#also the last two are connected idk if i made that clear

[bingbangboom666x2]

enjoy my shitty memes

[juniperskye]

She’s Definitely Guilty.

Based on the following ask: hi !! i love love love your work! (no seriously, you make me giggle and twirl my hair it's kinda ridiculous) could i request something where the reader is being interrogated by hotch (whether she's guilty or not is totally up to you!) he's using all his intimation tactics, the stern voice, the glare, maybe even shouting or hitting the desk. but the reader is kinda just captivated by him, blushing and all hot and bothered (like please yell at me more sir.. 🤭 oh? you think i'm a person of interest? you're totally interested in me aren't you.) anyways ty ty!! <33

Aaron Hotchner x (Fem) Reader

Angst/Fluff

Word count: 2167

REQUESTS ARE OPEN - not edited - please be kind. Requests are open and feedback is welcome if it's constructive! Nonnie I hope you like this because idk this one was hard for me to write lol

Warnings: My blog is 18+, minors DNI, some language, explicit thoughts, reader is horny for Hotch, no use of y/n, fem reader, no physical description other than hair length, let me know if I missed any!

I do not consent to having my work translated or reposted to any other site. That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story

“She’s in the interrogation room whenever you’re ready Hotch.” JJ informed him.

“Thank you JJ.” Hotch replied with a curt nod.

Hotch double checked the file in his hand before entering the interrogation room. You had been brought in for questioning in connection with a string of murders. You hadn’t been exactly sure of the reason you were here, but you hadn’t felt worried, considering you haven’t done anything wrong.

The door was pulled open, and all of the air in the room seemed to escape. You couldn’t believe how hot this man was…maybe being brought in wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Hotch looked up and found himself doing a double take. He hadn’t expecting you to be so captivating…could you really be caught up in all this?

As Hotch took a seat across from you, he couldn't help but notice the way your eyes sparkled with a mixture of defiance and curiosity. He cleared his throat, trying to push aside the unexpected flutter in his chest as he opened the file.

"Thank you for coming in, I’m Agent Hotchner. We just have a few questions regarding your whereabouts last Friday night," Hotch began, his voice steady despite the turmoil within him.

You tilted your head slightly, a small smile playing on your lips as you answered his question calmly, your alibi seemingly airtight. But Hotch couldn't focus on the words; instead, he found himself drawn to the way your hair fell gently over your shoulders and the subtle scent of lavender that surrounded you.

As the interrogation continued, Hotch realized that maybe, just maybe, there was more to this case than met the eye. And as he excused himself from the room, he made a silent promise to unravel the mystery not only for the sake of justice, but also to see you again. The case suddenly felt more personal, and Hotch knew he couldn't let it go until he had all the answers.

Days passed as the investigation progressed, with each piece of evidence leading to more questions than answers. Hotch found himself thinking about you at odd hours, wondering if there was a chance you were truly innocent or if you were just an expert at hiding your secrets.

One day, a breakthrough finally came in the form of a witness who claimed to have seen you on the night of one of the murders. Hotch's heart sank as he read the report, but a small voice in his head urged him to dig deeper.

Convinced that there was more to the story, Hotch decided to call you back into the precinct. He wouldn’t let you get away this time.

As you entered the precinct once again, this time escorted by two officers, Hotch kept his gaze steady on you. He noticed the slight flicker of surprise that crossed your face before it was quickly replaced by a mask of composure.

"Please have a seat," Hotch gestured to the chair in front of him, his tone neutral but his eyes piercing into yours. "We have some new information regarding your alibi on the night of the murder. Care to explain?"

You leaned back in your chair, maintaining eye contact with Hotch as you calmly refuted the new evidence presented to you. But deep down, a sense of unease started creeping in. Hotch was different this time, his determination palpable in the air around him.

Hotch listened intently to your words, observing every flicker of emotion that crossed your face. As you finished speaking, he leaned forward slightly, his voice taking on a steely edge.

"We know you were at the scene of the crime that night," Hotch stated firmly. "And I'm not leaving this room until you tell me the truth about what really happened."

You try to remain calm and collected, but you can’t help but feel flustered. A heat creeping its way up your chest and neck, landing on your cheeks. His firm tone had you pressing your thighs together, you were losing control of your body, all because of the man in front of you, accusing your of murder.

With a deep breath, you met Hotch's unwavering gaze and decided to take a different approach. Leaning in slightly, you locked eyes with his and spoke in a voice just above a whisper.

"Agent Hotchner, I understand why things may seem incriminating, but I assure you, there's more to this than meets the eye," you said with a teasing lilt in your tone.

"Help me understand then," He urged you to continue, his eyes searching yours for any sign of deception.

But instead of delving into the details of the case, you leaned even closer, your breath brushing against Hotch's cheek as you whispered softly, "Or maybe we could take a break from all this seriousness. You and I could... explore other ways to pass the time."

Hotch's jaw clenched in frustration, his patience wearing thin as your flirting only seemed to escalate. He leaned back in his chair, a deep frown marring his features.

"This is not a game," Hotch growled, his voice low and dangerous. "People's lives are at stake here, and you think this is some kind of joke?"

You leaned back, feigning innocence as you tilted your head to the side, strands of hair falling across your face in a calculated display. "I never said it was," you replied silkily, your eyes dancing with mischief.

Hotch's patience wore thin as he slammed his fist on the table, causing you to jump in surprise. "Enough!" he barked, his voice reverberating through the room. "Tell me the truth, damn it!”

As Hotch's anger flared, you couldn't ignore the rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins. Despite the gravity of the situation, a devilish grin tugged at the corners of your lips as you met Hotch's intense gaze with a provocative glint in your eyes.

In a brazen move that caught both Hotch and the officers off guard, you leaned forward once again, the air crackling with tension between you and Hotch. "Or perhaps you enjoy playing the tough, relentless interrogator," you murmured, your voice laced with seduction. "But we both know there are other games we could play."

Hotch's jaw tightened further; his frustration evident as he struggled to maintain his composure in the face of your blatant flirtation. The observing agents exchanged uneasy glances, uncertain how to proceed in this unexpected turn of events.

With a sly smile playing on your lips, you pushed further, pushing Hotch's buttons with deliberate intent. "You want answers, Agent Hotchner. But maybe I'm the answer you've been looking for all along," you purred, your words like a dare hanging in the charged atmosphere of the interrogation room.

Hotch's steely facade cracked for a moment, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features before he regained control. "Enough games," he gritted out, his voice strained. "You either start talking or I'll have no choice but to place you under arrest."

Your smile widened at his threat, a glint of defiance in your eyes as you leaned back, taunting him with your silence. The tension in the room was palpable, a battle of wills raging between you and Hotch. You both shifted in your seats as Hotch tried to figure out how to proceed.

Agent Rossi entered the room just in time to witness the tense standoff between Hotch and you. His expression hardened as he took in the scene before him, sensing the undercurrent of tension that buzzed between you and Hotch.

"Hotch, we caught the actual killer," Rossi announced, breaking the charged silence in the room. "And you're not going to like who it is."

Hotch's eyes flashed with a mix of relief and frustration, torn between the unresolved situation with you and the urgency of catching the real culprit. He turned his gaze towards Rossi, silently urging him to continue.

Rossi took a deep breath before delivering the bombshell revelation. "It's Jenna." He said gravely, watching as recognition dawned on both your faces.

You felt a surge of disbelief and anger rise within you at the mention of Jenna's name. She was your best friend, someone you trusted with your life. And now she was trying to frame you for a horrendous crime. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly falling into place, painting a picture of betrayal and deception that left you reeling.

Hotch's eyes narrowed as he processed the information, a mix of emotions flickering across his face. He turned back to you, searching your expression for any sign of involvement in Jenna's crimes.

"You knew about this," Hotch stated more than asked, his voice laced with accusation.

You shook your head in disbelief, the weight of Jenna's betrayal heavy on your shoulders. "I had no idea," you replied, your voice barely above a whisper. "She was my best friend. I never thought she was capable of something like this."

Hotch studied you for a moment, his gaze piercing yet contemplative. After a beat of silence, he let out a heavy sigh, the tension in the room dissipating slightly.

"We'll need you to give an official statement," Hotch said, his tone softer now, empathizing with the shock and betrayal you must be feeling.

Rossi quietly explained to Hotch that they found all the evidence in Jenna's home, meticulously laid out as if she wanted to be caught. When they confronted her, she admitted to everything, explaining that she didn't want to live in your shadow anymore. She had been envious of your success, your charisma, and the way everyone seemed drawn to you effortlessly.

As Rossi recounted Jenna's confession, Hotch's expression softened with a mix of understanding and pity. He could see the pain in your eyes as you processed the magnitude of Jenna's betrayal. The realization that someone you trusted implicitly had orchestrated such a twisted scheme left a bitter taste in your mouth.

Hotch placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, a silent gesture of support amidst the chaos of emotions swirling around you. You turned to look at him, surprised by the tenderness in his eyes, a stark contrast to the intensity he usually exuded.

"I know this must be difficult for you," Hotch said softly, his voice a soothing balm to your frayed nerves. "But we need to get your statement to close this case once and for all."

You nodded, grateful for Hotch's understanding in the midst of the turmoil consuming you. As you recounted your version of events and the moments leading up to your wrongful arrest, Hotch listened intently, his unwavering gaze never leaving your face.

Once you finished your statement, there was a brief silence in the room as everyone processed the weight of Jenna's betrayal and the impact it had on you. Hotch broke the quiet tension with a decisive tone.

"I'll make sure Jenna faces the consequences of her actions," Hotch's eyes softened as he looked at you, his usual stoic demeanor giving way to a rare vulnerability.

“Thank you Agent Hotchner, how could I ever repay you and your team for catching Jenna?” You asked, batting your lashes at him.

Hotch's gaze met yours, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes at your flirtatious tone. He cleared his throat, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he replied, "I think seeing justice served will be reward enough."

You couldn't help but feel a surge of boldness, encouraged by the intensity of the moment and the shared connection forged through adversity. Leaning slightly closer to Hotch, you lowered your voice to a whisper, a teasing glint in your eye.

"Are you sure there's nothing else I can do to express my gratitude?" you asked, your voice laced with playful insinuation.

Hotch's expression flickered with surprise before a spark of something else - maybe desire - passed through his eyes. He cleared his throat again, regaining his composure as he replied in a more businesslike tone, "I appreciate the sentiment, but catching criminals is all part of the job."

Despite his professional demeanor, there was a subtle warmth in Hotch's eyes that gave you pause, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken connection between you. Hotch's gaze lingered on yours for a moment longer, the air between you charged with unspoken words and untamed desires. As the weight of the moment hung heavy in the room, you felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins, urging you to take a risk, to push the boundaries of this newfound connection.

In a daring move, you slipped a piece of paper out of your purse, scribbled down your number, and slid it across the table towards Hotch. Your heart raced as you watched Hotch pick up the paper, his eyes flickering with surprise before his lips curved into a small, knowing smile.

“My number, in case you think of a way that I can repay you.” You shoot Hotch a wink before making your way out of the precinct.

[echobx]

soulmates 1 - jj maybank x fem!reader

summary: y/n is on a double date with her boyfriend when she runs into her actual soulmate

warnings: none

word count: 3.5k

author's note: idk what to say

masterlist

In a world where you could hear your soulmate's thoughts, as long as they were thinking about you, as long as they were at least 16, it was still very difficult to find them. Most people would go their whole lives without even meeting the person they were connected to, most people had found their peace with it, and so had you…

“I'm taking you out for lunch,” your boyfriend, Kelce, pressed a kiss to your cheek. You had never heard his thoughts, but that was okay. Maybe you were secretly sad about it, but a lot of people had the same issues as you. You had anticipated your sixteenth birthday like any other kid, but even more so because your parents were soulmates, having grown up together they had gotten lucky. But you weren't blessed with the same luck. This wouldn't mean that you didn't love your boyfriend. No, Kelce was nice and sweet and loved to show you off to his Kook friends.  The split between Kooks and Pogues had never been to your favor. Your parents were hardworking middle class, too poor to be Kooks, too wealthy to be Pogues. 

“Where are we going?” You smiled at him. “Country Club, haven't been there in a while, especially with you.” He smirked and you had to laugh.  “I see, you just wanna show me off,” you giggled, not at all foreign to the concept. You got up and tugged on your dress to make it fall evenly.  “You are so beautiful,” he complimented you and leaned down into a kiss.  You were an uneven couple, everyone could see it, but you didn't mind it at all. You knew that they all just saw him as the rich kid that got in fights with Pogues because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. But to you, he was kind and loving and just the best boyfriend you could wish for. He made you forget that you weren't even soulmates.  “Will the others be there?” you asked while the two of you walked out of his house and towards his car.  “Just Topper and I think his new girlfriend. He's been so up my ass ever since Sarah dumped him for that Pogue John B. I hope the new one will help,” Kelce said and held your door open so you could get in.  “I hope he can forget about Sarah, it's not like they were soulmates,” you noted while he got in too. “Right?”  “I don't know, he never told me,” Kelce shrugged and started driving. 

It had been a real scandal when the Kook princess had run off with the Pogue, no one could understand why she would do such a thing, but to you, it was clear. You didn't have to look at them twice when you saw them around town, they were clearly meant for each other, they had gotten lucky.  You hoped that you might find your person once you moved away to college. The statistical probability of finding your soulmate in a close radius to your home was pretty low. That's why multiple companies were now making big profits with the desperation of people who just wanted to be happy. They created apps and websites to “help” you find “the one”, but even those only helped in about 30% of the cases.  All in all, your chances were pretty low, but you had just turned 17, and had been with Kelce for only three months. Your life was still ahead of you, your chances were still not completely low. But you also told yourself to not hope, to not get caught up in the search because you didn't want to end up like the people they sometimes showed on TV. 

“… and then he just hits a hole in one on the last game, can you believe it?” Kelce laughed, and you realized that you hadn't paid any attention to his story.  “Impressive,” you note and smile at him.  “Yeah, but God, I miss that guy.” It took you a moment to figure out that he was talking about Rafe. Rafe Cameron, Kook prince, technically after the death of his father Ward, the new Kook King, but you didn't care so much about semantics. He had left Kildare, where to, you didn't know, but you knew he was out for the big money, just like his dad.  You reached for your boyfriend's hand and held it, hoping he would find some sort of solace in your touch. You hadn't known Rafe well either, you still didn't know many of Kelce’s friends because you had mostly been focused on each other at the start.  “I think he's gonna come back.” Your words gave him a bit of hope, and he smiled before parking the car. 

Kelce got out and opened the door for you, like he always did, like a gentleman would. “Chivalry is a must,” your mom had always told you. From a young age on, she had made sure that you knew your worth and held your standards up high.  “Thank you,” you blushed as he closed the door again and pulled you into his side.  “We're going all out, sugar. Double dates deserve some extravaganza,” he chuckled.  “Oh, how darling of you,” you said in a pretentious voice, and the two of you laughed even more. It was easy with Kelce, he made you feel good about yourself, and you had wished nothing more than for him to be your one and only. 

You walked inside and someone guided you to your table, Topper and his new girlfriend, Sheila, already sitting there.  “I'm sorry for being late,” you apologized to Top and gave him a quick hug before sitting down opposite of him.  “Oh no, we were just a little early,” he brushed it off and then started talking to Kelce about a new boat he wanted to buy.  You would've talked to Sheila if her eyes hadn't been fixed on the waiter. 

He was tall, had blond tousled hair and his shirt sat tightly on his body, showing off that he had muscles although looking rather lean compared to Kelce.  ‘Not bad,’ you thought to yourself, and his head perked up, and he started looking around. ‘Just a coincidence, nothing more, there are many people here who are thinking about him. He's working, of course you think about your waiter. Hell, Sheila hasn't been able to even take her eyes off him and Topper doesn't even notice,’ you had turned back to looking at Kelce, not noticing that the boy was now eyeing your table very carefully.  ‘Don’t tell me she's a fucking Kook,’ you could suddenly hear an annoyed voice in your head.  “Everything okay?” Kelce asked and brushed a strand of hair out of your face. “You look like you've seen a ghost,” he joked, and you shook your head, trying to regain composure.  “Yeah, no, I'm okay, just remembered the time I saw a guy run over a cat. I don't know why I thought of that,” you lied, and he gave you a quick kiss. You couldn't let them know what had just happened to you, especially not Kelce, you couldn't break his heart. 

“Topper,” the boy came over and greeted him with a fake smile, not even giving Kelce or you any attention.  “JJ, nice to see you,” Topper laughed lightly.  ‘JJ? Peculiar name,’ the thought popped into your head, but he didn't turn to you, instead he looked directly at Sheila, who seemed to be more than intrigued by him.  “What can I get you?” JJ asked, still only looking at her.  Topper ordered for the two of them, as well as for Kelce and you because JJ still hadn't paid us any attention. Then he walked away and you had to scoff. 

“What an asshole, right?” you mumbled to yourself, and Kelce immediately kissed your cheek.  “The amount of times I wanted to rip that smug smile off that Pogue’s face,” he hissed and watched JJ vanish inside. Your heart got heavier, it had been clear that there was something between them, but the fact that the boy enraged Kelce this much meant nothing good.  “He couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of you,” you chuckled at Sheila, trying not to seem too disappointed by it.  She laughed and put her hand on Topper’s shoulder. “Oh, that Pogue wishes.” But you knew the look she had given him, everything else was just a very bad lie in your eyes.  “Yeah,” you laugh quietly, before getting up. “I'm gonna go freshen up just a little,” you told Kelce and he nodded.  “Don't be too long, or I'll come find you,” he joked, a loving smile on his lips as you turned around and walked inside. 

‘Fucking Sheila? Why her? Why not me? I was right there, asshole!’ you screamed at JJ in your mind, knowing well enough that he would hear it.  ‘What are you talking about?’ the voice in your head replied, his voice.  ‘I didn't even want a fucking salad, okay! I wanted fries! But no, you couldn't even dare to look at us and ask what I wanted. And now I'm stuck with a stupid ass salad, because Topper is stupid,’ you let out all of your frustrations as you checked your makeup in the mirror of the restroom.  ‘Fuck!’ he exclaimed inside your head, and then it was silent again. 

You got back to the table and just a moment later JJ arrived with two of the four plates. He still didn't give you any notice until he came walking back, with a steak for Kelce and a plate of fries for you.  “She didn't order fries!” Kelce barked at him, but you just put your hand on his thigh.  “I did, I changed my order inside,” you lied without giving JJ a single look.  ‘Never seen Kelce act like a fucking dog. Who are you, pretty girl?’ JJ thought, but you couldn't let it show how much it made your heart falter.  “Why are you still standing here?” Sheila asked loudly, and you finally turned around to look at JJ. Your eyes met, and you couldn't be sure if it had been your own or his thoughts that let a silent “wow” slip.  “My bad, enjoy your food,” JJ said, still staring at you as he walked away, unable to take his eyes off of you, really.  “Why was he looking at you like that?” Kelce asked and you gulped lightly.  “I don't know,” you mumbled and started eating. 

‘What's your name, pretty girl?’ his voice was back in your head, and you nearly would've spit out your water. ‘You already know mine, so it's only fair. And it's not peculiar. I just don't like what my parents chose, so I'm doing my own thing,’ he explained, and you could see him walking around, doing his job while very casually trying to get to know you.  ‘I have a boyfriend,’ you remind him, but he just laughed inside your mind, a nice wholehearted laugh that sounded almost like music to you.  ‘I’m glad you like my laugh, princess, but don't forget about your boyfriend. Isn't he the best? Only tried to kill me last year,” JJ’s words made you choke on a fry.  “Hey, y/n, are you okay?” Kelce asked, and you nodded, taking a sip of water to try and calm your throat.  “Yeah,” you said and tried to smile at him. You knew of his temper, being the only one who could calm him down most times, but you would have never thought that he would actually willfully hurt someone so much that they would potentially die.  “We can leave if you don't feel so well,” he spoke in a soft voice, but you couldn't stop thinking about it. About how he must've hurt JJ, about what he could've done to him.  “I'm fine, really,” you pressed out and turned back to your plate, half empty, but you felt like eating another fry would just cause you to throw up. “I'm just gonna use the restroom real quick,” you excused yourself and all three of them gave you a weird look, but let you leave without further questions. 

‘Where did you go to, pretty girl? I didn't mean to scare you,” his voice was back in your mind.  “Stop talking!” you screamed and stopped in your tracks, you hadn't even noticed that you had actually said it out loud until the whole Country Club was staring at you. Quickly, you ran towards the restroom and hid in a stall.  You didn't know how much time passed as you hid and cried into yourself. This was definitely not how you had imagined it going, having him so close but so far, being caught in between a feud that you hadn't even known existed.  ‘Hey, princess, he's getting impatient, and I really don't wanna deal with that shit,’ JJ whispered to you.  ‘Y/n,’ you told him. ‘That’s my name. But everyone calls me y/n/n, apart from my parents, my parents call me Bean, because I only ate beans as a baby.’ You didn't even understand why you told him this very particular thing about yourself, when you had never let anyone know about your parents' weird nickname for you.  ‘Cute,’ he chuckled. ‘Will you come out again? I don't want to have to come in there, and then have to give you back to him as if he should have any claim over you,” JJ muttered, he was disgusted by the thought of Kelce kissing you.  ‘You don't have to be so mean, I can still hear you. Also, that's disgusting, he doesn't kiss like that,’ you thought but had to laugh about how weird he made it look in his head.  ‘Makes it more bearable though,’ JJ admitted.  ‘I have to talk to him, how the fuck am I supposed to do that? He already hates you.’ You buried your face in your hands.  ‘I won't let him hurt you, princess,’ he replied to your thoughts and the more you talked to each other just like that, the less you had to fight yourself to hide it, everything got easier. It was like listening to music while doing homework, as long as you kept on concentrating on what was in front of you, the music wouldn't bother you too much. But it also could be all encompassing as soon as you let it.  Yet you also wondered why he was so protective of you, a girl he had only just met.  ‘My best friend had a lot of issues, Sarah got hurt in the process, not badly but still. I don't want that for you, for us,’ JJ explained, and you wiped your tears away.  ‘Topper’s ex?’ you asked and stood up, wiping your dress down to seem more respectable again.  ‘Sarah, yes, I bet you heard. Kooks and Pogues don't always mix well, but she's a Pogue now,’ he spoke of it so casually as if he didn't mind at all.  “I'm neither,” you spoke up, but you knew he could still hear you.  ‘Your boyfriend is a Kook, that's already too much,’ he said and the disgust that he held for Kelce was incredibly draining.  “I don't choose who I fall for. It's not my fault,” you told yourself as if it was a manifestation. 

‘Do you really love him?’ JJ asked just as you walked out of the restroom, he was leaning on the wall opposite of the door, eyeing you wearily. “I don't know,” you replied out loud, and he couldn't help but smile, suddenly everything you had thought to know of love was thrown out the window. This feeling was completely different from anything you had ever felt before, and you never wanted to feel anything else ever again. ‘I would kiss you, but I'm not gonna give him any ammunition to hate you more than he already will once he finds out,’ he thought as his eyes darted down to your lips. It was like you were frozen, both unable to move as you stood on each side of the hallway.  ‘Probably better.’ You smiled and blushed a little over his boldness.  “They have been asking for you quite a lot, wondering where you are, why you aren't coming back. And yet not one of them made a single move to go check on you,” JJ spoke with a low voice.  “I should really go back then,” you whispered, and he gave you a small smile before you turned and walked back to the table. You knew he felt the small tingling feeling that settled in your guts, you knew he could feel you because you could feel it in him too. No one had ever mentioned that it wasn't just thoughts, but a direct connection into the inner world of the other. 

“I'm sorry, I’m really not feeling too well,” you apologized while sitting back down at the table.  Topper eyed you, and you felt like he knew, like he could see it in your eyes. “I can drive you home,” he suggested sweetly.  “I don't want to cause any trouble, I can just call an Uber,” you said and turned to Kelce. “I'm really sorry.”  “Nonsense, let Topper drive you home and if you don't feel better I'll just come by, and we can watch a movie together.” He smiled and put his forehead to yours.  ‘Oh, vomit,’ JJ’s thought popped into your head just as Kelce placed a small kiss on your lips.  “Uh, yeah, we can do that,” you told your boyfriend and got up. “See you later then,” you said and walked away with Topper by your side. 

You didn't want to think of JJ; you didn't want to think of hurting Kelce; you didn't want to think at all, but as soon as you were sitting in Topper's pickup truck he turned to you.  “Tell me it's not JJ,” he said as if you had committed a crime.  “I don't know what you mean,” you lied.  ‘We really gotta work on your lying skills, princess,’ JJ chuckled.  “I know that look, I had to look at it for two months before Sarah admitted it to me. Promise me to not break his heart, it's already hard enough as it is,” Topper said and you nodded shyly.  “I didn't want this,” you said, but JJ just laughed, and you had a hard time pushing him into the back of your mind.  ‘Are you only good at lying when you're doing it to yourself?’ “I had hoped that it would be him, and then it wasn't, and I was okay with it. I didn't want this now, I was okay with it never happening. I don't want to hurt him,” you started crying and Topper leaned over and hugged you. He had never hugged you like that before, it felt good to be cared for by someone who wasn't Kelce for once. “Please don't tell him,” you whispered as Topper pulled away again.  “I won't, but you should, as fast as possible, actually. It's only been three months, you haven't even said I love you yet, right?” Topper asked and turned on the engine.  “Yeah, no, we haven't. I just don't know how to. How do you tell someone that?” you asked, but he couldn't give you an answer that wouldn't hurt either of you in the end.  ‘You just say, “Hey, Kelce, you big asshole, I'm actually already bound by the universe to the very charming, extremely hot and sexy JJ Maybank. See ya’” or something like that,’ JJ told you, but you couldn't reply, your heart felt too heavy, heavier than you ever imagined possible.

“Top?” you asked quietly. “Yes, y/n/n?” the boy answered just as he stopped in front of your building.  “Kelce hates him, JJ, I mean. They hate each other, don't they?” You already knew the answer, but you hoped for some more intel on it all.  “Yeah, it's not pretty. I tried to stay out of it, it was mostly Rafe's fault, but the Pogues aren't that innocent either. It's better if you tell him before anything happens, trust me. I don't want to see you get hurt,” Topper explained with a sad smile. You didn't know that he cared so much about you, never truly having considered him your friend.  “Will you look after him, or just make sure he doesn't do something stupid once I-” The words got stuck in your throat but Topper just nodded.  “Took me some time to understand it, that you don't have a choice in this. He's gonna have to accept it,” he said, and you opened the door to get out.  “Thank you,” you said and wanted to close the door to walk towards your home.  “Y/n? If you need anything, you can just call me, just because you and Kelce are gonna end, doesn't mean we aren't still friends,” he told you and you nodded.  “I'll remember, thanks for the ride,” you said goodbye and walked towards the apartment building.

please don't copy and/or post my work onto other platforms! ~e©ho

part 2

[communistkenobi]

ok conclave thots (spoilers)

trying very hard to set aside my feelings on the Catholic Church to evaluate this movie. It’s quite beautiful, everything has a very solid physical presence, big wooden doors thunking, columns of stone and marble, thick robes, luxurious physical sets. Really enjoyed the cinematography. The cast was all really enjoyable aside from Stanley Tucci, not bc he’s a bad actor but I could not be sold on him being a cardinal. he seemed generally out of place. Although he was clearly there to be a bit ‘out of place’ as a figure for liberal Catholics, like definitely the type of guy who would think creating an anime girl avatar for the Catholic Church would be a good move to modernise the church. Actually maybe he was good in that movie I change my mind.

He did also demonstrate the complete failure of liberalism to respond to right wing rhetoric - all he says in response to Tedesco’s islamophobic rant about the need for religious intolerance is “you should be ashamed of yourself!”, just totally unable to address Tedesco’s fixation on conducting religious warfare. The film is centred around the church’s need to manage its public image, making multiple references to the recent international outcry over the church’s systemic sexual abuse problems, its homophobia & anti-abortion views that are increasingly falling out of favour, and the general trouble the church has with the press. There is a clear emerging clash between tradcaths and liberal Catholics that are fighting for dominance in the church. The film ultimately finds synthesis between these two poles in Benitez, a man who conducted missions in ‘war torn’ countries such as the Congo and Afghanistan (thus having a more genuine connection to religious intolerance than privileged, out of touch conservatives like Tedesco) but despite that still desires to promote unity and tolerance, and at the last hour is revealed to be an intersex man who was counselled by the pope to get a hysterectomy (and decided against it), as if literally embodying the tension between these two positions within the church. Not sure how I feel about that lol, intersex characters are so rare and he’s not treated as a punchline, they even do the “born this way” thing with it as like god made him intersex. so like props for that I guess.

overall a very goofy person’s idea of power and politics but it was a fun watch and I had a good time. Kinda soured on how ridiculous it is that Benitez would pull a super-majority from a single speech to Tedesco about him not knowing anything about “real war” and the need for unity - like idk I remember learning about Mehmet Ali Acğa’s assassination attempt of the pope and how virulently Islamophobic the response was from the public & media, the idea that there would be a “Muslim terrorist” bombing (they leave it vague in the movie but that’s clearly what’s being evoked) in Rome that damaged the building or church or wherever the cardinals were, and the cardinals didn't all immediately side with Tedesco is pretty mind boggling lmao. Again trying very hard to set aside my thoughts on history and religious politics and just have a fun time with this one, but it’s hard to distance those things when the history being dealt with is so recent.

Ralph Fiennes owns in this movie though, great job from him and just what I wanted out of a Ralph Fiennes character. I really liked this review of it on Letterboxd

[ideasarestuckinmyhead]

Saw someone in here request a Auron finds out Charlie and Rook are siblings fic? So like-…can you please?-

You're related?

From this ask talking about it by @thatonedilfs

Idk if Rook is older or Charlie but I'm making Rook older. Also I use Monarch as a nickname for Rook. (I couldn't think of a gender neutral chess piece one)

In the limo Rook slumped against Auron, it was a slowly day for them. Their partner told them that both would be meeting up with a old friend of Auron's. Rook just nodded and already knew they were going to be silence the whole time.

"Luckily, I trust him to keep you a secret. I think you'd like him." Looking at his partner, Auron smiled. The way they looked sleepy made them look very cute. But looking back up he made eye contact with Casper who looked worried.

Simply giving the driver a smile made them relax. For some reason though, Casper couldn't shake off that Rook looked familiar to them. Didn't help they weren't allowed to speak to Rook, it was a simply request from Auron.

Pulling up to Charlie's apartment, Casper left out a sigh and got out. Their boyfriend smiled as they opened the door to the back of the limo. Giving them a kiss Charlie slipped in and paused seeing Rook.

"Charlie, this is-" Auron's introduction was interrupted by the siblings looking at each other.

"CHARLIE?!"

"MONARCH?!"

Both yelled made Auron jump a bit at the sudden rise in volume. Giving them both a look, the red head turned to Rook who pushed off their seat. Tackling Charlie into a hug and laughing as they squeezed their younger brother hard.

"Holy fuck you dipshit how are you?!" Squealing happily, Rook broke the hug and then paused. Their mood switched as they connected the dots of why he left home so early.

"YOU WERE IN A GANG?! YOU FUCKIN-" Yelling was cut off by Charlie covering their mouth. He had a horrified look seeing their older siblings wrath, even now years later it was scary. Turning his head he saw Auron just blinking confused and then sighing.

"So your related? How did I not?....Oh, right the last names." Muttering to himself the red head looked at the two. Casper at the driver seat snorted hearing this interaction. Now their remembering why Rook looked so familiar to them.

"Casper! Don't laugh at us, this is so confused oh my god..." Whispering Charlie looked at his sibling. Who had a looked of recognized hearing Casper's name. Licking Charlie's hand quickly, making the blonde cringe and let out a noise they leaned over the divider.

"CAS? HOLY SHIT I DIDN'T RECOGNIZED YOU!" Excitedly yelling Rook gave them a quick hug before turning back to Charlie. "Did you two finally confess your fuckin' feelings or what?"

The couple looked away and blushed hearing this. Charlie cleared his throat to answer but Auron beat him to it. Suddenly the quote 'no matter where you are everyone's always connected' came into his mind.

"I see, so everyone in this limo knows each other. This makes it easier to talk about why we're here." Stating Auron gently pulled Rook to sit back down. Casper took this as a sign to start driving and becoming silent. Charlie shifted getting serious looking at his old boss.

Rook looked between their brother and Auron, suddenly feeling the weight of this information. Holy shit, Charlie was I a gang and they didn't know? A hand cut their thoughts off by squeezing theirs.

"I found something after....relinquishing Derek's position under me." The implications of his words made Rook look at his hands. Distracting themselves so that they didn't see their faces talking about their 'other' job.

Pulling out a book, Auron handed it to Charlie to see. Casper gripped the wheel a bit hard as they drove around with no direction in mind. Looking into the review mirror and saw Charlie gently taking the book.

The blonde felt a sudden hole in his stomach as he opened it, wondering what made Auron nervous about it. Rook glanced up and glared at the book, not liking how Charlie's reaction to it shifted very quickly.

Everyone in the car was silent as Charlie flipped through the pages looking at the writing. Confusion became more apparent as he tried to understand the contents of the book. Looking up at his old boss, Charlie had a look of worry.

"Who's Finn?" Asking the tension in the limo thickened. Auron took a deep breath before telling everyone what he knew so far.

Rook looked out the window and thought to themselves. So much for a nice family reunion. This wasn't going to end well either, was it?

[theplatypusblue]

Okokok dragons rising s2p2 REWATCH thingy it’s mostly me noticing small details and shit I missed the first time. Ramble-y at points lol

Many many big spoilers below (also it’s long)

Ok so like….. first episode it gets established that all the dragon tribes fall under the jurisdiction of each of the source dragons…. Neato. More world building shenanigans

WYLDFYRE PEAK YIPPEE. Nya said Lloyd was helping her with her precision, and there’s this really cute animation moment where’s she’s firing her flames like she’s shooting a gun lol

Ok so like Frak taught Arin how to make Merlopian Berry Crème pie…. Frak is merlopian question mark(?) (I don’t think it makes sense timeline wise lol don’t listen to me)

I like the scene of Zane training it reminds me a little bit of that scene from all the back in s1 where’s he’s just tuning everybody out

So like the tournament thingy takes place at the same spot as that flashback with Wu and Bonzle in season 1 (maybe?) I wonder why Wu was hanging out there so long ago lol. (I mean lily might have been at the last one too but like who knows)

ROBY PEAK!!!! My only issue with him and Bleckt is that I wish the writers would’ve really hammed up the comedy between the two. Made them just completely unserious. Would’ve made Bleckts betrayal a little more impactful maybe. (Imagine a bunch of goofy cartoony gags between the two, only for the eventual reveal that bleckt actually genuinely wants roby dead. Woulda been crazier)

Ok so seven headed source dragon thingy. It’s either symbolism like roby said or we are eventually gonna build up to an ultra-dragon adjacent situation. Somehow. Idk how. But maybe it would be cool

Ok random thought. I think it’s pretty clear at this point that elemental powers come from and are associated w the source dragons. You can extrapolate the connections (fire and heat come from motion, plants is probably from life, etc). I think you can remedy the whole “the new elemental powers are stupid” thing by thinking about them more as the elements of the source they are associated with , rather than elemental powers in the traditional sense of our world (If that distinction makes sense lol idk how to explain it non-stupidly. It’s just a matter of framing)

That being said, I really like zant-tanz lol I think it’s his voice teehee. Silly whimsical snail man. Shame he had to get kicked out but then again…. He had some rock stacking to do at home

Ok ok ok I think some parts of the Jay fight are kinda lame (“and I will always hate you” 🙄) but things make more sense from jays perspective I think. Imagine you’re coming from a place where everyone devalued ur individuality and didn’t care abt you as a person, and then you come to this tournament where ur opponent (who ur literally fighting against in this ~tournament~) suddenly starts telling you you’re the love of their life n stuff (and ur also being manipulated but besides that even). I would also just assume that they’re being weird and try to kick their ass.

“Not sure I can pull it off… it’s arriving too soon” what exactly was Wu trying to pull off lol? crazy theory time 100% NOT real NOT going to happen: Wu is trying to bring someone (I’m betting his dad) back from the dead, cuz like departed realm shenanigans and the merge maybe. But we also don’t really know how departed realm stuff works yet, so there’s not much we can extrapolate from there. Idk.

I’m sorry but I always think it’s really cool when cinder bounces people around like a basketball teehee. He’s a very fun character to watch during fights.

Similar-ish point to my Jay spiel from 2 seconds ago but like. Arin’s convo w Frak abt how shatterspin is super evil actually makes me laugh a little bit. Cuz Arins going on about like “oh dude it ~~shatters your goodness~~ you can’t ever do shatterspin” and internally Frak is like “is this guy actually fr” lmao. On my first watch through I was literally like “Arin stop you sound so fucking brainwashed rn” shfjfjjfkfkgkgla

Ok ok so Ras wanted all the elemental powers so he could get a dragon icon somehow…. Lloyd just got his gifted to him tho. (Might be another matter of force vs harmony — you can either do all the hard work to get all the powers and make ur own icon, or the source dragons will just like. Give you an icon. If ur cool enough or whatever)

Dragon Ivory stores powers, dragon horns can give u power but then they make u angry or smthn… dragon ivory can also be used to communicate w the nether space….... hhhrrrnnngg dragon lore im trying to make it make sense in my brain hrrrnngg

Frak is so nice and respectful he’s such a good guy lol (I have to DRAW HIM. Being COOL. Because he IS. I’ll get to it eventually)

Small nitpick but like. The way the tournament is organized kinda makes no sense….. cuz all the plot relevant fights involving the ninja happen at the beginning, so they’ve been in multiple fights and get multiple powers. Then there’s a montage of them fighting other elemental masters who only have one power. So the whole thing is actually completely unbalanced and unfair. Turns out Roby does suck at organizing tournaments lol

God that one shot of nokt running at the camera hunting the arc dragon is so fucking perfect the colors are just mmmmmmhhhh so good I gotta redraw it I gotta redraw it so baddddddddhhhhhhhhhh

Ohhhhh the final couple of fights the composition and the coreography were sooooo good we are backkkkkk we are soooooooooo backkkkkkkkkkk

TLDR: I remember it being good and then I rewatched it and it was still good. Yayyyyyyyy

[raisindave]

[Chapter 73] Seeing the World Through Ballistic-Tinted Glasses

This is just an entire chapter of unhinged, depraved smut, idk what to tell you. Come get y’all juice I guess. Enjoy <3

There's something so exciting about pushing someone's buttons. It's no fun when it's someone who doesn't want to be fucked with; it's also no fun when there's no reaction. But Ghost always has a reaction. You just have to push the right buttons. He might play stoic at first, feign ambivalence like he always does, or flex his authority if you happen to forget his exalted rank. There's something so exciting about tipping water droplets onto the surface of an overfilled glass of water, testing how far you can push the surface tension. And push things you have. What's he gonna do, tell Price that you were mean to him with a quivering lower lip? 

You weren't expecting him to withdraw entirely, but he lifted himself from over you leaving you shockingly empty and cold both metaphorically and literally. Maybe it wasn't wise to spit in his face when he has your arms tied in a way that you definitely wouldn't be able to free yourself from if he happened to up and leave. Fuck. What's scarier is that he doesn't even look mad, just dark. Like his chin is tilted slightly downward and the whites of his eyes glint just above his waterline. The thought of apologizing never necessarily crossed your mind, but it did for a moment as his hand flashed toward you, harshly swiping the pillow from under your head and making you flump back into the mattress. 

In your daze, you didn't even connect what he was doing with his neatly folded clothes until he pried free a grey rectangle from the pocket of his jeans, wiry headphones dangling in tow. He almost instinctively measured the chords against his forearm like he does for all other ropes, an act that even made him blink in confusion; what you wouldn't do to know what was going on in his head right now. His phone, headphones, and a pillowcase he shucked from the pillow you'd been robbed of. At least you got a glimpse of a heavily cracked screen- a well-loved piece of technology, to put it lightly. Cleanliness and durability don't always go hand in hand. An odd glimpse into his personal life makes you wonder whose numbers he might have saved in there. While he was occupied by tapping away at his small, bulky personal cell, you thought to clear the unsteady silence. 

"Listen, it's not that serio-"

"Shut the fuck up," he barked. 

A chill ripped through your body; that's his this is serious tone. You held strong to your belief, owning what you'd done rather than submit like he's expecting. If he has the gall to step into your field of view again, you'll happily grace him with another spatter of saliva across his face. Fuck, his arms look so good. He stepped forward again, seemingly satisfied with whatever he was up to, an utterly unreadable expression in his eyes. 

There was a tenderness to how he placed the sheet over your eyes, and it all clicked into place. He made the pillowcase into a blindfold, tying it carefully behind your head in a thick knot. For some reason you could feel air flashing past your face. Seconds later, it connected with you that he was probably drawing punches to see if you could see past the blindfold. You couldn't, and now you'd lost access to two of your major faculties, your arms and eyes. For a second, you could hear him let out a low chuckle, and a sudden wash of eager anticipation crashed into your system. Your wrists writhed under your spine. He still wasn't touching you. Even worse, you've been stripped of the privilege of gawking at his form. The more time passed, the more you craved his touch, any touch in this void you're now floating in, and he finally caved. Of all the places on your body you were anticipating his hands, your ears were the last. Carefully, he was tucking your hair behind your ear to clear the way to place those earbuds in either of your ears. As much as you might baffle him with your so-called unprofessional attitude, he too baffles you with these wily schemes he gets up to. 

Just as you were about to say something snarky, the sound of deafening noise came through the flimsy speakers, startling you enough to make you flinch. It took you a second to recognize the noise as blasting metal music, and suddenly his hands were all over you. Pinching taut skin and ropes over your chest, cool air flooded over your tongue as you gasped. To say his touch was ravenous would be an understatement. Much-needed contact on your skin that made you crazy, and the feeling of his teeth over your collarbone made it worse. Teeth? He's taken his mask off, or pulled it up at least. An excuse to bite and nip at your skin while you're particularly susceptible, stripped of sight and sound, expertly crafted torture. He slipped himself back within your folds without any effort, another gasp torn from your throat that you couldn't hear past the squealing guitar and thundering drums. 

You did it to yourself, really. It's probably pretty not the best idea to piss him off when he has you in a state like this. Though, maybe that's the best part of it. Inciting his wrath to be taken out by fucking your brains out. That sounds like a win-win, except you are winning both times. His trusts weren't kind, even if they felt like a gift. They left your body shaking after every push against your cervix. Out of nowhere, his two fingers hook under your lower teeth, prying your jaw open. You do as you're bade, only because you have no other option. His other hand closing around your throat made you flinch at the additional unexpected touch. If you could hear what he was up to it would make all the difference, but unfortunately every action came as a shock to you. Heat grew over your face, more than what's already there. What came next was once again confusing at first, but it was a sensation you were all too familiar with. He'd spat in your mouth he pried open, spattering his own hot saliva over your tongue, returning your insubordination. All while he continued to punish you with his pace, fuck, the friction he created was divine. Worse yet, his hand tightened around your throat, disavowing you from swallowing the act. This was an act he'd done on your last birthday, an act that set your blood on fire all the same. Hopefully this won't end like that night did. 

He really is cruel to no end. You could only hear him whenever the music would pause between songs; once the screaming guitars and vocals withdrew, his rhythmic panting and gasps made your heart flutter, just as another crashing drum riff returns to command control over your senses again. All these sensations and lack thereof were all too much. The elevation to your senses from the denial of others made heat quickly grow in your core, and his palm finally withdrew from your throat, permitting you to swallow his spit. Once again, those fingers hooked under your teeth, and for a moment you rejected the second lashing of punishment, but he persisted. After considering biting down on his fingertips, he pried your mouth open again, and that free hand returned to the side of your head with an unanticipated air of clemency. It seems your expectations might never match reality because you swore you could feel his nose touch your cheek for an instant. Something hard touched your teeth, and you instinctively recoiled. Hot breath swept over your damp lips. Breath? Reluctantly, you opened your mouth fully, and shuddered as he placed some small item in your mouth from his own. A million thoughts and more surged through your neurons, and the taste of blackberries swept over your tongue. A candy? He'd placed a hard candy in your mouth, one of those German fruit-shaped sweets Laswell gifted you with the candle. It tasted so sweet, so sweet from his mouth; it felt like lightning had struck your body and left your skin electrified. 

That familiar tense energy between your thighs built, and his mouth closed around the side of your neck as you came undone around him. The sensation was slow to fade, leaving you twitching and trembling as he continued. For a few beats, he carried on, only to withdraw entirely. Spatters of hot seed spilled over your stomach, not nearly as hot as candle wax, and you could only imagine the look on his face right now. You were so used to him spilling himself within you that the thought of him withdrawing almost came as a shock, but it's no matter. You crunched the hard candy you'd lapped at with your tongue, a satisfying crack across your molars and smiled at the sweet candy. 

Heat had been sapped from your body, and the energy receded, he seemed to have stepped away. Blasting metal music continued, allowing you to catch on to what must be lyrics once your attention was free. Just as you started to grasp the actual rhythm of the tune, a hot fibrous cloth on your belly made you flinch as he swiped away his sin. A few more seconds of oblivion, and he lifted the blindfold, so too removing the headphones from your ears. The world spun for a short while, brighter than ever before. Blinding light from the lamp at your side made your pupils strain to catch up to the world around you. Your ears were ringing, and his mask had been pulled back over his face, he was neatly wrapping the headphone wires around his cell phone. It hadn't even occurred to you how out of breath you were until the music wasn't blaring in your ears anymore. 

He looked more exhausted than you'd ever seen him, a thin sheen of sweat over broad shoulders that challenged your unwinding hormones. He, too, was gathering his breath, but after another pause he rose to hook an arm under your spine. Your eyelids were heavy, but he was unravelling the ropes that bound your arms behind your back, suddenly acutely aware of the strain they'd left along your shoulders. That tenderness had faded, and he roughly twisted and tugged at loose chords, one by one unravelling his masterwork. Finally, your arms were free. He sat himself at the edge of the bed, and the discarded sheets felt more heavenly than before once you wrapped them around yourself. Warm, sated, with the taste of sweet blackberries lingering on your tongue. You even spotted the torn candy bag beside you on the table, assorted candies splayed over the wood. The relief you'd felt from the orgasm that ravaged your entire system let you easily consider this one of your top-ten birthdays of all time. Even if it's otherwise miserable. At least a minute was spent in blissful silence, catching up on your breath and peace before a series of sinister thoughts clicked into place. Your voice finally caught up, and you put your pieces on the board. 

"Are you satisfied now?" you croaked. 

"Quite."

"Well, I'm not," you sighed, rolling on your side. 

"No? You sounded pretty satisfied," he boasted in that gravelly accent you knew all too well. 

For a beat the thought occurred to you that his spit and the candy might have been an attempt to silence you, that these thin walls might invite some privy voyeurs. Maybe, maybe not. Maybe that's part of his psyop, and he wants you to be doubting yourself right now. There's this thought that's lingered in your conscience since you had a taste of it with your first encounter with him. It's both within grasp and entirely out of reach, a pipe dream that you'll have finess from him. This man won't comply of his own volition. You can't overpower him physically, that one time you did was a fluke. 

"If you want to make this birthday extra special, I was think-"

"Not happening," he grumbled. 

"You don't even know what I was gonna say," you raised your head from your now bare pillow in outrage. 

"I know what you want," he shifted to face you from the end of the bed. "You're not tying me up."

"Why not?" you pout. 

"Security."

"Security? What, you don't trust me?"

"Don't trust anybody," he shrugged, "life's easier that way."

"How righteous of you," you scoff. "How about this, if you let me do this, I'll give you one I-Owe-You. And If I-"

"Deal."

"That was fast," you shook your head in confusion. 

"The mask stays on," he held steadfast, making sure you caught the gravity in his tone. 

"Deal."

He probably thinks he can easily break free of whatever scheme you have in mind for him. He's probably right. But that doesn't mean you don't have a few tricks up your sleeve to keep him compliant. There's no reason this can't also be beneficial for him. Your knots might not be as pretty and neat as his, but they'll get the job done. It's your turn to turn the tables, but you won't forget the kindness he offered you while you were under his control. And you won't forget his brutality either. 

You stood uneasily at first, but the pads of your feet eventually landed on the grainy carpet. Even your shoulders ache, and your ears are still ringing. He eyed you cautiously as you rose, even more cautiously as you gathered his clothing from the wooden chair in the corner and tossed it to the floor. That one looked like it stung, and his eyes lingered on his jeans and shirt, now splayed on the ground. You also made sure to grab the black survival rope he'd neatly ravelled into a tidy loop, cocking your head to the side as he, too, watched you with skepticism. He seemed more bold and challenging than you were, though. The tables have turned. With the chair within reach, you repositioned it to sit at the foot of the bed, right next to him. 

"Sit," you order sweetly. 

"Am I going to regret this?" 

"It's likely."

He rose from his position and for a snapshot in time you stood face to face. All this time, you'd encountered him from the context of you being on your back or something of the sort, but he lazily met your stance. Even standing at your tallest, you couldn't even clear his shoulder, and his bare skin in your peripheral made your heart skip at the size of him. You swallowed hard. For a moment, it looked like he recognized your internal struggle, satisfied by his evident effect on your heart rate. Brown eyes met yours, and you swore his pupils dilated. He leaned forward and it made your stomach lurch, but instead he sat down in the creaky wooden chair, tilting his head back to easily meet your eyes. 

"Don't break the chair now," you manifested your sweetest voice as you aligned his wrists to align with the chair's wooden arms. 

"Why should I care about an old chair at a run-down motel?" 

"It's a charge on Laswell's credit card that will require an explanation." 

"Chairs break all the time," he watched your hands move with a smug expression. "Just say you sat on it and it fell apart."

"You think I want to take responsibility for your mistake?" you frowned sadistically, drawing a black rope around his wrist. 

He doesn't really have a choice to argue back since you're already tightening the cord that secures his wrists to the chair, haphazardly looping twice, thrice around his wrist to make sure it's extra tight. If you're honest with yourself, you're not entirely clear on what you're doing, but basic logic suggests you fasten his wrists and forearms and loop around the back of the chair to secure the other side. Unfortunately there isn't enough rope to secure every limb, but you'll have to settle with this with your limited resources. It's becoming clear that it'd be a miracle if you can secure him at all with how quickly this rope is being used. 

Around his back, and now it's time to secure his tattooed arm. Swirling inky imagery of skulls and weapons, how sinister. No match to your gruff ties along the curves of his bicep. His muscles are so warm under your fingertips. Focus, he's watching you actively stoke his ego, his chest even flexed as he laughed at your lingering eyes. Asshole. Both arms were secure, held fast by black ropes hard as iron, looped half a dozen times each over his arms to ensure he wouldn't break free without at least some breakage. A new heat in your core sparked. He looked heavenly, even if he didn't have the same shock he did that first time. Not to worry though, you have a plan. 

There's a certain arrogance in his look, like he thinks you can't outdo his previous act. While that was one for the history books, you have every intention to test the ego in his level gaze. 

At first you felt a twang of guilt at the thought of defacing the chocolate birthday cake your comrades had supposedly been up at the crack of dawn for, but at the same time, it's not their business how you want to consume it. Still, you couldn't help but cringe as you swipe your fingers across the delicate icing, scooping exquisite chocolate frosting on your two fingers. Without a moment of hesitation you transferred the treat onto his molten skin; heat from tight muscles radiating under your tongue as you lapped up the sugar. You'd always had a sweet tooth. He cocked his head to the side as he watched you glide your tongue over his shoulder, his pectoral, even haphazardly spreading a palm of the sticky treat across his abs. At least you avoided the gauze, an obstacle you were considerate enough to steer clear of. Your enjoyment of this birthday treat was made extra sweat by the rippling surface, he couldn't seem to take his eyes off you. Sitting back upright, you spared a glance to consider his expression, still arrogant and brash. It made your breath hitch, stepping further to rest your shins on either side of his thighs, straddling his lap. 

"How's this for too sweet?" you purr, slipping the decadent fingers under his mask, despite some resistance, and past his lips. 

He should consider himself lucky that you're loyal enough to respect his wishes, not lifting the mask above what's necessary to slip your fingers into his mouth, concealing his jaw with your palm. His tongue was warm over your fingers. Once he detected that you wouldn't betray his trust, he leaned in, lapping at your fingers with sultry eyelids, a foreign sensation that felt so unbelievably erotic around your fingertips. But he, too, wasn't so quick to forgive. He bit down on your fingers hard. Pain shot through your fingers and up your arm and your jaw tightened in agony. It seems you're each taking turns trading blows, and soon you won't even know who made the first slight. 

You'll return the courtesy if he wants to toy with the unexpected. If he wants to bite down on your fingers in protest, coy as he might think he is, you won't tolerate the insult. Shifting your posture to rest on one shin, and lifted your other leg while his gaze remained transfixed on yours. Candlewax would have a negligible effect on someone like him, so you'd have to up the ante. You had the wisdom to withdraw your fingers from his mouth before you slammed your knee into his groin, sending an explosion of anguish to wrack his body. 

He gulps in a gasp, holds shakily, and lets out a low, creaky whine. There's something so thrilling about it, though, so invigorating. You'd never thought of yourself as a sadist, but something about how he whimpers and groans when you hurt him like this makes you feel alive. More alive than ever. You'd seen needles get drawn through his skin just hours ago, gauze on his stomach that only slightly softens your heart, but only you can rip this reaction from his lips. Transfixed, you can't take your eyes off how his Adam's apple flexes on the column of his pale throat as he whines. For some reason, the thought occurred of hovering your mouth over his as a distraction. Through the cloth, you can feel the void of his open mouth, gasping hot air as you can only imagine the level of pain he's in right now. Your lips only technically making contact with his through the cloth of his mask, you breathed with him as he heaved for air. It feels so good. You'd never heard him groan or show any signs of distress until now, even if by a normal man's standards he's still remarkably tame. 

Your glory gained a twang of pity as he gasped. You barely saw eyebrows knit together in agony as he strained to tilt his head back. Gentle fingers caressed the side of his face, along the cloth on his jaw, around the skull-shaped plate across his nose. No reaction other than agony, except for when you softly took his cock in your palm. For a moment, his eyelids fluttered in recognition, but he only sucked air between his teeth and flexed his shoulders. Still in agony, you felt an odd twinge of pity for betraying him, even if it was all in the name of particularly sadistic sex. It still lit a fire in your core, and your own ache became clear as his muscles buckled against your restraints, you lifted yourself to straddle his lap again. Without even thinking, you did it again. Slamming your knee into his sensitive balls, he doubled over despite his arms being securely fastened. Not even for any particular reason, just call that one preemptive.  

Another cry tore from his throat, gruff and low. The pain threatened to make him go soft, but you still sat down gently on his cock with a sigh, taking him within you once again. He winced, and gulped, and his fleeting gaze finally focused to meet yours. His shoulders were tense when you wrapped your forearms around his neck as you had to wrangle this mechanical bull. The entire encounter started to feel like a song, slow and rhythmic, as you worked electric muscles to sow pleasure back into his body. He slowly gave in, letting his head fall back again and exposing his neck. And his neck tasted delicious along your tongue, even if he didn't have chocolate frosting along his skin that made it extra sweet. His agony was delicious, it just made you want to ride him harder. His voice was creaking in his throat, whining words like 'oh fuck’ and 'shit,' music to your ears as you took him deeper within you. 

You found yourself grinding down into his orgasm as your own found your system in turn. He poured himself into you, straining and bucking against you to dig himself further. For a brief instance, you were connected, no matter how briefly, thanks in part to what some might call guilt. It's definitely something he won't forget, and it's easy fodder for dialogue if he ever wants to get petty in the future. 

You furthered your makeshift apology by palming a circular container of sweet-smelling lotion, pistachio and salted caramel, and swiped it over his broad chest. Something you'd picked up in Italy at one of those boutiques before the gala. You eventually lifted yourself from his lap, watching his eyes as you took your fingers to re-administer his dripping succour back within you. If anything, he looked like he blushed at the action, a reaction that you’d never expect from the likes of him. Carefully and tenderly, you worked the balm over his skin; his breath finally started to steady after a few minutes of your kindness. It's only fair. You did just technically brutalize him with cruel torture that even Narcos debt-collectors might not consider. Not that you have any guilt, though. He smelled so sweet, sweeter than the usual musk and grime and sweat and gunpowder. He was even such a good boy when you loosened your dodgy ropework around his wrists. 

"Are you satisfied now?" you repeated your question from earlier.

"Fuck you," he groaned weakly.

<< Prev Chapter           Next Chapter>>

Master List

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for vaguely coming out to my boyfriend's aunt at Thanksgiving?

As you can probably guess my bf and I are a gay couple. There was a mostly unspoken - just bc it didn't need to be spoken - agreement that we'd be acting like we were just good friends at his family's Thanksgiving bc they're Catholic and he's generally just not ready to be out.

It was just me, him, his parents, and his visiting aunt... who was decidedly very butch. Like undeniably. There's the standard old-lady-with-short-hair look but then there was this genuinely bulky rural woman who is unmarried at 60, never had kids, and outright told me that her friends essentially called her a masc name AND that she was here instead of home bc the "close friend" she usually spends holidays with passed away this year. It all just added up like crazy. Idk if my bf's parents have put it together themselves and/or if they just ignore it or what, and actually even my bf denied it when I first brought it up but I think he's just struggling to reconcile his upbringing with who he is and whatnot.

Anyway, that last part about the aunt's likely partner was during a private moment between the two of us, and it really sealed it for me. I started to offer condolensces and she immediately changed the subject to ask about the "close friendship" between me and my bf-- plausibly innocently, but I just felt it was right and I more or less confessed to her that I had really strong feelings for him.

And that's ALL i confessed. I didn't actually say we were dating. I just alluded strongly to the like, "we are the same" type vibes and that her nephew is like, my dream man. I didn't imply anything about his sexuality. For all she knows, I have unrequited feelings for him or something. And I know she's definitely gay herself now with how she reacted, AND she made it pretty clear she wasn't gonna tell her brother or his wife. She's chill.

So the issue is that I recently told my bf about this, knowing he would at least be upset that I didn't tell him sooner. And I'm totally ready to accept the flack for being a coward about the honestly on that part. I figured he really ought to know about his aunt, if nothing else. But he's also upset that I said anything to her of that nature at all. He insists it's the principle of the thing, that the lack of consequences mean nothing and that I should have just assumed the worst and been more careful, etc. And like, I did feel a little bad about my big fucking mouth in the moment, but ultimately it felt like a nice and important moment of connection. But WAS I the asshole for not being more careful? Like really?

What are these acronyms?

[lee-sanghyeok]

MY EXPERIENCE WITH MUSIC BANK MADRID

The Acts

Kiss Of Life had the unfortunate task of opening the show to a cold and drenched crowd of 30.000, so due to their lack of experience, their act was a bit lacklustre. I'm sure that in a year or so they'll be much better! Vocally they're obviously top notch and everyone was jazzed to hear Midas Touch live.

Similar to KIOF, P1Harmony had the task of warming up the crowd while it was still pouring rain. I think that hindered them a bit from going full out and being in the moment, but the crowd went wild anyway. "Sad Song" and "Killin' It" are great songs for a concert. Keeho, Jongseob and Soul were crowd favourites. (I cheered a lot for Theo, Jiung and Intak, do NOT worry)

I have to say that Sohee is the heart of RIIZE. He really makes the group whole with his voice. Even had to wipe a tear at the end of "Love 119" because of how sweet and earnest he sang. Everyone went crazy for all the boys. I think it lacked a bit of genuine excitement overall, but maybe with Seunghan returning that'll be resolved soon 👀 Speaking of: the "RIIZE is 7" chant 😌😌😌😌 was loud and clear. Not one ot6 in that 30.000 person amphitheater. 87 different nationalities chanted along. Seunghan, you're so loved.

The clear standout was NMIXX. All of them are vocal powerhouses, their choreo is dynamic, and they even sang "Sonãr" fully in Spanish! There's just something in their eyes when they perform that transcends them from excellent to exceptional. Haewon, Jiwoo and Kyujin especially go into a different headspace.

I've spoken about bonedo in these asks (1), (2), (3), (4), but to add: they really were just SO jazzed to be there. Woonhak went so close to the edge of the stage that I thought he was going to crowd-surf from excitement. And it was very clear the crowd loved them, even if they weren't necessarily fans. And EVERYONE knew E,W&F. 30k people singing along was such an overwhelming experience.

Solar's solo showed everyone what SINGING is. She SANG. Full chest voice. Fully live. This was serious business. Moonbyul's performance was super cute too and they also did two songs together.

Aespa and Enhypen were the last two performers and obviously the headliners, but they've reached a point of being so rehearsed and polished that it doesn't really register as a real performance. They're vocally at the top of their game, fully live, perfect choreo, but I found it difficult to connect with them. (Could be bc of my old age of 23? I would've died if I saw Enhypen at 16/17 y/o) This is probably a hot take. 😅

Special Stages

There were three special stages:

 • Solar, Julie and Belle sang a song by ROSALIA. I lost my motherfucking mind. The girl beside me yelled "madre" over and over again and that kind of sums it up. Very appropriate song for the event.

 • Heeseung sang "I cant feel my face" by The Weekend like a total pro. He was feeling the fantasy and his voice is that of a pure popstar. I'm curious as to why he chose that song specifically, but maybe I'm just not cued in about something.

 • Trio homage stage by P1H, NMIXX, and Bonedo. P1H sang "Chk Chk Boom" by SKZ, NMIXX did "Kick It" by NCT (and Kyujin got possessed idk what the FUCK happened but she was on another level), and bonedo did "Real Real" by WINNER, which was vocally totally different from what they usually do. Especially Sungho stuck out! There was a lot of warmth in his voice that isn't usually there due to the quippy nature of their songs.

The Organisation

I went alone and everything was in Spanish, but the organisation made everything run smoothly and I had no issues. Everything was clear and they consistently send emails prior to the event, so it was really easy to navigate the venue. Someone that doesn't often go to big concerts would feel overwhelmed though!! I saw a lot of people being very very confused and lost.

Prior to the performances, a Music Bank rep came onstage to once again remind everyone of safety procedures, the exit routes, and so on, which was very professional.

Leaving the venue also went fairly smooth. Cars went slow but there weren't any actual issues. I took a cab.

The Vibe™

It was 50/50 parents with children and young adults with their (internet) friends. Lots of people dressed up despite the downpour, which was lowkey admirable. (@ the parents that dressed up as well: you're so cool and your child soooo appreciates it) I personally wouldn't recommend it though.

The k-pop concert "etiquette" is still something I need to get used to though. I'm just dancing three hours straight but everyone in my block was NOT moving (aside from hand movements when the key point of a choreo came). The pit is also not moving because they're pressed together. It's def strange listening to dance/electro music and seeing people NOT move. But that's just the way it goes and says more about me than the others.

However, sometimes I was raising my hands above my head like this 🤟🤘🤙👈👏 (BECAUSE IT'S A CONCERT) and the girl behind me asked me to stop doing that because it blocked her camera. I was so shocked that I obliged, but at any other concert I would've started arguing.

But honestly, everone was just so happy and energetic. The three hours flew by, because for so many it was the first time seeing k-pop IRL. You really felt how much this meant to everyone. I didn't even hear anyone complaining about the rain.

Lastly, being tall rules lmao. I was on the tribune so no one was blocking my view anyway, but I was TOWERING over these people and I'm only 172cm. A girl stepped fully in front of me to film (let's not talk about it) and I still had no issues seeing the idols. So... be tall lol. Or wear platform sneakers.

Conclusion

Overall, I had a really great time and it was truly unforgettable. Definitely worth the time and money. My only wish is that people loosen up a little bit more so that we're actually dancing to dance music.

[nebelihood]

Hey Arnold Study ENTRY01 "Arnold visits Arni"

GUuYS- As you may know I recently got re-obessed with Hey Arnold for a brief amount of time very recently. (Sadly I had to kill that obsession because of school and Looney tunes comic- but no worries, I'll try to come back as soon as the comic is finished jahsj qwq)

BUT I GOT LIKE REALLY OBSESSED LIKE SUPER- YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY HEY ARNOLD SCREENSHOTS I HAVE NOW- I HAVE A WORD DOCUMENTING EVERYTHING FROM ALMOST EVERY EPISODE (Except the ones from last seasons cause I was honestly tired of writting while eating and pausing and not being able to watch comfortably Hey Arnold-)

Dated 06/06/2023

Side note 01: I don't mean sl*ty in a demeaning way, I was trying to explain things to myself and let them clear to me x'0

Side note 02: This episode happens previously to "Married" episode.

Obviously the most interesting part of the episode was how Arnold switched Helga's personality to someone he actually developed feelings for and it wasn't too far away from Helga's real character like her poetry, her schemes to get closer to the guy she liked and general appearance. What's also interesting to note is how they changed the other characters, they basically switched their personalities between two characters, ex: Making phoebe dummer and Stinky smarter. Gerald more exaggerated and Sid cooler. Rhonda carless and Harold all about looks.

But when they switched Lila and Helga, Lulu came out more "sluty" and flirty. Traits that have nothing to do with Helga. And Hilda came out as inteligent and sweeter, which could be characteristics that could apply to Lila- only without her iconic "Ever so much" and exaggerated kindness. Those characters didn't seem to switch personalities. Maybe show unconscious beliefs of them?

It's a awesome episode to think about since it's all Arnold's dream so reflecting on the way he portrayed "helga" he must have some sort of idea of her, that she's nice deep down. Like he has confirmed he doesn't think Helga is mean for the sake for being mean in the Helga vs Patty episode. Like he has seen Helga act nice in the Rhonda costume party when she pretended to be Lila, like when he took care of her when she got amnesia and seemed too innocent, like when he convinced her to wash dishes and do the right thing. He must by this point, be almost sure there's a good nature underneath her despite how much she fights it.

About Lila... When they first started going out she was quite flirty. And she was also quite flirty when she went out with Arni, so maybe he perceives her attentions to certain degree a little sl+ty out of jealousy? idk just a thought.

Besides Lulu keeps Lila's way of communication "all so much about" "I'm all to certain that-"And the dream kept Arnold and Helga's tradition for crashing againts eachother. Making them essentially themselves and not them with switched personalities.

I think it's also interesting to see how Arnold also instantly fell in love"" when he saw Hilda. The first thing he asked was "Do I know you?" as to say she reminds him of someone he has seen cause he thinks he already knows her. The only possible answer is Helga.

IT's also interesting to see how Arnold bumped exactly with her as soon as she finished telling the moon if she would ever meet her one and true love.

I love Arnold's little shy hands hiding behind him, listening to her happily,,,

Arnold has witnessed to certain degree Helga reciting poetry like when Arni visited last time, so it's not crazy he made that connection to Hilda admitting she was reciting poetry.

"YEAhhhh"

ANYWAY in review, despite if he knows if Helga is a good person or not which at this point I'm sure he has a gut feeling, he must find her attractive rigth of the bait or at least feel attraction. Like when he complimented her the first time he saw her on "Helga on the couch" episode and because he doesn't even "know her" and he can't help to seem all goofy.

Note he also included Helga's "love sighs" on the dream, so maybe he has heard them before??

"I've never met anyone like you Hilda, and I really like you a lot"

He confessed to Hilda and Hilda confessed she liked Arni- This episode could be taken in two perspectives, one is that It's just like when Arni visited but this time is Arnold is Arni; so even if Arnold seems perfectly normal on this episode, he may have been a weirdo to everyone in town except to Lulu like it happened with Arni and Lila. This could be it but for wouldn't be completely accurate, Hilda would have had already been obsessed with Arni or idk maybe not. It could also be Arnold confessing to Lila and Lila saying she likes Arni, except for the whole intro to the situation reviewed on one ep. It's interesting he confessed to Hilda on his dream tho

(I didn't even understand myself what I meant but I'm gonna add that it could be Arnold falling in and out of love with Lila? And meaning he could fall in love with Helga if she showed her true nature? OR saying he already sort of likes her? Or likes what he thinkg he knows SHE IS??? LIKE I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M DOING THIS- I KNOW THEY ARE GONNA END UP TOGETHER I JUST WANT TO KNOW HE LIKED HER A LITTLE BACK TOO BACK THEN AND IT WASN'T THE RESULT OF HELGA SAVING HIS PARENTS AAAAA-)

Everyone chased Arnold except Hilda on Arnold's dream

Why was Arnold so happy that Helga was really Helga? If she was so nice in his dream (And so mean irl)? Was is because he really likes her as her is; or cause she doesn't like Arni like on his dream? LIKE WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I MEAN I'M HAPPY HE'S HAPPY TO SEE THE REAL HELGA BUT DOES THAT MEAN HE LIKES HER MEAN OR WHAT I'M CONFUSED

Why was Arnold so happy to find out Lila only liked him? Cause she wasn't the "sl+ty" Lulu who did like him? MAybe he was just happy he wasn't on his nightmare anymore, still Hilda was no nightmare except till the end where she rejected him,,,, I love how he only adressed them like wth- the rest of your friends were the ones chasing you to your death and you don't wanna doble check that???

end

(HAHAHAJAHSJAHA)

[raynavan]

heavy spoilers for chapter 23 of Always by your side by @ingo-ingoing-ingone!! this chapter was so fantastic i. didnt have words for it. ended up doing 6 (nearly 7) drawings for it instead. i think this is my record- it took me roughly 7 hours. a fair warning! this is both art and a comment to the fic in one. so its rather long!

ok i had an Unreasonable amount of fun doing the background on this one. ended up looking up a lot of the celestial bodies mentioned in the fic, man are they cool! it was implied that Emmet didn't really have a body so! stars instead. the colors were fun- i dont often let myself just. color like this haha! this one was... reall amazing. a fantastic opener! i immediately latched onto the visuals and painted a picture in my mind. it was just so... astronomical?

i actually struggled with how i was going to position these two for a while. at first it was just them coloring in a clearing- then i made them watching pokemon, and then. this! idk- there just something sweet in how Ingo turns around to look at Emmet and... lighting was funky for this one- how a forest shades the things beneath it will always hold a special place in my heart. these two interacting is always so wonderful to read. the gentle ribbing and teasing and... just them chilling and talking was so nice. the fact that it was dragons was even better! dragons are the best. i felt a very sweet and gentle moment needed an equally sweet and gentle drawing. if i could, i might have gone for line less on Ingo and Emmet here as well.

right- this was the last one i did. i think its the only one that i didn't get specifically from what was written. i just... wanted to give Emmet cuddles alright? /lh i had another sketch exploring exactly what Emmet might look, but i think ill revisit that when i... haven't been drawing for 7 hours straight hgfireohgope. the one in this is more simplified. the horror of having your face show one emotion- not even the one your most known for... your voice is toneless and the only was you can show even a fraction of what you feel is by copying what you (supposedly) dead brother used to do. there is a quiet horror in that- and yet Emmet still goes on. he cant feel texture and yet... he deserves many nice things.

this one!!! was originally going to be an Entire piece with a more "realistic" drawing of Ingo sitting behind a fire just like this. when i sketched this out (in the middle of reading it) that was the plan. Jedi saved me by making Emmet draw it like this. you saved me probably an hour ghirepoghpeirh. i... still might draw it how i wanted at some point. also the lighting was added last minute! i thought it would look... more messy with the light of the fire shining on it. i think it looks nice. the scene was sweet and, like Emmet mentioned he did, i put emphasis (or uh... thicker more defined lines) around peoples faces to better define their happiness. it made me happy to read them being happy and then draw them being happy <3

them!!!!!! i do not think it is a secret at All how much i love this au. i was More than happy to draw them again. and!!! being happy!!! perfect. i remembered this was a dream, and decided to blur the background quite a bit of this one- lopsided like its not really being thought about. adored this one. them!! teasing each other!! just!! going through a day!! perfect. amazing. it was really fun the way the small details of their routine was captured. from Ingo just. turning to goop so he doesn't have to pick up his clothes to Emmet just. accepting everything that happened from the mental connection to the shared feelings.

DRAMATIC FORESHORTENING!!!! i almost wanted to play it up More but then i might lose Ingo's expression. the background for this was fun to do- emphasis! strong colors!! looks like something broke. like something was torn away. this whole bit is just. exactly what Emmet fears and its just. ough. Ingo would never do this- we know this, Emmet knows this two- he knows how ridiculous Ingo was being here. and then the climax with Emmet just... falling off... amazing. Ingo's horrified expression is what caught my attention here, though i had a few more ideas depicting Ingo leaning over Emmet. i figured a dramatic drawing here would fit.

so! there ya go. i had. so much fun doing this and! thank you so much for writing this and sharing with us Jedi. if you keep this up, ill just have to keep making more drawings!! i don't think words are enough- not even sure if these can properly express how i felt reading it all (i actual had to get up and pace around bc i got so excited) but! i think that your art inspired my own art is a very beautiful thing.

lets all keep making art with one another forever.

[kepnerandavery]

Bridgerton season 3 (part 1) review

Thoughts on polin this season:

I stand corrected, people. I loved Penelope and Colin this season. I found the writing of those two as individual characters and a couple (on the show) to be mediocre before, but my god, it's like they jumped straight out of the fourth book this season. It's like I finally got to meet book Penelope and Colin (especially Colin). And the chemistry of the leads really surprised me too. I don't know what was going on before this season, but they are great together now. The writing/portrayal of the personalities of the two characters and their connection was spot on, and I honestly have no notes. I wish they had kept this same essence since the beginning, but I get why they were saving this until their season. As I expected, the execution of the translation of this season and couple from the book to screen was the best out of all three seasons. I wish the past two couples got the same attention and treatment (specially kanthony), but alas, there's nothing to be done about that. RMB is my fourth favourite book in the series, but this season is honestly my favourite. The dialogue, costumes, locations, aesthetic of the sets, and even the silent moments between the leads were so poignant. And this season made it clear how a show having a female show-runner can impact it so positively.

Now, on to the other things:

I really liked how they handled Penelope and Eloise's friendship and its fallout this season. Their friendship was written more subtly and with care this season and resembled the one in the books for the first time ever for me. And how they both changed as individuals by the absence of the solace the two of them found in each other in the past as they stood against the confoundedness and cruelty of society was written so well.

Kanthony were adorable and really cute and it's such a shame that we got so few scenes of them. At least they are together and happy.

I hate how they keep making a mockery of Benedict's character. It's clear that he should have already met Sophie and gotten his story cause his character feels lost among everyone else, but the poor boy is still smiling, so that's something I guess. I just wish they would for once properly focus on his love for art and improvement of his talent instead of his little dalliances. It's almost like the writers think that he has no other values/interests beyond that. I feel like the writers are so much better at handling Eloise's character and preparing her for her season than they are at writing Ben's. For god's sake, they should at least give him a best friend, or further build his relationship with one of his siblings or Violet to give his character some substantiality.

Eloise was really great this season and seemed so much more mature and grounded. Her costumes were immaculate too. I just wish we had seen her bond with Francesca more cause they're really close in the books.

As for Francesca, I'm sorry, I didn't like how her character or story was written this season. She was never meant to be this.. idk... plain and quirky? (no one come at me cause I'm a book Fran apologist). After watching these four episodes I feel like Ruby had a better grasp on Francesca's character than Hannah does but it could also have something to do with the very bland writing. But then again, most of what we know of Fran is from WHWW and she is more mature in it, so like polin, her character could also get major development later on as she gets older. But I don't have high hopes for that. And dare I say, I also didn't like how John was written either. He was always way more confident and outgoing in my mind (I also expected them to cast an actor of a larger build and screen presence to play him). But I do see how this version of him suits the new version of Fran. But all in all, neither of them were this particular in my imagination. I hadn't had any hopes for the adaptation of Michael's character since last season came out, so this is literally the nail on that coffin for me. At this point, I'm very desensitised to being let down by this show and prefer to be pleasantly surprised, so who cares.

The soundtrack was great (though nothing can beat season one's in my opinion). But Snow On The Beach playing in episode four at the exact moment it did was really poignant and sweet so it's my favourite song they used this season (so far).

Favorite quote:

"Eros and Psyche battling it out." "What you are trying to say, Miss Cowper? Are they not old friends?" "The oldest of friends, really. Ever since the Featheringtons moved in across the street." "Across the street from the Bridgerton house?" 😭 (argghhh! why is that the cutest thing? whoever wrote that deserves a raise!!!)

Suffice to say, I'm very excited to see how the rest of the season is written. I hope they handle the whole LWD thing with care too.

[polyhedraldreamgirl]

Some of my theories for Dragon Age 5!

I need to get this out of my head so here aaaare ..

Put your tinfoil hats on everybody, I did not do much research beyond what I already know and I'm going OUT OF POCKET!

Void, Retcon & Soul fragments

The game will heavily feature lore about/creatures from the Void.

The secret ending graphic pretty much confirms this idea for me (the black gaping triangle, also shaped like an eye), as well as it being a big unexplored thing in most of the lore that offers new angles. That don't necessarily need to be connected to alllllll the Evanuris stuff.

The speaker in the Secret Ending plus whoever their compatriots are are actually from the Void (at least originally), perhaps have been doing their Whispering and steering from there.

I'm certain they're going to hit us with a "these new creatures have been influencing Thedas ALL ALONG MWAHAHAH" line of thinking.

The secret ending at the end of Veilguard shows the Magister's Sidereal (who went into the fade & released the blight) Loghain, Bartrand, Meredith and Orsino, Corypheus, (Flem-)Mythal, Solas, Elgar'nan and Ghillai'nain all part of this plan/plot/progression. All of these people have at some point in there narrative made moves that could be described as deeply out of character. I'm especially in my *Leonardo DiCaprio pointing accusatorily* energy about this when I rewatched the scene where Loghain hires Zevran. He's staring into the fire, almost seeming like he's listening to something else. (I might be wrong, I probably am, but TINFOIL HATS BABYYYY)

The Void is essentially the antithesis to the Fade.

The fade brings life, energy, magic. The void holds death, magic-nullification etc. (See the mystery substance codex notes in Veilguard) Largely speaking, the Evanuris were "of the Fade" and the Forgotten Ones (or perhaps whoever these secret ending people are) are "of the Void". The Void that drove Andruil insane. The one the Forgotten ones were banished to (is this canon? I think so?), as the Evanuris were imprisoned in the Fade. More on this below in my Soul-diatribe.

Blood Magic came from the Void/these Void creatures. Perhaps was even taught by them.

Veilguard kind of defangs the whole "Old Gods taught Tevinter Blood Magic" by making the Old Gods (=Archdemons) simply voice boxes for the Evanuris because each Evanuris put a little bit of themselves into that Dragon. I sincerely doubt the original invention of blood magic will remain connected to the Evanuris as well, given everything they've already canonically ruined. I think the origin of Blood Magic lies somewhere else, especially since blood mages lose their clear connection to the fade.

Some or all of these creatures from the Void/speakers from the secret ending are the Forgotten Ones, or those the Forgotten Ones sought.

Yes, the forgotten ones were also powerful elves alongside the Evanuris. But they weren't imprisoned in the Fade, they were banished elsewhere. Their motives are different, as are their actions. Anaris using a Demon army kind of counters this theory, because demons are (ostensibly) from the fade, but what if the Void also has it's own kind of spirits? Once that are vastly different to those we know now? Idk spitballing here.

Anaris' last words pretty much confirm this for me, something about needing to escape from the Eye(s) - which fails, because of Rook. Wherever Anaris is banished to, something is there, and watching.

All of this connects into my biggest conspiracy idea:

Every mortal soul has two parts. One magical/mystical/spiritual Fade part, and one non-magical/grounded/earthly(?) Void part.

The original Elves who came from spirits would only have the former, but all those who were born of this world (Thedas) have something to them that decreases that pure connection to the Fade, another part of their being.

When the dead are encountered or resurrected, not all of them returns, although powerful mages are stronger (see Zara Renata's corpse scene with Emmrich). Emmrich states he believes in a "truer resurrection", aka the spirit that possesses a body is often, at least in part, the same spirit that belonged to the deceased.

Now what if...what IF that part that returns, those spirits that play out all of Thedas' dreams. The divine encountered in DA:I, what if those are just the FADE part of the soul? What if the soul has roughly two parts (Mythal splitting, the Evanuris binding to Dragons, Titans/Dwarves being split from magic shows us souls CAN split to some extent), one returning to the Fade, and the other returning to the VOID on death? What if Dwarves don't have any of that Fade Soul™, what if the rest of the world has a sliding scale amount depending on magic aptitude, elfiness™ and other genetics? What if the Veil caused people to just have a way larger amount of VoidSoul™, which is why everyone feels Tranquil to Solas? Because the Void would be anti-magic, un-emotion, un-life. What if resurrections through Blood Magic and other Blood Magic draws inspiration from the Void, thus tainting the Fade part of the soul, thus worsening the connection to the Fade? E.g. if the Veil fell, those with a high enough Fade-Soul™ percentage would be OK, while those with too much Void Soul wouldn't be able to survive/ascend (obligatory bible parallels mention, *cringe*).

I suppose three parts (Void, Fade & Earth is also possible, but I think the dichotomy would be more interesting.)

I could literally go on and on about this. It's by No Means a perfect theory and very much based on conjecture and vibes and most of the above proving true. But my conspiracy brain is doing overtime and I for one can't wait to see how Thedas' story continues and most importantly....

If weird grey masked entities doing influency heebeejeebie void stuff...

Why?

[taski-guru]

Somewhere over the Reindeer

..Blue birds fly

̶A̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶d̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶O̶h̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶,̶ ̶o̶h̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶I̶.̶.̶ ̶I̶,̶I̶!̶

Alright, I am finishing another YCH, but first quick clumsy silly sketch and news exchange, I think I need to share time by time something with other people, like my psychotherapist advised (she meant that not only talking to friends but being open to other type of communications, quick talk with mutuals / watchers and so on)

I am not used to it, but this year holds for me many new things, heh? Mostly bad ones thou/ For example, what do you think about my sona with short hair? I personally think I look now even more alike my dad, lol. In his early 20s

Also got injured recently or rather, I was hit by a kitchen unit that I didn't hang on the wall properly. I'm not badly hurt, but I have a bruise on my temple and above my eye because of the angle hit. It could have been worse, so I'm not worried. Better me than poor Rendezvous anyway, sadly other acquaintances can't help me due to their daily job. My friends would help me, but they all are aboard now(. Breaks my heart to see they also suffer to see me like this(

It's even funny (if it can be funny) how often I suffer with my eye, a few years ago I had a huge chalazion that tormented me a lot. And a few years ago I had vestibular neuritis, after which my facial muscles remained immobile for a long time and one of my eyes would not open properly. Thanks god I can at least see now after the hit.

I often had health troubles earlier (diabetes related) but now I also lost access to my old insulin and to all decent insulin in general, I tried two types so far and it's obvious that my body refuse to functioning well with it, previous year was bad, but current one scares me, I got surgery and another one is ahead in a year or two (a polyp reduction) I'm afraid there's a connection (with change of insulin type) that my body has started growing tumors, but thank God they're benign ones. Still scary( Hope it won't get worse.

I am tired of hospital visits this year.

Most of these visits were also lonely ones since the only close friend suddenly started treated me in only two mods /snap on me/ being supper irritated or ignoring me like 80% of the time almost whole year. I still don't know what happens, most likely they have their own huge problems they don't want share with me, but idk. Being a jerk is being a jerk regardless your circumstances, as an old close friend I was hoping... not for much really, but at least for a some freedom of rudeness or a few words of support while I am in trouble.

I'll never know what happened, I think

thou I understand there is my fault too, uh( In many things. Only once I called them out for their harsh words and they did not take it well. Thou I don't know what to do, I am tired of tolerating rudeness over and over again this year. Maybe I should have stood up for myself when it's only started but I was scared that they are depressed and a serious talk will only get them angrier / sadder. Did not know what to do really.

They avoiding me now without even clear declaration of ending of relationships that lasted a half of our lives. Feels real bad how cheap our friendship turned out to be then and how many promises they made in the past in which I sadly believed. Can't say more since it's already is oversharing actually. Maybe if their sickly friend is such a trouble that not even worse of waste a few seconds for texting "hang in there" or "do you need help" or something than it's better to put it all at end. I will most likely getting more and more sick over the years if I will not return to my original insulin, so( But I am trying not to get bitter. Will try to hold onto best of our times in the past and be grateful for what we had before this terrible year. Did you have similar situations - what was your friends problems or excuses to act like this?

I believe one of the main reasons is emotional immaturity, when you are avoiding to sort out tensions and problems that sadly can be in any relationship - than it's collecting and grow until it explodes and then such persons play a card that said "I am tired from conflicts, I ignored them all the time before and I can't see connection with the situation we are getting into - can we avoiding sorting out conflicts further, I am already feel bad and you are to blame to make me feel even more bad for making solve this problem I am a part of! I am a victim now because when you said my actions offended you - you offended me, so I will dramatically sulk now"

That does not mean that friend of mine act like that I just described the behavior I saw on other immature people (all 20 and even 25+ thou -_- )

Such persons not only not understanding needs of others, but also they usually don't understand their owns so it's a very huge problem really what is even way beyond just to act childishly time by time, it's almost similar to some personalities disorders.

Not pretending being emotionally mature myself, but.. well.

Well sorry if this too much I actually just wanted to talk I think - if you want to share something as well, don't be shy Thank you for reading this. I am not used of sharing so many things with watchers but.. well let's see how it will work

I am also planing to share how my process of PTSD healing is going, will draw comics even then

Также можете рассказать как вы решаете проблему с инсулином 👀

[transrightsjimin]

i just watched venom the last dance and idk what to think of it but i def laughed and sobbed. uh. i think the pacing was too slow and shots / scenes where nothing happened too long at times and they should not have given in to the filmbros who called the first two films too short

actual spoilers, don't read if you have yet to watch:

they killed (kind of???) who i feared would be so that made me sad but didn't shock me. maybe venom is not gone tho bc of the first post-credits scene.

but they introduced the one fucking character from venom comics that i fucking hate to death and everything he stands for. god no. well im not watching anything that vaguely connects to these films bc anything with flash thompson is just war propaganda. mcu can keep that fucker

the way lines were read felt so off and there's this odd thing ab how the actors kept staring for a very long time at e/o / in front of them a lot and idfk why they did that?? not just the actors too but like the cg animated characters too. it was uncanny like i kept thinking smth sudden would happen or that there was a deeper meaning but there wasn't. what was that

i did love that they included codex and im fine w it having a different lore in the movie bc it made a good motivation to drive the story

i loved that the last(?) credits song was one with tom hardy rapping under his pseudonym lol

also just in general i loved the first half of the movie quite a bunch. very cool and funny and the symbiosis felt more complete even though they still barely felt like friends to me. like after the fights tom goes back to pathetic loser guy again who just insults the symbiote and doesn't make it clear at all that they're supposed to be friends. the marketing was queer-baiting as i thought lol

[mithrifer]

Okay this is that big HB S2 E7 post I promised yesterday!

Well, I'm saying big but like idk how long it'll end up being, I just plan on dumping everything inside my brain here. (should I have used another pic? dunno lol). Please excuse me if this is hard to read/is incoherent, I'm just rambling all of my thoughts out. I hope it makes sense at the end.

Where to start, where to start... I suppose I can start with Fizzy, he's kind of the connection point for Asmodeus, Mammon and all of their extra messy relationships. Which I want to dig right into!

So, Fizzarolli huh?

Now, I think Fizzarolli is downright adorable; which was only accentuated due to me watching episode 6 and 7 together, I had just found out not one but two episodes came out yesterday. I think I got some sort of fluff overdose because I told my friends something totally deranged after I was done, from which a surprisingly insightful conversation started, and I just had to share what I came up with there.

In this episode especially, though also a little in episode 6, Fizzy is just all over the place. And I mean that in the personal way. He's like a rollercoaster of emotions, diving into anxiety and doubt them surging into confidence and joy. Just a mess, really. I love him for that.

But well, from the reception I've seen of this episode, and this is purely anecdotal I am not some Helluva fandom expert, it seems like people think all of his stuff is just... resolved? Like the biggest danger people talk about is the future revenge Mammon is going to inflict upon our cute yaoi couple, or whatever!

I sure hope not! Because the way I see it, nothing about Fizzarolli's situation can be defined as "over".

So, Mammon is Fizzy's idol. He has been since the imp was five, he took him in when Fizz was at his most vulnerable, he built him into a giant sensation, he's the reason he knows Asmodeus at all, and Fizz still greatly cared about his thoughts and wanted to be "perfect" for him; the imp being keenly aware of all of this... All until Ozzy and he had a little prance around the dress room, and then Fizz made a really cool show all about how much his boss sucked and how he quit, then they all lived happily ever after.

Let's acknowledge the elephant in the room. Or rather the rooster.

Fizzarolli and Asmodeus' relationship is kind of sus when you think about it, isn't it?

I think this has been a thing ever since Ozzy was first introduced, but it was made especially clear to me during these last two episodes. So, what do you think of when you see the two interact? That they love each other very much?

Well, yeah! They do.

Okay then Mith, why did you take your time to point this out? Where's the sinister reveal? Does he beat our clown boy behind doors, or something?

No. But I don't think their relationship is healthy, either. I'd go so far as to say it's abusive.

The way Asmodeus and Fizzarolli deal with each other is certainly weird! More specifically, the way Asmodeus tries to handle his relationship. I doubt any of you would disagree with me if I said Asmodeus was controlling, but it goes beyond that. He is manipulative and untrusting as well.

First, let's explore the dynamics of their relationship. Asmodeus is the king of lust, one of the strongest and most influential demons in hell. He's caring, concerned and uplifting towards Fizzarolli, his boyfriend. Him, on the other hand, is a performer imp clown. A pretty famous one. Fizz is anxious and a perfectionist, but he's also upbeat, creative and also caring.

Fizzarolli, if episode 6 and 7 didn't make it evidently clear, is very dependent on others around him. Not only that, but those whom he is dependent on hold a sway over him. Whether its Asmodeus or Mammon, their words are arrows shot directly at his heart.

So it's certainly concerning when Asmodeus expresses how he doesn't want Fizz going out alone, finds himself "justified" in his beliefs twice, and also really just can't stand that other guy his poor boyfriend worries so much about!

What am I saying here, exactly? Why is Asmodeus trying to curb Fizzy's agency? Why doesn't Asmodeus trust him to make his own decisions? And why did he overstep his boundaries by going to that show?

Isn't it clear? Asmodeus loves him. He just wants the best for Fizzarolli. And that is precisely why he's abusing him. See, if Fizzarolli wasn't oh so fragile maybe he could go out on his own without being bothered, or if he could make coherent decisions that didn't involve giving himself panic attacks to please some fat asshole he wouldn't intervene behind his back, or if he could just let Asmodeus handle things everything would be just fine... Because Asmodeus can. He can and would do everything for him, and Fizz can depend on him.

I don't think he's even aware he's harming Fizz by not trusting him. I don't think someone who hated love until a few months ago, understands how to love. He only knows how he feels, and when he's with Fizz, with that smile on his face, he's happy.

I came upon this realization about their relationship right after the last scene. To get into that though...

Mammon

Asmodeus can't be that bad! I mean, just look at this guy? He doesn't even care for Fizz one bit! At least Ozzy loves him, Mammy was just using him!

You're sort of right! Asmodeus is so much better than Mammon. And Mammon is using him, which sucks! That's the part where you're right.

Mammon, does, however; very obviously care about Fizzarolli.

It shouldn't come off as that much of a surprise, I think. He spent years with him. He constantly carries two robot copies of him around with him. He is actually concerned for a moment when Fizzarolli is stressing out, even though he's mean and demanding. He loves his show, even if it's shitting on Mammon; and the list goes on.

But I don't think any character within the series is aware of that, including Mammon himself. The closest thing I can think of is Fizzarolli deluding(?) himself into thinking his idol does.

Fizz has the motivation to believe Mammon would care about him, after all. He practically saved his life, he's his idol, and he just wants him to be perfect.

But why wouldn't Mammon just be upfront about that?

Funny thing about owning things is that you don't really notice their values until you lose them. Still, you try and keep what you have. Mammon throws pageants every year, knowing full well Fizzy is going to win, even with competition. It does make a shit ton of money, sure, but there are probably better, easier, cheaper ways to promote his favorite. Why bother?

Fizz happens to come back every time. Which is great for profit.

Why did he get so mad when Fizz told him he quit? It certainly wasn't due to the crass words used. He loved that show, and begrudgingly watched even after realizing it was about him. So why? It's not like he lost out on anything. Fizz is just a clown imp. He's completely replacable...

Mammon is really greedy. He doesn't want to let go of Fizzarolli. Fizz is his. He spent way too much time and money on Fizz. He's had way too much fun with Fizz. And in the end, he's irreplacable, isn't he? Not out of any pragmatic or practical reasons, but because Mammon wants him. (read into this any way you want).

But... why does how Mammon feels about Fizz even matter? He's just reaping what he has sown. He deserves being abandoned.

You're completely right. Here is the thing though.

It isn't what Fizzarolli wants

Ummm Mithmints were you deaf or somethang? The fuck you song?

I won't beat around the bush this time, because I've already mentioned this. Asmodeus spends the entire episode trying to supplant the relationship between Fizzarolli and Mammon. He has every right to hold disdain for their incredibly toxic situation, but he goes behind his boyfriends back for this and even contacts his bestie for sabotage. So when Fizzarolli goes onto the stage ready to scream fuck you I quit (as he should) at the asshole who made him rise to fame, the asshole who was his idol from five, the asshole whom he wanted to be perfect for just minutes ago; right after an incredibly vulnerable moment where his sweet hunky boyfriend told him how he was just perfect the way he is and didn't need anything, after which they had a cute little dance.

For some reason, I don't think Fizzarolli is going to be very proud of his incredibly rash decision once the adrenaline goes down and he feels hesitation and guilt towards a deed done. If Fizzy had a rational moment to think about cutting things off with Mammon, I don't think he would pick the method he did, even with his love for performance. Because years of obsession and care don't go away with a two minute song. Don't worry though, Asmodeus will make sure he's more than happy with the path he picked.

...So?

Uh... What "so?"? Are you asking me if I was going anywhere with this? Well, definitely not anywhere specific! I kind of just wanted to examine their situations!

Okay, so, here are my direct thoughts based on what we established.

Fizzarolli loves both Asmodeus and Mammon (feel free to pick how for the latter) but he is very anxious and dependant. He makes a completely justified yet rash decision to cut Mammon off, something he will personally regret. Both of these people hurt Fizzy, but the former is a lot nicer about it.

Asmodeus loves Fizzy, and I don't think he was exaggarating when he said he was the best thing that happened to him during that scene. As a result, he cares deeply about him, and can't bear to see him get hurt. I think Asmodeus thinks that as long as Fizzy is safe and happy, everything is just fine. So he takes the initiative to keep Fizzy from harm, cut him off from assholes from his past, and even go behind his back to do these things. He doesn't trust Fizzarolli to lead his own life, but I don't think he realizes he even should. As long as he's around, Fizz can always stay with him and depend on him. As a cardinal sin, it's not like he's going anywhere. And with that other guy out of the way, Fizz doesn't have anywhere else to go to, even if he for whatever reason wanted to. (I do not think Blitzo could support Fizzarolli in such a way, don't get me wrong, he would definitely try, but I can't imagine it ending well. Their lives just contrast a little too much.)

Mammon just lost out on his favorite clown, and he's very upset about it. I don't think he can parse out why he's so bothered, exactly! It's just Fizzarolli. He just cut him off and quit. It's not like the king of greed needs a clown imp for anything. But I think he's going to feel that vacancy in his life. Like something has been removed and he just can't fill it back up. I can't imagine him being accustomed to loss with all of his avarice. I think he'll find he hates it more than anyone else could.

See Asmodeus and Mammon are like perfect opposites to each other. Asmodeus gives, and Mammon takes. Lust is two sided, while Greed just has one. They're both manipulative, but Asmodeus' nature makes him not even realize it, while Mammon revels in it. I think that's really fun.

So time to get into epic headcanon/scenario making time!

You know how Asmodeus used to think love sucked? Well, what if Mammon and Asmodeus were exes? See, Mammodeus (especially before and without Fizz) would be a complete disaster. The previous opposition would just completely drain Asmodeus as a person, while Mammon would grow spoiled and unsatisfied. I think it would be pretty traumatizing. But I can't really stop thinking about a post-Fizz version of it, maybe set sometime after canon in a universe where Fizz elects to dump Ozzy after noticing his agency being taken away. instead of reconciling with him. I think it would start out as hatesex disaster, but it would quickly evolve into something more substantial. I think Asmodeus would be able to build something great there, having learned how to be a better lover from Fizz.

To be honest any of the pairings or a throupling has massive potential with these three characters. I'm also a big Flitz(?) fan so it was good to see all the scenes between them too. But maybe that's a post for another day.

Feel free to tell me in the comments or reblogs how hard my takes suck and how fizzaozzy or fizzmodeus is 100% healthy. If you can convince me you get a gold star and a big kiss on the cheek!