests to me that all the "Liminal Space" stuff and Backrooms references aren't just Fun References, but the Thematic Core of the piece, the passing between worlds. Hell, even the narrative being split between docs and the mod. It being a mod for a game at all.

Anyway I'll save this going on 10000 words because I could probably write interpretation for hours but... Myhouse.wad good.

Edit the following morning: There are hints to an "Anna" which the average Gamer assumes is some sadface ex-wife, but the main points where this is referenced are the airport scene and "S+A" in the bonfire/beach endings. Steven and Thomas are described as having reconnected with high school crushes/'friends'. The main time in your life where you're likely to carve your crush in a tree is when you're a teenager.

Steven had a crush on "Anna", reconnected decades later once he'd transitioned, the scenes of the game represent primarily parts of their life together, and in the final moments of the game (bonfire/beach endings) he's reflecting on when they met as kids.

Airport scene, besides the symbolism of journeys and beginnings, could also reference a miscarriage Thomas had at some point, possibly pre-transition since its where "Anna" comes up? (Stillborn baby is referenced a couple of times in the journal + baby bottle item ingame)

Anyway, myhouse.wad good.

[emlan]

Finished DLC!

Here's some Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree ramblings, spoilers under cut.

.

.

.

.

. DLC catered to me a lot since I'm a Zanzibart cutscene enjoyer who loves map exploration and Vista money shots but I'm kinda HUH-cat.clip when it comes to some new lore bits and in general the world feels divorced from main game even though main game characters and topics are around?

I don't remember how much souls DLC tied into the other story, but I'm using The Old Hunters from BB as base and it really added extra value to its world and characters and there's just nothing new of real interest in SotE from what I can see…

In a vacuum I can only appreciate even more (literal) brother on brother action but Miquella seemingly being deeply obsessed with Radahan is so out of left field??? Granted I'm not an lorester but what I remember as Miq's key things from flavor text when it comes to ties to other people is him being sad about being unable to cure Malenia of her rot and also sad about not being able to grant Godwyn his true death. The only ties to Radahan is by proxy of his sister fighting him? (Was she even fighting him just to bring bro his crush to him? This makes Caelid getting nuked by her even more of a waste.)

It's so out of nowhere that the Epic Prime Version of him comes off as a cheap soyjak pointing bit pandering to Radahan fanboys (pretty sure he's like no1 fav guy for players right), but fanboys will obviously not be happy about him just being a hollow shell again (?) that might not have wanted anything to do with Miquella (?) so I just can't see this as satisfying for ANY kind of player even on a full Gamer Dude to Deranged Fujoshi spectrum? I imagine deep lore enthusiasts also feels a bit… Ambushed.

I'm not against Miquella doing dark unpleasant or just stupid desperate acts since it was already a popular theory that he was a brainwasher type, but the issue for me is that I'm not sure if this Miq/Rad union is "intended" to be read in such a twisted way even when it's the only way I can read it.

Though I guess the fact general consensus going from "wow Mohg is so messed up claiming Miq no matter Miq's consent" to "wow Miq is so messed up claiming Radahan no matter Radahan's* consent" is poetic….?

*I'm writing Radahan here but really it's also a synonym for 'Mohg' considering he's the one getting desecrated the most.

I'm sure I'll end up watching some vid or writeup making pieces fall into place later but I can't believe Miyazaki is handing me visual age gap brother incest and all I can do is force a strained smile in response!!!

Anyway general whining time:

As much as I love filling out up the map I feel there was too much big "empty" areas. Climbing the dragon mountain was the worst presentation of anything I've seen in a FS title, extremely cheap unfinished filler feeling with the spirit jumps instead of at least adding some kinda atmosphere like the open flower/gravestone fields. The Abyss gimmick overstayed it's welcome since it's too miserable checking if you missed a shiny somewhere without your horse, but at least the stealth parts was such a non-issue it might as well not be there.

While I like that you can see several inaccessible areas from where you stand, and I do think it leads to some fun moments when you're taking a random path halfway across the map and ends up on the other side as an a-ha moment, it was a bit frustrating not being able to tell more clearly how to reach sections. Plus I would've died 10000 times from drops if it wasn't the fact Rainbow Stones protected me from making bad choices.

What mindbroke me most was trying to get into the flower field area north east, having an "oh boy, beating this guy will let me reach it for sure!" moment for both Gaius and Sunflower was such [record scratch SFX]. I did figure posing in front of the statue was most likely the entry afterwards but somehow I had missed the gesture needed (most embarrassing DLC moment considering I tend to fine comb pretty well and the gesture pickup is just sitting there out in the open………. why am I even admitting this shameful thing). Watching trees get knocked over from something moving under the water in the church district was really cool and unnerving and then you realize it's just branch dragon number 800……………..

The wicker men has a great design but fighting them was either a boring slog or a frustrating jankfest trying to toss the bombs right. Peeved that you HAVE to use a furnace pot for the sleeping one blocking the ruin puzzle, hefty should've been fine too.

Bosses are too hectic/aggressive for my taste but that's just business as usual for ER so whatever, last boss really is way too punishing compared to other Hard bosses tho, in fact I just watched ending on YT since I'm stuck still on them :V Camera also makes a glorious return as the toughest challenge of them all.

Think my biggest highlights was seeing the bizarre finger/tongue path under the church and the finger mom boss visual itself and the black humor of the miserable living jars stumbling around with the pot on their head. Ansbach is a hot new waifu and it's very precious how such an upstanding man stays all-in loyal to a Deranged Satan (said lovingly) soooo cute you actually get a "Um, so about how Mohg died…👉👈" prompt with him. There was more NPC voice lines than I expected which was fun. St Trina's design was very neat and shoujo manga. Having to sip syrup 4-5 times instead of the classic Third Time's The Charm is a crime however and I missed making the Trina fanboy jealous until it was too late :/

The open world for all of Elden Ring is such an incredible experience that I'm happy I got to play and I had such a good time and I can't imagine any other studios will be able to reach these map heights but I also hope they never make an OW game again because it's too much when you "need" to replay it.

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is: @morningberriesao3! morningberries has 15 works in the Stranger Things fandom on AO3 and all of them are in the Steddie tag!

@steddieas-shegoes recommends the following works by @morningberriesao3:

Sweet Surrender

Sneaky Link

How I’d Kill (to See You Again)

"If I could write a sonnet, it would be about berries. She specializes in that very specific angst with a happy ending that grips you by the jaw and spits in your mouth and then you say thank you because it tastes so good. So anyway love her, love her work, love everything about what she writes and does. 10000/10" -- @steddieas-shegoes

Below the cut, @morningberriesao3 answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

Funnily enough, it all started when I exclusively read Eddie x reader on tumblr. I didn't have an account yet, so I made a quick burner and would gobble up anything under the tag. I always saw people on the internet "shipping" characters but never really understood it, until I came across one particular fic called Wild Parts, where the pairing was reader x Steddie. I remember being more excited for Steve and Eddie to fall in love than I was with the reader aspect. It all went downhill from there when I discovered there was a whole community that loves Steddie. I decided one day, yeah, I want to make them fall in love, too!

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

Honestly, the first thing that comes to mind is the classic friends-to-lovers where Steve has a sexuality crisis because he's falling for Eddie. I could read it over and over and never get sick of it.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

I feel like angst with a happy ending is common ground for, like, 90% of my fics. I also find myself constantly writing miscommunication, and giggling at all the comments that say, "IF THEY JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!" Yeah. That's a point to be made.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

It's quite literally impossible to choose just one when there are so many talented Steddie writers creating new works everyday. I'll rapid fire a few that pop to mind first (all on AO3): Sea Legs by Midnightdrive. Drought by a_star_danced. Wanna Hurt You Just to Hear You Screaming My Name by DotyTakeThisDown. I've Been Having a Horrible Time Pulling Myself Together by Deadrats. Stupid Cupid by DirtyValentine. Money, Power, Glory by StrangerThings1975.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

Definitely! I want to write ALL the tropes! I think the reason writing Steddie hasn't become redundant for me is because each time I write a fic, I want it to be different from the last. I rack my brain like, "Okay, I've already done Kas Eddie, Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, No Upside Down, Modern Setting, Rock Star Eddie... What's next?!" 

What is your writing process like?

It's a very linear process for me. I'm somewhat of a daydreamer; I see the things I write in my head almost like a movie. And then I just type it out as it plays in my brain. I rarely outline anything, but I'll have random gibberish in my notes app to remind me of ideas or big plot points I need to wrap up. I'm honestly surprised anything I write makes sense when I'm through with it. I'm waiting for the chaos of it all to bite me in the ass one day.

Do you have any writing quirks?

I don't know if it's a quirk so much as a fault, but I do this thing where I let my comments pile up and pile up. I won't let myself answer one until I can answer them ALL, because I don't want anyone to think I'm ignoring their comment specifically. I also have to match the energy of the comment, so when it's super long I HAVE to write something back that's super long. This makes it an hours-long task when I let them go for as long as I do unanswered. If anyone hasn't gotten a reply back yet, I PROMISE I WILL!!! 

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

In a perfect world, I'd only start posting a project when it's completed so I could keep up with a posting schedule. Reality is: having 20 WIPs saved to my laptop in which I'll post the first couple chapters as motivation for me to finish it. It's a flawed system, but it works out most of the time!

Which fic are you most proud of?

I think it'll always be Sweet Surrender. It was my first fic and the first time I had ever completed something similar to a novel after it was wrapped up at 150K. When I look back, I see some flaws, but I'd never want to change them. If we're talking about which fic I think I wrote the best, I'd say How I'd Kill. The fantasy universe allowed me to get creative with the plot and scenery, and I think my excitement for that is reflected in my quality of writing.

How did you get the idea for Sweet Surrender?

Sweet Surrender is an amalgamation of every fic I read and loved when I first was introduced to the fandom. I basically owe it to all the favourite fics I mentioned earlier. Without their inspiration, I never would have started writing fic in the first place. 

When writing Sweet Surrender, what was something you didn’t expect?

The response. I cannot capture in words how GOOD it felt when people started reading, commenting on, and loving something that I created. You see it mentioned all the time, but it really is true when they say that a comment goes a long way. I was absolutely gobsmacked to see people following along from the beginning. It was such a motivator, and truly a feeling that nothing else could give me.

What inspired Sneaky Link?

I read Must Be a Devil Between Us, Or Whores In My Head by whateverokayFINE (a modern, OnlyFans AU that Sneaky Link could never touch)—loved it SO much that those daydreams I mentioned took off. It stayed as an unposted WIP for a long time because I told myself that I couldn't write a convincing modern AU. I'm so glad I did though, because I've never had a response to a fic like I've had with Sneaky Link.

What was your favorite part to write from Sneaky Link?

There were so many fun side plots to Sneaky Link—the whole thing was a blast to write. One of my favourites was the main conclusion, when Chrissy got to be the hero. Glitter and Chanel No. 5 really saved the day. Of course the first few chapters were hilarious, too. Dumbass, clueless Eddie will never fail to make me giggle, and his obliviousness to Steve's hidden identity really drove everyone up the wall.

How do/did you feel writing How I’d Kill (to See You Again)?

This story really had its CLAWS in me. I wrote the chapters so fast that I think I put out almost 50K words in a matter of four weeks; I've really never written that quickly before or since. The last few chapters were a little slower going, though. I think I was nervous as the plot got a little heavier how people would react, so there were definitely some mixed emotions.

What was the most difficult part of writing How I’d Kill (to See You Again)?

When I wrote Eddie betraying such a soft, loving, trusting Steve. When he pinned that part of his personality against him. I love writing angst, but I had never delved quite this deep into the trope. I definitely teared up a couple times making Steve go through it like that.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

Without spoiling much, I think the end scene of chapter 7 of How I'd Kill (The Judas Kiss) was absolutely thrilling to write, and of course the following chapters as well. This whole idea of "morally gray" Eddie Munson was the reason I started writing the fic in the first place. But when I got to the bit where he had to be morally gray and posted the chapter, I immediately had this fear; I didn't know how the readers were going to react, or if I, as the writer, would be able to properly explain Eddie's motivation or make him forgivable for what he did. It was an "oh shit" moment for sure, but I think I ended up doing an alright job pulling it off.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I'm currently writing a piece for the 2024 Steddie Big Bang called "A Thousand Flowers Could Bloom". It's in collaboration with Inflomora-art, so I'm completely thrilled that I'll have gorgeous artwork to go with this fic. I'm sure by the time this is posted, it'll already be live! I'm so proud of this story—it might be the best I've written yet. So yeah, if you're reading this, please check it out!!! 

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

I don’t think so, but thank you so much for this! It was really fun to answer all these questions <3

Thank you to our author, @morningberriesao3, and our nominator, @steddieas-shegoes! See more of morningberries' works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[sorcerous-caress]

Glad to see that Artemy is still down bad with his puppylove crush for Rubin in P1

Fellas is it gay to tell your platonic best friend how a dirty suggustive word escaping from his kissable lips literally made shivers run down your spine?

This was their first ever conversation after the long series of murder threat letters Rubin sent to him

Artemy read those and thought damn my bff missed me <3 better go check on him and make a dirty joke hehe just like old times

Bonus: Grief holds the crown for the ultimate Artemy simp even in P1

At least in P2, you were childhood friends, but here? You're just strangers. Pull yourself together Grief, you just met this guy! And pick your jaw off of the floor

Artemy: call me soft again and I'll break your jaw

Grief: Awoogha 🔥🔥🔛🔝🔛🔝🗣💯💥🗣💯💥

Artemy: And I killed some of your guys.

Grief: !!!!! Did they pick on you!!!!

Artemy: y-

Grief: Then consider it on the house, big boss. Especially just for you, a gift from me to you, beautiful guy. Don't even worry about it or apologise. Actually, say less sweetheart. From now on, you have free rein to murder as many of my goons as you wish blondie. You're worth 100 guys NAY 1000 NAY 10000 guys just for you. Wanna a gun? Want some bullets? I even have shoes that are your exact size. Don't ask why. You know I always admired and respected your father. You should definitely come talk to me more so that I may drop lore about him in exchange for your time and company wink wink. I know I said wink wink out loud, don't mind it, sweetness.

[thetempleofthemasaigoddess]

Ok,

Ok, so perhaps some of you remember the short Mihawk series I wrote:

Built a haven for your love (until I let you fall apart)

(and if nothing brings you back) Surely, I'll roam through life in black

How I long for the time, when your lips would kiss mine

You remember how I had said the story had ended, and I would write no more about it?

Well.

I'm 4500 words into a werewolf!AU.

I could say I'm embarrassed but it would not be true. ;)

EDIT: 7000 words!

EDIT: 8500 words!

EDIT: 10000 words!!

EDIT: 12000 words!!

EDIT: 14000 words!!

EDIT: 16000 words!!! (I'm tired!!)

EDIT: 18000 words!!

EDIT: The fic is complete! The title will be

Hunted by a sunless city that never sleeps

It will be posted soon-ish divided in 3/4 5 parts! I can't wait for you all to read this fic!!

(part one) (part two) (part three) (part four) (part five)

The fic is complete! Thanks to everyone who read it!

Addendum: werewolves headcanons

[duxbelisarius]

Dune At Home: The First Dornish War, Part 7

Thank you to everyone that's supported this series from the start; if this is your first time reading it, check out the master post or my AO3 if you prefer!

We've reached the final part of this series, the discussion of Daeron's Conquest of Dorne and the only other attempt made by the Targaryens to unify with Dorne by force. The issue of scale that plagued the First Dornish War is not quite as great here, with the war only lasting 4 years and not involving dragons, so the process of analysis will be different. I'll first pool together everything we know about the Conquest from ASOIAF and TWOIAF to create as comprehensive an account of the war as possible, then we'll assess how well the events described fit within the worldbuilding before tackling the aftermath of the war and its implications.

According to TWOIAF, Daeron's conquest began sometime after he took the throne in 157 AC, following the death of Aegon III. Daeron sought to succeed where Aegon the Conqueror had failed and won over his council and Hand (the future Viserys II) using a plan concocted with the aid of Alyn Velaryon. Daeron's invasion force was 50000 men according to TWOIAF, although Benjen Stark claims he lost 60000 men in Dorne in Jon I of AGOT; Lyonel Tyrell led a host through the Prince's Pass, Daeron led another down the Boneway, and Alyn brought another by ship to attack Planky Town and the Greenblood. Also counted among the Seven Kingdoms forces were Aemon the Dragon Knight as part of Daeron's Kingsguard and Rickon Stark, son of Cregan Stark and heir to Winterfell. Benjen claims that the Conquest lasted a summer while TWOIAF claims it lasted less than a summer, so we know that it was summer in 157 AC and presumably remained so until 159 or 160 AC at least.

Our most detailed information about the course of the invasion comes from TWOIAF and Jon IV of ADWD when Jon and Stannis briefly talk about it. Tyrell's host fought with the main Dornish armies in the Prince's Pass and Daeron led his host through the Boneway via goat tracks that allowed him to avoid the Dornish watchtowers, while Alyn's fleet broke through the Planky Town and sailed up the Greenblood. Based on Jon and Stannis' discussion, it appears the supporters of Daeron would argue that his maneuver cut off the Dornish armies in the west and prevented them from retreating east via Yronwood. Stannis and other supporters of Alyn would in turn argue that by driving 'halfway' up the Greenblood, most likely to Godsgrace where the river branches into the Scourge and Vaith, Alyn denied use of the river to send armies and supplies east or west, while holding Godsgrace would threaten The Tor and so further prevent any movement over land from east or west.

Regardless, the invasion concluded in 158 AC a year from the date it began with the Submission of Sunspear, having cost the lives of 10000 Seven Kingdoms soldiers. My guess is that Rickon Stark's death came just before the Submission, as TWOIAF says he fell in one of the last battles outside Sunspear, whereas the later parts of the war were rebellions which would have seen little actual battles. We know also that the time between the initial invasion and the fall of Sunspear witnessed many battles which were recorded by Daeron in his own account of the Conquest, culminating in a fight through the shadow city at Sunspear. The Prince of Dorne and 2 score (40) of the most powerful Dornish lords bent the knee in the Submission, while fighting continued in the form of subduing rebels lords and other revolts until 159 AC, when Daeron returned to King's Landing with 14 hostages from the most powerful houses of Dorne. Lyonel Tyrell remained behind to govern and keep the peace, while the Dornish smallfolk continued to resist despite the submission of their lords and ladies.

The number of hostages is significant since we know from the map of the south that there are at least 15 houses in Dorne important enough to have their seats appear on the map. The Martells almost certainly gave up a hostage since they were deposed in favour of Tyrell ruling over Dorne, which still leaves 13 hostages from 14 houses. Based on the events that followed it's almost certain that the Qorgyles were spared from sending a hostage in return for their loyalty in helping to put down the rebellions. It appears that during this time the pirates of the Stepstones began harassing trade with the newly conquered Dorne, causing Daeron to open talks with the Sealord of Braavos to marry one of his sisters in return for assistance in dealing with the pirate threat. As Maester Kaeth argued in his Lives of Four Kings, this was an error as Braavos was at war with Pentos and Lys during this time, and word of these talks led them to support the Dornish rebels.

The Conquest unraveled in 159 or 160 AC following the assassination of Lyonel Tyrell at Sandstone, when he was stung to death in bed by scorpions. TWOIAF claims there is some controversy over whether the man responsible, Lord Qorgyle, acted in revenge for Tyrell treating him poorly despite his previous loyalty or if he had always been a loyal Dornishman that sought to lure Daeron and Lyonel into a trap. The most likely answer is a mix of both as Qorgyle proved sufficiently loyal to not give up a hostage to Daeron, but as the relationship soured he likely agreed to assassinate Tyrell in return for the prominent Dornish rebels claiming him as one of their own who had been operating against the Targaryens in secret. Daeron returned to Dorne in 160 AC to put down the new rebellions, fighting in the Boneway while Alyn attacked up the Greenblood again. The war ended in 161 AC when Daeron and three of his Kingsguard were killed under a peace banner during a false meeting arranged with Dornish leaders. Aemon the Dragon Knight was wounded and held captive by House Wyl until he was freed by Baelor Targaryen, the new king after Daeron died childless, who made peace with Dorne by offering his nephew Daeron (Daeron II) in marriage to Mariah Martell.

The greatest and most immediate problem with the Conquest of Dorne is the way it is positioned vis a vis the First Dornish War, with Daeron succeeding where Aegon failed. This was a problem George created for himself by the fact that Aegon was said to have conquered Westeros early in the books, but Dorne had to remain unconquered for Daeron to invade some time after Aegon's reign. This would not have been easy since Aegon had dragons and Daeron did not, but the scale of the First Dornish War severely undermines the believability of Daeron's conquest. Daeron supposedly fights many brilliant battles against the Dornish between 157 and 158, but what reason is there for the Dornish to fight at all? Hiding from the invaders, harassing and ambushing them, and employing scorched earth tactics allowed them to defeat Aegon's forces in 4-5 AC despite the presence of dragons, so why should they meet Daeron's invasion any differently? The only way it makes sense is with the absence of dragons allowing the Dornish armies to concentrate freely, but this combined with scorched earth tactics and hiding the population should make defeating an invasion easier this time around.

There are no sensible excuses for why the Dornish try to challenge Daeron's forces in open battle, and those offered for how Daeron's efforts faired better than Aegon's are no better. As should have been made clear in Parts 3, 4, and 5, knowledge of the terrain your armies will be fighting in and having ships available to support them wherever possible are things that Aegon and his commanders should have possessed at the outset of his invasion of Dorne, and the idea that these are 'lessons' for Daeron to 'learn' in order to out do them is preposterous. Daeron's 'learning' of Orys' 'lesson' merely involves the narrative placing the Dornish in the same position as Orys by ignoring the existence of the goat tracks and not securing them against enemy advances. In turn, Daeron's 'lesson' of employing the Velaryon Fleet comes at the expense of Aegon and his council ignoring naval logistics for no good reason; the focus on the Velaryon fleet is also disconcerting as barring a reveal in Blood and Fire (the sequel to F&B) we may be looking at a third major war fought by the Seven Kingdoms in which the Hightower and Redwyne Fleets have vanished into thin air (The First Dornish War, the Dance, and Daeron's Conquest).

There are other issues with the premise of the invasion that will need to be clarified by Blood and Fire, starting with the timing of the invasion. Invading Dorne during the summer could partially account for the greater involvement of naval forces as sea travel would be safer in the summer than in fall or winter, but while Aegon may have begun his invasion during the fall in 4 AC the absence of Seven Kingdoms fleets from the war entirely casts doubt on this idea. Moreover, invading and occupying Dorne during the summer poses serious problems for Daeron's army in terms of supplying food, fodder, and especially water. To refer back to our discussion in Part 3, the managing the 'microeconomy' of an army requires carefully balancing its demand with available supply and transport inputs in order to output mobility. Feeding and watering 50000 men will require 50 tonnes of rations and 400 tonnes of water per day, although the forces attached to Alyn's fleet would be easier to supply than Daeron and Lyonel's ground forces. Scorched earth tactics and the competition for local resources that the Dornish armies would create would make supplying Daeron and Lyonel's hosts very difficult, especially when the difficult terrain of the Boneway and it's goat tracks would force Daeron to rely entirely on pack animals, his own troops, and/or porters to carry supplies and equipment.

We mentioned in Part 4 that George insists that Dorne receives enough rain to be habitable even during summers, but even if the Dornish did not poison all the wells and oases in the invasion's path, the water situation of Daeron's army would still be dire. As explained by Donald Engels in Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army, large bodies of men and animals cannot rely only on wells as a primary water source:

"...if some soldiers lowered a four-gallon [c.15 liters] capacity bucket into a well, filled it with water, raised the bucket, and placed the water in a receptacle once every 15 seconds, in 24 hours they would only remove 23040 gal. [c.87216 liters] of water (assuming that the well did not give out), while the army's water requirement at this stage would be almost 100000 gal. [378541] per day. This is why rivers are so important to the army; they reduce these distribution problems by allowing a great many individuals to draw water simultaneously." (Engels, Logistics of the Macedonian Army, 57-58)

For reference, Engels bases those water requirements off an estimate of Alexander's army as it advanced through the Levant toward Egypt, with 71000 personnel (1/3 noncombatants), 6130 cavalry horses, and 1420 baggage animals with a combined requirement of almost 96000 gal. The aforementioned complications combined with the scarcity of perennial rivers in the Syria and Palestine regions meant that Alexander relied on naval transport following his army along the coast to ship to his forces besieging Tyre and Gaza (Engels, 55-58). Alexander's 200 ships would have transported water from the Litani to Gaza over a distance of c.208 km (c.130 miles); we estimated in Part 3 that the Prince's pass is roughly 200 miles from Nightsong to Skyreach, and the distance as the crow flies from Stonehelm to Yronwood appears somewhat greater.

Shipping fresh water from the Slayne river to the armies in Dorne would be a possibility, but only for Daeron's forces in the Boneway who could receive shipments along the coast of the Sea of Dorne. TWOIAF lists the Torrentine, Greenblood, and Brimstone as the only perennial rivers in Dorne, and even with more than meagre rainfall in summer and the more temperate environment of the Red Mountains, it's unlikely that Daeron or Lyonel's armies could draw fresh water from or have it supplied to them via the Wyl and the Greenwood (pg. 238 of TWOIAF accidentally refers to the Greenblood as the 'Greenwood' and since there's an unnamed river near Yronwood in the 'greenbelt' I've decided that's it's name now). Unless they can find streams or springs formed by run off to supply some amount of fresh water, carrying water with them is the only real option they have aside from somehow accessing the Torrentine further west. The Torrentine's waters are 'sweet and pure' according to TWOIAF but accessing it for fresh water requires occupying some combination of Blackmont, High Hermitage, and Starfall, and there's no evidence of operations by Seven Kingdoms forces that far west in the First Dornish War let alone Daeron's Conquest.

Occupying Starfall and using it as a port could potentially be a solution, but getting large quantities of fresh water from there to the armies in the Prince's Pass would be extremely difficult. To carry it by ship would mean sailing along the treacherous southern coast of Dorne to the mouth of the Brimstone; getting the water supplies any further depends on the Brimstone's navigability, as TWOIAF calls it a more 'placid stream' than the Torrentine but it's sulfurous waters would require the ships crews to rely on the very fresh water supplies they are carrying for Lyonel's troops. Even if they reach the source of the Brimstone, Hellholt would need to be dealt with and that water would still have to be transported overland to the southern end of the pass which the Dornish hold. Alyn's control of the Greenblood also doesn't help since water gathered there would also be travelling overland to the southern ends of the Boneway and Prince's Pass, and this would not be easy since we know from TWOIAF's account of Baelor the Blessed's march through Dorne that the area between Yronwood and the Scourge is desert.

The only other option would be to transport water westward overland through the valleys and foothills of the Red Mountains, and this draws attention to an interesting absence in the Westerosi 'retinue' of overland transport: Westeros does not appear to have camels. Every mention of the word 'camel' in the series comes from Essos and Essos only; the only use of the word 'caravan' in the series outside of Essos is when Arianne is held captive by her father in AFFC, but even this cannot be used as evidence. The word 'caravan' originated in Middle and Old Persian and was likely associated with the Silk Road and the use of pack animals to carry goods from east Asia to the Middle East. Although the pack animals used would likely have included Bactrian Camels, pack horses, donkeys, and mules would also have been widely used and these latter means of pack transport predominated in the Middle East prior to the Roman Period, which saw Dromedary Camels and their usage expand outwards from Arabia. Use of the word 'caravan' does not imply that camels are used, but the quote itself seems to have been subjected to a retcon. Arianne claims that caravans take on supplies near the Threefold Gates before traversing 'the deep sands,' but TWOIAF tells us that the Greenblood is Dorne's primary artery of trade. It seems more likely that goods would be shipped up the Greenblood and Scourge before being transported overland to Yronwood and either continuing up the Boneway or following the greenbelt to Skyreach and the Prince's Pass.

The presence of the Greenblood and thus access to riverine transport could easily be the solution, but camels are still extremely useful pack animals in semi-arid and arid environments thanks to their adaptations which make them extremely efficient at conserving fluid and for storing energy in the fat of their hump(s). It also doesn't help that Dorne was once connected to Essos by the now Broken Arm, and camels came to Eurasia from North America via Beringia. They are also capable of carrying baggage far exceeding that of a donkey, mule, or packhorse, with loads of 188-269 kg (400-600 lbs) being common in Antiquity (Roth, Logistics of the Roman Army, 207). Moreover, while the Dromedary in particular has been stereotypically associated with the Middle East for centuries, Dromedary and Bactrian Camel remains have been discovered in Roman and Post-Roman contexts across Europe which indicate that they played a role in Ancient and Medieval economies outside the Middle East. That it took Daeron's forces a year to reach Sunspear despite Alyn's attack on the Greenblood also suggests that his armies advance through much of Dorne including the western desert, if the 40 or so Dornish lords that surrendered to him are any indication. Combined with the need to use the Torrentine as a fresh water source, these circumstances would absolutely require pack animals that could go where wagons could not, and having access to camels would arguably be a necessity.

The final issue I have with the invasion is with it's leader, Daeron the Young Dragon. George has referred to him as the 'Alexander the Great of Westeros, Elio and Linda have compared him to Charles XII of Sweden on account their both dying young and unmarried while at war, and his in-world written account of the Conquest of Dorne is clearly a reference to Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War. As I said in Part 6, it is possible to reference or draw influences from historical events or figures in a fantasy work without it being a one-to-one adaptation. While the reference to Caesar's Commentaries is a harmless one, the comparisons to Charles XII and especially Alexander the Great expose serious issues with how Daeron is set-up as a character. Charles became absolute monarch of the Kingdom of Sweden and its empire at age 15 but ruled for almost 3 years before he was plunged into a military trial-by-fire with the Great Northern War. While he showed himself to be a skilled commander, he was greatly assisted by having competent generals and staff officers of the Swedish Army at his side, the Army itself being perhaps the finest in all Europe at the time.

Likewise, Alexander the Great began commanding troops at 16 during his father's campaigns against the Greek city-states and the peoples of the northern and central Balkans, succeeding his father as King of Macedon two years before his invasion of the Persian Empire in 334 BC. As with Charles, Alexander inherited an impressive military apparatus which included the best army in the ancient world at the time, the Macedonian Army, and a corps of generals and staff officers such as Parmenion who helped him realize his goals. Daeron has none of these advantages by comparison, and yet is able to succeed where Aegon failed despite having no dragons. The fact that Daeron invades Dorne the same year that Aegon III died only makes things worse, as it gives him only months in which to assemble his army, fleet, and the provisions required by both for the invasion in addition to planning the invasion and convincing his lords and council that his plan is even feasible to begin with. By comparison, Alexander's father Phillip II sent an army into Anatolia before his assassination in 336 BC to lead a revolt of the Greek city-states there prior to Phillip's planned invasion; his death caused these plans to fail but Alexander was able to successfully invade two years later.

From 158 AC onwards, Daeron's Conquest is dominated by putting down rebel lords and clashes between the Targaryen occupation and the Dornish smallfolk, culminating in a mass uprising after the death of Lyonel Tyrell. The way this resistance is organized and it's portrayal in the narrative manifests yet another scale problem for George's writing, as it's unclear how the Dornish resistance can be squared with the series' worldbuilding. We know despite the Submission of Sunspear that rebel lords continued to resist 'in the mountains and deserts' according to TWOIAF; based on the 16 Dornish house seats portrayed on the maps in ADWD and TWOIAF and four other Dornish houses known from the books but whose seats are not (Santagar, Ladybright, Drinkwater, Wells), that still leaves us 20 or so unknown houses. I expect we'll receive more information on these houses and this stage of the war in general in Blood and Fire, but the end of these rebellions sees only 14 hostages taken from the great houses of Dorne. Since Dorne is a feudal monarchy like the Seven Kingdoms, we might assume that the hostages guarantee the cooperation of Dorne's great houses and also the lesser houses by default, hence why 15 hostages depart with Daeron and not 40 or more.

Unfortunately this is where the writing comes into conflict with the worldbuilding, as TWOIAF informs us the hostages only ensured the loyalty of their families while Daeron "had not anticipated the tenacity of Dorne's smallfolk, over whom he had no hold." While Lord Tyrell toured the country inflicting reprisals for the smallfolk's resistance, "each new day found supplies stolen or destroyed, camps burned, horses killed," and attrition mounted steadily as soldiers were "killed in the alley ways of the shadow city, ambushed amidst the dunes, murdered in their camps." The immediate problem this raises is what the hostages are actually supposed to do for Daeron; he may have no hold over the smallfolk, but the greater and lesser houses of Dorne should, but we never hear of any actions taken against the hostages until after Daeron's death. If we're truly expected to believe that the Dornish smallfolk ignored the authority of their lords and ladies to continue fighting, then we should expect said nobles to be involved in putting down resistance since it has negative implications for occupied nobility as well as their occupiers.

If 14 hostages are enough to ensure the loyalty of the great houses then we would expect this to trickle down to level of the smallfolk, who pay taxes/tribute and owe labour to their lords and ladies. Dorne has presumably been annexed to the Seven Kingdoms and thus subject to the Books of Law and the governance of Lyonel Tyrell, but there's no indication the Dornish lords have been deposed as Aegon did, in fact quite the opposite. Unless the Dornish armies were completely destroyed in the fight against Daeron, the Dornish nobility should be turning them against the upstart smallfolk, since I'll bet these people aren't paying their taxes or providing their feudal dues of produce from their fields. In keeping with George's lackluster sense of scale, the scenario he sets up for a guerrilla war against Daeron is actually one for a mass uprising against the feudal order of Dorne itself. Either we must believe that the smallfolk are actually working with some of their lords and ladies in this struggle and that the hostage plot is utterly pointless (this is effectively the case after Qorgyle kills Tyrell), or the Dornish nobility simply play no role in keeping the peace in Dorne and defending their own social order for no apparent reason.

If the portrayal of the Dornish resistance makes little sense, it's organization also raises questions for the plot and worldbuilding. The scope of smallfolk resistance seems to be quite extensive given Lyonel's travels to the various house seats of Dorne's nobility, the attrition they supposedly inflict on Daeron's army, the supplies they supposedly received from the Free Cities, and the speed with which most of Daeron's gains were undone after Lyonel's death. Dorne does possess a kind of latent nationalism that we touched on briefly in Part 6, but ideology alone cannot explain these levels of coordination, especially since we know there are cultural divides within Dorne. How do we square the actions of the Dornish smallfolk with the seemingly little agency exercised by Westerosi smallfolk in the series, especially as compared to Medieval peasants and townsfolk. Westeros appears to lack the municipal armies and urban or town militias and armed societies that proliferated in High and Late Medieval Europe; the apparent absence of the Dornish lords from this resistance also falls short compared to Medieval revolts like the Jacquerie. Both the Jacques of the mid-fourteenth century and the 15th century Brigands of Normandy relied on local networks and self-defense organizations created by peasants and townsfolk to defend against domestic and foreign military violence. The Jacquerie in particular also relied on local lords, town leaders, and lesser nobles as part of it's hierarchy and to coordinate leadership. I certainly hope that Blood and Fire fleshes out the Dornish resistance more, because it's portrayal in TWOIAF leaves much to be desired despite appearing only briefly. Such a widespread movement would ideally have lesser nobles, clergy, and townsfolk involved it to help explain its coordination, its reach, and the seeming powerlessness the great houses of Dorne to intervene.

As with the invasion and occupation, the end of the war and it's aftermath leave much to be desired, as scale is once again the enemy of the plot. Before we discuss these issues I want to make it clear that I am not a diehard fan of the Targaryens, nor do I approve of their actions against Dorne in the wars we've discussed. What I take issue with is the failure of George and many of the characters in the story to fully appreciate the severity of the war and its consequences for the Seven Kingdoms, in particular the response to Daeron's death and the handling of Dornish entry into the Seven Kingdoms. The ill feelings of Westeros' southron lords towards the Dornish, Baelor the Blessed, and Daeron II are key to the support later enjoyed by the Blackfyre cause, and I strongly believe that the inability of the Targaryens to address this represents a serious failure on their part.

The response or lack thereof to Daeron's death is arguably the most blatant problem with the narrative. After Lyonel Tyrell's death at Qorgyle and the gains made by the Dornish, Daeron returns to Dorne in 160 AC, attacking down the Boneway while Alyn Velaryon descended upon Planky Town once more. Supposedly Daeron was close to victory when he agreed to meet with a Dornish peace delegation; meeting them with his Kingsguard under a peace banner, Daeron and three of his Kingsguard were killed and Aemon the Dragon Knight was injured and taken prisoner by House Wyl. The act is bad enough considering the King of the Seven Kingdoms was murdered in cold blood after being lured in under false pretenses, but the fact he and many of his companions were cut down under a peace banner bearing the seven-pointed star of the Faith is even worse. I agree completely with @warsofasoiaf that even though Daeron's murder isn't treated as a Red Wedding-level event by TWOIAF, it really ought to have been.

That Daeron's murder is virtually memory-holed in the narrative is even worse; while Baelor's decision to forgive his brothers murderers makes sense given his zeal (although you'd think he'd be more concerned about the protections of a Faith peace banner being ignored), neither Viserys II nor Aegon IV use it as any kind of rallying cry against the Dornish even though Aegon attempts to invade Dorne twice. Daeron II doesn't even ask for the Conqueror's Crown to be returned as a sign of goodwill when he and Maron Martell complete Dorne's unification with the Seven Kingdoms as some kind of show of forgiveness and burying of past enmities. We might expect some concerns about the fact that the smallfolk resisting independently of their lords and ladies and the flagrant violation of Faith customs surrounding the peace banner could presage a breakdown of Westerosi social and cultural norms. It could even be a great set-up for a Henry VI "Love Day"-style spectacle where Baelor forces the lords and ladies of his and the Dornish court to attend multiple services at the Starry Sept to usher in the new peace, uniting the former enemies for a time with a shared disdain for the 'Septon King.' Instead the narrative moves on quickly from Daeron's death which is only referenced again by TWOIAF to explain how the Conqueror's Crown was lost.

The cost of the war also seems to get the First Dornish War treatment, with Daeron being described as bloodthirsty by F&B and his war costing thousands of lives according to TWOIAF. Just so we're clear, Daeron's Conquest cost the lives of his entire 50000 man army, and depending on whether or not he and Alyn brought fresh forces with them in 160 AC it may have been closer to the 60000 quoted by Benjen in AGOT. We don't know how many lords and bannermen lost their lives as in the First Dornish War, but the king and a Lord Paramount (Lyonel Tyrell) were among them as was the heir to another Lord Paramount, Rickon Stark, whose death brought about serious instability in the North for decades to come. The Marches, Stormlands, Reach, and Crownlands were presumably the most affected by the losses as they were in the First Dornish War, while the fiscal costs of the war combined with the disruption of trade with Dorne and the Free Cities would have placed further pressure on the south. We should also bear in mind that this disaster came about within just thirty years of the Dance of the Dragons and the 5 year winter that accompanied it.

The position of the Dornish is certainly no better: in addition to the thousands of Dornish soldiers and civilians dead, the disruption of Dorne's economy and trade, the costs of reconstruction they must face, and the likelihood that they will have to repay debts to Pentos, Lys, and the other Free Cities that supported them, the position of House Martell and it's vassals is objectively precarious. As I noted at the start, the narrative provides no good reasons for why the Dornish should have failed to defeat Daeron's initial invasion, which should put the Prince of Dorne and his lords and ladies in the hot seat. Not only did they ultimately bend the knee to Daeron despite some hold outs in 159 AC, they left it entirely up to their own smallfolk to continue resisting and only joined together to rise up after one of their number went to the trouble to kill Daeron's governor. Between Qorgyle's treachery, the Wyls nearly killing Baelor in defiance of their Prince's orders, and the independent actions taken by the smallfolk in the war, the authority and political position of the Martells is incredibly weak and they should be thankful for Baelor suing for peace and granting them a marriage between Mariah Martell and his nephew Daeron. The Jacquerie revolt is especially relevant in this case since a key source of the anti-noble sentiment that motivated many Jacques was the belief that France's monarchy and nobility had failed utterly to defend France and their subjects, leaving them at the mercy of bands of mercenaries as well as English and French soldiers following the disastrous Battle of Poitiers.

The position of weakness that the Martells should find themselves has unfortunate implications for how the unification of Dorne with the Seven Kingdoms plays out. After failing to prevent an occupation of Dorne and only narrowly eking out victory in the war, the Martells and their enemies know that Dorne can be invaded successfully even without dragons, while Aegon IV's abortive invasions demonstrate there was still the will and capacity to make further attempts. All of these factors should mean that the Martells are in a weaker negotiating position regarding unification with the Seven Kingdoms. Daeron II certainly benefits politically from being the Targaryen to successfully unite Dorne with it's northern neighbours, but Mariah and Maron's marriages to Daeron and Daenerys ensure the Martells future influence over the politics of the entire realm and a share in House Targaryen's tremendous power while also making the Targaryens guarantors of House Martell's status as the foremost house of Dorne. Based on what should have been a tumultuous set of circumstances for the Martells postwar, they clearly need the Targaryens more than the Targaryens need Dorne.

None of those aforementioned factors or implications seem to be acknowledged by the narrative let alone Daeron II and his council, as the terms on which Dorne joins the Seven Kingdoms are absurdly generous. In addition to the Martells being joined in marriage to the Targaryens twice over and being guaranteed power at court and future influence over the kingdom via Daeron and Mariah's children, Daeron II allows the Martells to retain their royal titles, maintain Dornish law within their own borders, and gives them the power to collect their own taxes which are owed to the crown. TWOIAF acknowledges some negative results of the unification process, mostly envy at the concessions and a dislike of growing Dornish influence at court, but otherwise claims that Daeron II quickly stabilized the realm following his father's excesses. This is yet another case of the narrative failing to grasp implications, because it's actually astonishing that the Martells would even have agreed to those terms let alone that Daeron II and his council would have proposed them.

Lest anyone forget, the Seven Kingdoms were unified in the first place thanks to the Targaryens dragons; Aegon established Targaryen political authority by stripping the former monarchs of their titles and making them or their successors his vassals, while Jaehaerys further bound the realm together by establishing a common code of laws for the entire realm. We can safely assume based on Dorne's tax concessions that the Targaryens fiscally unified the kingdoms in Aegon's reign or those of his successors, with tax farmers answerable to King's Landing collecting the crown's dues from its subjects. By incorporating Dorne into the kingdom while allowing it these concessions, Daeron II has objectively undermined every tenet which ensured Targaryen control from Aegon III through Aegon IV despite the absence of the dragons. The Prince of Dorne remains a Prince, Dornish law reigns supreme in Dorne, and Dornish taxes go to the Prince's government first before the crown gets it's cut, all despite unification.

If the Targaryens are willing to compromise all of the factors that remain to unify the kingdom, what reason is there for the other kingdoms to remain committed to the old status quo? The warden or any Northern lord who secured such concessions for that kingdom would surely go some way towards reuniting their people after the turmoil unleashed by Rickon's death, turmoil that was ongoing at the time of Daeron II's reign, and what's to stop them from seeking such change? The Martells are actually worse of now than they were before since they mostly retain Dornish autonomy but at the cost of weakening the position of the government that their relatives like Baelor Breakspear are expected to inherit. Did no one think to just ask for amendments to the Book of Laws to retain aspects like Dornish absolute primogeniture within Dorne's borders, rather than disadvantage their future influence on the Iron Throne? To put it another way, the Martells have boarded the Targaryen ship only to discover the Targaryens are scuttling the vessel, and that the Martells will have to go down with them while the other houses make for the lifeboats. I can only hope that Blood and Fire may provide greater insight, because TWOIAF appears completely unaware of these dangerous implications.

This at last brings us to the final fix-it section of this series, though in fairness to George and his writing of Blood and Fire I'll keep this fairly brief. The simplest way I can think of to improve the plot is simply to have Dornish houses collaborate with Daeron from the start, thereby ensuring a swifter victory and better logistical support while accounting for why Dornish resistance failed. I'd start by making Daeron a year older and having Aegon III die in 156 AC instead, giving Daeron more time to prepare his invasion; while preparing he can reach out to the Yronwoods to solicit their support, gaining further collaborators among the Stony lords in return for the Yronwoods being made Lords Paramount of Dorne when the war ends along with positions in court and favourable marriages for their fellow collaborators. The Wyls and Daynes might resist but the other houses of the Red Mountains turncoat and betray the Martells and other Dornish forces. Aided by House Blackmont, forces of House Peake and Tarly attack down the Torrentine and seize Starfall with the aid of the Redwyne Fleet, before attacking across the western desert where they gain another ally in Lord Qorgyle. These forces fall on the Ullers and the rest of the invasion plays out more or less as it does in the books.

Resistance continues thanks to Dorne's smallfolk and lesser lords who utilize the Dornish shelters which confounded Aegon in the First Dornish War. Daeron's proposals of his sisters as potential wives for the Sealord of Braavos along with Lyonel Tyrell being placed in charge while resistance continues, causes relations with the Yronwoods to sour while Pentos and Lys assist the Stepstones pirates in a naval campaign against Alyn Velaryon's forces in addition to aiding the rebels. Yronwood and Qorgyle solicit the Martells for aid in defecting as Tyrell proves unable to crush the resistance, leading to his assassination and open rebellion. An indecisive naval battle in the Stepstones inflicts heavy losses on the Velaryon Fleet and preventing it from aiding Daeron's armies, who are forced to retreat out of southern Dorne to the Red Mountains. Daeron is killed in a skirmish though some suspect foul play, and the war ends with Baelor's intervention.

That wraps it up for this series; I want to thank everyone that has followed along for your feedback and kind words! I've really enjoyed exploring the writing and setting of Dorne and it's greatest wars with the Seven Kingdoms, and I hope that you found it interesting also. I look forward to writing the next project which I alluded to at the start of this series: a rewrite of my Dance analysis. Stay tuned for that at some point in the new year, where I hope to do a much better job of dissecting the Dance than my first effort. See you soon!