#The Crossroads of Youth
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The Crossroads of Youth
It is important to recognize that "The Crossroads of Youth" and "Turning Point of the Youngsters" are two translations of the same Korean title, "청춘의 십자로." For clarity, this post will consistently refer to the film as "The Crossroads of Youth." Enjoy.
"The Crossroads of Youth" (청춘의 십자로; 靑春의 十字路) is a melodrama film from 1934, produced during the Japanese colonial era in Korea. Directed and written by Ahn Jong-hwa, the film features performances by Lee Won-yong, Shin Il-sun, Kim Yeon-sil, and Park Yeon. Notably, it predates Korea's first sound film, "The Story of Chunhyang," and is recognized as the sole surviving silent film from this period, classified as National Registered Cultural Property No. 488. The narrative follows the experiences of a protagonist who migrates from the countryside to the capital. Initially considered a lost film, its original version was rediscovered in 2007 and subsequently released in 2008, albeit with some unrestored segments.
A scene from the 1934 film Crossroads of Youth silent film
Directed by Lee Gyu-seol (이규설) Cinematography by Lee Myeong-woo
Supervision, Script and Editing by Jong-Hwa Ahn (안정화)
Production Company - Geumgang Cinema (금강키네마)
Opening Date - September 21, 1934 at the Chosun Theatre (조선극장)
Movie Duration - 73 - 80 Minutes
Nation - Japanese colonial period Joseon during the Japanese colonial period.
Language - Silent Film/ Korean Commentary
Cast:
Lee Won-yong (이원용) – played Yeong-bok (영복)
Shin Il-seon (신일선) – played Yeong-ok (영옥)
Park Yeon (박연) – played Jang Gae-cheol (장개철)
Kim Yeon-sil (김연실) – played Young-hee (영희) (Some say it is Gye-sun, not Yeong-hee)
Yang cheol (양철) – played Ju Myeong-gu (주명구)
Moon Kyung-shim (문경심) – played Bong-seon (봉선)
Lee Bog bon (이복본) – played Baggage Carrier Friend (수화물 운반부 친구)
Choi Myung-hwa (최명화) – played Baggage Carrier Friend (수화물 운반부 친구)
Plot
The film opens with the sight of a train passing, setting the stage for Young-bok's journey. Having left his mother and younger sister, Young-ok, in their hometown, he arrives in Seoul to work as a porter at Gyeongseong Station. Previously, Young-bok spent seven years as a son-in-law at Bong-seon's household, but he relocated to the city after Bong-seon was taken by Ju Myeong-gu. In his new role, he encounters Young-hee, a gas station attendant who struggles to support her ailing father and younger sibling.
In the meantime, Young-ok, having lost her mother, travels to Gyeongseong in search of her brother. Unable to locate him, she secures a position as a waitress at a café. During her employment, she meets Gae-cheol, a wealthy associate of Ju Myeong-gu, who exploits her vulnerability, leading to a traumatic encounter. Concurrently, Young-hee, who has also lost her job, becomes ensnared in Gae-cheol's predatory circle.
After fleeing her home, Young-hee confides in Young-bok about the harrowing events. Upon learning the truth, Young-bok confronts Gae-cheol at his residence, where he reunites with Young-ok. She recounts her ordeal, prompting Young-bok to seek vengeance against Gae-cheol. In a climactic confrontation, he and his fellow porters launch an attack on Gae-cheol and Ju Myeong-gu's gang. Ultimately, with the conflict resolved, Young-bok receives Young-ok's blessing and vows to start anew alongside Young-hee.
Production
"Crossroads of Youth" marked the inaugural production of Geumgang Cinema, a film production entity. Initially conceived as a sound film, the decision was made to transition to a silent format due to certain deficiencies identified in the original footage. Producer Park Chang-soo, who adopted the stage name Park Yeon for his role as Jang Gae-cheol, financed the project himself after experiencing setbacks in his acting career, including an unsuccessful audition for actor recruitment.
The filming took place across various locations in Gyeongseong. The narrative commences at Gyeongseong Station, where the character Yeongbok serves as a porter, while scenes featuring Yeonghee as a gas station employee were captured in the vicinity of Gyeongseong Station Square. Additionally, a pivotal fight sequence between the characters Banbu and Gookilgwan was filmed in one of Seoul's numerous restaurants.
Screening
"Crossroads of Youth" premiered at the Joseon Theatre on April 21, 1934. On September 26 of the same year, an incident occurred involving an actor from the film who was stabbed. Um Dong-ok (엄동옥; 嚴東鈺), a boxer and gangster known as Shinmajeok, confronted Lee Won-yong and Park Yeon after viewing the film. During this encounter, Um Dong-ok requested a drink, citing the movie's commercial success, and subsequently demanded payment for his suit. When Lee Won-yong refused to comply, Um Dong-ok attacked him with a dagger. The weapon penetrated Lee Won-yong's left abdomen, cutting through his suit jacket and pants, yet fortunately did not injure his flesh.
Excavation and Re-examination
Following the discovery of "Sweet Dream" in 1936, a private collector reached out to the Korean Film Archive, claiming possession of nine rolls of vintage film. The collector explained that his father had operated a cinema named Dansungsa until shortly after the Korean War began, and the films were preserved when the theater ceased operations during the conflict. Upon examination by the Korean Film Archive, it was confirmed that these rolls contained the original negative of "Crossroads of Youth," which premiered in 1934. Notably, the discovered material was a negative rather than a positive print, consisting of nitrate film, with eight rolls representing the main content and one roll dedicated to the ending credits. Regrettably, one of the eight main rolls exhibited a whitening effect, rendering it irreparable.
The discovery of this film marked it as the oldest surviving Korean cinematic work, leading to occasional screenings organized by local authorities and film archives. Given its silent film status, many of these screenings featured a narrator to provide context and commentary. In 2007, the Korean Film Archive was approached by another private collector who provided nine nitrate negative rolls from the 1930s. Among these, one roll included the film's concluding titles, while another was too deteriorated to undergo restoration. The collector's father had retained these films from his time managing Dansungsa until the onset of the Korean War.
During the restoration efforts, the film research team initially identified the work as "Passion Flowing Through the Galaxy," directed by Ahn Jong-hwa. However, further investigation clarified that the film was indeed "Crossroads of Youth." This process underscores the challenges associated with preserving nitrate film, which is susceptible to oxidation and poses significant fire hazards, as evidenced by historical incidents even in well-organized archival environments like the United States. The fortunate survival of these films, despite their precarious conditions, is a remarkable achievement in film preservation.
Evaluation
In 1938, the Chosun Ilbo Film Festival recognized "Crossroads of Youth" as the sixth best entry in its list of the "Top 10 Silent Films."
Show
At the time of its debut, "Crossroads of Youth" achieved significant commercial success. Baek Ya-saeng, in his article "15 Years of Joseon Cinema" published in the Chosun Ilbo, remarked that "Mr. Ahn Jong-hwa produced ‘Crossroads of Youth,’ and the audience, eager for Joseon cinema, responded with applause reminiscent of raindrops at a festival." He further noted that during its screening in Daejeon on Chuseok in 1937, three years post-release, the venue was filled to capacity.
Director Ahn Jong-hwa later reflected on the film's box office performance, attributing its success partly to the return of actors Lee Won-yong and Shin Il-sun to the screen after a lengthy absence, which provided the film with a competitive edge at the box office.
Impact and Value
“Crossroads of Youth” predates the first sound film, “Chunhyangjeon,” released in 1935, and stands as the sole silent film produced during the Japanese colonial era. Its historical significance is underscored by its designation as National Registered Cultural Property No. 488 in South Korea, reflecting its cultural and artistic value.
Film historian Kim Jong-won highlights several aspects of “Crossroads of Youth” that contribute to its importance in Korean cinema. It provides insight into the state of filmmaking at the conclusion of the silent film era under Japanese rule, showcases the talents of early silent film actors like Shin Il-sun, Lee Won-yong, and Kim Yeon-sil, and offers a glimpse into the early works of Ahn Jong-hwa, whose contributions remain largely unexamined due to the loss of his films. Notably, the film's discovery occurred within South Korea, further enhancing its cultural relevance.
youtube
Anseong Art Hall to hold performance of historical drama 'Crossroads of Youth'
Anseong Art Hall in Anseong City set to showcase the historical drama 'Crossroads of Youth' at 7:30 PM on July 28, 2021, in the Small Theatre. This event was part of the hall's programming for Culture Day in July and represents a reinterpretation of the 1934 Korean silent film 'Crossroads of Youth' by Jong-hwa Ahn, presented in a new format known as bensa drama. The performance aimed to evoke the atmosphere of the Gyeongseong theatre district during the 1930s, as articulated through the bensa's dialogue in the original film.
Anseong Art Hall in Anseong City will present the historical drama 'Crossroads of Youth' at 7:30 PM on the 28th as part of the July Culture Day planned performance at the Anseong Art Hall Small Theater. (Photo = Anseong City).
The significance of 'Crossroads of Youth' lies not only in its status as a landmark Korean film but also in its aesthetic and historical value. The film has garnered acclaim for its visual artistry and has been featured in prestigious film festivals, including the Seoul Chungmuro International Film Festival and the Busan International Film Festival in 2008, as well as international events such as the 47th New York Film Festival in 2009 and the Guanajuato International Film Festival in 2011. These accolades have played a crucial role in promoting the global recognition of Korean cinema and its performances.
This production is under the direction of Kim Tae-yong, known for his work on "The Birth of a Family" and "Manchu." Jo Hee-bong, recognized for his roles in "Chuno" and "My Love from the Star," served as the narrator, showcasing his abilities and artistry throughout the performance.
The silent film play "Crossroads of Youth" creatively fills the voids of silent cinema with a blend of humour and wit. Tickets were available for 5,000 won with a 'Culture Day Discount,' and Anseong Art Hall implemented safety measures by limiting attendance to 143 seats, which was under 50% of the venue's small theatre capacity, to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
#south korea#korea#The Crossroads of Youth#청춘의 십자로#靑春의 十字路#20s#30s#melodrama#history#youtube#Youtube
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Tag drop: Jingliu
#[ jingliu. ] and so i wield my blade to the very end. until the 'stars' have been cut down from the sky. this oath: i will never forsake.#[ jingliu: ic. ] trapped in childhood nightmares; she tore off a spread of black silk from the edge of her skirt and covered her eyes.#[ jingliu: inquiries. ] ice waves as sharp as knives spreading like transient flowers in the air. freezing all and everyone they contact.#[ jingliu: countenance. ] when you live to be a thousand years. each day is carrying the weight of a mountain through an interminable maze.#[ jingliu: introspection. ] why do you wield a sword? / this is like asking a poet why they wrote poems. this is the only way for me.#[ jingliu: meta. ] this sword in my hand... naught but a needle compared with the heavenly bodies. how can i use it to cut open a star?#[ jingliu: etc. ] to the xianzhou; i am but an abandoned pawn: a wandering swordmaster.#[ jingliu: the sword. ] if there comes a day that the quivers run empty; and starskiffs crash… who will protect you and i then; or the xian#[ jingliu: florephemeral sword. ] a sword: 3 feet; 7 inches in length. weighing nothing. and it glowed as if a sliver of moonlight.#[ jingliu: shattered sword. ] a sword: 5 feet in length. weighing 3000 catties. unyielding: mirroring the defiance; hubris of its creator.#[ jingliu: cangchang. ] . when devoured; we had to face the truth that our lives were but a grain of sand in the river of time.#[ jingliu: hcq. ] their faces still linger before my eyes like a bygone dream. yet dreams will eventually fade. like clouds from the sky.#[ jingliu: memories. ] given the choice between staring at the abyss with a troubled mind and marching blindly: i choose the latter.#[ jingliu: the mara. ] do you know how to deal with the mara-struck? the answer is: there is no difference. The sword pierces the body and#[ jingliu: jing yuan. ] in an endless night; there is nothing closer than the bright moon. always hanging in the sky.#[ jingliu: imbibitor lunae. ] even after your rebirth. your techniques haven't changed a bit. / when i move it's like… / … like you never f#[ jingliu: baiheng. ] the things that we said and did together have all been shrouded in a layer of mist. a mist i cannot see through.#[ jingliu: yingxing. ] some are born with unparalleled foresight; intelligence; but make the ill-advised choices at destiny's crossroads.#[ jingliu: blade. ] that broken sword... you don't want to let go of the past. do you; blade?#[ jingliu: yanqing. ] that move was a token of my appreciation; young man. we were fated to meet this day and in days to come.#[ jingliu: v. youth. ] you can use this to vanquish those that took everything from us.#[ jingliu: v. sword champion. ] she knows it all. swords are a part of her body: the intake and release of her breath as she walks.#[ jingliu: v. traitor. ] and i will suffer my eternal punishment. that is the only way to keep the memory of the pain from fading away.#[ jingliu: v. present. ] whether it be you or I; or the generals of the reignbow arbiter. we are all just pawns in a game of the gods.#tag drop
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Hollow Knight Fight: Round 2, Wave 9
Submit your propaganda here or in the tags/comments/reblogs!
Like what I'm doing? Comm me or give me a Kofi!
#hollow knight#hollow knight poll#hollow knight game#tumblr poll#tumblr polls#tumblr competition#hollow knight fight#hkf#round two#wave nine#hollow knight enemies#hollow knight areas#mantis youth#forgotten crossroads#forgotten crossroads area
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[personal and vaguely unnecessary whining underneath, just a bunch of undigisted and personal thoughts about my problems with Creation and Art that mostly just concern myself, but here they are anyway woooo!!!!]
feeling some kind of way about having to concede my artistic calling truly is in fanwork, but, yeah. all of my creative energy really tends towards fanwork, and like. not even the popular kind really, but the long, cerebral, pretentious kind of fanwork that is impossibly costly to produce yet comes with an inherently very limited audience at the end of the road. but every time I try to do something else, something "original", I get frustrated and I feel like I have nothing to say, or that what I have to say isn't really worth saying/that I'm only kind of doing this out of fear of being perceived as illegitimate rather than because of actual passion. I have original ideas, but I don't even really like most of them. it's weird, to have your inner creative fire being so intricately connected to something you will never have legal control over, something you can't really show off/take actual pride in, and something that is, by and large, decried as a waste of talent or time or proper artistic merit.
but yeah, it's the shape of my brain. it's what it is. I'm just not sure how to connect this reality to the rest of my creative/career frustrations. weird place to be, don't love that my brain chose to be like this honestly.
#thoughts#personal#I have spent my entire youth being criticized because of my enthusiasm for fanwork instead of proper creation you could gain accolades for#granted I shouldn't have gotten that kind of pressure before I was even age 10#but#yeah I know having a brain made for original work doesnt automatically mean you gain recognition and respect#but fanwork is just. not the way to go.#there's a ton of people I know who have a latent condescencion towards me because I write fanwork#in a given style that is pretty hard to parse through#I indeed do refuse to prioritize digestibility and clarity#but I do that in fandom instead of in lit fic!!! because I'm stupid!! my brain is dumb!!!#but yeah I don't know what to tell you all my best and most audacious work is fanwork#it is what it is and I don't think it will change#and I don't think fanwork is shameful or should be considered lesser#why should it be???#it holds the potential of sitting at the crossroad of deep-cut critique + admiration and love + creative experimentation#in a medium that is deeply entranched within our current era of media consumption and therefore I would argue is inherent commentary#also I wrote for IPs for work and what I did there was much dumber than what I might have written on my own#anyway weird thoughts and weird question marks for my future as the industry is slowly falling apart around me#might delete later but I just. mood post. feeling weird.#deflated professionnally and endlessly energized outside of that even though both are two sides of the same kind of work#a mood for weird and uncertain times I guess
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Twice Upon a Christmas Trap | CSC | Teaser
Pairing: Choi Seungcheol x Female!Reader Genre|tags: Oneshot, second-chance love, marriage in trouble, exes to lovers, divorce au, fluff, comedy, drama, angst, smut. Word count: TBA. Rating: Explicit adult content (MINORS DNI). A/N: 1. Finally announcing what has been keeping me busy these past days, leaving me no time to edit the chapters of MTAF 🙈 I’m really excited about this story, so I hope you’ll love it as much as I do! 2. Obviously heavily inspired by the movie The Parent Trap (1998); 3. I know that South Korea's laws are shit when it comes to divorce and women's rights. That's why, even though it won't be deeply explored in the story, I'm using brazilian laws and my knowledge as a lawyer for their "divorce." Warnings: Mentions of divorce (it’s the plot), marital problems, arguments, bickering, silly fights (they literally argue like an old married couple), mentions of teenage pregnancy, seungcheol is kind of blind (but he’s going to redeem himself, promise), crybaby!cheol (because god made men and then sent their tears as an apology), jealous!cheol, jealousy in general, miscommunication, stubborn love, explicit language, graphic sexual content. Release date: Coming soon... 🎧 Now listening to: ‘tis the damn season - taylor swift; christmas (baby please come home) - mariah carey; you’re losing me - taylor swift; chasing pavements - adele; 첫 눈 (the first snow) - exo; i miss you, i'm sorry - gracie abrams; the winner takes it all - jae hall; nobody gets me - sza; for us - v; don’t wanna cry - seventeen; christmas tree - v; kiss me - ed sheeran; imperfect love - seventeen; h.o.l.y - florida georgia line; this love - taylor swift; you're still the one - shania twain; christmas tree farm - taylor swift.
Summary: You and Seungcheol are the perfect couple: best friends, madly in love and married. Or, at least you used to be. After eleven years together, you are now navigating through a bitter divorce following six months of separation. Married at the young age of 19 due to an unexpected pregnancy, your relationship was built on passion and youthful dreams that crumbled under the pressures of adulthood and married life. With custody of your twin daughters at stake, and the sale of your beloved Christmas home getting closer, your family is at a crossroads during what is supposed to be the happiest time of year. The twins, however, unwilling to let their family traditions dissolve, devise a plan to rekindle their parents' love by orchestrating a heartfelt final perfect Christmas in the house.
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“Seemed like Kim Taehyung was enjoying himself a little too much tonight,” Seungcheol said, breaking the silence. His eyes stayed fixed on the road, his tone aiming for nonchalance, though the sharp edge betrayed him.
You glanced at him, your eyebrows arching in confusion. “Taehyung? He was just being friendly. That’s his nature.”
“Friendly?”
Seungcheol straightened on the driver’s seat, his hands tightening on the steering wheel, veins prominent as they bulged.
The soft nightlight cast a gentle glow on his face, accentuating the perfect features that seemed to be carved with meticulous care. His sharp jawline, the curve of his lips, the long lashes that rested against his cheek—it was unfair how effortlessly beautiful he looked, even when his expression was marred by frustration.
No one could look as handsome as he did, even when he was angry.
The way his brows furrowed in thought, the slight twitch of his lips as if he was holding back words he wasn’t ready to say—it all drew you in, even when you wanted to be mad at him. There was a rawness in his expression, a vulnerability that flickered beneath the surface of his frustration, and it tugged at something deep within you.
You swallowed hard, your throat tightening.
Why couldn’t he stop being so damn attractive, just for a second?
“He practically camped out by your side all evening. Offering to get you drinks, giving you those looks—”
“Looks?” you interrupted, your voice sharper and more defensive than you intended. “You’re imagining things, Seungcheol.”
“Am I?” His eyes flicked toward you, narrowing. “Because from where I was standing, he couldn’t stop smiling at you.”
“Well, he does have a beautiful smile,” you said with a casual shrug.
Seungcheol’s glare sharpened. “Is that supposed to be funny? Am I supposed to be laughing?”
You tilted your head, feigning innocence. “I don’t know, you thought ‘see you friday’ was funny."
His jaw tightened as his hands gripped the steering wheel harder, his knuckles whitening. “He had a crush on you in high school, you know that, right?”
You let out a short laugh, shaking your head. “That was ten years ago. Taehyung was being polite, Seungcheol. Maybe you’ve forgotten what that looks like.”
“I know what politeness looks like. And I know when a guy’s flirting with my—”
He stopped abruptly, the unfinished sentence hanging awkwardly in the air.
You turned to face him fully, searching his profile as his jaw tightened further, the muscle twitching with the effort to hold back whatever was on his mind.
“Your what?” you asked, challenging, your voice quieter, but no less intense.
Goal: 500 notes ❤️
#seungcheol x reader#scoups x reader#choi seungcheol x reader#scoups x y/n#scoups x you#seungcheol x you#seungcheol x y/n#choi seungcheol x you#scoups fanfic#seungcheol fanfic#scoups fic#seungcheol fic#scoups#choi seungcheol#seungcheol scenarios#scoups scenarios#scoups imagine#seungcheol imgine#svt fanfic#svt fic#svt x reader#seventeen x reader#seventeen fanfic#svt imagines#seventeen#seventeen fic#seventeen scoups#seventeen seungcheol#seungcheol headcanons#scoups headcanons
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Trying to do work but thoughts about my silly little anime guy are gnawing my brain like a dog chewing a bone
#may rambles#yes it’s rei sakuma#thought about him telling other characters in crossroad to enjoy their youth despite him being like#seventeen in that story
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HELLFIRE
18+ / mdi
summary: whenever he was at a crossroads, seokmin always knew he could turn to god. however, with the recent thoughts you've been putting in his head, he's not sure god will show him the answer this time around.
content: virgin!seokmin, catholic!seokmin, religious repression, old fashioned and exaggerated catholic beliefs, very brief mention of homophobia, very conservative beliefs, a lowkey cult-ish view of catolicism oops, seokmin is veryyy socially awkward and not used to socialization outside of religion, his parents are super overbearing, lots of family tensions, seokmin has an estranged brother (jeonghan), conflicting emotions about god, sexual repression, reader is an atheist, afab reader, smut, dry humping, oral (m and f receiving), handjob, penetrative sex, loss of virginity, etc.
wc: 13k
a/n: she's here!! i didnt write an outline for this and i kinda only focused on seokmin's pov for this which makes reader kinda look like she's trying to corrupt him for no reason lol but i promise its still fluffy and cute <3
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Normalcy for Seokmin had always equated to the church. It was what he'd known since childhood and what he grew up surrounded by up until his current age.
His upbringing had been good by all accounts. Although he had an estranged brother who he didn't get to see too often, he had a father and a mother who cherished him like no one else. His financial means were also to be envied, as he was raised in a wealthy part of town and had always been surrounded by an upper class community – a heavily religious community.
This community was one that Seokmin always respected and cherished. Being brought up going from one private catholic school onto the next as he aged, Seokmin never knew anything other than the constant supervision of nuns and religious figures who would constantly guide him in the right direction (at least according to the bible). While others may think this lifestyle to be restricting, Seokmin knew it to be the proper path for a young man to follow. He never complained about the bi-weekly mass he had to attend with his parents, nor about the separation by gender that was mandated by his school. Seokmin knew all his prayers by heart and was sure of what his role in society must be. In short, Seokmin knew and did all things proper and by the letter.
As a young man (at the ripe age of 20), Seokmin finally found himself in a society that was not of catholic background. After transferring from a two year college in town (one centered around catholic studies, of course), Seokmin was now readying himself to move away from home in order to finalize his education in a fully co-ed institution for the following two years.
It wasn't like Seokmin had never interacted with people outside of the church (or with women in general). He was simply a bit on the shier side when it came to non-religious endeavors and usually only stuck by his religious community, which often abided by old-fashioned rules found in the bible. For instance, Seokmin had been so dedicated to the church that he would usually spend his free time volunteering at the church's food drive or performing with his church group at various family-friendly events around town. This meant that Seokmin's inner circle always consisted of people who had an almost identical ideology as that of his own.
Seokmin felt bad at admitting this (which was why he never vocalized these thoughts), but he could sometimes get a bit tired of the consistency of his life. It was a constant repetition of events surrounded by the same exact people time and time again. He never had any opportunity to be challenged or observe outside opinions, specially not with the constant supervision his community gave youth like him (something about wanting him to follow the right path unlike his older brother). Seokmin knew and trusted his beliefs, so he felt a bit infantilized whenever his own family would become overbearing while ensuring Seokmin didn't go off the rails like his brother had – his brother, who was still a quite a sore subject for him.
And now, Seokmin felt excitement. Knowing he would finally be able to explore the outside world and experience the last couple of years of his college life not under the watchful eye of his church. However, as a strong believer himself, Seokmin had still ensured he would have time to attend mass every week and maybe join a religious club on campus. Although he sometimes felt scrutinized by his family and community, Seokmin had never once faked his belief in God. I mean, it was all he had known thus far and all he felt he could really count on no matter what.
When the day to move into his dorms finally arrived, Seokmin had a difficult time hiding his excitement. His community had thrown him a goodbye party, allowing him to be the main focus of the night as one by one, every adult figure in his life bid their farewells accompanied by thinly veiled warnings to not fall into the bad habits sometimes found in non-religious communities. Seokmin was pure-minded at heart, so he took these warnings with a warm and heartfelt gratitude, knowing that despite his desire to expand his horizons, it was important he kept his beliefs safe.
Thanks to his parents, Seokmin had the fortune of being able to rent a room away from the dorms. His parents had insisted, claiming that dorm life could get quite rowdy and that a roommate who had not been pre-approved by them may give him a bad influence and lead him towards an unholy path. Seokmin, already slightly nervous about heading into the world on his own, agreed in order to give himself a safe space of solitude in case he needed it.
The apartment was pretty close to the dorms themselves, allowing Seokmin a calm commute in his bike every day for his classes. Thus far, he had been in the city for a week, still having a few days before school actually began. He had attended his church club already, meeting all the other members and scouting out who he may be able to befriend in the near future. Everyone seemed pretty much like the preppy rich kids he had grown up with all throughout his years of catholic school. There was a bit more of variety among the people in the club than back home, with the club allowing for co-ed inclusion of members (something which was quite common in church groups, though Seokmin had grown too accustomed by his non co-ed upbringing). They also seemed to come from different backgrounds, but ultimately Seokmin could tell that just like him, they were very likely brought up in a very coddled and comfortable way. This was how your presence in the club first stood out to him.
While everyone seemed very put together and happy to be there, you caught Seokmin's attention right away. Your visible discomfort was the first thing Seokmin noticed. Though you looked as nice and welcoming as anyone else, Seokmin could see that you seemed like a closed book. Your eyes did not light up the same as the rest of the members, nor did you actively participate in the icebreaker activities set up by the club. Seokmin also caught onto the fact that the other members already knew each other (likely from previous years at the college), while they treated you like a black sheep. And of course, Seokmin couldn't help but notice your appearance, which made it difficult for him to look away from you.
Of course, Seokmin had had female friends in the past. It's not like his church separated the pews by gender or anything like that. Seokmin was just slightly reserved. With his constant attendance at institutions that insisted upon gender separation at all times and very overbearing parents, Seokmin never really had the chance to form any type of relationship with any girl throughout his youth. He had teamed up with other female volunteers while working at charities and had even been in charge of showing new girls in the community around the church's premises. However, these were very isolated instances.
As of the past twenty years, Seokmin was yet to ever really think about women liberally. He was always taught that time for those things would come eventually, whatever that meant. It was something that had been repeated to him by both his parents, neighbors, the reverend, and even at some point by his brother (though his brother had said it in a sarcastic tone, which confused Seokmin even further).
And now here he was, sitting quietly across the room from you as he watched you in silence, barely paying attention to whichever new activity the group leaders were discussing for the first charity event they'd hold during the upcoming semester.
You were pretty. Seokmin could tell that much. His mind did not process anything other than your features for almost the entirety of the meeting, being far too occupied by analyzing every inch of your person as he unknowingly held his breath.
His eyes on you did not seem to catch your attention at any point, but they did catch the attention of a fellow member of the group who was sitting near him.
"You know her?", asked the nameless member.
"Oh, uh, what? No, I was just– "
"She's not really a member here, you know. Just kind of an honorary one, I guess."
"What do you mean?", he finally took his eyes off you due to his sudden interest in the conversation.
"Her parents pay for her tuition as long as she can prove she's an active member of the local catholic community. Apparently she just pretends for them, but her parents still somehow bought her way into the club", the guy lowered his voice to a whisper, "I heard she's an atheist, man. We just have to kinda ignore she's there."
Though Seokmin knew that his parents' immediate reaction to such gossip would be shock at the blatant disrespect you were showing towards your parents who clearly just wanted you to not stray away from the path of God, Seokmin was more annoyed at the guy who found it so easy to talk about you behind your back completely unprompted.
While Seokmin couldn't understand why someone would claim themselves atheist when it was so clear to him how life had been created, he still saw it wrong to judge someone for their beliefs. It was oftentimes that churchgoers back home would exhibit malicious intentions such as what he'd just witnessed from his fellow group member. You were clearly not bothering anyone and even looked pretty aware of the alienation the members were putting you through, so Seokmin couldn't help but feel sad for you.
He shyly shrugged off the guy who had made him privy to your information and went back to staring at you as you sat back and seemingly waited for the bi-weekly meeting to end.
Despite catching his curiosity that day, Seokmin did not end up having any contact with you, being way too shy to even hold eye contact with you as the meeting ended.
Days passed and Seokmin finally started school. He had to admit, he felt completely out of his league. Thanks to his parents, he was never properly socialized as a child. While most members of the church would have active social lives outside of their ministry (even going to public schools and participating in non-catholic leisure activities), Seokmin had always been confined into a box that only allowed him to interact with other heavily religious people. This was never a problem to Seokmin, who was happy to dedicate his life to the lord. Except now it was proving troublesome.
Since professors had a tendency to get liberal during discussions at times, he felt scandalized by many of the subjects spoken about during class. He also felt awkward interacting with other people his age, who would share very different beliefs from his own. Seokmin had even attempted to dabble into social media at some point now that he was not under his parent's' watchful eye, but even that had him feeling unseemly.
Overall, Seokmin felt embarrassed at how little life experience he had due to having dedicated his entire life thus far to serving both God and his parents. He was beginning to understand why his brother Jeonghan had left home as soon as he turned of age. He had always judged him for it, but his judgment was beginning to fade away.
Now that he no longer had his parents nor community around (much less his brother), the only comfort he could turn to was that of his nightly prayers.
His struggles continued for the following weeks, with Seokmin becoming a bit of an outcast in most social situations. He was quite outgoing in the church, but this was a completely different environment in which he felt ridiculous every time he tried to interact with people who had had far more social advantages and freedom than he did growing up.
Keeping a low profile had been easy to achieve for Seokmin. He decided after a few very awkward interactions that he would simply become an outcast and stick to himself, only ever interacting with his church club the few times a week they'd meet (though unfortunately never having the courage to interact with you). This seemed to work up until the second week of school, in which Seokmin's women's studies teacher informed the class they'd be doing a partner project for the entirety of the semester.
Seokmin had taken the class against his parents' wishes, feeding them with a white lie that it was part of the necessary curriculum in order to graduate. He argued to himself that this was a subject he would never be exposed to in his community, knowing his community to be slightly ... old-fashioned. This part of his life always made him embarrassed, – not really sharing many of the beliefs his community had tried to drill into him – so he wanted to atone for his lack of knowledge now that he was in a completely independent environment.
Teaming up with someone back home was always easy, as he was quite popular both in church and at school. Here, however, he had already given himself the reputation of awkward and overly dedicated to God – he had stated his devotion to God during the individual introductions they'd done on week 1, leading to low chuckles and uncomfortable looks from his classmates – which was something that the general population did not seem to like. He was avoided by his fellow women's studies classmates since then.
Sure, Seokmin did share a few old-fashioned catholic beliefs such as the necessity devotion to God and the importance of one's purity being kept until marriage, but he did not agree with any other bigoted beliefs shared by many catholic communities. He had genuinely taken this class with the hope to learn and expand his horizons, but most people in it had already decided that he must be a close-minded weirdo.
By some struck of luck, as Seokmin sat back, completely defeated while he watched other people stand up and enthusiastically find a partner, he suddenly heard someone clear their throat to call his attention.
It was you.
He hadn't realized you were taking this class too due to the high mass of students (about 100, give or take). And now he found himself looking up at you from his seat as you gave him what seemed to him like a confident grin.
"Hi, Seokmin," you sat next to him without so much as asking.
Your sitting position was troublesome for Seokmin, as he noticed the way in which your short skirt rid up as you crossed your legs and leaned towards him. You were wearing more revealing clothing today than any other time in which he'd seen you at the bi-weekly meetings. Your attire wasn't provocative by any means, it was just that you were always more covered up at the meetings. Seokmin assumed it might've been due to some scrutiny you may have faced by the members. This made him frown internally.
"Oh ... hi. Y-you know my name?", he sat up from his slouched position and faced his body towards yours, though he was too shy to meet your eyes for too long.
"Of course I do, Seokmin. We're in a church group together, remember?"
You carried a very confident and laid back air to you despite having only spoken to him for the first time just now. You also seemed much livelier than back at the confined room where his fellow church group members gathered. This was likely due to the lack of scrutiny you usually received completely unwarranted while at his church group's meetings.
"Ah, yeah, just, uh, didn't realize you noticed me."
"C'mon, Seokmin. You're the only person in there who doesn't look at me like I killed their dog. Of course I'd notice you."
He wasn't sure how to respond, but that at least answered the question as to whether or not you were aware of the gossip a few of the other members had let him in on.
"I'm sure that's not true ... I– "
"It's fine, really. Anyways, I just wanted to ask you if you'd like to partner up?", you suggested, completely unfazed by the mention of your judgmental group mates.
"O-oh. You want to? I mean, yeah! Of course," he couldn't help but feel relieved at the prospect of not having to meet with the professor after class to let her know he'd need her assistance finding a partner.
"Great. Here, put your number in my phone and I'll let you know when I can stop by your place so we can brainstorm," you handed him your phone as if nothing; as if you weren't suggesting going over alone to his apartment unsupervised.
He hesitated but gave you his number, flinching a bit when your hands accidentally touched.
"Thanks. I was thinking this Friday. Is that okay with you?"
"Oh, y-yeah. Sure," he mustered a toothy smile for you.
You giggled under your breath, "Okay, Seokmin. Looking forward to seeing you," there was a permanent smile in your eyes as you spoke to him, making him a bit giddy.
He bid his goodbyes back and finally let out a puff of air when you parted ways.
The rest of the class period was completely wasted to Seokmin. His mind was too giddy and preoccupied with thoughts of seeing you again, this time in a more intimate setting. The thought made him anxious, though he also felt some weird tingling he wasn't fully sure how to describe.
Did this mean you had noticed him too? Had he stood out to you in this huge hall? The thought made him shudder before regaining control of himself and starting to anxiously doodle on his notebook.
He snuck a glance over at the direction in which you left, now localizing your seat. You were talking to a few friends, which confused Seokmin greatly. This meant that you already had friends in this class, so why would you go out of your way to team up with him? Was his curiosity about you maybe mutual? This question would surely be all Seokmin thought about for the next two days until the two of you finally met up to discuss your project.
Seokmin saw you again the following day at second bi-weekly meeting of the week.
Once more, you sat back and said nothing, only bothering to sign your name on the attendance board at the start of the meeting and taking your usual seat away from everyone else.
Your attire was different from what you had been wearing in your women's studies class just a few hours ago. You had donned a long skirt and a long sleeve too instead of the tiny shorts he had seen you wearing previously. This change in attire made no difference to Seokmin, however, since he already knew what your bare legs looked like and could not prevent himself in picturing them as he stared.
Your presence had yet again proved to be incredibly distracting to Seokmin, who had already been thinking about you ever since you had suggested to meet at his place.
There was no one he could ask for advice about what to wear or what to do. His friends back home would frown at the thought of Seokmin even considering an unchaperoned gathering with a girl – especially an self-declared atheist who was simply pretending to be catholic for her parents.
His parents were also not a good option. Seokmin could just picture the gasp in surprise at the revelation that his women's studies class (one which his parents had called 'useless' and 'made up') had enticed him into bringing a girl home while no one else was around. He cringed at the mere thought of them attempting to intercept the situation by barging in and lecturing both you and him on proper relations between man and woman.
Seokmin knew he was overthinking all of this, but he had an internal conflict. On one side, he knew that this was just a regular meeting between classmates to discuss a project, but this was his first time alone with a girl (one he had a bit of a crush on, at that!) On the other side, Seokmin couldn't help but feel like he was breaking his parents' trust. They had explicitly forbid him from ever engaging in any type of relationship with any girl unless she was pre-approved by them (something which they'd already tried and failed at doing with Jeonghan). And on a secret third side of things, Seokmin felt like now that he was alone and untrained on what life was like in the real world, it'd be easy for him to fall susceptible to desire and betray God's word. He hadn't had any unbecoming feelings thus far, but his crush on you was enough for this fear to be instilled in him.
For now, Seokmin had the rest of his school day to worry about, so he pushed these thoughts aside and tried to draw his eyes away from your figure as he attempted to pay attention to whichever biblical lesson the group's assigned leader read from.
This was yet another biblical lesson Seokmin had heard time and time again. Despite his strong devotion to God, Seokmin always felt a little belittled at the constant repetition of teachings he had been hearing since childhood. Were his personal beliefs and devotion to God not enough? Why did he need other people to give him their own ideas of religion when he himself was an expert at all of God's teachings by now?
He related to your current situation in this aspect. Even if he felt comfortable in his religious stance, he had to join this club in order to prove to his parents that he was an active participant in the local religious community. He had to constantly deal with his parents' paranoia that he may stray away from God in the way his brother had. His constant assurance that his relationship with God was too strong for breaking was not enough for them; they simply couldn't help showing up in every corner of his life even as far away as he currently was.
Seokmin sighed at these thoughts and drew them away as much as he could. His mind was already preoccupied with thoughts of you coming over tomorrow evening.
That night he went home and prayed his anxieties away, turning to the only being he could possibly trust with his grievances.
"Hi", you smiled brightly at Seokmin, hands holding onto the handles of your backpack as you stood in front of his open apartment door.
"H-hey."
He stepped aside to let you in, wincing internally as he noticed the short length of the white dress you were wearing. He could tell by now that your personal style was more revealing than what you chose to wear at religious gatherings. He couldn't blame you, but he wished you'd cover up more for his poor sanity.
"Do you wanna do it here or did you wanna do it in your bedroom?", you broke him out of his train of thought.
"H-huh ? D-do what? Oh, oh! Yeah. I mean, here is fine. Unless you want to do it in my bedroom? I mean, do the work in my bed– yeah!"
He physically winced at his stupid thoughts; the dumb paranoia that this was more than a platonic study date had gotten to him despite having prayed to calm his nerves just minutes before your arrival.
Luckily for him, all you did was giggle under your breath and take a seat on his couch before taking off your backpack and settling your stuff on his table.
Dumbly, he stood there just watching you, catching sight of your dress riding up yet again in the same way it had two days ago in class.
You patted the space on the couch next to you, telling him to come sit, that you 'didn't bite.' The best response he could muster to that was an awkward chuckle and a follow-up on your instruction.
He made sure to leave ample space between the two of you, even making sure to avoid eye contact as he also pulled out a few notes of his own.
Without saying anything, you scoot closer to him, even turning to face him further, though still facing forward for the most part. Your knees were now bumping into his and your scent was near enough to invade his senses.
"Is this okay? Am I too close?", you asked when you noticed him stiffen.
"N-no. I'm sorry. I ... I'm being dumb. You're fine."
"Then how come you won't look this way?", you leaned even further towards him, making sure his eyes couldn't miss yours from his position.
He braved it and turned to face you, though his eyes were trained on your chin rather than your eyes. He now realized there was less distance between you than he thought.
"I'm sorry, I ..."
You interrupted him but grabbing his chin and gesturing him to look into your eyes.
"Do I make you nervous, Seokmin? You can look at me. You know that, right? It's not a sin to look into a girl's eyes", though your words sounded like mockery, your tone was as soft as your eyes.
He gulped and finally allowed himself to look at you. You were far too close now. Things had progressed too quickly, and in ways that Seokmin had thought were ridiculous to assume when he'd been going over the possibilities of your visit today. Yet here he was, eyes nervously staring into yours, trying their hardest to not lower to your lips or cleavage.
"You're exactly as I thought you would be," you started, hand moving from his chin to softly run your thumb on his cheek, "You're not like them. You're sweet ... But you're scared, aren't you?"
He didn't know where this was going, but your tone was soft and your words sweet so he nodded silently.
"It's okay to want things, Seokmin. Doesn't make you a bad person. You wanna please Him, though, don't you? Don't wanna disappoint Him?"
You were seeing right through him. It made him feel both understood but also like he was just as superficial as he thought the judgmental members of your church group to be.
"I just ..."
"It's okay, Seokmin. He'd want you to be happy. I ... I know it's meaningless hearing it from me, but He wouldn't want you to face this turmoil. You can give in. It's okay, I promise", your last words were said in the form of a whisper against his lips.
You were so close he could breathe you in, but his lips were unfortunately still not touching your own. This frustrated Seokmin, though it also relieved him. He felt way too heated to even engage in something as innocent as a kiss.
He knew that his first kiss would only lead to more. He had been so pent up all this years, shaming any desire away from his mind at every opportunity. He had never even pleasured himself, knowing it was frowned upon by God – at least that's the thought that was hammered into him since way too young an age.
He remembered the various conversations in which any thought of a relationship were verbally beaten out of him. He remembered the reaction of his parents when he had let it slip in kindergarten (his last year in a non-catholic institution) that he had a crush on the girl who'd been assigned as his new desk mate. He recalled the way his mom talked down on the four-year old girl, claiming her parents were not catholic and that she would be a bad influence on him. He remembered when his first phone was confiscated from him at fifteen when his father caught him watching the latest Twice music video at the time, claiming such things would lead him to impure thoughts. He remembered the last day he saw his brother two years ago right after a screaming match with his parents who had insulted and demeaned Jeonghan's partner, claiming he would burn in hell for his decisions against the lord's word.
With all these thoughts plaguing his mind, Seokmin let himself become numb to any spiritual consequences that would come from letting himself go. He found himself internally damning anything that wasn't your lips or the feeling of your hand on his cheek and sighed against you when you finally closed the gap.
Seokmin couldn't help himself in whining into your mouth when he felt your tongue tease his mouth open and begin intertwining with his own.
His arms were stiff against his sides and his lips far too shy and sloppy. It worried him that maybe he was not pleasing you in the way you did him, specially when you pulled away and spoke to him.
Your eyes were still on his lips and the distance between you remained small as you spoke up, "Follow my lead, okay Minnie? Let me show you .."
You kissed him again, this time slower and more sensual. It made his eyes roll back.
He took the hint and began moving his tongue in the same way yours did. He also shyly ran his hands up and down your back upon your wordless insistence that his arms wrap around your form. Following your instructions felt natural, though what you did next caught him completely off guard.
Your hands had snuck away from his cheek, with one now pulling at his hair (and making his eyes roll even further back in the process) and your other hand sneaking into his pants, touching him softly through his boxers.
He jumped back and accidentally disconnected your lips, gasping at the sudden intrusion.
"I ... I cant, I don't ..."
"It's okay if you don't want to, Minnie. I should've asked," you drew back a little, making Seokmin jump once again, but this time to make sure you stayed close.
"It's not that, I just ... I don't– "
"It's okay to want me. It's okay if you want this. We can stop if you want to, but ... you can want me ... You won't get in trouble, I promise."
Your lips were still close enough for him to reach, making him hesitantly grace them with his own. Thankfully you took the hint, giving him a wanton kiss that had him feeling dizzy.
He thoughtlessly kissed you back, whining any time you did something he particularly liked. You didn't attempt touching under his pants again, now simply sticking to running your hands up and down his clothed chest while his shyly caressed your back.
The kiss got heated pretty quickly, making him extremely light headed. He didn't know where this was going nor how he would feel afterwards, but he couldn't find it in himself to care.
His thoughts were interrupted when your lips left his own and trailed from his cheek to his ear, licking and nibbling at his lobe before whispering in it.
"Is this okay?"
"Y– yes. Please ..."
Your kisses against his neck had him throwing his head back. If he was mindless before, he was fully without a care now. Even if his community ever found out what he was up to during his first month away from home, he didn't care in this moment. His guilt may come later, but for now all he could do was enjoy your kiss.
"Can I play with you, Minnie?", you pulled away and gave him a sweet peck before asking.
"You ... It's wrong, I– He'll ..."
"He won't know, Minnie. It's okay. It'll feel so good."
You hesitantly snuck your hand under his trousers once more, slowly enough to allow him to deny you should he wish to. His sinful desire for you prevented him from moving, so you continued until your hand was wrapped around him.
"A– ah ... Y– you ... I've never ..." he sighed.
"Never touched yourself like this before?"
"'s not allowed, I ... I shouldn't ..."
"It's okay. I'm just taking care of you. Nothing wrong with taking care of your needs, right Minnie?"
He felt mocked by how ridiculous it sounded coming out of your mouth. But he still felt guilt. Guilt at every moan that left his mouth as you slowly rubbed up and down his length. Guilt at the way he wanted your lips back on his. Guilt at how difficult it was for him to drag his gaze away from your soft mounds peaking from your cleavage.
One thing was betraying everything his parents had always warned him about, but betraying God's word made him feel like he'd burn up until the day he faced his punishment.
Except he couldn't bring you to stop. He couldn't prevent himself in mindlessly nodding at you and asking you to please not stop.
Suddenly you grabbed his arm, directing it towards your chest. You must've noticed his heavy eyes eyeing your cleavage and realized what thoughts had been going through his perverted mind.
"Wanna touch them? It's okay, just ... just squeeze, yeah? That's it, fuck ... You're so pretty, Minnie," you sighed oh so prettily as soon as he followed your direction and experimentally squeezed at your clothed breasts.
He moaned and moaned at both your touch on him and his on yours. But he began to panic when he felt himself heating up more and more, feeling like he would soon reach a crescendo that he would never be able to fall back from.
"It's okay, Minnie. Let go. Let go for me, pretty. I'll take care of you," you must've sensed his panic and shut him up with your tongue in his mouth, swallowing his whines of pleasure as his end took over him.
He had never felt such pleasure before. Every touch you gave him was better than the last, making him wonder what other sinful acts with you would end up feeling like. He shuddered at the thought and went back to the blissful state his high was giving him.
You kept whispering soft praises to him, telling him that it was okay and that he could let go. He hadn't realized that he was crying until one of your hands softly wiped the tears from his cheeks and kissed softly at them. He felt more loved by your care than he ever had before. The seed of doubt was then planted into his head; why would such a loving an intimate act ever be seen as anything but holy?
He began to feel corrupted, but also conflicted on his thoughts on the matter. One thing he knew for sure, however; this would not be enough – he would seek you again and again.
After even more caring words from you, the two of you parted ways with no work done. You kissed him goodbye and told him you'd see him again soon. He responded shyly but you accepted it with yet another kiss and finally left his apartment.
That night Seokmin attempted to pray his conflicting thoughts away once more, but even then, Seokmin left mention of you out of his prayers, fearing that acknowledging your sudden and rapid effect on him would be the downfall of his purity and of the already strained relationship with his parents.
The following Monday, Seokmin saw you again at the first of the two bi-weekly meetings of your church group. As per usual, you sat alone on a corner while the rest of the club engaged in conversation with one another.
Seokmin chose to sit back once again, deciding to watch you from afar rather than participate in the conversation like he usually did, except this time you began to occasionally look back at him with a sweet smile. Your eye contact would cause him to look down with a blush, but after enough instances of catching your eye, he decided to shyly smile back at you. This proved to be fruitful, as you suddenly stood up and quietly walked your way over to him. Due to the conversation being led by the other group members, your new seat next to Seokmin went unnoticed, causing Seokmin's nerves to not flare up too much.
It was wordless but soft, the way in which you shared a seat with him and offered him yet another sweet smile. He felt giddy at having your attention in such a way. He was aware that he barely knew you, but having you become part of his life (in any way you may have wanted) made him feel a sense of pride he had never felt before.
The two of you spent the rest of the meeting giving each other shy smiles and playing tick tack toe on his notebook. When it was time to part ways, you finally spoke up and told Seokmin you needed to head back first, as your next class was far away. Seokmin wanted to offer to walk you, but was interrupted by another member of the group who called his attention – the same guy who had previously warned him about you. Due to the standoffish manner in which other group members behaved around you, you left awkwardly while Seokmin frowned and stayed back.
Slightly frustrated at not being able to bid you a proper goodbye (or walk with you as he had wished to offer), Seokmin's demeanor to his group mate was less polite than usual.
"What, are you two friends?", asked the member in a somewhat accusatory tone.
"I ... Yeah, maybe. Why?"
"I wouldn't advise that, Seokmin. She's a bad influence. I mean, you haven't been participating as much as when you first got here. It starts when you least expect it. Just don't want you to fall down a bad path."
"What bad path?"
"She was part of our faith at some point. Until she got corrupted, and now she just infiltrates our spaces like a nuance. She'll corrupt you in the same way if you're not careful. Take the advice, brother. Just don't get too close," and with that, he gave Seokmin a condescending nod and made his way out.
Since leaving home, Seokmin had forgotten how many churchgoers would cross boundaries without much care. How they would use the excuse of being 'sons and daughters' of God to be judgmental.
He saw no issue with your behavior. Maybe you had kissed Seokmin and maybe you had ... done other stuff to him. But you weren't a bad person for that. It wasn't like Seokmin stopped you (or even wanted to stop you). He wasn't sure why he felt so defensive over his groupmate's advice, but he couldn't help but be peeved off by this interaction for the rest of the day.
His mood stayed so sour towards his groupmate's harsh judgment of you that he had forgotten to do his nightly prayer before going to sleep, even forgetting to send a message with his blessings to his parents like he usually did.
The next morning he awoke to some overbearing messages from his parents inquiring why he had not messaged them the night prior. Seokmin was surprised at himself when his first reaction to their myriad of messages was to roll his eyes and lock his phone back up. He loved his parents, but his separation from them had quickly showed him how controlling they tended to be. But Seokmin realized it wasn't only them; it was the entirety of the puritanical and judgmental community he had grown up with.
Despite having only hung out with you once, you were already a breath of fresh air to Seokmin. You didn't judge him over his shy and socially awkward demeanor. He had a hunch that since you two belonged to the same church group and had likely had similar upbringings, you probably understood why he was the way that he was. Unlike everyone else he had met at this school so far (other than the other members of the church group), you weren't mean to him nor did you ever ignore him. You had seeked him out! The thought still gave him butterflies.
~
The two of you continued to casually hang out like this over the next week or so, though it usually tended to be only while on meetings with your church group or during your women's studies class.
Contrasting with your previous meeting, any time the two of you would hang out now mostly consisted of working on your project or getting to know each other. He had come to find out that you were here on a scholarship and that, as the nosy guy in your church group had stated, you were only attending the church group to appease your parents' belief that you should maintain some type of connection to God regardless of your beliefs in catholicism. You didn't get too much into it, but you also informed Seokmin that despite what the group members believed, you did not have a bad relationship with your parents due to your contrasting beliefs. This made Seokmin envious, pondering about how his parents would react should he ever find himself changing his faith.
Through the few times you saw each other in class, Seokmin grew to like you more and more. He knew now that he felt something for you that he had never before. He had a crush, for arguably one of the first times in his life. There were also more sinister feelings dwelling in his mind, however. Sometimes he would think back to that day alone in his apartment, when you took his innocence (though only partially). He wanted more, but he felt like he was simultaneously sinning and disrespecting you by even thinking about it. He still felt conflicted about last time, thinking himself a sinner and a bad son for disobeying both God and his parents, but he couldn't help himself in wanting more.
A few days later, Seokmin saw you yet again at your shared women's studies class.
Seokmin was completely unable to pay any attention to class today. Unfortunately for his sanity, you had recently begun to sit next to him every time the two of you shared this class. Seokmin had grown accustomed to sitting alone at the very back row of the auditorium in which your women's class was given. The first day he had sat next to a few people, but after mentioning his devotion to God during his personal introduction, he found people not only avoiding his eye and snickering at him but even going out of their way to sit away from him. You had been the sole exception, deciding to sit with him a few days after your meeting at his apartment, now smiling at him as you sat side by side.
Today, you have him more trouble than usual. You sent him flirtatious smiles during the entirety of class, even occasionally gracing your hand slowly on his leg. This had him shuddering and completely distracted, but he couldn't bring himself to stop you. You gave him a thrill he had never experienced before. While his mind before meeting you had always been dedicated to thinking of God and his duties as a member of the church, his mind was now fully occupied by you. As silly as it sounded, he had never felt the thrill of a crush before (specially not one that was reciprocated like this), and now he didn't know how to act.
"Hey, Minnie," you whispered to him as your professor lectured in the background.
"Y- yeah?"
"Wanna meet at my apartment after class today to study?", you now whispered right against his ear, finger drawing figures on his thigh.
"Oh, I– Of course," he coughed out.
You only giggled quietly in response and went back to paying attention to class (though still occasionally doodling cute hearts in Seokmin's notebook).
After class, the two of you walked together. Only a few minutes into your walk through campus, you slipped your hand into his. He was surprised by this, but allowed himself to squeeze yours back. His heart soared when you started swinging your intertwined hands back and forth.
Was this what romance felt like? The thought alone made Seokmin feel giddier than he had ever before. He relished in the simple act of holding your hand and felt pride any time you'd stop for a few seconds to say hi to some friends, never once letting go of his hand and even giving a quick introduction of his name.
You were quite literally heaven on Earth to Seokmin. He couldn't wait to get to know you even further.
~
Walking to your place took about half an hour, but it was worth it the moment the two of you stepped in and you immediately pushed Seokmin against the wall, stealing a kiss from him.
"Minnie ... Been thinking about you since last time ..." you kissed at his neck, pulling his collared neckline out of the way.
"Me too ..."
"Yeah? What'd you think about?", you paused to pull back and look at him, "You don't regret it, do you? Was I too much?", your tone was genuine, more genuine than he had ever heard anyone direct themselves to him.
"N-no, of course not. I've, uh, I wanted more ... Just .. was too shy to ask."
"Aw, Minnie. You don't have to be shy with me. We can do anything you're comfortable with," you shared a sweet smile with him before pulling him back in for a heated kiss.
This was only Seokmin's second instance in kissing you, – last time having been only over a week back – but he now found it easier to match your rhythm and play with your tongue in ways that had you humming against his lips. He wanted to give you pleasure in the way you'd given it to him. So far he felt like he'd been doing well with the kissing. You somehow walked him over to your bedroom without disconnecting your lips, making his heart speed up at the thought of what was coming up next.
He yelped against your lips when you pushed and straddled him on the bed, hands too shy to know where to touch. Fortunately, you didn't leave him hanging for long and positioned them on your waist for him.
"Minnie ... I don't wanna pressure you. So we're gonna do something similar to last time, yeah?"
He was of course in agreement, but ...
"I ... I wanna make you feel good too ... Please?", he almost winced at how pathetic he sounded. He also had absolutely no idea of how to please you. He had never even considered watching porn (being told he'd go to hell for even entertaining such thoughts), nor had he ever received any type of sexual education. As lame as it sounded, Seokmin was completely clueless as to what women did for pleasure. He had been clueless as to how male pleasure worked up until you had shown him.
"Do you want me to teach you how, Minnie?", you asked while unbuttoning his shirt.
"Please ..."
You kissed him again in response, wordlessly taking off both his and your clothes. When you finished, Seokmin couldn't help but feel exposed. However, the thought of his own nudity (sans his boxers) left his mind as soon as he realized you were also down to just your underwear.
With his mouth agape and his arms not knowing where to go, Seokmin simply sat under you and sweat bullets as he attempted not to stare anywhere below your chin.
Noticing his nervous demeanor, you giggled at him and put your hand on his cheek while the other remained on his shoulder.
"Oh, Minnie ... So pretty. Do you even know how pretty you are?", you ran your hands up and down his chest in a sweet manner, "And I'm the only one who gets to see it, hmm? All mine?",
"Y-your .... yes ... for you."
"Fuck. I'm gonna have so much fun with you. Gonna teach you everything."
Despite your words' effect on him, his main focus right now was your almost bare body and its proximity to him. He could feel the heat of your skin against his. His mind kept thinking about what you must look like beneath your underwear, with his eyes heavy and glued to your covered breasts.
"Want me to take off my bra, Minnie? You just have to ask. I'll go as far as you want to go," you pecked his lips yet again, still running your hands up and down his chest.
"Y-yeah. Wanna see you. Is that ... is that okay? Just wanna make you feel as- as good as you did me ..."
Your breath hitched, "Oh, angel ... So sweet and selfless. I'll show you. Fuck, I'll show you everything."
You separated yourself from him a bit in order to give him a full view. Then, in slow and sensual movements, you threw off your bra, proceeding to caress your own breasts as you gave Seokmin a sultry look.
Fuck.
What type of teachings were preventing him from seeing you in your barest of forms? You were nothing lesser than art itself. You were so warm and beautiful; so soft and perfect – both inside and out. Seokmin couldn't believe he had ever considered such things to be scandalous (which admittedly, he still kind of believed). At the same time, he was kind of glad he had never engaged in such acts before, because it allowed for you to be the first (and hopefully last) woman he would ever see in such an intimate setting.
Those thoughts aside, Seokmin was short-circuiting. He was so distracted he didn't even notice you removing your panties and settling back on his lap until you verbally called his attention again.
"Minnie? Wanna feel them? Hmm?", your hands were already on his, leading them directly to your soft mounds.
"F-fuck," he couldn't help but groan upon feeling the weight of them on his hands, "you're so beautiful ... Y-you're, oh fuck-"
Words could not express the unimaginable beauty he was witnessing, nor the arousal he felt at having you so bare and willing in front of him. He didn't know what to do or how he was supposed to react. He felt kind of bad at his wordless state, but he couldn't help being speechless at feeling such pleasure from merely seeing you.
"Like this, Minnie. Just- fuck ... yeah, like that ..." you instructed for his thumbs to play with your nipples, even making him pinch at them. Your sighs and the way you arched your back were enough for Seokmin to want to leave everything behind and dedicate his life to your pleasure.
"K- kiss them? Please, Minnie ..."
He took your order immediately, leaning down to kiss around your nipples, glasses fogging from the close proximity to your skin.
Your sighs intensified and your hand moved to angle his head so that his lips would land on your nipple. Taking the hint, he enveloped your pert nipple in between his lips and sucked, licking and nibbling at it as he saw fit. Eventually he lost himself a bit, allowing his hands to fondle your breasts desperately as he whined into your breast. Your whines for more made him lose his mind, leading to his mind fogging up even more.
This progressed for a while until you finally moved his head away from your tits and stole a wet kiss from his lips.
"You're so good, Minnie. So obedient ... Such a good boy for me," you breathed against his lips, wiping his foggy glasses before slipping them back on.
He physically keened at your praise, not at all used to being praised for such filthy behavior but still extremely pleased he was making you feel good.
"Now ... now I'm gonna show you how to make me feel good, yeah? Still wanna try that, angel?"
He nodded too enthusiastically, glasses coming out of place due to his enthusiasm.
"Okay, baby," you giggled, "Need you to kneel on the floor for me, okay? Right between my legs ..."
Oh. You wanted him to-
He had never explored his sexual desires in any way, so he was fully unaware where exactly this was going, but the thought of looking up at you while he made you feel good between your legs sounded like the holiest act known to human.
He followed your direction, groaning when he saw the hidden space between your legs glisten.
"Oh, God ..."
"Shh, don't use the lord's name in vain, Minnie", you were just teasing, but somehow the reminder of his lord made Seokmin feel a small pang of guilt at the thought of the sin he had been actively committing with you thus far. He decided to push it aside and continue on his path. Nothing mattered to him more right now than your utmost pleasure.
"Lick it?" you used your fingers to open up your folds, letting out even more honey for Seokmin to gawk at.
Wordlessly he got closer and closer, up until his tongue was able to flick at the length of your folds. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding at the taste of your essence, becoming instantly obsessed with its warmth. What he was even more obsessed with, however, was the whine you let out at such a simple touch.
Was it possible for him – an inexperienced and sheltered boy – to make someone like you – a gorgeous and clearly knowledgeable girl – feel this good? He needed to test the theory so he kept licking to his heart's contentment, following the directions your hand gave him as you guided his head against you.
He licked shyly at first, only sucking every now and then as he did his best to act accordingly to the sounds you were making. It didn't help that his mind was plagued by your taste, smell, and the warmth between your legs – not to mention your mewls of pleasure.
"My clit, baby ... Your tongue, angle it here- oh ... fuck, right there, Minnie ..." you angled him so that he could flick his tongue at a tiny little pearl found between your legs.
With all the newfound knowledge he had on how to deliver your pleasure, Seokmin did the best he could to repeat the movements you seemed to really enjoy (at least based on how prettily you'd cry his name after). Despite his mind being completely clouded by the entirety of your person, Seokmin continued to moan and cry against your cunt as he silently begged for more of your cunt against his face.
"M-minnie! Oh ... Fuck. Such a g-good boy ... All mine, shit ... Your tongue, oh ... just like that, angel ... Y-your nose, Minnie, please! Your nose, just- oh! Fuck", you cried for him, at some point taking full control and just grinding against his face as his nose and tongue poked into your most sensitive spots.
Seokmin felt incredibly proud at your mindless state, knowing it was him who had achieved that. Nothing mattered more in that moment than your pleasure; pleasure which only Seokmin could give you.
"Gonna cum for you, angel. Lick it all for me? Be a good boy and take it for me, yeah? Shit!", you practically vibrated against him as your high took over you.
Seokmin kept his face between your legs as you came, doing his best to lick at every single drop of essence and moaning at the taste of you. He allowed you to use his face as you saw fit, reveling in the knowledge that he had given you such other-worldly pleasure.
He didn't know it was possible for him to feel such pleasure from just watching you, but now he understood. If anyone asked, this was what heaven was supposed to look like – a beautiful girl losing herself to Seokmin's touch as he himself tried not to lose his own mind.
Throughout the entirety of your orgasm, Seokmin couldn't control his hips as they ground against the bed with a complete lack of rhythm, simply humping animalistically at you taking over every single one of his senses.
After a few moments of aftershock, you suddenly pulled Seokmin up and attacked him with a filthy kiss; filthier than any you'd shared before.
Your kiss alone had Seokmin struggling to keep himself from cumming in his boxers. You had been testing his self-control from the moment you teased him in class earlier today and he just wasn't sure how much longer he could take until pleasure took over him once again.
"Want me to try it on you, Minnie?", you asked once you pulled away from the kiss.
"That? O-on me?"
"Mhmm. My mouth on you? Is that okay?", you pecked his lips again, seemingly unable to disconnect from him for too long (which Seokmin thoroughly related to).
"Yes", he deadpanned, still out of breath from being suffocated by your thighs and then your lips just moments ago.
You wasted no time in removing his boxers. Seokmin felt slightly shy at this, having never let anyone ever see him nude before. Even last time he had been with you, you had pleasured him through his clothes and not seen past his shirtless state thus far.
But you praised him as soon as he was fully nude, kissing up and down his thighs as you told him how beautiful he was, how pretty and deserving of praise you believed him to be. His whole body heat up at your soft words, with goosebumps forming at your soft kisses that led up closer and closer to where he was aching the most.
He gasped when you finally took a hold of his member, bringing your face close enough to give the weeping tip a kiss.
"O-oh ..." he threw his head back at the sweet yet filthy gesture.
You giggled under your breath and began kitten licking at his tip, sucking lightly every so often. He felt like he had finally arrived to heaven. All those stories about what awaited his good behavior while on earth must've been lies, because he found the greatest reward of all in the form of your mouth wrapped around him.
Getting braver by the second, you put almost the entirety of him in your mouth, doing things with your tongue and lips that his poor brain couldn't even process. He whined and cried at your movements, not able to understand how easily you could bring him to tears.
As he quickly neared his high, his mind turned into mush, not allowing him to register what was going on with his body. All he knew was that his cries got louder by the second, his cheeks now damp with the tears that wouldn't stop falling from his eyes. His hips were uncontrollable, having to be restrained by your hands as he chased for his high with the utmost desperation.
"P-please! I need ... Fuck, please ..." he begged for nothing in particular as his high completely took over.
He felt dirty and disrespectful as he did it, but he came inside your mouth, wincing at the way your moans vibrated while he was still in your mouth. He couldn't help himself; his thoughts had been completely overtaken by the pleasure.
His cries had not stopped as of yet, even rendering him emotional as the high of his orgasm wore down. Now was the moment of regret, knowing he had broken his unspoken oath of celibacy yet again.
This was something all people in his community swore to. It was rarely ever spoken about, but Seokmin knew that he was supposed to save himself for marriage – in every sense. Despite already having quite strong feelings towards you and the things you did to him, Seokmin still felt like he had somehow disrespected you by engaging in such acts with you. But more than anything, he felt like he had disappointed God.
So he cried. He cried into his hands despite how embarrassed he felt at doing such thing in front of you, specially after having shared such intimacy.
"Oh, Minnie ..." you coo'd at him, getting up to hold his large frame in your arms.
You allowed him to exhaust his cries as he quietly asked for forgiveness. He didn't have to explain himself, as you understood. You made your understanding evident by reassuring him that he had done nothing wrong, and that he was still such a good man.
He believed your words and thanked you, eventually calming down enough to stop crying and speak coherently.
"Do you ... do you think He'd be disappointed in me?", he knew it was a stupid question to ask considering your lack of religion. The two of you had never thoroughly discussed religion with one another, but he knew you at least understood where he was coming from.
You pouted at him, cooing at him as you responded, "Of course not, Minnie. He loves you. You're such a good boy; treat everyone so kindly even when they don't deserve it. Treat me so kindly ... No matter what anyone ever tells you, what we just did is no sin", you explained.
"B- but the bible-"
"Shhh. Your faith is your own. No one can take that away from you, Minnie. Even if I don't share those beliefs anymore, I know an amazing person when I see one. You've done nothing wrong, okay?", you caressed his cheek and pecked his lips to drive your point home.
He nodded as he tried not to tear up at your kindness.
Him even questioning his actions' consequences on his faith would've provided him with a scolding from his parents or a look in disapproval from his reverend. But in turn you gave him acceptance and love. There was no way in his mind to believe that being with you – feeling good with you – was anything other than the holiest act he could engage in.
"Do you regret it?", you interrupted his thoughts.
"N-no, of course not ... It's just ..."
"I'd never want to make you do something you don't wanna do. I ... I know we haven't known each other for long, but I like you, Seokmin. I don't want you to think I'm just trying to ... corrupt you."
"You're not!," in a change of pace, he grabbed onto your hands and looked directly into your eyes as he spoke, "Everything you've taught me, I've wanted it too. I ... I like you too."
You smiled at this, squeezing his hands affectionately, "Yeah? Does that mean you wanna keep hanging out?"
"Yeah, I'd love that."
~
Unfortunately, time for Seokmin to go home eventually came and he bid his goodbyes to you.
The two of you spent a few hours after your heart to heart actually working on your project and later watching a few episodes of a show you said you'd been watching on Hulu. It was a nice time for Seokmin to get to know you outside of school, and it only reinstated how much he liked you already.
It was about 10PM by the time he got home, which was usually around the time he went to sleep due to the early hours of his classes the following day. Almost as soon as he finished his nightly skincare and prepared himself to go to sleep, he suddenly got a call.
It was odd for him to get calls in general, but this time around he knew who it'd be before even checking his phone.
It was his parents.
Seokmin had seen this coming. He had gotten too into his head this past week; too into you. Not only had he neglected contacting his parents as frequently as they had agreed (re: every night in order to 'keep a close eye on him'), but he had also been neglecting his religious duties. He had not kept contact with any of his religious friends from back home nor had he even attended church as of late. And surprisingly ... Seokmin had not minded these recent developments. He felt freer than ever. For the first time in his life, he was not under constant surveillance, receiving judgment for any instance in which his parents believed him to step out of line in his religious lifestyle.
Back home, a single absence from bi-weekly mass would be met with passive aggressive disapproval. Any instance in which Seokmin expressed interest in anything outside of the church (such as non catholic music and dance – both of which his parents had immediately shut down), he felt as if he was breaking a law at the way in which his parents would scold him for ever even considering such 'perverted' hobbies.
Upon moving away, Seokmin had begun to realize that his upbringing hadn't been as perfect as he had thought it to be, that his parents didn't love him as unconditionally as he first thought. He thought back to his brother's estrangement from his family and felt regret at not standing up for him, knowing that his parents would turn on him just as fast as they did Jeonghan.
With a sigh, he picked up the call, mustering as much interest as he could. He made some excuse as to why he had been unable to keep in contact and promised to be better moving forward. He faked a smile in his voice and forced his way through a peaceful call (sans the few passive aggressive comments his parents threw his way) and called it a night.
For the first time in his life, he put religion and his parents aside to give himself a restful sleep, only looking forward to seeing you the next morning and going to sleep with the remembrance of what the two of you did fresh in his mind.
"Oh ... I- please ..."
"Just like that, Minnie, fuck ... Don't move, angel. Just let me do all the work, yeah?", you ground against him even faster, angling your hips so that his member would grace against your clothed folds.
It seemed like the dam had broken for you at the same time as it had for Seokmin, because you had jumped him the very next time he made his way through the threshold of your apartment.
The two of you kissed until exhausting yourselves, leading Seokmin to beg you to undress both you and him (with pleading eyes rather than verbally, as he was still too shy to beg for such things with words).
It was only one day after you had given Seokmin oral (a concept which you had introduced him to), which somehow made Seokmin even more desperate to have you. Even after his parents' call ruining his mood, you had managed to bring it back up immediately after when you messaged him late at night suggesting the two of you meet up today. After spending the entire day together, Seokmin walked you home yet again, only to be jumped by you (once again) upon entering your apartment.
One thing led to another and Seokmin found himself fully unclothed under you as you ground against him through the thin layer of your panties. Seokmin was completely weightless under you, becoming a shell of his old self as he desperately guided your hips to grind against him. He wasn't sure where this would lead, but he felt the usual conflict that always arose when the two of you were alone like this. Even through all your reassurance, Seokmin felt as if he was betraying an oath by engaging with his sexual desires for you. However, these thoughts were immediately pushed aside when you leaned back down to kiss him again.
The kiss was nasty, for lack of a better word. Seokmin didn't fully realize it, but his desperation for your touch would sometimes render him into a sloppy kisser, but you seemed to not mind it as you moaned and licked into his mouth any time his kisses got a bit messy. Your grinding got more and more intense by the second, throwing your head back at the way Seokmin senselessly canted his hips against your own.
"M-minnie ... Want more ... Is that okay? Just need to feel you so bad ... Please ..."
"M-more?"
"Do you want it too, Minnie? Wanna know what it feels like?"
"Show me? Wh- Oh ..."
"You want it too, don't you? Hmm? You're so hard against me, angel. Don't you wanna feel me?"
"I just ..."
Before he could formulate a response through the lust that was clouding his mind, you suddenly brought one of his hands between your bodies, going behind the forbidden threshold of your underwear. Anxious but also incredibly turned on, Seokmin fell limp and allowed you to do whatever you wanted. You grabbed his middle and pointer fingers, angling them so that they could seamlessly slip between your folds. Though Seokmin had already felt the wetness between your legs the day prior, he had not properly felt just how warm and tight you could be.
"Oh, it's so ... Fuck," he moaned when you began guiding his hand so his fingers could go in and out.
"Shit, Minnie ... So good ... Wanna feel it now, angel? Will you give it to me?", you slipped his fingers out after proving your point, now going back to caressing his cheek with your own hand.
"B-but ... It's a sin ..." he let out before even realizing. Even with your constant reassurance up to this point, Seokmin still felt ties to his faith that made him second-guess himself.
He knew that he had already gone past certain point with you, and that having sex with you wouldn't make much difference in his morality, but he still thought of all the teachings of celibacy and all the censorship his community had forced onto him. Was this the right choice? His body was screaming at him to let himself go and seek his high from you. His mind was telling him similar things, though there was also emphasis on the fact that doing this with you, of all people, would be the best choice he could ever make.
"Angel ... It's okay to want it. You don't have to be scared ... I'll take care of you. Just wanna be close to you, Minnie. Don't you want that too? Hmm? Just like you so much, angel," you kisses softly at his chest as you said this, breaking his resolve.
And you were right. He wanted this so badly. He wanted to be as close to you as possible, to give himself to you in the most intimate way he could.
"Y-yes. Want you so much ..." he was shy as he said it, but he meant it to the fullest extent.
You proceeded to sensually remove your underwear, sitting back down above Seokmin's dick as you made a show of grinding your nude pelvises against one another, making Seokmin cry out in desperation.
Any doubts he had left him as soon as you allowed his tip to slip in, throwing his head back as he finally felt your warmth envelop him. You let out a variety of expletives at the feelings, all while clawing at Seokmin's chest, something that had his back arching in unexpected pleasure.
"Oh, Minnie ... So full, f-fuck ..." you moaned out, taking on a slow yet deep pace that made Seokmin shut his eyes and scrunch his nose.
Seokmin couldn't describe the pleasure you were giving him. He was practically frozen in place, the only part of his body still conscious were his hands, which were likely bruising your hips from how hard he was digging his fingers onto them. He needed to keep himself grounded, but he truly felt like today was judgment day, and he had gone to heaven.
"Open your eyes, angel. Wanna see you," your hand reached over to his cheek, angling his head so he could look your way rather than keep his head in its thrown back state.
He opened his eyes to find you smiling down at him with the light hanging on your ceiling providing the best view of you possible. You looked like an angel gazing down at him, like you came down to give him the greatest ruin and drag him back up with you. You had corrupted him in the best way possible.
"Oh, Minnie ... So beautiful. My prettiest boy ... Does it feel good, angel?", he nodded and let out a whine at your soft inquiries, "Yeah? How's it feel when I do this?", you squeezed around him, now bouncing rather than grinding against him, making him close his eyes back up and cry out your name.
"I- Please! I need ...", his nails clawed at your hips and back, begging for something unknown to him. He needed more, but he wasn't sure of what.
"I know, pretty. Gonna give it to you, just- fuck ... Just need you to be good for me, yeah?," you hiccuped, leaning down to kiss him again.
He cried against your lips, eyes rolling back when your tongue began dancing with his own, your hands reaching down to toy with his nipples. You were giving him too many things at once, making the overstimulation take over his already hazy brain. He didn't care about any moral repercussions to what you were doing together. Every time you touched him further solidified how right being with you felt.
Only a few moments of your ministrations were enough for Seokmin to feel that familiar coil begin to tighten. He knew his end was near, causing him to grow restless as he planted his legs on the bed and humped against you. Despite his lack of proper technique and the sloppiness of his movements, you matched his own and wailed his name.
Your hands came down to bring his up and pin them above his head, grinding deeper and deeper against him as the two of you crazily chased your highs. The bed shook against the wall at the intensity of your actions, with nothing but nasty sounds of your muffled moans and your arousal filling up the silence. Eventually you disconnected your lips, eyeing the string of spit that connected you before burying your head in the crook of his neck.
"I- I like you so much," he groaned out, high-pitched and breathless.
"Like you so fucking m-much! You have no idea ..." you reciprocated his words as you clamped down around him and let yourself be taken by your high. Your high was more than enough to trigger his own, leaving him in a practically astral state for a few moments as his hands ran frantically up and down your body, squeezing and scratching every so often.
When your highs finally wore down, you laid yourself beside him, cuddling him near you so you could wrap your legs around him and bring him as close as possible. You faced each other as you caught your breaths, running your hands along the length of his back as his own rubbed at your hips. The moment was pure bliss.
"Do you regret it?"
"No. I could never regret anything we've done. I- I'm sorry if I made you feel that way," he looked away from your eyes.
You nudged him to look at you once more, "Don't apologize, Minnie. I understand. I'm happy I was your first. Maybe one day I'll teach you even more fun things," you flirted through a giggle.
"Oh, I- Hah, yeah", he was caught off guard by your flirting, but still laughed along.
Yeah, he wouldn't mind that.
Over the following weeks, Seokmin did a better job of keeping up with his parents. He kept a safe distance while still giving them the belief that he was still fully engaged in the religious spaces they had envisioned for him. However, he could not help but lie when it came to what occupied his day to day life – you. He didn't bring you up, which you agreed upon after a tearful conversation in which Seokmin detailed his upbringing, leading you to spend the night up with him as you comforted him. He was also yet to attend mass again, and he even occasionally skipped the bi-weekly meetings of his church group – though only when you skipped also. These were a few of the things he kept secret from his family – advice from his brother Jeonghan, who he had recently gotten in contact with again.
Seokmin's faith was still standing; his relationship with God was slightly injured by his internal conflict about your sexual relationship, though he was now sure that he felt no regrets at anything the two of you had engaged in. To him, being with you felt like the biggest reward he could have ever hoped for. Seokmin realized quickly that his issue really laid with the catholic community in which he had been brought up, rather than his relationship with God itself. He disagreed with the judgmental and overbearing way in which certain catholics circles ran, something which he distanced himself from upon meeting you.
You had even introduced him to a few of your friends, some which were even catholic like him. Your buddy Joshua was one of the chillest guys he had ever met, yet his faith was pretty intact. This made Seokmin feel less guilt, though his balance between what was right and wrong in the eyes of God was still a bit of a mess. Luckily he had you help him navigate his way through that.
Along with all these developments, Seokmin had also begun speaking to his brother Jeonghan again (behind his parents' backs, of course). It made him happy to know that despite his brother straying away from his community, he had ended up happy with his life, leading a steady relationship and being happy away from his parents' constant religious persecution.
And you ... You had become official in these past few weeks, making Seokmin constantly have to pinch himself to confirm whether or not he was imagining all this. He was still a very shy and awkward individual, usually opting to hang out alone with you in either of your apartments. He appreciated how patient you were with him, never judging him for being a bit different and even teaching him the pleasures he had been missing out on during his very restricted upbringing. You had become a piece of heaven on earth to Seokmin, corrupting him, but only in the best of ways.
a/n: i left so many things unresolved here oops but all i cared about was seokmin's character development and we got there in the end so! anyways hope u guys enjoyed!!
To read short 2k word continuation u can go join my monthly tier on kofi or patreon!
content:
wc: 587 (teaser); 2080 (full drabble)
sneak peak:
Seokmin was, yet again, at a crossroads. Though this time it wasn't anything too serious, or maybe it was.
By current time, it had now been four months since the two of you had begun dating. 'I love you's' were shared and multiple sleep overs were had. Your relationship had been everything anyone could hope for a first relationship, and Seokmin now felt way more at ease whenever the two of you did anything sexual.
Admittedly, Seokmin was still slightly awkward about it, still never allowing himself to start sexual interactions and simply following your lead. Which was the crux of his current predicament.
He was unsure if he had done something wrong, if he had maybe insulted you or maybe there was some other unknown reason behind, but it had been over a week since the two of you had slept together. Over the past four months, the two of you spent most of your nights together, taking on a very domestic routine within the first two months of your relationship. Though you obviously didn't get down to sexual activities every day, it was common for it to happen a few times a week (at the least).
It usually began with you cornering Seokmin against the wall after a tiring day of college, or sometimes it began during a movie night in which you couldn't keep your hands to yourself. Whatever it was, you were always giving Seokmin an opening to entertain his sexual desires with you whenever he pleased. Even though he was always too shy to ask, it was almost as if you were able to read his mind and always incite him when he needed it most.
His sexual desires for you had grown quite a lot, making Seokmin worry at times. Was it normal how badly he wanted you at all times? Was this a consequence of having never before received pleasure until meeting you? He felt like a degenerate sometimes, from how badly he wanted you. Which was the main reason as to why he grew antsy so quickly after not having sex with you for the past week or so.
In contrast to these past months, this past week and a half (nine days to be exact; not that Seokmin was keeping count or anything), you had not given Seokmin anything further than a sweet peck on the lips whenever the two of you fell asleep next to each other. You didn't act any differently past that, still showering him with love and spending as much time as you could with him.
It wasn't that Seokmin expected sex from you or anything, but ever since you had taught him how pleasurable it could be to have a romantic partner, he could not see himself ever going back to his old, puritan lifestyle. Seokmin had become, for lack of a better word, an addict. He couldn't help himself in desiring you every time he caught an inch of your bare legs or the soft skin of your breasts through your cleavage. He had deprived himself of sex for far too long and now he could no longer live without it.
He didn't want to seem desperate, or as if he only valued you for sex, but he needed to get to the bottom of this and find a way to get you to touch him again. He was far too shy to ever ask you directly, but he would work his hardest to entice you into letting him have you again
...
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#seventeen fanfic#seventeen x reader#svt fanfic#svt x reader#seventeen#svt#seventeen imagine#seventeen oneshot#seventeen smut#svt smut#seokmin x reader#seokmin smut#seokmin scenarios#seokmin imagines#dokyeom smut#dokyeom scenarios#dokyeom imagines#dokyeom x reader#dokyeom fanfic
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NEW BOOK THE WITCHER! coming out 29th of november only in Poland. Worldwide dates not available yet but the name will be smth like 'the crossroad of the raven'
This time, the grandmaster of Polish fantasy goes back to Geralt's teenage years, when he is just taking his first steps in the witcher's profession and must face numerous challenges. Armed with two runic swords, he fights monsters, saves innocent maidens and helps unhappy lovers. He always and everywhere tries to follow the unwritten code that he took from his teachers and mentors. As is usually the case, life does not spare him disappointments - youthful idealism clashes with reality time and again. The story continues. The story never ends...
Found this on Goodreads!!
I had already hoped it would be aboit Geralts youth :)
#geralt of rivia#the witcher#witcher#witcher 3#witcher books#andrzej sapkowski#cirilla of cintra#the witcher books#quotes#book quotes#poland#goodreads
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Herb Correspondences - M-R
Mandrake - Spell strengthener. Use for protection, happiness and wealth. It aids money multiplying. Element Earth.
Marigold - See Calendula.
Marjoram - Use for cleansing, purification, and dispelling negativity. Also aids grief and sadness. Element Air.
Marshmallow Flower - Cleansing, protection, love, sex and fertility. Used in handfasting's. Elements Water.
Marshmallow Root - Protection and psychic powers. Use in tea to aid sore throats. Handfasting herbs and cleansing. Element Water.
Meadowsweet - Used to increase the chances of getting a job. Helps peace, love and happiness. Aids divination. Element Air.
Mint - Promotes energy, communication and vitality, protection and draws custom. Element Air.
Mistletoe - Also called Witches Broom. Used for fertility, creativity, and protection from negative spells & magic. Hang at handfasting to kiss beneath and promote peace. Element Air.
Mountain Ash Berry - Also called Rowan Berry. Strong fairy and Goddess connections. Aids protection and meditation help to clear the mind. Element Fire.
Motherwort - Mother’s Herb. Love and fertility. Grounding helps against bad luck. Protection and good fortune. Element Fire.
Mug wort - Use for strength, protection and healing. Mug wort amplifies magic. Aids astral projection, and psychic power. Element Earth.
Mullein - Represents the crossroads. Offers protection from nightmares & hexing. It attracts love and keeps evil energies and spirits at bay. Element Fire.
Mustard Seed - Courage, faith, and endurance. It is a good luck amulet. Aids mental power and offers protection. Element Fire.
Myrrh - Spiritual, meditation, and healing. Supports youthfulness and protection. Luck and peace. Element Earth.
Nasturtium - Banishing and releasing fear. It helps create your own reality. Aids creativity and independence. Element Air.
Nettle - Uses include dispelling darkness & fear, and curse breaking. Healing and protection and increase lust in partners. Renewal. Element Fire.
Nutmeg - Magical uses include attracting money/prosperity, and luck. Use for fortune telling and when you need favorable decisions to be made. Element Fire.
Oak - Connected to Litha and the most sacred of all trees. Oak supports success, good luck and healing. Stability and potency and attract money. Element Water.
Orange Peel & Flower- Attracts abundance, luck. Love and happiness strengthen divination. Element Fire.
Oregano - Aids astral projection, health, and vitality. Increase joy and justice and protect against evil. Use at Handfasting's. Element Air.
Parsley - Use this herb to help with contacting the dead. Increases strength, vitality and passion. It is uplifting and helps spiritual growth. Element Air.
Passionflower - Attracts friendship and passion. Calming, peace and instills passion into stale relationships. Good for house blessings too. Element Water.
Patchouli - Used in spells for connecting with spirits. Money attracts increases fertility and lust. Calming and peaceful. Element Earth.
Pennyroyal - Use for peace, harmony and tranquility. Carry to avoid seasickness or for physical strength & endurance. Element Earth.
Peppermint - Use for headaches and other forms of healing. Increases sleep and love. Use for increasing psychic power and divination. Element Air.
Pilewort - See Celandine.
Pine/Needles - Prosperity and success. Protection, purification and divination. Throw it in the fire to dispel negativity. Use in house and business blessings. Element Fire.
Plantain - Increases fertility and libido. Healing, protective and offers strength. Use to have power over supernatural events. Element Earth.
Poppy Seeds - Pleasure, love and luck. Aids sleep and insomnia. Use in astral projection and flying magic. Increases fertility and happiness. Element Water.
Pumpkin Seed - Use in lunar magic to honor the moon. Also healing and increases divination. Element Fire.
Raspberry Leaf - Used for healing, protection, love. Raspberry leaf not to be eaten by pregnant women until due date, as it induces labor. Helps to reduce the pain involved in childbirth. Supports sleep, dreams and love. Element Water.
Red Clover - Aids success, love and money. Increases fidelity. Use in exorcism. Element Air.
Rose - Use for divination, increased psychic power, love, lust and healing. It helps strengthen close friendships. Place it around sprains and bruises to help them heal faster. Element Water.
Rose Hips - Used in healing spells or to bring good luck and invoking good spirits. Aids stronger love. Element Water.
Rosemary - Use in healing poppets and love/lust spells. Improves memory. Increases sleep, mental power and protection. Burn to help purification and remove negativity. Associated with faery magic. Element Fire.
Rowan - See Mountain Ash.
Rue - Use in healing, health and love. Also, protection against the evil eye. Increases mental power and clarity of the mind. Used in exorcism. Element Fire.
#herbsforspells#herbal candles#herbs#herbalism#witch#witchcraft#witchblr#pagan#wicca#witches#pagan witch#pagan wicca#paganism#spell work#spell jar#witch stuff#witch aesthetic
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Cowplant Academy Class of 2026
The Cowplant Academy is a place for youth with special abilities to hide and well… maybe thrive? I originally shared these teen sims last year, however, they have been updated and now have families!
They are CC free and have at least 1 outfit in every category, pronouns, preferences, likes and dislikes, lifestyles, established relationship dynamics, skills, & turn-offs and turn-ons. Some also have jobs and/or are signed up for after school activities as well.
Gallery ID: Cowplant-Snacks \ alt download (sfs, free, no ads)
The Halversons are Werewolves
The Halverson are a family rooted in their community. Silas can be found conducting lectures on werewolf history and acceptance, while Genesis is often in the kitchen cooking for community events and giving out relationship advice to neighbors. Amaya is such a big help with her siblings and is always putting her parents' goals before her own, but she recently started a streaming channel playing her favorite games. Will she be able to keep up with all the demands of her time?
The Boldens are Spellcasters
Isaias Bolden is a notorious crook. While his very presence can make other sims cower, you can often find him doting on every single whim his beloved daughter, Aaliyah, has. He hopes that his son, Abram, will follow in his footsteps. However, Abram finds himself wondering what life might look like outside of organized crime but gosh… he's sorta good at it. He's at a crossroads, what will he do? Hopefully his pals at the Cowplant Academy can help him find his own way.
The Londons are Werewolves
The London's are a loud and chaotic werewolf family working to achieve their individual dreams. Poor Duffy can barely hear his own thoughts or his favorite TV shows over the cacophony of sounds his family creates. Whenever a family member is feeling down, Duffy is always there to cheer them up with one of his corniest jokes. But who cheers Duffy up? Hopefully that girl he's been crushing on at school has a matching romance bar.
The Comer & Gale Families are Mermaids
As a beloved King of a prosperous and peaceful Kingdom, you’d think there wouldn't be anything troubling Tobias but the reality is he is surrounded by a mess of his own doing. He ventured outside of his marriage and brought a second child into the world. After creating this riff, can he bridge the gap and bring these two families together as one? Poor Kingston and Madeleine can feel everyone's curious stares at school; they both avoid the topic AND… each other.
The Hernandezs are Spellcasters & Humans
Pedro fell for Annabelle's quick wit and creative spirit. For her, it was his commitment to family and his big beautiful brown eyes. While they may not always be on the same page about their love life, they both agree that their children are their greatest joy. Theo fills his time climbing trees and collecting knee scrapes. Lizbeth's happy place is Theater Club and it’s the only reason she stays in that crappy high school, but will it alone be enough to get her to graduate?
The Sus are Vampires
Mei and Hao are old fashioned and enjoy living a simple life unburdened by the advances of technology. However, their daughter, McKinley, prefers to keep up with each new changing decade as they come. Can these #technophobes and their tech obsessed daughter bridge the gap and coexist in a loving and peaceful household? That's not the only thing her parents don't understand. The other is her choice in a crush. A mermaid? Why can't she just fall in love with a decent vampire?
The Benedicts are Vampires
Leonard and Keisha have drifted apart over the centuries. They hoped bringing Caiphus into the family would solve their problems, but unfortunately, all it did was bring another soul into their mess. Caiphus attends the Cowplant Academy and plays on the football team, He’s only truly happy when he’s gripping pig skin, racing across the plastic turf, and tackling boys. He finds himself curious about one young man in particular, will he get up the nerve to ask him to the next school dance?
Important Notes:
I didn’t make the pets so they are not included. However, I am happy to answer WCIFs about them if folks are interested.
Stairwell pose: Thanks @keirosims for this awesome pose.
(Optional) default eyes + skin are here
Original post of the teens is here
#paragonpartner#occult sims#ts4 werewolves#ts4 vampires#ts4 mermaids#ts4 sims#ts4 spellcaster#townies#ts4 townies#sims 4 townies#townie dump#simblreen#cc free#cc free townies#ts4 cc free#the sims 4#cowplant academy teens#happy simblreen#gif#tw gif warning#gif warning#animated gif
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#hollow knight enemy fight#hkeb#hollow knight game#hollow knight#hollow knight poll#hollow knight enemies#elder baldur#mantis youth#forgotten crossroads#fungal wastes#mantis village
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Hey I have been looking for Dark Dean and Castiel fics where Dean is OBSESSED with Castiel do you have any recommendations?
Hey hey! Sorry for the delay, but I hope these recs are welcomed now just in time for Halloween.
A bit of a warning though -- some of these fics get really dark and involve very intense subjects so pls mind the tags before reading these.
all that’s sacred comes from youth by fullvoid (Mature, 8k words)
Teenage Dean has a dark, possessive streak he hides well. But when he and Cas agree to get married at age 35 if neither of them has by then, he finds he can't quite just leave it at that and spends years stalking Cas from the shadows and sabotaging every relationship he starts. Or Dean, in love with his best friend Cas and obsessed with a pact they made when they were 17 years old, gets rid of his boyfriends one by one through escalating means.
Between Love and Agony by Duckyboos (Explicit, 53k words)
Dean Winchester is in love. Like, bonafide heart eyes and deep sighs, hung-the-moon love. There's just one problem: the lucky guy is his husband's identical twin, Castiel. The two of them have been having a kinky affair for years, burrowing under each other’s skin and setting up camp. Which is why, after Castiel goes missing, Dean’s about ready to tear the world apart looking for him. When Castiel eventually returns to him, he’s been through literal hell, managing to drag himself out, bloody and raw, for Dean. Together, they discover a way to make Castiel whole again — though the price will be gruesome… and there will certainly be hell to pay.
CONventional Psychopathy 'Verse by Mayalaen (Explicit, 441k words)
Castiel Novak is a Cleaner. One of the agency's best. He and his Handler, Dean Winchester, have a high success rate in a world where the worst criminals aren't imprisoned for their crimes, but instead are captured by licensed serial killers who dispose of them, doing what they do best while getting paid for it. Cas doesn't form attachments, doesn't leave himself open for a risk like that, but Dean wormed his way into Cas' life and into his house. Does Dean realize what falling in love with a serial killer really means?
Do Anything For You by ImYourHoneyBee (Explicit, 7k words)
“How’re you feeling?” his earlier worry and fear have faded into the background because of how freaking good Jimmy looks right now, but that’s the thing to ask. Besides, even if he was planning on killing him soon, propriety has to be observed. Dean has a reputation to uphold as a fine, upstanding citizen in this city. Patrick Bateman wishes he was as smooth as Dean is. “Better than the guy who hit me,” Jimmy tells him with uncharacteristic bluntness, nodding toward the curtained-off bed, “I overheard the doctors saying he flatlined around the same time I did.” “Oh shit,” Dean says, glancing over to try and mask the sick roil that sets up shop in his stomach. “He make it?” The ghost of a smile plays over Jimmy’s chapped lips, “He’s in a better place now.” x The one where Cas's soul takes over Jimmy's body.
Free to Be You and Me by jhoom (Explicit, 49k words) --- This says incomplete but it's a satisfying ending so we think the author just didn't close it out.
Dean lost his parents in a fire when he was younger, and he’s never been the same since. Based on the prompt: "I was ten years old when I witnessed the murder of my entire family. The police told me that the person I saw commit the crime was a figment of my imagination - a result of the trauma - but I couldn’t let it rest. In a strange way, they saved me - with everyone else gone I might have gone to pieces, but I HAD to find the killer, so I held it together, I got through school, I rose through the ranks of detective, and now finally, finally, I’m on their trail. I have to find them. I have to meet them. I have to tell them that I love them."
Hello Night by almaasi (Explicit, 11k words)
Demon!Dean/Priest!Cas AU. Castiel summons Dean to the crossroads, and he only wants one thing: him.
Make Me by saltnhalo (Explicit, 4k words)
A beautiful man on a motorbike shows up at Castiel's business with a t-shirt that says Make me and a smirk that could put the devil to shame. How is Castiel possibly meant to resist?
Monsters by Miss_Lv (Explicit, 11k words)
Castiel prayed to God, to help them, to save them. God never answered. But Dean did. It was the monster who saved Castiel, not God.
Seven Heavenly Virtues by Strixes (Explicit, 108k words)
The Mark of Cain turns Dean into a demon once more. Dean is adamant that this time he's found a way to keep the mark under control but it's clear to Castiel that Dean needs help if he's going to fight the mark's influence until they can find a way to get rid of it. More than anything Castiel wants to save him, but if anyone needs to be saved it's Castiel as he tries to navigate where Dean ends and the Mark of Cain begins.
The Prodigal Bond by vipjuly (Explicit, 68k words)
In exchange for conjugal visits, Dean Winchester gives FBI Supervisory Special Agent Castiel Novak all the dirt he needs to bring down national crime rings. It's a tit-for-tat situation; primal, animalistic, and probably ten kinds of illegal. When a case is revealed to be closer to Castiel than what he considers safe, he and Dean must work together to make sure that Crowley goes down for good. Will Castiel be able to keep Dean at arm's length, or will the charming convict finally get what he's been asking for all along? What lengths will Castiel go to... at Dean's behest?
These Violent Delights by SomethingBlue42, xfancyfranart (Explicit, 43k words)
Dean Winchester, war vet and functioning alcoholic with a life that’s going nowhere, takes a job at Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Dean had never heard of Dr. Castiel Novak notorious serial killer and cannibal given he’d been dodging bullets and performing field triage during Novak’s sensational trial. Seasoned orderly Rufus lays out the rules: Do not touch the glass. Do not approach the glass. You pass him nothing but soft paper - no pencils, no pens. Use the sliding food carrier only, no exceptions. If he attempts to pass you anything, do not accept it. And most importantly: don't tell him anything personal. But Dean was never much for following the rules and Castiel has a way of making Dean feel like he isn’t the grade-a loser his hot-shot FBI agent brother thinks he is. Then, a senator’s daughter goes missing, setting forth a chain of events that put Dean on a path that forces him to choose where his loyalties lie and just how far he’s willing to walk into the dark.
This Tainted Love You've Given by LazarusRose, xfancyfranart (Explicit, 17k words)
Everyone has their hobbies—Dean’s just happens to involve a lot more blood and screaming than most people’s. And sure, maybe murder isn’t the nicest way to blow off steam, but Dean’s always thought that being nice is overrated anyway. His latest victim, a pretty guy with startling blue eyes, should be nothing special, just another nameless body on Dean’s list. But then, after Dean kills and buries him, he turns back up at Dean’s house again the next day. What’s a guy to do when they’ve accidentally gotten an immortal witch convinced that they’ve got some kind of profound bond?
Happy Halloween!!👻🎃
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Seen a few of these prompt lists and I wanted to give it a go myself! Aimed for a range of prompts that will work for both artists and writers, and for all sorts of OCs as well as the Warden, Hawke, and the Inquisitor.
If you use, give me a tag! I'd love to see what you create.
Prompts listed under the cut 💚
Week 1: Origins
1. Family 2. Allegiances 3. Faith 4. Memories 5. Home
Week 2: Legacies
6. Inquisitor 7. Champion 8. Hero 9. Agent 10. Friendship 11. Beloved 12. Youth
Week 3: Travels
13. Fade 14. Sea 15. Palace 16. Blight 17. Mountains 18. Crossroads 19. Deep Roads
Week 4: Endings
20. Epilogue 21. Archdemon 22. Remains 23. Loss 24. Griffon 25. Battle 26. Remembrance
Week 5: Ghosts
27. Well 28. Abyss 29. Ostagar 30. Eluvian 31. Veil
#dragon age#dragon age: origins#dragon age 2#dragon age: inquisition#datober#datober 2024#oc tober#oc tober 2024#veiltober#prompt list#writing prompts#drawing prompts
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“There is an inn at the crossroads up ahead,” Catelyn told him. She had slept many a night there in her youth, traveling with her father. Lord Hoster Tully had been a restless man in his prime, always riding somewhere. She still remembered the innkeep, a fat woman named Masha Heddle who chewed sourleaf night and day and seemed to have an endless supply of smiles and sweet cakes for the children. - Catelyn V, AGOT
A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar 2025 || Inn at the Crossroads by Eddie Mendoza
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one thing about band of brothers that always gets me is how these war hardened soldiers are just boys. i often think about that scene in episode 5: crossroads where tab, winters, and george call the replacements kids, when they're just kids themselves. sure, they're a bit older than the replacements but still, they're just boys in their 20s. their youth was taken from them to fight for some old men's war. and those who passed away during the war will never get to live their youth and live the rest of their life that they were supposed to live/have
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Chthonic Descent (#4 in my Orpheus and Eurydice series)
The Roman poet Virgil, in his poem “Georgics”, gives a lush description of Orpheus descent into Hades;
“…entering the grove gloomy with black horror, he approached the Manes (dead spirits), and the tremendous king, and the hearts that know not how to relent at human prayers. But the thin shades being stirred up by his song from the lowest mansions of Erebus moved along, and the Ghosts deprived of light… mothers and husbands, and the departed bodies of magnanimous heroes, boys and unmarried girls, and youths laid on funeral pyres before the faces of their parents, whom the black mud and squalid reeds of Cocytus, and the lake hateful with stagnant water encloses around, and styx nine times interfused restrains.” (-translation from the Latin by John Martyn.)
The word Chthonic in my title is an adjective describing something belonging to the underworld. This would be an apt time to discuss the structure and details of the ancient Greek underworld; the realm of Hades. Our oldest literary source in Homer’s “Odyssey” (700 B.C.) portrays the realm as dark, gloomy, and frightening. A place where all souls go, and lacking skin and bone; have no physical form. The shades (spirits) wander mindless, and without memory.
In Virgil’s “Aeneid” (25 B.C.) we get a much more detailed account of the geography. Our hero Aeneas pays the boatman Charon to ferry him across the river styx, and after passing the three headed guard-hound Cerberus, they eventually come to a crossroad leading to two important realms; Tartarus (an invincible fortress guarded by one of the Furies, where sinners are punished) and Elysium (a sunny paradise where pure souls pursue leisure activities).
As always thanks for looking and reading. Please share this post and I'll toss charon a coin for you. Xoxo
Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in march to kickstarter. Please check my links in my linktree in my bio to join the kickstarter notification page. 🤟❤️🏛
#hades#orpheus#persephone#underworld#eurydice#pjo#percyjacksonandtheolympians#percyjackson#greekgods#furies#tartarus#elysium#ancientgreece#ovid#virgil#tylermileslockett#charon#riverstyx#cerberus#loreolympus#Orpheus#Hades
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