#also purple i know its cliche

[troublesh00terfaery]

BELOW 18 PLEASE DO NOT INTERACT. THIS WORK IS NSFW! KEEP OUT!

[THIS WORK IS PURELY FICTION]

[One Shot] (or not, thinking of making a part two for this)

[Alhaitham x AFAB! Reader]

Words: 6.8k

Synopsis: ah well, experiments can quite lead to either expected results or something unexpected. don't you agree?

Tags: AFAB! Reader, teasing, breeding (we doing it raw for him), voyeurism, just kinky sex with this man what else? anal, creampie, a looooottt of sex, making a movie with him, well guess it's valentines for you this night with him :D

A/N: I'm gonna have to be honest with y'all, this smut made me realize I still have my unholiness within me and it's HOLY WEEK! anyway, starting to question if I should make a part 2 (seriously thinking this is okay as a one shot). Let me know in the comments. I'm also thinking of making a playlist while you guys read this, will probably open a yt account very soon as I have already have the list of songs! did not thoroughly proofread so my bad.

FOLLOWING, REBLOGGING, INTERACTIONS, AND FEEDBACKS ARE APPRECIATED

Being a student under the Amurta Darshan wasn't a joke, and the other Darshans can say as well with their respective schools. Before graduating under their respective house, one must comply a special research in order to finish. Of course, being an Amurta student, research isn’t new to you nor to them as well considering the demands of research in the biological and medical field is rising.

Recently, a type of fungi has emerged in the rainforests of Sumeru. It was a great variable for research, yes, however with little to no information with regards to the new species of fungi, one must analyze and observe the organism intricately. Some of the Amurta students felt overwhelmed of studying something unknown and new however the new biological specie sparked interest in you that gathering and studying it wasn't of a big deal considering the Sage has given the graduating students time with their research.

You took the interest of how this mushroom might affect an individual if consumed. Very cliche however if taken into a researcher's perspective, it isn't. Considering of the possible harm this specie might cause if ingested. Nah, it didn't scare you. You just happen to be that curious considering of the hearsays you often hear among the localities. Peculiar, most of them saying.

It would appear that it does somehow look like a sea ganoderma that is abundant in Inazuma that bloomed near the beaches and shores however these fungi have bloomed in damped areas in the deep forests of Sumeru. The color of this fungi might be different from the usual ganoderma as it was the color of light purple. It did somehow secrete a transparent and mucilaginous fluid with a sweet odor.

Quite a strange description that even at times you smile whilst gathering its viscous fluid for examination.

"Are you even sure about this one? You're genuinely scaring me." Kaveh, who happens to be your closest friend and a student from Akademiya under the Darshan of Kshahrewar, was one of the test subjects for your research. He is a year ahead of you, making him your senior.  "Am I your lab rat again?"

"Not just you, I'm also going to drink it myself to test it out and see if there are any notable changes or changes in an individual if one drinks this concoction."

You watched your boiling flask create boiling bubbles and watched it disperse as you used a stirring rod. "Don't use the word 'lab rat' that just sounds so unethical."

Kaveh's scared and nervous demeanor was obvious that he took a deep breath before he went off ranting.

"What am I supposed to call myself? What am I supposed to do if this weird witchy-like potion of yours kill me? Kill you? KILL US?! goodness research is inevitable among us students but this is jeopardizing us, my dear Y/N!"

"It won't!" You snickered and tried to comfort him by keeping a straight face. "Besides I did try to use it as an alternative fertilizer and spray it on my Sumeru roses."

You pinpointed a pot just below your study table. "It quite bloomed quickly and as you see. It did sprout new buds in almost 2 weeks only so I can write in my observations that it can be a great fertilizer if used."

"It's a plant, Archons sake! It looks lewd too!"

"It is, I will not lie!"

He drew his nose closer to the fungi. "Strange but it does smell good, sweet and flowery. For a fungus, it is weird."

You spent your afternoon trying to convince Kaveh to say yes to your research. In the end he eventually said yes to you as you have persuaded him that it was safe. Both of you agreed to drink it after two days and another follow up take in of the concoction to see if there are any differences.

Two days have passed and it was the time to finally test out the mixture you have prepared. Along with you was a small briefcase that was filled with your apparatuses needed. Of course, like they say: it's better to be prepared. At exactly 7:00 in the evening, as agreed by you and your friend, you must meet him at his house.

Or his friend's house rather.

Of course, you were aware that he was indeed a freeloader inside nonother than Alhaitham's house but he assured you that during that time the Akademiya's scribe isn't present during those times considering that he's been busy the past few days.

To you, there's nothing special about Alhaitham. Rather than being the scribe and an introverted Haravatat student.

Well, he's quite good looking and somewhat that annoyed you. He somehow did radiate as someone with god complex and if ever the end of world happens, he's gotta be one of those people who will AND WILL survive.

You have arrived 10 minutes early of the said time but it seems that Kaveh is late for 10 minutes. Until it became 20 and 30 minutes late. At first it was bearable however you couldn't waste time anymore. You wanted to finish your research just like any other students.

"I can't believe he's pissing me off. He told me he'll be early." You stood up and knocked three times.

"Kaveh? It's me. It's already 7:30 in the evening and you're not opening the door. Open it!" The annoyance dripping from your tone like acid.

You knocked again. No response.

Another four more knocks and calling his name. No response.

Fuck, Kaveh what's the matter with you? Come out.

Another final succession of knocks and still no response.

You gave up attempting to knock and call his name. It was either: he was just hiding from you because it did genuinely scare him or he wasn't really there. But he couldn't lie to you, you both agreed to testing out the mixture.

"Alright, whatever. Loser."

Heaving a sigh, you stepped back from the door and murmured a few words before accepted defeat and just before you walk away, you happen to stumble something strong and tall from behind and you could immediately tell that it wasn't Kaveh. Your head against a chest.

You slowly lifted your head and greeted the face of nonother than Akademiya's scribe.

"If you knock like that, you'll surely destroy my door." He lowered his gaze to match yours with a rested expression.

Oh, it is indeed Alhaitham. It is indeed him. Him. Oh.

Oh...

Neither of you moved from that position for a while, both of you matching the gazes before you realized it was awkward and slowly lowered your head and made way for him and pretended to idle yourself by fixing your skirt. To be fair, he is really THAT attractive.

He ain't just gifted with intelligence but he knows he is THAT good looking and attractive.

"And what does this Amurta student doing in front of my house at this hour?" His arms slowly sliding to his pocket to get his keys. Tone monotone before skimming to the key for his door.

"I'm here for Kaveh." You took a grip on the handle of your case.

He opened the door and only answered 'hm.' Uninterested. He shifted his gaze at you leaned his toned body against the frame of the door.

"Did he somehow invite you here?"

You nodded and met his gaze before breaking it off.

"We both agreed to meet here."

"I assume it's for your research. Well, come inside. Don't want Kaveh to nag at me for not entertaining his visitor."

You came inside shortly following him. Upon entering, you couldn't help but to scan the house. There's nothing special to mention aside the paper works piled up in a table and scraps of paper under a desk and certain apparatuses that is used for measuring you assumed. It seemed to be Kaveh's side of table that it has be him, it was chaotic.

Closing the door, you immediately sat and primed yourself up in an not so familiar place. Alhaitham sat at the sofa just in front of you and observed you from head to toe before he inhaled. His back relaxed against the back rest of the sofa.

"So... out of all the possible participants you could've chose, you really picked him?"

"I don't see a problem a problem with him being my participant."

"And why is that?"

"It's my research, I get to choose who I want to be my participants."

He wasn't so sure if you were insulted by his questions but it did amuse him by the way you answered him directly with a soft tone.

"Sadly, he's not here."

"Seems so."

Both of your eyes now met and neither of you wanted to break it off. Seems like you already knew how bad your chemistry will be with him by just this interaction. Silence surrounded the room, not a single flinch from neither of you but the eye contact creating this tension between you and the scribe was barely tolerable that you wanted to break free from the contact.

But he didn't show any hesitancy to break off the connection of your gazes, in fact he would want admit he would see this as competition. It wasn't evident in his face but the way he cocked his head slightly to one side just showed how much of cunning asshole he is but it was attractive in a way, of course you couldn't deny it. Being cunning just adds to the list of attributes that just makes him attractive.

Uh well, yeah…

In return, you gave him a soft doe-look and a small smile. The scribe only gave you a small smile in return. Come to think of it, if waiting for Kaveh to return would be a waste of time for you and precious research then why not make him your first research?

"Say, considering that my friend is not here, how about you take his place instead?"

He raised his brow and crossed his arms. "Friend? and here I was thinking that you were dating. But he did mention a close friend." he scoffed.

"Hmm, people often think we’re dating but we’re not." you scoffed and let out a single giggle. “Kaveh’s good looking himself.”

"You're saying you're not good looking then?"

You gazed at him, smile wearing off before you pressed your lips together. "I didn't say anything."

You pressed your legs together as your hands clenched the hem line of your skirt. You lowered your gaze and tried to divert the topic. Your eyes went to look at your small briefcase.

With you little movements, he finds himself smiling at just how fragile yet collected at the same time you looked like. How you pressed those lips of yours that has the tiniest shine probably from your lip balm and the little tint of color pressed unto your plump lips.

'Cherry red? No probably that Tangerine wine... impossible. Peony red? Champagne pink? Too strong. Dewy peach? What else did I see from the market that sold those kinds of...balms'

"Ah, as I proposed a while ago, you can take Kaveh's spot." You paused.

He gave you a look to continue by giving you a small nod.

"It's about these fungi that out of nowhere grew at the rainforests of Sumeru. It was estimated to have grown two to four months ago where the weather condition was harsh yet perfect for cultivating these fungi to grow..." you got up to get your briefcase and showed him a glass box where the specimen of the fungi was stored.

You showed him the glass box before you slowly and carefully dragged one of the chairs to give the box a better and closer view to him and sat properly with an excited look. The expression you made just made him smile in the back of his head.

Just the way your breasts that hugged your white turtleneck sweater coordinated with every movement you made and how your thighs look plush as you sat at such...rather unconscious provocative manner. There's so much about you that keeps him wondering about you. What would such a girl, an Amurta student like you, keep this Scribe fixated at you. You were just, innocently charming that he couldn’t resist the thought of him doing--

‘What am I thinking, this is wrong’

"As you can see, it does look like a-"

"Sea Ganoderma, local from Inazuma. But the color is different, yes." He pulled the chair you were sitting just enough to be close to him, not breaking his gaze from you. Attentive.

 "I can't see if you move your hands much. Stay still."

Now again, both of your gazes have started its connection again only this time it was closer. The gazing and whatever the fuck it was with your eyes and his eyes, it gave pause and silenced the whole room. The sudden closeness has made you tense a bit that you were taken a back.

"Okay?" He looked at your surprised, lost, and doe eyed look that made you look innocent.

You responded with a small nod and a sheepish tone. “’Kay,” a tint blush forming in your cheeks.

He didn’t move to his usual position. He stayed like that exactly and gave you a signal to continue with your details by him giving you a small nod. At first, you were hesitant considering the space he ate up just to get a closer look to you and the box you had. But you didn’t have to waste time so you went on with your detailing.

You described to him its delicious scent despite having a peculiar anatomy. You showed him your paper works as to the recorded data of how it also affected the Sumeru roses you had in your room.

“You conduct laboratory observations in your room?”

“What? the biology laboratory is already packed with students with their specimens. It might affect mine as well.”

“And you think that your room couldn’t affect the variables then? Hm?”

Furrowing your brows, you scoffed. He was indeed correct. The location was indeed part of the variables to be considered that might affect the status of your fungus. That was one of matters that you missed out and it somehow annoyed as out of the person that could’ve corrected you, it would be him.

“Seems like you missed some points to be noted for your research then, Miss Y/N?”

You stood up, randomly gave him the box, and took your briefcase to get to concoction you prepared. You didn’t see any need of explaining the details to him, seems like he already knows your stuff. You showed two him two test tubes with the same length of the concoction. Alhaitham observed you.

Your back facing him as you tend your mixture into another separate glasses. His right-hand skimming through the edges of the box, fingers delicately feeling the edges and surface of the box and not taking his eyes off you. There again, his curiosity taking over with just the sight of you that it somehow intrigued and annoyed him. He slowly opened the box and there he smelled the pungent smell of something gourmand and flowery and yet something of earthy at the same time.

He couldn’t understand what smell it was but somehow it was lulling him.

The silence slowly rang your ears and the pressure between the time and how quiet the room is made you feel heavy. You felt yourself jittery that after a while of his presence and darting eyes from behind you. The night was windy and you can only hear the slow chimes of the door charm and the gentle tings and tacks of the glass. A few moments have passed, you can only hear him grunt and clearing his throat.

“Is something the matter?” You looked at him only to find him resting his left hand to the hand rest of the sofa, palms covering his face whilst his right hand toying the box and seems to play with the lid of the box.

“How’s the smell?” You took each test tubes and went over to him, sitting at the same seat you were just in front of him and took a deep breath. “Now all you have to do it drink this concoction with me if there are any notable changed it will happen to a person who ingested it. Don’t worry, like I said you’ll be drinking—”

“Are you serious? This already makes my head ache, the smell. You think I’ll drink that?”

“You’re drinking it with me. I only need the data.”

He looked at you, his brow raising. “What makes you think I’m going to drink that.”

You looked away, not knowing what are the possibilities too. If you ever come up with using the data of plants, he’ll find an argument just to cease your experiment. You held unto your test tubes and faced him. Doe eyes showing desperation and pleading.

“Please, Alhaitham. I’ll do whatever you want. I just need the data…” You didn’t care at this point, you’re never the type to agree to doing whatever the person wants but if it’s Alhaitham, well there would be no problem at all. “Please?”

Looking at your little parade of innocence and desperation, he couldn’t help but to hate himself by letting his inner thoughts run through his system. The way you held the test tubes on each hand of yours enthusiastically a while ago and how you lowered it down to rest to your thigh. How your thumb caressed the glass surface, how your lips pressed before biting your lower lips in frustration causing it to darken its color. Your eyes asking for an answer, and voice soft.  You looking so irresistibly delicious to pounce at.

Just you, being this little sweet lamb that he couldn’t just resist.

“Please, Alhaitham. Please?”

Fuck. Fuck is happening to me?

“Fuck this.” He cursed under his raspy breath, clearing his throat yet his brows furrowed. Before he adjusts himself in his seat by leaning back and bucking his hips up. “Look, at least if there is any possibility that we will die, at least I die with you and your silly little experiments for your silly little research. Got it, you silly girl?"

The enthusiasm back once again in your face. You smiled at him and nodded a couple of times. You instructed him for a few reminders to take note. The two lines that were labeled in each glass signified the amount of mixture was to be ingested.

In a count of 3 you both drank together. The smell of the concoction was lessened however its scent note was still there. Both of you didn’t move, your eyes focusing on the paper and your pen. Alhaitham on the other hand is busy with minding his books.

A few moments have passed a slow tingling heat started to surge in your body. The heat surging inside your body was slow yet everywhere. At first you thought it was just your sweater so did not pay no mind however as time passed, you realized that it starting to get warm and hot. It was making your head dizzy and sweat. You tried to cool yourself by fanning with your hands.

It was a cold evening, a reason why you wore your turtleneck to warm you up yet it seems that it's getting a little hotter. You started to fan yourself with your palms. From fanning yourself to using the loose cloth of your polo neck to fan your chest loosen up. Everything happening right now wasn't anything you expected to be.

Ways... ways... ways... ways to distract myself... what is this? I need to distract myself? Is it too hot here?

You suddenly remembered the paper you were supposed to fill with the initial observation of the first dose of the concoction. Upon looking at it, you felt lightheaded and almost felt like you were slowly floating.

While you were drafting random bullshit in your paper, Alhaitham on the other end felt the same sensation in your body. He was either thinking it was the effect of the pungent scent of the fungus or the mixture you just gave him. His head started to spin and a surge of heat in his body roamed his system. A storm inside him that just felt that it would never end nor calm down. He needed to compose himself, a simple concoction cannot just simply make him feel bizarre.

Alhaitham wanting to stop the chaos suddenly stood up to find his headphones. At times, he would resort to just playing music in his headphones to block noise or just randomly wear it to make it seem that he's does not want to interact.

He just wanted to have and wear it yet his body betrayed him the moment he stood up. His eyes slowly blurring and his legs felt no life made him weak. Just right after passing by after you, he fumbled. Tripping just the moment he passed at the table, falling. A few of your apparatuses falling included some of the unloaded test-tubes and a single tube with viscous and thick liquid inside spilled at his chest, left arm, and the crotch part of his pants.

"Archons…” he whispered, feeling a pang of defeat as he sat at the floor and tried to wipe the excess mixture.

The commotion startled you as you started to fill up the details of the paper. You quickly took action and assisted the young man. Taking a handkerchief from your pocket of your skirt you started to wipe the mess on his chest.

He was wearing his usual dark off-coat that hugged his chest. You couldn't help to get distracted at the little intricate gem that was in his sternum.

Slowly... slowly... you were being lulled again. Like an effective hypnosis it seemed like you were in a haze that you couldn't understand. You couldn't even control your body. The heat was all over your body.

The way you started to simply just mess up instead of cleaning it was a sign that the aphrodisiac took over your senses. You were so distracted and helpless. Everything about this man in front of you was like a need and a want of your body and soul.

Alhaitham felt the same.

The tension, the spark, the need, the hunger to just own you was evident yet he didn't want to be consumed by it. There was this resistance of him and the more he forced to neglect the feeling, the stronger the urge wave his body.

He felt weak and he didn't like that. It was too much yet you kept fueling the fire that he was suppressing. At this very moment, he wanted to breed and own you. A mixture of aggression and lust now surging.

"Haitham..." you dragged a fingertip to his intricate gem that was at his sternum and pressed your thighs as you dragged, fingertips feeling the shape of his gem. It made him hitch his breath, an irregular breath and a painful erection as he got indulged by your little play.

“Get up.”

No response.

“Y/N…”

“I should’ve known, this was an aphrodisiac. A strong one—Fuck, Y/N.” He threw his head as he saw you press your pretty lips against his gem, pecking it before looking at him with doe-fuck-me-till-i-break eyes.

“Haitham…”

“Get up, Y/N…” his voice croaked “Or else we’re going to have to fuck the whole night.” He cupped your cheek, feeling the heat of your skin.

“Haitham, too hot…” you lowered your jacket until it reached your elbow, exposing the tight turtleneck top you wore that happily hugged your mounds and figure. Innocently provoking him. "...hot" you murmured and held his hand that cupped your cheek. Now the back of his hand slimy with the mixture and looking back at him with lust-heart eyes.

"Yeah, you and I won't be going to class tomorrow."

And just like that?

Just like that. It was enough to push him to the edge.

Sloppy kisses, hitched and panting breathes, desperate rutting, and slapping of skins reverberated his whole room. There was only one thing on both of your minds: to fuck.

"H-Haitham~!"

To fuck until you couldn't do it anymore. Breed and fill you up to the brim until his seed spilled out your tired plush pussy.

Your moans were getting louder and louder as you felt another succession of orgasm reaching to you. A hollow feeling started to build up inside you and his cockhead adding up to the climatic feeling as he abused your soft spongy cervix, desperately wanting to push it further and deeper.

Alhaitham unconsciously made people feel small without doing nothing. It was probably his reputation and how cunning he is, he had his ways just to get what he wants.And now definitely, he made you feel small. His length overwhelming you and your insides. The way it made you feel stuffed and full inside and how he's just towering above you. Hands clasped on your ass and carried your weight was he pressed you against the wall and rutted violently.

He kept his mouth busy by marking your chest and neck and desperately sucked on your peaks. He felt the need to breed you and fill you up with his cum.

The constant hitting of your cervix and the rough ministration made you squirm and groan. Your walls pressuring and pressing tightly against his cock signaled him that you were close. Your legs now wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. He can feel how wet your spongy walls.

"Gonna cum... Ah~! Haitham! Gonna cum-"

"Yeah? Gonna cum again?" He chuckled. "Fuck-- you're getting too loud- Mhn~!" He pressed against yours as he maintained his pace, not changing it. He felt that he was getting near too and that excited him.

Your walls spasmed and legs trembled as you reached your climax, Alhaitham chucked as he changed his pace before he pulled out making you squirt from the intense punishing of your cunt.

"Haitham—" you hitched your breath, heart beating fast as you squirted again. Alhaitham looked down as he watched you make a mess and that just made him hard enough and drive him to make your squirt again. He violently pushed his cock again inside and started to rut and roughly pulling it out making you buck your hips up and squirt again.

"Haitham please~ oh~!"

 a slower one so you could have your moment before he continued his pursuit to seek his high. He changed his pace again, a faster one. A rough and fast one.

His tip now teasing your spot that made you tremble again. His cock made your pussy sing for a couple of times now. He had been breeding your pussy since and the both of you couldn't have enough, a never-ending high and feeling of wanting to release.

"Fuck, gonna fill you up-" he panted, rested his forehead against yours, making him watch the little show: your pussy eating him whole and forming a little bump as he entered. "Your pussy's the best!"

With one final thrust, he came inside you. Rutting and violently spasming as he filled your abused hole the 4th time tonight.

Time:10:30 PM

Recorded data (written): none

Recorded through Kamera data: none, battery level at 90 percent.

It was the fifth time tonight. Now he's fucking you from behind, your chest and the side of your face pressed against the wall as well as both of your palms. Alhaitham drilling his thick and veiny cock inside your spongy and abused walls. Your moans are getting louder again and he was fascinated the way you just came over and over because of his cock. You kept soaking and drenching his dick with your pussy juice. It started to make sloppy noises whenever he pushed in and out. You started to cream again, forming a ring on the base of his cock.

"You feel so good, Alhaitham~!" You moaned, feeling his tight grip against your beautiful hips and created crescent marks as he slammed his cock back and forth.

"Fuuuck this pussy is mine-- fuck fuck fuck--" he groaned, he took his left arm and wrapped his left palm to your neck and slowly pulled it making you arch your back and head hitting his shoulder. He slowly guided his palm that wrapped your neck to your jaw and continuously rutted. Now you can clearly hear his groans and panting.

He hammered his cockhead again and felt your spongy and plush cervix making him push his cock deeper as he came inside you again. He covered your cervix with his thick cum.

Time: 12:50 AM

Recorded data (written): none

Recorded data through kamera: Data recorded, battery level at 75 percent

"Didn't realize you had your kamera with you." He chuckled turning the camera on as he gazed at your body. Tired and a mess, cum dripping out from both of your pussy and ass hole. Saying that he liked it was an understatement, he loved it and seeing the mess you both made him harder. He realized that the slimy juice that it was a lubricant and the purpose of this fungi was an overall aphrodisiac with versatility.

"Haitham..." You called out his name, hoarse and small. You slowly opened your legs and revealed your aching and puffed cunt wanting for more. Alhaitham on the other hand set the kamera up just enough to get an angle of you and him in the frame together.

"Just for the data." He sighed, hoovering on top of you and pressing his lips against yours. Hands roaming around your waist before he positioned his cock again and decided teasing you. His cockhead teasing your puffy and abused entrance before he guided his length to your clit and gently pressed his head.

The pressure made you squirm and groan from his ministration. A few taps of his cockhead to your clit and a few pumping of his dick before he slowly reached out for your nape and raised it. Your weak body being supported by your wobbly elbows and your forehead against his.

"Put it in…" you hissed at him and brows furrowing.

"Not so polite are we?" Slowly inserted half his length making the excitement in your stomach rise up again and his hips buckle. "Say it, princess."

"Please put it in, please please please~" you plead with look of longing.

With a smirk, Alhaitham slowly pushed his cock inside you and guided his hand that held your nape and lowered it for you to watch him get inside you. He pushed until his head was greeted by your cervix but oh, he didn't stop there.

He slowly pushed further making you moan from the pressure of wanting to push further.

"Haitham--too deep~! Ahh~!"

Alhaitham couldn't resist to smirk while he looked at your eyes roll back and legs quivering. You just got this man hooked with your pussy and beauty.

"Cumming already?" he teased as he started to move his hips in a piston like pace.

Time: 3:33 AM

Recorded data(written): none

Recorded data through Kamera: Data recorded, battery level at 11%

"Too tired, Haitham…" you whined.

You took a pause for a moment as you felt your legs wobble and strain a pain from grinding him. Him buried deep in your ass wasn't on the menu but who would've thought that you both

would enjoy it. You rested your palms on both of his thighs and rested your back against his hard chest and took another deep breath as you started to bounce on his dick again. It was slow yet deep, something that made Alhaitham groan and hiss.

"I know, baby…" he chuckled as he saw you in action again. "…just can't get enough of you."

Talk about having three of your holes stretched out in a single night. You couldn't count how many times have he came inside your pussy and mouth and now he just discovered about the pleasure of having his cock buried deep inside your ass.

"So goood~ So deep~!" you whined, biting your lower lip and continued to bounce on his dick. It was sloppy and it was thanks to his cum and the lube combined together and oh, he loved to see the his cum and the lube together forming strings in your ass cheeks and asshole and making sloppy and erotic sounds each time you bounced on it.

He noticed your bouncing started to slow down until you stopped again, making him chuckle. He kissed your shoulder blade and whispered "Sofa."

Alhaitham helped you stand up and walked towards the sofa where you faced the arm of the sofa and rested your arms on it.

"Ass up," Alhaitham took his cock and slowly pushed it inside your ass again making you moan from stretching your whole with his size. "So b-big~" You rolled your eyes as he let a final push to burry it deep.

A sting left your right ass cheek when he slapped it and groping both cheeks, slowly making a move again. It started slow until it was fast and deep. Alhaitham took both of your arms and held it from behind, penetrating deeper and making you bend over forward.

Balls slapping against your clit making you moan louder. You were so lulled by his dick you didn't even realize that you have classes today. Same goes to Alhaitham and he could feel his climax reaching as well and with one final push deep, he came inside you.

Time: 6:30 AM

Recorded data(written): none

Recorded data through Kamera: none, kamera has shut down. battery at 0%.

"Thank the fucking Archons I have bought my keys-" Kaveh scanned his pocket to check if his keys were really in his pocket which of course is there. He hurriedly scanned the keys.

"Key key key- Archons where the fuck is that key!"

The little commotion just outside Alhaithams abode made the scribe awake. He was a light sleeper, it was enough to awake him since he knew this voice and tone so well it annoyed him early in the morning. Alhaitham was about to rise when he heard your small groans making him look at his chest.

The little commotion just outside Alhaitham's abode made the scribe awake. He was a light sleeper, it was enough to awake him since he knew this voice and tone so well it annoyed him early in the morning. Alhaitham was about to rise when he heard your small groans making him look at his chest.

There you were sleeping. Your once peaceful face grunted when Kaveh shouted another curse and that hit Alhaitham.'

'We fucked.' he said into himself. His brain was somewhat still foggy from last night and he could feel his worn out muscles. He heaved a sigh as to trying to figure what to do with you still sleeping while his roommate is already making his head hurt from his cursing and loud voice. Fragments of what happened last night made him groan especially when he saw the Kamera faced at them. Did it bother him? Well, he simply ignored it. He knew it was down but he knew it recorded some. Probably gonna check it out later.

"We're late for class," he whispered and gently stood up when you were awoken from his movements and the noise Kaveh made. Alhaitham didn't move another muscle and hoped you would just sleep but turns out you were trying to keep yourself awake by rubbing your eyes when you faced him.

"Alhai…" you then lowered your gaze and finally realized that you were in his bed NAKED. "…tham."

"It's okay, you should lie down and rest." he looked at your face before scanning your body. Bruises, marks, flushed face, and…

"my body hurts." you whispered, feeling a bit conscious when he started to scan your body. You covered it with his blanket and looked away.

…sore body. Alhaitham hid a somewhat victorious ghost smile and sat on the edge of the bed, the blanket barely covering his waist. His back was facing you and you noticed

The red marks on his back that somehow looked like a…

"Scratch?" you whispered again with your soft hoarse voice. Alhaitham heard, his right arm reaching his back before facing you. "I thought it was implied that Akademiya students shouldn't have long nails?" he looked at your fingers to see an opal-colored nail polish with your nails with just the right length and round shape which you quickly hid from him.

He looked at your figure again making him gaze at you intently, eyes piercing before he looked away and faced the wall. He palmed his face when he realized his morning wood is up and is in dire need of attention. Morning woods are normal to him every morning but this?

He shrugged off the want to feel your pussy walls in him again but Archons it did want him to feel that again. He stood up and got his brief and boxers and wore it. He took a new off coat from his cabinet and handed it over to you which you accepted. "Or would you like a sweatshirt instead?"

"This is already fine, thank you." you couldn't look at him, he was barely dressed and his body is too beautiful and distracting, stimulating you to think about irrational and unholy thoughts. Pray the archons none of them actually reads your mind.

You took the well folded and newly laundered cloth and looked at it. Your mind was still hazy and foggy making Alhaitham think you actually didn't know how to wear them. He took a sweatshirt from his cabinet and sat beside you.

"Seems like you forgot how to wear clothes I suppose."

"No…"

He didn't listen, he took his sweatshirt. "Get dressed, we're eating breakfast."

As much as you wanted to, you just felt that your body was that tired and just gave him a helpless look. "Haitham… need help. I feel sore."

Another sigh, Alhaitham took the blanket and revealed your body again. Plush thighs with marks, beautiful mounds with marks on your under boobs and some on your waist. Your neck and color bones decorated with his marks. Seems like he enjoyed his self quite too much last night he admitted. He gulped and helped you get clothed.

He then gazed at you.

"Don't look at me like that. Those eyes of yours" clenching his jaw, he looked at you again with piercing gaze.

"Look at you like?"

He came closer to you, gently wrapping his one arm all over your waist and pulling you close to him while he rested his back on the bed frame. He left kisses again on each mark he left on your neck and gently raised his sweatshirt you wore.

You softly whimpered from his actions, eyes closed and hands wrapped on his neck. Just as about he was about to leave another mark…

"Alhaitham open the fucking door, I have something to get!" Kaveh's frustrated voice and loud knocks made you hitch your breath. "Alhaitham! Damn it you Scribe! open!"

"Haitham…" You looked at him but he doesn't seem to mind Kaveh's wanting to break the door. He nibbled on your left nipple and gropped on your right breast while he looked at you. He started to suck on in it slowly and closed his eyes, alternating his sucking from your left nipple to your right.

Kaveh's knocks were getting loud and you were already telling Alhaitham that you should hide but oh, Alhaitham has better plans.

"Dude open the door, Archons!"

Alhaitham stood up and wore his shorts before he gently carried you like a bride as he went to the door. Truth is, you didn't know what Alhaitham's plan was. All he did was give you his stoic look before smiling devilishly while he draped you with his coat. You wrapped your arms around his neck to hold onto him.

Alhaitham finally opened the door.

"Thank Archons you actually opened-"

Kaveh's voice dropped as what he saw. Alhaitham gave him his usual stoic face as he gave you a nudge. You slowly looked at Kaveh with a flushed and embarrassed look.

"Come in." Alhaitham spoke. "Best not to leave your keys behind again." The sarcastic remark from Alhaitham dripping all over his tone.

[leenieweenie12]

You're Too Sweet For Me

Ok this is literally the first little fic I've ever written (and completed) so please give me the tiniest amount of grace, I am begging you. I am so afraid to post this but I figure, why the hell not?! Gotta live a little. Also side note, I know this is so cliche to take place in a flower shop but I am ~unoriginal~ and that's what I came up with.

Warnings: none, this is fluff

Words: 1,213

Inspired by none other than the lovely Hozier and his new song Too Sweet

Divider by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

The bell over the door chimed, letting her know that a customer had just arrived. 

“Be with you in a minute!” she called from the side room where she was arranging a colorful spring bouquet. 

“S’alright, it’s just ol Alfie,” a familiar gruff voice hollered back. 

She smiled to herself and glanced at the clock above the doorway. Five o’clock, right on time. She wiped her hands on her already dirty apron and walked out to the main shop. Her dear friend Alfie Solomons was standing with his back toward her, looking at the rows of blooms spread around the room. He had his signature long black coat and hat on, his small cane clutched in one hand. 

“Is it Wednesday already, then?” she asked, placing a hand on Alfie’s shoulder. “Could’ve sworn it was still Tuesday.”

“That’s the thing about the days, love, once one ends, the next one begins,” he put his arm around her waist and gave her a small sideways hug. “Got anything exciting going on back there?” his head tipped slightly to the side room.

She shrugged. “Nothing too thrilling. Come back and give me a hand, would ya?” 

She walked ahead of him into the small area that was dedicated to arranging. In a glass vase on the counter was a sprawling bouquet of peonies, roses, and cosmos. 

“Think Mr. Klein stepped out on the missus again,” she snickered. “This is the third arrangement he’s ordered just this month for her.” 

Alfie reached out and gently touched one of the peonies with a calloused ring adorned finger, a funny sight to see from such a burly man. “Yeah, well,  I can’t blame the man. Mrs. Klein is about as irritating as they come, with that God awful nasally voice of hers constantly droning on about fuck all.” He took half a step back to admire the bouquet in its entirety. “Put some larkspur in there, add a little height.” 

She chuckled and shook her head, “You always have to have a say in my work, don’t you?” Despite her words, she turned and grabbed a few stems of the purple larkspur in the bucket on the counter and carefully added them to the vase. “But you’re always right, which you know annoys the hell out of me.” 

The man smiled and gestured with his hands, “See, there ya go, love. Perfect.” 

She smiled and turned to face Alfie, her back leaning against the counter. She looked at the older man’s face and studied it intensely, as she had countless times before. It wasn’t much of a secret that she had feelings for him. He had been coming into her flower shop for almost two years by then. He started coming every other week to pick up arrangements for his mother. Every other week quickly turned to once weekly, then every other day. Now it was routine for them; every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at exactly five o’clock, Alfie would come to the shop. He had stopped buying bouquets for his mother after her passing roughly a year before. Now he just visited her for pleasure. They had become quite good friends in that time. Alfie would often bring her some dinner if he knew she had to stay  late to fill an order. Other evenings he would take her out either to a local pub or restaurant to enjoy food and drinks. Her feelings grew by the day but she never acted on them. She figured that if Alfie felt the same way he would have made a move by that point, so for the time being she let it go. She tried not to let it bother her too much, the ache in her heart that left a pang of emptiness. Most of the time they were having far too much fun for her to realize it was even there. But every once in a while, in the quiet moments such as the one they were having in her little flower shop, she felt it. 

There was something about that day, that moment, that she felt the overwhelming urge to fill that empty void. She would never know what it was that made her do it, but she grabbed the lapels of Alfie’s coat and pulled herself to him, pressing her lips to his. At first, there was no reaction from the bearish man, but as she didn’t back off, she felt Alfie’s large hand snake behind her neck. He deepened the kiss, pushing her back against the counter. Her arms went around his neck as he moved his own hands to her waist and effortlessly picked her up to sit her on the surface. Their lips crashed together like two teenagers indulging their pubescent hormones for the first time, tongues intertwining at a fervent pace. 

When they finally released each other, Alfie took half a step back. “Fuckin ‘ell,” he said with a smirk. “Not that I didn’t enjoy that, but what the hell are you thinking, love?” 

She looked into his impassioned eyes sheepishly and gave him a small smile. “Don’t be daft, Alfie. You know how terrible I am at hiding my feelings. Don’t tell me you’re surprised by this.” She brought a hand up to his scraggly beard and gave it a pet. 

Alfie’s gaze intensified and his brow furrowed. He looked back and forth between her green eyes. searching for some sort of answer. “Darling, I-” he started before she put her hands on his chest.

“And don’t tell me you don’t feel the same way because a kiss never lies, and the way you just kissed me revealed a whole lot of truth, Alfie Solomons.”

He snickered and put his hands back on her waist. “You got me there, treacle. Not even gonna try to be coy with you. I’m just a bit taken aback is all.”

The next few hours were spent just the two of them in her modest flower shop vacillating between conversation about their feelings for each other and intimate caressing and necking. When they finally realized how late it was by the darkness outside, Alfie turned toward her with a serious glance. 

“I’m not a good man,” he declared in a serious tone. “I’ve done awful things to a lot of people.”

She closed the gap between them and laid her cheek against his broad chest, waiting for his bulky arms to enclose around her. “But you’ve never done anything awful to me, Alfie, and that’s what I care about. Everything you’ve done you’ve done for a reason. I know that.”

He wrapped her small frame up with his own body and sighed, “You’re too sweet for me, love.” He bent his head down and gingerly kissed the top of her head. 

“Let’s get out of here, yeah?” she said as she linked her arm through his and stepped toward the door. 

With the chilly night air greeting them, they strolled out to the quiet Camden street, arm in arm, both with minds racing of the future to come for their newfound romance, smiles spread wide across their faces. 

They could feel the electricity of love sparking between them, lighting up the night. This was the start of something beautiful.

[khunyuki]

Ok I thought of an idea for kn8 hear me out Pls!!!!! what about soshirou older brother aka soichiro enter the fight between narumi and soshirou but like in a funny scenario like him witnessing the love triangle going on decided to tease the two by making them jealous by using kagami in front of everyone to witness I'm talking hugging kagami , leaning towards her , putting his head on her lap, and whispering to her something that make her blush and giving her gift basically all those cheesy cliche stuff which ends up the two rival working together doing whatever it takes to get souchiro away from kagami in end souchiro revealing he won't steal kagami from them ( kinda think since we know that soichiro obviously care for soshirou that he would atleast have a great relationship to kagami in some extent to see how his brother doing)

Sorry if this to long 😭 also love your stories!!! They're amazing ♥️

Ohhhh!!! That's a very interesting idea anon! I've thought of Soichiro doing this with his brother only but adding Gen to the mix? Definitely chaos HAHAHA

Thank you very much for loving my stories, anon🥹 Also, your idea is fine, great even! The more specific the better hehehe

Anyways, here's your order! I hope you enjoy~

"I've lived my life with blade and you always by my side"

ʀᴇqᴜᴇꜱᴛ: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚢 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍

Pairing/s: Hoshina Soshiro x Uzui Kagami x Narumi Gen, feat. Hoshina Soichiro

Masterlist: TOC

The City of Akihabara. Famous for its electronics shops, arcade games, maid cafes, and stores catering to anime and game lovers. It was not a place you would see Uzui Kagami in but here she is, standing in its busy streets, waiting for someone.

"Onee-san~ Are you alone? Wanna hang out with me?"

This was not something she could avoid could she. She was prepared to ignore the person trying to pick her up but as that person stood in front of her, she could recognize the tail of white and purple hair. And as she looked up, she could see the familiar face of her dear brother-in-law.

"Not cool, Soichiro-niisan"

She deadpanned at the person in front of her who was unbothered by her reaction.

"You would totally react if it was Soshiro who did it"

If his narrow eyes could wink, he would totally be doing so. He knew that mentioning little brother's name would make her react and he's proven to be correct as she tries to hide her blush from him.

"So~ Why does my cute little sister want to meet up in Akihabara of all places?"

"I wanted to buy a gift for Soshiro but I don't know what. My captain said there are some games good for couples to play"

Soichiro hummed as he looked around the place. He's been here before with some of his friends but knew it was her first time. He glanced back at his sister who seemed really curious about the place.

"For now, why don't we look around first"

Kagami nodded as they started walking, her eyes darting all over the place. They talked as they walked, catching up on things while stopping to window shop at some stores.

Kagami would sometimes hangout with her future brother-in-law, Hoshina Soichiro, despite the disapproval of her fiance, his brother. The reason she's doing this is simple. She knew just how much Soichiro adores his little brother yet Soshiro doesn't want anything to do with his older brother. She's tried hard to reconcile them again and again but failed everytime.

So here she is, spending her time with her big brother, just to tell him stories about his little brother. Of course that doesn't mean she'll only be talking about him! Kagami is a single child so she's really happy to have a big brother like Soichiro, as he is overjoyed to have a sister like her. Hanging out with Soichiro-niisan just to be spoiled is truly the main purpose of this event!

"Our little Kagamin is really spoiled, isn't she?"

He pinched her nose as she scrunched up with his actions, squatting his hand away. He could only laugh at her as he ruffled her hair. Her arm still link around his as she glared at him for ruining her hair.

To the two, these signs of affection are only part of their usual interactions as siblings-in-law. To a bystander, however, it seems like two lovers are having PDA on the streets.

Lovebirds.

That's what it looked like to Narumi Gen who dropped his newly bought PS6 to the ground in shock. His eyes were bulging out of his sockets and his jaw was technically on the floor as he watched his crush drag away the long haired male to someplace with their arms linked together.

"This can't be! NOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Narumi Gen dramatically reacted as he kneeled on the ground and hit it with both of his fists like a meme, the passersby avoiding him like a plague. He would wipe the crocodile tears but instead, there was fire burning in his eyes.

Who does that guy think he is putting his hands on his crush?!!!

He saw Kagami and that guy he doesn't know by the claw machines. She was pointing at the purple cat with squinted eyes as he tried to get it for her. Gen saw her laughing at him for not being able to get it on his first try as the man flicked her forehead before trying it again. He gripped the machine he was hiding behind at and is definitely gritting his teeth with jealousy.

The Strongest Narumi Gen: oi

The Strongest Narumi Gen: Kagami's with someone

The Strongest Narumi Gen: fuck they're too close

The Weakest Bastard: What do you mean?

Hoshina Soshiro couldn't help raising his eyebrow once he saw the message. His fiancee being too close to someone? That's impossible.

Big Fat Loser sent a photo

Big Fat Loser: i'm gonna kill this bastard

Soshiro looked at the photo and the default smile on his face dropped. Was this why Kagami wasn't hanging out with him on their day off? Cuz she's having a date with his brother?? He could imagine his brother doing this on purpose just to annoy him, and it's proven to be effective.

I Am Winner: that's my brother

I Am Winner: i'm coming over

Those were Soshiro's last words as he exited his apartment, heading straight for Akihabara. Ain't no way he's letting his brother get away with this scheme.

The moment Narumi Gen saw the word brother on the screen, he understood just why he found that man irritating. His hair color was different but those eyes, those narrowed eyes were the same. He had a nagging feeling on the back of his head the whole time he was watching them, about where he had seen this fox-eyed man before. Turns out it was Hoshina Soichiro, captain of the Sixth Division, the older brother of his rival.

Hoshina Soichiro was no idiot. He already saw the captain of the First Division following them as soon as they exited the arcade. There's no way he's not feeling the daggers digging onto his back nor the dark aura he's exuding. He knows what Narumi's relationship was with his little sister for she tells him about it, sometimes complaining.

The captain of the First Division likes his little sister, that part was obvious. His little brother obviously loves his fiancee. He also knows of the rivalry between him and his brother. Hoshina Soichiro grins widely at the devious plan he came up with.

"What do you wanna do next?"

Soichiro placed his arm on her shoulders as they walked the busy streets of Akihabara. She tilted her head but let him be. He could hear growling behind as the aura of seething jealousy could no longer be contained.

"I'm hungry"

She pretended to think before telling him she's hungry, which earned a chuckle from him. They entered a restaurant, sitting on a table for 4, with Gen secretly following behind them. He sat a few tables away, hiding his face with the menu.

As the two placed their orders, the door to the restaurant opened and in come Soshiro, who tried to hide the fact that he rushed there. He was going to interrupt the two before he got dragged back by Gen.

"Why did you drag me back?"

"Are you crazy? Why would you head there without a plan?!"

"I don't need a plan to talk to my fiancee"

"This bastard..."

The two bickering idiots were bound to be noticed as they didn't bother hiding while doing so. Even more as they stand in the middle of the establishment, attracting the attention of other customers, particularly the two they were spying on. The staff wanted to try and stop the dispute but were too scared to do so.

"Now now, it's not good to fight the two of you"

The two who were grabbing each other's collars just now looked at the man that placed his hands on their shoulders. The man who was sitting a few tables away was now stopping their fight. The same man who was the cause of this in the first place.

"Soshiro and Gen-kun? What are you doing here?"

Kagami who also got up from her sit, wanting to help stop the commotion was surprised to see the people she wasn't expecting to be there at all. The two immediately wrapped their arms on each other's shoulder as they looked at her in a merry attitude.

"What a coincidence to see you here, Kagami"

"We were just in the area looking around"

Soshiro and Gen spoke alternatively, maintaining the facade. While they didn't totally answer her question, she didn't mind it.

"I knew it. You two are really close"

She smiled happily as she saw the good relationship between the two rivals. As expected, all of their bickerings and fights were just an expression of their closeness. Soichiro laughed at how oblivious she was to the situation, clearly seeing the two at each other's throats a few moments ago.

"Why don't you two join us for lunch? It would be bad for business if we continue to stand around here wouldn't it?"

Soichiro suggested as he had already dragged Kagami back to their seats, this time sitting besides her than in front. The two looked at each other before trying to take the sit in front of her first. Fortunately for Gen, he got was closer and sat first. Unfortunately for Soshiro, he had to face his brother rather than his fiancee.

"So... What brought you two in Akiba together?"

Gen was the first to ask, having been the one who's following them for a while. Side-eyeing the captain of the Sixth Division.

"It's been a while since we last saw each other so I just wanted to hang out with my little sister"

Acting oblivious, Soichiro side hugged Kagami and leaned his head on hers. This seemed to fluster her but she didn't stop him. Of course this would mean the two males in front of them were technically killing him on their heads now.

"I'm quite upset. Why didn't you tell me you're going to hang out with him of all people, Kagami"

Soshiro pretended to pout as he crossed his arms, looking quite disappointed. Kagami immediately became crestfallen, having been guilty of not telling him about it first.

"I'm sorry. You didn't want to talk about him so I..."

"It's not your fault"

It's this guy, he thought as he frowned at his brother who was clearly enjoying this.

"This brat, why are you making my sister sad?"

Soichiro pat Kagami in the head to comfort her. He pretended to frown as if what his brother did upsets him, when in fact, he was trying hard not a grin so hard.

"If you wanted to look around Akiba, you could just ask me! I know every inch and corner of this place"

Gen not liking how he's being ignored, turned back the question to him. He's incredibly annoyed but he had to hide it in front of his crush.

"I was actually going to but you said you were busy with the new game you just bought"

As if lightning had struck him, Gen couldn't help but react dramatically. It was there! The opportunity was there! Yet he blew it! He hit his head on the table from shame, crying crocodile tears, which startled Kagami who asked if he was okay.

Their orders arrived while Kagami was busily trying to comfort Gen. Soshiro took a sip from his drink as he blatantly ignored his brother. This made his brother show a sad smile, thinking his reaction was inevitable after everything.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine"

"Kagami told me a lot about you"

"I see"

The silence was awkward as Soshiro shut Soichiro down. Soshiro doesn't hate his brother but he couldn't help the feeling of inferiority every time he sees him. It's been so long since the last time they had contact so he just doesn't know what to do.

Gen could care less about their relationship as brothers but seeing how worried Kagami was, he had to at least do something.

"Remember that game I introduced to you last time? That one you liked most"

He tried to distract her but engaging a conversation with her alone.

"Which one? Oh! The visual novel one! What was it called again? Oto- Otome? Otome game!"

Kagami was confused at first as he had made her play plenty of games. Some she couldn't understand how to, the others easy but she doesn't quite like. For someone who likes to read like her, there is only one answer.

"I didn't expect you to be the type to play otome games, sis"

Amused, Soshiro and Soichiro joined the conversation. She tilted her head, not knowing what's wrong with it.

"It's unrealistic but the stories will hook you up. Though I don't know why there were plenty of guys/girls to choose from"

Soshiro squinted his also narrow eyes at the guy beside him in a 'what are you teaching her' kind of way. Gen feigned ignorance as he whistled.

As they finished eating and chatting, it was now time to leave. It was not in their plan to have two extras joining but it wasn't unwelcomed. The only thing was if they should continue their initial plan or not.

"Wanna head to the park, sis?"

Kagami nodded her head at her dear brother's suggestion, oblivious to the reactions of the two men who joined them.

"What about you guys, wanna come?"

Soichiro wanted to snicker bit he couldn't make it too obvious that he's finding their jealousy entertaining. He wanted to see how far he can go with teasing them as he whispered something to his sister's ear.

The two men saw her blush as she immediately hit his arm in embarrassment. Their glares worsened as they watched the smirk on his face growing wider by the second.

"Sure, why not? I'm free"

Gen took her side, squatting the arm trying to wrap itself on her shoulders. Once again taking her attention away to himself.

"Better than leaving you two alone"

Soshiro squeezed himself between Kagami and Soichiro as he tried to link their arms together. By now, Kagami was surrounded from both sides leaving Soichiro on the side. They started walking while ignoring the pouting man following behind them.

As soon as they arrived at Ueno Park, they could see a lot of people coming and going. There really wasn't much greenery as there were more ample pathways and flea market vendors in there. Depending on their choice, they could either go to the zoo, museums, or the lake. As they have a lot of time, they decided to go to all of them.

While Kagami was having a blast, the same couldn't be said to the three. Soshiro and Gen were joining forces to prevent Soichiro from getting closer to her which takes a lot of patience cuz he's so persistent. And when they think they fended him off, they'll be fighting each other for her attention which will give Soichiro an opportunity to take her away. Really, they couldn't get a break. As long as she's happy then they'll endure this.

"I'm gonna go get us some drinks"

They decided to rest on a bench after walking for a long time. It was really tiring but fun. So to show her gratitude, Kagami headed to the nearest vending machine to get them some drinks, leaving the three behind.

"No need to be so on guard, you two"

Once she was gone, the two unleashed a full on hostile attempt on Soichiro, finally being alone with him. He sweatdropped at them, raising his hands to show he means no harm.

"I'm not planning on stealing her"

They squinted at him, not believing his words at all.

"You better not"

They said at the same time as Soichiro just laughed awkwardly.

"I only think of Kagami as a little sister, after all"

He said this to reassure them but, in actuality, he's pointedly saying this to his brother. She'll be his sister in the future so there's nothing wrong in getting close, no?

"Umm... There are people waiting for me. Could you please get out of the way?"

The three of them could say more to each other but as soon as they saw Kagami being surrounded by two strangers who couldn't seem to get a hint. They dropped everything as they went to her. Soichiro and Gen holding on both of them while Soshiro takes her in his arms.

While they may not get along with each other, they will surely move together for her sake.

Note/s: It was fun writing this but I think I kinda half-assed it from the middle to the end😭 I'm sleepy, tired and busy so I just rushed the ending, skipped some parts, and didn't get to edit this properly. Sorry about that🙇‍♀️ But!! I think I showed what needed to be seen so I do hope you guys are satisfied🥹🥹🥹 Anyways, thank you again for reading my stories🫶💕

[kusakiguzen]

Yandere Knight Akaashi Kenji x Isekai!MaidReader

(Credits to the owner i just yoinked it from pintrest)

English is not my first language

A/N: Hiiii I'm finally done. Its vauge but i promise it'll make sense in part 2. Hope you enjoy reading as much as i loved writing it. One more thing. DO YOU WANT AN OPEN OR CLOSED ENDING??

THIS IS MY STORY DO NOT REPOST (REBLOG IS FINE). DO NOT COPY OR STEAL. CREDIT TO THE ARTIST FOR THE IMAGE.

(orange=You, blue= Akaashi, purple=Head maid, green= extra, pink=Saintess)

Y/N L/N, was a 25 year old collage student who was persuing her dream of getting a medical degree and become a successful doctor/surgeon. With great knowledge in Medicines and great interest in Herbology, studied really hard to be at her top of her class.

But she had great love for anime and otome games, her personal favorite anime was 'Haikyuu' a sports anime. She was obsessed with it, and when she found out that there was going to be an Otome game releasing featuring the main cast of the Haikyuu, She was sold.

The first otome game, that she played about Haikyuu was feturing the story line with MC being an extra manager of karasuno 'VLB CLUB', and then many other otome games started to gain popularity.

One day she decided to scoure the Internet to find a unique Haikyuu tome game that didn't make the MC a manager of any team.

She found it. It was called " Lovers Call For Help". It featured the ain haikyuu cast in a historical era. It also had side stories and everything.

She decided to read the side stories first. After reading them. she started the game. The MC was an isekai/reincarnated Saintess, who was there to heal and get rid of the demonic monsters.

Typical cliche. she completed it in one sitting but also became sleep deprived. After the game ended it asked for her name again, Y/N wrote down hwer OC name again, but it said incorrect. And then asked her for her REAL NAME.

This caused Y/N to be confused but she remembered about the policy terms so she typed her real name 'Y/N L/N'. Then the screen showed 'THE END' and said "THANK YOU FOR PLAYING Y/N L/N". which she found creepy but also she was too sleepy to think straight.

She soon fell asleep with her phone, when the screen suddenly turned ON and on the screen displayed

'YOU ARE IT'

Y/N woke up to he name being called.

Miss Y/N are you listening? Said the head maid

HUh?.... What? said Y/N in confusion displayed on her face

You must sign th--- Are you feeling okay Miss Y/N? You suddenly look pale... The head maid asked with concern.

I-- i where- ? At this point there were millions of thoughts going through her head. Where was she? How did this old women know her name? Why does she look so mch like the character from the game she played? Is she dead? is this women someone who will measure her good and bad deeds? All these thoughts were interupted by the same voice again laced with concern.

It is alright if you would like to continue this tomorrow..

Yes that would be much appreciated.. Thank you Miss uhm

Beatrice, Beatrice Graves

Ah yes Thank You Miss Graves. I will be contacting you soon.

With that Y/N gave her a bow and ran out the door holding her mouth to prevent herself from puking.

On her sprint towards the bathroom she colided with what felt like a wall. She looked up to see him Akaashi Kenji

No no no no no NO NO NO. Why why why why why WHY WHY WHY!! WHY IS HE HERE????

Excuse me I must hurry. She ran towards the bathroom without looking back leaving a confused Akashi behind.

Y/N ran for her life to get somewhere she could breathe without hyperventilating.

Unable to find a bathroom, she finally found a lake and finally vomitted near a tree, after she was done, she covered it with some dirt because it was unhygenic to leave it that way.

She went to clean her mouth in the Lake but noticed her appearance. She looked prettier, her dark circles were gone, her skin was glowing and overall She looked healthy. Apart from that she also noticed she looked slightly animated.

'is this really me ' She thought while touching her face . suddenly she got a headache a really painful one & memories started pouring in, memories that were not her's.They were the memories of the owner of the body.

Y/N L/N daughter of a fallen Noble, The downfall was caused by her father's and brother-in-law's gambling addiction which her mother and sister refused to do anything about. when it came time to pay the piling debts, they couldn't and begged Y/N for help.

Being a pushover She agreed and decided to get a job as a maid.she worked for a Count namely Count Octavious , but after a lot of pestering from her family about her "Not giving them enough money" She decided to work at the palace. She passed all the tests to work in the palace All she had to do was write & sign a contract. which is when she (Y/N) Got reincarnated.

WOW ! What Shitty family i'll have to support ' She though while clutching her head while groaning in pain and using another tree as support.

She finally noticed the small bag near her which looked suspiciously similar to her own bag in her Real world. She reached out with shaky hands and realised, it was her bag, It had her Journals, Tablet and her basic necessities, Basically everything she carries to her collage.

Damn there is no way! She erupted in a phsycotic laughter realising this was not dream. You might ask what made her come to this conclusion? Its because there was a card.... A card that said "Welcome To Lover's Call For Help, We the authors Hope you will enjoy this, Please play as you please. Thank you"

After she read it it disappeared into some glowing particles.....

With that she decided to survive, not submissively like the manhwa and shit she read.. by faking herself .... No she'll live and make sure to enjoy every second of it.

Akaashi Kenji, The Captain of the Royal Guard, The Emperor's Right Hand Man and most of all The Heir Of the Akaashi Dukedom. He was a clam and collected man with a pinch of humor and sassiness, complete opposite of the Emperor Bokuto Koutaro, who was a Hyper and simple minded man. Bokuto was always kept in check by Akaashi due to his habit of making impulse decision.

Today he was tasked (more like forced) to meet the qualified applicants of people who are going to be maids in the palace. Now you might be wondering 'why there are tests to become a maid?' There aren't if you want to become a normal maid but for a higher position, you need higher qualifications. Especially in the Royal Palace.

Just as he was on his way to the Head Maid's Office, He bumped into a girl who looked extremly pale. She looked at him and looked absolutely terrified as if he wasn't supposed to be there. She Excused herself leaving Akaashi confused. He shrugged and continued his way to the Office.

He reached the office and knocked and heard a soft "Come in'

Ahh Sir Akaashi, Right on time. Said Beatrice

Madame Graves,... is the list ready? Asked Akaashi

Yes! We have some promising people this year, one of them in particular, but she felt sick so she will sign the contract tomorrow. told Beatrice.

I see.. That is great news.

Yes it is indeed.

I will see you later then Madame. I hope you have a pleasant evening. He said with a small smile

I hope for your day to be magnificent as well Sir Akaashi. She said with a bow

Y/N did go back to sign the contract but she did add her own conditions since it was allowed. Her conditions were

The abilty to refuse: If a noble takes interest in the employee but the employee is uncomfortable with the advances, she is allowed to refuse such advances without conseqences.

Protection guaranteed: The employee will not take any orders that may endanger the employee's life without conseqences.

Guaranteed vacation days: Employee must be given atleast 4-6 days of paid vacation. it can be saved and used in bulks.

Direct handing over the payment: The employee will be given the payment directly no matter. If Anyone claim to collect it for the employee, it is false unless the employee themself confirm with the Employer (In this case Madame Beatrice Graves).

If any of the above condition are to be broken the contract will be terminated immediatly with fine of 25 gold.

Are these terms satisfying for you Madame? said Y/N

Yes, You are quite clever. No one has ever used the blank space given for the employee's conditions. Said the Beatrice amused.

Well it is for our use isn't it Madame?. Said Y/N with a chuckle.

It is. You will be starting tomorrow then Ms L/N.

Please call me Y/n Madame, and yes.

I hope you have a pleasant afternoon. And you may get comfortable in the dormatories.

I hope your afternoon is pleasant as well. And I will. Y/N said excusing herself with a bow.

Two Years later. ☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

It had been two years since Y/N got reincarnated and started working as a maid. A lot of things happened, the main thing was Y/N cutting of her family. Her family did take her to court on the 'oral Contract' of her promising to pay off all their debts. That's where she decided to fight back, which was surprising for her family. She used their own words against them by telling the judge "I only promised to pay the debts and i have paid them enough money to pay it off, your honor". she showed the proof as well. Her family tried to justify that they have to eat and drink as well but it was shut down. She also showed the law that stated that she was not obligated to support their reckless activity. No matter what her family tried, they were unable to win.

The second was that, She Got Promoted!!! Why u might ask? due to her knowledge from her original world, of being a doctor and kind of an herbologist. Which meant more money!! She Already planned to leave once she had enough money to retire from being a maid and opening a small clinic in the village near her house. With the promotion, she brought a small cottage in a desolated area on the mountains near the woods. It did cost her a year worth of her salary but... its worth it.

The Game would begin in about a month, so all she had to do was live.... SURVIVE the war of love... Orrrr she could just quit today. I mean she has enough money to live modestly sooo. Naahhhhh, who lives modestly when they can live lavishly. So she decided to stay. Just till the story starts.

A secrete between you and me... She liked Akaashi. Not like, she Loved him. In the game Akaashi was the epitome of a green flag and the softest yandere. She really hoped that Akaashi got his ending, A Happy Ending and not the cliche ending of " PrOtEcTiNg ThE FeMaLe LeAd FrOm ThE ShAdOw". She pitied the poor man, but wasn't interested in risking her life for some character, even if she loved him . She started to stalk him during her free time, not full on yandere creepy stalker, but the little stalking everyone does to their crush. Since she knew how to draw, Y/N had a journal dedicated to him, which was quite expensive, since paper and ink are expensive in this time/game. also one of the reason she doesn't have enough money to leave but that's not important . In her defense she needs a souvenir. But she won't pursue him because she wants to escape Tacitly. But she didn't Notice her little hobby had already caught someone's attention.

Akaashi Kenji was used to Girls even women, following him around and giggling at his sight but it never fazed him. He Ignored them, Why? simply because he was not interested and he was too busy to give them time. But he was never rude to them, asking them to leave with a pleasant smile, he has a reputation to maintain.

He never noticed anyone special, well... not until he saw Y/N. She was average looking, does her job well, is educated which is verry uncommon. That never interested him, She was very average compared to the women whom he has seen in the Balls, hell even the maids working with her. But something........ something drew him to her. One day, during his regular petrol, he saw Y/N. But after she spoted him, She gave him a bow and left. A paper fell from her book, so he followed her to give it back. But he got curious and opened the page..... it was HIM.. Full of his drawing, very nicely drawn too.

This spiked his curiousity. He left the page under her rooms door and left. He asked the shadow knights to find out everything about her. He was surprised to find out that she worked there for years. Slowly this simple curiosity turned into a spiral of obsession.

A month passed and the Saintess arrived. Just as the prophecy stated, She fell from the sky. But something was off from Akaashi's point of view. She was already acting as if she was a higher status than any and everyone. Or is it just in his head,... Nevermind then, he was already busy with his duties. Coincidently he had to visit Beatrice (Head maid) for something, Also to catch a glimpse of Y/N but that's irrelevent.

Sir Akaashi, What brings you here?

The list Lady Graves... You forgot to send the list new recruits to my office...

Ahh my apologise, One of our maid is quiting hence it has been hectic.

Someone is quiting? That is a surprise.

Yes... that to a capable maid.

May i inquire who?

Y/N, Y/N L/N, She says she wants to open a small shop and live her life.

Y/N's Leaving....?

yes, and here you go

Thank y--

As Akaashi was about to thank Beatrice, he was interupted by a soft knock.

Who is it?

Its me Head Maid, Y/N. May i come in?

Her sweet voice. The voice that was melody to his ears. He signaled the head maid to invite her in.

May I help you Y/N?

Yes- oh Sir Akaashi... Good afternoon.

Good afternoon to you as well Y/N

Anyways, I'd like the conformation of my resignation?

Yes, it was approved, you may leave after 2 weeks.

I see Thank you. With a quick curtsy to both the head maid and Akaashi she left.

"HOW COULD YOU!! No HOW DARE YOU LEAVE? WHY ARE YOU LEAVING.....Please stay. Should I trap her? Break her legs? NO No no. I shouldn't think like this." these were the thoughts going through Akaashi's head while he made his way back to his office.

"That's right I could just ask her? Can't I? I do realise we aren't close but i assume it isn't a secrete. I'll ask her the coming week" He thought satisfied with a low hmm.

It hadn't even been 3 days after Akaashi found out that his love Y/N was leaving. He made his way to the maid's quarters, He noticed a commotion.

I saw her steal Your Holiness Please beleive me!! A maid was kneeling while pointing at Y/N who stood tall.

Now, Why would I need jewelry when I have enough money to afford about 20 of them? Y/N stated with an innocent look on her face (which got Akaashi Hard immediately)

Because you are jealous of Her Holiness, You said it your self!!.

'Bruh what a Headache' My dear I've already quit so what good will this cheapass Jewelry do for me? Bitch.

See Your Holiness, Even her mouth is foul.

Halt, Please Y/N where were you 3 days ago when the neckless went missing?

I was---

She was with me Your Holiness. Akaashi intervened speaking from the crowed

She was?

Yes I had bumped into her at the Head Maid's office. She was there to get her resignation.

I see this proves Miss Y/N Innocent

Thank you Your Holiness.

No problem, If i were you I'd be careful with my tongue.

Thank you for the advice, Y/N said with a smile

After that encounter, Akaashi went to Y/N to check up on her. If she was alright. then knowing she was fine, he asked her to walk with him. They shared pleasantries and, Akaashi finally asked why she was quiting. Her replay was the same but she also added " others were jealous and trying to sabotage me. Plus i hate getting involved in drama like the one today. I an see it happening again".

If I got rid of it will she stay? I should get rid of that damn maid. Akaashi thought. With that they said their good byes and parted ways

The Next day, body of the maid who had was found. She had committed suicide, it also had a note of confession saying how she plotted to frame Y/N because of how much everyone loved her.

A few days passed

And Akaashi was summoned to be a witness for what the Saintess was saying

The saintess claimed it was Y/N's fault she must be punished accordingly. Akaashi intervened asking what was Y/N's fault? The fact that she defended herself? her dignity? her life ahead? WHAT WAS THAT SHE DID WRONG??

The Saintess's claim was shut down after what Akaashi said, Since He was the most trusted.

Then came the day of Y/N's departure. No one except Akaashi was their to bid her farewell. But what he did surprised her. He leaned down to kiss her on the lips not a peck, But full make out session. Y/N started to feel dizzy and then suddenly lost conciousness.

She woke up in a lavish room. Decorated with golds and gems but no silver. She was told by Akaahi that she suddenly got fever between the kiss and he apologised for what he did. Y/N dismissed it and asked if she could leave. He told her that her fever was down but not gone, So she should stay till she recovers.

They started dating after Akaashi's heartfelt confession. And after that he just couldn't keep it in his pants.

But she only got progressively worse, her fever would come back anytime. She got weaker and paler ( paler as in weak as fuck not the skin color). But there came a point her health stopped deteriorating. This caused her to get suspicious. Why? Because Akaashi had proposed to her claiming to love her and she accepted.

Was Akaashi trying to kill her because she stood against the Saintess?

Soon she was able to fool one of the maids serving her to get her a silver jewelry and to her fear....... She was correct. The Silver turned black. How could she be So STUPID. He protected the FL from the shadows meaning killing without hesitation or remorse.

So she escaped... in the dead of night that very day. It was hard but she was able to reach the shore and catch the last ship and she finally escaped death..... or she thought.

On the other side, Akaashi was losing his mind... HOW DARE YOU!! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!! HOW COULD YOU. HE TREATED YOU SOO WELL AND THIS IS WHAT HE GETS???!!

He finally saw the letter you left.

Dear Kenji, I do love you very much, but i know you love Aurelia (the saintess). Hence the reason for you poisoning me... I would have loved to spend my life with you but I'm afraid i won't be able to. I'll leave forever so that you won't have to worry about me hurting Aurelia. I hope You Will Be Happy

Your Lover Truly

Y/N L/N

What? What are you talking about? loving that bitch? who he was planning to kill? Did someone decive you? That's right someone must have lied to you..... You Still love him! You said it yourself....

Don't worry he'll find you an clear this misunderstanding.

I'm coming my dear....

A/N: FUCKING FINALLY.!!! I'm done!! I'll make a part two with the dark stuff and smut cuz i wanted to build a base for this story. Probably more than part 2.. Soo STAY TUNED

Hope You Enjoy!!

Masterlist

STAY SAFE, HEALTHY AND HYDRATED ☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

[bluginkgo]

On today's Ginkgo rambles we have: the teaser, yet again. What? I really liked it.

Spoilers, duh

Instead of dissecting it again, which many smarter people have already done, I kinda wanna ramble about how well the teaser was well... a tease. It's titled The Beginning of the End. A bit cliche, but it works here both in the context of the end of this season, and hopefully the beginning of the second.

The beginning of the end that is called Season 1. And the beginning of the true end, that is the universe of Murder Drones- be it Copper 9 or the actual story.

Not to mention, this beginning of the end theme keeps up in the entire teaser. I guess you can say I'm a sucker for being nostalgic and seeing how far the show has come.

It starts with Uzi's Booting up// Exposition: "We are worker drones." Closely followed by what is happening to her as of Dead End. So much for the innocent worker drones, am I right? "It's not like we revolted and killed all humans or anything, mostly because they handled that just fine all by themselves." At this point, and especially in the teaser, it's heavily implied that maybe the humans didn't actually do that. Sure, they were probably the ones that caused it. But seeing as we get a shot of Tessa closing Nori's room/locker and then the core collapse from the pilot... eh, I don't know about you, but I think she's got something to do with it.

Then, we have N. His cute little introduction and his killings in the pilot, followed by Dead End's scenes. A disassembly drone- a demon that has been depicted so many times by other worker drones, one of THE murder drones of the series, reduced to nothing but a scrap of metal by sentinels. Not to mention the only person from his past, V, also in grave danger. We hear him call out to her just like in Dead End throughout the entire teaser. I also wouldn't be surprised if his last desperate call for V that we hear right before we get the actual scenes for eps 7 and 8, to be used as the trio fall down in the elevator at the beginning of ep 7.

Closely followed by V's first words. "And yet, I still feel nothing." Then we see her sacrifice at Dead End. From a simple and mindless murder machine to a friend and an ally who was willing to give herself up so the rest of the group would be safe. (D*mmit, V, come back queen😭)

Now as for something I don't quite understand/see. So please, feel free to point it out.

BUT WHERE DO PEOLE SEE THAT HER VISOR IS CRACKED? All I see is that her visor must be turned off, because the floor is reflecting in it.

Another thing I kinda wanna touch on briefly, is Uzi's hand.

As many people have already mentioned this, Uzi's hand lights are yellow. Of course, so far, this teaser has been for both episodes 7 and 8. So we can't confidently say what scene is from where. But this constant switching in Uzi's lights might lose its meaning. Of course, these might be the only times that Uzi's lights actually change. But if it isn't... the anxiety and fear that ought to come with seeing Uzi's purple lights turn yellow, might be less severe. Unlike in Dead End, it was both anxiety inducing and cool to see Uzi be posessed by Absolute Solver. Eh, it might be just me, though. Of course, teaser is just that. A tease. So there isn't much to go off of.

You crazy for making it through that entire useless rant. Have a cookie. ^_^

[a-soft-hornytiny]

I just did my nails and since my brain is always in the gutter and thinking about ateez I thought- what would be ateez's reaction to their significant other getting their nails done for them and who's mlt ruin them 😏

- 🍓

Reaction: Getting your nails done for them.

Requested by 🍓 anon

Genre: Fluff, Suggestive

Pairing: Ateez x reader with pretty nails (neutral)

Warnings: none

Notes: Okay this format is a bit weird and new but it works I guess haha reaction and mtl in one

I added some details about what kinda designa you would get for them but im horrible with nail designs so it’s probably bs. Hope its what you wanted hehe

Taglist: under the cut (let me know if you wanna be added)

—————————————————————-

Most

Wooyoung:

all day, all tease

“ohhhh you like me so much???” a lot of sighing

he is happy inside but he gotta do his job and annoy you

and he’s most likely to ruin them because he wants to. kinda wants to prove something. probably what an amazing lover he is xD

But he would pay for the replacement.

and because you knew that you had gotten a simple black design with his initials and some of his lines in their songs

Jongho:

he would notice immediately but wouldn’t say anything because.. idk why tbh

similar to Yeosang you would get frustrated abt it but he’d be like “yeah nah I noticed” .-.

but as he noticed it upsets you he’d be really sweet and shower you in compliments, he just has a hard time putting the gesture in context of importance

that is until he googles how much getting your nails done costs

even if its just a purple sky design like you did for him

when it comes to ruining them tho- that man is probably an absolutely beast in bed.. i assume. they wouldn’t survive for long.

Yunho:

puppy eyes, puppy design (or smth blue)

“for me?🥺 really?🥺” i CANT

takes your hands all the time to kiss your nails

cute as fuck but also kinda too much

which may ruin them

and listen: that man will be most likely be ruining them by making you grab the bedsheet to hard if you get what I mean

Mingi:

“are those for me?” you deny it at first to tease him

“oh come on they gotta beeee” whiny man

really full of himself as soon as you admit it, which is why you didn’t at first

maybe some kind of combination of a princess theme with his favourite colour… cement colour.. (i swear he is such a man)

wants to get matching nails 100%

if he ruins them, it was an accident. but since he is clumsy af it may happen xD

San:

happiest bean, so excited

why do I feel like one half of your nails would be like super serious, beautiful gold black designs and the other half is like.. san memes

like a literal mountain or the muscly cat yk

would be careful not to ruin them at first but as the time goes on he wouldn’t have the control to care haha

Yeosang:

wouldn’t notice at first and you’re kinda upset you had to say something

“Your beauty is so distracting y/n, im sorry I didnt see your nails” ironie and shade

but appreciates it, even tho he has a hard time saying it

he’d be proud that you chose a doberman design instead of a maltese one tho (yes i needa be cliche)

would he ruin them? maybe, maybe not. depends on the position👀

Seonghwa:

admires them when you don’t look

he‘s unsure if you really did it for him but as soon as he finds out he is all blushy and happy

definitely either a sakura, strawberry or star design

and he‘s to careful and tidy to ruin them

only if he’s normal hwa tho, horny hwa wouldn’t give a shit

Hongjoong:

he would adore it SO much

would go on and on about how your nails are perfect and that he feels honoured that he was the inspiration to get them done

i think for him you‘d get like a sunflower or music sheet design and he’d definitely want to get some inspired by you too

also least likely to ruin them because they are just too precious to him

Least

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Tags: @jonghoisbabie @multidreams-and-desires @little-precious-baby @yunhofingers-writes @serialee @crimsonbubble @cometoceantrenches @em--ilysm @deja-vux @kawaiiloli00 @ddeonghwva @aaaaajonghooooo @sansbun @cookies-n-joong @plonys @hijirikaww @nari-nim @yunkiwii @mingi-ivity @racheloveyunho @seongsangsgf @jhmylove @lizsvcks @yunhobabygurl @leoninadecorazones @kerra-that-one-random-fangirl @star1117-archives @cheollipop @yeosangsbiceps @euphoric-emily16 @anyamaris @shinestarhwaa @seomisaho @starillusion13 @taemdivez

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[hollowsart]

ALRIGHT, HERE'S MY LANTERN CORPS HOT TAKES:

I think in my au the Indigo Tribe should be less horrible overall tbh The concept of them taking and making people who lack compassion and empathy FEEL those things is good, but oh my gosh all those other things are SOOOO BAD.

A lot of the other lantern types, too, should get some reworking. Make them make more sense along the emotional spectrum which overlaps with the spectrum of light.

it's a bit cliche, but it makes far more sense and is far easier to understand than whatever convoluted thing DC has going.

(this is all just me btw and there's probably a LOT of stuff I don't know cuz there's thousands of comics out there and I cannot be bothered to go through and read any of them.

this is all I have rn for whatever I could come up with):

People who have a lot of compassion and empathy should be chosen for the Indigo Tribe. If they have an astoundingly bright indigo/purple aura they should be picked up to join them in their efforts to share their emotions with others.

It's not a permanent solution to the people who lack that part of them, but it would certainly help, I think. In the long run.

I do like the red lantern concept of the fact they're so consumed by rage and hate that they can't really remove their rings. Not safely, at least. Requiring a pink and blue lantern to be nearby to make it safe with their light and abilities.

However.. I think what could be cool is if the rings COULD create constructs. The constructs dissipate fast , but they hit hard. The constructs are usually quite violent in nature, taking from the negative emotions that fills the wearer. Their constructs can still be whatever they want, but it's usually whatever will hurt their opponent the most.

Yellow lanterns are similar in how their constructs are meant to terrorize and torment their opponents, otherwise it's quite limited.

Another thing for the Indigo Tribe is that some members are people who used to lack empathy and compassion being so horrifically overwhelmed felt so deeply to repent and atone for their sins and crimes. They joined and accepted a ring and swore an oath to be redeemed. It's a long and arduous journey, though, but they're willing to go at it until they die, pretty much. It's not often that this happens, however, but the Indigo people are very welcoming to newcomers. They work together to become stronger and better as people and help see to it that those they help also get better as a person.

I know why DC is trying to do this with the lantern corps, but it's really convoluted (many people have mentioned how confusing and unclear a lot of it is) and NOT working.

Like.. why the heck would the embodiment of love be a creature called "Predator" ??? Excuse me?? That gives such horrid connotations.

It could still be a monster in appearance, but let's, y'know, probably rename it to something far more.. fitting for the emotion of love? (Heck, what if it was a single entity, but it had more than one head (8) and each head had its own name representing the various forms of love? Agape, philia, ludus, philautia, pragma, storge, mania, and eros. That would be more clever tbh)

the more extreme the emotion, the more likely the user is to cry. when our emotions get too much, our bodies regulate this by crying. or whatever the equivalent is for the various aliens that make up the various lantern corps.

the strongest and most likely to fall to a fit of crying out of the lanterns is: Red, Blue, Purple/Indigo, and Pink/Violet.

[ratwhowrites]

Happy 1st Birthday Orion

The town of Willoughby Falls and its inhabitants belong to @randowaffle and Ethan was created by @thatmangledpheonix

Orion is mine :3

This is a birthday thing for Orion but it it also a birthday gift to my friend.

Happy Valentine’s Day

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

February 14th.

Andrew isn’t even surprised anymore. Orion goes all out for every holiday so why would Valentine’s Day be an exception? It’s actually quite endearing to look around the oddities shop and see how much effort his boyfriend puts into decorating. Even for something that will only last a few days.

Rose petals scattered across the floor, leading customers to the gift section. Heart-shaped cards attached to certain items with cheesy lines like ‘Be Mine’ or ‘You’re super!’ The usual cliche decorations one would see for the holiday, with an Orion twist to them. A glass replica of a real heart. A heart shaped candy box meant for those assorted chocolates, instead filled with tiny baby heads, skulls, glass eyes, and buttons. More disturbing cards like ‘Eye Love You’ with an eyeball on the card, a spiderweb drawn over the paper heart with ‘You’ve Caught My Heart’, and more of the ‘Be Mine’ cards except these are spelled out with newspaper clippings. Serial killer cards. Sweet but weird. And a little disturbing. 

A small card-making station for people to make Valentine’s Day cards. A board is set up with a few cards pinned to it, all addressed to Orion. Why shouldn’t they write him cards? He’s a popular guy. 

But that’s not what Andrew’s here for. There’s another important holiday today that Orion has failed to decorate for. His birthday. Seems fitting that Andrew’s hopeless romantic of a boyfriend be born on the day of love. And Andrew is determined to show how much he loves Orion.

Every birthday, Orion has made sure that Andrew has the best day, the best food, the best presents. ‘I always go all out for holidays’, he says. But there’s more to it than that. And this time, it’s Andrew’s turn to make this the best day for Orion.

The people of Willoughby Falls were more than eager to assist him. Even Noah Woods, despite his longstanding feud with Andrew, is putting aside his resentment, for Orion. It’s quite fortunate that Orion happens to be best friends with the town baker. Noah grins as he carefully packages the beautifully decorated caramel tres leches cake he had made earlier today. In purple icing, Orion’s favorite color, the words ‘Happy Birthday Cheshire Cat’ are written in cursive. Oreos are placed around the top of the cake, knowing Orion will find the joke funny.

Noah’s boyfriend, Sam pins another card to the board in Orion’s shop. The card-making station has been very popular but not for the reason Orion thinks. All the Valentine’s Day cards addressed to him are secretly birthday wishes from the townspeople. His sister Iris and her girlfriend, Elaine meanwhile are putting the finishing touches on their latest painting: a detailed picture of Orion’s Curiosities, even capturing the neon glow of the shop’s sign.

And while the residents of town sneak around with their gifts, Andrew is treating Orion to a night on the town. A reservation to his favorite restaurant, more little gifts than Orion can carry, all under the guise of being Valentine’s gifts. What Orion doesn’t know is that it’s a distraction while Cassandra and Aurora wrap the expensive, shiny jacket for Orion, and while Ethan prepares gifts of his own. A basket with a popcorn bucket, those weird sodas flavors that Orion always wants to try, a bag of candy corn and chocolate covered raisins. Everything they need to watch a new horror movie in theaters the next day. 

“You sneaky little-“

Orion practically tackles Andrew, peppering his face with kisses, his lips gently kissing each of the businessman’s freckles. That big, bright smile of his never leaves Orion’s face as he tries to spoon-feed a slice of cake to Andrew and Ethan. This has truly been the best birthday yet.

[boogiewoogieweeb]

4, 10, 19, 39, 55!

hello nonnie! thank you very much for the asks - i hope my answers will be satisfactory! 🌹🌹🌹

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

as cliched as it sounds, everywhere really. all it takes for a fic idea to form is for me to see or experience something interesting and apply it to whichever characters i'm currently obsessed with. a good example of this would be my joplittle sexsomnia au - it was born from reading an article posted to reddit about how extreme stress or emotional trauma can induce this condition, and what the partners of people who suffer from it have to deal with. my brain extrapolated on this by going, "neat! now let's apply that to edward little and see where it goes!". and so now i'm a quarter of the way through a wip about the first lieutenant of hms terror getting up to sexcapades in his sleep :D

10. Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

you would not believe how many of my wips i actually had to dig through (eight, it was eight) before i actually found one where i've used the word "blinks". anyway, here's wonderwall the snippet:

“Then I should hope to always be fortunate enough to have a Second so steadfast in his dedication as you have proven yourself to be, Lieutenant Little.” The words settle over Edward like a warm weight; an anchor dropped in calm waters, and he blinks harshly to stem the prick of tears that burn suddenly at the back of his eyes.

19. What is the most-used tag on your ao3?

the filters on my works page tells me that apparently, it's #humor. followed in short order by #angst, #drama, and #drabble in combined second-place. which really tells you everything you need to know about me as a person, probably.

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

this is one i've been sitting on for more than a month now, following some conversation with two of my favourite people, lily and helen, on the topic of the parallels between little and crozier in the terror. it's a fic that's almost as close to my heart as my "ned quits the navy" au, and it's coincidentally also the same fic where i pulled the "blinks" snippet from:

He’s going to lose the fingers, at the very least.

What had started out as frostbite has grown into something far, far more insidious; the rigid blue-white of hardened flesh having first given way to purple bloating, then to leathery, blistered brown, and finally to black decay; variegated streaks of reddish-grey striating from the tips all the way down towards the line of his knuckles.

Worse yet is the smell whenever he peels the bandages off; a faint, nauseating, slightly sweet stench that reminds him of the time when, as boys, he and James had once come upon a dead fox while out riding one afternoon - flyblown and baking in the stifling summer heat, its noxious and festering body bloated with gas and rot.

The first time he’d seen – truly seen – how bad his hand had gotten, he’d rushed outside to empty his heaving stomach into the fine fresh dusting of snow that had settled over the outpost like a blanket.

It hurts to use, nowadays. He can’t properly make a fist anymore for how swollen his hand’s become, and every touch now is its own bright, stinging agony.

Edward stares dully at his left hand in mild disgust before wrapping it again, tight enough to send pain coursing down his wrist and all the way up to his elbow; rolling waves of needling fire that beat in time with his pulse. He’s taken to doing this alone in one of the woodsheds on the outskirts of the fort, though if pressed, he wouldn’t have been able to answer as to why.

He’s shaking by the time he finishes, trembling as if palsied, breathing hard as if he'd just run a mile. But his hand is bandaged once more, and the damage is hidden from sight. In time, Edward knows, he will need to see to the matter of its removal.

He will lose the fingers, sure enough; if not more. It doesn’t matter. There are worse things to lose in life than a hand.

55. Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?

oh, i'd have to say it's my best boy edward little. he's far and away the character i've come to empathize with and relate to the most - probably ever - and so that makes it easier for me to get into the headspace required to write things from his perspective. as for being swayed by the reactions of others to how i write him, i don't think i am, not really. i certainly greatly appreciate and enjoy reading comments that praise my characterization, but i like to think i have a pretty clear and well-defined enough grasp of my blorbo whenever i do manage to bang out a few words on the old keyboard that i'm quietly confident in my ability to portray him relatively faithfully and accurately.

and that about covers it! once again thank you so much for taking the time to get to know a bit more about me and my writing process, nonnie! it was a lot of fun coming up with answers to your questions!

[cutest-bunny-writings]

Pull On My Heart Strings

Genre: angst, fluff, ✨ cliche romance(ish) ✨

Rating: 13+

Warning: social anxiety, self-doubt, getting disowned, much romantic cliches about falling in laps, crying, pepper spray is mentioned, a disappointing phone call,

Note: I don't remember writing a lot of this because I was loaded on meds for a severe lung infection.😅

Summary: You've been waiting to see this show for so long. To see award winning harpist Min Yoongi perform live, in a front row seat! What could possibly go wrong?

Word Count: 2k+ (I think?)

Pairing: harpist!Yoongi X (f.)reader

You dance around in your room as you get ready for tonight, humming the melody of your favorite song by your favorite musician. Award-winning harpist Min Yoongi. And tonight's the night you finally get to see a live solo concert of him. With front row seating!

You squeal to yourself just thinking about it, having to take makeup brush away from your eye when a delighted shiver follows.

Your best friend, Beau, is coming with you since you don't do to great by yourself in crowded areas. Let alone such a crowded place like La Plaza de Amor, a typically busy place that's bound to be busier tonight than ever.

Your phone rings, making your vanity shake with vigor on its uneven legs. It's a call from Beau and you're pretty sure you know what this is about but it's not their fault.

"Hello, Beau?" You question while trying to maneuver your heels onto your feet without dropping your phone, a skill you unfortunately didn't inherit from your mother.

"Hi, Y/N. I'm sorry but I can't go with you tonight. I'm on baby duty because Casey got called in to do emergency surgery. I think you'll be okay by yourself, but remember to take your pepper spray!" They sound so cheery but you know they're exhausted.

"I will!" You smile despite the sadness that sits in your heart. You knew that Beau was also looking forward to this as a break from parenting. And you know Casey's a surgeon but sticking your partner with no alone time and refusing to pay for a babysitter is ridiculous, borderline insane.

You stumble through your house as you try to get used to your fancy shoes, typically used to flats and athletic shoes. You do accidentally bump your hip into the kitchen counter, being more concerned about potentially having ripped your dress than with the expected deep purple bruise that is sure to develop within the next few hours.

Upon arriving at the Plaza, you suddenly felt bother over-dressed and under-dressed. Some of the attendants are dresses to let you know that they have the money to make this look like everyone else shops at crappy thrift stores. Others are dressed in modest fashions that hide "scandalous" parts of the body, taking care to not draw attention away from the lavish architecture and color of the Plaza, dressing in three colors or less.

You're starting to think that you look like a peasant compared to these people. Your dress is thrifted. Ankle length with long sleeves that end at the wrist and a cowl neckline. It's a soft midnight black silk and your shoes (also thrifted) are pure black leather with a three inch heel.

The excited energy begins to fill you once again as you start to listen to the other excited harp enthusiasts discuss, wondering what tonight's playlist shall be. Perhaps original songs or covers of songs? You bet he's going to play originals, those seem to be his favorite to perform. You love seeing him get lost in his own melodic creations.

You know the majority of Yoongi's career history as a harpist. He originally started with an orchestra but quickly rose to fame by performing solos with concerts that got his name in the headlines of every muscial journal that was still up and running.

Everyone could tell from the very start that Yoongi was meant to do great things in his musical career, but the same faith didn't exist in other aspects of his life.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please find your seats within the next thirty minutes while we prepare for the concert, that would be wonderful." A voice speaks through the cleverly hidden speakers in the Plaza.

You find your seat in the front, at the perfect angle to see that beauty that is Yoongi's face. And now he has shoulder-length hair to make him look even prettier during his majestic performances.

God, you really just want to play with his hair and hands.

Okay, stop. You're here to appreciate his musical talents, not thirst over his physical features. Well...maybe both. But mostly here for the music.

You excitedly settle into your seat once you find it, ironically surrounded by very beautiful men and women. You're starting to feel like a peasant again.

"You're staring." The guy next to you speaks.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" You didn't even realize that you were staring at him. He looks like one of the men from the pictures of Yoongi and his friends.

"It's okay. I know I'm world wide handsome."

Yup, that's the only one older than Yoongi. His hyung, Kim Seokjin also known as World Wide Handsome.

So that must mean they were given front row seats by Yoongi, which you completely expected because they're his close friends.

You didn't expect a crowd of refined rich people to go nuts over a man just walking on stage. But you can see why.

Yoongi in a cloud gray three-piece of suit with a flower crown made up of sprigs of baby's breath. He's not wearing the blazer like a blazer either, it's draped over his shoulders and head in place by a sweater guard.

"Hello, and thank you for coming to my concert." He bows to the audience before going go sit on his bench behind his harp.

The fact that this man has full confidence in himself and his musical capabilities to immediately close his eyes.

The first strike of the strings gives away exactly what the song is, one that makes your eyes water with heartache for something, but you don't know what that something is.

You're kind of embarrassed when the song is over and you come to the realization that you've been crying, but only after the man next to you offers a tissue.

"Thank you." You carefully accept the tissue, taking care to not touch the man's hand.

"You're welcome."

The second song begins and Yoongi's eyes are still closed.

It's almost unbelievable when the concert comes to an end. The warm glow of the lights fade out and you hear the sounds of dress shoes walking across the stage.

When the lights come back on, Yoongi is gone and so are his friends.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you are interested, there will be a meet and greet in a few minutes."

As much as you love that idea, you really need to go to the bathroom and you don't know where the bathroom is so this might take a little bit.

Hallway after hallway and they're all starting to blur together.

Voices draw you towards what you think is the hallway with the bathrooms, which would be correct!

You finally get a chance to relieve yourself and thank God these toilets have that new quiet flush feature.

While you're washing your hands, you hear a conversation through the wall and some very distinct crying noises. Being the naturally nosy person you are, you feel the need to investigate, but you also want to console whoever is sobbing like that.

You're very surprised when it leads you to Yoongi's dressing room.

You have to carefully consider your next move. To know or to not knock. You decide on knocking.

The room goes quiet on the inside before someone opens the door. It's the man from earlier.

"Oh, it's you."

"Uhm, I'm sorry but I heard somebody's crying and got concerned along with curious. I just wanted to make sure that everyone was okay." You wrong your hands together and look at the floor.

He closes the door so you start to walk away, only getting about five feet before the door opens again and you're told to come in.

You carefully take off your shoes when you come into the room and place them next to the others, the men's dress shoes. This makes you significantly shorter and suddenly you feel more intimidated than before.

You make your way to the only open spot there is in the room, the vanity bench. It's surprisingly soft and cushiony.

Yoongi watches your every move through red and puffy eyes.

You make eye contact and he sniffles which breaks the silence.

"Do you want us to leave you two alone?" The tallest one asks.

"Yeah, I think it'll be fine." Yoongi wipes his eyes with his shirt sleeve and sniffles again.

The other six men exit, leaving you alone with your musical idol.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I know." He runs his hands through his hair when he leans forward. "I also know that you cried during the performance." He smiles to himself.

You blush and look down at the floor again.

"Nothing to be ashamed of. That means you actually care about the music. And Seokjin told me what happened." He leans back and pushes his hair back, relaxing and letting his eyes shut. "You're welcome to come sit on the couch if that bench is too uncomfortable." He pops an eye open to look at your face redden again.

You hesitantly rise from the bench and try to walk as carefully as possible over to the couch, unfortunately tripping on a loose water bottle.

You're caught by Yoongi's hands which feel much larger on your waist than you initially thought they would be.

The fall and the catch land you in Yoongi's lap and you panic.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" You try to escape but his hands hold you firmly in his lap.

Your face burns and you stare at the buttons on Yoongi's shirt instead of hands on his shoulders, making sure your entire weight isn't on him.

"You can let go. I'm probably too heavy anyway."

"But what if I don't want to let go? This is quite nice."

Yoongi didn't think you could get anymore red than you already were but you looked redder than a tomato and that caused a laugh to escape him.

"Do you still want to know why I was crying?" He pushes a strand of hair out of your face so you'll look at him.

"Yes, but you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I'll tell you because I want to. You don't seem like a sasaeng."

You can feel his hand moving on your back and you try your hardest not to budge.

"I got a phone call from my parents."

Everyone knows that Yoongi's relationship with his parents has been rocky since his teens when he first expressed no interest in becoming a doctor, surgeon, lawyer or politician.

"They've officially disowned me. And even thofuut I'm a grown man, that still hurts." He eyes start to water again and his voice cracks. "My name is being removed from all inheritances and assets."

You shift in your spot on Yoongi's lap and reach for his face. Carefully brushing the tears away. "It'll be okay. Do you have somewhere to live?"

"Yeah, I found a place to keep a low profile and avoid the paparazzi for the time being." His hands come up to hold your cheeks and a soft smile graces his lips. "Thanks for caring."

"I don't think I have much else to care about." You laugh.

"Oh, pretty girl has jokes, I see!"

You blush again and lightly smack Yoongi's chest.

"You know what, here." He reaches for a piece of paper of the side table and scribbles an address. "Come visit me when you can. I'll be home most of the time."

You take the piece of paper and stash it in your purse. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Sorry to tell you this right when we're relaxing, but the meet and greet is in like three minutes."

"Damn." You sadly laugh. "I guess I'll see you next time I'm free."

"I hope so."

You climb off Yoongi's lap and he ushers you out the door after checking that that coast is clear.

"Bye."

"Bye-bye."

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

I hope you enjoyed and I love you, my fluffies!🥰

[rythmicjea]

Not Another Riverdale Love Story - Unchained

If you liked the Barchie chapter then you're going to LOVE this one. This focuses on our main couple, Jughead and Veronica, and the aftermath of the Bughead breakup. Also... remember how this was supposed to be a story about Jughead and Veronica working together to get Jughead and Betty together? Yeah... me neither lol! The way this story took on a mind of its own is not something I'm mad at. I've loved writing every word of it. Right, now, I've just finished writing chapter 19 and it looks like it's going to be a total of 21 chapters.

I also did something a little cliche. There's a link (be sure to right click) that leads to a song that is playing out of the boombox (it's Riverdale of course there are boomboxes). Click it if you want! If you just want to know the song, here it is. Tell me Jughead doesn't have this song in his rotation. I dare you lol.

If you have any questions on things that have happened or predictions about what will, my asks are open!

He must not have done a great job hiding his smile because she said “does my pain amuse you, Jughead? Your bike basically attacked me!”

He stole a quick glance up to her as he knelt in front of her, chivalrously taking her injured foot in his lap and pulling off the pump. Why did she insist on wearing heels in the middle of winter? Didn’t she have a cute pair of Luggs for this kind of weather? He didn’t mean for the snicker to come out, but there it was anyway. “You kicked it, Veronica.” The smile only grew as she tried to wrench her foot away from him and he held fast. “Stop. I need to make sure that it didn’t actually break the skin.”

Veronica slumped back into the chair, crossing her arms again feeling too small and too helpless for her comfort.

“You’re cute like that.” He motioned with his head to her sulking. “When you get all petulant. It’s like the world’s reminding you you’re not invincible.” He moved his fingers softly over the scratch. There was a red welt on the top of her foot but no blood and her stockings must have been indestructible because there wasn’t even a run at the wound site. The pads of his thumbs started lightly, making small circles near the injury site, keeping the blood going so it wouldn’t bruise. Purple may be her ‘signature color’ but he knew that didn’t mean as a garish pool of blood under the skin. 

Veronica nodded, not meeting his eyes. Damn him for knowing her so well. She was an ice queen. She was impenetrable. Especially by the likes of Jughead Jones. 

[theoneandonlygothicrainbow]

Pixar Movie Reviews

I’ve watched, reviewed, rated, and ranked every Pixar film with the exception of Elemental, which I haven’t seen yet, and all of my reviews will be in this blog. The blog will go in chronological order, starting with Toy Story and ending with Lightyear.

I’m sure my interpretations will not be unanimously agreed upon, and that’s ok. These all just my opinions and I respect other opinions as long as they respect mine.

Key:

Pink: Transcendent with no significant issues

Purple: Has one main problem holding the film back, but still excellent

Blue: Great but not mind blowing

Green: Good but not great

Orange: Above average despite its problems

Red: Pretty average for the most part

Black: Below average or bad

Toy Story

A classic staple of animation, and it’s easy to see why. While a lot of the ideas in this film are pretty dated by today’s standards, the film still proves to be pretty engaging with a lot of the humor, character arcs, and heartwarming moments. Buzz and Woody have a very entertaining dynamic and it’s refreshing to have a protagonist that’s as morally flawed as Woody is. Many are bothered by Woody’s behavior and think he’s too harsh, but honestly, I have the opposite problem. I think the main flaw with this film is the other toys. They’re not infuriating, but a lot of their actions are pretty one note, inconsistent, and dare I say harsh considering what the movie shows us regarding Woody’s character. It’s not a major issue but it does hold this film back for me. There’s also a lot of cliches in this film but again, that’s expected because these ideas were fresh at the time. It’s by no means a perfect film, but it’s definitely a must see for the history.

A Bug’s Life

This film is considered pretty mediocre in the Pixar line up, and it’s definitely one of their weaker films. That being said, I still like this film ok. I think I really like the premise for how dark it kind of is, with the ants having to pay to a higher power and fighting back for it. I also really like Dot. Very cute and sweet, even when Flick, a pretty typical protagonist, fails. Hopper is also an AMAZING villain. He’s very intimidating and brutal in such an awesome way that still fits the story. So what holds this film back? Well, the story itself is kind of hard to buy. Flick believing the circus bugs are warrior bugs is really contrived and silly, and it’s such a forced liar revealed plot line. Liar revealed plot lines are among my least favorite plot lines and this film’s use of it is atrocious. It’s really unbelievable that the town would shame Flick for lying when the bugs were being so helpful toward the town. Also, I hate Princess Anna. She’s so rude and annoying and I hate that she ends up with Flick by the end. They have no chemistry and Flick deserves better than her. It’s not a must see at all, and I don’t know if I’d say I recommend it, but if you want to see it, I think there’s some good stuff to get out of it despite it’s major problems.

Toy Story 2

This film is such a huge step up from Toy Story 1. In fact, I’d argue this was the film that really cemented the Toy Story franchise into fame. It’s honestly one of the most polished films I’ve ever seen, and probably the best sequel film I’ve ever seen as well. The humor in this film is honestly among Pixar’s best. There are a wide variety of jokes and I don’t think a single one misses. The heart behind this film is also very strong. It’s a really heartbreaking follow up about Woody’s realization and fear that he’ll eventually be replaced, and wanting to avoid that heartbreak for the interests of the other toys. Speaking of which, Jessie, Bullseye, and Pete are all very charming characters. Bullseye is adorable and I love how he acts like a dog. He often serves as someone who makes Woody truly doubt his actions. Jessie is also very interesting. Her whole story with Emily is very sad and all of her PTSD with abandonment is really sad. It’s really heartwarming to see her find family again with the rest of Andy’s toys. Pete is also a pretty good villain. I love how manipulative he is of Jessie and Woody and seeing him lash out is really intimidating. I also love Buzz and the other toys in this film. They all have a decent amount of highlight in the rescue mission and I love the role reversal they pull with Buzz trying to bring Woody to reality. The other Buzz character and Zurg are also pretty fun, even if it is a bit odd that toys didn’t suspect that he was off, but it’s not totally unbelievable. This film has so much heart and variety that I think everyone would find something they love about it.

Monsters Inc

This film is one of the most famous Pixar movies to date and it’s easy to see why. The worldbuilding is really creative and interesting. I like seeing a lot of different monsters that vary in style, personality, and ability. It’s also cool to see the film set in a factory like setting and have it be really interesting. The main characters in this film are very strong. Mike and Sully have a great dynamic and they share a lot of iconic and funny lines. This film honestly has amazing humor, definitely among Pixar’s best. Randall is a pretty menacing threat and a good representation of a coworker having a bitter rivalry for a promotion. And Waternoose is honestly the best twist villain in animation I’ve ever seen. You don’t expect it because you already have Randall as a villain, but at the same time, it makes sense that he would be so adamant about harming children with how fixated he is on keeping the company running. He’s an amazing representation of corrupt CEOs who do immoral things to keep profits coming (*cough cough* pretty relevant in this day and age *cough cough*). Boo is adorable and her bond with Sully is so charming and sweet. I also really love the romance between Mike and Celia. There are a couple of story contrivances that bother me and prevent me from calling it a perfect film (the scene where Boo escapes the door for the first time in particular has a lot of that), but this film is still a lot of fun and definitely worth quite a few watches.

Finding Nemo

This movie is considered a classic among Pixar films, and while I can’t say I love this one as much as others, I do think it’s pretty great. The underwater world is absolutely gorgeous, the overall theme about disabilities and being protective over them is really beautiful, and the adventure is really suspenseful and great character development for Marlin. I loved Dory’s character and how she helps Marlin see the fault in his actions. She has a lot of great inspirational lines that are still well used to this day. Nemo and Marlin have a pretty realistic child and parent dynamic that escalated well to the main conflict. Darla is pretty funny threat that’s realistic for the fish to be scared of. The comedic moments are hit or miss for me, but the ones that hit are very funny. Also, this is a film I blocked out from memory because a lot of the imagery scared me when I first saw it when I was younger, particularly Hank chasing Marlin and Dory and Nemo getting taken away by the divers. Even watching this now, I’m still shocked by the amount of scary imagery in this film. It’s kind of weird when coupled with some of the more juvenile (but not super obnoxious) humor. I’m also not a huge fan of the tank gang, even if they do have a lot of good jokes. I still definitely recommend this film, as I’m sure my issues with it are not very common because many rank this as one of Pixar’s best and I can see why.

The Incredibles

Wow this film is…incredible (haha funny pun). I love how it takes the concept of a family of superheroes and plays it realistically. The dialogue in this film is very natural. The interactions between each of the family members feel authentic, and it gets you invested in each of their personal hang ups. The whole idea of society banning superheroes is really interesting and it definitely helps capture the “midlife crisis” and “glory days” vibe the film is going for with Bob. I imagine a lot of older audience members will relate a lot to both Bob and Helen with their struggles about an unsatisfying job and trying to raise their kids the best they can. I also really like Violet and Dash. They aren’t as well fleshed out as the parents but they still feel like real kids who are struggling to adapt to the world around them, especially a world where superheroes are illegal and villains want to kill them. Syndrome is a really strong villain as well. I like that he’s so bitter about Mr. Incredible ignoring him and his technology and plan make him feel like a major threat. The action is well blended with the drama of the main story and is really engaging to look at. There’s also a lot of memorable side characters like Edna Mode, Frozone, Cari, Mirage, and many more. This film is just all around very sophisticated and I definitely recommend it.

Cars

This film is often considered to be mediocre in Pixar’s lineup, and yeah, that’s definitely true. The worldbuilding is easily this movie’s biggest flaw. A lot of this world just feels like “human world but everyone is a car”, and the world definitely has a couple contradictions. It leaves a lot of questions for people watching this film and it can distract from the main story. The story itself is alright though. Lightning learning to be less arrogant isn’t the most amazing arc in the world, but it’s fine for what it is. And I can appreciate some love being shown for Route 66. I don’t think the romance between him and Sally is that well developed though. The side characters are kind of a mixed bag as well. Mater is really annoying, and a lot of the other side characters are just kind of forgettable and occasionally annoying. I do like Doc and King though, as they were interesting and charming whenever they were a focus. Chick Hicks is a passable and funny villain, even if it’s odd that the physical sabotage wasn’t really prohibited mid race. The two best things in this film for me are Life is a Highway, an AMAZING song, and the ending where we see Lightning’s arc wrapped up in a pretty satisfying way. This film is definitely flawed in a lot of areas, but it does have some charming moments. Not a must see but not a must avoid either.

Ratatouille

Fun fact: before doing this Pixar marathon, I had never seen this film before. And GOD do I wish I saw this sooner because this film is beautiful. It’s among the most thematically rich films I’ve ever seen. I love how the film puts a twist on the theme of “anyone can cook.” The critic makes it known that not everyone has the capability to cook, and the film further shows this with Linguine, who was trying to be someone he wasn’t and felt the need to live up to his family member’s legacy. Instead, they make it known that a great cook can come from a wide variety of backgrounds. The ending is easily the highlight in this regard with how it brings these themes together. Easily the best ending to any Pixar film. On top of that, this film really helps you love cooking so much through the amount of passion the characters, particularly Remy, have for it. I kept feeling hungry throughout this film when I watched, which was enhanced by the beautiful animation. And the side characters in this film are also very funny along the way, with a lot of their jokes being very subtle yet still able to be picked up on. The intro definitely bored me a little bit, but considering the differences in lighting compared to the rat sewers and Paris, I’m guessing that was intentional to show how Remy hates being a rat. If so, I applaud this film for it’s very good visual storytelling, along with everything else about it. It’s a very mature film that not everyone would find engaging, but it’s definitely a very well written and thought provoking film that I urge EVERYONE to see.

WALL-E

I see so many people consider this film Pixar’s best, and after seeing it for the first time, I can definitely understand why. The first half is absolutely beautiful with the amount of wordless storytelling about WALL-E, EVE, and Earth in general. Seeing WALL-E and EVE bond is very touching and adorable, and it also provides a decent amount of slapstick humor. I love the overall environment of Earth and how desolate and ruined it is. The second half is often considered to be weaker, but I’d argue it’s just as strong as the first. While there certainly isn’t as much wordless storytelling, there is still a lot of it. We see how lazy and dependent humans have become after leaving Earth, especially in their body mass. There’s also that beautiful scene of WALL-E and EVE dancing in space, and we also see a lot of different robot characters that vary in personality and humanity, in which Otto, the villain robot, has no sense of humanity and is merely following his prior orders. And the captain’s line “I don’t want to survive, I want to live” is among my favorite lines of dialogue in anything. While this film can definitely be pretty slow at points, this film is an incredible cautionary tale about environmental issues and global problems in general. I think this film will always continue to be relevant no matter what situation humanity faces. Definitely watch this one if you haven’t already.

Up

Out of every Pixar film, this one is easily the most overrated to me. The theme about remembering the small moments with people rather than the grand ones is a great moral, but the film doesn’t have a great connective tissue to the message. All it has is the first 10 minutes (which is nice but pretty overhyped imo) and the callback to scrapbook before the climax. The whole bird adventure is technically fine but I found it pretty boring for most of it. I guess it’s meant to be a reflection of how the smaller moments (protecting the bird) are more meaningful than the larger moments (going to Paradise Falls), but I feel like there could have been a more engaging way to execute that idea. I also didn’t like most of the characters. The dogs are cute and funny, but Russell and Carl are kind of eh. They are relatable and have some good moments, but they also have a lot of irritating moments. The villain is definitely one of the better twist villains due to how early his reveal is, and I like that he’s an antithesis about desperation for adventure, but other than that he’s not very engaging or interesting. This film is pretty great in a lot of ways, but it’s definitely not top tier Pixar, nor is it a film I’m in a hurry to see again in general.

Toy Story 3

I don’t this film is quite as perfect as Toy Story 2, but it is still an absolutely fantastic entry to the Toy Story franchise. The progression about the toys moving on from Andy is a really natural and emotional progression to take. I’m sure this was an emotional film for people attached to the Toy Story characters and/or those who related to the big change that moving to college is. The denial over growing up is a very realistic feeling to have and it causes a lot of emotional weight for the toys, as they realize Andy does really care about them despite having outgrown them. The daycare setting is pretty fun and I love the variety of toys we meet this time. Barbie and Ken, Lotso, Big Baby, the monkey, the telephone, the toys at Bonnie’s house, and even some of the background toys are really memorable. And the rest of Andy’s toys get a decent amount of highlight as well. Lotso is a very effective villain who is a great foil to the other toys about moving on from their owners. The way he manipulates and takes control is especially scary. If I had any complaints, I do think it’s a bit odd the toys don’t believe Woody when he said Andy wasn’t abandoning them, and I wished Buzz had a bit more going on than being essentially mind controlled for half the time, but this film is still a lot of fun and deserves the love it gets.

Cars 2

I think it’s no surprise to say that this film is Pixar’s weakest. And it’s astonishingly bad considering their line up of films beforehand. The whole plot is very forced. The racing and spy elements don’t blend well at all and making Mater the main star is very annoying. The spies act unreasonably stupid for the plot to go anywhere and most of Mater’s jokes are very bad. The reveal behind the villain is also very confusing and makes no sense considering the context of the rest of the plot. There are also confusing world building elements that are mainly left over from the first film but they are still annoying. The whole friendship message is pretty cliche and is not a very good match with the spy plot. Lightning is also uncharacteristically sympathetic towards Mater for half of the film out of nowhere. This film does have some positives with a couple of very good jokes that land as well as some somewhat heartwarming moments from the side characters, but overall, this film feels like such a mess that didn’t need to be made at all. I recommend you skip it.

Brave

Yeah this film kind of sucks. It doesn’t really piss me off that much but it just feels very cliche, boring, and predictable. It feels more like a low tier Disney movie rather than a Pixar film. The story is very uninspiring and the characters are the most unlikable and bland out of all the Pixar movies. Merida is such a brat, which is definitely the point of the film but the execution of her arc is very sloppy that it doesn’t feel satisfying when she learns by the end. Eleanor is also very obnoxious and Merida’s little brothers are useless and don’t fit the film’s darker tone very well. The animation is also pretty poor. The lighting is unusually dark to the point where I can’t see a lot of the time. It’s unfortunate because this film starts off well with a cool mystery in the forest, and it has great music and an interesting setting. Not to mention that the archery moments are really badass and cool. But those attributes sadly just make me notice the poor story and characters more. To me, this film had a lot of potential to be very mature and artistic but it’s cliche and forced story beats make it very bland. I don’t recommend this film.

Monsters University

Out of every single Pixar film, I think this one is the most underrated. This film really adds a lot to the world building about the science behind scaring works and how doors are made. It’s really cool. Mike and Sully also have a very entertaining dynamic between the hard worker who just wasn’t meant to be a scarer and the coaster who is relying on his raw skill and family name. I like these two separate character dynamics. They are pretty realistic to many people in college. The overall mature theme of dreams sometimes not coming true is also beautiful. It’s really refreshing to see things not work out perfectly for Mike, even though he really wanted to scare. Sometimes dreams aren’t meant to be, but it doesn’t mean you can’t find happiness in other ways, like Mike eventually realizes by the end of the film. The climax is also very epic. A lot of emotional moments between Mike and Sully and both of them feel like very flawed characters who learn a lot about life through college and their mistakes. This film is a lot more mature than you would expect! The scare games plot is definitely the weakest one, as it has a lot of cliche, forgettable, and sometimes annoying moments with Oozma Kappa, who aren’t awful but they’re definitely not super interesting. I like that they included an adult in college though, as that’s rare. But the scare game plot also proves to be pretty satisfying in the success and some pretty solid jokes. Honestly, I definitely recommend you check out this film. I feel like people are sleeping on how great this is.

Inside Out

God…words can’t describe how much I adore this film. The overall concept about exploring someone’s brain is so fascinating, and the way they portray a lot of these psychological concepts is so interesting and creative. It really helps people, even those not well versed in psychology or neuroscience, understand how the brain works. The dream world being a movie studio, the unconscious being a deep cavern, the imaginations being a row of exhibits, long term memory being an infinite route (like real life!), it’s all so cool! The characters in this film are also very strong. All of the emotions are flawed yet likable characters who have their own perspectives on certain issues that surprisingly don’t come off as one note. I also like the small amount of depth and character given to Riley and her parents. They feel like realistic people who would act the way they do when certain emotions are in control or out of control. The jokes are also very funny. I like how they match with the characters and emotions of the situation as well as fit with the setting. The themes, OH MY GOD THE THEMES. The themes are written so strongly, it’s among the best writing I’ve ever seen. The message about accepting sadness and bad emotions is written in subtle ways throughout the whole film, as well as ways that are very obvious for the characters to learn and understand. It’s a very human film that can resonate with everyone. Everyone feels sadness and everyone wants to push it away, but sometimes it’s incredible necessary. This film is the only Pixar film to have ever made me cry, and it made me cry 6 TIMES. The ending in particular gets me everytime with how heavy, satisfying, and authentic it feels. This film is just…absolutely flawless and incredible. It’s not just my favorite Pixar film. It’s not just my favorite animated film. It’s my favorite film of all time.

The Good Dinosaur

Ironic to me that Pixar released my least favorite film from them after they released my favorite film. While Cars 2 is objectively worse, I would rather watch that than this because this film is one of the most boring films I’ve ever seen. There is such a lack of story for me to get invested in, and half of the time I feel like the film is trying to cover that up by showing pretty scenery. What little plot there is is pretty typical: a dinosaur wants to prove that he’s courageous and then gets lost and has to find his way home, while learning to be courageous. It’s a fine enough story but a lot of it feels dragged out and uninteresting. The theme is just so dry and boring, as well as the characters. Arlo and Spot’s relationship is very mediocre. I like the scene where they explain what happened to them with sticks, but other than that, they feel like every other buddy duo in every other film. The other characters are pretty forgettable too. I also think a lot of the scenes are pretty gruesome compared to the very minimal and kiddy story and characters. It doesn’t really mend all together that well. There’s also a lot of story contrivances, such as Arlo surviving a wave his father was killed in (and the death has NO emotion because it happens in such a stupid way). Definitely don’t watch this one. It’s not entertainingly bad like Cars 2 COULD be. It’s just boring and not a good time.

Finding Dory

This is a hot take, but honestly I like this film more than the first one. I think it does a better job at showing how disabilities don’t limit us as people and that we can still accomplish things regardless of them. I also found the newer side characters to be a lot more fun and interesting this time around. Destiny, Bailey, and Hank are a lot of fun and I like that they are further representations of disabilities. There’s a lot of respect with the subject in how they don’t really bring too much attention to the disabilities. They’re simply there and a part of them, making the lesson feel natural. I also love how they explain a lot of Dory’s attributes from the first film, such as talking to whales and reading. The aquarium is a fun location for this film with a lot of cool hijinks as Dory finds her parents, which proves to be such an emotional journey. This film is definitely very similar to the first one and Marlin is a bit harsh, but overall I thought this film was a lot of fun and an improved version of the first.

Cars 3

This film blew my expectations out of the water. Granted, my expectations were not very high, as it’s a Cars film, but I’m genuinely shocked at how good this film is. The worldbuilding issues are nowhere near as prevalent as they are in the first film, as they try to draw their focus away from that, and the overall story is a lot more interesting than the story of the first two Cars films. I think a lot of older audiences can relate to Lightning’s struggle about falling behind with a newer generation of people in whatever field of work, and trying not to let other people tell you when you’re finished. The overall focus with Doc was really sweet, and it’s really moving to see Lightning try so hard to keep racing until he realizes mid race that he’s not cut out for it. I love the final act of this film because Lightning was able to accept that he’s not qualified to race anymore and give that opportunity to Cruise, a newer racer who has a chance to prove herself, and also take Doc’s legacy of mentoring Lightning. Cruise was a hit or miss character for me and the other side characters, while nowhere near as prevalent in this film as the other films, still have their annoying moments. But Lightning’s overall journey is immensely satisfying. It really feels like this film was an apology for the first two Cars movies, and if that’s the case, I accept their apology wholeheartedly. Nowhere near a perfect film, but it’s a triumph of quality for this franchise. I honestly recommend this, especially to people who have already seen Cars 1. I think they will underestimate the amount of emotion they’ll feel while watching this miracle.

Coco

Before my Pixar marathon, Coco was my second favorite Pixar film behind Inside Out. But after watching a lot of new films and rewatching this one, this film definitely moved down in the rankings for me. That being said, it’s still absolutely fantastic. I love how rich in Mexican culture this film is, as you could not really set this film in another place without dramatically changing the entire story. The whole story itself is really cool. I like how they take the “follow your dreams” lesson and apply it to the reality of corrupt celebrities desperate for fame to the point where they leave their family and morals behind. Miguel is a pretty relatable protagonist that acts like a real kid without being super annoying. And it definitely hurts to see the family be so judgmental of music. It makes you hate them, but at the same time, sympathize with them, because you understand where they’re coming from. The whole Land of the Dead world is absolutely gorgeous and I love the worldbuilding with the skeletons and the spirits. The colors are beautiful and it makes every frame stunning. There’s definitely a lot of emotion with the beautiful song “Remember Me”, which didn’t make me cry like it did for many others, but it was definitely pretty close to making me cry. I like how they foreshadow the song being stolen with the fast version with Cruz feeling kind of out of place and unnatural. So what brings this film down? Two things. One, Dante was useless. He was really gross and was mainly there to be a nuisance, apart from knowing over the photo, which could have been changed a little. Two, Cruz is a good villain with an interesting ideaology, but his actual plan and actions are kind of stupid. He shouldn’t have made a film resembling Hector’s death. He shouldn’t have kept Hector’s photo. And I don’t really understand why Hector didn’t really mention how he wrote Remember Me and Cruz stole it from him. Hector himself is a fun character though, and his love for Coco is so sweet. It’s still an absolutely wonderful film despite a somewhat weaker villain and comic relief animal, and I definitely recommend it.

Incredibles 2

This film gets a lot of hate, but I honestly enjoyed this film quite a bit. I like how this film puts more of a focus on the Superheroes being illegal law and trying to overturn that. It’s funny to see Bob try his best with parenting, as we didn’t see too much of that in the last film. His jealousy with Helen is a little inconsistent and weird at first, but I like how it develops into an inferiority complex. I also like how they focus on how being a superhero affects Violet and her love life with Toni. Dash was pretty annoying and one note in this film though, which is kind of disappointing. The story behind Helen’s plot is really interesting and the action is very good. I also like meeting more superheroes and seeing their powers. Winston and Evelyn were pretty cool characters for most of the film. I do like how they shared the same situation but had different perspectives, one wanting to legalize heroes and one wanting to ban them. Which does bring me to the biggest problem: Evelyn as a twist villain. Her actions and ideaology don’t make too much sense in universe, as she did a lot to raise heroes up, more than what was needed. And Winston didn’t really notice the goggles at that point either which is kind of annoying. Bottom line, the story itself is not as polished and cohesive as some other Pixar films, but there’s still a lot of good stuff from this film that makes it worth at least one watch.

Toy Story 4

Easily the weakest Toy Story film. I definitely would have preferred if this film never existed in the first place, as Toy Story 3 is a much better closer for the franchise. But I will acknowledge that this film does have a decent number of quality elements. The idea of having an antithesis to the first 3 films is interesting. I like how they make Woody’s loyalty unhealthy to the point where he needs to consider other life opportunities that are better for him in the long run. It definitely challenges the ideas of the first 3 films, particularly Toy Story 2, and that’s pretty daring all things considered. There are some solid jokes and moments with Bo Peep, Gabby Gabby, and Forky that support the main conflict well. The hijinks are alright with the van, old timey shop, and the carnival, though not as fun as the ones in the other Toy Story films. Bonnie is adorable and I can buy that she doesn’t really play with Woody as much, even if Woody meant a lot to Andy. It is kind of cruel and unusual to have the parents be so neglectful of Woody though. I’d expect them to know more about the importance behind the toys, particularly Woody. Even if Bo Peep says that “kids lose toys all the time” (a very good point that definitely supports what this film was going for, toys being able to find purpose without owners). The story itself is definitely not very tightly written, as the plot meanders a lot, Buzz’s B plot is awful and annoying, and there is so little relevance to the rest of the gang that they could have been cut entirely. I also can’t stand Duck and Bunny. They were so obnoxious everytime they came on screen. Out of all the Pixar films, this one is easily the one I’m the most mixed on. There are some interesting if not controversial ideas in this film that may be emotional to some and aggravating to others. If I could describe this film in one word, it would be “challenging.” I think whether or not you want to see it depends on how attached you feel towards the other films, but I do think there is some good stuff in this one.

Onward

A lot of people really don’t like this film, which I can somewhat get, but I still thought it was a good time. I think the fantasy like world about magical creatures abandoning magic in favor of technology is a really cool idea. While this film doesn’t really focus on that idea that much, I do like how it plays into the main plot about Ian trying to assert himself and grow, as well as him realizing that Barley helped him a lot through that. The ending is easily the highlight, as we see Ian make an adamant decision that puts Barley’s happiness first. Ian and Barley have a nice and realistic brother like bond that’s definitely a huge facet of them overcoming their personal struggles. The overall magic system is neat. I like that there are specific spells that Ian needs to use and it results in a lot of really cool fight scenes and character designs. There’s definitely a lot of creativity in this film. Sadly, I think this film could have really utilized said creativity a lot more and in a lot more interesting way. There are definitely a lot of contrivances and annoying moments in this film that prevent it from being great, not to mention a lot of missed potential, but I still think it has some charm and heart to it that make it worth a watch.

Soul

This film is amazing, and while I can point to many recent films to refute the claim that Pixar has lost their touch, this film would definitely be the first one I point to. The whole idea behind the purpose of life and finding what keeps us going is beautiful, and there’s so many smaller moments that capture that idea, from 22 eating food to 22 catching the leaf. Joe is a very relatable protagonist and his love for jazz is really touching and inspiring to people who have that passion that keeps them going. The great before world is gorgeous visually and I love the way they set up the souls obtaining their erth pass. 22 and Joe have a great dynamic that develops into something very meaningful for both of them, and I like how vague they leave things by the end. The start of the movie has Joe have an idea with what he wants to do, but as he keeps talking to people about life and as he remains unsatisfied with the gig, he realizes he still needs to figure things out. This is further reflected in the title card being shown only at the end, saying that Joe’s life truly begins now. Bottom line, this film is an absolute masterpiece that shows us that Pixar still has its magic touch.

Luca

I loved this film a lot more than I thought I would. I heard from other people that it was a really slow paced and simple film and I was worried that I was going to be really bored with it. But this film is unbelievably charming in its simplicit nature that I got pretty attached to the story. I even cried at a couple points. Luca, Alberto, and Giulia are all very charming characters that have pretty simple goals that you can’t help but get attached to due to their enthusiasm. It’s really cool to see Luca explode about the world he was restricted from for so long and seeing him fall in love with a lot of stuff from it. Alberto and Luca have a beautiful friendship and they play off each other very well. I also love Giulia’s father. He’s very sweet and I like how he has an arm missing just because he was born that way. Props to body diversity! This film also handles liar reveals very well, with Alberto exposing himself rather than Luca and Giulia being more concerned with their safety than the fact that they were lying. And I also love how Alberto reflects on his jealousy over Luca’s friendship and Luca reach an understanding with him. The whole outsider message is there, even though it’s not a big part of the film, and it’s a really realistic fear many children have growing up. Main reason I don’t think this film is a 10/10 is because I don’t like the bully villain nor do I like the parent subplot of them trying to find Luca, but at the end of the day these aren’t things that will ruin the film at all. It’s still a very sweet and cozy film that many people will love.

Turning Red

This film is epic and I HEAVILY disagree with the majority of the criticism against it. The whole film really plays into the idea of growing up and becoming a person separate from your family. I like how this is reflected in Mei’s culture as well, as Chinese culture tends to be very collectivist in nature. While I am not Chinese myself, and thus cannot comment on the accuracy of representation, I really appreciate the overall aesthetic and how it adds to the story. From Mei’s mother being overbearing and her dad not so much, to Mei embracing elements of individuality outside of her culture, this film has a lot of thought. And considering how this film was directed by a Chinese woman and the feedback I’ve heard from Chinese people is pretty positive, I’m inclined to believe this movie has very strong representation. I really buy the exaggerated style because it portrays family dynamics and growing up very realistically. Mei, along with her friends, feel like very real teenagers. They have a great dynamic and memorable personalities that surprisingly never got overbearing. Their bond is very sweet with how much they care for each other. The climax is also amazing with how Mei’s friends and family team up to save the day, further shown with the combination of the mantra music and 4Town’s music during the ritual. And WOW 4Town’s music is so good. Everytime they sang the song, I was having a really fun time. I love how the lyrics are all about individuality. And I also love how a lot of the things Mei embraces are often perceived as cringe by most people. Growing up is a messy experience and teenagers are often incredibly cringy when trying to figure out who they are. But the cringe never really gets that overbearing. If anything, it really helps add to the film’s comedy, which is very strong. I was so close to giving this film a 10/10, but sadly, one thing is preventing me from doing that: Tyler. Tyler is just a really annoying prick that kind of got off way too easily, especially when he was acting racist towards Mei in a later scene. The film didn’t really need him in all honesty, and anytime he was a focus, he was really obnoxious. They definitely show human sides to him, but if they wanted to redeem him, his arc needed a heck of a lot more polish. But this film is still absolutely amazing and I highly recommend EVERYONE to see it.

Lightyear

I was really nervous about this film, as I heard a lot of people consider it among the worst of Pixar, and I felt like the film was a huge executive push ever since I saw advertisements for it. Having seen it now, it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting and I don’t think it’s Pixar's worst film. But it’s still a pretty big mixed bag that is among the weakest they’ve ever made. I think this film had a lot of really cool stuff going for it with the overall space ranger aesthetic and music. It’s very cool and it definitely makes you curious about the world the film takes place in. But sadly, the world is not fleshed out well at all. If you can buy the whole time travel space plot point, which is a bit of a hard one to buy, it’s hard to get invested in Buzz’s struggle when we don’t see a lot of the world he’s living in changing, nor do we have time to get emotionally invested in his fear. All we really have is a nightmare that’s way too short for us to get invested in. Buzz’s overall character is kind of inconsistent and bland. A lot of conflicts he faces kind of come in and out and they don’t really help his arc become satisfying in any way. The side characters in this film, with the exception of Sox, are pretty mediocre and forgettable. Their dynamics feel unoriginal and it makes it hard to get emotionally invested. And of course, I’ll address the most infamous part of this film: the Zurg reveal. Zurg is a pretty poorly written villain whose actions, ideologies, and of course, overall existence, don’t make a lot of sense in the universe they’ve made. And the dynamic between Zurg and Buzz is so lifeless and rushed that it doesn’t feel suspenseful or emotional at all. Honestly, I feel like this film had potential to be a really interesting and good spinoff from the Toy Story universe. But as it is, it’s just a mash of mediocrity.

Elemental

There’s been a mix (I’m so punny) of reactions to this film, and I would definitely put myself in the category of people that really enjoyed it. I thought the overall story was really passionate. I like the immigration plotpoint in this film and how it connects so much with the family’s business and Ember’s internal conflict about her future. It definitely makes me more curious about the immigrant experience and I would love to learn more about that subject on my own time. I love a lot of the smaller details of their heritage that some into play, such as Ember’s father messing up English and the bow. Ember and Wade’s relationship was absolutely adorable. Their interactions feel very natural and heartfelt. Wade was a character I was a bit iffy on when he was first introduced but he definitely won me over pretty quickly with how sweet he is. I love the banter the two characters share and I won’t lie, I teared up at a lot of moments. The animation was also beautiful. It’s a given because it’s Pixar, but I feel like it’s more impressive here because of the fact that they had to animate subjects that were less solid in nature. A lot of people call this film basic and it definitely does tread a lot of familiar ground, but I didn’t mind that too much because when the cliches were used, they were used in a way that a) boosted the theme of the film and b) avoided a lot of the annoying moments the cliches tend to bring (particular Wade not holding a grudge in the third act breakup). I think the only cliche that kind of bothered me was the fake out death, but the moment where they bring back Wade is still very moving. This film is definitely not perfect. Clod thankfully had very little screen time but he was really annoying whenever he was a focus. The worldbuilding is cool but it definitely has a couple of contradictions and plot holes that aren’t enough for me to take my enjoyment out of the film, but they definitely make your head scratch a bit, particularly the fact that air and earth people were so sidelined. It kind of weakens the prejudice aspect a little. I still think this film is pretty good though. You can tell it comes from a place of passion and it dampers the blow on some problems. I recommend it!

Inside Out 2

I was one of the few people who didn’t need an Inside Out sequel, but this film was definitely a worthy addition to the Inside Out series. I really love the additions to the world building. The idea of beliefs is a very clever one in how they tie into the limitations of the emotions. It’s also great to see the way previous world building elements have evolved, such as the new areas in Imagination Land and the changes in size of the personality islands. The characters in this film are very strong, as always. Anxiety is a very good villain and I also love how Ennui, Envy, and Embarrassment also affect Riley’s personal experience. While Anxiety is the main player here, the other three definitely play a part in Riley’s breakdown and I appreciate that they weren’t useless. I especially love Embarrassment. They were adorable and I loved how their character changed. It makes perfect sense, as they were embarrassed about what Riley’s been doing. The old emotions are also a joy (hahahahaha please laugh at me) to watch. I love seeing Joy’s growth in the first film and how she’s questioning her ability to solve the problem when every solution she uses keeps failing. She’s an excellent foil to Anxiety and her growth showcases how she could have become Anxiety, and I love her helping Anxiety out because of that. This film also has a strong sense of comedy and tension. It was less predictable than the first film and I also found it a LOT funnier, from the sarcasm casm to some amazing one liners from the emotions. The secret vault scene in particular was amazing, with Lance, Bloofy, Dark Secret, and of course Pouchie. I also appreciated the film’s use of varying animation styles with these characters as well as in other scenes such as a Joy plan scene. They fit in well and are very nice to look at. I don’t think this film is as emotional as the first one, but the emotional core is definitely present in many moments such as Joy thinking you feel less happy as you get older, the panic attack, Joy confronting Anxiety, and the ending lines. The ending in general is very well done. The emotion repression is a great idea and I love how it comes back towards the climax. I also respect how they don’t call Anxiety bad all the time, and how they leave things on a vague note, showing how the world is unpredictable sometimes and that’s ok. I probably still prefer the first one overall, as I do have more minor nitpicks with this one, but it’s still an amazing film that I urge everyone to see. I was anxious about it, as many were, but it brought me so much joy.

Final Ranking

1. Inside Out

2. Toy Story 2

3. Ratatouille

4. The Incredibles

5. Inside Out 2

6. Soul

7. WALL-E

8. Turning Red

9. Toy Story 3

10. Coco

11. Luca

12. Monsters Inc

13. Finding Dory

14. Finding Nemo

15. Elemental

16. Monsters University

17. Incredibles 2

18. Toy Story

19. Up

20. Cars 3

21. Onward

22. A Bug’s Life

23. Toy Story 4

24. Cars

25. Lightyear

26. Brave

27. The Good Dinosaur

28. Cars 2

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Watching the sunsets while exploring the streets of Stormbreaker Wharf

I know this sounds cliche, but I just really love sunsets. It’s amazing to see the sky turn into all these different colors - reds, oranges, yellows, grays, blues, purples - I just find it breathtaking. Each sunset comes with its own unique palette of colors and I think that’s just neat.

Stormbreaker Wharf is one of those places that comes to life after sunset. Aside from the breathtaking view of the sea and sky, a lot of food stands and shops open up as the harbor becomes bustling with activity. It’s basically a night market, which are fun to explore because the streets hits differently at night.

I don’t know why, being out at night feels a lot more carefree compared to the day. Like in the daytime, you’re usually focusing on getting as much done as you can, while at night, you’re just kinda there leisurely strolling around. There seems to be a lot less pressure to get things done, so you’re more just vibing and chilling, taking in the atmosphere and just going wherever catches your eye. In a night market, there’s a lot of things worth checking out, whether you’re in the mood to check out the shops or unwind by enjoying some drinks and good food.

Over here, the days are short while the nights are long. As a result, most of the residents are night owls, which makes sense because of the harbor being at its busiest around midnight - something about timezones making it work out that way. Most of the boats come a really long way overseas, so I imagine that the people are really jetlagged. Also, stopping at a place that operates at late night hours is really helpful since in most places, everything would be closed, which sucks during a long layover.

Now with the addition of the Thundervalley Bridge up north, the wharf is going to become even more busier. Dixie knows one of the engineers who worked on the bridge and wanted to meet up with him before he moves on to his next big project. In fact, that engineer friend of hers was the one who gave her the cottage and boat in Swan Isle.

Of course, Emilie, Valerie, and Gram are tagging along with Dixie on her travels. It turns out that the engineer, Brennan, was a friend of Gram’s father. They haven’t seen each other since his father’s funeral a few years ago and he was surprised to find out that he’s been living with Ann. He said he met her a few times and in his honest opinion, he preferred her over his friend’s ex-wife. It wasn’t that she was a bad person or anything, it’s mostly the fact that they didn’t have much in common, which happens.

Sometimes you meet someone and they just don’t click with you even when you do get along well. I’ve met people who I wouldn’t mind hanging out with and getting to know more, but at the same time I kinda knew that it would be unlikely that our relationship would go beyond surface level for a variety of reasons - like coming from different circles and have little to nothing that brings some sort of meaningful connection. Sure, things can change in the future, but sometimes you just have to accept that there’s nothing wrong with not wanting to get close with someone that you don’t really vibe with.

Gram’s still trying to work things out with his mother, but his stepfather’s another story. It’s a similar case where he doesn’t exactly dislike him, they just have nothing in common. Since his stepfather travels a lot for work, it wouldn’t have made a difference if he was living with his mother because he was rarely home. His stepfather’s also the kind of person who expects others to just go along with whatever he says or does, though Gram says at least he’s a bit more lenient and understanding compared to his mother, who he describes as difficult to reason with sometimes.

Brennan said it was the same with his ex-wife, she was the kind of person who called the shots and expects everyone to follow her lead. In her case, she happens to be a politician - the kind who’s all talk and ego, according to Dixie. The only reason why they stayed together for so long was for the sake of their daughter Lynnie, who he regretted not spending enough time with. Both their careers took off and make them even more like strangers, especially with him traveling overseas for months at a time while his ex-wife focused on her campaign, leaving their daughter under the care of their housekeeper, who he barely knew.

To make up for his absence, he bought Lynnie a boat since sailing was one of the few things they bonded over. They weren’t really close as he wanted them to be, but they always got along well, and she was always eager for him to spend more time at home. Years later, he’s still beating himself up for not doing so. Eventually, his relationship with his wife was so nonexistent that they were basically strangers. By then, Lynnie was graduating from high school in a few months, and so he felt that it was time to finally divorce. He consulted Lynnie first, and she agreed it was for the best. The only thing she asked of him was if she could move in with him, which he agreed to.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for Brennan and Lynnie. Something came up at work, so he was unable to attend her graduation, something he’ll never forgive himself for. And then he was told that she died from an unexpected brief illness, which obviously isn’t really the truth, just something to avoid making her mother the politician look bad. The truth was, as he suspected, that his daughter was going through a rough patch and her mother basically gave her some unhelpful advice that might have made things worse.

Lynnie’s best friend later confided to him that she and the housekeeper suspected that Lynnie might be binging and purging. They tried to talk to her about it, only to be met with denial. Also, with no evidence, they couldn’t prove anything. Brennan later found out that his ex-wife knew but didn’t do a fucking thing about it because she apparently didn’t think it was a huge deal. Sounds like the kind of person who’s like don’t die to someone who’s dying - yeah, huge help you are. Well, it turns out that Lynnie’s destructive habit resulted in a ruptured esophagus, and she bled to death on the bathroom floor.

How awful. I can’t imagine what life was like for Lynnie to grow up with a father who clearly loved her, but maybe not enough to stick around for a long time. Then she has a hot shot politician for a mother, someone who put a lot of pressure on her to succeed because she figured that if she could do it, why can’t her daughter? The mother is likely the reason why Lynnie fell into the vicious cycle of binging and purging, but that’s just my speculation.

Dixie said she met Lynnie a few times and saw her as a bright girl. Her mother, however, is another story. She didn’t go into much detail, but it’s clear what she thought about her. From what I’ve learned about the mother, especially the time she used the press to make a mockery of a drug addict’s death, and now learning more about Lynnie, I can’t say that I have a high opinion of her too. Also, in terms of politics, I find her to be the kind who uses progressive language to sound inclusive and all but what she’s really saying is a bunch of centrist BS that serves to maintain the status quo for people like her - rich white upper class folks.

Since then, Brennan’s completely cut his ties with his ex, who fell out of favor once word came out about what really happened to her daughter. With no one left to come home to, he’s completely focused on work and nothing else. I get what he’s saying because he should be proud of what he’s accomplished, but I also can’t help but feel sorry for him too. Dixie and Gram said that he’s a nice guy, but he was always the workaholic type, which is why he doesn’t have much going for him outside of work.

Emilie’s been there herself and she knows from experience that a lot of workaholics throw themselves into this state is because they don’t want to deal with the outside world for various reasons. One being that they can’t simply turn off their work mode, so they’re constantly running on that to the point where they make their job part of their personality. The last part about making their job their personality, that’s like legit something I absolutely do not want to happen to me. A job’s a job, that’s it, and I want to keep it that way. And there’s some who feel like they have to work in order to feel useful, to prove to themselves and others that they’re worthy and deserving of respect. That’s also not right because your worth shouldn’t be determined based on that.

In short, workaholic = not good. Brennan’s a nice person, but his life does seem kinda empty in the sense that he’s putting everything into his career and nothing else. Sure, it’s one thing to be proud of the work you do and you legitimately enjoy your job, but I don’t think it’s healthy to live life solely like a cog in a machine, if that makes sense.

While it was nice hearing his enthusiasm over the bridge, which sounds like a big deal, we can’t help but feel kinda sorry for him. I don’t know how to explain it other than emptiness. Like, yes, he is and should be proud of being part of something that will change a bunch of people’s lives for the better. I mean, his career as a whole is pretty damn impressive, not gonna lie. It’s just that, again, he seems to be driven by that unhealthy hustle culture mindset where his life seems to only revolve around advancing his career while everything else is just a waste of time.

Emilie’s been down that road before, thinking that nothing else mattered in life other than her career - which she enjoyed and found very fulfilling because she made a difference in people’s lives. But she got too involved and that eventually took a toll on her as she neglected pretty much every other aspect of her life. That’s why she has a complicated relationship with her parents, who were career driven to the point that she wasn’t a priority in their lives. Now they all have regrets for all the times where they put their jobs over their wellbeing and their relationships, something that Emilie’s intent on trying to fix. Unfortunately, not everything can be resolved with time, especially if it ran out a long time ago - like with Brennan and Lynnie.

Time’s one of those things we often take for granted too easily, giving us the illusion that we have plenty of it. But life circumstances can quickly change that, leaving us wondering, “Why didn’t I say or do that when I still had the chance?” You can’t go back, so it’s just something you have to live with, and accept, and just move forward.

Emilie’s able to do that. I hope Brennan eventually figures it out. For now though, he’s focused on his next big project, a bridge in Pine Oak Valley, a large trading center similar to Stormbreaker Wharf. Sounds like a big undertaking, so I wish him luck.

While enjoying cocktails and fried seafood, we ran into Blossom, who also came to check out the night market. To say that she’s been having a rough time since Fern moved back home is an understatement. To be honest, we all think she got off too lightly - I mean, her career in the entertainment industry is pretty much dead, but in terms of legal consequences, she and her accomplices basically got a light slap on the wrist for stealing thousands of dollars, exploiting a disabled person, and harassing people in order to let a sexual predator walk free. I’m sure there’s more to it than that, it’s just that those examples were what people were talking about the most.

What’s worse is that she has never apologized for her actions, the main reason being that refuses to accept that what she did was wrong on so many levels. Blossom said their grandma never figured that Fern would be kind of person who pulls the ladder up from behind after reaching the top. I don’t know what her line of work was in the entertainment industry, but it’s sadly not surprising how an environment like that can change a person. Give them a little power and it all goes to their head, like they think they’re invincible or something.

Blossom’s trip to Stormbreaker was an impromptu one - she just needed to get away from home for a while. She says that Fern’s changed too much in a bad way and she’s worried about her. On one hand, she feels bad because Fern’s at a low point in her life, but that doesn’t give her the excuse to lash out at everyone and play the victim to avoid responsibilities. I agree, it sucks when a family member, someone you care about a lot, hits rock bottom and is struggling to get up in the morning. But I think it’s also important to set boundaries and not let them use you as an emotional punching bag. Obviously, that’s easier said than done, it’s an example of communication has to work both ways in order to move through this rough patch.

However, Fern has gone too far and Blossom’s finally had enough. Ever since moving back home, half their conversations are arguments with Fern making condescending remarks about how Blossom lives her life - petty for the sake of being petty. Blossom suspects it’s not jealousy, it’s more like resentment, saying “You don’t deserve to be happy, I should be the one living the better life because I’m smarter, prettier, more popular…” People with superior complexes really can’t stand to see others succeed, especially those who they consider to be beneath them. To live with that mindset is just sad.

Sure, siblings fight often, but I’m pretty sure most people wouldn’t go so far as to deliberately injure another. Blossom came home super late after adventuring with the Professor, and since she had nothing going on the next day, she decided to sleep in. Apparently, Fern took issue with that, so she took her curling wand, which she turned on to the highest setting, and slapped it on Blossom’s hand to wake her up. Like, what the fuck? Then she insulted Blossom by calling her lazy for sleeping in, all the while she was pinning her down on the bed so she couldn’t get up.

Fern would’ve held her down longer if their grandmother hadn’t walked in and demanded an explanation. Then she had the nerve to insist that it was Blossom’s fault for burning her own hand, which their grandma obviously didn’t buy. Since Fern had held the curling wand against her hand for more than a few seconds, cold water and ointment didn’t do too much to help, so Blossom’s grandma took her to an urgent care. Thankfully the burn wasn’t too deep, or else she’d probably have to go to the emergency room. But since it’s her right hand, Blossom will have to adjust with using her left hand. She’s not too happy about not being able to do a lot of things for the time being since she’s a hands-on person who likes to do arts and crafts, which was probably why Fern did that. Though that’s nothing compared to the pain she’s in, physically and mentally.

Not surprisingly, Fern skipped town afterwards, though Blossom says she tends to do that after fighting with their parents. She spends a couple days at home, gets in some sort of trouble, and then spends the next week or so couch surfing before returning home more bitter and angry. Sounds like someone’s burning bridges. It’s gotten to the point where Blossom dreads coming home because there’s a likely chance Fern will be waiting.

Now she has more reasons to be afraid, which is not acceptable. Their parents are intent on forgiving and forgetting by brushing that whole incident under the rug. However, Blossom and her grandma do not agree because they’re afraid that things might get worse. So do I. Even if the burning incident was a one off thing, which it likely is, it’s still unacceptable. No one should ever feel unsafe around their own family. That shit needs to be addressed before it escalates into something worse.

I think the best thing Blossom can do right now is get away to clear her head. As much as she wants to be there for Fern, she can’t let her get away with playing the victim all the time. Fern’s a grown adult who needs to take responsibility for her actions, something she clearly refuses to accept. Blossom can only do so much to help, but if her safety’s at risk because Fern can’t keep her temper in check, then she has to step away. You can’t help someone who refuses to be helped, nor should you stick around someone who is intent on hurting you.

It’s a tough call, especially when it comes to family, someone you were once close to. I think right now, Blossom needs to distance herself from Fern as much as she can for her own safety and sanity. At least being out here has been helping her a lot in terms of getting her mind off things, and her grandma’s coming to join her tomorrow. She doesn’t have any plans other than enjoying food and drinks at the night market and marveling at the sunsets, which sounds good to me. I’ll drink to that!

Read on AO3

[devildom-moss]

Hey, bbg, i realized i haven't said anything for a while, so im here to check up on you and bother you again!

Fun BOF!au fact!

I dont remember if ive gone into detail about this incident, but lemme just put this here.

Someone, whom i will not name (because its not relevant), threw the kid off of the top of a 103 story building.

That was the day MC sprouted their wings!

That was also the day Simeon almost died (mentally)!

There was a lottt of blood..

Anwyays thats all! Remember to always eat, sleep, and dont do drugs!

Sincerely, 💜

Hi purple heart anon~

Whose blood exactly (because I don't think Simeon is above murder or attempted murder when it comes to his kid)? I assume it wouldn't be the kid's because if they sprouted their wings, I would suspect that they didn't end up hitting the ground.

Yeah, I could see poor MC being subjected to that cruelty. Any random pure-blooded demon, human, angel has the (evil) motivation to do that. I just imagine them being really gross about it, like "Come on, little angel - you're half angel, aren't you? Where are those wings, kiddo? Maybe we should test you and see if you really know how to fly." That awful (albeit kind of cliche) bully-like approach.

You take care, too, 💜 anon.

[leonbastralle]

this has been in my drafts for a billion years and i've been cleaning them up a bit today so i guess we're releasing this!!! i held my wife @landgraabbed at gunpoint so she would tag me in this character development sheet meme thing i do not know its official name and then didn't know who to do it for. decided not to just make it ficus AGAIN so here's some facts abt snowdrift under the cut! @vanoefucks if u want to do this. i'm tagging u. and anyone else who feels like it!

name: snowdrift miracle nicknames: just miracle i guess technically ksjfhakjsfas gender: male star sign: scorpio height: shortass king orientation: gay (though he did think he was straight all the way to when his gf broke up w him and then he realised he wasn't very pressed abt it just rly horny abt the guy he'd been stalking w the powers of the law on his side kjsdksdjfs) nationality/ethnicity: i mean he's a sim and his og version also was fucking blue. but he's got so many ethnicities in there he's a lot white w some vague east asian (connie/trellis) and some polynesian (charlotte) and then some alien (valerian) this reads like one of those fucking i did a dna test videos ksjfhskjdfs favorite fruit: i want to say figs to be funny and unironically bananas even though they're not fruits but overworked snowdrift not having time for breaks and just monching on the bananas (the actual ones not the dicks yet) is really accurate so i'll commit to it anyway favorite season: autumn favorite flower: some flowering alien plant of valerian's that he keeps at his place that he tries not to be sentimental about favorite scent: not to be cliche but probably like. black coffee and tree resin sjdfskdfskdfs coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: coffee. the insane work hours don't pass themselves average hours of sleep: uhhh probably like 5. rip i'd be dead dogs or cats: both dream trip: speaking in sims 4 terms for sure smth like sulani. like he might be a workaholic but he does crave the Vacation TM number of blankets: i do think he's a cold bitch (like purple lips cold bitch sdkjfhdskjfs) but he also tosses and turns sm that he probably ends up w zero random fact(s): idk what constitutes as a random fact so i had a whole discussion w my wife about snowdrifts backstory so i guess a random fact abt him is that he was mostly raised by a deadbeat dad who was big heartbroken abt his partner leaving but then when said partner returned it turns out they were too genius and not enough applied science to be a good parent so he never learned how to be an unproblematic citizen and is now abusing his cop powers to rizz up a suspect in his murder cases (he has negative rizz). gen 8 is literally fuck cops in every way

[frozen-fountain]

For the book recs asks: 1, 5, 18, 23, 54, 71

A book that is close to your heart

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer. I read it about three years ago now and find myself thinking of it when I'm feeling at a crossroads and weighing up consequential decisions.

5. Something in fiction that reads like poetry

Not to be a stuck record but just... anything by Angela Carter. Not only for the beauty of her language and the images it creates in your mind but because, as florid and maximalist as her writing can be, it's all constructed to support layers of symbolism and deep wells of meaningful connotation. It's economical purple prose.

18. Your least favorite book ever

The most recent contender is probably Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw, which on the surface contains a lot of things I should love but completely failed in execution. Everyone knows that I love me some ornate, orchidaceous prose, so you know it's serious when even I am inwardly curling up into a ball of secondhand embarrassment at the excess on the page. Lady, you cannot drop "chiaroscuro" into your narration more than once without a damned good reason, and there's also some really cringy lampshading of cliched illogical things horror protagonists do that read less like an attempt to deconstruct these things in a meaningful way, and more like "So that just happened" humour to cover up the laziness of running the characters through these motions. Worst of all, there's no real subtext to add substance to the scares. There's some stuff in there about mental illness, about toxic and stagnant friendships, about marriage customs in feudal Japan versus contemporary America and what they do to women, but it failed to add up to anything enlightening or compelling. I loved the location, but that's about it.

A popular choice for this question, I think, but I'd throw in Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life, too. Not because of the subject matter, or because of the ending, but because it's using these terrible experiences to cover itself in the trappings of a literary great while being, at least in my estimation, incredibly pulpy and borderline exploitative in its execution. I also did not at all see the beautiful, poetic prose that some people did and actually found the language really flat throughout, and found myself especially frustrated at the author's habit of over-explaining the characters' motivations and psychology instead of demonstrating them through action and dialogue - it read like a therapist's notes in many places, which doesn't work for fiction that's so centered on inner experience. But I do also see how and why this book could deeply move and become important to someone, and it frustrates me a bit that a lot of criticism of it seems to focus on anachronisms and lack of realism instead of asking why these devices were employed. But it's very Not For Me and places high on this list because my inability to DNF anything meant it took a long time to slog through.

I feel bad for saying so much more about books I hated than the ones I loved, but in the case of the latter I really am hoping anyone who reads these answers will check them out for themselves. I feel like my "Stay away!" needs a bit more qualification.

23. A book that is currently on your TBR

When I'm finished with Earthsea, I want to reread To the Lighthouse. It's been calling me and I was only twenty the first time I went through it, so I'm interested to see how it hits with all these experiences under my belt and after such dramatic changes in perspective as I've accumulated. For spoopy month I have Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller, Sisters by Daisy Johnson, and The Vegetarian by Han Kang lined up, and I'm really excited for all of those.

54. A book with the best opening line

It's pretty hard to beat "It was the day my grandmother exploded" (The Crow Road by Iain Banks).

71. Your favourite LGBTQ+ fiction

To just about everyone I would rec The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter, which is gorgeously written gender fuckery; The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling, which is really effective sci-fi horror with a complicated sapphic slow burn at its centre; and Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin, because what more could I say? With a much bigger pinch of salt I would add Maria McCann's As Meat Loves Salt to that list, because not everybody wants to be in the head of a violent and possessive rapist for several hundred pages, but it's a descent into the abyss that will stay with me for as long as I live.