#a lot of that must be due to material so I hope for some changes over the summer

[world-of-stone]

It wasn't a great season for Team Germany. However, I remember that this time last year, I'd also wished the season had gone better for the German boys. Now I wonder why - maybe it was the lasting effects of the Olympics or something. Because the stats are pretty clear: It was a rather brilliant season, not only when you compare it to this one.

17 times a German jumper was on the podium in a world cup comp, both in 2020-21 and 2021-22, compared to only 10 times this season (Karl 5 times, Andi 4 times, Markus once).

Average of points they got per world cup comp. Eisei had a brilliant season 2020-21, when Karl had to miss a few comps due to Covid. Karl had a brilliant run last season (I honestly didn't remember that at all) and this season, Andi was the best of all of them but still "worse" than Karl and Markus in the years before.

[mothwingwritings]

Basic Maintenance

F!Reader X Jack Hanma

Hello everyone! Back at it with a new (maybe old, as I started this forever ago lol) Jack piece! I suppose you could call this a personal piece, I began it purely as a way to vent as I myself REALLY fucking hate going to the gynecologist and I had a pending appointment at the time. So as any sane person would do when faced with having to do something they despise, I wrote this to cope! Who wouldn’t recreate a moment in time you despise, embellished to be much worse than it actually was by starring your favorite fictional characters being horrible so you can live out the whole ordeal all over again but ~sexier~?

Anyway, here it is! Hope you enjoy it!

No explicit sex, but due to the subject material this fic is 18+ please!

Warnings: LOTS of genitalia talk in this one, readers vag is truly the star of the show here. Also heavy talk about doctors and medical procedures, specifically a pap smear, so if that icks you please be mindful! Also within is noncon mentions/past noncon, unhealthy relationships, yandere themes, kidnapped reader, abused reader, spicy reader (you have a bit of a tude in this but honestly its warranted), some language.

“Do you really have to be in here for this?”

Your irritation grew as you glowered at the man leaning nonchalantly in the corner, looking completely at ease as his back rested against the sterile wall of the doctor’s office. Maybe ‘hunched’ was a more suitable way to describe his posture, his mass taking up so much space that his head grazed the ceiling of the compact room, forcing him into an unnatural position. Jack’s face was impassive, eyes tightly closed as his arms crossed loosely over his chest, waiting patiently with you for the doctor’s arrival. He was so still that if you didn’t know any better, you would have thought he had fallen asleep.

“Yes,” came his gruff reply, bronze eyes cracking open to lock on to yours, “Now stop asking. It will be over soon.”

You sighed heavily, kicking your feet lazily as they dangled off the medical bench. It was a battle you had lost before it even began, but that wasn’t going to stop you from voicing your complaints. Jack let you be alone for all your other medical appointments, so you didn’t understand why this one needed to be any different.

You were naked save for the baggy, dusty pink, medical gown that had been left for you to change into. While Jack had insisted on being in the room when you changed, he had shockingly granted you privacy while putting it on, turning his large body away the entire time you were undressed. It wasn’t as if you had anything left to hide from him (your nude form was something he had witnessed countless times before), but you had mentioned offhandedly that there was something particularly irksome about his unwavering stare in the confines of a hospital room, a place that was supposed to be private and confidential, that upset you-especially when you had to undress. He must have actually taken those words in to consideration, which was honestly more than you could have hoped for.

You grimaced when you accidentally rammed your fidgety legs into the unfolded feet stirrups that were lying in wait. Though it hurt you made no noise, only frowning at the uncomfortable reminder of the procedure that would be momentarily taking place. Glancing over at Jack amplified the pain, and you wished that at the very least he would grant you privacy for the intrusive process that was about to take place. But wishing amounted to nothing, and so you were left waiting in a heavy silence with Jack not too far off, the pit in your stomach threatening to swallow you whole.

The entirety of your life had become monitored by Jack, his ever present watchful eye making sure you were following the stringent rules he had set in place to keep you ‘safe.’ Safe from what you didn’t know, as you felt like little more than a prisoner the entire time you were in his care, locked in captivity with no means of interacting with the outside world other than what Jack deemed fit. Unsurprisingly, this turned out to be barely, if any, interaction at all. Due to this, your days had become a blur, each one resembling the next, melding into a mass of uniform discontent and boredom. All you had was Jack and the walls in which he had encapsulated you, all you had to look forward to was the hope that each day would somehow be a little less abysmal than the last.

However you had learned quickly that voicing too many complaints would only make things worse for you, leaving you to bite the bullet time and again in an effort to not set off this tyrant. If Jack was satiated, at least that meant you could achieve some normalcy in your daily life, even if it was just a crumb. Sacrificing your happiness and free-will had become the price you must pay to retain your sanity, to survive.

And now here you were, on one of his many forced check-ups that were scheduled far more frequently than was actually necessary. Your health had become his obsession, which you found rather peculiar given how much he seemed to disregard his own. Regardless, making sure you were fit and well was very important to him, much more so than looking after his own body. He poured himself into your maintenance with the gusto of a man whose life passion was fixing up old cars, making sure you were fine-tuned and running as you should, looking as pretty on the inside as the outside, it quickly became one of his greatest passions. After all, what was he to do if the love of his life fell ill with some mysterious wasting disease or ended up getting severely hurt? He refused to even entertain the thought of anything that could potentially end your life, and thus started going above and beyond to make sure you would be stuck with him for a very long time.

In all honesty, you usually didn’t mind the abundant health checks that much. It was a chance to get out of that god forsaken apartment he cooped you up in, and better yet, it offered rare moments where you could talk with other human beings without having Jack’s immense presence lingering over your shoulder.

But today was different. Today was the first time that you would be seen for something besides your normal check-up, instead partaking in a different kind of examination, one that was a bit more intimate than all the others previous.

Now that the two of you were sexually active (regardless of if that was something you had wanted and/or agreed to or not), Jack found it prudent that you start getting checkups that catered to those sexual proclivities. Thus, he wasted no time in setting up your first gynecological visit since he had taken you in, pleased with himself that he had the foresight to cover all of your medical bases. You guessed this new sudden fixation was his attempt to show you that in his own way he cared, that he wanted to do all he could to make sure you were healthy in every way you could be. But you also knew it was equally important to him to keep you in good physical condition from all the brutal fucking he had done to you, as you needed to be in one piece for when he continued to mercilessly ravage you in the future.

How thoughtful.

And when it came down to anything medical, Doctor Kureha seemed to be the only one Jack entrusted you with. It made sense to an extent, while Jack normally despised anyone but himself being in your presence, he was particularly adverse to people he didn’t already know. This went doubly for medical professionals that could very well be holding your life in their hands, he’d die before he let some unknown quack even breath in your general vicinity, let alone touch you.

But he knew Kureha and could personally vouch for his medical expertise, so in that regard making him your primary care physician was a no brainer. Deeper still, he could trust Kureha to not air his dirty laundry. The alarming signs of Jack’s passion that riddled your body would be a major red flag for any medical professional that saw them, and any outsider that spotted them would surely start asking questions the moment they laid eyes upon them. Only Kureha could be trusted to keep them mum, it was guaranteed. After all, if the good doctor even so much as made a suggestive comment to another person about the state you were in, Jack had more than enough dirt on the man to swiftly and efficiently end his career (and the muscle power to end his life, should it come to that).

Even with the questionable foundation of your relationship, you truly liked Kureha. You’d even go so far as to say that you considered him a friend, or at least as close to a friend as you can have under Jack’s suffocating surveillance. While going to a doctor’s office for any reason wasn’t particularly fun, you couldn’t help but begin to view the hospital where he worked as an oasis of sorts. It was clean, quiet, and within its glaringly white walls you could almost forget the nightmare your life had become, getting lost in the aseptic-ness of it all.

Kureha made pleasant company as well. You were weary of him at first, as it was hard not to be leery of any person Jack introduced to you. The fact that Jack willingly initiated an interaction between you and one of his associates was suspicious in and of itself, as prior to meeting Kureha he had never made any attempt to tell you about his friends, family, or anyone else that may be in his life.

When he explained that the person he wanted you to meet was a doctor, a specific image came to mind. Maybe they would be an older man, graying hair, kindly and smart. Picturing the mystery man as a fatherly type of figure made your heart hurt a bit, yearning for your own family that you had long since been exempt from seeing. These feelings also made you a bit eager to meet him, hoping to find comfort or camaraderie in this other person’s potentially trustworthy presence.

You certainly were not expecting the Adonis of a man who ended up greeting you.

The thing you recalled the most from your initial meeting with Kureha was how off-putting it was. His well-built, stocky body stood before you with an outstretched hand, his chiseled face framed in lusciously flowing auburn locks as his pouty, full lips offered a casual greeting. The polite smile that lit his criminally pretty face clashed heavily with the image you had pictured in your head, causing a brief moment of whiplash that left you speechless. The conflict between imagined and factual was so jarring in fact, that you nearly laughed out loud the moment you saw him, his strange presentation making you feel like you had wound up as the female lead of some kind of prime-time doctor drama. Appearance aside however, he was calm and mature, speaking to you like the intelligent adult you actually were, which was a breath of fresh air from the dismissive and childish treatment you typically received from Jack. Being in the presence of someone who treated you as an independent human had become a foreign feeling, but a welcome and celebrated one nonetheless.

As time passed and your visits to him grew more frequent, you began to see why Jack relied on Kureha so much. The doctor wasn’t just a pretty face, his medical prowess truly was top notch and he did an excellent job helping you monitor your health and kept you in good shape. His guidance and diagnosis were always spot on and easy to understand, and he had a way with words that made you comprehend his medical jargon without leaving you feeling like a dummy. It was by far the best medical assistance you had ever received, and you decided that should you one day be magically rid of Jack’s influence, it would be worth it to still seek out Kureha for any pending health concerns, even if it meant risking running into your brute of a captor.

But Doctor Kureha was not a gynecologist, and above all, he was a man. Why Jack, someone who was so painstakingly territorial of you, would pick a male to do this particular task was lost to you. Every OBGYN you had visited in the past had been a female doctor, and you honestly sort of preferred it that way. And though you voiced this to Jack, he remained adamant that since Kureha was already aware of your medical history, he was more than capable of taking care of this as well.

A nagging voice inside your brain kept telling you the REAL reason he was so bent on Kureha doing this procedure was to negate the risk it involved. Even if Kureha brought in another doctor who had reproductive health as their area of expertise, a doctor Kureha himself could vouch for that would keep their mouth shut, it was just too precarious of a situation for Jack’s liking. Any outside source that got up close and personal with your most abused area would realize instantly what Jack had been subjugating you to and their conscious could compel them to do something. The last thing Jack wanted was someone trying to play hero, and since Kureha had already seen the rest of the damage on your body and not said a word, it meant he was just as likely to stay silent when encountering the extent of defilement that had been inflicted on your more private areas.

You figured Jack and Kureha had some form of agreement between the two of them, that no matter how battered you came in to his office, nothing would be reported. You were not privy to the details of this agreement, nor did you know how formal it was. All you knew was that Kureha was always there to patch you up, keep you together, and offer a kind word or two, but he never made a move to try and remove you from the situation. No matter how perilous the aftermath appeared or how much your friendship progressed, he stayed in his lane and turned a blind eye to what mattered most.

So while you appreciated Kureha, you also realized you could never fully trust him.

“Well here we are again.”

Kureha’s entrance tore you from your thoughts, your eyes instantly darting to the stately man as he closed the door softly behind him. Looking as immaculate as ever, Kureha greeted Jack with a small nod before turning to you with a smile, which you reciprocated in kind. You couldn’t help but note the small scowl that sat upon Jacks lips, no doubt brought on by the familiarity the two of you shared.

“It’s good to see you again (Name),” he spoke as he made his way over to the seat beside you, waking up his computer so that he could access your medical records. “How long has it been? At least two days? That must be a new record.”

“Very funny,” Jack cut in, completely unamused by Kureha’s light teasing. He straightened his posture as much as the small room would allow, shooting the doctor a wry look. “We came here for a procedure, not your quips.”

Kureha sighed, “Of course, forgive me for trying to lighten the mood.” Turning his attentions back your way, he gave you another smile, “’Quips’ aside, how have you been feeling (name)? It really hasn’t been that long since our last appointment, was there anything particular that sparked the need for this visit today, or…?”

His voice trailed off, as he was already well aware this meeting was most likely not of your own choosing, but another of Jack’s heavy handed assertions. You squirmed on the medical chair, the protective paper beneath your rear irritating the bare flesh it came in contact with.

Before you could open your mouth to respond, Jack spoke on your behalf.

“She is fine,” his words were clipped and to the point, “As stated, we came here for a simple procedure as part of a routine check-up. I think we would both appreciate it if you just got on with it.”

“Yes, I am sure you would,” Kureha scoffed, slight irritation reflected in his voice, “But I was not addressing you Jack, I was asking (Name). And contrary to your beliefs, she will have a more accurate synapsis of what is going on with her own body than you will.”

Jack huffed, puffing up his chest in indignation. But he remained silent, promptly shut up by Kureha’s firm statement. For that alone you could kiss him.

“I’m feeling alright,” you respond simply, “the same as always, more or less... I don’t mean to be rude Dr. Shinogi, but this time Jack is right. I am kind of in a hurry to get this over with.” You frowned, repositioning yourself on the crinkly paper seat once more. “These kinds of visits aren’t my favorite.”

A blush crept on your cheeks as you spoke the words, embarrassed by your own admission. As if this whole ordeal wasn’t invasive enough, you also couldn’t avoid the fact that this was one of your least favorite medical procedures of all time.  Spreading yourself open for the whole world to see, perched on an uncomfortable chair while you awkwardly draped yourself across its stiff foamy surface, feet held back in stirrups as a doctor scraped away at your insides haphazardly, none of it was an enjoyable experience for you. The mere thought made you want to clamp your legs shut and scuttle out of the office, bee lining it straight back to the train station. You never thought you would long for the solitude of Jacks stuffy abode, but there was a first time for everything.

It also didn’t help that Jack refused to budge, adamant he stick around for the whole procedure. Knowing that he would be in the room, looming in the background as he bore witness to the whole excruciating ordeal, just made it THAT much worse.

Kureha acknowledged you with a hum, “Well if it’s any reassurance, I plan to make this as painless and as quick as possible. I can’t imagine that any of this is particularly pleasant for you, so I can understand where your reservations are coming from.”

He turned to Jack, shooting him a knowing look, “And though I am beyond confident in my doctoral abilities, I would like to remind the intrusive party in this room that this particular request is not my area of expertise. I will be efficient and gentle with miss (Name), but I may lack the accuracy of an expert in the field. Disclaimer aside, I would appreciate it if back seat commentary is kept to a minimum.”

“As long as you don’t waste any time and do the job well, you won’t be giving me a reason to voice any complaints,” Jack’s clipped voice threatened, “Now, can we begin please?”

Kureha’s eyes met yours, “Whenever you are ready, place our feet in the stirrups. We’ll proceed from there.”

Taking a deep breath to ground yourself, your shaky legs parted, granting Kureha access so that the procedure could begin. His large hands guided your legs into the holsters with ease, and he shot you one last reassuring smile before he grabbed his tools.

“I’d offer you a blanket for some privacy,” Kureha’s kept his voice low to keep the conversation between the two of you, “But our guest made it abundantly clear that he wanted to see what I am doing at all times. I apologize.”

You gave a curt nod, acknowledging his apology as earnest, but also realizing the good doctor had done nothing but enable Jack’s uncouth behavior this entire time. Not that it mattered at this point, all you could pray was that he at least remained true to his promise of speed and efficiency.

“Just hurry up. Please.”

With no further prodding, Kureha set to work. You cringed as you felt cold steel begin to spread you, your discomfort mounting when his tools entered shortly after. Jack pushed himself off the wall, stepping closer so that he could get a better view of what was being done to your body. Bending down so he could monitor Kureha’s actions accordingly, you squeezed your eyes tightly closed, refusing to add Jack’s beady, unwavering stare to your torment.

As warned, Kureha was not as skilled in this field as you would have liked. His typically nimble fingers seemed to fumble with the tools in hand, the prodding and clawing at your delicate insides causing tears to spring to your eyes. In an effort to keep from crying out you bit into your bottom lip, gnawing at the reddened flesh to quiet yourself. However squeaks of discomfort still managed to slip from your throat, sharp intakes of breath punctuating his hasty motions. Sweaty fists balled around the gaudy surgical gown, tugging it so roughly you could feel the fabric give under the strain. A particularly rough jerk of Kureha’s hand sent a wave of pain through you, your whimpers becoming a full on groan. Reflexively your legs tried to snap shut, your body subconsciously trying to push itself as far from the doctor as you could get, inching up the table in an effort to escape.

“You’re hurting her.

Jack’s growl cut through the air, an edge to it warning Kureha to watch himself. Kureha clicked his tongue, shooting a quick look over his shoulder.

“I wasn’t joking about the back seat commentary,” he retorted, “I’m aware of her irritation, hence why I am moving as fast as I can. I would advise against distracting me further to make the process as easy as possible for her,” he sighed deeply, fixing his attention back your way, “Besides, from the looks of things down here it’s clear she has suffered worse. I would even hazard the reason it hurts her so bad right now is in no small part your fault.”

Jack snarled, intense anger radiating from his presence as he leered over the doctor. It was obvious Kureha’s words had cut deep, the unspoken rule that he never judge Jack’s actions easily broken by his barbed statement. Finally turning your attention to Jack, you grimaced as your squinting eyes watched him open his mouth, primed to release a fiery retort.

“I’m fine,” your sharp voice interrupted their banter, words strained as they were forced from your clenched jaw, “Please, please, just hurry up.”

Kureha’s expression shifted, a softer look flitting across his features as your plea dragged him back to the matter at hand, “I apologize (Name), that was childish way to respond, please forgive me. We are nearly done. Please just hang in there a moment longer.”

True to his words, after a few quick swipes (all of which when executed brought about varying degrees of soreness), the procedure concluded.  You had never been happier to close your legs in your entire life (and given your life’s circumstances, that was saying something).

“And we’re done,” Kureha exhaled, quickly clearing his tools away. He shot you a quick smile as he got to his feet, “You did very well, (Name). I’m sorry my touch wasn’t the softest this go-around, but I appreciate what a good sport you were through the entire procedure. You may bleed for a bit afterwards, which is quite normal. Though it may be hard for the two of you, try and lay off any strenuous activity to the area for at least a day or two, alright?”

A bright blush illuminated your cheeks the moment the words left his lips. Whether he meant them to be or not, they felt mocking and derisive, and hearing them left you feeling as if you were both an ill-tempered child who no one expected to make it through such a procedure with so little fuss, and some manner of sex-crazed harlot that couldn’t go a day without getting any.

“You sure love to talk, don’t you?” Jacks gruff voice chided, making it apparent that Kureha’s loaded words still bothered him. The air between the two of them remained charged with a bristling, negative energy, but with the ordeal finally over with, Jack’s rage was slightly beginning to subside. No doubt he was just pleased that he could finally take you home and have you all to himself. “Are you such an accusatory smartass to all your patients?”

“Just the ones I really like,” Kureha shot him a smug grin, causing Jack’s jaw to clench, “but I am serious. Definitely no sexual activity tonight and tomorrow as well, if you can stand it.”

Kureha reached out his hand, placing it firmly atop your head, giving it a small scrub. “And I mean it when I said you did well. I couldn’t have asked for a better patient! If I had a lollipop or something to give you right now to congratulate you, I most certainly would.”

He laughed at his own joke, but the sound of it only caused your ego to suffer more.

Curling in on yourself to hide your vulnerable state, you shook your head to dispel Kureha’s unwanted attention. Your words came out icy as you shot the two men an equally chilling look. “I don’t need hollow praise, I just need some privacy so I can change back into my normal clothes.” When both men refused to budge, instead staring at you blankly with wide eyes suggesting your frosty demeanor shocked them, you sighed in annoyance, “Please?”

Kureha was the first to comply, turning on his heel to briskly head towards the exit. On his way out, he motioned towards jack, signaling him to follow. “Come on Jack, it’s rude to make a lady beg.”

Jack hesitated a moment before following suit, his hulking form stopping momentarily in the door way to address you one final time.

“Just be quick about it. I want to get you out of here and back home as quickly as possible.”

Hopping to your feet, you made your way over to your rumpled clothing that sat discarded on one of the uninviting metal waiting room chairs. You rolled your eyes as you snatched them up, impatiently waiting for Jack to step away so you could finally get out of the thin gown that covered you.

“You and me both,” you murmured under your breath, stuffing your lower half into your pants as fast as physically possible, “If I never have to go through this again, it would be too soon.”

~

You were thankful that the train was nearly empty when you boarded it, making it easy to find a space in the back that was far removed from other passengers. Though you would typically revel in this opportunity to be amongst other people, right now the only thing you wanted was to be left alone.

The office was not terribly far from where you lived, so Jack usually opted to walk to the hospital instead of taking any transport. But today’s trip had worn you out and left you feeling sore and irritable, so while  he wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of public transportation (too many eyes on you he’d say, even though it was his stature that drew the true attention), in an act of mercy he offered the train as a means of getting home. Of course he had offered to just carry you home first, but the look you gave him at the suggestion was enough to wise him up, bringing up the train as a happy alternative. Thankful to finally have a place to sit and enjoy some quiet for a moment, the tension in your body began to lessen, and you felt as if at least momentarily you could begin to relax.

… At least, you wished you could relax. Jack’s towering form, which was already a suffocating presence in and of itself, was even more smothering as he sat directly beside you. You were wedged in between him and the window, his broad shoulders and spread legs cramping your already limited space. If his bouncing leg and repeated exhales weren’t enough of a giveaway that something was bothering him, the muscled arms petulantly crossed over his chest and a deep set scowl on his face as he shot you numerous hurried glances really brought the fact home.

At first you tried to ignore him, but as the minutes ticked by it became clear to you he wasn’t going to bring up the issue himself, nor was he going to drop the matter and leave you be. This left you with no other choice besides confrontation.

“What is it,” the irritation was clear in your voice as you questioned him. “This whole adventure was your idea, and now it’s bothering you? If you hated the outcome so much, why make me go?”

“I didn’t hate the outcome,” he responded, shifting a bit in his seat as he cleared his throat, “It was a necessary procedure and I am glad we had it done. I’m pleased that you seem more or less healthy down there.”

You scoffed at Jack’s interpretation of Kureha’s assessment of the damage his ‘love’ had done to your body, a reaction he chose to ignore as he continued, “But still, I guess maybe I did have my concerns.”

“…Concerns?”

 You perked up, taken aback by his words. The way he spoke them sounded borderline remorseful,  as if being faced with the irrefutable proof of how violently he has treated you, witnessing firsthand the lasting injury his careless assaults have caused and the suffering that has come with it, began to open his eyes. Could he finally be feeling remorse? Could this day of suffering and embarrassment truly have ended up having such a silver lining?

Several agonizing seconds passed as you hung on baited breath, excited for the first time in a long time to hear what Jack had to say.

“It’s just…” His voice trailed off for moment, his expression contorting in a display of varying emotions, musing over how to word his response. After another brief moment of silence he continued with a sigh, tripping over his tense words awkwardly, as if he were embarrassed to speak them.

“It’s just that when he was working on you … Well, the expressions you made when he was going inside of you… They were the same ones you sometimes make when we are making love, so I was concerned maybe you were, you know… enjoying it.”

As you noted the barely perceptible blush that flushed Jacks cheeks throughout his explanation, you didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Internally screaming, you chided yourself. What a fool you were, thinking you may actually be receiving an honest apology from this man.

Anger began to creep over you, causing your body to slightly quake. You grimaced as his words stewed in your head, the absurdity of his misconception causing your world to spin. Of course you would be making the same expression when he fucked you as you did at the doctors office- the extreme and unwanted discomfort from either act was one in the same. Only an idiot like Jack would come to the conclusion that your face was contorted in a look of ecstasy instead of the agony you were actually experiencing, lying there spread eagle on the doctors table while you were being chiseled away at.

“No Jack,” you spat at him, seething words to match the daggers shooting from your eyes, “I did not fucking get off at my gyno appointment when Kureha was shoving clamps and other utensils up inside my body, picking away at my innards so he could get tissue samples. Sorry to let you down, but it wasn’t really my idea of a sexy encounter, asshole.”

As you were about to boil over with barely contained rage, you mirrored Jack by crossing your arms, doing your best to hold yourself together as you averted your gaze from him. Keeping things civil was tremendously hard, but you were smart enough to realize causing a scene in public would in no way help you right now.

After several moments of silence had passed, your eyes flicked to Jack’s reflection in the mirror, hoping to gauge his emotional state after your tempestuous outburst. He typically didn’t take kindly to your attitude, especially when it was coupled with name calling. Surely the venom you spewed wouldn’t be taken sitting down, and while the thought of an angry Jack usually terrified you, today you couldn’t make yourself care. In fact, you hoped your small tantrum HAD upset him, wanting him to feel a smidge of the pain he forced you through daily. You may not be able to ever harm Jack physically, but if there was one thing you did have power over, it was his feelings. Despite his tough persona, you were acutely aware that any malice you directed his way wounded him, causing him more grief than he would ever willingly state. And you suspected that this display of your lividity was the perfect attack to take him down a few pegs.

But surprise took you when your eyes landed on his likeness, seeing that instead of an angry glower or wounded frown, a content smile sat upon his lips. His tensed shoulders had relaxed, his entire posture now much more poised and at ease as he sat next to you. He even lazily draped an arm over the back of your seat, his fingers idily stretching out to play with any rogue strands of your hair they brushed against.

“Good,” he spoke pleasantly, “Glad to know I have nothing to worry about. I’ll just have to work harder next time to make you really lose yourself, so you can show me expressions only I will ever see. That way there will be no confusion in the future.”

Your frown deepened as the shit eating grin spreading across his lips grew. It seemed that this time, as always, Jack had won.

“Of course we’ll have to wait a day or two for me to hone my skill, which is unfortunate. But look at the bright side baby, gives me time to come up with some new ideas that will really drive you wild, right?”

God you hated him.

[i-like-rocks22]

I watched the Squid Game reality series so you don't have to.

1. It is just as grim and psychologically intense as the show. I went into it not knowing anything about the set up and expecting the format to have been changed to be less nightmarish; maybe the games would be fun versions, maybe smaller prizes would be available for individuals or teams, or different stages of the game would have different casts. Nope.

2. It isn't funny. It's overly dramatised (it's produced in the style of US reality shows so it really focuses on the worst in people). Something I didn't expect and was absolutely astounded to see is that the contestants have to fake being shot as a black inkpack on their chest explodes when they're eliminated. Some of them have a bit of fun doing an over dramatic fall to the ground. Most just sit down looking completely destroyed which, when you consider the format and the reasons people are there (severely in debt, can't retire, disabled children that need care) it's just absolutely vile.

(Honourable mention to the only funny bit of editing in the show: when the remaining 20 contestants get together in a circle to discuss the next task, the very American team captain gives a motivational pep talk consisting entirely of buzz words, then goes 'let's pray' and it immediately swaps to focus on the remaining Brits who look absolutely horrified (for those outside of the UK most Brits are either non-religious or very quietly religious and find overt showings of religion like group prayer really weird)).

3. Deeply uncomfortable by the editing and voiceover choices that repeatedly portrayed black people, particularly black women, as the 'villains'. It was very very noticeable. There was a particular interaction where a black woman was shown in a very negative light, and I am still unclear on what happened during the show (due to the choppy and unclear editing) and cagey responses from contestants in interviews after. VERY very strange, and has led to that black contestant receiving a lot of hate.

4. The amount of contestants breaking down emotionally through the show makes so much sense not only when you consider the conditions they were being kept in, but the sheer amount of bonus psychological fuckery that was included. Not just the main tasks but additional challenges, individual tasks, and public votes for eliminations. A lot of these happened at random in the dorm rooms meaning they had no true safe space in which to relax. The filming was evidently over at least a week and I can't imagine how emotionally exhausted they must have been. I hope the contestants would have been offered some therapy on leaving but I don't think that's likely.

5. The one shining light in the whole show was how, very differently to the original series, individuals started to work together much earlier and more thoroughly through the tasks. Lots of people offered support and words of kindness to those struggling and appeared to really bond. In the end, while a grim and unsatisfying watch, that was the one thing I took away.

I am perfectly happy to watch some trashy TV from time to time and I don't believe every thing you watch should necessarily be dissected for it's greater meaning. But, not surprisingly when considering the source material, this was so far beyond trashy; it was exploitative and depressing and I can't believe it actually got (excuse the pun) green lit.

TL:DR; the black mirror episode that would be based off of squid game? Yeah that was it.

[risingsoleil]

Hello Soleil! Hope all’s good with you.

Wanted to ask about your thoughts on Linzin’s love language. How they prefer to give and receive, things like that 🥰

Hello Yellow!! I'm doing good after a really busy week haha I hope you're doing great and getting a lot of rest over the weekend 🫶

Thank you so much for the ask! Let's break it down!

Lin's love languages: physical touch, quality time, and acts of service

Growing up with Toph, I think everyone can definitely agree that Lin enjoys receiving and giving physical touch to show affection, support, comfort, and love. Simply focusing on her relationship with Tenzin and how this plays out, touch also helps her feel grounded. Bad day at work where she lost a colleague or she faced a lot of criticism from the press? First thing Tenzin does is give her a hug, and just being in that embrace grounds her back to reality and also soak in the love and protection of her partner.

Also, when she cuddles Tenzin, sometimes it's super aggressive bc CAN'T. GET. CLOSE. ENOUGH. TO. HER. BOYFRIEND (or husband 😍) She's wearing a tanktop and some shorts, while Tenzin is shirtless. Lin has her legs around him too so he can't escape. But he's a fucking heater, so after a while she needs some space to cool off lol

Second love language would be quality time. Toph was really busy with work, leaving Lin and Su to fend for themselves more often than they should have. I feel that since she didn't have that with her mom, it becomes something she values in her relationships with others. This only solidifies as Lin and Tenzin grow up and become involved in their careers. Their jobs take so much of their time, and they need those days of simply being together or going on quiet dates. Luckily, they have similar outlooks on how they want to spend their time together. Plus, the world and especially RC is so nosy on their relationship and business, that they just want to be together in peace. I like to imagine that they have conversations sometimes about what kind of life they would like to live if they weren't who they were. Tenzin would say living quietly in the countryside as a farmer...Lin would joke he can be a cabbage farmer. Lin would say that there's no use in thinking about a different life bc what else can they do to change it? Nothing. But her answer might be a pro-bending coach.

Lastly, she values acts of service. I think Toph instilled in her the idea that words don't mean anything. Actions speak volumes. Lin is a protector and will take the bullet for anyone she cares about. I feel like the line between protector and taking care of others' needs can get blurry with her. When Tenzin is stepping up for her and taking care of her, she's gonna protest, but inside, she appreciates it so much. She has the difficulty of learning how to allow others to take care of her, but Tenzin knows.

Overall, her love languages to receive/give are mostly the same.

Now, we move on to...

Tenzin's love languages: words of affirmations, quality time, and physical touch

Tenzin has a different dynamic going on because he has this title: airbender. For him, he has this luxury of being "spoiled" or "adored" by the world, but the other side of the sword is that he must deal with the crippling responsibility of "reviving the Air Nation and continuing Aang's legacy." I can imagine he would hear compliments, receive facors and gifts due to his connection to Aang and also being the first airbender born in...a long time. All of those things always felt superficial to him, so it doesn't hold as much meaning for him. Also with receiving gifts, his culture teaches to detach from earthly materials anyway.

Words of affirmation: He might appreciate this to some extent. Tenzin needs a lot of verbal validation, especially since he is insecure about how he's continuing his dad's legacy (if we follow canon). Lin may not be lovey-dovey with her words, but she knows how to support and comfort him by telling him what he needs to hear.

Lin: Tenz...of course you are good enough. You are more than enough. So what if you can't get into the spirit world? Do I love you less? Tenzin: No. Lin: Exactly. I love you regardless.

On the other hand, Tenzin is amazing at giving words of affirmation. Reading all of those ancient scrolls makes him a pretty smart cookie and helps him talk smoothly. Except when he tried to ask out Lin on a date for the first time...that was...mind went blank and somehow she ended up dating him. In general, he enjoys showering Lin with loving words all the time. People can be cruel, the press is merciless at times and that weighs on Lin, and she might not have the best record of speaking highly on herself very likely. If no one else is going to tell her she's beautiful, loved, powerful, fierce, and enough...who else will? Tenzin will gladly work overtime to make sure Lin hears his millionth poem about how much he loves her and adores her.

His second love language is quality time, and I think it's for the similar reasons as Lin. Although, I think he spent a lot of time with people growing up, but felt very alone. He wasn't seen for himself, but rather his bending. Lin knows and loves him for who Tenzin is. Spending time with Lin also helps him get a reality check because he tends to be more coddled by people than her.

Lin: You can't just force people to become air nomads, Airhead. Tenzin: But they're airbenders now! They need to be part of our nation, who wouldn't want to? Lin: Tenzin...do you hear yourself? The acolytes started out as groupies. They became acolytes on their own volition. These are people who have their own identities. You can't just force them to give up everything they know for YOU.

Lastly, physical touch. I think he grew to enjoy giving/receiving physical affection especially when he started developing feelings for Lin. The added layer to this love language is that it reminds him that Lin is alive and with him. She's breathing, unharmed, and safe in his arms. Her job is so dangerous and she's constantly putting herself on the line. He's had nightmares of losing her and just being able to hold her while they sleep? Never letting go.

Finally, let's be real. Tenzin is horny and wild af in bed. I don't think he can keep it in his pants when he's around her. But who can blame him? Look at Lin Beifong. Celibacy? That word has not been in his vocabulary since he was 17 and started dating Lin.

That's all of it, thank you so much again for the ask, queen! I hope you enjoyed reading!

[cramathonn]

Hey!! I saw you had requests open, but when you have the time, I would like an Anton x pirate! Reader (Like the faction the reader is like a pirate crew despite having no sea based areas yet in ZZZ 😭)

Anon... Anon holy shit your brain is humongous. You woke up the small pirate hyperfix I have omg-/pos

Since you didn't specify what role pirate reader would be, I'll be a little silly and make them a navigator. So... Yea, I hope this is ok with you, dear anon. If you'd like a more deck hands reader or even captain reader, you can just send another ask and I will write it like that!

The content ahead is gender neutral and will not have reader referred to with any pronouns!

Content warning: none! Just headcanons and fluff

Anton Ivanov x Pirate!GN!Reader

★ Listen, constantly going on voyages and being at sea almost all the time will most certainly make you smell of salty water or like a tropical breeze, you can't change my mind. And Anton absolutely loves that smell, he would most definitely just rest his face near your neck or on your hair and take a VERY NOTICEABLE inhale. His muscles relax almost immediately when he does that

★ Absolutely hates how long you take to come back from voyages. Like, yeah, your ship is probably equipped with the most recent machinery to make your travels last less, but it still takes a while, specially considering that the weather makes a big difference in trip durations

★ Will hug you so tight when you come back tho, bear hug levels of tight. Will inquire on how everything went and will want to hear every last detail. Like, dude has barely been able to hear your voice during that entire time because your signal was shit or he didn't have time due to his work on Belobog, so please yap about everything that happened on your trip, he missed you so much

★ Also, during those times you are away, Anton will visibly be like a sad puppy waiting for its owner to come back home and he will yap about how much he misses you to whoever asked him if he was ok (please hurry back, Ben and Koleda can't handle much more of Anton's whining)

★Some times, Belobog hires your crew to bring some materials for them and Anton ALWAYS goes along (he begs for Koleda to let him go every single time and she lets him because PLEASE GOD spare her ears she can only handle so much)

★ Simply adores seeing you at work, he won't understand a lot of it but gosh, you look so attractive while cracking the coordinates of where you guys should go inside a hollow and relaying the information to your crewmates

★ Will be by your side constantly when you're on that voyage. He will obviously do his job, he prides himself in what he does, but will do so while staying by your side. If you need to do something when he's working, he'll let you go and finish what he's doing before rushing back to your side

★ Listen when I say this, he loves how you look when you're in your uniform. Regardless if how it looks like, he just loves it. Seeing you wearing your work uniform, dedicated to your role in the crew is so attractive in his eyes (he is vocal about how gorgeous you look to him, btw, will drop compliments here and there)

★ Anton isn't a big fan of staying at home, so be prepared for high or medium activity dates. Going on walks, going to the beach, going to the pool, whatever it is as long as it's not staying at home is a must with him

★ His personal favorites, however, are beach and boat dates. Yes, boat dates, as in he rents a boat and goes to a river with you type of boat dates. He loves seeing how you still get in your navigator mentality even when on dates, he finds it endearing

★ Will bring his bro along dates tho. It's his bro, he ain't leaving him behind! So you better get used to having Anton's bro revving up during your hangouts, specially if you guys go to Bardic Needle (his bro likes to sing)

★ Talking about singing, share the songs you and your crew sing during voyages! Heck, even teach him some, he'd love singing those with you (or simply just listening to you sing)

★ Now, if you're exhausted after returning from a voyage or planning for it, Anton is taking you back home to get a warm comforting bath and a well balanced meal (that he most likely bought at Lumina Square because, in my mind, he's not a good cook)

★ And in the topic of food, Anton would gladly help you prepare your and your crew's rations for voyages, keeping in mind the amount of nutrients best fit for consumption during specific times of day. He's THE meal prep guy.

★ tldr: he loves you and whole heatedly supports your pirate endeavors, helping you prepare for trips and taking care of you when you return. Don't let this man go because he sure ain't letting you go.

[esoteric-chaos]

About the Witch and Extra Links

Hello! My name is Juniper or you can call me Juni. I’ve been a Druidic Practitioner with a heavy affinity for energy work, practicing for about over a decade now. 

Still learning new things every day and always reviewing the basics. I’ve spent most of my time lurking on Witchblr but I decided that I’d like to start making original content.

This blog is also a dedication to Mother Hekate. It's in her domain to teach the magical side of things such as witchcraft, magic and sorcery.

A bit about me and what I dabble with!

Divination

Druidism

Planetary magic

Energy work

Aspiring Herbalist

Chaos Magic

I have a new interest in Pop Culture Witchcraft. Legend of Zelda and Skyrim mainly

Getting back to my ancestry roots with Slavic Folk magic. Be patient I am learning slowly but my practice itself isn’t folk based

I kinda dabble in everything but these are my main interests. Very eclectic within my practice.

The kind of content you’ll expect here

Beginner and “Intermediate/Advanced” witchcraft content

Herbalism

Deity work

Druidic information

Energy work

Low energy/disability-friendly practice content (I have Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia so it’s a must)

Boosted posts

Some LGBTQ+ themes (I'm very gay and love my partner)

The ask box is always open. Please keep it respectful as the block button and I am friendly for my own peace

Are you looking for all of my posts on one page? Check out the Masterpost

This is a safe space for LGBTQ+. Yes, that means Aces too.

Who is not welcome here?

Transphobes, Terfs, fascists, right-winged ideologies and anyone else bigoted in the sphere. I also do not support Starseeds, New Aged appropriative movements, Atlantis or really any sort of spiritual conspiracy theories due to their background.

Do you like my posts and my sense of chaotic humour? Look no further. I'll be starting a YouTube channel! My blog for such is @evergreensorcery to ask any questions. This channel is a devoted offering to Mother Hekate and Lord Thoth to spread knowledge of magic and the occult.

I can't wait to share my knowledge with you and connect with many lovely people. I hope you stick around for the journey. and please be patient with me as I figure out sound and editing. 💚

Want to Support Me? Check out my Ko-Fi!

My Ko-Fi is the perfect place to support me. You'll find various tiers for mentorships, lessons, and monthly content tiers. The following link is here. Thank you again for all of your support.

Witchcraft Discord Server

Want to join a great server community?

The Cobalt Athenaeum is a massive occult library on Discord! We have many branches of our libraries. As this is a library server, we absolutely do have lots of material that we have not written (and some of which we don’t agree with). We do our best to cite every source that we pull quotes or information from, but if you recognize writing that is not credited, please bring it to our attention and we will rectify the situation either by adding credit or removing the work. If you also notice something incorrect within the server please tell us! We will change and source accordingly as some information can slip through the cracks at times.

This server may be for you if

"You are a spiritual and/or magical practitioner, identify as a witch, are interested in our server topics and with engaging with a community of like-minded individuals, are curious if this is the right path for you, or just to learn more about other cultures and beliefs. You are respectful and eager to learn, are comfortable acknowledging the fields in which you are uneducated and are willing to pursue rectifying that (or at least not speaking with authority on topics you are unfamiliar with), and are willing to comply with all of the rules and procedures of the Cobalt Athenaeum server network". - High Curator Ash

See this post for more details

Post Updated 7/29/24

[mariacallous]

Last month, as they sought details on what happened in a failed hiring effort, members of the Texas A&M University Faculty Senate suspected they weren’t getting the full story from top administrators.

President Kathy Banks pleaded ignorance in the hiring debacle surrounding Kathleen McElroy, telling faculty members she was unsure what led to McElroy’s claims that Texas A&M offered her a position—with tenure—in a newly formed journalism department only to change the terms of the deal due to concerns over her race (Black), her research and her past work at The New York Times.

Banks, over and over again, claimed to have no knowledge of a change in the contract. But by the time she left the online meeting, faculty members felt strongly the president wasn’t providing straight answers.

“We’re being lied to on a lot of fronts,” one professor said in the July 19 meeting.

“It cries out that we’re not being told a straight story,” another faculty member said.

A day later, on July 20, Banks retired abruptly, citing “negative press” over the hiring spectacle. She made no mention of the distrust expressed by faculty members or the pushback she had faced.

By July 21, the faculty’s concerns had been validated in a report from the Texas A&M system’s Office of the General Counsel that showed Banks’s direct involvement in the McElroy case, with the president’s fingerprints all over the decision to yank the offer and replace it with a nontenured option. The report spelled out, in clear facts, that Banks—under pressure from legislators and regents to drive Texas A&M in a conservative direction—was the architect of the failed hire.

(Banks did not respond to a request for comment from Inside Higher Ed.)

Even on its own, the dishonesty Banks displayed in the McElroy case would have likely sunk any presidency. But for Banks, the McElroy situation came two years into a contentious term, marked by clashes with professors and a top-down leadership style that eroded support from constituents across campus.

At the campus level, the story can be taken as one of hubris and dramatic missteps, but zooming out, the Banks tenure reflects the perils of the modern presidency amid increasing politicization of higher education, especially in red states where skepticism of academe is high.

Two Years of Tensions

Banks assumed the presidency in June 2021 after nine years at the helm of the engineering department. Banks had joined Texas A&M in 2012, coming over from Purdue University.

As dean of the College of Engineering at Texas A&M, Banks was celebrated.

“I must state that initially, when she was named president, I was very optimistic,” Raymundo Arróyave, a Texas A&M materials science and engineering professor, said by email. “In balance, despite the fact that I disagreed with some of the policies that she implemented as dean (this is usual, faculty do not agree with administration 100 percent of the time), I thought that she had been a transformational dean. Our college doubled in the number of students, faculty, footprint, etc. So, she was very effective at elevating the college and had similar hopes for the university.”

But, he added, “Dr. Banks quickly made it clear that her presidency was going to be [one] of dramatic changes. Many of those changes were poorly justified and poorly communicated (lack of effective communication was a common shortcoming of her tenure as dean, by the way).”

The first controversy of the Banks presidency began behind closed doors. Early in her presidency, Banks sought to establish her vision and introduce sweeping changes at Texas A&M. Those changes came in the form of recommendations from MGT Consulting in fall 2021 that included academic consolidation and reorganization, restructuring of certain administrative positions, and various programmatic changes.

But some with direct knowledge of those conversations suggest the recommendations from MGT Consulting were largely dictated by Banks. The president saw the recommendation process as a way to put forth her own ideas and let MGT Consulting take the heat when those proposals were met with resistance, said a source who served in the president’s cabinet.

“She said, ‘Our job is to tell them what we want to do, they’ll write it up in a report, and then, when there’s public criticism, we’ll say we’re following the advice of the consultants,’” the former cabinet member said, speaking anonymously due to concerns about career repercussions.

In conversations in the summer of 2021, senior leaders allegedly dictated to MGT Consulting the recommendations that the firm would later put forth as their own ideas, the source alleges.

“President Banks directly said, ‘Let’s put some things in there that we know the faculty will not like. And then we can reject them so it will look like we’re listening to them.’ The whole process was a PR sham to begin with,” the former cabinet member told Inside Higher Ed, noting that they were unsure of what poison pills were inserted since they did not work on faculty issues.

(MGT Consulting did not respond to a request for comment from Inside Higher Ed.)

Blowback to the MGT Consulting recommendations was immediate. Faculty raised concerns about combining the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science and the College of Geosciences into a new College of Arts and Sciences. While the university offered little public rationale for the change, recent public documents released by Texas A&M related to the McElroy scandal indicate that—according to a text message from Jay Graham, a member of the Board of Regents—Banks had said the academic consolidation was “to control the liberal nature that those professors brought to campus.” (Neither Graham nor system officials responded to questions about that claim.)

Plans to eliminate tenure for librarians also prompted objections from faculty, particularly as administrators refused to explain the rationale for months before eventually making the argument that a reorganization of the library was needed to streamline and simplify operations to emphasize student needs. Despite the objections of faculty, nearly 30 librarians lost tenure or tenure-track status last year. Others decamped to different departments to maintain tenure.

Outside of the controversy generated by the MGT Consulting report, Banks also stirred anger on campus by announcing plans to kill the print edition of the student newspaper in February 2022 before backing away from that decision. Two months later, Banks defunded Draggieland, an annual drag show run by student organizations in partnership with the university. That decision, made with no initial explanation, prompted outcry from students and LGBTQ+ organizers. Officials would later assert that Draggieland was self-supporting due to ticket sales.

Last July brought changes to Texas A&M Qatar, an overseas outpost operated in conjunction with the Gulf nation’s government. Texas A&M reorganized the Qatar campus, eliminating rolling contracts for faculty in favor of fixed-term deals while consolidating power under one dean and limiting research activities for professors in non-degree-granting units, as outlined in a Banks memo.

Faculty members decried the top-down decision-making, arguing that the elimination of rolling contracts would undercut recruiting efforts and academic freedom at A&M Qatar. As these changes played out, faculty members on the main campus accused Banks of ignoring shared governance and leaving them out of important decisions as she pursued her own agenda.

A Faculty Senate resolution last August accused Banks of a “lack of commitment to meaningful shared governance” that was “promulgating a mistrust of future administrative decisions.” The “absence of shared governance” was “exacerbated by a lack of transparency,” the resolution stated.

As discontent with Banks continued, Karen Wooley, a distinguished professor in the department of chemistry, wrote a letter to Banks in December accusing her of “causing substantial disruptions and threatening the integrity” of Texas A&M, according to various media reports.

In January, Banks announced efforts to increase communication and provide more face time for faculty and staff with university administrators as well as the formation of two new committees to “improve our continuous evaluation and feedback” led by senior administrators, among other changes.

But the January olive branch from Banks did little to settle faculty concerns. By April of this year, frustration with the president’s top-down management style had reached a boiling point. A poll of members of the Council of Principal Investigators, a group of faculty members who help guide research efforts at Texas A&M, found “widespread discontent” and alleged that administrators had created an environment rife with fear and intimidation, The Texas Tribune reported. The poll, inspired by Wooley’s letter, found 89 percent of CPI members had similar concerns.

A Faculty Senate Showdown

By the time Banks met with the Faculty Senate on July 19, tensions on campus were high. The story of how McElroy’s hiring fell through was opaque at the time, and the faculty wanted answers. Instead, Banks deflected their concerns, downplaying her role in and knowledge of the hiring debacle.

Arróyave, the materials science professor, pressed Banks with hard questions, later telling Inside Higher Ed that there was “too much confusion as to who wrote the offer letters, who modified them, who was aware of the additional contract negotiations, etc.” Based on his experience with Banks as engineering dean, Arróyave said he “found it difficult to believe that she was not aware of the contract negotiations.”

The distrust of Banks by faculty members in the meeting was palpable.

Concerns swirled about the influence of outside organizations such as the Rudder Association, a powerful conservative alumni group, and others who were celebrating the failed hire. What faculty didn’t know at the time was that Banks had worked with José Luis Bermúdez, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, to restructure McElroy’s offer. Bermúdez—who resigned amid the scandal—schemed with Banks on the plan to change the role McElroy was stepping into, as demonstrated in documents later released by the Texas A&M system.

Emails and text messages between university officials, including Banks, indicate that McElroy’s past as a Black woman who worked for The New York Times and researched diversity, equity and inclusion issues was a potential headache for Texas A&M. Banks stressed that it was important to slow-walk the hire until after the end of the legislative session in May, and Bermúdez told a subordinate that it would be “poor optics” to hire McElroy with DEI under fire in Texas. (Lawmakers implemented sweeping restrictions on college DEI offices and work last session.)

As administrators deliberately delayed the process, McElroy dropped out of the running.

“I believe that KM has pulled out. Department just got query from Texas Tribune. I’ll make sure that everything is referred over to Kelly,” Bermúdez texted Banks on July 10, seemingly referring to Kelly Brown, associate vice president of marketing and communications at A&M.

In the exchange that followed, Banks would go on to call McElroy an “awful person” for going to the press and noted, “we have a lot of skeptics about the whole concept of journalism,” while directing Bermúdez to pause the search for a director of the nascent program.

Text messages between regents, released as part of Texas A&M’s internal review, demonstrated that board members also seemed to be exerting influence over the departmental hiring decision.

“Please tell me this isn’t true,” Graham texted Banks and system chancellor John Sharp about plans to hire McElroy. “But since it’s not April Fools Day, I assume it is. I thought the purpose of us starting a journalism program was to get high-quality Aggie journalist[s] with conservative values into the market. This won’t happen with someone like this leading the department.”

Another regent, Mike Hernandez, questioned McElroy’s résumé—calling The New York Times “biased and progressive leaning” and suggested tenure approval would be “a difficult sell.”

(Neither Graham nor Hernandez replied to requests for comment.)

Texas A&M would soon settle with McElroy for $1 million. (McElroy, who remains in her position as a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin, did not respond to a request for comment.)

Outside Influence in Texas

The McElroy hiring controversy has since been followed by another scandal at Texas A&M in which opioid researcher Joy Alonzo was suspended by system officials and investigated for comments she allegedly made about Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, a powerful figure in Texas.

The investigation ultimately cleared Alonzo of wrongdoing, and system officials claim that all policies were followed appropriately. But the two controversies combined have raised lingering questions about the political influence exerted on Texas A&M by state lawmakers and others.

A spokesperson for the flagship campus largely deferred questions to system officials but emphasized, in response to an inquiry about outside political influence, that “Texas A&M prioritizes maintaining an environment that encourages academic freedom, critical thinking and intellectual diversity.”

A Texas A&M system spokesperson did not answer a list of detailed questions from Inside Higher Ed, instead sending a link to a news release summarizing the recent legislative session. Pressed for answers, system spokesperson Laylan Copelin deferred questions to the university.

In a recent editorial, however, Sharp discussed the dual scandals with McElroy and Alonzo.

“Regarding the events in Dr. McElroy’s hiring process, it is difficult to recognize the alma mater I dearly love and to which I owe so much. Texas A&M is far better than this!” Sharp wrote in an opinion piece for The Austin-American Statesman. “A few, however, forgot our Core Values.”

Sharp touched lightly on academic freedom concerns, defending his actions in the Alonzo controversy, and pointed to legislation to codify tenure in state law—after it came under attack from legislators—which he noted was a win for both “academic freedom and accountability.”

But some faculty members worry less about outside influence and more about what direction a politicized Board of Regents and university officials want to take the university and system.

“This is not outside influence. It is clear that (at least some of) the maximum authorities of the system would prefer a more conservative disposition by the faculty and university. Frankly, I think it is highly contradictory to denounce identity politics and then call for the production of ‘conservative journalists’ out of the new journalism school,” Arróyave said, noting broad concerns about the worrisome “interference of politics and ideology into academia.”

Since both the Alonzo and McElroy controversies, university and system officials have stressed the importance of academic freedom and resistance to outside influence on the institution. But as recent documents made clear, the pressure isn’t just from Texas lawmakers—it is also coming from the inside, with regents appointed by Republican governor Greg Abbott, many of whom donated generously to his campaign, intent on pushing Texas A&M in a conservative direction.

[ahiddenpath]

Writing News

You might have noticed that I launched a new fic recently called Infinite Possibilities! I think it's really interesting, and not the sort of fic I see often. It's (what I hope is) a realistic look at the difficulties of digimon living on earth as more people find their digimon partners and have access to the Digital World via their digivices, from several perspectives (Chosen, partner digimon, non-Chosen, non-partner digimon, the Bureau, Yggdrasil, Homeostatis, etc). The setting is canon in the Adventure world, but of course my thoughts on the topic are speculative/head canon. The fic opens before the events of Kizuna, so most of the Chosen are college age.

That's the big thing, but I have a lot more details and thoughts about the future of my fics beneath the cut.

I've been talking lately about being unsure of sharing my work, due to various threats (AI, stolen content, book binding of fanworks, etc) accompanied by a general decrease in engagement across social media in general, and especially in old fandoms like digimon specifically.

I still feel that way, frankly. But I have also noticed that if I don't share my fandom work, I tweak it forever. I can only grow as writer if I practice producing finished works; fussily editing a few chapters indefinitely won't teach me a damned thing.

So, I will be sharing Infinite Possibilities, and probably trying to complete my other open fics, too. There may be some changes, though. For example, I will not be drawing art routinely for IP (it may happen sometimes if I get the urge, but it won't be a chapter expectation). I will also shift to using screen grabs from Tri to promote Tri: Integrity Lens when I post for that, and only drawing if I really want to, rather than using the art as a mandatory promotional tool.

Future fics

Currently, my plan is to not launch any more longfics. I can't say at this time if that means forever or until I complete one or two longfics. It will likely take me a few years to knock out my open longfics, so it's better not to speculate that far out.

I may, however, launch the occasional oneshot or short fic. I actually have a short fic (about 3-5 chapters) in the works right now. It's an explicit sex story, and it's a bit chaotic. It explores various sexualities and lifestyles in a safe, accepting, patient environment. I'd have to say that it's... definitely the most, just, blatantly sexy thing I've written.

Here is the status of my current open fics and my plans for them:

Puits d'Amour

I've been struggling for months with the next art for Puits d'Amour, and I don't want art struggles to hold me back from completing my writing. I will eventually share the next chapter of PdA, and the half chapter that exists after that (I am unsure if I will add more to it or just post a shorter chapter). After that, there is no more existing content, so there will be a pause as I figure out my next steps.

Tri: Integrity Lens

I am going to cut down on artwork and utilize more screenshots. There are currently about three chapters written that could be published without too much intensive effort, so I imagine you will see these after I post the remaining PdA chapters. They're quite good/exciting/interesting, too!

After those are shared, I will need to sit down and figure out what gets worked on next.

Four Years

There is no material waiting in the wings for this one. I still need to sit down and plan how I will handle the rest of the story. I would also like to get back into editing the old chapters, and hopefully book binding the edited version.

I've never done art for this fic, and it's going to stay that way, with wiggle room for an occasional "I must draw this!".

Infinite Possibilities

Currently has about 10 written chapters waiting, but I do need to add in scenes, so they aren't "ready to go." Most upcoming updates will be for this fic until I get through the existing material. I will be using the commissioned cover art when I announce new chapters, so art won't slow me down, although I may draw on occasion if I really want to show you something.

Practice

This is the current title for my sexy fic, but I am hoping to come up with something better. I could start sharing it soon, but I'd like to finish the whole piece and use that to cover about two months' worth of updates, while I work on other fics. No art for this one, except maybe a cover piece.

[hirocimacruiser]

Thorough dissection of KAGEISEN ROADSTER

this is the strongest ever Roadster

Roadster racing cars are called Freshman Races. It's a small FR that doesn't cost a lot, is running a lot in gymkhanas, and has plenty of racing parts. It's a good material to challenge motor sports. However, the roadster introduced here is a little different. It is truly a unique machine that should be called a great challenge.

Photography: Takashi Takeda Photography: Shunichi Moriyama Editorial Department

It's still in the maturing stage, but it's one to expect

It is a unique machine among all the racing roadsters. Kagei Sen means Tokyo Science and Arts College. The school offers a variety of courses related to automobiles, and this machine was created as part of the racing attack course. And I'm actually participating in the race, but it's great that the place for that challenge is the JGTC, that is, the All Japan Championship.

The instructor, Toshihiko Nogami, is a former Mazda Speed ​​staff member who also works as a driver for this machine and loves racing. This class is led by Mr. Nogami's experience and passion, but I heard that racing is not a "bad road," and that Honda's participation in F1 also had the purpose of developing human resources for its employees. Because it is a certain amount, the effect must be great.

We chose the Roadster as the base because it is a unique car like no other.

The main reason for this is that it is easy to use, and of course the small size and low center of gravity is also a big point as a base machine. In order to load more 13B rotaries, the layout of the exhaust, etc., has a balance with the fuel tank, which is compact and does not take up much space. As a result, it became a “real racing car” with elaborate construction such as left-hand drive and inboard suspension.

Of course, these have the meaning of studying as teaching materials, but they are also effective because they are actually fighting in practice. From a purely fast-paced standpoint, the short wheelbase leaves some stability concerns, but it's an advantage on technical tracks, and the low center of gravity due to the open space is an advantage. If it is the same engine, there is hope that it will be faster than FD.

So far, he has not been able to start in Round 3, and although he ran in Round 4, he was forced to retire due to damage to the oil cooler. Currently, we are steadily repeating test runs, so I am looking forward to the future when it is finished.

ENGINE&SUSPENSION

Push rod suspension for rotary engine

The 13B peripheral port uses Weber Alpha's electronically controlled injection, which uses the exhaust pipe of the 787B. The elaborate inboard suspension is a damper for the RS race machine that I had on hand.

This seems to have happened in order to make use of the front push rods from the Mazda 253. The rear suspension unit fits in the trunk. The degree of freedom of setting performed by changing the lever ratio is large.

COCKPIT

of the layout from problem to left-hand drive

Due to limited space, an 80-liter fuel tank has been added to the rear, but in order to keep the high exhaust of the rotary from approaching, a tunnel is provided at the lower right end to accommodate the muffler. This is also because the exhaust of the rotary is on the right side, so it is a left-hand drive. The dash does not retain its original form, and the interior is equipped with additional bars. Pedals are RS.

AERO PARTS Are these Aeros coming soon?

The hardtop is made of carbon. Rigidity is also improved, and the weight can be reduced by nearly 10kg compared to normal. Considering the air resistance, it is said that the top is good. Front bumper, spoiler, fender October with mirrors to be released at the end.

SPECIFICATION

full length 3970mm

Width 1775mm

Height not clear

Wheelbase 2265mm

Tread (F/R) 1505/1520mm

vehicle weight 950kg

engine type 13b

engine type rotary peripheral port

Total displacement 654ccX 2

Maximum output 320PS/9000rpm

Maximum torque 27.0kg-m/8000rpm

suspension Pushrod + W wishbone

Tire (F/R) 215/625-17 / 240/625-17

[cyb3rtarot]

Hello!!! @cyb3rtarot🌷✨hope you are having a good day 🌞

I'd like to participate in your 'Tarot game activity'🎴

For your tarot game could I please ask what changes I should consider to improve my work-life balance? My other category is future plans.

Thank you for giving this opportunity🌟

Hi! You got tails, a reading on your question; house, paths, heart, practicality:

"Home is where the heart is, so follow your heart." If you've been having itches of curiosity, freedom, or stir-craziness, addressing those will provide balance. If there's loved ones you would like to include, even better. Not only am I thinking of exploration/travel from the paths card, but I drew the Independence card which is Moon in Aquarius. I was afraid I didn't shuffle well so I put it back, but that energy is prevalent. Your heart wants to expand the concept of what home means and look for belonging—or connection—in places besides your current physical home. There's an emotional need to see what's out there and not be limited.

Some emotional fulfilment comes from the security work offers and replicating similar security in the home may bring balance. With the call to explore, this could for example look like changing your home up in a way that makes it more restful in consideration to work or routine (like making things more efficient?). Or bringing more "you," more emotionally satisfying things into places you spend a lot of time (whether bringing them into the home or bringing homey things into work). I'm not sure if there's anyone else in your home/often invited but if so there should be an understanding of what everyone can do to make domestic life easier, everyone pulling their weight and being understanding of needs. If you do any work or creative things at home then the focus could be on making this space more restful, but be mindful of bringing work home too much literally & emotionally. The security received from a job well done needs to be prioritized WITH emotional security from being able to get away from routine. This may be a matter of valuing breaks and personal enrichment as equally important as material tasks. The consequence of resting and enrichment is work done better, so self care is a win win situation.

You can bring practicality into how you explore outside the home. If going on a big vacation is impractical, look in the local community (this is emphasized) for things that pique your interest. Exploring communities or hobbies online may satisfy curiosity. Do self care in YOUR way, not the way that looks aesthetic or understandable to others, but in a way that addresses security needs along with your inner child's wonder. Including others is especially beneficial, close loved ones but also being in places with others—community energy. If you have a job which pulls you outside of hours, be mindful of doing things that don't need immediate attention like looking at emails (the same goes for if you have anyone close who always needs you to do things). New things that appeal to niche interests, humanitarian beliefs, as well as making the home feel safe will yield good results.

There's a message about investing more time into bonds. This is something that could be both within the home (such as loved ones) OR out the home (such as romantic interests, passions, friends) due to the paths. Either way, you must choose to prioritize bonds or passions you want to strengthen or establish! Your emotional needs are not less than the needs for which work provides, though I know it can feel crazy to balance these so be patient with your varying wants and energy levels!

Thank you for participating!

[jimjamjomjum]

Hey so I LOVE this interpretation of Wilbur, too, and I am so desperate to talk about Wiley with anyone who will listen so here’s my actual take, which aligns closer to this one (it’s long):

My actual, realistic interpretation of Cross is one of disillusionment. In Black Friday he just oozes the energy of a guy who has lost his faith in humanity. For a lot of reasons, I think that the separation of the “truly good” and “truly bad” in Monsters and Men is based largely on hope. Lex and Hannah are kids in Black Friday, so their hope is untouched by the disappointments of the world. Redeemable characters like Tom Houston fall for the spell because they have lost some of their faith in the world and fell for Wiggly’s promises, but at the end of the day they believe that there is good worth fighting for and it can be won (Tom and Tim being a family again, Becky finding peace through a new family, etc). Linda Monroe has given up all faith in humanity (at least in Hatchetfield), evident by her monologue about “the real Hatchetfield” to Becky. She claims to see the world as it really is, ambivalent at best, evil at worst, ugly all around.

This idea is supported in other musicals, too. Even though Grace is also pretty much the same age as Lex in Black Friday, she, due to her religious upbringing, sees the world as being one full of sinners. Even Ruth, with whom she was friendly, she condemns to hell for being bisexual. This condemnation-over-redemption mindset is what preps her perfectly for her evil turn at the end of the show. When the only person she can trust to not be a sinner is herself, and the Lords in Black give her unimaginable power to right the wrongs of the world, she takes power into her own hands and goes mad. It all comes from her lack of faith in others, a character trait she had from the beginning.

SO, my take on Cross pre-portal is actually that he was a guy who was secretly losing hope. Maybe being in the military for a long time was wearing him down. Maybe he never had hope to begin with. I’m not sure when exactly it happened - pre PEIP, during PEIP, or as he met Wiggly for the first time, but at some point Cross lost faith in humanity (namely in the context of government) and Wiggly promised him power. And like Grace, he took it.

This idea seems most supported by the Made in America spiel, where the concepts of corruption via capitalism and materialism seems entirely personal to Cross and not something Wiggly is entirely concerned about beyond manipulating it to distribute his dolls. Cross clearly held these beliefs pre-Wiley. Basically, Made in America is Wiley’s Dirty Dudes Must Die.

When MacNamara says that Cross went mad when he went in the portal, my actual interpretation is he went mad the same way Grace did, where the writing was on the wall before hand, but it was a betrayal to MacNamara and the rest of PEIP all the same. I don’t actually think that in canon Cross’s personality was forcibly or drastically changed by the Lords in Black via a deal.

I do love the idea posited in these tags that Cross was seeking the Lords in Black to get power, though! I can’t remember when it was that Cross killed Douglas Keane Sr. but I’m sure it’s another piece to this puzzle haha.

THAT ALL BEING SAID I like to make myself sad sometimes and part of that is making REALLY depressing headcanons which led to this drawing haha

Be right back.

[bookshelf-dust]

Just wanted to let you know that your work is fucking awesome! I'm currently writing a Eddie x reader fic and wanted to include Gareth and stumbled upon your fics while I was looking for some kind of inspiration. And now I kinda fell in love with this curly haired guy due to your awesome fics! Thank you so much! 💕

Also, may I request something short and fluffy? I had some rough weeks and would die for some cute and funny comforting fic. Maybe reader had some bad grades and her parents are terrorising her about that and her best friend left her because "she was lame" and Gareth found her somewhere in the halls nearly crying because everything is too much and he tries to comfort her and make her laugh again?

Sending lots of love. 💕

good enough

gareth emerson x fem!reader

word count: 1,554

warnings: reader has fight with mother/fight with friend, loneliness, anxiety, one mention of being drunk, fluff, comfort

a/n: hi sweetheart!! i’m so happy that you enjoy my gareth stuff. thank you so much for reading them and for your request! i’m so very sorry that you’ve had a shitty couple of weeks, but i hope that maybe this will make you feel a little better! sending lots and lots of hugs your way. <333

————

“So you just weren’t going to show us until I had to berate you about it? Huh?”

Your mother’s voice is shrill where she stands in front of you. Your father sits across from you at the dining room table, reading the notes your teacher left on your essay.

“I didn’t realize I had to show you every assignment I turn in.”

She exhales loudly and you refuse to look at her. “You do when you receive a grade like that! I thought you were good at this subject.”

Your knee starts to bounce.

You are good. You’re just struggling right now. With this particular instructor, with the class itself—it’s taking a lot out of you.

Not that she’d know that.

Not that she ever asks or would want to know how you actually feel.

Your mother turns to face her husband. “You haven’t got anything to say?”

Your dad takes his glasses off and looks up. “The notes say that there are strong points, but that there are things to be adjusted.”

He turns his head, making eye contact with you. “You can improve.”

He says it both as a fact and a question.

You nod, chewing on your nails.

He’s always been the softer of your parents, but your mother is always very quick to make everything about herself.

Well if you’re doing badly in school, then I must be a bad mother. What will others think if they find out you’re a failure?

“Did you try your best with this?” He asks you.

“I did,” you start. “This material has just been hard on me.”

He turns to face his wife now. “See? She’s trying, honey. You’ve got to give her a chance.”

“Well, she’s not trying hard enough. School was perfectly easy for me.”

That is the end of that, you decide. You can’t listen to her speak as if you’re not in the room anymore. You get up and leave for your bedroom.

————

You sit on the edge of your bed, sinking in on yourself. You want to call Gareth. You know even the mere sound of his voice will help you feel better.

But he’s got Hellfire tonight. He’s not home. Although you contemplate calling anyhow, because if you do, his mother will answer, and she’s always been so sweet and open with you.

You decide against it, but you really need to talk to someone. Anyone. About anything.

You think you want to call Mel.

Melissa Thompson was your very best friend. She had been for the past couple of years, and you’d felt safe around her.

Though lately, she’d been coming up with excuses not to hang out with you. She had studying to do, she’d say. She had to babysit her little cousin.

And you had this feeling. This awful feeling that really it was that she didn’t like you anymore.

She was changing, ready to graduate and move on to bigger things. Ready to make new friends.

You were afraid of change.

But now, you find yourself fidgeting with a string on your quilt as the phone rings and even more aggressively when Melissa answers.

She audibly sighs when she realizes it’s you on the phone.

You wanted to talk, but that gives you a clear sign that she doesn’t want to, and suddenly you’re very frustrated with the fact that you’re seemingly not good enough for anyone.

“Let’s hurry this up then, huh, Mel?” You exclaim.

None of this felt fair. You were not a child and you didn’t appreciate being treated like one.

“Have I done something wrong?” You ask.

When Melissa responds, you can hear what you think is a smile in her voice.

“I’m sorry. You’re just…you’re lame, Y/N.” Your breath hitches. “When’s the last time you came out with me?”

All she ever wanted to do anymore was find a party so she could get drunk and fit in.

“When’s the last time we went shopping?”

All she ever wants is to wear something to impress a boy.

“You just sit around, or you go watch that boy practice for his band. You have no life. And frankly, I don’t really want you in mine anymore.”

You don’t have it in you to fire something back, but you don’t want to leave it like this.

“Well you know what, Mel? Not everyone spends their time trying to please other people or be normal. So fuck you, then.”

You hang up, and bury yourself in your bedding, letting the tears come as they please.

You want Gareth.

————

When you wake the next morning, the feelings from the previous night follow you into the kitchen, where your mother doesn’t speak to you.

And then on the way to school. During school, when you speak with your teacher and come away feeling like a failure because apparently, you hadn’t looked closely enough. Hadn’t analyzed well enough.

They follow you to lunch too, though that’s where you lose it.

You see Melissa in the courtyard and everything comes crashing down. Every feeling from last night and this morning bears down on you.

It feels like you’re surrounded, like the reminders of your wrongdoings are everywhere, and you pack up your things and rush inside.

You’re pacing back and forth at the end of the hallway, somewhere you think you can be alone since everyone else is doing who-the-fuck-knows-what on their lunch break.

Gareth leaves the cafeteria to head for the vending machines, which, rather than be in the lunchroom, are in a separate location a little ways away.

Exactly near where you’re fighting a breakdown.

He spots you, and picks up the pace. He hasn’t seen you in days.

“You thinkin’ Skittles or Starburst today?” He inquires, assuming your contemplating a snack.

Gareth’s voice makes you jump, and he catches it. You turn around, and he looks you over, seeing how glassy your eyes are.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong? I didn’t mean to scare you.”

You soften at his presence.

“It’s nothing,” you tell him.

“Hey, no. We aren’t doing that.” He puts his hands on your shoulders and they’re warm.

Your eyes well up further at his words, the fact that he wants to listen, that you know he’ll be there for you, and then they’re clouding your vision so much that you can’t see him anymore.

They spill over.

Gareth takes you into his arms, wrapping them around your shoulders. He’s never seen you like this. He never wants to see it again.

“You know you can talk to me. I know you know that.”

He rubs your back up and down and up and down. You bury your face in his neck. He smells like syrup—you bet he made pancakes for his sisters this morning—and this soft cologne that he wears and very faintly of cigarettes.

Eventually you pull back, and before you can wipe your face, Gareth does it for you.

You take a deep breath.

“My mom got pissed at me last night because I didn’t do well on Click’s essay and she chalked it up to being because I’m not trying hard enough. Because school was easy for her and basically that means I’m a fucking dumbass, right?”

“And then I wanted to call you but you had Hellfire, so I called Melissa, though you know how she’s been,” you stop for a second, your voice breaking, and then you continue. “And she said I was lame, that she didn’t want me around anymore.”

“So I’m just overwhelmed and I feel like Im not good enough for anyone anymore. And I wanted you so bad last night but you were busy and then when you weren’t busy I didn’t want to burden you with my feelings either.”

When you’ve finished, Gareth rubs his hands up and down your arms. He seems to do that when he knows your upset, the rubbing.

“Your mom’s being an ass about the essay,” he says. “School’s not the same for everyone and I’m sorry that she said that. But you are not a dumbass, you hear me? I know how hard you try. I see it.”

You look away from him and he presses his first two fingers gently against your cheek, turning your face back to him.

“And I never liked Melissa anyways. She’s an asshole for not seeing how good of a friend you are and how lucky she was to have you in her life. And you’re totally not lame. You’re a badass.”

That makes you smile. Just enough that Gareth does too.

“Also I don’t ever want to hear you say you don’t want to burden me with your feelings ever again. You literally couldn’t.”

You nod repeatedly, as if assuring yourself, and then look into his eyes.

“I just want you to know that you’re good enough for me. You always have been,” he tells you.

You grin at him, albeit a little sadly. You’re feeling over the moon for him. He thinks you look sweet.

“Come sit with me?”

“Sure.”

Gareth presses a kiss to your forehead like it’s something he does everyday, and then he’s taking your hand, leading you towards his friends.

And you feel like it’s going to be okay.

You know it will. And he’ll make sure of it.

————

please let me know if you liked this! feedback is always appreciated!! comments and reblogs mean more than you know. <33

[obeythebutler]

hello hello! first things first is that i have been following your vlog for a long time now and its a must for me to check it at least twice or thrice a day! anyways, can we get mc who dreams of the weirdest things about the brothers? like maybe lucifer had refused to do the paperwork diavolo sent him because he wanted to play with cerberus, mammon who became a stripper for food just for money, satan who fears cats and actually prefers dogs, etc. if its not much of a problem, of course!

MC Has Weird Dreams About The Brothers!

LUCIFER

The first time you told Lucifer of the dreams you had about him, the demon couldn't believe his ears.

"What kind of dreams?" He had asked, with that smirk playing on his lips. The demon wasn't expecting you to narrate about the dream where Diavolo was blowing up his D.D.D. concerning the documents which were past due.

And in which Lucifer ignored the calls in favor of petting Cerebrus. And cried because he didn't have three hands to pet the three good boys.

Certainly, the human exchange student had peculiar dreams.

Dreams should remain dreams only, lest his brothers find out and the next thing the demon knows is that he's drunk and crying because he doesn't have enough hands to pet Cerebrus...

....and the fact that this could happen in reality is even more concerning, but Lucifer won't say it out loud.

MC is going to have to stick with him replying 'So true, bestie 💅' in the chat.

MAMMON

What kind of dreams are you having about him—

The demon gets flustered when you mention dreaming about him. But his expression changes from excitement to bafflement to a constipated one when you mention him working at a strip club, and there's also that dream where he turns over a new leaf and becomes a lot more responsible!

The last one is definetly not happening. Nor is the former. Nope!

One dream was where MC was running away from Mammon, while the demon has outstretched his arms and goes "Why are you running? Why are you running?!"

And baby-talking to his familiars!! Mammon won't say it out loud, but he does that to some of his crows!

(Whose the greatest bird of all time? You are! Yes you! You're great enough to be alongside the Great Mammon!")

One time Lucifer was hot on the demon's heels about another debt received. The mail was overflowing with overdue payments, and you were chilling with your barbecued zebra.

"You know, I had a dream where he payed all his debts and you were the one with overdue payments, Lucifer."

LEVIATHAN

Him?? Being a normie?? And a bully?? Participating in normie activities?? Not a chance!

When MC recites how Levi removed all the posters and his precious figurines from his room and turned it into something else, the demon could bear no more! Ruri-Chan for all his demon life!! No one is going to steal her away!

You sit besides Levi while he games, and leaning your head on his arm casually mention how Henry 2.0 was replaced with a racoon.

Your dreams are some serious crack material, MC. Some that Levi himself posts in the group, and then it's a whole circus.

But confident Levi makes him wonder too. Perhaps, if he's a wee bit more assertive then maybe MC would like him more...?

SATAN

Dreams have diverse meanings. Representation of dreams, one's hopes, failures and longings. Flying, falling and—

Him?? Fearing cats and liking dogs?? Mushing over Cerebrus?? Look MC he likes all animals but he could never hate cats look at those paws and ears and—

Though MC's dreams are weirdly hilarious to imagine sometimes. Like Lucifer turning into a peacock and trying to seduce Lord Diavolo. That's going right in the group with an edited picture of Lucifer's face on a peacock.

He's the one asking you to maintain a dream diary, for research purposes, of course. And if the demon is right on time to wake you up with a drink, he'll share a chuckle with you over your latest weird dream.

You have the most absurd of dreams, but maybe some of them can be brought to life? Maybe mixing some hair removal cream into Lucifer's shampoo? Putting googly eyes on all his things?? So many ideas😏

ASMODEUS

So we're having dreams, aren't we? Of course you would dream about him! His beauty is so captivating that it follows into one's dreams too.

What do you mean he's all dirty and has horrendous fashion sense. That simply won't do! Oh no! He's not becoming Satan with his choice of clothes!

(Asmo, to Satan at one point: "Wear your clothes properly, hon."

Not in his wildest dreams!

You once mentioned while the demon was painting your nails about the dream you had where he threw hands with a wall because it insulted his earrings.

Your dreams are certainly the weirdest, and yet Asmodeus finds himself listening in some sort of macabre fascination. His head hurts because of some, but the others are simply too alluring to let pass.

"What if we all were birds? Lucifer would be peacock and Mammon crow, but you'd be a secretary bird, Asmo."

"Secretary bird? Was that another dream of yours?"

BEELZEBUB

When you tell him about a dream of yours, the demon is in the middle of chewing a giant fried gargoyle burger.

Beel doesn't exercise anymore. He's as thin as a stick, and his behind doesn't pass the cake check test. All that muscle gone...(but I will slap his behind, no matter what 😤)

Jk, it's right there for you to smack, MC. Give his behind a nice slap but be beware of not breaking your hand.

Beel has seen the potential you reciting your dreams at the breakfast table has. It almost always leads to more schemes being planned in the Anti-Lucifer League.

So when the demon sees chaos causing due to them, he ensures you're safe from the shenanigans. No one wants shaving cream in their shampoo bottle.

"You know, I had another weird dream."

Beel nods, signalling for MC to continue.

"Okay so it goes like this. Hi my name's Derek welcome to—"

BELPHEGOR

This man dreams of sleeping even when he's asleep. But sometimes he has some of the weirdest dreams when Belpheghor puts in the effort.

When you mention at the table about having a dream where Belpheghor became surprisingly nice and hugged Lucifer, while referring to him as "my lovely eldest brother❤️," the demon shuddered.

He can't imagine Lucifer being all gooey and warm with him, and neither can he.

The demon isn't awake for most of the time. His sin compels him to sleep, and when he's asleep he has fun with it when the mood strikes. Belphegor enters your dreams, and when you both wake up the rest of the brothers wonder why he won't look them in the eye without snickering.

"What's the matter, Belphie?"

"Belphegor stop laughing and at least don't fall in your soup—"

[milkytheholy1]

A Detective Always Interrogates Twice

A/N: Howdy everyone! So this isn't related to Everything Ends, just want to make that clear right off the bat. This is in fact heavily inspired by an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia! It's from season 14, episode 5 titled "A Janitor Always Mops Twice", I'd check it out if you have the time, it might help make things less confusing. I also use a lot of 40's slang, so sorry in advance, but hey educate ya selves!

Hope you enjoy!

Rise Leo x Female Reader

Tmnt masterlist. Ultimate masterlist.

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

The dark nights were harrowing, the radio had forecast a sunny day but in this city, the most light you get is from the streetlamps. Rain thundered against the concrete of the road, businessmen in their fancy cars and sauced-up taxi drivers sloshing their tires through the puddles. 

The droplets pittered down into the sewers, leaving a dripping sound to echo through the tunnels every other second. If you carried on following the winding underground underpasses of New York it would lead you to a home away from home. 

A lair hidden from the bastards and dames up above, they wouldn't even know a family lived beneath them. In the lair were four brothers and their pops, secret heroes of the night and friends to two lucky gals in the city. 

Leonardo claimed to be the second-oldest, only rivalling his brother Donatello for second place. Currently, the schmuck was sitting on his bed, the pressed sheets crumpled under his weight. Between his hands laid a comic book, something he took a lot of interest in like the hipster he was.

"Oh ho ho, Captain America, you are killer diller!" he hummed out, flipping the flat page. Beside his bed was a stack of more brightly coloured comics, the pile leaning heavily due to the quantity. Placing the latest issue on the heap, Leo wiped his hands clean and spread them out on his legs; the baggy material of his trousers crinkling against his movements.

He stared off to his cabinet across from him, a smirk adorning his face. Getting up with an added flashy spin, he marched over to the cabinet and slowly pulled open the draw. His eyes were closed as the smug smile remained, reaching out for that familiar plastic covering, Leo grasped the bag and held it up.

"And now, as a treat for all my hard work, I shall read my most prized possession." Finally opening his eyes, the boy cringed. The comic was gone, skedaddled, vamoosed. Leo ducked his head into the draw, checking that it hadn't just slipped out, but no the poor boy came out empty-handed.

Quickly the mood changed, his peepers narrowed and his smile disappeared, "How could this have happened? I must be some sort of schnook!" he furrowed his brows. Leo rubbed his chin, deep in thought, "Some fat head must have done this, and I'm going to get to the bottom of this and give 'em a knuckle sandwich."

- Cut to the interrogation room, A.K.A, the living room - 

I decided to go with my eldest brother first, he had a motive after all and knew the comic meant a great deal to me. Raph had a punch that could topple a building and he was the head honcho of our whole family biz, no doubt he ran into some trouble and could use the extra lettuce. 

"Why am I here again?" Raph questioned, forced into the wooden chair, a spotlight blinding his face. Leo paced in front of him, "My dear brother, this investigation is going to go one way or the other, ya see?"

"Investigation?" Raph gasped, beads of sweat dripping down the cavern of his head due to the heat of the spotlight burning his skin. Leo nodded his head, tipping the tip of his fedora so it rests comfortably on his head, "Tell me what you know about Captain Marvel issue 1?"

"Ya mean that crummy nerd book ya read? Why would I take it, knucklehead?" Raph butted back. Leo smirked at him in a cocky manner, "Perhaps you wanted to make a few quick bucks," he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. Raph rolled his eyes, "C'mon, I ain't no nerd like you."

"Hey!" Leo moaned out, finally turning to face Raph for the first time since this 'interview' started. Raph let out a laugh, standing from the chair and dusting down his suit, "I'm just ragging," he laughed pulling Leo into the side of his chest. Raph's grip got tighter as his laughter died down, he poked a finger against Leo's chest as he spoke, "But don't you ever accuse me of stealing or I'll punch ya right in the kisser, got it?"

"Uh-huh," Leo mumbled out, flailing out of Raph's grasp. The moment his older brother left the room, Leo went back to narrating, rubbing his chin in deep thought about who his next suspect would be.

My next suspect was none other than my twin brother, Donatello. He was a cold fish, a run outta gas kinda guy, the man was no dead hoofer and that was for sure; he could cut a rug like no other.

"Please, praytell, why I am here and not in my humble but extremely comfortable laboratory?" Donnie rolled his eyes, a real wise guy. Leo dragged a chair up and sat in front of his so-called brother, shifting the bright light slowly and staring at him, hoping he'd break.

"Oh please don't tell me you're trying to act like one of those gumshoes from those radio shows you listen to?" Donatello huffed out, Leo gasped, almost offended, "How dare you, you're such a creep, y'know that?"

"Oh, Leonardo, I've been called many things over the years. Please find new material, preferably not from the radio shows you fawn over." Donnie pulled a book from his side, hidden away by the chair's arms. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, another sign he had been in his lab a majority of the evening. 

"Where were you at precisely 6 o'clock this evening?" Leo carried on, he was going to get an answer one way or another. Donatello sighed, rolling his eyes but continued to interact with his brother's fantasies, "I was in my lab, where I usually reside. Are we done now?" his voice was dry and full of wit.

Leo let out a mighty groan, having a minor temper tantrum, "Are you sure you didn't take it?" he asked, his voice wavering. Donnie flicked his peepers up from his book, simply titled 'Calvert's Mechanics', staring blankly at his twin, Donnie huffed out, "I - ugh, hang on - I prom-promis-PROMisss-PROMISE-" he spluttered out, "I didn't take your book of ink."

Leo's head dropped, but he wouldn't let this setback stop him. He had a pad full of names, a list full of possible suspects. Kicking Donatello out of the interrogation room, he called in another suspect.

"You got me, I did it! I confess!" Mikey cried out, hands placed in a praying motion as he begged for forgiveness. Leo sighed, placing his hands on his hips, "Mikey I just asked if you were thirsty?" the box turtle stopped the waterworks and moved to a more neutral position, "Oh, actually now that I think about it, I am." 

"Oh so you admit, you were thirsty, thirsty for crime!" Leo dramatically gasped.

"TELL ME WHO DID IT!" he yelled out, hands slamming against the wooden arms of the chair. Poor Michelangelo shook at the action, shrivelling up in the chair with sweat dripping down his spine, "I DON'T KNOW!" he cried out, genuinely terrified. 

"I KNOW YOU KNOW WHO DID IT!" Leo went back for more, he knew he could break Mikey. No offence, he was a pretty cool cat when he wanted to be, but Mikey couldn't keep a secret no matter how important. All Ol'Leonardo needed to do was figure out how to crack his shell.

"Admit it, you took the comic book after one of your nightly food binges. Your hands got grubby and so did your eyes, you were so comatose you waddled into my room and not your own bunks. You thought you were grabbin' a napkin, to clean those cheesy hands of yours, when you accidentally grabbed my comic." Leo paced around the room, tapping his chin as he set out his trap.

"Then once you realised it was already too late, the crime had been committed and you were a grade A criminal. So, what do you say? Does that sound about right?" he finished, flicking Mikey a smug smoulder. 

The young teen crumbled under the pressure, admitting to guilt though entirely innocent, "I'M GUILTY!"

Mikey was no help, the kid just kept confessing even though he had a rock-solid alibi. But now the family were out of the way, it was time to move on to more hostile targets.

"I know you did not just accuse me of stealing your dumb comic," April growled out, "And what's with all the lights, you're gonna use up the city's power grid with this bad boy on." she shoved the spotlight away from her face, already feeling the cool air smother her burning skin.

"Oh, c'mon April..." Leo moaned out, walking around the back of the chair, "How long have we known each other now? Four? Maybe five years?" he hummed, watching for her baited reaction. She shrugged her shoulders, "Leo, you're not going to guilt trip me. I already told you, man, I don't have your comic!" Before Leo could even blink, April was out of the chair and throwing it around the room.

Uh oooh, maybe Leo overdid it with this one.

April was a lost cause, like Mikey, she too had a good alibi. April held a job at the local bar, serving drunks and hosting floozies. But now I could set my eyes on someone a little more...alluring.

Her name was (Y/N), a sweet girl with an attitude for fun and monsters like me. She and I were like two peas in a pod, a horse and its horseshoes, a rabbit and a hare. There'd be no way on this planet that she'd betray me.

(Y/N) walked into the room, the white flow of her dress trailing behind her like she was some form of a goddess, and just maybe she was. Scarlet lips hypnotised Leo, his brain went to mush the moment her perfume invaded their living space, "Oh Leon, I heard about what happened and it sounds just awful. Do you know who did this to you?"

She spoke like an angel, from heaven who knew? But she was some form of happiness on legs and I couldn't let time slip with this one. There was a certain air when we were together, I knew she felt it much like I did. And I know a dame like that would go quite quick on the streets above, yet I still find myself stalling. 

"Not yet, doll. But don't worry, cause once I do these sewers will be safe once more." he flashed her a smile, leaning up against the chair until their shoulders bumped. (Y/N) batted her lashes, letting out a small giggle, "Well, you betta hurry. I don't want anything bad happening to you or your brothers."

"You've got nothing to worry about, toots. Old Neon Leon has got this case in the bag." he smirked, eyes half-lidded. (Y/N) hummed in delight, waiting for him to continue. 

"So, you were here last night I believe, did you happen to see anything...unusual?" he leaned in close to her face, could feel her breath fan across his skin. She shook her head 'no', her eyes were sparkling even under such an intense brightness, "I believe the only unusual thing I saw that evening was you."

"Oh ho hoo, you charmer!" Leo laughed out, clearly flustered. No matter how many times Leo flirted with (Y/N), whether that was subtly or not, he could never keep his cool when she did it back; it would send him into a spiral.

"Well, the only thing I saw last night was a pretty, young lady with the most fetching smile in all of New York." that caused her to blush, but Leo had to think for a moment, was it okay to flirt with a suspect? Eh, he figured since all the detectives in his radio shows do it, it must be fine!

(Y/N) reached up with a dainty hand and kissed him on the cheek, his red marks imprinted with a dark lip. Leo's eyes fluttered as the room stopped spinning, (Y/N) was already halfway out of the room by the time his senses returned.

"What was that for?" he asked dreamily. (Y/N) giggled, blowing him another kiss, to which he made a show of getting, "For good luck, detective."

And just like that, she was gone into the night, so much for an interview.

The day was coming to an end, or in more accurate terms the sun was about to set, and yet Leonardo was no closer to finding the crook that took his only enjoyment in life. Defeated and saddened, Leo trailed back to his room; his fedora titled in shame.

"Ay Leo, check out who I just found wanderin' the streets!" Raph's burly voice called out, echoing against the sewer walls. Leon bolted back to the 'interrogation room', there laying in a pile on the ground was Repo Mantis; a real bad egg, a no-good hunk of junk, a conman. 

Raph stood proudly on top of the fella, his arms folded over his chest causing his nice new tux to be crumpled, "Why don't ya ask this geezer where ya comic is?"

"Wait, wait, wait...You stole my comic?" Leo sent his glare to the mantis pile on the ground, Repo just stared up at him with a groan, "Yeah, so what it was me?" he growled out, the man was putting up a defence. Leo shook his head, completely baffled, "How'd ya do it?"

By this point, all the other 'suspects' had entered the room, no doubt due to the commotion ringing through the empty halls. Repo looked around at all the new faces, winking at the two women until Leo and Donnie blocked his view. The crook sighed once more, "Last time we got into a fight I swiped it off ya knocked out mug."

"Huh, y'know what? That does sound prettttyyy familiar." Leo hummed out, rubbing his chin, deep in thought. 

"Are you serious right now? You interrogated us all day with your dumb gumshoe logic and yet you knew who did it this entire time!" Donnie cried out, calm and logic thrown at the metaphorical window. Leo cringed, waggling his finger back and forth in his brother's face, "Ah, ah, ah, my dear Donatello. Don't be a fathead. A good detective never half-asses a case, I had to make sure all my leads were cleared before I could move on to solving the case."

"Leads? Boy, you sat us under a hot lamp for twenty minutes and accused us all of taking your comic book." April snided, arms folded and hip jutting out. 

"Okay, enough blabbering!" Raph interrupted, lifting Repo by the collar and slamming him into the wooden chair. He pulled the lamp against his face causing Repo's pupils to shrink, "Where's the comic?" Raph gruffed out. Repo shoved the lamp away, rubbing and blinking his eyes, "I sold it to some guy in New Jersey."

"Ugh, of all the places in the world, it had to be Jersey." Leo groaned, maybe this was one case not worth solving after all.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Is It Really THAT Bad?

This… This is where it all began.

Sean Connery wanted to finally make a great film again after constantly passing on big franchise opportunities. Alan Moore was actually somewhat enthusiastic about seeing an adaptation of his comic. The dominoes were in place and set to fall on a major success as one of the most ambitious crossovers ever written made its way to scree

But unfortunately, there were far too many problems. Connery refused to play an addict and so they changed Quatermain into a straight hero and the team leader. Tom Sawyer was added in because the studio thought people wouldn’t care about the movie if there wasn’t an American in it. Connery butted heads with the director on set. A legal issue involving an unproduced script led Alan Moore to become bitter when things were settled out of court, as he didn’t get to defend himself. It seemed like absolutely nothing could go right with this film, and then it was released.

The movie was savaged by critics, bombed domestically, and devastated several careers. Connery was left miserable in regards to filmmaking thanks to this, and so retired from acting save for some voice work. The director Stephen Norrington had such a bad experience that he vowed to never make another film. Peta Wilson and Stuart Townsend both had their careers torched by this, and Shane West ended up having to stick to TV roles after this. Most tragic of all, however, is how Alan Moore came to utterly despise this film, leading to him demand his name be left off of all future adaptations of his work and beginning a long trend of him hating literally every Hollywood movie based on his creations, regardless of quality.

This film is an utter nuclear disaster of cinema based on how it ruined so many careers and crushed the hopes of its creators, so clearly the critics must be right on the money and this league of gentlemen is not so extraordinary… right? With 19 years and several other Alan Moore adaptations behind us, I’ve decided to look back and see if this notorious film is really that bad after all. Alan Moore definitely thinks so.

The Good

I think what really carries this movie is the performances. Nearly every actor is giving it their all here, though there are some standouts. Jason Flemyng as both Jekyll and Hyde, Naseeruddin Shah as Nemo, and and Tony Curran as this film’s take on the Invisible Man are the standouts here. The latter in particular is very interesting; due to Universal having the film rights for the Invisible Man, they had to make up a new version… which is for the best, since in the comics the Invisible Man on the team is a rapist, a traitor, and an utter bastard. Rodney Skinner, the version here, is much more of a playful rogue and a rascal, and it’s easy to see why he became a fan favorite. It’s definitely one of the few points of improvement over the comic.

Speaking of which, the decision to turn Mina into a vampire might seem corny to some, but I think it rules. Mina in the comics was very much the badass normal and the leader of the team, but that was about it  for her aside from her gross romance arc with Quatermain. Here, she gets to be a badass, and has quite a few cool fight scenes under her belt by the film’s end. It’s a bit of creative liberty with not only the source material but the comic as well, but it’s not like Moore didn’t take creative liberties for the sake of the story he was telling (for better and for worse).

My favorite addition by far is Stuart Townsend’s Dorian Gray. Even as a kid, who knew nothing about Dorian Gray and was very much not aware of his own sexuality, I thought Dorian was hot. He also is functionally immortal and unstoppable, which is awesome as well, making him something of a very sexy Wolverine. Parts of his motivation are very stupid (more on that later), but I think he’s a pretty fun token evil teammate. He’s definitely preferable to the Invisible Man of the comics, that’s for sure.

Aside from that, there’s a lot of fun action scenes, especially towards the end of the movie where they just go whole hog with everything. We have a Hyde versus Diet Hyde fight, we have Mina fighting Dorian, we just have a lot of crazy stuff. It’s just a lot of dumb fun.

The Bad

Much like the comics it’s adapted from, this movie does suffer from some problems that could definitely hinder how enjoyable one might find it.

Probably the bigger ones are the fact characters spend less time showing and more time telling, as they stand about in their fancy costumes and announce obvious things. It doesn’t help either that aside from that, the plot is a lot more convoluted than ever before and riddled with confusing twists and plot holes. For instance, the big reveal that the Fantom is actually M, who is actually Professor Moriarty… what, exactly, does this add to the story? Nothing is the answer. Nothing is added by Moriarty being the bad guy except, well, he was the bad guy in the comics! Gotta keep him in!

It’s even weirder when it comes to Dorian. His whole deal is that Moriarty has stolen his portrait, and if Dorian ever looks at his portrait he will die. So it would make far more sense for him to not want to help Moriarty since the guy is doing him a solid by keeping that damn portrait far away, right? Nope, he’s trying to get it back because… who knows.

I think the bigger issue here is that Quatermain supplants Mina as the main hero. In the comics, Quatermain starts out as a useless, washed up opium addict who slowly undergoes character development to become the badass he should be (and then he is unceremoniously killed by lightning shot out of Harry Potter’s penis). In the movie, he’s badass from the word go, and we all know it’s because it’s Sean Connery playing him. There’s no way you’re going to pay the bill for Connery to be in your film and then not have him be front and center. But this isnot even Connery at his best, as it’s pretty clear that he’s kind of phoning things in (though not nearly as badly as he did with Diamonds Are Forever). Worst of all, though,is that this comes at the expense of Mina becoming marginalized, and this is after you give her sick vampire powers! Mina has been made exponentially cooler and you still sideline her for Sean Connery and his bland white American foster son! What the hell!

And yes, Sawyer is bland and boring. They don’t really do much interesting with the fact he’s Tom Sawyer. In fact, outside a deleted scene, it’s not even mentioned and you’d have to really guess who he’s supposed to be. This, I think, is the reason this doesn’t quite work as a film quite as well as a comic, by the way; film rights and literary rights are two entirely different things. The entire conceit of the franchise is that you’re watching Alan Moore flex his literary knowledge and see how many references can be crammed into a single comic panel, something that just can’t work in a fast-paced action movie. Sure, there’s some references here and there, but it’s not nearly as dense as the comics. You’re not getting cameos from Thomas the Tank Engine or Pollyanna here, that’s for sure, and it’s a shame because that’s the fun of League.

Oh, and to top it all off, the CGI is kinda ass. I swear this is not a screencap from a Resident Evil game, this is just how this dude looks in the movie.

Is It Really THAT Bad?

Honestly? Nah.

Now let me be clear, this isn’t a good movie. It has a hell of a lot of flaws, flaws that keep it from reaching its full potential and keep it from being as good as the comic it’s adapting. But I always recall how I saw someone say they saw this film as part of a loose trilogy with Van Helsing and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, the thematic tie of the films being action-packed CGI spectacles of the early 2000s, and I feel a bit more lenient. This is definitely the weakest of the three films, but I don’t know, I still think there’s merit in it even if it never quite reaches the highs of its comic counterpart.

I’d say this is sort of the Venom of its time, a fun, stupid action movie with tons of actors giving it their all for an almost non-existent plot. I’d say it’s just about where it belongs on IMDB, though I’d round it up to a 6. It’s the perfect thing to just put on if you want some mindless fun or just a bit of background noise while you do something else, and there’s plenty of place in the world for films like that. It’s definitely not so bad that I feel like it should have tanked a half dozen careers and I definitely don’t think it’s so bad that it should have soured Moore’s opinion on Hollywood (and Sean Connery, if his unflattering depictions of Connery’s Bond in later volumes are anything to go by).

The worst thing that can be said about it is that it does very little with the great concept of the comic it’s adapting… But hey, no matter how bad this is, it’s still infinitely better than whatever the hell was going on in Centuries!

[taechaos]

Silent Treatment

from Textbook Love drabble series

pairing: bully!Jungkook x nerdy!fem!Reader

genre: drabble, smut, college au

synopsis: Why did you reject him? He’s consumed by his thoughts and theories of your behavior because you didn’t say a single word to him. If your actions were anything to go by, which apparently speak louder than words, you didn’t even want him to touch you.

warnings: slight angst, drugs, arguing, dubcon, cunnilingus, mild degredation

word count: 4.2k

tags: @mwitsmejk @1-in-abillion @kooookie

a/n: the request (contains some spoilers). i'm gonna take a very short break from this couple to write other requests!! hope u enjoy 💗

The shift in the Spring weather is unpredictable. One moment it’s chilly, and the other sunny. Humans can only adapt so much, and it causes an outbreak of common colds. Most people recover easily, handy medicine soothing their sore throats, syrups suppressing coughs, and nose sprays ridding the blockage. You, on the other hand, are not that lucky. With a weak immune system, you’re very careful to not get sick, but there must have been a slip-up because you’ve somehow lost your voice after catching a cold.

You sniffle and cough, but you can’t speak. It’s advised to not exert your vocal cords in cases like these, and that is just so unfortunate for you. The last thing you’d ever want to do is spread your sickness to Jungkook, and that meant not getting too close to him; it meant no kissing. 

A very large white placard is spread out in front of you on the wooden table, and you’re plastering printed images of a specific global issue on it. You’re sitting on a bench with two of your friends as they chatter mindlessly while you work. Jungkook has a project about climate change due in a few days, and it’s supposed to be very important for his final grade. You’ve already written him a script for his presentation along with a stick prop to point at specific pictures. It’s fun, glittery and he’s going to love it. 

“Hey,” Minnie, your friend, calls for you, “we’re going to get some coffee from Starbucks. Want us to get you green tea?”

Soyeon laughs when your eyes light up; it’s your favorite beverage, and it’s supposed to help with your sore throat. They leave with a smile after you give them a hyper nod and you’re alone as you adjust your woolen scarf around your neck. You need to heal as fast as you can so you’re no longer missing your beloved’s affection.

Jungkook has been feeling more inclined to approach you without reason lately, but that doesn’t mean it’s a common occurrence. Getting teased by his friend, specifically Taehyung, about having a sissy crush on a girl like yourself angered him to no end. A hit always got him to shut up, but not for long. He’s walking your way today because there’s no one around to judge him for talking to you. 

You’re tearing a double-sided tape when he sits on your table, carefully avoiding your materials. Your breath hitches as his eyes gloss over your work in progress. “Working hard, I see,” he comments with disinterest. He doesn’t say anything about your efforts, but he’s impressed. The corner of his lip tugs upwards before he leans in for a kiss. You have enough self-control and concern for his well-being over your desires to lean back before your lips make contact. His face is close to yours as he pauses and slightly frowns before trying again. He receives the same results and finally pulls back. 

“You did well,” he frowns at you and speaks as if you’re a child, “I’m praising you.” Your eyes are darting back and forth awkwardly and you don’t know what to do other than sit in silence. You put your hands on his knees as a resort and his frown deepens as he watches you. “I can take a hint, you know. You don’t have to fucking ignore me.” He roughly shoves your hands and stands up before storming off with a scoff. You’re torn between following him and being responsible over your belongings. You can’t let his grades go to waste because of a small misunderstanding, so you decide to text him instead. There’s always a possibility someone might steal his project. Or maybe after he’s cooled off? You delay the message, but somewhere in your heart, you’re satisfied by his reaction because it’s clear that he wanted to kiss you.

Heavy footsteps clomp against the sidewalk before Jungkook slumps on the seat next to Taehyung. It’s an isolated area for smoking students at the back of the campus, and his friend group is no exception to this role. They’re taking drags of cigarettes individually as Jungkook glares at his boots. They’re chunky and a bold black, and his dark outfit paints him as the big bad wolf. It fits, because he’s ready to attack when he’s filled with so much resentment. Why did you reject him? He’s consumed by his thoughts and theories of your behavior because you didn’t say a single word to him. If your actions were anything to go by, which apparently speak louder than words, you didn’t even want him to touch you. It doesn’t make sense, but you also grimaced at him, but then why were you doing his homework? He’s feeling frustrated, and upset all the same.

“Someone’s troubled,” Seokjin points out with a mouthful of smoke. “Kookie?”

Said boy only grunts in response.

“Did the lousy girl finally see you for who you really are and leave you?” Taehyung doesn’t hesitate to mock him with a pout. “Tragic.”

“Shut the fuck up, Tae,” Jungkook spits and sends him a death glare, fire flaming in his fierce eyes. “Go actually talk to a girl or something, and leave me alone. I can’t take your shit right now.”

The low blow doesn’t affect Taehyung in the slightest as he holds up his hands in defence with comically wide eyes. “Relax, tiger.”

“Moving on from Tae’s inability to talk to girls in broad daylight, what’s up with you Kook?” Namjoon butts in, earning a fake cough from the receiving end of the insult.

He pauses for a moment before babbling, “I hate those bitches. My mother for one, couldn’t stand wearing clothes whenever she saw a dude. Moving on from guy to guy, unless they’re a fucking asshole. What do they want? Why are they never fucking satisfied?!”

A moment of silence passes among the huddled friends before Yoongi breaks it with a joke, “Who’s the lucky girl?” It doesn’t land as Jungkook deeply sighs in response. “Did she cheat on you?” he tries again.

“No,” he murmurs.

“Then…?”

“She… I don’t fucking know, she gave me the silent treatment. She leaned away from me too,” he shakes his head with a quiet groan, “it just doesn’t add up. I got mad and left.”

“No way that could’ve ended up badly,” Taehyung chuckles but purses his lips when he’s sent another dirty look.  “How long was the interaction anyway?” 

“Like 30 seconds.”

“Are you coming out tonight?” Yoongi asks and puts out the burning tip of his stick. “Could help you feel better.”

“And we’ve got molly,” Namjoon adds.

“Yeah, fine, whatever.”

Alcohol’s effect on a person differs in moods, and Jungkook is usually a horny drunk. Being a sad drunk is a first for him tonight, but he’s just so confused. It made his heart drop when you outwardly refused his advances and anxiety blossomed in his chest, which he has no idea how to deal with. It kicked in fight or flight instincts, and he just… hated the idea of you not loving him, even if it’s momentary. He can’t bear staying in a situation that makes him feel so insecure, and that feeling is supposed to be left in his childhood. You just about brought out the worst in him without doing anything. 

You didn’t do anything.

It’s 10PM and he’s waiting on your usual good night text that he never responds to. It’s so pathetic, and he hates himself for being so used to your affection that it worries him when he’s deprived of it. He’s never doubted your love for him, but his insecurities are churning his gut. It’s an overflow of all of his pent-up emotions, and he can’t handle it.

“Here,” Taehyung pops in out of nowhere, clutching a pill in his hand. There’s a bottle of water in the other as he holds them out for Jungkook to take. “Stop moping and get laid.”

“I’d say the same to you, but you’d probably start crying during sex,” he mumbles and uncaps the bottle before throwing in the pill and washing it down with the water. “Thanks.”

“See that girl over there?” he ignores him and steps behind his miserable friend to point at the owner of the sultry gaze directed at Jungkook from the bar. “She wants to fuck you. Or maybe me, but I’m passing her onto you.”

“How kind of you,” he sarcastically replies.

“Uh-uh, so you’re gonna be in ecstasy in about 10 minutes. Don’t fuck this up.” He slaps his shoulder before disappearing into the kitchen. It’s a lonesome party because not a lot of people are allowed in when drugs are involved. Causing a ruckus, receiving a noise complaint and then getting arrested is out of the question. 

He isn’t interested in sex with a stranger - not today at least -, but he hopes for it to change as he waits to approach her. Maybe drugs will rile him up enough to have fun with someone else and rid his mind of you. It’s an annoying itch on his brain, so he rests his head against the couch to comfort himself with the soft fabric. He’s sleepy from the beer he drank earlier, and he doesn’t know how time goes by so fast when he closes his eyes.

A few minutes must have passed, because he’s starting to feel dizzy in his seat. A smile carves on his face as his mind grows slightly fogged, and he opens his eyes to find the girl quietly chatting with a friend. When she glances at him, he beckons her to come over. She mouths a “be right back” to her friend before strutting in his direction.

“Hey,” she smiles down at him before sitting on the couch. She’s aristocratic, chic and pretty. “Sorry if I weirded you out earlier.” Her voice is sweet like honey, and her words flow out of her tongue so naturally. A dream girl, really, and Jungkook is starting to get horny.

“I don’t mind,” he reassures with a subtle seductive tone, “what’s a girl like you doing with this crowd? You look too innocent.” He wraps a finger around a strand of her hair and twirls it. It feels strange.

“My friend sent me here, told me to watch over someone,” she lowly speaks. “I’m Soyeon.”

“Nice to meet you, Soyeon,” he breathes before crashing her lips with his. His hand reaches down to grip her thigh, tongue poking out to swipe the sticky gloss. It’s flavored, and it tastes of strawberry. When she kisses him back so slowly, innocently, it turns him on so much. His pants feel tight around his crotch as he runs another hand through her soft hair. Compared to him, she’s passionate whereas he’s sloppy. He’s starting to get dizzier, and it feels so fucking good, but he hates it.

There is not a single reason for him to not enjoy this, not when his mood is lifting so high. The hand on her thigh lands on her cleavage instead and she’s so submissive and shy, but something’s off. He groans into her mouth before biting her lip, ripping a whine out of her. Why does she sound so sexy and annoying?  

He pulls away from her before sighing in irritation. “Fuck, I can’t do this.” 

“Did I do something wrong?” she asks worriedly.

“No, just, fuck.” He starts laughing before rubbing his palms on his eyes, “I really want to fuck, but I just can’t.”

“We can just chat,” she softly suggests. “What’s your name?”

“Jungkook.”

He removes his hands from his face when she goes silent. Her eyes are wide and she’s gaping at him… guiltily? “Crap,” she hisses quietly, “I was supposed to make sure you were okay. My roommate is like, super in love with you and asked me to come here.”

He says your name in a question, wondering if it’s you. When she nods, he asks for your dorm instantly.

“She’s in room 124… Why?”

When he stands up, there’s a sway in his posture but he recovers quickly. There’s an involuntary grin on his face as he thanks her ignorantly. He’s out of the villa in a rush, and he has the overwhelming urge to just run. The campus is a bit far away from the house, but he doesn’t care as his footfalls echo in the dark streets. He has so much energy to waste, and with his current stamina, he’s confident he’ll find you before dawn. It’s stupid but it’s fun, and he doesn’t care for catching his breath as the corner stores pass by him in a blur. 

Throughout the two hours of his reckless jog, where he mixed up directions multiple times, his mind is starting to clear up little by little. He’s happy because of what Soyeon told him, and he feels relieved upon seeing the familiar college building. He’s not allowed in dorms at this time, but he’s done this too many times to get caught. Except he was drunk in those instances, and being on MDMA was different. Sneaking past security was tough because he couldn’t bring himself to tiptoe without making so much noise. When they glanced at him, he thought it to be the only choice to just run past them. He’s in the elevator by the time they catch on, and the numbers look wonky in his eyes but he presses the button for the right floor. 

He’s shifting his weight repeatedly in an attempt to contain his excitement; he wants to see you so bad. The moment he hears the ding of the elevator, he’s running past the halls and stops upon seeing 124. He has to squint, but he knows this is your dorm. 

You wake up with a silent gasp when there’s a pound on the door. You clutch your sheets in fear until someone starts to sing your name. “Jungkook?” you mouth to yourself. You stand up and look through the peephole and there’s a man on the other side who’s bouncing on his feet impatiently.

“Open up,” he sings loudly. You’re worried when you swing the door open and yank him inside so he doesn’t wake up any other students. You try to talk but only a wheeze comes out, so you switch on the light to see him instead. The brightness hurts your eyes as you close them for a few seconds. “Well, well, well, look who we have here…”

He starts to circle around you slowly and stumbles behind you. “Sending people to spy on me after rejecting me like that.” His words are slightly slurred and you turn around to face him with a pout. You point at your throat to give him a hint, but his eyes don’t waver from your pleading ones. “What are your intentions, huh?” he weakly pushes you, “Sending me mixed signals. Who- who do you think you are?”

You hold his hands and place them on your neck, trying to communicate with him by mouthing, “I’m sick,” but he only chuckles. He seems sickeningly joyous, but he’s not over his anger. “Still not going to talk to me? What did I even do?”

You deeply inhale from your nose because he’s not paying attention to you. You’re frustrated with yourself until he yells, “WHY WON’T YOU TALK TO ME?” The surge of serotonin, his state of euphoria is crashing down on him the more you ignore him. He had believed the drug would only make him happy, but it intensified his sadness and anxiety just as much when he saw you. It helped him forget you in a social circle, but you confused him so much after he was reassured for so long - coupled with your silence, he’s raging.

“Why are you ignoring me?! What did I do that was so bad that you can’t bear talking to me anymore? You told me you loved me, please,” he chokes and tries to swallow the lump in his throat. “I-I’ll make it up to you, I’m so sad right now. Just say something…”

You’re watching him in shock and a hint of fear from his fluctuating mood. You want to cry at how pitiful he looks, but instead you aim to grab a piece of paper from your bedside table. He misreads your actions and pushes you against the wall. “Stop this. Stop!” He has your arms pinned and he’s trying so hard to intimidate you so you give in. A dry sob leaves you because he's going mad, but then he has a sudden epiphany. “Maybe you’ll love me again if I fuck you hard enough and engrave it in your brain that you’re mine. Yes, yes!”

He starts unbuckling his belt and you immediately try to stop him; he’ll get sick! He shoves you again and pulls down his jeans before mashing his mouth against yours. All of your efforts have gone to waste when his tongue forces its way down your throat. There’s no point to denying him now, so you hesitantly kiss him back. You’re so guilty, and he’s so careless as he roughly pushes his hand down your white cotton shorts. You’re wearing a navy blue sweater to match so you don’t get cold in the night, but the shorts are meant to prevent a fever. What’s the point now, then? He hasn’t even read your texts that you only remembered to send before sleeping. He missed a whole paragraph of your explanation and confronted you so angrily.

“I’m going to fuck you all night,” he growls against your lips, “then you’ll remember how much you love me.” Your moans are quiet and hitched as he presses down on your clit through your panties. His other hand is on his cock as he strokes it eagerly, ready to get inside you. “I missed you so fucking much in one day,” he whispers in a croak. Hearing it makes you feel even warmer inside as you nudge his hand to urge him to enter you. “You missed me too, huh?” he takes notice of your neediness. “Shouldn’t have fucking brought it upon yourself then.”

He removes his hand from your shorts and taps your thighs before demanding, “Jump.” You bite your lip in consideration until he taps them harder and you quickly wrap your legs around his waist. Your shorts are relatively short, resembling loose boxers, so when your back is pressed against the wall he only pushes them and your underwear to the side before thrusting into you. A scream gets caught in your throat, and you forget all about your aches as he roughly fucks into you without caring for protection or lube. It stings only slightly, but the pleasure in feeling so full of him outweighs the pain.

Jungkook is moaning and groaning as he bruises your thighs in his hold. Your panting is all he can catch, and though the feeling of you is an amplified sensation because of the drug coursing in his system, he wants to hear you chant his name as well. “Still quiet?” he tuts and carries you to your narrow bed and you cling onto his shoulder while trying to catch your breath after the sudden attack. “Your cunt is throbbing though,” he says as he pulls out of you and drops you on the bed. He manhandles you by flipping you on your stomach and holds up your ass. He finally takes off your bottom clothing, but he’s slightly dizzy as he yanks them off your ankles. He spreads your thighs apart and you’re on your knees with your head against the mattress. “I wonder why that is,” he says before slapping your pussy, making you whimper quietly. “So wet, yet you don’t even make a sound. Some whore you are.” You purse your lips and muster a whine, but it’s interrupted when he pistons his cock inside you without warning. Your sounds are hoarse as he pounds into you from the back, hands kneading your ass to the shape of his hands. He gives it a spank as he moans loudly; the new position makes it feel so much more intense, and Jungkook loves it. His ears finally get to hear your pathetic mewls as he thrusts so deeply inside you that your vision blurs with tears and your eyes roll to the back of your skull. You feel like a doll that can’t speak or move, and he’s evidently enjoying it going by his rushed pace. You’re challenging him with your silence, and he loves proving himself.

All of a sudden however, he stops moving. You look behind you with a pout and he quirks a brow at you. You grit your teeth because you know he's waiting for you to tell him to continue, or rather daring you to do something. A sudden surge of confidence overcomes you and you gently slam your hips against his, fucking yourself on his cock with your eyes screwed shut.

“Yes, baby,” he strains, “show me that you're still my good girl.” At his encouragement, you meet his thrusts faster and you're seeing stars at how amazing it feels. You want to be his good girl so bad, and you arch your back to savour the pleasure. “Your pussy is mine, all mine,” he affirms to himself and stills your hips to turn you around without removing his length. His fingers are digging into your flesh and your tits bounce under the fabric as he rams into you restlessly. Your mouth is open in a silent scream and he can barely make out your pupils, the whites of your eyes stirring his climax at how attractive you look under the poor lighting. “I love you so fucking much,” he cries, “say it back, baby.”

You try to, but you can only dryly cough. “You fucking bitch,” he hisses at your defiance and pulls out of you to pump his length. He’s close to his release, and he pushes up your sweater to see your hard nipples that make him salivate. He crawls to slide his cock between the valley of your breasts and it hurts when he harshly pushes them together. “Stick out your tongue,” he commands in a whisper, and you do so while panting like a dog. Every time he thrusts upwards, the tip of his head grazes your tongue and leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. He’s massaging your tits as he stutters between whines, and eventually his load spurts out to land on your chest and cheek with a particularly loud groan. His cum surges down his shaft as he rides out his high with the last slow thrusts. 

“Oh fuck,” he sighs airily and collapses next to you in the tiny space available. You clumsily turn on your side to give him more room and he pecks your swollen lips. He zips his pants back up and you’re still naked from the waist down. You’re staring at each other adoringly in the romantic, fragile atmosphere; another first.

“I love you,” you croak finally. It’s quieter than a whisper, and it makes you cringe at how hideous you sound; it’s painful as well.

His face lights up once he registers your words before noticing the tone. “What happened to your voice?”

“Sick.” You can’t bring yourself to say anything more as you snuggle into his side and he instinctively wraps an arm around your shoulders.

“Shit,” he murmurs, “why didn’t you tell me that sooner, idiot?”

You slap a hand on his front pocket where his phone is, and he hastily takes it out to see a bunch of notifications from you. “You sent it at night, you’re still the idiot.” You giggle and roll your eyes. “A promise is a promise, though,” he purrs before cupping your bare heat. “I did say I would fuck you all night.” You widen your eyes when his head lowers down to face your sopping wet cunt, and he slowly licks up a stripe over your soaked folds, making you shudder and grip his hair. He’s leaving kitty licks all over your sensitivity, the tip of his tongue lightly brushing against your clit every now and then. Your hips lift involuntarily, and he finally takes your clit in his mouth and sucks on it loudly. He slurps your arousal before spitting it back on your hood, and you can only squeak in response. Your hazed mind only tells you that you want more, and he doesn’t fail to provide.

Two fingers enter your clenching hole, and he’s scissoring your walls as he messily eats you out. The pleasure from earlier returns all too soon and you know you won’t be able to last long. His lids are hooded when you glance down at him and the way he’s looking at you makes it even harder to resist your orgasm. The knot in your stomach picks back up right before unraveling and your moan is raspy as you start twitching under his relentless mouth. He grows gentle and leaves kisses all over your vulva until your body falls limp on the sheets.

After another round of penetrative sex, the two of you fall asleep from exhaustion in your bed. It’s a first for the both of you, and Jungkook decides in his drunken mind that tonight won’t be the last. It feels so intimate when he cuddles you, and you won’t ever forget his love confession.

The next morning is not so pleasant however, as Jungkook wakes up with a loud sneeze and in his now nasal voice says, “God fucking damn it.”