#I'm sure there is ton of work behind it to see sense and understand which angles and so on to take I am AAAAAAAA

[somerandomcockroach]

[moonstruckme]

James being a big bear of a boyfriend and always just like lifting u up so easily to hug and sit on his lap and even tho u hate when anyone else does it he’s so BEEFY that you’re fine with him doing it

Yessssss I'm not much of a physical touch person irl but James I would allow

poly!marauders x fem!reader ♡ 847 words

Sirius is trying to follow Remus’ example and focus on the puzzle, but his eyes keep flitting up to you worriedly. You’ve monopolized the couch, laying flat with a hand cast over your eyes and your mouth pinched in obvious discomfort. Sirius had tried rubbing your leg and Remus had offered you tea, but they’d both given up when the attention only seemed to worsen your mood. Remus suggested they work on the puzzle while you rest (not Sirius’ favorite activity, but forced upon him because it keeps him quiet) and now they’re both simply trying not incur your wrath. 

“Quit looking at me,” you growl without opening your eyes. 

In Sirius’ case, not doing a very good job. 

“Fine, sheesh,” he says, and you press your lips together like you’re restraining yourself from snapping at him. 

You cringe when the door opens, every line of you pulling taut. James is all smiles as he tosses his gym bag to the floor with a heavy thump. “Hello, my loves!” His voice is a decibel short of booming, but it softens when he sees you on the couch. “Oh, sorry, is she napping?” 

Remus shakes his head, lips pursed as he watches your hand tighten over your eyes. “Headache,” he explains quietly. 

“Oh, I’m sorry lovie.” James reroutes from the kitchen, heading for you. Sirius tenses. “How bad is it?” 

“Prongs,” Sirius whispers urgently, “don’t—”

But James has already lifted you, one hand under your knees and another supporting your back as he moves you smoothly from your chosen position of rest and into his lap. He makes it look like nothing, which is the first offense (Sirius isn’t sure which of you he’s more jealous of), but the second is that you let him. Sirius and Remus have both looked up in alarm, waiting for a biting protest that doesn’t come. Instead, you remove your hand from your face, burying in it James’ brawny shoulder instead. 

“Bad,” you grumble, but your tone lacks the venom you’d spat at Sirius a moment before. 

James coos like he’s got a kitten in his lap instead of a viper, bringing his considerable arms around you. His palm cups the back of your neck, kneading gently at the tensed muscles there. “Where does it hurt, darling?” 

“Everywhere.” 

“By your eyes?” 

“No.” 

He hums, brows furrowing as he works steadily at your neck. You’ve gone nearly lax in his arms, trusting him to hold you up as you slump against his front. “Have you been drinking water?” 

“It’s not that.” Some of the irritation is back in your tone, Sirius notices, but it’s been markedly softened for James. “I had tons of water this morning.” 

“Probably a tension headache then, yeah?” He looks to Remus, who nods. The quiet boy looks as dumbstruck as Sirius feels. 

James moves his grip to your sides and lifts you again, rearranging his legs to get more comfortable before placing you back in his lap. He places a hand on each side of your head, thumbs pushing into your temples and rubbing in slow, soothing circles. You begin to look like you might fall asleep.

“This is so unfair,” Sirius hisses to Remus. 

“He has a power,” Remus admits weakly, “which transcends understanding.” 

“Do you want some tea?” James murmurs to you after a while. Sirius’ eyes have gotten stuck watching the movement of his forearms, and he snaps them reluctantly back up. 

You hum, uncertain but definitely considering it. Behind you, Remus throws up his hands. James sees him and smiles, shoulders shaking with quiet laughter. 

“I’m getting the sense this isn’t the first cup you’ve been offered,” he says, looking immensely entertained. 

You sigh, but even that sounds pleasurable as his big thumbs drill diligently into your temples. “Yeah, but I just wanted to be left alone.” 

Remus and Sirius exchange a look. You seem perfectly fine with company now. 

“Don’t be silly,” James chides lightly, “a warm drink will make you feel better. Remus, love, would you be so kind as to make her a cup?” 

“Sure.” His voice is gruff, but then you murmur a quiet thanks, Rem and Sirius actually sees the moment his boyfriend’s heart turns to mush. “No problem,” he says, softer now. 

“Attagirl.” James’ hand drops to give your shoulder a squeeze, his bicep flexing slightly with the movement. Christ, Sirius might have to fake a headache later, if this is the sort of treatment those receive. “Drink your tea and then we’ll get you to bed, yeah? You can sleep the rest of this off.” 

“You know, I offered to carry her to bed earlier,” Sirius says, still slightly bitter, “and she told me very clearly to fuck off.” 

You don’t sound so much exasperated now as exhausted. “Siri, when you carrying me doesn’t involve setting me down every five steps for a break, then we’ll talk.” 

James’ laugh surprises both of you, and he apologizes hastily for jostling you, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead before resuming his ministrations. You don’t seem all that upset about it.

[always-is-always]

Insights come, through original content

It's definitely worth the time, to watch as much original content as possible. BIG note to self.

I've watched all four seasons of Bon Voyage, and just finished the four years of Summer Package. Lots of stuff that I have seen bits and pieces of before, in a lot of compilation videos and "analysis" videos. VERY interesting to see all of it within it's original context, in each show.

Yeah, there's a bit of Jikookery as people call it, in some of it. Most of it I had seen out of context, during my first couple of years in the fandom (when I didn't have any idea about anything). There are a few moments here and there that I haven't seen before which are primarily touches, and super subtle stuff.

The interesting thing is how people have taken so many of those moments out of context to support a story that they are presenting, in their compilations or "analysis". Yes, it can be said that other parts of the fandom have done the same thing, for the same purpose.

One of the moments from BV in Malta that everyone has seen comes to mind, here as I type. It is when they are all at a restaurant, and Jimin and Jungkook are seated across from each other. They reach out at the same time, to offer a bite of food to each other. That is a favorite clip that j-kookers love to use, to prove their theory. I mean, I do think it is cute and sweet, and I do believe that Jimin and Jungkook are together (in a closeted relationship), I just think that it's really a disservice when people leave out the other part of that scene. You know, when Jimin is then offering bites of his food to the other members, too. It wasn't just a Jimin and Jungkook thing, like is portrayed in many of the YT videos I have seen...

The other things I noted are how the editing was just so chopped up and discombobulated at times. Like When you see Jimin literally sitting down right next to Jungkook and then suddenly it is edited and next thing you see is Jimin on the opposite side of the group, not sitting where he had just sat down a second before. lol... Yeah, there's a TON of that crappy editing in all of the series and shows. I'm guessing that as they got into 2017, 2018, 2019 that they had to do a lot more editing as Jimin and Jungkook kinda started being more open with their antics. lol...

I kind of understand why people like to create those videos over on YT. There's thousands of them probably, and literally millions of viewers who like that type of thing. I was one who watched a bunch of it, as I mentioned before. It was before I understood what a lot of it was, and before I understood how much manipulation there was.

What's next on tap for me? I'm not sure. There's a ton of content still for me to make my way through. It has been enlightening to say the least. I do see the shift in the way that Jimin and Jungkook were from the early years into 2019, from what I have watched so far. There's so much there that clearly shows that they had particular types of experiences with each other, behind closed doors. I mean, anyone who has ever had a lover would see it in their energy(if you sense or see energy) and in the way that they would touch each other. It is as clear as the sun in the sky.

I can only imagine the complexities that the members had to navigate in their relationships with each other, their communication of how they felt to each other, and in working out HOW to have two members in a close intimate relationship within the group. Talk about a complicated situation. That puts it mildly. No wonder Namjoon had so many moments when they were in front of cameras, audiences, interviewing and such. No freakin' wonder.

Sorry for this long ramble..... I've just been thinking a lot about them and about what I have seen in these shows. Like I have mentioned, I hadn't seen much of the original stuff that was on Weverse, sold on DVD, or behind pay walls. I didn't actually understand what the heck "Summer Package" meant! lol... There's a TON of content that I have still to watch. This will be an ongoing thing for me, during these months while we wait for June 2025. There's probably going to be more rambles like this one, to come.... 😁💜

[strqyr]

I've been sooo back and forth on Summer willingly joining Salem tbh. I mean, given what Salem said to Ruby in v7 ("your mother said those words to me etc") it doesn't make a ton of sense? UNLESS Summer did go there to stop her but was defeated or tortured a bunch or Salem threatened her family, idk

Even with the v9 flashback there's still so much mystery to Summer that it could literally go either way. Raven give us answers I'm frothing at the mouth over here

i completely understand the feeling. there's definitely a bunch of arrows pointing at all kinds of directions, so what it really comes down to for me is figuring out 1. which ones are potential red herrings, and 2. would they spell out the answer before the big reveal?

it was the same with 'is this alyx?' i read a lot of theories about who might have been ascended alyx, and i could see the logic behind them all, if some more than the others... and then it turns out that alyx was just alyx, never ascending and becoming someone else.

that alone makes me lean towards the option that if summer is alive—which is looking likely, i don't think they would avoid saying she's dead for so long only for her to actually be dead—she's going to be recognizably herself. then there's also like. the way the writers do mysteries is less about drawing attention to things that need explanation and more about introducing something and leaving it to stew in the background while distracting the audience with something else.

and that gets me to the questions like 1. why does salem have two extra seats at the table? 2. who at beacon was she talking to via a seer, a method of communication we've only seen happen between two people? and 3. salem wants ruby brought to her alive (despite cinder wanting her dead, and tyrian thought she was sending him to kill her at first) and let's yang and her friends go (despite the grimm arms holding through hazel punching her!! it's one thing if the punch had caused them to disappear but that's not what happened!!) after yang identifies summer as her mom. why?

i think the biggest stumbling block people have over summer working for salem willingly is that they see it as summer being suddenly Evil™ when that's. not the point lol. i mean i wouldn't complain if it was, i love my evil ladies very much, but to me it's more about summer learning what salem's end goal actually is, making a choice for what she considers a better option, while also holding to her morals as much as she can: she has not partaken in any of the destruction directly, if she's commanding the grimm at beacon she's keeping them there instead of letting them spread to vale after the initial attack, and would have made a deal with salem that her family comes to no harm.

what you end up is a character with complexities, who has made difficult choices and stuck with them. sure, her lying and keeping secrets already covers some of that but also... it would be kind of boring if those are her biggest flaws narratively like c'mon, that's the whole cast right there, that's like the bare minimum lmao give me more to chew on.

i'm so ready for raven to gives us answers but i'm also fully prepared to spam the 'where's the rest of it' gif right after cos i bet she bailed right before summer's fate was sealed.

[setagaya-division]

Mina's Thoughts on Sendai Division

Ryūzō Mizutori

"Professor Mizutori. ...To say that he is incredibly high-strung would be an understatement. He doesn't let the slightest disturbance in his class go, and I've seen him dish out punishments and detentions for the slightest misdemeanor. It's quite obvious he's not everyone's favorite teacher, but I don't think he's trying to be anyone's favorite. I think he only cares about making sure students understand his material, which I can understand."

"Personally, I think the students complaining about him are just the ones who cause the most trouble or do the least amount of work. I suppose that's why Yorii is always getting in trouble in his class..."

Takumi Wakaba

"Ugh, Professor Wakaba. I didn't imagine it was possible to dislike a class so much until I attended physical education. I used to get on Elliot for skipping it so much, but now I'm starting to understand why he chooses to. Truthfully, I wouldn't mind P.E. so much, but Professor Wakaba always insists on having his classes outdoors! And in case you forget, the sun and I... we don't really see eye-to-eye right now, for some reason. It's only due to the fact that I have a "doctor's note" that the professor allows me to rest from time to time. Ugh, it's moments like these that make me wonder why P.E. even exist..."

Kotono Ohara

"Professor Ohara is... for lack of a better word, lax with her teaching. Truthfully, she reminds me a bit of Professor Umemoto. The only difference is while Professor Umemoto sometimes can't work up the nerve to teach his class, Professor Ohara can't work up the energy to teach her class. If she isn't sleeping in the nurse's room, she can be found wandering the halls in a daze, for some reason. If not for the fact that she does teach, I would have wondered why she was here."

"Still, when she does teach, the professor actually does a very good job of it. I don't really care much for physics, but I do still do the work because it is required. I know Elliot loves this class cause it has something to do with his profession, but me... like I said, I'll do the work. But it truly bores me.

...

"Aside from that, something about this woman really sets me off. I don't know how, but I know I've seen her somewhere before. ...Was it Chuohku? ...Possibly, that's the only place I can recall. If it were just that, then it wouldn't be so bad, but... why does this woman give off the same energy as me? Like... I can sense that she's not entirely "human", but she doesn't fear the sun or need blood like I do. ...Could she have been responsible for why I'm like this?! If so, I've got a ton of questions for her! And she better have some answers for me!"

Kiya Kara

"Wow... more of my professors are joining this tournament. Professor Umemoto, I'm not all that surprised about. But this team? None of them have shown any interest in the government, or the D.R.B. So what reason could any of them have to enter this tournament? ...I don't like this. I really don't enjoy the thought of having to face any of my teachers. ...But, if I want to uncover the truth behind me and my siblings... then I'm afraid I have no choice."

[webbedphantom]

Get to Know me Better

ALIAS / NAME: Volt, because I tend to use the 2099 swear "shock" instead of actually cursing. I'm not as strict on that rule as I used to be, but just know that if I'm cursing out of character, my mental health is in the trash.

BIRTHDAY: October 1st. Don't really do much for my birthdays, but this year it's right after my sister's wedding, so we'll not only be actually celebrating for once, but she's buying my a new computer, and I am very excited for that

ZODIAC SIGN: Libra. I have to look this up everytime one of these asks about it, since I don't put much stock into the idea. I don't really understand it, and I don't think I ever will.

HEIGHT: 5'11 Fun Fact, I made that Aaron's canon height just so that I would remember my own. My brain is weird.

HOBBIES: Gaming and writing, obviously, but there's also streaming, drawing occasionally, and making edits in Photoshop. And as soon as I get my new computer, I also plan to start learning how to make my own games.

FAVORITE COLOR: I've got a few actually. Cherry Red, like P5, Neon Green, and that shade of blue that's so dark it almost looks black. I don't know what it's actually called, I just call it Symbiote Blue, because that's what I usually see it on.

FAVORITE BOOK: If graphic novels count, then I'd say Spider-Man: Life Story. It's not the best story in the world, but it has inspired so much of what I'm working on rn. If we're talking actual books, it's been a while since I read any, but if I had to pick one... The Spider-Man 3 Novelization by Peter David. He's one of my all time favorite writers, and as bad as the movie was at points, the novel really shows how much potential it had. There's so many things that were cut from the final release that David put in here, and it just works so much better. Highly recommend checking it out if you're a fan of the Rami films.

LAST SONG: "Break Through it All" from Sonic Frontiers. I have a massive Sonic playlist that I was listening to while working on the Multi-muse. Though I also found this AMAZING Metroid playlist on Spotify that I've been listening to a ton. So many great remixes and covers that I can't get enough of.

LAST MOVIE / SHOW: Uhhh... Panty & Stocking, I think. I will not be answering any questions, thank you.

RECENT READ: Aside from the incredible Ultimate Spider-Man run going on rn, I've been catching up on some DC books. And by catching up, I mean reading through the Rebirth runs of Justice League and Titans (since Rebirth was when I actually started getting into DC, but I wasn't able to actually keep up with them when they were new), with plans to check out Green Lanterns and Superman next. I've always really enjoyed the Titans, moreso the adult ones after watching Young Justice, but this Justice League run (which I only started reading because I know they crossover with the Titans at some point) really surprised me with how... Amazing it is. Like I've always liked the team, more because Batman and Flash were there, but this has me really liking the entire team for the first time since the animated series, and that has really got me hooked.

INSPIRATION: I'm not sure if this means for the character, or me personally, so I'll just say... Spider-Man and Sonic? Since those two kinda work for both.

STORY BEHIND YOUR URL: He's a Phantom Thief that shoots webs... Look, it was the best I could come up with at the time, and I didn't want to just repeat my Twitter @ of... well this-

I have a friend who lives in Japan, and is much more knowledgeable about their culture and stuff. So when my old @ became irrelevant (story for another time), she came up with this as a replacement. And like, I like it. It's memorable, and it kinda makes sense if you know Japanese, but it's also VERY hard to remember how to spell, which isn't exactly ideal-

So, I just went with webbedphantom because I suck at naming things-

FUN FACT: I've kinda been sprinkling these throughout this whole thing, which is why it's so shocking long, but to end it off with one more... I have posters from a shumako Fanzine hanging up in my room. I also have some stickers and keychains from it, but I don't remember where they are-

I'm very normal about them, I swear-

Stolen from: @fatexbound

Tagging: Whoever hasn't done this yet idk.

[casspurrjoybell-33]

Wreckless - Stuffed

*Warning Adult Content*

Finnegan

When he motions me up, I expect to get turned but I end up on the bed on my back and he crawls up, spreading my legs as his hips move between them.

"Finally time for you to get what you've been begging for all day, Finnegan."

It is?

"Tummy cummies?"

"No."

"My games,"

"No, it's time to get your ass stuffed with my cock."

He feels so good sliding in that I forget to argue, I just get lost in the feeling and knowing there's nothing between us makes it different, somehow.

He's slick and smooth and slides in quickly after seating himself.

He's always kind, even when he's being rough.

"Fuck, Finnegan."

He leans down and kisses me and I kiss him back but as soon as he pulls away, I put both of my palms against his chest and press.

It's not hard, I don't actually want him going anywhere but it sure is nice to feel him.

Usually he's behind me and touching him, even like this, is wonderful.

"No."

I love the hair on his chest.

There's not a ton of it, just enough to add another input into my already heightened senses.

"You want to come, don't you?"

He's fucking me so hard that he's out of breath and for some reason my ears don't work well when I'm so overwhelmed so it takes my brain a second to understand him and come up with even the simplest response.

"Yes."

"Well this is how you come from now on, full of my cock."

Dear God yes... yes that works just fine for me.

I'd, damn that man and his dirty talk.

"You need to learn," he says, angling my legs up higher and hitting my spot perfectly on every thrust.

"That this is what you always want. This is what you need, babe. Me ramming into your sweet little hole. Fuck you feel good, darling, so good."

"Emmett."

Because I want to say 'no' but I can't any more.

He feels so damn good that I just can't.

"That's it Finnegan... that's it. Don't fight me, you love it."

And I do... I will admit that I've never been a sex hound.

Of course I did it. I'm a red-blooded testosterone driven male but maybe it's my fault that I never enjoyed it like this.

I never prepped this well or wanted it this much.

And now he's slick and I swear I can tell the difference.

His skin is less rough and painful than a condom and it's sweet.

Knowing I can take him, that I can handle him, is a new thing to me and I love it.

"Look at me."

I force my eyes open and try to at least mostly close my mouth and he's staring down at me, those gorgeous eyes locked on mine.

"I want you to know who's fucking you, babe. Maybe this will help you remember who you belong to. Who your ass belongs to. Who this perfect mouth belongs to."

He kisses me hard, bending me practically in half but I couldn't care less and I kiss him back with every ounce of energy I have which is a lot, actually.

My hands leave his chest and run through his hair and then down to his shoulders and biceps.

They're straining, he's holding himself up as he fucks me with abandon.

"I belong to you, Emmett."

He loves that, I can see it in his eyes.

"That's right and that's why I'm going to seed your ass, babe. It's mine. Such a good boy, you can touch yourself now. I know you feel good, don't you?"

I'd completely forgotten about my cock which is quite possibly a first... ever.

Maybe I've just been hard for so long that my brain has gotten used to it, like getting new glasses and only seeing the frames for a few days.

I'm rock hard and sensitive and can't help but moan when I stroke myself.

"Yes. More Emmett, please."

"You're going to get every single drop, Finnegan. You're going to be so full of me, are you ready?"

I will be right behind him.

I thought I was going to come halfway through his speech but I got to the cliff and then my body backed off.

Maybe it's the ring or the time, this isn't going to be quick or easy.

"I can't. The stupid ring, Emmett... I can't."

"You can and you will. You're going to come hard, babe. Don't worry. I will make you."

He leans back, his hands resting on my pecs instead of the bed and the angle is exquisite.

He's heavy and I'm completely pinned.

"Maybe you need to be full of cum first, is that it? You need me to shoot deep in your ass?"

I can't wait... I can't fucking wait and I am so close.

He pinches my nipples hard and it's never been my thing but it helps, it's one more thing pushing me closer. 

"But I think you just need to be fucked harder. You're not finished being used, you haven't had enough of me or my cock, have you? Don't worry, I can plug you back up when I'm finished with you and keep you hard for another few hours. How would you like that? Maybe when you shoot I'll squirt it up your ass too, going to completely fill you with."

My back arches and I can't help the near feral scream that comes out of my mouth.

He clasps his hand down over my mouth to muffle it but when he comes he needs both hands to hold himself up.

He's muttering and telling me all sorts of delicious things and I am being hit by wave after delicious wave of an orgasm that seems never ending.

"Oh my God... Oh my God.... Oh MY GOD..." seems to be the only thing I can say and it's just repeats until I run out of air and manage to stop coming.

It's much easier for him to pull out without a condom and it doesn't bother me nearly as much.

He lets my legs down to relax, takes off the cock ring and then whispers that he'll be right back.

He comes back with a washcloth and wipes down my stomach, then rolls me to the side and gets behind me to be the bigger spoon.

"Finnegan," he whispers and I know he doesn't want or need a response.

My ass is still contracting, still reacting to the brutal fuck it just endured and I can feel him start to seep out of my ass.

It's awful and amazing.

I want to jump up and wash but a huge part of me really does feel claimed... marked.

He kisses my neck, then my shoulder.

"Can I just lay here and let you leak out of me for an hour?"

"Hmm."

He moves but I think nothing of it until he lifts my right leg a bit.

"Damn, that's beautiful. Such a pretty little hole, Finnegan."

It shouldn't feel invasive after all we've done but it does and I should hate it but I don't.

"It feels funny," and it does but I know this is because of him keeping me plugged and that it'll go away too soon. "I came so hard."

"Good. Wasn't sure I'd last."

"Not sure how you did but I'm glad."

"Let's get into the shower and clean you up a bit and then, if you put on some cute undies for me, we can play Batman for awhile."

I'll wear my angry birds outfit with the cute matching tank top, it'll be perfect.

"And can we have a snack, Emmett?"

"Yes."

"Popcorn?"

"Sure. After lunch."

I just grumble... who needs lunch?

I'm stuffed.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

I have so little respect for what TotK does to the series as a whole, it's wild how my opinion just keeps on degrading with time.

And look, I'm not even that big on Videogame Lore. It's a thing that tends to annoy me, especially when it gets in the way of gameplay loops and especially themes; it can absolutely go overboard and mistake broadening ideas with deepening them to fake complexity. It's a thing a lot of videogames do and I genuinely kind of shrug at it in general.

(especially when you see how many lore decisions are made behind closed doors, and it's generally not nearly half as thought out as what fans will eventually do with them --which is cool! I think it's a cool thing worth encouraging! But in general, unless it reveals something new, I don't care about endless details that are striving to be cool rather than meaningfully coherent, which is what a lot of videogame lore is to me tbh)

I'm completely fine with a looser structure or a lack of rigid continuity, if it means we get to introduce fresh new ideas! That's partially why I adore this series, I'm always so curious about what they'll do next!

However.

(putting rest of my short rant under the cut)

Then just don't call it a sequel. Especially: don't call it a sequel and then be contemptful towards people who were invested in the continuity you used as a marketing tool to sell that game.

(and to be clear: I wasn't even one of these people. The sheikah thing doesn't bother me nearly as much as the rancid narrative decisions regarding the current game plot, the downright insulting quest design or the rampant orientalism. I have a ton of respect for BotW, but it's far from my favorite Zelda game. Yet, Still.)

I think I would have been less mad at many of the choices if they had called it a new iteration of Hyrule. I still wouldn't have liked the game, but it would have been easier to put to the side as a misstep as far as I'm concerned. Here, it tries to be a definitive expression of many of Zelda's ideas (returning to the idea of a first kingdom, the Zelink vibes, Ganondorf is back and so is a billion meaningless easter eggs, the highest grossing shadow of BotW that leads them to keep the same artstyle, the same structure even if it makes no sense in that context, the same locations even if there is virtually nothing new to discover about this Hyrule...) while also not committing to anything novel.

They speak about new concepts for each game tied to each ancient civilization, but frankly: what new concept? Sure, Ultrahand and Fuse are cool and novel tools, they are fun and I liked playing around with them, but fundamentally and structurally there is nothing different between the concept of going from shrine to shrine in Botw and then disrupting giant structures to awaken a Sage/Champion in TotK. These are not different ideas, they are the same idea with a vaguely (VAGUELY) different paintjob and a vaguely different toolset at your disposal. It's either a blueberry flavored popsickle, or a lime flavored one; it's still a popsickle.

So to disregard the shoulders you stand on and introduce frankly worse and watered-down and blander ideas of what came before, disrespecting a lot of what pushed a 30 year old dedicated fanbase through all the loops of previous titles by all clomping it together as easter eggs just to satisfy the fans because you do not understand why it was ever meaningful to them apparently; still get the marketing bling of calling it a sequel by slapping a cool gameplay loop on top, which IS cool and I don't want to disregard the content design and some of the side quests and the soundtrack and stuff I'm not saying all of it is bad --but as a cohesive project? It just doesn't work. Where's the thematic unity that *carried* this series historically up until now? The game built around the new feature instead of the other way around?

I didn't want my final opinion on this game to be: this game is microwave-reheated BotW because BotW was the highest grossing success of the entire series, refusing to integrate its flickers of originality and daring and love (like some mechanisms, some side quests, again the soundtrack, the technical achievements, the mood of the Depths, EVEN the dragon thing if I'm willing to be less gngngn about things, etc...) into a coherent whole; neglecting theme so much we can't even agree as a fanbase on whether the game tried to be about relying on each other, about sacrifice, or about some fun stew of undigested japanese conservative values; and overall putting its ambition in all of the wrong (technical + how to kill in a more fun way + eternal empty vastness) places.

But yeah. It definitively is that, and that interview really cemented some of the Nintendo leadership nihilism that I believe led to this product being the way it is.

what if i explode into a million pieces out of sheer anger

[passionguavagreentea]

The Glamorization of Hustle Culture

This will be a ramble-filled, multi-blog-post series revolving around hustle culture and its bizarre glamorization.

The 'Negative' Impact on Health

It's no secret that not taking breaks to rest your mind and body is terrible for you. There is science behind this, bringing back this study that found that working over 50 hours a week will result in decreases in productivity. We already know why, right? Because we need rest. We need to recover. We need to take care of our body and to pause, sleep, and eat. If someone is working 75 hours a week, chances are they are absolutely exhausted, their mind and body are also paying for it. Those who are working this many hours a week, are probably experiencing the feeling of being 'burnt out'.  If you don't know what being burnt out means, it's summarized as feeling completely exhausted and losing the overall caring and sense of giving a shit. I've experienced this, and I'm sure whoever is reading has too. For me, the burnout came with a gnarly cycle of getting sick (the classic weakened immune system) which resulted in me unable to care for the kids that I nannied at the time. This eventually threw me in a dark hole of feeling guilty, but at the same time not realizing that it wasn't my fault. We are all sensitive beings with certain limits, sometimes it takes being burnt out to realize that.

Other impacts hustle culture has on our health are mentioned in this article from UW Medicine, which consists of high blood pressure, overconsumption of alcohol, issues with your heart, and more. This research discusses information behind long working hours and cardiovascular disease, as well as tons of other health impacts working long hours can cause. So, if there is even a slight amount of evidence proving that working too many hours is causing diseases and even death in Japan, why aren't we doing anything? Why are people still participating in hustle culture if they know it's terrible for your body and overall well-being? I know what you’re thinking – because people need money – this is the only reason I can see being argued. Why would anyone want to hustle just for fun? If you do, please give me your reasons. I am simply a human with a curious and opinionated (clearly) mind.

Overall, I don't see there being any positive impacts on your health from hustle culture. All it does is eat away your mind and body unless you are conscious of how you are participating in hustle culture. Ways that I can think of include knowing your limits and taking consistent long breaks from whatever work you're doing. Educating yourself on the potential risks of working long hours and making sure you are taking care of your health. This includes making trips to the doctor for checkups to check on your heart, blood pressure, mental well-being, and more. When you have days off of work, actually take those days off and do nothing. I understand how this is hard for people, it took me a long time to understand that you can do nothing without feeling guilty about it. We aren't made for being on the go 24/7, but with the way hustle culture is glamorized, it sure does a good job at making it seem like we are.

[songmingisthighs]

Cache

introduction pt. i | pt. ii | pt. iii

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ch. liv - abstract art

wooyoung × reader, ??? × reader

in a school filled with the affluent, it would only make sense for birds of a feather to flock. but what if your new status doesn't immediately buy you a way into said flock? what if instead, it bought you sure rejection? to the rich and powerful, having different masks is a must. despite some people knowing your true self and your secrets

When you got out of the ladies room, you were met with 5 faces and it startles you to say the least. "Uh... What's... This?" You asked Kai who was right in front of you. He sheepishly grinned at you saying, "Well, they heard what happened to you and... They wanted to check up on you."

Suddenly, one person piped from the very back, "And by that, he meant that I got news and I let the others know," before he pushed his way to the front, you immediately recognized him as Beomgyu from the music department. Also known as "the loud-mouth annoying pranking prick" according to Hongjoong. Beomgyu grinned widely at you and took your hand in his to shake, "Choi Beomgyu, former doubter, current fan. I LOVE the abstract art you did earlier." He spoke so quickly that you had to will your brain to work double time to process his words. "Uh... Art? I'm sorry, I don't understand." With a tilted head, he explained, "The art you did? With the whipped cream? On Jung Wooyoung's stupid face? I thought it was awesome!" It didn't occur to you that he was still shaking your hand until Kai slapped his arm off you and glared at him, "Stop it, you're hurting her," he growled.

A hand pushed Beomgyu away, and a worried-looking Soobin showed up in front of you. His sad, kicked-puppy-looking face towering over you as if he had just been scolded for trying to be a lap dog. "Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely wanting to know how you were. You noticed that his hands were clenching and unclenching, seemingly hesitant. You didn't get to ask when suddenly, he reached to take your hand in his as his other hand tucked a stray hair away from your face. "Jung Wooyoung didn't do anything to you, did he?" he crouched a little so that his face was level with you. You immediately shook your head, "No, I can promise you he didn't," you said as you squeezed his hand in reassurance, "Kai was there to help me," without you even realizing, you had cracked a small smile, fond of the thought that someone had had your back during an upsetting time. Soobin nodded in understanding, though the worried look in his face didn't drop. "Soobin," you called out, chuckling a little, "I'm fine," you then slip your hand from his grip to lift both of your hands up, and then you did a little turn to show him that you were fine, "See? No damage."

From behind Soobin, Yeonjun popped out to rest his arm on the younger's shoulder. "I'm not convinced. I say we wrap you up in a ton of bandage and store you somewhere safe," he smirked. Soobin rolled his eyes and smack Yeonjun on his stomach, making the older sputter. "Don't even joke about that hyung, I'll literally do it if I have to," he warned.

You sighed and shook your head, "Seriously, you guys worry too much about me." It wasn't that you weren't grateful that there are people who are worried about you, it's just that you don't know why they're that worried about you. You're practically a nobody to them. They're giving too much attention to someone they're not friends with.

Beomgyu smirked and pointed to the person at the very back, the one person who had only been observing this whole time. "Except for Taehyun there," Beomgyu said.

Like meerkats, everyone suddenly turned to look at Taehyun who only stared with widened eyes. "What? I don't know how to react, okay?" Taehyun said, defending himself. Yeonjun raised an eyebrow at him, "Dude, you just gotta be human," to which Kai nodded in agreement, "Yeah man. For someone who allegedly can make the audience cry with an aria, you sure do suck at human emotions," he said, sticking his tongue out at his friend childishly. Seeing their interaction made you bite your bottom lip, preventing yourself from laughing at them.

Taehyun furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "Hey, who said I wasn't worried?" "You've been distant with (y/n) this whole time Tyun, what are we supposed to think?" Soobin answered. Taehyun grunted and exhaled sharply. While he could be simply understood as exasperated, you saw hesitance from the way his eyes darted back and forth between you and his friends. In all honesty, you didn't want to pry but you couldn't deny that you were intrigued by whatever he had to say for himself.

"I..." Taehyun started, not knowing where he was going but he still wanted to say something. "I..." his eyes land on you. Maybe it was you or maybe it was the sight of his friends banding together protecting someone that he had considered to be, in his own words and definition, weak and spineless. It's not a bad thing per se, to be weak and spineless. Sure, it can mean that the person those definitions intended at is a pushover, but Taehyun never thought of you that way. He had always admired how you were able to hold on despite the oppression you face on a daily basis. Overcoming poverty, being used, being mocked, being used as an emotional punching bag, being put in the crosshairs of opposing parties, had it been him, he would have probably punched someone just to get an exit. I mean for fuck's sake if the Hatfields and McCoys can see what's going on, even they would call the feud stupid.

"I never had anything against (y/n)," Taehyun started, "I just never understood why you guys would stick your necks out for her. No offence," he directed at you. "She could've gotten out of her predicament on her own but she didn't, that gave me... Red flags."

Taehyun's words struck you deeply. You had never considered that you had the key to escaping your own situation. But it wasn't like you ever considered that there was a situation to get out of anyways. You thought that whatever you had with your... "friends" were something normal, you thought everyone had a transactional relationship with their friends. That was what you understood from your parents anyways. When your dad finally came to money after decades of struggling, the first thing he told you was that you and your family owed the Jungs a lifetime debt. While Wooyoung's dad kept convincing you and your family that a lifetime debt was unnecessary, your dad said otherwise. Even way before, even when you were still flat-out broke, living on your mom's paycheck as a waitress at a barbecue restaurant as your main source of income while your dad juggled building his business and part-timing as a construction worker during the night, taking the Jungs's help was never considered generosity. It was always debt. And debts have to be paid.

While you kind of agreed with Taehyun, the others felt like it was way harsh. Kai and Soobin instinctively pulled you into their embrace, effectively sandwiching you between two very strong chests while Yeonjun smacked the back of Taehyun's head as Beomgyu kicked his shin. "Are you fucking kidding me, Taehyun? How could you say something like that to someone with no self-esteem? She just cut off the only friend she thought she had! Do you wanna make her suicidal!?" Yeonjun hissed. Taehyun scowled as he rubbed the spots he just got hit, "Of course not! But do you think pointing out her situation like that wouldn't do some damage??" he pointed out sarcastically.

You gently pushed Soobin and Kai away to speak up, "No, Taehyun's right." This time, they all snapped their heads to you, surprised that you'd agree with Taehyun. "I... Never really considered that I had the option to get out of a very toxic relationship. Heck, I didn't even know that it was toxic. I know that it's normal for friends to do things for each other so it never occurred to me that what happened to me isn't what friends are supposed to do, so... Joke's on me I guess," you chuckled bitterly. "Maybe I just liked the attention Wooyoung was giving me... Whatever kind of attention it was. Or maybe I just liked feeling needed, I guess? I... My dad told me that if you know what you're good at, be consistent in doing it. It's gonna take a while, but you'll see what you can make when the time is right." Soobin frowned at your words, confused, "So... You think what you're good at is... Working on other people's assignments and... Not get any reward for it?" he asked. You could only shrug because when you heard the way he spoke of your previous situation, it sounded bad.

"Wow you're smart but dumb as fuck," Beomgyu blurted out. This time, Yeonjun smacked the back of his head and from the way it sounded, it was harder than when he smacked Taehyun. "Oh for fuck's sake Beomgyu hyung, we really do need to put a heavy-duty shit filter in your mouth," Kai sighed. Rubbing the spot Yeonjun just hit with one hand, Beomgyu raised his other hand defensively, "Just, hear me out!" he groaned out in pain, "I'm saying this with the best intention, I can swear it. It's just that, from past experience, I get why you'd like the attention and feeling of being needed, TRUST ME. And you're so smart when it comes to books because from the looks of it, that's the only thing you know and you were never taught how to apply your book smartness in real life and that's not your fault." He then took a couple of steps forward to stand in front of you. He then gently placed both hands on your shoulder and smiled gently at you, "I don't know where I'm going with this, but I just wanna say that I'm so glad that you finally found it in you to step up for yourself and begin the journey to being the better and best version of yourself. And you know, for humiliating Jung Wooyoung and forever changing his moniker from rich dick turd to pie face."

It wasn't until you felt something cold on your chin that you realized you were crying.

"God fucking damn it Beomgyu, you made her cry!" Yeonjun pointed out as Soobin pulled you gently to face him, "Are you okay?" He asked, worried evident in his eyes. Overwhelmed, you shook your head no while nodding your head yes at the same time, making everyone unsure of what to take from the answer. "I-I'm fine guys, just... I don't know whether to f-feel re-relieved o-or worry a-bout what to do tomorr-ow o-o-or the day after but I just... I made the right decision, right?" you asked between sobs.

Kai chuckled and wrap an arm around you as he softly pressed his forehead on the side of your head, "The best decision yet." You then felt Soobin softly interlocking your fingers with his, "And even if it turns out to be the worst decision ever, which I HIGHLY doubt considering who you told off," he said which made you chuckle and smile a little, "We're gonna help you whatever happens, okay? And you don't have to worry about being indebted to us or anything because I can promise you, we don't want a transactional relationship with you, okay?" And you nodded at him, you really do want to believe in him and for some reason, you can't find it in you to doubt his words whatsoever. In your mind, you might still be traumatized by people claiming to be your friends when they actually want something out of you. But the five people in front of you... Maybe you resonated so much with them, or maybe they were once as broken as you. Whatever it is, it felt safe.

You used your other hand to wipe the tears from your eyes so you could look at them properly. "I really don't know how to thank you guys," you said, managing to not quiver. Beomgyu raised both his arms up in exasperation at your words, "Seriously, now you're just deliberately NOT LISTENING to what we're trying to say- WE. DON'T. NEED. YOUR. THANKS. (Y/N). WE. JUST. WANT. YOU. TO. BE. OKAY." he said loudly, enunciating loudly whilst clapping his hands at each word. Whilst his words seemed harsh, you could sense the affection behind them. You don't experience it at all before, but you liked the type of love they were offering you.

Taehyun stepped up to nudge Beomgyu on the back of his knee rather harshly, making the older guy crumble to the floor. "You're fucking dumb as a rock, hyung," he sighed in annoyance. Yeonjun crouched down and smack Beomgyu harshly on his ass, making him scream "OW" in a tone that usually would've scared you, but in this context, it was just funny. "And what did I say about yelling at (y/n)??" Yeonjun scoffed. "Nothing, hyung, you said nothing about yelling at (y/n)!!" Beomgyu defended as he scrambled back up, Yeonjun also standing up so the two were up against each other. "Well, the sentiment was implied! You were not supposed to upset (y/n)!" The taller male said. "Oh give me a fucking break, look at (y/n) and tell me she's upset by my voice!" he smirked. "I don't know, hyung. Most of us are upset by your existence. (y/n) might just be putting a polite front," Taehyun said.

Soon enough, the three people in front of you began an argument about you in front of you though you felt that it was more like a skit than an actual argument.

Nevertheless, being there, held close by the guy who seemed to always have your back and the guy who could effortlessly make you smile, entertained by the three guys who you thought didn't like you or have motives to approach you, doesn't feel wrong. Even when they snuck you out of the school to play hooky in celebration of your independence, you didn't feel bad at all.

Heck, it felt great.

Like you were finally on the right path.

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[cynettic]

I just read Kitsune reader x yan Scaramouche's fic, may I have gotten hooked on it? and of course, it's just perfect and that's why I'm here to lose a part two with nsfw, thank you in advance and understand if you refuse:3

Link to Part 1

Summary - Taking you captive, Scaramouche continues to see you as a pillar of support. Coming back home to have you there, always. Even if it meant chaining you up.

Pairings - F!Kitsune!Reader x Yan!Scaramouche

Warnings - Smut, slight noncon ( I tried to make it as consensual as possible but its difficult with yandere themes ), fingering, electricity play

Rating - NSFW

Penpal - Ahhh I'm actually beginning to get attached to this series, might end up writing a couple more posts with different hc and stuff. I hope you liked the post though, have a great day <3

A/N - The literal definition of the ‘stoic cruel boy who’s mean to everyone but you.’ Oh well, Scaramouche is ooc af, but I did change a few things in his backstory so its supposed to make sense for this story ;) Also- since we dont know Scaramouche’s actual name, I have the reader still… yknow, call him Scaramouche. Which is kinda weird cause its his harbinger name but oh well. Also, credit to @cycletr4in for proofreading it ;3

Taglist - @cursedraiden

Stay with Me pt.2

Scaramouche was a gentle captor.

In contrast to piercing eyes and harsh stares when it came to others, he had a soft spot for you. Like the ice that encased him whole melted at your touch, craving for the warmth only you could give him. For your arms around him, to play pretend and imagine he were a child, free, fearless, unbound. A child in your arms, safe and protected.

But you were held hostage, which meant that the chains around your wrists and legs held you down and secured you. Like you were bound to one spot like you’d always been, except this time you didn't have a choice.

You weren't waiting for the Kitsune Saiguu.

Hell, you didn't even have your vision.

This brought on resentment for the dark haired boy. You hated him, you despised him for holding you down under his own judgment. But at the same time, all you saw in him was a child, a little kid who hadn't had the time to grow up. The one who refused to do so because it was his only way to survive in the type of world he lived in. Hide behind that same facade he developed as a kid, snide remarks and unrelenting cruelty.

Just to come back to your arms, sobbing because he was still that child. Sobbing because he was still hurt. Sobbing because you were still his beacon of light, of hope.

He depended on you.

And as much as you built up harsh words to use against him, they dissolved in your mouth when you saw him. His vulnerability that he saved for you and you only. A deep part of you cared for him, a little too much.

Gentle fingers brushed through the locks of Scaramouche’s hair, twirling it around and playing with the strands. It was smooth, a small detail no one would have the chance to notice from the distance he put around himself and others. A quiet hum left his lips as he leaned against your chest, eyes fluttering closed against the soothing feeling of you against him.

The lavish silk sheets were soft against your skin, pillow pushing your form to sit up. Just enough to have Scaramouche in your arms, knees on either side of his body as his head rested under your chin. His chest rose and descended, almost on beat with yours, if not just a tad slower.

You hoped he wouldn't hear the way your heart thrummed against your chest.

Warmth, his body flushed against yours, the luxury of a bed and the small candlelight on your bedside. Different from what you’d grown into just on the side of the trail, sitting for decades. Or with your time with the Kitsune Saiguu, it was never this warm, never this gentle.

But this warmth ended at your beating heart, furiously blazing. Sending an urge of adrenaline through your body, whispering ‘run’ through your veins. A primal urge that would've had your hands around Scaramouche’s neck, till he was wrangling and dead.

Till you could escape.

Hand slowly sliding down his jawline, you let your gentle fingers ghost along the soft skin of his neck. Claws outstretched and ready, sharp and pointed with a deadly intent to kill. You could end him so quickly, overturn his trust and make an escape. You deserved it, you deserved freedom. Not a delusional boy who thought himself protector against someone who’s lived decades more than him.

Jolting at the sensation of a soft grip on your wrist, you watched with idle fascination as he simply cupped your wrist in his hold. Not stopping you, not restraining you, he simply brought your hand to his face. To his lips where he pressed the softest of kisses into your palm. So heartfelt and genuine that all you could do was freeze, not even considering clawing his face.

“I love you.”

You both stayed in that position for a few moments more, silence cradling the tension that slowly dissipated from your body. Forlorn eyes watching as he shift the angle of your wrist to kiss your fingertips. He wasn't waiting for an answer, basking in these soft moments where he could hide in your hold. Like a child, forced to grow up too quickly, yearning back for his foolish naivety, yearning for the childhood he missed.

You were that childhood.

Which is why he clung to you so dearly, showed expressions he didnt know he could make, hold you captive under the impression that it was ‘right.’ What he was doing was okay.

Claws retracted, you pursued your lips, holding back the tears of frustration that burned at your eyes. You hated him, hated him for the chains on your wrists, for the disappearance of your vision that you’d given so much value to. Hated him for the warmth he still made you feel.

You hated him.

You felt like a housewife in some respects. Not with the cleaning and cooking part, and of course no children were part of the equation. But in terms of support, you stayed rooted to that room, loose chains too strong for you to break or tug holding you down. Window was too far, and you were stuck moving around the bed and the desk that sat just a little farther away.

Attempts at having your vision back or more freedom in movement had been discussed with Scaramouche, but as childlike and free as he acted with you, he was not an idiot.

“I don’t plan on underestimating you,” was his answer, head resting on the plush of your chest. “You’re strong, always were. But I have to take extremes to make sure you don’t get hurt, some people out there are stronger than you.”

You wanted to point out that there were a ton of people stronger than him as well, but you kept your mouth shut. “Can I at least see the house? I’ve been cooped up here for so long…”

And he cant say no to such an innocent request as that right?

So he unlocks the chains, the vision at his side reminding you that he was strong. You solely knew that he’d been tough as a kid, and under the intensive training he’d seemed to endure, he was much much stronger. You werent willing to give it a go and lose his trust just yet.

Not like he really trusted you anyways-

At the very least, you’d hoped to get some sort of blueprint of the house, and all you’d received was confusion and your mind making up that the house itself was a maze.

“Didnt we… just pass through here?”

Glancing at the obvious frustration on your face, Scaramouche chuckled, pulling your arm through the hallways you swear you’d seen three times prior. “Nope, most of the hallways look pretty similar. The house wasn't built for dumbasses.”

You flashed him a look and were about to make some snideish rebuttal before you saw the smirk. You knew what he was doing, trying to comfort you with casual arguments you both used to have. Consisting of you telling him to work on his people skills, and him calling you a lazy ass. Of course you missed it, but you also knew you couldn't go back to it.

And then there was the issue when you learned that he was a harbinger.

A scene you didnt want to replay in your head, when a maid burst into your room, Scaramouche acting a tad more intimate. He had an awful tendency to do that, hug your waist and press his face against the crook of your neck. Press gentle kisses down the length of your shoulder that had you shuddering. You weren't used to intimacy, and considering you’d watched him grow up, it was just weird.

Stuttering, the maid had demanded that he was requested by the Tsarista. You’d seen the fear in her eyes when Scaramouche slowly turned to her, seen the unshakable immobility of standing under his gaze.

“Do not enter.” He said, “It’s on the door.”

That was the first time you’d seen Scaramouche kill.

You hoped it’d be the last.

But you’d seen death before, so much death in the time of the Kitsune Saiguu. And for a few seconds, you found yourself fearless as you yanked against the chains, yelling at his figure at the doorway.

“Tsarista?” You snarled, standing just a few feet away from him. His hand on the girls neck, clenching around the pretty skin of hers. Disgusted, the chains that held you back from closing the gap and throwing the girl away from him were impossible to overcome. “Why the hell does she need you?!”

‘Let go,’ you wanted to say. ‘Let her go, she’s going to die.’

It worked, because the ironclad grip was gone, the maid tumbling to the ground lifelessly. You’d been too late, and now her blood was on his hands, your hands. This was your fault and you had half the self control not to thrash against the chains with sharp claws, hands on his neck.

The hard steel gaze vanished in an instant, and like he’d regained his senses, he took a few steps to you. Hands clenching to fists before loosening to fingertips brushing against his palms. Confusion, regret and guilt clouded his features like a child waiting to be reprimanded. You didn't back away, stood firm and fierce when standing and keeping a tough front.

You wanted to cry.

“Its… its a long story.” He finally stated to your question, and when you didnt budge, he took a deep breath. In control again, he closed the distance between the two of you, “I’m sorry.” And that same thrum of electricity jolted through your body, sending you into a spiral of the girls lifeless eyes and Scaramouche’s childlike eyes. Till everything went black.

You woke up with the body gone. Scaramouche was gone as well.

You learned that Scaramouche liked to have things his way. Which meant that he was always in control, always had control of every situation.

Even in those short stretches of vulnerability when he rested in your arms, he still held something over you. And you had to adapt, shift for his wishes, coddle him and stay as his beacon. Because he was stronger, and even if you’d find some way to escape, he would find you.

It was odd, and you slowly let go of the image of him as a child, you knew he was a lot older. He’d probably reached the age your body was stuck in, and with every sweet kiss he pressed to your lips, you knew he saw you as some sort of lover. But as someone who wasn't in control, you simply had to play along, just until you found some way to make your escape.

Without killing him.

_-_-_-_-_

“Strip.”

Laying on one side of the bed, your eyes jolted open at the commanding voice. Slowly, you sat up, eyeing the dim figure at the doorway. Without the help of a candle or the moonlight at the window, you could distinguish Scaramouche at the doorway, taking off the large headpiece as he flung it to the ground.

“Excuse me…?” Your voice was soft, rusty after an evening nap.

“I’ll make you feel good,” was his only answer. Slowly making his way to the bedside till he could properly face you. His eyes were soft, but there was an odd sort of determination that you hadnt seen before. You held back his stare, confusion lacing your features when he suddenly started pulling off loose decorations that hung on his clothes. Just till he unlaced the vest and slid off his shirt. “Don’t worry.” But you didnt know quite what he meant until he leaned further to you, catching you off guard.

So you yelped when his hands suddenly slammed down on your shoulders, shifting you to have access to the buttons of your top layer. He was quick when undoing them, simply swatting away at your hands when you protested and tried to pull him away. Throwing it to the edge of the room when he was done, you could only thrash in horror when he undid your trousers just as quickly, pulling them down before you could grab them back up.

“Scaramouche? Hey-”

And then he threw you down on the bed, exposing you in your undergarments in the cool air of the room. Shivers crept up your spine and bristled across your skin, and before you could curl up to at the very least hide away, you felt a tug at your chains. Fear finally settled in when you saw Scaramouche attach the chain to the bedpost, until your hand was lifted up and he began to do the same to the other.

“Wait wait wait, stop and explain what you’re-”

Only then did he pause from what he was doing, slowly looking down to properly face you. His eyes slid up and down your body, and he took a step towards you. “I’ll make you feel good,” were his only words, and you were forced to take them as all he was planning on giving you. Only when he sat on the bed next to you did you realize what he meant, hand settling on your shoulder, waiting.

“Alright,” you said slowly. Painfully, the words bit your tongue, but you were merciless against someone who had control against the situation. You could say no and you knew Scaramouche would stop, he was gentle to you and you only. And even if he’d been firm just before, you knew that he’d still stop if you asked him to.

A part of you felt thrilled to have that power over him.

Another part of you just wanted to escape.

But you didnt have any hope to do so unless you were willing too give him everything. Because he expected everything and would do anything in his power to obtain it. You’d let him fiddle around with this delusion, thinking that he had control. Until he didnt.

Which is why you didnt flinch when his hand gently slid up your stomach, cold against the warmth you’d had under the blankets. Rubbing gingerly against your skin and drawing smooth shapes over before he slowly slid over your body. His eyes seemed to glint under the darkness of the room, lust filled and wanting.

You didnt shift uncomfortably, you pretended to be that doll he expected you to be.

Just staring up at him as he slowly leaned down to kiss you. His lips felt like snowflakes on a winters day, idly swaying side to side to catch one in your mouth. Jolting like electricity when they melted into your touch, red and swollen when he pulled back. You now vividly felt every touch, as if a current flowed and static jittered in the places he briefly brushed his fingertips.

“You always take such good care of me,” he breathed, lips slowly drifting down your chin. Just past your jawline and right on your neck. The space between your head and shoulder, a soft vulnerable spot that had your lips humming at the affectionate pressure. “Its my turn to take care of you.”

And then his lips were everywhere, collarbone, shoulders, cleavage. Just until his teeth were tugging off your bra, face nuzzled in between both breasts. Both of his hands now resided on your hips, grabbing both thighs to hold them up and against him. You could feel him hard, pressing so close to your heated core.

You managed to keep your reactions in check.

Just until he slowly grinded against you, mouth on your breasts as he again pecked the soft mounds, molding his lips against them as if he could remember the texture, memorize the feel. It was just to that point that mindless sounds slipped past your lips, turning to gasps when his hands on your thighs suddenly buzzed, and static rushed in. Your legs felt weak, entire body thrumming in response to the electricity he sent jolting.

He was using his vision.

The realization was numb against his lips on your breasts, hands slowly stroking the skin of your sides, travelling up. He hovered over you for mere seconds before mashing his lips against you once more, different. He was no longer gentle, and it was with the contact on your tail that you lost all control. When he gently moved it out of the way, backing up.

You were a mess.

Not that you tried to be, you’d been doing your best not to enjoy his touch. But it was hard when your core heated up so fast, mashing both legs together in hopes he wouldn't notice. You knew he would, any action beyond that was just you trying to save your dignity.

He sat there like he was enjoying the sight, the first time you’d seen him actually portray any visual confirmation of satisfaction towards the chains. He’d drink dry any ounce of control you gave him, and it was impossible not to give him it all when you were visionless and vulnerable.

But the dignity you struggled so hard to keep shattered when his hands brushed against your inner thigh.

Fingers slowly made their way to the padded fabric of your undergarments, two digits rubbing the area slowly with expertise. You bit your lip, muffling any groan of anticipation, hiding the way your hips tried to rock back into the gesture. Desperate, oh so desperate. Hiding back the whimpers as he slowly quickened the pace of his fingers against your garments. “Archons Y/n,” he murmured. “I haven't even put anything in and you’re already a squirming mess.”

“Shut u-up,” was all you managed, trying to shift away from the pressure against your clit. But his other hand was on your hip, holding in place. You could only watch and press your thighs tightly together as he slowly slid down your panties, resuming hovering over you. Distracting you with kisses, his fingers gently stroked your core, two fingers slowly sliding into your cunt using your juices.

He was gentle when pumping both fingers in and out, too slow when you thrust your hips to meet his fingers, pleading for him to go faster. But he liked hearing your cries, slowing down when you begged, quickening when you whined and just lay there, taking it.

You shuddered the first time electricity jolted from his digits.

It was when he had three fingers that he sent the static up your body, back arching with such intensity that it even had him chuckling. “Oh? You like it that much?” And then it is like something buzzed against your body, fingers vibrating against your clit as your thighs tightened around his hand. So much that you thought you’d crush it, but it didn't matter, not with the electrifying feeling against your body. It felt so odd, so overwhelmingly good that it had your legs sliding up and down the bedside, toes curling as the static grew and you fell paralyzed to his touch.

It didn't take long with his fingers thrusting in and out of you to cum. Moaning mess when he gave you the time to breathe, teeth biting your bottom lip and then mashing against yours. Your eyes grew fuzzy and most happened in a haze, and all you knew the entire time was that you’d given yourself to him, and that it felt good. You couldn't see the childlike wonder in his eyes anymore, not the need of a beacon or of support. No, the look he shared was feral, the smile tinting his lips almost scary. But it felt too good to care, and you let yourself enjoy his ministrations.

He pulled out and suddenly his own shorts were undone, boxers thrown to the side of the room just like all your other clothing. You didn't see how big he was, just felt his hard shaft against your throbbing cunt, pussy dripping and legs open wide and tired after your first go at it.

You expected him to be gentle like he’d been with his fingers. But he pressed the tip against your core, and in one full motion he was in. Teeth grinding against each other, you held back a scream, shock coursing through your body, overwhelmed with pain and discomfort. It hurt. But it was quickly overshadowed by his movements as he slid in and out of you, slow when pulling his hips back, and rocking himself completely inside you each time. A pattern that let you catch your breath and lose it all the same. Like he was continuously having a go at hitting the deepest parts of you, pulling back before fully thrusting into you and sending waves of pleasure and pain alike.

It was expected, but you couldnt hear yourself.

Not with your mind trapped in a haze of how he felt, body still buzzing after how he’d pulsed his vision through you. And now you were at the mercy of his member, hips swaying along with his, no energy for you to rock with him and try to push him deeper.

Archons, you didn't even think he could go deeper.

But you were proven wrong again and again as he kept the steady pace, hands clawing at your ass and hips. Stabilizing himself and trying to press himself against you, as far as he could go. Slowly, his hands drifted up to your hair, playing with the soft sensation of your furry ears. Pinching and rubbing, fingers coaxing the back of them like a massage. So gentle, but it paled in comparison to the harsh treatment of his dick.

You came first, gripping the chain with your hands in an attempt to stay stable. Walls clenching around him one last time before you got your release, your moans turning into cries when he continued to thrust into you. Your body felt numb, all nerves centred on the way he pounded into you, chasing his own release.

When he did, he pressed his head into your chest, his own breaths heavy with pleasure. Not pulling out, you could only lay there helplessly as his seed filled you, warm in contrast to the electricity he’d shot up your body just earlier. He didnt pull out, and laying in your chest, your heavy breathing didnt stop until he was asleep, collapsing on you and using you as support yet again.

Taking only a minute later to regain control of your senses, you shifted uncontrollably at his member inside of you, sending waves of pleasure every time you moved. Your wrists were restrained and you were stuck in this position till morning.

Achingly, you looked down at the boy, wondering how you would ever manage to escape.

[vendettaparker]

Peanut Butter and Extra Jelly [T.H]

Summary: Tom’s long time crush on you becomes painful when you and Harrison are cast as love interests in a movie. 

Paring: Tom Holland x Actress!Reader 

Word Count: 5.8k

Warning: Suggestive themes, fake smut (very light), jealousy, probably some typos, swearing 

a/n: i have no idea how filming a movie, or auditioning for one actually goes so don’t crucify me for this. i’m pretty happy with how this turned out, especially considering that this is the most i’ve ever written for a fic. also, Burt Kreisher is one of my fav comedians in real life, he has 3 shows on neflix and a mini series.  

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     Tom was not a jealous person. At least, that's what he always told himself. He prided himself in thinking he was a very level headed individual who didn’t let his emotions get the best of him. That worked best for his job anyways; always being able to control his emotions and not get in his own head. That simple, pacifistic mindset seemed to change when it came to you. 

      You were one of the many actors Tom got the pleasure to help hone their technique and work closely with. You were new to the lifestyle of Hollywood and the only roles you had before were in small indie films that never garnered too much attention. The first major role that you landed, which also happened to help kickstart your career, was in the MCU. You played the secondary villain in the third Spider-man movie. 

     Meeting the cast was a dream come true; they were all extremely helpful and they provided tons of tips and tricks in navigating the hectic schedule required for such a huge production. By the time filming wrapped up, you were considered part of their little Spider-man family. 

     Tom was easily the most helpful. Whenever he saw you struggling with anything, he offered to help. You two spent hours upon hours together in his trailer, ordering take out and practicing lines. Some nights you two planned to work through your script, but inevitably ended up falling asleep binge watching The Office, and laughing about crazy shit that happened on set that day. 

     When the movie wrapped up and you went home for a month before the press tour, you were completely unsure and nervous about what direction your career was going in. You auditioned for a few new movies, but had yet to hear from any of the directors about casting decisions. You kept in touch Tom during the month you were apart and expressed your concerns. 

     “I don’t know, Tom. I’m just so sick of waiting around and hoping that some director out there throws me a bone, ya know’?” You said on facetime, while making cookies. 

     “Yeah, I totally understand that, (Y/N/N). I had that issue a couple years ago before the Marvel movies. Trust me, you did outstanding in that role and once it gets noticed I’m positive you’ll have directors calling you, begging for you to audition.” Tom smiled warmly into the camera as he walked around his apartment in London. 

      “Yeah, easy for you to say, movie-star.” You giggled, turning your face away from the camera in hopes that Tom wouldn’t notice the blush his compliments painted onto your cheeks 

     “I’m serious! You were outstanding! Like in that one scene where you—” 

      “Tom! Tessa chewed a hole in my trousers again!” A voice came from outside of the frame, “Mate, you gotta get her to stop doing that somehow.” 

     Tom sighed, and waved his hand dismissively at the figure, “Okay, sure. I’m busy right now.” Tom looked back to the camera, “anyways, as I was saying, don’t stress about not having a new project yet, (Y/N)—” 

     “(Y/N)?” The other voice whisper-yelled. “Let me say hi!”, suddenly the phone was yanked out of Tom's hands and the video shook around a bit as Tom wrestled to get it back. Finally, the camera stilled and Harrison was on the other end smiling. “Hi, (Y/N)!” 

     “Oh, hi Harrison!” You smiled back, laughing. You'd met Harrison a few times when he visited Tom on set. “How are you?” 

     The camera started moving around more as the background behind Harrsion whizzed past. You assumed Tom must’ve been chasing him to get the phone back. 

     “I’m good! I just auditioned for a new movie. You should audition too! The main female lead’s description looks just like you.” He exclaimed, running past the kitchen to his room. 

     “Oi! Give me my phone back you div!” You heard Tom yelling in the background, no doubt in hot pursuit of Harrison. 

     “I don’t know, I'm not sure I’m prepared for a lead role.” You sighed, “What’s the movie called? I’ll look into it.” 

     “It’s called ‘Collateral Damage’, it’s a spy movie.” Harrison said, shutting the door to his room, while Tom pounded on it from the other side. “Yeah, it’d be really fun working with you. Tom constantly talks about how much fun you are on set.” Harrison wheezed out, trying to catch his breath. 

      “Aw, that’s sweet of him.” You laughed. “Well I’ve got to go. Just tell Tom he can call me tomorrow or something.” You waved at the camera. “Bye!”

     “Yup, bye.” Harrison said right before the video cut out. 

      Harrison finally opened the door to a seething Tom. Tom grabbed the phone back from Harrison and noticed that the call had ended. 

     “Dude! Why would you do that?” Tom whined. 

     Harrison just patted Tom’s back, “Sorry, mate. She said she had to go, though. I was about to give the phone back.” 

     Tom huffed and sulked for a moment. “Whatever, I’ll just call her later, I guess.” 

     Harrison nodded and smirked at how whipped Tom was. “You should just ask her out if you’re so desperate for her attention.” Harrison teased. 

     “Shut up. I’m not desperate for her attention, I just like her voice and her personality, and the way she talks, and her funny sayings, and how her hair looks when she just woke up.” 

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     It was only a few days later when you received an email from the director of the movie Harrison told you about, asking for you to audition. You were ecstatic, Harrison must’ve already sent in some things about you since the director seemed adamant that you were of high interest for the role. 

     You called Tom immediately to share the good news. 

     He picked up after the third ring, “Hello, darling! How are you?” he beamed when he answered your call. He usually was the one to call you so he felt a sense of pride knowing that you were calling him for once. 

     “Tom! The director of the movie Harrison auditioned for just emailed me asking for me to audition!” You squealed excitedly. 

     “Really? That’s wonderful, love! Harrison just got the part of the lead too, so you’d be filming with him if you got it.” 

     “That’s so exciting, I’m flying to London for the audition in two days. Are you still there?” You pulled the phone away from your ear and switched it to speaker. “I’m booking the flight right now.” 

     “Yeah, I’ll be in London for another week and a half. Then we have the press tour starting in Japan.” Tom said, also switching to speaker phone to look at his calendar. “You can stay with Harrison and I while you’re here. Since we have to go to Japan together anyways.” Tom offered nervously. He really wanted you to stay in his flat with him. It’d be all cute and domestic, and maybe, just maybe, he’d spend enough time with you to not feel nervous about asking you on a date. If he was lucky, that is, but awaiting your reply he was a jittery ball of nerves. 

     “Yeah, that sounds wonderful. I won't be intruding though, right?” You said, smiling from ear to ear. Thank god you weren’t on facetime and Tom couldn’t see the stupid smile adoring your features. 

     “No, of course not. Harry will be so excited to see you. And Tessa too, she really misses you.” Tom shuffled around with his phone, shooting a quick text to Harrison letting him know you were coming to stay for a week. 

     “Ok, thanks so much, this is really thoughtful of you. I absolutely can’t wait to see you!” You gushed, finalizing your purchase of a one-way ticket to London. “K, the flight is at 2:30 pm here, it’s about 9 and a half hours, but you’re also ahead of me, so I’ll be in around..5?”

     “Yeah, that sounds right to me,” Tom chuckled, “I’ll come pick you up. I’ll wear my incognito disguise.” 

     “If you mean that stupid t-shirt you got that says ‘I’M NOT A CELEBRITY’, then maybe I’ll ask Harrison to come pick me up…”

     “That’s cold (Y/L/N).” 

     You giggled softly, “I’m sorry, Tommy. If it makes you feel better, that shirt isn’t as bad as that stupid blue beanie that you never wear correctly.”

     “How the fuck would that make me feel better? You’re killing me, (Y/N/N).” 

     You laughed at his over dramatic reaction, “Sorry that you’re a sensitive babe. I gotta go now, see you soon!” You hung up before Tom could respond with a sassy quip. Then immediately after you received a text:

Tommy: The second you get here I’m bout to 👊 

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     Tom called Harrison up after you got off the phone, he needed to make sure his best friend wouldn’t say or do anything to embarrass him in front of you. 

     “Tom, don’t you think this is a bit obsessive? I mean, she’s only staying with us for a week and you already know her so well from spending all that time filming with her.” Harrison sighed, sick of listening to Tom ramble about every possible embarrassing situation he could be put in, in the coming week. 

     “Yeah, yeah, you’re right. It's no big deal. But don’t mention that time I accidentally shit my pants at the club, or that time I got hit in the head with a golf ball ‘cus I got distracted by a flock of geese, or that time a got chased by a flock of geese, or—”

     “Geez, mate. At this point we might as well not even talk to her.” Harrison chuckled, thinking of all the stories he could bring up about Tom around the dinner table with you. Tom really was just a walking ball of embarrassing moments. 

     “Stoppp ittt,” Tom whined, “when we were on set it was usually just the cast and Harry around, but you? You could do some real fucking damage to my love life, Haz.” 

     “What love life?” Harrison barked out, laughing. 

     Tom then hung up and began praying to whatever god was out there that this week could go by without a hitch, and then you and him would be on your way, together, to Japan. 

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     The whole week spent in London actually went really well, especially the audition. Tom and Harrison both accompanied you for moral support, well Harrison actually had to be there to be your scene partner, but it was still nice knowing he supported you. 

     The director shook your hand and you went through the normal formalities before beginning your scene with Harrison. It was a quick scene with a monologue in it. The main premise of the movie was all about choosing love over work, especially in dangerous, life-threatening scenarios. The scene you used to audition with Harrison was the scene where the main character, Lincoln, and his lover interest, Mallory, were arguing, trying to push each other away to keep each other safe. The scene had a lot of raw emotion that you were able to tap into, and the directors gave your performance a standing ovation once the scene concluded. 

     They said that they’d get back to you within the next few days, but they also mentioned how the chemistry between you and Harrison was off the charts, leaving you hopeful. Tom and Harrison both gave you hugs and pats on the back. Tom had watched the whole scene unfold and he was in complete and utter awe of your talent. Part of him was annoyed that he didn’t audition for the movie and a chance as your love interest. But Harrison deserved this big break and so did you, so he was hopeful of the outcome being something that benefitted both of his best friends. 

    After the audition the rest of the week went by nearly perfectly. The real kicker was when Tom’s family invited you and Harrison to join them for dinner. Tom had not anticipated his mom asking you to come to family dinner, so he wasn’t able to stop the embarrassing anecdotes his mom told on his behalf. 

     “Tom had the cutest little tush,” Nikki exclaimed, placing the old homemade scrapbook in your lap and flipping through a couple of pages. “See look,” she happily pointed to a picture of Tom as a toddler in a bath, surrounded by bubbles, his little bum poking through them. 

     Tom sat uncomfortably on the sofa next to you, cringing at the now 21 year old photo of him. He expected you to also cringe along, or worse case scenario, get up and make a flimsy excuse to leave his crazy family, but you just chuckled along with Nikki and continued making your way through the scrapbook, making little comments here and there. 

     “Oh, and this one,” Nikki said, pointing to a photo of Tom crying and Sam holding up a superhero action figure triumphantly, “that was Tom’s favorite toy, but when Sam saw how much Tom liked it, he made an effort to always be playing with it when Tom came into the room and he wouldn’t share.”

     You giggled at the little whiny face Tom made in the picture, and turned to him, replicating it on your face, making fun of him. Tom laughed along and playfully shoved you. He adored how well you seemed to fit in with his family and his feelings for you only multiplied. 

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     The week in London was one of the best in your life. You didn’t realize how much you missed Tom until you got to the airport and he was there waiting for you, unfortunately in his stupid blue beanie, and no, it wasn’t on right, his big ears poked out of it horrendously. 

     The last day you had in London before you and Tom went to Japan, you finally received a call about the audition. The director called you to congratulate you on getting the part, and he sent you numerous emails about scheduling, where to be, and when. Harrison was elated to have a familiar face playing his love interest on screen, and Tom was over the moon excited for you, this on top of the Spider-man movie coming out, you were certainly becoming a force to be reckoned with. 

     You spent the night celebrating at a club, Harry and Sam also showed up to party with you. The night was still young and the club was already packed and in full swing. Tom ordered two shots for each of you to start off the night before he was whisked away by a few fans to sign autographs. When he didn’t return you took it upon yourself to have his shots, giving you an extra edge to help spice up your night. 

     Harrison found Tom in the corner of the club talking to some fans. But throughout his whole time taking pictures with them, he couldn’t help but glance at you every once and a while. You looked so carefree and beautiful, dancing around in your shiny silver top and leather leggings. 

      “Tom.” Harrison interrupted Tom’s gawking and directed his attention to the small group of fans Tom was with. 

     Tom nodded and finished up his pictures and autographs before wishing them all a good and safe night. Once he reached you, you engulfed him in a bone crushing hug. 

     “Thank you for such a great time in London, Tommy.” you slurred, already feeling the impact of the four shots you took. “I had the best time of my whole life.” You pecked his cheek and pulled him close to dance with you. 

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     The following month or so on the press tour was a once in a lifetime experience. You travelled to more cities than you even knew the name of and you had all of your friends by your side. More so, you had motivation to remain approachable and well liked by fans considering that you were moving up in the industry. Some interviews were mostly for Tom, Zendaya, and Jacob. Your role in the movie was big enough for you to be needed for some interviews, and most people were genuinely interested in getting to know you, but there were also a handful of press activities that you weren’t included in, which you didn’t mind. 

     When you didn’t have anything to do for an hour or so, you would text Harrison and send him funny memes. He was quickly becoming one of your closest friends; you had already created a surplus of inside jokes with him just over the phone. 

     Tom noticed how you were always laughing at your phone or rapid fire texting. Even when you were being interviewed, Tom could faintly hear the buzz of your text message notifications going off. 

     “Tom,” you snapped in front of his eyes, “did you need something?” 

     “Huh?” Tom blinked a few times, “Uh—no, sorry.” Tom’s cheeks flushed pink, embarrassed for having been caught staring at you. He couldn’t help it though, you were dressed so pretty that day. You had your hair done up in two bubble braids and you wore his pink sweatshirt over your yellow sundress. 

     “Okay then.” You smiled at him. You went back to your phone, reading what Harrison had just texted you. “What was the name of that comedian we watched the other night?” 

     “The one on Netflix?” 

     You hummed out a yes, tapping away at your phone. 

     “Burt Kreisher, why?” Tom asked, leaning over to your chair to try and catch a glimpse of who you were texting. When he saw the contact name “Hazzy”, he couldn't stop the little angry pit of jealousy that started in his stomach. Sure, you were here with him now, not with Harrison, but when you two were apart you also texted him nonstop, and the texts seemed to all be inside jokes, which was something you also shared with him that he held near and dear.

     “I made a joke referencing him to Harrison and he didn’t get it. Fucking nerd.” You chuckled, texting Harrison a link to the skit you were referring to. 

     Tom chuckled along, but he couldn’t help but frown slightly at how bright your smile was when Harrison replied. 

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     The press tour and premiere of the movie seemed to go by lighting fast. You’d never been to a premiere for a production this big, and your nerves for the red carpet were starting to get to you. 

     You and Zendaya were stuffed into a hotel room with both of your respective teams, both trying to rapidly get both of you ready for the event. 

     “So when do you start filming for your next project?” Zendaya asked, she sat in front of a broadway-equse mirror, bright bulbs of light giving a luminescent glow to her already near flawless complexion. She hadn’t even finished her makeup yet and she was so pretty.  

     “In a month, I have to go back to London next week.” You said, sifting through the opinions you brought for dresses. You brought three options, just in case you changed your mind after seeing yourself in the dress. “Harrison and I are going to go over the scripts together and we were also told to go out in public a few times; for press and whatnot.” 

      “That’s exciting!” Zendaya mused, she glanced at the clock and gave her hairdresser some instructions about how much time she had to do hair. “It’s a good thing you guys are already friends. I remember when I filmed ‘The Greatest Showman’ I didn’t know many of the actors personally, so we had to go out together and do press all while being almost strangers. It was a bit nerve wracking.” Zendaya smiled at you fondly, she was like an older sister to you during this whole movie-making process, she constantly had your back. 

     “Yeah, I mean I’ll probably be in a situation like that at some point, but for my first lead role it’s nice to be working opposite a friend.” You smiled back, finally deciding on the red, sequined dress. 

     You both sat and worked through the makeup process in comfortable silence. 

     “So you and Tom…” Zendaya broke the silence and looked at you with a smirk on her face. 

     “What?” You looked at her with a dumbfounded look, before nervously laughing, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

     “Don’t play dumb, (Y/N/N).” She poked your arm and laughed, “He’s literally obsessed with you.” 

     You laughed at how ridiculous that sounded. A movie star, and very famous movie star at that, obsessed with you? You? Impossible. 

     “Yeah no, sorry but you got the wrong girl, babe.” You sighed, pulling out your phone to snap and selfie with her for your instagram story. You quickly snapped a pic of the two of you, her kissing your cheek, leaving a small, faint lipstick mark. “I mean it’d be nice,” you back tracked, “but I’m sure that’s just my wishful thinking.” 

     “What wishful thinking? I thought you were a pessimist?” Zendaya chuckled, taking her own photo with you to post later. 

     “I am, but I can’t help but indulge a bit.” 

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     Before you knew it, you were back in London, staying in a rented out flat for the next three to four months. Harrison was kind enough to come over to help you set up a work space, but he also offered you to spend most of your time at his place. Since Tom was in New York, doing interviews about the new Spider-man movie and having meetings with the Marvel Cinematic Universe team to try and gauge his future in the MCU, he wouldn’t be around for almost a month, so Harrison offered up Tom’s office when you needed to go over a scene by yourself and wanted a place that was already set up. 

     The days of filming seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. Most of your scenes were with Harrison, and he was the perfect scene partner. He rarely messed up, but if he did then he was quick to use it as an opportunity to improvise. His skills weren’t as well honed in like Tom’s, but it was obvious that their style ranged from a similar source. 

     The main thing about this movie that you were excited, but extremely nervous for, were the two sex scenes. The first one is at the beginning, where the two leads give in to each other for a night, then there's some implied stuff in between, and the last one is when the two leads part ways for the final time at the end of the movie. The first one had to be rough, fast, and needy, whereas the second one was direct to be more slow, thought out, and sensual. 

      Both were extremely stress-inducing to film. Harrison had also never done any scenes like this before, so he was on the same boat as you. Thankfully you had an amazing director and stunt coordinator to work with and with the help of other crew members, the scenes were mapped out so that it wasn’t too much improv or guessing on your part. 

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     The first intimate scene you shot actually happened to be the one at the end of the movie. That scene was more tame and dealt with more emotional subtexts than physical. Since you filmed that one first, you went into filming the next one with more confidence. It only took a few days to get the first scene down to perfection, so with this newfound confidence, it shouldn’t take too long to get the next one done. 

     On the days you shot intimate scenes, you only needed to wear the costume you wore before the scene and then you changed into a robe with nude underwear underneath. The bits with the outfit on before were already shot, so the director called a 30 minute break until you could begin shooting the actual sex part. 

     You were standing by the snack table, eyes scanning the table for any more muffins leftover from breakfast. The robe you wore made your skin prickle whenever a draft came onto set. 

     Just as you had found the muffin you were looking for, a pair of warm hands covered your eyes. 

     “Guess who!” An all too familiar warm, British accentuated, voice called. 

      You turned around in his arms, effectively nudging his hands from your face, and soon you were met with the warmest hazel eyes. Eyes that you missed so much this past month. 

      “Tommy!” You squealed and thrusted yourself into him in a hug. He immediately reciprocated it and wrapped your body in warmth. “What’re you doing here?” You asked once you let go of him. 

      “Harrison gave me the location so I could come watch you film. I just got home, like, two days ago.” Tom eyed you up and down, not realizing what little you had on. “Um—are you wearing anything under that?” He pointed up and down your figure. 

     “Nope, today and tomorrow we’re scheduled to film the sex scene.” You said casually, doing a silly twirl. Tom gulped. 

     “A s-sex scene?” He choked, “I didn’t know you guys had one.” 

     “Yup,” you smirked, “two actually, this is my first one ever, Haz’s too, I think. Well actually, we filmed the sex scene at the end of the movie last week.” 

     “Yeah… t-that’s cool.” Tom smiled weakly. 

     Right as you were about to continue your conversation with Tom, an arm swung over your shoulder and pulled you close. Harrison smiled at the both of you. He wore a similar robe to yours, except he left the front open. His plaid boxers on full display. 

     “Don’t listen to her, Tom. She’s a natural.” Harrison pinched your cheeks. Tom clenched his jaw at the comment. He knew Harrison hadn't meant to imply anything with it, but he couldn't help but hear the hidden meaning behind the otherwise innocent compliment. 

      You giggled and pushed his hand away, “Only ‘cus my scene partner is so darn cute.” You retaliated, poking and tickling his pecs. 

      This kind of goofy banter was normal between you and Harrison, but Tom hadn’t seen either of you in so long. He also had never seen you two interact so fluently with each other. He watched the interaction with a tight-lipped smile, nodding along and shrugging every once in a while to seem like he was paying attention. In reality though, he couldn’t pry his thoughts away from how close you were to Harrison. 

     “Ok everyone! Places! Let’s wrap this scene up and put it to rest today!” Your director called. You and Harrison smiled and waved goodbye to Tom. Harrison pointed to a chair in the room that had a nice view of the set where Tom could watch. Tom nodded and walked over to the chair, enthusiasm for watching you work completely dissipating. 

     The scene started off rough right off the bat. The second the director said ‘Action!’ you and Harrison were practically pouncing on each other. Harrison had you pressed up against the wall and you were both breathing heavily. He was leaving sloppy, wet kisses down your neck, then across your collar bones. Your moans, which Tom always imagined to sound like music to his ears, sounded too real for his liking. But no matter how much he tried to look away, his eyes were glued to the two bodies moving fluidly with one another. 

     “Cut! Cut!” The director yelled, effectively ending the scene. You and Harrison pulled apart and he gave you a peck on the cheek, as in saying ‘good job’. “That was good, but Harrison,” The blonde nodded, awaiting further instruction. “You gotta be a little rougher, hm?” 

     Harrison nodded along with the critique. “(Y/N)?” the director moved his attention to you, “would it be okay if Harrison marked you up? Just a few hickeys to really sell the illusion. We can do without, though, if you feel uncomfortable.” 

     Tom overheard the interaction and internally hoped that you were too uncomfortable for that, but deep down he knew you would do it. You were never the type to stray away from a challenge. 

     “Yeah, that’s fine.” You nodded, chest still heaving from the scene. You looked at Harrison. “Is that okay with you?” 

     Harrison nodded, a shy smile tugging at his lips. Yeah, you guys have been working at this scene for days now, but he’d never been rough enough to leave marks. He’d be lying if he said the thought didn’t invigorate him. 

     So the scene started from the top, you pressed up against the wall, all your weight shoved between the flimsy wall of the set and Harrison’s strong arms. Harrison did exactly as the director required, leaving noticeable dark spots across the top of your chest. Unlike your previous moans, which had just been for show, this new roughness in his actions tore real moans from your lips. 

     Tom sat uncomfortably in his chair, wishing he picked a different day to visit you on set. He shifted around, watching twin moans pull from both you and Harrison’s throat. He watched as you nipped at Harrison's ear as he faux thrusted into you. The jealousy that had pitted itself in his stomach soon turned to self-loathing. You looked really into the scene, he couldn’t help but feel like he was intruding. He knew you were a great actress, but he couldn’t believe that this was all acting. In his eyes, he believed that some part of you must wish that this was real. And part of you did like this scenario, but you wouldn’t have picked Harrison to be opposite you in this little fantasy. 

     Your moans and Harrisons both grew louder, leading up to the climax as scripted. Tom, not wanting to watch anymore exited the set quickly before he could watch the scene end. 

     You and Harrison finished up, gaining applause and praise afterwards from the director and crew members on set. 

     “Where’s Tom?” You asked, scrambling back into your robe and smoothing out your now roughed up hair. 

     Harrison, now noticing the absence of his best friend, began to feel a bit guilty. He knew Tom had a thing for you, maybe he should’ve told Tom not to visit set today. 

     “Um, (Y/N)?” He mumbled, pulling you aside slightly. 

     “Yeah?” You still looked around for Tom a bit, heart sinking when you realized that he must've left without saying goodbye. 

      “I shouldn’t be the one telling you this,” Harrison began, drawing your full attention, “but Tom really likes you. He always downplayed it, so I didn’t realize how much, but I think watching this scene might’ve upset him a bit.” Harrison looked towards the exit, no doubtedly where Tom left through, out into the parking lot. 

     “Oh—oh!” You gasped, feeling terribly for having put Tom in such an awkward position. “I didn’t know he felt the same.” You whispered, smiling softly to yourself. Guess Z was right after all. You pulled away from Harrison, “I’ll go talk to him.” 

                                 ➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

      Tom didn’t go far. He still wanted to be there to support you; he didn’t want to come off as a jealous prick, but he couldn’t keep watching that intimacy between you and his best friend. He sat on the curb outside of the building the set was built in. A few people passed him going to their designated buildings on the lot, but he didn’t pay any mind to them, too lost in his thoughts. He needed to tell you sooner rather than later how he felt. No time to be a pussy anymore. 

     “Tom?” You walked up next to his sitting figure, still only in a robe, tightly wrapped around you. He looked up to acknowledge you, mumbling a soft ‘Hey.’ before looking back down, trying to collect his thoughts and courage. It’s now or never. 

     You sat beside him and rested your head on his shoulder. “Harrison told me something interesting in there,” You paused for a moment before continuing, “about you.” 

     Tom’s head shot up, and he looked at you with frantic eyes, only imagining the worse. There were too many things Harrison could’ve told you about Tom to sully your image of him. 

     “Whatever it was, he's a lying prick!” Tom rushed out. 

     You giggled, lifting your head up to look him in the eyes, his dark hazel eyes boring into yours. 

     “That’s a shame then,” You shrugged, “considering I like you too.” 

     Tom breathed out a sigh of relief, before looking back at you, doing a double take. 

    “Wait, what?” 

     “Mhm, yeah.” You said casually, standing up. “But since Harrison’s a liar then I suppose he was wrong.” You teased. 

     “No!” Tom grabbed your wrist and pulled you back next to him, but his aim was a bit off and you ended up in his lap. “He lies about a lot, but not about this.”

     You smiled at him, “I should hope not, considering I’m crazy about you.” 

     Tom couldn’t help the smile that beamed across his face, but then he noticed the marks left on you by Harrison. Remembering why he was insecure in the first place, he looked away. 

     “What about Harrison?” He asked. You looked at him utterly confused. Tom caught on and explained further. “You looked like you were really into that scene with him.” 

     You giggled and pinched Tom’s cheek, turning it red. “I’m an actress, you idiot.”

     Tom scoffed, “I know that. It’s just— I didn’t realize you could fake that kind of love.” 

     You looked at Tom’s downcast face. You leaned in and kissed his neck, just under his jaw. You nipped and sucked softly, leaving a nice, dark pink blotch that would go away in a few days under his jaw and he whimpered softly.

     “I’d never fake that kind of love with you.” You grabbed his face, holding it gently in your hands. “I’d never have to.” You whispered, pulling him in for a kiss, soft and sweet. 

     Tom pulled you closer, resting a hand on the small of your back, kissing back fervently. 

     The short make-out session being cut short by the door to the set bursting opened. Harrison rushing out, now dressed in slacks and a white button up for the next scene you needed to shoot that day. 

     “(Y/N)! Hair and makeup need you.” You lugged yourself off of Tom’s lap, promising to talk to him after you finished for the day. You went back inside, jokingly blowing a kiss to Harrison on your way. 

     Harrison stayed outside and sat next to Tom. 

     “Did she confess first?” He asked after a moment of silence. 

     “Yup.” Tom smiled happily, licking his lips, tasting the strawberry chapstick he saw you put on earlier. 

     “You owe me 10 pounds then, you wimp.” 

     “Oh, fuck off.” Tom groaned, promptly pulling ten pounds out of his wallet and handing it to Haz. 

[itsbaku]

Every Single Thing in Souls of War with Meaning

Because I'm insane and this is basically a love letter to everyone who wants to learn more about my lore

(Quick thank you to @git-it for being so invested in my lore to the point where it makes me motivated to work on this stuff. Thank you man, I don't know why you love it so much, but it means a lot 💗💗💗)

Btw this has a ton of spoilers for the books, but let's be honest here. This is free lore and if you wanna know about the Souls of War franchise, read this.

First the characters(Who mainly represent aspects of being a teenager)-

Baku- Represents mental illness and issues with mentality. They are shown to struggle with themself and deals with a lot of trauma.

Camazotz- Represents being optimistic and always seeing the good in life. Managing how to live life even though it is filled with bad, and still accepting those bads.

Mischief- Represents the refusal or fear of growing up and maturing. He is an adult in SoW:EoG but still acts like his normal child-like self with a sprinkle of teenager.

Muerto- Represents body issues, disability, or anything relating to hating or disliking your own body. He can be interpreted in many ways, but I intended him on being hating your body because of puberty. He feels as if he is no longer himself because he lost something that made him him, and is now someone else. But he is up for more interpretation, like hating your disability due to your new self or hating your body because you are trans. Interpret him how you will.

Talon- Represents imaginary friends in youth and growing up. He was created to be a friend to a lonely soul, like how kids make imaginary friends when they simply want friends. He is shown to always say what The Supreme God wants to hear, which is what we do with our imaginary friends since they are our creations and do what we want. However, he is told that he should leave to live with Baku. This is because as we grow up, we tend to want or just leave things behind as we grow.

The Supreme God- Represents...well, a lot. The Supreme God can be very versatile with interpretation. They can be seen as a being that is selfish and is forced to learn how to be human, they can be seen as a soul forced into a position they could never properly learn of, there's a lot. But here's my original pitch...a creator. The Supreme God represents someone who feels unappreciated after basically creating everything. They eventually try to gift someone who helped them, but doesn't understand why they refused their gift. Basically someone who wants to feel appreciated but is confused when people don't want their appreciation, if that makes sense. Maybe, idk.

Anyways, if you had different interpretations of the characters, let me know! I love hearing y'all's thoughts on my content!

Now, non-character things. Some of this might sound like trivia but most of it is important, so apologies if it all feels quick.

Souls of War-

Camazotz and most Aztec Gods speak Spanish on occasion. Now, why is this important? Well, the Aztecs and most ancient civilizations had their native tongue erased by the Europeans. Because of this, the Aztec Gods struggled to continue to preach and speak. They had to speak Spanish to still work with their worshippers. However they speak English for a majority of the book because of the obvious, but also to be comprehensive. They also say a lot of swear words in Spanish lol.

I made many cultural references in the first book. My favorite being La Catrina. La Catrina is a symbol in Mexican culture of being usually represented as a singer made of bones. She is very beautiful and drawn a lot with beautiful clothing and markings on her skull.

I'm pretty sure I made a 13 heavens reference in it. Anyways, The Thirteen Heavens is a set of heavens in Aztec mythology where the gods reside in a level type of structure. I kinda made more of a "For gods sake!" type of thing because y'know, it works.

Camazotz dies in the end. For a long of reasons, but mainly as a backstory that turned into a main story.

Souls of War: Eyes of Chaos-

The prologue starts with summarized backstory of Baku. That's pretty good. We get an idea of how sick someone can get of second chances.

Camazotz has a birb girlfriend, which you can exclusively learn from my Tumblr and Twitter.

We get more with Camazotz, which is good because we always need more with the og bat.

Also in this book we get perspective chapters, because I know we need to know how these two feel about each other.

Baku is a rather fickle character in this book, but there's good reason for it. Baku is so tired of just letting things happen, feeling like they can barely do anything to change anything. So, they change. Baku becomes rather malicious and cruel in this book. Baku finally shows their true colors, which is good because they finally get to start confronting their issues.

Baku eats some conchas. This is more just because I love conchas and I wanted to make a "Baku doesn't know what certain things are" joke. They make a comment on how they thought conchas were shells(conches 🐚).

So idk how relevant this is, but Baku first attacks Camazotz in the face first. Baku prefers to attack the face, mostly the eyes. Why? Because Baku believes that no one else can see the truth, so they are unworthy of their own eyes.

Baku also thinks a lot, a lot more than they speak at times. Souls of War Harbingers of Magic has the record of how much Baku has spoken.

So even though Camazotz and Baku do reconcile in the end, they still have a somewhat rocky relationship. They have a "I don't hate you, I wouldn't say love, but I'd die, kill, and spare for you" type of thing I guess.

Camazotz heavily idolizes Baku in a way. She thinks of them a lot, and usually does in casual and kind ways. I think it's nice.

Souls of War: Harbingers of Magic-

Ok we get Muerto's backstory right in the prologue. I need everyone to know...that Muerto basically hates himself. Look man, when you lose the most important thing to yourself, and feel forced to take on a new identity, and then forced to soon deal with trauma, I think you'd hate your life a little.

So Mischief gets a spotlight here a little, because he is a important character. In a way, he is a redeemer. His purpose is to help those who kinda had hardships in life.

Anyways the whole thing of them being Harbingers of Magic is glossed over rather quickly. But it's important because of the next book.

So Muerto actually manages to confront a hidden issue he had. In the book, he wanted to sacrifice himself to kill Soulix, the antagonist. However, Mischief did not want him to, hoping that Camazotz and Baku would kill Soulix. When Muerto accidentally hurts Mischief, instead of proceeding with his actions, he stops and acknowledges what he did. Because he did what he promised to never do. He wanted to stop problems, instead of confronting them. But in the end, he learned how to try and handle a problem.

Muerto also learns to accept how he looks. Sure, that might clash with his character, but it's for good reason. He realized that if his friends were willing to do so much for him, that he never wanted them to care about...why did he need to change? Why must he do something that they never take notice of? They didn't care that he didn't have wings, they loved him for who he was. He decided that he wasn't going to "fix" himself, but embrace who he is now.

Baku and Camazotz have a small argument over alcohol. This is mainly to show they still sorta just talk over anything, even if it is pure nonsense.

Souls of War: End of Godhood-

The title is extremely misleading but it works in the end.

So The Supreme God is the main antagonist, with Talon being their partner in crime. But Talon gets his redemption earlier than they do.

So Talon is a character...a character most like me. You'd expect me to say that about The Supreme God, but no. Talon is by far the most character. He learns how to be himself, how to live without orders, and how to see others as equals. But, before that, we can see someone who can act a type of normal. He acts the normal has always been trained to act. Of course, he can act normal, as he is capable of being friendly. But he is usually trained to obey orders until it is resting time. Anyways getting off track but he is a very interesting character.

We get to see some fun God interaction, until it ain't fun anymore. We learn that again, gods can be unreasonable stupid and do the bad things. Yes, I am very fond of the ideas of gods not being very godly.

Camazotz gets some bonding time with the boys, and Muerto is so intolerant of her at times. He only really accepts childishness from Mischief, not a god.

So Talon gets adopted into the family, and he has an extremely hard time trying to adjust. But he is very grateful to be invited to be somewhere to live. Plus he can still see The Supreme God, so win win.

So to answer a question, Talon was never designed to be a weapon. He was a companion, but due to The Supreme God's curiosity, they gave him power and trained him to be a certain way. Talon doesn't know what he wants, he doesn't even really know who he is either. He is more of a occasionally used shank.

In the beginning of SoW EoG, there's a lot of flower talk. The flowers have meaning actually, but I can't remember each one right now. What I can remember is that Marigolds, lilac, and hydrangeas are all mentioned. Look up their meanings and maybe you can piece it together on why.

Ok so that's a bunch of stuff. Thanks for reading. I hope you somewhat enjoyed it? I love talking about the lore.

Til we meet again my friends.

[cellsshapedlikestars]

Hon' if you are accepting prompts (and only if you are!) can I have some spooky Sansa and Jon? I'm still not over them in spooky scenarios so I would love to read anything about it.

And for something a little more specific (in case that helps): maybe ghost!Sansa and Jon moves to her place and she is not happy, but also she loves his dog?

Or maybe Addams AU!

Or maybe Jon is the ghost and Sansa moves into his place?

Or they are talkshow hosts or something and a ghost is trying to get them together?

Or maybe YouTubers AU and their followed bug them until they agree to a Collab and it's Halloween or something like that?

Okay I went all over the place and clearly have too many ideas, but feel free to choose any of you do choose something!

First of all, I guess I'm sort of always taking prompts? I'll never turn them away, though they may also sit in my inbox forever (I'm looking at you, the last anon prompt from when I asked for them back in December...)

Second, spooky prompts! ❤️👻❤️👻❤️ If there's anything I love in this world, it's the supernatural/paranormal. And it may be the middle of summer, but I'm already longing for spooky season and I've been trying to vibe with it but it's hard when the days are so long, hot, and humid. (I desperately want to be able to go outside and not feel like I'm breathing soup, thank you very much.)

Before I get to the prompt itself, because I'm too wordy for my own good - your one prompt of Sansa/Jon is a ghost and the other moves in to their place... well, I've read that fic! It's actually locked on AO3 and I don't know if that means the author doesn't really want people finding it/linking to it, so I won't, but I guess DM me if you wanna know what it is?? I don't know the protocol for that. There's also Haunt Me, Then by the lovely @ode-to-an-inkwell which I read back when I was lurking and I loved it. It's the same base premise, but with a ton more plot!

The prompt I have chosen is the youtuber collab! Because I also love writing about/dissecting social media, apparently.

.

.

Sansa breathes – deep and even – and tries to stay centered in the middle of her group (away from the edges, away from the dark corners and the sounds coming from them and the people she knows are waiting for her there).

She wishes with all her strength that her followers had never found out that she's related to Robb. It's not something she was hiding, necessarily, but when she started her channel, she'd kept a lot of her personal life private. And honestly, she never thought it would get to this point – the point where she has millions of followers and Robb and Theon have millions of followers and those followers inevitably found out she and Robb are siblings.

A collab had been unavoidable. She just wishes it were any other activity than... this.

She lets out a strangled scream as something crashes to her right and she stumbles left, straight into the other person who's been dragged along tonight – Jon Snow. He catches her arm and keeps her upright and she almost thanks him until she hears him let out a laugh. It infuriates her and she rips her arm out of his grasp and sends him a glare, though it's short lived when she sees what looks like a jar of eyeballs on a shelf behind him and bile twists in her stomach.

She hates Halloween - she hates horror movies and jump scares and gore, and she especially hates haunted houses. But what else should she have expected for this collab? Robb and Theon have a dumb prank channel, of course they'd bring her – notorious wimp Sansa Stark – to a haunted house for the video. She thinks Robb got permission to film, because Dacey and Olyvar are flanking them with cameras to capture everyone's reactions.

“It's all fake,” Jon reminds her, though she barely hears his voice over the din of sound effects echoing through the dark corridor as they pass from one room to another.

“I know that,” she hisses, heart pounding wildly. They approach a doorway and – sure enough – right as she passes through, there's a person with heavy special effects makeup waiting on the other side to grab at her (another thing she resents – this is one of those places where the actors can touch you. They'd had to sign a waver). She screams in the actor's faux-bloody face and she swears he laughs at her.

In front of her, Robb and Theon are being obnoxious as usual. She doesn't really condone their prank channel and has often had to reign them in from doing something that would get one of them needlessly hurt (or would be considered, you know, illegal). Jon is usually an unwilling participant in their videos, and he has his own woodworking channel that has nowhere near the viewership that her makeup channel or Robb and Theon's prank channels do (she's told him, over an over, that if he showed his face on camera, he'd get more viewers, but he insists that he wants the focus to be on his work, not him). Jon walks next to her, calm, like nothing in this place fazes him, and she sort of resents him for this.

She understands it's all fake, she's not stupid, but that doesn't stop her fear response from kicking in every time something jumps at her, every time lights flicker or go out. It doesn't stop her stomach from turning whenever she sees the needlessly gory scenes like that doctor cutting a girl open, her fake intestines spilling out as the actress screamed.

“It'll be over soon,” Jon leans in close so she can hear him better, and for a moment a sense of calm washes over her. She loses it, though, as he moves away to give her space and she panics and reaches out and grabs his hand, tugging him back close to her.

A strange look passes over his face, but he doesn't say anything, just lets her grab onto his arm as they continue through the haunted house. She can't explain it, but with Jon next to her she feels... safe. She knows none of this is real, she knows none of these actors will actually hurt her, but it doesn't seem to matter, and it doesn't seem to matter that Jon won't actually have to protect her (though she somehow knows that he would if he ever had to, and that's a strange realization to have as she's walking through a room of terrifying clowns).

When it's finally over and they're outside, she breathes a sigh of relief and she feels muscles that she hadn't even realized were tensed relax.

“That was awesome,” Theon nearly shouts at one of the cameras. He and Robb talk loudly and animatedly for the cameras about the house, summarizing it for their audience (she knows they're likely to cut out a lot of the extreme scares and gore, since a good portion of their audience are kids and young teens).

“You good?” Jon murmurs to her and she realizes she still has a death grip on his arm.

“Oh,” she breathes with a forced laugh, “yeah,” and she lets go of his arm and immediately wishes she could have it back. (And then, some part of her brain whispers that she wishes she could have his arm wrapped around her instead, but she pushes that thought out because where did that even come from?)

Jon brings a hand up to scratch at his beard and shifts on his feet and she wonders if its because he feels awkward on camera. Jon's never liked being on camera, not really – it's why Robb and Theon always have to catch him off guard and why his videos – at most – only feature his hands and forearms (the comments on his videos about how attractive his hands and forearms are had been one of her main arguments for showing his face, but Jon had gotten weird after that and so she'd dropped it eventually).

“Hayride next?” Robb asks, which brings her back to the present.

“There's more?” she whines, twisting her face into a pout that always got her out of trouble when she was a kid, but Robb and Theon are already making their way towards the next attraction.

“You can sit next to me,” Jon offers, and she feels relief flood through her. “I'll be on the outside.”

She feels herself smile for the first time all night and nods and she's even more pleased when he – after a moment of hesitation – holds out his arm for her to take. She does so, curling her own arms around his and hugging it to her, keeping herself as close to him as possible as they walk through the fairgrounds to the haunted hayride.

They arrive right behind Robb and Theon and when Robb sees the way she's basically clinging to his best friend, there's a look that she can't figure out – it flicks from their joined arms, to Jon, then back to their arms, then to her, then back to Jon again and she feels Jon stiffen up next to her. Something silent passes between them and Robb looks almost... concerned? But then Jon shakes his head so subtly she thinks she's not supposed to see it and Robb nods back and turns around to face Theon and the cameras and Sansa's left more confused than anything.

The next tractor and wagon pull up to the entrance and the previous riders disembark. She waits with Jon, and though there's a slight fluttering in her stomach, she's not terrified like she had been right before the haunted house. Jon keeps his word and as they climb onto the open-topped wagon, he lets her sit in the middle and he takes the outside so she won't have to deal with the actors that run up to them during the ride. She settles into the hay and, without thinking, leans her head on his shoulder, arm still linked through his.

“Thank you,” she says.

“Robb and Theon shouldn't have made you do this,” Jon says back and his voice sounds a bit shaky. She can't see his face, she's too comfortable resting her head against him to look up, but she wonders why he sounds nervous. Maybe he's more scared of all of this than he was letting on? He hadn't seemed nervous at all in the haunted house.

“Don't worry, I'm going to have so much fun giving them a full face of glam makeup when it's time to make the video for my channel.” That's the point of this collab – she does a video for their channel and they do one for hers.

Jon lets out a soft laugh as the tractor starts up and the wagon lurches forward, heading into the dark forest. “Can I watch?”

“Definitely,” she says as she squeezes his arm tighter, her heart jumping at a noise off in the woods – a signal that the scares are about to start. “You should let me do your makeup,” she continues to try and distract herself. “I think glam makeup would look amazing with your beard.”

“Sure,” she can feel his shoulder lift into a shrug, and that does make her lift her head up and look at him.

“You would? I thought you hated being on camera?”

He shrugs again, but whatever response he was going to give is cut off as an actor takes a running leap at the wagon, latching onto the side and pulling himself up, and the passenger nearest to him (right in front of Jon) screams. Sansa sucks in a breath and tries to calm her racing heart (and out of the corner of her eye, she sees Dacey with a camera pointed right at her and Jon, a smirk on her face).

She spends the rest of the ride (and all through the haunted corn maze), hanging onto Jon for dear life and she swears his calm presence is the only reason she survives.

(And when she finally gets home to her little apartment and gets into bed, she tries desperately not to think too hard about why that is. She tries not to analyze the safety she felt with him or the way her heart had been fluttering during the car ride home, sitting in Robb's back seat and staring at Jon's profile illuminated by moonlight in the front seat as he and Robb talked and joked around. She tries not to obsess about the way he'd told her to call him if she ever wanted him to be in one of her videos, tries not to read too much into the look Robb had given Jon when he said it.)

(She tells herself that the reason she can't sleep that night is because of the haunted house.)

(It's definitely not because of Jon.)

[smilingperformer]

Discussing the good and bad of Pokémon Journeys: Part “Rocket Gang”

It is no secret that the handling of Rocket Gang in Journeys is quite different from how the fans and audience have come to know them. Even I have tons to say about how I feel about Rockets in this series, so let's get started!

TLDR; Their handling in this series isn't exactly the best kind as it has removed one of the beloved aspects of them (having own Pokémon they bond very closely with) and is showing less often how they are RIGHTEUS evil, not evil evil. More under the cut, Journeys abverted to JN.

So. How do I begin. Let's start with saying: I am a Rocket Fan. A huge one. Ever since I started watching Pokémon couple years ago during Sun & Moon's first year, I fell in love with these buffoons, and I absolutely adored how the two bonded with their Pokémon and showcased that they're not that different from the brats, just on the villainnous side. Kojiro is a loving and caring man, Musashi has gone through lots of stuff and Nyarth has deep understanding over Pokémon's feelings due to his past experiences. Oh, Sonansu's there too, I love that blue blop so much. Honestly, the main reason I love these four so much is because they're such lovable villains who tend know what is right for their Pokémon, or other Pokémon they manage to bond with. And it was shown really well pre-SM as well.

Like, one of my favourite episodes of all time for Rockets is actually JN019, and it's because of how the Rockets end up helping a Ditto/Metamon who wants to be a proper actor, but thus far tended to fail in transforming into Pokémon perfectly. Musashi, as a actress herself, really bonds with this Metamon, managed to help it perfect the transformation with the help of Kojiro, Nyarth and Sonansu, and despite having the job to pokenap Pokémon... they actually end up helping Metamon to get back its job, to make sure it doesn't have a reputation of a Rocket 'mon. And they do SUCH a good job at acting like they're not intending it.

Like, during this acting performance, they really want to get blasted off! They don't even hide it. They keep provoking Satoshi to use Pikachu's Thunderbolt to blast them off and save Metamon that way. And I just fricking love them for this asjhgsjhgfs.

But aside from this episode, there really hasn't been that many episodes focusing on this aspect of Rockets. Another good episode for them JN is JN024 thou, where Rockets are on vacation and, are NOT on their villainous acts.

They're mere citizens in that episode, enjoying their free time in Sinnoh's Resort Area. And even when the brats come around, they fully ignore their need to capture Pikachu. For Sakaki-sama's orders. Akjhksajfh I just, really love how this ep managed to show that, even if they are part of Rocket Gang, it's merely their job, not who they are fully. They're not like Matori, they're not like Yamato and Kosanji- oh it's Kosaburo. They're merely doing the villainous stuff because they believe it to help make the world better. And when they're not working? They're good citizens. This was such a good episode for them because of this because it really showed that they could easily just be friends with the brats if they weren't on the opposite sides.

They even helped foil Matori's team's plans on kidnapping every single Pokémon in the Resort Area and sajghsjhgf. These four really hate Matori now do they. They're on her side, but they also keep foiling her plans. Even in Sun & Moon they foiled Matori's plans to pokenap Nuikoguma, because they knew their lovely Kiteruguma mom bear would be upset. As I said before: They're villains, but they're not evil evil. They do the evil stuff for their own rightful reasons.

Now that I've discussed the reasons I love Rockets and what I've loved in JN, let's talk about what it is that makes me feel iffy about their handling in JN, one of them being the lack of own permament poketeam.

In the past seasons, Rockets would always catch themselves one of their own 'mon that would willingly join their causes, and end up bonding with them deeply. In JN, this is... pretty much non-existant. We have the recurring 'mon of Kamukame/Chewtle and Morpeko, but the first one appears in such a rare rate, and latter one has been used as a... abuse comedy. When the Morpeko started following Rockets, I had hoped that it would end up bonding with the Rockets and they'd find some common ground, but so far, there's no sign of it, and Morpeko is more like a leech in their base instead of a powerful asset, and like. I feel like this was the show's way of trying to recreate Kiteruguma but with an opposite twist of it eating their rations instead of feeding them like Kiteruguma did, but it's not working as well as Mama Bear's gimmick did. At least in my opinion.

Now let me just say that, I don't really mind the Rocket Gacha machine. I feel like the concept it has is pretty cool, and seeing what kind of Pokémon Rocket Gang has managed to capture for using is super cool to witness. They also have been able to switch up it's results in unique and fun ways and seeing it sometimes fail is kinda fun and relatable to anyone who's played gacha games, sajhgfs. However, it feels like the Gacha completely replaced Rocket Quatret's ability to capture Pokémon of their own and, it hurts my soul to say it.

I think one of the reasons they did this route was due to how in Sun & Moon, Musashi and Kojiro ended up leaving their 'mon behind, due to knowing that they won't like it at the Rocket Head Quarters and leaving the cozy family that is Kiteruguma and Nuikoguma. So, maybe the writers felt like the Quatret would now feel bad about capturing 'mon they would bond closely with after this, and then ending up having to send them to HQ. So in a way, I get the possible intention behind this decision. Yet it still hurts. And I feel like most Rocket Fans feel the same way.

Their writing is pretty much the same throughout the show (which imo is kind of an average, as it doesn't hit the nail the same way I came to love them in Sun & Moon or OS to DP era, or even XY and Best Wishes DA! Arc), so it doesn't make sense for me to recite every single appearance of theirs, but I really have to discuss what irritated me a lot:

So. JN059.

I'll just say it straight away: I did not like how Rockets were written in this episode. At all. While their personality was spot on, their motives and actions weren't. Like... the fact that Grookey/Sarunori was a Rocket 'mon is a unique concept and I honestly like it. However, the way Sarunori ended up switching sides was so bad for me. So bad.

No. I am not one of those who think that Gou stole Sarunori from them and doesn't deserve it. No. That ain't my problem. It's more like the issue in how Rockets weren't allowed to learn more about Sarunori, bond with it, learn that it's not the one to want to join the villanous side and feels happier with Gou. The idea of the story for Rocket 'mon to switch sides is great. Excecution however is not.

Like... this line where Musashi says that Sarunori needs to be sent back to HQ to be re-educated specifically ticks me off in bad way and I hate to feel ticked off like this. And this line is all because they weren't allowed to learn more about Sarunori's motives. Because the plot had to be in one episode. I feel like the motives, Rocket Gang's handling and side switching would have worked better for me, if it was a longer built arc. Sort of like how Mijumaru/Oshawott, Hikozaru/Chimchar and the likes of them were done.

And this hurts more because of JN019 where they WERE allowed to bond and perform an act of helping Metamon get back its job. These buffoons KNOW when the 'mon deserves to go to the non-villainous side. And it's all because of JN019 that I feel so strongly ticked off for this line. "We'll... ...have you re-educated". That's not what they were gonna do with Metamon. Like. God damn it.

Rockets were there when Hikozaru switched teams from Shinji to Satoshi. They came to care for the lil monkey before this switch and after this switch. They KNEW it would be better off with Satoshi, and they kept rooting for it from afar, despite constantly trying to steal it. That's their job. Same with how Nyarth comes to like the Honcho Nyabby, due to its background, and finds peace with knowing that Nyabby will find a happy life with Satoshi. All of these examples are exactly why I strongly dislike how Jn059 handled Rockets, and I so god damn wish they would have ACCEPTED that Saruroni should join Gou, but make it so that they'd have to rescue Sarunori instead of giving it to them just like that. They're not heartless.

Unless this was an act from them. Which I doubt since Nyarth learns about Sarunori wanting to go with Gou late into the episode and then trying to deny it having been said??? Uuuugh. This episode really could have used more build up and different handling with Rockets.

Another option that would have made me like Sarunori's capture was if it had been some other Rockets it escaped from, like Matori Matrix or sudden return of Yamato and Kosaburo, or something else. I LIKE the idea of Sarunori being a Rocket 'mon, so I wouldn't change it. I just don't like that it was OUR beloved Rockets that had to be treating it this way.

Sigh. Now that that's out of the way. What else is there to say. Well. How would I try improving Rockets in JN? Simple: give them their own Pokémon to care for. Make them bond with more than just Chewtle. Let them have Pokémon they can bond with and show their loving side with. It's severely lacking right now and I feel like most Rocket fans are really missing this aspect a lot. Also please don't make them act like they don't understand Pokémon's feelings. They do. I'm glad that Satoshi still knows that Rockets care for Pokémon of their own and wouldn't treat them badly, but it still isn't showcased that well in JN. So I wish it would improve on that. I would also seriously love it if some of their old 'mon from past shows would come up from the Gacha Machine, as I'd imagine them being put inside there as well. It did have tons of Gulpin inside for some reason.... Sakaki, wtf.

Well. I guess there's not much else to talk about regarding Rockets. In short, I love Rockets, but I'm not happy with how they're handled in JN fully and despite there being couple really good episodes for them, and some of the episodes have excellent usage with them (like JN038 where Musashi just casually says "Evening" to Satoshi when he discovers them hiding in bushes, sajhgshfsghjf forever love that moment). I just want better handling with their righteus evil.

So. What's up next? I'm thinking about compiling a post of COTDs and supporting cast next time, which would include the likes of Kikuna, Renji, Sakuragi, family casts etc.

So, thanks for reading if you got this far, hope you enjoyed it despite possibly disagreeing with me, and I hope you'll all have a fantastic day.

Til next time! Aleira, aka Smiling Performer, signing out!

[sexy-zeitreise-detektiv]

okay but where tf is my hg tannhaus content at? he basically had to raise some baby just after he lost his kid and grandkid, he's a clock maker who doesn't (or does depending how you see his 'splitting the world' thing) time travel and his 'life's work' is borne from a bootstrap paradox. all i'm saying is. hg tannhaus king.

Sorry I kind of forgot about this asks and I'm not sure if this response will satisfy your need for more Tannhaus content but here we go.

It's true, his clockworker aesthetic is extremely underutilized in fanart and I rarely see any fanfiction of him, even though there's tons of potential interactions with Charlotte and internal struggles that the show chose not to portray. Like how does Tannhaus deal with the absolute whiplash of losing his entire family and then becoming a father again in the same night? What's the relationship between him and Charlotte like? Besides all the obvious angst? Do they make pancakes together? Does Tannhaus actually dare to love her or is he scared that he will lose her "again"? We will never know!! Although sealandreich on ao3 has a very good Charlotte- and Tannhaus-focused series, so I would recommend you check that out.

Usually I would rant more about how this character deserved way more screentime, however! in this case I understand the artistic choice behind retaining Tannhaus for as much as they did. It makes sense if you see the series through a Jewish/Christian lens with Adam and Eva representing their biblical counterparts and Tannhaus as the creator of their universes representing god. Though usually in religious texts, god is presented either as a punishing force or as a loving fatherly figure. Dark subverts this expectation by making it's god figure mostly ignorant towards his creation. Very angsty and *Hannibal voice* nietzschean, if I dare say so. On a side note, it's also very obvious that Claudia is Dark's take on Satan, even though (or rather especially because) she is not a purely malicious force. She's the one pulling all of the strings, she's the one getting Jonas and Martha to commit the original original sin, and generally being a morally grey queen. And like... she gets called "Der Weiße Teufel" all the time, I think we get it lmao.

Another religious approach, that also fits nicely into Dark's love of the number three, would be a Hindu reading, where Tannhaus, Adam and Eva each represents a part of the Trimurti. Tannhaus would therefore be Brahma the creator, Eva would be Vishnu the conserver and Adam Shiva the destroyer. I am not at all an expert on Hinduism but as far as I understand all of them are actually one entity (->everything is connected). Which also ties in with a third possible reading:

The whole multiverse is Tannhaus's trauma response to losing his family. I know, this is basically canon but I propose that if we theoretically could see every character, who was created in the time travel bullshit thing, as a facet of Tannhaus's personality/emotional response to his trauma. Adam represents pure anger and bad coping mechanisms that only hurt him and others more, whereas Eva represents his urge to remain in this sort of comforting stage of depression. I guess that would make Claudia a therapist of some sorts? Or maybe his only healthy impulse in all of this mess? Idk at this point I'm just rambling.

This got very dry and very serious very quickly so fun Tannhaus headcanons: He loves bird watching (while they are alive), he once met Nena but didn't recognize her (one of many things to fuel Charlotte's teen angst) and.... he's trans. (There's nothing to indicate that any of this is true, I just want it to be.)

To conclude this essay, yes, Tannhaus is actually technically speaking the main character and yes, I will probably make fanart of him soon and lastly yes, Dark good. Have a wonderful day, anon.