#Winter 15-16 Mix

[33max]

Winter Warmers ☃️

Winter Warmers is taking place in December and there will be daily prompts for you to write, draw, or create.

There are two different prompt lists for Winter Warmers - a spicy list ❤️‍🔥, and then a fluffy list🧣from @leatherandcherryblossoms! You can stick to one list, mix and match your daily prompts, or if you're feeling adventurous try and incorporate both prompts into one creation. It is totally up to you!

Tag #winterwarmers2024 so we can see your work!

Day 1: ❤️‍🔥 Lingerie | 🧣 Coffee on a Cold Morning

Day 2: ❤️‍🔥 Coming Untouched | 🧣 Evening Fire

Day 3: ❤️‍🔥 Dildo | 🧣 Holding Hands

Day 4: ❤️‍🔥 Frottage | 🧣 Cuddling For Warmth

Day 5: ❤️‍🔥 Praise | 🧣 Tree Lighting/Fireworks

Day 6: ❤️‍🔥 Threesome | 🧣 Playing in The Snow

Day 7: ❤️‍🔥 Omegaverse | 🧣 Blanket Fort

Day 8: ❤️‍🔥 Humiliation | 🧣 Holiday Decorating/Baking

Day 9: ❤️‍🔥 Big Cock | 🧣 Work Holiday Party

Day 10: ❤️‍🔥 Sweat | 🧣 Holiday Travel

Day 11: ❤️‍🔥 Virginity | 🧣 Ugly Sweaters

Day 12: ❤️‍🔥 Daddy/Mommy | 🧣 Mistletoe Kisses

Day 13: ❤️‍🔥 Free Use | 🧣 Cold Hands/Feet

Day 14: ❤️‍🔥 Pillow Humping | 🧣 Holiday Shopping

Day 15: ❤️‍🔥 Roleplay | 🧣 Ice Skating

Day 16: ❤️‍🔥 Omorashi | 🧣 Secret Santa

Day 17: ❤️‍🔥 Public Sex | 🧣 Hot Cocoa

Day 18: ❤️‍🔥 Orgasm Denial | 🧣 Christmas Market

Day 19: ❤️‍🔥 Bondage | 🧣 Holiday Magic

Day 20: ❤️‍🔥 Thigh Riding | 🧣 Matching Pyjamas

Day 21: ❤️‍🔥 Squirting | 🧣 Winter Storm

Day 22: ❤️‍🔥 Gang Bang | 🧣 Presents

Day 23: ❤️‍🔥 Small Cock | 🧣 Singles Holiday Party

Day 24: ❤️‍🔥 Crying | 🧣 New Traditions

Day 25: ❤️‍🔥 Glory Hole | 🧣 Holiday Alone Time

Day 26: ❤️‍🔥 Cock Warming | 🧣 Snowed In

Day 27: ❤️‍🔥 Edging | 🧣 Wrapped Up Warm Walk

Day 28: ❤️‍🔥 Lactation | 🧣 Cozy Hobbies

Day 29: ❤️‍🔥 Somnophilia | 🧣 Seeing Family

Day 30: ❤️‍🔥 Spanking | 🧣 Lights

Day 31: ❤️‍🔥 Overstimulation | 🧣 NYE Countdown

[acesofspadess]

12 Days of Mix-mas

🎄Welcome to Ace's 12 Days of Mix-mas!! I wanted to do both fluff and smut and couldn't choose... so you get both! 🎄

🎄Drivers: LN4, MV1, OP81, CS55. CL16🎄

December 14 ➜ Sleeping In // edging (LN4)

December 15 ➜ Mistletoe Mischief // voyerism-ish (MV1)

December 16 ➜ Christmas Ribbon // bondage (CL16)

December 17 ➜ Matching Festivities // dom/sub (OP81)

December 18 ➜ Winter Wonderland // power play (CS55)

December 19 ➜ Christmas Dare // threesome (LN4/MV1)

December 20 ➜ Secret Santa // sensory play (LN4/ OP81)

December 21 ➜ Christmas Dinner // food play (LN4/CS55)

December 22 ➜ Ski Lodge Heat // temperature play (CL16/MV1)

December 23 ➜ Gingerbread house // praise kink (CL16/CS55)

December 24 ➜ Silent Night // age gap (CL16/ OP81)

December 25 ➜ Christmas Morning Surprise // group dynamics (LN4/ MV1/ OP81/ CS55/ CL16)

[tunamayuuu]

@bsdecember <3

DAY 2 - Snow

why did i write winter? i got the name mixed up </3 kunikida is a darling i loooove to draw lately, and i meant to include him on day 1, instead, i drew one of his mayoi outfits!

. DAYS: 1 - 2 -3 - 4- 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12- 13 -14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31

[lefteagleblizzard]

𝒫𝔞𝔱𝔥 𝔯𝔢𝔧𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔢𝔡 Until dawn males x male reader

Summary: 4 scenarios featuring each of the men from Until Dawn. Meeting them an year after the prank and Hannah and Beth’s disappearance. Each scenario exists in its own standalone world, completely unconnected to the others.

Tags: He/Him pronouns used for the reader. Romance and/or smut. Mike Munroe x male reader; Matt Taylor x male reader; Josh Washington x male reader; Chris Hartley x male reader. Set during the events of the game at chapter 1. All of these are separated and not connected. All of these with bottom male reader. Friends to lovers/ established relationships. Smut. Gay smut. Dom Mike Munroe. Gentle dom Matt Taylor. Dom Josh Washington. Pinning. Anal sex. Sex in the open. Matt and Emily broke-up before the events of the game. Mike and Jess are not together in this. Chris is a flirt.

Words counts: 9000 words (around 2000 for each character).

Can also be found on wattpad and ao3

ℳ𝒾𝓀ℯ 𝓂𝓊𝓃𝓇ℴℯ

You sat on the bench just outside the cabin, the cold biting at your exposed fingers as you scrolled through your phone for the hundredth time that evening. Your heart was doing its best impression of a jackhammer as you opened your chat history with Mike Munroe yet again.

The threads were littered with messages, both casual and charged, and no matter how many times you scrolled through them, you couldn’t stop your face from heating up at his words.

Your thumb hovered over one conversation in particular, a mix of texts and a photo that had been on your mind all day for weeks.

Mike [7:13 PM]: So I just left the gym. Guess what I saw?

You [7:15 PM]: A treadmill that wasn’t terrified of you for once?

Mike [7:16 PM]: Wow, rude. My cardio game is STRONG.

You [7:18 PM]: Sure it is. What’d you actually see?

Mike [7:20 PM]: Someone broke one of the bench press racks.

You [7:21 PM]: He broke it? Like snapped it in half?

Mike [7:23 PM]: Nah, he was just being an idiot and overloaded it without a spotter. It cracked. Dude nearly took his head off.

You [7:25 PM]: Jesus. That’s terrifying.

Mike [7:27 PM]: You tell me.

He followed the message with a photo. You’d stared at it for longer than you’d ever admit.

In the picture, Mike stood in the gym. Behind him, the cracked bench press was visible, but your eyes had been glued to his frame for far too long. Sweat glistening on his skin, his simple white tank top clinging to his broad chest. His hair was slightly mussed, strands sticking to his forehead, and there was a teasing grin on his face, one brow raised in a way that screamed smug.

You could still feel the way your face had burned after seeing that photo. He was infuriating in the best way possible.

The soft thud of snow against your chest startled you so completely that your phone slipped slightly from your grasp. You barely managed to grab it before it hit the bench, a surprised gasp escaping your lips as you looked down at the patch of snow now scattered across your clothes.

A triumphant shout rang out and you looked up to see Mike standing a little ways up the slope, his grin wide and victorious. “Bullseye! Right in the heart!”

Your lips twitching into an unwilling smile. “Seriously?”

“Dead serious,” he replied, jogging down the hill toward you, his cocky grin never faltering. “That was an incredible shot. You’ve gotta give me some credit.”

“Credit for assaulting me?” you shot back, though the humor in your tone betrayed your mock annoyance.

“Hey, it’s a tradition,” Mike said as he reached the bench. Without breaking stride, he vaulted over the wooden fence separating the path from the seating area, landing beside you with graceful ease. He plopped down on the bench so close to you that his knee pressed against yours, the faint scent of his cologne and winter air clinging to him as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders.

“Now,” he said, pulling you just slightly closer, “you gonna forgive me, or do I need to buy you a hot chocolate to make it up to you?”

Your laugh came despite yourself and you turned your head to meet his gaze. “You think one hot chocolate is gonna cut it?”

Mike gasped theatrically, his free hand clutching his chest. “I thought you knew I was a man of many talents, but clearly, I’ve been underestimated.”

“And what talents are those, exactly?” you teased, raising an eyebrow.

“For starters, I have an excellent aim. That’s already been proven. I also happen to be fantastic at keeping people warm. Very cozy. Ten out of ten, highly recommended.”

“You’re ridiculous,” you muttered, though the smile tugging at your lips made it clear you weren’t entirely serious.

“Ridiculous or amazing?” Mike asked, tilting his head in mock thought. “Actually, don’t answer that. I already know.”

You rolled your eyes, but the warmth of his arm around you and the easy humor in his voice made it hard to keep up any pretense of annoyance. “So,” he said after a moment, his tone softening slightly, “how are you doing? Really.

The question caught you off guard, and you hesitated, glancing down at your hands. “I’m… okay,” you said after a moment, though the uncertainty in your voice was impossible to miss.

Mike’s grip on your shoulder tightened ever so slightly, a silent reassurance as he waited for you to continue.

“It’s just…” you began, your voice quieter now. “I wasn’t sure about coming here. I mean, after everything that happened with Josh’s sisters…”

Mike nodded, his expression growing more serious. “Yeah, I get that. It’s… a lot, being back here.”

“I was surprised he invited me,” you admitted, your fingers brushing over the hem of your coat. “It’s not like we were super close, you know? And with everything that happened, it just feels…” You trailed off, searching for the right word.

“Weird?” Mike offered gently.

“Yeah,” you said with a small nod. “

Mike was quiet for a moment, his thumb absently brushing over your shoulder. Then, with a small, playful smile, he said, “Well, at least there’s one good thing about you being here.”

You raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“Me,” he replied, his grin widening.

You groaned, shaking your head. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I try,” he said with a wink, but his tone shifted to something softer as he continued. “Seriously, though, I’m glad you came. And if you ever feel like it’s too much, or you’re not sure if you belong here, you can come to me. Anytime.”

The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard, and you found yourself looking up at him, your chest tightening slightly at the warmth in his expression. “Thanks, Mike,” you said softly.

“Hey, it’s what I’m here for,” he replied, giving your shoulder a gentle squeeze.

The sound of soft crunching snow caught your attention and out of the corner of your eye, you saw something moving just beyond the bench. You turned your head slightly and were greeted by the sight of a magnificent, curious elk with wide, inquisitive eyes and soft fur that glistened under the sunlight.

Beside you, Mike’s arm instinctively tightened around your shoulders, his fingers pressing against your jacket in a protective squeeze. It was only when he took in the elk’s nonchalant demeanor that his tension eased.

“Careful,” he said softly, his voice low and cautious.

“I’ll be fine,” you said, your tone calm as you gently slipped out from under his arm, much to his clear disappointment. He sat back, watching as you reached for your bag.

Fishing through it, you found the remainder of a snack you hadn’t finished earlier. Unwrapping it, you extended your hand toward the elk, holding the fruit out in your palm.

The elk stepped closer, its warm breath brushing against your hand as it sniffed at the offering. With surprising gentleness, it began nibbling on the fruit, its large tongue lapping at your palm as it ate. You chuckled softly, the sensation tickling your skin, and Mike fell silent, his gaze fixed on you.

He couldn’t look away. There was something magnetic about the way you smiled, your laugh so unguarded and genuine as you interacted with the massive animal. The sunlight filtered through the trees, catching in your hair and illuminating your face in a way that left Mike completely mesmerized. His mind spun with thoughts he couldn’t quite put into words.

God, you looked so good like this.

He glared at the elk. That thing was getting all of your attention and he found himself growing annoyed with the creature.

“Lucky bastard,” Mike muttered under his breath as he drank in the sight of you.

When the snack was finished, the elk gave your hand one last affectionate lick before lifting its head and turning away, ambling back into the trees with a serene grace that only added to Mike’s begrudging admiration of the animal.

As you looked down, brushing the moisture from your hands, your gaze fell on the perfect mound of snow at your feet. An idea struck, and your lips curved into a mischievous smile.

“Hey,” you said, drawing his attention. “Could you check my bag? I think I might’ve left my phone in there.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure,” Mike said, blinking as he snapped out of his trance. He leaned forward, reaching for your bag with a slight frown of concentration.

The second his focus shifted, you bent down, scooping up a handful of snow and packing it quickly into a tight ball.

By the time Mike turned back to you, his hand holding your bag the snowball has already been launched, striking him squarely in the chest.

“Bullseye!” you declared, grinning triumphantly as the snow splattered across his jacket. “Right in the heart!”

Mike stared down at the mess for a moment, then looked up at you with wide eyes and an exaggerated expression of betrayal.

“That’s it,” he said, dropping the bag unceremoniously onto the bench as he bent down to scoop up a handful of snow, his voice a mix of disbelief and humor. “You’re dead.”

He soon hurled a snowball at you. You dodged to the side, laughing as the snow missed you by inches and you started collecting more snow for your next attack.

What followed was a chaotic, exhilarating flurry of snowballs and laughter as the two of you launched attack after attack, dodging and weaving across the snow-covered ground.

The next throw was fast and while you managed to shield yourself with your arm, it distracted you just long enough for Mike to close the distance. He tackled you rapidly, his arms wrapping around you as the two of you tumbled onto the soft, powdery snow.

You landed on your back with Mike hovering over you, his weight carefully balanced so he didn’t crush you. His face was flushed from the cold and exertion, but his grin was wide and triumphant, his breath visible in the chilly air.

“Gotcha,” he said, his voice low and teasing as his hands pinned your wrists gently in the snow.

Your laughter faded as you looked up at him, your breath catching in your throat.

The intensity in his gaze was unmistakable, his usual playful demeanor softening into something deeper as he took in the sight of you your flushed cheeks, your bright smile, the way your chest rose and fell with each breath.

His heart was pounding in his chest.

Mike’s hand moved to cup your jaw, his thumb brushing against your cheek as his grin turned softer, more sincere. “You’re gonna be the death of me, you know that?” he murmured, his voice warm and full of meaning.

He leaned down, his lips capturing yours in a kiss that was both bold and tender.

The snowy ground beneath you was cold, but the heat radiating from Mike’s body made it feel distant. His kiss deepened, growing more fervent, his lips capturing yours with a hunger that left you breathless.

His arms encircled your waist tightly, pulling you flush against him, your bodies pressed so closely together that you could feel every contour of his broad, muscular frame.

The kiss was unrelenting, his tongue exploring every part of your mouth with a possessive fervor. His light beard scraped against your skin, the sensation adding a sharp edge to the soft heat of his lips.

When he finally pulled away, both of you gasping for air, he didn’t go far. His mouth trailed down your jawline, leaving a burning path of open-mouthed kisses. He moved to your neck, his lips brushing the sensitive skin there before sucking lightly, his tongue darting out to soothe the marks he left.

“You taste so good,” he murmured against your skin, his voice rough and breathless.

You shivered beneath him, your hands clutching at his jacket as he kissed lower, his teeth grazing your collarbone. His hands slid to your hips, holding you firmly as his mouth returned to your neck, sucking and nipping with a mix of tenderness and urgency.

When his lips found yours again, the kiss was almost brutal in its intensity. His tongue slid against yours, dipping into your mouth to claim and explore, the wet, heated clash of it making your head spin. He shifted his weight slightly, pressing you further into the snow, his hands moving with purpose as he tugged at the waistband of your pants.

The question was silent but clear, his dark eyes meeting yours with an unspoken need. You nodded quickly, unable to trust your voice not to betray how desperate you felt in that moment.

His lips quirking into a brief, cocky grin before his focus returned to his task.

He pushed your pants down just far enough to expose your ass, the cool air biting at your skin for only a moment before his hand was there, warm and firm, kneading the soft flesh. His other hand wrapped around your length, stroking you slowly at first, the friction maddening in its contrast to the urgency in the rest of his movements.

“Look at you,” he murmured, his tone low and rough as he watched your reactions. “So perfect. All mine.”

The words sent a jolt through you, your breath hitching as his fingers pressed against your entrance. He didn’t waste time, his impatience evident as he worked his fingers inside, the stretch a sharp but delicious contrast to the heat building in your core.

His mouth returned to your neck, lips and teeth working in tandem to leave marks that were sure to bloom into dark bruises. His free hand continued to stroke you, the combined sensations pulling soft moans from your lips that only seemed to spur him on.

“Let me hear you. Let me know how good I’m making you feel,” he whispered, his breath hot against your ear.

You couldn’t hold back the sounds spilling from your lips, your body arching into his touch as he added another finger, the stretch pushing you closer to the edge. His movements were fast, efficient, as if he couldn’t wait a second longer.

When he finally deemed you ready, he withdrew his fingers, the loss leaving you gasping. He leaned back slightly, his hands fumbling with the zipper of his pants as he freed himself, the sight of his length sending a mix of anticipation and nervousness through you. He was big, thick and achingly hard, the head glistening with precum as he stroked himself once, twice, before positioning himself at your entrance.

“Tell me if it’s too much,” he murmured, his voice softer now, though the urgency in his movements remained.

You nodded, your breath coming in short, uneven bursts as you braced yourself. Slowly, he pushed forward, the thick head stretching you in a way that was both intense and indescribably good

“Fuck,” he groaned, his hands gripping your hips tightly as he slid further inside, the tight heat of you nearly driving him mad.

The stretch was overwhelming but addictive, each inch filling you in a way that left you gasping. Mike paused once he was fully seated, his breath ragged as he let you adjust.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice strained with the effort of holding himself still.

“Yeah,” you managed, your voice barely above a whisper.

He groaned softly, his lips brushing against your temple as he murmured, “Good,” he rasped, his voice thick with pleasure as his hands roamed your body.

He pulled out almost completely before thrusting back in, the force of it sending a shudder through your body. His rhythm started slow, deliberate, but quickly grew faster, each thrust hitting deeper, harder, until the cold snow beneath you felt like a distant memory.

One hand found its way to your jaw, tilting your face up so he could kiss you again, the angle messy and desperate as his tongue delved into your mouth.

The noises spilling from you only seemed to drive him further, his hips snapping against yours with a growing intensity. His hand left your jaw to grip your length again, stroking you in time with his thrusts, each movement pushing you closer to the edge.

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” he confessed, his voice rough and breathless as he buried himself deep inside you.

His words sent a fresh wave of heat through you, your body tightening around him as your release built to a crescendo.

“Come for me, I want to feel you.” He murmured, his tone commanding yet tender.

With a cry of his name, you came, your body clenching around him as your release spilled over his hand.

The sensation of you tightening around him was enough to send him over the edge. With a deep, guttural groan, he thrust into you one last time, his release spilling deep inside you as his body trembled with the force of it.

Mike collapsed beside you, pulling you into his arms as he pressed a lingering kiss to your forehead.

“You’re amazing,” he whispered, his voice soft but full of emotion.

And in that moment, with both of you painting heavily from the heat despite the cold surrounding you two, everything felt perfect.

ℳ𝒶𝓉𝓉 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁ℴ𝓇

The crunch of snow underfoot was the only sound breaking the silence as you trudged down the icy trail, your breath visible in the frigid mountain air from cursing softly to yourself. The bag with your clothes was still in your car at the base of the mountain. Now you had to descend the trail and take the cable car again, with the sun already starting its lazy dip below the horizon.

Halfway down the path, you spotted Matt sitting on a rock, his shoulders slumped under the weight of unseen burdens.

His usually sunny demeanor had been replaced with a shadowed expression, his body language heavy and defeated. When he noticed you, he straightened, his dark eyes lighting up momentarily before dimming again, his face attempting a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hey, the lodge is that way, you know,” he called, his voice tinged with forced humor as he gestured up the mountain.

You sighed, brushing a hand through your face as you tried not to think about all the long path you still had to do. “Yeah, I know, big guy. I left my damn bag with my clothes in the car.” You gestured vaguely down the path, your tone dry. “So now I’m on an impromptu adventure to go get it before the sun sets and I freeze my ass off”

Matt pushed himself up, brushing snow off his jacket. “You’re going down there? Now?” There was a faint note of concern in his voice. “It’s getting late.”

“Not like I have a choice.” You gave him a crooked smile, shrugging. “I’ve got these, don’t worry.” You flexe an arm in an exaggerated manner, earning a faint chuckle from him.

“Right,” he said, his grin flickering but quickly fading. His gaze dropped to the snow for a moment, as if he were weighing something heavy. Then, hesitantly, he glanced up again. “Mind if I, uh, tag along? You know, to keep you company…” His voice faltered briefly, but he picked it up again with a nervous laugh.

There was a vulnerability in his expression that tugged at you. His usual playful energy was subdued, like a lamp turned down to its lowest setting. It was unlike him this quietness.

“Sure,” you said, stepping forward and reaching out to grip his arm lightly. Your fingers brushed against the solid muscle beneath his jacket and he stiffened slightly under your touch, blinking at you in surprise. His throat went dry and his thoughts raced in a jumble of half-formed realizations.

You probably didn’t mean anything by it. But God, it felt like more. He tried not to stare, but his gaze kept flickering to you.

He had always admired you. You’d always been a little out of his league, at least in his mind, but that didn’t stop the small crush he’d harbored before everything went sideways. He thought about the way you smiled, the way you’d always been so kind to him. Maybe this was his chance to be someone you could see as more than just a friend.

For a beat, he didn’t say much, just walked alongside you in silence until you were face to face with the cabin. His lips twitched like he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite get the words out. Finally, he cleared his throat, his voice quieter than usual. “Uh, I could help with your luggage, you know. If it’s too heavy or something.”

You raised an eyebrow at him, your curiosity piqued. “luggage?” you teased lightly, quirking your lips into a smirk, “Matt, it’s just a bag. I can manage carrying my own clothes.”

“Yeah, well…” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, his gaze dropping to the snowy ground. “Seems like that’s all I’m good for, anyway.” His tone was soft, mostly murmured just for himself, but you caught the self-deprecating edge to it instantly.

You stopped walking, turning to face him with an offended look on your face. Matt nearly tripped over his own feet trying to stop alongside you.

“Matt,” you said, crossing your arms and fixing him with a look. “You cannot be serious right now. That’s all you think you’re good for? Carrying stuff? For other people?”

He blinked at you, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

“Don’t even try to defend yourself,” you stepped closer and poked a finger lightly against his chest. He looked down at your hand, the warmth spreading across his cheeks making him look ridiculously adorable.

“You’re telling me that’s all you’re good for? So what about all those insane jumps you pulled off last winter for your team? Or the fact that you can probably outrun anyone in your sport group? I'm still convinced you could play blindfolded. Not to mention your ridiculous strength. I mean, seriously, have you seen your arms?”

“I-uh… I guess—“ Matt stumbled with his own words at the series of compliments thrown his way.

“I’m not done,” you interrupted, a playful edge to your tone as you continued, stepping even closer. “It’s nice to be with you. You’re fun. People like you, Matt. I should be offended on your behalf for even thinking something so dumb. You’re so much more than that.”

Matt stood there frozen for a moment, his lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Finally, he let out a breathless laugh, his face breaking into a shy, almost bashful smile.

"Uh… wow," he mumbled, his voice cracking slightly. "I, uh… I didn't know you thought about me like that.”

"Of course I do," you grinned, giving his arm a playful squeeze before turning back to the trail. “Now come on, Matt. We still have a long way to go.”

As he followed you inside the cabin, his mind was spinning. The way you’d smiled at him, the way your voice had been filled with both teasing warmth and genuine sincerity flipped something in him. Any lingering doubt he’d had about his feelings for you dissolved right then and there.

Matt was officially, unequivocally head over heels.

The cabin swayed slightly as you stepped inside and took a seat close together, the old structure emitting a low groan that sent an unsettling vibration through your feet. You reached out instinctively, your hand landing on Matt's arm to steady yourself. His bicep tensed under your grip, solid and warm, the fabric of his jacket doing little to mask the muscles beneath.

Matt's breath hitched and his gaze darted to your hand for a split second before snapping back to your face. He noticed the way your expression tightened, your lips pressing into a thin line as you glanced out the window.

He didn't say anything, not wanting to draw attention to your nervousness.

When the cabin finally stabilized, the creaking subsiding, you exhaled in relief and your grip on his arm loosened. You pulled your hand back, murmuring something about how rickety the cabin felt, but Matt barely registered your words.

A pang of disappointment tugged at his chest.

He had already missed the moment, hadn't he? He cursed himself silently, his heart aching at how quickly the fleeting connection had slipped away.

The two of you settled into a comfortable silence as the cable car began its slow descent. You stared out the window, your face lit softly by the golden hues of the setting sun.

You didn't notice it at first, but when Matt turned to look at you fully, the sadness on his face was unmistakable. It was the same defeated look you'd seen earlier when you'd first run into him, only this time it cut deeper, like a wound reopening.

"What did I do wrong?" he asked suddenly, his voice low, almost a whisper. His eyes searched yours, filled with a vulnerability that made your heart twist. "With Emily, I mean. What could I have done differently?"

You turned to face him, your brow furrowing as frustration bubbled quietly in your chest. "Matt…" you started, your tone soft but firm. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"But-"

"No, listen to me." You reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder and his breath hitched again, his gaze flicking briefly to your hand before returning to your face. "You keep talking like you have to justify what happened, like if you had just been better somehow, she wouldn't have left. But that's not fair to you, Matt. Not even close."

He opened his mouth to protest, but you didn't give him the chance. The words came tumbling out, your frustration mingling with the need to comfort him. "You can't keep putting yourself in her shoes, trying to figure out what you did wrong when the truth is, you didn't deserve to be treated the way she treated you. You deserve good things too, you know?"

Matt's lips parted, but he said nothing, his throat working as he swallowed hard.

"And for the record," you added, a hint of teasing creeping into your voice to soften the intensity of your words, "It’s her loss. She's going to regret losing the best boyfriend she ever had. Meanwhile, you'll be off living your best life."

He let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head as he looked down at the ground. "You really think that?"

"I know that," you replied, grinning now.

The smile on Matt's face grew, spreading slowly until it lit up his entire expression. He looked back up at you, his dark eyes shining with something warm, something vulnerable. For the first time in what felt like forever, he believed he deserved something good.

And right now, that good thing was sitting inches away from him.

You smiled back, though the intensity of his gaze when he looked up again sent a jolt through you. His face lit with an expression you couldn't quite place but it made your heart race all the same. You realized, belatedly, just how close the two of you had leaned toward each. His knee pressed against yours, his breath warm against your cheek as the cabin swayed gently.

Matt hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking between yours as if searching for permission. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, he raised a hand and cradled your cheek, his palm broad and calloused but impossibly gentle. Your breath caught as his thumb brushed lightly against your skin and before you could second-guess the moment, he leaned in and pressed his lips to yours.

The cable car rocked gently as the winter landscape stretched endlessly beyond the frosted windows. The dying light of the sunset bathed the mountains in fiery hues, the soft orange and pinks painting the snow with an ethereal glow. It was breathtaking. Something you'd expect to see on a postcard or an oil painting.

But as stunning as the scenery was, it couldn't hold a candle to what was happening inside the cabin.

Your hands were pressed against the cold surface of the mirror door, its frosted sheen reflecting the two of you in the dim light. Matt's sturdy body was flush against your back, his warmth sinking through your clothes and grounding you against the cool glass. A pair of warm lips were on your neck, slow and deliberate, each kiss sending a ripple of heat down your spine.

"Is this okay?" he murmured between kisses, his breath warm against your skin. His voice was soft, tentative, but there was an underlying hunger in it that made your stomach tighten.

You nodded, a small sound of affirmation slipping from your lips as his hands roamed over your body, strong and sure yet trembling ever so slightly.

One of them slid down to cup your ass, his fingers flexing against the curve as he pressed you closer to him. The heat of his touch burned through the fabric of your pants, making your breath hitch. Matt paused, his lips lingering against your neck as his grip faltered for a moment.

"I want to make sure you're okay," he whispered, his voice laced with a mix of uncertainty and desire.

"I'm okay," you assured him, your voice breathy but steady. Turning your head slightly, you caught his gaze in the reflection of the mirror. "I want this, Matt. I want you."

His eyes darkened at your words, a soft groan escaping him as he pressed his forehead briefly to the back of your head. "You have no idea how long I've wanted this," he admitted, his voice barely audible.

Matt's hands moved to your waistband, his fingers hesitating for a moment before undoing the button and zipper. He slid your pants and underwear down, baring you to the cool air of the cabin. His hands returned to your skin immediately, kneading the soft flesh of your ass as he let out a low, reverent sigh.

"You're so… perfect," he murmured, almost to himself, as his hands explored you.

Broad palms sliding over your hips, thumbs brushing the curve of your spine, fingers dipping lower to tease. He was taking his time, making sure you felt every ounce of his care and adoration.

When one finger pressed gently against your entrance, he paused again. "Tell me if it's too much," he said, his voice earnest. His movements were careful and deliberate as he pressed the finger in slowly. The stretch was slight but noticeable and he paused to let you adjust, his free hand stroking soothing circles on your hip.

"You’re okay?" he asked, glancing up at your reflection in the mirror.

"Yes," you breathed, a small smile curving your lips. "You're doing perfect"

His expression softened at your words, his insecurity melting away under the weight of your trust. He added a second finger, his movements slow and deliberate as he worked to prepare you. The tension in your body eased under his care, the warmth of his touch chasing away any discomfort.

By the time he added a third finger, you were panting softly, your forehead resting against the mirror as you pushed back against his hand. Matt pressed a kiss to your shoulder, his breath warm against your skin as he murmured, "You're so good for me."

When he finally pulled his fingers away, you felt both relief and anticipation flood through you. You heard the rustle of fabric behind you as he undid his own pants and then, the unmistakable warmth of him pressed against your entrance.

Matt's voice was soft but filled with need as he asked one last time, "Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."

You nodded, your voice firm despite the breathlessness in your tone. "I want you, Matt. Please."

The groan that escaped him was deep and throaty, filled with both desire and relief. He pressed forward slowly, the stretch of him filling you inch by inch as you gripped the mirror for support. He paused when he was fully seated, his hands gripping your hips tightly as he tried to steady himself.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice strained.

You nodded, your breath hitching as you adjusted to the fullness of him. "Yeah," you managed, "You feel incredible."

Matt let out a shaky laugh, his head resting on your shoulder as he started to move, his thrusts slow and deliberate at first, each one sending a wave of pleasure coursing through you. His hands slid up and down your body, gripping and caressing, as if he couldn't get enough of you. The cabin swayed gently with his movements, the creak of the structure blending with the soft sounds of your shared pleasure.

As he found a rhythm, his lips returned to your neck, peppering kisses and soft bites along your skin. His name spilled from your lips in a breathless moan, and he groaned in response, his hips snapping forward with more urgency.

"You feel so good," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion.

Each snap of his hips sent a wave of pleasure coursing through you, your moans echoing softly in the small cabin.

Matt's lips found your neck again, sucking and biting gently as he thrust into you, his hands roaming your body as if he couldn't get enough. One hand slid up to cradle the back of your head, angling it to pull you into a heated kiss as his other hand squeezed your ass, pulling you closer with every thrust.

The glass behind you fogged with your combined heat and the view outside was forgotten entirely as Matt buried himself inside you, his breath coming in ragged pants against your ear.

"I'm close," he warned, his voice hoarse, and you nodded, your own climax rapidly approaching.

"Me too," you gasped, your fingers digging into his shoulders as your body tensed.

His thrusts grew erratic, his grip tightening on your hips as he chased his release. When he finally came, it was with a deep groan, his body trembling against yours as he spilled inside you, warmth flooding through you.

The warmth of it sent you over the edge, and you cried out, clutching him tightly as pleasure washed over you in waves.

For a moment, neither of you moved, the quiet hum of the cable car the only sound as you both caught your breath. Then Matt wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close against his chest, his lips pressing a soft, lingering kiss to your temple.

"You're incredible," he murmured, his voice filled with awe.

You turned your head slightly, catching his gaze in the reflection of the mirror. "So are you," you replied with a small, tired smile.

And for the first time in a long time, Matt felt like he was exactly where he was meant to be.

𝒥ℴ𝓈𝒽 𝒲𝒶𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃ℊ𝓉ℴ𝓃

Josh sat hunched over on the massive leather couch in the lodge's main room, his elbows digging into his knees and his head cradled between his hands. His fingers tangled into his hair, tugging lightly as he mumbled to himself, barely audible words blending into the eerie silence.

"Keep it together," he murmured under his breath, fingers curling tightly against his scalp. His voice was barely above a whisper, almost drowned out by the wind howling against the windows. "Just… keep it together."

He repeated the words like a mantra, but they did little to quell the storm brewing inside him.

His sisters' faces flashed behind his eyelids, Beth's soft smile and Hannah's nervous laugh, and his stomach twisted like a vice.

His foot tapped a frantic rhythm against the floor and his gaze darted toward the hidden cameras he'd planted days before. They were all in place, every angle meticulously planned.

But it didn't feel controlled. Nothing ever felt controlled anymore.

The sudden knock at the door made him flinch. His head snapped up, his heart racing in his chest. It wasn't time yet. It was too early. He froze for a moment, his mind spinning.

Quietly, he rose from the couch, his socked feet making no sound against the hardwood floor. As casually as he could manage, he glanced around the room, his eyes darting to the hidden cameras he had set up earlier. They were all still there, their little red lights glowing faintly in the shadows.

Satisfied, he moved to the door, pulling it open with a practiced smile ready on his lips.

But the smile faltered the moment he saw you standing on the porch.

Josh didn't know what to do. His heart lurched painfully in his chest as he took you in, the cold wind brushing past you and ruffling your hair. You stood at the edge of the porch, your hands shoved deep into the pockets of your jacket, your shoulders hunched slightly against the cold.

"Hey," you said softly, offering a tentative smile.

Josh's throat felt tight and it took him a second longer than it should have to respond. "Hey," he said, his voice quieter than he intended.

There was an awkward pause, the kind that would've never existed between you before. Before his sisters. Before he pushed you away.

"Uh, come in," he said finally, stepping back to let you inside.

You nodded and stepped over the threshold, your boots squeaking slightly against the polished wood floor. Josh closed the door behind you, the lodge suddenly feeling much smaller with you in it.

He watched as you looked around, your expression shifting as your eyes moved over the familiar space. The place hadn't changed much, but he knew this place probably felt as haunted to you as it did to him.

"You're early," Josh said, breaking the silence. His voice sounded strange to his own ears-too casual, too detached.

"I wanted to talk to you," you said, turning to look at him. "Before everyone else got here."

Josh swallowed hard, his heart pounding again for a completely different reason.

"Oh."

Another pause.

He gestured to the couch. "Uh, sit? If you want, I mean."

You nodded and moved to the couch, sitting down on the edge as if you weren't sure you belonged there. Josh sat a little farther away, his hands resting awkwardly on his knees.

For a while, the conversation was surface-level-small talk about the weather, the drive up, little things that didn't mean much but filled the silence.

But even as you spoke, Josh couldn't stop his mind from wandering.

You looked good. Just like he remembered. Better, even. There was something about the way the firelight caught your face, the soft glow making you look almost ethereal.

He hated himself for pushing you away, for hurting you, for letting the walls he built around himself trap you on the outside.

He found himself fixating on the sadness in your eyes. It hadn't always been there. You used to look at him with so much warmth, so much trust. Now, you looked… fragile.

It made him sick.

He realized you'd said something and forced himself to tune back in, nodding as if he hadn't just been drowning in his own guilt.

"…I was worried about you," you were saying, your voice tinged with hesitation. "I mean, I still am."

Josh swallowed the lump in his throat, his fingers curling into fists on his knees. He didn't know what to say to that, didn't know how to admit that he wasn't okay without opening the floodgates.

"I missed you," you added after a moment, your voice quieter now.

That was the breaking point. Josh's breath hitched and he looked down at his hands, his vision blurring slightly at the edges.

"I missed you too," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

The silence that followed was heavy, but not uncomfortable. Josh felt you shift slightly closer, your presence grounding him in a way he hadn't felt in months.

"I don't blame you for shutting me out. I know you were hurting. I just…" You hesitated, your voice breaking slightly. "I wish you'd let me help you."

Josh's chest tightened painfully, guilt and longing warring inside him. "I didn't want you to see me like that," he said, his voice raw. "I didn't want you to pity me."

"I never pitied you, Josh," you said firmly, your eyes locking onto his. "I love you."

Josh's heart pounded as your words lingered in the air.

It was both a balm and a dagger.

He wanted to believe it was still true. That somewhere, beneath the sadness in your eyes and the awkward distance between you, that love remained. But as you sat there, your voice soft and soothing, his thoughts began to twist, spiraling back into the familiar chaos that had consumed him over the past months.

His gaze drifted to the cameras he'd hidden, their red lights blinking faintly in the dim light. He hadn't planned for you to arrive early, hadn't prepared himself to see you alone, so exposed. You were supposed to be with the others, part of the game, part of the plan.

But now you were here, sitting so close, your presence stirring something raw and conflicted inside him.

Should he spare you?

The question lingered like a shadow in his mind. You weren't supposed to be here, not yet. If he told you to leave, to get far away from this place before the others arrived, he could keep you safe. But if he kept you here, then what? Would you understand him when it was all over?

Only one thing became clear to him.

He didn't want to lose you again.

"Josh?" Your voice broke through his thoughts, grounding him, and he realized he'd been silent for too long.

He looked up at you, his expression softening as he met your gaze. "Sorry," he murmured, his voice rough. "I was… thinking."

"About what?" you asked, leaning forward slightly.

Josh hesitated, his fingers twitching against his knees. "About us," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

You blinked, your lips parting slightly in surprise. "Us?"

"Yeah," he said, leaning back against the couch and running a hand through his hair.

"I've been thinking about it a lot, actually. About what I did. How I pushed you away."

Your expression softened, a flicker of sadness crossing your face. "Josh, you were hurting. I understood that."

"That doesn't make it okay," he said quickly, his voice gaining a sudden intensity. "I shouldn't have shut you out. I shouldn't have—" He cut himself off, shaking his head.

"I shouldn't have let you go."

The silence that followed was heavy, but Josh pushed through it, his eyes locking onto yours.

"You were the best thing in my life," he said, his voice raw and unsteady. "And I ruined it. I ruined us. And for what? So I could sit here and drown in my own misery?

"Josh—"

"No, let me finish," he said, his hand reaching out to grab yours. His grip was firm but gentle, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. "I don't expect you to forgive me," he said softly, his thumb still tracing slow circles on your hand. "I don't even know if I deserve it. But I want to try. I want to fix what I broke, if you'll let me."

You didn't respond right away and the silence stretched between you. Josh's mind raced, doubt creeping in like a cold wind, but then you squeezed his hand gently, your expression softening.

"I missed you," you said simply, your voice trembling slightly.

Josh's breath hitched, and he felt something warm and fragile bloom in his chest. "I missed you too," he whispered, his voice breaking.

Josh felt his paranoia waver, the weight of his plans slipping to the back of his mind as he leaned closer to you. Your faces were inches apart now, your breath warm against his skin, and he hesitated for just a moment before closing the distance.

The kiss was soft at first, hesitant and unsure. As your lips moved against his, it deepened. Josh's hands cupped your face, his fingers trembling slightly as he poured everything he couldn't say into the kiss.

It ignited something in Josh he hadn't felt in so long it nearly overwhelmed him. A year's worth of bottled-up emotions exploded all at once as your lips pressed against his, soft but insistent.

His hands slid up to cup your face, his fingers trembling slightly as they moved to tangle in your hair. He kissed you deeper, harder, his breath hitching when you pressed closer, your body fitting perfectly against his.

When you broke away for air, both of you gasping, his lips trailed along your jawline, then down to your neck, placing open-mouthed kisses against your skin.

"Josh," you murmured, your voice breathy, and the sound of his name on your lips made his knees go weak.

"I need you," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion as his hands gripped your waist. "I need you so bad."

Your answer was a soft moan as you pulled him back into another kiss, your hands tugging at his shirt, your urgency matching his. He let out a low groan, helping you push the fabric over his head before his hands found their way under your shirt, his fingers splaying across your warm skin.

He wanted to memorize every inch of you, to re-learn every curve and angle of your body. The feel of your skin against his palms sent his mind spiraling, and he found himself unable to focus on anything else.

Somehow, the two of you managed to stumble off the couch, your hands fumbling with each other's clothes as you made your way to his room. Josh couldn't stop kissing you, his lips moving against yours with a fervor that bordered on desperation.

When you finally reached his room, he pressed you against the door, his chest heaving as he looked at you. Your shirt was hanging off one shoulder, your lips swollen from his kisses and the sight of you made his heart ache in the best way.

"You're so handsome," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "God, I want you."

Josh let out a shaky breath, his hands sliding down to grip your thighs as he lifted you, carrying you to the bed. He laid you down gently, his eyes raking over your body as he climbed on top of you, his lips finding yours again.

Every kiss filled with unspoken emotion as his hands roamed your body, his touch reverent as if he were afraid you might disappear. He slid his fingers under the waistband of your pants, his breath hitching when he felt how warm and soft your skin was.

"Is this okay?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly as he pulled back to look at you.

You nodded, your eyes meeting his. "Yes, Josh. I want you."

His heart swelled at your words, and he leaned down to kiss you again as he carefully removed your pants, leaving you bare beneath him. He took a moment to drink in the sight of you, his hands trailing over your thighs as he whispered, "You're perfect."

He reached into the drawer beside his bed, pulling out a bottle of lube. His hands trembled slightly as he poured some onto his fingers, the anticipation building in his chest as he positioned himself between your legs.

Your trust in him is evident in the way you relaxed beneath him. Josh's heart pounded as he pressed a finger against your entrance, the slickness of the lube making the motion smooth. He pushed in slowly, his breath hitching when he felt the tightness around his finger.

How was he supposed to handle this?

He worked you open carefully, his free hand stroking soothingly along your thigh as he added a second finger. Your soft moans filled the room, each sound going straight to his already hard cock.

Josh added a third finger, his movements deliberate as he stretched you, preparing you for what was to come.

When he finally pulled his fingers away, he positioned himself at your entrance, his cock aching with the need to be inside you, his breath hitching as he pushed forward slowly, the tight heat of you surrounding him inch by inch. He groaned, his hands gripping your hips as he bottomed out, his body trembling from the sheer intensity of the feeling.

"You feel so good," he murmured, his voice rough as he began to move, his thrusts slow and measured at first.

Josh's hands roamed your body, gripping and caressing as he poured every ounce of his emotion into his movements.

When he finally reached his peak, his body tensed and he let out a deep groan as he spilled deep inside, his hands gripping your hips tightly as he buried himself as deep as he could.

The only sounds audible were your ragged breaths and the faint creak of the bed beneath you. Josh collapsed beside you, pulling you into his arms as he pressed a soft kiss to your temple.

𝒞𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓈 ℋ𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓁ℯ𝓎

You pressed your gloved hand against the cold rock face, steadying yourself as you climbed up the wall near the lodge gate. The gate had been locked and you'd found yourself scaling the icy terrain instead of taking the easy way in.

As you hoisted yourself onto the top ledge, you heard a familiar voice from below.

"Hey! Was there a lot of traffic, or did you just take the scenic route?"

You looked down to see your older sister, Sam, standing at the bottom of the wall with her hands on her hips, a bemused expression on her face.

"It was a nightmare," you shot back. "Endless hours of brake lights and honking. And to top it off, there was a note from Chris on the gate saying it's locked, so I had to climb up here like I'm in an action movie."

Sam groaned, tilting her head back dramatically. "Of course it's broken."

"Your turn, big sis. Want me to guide you?" You said with a grin, holding out a hand.

Sam rolled her eyes, but the hint of a smirk tugged at her lips as she grabbed onto the wall and started to climb. You stayed close, offering encouragement and holding out your hand when she struggled for the final push. "C'mon, I've got you."

With one last huff, Sam grabbed your hand and you pulled her up and over the top. The two of you jumped down together, landing with a satisfying crunch in the snow below.

The path to the cabin cable was peaceful, the sound of snow crunching underfoot the only noise. The trees stretched overhead, their branches heavy with snow and the cold mountain air was sharp but refreshing. As you approached the cable car station, Sam pointed toward a bench near the platform.

"There's Chris’s bag," she said, gesturing toward the familiar backpack sitting against the wooden bench.

"But no Chris," you added, scanning the snowy clearing. "Chris?" you called out, your voice carrying through the stillness

There was no response, only the faint rustle of wind through the trees. You frowned, walking a few steps forward as your gaze swept the area. "Where'd he go? He wouldn't just leave his stuff out here, right?"

"Maybe he is inside the bag," Sam suggested, her tone humorous.

You were about to call out again when you caught movement from the corner of your eye. Turning, you spotted Sam crouched near Chris's bag, her head bent slightly as she stared at something in her hands.

"Are you snooping through Chris's phone?" you asked, your voice filled with mock scandal.

Sam looked up at you, her expression unapologetic as she smiled. "No," she replied, holding the phone out of your reach.

"Uh-huh. And you didn't think to invite me?" you teased, stepping closer to her. "Come on, let me see."

She laughed, shielding the screen with her body. "No way. I know what's best for you, little brother."

"Oh, come on," you protested, craning your neck to try and catch a glimpse of the screen.

"Trust me," Sam said, her tone teasing as she stood up and held the phone behind her back. "You don't need to see this."

"That just makes me want to see it more," you countered, crossing your arms.

Sam laughed again, but as you reached for the phone, she turned her back to you completely. For a brief moment, her expression softened as she glanced at the screen. The chat was still open on your conversation with Chris, and she debated what to do.

Should she tell you how Chris saved your name?

Her lips twitched as she imagined your reaction, the flush of embarrassment that would spread across your face. But ultimately, she decided against it for now.

The stillness of the snowy clearing was shattered by a loud rustle and a sudden, unexpected voice.

You and Sam both jumped, a startled yelp escaping her as you instinctively took a step towards your sister. Chris appeared from behind her, grinning like a kid who'd just successfully pulled off a prank.

"Geez, Chris!" Sam said, her hand clutching her chest as she glared at him.

"Did I accidentally hire you as my secretary?" He pointed at the phone on Sam’s hand before taking it back.

You rolled your eyes, your lips curving into a smirk. "Sorry, sir. We didn't realize your bag was a classified area."

"Alright, alright. I'll take better care of my precious belongings in the future, starting with finding new friends. Now come here. I've got something to show you." he said, motioning for you and Sam to follow him.

He led you a little further down the path until you reached a small clearing. A wooden structure loomed ahead. A rustic shooting range, complete with a rifle resting on the counter and several targets set up in the distance.

Chris turned around, grinning like a kid in a candy store. "Ta-da!" he announced, gesturing grandly at the range.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "So, your 'cool find' is a place to shoot stuff?” She shook her head in disbelief.

Chris turned his full attention to you. "What do you say? Are you interested in seeing just how great my aim is?” Chris said, his grin widening as he moved toward the old rifle propped up on a stand.

You raised an eyebrow, your smirk growing. "Alright, Chris. Impress me."

“Gladly," Chris said, his grin turning smug as he stepped up to the line.

“You’re about to see a true marksman in action." He picked up the rifle, turning toward you with a cocky tilt of his head.

Sam snorted, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall. "This I've gotta see."

He took his time setting up, his movements exaggerated just enough to make you roll your eyes. He aimed the rifle, his gaze narrowing as he focused on the first can.

The shot rang out, the sound echoing through the small space as the can flew off the railing. Chris straightened, a satisfied grin on his face as he turned to you.

"Not bad," you admitted, leaning against the wall.

"Not bad?" Chris repeated, feigning offense. "That was a perfect shot!"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Everyone could hit something so big that close."

"Challenge accepted," Chris said, aiming for the next target.

As he continued to fire, his tone grew more playful, his remarks directed almost exclusively at you.

"If you ever find yourself in a zombie apocalypse, I'm definitely the guy you want by your side," he said after hitting another can.

"Good to know," you replied, your smile widening.

Sam clapped her hands together, breaking the moment.

"Alright, lovebirds," she said, pushing off the wall. "Let's move this along before we freeze out here."

Chris laughed, shaking his head as he set the rifle back on its stand.

The cold air hit your face and you couldn't help but glance at Chris, his easy grin still firmly in place. He met your gaze, his expression softening slightly and for a moment, the chill of the mountain didn't feel quite so sharp.

The hum of the cable car grew louder as it approached, its bright light piercing the snowy dusk. You, Sam, and Chris made your way to the platform, the crisp mountain air biting at your cheeks as you walked.

"Finally," Sam muttered, hugging herself with both her arms. "I thought this thing would never get here."

The three of you stood in comfortable silence for a moment, the sound of snow crunching underfoot the only noise. But as the cable car slowed to a stop, Sam turned to you, her brow furrowing slightly as she remembered something.

"Hey," she said, tilting her head, "did you lock your car?"

Her words hit like a bolt of lightning. You froze, your mind racing as you tried to recall the last few moments before you'd left the parking lot. Had you locked the doors? Pressed the button on your keys? The memory was frustratingly blank.

"I…" you began, but the uncertainty in your tone betrayed you.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Go check before you give yourself a heart attack."

You let out a groan, already turning toward the trail that led back to the parking lot. "I'll be right back. Don’t wait for me."

As you jogged away, Sam turned to Chris, who stood awkwardly on the platform, shuffling his feet. His gaze flickered between you and the cable car and he hesitated, his mouth opening as if to speak but then closing again.

Sam raised an eyebrow, catching the subtle war in his expression. "Well?" she said, nodding toward your retreating figure.

Chris's eyes widened slightly. "Uh, you mean…?"

"Go," Sam said, her voice warm but firm. She smiled knowingly, crossing her arms as she stepped toward the cable car. "He'll appreciate the company. And, you know, you might actually get to talk to him."

Chris blinked at her, his hesitation melting into a sheepish grin. "You sure? I mean, I don't want t-"

"Chris," Sam interrupted, her smile widening. "It's fine. Go."

Grinning proudly now, Chris nodded and took off after you, his boots crunching against the snow as he jogged to catch up.

"Hey!"

The sound of Chris's breathless voice made you turn, and you couldn't help but laugh as you saw him bent over, hands on his knees, his chest heaving. "Out of shape already?" you teased, folding your arms as you waited for him to recover.

Chris shot you a mock glare, though his grin betrayed him. "I'll have you know," he said between breaths, "I am in excellent shape. I just… wasn't prepared for the sudden cardio." He protested, straightening up and adjusting his glasses. "This altitude is killer. Plus, I'm carrying, like, two extra layers."

You shook your head, laughing softly as the two of you began walking back toward the parking lot. Chris stayed close to your side, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets as he glanced at you every now and then, his grin lingering.

When you finally reached your car, you pulled the keys from your pocket and pressed the button. The lights flashed, confirming the doors were locked, and you let out a relieved sigh.

"Well, crisis averted," you said, slipping the keys back into your pocket.

You glanced at the next cable car making its slow descent down the mountain, its light barely visible through the snow. With a shrug, you turned and hopped onto the hood of your car, brushing some of the snow away before settling down.

Chris hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer, leaning against the side of the car with his arms crossed. He tilted his head slightly, his gaze softening as he watched you.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice quieter now.

You hesitated, your fingers idly tracing patterns in the thin layer of snow beside you. "I don't know," you admitted finally, your voice barely above a whisper. "It's weird being back here after… everything."

Chris nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "Yeah. It's been a lot, hasn't it?"

"More than I thought it would be," you said, letting out a soft sigh. "Part of me wasn't sure if I even wanted to come."

Chris was quiet for a moment, his gaze dropping to the ground. Then, with a small, teasing smile, he said, "You know, we could just bail. We'll head to my place, order a ton of pizza and spend the whole night beating my game library. What do you say?"

You couldn't help but laugh, the suggestion managed to ease some of the tension in your chest. "Tempting," you admitted, shaking your head.

"The offer's always on the table," Chris said, grinning. But then his smile softened and he took a small step closer. "In all seriousness, though…"

He placed a hand on your shoulder, the warmth of his touch grounding you. "I think this is a good thing," he said, his voice steady. "Coming back here, I mean. It's a chance to… I don't know, start over. Maybe even get things back to how they used to be."

You looked up at him, your chest tightening at the earnestness in his gaze. "You think so?"

"I know so," he replied, his grin returning. "And, hey, if it gets to be too much, you've got me. Anytime you need to vent, or take a break, or… you know, crush me in Mario Kart or something. I'm here."

The sincerity in his words made your heart ache in the best way, and you felt a small smile tug at your lips. "Thanks, Chris," you said softly.

"Anytime," he replied, his hand lingering on your shoulder for a moment longer before he stepped back.

Chris felt your hands on his shoulders. His breath hitched as he looked down at you, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the soft, warm smile on your face.

God, you look so good when you smile like that.

The thought came unbidden, but he didn't push it away. How could he? You were so close, your face lit by the soft glow of the sun’s distant light and the way you were looking at him was enough to make his chest tighten.

Chris couldn't help but notice how much brighter you seemed in this moment, even though he knew this place carried so many heavy memories. The fact that you could still smile like that, still radiate that warmth despite everything, left him feeling both in awe and completely unworthy of you.

And then you spoke, your voice pulling him from his thoughts.

"Hannah and Beth's disappearance," you began softly, your smile faltering just slightly, "it made me realize how quickly everything can change. Like, in just a couple of minutes, your whole life can be flipped upside down. It scared me," you admitted, your voice quieter now. "It made me think about how much I keep inside, how much I don't say because I'm too afraid, or I think it's not the right time."

You paused, letting out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "But who knows? Maybe tonight some monster will show up and kill me in the snow. So…"

Chris blinked at your attempt at humor, though his heart was already racing. He felt a rush of nervous energy flood through him and when you tilted your head up to look at him, the sudden proximity made his breath hitch.

"What—" he began, his voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat, forcing himself to sound steadier. "What is it you wanted to say?"

His eyes betrayed him, flickering down to your lips for a fraction of a second before darting back up to meet your gaze. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of excitement and panic swirling in his mind as he waited for your response.

You hesitated, your expression shifting into something more vulnerable. Chris could see the nerves in your eyes, the way your hands fidgeted slightly against his shoulders.

"I like you, Chris. " you began, your voice barely audible. You took a shaky breath, your gaze dropping briefly before meeting his again. “I've liked you for a long time."

The confession hung in the air, your words fragile but sincere. Chris froze, his mind racing as he tried to process what you'd just said. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.

His gaze flicked to your lips again, the movement unintentional but impossible to stop.

"You…" he began again, his voice shaky. "You have no idea how long I've—" He cut himself off, his breath catching as you leaned in, your eyes never leaving his.

The first brush of your lips against his was so soft, so tentative, it felt like a spark catching fire. Chris's breath hitched, his body going rigid for a split second before he melted into the kiss, his hands lifting to rest lightly on your waist.

The world seemed to fade away. Everything disappeared, leaving only the warmth of your lips moving against his.

Chris's heart pounded as he tilted his head, his hands tightening slightly on your waist as he pulled you closer. His lips moved against yours with more confidence now.

You made a soft sound in the back of your throat and the noise sent a jolt of electricity down Chris's spine. He couldn't stop himself from pressing closer, his hands moving up to cup your face, his thumbs brushing over your cheekbones as if to anchor himself to the moment.

When you finally broke apart, both of you gasping softly for air, Chris didn't move far. His forehead rested against yours, his glasses slightly fogged from the warmth of your breath.

He pulled back just enough to meet your eyes, his thumbs still stroking your cheeks. "I've liked you too. For so long. I just… I didn't think…"

He trailed off, his words failing him as he searched your face. His heart ached at the mix of nervousness and hope in your expression and he let out a shaky laugh, his lips curving into a small, self-deprecating smile.

"I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to say it," he admitted softly. "You're amazing, smart and funny. I’m just some guy that cracks jokes with an awful aim."

"Your aim isn't that bad," you teased, your voice lighter now as you leaned into his touch.

Chris laughed, the sound soft and breathless. "You're my best shot," he said, his tone turning teasing but his eyes holding a depth of sincerity that made your chest tighten.

You smiled, your hands sliding from his shoulders to rest against his chest, feeling the rapid thrum of his heartbeat under your palms. "You're such a dork,” you murmured fondly.

"Yeah," he agreed, his grin turning sheepish. "But I'm your dork now, right?"

Your smile widened, and before you could reply, Chris leaned in again, capturing your lips in another kiss. This one was deeper, more confident, his hands moving to cradle the back of your head as he poured every ounce of his feelings into the movement.

His lips were soft but insistent, his touch firm yet tender as he held you close. The warmth of his body against yours was enough to chase away the chill of the snow around you, leaving you completely caught up in the moment.

Chris didn't care about the cold, or the time, or the fact that the cable car was probably waiting. The only thing that mattered was you.

When you pulled back again, your breath mingling in the cold air, Chris let out a soft, almost dazed laugh. "Wow," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "That was… wow."

Your smile returned and Chris felt his chest swell with something he could only describe as pure happiness.

Note: Do you have a favorite among the four? I think you all know which one is mine, but I’d love to hear your thoughts! <3 I’m also open to any feedback or constructive criticism you might have.

[artechoceneexplorer]

Continuing the Spectember week drawing bundles, here's the third week of Spectember:

Day 15: Frugivore

Featuring the Eared Palm Harrier (Arecaaetus macrotis), an accipitriform from Eastern Asia that has taken an unusual path for its group, with most of its diet consisting of fruits, with some occasional nest raiding mixed in for extra nutrients.

Day 16: Benthic

Featuring the Colossus Sea Ant (Myrmecocaris robustus), an eusocial pistol shrimp found in temperate shallow waters all across the world, inside huge underwater mounds made of gravel and sand the hordes of sterile males contruct to house the queen.

Day 17: Floater

Featuring the Soul-o'-drowned (Hyaloanima profundus), a species from a group of pelagic sea cucumbers that spend their lives deep in the ocean catching marine snow out of the water column.

Day 18: Pelagic

Featuring the Common Ramtuna (Bathoarietum terribilis), a species of predatory sunfish that stalks shoals of squid from the depths, waiting for the right moment before striking, smashing its bone solid skull into the squid, killing it instantly if it hits.

Day 19: Flat

Featuring the Carpentaria Gilled Turtle (Branchiotrachelus carpentensis), a species of gilled turtle from the Carpentarian Inland Sea, which like the rest of its group, uses highly vascularized tissues inside it's throat to remain under the water waiting for prey for days at a time.

Day 20: Armored

Featuring the Lich Crab (Necromantia regius), a giant terrestrial hermit crab from the forests and shrublands of Antarctica, which, like many other Antarctic terrestrial crustaceans, buries itself in the ground during the polar winter, before exiting in hordes from the ground, searching for prey and mates.

And for the last day of the third week, one of my favourite creatures from the The Future is Wild documentary, the Rainbow Squid!

[redheadspark]

15 or 16 winter fluff with Eddie Munson

A/N - I like this for Eddie! Thanks for requesting this, anon!

Sunrise

Summary - Eddie loves the sunrise, especially with you

Warnings - Fluff with a hint of angst

The body that would be on the other side of the bed was now deserted, making you shiver under the sheets since you were used to having a body plastered against you.

The bed was familiar to you: the small scent of weed, the thin thread count, even the mismatched quilt that was draped over your shoulders was something familiar and safe with you.  But that fact that you woke up alone with the otherwise of the bed still a pinch warm made you worry.  Perking up a bit, the small cramped bedroom was still dark with only a few flickering hints of a sunrise coming through, the temperature alone was slightly chilly since you knew the wall heater didn’t kick on just yet.  The bedroom door was opening slightly, and the hallway window was showing the first signs of snowfall right outside your little apartment.  

Grabbing and old Hawkins High sweatshirt and pushing your hair out of your eyes, you shuffled out of bed and out of your bedroom that was littered with both half painted canvasses and band posters plastered on the walls and some on the ceiling.  You flicked on the nightstand lamp, seeing several guitar picks on the surface that was also mixed with paint brushes and a few paint bottles, but you grabbed your glasses to put on and walk out of your bedroom.  The skinny hallway showed no signs of life, just the faint smell of the coffee maker kicking on and the creaks that came her and there within the quaint living room that as both cluttered and yet cozy.  

A record player perched on a shelf with two arms full of metal vinyls, mixed in with some pop albums too. Two wine glasses that were left out the night before on the coffee table, a stack of books next to the glasses that were well worn and read.  Blanket thrown across the couch and loveseat, all but one massive blanket you knew should be there.  You were about to walk over to where the couch was until you heard the soft sound of wood creaking outside the apartment living room window. 

Looking over, you saw the backside of one particular person facing away from you and looking at the mountains to the East, the first signs of the sun was about to peak over the mountain range.  You knew who it was from the insane mullet hair, and you grinned.

Eddie Munson, your husband and love of your life.

Grabbing a spare blanket, you walked over to the slightly opened window and opened it a bit more without making a sound.  The chill of the winter morning was clearly evident as you slipped onto the slight tilted roof, though it was stable enough for two people as you shuffled over to sit next to Eddie.  He was still watching the rays of the morning sun go up into the sky, the sun itself still hiding behind the mountains that seemed to be too far away from Hawkins.  Looking over to see Eddie, you drank in the sight of his profile, the dark circles under his eyes and the slight wrinkles that were evident along his skin.  He was no longer the youthful teenager that you met as freshman in High School.

“Heya, Eds,” you replied to him as he breathed out slowly.  HIs hair, a bit trimmed from a recent haircut, was slightly swaying in the chili wind as you nudged your shoulder with his, “You okay?”

“Just looking at the sunrise, sweetheart,” His tremor of a voice replied, you grinning as you leaned your head on his shoulder.  

Eddie loved looking at the sunrise, ever since he barely made it out live in the massive battle against Vecna and the Upside Down that almost took over the world.  His body littered with scars from the demon bats, his mind littered in nightmares and painful memories, Eddie was not the same young man that he used to be.  He felt more like a shell, the vigor he had diminished and the fire was more of a simmer.  

But he leaned on you when times were tough and when the moments were hard.  You held his hand through the time where cried and was frustrated with himself for not being able to move on. You held him close when he would wake up from a nightmare, coaxing him back to reality and making sure he was safe.  There were a few times when he wondered why you would stay with him when he was so broken, to which you would simply answer him with one phrase.

“Because I love you, you idiot,”

You both were an odd couple back in high school, the art prodigy and the metal head being an item your junior to his sophomore year.  You loved his high strung energy and how he loved metal music, though you yourself were never truly drawn to it.  He admired your love for painting and loved how you would get paint under your fingernails and sometimes on your clothes. He loved your glasses and you loved his leather jacket. You loved his smile and he loved your laugh.  

You both loved each other, even after the world almost ending.

Since he got out of the hospital with his body covered in scars, he became more inward so to speak.  Rumors about him were still floating around town, though half of Hawkins move away from the town that seemed to be filled with dread and curses.  Eddie stayed behind with his Uncle, the pair of them wanting to change a new leaf.  

The one thing he would do when he felt lost in his mind, would be to watch the sunrise

The first few times you were worried, wondering why he was alone watching the sun rise with no one with him. A stoic look on his face and sitting so still, which was not in his nature at all. One morning you went over to finally ask him why he was watching the sunrise, seeing him softly smile as his brown eyes were trained on the sun about to make its appearance.

“I feel alive when I see the sun.  Like I know I’m not dead,”

You cried and hugged him tightly as the sun rays hit both of your faces and signaled the start of the day.

You stayed a well, going to the local community college and then getting a decent job at the local art studio that was giving you extra money in your back pocket. Eddie worked as a mechanic, getting into trade school as soon as he could then and then he started to work on cars to earn decent money.  You both wanted to have mundane lives in comparison to what you went through in the Upside Down.  After a few more months together, Eddie asked you to marry him one rainy afternoon, to which you replied with deep kisses and tears in your eyes.  

Now, 7 months later and in your new place that you got together just outside of Boston, you were preparing for a trip back to Hawkins for Christmas.  Most of the gang was still there and they were watching to check in on you and Eddie. Uncle Wayne was still there, still holding his job at the plant but earning enough money to get himself out of the trailer park and in a permanent home.  He wanted you and Eddie to stay at his new home for the Holidays, and Eddie was missing his Uncle dearly since Uncle Wayne raised him most of his life. You both were looking forward to going back to your childhood town, and yet dreading it at the same time because of the scars that were still there and the harsh memories too. 

“How about we have some coffee, hm?” You asked him calmly as you felt him drape the quilt that he was under over your shoulders to huddle you close to him.  He didn’t have to say anything, but you knew he wanted you to stay a pinch longer with him.  Eddie was a good reminder to slow down, to drink in the moment in front of you and not let it pass by.  Although you missed the joy he had before, you loved here he was now.

Alive and breathing, watching the sunrise with you

The End

[fantasy-relax]

Sweet Alpha Dangerous Omega

Part 15 Part 16

Anyone outside the workshop would believe that the workers had been delegated to an arduous task because they were all in the room where the plans were kept, observing different diagrams with extreme attention, discussing among themselves, their voices hidden behind the glass.

In reality, they were simply giving space to the only Alpha in the castle who was putting the finishing touches on the easel that had been commissioned to her.

“What try is this?”

“I think seventy-eight?”

“No, it's eighty-four”

“It's eighty-six”

Normally they would continue with their work in the same area, but being the first day after Lady Cassandra's Heat they preferred to avoid problems; not because they believed that the alpha was going to attack them but because the time was approaching when the Dimitrescu would come to verify her order and they preferred not to be in the throwing area of ​​a hormonal omega who also had superhuman strength.

“It's here!”

They all turned to look with different levels of subtlety.

“Master, get away from the window!”

---------

“Your easel is ready Lady Cassandra”

Standing firm with one hand on your chest and bowing your head you greet her before showing her your work, coming closer she checks every detail not because she doubts your ability but because she enjoyed how nervous you were, every time her hands touched the wood she could hear you swallow saliva and when the slightest noise came out of her mouth you held your breath waiting for her answer.

The best thing was that your gaze was fixed on her and only her.

As it should be.

She cleared her throat a little to hide the purring that was beginning to emerge from her chest.

“Excellent work, Alpha”

PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Three words were enough for you to do the perfect imitation of a chainsaw.

Three words and your scent filled the room.

Joy and satisfaction.

Your body emanated that just from receiving the slightest compliment from her.

She bet her sisters could never get that reaction out of you.

She turned to look at you and this time she was the one to gulp as she noticed the adoration in your eyes, the one that never seemed to fade and instead grew more and more making her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. She knew she wasn't ugly, despite her fame she constantly received lustful glances from the maids, but it was stupid to compare lust with affection.

They only wanted to share a few hours, you wanted to share your whole life.

To be her Mate.

PURR-COUGH

“Leave it in my study I have other matters to attend to” She said before fading into her swarm to quickly leave the workshop.

Her entire swarm vibrated with pleasure when it heard your response.

“Whatever you order will be done”

Sweet Alpha, my Alpha.

-------------------

“Cassie, what do you told the Alpha, she hasn't given me a single gift! It's been three weeks already!” Daniela whined dancing without missing a beat, each movement in tune with the calm melody that Bela was playing on the piano.

“I haven’t told her anything, if she hasn’t given you something it’s because she doesn’t want to” She replied while mixing the paint for her next stroke.

“Everything she’s hunted goes straight to the kitchen Daniela” Bela replied playing the piano with one hand while erasing and rewriting with the other.

Painting while Bela composed and Daniela danced was a tradition that normally occurred in the winter when the extreme cold forced them to stay within the castle walls, but Mother hadn’t lifted her punishment yet and her sisters (and she) wanted to spend time together, so hunting was out of the question and both Bela and she were unwilling to read the novels the youngest offered to discuss (she knew it was just a matter of time before Daniela got her way) leaving this as the best option.

“Everything?”

The eldest nodded before continuing.

“Although after hunting the food for the kitchen, she asks me for permission to explore the limits of our territory.” While Bela answered the youngest question, Cassandra knew that her gaze was on her, “In search of a brown bear to take its fur.”

“Oh? And how did it go?” She asked calmly and with fake mockery “I don’t think finding one would be that difficult.”

“It isn't, but none of them are good enough for her.” The blonde spoke with a slight humor in her voice, “She wants one without any scars, as big as possible and with extra soft fur, I told her it's easier to buy one from the duke.”

“And what did she say?” Daniela asked as she prepared to do a pirouette.

“That doing that would take away its value as a courtship gift.” Bela stopped playing smiling as she taps her chin with a finger. “Especially when it's a request made by her Omega.”

Daniela's feet tangled, sending her to the ground and from there she let out a perplexed “WHAT?” while Cassandra with her face burning screamed “I'M NOT HER OMEGA YET!”

Both the blonde and the redhead looked at her in surprise.

“Not her omega...” Bela began.

“...yet” Daniela finished.

“…Enough sister bonding” Cassandra whispered, dropping her brush, and fleeing in her swarm from the room.

But the distance was not enough to escape the connection with her sisters.

-Not yet, not yet, not yet! - Daniela sang delightedly.

- I will keep the Lycans away from my not yet sister-in-law - Bela declared with emphasis.

Ugh and she thought they couldn't be more unbearable, why did the alpha say that to Bela?

A request made by her Omega.

Her omega…

Cassandra felt her face burn.

Daring Alpha

----------------------

Taking a deep breath to control your nerves you held the knife firmly as you went over the procedure you must follow to remove the skin without more damage than necessary. Bela had given you a book that you had read so many times that you were able to recite it by heart, you could do this, you had to do it, and you had to do it perfectly.

The omega asked you and you weren't going to let her down.

It was one more step to take.

One step closer to her accepting you as hers.

To being able to make her yours.

Cassandra was enjoying the euphoria the hunt had brought her, two prisoners thought they had escaped only to meet an even worse end.

In her excitement she quickly finished off her victim, tearing him apart and staining the hallway.

Bela had caught the other one, shredding his leg causing the scum to act like the worm he was, crawling away. Daniela crushed his remaining arm left after spending a week in the dungeon and Cassandra kicked him over to then make a quick and precise cut from his stomach to his chest.

“Dibs on the kidney.”

--------------------------------------------------------

The fur was ready several days later and the only inconvenience was a slightly broken nose due to an accident at the workshop, it was nothing to worry about, Bela said the loss of your sense of smell was temporary and you would heal perfectly. Since it was nighttime and close to curfew, you decided to take the fur to your room and deliver it first thing in the morning; Cassandra had been waiting for your gift for weeks and you didn't want to make her wait any longer.

Taking the fur gently in your hands you set off, tonight you would make sure to cover it completely with your scent, if Cassandra accepted you could move on to the next part of the courtship where you would have to demonstrate your ability to feed your mate (and future pups) by delivering a variety of meats and vegetables.

Normally (according to the elders) an omega would respond with their own courtship process, you blushed imagining Cassandra following those steps demonstrating her worth as a mate, as the dam of your pups.

You shook your head, you needed to stay calm, Cassandra had just agreed to be courted, you must go slowly and not harass her. You had two days off, if she rejected you would cry in your room for a while before trying again; if she accepted you would spend the day celebrating and then move on to the next step.

You could do it. As you entered the hallway, the first thing you noticed was the lack of light and the sound of whimpers accompanied by the sound of laughter and someone chewing. It took a minute for your eyes to adjust and as you did, you could identify arms, legs, pieces of meat on the floor by their silhouettes and a familiar buzzing sounded in your ears.

In the middle of the hallway, three figures with their backs turned on you devoured what you assumed was a body on the floor. You could notice the head moving in your direction.

“Help... me.” He spoke to you, causing his executioners to finally notice you.

Yellow eyes looked at you and everything in you screamed the same thing.

Run away.

…………

Smiling, Cassandra turned to look in the direction she spoke, waiting for a maid outside her room only to freeze when she noticed who the figure was at the entrance of the hallway.

You.

Your face and your scent showed an emotion that she had never seen in you, that she never want to see in you.

Horror.

As soon as she stood up you took a step back.

You don't recognize her, you can't smell her and it's too dark for your eyes, if you knew it was her you would never look at her like that.

She lit one of the Candles quickly and held it close.

“It's me.”

She took a step towards you, you didn't move.

Horror, surprise.

No, please.

“They were prisoners, scum.”

A step forward.

Horror, surprise, confusion.

No, please.

“Blood and human flesh are our sustenance.”

A step forward.

Horror, surprise, confusion.

Please.

“We need it to live.”

A step forward.

Horror, surprise, confusion.

Please.

“You understand, right?”

A step forward.

Horror, surprise.

Please.

“It's part of me.”

A step forward.

Horror, surprise.

Please.

She is so close.

“You love me, right?”

A step forward.

Surprise.

If she stretches out her hand, she can touch you.

AHHHHH

The maid's scream scares you; Cassandra doesn't think, she just wants to silence her.

She cuts off her head and it falls at your feet; you take a step back and end up slipping on the blood.

Horror.

Cassandra comes closer to help you.

Horror.

Please don't...

You get up to run without looking at her

....leave her

[moongirlwidow]

File: Volkov, Anetka Vespera —> Notable Events

Aliases: Winter Widow

Status: Classified

File Last updated: July 6, 2023 AD

Status: Student

Age: 15

Class: 16ABX

Total Missions: 681

Missions completed: 671

Missions successful: 670

Mission failures: 1

Kill count: ~10k

The First Winter Soldier Incident

Date of occurrence: April 6, 2012

Age: 6 years

Summary: the Winter Soldier was brought to the academy for a pruning of classes and training session. After watching the elder classes fight and largely fail against the Soldat, Volkov faked unconsciousness. The objective of her class was to survive, however she laid limp for an hour before performing takedown 6AN19Y, a skill she had not been taught not previously seen. She proceeded to render the Soldat unconscious, the only Widow under the age of 11 to do so

Aftermath: following this, in consideration with Volkov’s other skills, statistics and mannerisms, she was selected to train as the replacement for the Iron Maiden, Melina Vostokov, alongside A. Dreykov, Taskmaster

Melbourne Playground 618

Date of occurrence: July 16, 2010

Age: 4 years

Summary: flammable gas canisters were placed in the playground at [redacted](Melbourne, Australia) by Volkov, Galkin and Zubov, lit with a dropped cigarette

Casualties: 29

Targets killed: 6/6

Myers Mountain Poisioning

Date of occurrence: October 16-31, 2022

Age: 13

Summary: Volkov infiltrated the Myers-Henderson Charity Gala in Salt Lake City Utah, seduced Messers. George Cawford and Issac Wells into her suite where she followed orders to lead them on in belief of a possible three-way encounter. She then put a heavy poison on her neck and lips which when oral contact is made knocks the victim unconscious, with the safety precaution of a powder which could be applied via [redacted]

Casualties: 2

Targets killed: 2/2

Retrieval of Archival Soviet Files from [redacted] Castle, Scotland

Date of occurence: August 12, 2022

Age: 15

Summary: Volkov alongside Taskmaster attended a fantasy-theme event in Scotland, using this as a cover to retrieve various Soviet files and archival items. Volkov created a contact with Nina Brown to gain na alibi for being out late, once again showing her skill in seducing women of a lesbian persuasion

Casualties: 0

Items Retrieved: 45/44

Graduation Test

Date of occurrence: July 28, 2023

Age: 15

Summary: following suit with N. Romanova, Volkov’s test included the retiring of her class. She was left blindfolded in a room with four of her peers, all of whom were shot at point-blank range, one shot to the heart and one to the throat. She then found herself in a laboratory chamber, and after moving through light gunfire she mixed chemicals to create toxic fumes, claiming the single gas mask for herself and climbing her to aid in avoiding the chemical.

The final room contained Katarina Yubkin and Olga Oborin, second and third ranked in the group. She eliminated Oborin without issue. Yubkin gave a fight, showing weakness as she begged for mercy before her death. Volkov then checked all bodies to confirm deaths and emerged for her assessment.

Score: 112/100

Time: 7 minutes, 26.751 seconds (record, beats Natalia Romanova)

Casualties: 28

[luvly-writer]

“XOXO”

Tim Drake x Reader

💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋

Series Masterlist:

💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋

Summary:

What happens when you mix the scandalous trio from the Upper East Side Elites with the batfamily? Find out!

Ch. 1 They don’t need an introduction

Ch. 2 She is as beautiful as she is poisonous

Ch. 3 Part-Time lovers, Full time problem

Ch. 4 The Queen and the Prince

Ch. 5 Siblings are the worst

Ch. 6 Let’s go viral baby!

Ch. 7 Angel and Ivy

Ch. 8 She makes the whole place shimmer

Ch. 9 Under the mask, there’s a heart

Ch. 10 Snowy hands & warm smiles

Ch. 11 Fun Loving in Winter

Ch. 12 A Crowd’s Favorite

Ch. 13 Wrapped in Pretty Paper

Ch. 14 A broken heart is fixed by another

Ch. 15 Christmas is a time for lovers

Ch. 16 He followed me all the way to NY

Ch. 17 I can hear my heart breaking

Ch. 18 Nothing happened in the way I wanted

Ch. 19 Every corner of this house is hunted

Ch. 20 The smiles are made of ice

Ch. 21 Gonna regret being too honest

Ch. 22 Loving you was like breathing

[supersmashsoni]

An idea for another Brenner Era Season

1. Haulage Capacity: When an old haulage wagon Skarloey used back in the early days is restored by the Earl, Peter Sam gets the chance to ride it and enjoys it. Trouble ensues when he forgets to mind his limits when he tries to help a broken-down Henry to the next station.

2. Edward and the Express: When Gordon fails, Edward is given the Express despite the big engine’s protests. Edward tries his best, but a faulty coupling might spoil his chances.

3. Alfie to the Rescue: Alfie feels left out when the rest of the Pack gets to help with a spring celebration. He gets his chance to shine when Thomas has an accident.

4. BoCo’s New Driver: BoCo gets a new driver, but he quickly proves to be rude and inexperienced, ending with the diesel being sent down to Brendam by mistake. The driver tries to improve for the better, but BoCo struggles to accept it.

5. Sticking it to Percy After an argument with Henry, Percy intentionally gives him a heavy train as a prank. This plan backfires when the small engine has to take the train himself after Henry is delayed.

6. Mavis and the Trolls Mavis tries to spook Toby with a story about trolls cleaning up the quarry at night. Toby winds up turning the prank against her when he takes Sir Topham Hatt on a late-night visit to collect some rocks for a garden.

7. May the Best Engine Win!: Thomas and Emily have a friendly competition to see who will get their work done quicker. Things seem neck-and-neck until one of Emily’s loads spills at a sharp bend.

8. Nia's Perfect Plan When Nia is given several jobs, she comes up with a plan to get it all done on time. When the plan starts to fall apart though, she stubbornly sticks to it.

9. Leave After the Bluebell!: The engines are excited when Stepney is due to visit the island again after a long overhaul and hold a welcome party for him. Stepney however winds up nearly missing his own party when he offers to cover Norman’s work after the diesel fails at Vicarstown.

"The Festive Season" DVD:

10. Hannah and the Avalanche: Hannah finds herself bored by the care Toby and Henrietta take during winter and decides to travel with Thomas instead for some excitement. She learns to be careful what she wishes for when Thomas accidentally brings snow down at Hackenbeck Tunnel, burying Hannah.

11. Can He Handel It?: Sir Handel starts taking heavier stone trains to finish his goods work earlier. This mixed with a blizzard spells disaster.

12. Gordon's Christmas Special Gordon is put in charge of a special Christmas train but will have to miss spending Christmas with his friends. This results in Gordon having a nasty argument with the other engines when he suggests he doesn't want to. Scotsman may have a way to make things right.

13. Spencer’s Snowslide: After Rebecca gets covered in snow at Crovan’s Gate, Spencer teases her insufferably. He eats his own words when he slides into a blockage at a tunnel.

14: Coal Competition: Max and Monty compete to deliver the most coal one winter. This leads to an embarrassing accident with Trevor and his cart when Monty doesn’t watch where he is going.

Back to normal episodes:

15: Norman Mixes it Up: Norman tries to prove he is more than his faulty engine through helping out the other engines with their work. He winds up accidently having to do several jobs at once, leading to him pulling one of the strangest mixed trains the Island’s ever seen.

16: Bad to the BoCo: Jealous of all the praise BoCo receives, Diesel challenges the big diesel to a strength competition. BoCo is reluctant to take part but does so accidentally when he accidentally takes the train Diesel put together for the competition…with Diesel still at the other end!

17: Bulgy and the Twins: While helping out around Edward’s branchline, Bulgy tries to cause trouble for the engines. He soon runs afoul of Bill and Ben, who trick him into trying to appease a transportation inspector.

18: Holding Your Buffers: Stanley assumes the famous Stepney is used to being pampered on the mainland and tries to give him the same on Sodor, unaware Stepney is annoyed with his overbearingness and losing the chance to do real work again. Things come to a head when Stanley tries to take a passenger train for a delayed Stepney.

19: Read All About It: Frank, the Small Railway’s new diesel, feels left out after learning that the other engines were in a book and accidently hits the back of the shed in anger. He redeems himself when Rex has steaming issues, and Frank comes to the rescue.

20: Rosie’s Passengers: Rosie is asked to cover for Thomas, but her overeagerness leads to her accidentally beating Percy to the junction and she winds up going to Knapford Harbor by mistake.

"Summer at the Seaside" DVD

21: Terri-ing Them Apart: A new engine named Terri, and her snarky brake van Clarice, arrive to help Ryan and Daisy on the Harwick Branchline. After a near miss, Ryan mistakes Terri’s generally nervous nature for her being afraid of him and he tries to make amends, which only stresses Terri out more.

22: Only I in Team: Frank grumbles about having to clean up after the other small engines. He winds up being truer than he thinks when a drought leads to the steam engines being taken out of service, leaving Frank to handle the railway by himself.

23: Terri and the Trucks: Terri’s timid nature makes her an easy target for the troublesome ballast trucks. The Scottish Twins give her advice to keep the trucks in line, but she overestimates the effectiveness of their methods, leading to a tense struggle up Gordon’s Hill.

24: Clarice and James: Clarice is rather impulsive and enjoys picking a fight. This leads to chaos when James has to take over one of Terri’s trains, and Clarice decides to taunt the red engine. The two's bickering soon leads to trouble.

25: Perfect Porter: When Porter covers for Philip at Tidmouth, he decides to rearrange the shunting arrangements to be closer to what he thinks is perfect. This leads to chaos when the other engines can’t make sense of the new organization system.

26: Skiff and the Dolphins: Skiff discovers a group of dolphins living around Arlesburgh. However, when some hunters try to illegally catch them, Skiff tries to save them.

[communicationthroughlyrics]

Master List

18+, Men and Minors DNI- Do not repost works without permission!

WLW, Celebrity Fan-fiction. Heavy use of song lyrics for themes and storylines, and I don't like to write short fics. This is my first fanfic blog in a long time- I appreciate reading everyones comments on my work! Focused on Scarlett Johannson and her characters, Elizabeth Olsen, AJ Cook, Blake Lively, etc.

Bonus points to those who can guess all the lyrics being used :]

Series: I Like Your Blood On My Teeth Just A Little Too Much (ScarJo)

HIATUS

You’re a former military, career oriented security executive who has made quite the living for yourself- but it has always been lacking. Your non-committal attitude has led you down a playgirl lifestyle, never really settling. What happens when your new boss throws you a curveball, and as a result? You end up hopelessly involved with a Hollywood starlet. (Warnings: Smut, Strong Language, Violence, Stalking, Death Threats, Implied Abuse/Sexual Abuse, Flashbacks to War/PTSD)

*More warnings will be added as I write*

Ch. 1 - Are You at One, or do You Lie?

Ch. 2 - We’re Hiding Like a Shadow in the Dark

Ch. 3 - All This Money and This Pain Got Me Heartless

Ch. 4 - Fuck Around and Damn Near Die in it

Ch. 5 - You Pulled Me Under Just to Save Yourself

Ch. 6 - You Blame Me for Everything You Hate

Ch. 7 - Fall Down Before Me, I Want You on Your Knees 

Ch. 8 - The Weight That’s Crushing can be Relieved

Ch. 9 - I Have a Growing Fear and You’re Not Helping Me

Ch. 10 -  I Pulled Off Your Wings, Then I Laughed

Ch. 11 - Army Green Was No Safe Bet

Ch. 12 - Whisper on a Scream, Doesn't Change a Thing

Ch. 13 - Digging Up the Dirt, You Get to Meet All Sorts

Ch. 14 - I Just Want You to Know Who I Am

Ch. 15 - The Only Thing You Brought Is Psychological Warfare

Ch. 16 - You're Gonna Get What's Coming to You

Ch. 17 - A Pebble in the Water Makes a Ripple Effect

Ch. 18 - If You Wade Around Forever, You Will Surely Drown

Ch. 19 - I'll Be Hurtin' When I Wake Up On The Floor

View the Story Board for this pic HERE

______________________________________________________________

Series: I Work Too Hard, Can You Fuckin' Pay Me? (Wanda Maximoff)

ONGOING

Y/N moved to escape some of thier looming troubles from Westview, to the place that their best friend said would make a difference. New job, new digs, will Y/N make a change for the better, or leave another city with their tail between their legs? (Warnings: Smut, Strong Language, Cheating, Intersex!Reader, Alcohol Abuse, Angst)

- PT. 1 - PT.2 - PT.3 - PT.4 - PT.5 - PT.6 - PT.7 - PT.8 - PT.9 - PT.10 - PT.11 - PT.12

______________________________________________________________

One Shots, Drabbles and Stuff

😈= smut 🥰= fluff 😰= angst

S.J. - You Hold Your Hands in the Air, Screaming My Name 😈

S.J. - So Fucked Up, From the Way That You Touch - Pt. 1. Pt. 2. 😈

E.O. - Our Fire When We're Together, Mixed With Paranoid Manners🥰

N.R. - I Got a Secret, So I'ma Drop ‘Em to the Floor 🎄😈

W.M. - Easy to Love 🥰

J.J. - It's Time to Let Her Know What You Need - Pt. 1 Pt.2 😈

N.R. - Let's Talk About Chemistry😈

J.J. - Caught Between Black and White 😰

W.M. - I Just Wanna be Yours 😈

N.R. - There's No Hope In Endless Winter 😰

N.R. - Ancient Sun, Cast Your Light (Pt. 2 to There's No Hope In Endless Winter) 😰😈🥰

W.M./N.R - I Gambled On Red And The Price Was Paid 😈

W.M./N.R - Fuck Me Like You Mean It (Pt. 2 to I Gambled On Red)😈🥰

S.J. - You Should Probably Leave 🥰😈😰

N.R. - I Can't Help The Way I'm Feelin' Pt. 1 Pt.2 😈

E.O. - Watch The World Explode From Underneath Your Glow 😈

W.M. - She Had Other Plans

W.M. - Tell Me Your Limit and We'll Cross the Line Again (Pt. 2 to She Had Other Plans)😈

W.M./N.R. - Come With Us And You Will See ⚰️😈

J.J. - Black and Blue 😈

E.O. - You're A Doll, You Are Flawless🥰

E.P. - Between the Pain and the Way You Look 😈🥰

*credit for images/lyrics used on this blog belong to respective owners, i do not own these images/songs. contents of this blog are purely for creative entertainment purposes, any similarities between those portrayed in this blog and real people are purely coincidental. all works on this blog are fiction. works are my own, do not copy, plagiarize, or steal.*

[salmonight]

Fentonic 2024 - A February Danny Phantom, Art/Writing Monthly Prompt

Heya fellas! As I seen February did not have a monthly prompt yet for DP so I created one just for the kick of it! I made on for MLB with a very specific theme last October and I enjoyed it a lot so i thought i'd create another one, this time for DP as am mainly drawing for this fandom these days.

This challenge/prompt can be taken as a pure DP or a DC x DP (Batpham) one. If u wanna spice it up? You can even mix in other fandoms too! Go wild!

This challenge/prompt can be taken as both an art or a writing one, whichever you'd prefer. I tried to make it so all days can be both drawn and written with the given prompts (at least one of the two). Hope i managed it well enough.

As February is mainly know for Valentine's it will contain a few romatic prompts but most can be taken as platonic. For those not comfortable with writing or drawing romance: feel free to leave out that half of the prompt or even skip that day, no pressure.

Also let's not forget about the other half of it: winter. So stuff associated with it like cold, hot drinks, winter sports and more-

Prompts:

Day 1: Hibernation / Curse

Day 2: Locked out / Childhood friends AU

Day 3: A deadly accident / Snowboard

Day 4: Morning routine / Claws

Day 5: Soulmates AU / Torn paper

Day 6: Smug / Cupid's bow

Day 7: Cooking together / Roses

Day 8: Flirting / Viral

Day 9: Cuddling / Cape

Day 10: Holding hands / Love letter

Day 11: Chaos / Plushy

Day 12: Enemies to lovers / Love song

Day 13: Magical girl transformation / Hair dryer

Day 14: Snow storm / Dry

Day 15: Fur & fluff / Fireplace

Day 16: Failed confession / Ink blots

Day 17: Melting / Shackles

Day 18: Injury / Hot chocolate

Day 19: Mourning / Hug

Day 20: Stardust / Candies

Day 21: Timeloop / Scalpel

Day 22: Symbiosis / Cabin in the woods

Day 23: Love at first sight / Scarves

Day 24: Sleepy / Pink ribbon

Day 25: Skiing / Snowflakes

Day 26: Solitude / Mask

Day 27: Clothing swap / Clone

Day 28: Unexpected / Snack

Day 29: Sunset / Ice sculpture

Ao3 page: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/fentonic_2024

Hope you guys will enjoy this little challenge I made! Cheers!

[kaiustuff]

My Headcanos of Arthur and Merlin (it's a weird mix between a modern universe and the original one)

-Merlin and Arthur were once best friends and even considered each other family.

-Merlin always keeps the purple skittles at the end as they are his favorite.

-Something happened during the period when the F7 team was formed and the time when they actively fought before the spell that fractured their relationship forever.

-Arthur is not a big fan of winter holidays.

-Between their 16s and 20s they both went on all sorts of adventures, and on one trip with pirates they both saw beyond the Island.

-Merlin suffers sleep paralysis.

-Arthur is almost lured by a Kelpie but Merlin saves him.

-They both go to rock concerts, and every time they end up in trouble, one of those times they earned their first arrest, but of course Arthur's mom bailed them out.

-Arthur has been an orphan since he was 15.

-When Merlin is not working all the time on his computer he likes to play Ace Attorney.

-The title of 'Prince' that Merlin holds was given to him by the people, who consider him a celebrity, that and the fact that he is very close to one.

-Arthur was a private tutor in history and geography for a time.

-As a child, Merlin was tormented by dreamlike and ambiguous visions that were incomprehensible to him. However, before they materialized, he managed to decipher them. But when he shared them, most people dismissed him as crazy.

[amiserableseriesofevents]

Wherever you find love (it feels like Christmas)

24 Clegan Christmas drabbles for 24 days!

Prompt from here (but randomized)

[Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6] [Day 7] [Day 8] [Day 9] [Day 10] [Day 11] [Day 12] [Day 13] [Day 14] [Day 15] [Day 16] [Day 17][Day 18] [Day 19] [Day 20] [Day 21] [Day 22]

[Read on AO3]

Day 23: Skiing

Modern AU, wc 1307

“Come work for the ski season,” Marge had told him. “It will be fun,” she’d added, like a fucking liar.

There’s nothing funny. It’s an absolute fucking nightmare.

From his experience Gale already knew people are prone to hurt themselves in the most idiot ways but apparently when you throw ice, winter sports, and alcohol in the mix the situation can only get much worse. He’s been here a week and he’s seen more contusions, set more shoulders back into place than he ever thought possible — and he’s gonna be here til New Year, he dreads to think what else is gonna happen.

Today it’s been calmer than usual, though. It’s two days before Christmas and he’s only had to check on a kid who slipped on the icy floor of the parking lot and fell face-first to the ground; he got away with just a little cut over his eyebrow that Gale assured him won’t scar, and a lollipop for his troubles. Now Gale’s just been filing paperwork for the past few hours, figuring people are more careful on the slopes today since Christmas is close and spending it in the sickbay with a concussion it’s not the best.

He should’ve known, it never pays to be optimistic.

A guy in full skiing attire, minus the skis, barges in, breathless. “We need a doctor!” He shouts and Gale flinches. With a defeated sigh he stands up from behind his table and walks to the guy, putting on his gloves. “I’m here sir, what seems to be the problem?”

The guy, a bit shorter than him and with a bright orange mirrored ski mask on his forehead, looks at him panicked like he has no idea why Gale’s talking to him. “No, not me! My friend, they’re taking him inside!” He says.

Who’s they? Gale barely has the time to think before three more guys barge in, two of them carrying the weight of the third between them. “I’m fine, guys, I’m perfectly fine!” The third guy keeps repeating but from the amount of blood smeared on his face Gale doesn’t think he really is; he gestures for the guy’s friends to sit him on a bed and goes to him.

“Sir, can you tell me your name?” He asks in his most professional voice, assessing the situation: the guy’s nose is bleeding profusely but it doesn’t seem broken, he’s pretty lucky. The worst seems to be his right shoulder, hanging at a very wrong angle.

“I’m Bucky,” the guy says. “What’s your name, doc?”

Gale ignores him. “Can you tell me what happened, Bucky? Did you hit your head when you fell?”

“I did not fell!” Bucky says, indignant. “I was minding my own business on the slopes when a fucking kid came barreling at me like a cannonball,” he adds, tries to wipe his bloodied nose with his right hand and hisses in pain when he can’t get to move it. “I dove out of the way so he wouldn’t get hurt, but I lost my balance.”

“He smacked his face in the snow,” one of his friends offers, panicked voice with a slight Chicago accent. “And then he rolled downhill for a bit. When he stood up there was blood everywhere and his shoulder was… like that.”

Gale hums, pouring some disinfectant on a cotton swab to carefully clean Bucky’s nose; the guy hisses again but stays still under Gale’s ministrations and he has to admit it, he’s pretty good looking without all the blood. Blue eyes wide with adrenaline, a slightly crooked nose that’s been broken before but today got lucky and only suffered a cut along its bridge, strong cheekbones and wavy dark hair peeking out of his beanie.

“The nose’s not broken, but the cut will probably scar,” Gale tells him apologetic. “I’ll relocate your shoulder now, ok? Take a deep breath,” he adds and it’s the only warning he gives Bucky before snapping the joint back into place. Bucky groans, then starts laughing like it’s being punched out of him. “Jeez, Buck, warn a lady first,” he says, voice a bit slurred all of a sudden and that worries Gale.

He finishes putting Bucky’s arm in a sling and picks up a penlights to shine it in his face, tells him to follow the light with his eyes and he obliges, docile like a dog waiting for treats. His pupils are still wide, eyes a bit unfocused but Gale thinks it’s for the pain, not for a concussion. Still, better be safe than sorry.

“I don’t think you have a concussion, Bucky,” he tells him. “But I’d still like to keep you here under observation until tomorrow morning, if it’s ok with you.”

“Stayin’ here with you all night Buck? Feels like I’m the luckiest guy alive,” Bucky shoots back.

“You are lucky,” Gale points out offering him a glass of water and some painkillers. “You only dislocated your shoulder and cut your nose, it could’ve been a lot worse. You need to be more careful on the snow, not only of yourself but of the others around you. You have no idea how many accidents I’ve seen since I started working here.”

“Must’ve been this,” he says cheerfully, fishing out of the pocket of his snowsuit a damp two dollars bill. “My lucky deuce.”

Gale gives him a polite smile in response, then turns to his friends. “You can come pick him up tomorrow morning, if there’s any problem before that I’ll need a number to call.”

“Here,” the third guy says, writing it on a piece of paper.

Bucky looks at him, wounded. “Johnny! Are you trying to steal the hot doctor from me? What about your boyfriend?” He laments and both Gale and the other guy, Johnny, blush fiercely. The other two laugh, and Chicago guy shakes his head. “Don’t worry Bucky, I’m not jealous.”

“I am!” Bucky protests again, and his friends take it as their clue to get out of Gale’s hair, waving goodbye to Bucky and telling him they’ll miss him on the slopes.

Once they’re alone, Bucky shoots him a lopsided grin. “Hey, handsome, you come here often?” He says with a wink and Gale knows it’s the adrenaline and the drugs but still he can’t help but snort.

“I kinda work here,” he indulges him. “How are you feeling? You need to tell me if your head starts hurting.”

“I might lie just to have those hands of yours on me once more, Buck,” Bucky continues, valiantly.

“Name’s not Buck, it’s Gale.”

Bucky looks outraged. “Nah, you don’t look like a Gale. You’re Buck the hot doc,” he says with another grin.

With a faint blush on his cheeks, Gale ducks his head. “Well, call me as you wish: as long as you don’t fake being sick just to get more attention,” he says and Bucky places his good hand on his heart like a good Boy Scout. He stays quiet for a while, leaving Gale to his paperwork, then his voice rises once again.

“Hey Buck? If I’m good and I don’t have a concussion come morning, can I have your number?”

“Why?”

“Mh, cause you’re hot? And I don’t think I’ll be able to ski again during this holiday so I might just stay alone in my hotel room, bored, and texting the hot doctor from the ski clinic might be a good way to fill my free time. Especially if the hot doctor is also bored in his clinic and needs a fun pastime.”

“Like what?”

Bucky smiles so wide it almost blinds Gale. “I can think of a few things I won’t need two fully functional arms for,” he offers.

This time Gale smiles back. “We’ll see,” he says; maybe he’ll have to thank Marge, after all.

[the-conversation-pod]

Spring 2024 Lagniappe

And we're back! It's been a long production season for us, and we've still got projects to talk about! Join us and @twig-tea once more to answer our inbox questions and do quick takes on a bunch of projects we didn't cover in long form, and then hear Ben and NiNi catch up on a few shows or movies, wrap up the season, award Girl You Tried, and ponder the future.

Timestamps

The timestamps will now correspond with chapters on Spotify for easier navigation.

00:00:00 - Welcome 00:01:15 - Inbox: Comparing Cherry Magic Adaptations 00:10:17 - Inbox: Remaking Het Romances into QL 00:16:04 - Catch Up Corner: Young Royals Season 3 00:21:23 - Catch Up Corner: Man Suang 00:25:12 - Catch Up Corner: DNA Says Love You 00:29:23 - Twig’s Dispatch 00:38:35 - Winter Round Up 00:44:45 - Girl, You Tried 00:47:35 - Look Ahead

The Conversation Transcripts!

Thanks to the continued efforts of @ginnymoonbeam as transcriber, and @lurkingshan as an editor and proofreader, we are able to bring you transcripts of the episodes.

We will endeavor to make the transcripts available when the episodes launch, and it is our goal to make them available for past episodes (Coming soon thanks to @wen-kexing-apologist). When transcripts are available, we will attach them to the episode post (like this one) and put the transcript behind a Read More cut to cut down on scrolling.

Please send our volunteers your thanks!

00:00:00 - Welcome

NiNi

Welcome to The Conversation About BL, aka The Brown Liquor Podcast.

Ben

And there it is. I’m Ben.

NiNi

I’m NiNi.

Ben

And we’re your drunk Caribbean uncle and auntie here sitting on the porch in the rocking chairs.

NiNi

Four times a year we pop in to talk about what’s going on in the BL world.

Ben

We shoot the shit about stories and all the drama going into them. I review from a queer media lens.

NiNi

And I review from a romance and drama lens.

Ben

So if you like cracked-out takes and really intense emotional analysis…

NiNi

If you like talking about artistry, industry, and the discourse…

Ben

And if you generally just love simping…

NiNi

There is a lot of simping on this podcast…

Ben

We are the show for you!

00:01:15 - Inbox: Comparing Cherry Magic Adaptations 

Ben

And we're back. We have finally made it to the end of what feels like our longest production season we have ever been in.

NiNi

I feel like we have been recording this season since last season and we're recording right up to the end of the season. Our first recording for this season was on the 28th of January.

Ben

Oh my God!

NiNi

We've been here forever. We're going to change some things up going forward, and we'll tell you guys more about that when we figure it out. 

But for now, welcome to our spring lagniappe. Let's go into our inbox. We have two great questions from two new names and we also have a very special guest. Say hi, Twig.

Twig

Hi everyone.

NiNi

Twig is back with us, and she's gonna help us answer some of these questions. 

Our first question comes from @hellooobees and hellooobees writes: “I'm sure you plan to discuss something similar to this, but now that we have the Japanese and the Thai adaptations of Cherry Magic with the anime also airing, I would really like to know your opinions about them and the unique flavors they add to the mix.”

Thank you for the question, hellooobees. Ben, you've been tracking all of these adaptations. What are your opinions about the different versions of Cherry Magic now and what parts you enjoyed differently about different versions of the Cherry Magic story?

Ben

I'd say for Cherry Magic, I'm really glad that Akaso Eiji and Keita Machida were the ones who introduced us to Cherry Magic. I think both of those actors are really good, and considering what we now know about how much was changed in Cherry Magic, I think it was good that they had two solid actors who could handle that and bring some pathos to that when they were asked to do that. 

But I gotta be honest, having now seen complete versions of the Cherry Magic story as it was originally written out, I will not be returning to the original Japanese live action. The Thai live action is probably the best version in the sense that it's the most watchable, and I think the most consistently satisfying to watch. I think the cast of the Thai version is extremely good, and I think they're very funny. I think they all play off really well together, and I think the overall set of arcs that all the characters go through are really satisfying in that story.

The anime is probably my favorite. The Thai cast is just so likable. The anime cast is… not? And I think I like them more for that. We talked a lot about the Thai adaptation earlier when we had Shan on the podcast. Let's talk a little bit about anime one specifically. 

Twig, what were some of your standouts and notes you took while we were watching this?

Twig

The anime is my favorite version too, not because it's better, but because I had a little more fun with the way the characters are less perfect. Adachi in the anime… he's a little bit mean! And it's delightful. I love a mean twink, and Adachi in the anime version of Cherry Magic—he's a little sullen and a little mean, and he hates people a little bit. He's got a little bit of a misanthropy thing going on that is missing—from my taste—from the other versions of Adachi. 

My favorite moment is when he's standing on a street corner and he sees a couple canoodling, and he's. Just like, “Ugh, straight people.” [laughs] And it's like, yes! Go off.

Ben

He's always calling people normies in his head. It’s so fucking funny. [laughs]

Twig

It's like, “Fuck normies.” Like, yes, I love you! [NiNi and Twig laugh] He's also, like, a little bit less afraid to use his power for his own benefit. There's multiple times where he's like, “Oh, I'm just gonna find out what this person's thinking just because I wanna know.” And he has does moral qualms about it. I really enjoy that more morally gray character that we get in the anime.

NiNi

I have a question, actually, about the use of the different mediums and cultures. Is there anything that, for example, in the anime version, the medium of anime allows them to do that wouldn't play as well in a live action version, or vice versa even?

Ben

There's a really great example of that around the date episode. The [Thai] episode ends with Achi first having a long conversation with Jinta at their cafe, and then he goes to Karan and they have a really big heart to heart moment. That is probably the best way to do that in live action. The actors only have to build the emotions once. Today we are filming this really big emotional scene about the date, and the actors can be ready for that. 

But what I think anime allows you to do is the story can spread those scenes across multiple locations. In the anime version Adachi and Kurosawa unpack their bad date across a series of interactions, across like one or two days. A little bit at work, a little bit while they’re walking in the street, a little bit hanging out at a bar later, and then walking home.

You can do that in anime because you just can place the recordings at the settings that you want to put them in. And I prefer the way the anime handled the fallout of that bad date, but it's harder to do that in live action because it's hard to get the actors to deliver the right chemistry and mood in eight filming locations for a single overarching conversation.

Twig

I think also there is something about the medium that allows the characters to be a little bit more gray and still be lovable because everybody is in more of an extreme. If actors were trying to portray the level of intensity of emotion the anime characters do, that—it would feel very off putting. But characters are allowed to make giant faces beyond what a human can actually make in reality, [Ben laughs] and so I think it's easier to allow people to be more dislikeable and still be loved.

Ben

Twig and I really like how unlikable the anime cast is. That may seem incredibly weird, but like Rokkaku is so insufferable in the early episodes. And like, Fujisaki as a fujo is way more off-putting. Adachi is such a bitch, and then Kurosawa is intense and also aloof. I understand why Kurosawa is single in this version.

Twig

Yes, yes, exactly. [laughs]

Ben

With Karan it’s like, “Why is this man single?” And with Achi, it's like, “My body’s tofu.” Sir, you are New Thittipoom. [Ben and NiNi laugh] We are looking at them trying to pretend like you don't have these enormous fucking shoulders with the way they cut that shirt. Please. 

That gets a little bit fanciful in Cherry Magic Thailand that these guys are single, because they're both really emotionally available for the most part. Achi is just kind of shy.

Twig

Yeah. I also just really like how much more Adachi as a character makes his own decisions proactively in the anime. In the other two versions, Achi and Adachi, feel very led along by the hand by Kurosawa and Karan.

NiNi

Okay, so I think we have a hierarchy. We have a best, a favorite and an original, I think. If that's a hierarchy.

Ben

If you're asking us in a vacuum, like, what's the best one like to show someone so that they'll be impressed with the Cherry Magic story, they should watch the Thai version.

Twig

Yeah.

Ben

If you're asking us what I think my favorite expression of the story is, I really think it's the anime. I really like this version of the cast, like, I like Tsuge and Minato the most in the anime, too. I don't really wanna recommend the original Japanese live action anymore. And it's not because I think they did a bad job with that one. It's just, they made some changes to the story and ended up kind of spinning around towards the end.

Twig

One of the things I focus on about all of the adaptations is that whatever changes were made to the story, the way the characters are changed to work with that was done really well. The characters feel true in each version of the story, and they feel different in each adaptation as a result.

Ben

For those of you who don't watch a lot of anime, or for those of you who do watch anime, there are some real knocks on Cherry Magic anime. The walk animations are not great, particularly when someone's coming from the background to the foreground. Oh my God. There's a Kurosawa walking towards him moment that will haunt me for the rest of the time. [Twig laughs] 

I feel like I have to make that note because anime fans are very particular about animation and art. This is from a B-tier studio. So, be nice.

00:10:17 - Inbox: Remaking Het Romances into QL

NiNi

Let's move on to our next question that comes from happypotato48. And they write, “With all the recent news about Thai bl remakes and adaptations, it's getting me thinking if the industry is going to do remakes, why only BL, why not remake old hetero dramas or movies into QL/ GL/BL? So my question is, if you could pick one older or more recent non-queer Asian media that you wish to get remade into a QL/GL/BL, which one would you pick?”

I mean, I have my clear answers.

Ben

I really want you to go first because you are far more familiar with het romance than I am.

NiNi

My number one answer to this kind of question is always going to be Twenty-Five Twenty-One, because as far as I'm concerned, Twenty-Five Twenty-One is already a GL, they just got confused about what it was supposed to be. Twenty-Five Twenty-One is a Korean sports drama about fencers, and it has one of the greatest female/female relationships, supposedly a friendship, but I'm sorry, this was a romance to me. As far as I'm concerned, these two girls fell in love and it made me completely hungry for sports GL. That hunger that has not yet been appropriately fulfilled.

My other answer, which is an interesting one ‘cause I've been trying to get Ben to watch this. It's My Country: The New Age, fantastic historical kdrama about the birth of the Joseon era. Very warriors’ bond. And yeah, I would make that BL. I think it would work really, really well. 

What about you Twig? Where’s your head at with this question?

Twig

All right, so I had one immediately come to mind because I'm still mad that it wasn't queer to begin with. It felt like it was supposed to be. Nana. Nana is a Japanese manga, I think they even did a live action. It's about these two women who are both named Nana moving into an apartment together, and they are so queer and the underlying theme of the show is so queer. Everybody in that show is so queer. And then they made them straight, and I'm still mad about it. I'm like, “You were wrong. You're just wrong about who these characters are and who they're in love with.” That one absolutely needs to be made into a GL, please and thank you. Also the aesthetic would make me very happy. [laughs] So I just want to see it. 

The other one that came to mind is partially because I'm watching it now, but Hospital Playlist. It’s right there. It would be so easy to remake as a BL.

NiNi

Who would you put together?

Twig

Oh don't, don't put me on the spot. [laughs]

NiNi

Come on. I'm putting you on the spot. Who would you put together?

Twig

Who would you choose?

NiNi

Ik Jun and Jun Wan, I would absolutely make them a couple. I think they're fantastic. Not that I don't love Hospital Playlist exactly as it is, but if there had been an Ik Jun/Jun Wan romance, I would have also loved that. 

What about you, Ben? Where do you sit with this?

Ben

This one is always a difficult question for me because the reason I'm watching Asian drama is for queer reasons. So like, I don't go out of my way to watch a bunch of that stuff. So unfortunately I do not have a het drama that I would like to see redone as a BL. The ones I've seen were basically BL already, like Coffee Prince is clear. It does not need to be remade to be more BL. And I don't actually think that Goblin would be better if it was a BL. I think it works as it is, and I don't really want to change that. 

So I'm going to cheat. I'm not using an Asian drama for this. I want to see a gay version of Really Love. Which is like this generation’s Love Jones.

NiNi

This generation has a Love Jones?

Ben

It's really fucking good.

NiNi

Am I gonna have to watch this?

Ben

You really should. You need to go write this down and go watch it. These two people who are vibing at, like, maybe not the right time in their lives and the success that they're starting to get professionally and creatively is getting in the way of their ability to have the romance that is really important to them. 

I think about that film at least once a month. I'd like to see a gay version of that.

NiNi

I have made a note, dear friend.

Ben

And it's about black people. So you should watch it.

NiNi

Always a win.

Ben

One of the reasons why I have really taken to Asian dramas is the west—particularly Americans—really fucking hate romance and I really like how earnestly—particularly Korean dramas—engage with romance. I think it's what makes BL possible. There's a real appreciation for romance itself in this part of the world. 

I wish I had a better answer for this one, because I think it's a fun question.

NiNi

That's gonna wrap us up on the questions this season. Thank you guys so much. We always love hearing from our listeners. Please, don't be a lurker, don't be shy. Please send us questions. We love them so much.

00:16:04 - Catch Up Corner: Young Royals Season 3

NiNi 

So before we get into the things that I actually watched, like way, way behind the curve, like two years behind the curve, let's get into some of the stuff that we actually caught up on this season that was, I suppose, current. There's two things that we had been waiting for. The first one was the third season of Young Royals and the second was finally being able to watch Man Suang. 

Let's talk a little bit about Young Royals 3. I watched the whole thing. Ben still has not finished it. Ben, what did you think of the parts of Young Royals 3 that you have watched so far? How far have you gotten into it? Are you planning to finish it? And what do you think of it? 

Ben 

I got to Simon is grounded, Wille can't really leave the school now because of the curfew. I think that's as far as I got. I'll say this much: I like that this show seems to take the reality of dating a public figure seriously. I like that Simon is struggling with being online because you can't not be online in the modern age, and he is not given any real training for how to deal with it. Wille is given no fucking training either, he's like, “I'll handle it.” Really? Y’all let this impulsive boy who punches people whenever he gets mad and then just says whatever on national TV, he's in charge of teaching him on how to engage with social media? Okay, sure. Whatever. 

But I'm enjoying the struggle they're having with being public. It's different when your whole relationship has been kind of closeted and now you're suddenly out. You have to get used to what that means, and maybe this isn't exactly what you wanted. I like where it feels like the show is going on the front end, but because I know there's a lot of angst ahead for them and I haven’t been in a very high energy mood for a bit to deal with that, I have not been in a hurry to continue it. 

NiNi 

Though we, the show has presented this thing about being in a relationship with a public figure, for me, tying that back to some of the Asian BL that I've seen, I always go back to the Lovely Writer well. Having these stories in the western context is always really interesting. Interesting in the sense of, I haven't seen something like this be done in the queer western space, but also in the fact that I've seen these stories now. I've seen them in the Asian space and so they feel familiar enough that I don't feel like they’re anything new or exciting, necessarily. 

Did I enjoy Young Royals 3? I really did. But in terms of the Simon and Wille stuff, I like them. I enjoy their romance, I always have. But I felt a little bit like it had been done. And that's because I've been seeing these stories play out in Asian media for a while at this point. I thought that they did a great job writing it. I thought that it was fantastically acted. There's a sequence when Wille and Simon go swimming in the lake at sunrise that I think is definitely worth watching the entire season for, but, I feel like it's been done. 

Ben 

I will say on the way out from Young Royals that I want to applaud Omar Rudberg and Edvin Ryding for the execution of BGP over the last three or four years that they've been working together. I think those two have done a great job of managing the public version of their friendship and the professional requirements therein. They seem to have a really good handle on it, and it seems like their team did a really great job preparing them for all of this. They seem surprisingly chill for people who have gone through the BGP gauntlet.

NiNi 

It has been some gauntlet and Edvin is a young actor in his first major role. I am very impressed with how he's handled himself. 

Ben 

It's just not one of the shows that I am most excited to watch, and some of that is me being kind of grumpy politically. When we're trying to advocate for non-English language media people seemingly struggle with having to read subtitles and don't wanna watch foreign content as a result. But had no problem showing up for this show. There's a wider conversation to have about how fandom will do anything for a white man, even read subtitles. 

NiNi 

Say it. 

Ben 

It's frustrating. I feel like I'm pettily not finishing Young Royals because I don't enjoy how people who say they want more queer stories have ignored BL and then bitched that there's no great queer stories and they watch Young Royals and they're like, “Oh my goodness, I've never seen anything like this.”

I will finish Young Royals. But I am frustrated with the Western audience rushing to watch this show, and then snubbing anything Asian immediately afterwards. 

00:21:23 - Catch Up Corner: Man Suang

NiNi 

The next thing we're gonna talk about a little bit is Man Suang. This is finally, finally been made available to those of us in the West and in an English language subtitle version. 

I really enjoyed this—this is not gay. Or to be more clear, it is not obviously gay. But I thought this was a really interesting piece from Be On Cloud. 

Ben 

I did not watch this. I need you to tell me like, what is going on in Man Suang? Like, what's the drama here? [NiNi laughs] What is even the story they're telling? 

NiNi 

Oh, I get to summarize something. Okay, bear with me. 

Man Suang is a story about Khem, played by Apo Nattawin. When Khem is a dancer and after he dances, he basically gets called back by these various men, women, it doesn't matter, to come to their rooms and perform sexually for them. At the beginning of the film, some assassin sneaks into where they are and kills the guy that he's with, who is a very important guy. He tries to save him and can't, and he's then caught and arrested because of course it's assumed that he is the one who tried to assassinate this guy. And so to save his own life, he agrees to go undercover at this very fancy club called Man Suang. He gets a job there as a dancer and he meets this Chinese-Thai guy called Chatra, who is played by Mile Phakphum. It eventually becomes known to him that he and Chatra are basically on the same side, spying at this club, so they form an alliance and a friendship and possibly something more. But whatever more is happening is sort of subsumed by his trauma. 

Basically, it is a spy story. This feels about mid- to late-1800s in Old Siam. There's a lot of Chinese migration, that integral part of the story. Bas plays Khem’s friend, Wan, who is sent to Man Suang with him to join in the spy mission. Tong plays Hong, who is part of the family who owns Man Suang. They don't know whose side he's on. There's a lot of intrigue. There's a lot of drama, there's a lot of very familiar faces. 

I don't know how to describe the movie other than to say it is intriguing. It is gorgeous. I am not entirely sure the story holds together all the way. My understanding as well, which, I don't know if this is correct, its that the version that we have gotten on Netflix is an edited version. It certainly feels that way. I feel like there are bits of the story that are missing that we are expected to fill in. But the acting is fantastic and particularly as we get down to the climax of the story, there is some phenomenal acting from Bas and Tong. 

I have explained this terribly. When I edit this down it is going to be explained even more terribly. I wish that you had watched this so that you could explain it properly for our listeners. What I will say is that it's a gorgeous piece of cinema. It's beautiful to watch. Everybody is operating at a very high level in terms of the acting. It's a good film, it's not a great film. 

Ben 

I'll probably watch it at some point. 

00:25:12 - Catch Up Corner: DNA Says Love You

NiNi 

Our final catch up is, I finally watched DNA Says Love You! Ben, I'm gonna let you remind the listeners of what DNA Says Love You is about.

Ben 

DNA Says Love You is about this group of friends who are, it feels like late college kids, who are trying to make their little ghost hunting YouTube channel function. The guy and his friend had this other friend when they were growing up, who ended up leaving and they've missed her for a long time. This new guy shows up mysteriously and seems to be connected to her. And you spend most of the show wondering what sort of mystery may be going on here. Is there something spooky going on? Is this a trans story? We're not entirely certain what's happening there. 

When we finally get confirmation about what's going on, the reveals are really great and there's a really interesting execution of a… unexpected queer romance here. I'm gonna continue to talk around the reveals around Amber, because while I don't subscribe to spoiler culture, I do think the presumptions you bring to the table are part of the experience of this particular show, and I don't like revealing the full truth about Amber when I describe it to people who may not have seen it. 

NiNi 

Yeah, I think that's the right instinct. The first time we talked about the show, I remember you describing the show and thinking to myself. Okay, well, from that description I know what this is about. And then I go into the show and actually, no, I didn't know what it was about. I think that that experience is the right experience to have with this show. I think allowing the show to take you on the journey is the only way really to watch it? So I also will not be spoiling the show. 

We're gonna continue to talk around what it is, but I do want to say, having watched it now, I am going to echo Ben's praise of Erek Lin, who plays Amber. I think that Erek Lin did an incredible job with this character. I enjoyed the story. I love that this is a story about friendship more than anything else, and about what it is to be a friend and what it means to carry somebody in your heart for a really long time. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Is it perfect? No. There are a few things that I wish that the show had done—not differently, but probably given some more time and attention to. And then there's some side characters who I found fun and interesting, but I was a little confused about how they fit overall into the story. 

Ben 

I don't think the connective tissue with all of the romance bits going on was necessarily great in this. But I did appreciate the established gay couple sides who are dealing with a potential separation in their future. There's a whole thing of, like, growing pains and growing up in their story that I really connected to. 

NiNi 

Fair enough, but I wasn't entirely sure how they fit into the story thematically, or really, to be honest, narratively. They seemed to be sort of off to the side in their own little story. But yeah, overall, really good show. If I were in the business of recommending things, I absolutely would recommend it. 

Ben 

You have been recommending things with me for over two years now. Highly recommended, go watch it! 

This show is about a queer experience that very rarely gets depicted in any kind of media. This is worth watching. 

NiNi 

Well said, sir. Well said. 

00:29:23 - Twig’s Dispatch

Ben 

We are going to introduce a new segment to the lagniappe of The Conversation, Twig’s Dispatch. We wanted to make sure we gave airtime to all of the shows that we choose either not to discuss on the show or we didn't think warranted a very long conversation. 

NiNi 

The point of the segment is for Twig to just do a round up of what's out there that we may not have seen, may not have wanted to watch, may not have been able to put effort into at the time to get a sense of the landscape and also for Twig to point out, hey, maybe you should watch this one. 

Ben 

So Twig, why don't you run us down your list of shows? 

Twig 

Dispatch! Hey-o! 

So I've got 12 pieces of media that weren't on the list of stuff you've discussed in the season. My Universe it's on iQIYI, 12 two-part episodes that are only very lightly linked together. It felt like a series of school projects. There was a body swap, mistaken identity, in love with your sibling’s friend, destined lovers, enemies to lovers, love Triangle, a coach and an athlete, fake dating turns real, a twincest episode—it did walk a fine line, it made me very uncomfortable—age gap, paid companionship, and terminal illness. If you love one of those tropes, you can just watch that one miniseries associated with that trope, I guess. 

There was a lot of not very well handled difficult subjects in these, so if you have any need for warnings, I would check for the warnings about the episodes you might wanna watch. If you're curious and wanna try one of them, my favorite one was Right Time, Right You, the destined lovers one, episodes five six. It's a little bit lighter than some of the other ones and has some of the better acting. There's also three or four different directors who, you can try out a bunch of different creators and see how you feel about them, which is kind of fun from a viewer perspective. 

Night Dream is actually one of the ones that I like more. It's a second chance romance. I think it's on YouTube, childhood friends, Night and Dream. meet again after Dream had disappeared from Night's life for years and fall back into this sort of will they, won't they that comes from being closeted. This is one of the ones that I liked because it felt a little more queer and they did some interesting things with flashbacks, so we got a mid-series reveal that I thought was actually pretty well done. If you have time and you're open to a slightly more queer feeling story, it's worth giving a shot. 

Going in with low expectations is a good idea, but it's not a terrible waste of your time. 

NiNi 

Bake Me?

Twig 

The actual show was last season, but the special episode landed this season. My biggest complaint about this show was there wasn't enough baking. It was a really frustrating plot. Special episodes, you just have to have something to give people a chance to be with those characters again and see them be cute, really. Right? But they didn't take that route. 

For Shin’s birthday Peach ignores him for days, so that Shin thinks that Peach is gonna leave him, so that he could surprise Shin on his birthday as like the worst birthday gift ever. I [laughs] was not into it. I don't love a big lie as a plot device for a relationship. 

Ben 

VIP Only? 

Twig 

My biggest note about this show was Liu Li coming into his own, being self assured and exercising his own agency and figuring himself out was actually great, but it came way too late. He was so much more interesting as a character when he actually took control of his life, but he was just so passive for so many episodes. What I love about it was he lets go of what he thought love was, that juvenile understanding of what love looks like, to realize what love really is. I thought that was a really cool arc and I was really sad that it wasn't treated better. 

Love Senior the Series. Oh, I had such high hopes for this one, guys. It is essentially the lesbian version of SOTUS. It's a hazing ritual that happens with engineering. The first seven episodes were so great, we got lesbians who were thirsty for each other and they were actually more successful than their gay male counterparts in overturning the systems. We got a character who had casual sex, and it's fine. Yes, anti-purity culture! And then episode 8 happened and someone got drugged, there was slut shaming, there was a car accident, there was amnesia, and then noble idiocy—literally every one of my least favorite tropes. I guess they felt like they needed to have more for their characters to do, but I was, like, really enjoying them just being lesbians and horny for each other. Like, what was wrong with that?

Ben 

Anyway, what is You and My Stars? 

Twig 

That was just a little micro series of two episodes by Mind Trio. They're like a little indie BL-producing YouTube channel that I like to follow. They did my favorite show that no one heard of, Calculating Love. It's not actually that good, but it makes me happy. [laughs]

This one is a little love triangle—I think it's like 25 minutes total—and it's one of the better ones on this list for sure. There's two friends, Hunter and Win. And Win likes this guy Time, but he finds out that Time likes Hunter and so Win tries to help Time to woo Hunter, but Hunter steps away and then we find out who Hunter likes. But I will not spoil it. It's cute. There's some star folding, hence the name. 

After Sundown: essentially, they took the plot of Cutie Pie, but added ghosts, which sounds like it should be really fun. And so it was really disappointing how boring this movie was. [laughs] A poor kid comes to a large estate and is betrothed to a rich guy who's been cursed because his grandfather was gay. That's the summary. That should be really interesting! It was not. I was so bored. 

NiNi

Twins the Series.

Twig

Of all the sports to get wrong in a gay series. How dare you? So these twins, Zee and Sprite, Zee plays volleyball, Sprite does judo. Zee gets beaten up by guys who were looking for his twin Sprite, so Sprite feels guilty and takes Zee’s place on the volleyball team to make sure that Zee can still qualify to compete for the national team later that year. He has to integrate with the team in order to hide the fact that he's not Zee, but he's first of all really bad at pretending to be his twin, and also it takes until I think it was, like, episode 8 before he actually got volleyball lessons from anyone? I was like, what are you doing? He's pretending to be one of the top athletes in a sport that he doesn't know how to play, and nobody notices for the entire series. I was aghast. 

Sprite, the one pretending to be the volleyball player, falls for a teammate named First who hates Zee, the twin who he's pretending to be. The Big Lie went on for way too long. It doesn't get revealed till the very end. And First does not get to be angry about it for nearly long enough for my taste. The leads did have mad chemistry, and Ryan's waist is fantastic, so you know who, kudos to them for working with what they got. 

Do we talk about For Him? What I kind of wanna say about For Him is: pay your actors, and we'll talk about your show. Give Tor Atagorn another show. That was my takeaway from that show. 

NiNi 

Happy Ending. 

Twig 

My favorite thing about this is all of the lore, because everybody went into it going, “Oh, it's Strongberry, it's going to be good” and then it wasn't. And then Strongberry came out and was like, “It wasn't really us, we distributed it.” I mean, the director said outright, “I wanted to make a sad short with an ambiguous ending.” and that's what we got, and I think now he's realizing that maybe wasn't the best goal. 

NiNi 

Bringing things forward that people may not have heard about, there is a BL that came out from Myanmar called Healing Thingyan. 

Twig 

This is a little YouTube miniseries. It takes place as friends celebrate the Thingyan Festival over a period of a few different years. It's short, it's cute, it's free, and it's the only show from Myanmar that I've seen where nobody died. So [laughs] already it's crossing over the bar into things that I'm happier to send support to. 

One of the things that I feel like has to be said about anything coming out of Myanmar is the political situation. As long as it wasn't really bad, I was going to tell people to watch it because I wanna encourage views on shows where people are struggling against the political climate they're in in order to be able to show this kind of content. This show had to pass a censorship board to be made, so don't expect a kiss, but they're surprisingly cute for what they're allowed to make and in a country where the penalties are severe for making things that could be seen as encouraging quote unquote of queerness, I feel really strongly about sending views towards this thing. 

Support local Burmese shows. Give it a shot. Give Myanmar some love. 

NiNi 

That's our first ever Twig’s dispatch. Thanks for being here with us, Twig. 

Twig 

Thanks for having me again. 

00:38:35 - Winter Round Up

NiNi 

Always a fun time having Twig on the show, new friend of the pod. I like that we're building up this stable of friends of the pod. I like hearing the voices of BL fandom on our show. It's great fun. 

Ben 

It's also like inviting friends over to your house, like it's different when you're just hanging out and doing stuff. But every time your friends come over, you have to clean up and shit. [Ben and NiNi laugh] There's a lot more extra effort on the front and back end now. 

NiNi 

Let's talk about the season as was. Ben, I know you have some complex, complicated, mixed moody kinds of thoughts about how this season went. 

Ben 

It's tough. The most obvious thing from our release schedule that stands out this season is this is, I think, the first time Japan has outnumbered Thailand in our number of shows we talked about—oh, wait, nevermind. They caught up because of Twig. 

[Ben and NiNi laugh]

NiNi 

In terms of long form discussion, we talk more about the Japanese this season. That is true. 

Ben 

This is the most we've talked about Japanese content on this podcast since we started, which is a real win for me because that's what I enjoy the most. But it's also a reflection of what's going on. Thailand is still out-producing everyone, but it's less about countries now and more about production teams and studios. We managed to have a really great conversation around Cherry Magic and Cooking Crush about what longevity looks like in BL. Now that there are more players actively engaged in the genre, it's not just us talking about 8 to 10 Thai BLs, the one or two Japanese shows that got released, the maybe Korean project that got released, the maybe Taiwanese project that got released. There's a whole lot more people playing in the space now. 

My own life responsibilities have forced me to cut back on being present for every BL. The gap between a show I really am enjoying and engaged with and a show I'm not but I’m trying to stick with is a lot further than it's ever been, and I find it a lot harder to cross that gap. I'm relieved that we have more friends now because I can ask people what's going on. That's been the big shift for me. Being more cognizant of my own time and how I'm investing myself emotionally in the shows. I don't like showing up grumpy to productions. I don't really like being in a foul mood when I'm watching shows. I don't think that's fair to the shows and I don't think that's good for me emotionally either. 

NiNi 

This is generally where I've been overall, but that's just a function of my life right now. I've been so busy, even this season, I tried to watch as much as possible, but they are definitely things that just did not happen. And going forward they're going to be shows that I don't watch. Ben'll tell you my standard comment now when a new show comes up is, y'all tell me whether I need to watch this. There's some stuff that I'm definitely gonna be watching. That's not a quality bar, trust me, because there is some trash that I fully intend to watch [cough sound] cough We Are. 

But [laughs] yeah, my thing is, as Shan said in the year in review, reclaiming my time a little bit. I don't have the time that I did have and the time that I am spending to do this stuff, I want it to be time that I enjoy. Watching stuff with my friends, talking about that stuff that I enjoyed or at least was bad in an interesting way with my friends, that's what I'm gonna be focused on, not on getting volume. So it's really now question of y'all tell me what I need to watch because you really wanna discuss it, and that's actually in a lot of ways working out really well for us, I think.

So, I'm good to keep that going. I also like us having more friends to have these discussions with now. Ben and I agreed from the beginning that if this stopped being fun, we're gonna stop doing it. We're definitely still having fun with this, but we're having fun in different ways now than we did when we started, and this show is always gonna evolve along those lines. Whatever is fun for us now is what we're gonna be doing. So you would have heard a couple of really fun segments this season. 

One segment that we're not sure is going to keep going is the Catch Up Corner. Going forward, we don't know how much catch up there's gonna be in this show cause we just, we don't really have time to catch up on everything. 

Ben 

All I caught up on this season was two long ass Chinese dramas. [laughs]

NiNi 

Ginny and Shan have gotten Ben into the cdrama space, which is a space, I'm sorry, they're too long. I can't do it. [laughs]

Ben 

Nah nah, NiNi. All of these shows should be longer, 40 episodes, 58 episodes—

NiNi 

Oh my God.

Ben

68 episodes!

NiNi 

I can't do it. I can't do it. I can't do it. 

Ben 

Every single show should go on for half a year, multiple times a week. We should end in the middle of a sentence. 

NiNi 

[laughs] You're terrible. You're really, truly terrible. 

Ben 

In terms of catching up on BL, it isn't our style to show up super duper late to the fandom experience and talk over it. We don't wanna be those people. And so if we didn't engage with a show during the season, we probably won't have an extensive conversation about it. We're probably going to rely on the fact that we have friends now to highlight those shows if we didn't show up for them for whatever reason. So that we get a conversation around the time it released. But if something pops up, like, what happened recently for NiNi when we finally got her to watch something, we’ll try to bring it to you and give you some reactions. 

00:44:45 - Girl, You Tried

NiNi 

Girl, You Tried. Who are our contenders this season? 

Ben 

[funny voice] Oh my God. This is probably the most difficult Girl, You Tried we've ever had because things were either bad and it's like, “Oh, absolutely not.” And then there are things that are like, “What was she even doing?” So I think legit contenders for Girl, You Tried: Chaser Game W, The Sign?

NiNi 

I think it's those two. 

Ben 

Yeah, I was gonna say, I wanna kind of put Sukidoya there, but that feels mean. 

NiNi 

No, I think Sukidoya was better than that. 

Ben 

Exactly. That's the constant problem this season. There are things that didn't necessarily land exactly but they didn't really fail, or there were things that were just like, “Oh, absolutely not. We're not giving you an award for that.” [Ben and NiNi laugh]

I think it's really Chaser Game W and The Sign. 

NiNi 

So between those two, if I had to pick. 

Ben 

You do. That's the bit! 

NiNi 

[laughs] I think The Sign tried harder than Chaser Game W. So for me it's The Sign. 

What do you think? 

Ben 

It is The Sign because Saint really did try. There's a lot of effort that went into The Sign. While we have some real consternation with it as a piece of copaganda, and as a maybe too-watered-down adaptation of its source material and kind of confusing plot threads, I think there's a lot of real effort that went into that. I think the performances are really earnest. It's not a half-assed production in any way. While it doesn't land exactly for me, I think it is probably the best Girl, You Tried [laughs] show we have. 

NiNi 

Going back to the original intent of Girl, You Tried, it was really for something with a good concept, but problematic execution. I think The Sign fits into that. I think that they had the right ideas. I think that maybe they got in the weeds and did not know how to get back out. 

So, dubious congratulations to IdolFactory!

Ben 

I don't want you all to feel bad about Girl, You Tried. I think there's a lot of great stuff in your show. I think the efforts that went into CGI work are really noteworthy. There's technical gains there that are gonna be really beneficial for the Thai media landscape, even well beyond BL. I really thank them for introducing Babe Tanatat to us, because I really like him! [laughs]

NiNi 

And will cosign on Gap Jakarin. I am a fan. 

Ben 

We got to see Yoshi again! I haven't seen Yoshi properly since, like, Love Sick. 

NiNi 

It is the Girl Who Tried. 

00:47:35 - Look Ahead

NiNi 

Let's look ahead to the future. Give me one thing you're looking forward to this season or something that you're watching now that you're looking forward to talkin’ about. 

Ben 

I'm really, really looking forward to talking about Love is Better the Second Time Around. We just finished episode four of six as of this recording and it's still going very strong. I'm excited to talk about Unknown. I'm only two episodes in and it is really intriguing. I'm having a good time with that one, I'm looking forward to discussing that. I am hoping that 23.5 is a really good discussion for us. I would really like to have a positive conversation about Thai GL. I really want Milk and Love’s show to be really good. I love them both a lot, and it's really important to me that the show go over really well. 

NiNi 

My disaster loser lesbian love Ongsa. I want to say so much about what Milk is bringing to this role, so I am also [Ben laughs] looking forward to talking about 23.5. One of the things that I like about it so far is that it does not feel like flipped BL. It feels like a GL. It feels very specific to a lesbian experience and I am excited by that. 

I can't say I'm looking forward to, but I'm gonna watch We Are. I just am. Ben’s on my case already, I'm on Ben’s case already. We both have feelings about New Siwaj, opposite direction feelings. We're both gonna be watching this grumpily, but for different reasons. 

Ben 

I just don't really know what's gonna happen in this. It's gonna be 16 episodes of people vibing. We already went through this with the fuckin’ Star in My Mind Our Skyy episode. 

NiNi 

But you see the difference is that unlike things like Star in My Mind and Hidden Agenda, we are being told upfront that this show is about nothing. 

Ben 

Well, I'm glad you're looking forward to four months of nothing. 

NiNi 

We've already established that right now I'm in a very busy time of my life, so something I can watch mindlessly and enjoy the pretty, I will jump on. I mean, Phuwin’s here? Everybody loves Phuwin. 

Ben 

That's not how I'm built! [Ben and NiNi laugh]

NiNi 

For me this is really simple. Phuwin is here. We love Phuwin. I am looking forward to seeing what Winny and Satang give. I am very interested in seeing AouBoom. I grew to love Boom through the mess that was Hidden Agenda and I am looking forward to seeing what he brings to the table here. There isn't much of a table but they are going to lay it as best as they can. 

I am also looking forward to watching Unknown and Love is Better the Second Time Around. Looking forward to catching up with those once they're complete. 

Ben 

I'm excited for Living With Him. We've got an interesting one from Korea called Gray Shelter. We've got a meta one coming from Japan called At 25:00 in Akasaka, which is about two guys preparing to film a BL and complicated feelings coming in. 

Up Poompat is going to be back with us again in My Stand In. He's gonna be playing across Poom. That one looks like it's gonna be messy as hell, and I think Up is well suited for that kind of messy. 

There is another Korean one on the horizon called Boys Be Brave, and A Man Who Defies the World of BL 3 is supposed to release [laughs] sometime in April. I'm excited to see Inukai again. I'm excited to see Yutaro again. I'm excited to see Idegami Baku again. Very, very happy about this. 

NiNi 

I'm excited to catch up actually with Zettai BL. I have been meaning to watch that for years, so I might take advantage of this opportunity. 

So that's what we're looking forward to coming up. Going forward, we're going to be switching things up a little bit in terms of our schedule of when things come out. We're still going to be seasonal, but probably on a more extended schedule, bring us a little bit closer to real time. So look out for announcements from us, but for now that's going to wrap us up on the lagniappe and going to wrap us up on the spring season. 

We out! Say bye to the people, Ben. 

Ben 

Peace. 

[novelmonger]

1, 3, 6, 8-10, 12, 14-17, 20, 21, and 26-28, please?

What song makes you feel better?

Oh, there's lots. One I often find myself turning to in hard times is "Dearly Loved" by Shaylee Simeone.

3. Reading or writing? Why?

I mean, it depends on if the reading or writing is good, doesn't it? ;P Generally, I guess I would say reading, because it's easier to do. But writing is generally more fulfilling, I guess, because I'm creating something.

6. What’s your favorite candle scent?

As I've already answered, lilac is my top favorite. A close second would be fresh linen, though. Or just anything that has a light, clean, soapy sort of smell, really.

8. Whats a fabric/texture that’s nostalgic for you?

What a weird question. I don't normally think of texture as being nostalgic... But you know, now that I think about it.... I don't know if anyone will know what I'm talking about, but there's this particular kind of floor that's...concrete, maybe? But it's speckled, like there's a bunch of rocks mixed in together before it's smoothed out. And it's not just grey; the ones I'm remembering were green or pink. The floor isn't rough, exactly, but it's more porous than a tile floor or something. Anyway, we had that floor in a couple houses growing up, so the feel of that against bare feet is pretty nostalgic.

9. Best childhood moment?

The best? Oof, that's hard to pick. Okay, this is going to be a super nerdy answer, but one of the best was probably the Christmas when my brother and I got a Nintendo 64 ^^' We'd played it at people's houses before, so we knew just how fun it could be, but it was always one of those luxury items we assumed we'd never get. But then my aunt and uncle got us one! And completely changed our lives forever.

10. When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? (or just felt really good afterwards)

Hmm, trying to think of another one...nothing specific is coming to mind, but it was probably while playing Spider-Man with my sisters. We tend to get very giggly, especially when things start glitching out or Peter dies and flops down in a ridiculous position.

12. What calms you down?

Psalm 121 is my favorite, and reciting that to myself is really good for making me feel better when I'm anxious about something. "The Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night."

14. What's something upcoming that you’re excited for?

Christmas! It's one of my favorite times of the year, and this one is shaping up to be really good. I don't have work, I get to go to my sister's Christmas Eve service and hear her sing in the choir, and my whole immediate family will be together for Christmas for the first time since...I don't even know when! And we get to do it in our new house, which is very exciting.

15. Comfort food?

Gotta throw a shout-out to @bunnyscar's curry with sweet potatoes. Perfectly warming on a cold winter's day.

16. What’s something you want to create soon?

Aw, if I hadn't just finished it, I could have said my next AMV! But I do actually have a YTP idea that I'd really like to make once the holidays are past and I can devote time to it....

17. How do you feel best loved?

As I answered before, Quality Time is my top love language. Gifts comes second, though. A truly thoughtful gift that shows you know me and what I like, or even better, a "just 'cause" gift? Oh, my heart! I've held onto silly little trinkets for years just because someone gave them to me as a gift and that means so much.

20. Tell us about a memory you hold close to your heart.

Hmm...okay, because it's Christmastime, this one popped into my head. One year on Christmas Eve, my brother and I were the only people awake, and we were in that very giggly stage of tiredness. So we took all the presents from under the tree (except for one that was in a big box) and put them in the tree instead, sticking them in all the branches. I don't remember when exactly this was, but we were teenagers, and at that point, most of the presents for my siblings and I were usually books/movies/games, so they were mostly relatively light rectangular packages, so it worked pretty well. It was pointless and silly, but we were very proud of ourselves XD

21. Tea, Coffee, or hot cocoa?

Already answered this - tea! Especially black tea, but I also like certain fruit teas. I hate the taste of coffee, and hot cocoa is usually so sickly sweet, after drinking one cup, I don't feel like drinking another for a loooooong time.

26. If you could live anywhere with anyone you want, where would it be and who would you bring?

I don't really care where it is, but I would love to live at least close by @rainintheevening and @sergeanttomycaptain. Even if we had to build a really weird house with like three wings or three floors with different temperature controls or something, if we could at least have a central area to hang out in together, that would be awesome <3

27. Do you like to garden? Have you ever grown something?

I have two brown thumbs, unfortunately :/ I'm prone to killing any plants under my care, though I'm going to try to actually plant some things in the spring to spruce up my window well. Currently, I have an anthurium(?) plant on my windowsill that seems to be doing okay so far:

It put out some leaves earlier this year that started out red, so I thought they were going to be the flowers, but then they slowly turned green??? But now I've actually got a nice, bright red flower just in time for Christmas!

28. What are you proudest of?

My...stick-to-it-ive-ness? I guess? Like...it will probably take me longer than someone who's actually ambitious, but if I decide I want to get a project of some sort done, it will get done. Eventually.

Soft Asks