#Where is the division between 'you if you were a fictional character' and any of the peppermints? Is it just the setting?

[countdown-til-sanders-take-over]

if you were a fictional character what songs would you get edited to

The Main Character

[demonpiratehuntress]

fictional boys (Monster Trio + Ace, Kaku)

featuring - Zoro x F!Reader, Ace x F!Reader, Sanji x F!Reader, Luffy x F!Reader, Kaku x F!Reader

summary - their reactions to finding out you have a crush on a fictional character

warnings - slightly angsty in Sanji's part but otherwise none

a/n: Kaku is severely underrated and there is a shocking lack of fics for him

ZORO

You're always reading. This was normal for you, but Zoro had never seen you this engrossed in one before. You spent more time with that damn book than you did with him these days, and even napping with you was a pain because you always had it with you. And he didn't understand your obsession with it, until he overheard a conversation between you and Nami.

"So who's your favourite?" The orange-haired navigator asked excitedly, leaning forward for the gossip.

"(Random Name)," you answered just as eagerly, your eyes lighting up excitedly. "He's the coolest!"

"Right?" Nami agreed, a dreamy smile on her face. "And the hottest."

"Oh yeah definitely."

"Who's the hottest, now?" A familiar deep voice cut through before you two could get any further than that. Zoro stopped by the table, crossing his arms and looking unamused.

"A guy in this book," you answered your boyfriend, unaware of the hostility in his tone, "He's this really cool knight who-"

"I'm cooler."

You looked up at him in surprise, not expecting him to cut you off with those words, "What?"

"Your stupid knight," he clarified, "I'm cooler than him. And hotter."

You looked at Nami, who was trying her hardest not to laugh. Then you looked back at your boyfriend, who was looking at you expectantly. Waiting for you to agree.

"Zoro-"

"Oh, so you like him better than me?"

"No! I never-" You stopped, starting to smirk. "Wait...are you jealous?"

He glared at you, "I don't get jealous."

"Oh, alright then," you sat back, deciding to tease him. "Then I can tell you more about his heroics, if you'd like."

A growl followed your words, and the book was quickly pulled from your grip and tossed overboard. The silence was only broken by a splash, before you finally reacted.

"Zoro! What-"

"Mine," he suddenly lifted you up bridal-style, "All mine." He carried you off to his room to show you - remind you - who you belonged to.

"I'm way better than that shitty knight."

ACE

The last time Ace had seen you, you were reading. The next time he saw you, you were still reading. He had gone and had a whole island adventure while you'd apparently just lay on your shared bed with your nose buried in a book. He wondered what was so special and interesting about it, so when you went to go do something he picked it up and read a little bit of it.

"Ace? Are you actually reading something?"

You giggled from the doorway, watching as the second division commander jumped, startled, and dropped your book. He looked up at you, pouting slightly.

"Just wanted to see why it's more interesting than I am."

"It's not more interesting than you are," you denied, coming over to the bed. You sat down next to him, picking it up and checking if you still had your page marked.

"But you're ignoring me to read it!" He protested, crossing his arms. With that and his pout, he looked like an upset child. It was cute.

"I'm not ignoring you! It's just..." You sighed. "There's a character I really like and I want to see where his story goes."

"His?"

You realised your mistake too late. Ace's eyes narrowed, looking from your face to the book. For a moment, there was dead silence, before he suddenly burned your book to a crisp. Your eyes widened and you were about to scold him for that, but he quickly engulfed you in a bone-crushing hug, nuzzling his face against your neck.

"You don't need a stupid book boy, you have me."

"Portgas D. Ace, are you jealous of a fictional character?"

"W-what?! NO! I just...you know...you don't give me any attention anymore!"

"So you're jealous. Of a boy who doesn't exist."

He groaned, keeping his face buried in your neck so you wouldn't see the embarrassing blush that fell over his cheeks, "Not jealous. Just want you." Before you could tease him any further, he leaned up to kiss you deeply.

"I'm the only one who's allowed to have you, no one else. Not even some damn fictional character."

LUFFY

He doesn't think much of it when you spend most of your free time reading. He doesn't feel threatened by anything or anyone when it comes to you, but he is also very confused by the concept of fictional characters. So when he hears you and Robin gushing about one, he is only intrigued by what you guys are talking about.

"Did you get to the part where..." Robin was asking you, rambling on about one of the scenes in the book.

"I did!" You gasped, "And I loved it. Especially what he did."

With Zoro napping, Sanji cooking, Chopper making more rumble balls, and Franky and Usopp working on the ship, Luffy had nothing better to do than come sit and listen to you and Robin. When he heard 'he', though, his interest was piqued.

"Who's 'he' (Name)?" He asked curiously.

You blushed at his question, unsure of how to explain this to your boyfriend, "He's, um, he-"

"He's (Name)'s fictional crush," Nami answered for you, shooting you a playful smirk. She knew damn well what she was doing, and your eyes widened.

"Luffy-"

"What's a fictional crush?" He blinked, confused.

"Nothing!" You quickly responded before Nami could open her mouth again, "It's really nothing, it's not important."

"It means (Name) likes a boy in the book she's reading," Nami continued, "The same way she likes you, Luffy."

"NAMI!" The glare you shot her could make sea kings tremble.

"But why?" Luffy questioned, "(Name) said I'm the only one she likes like that."

"And that is true," you agreed, smiling as you gave him a quick but loving kiss on his cheek. Sometimes you were grateful for Luffy's obliviousness.

"Good, because I would have just fought him for you."

SANJI

Sanji was happy to see that you had found something to occupy yourself with while he was busy, so he wouldn't feel guilty about leaving you alone so much. He would bring you snacks and refreshing drinks while you read, happy to serve you and keep you satisfied while you enjoyed your mental adventure. But a conversation between you, Nami and Robin changed everything.

"(Random Name) is so hot," you were gushing as Sanji arrived with another tray of drinks, "Like, unbelievably hot. And he's so sweet, too. Definitely boyfriend material."

While Nami and Robin eagerly agreed with you, Sanji almost dropped the tray he was holding. His eyes went wide at your words, and he felt his stomach churn.

"My love...who are you talking about?"

He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but why would you openly talk about some other man in front of him? Is this how you felt when you saw him give attention to other women? He swore he would stop right now if it meant this person wasn't real.

"A guy from the book I'm reading," you smiled up at him, but faltered when you saw the look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he shook his head and forced a smile, "I'm glad you're enjoying the book, love."

"Sanji, he's just a fictional character," you turned to face the cook completely, "I wouldn't really date him, even if he was real. You know I only love you, and you alone."

Your words were reassuring, and Sanji was grateful it wasn't any real person, but the words 'boyfriend material' rang in his head again. He set the drinks down. Then, unexpectedly, he got down on his knees and clasped his hands together in a begging gesture.

"(Name), my sweet, beautiful girlfriend that I love more than anything else in the world, I promise to stop looking at and flirting with other women if you stop reading that book!"

You raised an eyebrow, realising that he really was jealous of (Random Name), "You really mean that?"

"Yes yes yes! Please!"

"You better keep that promise."

"I will, because I'm only yours and you're only mine."

KAKU

With Kaku's job being...what it was, you spent majority of your time at home in Water 7 alone. He was almost always away on missions, leaving you with nothing to do but turn to books to occupy yourself during the day. So in the absence of your boyfriend, it was only natural you would be drawn to fictional men as a way of receiving affection.

Kaku didn't expect to come home and find downstairs neat but empty.

"(Name)?" He called out, frowning when he got no response.

He came upstairs, finding you asleep on the bed with a book clutched close to your chest. He looked at the title - it was a romance. That made him feel guilty; he knew you didn't like romances, and that you only read them when he wasn't around. He tried to remove it from your grip so he could cuddle you instead, but this action stirred you and you slowly sat up.

"Kaku?" You blinked the sleep out of your eyes, then smiled softly, "You're back. Hi."

"Hi," he replied sweetly, returning your smile. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's alright," you reassured him, "I didn't realise I fell asleep. Must have read until I passed out."

He chuckled at that, before gesturing to the book, "What were you reading about?"

"This?" You looked down at the book. "Oh, I just heard from a friend it was good. And that the main male character is swoon-worthy, which he is. I can see why she liked it."

At the mention of the male MC, Kaku felt an unjustified and unnecessary bout of jealousy swell up inside him. You liked the guy in the book? Maybe if he had been here you wouldn't.

"You don't have to be jealous you know," you started to smile playfully. "He doesn't compare to you."

"I'm not jealous," he tried to deny it, but his rosy cheeks gave it away. "It's a fictional character, why would I be jealous?"

"'It'?" You teased, pulling him closer to you. "So jealous you can't even give him a pronoun." You laughed, and the sound relaxed the tense CP9 agent.

"Ha, ha," he replied dryly, wrapping his arms around you. "Come here."

"I love you, and only you," you smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Good, because it will only ever be me and you."

[she-wolf09231982]

Joe Toye

“The Bunny and The Fox”

Summary: You thought Joe Toye was too scary to even consider a friend, but he proves to be not only a great friend, but also a lover.

A/N: One shot, Mature audience, JoeToyeX!FemMedic, WW2, Female Pronouns, Cursing/Swearing, Derogatory Slurs, Womanizing Comments, Military and Medical Terminology, Inappropriate Nicknames, HBO Band of Brothers References, Mentions/Descriptions of Injuries, Weaponry, Smoking. Angst/Conflict, Smut, *John Wayne/McClintock Movie Quote*, FOREVER FLUFF

@awaterfalls 😁🪖♠️🦅❤️

These stories may not fall entirely in accordance with the TV series timeline. I do not know the real soldiers the actors portray in this series, so please understand I show no disrespect. Some or most of historical events and character interactions in my fanfics are fabricated purely for the sake of the enjoyment of fiction*

~~~~~~~

He always appeared so….serious. His face in a constant state of pissed off and disdain. If looks could kill, Joe Toye (and Johnny Martin) wouldn’t have needed weapons in the war.

You avoided him all through Toccoa. He just seemed like the type to leave the hell alone. But every now and then, you caught a glimpse of him smiling or laughing with the guys.

“Not bad.” You’d think to yourself as you admired his smile.

Since you trained with Easy as a medic, you rarely had an excuse to speak to him unless he was injured. Even then you kept your conversation short and sweet with hardly any eye contact. But with his low raspy voice came a sense of calm while you took care of him. You supposed he seemed friendly enough.

~~~~~~

June 1944 Post D-Day

Orders were given to take Carentan where German soldiers were being sheltered. Carentan was the main crossroad between Cotentin and Calvados where the ally force's tanks needed passage to attack the main objective, Cherbourg.

"Listen up!" LT Welsh shouted. "It'll be dark soon. I want light and noise discipline from here on. No talking, no smoking. And no playing grab-fanny with the man in front of you, Luz. We're taking Carentan. It's the only place where armor from Omaha and Utah Beach can link up and head inland. Until we take Carentan, they're stuck on the sand. General Taylor's sending the whole division."

Some of the men began to grumble under their breath. Everyone started to stir to gather their gear to begin the journey to Carentan.

Walking in a file formation on each side of the road to Carentan. You found yourself walking in front of Toye as Perconte proceeded you.

“Hey Toye, why you always in the middle when we convoy anywhere? Ain’t you ever in the front?” Guarnere teased.

“I go wherever the medic goes in case I get hit, Bill.” Joe responded.

You blushed and dared to sneak a glance behind you. As you did, Toye met your gaze shooting you a quick wink. You quickly look back to the front embarrassed he caught you acknowledging him.

“Awe now look what ya did. You scared her.” Guarnere teased.

You hear some of the guys laugh.

“Maintain your noise discipline.” Winters reminded.

~~~~~~~

"MEDIC!!"

You and Doc on separate ends of the streets trying to keep low to tend to the wounded.

You rush to two soldiers landing on your knees next to them, one on the ground with a trail of blood coming from his helmet, the other crouching over him.

"He's still breathing, help me carry him!" You call out. You each grab an arm of the injured soldier and drag him behind a building.

While you're working on the nameless soldier's head wound, a drug store gets blasted by German artillery not far from where you were, the force from the explosion sending you sideways into the brick wall next to you.

You shake your head to stop the ringing in your ears. Everything you could hear was distant as your vision became fuzzy and dark. You start to smack your ear trying to make it pop so you can get back to your senses.

“Y/L/N! We gotta move! Get up!” Toye’s muffled voice yelled out.

He grabbed you by the arm pulling you up to your feet. You still couldn’t barely see so you held onto his arms for dear life.

“I-I can’t see nothin’ Joe!” You called out to him.

“Ok, come on…UP we go!” You hear him grunt as he threw you over his shoulder.

You feel him trotting to safety while blast after blast erupted all around you. You feel him lower you as gently as he could to the ground against a wall.

“Hey, look at me.” Toye said as he guided your face towards his, “Can you see me now?”

You shake your head, “No, it’s all dark and blurry.” You reply as tears started to stream down your cheeks.

Were you going blind?? Is this it? You’re not going to be able to see your family’s faces? Never see your own reflection? You feel yourself slipping into shock.

“Hey! Stay with me now, ok doll? Don’t cry. Doc’s on his way.” You hear Toye’s voice break through your thoughts.

Doc ducked behind the wall with you and Toye.

“What’s the matta’ with her?” You hear Gene ask.

“She can’t see. Says everything is blurry.”

“Gene, I think I’m going blind. Am I going blind??” You asked panicked trying to reach out for him.

“What happened before she couldn’t see?”

“A shell dropped right by her and she went flying into a brick wall.”

Gene nodded, “That’ll do it. You got a concussion, Y/L/N, you ain’t goin’ blind.”

You released a sigh of relief.

“Joe, can you get her back to HQ? She ain’t no good out here if she can’t see nothin’.”

“I got her, Doc.”

~~~~~~~

Toye got you back to an aid station not long after Easy Company claimed victory over Carentan. You remained there until the following day after your vision returned. As you approached a group of the guys from Easy, you were welcomed with whoops and cheers.

“Hey! Look who it is!” Luz called out.

All the guys turned to find you walking towards them.

“Hey look what the cat dragged in!” Malarkey joked.

The chorus of laughter from the men lifted your spirits.

“Yeah, I look rough, I know. Thanks guys.” You greet.

You looked around for Toye.

“He’s over there.” Luz pointed out as he gestured with is thumb over his shoulder.

“Oh, I just, uh, wanted to thank him for-“ you began.

“-yeah, yeah we know. He’s over there.” Malarkey interjected pointing down the street.

You feel yourself get flustered so you scamper off to where they said Joe was. As you walk through the rubble that Carentan has become, you see Toye standing in a circle with a few of the other guys from Easy. He throws his cigarette butt on the ground, stomping it out with his boot before he turns and sees you.

His face lights up when he saw you walking up.

“Hey there she is!” Guarnere hailed.

Bill met you and extended his hand for you to shake, which you obliged.

“Good to see you, Bill.”

“Glad to see you up and about, doll.” He pulled you in closer, “Someone’s been real worried about you since they left you at the aid station, by the way.” He disclosed.

You pull back and met Bill’s face with confusion. He winked and motioned over to Toye with his chin.

“Go on and say hi to him.” Bill added.

You narrow your eyes at him and smile. You slowly approach Toye as he stood there with his hands in his pockets and smirking as he patiently waited for you.

“Hey, Toye.” You squeak.

“Hey, Y/L/N. Good to see you.” He replied with his signature husky voice.

“Well, if it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t be here. Thank you for helping me.” You say as you leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

You hear Guarnere whistle. You turn around and shake your head at him.

Toye cleared his throat, “It was nothin’.”

You both stood there awkwardly until Bill came over.

“Hey, the guys were going to go to the bar that survived the wreck. You wanna join us later for a few night caps, Y/L/N?”

“Sure, if I can find a place to get cleaned up.”

“Ok it’s that little place over there. We’ll all be there around 1900, aight?”

You knew Bill was scheming something for you and Toye. You look at him suspiciously.

“Ok, I’ll see you guys there later.”

~~~~~~~

You breeze through the front door of the pub and begin scanning the room for the familiar faces of Easy.

“Hey! Y/F/N! Over here!” Guarnere called out waving his hand.

You push through the crowd to get to the table where most of your guys were sitting. You catch Toye playing darts with LT Compton, Luz, and Heffron.

“What can I getchya?” Bill asked.

“Oh, whatever you’re drinking, Bill.” You reply.

“Comin’ right up.” He announced as he walked to the bar.

You look back to Toye and catch his eyes looking at you too. He smiled and raised his glass to you with a wink. You smile back and give him a little wave.

“Here ya go.” Bill returned handing you a pint glass of beer.

You cheers and take a hearty gulp.

“Thanks, Bill.” You say as you squeeze his arm.

~~~~~~~

The night was filled with laughter, banter, and taunts amongst Easy. And somehow, your glass kept getting magically refilled by each of the guys. You had to refuse Malarkey’s offer to buy your next round because you felt your head starting to spin.

“Ok, we’ll slow down.” Don chuckled, “But when you’re ready, I got the next one!”

“Yessir.” You quipped.

You turn towards the dart boards and see that Toye had moved. You began to search the room for him and suddenly stop at the bar where he was talking to a local woman dressed in a tightly fit dress.

You felt a distinct sense of dread mixed with anger, but you weren’t sure why. The longer you watched Toye leaning closer to whisper in her ear while she giggled, the more your rage boiled over inside.

“What’s the matter, doll? You gotta look on ya like you’re gonna murder someone.” You hear Guarnere chime in.

You avert your eyes to the floor.

“It’s nothing.” You say quickly.

Bill looked where you were just looking.

“Well ain’t that a son of a bitch. After all the trouble I went through to set you’s guys up, he goes and finds another bird to chat up.”

You look at Bill, “What do you mean set us up?”

Bill looked at you alarmed.

“Oh, well, I thought you knew. Toye over there has got it real bad for ya. Has ever since basic but he figured he never had a chance. I told him you were a catch and that you had a thing for him too.”

“Oh do I now?” You asked astounded by his response.

“Well, don’tchya?”

“I suppose he’s handsome. Good soldier. But looks like he’s not as sweet on me as you think.” You state as you gesture to Toye by the bar getting disgustingly close to the blonde bombshell.

“Ah, he’s an idiot. He’s just trying to get laid.”

You look at him with daggers behind your eyes. Bill’s eyes widen.

“Uh, what I mean is he don’t care about her, ya know? He’s trying to not think about you because he thinks you’re outta his league.” Bill hastily explained.

“Yeah? Well, I’ll get his attention.” You declare as you storm off towards the bar.

“Ah shit.” Bill mumbled to himself rolling his eyes.

You walk up to a soldier from Fox Company standing a few feet away from where Toye was with his new little friend. You approach the bar and slightly bend over to the surface of the bar and rest your elbows on it. The soldier noticed you right away and a devilish grin appeared across his face.

You look over at him and smile.

“Hey, angel, you’re the prettiest face in here.” He said as he scanned you from head to toe.

You see Toye look over the blonde’s shoulder at you. So you inched closer to the stranger.

“At least someone noticed how hard I worked on my make up tonight.” You say loud enough for Joe to hear.

Toye’s jaw started to tighten. Your plan was working like a charm.

“What are you talkin’ about? You’re a dish!” He returned enthusiastically, “Can I get you a drink?”

“A pint is fine.”

Toye excused himself from the company of his little vixen and approached you with obvious vigor. He stopped so close to you, you can feel his breath on your face.

“You think you should have anymore?” Toye asked in a low gravelly tone.

You were almost a puddle at his feet.

“What’s one more?” You dismiss.

“Hey, buddy, this one’s mine. Get lost.” The Fox soldier warned.

Toye glared at him, a clear warning with his fierce gaze to back off. “Shut up.”

He turned back to you. “You hit your head hard yesterday. You got a concussion, remember? Drinking too much isn’t good for you right now.” He cautioned.

The soldier behind Toye huffed outloud. You bring your face closer to his.

“How about you go on back to your little blonde bunny over there and worry about her?” You say softly staring intensely into his eyes.

You snidely smile and gently push him aside to accept the beer the Fox soldier was holding for you. Toye grabbed your wrist before you could get your fingers around the glass.

“Because I’m worried about you.” He sternly replied.

“Hey, pal, I’m not gonna tell ya-“

Before the guy could finish his sentence, Toye swung and punched him across the face sending him to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

“Joe, what the hell is the matter with you?” You bark.

He turned to face you, his teeth clenched and resentment in his eyes.

“Isn’t this what you wanted? You got my attention.” He said raising his arms to the side.

Just then, another Fox Company soldier soared in and tackled Toye. When Guarnere saw Toye get sacked, him and the rest of Easy rushed in, clashing with Fox Company in a battle royalé in the middle of the dance floor.

You grab a bottle of whiskey and force your way into the horde to smash it over the head of one of the opposing soldiers when you suddenly feel your feet swiftly leave the floor, and you find yourself once again thrown over Joe Toye’s shoulder as he rushes out the front door.

You start to push off of his back to look at him.

“What are you doing?? Put me down, NOW! This is completely barbaric! Were you raised by wolves??”

“Shut your mouth.” Toye said sharply.

He wouldn’t cave no matter how hard you struggled. He continued to carry you until he got to the house where you had been staying at with the field nurses. He opened the front door and practically threw you onto the couch in the main corridor.

“You’re an absolute animal, Joe Toye.” You snarled at him.

“Yeah? You haven’t even seen the worst of it yet.” He retorted.

You stood up, only to lose your balance and fell backward on to the couch again.

“Well save it.” You spit back crossing your arms, “You can go now. I’m sure that little dish at the bar is waiting on you.”

Toye furrowed his eyebrows at you, “You’re the only one even thinking about her. I haven’t even given her a second thought since you walked through the door of that place!”

You scoff, “Sure, Joe. Didn’t seem like it when your hands were all over her like a magnet.” You pointed out as you stood up slowly.

“Yeah?” He queried as he closed the gap between the two of you, “You mean like this?”

He roughly grabbed you by the waist and kneaded your hips with his strong calloused hands as he pulled you into him. Your faces so close, you thought he was going to kiss you, but he only hovered over your mouth. You were a deer in the headlights, your words caught in your throat somewhere. You almost forgot to take breath when you started to feel faint, so you took in a deep breath through your nose to recover.

You put your hands on his chest and started to push away.

“What are you doing, Toye?” You manage to say.

He jerked you back into him, slithering his one hand across the small of your back while the other one firmly caressed the swell of your ass. You tried to protest, but your voice betrayed you only allowing a whimper to escape from your throat. This man had you a melting hot mess in his arms and it only made you angrier that he was getting you flustered.

“What? Got nothin’ snarky to say now, sweetheart?” He teased.

The fire inside you began to rise, and you weren’t sure if it was because you were turned on, or pissed off.

“I hate you.” You sneered as you slipped out of his grasp and headed for the staircase.

Before you could lift your foot to take the first step, you feel yourself twirled back around and face to face with Toye in his arms.

*“Half of the people in the world are women…Why does it have to be you that stirs me?”* He growled before grabbing the back of your head to bring your mouth to his.

You wanted to fight back and push away again, but your body fought you, leaning into his body and fisting his uniform jacket to pull him as close as possible to you. You part your lips to allow his tongue to pass and explore yours. You playfully nip at his bottom lip eliciting a deep guttural groan from him. His hands scoured your body as his hips instinctively pushed his hard on against you. You dig your nails into his shoulders as you moan into his mouth.

You pull back, “Let’s take this upstairs.”

Toye only replied with a mischievous grin, then picked you up bridal style to carry you up the stairs. When you direct him to your room, he set you down to secure the door. Right at the moment he turned around, you forced him against the door and hungrily kiss him while unraveling his tie.

He grabbed you by the shoulders swinging you around pinning you against the door with a ‘thud’ then placed his hand around your throat. He tightened his grip enough to make a point he was in charge, but not hard enough to alarm you. You instinctively grab his wrist with both hands as you clenched your thighs together, hoping to get some friction against your core and to prevent the wetness from dripping down your leg.

You hissed through your teeth as a smile stretched across your face. Toye pressed himself harder against you, the bulge in his pants grinding into your pelvis. You slide one hand away from his wrist gradually finding your way to his belt buckle. His fingers around your neck increased their grip.

You ran your tongue along your lower lip. He looks from your eyes to your mouth as a smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth. He suddenly scooped you up from behind your thighs wrapping your legs around his waist and carried you over to the bed, dropping you on your back onto the mattress.

He removed his tie, then with one hand unbuckled his belt all the while staring at you like a starved wolf about to pounce on his prey. You scoot to the edge of the bed and start to unbutton your uniform top. He situated himself between your spread knees at the edge of the bed.

You look up at him through your lashes and smile as you start to work on removing his pants. Your top partially open with your cleavage peaking through, he fisted the front with both hands and yanked the blouse off your shoulders. You wiggle out of the shirt and drop his pants and briefs as he removed his uniform top.

Now you were both ravenous for eachother just yanking off articles of clothing and throwing them carelessly onto the floor. Finally when he slid your panties off, a devilish grin graced his face when he saw how wet you were for him.

He looked at you roguishly as he glided two of his fingers up and down your drenched slit.

“Is this all from me?” His gruff honeyed voice had you melting in his hand.

You nod without breaking eye contact. He crawled over you, caging you in between his brawny arms. As his hardened dick rested on top of your center, he started to grind into you, coating the tip of his cock with your slick between your folds.

You couldn’t help but arch your back, rhythmically moving your hips with his to feel him rub against your clit. Your needy sighs spurred him on, knowing he was making you feel so good.

“Oh my God, Toye-“

“No. No more ‘Toye.’ I want to hear you say my name.” He commanded.

You stare at him.

“Fucking say it.” He ordered.

“Joe…” you breathed as you playfully nip at his lower lip, greedily locking onto his mouth.

He lifted you by the ass and pushed his length through your dripping entrance with one fleeting thrust forward.

You gasp then wrap your legs around his waist, waiting for the ride to begin. Joe unleashed over a year’s worth of pent up rage and frustration from the war onto you, railing into you in almost a deliciously painful pace. He was rough, and aggressive, yet attentive and sensual.

He sat up resting on his heels and angled you closer into him by hugging your thighs against him and driving into you, hitting that spot that had you edging to your finish.

He feels your walls constricting around his cock, and starts to slow his tempo. You look at him with a pout.

All you could manage was a strained, “Why?”

He pulled out and hastily flipped you onto your hands and knees. He reached around your front under your arms once again grabbing your throat with his perfect hand. He pulls you back until your back was flush with his chest.

He guided the back of your head to rest on his shoulder before he turned to your ear.

“You think that fucking Fox Company chump could’ve done this for you?” He hissed.

You feel his grip constricting your neck. You’re so fucked out you can’t help but laugh.

“Fucking answer me, sweetheart. You think that asshole’s got anything on me?” His voice rumbling in your ear like thunder.

You start to pant, your bare chest and peaked nipples heaving from overstimulation and restriction of oxygen.

“No, Joe. Never.” You huffed.

You feel his lips curl into a smile against your jawline. He nipped at your ear.

“That’s right, baby.” He purred before he thrusted you forward on all fours.

He lined his dick up with your slippery pussy and entered you with a sweet push forward until he bottomed out. He plummeted into you, spanking you occasionally while his hips slammed into you.

“My God, Joe.” You moaned pushing back into him so he can get inside you as deep as possible.

“Yeah, scream my name so all Fox Company can hear.”

He had a vice grip on your waist, guiding you back everytime his hips came forward. The slams of his front against your ass grew steadily louder with groans and grunts between the two of you.

His stride began to stagger, and you could feel him pulsate inside you.

“I’m getting close, sweetheart.” You hear his low rugged voice from behind you.

“Me too, Joe.”

“I know, I can feel you squeezing on me. Let go, baby.” He hummed.

He reached around finding your clit and began rubbing hard circles onto the bud.

You close your eyes and focus on the sensation of where his hands were and the throbbing of his cock inside you then hearing his voice roar,

“Come on, baby, let go for me.”

He chased your orgasm until he felt your walls fluttering around his cock. You throw your head back practically howling as ropes of Joe’s cum released over and over again inside you. A guttural grunt left Joe’s lips as he groped your ass to have something to hold onto to steady himself.

Sweat glistened on his chiseled torso while he caught his breath. He snatched the hand towel by the basin next to the bed to clean you up after he pulled out. He plopped onto the bed next to you, pulling you into him to hold you.

You each sigh, content and relaxed in eachother’s afterglow.

“Your little bunny friend is going to be heart broken.” You joke.

Joe chuckled, “Yeah, I have that effect on people.”

You giggled.

“I got my girl right here.” He added.

Joe looked down adoringly at you with your head on his shoulder, sensing his eyes were on you, you look up at him. He gently kissed your lips, then rubbed his nose on the tip of yours.

~~~~~~~

[identityflawed]

feels to me like the primary division between pro and anti jedi sentiments is narrative perception. pro jedi individuals tend to adhere to the ideas that are explicitly stated by lucas himself or very clearly put out and acknowledged within the fictional universe, whereas anti jedi individuals tend to lean more into analysis of the in-betweens. they both apply real-world morals and experiences to a fictional plane (and despite its various nonfiction influences, star wars IS fictional), and they do it in such excess that it makes the majority of more level-headed fans less eager to interact in such a heated fandom.

are the jedi bad? no. the majority of them were good people doing good things, even while the sith corrupted the galaxy around them. did the jedi deserve order 66? no. anyone who says that is insane. are the jedi completely blameless in the events of the clone wars? no. they became complacent in the idea that the sith were warriors and were incapable of changing their ways in order to win, despite victory being a key part of their code. the jedi are not paragons of perfection — they are human, and humans can be ignorant. did the jedi cause anakin to fall? yes, in part. while palpatine was the primary driving force towards anakin’s destruction, the jedi’s ignorance towards both anakin’s trauma AND his burgeoning relationship with palpatine did contribute to the rise of darth vader. (i know they let palpatine and anakin interact because they were concerned that denying palpatine would cause problems in the future, though this is sourced from legends. i take that and raise you one: what kind of grandmaster uses a 10 year old as a political game piece? and even in lucas’ canon, you can’t ignore that yoda, who is said by palpatine to be about equal in his strength, failed to sense that there were sinister things afoot, and failed to discern that having anakin spy on his pseudo father figure — and yes, his manipulator — would only cause problems)

as a fan of palpatine i can say wholeheartedly that the majority of the events leading to anakin’s fall are his doing, and that palpatine is not much of a tragic character at all. if you want someone to talk about where the dark side is your CHOICE, look no further than palpatine. thats called being self aware. any pro or anti jedi who believes you can’t blame someone for something they cant control — such as anakin's past or palpatine deceiving the jedi — becomes inherently hypocritical because CONTROL is a key theme in star wars. control of your emotions, control of yourself, control of others, on political, emotional, psychological scales. anakin’s lack of control in his life was not aided by the jedi, and when he finally got the chance to choose for himself, he fucked up. bad. and it WAS his choice, at the end of the day, though the odds were stacked against him, at least in his mind. (which is another issue — anakin is a traumatized individual. trauma victims are going to act differently than what adheres to common sense and logic. an ex-slave with attachment issues and a savior complex is going to freak out if he thinks the woman he loves is going to die if he can’t save her)

people tend to forget that lucas actually SOLD his rights to the franchise away, and nowhere in the contract did disney promise to adhere to the nuances (and there are very few nuances with lucas, unfortunately) of lucasfilm's initial six movies. george lucas was not even a good writer by most standards. he inserted a lot of racist stereotypes into his films, and drew from history in both thoughtful and moronic ways. he was a product of his time, sure, and he created an incredible idea that has gone strong for 40 years, with a solid idea woven within it of compassion and hope. but it isn’t his story anymore, and he cared more about the money than the message, at the end of the day. i have a hard time agreeing with anyone — on any topic, within star wars or otherwise — if they only listen to one person as their end-all.

yes, lucas created star wars. but its not a perfect creation — it is flawed. the jedi are flawed; anakin is flawed. the progression of star wars will continue to take new views on the events of the initial six films, and guess what? that happens with EVERYTHING in the world. perspectives differ by the hour, everyone has different experiences and ideas. if you want to watch something where the morals and central ideas never change, where everything is black and white, go watch the USA's two-party debates. or maybe coco melon.

star wars is complex and nuanced at its core, nowadays, but you are none the lesser if you have differing opinions. you can believe what you want to believe, when you want to believe it. that’s freedom. you are not required to accept everything that disney puts out as canon or even remotely accurate, but the MOMENT you start to put down people (and im talking full on insulting, targeting writers, specific blog posts, bullying, etc) for thinking differently than you is the moment you have gone too far. after all, what did the sith do, and why did they do it?

[sokkastyles]

Hi, I’m finding it difficult to wrap my head around your (and some other meta writers) take on Sokka’s sexism and how writing a nonsexist society would be braver?

Why is it more brave to write a story without bigotry than one overcoming it?

Defensive Writing Section Where I Respond to What I Imagine You Could Respond With: 1) I know the original series did not succeed in, or even really try, empowering its women. 2) I know sexism is baked into the show and its romances. 3) I know Katara deserves better (but, this might be where we diverge, I don’t feel served by a reality/story where we pretend women’s domestic, unappreciated labor isn’t a pillar holding society up. Tbh it feels kinda disrespectful to keep that offscreen and media tends to downplay it as is). 4) I know the show isn’t out yet and we’re all guessing. I am picking your brain on your guess cause it confused me. 5.) Sokka’s arc is about maturing manhood and leadership, I’m afraid removing his sexism dodges an opportunity to explicitly deconstruct its toxic expressions. Again, I know the show was unsatisfactory with this the first go around.

Fan Mail Section Where I Attempt To Convey I Meant No Harm: Love your blog! Again, just confused.

First of all, I did not say that writing a nonsexist society would be braver or that the story should not have bigotry in it. What I said is that the story should have more adult women in it.

For example, I do enjoy Katara's story of struggling against feeling like she needs to take on a motherly role because of her gender. I think it's realistic because it's a conflict many girls face, and watching her fight against that can be cathartic. But what's harder to reconcile is the way the narrative goes out of its way to justify forcing this role on Katara. Not all of this can be chalked up to a sexist world. Kya being dead before the story begins was a decision the writers made, for example. I'm not necessarily saying that should be changed, but it is a common trope in media and it's a problem that women are disproportionately killed off to serve fictional narratives this way. Compare, for example, the way the story explains Hakoda's absence without killing him off entirely, and the fact that we know a heck of a lot more about him as a character than we do Kya. His absence is still used to characterize the heroes, to explain the struggle they face in a war-torn world, but he gets to be an active agent in the story, too.

Another example is that although a lot of Sokka's sexism stems from a lack of understanding of Katara's waterbending, which can be explained in the narrative by the fact that the FN has nearly eradicated southern waterbending, this does not explain why Katara wasn't taught more about her bending by her grandmother, who is both from the northern tribe and present when Hama and the other benders were taken. In the flashbacks in "The Puppet Master," we see that there were many women who used combat waterbending, and apparently waterbending healing was not even known in the south so there was no gendered division like in the north. There's no real reason why that should change so quickly in such a short amount of time to the point where the southern water tribe all of the sudden becomes this hugely sexist society where only men are known to fight.

Katara and Sokka are presented with opposite ideas about gender, but we don't have any real sense of where they got these ideas. I like to headcanon that Katara got her feminism from gran-gran, who fled the southern water tribe because of sexism, but it's strange then that Katara doesn't even know this story. Why is Kanna such a complete nonentity in the narrative, when her story is so important to the story the show wants to tell about Katara?

We get more backstory on Sozin than we do a lot of the adult women in the story, when they even show up. Zuko's mom is fridged just like Katara's, and although I love how this serves as a bonding point between them, it would be less glaring if Iroh's and Azulon's and Sozin's wives were also not nonentities in the narrative.

Someone commented on this post that the live action might be giving us Suki's mom. So let's look at how even this small change might effect the story. Even keeping in Sokka's sexism. Let's say that it does play out like in the original, and when they get to Kyoshi Island, Sokka is shocked - shocked! - to be beaten by a bunch of women. We're supposed to think Sokka is wrong. And he does get proven wrong. But the Kyoshi Warriors are still the exception to the rule. Sokka doesn't so much learn that women deserve respect as much as he learns to respect some women because they can kick his ass.

But, if we bring in Suki's mom, then suddenly Suki doesn't have to be the sole named character responsible for teaching Sokka not to be sexist. The story becomes less about how Sokka should respect women because some of them are cool and he'll get a girlfriend out of it, and more about how all women deserve the same respect, because we see more women just present and living in the world of the story.

I'd also like to ask everyone to take a step back here, because to my knowledge, the show never said it was taking out certain arcs or presenting the characters without narrative flaws. This all seems to stem from the young actors themselves saying merely that the show took out some "iffy" moments.

So what did they take out that Ian and Kiiawntio might be referring to? Maybe some of the anachronistic and, frankly, racist moments such as, for example, Sokka and Katara calling Zuko and Sokka's cultural hairstyles "ponytails." Which would make sense, considering that the show probably feels like they can trust their audience to accept hairstyles that might appear different to Americans moreso than the writers of the original show did, considering that this is not a show airing on American kids' cable in the early 2000s, but a modern show with a global and much more globally aware audience. These are the kinds of updates that I would expect from a modern live action series. And that is a very good thing.

I also trust the young actors of color playing these kids to say "hey, these kids would not actually talk like that!" More than I trust white writers and execs.

[bloodmaarked]

babel, or the necessity of violence: an arcane history of the oxford translators' revolution // r.f. kuang

first published: 2022 re-read: 26 may 2024 – 10 june 2024 first read: 2023 pages: 542 format: hardback

genres: fiction; adult; fantasy (urban/magical realism); historical fiction favourite character(s): don't make me pick just one least favourite character(s): again, i can't choose (because they're all brilliant)

rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 thoughts: haters will hate but they will never make me hate this book! i didn't realise i'd read babel the first time around so recently (about this time last year) - i guess i was that eager to read it again, and luckily it was just as good the second time around. most times on reread my opinion shifts slightly lower or higher, but i couldn't not give babel the full 5* once again.

r.f. kuang seems to be a bit of a divisive figure, and especially at one of my book clubs where babel and yellowface have their fair share of critics and fans. having been exposed to more of the criticism, i did go into this with a more open mind, but i have to say that i didn't see it... and maybe this book/kuang's writing is just something you either enjoy or don't. in terms of my own experience, i found babel to be a sharp and scathing critique of complacency and complicity within not just the British empire of the 1800s, but the power structures of today. it's told with the most wonderful cast of characters in a rich world that i felt immersed in from start to finish. i adored the realism of the fantasy and the way it was conducted via silver bars which were deeply integrated into the way the world worked.

i love, love, love the dark academia style of writing, both in the atmosphere of the world, and the academic style of writing. the writing was atmospheric and gorgeous, the tonal shifts between the beauty of oxford and the ugliness of the people who made it the institution it is captured perfectly. r.f. kuang loves her characters, and it really comes through in her writing. being with the cast, especially the core four, was like a warm hug. the title itself is just ridiculous in the best way, and i enjoyed the additional context contained in the footnotes, which were a really cool addition for a work of fiction. (i will say the asterisks were a little harder to find on the print edition i read this time around than they were on the e-book edition i read last year.)

i also have to give props to the research that had to have gone into the writing of this book, including the historical context and the etymological study. i was floored.

my wish is to have a griffin(/sterling) backstory, or a victoire sequel, but i doubt we'll ever get it :'(

the emotional beats didn't hit any less on reread, and that last chapter had my heart pumping hard. this is honestly a story that sits close to my heart and i see myself rereading this a thousand times. it may not be for everyone, but it's definitely for me and i couldn't be happier. you can read my original review for babel here.

[penultimate-step]

JJK S2 Livewatch: Eps 8-12

Hello, everybody! Sorry for taking so long to continue this live reaction. Since this is the part where the fights start in earnest, I had a lot less to say about the show's specifics and more general rambling thoughts I had as watching. It made me unsure about how to write this part up, and I ended up taking way longer than I should have (I watched these eps weeks ago!) Not sure if this will make the livewatch more or less entertaining to read along. But at this point I am going to post and hope for the best. Hope nobody is disappointed.

So, following up the end of the last ep, Gojo is called out to the danger zone. It's emphasized how much he's the one guy who matters and can do anything here. Which does kind of make me have thoughts about the worldbuilding.

Ok, so, what is the size of the jujutsu world, exactly?

Between Gojo and Tengen, we have multiple individuals who apparently single handedly hold the jujutsu world on their shoulders. That is so many points of failure, so many points where things could just go catastrophically wrong at any moment, presumably dooming the world. I know that this is primarily in order to place the plot focus on the important people. but it feels less like the jujutsu world is an institution or a world on its own, and more like a small club. Which could be fine, but its established that curses appear constantly, all over the world. It's hard to believe that a group small enough to need a handful of people to hold critical roles could cover the whole nation We know there are only 2 jujutsu schools in japan, and its unknown how many elsewhere but presumably an equivalent amount. We've seen most of the students at the school competition arc, and there were less than a dozen altogether. So....what's going on here? It just seems kind of arbitrary, and makes the world feel more constructed - which, of course, it is, being a fictional world, but generally we prefer when the guiding hand of the author is less obtrusive.

Some comparisons that can be made are to Naruto, the manga which I am almost certain is JJK's biggest inspiration, and to Chainsaw Man, a contemporary peer. Naruto's worldbuilding is large and sprawling, with plenty of named organizations, locations, and events offscreen. out of universe info books and spinoffs help add detail to this, but aren't necessary. There, it is believable that any given character exists in the context of the world because the world exists as background. in contrast, chainsaw man shares a much tighter focus with jjk. much less exacting detail, minor characters, etc; a greater focus on a small cast. There is no greater detail, readers know nothing about the structure of hell, the goings-on in the US or USSR, or even other divisions and areas in japan. but there is enough there to maintain an illusion that the world exists - mentions of foreign countries, occasional shots of hunters or political leaders. Sure, it's not the same as actually detailing in the world, but there's no need to go that far - enough has been sketched in that the readers can imagine the characters getting on a plane and flying to another country, even if they don't have any details about the destination, it feels like they exist in a real world with real places that the camera just doesn't turn to.

This might seem like I'm being overly harsh to the setting. it is clearly an intentional choice to have Gojo be the lynchpin of the world, there's nothing inherently wrong with it. But as someone who loves urban fantasy as a setting, it does sometimes bother me when I feel like the world exists only for the convenience of the main cast. It's a world close enough to our own that I feel like it should make sense.

Anyway, that's enough of that. Moving on to actually talking about the events of the episodes. I did warn you at the start that I had less to say about this set, though.

The fight between Yuuji and the locust curse isn't a bad fight to reintroduce us to the main protagonist. It's smoothly animated, outside some hiccups when jumping through walls, and the fact that both fighters use fully physical techniques made the whole thing seem very even and straightforward.

It's outshone completely by the Gojo vs villain gang battle at the end of 8 and through 9, though. I love when hidden world fantasy type settings use the clash between the normal world and the fantastical, setting these fights in a crowded city subway was a cool enough idea already, but the villain plan to use ordinary citizens to box gojo in, the use of trains in the battle, all hammered it in. the way the battle goes on around them while they can't even see most of it is interesting.

The almost wild, ruthless way Gojo speaks and fights in this battle make it clear he's been pushed very far. Between this and the flashback eps, S2 hasn't been shy about showing Gojo struggling and on the edge, a stark contrast to the way he was essentially the plot device "I win" button in his season 1 appearances. Where many of his memorable moments then had him floating at a distance to his opponents, untouchable as his technique, this fight is brutally physical. The moment he grabs at Hanami's branches was visceral. I was actually really surprised to see Hanami die. When he had Hanami against the wall, I started saying out loud "You know, the ruthlessly strategic thing to do here would be go for the killing blow on the weakened enemy. I just know Hanami is going to come back and cause trouble in future arcs. But it makes sense the author wouldn't want to waste a villain with so much buildup like that." And then he actually did kill him. Okay! Message received, Gege! I'll stay on my toes a bit more!

Also, as an aside (much as the show does,) I really liked the villain interludes. Seeing them messing around playing games in their free time did a lot to add to their characterization, even if it was just a way to exposit their plans to the audience.

While I'm giving praise, the sound design and music team did a great job. There's so much that wordlessly conveys the emotions going on mid-scene without having to stop and actually demonstrate them. the ominous overlay on the villains, the frenetic piano as gojo rushes to use his domain, and the most evocative of all, the soft and emotional tunes of shock when Gojo sees Geto again.

Also, this is the part where I have to embarrassedly admit that I was already spoiled on present day geto being fake. Rather, I was so spoiled that I assumed it wasn't a spoiler and was revealed in S1, until seeing the big reveal scene made me realize someone must have told me about this years ago. Whoops. Apologies if any of my followers were waiting for my reaction to that bit :(

Ep 10 is mostly a bridge and setup for the next portion, but I do have some brief thoughts on the new characters to touch on before moving on. The drinking old man is not endearing himself to me with his flippancy, the curse user with the hand sword from season 1 is back, and still kind of annoying whenever he's on screen. The unnamed white-haired girl with him seems cool though. also, this may be kind of a late moment to say this, but I really do like mahito as a character. Some of his transfiguration stunts were genuinely unsettling, and the way he alternates between that kind of cruelty and his general playful attitude makes him pretty fun to have on screen. He's far and away my favorite of the present day villains.

Skipping ahead to the fights in eps 11 and 12. The montage of murders by the curse users actually disgusted me. Which is kind of funny to contrast with the appearance and fighting style of the man who fights Yuuji and Megumi in this episode. His face and movements are different than most of the cast, reminding me more of some kind of demonic looney tunes character, jumping around and letting hits bounce off him. The fight is a cool showcase of 10 shadows, as well as giving some fun interactions between Yuuji and Megumi.

Actually, as I look back on it, I'm somewhat more impressed by this bit than I was as I was actually watching. None of the individual moments are super impressive or thought provoking, but as I come in to write down thoughts I realize that this two episode span seamlessly transitions between 4 different fights, done well enough that I didn't see it as an interruption, and only realized while writing this about it afterwards.

I don't want to dwell too much on the Nobara and Nanami vs hand guy fight, because that guys icks me out. Mei Mei's fight is mostly offscreen, but I do have a meme about it, because I cannot stop my brain from making unfortunate connections. The fight between the masked sorcerer (I don't remember if we got his name?) and the pair on the rooftop, though. It starts pretty slow - I don't think either of their powers or the way they use them are very interesting - but things tick up immediately when Toji shows up. Just like in the flashback arc, he just grabs the attention in every scene he's in, an

While I'm on the topic, one thing I noticed is how efficient the flashback arc was. Pretty much every element from there makes a direct return now, not even 10 episodes after the fact. Geto and Toji are shown off in the past right in time for them to be introduced in the main plot, not wasted elements. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing but it did feel noticeable. Possibly this ties back to the stuff I was talking about at the start of this, where JJK keeps making the tradeoff of telling a tighter and more focused story while cutting lose any elements that could be seen as extraneous, for better or for worse.

Anyway, that wraps up that watch session. It was pretty good, I didn't enjoy it as much as I liked eps 1-5, but much more than I liked 6-7. as a whole I think I can start to calibrate my expectations for how good this seasons is going to be now, very well executed but much more straightforward than that first arc would suggest. Less exploration of world and characters, more cool fights and action scenes.

I feel like I said a lot without actually saying very much, I worry that this was almost entirely recap of things any watcher knows already. I'll try and write the next section much faster, and hopefully I'll have more interesting things to say about that one.

[asktoobzee]

10 Best Punk Movies & How to Stream Them

We're not talking about Dirty Harry's idea of a punk. Obviously. We're talking about good ole punk rock. And before you scan the list and freak out because you don't see The Decline of Western Civilization or American Hardcore or A Band Called Death, relax — we're also only talking about scripted films. No documentaries were considered (or harmed) during the making of this list of the best punk movies ever made.

We used 3 criteria when watching these films (and many others) in order to arrive at our best punk movies list.

Punk characters should be portrayed in a genuine light, rather than as a caricature (see the Dishonorable Mentions section below for more on this).

How much the punk ethos is a factor in the film's story.

How good (and enjoyable) the movie is.

But, you may ask, isn't the idea of "best movie" or "most punk" antithetical to the essence of punk? That's beyond the scope of this post and also — don't be that guy. So without further ado...

Our picks for the 10 best punk movies in history

#10: Smithereens (1982)

Watching this in retrospect, this feels like the rough draft of filmmaker Susan Seidelman next film, the much more successfulDesperately Seeking Susan, which starred an up-and-coming star by the name of Madonna.

This is actually more post-punk or new wave than punk, but it co-stars Richard Hell, so it deserves a place on this list. The low budget film has its lovers and haters, so it's definitely not for everyone. But if you like Clerks and have a soft spot for pre-gentrified Greenwich Village, this is the film for you.

Soundtrack punk cred:

Richard Hell and NYC underground indie rockers, The Feelies, who are post-punk at best.

Where to stream it: Max, Criterion Channel

Check out our Max Review to see if it's worth it to you.

#9: Green Room (2016)

A struggling punk band plays a last-minute gig at warehouse in the woods. It's an A24 film, so obviously things go wrong... and get bloody.

While it's really more of a horror/thriller film rather than a movie about punk, the plot hinges on the eternal conflict between punks and Nazi skins. There are plenty of "legit" punk references, like Fugazi and GBH stickers, a Minor Threat t-shirt, and most importantly, the band decides to play a certain Dead Kennedys song to a room full of red laces.

Soundtrack punk cred: Dead Kennedys (cover), Bad Brains, Poison Idea, Fear

Where to stream it: Max, DirecTV Stream

#8: We Are the Best! (Vi ar bast!) (2013)

Sweden circa 1985, three middle-class junior high school girls in Stockholm start a punk band. They're the most entertaining and outspoken fictional all-girl punk trio since The Stains, and like The Stains, they can't play. (Well, one of them can.)

They reflect on that age-old important question — What is punk? — with bassist Klara lamenting at one point that her older brother no longer listens to punk, but listens to Joy Division!

While the Swedish coming-of-age film offers a taste of early Swedish punk, it's really a heartwarming tribute to adolescent angst and female friendships. The 3 outcasts deal with bullies, boys, religion, and divorce, while lyricizing about everything from politics to nuclear radiation.

Anyone who ever picked up an instrument in their youth to make noise with friends will probably see a lot of themselves in this film.

Soundtrack punk cred: Ebba Grön, KSMB

Where to stream it: Max, DirecTV Stream

#7: SLC Punk (1998)

Two anarcho-punks hang out and question life in Salt Lake City in 1985 — which appears to be a popular year for punk movies to be set in. An kicking off with The Exploited's Sex and Violence for the opening credits is as good a way to start as any.

The film, while a comedy, focuses on the true meaning of the punk subculture and ethos more than other movies on this list. It's not the tightest screenplay ever brought to the big screen, but Sid couldn't play bass worth a damn, and he became an icon.

Besides, SLC Punk is worth watching just for the scene with 2 affluent parents giving a pep talk to their purple-mohawked son.

Soundtrack punk cred:

The Exploited, The Suicide Machines, The Stooges, Ramones, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, Adolescents

Where to stream it: Not on streaming services, but available to rent on Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, and more.

#6: Bomb City (2017)

Based on the true story of punk promoter Brian Deneke, this 2017 crime-thriller won over a dozen awards at film festivals.

In a punks vs. jocks story straight out of a Dead Kennedys lyrics sheet, it follows the days leading up to the horrifying murder 20 years before the film. It's one of those films where it's better to not to know much about it before watching, but even if you know the real story, it's one to watch.

Soundtrack punk cred:

Total Chaos, Subhumans (UK), Blanks 77, Blatz, and Filth.

Where to stream it: Prime Video, Fubo, Peacock, Paramount+, MGM+

FASTs: The Roku Channel and Tubi

Check out our reviews for Prime, Peacock, Paramount+, and MGM+ to see if one suits your needs.

#5: Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1982)

Newly formed all-girl punk band The Stains may have only had 3 practices, but that doesn't stop them from landing a gig as the opening act for touring British punk band The Looters.

Starring a 15-year-old Diane Lane (and 13-year-old Laura Dern), the satirical rebuke of media sensationalism and commercialism is as relevant today as it was 40+ years ago.

Soundtrack punk cred:

The bands on the soundtrack are all fictional, but band The Looters consists of punk royalty Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Paul Simonon and actor Ray Winstone.

Where to stream it: It's not on any streaming services, but it's available for rent at the usual suspects like Amazon, Apple TV, and Vudu. Microsoft currently seems to be the cheapest option by a buck.

Library streamers: Kanopy

#4: Sid and Nancy (1986)

If punk didn't hate the monarchy, Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen would be its king and queen.

A twentysomething Gary Oldman essentially was Sid Vicious for countless 80s suburban punks and Chloe Webb won awards for her portrayal of the perennially troubled Nancy. Courtney Love, whose own life would eerily imitate art a few years later, has a small role in the film.

Former Pistols frontman John Lydon (née Rotten) criticized Alex Cox's follow-up to Repo Man for its inaccuracies, but what biopic doesn't suffer (or benefit) from artistic license?

Soundtrack punk cred: Circle Jerks, Joe Strummer, The Pogues, Steve Jones, Gary Oldman sings 2 songs as Sid Vicious

Where to stream it: IndieFlix

FASTs: Plex

It is NOT available to rent online.

#3: Hard Core Logo (1996)

Bruce Macdonald's masterpiece gets the bronze medal on our list of punk movies. The Canadian mockumentary follows punk band Hard Core Logo on a final reunion tour across Western Canada. As egos bulge and tensions mount, frontman Joe Dick does everything in his power to hold the band together and make it through the tour.

Punk cameos include Joey Shithead, Joey Ramone, and Art Bergman as themselves. And punky Canadian alt rockers Billy Talent named themselves after the Hard Core Logo guitarist.

Often referred to as punk's Spinal Tap, the film is far from being derivative, and Hard Core Logo is must-see viewing for any self-respecting punk.

Soundtrack punk cred: Teenage Head, Ramones

Where to stream it: Hard Core Logo is not currently available on any streaming services.

Library streamers: Hoopla

#2: Repo Man (1984)

Two years before Sid and Nancy, recent UCLA grad Alex Cox wrote and made his directorial debut, which (IMO) is the best film of his career. Emilio Estevez stars as an L.A. punk who gets a job repossessing cars with Harry Dean Stanton. And chasing down a '64 Chevy Malibu that might be connected to E.T.

The film initially had a rather brief cinema run. But thanks to the killer soundtrack, it crawled back into theaters and pulled in almost $4 million at the box office, on its way to becoming a cult classic and must-see film. And #2 on our list of the best punk movies.

Soundtrack punk cred: Iggy Pop, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Suicidal Tendencies, The Plugz, Fear

Where to stream it: Incredibly, Repo Man is not streaming anywhere. But it's available to rent almost everywhere, including Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Vudu.

#1: Suburbia (1984)

Penelope Spheeris, whose The Decline of Western Civilization is the definitive American punk documentary, was also at the helm of the definitive 80s punk movie.

Produced by Roger Corman, the coming-of-age film revolves around suburban punk squatters and the L.A. punk scene of the early 80s. Spheeris chose to have street kids (rather than actors) play most rolls, and one of the punks is a young Flea, before he joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The film includes live performances by D.I., T.S.O.L., and The Vandals. Read more about the movie in this Georgia Straight interview with Spheeris from 2018 to further understand why this is our pick to top the best punk movies ever made.

Soundtrack punk cred: D.I., T.S.O.L., The Vandals, The Germs

Where to stream it: Fandor, Night Flight Plus

FASTs: Tubi, Vudu Free, Shout TV, Freevee, Plex

Dishonorable Mentions

Our list of the best punk movies doesn't include 2 movies that commonly come up in the conversation. And that's because they don't meet our first criterion. But if you're looking for movies centered around campy Hollywood versions of punks, check out Class of 1984 (released in 1982) and The Return of the Living Dead (1985).

Class of 1984 stars Perry King from 80s detective show Riptide and the original Melrose Place, as well as Roddy McDowall, Canada's "King of Kensington" Al Waxman, and a pre-Family Ties Michael J. Fox. Filmed in Toronto, the highlight is a cameo performance by local Canadian punk legends, Teenage Head. The film's non-punk theme song, I Am the Future, is by a very non-punk Alice Cooper.

The Return of the Living Dead follows the formula of most of the films in the franchise genre, but this time the group of humans frantically trying to save their brains from being devoured are, you guessed it, punkers.

Predictability aside, it's one of the best in the series and a personal zombie flick favorite. It even did alright at the box office, bringing in $14 million on a $4 million budget. Roger Ebert even gave it 3 out of 4 stars. Soundtrack highlights include tracks by The Cramps, TSOL, The F.U.'s and The Damned.

Which streaming service is the most punk?

Based on the number of movies from our list of best punk movies, with its historically edgy HBO library, Max is the most punk streaming service out there. Obviously being owned by megacorporation Warner Bros. Discovery takes a bite out of its punk cred, but we live in a world where punk rock stars are worth $100 million.

Was Crass right when they declared Punk is Dead all the way back in 1978, or do you side with The Exploited and agree that Punks Not Dead? Either way, it's hard to argue with Jello in those opening lines of Chickenshit Conformist...

Punk's not dead, it just deserves to die

when it becomes another stale cartoon...

- Jello Biafra

Featured image photo by Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash

Read the full article

[celemilii]

A LITTLE TOO LATE | A FERNANDO ALONSO FANFICTION

am fernando alonso x fem f1 jounalist | single mother (i'll use Jessica Alba as faceclaim but you can imagine whoever you want)

if you want to be tagged feel free to comment! feedback, as well as reblogs, are truly appreciated <3

started: JUL 10TH 2024

currently status: on going!

Ⓒ CELEMILII | 2024

next chapter

❝ THAT CASUAL KISS ON MY CHEEK WOULDN’T HAVE MEANT ANYTHING UNTIL RECENTLY, WHEN I REALIZED I WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM. NOT THAT KIND OF LOVE IN WHICH YOU SAY, 'YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND AND I LOVE YOU'. NO. THE KIND OF LOVE IN WHICH YOU SAY, 'LET'S GET MARRIED AND GROW OLD TOGETHER ❞

A LITTLE TOO LATE

#7.5 WHERE WE ARE UNIVERSE

⋆ ⋆

Fernando learned Y/N's name before he could count to ten. Since then, they have been inseparable. Over the years, they have shared every stage of their lives: while he was running on the tracks, she was cheering him on, and when she was chasing her dream of being a journalist in the paddock, he was there, giving her his unconditional support.

There was always a spark that shone between them, something special that made their relationship unique, something everyone noticed, even Y/N's husband.

Now, everything has changed. She is newly divorced and heartbroken. No one, absolutely no one, would have believed that her fairy tale marriage would end like this, but here she is, a single mother of two teenagers and a child who can barely do division. Between her job and full-time motherhood, everything seems uphill. But, as always, Fernando helps to lighten that load a bit. He moves back to England and becomes the father figure the children need now that their biological father has decided to disappear.

As she watches her children grow up with Fernando by their side, she begins to wonder if the love she always sought has been right in front of her all this time.

OFICIAL FANFIC SOUNDTRACK

⋆ ⋆

I'M SOMETHING SO FAMILIAR THAT YOU DON’T EVEN NOTICE...

i. dress by taylor swift

ii. always you by louis tomlinson

iii. anything 4 u by lany

iv. slipping through my fingers by abba

v. your new boyfriend by wilbur soot

vi. old me by 5 seconds of summer

vii. pretty face by public

viii. late night talking by harry styles

ix. we can't be friends by ariana grande

x. friends by ed sheeran

xi. 18 by one direction

xii. you were good to me by jeremy zycker, chelsea cutler

xiii. style by taylor swift

xiv. best friends by 5 seconds of summer

... THE WAY I WANNA LOVE YA. IT'S TIME THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS

WHERE WE ARE UNIVERSE (@f1wwagang)

A LITTLE TOO LATE is a story that is part of the WHERE WE ARE universe.

This universe, written by Cele (it's me, hi!), RippleRicc and Vee (@vettelsvee), is made up of a total of twenty-one stories that can be read completely independently. Despite this, it should be noted that the vast majority of them are related, especially in terms of appearances of characters or events.

In the other stories Fernando's partner will be name as Lucía Valente!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT A LITTLE TOO LATE

[1] A LITTLE TOO LATE is volume 7.5 of the WHERE WE ARE universe. This story will be unfold throughout 2023, with some flashbacks

[2] Everything depicted in this story is completely fictional, and any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental. Similarly, the portrayal of both celebrities and original characters does not correspond to their real-life descriptions.

[3] This fanfiction will contain inappropriate language, explicit sexual scenes, parent neglect, and substance use.

[4] Although real-life scenarios from the 2023 Formula 1 season will be mentioned and some will be narrated, the majority of them will be fictional. I do not own anything related to any driver, character, and/or event from this world, except for any original characters and the entire plot that will unfold, which is entirely of my own creation. For this reason, any form of copying, adaptation, or even translation is not allowed. If any of these events occur, the corresponding story will be immediately reported.

[5] Constructive criticism is completely allowed, always with respect, as I am not a professional writer and this is simply a hobby. Likewise, votes, comments, and even feedback are appreciated much more than you think.

[6] English is not my first language so if you see any mistake do not hesitate to let me know.

[newengen]

Influencer Marketing in the New Age of Generative AI

The implications of AI are all anyone is talking about these days — and for good reason. It could impact jobs, production, scalability, and create any number of potential innovations and abominations. While Acorn Influence, a New Engen company, is embracing and exploring many aspects of generative AI, we must do our due diligence to prepare for what AI-generated creators would mean for our industry and operations—specifically, concerns surrounding the legal ramifications of what is defined as proprietary in the world of influence, and whether AI “influencers” will become the norm.

Regarding the legal aspects, we've already seen rumblings of this with artists suing AI tech for "learning" from their specific artistic styles. But who's to say that the AI wouldn't be "learning" from the influencers who are top performers on social media? What, if anything, is proprietary about how they gained their influence, and how will the creators protect their brands?

In social media, the issue of attribution is one daily fought. We often see the appropriation of style, jokes, music, and dance across TikTok and Instagram, most notably with creators of color who are not credited when white influencers perform their viral dances. It’s a real paradox. The purpose of viral content is to be shared, re-shared, manipulated, and imitated across the Internet. That’s how you reach success, which is all well and good until someone else starts to profit from it. As we speak, Jerry Media is suing seven brands for using photoshopped versions of content produced by their popular meme account @dudewithsign. As AI continues to fuel controversy, the future fate of who owns the rights to “influence” new artistic creations will most likely be decided in court, but the opacity of what defines sampling versus stealing will be difficult to enforce.

This isn’t the first time these ethical conundrums have been raised. CGI or "virtual" influencers have been around since at least 2016, even earlier if you consider anime and video game characters that have crossed into mainstream content. But, because these AI influencers are rooted in technology that borrows from real life, they have also faced backlash. For instance, AI rap influencer FN Meka was lambasted as "digital blackface," not only because his creators were two white men but because they used his character to perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Or take the incredibly cringeworthy case of virtual influencer Lil Miquela, who, in an attempt to seem more human, posted a vlog in which she described being sexually assaulted in a rideshare - a video that was both shortsighted and wildly offensive. Brands should take heed that even with fictional people — the creators behind the levers will still be under scrutiny.

Companies will likely continue experimenting with AI “influencers,” but what differentiates this AI-generated content from any other branded content made in a production studio? This is where we see the real division — we can certainly see the cost-savings involved with AI-generated clothing models and brand ads, but the holy grail for any influencer agency is to broker deals between brands and people who are real brand advocates. While AI can certainly create content that looks real and imitates human behaviors, these outputs are fundamentally at odds with the ethos of influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is grounded in its authenticity and the connections people feel to the creator as a real person. That's when the secret sauce, so to speak, is made. While the bastardization of influencer marketing is a constant struggle for creators looking to give an honest review rather than make a quick buck, we at Acorn will continue to champion authenticity as long as there remains a desire for it. And judging by the size of the creator economy and the investments in the industry, this is not a phase - but we wouldn't be surprised if AI influencers were.

[wiypt-writes]

25 Days Of CHRIS-Mas

Day 11: It Works

Summary: You and Nick spend your first Christmas together in Hong Kong

Pairing: Nick Gant (Push) x Reader

Warnings: Bad Language, smut (NSFW, 18+)

W/C: 1.5k

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction, any likeness to any persons or events in real life are purely co-incidental. I do not own any characters contained herein bar the reader and/or any original characters. I do not give consent for my work to be copied and posted/translated onto any other sites. If you see this fiction anywhere other than Tumblr, it has been taken without permission.By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer and ALL warnings posted here.

25 Days Of Chris-mas Masterlist / Main Masterlist

Day 10: Jimmy Dobyne (LOATDD)

It was one of the warmest and driest days in December. 73 degrees on Christmas Eve. It annoyed Nick. He missed New York Christmas', he missed the chilly weather, the snow, and fireplaces. It never felt like Christmas in Hong Kong. But Hong Kong was where he lived, New York simply not an option, not after everything that had happened. Division wasn't gone, but their presence in Hong Kong had been diminished and for months, Nick was focused on just living.

He heard a knock and glanced at the time. It was after seven and he'd spent the afternoon trying to make something presentable of the shack he lived in. Brushing his hands on his thighs, the denim rough on his palms, he wandered over the small living space. A quick look through the spy hole confirmed it was safe to answer and he opened it with a soft smile.

"Hi," he said softly, stepping aside to let you in. You had a gift bag in your hand and you were dressed in a festive top and jeans yourself.

“Hi,” you smiled as you walked in, your eyes scanning around. It was far tidier than last time you’d been round, not that you’d paid much attention given the fact you were too busy bouncing off every surface as the pair of you ripped one another’s clothes off.

The main living area was softly lit, a small tree standing in the corner, ropes of fairy lights strung up and there was a pleasant pine and spice smell from a candle that was burning on the small coffee table.

"You decorated," you smirked, popping a kiss to his cheek.

"I tried," he laughed. "American Christmas is different from Hong Kong."

“Tell me about it,” you sighed, watching as he shut the door, “this is about the only time of year I miss Washington. Rest of the time, well, the less said about it the better.”

"I know the feeling," Nick sighed. "Anyway, want a drink?"

"Sure, but, here, this is for you," you handed him the bag. "Merry Christmas, babe."

You and Nick had been seeing each other for six months now, having met one night by literally bowling each other over in the busy street market.

Nick took the bag and smiled, “yours is in the bedroom.”

At that you arched a brow and Nick groaned, “I didn’t mean…I meant the present is…you know what, just wait here.”

You couldn't help but smirk. After all this time, it was cute to watch him get flustered over you still. He disappeared and came back momentarily with a perfectly wrapped little box.

“Did you wrap this?” You asked him, suspicion lacing your tone.

"Nope." He chuckled. "I asked Mrs Chen."

You laughed, as he gave you a cheeky grin, “that woman is a saint.”

"Do you want to open them now or wait?" Nick stammered. "I mean I don't care, it's okay, whatever you want...."

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. 'Calm down,' you whispered inside his head.

You heard him exhale, and when you looked back at him, he was standing, shoulders slightly less tense.

“Sorry, it’s been a while.” He gave you an apologetic smile,

"It's okay," you stepped closer to him. "Six months, Nick, we're good, you don't have to be nervous around me."

“I know, I’m just an idiot,” he gave you another little smile, “but an idiot who loves you.”

The phrase had only recently been tossed around between the two of you, but every time you heard it you couldn't help but feel a flutter inside.

"I love you, too." You titled up your chin and kissed his jaw. "Relax, please, it's just me. Let's fix dinner and just.... Hang out."

“Dinner is actually already fixed,” he looked at you, “it’s not really traditional Christmas fare but, well, Mrs Chen swears by it and from what I tried before it’s pretty good.”

"Works for me," you giggled, taking a seat at the dilapidated table he had.

With nervous anticipation, Nick grabbed your drinks, a beer each and set them down at the table in front of you. You watched as he headed back to the kitchen and pulled the lid off a pot, and suddenly a wonderful aroma hit your nostrils.

“Is that…lobster yi mein?” You asked excitedly. You’d had that dish once before, a grand finale to a Cantonese seafood banquet you and Nick had been to on a date. You recalled watching as the whole lobster was sliced up at your table, before being tossed in a cheese sauce before being added to the crunchy stir-fried veg noodles.

“Yup.” He grinned, “can’t promise it will be as good as the one we had but…”

"I don't care, it's the thought," you beamed. "Nick, really!"

He served up the delightful dish and set the two bowls in front of you both, taking his seat. "Merry Christmas, babe.”

“Merry Christmas, Nicky,” you beamed before you tucked in.

You couldn’t help the small groan of satisfaction. Nick was actually a pretty decent cook, you’d noticed that when you’d first started dating. When he had opened up a little he’d explained he’d picked it up from Mrs Chen, his boss. She ran a food stall in the local market, Nick providing the muscle so to speak for the heavy lifting and things she wasn’t really capable of doing anymore. It didn’t pay much, but he supplemented it with shifts in one of the local bars, which was where he had met you. You were entering, he was exiting and smack, the two of you hit the wet market Street.

You knew he was different from the beginning, like you, gifted. You sensed it, but you never were sure what his gift was. Not until you were toddling more than you could carry one afternoon and his gift presented itself, catching the falling items, allowing them to freely float above you. At that point you’d thanked him, your voice speaking directly in his head and he’d looked at you, a soft smile on his face.

And the rest was history.

You ate, you laughed, you drank. After dinner music played from the shabby and staticky radio Nick had near his bed.

"Dance with me." He asked, extending his hand and cocking his head to the side a little.

The Christmas Waltz was playing on the American station and you beamed up at him, taking his hand as you slid off the edge of his bed. He pulled you into a close hold, steering you gracefully around the small space of his apartment.

“You’re quite good at this,” you chuckled,

He chuckled and popped a shoulder. "Hardly!" He spun you around.

“You are!” You giggled, as he pulled you back to him.

Comfortable silence filled your dance as the music continued, your head resting on his shoulder as your right hand grasped his left, Nick's right hand splayed across the small of your back. You didn't mean to do it, in fact you tried really hard to not use your powers on him, but your mind caught his thought and you gasped.

“Y/N?” He looked down at you and you blinked up at him, a little sheepishly. “Oh, babe! You didn’t!”

"I didn't mean to. You let your guard down." You sighed. "I'm so sorry."

Nick groaned, “you… shit, you weren’t supposed to…”

"Nicky...." You cupped his face, "yes."

He blinked, “what?”

You coyly blushed, "my answer is yes."

“Oh, I… shit!” He laughed, “that’s not how I wanted to ask!”

"I know. I'm sorry. I ruined it, I did. But, it doesn't change my answer."

Nick smiled at you as his hands cupped your face, “so the next question is, do we move into yours or here?”

"Here, it's closer to the market!" You giggled.

He grinned and nodded, and then fell silent, his eyes flashing. With a quirk of your brow, you latched onto his thought. He smirked at you as your cheeks went warm and you bit your lip.

“Pervert.”

"That's why I got you your gift." He quirked.

You smacked him and grabbed the present from the bed. "Let me go change," you smirked. "Enjoy yours, Mover."

Nick plucked the tissue from the gift bag and pulled his gift out. In his palm sat a snowglobe of Hong Kong Harbor, the market where they met clearly visible inside. With a smile he flattened his hand, the item held in his palm as he elevated it ever so slightly, shaking it to send the snow swirling. With a final chuckle he set it down on the nightstand.

The bathroom door creaked and out you slid, a shy look on your face. "I feel so...."

“Words, babe.”

"Pretty," you smirked at the feeling of the silk robe around your body.

“Pretty isn’t where my mind went but,” Nick grinned as you crossed towards him, “it works.”

"I love it, thank you," you sat in his lap, your hands gliding over the deep red and gold embroidered silk robe.

"Merry Christmas, Y/N," he said softly as he cupped your face, pulling you to his lips.

He kissed you tenderly, the sweetest and most romantic kiss he'd probably ever given you. "Merry Christmas," you whispered.

🎄🎄🎄🎄

Day 12: Jake Jensen (The Losers)

[alreadyblondenow]

Vampire Play | Lee Jeno

▸ Jeno x reader ▸ Fluff, Angst, Smut, Vampire au ▸ HALLOWEEN SERIES: 127 HOUSE ▸ 2/5 for NEOHALLOWEEN writing festival hosted by @nct-writers

Summary: The division of upperclassmen vampires and the humans at school, is the only thing that’s stopping Lee Jeno from loving you entirely. Like how vampires hide in the shadows, your growing love for each other is needed to be kept hidden because Jeno’s family cannot be involved with a human such as you. The family name should stay pure and untouched.

Word count: 9k

Warnings: Discriminations between vampires and humans, blood, more blood, heavy vampire-human bullying, blood sucking, swearing, mentions of other idols, loss of virginity, unprotected sex, stalking, teenagers breaking the school rules, not a warning but Jaemin is a big character here. Mentions of coffin, period blood jokes, starving students 

A/N: Pure fiction and inspired by some movies of course. Regarding Jaemin, idk tell me if I should make his story. He was the first one to have a human girlfriend so... Inspired by Vampire Academy, Slaughterhouse Rulez. 

Taglist: I hope I didn’t miss anyone, if yes please do message me so I can apologize huhu @ovelha-colorida-v @huangxx @soondaengie @sunshinedhyuck @your-kpop-cafe @bumblebeenct @joyfuleggsfishbanana @floweringtheflowers @neosculptures​

The sound of the school bell welcomes you to your new school as your parents drop you off and watch you reach their dreams. That’s right, theirs. This isn’t what you wanted, but thinking about how your parents worked so hard for you to have a great education is enough push to force yourself to study and like this place. It was their dream for you to go to an exclusive school such as 127 House. A place where the finest kind of vampires go to school, and a place where rich humans like you are given the opportunity to have the same education.

Sounds fun? It does, but the division between humans and vampires is taken seriously in 127 House. Actually, it’s not a division, it’s discrimination. 

Yes, you go to the same school with the vampires but those bloodsuckers are treated royalty. Humans are not allowed to be friends with vampires, talking to vampires is strictly prohibited, fornicating with a vampire is a major offense, and having a relationship with a vampire can get you kicked out of the school. It says in the student handbook that they have all these rules and divisions to protect the royal bloodsuckers and to maintain peace and order inside the school. 

“You’re going to do your best, right?” your mom asks, you see the headmaster waiting for you to say goodbye to your parents. 

“I’m going to be fine, drive home safe, okay? See in you on Christmas” you hugged them and gather your things and walk towards the headmaster. The house is all white you noticed, even the door is white and you thought that the house will finally have some color once you enter the premises, but no. It’s still white and the place feels cold. White walls, white ceiling, no ray of sunshine, well that part is understandable. At least the interior is nice. 

Before the assembly officially starts, you’re blessed to have a friend to at least warn you and tell you about the dos and don’ts in this school. Yeji, your nice roommate. Being a sophomore transferee is not easy, because no one does that. Literally, you’re a fresh meat, in a house where 50% of the population is vampires. You’re the only transferee and that makes you an automatic target to the bullies. High school. 

You fixed your things and made your bed, you make sure to look presentable on your first day of school. Going to school in the evening is something new to you and you pray that you don’t sleep in one of your classes tonight. Given that it’s a vampire school, humans are required to adjust and follow the vampire time table. That means sleeping during day time and having classes in the middle of the night. 

“Stop fidgeting, or the cold bloods and other humans will make fun of you” Yeji whispers while you two come down the stairs and head to the main hall. You scan your surroundings without turning your head too much and try to observe secretly. Not much happenings, for now, the only thing you found out is that human students are all dressed in black uniforms, all looking rich and righteous. Not your normal high school classmates.  

As you enter the main hall, the vampires are not yet seated in their rightful place. Humans are all seated at the back and are not allowed to chatter loudly, and vampires are seated upfront with teachers and higher ups, they can do whatever they want. You have never seen a vampire up close, you just imagined them to look pale and lifeless, that’s all nothing special. 

“Hey,” Yeji whispered so quietly, you barely heard her. “Once the vampires are here, don’t you dare look at them, no head-turning, wait for them to be seated” you nod your head as an acknowledgment of what Yeji said. Being a transferee is making you anxious already even around your own kind, now you’re curious what can a vampire’s presence do to you?

Soon, she nudges your elbow and told you to look down because they’re finally here. In the corner of your eye, you don’t see any of their reflection on the shiny and clean floor of 127 House, but you hear footsteps and low chatters, the air became cold like their bloods while they were walking on the aisle and that alone gave you goosebumps. 

When it’s finally allowed to look upfront, curiosity is swallowing your mind. You didn’t listen to the one talking in front and you spend the entire time looking at their backs. All dressed in white with a small shade of light blue, pure like their families, even from behind they all look like gods who blessed the Earth with their presence. Each and every one of them, are very beautiful, if the men looked like gods, the ladies looked like angels without wings but with fangs. 

One vampire definitely caught your eye. Blonde hair, skin as white as snow, sharp jawline, perfect nose, and dark almond eyes. You can’t stop looking at him and you can hear your heart beats faster than usual for no reason. “Lee Jeno” Yeji whispered to you while keeping her eyes upfront. “He runs this school and everyone is afraid of him, he’s from a family that breeds the purest vampires of all time. Filthy rich, untouchable, can speak seven languages and oh, every girl in this school fantasizes about him. But not me of course, I fantasize about Hyunjin over there” you looked in the direction that she told you. 

As soon as the assembly is finished, you’re back to bowing your heads until the last vampire leaves the room. You realized that this is going to be your new life for a whole year and until you graduate from this school. One day at a time, you sigh and tell yourself.

High school is high school. But every day in 127 House is like a game of chicken with all these bloodsuckers bullying humans. Being invisible is almost impossible, they always find a way to make fun of humans. The bullying system made you change yourself. You used to be a fun person and you love talking to your friends, but now you go to class, listen to new learnings, avoid every vampire you see, go to church every Sunday, and do it again. Human or not, you try to avoid friendship.

Day by day, you spend it exactly how you spend it yesterday. It was sickening and boring, you miss your family and friends and you wonder if they miss you too. The only coping mechanism you’re allowed to do is read books in the huge old library of 127 House. Luckily, the other students aren’t interested enough in the books that this library holds. They prefer eBooks, and they all use the new library where computers and tablets are used instead of actual books. The old library was your safe place, away from the abnormalities that the world holds. You go here before you go to school, and spend your whole day here every weekend alone and unbothered. Or so you thought. 

Little did you know, there's a pair of eyes who watches you in the shadows of the tall bookshelves whenever you visit. The same pair of eyes are amused whenever you smile while reading a book. The same pair of eyes is slowly being fond of you each day passes. Of course, he wouldn’t dare bother you in your safe place, he’s not that cruel or selfish. But one fine day, he decided to show up.  

“You’re new here” 

You were just about to get out of a dusty aisle when suddenly a man dressed in white and blue cornered you. As quick as you can, you covered your face with the book that you’re holding and didn’t dare look at his perfect form and completely avoiding the cold blooded man. 

This is their way to put humans in trouble, they talk to you and pretend that they wanted to have a decent conversation, but no. One moment they’re staring in your eyes like you have the same status in life and the next thing you know, you’re in the headmaster’s office for a scolding. It’s one of their many ways of bullying humans. Vampires are all bullies, they enjoy it. 

“Hey, I’m your senior and I’m talking to you. There’s no one in here, it’s just the two of us” he reasons out, frustrated because you won’t even look at him. Still avoiding his holy presence, you walked past by the vampire as fast as you can but he followed you until you reach your seat. What’s with these cold blooded creatures? 

“If you don’t talk to me, I’ll make up a story and tell it to the headmaster. If you leave, I’ll tell him you touched me” it was a threat and you don’t like it. Even so, you stopped fixing your things and took a sit. He sat on the table across you with his books and his notebooks, you figured he has some studying to do. 

“I’m Jeno” 

“I know” your responses were quick and straightforward as possible. 

“So what are you reading?” he asks, you see him holding his pen, ready to write down notes perhaps. He doesn’t look like the cold blooded Jeno that you usually see during general assemblies or free period. Now, he looked like a person, who’s pale but still handsome and ethereal. You lift the book and showed him the cover to answer his question, you didn’t even bother to let out another word from your mouth. It’s obvious, he’s trouble. 

“What’s your name?” he asks while writing in his notebook. 

“Y/n” 

“How's your stay in 127 House so far, Y/n?” his smile was inviting, and you know that you shouldn’t stare because looking at his perfection is like committing a sin, but you couldn’t help it. You took the chance to get a better look at his face. For the first time.

“Sorry I have to go” and just like that, you gathered anything you could reach from your stuff and leave your other things on the desk. You can always come back during the daytime, where they’re all asleep. You bolted outside the library and with heavy breaths, ran back to your dorm room and did not tell anyone what happened. 

Talking to Jeno even though it was barely a conversation was like stealing a huge amount of cash from your parents. Even though he looked nice the whole time, you still can’t trust the man. With that, you can only hope and pray that the Lee Jeno did not make up stories just for his entertainment. 

The next day during the general assembly, you saw Jeno in front with his usual vampire might. Even more ethereal than yesterday. As you go on with your day, you went to class with caution. Hoping that you’re not going to be called to the headmaster’s office. And thankfully, you survived the day. What a relief, you thought! You headed back to the library to get the things that you left yesterday and to your surprise, your stuff was nicely organized. He fixed your things and left you a note. 

Sorry to have scared you. -L.J

You read his short note over and over again, smelling the scented paper that he used, it smelled like a rose, and didn’t notice him sneak beside you because you were busy putting your stuff inside the bag. 

“You’re back,” he said a little lively, and it completely startled you that he almost gave you a heart attack. Given that the library is huge and quiet, your squeak echoed and surrounded the place. And again, you avoided his gaze and tried running away for the second time but he’s quick to block you. 

“Hey, didn’t I earn your trust? Not even a bit? I don’t bully humans… they just happened to be scared of me” he explains. Still, it doesn’t make any sense to you. “Look, I’ve been watching you read a bunch of books in here for days. And this has been my favorite place ever since I stepped foot in this house, no one dared to enter this wretched library. We could share” he hands you your notebook from the desk and you accept it slowly. 

“Okay,” you said, still uncomfortable with his godly presence. 

“If we're going to be friends, you should stop doing that. It will not kill you to have a decent conversation with me. As I’ve said before, we're alone in here” 

Friends? Who told him you wanted to be friends with him? 

“Not that you actually care, but I’ve read almost 30% percent of the books here. They’re quite old but golden…” He continued talking about books like the smell of your blood doesn’t bother him at all. It does. But he would rather hold his breath than losing the chance to be friends with you. By the end of the day, you brought some books that Jeno have recommended you read. It kept you all night, turning pages until you finish one book, and the next thing you know you’ve finished reading all of them. He was right about the books. The vampire has taste. 

During your next meeting at the library, you talked about how the books that you’ve read and he was happy that you loved them. “Show me more?” it was not a request, but it was your move and the only way you could give back to the kindness that Jeno showed you. 

Books after books and after a few days, you and Jeno became comfortable with each other. Comfortable enough to laugh and make jokes as if you’ve been friends for a long time now and completely forgetting the cruel world outside the white walls of the library. It was a growing friendship. A unique friendship that you’re both aware of.

Little did you know, that the vampire has grown a huge crush on you. He has never seen someone so full of life and be happy with even the smallest of things. You’re the epitome of simplicity but also too much and too good for him.  

“Hey, are you even listening to me?” Jaemin slapped his friend with his free hand while they were busy feeding. He noticed that his friend was spaced out for some time now, smiling alone like an idiot, and there’s something different with Jeno these past few days. “Ohhh. I get it. You have a shiny new toy” Jaemin teases Jeno while taking a sip of cold blood. 

“You’re the one who toys with the humans, Jaem not me” Jeno defends, taking a sip of his cold blood too. 

“So what are we going to do this time? Make them cry, huh?” it’s easy for Jaemin to talk about things like that. Jaemin bullies mostly human girls, he’s quite irresistible with those pearly whites, perfect fangs, sexy built.

Jeno chuckled and smiled at Jaemin, “I’m going to love this one. She’s different from the other humans, she’s not selfish. She just wants to survive high school and she loves books” there was a smile on Jeno’s face while he was talking about you, something Jaemin never thought he would witness. Jeno is in love. He gulps, knowing all too well that his friend is in danger. 

“For how long?” Jaemin asks nervously, hoping that there’s still hope to pull Jeno out of this dangerous situation. 

“For three. Lovely. Weeks” he smiled, oh so lovingly to his friend again. “Don’t tell the others, please” Jeno knew that he could trust Jaemin no matter what, and for that, he’s thankful. 

 You and Jeno continued being friends, see each other in the library, spend hours and hours talking and knowing each other deeply. And as you continue with this friendship, his handsomeness is becoming harder and harder to avoid each day that passes. “I like your smile. You should smile more often” you blurted out, feeling brave to talk like that to Jeno. He smiled at you in return, his eyes became small and full of life even though the man has no soul. It’s like he has this duality that whenever he’s outside the library, he is this cold blooded creature but when you’re alone together he is this funny guy who’s clumsy and talks too much. 

Of course, you don’t know, but Jeno goes to the library not because of the books anymore. He just wants to meet you and be with you, make him forget about the world that he grew up to, make him forget that he’s a vampire. Let him admire your beauty, be drunk on the smell of your blood. For Jeno, feeling your warmth near him makes him feel that he does exist in this world. 

The truth is, he’s disgusted with the world outside this library. Sick of all the rules that this school implements especially the horrible division. Because of that division, he can’t do something for himself, just this once. But for the sake of their family name, he’s forcing himself to play it all out and pretend that it doesn’t sicken him. 

One cold night during free period, you saw him and his friends walking towards you and Yeji in the middle of the hallway. You don’t know what came into your head but you didn’t avoid the presence of the men in white and with all your confidence, you said “Hi Jeno” 

It broke your heart how he didn’t even spare you a glance, you saw it in your own eyes how his face shows no emotion when he heard you call his name. His friends heard your bravery and of course, they made fun of you, laughed at you for failing to have Jeno’s attention. What came into your head? Did you forget the division because you have a secret friendship with him? That horrible experience slapped you with the ugly truth again. Vampires don’t mingle with humans. You decided not to come to the library ever again, live peacefully behind their shadows, and enjoy the world class education that this school provides. As you should. Keeping yourself invisible became easier as you made new human friends that you could actually mingle with. It was nice having new friends from your kind, it makes you forget about the friendship that you had with Jeno too. But there's no other friend like him. 

“Hi there. I’m Jaemin” the vampire cornered you with all his glory, standing in front of you as you keep your head down and ignore the cold blood who’s bullying you. “I know your secret with Jeno” he whispers to you with a tone that really got into your nerves, it made you look at him, and got in trouble for letting your guard down because of what Jaemin did and faced a week in detention and a week without dinner. 

School’s twisted rules to teach humans respect. It’s not the hunger that made you incredibly mad with Jeno, and it’s not Jaemin either, it’s the fact that he told his friend about you when you didn’t even tell a single soul about what you knew about him.

“Stay away from me and stop bullying me. I'm not scared of you or the rules, I don’t care if I leave this place!” your voice echoes and surrounds the room and for the first time in your life you saw Lee Jeno feel so small. “But I do care about what my parents want, so get out of my life Jeno” your attempt to make a dramatic exit was once again stopped, he brought you deep into one of the dusty aisle and cough a little as you try to get away from his grasp. 

 Jeno was awfully close to you, putting both of his hands on the bookshelf behind you, caging you with his presence. He can hear your heartbeat so fast your blood became even more inviting. “Don’t be scared. I’m not going to bite you” he explains but it doesn’t change anything, you still want to get out of here. You watch him turn silent, and wait for his next move. His right hand caressed your head, feeling your hair and watching his own fingers touch your features and feel your warm skin. It was amusing for him, this is his first time touching a human and not just any human. The human that he likes. 

In one swift move, he kissed you on the lips. And It was not a kiss that lovers share. It was a kiss like someone is confessing their love. Jeno can’t find the words on how he can be more honest with you when he just ruined your trust. And you do understand what he’s saying, he just confessed his feelings using that kiss because he knew you won’t listen to him anymore.

“I hope you understand” his face stayed close to you, nuzzling your hair and enjoying your warmth. He reached for your hand and slowly intertwined his fingers with yours. It was like fire and ice were merging at this very moment. And if you thought holding his hands made your heart beat faster like you just ran a mile, the moment he made you encircle your arms around his waist made you weak right then and there and he was quick to catch you. You too have no words for what's happening right now but you feel the same way towards Jeno. 

He kissed you again and this time you returned the kiss, making the vampire smile from ear to ear in between the kiss, exposing his sharp fangs to you for the first time which you thought he was going to bite you, but no, he kissed you deeper this time. And during the kiss, you can feel his fangs scratch slightly with your teeth. You can also say that he just fed because the metal taste of human blood still lingers in his lips and tongue, but you don’t care. It’s Jeno. 

The peck that Jeno planned on giving you, became your first make out session with him in the old and dusty library. Whenever someone pulls away and tried to stop kissing, you come right back in and devour each other’s lips again. “I’m sorry for what I did to you. But seriously what were you thinking?” he said, cupping your face as he waits for your answer. 

“I know it’s my fault. But I thought what we have here is something special-“ 

“It is special. And it’s for me and you, only. Please don’t do it again, for us” he rests his forehead on yours, closing his eyes and feeling the happiness sink right in. “To be honest I was heartbroken when you stopped coming here. I thought I lost you already way before you can be mine” he kissed you again, but this time he’s hugging you tightly. “Fuck you smell good, you’re making me hungry” you watch him gulp closely, “I need to uhm- you know, I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

And there’s that smile you love seeing, only for your eyes to see. “Yes” you smiled back and kissed him one last time.  

Just like your moments with Jeno in the library, you two continue to meet secretly and spend time together. The books became witness to your growing love as this dangerous relationship becomes, even more, deeper each day passes. It was a secret relationship, but your feelings were true as it can be.

Dating like normal teenagers was hard, of course given the situation you two can’t go on dates. But the vampire is clever and smart. You forgot how he has this whole school wrapped around his finger. With the help of the other vampires to cover up for him, he made a picnic date happen… in the middle of the woods, under the dark.

“Vampires wear denim pants?” you tease him and he greets you with a kiss. 

It was a starry night and you watch and connect the stars while holding each other’s hand. His cold skin doesn’t bother you anymore, you grew fond of it. You spend the night giggling quietly with Jeno, making each other laugh, telling unbelievable stories to each other from your kind. 

“Have you ever experienced biting a human?” you asked curiously, still looking at the stars and holding Jeno’s cold hands. 

“That’s illegal. My family is pure, the finest as they say” he scoffed as if the thought of his family disgust him. “Poor vampires suck blood from humans because they can’t afford buying clean and purified ones- think of it as water, most rich vampires think drinking directly from humans is… disgusting and dirty. So they buy the filtered ones” you nod your head, acknowledging what he said understanding how it works, thinking deeply like you're solving a Math problem. He was amused by your reaction. 

“What will happen to you if they find out about us?” you blurted out, resting your chin on his strong chest as you wait for his answer. 

“To be honest I don’t know. But were sure in trouble young lady” he nuzzles your hair but it’s not your shampoo that he smelled, it’s your blood. He tickled your sides again so he can hear your laugh that’s music to his ears. 

“Okay okay, last question,” you said, catching your breath from too much laughing. 

“Shoot” 

“How can someone be a vampire?” 

“Nope. Not answering that. Too dangerous for you young lady” he teased and tickled you again. It’s not fair, you thought. 

When Jeno finally got tired of teasing you, he turned silent and stared at your face as if he’s engraving it in his memory. Deep inside, he doesn’t know how to keep you away from his family. He doesn’t know how you can survive the cruelty of his world.  

“I love you” you heard him whisper, you barely heard it but he was sincere. He's kissing your knuckles and holding it tightly, pulling you closer to his cold body for a kiss on the lips, “I love you too” you said kissing his cold hand while looking at him smiling from ear to ear again, exposing his fangs to you. 

To make Jaemin pay for what he’s done to you, Jeno made him the lookout whenever you and the vampire have time to make out in locker rooms during free periods. Jeno would drag you there and make out with you until he’s satisfied or he’s late for his next class. You always feel nervous whenever you’re with Jeno but his lips, oh his lips! Does it make you calm and forget about the world. 

If the locker room is not safe, you always have the woods at night and no one would dare lurk in those dark places. Jeno kept you safe in the dark and made you feel safe, knowing that it makes you scared. “I’m a vampire, what are you so afraid of?” he chuckled, and just like that, you two continue to kiss like there's nothing wrong in what you’re doing. 

During weekends, you and Jeno love to stargaze. Hugging you under a blanket, arms perfectly wrapped around you. His cold skin brings you comfort even if sometimes it makes you shiver. You taught him how to eat cookies, which he finds disgusting but he eats it anyway to not disappoint you. 

And just like normal teenage relationships, what’s a great relationship without having your first big a fight? In fact, it was so big and horrible that you thought that was the end of it. Nothing beats jealousy. 

“We were lab partners, Jeno! And we were studying!” by this time you were yelling at him and you hate this feeling. Both of you are completely aware of the love you share, but being divided this way can make you both jealous in every way. “How about you with Yeeun, huh? Do you enjoy her godly presence?” you added.

“Don’t get me started about you and Mark. I see you two, too close sometimes. Are you cheating on me?” it was so easy for him to accuse you of something you would never do to the man you love. With that, you scoffed and turned your back on him, gathering your books and making your way out of the library. He didn’t even bother stopping you this time like he always does. 

The fight went on for weeks until exams week were finally over. It was torture for both of you but he hurt you in a way you couldn’t believe he can. You went to the library to return some books you’ve already finished reading. To your surprise a red rose is waiting for you on the desk you claim as yours, of course, it’s from Jeno. 

Jealousy can’t ruin us. Please forgive me - L.J

You meet him in the woods that night after class, exchanged apologies, sweet and loving words, and shared a wonderful kiss. He’s right, jealousy can’t ruin what you have. Every relationship experiences huge fights.

Walking hand in hand back to the school premises, Jeno smelled another human blood near the two of you. He was just about to tell you to hide when Jaemin and his girlfriend were walking hand in hand towards the dark where you just came from. She was your senior, and you can see that she holds on to Jaemin so tight like you’re about to take Jaemin away from her. She was scared that you’d tell, but you’re not like that, you smiled and gave her your jacket. “It’s awfully cold back there. It’s nice to know I’m not alone” she smiled back at you. 

“Glad you two are back” Jaemin teases Jeno and your boyfriend just rolled his eyes at him. 

One hot afternoon in the library, Jeno’s skin was so irritated with the heat but he wanted to be with you. He was confident with his hands that it started to roam around your body, something he’s never done before but you like it. Let’s not fool ourselves here. 

“Does the heat makes you horny? Or the heat is a different story?” you tease him in between kisses. His hand is under your skirt, caressing your ass cheek playing with the hem of your black lacy panties. If him being confident with his hands shocks you, well you were completely surprised when he removed your panties swiftly and started to undo his belt. 

“Baby, I’m a virgin. Don’t I at least deserved to fucked on your coffin?” You were talking about his bed, and it was a joke that made laugh and brought up your panties again. “Thank you” you knew he would understand that you don’t want to have your first sex in a dusty library and you’re thankful that Jeno is a gentleman even though he can't control himself sometimes.

He’s one horny vampire.

“When?” he was talking about the sex you were sure of it. And the real answer to that is you don’t know because you don’t know how. 

“I’m not sure how to make that happen, baby, I’m not the god of this school” you both chuckled and laughed quietly. 

“Right- I’m sorry about your panties-“ 

“No no, it’s okay“ you kissed his cheek and fixed his ruined hair.  

“Wait for me here tonight, then I’ll bring you to our dorms” it was another shocker for you, how can he make that possible? He kissed your hand and wore his black sunglasses again before he leaves the library. Leaving you with a promise that tonight is going to be special.

Usually, on weekends, you and Jeno go stargazing deep into the woods and make out like crazy under the stars but tonight, he brought you to his dorm room and you both never felt so together. The vampire dorm is deep underground to protect them from the heat and harsh sunlight. Maybe that’s why it takes them too long during general assemblies. And as expected, Jeno’s room is dark, with no windows and minimal airflow but you can manage. There’s no coffin, but his bed is cold even though you two are wildly kissing already while you sit comfortably on top of him, shirtless and only wearing thin sweatpants while you are wearing only your matching underwear. 

“We have to be absolutely quiet tonight” he whispers softly to you. In return, you whisper back a soft ‘okay’ while still grinding on top of Jeno’s hardening cock. You do your best to keep quiet, not only you don’t want to get caught, but there are literally a hundred vampires outside Jeno’s room and you wouldn’t want the attention.  

“You smell good” it sounded like a quiet moan like he’s stopping himself but still he swims on the lust and frenzy that your blood brings. 

“I smell good or my blood smells good?” you tease him more, leaning on his figure, grinding even more deliciously. It was torture for him, but he likes it. He smiled at you, but not like the kind of smile you loved seeing. It was a weak smile, watching you under his lids, shaking his head in disbelief. He grabs the small of your back, pulling you closer than ever to him. It was cold, but not because of the night. You were sure that it’s cold because of Jeno’s skin pressing on your body. 

With one swift move, he’s on top of you, kissing your neck that he oh so love, gripping your clothed boobs so hard you thought your bra will get ruined. Using one hand, you unclasp your bra expose yourself to Jeno. It made him stop devouring your neck and the grip on your boobs loosen up. He can’t believe that this is all happening. 

“I always thought you look even more beautiful, naked” he swirls his pointer finger on your hardening nipples, watching you with full amusement on how you will react with his touch. 

“I didn’t know you were capable of thinking such dirty thought” you managed to bite back, still feeling his cold fingers swirl slowly around your nipples. He kissed you on the chest, softly like your first kiss together. But the softness was quickly replaced with lustful one as you watch him suck your boobs while looking deep into your eyes. Your nipples were quick to be swollen because of the way how Jeno sucks them. Well, he’s a vampire after all. 

You notice his kisses were slowly going down to your stomach as he takes time kissing your inner thighs. Spreading your legs according to his liking before he removes your panties. It’s weird how he was facing your clothed pussy, feeling his cold breath brush on your damped panties as he was smelling it. “Your period is near, I can smell it” it was a joke but it made you shy as hell in front of your boyfriend that you closed your legs and grab the blanket near you. 

Jeno was chuckling awkwardly. It was funny but you still can’t help but be shy. Your boyfriend was quick to apologize, kissing you again on the lips and putting away the blanket that you covered yourself with. He can be an effective period tracker you joke to yourself. 

He removed your panties swiftly and get himself naked before he returns to his place in between your legs. He looked more handsome flashing those perfect abs, again, only for your eyes. You run your hands around his perfect body, making him twitch a little because of your warm palms. He proceeds to suck his own fingers, point and middle finger, before he puts it on your slit. Making it wet even more. If he thought that your palms were warm, your walls were warmer and he likes the feeling of it just like how you love the feeling of his cold skin. 

Given that you’re a virgin, your hole was so tight that it scared Jeno to continue. “Does it hurt?” he asks, moving his two fingers in and out of your wet entrance. The hurt was obvious in your face it surely bothered your boyfriend, being a virgin vampire is definitely making him nervous right now. 

“Yeah. But it feels good baby, don’t stop” it was a quiet and airy moan. Your head rolled back, exposing your neck in front of him. He avoided it for the first time because it was becoming too much to handle. That’s not good he thought, he never felt that way before towards you. 

He removed his fingers and cleaned it with his own mouth. Making you watch how he lick those fingers of his, coated with your pussy juices, he looked fucking hot and you wonder if it tastes good for him. Little did you know he is becoming crazy, your pussy juices were the closest thing he can get to have a taste of you. 

“You do know that there's more down there right?” you were inviting him to lick your pussy, he only smirked and went close to you. Kissing your mouth hungrily like he hasn’t kissed you for months. 

“Yes but that’s dangerous, I can end up sucking your period blood-“

“Which is gross!” you whispered a little too loud, making Jeno laugh uncontrollably. 

“Ohhh. I love you, ready?” he asked, palming himself and pumping his cock before he proceeds. You nod your head ‘yes’, feeling your heart beat faster. You’re about to lose your virginity to a guy you love. You smiled and sling your arms around his neck, he can hear your heartbeat but your face is telling him that you’re happy and excited. 

He never left your lips, kissing you none stop so you won’t think about the hurt. It was sweet. But he was big and you were the one who stopped returning the kisses. It felt like your air was being sucked up, you started breathing heavily and to Jeno… No one said that the lust that your blood brings during sex was unbearable. 

For your safety, he was trying not to breathe and avoid your delicious scent. Your blood smells like freshly cooked ham on Christmas Eve. It lingers around the room. 

You notice that his thrusts were stiff and he looked in pain more than you. You tried reaching for his face but he avoided your touch and continued sliding his cock in and out of you. The hurt was long forgotten because you were more bothered with how Jeno is reacting to the sex. 

It’s your blood. He’s stopping himself. 

“Hey, hey, look at me baby,” it was hard for you too, because even though Jeno’s thrust was sloppy, it still felt good for you. “Bite me, it’s okay” you know that you shouldn’t have offered, but what can you do? He was suffering. 

It was an offer that he can’t refuse. A sin that he doesn’t care doing. He tried to relax himself and smelled your blood even more, enjoying the high and making himself more drunk . He leaned closer to your neck, licking it over and over again. He finds a perfect spot where he can suck you off, a perfect spot where you can hide the traces of his fangs. 

And just when you feel like you’re already on the edge, you stop yourself from moaning too much and take Jeno’s quick thrust. His cold hand grips one boob and the other is intertwined with your hand. He can hear your hearbeat racing, he knows you’re about to have an orgasm. 

“Jen I’m gonna cum-“ your warning has been cut off when you feel something stick into your skin that you almost screamed but you're quick to stop yourself. 

Getting your blood sucked felt amazing, it’s like having a slow orgasm that will make you moan, smile through the high with furrowed brows, then it will make you feel dizzy for a second. And the most amazing part about that, it works both ways. 

Jeno shoots his cum on his clean sheets, even though he can’t get you pregnant, he can’t cum inside you without your consent. He flopped beside you while you’re still high from your orgasm and getting your blood sucked. Jeno seized this moment to kiss oh so sweetly to bring you back to Earth with him. 

When you don’t feel numb already, you saw Jeno’s lips with a little bit of blood on the side. You wiped it with your thumb with a smile and he catches your hand with his lips and kissed it. It was an amazing first time for both of you, no doubt about that.  

“You okay, Jeno?” you asked him because you’re not sure what your blood does to him. 

“More than okay. How about you, did I hurt you?” he was more concerned and checked the part where he had bit you, kissed it softly until it’s tickling you and you had to make him stop. 

“I just remembered how you said that-uhm, drinking human blood straight from a human is kind of dirty-“ he stopped you with a kiss and pulled you close to him. 

“What are you talking about, it’s your blood. Nothing about you can disgust me” he whispers to you. 

The sex and the bloodsucking made your relationship even more special and thrilling. Every weekend, Jeno sneaks you into his room and be intimate with you in every way possible. Round after round and before you reach your orgasm, Jeno bites you in the same place and suck you off. The taste of your blood has become his new favorite thing in the world that even one drop of it on his tongue, he will know that it’s yours. It was like a drug for both of you and an addiction that has to be stopped. 

Sometimes when he feels full or you look too weak, there’s no bloodsucking. Only sex, and pure sex. Even though it’s better when there’s blood involved, Jeno can still make you feel good using his cock and you can still make him dizzy by sucking him off. If he’s being completely honest with you, it amazes him with how good you suck him off. Your mouth makes him crazy, moan your name and ask for more. Just like now that his whole length is inside your mouth and the tip of his cock is hitting the back of your throat. Thrusting his length in and out, making you gag but you can handle it. 

Again, you amaze him. “You could be a great vampire, you know how to suck good.” He kissed you on the lips and made you lay beside him, switching positions to return the favor. 

He was still hard and his cock is ready to go, pushing in slowly as usual in your tight walls. Another addicting thing about you. After having sex almost every week, Jeno became confident in bed, even more confident than before. Now, he can fuck you hard and give you a mind blowing orgasm without biting you. 

“Jeno, harder” you moan quietly, careful not to be heard. Jeno pounds in you hard, making your boobs bounce up and down. He recently found out that you love it when he touches your clit while you’re on edge and on the verge to have a great orgasm. And one of the many perks of being a vampire is, he can hear your heart beats fast so he knows when to put his thumb and touch you. Softly at first, like he’s not fucking you hard, then he will slowly put pressure on his fingers and the next thing he knows, you’re shivering beneath him, parting your lips, and reaching for Jeno’s shoulder to bite it as you ease your oversensitivity and to stop yourself from moaning loudly. 

“Who’s the vampire here? me or you?” he chuckles and kisses you on the lips watching you smile weakly beneath him. You feel him wear his shirt and boxers brief as he waits for you to calm down. 

“Can you make me a vampire someday?” it was a stupid question. He just chuckled, cleaned you up, and helped you get dressed. 

“No. Absolutely not” he answered and kissed you again. 

As you were about to tie your shoes, you saw your hand shaking uncontrollably. You were about to hide it from Jeno but he saw it already and he was quick to hold your hand even if he knows he holds no warmth and his cold hands can make your hands shake more. But he’s confident that he can make you calm.  

“I’m here. Relax, tell me the truth, are you okay?” he kisses your knuckles and proceeds to tie your shoes himself as he waits for your answer. 

“I’m fine. This is the first time though” it’s true. 

“Okay, well, baby you have to take care of yourself out there because I can’t. And I’m sorry, I truly am. Let’s be careful from now on okay? No more bloodsucking I promise” 

As much as he wants to take care of you outside, he can’t but he has his own ways. Whenever he’s around you, he simply watches you. It frustrates him even more but he has to remain calm or else people will get suspicious. Jeno became more and more in love with you, as he continues to fear losing you. 

This is his first time feeling such fear. 

One fine Sunday night where the whole school was at church and the mass just finished, you started to feel dizzy and unstable. Unlike morning general assemblies where the vampires get out first, during church it’s different. They are expected to pray more and stay a little bit longer in church and humans leave first.

While you wait for your row to stand up and head out, you shake your head from side to side to try and shrug it off. You try closing your eyes and open them again to stop the dizziness but it won't leave. You felt weak as you try to stand up and walk with the others, but your eyesight was turning black. 

Then you fainted. Feeling the cold floor of 127 House on your face. 

The girls gasped and made quite a noise at church while the vampires were already starting to pray again. And usually, Jeno wouldn’t care what’s happening behind. But Jaemin does. 

“She fainted” Jaemin murmured and pretends to pray. 

“Who yours?” Jeno murmured back. 

“No. Yours” 

And just like that Jeno didn’t hesitate to turn his head back and see for himself. It’s true. He saw you being carried by the school nurse and the sight of it makes him want to vomit all the blood that he had for dinner earlier during feeding. He was worried sick about you but he can't do shit. 

“Control yourself. She will be fine” Jaemin was worrying for his friend too. For all, he knows you are Jeno’s weakness and he’s scared that Jeno will cause a scene at church in front of the other vampires and expose his vulnerability. 

As you stayed unconscious at the school’s hospital wing, the school nurse checked your pulse, your breathing, and your blood, and found of about Jeno’s markings at the top of your collar bone. You lost a lot of blood from too much intimacy with Jeno, and the higher ups of the school only had one theory of what happened to you. You were fornicating with a vampire which is a sin to them. 

Of course, they only cared about Jeno’s wellbeing and quickly called his family. Covering up for Jeno’s scandal, the higher ups did not say that they knew all about your relationship with Jeno. They would rather choose to believe that you forced Jeno to drink your blood, than accepting the truth that you two are in love. But for now, they remained silent and waited for Jeno’s father to decide about your consequence. 

While you were at the hospital wing saving strength and accepting visits from Yeji and your other friends, Jeno is facing big trouble because of what happened to you. Given that they easily tracked Jeno’s fangs, he doesn’t care at all if the whole school finds out. He just wants to know if you’re safe.

Yes, he is scared to face his parents, but he wants to face them with all false bravery and receive his punishment. He entered the room with all his might, not giving a fuck about the teachers who are in the same room as he is. On the right side of the room, he sees his father staring outside waiting for the sun to rise while he listens to the headmaster talk.

Lee Taeyong, always looked scary to everyone. Even the other vampires wouldn’t dare look at his perfection. Jeno is powerless when it comes to his father and quite frankly his relationship with his own father is as cold as their blood.  

 “Mr. Lee, we didn’t actually catch them do it but it was indeed Lee Jeno’s fangs according to school records… and your son is in a relationship with a human” 

Taeyong turned around to face his son and put both of his hands in the pocket of his trousers, “continue” he said. Obviously, he’s much more interested in the story of how his son became so rebellious after meeting you. Unfortunately, the school found out everything even about your stargazing dates and library dates. It all sounded like a joke to Taeyong which made him laughed and mock his own son. 

“Are you done playing dumb, son?” the tone of his voice was cool. It’s always like that. Words come out from his mouth slowly to send daggers in Jeno’s heart. “I don’t want a scandal for the Lee family, let this be a secret for everyone. Son, I want you to pretend that nothing happened between the two of you. Pretend that you don’t know her, pretend that you don’t love her and this time you will follow the school rules or I will ruin her parent's business” Jeno’s father is a powerful man and the school staffs wouldn’t dare not follow him. “Let Jeno suffer from his stupidity. Nothing can stain the perfectness of the Lee family. Go to church young man, get your blood clean” Taeyong added. 

Jeno was scared. He felt weak and unable to talk, but he has to at least try and fight for you. “We were in love” he croaked, but Taeyong just turned his back from his son and admired the beautiful sunset. 

“I believe you and I don’t care” 

Taeyong knew you are a threat not only to the Lee family but also to the whole vampire kind. If he let you and Jeno stay together, you will serve as hope or inspiration to the other humans and humans will continue to stain the royalty of the vampires. 

And the stupidity of his son is the root of it all. 

The young vampire did not know what to do, frustrated, and mad knowing all too well that he can’t stomach hurting your feelings. Jeno left the room and look for someplace quiet to cry and be mad at his own father. His own father. 

Weeks after being discharged from the school’s hospital, it’s surprising how Jeno is not meeting you in your usual places. He’s not coming to the library anymore to meet with you, no more spontaneous making out while Jaemin is on the lookout, you are left alone in the dark under the stars for the past weekends. It was heartbreaking. You don’t know what’s going on.  

“School’s king and queen, huh? No wonder they seem so close during assemblies. Also, their families are a perfect match. Both untouched and rich” Yeji continues to gossip with Lia while you’re on her side, listening and feeling your heartbreak into pieces. 

Not long after you’ve heard the rumor about Yeeun and Jeno being together, to be honest, you find it as a sick joke that Jeno is playing. You saw them walking hand in hand in the school corridor. White on white never looked so good. So it's true. Yeeun catches your attention and raised one eyebrow at you as if she’s saying, ‘bow down, he was never yours’ 

Again, you got into trouble for looking at Yeeun and Jeno. And once again, the ugly truth slapped you hard in the face. You’ve committed a great sin by loving a vampire, and now you’re facing the consequences. No more, you said to yourself. This time, you decided for yourself and told your parents that you cannot handle the ways of this school anymore. You didn’t tell them about Jeno because that would be a great scandal, you just told them that the bullying in the school is out of hand that it isn’t the right place for you. 

“Did someone bullied you?” your dad asked through the phone, sounding so worried and concerned. 

“No no. I just want to leave before someone does, is that okay? I promise to do good in my next school” 

“Of course. Will get you out of there right away” 

  The school didn’t make a fuss about the situation and let your parents pull you out from the school. At least they’re nice enough to not tell about what happened between you and Jeno. Hearing the news that you are transferring schools, Jeno tried everything, even asked help from Jaemin’s girlfriend but he was too late. You already left, with erased memories.

As part of the school’s twisted rules, graduating from the school is the only way to keep your memories so that students like you, cannot stain the perfect name of the school 127 House and spread false rumors about it.  

Jeno hated himself more but he didn’t cause any more trouble and embraced a sad life without you, from now on. He became colder towards the other students and started to bully other humans, vampires, and teachers. Even Jaemin and his other friends can’t help him and make him stop.  

To feel your presence again, he still goes to the library where you two met and shared hundreds of memories. Relieving every memory, one by one, even staying inside the library in the middle of a hot afternoon. It doesn’t matter if the heat is irritating him, what his father did to him was even more irritating than the sun. 

He still goes stargazing every weekend, torturing himself even more. Looking at the stars with tears in his eyes, hoping that he could hear your voice and feel your warmth again.  

One day, when he was feeding with Jaemin and the rest of the guys and the blood that’s given to him tastes like yours it made him crazy, drank it in one go. He missed you even more than ever, but a lot of horrible scenarios ran through his mind. Why is your blood being donated? Did his parents have you killed? Did something happened to you? He was being hysterical. Jaemin was quick to calm him down and gave his friend another pack of blood, “Don’t make a scene or you’ll get in trouble again. You just miss her that’s why every blood you taste, tastes like her”

“You don’t understand because yours wasn’t taken away from you” Jeno once again pushed Jaemin away but this time he hurt his friend. 

“Jeno, we broke up because of your stupidity and I’m here stuck with you. Drink your blood” Jaemin broke up with his girl because he was scared the school might found out about them too. He would rather break up with her than getting her memories erased and forget about the love that they shared.   

Graduation came and Jeno can’t stomach the presence of his father. Jeno left and graduated from 127 House with pure anger and disgust towards the school and the people who run it. He was ready to move forward and go to college, but he will never want to move on from you. For as long as he can, he will hope and pray for you to come back in his life.

College was another vampire play for Jeno, the only difference is the stage has gotten bigger. To earn his parent’s trust again, he made the family proud and forced himself to get involved with the family business and showed Taeyong that he can be trusted. Build his own life and making himself known as one of the scariest Lee next to his father. All those things were easy for Jeno. He can fake it every day. But the pain of losing you still haunts him every night, that’s what hard for him. 

Jeno grew up to be a fine vampire like his family and live up to the family legacy. When Jeno was all grown up and arranged to marry Yeeun, he was heartbroken again. 

He did found you though, but he can only remain as a stranger so he can’t hurt you for the second time. He always watches you from afar, just like how he first met you at the library. You don’t know but he watches you when you’re asleep, sitting close to you like a shadow. Jeno stayed with you for days, admire you when you sleep, love you secretly. 

Until one night during your sleep, you have this weird dream that you study in a vampire school when you were still young. A vampire so handsome like a god was holding your hand while you were watching the stars with him. Little did you know, they were all flashbacks of every good memory you had with Jeno. 

“Jeno” you murmur in your sleep but Jeno wouldn’t dare wake you up. 

“Y/n,” he whispered back, smiling because he’s hurt but happy at the same time you remember his name even if it’s just a murmur. He kissed you and smelled your blood one last time, even left his tears on your cheek, then left and never came back again.

Omg my #1 inspiration for this fic was my high school life and how I’m always weak and pale all throughout high school. I was a transferee when I was a sophomore and I went to school not wearing uniform but casual clothes. it was humiliating. Also I was cultured shock because it’s so different from the academy that I used to go schooling. ANYWEIZ ALL IS WELL, HIGH SCHOOL FOR ME WAS FUN. 

Vampires were based to Vampire Academy, the twisted school rules were based from Slaughterhouse Rulez. I think Vampire Academy is a great book but the movie was just so so. 

Anyweiz, it’s my birthday today and I wrote this story for myself and tried stretching my imagination. heheh what a challenge. 

Hope you enjoyed reading! 

[interact-if]

Day 2 of Pride Month interviews! You know them, you love them…. give it up for Ames!

Ames, author of Attollo and Metamorphosis

Pride Month Featured Authors

“…and it was a singular, terrible thought, which burrowed itself into your mind like an engorged maggot. This was not a man nor a monster. This was a concept, an ideology, a terrible myth, which had personified itself to stand before you now.You were, to put it simply, screwed.”

After several years of radio silence, you receive a message from your younger sibling that carries a strange sense of urgency to it. Either out of familial concern or boredom, you embark on a journey from your residence to your sibling’s apartment in New Hampshire to see what’s going on and, hopefully, be home before the weekend.

Too bad it’s never so simple.

Demo: Attollo, Metamorphosis (TBA)

Tags: cybernoir, thriller

(INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!)

Q1: Tell us a little bit about your project(s)!

Attollo is a cyber-noir horror set in a walled city off the coast of the Atlantic that’s been a victim of a nuclear disaster. After several years of radio silence, you receive a message from your younger sibling that carries a strange sense of urgency to it. Either out of familial concern or boredom, you embark on a journey from your residence to your sibling’s apartment in New Hampshire to see what’s going on and, hopefully, be home before the weekend. Too bad it’s never so simple. Attollo is a 17+ game that deals with heavy topics and a lot of moral questioning; from cults to corrupt government, it has no shortage of monsters in the dark—both metaphorical and literal.

Metamorphosis is a crime/horror story based in the world of crime scene cleanup, where there are three simple steps: Get the call, clean the scene, and don’t ask too many questions. These are the rules that you live by under the employment of Noctua’s Crime Scene Services, and you credit them for keeping you alive.

However, after a routine house call brings forth nightmares of memories that are not your own, you find yourself pulled deeper into Noctua—a city of both monster and man—in a bid to find out the truth behind the murder of Deirdre Callow, and better yet, how her memories came to be yours. Your job mandates that you don’t dig too deep—but could this finally be the exception?

Metamorphosis is 18+ and will have explicit content; follow the last moments of a stranger to find out not only who took her life, but how this connects to the underbelly that Noctua works so hard to hide.

Q2: Why interactive fiction? What drew you to the medium?

Lmaoo, oh man. I think it really all began last summer when I first found examples of interactive fiction. I don’t even remember how I came across it, it might’ve been that I saw it mentioned in a post or I saw it as a tag on Itch.io, but at some point, last summer I began to investigate it more. I think what really drew me in was the ability for the player to control the narrative; it was like playing an old RPG, but modernized, and the fact that I could see a story unfold that was influenced by my decisions was so fascinating to me. Not to mention that IF allows so much more character depth than regular novels, in my opinion.

I’m 99% sure my first exposure to interactive fiction was through the game Crème de la Crème (a fantastic game, by the way) and I just enjoyed it so much that I went haywire for the genre. Then Temple of the Endless Night came out (another fantastic game that I’m looking forward to!), and that was really the turning point for inspiring me to give it a go. Now, almost a year later, here I am working on my own two games!

Q3: Are your characters influenced by your identity? How?

My bisexuality doesn’t have much of a major influence on the game, but I do think it contributed to the way that I view and write relationships. I figured out my sexuality around high school (I kissed a girl in high school and found out I liked it just as much as when I kissed a boy) and since then I’ve been very involved in the LGBTQ+ community of both my hometown and uni town.

I think this involvement, like being able to hear about other people’s experiences and share my own, has made me feel a lot more comfortable writing some of the characters in the game. Although Attollo and Metamorphosis both don’t focus heavily on relationships (both have murder in them, which I feel is a bit more pressing), I do keep the option for any RO’s to be romanced by anyone, regardless of gender or preference, because that’s simply what I’ve become so attuned to. In terms of side characters relationships as well, I think my involvement and my own experiences have allowed me to write far more diverse relationships than I might have, and I think that this has also allowed a more fulfilling experience for players when reading through.

I also have incorporated some struggles that I’ve faced before because of my identity into the games. For example, I and a few others have faced issues with religion due to who we are, and I incorporate this into both games. Dreamwalker, Pariah, and Sysba from Attollo all have shadows of this experience in their character origins, and Ilali and Ariston from Metamorphosis has a major point involving identity and beliefs. Both games also have undertows of ostracization and division between groups, which is also something I’ve experienced in the past. Being able to grapple these moments and control them via a narrative has been eye opening for both myself and others involved, and I’m hoping it can be a learning experience for the readers as well.

Q4: What would you like to see more of in LGBT+ fiction?

I think, now, the amount of progress in LGBTQ+ fiction is expanding at a wonderful rate. There are so many interactive fictions with options to select sexuality, select gender, select beliefs, etc. However, despite this expansion, there’s still a good deal of backlash against some aspects of LGBTQ+ fiction.

For example, as a bisexual woman who has dated men, I know there are some individuals who may not consider me a part of the LGBTQ+ because of this aspect. Not only is this incredibly disheartening, but it’s a viewpoint that I think should be educated against, and fiction is a fantastic pathway to do this. Another example I can think of is a friend of mine who identifies as asexual but is sex-neutral rather than sex-repulsed. Most people can’t believe her when she says this, and she often faces backlash for this declaration as well. This is another thing that I think that, with exposure through a medium such as fiction, can be worked on.

What I’m trying to say here is that I think LGBTQ+ fiction can be a brilliantly educational platform—if used right. Although it already teaches so much with what it has, I think having that representation of different subgroups of sexuality, of their experiences and beliefs, so people can become aware and knowledgeable of these options, is something I’d like to see more of.

Q5: What or who are some of your biggest inspirations?

Oh man, I struggled to list off inspirations because I know I have some, but as soon as someone asks me who they are my brain just goes ‘brrrrrr’ LMAO.

In terms of the games that I write and the worlds that I build, I think David Lynch and Robert Chambers are probably the two that I somehow incorporate. Attollo and Metamorphosis both have a lot of surrealist horror, which are what these two really specialized in. Shirley Jackson is also another person who inspired me a lot when it came to the writing and creation of Attollo, especially the intrapersonal relationships between the characters.

In terms of life, this is something else I really struggle to answer. I don’t really have celebrity inspirations or anything like that, but I do get inspired by my close friends and sister a lot. Seeing them go through the struggles that they face and absolutely thrive really drives me to push through my own struggles. They’re the strongest, most brilliant group of people that I know, and I consider myself incredibly fortunate that I can be a part of their lives. Not only that, but we also all collectively encourage each other to push further and to chase our dreams (as cheesy as that is LMAO) and that’s something that I think is another stroke of good fortune. I struck gold when I met them, and they’re some of the biggest inspirations in my life.

Q6: What’s a super vague spoiler for your current project?

For Attollo, I’d say ‘Home is where the heart is.’ For Metamorphosis, to quote John Berendt, ‘Always stick around for one more drink.’

Q7: Lastly, what advice would you give to your readers?

What advice would I give to you all? Oh my, I’m not exactly a wise woman here, but I’ll do my best to give you something lmaooo. I think what I really want you to walk away with, from both my stories and this interview, is that if you’re passionate about something, then share it with the world. Don’t let anyone deter your passion.

I remember listening to this painter once who commented to his friend how he ‘really liked painting’, and his friend’s first response was ‘but are you good at it?’. He then compared this to the scenario of walking; would you say, ‘but are you good at it?’ to someone who said, ‘I really like walking’? No, because it simply wouldn’t make sense, and it doesn’t make sense to say that to anyone who’s doing something out of passion.

To put it simply—if you love something, then don’t let anyone take that passion from you. I began writing these stories because I’m passionate about Attollo and Metamorphosis; I love each character, each bit of lore, and I share it with you because I want you all to enjoy it as well. Am I the best writer? God, no. Does everyone like what I write? Definitely not. But will I let this stop me from writing, from enjoying what I’m doing? Never, and I want you to do the same.

Explore your passions, embrace your passions, and let what makes you happy continue to do so

[demigoddessnation]

(excessive) Teresa slander

and everything wrong with it

— an essay by me

1. People lose sight of the real villain in the story. We were really given this power-hungry, violently elitistic organization put in charge of a decaying world and decided to pin the entire blame on a teenage girl. Teresa was a pawn in a game she deliberately wasn't provided full understanding of. A rather biased pawn at that. The actual evil behind all this were the people who had the power of life and death in their hands - those who could exploit a potential cure to their personal gain and advantage. While those people would've been driven by selfishness and lusting after population control, she was motivated by her own moral compass, which was unfortunately very much manipulated from the very beginning.

2. She was (to her death) a kid. She's a fictional character, yes. But slandering a teenager for not being lawfully good is like pushing penguins off a cliff and frowning when they don't avoid the fall by flying. Like any young person, she had a cause she wholeheartedly believed in and supported. She allowed herself and her friends to get hurt in the name of this cause which she believed transcended the pain of the individual and worked for the greater good. It's not easy to agree to this when all you know of the world is pain, loss and death, and though her decisions didn't work out, they were made with the sternness of someone who's lived through too much for their age.

3. There's a suspicious hint of ✨misogyny✨ to it. Interesting, really, how all the hate goes to Teresa whereas she didn't exactly execute all the betrayals and scheming by herself. Aris also had a significant part in all that, but people seem to dismiss his role in that case. Maybe it's the movies that watered it down, but he was in the epicenter of events just like her. Also, if you dig further, you'd see that the rest of the guys are all constantly having their trauma discussed in depth (specifically the Ivy Trio and Gally) while Teresa's past is hardly ever acknowledged. Trauma can't and mustn't be compared between characters and to say that every single one of them was severely (unfairly) traumatized is an understatement, but ignoring traumatic experience for the sake of villainizing someone is profoundly wrong. If you're going to be judgmental, do it fairly and correctly, without picking and choosing whatever appeals to your own personal opinion.

4. "I laughed when she died" shouldn't be a thing. Again, she's a fictional character, yes. But on a mental level our brains can't functionally distinguish between fictional characters and real people (that's why falling for a fictional character can feel as intense as falling for someone in real world). There's still something inherently wrong with laughing at someone's death, just saying.

5. Even if there is intense hate for Teresa, it shouldn't be directed to Kaya Scodelario. There's this fine but important line to draw between a character and the actor who plays them. The case with Kaya and Teresa is one of the most problematic parts of this fandom because the actress can't possibly be held responsible for something her character has done!! This is a role and it in no way means Kaya condones what Teresa's said or done. People get paid to act in movies, not to magically merge with the person they're scripted to play. Also, Kaya is a very kind and educated person. She's not from the Maze Runner or Skins, she's an actual person with actual feelings. Everyone needs to respect this and treat it accordingly.

6. Teresa has been demonized and manipulated for so so long. Even if you don't understand her point of view and motives, it's still heartbreaking to see how badly and harshly life had treated her since she was a child. The very first time she was found as the only survivor in a village of dead bodies, she was thought of as a ghost, an evil omen. She has always been "the only one" - the only one immune, forced to watch her family die; the only girl amid a group of guys with a variety of underlying trauma and issues; the trigger for change. It doesn't help that she used to be separated from the others with Thomas and labeled an elite subject. She was meant to be an outcast and the fact that she never really got to bond with them contributed to her being clay in the hands of WCKD. Even if she was fed a lot of information about the world, the cure and the vileness of the WCKD trials, she would still choose to side with the organization because the promise of finding a remedy prevailed in her mind, as opposed to the mindset of Thomas whose righteousness did get him in some difficult situations but kept him from becoming a radical idealist (which made him more aware of how impractical and painful the process of finding a cure actually was).

7. The story wouldn't have worked without her. Maze Runner is a great analogy for elitism, class division and government problematicness but its most impactful message comes from how the readers get to see the victims of the global catastrophe that is the Flare. We get insight into the Cranks, the violent work of WCKD and the mass panic that quickly spreads worldwide but what truly works out the resonance here is the fact that we see that the group of main characters isn't entirely impenetrable in their righteousness and incorruptibility. We have a bunch of broken people who set off on a journey to find life outside of running and fighting for survival. However, without the chaos factor that's Teresa, the battle against WCKD seems linear which can't possibly be true since the line between good and evil is basically obliterated at this point of global deterioration. She's the turning point where you realize that there are no winners in the war, nor are there good or bad guys, only victims and opportunists.

In conclusion, I hope to see a day when the psyche of characters is better explained and understood instead of bashed the way it is now. There's some really great character building going on in TMR and it's a matter of time we progressed past the need to point fingers left and right when we could take in the bigger picture of the story. The way we react to characters like Teresa actually says a lot about how we would react to her behavior in real life, and sometimes that could be limiting us from figuring out that at the end of the day people like this exist and will continue to exist under the influence of grand promises, corrupt authority and crisis.

[usergreenpixel]

JACOBIN FICTION CONVENTION MEETING 4: IN THE REIGN OF TERROR: THE ADVENTURES OF A WESTMINSTER BOY(1888)

1. The Introduction

Well hello there again, dearest readers! I’m back at it again and this time I brought you something more obscure.

Honestly, I would’ve never found out about this book had I not seen the category for books set in the French Revolution era on Wikipedia after a deliberate google search.

“In the Reign of Terror” is an adventure novel aimed at young boys that was published in 1888 by one G. A. Henty, an English novelist who has other adventure novels to his name too, but today we’ll only take a look at this one.

It’s available on Project Gutenberg in the ebook format and is in public domain so it’s free to download, which is how I obtained the book.

2. The Summary

The book takes place in the French Revolution era, specifically from 1790 to about 1792. It tells the story of Harry Sandwith, a boy whose physician father sends him from London to Burgundy to live with Marquis de St. Caux and his family.

As the brother of the Marquis had been cured by Harry’s father during his stay in London, the entire arrangement was his idea. The Marquis himself also believes that by having an English companion, his sons can learn a lot about English customs while Harry learns the language and the traditions of France.

But as the Revolution is drawing nearer than ever, clouds gather above the heads of Harry’s host family and Harry himself...

This is the basic premise of the story, but how did the finished product turn out? Let’s find that out for ourselves, Citizens!

3. The Story

Now, at first the story itself seems a bit implausible on the level of the premise. The Marquis believes that his sons should learn a thing or two about masculinity and sports from Harry, as English boys are supposedly more manly than their “feminine” French peers.

I find it hard to believe that a French nobleman would think this way but I was still willing to suspend my disbelief somewhat because Anglophiles do exist and despite the rivalry between France and the UK, the two countries did borrow bits and pieces of culture from each other.

Here’s the part that gave me pause and kind of ruined the experience for me. The entire book reeks of a sense of English superiority. Harry, the main character, is English and is portrayed as the bravest, strongest and most masculine member of the cast, while his French companions, Ernest and Jules, the sons of the Marquis, are basically treated like feminine “sissies”.

(Spoiler alert!)

For example, in the beginning of Harry’s adventures, the daughters of the Marquis are attacked by a rabid dog and who saves them? Harry, of course. This is one of the instances where the author demonstrates how strong English boys are and this is the moment after which Harry is finally seen as an equal by the noble siblings.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for patriotism and taking pride in your country. I’m Russian and proud of it. However, too much pride and you get this obnoxious sense of superiority. If you need a prime example of how that usually plays out, look at the Axis during WW2.

What Henty chooses to portray is specifically a sense of superiority. Characters like Harry’s father take pride in the fact that England has less strict class divisions, that apparently English commoners have already obtained more liberties while the French peasants are merely a mob of bloodthirsty savages, etc.

Don’t know about you, Citizens, but I really don’t like such narratives shoved in my face and considering how often this nationalism shows up, I had a lot of trouble getting through the story.

I’m all for healthy patriotism that acknowledges the good and the bad in one’s country but this is just too much nationalism for me and I believe that the book would’ve been more enjoyable without this narrative showing up every couple of pages or so like jumpscares in a bad horror movie.

4. The Characters

I know this was the 19th century so the audiences were probably not pampered with complex stories and characters as much yet, but honestly I didn’t find Harry a truly likable and relatable protagonist.

(Spoiler alert!)

He starts out as a pretty average school student but while in France he proves to be heroic - killing a rabid dog, slaying a man eating wolf (not completely by himself) and generally always proving himself to be the manly hero that Ernest and Jules can never be. Basically it was easy to predict that he will emerge from any trouble victorious so I didn’t have many reasons to be worried about him.

The sons and the daughters of the Marquis all end up liking him. Too much may I add.

In short, I personally got a bit of Harry Stu vibe. 😉

He does have one glaring flaw that unfortunately doesn’t do him any favors in my eyes. The English superiority complex that the author expresses in the story shines in Harry brighter than the Sun. He doesn’t express much empathy either.

(Spoiler alert!)

When Harry saves a man from getting attacked by an assassin and sees that the man is scared out of his mind, the first thing Harry feels towards him is disdain for apparently being a “pussy”. Um, hello, Harry?! How would you react if you got attacked out of the blue! Not everyone is as “strong and manly” as you are!

Then Harry also regrets saving the man when it turns out to be Robespierre. Our protagonist, dear Citizens!

Speaking of Robespierre, here (and this goes for most French characters) he is portrayed as a weak feeble “sissy”, thirsty for blood but neat and frugal in outfit and lifestyle, someone who won’t hesitate to have half of France slaughtered. Of course. 🙄

The female characters are bland helpless ingénues. Also typical of the literature of the time period.

By the way, Robespierre is the only revolutionary who is actually featured in the story. Marat and Danton are mentioned but it’s all negative in their department too, especially when it comes to Marat.

The Parisian crowd is little more than a bloodthirsty mob of savage uneducated peasants ready to slaughter all nobles just because they’re well, nobles.

Honestly, nothing new here.

5. The Setting

Honestly, I feel like there weren’t that many descriptions and those that were present simply weren’t vivid enough to immerse myself into the story. Too many descriptions are bad too, of course, but here the opposite happens - too little descriptions so sometimes the surroundings feel like vacuum and there’s not enough world building to imagine yourself in that era, beside the characters.

It’s all just bland caricatured setting one would expect from an amateur puppet show at daycare.

Remember, dear Citizens. Even if you write about your own era and country, world building is extremely important so please don’t underestimate the power of good and vivid descriptions, just use them in moderation.

Anyway, onto the final point.

6. The Conclusion

Despite all the drawbacks, I didn’t quite hate the book. I simply think it could’ve been written a lot better, without shoving the supposed superiority of England in our faces, without bland characters, without the unlikeable protagonist, without cardboard settings and definitely without machismo and layers upon layers of Thermidorian propaganda.

I wouldn’t recommend this story unless you really want to kill time and have nothing else to do.

With that in mind, allow me to conclude the fourth meeting of our Convention. Stay tuned for the announcement of the topic of the next meeting and have a good day, Citizens.

Love,

- Citizen Green Pixel

[girlmeetsliv3]

Lilies of the Valley XII

A/B/O!BTS x Reader

Flowers can have different meanings depending on the flower shape, color, and method in which they are presented. Lilies are my favorite for such a simple flower can have so many distinct meanings.

“The scent of lily of the valley is considered by some to be the most attractive out of any wild flower.”

Release Date: 06/26/20 @  7 pm

previously

Trigger Warning: Some of the contents may not be suitable for all audiences. These include dubious consent, gas lighting, victim blaming/shaming, toxic relationship, and various forms of abuse as well as rationalization of said abuse.  This is a work of fiction and doesn’t represent the character of bangtan sonyeondan. Enjoy ~~~

           YN hadn’t even realized she had fallen asleep, likely exhausted by the day’s events. What she did know is that the pain in her neck was killing her and that her bite mark felt like it was throbbing. When she shifts slightly her hand hits the door and all the memories came rushing back to her, in a weakened state she reached up, trying the doorknob again. Still locked. Her eyes stung and her vision was incredibly blurry from still being mostly asleep. Though from glancing at the clock, it seemed to be around three in the morning. YN yawned, crawling towards her bed in desperate need of actual rest. The second her head hit the pillow, she fell back asleep that’s when the nightmares began.

           YN had a cotton blue blanket thrown over her shoulders, it had been given to her by the officer in charge the second she stepped foot inside the police station. Her right foot moved rapidly up and down, YN could hear her mother's voice echoing in her head. Telling her to stop shaking her foot, but she couldn't help it. YN didn't entirely understand what had happened, she knew the events leading up but most things were a blur. The only certain thing was the large bite on the right side of her body; where her shoulder met her neck. The person in front of her - the officer - looked like the stereotype: big, buff, likely an alpha though YN's nose was plugged. The stare he gave her was intimidating and YN felt like she was being interrogated for a crime rather than reporting one.

"We're going to have to go over what happened. Can you tell me where you went after the gym?" His voice was stained with a roughness that did not match his age. The officer's voice was almost as hard as his eyes. YN's eyes trailed to the pin on the left side right above his plaque. Officer Yang hadn't even bothered to introduce himself. "I was uncomfortable." Everyone knew. “I felt uncomfortable, so I went to change in the bathroom. Alone.” Yang wrote something down in the file, before glancing back up at her. His eyes disarmed her like he was trying to see through her. “That’s when your heat started and you met,” he looked down at the file again, “Jungkook?” YN nodded.

           “I just saw him and ran to him.” I felt a pull. There were somethings she couldn’t say, things that seemed crazy to her to even think. YN blamed it all on the heat, she wasn’t normally like this. “What did Jungkook say when he saw you in that state?” There was something in Yang’s eyes that alarmed YN, but she thought back to what exactly the young alpha had said. “YN. Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?” YN parted her lips to speak when Yang pointed the pen in his hand accusingly.

           “Did you know him before this?”

           “No, but…” I trusted him. YN clears her throat, "I knew of him." YN doesn't visibly shrink at the way she's being stared at. She knows it won't do her any favors, but it does make her look anywhere else rather than at the officer in front of her.  

           “I see.” Then, he looks back down at his file. “Please continue, Ms. YLN. What happened afterward?” The officer’s hand waved in a circular motion.

           “He offered to take me home, but I didn’t want to so we went to his place.”

Officer Yang slams shut the file folder but place his pen down carefully. The two actions entirely contradictory and it causes fear to spike in YN's body.

           “Are you aware that Jungkook has other mates?”

           YN nods, “Yes, but it wasn’t like that.” It wasn’t a betrayal. Jungkook didn’t appear to have a mating bond, even if he did. YN distinctly remembers him encouraging & reciprocating, something that doesn’t make much sense as he should be physically incapable.

           “But you were aware that Jungkook had just recently presented as an alpha? That his rut was right around the corner?”

           YN began to put the pieces together. The narrative the officer was trying to form and she wasn’t allowing it. Couldn’t allow it. “I didn’t. Not until later.” When we kissed. YN fisted the material of her jeans, she could feel her heart beginning to race and she urged it to relax.

           “What about the bite, how did that happen?”

As if sentient, the bite throbbed. There were still dried specks of blood surrounding it even though the team had tried to carefully disinfect it. They even gave her a pack filled with antibiotics and first aid essentials. "I felt extreme pain and then I woke up. I don't even really remember falling asleep." Though YN is aware that she went missing for three days, they're mostly a blur. YN can only remember key moments: those when her heat was the worst.  

           “So what you’re saying then is that you didn’t see who did it. Weren’t his mates in the house? Couldn’t it have been any of them?” Yang’s tone was bordering on frustration, aggression even, as if it were him and not her who had just been in a traumatic situation. YN doesn’t have her phone on her, it’s in her mother’s purse outside. She wishes she could show the texts, the calls, the voicemails: all of them from Jungkook. Him pleading at her to forgive him, to come back, to let him explain. It sounded more like desperate wails than a remorseful cry. “No, but -”

           “Not to mention it was consensual.”

           “I-i don’t understand.”

           Officer Yang looks around the room as if making sure no one was listening, then he leans in. The way one might when telling a secret, when sharing important information. YN shifts and feels the blanket sliding off her shoulder, her hands fly to it to adjust it. Her grip was strong and frightened. “Look this doesn't look too well. Yeah, you could take it to court but they aren't very favorable to people of your condition.” My condition? “Not to mention the fact that it would go on your record. Plus, alpha bites don't heal everyone knows that especially not on an omega.” YN felt the fight leave her body even her posture was as rigid as could be. “It’s not worth it, kid. Not worth tarnishing your reputation.”

           Not even a second passed before the door was open, an angry woman storming in. “What the fuck are you doing? You aren’t part of the special victims unit.” The woman looked furious, she was much taller than officer Yang and didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the harsh glare directed at her. “I was following protocol. Christian asked me to step in.” Just like that, Yang stood up and left. Not bothering to spare YN a glance on his way out. Too riled up, the female officer had yet to notice YN’s appearance. The paleness of her skin, the stillness of her form, the lack of will to live in her eyes.

           "Hello, I'm Officer Kim. I'm with the special victim's division." Officer Kim waited to see if YN responded, instead of speaking YN only nodded curtly. Kim glared at the door, cursing Yang out in her head, "I'm sorry about him. He can be an ass sometimes." YN however remains unresponsive as tears begin to stream down her face. "Hey, are you alright?" YN nods again though almost unperceptively this time.

“I’m very sorry for what’s occurred to you, YN. But I want you to know it isn’t your fault and that we are here to help.” Officer Kim sent a comforting smile, trying to ease YN’s nerves. YN remained silent, her grip on the blue blanket thrown around her shoulders was so strong her fingers were white. The officer sighed, tilting her head slightly to send a look to the people behind the screen. When she looked back at YN, all she saw was the teenager’s glassy widened eyes. It had been an accident, a terrible one, but teenagers tended to be reckless. If the gruesome bite on YN’s neck was anything to show for it.  

“Do you want to press charges?”

YN shook her head, caving in on herself even more. Jungkook's sorry wails still echoed in her head. It didn't matter, what's done is done. YN looked up to meet the officer Kim's warm golden eyes. Her lips parted and she could see the anticipation building up in the cop's face only for there to be a disappointment once YN spoke.

“I just want to go home.”

 YN felt warmth radiating from her sides, as well as the rhythmic thudding of a heart near her ear. YN couldn’t exactly tell who was next to her, their scent muted, though it was probably done purposefully. When YN’s eyes finally peeled open they met Seokjin’s dark ones. His arms were wrapped around her torso, whilst Taehyung’s legs were coiled around hers. It feels like a contest between her and the alpha seeing who will break first, YN almost expects it to be her until he finally speaks.

“How did you sleep last night?”

YN wasn't expecting that. Wasn't expecting them to pretend as if nothing happened. Or did they see nothing wrong with locking her inside the room? YN struggled to believe that, they wouldn't have been in her bed if it wasn't check up on her - to make sure she stayed there. What about the police sirens? Had Rosé contacted them after YN’s text? Truth be told YN couldn’t remember where her phone was, but it must be in the room.

“I slept well. What about you?”

Seokjin didn’t bother replying, it didn’t seem like he cared to. All he did was smile at her, a polite one that didn’t reach his eyes. From beside her, Taehyung groaned then his eyes opened staring at YN intensely. The two men simply observed YN and the longer it went on for the more unnerved she felt. Like they were waiting for something to happen. Once again, the second YN was about to speak they threw her for a whiplash.

“We’re having you move into the main house. There’s been a lot of robberies around the area recently and we don’t think it’s safe for you to be so far away.” Taehyung’s voice didn’t sound rough or sleepy at all, his appearance wasn’t disheveled either. Neither was Seokjin’s. YN wondered if they had been pretending to sleep just to lull her into a false sense of security. They were probably waiting for me to wake up. YN was exhausted from having to put up a front around the men, but if that’s what it took to get them off her back then so be it.

YN forced a small smile on her face, “What room?”

“Our room,” Seokjin replied, not missing a beat.

Taehyung didn’t even give YN time to process anything for he stood up and pulled her along with him. “You have a guest waiting.”

When YN sees Rosé she almost cries tears of joy but holds them back as she can feel eyes on her figure. Rosé as well shoots YN a look but rushes towards her nonetheless, embracing YN in a tight hug. "I missed you so much. It's been forever since we spoke." YN knows at that moment that her best friend feels it too. Feels the eyes and ear likely plastered on the walls, YN wouldn't be surprised to find out there are hidden cameras around the house. "I'm sorry Rosé, I've just been busy." Rosé lets go of YN but does lace their hands together. YN squeezes Rosé's fingers three times. "That's not an excuse not to talk to me. You know I can't go more than one second without you or I die." YN couldn't help but giggle at how overdramatic Rosé was being for her sake. For the first time in a long time, YN felt safe again then it was taken from her again.

“I didn’t know you were coming today, Rosé.” Jimin’s head popped around the corner, the charming smile plastered on his face sure to make anyone swoon. Jimin walked towards them, stopping next to YN and wrapping his arm around her waist. It was a power move. Then, he kissed the corner of her lip YN was unable to do anything about it. Rosé, not missing a beat, responds casually. “Sorry I just missed YN a lot and I was around the area.”

“Ah, Lucas lives around here doesn’t he?”

Rosé looked a bit shocked but nodded. “Yeah. Do you know him?” She cast YN a glance, but YN was just as confused as her.

"Yeah, he went to our school." Jimin then turned to YN, "Don't you remember Wong Lucas? He was close to Kookie." YN read between the lines, but it seems Rosé didn't. "Oh, that's great." YN turned back to face her friend who was conversing with Jimin about her new boyfriend. YN felt a pit grow in her stomach. Their threats were no longer subtle, Jimin had all but implied that Lucas in their field. Lucas: the man who caused Rosé's eyes to shine and cheeks to dust just by speaking about him. Now that YN was in far too deep was when she realized how meticulously they must have planned. Her supposed mates weren't just bad, they were machiavellian levels of evil.

“Alright, then it’s set.” Jimin clapped his hands, drawing YN’s attention out of her thoughts.

“What?”

Jimin smile was sadistic, "Rosé and Lucas are going to join us for dinner tonight. Won't that be fun? A double date of sorts." Seeing Rosé nod enthusiastically YN finds that no one can help but to fall prey to Jimin's charms.

In her search for Namjoon, YN stumbled upon Yoongi and Hoseok arguing in the office. At least that is what she assumed until she got closer. “What is the right way then?!” Hoseok was screaming into a phone as Yoongi was sitting on his lap trying to calm him down, massaging his neck. Whoever it was they were speaking to on the other line must’ve said something to make them mad, for YN only saw the alpha this riled up when he felt that his pack was threatened. Yoongi sighed, leaning in closer to the phone and listening to what the other person had to say. There was a visible pout on his face and Hoseok tried to kiss it away. They both listened intently to the other person before Yoongi dejectedly muttered, “Nothing we do will ever be enough.”

YN was beginning to wonder if bad luck would always follow her, she had been actively avoiding the lead alpha since yesterday. Not wanting to be alone with any of them, except maybe Jungkook, until she figured everything out. Until YN could understand why Namjoon had bitten her and why Jungkook had taken the blame. It seems ironic that when she would confront Namjoon, the two of them would be together. YN had planned on slamming the door open, but it was already slightly open. Though truly it was the moans that stopped her. High, whiny moans that exited Jungkook’s mouth as Namjoon pounded into him. There wasn’t much that YN could see considering the sheets that covered them and how Namjoon’s large frame obscured them.

She should have walked away. Should have moved and pretended not to see anything, but YN was frozen in place. Right on Jungkook’s neck was a fresh bite mark, the wound still bleeding slightly. It matched the one on Namjoon’s bicep though that one hadn’t broken skin. That wasn’t what caught YN’s attention though - at least not for long. It was the tattoo on Jungkook’s left breast: two lilies, one tilted towards the right with the bottom one facing forward. It was her tattoo. The one on her shoulder. Jungkook had the same tattoo as her.

YN turned to run away, but she crashed into a solid figure. Shakingly her eyes traveled upwards and met with Seokjin. Please don’t. YN struggled against him, but Seokjin didn’t release her. His left hand gripped her wrist tightly and with his right, he slammed the door open causing the pair of lovers to stop what they were doing. “Stop. Let go of me.” Seokjin didn’t listen, pushing YN inside before stepping in and closing the door behind him. Jungkook was covering himself with the bedsheets and Namjoon had pulled on pants amidst her struggle with the alpha. Now that Namjoon was facing her YN saw the same tattoo on him and she wondered if all of them had it. If it had been some sick bonding thing.

Finally, she breaks. “You’re all sick! Sick in the head! You planned all of this, you planned it all.” Seokjin’s grip doesn’t break and YN fails to notice her yelling has drawn the attention of the other members. “You took advantage of me. You stalked me and studied all to complete some stupid fucking bond that probably doesn’t exist.” YN swore she heard the betas whimper, but she didn’t give a damn. Namjoon’s face remains stoic though based on how tight his jaw has locked the words must hurt him. Good.

“Who told you that?”

The bastard wasn’t even trying to deny it. That only infuriated YN more, “Yoongi told me, said you saw me in the field at school. In the lily field.” All of them stiffen. Namjoon sighs, running his hand through his hair tugging at it. He signals for Seokjin to let go of her and YN doesn’t realize just how much he’d been supporting until YN falls to the ground. “Please leave.” At his words, the betas along with Jungkook exit the room none of them daring to disobey. The door closes behind them with a click and YN’s senses feel on edge being surrounded by only alphas. Seokjin moves to take a seat on the bed and Hoseok stands behind YN, blocking the door.

Namjoon crouches in front of her, his eyes blank and empty. “You have two options: you can stay locked in this house, in this room, until you grow to love us. Or you could stop pretending and complete the bond.”

YN is shocked, “Pretending?”

“Lily, I knew from the second I saw you that we were meant to be. That you were the one we’ve been missing, the only reason you don’t feel it is because you’re an omega.”

“If you knew the second you saw me, why didn’t you approach me?! Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“Because we had been told time and time again that you wouldn’t feel the bond because you were an omega,” Namjoon yelled, his hands shaking as he tried to make YN understand. She couldn’t. She didn’t want to. “That your sub-gender was incapable of reciprocating it as a means of survival. That you would never love us the way we loved you, not unless it was forced.”

"Oh for fuck's sake Namjoon, I had a crush on you for an entire year. The only reason I never acted on it was that I knew you had mates." Suddenly everything Namjoon had said came forth, "What do you mean my sub-gender I hadn't presented yet." Then, with widened eyes and newfound horror: "You knew?"

Namjoon didn’t bother replying, YN could decipher everything just from the way his expression shifted from anger to pity. YN felt the room begin to get smaller, closing in on her, it became increasingly difficult to breathe. Namjoon tried to hold her, but she pushed him away fearing he would make it worse. YN panicked, she wasn’t breathing. Couldn’t breathe. As her mates crowded around her trying to calm her down, YN wished for it all to end.

When she came to it was in a different room: Jungkook’s. The main himself stood over her, observing her with waves of apathy coming off him. His gaze trailed slowly across her body taking in every tiny detail, but it focused on her neck. YN’s hand latched onto her bite mark and was relieved to find an old scar instead of a fresh wound.

"You bit me," Jungkook stated, fixing YN with a pointed stare. "Technically it was more of a nibble, barely even nicked me, but for a newly presented alpha amid his rut - it was more than enough." YN didn't understand what Jungkook was saying, but he placed his finger on her lips before she could get a word out. "I went into a frenzy. I wanted to bite you. To mate with you even though a part of me knew I shouldn't. I couldn't control myself." He took a seat next to YN's head. "It took all six of them to restrain me and even once I was out of the room they weren't sure I would be able to control myself. Not to mention someone had to stay with you because heats, especially the first one, can be a dangerous thing."

"No one wanted to volunteer though, none of them felt they could control themselves either. It wasn't for lack of will or want. It was instinct. So, it fell on Namjoon's shoulders." Jungkook shrugs, "After the fact, Namjoon states he doesn't remember what happened. We wanted to apologize, to explain, but when we went to check up on you again...you were gone." Jungkook refuses to look at YN, but she can tell by the way his eyes shine that he's holding back tears. "I won't even attempt to explain what that felt like. We had mated, become one, and you ran away. What hurt most wasn't that the rejection, but that you weren't even aware of what you were doing."

A singular tear falls and YN can no longer tell if Jungkook is attempting to manipulate her or being genuine. “I took the blame because it was my fault. I should have controlled myself better. Had I, none of this would’ve happened. We could’ve been together and my mates wouldn’t be suffering.”

YN couldn’t stand it anymore. “Jungkook?” The young alpha’s eyes were full of love, adoration, and unhealthy infatuation. “I wish I never met you. Any of you.”

Just like that, it was gone, YN could begin to understand why Jungkook was one of them. They were all so similar, the way they could flip a switch and become different people. Jungkook laughed, hysterically so, it lasted several minutes but once his laughter died down was when YN truly feared for her life.

“I'm sorry YN, but I'll bite you myself if that's what it takes. Dr. Kang says that one the partial bond is completed that you'll feel the bond. That you'll be with us.”

“And if I don’t?”

“The doctor you went to see called the cops & stated that she was worried about the nature of our relationship. That's why they were here yesterday night. We might've mentioned that there is a beta couple that is allowing an unmated omega to live with them illegally.” Rosé!

Jungkook snickered, “Don't worry she's staying with Lucas. Also before you go thinking about making any rash decisions a partial bond can't be broken. Theoretically, it is something that can only occur between mates. Don’t try to break it you might die.” Then he clapped his hands together as if having realized something. “Not to mention what it would mean for your family if you ran away. Shuhua's family is an incredibly old school & I'd doubt they'd want to associate w/ people like that. Might just cancel the whole wedding.”

“You bastards. You planned all of this didn't you?!”

"No. Most of the time we just got really lucky. You can't outwit fate, lily."

YN felt pathetic, she’d fallen so easily into their trap and there was no way out. YN needed a way out. Desperately, she did the only thing she could think of. “Let’s just start over Jungkook. We can leave the past behind and get to know each other from scratch. I’ll forget about everything and try. Please Jungkook.”

He shook his head, “We’ve waited too long to start all over.” That was all it took. The final words needed to crush YN’s hope. She felt her heart whither and her bite throb.

Jungkook had left YN alone after that, leaving her to waste away as she stared into the ceiling. Wondering who she had wronged in her past life to be deserving of so much pain. In those dark moments, YN realized there was something far more terrifying than be surrounded by delusional men - the fact that she had surrendered. There was no way for her to escape. Even if she managed to leave the house the authorities would send her right back or place her into the boarding house to be sold off. There was no winning. YN couldn't win.

A knock on the door drew her back down to the earth she so desperately wanted an escape from. Taehyung peered inside and YN was thankful it wasn’t Jungkook again. “You have to get ready. Going on a date remember?” When YN doesn’t reply, Taehyung walks over his steps light. YN thinks he’s going to be upset until the beta scoops her off the bed, cradling her in his arms. “Oh, lily. I know it’s scary, but I promise you. It isn’t. You’ll feel it. Feel happiness.” Taehyung tenderly kisses her forehead and carries her to the bathroom. By the time YN comes out, he has left and a white silk dress is laid on the bed.

           Namjoon is the only one dressed and that worries her. The rest of them are in the living room preparing to wave them off. “We figured it be best not to cause such an uproar,” Namjoon explains, YN knows that isn’t true as they’ve never cared about that before but agrees nonetheless.

           “Have fun!”

"Who wants dessert?" Lucas asks and Rosé agrees enthusiastically, YN on the other hand can barely manage to finish her food. Rosé meets her gaze and YN can see some regret in them, but its quickly replaced by annoyance. YN darts her eyes back to her plate of food and Namjoon squeezes her hand gently.  

           “Why can’t you see how lucky you are? You don’t have to worry about anything. You have people who love you and protect you, whilst all you can do is complain. I get that you don’t reciprocate their feelings, but isn’t feeling safe so much more important?! You have a roof over your head. You went to a good school and will probably pop out beta and alpha pups.”

           YN grabs her glass of water and chugs it down, trying to swallow back the sob threatening to escape.

“Yet all you can do is throw yourself a pity party because you’re an omega. Grow up and stop looking down on yourself.”

Rosé hadn’t approached it the right way, hadn’t meant to be so cruel. Or maybe she had. Still, she was right and YN knew it. From Rosé’s point of view, YN had been given everything an omega could ever want. Everything anyone could ever need and she was throwing it away for trivial matters. There were others out there having it a lot worse - Rosé included. If it didn’t work out with Lucas then she would be forced to go with her brother. The only reason it wouldn’t work out with Lucas would be because of YN. She couldn’t do that to her friend. It was time, she stopped.

YN squeezed Namjoon’s hand signaling to him that she wanted to leave. “I’m sorry, but I think its time for us to go.” The lead alpha smiled, dimples on full display. “It was a pleasure meeting you though, we should do this again.” Lucas nodded, “Of course. We had fun.” YN nodded forcing a smile on for pleasantries. Rosé didn’t bother to look at YN and she was beyond thankful for that, not thinking she would be able to hold back her tears if she did.

 The streets were practically empty, so the ride wouldn’t take as long. Still, YN counted every second working up the courage to accept her fate. In the middle seat of the row, lay their hands intertwined, and much like how their bond worked, YN felt it was meant to be a display of control rather than something comforting. There was no point in fighting it anymore, there was no winning against fate.

“Bite me.”

Namjoon whirled his head, seemingly caught off guard by what YN had asked. The space between his brows wrinkled by a frown. Before Namjoon could speak, before YN could talk herself out it, she kissed him. YN moved to straddle him and their kisses grew more intense as time passed. One kiss is patient, selfless, hopeful, and kind. One kiss was jealous, selfish, helpless, & blind. And they would continue that way until YN leaned to the side peppering kisses on Namjoon's neck - baring hers.

“Please.”

It was a broken whisper, YN wasn’t even sure what she was asking for anymore but Namjoon did. The alpha kissed her neck three times before opening his mouth and biting down on her neck. YN felt little trials of warm blood escape as Namjoon licked at the wound. The pain was intense. It felt like fire was traveling through her veins, crawling its way towards her heart attempting to reach it. YN held off for as long as could before, finally clamping down on Namjoon’s scent gland and biting harshly. Suddenly the pain was gone and YN felt a euphoric bliss that couldn’t be explained. YN didn’t know if it was the bond or if she had finally lost her mind.

With blood-stained lips and frenzied looks in their eyes, Namjoon and YN kiss once more. Seiling their fate and completing the bond.

                                                   THE END

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