#STARTED AS A SOLID MIDDLE OF THE PACK SHOW FOR ME

[starmy-sky]

Paws and Promises

Pairing: CEO!Lee Know x Fem!Reader

Summary: You fiance has not once shown up to your wedding planning dates, in fact, he barely shows up at all. After ten months of being engaged and still no wedding or even solid plans for the ceremony, you seek comfort by adopting a cat that randomly showed up on your porch the same day Minho was supposed to go on a business trip.

Or... Minho gets karma for being a bad fiance by being turned into a cat.

Tags: Angst to Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Crying, Engaged!AU, Break Up, Negligence, Longing, Cat!Lee Know

Word Count: 4.1K (Masterlist)

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"How long is the trip again?"

"Two weeks, Y/N."

"So I should schedule our wedding planner interviews by the third week?" You try to catch his eyes, but they were everywhere but on you. It's been like that for a while.

Minho busies himself packing a suitcase, letting out a half-minded hum. "Why can't you schedule it any other day? You're available."

Because you want it to be with him. You wanted to think of the motif with him, the flowers, the decorations, the guests, the cake flavor, the venue, the rings. It should be about you and him, not just you.

But... perhaps you're being too sentimental. You look at Minho now as the successful CEO he became from all his hardwork, he's serious, strategic, stoic. Unlike the Minho you met in your senior year of high school, the one that was silly, loud, and cheeky, sneakily slipping into your heart by acting both nonchalant while seemingly never getting enough of your attention.

Almost like a cat.

Maybe the Minho now isn't the type to want to be involved in menial things like planning the wedding, in fact, it seems as if he has no plans to be wed anytime at all, he's much too busy now.

You look down at your ring, a glimmering diamond adorned it while the metal that wraps around your finger forms into swoops that border the diamond. It's very beautiful, though he never explained to you why he chose that design, you always find yourself admiring the ring, a symbol of a future with him.

You smiled, trying to ease your feelings as you always do. "I'll keep that in mind." You answered, leaving the conversation to die once again.

...

It rained the day he left for the business trip, the sky mirroring your feelings of sorrow as you're reminded that he'll probably be a ghost the whole two weeks.

He's already pretty elusive when he's there, staying at the office late and going in early in the morning. You've always been thankful for him, providing for you even before you got engaged and letting you quit your less than ideal office job when he did propose.

Your thoughts were cut off when rough scratching rings from the door, panicked mews accompanying them as you rush to open.

A tuxedo cat barges into the house as if it lived there, grumbling in annoyance as it pounces on the rug to dry itself from the rain.

As it does so, it starts to screech at you. "Y/N, Y/N, it's me! I'm Minho, I have no idea what happened, but you need to call an ambulance or a vet, or even a wizard!"

"Honey, honey, it's okay, you're safe here..."

"No the hell it's not okay! I got turned into a cat!"

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." You gently shush the cat, stepping closer inch by inch.

"Can't you understand me?!"

"Aww, I wish I can understand what you're meowing about, honey."

"...I'm doomed."

It was supposed to be a normal day for Minho, an unluckly, but albeit normal day. As he's about to leave for the airport from the office, he realized he forgot some documents at home.

He decided to leave his luggage in his office and drive back home to get the documents. As luck would have it, his car breaks down in the middle of the rain. He curses the sky as he opens the door to check if there's any way to get home, only for lightning to strike accompanied by blinding light.

The next second he opens his eyes, he had paws and whiskers and he was only a few inches off the ground.

Scared, he runs home as fast as he could, clawing at your door and now he's here, utterly doomed.

...

It's been five days and Lino, the name you have the cat, had no intention of going back outside. In fact, he struts around the place like he knows it by heart.

His relentless meows have not gone away either, at least once an hour he sits by your side or jumps to stand face to face with you and frantically meow his heart out, almost like he's desperately trying to make you understand him.

You just sum it up that maybe he's just a really active and talkative cat, and you continue to indulge him by nodding and smiling and scratching behind his ears and chin.

Minho puffs up frustrated sighs everytime.

"Magic exists and I was cursed to turn into a cat, Y/N!"

"Lino, you're demanding more food? You just cleaned out your whole bowl 20 minutes ago." You giggled as the cat seemed to stomp at your reply.

"You didn't put enough and you know I have a big appetite. Oh, and you have to find out how turn me back into a human!"

"Aww, my little kitty is upset, you want some pets?" You scooped up the grumpy cat and placed him on your lap on the couch.

"No, I don't want pets, Y/N! Can't you see that this is your fiancé in front of you?"

He swears it was the cat side of him that immediately calmed down and leaned into you touch when you started to scratch his chin. And it was definitely that same side that pawed at your hand when you stopped.

As his eyes slowly closed in content, a picture frame on the side table caught his attention. It was a picture of you and him.

Minho sits up immediately and leaps to the picture. "Here, here!" He points at the picture of himself and then his cat body.

You stand in shock, looking at the picture of you and your fiance. "You're right, Lino..." Minho felt like he could leap in joy at your response.

"I should call him... it's been almost a week since we last spoke."

He meows in protest, but it was too late as you already went ahead and grabbed your phone.

Minho remembers that he left his luggage and phone in his office when he drove back home to get some of the documents he forgot. His office was completly inaccessible to anyone when he's away and his phone was in silent mode.

Of course no one was gonna answer you. But you didn't know that. Minho stares at you in frustration first, still not being able to effectively communicate with you.

But as he looks up at you again, the faint expression of excitement replaced with slow defeat as you call goes to voicemail, his eyes soften from that of annoyance to... he doesn't know.

But he doesn't like that look on your beautiful face.

"Hey, my love, just calling in to check on you. I'm sure you must be busy, but I want you to know that I really miss you, okay?" Despite your mood shifting when he didn't answer, you tried to keep your voice happy, unaware of the knowing look from the cat beside you.

He listens intently at your words. "Take care of yourself and don't skip on sleep or meals. Okay, I love you... c-call me when you can."

You end your message, looking back at the cat with a smile that held back the emotion in your eyes. "Well, that could've have gone better."

"He's busy, you know? And every second of his day is important." You sigh, leaning into the couch cushions and closing your eyes. "Can't expect him to be thinking of me too when he's already got so much on his mind."

Minho thinks he could spare a call and maybe a few texts, just so he doesn't ever get to see that solemn look on your face.

He gets back up on your lap, cuddling into your stomach, and for the first time since he came in, he stays quiet, purring softly as if to comfort you.

You look down at him and smile, "Thank you, honey, I needed that."

...

Your heart never rests, and everyday you did the same thing, calling him and never getting answered, leaving a voice message that never seems to be heard. Minho sticks by your side each time, and your glad that you have a companion that cuddles up to after each disappointing call.

His little cat heart begins to ache a bit. He shouldn't have gotten used to it, to shrugging off your missed calls, to replying late to your messages, to not being there. Not when your lips turn into a frown that he had the privilege of usually never seeing before because he actually made you happy back then.

He made you happy back then...

But now? He can't even see what he makes you feel because he's never there.

And when he's here... he's a stinking cat!

You wipe your tears before they make it past your cheeks, looking at the lack of any reply on your phone. The ring on your finger glimmers beside your phone, reminding you of the promise of marriage that never seems to come.

Minho's cat eyes find the same ring, and a guilty feeling consumes him. That ring, it looks out of place on you finger, and he knows why.

...

Two weeks.

He's supposed to be home today.

Yet still no reply.

Lino has calmed down now, no more meowing fit and screaming in your face or trying to make you understand, though he still does have some weird behavior like using the toilet instead of the cat litter you bought him, tucking himself next to you in bed like a human, going into Minho's office and just staring at the papers on his desk. And for a cat, he's awfully afraid of heights.

No matter how much of an odd cat he is, you have to admit that without him, you would have been in a depressive spiral trying to contact Minho. You've been left hanging for so long that you actually started to get worried that something may have happened to him.

"I should call his assistant, right? Something might have happened and he couldn't contact me." The cat bounced from his loaf position, walking eagerly to you.

"That's a great idea! Then they'll tell you that I didn't make it to my trip and I'm missing."

"Okay, here I go." The phone rings and soon his assitant picks up.

"Hello, you are calling Lee Corp. How may I help you?"

"Hi, I was just wondering if there's any news on Minho over there. If he's okay and whatnot."

"Oh." The voice at the other line seem to turn snarky as she realizes who you are. "Ms. Y/N, if Mr. Lee is not responding to you, then he must be very busy and has no time to check his phone."

Minho's head turns, he's never heard his assistant speak in such a condescending voice, especially not to his fiancé.

"There's no need to worry, Ms. Y/N, the team and I take good care of him, so your worry is not needed. I'm sure Mr. Lee is fine, and you should not bother contacting him because it might interfere with his important business."

Minho leaps to you lap, grumbling and hissing at your phone speaker. "What the hell are you saying?"

"Wait... can you call him for me? I just need to talk to him..." You pleaded, but you're met with a scoff.

"Ms. Y/N, there's no need for a call, Mr. Lee will be home soon and you can continue to cling to him as you please." The assistant hangs up at that, making you stare at your phone in disbelief.

Minho too was stunned by the sheer unprofessionalism of his assistant, he wishes he could have said something to defend you, to let you know that he won't let her speak to you like that.

Though for you, that call was a shot to your heart more than anything, inflating your insecurities as you stare at your reflection on the screen.

He doesn't need you, you are only a bother to him, you cling to him while he tries to move forward. Maybe that's why he's so miserable in your relationship.

Tears start to quietly fall from your eyes as you let your thoughts take over you. Minho immediately paws at your face, but you avoid it, hugging your legs and crying into your knees, keeping yourself hidden from his gaze.

You feel his paws at your side, his body trying to snuggle closer to you, but no matter how much you try to appreciate it, no amount of comfort can make you feel better right now.

...

It was another rainy night, still no sign of Minho despite him supposedly coming home today.

You prepared Lino's dinner, but he seemed far too anxious to eat.

He can't eat when he sees you constantly looking at your phone with a deep thought, typing up something only to delete it later.

He wonders what could be in your mind, you might be mad at him, he understands. He also wonders if he's ever gonna turn back to human, or is he just forced to watch as you begin to believe that he has left you with no explanation.

Your phone starts to ring, and he immediately bolts to your side on the kitchen counter.

You're calling him again, and he hates that he can't answer, that he can't make up some excuse so you don't have to believe that he's ignoring you on purpose.

Unsurprisingly, it goes to voicemail. You sigh heavily, as if bracing yourself to let it all out on a recording that you're not even sure he's gonna listen to. He does the same, his heart pounding at what you could possibly say to him.

"Hey, Minho, I don't know if you're getting my messages, if you are, I don't even know if you bother to listen to them."

"I wanted to talk to you about us, and what I've been feeling."

Minho's eyes never falter from your dishearted figure.

"I haven't heard from you this entire two weeks, and honestly, I haven't heard much this past few months."

"I know, I'm sorry, my love."

"And I know it's unfair to demand your attention when you're already so busy, but I... I-I just wanted to see you more, and for you to see me too." You try to contain your sobs, hoping to let out more words before your an incoherent mess.

"You deserve my attention, and so much more."

"I have loved you since we were in high school, and more and more every single day after that."

"I feel the same way..."

"But maybe your love isn't the same as mine anymore. Maybe you grew tired."

"Please don't say that..."

"A-And that's why I feel like I should let you go."

"Please don't let me go..."

"I want you to be happy, Minho, to find someone that you can love wholeheartedly. To love your past, present, and make your future beautiful."

"That's you, Y/N."

"Please know that I do still love you and-" *beep*

*Voicemail has exceeded the time limit.*

"God I hate you too..."

Minho looks up at you, his cat eyes glossy. He wishes for you to keep going, to let it out and let him hear all of his wrongdoings.

"I hate you for promising me that I'll be marrying the love of my life, I hate you for ignoring me when all I wanted was to love you, I hate you for taking away the Minho I fell in love with for a decade. I hate you for making me love you no matter how much it hurts me."

Your phone lays flat on the counter, catching your tears as you cry your message into the air.

"I just wish you're here right now... so you would know how much it hurts."

"I'm here..." He meows at your sorrow, head down in shame.

The sound of metal hitting marble catches his ear, and in the next second he sees your figure returning to your room, while beside him, your ring wobbles slightly before it lands flatly right in front of his face.

...

It took two hours before the sobs from your room has calmed down, two hours before the storm outside picked up to accompany thunder. Two hours and he stays planted in his place.

Minho silently stared at the ring on the counter, his eyes trained on it as if it was a threat. He lays on the counter semi-loaf, paws under his chin as he stares unblinking at the ring.

Stupid ring. Ugly, meaningless, basic. That's what he thinks of it.

You derserve better, not just the first thing he saw when he went into the jewelry store. He got a random ring, proposed to you on a random day, and treated it like it meant nothing.

He did it because he was scared, he saw the way you started looking so down months ago, he saw how you no longer lit up the way you did around him, he saw the space between you expanding and he couldn't have that.

He was scared to lose you, so he proposed. And the way you lit up again ten times brighter brought him a sense of security.

Candles eventually burn out and he saw that even after getting a ring, you never escaped the emptiness that haunted your relationship.

It's his fault, for working himself to death, for acting like his work was his life, for thinking that one gesture is all it takes to make you happy again when all you ever wanted was him.

You deserve better, a better ring, a better fiancé.

Minho whimpers slightly, tears clouding his dilated eyes. He doesn't blink them away, he just stares at the ring as if it led to all of his mishaps.

He designs a ring in his mind, one that isn't just a band with an expensive diamond stuck to it, one with meaning, with designs that capture you and him. He imagines giving it to you on the anniversary of when you agreed to be his girlfriend, under twinkling stars and surrounded by fireflies, on the hill he took you to have a chilly night picnic. You would scream yes and he would almost roll down the hill in full excitement.

Instead he proposed in your bedroom while you were getting ready for bed. You still cried, you still smiled so happily and kissed him in fervor. He knows that no matter what, you would be grateful, but he beats himself up for not even making an effort.

And now you're slipping away...

You emerge from the bedroom, still with bloodshot eyes, but no longer hiccuping sobs. "Lino, still didn't eat, honey?" You scratch under his ear, and only then did he close his eyes to lean in to your touch.

Minho looks up at you, "I love you, Y/N..." He mutters the most heartfelt meows you've ever heard from a cat. It's a shame you can't understand him.

You sigh, seeing from the still full cat bowl that the cat did not really feel like eating. You slowly lift him off the counter, craddling him in your arms. "How about we just go to bed now and then you can have a big breakfast?"

He hums as he snuggles into your embrace, and you smile at how he seems to really understand you. His heart aches at how beautiful your heart is, how it's always been, because he feels as if he doesn't deserve to be in your arms.

You lay in bed, placing him on top of your chest. He loafs on you, and you both quietly stare at each other.

"Tomorrow, we're gonna go to my mom's house. And we're gonna stay there for a while..." He sees a packed suitcase placed by the closet, the closet just open enough for him to see the lack of your clothes in there.

He also notices the missing items around the room that you would normally keep in there own places. Other than your presence, you completly wiped the room of you.

"Don't go..." He gently meows at you, eyes once again filling with tears.

"Are you crying, honey?" You asked worriedly, knowing you're not getting a response. "Why are your eyes so sad, my sweet kitty?" You pet him gently, heart aching at the sight of the glossy eyed cat.

"Don't leave me..."

You think that maybe he's attched to your home and he doesn't want to leave. "It's okay, honey, you'll always be with me."

"I should've been... I should always be with you..."

His meows sounded like painful whispers, eluding to a feeling you can't quite understand from him. You press a kiss on his nose, comforting the seemingly distressed cat.

Thundet roars outside, and a flash of light appears to blind the entire room.

"Don't leave me..."

You breathe heavily, your eyes wide.

"Minho?"

Lino the cat was gone and suddenly it was Minho on top of you, legs in between yours while his face hides in the crook of your neck. You feel his tears warm on your skin as he exhales sobs against you.

He expects you to push him off, to berate him and leave right now, he clings on tightly just in case.

But instead, he feels one hand brushing through his hair and another soothing his back. "There there, my love, it's okay..."

And because it's you saying it, he believes it.

...

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"The lightning turned me into a cat and I was trying to tell you for two weeks but you couldn't understand me." Minho was tucked under the blanket after changing from his suit to his nightwear, looking at you with boba eyes as you sit on the edge of the bed.

"So you're Lino?" He nods at your question.

Your heart drops, he has seen you moping and hurting and even breaking down. "That's why you weren't answering my calls?" He nods again.

"I'm sorry, Y/N..." He lifts his hand from beneath the blanket to hold your hand. "Not just about these two weeks, but every single day I made you feel neglected. We promised each other that we'd always be there, and I got so used to you always being here when I come home, I forgot to be here for you when I am home. I was consumed by work, by always trying to be on top, but I forgot that all of this... was for us, for my dream future with you."

Tears stain both of your cheeks, and though Minho was never fond of talking about feelings or getting too serious, he finds that talking to you and you finally understanding him was a huge privilege.

"Minho... I dreamed everyday of our future, and I can't imagine myself still being here while you work yourself to death and-"

"I know, and I won't do that, not anymore. Not when my favorite person is always home waiting for me. I can't imagine a future without you, Y/N, you're all I've ever loved about life..." He sits up, caressing your hand with both of his, feeling your fingers.

"I-I'm sorry I took off the ring, Minho..."

"No... I should be sorry, for giving you a crappy ring in a crappy proposal..." He sighs, remembering the lack of thought in a supposedly meaningful event.

"I was crying happy tears that night..."

"But you deserve better, and I need to deserve you again, if you would have me."

You smile slightly. "I want to have you... but maybe not with a ring right now..."

He nods frantically. "I'll take that, besides, I need more months to plan my next proposal." You giggled as he wipes away the last of your tears. "For now... let me focus on spending more time with you, like we used to.

"I'd like that..." You reply, right as he stomach grumbles, signaling his hunger. "I told you to eat, Lino."

Minho chuckled, resting his chin on your shoulder. "Can we eat now?"

You hum, leading him out of the bed and into the kitchen.

What you didn't expect was a tuxedo cat on your kitchen counter, the engagement ring in its mouth as it looks surprised at you two.

It hurried to escape through the slightly ajar back door. "What was that?" You stood in shock, looking at the window to see that the cat has jumped the fence.

"Maybe it was for the best. I already have a ring idea in my mind, anyway."

Seven months later, he brought you to the hill, just as he imagined, got down on one knee and proposed to you with a ring with diamonds placed in the shape of a cat's paw.

And it took another five months to plan the wedding because it turns out he was a lot more particular than you were gonna be.

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Taglists (SFW): @bleuuujpg @seungpuppymongmong @princesskrystix @aquariusscollection @chims-dimple @norabugz @diekleinesuesse @like-diamondsinthesky @isadd666 @btch8008s @geni-627 @purplelady85 @darlingsoulbeautifulthoughts @chanchansgirly @emilyywhyy @veronica123

[crehador]

with yet another astonishingly good episode, overtake! slides into first and takes my anime of the season vote from frieren

it is just that good

ep9 spoilers under the cut

we finally get kouya's full backstory with this episode, and i gotta say i absolutely loved it. i'm glad they didn't pull their punches and push the publication of that photograph off on someone else

it would've been easy to say in the aftermath of the tragedy, kouya was a wreck and someone else got their hands on his data and published the photo without his consent. while that would have washed kouya's hands of the decision, it would have diminished the power of his story so much imo

he's the one who chose to publish it, and he's clear on his reasons. that makes it all so much more impactful to me (might write about this more later when i have a more stable internet connection)

the short of it is i'm blown away by how they handled his backstory, not at all disappointed

absolutely loved haruka in this episode too, he may only be a child and has some childish/overly simplistic ways of thinking, but when he realizes that he shows the drive (no pun intended) to really learn and grow

when he realizes he doesn't understand kouya as much as he thought or as much as he would like, he doesn't just despair and angst about that. he straightforwardly makes it clear that he wants to know more

and that development is the most beautifully composed thing to me in this episode

while kouya is talking about his past, we get these shots

even as he starts to share, there's this literal physical distance between him and haruka. it was especially crushing in that first screenshot where haruka reaches out to him and doesn't reach him

then, finally, we get this once haruka knows everything and understands

connected :')

i have SO much more i could say about this episode tbh, but will wait until i can type at a laptop again. overtake! again makes me feel like i want to start actually thinking about media again, not just mindlessly consuming lol

honestly just tl;dr gorgeous episode gorgeous story new anime of the season

[lynbels]

jake eyp for the first time (except it’s both your first times and he doesn’t know), and ends up being really really good at it

https://x.com/kinulta/status/1773321520892293383?s=46 (this is what i’m imagining it as 🫠)

down bad - sjy (m)

pairing sim jake x reader

୨ৎ synopsis: locked in a room with the one guy who swore he’d never eat pussy, you didn’t expect Jake Sim to drop to his knees—and sure as hell didn’t expect him to make you cum harder than anyone ever has. ✉️ 1879wc

tw ‼️ smut, oral sex, public teasing, enemies to lovers, alcohol mention, locked room scenario, dominance, light degradation, Jake being a bratty top, reluctant attraction, dirty talk, teasing, tension-filled buildup

💌: pls like I need him to eat me out like that so bad IM DOWN BAD

Y didn’t even want to be at the party.

Loud music, sticky floors, and drunk people you barely liked didn’t exactly scream good time. But your friends begged, guilt-tripped, and eventually bribed you with promises of free drinks and drama, so here you were—perched on the arm of an old couch in someone’s too-packed living room, sipping something way too sweet out of a red cup.

And of course, he was there.

Jake Sim. Walking contradiction. Annoying, smug, insufferable. He was the guy who rolled his eyes whenever you spoke in class, always had a snarky comeback ready, and acted like the mere sound of your voice gave him a headache. You didn’t know when the rivalry started, but it had built into something solid—something sharp. Something no one dared get in the middle of.

So when someone yelled, “Let’s play Would You Rather!” and your name got paired with his, you should’ve just walked away.

But you didn’t.

Now you were sitting side by side on the carpet, your leg brushing his every so often, and the room was buzzing with laughter and half-drunken dares. Jake’s eyes were already on you—lazy, smug, like he was waiting for you to say something stupid.

“Y/N, ask him something!” someone giggled.

You turned toward him, taking a slow sip from your drink before tilting your head. “Alright. Jake. Would you rather… give head or receive it?”

The room gasped and laughed, voices echoing in a mix of “Oh my god!” and “No way she asked that!” but you just stared at him, expression unreadable.

Jake didn’t even flinch.

He gave a small shrug, lips twitching. “Receive,” he said easily, like he’d already thought about it. “Obviously.”

You raised a brow. “Obviously?”

He smirked, leaning back on his hands. “Yeah. I’m not about to put my mouth on someone. That’s just—” he gave a mock shudder. “Nah. Not for me.”

Your smile didn’t reach your eyes. “You think going down on someone is gross?”

“Didn’t say gross,” he said, glancing around like the conversation was beneath him. “Just not interested. Why would I, when I could sit back and enjoy instead?”

Laughter rippled through the group again, but you didn’t laugh. You just looked at him—really looked at him—and smiled like you knew something he didn’t.

He noticed.

“Truth or dare, Sim?”

Jake didn’t even hesitate. “Dare.”

That smirk of his never changed—always cocky, always sure of himself. You expected something harmless. Maybe a dumb dance or a ridiculous drink combo. But the second the dare was spoken, the room shifted

“I dare you to give Y/N head.”

Everything went still for half a second. Then chaos.

People were yelling, laughing, already moving closer like they expected a show. Your eyes snapped to Jake’s face—his brows lifted in surprise, then furrowed like he misheard.

“What?” he scoffed. “No. Hell no.”

“Aww, come on,” one of the guys cackled. “Didn’t you just say you don’t do that? This is your chance to prove you’re not scared.”

“I’m not scared,” Jake snapped. “I just don’t do that. It’s gross.”

More teasing. More shouting. Someone shouted, “He’s gonna chicken out!” and someone else yelled, “LET’S LOCK ‘EM IN A ROOM!”

Before you could react, Jake was being dragged up by two of the guys. He yelled in protest, swearing under his breath, but they were already laughing, pushing him down the hallway.

“Wait—what the fuck—guys, I’m not—this is stupid—“

“Come on, Sim! Live a little!”

You didn’t even know what was happening until someone grabbed your hand and tugged you along. The next thing you knew, you were shoved into one of the bedrooms—Jake stumbling in right after you, catching himself on the edge of the bed. The door slammed shut behind you.

Click.

Locked.

You blinked. Jake spun around and banged on the door.

“Are you serious right now?!”

“Not getting out ‘til you go down on her!” one of the guys yelled through the door, howling with laughter.

You stood awkwardly by the bed, arms crossed, heart pounding. Jake ran a hand through his hair, pacing in a circle like he couldn’t believe what just happened.

“They’re insane,” he muttered, avoiding your eyes. “This is fucking stupid.”

You bit your lip, trying not to laugh even though your chest was tight with nerves. “So… you’re really that grossed out by it?”

He paused. Glanced at you.

“I just don’t see the appeal,” he said stiffly. “Why would I want to…”

His voice trailed off. His eyes dropped to your lips for half a second before darting away.

You tilted your head. “Then why do you look like you’re thinking about it?”

He flinched. “I’m not.”

But the flush creeping up his neck said otherwise.

Jake groaned, flopping down on the edge of the bed like someone had just sentenced him to death. You stayed on the other side, watching him through your lashes, both of you lit in the dim yellow glow from the hallway light that filtered under the door.

“They’re not gonna let us out,” you muttered, folding your arms. “They’re probably outside right now, listening.”

Jake didn’t respond, just stared down at the floor, brows furrowed, mouth tight. His thigh bounced—nervous energy he didn’t know where to put.

You tilted your head. “So… you’ve never gone down on anyone before?”

His head snapped up, offended. “What?”

You smirked. “That wasn’t a no.”

“I just don’t see the point of it,” he said stiffly. “It’s… weird.”

You raised a brow, unimpressed. “Or maybe you’re just scared you wouldn’t be good at it.”

Jake scoffed, rolling his eyes—but his jaw clenched, just a little.

You pressed, voice slow and teasing. “You said you’ve never done it, right? But you still think it’s gross? Maybe you’re just intimidated.”

He glared at you like he wanted to argue, but there was hesitation behind his eyes—hesitation and curiosity. “Girls don’t expect it from me,” he muttered, quieter now. “No one’s ever asked me to.”

You blinked. “That’s… actually kind of depressing, Sim.”

He looked downright offended. “Excuse me?”

“Not even kidding,” you said with a shrug. “It’s kind of hot, you know—someone wantingto make you feel good just because. Like, no strings attached. Not every part of sex is supposed to be about getting off. Sometimes, it’s just about watching someone fall apartbecause of you.”

Your voice softened on that last part, laced with something a little darker, a little heavier—and Jake’s gaze snapped back to yours like it physically grabbed him.

You held his stare. “You’d probably be good at it.”

He scoffed again, but this time, he looked away too fast. “Sure I would.”

“No, really. You’ve got that whole perfectionist, try-hard thing going on. Bet you’d go down on someone for the first time and make them come without even knowing how you did it.”

Jake’s throat bobbed.

You saw it happen—the way his shoulders shifted, tension rising, war playing out in his head. And then, finally, he cursed under his breath and dropped to his knees in front of you.

“This is so stupid,” he muttered, not meeting your gaze. “Only doing this so they’ll open the door.”

“Right,” you said softly, pulse thudding. “Just for the dare.”

His hands hovered at the edge of your thighs before moving up, warm palms dragging along your skin as he pushed your skirt higher, revealing the soaked cotton of your underwear. He hesitated, fingers curling around the waistband, eyes flicking up to yours one last time.

You gave him a nod, breath caught in your throat.

He slid them down slowly, pausing when you shivered, then leaned in with an uncertain breath. His mouth met you gently—awkward at first, a little unsure, but then his tongue licked a slow, hesitant stripe through your folds.

You sucked in a breath.

Jake paused like he was surprised by your reaction—then did it again, firmer this time.

And again.

And again.

Until your head fell back with a whimper and your fingers knotted in his hair, grounding yourself.

The shift was subtle, but it was there—his grip on your thighs tightened, and his mouth moved lower, tongue teasing your entrance, dragging up and circling your clit, flicking slow and then fast, gauging every noise you made. He was focused. He was learning you in real-time.

Your thighs were shaking. Your moans were slipping out between clenched teeth. And Jake?

Jake groaned into you.

The vibration made your back arch, and he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. His face was buried in your pussy, tongue working with practiced ease that didn’t make sense for a first time—but the way he kept adjusting, fine-tuning every motion to the way you gasped or moaned or whimpered told you the truth.

He’d never done this before.

He was just that good.

“Fuck, Jake,” you whispered, breathless, thighs tightening around his head. “What the hell…”

He pulled back for a second, lips slick and eyes dazed. “Good?”

You looked down at him, still panting. “So good.”

Something flickered in his expression—pride, maybe. Or something warmer.

Jake didn’t say a word. He dove back in.

Jake drops to his knees like it physically pains him, muttering something under his breath that you don’t quite catch—but the frustration is clear in the way his hands grip your thighs, not gentle, not soft, like he’s punishing you for putting him in this position.

“You’re such a fucking brat,” he hisses, fingers sliding up under your skirt, shoving the fabric up to your waist.

You smirk, breath catching. “And yet here you are eating my pussy like a pathetic loser.”

He glares at you one last time, but there’s something unsteady behind it—like he’s already drowning and doesn’t even realize it. His hands tremble slightly as they hook around your panties and tug them down your legs, slow at first, then impatient, frustrated, like he’s angry at how wet you already are.

“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath, eyeing the slick mess between your thighs. “You’re soaked.”

“And you haven’t even touched me properly yet,” you say, tone smug, but it ends in a gasp when he suddenly leans in and drags his tongue up your slit, slow and deliberate.

Your hips jerk. “Oh—fuck—Jake—”

He doesn’t respond. He just groans low into your pussy, and the vibrations shoot straight through you like electricity. His tongue licks another firm stripe up your folds, then circles your clit experimentally. You let out a breathy moan, and that’s all it takes—his hesitation evaporates, replaced by something darker, more determined.

His hands spread your thighs wider as he leans in closer, mouth hot and hungry, licking into you like he’s starved. His tongue dips into your entrance, swirling and fucking you shallowly before gliding back up to suck your clit into his mouth. The wet, obscene sounds echo off the walls, and your fingers tangle in his hair on instinct, anchoring yourself as your hips grind helplessly against his face.

He moans again—fucking moans—like the taste of you is addicting, and he can’t get enough. Spit and slick drip down your thighs as he eats you out like it’s his fucking job, like he’s trying to ruin you for anyone else.

You gasp, hand flying to cover your mouth. “Jake—shit—you sure it’s your first time?”

He grunts, pulling back for just a second, lips glistening, chin wet. “Does it feel like it?”

“No,” you breathe, body trembling. “It feels fucking amazing.”

He flashes you a cocky grin, face flushed, eyes heavy with lust. “Then shut up and let me finish.”

And then he’s back on you, rougher now, more confident—his tongue flicking faster, lips wrapped around your clit as he sucks hard enough to make your knees buckle. You cry out, thighs trembling, body burning as the pressure builds and builds and breaks, pleasure crashing over you so violently your vision blurs.

You’re still gasping, legs shaking, when he finally pulls back, lips swollen, breathing hard. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes dark and locked on you.

You’re wrecked. Your panties are on the floor. Your skirt’s bunched around your waist. And Jake?

Jake is staring at you like he just found his new favorite hobby.

The door creaks open and Jake steps out, lips pink and swollen, cheeks flushed, hair a fucking mess—and he walks straight into a crowd of smirking friends, waiting just outside.

“Damn, bro,” Sunghoon whistles, raising a brow. “You look like you just got your soul sucked out.”

“Or like you sucked something,” Jay adds, grinning wide. “Did she make you see God or what?”

Jake stiffens, jaw clenched, ears turning red. “Shut up.”

“Oh, he’s blushing,” Heeseung cackles, pointing at the obvious wet spot on Jake’s shirt where your slick left its mark. “Is that—bro—is that her all over your face?”

Jake wipes his mouth roughly with his sleeve, mortified. “Drop it.”

“Just admit it,” Sunoo chimes in with a dramatic gasp, “You liked it.”

Jake doesn’t say anything—he can’t. His mind’s still replaying how you sounded when you moaned his name, how you trembled under his tongue, how sweet you tasted. He wanted to hate it. He wanted to be grossed out. But now?

Now he’s painfully hard in his jeans, jaw tight, heart racing, and all he can think about is how much he wants to do it again.

He shoots a glare over his shoulder at the closed door, where you’re still inside, breathless and smug and probably laughing to yourself. And despite the teasing, despite the embarrassment, Jake feels it—deep in his gut.

He’s fucked. You’ve got him.

req prompt list here

enjoy my drabbles and wanna read longer fics? check out @shy9-29

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Sunstroke - Part Three.

Actually giggling and kicking my feet at how popular this little series of mine has become! Thank you all SO MUCH for your reads, reblogs and comments. You're giving this gal life right now! I did consider finishing it at part four, but maybe, I might just keep it running. I have no solid ideas for an arc right now other than it just being a lovely, fluffy, smutty lil' tale, but who knows?

Also, just to note, while I will never use the guy's real names in anything I write, it's realistic that the reader character would since she knows them personally. When she does this, names are simply denoted with asterisks.

Summary: As tour manager for Sleep Token, you're naturally close with the lads whom you're employed to look after. Then, there's your closeness with Vessel, the lines between manager and artist seeming to blur into something more meaningful... if you'll let it.

Words: 2,203

Warnings: Fluff and a wee smidgen of smut. Minors DNI!

Previous chapters - Part One Part Two

While the little moment between you and him prior to the show leaves you floating and seems to also affect his mood positively during it, by the time the performance has ended, he’s stewing in ire. A gentle soul he may be, but he’s no pushover, and he’s also hugely intolerant to disrespect.  

Fans calling out his real name to him is tantamount to a distinct lack of respect in his eyes. 

Pointing at the perpetrator, he shakes his head. They do it again. His middle finger rises, spitting on the stage in disgust as he storms from it at speed. Why. Why do they have to do it? If he doesn’t want to be addressed or known as anything other than Vessel, surely adhering to his wishes isn’t too great an ask. 

He catches your eye, jerking his head, letting you know silently that you’re needed. This time, though, you can barely match his stride as he tears a path to his dressing room, coming to a stop in the middle of the space with his back heaving with each deep, annoyed breath.  

“Hey, you alright?” Your hands reach to lay comfort upon his back, the slender muscles taut with burning tension beneath your touch. “Come on, calm down.” 

“Pisses me off,” he spits, sighing. “It was a great show, but nah. People have to ruin it.” You can feel a small tirade, and he doesn’t disappoint. “If I wanted to be known by my name, I’d choose to. I don’t. I want the privacy of anonymity. I know it’s out there, I get that, but fucking hell! One little wish is just too much, and I give them almost every other part of myself up there, night after night.” 

God, he really didn’t hold back. He’s never usually so verbal, being a man capable of conveying his feelings using a much more succinct dialogue. Also, he’s tired. It would be fair to say Ves occasionally errs on the grumpy side when he’s starting to succumb to the rigours of touring.  

Turning, without thinking he takes your hands, raises them to his mouth to kiss. “Sorry, you caught the brunt of all that. And now I’ve covered you in sweaty paint, too.” 

“I don’t mind,” you whisper, reaching for his handsome face, letting your thumbs trail his cheeks. “Go and take a shower. Your clothes are all there and ready.” 

He smiles, and the heaviness begins to ease from him. “Such a darlin’. I won’t be long.”  

While you wipe away the black trails from your hands, he sheds himself of his stage clothes, heading into the bathroom to cleanse himself of the sweat and paint. You’re glad tonight won’t have to be rushed, no packing away or load out since the second show will run a day on from tonight, meaning he can just leave for the hotel whenever he’s ready to.  

By the time he’s done, he looks much more at peace, walking to where you’re sitting on the sofa and reaching out his hands. Pulling you up, he smiles, arms folding around you, holding you close against his chest. Oh, to feel him like that, pressed against all those chiselled muscles.  

It isn’t the first time he’s ever hugged you, but rest have all been fleeting exchanges. This by comparison feels like he’s gently attempting to meld with you, hold you so close that the memory of how your body feels against his will never leave him. You soak it up too, held there in his embrace, knowing how lucky you are to simply stand there clasped against him.  

Thousands of women dream of this, to be caught in the orbit and held in the arms of the man they adore, the enigmatic Vessel. To you, though, he’s something more.  

“Has my Bambo calmed down now?” 

“Mmhmm,” he hums into your hair, the scent of your shampoo comforting to him. “I’m feeling good, not going to be a twat and let people committed to being wankers ruin my night. That was entirely too much rage for a Wednesday.” You then feel his fingers beneath your chin, tilting your head back. “I could stand to feel a whole lot better, though.” 

A radiance of excitement beams bright in your tummy. “Yeah?” 

“Mm.” It’s swift, the lean to you that finally has his mouth pressing against yours, the kiss deepening in a moment, your tongues nudging together as his arms tighten around you. And of bloody course, the man kisses with nothing short of perfect finesse, a flutter of butterflies ascending into flight within your chest, your hand reaching to stroke the side of his neck.  

Gently, he pulls away with a little grumble. “No, love. Not the neck,” he rumbles in chuckle, “I’ll get all sex feral if you start stroking my neck.” 

This man. He’s the perfect mix of sweet, sensually gifted, and utterly hilarious. “Maybe I want you to,” you giggle watching him frown. 

“Not here,” he speaks, taking your hand and kissing it before pressing it against his chest and holding it there. God, that’s some solid muscle. “I think too much of you than to give you a bloody good shagging on a backstage sofa.” 

“So, take me to the hotel and give me one there,” you tease, laughing when he virtually growls at the suggestion, leaning down to kiss you again. That’s when you feel it. Ohh. Wow. “I think he agrees with me,” you point out, looking down to where you’re being prodded by nothing short of a splendorous erection. 

“He can fucking calm down,” he snorts, looking down to where his cock is tenting his sweats. “I’ve got to actually leave this place yet, I’d rather not have to try and do so while impersonating a teepee.” 

Throwing your head back, your laughter fills the air, smoothing your hands down his chest as you compose yourself. “Just as long as we’re introduced later.” 

He hums a chuckle, leaning to gently nibble your cheek. “Oh yeah. You will be.” 

Turning from him to begin collecting your things, you can’t keep the grin from your face, virtually fizzing with excitement on the inside. Once outside the arena with the throng of others, you direct people to the waiting MPV’s, everyone being ferried to the two hotels you’ve booked for band and crew.  

While climbing into the fourth black Mercedes with Ves, you’re relieved you had the seeming foresight to book yourself in at the same one he’s staying at when the first hotel didn’t have the required number of rooms. There in the dark, while you continue to check your phone, he chats with his bandmates, all the while discreetly stroking a circle at the side of your knee with his knuckle. 

The anticipation of what’s to come creeps over you like a fog, eventually putting your phone back into your bag. You can’t concentrate on anything else than what you’re shortly about to enjoy. Him. All of him. You almost snort with laughter when a stupidly immature inner voice suddenly announces “Weeee! I get to see him naked!” and you hide your mouth behind your hand while biting back a grin. 

You’re a grown woman, for heaven’s sake, and look what he’s reduced you to! 

Arriving at the hotel, while you head up to the front desk to arrange the very late check in you pre-scheduled with the manager, Ves suddenly realises he’s lacking something very necessary, excusing himself momentarily.  

“Mate, c’mere,” he speaks, tapping iii on the shoulder and pulling him away from a couple of the crew he’s standing with. “Need a favour, and for it not to come with a side of you being a gobby twat.” 

His eyes widen, doing a pearl clutch motion that Ves can’t help but snort laughing at. “Who, me? Never!” he begins, grinning. “Whaddya need?” 

“In short, all the condoms you can spare.”  

An eyebrow is raised, iii looking between Ves and the back of your head a few times, his face growing into a grin of pure mirth. “Oh yeah? Finally got ya hooks in the duchess, have ya? Oooh, ya bad lad, off to shag the boss!”  

“Fucking hurry!” he hisses, iii laughing as he swings his rucksack off his shoulder and begins scouring the many pockets.  

“Alright, I’ve got four,” he speaks after a rapid search, passing them over discreetly. “Is that enough?” 

“Probably not, but thanks, bud.” 

“Horny fucking bugger! Are you planning on letting the poor woman sleep at all?” he laughs, standing up again and returning his rucksack to his back.  

“Mm, maybe for about ten minutes.” he winks, giving him a slap on the arm in thanks. 

“Go enjoy yourself, man. I’ll see you sometime on Friday.” he teases, guffawing at the grin Ves flashes him. It’s been a while in the coming, and he knows that, knowing his friend as well as he does. He’s watched him yearning for you from afar but never asked why he hasn’t made a move. Suffice to say he’s glad Ves finally has.  

If nothing else, he’s a lot more cheerful when he’s getting laid regularly. But the same could be said of anyone, really. 

Once everything is sorted checking in wise, you head to the elevator, a lot of the guys in the crew taking the stairs since their rooms are all located on the first floor. With yours being the closer room, he decides his will remain unslept in, but for the sake of not being obvious rides the elevator up to his floor with the rest when you get off on the second.  

You’re finishing organising your clothes when a soft knock sounds ten minutes later, the door opening to reveal your beautiful, doe eyed man.  

“Sorry, I got talking to Steve,” he apologises, and you immediately understand how that can go if the chief sound engineer tacks himself onto you for a chat. The man is a genuinely lovely person, but truly, doesn’t know when to shut up. 

“No worries. Make yourself comfy, I'm just going to take a quick shower.” you smile, feeling your tummy quake at the look he gives you. It’s... well. It’s nowhere near pure, and god, it sends your nerves and excitement to stratospheric heights in equal measures. Leaving the door slightly ajar, you turn the shower on, beginning to remove your clothes, taking a spare band from your pocket to tie up your hair.  

It’s as you’re securing it that you feel two hands rest at the side of your waist, a set of lips beginning to press kisses at the side of your neck.  

“Oh, I’m being tampered with, am I?”  

“Mm,” he hums, planting another kiss. “You can’t expect me to wait out there, knowing you’re in here, naked.” His fingers then move to the elastic of your undies, giving them a little playful twang against your skin. “Well, nearly naked.” 

His fingers move to the base of your spine, teasing little strokes upward, kisses pressed hot like constellations against your neck, his thumb and forefinger flicking the clasp of your bra. You let it fall down your arms to the floor, the bathroom beginning to fog with steam from the shower as you ground yourself a little, leaning back against his chest.  

Long fingers move to your bare chest, stroking swirls over your breasts, your nipples hardening beneath his touch. He groans softly, and it sends a jolt through you, his teeth gently nipping your earlobe as he begins to softly pinch at your nipples.  

Those pinches tighten, each little bud rolled between his thumbs and forefingers, the action sending little bolts arcing up your spine, the heat of his hard cock pressing into the small of your back. One hand leaves, trailing in a slow, firm stroke down your body, pushing into your underwear.  

You gasp at that first contact, the taper of his fingertips meeting the wet that’s gathered for him, sinking into your slit and stroking over the petals of your cunt. He bites at you again, a faint groan spilling from his mouth to feel how slick you are for him, seeking out your clit before slowly rubbing back and forth.  

Oh, the way he touches you. It sends heat crackling beneath your skin, your muscles juddering, a soft whine of pleasure slipping from your parted lips.  

“Fuck, ***,” you whisper, and he loves the sound of his name on your lips, in a voice lost to the pleasure he gives you, his other hand cupping beneath your jaw to tilt your head back, leaning to kiss you with smouldering heat.  

“Does that feel good?” he murmurs against your mouth, nuzzling you, plating another kiss on your flushed lips. 

“Mmm,” you whine, the dexterity of his fingers sending you mindless already. 

He chuckles softly, pulling his hand away. “Go have your shower. I’ll be waiting.”  

You turn, watching him suck his wettened fingers with a wink. “Bloody tease,” you chide, Ves shrugging lightly. 

“Trust me,” he grunts, his voice all smoky grit, “Once you’re on that bed with me, I won’t be.”  

You’ve never taken a shower so rapidly in all of your life.  

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Part Four

[oacest]

for someone whos about to have a lot of time on their hands what would you recommend as top oasis gigs to watch (excluding knebworth, corestates, the whiskey, wembley as obvious ones) as you guys seem to have seen a lot of them

YESSSS what a glorious request! we've been training our whole lives 13 months for this moment. gonna take this opportunity to make a general rec list for anyone who might be interested, so pls forgive the inclusion of ones you've already mentioned.

(DISCLAIMER btw that some of these shows were filmed by an audience member with a heinous 90s camcorder, so prepare yourself to endure and eventually enjoy some potato quality recordings. the proshot ones aren't usually much better tbh. accept it, embrace it, love it.)

VITAL OASIS GIG WATCHING (an inexhaustive primer)

knebworth [night one] [night two]. self explanatory. if you haven't seen knebworth idek what to tell you. god tier. they weren't just sipping the good juice this weekend they were chugging it in a competitive keg stand. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend watching both nights ofc but if you only watch one, make it the second. they pop off juuuust a little harder, the vibes are flawless, and also liam's wearing patsy's huge white sweater because he's a fashion queen he supposedly forgot to pack enough clothes for the weekend <3 <3 <3

g-mex, 1997. this is the show that made me fall crazy in love with bhn. it's the sweatiest liam's ever been and that's saying a LOT. contains this classic moment of liam tenderly toweling the sweat from noel's face between songs. liam's vocals on don't go away literally drove bal to tears.

wembley night one, 2000. let's not speak of night two, but night one was unbelievably good, they both looked the hottest they've ever looked, and noel was flirting haaaardcore with someone (sara???) sidestage/in the audience between songs the whole time.

maine road night one, 1996. both nights are superb and should definitely be watched, but if we're narrowing it down to one or the other, night one contains liam teasing noel about dedicating wonderwall to meg and noel retorting that liam's just peeved bc it's not for him. which could mean nothing.

earl's court, 1995. of "we had sex last night" + afterparty kissing fame. also liam does (for, as far as we know, the first and only time ever) octopus's garden during whatever, which is sooooo important.

corestates, 1996, aka drunk philly. theeee gig of all time in our opinion. an absolute disaster from start to finish 😍. they roll onstage so drunk they can barely walk, much less remember how any of the songs go, and it only gets better from there. not necessarily recommending this one for beginners bc it's more fun if you're familiar with all the songs/interpreting mancunian slurring/their normal onstage behaviour so that the true insanity of what transpires can hit you in full. you may already be familiar with liam getting scared by noel's woos, giving noel a kiss between songs, or noel playing guitar on his knees to liam's utter delight, but every single minute of this show contains something equally as ridiculous, hilarious, and endearing. best viewed with friends imo. and very important to remember that it took place a mere three weeks after knebworth lmao.

radio city music hall, 2000. this one's solid in general but it's included here largely bc noel is high as absolute fuck and basically having sex with his guitar the entire show. particularly during gas panic.

the white room, 1995. competes with g-mex for liam sweatiness factor. everyone here is thirsty beyond belief, most of all the camera operator and editing team. from the general aura it seems likely liam and noel were in the middle of a furious fucking fight immediately beforehand. liam's entire existence in this one defies description. it's less than half an hour, so well worth a quick watch.

glastonbury, 1994. can only find this incomplete version online, so it's also less than half an hour. classic for a reason! liam is so cute in his preppy little sweater with the buttondown collar underneath that andy, who was there with ride at the time, imprinted on it immediately and recalled it years later. mood.

jools holland, 2000. absolute thirst trap of a show. features liam reminding everyone to wear a condom. 👍

nyc hammerstein, 1997. fun fact, any proshot film release of fade in-out from this era features the dubbed audio from this gig, because it's just that fucking good. plus liam's wearing a very silly newsboy cap.

lille, 1997. aka drunk france. very charming, very fun, less chaotic than drunk philly but contains some excellent groping, and liam falling over 🥰.

barrowlands, 2001. really fucking great. noel looks like this. (can't find the full show on youtube but bilibili.com is your best friend when it comes to locating slightly obscure gigs and interviews. let's all say thank you to chinese fans, who work harder than god.)

nippon budokan, 1998. noel does the most astonishing acoustic set you've ever heard in your life, including this unbelievable setting sun/fade in-out combo that will change your brain chemistry fundamentally.

manchester, 2005. despite liam's truly hideous ensemble and the generally evil vibes, this is a solid one. one of the few later years ones we've been able to bring ourselves to watch tbh. contains An Incident that compelled me to make this.

live by the sea, 1995. excellent all around and it feels unreal to have such good footage from so early. liam is unspeakably beautiful, and they get the football score delivered to them halfway through the gig bc they're embarrassing nerds.

Rock in Rio 2001. extremely solid gig, with an absolutely stunning noel solo during gas panic that builds and builds and builds...

this is only a small handful of the amazing shows out there that can and should be watched, but quite honestly you can't miss with oasis gigs. we have yet to find a single one that doesn't contain some kind of weird horniness, particularly exquisite song performance, or mindshatteringly cute moment. it's well worth just looking up "oasis live [year]" and choosing one at random. (tread carefully with anything after 2002 though lol, shit tends to get miserable.)

godspeed, happy watching!

[therobotmonster]

What does the Comic tell us About the Brute Force Toyline that Never Was?

Brute Force was Marvel's failed attempt at joining in the toy-cartoon-comic fun back in 1990.

What isn't often talked about (if ever) is how much effort Jose Delbo (and whoever else was doing character design work in pre-production) put into planning for the realities of toy design, because it's not hard to suss out what was intended from the art alone.

Parts Reuse Was Planned From the Start:

The metal production molds are the most expensive part of toy production, so any time you can reuse parts across multiple figures is a savings. Each side has two unique members (Hip-Hop and Lionheart for Brute Force, Armory and Ramrod for Heavy Metal) three that share obvious parts with an opposing figure.

Uproar and Wreckless appear to use the same upper arms, upper legs, pelvis and probably chest. Uproar's bullets were likely planned as an accessory.

Surfstreak and Bloodbath appear to just have different heads, maybe tails, and either different accessories and limbs or just different accessories depending on execution.

Soar/Slipstream and Tailgunner appear to have unique add-on armor for the wings, heads, and legs. The wings might also been different, but I'd guess that when time came to mold plastic they'd have used the same ones.

Size Classes are Easy to Guess:

The "charge into battle" shot gives you every indication of what size everyone was going to be sold at. My guess, based on the art and the action features later shown off, is it would break down like this:

Small - Soar, Surfstream, Bloodbath, Tailgunner

Medium - Lionheart, HIp-Hop, Ramrod, Uproar.

Large - Wreckless, Armory, the toxic mutant (if they planned on making the off-theme guys)

Super Large - Heroic and Evil Transports

It's harder to place Heavy Metal since they don't seem to have add-on vehicles, but the art represents Armory as being huge and a major threat...

And uproar seems to have mass equal to Lionheart on his cycle, though he might have been packed in with the villain's large transport or had another add-on vehicle planned later.

It's likely that the vehicle-attached figures would have gotten solo releases, likely with different decos. As was the style at the time.

They Planned for Action Features, and I think I know what they were.

Furman and Delbo knew how to make a toy-comic, and everyone gets to show off their action feature in a toy-comic. Brute Force leaves some solid clues for what those features would have been. Now, there would probably have been launchers (Wreckless's Bearzooka), water-shooters (Surfstream almost certainly had one), etc, but I'm talking more about the showcase feature.

Surfstream and Bloodbath Were Low-Effort Transformers-

-or else they were biting MOTU Dragstor's style. Surfstream and Bloodbath clearly had both swimming/rolling configurations and upright figure configurations.

Soar (and likely Tailgunner) Had Blast-Away Armor

You don't do this trick twice in 4 issues if it's not your gimmick.

Wreckless and Uproar loved Hugs

My guess is there was at least some thought put into the possibility of Wreckless and Uproar having a "bear hug" feature that could work as general limb-swinging and chest pounding. In addition to the grabs Wreckless does a lot of right hooks and, oddly Uproar mainly fights with his mace for a character with bullet bandoleers. This one's harder to nail down because the actions are very obvious for bear/ape characters, but either a weapon-swing or a grab/bear hug seems really likely.

Wreckless's gun is the kind that you could mount on a figure's shoulder without them needing to hold it in-hand, so the arms might have been free for the action feature if my guess is right.

This Octopus Bastard Spins

You can't tell me Armory doesn't spin. perfectly radially symmetrical middle section designed in such a way the central body could spin while the legs and head stay stationary. arms that grip weapons or other figures, he's huge and clearly meant to be Heavy Metal's mega-weapon. He spins.

Hop-To Heroes

Now, if there's one thing the Brute Force characters do, it's leap. But the characters with the larger lock-on vehicle armor all leap out of the vehicle to attack a foe at least once.

I have to wonder if the vehicle figures were intended to be ejected from the vehicle as a leaping attack. (this would seem thematically in line with the armor-shed gimmick from Soar) This would be in addition to some general reconfiguration between low-riding "speed" modes and upright battle modes.

Ramrod would have had a headbutt gimmick.

It's literally all he does in the comic. I don't think he even has a gun.

Conclusions

Brute Force was intended into be a not just an action figure line, but a feature-heavy character driven line. The play patterns imagined were ambitious. I see Starriors, Transformers and Centurions DNA in there, and it would have been a lot more fun than Captain Planet for an eco-themed franchise.

The Marvel crew clearly learned a lot from the toy industry from working with Hasbro, Kenner, Mattel, Mego and numerous others through the years, and it shows. This concept started with toy ideas, it's just a pity no one was incentivized to make them.

[lu-fic-recommendation-of-the-day]

I need Twi fluff is there any good Twi fluff

Brothers in Arms, Brothers in Tankards by tilapsci

Summary:

“Great Zephos, they are totally shit-faced-” Wind hisses from over his shoulder, peeking out of the doorway just like Four is. He sounds like he’s having the best day of his life. Maybe he is. “You’re a good man,” Warriors continues on, entirely oblivious to or uncaring of the audience he has amassed. “Y’ remind me of,” a thick, ugly sniffle, “of m’ own mum.” “Oh, wow,” Four mutters.

Or, Warriors and Twilight sneak away from the rest of the Chain in the captain's era to enjoy a well-deserved break and celebrate the end of a long, long week. They, uh, might have celebrated a little too hard, because now it takes three separate heroes to drag them to bed and get them to focus for more than five seconds on a subject that isn't their deep, undying, brotherly love for one another.

Tears are shed, drunken heart-to-hearts are had, and lots of blackmail material is collected. At least Four is thoroughly entertained. Written for a sprint prompt in the LU Discord!

Mandatory Puppy Pile by @toyouhellohowareyou

Summary:

He loves them so much. His puppies are so beautiful and he loves them so much. Why are they so naughty? Why won’t they stay in the pile? He will make them.

Twilight hasn’t slept in four days and now it’s everyone else’s problem.

A Surprise Party by @somer-writes

Summary:

The chain throws Twilight a surprise party to celebrate his GED

A Warrior and a Wolf by Hiros_Heart

Summary:

Warriors shares a story of how he was raised by a strange, old solider. Something about this kid is oddly familiar to the man.

Time shenanigans where Twilight is an old man, and raises Warriors as a child.

And Together by @rebornofstars

Summary:

“Look,” he said. “Y’all’re welcome, here, wherever. I don’t care. I’ll be here for you, alright? Even if it is four o’fucking clock in the morning.”

Sleepy 8+1 Grand Finale! In which EVERYONE falls asleep on Twi <3

(part of the steady going under series which also has a lot of twi fluff)

A Pillow for Your Head by @iffondrels-library

Summary:

When Wild woke up, he was a bit more embarrassed. He usually slept further away from the others, at least at first, since they’d joined while everyone else had already been marginally more acquainted with each other. Now he was in the middle of camp while everyone else was starting to mill around. His checks flushed light pink and he hastily pushed himself into a sitting position, hand lingering in his dark gray fur for only an extra moment before distancing himself.

“I got cold,” Wild mumbled, a feeble excuse that fell on deaf ears as everyone began packing up around them.

Twilight tilted his head quizzically to the side. He’d seen the boy sleep in his snowquill armor before.

Wild hastily got to his feet and began gathering his blankets to throw into his Sheikah slate. “Don’t look at me like that! Why’re you still transformed, anyway?” he said, almost accusatory.

OR

Twilight finds out that if he falls asleep as a wolf then members of the Chain will start using him as a pillow.

Sunrise by @seekingseven

Summary:

Time has an axolotl mask.

Malon wants to show it to Twilight, even though it's midnight.

+++++

Just some sweet Malon and Twilight mother-son bonding! My birthday gift to Spiff from the Linked Universe Discord. Happy (late) birthday, my wonderful friend!

[darksigns-exe]

the night and the light | prologue

a bad omens cyberpunk au

warnings: mentions of violence, guns, blood, scars

word count: 676

Wind rushes through her hair, throwing it back into her face. The city below her rushes along, never stopping its constant, restless movement. It never stops. Night City always moves – never sleeps. She watches quietly as it continues to writhe like a worm. Sometimes she wonders how she manages to keep up with it at all, or if she even does. 

The past year seems so inconsequential now that it lays behind her. In the grand scheme of things, nothing much has changed. She’s grown a year older, learned a thing or two, but apart from that, she doesn’t feel too different. Maybe she’d grown a little more resentful of the noise and the dirt below. 

So many lives had been lost, uselessly thrown into the aether, and sometimes she wonders if it had even been worth it. There had been so much death and destruction in their wake, so many lives that didn’t need to end yet. Sometimes she can still see the blood on her hands. But in the harsh neon lights of the city it quickly vanishes again. There’s always something, something more exciting, a new advertisement, a new face. Something always happens, and her mind just can’t stand still anymore. 

A set of arms wraps around her middle. She doesn’t need to look to know who they belong to. The coloured lines of ink and scar that line his skin make him so easy to identify. His chin comes to rest against her shoulder, and she knows what he’s going to say before he even opens his mouth. 

We could just leave, you know.

And she isn’t surprised when he says those exact words. 

He gets these wistful moods every now and again. But they both know that they’ll never leave Night City. 

No one does – not forever, at least. 

The second they’ll leave the noise and the crowds behind, and they’re alone, everything will change. And that terrifies her. She doesn’t quiet know how to be a person without the lights around her, and she doesn’t know how they’ll be when there’s nothing around them to distract them from the glaring issues they both have. 

But maybe that’s exactly what they need right now. 

She lets her head drop back against his chest. She’s never felt safe in these streets, not until she’d met him. And even then, it had taken her some time until she had felt safe around him. 

“We could all just pack up and leave. Go somewhere else.” he continues, voice still soft and gentle, “One of these gigs will be the last. One way or another.” 

She knows that he’s right. 

One of these days, a bullet will hit one of them and there won’t be anything that can be done about it. There’s a solid chance that it won’t even happen on a gig. She’s witnessed enough people falling victim to stray bullets. 

Sirens blare below as gunshots tear through the white noise of the city. She hasn’t flinched at the sounds in years. 

She does now. 

Instinctively, his arms tighten around her middle. Not to restrain, but to safeguard. He’s warm, comforting, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. That cold, hard shell has been started to show cracks. He’s not growing soft, no, it’s something else, something she doesn’t want to admit to herself yet. 

She feels content here when he holds her like this. 

But there has to be more to it all, right? More than just being content with how the world is. 

More than being content with being who she is. 

There’s a whole world outside of this city, and she has barely dared to venture outside of its borders. Perhaps it is time to peek past the edge of his proverbial plate. A year ago, she would have questioned her sanity for even thinking that, but now it feels as if her eyes are truly open for the first time. 

She leans further against him, and his embrace somehow grows just a little tighter. 

“Maybe we should.” 

maybe. 

taglist: @deathblacksmoke @circle-with-me @sitkowski @ladyveronikawrites @baddestomens

@malice-ov-mercy @chels3a-smile @ferduttini @somebodyels3 @itsafullmoon

@shilohrosechicken @poisongirl616 @mysticdoodlez @agravemisstake @th4t-em0-k1d

@thisbicc @iloveyoutodeathbutimdrowning @mrsnoahsebastian @blackveilomens @sorrowsofsilence

@fadingangelwisp @lacy1986 @tosoundlessdarkistare @thisisntablogspost @tintadecirco

@rumoured-whispers @cheyyyyr @mathfairchild1 @thewrstinme @Follow-me-down-to-wonderland

[fict1onallyobsessed]

Can I pretty pls have fluff with Rhea Ripley x Fem reader with the prompt "Let me show just how much you mean to me"

Gently

Rhea Ripley x Reader

She wasn’t used to being treated gently.

She was the one to always care, always provide.

She was big, a strong woman that had massive muscles and she was treated as much. A strong woman.

So when you gently cupped her cheek, took the rag from her fingertips and began to wipe away the blood on her lips it almost made her cry.

Your touch was so serene against her skin that she even dared to melt into your hand, her eyes closing as you rubbed away the blood that poured out during her match.

The locker room was quiet, only the presence of you and Rhea sitting on a bench in the middle in complete silence.

Your now empty hand, one that previously held the rag, cupped the other side of her face. Your fingertips reaching to place a strand of her short black hair behind her ear.

“How’s your lip?”

She scoffed softly, a small smile barely reaching her tired eyes showed itself. She reached for something behind her before showing you a small metal ring in her palm.

“I ripped by smiley.”

You offered a sympathetic smile, knowing that’s why she wasn’t so down right now. She was so tired, you could see it in her eyes. The eyes that never left yours for a solid few seconds before you leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“Let’s get you back to the hotel, huh? You don’t have any media left?”

She shook her head and didn’t even bother changing out of her gear. She put a hoodie and some sweats over it as you packed her bag, throwing it over your shoulder, waiting for her to finish.

You reached out your hand towards her as she walked closer to you. Her hand immediately took yours, interlocking her fingers with yours and walking out together.

When you reached your hotel room, she sighed a breath of relief, pulling you gently towards her. She leaned down and caught your lips with hers, completely taking you by surprise. Her hands found home at your waist, pulling you impossibly close to her body before she started to walk with you towards the bed.

“You mean the world to me.” She whispered against your lips.

“I know, you do too.”

She hummed into your mouth, falling onto the bed as softly as she could with you under her. Your back met the mattress, her body quickly but gently climbing over yours.

“Let me show you just how much you mean to me.”

THE END

[1-800-local-slut]

rio getting to know shy reader but realizing she far from that now that’s she’s getting comfortable with him.

-🪡

He's Right

I hope you like this! I made it hella suggestive at the end. Please let me know what you think! I just started this show Rio is literally my baby daddy but I'm only like four episodes in so I'm if it's too out of character.

Likes and reblogs are very appreciated!

Pairing: Rio (good girls) x shy! black! reader

Warnings: cheating, mentions of traumatic past, cursing, suggestiveness at the end, reader has a boyfriend

I need him in a way that isn't natural, I need him in my draws NOW.

______________________________________________________________

"Can I help you with anything sir?" Rio glanced up, his sharp eyes leaving the book he was examining.  The Lord of the Flies or some shit. He was sure he read it in school. But that didn't matter. What mattered was the woman standing before him. His eyes flicked to her neckline, seeing the star shaped necklace around her chest. That right there was perfect, telling him everything he needed to know about her relation to his target.

The woman was the younger sister of King Jericho. Otherwise known as some lame ass pimp who made the mistake of stealing from Rio. And no one steals from him and gets aways with it.

He still remembers how he was sitting with Marcus in a McDonald's drive through. Marcus was eating chicken nuggets, getting barbecue sauce and shit all over his mouth. Rio was telling him to take it easy, then he heard chiming. His phone rang, and Mick told him that their man went ghost. And when they couldn't find him, that meant they couldn't find Rio's money. And THAT was a problem.

So to make a long story short, Rio had to go the long way and go to his family. Mom sent him and Mick packing, dads dead. Only person left was his sister. And that led him to the gorgeous brown skinned woman before him.

"Of course you can, mama. I need help, I'm looking for King." His eyes scanned over her entire body, looking for something, anything, that could get him some help. Her brown eyes, and long eyelashes blinked at him but they didn't show fear or recognition. Instead she stared patiently waiting for him to continue. Nothing, time to try something else.

"Is that a series? Or an author? Do you know the genre?" Trying her best to do her job, he watched her reach into her side for her walkie talkie. So she didn't know about the King part, time to check if she knew about Jericho.

"Nah, it's none of that. I'm looking for Jericho." And there it was. The second the words left his voice in his usual charming manner her eyes filled with panic. Goosebumps appeared on her brown skin and one of her hands flew to her hair. He noticed for the first time that it must be a wig, black hair was in waves down her body and parted down her middle. For some reason her shiny hair was oddly enticing to him. Her teeth sunk into her plump, glossy lips and Rio's eyes flickered over them.

"Like...from the Bible?" Her soft voice was like music to his ears. If only that sentence wasn’t so stupid.

"...The Bible." He repeated while narrowing his eyes. Either he was being played for stupid,which was not a smart thing to do or she was stupid. He wanted to believe the woman he just found attractive even for a moment wasn’t an idiot. 

“Nah girl. I think you know what I’m talking about.” Placing the book that was still in his hands on the table behind him. Her chest was heaving quickly and she was clearly beginning to panic. Rio moved his eyes up to Mick, who was looking at a cookbook with Snoop Dogg on the cover. With a wave of his two fingers, Mick began to intercept her escape.

“I don't, I'm sorry. I don’t think I can help you, maybe you should check somewhere else.” Slowly turning on her heels, she walked head first into Mick. His solid chest stopped her, and nudged her glasses further up on her face. Stepping back she softly groaned and readjusted her lenses.

“Now, this looks like an interesting book. Can you tell me what it’s about?” Rio asked, sitting down and Mick led her to put her plump behind, that Rio noticed when he saw her through the shop's window. She nervously took a seat. While clenching and unclenching her hands on her skirt, Rio watched her with observant eyes. With a glance, he motioned to the book attempting to get her to tell him the truth. With a shaky breath one of her manicured hands reached for the book.

“It’s Lord of the Flies. It revolves around this group of British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and try to govern themselves. Things go bad really really fast.” Her brown eyes met him once more and he smirked. In response, she looked down at the table and snuck two looks at him.

“Oh nice nice, it got a nice ending n shit?” With a swift nod, he hummed. He kept his eyes trained on the golden star dangling from her chest, probably bought with Rio’s money.

“Alright, here’s the deal. Your brother’s a bitch. He stole from me and ran out, and I need to find him. And I need you to tell me where he is.” She swallowed thickly. 

“And who exactly would you be?” 

“My name ain’t important moma. Just know, I know you. I know your mom, I know your auntie and your grandma, I know your boyfriend too. You mom is vicious, she sent my ass packing and told me to try you next.” Her eyes got wider and wider with each sentence. He’d probably be shocked too if his own mom sold him out. Her brother had always been trouble for her. At least that’s what he gathered. She’s had to get him out of trouble more than once. Mostly out of trouble with men, going on dates and what not for his sake. No way they weren’t talking any more. 

“Look, I don’t know anything about my brother. I haven’t talked to him in like 3 years! I can’t help you. Whatever debt he’s got with you, I can’t settle it.” With a scoff and a sigh, Rio rolled his eyes lightly. Her eyes went wide at his laughter, her finger digging into her nails. She was afraid of him. He didn’t like that, but that brother of hers seems  to have gotten her involved with a lot over the past few years.

“Relax, ma I ain’t gonna hurt you. I just need you to tell me where he is.” Her head shook quickly, her hair flying around wildly. She was still denying contact.

“That’s a nice necklace. You enjoying 21?” Her face went stiff. Her mouth opened slightly to respond, her glossy lips parting. Then they shut quickly as he saw tears well up in her eyes. He was right. The necklace was sent to her apartment by her brother exactly one week ago for her 21st birthday.

“I can’t help you. I don’t know where he is, this didn’t have a return address. It came in an Amazon bag! I mean, if I could I’d help you but I can’t do anything for you gentlemen.” She was trembling in her seat, and two tears escaped her eyes. But if she could receive something from him, she could learn exactly where he was. And given he had no leads, he had to settle for asking her to find out for him. 

She was crying like he had threatened her, and he partially imagined what type of people she had been around to warrant a reaction like this.

“Look ma, I just need you to stop crying. Can you do that?” He asked and she nodded, wiping tears from her face.

“I can’t just let you go though. Your brother sent you something and I need you to find out where he sent it from. That’s it. Tell you what, put this book on hold for me. Imma be back tomorrow, with enough to pay for it. Nothing’s gonna happen to you, I just need you to learn this for me.” He slid out of his seat, leaving the trembling woman there and she placed her face in her palms in dismay.

______________________________________________________________

“Shit! What the fuck Rio?! You just break into my fucking house, you couldn't give me a phone call?” Growled the woman in a  slightly drunken anger. She turned on the lights next to the door and kicked off her heeled shoes. His eyes looked up and down her curved figure and she glared at him. Rio let out a laugh and his head lolled back on his shoulders. He was sitting on the back of her couch, petting her black cat who purred gently. Rio already found out that her cat adored anyone who fed her. 

“Well yeah baby. We still haven’t found your punk ass brother.”  Her eyes rolled hard into her head, and she threw her purse down and came around to the couch. Plopping down on her couch, Rio looked over at her soft skin covered by her golden dress.

It had been about two months. Two months since Rio went into the bookstore she worked at. Two months after the third day he entered the shop and she informed him that she found him. Then when he got there and found Jericho skipped out once again. And from there, something about her kept Rio coming back to bother the shy woman. Except she wasn't what he thought at first.

The woman slouched on the couch right next to him was vulgar, loud and proud, abrasive and more. She cursed at him, cursed out the TV, cursed out her mother and grandmother and boyfriend. She cursed out Rio. She was perfect for him. She was nice to him, despite their off putting first meeting. She put him in his place when she felt he needed it. She wasn’t afraid to tell him to shut his goofy ass up in her exact words. But still, sometimes he’d look at her and she looked just about ready to fold for him. And Rio liked that shit.

Now in a golden mini dress that she wore, with body glitter all over her breast was enticing Rio. She smelt like a mix of vanilla and a bar. In truth, if she could find her brother for him he didn’t care anymore. He could find him on his own with the clues they found at his last known location. In fact, soon enough they’d get their final location. He just liked bothering her. And it wasn’t like she was even bothering to look for him anymore. Last he asked she told him to suck her dick, she wouldn’t be searching for shit. 

“What’s wrong baby, you have a shitty night?” He asked, taking one of his large hands and cupping her face. He noticed her thighs pressed together with intense pressure. A smirk came across his face, and ran a thumb over her stained lips. She leaned into his touch and he waited for his answer.

“My boyfriends being a cunt again.” She sighed and her cat jumped into her lap, patting his paws on her soft thighs. Rio wanted to do that too, boyfriend be damned.

“Oh yeah?” He asked his hand itching down to her neck and his pinky scraping over the chain of that star necklace. That same necklace that pushed them to meet. Her eyes stayed glued to his, as she glanced up at him with wide eyes.

“He’s going on about not trusting my friendship with you. Then he told me to get the fuck on, since I didnt want to dance at the club. He was like ‘oh you rather dance with that other nigga?’ and I was like  ‘he’s not a fucking pussy, he could probably dance better than you’ so he told me to fuck off and I left him and told him not to come home tonight. You’re the other nigga in question. The niggas trippin, he keep bitching about it. He says he knows you wanna fuck me. He’s being a bitch, it’s making me want to cheat on him.” Suddenly he smirked at her. She raised an eyebrow, still feeling the heat of his hand on her throat and rubbing her thighs together.

“And what if I told you he was right?” His hand was now lightly around her throat, and he brushed pieces of her curly afro out of her face with his free hand. Slowly she began to process his words. Then a wicked smile crossed her face and she licked her lips.

“You should do something about that then.” Her voice now low and seductive, as he saw sparks of mischief in her eyes. He leaned in and pressed his lips against her soft ones. They pulled away for a moment and he lightly squeezed her throat harder. Licking his lips, he tasted the liquor and her strawberry lipgloss.

“I’m about to show you what else I’m better than his ass at.”

[hugzsz]

"This is me worshipping you"

"I'm not unhappy but I'm not happy either"

"I love that I don't have to measure your affection"

-My Liberation Notes

Nr of eps: 16

where to watch: Netflix

genre: Melodrama, slice of life, romance, sad (my addition)

This show was definitely a calm slow watch that I didn't get bored by even until the end. I think this is definitely a show that goes under the category of "nothing really happens." However its still entertaining with a few twists that I didn't see coming at all. The show focuses on people who are tired of their everyday lives and shows how they decide to try and become "liberated," and what i liked was that in this show they dont have to leave their family or job or living area behind to start changing their lives. Instead looking for changes they can make while not making major changes. And idk if its because i was in a mood for this kind of show but i would rate a solid like 10/10 when i was watching it. But if i was in a mood for something action packed and a quick watch then i def wouldn't recommend this cause i would have likely dropped this in the middle then.

shows i think are similar:

Summer Strike: same healing vibes but more positive and has more action (also my lord I love Im Siwan)

Run on: Im including this because it also has a plot of moving on with life (but mostly cause I love Im Siwan)

Little Forest: This is a movie and def goes under the category of "nothing really happens." So basically similar slow vibes.

[insociometry]

hi inso! 😚 i love ron sm, its my fav right now, and im 2min biased so part of that is that i love your 2min, theyre sadly usually characterized as meanies and your characterization is so much more layered and refreshing. with them (or generally !!) how do you characterize them? any tips? ok thank uuuu keep up the good work !!! 💕💕💕

Hi hi! This is really sweet and I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying my little story, but please be kind speaking about other characterizations in my inbox, too 🫶

I visualize characterization as trying to build a sort of working, movable model — like making a wire armature and wrapping plasticine around it, painting it and pressing out details until it’s a working figure. So essentially, for me, I observe the character, try to identify the skeleton, and then pad them out with the habits and details and speech patterns that make them more personable. And then obviously there’s just plain artistic liberties! It’s actually kind of… uncomfortable to dig into with this fic in particular? 😅 Just because they are real people… But generally speaking, if you’re trying to work at characterizing the kids, the One Kids Room series is really good! Two Kids and vlogs are nice, too. Generally I think SKZ Code and variety show appearances are less helpful for characterization, because they’re very much performances. Talkers and interviews are somewhere in the middle for me.

2Min are suuuuch fun characters, both independently and together! I’m glad you’ve been enjoying them 😊 I don’t know exactly what to say about them (characterization is such a broad topic for me!) but here are some (pretty long...) future passages that brush at their armatures for me, personally. Spoilers below!

Both, chapter 46:

When you’d first been getting to know the pack as a whole, you’d been briefly tricked into thinking Minho and Seungmin were kind of similar. They’re both quiet and loud and mischievous and doting in a blend that’s hard to see through at first; they both have a gentle presence and a heavy gaze. But the resemblance more or less dies there; as soon as you spent more time with them, it was obvious to see. If anything, they’re complete opposites in many ways: Seungmin is reserved but not shy, while Minho is shy but not reserved. Minho is thick-skinned where Seungmin is sensitive and tender where Seungmin is tough; Minho is spontaneous and quicksilver, but Seungmin’s sense of self is built on structure and commitment. Where Minho won’t budge, Seungmin bends. Where Seungmin is an oak tree, Minho is the reed.

Seungmin, chapter 45:

“Fishing for compliments?” Seungmin teases, though his voice is gentle. “Always,” you joke, and then, before he can reply, “No, but — Hanjae is like… a real person, you know?” “Unlike you?” “Kind of,” you shrug. “I mean, he has a family, for one. Siblings and cousins and stuff. Both parents. And a car! Hobbies. He visits his grandparents in the country on holidays. He knows things about stocks.” Another pause, just as long as before. “Those things make someone a real person?” You scrunch your nose, even though he can’t see. “You’re just full of questions tonight, aren’t you?” “In my defense,” he deadpans, “you’re not making a lot of sense.” […] A frown twitches at your lips as you review your words. “Wait, that doesn’t really make sense; I lost track of my metaphor. It’s like, um—” “I know what you’re saying,” Seungmin cuts in quietly, “even if I don’t really understand it. You feel unsteady. Unsafe. Like you’re fundamentally different from the people on solid ground.” “Oh,” you say, surprised. It sounds more pathetic when he says it like that, but— “Yeah, I think so.” “See, this is why I ask all those questions,” he teases. “It helps me interpret your language. Who’s the translator now, right?” “I know you can’t see,” you reply, “but I’m about to stick my tongue out at you.” “Okay,” he says, “go ahead,” and pauses obligingly as you do.

Lino, chapter 39:

“Oppa,” you start, “I’ve been thinking.” Minho’s eyes flick to your face, but when you don’t look up, he returns to watching the road. “Oh?” It’s not really a question, but you nod your head anyway. “I didn’t realize at first,” you say in the same impulsive tumble, “but you’re a lot gentler with me than the others. I just… hope you’re not holding back with me. I mean, I want you to be comfortable. I hope you have fun when we’re together.” A moment passes where Minho seems to consider this, and your nerves catch up to you little by little. When he finally pulls his mask down and speaks, though, it isn’t exactly to say what you’d been bracing yourself for. “You know about my cats,” he says. The abrupt pivot is so surprising that it pops the growing balloon of your anxiety. You blink at him, a little affronted. “Of course I do. Soonie, Doongie, and Dori.” The smile Minho shoots you is strangely fond, like it’s weird to remember the names of the most adorable creatures you’ve ever seen. “Doongie likes to be kissed on the head,” he explains, squeezing your hand now and then where it’s slowly warming up in his pocket. “He butts his whole face into my mouth when I’m close enough. Soonie is okay with it if it’s me, and he likes the attention; as long as he’s not spooked or grumpy, he doesn’t mind.” You nod, appropriately enraptured by this new kitty lore, previous train of thought completely lost. “That makes sense. That sounds like them.” Another squeeze, but this time, he twines his fingers with yours. “Dori doesn’t like kisses,” he continues. “He’s generally less cuddly, and I think the noise bothers him. If I push it, he’ll bite me, and then he’ll sulk and not come see me, even when it’s time for me to leave.” “Unfilial,” you joke. But Minho just hums, like he doesn’t agree at all. “Living creatures have boundaries. It’s important to see that if you want them to love you.”

Thanks for your question! I hope this was fun to read!

[i2rizz]

Atlanta Lock AU Pt.2

Fandom:Blue lock | masterlist

Characters: Atlanta lock!Sae x reader

Summary:Sae's Atlanta Lock persona is all about being a cold, unbothered influencer...

until he gets shadowbanned on Instagram.

------------‐---------------------------------------

Sae Itoshi had it all—he was the king of O'Block, the guy everyone feared, and the one that all the influencers wanted to be associated with. He had the followers, the clout, and the absolute dominance of his gang. His Instagram was a testament to his coolness—luxury cars, expensive watches, and gym selfies that made it seem like he didn’t break a sweat.

But today… everything changed.

It all started with one notification:

"Your account has been temporarily suspended."

Sae’s first reaction? Denial. He stared at his phone for a solid minute, convinced it was a glitch. When he clicked the "appeal" button and nothing changed, panic started to creep in.

“Hey, [Y/N],” Sae said, his voice a little too calm for someone about to lose his mind. You looked up from your phone, sensing the shift in his mood.

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna need you to fix something,” he said, his eyes locked on his screen, fingers tapping rapidly on his phone.

You raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

“I… I got shadowbanned.”

You blinked. “You what?”

“Shadowbanned!” Sae repeated like it was the end of the world. “Do you even understand how much that hurts my image? This is a catastrophe!”

You snorted. “Sae, you’re in a gang. Who cares about Instagram?”

“I CARE, [Y/N],” he hissed, standing up dramatically. “Do you know how much clout I’ve lost in just ten minutes? All my sponsors are gonna drop me! My followers are gonna think I’m a joke!”

You rolled your eyes. “Okay, okay. So what do you want me to do about it?”

His response was immediate: “We need to take this to the streets. I need to remind the world who I am. The real Sae Itoshi. I want O'Block to see me."

You stared at him. “What?”

“I’ll prove I’m still the hottest thing on Instagram… but I need something big.” He pointed to the street outside, his eyes glowing with that manic energy you recognized all too well. “I’m gonna host an impromptu street race. Right here. Tonight.”

And that’s how, in the middle of O'Block, Sae’s entire gang—along with half of the other street racers—ended up on the makeshift racecourse. The streets were packed with heavily modified cars, bikes, and a sea of people who seemed to materialize from nowhere. It felt like a crazy carnival of chaos.

You stood at the side, arms crossed, watching as Sae leaned against his blacked-out sports car, his custom-designed “Sae Itoshi” logo glowing on the hood. He was wearing a designer jacket, sunglasses, and an expression of complete confidence. You couldn’t help but laugh.

“You sure about this?” you asked, hands on your hips.

He looked at you with a smirk. “I’m Sae Itoshi. Of course I’m sure. I’ll get my followers back in one race.”

You just shook your head, thinking, This man is something else.

As the race started, Sae’s car roared to life, tearing down the street with a roar of fury. But instead of the usual focus he would have in a street race, tonight he was treating it like a show. His every move—every drift, every acceleration—was perfectly timed for the Instagram live feed.

“Look at this!” Sae shouted into his phone, clearly attempting to hype himself up for the nonexistent audience. “This is Sae Itoshi, the fastest, the best, the ONLY one who can rule O'Block! If you’re not watching this, what are you doing with your life?”

You stood off to the side, arms crossed and watching him do his thing, shaking your head. The race itself wasn’t important to him—this was all about flexing. The Instagram live stream was his way of clawing back his “status” after the shadowban incident.

Then, as expected, Sae made a sharp turn, hitting the perfect drift while flipping the camera to his face for a second. “Y’all see this?” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smile. “Sae Itoshi doesn’t lose.”

Of course, it didn’t go smoothly. As he rounded a corner too quickly, his car skidded, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Sae’s calm expression faltered for a brief moment, but he quickly regained his cool and flipped the camera back on his face, waving off the mistake like it never happened.

“You see that?” he said, his voice dripping with confidence. “That’s called making the competition think you’re weak, and then showing them just how good you are. Psychological warfare.”

But his gang wasn’t buying it. They could see his nerves creeping in despite his cocky exterior. And when one of his rivals sped ahead of him, Sae’s smirk quickly turned into a grimace.

“Yo, yo—who do they think they are?” he muttered, slamming the wheel harder. “This race isn’t even about winning anymore. It’s about showing them I’m still the king!”

You shouted to him as he raced desperately to catch up. “Sae, relax. You don’t need to prove anything.”

“Shut up, [Y/N],” he muttered, still zooming past intersections. “I need to remind them I’m the best.”

At the very last moment, as they neared the finish line, Sae surged ahead, his car speeding like it had a life of its own. He won by a hair.

Sae skidded to a stop, immediately pulling out his phone to check the live stream. The crowd was cheering, but his attention was entirely on the screen, anxiously refreshing the page.

When the notification finally popped up, he let out a breath of relief. “There it is. The likes. The views. The comments.” He started scrolling through them, a satisfied smirk forming. “Told you. I always win.”

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms. “Maybe next time, you’ll race for the fun of it, not for Instagram clout.”

He shot you a playful smile. “Nah, where’s the fun in that?”

And, just like that, Sae Itoshi once again proved that even when things go completely off the rails, he always finds a way to get the last word.

------------‐---------------------------------------

Idk man im not feeling this post since idk if i captured his atlanta lock personality🫠

[sterekchub]

Okay but what about more frat boy Derek? Going from playboy to chubby hunk, to fat slob, to blimp fucktoy? Give me more I say! ;)

oooh okay what about a "Monster's University" AU? With an all supernatural campus?

The wolves always dominate, because they're "common" supernatural species and with their powers- are easily all the top starts of the sports teams. Plus the 'can't catch or give STDs', knotting abilities, stamina and….general tendencies for looking like runway models- it's pretty obviously a werewolf's ego trip.

Derek's heard his entire life how Peter loved is 4 years, pats his beergut fondly and talks about the pranks and legendary frat parties (as Chris shakes his head and grumbles about the bad habits Peter picked up in college - and is surprised Peter can remember anything that happened across those 4 years).

(And not to do Derek dirty - but without Kate and the fire and everything? Derek (and Peter) give me the 'superior to human' vibes. He spend 4 years of high school having to act like he couldn't have won every basketball match he scored. Or having to pretend he was getting a call in the middle of hooking up because he had started to wolf out)

So there's no other option - he's going Monsters University.

And literally becomes the big man on campus with all the attention he's getting. His first semester? Everyone wants to sleep with him. He gets good grades and teachers love him. Makes the football team and is immediately picked into his frat.

All that goes STRAIGHT to his head - and he starts showing off. His party trick becomes sticking a beer funnel in his mouth as drunk party-goers pour beer after beer down it. Shouts 'bet I can eat all this pizza' to more drunk cheers.

By the end of the second semester, Derek's got a solid start of a potbelly and his grades drop because he spends more time with his stomach pressed against someone's back, fucking them against the frat's kitchen table….or on his back, belching and grunting and trying to ease the fullness of his beer-ballooned middle.

When people stop getting interested in his "I can swell myself up with beer until my gut is sloshing like a beer vat" he starts pushing it further. Brags about being the human food dump- he'll eat anything! He can eat as much as anyone wants just to prove a point!

In truth? Most people can't stand him. Too cocky, too much of an ego, even for a werewolf….his fellow frat brothers are annoyed and jealous, and rival frats just want to know not ALL werewolves are perfect and unbreakable. So if they see the chance to goad Derek into loading himself with protein shakes until his gas clears the room? Or getting him to guzzle straight butter and lard just to show he can? They cheer him on like they're his biggest fans. Because they all love the results.

The opinions change from "I got fucked by Derek Hale" to "Derek Hale is so desperate for dick anyone can fuck that greedy pig". Most his regular hook ups lose interest when Derek packed on the Freshman 50…and then the Summer 60. And the Sophomore 70. Not the most attractive to most to have Derek belching in their mouth when he kisses them. Or to have Derek on all fours on the bed, stomach so packed tight with junk food, he's more a gas machine than anything else.

Or Derek is plainly too stuffed to do any of the work- expects someone will get him off, but he's too full to return the favor. So the only ones who are interested are the ones with a serious kink - or the ones who love taunting Derek about it.

Th first werepig they've had on campus.

(And I have a special place in my heart for slob!Derek. Shovels garbage junk food and beers down his throat like it's his job, and his stomach angrily rumbles and sloshes and makes Derek a gas balloon that no one wants to share a dorm room with. Most of his clothes don't fit - so Derek pulls on the same stretched out college sweatpants and T-shirt day after day. The sweatpants are stretched so tightly, every thigh roll is visible, and his T-shirt starts off the day several inches too short- and with each meal rides further and further up his gut. Derek filling himself with supernatural levels of food until he's huffing and puffing and sweating from the exertion over it. Has to eat himself to an orgasm because he can't reach his dick - paints his fatpad and lower gut with come and then waddles off to a party. Starts getting too wide for the dorm showers so his frat brothers hose him off when he starts reeking like BO and beer and pizza grease)

[pleasantglitterflower]

Brazilian holidays (Joe Burrow x Adriana Lima)

JOE’S POV

- Baby, have you finished packing your bags? - Adriana asks me

- Yes, my dear, I've already finished and separated all the special kit you sent 

- You're not forgetting any warm clothes, sunscreen and new beach underwear, right?

- Everything is ready, general - I saluted, she rolled her eyes and gave me a peck.

   We are going on vacation in Brazil, more specifically in Salvador, located in the northeast region of the country, and it is my wonderful girlfriend's hometown. Yes, I'm dating the glamorous angel Adriana Lima.

 Adriana and I met during a photo shoot for a magazine. When my agent arrived with the rehearsal proposal, at first I didn't want to do it at all, because I'm very shy and I've never been a fan of these media commitments, for me what matters is just football, but my agent justified that I'm one of the most popular NFL players today and that my image attracts a lot of interest from the media and fans, and that it would be good for my personal marketing, after a lot of convincing I decided to accept. When I arrived at the studio and saw that I would be taking photos with Adriana, my heart started to race quickly, and at that moment I put myself in the shoes of the girls who are my fans and who freak out when they see me in person. I've had a crush on Adriana since I was a hairless virgin boy, I watched all the Victoria Secret fashion shows just to appreciate her beauty and I made my mother buy every magazine she was on the cover of, and I've lost count of How many times have I masturbated thinking about her, damn, who can resist those blue-green eyes, that full mouth, that tanned and curvy body?

 The chemistry between Adriana and I was instantaneous, which was reflected in our rehearsal, I'm glad I changed my mind, it was wonderful. After the photos were finished, we started talking and I asked for her phone number and invited her on a date, I knew she had recently separated. Our first date was perfect, we were very transparent with each other about our past and it was wonderful to know more deeply about the woman I longed for so much during my childhood and adolescence, the weather was very favorable for us and our first kiss took place there really, and from then on, we started a relationship that has lasted six months, and up until now we have managed to hide it from the media very well, we are very reserved and because Adriana has been in the middle of this media exposure for many years, she gives me a lot of advice about how do I deal with this, since now I'm America's sweetheart, damn I hate it, I just want to play football, why can't they just appreciate my sporting skills instead of just looking at my physical appearance?

We're taking advantage of the fact that I'm in the off-season and we're going to visit her family and also get to know the city, as Adriana assured me that after I get to know Salvador in depth, I won't see anything like it. In fact, Brazil is not completely strange to me, Adriana is not the only Brazilian woman who has passed through my life.

 My long relationship with my ex-wife Anna Rodrigues, currently the best football player in the world, is public knowledge. We met in high school and built a solid relationship, which later evolved into marriage and gave birth to our boys Joshua and Samuel. Anna and I faced this great media exposure, as we were the most powerful couple in the sport, with me scoring touchdowns and her scoring goals ,whenever I went to one of her games or she went to one of mine, the media created a whole circus, since She was responsible for leading the Brazilian team to win the World Cup, the harassment towards her increased fiercely, something she loved, but at the same time it bothered me, not because she was achieving her dreams, but because she started to change of personality and was no longer that kind girl I met when I was 16, Anna began to become arrogant, self-centered and began to humiliate me, making a point of highlighting that I was a failure for having suffered many injuries throughout my career in NFL and that the chance I had to win the Superbowl, I wasted it.

The situation became untenable and I decided to ask for a divorce, she didn't accept it at all, I had to go to court to ask for a dispute as she refused to sign the papers. All I wanted is for us to continue maintaining cordiality for the sake of our children, they need their parents to have a healthy relationship, but if it's up to Anna, she won't rest until she sees me in shit.

We only spoke through our lawyers and, as we have joint custody, it is my parents who pick up the boys to come to my house and take them back to Anna's house.

Unlike Adriana, who gets along very well with the parents of her three children, I need to beg Anna for crumbs, if it were up to her, I would never see the boys again. In fact, she doesn't even know that I'm dating Adriana, when she finds out, I already know that she's going to make a huge scandal, but I don't want to think about that now, I'm focused on enjoying this trip with my girlfriend. As I said before, I've already been to Brazil, but I only know Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, but I'm going to visit a completely different city and I'm really excited, especially because we're going there during carnival time, damn I'm really excited, I feel like After this trip I will not be the same person.

After more than 15 hours of traveling, with several stops, we finally arrived in Salvador, state of Bahia, Brazil. We were greeted at the airport by Carlos, Adriana's cousin and he was very friendly to me, giving me a handshake and a big hug, I confess that I'm still not used to these greetings from Brazilians like kisses and hugs. We drove to Adriana's family's house, and when we got there, I was surprised by a banner saying “Welcome Joe” and a table with a large banquet. I was emotional, I didn't even know them well yet and they were already treating me like an integral part of the family. I hugged all of her family members and then we went to dinner, I was lost with the variety of foods and was willing to try everything, the Bengals' nutritionist is going to go crazy when I get back.  The first dish I ate was some kind of fish soup.

- This food is called moqueca Joe! - Adriana tells me

- Hmmmm-damn, what delicious food, I put a larger amount on my plate

- Moqueca is a recipe with African and indigenous origins, it contains fish, onions, tomatoes, peppers and can only be prepared in a clay pot. - Graça, my mother-in-law explains

- It's very delicious - I respond with my mouth full

- Joe, my love, take it easy, Bahian food is made with many exotic ingredients and strong seasonings that you are not used to, soon you will end up feeling sick - Adriana warns me

- Love, it's not every day that I have the chance to get off the diet and allow myself to eat different foods. And when I come to Brazil, I eat everything I'm entitled to, I don't care about my eating plan.

- Joe try the acarajé now, you'll love it - Adriana's mother says 

- How do you say?

- ACARAJÉ

- A..ca.ra.. jeeee- I try to speak

- Your boyfriend is very cute Drica - one of the model's cousins ​​comments enchanted 

I look at the cupcake in front of me and start to taste it, quickly my mouth starts to burn and I grab the juice on the table and start drinking it.

- Sorry, I forgot to mention that there is pepper in acarajé - Adriana laments

- No problem, my love - I smile, still feeling the strong taste of pepper in my mouth

    - Adriana, you can't forget to take Joe to see Oludum's presentation.

- I know mom, I've already organized the list of places I'm going to take him to see, we're only going to stay here for five days so he has to take the opportunity to see as much of the city as possible

- Olodum? What is this Adri?

- It's a drum school, the band is practically a symbol of Salvador, you'll love seeing them

- Will they also be at carnival? - I ask

- They always are, but when we go to shows we will see other singers perform

The next day, the first day of Joe's tour of Salvador began, with Adriana explaining the history of each place and the quarterback just had to open his eyes, he was enchanted by the rich culture of the place.

- We are in the Historic Center of Salvador, this is Pelourinho, without a doubt it is my place of refuge in the city, I walk around here for hours. Look at this architecture Joe, it's so beautiful and full of personality, there's so much cool history here, that Pelourinho has been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

- I can't stop looking at this colorful Dri, it's really beautiful - the man is very enchanted with the place.

During their walk through Pelourinho, Adriana showed Joe the exact house in which Michael Jackson recorded the music video for the song “They don’t care about us”, in 1996, the same year Joe was born. Adriana, who was 15 years old at the time and was starting her modeling career, says that the city stopped when the king of pop arrived and that she felt an inexplicable emotion in seeing Michael up close, because at that time, it was very difficult for big artists to global reach to go to other Brazilian cities that were not Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo.

The couple had the chance to see a live performance of Olodum, directly from Pelourinho. Joe didn't stop filming and taking photos, it was something totally different from what he had seen before. Olodum is much more than a musical drum group, it is also an act of resistance, developing actions to combat racial discrimination, stimulating the self-esteem and pride of Afro-Brazilians, defending and fighting to ensure civil and human rights of marginalized people, in Bahia and Brazil.

The couple also went to visit Farol da Barra, the first nautical signaling system to come into operation in the Americas and it is the oldest lighthouse on the continent still operating, it was a day of great learning and unforgettable for Joe, who was sharing this special moment with his loved one.

ADRIANA’S POV

  These vacation days with my love in my city have been perfect, I can barely describe the feeling. I was very insecure when Joe asked me to be his girlfriend, because he, who is one of the current American football players, wanted to date a woman fifteen years older, divorced, with three children, and who no longer has the beauty of my 20s. I continue to do my fashion shows and campaigns with brands that I have a contract with, however it is sad to see that the fashion industry nowadays prefers these Instagram models, who have no idea what a catwalk is, and nepobabies than the girls who work hard to have an opportunity. I've reached a level in my career where I can choose the work I want to do, and for a few years now I no longer want to do campaigns with futile messages, I want to feel like a real-life woman, who has my imperfections, my happy and vulnerable days. , and not be held hostage to an unrealistic beauty standard. Truly, the golden age of fashion is over, models like me, Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Alessandra Ambrosio, Heidi Klum and other wonderful women will no longer exist.

  Joe and I are going to an electric trio today and I'm going to show him what Bahia's carnival is like. In most of Brazil, carnival starts in February, but here in Bahia, carnival is year-round, there is no time here to not celebrate, it's a party all year round. I'm proud of my roots, and with all due respect to other countries, but there's nothing better than being Brazilian, here is a great diversity of cultures and ideas, which no other place in the world has, I can say this as someone who spent almost his whole life traveling all over the world.

Joe and I arrived in the early afternoon at the trio electric box, we were going to see shows by great local artists from Bahia, including my friend Ivete Sangalo.

It would be the first time that Joe and I would make our first public appearance as a couple, both he and I were comfortable with it, at some point we would have to come out. Ivete's show started until she saw me and Joe hugging and commented:

- Wow, my friend Dridrica is very well accompanied by her prince, let's shout a lot guys - the whole crowd shouts

- Come on Drica, you come too, young man - I quickly translate what she's saying to Joe and we head towards the audience, who shout fiercely when they see us 

We stayed there on the stage dancing while Ivete sang, until she started singing along with the audience so that we could kiss right there. Even though Joe didn't understand Portuguese very well, he understood the context and grabbed my face and we kissed right there, to the delight of Veveta and the public, our relationship was no longer a secret, and honestly I don't care about other people's opinions, the What matters is that we are in love and want to live intensely, and to be living this moment with this Brazilian energy, there is nothing better.

[snek-panini]

Books! The ongoing project I've had half-finished since March continues to thwart me, so I want to show off a project from May that turned out incredibly well. I'm extremely proud of these!

Ta-da! Look at my creations! Are they not beautiful?? This is a set of two related works, From the Deep and Into the Deep. They are by the same author, @worse0mens, and they share a lot of worldbuilding but are not a series and can be read independently. They are siren AUs with very solid characterization, both for everyone's favorite main characters (three guesses who I mean; this is a Good Omens work) and for the secondaries as well (Eve in Into the Deep is a particular favorite for me). The worldbuilding is another star; I would read non-fanwork originals in this universe and that's not something I usually say.

More photos and process talk under the cut! I had to make a lot of adjustments to the design while it was a work in progress, so this post got even longer than usual.

Since these are so closely related even without being a series I really wanted to make them look like a set, and I honestly think I nailed that. I found the pale blue scale-patterned paper on ChibiJay before I even started the typeset and knew it would be perfect if I could match it in black, given that those colors are so heavily associated with our two viewpoint characters. The original plan was to have one in all blue and one in all black, but that blue paper was kind of a nightmare for color-matching. It clashed horribly with the blue book cloth, so I switched that to the black book, and then it also clashed with the black cloth I had chosen. So it got charcoal in the end, and it ended up coming together quite well. The titles are HTV, first time using that on cloth, and that also did not go well. It very much did not want to stick, took more than twice as long as it should have to press, and I still ended up with some wrinkling. Further experiments are needed, I think. It was worth it in the end, though--colors and fonts are perfect, and I like the vertical orientation even more than I thought I would.

Endpapers are solid brown on both books. Another nightmare of color matching. Black is easy! Everything looks good! But that blue was really stubborn about what I could match it to, and this was the only paper that I could find that looked good with both. It's ludicrously thick and was hard to trim even with my plow. Endbands and bookmark are solid black and solid blue respectively, the only easy match in the entire project. Even then, I had originally wanted a gold bookmark on both, to match the gold lines on the covers, but I couldn't find one that was thin enough. Everything in the right colors was wider than the spines. I was very glad to find that blue ribbon, and it was an exact match for some endbands I got ages ago as part of a variety pack. Stroke of luck, there.

Interiors. As I said above, I wanted them to look like a set, so the same fonts, sizing, and text ornaments are used throughout both copies. All the images came from rawpixel, all I did was resize them and I think adjust the color. I was originally planning a much simpler look for these, and the typeset reflects that sort of stripped-down look; there are fewer text ornaments than I normally use, and the title fonts are less curly and ornate than my usual. The plain endpapers were also chosen with that thought in mind, but the covers turned out way more ornate than I thought when I first pictured them in my head. I don't think the insides match the outsides terribly well, but both came out so nicely that I don't mind. I could never regret those covers, they are too gorgeous for that.

Top view on both books. I had some issues with the boards warping on this project, which you can see in the first two pictures. The one on the left is how it looks normally, and you can see that the boards curve away from the text block in the middle, leaving a gap. If you squeeze the book (middle image) this gap goes away. It's present in both books, though more visible on the blue one. I think I made an error with the grain direction, possibly in the endpapers. Or the very heavy endpapers just have more pull to them than the much lighter chiyogami on the outside, and it can't compensate. Hopefully it won't lead to any structural issues further down the line. It's just less than ideal, is all.

I've toyed with the idea of making a slipcase for these. They're already a set, but they could be a BOXED set. Very fancy. I've never done boxes before though, so I'm a bit intimidated. I may revisit them someday to do that.