#Kei-Wai Lin
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averlym · 1 year ago
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"now, doesn't that look nice?" [insp]
#*chanting* skask skask skask skask-#vincent aurelius lin#adamandi#hello. let's talk about what's going on here! i've been tossing the idea about here wrt skin translucency ever since that post came out#(it's linked above fyi. but to quote it.) 'attempting to pursue this unachievable white ideal of the young academic; maybe leading to gory#representations of mimicry; replacement; taking on someone else's skin; altering the self'#this is primarily key in vincent and the skask; in the actual show iirc they used a jockey mask or smth? but i was thinking about the#delightful way skin is semi-transparent. and so a literal layer of skin alone would be unlikely to provide the whiteness pursued-#the under layer of the original tone would be there. so smth about the failure and unattainable.#additionally; at this point of the show the skin would have been likely yellowing or greying due to post-mortem development? so even more#Not white. from observations (as a kid;comparing skin tones?) white people have a pinker undertone (this might be. a generalisation but.)#here the lighting is yellowish to further push the difference + give the super harsh lighting that if you suspend disbelief has some hair#appear as blonde to further the ambrose-ness.#also the hair- messier on the non-ambrose side; a reference to the whole monologue about the haircuts they got#we bring to you also another episode of <i like drawing fabric folds> in the jacket symbolism! from bottom right to top left; it tracks#vincent throughout act two: the initial long jacket for standing out (nonchalance?) at ardess is removed; the yellow coat is put on- aided#here by ambrose's ghost which is represented by the hand! (it is very very slightly transparent- you can see the jacket pattern through it)#(if you look close) and then the satchel goes over it; this mimics the clothes in <oh ms reporter>#and then the Actual Ambrose jacket goes above along with the skask; following the outfit from the pyre scene at the end.#the spark/star thing is partially foreshadowing for the upcoming stabby eye trauma thing (@quincy) and partially just so i could highlight#the eye of the mask/ the place where vincent's eye probably is Behind the mask. because i liked the idea of merging faces; intersection.#back to the translucency of skin - you can kind of make out where the rest of his face is from the darker bit? aka it's not the same colour#as the skask. smth smth limited effectiveness...#tldr? face skin. jacket skin. altering appearance over time; unfeasibleness#when i was doing this i suddenly remembered covering my skin in talcum powder as a kid... hm. i'd forgotten about that.#anyways! when i posted my first ever adamandi thing i had the thought of 'this musical makes me want to paint' and surreally enough#that has proved to be so so true. and ngl i am really enjoying it? love it when the motivation to create is there haha#i will add as a disclaimer that i'm literally chinese and if the colours look off.. i did not mean to make a caricature. please be nice#that said because stage lighting tends to shift colours about a Lot i essentially used my own skin as a reference under yellow light?#so hopefully that checks out. <disappears>
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tired-needs-sleep · 2 years ago
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rhea's oddballs are an arcanine, an alolan ninetails, and a soon-to-be delphox
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rollinouttahere-writes · 7 months ago
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Welcome back Lin! Hope your doing ok ☺️ 
Would it be alright if I request yandere Luffy where him and the reader go to an new island maybe there’s all you can eat buffet or the crew went to a fair🎢🎡 , but what if Luffy and reader got separate and while the reader was looking for him only to bump into a guy (maybe a few ?) who wouldn’t take a no for an answer maybe that’s when reader shouted for Luffy who came running ? Hope this ok and if it’s possible  could the reader be a female if not that’s ok I’m fine with gn. (Mm maybe romantic? If that’s ok if u want it could be low-key romantic if u want please ) 🍪anon
I decided to take a crack at writing Luffy romantically. I might start doing it more if y'all like this. Also I love Lin as an abbreviation of my username, that's adorable. And uh... I hope you're still with me given that this ask is from July of last year...
Prized Possession
Yandere Luffy x Fem!Reader
2k words
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Getting to explore a new island was always thrilling. There was no telling if this would be a casual visit, or if you were about to go to war with the local tyrant because your dear, chaotic captain physically can't leave well enough alone. Not that you're necessarily complaining. His tendency to stick his nose in everyone's business and throw hands when necessary (and sometimes not), was what led to you joining his crew and beginning your new life of piracy. 
As well as leading to you meeting the man that managed to completely steal your heart so effortlessly and casually that you can't even truly pinpoint an exact date for when you two became a couple. The relationship only became officially recognized when Usopp asked if you two were a couple or not, to which Luffy hummed in thought for a minute, then shrugged and said ‘yeah’.
An extremely romantic and enviable confession, truly. You wouldn't have it any other way. 
 But that was the past, and you should be focused on the now. It's not every day that you guys get the pleasure of visiting an island in the middle of a festival. Food stalls and various forms of entertainment filled a large open field with vendors all clambering for the attention of everyone and anyone passing by. Your boyfriend had rapidly become a favorite for anyone running a food stall that was selling meat. 
You watched with mild amusement as Luffy shoved as much grilled meat as he possibly could into his mouth with one hand. His other hand was tightly clutched around your own, as it usually was during any casual outing you two had together. Your free hand held a skewer of meat Luffy had handed you that you were lightly nibbling on. 
If you were completely honest, you didn't really want it. You've been sampling various meats since Luffy started dragging you around to each and every stall that caught his eye. All of them have been good, you can't deny that, but your body was begging for literally anything plant-based. You would rip a carrot out of the dirt and eat it right now if presented with the opportunity. But… Luffy looked so happy that you didn't really want to say anything about it yet. You'll be able to get a word in later once his appetite is starting to slow down. 
“Do you not like it?”
The question snapped you out of your train of thought. Luffy had just finished decimating the last of this cart's supply. His cheeks were stretched out as he chewed, then swallowed the last bite. 
“It’s fine, I guess I'm just not that hungry.” This was a half truth. You were definitely starting to get full by now. 
Not wasting a second, Luffy leaned down and ate what was left of your share. Including the stick. Once upon a time, that would have concerned you, but you've seen him eat more questionable things. He must have the stomach acid of a vulture, you're sure of it. 
“Sanji definitely makes it better, I get why you didn't want it.” Luffy promptly walked away with you in tow, ignoring the offended grumblings of the cook he just insulted without a care in the world. This is something that you would normally scold someone over, but you've quickly learned that there is no point in trying to scold Luffy about something so trivial. He won't listen. It'll be in one ear, out the other.
It was obvious that he was trying to scope out the next place to eat from. In an attempt to spare yourself from continuing to eat like a carnivore, you try to draw his attention away from all of the food. Giving his hand a squeeze, you shoot your shot, “Why don't we go try some of the carnival games? I bet we could win lots of prizes.” The games being rigged won't mean anything against someone with Luffy's strength. Bottles could be superglued to the tables, and Luffy would still be able to bowl them over with ease.
Much to your relief, Luffy perked up at your idea, seeming to be interested. He grinned widely, “Yeah! I bet I’ll be able to win more prizes than you!”
His declaration makes you laugh, “Oh? Is that a challenge?” He would absolutely win more stuff,  but that’s neither here nor there. 
He let out a laugh of his own. “It is! You better be ready to- Oh! They made more!” In an instant, your boyfriend made a hard left and sprinted towards a food stall that he had previously cleaned out. That one had been his favorite of the night. 
Apparently, he was so excited that he had let go of you in his hurry to go back. You stare down at your now freed -and slightly sweaty- hand. Well, if this isn't a perfect opportunity to get a different kind of food, you don't know what is. It won't take him long to either clean that vendor out again or notice your absence, so you should find something to eat quickly. 
You wander away from where all the savory foods are being served until you find a row of carts specializing in sweet treats. You should be able to find something with fruit here. The delicious smells of fried dough and sugary batters wafted through the air and filled your senses, but that wasn’t what you were looking for. After walking past a few carts, your eyes zero in on something promising. One of the stands is selling ice cream, and some of the toppings available are fresh fruit. Perfect!
Happily, you get in line and read the menu as you try to decide what to get. You decide on what combination of ice cream and fruit you want and order as soon as you get to the front. The vendor tells you the total while the person working with him makes your cone. Before you can pull out your money, someone behind you speaks up.
“Add hers to my order.”
The voice didn’t sound familiar, so you look over your shoulder. There is a man standing a little too close behind you. He’s tall and has an impressive looking sleeve of tattoos on his left arm. The man leers down at you. Immediately, you get a bad feeling about him.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I can pay for it.” You hastily fish some berry out of your pocket, but the stranger beats you to the chase and hands the vendor money first.
“I don’t have to, but I wanted to. Is there something wrong with that?” His smile lacks the warm comfort that Luffy’s does. It just feels condescending and smarmy. 
There is something wrong with doing a charitable act when there is an ulterior motive, but you don’t say that out loud, “I guess not… Thank you.”
He takes this as an invitation to step closer to you. “My name’s Dante. What’s a pretty thing like you called?”
You take a large step back and know that you don’t want to give this guy your actual name, “Well, my boyfriend likes to call me cupcake sometimes.” Among many other far less conventional pet names like bug or meatball. Honestly, you’re starting to think Luffy comes up with odd names just to make you laugh.
Dante’s eye twitches in annoyance, “Boyfriend? I don’t see him.”
“Yeah, we split up to get different food. He’s going to meet up with me soon.” Internally, you aren’t sure how long it’s going to take for Luffy to find you since you wandered off without telling him, but this guy doesn’t need to know that part.
“C’mon, don’t be like that. I bought you ice cream, don’t lie to me about a boyfriend.” 
“I’m not lying. I am here with my boyfriend, and I don’t care for the way you’re talking to me. Look, I’ll pay you back for the ice cream,” without waiting for a response, you pull some money out of your pocket and hold it out to him.
Instead of taking the money, he pushes your hand away and steps closer. “Just come with me for a bit. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
The vendor finally hands over your ice cream, and you’re quick to take it and speed walk away. Hopefully, Dante will take the hint and leave you alone. You make a beeline for where you last saw Luffy while taking a bite from your fruity ice cream. It tastes delicious and is very refreshing after having so much meat.
Unfortunately, you don’t make it far before you feel someone grab your arm and force you to stop. You whip around and glare at the man who’s harassing you, “Would you leave me alone? I’m not interested.”
Dante doesn’t appear to be deterred, just frustrated. “Quit playing hard to get.” He plasters a sleazy smile onto his face, “Just come with me for a little while so we can have some fun together.” He grabs your other arm and pulls you closer.
Just as you’re about to kick him between the legs, he is violently launched away from you. It startles you initially, but you relax quickly because you would recognize that stretchy arm anywhere. You smile as you see Luffy marching over to you. You’re about to greet him and say how happy you are to see him, but he walks right past you. His expression isn’t just serious. He looks pissed.
You gawk at him as he stomps over to where Dante is sprawled out on the ground, groaning in pain from crashing into a tin trash can. He looks up at Luffy and tries to sit up and act tough, “The hell is your problem, man?!”
Luffy doesn’t answer him. Instead, he pulls his arm back and punches Dante again. His fist connects with his jaw with a loud crack. In an instant, Luffy is on top of him and raining down more blows while remaining eerily silent. All you can do is stare in horror as Luffy keeps beating the man. Sickening crunches sound through the air, making your stomach lurch with each one. Ice cream drips down your fingers as it melts, but you can’t be bothered to do anything about it.
By the time Luffy gets up, Dante is completely limp and he’s bloodied from the shoulders up. Several people rush to his side to check on him, but no one is brave enough to approach Luffy. The face he had previously is gone and he’s back to smiling as if nothing happened. He wipes his bloody hands onto his shorts as he approaches you.
“There you are! I got worried when I saw you weren’t with me.”
All you do is nod, still too stunned to speak. Your silence doesn’t seem to bother Luffy at all. He ducks down and licks up some of your ice cream before raising your hands to hold it closer to your mouth, “Your ice cream is melting, don’t forget to eat it.”
“Oh… yeah…” You lick at the treat, but you can’t even taste it as your gaze remains fixed on the man that Luffy just beat to a pulp.
Luffy blocks your view and smiles tightly. “Let’s go play those games you talked about! C’mon, I’ll win you lots of prizes!” He slings an arm around your shoulder and presses a kiss to your cheek before forcibly guiding you away from the scene of his crime.
You’ve never seen that side of Luffy come out over something so minor. You would’ve understood if he’d just hit Dante the first time, but the rest? It was like watching someone get mauled by a wild animal. And after doing all that, he's walking around without a care in the world.
… Maybe you’re just overreacting. Luffy would never do something like that without a good reason… right?
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shijiujun · 9 months ago
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A Summary: The Spirealm | 致命游戏 (Kaleidoscope of Death 死亡万花筒 Live Action) & Why You Should (Eventually) Watch It
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Talk about the most short-lived drama release ever, not even totalling two hours if I recall. Creating this summary as I've seen a handful of confused friends, so here it goes!
It's going to be a long review because I sped through all 78 episodes and only properly watched the first two doors, but I got you. You'll get both the brief book rundown and the drama parts!
If you just wanna see the bromance (LOVE) parts please skip to section 4!!!!
1. Overview
Title: The Spirealm (kinda awful I'm sorry it's a mouthful) or 致命游戏 which means fatal game
Adapted From: Danmei (BL) Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu
Novel Prints: There are GORGEOUS Thai, Vietnamese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese versions printed, AND Singapore publisher Rosmei has signed the license for the ENGLISH version, probably going on sale this year (preview is here). You can still access fan translations by Taida on I think wordpress and someone else on Tumblr sorry bad memory (they did half and half each) if you'd like to read it for context. It is one of my FAVE danmeis EVER and I am a die-hard OG book fan, check out my full danmei review here.
Total Episodes: 78 (20 minutes each with the exception of last episode which 10 minutes, with several BTS not that I think we will get to see all of them yet)
Where to Watch (LOL): Erm considering that iQIYI China AND International took the episodes down, there is no legal way to watch this, BUT thanks to some cnetz with super fast and great wifi, we managed to get ripped HD versions without subs. iQIYI is very hard on copyright though, they've taken down several subbed and unsubbed versions already on YouTube, but you should type the titles of show into Twitter and the top tags will tell you where to access the raws and very little subbed episodes, that may also be taken down at any point. I have the Chinese raws but as it's hosted on a cloud, I had to pay to access it.
Main Characters: Lin Qiushi & Ruan Nanzhu/Ruan Baijie (in the novel) and Ling Jiushi & Ruan Nanzhu/Ruan Baijie (in the drama)
Produced By: iQIYI so for SURE they won't film it fully BL even if the original is, but I've seen enough bromance cuts
Main Actors: Xia Zhiguang (Ruan Nanzhu/Ruan Baijie) + Huang Junjie (Ling Jiushi)
2. Summary
Book (drama follows closely if not removing the supernatural premises): Lin Qiushi, a designer, opens the door to his home one day from inside and sees 12 iron doors outside. Confused, he opens one of them and arrives at a snow covered village in the mid of winter, and meets Ruan Baijie, who's a pretty, unusually tall and whiny/timid woman. They realise that they're in a horrifying door game, and they'll have to find a door and a key to get out, while battling a long-haired, human-eating deity. They, along with a few others, have to survive day after day until they get out, and on the first night, two people have died in gory ways. Ruan Baijie and Lin Qiushi partner each other, and despite seemingly timid and crying all the time, she saves Lin Qiushi a few times mysteriously, and Lin Qiushi finds himself trusting in Ruan Baijie.
They get through the door together and when they leave successfully, Lin Qiushi realizes that the people who died in the door will die in real life by some freak accident too - car accidents, forced suicides, a robbery gone wrong, a lift trapped in the air and going ablaze, and more. That night, Lin Qiushi wakes up to see a super handsome and tall Ruan Nanzhu at his bedside and this man feels familiar to him, but he can't put a finger on it. All he can think of when Ruan Nanzhu says his name is Ruan Baijie (ahem he would later find out who it is of course). Ruan Nanzhu takes him to his mansion in the suburbs where he meets a group of other people just like them, who're forced to go through the doors for survival. Ruan Nanzhu then invites him to join Obsidian, his organization.
Through various doors, Lin Qiushi grows and supports a super intelligent and powerful Ruan Nanzhu, falls in love with him, gets through many many scary doors with him and some of their other team members, makes friends, loses them to the cruelty of the doors as they ponder over what the door means, and what being alive/dying means.
And at the end of it, at the end of of it all, when they're all good and living their life, Lin Qiushi also finds out what Ruan Nanzhu's secret is, and the lengths to which Ruan Nanzhu went to, just to be with him.
Drama: Ling Jiushi is a VR game designer who gets pulled into a game, and he meets Ruan Baijie (in his male form) right off the bat (SO NOT CROSSDRESSING I AM SAD). All the parts are actually the same as the novel, albeit with the game setting and Ling Jiushi and Ruan Nanzhu's identity adjustments to suit the game premise. Most of the other doors and their lines are the same, just that the ending is a bit more confusing than it could be. There's a big bad as well and they actually show the opposing organizations when in the novel, these other organizations aside from Obsidian didn't even actually have a face or goal to them.
3. Characters
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^ Them in the book (based on manhua that never got to go live LOL) (RNZ/RBJ left, LQS right)
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^ Them in the show (LJS left, RNZ right)
Ruan Nanzhu/Ruan Baijie: MY HANDSOME CROSSDRESSING INTELLIGENT ALOOF BUT WHINY (WHEN IT COMES TO LIN QIUSHI) SASSY BOSS!!!! He's super mysterious and super thick-skinned too, and all he wants is Lin Qiushi's attention the moment he meets him. He's intrigued by Lin Qiushi's calm and his brains and the way he handles things, and has a lot of trust for him right from the get-go. This is also shown in the drama itself. As the leader of Obsidian, he cares a lot for his team members and his friends even if he doesn't show it most of the time, and the last thing he wants to do is lose Lin Qiushi, and he would do ANYTHING for Lin Qiushi, ANYTHING!!! Just look at him whining:
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Ling Jiushi (Lin Qiushi): In the novel he's super calm, has quite a lot of brains, a little bit of a blur in the beginning but he's super smart as well. Worries a lot for Ruan Nanzhu and is also a loyal friend to some of his only friends, and feels a lot when he loses them. Falls gradually in love with Ruan Nanzhu in the novel, like they just belong together. In this drama, Ling Jiushi holds that same trust for Ruan Nanzhu, but in demeanour he seems a bit more like a klutz and and not as cool as he was in the novel, but I guess it's acceptable. Literally like the only thing he loves more than RNZ (maybe) is his cat Chestnut LOL and RNZ is NOT really happy about that but Chestnut LOVES RNZ
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Yixie and Qianli: CUTEST TWINS ;-; WHO TREAT RNZ and LQS as their big brothers LOOK AT THEM BOWING AND RNZ/LJS like parents LMAO
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A handful of other characters who will keep turning up and get your hearts ;-;
4. ALL FAVE BROMANCE MOMENTS + TROPES
THEY TOUCH EACH OTHER A LOT LIKE HOLDING HANDS AND TOUCHING FACES, PIGGY BACKING?!?! DID I MENTION FACE TOUCHING
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WHUMP WHUMP WHUMP WHUMP THEY HELP EACH OTHER WHEN HURT OR GET HURT FOR EACH OTHER
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AND WHEN THEY WAKE UP IN BED THE OTHER IS AT THEIR BEDSIDE
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AND DID I MENTION HE FEEDS HIM IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
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AND THAT THEY DATED UNDER THE FIREWORKS LIKE THE NOVEL DOES NOT EVEN HAVE THIS SHIT
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AND THE KABEDONS
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AND FINALLY RUAN NANZHU RIZZ OMG
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5. Settings
They REALLY OUTDID THEMSELVES. THIS JUST FROM DOORS 1-6:
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THEY LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THE NOVEL DESCRIBED!!!!
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6. Overall Thoughts
PROS: This was NOT a cheap production, I'm telling you, they followed the cases very well and there're a lot of super recognisable lines, if not ALL of them, even if they changed the cases a little. I think they did it because in the novel originally, the author DOES leave a lot of details hanging like someone dies and you know he had a background and there are some shady things happening but the author NEVER actually goes into detail. So the drama did their best to cover these loopholes, even if it felt a little awkward at times. Money went into settings and attires and every damn thing, this looks EXPENSIVE. And if you've ever imagined each door and the bosses inside in your head, you might have felt chills go down your spine because damn did they really colour the book's settings for me (despite its differences). DID I MENTION that Xia Zhiguang really got the damn memo and he was a passable Ruan Nanzhu/Ruan Baijie who knew how to turn on his BL eyes. PLUS they really did some of the character deaths really well - they're technically some of the biggest parts of this story so ;-; (not two main of course)
CONS (maybe): They did away with the supernatural/horror premise and replaced it with a GAME premise, which means that there's a scientific element to it and the try to explain away stuff with the game, including the ending. I don't 100% get the ending, but the feel/vibe is about the same. Might not be for hardcore reader fans tho! They skipped out on a couple of doors, some of which were my faves, but it's fine, it's long enough LOL. They give away/explain some of the clues and surprises super early which means you don't get that added boom at the back as well. Despite that, I have to say they tried to round up the loopholes from the book as much as they could and give it an explanation while tying elements/conspiracies across doors (probably also to save cast fees LOL). And as always it's not a solid ending, it's an open confusing one, and even more confusing than the book itself because THERE IS NO CERTAIN HAPPILY EVER AFTER WITH HUBBY for it (there is in the book tho, they live together happily every after). Secondl,y, I'd say HJJ's acting is a bit stiff and OOC compared to the novel, but Xia Zhiguang really made up for it.
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HOPE THIS HELPS YOU GUYS!!! But I guess if you need subs it's going to be a long LONGGGG ride, considering that iQIYI doesn't seem to be going to be able to put it up anytime soon CRIES.
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lu-is-not-ok · 14 days ago
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How it feels to be T minus six months away from being thrown into The Chamber which is awfully Red.
Anyway, I'm going to take this opportunity to make some Canto 8 predictions before the Roadmap drops for fun.
Now, these are a mix of theories that have been brewing within me since the game's launch and some stuff that hit me extremely recently. I'm going to try to keep the most general/sane predictions at the front while the more specific/deranged takes are gonna stay at the bottom.
Enjoy.
(And just in case anyone is curious, yes, I will be making a Canto 8 bingo board after we're done with this Season's Intervallos.)
Canto 8 Name Predictions:
The Disillusioned / The Disenchanted (Reference to either Land of Illusion or the fairy Disenchantment from DOTRC)
The Indebted (Reference to the Debt of Tears from DOTRC)
The Cycle Continuing (Matching the Canto 7 format of misleading you into thinking it's a description of the plot when it's actually describing the Sinner as well - Sancho is trying to end the dream, she's the Dream Ending Sinner)
All The Other Predictions:
The lesson Hong Lu will have to learn is to stand up for himself against his Family.
As the Saplings of Light seem to be happening in reverse Ruina order, Hong Lu would end up being assigned Chesed. Thus far, every Sinner tied to a Sapling of Light had to learn the same lesson as the counterpart Sephirah - Heathcliff had to learn to move on from his past like Hokma, while Donqui had to learn to have hope in the future like Binah.
Chesed's arc revolved around him learning that he needs to stop lying to himself and others, and that simply following authority only contributes to perpetuating the harm they cause, so his resolution has him stand up to that authority and try to rebel. I expect Hong Lu to have to go through something similar in his Canto.
Hong Lu will Distort.
Did you really think I would forget that foreshadowing from all the way back in Hell's Chicken?
Hong Lu will be the key to the Immortality of the Mind his elders are seeking.
This would tie him directly to the theme of resurrection that him being the Jade implies, plus it would be a direct reason as to why his Family is actively looking for him - they need him for their own goals.
There will be at least One cannibal in the Jia Family.
No I am not letting go of that Canto 2 line about bitten off fingers.
The Land of Illusion will be revealed to be where one of (if not more) of the Rivers is.
DOTRC potrays the Land of Illusion as a place with notable supernatural Rivers + thematic cohesion between Land of Illusion and Hades as forms of "afterlife" (we already know one of the Rivers is named after a River of Hades).
Hong Lu will be revealed to be both Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, not in a "they merged the two characters into one for the sake of adaptation" way, but in a "this character is composed of two characters in-universe" way.
The framing and timing of the reveal of Hong Lu's name being Baoyu feels incredibly suspicious to me, to the point it actively makes me doubt that's all there is to his true identity. Plus there are multiple things about his E.G.O.s and certain writing choices that can't be explained with him Just being Baoyu.
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springtyme · 1 month ago
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If you’re still looking for Steve requests, would you be willing to write Steve who’s sick asf but later has a date planned with R but when she sees him she obvs takes him home and takes care of him
𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 ♡
Steve Harrington x reader || Main masterlist || Steve playlist
summary: Your first date with Steve doesn’t end up going exactly as he had planned.
word count: 2k
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𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞: 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐) 𝐒𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐃𝐚𝐲
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“You look like shit,” Robin says deadpanned, her arms crossed as she leans against the counter, her expression half-teasing, half-concerned. 
“Gee, thanks, Rob,”Steve replies, trying to sound normal, but failing miserably as fatigue and hoarseness clings to his voice like a thick fog. He rubs the back of his neck, feeling the heat radiating off his skin. The fluorescent lights in Family Video seem excessively bright today, and every time a customer opens the door, the sound of the bell makes his head throb and the rush of fresh air makes him shiver.
He had woken up feeling like a truck had run him over, his throat scratchy, head pounding, and every bone in his body aching. Had he woken up feeling like this on any other day, he would have called in sick; but if he did that, it would mean actually admitting that he was sick, and then he would have to call you and cancel your date later, which was absolutely out of the question. 
He had worked out the nerve to ask you out for so long that the idea of backing out now makes his stomach twist with anxiety. He doesn’t understand how he did it so easily in high school. Back then, talking to girls felt like second nature to him, but then he grew up, became less of an asshole and the glitz and glamour of ‘King Steve’ and teenage confidence faded into something far more complicated.
It also dosen’t help the one person he’s been crushing on for ages. Your laughter dances in his memory, a melody that both soothes and torments him. You’re smart, kind, and effortlessly cool; the kind of person who lights up a room without even trying.
Robin raises an eyebrow, the look on her face tells Steve that she isn’t convinced. “Seriously, Harrington, you should just call it a day and go home.”
“I’m fine,” he insists, despite the fact that his body is screaming at him to go home and curl up under a mountain of blankets. 
· · · · ·   
You stand in front of the mirror in the staff bathroom of the café, smoothing down the fabric of your outfit as you check your makeup one last time. Your shift ended a little while ago, but Steve is supposed to come by and pick you up soon after his own shift at Family Video. The anticipation of seeing him makes your heart flutter.
You’ve been replaying the moment Steve asked you out in your head—his slight stammer, the way he ran his fingers through his hair, clearly anxious yet hopeful. It was cute. You could still picture the way his eyes lit up when you said yes, how the corner of his mouth twitched into that adorable smile of his, bright and boyish. 
As you stand there putting on a layer of lip gloss, a soft knock on the door breaks you from your reverie. “Hey, I think your date is here!” Lin, your co-worker, call out, her voice laced with light-hearted mischief. You can hear the smile in her tone.
“Thanks, I’ll be right out!” you reply, capping the tube of gloss and throwing it into your purse, taking a final glance in the mirror before you step out of the bathroom.
As you walk into the main café area, your eyes immediately land on Steve. He’s leaning against the counter, one hand fiddling with his keys, his other holding a bouquet of pink lilies that stands out against the muted tones of the café. The sight makes you smile to yourself.
You navigate through the café, a calm kind of excitement bubbling in your stomach. He catches your eye just as you reach him, but as you get closer, your smile falters slightly. You can’t help but notice the slight paleness of his complexion and how the usual brightness of his honey brown eyes is dulled.
“Hey,” you say, trying to mask your concern with a playful tone as you glimpse the flowers. “Are those for me?”
“Uh, yeah,” he stammers, almost sheepish as he offers you the bouquet, “yeah, they are for you.”
You take the flowers, inhaling their sweet fragrance, and your heart swells. “Thank you, they’re beautiful.”
His smile is earnest, but you catch the hint of a wince as he shifts on his feet.
“Of course,” he replies, a little too quickly, and you immediately pick up on the way his voice cracks slightly.
You take a closer look at him, worry settling in your chest like a weight. “Steve, are you okay?”
He chuckles softly, attempting to brush it off. “Yeah… yeah, I’m great.”
You raise an eyebrow, not feeling fully convinced, but you smile as he leads you out of the café and into the mild autumn air. The moment you step outside, the sunset casts a warm golden light, painting the world in hues of orange and pink. But despite the beauty around you, your attention stays focused on him.
As you walk side by side towards his car, a comfortable silence falls between you, but it’s punctured by Steve’s occasional cough, each one making your heart sink a little more. 
“Steve,” you say gently, your voice dropping to a soft, yet serious tone. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
He force a chuckle, his voice raspy and strained. “Yeah… I’m just a little under the weather. It’s nothing, really.” 
You don’t buy it for a second. You know him well enough to see the way his usually bright eyes are glazed over with fatigue. The way he keeps shivering, despite the mild autumn air. You can see the pale cast to his skin and the way his hand shakes as he reaches for the passenger door to let you into his car.  
“Steve, you’re sick,” you state, your tone firm, your hand reaching out to touch his forehead which is warm to the touch. 
He glances away, and you notice how he rubs a hand over his tired eyes as if trying to wipe away the exhaustion. “I didn’t want to cancel on you. I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”
Your heart flutters, but it’s quickly replaced by a surge of protectiveness. You take a step closer, tilting your head slightly to meet his gaze. “Steve, I appreciate that, but I really think you need rest.”
He opens his mouth to protest, but before he can say anything, you interject, “How about this: I take you home, and we can have a cozy night in instead? I can whip up some soup or something.”
The suggestion hangs in the air. You can see the internal struggle on his face—whether he should stick to the plan he’d anticipated or succumb to the reality of how he truly feels. Finally, he nods. “That does sound nice. But can I still take you out on a real date when I’m feeling better?” His voice is barely above a whisper, but the sincerity in his eyes reminds you how much he values your time together.
“Definitely,” you reply, your own smile returning. “Now come on, let’s get you home.” You put out your hand, gesturing for him to hand over his car keys. He hesitates for a moment, looking between you and the keys in his palm, but the warmth in your eyes encourages him. With a resigned sigh, he hands them over.
You slide into the driver’s seat, glancing over at him once you’re both settled in, and your heart squeezes at the sight. He’s leaning back against the headrest, eyelids drooping slightly as he battles against another wave of exhaustion.
“Want me to turn on some music?” you ask, trying to lighten the mood as you pull out of the parking lot.
“Sure, but maybe something a bit soft,” he replies, his voice still strained, though he offers you a small smile. You nod and switch on the radio, letting the soothing melodies fill the car as you drive through the quiet town.
Occasionally, you look over and check on him from the corner of your eye. He’s still pale, and you can see how he shivers slightly in his  seat. Guilt twists in your stomach at the thought that he’d pushed himself just to spend time with you.
The short drive feels like it takes ages, but you finally pull up in front of his house. Steve glances over at you, a hint of reluctance in his gaze. “You don’t...you really don’t have to do this, you know. I can just—”
“Steve, it’s happening. You’re not winning this argument today,” you cut him off playfully, adding a grin to soften your words. He chuckles weakly, appreciating the stubbornness in your tone.
After a second, he nods and climbs out of the car, the effort seeming to cost him. You rush around to help him, looping his arm around your shoulder for support as you lead him inside. Once inside, you help him settle onto the couch, fluffing a few pillows behind his back so he can lean comfortably. “You just sit tight,” you order gently. “I’ll get started on that soup.”
You head to the kitchen, happy to find enough ingredients for a simple chicken noodle. As you chop vegetables and toss everything into the pot, you can’t help but glance back toward the living room now and then.
After a while, the delicious aroma of simmering soup fills the air, a comforting weight that envelops the space. You serve it up in two bowls, bringing them back to the living room.
“Dinner is served,” you announce, adopting a playful tone as you hand him a bowl, the steam swirling up from the broth.
He takes it gratefully, voicing his gratitude before he takes a spoonful of the soup, the tension in his shoulders seems to ease just a bit. You take a seat next to him, and the two of you settle into a comfortable quiet, the sound of spoons clinking against the ceramic filling the space between you.
“See? Not such a bad idea, right?” you say, giving him a gentle smile as his eyes lock with yours. 
“Not at all,” he replies, his mouth curling into a genuine smile that somehow seems to illuminate the weariness in his eyes. “You might just be my new favorite person.”
You roll your eyes playfully, but your heart flutters nonetheless. “Just wait until I force you to watch a rom-com later.”
“Who doesn’t love a rom-com?” he laughs, but it’s cut short by a rough cough that rattles through him. You frown, reaching over to gently place your hand on his forehead again, your palm feeling the rise and fall of his fever.
“You still need to rest,” you remind him softly, and he nods, a hint of vulnerability crossing his features. He takes another sip of soup, his movements slower, as if savoring not just the meal, but the warmth radiating from your presence.
“Thanks for taking care of me,” he murmurs, looking at you with a depth of gratitude that sends your heart racing. “I really didn’t want to let you down.”
“Steve, you could never let me down,” you say earnestly. 
The sincerity in your voice hangs in the air between you, a thread of understanding weaving deeper into the fabric of your relationship. He finishes his soup, and as the bowls lay empty on the coffee table, he leans back a little more against the couch, closing his eyes.
You grab a blanket that is hanging over the armrest of the couch and drape it over the two of you, feeling the warmth radiating from his body touch yours. “I’ll stay here with you,” you whisper, brushing back a strand of hair from his forehead.
“Thank you,” he says with a contented sigh, he nestles in further, his hand finding yours on the couch. And as you sit together, the simplicity of sharing warmth, soup, and presence erases the worry as evening turns into night, the world outside fading away.
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tiredfox64 · 6 months ago
Note
Hello, good afternoon, it's my first time doing this XD could you make a gn!lector x trio lin kuei? the brothers showing affection to the reader in their different love languages
Love is Many Things
Prior notes: I did headcanon type of way cause that was just simpler for me to do :P. Hope this is okay for you!
Pairings: Lin Kuei Bros x Gn reader
Warnings ‼️: None now stop contacting me about financial aid!
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Bi-Han
Hear me out ladies, gents, and non binaries.
Physical affection!
If he loves you he will be touchy and you better be touchy as well.
He is a touch starved fella you need to at least hold his face.
He will hold you but that is also out of possession.
Sit on his lap, go ahead, don’t be shy.
Fine he’ll drag you on. Don’t tell him you are too heavy he doesn’t want to hear it.
Hugging you from behind while he rest his head on your shoulders, classic move.
He pinches. Yeah…what do you mean what do I mean?
If there is any part of you that is squishy (cheeks, thigh, arm) he pinches it but not on purpose. It’s in the manner like a grandma coming to squeeze your face but she does it too harshly.
Cuddles in bed, no you may not leave. Unless you are bleeding or need to use the bathroom then you can leave.
If he is holding your hand he will start to lightly rub his thumb over your hand.
He’s a man of action not words so take his lovin in physical form.
Kuai Liang
Words of affirmation!
I have a feeling sometimes he is poetic with his words.
Whispers in your ear as you fall asleep. Tell you how fantastic you are and how lucky he is to have you in his life.
“Death can never separate us. You are mine and I am yours. We are eternally together. It is our destiny.”
If he is far from you he will send letters.
I just know he has decent cursive. Not good just decent.
Compliments you on everything.
He will always find a way to compliment your looks. It could be something simple like your hair is glorious to your eyebrows are well kept.
If you have any skills he will compliment that to.
He encourages anything and everything you do. Go into a hobby that may seem strange to him but if it makes you happy go right ahead.
He is always willing to talk to you whether it be an issue in the relationship or just something you want to say that seems important.
Communication is key he makes that a big point. Tell him if there is anything wrong. He will tell you if something is wrong.
You will have a personalized nickname that fits you. You feisty? Fire lily! You happy? Sunflower! You angry? Ember! He will always add ‘his’ before it.
Tomas
Gift Giving!
We don’t know where he gets the money to purchase everything for you, he might be stealing.
It starts off simple with giving you a smooth rock like a penguin does.
It elevates to bouquets, crystals, food, etc.
The max is when he is buying you everything you love or even take a glance at.
Oh so you like Hello Kitty? BAM! Hawaiian Hello Kitty plushie the size of your bed. A Lego fan huh? BOOM! Millennium falcon set.
It’s easier to accept it because if you don’t he gives you that sad face that crushes your soul.
He will bring you something back from whatever mission he is on. Again that could be a smooth stone or a vintage watch. Whatever he can scavenge for.
He always has this wide grin on his face when he hands you a gift or when he tries to hide it behind his back.
Sorry not sorry you’re gaining relationship weight because he keeps buying you food.
He likes buying you clothes. Some of his choice seems to be more for him than you wink wink nudge nudge.
He’ll be asking you nonstop if you need something so he can buy it for you.
“I saw it and thought of you.” That’s the best thing to hear.
All of em
I’m not done yet.
Ooo someone stop me I never stop with having all of them.
As a combined effort they do acts of service.
Of course they are going to protect their precious partner. If someone even scratched you they would be in a ditch.
Heaven forbid you get sick, they gonna take care of you in every way they can. You need some Vic’s vaporub?
You tired after the long day? Let them draw you a bath and get you some nice clothes before putting you to bed.
They’ll cook for you. Well, Kuai Liang and Tomas will. Bi-Han got agitated one time cause he burned his finger on the handle and ended up throwing the pan out the window. Never again.
Surprise dates! Yippie!
Sigh I’m involving children again.
They are all helping out with the kids. It’s okay to take a shower they will watch over them.
I’m counting a group cuddle as an act of service. It would be service to me.
After notes: I think I might post my oc real soon. I know I’ve done it before and I end up deleting it but I’ll try to keep it up next time. Now I need to shower. Adiós!
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amywritesthings · 1 year ago
Text
silver underground. / chapter 18.*
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( Read on AO3 )
Pairing: levi ackerman x f!reader (attack on titan / shingeki no kyojin) Word Count: 5.6k Summary: flashback eight - also known as your first time with levi ackerman Warnings: NSFW!! MINORS DNI - first time, oral (f!receiving), oral (m!receiving), fingering, body worship, pinning, dirty talk, praise kink, multiple orgasms, protected sex (wrap it before you tap it, friends), smut w/feelings
Previous Chapter. / Next Chapter. | Masterlist.
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CHAPTER 18 - FLASHBACK: EIGHT*
He doesn’t stop kissing you.
Not when you both stand up in the empty supply room. Not when you stumble blindly into the hallway, cutting corners and trusting his guidance.
Two pairs of boots scramble as quietly as they can down a long, dark corridor, rushing to disappear from plain sight.
Gently Levi presses you into something sturdy and cold, lips still locked with yours. The captain's hands fumble from your waist to his pockets, digging to search for a key that will unlock his bedroom door.
All that remains in the silence are soft pants, controlled with the worry that someone — several someones —  can ruin this moment.
His kisses are open-mouthed and messy as he travels from your mouth, to your jaw, to your neck. You bend your head back with the utmost care, pressing your own lips together to avoid the noises of pleasure bubbling in your throat.
He presses a final peck at the center of your neck, as if to thank you for being so quiet once the key is freed from his pocket — and the door clicks.
Quickly Levi shoves the door open and circles his free arm around the small of your back, keeping you flush against his body. You comply, dancing through the threshold of his bedroom, and cradle his face into your palms to bring his lips back to yours.
Nothing has to be said.
Nothing has to be asked.
It’s just instinct — your feet drag backwards while his push forward into the bedroom, bringing you both safely out of the wandering eyes of the Survey Corps.
His boot swivels, causing you both to turn at his will. Your back hits a door once again, and you can’t help but laugh into the kiss. 
“Shhh,” he urges as he backs away to catch his breath. "Can you stay quiet for me?"
Click.
You grin the second the door locks behind you and whisper back. “Haven’t I always?”
His eyes open. Those brilliant gray eyes with specs of blue, intense and so focused; his pupils are blown — caught somewhere in the dark and the fierce arousal you both feel.
“Don’t get smart,” he tells you, but you know it’s about as much of a joke as he can make in the moment.
You don’t even realize until he dips his head that he’s worked on unbuttoning nearly half of your Scout uniform shirt, exposing your chest band and torso to the cool night air.
“Levi—”
His teeth nip at your collarbone. “Silent.”
The order does something to you — a vacant authority that comes with little punishment. He won’t stop unless he’s forced to or unless you ask, and there’s no circumstance in Hell where you would.
You press your lips together again, willing your eyes to stay open, to see Levi work his way to kiss every inch of your neck, your collarbone, your sternum.
You want him to cover every inch of you, leaving no patch of skin untouched. You want every part of your body to be his.
Dropping your hands from his face, you begin to push the small brown uniform skirt from your hips to drop to the floor. The fabric gives easily. It's the damn leather ODM straps that become your greatest enemy, refusing to release when you struggle with the fastens.
At first you think Levi doesn’t notice the struggle. He’s so busy running his hands along your sides, slipping the tips of his fingers past your button-down to finally touch skin.
But then his hands leave you.
You almost speak up to protest, but—
“Let me.”
He looks you in the eye for permission.
You stare back, wide-eyed and confused.
“What?”
“I said,” he slowly repeats, moving closer, “let me.”
Inch by inch, Levi disappears from your line of sight and down your chest, your stomach, until he’s eye-level with the elaborate belts looping your thighs.
Oh.
Your breath exhales in a sharp twist at the sight of his slender fingers running along the brown leather, feeling for where the buckle begins and the straps meet.
For a moment he stays right here, dragging his fingertips back and forth. 
Contemplating. Savoring.
Your face flushes when he leans in to press a ghostly kiss to the meat of your thigh between the straps. His pink lips are a stark contrast to the white fabric.
It's much too erotic to bear.
“I might fall,” you warn him softly.
“I’d catch you,” he promises right back.
You believe him.
(You’ll always believe him.)
Expertly he unravels the first group of leather straps, relieving your thighs of the pressure from such elaborate crossings. Levi makes it a point to drag the straps down your leg himself, not allowing the straps to hit the floor on their own to eliminate any potential noise.
Eager fingertips seek fast work on the other.
“Hold onto me if you feel unsteady,” he murmurs, briefly looking up to you as he starts on your right thigh.
Then you realize all too late — he has no intentions to return from his knees.
He's staying right there on the floor.
You know what he plans to do once he rids you of your trousers, and it shoots an otherworldly feeling to your lower belly.
“Levi?” you whisper sharply.
He doesn’t answer. Instead he works faster to remove the straps, tugging them down your leg to meet the left set.
“Levi—”
He only glances up once he's through with dismantling the strap belt. You press a hand to his when it moves towards the button of your ivory trousers, forcing him to stop.
“Something wrong?” he asks reluctantly, fingers still pinched against the button — subconsciously begging to get rid of his godforsaken clothing.
You swallow to coat your throat, looking down at him.
“No, it’s just… You don’t have to—”
Do that, you want to say.
Yet you pause as soon as Levi flashes a warning glare to you, like you’ve insulted him. 
“Three."
Your brows knit. “...what?”
He purposefully pops the buttons of your trousers to challenge your insecurity. 
“I once told you when we had our own place, I always said I’d give you three. This is about as good as we’ll ever get while we’re alive.”
You blink in a flurry but relent with the sway of your hips when his fingertips tap at your outer thigh: move.
Slowly but surely, your white trousers glide down your thighs, your knees, until they rest at the soles of your boots.
You kick one off then the other, never breaking eye contact.
“My fingers have been inside you more times than I can count,” he murmurs, kissing the bare skin of your thigh with a relaxed inhale through his nose, drinking in the scent of you. You press a hand against the doorframe for stability. “But I have to know what you taste like.”
The words shoot arousal like a bolt of lightning through your body.
“But you’ve already—”
“On my fingers, yeah, but not on my tongue,” he argues breathlessly, shaking his head. “Not the same.”
Another bolt, sliced straight to your core.
“Levi—”
“And once I memorize that,” he continues, not paying attention to you as he presses gentle yet urgent kisses to the east, closing in on your inner thigh. He coaxes your leg with the soft push of his free hand, spreading your thighs just for him. “And only once I memorize that, I’ll…”
He trails off, deciding against his words as he realizes that, when his back is straightened, he is eye-level at your underwear.
The black-haired man reaches for your hip, drawing a semicircle with his thumb at your hip bone.
Stalling — not for himself, but for you, in case there is a sliver of a doubt about this.
You answer by shifting your weight on your other leg, spreading your thighs further for him. The dark-haired man lets out an exhale like you’ve punched him square in the gut, gaze flickering to yours — message received.
Levi leans forward, nuzzling your inner thigh with his cheek. You tense, forcing yourself to watch his head turn inwards to kiss the softness. His eyes flutter close like he’s found his paradise, like the very venture of traveling up your thigh with every kiss gives him relief.
The tip of his tongue sensually flicks at the edge of your underwear, and your hand grips his hair with quick surprise. 
One tug and he’s smirking, open-mouthed and simply intoxicated, with hot breath gliding across the thin fabric.
He kisses the center of your mound over your underwear, and you both make a noise of want.
His tongue darts back out, catching the wetness that has dampened the fabric. In one fell swoop he yanks your underwear down, like one taste is enough to relinquish all doubt.
You barely remember your own name when he parts your folds with his thumbs and dives in like a starving man possessed, collecting the wetness against his nose as his tongue slides through your folds to find the one spot he knows will have you buckling at the knees.
For someone who has never done this before, Levi is thorough. He notes every which way you drag your nails through his hair, scratching at his scalp; how you make a small gasp if he hits a spot that jolts pure pleasure through your system; when your thighs tremble, so he does not relent.
You have to practically break your own vocal chords to avoid shouting when his tongue flicks your clit. Your hand tightens painfully in his hair, but he grunts and keeps going.
Levi swirls his tongue with a relentless determination. Like he’s been waiting for this moment, like he’s dreamed of tasting and teasing you — and you have to do everything in your power not to falter in your stance.
The frame of his bedroom door only has so much support.
Your head drops back against the wooden slab as he licks, sucks, and worships you while kneeling in front of you. His attention focuses on your clit, tongue flicking at an obscene rhythm. 
If you look down, you’ll come. 
If you watch him, you’ll fall.
So instead your jaw drops in a wordless plea, and he sucks against the sensitive nub in response. You hear the leather beneath you shuffle and his hands leave your core, running along your thighs, to hold your hips flush to the door.
He knows — know you’re getting there, from the way you’re squirming.
You didn’t even notice. You were too lost in the sensation.
Your eyes slide open, heavy-lidded and dark with lust, to see Levi lost in eating you out, his mouth buried against you, eyes closed in serene desire.
That’s all it takes.
“Levi—” you breathe, higher pitched than usual. “Levi, Levi, Le—”
You can’t finish the next syllable before your knees buckle, and he shoves you hard against the door to keep you steady — to make you ride this out on his tongue. The surface rattles only just a little from impact.
Your climax hits like a ton of bricks, and you force yourself to wordlessly cry out from the unbelievable pleasure coursing through your system.
His gray eyes glance up from your core, tongue still attacking your clit before he drags lower, catching your essence with his mouth.
Drinking you down to the very last drop.
When it becomes too much, you thrash a little against his hold.
He pulls away to catch his breath, lips slick and swollen from his work. He looks…
Satisfied. Eager.
“Holy shit,” you whisper, and he chuckles under his breath.
Slowly he gets off the floor, uniform creaking in the silence of the night. When you start to dip lower, to return the favor, he pushes you back into the door by the shoulder and shakes his head.
“I wasn’t done with you,” he says, voice a mere husk of itself.
You can smell the faint scent of yourself on his breath when he leans in, his hip pressing to yours. He’s hard as a rock.
“Levi,” you whimper when his hand returns to your inner thigh. “I wanna take care of you—”
“That can wait,” he interrupts, before placing his left hand over your mouth. Your eyes widen with confusion, but when his right hand disappears between your legs to collect more wetness, you understand why. 
You yelp into his palm when he circles your sensitive clit with his thumb.
“You can give me one more, can’t you?” he purrs in your ear, voice low. “I know you're sensitive, I know, but you can do it.”
Your eyes roll into the back of your head when his fingers glide through your wet folds to tease your entrance. Yet you open up to him like a flower, spreading your legs further to give him more room to work with. You feel his lips curl upward against your earlobe.
“C’mon, James.” 
A strangled, pathetic little whimper exits your mouth when his middle finger pushes into your, up to the knuckle, slowly massaging against your inner walls. 
“How’d you like it again? Two fingers? Three?”
You feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven with the filth coming out of his mouth. It isn’t even overtly lewd, but the sheer baritone of his voice in your ear is only making it that much easier to fight through the oversensitivity.
He adds his index finger and you whine.
“Right — you like two,” Levi remembers, “and you usually don’t last long if I—”
Your body goes limp, giving into his work when his fingers curl and tap the little spot that always gives him what he wants. He fingers you, shallow in his movements as he keeps curling the two, allowing the heel of his palm to rub against your aching clit.
“There she is,” he encourages. “There’s my girl.”
If you weren’t so turned on, you’d be mortified at how easily he works you to ruin.
“Does it feel good?”
You make a noise against his hand and nod eagerly, and he laughs gently in your ear. 
“Good.”
You let him play you like a well-loved instrument, his movements relentless and certain. The rhythm is one he’s perfected, and you know — you know he’ll get what he wants in a matter of minutes.
You’re already sensitive from the first orgasm. A second won’t take long.
He continues to murmur sweet nothings in your ear — praises laced with your first name, how much he loves watching you like this — and you know you’re no match for him.
Your walls clench around him and soon enough you tumble, dropping your forehead to his shoulder as you tremble through your second climax of the night. 
You feel weightless in the moment, a finite speck of dust in space, surrounded by the scent of your friend, your partner, your lover —
For a moment, the outside world doesn’t exist.
He finally removes his palm from your mouth to kiss you gently on the lips, and you’re awoken with the realization that you still taste yourself.
Your eyes open to find him watching you, making sure you’re okay.
You’re more than okay.
You let your body take over, wants over needs, and your hands push him roughly from you.
The captain stumbles in surprise. His gray eyes betray his shock, wide and confused, until he trips and falls back on the bed in the middle of the small room. The mattress gently creaks under his weight.
Before he can protest, you drop to your knees on the small rug at the edge of the bed.
“James—”
“Shut up,” you breathe, rising to grab his belt. 
Hastily, you rip it from the trouser loops. You're not as elegant at pulling off the leather straps as he is, but they come off all the same.
Levi sits up on the mattress, pushing wayward strands of hair from your face.
“James, wait, you don’t have to—”
“Ackerman.”
You stare up at him, only then realizing just how hard he is. He must hurt from the way the outline of his cock presses, strains, against the white fabric of his trousers.
“I’ve been dying to taste you, too, you know. And you’ve never let me before, so I'm asking now: let me.”
All of the air leaves his lungs, and a shell of Levi Ackerman remains above you.
His eyes are wide as saucers, trying to justify the sight of you on his knees in front of him.
He doesn’t stop you when you unbutton his uniform. He doesn’t move when you lean in to kiss the bare skin of his abdomen. 
“Shit. If you do this—” he starts, finding his breath, “—I’m sure as fuck not going to last.”
“Your confidence in me is guaranteed to inflate my ego,” you tease, pushing at his side. “C’mon. Lay back. Let me.”
Levi moves a fraction of muscle, but then he shakes his head. He lifts his hips, and to your delight he helps you remove his boxer briefs and trousers in one fell swoop. His cock springs free, achingly hard and twitching for attention.
“No,” he protests, “I want to watch.”
You brighten with delight, scooting closer. “Yeah?”
“Fuck yes,” he breathes. “Are you insane?”
You can’t help but giggle when your hand reaches to wrap around his length, careful not to hurt him. His knuckles turn white as he tightens his fists against his white sheets.
Truth be told, you’ve had your hands on Levi numerous times. You know what speed he likes. You know the pressure.
What you don’t know, however, is this: how to expertly get him off with your mouth, not in the way he so easily brought you to ruin.
Still, you stare up at him as you steady his cock and lick a stripe from bottom to top — flat against his shaft, traveling to the tip.
You’ve never seen Levi look so speechless by something so small.
“Oh, fu-uck,” he curses under his breath, a curtain of his hair hanging against his forehead as he forces himself to keep his eyes on your mouth.
His own goes slack, lips parted, and a flush peppers his pale cheeks.
It instill confidence, so you lick again, focusing your tongue on the tip of him. He tastes clean, like nothing really in particular, besides a tinge of saltiness.
But it isn’t until you close your mouth gently over the head of his cock that he loses himself. His bare thighs tremble as you work his length with your hand while your mouth gets used to a shallow bob, focusing primarily on his tip.
His voice disappears. His breaths are tighter and a little higher pitched than before. Cracked.
“Shit,” he croaks when you hollow your cheeks around him. “Fuck, James, shit—”
You feel powerful like this.
You get why he was so determined to put his mouth on you now.
You want to memorize this version of Levi Ackerman — so put together for the rest of the world, only to fall apart by every movement of your tongue.
“Stop.”
It’s barely a word, but you catch it within a few seconds.
You remove him from your mouth with a lewd pop, worried you might have used teeth or hurt him.
Levi has a hand on your shoulder to keep you from returning to his cock.
“I almost came,” he explains, embarrassed by his admission.
“What? But I didn’t—” You stop yourself, surprised. “I barely did anything.”
“Yeah, dipshit,” Levi under his breath, trying to catch it. “You think I need more than the image of your lips around my cock to do it for me?”
“Oh.” You wipe your lips, before smiling wickedly. “...I’m that good, huh?”
“Get the hell up here,” Levi demands, pulling you up from your armpits so he can toss you onto the mattress.
You laugh into the night air as he shifts, pressing his weight against you as he cradles his elbows around your head, caging you in.
Skin to skin.
The night's significance isn’t lost on you — lying in a king-sized bed, naked, with Levi Ackerman. To think you both used to squeeze on a twin mattress for the sake of falling asleep together. To think neither of you had ever witnessed each other’s bodies in full, clothes discarded all over the floor of his captain’s quarters.
He hovers over you, his hair framing his face in a darkened halo. You stare up at him, admiring the sweat pebbling across his forehead.
The faint glow of the moon is your only source of light; a familiar comfort.
For a few moments you both catch your breath, admiring one another like this. You want to ask. You’re sure he’s going to say no. It’s been the question on your minds for years, but now it’s—
“Do you want to?”
Levi asks first, but he doesn’t shy away from his own nervousness.
You take a moment to make sure he isn’t going to back out, before nodding.
“More than anything.”
An emotion flickers in his eyes as he regards you, before shifting your right thigh with his hand. You easily follow, widening your hips to him. He presses your inner leg to his hip, swallowing.
“I don’t…”
“What?”
Levi closes his eyes, exhaling his anxiety away. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Your hands reach between your bodies to cradle his face, and he relents immediately to lean his cheek to your palm. “When have you ever hurt me?”
“A couple of times.”
“Fighting doesn’t count.”
“James,” Levi pleads, before opening his eyes. “I’m being serious.”
“So we learn together,” you argue back, raising your chin to kiss the tip of his nose. “And I’ll let you if it hurts, I promise. It’s not like you can rail me with everyone downstairs anyw—”
Levi stops you from your joke with a searing kiss to your lips, pushing your other thigh to the side so he can settle between your legs.
“Don't give me ideas, you little shit," he mumbles against your lips. "Maybe next time."
You smile, running your hands down his neck to rest on his shoulders. "Definitely next time."
For a few minutes, that's all you do. Kiss — kiss him, be kissed, relish and memorize.
The longer he kisses you, the more this becomes real.
Neither of you have ever done this, yet you’ve never felt more ready in your life.
Your body screams to have him, to finally know him, and you hope it’ll be enough — that you will be enough.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” you whisper, and he sits up on his calves for a moment.
“An idea, yeah,” he jokes, reaching into the nearby nightstand. 
You blink, surprised to see him return with a small square packet in hand. The moment almost completely takes you out of your nervousness.
When he notices the way you stare up at him, he cautiously adds: “Regiment issued. Didn’t think I’d ever need to use it, but…”
“Oh,” you breathe, unable to hide the shock. “No, it’s just—”
“They don’t want accidents in the Scouts.”
“Right.”
“And it’s not like people aren’t fucking.”
“I know.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
A beat passes. 
Unable to help yourself, you begin to smirk. “...so you only have one of those, or—?”
Levi rolls his eyes and breaks with you, letting out a huff of a laugh as he swats your knee wider. He rolls the protection down the length of him, careful in his application. 
“If you want to do this again, then I’ll steal a pack.”
“Wow, it really pays to have captain privileges,” you hum sagely, and he quickly crawls back over you to shut you up with a passionate kiss. You happily accept the eager press of his lips to distract you from the way he gently situates a pillow under your lower back, raising your hips to sit flush with his hips.
You both remain like this for a while, kissing your worries away, before something foreign presses up against your entrance. You gasp, breaking the kiss.
Levi stares down at you with kinetic lust.
“...are you sure about this, James?”
Are you?
It isn’t even a question. You've wanted this for years.
You shift your hips, nudging the tip of his cock at your entrance. He sucks in a sharp breath, calming his excitement.
“Never been so sure in my life,” you promise. “I want you.”
Levi pauses, nodding. “If it hurts at all—”
“I know.”
“—because we can stop at any time—”
“Levi Ackerman, please fuck me already.”
Six simple words make his pupils dilate.
His breath tickles your face when he exhales, lining himself up. Although one hand stays steady on his cock to guide himself into you, another reaches for your hand resting parallel to your head on the mattress. His fingers entwine with yours, squeezing with reassurance as he pins you down — I got you.
Then he pushes, and you both gasp in harmony at the sensation.
Slowly, inch by inch, Levi works himself deeper into you. It’s a stretch you’ve never felt in your entire life.
He distracts you once the tip of him is fully inside of you by circling your clit, making you choke on a breath. The pleasure burns, relaxing your body to take him deeper.
Then it happens all at once: he backs up, sliding deliciously against your walls, before pushing forward — bottoming out within you.
Levi’s entire body is so tense as he stills, waiting for you to get used to him. Maybe it’s for himself, too, but you stare up at the ceiling with an unbelievable feeling in your belly:
This is really happening. Levi’s really inside you.
“Are you okay?” he asks, strained.
You wait a moment to adjust, then nod.
“Can I move?”
You nod again, more adamant this time.
The hand holding yours shakes as he rocks his hips, pulling out then pushing back in. There is a noise that bubbles in the back of his throat, like this is the most painfully pleasurable experience of his life, and you use your free hand to drag your nails down his back.
Levi hisses, pushing back into you. “Fuck, you feel so good—”
He continues slowly, getting used to the sensation, the motion, the sounds, the scents.
Not once does he let go of your hand, and you squeeze in return.
You raise your knees to press against his hips, bringing him deeper, and he drops his forehead to your chest. 
He kisses the tiny silver pendant at your sternum.
“More,” you beg.
“Are you sure—”
“Please,” you interrupt.
He swallows to prepare himself and nods against your shoulder.
"Anything you want." He grunts when his hips thrust once more. "Anything, it's yours."
Levi starts to fuck you, the room reverberating with the sound of his efforts and the mixture of gentle moans. He gains more confidence the more noises you make against his temple. Your body arches into the movement as the pain dissipates purely into pleasure.
You hold onto him, wrapping your legs around his waist in a way that drives him insane. You can tell solely by the way he praises you in sharp huffs, lost in the moment. 
He raises his head to capture your lips in a messy kiss, thrusting into you like his life depends on it.
You hold on, moving against him as you try to remember to breathe.
"Fuck—"
He pulls away to catch his breath with a curse, eyes still closed.
“—I love you.”
You momentarily freeze as Levi keeps going, the muscles of his arms and back tensing every time his hips snap up and into you.
Your eyes snap open, watching his face screw together in the faint glow of the moon.
You know you didn’t imagine that.
You know he just said those words.
Every fiber of your body burns brighter, hotter, at three little words.
You hold him closer to yourself, moving against him as he thrusts, realizing at that very moment the three words you’d been searching to say your entire life to him.
To the boy you shared bread with in the tavern.
To the teen who stole your first kiss on your birthday.
To the man who makes love to you now after you both defied all odds and survived the harshest winters and the searing summers and everything in-between without giving up.
He is your best friend. He is your partner in crime. 
(He is the other half of your moon, your stars, your life.)
“I love you, too,” you breathe in return.
Levi’s thrusts instantly slow.
Reality crashes down while he opens his gray eyes, the little blue specs around his irises staring down at you with a wordless fear — he realizes, then, what he's said.
And he realizes, too, what you've said back.
That fear melts to pure, unadulterated relief.
You can’t help but smile up at him when he runs a shaking hand over your cheek with such gentleness that you almost want to cry.
“Yeah?” Levi asks.
“Yeah,” you answer. “I do.”
He smiles before snapping his hips against yours. You squeak, and he repositions himself to hit that little spot inside of you that he always seems to catch with his fingers. 
“I love you," he repeats, purposefully this time.
You arch when his fingers reach to circle your clit, unrelenting, as he almost makes you shriek from his efforts. 
"Levi—"
“Fuck, James, I love — I’ve always loved you.”
Levi doesn’t slow down this time.
He watches you squirm and whimper his name as he tells you, over and over, the same three words.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
It’s overwhelming. It’s paradise. 
You feel yourself tightening around his cock, and he groans. 
You won’t be able to last much longer, and you reckon he isn’t far behind either.
His hips stutter, groans getting a fraction louder and more urgent, as he coaxes you through your third and most devastating orgasm yet.
He feels the punishing force that your body clenches around him as you near your release and topples over to keep fucking you to the edge. His fingers maintain the same speed at your clit, a deadly combination, and a deep throb spreads through your entire body when your climax hits.
It's otherworldly. It's unlike anything you've ever experienced in your entire life.
Levi presses a devastating kiss to your lips to drink down the way you cry out his name — and to keep himself from moaning too loud when he finally comes right after you.
His hips stutter, trying to give you everything he has until you fall limp in his arms.
Then you catch him when he slumps, exhausted and spent.
The room is quiet.
The crickets chirp outside the open window.
(It's a singular, precious moment of peace.)
Levi continues to tremble against you, breathing through his nose as he climbs down from the euphoria of what just happened. You want to cry. You want to laugh. You want to hold him and never let go.
His shaking hand reaches for yours blindly, and you meet him in the middle.
One by one, your fingers lace.
After a few minutes, you realize that he's still shaking like a leaf. You kiss his forehead when he gently pulls out of you, only to collapse against your side on the mattress.
"You alright?" you whisper. "You're trembling."
"Yeah," he whispers back, voice light. "Just... give me a minute."
"Okay."
While lying on your sides, Levi moves to pull you against him, forehead to forehead.
You close your eyes, willing the tremors to disappear. Eventually they do, and he relaxes.
"Was that alright?" he murmurs after some time, fingers softly stroking your naked side.
"I've had better," you tease, and it makes him huff out a laugh.
"Yeah? Damn."
You can't help but grin, nuzzling your nose against his. "We're definitely going to need that pack."
"Several," he agrees.
"The whole Scout ration."
"The whole Scout ration?" he repeats with drowsy surprise. "Are you trying to make an honest man out of me?"
"Contraceptives don't make honest men," you reply. "Rings do."
"It kind of looks like of a ring—"
You gasp at his crude joke. "Levi."
Both of you burst into exhausted laughter, intoxicated by what's transpired. You feel high in this afterglow only the poets have ever rightly captured.
The laughter dies, leaving you both to enjoy the time you have left before morning comes.
He runs a ghostly trail down the small of your back with his fingertips. You toy with a lock of his sweat-matted dark hair.
And then,
"Maybe one day," he murmurs.
Your eyes flicker open to watch him rest peacefully beside you.
"Maybe one day what?"
"We can do the real damn thing." He's dozing off. "All the shit everyone else does."
You continue to stare, your expression softening.
"...Ackerman's not the worst last name to have," you tell him.
A tired smile grows on his lips.
He pulls you closer, and you curl around him.
Eventually the two of you fall asleep to the sound of twin beating hearts.
.
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author note: oh we are so back. How are we feeling, Levi Nation? (What is their ship name? Jevi? Levames? Jamevi?) I am so grateful for your extremely generous patience, your support, and everything in-between. The reblogs/comments are the fuel that keeps this engine going.
deleted scenes of s.u. // levi's pov #1 :: levi's pov in chapter one during his first conversation with james in the trost hospital.
tag list: @lazylizzy3 @notgoodforlife @sad-darksoul @dailydoseof-love @maliakealoha @nube55 @kateastrophies @blinkingsuns @gomigami @voidszoro @tanyeonn @chishiyasan @im-just-a-simp-le-whore @nomi98 @urfavcelestialangel @milkersonmac @blossomedfloweroflove @carries-blenders-and-stuff @hurtcomfortwhore @ahxiaoshi @littlerequiem @raginginferno267 @sixpennydame @precious-ketchup @michaelaftussy34 @bananananab04 @littlerequiem @satorugojho3 @kawaiteacup
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fandomzwriterk · 5 months ago
Note
Hey, hello! Can I ask a question about mk? How do the characters treat an extremely lazy reader? Like, extremely lazy, and indifferent to everything in the world?
From the characters, can I have Bi Han, Smoke, and Raiden?
A/n: ohhhh I’m glad you asked
Bi-Han
-> might be the worst out of the three of them
-> actively tries to get you up every day and not (according to him) “sit on your ass everyday while everyone else works hard”
-> might actually try and set up “traps” around base so you’re always on your toes
-> will forcefully pull you out of bed and throw you outside, even if you’re half dressed
-> according to him, every person needs to be ready for an “attack”
-> in this case, you were definitely not ready
-> Will absolutely NOT join you in any “activities” that would be within the realm of “lazy” like laying in bed all day, sharing snacks, or just staying inside all day
-> will get SUPER mad if anyone but him manages to get you outside for the day
-> has beat the shit out of Kuai for it too
-> he secretly would join you any day you decided to not go out, but pressure of being Grandmaster keeps him from doing so
-> will eventually ask you why you don’t want to join him in the Lin Kuei
-> eventually understands it not up to him, but he wants you to be safe
-> as a “joke” he sends initiates to “attack” you to mess with you
-> yes, he’s always watching but never lets himself meddle in whatever you decide to do
-> yes, he will also use you as a “punching bag” even though he swears to “go easy”
-> after he betrays his brothers, he forcefully takes you with him
-> practically keeps you hostage at that point but you don’t mind, it’s not like you’re in the mood to leave him anyways
Smoke
-> very understanding of it and your choices
-> will join you every once in awhile to do whatever you want
-> he never says anything to hurt your feelings even though he thinks you should join him on training
-> often sends Kuai or Harumi to check on you when he’s away
-> low-key wants to teach you his tricks anyways, mostly how to disappear and reappear
-> likes cuddling on a couch or bed or hell anywhere comfortable as long as it’s with you
-> sometimes you two watch a show or movie together
-> he will fall asleep on you or vice versa
-> either way, he doesn’t mind
-> literally sleeps like a cat when he’s around you and when he’s comfortable
-> in many cases, he falls asleep within five feet of you, even when you get up and walk around
-> will not hesitate to beat anyone who’s mean to you though
-> supportive through anything
-> often says “fuck it” to things to spend time with you
-> yes, he even says assassins need breaks
-> when you wake up, he’s definitely passed out with you in his arms much like a cat sleeps on your chest
-> idk why im comparing him to a cat but this is literally a perfect description of how my bf is
Raiden
-> is the one pulling you around with him everywhere you go even if you don’t want to
-> even though you might be lazy, he practices extra hard just to flex to the other men when you’re around
-> like Tomas, he indulges in whatever guilty pleasures you might have
-> much like Bi-Han though, he often pulls “pranks” on you with Kung Lao
-> secretly steals some of your things like snacks when you’re not looking, just because he is too proud to cave into eating them when you’re around
-> much like Tomas, he sends Kung Lao or Liu Kang to check on you when he’s fighting in tournaments
-> knows you won’t come to a lot of them so he often snags anything you have (ex a brooch/medallion/ring) to have it on him when he fights
-> whenever Kung Lao runs his mouth about you, he won’t hesitate to put him in his place
-> very peaceful and loves seeing you fall asleep anywhere so he can place his coat or top on you like a blanket
-> even if you’re not there, he thinks of you and wants to win even more when he does
-> HAS beat the shit outta Johnny for saying you’re lazy and boring
-> his guilty pleasure? Skipping “class” to join you on whatever you want to do
-> has been caught once or twice
A/N: I hope this was good I just went with what seemed in character for each guy… or maybe I’m just super impartial to Smoke cause he’s my fave and he acts so much like my bf (my bf is the oldest of 6)🤣🤣🤣
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daisyvisions · 3 months ago
Text
I Wanna Be Your Dog - (k.yh)
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➺ Pairing: Rockstar!Younghoon x Assistant!Reader
➺ Summary: Your job as an assistant to the band is simple: handle their schedule, and do what they ask you to do. But how far are you willing to help one member out with a certain ask if it means keeping your job?
➺ Word Count: 3.8k
➺ Warnings: Smut (18+, minors DNI), fem!reader, unprotected sex, creampies, edging, male masturbation, guided masturbation, handjobs, slight fingering, riding, lots of making out, groping, sexual fantasies, mutual pining (?), younghoon is down bad for reader (sub!younghoon if you squint), marking, mentions of hookups, pet name used (baby)
➺ A/N: Finally, my birthday fic for Younghoon is up! I had planned to write for rockstar younghoon ever since this tiktok edit came out last year. This was not the original story I had in mind but I hated how the outline was going and decided to save it for another member and use this plot instead. Title is inspired from the song of the same name by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts because the lyrics fit so well with one particular scene of the fic (iykyk). Proofread once, enjoy 😉
➺ Network & Tag: @deoboyznet @snowflakewhispers @winterchimez @aimeecarreros (thank you for introducing me to the song 😈)
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For as long as you could remember, you've always wanted to work in the music industry. There was something about that chaotic world that you thought was magical. You were so determined to become a part of that universe you didn't care where you would end up.
And that is how you became the assistant to one of the hottest acts to ever grace the stage.
At first, you were way too excited to be involved in the day-to-day of the band's schedule; you didn't even care if you had to run many blocks just to get the specific brand of coffee they wanted.
But soon enough, the rose-colored lenses you had on would crack. Not only did you have to take care of the band's schedule and be at their beck and call, but you were also in charge of cleaning up their mess.
Which is the reason you ended up sitting through a one-hour phone call with the band's manager as he practically yaps your ear off about the band's lead guitarist.
"Do you know how many NDAs I had to sign just so these groupies would keep their mouths shut about Younghoon?" Jacob exclaims.
"I know, I'm the one who prints and mails those documents for you." You sigh heavily.
"The board is getting pissed off. It's getting too much! He has a sex addiction at this point!"
"Well, it's not like we can make him wear a chastity belt or a purity ring to stop him! You know how he gets." You reply, trying to hold in your frustration from how long this call has been going.
"They are in the process of promoting their next album and going on tour. If Younghoon keeps this up and the press finally catches on, it will not be a good look for us all." Jacob takes a deep breath and pauses for a moment.
"I need you to keep him in line," Jacob says to you with a stern voice.
"What?! How the hell am I supposed to do that?"
"I don't know, you're the assistant. It's your job to take care of those guys. Do something about it or you can say goodbye to your job."
Jacob puts the phone down immediately without even waiting for your reply. You throw your phone to the side, your heart racing as you feel the frustration consuming you, and it's not even eight in the morning.
You can't afford to lose your job. Not after you've worked so hard to get where you are already. And you will definitely not lose your job just because Younghoon can't keep it in his goddamn pants.
No, you're going to do something about this no matter what it takes.
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As you insert the spare key in the lock of Younghoon's apartment, you're instantly startled as a figure appears before you. Her disheveled appearance already tells you who or rather, why she's in his apartment. Great, another day of running into a groupie.
"Oh, Lin, isn't it?" You try to give her a smile. You introduce yourself as the band's assistant.
"Oh—hi," she responds, but her eyes were looking elsewhere. "Excuse me, I gotta go, late for… an appointment," she mumbles.
"Of course, it was nice meeting you!" You put on that people-pleasing voice. Lin nods in return before stumbling out the door. You make a mental note to track her address and send her an NDA later in the day.
You walk further into Younghoon's apartment, already listing out in your head the mess you have to clean up later as you quickly scan different areas of the living room. You find him still dead asleep in his bed, probably unaware that his latest conquest has left the building as you walk closer to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Younghoon? You awake?" You gently shake his shoulder. As you continue to wake him up, you're caught by surprise as he grabs your arm and pulls you into his embrace.
"Hey baby, up so early?" His deep morning voice rings in your ear as his face buries into your neck.
You try to keep yourself composed as you wriggle yourself free, but your eyes widen at the sudden realization that doing so was a mistake as you feel something hard digging between your ass.
"Younghoon, I—"
"So eager for round two, huh? Don't worry, baby, I'll let you take the lead this time." He kisses a sensitive spot between your neck and shoulder as his hands start drifting near your hips. Before anything escalates, you pull his hands away and reach behind to flick him in the forehead.
"Younghoon, it's me!" You shout, sitting upright once more and shaking off that fluttering feeling growing inside your stomach.
"Ow. What the— oh. Oh hey!" He smiles at you. "Where's—"
"Already left. Witnessed her walk of shame just as I was going in," you smirk. "I brought you breakfast; better see you outside in ten minutes, alright?" You slap his shoulder to wake him up.
"Alright, alright, I'll get up," he groans as he turns to his side.
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"Aw, all this for me? You shouldn't have." Younghoon slings his arm over your shoulder as he watches you set all the food on the counter.
"Just sit down and eat. We need to talk about something." You shrug his arm off.
"To talk… What did I do this time?" He sarcastically replies as he sits across from you.
"It's not what you did this time; it's what you keep on doing, Younghoon." You grab his plate and fill it up with the food on the table.
"Look, Jacob called me this morning, and he's not happy with your—" You pause, trying to come up with a proper way to address the problem.
"With my… what?" Younghoon takes a big bite from his plate, his eyes trained on yours as he waits for you to finish.
"Your sex addiction." You decide to get straight to the point. "You fuck nearly every girl that bats her pretty eyelashes at you or even gives you a decent amount of attention."
"Hey, I can't help myself, you know? This is the rockstar's life, after all." He shrugs as he takes a sip from his glass.
"Yeah, well, if you don't get that controlled and continue thinking with your dick, it's not gonna look good for the press," you reply.
"Since when have we cared about what the press thought?" Younghoon asks with slight irritation in his voice.
"Please, Younghoon, I need you to keep it together just until promotions and the tour are over. My job is on the line here." Your voice starts quivering. Younghoon sees your eyebrows scrunching and the tiny tear forming at the corner of your eye.
Oh, how he wishes he could kiss those worries away right now and keep you close to him. Seeing you like this whenever you're frustrated or upset makes his heart ache with a feeling he can't explain. It's probably because he has a soft spot for you, ever since you started working for them. And if he's the reason that you end up losing your job, he doesn't know how he'll be able to sleep at night.
"Please?" Your tiny voice calls him back to reality as your soft hands hold one of his. And how could he ever say no to you?
"Alright," Younghoon sighs out. "I'll do it. But it's not gonna look pretty." You chuckle at his response.
"I promise you can go back to doing whatever after the promotions. Deal?" You gently squeeze his hand for reassurance. Younghoon places his other hand on top of yours and squeezes in return.
"You got it, boss."
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Much to your surprise, Younghoon does a fairly good job at keeping his word. At first, it was a bit difficult, but he somehow managed to pull through.
He couldn't forget that one time he was almost about to fuck the girl lying on his bed until he suddenly remembered your face and how upset you would've been if you found out what he was doing. He couldn't bear the thought of disappointing you, so he just came up with a lousy excuse for the groupie to leave and fisted himself later in the night until he was satisfied enough.
And since then, that's what he had been doing to get by. He was either fucking his hand or fleshlight while imagining all the different one-night stands he had in the past. But as the days went by, it was getting harder for him to reach that sweet release. Not even watching porn would get him off the way it did before.
He needed to touch and be touched, a pair of lips kissing him everywhere, and moans of pleasure ringing in his ear… he couldn't wait till the tour was over until he could finally ravish someone and forget their name the next day. Sounds like a shitty way to live but hey, this is the kind of life he chose for himself.
Just two more months, Younghoon, what's the worst that can happen?
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Sweat starts to form on Younghoon's forehead as he vigorously pumps his throbbing length. He had been trying to get off for a while now, but it seems nothing has been working. This was the worst case of blue balls he has ever had, and if he doesn't cum any second now, he might go insane.
Younghoon starts to dig deep into his memories of past hookups to see if there was one moment he can use to get himself off. There was one memory that seemed to pop into his mind, but not any of the hookups he had remembered. No, it was a memory of you. The day you came into the apartment to talk to him about his problem.
He recalls the smell of your perfume when he buried his face into your neck, the way your ass rubbed against his morning wood accidentally, and how soft your hands were when you held his hand during breakfast.
His cock throbbed in his hand remembering those small moments, playing an imaginary scenario in his mind wherein you didn't stop his hands from traveling to your hips. How he would've pressed himself into you further and continued kissing your neck. How his hands would’ve groped your breasts tenderly as he whispered filth into your ear and you would’ve moan his name in response.
"So pretty…" he murmurs to himself as he bucks his hips up, thinking how beautiful and kind you've always been to him even if he tends to be an asshole at times.
He moans at the thought of how soft your lips would feel against his own, remembering the time you drunkenly kissed him on the cheek during that one after-party a few days ago. He had to quickly turn away from you to hide his cheeks turning pink.
God, he knows his abstinence from sex has gotten so bad to the point that even the smallest gestures from you are enough to send the blood in his veins right down to his cock. He's never been this hard in his life, and he can't tell anymore if it's because he's blue-balled or because he's thinking about you.
Either way, Younghoon was all up in his head that he didn't even hear his front door being unlocked as you let yourself in.
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Your visit to Younghoon's tonight was unplanned. He had forgotten his lucky leather jacket in the studio a week ago, and you took it upon yourself to get it dry-cleaned for him.
As soon as you got the call from the dry cleaners, you thought it would be nice to drop by his place and surprise him with his newly cleaned jacket and bring his favorite food for a late night snack. After all, you wanted to show him how grateful you were for keeping his word.
"Younghoon?" You call out his name. You knew he was home after spotting his keys and wallet on the console table. You try to call his name again but still no response. He must be asleep. I should go check on him, you think to yourself.
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Younghoon? He hears your sweet voice ringing in his ear. God, he must be down so bad if he can start hearing you call out his name, as if you're right close by. He can already feel himself closer to the edge as he hears his name once again, pumping himself to the point of no return until his door suddenly swings open.
"Younghoon, I— Oh my god!"
"Shit!"
You both catch each other by surprise.
You tried to look elsewhere, but the image of Younghoon jerking himself off is now burned into your memory, and you don't know what to do. Younghoon, on the other hand, whimpers from the loss of his orgasm.
Had you been delayed by a second or two, he would've released his load onto his stomach, relieving himself of stress. But now, he's on the verge of crying as he feels himself getting incredibly pent up.
"I'm so sorry, I'll just go—" You turn around quickly.
"No, wait!" Younghoon's voice stops you from closing the door. You couldn't help but turn around and face him once more. He looked like he was in pain, his eyes becoming watery as he deeply breathes in and out.
"Help me…" He cries out to you.
"W-what?" Your eyes widen. He can't be serious, right?
"Please! I can't— been trying. I can't do it." A tear falls down his pale cheek.
"Please, it hurts so bad…" He whimpers once again.
"Younghoon, I can't—"
"Please! Just this once. We'll never speak of it again—" He pleads like his life depends on it. And with the way he's looking at you like you're the only one that can help him get out of this sticky situation, how could you say no to him?
"A-alright." Your feet move towards him even before you replied, your body already deciding for you on what you need to do next.
You sit beside him, placing your hand on his thigh as you glance over his hand gripping his cock. You feel your core pulsate at his pink tip peeking out from his fist. But you try your best to completely ignore whatever intrusive thought you have and place your hand on top of his, gently holding it as you look into his eyes.
"Just this once, okay?" You hover above his cock enough for your spit to fall onto the tip and move his hand slowly up and down as you guide him through his orgasm.
This wouldn't be the first time you've seen his cock. The first two times were by pure accident and from afar too. But nothing could've prepared you from seeing his member up close.
The way the veins are protruding from how rock hard he is at the moment, wondering what it must feel like to fill you up to the hilt. You try to think of anything deemed unsexy as you stare at his manhood, but that ends up failing as you start to feel your underwear slowly getting wet by the second.
While you're too caught up in your own thoughts, Younghoon couldn't help but stare at the way you looked at his cock, all slack-jawed and dreamy-eyed. It was like you wanted to do more than guide him, like you were ready to devour him any moment from now. As if a dark cloud of lust is slowly taking over you right before his very own eyes. And that was turning him on a lot.
He subconsciously reaches out for you with his free hand, his fingers holding onto the back of your neck as he pulls you in for a kiss. Your lips are even sweeter than he had imagined, making his heart beat so fast from how soft they feel on his own. Younghoon knows this moment won't last forever, so he decides to just enjoy it while it lasts.
You instantly moan from the feeling of his lips on yours, holding his wrist as you lean forward to press yourself against him. You pull his hand away from his cock and replace it with yours instead, the softness of your palm wrapped around his length making him hiss in pleasure. You start to grip him harder, controlling the pace of your hand jerking him off.
Younghoon groans into your mouth as he slips his tongue inside. His hands grabbing onto your hips before pulling you closer to him to straddle his lap. You continue to jerk him off as his hands start caressing the sides of your body.
"Please…" he whines into your mouth.
"Tell me what you need, Younghoon—" You kiss his cheek before moving down to his neck.
"Wanna touch you— fuck— Can I touch you? Please let me touch you." His eyebrows knit in pleasure as your lips suck a particularly sensitive part of his throat.
Too busy with lightly sucking on his skin, you grab one of his hands and guide him to the front button of your pants, signaling him to remove the article of clothing from you for better access. He wastes no time helping you out of your jeans and having you back on his lap.
His fingers slowly sliding beneath your underwear, groaning at the sensation of how wet your folds are. He's honestly amazed at how you're able to get this wet without being touched; it motivates him to slide his fingers between before finally circling around your sensitive bud.
You let out a soft whine as you feel your knees turn into jelly. All you could think about right now is to sink yourself down onto his member and ride him into the sunset. Somehow it was like he could read your mind as you feel his hand pull your underwear to the side and the other pull you by the hip to align your entrance right above his tip.
"This okay?" You look down at him.
"Y-yeah, more than okay." He stutters.
"C'mere." You lean down to kiss him, slowly letting yourself sink down to the base of his cock.
Both of you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding until you finally sat on his lap. The feeling of Younghoon being fully sheathed inside you already has you seeing stars, and you haven't even moved yet. He swallows your moans as he starts bucking his hips up, holding you in a tight embrace as he fucks himself into your tight hole.
"You're beautiful, you know that?" He mumbles as he pulls his lips away from yours to get a good look at your face.
The way he looked at you as if you had a halo around you was making the butterflies in your stomach flutter like crazy. You knew the effect he had on you, especially when he would randomly flirt with you. But for some reason, the effect of his words felt different.
It was like he was confessing something he had locked up inside of him for a long time, making you blush like an idiot. Your eyebrows knit in pleasure as his thrusts start to become faster. Your walls are gripping him like a vice; he knows he's bound to reach his peak anytime soon.
"Let go for me, Younghoon, you can do it." You whisper in his ear.
As soon as you say these words, a sudden burst of warmth blooms inside you. His hips relax onto the mattress as he comes down from his high, but his hands guide your hips up and down his cock, helping you reach your own release.
He must've been so pent up, you think to yourself as you feel him still incredibly hard inside you. The tip of his manhood nudges that sweet spot deep inside you so good you feel yourself nearly falling over the edge.
"K-keep going, baby—" He breathes out. "Use me."
You take control of your own movement and bounce on him like there's no tomorrow. Your fingernails raking the sensitive skin on his chest as you chase your own high. Younghoon can feel himself reaching his own high too the more you keep this pace up.
Everything about this moment was making him absolutely dizzy. Your walls practically choke holding his dick, his first load already dripping out of you and coating his balls, and the way the squelching sounds echo in the room as you use him for your own pleasure?
He will never look at you the same way ever again. You've officially ruined him for anyone else after this.
"Younghoon, I'm gonna—"
"C'mon baby, cum on me. Fuck— make me yours." He mumbles as he feels close to the edge with you.
After a few more bounces, the rope inside you finally snaps, making you cum so hard you feel like you're going to faint. Younghoon's second release follows right after yours, but this time his load is more than the first. You both know for sure that as soon as he pulls out, a waterfall of your mixed juices is bound to rush out of your hole. So you just decide to keep him close longer as you both try to catch your breath.
You lay your head on his chest, listening to the sound of his breathing pattern slowly regulating as he rubs his hand up and down your back. You both bask in the silence a little longer, secretly savoring the moment before you have to part ways.
"Younghoon?" You lift your head to look up at him. He hums in response.
"If— if ever you need help with this at a different time…" You pause for a moment. "I'd be happy to volunteer." You feel your cheeks burn up at the thought of doing this with Younghoon again.
"Yeah? You wanna help me out?" His eyes widen, his heart beating faster again knowing this wouldn't be the last intimate moment with you.
"Yeah, just as long as you sign an NDA about it." You jokingly reply. He chuckles and kisses your forehead.
"Well, get ready to print a lot of those—" He grabs your ass and gives it a good slap, making you yelp in surprise.
"—because you have a lot of catching up to do."
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m1ssunderstanding · 28 days ago
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so my husband is a roadie and he's out on show right now with a guy who did sound for Paul in 89. My husband and this guy are barely acquaintances so he's not going to bug him much more, but here's what we got.
Paul and Linda "forced" their crew to eat veggie (knew that. They just didn't want to buy meat and they fed their crew for free which not everyone does. You always have the option to go off site if you want to buy something else.)
The crew had code words for when Paul and Linda were coming so they'd act right around them
Paul was nice, cool, one of the guys etc but Linda was a bitch (rolling my eyes so hard I'm beating Paul at eye yoga)
They would turn Linda's piano down because they thought she was so unbearably bad. (She had been playing keys on hit records and sell-out shows for almost twenty years stfu) They would've just muted her only Paul would be like "can't hear Lin, could you turn her up a bit mate?"
One rigger was so pissed at Linda (didn't give any reason except that she was controlling of Paul, which idk what that has to do with you, rigger, unless you wanted to fuck him or something and you think she's the one standing in the way of that but whatever) that he quit and before he left he put a bag of dog food by Linda's piano to be like "here's some food for your puppy dog". (They definitely got kinky with that that night I guarantee Paul loved being her good boy.)
But really, the shit Linda put up with for the entirety of their marriage. Heads would've rolled.
115 notes · View notes
graysoncritic · 6 months ago
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A (Negative) Review of Tom Taylor's Nightwing Run - What Went Wrong? Dick's Characterization
Introduction Who is Dick Grayson? What Went Wrong? Dick's Characterization What Went Wrong? Barbara Gordon What Went Wrong? Bludhaven (Part 1, Part 2) What Went Wrong? Melinda Lin Grayson What Went Wrong? Bea Bennett What Went Wrong? Villains Conclusion Bibliography
In the previous section, we explored not only who Dick Grayson is and why he is so beloved by his friends, but why many people — including Taylor and others at DC — have a hard time  understanding his character. By reducing Dick to a hero who is “good” and transforming into an “everyman” that anyone can project themselves onto, Taylor fundamentally removes that which makes Dick special, transforming him into a different character.
But there are other ways in which Taylor and DC mischaracterize Dick by erasing his history and transforming into a more “palatable” mainstream hero. That is what I wish to explore in more detail now. 
Let’s begin by examining how Taylor’s framing Dick’s story in Nightwing (and that of the Titans in Titans) as a coming-of-age tale contributes to a grand erasure of Dick Grayson’s greatness.
In Taylor’s run, Dick is treated as if he were a new superhero. However, even if this run (not the entire title that started in 2016 with Rebirth, but just Taylor’s run) were to become a new stand-in for the 1996 Nightwing solo in which Dick arrives in Bludhaven for the very first time, Dick Grayson should not be portrayed as someone new to vigilantism. Even if one were to generously interpret Taylor’s Dick as being only twenty-two years old after starting as Robin at twelve years of age and only recently having become Nightwing, Dick would still have a decade of experience doing detective and hero work. It is notable that most of that decade was spent with him leading the Titans, serving as Batman’s partner and second-in-command, and mentoring numerous young heroes.
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(Wolfram, Amy, writer. Kerschl, Karl, illustrator. In the Beginning… Part Three. Teen Titans: Year One no. 03, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2008. pp. 09)
One of Dick’s core traits is that he is a natural, if at times reluctant, leader. Many key moments in his character history are defined by Dick feeling the weight of the responsibilities placed upon him and having to push through his personal reservations for the sake of others. 
Dick was the first child hero. He was the first sidekick. Out of universe and in universe. (In the introduction to  Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder: Scholars and Creators on 75 years of Robin, Nightwing, and Batman, Kristen L. Geaman mentions that some argue Mister America from Action Comics #2 is, in fact, the first side-kick. However, this claim is debated since Mister America played more of a comedic and “Watsonian” role [as Dick Grayson Fan C suggested], and Dick was the one who popularized the formula of the role.) He was the proof that the concept of a sidekick — a partner — could work. Proof that kids could be trained into this life. Proof that they did not need powers in order to be a hero. That is one of the reasons why, in-universe, he is admired by so many characters – because he is the trailblazer who opened the doors for every young hero and side-kick that came after him. Dick’s history is also why he has so many connections — it is because he was the one who opened the doors for everyone else, mentored so many people, and partnered with those who were his age and those who were much older that he gained so much respect in the superhero community. 
And yet, that history is called into question in Taylor’s narrative when he frames Dick as a young, new hero who is just beginning to assess what he wants to do with his life. Not only is it bad storytelling to portray Dick’s connections without factoring in the experience tied into them, it also demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of who Dick is, what he represents, and why he’s been so beloved for over 80 years.
This lack of appreciation and of respect towards Dick is extended to the other Titans in Taylor’s Titans (2023) run. As he himself pointed out, the first arc is called Out of the Shadows because, in his words, the Titans are “stepping out of the shadows of the Justice League.”
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(Taylor, Tom [TomTaylorMade]. Twitter, 22 June 2023, https://twitter.com/jesswchen/status/1636971185782259716?s=20.)
And yet, to its fans, the Titans were never in the Justice League’s shadows. They were not inferior or subordinate to the Justice League, even if they may be less known. In-universe, the Titans may have modeled themselves after the Justice League and they may be allies, but the Titans are still an independent entity. From their very inception they defined themselves in contrast with how the Justice League operates. 
In fact, in JLA/Titans #02, Dick himself draws this distinction when arguing with Bruce and calling him out on his condescending behavior towards the Titans.
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(Grayson, Devin; Jimenez, Phil, writers. Jimenez, Phil; Brown, Eliot R., illustrator. The Generation Gap. JLA/Titans no. 02, e-book ed. DC Comics, 1998. pp. 23)
Trying to repackage Dick and the Titans as newbie heroes who are only now experiencing independence demonstrates a lack of understanding of their history and who the Titans are meant to be. The Dark Crisis and The Dawn of the DCU attempt to frame Dick’s Nightwing series and Titans as coming-of-age tales, where only now the characters are stepping into adulthood. Taylor’s writing goes a step further and portrays them as making rookie mistakes, coming across as newbies, and as a result, erasing all of the rich history that have built these characters into who they are today.
As I mentioned above, even if we generously interpreted that Dick never lived in Bludhaven before, Dick should still have plenty of experience being a hero and living on his own. The moment in which he transitions from Robin to Nightwing (willingly or unwillingly depending on your preferred Nightwing origin story) is Dick’s coming-of-age moment. By the time he comes to Bludhaven, Dick already knows who he is, what he wants, and he knows how to care for himself. By the time Dick comes to Bludhaven, his internal struggles are not that of a young adult who just left the nest and does not yet feel like an adult, but rather that of an adult who knows his own abilities and is confident in who he is. 
And yet, in Nightwing #84, the first issue in Nightwing: Fear State, Taylor has Dick pondering on the responsibilities of taking care of Bludhaven. Right on the first page, he says “Fighting an entire corrupt system? Saving a whole city? There’s no training for that.” 
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(Taylor, Tom, writer. Rodriguez, Robbi, illustrator.  Fear State Part 1 of 3. Nightwing: Rebirth. 84, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 03)
Except even the most basic knowledge of Dick’s character shows that he was, in fact, trained to save an entire system and to fight a corrupt system — he was trained to care for Gotham and to take out the corrupt systems that prevail in that city. Not only that, Dick has also been Batman, at which point he was also Gotham’s main protector. 
This mistake becomes even more outrageous when one considers that, though Taylor’s run is at times treated as a soft-reboot, Dick is still shown to have lived in Bludhaven while operating as Nightwing. This means that that generous interpretation I’ve been alluding to is not, in fact, compatible with the story as it is written. It is a falsehood, and therefore cannot be used to excuse the “new-in-town” approach Taylor uses when writing Dick. 
Dick’s apparent inexperience and, frankly, incompetence, is further highlighted by the amount of times Dick is saved by others, or the amount of times when he is dependent on others to do the work for him. These instances include, but are not limited to:
The people of Bludhaven answering Nightwing’s call when Heartless sets the tent city on fire in #81
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(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Leaping into the Light Part 4. Nightwing: Rebirth. 81, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 13)
Dick being knocked out with a single blow and then unmasked during his first attempt to investigate Melinda also in issues #81
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(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Leaping into the Light Part 4. Nightwing: Rebirth. 81, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 20 - 21)
Babs calling people to Dick’s rescue rather than trusting he could get out of it on his own in #82.
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(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator. Leaping into the Light Part 5. Nightwing: Rebirth. 82, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 03)
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(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator. The Battle for Bludhaven’s Heart Part Four. Nightwing: Rebirth. 95, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2022. pp 24 - 25)
In #90, when his building blew up and Wally came to save him, then proceeded to force him to rest away from Bludhaven instead of letting him take action.
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(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Get Grayson Act Three. Nightwing: Rebirth. 90, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2022. pp 15)
And needing Babs’ help during a car chase in #106,
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(Taylor, Tom, writer. Byrne, Stephen. The Crew of the Crossed Part One. Nightwing: Rebirth. 106, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2023. pp 16)
Which greatly contrasts how, in #113 of the Nightwing (1996), Dick handles a similar situation while simultaneously mentoring Rose Wilson.
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(Grayson, Devin, writer. Chian, Cliff, illustrator The Scorpion and the Frog. Nightwing no 113, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2005. pp. 19)
The thesis of Taylor’s run is that people need to rely on one another — we have to be each other’s safety net. And while that is an interesting theme to explore and one that certainly speaks to Dick’s history of doing things on his own out of fear of putting others in danger, Dick should still, more times than not, be able to do things by himself. After all, this is not an ensemble piece — this is Nightwing’s story and as his fans, we want to read about him. Cameos are fine. They can be fun, in fact. But cameos are different from Dick constantly struggling and needing help whenever he faces a challenge – the former portrays Dick as someone with powerful connections that deeply love him; the latter portrays Dick as being incapable of doing things without someone holding his hand.
This is another thing that Waid understands about Dick and portrays it clearly in World’s Finest. When Kara explains to Clark what first attracted her to Dick, she emphasizes how, despite the fact he had no powers, he could still save himself. 
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(Waid, Mark, writer. Lupacchino, Emanuela, illustrator. Scream of the Chaos Monkey. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest no. 12, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2023. pp. 06 - 07)
Being not just competent, but exceeding even the highest expectations is at the core of Dick’s character. And, as was pointed out in the previous section, it also serves to feed into his toxic perfectionism — he is one of the top tier heroes, therefore people expect excellence from him. Dick does not want to fail those who put their trust in him, and so he demands perfection of himself to the point of self-destruction.
Beyond that, we cannot give Taylor credit for trying to tell a story about Dick growing out of his perfectionist bad habits by learning to rely on others. After all, if Dick is constantly asking for help, then he is not resisting help. And that removes his chance for growth. A character arc requires development and change, which means one cannot start at the endpoint. Therefore, it cannot be claimed that Taylor’s intentions are for Dick to learn to rely on others, for he has been doing so without hesitation since the beginning. 
As a result, the story is not about Dick being Bludhaven’s safety net while learning that he also has a safety net of his own, but rather about Dick always relying on his safety net, always knowing it was there, and having them also shoulder the responsibilities he took when he named himself Bludhaven’s protector. There is no room for Dick to grow because he is already at the end of his journey. And there is no room for Dick to be the hero of his story because others are constantly coming to his rescue when things get too difficult.
Once more, I must clarify that I’m not saying that Dick is not loved, or that Dick is not important to many people. I’m simply stating that the way his relationships are built gives him very little room to rely on them. He is their safety net but he doesn’t trust them to be his safety net. Exploring this requires going into the nuances of each relationship, where conflicts are created, and where people hurt the other in the heat of an argument. It would mean dealing with the messiness of complex human emotions, forcing characters and the audience to sit with uncomfortable feelings as we get to the root of Dick’s perfectionism and his fears.  
In June of 2022 a reader on Twitter asked Taylor about his decision to have Dick constantly falling, for, as they pointed out, this makes Dick look incompetent.
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(Jonathan [@Nightwingdagoat]. Twitter, 21 June 2022, https://twitter.com/Nightwingdagoat/status/1539267708310765568)
Taylor responded by saying that these instances were Redondo’s call, and that it was their attempt to humanize Dick.
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(Tom Taylor [@TomTaylorMade]. Twitter, 21 June 2022, https://twitter.com/Nightwingdagoat/status/1539267708310765568)
In fairness to Taylor, the following criticism will then be directed primarily at Redondo who believed these instances were the best way to “remind people that Nightwing is human.” That being said, as Taylor appears to support such a position, and as he has written numerous incidents where Dick is conveniently knocked over by others, I do believe this can be directed at him as well. 
Simply put, to have a character constantly fall is a superficial and lazy way to humanize said character. Casual falls like this, after all, are not failures. They contribute little to the story and have very little consequence.  
Nothing happens once Dick falls. The bad guy doesn’t get away, the innocent civilian is not hurt, the crucial piece of evidence needed to crack the case is not destroyed. There are no lasting consequences for Dick to deal with, no conflict that can arise from these falls, no tension to make Dick’s future success more emotionally effective. Furthermore, these falls are completely out of Dick’s control, taking away any responsibility he might have for his mistakes. 
If the flaws that are meant to “humanize” Dick are falls which he bears no agency over, then he, the good guy, has no responsibility over his own “failures.” Said “failures” also end up having no consequences to the plot, which gives Dick no crisis to respond to (furthering his passivity), and this robs Dick of character development opportunities. 
It creates a stasis in the story where the only conflicts Dick faces are the ones against really bad guys that always – always – lose to Dick and his connections, and ones which do not ask for moments of introspection.
Despite almost never falling in The Untouchable, Dick is far more human there than in Taylor’s and Redondo’s run. This is because Dick is forced to face the consequences of his “failure” to capture the Judge twice in the past. Dick is constantly thinking about the Judge’s victims, forcing himself to carry their lives on his shoulder. He pushes himself to toxic lengths. Whenever the Judge escapes his grasp, the conflict evolves, the stakes are raised, and the tension builds. Dick’s desperation becomes visceral to the reader, and that is what humanizes him to the reader. Similarly, the emotional pay-off of the climactic battle in the end grows with each obstacle Dick faces.
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(Humphries, Sam, writer. Chang, Bernard, illustrator The Untouchable: Chapter Four: Infiltration. Nightwing: Rebirth no. 38, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2018. pp. 09)
But Dick’s newbie incompetence is not the only way Taylor mischaracterizes Dick. It is by combining the lighthearted tone of his story, his depiction of Dick as a blank canvas “good guy,” his avoidance of conflict, and his attempts at answering difficult real-world problems that Taylor ends up creating a version of Dick Grayson that is utterly self-absorbed and lacking in foresight.
Telling and not showing is an immense problem in Taylor’s writing. There’s a difference between how a writer attempts to portray a character and how, given their actions in the context of the narrative created, the story shows them to be the complete opposite. In such cases, the story triumphs over the writer. This is why I claim that, though Taylor tells the reader that Dick is caring, intelligent, and a hard worker, he actually shows Dick as as selfish, incompetent, and naive.  
Take, as an example, how Taylor sidelines the Heartless storyline in favor of slice-of-life scenes. If Heartless was not there, perhaps those sweet moments could be just that. However, as in the world of the story there is currently a serial killed running around free, making orphans out of the youth Dick vowed to protect, the fact that Dick is not constantly working to catch Heartless is not only out of character, it makes it so it seems he doesn't care what happens to the people of Bludhaven (And now also Gotham, given #111, which was released as this essay was being edited). Rather than stopping crime and bringing justice to Heartless’ victims, Dick would rather spend his nights in his apartment, enjoying a relaxing evening with his girlfriend and his dog. 
Please do not take this to mean that I consider a slice-of-life story to be inferior to other genres. My reason for highlighting this is not to undermine the value of slice-of-life, but rather to argue that such scenes do not live in isolation. They exist within the context of a larger narrative, and what would be sweet in a sitcom-style story comes across as something entirely different when other characters are facing life-and-death stakes. It does not matter how much the writer tells us that these characters are caring and compassionate — their lack of action and urgency portrays them as self-centered. 
Just as Taylor attempts to write the big climatic moments without properly building the momentum necessary to make them impactful, he similarly forgoes the work required to win the reader’s trust, and instead expects his audience to simply accept that important plot and character developments are happening off-screen. Rather than letting the audience experience the intrigue and devastation of the Heartless mystery by showing us how the horrors of these murders motivate Dick to continuously search for this cruel killer, Taylor instead advances these elements off-screen, opting instead to tell the reader they’ve occurred.
That is not to say that writers cannot streamline plots. They absolutely can and, in some cases, they absolutely should. However, streamlining a subplot is a far more complicated matter than just telling the reader said events happened off-screen and expecting them to simply accept it. 
While it is impossible to provide a precise checklist with the step-by-step guidelines on how to properly streamline a subplot, I believe one of the factors one must consider is whether that plot should be streamlined or not. Personally, I believe that Dick investigating the character who was meant to be this run’s main villain is too big and too important of a story to be played off offscreen.
Dick has hardly spent any time attempting to apprehend Heartless. Instead, as time of writing, his investigation of Heartless has practically nonexistent. Instead, after not focusing on him for the majority of the run, we are simply told by Dick and Babs that they’ve been keeping an eye on Heartless, even if their investigation is never shown to us. 
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(Taylor, Tom, writer. Basri, Sami Nightwing. Nightwing: Rebirth. 111, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2023. pp 09)
If we, as readers, are to believe that Dick is the selfless detective and hero — the Heart of the DCU — that Taylor tell us he is, then finding and apprehending Heartless should be one of his top priorities. If Heartless was meant to be Nightwing’s big nemesis, then their confrontation should always be a source of great tension and conflict. Such importance would be demonstrated by showing Dick working towards stopping him at every moment he has free. But either those moments are not happening at all, or they are happening off-screen.
Having such an important conflict and such a crucial antagonistic dynamic develop does nothing to enrich the plot — in fact, it only detracts from them, for because we do not get to witness this relationship grow and we are only told that it is happening, the pay off that must come when Nightwing and Heartless finally have a big confrontation will be cheapened as a result. 
Heartless' actions are so brutal and create such urgency that not prioritizing Heartless' arrest makes it seem like Dick doesn't care about his victims. Batman doesn't wait around when the Joker breaks out of Arkham – he hunts the Joker down. Similarly, Dick didn't wait around on the Judge – he hunted him down. 
For Heartless to be the Big Bad, Dick should have put him in jail already and Heartless should have escaped. DIck should have faced him multiple times. He should have been Dick's priority because of how cruel and urgent his actions are.
Finally, there are three particular moments that I wish to discuss to illustrate how ambivalent Taylor is when it comes to Dick’s characterization, choosing to prioritize online discourse over who Dick Grayson’s established history and personality. 
The first one comes from a throwaway line. And yet, because this was a throwaway line that demonstrated how little thought Taylor gives to his main character. 
When Tim makes his first appearance in Taylor’s run in #80, Dick’s narration says that many would consider Tim to be the best Robin, and that he “totally gets it.”
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(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator.  Leaping into the Light Part Three. Nightwing: Rebirth. 80, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 09)
“Who is the best Robin” is a discourse that I, admittedly, care very little for. It serves no purpose other than to get fans to fight one another, bashing each other’s favorite characters in order to prop up their own. When posed on social media, this question becomes a thinly veiled attempt to generate high engagement. In reality, when people discuss “who is the best Robin,” they are, most often than not, truly arguing about who is their favorite Robin. But the question is framed in a way to be purposefully divisive, creating conflict within the fan community. The fact that DC plays into that divisiveness that requires their characters to be brought down so others can be lifted up for marketing material is concerning, but the fact that writers such as Taylor are letting that fan perception bleed into in-universe narration is nothing less than lazy writing that prioritizes online leaning into buzz over good storytelling.  
Naturally, as a Dick Grayson fan my opinion is that Tim is not the best Robin. Dick is. But my problem is not that Taylor said that Tim was the better Robin, but that I think Dick would never concede to the existence of a “best Robin.” In fact, not only do I believe that it is out of character for Dick to believe that one Robin can be defined as the best Robin, I would argue that Dick would be offended that such a question could be asked.
Dick, more than any of the other Robins, understands the purpose of a Robin, as he was the one who created the mantle. By seeing so many others inherit his family’s colors and his mother’s name for him, he also understands better than anyone that each person who becomes Robin has their purpose in their own unique way. Dick would understand how each of them made the Robin mantle unique, how they added to its mythos in their own way, and how all of their contributions are equally valid and equally important. He would never single out one of them as the best because he knows that Robin is about an ideal of justice by bringing light into the darkness. Most importantly, understanding how many Robins tied their self-worth to the mantle, Dick would never want others to feel as if they fell short of some arbitrary measure by proclaiming they are not “the best.” Dick would be against that measure, against the very idea of ranking Robins, as if they were interchangeable, as if they each didn’t make relevant contributions. He would hate the idea of the mantle he created in honor of his parents being used to judge and measure the worth of those he loves. Dick would argue that there can never be a "best Robin" because Robin is always about being your best self in the service of those who need your help, and you can't quantify that.
The concept of a “Best Robin” is a marketing strategy and a fan-oriented discourse that Taylor casually imposed into the narrative without considering whether his protagonist would adhere to such ideas. He prioritized internet discourse over characterization, and while the former may be immediately fulfilling as the page is cropped and shared a few thousand times in the first few days after publication, only the latter will leave an impression that will last decades. Taylor is embodying a current DC Comics trend to favor the former over the latter. As scholar Steve Baxi said in his review of Leaping into the Light, that page “doesn’t feel like Dick Grayson appreciating his brother, it feels like Dick Grayson saying what the audience wants to hear.” (Baxi, Steve, “TRADE COLLECTION REVIEW: Nightwing Vol. 1 - Leaping Into The Light” Comics Bookcase, August 2021)
Although they share similar problems, unlike the “Tim is the best Robin” throwaway narration, the second example I wish to discuss in detail became a big plot point in the beginning of Taylor’s run. I’m referring to the choice of having Dick become a billionaire due to the inheritance Alfred left to him.
To be more clear, my problem is not with the fact that Taylor made Dick into a billionaire (after all, Dick inheriting wealth from his parents is not a novel concept), but rather with Dick’s musings on the subject. (Dick’s financial situation is inconsistent across the years. While some like Dixon and Wolfman allude to him having a trust fund his parents set aside and that remained untouched until Dick’s adulthood, other writers like Humphrey who portray him as more middle class and sometimes struggling financially. Then there are the numerous times in which Dick was left homeless, implying that he did not have a safety fund to go to when tragedy struck.) On #79, Dick says, without a hint of irony, that he always thought that Bruce could do more to help Gotham with Bruce Wayne’s money than he does as Batman. 
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(Taylor, Tom. writer, Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Leaping into the Light Part Two. Nightwing: Rebirth. 79, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 07)
This is a popular online discourse that reveals lack of knowledge about Batman and a naive understanding of how corrupt systems function. I understand we are currently very critical (and rightly so) of billionaires and the hoarding of wealth. I understand that this leads many — media critics and everyday fans — to analyzing how wealth is portrayed in the stories that resonate within our culture. But anyone who claims that Bruce has not used his wealth for the benefit of Gotham outside of funding his Batman endeavors has not engaged properly with Batman media. I’m not going to go into the merits of how Bruce’s wealth should or should not be portrayed and how DC has currently been handling this issue (that is the subject for an entirely different essay that is not relevant to this discussion), but I will say that Bruce has, canonically, used a lot of his money to fund safety net programs in Gotham, to invest in small businesses and on individuals, and in trying to make the city more affordable and kinder to those with less. 
Twitter user Ashley|TheBatFamily 🦇 (@TheBat_Family) created a comprehensive Twitter thread of examples. These are but some of the ones that stood out to me and that feel most relevant to this essay:
In Cataclysm, Bruce attempted to lobby the US government to offer aid to Gotham after the earthquake; 
Bruce used his money to rebuild the city during No Man’s Land;
Bruce invested in the people who were ready to start new businesses so Gotham could offer jobs to its people and rebuild itself without being fully dependent on others;
Bruce created scholarships so more people could attend university;
Bruce funds Leslie’s free clinic as well as other hospitals around Gotham;
Bruce invested on low-income housing developments in Gotham by working with local firms, providing accommodations to local residents so no one would be displaced;
Bruce expanded and modernized Gotham’s public transportation system;
Bruce ensured all Wayne properties were secured against earthquakes (which led to those residences being the only ones standing during NML);
Bruce funds libraries and museums;
Bruce funds green efforts not just in Gotham, but in other places by buying land and making them nature preserves;
Bruce funds orphanages and provided them resources (from educational supplies to toys for the children);
Bruce provided support for immigrants;
Bruce funds appeals for wrongful convictions;
Bruce provides employment for former convicts;
(Ashley [TheBat_Family]. Twitter, 13 October 2020, https://twitter.com/TheBat_Family/status/1316006509923520512.)
In short, Bruce Wayne has done everything and more that Dick claimed he wished to do for Bludhaven. There’s nothing novel about the idea. Batman narratives don’t put as much focus on these endeavors and do not place as much emphasis on Bruce’s philanthropy simply because they Batman stories are, at their core, detective stories first and foremost. Their focus is on investigation and crime solving (Though I would argue that Cataclysm and No Man’s Land put a lot of focus on issues of wealth, class, and examine Bruce’s financial responsibility towards the city).
But just because these examples are not the focus of the stories in which they are present, it does not mean that they do not exist. Neither does it mean that Batman stories do not engage with themes of wealth and class inequality, as well as systemic corruption. In fact, I would argue that many of the best ones know how to use Bruce’s privileged status to explore these issues. The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder, for example, brilliantly uses the Court and the Talons to engage with these themes. (An essay analyzing the Court of Owls through such a lens would be a fascinating study, especially when exploring the parallels and foils between the Court and the Talons, and Bruce and Dick. Alas, this is not the place for it.)
Dick, who not only has always been characterized as knowing Bruce better than most people,  but who was also raised by Bruce, would know about every single one of the examples listed above. Dick, of all people, had a front row seat to all the ways in which Bruce helped Gotham with his wealth, both in examples that were covered by the press, and the ones Bruce did secretly without taking credit. Dick attended countless fundraising events, press briefs, boardroom meetings. But most importantly, Dick would have witnessed with his very own eyes that lack of funding is not at the root of Gotham’s problems.  The problem in Gotham is not lack of money or safety nets, but rather, it is that its systems are so corrupt that pumping more funds into it will do nothing to help those in need. Instead, it will only further enrich those who are already in power. That’s why in this comic book world with comic book conventions and comic book logic, Batman is needed. Batman is a disruption to the system, forcing it to change, dismantling it from both the outside and the inside. In Dixon and Grayson’s Nightwing runs, Dick’s understanding of systematic problems can be observed in his motivation to become a police officer, as he joins the force with the goal to weed out the corruption and dismantle the system from within. Money alone cannot save a city if the foundation was purposefully designed to favor those on the top by taking from those at the bottom.
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(Dixon, Chuck, writer. McCarthy, Trevor, illustrator The Threshold. Nightwing. 60, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2001. pp 22)
But of course, Taylor never takes a moment to wonder how being raised by Bruce Wayne would influence Dick’s perspective on this matter. Instead, he once more takes a popular online discourse and makes Dick say it out without considering characterization. A more in-character and canonically accurate approach to such a story moment would have Dick comment on all the ways Bruce used his money behind the scenes to help Gotham, and how he wishes to do the same for Bludhaven. A single line change would have demonstrated Taylor's willingness to engage with Dick’s character history rather than just copying the hot takes he sees on social media. 
Not only that, this change in dialogue would also establish Bruce and Dick’s closeness as it would show that not only is Bruce a source of inspiration for Dick, but that Dick is one of the few people who have seen this side of Bruce. That would have also made the hug between Bruce and Dick in the #100 more emotionally effective and thematically cohesive, especially as they are in front of Alfred’s grave.
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(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Power Vacuum: Part Four: The Leap. Nightwing: Rebirth. 100, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2023. pp 44)
The truth is that Dick's Haven project engaged with issues homelessness only in the most shallow of manners. Rather than discussing the realities of this matter, it simply used it as a backdrop. It is an appropriation of hardships by someone who is unwilling to engage with the difficulties brought upon by said hardships. It is substance-less writing masquerading as social consciousness.
The third example I wish to cite which demonstrates Taylor’s lack of consideration for Dick’s character or his backstory comes when Haley is taken in #87. Dick’s internal monologue reads that “The last thing I’d want is for anyone to be threatened because they’re close to Dick Grayson,” referring to the fact that he is now a public figure thanks to the press conference he gave about his plans for Bludhaven. 
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(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Get Grayson. Nightwing: Rebirth. 87, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 09)
The idea that Dick Grayson, billionaire Bruce Wayne’s first child, was unaware of the dangers faced by those associated with a public figure is laughable. The idea that the first Robin, who was often taken hostage by villains who wished to get to Batman (so much so that Frank Miller famously nicknamed him “Boy Hostage”), did not understand the threat posed to those who are close to powerful figures is insulting. After well over a decade as a superhero, and after well over a decade of being associated with a wealthy public figure, Dick should know better than most how such ties can put loved ones at risk. 
In-universe, this line makes Dick appear so self-centered that he does not take into consideration how his actions affect his loved ones. It makes him appear dense, unable to think through his actions and strategize contingency plans and safety precautions before taking such a giant risk. 
Out of universe, this betrays a lazy way of storytelling, with Taylor going for low-hanging fruits without thinking of how that might affect the characterization of his protagonist. Out of universe, a collection of throwaway, thoughtless lines like this demonstrates just how uninterested Taylor is in giving even the slightest consideration to who Dick Grayson is meant to be, instead putting his focus on the gimmick that will get him noticed on social media.
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mintjuliee · 2 months ago
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Lin and Suyin - On Why Sometimes Love Means Saying "No"
In cases where you are raising a child, caring about them can often mean saying "no" or presenting as the opposition. This is particularly true when the child in question is displaying harmful behaviors.
The most blatant example of this between the Beifong sisters is the flashback in Old Wounds, wherein you see Suyin skipping school with a couple of other kids— a bag of items that they have likely stolen spilling over on a coffee table.
Teenage Lin confronts Suyin with a blatant look of disproval. Her inquires are met with:
"Oh no, are you going to tell mom? It's not like she is going to care."
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ERRRT. Back up. What is really going on here?
A cry for attention.
It is not normal for a twelve year-old child to say that their mom is not going to care about them engaging in dangerous behaviors. I would even argue that the most important sentiment behind that statement is "she isn't going to care."
And what we see in the next flashback a few years later proves that Suyin was and is, in fact, testing the waters. She is now driving a getaway vehicle after a robbery. Her behavior is doomed to escalate, because it is not being met with any parental opposition.
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How far can I take it? When will it matter?
This is the part where a parent should be stepping in to intervene. They should be trying to figure out what is lacking in the child's life or what they are seeking. However, what we witness instead is that this burden/role has fallen to Lin.
Mind you, in the first flashback Lin herself is a teenager. She lacks the experience or maturity to be dealing with a child displaying these behaviors, which is shown when she escalates the situation by insulting the two boys. And yet, she still tells Suyin :
"Su stop. You have so much potential. You're ruining your life."
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In the second flashback, her words are:
"I'm not letting you get away with this." "So, once again, Su gets to do whatever she wants, and there are no consequences."
Lin is acting as a psuedo-parent in the absence of Toph. She cares about her younger sister and is attempting to show this by drawing a line. Suyin is lashing out against Lin like she would an authority figure.
Toph in this situation, I believe, would not be that concerned with Suyin's behavior, because she herself engaged in rebellious behavior as a kid. The key difference— and what I think Toph failed to realize in raising Suyin— is that she herself grew up with extremely strict parents from the get go. In Toph's case, breaking away from them and finding her independence was key to her growth. It was a good thing.
This is completely different from a kid being raised and allowed to do what they want from the beginning like Suyin. The lack of parental guidance and attention as a foundation produced an entirely different issue than what Toph faced.
"We didn't have a normal childhood. Neither of us knew our fathers, and Toph was always busy being Chief of Police. Because mom grew up in such a strict house, she gave us all the freedom in the world, hoping we'd figure out our own paths."
"That sounds like a good thing."
"And in a way, it was. But we both ended up fighting for mom's attention. Lin followed in her footsteps and became a cop. I was more of a rebel."
Bingo. Here we have Suyin admitting her rebellious behavior was attention-seeking towards her mom. Unfortunately, due to Toph being often absent due to her job, it would seem this behavior often went most noticed by Lin.
An older/younger sibling tale as old as time.
Lin and Suyin were both acting in accordance with the hands they were dealt. They were young. Mistakes were made. Lin should never have had to act as an opposition to her sister's behavior as a teenager; she should have been able to act like a kid herself. Suyin should not have been left to her own devices to the point where she is acting out to seek attention.
So, what do we arrive at? Compelling backstory for two middle-aged women, who present as awesome, strong characters 😎 Something rare in media, animation being more scarce. I love them so much. Almost as much as they love each other.
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wilcze-kudly · 1 month ago
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Tlok is so weird about abuse, particularly when their female charcters are abusive towards their male characters.
Like Eska's abuse by Bolin was played completely for comedy. Despite him being shown as clearly uncomfortable, and crying on multiple occasions.
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This is especially upsetting because Bolin has been shown as being a rather vulnerable individual with trouble setting healthy boundaries and an aversion to saying 'no'. But even when he does actively express his discomfort and attempts to end the relationship, his autonomy is violated and he is literally forcefully engaged to Eska. And we are supposed to laugh.
He is shown to be so traumatised by the experience that he still actively panics when shown even a picture of Eska and is clearly very hurt that Mako didn't offer him more help in the situation. Which is honestly understandable.
Speaking of which, Mako and Korra's relationship in B2 was... troubled to say the least. Now, Korra had a lot on her plate and was rightfully stressed by the events happening. However, it seemed that she often took her stress out on Mako, getting into arguments with him and yelling at him.
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She kicked his fucking desk across the room. While Mako may have upset her by going behind her back and ratting her out to Raiko, but this is no way to react. But we are supposed to be annoyed and angry with Mako, and we are meant to see Korra reacting so violently as justified. [While I don't like Mako's actions in B2 he didn't deserve this.]
This is not helped in the slightest after Lin enters the scene, and comments on thw mess, saying that he 'got off easy'. And she implies that she committed even more property damage after Tenzin broke up with her.
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Ah, Lin. I think while Korra and Eska's actions toward Mako and Bolin have been called out sometimes, we tend to overlook how fucking horrifying what we're told about Lin's reaction to Tenzin breaking up with her is.
Because, if we think about this for a little, this is a scary situation. Lin is a very strong and physical person who has been shown to be quick to violence. Air Temple Island is Tenzin's home, and the home of multiple Air Acolytes, full of fragile artifacts that we are shown that he values tremendously and for which he feels personally responsible for.
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Ans it's honestly hard to believe that Lin didn't know this about Tenzin, since they persumably have known each other for a while. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if she damaged the temple because she knew it would hurt him.
And it's understandable that this wasn't presented as a very morally wrong thing to do, since the 'crazy ex girlfriend' isn't an unpopular trope in comedy, but it is damaging. Since it plays women doing genuinely scary and upsetting things towards men for comedy, therefore making it more difficult to take such behaviour seriously.
But hey, I guess we can kinda pretend that Lin most likely damaging Air Temple Island with earthbending is comparable to egging someone's house or keying their car. So let's let that slide.
Oh yeah, she also abused her position as chief of police in order to try and get rid of a romantic rival.
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Which is extremely fucked up, especially with how Lin presents herself as extremely professional and serious about her job, yet she apparently used it to terrorise a woman for 'stealing' her partner. What kind of bunny boiler shit is this.
And all of these scenes presenting Lin as a vengeful, borderline abusive ex to Tenzin are presented as comedic, further driving tlok's most likely unintentional message of normalising female on male abuse. It's not as in your face as Eska's abuse of Bolin, to the point that without the context of Eska and Korra's behaviour, I wouldn't really point Lin out, but with this context, you can't help but consider it.
Once is by chance. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a pattern.
And I hate to make this argument, but if the genders were reversed in these situations?
If a boy were pressuring a young, emotionally vulnerable girl into marriage, treating her as his slave, manhandling her, getting angry when she speaks to a male friend?
If a young man were to scream at his girlfriend multiple times and go so far as to throw her desk across a room?
If a male policeman implied he caused severe property damage at his ex girlfriend's house after she broke up with him and if he tried to use his status to arrest her new partner? (you know, actually 40% of cops are- *gets shot*)
I feel like we'd have a completely different perspective.
While male on female abuse is still often stigmatised and overlooked, I still think that Eska, Korra and Lin's actions would be scrutinised more closely and reacted to more negatively if they were men. Concurrently, I think we would treat Bolin, Mako and Tenzin with more leniency and gave them more of the benefit of the doubt had they been women.
I want to think that this wasn't a message that was presented on purpose, but it's still one of my least favourite aspects of tlok and I genuinely dislike the part of the fandom that trivialises these actions by Korra, Lin and Eska.
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cream0fwheat1998 · 7 months ago
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Captured
Thanks to @livingdeadgirly for giving me the idea.
(Yandere!BihanxreaderxYandere!Tomas)
It's long. Sorry.
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I have built on this idea to my own liking/ to fit the idea I have so this is MY interpretation of the idea. Please be aware that I have never played any Mortal Kombat games just watched movies & lore videos.
After the events of MK1 (2023)
Summary: Tomas and the woman he's trained have grown closer over the past few years. However a threat from the Lin Kuei (minimal use of Y/N) puts their relationship on hold as his darling is abducted by them during an attack.
WARNINGS: Dark/yandere/noncon/violence/forced relationship.
-You were a young woman residing in a rural village within Earthrealm
-You enjoyed your schooling because your family was privileged enough to afford you an education but you weren't wealthy either
-You favorite pastime was reading/learning about the other realms however your priority was mapping out Earthrealm first since you lived there
-You attempted to educate young children in your village by reading to them in your spare time and teaching them about the beauty and dangers that co-exist within the multiple realms
-A danger that you only had heard whispers of became a reality late summer when these assassins sporting Blue and Black garments stormed your village in search of those who supported the Shirai Ryu
-Houses were cased in ice, schools and hospitals demolished
-It was a picture right out of a book about the Netherrealm. Grey/green clouds, sharp winds and endless screams of innocents being slaughtered
-In the midst of chaos, you'd been hit by a dagger as cold as a winter storm and fell to the ground
-With the little strength you had, you crawled your way to cover
-The heat of your skin had bullet sized sweat drops running down your body, the amount of blood you felt leave you put your mortality in a sharp perspective and you assumed you wouldn't make it
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-The next 3 years were something of a miracle
-You were saved by soldiers from the Shirai Ryu scouring the land for survivors and hours after the attack, your lifeforce was hanging by a thread but you were still alive
-You spent your time learning their discipline, their training and forming the strength to become a fight
-Fighter in loose terms of course, you weren't good
- you refused to take part in the same carnage and devastation you were put through, you held your own fire back
-But you remained optimistic much to the chagrin of the more serious members when your academic skills aided them to victory
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-Another unforeseen occurrence has recently distracted you
-The handsome, grey-eyed and soft silver, short-haired warrior Smoke was your instructor
-The way he and his brother lead their clan in unison reminded you of the family and friends you'd loved and lost over the years
-You were told by Kuai Liang that Smoke had saved you from death and carried you to safety
-Over the few years, you felt some sense of debt to him and he clearly did not see it that way himself, your persistence to prove something to him added to his ego
-His dedication to train you started from a sense of duty but overtime he couldn't help but think if he saved you for himself rather than the Lin Kuei
-You were an attractive woman and he attempted not to stray from his purpose of serving his master (Kuai Liang)
-Yet you looked up to him in a way that made him feel special; he was second and his days under Bi-han he was third if anything at all
-But you went to him first, you called his name first when you had an issue
-Tomas couldn't help but feel like he was more of a man because of you, a pretty girl, coming to him for help
-Using the moral guide of the Lin kuei and the Shirai Ryu, he knew being humble was the key, however....
-The way you looked at him when he was giving instructions, the shy smile you gave him in the morning or in passing
-Especially, the way you'd let him adjust your form during training
-Deep down he knew he wasn't entitled to you but the prestige of being the second in command in the Shirai Ryu had been manifesting in his head
-Tomas knew he wanted his legacy to continue but the years of Bi-han's abuse had convinced him he wasn't good enough
-He felt ashamed when his thoughts of pinning you down and having his way with you occurred during training
-His fantasy was you admitting that you werent good enough to fight but that you could be useful in otherways
-He'd pin you down on the nearest surface, well first you'd suck him off THEN he'd force you down and probably spank you and when he was hard from hearing your cries, he'd force himself inside you
-His deepest desire is you submitting as a thank you for saving your life several years ago
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-But all the changed when the Lin Kuei attacked......
-Kuai Liang and his wife Harumi commanded their assassins into position, somehow that Lin Kuei had infiltrated their land
-Tomas immediately found you and demanded you hide inside the compound but you insisted you fight with your group
-The defiant attitude had Tomas growling, this was the first time he'd be forceful with you beyond training
-"I'm not asking. I'm telling you to HIDE or there will be punishment." Tomas said, no room for argument
-Once Tomas was out of sight, you ran to an opposite area of the compound, determined to prove you can fight for Tomas just as he has fought for you
-You'd met with the most intense scene you'd ever witness. Kuai Liang and a large man in a Lin Kuei uniform facing off using their powers
-After blow to blow, the man using sharp, ice daggers subdued Scorpion and chuckled at his brothers downfall
-You gasped, never witnessing Scorpion lose to an opponent causing the large man with the gravely deep voice to glance at you
-His eye brows furrowed and he go into a fighting stance and you knew you'd be no match for this warrior
-You attempted a fighting stance yourself, but you slipped causing the Lin Kuei-man to laugh at you
-He was about to strike when smoke appeared out of nowhere and Tomas angrily appeared
-Tomas and the man he called Bi-han shouted at each other until fists were exchanged
-In a spur of the moment decision, you ran in-between Tomas and Bi-han and a force unknown to you knocked you to the ground and everything went dark
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-A throbbing headache hit you as you came through, your blurry eyes trying to focus on the comfortable surroundings
-You were on a bed and a heavy chain was on your ankle
-While yanking on the chain with all the strength you could muster, the door swung open to a man who took up all of the door frame
-It was bi-han wearing a mask, his outfit still stained with the blood of the fallen members if Shirai Ryu
-Immediately you remember Tomas, your heart races as you look at all the dried blood
-"Those fools are still alive, they are lucky we held back. Somewhat." Bi-han says, crossing his arms
-You ask why are you here, tugging on the chain as Bi-han steps forward
-"What are you to them?" He asks.
-You explained that Tomas and Kaui Liang saved you from dying and allowed you to train within the Shirai Ryu
-Bi-han raised a skeptic brow, eyeing your muscles (or lack thereof) indicating his disbelief
-"Whose Concubine are you?" Kuai Liangs?" He suggested, slowly removing his mask and tossing it aside
-You stopped pulling while the heat when to your face. How dare he think that's your purpose with them AND that one of the most honorable men you've met would behave in such a manner. Kuai Liang would never betray Harumi in that way and the slander of him made your blood boil
-Without a response, Bi-han went on "So you belong to Tomas then?" He didn't smile, waiting for an answer
-You reaffirmed that you trained with them, scared but not backing down
-Bi-han stepped closer you, confirming that he commanded dominance at all times
-"You may not think you belong to him but does he know that?" Bi-han crouched down to your eye-level, his icy breath hitting your face
-For the first time, you make direct eye contact which seemingly surprises him for second before his eyes darken again
-"You want to be his? He is weak and why my brother tolerates his incompetence in their new era shocks me." Bi-han says, clutching his fists.
-"Unlike you, Tomas is a good man who fights to protect the innocent not glory." In a surge of confidence, you try to push away Bi-han but he catches your wrists.
-"Is that so? Well then maybe I should show you how much of a bad man I am."
-Bi-Han quickly removes his garments and moves to get rid of yours. You thrash around, limited by the chains so Bi-han easily covers your entire body with his much larger one.
-He caresses your skin in a gentle contradiction to being pinned down with force. You attempt to push him off of you to no success. He smiles, knowing your resistance is useless.
-"Did Tomas ever touch you like this?" Bi-Han asked while thumbing your nipples and fondling your breast.
-You mewl at the brand new sensation of being felt so intimately and for a second Bi-Hans eye went soft at the sight beneath him
-The gentleness didn't last when Bi-Han realized that you and Tomas had never been intimate; you had never been intimate and that made Bi-Han delighted. This would be one of his many flawless victories over the Shirai Ryu.
-"I'll have to open you up a little." Bi-han reached a long, thick finger down to your intimate area and began playing your lips. His finger ran down your slit slowly; he wanted you to feel and remember him. You'd end this day as claimed territory of the Lin Kuei. It didn't matter what you wanted.
-Your brain had stopped. Your reasonability drowned out by the fast pace of your beating heart.
-His attention back on your face and without warning, shoved one finger inside you. He began jerking it in and out; he made sure to hit every spot he could. He grew harder thinking about the idea that you'd be able to feel him hours after this night.
-With every thrust, your hand that was wrapped around Bi-Hans arm squeezed his bicep. Something about you responding to his assault by holding on to him harder caused him to spur.
-You felt yourself getting closer to what you knew to be the climax of your enjoyment; a coil of warmth began and you clutched on Bi-Han for dear life.
-Bi-Han quickened the pace seeing your reaction. You squirmed and let out a loud moan at your release.
-You slowly sat up as Bi-Han closed in on you. Catching your breath, you asked him to please not do anything more with tears pricking in your eyes.
-He had no intention of stopping; he was belated to have you bending to you will, underneath him. Now it was your turn to give him his prize.
-He pulled up right to his erect penis and looked down on you expectantly.
-You shook your head, turning away until he grabbed the back of your head and forced your open mouth down on him.
-"Do as your new grandmaster commands." He said in a low voice.
-You swirled your tongue around, unsure of how to do what he wanted you to do. You dragged your tongue up and down his shaft, targeting the vein. You blushed because you had the thoughts about Tomas in the past but knew they weren't appropriate.
-Bi-Han started bobbing your head up and down on his cock, using both his hands.
-This is the only time he'd allow himself to be sloppy. His moans and sighs filling the room.
-Abruptly, he shoved you down and once again his large body was completely covering yours.
-"No more resistance? Good girl." He adjusted himself to be at your entrance before grabbing your face and smashing his lips on yours.
-There was no adjustment period. He shoved himself inside you and began to thrust. He held you down with super strength while peppering kisses on your neck and chest.
-Bi-Han sped up his movement and kissed you again. "Kiss me back" he growled.
-You obliged; just wanting the nightmare to be over.
-His tongue danced for dominance in your mouth and of course he won. He smiled into the kiss.
-He began growling as his thrust became sloppy. He gripped your hips with intense force and released his seed deep within you; not moving until every single drop was inside you.
-"You are officially property of the Lin Kuei. You will be under my particular command and I suggest you keep your mouth shut and do what I say. I can give you alot.....if you earn it."
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allgremlinart · 1 year ago
Text
you must decide. you must choose the ultimate MILF.
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propaganda/MILF context under the cut
Kya I - Very brave. Died in kind of just a brutal and violent and sad way. Invisible presence of the show. Good mom, from what we can tell. Bagged absolute stud of a husband so good for her.
Ursa - What can I say ? Soap Opera Protagonist. Forced into non-consensual marriage. Killed her father in law. Loved both of her children very much but it still wasn't enough to save them. Unfulfilled stage mom. Magic Gay Grandpa.
Hei-Ran - Refers to her daughter by her military rank. Maybe killed her cousin and others in honor duels on purpose but it's kind of wishy washy. Had a thing with past avatar, new avatar ends up dating her daughter, which has got to feel kind of weird.
Lin Beifong - One of few characters in-universe with family name privileges. Not the mommy issues giver but the mommy issues haver. A cop but hey she's really hot. No social life. Miserable.
Liling - Going to give her children incredibly intense mommy issues. Capitalist. Engaged in corporate sabotage to ensure her own dominance in factory town. On like the worst possible version of an HOA. Prejudiced against own daughter.
Buttercup Raiko - One of few characters in-universe with family name privileges. Only mistake was marrying absolute cuck of a president. Barely on screen but when she was she served I can't lie.
Suyin Beifong - One of few characters in-universe with family name privileges. Kind of weird ex-hippy turned liberal mom vibes. Didn't give any of her five children mommy issues but DID give them to the ethno-nationalist with a mecha.
Kya II - Canonically lesbian. Hippie aunt. Underutilized. Shows up to beat ass and make fun of her brothers and then leaves to go smoke weed or something. Daddy issues but like they're pretty manageable, could be way worse.
Senna - Next to her husband looks about one apple tall. Long suffering mother of Avatar. Loves her daughter very much. Not really sure how she survived living with the personalities that are Korra and Tonraq but I think it has to be weed. Cute hair.
Izumi - Maybe has 30 seconds of dialogue but nonetheless present in plenty of f/f slash. The glasses are hot. We don't really know much about her besides the fact that her dad loves her very much.
Pema - Tenzin get OFF of that woman. I know she was only pregnant for like technically one season but it may as well have been the whole show. She needs to try weed and also abandon her family for a month. Low-key devious.
Tagaka - Self-titled Pirate Queen. Waterbender but also uses cool sword she stole off a dead guy just cus. Humiliates old men in front of their adoptive children. Ok so MAYBE she raids coastlines and takes prisoners/slaves from villages she plunders but she's hot when she does it.
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