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general-thinks · 3 years ago

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OOODAAAA WHY ARE WE ON HIATUS AGAIN AAAAAAAAHHHH

Ok, now that I took that one out the system, at least we have something Komi related for this week!

I would start talking about the recent @zer0cracy 's animation, but I want to talk about something else before that.

And I'm talking about the Komi-san Live Action adaptation.

Ok, listen, I... I don't like any type of anime live action adaptation. Like, at all.

I-I know there are people that enjoy it, and I can only respect the actors that are so passionate about the source material to do this , but... but I don't know ok? There is just something that I can't pintpoint that makes me so annoyed by them for just existing.

And so, when the news of a Komi san Live Action came, I... I honestly grimaced, and prepared myself for the worst. All I could do was hope they would find some actor similar to the cast, and be the most faithfull to the manga possible.

And so, when today on the subreddit r/Komi_san a 5 minutes teaser dropped, I was already expecting my death, unsure if ignoring it or actually acknowledging its existence.

...I sat down, taking a break every 10-30 seconds due to my visceral hate for Live Actions and my love for Komi san battling againts each other making me feel sick. I felt like Odysseus, roped to his ship to hear the siren's song, a victim to my curiosity, just to have some content to release today and now... *sigh* we need to talk.

Mind you: This is not a mindless bashing. I just want to talk about some decisions and my thought on cast members. And just something to talk about waiting for the next Komi-san chapter.

First off, let's talk about Tadano

...who is this guy? I said-

.............*sigh*...........

Ok, so, let's start with the obvious: WHERE IS THE WHITE TURF? Ok maybe this is a conscious choice, to make him even more average. I can... I can still accept it.

But... I'm sorry, I don't see Tadano at all watching him. I can see AT BEST Kometani. And another thing is that (as it can be in the actual trailer, sorry I can't share the link with you all) is... too much expressive. I know, it's a weird thing to say, but one of Tadano's charm is how easy going and calm he constantly is, despite the chaos happening around him. But this version, it's too... fidgy? He moves too much, it's like seeing a Tadano not out of his chunni fase yet. Like, as you can see here-

...ok never mind let's move on and ignore this.

...ehy, wait a minute but behind him there's... hm... maybe it's a coincidence...

In the end, I give this LiveAction!Tadano a 4/10, even below the average. I hope this one was an error in the production of the teaser and he's actually more Tadano-like in the show, but I fear this is not the case. It's not his fault, if it was, I don't know, Naruse, the characterisation would work perfectly, but... this is Tadano...

Also, as we can see here, Tadano crossing the street, I bet that there is going to be a live adaptation of Yamai's kidnapping too.

Live Action Yamai. Rejoice.

Next one is Komi, and... she kinda works?

Loyal enough to the original Komi, the haircut is almost the same, the only thing that miss and it shows is the murder gaze. I guess it's not that easy to do, or easy as I think, but maybe put a little more of spirit?

I don't know, she just looks depressed. And while that's gold for angsty fanfic writers, for an early Komi-san it's not the best. But hey, at least she is similar to Komi! So take this 7/10

Next one is Najimi, and... I don't know what to think of them.

While at first I was outraged for the missing lavander hair and antennas, watching some scenes with them there made this Live Action version grow on me. They bring a nice energy in the scenes, and it's quirky enough for Komi-san, but...

...It's not chaotic enough, and it's a really big problem for a character like Najimi! It's like a chilled Osana in this teaser, and I'm really, really conflicted about it.

So, in true Najimi's fashion, I'll give to this version a ???/10. I have high hopes for you, don't delude me.

Next one is Katai, and...

...I FUCKING LOVED HIM.

This is the only actor by far that I think nailed down the manga character perfectly, he's so over the top and failing at being a delinquent that actually makes me think "yeah, if Katai were a real guy, he would be like him." I would die for this guy. Also the homoerotic tension between him and Tadano are even stronger than the one in the manga so that's a plus too

Explain this, heteroes.

So yeah, LiveAction!Katai deserve the 9/10, get a little more buffer and you'll top the score easily.

And lastly, Naka- no? Ehm... then Yama- no again? But... who else could be here in the class-

........MANBAGI?????

Ok first thing, the actor works for her. She may be not excactly like our Manbagi, but she looks like a ray of sunshine and like Manbagi she seems like a good and lovable girl. I'm sorry that I couldn't add more photos, but trust me, even in the nurse office scene her vibes just worked. I'll give to LiveAction!Manbagi a 8/10.

But now, let's adress the elephant in the classroom.

THEY ADDED THE FIRST YEAR AND SECOND YEAR CLASSROOMS IN ONE SINGLE CLASSROOM AND CALLED IT A DAY.

This is massive!! Like... like I don't even have the wors to describe how much of a big deal this is, butchering the character arc of Komi and Manbagi, and cancelling icons such as SHINOBINO or NARUSE.

I'm still in shock. I don't understand the creative process behind this idea. "Yeah let's add Manbagi in the first year. Who cares if her struggles for being part of a new class is one of the most important step for Komi since she for the first reached out for someone else and Komi had an entire year of experience to actually talk to someone that wasn't her family or Tadano. I'm sure nothing bad can happen from this decision."

It just... baffles me. Who had the idea to do a Live Action NOW? The anime starts two month from now on, and it's not like Komi need something for build up the hype since we were waiting this anime for years, so much that it became a joke in the anime community. If they wanted to do a Live Action, make a live action of the ONE SHOT at this point! So the people get familiar with the characters and explore the strange world of the prototype Komi, not SPOILING ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTER OF THE MANGA, SINCE SHE APPEAR IN THE SECOND YEAR AND IT'S A TESTAMENT TO KOMI'S GROWTH.

I... I need to lay down for a moment... no, for a whole day. I planned to do the reaction to Zer0's animation but now I'm exausted from the rant. I'll probably do it tomorrow. I'm sorry guys, and until next time

#also whERE THE FUCK IS ONEMINE #komi-san wa komyushou desu #komi san wa komyushou desu #komi san can't communicate #komi san has a communication disorder #komi san is bad at communication #komi san komyushou desu #komi-san can't communicate #komi san #general ramblings

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fukurodaze · 4 years ago

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five stars: part 4 | four days

IT’S EMBARRASSING: a third year cheerleader!reader x second year athlete!suna au

wc + genre: 4.7k, fluff + drama <3 warnings: cursing, burnout

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more. more. more.

faster blocks. louder voices. stronger spikes.

the interhigh is in four days.

the cheerleaders have begun rehearsing along to the players, shouting rhythmically to every point taken from each side of the practice court. the room is intense, filled with sweat and ambition to rise to the top - whoever jumps higher, hits harder, wins.

suna rintarou is no exception.

“nice, sunarin!” a voice sounds.

out of all the days in which he plays, they tell him today’s the best. on point, just in time, lightning speed, they say. he’s pleased with his own performance, momentarily, before he’s off to ask one of the second years if they’re down for another round of practice. when atsumu says yes, he’s up on the balls of his feet, ready to jump some more times.

aside, there’s a voice that calls your name. kouno yuki, the captain of the team, stands by your duffle bag, waiting for you.

“earth to y/n?” she shakes your arm when she comes closer, finding that you’ve fallen asleep against the wall of the gym. she sits down beside you, poking your shoulder.

“hey.”

there is a throaty groan.

“y/n~”

you stir.

“suna’s watching.”

“wait, what?” your eyes flutter open, body stretching at the sudden wake. you see how your co-captain doubles down in held back laughter, choking down a giggle present in the creases of her eyes.

“nothing, nothing. i was waiting for you so we could store the uniforms together, but i think i’ll just do it with sato-san.”

“oh, okay,” you nod, eyes drifting back down to close. the volleyball team is still practicing, and though it’s loud, the sound of shoes sliding against polished wood suddenly becomes relaxing when you’re as tired as you are. you thank yuki for the fix and she smiles at you with a sympathetic look in her eyes.

the next time you wake up, your eyes are forced open when a volleyball comes close to your head.

“shit! sorry!” the boy you recognise as ginjima hitoshi from some of suna’s stories is bowing on a fourty-five degree angle, face cringing in regret. he jogs lightly to pick up the ball and bring it back but suna sends him a look and a thumb, telling him that he’ll get it instead.

when suna approaches you in all his 185 centimetre glory, there is a sort of gleam that radiates off of him. you’re not sure if it’s the smirk at how flustered you are or the sheen of sweat covering his skin, but it makes a heat rise up your neck at how close he is when he leans in and squats over you to retrieve the ball.

then again, you’ve been burning up all day.

“are you okay?” suna’s voice is low and almost a whisper.

“what?” you shake your head, “yeah, yeah. i’m fine. don’t worry.”

he nods and picks up the ball. you watch as he slowly steps away, so you call, “suna?”

he looks back with nonchalance.

“walk me to the bus stop?”

the answer is ‘always’.

early august is when the summer begins to cool down, signalling the latter half of the year to come. your summer uniforms no longer stick to your skin with heat, but lie loosely on shoulders and limbs as short sleeves made of thin material.

still, you feel hot.

it’s one thing to be tired and lethargic, but it’s another to feel like your eyes are begging to close and your hands are searching for something to cover.

suna notices this in the way that you’re talking less on a friday night and how you’re walking in unsure lines. he wishes he had brought a hoodie or sweater with him.

the sky has become a deeper indigo after practice, and though the lights have turned on, it doesn’t seem like your vision is alright, either. you continue to stumble and mumble out words that suna can only make out as assurances of “i’m okay” and “don’t worry.” of course he worries.

“we’re almost at the bus stop,” suna’s hand lingers around your wrist, unsure of whether you need it or not.

still, you grab it, and it makes a world of a difference when you begin to lean on him. he feels your temperature, feverish yet freezing, and he makes sure to hold you up until the bus stop.

“actually,” you try your best to talk coherently, “can i walk you home?”

suna furrows his brows, “what do you mean?”

“i’ll tell my mom that i’m staying over at a friend’s. it’s fine.”

suna questions your resolve at staying over at his place, especially when you’re sick. he knows he can’t take care of you like your mother might. and yet, he’s always weak to your requests, seemingly unable to say no whenever you ask him.

“okay,” he tells you, and he feels the arm around his hand wrap tighter. it reminds him of that one night on the bus.

“wait, lemme carry your bag.”

you look up at him from where you’re slouching, “hm? oh. sure.”

now he has a backpack and a duffel bag slung across his torso, your arm linked to his as you two walk along the sidewalk outside of school. it hasn’t been long since the two of you left, but the night seems to come earlier despite it being only august.

the walk grows silent, characterised by heavy breathing from your end and concerned looks from his. you stare at the ground, where the rubble and asphalt are sometimes withered, and try to match up your steps to the boy’s, focusing on the one-two-one-two of your feet.

it’s only a five minute walk to suna’s place, and you thank heavens that it is, for by the time he opens his door, you’re stumbling into the room and holding onto the sofa, eyes asking for permission to lay down.

he nods, unsure if his sofa’s even comfortable enough for you to sleep on. he feels weird, and wonders if you’d be in good hands when you return home on a saturday morning from a “friend”’s house. would you be in trouble if your mother found out you had resorted to staying at a boy’s place with a fever?

it’s like you almost hear his thoughts, “don’t worry, suna, one good night’s sleep and i’m going to be good.”

“but you haven’t had dinner?” suna hates how he sounds like a parent.

you whimper, tossing and turning on your back, “okay.”

with that, suna begins to wait for his rice cooker as he pulls out a packet of instant miso soup, hoping that something warm would help you sleep better. it takes a short amount of time for him to pour in the hot water and paste, mixing it in a bowl, before keeping it still on the table while waiting for the rice.

in the meantime, he makes himself another bowl of instant miso soup, hands going on autopilot as his mind drifts off into a frenzy of thoughts. will you be okay? will this be okay? how long have you been unwell for? are you overworking yourself? he’s never even seen you at the school canteen. how often have you been eating?

the questions rattling his mind are interrupted by the beeping of the rice cooker. he opens its lid and is introduced to steam, still hot when he reaches in with a spatula to scoop some rice for you.

he brings the food to the table in front of the sofa with a warm glass of water. tapping your shoulder to remind you, he’s hesitant to have you wake up after you’ve finally laid still.

“for me?” you squint.

“yeah. for you.” suna has his food right next to yours, thinking he might make you feel a little bit better if you’re not eating alone.

when you shimmy yourself down from the sofa, the two of you coexist in silence once more, the only sounds being chewing and gulping down soup or water. none of you mind, really, although it’s not what usually happens when the two of you are spending time together, usually filled with banter and, more recently, flirtatious remarks.

suna wonders if he’ll ever get to embrace you soon. your figure cowers as you eat, sometimes leaning on the front of the sofa for support. he should embrace you. he wants to embrace you. he doesn’t embrace you.

when you try your best to finish your meal, he tells you you’re doing great. suna’s surprised those words even come out of him, seeing as he’s never really congratulated anyone outside of volleyball before, but your soft smile tells him everything he needs to know.

thank you.

you lift yourself back up onto the sofa, curling up. suna gets you a wool blanket, a spare from his room, and covers you with it. he sees you smile again.

suna puts away the dishes, leaving them in the sink for doing tomorrow. he’s still in his school uniform, and so are you. by the likes of eight-thirty in the evening, he can tell you’re just about ready to pass out into sleep.

until he hears your voice.

“you’re so great, suna.”

there is no other voice but yours.

“you let me sleep on the bus, found me that morning on the bleachers, helped me with my work,” you trail off, but suna keeps listening.

“you take care of me,” you tumble through your words, turning as you lay, “i guess that’s why i like you.”

suna freezes.

it’s a gamble, whether or not you’re awake, but he decides. there is silence in the air and the smell of warm miso soup wafting against the walls, and he tells you something he’s never cared to tell anyone before.

“i like you too. goodnight.”

suna feels his heart beating in his ears all night.

he twists under his covers. shit.

does this mean we’re dating now?

“suna?”

the boy almost jumps when he sees you in the morning, peeking through his bedroom door.

“oh, right. y/n.”

his heart still beats in seemingly uneven patterns in his chest, the memory of last night still fresh in his mind. there is only one question in his mind: do you remember it as much as he does?

“um, i’m all better now. so-”

“that’s good,” suna’s stomach growls. he lifts himself out of his bed, squeezing through the doorframe where you’re leaning. you don’t miss the way he leans into you, just slightly, the deeper baritone of his morning voice sounding further into your ears as he groans and walks out.

he stops at the table, however, and his face almost turns entirely red in surprise.

“you made this?”

you come up to the table, urging him to take a seat. breakfast: leftover rice and fish from yesterday’s lunch and dinner. suna remembers how his mother would always urge him to eat fish for breakfast, even sending him cuts of frozen fish from time to time.

“i wanted to thank you for yesterday, at least. i’m sorry if i’m intruding, or something.”

suna shakes his head, “no, you’re not.”

“that’s- that’s good then.”

breakfast fizzles into silence as you take a seat across the table, the air somehow stuffy. was it the fact that you had stayed over? had you burdened him by being sick? did you miss out on something?

mornings are never usually this quiet, but suna eats with a wholesomeness that makes you swoon. you’ve started to think that his mind is full when his mouth is devoid of words, and that his mind is only clear when his mouth is full. it’s cute, you think, how his bed hair seems to look more tame than his usual hair, or how his bed shorts are a bright red.

“you staring?”

you return to your food, “never in a million years.”

“that’s a pretty long time.”

you hum in a half-joke, cringing inwardly at your own words.

“hey, uh,” suna hesitate, wondering what had happened that made the two of you so stiff, “can i take you home?”

you’re really missing something here.

here’s what you’d expect: the boy walks you home, leaves you at the bus stop. what you’re getting is miles away from it.

“suna, are you okay with this?”

suna does a double take between you and his phone, “sure. why wouldn’t i be?”

“i don’t know, i’m…” you don’t know how to continue your sentence. i’m not wearing anything underneath your hoodie, you want to tell him, but you’re not quite sure about his reaction.

“what?” he shakes his head, “anyways, i was the one that offered my clothes to you. no big deal.”

“right, no big deal.”

“now, c’mon, we walking you home or not?” he opens the door, and you scoot outside slowly, waiting for him as he locks the door. when he finishes, he comes to you, closer, and intertwines his hand in yours.

his hand, in yours. what?

“s-suna, the bus!” you blurt out in surprise.

suna hums in a question, “yeah, what? we’re taking the bus, right?”

you glance down at where your hands are connected, “right. i’ll pay.”

he lets you pay for the tickets this time, the bus ride keeping you company with caring conversation and, of course, a comforting hand.

you had never thought you would be getting so close to this boy so quick, and yet here you were, taking him to your house on a saturday morning.

you wonder how your parents would react to you hanging off a boy’s arm like this.

when you two reach your stop, the sky is sunny, seemingly cooler with the way suna’s damp and newly-washed hair shines in the light. you tell him things, jokes, little stories about your childhood as you stroll through the neighbourhood. you care to take him the long way home, unsure if the butterflies in your stomach would subside if you spent some time holding them off.

"are you doing anything after the interhigh?” suna asks eagerly.

“well, the cultural festival is coming up. and honoka’s leaving, so i’ll take her to the airport and everything.”

“oh,” suna mumbles, “that’s cool.”

you shrug, “i guess so.”

he looks at you for longer than usual, “i’ll miss you.”

you bite your lip in attempt to hide your surprise, “don’t try to miss me too much! besides, i’m not going anywhere.”

you notice that you can’t make eye contact with the boy in fears of being flustered even more. yet, he picks up on it, “are you flustered?”

“and if i was?”

“that’s no problem. we’re, you know.”

“we’re... what?”

“you know...” his voice softens, “dating.”

your eyebrows furrow immediately, your hand unknowingly slipping from his grip, “wait, we are?”

“i thought you remembered.”

“remembered what?”

“last night, when we said we liked each other. do you not feel that way anymore?” suna shoves his hands in his shorts pockets, the embarrassment creeping up his face.

“wait, i don’t get it!” you wave your hands around in confusion, “i mean, i do... feel... that way... but i was sick! i didn’t remember anything, of course.”

“oh god.”

“you’re not mad, are you?”

the boy shakes his head, “no, i’m just- really embarrassed.”

you peer at suna, who has his hand covering his face, head titled up, shadow long against the sun. the kids around the area gaze up at his tall figure, and then at you, recognising your face from the neighbourhood.

one of them even comes close to you, and you recognise him as the boy who lives two blocks away from you, “nee-san, is that your boyfriend?”

you look back, and one glance at suna has you close to letting out a loud snicker. you bend down, arms crossing into the hoodie he lent you today, “we’ll see.”

suna doesn’t know whether to laugh or smile when the little boy bursts into tears, mumbling a string of inaudible words that he can only guess spell out an unrequited love.

you return to suna, walking in silence at first. now it’s his turn to be confused.

“so i’m ‘we’ll see’?”

“reciprocated feelings don’t always equal dating, suna,” you say.

“yeah, sorry i-”

you speak first, “and i’m thinking about it. s’not a bad offer, y’know?”

“oh, shut up.”

“you’re telling me to what now?”

suna leans over to one side, quickly saying, “hey, isn’t this your house? the birdbath?”

“oh, definitely.” you have your hands on your hips, the playful air that you’re so used to having returned, “my house is number twenty, dumbass.”

“you’re calling me a what now?” he mocks.

you hit him on the shoulder, lightly, a hint of a flirt in your touch.

there is comfort stored into the space between the two of you once more, and it eases you to know things would always come back to the way they were between you two. maybe there is an added sort of suggestion, in the way his hand twitches when he stares at you, or the way you seem to love folding your arms against his hoodie.

“anyways. we’re here. wanna meet my mom?”

“do i have a choice?”

you smile, “nope.”

as the two of you enter the house, your hand lets go of his, unconsciously on purpose, arms to the side. suna feels as if his heart beats even louder, seeing your house, and, eventually, your mother.

she peeks out from the living room, rushing to the front door as soon as you announce your presence. she takes you in her arms with a soft smile on your face, glancing at suna once before turning to you to ask how last night was.

“is this the friend you were staying over with last night?” she whispers in your ear in a disbelieving tone, “you stayed over at a boy’s place?”

suna hears exactly what she’s saying. he swears there’s some sweat dripping down his temple.

you clear your throat, hand extending to introduce the boy. “mom, this is suna rintarou. he’s going to be playing at the interhigh i’m cheering at.”

“ah, a volleyball player! i think i might even recognise you...”

suna nods, bows. he introduces himself in the most formal way he’s ever known, which brings a cheeky smile on your mother’s face. it’s almost funny to see a ninety degree bow from someone so tall, she thinks, seeing how his seemingly scary or off putting demeanour had changed so quickly in front of her eyes.

“have you two had breakfast already?” your mother asks, to which the both of you nod. your mother smirks, and it makes you wonder why.

“anyways, just take a seat in the living room,” she motions, hand waving at the room from which the television sounds come from.

“oh, mom, do we still have those cookies?”

you mother chuckles darkly. you furrow your brows.

“alright then… i’ll get them…?” you walk out to the kitchen as your mother leads suna into the living room. she sits on the armchair across the room after suna sits awkwardly on the edge of the couch.

there is some silence as she watches the morning soap opera, eyes only flitting to the boy once the advertisements come on. once they do, though, suna becomes bombarded with questions and conversation.

“so you’re on the starting team?”

suna nods, “yes. i play middle blocker.”

“ah, that’s why you’re so tall! then again, volleyball players are so tall…”

your mother’s remark reminds him of that one time you had whispered it under your breath. your voices sound too similar for him not to smile.

suna shifts backwards, letting himself lean into the back of the couch, though his limbs still lay stiffly along the cushions.

“have you ever played against, what was that team’s name- from tokyo!” your mother thinks, “the school sounded a lot like an animal…”

suna tries not to tense up, “uh, itachiyama?”

“hmm, no, i’ve heard of them, but not them…”

“fukurodani?”

“right! fukurodani! i’ve seen them so many times when i watch nationals that i can’t help but love to watch their plays! of course, inarizaki is great too, because now we have an even better starting team. have you ever played against those guys?”

suna nods, “yes, we have. most people have heard of their ace, bokuto koutarou.”

your mother gleefully places her hand in front of her mouth before speaking, “i do love the energy that boy brings. he’s even announced that he’s going to the v-league!”

suna lets out a breathy laugh, “right.”

your mother retracts herself, “oh, sorry, i keep getting carried away when it comes to volleyball. y/n always chooses to go to the volleyball games so i keep watching them… i didn’t know it could be so fun… are you planning on entering the v-league, rintarou?”

he stirs, shrugging, “ah… it’s still a faraway decision.”

“well, i can tell you have some talent. i remember you were the one that was subbed in as a first year in the previous nationals, right?”

suna nods as your mother recalls the way inarizaki had risen up to the semi finals with their subbed in first years. it brings a swell of pride in his chest, having been so long since people actually complimented him on his plays.

“if you do want to go to the v-league though, please don’t overwork yourself,” your mother brings up.

suna raises an eyebrow at the sudden statement. your mother continues, “our y/n here does so much that it’s landed her sick in many ways. especially as a third year and everything, and now that her best friend is moving, you know, it’s a bit shaky.”

“right, she’s told me a little bit about it.” suna looks down, fiddling with his fingers. he hates hearing the little things about how you push yourself too hard. it’s a temporarily heavy feeling at first, knowing about your constant lack of sleep and food. and now your best friend’s moving out? suna finds that he wants to warm you up in his embrace to tell you it’ll all be fine - he just doesn’t know how. at least, not yet.

“if you do work as hard as y/n, make sure you eat enough and sleep enough, okay? i can’t count the times i’ve nagged that girl to get to bed or eat her breakfast-”

“were you guys talking about me?” you barge into the room, a plate of cookies ready in your hand. you groan, “also, mom, you didn’t tell me we finished the cookies!”

“i never said we did have the cookies in the first place.”

you mutter under your breath, “what is it with people doing that to me?”

still, you seat yourself on the couch next to suna, legs crossed, cookie in hand. your mother squints, “i’ve never seen you wear that hoodie.”

suna feels his hands grow warm.

“yeah, i’m borrowing it for a short while.” you glance at suna right after speaking, causing even more teasing looks from your mother.

“anyways, as i was saying, this girl never eats breakfast!” she begins, “and tell her to sleep earlier next time. at least ten o’clock!”

“mom, come on,” you curl up on the couch.

“it’s okay, mrs. l/n, she slept early yesterday. eight-thirty, actually.”

there is an amused look on your mother’s face. you don’t tell her it’s because you had a fever. there is a lack of conversation as your mother begins to focus her attention back on the soap opera on the television.

but she does say out loud, “i’m so glad you two did it.”

the room fills with the sound of the soap opera. you think for a little bit.

“did what?”

“ate breakfast, of course.”

“right.” you try not to choke on your cookie.

the rest of the morning passes as suna begins to feel himself loosen up at your house, finding the couch extremely comfortable and the soap opera weirdly entertaining. there is mindless talk of the interhighs on monday, and the three of you discuss preparations, strategies, venues. when your mother isn’t looking, suna finds his hand looping around your smaller thumb, a warm feeling blooming from the touch.

when your mother does look, however, she looks at suna, and then she looks at you.

“mom? the episode’s back on,” you call.

there is a genuine ear to ear smile on her face, eyes narrowing and shoulders relaxing.

“mom?”

shaking her head, she blinks repeatedly, “i’m so happy you ate breakfast today.”

your mouth parts in a wordless whisper, a glance at suna telling you he’s happy, too.

“see you on monday” is the last thing you hear from suna that week. when he hugs you as he leaves, he tells you he likes it; that he feels warm.

you don’t tell him that you’re still burning up.

on tuesday, the sun shines too bright for your liking even when you’re shielded by the large bus’ thick windows and air conditioner. your eyes feel hot, hotter than usual, and your feet need an extra amount of blankets to stop shivering.

it doesn’t show, though, and you make sure it doesn’t. it’s only a week, you tell yourself, you can manage. you had to admit the weekend wasn’t any better than friday night, but you promise yourself to sleep early. it hasn’t always been working, though.

so you try to distract yourself. you know the volleyball players had gone a day earlier, and that their opening ceremony is today, but you also know that the ceremony ends at lunch and the next match is only tomorrow.

your phone dings once more.

from suna: hru

to suna: cold :( the bus is so damn cold but it’s so hot outside ughh

from suna: ill lend u my jacket later ye

to suna: thank u. hows the opening?

from suna: fuckin cool wish u were there

you scoff. yuki, who’s sitting beside you, sneaks on your shoulder, “aw, he wishes you were there!”

you jump in surprise, “yuki! don’t do that!”

“you know, i didn’t expect him to be that dry.”

“okay, he’s not that dry,” you defend.

“really? is he? love is blinding, y/n.”

the bus comes to a stop, and you continue to text the boy. yuki stands up to tell everyone to bring their bags down, and that the other volleyball coach will be on standby at the hotel to check in for the cheer team. you follow suit, taking your bags and coming out of the bus. you’re greeted once more by the scorching sun, the heat on your head making you feel dizzy.

focus, you tell yourself, focus on the screen, at least.

from suna: im coming back to the hotel

to suna: omo… buy me food

from suna: hmm

to suna: cmon dont be shy

from suna: only if you buy me twice as much

meanwhile, suna’s got his jacket and backpack on, ready to go back. atsumu walks next to him, testing his patience at not sneaking a peek at suna’s phone, trying too hard to start a conversation with kita beside him.

atsumu does wonder what goes on in the chat. maybe it wouldn’t be too bad to see…

to suna: my god okay maybe we can get like

there’s no response. you’re not even typing. was that the end of the sentence? he closes his phone for a moment.

he gets a notification on his phone a second later.

to suna: hi, this is yuki. something bad just happened to y/n.

“holy shit,” atsumu mutters under his breath, “suna, is your girlfriend okay?”

“atsumu, you don’t just… do that.”

“shit, sorry.”

“it’s fine,” suna sighs. there is a pang in his chest and a struggling sentence of ‘i knew it’ swimming in his mind, worry seeping from the screen to his fingers. suna pockets his phone as quickly as he reads the message, a huff leaving his lips and a quicker, rougher pace developing in his step.

“we just need to go to the hotel.”

taglist: @maitenight @natszoo @ssuna @erens-piss-cleaner @osamus-onigiri @volleybloop @etherealiwa @agaasheesmilktea @bicchaan @anngelllla @tycrackculture @sins-over-tragedy @tsumuluv @daichibrainrot @underratedmage @sunasexual @kenmei @daydreamingtetsu @sunareii @bebegi @laventae @kaashikoi @chanayah @fukurodianthus @bearykei @yatoatyourservice (if i couldn’t tag you, your url is bolded :))

send an ask to be added to the taglist!

as always, thank you to @yooroomi for beta reading this series!

#haikyuu x reader #hq x reader #suna x reader #hqradiostation #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu fluff #hq scenarios #hq fluff #haikyuu imagines #suna rintarou #haikyuu!! x reader #suna fluff #suna imagines #suna x you #suna rintarou x reader #suna scenarios

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booksandwords · 3 years ago

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Fence: Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan

Read time: 3 Days Rating: 4/5 (but it’s complicated)

The quote: Hooking up made Aiden think of fencing, sometimes. The sheer physicality of it, the smooth skilled movements flowing and arching to a victorious end. Knowing your opponents moves, weaknesses, what would get to them. Scoring all the points you could. And, in the end, turning away. — Aiden Kane

2nd quote: Arrêt — Aiden Kane Let me explain it means stop, it's used in fencing. It's one word and in that one word my heart broke for Aiden look what can I say he owns me right now.

Because of what Fence: Striking Distance is, the extension of a world created in another medium and with a pre-existing fanbase, rating and reviewing it is quite difficult. I am aware of and really like C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad's Fence series and this does well to extend that. Developing backstories and voices for characters other than Nicholas and building on his. It is worth noting that Johanna the Mad did the cover art and the art on the end pages, C.S. Pacat was heavily consulted in the writing. It could also easily be read as a standalone, knowing the comics is not a pre-requisite it just means you know who is who and a bit about their environment, but all that is contextually explained anyway (like the shower curtain). There is no straight introduction to any character, the closest is a single paragraph by Coach. All that said the primary Fence series focuses its time on Nicholas, he is our eyes, this gives us much more on the others in the fencing team with not only Nicholas but Seiji, Aiden and Harvard all as point of view characters. The plot is simple enough, Coach Williams wants the boys to do team-building work, except Harvard who she wants to enjoy himself away from the team. Chaos ensues. Think the height of fake dating au's for Harvard and Aiden, Seiji trying to defend his roommate despite not having all the information, Nicholas being his clueless self (with daddy issues) and Eugene well Eugene is a pwn in the game but who knew he was such a gossip and a social butterfly. Harvard and Aiden's chemistry is written so well it is off the charts, as is only right.

I'm not entirely sure where this is going to fit in along the main continuity. It was released at about the same time as Volume 4 but is definitely set after, the results of the MLC bouts are noted by Coach early on. It appears to be after the conversation between Aiden and Harvard at the end of Volume 4 where it was made clear to anyone that there is more than friendship there. Aiden's gift is picking a fencers weakness, Aiden and Harvard are each others at the end of the day. What I'm unsure of at this point is where Striking Distance will fit in relation to Volume 5 (which is a long time of release as I write this).

The thing that Sarah Rees Brennan does best in this is the development of the characters outside how Nicholas (and to a degree Bobby) sees them. I do wish we'd seen more of Bobby, I want to know more of his story. Aiden Kane gets all three of my quotes for this review, I think the book is heavily about Aiden and how he is not what he appears. He learnt all his flirtatious, always leave before they do attitudes from his string of stepmothers. His use of names when he forgets someones (willfully or not) says a lot, it's just another way Aiden is shown not to be a simple as he appears. At a time when his dates name is Bruce, he playfully starts calling him the name of every male Avenger character because it annoys someone else. Honestly Aiden most of this book breaking my heart, not something I would have expected from the character we have seen to date in the comics. There is only one person in the world he cannot say no to or hurt in any way, Harvard. Harvard is innately good. His friendship with Aiden is a testament to his loyalty. Family is everything but he is blind to his emotions to a degree. Coach is right he spends all his time taking care of other people and not enough taking care of himself. Seiji is codded oddly for me. Before the endgame, I would have put it down to a minor racial stereotype, but after that, I went back to another reading. His coding is almost minorly autistic rather than simply unsocialised among young people. He can't read emotion and is a pure fact all the time, even showing emotion isn't easy for him. He's an interesting contrast to the others, he's quite intimidating. Nicholas also as no social awareness but it turns out he raised himself more or less. This book and the characterisation decisions made show them as essentially two sides of a coin, as Pacat has been alluding to through Coach in the comics. Nicholas hides a tremendous amount of insecurity under a perfect armour, Jesse is one of the few who can get through it.

Some details that I need to mention.

Harvard Paw, Aiden's bear, is quite possibly the cutest thing I've read in a book in years. The origins behind it and what it means to both Aiden and Harvard almost broke me.

Jesse's tone and arrogance were on point. The phrase "bright as ice" used to describe his tone is fantastic.

That watch... just what kind of monstrosity?

One of Aiden and Harvard's favourite films to watch together is The Princess Bride. Of course, it is. Just yes.

Rosina is possibly one of the books biggest yet most insignificant at the same time surprises. We do love a resilient woman.

Essentially this book isn't just a book for the fans. Anyone with an interest in the blurb could pick it up and read it with enjoy it. Will fans enjoy it more? Quite likely, we know the world, have an attachment to the characters already. And the characters, world and situation have transferred quite nicely. But the plot is not dependant on your knowledge of any of the Fence comics, everything you need to know from the importance of the Coste's to basic fencing terms are included. I would say it's a 3.5 for non-fans, 4.5 for fans. But Sarah Rees Brenann needs to be praised for creating a book that could be read by both. On the back cover of the edition I'm reviewing it's introduced as the first book in a new series, I hope that series comes to fruition there is certainly plenty in that conclusion for it. (while not being a cliff hanger if it is the only book)

#fence: striking distance #fence #sarah rees brennan #c.s. pacat #book review #ktreviews #read 2020

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grigori77 · 4 years ago

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2020 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 1)

30. BODY CAM – in the face of the ongoing pandemic, viral outbreak cinema has become worryingly prescient of late, but as COVID led to civil unrest in some quarters there were a couple of 2020 films that REALLY seemed to put their finger on the pulse of another particularly shitty zeitgeist. Admittedly this first one highlights a problem that’s been around for a while now, but it came along at just the right time to gain particularly strong resonance, filtering its message into the most reliable form of allegorical social commentary – horror. The vengeful ghost trope has become pretty familiar since the Millennium, but by marrying it with the corrupt cop thriller veteran horror screenwriter Nicholas McCarthy (The Pact) has given it a nice fresh spin, and the end result is a real winner. Mary J. Blige plays troubled LAPD cop Renee Lomito-Smith, back on the beat after an extended hiatus following a particularly harrowing incident, just as fellow officers from her own precinct begin to die violent deaths under mysterious circumstances, and the only clues are weird, haunting camera footage that only Renee and her new partner, rookie Danny Holledge (Paper Towns and Death Note’s Nat Wolff), manage to see before it inexplicable wipes itself. Something supernatural is stalking the City of Angels at night, and it’s got a serious grudge against local cops as the increasingly disturbing investigation slowly brings an act of horrific police brutality to light, until Renee no longer knows who in her department she can trust. This is one of the most insidious scare-fests I enjoyed this past year, sophomore director Malik Vitthal (Imperial Dreams) weaving an effective atmosphere of pregnant dread and wire-taut suspense while delivering some impressively hair-raising shocks (the stunning minimart sequence is the film’s undeniable highlight), while the ghostly threat is cleverly thought-out and skilfully brought to “life”. Blige delivers another top-drawer performance, giving Renee a winning combination of wounded fragility and steely resolve that makes for a particularly compelling hero, while Wolff invests Danny with skittish uncertainty and vulnerability in one of his strongest performances to date, and Dexter star David Zayas brings interesting moral complexity to the role of their put-upon superior, Sergeant Kesper. In these times of heightened social awareness, when the police’s star has become particularly tarnished as unnecessary force, racial profiling and cover-ups have become major hot-button topics, the power and relevance of this particular slice of horror cinema cannot be denied.

29. BLOOD QUANTUM – 2020 certainly was a great year for horror (even if most of the high profile stuff did get shunted into 2021), and this compellingly fresh take on the zombie outbreak genre was a strong standout with a killer hook. Canadian writer-director Jeff Barnaby (Rhymes for Young Ghouls) has always clung close to his Native American roots, and he brings strong social relevance to the intriguing early 80s Canadian setting as a really nasty zombie virus wreaks havoc in the Red Crow Indian Reservation and its neighbouring town. It soon becomes clear, however, that members of the local tribe are immune to the infection, a revelation with far-reaching consequences as the outbreak rages unchecked and society begins to crumble. Barnaby pulls off some impressive world-building and creates a compellingly grungy post-apocalyptic vibe as the story progresses, while the zombies themselves are a visceral, scuzzy bunch, and there’s plenty of cracking set-pieces and suitably full-blooded kills to keep the gore-hounds happy, while the horror has real intelligence behind it, the script posing interesting questions and delivering some uncomfortable answers. The characters, meanwhile, are a well-drawn, complex bunch, no black-and-white saviours among them, any one of them capable of some pretty inhuman horrors when the chips are down, and the cast, an interesting mix of seasoned talent and unknowns, all excel in their roles – Michael Greyeyes (Fear the Walking Dead) and Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant) are the closest things the film has to real heroes, the former a fallible everyman as Traylor, the small-town sheriff who’s just trying to do right by his family, the latter unsure of himself as his son, put-upon teenage father-to-be Joseph; Olivia Scriven, meanwhile is tough but vulnerable as his pregnant white girlfriend Charlie, Stonehorse Lone Goeman is a grizzled badass as tough-as-nails tribal elder Gisigu, and Kiowa Gordon (probably best known for playing a werewolf in the Twilight movies) really goes to the dark side as Joseph’s delinquent half-brother Lysol, while there’s another memorably subtle turn from Dead Man’s Gary Farmer as unpredictable loner Moon. This was definitely one of the year’s darkest films – largely playing the horror straight, it tightens the screws as the situation grows steadily worse, and almost makes a virtue of wallowing in its hopeless tone – but there’s a fatalistic charm to all the bleakness, even in the downbeat yet tentatively hopeful climax, while it’s hard to deny the ruthless efficiency of the violence on display. This definitely isn’t a horror movie for everyone, but those with a strong stomach and relatively hard heart will find much to enjoy here. Jeff Barnaby is definitely gonna be one to watch in the future …

28. THE MIDNIGHT SKY – Netflix’ big release for the festive season is a surprisingly understated and leisurely affair, a science fiction drama of big ideas which nonetheless doesn’t feel the need to shout about it. The latest feature in the decidedly eclectic directorial career of actor George Clooney, this adaptation of Good Morning, Midnight, the debut novel of up-and-coming author Lily Brooks-Dalton, favours characterisation and emotion over big thrills and flashy sequences, but it’s certainly not lacking in spectacle, delivering a pleasingly ergonomically-designed view of the near future of space exploration that shares some DNA with The Martian but makes things far more sleek and user-friendly in the process. Aether, a NASA mission to explore K-23, a newly-discovered, potentially habitable moon of Jupiter, is on its return journey, but is experiencing baffling total communications blackouts from Earth. This is because a catastrophic global event has rendered life on the planet’s surface all but impossible, killing most of the population and driving the few survivors underground. K-23’s discoverer, professor Augustine Lofthouse (Clooney), is now alone at a small research post in the extreme cold of the Arctic, one of the only zones left that have not yet been fully effected by the cataclysm, refusing to leave his post after having discovered he’s dying from a serious illness, but before he goes he’s determined to contact the crew of Aether so he can warn them of the conditions down on Earth. Despite the ticking clock of the plot, Clooney has reigned the pace right in, allowing the story to unspool slowly as we’re introduced to the players who calmly unpack their troubles and work over the various individual crises with calm professionalism – that said, there are a few notable moments of sudden, fretful urgency, and these are executed with a palpable sense of chaotic tension that create interesting and exciting punctuation to the film’s usually stately momentum, reminding us that things could go suddenly, catastrophically wrong for these people at any moment. Clooney delivers a gloriously understated performance that perfectly grounds the film, while there are equally strong, frequently DAMN POWERFUL turns from a uniformly excellent cast, notably Felicity Jones and David Oyelowo as pregnant astronaut Dr. “Sully” Sullivan and her partner, mission Commander Adewole, and a surprisingly subtle, nuanced performance from newcomer Caoilinn Springall as Iris, a young girl mistakenly left behind at the outpost during the hasty evacuation, with whom Lofthouse develops a deeply affecting bond. The film has been criticised for its slowness, but I think in this age of BIGGER, LOUDER, MORE this is a refreshingly low-key escape from all the noise, and there’s a beautiful trade-off in the script’s palpable intelligence, strong character work and world-building (then again, the adaptation was by Mark L. Smith, who co-wrote The Revenant), while this is a visually stunning film, Clooney and cinematographer Martin Ruhe (Control, The Keeping Room) weaving an evocative visual tapestry that rewards the soul as much as the eye. Unapologetically smart, engrossingly played and overflowing with raw, emotional power, this is science fiction cinema at its most cerebral, and another top mark for a somewhat overlooked filmmaking talent which deserves to be considered alongside career highs such as Good Night & Good Luck and The Ides of March.

27. PALM SPRINGS – the summer’s comedy highlight kind of snuck in under the radar, becoming something of an on-demand secret weapon with all the cinemas closed, and it definitely deserves its swiftly growing cult status. You certainly can’t believe it’s the feature debut of director Max Barbakow, who shows the kind of sharp-witted, steady-handed control of his craft that’s usually the province of far more experienced talents … then again, much of the credit must surely go to seasoned TV comedy writer Andy Siara (Lodge 49), for whom this has been a real labour of love he’s been tending since his film student days. Certainly all that care, nurture and attention to detail is up there on the screen, the exceptional script singing its irresistible siren song from the start and providing fertile ground for its promising new director to spread his own creative wings. The premise may be instantly familiar – playing like a latter-day Saturday Night Live take on Groundhog Day (Siara admits it was a major influence), it follows the misadventures of Sarah (How I Met Your Mother’s Cristin Miliota), the black sheep maid of honour at her sweet little sister Tala’s (Riverdale’s Camila Mendes) wedding to seemingly perfect hunk Abe (the Arrowverse’s Superman, Tyler Hoechlin), as she finds herself repeating the same high-stress day over and over again after becoming trapped in a mysterious cosmic time-loop along with slacker misanthrope Nyles (Brooklyn Nine Nine megastar Andy Samberg), who’s been stuck in this same situation for MUCH longer – but in Barbakow and Siara’s hands it feels fresh and intriguing, and goes in some surprising new directions before the well-worn central premise can outstay its welcome. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the cast are all excellent – Miliota is certainly the pounding emotional heart of the film, effortlessly lovable as she flounders against her lot, then learns to accept the unique possibilities it presents, before finally resolving to find a way out, while Samberg has rarely been THIS GOOD, truly endearing in his sardonic apathy as it becomes clear he’s been here for CENTURIES, and they make an enjoyably fiery couple with snipey chemistry to burn; meanwhile there’s top-notch support from Mendes and Hoechlin, The OC’s Peter Gallagher as Sarah and Tala’s straight-laced father, the ever-reliable Dale Dickey, a thoroughly adorable turn from Jena Freidman and, most notably, a full-blooded scene-stealing performance from the mighty J.K. Simmonds as Roy, Nyles’ nemesis, who he inadvertently trapped in the loop before Sarah and is, understandably, none too happy about it. This really is an absolute laugh-riot, today’s more post-modern sense of humour allowing the central pair (and their occasional enemy) to indulge in far more extreme consequence-free craziness than Bill Murray ever got away with back in the day, but like all the best comedies there’s also a strong emotional foundation under the humour, leading us to really care about these people and what happens to them, while the story throws moments of true heartfelt power at us, particularly in the deeply cathartic climax. Ultimately this was one of the year’s biggest surprises, a solid gold gem that I can’t recommend enough.

26. THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME – Body Cam’s fellow heavyweight Zeitgeist fondler is a deeply satirical chunk of speculative dystopian sci-fi clearly intended as a cinematic indictment of Trump’s broken America, but it became far more potent and prescient in these … ahem … troubled times. Adapted by screenwriter Karl Gadjusek (Oblivion, Stranger Things, The King’s Man) from the graphic novel by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini for underrated schlock-action cinema director Olivier Megaton (Transporter 3, Colombiana, the last two Taken films), this Netflix original feature seemed like a fun way to kill a cinema-deprived Saturday night in the middle of the First Lockdown, but ultimately proved to have a lot more substance than expected. It’s powered by an intriguing premise – in a nearly lawless 2024, the US government is one week away from implementing a nationwide synaptic blocker signal called the API (American Peace Initiative) which will prevent the public from being able to commit any kind of crime – and focuses on a strikingly colourful bunch of outlaw antiheroes with an audacious agenda – prodigious Detroit bank robber Bricke (Édgar Ramiréz) is enlisted by Kevin Cash (Funny Games and Hannibal’s Michael Carmen Pitt), a wayward scion of local crime family the Dumois, and his hacker fiancée Shelby Dupree (Material Girl’s Anna Brewster) to pull off what’s destined to be the last great crime in American history, a daring raid on the first night of the signal to steal over a billion dollars from the Motor City’s “money factory” and then escape across the border into Canada. From this deceptively simple premise a sprawling action epic was born, carried along by a razor sharp, twisty script and Megaton’s typically hyperbolic, showy auteur directing style and significant skill at crafting thrillingly explosive set-pieces, while the cast consistently deliver quality performances. Ever since Domino, Ramiréz has long been one of those actors I really love to watch, a gruff, quietly intense alpha male whose subtle understatement hides deep reserves of emotional intensity, while Dupree takes a character who could have been a thinly-drawn femme fetale and invests her with strong personal drive and steely resolve, and there’s strong support from Neil Blomkampf regulars Sharlto Copley and Brandon Auret as, respectively, emasculated beat cop Sawyer and brutal Mob enforcer Lonnie French, as well as a nearly unrecognisable Patrick Bergin as local kingpin (and Kevin’s father) Rossi Dumois; the film is roundly stolen, however, by Pitt, a phenomenal actor I’ve always thought we just don’t see enough of, here portraying a spectacularly sleazy, unpredictable force of nature who clearly has his own dark agenda, but whom we ultimately can’t help rooting for even as he stabs us in the back. This is a cracking film, a dark and dangerous thriller of rare style and compulsive verve that I happily consider to be Megaton’s best film to date BY FAR – needless to say it was a major hit for Netflix when it dropped, clearly resonating with its audience given what’s STILL going on in the real world, and while it may have been roundly panned in reviews I think, like some of the platform’s other glossier Original hits (Bright springs to mind), it’s destined for a major critical reappraisal and inevitable cult status before too long …

25. BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC – one of the year’s biggest surprise hits for me was also one I was really nervous about – the original Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and its just-as-good sequel Bogus Journey have been personal favourites for years, pretty much part of my geeky developmental DNA during my youth, two gleefully dorky indulgences that have, against the odds, aged like fine wine for me over the years. I love Bill and Ted SO MUCH, so like many of the fans I’ve always wanted a third film, but I knew full well how easy it would have been for it to turn out to be a turd (second sequels can be tricky things, and we’ve seen SO MANY fail over the years). God bless Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves for never giving up on the possibilities, then, and for the original screenwriters, Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, for writing something that does true justice and pays proper respect to what came before while fully realising how much times have changed in the TWENTY-NINE YEARS that have passed since Wyld Stallyns last graced our screens. Certainly times have moved on for our irrepressible pair – in spite of their convictions, driven by news from the distant future that their music would unite the world and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity, Bill and Ted have spectacularly failed to achieve what was expected of them, and they’ve grown despondent even though they’re still happily married to the Princesses and now the fathers of two wonderful girls, Billie and Thea (Atypical’s Brigette Lundy-Paine and Ready Or Not’s Samara weaving). Then an emissary from the future arrives to inform them that if they don’t write the song that unites the world TODAY, the whole of reality will cease to exist. No pressure, then … it may have been almost three decades, but our boys are BACK in a riotous comedy adventure that delivers on all the promises the franchise ever made before. Winter and particularly Reeves may have both gone onto other things since, but they step back into their roles with such ease it’s like Bill and Ted have never been away, perfectly realising not only their characters today but also various future incarnations as they resolve to go forward in time to take the song from themselves AFTER they’ve already written it (a most triumphant and fool-proof plan, surely); Lundy-Paine and Weaving, meanwhile, are both absolutely FANTASTIC throughout, creating a pair of wonderfully oddball, eccentric and thoroughly adorable characters who would be PERFECT to carry the franchise forward in the future, while it’s an absolute joy to see William Sadler return as Bogus Journey’s fantastically neurotic incarnation of Death himself, and there are quality supporting turns from Flight of the Conchords’ Kristen Schaal, Anthony Carrigan, Holland Taylor and of course Hal Landon Jr., once again returning as Ted’s grouchy cop father Captain Logan. The plot is thoroughly bonkers and of course makes no logical sense, but then they’re never meant to in these movies – the whole point is just to have fun and GO WITH IT, and it’s unbelievably easy when the comedy hit rate is THIS HIGH – turns out third time really is the charm for Matheson and Solomon, who genuinely managed a hat trick with the whole trilogy, while there was no better choice of director to usher this into existence than Dean Parisot, the man who brought us Galaxy Quest. This is the perfect climax to a trilogy we’ve been waiting YEARS to see finally completed, but it’s also shown a perfect way to forge ahead in new and interesting ways with the next generation – altogether, then, this is another most excellent adventure …

24. TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG – Justin Kurzel has been on my directors-to-watch list for a while now, each of his offerings impressing me more than the last (his home-grown Aussie debut, Snowtown, was a low key wallow in Outback nastiness, while his follow up, Macbeth, quickly became one of my favourite Shakespeare flicks, and I seem to be one of the frustrated few who actually genuinely loved his adaptation of Assassin’s Creed, considering it to be one the very best video game movies out there), and his latest is no exception – returning to his native Australia, he’s brought his trademark punky grit and fever-dream edginess to bear in his quest to bring his country’s most famous outlaw to the big screen in a biopic truly worthy of his name. Two actors bring infamous 19th Century bushranger Ned Kelly to life here, and they’re both exceptional – the first half of the film sees newcomer Orlando Schwerdt explode onto the screen as the child Ned, all righteous indignation and fiery stubbornness as he rails against the positions his family’s poverty continually put him in, then George MacKay (Sunshine On Leith, Captain Fantastic) delivers the best performance of his career in the second half, a barely restrained beast as Ned grown, his mercurial turn bringing the man’s inherent unpredictability to the fore. The Babadook’s Essie Davis, meanwhile, frequently steals the film from both of them as Ellen, the fearsome matriarch of the Kelly clan, and Nicholas Hoult is similarly impressive as Constable Fitzpatrick, Ned’s slimily duplicitous friend/nemesis, while there are quality supporting turns from Charlie Hunnam and Russell Crowe as two of the most important men of Ned’s formative years. In Kurzel’s hands, this account of Australia’s greatest true-life crime saga becomes one of the ultimate marmite movies – its glacial pace, grubby intensity and frequent brutality will turn some viewers off, but fans of more “alternative” cinema will find much to enjoy here. There’s a blasted beauty to its imagery (this is BY FAR the bleakest the Outback’s ever looked on film), while the screenplay from relative unknown Shaun Grant (adapting Peter Carey’s bestselling novel) is STRONG, delivering rich character development and sublime dialogue, and Kurzel delivers some brilliantly offbeat and inventive action beats in the latter half that are well worth the wait. Evocative, intense and undeniable, this has just the kind of irreverent punk aesthetic that I’m sure the real life Ned Kelly would have approved of …

23. MUST MERCY – more true-life cinema, this time presenting an altogether classier account of two idealists’ struggle to overturn horrific racial injustices in Alabama. Writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12, The Glass Castle) brings heart, passion and honest nobility to the story of fresh-faced young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his personal crusade to free Walter “Johnny D” McMillan (Jamie Foxx), an African-American man wrongfully sentenced to death for the murder of a white woman. His only ally is altruistic young paralegal Eva Ansley (Cretton’s regular screen muse Brie Larson), while the opposition arrayed against them is MAMMOTH – not only do they face the cruelly racist might of the Alabama legal system circa 1989, but a corrupt local police force determined to circumvent his efforts at every turn and a thoroughly disinterested prosecutor, Tommy Chapman (Rafe Spall), who’s far too concerned with his own personal political ambitions to be any help. The cast are uniformly excellent, Jordan and Foxx particularly impressing with career best performances that sear themselves deep into the memory, while there’s a truly harrowing supporting turn from Rob Morgan as Johnny D’s fellow Death Row inmate Herbert, whose own execution date is fast approaching. This is courtroom drama at its most gripping, Cretton keeping the inherent tension cranked up tight while tugging hard on our heartstrings for maximum effect, and the result is a timely, racially-charged throat-lumper of considerable power and emotional heft that guarantees there won’t be a single dry eye in the house by the time the credits roll. Further proof, then, that Destin Daniel Cretton is one of those rare talents of his generation – next up is his tour of duty in the MCU with Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings, and while this seems like a strange leftfield turn given his previous track record, I nevertheless have the utmost confidence in him after seeing this …

22. UNDERWATER – at first glance, this probably seems like a strange choice for the year’s Top 30 – a much-maligned, commercially underperforming glorified B-movie creature-feature headlined by the former star of the Twilight franchise, there’s no way that could POSSIBLY be any good, surely? Well hold your horses, folks, because not only is this very much worth your time and a comprehensive suspension of your low expectations, but I can’t even consider this a guilty pleasure – as far as I’m concerned this is a GENUINELY GREAT FILM, without reservation. The man behind the camera is William Eubank, a director whose career I’ve been following with great interest since his feature debut Love (a decidedly odd but strangely beautiful little space movie) and its more high profile but still unapologetically INDIE follow-up The Signal, and this is the one where he finally delivers wholeheartedly on all that wonderful sci-fi potential. The plot is deceptively simple – an industrial conglomerate has established an instillation drilling right down to the very bottom of the Marianas Trench, the deepest point in our Earth’s oceans, only for an unknown disaster to leave six survivors from the operation’s permanent crew stranded miles below the surface with very few escape options left – but Eubank and writers Brian Duffield (Spontaneous, Love & Monsters, Jane Got a Gun, Insurgent) and Adam Cozad (The Legend of Tarzan) wring all the possible suspense and fraught, claustrophobic terror out of the premise to deliver a piano wire-tense horror thriller that grips from its sudden start to a wonderfully cathartic climax. The small but potent cast are all on top form, Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick (Netflix’ Iron Fist) and John Gallagher Jr. (Hush, 10 Cloverfield Lane) particularly impressing, and even the decidedly hit-and-miss T.J. Miller delivers a surprisingly likeable turn here, but it’s that Twilight alumnus who REALLY sticks in your memory here – Kristen Stewart’s been doing a pretty good job lately distancing herself from the role that, unfortunately, both made her name and turned her into an object of (very unfair) derision for many years, but in my opinion THIS is the performance that REALLY separates her from Bella effing-Swan. Mechanical engineer Norah Price is tough, ingenious and fiercely determined, but with the right amount of vulnerability that we really root for her, and Stewart acts her little heart out in a turn sure to win over her strongest detractors. The creature effects are impressive too, the ultimate threat proving some of the nastiest, most repulsively icky creations I’ve seen committed to film, and the inspired design work and strong visual effects easily belie the film’s B-movie leanings. Those made uneasy by deep, dark open water or tight, enclosed spaces should take heed that this can be a tough watch, but anyone who likes being scared should find plenty to enjoy here. Altogether a MUCH better film than its mediocre Rotten Tomatoes rating makes it out to be …

21. PENINSULA – back in 2016, Korean director Yeon Sang-ho and writer Park Joo-suk took the tired old zombie outbreak trope and created something surprisingly fresh with their darkly satirical action horror Train to Busan. The film was, deservedly, a massive international smash hit and a major shot in the arm for the sub-genre on the big screen, so a sequel was inevitable, but when the time came for them to follow it up they did the smart thing and went in a very different direction. Jettisoning much of the humour to create something much darker and more intense, they also ramped the action quotient right up to eleven, creating a nightmarish post-apocalyptic version of Korea which has been quarantined from the rest of the world for the last four years, where the few uninfected survivors eke out a dangerous day-to-day existence amidst the burgeoning undead hordes, and the value of human life has plummeted dramatically. Into this hell-on-earth must venture a small band of Korean refugees, sent by a Hong Kong crime boss to retrieve a multi-million dollar payday in stolen loot that got left behind in the evacuation, led by former ROK Marine Corps Captain Jung-seok (Secret Reunion’s Gang Don-won), a man with a tragic past he has to make up for. Needless to say, nothing goes according to plan … Train to Busan was an unexpected masterpiece of the genre, but I was even more bowled over by this, particularly since I got to see this on the big screen on Halloween night itself, just before the UK cinemas closed down again for the Second Lockdown. This certainly is a film that NEEDS to be seen first on the big screen – the fully-realised hellscape of undead-overrun Seoul is spectacularly immersive, the perfect cinematic playground for the film’s most impressive set-pieces, two astounding, protracted high-speed chases with searchlight-and-flair-lit all-terrain vehicles racing through the dark streets pursued by tidal waves of feral zombies. Sure, the plot is predictable and the tone gets a little overblown and maudlin at times, while some of the characters are drawn in decidedly broad strokes, but the breathless pace rarely lets up throughout, and there are moments of genuine fiendish genius on offer here, particularly in a truly disturbing centrepiece sequence in which desperate human captives are set against slavering undead in a makeshift amphitheatre for sport, as well as a particularly ingenious use for radio-controlled cars. And the cast are brilliant, with Don-won providing a suitably robust but also pleasingly fallible, wounded hero, while Hope’s Lee Re and newcomer Lee Ye-won are irrepressibly feisty and thoroughly adorable as the young girls who rescue him from certain death among the ruins. Altogether, this is horror cinema writ large, played more for thrills than scares but knuckle-whitening and brutally effective nonetheless, and in a year where outbreak horror became all too real for us anyway it was nice to be able to enjoy something a little more escapist anyway – given the strength of its competition in 2020, this top-notch sequel to a true genre gem did very well indeed to place this high. I’ll admit, I wouldn’t say no to thirds …

#body cam #body cam movie #blood quantum #the midnight sky #Palm Springs #palm springs movie #the last days of american crime #bill and ted face the music #true history of the kelly gang #just mercy #underwater #underwater movie #underwater 2020 #peninsula #train to busan presents: peninsula #2020 in movies

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crystaljins · 5 years ago

Text

Take a chance. | 01

Characters: Jungkook x Reader

Word count: 4.7K

Synopsis: You should have known the second your business partner asked you to plan his best friend’s wedding as a favour that it was going to be nothing but trouble. Especially when it turns out he’s in love with said best friend. And dying of a deadly disease because of it.

Hanahaki!au

Notes: This fic took me more than 6 months to write. It’s been in development since January. It is, by far, the longest and hardest fic I have written yet and there’s still a lot of things I’m unsure about in terms of how the characters act and how they are characterised. But I put so much effort in that I think it’s a waste not to share it with you guys. So without any further ado, I present to you my latest project.

Warnings: Angst. Graphic depictions of vomiting. Mentions of illness and death.

Masterlist

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

You’ve come across Hanahaki before. After all, your brother is a doctor who specialises in treating it. But more than that- it’s a disease that comes from unrequited love, and since you are a wedding planner, it would be more surprising if you hadn’t encountered a few bruised hearts along the way. Weddings just seems to be a place where unrequited love exposes itself. A bridesmaid, with a bit of an unexplained cough in the days leading up to the wedding, or maybe a groomsman who looks a little pale on the day of the rehearsal dinner, or even once when the cleaners reported to you that they found the dreaded petals that are a hallmark of the deadly disease scattered all over the bathroom floor but cleaned it up before anyone could see. Before the wedding could be ruined. After all, nothing puts a damper on a wedding like one of its attendees suffering from the dreaded Hanahaki disease. But you’ve never encountered it in such proximity as you are in this moment- most people will hide the disease until they are able to get treatment, in the form of therapy, or even hypnotherapy or surgery in more severe cases. You usually don’t know about it until after the wedding but here it is, right in front of you, before you’d even started. The crimson rose petals look like blood splatters across the pristine white tiles of the bathroom floor.

When the manager to your small event-planning business, the very man who had helped you start it up five years ago and had been your partner since, first asked you to plan his best friend’s wedding, you’d thought it would be a relatively simple affair. You certainly never could have imagined that your quiet business partner could be suffering to such a degree right beneath your nose. Outside the bathroom, the engagement party that he had invited you to is in full swing. You’d come to meet his best friend, your new client- she had apparently seen the viral video that launched your career as a wedding planner many years ago and begged Jungkook to invite you. Honestly, as long as she didn’t ask for a discount, you were more than happy to plan her wedding for her. Jungkook, though not the most reliable person in the world, and not even your favourite coworker, has a big heart and good intentions and you’d have to be heartless to turn down a favour to him.

That was how this all started- at his invite you had worn one of your nicer dresses and made your trek to the engagement party with the intention of meeting your next clients. Only, when you had turned up earlier in the night, he had been nowhere to be found despite having invited you and you didn’t know what the bride-to-be or her fiancé looked like. After ploughing awkwardly through small talk with people you didn’t know and searching desperately for Jungkook, you’d opted to lock yourself in the small bathroom to try and call him.

Only to find him collapsed and surrounded by the eerie rose petals behind the door he’d forgotten to unlock. Jungkook gazes up at you with slightly fearful, unfocused eyes. They are bloodshot, perhaps from the effort of the hacking cough that no doubt accompanied such an episode. His hair, which is always a little fluffy and messy because he falls asleep at his desk and presses it into weird shapes by doing so, is a total mess now. It sticks up in every direction. You hadn’t noticed it before now, but he’s also lost weight- his cheek bones have lost that soft, round appearance they’d had when he’d first approached you to start a business together. Now his face is all sharp angles. And his entire body shakes with the effort he has just exerted.

“Jungkook,” You croak, and you wince at the way your voice comes out. “Wha-“

“Will you still organise her wedding?” He interrupts, as if your plans to organise his best friend’s wedding is the most pressing part of the predicament you are in. And not, you know, the fact that your assistant, your business partner, the person who’d helped you build your business up from the ground, is dying. In one of the most agonising, miserable ways that someone could slowly die.

“Is that important right now?” You cry. “How long have you-“

You are interrupted right then by a gentle knock on the door.

“Kookie?” You hear a soft, female voice call. “Are you ok? You’ve been in there a while.”

Jungkook’s eyes go round and slightly shiny with panic and the words die in your throat. The woman on the other side of the door is almost definitely the best friend he was talking about- his panicked reaction pretty much confirms it. And since he’s in the bathroom of her engagement party heaving deadly flowers across the sleek white tiles, she’s probably the cause behind his Hanahaki. Exposing his disease would probably be very, very bad. Yet, he’s barely strong enough to lift himself from where he is collapsed against the bathroom cabinet, let alone discard of the bright red rose petals that would expose him as not only being in love with someone who doesn’t love him back, but also to be dying from that love. The doorknob slowly begins to turn since you hadn’t remembered to lock it (although, neither had he).

You don’t know why you help him. Yes, he’s your business partner, but he’s never been more than that. The one and only time you’d ever made an attempt to get to know him outside of a work setting and invited him to come along to an event one of your friends was putting on, he’d politely declined and hightailed it out of there like you’d invited him to join some sort of cult. Your other employees had gleefully agreed and had the time of their lives, but not him. Since then, you’d gotten the hint that he only wanted a professional relationship and had never made any sort of attempt to cross that boundary again. Even coming to this party had been a difficult decision since prior to this request he had been so determined to draw a line in the sand. This is the extent of your relationship- so you have no obligation or reason to help him.

But you want to. Something about the way that he looks at you, fear-stricken and devastated, has your body responding before your mind catches up.

“He’s fine!” You call out to the voice on the other side of the door. The doorknob pauses in its agonisingly slow turn. “He’s just had a little too much to drink!”

“Who’s that?” The woman’s voice responds, sounding surprised and a little alarmed. Jungkook winces.

“I’m a friend of Jungkook’s.” You answer back. “It’s a massive mess in here, trust me, you do not want to come in right now. He’s vomited. Like, everywhere.” You explain in a flustered panic.

“He has? Oh my goodness- hold on, I’ll-“ The woman exclaims, about to burst in and ruin both her life and her best friend’s.

“Don’t worry about him, ok? He’s fine. I’ll take clean up and take him home- enjoy your engagement party!” You urge hastily before she can do it. There is a moment of silence on the other side.

“Kook,” The voice calls softly. “Is that true?”

Jungkook stares at you for a long moment in complete and utter bewilderment. Like he can’t fathom why you’re helping him. Honestly, neither can you. He’s not even been a particularly good manager. He always double books your appointments and keeps spilling food crumbs on the keyboard and breaking it when they get stuck between the keys. And the other week he broke the coffee machine and both Seokjin and Seri had had mental breakdowns as a direct result. Even if this business was only started because he helped you when no one else did, it had been in an entirely professional sense. He had made that much clear. And professionals wouldn’t help each other with a messy and complicated situation like this- if it were Seokjin you wouldn’t have even come to the engagement party.

“Yes.” He croaks. “I’m fine, Minah.” His voice is raspy and cracked, and it actually sounds like he’s been heaving his guts out. Which, he sort of has. Just, not because of alcohol.

“If you’re sure.” She answers and then she leaves- she is probably keen to return to her engagement party and not that keen to clean vomit off the floor of her fiancé’s bathroom.

The two of you are silent as you crouch down. There’s a dustpan tucked beneath the bathroom sink. You use it to gather up the petals and flush them down the toilet. You then turn to Jungkook- he looks like he’s just run a marathon while suffering from food poisoning. He’s pale and sweaty and the dark circles beneath his eyes look like bruises. Hesitantly, you tug the hand towel off the ring next to the sink and pass it to him.

“Was that her?” You ask. You don’t elaborate further- you don’t really need to. Isn’t he here, on the verge of passing out in the bathroom instead of enjoying the party thrown to celebrate his best friend’s happiness? That in itself is telling enough. He’s in love with his best friend. And, if the sweet-smelling petals and engagement party outside are anything to go by, she does not feel the same way.

“Yes.” He says. His voice is close to a whisper. “That was her.”

He lets out a soft, weak groan as he raises the towel and wipes the sweat off his brow. His hair clings to his forehead and his white shirt is slightly translucent because it is now sweat soaked. He’s a complete, total mess.

“How long have you…” Your voice dies in your throat, for some reason. This whole situation is a lot to process and you don’t even know where to start or what to ask. “How long have you been… like this?”

Of course, the real question is, how long have you missed this? How long has your partner been suffering, dying, without you even suspecting it? Perhaps he senses the sheer distress that builds up in you like a tsunami wave for he cannot look you in the eye as he admits his next words.

“Just over a year. Since she… since she started dating him.” He confesses. Your eyes nearly bug out of your head.

“A year?” Thankfully you have the presence of mind not to screech the words, but you don’t have the presence of mind to do much else. “You’ve been going through this for an entire year? Are you… have you been getting treatment?”

The disease is treatable, after all. Usually if the person affected can fall out of love, the disease stops progressing, and that is the aim of treatment. Though the side effect of medical intervention in severe cases like you suspect Jungkook’s is, is to lose all memories of the subject of the unrequited love. And while not everyone has to lose their memories to recover from the disease, it’s difficult- impossible for some- to fall out of love without such intervention. It’s why most people who suffer from Hanahaki must endure a combination of surgery, therapy and medication to help them move on. It’s a terrible price to pay for recovery, but the alternative is death.

But Jungkook does not assuage your worries with hasty assurance. Instead, he stares up at you almost balefully and that answers your question. How else could the disease have progressed so far? It looks like an entire bouquet was brutally murdered and left for dead on the floor in front of you. You feel slightly ill yourself- an entire year, suffering on his own. Not once, in that entire year, did Jungkook ask for help. He didn’t take a single sick day. He didn’t complain when you or your other employees got cranky with him for screwing up the rosters or breaking the photocopier or missing his appointment with the accountant.

“Why not?” You breathe, even as tears pool in your eyes and threaten to spill forth. Jungkook’s expression crumples.

“I couldn’t…” He can’t bring himself to say the words for a moment. He takes a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. Finally, he looks up at you, and he looks embarrassed. Ashamed. “I didn’t want to forget her. The doctors said that might be the only way for me to get better. She’s my best friend and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing the happiest moments of my life… and I was worried she’d get hurt if she knew.”

“Oh Jungkook,” You cry. “But why didn’t you tell us? We could have helped you! We could have done something!”

He looks a little sheepish.

“I… didn’t think you needed to know.” He admits.

Oh.

Oh…

For a moment, you are speechless, but then you regain your composure. In all this, how could you forget? Jungkook isn’t your friend. He doesn’t want to be and has never wanted to be. Still… you thought that even though your relationship was to remain strictly professional, that starting a business together meant something- that you could, at the very least, be friends. Clearly not.

“Right.” You say, and you wince at the hurt in your own tone. Jungkook looks surprised to hear it as well. “No, of course. It’s not like we’re partners or anything, right? We’re on a strictly need-to-know basis. It’s stupid for me to care about you since you clearly don’t care about me, so obviously we wouldn’t share about this sort of thing-“

“(Y/N)-“ Jungkook weakly interrupts in a protest, looking surprisingly guilty. “I didn’t mean it like that, I just-“

“It’s fine.” You cut him off hastily, though you avoid his gaze. “Let’s just get you cleaned up and go home, ok?”

Jungkook looks like it is not fine, but he is too weak and exhausted to protest or to try and convince you otherwise. Instead he is forced to focus what little energy he has left on getting home and you are able to act like you’re not upset until you are safely within the confines of your own apartment.

It is there that you crumble weakly to the ground and allow the question you’ve been avoiding the whole time to fill your mind.

What are you going to do?

Days end and days start, and life goes on. You still have to go in for work the next day regardless of what you discovered about your business partner. Thankfully, you don’t have to deal with him straight away- in the morning you take two clients on a venue tour to help them decide where they might like to hold their ceremony, and just before lunch Seri and Seokjin contact you demanding to try a new patisserie that opened up. They claim it would be a great place to trial cake testing and recommend future clients looking for someone to make a cake for their wedding, but you also know the two trouble makers just want to eat cake on the company card.

“Is… Jungkook going to come?” You question hesitantly.

“Does he ever come with us anywhere? He’s skipped five company dinners in a row now.” Seokjin points out impatiently. Seri has you on speaker and you hear her cheer her agreement. “Besides, he’s not the one booking things for clients, we are. He doesn’t need to know if the cakes taste good. We can bring him back one if it matters that much.”

That’s all the convincing you need- it means you can avoid Jungkook just that little longer. It is not like you think less of him, or anything, for being in love with his best friend, or that you are upset that he didn’t tell you. It’s more that you don’t know how to react. One of the reasons he didn’t tell you or the others was probably that he didn’t want to be treated with kid gloves, but you don’t think you can treat him the same when you now know he’s as sick as he is. Therein lies your dilemma- do you treat him the same, knowing he’s ill and requires more patience and kindness and perhaps more time off? Or do you make allowances for him? But what if he doesn’t want that? And are you meant to keep it a secret from Seokjin and Seri?

Those are the questions that plague your mind all throughout your cake-tasting session. Seri and Seokjin seem to notice your distraction.

“Is everything ok?” Seri, the more astute of the two, questions. She is the most recent hire- Seokjin had been complaining that his good looks were garnering more clients that just the two of you could handle and since Jungkook’s job lay less in the event planning side of things and more in the business management side, eventually he had agreed that you had enough clientele to warrant a third hire. Her efficiency and quick-witted nature had quickly won over clients and she brought with her almost as many connections (which were always helpful to have in this industry) as Seokjin did, which was saying something since Seokjin was the son of a very wealthy family. For a moment, you debate lying to her, but the weight of your discovery is too heavy to bear alone.

“Have either of you ever seen the Hanahaki disease before?” You question. Both pause to consider their answers.

“Isn’t that that disease from unrequited love? The one where you throw up flowers or something if the person you love doesn’t love you back? Of course I have!” Seokjin laughs. “You don’t get this beautiful without a few people falling in love with me.”

“Disgusting and ignorant comment aside, it’s a lot more complicated than that.” Seri protests in response to her co-worker. “It’s not if the person doesn’t love you back- it’s if you think they don’t love you back… Didn’t you see that news article the other day about the couple and that woman with self-esteem issues who ended up with disease even though her partner loved her heaps?”

“Pedantics.” Seokjin says dismissively. “Why are you asking though, (Y/N)?” He pauses mid-bite and then his eyes go wide with horror. “Wait… you’re not suffering from it, are you? Ugh, I always knew the thing you had for Jungkook would get you in trouble, I just didn’t think it would be this bad! I thought maybe since not everyone with unrequited feelings ends up with Hanahaki that you were probably safe but I guess I was wrong-“

“I do not have Hanahaki.” You cut him off icily and then blink a few times. “Wait, who said I have a thing for Jungkook?”

Seokjin coughs awkwardly and shovels an absurdly large mouthful of cake into his mouth to avoid answering. Seri looks contemplative.

“If you don’t have it, why are you suddenly asking about it?” She questions, perceptive and quick-on-the-uptake as always. You wince.

“Oh, you know…” You elaborate vaguely, complete with awkward hand gestures. “I think I saw some petals in the bathroom at that wedding I attended last week. You know the one, with the special car they wanted to drive that I had to go to thirteen different mechanics to fix.”

Both Seokjin and Seri wince with sympathy at the recall. Now that they’ve both been working for you for a significant amount of time, they are more familiar with the more specific and difficult requests some clients have when it comes to planning their weddings.

“Thank goodness it was during the ceremony you discovered it.” Seri exclaims. “Imagine having to deal with someone suffering from Hanahaki while trying to plan an intense wedding like that one?”

“What would you do?” You question, eyeing your cake in what you hope is a nonchalant and uninterested way. You’re trying to look like you’re just making casual conversation about a hypothetical situation rather than trying to ask for advice in a very real, very troubling situation. “If you did discover that? Like… say someone from the bridal party or one of the groomsmen had Hanahaki and you found out just after agreeing to plan the wedding?”

“I would quit, probably.” Seri admits, a hand coming up to flip her hair callously over her shoulder. “One of the reasons I’ve always respected you as my boss is because you always stress that some clients are not worth the money that they bring to us. And a wedding like that sounds like it wouldn’t just be stressful for me- It would be detrimental to our business and reputation. Probably wouldn’t make it to the wedding day, anyway.”

For a moment, you just stare at her, bewildered. But then the truth of her statement sinks in- how could you agree to plan this wedding, when things are just messed up before even starting? You like to pride yourself on your ability to see problems before they happen and fix them- it’s why you’re such a successful wedding planner. So, why would you plan a wedding that you knew would be trouble from the moment Jungkook approached you, hands trembling and eyes wide and imploring? No- no. This is not a wedding you want anything to do with.

There is still the issue that refusing to plan this wedding will not magically heal Jungkook. Who even knows how long he has been in love with his best friend? But you suppose there is only so much you can do for him while respecting his boundaries- as much as it hurts you to just leave him alone when you know that he has been suffering in silence for over a year, there is simply nothing you can do. You’ll speak to him and perhaps put him on annual leave until after the wedding is over. Perhaps he’ll finally get the treatment he needs, then, and then things will be back to normal.

You smile weakly at your two employees and both watch you cautiously, perhaps trying to discern the situation behind your vague but concerning questions.

“Thanks guys. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about.” You tell them dismissively. “Just something to think about- who knows. Maybe we should implement a Hanahaki work policy.”

Any further discussion is stopped there with the arrival of the next cake, some sort of coconut cream masterpiece, and you think your employees have dropped it.

They really hadn’t though.

Of course, it’s one thing to decide not to do the wedding and an entirely different thing to tell Jungkook that. You manage to avoid the office for the rest of the day by dropping Seokjin and Seri off to finish their affairs and then exerting your rare privilege as the owner of the business to have the afternoon off.

Of course, packed as your schedule is, you can only avoid going into the office space you rent for so long. You’re debating on whether you should cancel on the clients you were meant to meet for a preliminary planning meeting that morning in your car when the door to the passenger seat swings open without warning.

You barely manage to restrain a screech and then you recognise the poorly ironed business slacks and wrinkled cotton button-down of your assistant. You’ve scolded him on numerous occasions for his poor attire at work, but he really does try his best. And after he’d set his apartment on fire trying to iron his business clothes and had to crash on Seokjin’s couch for a week, you’d finally just had to accept that this is how Jungkook dresses. Still, while you can forgive the poor attire, you don’t think you can forgive his startling intrusion into your morning dilemma.

“What are you doing here?” You gasp, with a hand clasped over your chest. Oddly enough, he’s grinning, despite his scruffy appearance. At least it seems that he tried to comb his hair this morning. Still, all the hair gel and grooming products in the world could not tame the wild mop that is Jeon Jungkook’s hair. You recognise and acknowledge his efforts, at least.

“I can’t wish my favourite boss a good morning?” He asks, oddly coy and playful, and you wince. Then his expression sobers. “You’re avoiding me, aren’t you?”

“Well, I’m not exactly seeking you out, but avoiding is a bit of a strong word.” You retort with a slight cringe. “I prefer the term “procrastinating the inevitable confrontation we must have.””

Jungkook stares at you for a long, hard moment. Then his expression changes into a sort of smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, but you suppose is meant to be joking and amused.

“What confrontation?” He questions. “Are you going to lecture me on how to comb my hair again? Because I did. Comb my hair I mean. But that’s beside the point, because I’m here to-”

“Jungkook. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re sick. Stop… stop acting like nothing’s wrong.” You interrupt, unwilling to let him beat around the bush.

“It’s a treatable illness.” He points out with a shrug. “But that’s not why I’m here. I wanted to know if you’ll still plan Minah’s wedding for her. It’s really important to her- she saw that one video of that wedding we did back when we were just starting out, and it’s been a dream of hers since then for you to plan it-”

“How is that your top priority right now when you’re literally dying?” You snap, and you clamber out of the car. Your heels click noisily against the smooth concrete of the carpark as you attempt to scurry away from him. He’s quick to follow you though, his scuffed dress shoes squeaking against the ground and signalling his noisy pursuit.

“Please!” He begs. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but it’s really important to her-“

“I don’t care about her, Jungkook.” You almost snarl, as you whirl to face him. He narrowly avoids crashing into your back and stares at you in bewilderment. “I haven’t even met her face to face. I care about you. You’re my friend, despite all your attempts to pretend we aren’t. I owe all my success to the fact that you encouraged me when I was at the lowest point in my life. This business only exists because of your help. And I’m not going to spit on that by planning a wedding that will destroy you. So sorry, but no. I’m not going to plan her wedding.”

You plan to walk off then because you hear the familiar ding indicating that the elevator has arrived, but you pause.

“Don’t come into work today.” You warn. “As of today, you’re using all the sick leave, annual leave, whatever leave there is to take until her wedding is over. And then, once you’ve gotten treatment and are fit to work, you can come back. I know a good doctor, if you need one. But I can’t allow you, in good conscience, to keep working here when your health is so poor. There…” You hesitate. But then you draw a deep breath with finality in your tone. “There will always be a place for you here once you’re recovered. In fact, I hope to see you back here when you’re fully recovered.” You say. The silence rings following your firm farewell. You’re running late for your morning meeting anyway.

A hand wraps around your wrist, pausing your retreat.

“Please don’t do this.” Jungkook protests in a serious tone- it contrasts deeply with the earlier playfulness he had attempted to use to lighten the mood. You glare back with a cold authority that you hope reminds him of the fact that even though he helped you start this business, it is yours, and you are his boss.

“I’m sorry.” You say firmly. “I’m not planning this wedding. Go home and get some rest, Jungkook.”

The elevator doors slide shut and the last thing you see before they do are his eyes, wide and pleading.

#jungkook x reader #jungkook angst #btsboulangerie #jungkook fluff #hanahaki au #writing

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ryttu3k · 4 years ago

Text

I want to have them all on Tumblr, so. Here are my reaction posts, in order, for Resolution of the Daleks and season 12, part 1!

Resolution of the Daleks

Thoughts on Doctor Who - Resolution! Spoilers, obviously!

Okay, negative first, just to get it out of the way. Doctor Who, I really appreciate that you consistently have queer minor characters and queer couples. Just super casual and all, as it should be. Now can you please stop killing off half of said couples? Angstrom's wife, Frankie, now this young guy? It's really not cool.

Don't think the voiceover worked. I feel the prologue would have worked better with just visuals.

Again, Yaz didn't have much to do. The Doctor got a ton of action, Ryan and Graham both had significant interactions with Aaron, Yaz was... just kind of there. I'm hoping that when the show comes back in a year, now that Ryan has largely dealt with his issues, Yaz will get more attention?

UNIT was killed by Brexit?! Fuckin' rude!

Okay, on to the positive!

The Dalek was, frankly, fucking scary. Despite knowing that the Doctor would beat it, obviously, it caused huge swathes of damage and racked up a... rather high body count. Like it felt like a proper threat. Also, its ability to stop the TARDIS tracking it and stuff. Lin's terror felt extremely genuine and it was just nice and horrific overall, like - if it wasn't for the Doctor, it would feel like a genuine threat to the entire Earth.

(Also, it shut down the wifi. On New Years Day. What a monster!)

Oh man that Dalek laughter. Creepy as fuck. The Doctor dragging it in via hologram to dare it to laugh in her face? Fucking iconic.

"I've learned to think like a Dalek." Oof.

Doctor vs Dalek. Not just the physical aspect, but the mental part - the Doctor recognising the seriousness of it, but also having that element of cockiness ("Oh, mate") because, frankly, she's dealt with bigger threats. She's right when she points out that the biggest problem will be if regular humans try to engage it!

Elements of Dark!Doctor when she asks the team - almost desperately - if she gave it enough chances, if she was nice enough. Because the Doctor can get fucking scary around Daleks and she knows it. She's nice. She's friendly. But she's also the Doctor, and the Doctor has done some really damn questionable things to stop the Daleks, and she knows that. Fantastically done and I still desperately want some proper Dark!Doctor.

Really liked the parallels between the Doctor using scrap to make her sonic screwdriver, vs the Dalek using scrap to make its armour. The Doctor makes a tool, the Dalek makes items of war. Of course, well, the Doctor is probably more dangerous just with a swiss army sonic than a Dalek blaster...

I love how the whole, "Dads are complicated... so I've heard" bit could refer to either the loom thing or the Doctor having actual parents or the Doctor being a shitty dad themself XD

Graham was so excited to show off the TARDIS! Like he's just going, "How cool is this?!"

There were some legitimately funny moments! Graham's chair, "I suppose... we'll have to have a... conversation?", "Junkyard chic"... UNIT was killed by Brexit like that's so awful but. But in a kind of funny way.

Okay, now the unsure. Ryan, Graham, and Aaron. Ryan and Graham have sorted out their issues - but Aaron is still such a big overshadowing part of it that it's a bit of a shock when he comes back in. As someone with a similarly shit biological father, I was completely empathising with Ryan in the coffee shop conversation. And I do understand why they wanted reconciliation, so they showed Aaron as acknowledging his bullshit and Ryan ultimately choosing to forgive and save him.

But it's just... not that easy. It's not all going to be perfect just because they stopped a Dalek together. Aaron's neglect hurt Ryan really badly, and it just felt... too easy? Like it helped that Aaron was genuinely contrite, and that he had that good stepfather talk with Graham, but just... yeah, not sure how I feel about it, honestly.

The Doctor's first words to him being, "You weren't at Grace's funeral. Ryan waited for you, you let him down" were so, so good. Like the Doctor is just going "fuck you I'm his father now". Like tbh I think she was 100% prepared to yeet him off the TARDIS and be done with it. Like damn don't emotionally hurt one of her crew.

Some wonderfully savage lines, though. The Doctor's, "You're almost making up for your parenting deficit!"; Aaron and Ryan's, "Is that how you talk to your dad?" "I don't know, he's not been around"; Graham's fucking smirk when Ryan pointedly calls him 'Gramps'.

I did see a suggestion that would have made it much better - instead of the Dalek capturing Aaron, it captures Ryan. First, it ups the threat in the mind of the Doctor and Team TARDIS - this isn't some dickhead, this is one of them. And instead, it's Aaron who reaches out to Ryan, Aaron who risks his life, Aaron who has to come through for Ryan, instead of the other way around. Also would have tied in beautifully with, "Family isn't about DNA, or a name. It's about what you do, and you haven't done enough."

Also, 'srs tech skillz'. With a Z. Doctor why.

In conclusion, I am going to fight Nigel Farage for killing UNIT.

Spyfall part 1

Current response to Doctor Who: making a near-literal SDKFJHGSDASDKFH sound, grabbing a cushion, nearly throWING THE CUSHION.

More intelligent commentary when my brain comes back online.

Okay. Am calm. Am good! We're good.

MAJOR SPOILERS for Doctor Who: Spyfall, part 1!

So yeah I actually literally screamed (kind of... scream-laugh-holy-shit-yes). Like, even before Dhawan finished speaking the, "Or should I say spy... Master?" line because of the way he had said 'spymaster' in full in the line before and there's nothing that grabs my brain like that one word in that one context. It wasn't quite as mindblowing as the Utopia reveal, since, let's face it, it's only been a season since we last saw that magnificant arsehole, but still.

(Actually, since I didn't watch Twelve's run, the last time I saw them was exactly a decade ago in The End of Time, broadcast New Years Day 2010. And I still fucking cry over, "Get out of the way." So. That may have been why I literally screamed lmao)

I mean. It's the Master. I can't not. They're my favourite jerk. This is probably slightly concerning.

Anyway. Comments!

The good

Episode was just flat-out exciting. It reminded me both of the Three and Ten eras, a bit? Fun gadgets, fancy suits, and what ends up being a giant game! Did start wondering when they were talking about spies and codes and stuff. It's basically a puzzle that's been set up for the Doctor to solve. Plus, the way she was pretty much enlisted into it! Thirteen and Dhawan!Master might end up having a more Pertwee-Delgado-esque dynamic, maybe? I would be down for that!

(My introductory episode to the Master was The Mind of Evil. Let's just put it that way XD)

"I'm her best enemy." <3

I mean, in retrospect, isolated house full of high-tech stuff and a wall full of books about the Doctor... oh honey. Long, looong game of playing Spies and Conspiracies just for, apparently, the sheer funsies of it. Oh, honey. They're such a disaster and I love them.

The reveal scene, Jodie's acting. The way she just... freezes and hunches in on herself. She's been hiding her past more than other Doctors have in the past, and suddenly, here is her past!! Right here!! Laughing and joking and right there in front of her! And she's just like, "Ohhh shit, I was not ready to have this conversation again..."

Yasmin and Ryan's dynamic. I do like that they split up the usual combos of Thirteen-Yasmin and Graham-Ryan for once, because I do like seeing the way they play off each other! It makes them feel more cohesive as a group. I liked Ryan trying to comfort Yasmin after her experience.

Post-reveal, I'm now wondering if the weird zappy forest thing is the Master's TARDIS? Something to do with changing and processing DNA into something else? Something based around neurons, with the electric travelling system? Am also wondering what happened to Yasmin while in there, since she seemed to be processed in some way, and I'm wondering if she had part of her DNA rewritten as well - or maybe if she's been replaced entirely, like she's currently piloting an alien version of her own body while her actual self is still in there. They did already do that with Flesh!Amy, though.

Once this arc is over, I think Thirteen is definitely going to have to sit down and tell the Fam who the hell she actually is. Graham is having some serious questions, and the Master was definitely egging that on, pre-reveal.

How much do I love that even in a tux, the Doctor still has the culottes and boots? A lot, that is how much. Also, how much do I love the Doctor in a suit and on a motorbike? A lot, that is how much.

"I've had an upgrade." <3

Thirteen playing Snap. It's okay, Thirteen, you still win my heart <3

"Worst! Uber! Ever!!"

"Kisses!" Yes, we know ;) They've been texting! Someone write me a WhatsApp chat fic with plenty of subtext and double meaning, I require it. Also, memes. You know it's true. The Master isn't a Time Lord, they're a Meme Lord.

"Everything you think you know is a lie." Season hook? :o

The hmm

Main concern is how they're handling the Master's characterisation? Last we saw, they were so ready to jump the Doctor ship. Now it's back to games. Kind of wondering if that means the Master is just at the point of being resigned that they and the Doctor just don't work and so is going back to games because at least it makes them happy, but I'm happy to wait until next week to see how things play out!

Did see a suggestion that this is the Master from one of the alternate universes (or at least that seems to be the general consensus on why there were multiple maps), so not actually necessarily the same version as Missy. Alternatively, this could actually be a pre-Missy version! Maybe between Simm!Master and Missy, since we never actually see that regeneration?

Actually, if this is the one immediately before Missy and this two-parter ends with the Master regenerating and we actually do get Thirteen and Missy together on screen I may cry.

(Like I'm aro-ace and agender but I'm still so gay for both of them. There is no word other for this emotion other than 'I'm gay'.)

I kind of wish someone had double-checked the name of the company because VOR running the world is. Is. "Right now, VOR is more powerful than most nations." Just. *pinches bridge of nose* Like okay you know how we say 'oh yeah just google it' 'yeah I googled it' are they really gonna say 'yeah I just VO

'I'm going to V

I can't say it. I can't.

Apparently the Australia scenes were filmed in South Africa. Kind of assumed it wasn't really Australia as soon as I saw actually greenery in the background h e h.

Highkey wish I could have seen Missy and Thirteen together. Dhawan!Master is very fun so far but. Missy and Thirteen. See comment above about the Master's characterisation!

...ABC are you really going to keep to Thursday night broadcasts even after the UK switches their Sunday nights / our Monday mornings? Well that's a good way to guarantee I'll be watching them online first! I was happy to wait twelve hours or so so I could watch it with Mum, but like hell I'm going to wait three and a half days!

In conclusion, am dead, send help, is it Monday morning yet?

Spyfall part 2

Thoughts on Doctor Who: Spyfall, part 2!

GALLIFREY LOOOOORE.

Oh man I'm hyped. We got a teeny teaser to the Timeless Child way back last decade but now we may actually get to see what the fuck is going on. And hell, if nothing else, at least the discovery is being teased to be so devastating it did undo Missy's characterisation. If this incarnation of the Master is after her, at least. Still not necessarily anything to suggest that. The Master will likely be recurring over this season, so we'll find out more, at least!

God, the Master is so fucked up. Like. He's seen something apparently so massively traumatic that he had to destroy his own planet and legitimately does look broken by it? Unless he was acting, but I did not get that impression from the message at the end. And the only way he can think of to get the Doctor's attention is to start his old tricks? Not sure if it's better or worse for him to be pre-Missy tbh.

It's just... such an interesting dynamic. Also I really want to read into the whole... scene where the Master asks the Doctor to kneel and call him 'Master' in front of everyone - then, when she does (defiantly! Stubbornly!), he... kneels to be at the same level as her. Like, "I'm going to play these BDSM-esque power games with you but when it comes down to it, I still consider us equal."

Anyway the Master is def a service top.

This comment from Tumblr user upslapmeal:

"'why would it stop? I mean how else would I get your attention’ what did I say about the Master being like a cat knocking things off shelves"

I mean. Yeah.

"Contact." Old school.

The Companions! They get a capital C because they were rad as hell. I love them all deciding that what they do next is: carry on to save the world. Like they're all heroic af without the Doctor and it's so good.

"Don't make me do a soft-shoe shuffle!"

And questioning at the end, oooh man. There are some Implications there, yeah. They've found out some surface information, yes, but no real hint at the deeper trauma. And given what this coming season is hinting at, I strongly suspect we will indeed be getting that deeper trauma and maybe even Dark!Doctor. Gallifrey does tend to bring it out of them...

The whole on-the-run thing seemed to definitely be a callback to Sound of Drums. Uh, what's that going to do long-term? Send out a worldwide message saying, "Sorry, our bad, they're fine"? I mean, last time that happened... okay, Jack was already with Torchwood and so is used to Not Really Existing, but Martha definitely couldn't go back to fuckin' medical school. She ended up at UNIT and then went independent. They did not return to their normal lives.

Barton: needs a goddamn punch. He killed his mother what the fuck. On the plus side, at least he seems to have thoroughly destroyed his career? Be interesting to see if he reappears later, you don't go from the most powerful person on the planet to massive pariah overnight without Repercussions.

On to our guest characters! I hate to brag but I guessed who Ada was as soon as I heard her first name and saw her outfit. I mean the computers theme was already there, who else would she be? :D And I admittedly didn't know who Noor Inayat Khan was except in passing, but still. Little upset about the erased memories (Donna ;_; ), but I can see why the Doctor did it and like... this way, I'm glad they were able to avoid the implications of, "Ada only developed computing because she had already seen the future." Like people said that with Rosa Parks even though the Doctor said explicitly to only ensure there were enough seats filled and the act itself was all Rosa, so they may have wanted to play it safe.

I... really want to comment on how Ada definitely was crushing on the Doctor (and really, who wouldn't?), but she was a real person so I shall avoid those implications. (But really though!)

Doctor how many times have you been in someone's liver. This is some Magic School Bus Inside The Human Body bullshit and I love it.

Doctor's recording: "First of all, you're not gonna die! Second of all, don't talk back to the screens, obviously I'm a recording and I can't hear ya. Third, don't panic. Especially you, Graham."

Graham, panicking: "I'M NOT PANICKING!"

Doctor's recording: "Yes, you were! And I did just say, don't talk back to the screens!"

Graham: "????!?!!"

I want an entire series of the Master having a really infuriating seventy-seven years on Earth. Please.

Comments on continuity issues regarding that, "It's worse than Jodrell Bank!" "Did I ever apologise for that?" "No." "Good." exchange XD;; Like people are going, "Continuity error!! It was the Pharos Project, not Jodrell Bank!!" and like. Pharos was a project. Jodrell Bank is an observatory. You can do projects at observatories. Also, you can refer to projects by location, too. Am I referring to the Canberra Deep Space Communication Project or Tidbinbilla Station? Both! They refer to the same thing! In the Whoniverse, they likely did the Pharos Project at Jodrell Bank, and just had some lighthearted bantz about that time where the Master killed the Doctor, no biggie.

So, onwards to... an apparently unrelated episode for next week! Also, the Kassavin? Still there. Like. The Master only gave suggestions. They still have all those agents everywhere! They're still ready to act! And yeah, now they have the Master in their hands, so... I wonder if they'll make the Timeless Child a long, ongoing arc, and have the much more immediate threat of the Kassavin as the season finale?

Orphan 55

Thoughts on Doctor Who - Orphan 55!

...whew.

First thought: anvilicious, but some anvils need to be dropped, because, uh, have you seen the world lately.

It feels like quite a brittle episode? Even beyond the immediate tension of 'there are large angry creatures trying to kill everyone', there's just this sense of... like, tension. There's the tension between Benni and Vilma, which at first is kind of a sweet tension then becomes a life-threatening and sad tension. There's the tension between Roger Parslow Silas and his dad, with Silas not being taken seriously (although I do think him running out while they're in life-threatening danger is a bit much). The obvious and major tension between Bella and Kane that drives the whole episode, yes.

And there's also the tension amongst Team TARDIS! The episode starts with the Doctor still in Some Kinda Way about last week, and I felt a bit of tension between Yaz and Ryan? She seemed rather unimpressed by Bella, at any rate. I do like how organic the relationship between Ryan and Graham feels, at least. "It ain't the aliens that are gonna kill me, it’s worrying about you!"

Set and costume building, I felt, was kind of... eh? I liked how Tranquility itself looked, but the tunnels looked Very Generic, and some of the looks I felt didn't really work. Silas and his dad's green hair just looked very obviously fake, and I saw a description of Hyph3n-with-a-three looking like a cross between a Jellicle Cat and John Candy in Spaceballs (which... yeah, honestly). And I'm not sure about the Dregs, although I did initially have the thought that whatever the original inhabitants of the planet were, they must have been humanoid was amusingly accurate...

"I just pulled this out of a friend of mine! >:("

"Oh! ...We do not make any judgments on our guests and fully support any way you choose to enjoy yourself here at Tranquility Spa! ^_^;;"

"... ... ...It wasn't recreational! o.O"

God you could feel Hyph3n-with-a-three's embarrassment...

"If I had crayons and half a can of Spam, I could build you from scratch!" Excuse me I am at least Tofurky.

Also a logical issue on the whole journey to find Benni, because frankly, it just wasn't... sensible. Okay, bring a kid. Father of the year right there. Okay, bring an old woman. Granted, she could have insisted because it was her man-friend they were looking for, but surely she would have known she would slow them down? Her 'heroic sacrifice' felt very wasted, because dammit, she could have survived if she had stayed in the Dome where it was at least a bit safer!

"At least three eighths of a plan, right here! ...Two eights. I'll be honest, all I've got is the letter 'P'..."

So the Doctor is almost at the point of passing out from oxygen loss but hang on, let her first indulge her curiosity...

The sheer existence of orphan planets is very depressing. The sheer fact that there's at least fifty-five is very depressing.

There's an interesting comment about how straight after discussion of the reveal, the first shot of the preview is the Statue of Liberty. Very Planet of the Apes! (No apes next time, just Tesla vs Edison!) Also feeling a strong connection to Midnight (stunning resort on dangerous planet with a very personal enemy), and I saw a comment about Thirteen unintentionally The-End-Of-The-World-ing the Fam (and making a connection between 'very angry trees' and the Forests of Cheem). Bit of Ravolox. Bit of... fuck what was it... Curse of Fenric.

Although, we know that the Earth will eventually be consumed by the sun, and it was done in a way that was like... it was its time. This was not its time, was a colossal fuck-up on a planetary scale (and the Doctor continues to be 'eat the rich'), but it's also only one potential future. Which is good, because that got dark. Even more than The End of the World, even more than Utopia, even more than fuckin' Frontios, because this is the near-future. The shots we saw of the destruction were modern day! That was the Dome of the Rock you saw getting bombed!

"Be smarter than what made you." PAGING THE GOVERNMENT...

Going to put it on a solid... maybe 7/10? Some really good elements in there, but also some clunkers, and unfortunately not a patch on the same writer's It Takes You Away, which was one of the strongest of the last season.

Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror

Thoughts on Doctor Who - Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror!

Opinion before episode: man, Tesla's cool. Opinion after episode: man, Tesla is fuckin' cool! :D That was a well-done personality-based historical, absolutely - I think it's my second-favourite personality-based historical only to Rosa (there are other pseudo-historical based ones set in the past that I love, but they're not personality-based; the Human Nature duology is a good example).

But yeah, Tesla just came across as a really, really cool character. Genius and he knew it, yes, and the real Tesla did have some questionable views (sexism, mostly), but otherwise the archetypal Idealistic Genius who wants to change the world for the better. Contrast with Edison, who was... a businessman. With, like, a really punchable face. Still pretty intelligent, but... very, very punchable. I've read about the Tesla-Edison feud before and always sided with Tesla, and let's face it, so did the writer XD

Good mix of character combinations - with a lot of characters, it's easy for someone to get sidelined, but this managed to handle Thirteen and the Fam, and Tesla, Dorothy, and Edison, pretty well. There were some neat combinations, like Ryan and Dorothy bonding over the sense of adventure, and Graham and Edison's confrontation; I also really loved the whole conversation between Thirteen and Tesla on the joy of just... creating. There's actually a very nice overlap between arts and sciences.

Antagonists - not bad? I feel a lot of people were expecting the Racnoss, and there was such a similarity that I would have liked at least a throwaway line about how the Skithra were related or something. Ooh man she definitely brought out Dark!Doctor, though. Teleporting the queen back to the ship, specifically so she can be fried? I mean, she might have survived it. Might. And just that fantastic little change of expression when the queen asks the Doctor if she's ever seen a dead planet before! Whittaker pulled that one off.

There's a very interesting compare and contrast between the Skithra and Edison, I found. Thirteen has her speech about how once the Skithra are gone, they won't be remembered. Caput. Forgotten. They left nothing behind. Compare and contrast to Edison, who was openly accused of using other people's work, but who's able to learn from his mistakes, end on an even(ish) setting with Tesla, and who does get remembered. Which kind of stings, honestly, if you look at Tesla's actual history.

Like. Apparently that, "The man just didn't understand the American sense of humour," line was an actual historical line, according to Tesla's own records. The absolute main reason for the difference in fame and recognition is that Tesla was a genius who didn't know how to market. Edison was a marketer who could invent a bit. So in conclusion Edison is a dick and Tesla needs more respect, the end.

Favourite lines and scenes:

Tesla: "Is - is this your own design?" Thirteen: "I made it! Mainly out of spoons! :D" Tesla: "You're an inventor! :D" Thirteen: "I have my moments." Tesla: "I knew it! So you... so, you can understand how it feels, you know, when you have an idea, and - and to make it real. I don't think there's any greater thrill!" Thirteen: "I couldn't agree more." Tesla: "You... you spoke of aliens. People here laugh at the very idea." Thirteen: "But not you." Tesla: "Well, apparently I'm not like other people. It can be difficult, you know, to feel no one else sees the world the way you do. It's like you're, uh..." Thirteen: "...out of place."

Graham: "Yeah, still. I bet you'd jump at the chance to have him back working for you, wouldn't ya?" Edison: "Yeah?" Graham: "Yeah!" Edison: "How d'you figure that?" Graham: "'Cause I had a supervisor like you at my old depot. And men like you don't pay a bloke that much attention unless you think there's a payout comin'."

Thirteen: "I wouldn't go killing me and Yaz. 'Cause Yaz... can tell you what this is." Yaz: "It's a camera!" Thirteen: "Bingo!" *FLASH!*

Edison: "I couldn't figure it out either." Tesla: "The internal dimensions transcend the external." Thirteen: *GRIN* Edison: ._.

Thirteen: "You do realise, it's killing Edison that they want you and not him? ;D"

Graham: "Don't worry. This ain't our first rodeo!" Ryan: "We've never been to a rodeo." Graham: "...you're not helping, Ryan..."

Thirteen: "And what are you queen of, exactly? A stolen ship and second-hand guns? A queen of shreds and patches. You're not a ruler, you're a parasite." Queen: "And what are you? So clever, stealing onto my ship, taking what I claim as mine. But where has it got you? No weapons. No armour. No escape. Just the desperate hope you might change my mind." Thirteen: "No, we are way past that. I gave you your chance." Queen: "A chance to be like you?" Thirteen: "A chance to evolve. But you were too stupid to take it. When you die, there'll be nothing left behind - just a trail of blood and other people's brilliance. No one will even know you existed."

(Side note: I love that this speech was actually in front of the companions. They're starting to see that things are Not Okay.)

Thirteen: "Don't give up." Yaz: "Whatever anyone says." Tesla: "Well, let them talk. The present is theirs. I work for the future... and the future is mine."

Favourite incorrect lines:

Thirteen and Tesla, firing at the ship: "VIBE CHECK!"

Fugitive of the Judoon

I'M GONNA... NEED A HOT MOMENT TO PROCESS THAT...

WELL I. UH. OKAY.

lmao I'm serious I don't even know where to begin.

Uh, some very disorganised comments on Doctor Who - Fugitive of the Judoon!

I squealed when I heard Jack's voice then saw him in the flesh. I gasped audibly when 'Ruth' broke the glass. I yelped when we saw the buried TARDIS. I MAY HAVE SCREAMED A LITTLE WHEN 'RUTH' INTRODUCED HERSELF.

(Also can we talk about her outfit. That was on point.)

I'm getting a very... very early vibe? She didn't know what the sonic screwdriver was, and that was introduced with Troughton. Since we saw the Hartnell-Troughton regeneration, she must be pre-Hartnell? Maybe a Doctor whose memories were rewritten to the point that they thought the Hartnell incarnation was the earliest? Not to mention that was a pretty old-school-looking TARDIS!

Alternatively, maybe between Troughton and Pertwee? Either option has some inconsistency - if she's post Troughton, she should have known what the sonic was, although it admittedly did look very different. Plus, her TARDIS is already its police box shape, which was implied to have set in the junkyard. Also, we never actually do see the regeneration between Two and Three, and it could explain why Gallifrey was after her - she escaped after her trial after The War Games!

Definitely early, though.

Alternatively alternatively, Thirteen actually does say 'time is swirling around me'. Maybe an alternate timeline. Something to tie back to the Timeless Child?

"I've lived for thousands of years, so long I've lost count. I've had so many faces. How long have you known me? You don't know me. Not even a little bit."

That wasn't just aimed at the companions. I feel that was aimed at the Doctor themself.

(Related: the response from the fam was flat-out beautiful. Doesn't matter who she was or who she'll be. They know her now, and they love her.)

Just. Wow. Wow.

Really cool note from Twitter - disguised name was Ruth Clayton. Ruth = 'friend, companion'. Clayton = 'of the Earth'. She literally named herself 'friend of the Earth'.

"You're probably a bit confused right now."

I mean. Yeah. Confused and intrigued and what.

"Don't do points! I do points! Points are my thing!"

Jack. Jack. Smooching Graham, hitting on all the companions, getting into Shenanigans! The Lone Cyberman - I wonder if that's a totally different crisis that isn't even related to the current Gallifrey-Timeless Child one? The more important part is Jack's presence - the presence of another time traveller with a... unique relationship with the universe. The actual warning could be a red herring, but Jack showing up anywhere in the first place is a sign that something is happening with time?

Orphan 55 had a timeline that may or may not have been the 'real' one. Being only a potential future kind of doesn't work with what we know of established DW continuity, so I'm liking the 'alternate timeline' theory, maybe?

Ryan: "I liked him. Kind of cheesy."

Yaz: "But good cheesy."

Thirteen, smiling: "That's Jack."

Graham just standing there going, "He kissed me tho? ...Wasn't bad, actually."

"Is she safe?" Jack, honestly, is she ever safe?

"When she needs me... I'll be there." Oh yeah, he's so coming back later this season.

Also, Judoon, chameleon arch, the Master, Jack - getting big season 29 vibes here and that's a big thumbs up for me because that's my favourite season. We just need Martha to make an appearance now!

...hehe honestly, between Jodie's entire existence, and now, in the span of five episodes, introducing Dhawan!Master, Gat, and now Jo Martin as the first black female Doctor, and reintroducing Jack, one of the most overtly and openly queer characters on the series, the 'Doctor Who is too PC!' bunch are going to be so mad XD

"A platoon of Judoon... near the moon." / "Look at you, your platoon of Judoon near the... that lagoon..."

Man. The close-up in the very first shot of the watch. Nice tie-in.

"The Doctor never uses weapons!" "I know! Shut up! >.>"

Where do the Kasaavin come into play? Is this something they've done by integrating themselves throughout time and space? Maybe they're fraying the fabric?

My mind is blown. I can't wait for the rest of this season :D

[Part 2 - Praxeus to The Timeless Children]

#doctor who #companion love #best enemies #long post

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otome0heart · 5 years ago

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[Fanfic] MLQC - Precious Bonds (Victor)

Finally, I finished writing my first MLQC story ^^ I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time, but I had a very “pretty“ writer’s block added to some lack of motivation and the break I took from otome games. It’s taken me a month to write it, but I feel really accomplished. I really hope you like it ^^

Title: Precious Bonds

Genre: Angsty Fluff (I think)

Words: 3559

Notes: I’m still in ch. 10, and it’s a future fic so there might be something inaccurate. I write in 3rd person but I don’t use my OC, I hope that doesn’t bother you when reading ^^ Also, English isn’t my mother tongue so if you spot any mistakes, please, tell me and I’ll correct them.

PRECIOUS BONDS

As he took the key of his house from his pocket, Victor hesitated to introduce it in the lock for a moment, his lips pressing in a thin line. For a moment, he wondered what awaited him once he crossed the household. Things had not been fine when he had left and for the first time in life, he was unsure of the outcome. However, not being a man who dwelled into that type of sentiment, he dismissed the thought with a blink and a tired sigh and, unlocking the door, he opened it.

Darkness and silence greeted him, as he had expected. Night had just fallen and his wife was probably working at her company or supervising the filming of a project personally. However, as he turned to close and leave the key in its usual place, his heart missed a beat upon seeing her set hanging from its hook, the big round keychain in the shape of a dog returning his gaze with happy eyes. She had bought him a cat which hung next to hers and that he had refused to attach to his keys. In no way was he going to be seen in the office with such… thing. He furrowed his brows and scanned the hall once again, not finding any trace of her presence in the house. He called her name, but there was no answer. He breathed deeply, clenching his jaw for a moment. Even after thirteen days, she was still probably upset.

How childish.

Just before leaving for a business trip in Europe, he and his wife had had an argument he could not remember how it had started anymore, but the hurtful words that they had thrown at each other still lingered in the air and in his mind. Yet, up to that moment, none of them had taken the first step to mend things. In the beginning, he had decided to let things cool before calling her, trusting Goldman with the mission of letting her know they had arrived at their destination safely. However, he had got very busy with meetings and negotiations immediately after, and the different time zones made communication difficult.

Goldman had kept him informed of her movements, and that had served to placate his conscience, as in a way, he had been looking out for her; but his assistant’s latest news had made him finish matters a day earlier and rush back home. She had visited a clinic and had some tests run after not feeling well at work. No matter how stupid or heated their fight had been, if she was sick, he wanted to be by her side and take care of her.

He took off his coat and scarf and hung them in the wardrobe by the entrance and then, he picked up his suitcase and crossed the hall and the wide living room towards the staircase. He needed a shower and some time to think.

As he opened the door of their bedroom, he stilled at the door upon the sight that greeted him. His wife was lying on their bed, dressed in one of her nightgowns and covered up to her waist, her eyes closed and her breath even. His heart immediately filled with anxiety seeing her so apparently fragile, devoided of all the energy that characterised her. However, a small spark of tenderness mixed with his worry. She was facing his side of the bed, her cheek on the edge of his pillow and her arms stretched as if she was searching for him in her sleep.

He took off his jacket and his tie, leaving them on the chair by her vanity, and undid the first buttons of his shirt, never taking his eyes off the scene in front of him. Delicately, he sat on the bed, absorbing every little detail he could in the light of the lamp on his bedside table. A knot formed in his throat as his eyes wandered over the dark circles under her eyes, the paleness of her skin and the signs of weight loss in her sharper jaw and cheeks. He sighed as he lifted a hand and with extreme care, caressed her face.

He had missed her so much during those weeks, even more than during longer trips. Not listening to her voice on the phone or seeing her on a video call after arriving at the hotel or while he was getting ready in the morning, going to bed with the image of her upset expression as she sniffled and brushed a tear away carved in his mind and not being able to reach out to hold her to him, made him feel extremely lonely. Only the conviction of doing his work to get the best results had made him stay.

However, if she had received him with a scowl marring her beautiful features, it would have been less painful than seeing her so vulnerable. He did not know what illness she had but if she did not recover in one or two days, he would look for the best doctors wherever they were.

She moved her head slightly, leaning into his touch with a soft sigh escaping her lips, one of her hands moving to rest on his pillow, and guilt gripped his heart and his conscience. How many times she had told him that he had to set his pride aside and express his emotions… In the end, that same pride had hurt the person he wanted to protect the most. He breathed deeply. However, he was determined to make things right again. He still did not know how, as he was not used to asking for forgiveness, but for the moment, he would change into his nightclothes and get into bed with her so she would not be alone in her dreams anymore.

With a last caress, he stood up as carefully as he had sat down with the intention of taking a quick shower.

“Victor…?”

He paused in mid-step as her voice called his name in a mixture of confusion and drowsiness, accompanied by the rustle of fabric. He turned slowly, taking into the sight of his wife sitting in bed leaning on one arm, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

She, then, looked at him as a slight smile graced her lips.

“I thought your trip would last for one more day” she put a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I probably misheard Goldman…” a soft blush dusted her cheeks. “I’d have been ready to receive you.”

Victor stayed silent for a moment. Sudden as it was, his opportunity to do the correct thing had come and he had to choose his words carefully to avoid her misinterpreting them.

“Business finished unexpectedly early” she nodded lightly, and he tried to soften the tone of his voice for his next remark. “I didn’t expect to find you here, are you alright?”

The young woman had ducked her head slightly, as a child expecting a reprimand and harsh words, but then, she regarded him with surprise, hearing the worry in his voice.

“I… wasn’t feeling well, so Anna sent me home.”

He approached the bed again, looking at her before one of his hands rested on her forehead.

“You don’t have a temperature.”

She shook her head, inwardly enjoying the lingering touch of his fingers before they fell back to rest next to his thigh. She shifted to a kneeling position and her features adopted a serious air, and Victor swallowed, seeing the determination in her pupils, although her nervousness was also obvious by the way she fisted her hands on her lap.

“Victor, I… I want…” she clenched her jaw at her stuttering and then, breathed deeply. “I think we need to talk about what happened before your trip.”

Something in the way that she had straightened her shoulders and her formal posture made him cautious. It was true that their fight had been bitter and that they had spent almost two weeks without talking to each other but he did not think that was a reason to approach the matter so ceremoniously. They were husband and wife, after all, and that was the most intimate bond people could have. Besides, it had not been the first argument they had had since they had met, and surely it would not be the last.

“I know.”

“Good” the young woman nodded, relieved upon seeing him willing to speak, knowing how much he disliked talking about his feelings, and so, aware that she would have to be the one to start, she continued. “I’ve been thinking about us while you were away, why we were so unreasonable, why none of us took the step to call the other…”

He crossed his arms on his chest, listening carefully, waiting for her to finish her reasoning.

“And then, in the middle of all that, something happened…” she took an envelope from under his pillow and showed it to him. “I know it’s completely unexpected, and it’s going to be a turning point in our lives, but…”

His heart thundered in his chest, painfully swelling and making breathing difficult, and his mind raced, with wild ideas about her hurting because of their fight and his silence, someone taking advantage and rekindling a flame, divorce… He furrowed his brows, distressed. Sometimes, he wished he could stop his thoughts like he stopped time.

“Victor…? Are you okay?”

Her voice sounded so far… He could see her confused gaze, her mouth slightly open, moving as she talked, but all he heard was his own words refusing to let her walk out of his life.

However, all that only lasted a moment, and suddenly he was conscious of his hand and his mouth rejecting the envelope harshly, letting his pride talk for him again.

Just the opposite of what he wanted.

However, with a strength he did not know she possessed, his wife pushed the envelope to him, pressing it against his chest. Her lips were pressed in a thin line and her eyes, filled with tears, met his.

“Take it.”

He was taken aback by the fierce tone she had used and his frown deepened. However, not wanting to anger her anymore if she was ill, he decided to let her win that battle. Silently, as words formed in his mind to refute her wish to divorce him, he opened the envelope, unfolding the papers inside with an expert flick of his wrist.

However, his eyes widened as they fell on the letterhead which was not from the City Hall, and the small square piece of paper, similar to a picture that was stapled to the report, a granulated mixture of greys except for a black shape in the middle which contained something small with the shape of what looked like a peanut. However, he knew what it was immediately and his heart skipped a beat.

He lifted his head from the report, his sight falling on his wife, who was still sitting on her knees, waiting for his reaction. Her eyes shone with expectation and excitement, and hidden behind them, a spark of insecurity. It was truly an unexpected event, something they had not even talked about but, as she had said, it would change their lives forever. A change he discovered he was more than willing to accept.

The papers fell from his hand as he took her in his arms. Her soft perfume surrounded him as he felt her arms circle his waist tightly.

“I was so worried…” he murmured into her hair, combing her tresses with his fingers.

She lifted her eyes to him, tilting her head.

“Is that why you’re here a day earlier?” the curve of his lips as he pressed them slightly told her the answer, and she frowned delicately. “But how…?”

“Goldman told me you had visited a medical clinic, so I rushed everything and came back as soon as the last meeting finished.”

She stared at him, taking in all the little details which had gone unnoticed to her before, distracted by her excitement. His normally impeccable shirt was rumpled, the slight line between his brows was more pronounced and his eyes were a little bloodshot, dark circles showing under them. All that talked of concern and restless sleep. A small sad smile graced her lips as she lifted one of her hands to smooth the wrinkle in his frown.

“I’m sorry…” she murmured as she slid her fingers along his cheek. “I was anxious about the delayed project and I just vented my frustration on you-”

He shook his head, leaning his forehead to hers.

“I was at fault too. There had been a last-minute problem with one of the most important meetings and I was irked at the incompetence shown by the other party. I should have called you as soon as I got there instead of leaving the matter to Goldman.”

Her smile widened as her pupils sparked with amusement.

“I think we need to keep on working on our communication skills as a couple” his lips turned up in a gesture less exultant than hers but filled with gentleness.

“You’re right…” his mouth twitched in a smirk. “We can’t afford to have two idiots in this marriage. We’d be doomed.

She half-closed her eyes for a second, feigning more annoyance than she truly felt.

“So, you consider yourself an idiot right now?”

“I do” his mauve eyes hardened. “I hate wasting time and I’ve done exactly that not talking to you. You were worried about your work and your health and I left you alone.”

“Stop being so hard on yourself, Victor” her other hand cupped his face, making him look straight at her. “I was also angry, I could have called too… Both of us were stubborn in this, okay?”

He nodded, making a soft sound; then, he breathed, lowering his lids slightly, and she felt his jaw relax under her palms.

“So?” he looked at her again. “Five weeks?”

She nodded happily and it floated in his mind a certain night after the exclusive financial party that they had attended together for the first time, when she had been so excited that she could not sleep and he had kept her company despite his tiredness. Under the covers, he had listened to her as she rambled cheerfully about the people she had met and the opportunities that those connections would bring to her company, thanking him for taking her there. He had enjoyed seeing her wide smile and sparkling eyes, knowing he was partly the cause of them. As the night passed by, they had talked about ordinary things, shared confidences, soft caresses and kisses, lost in their own world.

And when the sun had started to rise, it had surprised them embracing tightly and drowning in each other’s gaze, their hearts overflowing with feelings as they fell in love once again, their lovemaking slow and filled with tenderness. That morning, both of them had forgotten about everything, just sharing their souls in silence and basking in the warmth of their entwined bodies. By the lovely shade of colour that covered his wife’s cheeks, she remembered it too. And it seemed that that day, they had also unknowingly created another precious bond between them that would add even more joy to their lives.

“And how are you feeling?”

“Mostly tired, and a bit lightheaded. I had to sit for a while twice this afternoon and Anna decided to send me home despite my protests” she pouted a bit. “I still think that she was just overreacting, I could have done more at work.”

“However, I agree with her” Victor made a mental note to send his wife’s partner a token of thanks the following day. “You were deeply asleep when I arrived.”

“I was bored and there wasn’t anything interesting on television, so I decided to take a little nap.”

“In bed and wearing your nightgown…”

“It was more comfortable” she pursed her lips again and he smiled.

After a pause, he started asking questions again.

“What about morning sickness? You didn’t tell me anything about it when I was here.”

“We were very busy and most days we didn’t have breakfast together… It was hard, especially when we were rushing to meet the deadline for the project so I thought it was the stress. Since then, things have been less frantic and it’s very mild now.”

He made a soft sound of acknowledgement, adopting a pensive look.

“Then, I’ll have to make adjustments to your diet” he had to suppress his laughter when he saw her sulking. “I’ll make you a lunchbox every day, and…” he paused for a moment, thinking. “Tell me all about your food aversions and cravings.”

Her expression changed in an instant, her pupils shining with delight.

“I want pudding!”

His eyes widened in surprise at her outburst but that only lasted a second, knowing her fascination for food, especially the one he made.

“Now?”

She nodded enthusiastically and that time, Victor could not hold his laughter. It was a brief chuckle, but filled with mirth, and her features softened as she finally felt that her husband was his true self again.

“I missed your voice so much…” her hands slid around his neck as her whole face glowed with happiness.

“So did I” his arms tightened around her waist, though careful not to use much strength, and then, a slightly mischievous smirk played on his mouth. “And also, I missed my goodbye kiss.”

She only had time for a giggle before his lips covered hers. It was sweet and chaste, the brush of a gentle spring breeze against her skin, and she felt her heart flutter like a little bird in her chest, warmth making her body awaken, melting the cold that had set somewhere in her soul without her realising.

It was brief too, like the kisses they shared when he went on business trips or she had to travel to different locations for filming. They did not like delaying the moment of their separation neither filling their hearts with a longing that could distract them from their duties.

Their lips barely brushing, they gazed into each other’s eyes lovingly, finally free of regrets. He was back now and it was time to face a new beginning.

The second kiss, full of passionate tenderness, told him that there was no other home for him but her arms, There, there was only one Victor, the devoted husband in love with his wife since forever. The wound of their fight progressively faded as he sank deeper and deeper in her embrace and her mouth, her taste the most exquisite delicacy he had ever tried; her pure love for him strong enough to wash away all his exhaustion and worry.

They parted a while later, trying to regain their breaths. Victor pressed a kiss to her forehead and her temple, nuzzling her hair and inhaling her scent, and she hid her face in the curve of his neck, whispering words of welcoming against his skin, which only stirred the fire of desire in his blood even more. However, he knew nothing about pregnancy and the sole thought that his touch could hurt her or the baby filled his body and mind with unease, stopping him from seeking the warmth that surely awaited him in her embrace. He breathed deeply, clenching his jaw and swallowing hard.

“Let’s get you that pudding” he murmured when he felt calmer.

Her cheeks were still flushed when she lifted her head to look at him, wondering if he was serious.

“But, shouldn’t you relax this evening? I’m sure you must be tired after such a long journey.”

Concern shone in her pupils mixed with confusion and disappointment that he was sure matched his own. Feeling the sudden need to soothe her worry, he cupped her cheeks and kissed her once again, slowly and deeply, taking his time to tell her without words that he wanted her more than anyone or anything. She seemed to understand, since her hands came to rest on his arms, not trying to pull him to her.

He smiled against her lips, lingering just a moment before separating from her, remembering her words about their need for better communication. It was obvious by her content expression that she had figured a bit about his reasons for not continuing what they had started, but maybe, it was not a bad occasion to start working on that. Even though he did not like talking about his feelings, he had realised that sometimes, it was necessary.

“I can do that later, when you’ve filled your stomach” he lifted her in his arms and she yelped, wrapping her arms around his neck. “However, don’t get used to this. I’m not going to spoil you for eight months.”

She laughed and swang her legs playfully, like a little girl, as he started making their way to the kitchen.

“Then, I’ll get what I can while it lasts.”

THE END

#otome games #mr. love queen's choice #mlqc #fanfic #mlqc victor #li zeyan

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theflashdriver · 5 years ago

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Light Reading

This is the second part of my Sonamy Week catch up! This fic was written for the diary prompt though, arguably, it could fit with movie night as well! It’s a little over 5.2k words long, I hope you will enjoy!

Sonic gets caught in a storm and, with few other options available, takes shelter in Amy's apartment. It's an awkward situation, one he's thoroughly unprepared for, but the discovery of a little blue book will turn the whole situation on its head.

The rain was falling in sheets, lashing against the frosted glass of the bathroom window. Sonic was shivering, both at that sound and the frigid dampness locked deep in his fur. Try as he might, dragging a soft, pink, towel through his spines time and time again; dryness seemed just out of reach. A groan slipped his throat; hanging that towel back on the radiator-rack he reached for another only to find it warm but damp. Despite his pouting, he still opted to take it; brushing his spines in an attempt to use it for all it was worth. If only he had space to run, to simply shake the water from his fur. Alas, Amy's apartment was much too tiny and that storm wasn't going to let up any time soon.

He'd been out late running, what a surprise, when the rain started. There was a flash of lightning, a crack of thunder and before the dark skies opened and rain poured freely. For what felt like hours he'd been stuck dashing from bus stop to bus stop, lingering under bridges and hiding literally anywhere that would keep him safe from the torrential downpour. But his mind wouldn't let him linger in any of those places, as much as he hated the rain he needed something to do, so when he happened to arrive outside Amy's apartment building he wasn't in a position to refuse.

She'd been overjoyed to see him of course, insisting he come in to dry himself before he could even ask and proclaiming he could stay the night before that thought had even dawned on him. The moment he agreed, to the former at least, she'd dragged him inside without hesitation; surely soaking herself in the process, but smiling and openly scheming without a care in the world. Talk of a movie had come up, something distracting enough to kill time till either the storm died down or they managed to doze off. Sonic knew he had more than enough excuses to stay, he was a long way from Tail's workshop and the rain didn't look like it'd be letting up any time soon, but wasn't this all more than a little roman…

The blue blur caught himself, he brought the soaked towel up to his already dry muzzle in an attempt to relieve his blush. Sonic didn't like thinking; that was why he ran. If he went a mile a minute, he wasn't forced to consider these things. Whenever he was stranded, be it beneath a bridge or within a cramped bathroom, he knew his mind would start to question what he really wanted and where he truly wanted to be.

Was it really any wonder he'd ended up outside her house? He'd been thinking way too much, thinking about her in particular way too much. Yet, it was because of that thinking he doubted he could bring himself to leave; seeing the smile his arrival had caused…

Feeling thoroughly uncool, yet paradoxically wet, Sonic quickly returned the towel to the drying rack. There had to be a quicker way to get dry and, more importantly, he had to get out of this room. Much of his fur still matted, he managed to push his way out of the bathroom and down her apartment's short hallway.

"Amy, do you have a hairdryer or somethin'? I'm still soaked." He padded his way into her living/dining room, surely trekking water all the way.

The room was split by a black countertop; on one side a small kitchen area while the outside was a more general living space. He had no idea how long he'd been in there, but it'd been long enough for her to prepare quite the spread. A wide selection of movies had been laid out, ranging from the romantic comedies he'd expected to the musicals he'd somewhat anticipated to a surprising array of horror and action movies. Her couch wasn't just for sitting anymore, a pink duvet and additional pillows had been added to it. Assumedly they were for both the movie and him to sleep with afterwards. It was embarrassing but, in truth, he'd expected that the two of them would end up bundled together beneath a blanket of some sort. Well, they wouldn't if he couldn't get dry. A glance toward the kitchen showed him that there was a large bag of microwaveable popcorn lounging in an open microwave, prepared for popping.

Still, despite all the signs that she was around; Amy was nowhere to be seen. A glance to her front door proved the chain-latch was still on, she was in the apartment but not this room? Stranger still, she was in the apartment but hadn't heard him? Her pad was small, consisting of only the room he stood in, the bathroom and two more rooms he'd never actually entered. One had to be her bedroom, despite the blankets and pillows he knew she didn't sleep on the couch, while the last was maybe… storage?

Sonic turned around, dark navy carpet still underfoot, and made his way back up the hallway. One mystery door was opposite the bathroom, the other the very end of the hallway. Unsure what to do, he called out again. "Amy, you're still here, right?"

Again, there was no answer. He arrived at the first door and gave it a knock, trying not to be too light but (at the same time) not too heavy-handed.

Finally, he heard something; the dull thud of falling books coupled with a squeal. "Oh, Sonic!" Stomps followed the outcry, her bedroom door was quickly thrown open and a garish (very pink) room was exposed. The walls were a subdued shade of magenta, even in its stripped state the pink bedposts characterised the bed, he couldn't help noticing coloured her closet doors were painted a sunset hue and even her room's light bulb was tinted. The only exceptions to this pink rule were the blue picture frames that hung above her bed. Books were splayed across the floor, having fallen from the shelf above her desk. He was struggling to make out their names but, more importantly; Sonic was trying to do anything but stare at Amy.

When he arrived she'd been in her usual garb, but somehow (between pushing him into the bathroom and preparing the living room spread) she'd found the time to change into a set of pyjamas. The first thing he noticed was her quills, rather than being pushed back by a hairband she'd pulled them into a small, messy, braid. He didn't know such a thing was even possible, but soon his eyes drifted lower. Amy was wearing a white t-shirt with tiny pink roses embroidered into what looked to be a soft cotton material. This would have been fine, perfectly fine, were it not for the shirt's cut. It looked baggy and comfortable but at the same time, somehow, small? It was as though the shirt was hanging on her shoulders rather than simply covering them; as if it would pass beyond her midriff if she stretched too far. Sonic heaved his eyes away before he could fully take in her pink pyjama bottoms, trying to stare literally anywhere else.

The blue blur's heart was pounding and the butterflies in his chest were flapping in time. He'd felt this many times before, but never so strongly and certainly never without some kind of contact. He tried to swallow his blush as best he could.

She was trying her best to smile, trying to look natural, but even in his current state he knew something was wrong. "Sonic, nice of you to drop by. Do you want the full tour?" She'd clearly caught his scanning, matching it with her own wit despite her clear puzzlement.

"Long time no see." He choked out, still trying to focus on her open room rather than her garb. "I-I was just looking for a hairdryer? The towels weren't quite enough."

"Oh, right, that makes sense. Just…" Her mind seemed to be elsewhere but she quickly caught herself. "Give me a second." Amy quickly returned to her room, glancing at the book pile as she sidestepped it, before turning and opening the bottom drawer of her bedside cabinet. He attempted to pin his gaze to the book pile as best he could, hearing a brief shuffling of plastic before catching her eye again upon her return. "Sorry for leaving you out there."

"I'm just surprised you weren't waitin' for me." Did that sound possessive? He was trying to show some kind of confidence. "Is everything alright?

"Oh, everything's fine. I'm just looking for something. It's not really important," She insisted, eyes already darting from him to scan the room. "Just a little part of my evening rituals, the final thing I do to sign the day off."

Sonic wanted to pry, he truly did, but the heat on his face was simply too much. If he couldn't stand next to her for five minutes, help her search for whatever this was, how was he going to manage one movie let alone the whole night? Did she have to dress like that? More importantly, why did he have to care that she was dressed like that?

"Y-Yeah, no sweat. Take all the time you need!" He wanted to ask what she was looking for, try to be of some help, but the best he could manage was. "Thanks for the drier."

"No problem, there's popcorn in the microwave if you want to start it?" Amy recommended, "I set out some movies on the coffee table too, you can go ahead and pick. I'm happy watching whatever, as long as it's with you." Usually he could handle flirts like that, but with her being dressed like that Sonic found himself blushing brighter.

A particularly loud thunder-crack punctuated the momentary silence between them. The rumble gave him a moment to consider his next move but it was much too brief for him to come up with anything of worth. He couldn't muster the gall to hold eye contact, let alone offer his assistance.

Well, if he couldn't do that, he could at least be encouraging. He shot her a thumbs up and a small grin. "Like I said, take all the time you need, Ames. The storm ain't goin' anywhere so neither am I."

"Still, I'll try to be quick. I've got you here all to myself, you think I wanna miss a moment?" She promised and joked, still managing a more genuine smile. "I'll be through as soon as possible."

Their vow made, the pair went their separate ways. Sonic was just happy he could look directly ahead of himself again without blushing. He felt uncool, very uncool, but at least his heartbeat was gradually slowing. Was her dress choice intentional? He assumed not but that didn't reduce its embarrassing effect. Perhaps when they started watching films it would be better, she'd surely try to snuggle up against him at some point but at least his attention would be drawn elsewhere.

Well, hopefully, it would be…

Finding his way back into the kitchen, Sonic quickly scanned the popcorn bag; four minutes at full power, easy enough to prepare. He turned the dial and slammed the door; soon a combination of humming and popping filled the room. Food like this made up more of his diet than it probably should have, not that he really cared; he could run on just about anything. Come to think of it, Amy had reprimanded his diet a number of times; dragging him off to restaurants for what she'd insist were gourmet chilli dogs.

The moment she re-entered his mind the image of that outfit did too, as did the fact he'd so thoroughly failed to offer his assistance. This whole situation was just so embarrassing, so uncool. He usually let his heart decided where he'd wander, it was to be expected that it would lead him to her every so often. But did it have to do that today? Tonight especially? He'd been unable to refuse himself so, as much as he wanted to, he couldn't place the blame solely on his hatred of water.

Turning his attention back to the microwave, Sonic found only ten seconds had passed. Evidently, the world was moving much slower than his chaotic mind. Four minutes, just four whole minutes to microwave… four minutes. He needed to distract himself and stop thinking about Amy for four whole minutes…

Oh, right; he'd gone to her for a hairdryer. Sonic quickly found an outlet, the extension cable connected to her TV had an empty socket, and set about drying himself. The wheeze of the device was added to the crackle of thunder and roar of the microwave. Naturally, his quills were still the wettest part of his body but his spines and tail still felt rather waterlogged too. It would take time for him to dry and, with time, his thoughts would surely return to her. He wanted to be cool by the time she came back, that was his top priority. If he could find something to focus on, something to invest himself in, he might stand a chance.

Searching desperately for another distraction, Sonic found himself taking a closer look at the various movies she'd laid out. She'd asked him to choose and, even if he did plan to let her have the final say, it was worth knowing what he was getting into. None of the names were familiar, but then he didn't often have the patience to sit through most films; they had to hold his interest constantly, any lull and he risked dozing off. Running his hand through his quills, parting them to dry nearer their base, he noticed an outlier in the pile. Among the boxes, placed just slightly askew, was a blue book; small, like a storybook, and a size thicker than the disk boxes.

There was no blurb on the back, no way to determine what kind of book it was without flipping it to see the cover. Freeing his hand from his quills he reached out and picked up the book, wiping his hand on a drier section of his fur beforehand, but turning it over didn't cure his curiosity. The cover of the book was entirely bare, marked neither by words nor pictures; there wasn't even a title on the spine. Now this was a distraction, he was interested already! He flicked the book open, rather than starting at the beginning opting to let the chose where he would start reading.

This immediately proved to be a mistake.

His eyes were drawn to the upper left corner, rather than an opening line they fell upon a date; June 12th, as he looked to the rest of the page Sonic realised what he was holding. It was handwritten, this book was handwritten; it wasn't even really a book. This was a diary and by its position in this house, not to mention its lightly cursive font and the hearts that dotted every i, he knew it to be Amy's. This must have been what she was looking for, for a moment he was tempted to return it… but then he realised, if she caught him with it, the pink hedgehog might destroy him. She'd assume he'd taken it, that he'd read it too, wouldn't she?

A cacophonous rumble jump-started his panic, on a reflex he threw the book across the room. Before it could even land the world was cast in darkness, the breath of the hairdryer died and the hum of the microwave came to an abrupt halt. In what couldn't have been more than four seconds everything that could have gone wrong had, he didn't think such awful luck was even possible.

A cry sounded from Amy's room, more a groan of annoyance than a panicked scream; he heard stomp into the hallway. "Sonic! I think the power's out!"

"I-I've noticed!" He managed to call back. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine just… feeling my way to the utility room, I know I've got a torch or two in there. I'll be through in a second!" She answered. That meant he had time, Sonic blindly rushed forward… and immediately banged his knee on the coffee table. "It sounds like the storm is getting even worse!"

Sonic grabbed his knee, biting back a yelp. "Y-Yeah! Sounds like it's getting pretty wild out there!"

Turning around, he managed to bumble his way to the curtains; pulling them open and allowing the streetlight to filter inside. It wasn't much help, Amy's flat was far above the streetlights, but it was the best he could manage. Squinting as his eyes adjusted, he managed to round the table and fumble his way toward the far wall. Once there, he knew the book had to be nearby; he dropped to all fours and spread his fingers wide, running them along the carpet. With the thunder ringing in his ears, he wasn't sure if the book had hit the wall but he knew he'd thrown it hard enough that it should have. Just as his eyes started to adjust, a flash of lightning illuminated the room; but he was ill-prepared to capitalise on the vision it granted. All it told him for certain was that the diary wasn't in front of him. Turning around, head toward the hallway now, he continued to search.

Lightning struck again, before the rumble could even arrive Sonic sighted the book just beyond this reach. He lunged forward, grasping it as the clap came, but in the wake of that rumbling another light arrived and managed to fully blind him. For as quick as he'd been, he hadn't been fast enough. Amy had found a torch and he'd fallen in the immediate path of its light. She could surely see him and that meant she could undoubtedly see the blue book in his hand. The blue book that had fallen in an open position and been picked up open, albeit its text was facing the ground.

The rain's continuous spit still rapped against the windowpanes, no thunder broke the silence this time. He squinted to see through the torchlight in an attempt to read her face, but he was too blind to properly meet her eyes. She wouldn't be having the same problem.

"I…" He started, still flubbing for what to say. "Swear this isn't as bad as it looks and that I didn't read anything?" It was blunt, honest, but he feared it wasn't enough. Before he could finish that statement, he started another. "And I would have just brought it to you but I only just found it when the power went out, it was on the table with the movies, and I panicked so I threw it and-

"Sonic." She halted him, approaching down the hallway. "Are you alright?"

The blue blur blinked in confusion, was he alright? Was she only asking because he was on the ground? Did she think he'd fallen? In an attempt to calm her he rose to his feet, but as he did Sonic recognised what had worried her. He felt a stinging sensation, no further than half an inch beneath his knee there was a throbbing patch. The light was angled down; he blinked to clear his vision and discovered he'd gone into the table quite a bit harder than he'd thought. The gash wasn't huge by any stretch of the imagination, but blood was running down his leg. Atop that he'd knocked many of the movies from the table, panic had clearly overridden all of his other functions.

"I thought that was more thunder, I didn't realise you'd gone over the table." Amy fretted. "Give me a moment."

Sonic just stood there, awestruck. She hadn't taken her diary from him, it was like she hadn't even seen it; she'd clearly been flustered looking for the book… hadn't she? This was what she'd been looking for, wasn't it? The blue blur knew Amy's wrath when she was angry, her heart was always clearly bared to him, for her to act like this dumbfounded him.

He could only watch, helpless and useless, as she went to one of the cabinets and pulled out a roll of bandages, gauze, antiseptic and a sponge pad before quickly approaching him. Lightning cracked and thunder crashed behind him but, stupefied, he didn't even flinch. He finally reacted upon her full arrival, standing directly in front of him, opening his mouth but not finding the right words to say.

She tilted her head, confusion had spread over her brow; but her tone was chipper as ever. "Take a seat so I can bandage you up."

Despite being able to see he stumbled like he was blind, slowly making his way around the table to sit atop the duvet; his remaining dampness fully slipping his mind. She quickly knelt down in front of him, passing him up the torch to free her hands and let her work. The injury was tiny, hardly even worth the effort she was putting in, but Amy was treating it incredibly seriously.

Finally having, almost, come to his senses, Sonic managed a few words; "So… this is your diary, isn't it? I didn't read it but I opened it and saw the dates and your writing so I assumed…"

"Well yeah." She quickly responded. She was very much focused on her task, but she managed to loose a quick quip. "Who else is it going to belong to?"

"You're not gonna freak out? You're just gonna believe me? I figured reading a girl's diary was just about the worst thing you could do, I thought it'd take a little more than that to convince you I hadn't read it." He grimaced, in hindsight, more than a little too quickly. He was forced to keep staring at her so as to provide the light.

"There's nothing in there you don't already know about." Her mischievous smile was bared plainly to him, she looked from her work up to him. "Of course, a girl has her secrets to keep and if you did read it that's very rude of you. Clearly content with her mocking, she tied off the bandage. "But I wouldn't love you unless I trusted you my darling Sonic, isn't that obvious?"

"Well yeah, but…" He started, not sure where he planned to stop.

"Awww, you don't want me to think you'd do that; you're worried about what I think of you. Do I need to make it even clearer that I love you?" He knew she was only half kidding.

"Th-That's not it." Was that it? That might have been it. He had to think of a comeback or some kind of quip. "I just figured, with you losing it and all, you're lucky I showed up today and not someone else. You need to take better care of this stuff."

Well, that was lame but, regardless; Amy responded with a chide of her own. "I just feel so much safer around you my dear, you put me at such ease. I can't contain my deepest secrets around you." Her job done, the pink hedgehog jumped up to sit beside him and finally took back her diary. "I wanted to write my entry before we had our movie night… but I suppose that won't be happening at all now. Who knows when the power will come back on…"

There was some genuine sadness in her voice, his hand found itself in his almost-dry quills. What was he supposed to say, what could he say? "Well, even if we can't watch a movie we shouldn't waste the evening. At least half of that popcorn's gotta have popped, how's that for a start?"

Emerald eyes connected through the dark, "A start?"

"I said I'd stay as long as the storm was around, didn't I? I've gotta keep us entertained somehow." Taking the torch, though his eyes had almost fully adjusted, Sonic made his way to the kitchen; pulling open the microwave door and retrieving the salty snack. A quick shaped confirmed that many of its occupants were still in their seed form, but bursting it open and sniffing he was sure there was some good grub in there.

Returning to her side, he pulled back the duvet. "Ladies first." Perhaps it was a little flirty, but it was the closest he'd managed to a successful quip in hours.

"Bundled up on the couch with the hero of my dreams." Amy chuckled. "Huddled together in a storm, so romantic. Just try to keep your damper spots away from me?"

The pink hedgehog slipped beneath the covers before, embarrassed as he was, Sonic followed suit. He planted the torch between the couch cushions, allowing for its use as a makeshift lamp, before holding the bag out to her. As she claimed a handful he noticed the diary was open in her lap, a pencil lain down its centre.

Her handful collected her turned the bag back to himself. Picking through the kernels, he managed to collect a good handful. "So, what kinda stuff do you write in there?"

"Oh, just typical stuff. What I did over the day, any interesting thoughts I had and future plans." Amy recounted. "There's a lot about you in here, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"Well, seeing as I already know its contents…" He popped a piece in his mouth, making sure to carefully watch Amy's disposition. "Are there any highlights you wanna share?"

She hummed for a moment, beginning to flick back through the pages. "I suppose I could read you a page if you're really that curious. It'll help to kill a little time." She proposed. "But nothing on it leaves this room, alright?"

"Ow, that hurts; you just said you trusted me, Ames. Is our love a lie?" He mocked being wounded, clasping his hands over his heart.

"Trust is one thing Sonic, but we both know that if I give you an inch you'll run a mile. That's why I hug you so close." She half sang, seeming to finally settle on an entry. "Do you promise?"

"Of course I do Ames, I know what'd happen to me if I didn't." Her stare told him that was too casual, he reaffirmed his words. "I promise."

It was with that Amy began to share her written history, holding the book so he could see. Back and forth they'd take over this impromptu narration of Amy's past life, open laughing and blushing soon a commonality.

What started as just one page soon became just a few and from there somehow slipped to take up a good hour's worth of entries; all with minimal prodding from Sonic. The two hedgehogs would gradually come to shuffle closer, the book eventually shifted from Amy's lap to reside in the duvet between them. Every so often hands would brush as they reached into the nigh-empty popcorn packet. She'd started with a rather simple entry, a rather basic day consisting of little more than shopping with Cream, but Amy's descriptors could liven any story; hyperbole seemed to be her speciality. What should have been a simple chocolate cake stain on her dress was described as 'a dark betrayal by one she'd though so lovely and sweet' and a scary old man who'd offered her his umbrella was dubbed 'a frighteningly wizened gentleman with a heart ten times what his chest could possibly carry.'

This being the diary of Amy Rose, the self-proclaimed lover of Sonic, the blue blur himself was mentioned quite a lot. Descriptions ranged from calling him 'her hero' and 'the love of her life' to 'the apple of her eye, the one who drives her every thought and causes her heart to soar.' One entry, in particular, she'd caught herself midway through reading, quickly trying to insist the day was plain and boring when he recognised it for what it was; mainly because he was there. Teasing her, he'd managed to reach his initial description and read it; "It was then that my darling arrived. His cocky, suave, attitude was so freely exposed; windswept quills and the slight sweat on his brow cementing his place in my heart more and more with each passing second. With a single look, he'd blindingly brightened what'd already been a sunny Summer's day!"

It was strange to think, for as plainly as her heart was bared to him at all hours of the day; Amy Rose' infatuation had a depth even he hadn't comprehended.

It was after countless pages, giggles and a seemingly endless amount of ribbing that the power finally flickered back on.

"Th-That clearly signals enough for now." Amy insisted, quickly flipping forward to today's blank page. "It's better to leave you wanting more rather than show my full hand."

Even blinded by the returned light, Sonic could see the red tint to her cheeks. Her little diary had rather reversed their positions; though it was embarrassing to hear about himself she clearly had the stronger blush. Even if she hadn't intended to embarrass him so much, he was finally going to get his own back!

"Come on Ames, I wanna see what else you've written about me." He nudged just a little closer, draping a soggy arm around her shoulder and finally allowing himself a proper smirk. Having endured so much embarrassment, it was nice to see her just a little flustered. "It's more interesting than any of these movies would be, I'm sure of that. Let's just keep goin'."

"You'll get to a read them in the future, you're lucky I showed you any in the first place." She insisted, twisting to face away from him. "There's a handful of secrets that even you can't see yet." Sonic tossed another handful of popcorn in his mouth, prepared to sit back and enjoy the rare sight of a truly flustered Amy. It was, however, foolish of him to assume she wouldn't push back. "After all, I keep our wedding plans in here."

Sonic almost choked to death then and there, saved only by a well-placed whack on the back by Amy; almost throwing him from the couch. Be it from the rain or his own embarrassment, she was always there to save him when he needed her most.

#sonamy #sonic the hedgehog #Amy Rose #sonamyweek19 #sonamyweek2019 #sonic #amy

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padfootdidit · 6 years ago

Text

a little pretence (pt. i)

Kaz Brekker can pick any lock. Inej Ghafa can scale any roof. They’re powerful, unbeatable, intimidating, talented but - can they handle pretending to be in love?

What’s this?? A six of crows fanfic??? You bet! This is my first fanfic for these characters and this fandom so some of the characterisation might be a little off but please bear with me whilst I find my footing! This fic in particular has not been edited and is also not set in the Grishaverse. More like a limbo between that world and ours. What’s most important to know is that they had to leave Ketterdam for some reason or other and are in a new town where no one knows them. Yet.

For @fleamontpotter because, well, Kayla you’re amazing and also the person I need to thank for getting me into soc in the first place !! You’re so strong, so funny and so genuine. Thank you for introducing me to this bunch of idiots and for persuading me to write a fic. (Also shout out to @zeniik for also supporting me in this endeavour!)

read on ao3!

Saturday, 23:54

The Palace

Never in a million years would Inej had thought that this would be her most difficult job. Breaking Kuwei Yul Bo out of maximum security prison? Strong contender for top spot. Stealing forty million from Jan Van Eck? Sure. A routine heist with Kaz? I don’t think so. Yet, there she was, in the middle of the ballroom, struggling to keep it together because, well, she knew why. She was struggling to keep it together because Kaz had his arm around his waist and was currently telling an earl how they’d fallen in love.

Three Weeks Earlier

Tuesday, 18:06

The Waffle House

“- no way we’ll be able to get in, it’s basically a prison. You can’t -”

“- as if, you really think -”

“- not your best plan, Brekker, really -”

“What about through the front door?” Matthias’ firm voice cut through the bickering and everyone turned to look at him. Even Kaz raised his eyes, barely a fraction, but that was something.

“Don’t be daft,” Jesper scoffed. “They’re not going to welcome a crew of thieves to their party.”

“They won’t be. They’ll be welcoming two guests on the list,” Matthias said, leaning forwards on his elbows so they all head to crane their necks to hear him. “Specht can forge the invites easily enough.”

“At a cost,” Kaz said, speaking for the first time since they ordered. As everyone else had been arguing about ways in, the security, the risk, he had just been slowly working his way through his pile of waffles, listening. Inej knew he heard everything, whether or not he reacted. If Jesper had Kaz’s poker face, he’d win a lot more games.

“Surely one you’re willing to fit?” asked Wylan. They all knew Kaz would fit any cost for this particular job. It was going to make his name.

“So, me and Matt go through the front door,” Nina butted in. “And then what?”

“It can’t be you and Matthias,” Kaz said.

Nina scoffed and, around a mouthful of waffle and syrup said, “Well who else is it going to be? Jesper and Wylan? Doubtful.”

“Back off, we’d make great inside men,” Jesper said, petulant. It’s a moot point though, and they all know it. Nina swallowed, stabbed another waffle with her fork, and made to add to her point. Kaz was ahead of her. And Inej was ahead of Kaz.

“It has to be me and Inej.” Wylan choked on his milkshake. The others all shared a look and then laughed. Kaz was right though. What would be the point of getting Nina and Matthias in when they didn’t have the skills to carry out the job? It would be tricky enough getting them in through the front door, let alone making a diversion to allow Kaz and Inej to sneak in without invites. It had already been agreed it could only be two people inside anyway. Any more and they’d start to lose track. Kaz was the only one who could pick the locks and Inej was the only one who could cross the distance between the house and the safe house without setting off the alarms. “Unless any of you have suddenly learnt to walk the tightrope?”

Nina looked at Inej across the table, and Inej could tell she was trying hard to keep her eyebrows under control. Inej shrugged in response to the silent question. I’ll do what needs to be done.

“But surely only you’d need an invite, Kaz,” Wylan said. “Inej is the Wraith, she doesn’t need the front door.”

“A couple is far less conspicuous than a man on his own,” Matthias supplied and Inej wouldn’t be surprised if he was enjoying this. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Kaz since he’d first suggested it.

“So what, you guys are brother and sister?” Jesper asked, eyes alight with glee, and Inej frowned. They were all enjoying it. Nina wasn’t bothering to hide her shit-eating grin, the absolute traitor.

Kaz sighed and made to stand up, pushing his now empty plate across the table. “We’ll be distant relatives of the earl. We’re too young to be married so we’ll be betrothed.” His eyes flicked to Inej for a second as he buttoned up his coat. “We can work out a backstory later.” Then he grabbed his cane and marched out, the bell above the door jingling to announce his exit. They all watched him walk across the street in silence and then turned back to press Inej. But she had gone.

18:44

“I know you’re there,” Kaz said to the alley’s shadows. He’d know she’d follow him, had felt her presence join him two roads down from the Waffle House. Usually, he waited for her to talk, if she ever did, but this time his patience had reached the end of its tether. He leant against the wall and waited, suddenly unsure if she’d appear.

“Engaged?” Inej said as she landed softly in front of him. Clearly she’d been tracking him from the roofs, her favourite method. Her face was unreadable. He knew his was just as blank.

“Something tells me we won’t pass for siblings,” he said, tone flat. They might both have dark hair, but that was where their similarities ended. Kaz was the moon and Inej was the canal water it reflected on, although he suspected that that metaphor only worked for their appearances.

“You realise this means we’ll have to act,” she paused, and he could tell she was choosing her next words carefully, “like we’re in love.”

“Never heard of an arranged marriage?”

“Kaz.” Her voice was almost a growl and he wasn’t sure how they’d gotten there so quickly.

“I’m sure you can handle a little pretence.” A dig about The Menagerie would be too far. A dig about The Menagerie would never be on the table, not when Kaz was involved, yet it still hung in the air, the potential of it, and he could guess that’s what she’s thinking about.

“But can you?”

18:50

Inej jumped before he could reply and she forced herself not to think about the flash in his eyes as she pulled herself up the wall. She reached the roof of one of the two buildings that made the alley and looked down to check if Kaz was still there. He was staring up, not at her, he would never be able to spot her, but she knew it was meant to give that impression. She sighed. Or maybe he’s just looking at the moon. Nina’s voice in her head answered, doubtful.

The crescent-moon wasn’t bright enough to guide her across the new city, and she longed for the Barrel’s familiar rooftops so wouldn’t need it. The Barrel and its city was behind them now, and Inej needed to forget it. They couldn’t go back. That’s why they were here, starting fresh, starting small - well in terms of numbers. This job was anything but small. Kaz wanted to make his name quickly, carve his place before anyone could try and threaten them. It was just them though, which was nice. It was a relief not to be second-guessing who to trust.

She swung herself across the last gap of her journey and landed easily inside her window. Though the city was unfamiliar, Inej knew how to travel quickly, whatever the terrain. She was sure to have beaten Kaz back, and possibly the others as well. Which is why she took the chance to wash herself, knowing that soon her room would be crowded with Nina and Matthias. It would have been alright sharing with just Nina. Matthias complicated things though. Well, Nina and Matthias, together, a duo, a package, complicated things. Mainly they complicated things at night when Inej wanted to be sleeping.

As she stood over the cramped room’s basin and used the skinny bar of soap to rid herself of the day’s grime, Inej thought about the job. About what pretending to be Kaz’s betrothed would mean. What ‘a little pretence’ would mean. Holding hands? Smiling at each other? Staring lovingly into each other’s eyes? Kissing? Inej could handle half of those things, and none with ease. Kaz could most likely handle zero off the list, and they both knew it. Maybe, if they were lucky, their pretence would only have to hold for the time it took them to cross the ballroom. Inej didn’t believe in luck though. She believed in her Saints and she wasn’t sure they still believed in her.

A Week Later

The Slat 2.0

Friday, 10:17

“How long have you been together?” Nina looked far too happy to have this job. So far, Inej and Kaz had been performing abysmally at what Jesper had nicknamed their ‘compatibility test’. Inej blamed Kaz. Kaz blamed Inej. They both blamed Matthias for putting them in this position in the first place. For the past week, Inej had fallen asleep thinking of all the different ways she could introduce her knives to Matthias’ stomach, face, throat, legs, really any part of his body that presented itself. Kaz had taken to reminding Matthias that his only real use was for his muscles, despite this being mostly false.

“Three years.”

“A year and a half.”

Nina raised an eyebrow. “They’ll gut you.”

“I’ll have slit their throats before they can try,” Inej said, pointedly sharpening Petyr . She had also taken to bringing her blades to these sessions, as a reminder that she had the ability to kill anyone she wanted to before they could blink. It was unnecessary, totally, but it kept her calm.

“We’ll stick to three years. It’s closest to the truth so it’ll be easier to remember.” Kaz’s suggestion was met with a grin from Nina and Inej imagined cutting both of their throats.

“Excellent thinking, Brekker. So, how long have you been together?”

“Three years.”

“And how long have you been engaged?”

“A month.”

“Inej?”

“A month.”

“Brilliant!” Nina cried, clapping her hands together. “And now from the top.”

Kaz sighed. “Can we take a break?”

“Not if you don’t want to get caught! Now, how did you two meet?”

Inej answered monotonously for the rest of the session. They both knew the answers by now, and she’d hope so considering that they’d been going over the story every day since they came up with it. Most of it was the truth, or at least an adaptation of it. They had been working with each other for three years, so they’d been together for three years. Everything was derived from something in their lives, including how they fell in love. Jesper had come up with it, and Inej had just managed to restrain herself from skinning him. ‘You fell in love working together! Obviously!’ He’d declared, happening upon Kaz and Inej last Wednesday when they were first inventing the story. Kaz’s glare had been enough to shut any coward up, but Jesper was immune to them by now. He’d continued: ‘Every job you got closer and closer until, eventually, the sexual tension was too much and you sealed the -’. He’d only stopped when Kaz had rapped his cane on the floor twice, a warning.

Now Jesper wouldn’t shut up about it. Whenever he caught her without Kaz, he would ask her how the engagement was going, if they were waiting to consummate the marriage. Wylan wasn’t helping either. His favourite question was about Inej’s wedding dress.

She’d be relieved when, in two weeks, the job was over and she’d never have to talk about engagements or falling in love with Kaz again.

Two Weeks Later

Saturday, 20:30

The Palace

“Looking dapper, as always, Brekker,” Jesper said in Kaz’s ear as he and Inej joined the queue having their invites checked outside the palace. He was already regretting agreeing to having communications. It had been Wylan’s idea and, in truth, it was going to help. They wouldn’t have to rely on signals to know when to act, or be worried if someone didn’t show up to the rendezvous. Still, he’d rather not have everyone’s voices in his head when he was trying to focus. It was hard enough with Inej holding his hand. He’d had to buy a new pair of gloves, ones not adapted so he could easily pick locks, because he didn’t want to risk a single brush of her skin against his. His usual ones were tucked safely in his inside pocket, ready for when he faced the safe.

“And I just look like a mess?” Inej asked quietly, facing Kaz so that, to everyone else, it would just like they were chatting to each other.

“You look radiant,” Jesper said.

“Absolutely stunning,” Nina added.

“Positively a blushing bri-”

“If you’re quite finished,” Kaz interrupted, “should we get on with the job?” He refused to look at Inej. If she was blushing, it’s not like he would be able to tell anyway.

“Yessir,” Jesper said and Kaz could almost imagine his mock salute.

“In position Wylan?”

“Check.”

“Matthias?”

“Uhuh.”

“Jesper?”

“Guns at the ready-”

“Nina?”

“Yup. And I’ve got eyes on Rotty. He’s waiting by the exit route for you.”

“Good, then let’s get to work.” He and Inej moved forward with the line and he continued to stare straight ahead. He didn’t need to check she was ready, she was right next to him. Kaz was pretty sure he could feel her pulse flicking in her wrist. That couldn’t be possible though. Rather that than no pulse at all, he reasoned. But it wasn’t the time to start down that path. This was going to be an easy job. All he had to do was pretend to be engaged to Inej to get through the hall, and then they were basically finished. All he had to do was keep away from the memory of piled corpses and rotting flesh and blank eyes and lapping water and the stench and the

Kaz tightened his jaw. Not today, not now. Inej’s pulse was there. Even if he was only imagining that he could feel it. Everyone around him was living breathing beating alive. This job was going to be easy, over before he could think about it, and then his name would be made. All he had to do was pretend to be in love with Inej.

#six of crows #crooked kingdom #soc #soc fic #rhiannonwritesdrabbles #fleamontpotter #zeniik #steeveharrington #kaz x inej #the dregs #two of a kind #hope you all like this #am v nervous abt posting this #but ive done it now #so #NO GOING BACK #let me know if u want to be tagged in the second part

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daddyzanchez · 6 years ago

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Hey! Can I get a young rick with spanking, daddy kink rough possessive sex and two young ricks? M/f/m. Reader insert please?

So this is the final product and oh my God, it took forever! The possessive sex is basically just them bickering about how to fuck you and I really hope you like their characterisation.

5400 words (the longest one shot I have ever written) - erotica - F/M/M - Threesome, double penetration, anal sex, vaginal sex, blowjob, spanking, daddy kink, possessive behaviour, sex club, creampie, fingering, anal fingering, verbal humiliation, praising, hmmm is there more damn look at all these tags

Link to story on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16147940

Double The Fun

A dry spell had done this to you. You were standing on the pavement in front of a big black door with a member-card in hand, a loud booming bass from the inside causing you to feel the music under your feet. It was your friend who had given it to you, told you that you could borrow it for the weekend because you needed it more than her. In her own words, you needed to get the tension fucked out of you, to lose control and get laid.

The name of the place was too embarrassing for you to say or even think about but you could not hide the fact that you were about to be let into a sex club, a bdsm club, in the more discreet part of town. The way you had tiptoed around the fact that you were going wasn’t like you, no, you were quite experienced in this kind of thing but you had never done it with strangers.

To you, the trust was too important to ask complete strangers to give this to you when you barely knew them but your friend had reassured you that these clubs were different. People with the same interests in the bedroom met each other here, they knew the importance of consent and great communication during rougher themes during sex.

After a long look at the card, you were let in by a bouncer that gave you a nod. Given that you had never been here before, it took you a few moments to get used to the dimly lit place but you soon found the main room that could be described as a normal club.

The reddish colours and bright lights were a wild contrast but as soon as your eyes got used to the new scenery, you found your way to the bar in the corner and sat down on a barstool. Behind you, people were dancing and talking, actually yelling into each other’s ears as the music drowned out any noise. You as well even had to lean over the bar to order a Gin and Tonic. The move made you blush as you knew that the dress you had worn was too skimpy to move too much in, it would slide up and expose your body more than what was acceptable in public but you convinced yourself that it was okay today.

When your drink arrived, you took a rather large gulp of it and though you knew it wasn’t the best idea to be intoxicated during these things, you knew you needed to calm your nerves just a little. As the liquor burned on its way down your throat, you turned on the barstool and scanned the crowd for a possible hook-up.

You were so focused on a woman and her boyfriend that you never saw the two men approaching you until you nearly dropped your glass when your shoulder was tapped. You never thought that you would end up laying your eyes on two completely identical men, possibly twins, who smiled at you. One of them decided to pay for your drink whilst the other leaned close to talk into your ear, “You looking for company tonight?”

You nodded, not quite able to tear your eyes away and avoid the fact that these men looked so alike that it was a bit scary; short hair and young faces. They looked kind of boyish but still old enough to come off as authoritarian. Doms then. You wondered if they were they really here together? A part of you hoped so even if it seemed highly inappropriate.

“C-can we go somewhere else to talk?” He continued and reached out for your hand, leading you into the entrance foyer after you had agreed.

The music died down again when you closed the door behind you, and finally, you could hear their voices properly. The one who had been in charge of getting you out here introduced them, “I’m Rick, this is Rickard.”

You said your name, voice shaking a bit more than you had hoped. You were nervous as well as extremely intrigued, the two men looking both intimidating and trustworthy which made you even more turned on by the idea of having them both. They were everything that a sub like you could hope for.

“First time here?” Rickard asked with a grin, tilting his head and giving you a once-over, his grin turning into a pleased smirk as his eyes went over your body.

“Yes but I’m liking what I see,” you said after gaining the courage to put on a bit of charm, “What are you searching for?”

“We’ve been trying to set this up for a whi-while,” Rick admitted as he gave you a thorough inspection as well, eyes settling briefly on your breasts, “Two doms searching for a sub, how does that sound?”

God, you were in heaven. That was too dirty to say no to, especially after the pleasant buzz of the gin. You nodded, taking a step closer, “Are you clean?”

They both nodded, “Are you safe?”

“Yes, the pill. Now continue, I’m listening.”

They explained their situation, how they wanted a bit of fun with a woman who knew what she was doing, and you definitely had the experience for what they wanted. They wanted rough, asking if you would be okay with slaps and marks which you agreed to without the slightest bit of hesitation. The fact that you would be able to see and feel the memories of the night before you was a treat, something you haven’t felt and seen for a while. Additionally, you agreed to some daddy-roleplay, something you hadn’t quite explored yet but it was on your list of things you wanted to try.

“Daddy,” you tried out, tasting the word in your mouth for a moment. It felt right.

“Don’t call me that,” Rick said, and Rickard rolled his eyes.

“T-the bastard’s too narcissistic to hear anything but his own name,” Rickard explained.

“I can work with that,” you said, more excited than ever when you were lead downstairs until you reached a long corridor with rooms on each side.

You figured that you were a few levels below the ground and when you finally stopped, you felt like your stomach was going to burst from all the butterflies inside of it. The door had a big number on it in a curly but gothic-looking font and Rick, still in charge, reached in front of you and opened it, “We reserved it for the whole n-night, no one is going to disturb us.”

Despite that fact that you had never been in a club like this, you were still not surprised by the decor of the private rooms. The walls and the floor were black, the room just as dimly lit as the rest of the place and you found leather furniture along the sides that had drawers underneath which you figured was for equipment. On the left was a rack with all kinds of bondage equipment, leashes and collars and you weren’t going to be short on condoms as well as lube, as a whole bowl was packed with it in the corner. At last the centrepiece was a big king size bed with blood-red sheets and poles in every corner, where you could tie your partner up.

“Wow,” you said as the two of them closed the door behind you. They both walked to sit on the bed and you found yourself a bit unsure of what to do next despite a threesome not being something new for you. Why could you not just do as usual?

“Sure you want this, sweetheart?” Rickard asked, clearly trying to read your face.

“Yes, just give me a moment, Daddy,” you decided to jump right into it, watching Rickard’s face light up at the name as you slid the straps of your dress off your shoulders. Luckily, you had not worn a bra today, so when you pulled it down, until it pooled around your feet, your breasts were exposed. There was no point in going slow when you had already discussed the terms. The two of them smiled and then looked at each other and gave approving nods before starting to undress as well.

You watched them with fascination, amazed at the way they mirrored each other when they pulled off their shirts and then went for their trousers. The idea of going at it with two people looking so much like each other was a dirty fantasy, something straight out of a dream and here it was, happening right before your eyes.

You felt less exposed now that they were completely naked but before you had time to admire their erect cocks, Rick held out his hand and you walked to take it, being pulled close and onto the bed. Immediately, you were laid down on the mattress and they were over you. Rough, you reminded yourself, there was no time for formalities.

With a moan, you accepted Rick’s mouth on your neck who explored your sensitive skin to find the right spots where it made you almost jerk involuntarily. Rickard on the other hand was much more gentle, kissing your lips and instinctively, you reached up to wrap your arms around him.

A hand gripped your wrist. It was Rick’s, “That’s not what we agreed on, R-Rickard.”

You let your other arm fall to the mattress again, “So no touching?”

“No, not unless you’re told,” he continued, letting go when he saw you giving in.

Rickard rolled his eyes, still hovering over you and smiling down at you, “Cut her some s-slack, she’s absolutely adorable.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” you put on your sweetest and most innocent voice and it made both of their cocks twitch, poking into your thighs.

Rick allowed the both of you to continue, getting back into his position and started going down your body, biting gently all the way down to your panties. It was only fair that you got naked as well, he said, hooking his fingers into the waistband and pulling them off. Rickard immediately reached down, a hand sliding over your stomach till he could find your already swollen clit. You were beyond aroused by now, feeling your wetness leak onto your inner thighs. Sure, it had not been long but from the very moment you had laid eyes on them, something inside of you had stirred.

Whilst Rickard kissed you again, taking control of the kiss and not letting you have any say in what was going on, much to Rick’s surprise, you felt two fingers slide into you. It was Rick, crooking his long digits upwards until they could brush against your g-spot.

“Oh,” you groaned when your clit was stimulated at the same time, head falling back and the kiss breaking. When you felt the waves of pleasure wash over you and building, you automatically reached to touch like before and Rick responded by biting into the skin of your thigh with force, making you sure of a mark on your skin later. You yelped as well, balling your fists to make you refrain from reaching for his hair.

“That’s it,” Rick said with a hard tone, pulling back and leaving you empty without warning, “It looks like we’re dealing with a bit of a brat, Rickard, she’s obviously doing this on pur-purpose.”

“I’m not,” you groaned, relaxing your body again, “Daddy, tell him!”

“I’m not,” he simply mocked your voice but then winked at you, hinting that this was simply a part of the play, “Stop looking for Daddy’s help. He agrees with me, now tell me, what should we do with- to you?”

“Exciting,” Rickard sat up, looking to his identical partner, “Flip her over. I want to watch.”

“Just my thought, I-I-I need a good look at that ass, maybe play a little, before I ram it,” Rick said with a sleazy grin, and with that, you were roughly pulled around and onto your stomach.

“She’s all yours,” Rickard announced, crawling off the bed to sit on the sofa and letting Rick take over. He started off by simply running his palm over your behind, grabbing one cheek and shaking it a little so your flesh jiggled and in front of you, you saw Rickard stroke himself as he watched you being fondled.

“Now,” Rick sounded like he was about to give you a lecture but instead he slapped your ass and made you jolt forwards on the bed, gripping the sheets and groaning at the sweet burn of his hand. More, you needed more to stop being a brat. Above you, Rick continued his beginning lecture, “When I-”

Rickard cleared his throat at that and Rick sighed, “When we say no touching, we mean it, sweetheart. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” you were barely finished before another painful smack that made you pant and made your head hang between your shoulders rained down on your skin. Rickard was stroking himself a little faster, probably loving the pained expression on your face, his breathing getting more rapid in the background. You wanted to see his reaction, looking up and feeling your pussy throb when you gained eye-contact; his eyes looked absolutely wild.

“S-say my name,” Rick scraped his nails over the redness you guessed was forming on your ass and it stung so much that you were in tears.

“Yes, Rick,” you tried again, burying your head in the mattress. In return, you felt his rough hand rub the place he had slapped you with a lot more kindness than what was in his voice. You noted that you had to remember that Rick was the narcissist of them, forgetting to say his name was out of the question.

“I’m sorry, did that hurt?” He asked, continuing his caring touches. You nodded, letting out a whimper for show but Rick responded by hitting the same place once more, “Good. It’s supposed to.”

“Don’t you think she’s had e-enough?” Rickard interrupted, and your gaze returned to him, sending him a thankful expression; if Rick was going to fuck your ass, you did not need it to be stinging as much as you enjoyed a spanking.

“Are you getting bored over there?” Rick asked with a scoff, “Not that I’m surprised, your dick must be bored from all the alone-time y-you have with it.”

You couldn’t help but giggle a little at that, hiding your face once more to stifle it. Rickard rolled his eyes, a thing he seemed to do a lot around his friend, and crawled onto the bed.

“You’re being reaaal funny,” he grumbled but then looked down at you, “Anyway, if you want her ass, I want her cunt. No discussions. W-who’s first?”

You decided not to say anything, concluding that there was a reason why they referred to you as were you not even here. It was oddly hot and so, you just lay still and waited for whatever was coming. You hoped it was you soon.

“I thought we could share her, fill her up real good,” Rick replied, causing your heart to leap into your throat. Them both at the same time?

“Let’s not overwhelm her,” Rickard mumbled, and you were almost going to burst. He was such a sweetheart despite their promise of going rough, “Weren’t you the one who wanted to get sucked off? Y-you kept talking about that before we got here.”

“Fine,” Rick got up from your thighs and you realised that your feet had been sleeping. You rolled onto your back, spreading your legs without a word and Rick looked slightly jealous when Rickard settled between them. His gaze fell on your cunt which was aching to be fucked by now, the spanks having sent excitement throughout your body without you realising how much more wet it had made you. Still, Rick did not complain, only shifted on the bed till he was sitting on his knees besides your head.

Meanwhile Rickard slid into you without warning, grabbing your thighs and pulling you flush against him until he bottomed out. The sudden stretch of your pussy made your eyes roll back into your skull and as he set out a pace, you decided to close them instead and enjoy the ache his generous girth provided.

You both moaned in unison, Rickard lifting your legs up to wrap them around his waist. The rhythm felt good but not so good that it would make you come and hopefully not good enough to make Rickard come. You hoped he was able to control himself, not spoiling the fun, but voicing your concern was probably enough to get another smack to the bottom.

Suddenly, you heard shuffling besides you and opened your eyes once more. Rick, who had been quiet for a minute or two, was shifting on the bed to lie besides you, propping his head up on his elbow and reaching down between your legs to rub your clit as you were fucked open. It made you clench involuntarily around Rickard’s cock, making him grunt and slow down a little, “Jeeesus, y-your pussy is fucking magic.”

“Don’t come, Daddy,” you moaned, daring to say it, and Rickard just chuckled as he gave you a hard thrust in return for that remark.

“Shut up, you,” Rick laughed, fingers quickly rubbing from side to side but instead of keeping quiet, your moans just increased in volume until you already felt on the verge of having what you expected to be your first orgasm of the night.

“She’s not shutting up any time soon,” Rickard laughed, leaning a bit forward to change the angle of his hips. He then sped up again, hips slamming into yours with such precision that you felt like you would see stars any moment now.

“I-I can make her,” Rick crawled to kneel besides your head, the loss of clit-stimulation being a slight (a big) disappointment but you weren’t here to demand anything, “Open up.”

You did as you were told, letting your mouth fall open with a moan and in the next second, Rick had leaned over you and you felt his length slide into your wet mouth. You closed your lips around him, sucking expertly whilst he moved his hips to fuck your mouth.

The sensations were overwhelming despite them having agreed on not causing you to feel like that, Rickard’s cock making your whole pussy pulse and scream for your climax and Rick’s cock occasionally poking at the back of your throat when he became a little too enthusiastic.

You gagged when he held you by your hair and pulled you down on his cock, tears filling your eyes and spilling down your cheeks but instead of pulling back, Rick sped up his hips whilst holding your hair in a tight grip, “Look at her, she’s about to sob.”

“So. F-fucking. Pretty,” Rickard praised, accentuating each word with a hard thrust and causing you to whimper around Rick’s length.

Rick just moaned in agreement but finally pulled away when you swallowed around him to prevent the spit in your mouth from sliding down your chin. It had obviously been too much, “Fucking hell, that was close.”

“Can’t handle deepthroating?” You decided to be bratty again, trying hard to catch your breath and blinking up at him.

“I think it’s about to be my turn, don’t you think, Rickard?” Rick said without looking at him, eyes glued to you, “You’re being way too s-soft on her anyway, listen to her! If she can still breathe and talk, you’re doing it fucking wrong.”

Rickard had stopped moving to glare at his friend, “Shut up and go get the lube then, show me what I’m doing wrong, you bastard.”

“I’ll show you,” Rick simply said, confidence in his voice as he got off the bed to grab a handful of lube-packets from the bowl in the corner.

“Hello?” You said in dismay, gesturing to Rickard’s hips that were not moving.

“You know for a sub, you’re quite commanding,” Rickard gave you a single, teasing but hard thrust that send you upwards on the bed and made you groan, “M-maybe you do need some dick in your ass.”

The lube-packets were thrown onto the bed, Rick motioning for Rickard to get off of you, “This position isn’t going to work, and you know it.”

“What should I do?” You asked and sat up, curling your toes when you felt Rickard pull out of you. There was nothing worse than being empty when one hadn’t even gotten off.

“Don’t look so sad, you’ll be f-full of cock in a moment or should I say cocks. Straddle him,” Rick said as he ripped open a packet of lube, drizzling it onto his fingers, “Go on.”

Rickard laid down and you followed orders, the anticipation of what was about to happen making your heart thump in your chest. Jesus, it had been a while and despite being nervous, you couldn’t wait.

“No, straddle his cock, you fucking ditz,” Rick said behind you, making you blush in embarrassment. Immediately, you reached below you and grabbed Rickard’s dick, guiding it into your pussy once again and sinking all the way down. He groaned, hands finding your hips to pull you forwards.

“You need to get on your knees and l-lean forward, baby,” Rickard explained, helping you into the right position until you had your ass exposed. This was always tricky but they seemed to know what they were doing.

“Like this, Daddy?” You asked and blinked sweetly.

“Perfe-”

“Don’t fuck her yet,” Rick said, carefully opening another packet and drizzling it over your ass. When it dripped down the cleft and between your cheeks, you shivered at how cold it was and reminded yourself that you needed to relax, if this was going to be good.

“Then hurry up,” Rickard said, hands exploring your body and running over your breasts, “Look at her, I can’t wait.”

“Then why don’t you marry her,” Rick scoffed, his already slick fingers scooping up some of the lube between your cheeks, “A-are you ready?”

“Yes, Rick,” you remembered saying his name this time, letting out a deep breath and still tensing up slightly when you felt his fingers stretching you open in the next second. Behind you, Rick ordered you to relax and you tried your hardest.

His fingers were inside of you and it felt intense for your muscle to be stretched after so long, especially when he tried to scissor and unscissor them. You whimpered, squeezing your eyes shut to force yourself to take it.

Underneath you, Rickard was catching on to how it felt for you, a hand sliding down to rub your hip affectionately, “Relax, sweetheart. Daddy won’t let it hurt.”

“It- it doesn’t hurt,” you finally moaned, carefully moving just a smidge, “Just intense.”

“Don’t you move,” Rick gave your ass a slap that made you jolt on Rickard’s cock. You both groaned and Rick sighed, still fingering you open, “I-I guess I asked for that one.”

“I can take it now,” you informed him, reassured him by breathing deeply and finally relaxing like you had wanted to all the way through, “Please, Rick.”

Rick pulled out his fingers slowly and you could hear him shuffling on the bed behind you, ripping yet another packet of lube. He waited until Rickard spread his legs underneath you, the movements making you moan again as his cock shifted inside of you and then Rick was on his knees, leaning over your back.

Slowly, you felt his cock breach the ring of muscle that, despite having been prepped, still stung at the girth. They both had impressive cocks after all, thick and long at the same time, a thing you rarely saw go hand in hand. It meant that they filled you up well, and now that Rick was all the way inside of you, you felt them push against that little wall of muscle between your ass and your pussy and holy hell, it was like they were splitting you open.

“Oh my God,” you said with a shaky breath, gripping the sheets underneath you to get used to the feeling. If any of them moved now, you wouldn’t know what your body would do. Below you, Rickard was staring at your face with nothing but pure wonder, examining every little detail; the widening of your eyes, the crinkle of your nose, how your mouth fell open. He held a hand up when Rick was about to thrust, stopping him.

“Give her a mo-moment,” he said, rubbing your hip again.

“Fine! But we said rough, didn’t we?” Rick grumbled but still allowed Rickard to make a decision for once. The three of you stayed in the position for a few minutes until your breathing was under control again.

“Okay,” you said at last, feeling confident in yourself to give them what they had clearly wanted from the moment they saw you, “Do I move?”

“Yes,” they said in unison and with that, you lifted your hips and slid up on both of their dicks before sinking down again. All three of you swore, the start-pace a bit uneven and confusing for all of you but soon, with a bit of work, you found a rhythm that made you able to bounce on their cocks.

It finally worked, and it felt fucking amazing, the heads of their cocks hitting your g-spot from each side. You were a gasping mess and so were they, loud obscene slick and smacking noises filling the room as well. A part of you wondered about exactly what they felt during this but you were sure they could feel their cocks brush together indirectly inside of you, stimulating each other as well as you, and the thought was delicious.

You clenched when Rickard hit your g-spot to perfection, your body squeezing the both of them without any control of it and their whines were enough to know that they could indeed feel more than just you; a man had never made such a noise when simply fucking you.

“She’s perfect,” Rick groaned, speeding up his thrust and Rickard and you following suit just after, the sensation of it all simply doubling and making sweat form at your brow, “Sweetheart, feels like fucking heaven.”

Your hands were bunching up the sheets by now, the grip only tightening when they started to pound you and everything below your navel felt like it was burning. Your muscles could barely handle anymore but still, they made every thrust more brutal due to their desperateness for getting off and filling you.

You were stuffed to the brim with cock and still despite how it was so deliciously rough, your clit was untouched and barely got the stimulation you needed to come. If only they would touch you soon, you thought when your mind, for a brief second, wasn’t blank.

Rickard’s hands on your hips were moved, a single on tightening its grip whilst the other one snaked its way down between your legs. Sure, these guys were strange, and definitely not twins, but they weren’t mind-readers, right?

You did not really care right now, a couple of fingers finding your clit made everything else irrelevant. You could feel that Rickard had a hard time seeing what he was doing, most likely terrified of shifting and ruining the rhythm but when he finally rubbed his fingers on you, quickly from side to side, you cried out.

“Fuck- fuckfuckfuck,” you panted, every word followed by tiny puffs of air. The very core of you shook as the orgasm snuck up on you so fast that it was almost embarrassing, and it hit you like a train; legs shaking, arms giving out and muscles clenching quickly around the cocks deep inside of you.

“Shit,” Rickard said breathlessly, pushing up into you with force and continuing to fuck you. He was close, you could hear it because his breathing was like earlier when he had had to lower his enthusiasm and surely enough, he came with a grunt, staying inside of you so he could finish in your pussy, a hot sensation erupting inside of you.

Rick followed behind him, speeding up his thrusts and finally shuddering as he emptied himself inside of you as well. The feel of warm come in your cunt and your ass was crazy erotic, leaving you unable to breathe properly or even think any kind of thought. You could only feel. No other sense was working.

The three of you lay in a sweaty and completely exhausted heap. None of you had your breathing under control and none of you seemed to want to move for a very long time, feeling dazed and extremely satisfied.

“Jesus,” you heard Rick mumble, being the first one to break the silence. Carefully, he pulled out of you and Rickard seemed to understand that it was time he pulled out as well. Immediately, you felt come leak from you and onto the sheets.

“Yeah, I-I need some fucking water after that one,” Rickard chuckled and slid out from underneath you, making sure you were comfortably lying on your back before leaving the bed much contrary to Rick who had just gotten up without warning.

You heard them walk around in the room but right now, you could barely even lift your own head to look at them and what they were doing. The ceiling was interesting, you tried to convince yourself and slowly, you also found yourself drifting in and out of sleep, senses on overload.

Suddenly, you heard the door and despite your aching body, you sat up quickly in almost panic and anger. Did they just leave you without a word?

“Don’t worry,” Rickard’s voice was a relief and you turned to see him fully clothed again, “Rick just went to the bar to get you some water and he is also picking up a towel… for, y-y-you know.”

His eyes wandered down your body for a quick second and you followed his gaze, realising that you were absolutely covered in come and your own wetness between your legs. With a blush, you cleared your throat, “Thank you.”

“So, can we see you again?” Rickard asked.

That you had not expected, and you looked just as surprised as you felt.

“W-well?” He waited for an answer.

“Yes, yeah, definitely,” you said, letting yourself fall back into the mattress.

“Good.”

Then there was silence and it was pleasant. You needed to calm down, everything in you fighting to stay awake due to your body being overwhelmed and you closed your eyes to rest until Rick came back.

You weren’t sure how long it had been when Rickard woke you up, holding a bottle of water out for you. Rick was smirking at you from the sofa along the wall, watching you gulp down almost the entire thing, “My, fucking, my, l-looks like we wore her out real good.”

Rickard snickered, nodding, “And here I am, already asking for when round two will be.”

“So, he told you,” Rick said, and you nodded.

“I think she’s got potential,” Rickard held out the towel next. You started giving yourself a thorough wipe-down, knowing that it would only do a superficial job.

“A shame we have to get going or I w-would’ve suggested round two in this same night,” Rick bragged.

“I have to go too,” you lied, looking around for your panties and wondering what they had been thrown at, “A shame though, I loved this.”

“We, or, I put your clothes on the chair in the corner,” Rickard said with a soft smile, “We really have to get going.”

You thanked him, getting up to get dressed and at least try to look decent. Rick and Rickard both stood now, nodding in agreement and exchanging looks of approval like earlier. Rick, the boss of them, was the one to say their goodbyes.

“We’ll definitely s-see you,” he said, heading for the door and Rickard following suit, “We’re here every Friday night.”

The room went extremely quiet when they closed the door behind them but instead of dwelling on it, you decided to fix your dress straps instead.

When you accepted the way you looked, you walked out of there, still uncertain if this had really just happened. Two things you were certain of though: The ache in your lower body did not lie and your friend was not getting her member-card back.

#rick sanchez #rick sanchez x reader #rick sanchez fanfiction #rick and morty #rick & morty #young rick #my writing

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theharellan · 6 years ago

Text

dragon age positivity meme | accepting

i’m going to be answering these in one post for the sake of simplicity and cutting down ooc posts!

✾ your favourite da:o main quest | sent by @cuervocanto

my actual favourite quest is paragon of her kind, but i talked about why i love that one here. and yes, i don’t even rly mind the deep roads.

my second favourite is probably the landsmeet, especially taking into account that it has some sub-main quests that are grouped together under the umbrella of preparing for the landsmeet. such as resucing anora, breaking out of fort drakon, and solving the unrest in the alienage. i find returning to the alienage as tabris second to aeducan returning to orzammar, but it’s still very interesting coming back to a place where you grew up with no power, suddenly having power. and regardless of origin the worldbuilding is good, immediately the fact that you’re barred from the alienage upon initially entering denerim tells you a lot about the state of elves in ferelden. the choice at the end isn’t particularly difficult, “slavery is bad” isn’t a controversial opinion even in ferelden and so even the warden i created with the intention of being That Kind of Human couldn’t choose that option, BUT it does make for an emotional choice when playing tabris

as for rescuing anora and breaking out of drakon, i just love the humour in the quest. i never have my warden break out themselves just so i can have the companions bullshit their way in. my personal favourite combination is zevran and oghren, although i do enjoy morrigan-leliana and sten-dog, as well. i think my fave thing about oghren and zev tho is that iirc they’re one of the most successful combinations.

as for the landsmeet itself, it’s not particularly challenging, but i enjoy the variety of options you get and how it changes the game going forward. like, in every game anora is queen for me in some capacity, but beyond that i’ve had a bitter king alistair working with a warden who recruited loghain, loghain and the warden alone, etc. i enjoy the politicking and making an alliance with anora. it’s enjoyable even on replays.

❄ your favourite da:i personal quest | sent by @pentaghasted

my actual favourite personal quest is cole’s, which i talked about here. instead i’ll talk about iron bull’s b/c i’m glad they committed to what they started in trespasser and i also appreciate how the choice is set up. most of us save the chargers b/c the lot of them stole our hearts in the two scenes they were in, but unlike some other choices in the series choosing the sadder/arguably worse option doesn’t require you to be roleplaying as an evil bastard to choose it.

so like, most games i save the chargers, but my playthrough where i’m playing a practical trevelyan-- she goes with the qunari dreadnought. the chargers were assets, but a qunari alliance could have been more beneficial in the long term. heck, even my inquisitor who saves the chargers feels a lot of guilt about it-- because even if she didn’t know the people on the dreadnought, there were a whole lot of them, and her decision got them killed. she needed to show she cared for her own people first, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t matter.

which contrasts this personal quest for something like... say, fenris’s third one, which don’t get me wrong, is very emotional. but i cannot fathom why a hawke how kept fenris around for all that time and clearly spent time talking to him would just say “yeah you can take him” its just kinda over-the-top cruel. so i am glad when i can roleplay the alternate decisions i ordinarily wouldn’t make.

and i love seeing the quest’s differing effect on bull. he adjusts either way, but one puts him on a path where he’s going to be facing you, one way or another. and he pays the price for that.

♦ your favourite piece of lore | sent by @felandaristhorns & @sephirajo

i’ve answered this before the last time i reblogged this meme and answered the dalish mage lore from da:i and rivain just. as a whole. i’m going with the lore regarding elvhenan, though, b/c i think the games do a good job of subverting what we were told in da:o and da2 while also explaining how those misconceptions happened. i love going back to the previous games and seeing new angles to the lore and the places where they were building up to it. i love seeing the foreshadowing within inquisition itself.

and i just love how elvhenan is characterised, as a hyper-magic society where reality and dreams aren’t necessarily different things. and where feelings are just as physical as every other aspect of a person. it explains so much about the fade, spirits, solas, it makes even comments like merrill’s-- someone with a pretty nuanced view of spirits-- kind of sad. she calls the fade “another people’s land” not knowing that it was her land, and her people.

while i’m on that spirits in general make me sad. how perception screws with them, and how i think that just further isolates mages. for once i don’t think this is a plot by the chantry, i don’t think they’re lying about how they think spirits are, they’re just wrong to characterise them as they do. but at the same time i don’t think they’d disapprove of the effect is has on mages. it’s cutting them off from potential friendships, and not only that but friendships the templars would have 0 way of regulating given they could potential happen in dreams.

but i’m off-topic. the point is i find the worldbuilding surrounding elvhenan, to be some of bioware’s best. it makes sense, it’s nuanced and varied and doesn’t make elvhen characters wear one single hat. clearly it was a heavily flawed place, but it had a lot of merits and you can see why solas misses it or why cole, upon learning that the veil was never meant to be, feels validated by the idea that he was never wrong to want to be a part of both worlds.

♬ your favourite part of the da:i soundtrack | sent by @daggersandpoison

da:i has the best soundtrack in the series and i don’t think this is a controversial opinion. i do love inon sur’s work, and i was a little worried when i heard morris was composing inquisition b/c i found me3′s soundtrack to be overall a step down from me2′s (it lost a lot of what made the mass effect series unique). BUT with inquisition he managed to keep dragon age’s unique sound while also improving upon it. the inquisition theme gives me chills when i start up the game and even while i’m walking around in the field and a few chords play while i’m picking up my 100th elfroot.

but it’s always hard to choose my favourite. it’s honestly a tie between journey to skyhold and the dark solas theme. both of these give me specific solas feelings, the former b/c you have solas entrusting a lot of hope and faith in the inquisitor (it’s esp poignant if by that point you have a burgeoning friendship with him). and b/c it comes off one of the strongest moments in the dragon age series, aka the battle of haven and encounter w/ corypheus. also i love the dawn will come, fite me. and from my inquisitor’s perspective, esp my main inquisitor, thora, this is probably the first time she’s felt like she was worth all this herald talk. even if she doesn’t believe it, the song beginning with a soft, unsure sound and rising to a triumphant end when skyhold is unveiled encapsulates what i love about the inquisitor’s story and my inquisitor’s personal feelings.

dark solas theme i love b/c it conveys so much of the sadness and loneliness of his character. i would talk more about it b/c it makes me so sad i literally can’t listen to it unless i’m writing post-trespasser solas and even then it’s risky. it’s just a good track ok. and it caps off my favourite dlc.

ღ your favourite da:i banter | sent by @renaudtrevelyan

i talked about some banter i love here between bull and solas. i have to admit i have a hard time choosing my favourite in da:i b/c i just love so much of the banter in this game. i always tell myself not to choose solas banter, and i’m going to... choose one solas and one non-solas.

Solas: I do not understand you, Sera. You have no end goal for your organization. Sera: Nobles get rattled, and people get payback. I play in the middle. Solas: Why not go all the way? You see injustice, and you have organized a group to fight it. Don't you want to replace it with something better? Sera: What, just lop off the top? What's that do, except make a new top to frig it all up? Solas: I...forgive me. You are right. You are fine as you are. Sera: You hurt my head sometimes, Solas. Solas: Yes, I have been known to do that.

this banter is great to me (and all the banter leading up to it) b/c it informs so much about both of their characters. solas is trying to help sera, in this string of banter. he’s trying to give advice so that the red jennies could potentially become an organisation that does more than makes little people’s lives better with pranks or the occasional knife in someone’s back. it’s a conversation between two characters who are, in different ways, absolutely sick of the system and have different ways of dealing with it.

solas wants change. sweeping, societal change. sera isn’t sure change will help any, and would prefer the relative stability of a pre-breach world where she knows which way’s up. neither is wrong to deal with it the ways they are, and solas just has to look at the top he lopped off to see that, yes, they grow back just as bad. idk i just love solas and sera a lot and i love seeing what they have in common and how they handle their frustrations differently.

Sera: I don't get it. If you want to change, just change. Why this "fake Warden" rubbish? Blackwall: For one, people wanted me dead. Being someone else kept me breathing. Blackwall: And then, knowing that people thought I was good made it easier. Sera: (Laughs.) You needed them to think you could, so you could think you could! Sera: You're smart, but you're sort of stupid.

i’m picking another sera banter b/c i love her. i love sera b/c she’s smarter than ppl give her credit for, she cuts through why rainier did what he did the same way cole does. their relationship on the whole is very sweet and it was hard choosing one banter. but i appreciate her ability to both love and support thom while also calling him out on his bullshit. the two of them are good for each other and im so glad they’re friends. my only regret is i’ve never seen thom as sera’s best man in wedding art. or sera as blackwall’s for that matter. their friendship needs more love-- actually, sera just needs more love period.

☄ your favourite da:i codex entry | sent by @chantrysworn

i love this codex entry, describing wisdom (solas’s spirit friend):

When the summoning ritual was complete, the spirit appeared. Both spirits and demons have no gender as we understand it, but this one, much like the rare and dangerous desire demon, presented as female. Although its form was not threatening, the spirit carried itself with a confidence, an awareness, I suppose, that I have seen only in the most powerful of demons.

This spirit of wisdom was polite and courteous. It answered our questions about the Fade, even acknowledging the difficulty when we could not understand what it meant. There was none of the bargaining one normally associates with a summoned creature, save that the spirit sometimes asked us questions as well. Heras shared a mathematical formula he had recently proven, while Etrenne explained her study on magical themes in the Chant of Light, and young Rhys talked a little about his mother.

When we were finished, the spirit thanked us for the conversation and then vanished, although none of us had dismissed it. We soon discovered that the summoning ritual we had devised was critically flawed. The spirit had been under no compulsion to come or remain. All the time it had talked with us, it had stayed of its own volition. Heras was greatly concerned that such a powerful spirit remained free, and has updated the ritual to correct for the weakness in the binding enchantment. I understand his caution, but I also confess that I quite enjoyed the conversation. I am not certain the spirit would have talked so freely had it been shackled at the time.

—An excerpt from Spirits of the Spire by Senior Enchanter Francois

you can see so much of why they were friends in this codex. the politeness, answering and asking questions, no bargaining just a nice conversation where both parties learn things. and then you find out it never had to show up in the first place, it just wanted to-- and likely would not have been as accommodating had it not been free.

it’s great for informing us on a character we tragically don’t know all that well. and also? it’s incredibly sad when you think about what happens to it, it almost makes you wonder if the mages who ultimately bound and killed it would have had better luck simply asking for its protection. solas says something along those lines, but he also says it prefers remaining in the fade (interesting in itself, given that the chantry pushes the agenda that all spirits want beyond it. contradicted by multiple spirits we’ve met tbh, including cole, who actually quite likes the fade).

this codex is also interesting b/c it tells you some about what mages study and do with their time. and it goes back to what i mentioned previously, w/ chantry attitudes depriving spirits and mages of one another’s company.

anyway i love wisdom and it deserved better.

#( positivity )#( positivity meme )#( ooc )#( long post )#[ i love da / da:i sm #cries softly into hands ]

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loveyboyslovin · 7 years ago

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Jess’ Fic Recs: A Masterpost

i'm told a lot these days by @myriadus

i’m told a lot these days is a beautiful Cow Chop story based on the show Dead Like Me (which is amazing btw so definitely go watch it if you haven’t!). Gina is a Phenomenal writer, and this story was the first fic to ever make me bawl my eyes out with Legitimate Tears. For that reason, it will occupy a special place in my heart until the day I die. If you haven’t read it yet, you are missing out on what became one of the most influential fan fiction reading experiences of my life!

Pyrite (and the coda Diamonds Are Forever) by @cockbite (personalized_radio on AO3)

Pyrite was the first of Hannah’s longer stories that I ever read, and I will never regret it! This Fake Chop fic also includes characters from the other Fake Rooster Teeth crews. The characterisation is excellent and the story draws you in from the very start! Diamonds Are Forever picks up a while after Pyrite’s story and perfectly builds on the beautiful relationship that James and Aleks have with each other, as well as the absolute hilarity of James and Gavin’s ongoing feud. Also, Hannah is a wonderful human being, and I am so lucky that Gina kept telling me how amazing she was until I eventually plucked up the courage to go say hi! Hannah is one of the nicest people I’ve met in this fandom, and she’s always right there when I need someone to bounce ideas off, so please go and show her some love!

i'm taking all i have to take, this taking's gonna shape me by orphan_account on AO3

If you are a fan of Fake Chop, and are comfortable with the concept of male pregnancy, then this fic will destroy your heart with feels!! I stumbled upon it by accident, and being a lover of both Fake Chop and mpreg, read the entire series of two fics in one sitting! This story is heartbreaking and spectacular and life-changing in equal measure, and although dlmau still remains the first time I ever cried from reading a fic, this wins the Uncontrollable Sobbing Award, because I was crying at so many points throughout the story that it’s not even funny. This fic is an emotional rollercoaster, and that is a testament to exactly how Phenomenal a writer she is! (And if you are someone who is unsure of your feelings for mpreg, I honestly believe that this fic is a wonderful first step into that world!)

Bump In The Night by @pacificrey

A really cool Spooky Scary Monster AU where Aleks takes up a job placement with the slightly shady company, Cow Chop. As things unfold, he soon realises that his coworkers might not be exactly who they seem. The pacing of this story is really amazing and I love it, especially the choices for each of the monster species and how well they fit the personalities of the characters they’ve been assigned to.

first impressions (and the searchlights series as a whole) by @myriadus

Ok, so W O W! first impressions is Spectacular, and it’s literally only a prequel of sorts for the larger fic to come. It is set in a combined Fake Chop and Soulmate AU, and the focus of the story is on Aleks and the different times and ways that he met the members of what would one day become the Cow Chop crew. Gina once again blows me away with the way that she can characterise our favourite boys and girls so well that I can hear the words coming from their own mouths. This fic is so worth checking out, and I definitely recommend sticking around for the rest of the searchlights series as it’s being written!

it all seemed so fine until it wasn't. by @gavinsaleks

An Amazing Fake Chop fic where James and Aleks slowly fall for each other, and everything is ripped from them when Aleks is killed, or at least seems to die. When a mysterious visitor shows up a few years later, James has to deal with the fact that the friendship and possible love that he had already mourned, never truly left him after all. This one is incredibly emotional, and I love the way that it’s written.

Chill Out by @cockbite (personalized_radio on AO3)

Anyone who knows me will know that I am a multishipper at heart, and I can enjoy almost every single Cow Chop ship as much as any other. Hannah, bless her heart, wrote This Thing, and I haven’t been the same since. Chill Out is pretty much just PWP, but it’s ModestHundarNovaHD and all four of our boys are just written so Perfectly that I could just die. The sex itself is amazing, but the emotion and writing behind it just elevates this fic to a whole new level, so definitely check it out if you’re into some Prime Smut!

Subway Love by @therearenofriendshipsinuno

A Fake Chop universe where Trevor is a civilian and he happens to meet Aleks on the train to work, completely oblivious to the fact that he’s an infamous criminal called Immortal. This is a really wonderful fic and I adore it, because it’s such a new and exciting change to be reading about Fake Chop from the perspective of an outsider, someone who isn’t part of that world.

Lost & Found (and the alternate POV one-shots Kaleidoscope) by @beneaththetwilightsky

Lost and Found is an incredible Soulmate AU where you have the first thing your soulmate will say to you tattooed on your skin. James grew up with no such tattoo, and thought that it meant he wasn’t ever destined to find a soulmate, but then one day he bumps into a boy, Aleks, who is mute. This story is Insanely cute, and I love to read about the beautiful budding relationship between Aleks and James. Now that Lost & Found has been completed, Kaleidoscope tells the story of their relationship from the viewpoint of other characters in L&F, and it’s so wonderful to constantly see the world she has created be explored and expanded. She, by the way, is one of the sweetest and most wonderful people I’ve ever met, and it has been such a profound honour to become friends with her and to continue to cherish NovaHD and Cow Chop together!

what you had & what you lost by @scrubtopia

A Fake Chop fic set in the 80′s, where James and Aleks struggle to move on after their crew of bank robbers disbands. The ending is simply beautiful, and the way the entire story is written is truly masterful!

Cow Chop Cabin by @brutalitytailor

I read this one ages ago, and I still love it to this day. It’s insanely cute how the Cow Chop boys (minus Brett) go and stay in a nice cabin in the Colorado mountains for a few weeks. The whole thing is beautifully domestic, and I adore the plot about Aleks going through a break up and how James and Aleks work through their budding feelings for each other.

Nova, Baby by @cockbite (personalized_radio on AO3) and @kidenn

Fake Chop, Fake AH Crew, Coffee Shop AU, Dog Park, Enemies to Friends to Lovers. Do I really need to say anything else?? This incredible fic by my darling Hannah and collaborated with Jackie is an experience you’ll never forget! If you haven’t read this yet, you are truly missing out!

ultrajoy by twotwentyfour on AO3

The fact that this is a first fic ever written still completely blows my mind! It is crafted so well and written so evocatively, and the development of James and Aleks’ relationship (starting out as kids innocently playing together and becoming best friends, then growing into young adults planning for college and learning about the realities of the world) is so organic and beautiful to read that I’m getting emotional just thinking about it!

love in the first degree by @poeticatbest (astralnoon on AO3)

What first began as my birthday request of “beachside love confession in the rain” to my dear friend, love in the first degree immediately became a gift I’ll never forget! This fic - set in a Soulmate AU - has its angsty moments but builds to such a gorgeous and happy ending for both James and Aleks! A story about moving on from the pain of the past, of learning to love yourself and to trust others, I can’t recommend it highly enough!

i’m buried in this house (i love yous on every floor) by @honeyeonii

I’ll tell you one thing about my wonderful friend, Mark. He has an unparalleled ability to capture emotion and character in a short story. Though each of his fics are bite-sized, they are just as impactful to me as stories I’ve read that have been tens of thousands of words long! After reading this beautiful love story, do yourself a favour and go read every single one of his Cow Chop stories, because they are all incredible!

#cow chop #fic recs #masterpost #all of these authors are just Phenomenal #go and check them out!!#updated for 2021 #cow chop still lives through all of these! <3

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