#Will not be exploring that tag ever again

[honeyhotteoks]

across stardust - six (j.yh); section two

summary: you and yunho have worked together for years, idol and makeup artist, but until today you’ve never touched him skin to skin. when the world tilts on its head from just a brush of his cheek, you realize he’s so much more than a crush, he’s your soulmate. five | six (section 1); (section 2) | series masterlist 🔗read on ao3 ✨across stardust pinterest board

note: the end. thank you all so much for loving this story and being so kind and supportive. this fic has meant the world to me, and i hope you all are happy with the ending. there will be a short epilogue posted soon, but for now our story comes to a close.

tags/warnings: idol!yunho, makeup artist!reader, fem!reader, soulmates au, soulmate identifying marks, soulmate tattoos, tattoed!reader, anxiety/nerves, some general angst and upset emotions, allusions to a bad household growing up and cptsd, very frank coversations about idol life, pr, etc. saesangs and saesang invasions of privacy, discussions about delulu both fun and not okay delusion, but then also smut! including…. oral m!receiving, throat fucking, messy oral, cockwarming, dom!yunho, sub!reader, actual d/s dynamics even if it’s kinda not defined, subspace but reader doesn’t know that’s what it is, fingering, dirty talk, fingers in mouth, light degredation, mostly praise, heavy on the good girls / pretty girls, cowgirl, absolutely intense multiple orgasms, creampie, dw they don’t need to wrap it up they’re married and in love

pairings: yunho x reader

genre: fantasy, romance, smut || soulmates au

word count: 21.9k **note, this part was too long again for tumblr! please make sure you've read section one first! linked here!

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You spend the day in a daze, alternating between naps and needy touches, almost every second spent in the sheets. Finally, Yunho pulls you both into the shower and makes you something to eat, leaving you with nothing to do but explore the house as you stay away from your phones. 

You find a little library, a private study, a few more bedrooms with their own luxurious tubs and views of the ocean. Eventually you stumble into a wine cellar, and Yunho jokes about popping what looks to be the oldest bottle of champagne you’ve ever seen. 

You settle on a more recent, modest looking bottle of white and hope no one notices it’s missing after you’re gone. 

With the sky finally dark outside, as Yunho uncorks the bottle and finds some glasses, following you out onto the patio. 

He pours you both a glass before he settles into his own seat next to yours, but then he sighs pleasantly, “The storm really cleared up,” 

“Mhm,” You nod towards the inky sky, “look at that moon,” 

His eyes follow yours to the wafer thin crescent that cuts a bright white shape over the water, “It’s so beautiful here,” 

“You can never see the stars like this in Seoul,” You let your head fall back to take in the lights above you. 

“We’re always in cities,” He says softly, “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen stars like this.” 

“Me either,” You murmur, “I wish I knew any of the constellations,” 

He smiles, studying the sky, “I only know a few,” 

You turn to look at him, watching as he looks at the sky, trying to discern patterns from the dusky night above you. 

“There,” He stretches out a hand, pointing up, “my mother always talked about Lyra,” 

“Where?” You lean in, trying to follow his gaze. 

“The brightest one there,” He points, “and then there’s another bright one just below it,” 

It takes you a minute, but you see it, and you nod, “I got it,” 

“There’s two stars there, Vega and Altair,” He smiles softly, “Vega’s the highest one, the brighter,” 

“Your mother told you stories about the stars?” 

He drops his hand and turns towards you, a warm expression on his face, “Only this one, I’d forgotten about it until just now.” 

“What’s the story?” You ask, settling into your chair. 

“You know that old myth? The farmer and the weaver who fell in love at first sight?” He says, and you nod. It’s a famous myth, a sad one too. Two lovers separated by circumstance, cursed to meet only once a year, but still they can never manage to make it back to each other. Every rainy season is said to be their tears, falling down on the earth as they reach out for each other in the sky. 

“My mother always said that’s where soulmates come from,” He says warmly, glancing back up at the sky, “it’s God atoning for keeping the first soulmates eternally apart, and that they watch over all of us now from the sky.” 

Your heart aches, tears pricking at your eyes, “And that’s them?” You nod towards the two bright spots in the night. 

“That’s them.” He nods. 

“Well,” You soften, “I think your mother’s right, I think they’re watching over us.” 

Yunho goes quiet, nodding as he blinks back his own rush of emotions, “I like that idea,” 

“Me too,” You take his hand, running your thumb over his knuckles. 

For a moment you both just listen to the waves on the rocks and the wind in the grass, the crackling stretch of the way the night moves around you, but finally he laughs softly, humorlessly, “We should just stay here forever, who cares about being an idol when we could be living on a beach and stargazing,” 

You give him a small smile and squeeze his hand, “I know,” you murmur, “but we can’t avoid it forever,” 

He nods, “I know,”

You turn towards him, “I think we should check on things,” 

His eyes stay on the sky, but he nods, “I think you’re right.” 

You could decide to live in bliss, shut your phone off completely for the few days you’re in Jeju, but there’s no point. The longer you wait to learn the fallout, the more and more the anxiety will eat at you. No amount of orgasms or movie nights or expensive bottles of wine can distract you from that forever. 

The pit in your gut started up again a few hours ago, and you both know it’s time. 

You dip back into the bedroom, grabbing both of your phones from their place on the nightstand and then walk back out onto the patio, setting them both on the little table between you.

“Should we do this?” He asks, nodding towards them. 

You nod, taking a sip of wine for courage before setting it aside, “Let’s get it over with.” 

You both pick up your phones, but Yunho secures his hand onto the leg of your chair and tugs you across the patio floor until your chairs are flush together, and you lean against his arm. 

“Together,” He says in a nervous exhale. 

He presses the side button on his phone and the screen lights up and you watch him grimace when he sees the sheer number of notifications. 

“God,” You breathe. 

“Let’s just,” He swipes them away, hesitating on his home screen to decide what to do, “I don’t know, let’s get the worst of it out of the way.” 

Your stomach tightens as he opens Twitter. 

It’s immediate. His name is a trending topic and reluctantly he clicks on it. 

The top tweet makes his hand tighten on the phone - What are we to do if idols can betray us like this now? Do you expect us to cheer? To care about streaming when we know it’s all for a lie?

Your eyes flick from his phone to his face, but he’s stoic, not a flicker of emotion. 

He scrolls and you take in a flurry of tweets as fast as your eyes will allow. 

Jeong Yunho, I really cared about you and this is what you do? Break my heart like this? 

Was every I love you a lie?

What was he supposed to do? Ignore his soulmate? Be serious, none of you would do that if it were you. 

He’s been lying to us for months. MONTHS.

He sucks in a sharp breath, and you look up. 

“It’s alright,” You murmur, “we knew some people would take it hard.” 

He doesn’t say anything this time, he just nods towards the phone and you feel a tender pull of anxiety inside you as you look back down. 

There, plain as day in a photo gallery, is your picture. 

“Oh,” You breathe, “that was fast,” 

The sound of your soft voice breaks his concentration and he wraps an arm around you, “It’s okay, we’re okay,” 

You nod, but your eyes are still glued to the post. The pictures of you are clearly from moments where you were just any old staff member behind them. You’re working, face passive, half the time wearing a face mask, and almost every photo is grainy since there was never a photographer focused on you. It’s a strange sensation seeing yourself like this, encapsulated in a tweet and picked apart in the comments. 

You reach out a hand and tap the hashtag of Yunho’s name and yours together. 

“Oh, fuck,” Your breath dissipates in an instant, the top post here something you never expected to see. 

It’s a video, two clips side by side, both only a few seconds in length. They’re zoomed in shots from Incheon Airport, the day of your return to Seoul from the Europe tour. Perfectly clipped and positioned in frame is your fall, a loop of yourself being shoulder checked and falling forward to your knees. The second video is the same moment, but a wholly different camera, Yunho in focus, lurching forwards at the moment you drop to your knees, his eyes wide. San stepping into frame cuts off Yunho’s expression. 

It’s a thread, this moment clipped from different angles. Comments from all sides assaulting you at once. 

Ah!! Look he’s so worried!! I’d swoon if Yunho did that for me. 

K-drama in real life?? These men do exist??

This was months ago and they’re only announcing it now? Something weird is going on. 

Seems fake. 

How long has she worked at KQ?? They’ve been lying for years.

Is this her? Does anyone have other pictures? 

I’d kill for him to look at me like that.

You pull back from the phone, covering it with your hand and shaking your head, “I need a second,” 

His lips press to your hairline, “You’re okay,” he assures. 

“I know,” You manage, “I just… how do you stand it?” 

“The comments?” He rubs your back, “mostly I don’t look,” 

“I mean that was two seconds,“ You blink, “and everyone thinks they know something,” 

“They don’t,” He reminds you, “let’s be done,” 

He starts to tuck his phone back, but you shake your head and tug it back into your hands, “No, no, I want to know,” 

“y/n,” He sighs, “don’t, if it’s too much don’t. Things are always worse on the first day something gets announced anyways, we can wait to look,” 

You glance at him, reading his pained expression, but you have to keep going. 

You flip through tweets again, mostly the recycled takes you’ve already seen and reshared pictures. Your heart nearly stops when you scroll far enough to see a thread, higher quality photos of you, ones you recognize from your Instagram. Betrayal burns in your gut knowing that someone in your following list turned over photos of you the second they realized they could make a dollar off it, but that feeling snuffs out like a light as you see the comments, something more panicked coiling in your gut.

y/ln y/fn - What we know about Jeong Yunho’s secret wife. An ongoing thread, will be updated with more information as we learn it. 

Internally you try to scoff at the whole thing - but it’s hard to maintain that level of casual scorn when you actually see the information being shared. 

“Fuck,” Yunho’s hand rests on the back of your neck, “this needs to be reported,” 

Your age, your job title, how long you’ve worked at KQ. The name of your high school, the fact that you have one sister, the brief tidbit that you and Yunho are both originally from Gwangju. Photos of you are attached to each post, group shots with friends where their faces are blurred but not yours, mirror selfies, photos Iseul took of you on various tours when you were sightseeing. 

Yunho lets you keep scrolling despite the tense muscle in his jaw, but he loses any amount of his composure when he sees the top responses to the thread. The first comment has him yanking the phone out of your hands in hopes you didn’t read that far down, but he knows the minute he sees your expression that you took in every word. 

Not pretty, and so trashy with all those tattoos. Totally not his type, he must be so disappointed in his match. 

“Baby, no,” He drops the phone on the table and sinks down into a crouch in front of you, hands on your knees, “don’t listen to them,” 

“I’m okay,” You tell him, trying to work through your initial impulse to burst into tears. 

“They don’t know me,” He looks up at you, his face clear and determined, “they don’t know you, us. They’re jealous, they’re fucking idiots. You’re beautiful, you’re mine, you’re my girl,” 

“Yunho,” You try softly to interrupt, to tell him you really are okay, but he keeps going. 

“I could never be disappointed, never,” His hands rub back and forth over your thighs, “I was so fucking happy the second I realized it was you,” 

“Yunho,” You smile, “I know that, I already know,” 

He cups your cheek, “But,” 

“It hurt for a second,” You admit, “but you’re right, they don’t know us.”

His face softens and he strokes the side of your face gently, “I’m sorry,” he murmurs, “this is why I didn’t want you to see it. People are so mean for nothing,” 

“I’m a big girl,” You murmur, turning your hand to kiss his palm, cupping it to your cheek as you look back at him, “and they’re just words,” 

He nods. 

“Does it get easier?” You ask him, “People looking into your life like this?” 

He clears his throat lightly, “Honestly?” 

“Yeah,” 

“Not exactly,” He shakes his head, “and I know right now you feel like you need to read it all because it’s about you, but the only thing down that path is heartache.” 

You kiss his palm again, nodding into his touch. 

“The members and I,” He says, “we all learned young that it was better to leave what people say online be. We have staff to handle serious threats or issues, but we don’t search our names or scroll through comments on our posts, it’s better that way.” 

“I can see why,” You sigh. 

He nods, dropping his hands to your hips and pulling you forward on the chair a little until your knees are pressed against his chest, “Listen,” he murmurs, “they’ll talk themselves out, we just have to let them.” 

He squeezes your hips as you say, “Some people said good things,” 

He smiles, “Yeah,” 

“That’s good I guess,”

“Mhm,” He stretches his neck, connecting his mouth to yours in a quick kiss, “it’s really good,”

Deep in your gut you feel a relentless pull, something in your body wanting you badly to keep scrolling, to fall down the rabbit hole and dig into every little thing. You want to defend yourself, to set the story straight, even though you know you shouldn’t. Your eyes flick to the phone again and Yunho’s hands pulse on your thighs. 

“Babe,” His voice is low, serious, “let’s let it go. We saw it, we know enough for now.” 

“Kay,” You breathe, pulling your eyes back to him. 

He cups your cheeks, pulling your lips to his and then stands up, grabbing his phone off the table, “Go get comfortable, okay? Pick another movie, and I’ll see if they have any snacks in the kitchen,” 

“What are you doing?” You ask, studying his face as he types. 

“I need to call Gyu-uk,” He says honestly, “and message Harin. They probably know about the photos, but I want to make sure, and I don’t like that your personal information is getting spread around like that. It’s not long before it’s a phone number or something else, I want them to keep an eye out for your contact information, your address, and be sure we’re good here too.” 

Nerves bubble in your gut, but you nod, “Are you worried?” 

His eyes flick up, unsure how to answer. 

“I’m okay,” You remind him, “I can handle it if you are.” 

His jaw tenses and relaxes, and then he nods, “I’m worried because it’s you, but I didn’t see anything in the posts that made me worry more than I already was,” 

His honesty makes your shoulders relax and you nod, “Okay,” 

“Alright,” He breathes, dialing on his phone and leaning down to kiss the crown of your hair, “I love you. I’ll just be a few minutes,” 

He pads off into the house, the phone pressed to his ear. 

Alone on the patio, you settle back into the deck chair and draw your knees up, resting your head in your hands. The breeze from the ocean makes you shiver a little, but the quiet of the night is comforting. You can hear Yunho’s voice in the background, not enough to really make out his words, but enough to still feel him close. 

Your hands itch to pick your phone up and dive back into everything, but you trust him when he says the end of that road is heartache. It’s a fine line between curiosity and obsessive compulsion and you’re a little afraid you won’t recognize it when you step over it if you let yourself look again. 

Another minute passes, the niggling impulse still pressing at your mind, and with a sigh you grab your phone anyways.

You’ll stay off social media, that’s for sure, but a full day without your phone still leaves you curious about what’s going on in the outside world. 

The first thing you see is a notification from Instagram letting you know you have 719 new follower requests and you swipe it away with a little burst of panic. You avoid Twitter entirely, and open up your texts. There’s too many to wrap your mind around. Messages from friends you haven’t spoken to in years, a few distant relatives, and you mark those as read and dismiss them with ease.

Iseul sent you a simple message to let you know she was here when you finally looked at your phone again, and you resolve to call her tomorrow. You have kind and encouraging messages from all of the members, which warms something in your chest, knowing that they’re supporting you both, but it’s Hana’s texts that you open up and read in full. 

She’s written a string of messages, all separated by random amounts of time. Some hours, some minutes, and you smile as you catch up on her stream of consciousness. 

Yunho’s post was perfect. If you’re reading this, put your phone down and get back to your honeymoon. 

Fuck anyone who says you two aren’t meant to be. 

This industry is insane, you were right. I’m about to ask Em to start hexing people. 

Sorry - I shouldn’t be telling you about that bad shit. If you’re looking at your phone you’ve already seen it, I didn’t mean to add to that. 

Okay wait - there’s a bunch of good stuff too. I feel like I can tell you about that? These girls on Twitter are Yunho fans, they’re saying you’re really pretty and this whole story is like that one K-Drama? The one with Lee Dong Wook - the one you like. 

“I bet he’s so in love with her if he made KQ announce it” - These girls are good.

You burst out laughing at that, and then keep reading. 

Okay you’re probably having a great day with your new husband and that’s exactly what you should be doing, but let me know when you do see these. I just want to know you’re both doing okay. 

OH AND

Other idols are commenting on Yunho’s post. You’ve got a lot of people in your corner, so stay strong. 

Anyways text me when you can. 

Her last text is a few hours old, and you wonder if Em physically removed the phone from her hands to keep her from frantic scrolling and deep diving. You’ll call her tomorrow too, but for now you tap out a simple message. 

We’re doing our best to stay offline, so just seeing these. All okay here, just focused on enjoying our time and pretending the internet isn’t tearing us apart. I’ll call you tomorrow, but I love you so much. Thanks for being my best sister.

It’s a little joke you two always used to say to each other, calling each other your best sister even though you only ever had each other. All the times you had to be there for each other when no one else would have your back, all the times it was just the two of you against everything. It’s been a long time since you’ve said it, maybe since you both lived with your parents, and you hope she reads it and knows exactly what you’re trying to say. 

You let your phone drop back into your lap and take a deep breath, looking back up at the stars. You’re not a praying person, you don’t believe in saints, but if Yunho’s mother is right, you think you could believe in stars. 

With a silent thought up to the constellation above you, you make your peace with the chaos surrounding you both, and then you take your wine glasses with you as you walk back into the warm house, following the sound of Yunho’s voice. 

As you round the corner to the kitchen you hear his hums through the receiver, acknowledging whatever Gyu-uk is saying on the other end. He’s leaning up against the far wall, his head hanging as he listens, nodding to himself, and you smile at the sight of him. 

For a split second, the image of him in this kitchen is more domestic than being actually married. If you forget about the circumstances, he just looks like a husband, your husband, in what could be your kitchen. You’ve known him for years, but he’s never looked more like a man than he does right now, dressed casually in gray sweatpants and a black tank top, his bare feet on the kitchen tile, wedding ring on his finger, barefaced, his black hair messy and unstyled. 

“Well that’s good,” Yunho says into the phone and you wait in the doorway to avoid interrupting. 

He listens some more, nodding to himself again. 

“She’s good,” He smiles, his eyes still downcast, “she’s handling it better than we did as rookies,” 

Warmth curls in your belly at his words. 

Yunho laughs at whatever Gyu-uk says, straightening up and catching sight of you finally. He smiles at you as he replies to Gyu-uk, “That’s for sure,” 

Now that he’s seen you, you step into the kitchen properly and set the wine on the counter, moving around the island towards him. 

“We will,” Yunho says, reaching for you as you get closer, “thank you,” 

As he tugs you into his chest you hear Gyu-uk’s reply, “We’re handling it, don’t worry, Yunho.” 

“I’ll try,” Yunho says honestly, dropping his lips to your hair, “thank you,” 

“Alright, kid,” Gyu-uk says with a sigh, “I have to go. Stay positive, and go spend some time with your wife, okay?”

“Mm,” Yunho acknowledges, and the line clicks dead. 

You give it a few minutes, letting the silence stretch, but then you nudge him, “We’re okay?”

He nods, head bobbing against yours. 

“What did he say?” You ask. 

“The usual,” He admits, “they’re taking care of it, Harin’s team is already aware, we should stay offline and enjoy the sunshine.” 

“Did you tell him it rained all day?” 

Yunho snorts a soft laugh, “I should have,” 

With your arms wrapped around him, you rub his back and press a kiss to his chest, “Hana said there’s a lot of positive comments too, and a lot of other idols saying supportive things on your post,” 

He nods, “Harin says the response is better than expected,” 

“That’s good,” 

“Did you talk to Hana, how is she? How’s Em?” He asks. 

“Just caught up on her texts,” You pull out your phone and open the messages back up, passing it over to him, “I’ll call her tomorrow.” 

His eyes skim over the messages and you watch a smile spread over his face, “I love your sister,” 

“Same,” 

Yunho nods, kissing your forehead as he passes back the phone. 

You sigh into him, “Let’s do more movies, let’s relax for the night.” 

“Just us,” He murmurs. 

“Just us.” 

He holds you a little longer, needing you close after everything, “We’re going to be alright, I think,” he finally says. 

“Yeah?” You nod into his chest, your face tucked against the warmth of his soulmark.

“I have you,” He murmurs, emotion thick in his throat, “my heart, that’s all that matters,” 

Tears well in your eyes, and let your lips linger on his chest. 

He rocks you gently, whispering promises against your hair, nothing in the world so important as his skin on yours, his body and your body right where they’re supposed to be. 

When the wave of emotion passes, you leave your phones in the kitchen, and spend the night just the two of you. The couch piled high with blankets as you cuddle close, catching up on all the movies you’ve missed constantly touring. You stay up late, what would be too late on any other night, but tomorrow is just another empty day of possibility. You fall asleep with him on a couch so big it wouldn’t even fit through the door of your tiny studio apartment, your lives completely different than they were this morning. 

In the morning you wake up in his arms. 

The sun shining brightly through the wide windows, the storm having washed away any trace of clouds. 

It’s been a while since you’ve woken up without fear or anxiety or creeping loneliness, but somehow, you both know that part of your lives is over, and with deliberate slowness, you stretch into the day.

You did the hard thing. Now, you just get to live. 

With a new lightness in the bond, you leave the house. 

Without masks or disguises, you walk down the street hand in hand. You take the little path to the sandy beach a few blocks over from the house and walk down to the water together. Despite the unseasonable warmth, it’s still quiet, just a few older couples walking along the shore. There’s not a soul around that would recognize him, but you still feel weightless, free. 

At the water’s edge, Yunho wraps his arms around you from behind, his hand in yours, wedding rings nestled together.

To anyone watching you’re sure you look like just another young couple in love. 

In a way, that’s all you really were from the start.

Your heart and his, one steady beat. 

Everything else, background noise.

No world but yours.

No wonder but yours.

[aventurineswife]

Oh I have Idea

What about a romantic one-shot (if you do one-shot otherwise you don't do one-shot it can be Headcanon)

Love triangle with Phainon x fem reader x mydei

Fem reader is one of member from the genius society, she join the trailblazer to explore the amphoreus out of the feeling want to know about the planet and help them. As a member of the genius society of course she will be so smart she is tactical and other than that she is good at fighting.

Thats all 👀

Fate’s Unwritten Path

Summary: You, a brilliant and resourceful member of the Genius Society, have joined the Trailblazer team to explore the unknowns of Amphoreus. While fighting alongside the Chrysos Heirs, you find yourself drawn to two very different men—Phainon, the regal and gentle warrior, and Mydei, the undying, fiery prince. Both share a deep commitment to their cause, yet each offers something unique. Phainon’s kindness and strategic mind complement your own intellect, while Mydei’s intensity and honor challenge your strength. As battles rage and emotions simmer, your heart is torn between loyalty, affection, and the desire for a connection that transcends the battlefield.

Tags: Mydei x Reader x Phainon, Female!Reader Love Triangle, Angst, Teamwork and Loyalty, Intelligent/Strategic Reader, Emotional Conflict.

Warnings: Emotional Tension, Romantic Conflict, Violence/Battle Scenes, Angst and Heartache, Some mature themes (suggested emotional complexity and intimacy (?))

The night sky over Okhema was vast, an ocean of glimmering stars stretching into infinity. But down below, the land was restless. War had scarred the city, leaving behind ruins, memories, and whispers of fate yet to be fulfilled.

And in the middle of it all, you stood, watching the embers of a dying battlefield.

You hadn’t come to Amphoreus seeking war, nor prophecy. As a member of the Genius Society, your pursuit was knowledge—analyzing the Titans, understanding the mysteries of the Coreflames. But war had a way of forcing people into roles they never intended to play.

“Lost in thought again?” Phainon’s voice was as smooth as silk, laced with that ever-present warmth of his.

You turned to face him. Clad in his regal white and gold coat, he looked almost untouched by the battlefield. Almost. His eyes, sharp and piercing, betrayed the weight he carried.

“I was thinking about the Titans’ Coreflames,” you admitted. “Their energy signatures don’t match anything in the known universe. It’s as if—”

“They belong to something beyond our understanding?” Phainon finished with a knowing smile. “You always say that, but you don’t sound frustrated.”

You shook your head. “Because the unknown excites me.”

His gaze lingered on you, something unspoken in his expression. It wasn’t the first time he looked at you like that.

“Come,” he said finally, offering a hand. “Let’s head back. Mydei will scold me if I keep you out here.”

Right. Mydei.

A different storm of emotions stirred at the thought of him. If Phainon was warmth, Mydei was fire—fierce, untamed, and burning with an intensity that made it hard to breathe. His presence alone commanded attention, and though he wore his battle scars like armor, there was something painfully human beneath it all.

When the two of you returned to the camp, Mydei was sharpening his claymore by the fire, his dark uniform stark against the flames. He barely looked up.

“Took your time,” he muttered.

“She was busy being a genius,” Phainon teased, nudging you playfully.

Mydei let out a quiet scoff but said nothing. You sat down beside him, watching the way his hands moved over his weapon with practiced precision.

“You’re injured,” you observed.

He stilled. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” you said firmly, reaching out before he could protest. His muscles tensed as your fingers brushed against his arm, tracing over the torn fabric where a wound lay hidden. “You should take better care of yourself.”

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, Mydei exhaled sharply.

“You worry too much.”

You huffed. “And you don’t worry enough.”

“I worry about what matters.”

Your eyes met, and you felt the weight of his words. Mydei didn’t say things lightly—when he spoke, he meant every syllable. And right now, that look in his golden eyes told you exactly what he meant.

Phainon cleared his throat, breaking the tension. “Well, I worry about both of you.” He grinned, but there was a flicker of something else—something vulnerable—before he turned away.

The fire crackled between the three of you, but it wasn’t the only thing burning.

The battlefield was no place for love.

Yet, as you stood between Phainon and Mydei, watching them fight side by side—one a beacon of light, the other a shadowed warrior—you realized that fate had entwined you all in ways you couldn’t untangle.

Phainon fought with elegance, every strike of his weapon precise and breathtaking. He was a warrior, yes, but also a protector. And part of you felt safe with him in ways you hadn’t expected.

Mydei was different. His combat was raw, unrelenting—his very presence a defiance against death itself. He wasn’t just fighting the enemy; he was fighting fate, fighting the prophecy that bound him. And in doing so, he fought for you, too.

You weren’t meant to be part of their world. You were a scholar, a tactician, a seeker of knowledge. But you had become something more—a thread woven into their lives, tangled between duty and something far more dangerous.

Something like love.

And as the battle raged on, you wondered: When the war was over, when the Titans were gone, and the prophecy fulfilled—

Would you still have a place between them?

[pineconepie]

Here's the yanmom drider from a poll I did a while ago!

CHARACTERS: Anevra, Reader/You

WARNINGS/TAGS: Parental yandere, forced infantilization, baby-talk, animal death (hunting), abduction, semi-obedient reader, non-sexual nudity, bathing, escape attempt

WORD COUNT: 2.7k

Your torch flickers weakly, squinting through the darkness and the rain, trying to make sense of your surroundings. It's hard to see anything when you can't even see the sky.

You knew it was a bad idea to be exploring in these dark hours, but you needed to try and find shelter before night fell for real.

Your eyes finally pick out what looks like the entrance to some kind of cave.

Well, not like it's ideal, but at least you won't have to worry about getting any wetter, right? Besides, maybe the storm will calm down, and you'll be able to get home soon.

It's a spacious cave, and all you can hope is there isn't anything horrific to greet you inside. Your boots squeak against the rock floor as you walk carefully deeper in. It's pretty cold in here, though at least it's much drier than outside.

Maybe you can just build yourself a fire and hunker down.

You take out supplies from your backpack and set them on the floor, lying down on a blanket as a makeshift mattress.

Then you take a long drink from your canteen, wiping some of the moisture away from your face with the edge of your sleeve.

Using the little fire left from your torch, you lift it to take in your surroundings more better. There's a lot of large cobwebs stretching throughout the cave... but you know most spiders are generally peaceful creatures, right? As long as you don't provoke one... You look down at your own hands and realize how badly they're shivering.

As you rummage through your backpack to find something else to help warm you up, you hear a skittering noise. But it has to just be the echo of your own movement off the walls, right?

Something is thrown in your general direction, making you yelp. It's the carcass of a dead animal, but you don't get time to analyze what it is, because now you're terrified about who just threw that... or rather, what threw that.

The skittering noise again. And this time, it doesn't sound like an echo at all. Rather, you're almost completely positive it's coming from somewhere in this cave.

Then you see her.

At first, she just happens to look like an extremely tall woman, one with short light brown hair and blue eyes.

But then you see her multitude of legs and realize why this cavern looks so huge.

She looks just as shocked as you probably do. Then she brings her hands to her mouth. "A human!" Her voice sounds surprised, but happy. She almost lunges forward towards you, crawling on several of her long spindly spider legs. She looms over you, examining you. The size comparison between you both makes her seem at least three times taller than you.

You stay frozen in place, staring back at her. This can't be real... You're just exhausted and dehydrated and need some sleep. But that can't happen if your body refuses to allow you to close your eyes for a minute, too paralyzed by fear.

"I cannot believe my luck! After centuries, here I was thinking that I'd never have children to dote upon!" She places her hand to the side of your face. "What a blessing you are!"

Despite everything, your curiosity wins out over your caution. "Why... umm... why aren't you trying to eat me?" You hope that doesn't put ideas into her head.

She looks absolutely appalled. "Why would I ever think about doing such a thing?"

"Well..." You motion towards her extra eight legs and to the dead animal carcass still laying on the cavern floor. "Don't driders eat humans?"

"A lot of them do," she admits, "but not me! I've always adored humans! You all are just so small and cute!" She gently strokes one finger against your cheek. "Look at you! You're so small!" She suddenly stops and pulls away. "Where are my manners? My name is Anevra. Oh! But I suppose humans don't call their mothers by their name typically." She smiles warmly at you. "So how does Mama sound?"

This is ridiculous, you decide. This has to be some kind of twisted dream that your sleeping mind created. Your brain must just love seeing how much it can torment you, even if you aren't conscious.

"Mama?" you echo, feeling unsure of what else you should say.

"It rolls off your tongue nicely." Anevra's voice is smooth and warm, as is the expression on her face.

With how big she is compared to you, you can't tell if she genuinely thinks you're a child or not, but you don't really want to stick around long enough to find out.

The longer she looks at you expectantly, the more pressured you feel to do or say something, anything. Perhaps if you go along with what ever this is, you can find a way to escape, since you have an idea she won't let you leave willingly.

She leans in close, her face only inches away from your own, so close that you can see her eyelashes. "I bet you were scared, all alone outside by yourself in the rain. Don't worry, sweetling, Mama's got you now." She lifts you off the cave floor as easily as picking up a feather, then sets you into the crook of one of her arms. "It'll be okay now," she whispers.

Her extra legs guide your arms around her neck. When she's satisfied that you won't fall, she crawls back into the darkness of the cavern, where there are more cobwebs.

"I know that when I was younger I'd get comfort out of cuddling," she comments softly. "Are human children similar?"

"...miss, I am not a child," you finally say.

Anevra laughs, a soft sound echoing against the walls. "What a funny little thing you are!" She rubs her large hand over your head. "Of course you are. Why else are you so little compared to me, hmm?"

"Because I'm a human, not a drider!" You wiggle against her grasp, which just seems to make her grip harder onto you. Her strong embrace feels like it could snap your bones if she pressed any tighter.

"You are definitely my baby," she continues. "You don't have to be so shy about it."

With nothing else you can do, you decide to try and go along with her delusions. Maybe once she gets comfortable with you, she'll let her guard down, and then you can make a run for it.

It doesn't take very long for you both to reach a chamber deep inside the cavern system, but you weren't really sure how to keep track of time when all you could see were shadows and webs.

There are more spider-like aspects to her dwelling than before, with thick webs covering parts of the walls and ceilings, acting almost like decoration.

"Do humans normally shiver so much?" she murmurs, almost to herself.

You look down at yourself, just now realizing how you can barely keep your body still.

Whether it's from fear or coldness, you can't tell, though. It was colder deeper within the cave system, so that could definitely be a factor. Plus, now that the shock from meeting Anevra is starting to wear off, the chill is sinking in.

"Cold," you reply through chattering teeth.

"You poor thing." She brushes her knuckles against your face. "Let me wrap you up in a cocoon."

Before you can protest, you feel webbing wrap around you as tightly as a blanket. She holds you close to her chest like a precious gemstone. You can hear her heartbeat against your ear. Your struggles just cause you to get wrapped up even further. And she's looking at you with such maternal adoration. How could someone so dangerous seem so sincere?

But eventually you get exhausted from trying to fight, and she hums pleasantly in satisfaction.

"Hush, my little one." She presses a kiss to your forehead. "Now that I have you safely wrapped, you can rest your weary head against me all you'd like." She traces her clawed finger across your cheekbone.

...

When you wake up, everything is quiet, save for the distant sounds of wind howling and rain pouring down into the cavern.

As soon as you can get away from Anevra, the better.

However, when you squirm, you realize you're still wrapped in webbing. Then you start to struggle.

You hear a familiar skittering sound. It echoes off the walls until Anevra shows herself. She tilts her head at you. "Good morning, little one!" she greets enthusiastically. "What are you doing?"

"Can I come out now? I'm no longer cold or tired," you inform her.

"No! Not yet!" she insists. "I still want to hold you!"

How frustrating. But maybe there's something you could try to convince her. If it doesn't work, hopefully she won't react violently towards you.

"I wouldn't be going anywhere else," you promise. "I just wanted to... uhh..." It feels silly to say this next part, but it might just work. "...be able to hug you with my own arms," you finish quietly.

Luckily for you, Anevra reacts exactly as you hoped she would. She covers her mouth with her hands, eyes practically sparkling as she squeals with delight.

"Oh, you're such a darling little thing, you know that? You're simply too precious for this world."

She unravels you from the cocoon with great care, as if you'd break at any second.

But once you're free from the webbing, you try to jump down, only to be pulled into another embrace by her. Though it's less constraining than the webbing was. Still, it doesn't change the fact you're being held against your will by a drider.

You reluctantly wrap your arms around her midsection. You hope that you're being convincing, because all you want to do is get out of here.

She pets the top of your head. "Aren't you just the sweetest baby? Hmm? Mama loves you so, so, so much!" She punctuates each word with a kiss on your forehead.

Now that you think about it, maybe you'll have to plan this more well. After all, you don't know the layout of the big cave well at all, not to mention how dark it is and the fact she is probably fifty times more strong and fast than you are.

Perhaps if you spend some time getting used to the layout of the cave, you'll be more prepared to make your escape.

For now, all you can do is play along. You let her dote and coddle, as annoying as it is, because hopefully in the end, your efforts will prove to be worthwhile.

Anevra sets you on the ground for a minute while she scours the cave, muttering things to herself under her breath.

"What are you doing?" you ask after a little while.

She turns her attention back to you. "Oh, I'm sorry! Here I am ignoring you!" She shakes her head. "Mama is just a bit distracted, that's all. I'm trying to find suitable food for a human. And after that, I'll bathe you by the hot spring. Does that sound okay, sweetling?"

"Hot spring?" you repeat, confused. "There's a hot spring here?"

"Yes," she answers happily. "This cave is much bigger than it looks."

She starts a small fire nearby using logs and sticks, presumably collected from the outside, then places a flat rock on top.

You can hear your stomach grumble as she cooks a slab of something, though you're not quite sure what kind it is. It's still so hard to see in this dim lighting.

Once it's finished cooking, Anevra leans over to you, holding the meat up to your face.

"Can you feed yourself?" she asks gently. "Or do you need Mama to do it for you?"

"I can do it myself." As embarrassing as it is, you don't think you could bare her feeding you like a helpless infant. So you gingerly take the food from her claws and begin to eat. It tastes surprisingly good, but maybe your hunger is causing your tastebuds to favor everything edible. Either way, you're thankful to fill your aching stomach. Despite everything, Anevra's warm smile feels genuine.

After you both finish eating, she offers her hand to help you stand up, which you cautiously accept.

You walk down several long passageways, illuminated by the light of a lantern, until you reach the hot springs. There are steam clouds floating around the water and in the air, making everything moist.

She hums as she begins undressing you. For a moment, you're freezing again, but she grabs you from under your armpits and places you into the hot spring. The warmth hits your bones like an electric shock, and you melt against the rocks.

"Good baby," Anevra murmurs to you.

As she begins washing you, your mind goes numb for a moment. But you're startled back into focus once her fingers comb through your hair and scratch against your scalp.

"So tiny," she marvels aloud, "so small. Fragile and cute." She plants a kiss to your temple. "All mine."

Your body feels numb and limp from the warmth, despite the weirdness of the situation. The water smells faintly of lavender. Your eyes flutter shut, and for a blissful moment, you're asleep and peaceful.

Nothing exists, nothing worries you, and nothing bothers you. Just the sensation of weightlessness, like you're floating in a cloud.

Suddenly, you jolt back awake as you feel Anevra pulling you out of the water. She dries you off with a cloth, then grabs a shirt and shorts. They look handmade, though they're pretty big, enough to hang loosely around your frame.

The two of you settle into silence as she guides you back into the depths of the cavern.

...

Each day begins roughly the same. You wake up, have breakfast, try to get familiar with the layout of the cave, have dinner, and bathe in the hot spring.

Anevra is always watching, her gaze hovering over you, protective yet possessive. Even so, you try your hardest to keep your emotions neutral. You can't risk showing how upset and uncomfortable you are by her behavior.

Your opportunity comes to you one night, as she's sleeping. Most of her legs stretch out, and you lay carefully in the crook of one of her arms. When you sense that her breathing has become steady, you wiggle away slowly.

However, once you free yourself, you see that Anevra hasn't moved at all, still deeply asleep.

Good.

You creep as silently as possible to the entrance of the cavern system. Luckily for you, the sunlight shines down into the opening. Makes sense it'd be daytime, she must be nocturnal.

Everything's fine.

Until it isn't. And that happens the second you step outside and realize you have no idea where the fuck you are. The landscape around you is barren and unfamiliar, and you don't recognize any landmarks. At this point, it seems like your best option would be to retrace your steps, or at least attempt to, before you ended up lost in this place.

You're walking for about half a mile when you finally turn around.

And instantly regret doing so.

There stands Anevra. She's smiling, but you can feel the malice radiating off of her. Her face is eerily blank of expression, aside from the grin plastered on her face, unnaturally wide and bright. As though she were forcing herself to remain cheerful for you.

"Aren't we silly today?" she asks. "Going on an adventure, are we?" Her tone is calm, but you sense danger lurking behind her words.

She doesn't give you a chance to reply before lifting you off the ground and carrying you back inside.

"I'm so very disappointed in you," she says, wrapping you in a layer of thick webbing. "Mama told you many times never to leave the cave, especially by yourself. You disobeyed me." With every word, the webbing grows tighter. "It looks like you need to truly learn how to depend on me before I can trust you again." She cradles your cocooned self like a swaddled infant.

"Please! Let me go!" you exclaim. "I didn't mean to scare you!"

Anevra clicks her tongue disapprovingly. "You didn't listen, sweetling. Mama's not angry, though. You just need to learn how much you need me."

[heretherebedork]

Hiii

Can you rec any other shows that have an age gap as big as jin and akin from topform??

It's not the most common age gap. It is a pretty big one.

Minato's Coin Laundry has a big age gap as well, though I really only recommend the first season. But it's got the age gap AND lots of age gap related issues.

Technically, Old Fashion Cupcake also has a ten year age gap but they're both older and the age gap is treated very different due to that.

Lovely Writer also has a big age gap, has them both working in film and explores some of that age gap as well in their relationship. Different vibes than Top Form, but the age gap is similar.

Cutie Pie and Naughty Babe both have big age gaps between the lovers, though Cutie Pie's is a bit bigger and it does play into their relationships.

Step By Step is definitely similar age gaps and has that as part of their relationship.

Kiseki: Dear To Me has a good age gap in the main couple and it plays out very well but also very differently than Top Form, again.

Past-sanger ended with the biggest age gap ever? Technically. But that's... that's very technical. This is not a recommendation. Don't watch it. It's not very good. Just a laugh.

I will tag @iguessitsjustme for helping me with this (I got so caught on the categorization of 'age gaps like Top Form' that I couldn't see past my own nose) and will also tag @absolutebl because this is a trope we both love.

[cvlebs]

Car ride

Caleb was eager to show you his new car, but when he took you to his favorite spot, it turned into a heated makeout session instead.

!! FemReader + Caleb, SMUT | Word count: 3.3K

Tags: car sex, Caleb calls you pipsqueak, panties-lover Caleb, masturbation, fingering and licking over panties, cunnilingus, double penetration (by caleb), blowjob, handjob, cumming on your face, balls sucking, love confession, possessiveness

As you and Caleb share a lingering kiss, the playful energy in the car intensifies. Caleb pulls back slightly, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "You know, I could get used to this...”, he says, his eyes glinting with excitement. He glances at you, a hint of possessiveness in his gaze, as if he wants to ensure this moment lasts forever.

Caleb reaches for your hand, intertwining your fingers, his thumb gently caressing your skin as he leans in closer again, his breath warm against your cheek. You turn to Caleb, eyes sparkling with curiosity, and playfully you ask “Caleb, have you ever… had an intimate moment in a car before?”.

The question hangs in the air and for a moment, and you hate yourself for even thinking of saying it. You like Caleb so much that hearing him admit that he has experience with other girls, would quite literally break your hart into pieces and you’d probably find every single one of them and make them forget Caleb forever.

Caleb chuckles, a warm blush creeping up his cheeks. “Well, I can't say if I've had a moment like that” he replies, his voice light yet laced with a hint of embarrassment. His gaze softens as he adds, “But if I did, l'd want it to be with someone who makes me feel this way”, He leans in closer, your noses almost touching, and the atmosphere thickens with unspoken words. You immediately feel your heart beat again, knowing you’d be his first time in a setting like this.

Caleb's thumb continues to caress your hand, grounding you both in this private bubble of affection. As the tension builds, Caleb's expression shifts to one of earnestness, “You know, pip-squeak, I want to make more memories like this with you” he says.

You release your safety belt and move to the back of the car, settling onto the backseat. You smirk suggestively at Caleb and challenge him to make this memory a very special one. To further entice him, you lift your skirt, spread your legs, lick your fingers, and lower them to your private area as you begin to pleasure yourself intimately, all while maintaining eye contact with Caleb.

Caleb's eyes widen, a mix of shock and arousal flooding his face. His adam's apple bobs as he swallows hard, clearly captivated by your bold display. He nervously fiddles with the steering wheel for a moment, then glances back at you, a shy but eager smile forming on his lips. “Pip-squeak… You’ll drive me insane one day” he stutters, his voice a bit shaky.

He cuts the engine and unbuckles his seatbelt, his gaze never leaving yours as he turns in his seat. He slowly climbs into the backseat, his movements deliberate and cautious. “But it will be worth it, when it happens”, he says, a playful glint returning to his eyes.

He reaches out tentatively, his fingers gently brushing against your thigh, sending a shiver down your spine. “Mind if I help?” he asks softly, his voice full of anticipation. You take Caleb's hand as you guide it gently between your legs. You can feel Caleb's breath hitch slightly, a mix of eagerness and nervousness coursing through him as you encourage him to explore further.

Caleb's eyes widen, a rush of heat flooding his cheeks as your guidance leads him closer to your shared intimacy. His heart races, and he feels a thrilling blend of excitement and lust. “Pipsqueak, can I?” he asks softly, his voice trembling with concern.

His fingers tremble slightly, hovering just above your skin, as he seeks your reassurance. With a hesitant yet eager motion, Caleb's hand makes contact, and you can sense the overwhelming rush of emotions flooding through him.

You give him a quick nod, your eyes half-closed from the arousal that you’re feeling. He leans closer, his face just inches from yours, his breath warm and tantalizing as he whispers, “I want this to be perfect for you”. You gently guide Caleb's fingers deeper between your legs, encouraging him to explore the growing warmth beneath your skirt.

As he presses against your heat, you can feel the fabric becoming soaked from your shared passion. A soft whimper escapes your lips as you begin to ride his fingers over your underwear, the sensations overwhelming and exhilarating. Your body responds instinctively, arching slightly as you lose yourself in the moment, the connection between you two intensifying with each subtle movement.

Caleb's breath hitches, a mix of excitement and nervousness coursing through him as he feels the fabric cling to your skin. His fingers press against your entrance, and he watches your expression change, your eyes fluttering close as you let out soft whimpers.

“Pip-squeak, you're so beautiful…” he whispers, his voice barely above a breath, filled with awe and a hint of possessiveness. He feels a surge of protectiveness, wanting to ensure that every moment is perfect for you. Caleb begins to move his fingers in a rhythm that matches your gentle motions.

Caleb, driven by a mix of desire and curiosity, pushes his fingers deeper inside your clothed entrance. He can feel the warmth and wetness seeping through the fabric, a clear indication of your arousal.

With a sense of boldness, he lifts his hand to his mouth and licks the liquid, savoring your sweet taste, his eyes widening in surprise and delight. Caleb's eyes darken with intensity as he savors the taste of your cum.

“You taste incredible” he murmurs, his voice low and filled with raw emotion. Caleb's fingers continue to explore, finding a rhythm that makes your breath hitch, your hearts racing in sync. You arch your back against Caleb's fingers, letting out a soft moan of his name, the sound filled with both desire and encouragement.

In a bold move, Caleb decides to spice things up further. He leans down, his gaze locked onto your entrance, and begins to suck on your juices through your wet underwear. The sound of him slurping fills the car, a primal symphony of pleasure that makes your heart race even faster.

Caleb relishes the view of your soaked panties, his possessive nature igniting as he indulges in your sweetness, every movement heightening the thrill of connection. As Caleb continues to savor the moment, your breath quickens, your body responding instinctively to his every action.

Your moans grow louder, echoing in the confined space, urging Caleb on as he loses himself in the taste and scent of you. With each lick, he feels like he’s losing his control. Your fingers find their way to Caleb's hair, encouraging him to continue while your body arches towards him, craving more of his touch.

Caleb continues to passionately suck on your clothed entrance, thoroughly licking and slurping every soaked inch of your panties. Meanwhile his hands begin to explore, creeping up to your shirt and gently undoing the buttons. Your perky, swollen breasts are revealed to him as he starts to caress and grope them, heightening your pleasure while he continues to pleasure you with his tongue over your wet panties.

Caleb's eyes widen with adoration as your breasts are revealed to him. He pauses for a moment, pulling back slightly to fully appreciate the sight before him. “You are absolutely breathtaking, pip-squeak” he whispers, his voice filled with reverence. His hands gently cup your breasts, his thumbs caressing the nipples as he resumes his passionate ministrations below.

The combination of his mouth and hands sends shivers of delight through your body, your moans echoing in the confined space. Caleb's possessive nature intensifies, and he wants to imprint every sensation, every curve, every taste into his memory.

His tongue continues its dance, each movement precise and deliberate, ensuring you reach the pinnacle of pleasure. His devotion is unwavering, and his heart swells with every moan, every shiver, every sign of your ecstasy.

Caleb, eager to deepen the intimacy, uses one hand to gently push the middle part of your panties to the side. With a renewed fervor, he inserts his tongue deep into your hole, exploring you intimately.

Caleb's tongue plunges deep, exploring every inch of your most intimate space. He savors your taste, the car filled with soft moans and the sounds of your shared passion. ”Oh pip-squeak...” he gasps between licks, his voice thick with desire.

His hands, still cupping your breasts, begin to tease your nipples even more, intensifying the pleasure. You arch against him, your body trembling with each thrust of his tongue.

Caleb's possessive instincts surge, and he wants to consume you entirely, marking you as his own. The car vibrates with combined energy, the windows fogging up from the heat of the moment. He continues his passionate assault, driven by an insatiable need to please you.

“You're mine. Only mine” he whispers against your skin, his voice filled with love and an unyielding devotion. Caleb shifts his focus entirely, leaving your breasts momentarily unattended as he turns his full attention to your entrance.

He starts by licking your clit with a fervor that sends jolts of pleasure through your whole body. At the same time, he expertly inserts his index finger deep into your hole, while his middle finger gently pushes into your ass, creating an overwhelming sensation of being double-penetrated.

You gasp at the sudden intensity, your body arching in response to the dual sensations. Caleb's tongue works diligently, swirling and teasing your clitoris as his fingers explore deeper, igniting a fire within you.

With each thrust of his fingers and flick of his tongue, you feel yourself teetering on the edge. Fully immersed in the ecstasy of the moment, you encourage Caleb to go faster and deeper. Your breath quickens, and you lean back against the seats.

Caleb's eyes darken with a mix of eagerness and determination at your encouragement. He responds to your plea, quickening his pace, his tongue swirling around your clitoris with fervent intensity while his fingers plunge deeper into your holes, expertly finding the rhythm that sends waves of pleasure coursing through your body.

Your moans fill the car, a melody of pleasure that pushes Caleb to explore every inch of your body, a fierce protectiveness driving him to ensure that you feel nothing but pure bliss.

Caleb, overwhelmed by the sight of your vulnerability and beauty, can no longer contain himself. He releases his erection, carefully positioning himself at your entrance, still respecting your soaked panties by moving the middle part aside to allow entry.

He begins to thrust gently, your moans growing louder as you meet each movement, rocking your body against his length. Pulling you close, his body envelops yours, creating an intimate embrace. Caleb's breath hitches as he feels the initial resistance, as he enters you. “Pip-squeak…” he groans, his voice thick with a mixture of pleasure and possessiveness.

Caleb grips your hips, pulling you even closer, your bodies melding together in perfect harmony. He leans in, his lips finding yours, his kiss both tender and demanding. “You feel so good” he murmurs against your mouth, his heart pounding in his chest.

He picks up the pace, his movements becoming more insistent as he loses himself in the moment, driven by a primal need to please you and claim you as his own. The car rocks gently with your shared rhythm, the windows fogged up completely now.

“I love you” he whispers, his voice filled with an unwavering affection that echoes through the car, sealing the intimacy in this passionate moment. You lean closer to Caleb, your breath warm against his ear as you whisper, “I love you more, Caleb”.

The words hang in the air, filled with sincerity and passion, instantly igniting a fire within Caleb. He can feel the intensity of your affection wrapping around him like a warm embrace, driving him wild with desire. His heart races as the sound of your confession reverberates in his ears.

Caleb picks up his pace as he thrusts into your hole with a newfound urgency. Each movement becomes more intense, the rhythm of your bodies matching the rapid beat of your hearts.

You lean in closer, your heart racing as you capture Caleb's lips in a passionate kiss. The warmth of your shared connection envelops you both, intensifying the atmosphere in the car.

Caleb responds fervently to your kiss, his hands tightening around your waist as he deepens the connection. The taste of your lips ignites a wildfire of passion within him, and he instinctively matches your fervor, thrusting with urgency.

“You make me feel so alive, pip-squeak” he murmurs between kisses, his voice thick with emotion and desire. Feeling the intensity of the moment build, you quickly halt Caleb's movements, with a playful glint in your eyes. You shift to one side of the backseat, inviting Caleb to position himself in the other corner, leaning against the car door.

With a mischievous smile, you let him know that you’re ready to take the lead. As you scoot closer to him, your hands find their way to his erection, giving it a slow, teasing stroke.

“I’ll make you feel even better, trust me”, you say with a smirk, fully aware of how irresistible you are to him. Without waiting for a response, you take him into your mouth, starting to suck gently on the head while simultaneously stroking him, creating a delightful mix of sensations that sends shivers through the both of you.

Caleb's breath hitches at your boldness, his eyes widening with both desire and admiration as he watches you take control. “Pip…squeak…” he whimpers, his cracking from the pleasure. The warmth of your mouth envelops him, and he feels a rush of pleasure coursing through his body.

His hands instinctively find their way to your hair, gently guiding you as you works your magic, the rhythm of your movements igniting a fire within him. With every stroke and every flick of your tongue, you can sense Caleb's pleasure building.

Fully immersed in the moment, you encourage Caleb to thrust into your mouth, your eyes sparkling with hunger and desire. You feel a rush of excitement as you takes control, ready to savor the pleasure.

Caleb's breath hitches at your encouragement, and he nods eagerly, his heart racing with excitement. As he begins to thrust gently into your mouth, you meet his movements with a sultry rhythm, your tongue swirling around him in a teasing dance.

The car is filled with the sounds of your shared pleasure, the atmosphere electric with intimacy. Caleb's hands find their way back to your hair, his grip tightening as he encourages you, “Just like that, pip-squeak. Taking me so well”.

Caleb is holding your head gently yet firmly to guide your movements. He encourages you to take him deeper, and you respond eagerly, the thrill of the moment consuming you. However, as you push yourself to accommodate his length, you choke slightly, the sensation overwhelming yet exhilarating.

“Sorry”, Caleb whispers between his moans, his voice filled with a mix of concern and desire. Understanding the intensity of the pleasure, you caress his thighs reassuringly, signaling that it's okay for him to continue as you persistently bob your head, matching the rhythm he desires.

You playfully pull away from Caleb, a teasing smile on your lips as you lick them sensually, savoring the sight of his breathless expression. The desire in his eyes is palpable, and you can feel a rush of power in knowing how much you affect him.

“Don't stop, please” Caleb almost begs, his voice thick with longing, tugging at your heartstrings. In response, you decide to tease him further, lowering yourself and delicately licking the head of his length with just the tip of your tongue, all while holding the shaft firmly.

“Ahh…” Caleb moans, his reaction sending waves of excitement through you. You flick your tongue playfully, watching as Caleb shivers in pleasure, completely at your mercy. Caleb’s body starts to quiver with anticipation as you continue your teasing.

You lower your head further, your lips trailing down Caleb's length until you reach his balls. You start by licking them softly, teasingly, before taking one into your mouth, swirling your tongue around it while simultaneously stroking his hard length with your hand.

The combination of sensations sends shivers of pleasure coursing through Caleb's body, and he feels as though he is on cloud nine, completely lost in the blissful moment.

Caleb, feeling the overwhelming desire build within him, begins to thrust into your hand, seeking more of the pleasure that you’re providing. His eyes are filled with a mix of longing and urgency as he responds to your teasing question, “Are you close?”.

He nods eagerly, his breath hitching as he admits, “Yes”, his voice almost a whimper. Fully aware of the effect your teasing has on him, you begin to lick along the shaft of his length, tantalizingly avoiding putting him in your mouth, leaving Caleb on the brink of madness with desire.

Caleb's body quivers with anticipation, his thrusts becoming more insistent as he seeks to close the distance between your mouth and his member. Each lick from you sends shockwaves of pleasure coursing through him, and he can feel himself teetering on the edge.

“Ahh, please” Caleb gasps, the desperation in his voice mixing with admiration for your teasing. Your eyes sparkle with mischief as you continue your tantalizing dance. As Caleb's breathing quickens, you feel a rush of power in knowing you can drive him wild with just your touch.

With a playful glint in your eyes, you begin to suck on Caleb's erection sideways, expertly teasing him to the point where he can barely contain himself. Your movements are deliberate and sensual, designed to push him to the edge of ecstasy.

Caleb's body tenses as he reaches his climax, his muscles contracting as he ejaculates freely, the warm, sticky drops spilling onto your face. He lets out a guttural moan, his voice thick with pleasure and possessiveness. “You look so pretty like this”, he whispers, his eyes filled with adoration as he empties himself completely.

The air is thick with the scent of passion, the atmosphere charged with electricity. Unfazed by the warm sensation on your skin, you lick your lips sensually, savoring the moment before finally taking his member fully into your mouth.

You gently stroke and tease him, wanting to capture every last drop of his semen. “Mmm, you taste incredible”, you murmur against his member, your words a mixture of appreciation and desire. Caleb shivers in your embrace, completely lost in the afterglow of their passionate encounter, his heart overflowing with love and devotion for you.

After a few minutes of basking in the afterglow, you lean closer to Caleb, your eyes sparkling with concern and urgency. “We should probably clean up before anyone sees us”, you suggest, your tone light but laced with a sense of practicality. The thrill of your recent intimacy still lingers in the air, and the moment feels electric as you prepare to shift back into a more composed state.

Caleb chuckles softly, a mix of satisfaction and playfulness in his gaze as he nods in agreement. “Yeah, we don't want anyone catching us in the act, right?” he replies, a teasing grin spreading across his face.

He leans over to the front seat, grabbing a couple of napkins from the glove compartment, a hint of shyness in his demeanor as he hands them to you. The atmosphere lightens, the playful energy returning as you both work together to tidy up the car, stealing glances at each other and exchanging soft laughs.

As you both clean up, Caleb's hand brushes against yours, a lingering touch that sends a rush of warmth through you both. “I have to say, that was definitely a memorable first car date”, he jokes, a hint of pride in his voice. “And investing into leather interior was definitely worth it” he adds, making you giggle.

Author’s note

tysm for all the likes, i really appreciate it!! ill try to post another smut tomorrow :] <3

[bbuzz28]

Memories

Old man Fiddlestan, my beloved-and what's this? It could be semi-canon compliant :O ?!?! Woof- this is one of the saddest things I have ever written. I know some of you gremlins (affectionate) love that sort of thing, but I don't. I like really really don't. This is my comfort ship, so I don't even know where this came from other than trying to figure out how they *could* work in canon. Truthfully though, I prefer my Fiddlestan heavy on the comfort when it comes to the "hurt/comfort" genre. This is my only “angsty” (i.e. no immediate happy ending) Notes-app fics, so don't get used to this level of sad from me lol.

“Stan?” an oddly familiar voice called. Mr. Mystery, Stan Pines, glanced up from the flyers he was organizing and found that Old Man McGucket stood in the doorway of his front door. The last tour of the day had just left, it was dinnertime, and he was exhausted. Stan rolled his eyes as he unfurled his tie, wishing Soos was still there to escort the crazy old man off his property. No matter what he did, the old hillbilly always managed to find his way back to the Shack. “Sweet Moses McSuckit, what are you doing in here? Shoo, scat, or whateva will get rid of ya.” Hearing no movement, he looked at the man again and found he was standing erect. His blue eyes were the clearest he had seen them in no less than a decade.

          Wait, what did he call- oh. Oh no.

“Stan…ley? Did I…did I do somethin’ wrong?” the other man asked, his hands twisted in knots in front of him. Memories flashed through Stan’s mind; Ford falling through the portal, Fiddleford finding him passed out in the lab, working together to bring Ford home again…being together. Being happy. They had been happy, if just for a little while, hadn’t they?

Then there was the cult, and his discovery of the damn memory gun that had finally ruined everything they ever built. He took a hesitant step forward, a thousand thoughts roaring in his mind at once. “Fidds? Wha-what do you remember?” A bandaged hand snaked up and rubbed over the faded scar on the side of his head “I…don’t rightly know. Did we…I think we had a fight? I just woke up in the…in the dump. N’ I don’t have any shoes. Do ya know why my arm is in a cast?” Fiddleford looked so lost.

Stan knew in his heart that all of this was fleeting- “clarity” would hit Fiddleford every few years after he had finally wiped his mind of himself. Almost like his brain was trying to jumpstart itself back together. The first time they thought it was a miracle but…it didn’t last. It just started a trend that would follow them both for the next almost thirty years. Fiddleford would seemingly “wake up” and be lucid for a few weeks in the beginning, then eventually only a matter of days. It had been so long since the last time that Stan would wager, they only had maybe a few hours together if he was lucky.

The last time Fiddleford was himself…they had fought. Stanley thought he had figured the only way Fiddleford could stay; he needed to remember. Remember everything he had ever forgotten. At the time, Fiddleford had been unwilling to try. He didn’t think he could handle it; he knew he had forgotten what he had for a reason.

Stanley had gotten as close to begging as he ever had in his life since surviving Tijuanna, and when it had no effect…Stanley had told Fiddleford to leave and never come back. He had left that night, and by the next day he had faded away again. After a while, Stan thought his last words had been the final nail in the coffin that was Fiddleford’s mind. He carried that weight along with every other mistake he had ever made. But here he was. Fiddleford. His Fiddleford.

He took a deep breath before he opened his arms up. “Hey, don’t worry, it doesn’t matter. I’m right here.” Fiddleford rushed through the doorway, melting into Stanley’s open arms. “I went away again, didn’t I?” Stan could feel Fiddleford’s tears soaking into his chest, his own whispering at the edges of his eyes. Yes, and you will leave again. You will leave me and I will be alone all over again, you fucking asshole. “Hey cowboy, didn’t I just say not t’ worry about any a’ that? You’re here now, n' that’s what matters. You’re…you’re home.” A haggard laugh vibrated through the smaller man’s chest into Stanley’s own. “I know I keep tellin’ ya, tellin’ me not t’ worry is like” “…tellin’ a fish t’ stop swimmin’; I know Fidds, I know.” Fuck was really the only conscious thought that went through his head as he held his one-time lover. He couldn’t believe he was doing this, again.

Fiddleford looked up, eyes wide and searching Stan’s face. “How long do ya think we have?” Stan shook his head, unwilling to lie even if it eventually wouldn’t matter because he wouldn’t remember. You’ve always been the only person I couldn’t lie to. “I dunno, it’s been…a while. Probably not very long.” Fiddleford closed his eyes before he said “I need ya t’ know somethin’, Stanley.” Stan started to shake his head. “Fidds, you don’t have t-” The look on the other man’s face shut Stan right up-he had always had that ability. Stan wished he didn’t miss it as much as he did. “I need ya to know that even when I’m not here…I miss you. The part of me that’s somewhere in here-” A weathered hand tapped the side of his head to emphasize his point “ misses you. I’m just so sorry, Stanley. Sorry that I’m a coward. I’m sorry that I’m not strong enough to be here all the time…but I’ll never stop tryin’. I’ll always try n’ come home to ya.”

Stan thought of the thousands of times he had chased Old Man McGucket, the neat little character that Stan had to compartmentalize his Fiddleford into when he wasn’t himself, out of the Shack. How many times he had found him curled up like a cat on the back porch. How every time they “met”, McGucket would say how nice Stan was or how good he felt to be around him “for some reason.” How many odds and ends McGucket would gift Stan from the dump for exhibits at the Mystery Shack with a large smile and nothing substantial behind his eyes.

It would be so much easier if he would stop trying to come back. Maybe the hole in Stan’s heart the size of the sweet, certifiably insane man would scab over. How many times had Stanley mourned him? How many times was he willing to hurt himself? They were now nearing their sixties, how long was he really willing to do this song and dance?

What’s one more time? he softly thought, his hand coming up to tenderly cup the grizzled face of Fiddleford Hadron McGucket. Mad scientist, friend, and unfortunately for them both…the love of his life.

“I miss you too, Fidds.”

[lightningbig]

sorry twilight princess will always be eating holes in my brain. constantly and forever. I cannot ever be normal about it.

it's such a haunted game. you are a dead thing going through a dead world. you are something in between. you can go back but it will never be the same. you will never be the same. you are walking, constantly, through ghosts of what came before. you are exploring places long forgotten. you are the only one on this path because there is no one else that can walk it. you were just a farm boy. you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. right place at the wrong time? wrong place at the right time? you were just supposed to deliver a sword.

[revvethasmythh]

listen. there are a number of aspects in which c3 and divergence are not comparable and fundamentally work differently (namely the difference in construction between a long-form campaign and 4-part mini-series), but thematically? not only are they comparable, they are designed to be. divergence is being aired directly after the conclusion of c3 in order to further explore concepts introduced in its conclusion. a world with less connection to the gods, the effect of that on the faithful, how the average exandrian approaches the concept of faith in general (in multiple aspects), the connection between the divine and their mortal children, burgeoning hope from post-war darkness, etc. these are concepts we're being asked to compare with the finale of c3. so if someone says that divergence's handling of faith and exploration of the gods blows c3's out of the water, that's valid. if we were meant to be avoiding comparisons, a) they wouldn't have aired this immediately after c3, b) there wouldn't be so many overlapping concepts, and c) they wouldn't be holding off on having the wrap-up until divergence is over. divergence is in conversation with c3, actively and intentionally, and it puts a stark contrast on how poorly faith was handled in c3, but also things like. understanding character motivation. which yes, is going to shine more strongly in short-form content because you have to get the information out quickly, but is a valid thing to discuss if you genuinely feel you understand a short-form campaign character's goals better than you do a character you spent 4 years watching. it's the difference between a woman who has never been shown to seriously engage with the gods at all stating "i don't know if i want to save gods that don't love me" and the moonweaver saying "if the love is true, it will pass through the barrier" and us knowing that divine magic will continue to be granted to mortals, by the sheer love the primes hold for their children, complex as that love might be. and, fundamentally, divergence is an exploration of consequences. the consequences of the calamity on mortals and the gods and the earth itself, decimated as it is. so when people compare it to c3, when a major complaint of the campaign was lack of follow-through and exploration of consequences, divergence shines for being about exactly what a lot of people felt c3 was missing.

[matamorose]

The decision in TP to drop any interaction between Audrey and Coop was a bad one. I think that their dynamic is a great way to refract a lot of the themes of the show, and it has a lot to do with TP’s multiple ways of viewing “good people.” (Something I’ve been stewing about for a while— hopefully soon I can articulate some of those thoughts)

Anyway,

Audrey is a great character, and it makes perfect sense for her to be intrigued by/attracted to a kind, handsome older man. She’s also badly neglected, and models the ways of gaining power + autonomy + attention that she sees in front of her, something that puts her in danger and is in no way a good thing. I get that all the characters’ ages/the timelines are fucked so there’s some ambiguous wiggle room, but she’s a kid. A very smart and resourceful one who wants to be the mysterious and competent adult that others see as a person, but still.

She wants Coop something fierce, and gets herself into intense peril pursuing that. She's tenacious and smart and badly damaged, and a teenage girl who's ignored + allowed to do whatever she wants, which is a very potent combination.

And Coop is textually attracted to her: I think that that’s very important to understanding a lot of his character, and ignoring it does a disservice to a lot of what the show is saying. MLMT does a lot of heavy lifting to explain and explore a history of childhood sexual misuse + hypersexuality with him, but even in just the show canon I think it’s very apparent and easy to understand that he’s grappling with his attitudes and attraction towards women, and especially with his own past and traumas.

The scene where Audrey surprises him naked in bed had the potential to be the fulcrum moment in their relationship, imo. Cooper is visibly wrestling with his attraction to her— something he knows and expresses aloud would be very wrong to act on— and Audrey is in an extremely fragile state, for all that she was trying to be assertive and take control in a relationship with an older man (a cop, even).

When Cooper lets her down gently and says that what she needs is a friend, that’s a very powerful moment. This is the “adult men sexually abuse young girls” show, but their relationship in particular has been set up to be interesting and alluring— I don’t think that people are nuts for picking up on the very intentional tension. It’s there, you’re supposed to see it.

So when Cooper says that she needs a friend, he makes the right choice, something that he doesn’t have a great track record of doing.

It’s a really powerful thing, that surrounded by all of these men who choose wrongly, and do wrong intentionally, Cooper is maybe the only adult man in Audrey’s life who makes the choice to respect and protect her, and that’s profoundly compelling. Like, I get it if someone wants to take that in another direction.

(There’s a more specific point to be made about Audrey’s father very nearly sexually assaulting her, and another, older man who is into her consciously deciding not to act on that, but I’ll toss it around and try to express it later)

You can debate it all day— which can be interesting and enriching— but for him to enter into a relationship with her would have been a clear, gross abuse of his power, and followed the pattern set by all of the other monstrous men in the show.

TP makes its stance on adult men sleeping with teenage girls crystal clear, there’s no way that they would have had their main character— morally iffy though he can be sometimes— go to bed with the teenage peer of a murder victim and then be like “awesome!” Cooper would be a very different man if he acted on it.

Which, I think is one of those moments where you as the viewer are supposed to look past the aesthetics and how pretty both adult actors are, the same way we all need to look past the quality of the coffee to understand what happened to Laura: a federal agent in his 30s who picks up a rural, neglected teenage lover in the wake of a grisly sex crime + said teenager’s father is a major player in the crime ring that allowed that to happen, is not a good man. That is a real-life horror that follows the framework of the show, and I think that part of the original intention was to leave that avenue open for later in the series, but more on that later.

All that being said, he absolutely thinks about it. He’s very tempted. That’s something that I feel like a lot of people don’t want to admit, but he’s explicitly attracted to her. It’s a testament to his character, and an interesting mirror to his ultimate failure of courage, that he, mister "Give Yourself a Present," was able to recognize a desire as harmful and squash it.

He’s less interesting if you just wave your hand and say “oh, he never even thought about it!” He did. He totally thought about it, he considered it, and wrestled with it, and ultimately came out on top. That’s infinitely more interesting— and IMO fits in better with the backstory established for him— than the idea that he’s just too morally pure and untouchable.

Even so, he elects not to do something that will harm her, and chooses to be her friend instead, something that she badly needs. That scene easily could have transitioned them from a very unequal “will-she-won’t-he” to a friendship that would benefit both of them, and give the characters some more room to flex + explore the facets of their similarities/their links to Laura and what they share with her.

Cooper sees Audrey, instead of blindly buying into her adolescent facade, or just looking past her. Even many of the angles their scenes are shot with reinforce that. He doesn’t ignore her.

I think that all of that goes into making their relationship extremely compelling, and, in my opinion, totally dropping that relationship after a point was just shitty writing. The whole weight of his choice to be her friend and to do right by her + her choice to accept that disappears when the show just truncates that entire plot line and dynamic. She needed that friend, needed and accepted what he was willing to offer her! Not to get shuffled off to the side and into a somewhat baffling plot line

(And if the show had gone on longer, or gone a different direction, I think that that would have been the avenue they chose to hammer in to viewers that as sexy as it sounded to a teenager, this is a bad thing, and that Coop was letting hangovers from past trauma/abuse get the better of him— something that is also very thematically appropriate. In a S3 that never was, I think it’s likely that possessed Coop/his doppelgänger/whatever direction they would have gone in the 90s would have attacked or initiated a relationship with her. TPTR alludes to this, I think, with Mr. C’s fathering Richard.)

I understand that there were tensions on set, and actors/execs had very strong opinions, but I do think that the “okay ew that’s over now” way that the show chops off a major undercurrent is badly done, and that the show is poorer for it.

Anyway, that relationship is one that really bugs me in how it developed in the show. Let me be clear that this is absolutely not an anti-ship post: do as thou wilt, have fun whatever I’m not here to pick a fight, and I really don’t care what other people ship. What strangers want to do with two fictional characters isn’t really my business.

But I don’t think that people are making something out of nothing, there, even if I have a much different stance on it. I think I’ve made my opinion of that relationship as romantic pretty clear at this point, but I have eyes and understand when you’re supposed to pick up on tension between characters.

I think that many people try far too hard to pretend that something very explicitly onscreen isn’t there, because they don’t want to wrestle with the thornier parts of it. (For a show that centers around a child being raped and murdered by her father, a great many watchers get surprisingly precious about unpleasant or even gray subjects, it seems to me.)

But I think it’s a shame that one of the most interesting relationships in the show got cut off so severely, and it’s really interesting to think of how they might have followed through on the punch, had there been fewer disasters surrounding the series.

I went on a little longer than I meant to about the idea of the pair of them as a romantic item, and that’s not the major point of this. Really, it’s that I think both characters lost out on that could have developed into something really compelling, because the bones were there. The setup was very strong, and the scene I talked about above absolutely could have transitioned those two into something, anything, more narratively satisfying and interesting than what we got.

I really like both of them, and I think that there’s a tendency to swing wildly one way or the other with Audrey. She’s much more nuanced than I think a lot of people give her credit for (which in fairness is something that afflicts basically all of the teenage characters, not to mention dear Dale), and there’s a place to think about her in-between outright fetishism a la coquette blogs, and pretending like she has no agency or desire/that her neglect has no impact on what she wants and how badly she’s willing to fight to get it.

She’s a major character in the show for a while, and I don’t like it that A) her character gets sidelined so abruptly B) many people in fandom go out of their way to minimize her role in the story. She’s not even one of my big favorites, I just think that she gets a raw deal.

My favorite thing about the show is the deep and knotted relationships, and I think that there was a warm-up swing and a really big miss with this one.

[codecicle-archive]

Heard this guy made A Tribute to Minecraft (and loves cod, tekkit, and dayz. those are lamer though)

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

So we know that Wei Wuxian's treatment after his death was horrible. Even if nothing could impact him directly, there was still neverending slander, hatred, misinformation, theft...

But, for a while after he died, the sects did try to impact him directly – namely, frequently trying to resummon his soul. And today I'll explore the possible reasons for this, their likelihoods, and why I'm so, so thankful that Wei Wuxian's soul managed to resist the summons. Because, spoiler alert (or, you know. maybe not)... none of them are good.

(Long meta ahead)

In my opinion, there are four likely motivations for this: confinement, coercion, torment, and potentially destruction.

Out of all of these, confinement is probably the most likely motivation, at least for most sects (Jins and Jiangs excluded, though it was likely what the Jin sect said their motivations were – but I'll get to them later). This one is the most simple – we know spirit-trapping pouches exist, and we know the sects also placed 120 stone beasts on the Burial Mounds to prevent Wei Wuxian's soul from escaping. Therefore, this seems to be the most likely motivation – and fortunately for Wei Wuxian, probably also the best case scenario, though it still certainly isn't a good one.

For the second, coercion – this is where the Jin sect come in (more specifically Jin Guangshan with the help of Jin Guangyao). Due to their wealth and resources, they're likely the sect who played the largest role in the soul-summoning rituals. We know what they're willing to do to try to gain power – keeping Wen Ning under the pretence he was burned to death and trying to control him with the nails, and working with and helping Xue Yang torture people to help him refine his demonic cultivation, in order to have the Yin hufu fixed. Along with working with many other cultivators, alongside Xue Yang – Jin Guangshan really, really wanted that seal.

And so, Jin GuangShan sought after all those who imitated Wei WuXian in cultivating the ghostly path and gathered them under his rule. He spent a great amount of money and resources and these people, ordering them to study and analyze the structure of the Tiger Seal in secrecy so that they could replicate and restore it. - Villainous Friends extra, EXR

(Note that working with these cultivators very likely happened after Wei Wuxian's soul had failed to be summoned, since this happens some time after Wei Wuxian's death, whereas the soul-summoning ceromonies presumably started happening very close to it.)

In the previous paragraph, he's also quoted as having 'lusted after' the Yin hufu, which we already knew but it's nice to have a direct quote as evidence.

Now, would Wei WuXian willingly work with the Jin sect in doing this? No. We know that, and, given Wei Wuxian's actions in his first life (refusing to hand over the Tally, not being afraid to stand up to the sects, etc), I’m pretty sure Jin Guangshan knows that, too:

He beat around the bush a couple of times, using all his skills, yet Wei WuXian didn’t give in no matter what, and it made him run into a bunch of obstacles. - Villainous Friends extra, EXR

So this could actually make things go two ways. One, I'm wrong and that wasn't actually part of the Jin sect's motivations, since they know they wouldn't be able to control him (and in that case, had they managed to summon him, I could imagine them putting him in a spirit-trapping pouch and doing something similar to what Jin Guangyao did to Nie Mingjue's head. Which, also, not good). Two, it was a part of their motivations, and they hoped to find a way around that. After all, there are other guidao users out there now, and Wei Wuxian would now be a gui*. Also, cultivators can obviously harm ghosts – see the very existence of Night Hunts, and I'd include Xue Yang's talisman-caused destruction of A-Qing as well (while he isn't a traditional cultivator, talismans can be used by everyone).

Now, would either of these methods actually work? I'm inclined to think not really (and I expand on the former method in a note below). Would that stop Jin Guangshan/Jin Guangyao/the cultivators they employ from trying? Especially considering Jin Guangshan's lust for power?

I'm inclined to think no, too.

For the third, look no further than Jiang Cheng's reputation of capturing and torturing demonic cultivators after Wei Wuxian's death, due to thinking they could be him. And this does happen – Jin Ling knows and talks about it, and there's not real motivation for him to negatively lie about someone he loves. Also, when they come across each other at Dafan Mountain, we're told this in Jiang Cheng's inner voice:

A moment ago, Jiang Cheng was certain that this person was Wei WuXian, and all of the blood in his body started to boil. Yet, now, Zidian was clearly telling him that he wasn’t. Zidian definitely wouldn’t deceive him or make a mistake, so he quickly calmed himself and thought, this doesn’t mean anything. I should first find an excuse to take him back and use every possible method to get information out of him. It’s impossible for him to not confess anything or give himself away. I’ve done things like this in the past anyways. - MDZS Chapter 10, EXR translation

This mainly shows that he's tortured people before, rather than that he's tortured people because he thinks they're Wei Wuxian, but this reason is confirmed by Jin Ling in Chapter 24. Of course, the reason is also mentioned in this chapter, and there are other moments in the chapter that illustrate my point better**, but they come from second-hand sources which I know are easier to deny. Do take note of Jiang Cheng's expression both times he comes across 'Mo Xuanyu' (after he suspects he's Wei Wuxian) in Book One***, though:

After a moment, the corners of Jiang Cheng’s lips pulled into a twisted smile. His left hand started to unconsciously stroke the ring [Zidian] again. He spoke softly, “… Well, well. So you’re back?” - Chapter 10, EXR Although his face had always been clouded, marked with arrogance and satire, it seemed as if every corner of it had come alive. It was difficult to determine whether it was vengeful wrath, fathomless hatred, or raving ecstasy. - Chapter 23, EXR

This does seem to line up with what people say his attitude to Wei Wuxian is – there doesn't seem to be any happiness at seeing him again at all. The only time a word that could suggest that ('ecstasy') is used, it's accompanied by 'raving', and considering the context and the other possibilities of his expression, it's... probably not due to happiness at being reunited.

So, considering 1) this, 2) his contribution to the Siege specifically intended to kill Wei Wuxian, and 3) that at the time of frequent soul-summoning Jiang Yanli's death would be even closer for him, I feel pretty confident in saying that yes, this is likely a motivation for the Jiang sect in trying to re-summon Wei Wuxian's soul after his death. And, as mentioned earlier, cultivators can harm ghosts (and we know Zidian is able to remove souls posessing a body from that body, and that Jiang Cheng used Zidian on 'Mo Xuanyu' in Chapter 10. If it wasn't able to restrain/harm ghosts, or other methods weren't able to, why would he risk Wei Wuxian's soul escaping?).

And finally, option four: destruction. We're heading into much more speculative territory here, so don't consider this on par with the first three. But consider this:

We know there are some spells, like Xue Yang's talisman used on A-Qing and the body-offering ritual, that can ruin the returning soul’s reincarnation cycle by destroying it. Therefore, soul destruction is possible.

The 'main'/supposed reason for summoning Wei Wuxian's soul back is to stop the "cultivation world, or even all of mortal land" from being "faced with the most insane damnation and revenge, sinking into nothing but chaos and despair" when Wei Wuxian inevitably returns. While, as mentioned above, I severely doubt this is the motivation for certain sects – and to me is likely a rumour which the Jins (again, especially Jin Guangsha) fanned the flames of to justify summoning Wei Wuxian back for their own purposes**** – there are other sects which would take it more seriously.

Although likely disrespectful, people already thought it served Wei Wuxian right to die without his body intact by the time of the second siege – something believed to negatively affect your reincarnation in your next life*****. This is only the logical next step, and I'm pretty sure the vast majority of people would believe that, again, it would serve Wei Wuxian right, or would at least lead to less harm of the world in the long run.

For these reasons, I could definitely see this as an option for some sects, especially the sects who consider themselves more 'righteous' (cough cough the Nies under Nie Mingjue cough cough). After all, evil is evil and good is good, and the evil deserve what's coming to them. And what better way to prevent that than from preventing his soul from returning at all? So for the Nie sect – and likely some of the smaller sects involved in the Siege, since among them, additudes probably vary – yes, I do think it could be a motivation.

I’m not as sure about the Lans being willing to go this far, and that’s largely for two reasons. One, Lan Wangji’s presence and his relationship to Lan Xichen, who does (not always, but he does) let this affect how he treats Wei Wuxian. An example of this is that, when Wei Wuxian's return is made public, Lan Xichen does let him hide and shelter at the Cloud Recesses instead of trying to pursue him, likely majorly due to Lan Wangji. I'd argue that the aftermath of the Nightless City also acts as an example of this, although it definitely isn't perfect. But though he, Lan Qiren and the 33 elders do come to find Lan Wangji and do not let him continue to shelter Wei Wuxian (after they see Lan Wangji's feelings), Lan Xichen doesn't use this opportunity to kill/capture Wei Wuxian, despite Lan Wangji being in a worse condition due to having fought 33 elders, Wei Wuxian being catatonic, and Lan Qiren likely supporting this outcome (especially considering he was the one who led the Lan sect in the Siege – chapter 68, Wei Wuxian's POV). And he did let Lan Wangji take Wei Wuxian back to the Burial Mounds after:

After he went out of his way to send you back to Burial Mound and returned in such low spirits to receive his punishment, how long he kneeled before the Wall of Rules! - Chapter 99, EXR

Again, this was right after the Nightless City massacre – there isn't any goodwill towards Wei Wuxian at this point in time.

Of course, the Lan sect did participate in the siege after Lan Xichen knew of Lan Wangji's feelings towards Wei Wuxian, which Lan Xichen was no doubt a part of (although Lan Qiren lead the Lan sect in the siege, Lan XIchen had to have at least known/given his support, if not participated.) And it should be considered that Lan Xichen letting Wei Wuxian shelter at the Cloud Recesses was after Wei Wuxian had been back for a while, and had not caused the downfall of the Cultivation World, like many suspected he would after his death. And of course, as stated previously, his handling of the aftermath of Nightless City wasn't perfect either (though please note that his main motive here was to protect Lan Wangji from being potentially executed, rather than anything about Wei Wuxian himself). So caring about Lan Wangji doesn't mean he won't harm Wei Wuxian. But I do think he could find bringing Wei Wuxian's soul back to completely destroy it a bit excessive. There is, though, the chance that the elders of the Lan Sect would react to this differently, and of course they would have a sway on both Lan Xichen and the Lan sect as well.

The second reason is smaller, but there seems to be more focus in the Lan sect than in others when it comes to letting ghosts rest peacefully/helping them move on. And that could definitely lead to more resistance to the idea of summoning a soul back to destroy it as well, which could especially impact the elders. So I'd assume that the Lan sect would be the most likely sect to summon Wei Wuxian's soul back just for confinement, or just for some way of making sure any resentment is disippated, his spirit moves on, and he can't cause more harm to the world (eg via Inquiry)******. Not that he would or does as a ghost or as a reborn person, but that's unfortunately not relevant to this.

But yes, as a motivation for the Nie Mingjue-led Nie sect? Absolutely.

So, these are the main motives I suspect to be behind the attempted summoning of Wei Wuxian's soul after his death (and if I've missed any, please let me know – I'd love to have a discussion). And, of course, none of them lead to anywhere good. Because of course it wasn’t enough to besiege Wei Wuxian, murder the 50 non-combatants he was responsible for (and throwing them into the blood pit as a mark of disrespect because why not?), and lead to his death via him getting torn apart. It wasn’t enough to steal all his inventions, and use them commonly while still slandering him with no reprieve – or to steal his notes and give them to people like Xue Yang to study (Villainous Friends, again) and to use for their own, extremely extremely harmful, purposes. Of course, the cultivation world has to try to harm Wei Wuxian after death as well ((:

We don't know whether Wei Wuxian rejecting the summoning ceremonies was conscious or unconscious, but if it was the former, these are very likely reasons he refused to return in this way. If it was unconscious – for example, maybe during the frequent soul-summons his soul was in a weakened state due to him dying from a backlash of resentful energy and getting torn apart, and it healed over time but not before the soul-summoning rituals stopped – well, I can only be thankful.

Finally, let me leave you on the thought that – although it may well have happened since we don't spend much time in the immediate aftermath of the Sunshot campaign – there isn't even any textual mention of this happening to Wen Ruohan. Who, while not being a guidao user, was still very dangerous, still an extremely powerful cultivator, and still had a lot of reason to feel resentment. So.

:')

Thank you for reading!

--

*Considering what we see of how Wei Wuxian's guidao functions – redirecting the ghosts'/corpses' resentment into doing something they'd want to do, eg attacking people, and directing it towards a target – I'm not sure using it to force a spirit to do something 1) extremely specific, and 2) explicitly against their will would actually work. Iirc the closest thing we get to this in text is Wei Wuxian using the corpses of Wens to attack other Wens in the Sunshot Campaign, but he's still just directing their resentment to a target of his choice, and fierce corpses do tend to be on the less concious side of things (hence why Wei Wuxian had to awaken Wen Ning's consciousness). Considering how Wen Ning attacks Wei Wuxian and the Burial Mound Wens before his consciousness had fully awoken, I... really don't think those fierce corpses were able to differentiate (or didn't care).

Meanwhile, ghosts seem to be a bit more in control of themselves – see A-Qing, and Wei Wuxian's own descriptions of his ghost self.

That, alongside ghost!Wei Wuxian being able to resist his soul-summoning and the fact that pretty much all of the new guidao users are a lot weaker than he was, does make me think that this this wouldn't work. I do wonder about Xue Yang, since his methods are pretty different as well, but he's more of a modao user than a guidao user (he controls living corpses rather than dead people) and I don't think you can insert physical nails into ghosts?? Though if he was specifically instructed to figure out some way to control ghost!Wei Wuxian (who's probably kept in a spirit-trapping pouch in this scenario), he might be able to do something at least. Though also he was also struggling to piece Xiao Xingchen's ghost soul back together, so he may struggle with those areas?

Well, whatever the potential outcome, I'm so so happy once again that Wei Wuxian's soul managed to resist the soul-summonings...

**Mainly this:

Everyone in the cultivation world knew that the young leader of the Jiang Clan watched out for Wei WuXian in an almost crazed manner. He would rather catch the wrong person than let go of any possibility, and took anyone who seemed like they held the soul of Wei WuXian away to the YunmengJiang Sect, inflicting severe torture on his victim. If he wanted to take someone back, the opposition would surely lose half of their life. - Chapter 10, EXR

But I have heard people say 'you can't prove that it's just more rumours' before, and I wanted my evidence to be as watertight as possible.

(And, off-topic... isn't it really sad how Jiang Cheng, in the present day, is described as young? Because, for a clan leader, he is. And another thing he is, is close in age to Wei Wuxian – who was killed 13 whole years prior :') )

***And do note that the only other time they run into each other before Wei Wuxian's identity is revealed to the world apart from this is their brief interaction at Jinlintai, where he can't just act however he wants. The next time they run into each other after it, Jiang Cheng is literally taking part in another siege against him, and still extremely hostile ("surrounded by hostile energy, face insidious, staring straight at him" – from EXR chapter 60). Then he loses his spiritual powers and can't do anything. By the time he regains his powers, Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji and the Wen remnants' corpses have saved everyone during the Second Siege, and though public opinion hasn't properly shifted quite yet, it will soon after Sisi and Bicao tell the story of Jin Guangyao, and voila, a new scapegoat (do note that he doesn't completely bar Wei Wuxian from entering Lotus Pier after the Second Siege, though). Plus, throughout it all, Lan Wangji is still constantly present, which makes it hard for Jiang Cheng to really do anything. And then he's finally faced with the Golden Core reveal, which does alter his motivations towards Wei Wuxian (obviously the resentment is still there – read chapter 102 – but it's also mixed with other complex emotions, and he seems to start being able to move away from that a little in Chapter 103). I still definitely wouldn't describe Jiang Cheng's attitude towards him as positive, but it isn't at the point it was at the start of the novel (eg Chapter 10).

But even if his attitude does change, or would for whatever other reason apart from the reveal, that still doesn't change an initial motivation so isn't relevant to this meta. We know his intentions at the start.

****It's also possible they may have originated it, but I think WWX's reputation was bad enough for it to form naturally. Though you can trace a major part of that back to them, too.

*****That belief isn't outright stated in MDZS, but the fact people are specifically talking about the status of WWX's body in the aftermath of his death suggests that this belief does have some grounding in the MDZS universe, at least? And we know MXTX has included it in TGCF (though that doesn't mean it's definitely in MDZS), so she has used it in her works. If this isn't the case in the MDZS universe I am sorry (although that could also mean there's less importance placed on not disturbing the reincarnation cycle in the world of MDZS...? Which would work towards my original argument) – I don't want to spread misinformation that something is definitely true, I just think there's evidence to suggest it is true, which isn't the same thing.

******Again, I think this would depend on who ends up having more influence over who in the Lan sect. After all, normal resentful spirits only do what they do because of their resentment in death, whereas Wei Wuxian is 'dangerous' because of who everyone thinks he was in life – so him being reborn naturally could also 'cause a lot of harm to the world' during the time period this version of him would live in, unlike the resentful ghosts they appease. This could definitely lead to many advocating for confinement, I think.

[lang-shih-na]

the very first words out of shih-na's mouth to lang after admitting to being a spy and a murderer are flirting with him. you really have to respect a girlie who shoots her shot even in her darkest hour

[catzgam3rz]

BACK ON MY QSMP CATCH UP GRIND

PLEASE Take the best boy Chayanne! I love him so much.

(Hes based of a magpie which was inspired from @cloudster-the-clown 's design which is FANTASTIC)

[tricoufamily]

a current day nils and a 90s college student nils who's way too intense about his internship walk into a bar

[doodle17]

Could you maybe tell us what future Raz and Lilis relationship is like now?

*vibrating with excitement*

Putting this under a read more because it might be really long hemngh

So I'd decided to study their characters and how they interact a little more (mostly from the second game, but a little bit of the first too) and think about how their relationship would develop as they got older.

I came to the conclusion that I want to portray them as two people who have some level of affection for the other, but don't have time to focus on being sappy "boyfriend and girlfriend" because of work. The "fun" part their relationship ended waaaay back when they were 18-ish and went from Junior Agents to Official Psychonauts. It ain't exactly easy to go on dates and save the world at the same time y'know, and both of them have a lot of personal stuff going on.

Raz is almost always busy. Constantly filling out paperwork, running around in Sasha's lab, doing agent stuff, Circus stuff, the WHOLE shebang. Lili, is still trying to get over her dad's retirement, as the while thing still feels very surreal to her. Not to mention Hollis and her dad trying to push her to become the next Grand Head, much to her dismay. It's not very easy to have a social life with that much going on to be 100% honest.

Theres also taking their very different personalities into account. Lili's "Fuck around and find out" and Raz's sticking to a solid plan type of methods tend to clash quite often, and many newcomers have a hard time telling whether or not they're dating or competing with eachother.

Lili is probably the most complicated woman Raz has ever worked with, and while he finds it endearing he also finds it incredibly exhausting. Sometimes, It feels like she'll do the exact opposite of what he tells her just to get a reaction out of him, out of spite. But it's not like she can help it. She absolutely hates being told what to do, and one of her least favorite things about Raz is when he decides to become "Mr. Boss man" and order everyone around during missions. Despite all of- that- however, they do end up having very successful missions!... Most of the time.

There's also the pressure to keep up professional appearances for their fellow agents and new interns. One thing the both of them can agree on, is that they'll avoid showing any PDA in front of their coworkers. They still cringe thinking about how a little too comfortable they were as kids, and how almost EVERYONE in the Motherlobe knew about it. Luckily, most of those people are retired, quit or fired, and gives the two a better chance to be a little more professional with their relationship in front of the newcomers, because if they have to hear, "You guys are like the next Sasha and Milla!" One more time...

This isn't to say that things are always rough and gloomy for them. They still have a very special connection, and after knowing eachother for half of their lives, it's not like they're going to get rid of the other anytime soon. So might as well make the most of it, eh? She'll never admit it out loud, but there's really no other person Lili would rather be tied up and dangling over a pool of pyrokenetic sharks with than Raz (which has actually happened before btw) There's no way you won't catch them holding hands or sneaking a quick kiss at least once.

Anyways, to sum all of this shishkabable up best I can: They're WAY too close to be considered "just coworkers", but they also have way too much going on to focus on a serious relationship at this time.

Good on you if you managed to read my nonsensical ramblings all the way through! Take a prize from the prize bin you deserve it 👏 👏👏

[twofacedbelief]

would anyone be interested in some steven universe creativitwins thoughts because i could cook some up